It is common for companies to organize various informal events where workers can come with their partners. One of those...In his message sent to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong on September 21, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President of China Xi Jinping said On behalf of the CPC, the Chinese government and people, as well as in my own name, I extend the deepest condolences to you and to the CPV, as well as the government and people of Vietnam. We are deeply saddened by his passing.



The Chinese president described President Tran Dai Quang as an outstanding leader of the Vietnamese Party and State, who made significant contributions to Vietnams development, reform and opening. He added that the deceased Vietnamese leader was a close comrade and friend of the Chinese people, who always devoted himself to promoting the China-Vietnam friendship, as well as actively strengthening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.



He expressed his belief that under the leadership of General Secretary Trong, the Party, Government and people of Vietnam would transform their grief into strength to continuously record new achievements in the cause of socialist construction.



The Chinese president also extended his deepest condolences to the family of President Tran Dai Quang.



* In his letter to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also expressed his deepest condolences to the Vietnamese Government and the family of President Tran Dai Quang on behalf of the Chinese Government and in his own name.



He wrote that President Tran Dai Quang devoted his entire life to Vietnams reform and construction and made important contributions to promoting the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperation, noting that his passing is a great loss to the people of Vietnam and the China-Vietnam relationship.



Premier Li Keqiang also expressed his belief that under the staunch leadership of the Vietnamese Party and Government, the Vietnamese people would transform their grief into strength to continuously record new achievements in the cause of socialist construction.



* In his message to National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress Li Zhanshu also expressed his deepest condolences at the passing of President Tran Dai Quang.



He stated that President Quang was an outstanding leader who always made efforts to promote Vietnams reform and construction, and made important contributions to promoting the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.



The chairman also expressed his belief that under the staunch leadership of the Vietnamese Party and Government, the Vietnamese people would transform their grief into strength to continuously record new achievements in the cause of socialist construction.



* In his message to Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan expressed his great shock over the passing away of President Tran Dai Quang.



President Tran Dai Quang dedicated his whole life to the cause of construction and development of Vietnam, he noted, adding that President Quang was a comrade and a close friend of the Chinese people who made significant contributions to the time-honoured friendship and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.



The Chinese Vice President said he was deeply saddened to learn about the passing away of comrade Tran Dai Quang. He also expressed his belief that the Vietnamese people would transform their grief into strength and continuously record new achievements in the cause of socialist construction.



For his part, Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi extended his deep condolences to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.



President Tran Dai Quang was an outstanding leader of the Party and State of Vietnam, who was also a comrade and close friend of the Chinese people, he wrote, adding that the Vietnamese State leader always strived for the cause of renewal and construction of Vietnam, as well as making significant contributions to the development of the China - Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.



Expressing his deep sadness over the passing away of President Tran Dai Quang, Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted that China is willing to continue its efforts to develop the bilateral relations and the socialist cause of each country.



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When informed of President Tran Dai Quangs passing, the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the Lao National Assembly, the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Lao Front for National Construction Central Committee, sent their condolences to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Vietnamese National Assembly, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, expressing their deep sympathy over the late Presidents death.



The condolences stated that the Lao authorities would like to express their deep mourning at the passing of Tran Dai Quang, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, who was also a Politburo member and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.



The Lao contingent highly praised the contributions of late President Tran Dai Quang to the cause of Vietnams protection, construction and development, especially in the field of social security and order.



President Tran Dai Quang was a leader who greatly contributed to the development of the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Laos and Vietnam in recent years, the condolences said.



The death of President Tran Dai Quang is not only the loss of a beloved leader of the Party, State and people of Vietnam, but the Lao Party, State and people also lost a close friend.



In this moment of grief, the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the Lao National Assembly, the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Lao Front for National Construction Central Committee, would like to send their deepest condolences to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Vietnamese National Assembly, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and through their Vietnamese comrades to the Vietnamese people, especially to the family, relatives and friends of President Tran Dai Quang.



Please pay homage and wish that the soul of comrade Tran Dai Quang reaches the eternal realm, the condolences mourned.



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In his condolences sent to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on September 21, Cambodian PM Samdech Techno Hun Sen expressed his sadness to learn about the passing of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.



The demise of President Quang is a huge loss of a great and admirable leader of the country and people of Vietnam, and a good friend of Cambodia, he stated.

On behalf of the Royal Government and people of Cambodia, PM Hun Sen extended his deepest sympathies and condolences to the Government and people of Vietnam as well as the family of the late President for such a huge loss.



On the same day, Acting President of the Cambodian Senate Nay Pena sent a message of condolences to Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, in which he said he was saddened by the news of President Quangs passing.



On behalf of the Cambodian Senate and people, he extended his deepest condolences to the late Presidents family, as well as to the National Assembly, Government, and people of Vietnam, affirming that President Tran Dai Quang was a valuable friend of the Cambodian people, and that the late leaders historical achievements and exemplary example will last forever.



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On September 21, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee Raul Castro Ruz extended his condolences to Party General Secretary, Nguyen Phu Trong.

He wrote, On behalf of the PCC and the people of Cuba, as well as in my own name, I extend the deepest condolences to you and to the family of President Tran Dai Quang..

President Tran Dai Quang was a great friend of Cuba and a strong promoter of the historic friendship and cooperation between our countries. he added.

On the same day, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, President of Cubas Councils of State and Ministers, also conveyed a letter of condolences to his Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, over the demise of President Tran Dai Quang, in which he emphasised that President Tran Dai Quang was a loyal friend of the Cuban Revolution.

I remember the personal contribution of President Tran Dai Quang in promoting the friendship and cooperation between our two countries. In particular, he always expressed his pride at being the last head of state to meet the Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro Ruz., he wrote.

On behalf of the Government and the people of Cuba, as well as in my own name, I extend the deepest condolences to you and to the government and people of Vietnam, as well as the family of President Tran Dai Quang.





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Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message of condolences to Vietnamese Party General Secretary, Nguyen Phu Trong, on September 21, concerning the demise of President Tran Dai Quang.



Id like to send my deepest sympathies to you over the passing away of President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Tran Dai Quang.



Through his service as head of state and other positions of trust, Tran Dai Quang earned due respect among his countrymen and a prominent global stature, as well as making great efforts to consolidate the countrys national security in order to protect Vietnams interests on the global stage.



It is difficult to assess the personal contribution made by Comrade Tran Dai Quang to cultivating the comprehensive strategic partnership and mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries. I believe that, the fond memories of Comrade Tran Dai Quang will live forever in the hearts of everyone who knew him.



Please allow me to send my most sincere condolences to the family and relatives of Comrade Tran Dai Quang as well as to the entire Vietnamese Government and people.



Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev offered condolences to Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on September 21, on the passing away of President Tran Dai Quang.



Learning of the passing of President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang on September 21, 2018, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation, Id like to send you the deepest and most sincere sympathies.



While holding high-ranking state positions, President Tran Dai Quang invariably focused on strengthening the relations in the comprehensive strategic partnership linking the Russian Federation and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. I would like to emphasise his impressive personal contribution to advancing our major joint economic and cultural projects.



We will cherish the fond memories of this outstanding statesman and good friend of our country.



Please allow me to send my condolences to the family and relatives of Comrade Tran Dai Quang and the entire Government and people of Vietnam.

* Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, Don Pramudwinai; Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, Vivian Balakrishnan; Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Kono Taro; Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan and President of the Vietnam-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group, Kishida Fumio have also sent letters of condolences to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.President Erdogan signals an operation to the east of Syria

"Turkey would continue to increase the number of safe zones within Syria to include the east of the Euphrates River," said President Erdogan.

In his address to Turkish and Muslim communities in New York, organized by the Turkish American National Steering Committee, Erdogan said Turkeys struggle would continue until the terror threat against it ends and would eradicate terror gangs that aim at Syrias future.

Erdogan said Turkey prioritized civilians, the preservation of de-escalation zones and protecting moderate opposition groups since the beginning of the Idlib issue. "There may be different approaches of different countries about moderate opposition, according to Erdogan. But we are thinking that the moderate opposition should remain in the political process. The Turkish leader said.

"WE WILL NEVER MAKE CONCESSIONS TO TERROR ORGANIZATIONS"

Turkey has worked for years to maintain peace in Syria and help millions of civilians return to their homes despite propaganda and smear tactics by the Bashar al-Assad regime.

In the article published in Russias Kommersant, on Sunday, Erdogan also expressed that Turkey would not allow the presence of terror groups on its border with Syria saying, Turkey has proven its resolution many times before in Afrin, Jarablus, al-Bab, and Idlib. Turkey will never make concessions to terror organizations, he said, adding that this policy would not change.US-led coalition killed 2,832 civilians in Syria

Syrian Network for Human Rights said US-led coalition forces have targeted residential areas 170 times.

A total of 2,832 civilians -over half of them women and children- have been killed since the US-led coalition began its attacks in Syria in 2014, according to a report released on Sunday.

According to the report by the UK-based Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) marking the fourth anniversary of the intervention of international coalition forces in Syria, a total of 861 children and 617 women have been killed since the intervention began on Sept. 23, 2014.

1856 CIVILIANS WERE KILLED IN TWO YEARS

The report said coalition forces killed 976 civilians during the Barack Obama administration, and 1,856 civilians under the less than two years of the Donald Trump administration. According to the report, in the first year of US intervention in Syria, a total of 249 civilians were killed, followed by 398 in year two, 1,753 in year three, and 432 in year four.

HIGHEST DEATH TOLL IN RAQQAH

Breaking down the death toll by provinces in Syria, the largest number of casualties took place in Raqqa, with 1,133. Raqqah was followed by Aleppo with 782, Deir al-Zour with 447, al-Hasakah with 218, Idlib with 126, Homs with 121, and Daraa with five civilian deaths.

The report also documented how coalition forces carried out at least 156 "massacres" in Syria targeting several residential areas. Since Sept. 23, 2014, US-led coalition forces have targeted residential areas 170 times, including 108 times in Raqqah.Judging Kavanaugh  Feinstein's 'guilty until proven innocent' strategy

By Mark Alexander



Last Monday, we celebrated Constitution Day, the 231st anniversary of the signing of our Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787. Unfortunately, it was a week when our Constitution and the Liberty it enshrines have been subject to yet another ludicrous assault. This attack came, of course, from Democrat Party leaders, and it went far beyond their usual relentless grind to undermine constitutional Rule of Law and to subordinate it with a so-called "living constitution."

In my column two weeks ago, "Obstruction of Justice: The Demos' Kavanaugh Blockade," I noted, "The left-leaning (to put it kindly) American Bar Association awarded Judge Brett Kavanaugh its highest endorsement, a unanimous 'Well-Qualified' rating. According to ABA guidelines, 'The rating of "Well Qualified" is reserved for those found to merit the Committee's strongest affirmative endorsement.'"

I wrote further, "This endorsement used to be the gold standard for Democrats considering Republican judicial nominees for the Supreme Court. So what's the holdup on Donald Trump's Kavanaugh nomination to SCOTUS  a nominee who has already been through six intense and exhaustive FBI background investigations associated with high-level judicial and presidential appointments between 1993 to 2018, including congressional hearings for previous federal judicial appointments?"

The answer is obvious:

1) The election of Donald Trump; 2) the resulting epidemic of Trump Derangement Syndrome; 3) pandering and political theater, Democrat Party style; and 4) a deep sense of remorse by Democrats that they killed the filibuster for judicial nominations in 2013 to clear the way for a slate of Barack Obama's far-left nominees to the federal bench.

On that last point, Democrats inadvertently cleared the way for the appointment of Trump's constitutional constructionist judges to the court, those who will abide by their oaths "to support and defend" our Constitution rather than twist it into whatever shape the Democrats please.

Even their leftmost justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, laments the patent partisanship in the Kavanaugh hearings: "The [Justice Antonin Scalia] vote was unanimous. Every Democrat and every Republican voted for him. But that's the way it should be, instead of what it's become, which is a highly partisan show. ... I wish I could wave a magic wand and have it go back to ... the way it was." She noted the vote on her own confirmation was 96 to 3, despite her having spent "10 years of my life litigating cases under the auspices of the ACLU."

So now, after six separate FBI background checks of Kavanaugh, after Senate Democrats had more time to review this nominee's background than virtually any SCOTUS nominee, after hundreds of thousands of background documents were released for their review (despite the "Spartacus" claims), after 65 individual meetings with senators, after his written answers to 1,278 follow-up questions, and after more than 30 hours of public testimony, let me ask again: "So what's the holdup on Judge Kavanaugh's nomination?"

In short, the holdup now is a collusion and obstruction strategy cooked up by the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, five-term California Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Two months ago (according to her recollection), Feinstein says she received a letter from one Christine Blasey Ford, a leftist, pro-abortion, Bernie Sanders-supporting California college professor, who alleged that she had been subject to some kind of assault, maybe in the summer of 1982, by Brett Kavanaugh, who would have been 17 years old at the time. By Ford's account, she was an inebriated 15-year-old, and the incident took place at a party location she can't recall, nor can she remember how she got to or departed the party.

Ford says she mentioned the incident to a therapist back in 2012. According to the therapist's records, Ford mentioned no names and insisted there were four boys involved. Ford later claimed that only Kavanaugh's friend Mark Judge was present, but he has categorically denied any knowledge of this incident.

Last weekend she claimed another student, Patrick Smyth, was also present. Today, he issued a letter to the Judicial Committee declaring, "I am issuing this statement today to make it clear to all involved that I have no knowledge of the party in question; nor do I have any knowledge of the allegations of improper conduct she has leveled against Brett Kavanaugh. Personally speaking, I have known Brett Kavanaugh since high school and I know him to be a person of great integrity, a great friend, and I have never witnessed any improper conduct by Brett Kavanaugh towards women."

Of course, Ford's "forgotten" details make it easier for Feinstein to frame Kavanaugh as "guilty until proven innocent."

For his part, Judge Kavanaugh has categorically denied the allegations, and he has produced a letter signed by 65 female colleagues and lifelong friends attesting to his sterling character. In addition, two women who dated Kavanaugh during the period of the alleged assault have also said the allegations are utterly inconsistent with his character, noting he was "kind and polite and respectful" and a "stand-up guy, full of integrity" who "treated no one with disrespect."

The only thing Kavanaugh is guilty of is being a constitutional constructionist.

But the Leftmedia insists that Ford's account must be true because she has "passed" a polygraph test. At best, that is an indication that Ford believes her own story. But who paid for it? And who administered it? And what questions were asked? And how were they formulated?

When Feinstein was asked why she sat on this "bombshell" letter for months and why she'd failed to even mention it to Kavanaugh during her one-on-one meetings with him prior to the Senate hearings, instead turning it over to the FBI just last Thursday, she claimed, "I don't know; I'll have to look back and see." Later she claimed that it was because Ford "asked that it be confidential."

Are you a believer yet?

On Monday, Democrats demanded an open hearing for Ford, so Republicans granted an open or closed hearing next Monday, whichever Ford preferred. According to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), "Immediately after learning of Dr. Ford's identity from news reports Sunday, committee staff started working to gather facts related to her claims. We've offered Dr. Ford the opportunity to share her story with the committee, as her attorney said she was willing to do. We offered her a public or a private hearing as well as staff-led interviews, whichever makes her most comfortable."

By Tuesday, Democrats were, predictably, erecting obstacles to that hearing  again all designed to obstruct and delay. Rather than accept Grassley's invitation, Ford's lawyer insisted that would only happen after "a fair proceeding," insisting the FBI would first have to conduct a "full investigation" into the 35-year-old accusation, the fundamental details of which her client can't even remember.

Demo leader and arch-obstructionist Chuck Schumer (D-NY) insisted that requiring the alleged victim to testify before a full investigation "is simply inadequate, unfair, wrong, and designed not to get the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

Huh? For the record, this entire episode has been specifically "designed not to get the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

On Ford's refusal to testify, Grassley responded, "It raises the question: Do they want to have the hearing or not?" He noted that the FBI "considers the matter closed" and that next Monday's hearing will go forward with or without Ford.

Of course, Democrats are just trying to run out the clock. The two Republican senators who initially said the nomination vote should be postponed until Ford testified, Bob Corker (R-TN) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), are now insisting it proceed.

As for the veracity of Ford's claims, Feinstein now says, "I can't say that everything is truthful. I don't know." Democrats aren't interested in what's "truthful" as long as there's still a chance to kill the Kavanaugh nomination.

Let me be clear: The alleged "leak" about Ford's accusation was scripted by Feinstein to coincide with the conclusion of the Kavanaugh hearings. Ford's subsequent interview by The Washington Post was scripted by Feinstein and Ford. Likewise they scripted Ford's refusal to testify prior to a "full FBI investigation."

And Feinstein has an ulterior motive. After the California Democrat Party endorsed her November opponent, socialist Kevin de Leon, the 85-year-old Feinstein is desperately endeavoring to ensure her victory in November.

This was a brilliantly timed character assassination designed to derail Kavanaugh's nomination if, as estimated, Ford's allegations elicit enough female voter outrage in the swing states of squishy Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, thus compelling them to vote against Kavanaugh, or forcing Kavanaugh or Trump to withdraw the nomination.

Ultimately, the Democrat delay strategy is based on the assumption of retaking the Senate in the midterms, at which point the plan, as Sen. Maize Hirono (D-HI) outlined, is to then keep the seat vacant until 2020. "The world does not come to an end because we don't fill all of the nominees," declared Hirono, who added that men on the Judiciary Committee should "just shut up."

In other words, Republicans best get this nomination through next week, or they risk not filling the seat.

Feinstein's "#MeToo" farce is the latest manifestation of the Democrats' 2018 midterm election alleged assault strategy.

Unlike all the leftists who've been outed recently as serial sexual abusers, there's been no such pattern with Kavanaugh  just this single out-of-left-field allegation.

Political analyst David French notes, "Feinstein's conduct raises multiple questions. If the allegations are serious, why sit on them since July? Also, if the allegations are serious, why refer them to law enforcement just now? And why not ask Kavanaugh about the claims, even in a closed session? While we don't know the contents of the letter, Feinstein has not behaved like a person in possession of blockbuster revelations. Instead, she's behaving like a person engaged in a vicious smear."

Indeed, even the hard-left San Francisco Chronicle is questioning the timing of Feinstein's political ruse, noting her "treatment of a more than 3-decade-old sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was unfair all around. It was unfair to Kavanaugh, unfair to his accuser and unfair to Feinstein's colleagues  Democrats and Republicans alike  on the Senate Judiciary Committee."

But Feinstein knows that adjudicating 36-year-old unsubstantiated and uncorroborated allegations in the court of public opinion will, effectively, frame Kavanaugh as "guilty until proven innocent." The accusations will, as was the case with late accusations against Justice Clarence Thomas, follow Kavanaugh to his grave, whether appointed or not.

Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post.This is a major political event and a big festival of the working class and trade union organisations of Vietnam, which determines important issues related to employees and trade union activities for the next five years.

Participants devoted a minutes silence to the memory of late Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, who passed away in Hanoi on September 21 due to a serious illness.

Delegates hold a minute of silence to remember late Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.

In his opening remarks, President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), Bui Van Cuong, stated that with a sense of responsibility, dynamism and creativity, all-level trade unions have overcome difficulties, overhauled operational contents and methods, and designed many practical guidelines and measures to organise the implementation and basically fulfill the goals and tasks set at the 11th Congress.

The trade union activities have focused on giving practical benefits to union members and labourers, he said, adding that trade union organisations are constantly growing and promoting their role as trustworthy representatives of the labour force, a strong supporter of the Party, and a bridge connecting the Party and State with labourers.

Cuong stressed that the position of trade unions in society has been improved, as trade union activities and the workers movement have made significant contributions to the countrys socio-economic development, strengthening national defense and security, and building a strong and pure political system, thus increasing the position of Vietnam in the international arena.

VGCL President Bui Van Cuong speaks at the conference.

The 12th Congress aims to deliver objective and comprehensive assessments of achievements; point out limitations and learn from lessons of the 2013-2018 term, thereby defining targets, directions, tasks and solutions of the trade union organisations for the next five years, he said.

The 12th Congress of the Vietnam Trade Union is scheduled to last until September 26. In the opening session, delegates voted to elect members to the Presidium and the Secretariat, while passing the working programmes of the congress. During the three days of sitting, participants will discuss and approve the Charter of the Vietnam Trade Union (revised).

Within the framework of the Congress, a forum, themed Vietnam Trade Union accompanies the Government in enhancing national competitiveness and sustainably developing the country, will be held this afternoon, during which Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will hold a dialogue with participating delegates.In Memoriam, Richard (Dick) Field, 1924-2018 By Mark Wegierski

This is a tribute to Richard (Dick) Field, a stalwart Canadian patriot. I had known him since the early 1990s. I first met Dick around 1993, at the first founding meeting of the Voice of Canadians, also known as the Voice of Canadians Committees (VCC). The early 1990s were a dark time in Ontario, ruled by Bob Rae and his socialists in the New Democratic Party (NDP). I still remember the first meeting of the Voice of Canadians in Swansea Town Hall, which was viciously disrupted by leftist thugs who pulled the fire alarms, thus forcing the meeting to a close. (The Village of Swansea was a former administrative division in the west end of Toronto.) Dick Field decided to try to raise the banner of resistance to all the social engineering that was being imposed on Ontario at that time. We were both guided by the statement, generally attributed to Edmund Burke  All that is necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing. It was very encouraging to find someone in the early 1990s, willing to stand up to the vast roaring tide of left-liberalism, which had overwhelmed Canada since the late-1960s. Dick was also amazingly able to publish an article critical of the excesses of multiculturalism, in the Toronto Star, well known as a very liberal paper. It must have taken enormous effort and courage to carry this project to completion. Thanks to the uprising of the grassroots, of which the Voice of Canadians was in the vanguard, we were able to play a role in the election of Mike Harris in 1995, who ushered in the desperately needed Common Sense Revolution. In an article published by me in 1997, Canadas Civil War., which appeared in The World & I, vol. 12, no. 9 (September 1997), pp. 112-117, a Washington, D.C.-based monthly with a circulation of about a 100,000  I managed to briefly mention Dick, referencing the article he had published in the Toronto Star. My article was subsequently reprinted in a college/university reader  Annual Editions: World Politics, 1998-99 (Dushkin/McGraw-Hill, 1998). It was selected from among dozens of major American magazines read by the editorial board of Annual Editions. That college/university reader would have been circulated among tens of thousands of college and university students, mainly in the U.S. Dick and I were also very active in the Reform Party in our riding, Parkdale-High Park (in west-end Toronto). Dicks tireless hard work contributed to the amazing seventeen percent of the popular vote that the Reform Party candidate won in the federal election of 1993. (In the Canadian electoral system, candidates who receive fifteen percent or more of the popular vote in a riding, are refunded their Elections Canada candidacy deposit.) The unified Conservative vote in more recent elections in the riding (2004, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015) has hovered at or below fifteen percent. It could be argued that it is only because of the rise of the Reform Party, that the creation of a more small-c conservative Conservative Party became possible in December 2003. I reconnected with Dick at the May 2009 Civitas Canada meeting, being held in the elegant setting of the Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto. We were both long time members of Civitas Canada, a prestigious organization that gathers the leading centre and centre-right figures in Canada. In fact, Stephen Harper has been a member of the group, and briefly showed up at the meeting in the Royal York Hotel. In February 2012, Dick arranged a talk in Toronto for Paul Weston, then the leader of the British Freedom Party. It was combined with a superb dinner at a prominent restaurant in the Bloor West Village area. (Bloor West Village is a somewhat trendy area in west-end Toronto.) I was very happy to have been able to meet various important and interesting figures at the dinner, including Kathy Shaidle, the well-known Canadian blogger. After the dinner, I suggested to Dick that he might consider reviving the roundtable ginger-group which he had chaired in the late 1990s and early 2000s, called the Montgomery Tavern Society. Indeed, Dick undertook this task cheerfully, and invited me to join as a full-fledged participant. Our ginger group meetings have been attended by various important and interesting figures from Canada, and from around the world, which was a boon to me as a writer for broadening my contacts. I also wanted to note that Dick was a highly effective chairman of the meetings, and also took the effort to provide superb catering for the accompanying lunches. Those ginger group meetings have encompassed some of the happiest moments of the last few years for me, which have been otherwise quite dreary. I wanted to express my profound, profound thanks to Richard Field, for having since the early 1990s, taken up the banner in the struggle for freedom and for equality before and under the law in Canada. It was highly encouraging to me and my writing endeavours, that there were some people left, who hadnt abandoned a more traditional vision of Canada. One could all too quickly fall into depression, were it not for the reassurance of friendship and the sense that one was not entirely alone. Thank you again, most sincerely. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. HomeTransgenderisms recruiting plans include your kids By Michael R Shannon

Ryan T. Anderson, the author of When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment, gave a speech recently at Catholic University of America. It was all very dignified and featured a walkingoneggshells atmosphere. Yet under Andersons proper and decorous message was a stark warning for parents: Gender Red Guards are seizing the curriculum in government schools and they are coming for your kids. Or as Anderson has tweeted, transgenderism is a belief system that increasingly looks like a cultish religionbeing forced on the public by the state. Today the focus [of transgenderism] tends to be on children, Anderson warns. There are already 45 clinics that specialize in children and essentially function as recruitment depots. The standard of care is selfreinforcing in a childrens gender jumble clinic. These clinics make sure that once a child has expressed even the most tentative misgivings regarding their assigned gender the staff makes sure there is no backsliding on the part of the child or the parents. Left to their own devices 80 to 95 percent of the boys and girls who are genderconfused will happily revert to their gender before they become adults. Transgenderists cant tolerate that level of attrition. A movement to normalize the abnormal cant succeed if the numbers remain just a miniscule fringe of the total population. These childrens clinics are a sexual Checkpoint Charlie. Once the child crosses over hes behind the Berlin Gender Wall, never to be allowed to return. Here the power of the state enforces transgender conformity. Many child welfare commissars consider it child abuse to send the kid to counseling that seeks to have them accept reality and accept their real gender. Instead a boy who is too young to experiment with a new pack of Virginia Slims can be encouraged by the government to start down the road to a new vagina. This transgender ideology and its implementation by child welfare bureaucrats is systematically undermining parental authority. Inside the clinic parents are presented with a Trans for Tots regime where one size fits all. A threeyearold that just finished toddling, but is sexually wise beyond his years will begin social transitioning. The child gets a new name, new gender and starts playing for a new team as he lives as the opposite sex. As the child approaches puberty its unthinkable that he undergo the process in the wrong body. The child is given a drug cocktail for life that blocks the onset of puberty and as Anderson terms it, traps the child in a prepubescent body. Thats an ideal development for caregivers who also happen to be pedophiles. Then as early as the freshman year of high school the process of producing the right body begins. Puberty blockers are traded for hormone treatment. As the 18th birthday approaches  earlier for some particularly zealous surgeons  surgical reassignment is possible. Although the new euphemism for this is irreversible body vandalism is gender affirmation surgery. Anderson describes the ideology snaring these children as, Radical expressive individualism combined with ruthless paternalism. And make no mistake these childrens gender clinics are practicing Mengele Medicine. Physicians and good Germans on the staff are experimenting on helpless children to advance an ideologicallydriven medical theory with no basis in fact. The parents are not told there are no longterm studies of the effects of this treatment on children. The treatment is entirely experimental, Anderson notes. Doctors dont tell parents they are making it up as the go along. If parents or the child has second thoughts, the lies begin. Theyre told puberty blockers are reversible. What they mean is the doctor hopes normal puberty will commence if the drugs are stopped, Anderson explained. They don't know. Theres no 'Pause' button for puberty. Even worse the drugs parents are told to give the children are not FDA tested or approved for use in gender experimentation. The drugs are being used off label without government approval. Even after successful surgery thats supposed to solve the problems of these deeply disturbed and programmed children, 41 percent will still attempt suicide after their operation. Even the Obama administration admitted in 2016 no study has found a longterm benefit from gender affirmation surgery. How can you protect your children from being swept up in this malign mania? Home schooling is a surefire solution. If thats not possible, ask your school board if schools use the Gender Unicorn or otherwise discuss transgenderism. If the answer is yes have your kids opt out of the class. Teach your children a biblicallybased orientation to sex. Yes, its awkward. And yes, the kids may whine. But I guarantee if you dont do it, the government schools will, and you may not like the outcome. Michael R. Shannon is a public relations and advertising consultant with corporate, government and political experience around the globe. He is a dynamic and entertaining keynote speaker. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr (at) gmail.com. He is also the author of Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!). HomeMaxine Waters, the new face of the Democratic Party By Rachel Alexander

A big part of the reason Democrats are fleeing their party in the #WalkAway movement is because of leadership like Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). The 80-year-old lawmaker has been in office since 1991, representing large parts of south-central Los Angeles and surrounding areas. She is best known for corruption and hyperbole. In recent years, she has escalated her public appearances representing Democrats. In June, President Trump declared, The face of the Democrats is now Maxine Waters. Her notorious public life started back in 1992, when she called President H.W. Bush a racist. In 2004, an article in The Los Angeles Times revealed that Waters used her position to help companies, candidates and causes. They then turned around and did business with her family members, earning the family more than $1 million. If she had been a Republican member of Congress, she would have been prosecuted. The left-leaning Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington listed Waters as one of the most corrupt members of Congress in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2011. The House Ethics Committee accused her of at least one ethical violation in 2010 for helping a bank receive federal aid. Her husband was a stockholder and former director of the bank, and the banks executives were major contributors to her campaigns. The bank received $12 million in TARP funds. In 2011, she said at a town hall, And as far as I'm concerned, the 'tea party' can go straight to Hell ... and I intend to help them get there." Waters began calling to impeach Trump soon after he entered office. She has called Trump a bully, an egotistical maniac and a liar. She says he is "the most deplorable person I've ever met in my life." She referred to Trumps advisers who have ties to Russia, such as oil or gas interests there, as scumbags. After the Charlottesville rioting, she tweeted, "Trump has made it clear  it is now the White Supremacists' House. In January, after Trumps 2018 State of the Union address, she called him a shameful racist. Earlier this summer, after White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was asked to leave a restaurant, Waters told attendees at a rally that they should harass Trump administration officials who show up in public places. "If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them and you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere. Trump responded, tweeting that Waters is an extraordinarily low IQ person. Waters remarks were even too much for House Minority Nancy Pelosi (R-Calif.), who referred to them as unacceptable. Same with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who said her remarks were not right and not American. Waters backtracked later, but not much. I did not threaten his constituents, his supporters. I do that all the time, but I didnt do it that time, she said while accepting an award from the Stonewall Young Democrats in Los Angeles. She went on to rant about Trump, Im gonna get him. Im gonna get him. She brought up impeaching Trump, and said she would go after Vice President Mike Pence next. You knock one down, one at a time, she said. You knock one down, and well be ready for Pence. Well get him, too. During a speech in July to a meeting of the California Democratic Partys womens caucus, Waters claimed that Trump doesnt even know how to spell his own wifes name. Recently, at the annual Congressional Black Caucus Foundation conference, Waters said about Trump, I think hes the most deplorable, the most despicable human being Ive ever encountered. Next, she compared the Trump administrations border policy of separating illegal immigrants from their children to slavery. I know it is right to fight against separation of mothers and fathers and families because of what happened to us in slavery, she said. They sold us on the auction block. They sent the father to one plantation. They sent children to other plantations.  They separated us. If Waters is the best the Democrats have now, they are in serious trouble. Are they incapable of finding an ethical leader who doesnt sound unhinged? The average Democrat doesnt want someone that nutty representing them. Waters may represent the viewpoints of Antifa and the radical left, but she is scaring away the normal people left in the party. Which is a good thing for Republicans. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, and other publications. HomeTHE Macquarie Group has confirmed it has wrapped up a deal with the Qatari-owned Hassad Food Group to buy more than 100,000 hectares of farmland Australia-wide.

The nine Hassad Australia properties are expected to be split between two farming companies, the Paraway Pastoral grazing business and cropping enterprise Viridis Ag.

Both are divisions of the banking groups agricultural investment management business, Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Asset (MIRA).

No price has been disclosed, but industry observers have previously estimated the sale to be worth about $300 million.

The newly-launched Viridis Ag is understood to be taking over seven of the Hassad holdings in WA, South Australia and New South Wales, primarily for grain production.

Viridis bought its first property the 16,500-hectare, The Grange at Dongara in January from livestock exporter Mauro Balzarini, the chief executive of Wellard.

The Hassad sell-off to Macquarie coincides with the Qatar Investment Authority becoming an investor in one of MIRAs agricultural portfolios through its Hassad subsidiary.

Hassad, which is winding up its almost decade-long direct involvement in Australian agricultural production, said it had changed its investment direction after a strategic review of its business.

The review started a series of high-profile property sales beginning two years ago with it offloading the first property it had purchased in Australia (in 2010), the 2632-hectare Kaladbro Station in Victoria, sold to South Australian pastoralists, Tom and Pat Brinkworth in late 2016.

That was followed by the mid-2017 sale of the former Clyde Agriculture aggregation, the 125,300ha Clover Downs, then aggregations Glendale near Clare and Ungarra on South Australias Eyre Peninsula and the 9782-hectare Raby Station in central west NSW late in the year.

Having also recently sold its 47,677ha Telopea Downs grazing property in Victoria, Hassad is closing its Melbourne office and planning to achieve its farm investment objectives across a significantly bigger and more diverse Australian farming portfolio.

However, it has declined to say which MIRA fund it has bought into, or how much it has contributed.

MIRAs head of agriculture, Elizabeth OLeary said the asset management business was delighted with its transaction with Hassad and we look forward to working together in the future.

The Macquarie enterprise has built up an agricultural platform spanning more than four million hectares in the past decade, becoming one of Australias biggest diversified farming operations.

Paraway Pastoral and Viridis Ag also gain the more than 40 staff who currently make up the on-farm management teams on the Hassad properties.

MIRA also plans to expand its NSW management teams at Orange, where Paraway is based, and Albury, which isTHE consumers growing desire for healthy produce could lead to glyphosate-treated grain being pushed out of the market, regardless of regulation surrounding the widely-used chemical.

Thats according the Grain Industry Association of Western Australia (GIWA) oat council chairman and Narrogin grower Ashley Wiese, who recently returned from the 2018 American Oat Workers Conference in Seattle, Washington, United States and spoke at last weeks GIWA Oat Spring Forum at Narrogin.

Glyphosate  the key active ingredient in Monsantos popular weed killer Roundup  has made headlines in recent months, following its temporary suspension in Brazil and a landmark court case in America which saw a terminally-ill groundskeeper successfully sue Monsanto after claiming glyphosate caused his cancer.

Despite a reversal of the glyphosate ban in Brazil and strong backing of the broad-spectrum weed killer by world health authorities and the international agricultural community, Mr Wiese said consumers were hyper-aware of the negativity surrounding its use.

He said regardless of the legislation relating to the application of glyphosate on grain crops, the growing trend towards clean, green health food products meant more consumers did not want traces of any chemical evident in their food.

Theres definitely a lot of discussion about organics and I think a lot of it comes from this glyphosate issue, Mr Wiese said.

When youve got consumers worried about what theyre eating and theyre eating health food bars for example, theyre not going to want glyphosate on that product, so you see producers demanding chemical-free grain and ultimately, organic grain.

The message I came away with was that the customer doesnt want glyphosate on their oats; its not industry telling us what to do or not, its about us trying to put ourselves in a position where we can attract a premium for our grain going forward.

Mr Wiese said the ability for Australian growers to sun dry their grain crops in preparation for harvest placed them in a favourable position against many of their American and Canadian counterparts, who were forced to desiccate oat crops using chemicals such as glyphosate due to climatic conditions.

He said the chemical was much more heavily relied upon in North American farming systems, which resulted in high detections of the chemical in food products.

This was evident in data from a recent test of 43 oat-based breakfast cereals, where detections of more than five times the glyphosate maximum residue limit (MRL) was measured on some products.

Whether you think glyphosate is safe or not, the reality is theres a lot more glyphosate getting on finished products and customers are taking notice of that and dont like it, Mr Wiese said.

I think we (WA growers) are in a great position  we have clean oats.

Australia is the worlds third largest oat growing country, producing between 1.1 million tonnes and 2.1mt per year over the past five years.

Of that, WA accounts for about 36 per cent of the national oat crop and is this year tipped to produce 439,000t, according to GIWA.

Mr Wiese said the WA oat industry had potential to continue to grow off the back of the cereals high nutritional value and renowned health benefits such as its cholesterol-lowering capabilities.

He said companies such as Swedens Oatly  which produced a range of products including oat-based milk, yoghurt and ice-cream  were leading the way when it came to appealing to the worlds health food markets and breeders were taking notice of the trend.

Mr Wiese said breeders at the American event discussed redirecting breeding programs to focus on improving health-related traits within the grain to further appeal to high-end, health conscious markets.

One thing I noticed at the conference was that there was a lot of talk about breeding for health, not just disease and agronomic traits, Mr Wiese said.

Our breeders are well on top of this and were trying to work out in the next six months how we take oats forward.Traditionally, Japan imports ASW wheat made up of 60pc ANW and 40pc of Australian Premium White (APW) varieties.

However, following a request from the Japan Flour Millers Association (JFMA) to Japans Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) earlier this year to improve colour and elasticity in udon noodles, tender specifications have changed.

As of January 2019, the ANW component will be increased to 80pc of the ASW blend, with the remaining 20pc made up of Australian Premium White Noodle (APWN).

GIWA wheat council chairperson Brad Gosling said the changes were a result of positive feedback of new Noodle wheat varieties such as Zen and Ninja.

Our Japanese trading partners have expressed positive feedback about the eating qualities of new Noodle wheat varieties being developed in WA, Mr Gosling said.

Combined with strong production forecasts, they have decided to increase ANW in the blend from 60pc to 80pc for shipments from January 2019.

Through extensive collaboration with the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC), the Japanese have also clarified the bread wheat varieties that make for an optimal combined ASW cargo blend.

The optimal blending bread wheat varieties which have traditionally been from the APW class, will now be listed on the MAFF tender specifications as the APWN class, and from January 2019 APWN will make up 20pc of the cargo volume to Japan.

APWN is an allowable grade in the Grain Trade Australia wheat standards first established 10 years ago, with protein requirements between 10pc and 11.5pc and a minimum test weight of 76 kilograms per hectolitre.

CBH Group general manager of operations Dave Capper said CBH would offer the APWN segregation this upcoming harvest in the Albany, Geraldton and Kwinana port zones.

Varieties accepted into APWN will be Mace, Bonnie Rock, Westonia, Wyalkatchem, LRPB Scout, Envoy and Chief.

CBH will re-introduce an APWN segregation this harvest which is an APW segregation that accepts varieties that are preferred by our international customers for making noodles, Mr Capper said.

The segregation will be available at a limited number of sites determined through storage planning.

It will be available to all marketers.

Weve listened to our customers, particularly noodle-making customers, and considered their need to access the best ingredients for their products, while maintaining access for our growers to this premium niche market.

About 12pc of WAs wheat crop has been planted to Noodle wheat varieties this year, equating to about 1.2mt.

Mr Gosling said changes to the blend meant growers would notice some market changes, with an increased demand for ANW of up to 150,000 tonnes in 2019.

The change to the blend for shipments starting January 2019 will mean that growers will see a slight change in the buying patterns of grain marketers for harvest 2018-19, as the marketers now need a slightly different mix of wheat grades to participate in the Japanese tender, he said.

Marketers will be targeting ANW and APWN from WA growers to fulfil the needs of the Japanese ASW blend requirements.

Certainly the additional demand for ANW through a higher ratio inclusion in the tender is positive for growers producing Noodle varieties.

Supplying the additional demand for ANW will be greatly assisted by strong production expectations in WA this harvest, but the increased inclusion of ANW is a long term positive for WA noodle wheat producers.TWO companies planning to produce Sulphate of Potash (SoP) fertiliser from remote WA salt lake brine by 2020 are joining forces to potentially slash development costs.

Australian Potash Ltd and Salt Lake Potash Ltd  identified by their Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) codes as APC and SO4  announced Friday they had signed a co-operation agreement.

Under the agreement they will investigate establishing common infrastructure for individual SoP projects, as well as the possibility of jointly developing and sharing some production facilities.

A joint study of the merits of shared-cost common infrastructure will be conducted by independent engineers.

Both companies have adjacent tenements at Lake Wells, an extensive salt lake 200 kilometres north east of Laverton, with SO4s interest covering the northern half of the lake and APCs the south-eastern half.

In near identical projects within similar time frames, both companies plan to extract potassium-rich brine from the same paleochannel  ancient river bed  beneath the lake, evaporate off water to concentrate harvest salts in a system of shallow solar ponds and process the salts into a bulk commercial fertiliser product on site.

Both are looking at producing a premium fertiliser with minimum 52 per cent potassium oxide content and less than 1pc chloride.

Both are also looking at using road trains to cart bulk fertiliser to a railhead at either Malcolm  280 kilometres away  or Leonora  300 kilometres  and then by rail to Esperance port for export to meet growing international demand, particularly from China where tightening environmental laws have restricted SoP production by an alternative chemical process.

Most obvious difference between the two projects is APC plans to use a bore field to extract brine- it has established five of the proposed 35 production bores it will need  while SO4 plans to use trenches across the lake surface to accumulate brine for pumping into evaporation ponds.

Earlier this month APC was granted three mining leases along the paleochannel it has identified as more than 55 kilometres long, more than 174 metres deep and four kilometres wide beneath its leases and SO4 was granted the one mining lease it applied for.

The APC leases cover the area proposed for stage one SoP production of 150,000 tonnes per annum from early 2020 and stage two of up to 300,000tpa.

APC is within weeks of producing its first local SoP samples from salts harvested at it Lake Wells trial pondage system.

As previously reported in Farm Weekly, APC plans to produce 250 kilograms of SoP trade samples as part of an initial two-tonne production run at a processing facility established in Perth in conjunction with the Australian arm of French global testing, inspection and certification services organisation Bureau Veritas.

APC was in discussions last week with its processing consultant, Canadian project development and management company Novopro, over the arrival of its lead process engineer who will manage the first production run of SoP.

SO4 previously planned to build a demonstration plant to produce its first product samples at Lake Wells  its Northern Goldfields SoP project covers eight salt lakes being assessed for brine suitability to produce fertiliser.

But in order to fast track the project, in March it signed a memorandum of understanding with Wiluna gold miner Blackham Resources at Lake Way, a salt lake south of Wiluna and switched its demonstration plant plan to there.

Blackhams Matilda-Wiluna mining leases cover 64 square kilometres at the north end of Lake Way around a former open cut gold mine known as Williamson Pit.

SO4 holds adjacent tenements covering 290km2 over a paleochannel beneath the lake.

Since the Williamson pit last operated in 2006 it has filled with hypersaline brine from the paleochannel.

SO4 now intends to build its 50,000tpa $49 million demonstration plant and evaporation ponds on Blackhams leases at Lake Way and pump an estimated 1.2 gigalitres of brine from the Williamson Pit as starter feed for its ponds.

Blackham intends resuming mining at the pit next year and will have it dewatered by SO4, while SO4 will have a ready supply of brine for its trial plant while it develops a network of surface accumulation trenches.

Building on existing mining leases will minimise bureaucratic delays.

SO4 plans to produce its first harvest salts at Lake Way next year and its first SoP fertiliser there in 2020.

But production will eventually shift back to Lake Wells and development there will continue towards producing a projected 200,000tpa, ramping up to 400,000tpa of SoP fertiliser, according to SO4 chief executive officer Matthew Syme.

They are bulk projects with big capex (capital expenditure) requirements to get them up and running, Mr Syme said.

Its quite obvious that with the projects being so similar in nature and located in the same area there is potential for big advantages in shared common costs.

APC managing director and chief executive officer Matt Shackleton said significant initial savings seemed possible through developing common infrastructure such as a heavy haulage access road to Lake Wells, electricity generation, water treatment and waste disposal serving individual mine camps or perhaps even a common mine camp.

Mr Shackleton said there was also potential for savings through integrated road transport, freight rail and other service contracts.

He said ultimately the potential to share production facilities such as evaporation ponds could be explored under the co-operation agreement.

Logistics is basically one third of our costs and we believe substantial savings are possible, Mr Shackleton said.

We will each continue independently with our own projects while a study into jointly developing common aspects is carried out and there will be no delays to projected time frames.

In statements to the ASX both companies said they anticipate substantial potential capex and opex (operating expenditure) benefits from some level of infrastructure sharing, with further potential benefits arising from shared or common evaporation and salt processing facilities.

There is compelling logic in pursuing the economies of scale inherent in a larger shared solution as well as sharing the capital costs for road upgrades, haulage equipment and other transport and handling facilities, they said.

A third company planning to produce SoP fertiliser from remote salt lake brine by 2020, Kalium Lakes Ltd (ASX code KLL), last week announced the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund (NAIF) was prepared to consider debt funding for its Beyondie SoP project.

KLLs Beyondie project is based on a string of salt lakes north west of Wiluna and at this stage, is slightly ahead of the APC and SO4 projects in development.

A Federal government initiative, NAIF provides access to up to $5 billion of finance, which may be on concessional terms, to support infrastructure development that generates public benefit for northern Australia.

It aims to encourage and complement private sector investment.

NAIF funding would allow KLL to bring forward construction of a $29 million, 78km gas pipeline to connect to the Goldfields gas pipeline resulting in an operating cost reduction of about $30-33 per tonne of SoP.

The infrastructure package could potentially also include upgrades to the access road out to the Great Northern Highway, gas-fired power generators, new communication infrastructure and an airstrip at the site 160km south east of Newman.

KLL is proposing a ramped start-up, initially producing 75,000tpa of SoP fertiliser but building to 150,000tpa and exporting via Geraldton port.

It estimates target export markets in China, the United States, India, Japan, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam could total almost 4.9 million tonnes a year.

Australia imports about 40,000tpa of SoP but its usage could increase to about 75,000t if it can be produced locally at a cost low enough to encourage its use in broadacre cropping, particularly in salt-affected areas.

The world SoP market is estimated at 6m tonnes a year  10pc of the global potash fertiliser market and growing.LSS has confirmed that it has been in the market for sheep the past few weeks after offering producers $85-$90 a head for their wethers.

The LSS chartered livestock vessel Maysora arrived off the coast of Kwinana last week and will be the first vessel to leave with sheep on board since June 6, more than 105 days ago.

While sheep will be on the vessel, the priority for the company appears to be destocking its cattle feedlot.

The export industry was brought to a standstill in June when Emanuel Exports had its licence suspended, which was subsequently cancelled by the independent regulator, the Federal agriculture department.

The company tried to use its subsidiary company EMS Rural Exports to export 60,000 sheep that it had in its Peel feedlot, but it also had its licence suspended and then cancelled.

The sheep were subsequently processed in the best interests of the animals and to reduce costs for the company.

Farm Weekly has been told the export licences were cancelled due to very serious issues relating to its documentation, although that could not be verified by the regulator.

The Maysora has anchored near the Al Shuwaikh and the Al Messilah which have been waiting for months to transport livestock to Kuwait and other Gulf States.

LSS has different markets to Emanuel Exports and is expected to export to Israel and Jordan on this voyage.

Up to 8000-9000 cattle can be loaded on the Maysora, as well as 30,000-40,000 sheep, but due to a reduced stocking rate, only a maximum of 25,000 sheep will be loaded.

The exact figures have yet to be determined due to the lack of certainty around stocking density and ventilation requirements.

Farm Weekly understands that the cattle have been in a feedlot for some time while LSS has been trying to negotiate with the Federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) on stocking densities for sheep, which initially made the trade unviable for the company during the northern hemisphere summer.

The company has unsuccessfully tried to discuss the issue directly with Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.

Last week, as predicted by WA farmers when the live sheep trade came to a halt in June, the value of export quality sheep had dropped dramatically.

WAFarmers livestock president David Slade said the drop in price from $115/head to what LSS was offering could not have come at a worse time for the industry.

Producers have had to retain sheep on farm which has significantly jeopardised on-farm production costs as farmers have had to buy in feed to maintain sheep and support additional shearing costs, Mr Slade said.

Prior to the trades disruption, producers were receiving about $115 per head for 45 kilogram live weight export wethers.

Producers have spent on average $15 extra per head to feed wethers since June; combined with a $30 drop in wether prices, plus an additional $25 net wool value, the total cost to farmers has equated to $70 per sheep.

This is a significant value and this cost, coupled with the current average sale price of $85 for export wethers, means farmers are at a disadvantage and this is only going to worsen if the trade does not pick up.

Exporters insist this price is reflective of the increased shipping costs due to the McCarthy recommendations and continuing uncertainty of the trade.

Lack of competition in the live export market and between domestic processors to generate slaughter prices equivalent to those being paid in the east, is clearly impacting the prices paid for sheep buyers in the west.

WAFarmers wants the Federal government and DAWR to fast-track the approval of other export permits to allow more competition in the market, which should result in increased sheep prices.

Rural Export and Trading WA general manager Mike Gordon said his company had been audited as part of the licence application process and was about 70 per cent on its way to receiving a licence.

He said it was a fairly lengthy process but considering DAWR had only had its application a few weeks, they were doing well.

As soon as it gets the approval the company will be in the market for wethers to load on the awaiting vessels to markets in the Gulf.

That process is expected to take at least three-four weeks as sheep need to be sourced and quarantined for two weeks prior to loading.

p Kuwait Livestock Transport and Trading (KLTT) announced last week that it was planning to establish a new live export subsidiary in South Africa to provide a 12-month supply to its customers after Australian live exports to the Gulf States were brought to a standstill when its trading partner Emanuel Exports had two licences suspended and then cancelled.

The Kuwait government owned Al Mawashi, which is floated on the stock exchange, has been forthcoming in the past about its plans to provide food security to its country and that it would seek alternative markets to Australia if it couldnt provide the number of sheep required to feed its population.

An Australian Livestock Exporters Council (ALEC) spokesperson said the decision by Al Mawashi confirmed what it had been saying for months.

ALEC said the companys move to work out of South Africa was a no-brainer due to its location and its similar flock type to WA, although it was twice the size at about 30 million head.

Its a significant story, but its also business as usual, ALEC said.

From an infrastructure perspective it would be quite easy for them to establish themselves in South Africa.

Theres also no ASEL and ESCAS requirements to deal with.

Although there is a risk of disease the company appears to be able to work with that.

The decision increases the likelihood that KLTT will start importing from there by the end of the year.

If the trade to South Africa is cheaper and more productive for the company WA producers could see a dramatic change in the number sourced from its flock.

Industry leaders have warned that removing the live sheep export trade out of the WA system, either through legislation or market access, would see a reduction in local prices and an overall reduced flock as people again left sheep, or stopped breeding as much, to focus on other more profitable production systems.IT was another outstanding result for the Gooding and Robinson families at their annual East Mundalla Merino and Poll Merino on-property ram sale last week.

Firstly 129 Poll Merino and 86 Merino rams were offered with all 215 selling to an average of $2573, which was up $547 compared to last years sale where 210 rams were offered and sold for an average of $2026.

There were 56 buyer registrations and this included 13 from registered Merino and Poll Merino stud breeders including one from interstate and seven of these stud breeders bid successfully on a total of 12 rams.

Auctioneering duties were shared by the Elders selling team of Nathan King and Preston Clarke with the rams initially offered in runs of 30 head.

p Poll Merino

All up the 129 Poll Merinos sold to average $2657, up from $2152 last year when 101 head were sold.

The top price last year was $16,600 but it went even higher this year when the top-priced ram was knocked down by Mr King at $16,750 to Landmark Breeding representative Mitchell Crosby.

Mr Crosby was bidding on behalf of Les and Ashley Sutherland, Arra-dale stud, Perenjori, who annually offer about 120 rams at their Carnamah ram sale.

Unable to attend the sale due to their sale being the next day, they left the buying order with Mr Crosby after identifying the ram with him at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo, Victoria, in July.

Mr Crosby said they were impressed by the overall structure of the ram, along with its purity and long-stapled white wool.

He also has very good figures as well in terms of his wool and carcase, Mr Crosby said.

The ET-bred ram, which is by Imperial 141 and out of Masterbuilt 31611, has wool figures of 23 micron, 3.1 SD, 13.5 CV and 99.4 per cent comfort factor (CF), while on the carcase front it has a current bodyweight of 115 kilograms and an eye muscle depth (EMD) of 46mm.

At the Australian Sheep & Wool Show it was sashed the reserve champion March shorn strong wool Poll Merino ram.

The losing bidder on the ram was Craig Doney, TB Doney & Co, Harrismith, whose family are regular buyers of East Mundalla sires and last year bought the top-priced Poll ram at $16,600.

However Mr Doney had a second choice in lot 28 which he secured at $9400, the third top price in the Poll offering.

The losing bidders this time were Ross and Nathan Ditchburn, Golden Hill stud, Kukerin, who later bought two at $5000 and $4900.

The second highest priced Poll was lot five with Mr Crosby again doing the damage and securing it at $10,200 for John and Sam Higham, Culbin Park stud, Williams, who were at the sale.

Losing out on this ram was Paul Ardagh, Karingal stud, Kondinin.

Jason Griffiths, Canowie Fields stud, Gairdner, was also in the hunt for a Poll sire and purchased one at $8300, with the losing bidder again being the Karingal stud while Koolanooka, Morawa, picked up four rams with one of these being knocked down at $7750.

Other higher priced Polls saw one at $4500 go to TR & DK Edwards, Dumbleyung, two went at $4400 and $4000 to the Adams family trading as Kullaroo Pty Ltd and one at $3900 to the Rangeview stud, Darkan.

Volume buyers throughout the offering of Poll Merinos saw MJ & PN Nicholls, Lake King, go home with 10 head as did PW & LM Cameron & Son, Lake Grace, while NF West & Co, Dumbleyung went to a top of $3300 in their selection of six head with numerous other buyers going home having purchased between two to five head to register a total clearance by auction.

p Merino

Where 12 months ago the 90 Merino rams offered and sold for the average price of $1841, this years sale saw the 86 Merino rams offered and sold for an average of $2489, meaning an improvement in the average of $648 compared to last year.

As with the Poll Merino offering, it was the first Merino ram offered which topped the section at $11,200 when it was knocked down to Wanjalonar stud principal Derek Hooper, Narembeen, who was the losing bidder on the top-priced Merino ram last year.

Mr Hooper and his Elders stud stock consultant Kevin Broad had a close inspection of the ram at last months Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale in Katanning and at his knock down price at last weeks sale Mr Hooper said the ram was still within his budget.

Mr Hooper has been buying sires from East Mundalla over the past 15 years, said this new sire by Jonty 137 had very pleasing wool figures of 20.9 micron, 3.7 SD, 17.7 CV and 98.9pc CF with a current bodyweight of 122kg and a 40mm EMD.

Mr Hooper also purchased a Poll sire from East Mundalla at the Rabobank WA Sheep Expo & Sale this year and said he has also been breeding Poll rams for the last four to five years and now has a good mix of both Merino and Poll Merino clients many of whom purchased rams at his annual on-property sale two weeks ago where he sold 83 rams.

The losing bidder on the top Merino ram was Colin Ball, Dongolocking Farming, Dumbleyung, who went on to purchase the third ram offered at $7200.

The $7200 price tag was also the knock down figure for lot four when Ian Faulkner, IC & C Faulkner, Kukerin, had the final bid.

A couple of lots later John Davidson, PB & J Davidson, Tincurrin, paid the second highest price in the Merino offering of $8200.

After buying a Poll sire Mr Griffiths also took home a Merino ram at $5400, which was the fourth highest Merino price.

Volume clients in the Merino side of the catalogue included Wes Hall, EDL Farms, Newdegate, who purchased 12 rams including two Polls and Damien Gooding, ML & HI Gooding, who bought nine head which included three Polls.

Rohan Mead, AK & AJ Mead, Ravensthorpe, went home with eight Merinos up to $3300 and Michael Eva, Roseworthy Farm Pty Ltd, Brookton, purchased seven head also up to $3300.

As with the offering of Poll Merinos there were a number of clients who went home with ute loads ranging from two to six head.

Commenting on behalf of the selling agents Preston Clarke said that it would be one of the best catalogues of Merino and Poll Merino rams you would see in Australia.

The high genetic input of the past few years has had a big impact in both the studs and the family has invested with extreme care and that combined with their ability to identify their mating programs to meet their goals has put the stud where it is today to the benefit of their clients, Mr Clarke said.Former Danske Bank CEO Thomas BorgenThe CEO of Denmarks biggest bank resigned last week after an internal investigation found $235 billion in suspicious transactions at the banks branch in Estonia.

Thomas Borgen had led Danske Bank since 2013.

In a statement Wednesday he said, It is clear that Danske Bank has failed to live up to its responsibility in the case of possible money laundering in Estonia. I deeply regret this.

Borgen, 54, was the head of international banking including Estonia from 2009 and 2012.

Danske Bank said last week that Russian individuals and companies blacklisted by Moscow for suspected financial wrongdoing used the bank, along with companies registered in the UK and the British Virgin Islands.

On Thursday, EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said Danske Bank is the biggest scandal we have now in Europe.

Shes meeting in October with finance ministers from Denmark, Estonia, and Finland to find out what went wrong at the bank and why regulators didnt act sooner.

Danske Banks internal investigation started in late 2017. It was led by the Danish law firm, Bruun & Hjelje.

The report released Wednesday said $235 billion in suspicious transactions moved through accounts of about 15,000 non-resident customers between 2007 and 2015.

Nearly a quarter of the funds came from Russia, the report said. But the bank couldnt identify who the money belonged to.

The report concluded that Danske Banks board and CEO hadnt breached their legal obligations towards the bank.

Prosecutors in Denmark and Estonia are investigating criminal money laundering and Denmarks financial regulator has also opened an investigation.

In the UK, the National Crime Agency said Friday said it is investigating the role at least one UK-registered company played in the suspicious transactions.

And in the United States, the DOJ, Treasury Department, and SEC are each examining Danske Bank, the Wall Street Journal said.

A whistleblower complained to the SEC more than two years ago, the WSJ said.

Copenhagen-based Danske Bank has about 20,000 employees and five million retail customers.

___

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.Transparency International just updated its Exporting Corruption Evaluation for 2018, the first update since 2015.

It assesses enforcement of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention by reviewing the 44 countries that are signatories of the convention and account for 65 percent of world exports, and more than 75 percent of total foreign direct investment outflows.

Countries are classified in four categories:

Active Enforcement, includes seven countries representing 27 percent of world exports

Moderate Enforcement, includes four countries with 3.8 percent of world exports

Limited Enforcement, includes 11 countries with 12.3 percent of world exports, and

Little or No Enforcement, includes 22 countries with 39.6 percent of world exports.

The results highlight the work needed in the area of international trade and fighting corruption.

Hence its no surprise that recent free trade agreements (FTAs) are focused on removing corruption in trade. This is true for new FTAs entered between the EU block and various countries, for the draft of the now defunct Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) FTA, and most recently for the FTA that is slowly taking shape among the United States, Canada, and Mexico to replace NAFTA, and which will include anticorruption provisions.

This focus on removing corruption from trade was not always the case given the complexity and frailty of the political process involved in negotiating FTAs, but we can safely say that this is a trend that is here to stay and given that many countries are aiming for greater transparency and seeking to reduce corruption in this area. Therefore new TPAs will continue to include anticorruption provisions.

The agreement in principle reached earlier this month between Mexico and the United Sates contains an anticorruption chapter. This chapter was one of the first ones to be completed in the trilateral negotiations and no discrepancies exist on this topic among the three countries. The content of the agreement is not public yet but the participants in the negotiations have stated the closeness in terms to that of TTIP.

The three trade partners have contrasting positions, according to TIs Exporting Corruption Evaluation: Mexico is ranked in the Little or No Enforcement bracket. Canada marginally fares better and is ranked in the Limited Enforcement category. The United States is in the top-tier Active Enforcement bracket. Clearly the asymmetry in this respect of the three partners needs to be addressed somehow in their FTA.

An anticorruption standard for North America would be a landmark achievement, and would show that anticorruption legislation and enforcement are a top priority and here to stay. Mexicos private sector leadership participating in the FTA negotiations was a key promoter of this chapter, and the business leaders advocate the need to discuss and promote the fight against corruption.

Mexico still lags behind other countries, even within Latin America, in its efforts to investigate and prosecute corruption cases. Brazil, Chile, and Argentina have moved up in the past three years on TIs scale, from Little of No Enforcement to Limited or Moderate Enforcement, creating even more contrast with Mexico.

Lets hope any new FTA among the United States, Canada, and Mexico will provide a boost to North Americas anticorruption efforts, and in particular provide the push and pull Mexico apparently needs to improve its own compliance and enforcement efforts.

____

Luis Danton Martinez Corres, pictured above, is a partner leading the corporate governance and compliance practice of the Mexico-based law firm, Ritch Mueller. He previously served as head of legal and trustee services of Nacional Financiera, S.N.C., a leading Mexican development bank. Hes also admitted to practice in New York. He can be contacted here.The Securities and Exchange Commission awarded an overseas whistleblower $4 million for extensive assistance resulting in a successful action, the agency said Monday.

Chief of the SECs Office of the Whistleblower Jane Norberg said, Whistleblowers, whether they are located in the United States or abroad, provide a valuable service to investors and help us stop wrongdoing.

This award recognizes the continued, important assistance provided by the whistleblower throughout the course of the investigation, Norberg said.

In Mondays order (pdf), the SEC said the outcome of the action was a direct result of the whistleblowers tip.

The SEC didnt specify the citizenship of the whistleblower.

Last year, a foreign national working outside the United States was awarded $4.1 million for providing information on a widespread, multi-year securities law violation.

In 2014, the SEC awarded an overseas whistleblower $30 million. At the time it was the largest award under the whistleblower program.

By law, the SEC protects the confidentiality of whistleblowers and doesnt disclose information that might reveal their identity.

Since 2012, the SEC has awarded over $326 million to 59 individuals.

Awards are paid out of penalties the SEC collects from securities law violators, more than $1.7 billion in penalties have been ordered against violators based on information provided by whistleblowers.

Awards can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected when penalties are more than $1 million.

____

Harry Cassin is the managing editor of the FCPA Blog.Our pick of the news from Fethiye and around Turkey over the last week.

News

Major forest fire in Kumluca near Antalya

Cok kotu bi yangin allahim korusun gitti guzelim orman gitti Posted by Osman Ulutas on Monday, September 17, 2018

Firefighters worked side by side with forestry officials to extinguish a forest fire that broke out on Monday in the Kumluca region of the Mediterranean province of Antalya.

Seven helicopters, four amphibious planes, 50 fire trucks, along with more than 300 forestry workers were deployed to fight the blaze.

Their efforts were hampered by strong winds and firefighters fought to stop the fire from spreading by digging a fire-break through the red pine forest.

One advantage for firefighters was that the fire was very close to the sea and helicopters and planes could deliver water with very little loss of time.

Security forces prevented civilians from approaching the fire and all houses in the vicinity were evacuated.

Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire after 8 hours, but not before it had devastated pine trees and maquis areas, greenhouses, agricultural equipment, the saplings in the greenhouses, the houses used by the workers and three boats.

Residents were unable to hold back tears as they described the damage they have suffered from the fire.

A full investigation is taking place into the cause of the fire.

Source: Daily Sabah

Fethiye Mayor organises boat trip for local people with disabilities

Mayor of Fethiye, Behcet Saatc, organised a private boat tour for local people with disabilities last Sunday.

Close to 100 disabled people and their families enjoyed a 12 Island boat tour. The group was accompanied by professional swimmers, enabling those with a disability to enjoy a swim in the sea.

Turkey Disabled Association Fethiye Branch Chairman, Aydogan Arslan said We like the sea and, thanks to Mayor Behcet Saatc, we have been able to enjoy this boat tour and swimming. We usually have to watch from afar.

Source: fethiyehaber.com

New signage to help protect Sehit Fethi Bey Park

Sehit Feth Bey Park opened in Fethiye on 26 July this year with a ceremony the Turkish people excel at.

Sadly, since then there have been many comments about the lack of care being taken in the park, causing damage to some of the equipment and detracting from the overall look of the recreation area.

To combat this, Fethiye Belediyesi have put up a whole new set of signage covering the problem areas that have emerged to date.

Source: News 48

Push to save historic orphanage in Turkey ;

It looks more like the set of a horror movie than the majestic hotel and casino it was originally intended to be. Built in 1899, the building on an island off Istanbul was never allowed to be used as a hotel and for many years it housed an orphanage for minority Greek children. Now its derelict and falling into disrepair. But theres a push to restore it to its former glory. Known as Prinkipo, the building was designed by the architect Alexandre Vallaury for the company that ran the famed Orient Express. Korhan Gomus, architect and professor of urban planning at Mimar Sinan University in Istanbul, says it should be saved: It is a very modern building. It was conceived with beams and columns that have been measured well and really good quality materials were used. The building was conceived by a very famous architect, this is why the structure has survived until today. The fact that the wooden flooring has not moved in 120 years testifies to its quality. The orphanage was home for almost 6,000 Greek children from 1903 until 1964 when it was forced to shut down, as tensions rose between Turkey and Greece over Cyprus. Vitleen Magulas, 80, lived there with her sister, from 1945 to 1951. At night, when the moon came up, it was as if you could hug it. We had very beautiful nights there. Our school was in a very good location, on top of the island. Prinkipo is a very beautiful island. A princess. Earlier this year, the cultural heritage organisation, Europa Nostra, included it on a list of seven endangered monuments, but its fate remains unclear.

Sport

Thank you to Brian Lloyd for the sport updates.

Fethiyespor

Fethiyespor lost their home match against Darcia Genclerbirligi on Saturday. The final score was 0-4.

Fethiyespor have now dropped to the bottom of the league table.

The next league matches are:

Sunday 30th September away against Tokatspor. Kick off is at 15:30.

Sunday 7th October at home against Menemen Belediye Spor. Kick off is at 19.00.

Ziraat Cup

The Ziraat Cup match will be played on Wednesday 26th September 2018. Kick off is at 18.00.

For more information about Fethiyespor please visit Fethiyespor Yabancilar on Facebook.

Turkish Lira (TL) exchange rates

The British Pound bought 8.22 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 8.06 TL.

The US Dollar bought 6.29 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 6.16 TL.

The Euro bought 7.40 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 7.17 TL.

Source: FxexchangeRate.com

Weather Forecast

Heres your weather forecast for the week ahead.

Source: Living Earth

Todays featured image is by Yuriy Whte and Elena KalinovaChinese officers and soldiers waves to say goodbye to Russian fleet during a China-Russia naval joint drill at sea off south China's Guangdong province, Sept 19, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Chinese military has halted major military dialogue for the near future with the United States in protest of its recent sanctions on Chinese military entities for procuring Russian military hardware, China's Ministry of National Defense said on Saturday night.

On Thursday, the US State Department imposed sanctions on China's Equipment Development Department, the branch of the military responsible for weapons procurement, for engaging in "significant transactions" with Rosoboronexport, a major Russian arms exporter.

The sanctions target the EDD and its director, Li Shangfu, who are involved in China's purchase of Russia's SU-35 combat aircraft and the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, the US department said.

Sanction measures include denying US travel visas to EDD staff and banning them from using the US financial system or making foreign exchange transactions within US jurisdictions. They also block the entity's property and interests within US control, it added.

In response, China summoned US envoys on Saturday, including US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad and the US acting defense attache David Menser, to strongly protest the sanctions.

The MND said in an online statement that China will immediately recall Chinese navy commander Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong, who is in the US attending the 23rd International Seapower Symposium.

In addition, China will postpone the second meeting of a communication mechanism for the joint staff departments of China and the US, scheduled for Sept 25-27 in Beijing, the ministry added.

Military cooperation between China and Russia is a normal activity between sovereign states that goes in line with international law, Huang Xueping, deputy head of the Central Military Commission Office for International Military Cooperation, said in the ministry's statement.

Huang called the US sanctions "unreasonable", a "blatant violation of basic norms of international relations" and "a stark show of hegemony" that severely damage Sino-US military relations as well as bilateral ties.

"China resolutely opposes the US move and will never accept it," he said. "China demands the US side immediately correct its mistake and withdraw the sanctions, and the Chinese military reserves the right to take further countermeasures," Huang warned.

Experts said the sanctions could pose uncertainty on Chinese Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe's planned visit to the Pentagon later this year. The visit was meant to continue the constructive trend of frequent high-level military visits between the two countries, said Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the US, on July 30.

Earlier this year, the ground force chief of the People's Liberation Army, General Han Weiguo, visited the US, and US Defense Secretary James Mattis, visited Beijing in late June, Cui added.

Experts also called the sanctions a "malicious move" that have not only escalated tensions and damaged the positive momentum of Sino-US military relations, but also left a dangerous impression that the US will confront China and Russia both on trade and military fronts.

Rear Admiral Yang Yi, a professor at the PLA National Defense University, said the US sanctions will have little effect on China's actual military procurement process.

"But it is very damaging to Sino-US military relations because the sanctions are blatant and malicious attempts by the US to sabotage the modernization process of the PLA," he said. "The sanctions also try to make an example out of China and bully other countries to refrain from buying military equipment from Russia."

Russia is the world's second largest weapons seller after the US, and has deals with US allies such as Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, according to CNN. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that Russia views the new set of sanctions as an attempt to undermine the competitiveness of Russian arms exports, and vowed to reciprocate.

Fan Jishe, a researcher of US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the US is "shaming and insulting" China by putting EDD and its director in the crosshairs of the new sanctions over the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which ends on Monday.

"It is very disheartening to see the US government taking a confrontational approach to issues that could have been resolved diplomatically," he said.Economists are closely watching the tariffs scenario in the United States as Trump Government has recently announced new taxes on Chinese imports. The list of new goods includes multiple items from manufacturing materials to consumer goods. By January 1, 2019, the administration plans to raise the taxes on these items to 25 percent.

Fulfilling the promises made to the voters

Even before taking over the presidents office, Trump had promised voters that he would act against Chinas unfair trade practices that have eaten up local jobs and industries. Dependence of American companies on cheap Chinese imports is helping CEOs and top executives to take home hefty paychecks, but American jobs are diminishing since the last decade. As one of the crucial steps towards fulfilling his promise, the government imposed a 25 percent tariff on aluminum, steel imported from China. Now, the recent move to impose taxes on additional Chinese products is set to escalate the trade tensions between the US and China.

As the Asian giant warned the US regarding its plan to impose more tariffs on American products, Trump showed even more ammunition in the form of another idea that involves imposing duties on another list of products worth $267 billion. Currently, almost half of the imports from the Asian giant already face additional taxes.

There is nothing much that China can do. The US imports goods worth $505 billion while on the other hand, China buys $130 billion worth of products every year.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had discussed the possibility of talks between China and the US trade officials to resolve the trade imbalance issue. But, the introduction of new duties has once again derailed the chance of conversations at least for a few days more. Now, Gao Feng, the Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson said the country plans to introduce counter-tariffs.

My administration will act whenever the interests of farmers, businesses, ranchers, and working men and women will be at stake, said Trump while justifying the need to impose tariffs on Chinese products.

Can request for exclusion of certain items from additional duties

As the previous and current list of products under new taxes includes goods and components used in consumer goods, customers might see a rise in the prices for certain products. Costs for such items would probably reduce once companies start manufacturing the components in the US.

Left-minded journalists, columnists, and lobbyists working for corporate companies are indulged in planting stories about how tariffs may not prove to be the right option. They are worried about how American companies would absorb the rising expenses resulted due to taxes without passing it on the customers. However, what they are unwilling to discuss and debate is the fact that Trump administration has allowed companies to file tariffs exclusion requests. Companies can approach the administration with the list of imported components that should be exempted from additional taxes. Items can be excluded from tariffs only if they are not manufactured and available in the desired quantity from American suppliers.

In September, Apple had written to Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. Trade Representative, urging the government to reconsider its plan to impose tariffs as a wide-range of its products would be impacted. The company had not disclosed the list of products that may get affected. As per information released by the U.S. Trade Representative Office, some of Apples components and products (including Apple Watch) that it gets manufactured from China would be spared from the list of items facing the new taxes.

Trouble was expected for Apple, in fact, before few months, Chinese Communist Party-linked newspaper had pointed out that it was Apple that would get badly impacted in case of a trade war between China and the US. The Cupertino, California-based tech firm designs products in the US but gets them manufactured from China due to the availability of cheap labor driven manufacturing units. Specific accessories for iPad, adapters, chargers, Apple Pencil stylus, and some smart Watch components are imported from China.

Even chip maker Intel had come out in support of Apple saying phone and computer makers have manufacturing units in China. So, tariffs will harm the USs dominance on telecommunications technology as well.

Stocks of tech companies are showing a lot of volatility due to the possibility of an increase in production costs as a result of new taxes on imported components.

Trump might agree to negotiate after winning the mid-term polls

Kate Warne works as an investment strategist at Edward Jones. She believes, investors will closely monitor the tariffs. Prices of some items would increase, and growth rate would reduce. Experts are also concerned about its impact on the upcoming mid-term elections in the US.

Peterson Institute for International Economicss researcher Gary Hufbauer feels Chinese leadership wont be positive about the Mnuchin dialogue. He suggests that Trump may not feel compelled to get involved in a fully fledged trade war before the mid-term elections. Even the recently announced duties on specific components would require time for implementation. The trade war might not help the president during the midterm polls as per Hufbauer.

George Washington Universitys professor of economics, Michael O. Moore also shared a similar opinion. He said both sides would probably reach some negotiations after feeling the pain caused due to tariffs. There wont be any quick solution for this issue, and this is the reason businesses are afraid.

Experts believe that the Chinese side cannot do much when it comes to imposing tariffs on American products coming into the country as there are not many items. However, the Asian giant can create new problems for American companies operating in China, put restrictions on the USs investments. It can even act notoriously and go to the extent of slowing down the customs procedure resulting in a delay for American products entering the country. If you buy or sell the Chinese currency, Renminbi, you should surely use the index indicator to uncover market insights during the next few months.

The situation is surely not as bad as left-minded journalists portray it to be. New jobs are being generated; the unemployment rate has gone down. Trump has been urging companies to start producing their components in the US as they did during the early 90s. His point makes sense; big companies can quickly build new plants and start manufacturing parts in the US which would ultimately result in more employment. For components that are not readily available on the required scale, companies can file a tariffs exclusion request.NYC-based Elliptic Curve Ventures started operations providing seed and early-stage funding for companies focusing on industrial and business-to-business blockchain and fintech products.

Specific focus areas will include disruptive technologies in credit, insurance, central banking, side-chains, and algorithm level enhancements.

Elliptic Curve Ventures is managed by Worth Venture Partners and springs from the collaboration of Matt Stack of XLP Capital, and Abby Flamholz and David Wertentheil of Worth Venture Partners.

Leveraging the combined experience as serial entrepreneurs and investors, Elliptic Curve Ventures will find and invest in technology teams with promising new approaches to and solutions for the institutional financial sector.

Target investments will be startup companies that offer technologies that can disrupt the core mechanisms of institutional capital and risk allocation.

Key people are:

 Matt Stack is a founder of XLP Capital. He is an experienced early- and seed-stage investor in high tech hardware and analytics companies and serves as a technology advisor to a variety of institutions and family offices. Over the past decade, he has acquired and developed a collection of minority interests in companies across North America ranging from university spinouts in medtech and machine learning to mid-sized industrial technology companies. Stack serves as an advisor to a number of privately held companies and sovereign investment trusts, where he manages and supervises technology and high-performance computing investments.

He serves as the lead cryptocurrency and blockchain advisor to the United Nations, where he advises governments on technology and central banking policies.

Stack has served as the Director of High Performance Computing at the Mars Corporation, Senior Quantitative Strategist at a private equity firm, and as a Partner at 3LP, a Boston-based elite Intellectual Property investment advisory. His experience also includes managing acquisitions for a $120M corporate-led technology buyout fund in Palo Alto and spending six years at The Boston Consulting Group in the Boston and New York offices, where he worked on projects in the Health Care, IT, Retail, Industrial Goods, and Strategy practice areas. Matt holds a B.S.E. in electrical engineering from Princeton University.

 Abby Flamholz is the Managing Member of Worth Venture Partners. Her experience includes being Managing Director, Head of Convertibles & Special Situations at Stifel Nicolaus; Managing Director, Head of Convertibles, at Bank of America; and Co-Founding Partner of ADAR Investment Management.

She attended Cooper Union Civil Engineering and graduated from NYU with a B.A. in Mathematics.

David Wertentheil is a Partner and Founder of Worth Venture Partners. His experience includes being Managing Director, Head of Prime Services, Lazard Capital Markets; Managing Director, Global Prime Services Division as Head of Sales and Business Development  RBC Capital Markets; Managing Director, Institutional Direct Market Access Platform  Carlin Financial Group; and Co-Founder of the Risk Arbitrage Trading Desk for NextGen Trading LLC.

FinSMEs

24/09/2018The ongoing forex manipulation case against traders Richard Usher, Rohan Ramchandani, and Christopher Ashton in USA v. Usher et al (1:17-cr-00019) places a question mark on forex trading, whether from an individual perspective or those looking to fund a startup. For venture capitalists, greater risk assessment is needed in order not to get roped into a scandal.

Know The Industry Youre Investing In

Legal action never bodes well for parties involved in the matter. Although VC companies might not be dragged in when the forex brokerage is hauled over the coals, it might be best not to be associated with them at all. The only way matters like these can be avoided, is if the VC knows what theyre getting themselves into. They need to have a good understanding of forex and the parameters within which brokers operate. Constant due diligence is also required to ensure that the brokerage is operating without prejudice.

The Principles Are Integral To The Success

One of the best assets any business could have is confident, knowledgeable, and experienced staff. Add to this list loyalty, diligence, and honesty and the business has a super staff member. In a forex trading startup, the traders form the backbone of the business and for VCs, this means choosing the right broker for the company. While few VCs have a say in who the company employs, the VC has a say in terms of who they want to work with.

Traders will need to know how to be competitive in the forex market without compromising the integrity of the firm. As https://www.connectfx.org/forex-brokers-lowest-spread/ says, this means staying on top of the factors that could affect currency pairs and making decisions that would be an overall benefit to the market and their respective clients. Its also important to stay on top of forex regulations to ensure that the firm remains above reproach. While traders dont have much control over significant market shifts, they can ensure good practice to keep the markets steady.

Prepare For The Risk

If there is one thing that VCs are prepared for, that is the loss of capital. This is best described as capital risk and when it comes to forex, these risks are already high. Forex brokerages need to consider a few things before setting up and VCs need to be aware of this, such as the jurisdiction of their brokerage, financial requirements, and licenses and disclosures related to trading. Even just the slightest error or omission could send the brokerage on a downward spiral, which does not bode well for an outside investor. Investing in a forex startup could mean a lucrative return on investment, however, investors need to be mindful that the time factor still plays a large part in the investment risk.

Venture capitalists who take on forex startups have to prepare for the added risk of market shifts. Regulations and legislation also play their part and should be part of the VCs due diligence to avoid the wrong side of the law.GHGSat, a Montreal, Canada-based company providing global emissions monitoring services, raised US$10M Series A2 financing.

The round was led by OGCI Climate Investments, with participation from Schlumberger, Space Angels, and the Business Development Bank of Canada.

The company, which has raised over US$20M to date in total, will use the new capital to accelerate commercialization efforts, expand its custom analytics services for its customer base, as well as launch an additional GHGSat satellite.

Led by Stephane Germain, CEO, GHGSat provides is a global reference for remote sensing of greenhouse gas (GHG) and air quality gas emissions from industrial sites, using satellite technology. Owners of industrial facilities in several sectors, including oil & gas, power generation, mining, waste management and agriculture can monitor all of their facilities, local or remote, anywhere in the world.

In 2016, the company launched a satellite designed to measure greenhouse gas emissions from industrial facilities around the world. This demonstration satellite will be followed starting in 2019 by two new satellites, as well as an aircraft sensor.

FinSMEs

24/09/2018Kissimmee, a Florida based sign language services provider, raised $775K in funding.

Change Capital Provides provided the financial resources.

The company intends to use the funds to expand its services to under-served communities.

Founded in 1992, Kissimmee is a woman/minority-owned company providing professional and ethical sign language services to its clients, particularly in Hispanic areas with limited means and access to these services.

In addition to sign language classes for the community, Kissimmee has established specialty programs designed to meet the needs of individuals from Latin American countries.

FinSMEs

24/09/2018Modulr, a London, UK-based fintech company offering digital payments accounts for businesses, received a new funding round of undisclosed amount.

This latest round, which brought total funding raised to date to 10.5m, was led by Blenheim Chalcot.

The company is using the funds to expand operations and open a new office in Edinburgh.

Founded in 2016 and led by Myles Stephenson, CEO, Modulr provides a digital payment account, which automates and manages business payments in real time, leveraging an API. The solution integrates into the core of the business and allows users to automate and manage payments on their terms.

The company says it has processed 4.2bn in business payments during its first two years of activity.

FinSMEs

24/09/2018Tolremo Therapeutics, a Swiss biotech company, completed a CHF 9.0m (USD $9.3m) Series A financing.

The round was led by BioMedPartners with participation from Redalpine and Altos Venture, as well as existing shareholders Zurcher Kantonalbank and several biotech investors.

The company intends to use the funds to further advance two major drug development programs to prevent drug resistance in cancer therapies.

Founded in March 2017 as an ETH Spin-off by Dr. Stefanie Fluckiger-Mangual, Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Krek, Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Altmann, Dr. Isaac Kobrin, and Emmanuel Savioz, Tolremo is a biotechnology company advancing a science-based drug discovery and development pipeline leveraging the founders insights into the molecular mechanisms of cancer and drug resistance and by their expertise in medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical drug development.

In conjunction with the funding, the company strengthened its Board of Directors with:

 Dr. Erich Greiner, an advisor to several public and private funds in the US and Europe and CEO/founder of Cedrus Therapeutics;

 Prof. em. Thomas Cerny, former head physician for oncology and haematology at the Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen and acting president of national foundation for Cancer Research in Switzerland; and

 Dr. Andreas Wallnofer, former Head of Clinical Research & Exploratory Development at Roche Pharma and General Partner at BioMedPartners, who will join the Board to represent the lead investor.

FinSMEs

24/09/2018Villagers celebrate the inaugural Farmers' Harvest Festival with a wheelbarrow race in Fuyang, Anhui province, on Saturday. Agricultural activities such as rice cultivation were featured. HAN MO / CHINA NEWS SERVICE

President urges more progress on rural reform

President Xi Jinping has called for more efforts to promote agricultural upgrading, stimulate rural development and raise farmers' livelihoods in a comprehensive manner as the country celebrated its first Farmers' Harvest Festival on Sunday.

The event will take place on autumnal equinox each year.

Xi, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, congratulated Chinese farmers on their first Farmers' Harvest Festival. Xi also presided over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on the implementation of rural revitalization strategy on Friday.

Xi extended greetings and good wishes to the country's farmers on behalf of the committee, saying the decision to create the festival further showcases that work concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers is a top priority and holds a fundamental position.

Noting China is a large agricultural country, Xi said agriculture is the foundation of the country and of the people's security.

He encouraged moves to stimulate farmers' enthusiasm, initiative and creativity so as to fully implement the rural revitalization strategy, win the tough battle against poverty and accelerate the modernization of agriculture and rural areas.

Xi recalled the significant role of rural reforms 40 years ago in China's reform and opening-up process, saying today's China should break new ground for urban-rural integration and modernization by vitalizing rural areas.

The overall goal of the strategy is to modernize agriculture and rural areas, and it is the overarching principle of the strategy to prioritize the development of agriculture and rural areas, Xi pointed out.

He called for more effective measures to be taken in such areas as capital input and public services, and for agricultural officials to target areas of weakness in agricultural and rural development, and to help narrow the urban-rural gap.

Efforts should be made to make agriculture a promising sector, farming an attractive career and rural areas better able to provide comfortable and prosperous lives, Xi added.

The president also called for boosting investment in agricultural and rural infrastructure, speeding up the connectivity of urban-rural infrastructure, and promoting two-way free flow of talent, land and funding between urban and rural areas.

Winning the battle against poverty is a high-priority task of the rural revitalization strategy, he said.

Saying talented people are the foundation of rural revitalization, Xi stressed that more effort should be made to motivate the vitality of talented people in rural areas and encourage more talented people in cities to launch startups and innovation in the countryside.

In implementing the rural revitalization strategy, the focus should be on quality instead of scale and speed, Xi said.

The market should play a decisive role in promoting a new round of rural reforms, while the government plays a better role in such areas as planning and guidance, policy support, market regulation and legal guarantees, he added.

More effort should be made to resolve issues pertaining to farmers' concerns and interests to create a stronger sense of fulfillment, happiness and security for rural people, Xi said.

He called for a long-term mechanism to ensure sustainable development in carrying out the rural revitalization strategy, saying grandiose projects must be rejected.

Xinhua contributed to this story..              ,                  .   ,         ,    ,            ,   ...Overseas journalists in China, reporting on the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, join a modeling performance team during a visit to the Chaoyang Elder Care Service Guidance Center, in Beijing's Chaoyang district on Oct 21, 2017. WANG ZHUANGFEI/CHINA DAILY

In this season of harvest, China Daily will publish a photo albumPortraits of a Changing Chinaon Tuesday.

The album summarizes China Daily's accomplishments in press photography, aiming to enhance international communication and capturing China's spectacular development in the past 12 years. We offer you these 10 pictures as a sneak preview.

Since its founding, China Daily has played a pioneering role in news photography, following photo editing principles focused on "timeliness, truth, people, vividness and right size".

In 2001, the paper launched its news photo website, the first professional photo website set up by a print media outlet in China. In 2007, as a founding member of the Asian News Network, which comprises 21 mainstream news organizations in 19 Asian countries, China Daily upgraded its photo website to a Chinese-English bilingual websiteAsia News Photo (www.asianewsphoto.com).

Today, Asia News Photo features more than 2,000 registered photographers and has accumulated 4.5 million images. As part of its cooperation with international news agencies, China Daily has shared nearly 10,000 photos with overseas media outlets over the past 12 years.

The album set to be released this harvest season has selected 120 of the best photos from among them, which have added to the visual heritage of China's rich history and present, as well as the bright future that lies ahead.

In this new era, presenting a vivid, true, multidimensional and panoramic view of China is the new challenge we face, a challenge we will certainly meet. We will work together to present the new era of China in the most constructive, visually appealing and beautiful way possible.-  :        

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 Mercedes-Benz will begin importing its best-selling GLC to the United States from India starting in October, marking a first for the German automaker.

A spokesman for the company confirmed the move to Automotive News.

All U.S. market GLCs are currently built in Germany, but the compact SUV is manufactured in several facilities around the world, including one in the Indian city of Pune.

Several versions of the vehicle are offered with different drivetrains and body styles and Mercedes-Benz has not yet clarified which will be imported from India.

The GLC will be the second Indian made car sold in the United States, joining the Ford Ecosport subcompact SUV that went on sale earlier this year. The larger GLE and GLS are both assembled in Alabama alongside the C-Class.

The move may coincide with the reveal of an updated GLC, which is expected to be introduced for the 2019 or 2020 model year.

MORE FROM FOX NEWS AUTOSThe Big Bang Theory actress Kaley Cuoco was as surprised as the rest of the world to find out that Season 12 will be the long-running comedys last. However, that doesnt mean shes fully ready to hang up her character, Penny, for good.

Speaking to Extra, the star echoed previous statements that the news of the cancellation was very sad for her and the rest of the cast and crew to process.

Its broken my heart, she confessed to the outlet. I am so sad that its ending. For the record, I would have done 20 more years.

The star went on to note that both she and the rest of the cast were moved to tears by the news, saying that most of them thought that they were the victims of some elaborate prank.

I think we were all hoping for a giant bazinga! she joked, invoking one of the sitcoms catchphrases.

However, for fans that are sad about the end of The Big Bang Theory, Cuoco gave them a shred of hope that they havent heard the last of the intrepid gang of nerds. Rumors have swirled for a while that co-creator, writer and producer Chuck Lorre may be eyeing a potential spinoff a la Frasier and Joey.

While Cuoco admitted that she hadnt heard anything about a potential spinoff with her character, she made sure to let it be known that she would be on board if offered.

If he called me and said lets do something tomorrow, I would.

According to E! News, Cuocos immediate plans following the end of Season 12 are simply to enjoy married life. The actress wed Karl Cook in July and the two have been enjoying being newlyweds ever since. She also noted that shed like to take on some larger projects with her production company, where shes started to dip her toe into the waters of producing.

In other words, it seems that shell have a lot of time on her hands that could easily be filled with a spinoff, should Lorre, CBS or someone else with the power decide to push forward with one.Bill Cosby, who was found guilty of sexual assault in April after a jury heard allegations from Andrea Constand, faced a judge Monday as his sentencing hearing got underway.

The 81-year-old comedian is set to learn this week whether he gets prison time, probation or house arrest.

On Monday, Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O'Neill said he was merging all of Cosby's counts into one. (The state sentencing guidelines are 22 to 36 months total confinement plus or minus 12 months on the combined charge.)

Cosby previously was facing up to 30 years in prison, as the three charges on which he was convicted carry up to 10 years in prison each, but both sides agreed to merge them together for sentencing because they stemmed from the same encounter.

District Attorney Kevin Steele has asked O'Neill to sentence Cosby to five to ten years in state prison. Meanwhile, Cosby's defense attorney Joseph Green said, "Incarceration would impose excessive hardship," adding: "What does an 81-year-old man do in prison?"

Sentencing is expected to last two days.

As previously reported, Cosby was found guilty on three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault for drugging and molesting Constand, 45, at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. The guilty verdict brought an end to a long-running downward spiral for Cosby, who was accused by dozens of women of similar crimes after public interest in his rape allegations was renewed. Constands allegations were in line with others, but hers were unique in that the statute of limitations on the crime had not yet expired.

His trial was heralded as the first major celebrity trial of the #MeToo era. As a result, theres massive public attention being paid to the outcome with those coming out against Cosby wondering if the court will give him a pass in terms of punishment given his fame.

"I really think it's important that he spend some time behind bars," said Lise-Lotte Lublin, who said Cosby assaulted her when she was 23 in 1989. The then-model said Cosby prodded her to take two drinks to relax. "At some point, he should acknowledge what he's done, and do the time for the crime."

Another Cosby accuser, Chelan Lasha, previously said he "deserves every year" of his sentence.

Once called "Americas Dad," Cosbys reputation sank after comedian Hannibal Buress brought up the numerous rape allegations against the comic in 2014. Since then, more than 60 women have come forward with allegations against him.

Cosby and his legal team have shown that they want to mitigate the amount of damage being done to his reputation, starting with the classification of him as a "sexually violent predator."

Pennsylvania's sex-offender board had examined Cosby and recommended he be deemed a predator, concluding that he has a mental defect or personality disorder that makes him prone to criminal behavior.

Kristen Dudley, a Pennsylvania state board psychologist, testified that Cosby had an uncontrollable urge to violate young women and would probably commit another offense if given the chance. Dudley added that Cosby's assault of Andrea Constand fit a long pattern of predatory behavior by the former "Cosby Show" star.

Cosby often befriended women, then betrayed their trust by sedating them with drugs or alcohol and violating them for the "sole purpose of his sexual gratification," Dudley testified.

Trying to avoid the predator designation for their client, Cosby's lawyers argued that the state law itself is unconstitutional. Lawmakers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere have rewritten their sex-offender reporting laws after courts found them vague and unfairly punitive.

Prosecutors told the judge that the law is necessary for public safety, and the judge allowed the hearing on Cosby's status to proceed.

The legal wrangling came at the start of a hearing that will determine how the comedian will be punished for knocking Constand out with pills and assaulting her at his suburban Philadelphia home more than 14 years ago.

Fox News' Lissa Kaplan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.CNN is under fire for an Anderson Cooper 360 segment that portrayed a group of women as simply Republican voters while failing to disclose that they are reportedly GOP activists with deep ties to the Republican Party in South Florida.

Its unclear if CNN intentionally misrepresented the women or if the network itself was duped. CNN did not respond to numerous requests for comment.

Cooper set up the segment on Thursday by referring to the group as a group of Republican women in Florida, and the ladies immediately declared they believed Supreme Court nominee Bret Kavanaugh amid claims that he sexually assaulted a woman when they were both in high school. One of CNNs panelists pointed out that all of Kavanaughs associates seem to think hes an altar boy, while another said, My goodness, there was no intercourse. There was maybe a touch.

Republican voter Gina Sosa then asked, What boy hasnt done this in high school?

The women went on to declare that they would support Kavanaugh regardless of whether or not the allegations are true. Following the focus group, Cooper welcomed political pundit Kirsten Powers and Judicial Crisis Network counsel Carrie Severino to discuss what the women said -- never identifying the participants roles in the GOP or their political activism that would eventually be revealed on Twitter.

Twitter sleuths eventually pointed out that one of the women that CNN identified as a Republican voter apparently ran for Congress, one is apparently a member of the Republican National Senatorial Committee and hosted a ritzy Ted Cruz fundraiser, another is reportedly a community council member in Dade County and the other two have seemingly run for state representative and sat next to President Trump during a roundtable on small business tax cuts, respectively.

CNNs segment opened eyes and resulted in headlines that paint the woman in the video as a typical right-leaning voters, such as The Hills Republican women defend Kavanaugh: What boy hasnt done this in high school?

Viewers took to social media following the segment to express outrage that the women would throw blanket support to Kavanaugh and reject the notion that he shouldnt be allowed on the Supreme Court. The HuffPost even compiled a list of outrage, including viewers who called the women misinformed and said they shouldnt be allowed to raise children.

"To present these women as merely Republican voters and not as GOP operatives and officials is both highly misleading and journalistically irresponsible."  Contemptor founder Justin Baragona

Contemptor, a site dedicated to media criticism with bluntly honest commentary on politics and popular culture, published a story Sunday headlined CNN focus group of Republican woman voters was filled with GOP operatives and candidates. The story highlights a variety of critics who have mocked CNNs segment as a collapse of editorial standards and irresponsible for failing to disclose key information about the focus group.

"From the outside looking in, it appears this panel was constructed to get provocative responses that would go viral, which is what we saw. To present these women as merely Republican voters and not as GOP operatives and officials is both highly misleading and journalistically irresponsible, Contemptor founder Justin Baragona told Fox News.

Contemptor embedded a series of tweets from journalist Adam Weinstein, who exposed the womens identities as local political activists.

Seeing exactly who these panelists are, all from Miami-Dade and Broward, makes me ask a whole lot of questions about how this segment came together and who helped, Weinstein wrote.

Author James Surowiecki sent a series of scathing tweets mocking CNN as irresponsible for purporting that the women were typical Republican voters.

The two women who dominated the discussion are not average voters - they're better described as GOP political operatives, he wrote. The focus group was stacked to produce the result it got: lockstep support for Trump's nominee, and unswerving fealty to the conservative line.

Surowiecki added: What's surprising about that segment is not that those women said what they said - they were, in effect, handpicked to offer that line. What's surprising is that CNN thought this was a good way to show what average GOP women voters think.

New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen quoted one of Surowieckis tweets and wrote, Jeez. What a collapse of editorial standards at CNN, which also contributes to polarization.A passenger takes a selfie with G5711, the first high-speed train from Shenzhen to Hong Kong, at Shenzhen North Railway Station in Shenzhen City, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 23, 2018. G5711 train left Shenzhen North Railway Station at 6:44 Beijing Time on Sunday (1044 GMT Saturday) for West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong, marking the opening of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-speed Railway and that of the whole Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-speed Railway. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

HONG KONG, Sept. 23 -- The whole line of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link has been put into official operation, as the Hong Kong section of the line entered into service on Sunday morning.

A high-speed train G5736 left Hong Kong West Kowloon Station at 7 a.m. on Sunday for Shenzhen North Railway Station in Guangdong Province and arrived at the Shenzhen station in 19 minutes.

Some 500 passengers, including those from media, came to the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station to take the train.

The carriage is quite spacious and the seats can be adjusted to face front or back, according to Mr. Leung, a Hong Kong citizen who are aboard the train.

"It (the ride) is quite comfortable. In the future, I would like to go to some places further, like Beijing for example. It takes only a few hours after all," the 70-year-old man told Xinhua.

Earlier in the morning, the high-speed train G5711 left Shenzhen North Railway Station at 6:44 a.m. for Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, and arrived at the Hong Kong station at 7:03 a.m..

Hou Ruiting, the captain of train G5711, said the train attendants have all received training on manners and languages to better their services in the ride.

"Our attendants have taken special training and examinations of Cantonese and English to cater to all needs," said Hou.

A Shenzhen resident, who gave her family name as Wang, took the first train from Shenzhen to Hong Kong, with four family members.

"It took only 19 minutes for us to arrive in Hong Kong from Shenzhen. (It's) so convenient. In the past, I had to spend nearly two hours on the trip," said Ms. Wang.

"The co-location arrangement is very convenient and I finished all the clearance procedures in a few minutes. Now I can't wait to try the famous Yum Cha (a traditional Hong Kong-style dim sum meal with tea)," said another resident from Shenzhen, who gave his family name as Tian.

A total of 95 pairs of high-speed trains are scheduled for the service on the line of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link on Sunday, including 13 pairs of long-distance trains, according to the China Railway Corporation.

Being a key part of China's high-speed rail network, the whole line of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link is 141 km long, including 115 km on the mainland and 26 km in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

It will offer direct rail services between Hong Kong and 44 destinations on the mainland, involving cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Changsha, Hangzhou, Nanchang, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Shantou, Guiyang, Guilin and Kunming.

During the initial operation period, the numbers of trains in operation will vary with demands on work days, weekends and peak time. Up to 127 pairs of trains will be in service on a single day with peak demand.

From Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, it will take a minimum of 14 minutes to get to Futian Railway Station in Shenzhen, a minimum of 47 minutes to Guangzhou South Railway Station, and eight hours and 56 minutes to Beijing West Railway Station.

Chen Xiaomei, spokesperson with China Railway Guangzhou Group Co. Ltd., said the mainland and Hong Kong have built coordination mechanisms covering various aspects such as dispatching and commanding trains, passenger transportation and power supply.

Various emergency response plans have been mapped out to ensure safe operation of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, Chen said.Actor James Woods has been locked out of his Twitter account over a two-month-old tweet that was found to be in violation of the tech companys rules.

The tweet, posted July 20, included a hoax meme that said it came from Democrats and encouraged men not to vote in the midterm elections.

Woods said he received an email from Twitter on Thursday saying the tweet "has the potential to be misleading in a way that could impact an election."

The email said Woods can use his account again if he deletes the tweet, but would be suspended from the social media platform permanently if there are repeated abuses.

Woods told The Associated Press Sunday he interpreted the message to mean hell be allowed back on Twitter only if he decides to do what Twitter says.

"Free speech is free speech  it's not Jack Dorsey's version of free speech," Woods said, referring to Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey.

"The irony is, Twitter accused me of affecting the political process, when in fact, their banning of me is the truly egregious interference," Woods said. "Because now, having your voice smothered is much more disturbing than having your vocal chords slit. If you want to kill my free speech, man up and slit my throat with a knife, don't smother me with a pillow."

Twitter told the AP that it doesn't comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons. A spokesman for the social media platform said by email that he had nothing more to share when asked if Dorsey would respond directly to Wood's comments.

Fox News reached out to Twitter early Monday but did not immediately hear back.

His Twitter page is still online, though he can't access it. Many of his recent tweets include his views of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her decades ago.

KAVANAUGH ACCUSER CHRISTINE FORD OPENS DOOR TO TESTIFYING NEXT WEEK

Woods, who has more than 1.7 million Twitter followers and is outspoken in his conservative views, believes he was singled out. He said the original tweet was reposted by his girlfriend Friday and had been retweeted thousands of times by Sunday. His girlfriend's account wasn't locked, which he said proves his claim.

The meme, posted in July, said #LetWomenDecide and #NoMenMidterm. It claimed to be from a Democratic group, but it was determined to be a hoax campaign to encourage liberal men not to vote in November, according to the website knowyourmeme.com. Woods called it a parody.

Woods acknowledged the meme likely wasn't real in the original tweet, saying: "Pretty scary that there is a distinct possibility this could be real. Not likely, but in this day and age of absolute liberal insanity, it is at least possible ..."

Social media companies like Twitter have come under pressure to flag hate speech and posts that could influence elections offline. Numerous conservative and right-wing groups have protested that the tech companies disproportionately target them over liberal-leaning groups. Dorsey testified before the GOP-led House Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this month, as the committee examined whether Twitter has censored conservatives.

TWITTER CEO JACK DORSEY ADMITS CONSERVATIVE STAFFERS DONT FEEL SAFE TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS AT LIBERAL TECH GIANT

Woods said he wants open discourse, and called the situation a dangerous precedent for free speech.

"I wish this were about an unknown Twitter user so that I could be even more passionate about it," Woods said. "This is not about a celebrity being muzzled. This is about an American being silenced  one tweet at a time."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Jimmy Bennett, the actor who accused Asia Argento of sexual assault, was pressed about his claims Sunday in Italy in his first televised interview.

Bennett faced questions from La 7s Massimo Gilletti about the allegations levied against Argento, who has denied the accusations.

Bennett accused Argento of setting up a sexual encounter with him in California in 2013, when he was 17  below the state's age of consent  and she was 37. (The legal age of consent in California is 18.)

The former child star recalled the experience in the interview with Gilletti and accused Argento  who had worked with him 10 years earlier on the 2004 film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things," when he was 7 years old  of starting the whole thing, according to The Daily Beast.

She started kissing me longer and longer... and it started to feel to me that it was less of just a friendly thing and more of something she was trying to push or explore, he said. It turned into her placing her hands on me and following that was when she pushed me onto the bed and took my pants off.

Asked if whether the encounter was complete, Bennett said it was.

The power that she had over the situation made me feel powerless in a way, he said.

Even with Bennett going into every tiny detail to Gilletti, the host didnt seem to feel like the story was compelling enough, according to The Daily Beast.

Its difficult to believe a woman can rape a man, an act of sex that is complete cannot be rape surely, Gilletti said before Bennetts lawyer Gordon Sattro intervened.

Gilletti pressed further after he showed the picture of Bennett and Argento in bed presumably after they had sex.

Im sorry, but you dont seem upset, you dont seem in this picture to be traumatized, Gilletti said. You dont look here like someone who was afraid.

Argento has denied Bennetts allegations.

I am deeply shocked and hurt by having read news that is absolutely false. I have never had any sexual relationship with Bennett, she said in a statement last month.ABC News The View co-host Joy Behar on Monday accused Senate Republicans of trying to push guilty Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaughs confirmation forward despite being aware additional sexual misconduct accusations would be levied against him.

The result, she predicted, would be an impeachment.

Co-host Sunny Hostin mentioned Republican leaders such as South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who have stood by Kavanaugh throughout the confirmation process.

If you have a jury trial and you have a juror that says, I dont care what the star witness says, that wont change my vote, that juror gets thrown off the jury, Hostin said. Why are these senators still on the Judiciary Committee?

Behar shot back, Its a good question there were rumors about this second accusation last week, and then Lindsey Graham and McConnell come out and say, Were gonna ram it through. Were gonna plow it through.

On Sunday, The New Yorker published a highly criticized, uncorroborated story in which a second accuser spoke out against Kavanaugh. The article, headlined Senate Democrats Investigate a New Allegation of Sexual Misconduct, from Brett Kavanaughs College Years, was co-bylined by Pulitzer Prize winner Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer. It details a claim by Debbie Ramirez, who said Kavanaugh sexually harassed her during a Yale University party despite a lack of evidence.

The story has been criticized for failing to confirm Kavanaugh actually attended the party, burying the fact that the New Yorker couldnt confirm the story with witnesses and relied on decades-old hearsay.

Theyll get their way and then well find out the guy is guilty. What good is that? Then youll have to impeach a Supreme Court justice."  Joy Behar

Hostin said Senate Republicans wanted to push the vote forward even though they heard about the second accusation, to which Behar agreed.

Theyll get their way and then well find out the guy is guilty. What good is that? Then youll have to impeach a Supreme Court justice, Behar said.

Last week, Behar declared that Kavanaugh is probably guilty of the accusations made by Christine Blasey Ford  who says Kavanaugh forced himself onto her and covered her mouth in the 1980s, when Kavanaugh was 17 and she was 15.

These white men, old by the way, are not protecting women, Behar said of congressional Republicans who stand by Kavanaugh. Theyre protecting a man who is probably guilty.

It appears The New Yorker piece was enough for Behar to drop the word probably that she used when she was only aware of Fords claim.Princess Anne revealed why she doesnt shake hands with royal fans during her walkabouts.

Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, said in the upcoming HBO documentary Queen of the World that shes keeping with tradition when it comes to the royal walkabouts.

We never shook hands, Anne, 68, said in a preview clip posted by People. The theory was that you couldnt shake hands with everybody, so dont start. So I kind of stick with that, but I noticed others dont.

The princess said walkabouts have turned into a shaking hands exercise since the queen began the tradition in the 1970s. Queen Elizabeth was the first of the royal family to start greeting crowds of fans outside events. Prior to the tradition, the public were lucky to get a fleeting glimpse of the royal family as they drove by.

MEGHAN MARKLE BEATS KATE MIDDLETON WITH FIRST SOLO ROYAL ENGAGEMENT MILESTONE

Anne said technology has made walkabouts difficult.

Phones are bad enough, but the iPads, you cant even see their heads, Anne said about meeting fans. No idea who youre talking to.

I either dont bother or just say, Look, if you want to askI suggest you put that down,' she added. It is weird. People dont believe theyve experienced the event unless theyve taken a photograph.

Other members of the royal family, including Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, have been known to stop and greet fans. Middleton has been spotted many occasions chatting with the public during walkabouts.

In July, Harry and Markle spent more than 20 minutes shaking hands and meeting people during their stop at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.Children's Hospital Colorado has removed gender markers from patients' wristbands as part of an effort to support their "unique gender identity."

The hospital said its staff understands that it's "not easy growing up with an expansive gender identity or expression," and "believe[s] gender-diverse children need a stable support system as they navigate their transition."

The idea was implemented on Sept. 20 after the hospital started a gender diversity task force, KUSA reported last week. The identifying markers were removed from wristbands in its Aurora hospital.

"We are seeing more and more patients who have diverse gender identities," Dr. Natalie Nokoff, of the hospital, told the news outlet. "I think that's true of programs all across the United States."

DYING BOY'S CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS ALLEGEDLY VANDALIZED, NEIGHBOR CLAIMS

One patient, a teenager named Ben, said the change is "huge" for him, as he's been going to the hospital for roughly two years and identifies as a female to male transgender person.

It's "bigger than anything on this planet. Looking down and seeing that 'F,' Im just like 'no. Thats not right,'" he said.

Ben is part of a group of around 800 patients at the hospital's TRUE Center for Gender Diversity, which stands for trust, understand, respect and emerge. The hospital described the group as a "safe space."

While gender will be omitted from wristbands, Dr. Nokoff said patients' medical history will still be recorded.A bipartisan bill aimed at curbing the nations crippling opioid epidemic would make U.S. aid for fentanyl-producing countries like China contingent on drug investigation cooperation. The Blocking Deadly Fentanyl Imports Act, put forth by U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.), would also require the State Department to identify nations that are major producers of fentanyl in its annual report on narcotics trafficking.

The opioid and heroin epidemic has become increasingly lethal in part due to the widespread presence of illicit fentanyl, Toomey said, in announcing the bill on his website. Since fentanyl can be fifty times as potent as heroin, just a tiny amount of this dangerous substance can kill a person, including first responders who may be inadvertently exposed to the drug when responding to an overdose victim or a crime scene.

CALIFORNIA KINDERGARTEN STUDENT CAN TAKE CANNABIS TO SCHOOL, JUDGE RULES

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever that is approved to treat severe pain, typically in advanced cancer patients. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most recent cases of fentanyl-related harm, overdose and death are linked to illegally-made versions of the drug, and sold through illegal vendors. It is often mixed with heroin or cocaine with or without the users knowledge.

In July 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a report indicating hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills have been entering the market since 2014, with some containing deadly amounts of fentanyl.

The U.S. Senate released its own findings this year, indicating that fentanyl can be easily purchased online from overseas pharmaceutical companies, particularly from China. However, tracking these products has proved difficult, as even trace amounts of the drug can turn major profits.

In June, Customs and Border Protection agents seized 110 pounds of fentanyl from China in Philadelphia, which was valued at $1.7 billion and was estimated to be lethal enough to wipe out Pennsylvanias population twice.

The U.S. Postal Service and Customs and Border Protection have stepped up efforts to detect and track shipments from overseas, but experts caution that the makers will find new ways to smuggle the products across the borders.

OVERDOSE DEATHS UP IN NYC; FENTANYL MOST COMMON SUBSTANCE IDENTIFIED

The interdiction agencies are trying to get smarter at the task, which is of course what they ought to do, Mark Kleiman, director of the Crime and Justice Program at New York Universitys Marron Institute, told the Chicago Tribune in June. But we shouldnt count on success, and we should make policy as if those drugs are going to be easily available.

The Senate passed another opioid bill earlier this month which included provisions to limit illegal importation of fentanyl through the mail system by improving digital tracking on international packages.

Under Toomey and Jones proposal, fentanyl-producing nations would lose access to the Export-Import Bank and be ineligible for other U.S. taxpayer-subsidized aid if it failed to cooperate with U.S. authorities.

Toomey had previously called on the Obama administration to put pressure on China to stop the production of fentanyl and block its exportation, according to the Times Online. Hes also co-sponsored resolutions to designate it as a public health crisis.

For the sake of our communities and the safety of law enforcement, countries like China must stop illicitly exporting fentanyl and improve their drug enforcement efforts now, he said on his website.A Long Island mom went for a routine laser treatment to remove sunspots  and ended up with dozens of blistering burns all over her body, she claims in a lawsuit.

Maria Natale, 52, says a dermatologist told her it will take up to a year for the second-degree burns on her stomach and back to heal  and she will be left with permanent scarring.

The pain was so bad, I actually started trembling, Natale told The Post, recalling her car ride home from South Shore Laser of Babylon, LI. I thought, Hurry up and get home and take the clothes off!

Natale, a mother of three, had already successfully gone to Laser employee Michelle Salice for hair removal, so she didnt hesitate to consult the worker again for what she thought would be a standard procedure for the sunspots on her back and stomach on March 26, according to the Suffolk County Court lawsuit she filed this month.

GIRL, 10, GETS SAFETY PIN STUCK UP NOSE

But as the laser was being administered to her sunspots, Natale said, she screamed to Salice, It burns, its burning!

[Salice] said, Its normal,  Natale said.

Immediately after, Natales skin burned and was very red, but Salice reassured her several times that it was all routine and part of the process, said the plaintiff, who is suing South Shore Laser and its Laser Clinique center, as well as Salice.

After an excruciating ride home, Natale said she began to see red stripes appear all over her body in the shape of the laser that was used.

They started off as red stripes, and then it started blistering. The pain was horrific, Natale recalled.

The mom said she went back to the laser clinic and showed the owner her burns.

Oh, my God! This has never happened before, Natale said the owner responded, handing her burn spray and cortisone cream.

Natale  who recently moved to Florida  now cant expose any of her laser-damaged skin to sunlight, she claims. She adds that her skin is even sensitive to the sun when covered by clothing.

TEEN WITH SEVERE ALLERGY DIED AFTER EATING BAGUETTE WITH HIDDEN SESAME SEEDS, FAMILY CLAIMS

Natale said she had to cancel an upcoming trip to Puerto Rico because she was in pain and couldnt enjoy the sun.

Her lawsuit alleges that the treatment was performed negligently, carelessly, recklessly, and in such a manner that resulted in severe and extensive burning to the skin.

She wants justice for herself and her injuries and wants to prevent this from happening to other people, said Natales lawyer, Michael Kutner.

The two laser businesses did not return repeated phone requests for comment. The Post could not find a working number for Salice, but messages left for her at South Shore, as well as at another local business that confirmed she also worked there part-time, were not returned.

Click for more from NYPost.com.A Florida mom whose daughter was suspended for wearing ripped jeans is calling out the high school for its sexist reasoning.

Melissa McKinlay, County Mayor of West Palm Beach, took to Facebook Thursday to express her frustration over the situation involving her daughter at Forest Hill Community High School.

In the middle of a quiz in her IB History class, a male administrator came to classroom, told her she needed to consider the guys in her class and their hormones when choosing her wardrobe, yanked her out of class and threw her into In School Suspension for the remainder of the day. So she missed an entire day of core classes and couldnt finish her quiz, McKinlay wrote.

AMERICAN TOURIST IN BAHAMAS BITTEN BY SHARK WHILE SPEARFISHING

While the mom admits her daughter did indeed violate the school dress code, which states clothing should be intact (without holes, rips, or frays), she argues that the reason her daughter was given was a prime example of sexism, victim blaming and girl shaming.

Perhaps she should have worn a different pair of jeans. But why should she have to worry about dressing a certain way to curtail a boys potential behavior? So, like, its her fault if the boy touches her because of what she was wearing? A boys potential inability to control his hormones warrants my daughters inability to attend her classes today and miss valuable curriculum? she wrote.

McKinlay also called for the administrator allegedly responsible for talking to her daughter to be suspended.

Forest Hill High School Principal Mary Stratos told the Palm Beach Post Thursday that she was unfamiliar with the incident, but she would be investigating the school officials alleged comments to McKinlays daughter.

She also defended the schools dress code as gender-neutral, saying it is enforced equally for both boys and girls, and that any tear in the clothing is a violation, regardless of location.

We dont need to be the tatter police, she said.

In an update posted to Facebook on Friday, McKinlay said she had spoken with Stratos, whom she called wonderful, along with members of the school board and is confident they are addressing the situation.

Many thanks to the principal and school board for being so responsive. Palm Beach County is lucky to have such good leaders in our schools, she wrote.

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She also further reiterated why the alleged comments made to her daughter angered her. As a strong advocate for women, and particularly survivors of sexual assault, the message that somehow a woman's wardrobe is responsible for a man's behavior is wrong. In any form. And I am hopeful this will be used as an opportunity to provide further sensitivity training to staff and students, McKinlay wrote.Online lingerie company Yandy has been called out again over the weekend for its sexy costumes  this time over its collection of sexy Native American and sexy Indian designs that many are calling highly offensive and racist.

This comes less than a week after Yandy was called out for its sexy Handmaids Tale-inspired costume. The company pulled the costume from the website after the backlash, and issued a statement saying it had become obvious that our Yandy Brave Red Maiden Costume is being seen as a symbol of womens oppression, rather than an expression of womens empowerment.

DONALD TRUMP JR. SLAMS PETA ON TWITTER OVER MOCKING 'TROPHY-HUNTING' HALLOWEEN COSTUME

People on Twitter have been slamming the brand for its 43 outfits that fall under the sexy Native American and sexy Indian categories, and started a hashtag campaign #CancelYandy, demanding that the company remove the offensive costumes.

Some users even mentioned the fact that Yandy was quick to remove the Handmaids Tale costume after consumer backlash, but continues to sell harshly criticized cultural costumes.

MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS SPORT COSTUMES FOR HILARIOUS ID PHOTOS

Yandy did not immediately respond to a request for comment, although this is not the first time the company known for its sexy outfits has been called out for its Native American line.

Last October, a group of Native American women gathered at the Yandy.com office in Arizona to protest the sexualization of indigenous people.

Amanda Blackhorse, who organized the protest, made signs calling for an end to cultural costumes.

We oppose how you use us as costumes and profit off of that ... We are people, not costumes, she said, Phoenix New Times reported.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The company did not remove the clothing after the protests last year  and as of Monday, is still selling the costumes.WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that President Donald Trump was prepared to meet the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s top leader Kim Jong Un again, hopefully in the "not-too-distant future."

"President Trump very much is prepared to meet with Chairman Kim at the right time, and we hope that' ll happen in the not-too-distant future," the top U.S. diplomat told NBC in a Sunday interview.

The White House revealed over a week ago that it has been coordinating a possible second summit between Trump and Kim after Pyongyang sent a letter to Washington in early September requesting another top-level meeting following the first one in June in Singapore.

"We have to build it out, we have to set up the logistics, we've got to set the right conditions," said Pompeo.

Tension on the Korean Peninsula has been further eased as South Korean President Moon Jae-in paid a historic trip to Pyongyang last week, bonding r ties with Kim and signing the Pyongyang Declaration on further steps towards the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization.

Welcoming the positive steps on inter-Korean relations, Pompeo announced earlier that he has invited his DPRK counterpart to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in the following week.

However, differences remain in current DPRK-U.S. talks, including the scale of denuclearization, U.S. sanctions, and whether to issue a war-ending declaration.

The U.S. State Department said on Thursday the denuclearization of Pyongyang has to come first before the U.S. side gives any corresponding reciprocal measures.

The United States so far has largely ignored DPRK's request in the Pyongyang Declaration for "corresponding measures" as the precondition for its further actions on the denuclearization, such as the permanent destruction of its main Yongbyon nuclear facility.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Its pretty obvious, at this point, that the Democratic attempts to smear Brett Kavanaugh are just that: a smear attempt. Its an election ploy, an attempt to rev up the base.

Whether Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford is telling the truth or getting her story wrong, its obvious that Democrats are engaged in politicking. And theyre not even trying to hide it anymore.

Thats the promise Democrats are making: either elect them to stop Kavanaugh from being appointed, or elect them to impeach Kavanaugh. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.,  you remember him, this is the guy who said that Kavanaughs hearing was a sham  explaining to CNNs Jake Tapper on Thursday that Democrats will move to get rid of Kavanaugh if they take the Senate:

There are supposedly other boys, there is a whole investigative process that can and should take place. And, you know what, this is such bad practice that even if they were to ram this guy through, as soon as Democrats get gavels we're going to want to get to the bottom of this.

So this is never-ending. Democrats are just going to use the election as a referendum on the Supreme Court.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, is fundraising off of the Ford accusations. How crazy is that?!

She sent out an email explaining, This is outrageous. Brett Kavanaugh was already disqualified to serve on the Supreme Court." -- Of course, we don't know how.

"But now were learning new information about a sexual assault allegation. This her email says, Donate now.

Do you know who Ford is using to advise her? Democratic operative Ricki Seidman. You may not have heard of Seidman. But she worked as Joe Bidens communications director in 2008.

She also worked for President Obama to push Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court and she also worked for the Clinton White House.

More importantly, she also worked for Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. And, according to Politico, was also involved with Anita Hills decision to testify against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.

And thats where this all began. Democrats have a long, inglorious history of trotting out unverified and unverifiable allegations to fight against conservatives or Constitutional originalists.

In 1991, Democrats decided to sandbag Clarence Thomas, President George H.W. Bushs nominee for the Supreme Court.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee sought out Anita Hill, a former staffer for Thomas at the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Two days after Thomas hearings began, Senator Joe Biden  you remember that guy!  he told the committee of allegations that Thomas had sexually harassed her.

He also said Hill insisted her name be kept anonymous (sound familiar) and that Thomas be kept in the dark about the accusations.

Just days after Thomas hearings closed, Hill gave a statement allowing the FBI to investigate the claims against Thomas.

The FBI determined that the allegations were unfounded. Thomas nomination was sent to the full Senate.

Weeks later, NPR reported on the FBI report, which leaked, and Hill testified, again, Congress. Thomas denied the allegations:

I have been wracking my brain and eating my insides out, trying to think of what I could have said or done to Anita Hill to lead her to allege that I was interested in her in more than a professional way.

Thomas wasnt wrong. There was simply no evidence of the allegations other than Anita Hills allegations.

Anita Hill, by her own admission, followed Thomas from the Department of Education to the EEOC, even though she had Schedule-A attorney job protection.

She spoke with him on the phone multiple times according to phone logs after leaving the EEOC, but said she didnt.

She asked him for a job recommendation. She also told Senators that she had been told by aides to Democratic Senators that if she came forward, Thomas might withdraw his nomination without the process going forward.

When Thomas was confirmed, the vast majority of Americans thought Thomas was more believable than Hill.

Thomas was confirmed by a Democratic Senate. Now, however, HBO makes movies about Anita Hills supposed bravery. And political guru Chelsea Handler says Clarence Thomas is a sexual abuser, tweeting this:

One known sexual predator on the Supreme Court isn't enough for Republicans. They want two. The president bragging about sexual assault isn't an issue for them either. They have no regard for women. No regards for their daughters or wives.

Truth be told, Thomas wasnt the first Republican-nominated prospective justice to be destroyed on the basis of false accusations.

Robert Bork was labeled a racist and a sexist without evidence by Democrats including Teddy Kennedy and again Joe Biden. Kennedy said this:

Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunchcounters, rogue police could break down citizens doors in midnight raids and school children could not be taught about evolution.

Slanderous, disgusting, evidence-free allegations that took down Robert Bork.

Now, fast forward to 2012. We remember this one. Former Massachusetts Republican Governor Mitt Romney is running a tight, competitive race with incumbent Democrat President Barack Obama.

So Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., simply slanders him by stating on the floor of the Senate that Romney hadnt paid his taxes:

So, the word's out that he hasn't paid any taxes for 10 years. Let him prove that he has paid taxes. Because he hasn't.

Let him prove it! It's not Reid's job to prove that he didn't pay taxes. It's Romney's job to prove that he did pay taxes. You have to prove that you obeyed the law.

Reid then released a statement explaining, As I said before, I was told by an extremely credible source that Romney has not paid taxes for ten years.

(And I was told my an extremely credible source that Harry Reid likes to murder puppies in his backyard!)

How did Reid respond to the fact that it turns out Romney did pay his taxes and that he was an abject liar? Here's what he told CNN's Dana Bash on CNN on March 31, 2015:

Dana Bash: So, no regrets, about Mitt Romney, about the Koch brothers? Because some people have even called it McCarthy-ite.

Harry Reid: Well, they can call it whatever they want. Romney didn't win, did he?

Thats all that matters to Democrats. Not the truth. Not decency. Winning.

Adapted from the September 23 "The Ben Shapiro Election Special."NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

In a fundraising email sent to members of Moveon.org this week, Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono invoked the name and sexual assault allegations of Christine Blasey Ford against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. This reprehensible attempt to profit from thus far unproven (and unprovable) allegations debunked by the accusers own named witnesses is just the latest step in a highly choreographed political drama.

Asking people to chip in money, Hirono writes, I am angry that Trump and his cronies will do absolutely anything to take over the Courteven if it means putting an alleged sexual predator on the bench. President Trump earned the right to nominate to the Supreme Court by winning an election. Its Hirono and her Moveon.org cronies who are proving they will do anything to nullify the result of that election.

Move.org needs your help to keep up the fight, Hirono writes in her fundraising demand.

The irony of Moveon.orgs position may be lost on those not old enough to recall the Clinton impeachment hearings. Moveon.org was created to get voters to move on from the sexual scandals that engulfed the Clinton presidency.

By circulating a petition to censure and move on from the impeachment proceedings, moveon.org hoped to persuade Congress to invoke a simple censure and move on to the pressing issues facing the country. Thats the last thing Hirono and her friends at Moveon.org want now.

Consider where such a standard takes us. Every political appointee from this point forward can be easily discarded with a simple sexual assault allegation. Truth is optional.

Perversely, Hirono and friends have discovered that the usefulness of sexual assault allegations does not depend on the truthfulness of those allegations. As so many on the left are telling us on Twitter, this is just a job interview for Kavanaugh, not a court proceeding; therefore, they reason, no due process is required. The mere existence of an allegation, they tell us, should be sufficient to permanently scuttle Kavanaughs nomination.

Consider where such a standard takes us. Every political appointee from this point forward can be easily discarded with a simple sexual assault allegation. Truth is optional. Is that the country we want to live in?

In the short term, Democrats see a lot of utility in this standard. Sexual assault allegations can be used to gin up support among the base, to fundraise, to delay a Supreme Court appointment, and ideally to impact upcoming elections. All of that can be gained whether the allegations are true or not.

But all of this creates perverse incentives for political operatives (on both sides) to manufacture allegations anytime they disagree with an appointees politics  or with the broader results of an election. Furthermore, this standard would have even more damaging implications when more broadly applied outside of politics.

While allegations of sexual assault are serious, they are no less serious than false allegations manufactured for political gain. So far, the evidence in the Blasey Ford allegations is all on the side of Kavanaugh. Until that changes, I view the histrionics from Senate Democrats with extreme skepticism.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Should all women be believed? That is the question many are grappling with as they watch the tumultuous struggle over Judge Brett Kavanaughs confirmation as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

Democrats say unproven accusations of sexual misconduct by Christine Blasey Ford and more recently by Deborah Ramirez, a Yale classmate, are enough to disqualify him from sitting on the bench. Republicans argue that Fords and Ramirez unsubstantiated recollections are outweighed by the judges exemplary career and record of hiring and promoting women. Some have suggested both womens accounts are part of a coordinated smear campaign designed to keep Kavanaugh off the bench.

The newly revealed claims by Ms. Ramirez  that at a drunken dorm party Kavanaugh thrust his penis in her face  are refuted by numerous people said to have been there, and further complicated by her admission that she was drunk at the time. The new revelations were reported by the New Yorker, which said Ramirez acknowledged that there are significant gaps in her memories of the evening

LIZ PEEK: THE KAVANAUGH CONTROVERSY IS SERIOUS AND THE GOP MUST UNDERSTAND THAT FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION

In short, her accusation, like that of Christine Blasey Ford, will likely be believed by opponents of the judge, but may not be provable.

The New York Times suggests in a recent piece that the showdown is a pivotal moment for the #MeToo movement. They quote a senior executive of Planned Parenthood saying, This is a distillation of the entire two years trajectory for women in this country. Are we respected? Are we believed? Are we equal?

In other words, both Kavanaugh and Ford have becomes pawns in a much larger debate  about the validity and fairness of the #MeToo movement.

The #MeToo movement is taking us toward more division, more extremism, and more distrust. Its a shame, because sexual assault is a serious topic.

Just in the past two days, a fourth person identified by Christine Blasey Ford as having attended the party at which she says Judge Brett Kavanaugh groped her, has said through her lawyer that she does not know Mr. Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present, with, or without, Dr. Ford.

Those are the words of Leland Ingham Keyser, a life-long friend of Fords; her statement presumably carries more weight than the unequivocal denial by Judge Kavanaugh or the statements made by two of his friends, who have also said they have no memory of the event in question.

And yet, when asked about Ms. Keysers comment on CNNs State of the Union program, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm brushed it aside, saying of course Keyser didnt remember the party, since nothing terrible happened to her. Thats how illogical the discourse has become.

Maize Hirono, Democrat Senator from Hawaii, declared a few days ago, Not only do women like Dr. Ford, who bravely comes forward, need to be heard, but they need to be believed.

Kirsten Gillibrand has similarly stated, I believe Dr. Blasey Ford because shes telling the truth; in other words, I believe her because I believe her.

This rush to judgement, fueled by gender bias, will surely not sit well with fair-minded Americans. It goes contrary to our countrys essential principle that someones gender, race or religion has no bearing on his or her guilt or innocence. These kinds of statements are doing women, and #MeToo, no favors.

By most accounts, Brett Kavanaugh has led an exemplary life, is a brilliant and highly qualified jurist, and has been a champion of women. Amy Chua, a professor at Yale Law School, wrote in the Wall Street Journal, Since joining the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2006, a quarter of his clerks have been members of a minority group. More than half, 25 out of 48, have been women. In 2014, all four were womena first for any judge on the D.C. Circuit.

It is striking that, in the midst of this bitter debate, not one of those women championed by Kavanaugh has suggested that the judge ever made inappropriate overtures towards her or used unsavory language.

Because there is now another accuser, Senator Diane Feinstein has requested to delay the Judiciary Committee hearings. Democrats will doubtless push to string the process out, knowing that the publics view of Kavanaugh has been tainted by the unsubstantiated accusations. As his polling declines, support for his appointment has dropped, too.

If and when Dr. Ford testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee, she will likely convince her supporters that she is telling the truth; Kavanaughs denials will similarly satisfy his backers. Polling shows that Democrats overwhelmingly believe Ford while most Republicans think Kavanaugh is telling the truth. So politicized has the debate become that few minds will change.

I have spoken to many young female office workers who are openly concerned that they are being excluded from informal gatherings because their associates are worried their conversations or behavior might be misconstrued.

Republican members of the committee will be lambasted if they challenge Fords account; already Democrats have (in unison) accused their political rivals of bullying and dismissed their impartiality because they are men.

If I were a man, Id find such dismissals insulting.

Almost as insulting as Senator Hirono recently saying, I just want to say to the men of this country: Just shut up and step up. Do the right thing for a change.

This is where the #MeToo movement is taking us. More division, more extremism, more distrust. Its a shame, because sexual assault is a serious topic.

The #MeToo drive has been fueled by the revelations of many men making unwelcome advances or using their position of power, as Harvey Weinstein did, to demand sexual favors. It has also been fueled by the anger of millions of women who have experienced harassment, workplace discrimination or abuse at the hands of men.

But in the drive to eliminate such behavior, there is a risk that the country abandons the principles of fairness and equality which have guided our history and our progress. That will only stoke resentment of #MeToo, and hurt the very people they are attempting to help.

I have spoken to numerous young female office workers who are openly concerned that they are being excluded from informal gatherings because their associates are worried their conversations or behavior might be misconstrued. What executive is going to take the risk of inviting a junior female co-worker out to lunch or for an after-work drink, when all it takes is an accusation to lose his job?

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Women used to complain that their exclusion from the Boys Clubs so powerfully in control of board rooms and C-Suites was preventing their advancement. #MeToo may, ironically, shut that door even more firmly.

If Kavanaugh does not join the Supreme Court, many liberal women will rejoice. Given how his defeat could harden suspicions about the unfairness of the womens movement, they should be careful what they wish for.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM LIZ PEEKNEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Trump is not generally given to understatement, but he soft-pedaled problems at the Department of Justice. There is, he said Friday, a lingering stench there.

A stench doesnt describe the situation. A snake pit is more like it.

The report by The New York Times that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein plotted to remove Trump, either by wearing a wire or invoking the 25th Amendment, cements forever the fact that there was and still is a deep state centered in the nations top law-enforcement agency. This was a plot by power-mad individuals who aimed to overturn the 2016 election and thwart the will of voters.

Rosenstein, two weeks into his new job, reportedly suggested the ideas in a meeting with others at the FBI. He called the Times story inaccurate but denied specific allegations with lawyerly wiggle room, meaning Rosenstein is no Brett Kavanaugh when it comes to total assertions of innocence.

Later, the Justice Department conceded Rosenstein made the comments, but insisted he was joking.

Joking, schmoking. I believe he was deadly serious based on the sequence of events before and after the meeting.

It took place on May 16, 2017  exactly a week after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, according to the Times and other media reports.

Rosenstein had favored the firing and wrote a compelling memo laying out why it was justified. When the White House cited his memo to fend off critics, Rosenstein reportedly felt he was being set up as a fall guy. Democrats attacked him as a Trump stooge and he told friends he feared for his reputation.

It all began because Rod Rosenstein was an emotional wreck and in a job too big for him. History might never have turned on a smaller hinge.

He supposedly called the meeting to explain himself to Comeys crew, including Andrew McCabe, who had been named acting FBI director. Instead, it became a gripe session about Trump and chaos at the White House.

Rosensteins offer to record the president is said to have included a suggestion that applicants for the FBI job also record him. Considering the gravity of the meeting, none of that sounds like joke material.

Indeed, the Times describes Rosensteins state of mind as anything but jovial, saying he appeared conflicted, regretful and emotional. He was also angry at Mr. Trump.

It soon became clear just how angry. The next day, May 17, Rosenstein shocked Washington by appointing Robert Mueller as special counsel and directing him to take over the existing Russia collusion investigation and virtually anything else Mueller wanted to probe.

Furious at the president and being attacked on all sides, Rosenstein suddenly had the power to strike back. And he did.

He was able to act unilaterally because his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, had recused himself from anything having to do with the 2016 campaign.

Here we are, 16 months later, and Mueller has not revealed a shred of evidence against Trump or any other American involving actual collusion. Yet the unrelated charges filed against Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen and others are a gift to Democrats and have led to endless damaging headlines about Trump, many of which turn out to be false or meaningless.

And it all began because Rod Rosenstein was an emotional wreck and in a job too big for him. History might never have turned on a smaller hinge.

Thus, the president has no great option, only two bad ones. Keep the man who wanted to entrap and remove you, or fire him and bring on more trouble than you can handle.

This being Washington, there are other elements to the story. McCabe is likely a prime source, with reports saying he and others wrote memos about the May 16 meeting.

McCabe, of course, faces possible indictment for allegedly lying to Justice Department investigators about a media leak, and probably blames Rosenstein for his firing. The story could be his revenge at his former boss and the whole department.

And dont rule out a Comey role. As chief snake, he did more to damage FBI credibility than any man or woman in America, yet has made no secret of his desire for revenge for being exposed and fired.

Oddly, the timing of the plot story could also involve a link to Trumps decision to reverse his order for officials to declassify documents from the Russia probe. Rosenstein is fighting a bitter battle with some GOP members of Congress who want the documents, and reportedly appealed to Trump to slow the release.

The documents presumably would make Rosenstein look bad since he signed the last application for a surveillance warrant against Trump associate Carter Page. It would be a head-scratcher if Trump acted to protect him.

At any rate, the idea that Rosenstein serves at the pleasure of the president now takes on an extra dimension. Trump recently called their relationship fantastic, though his Friday reference to a lingering stench almost certainly refers to the deputy attorney general.

Whether the plot revelation will be the end of Rosenstein is a guessing game. The advantages of keeping him, at least for now, involve calculations about what impact a firing would have on the midterms and the Mueller probe.

In addition, somebody would have to replace Rosenstein, and thats not a battle Trump needs now, especially with Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination unresolved.

On the other hand, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned Trump Friday not to fire Rosenstein. In the political hall of mirrors, that could mean Schumer actually wants Trump to fire him so Dems would have fresh campaign fodder.

Thus, the president has no great option, only two bad ones. Keep the man who wanted to entrap and remove you, or fire him and bring on more trouble than you can handle.

Welcome to the snake pit.

To read more on The New York Post click here.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

The news that Brett Kavanaugh had a new accuser landed with a thud on Sunday night. That she had told her story to the New Yorkers Ronan Farrow certainly seemed like the death knell for the Kavanaugh nomination.

Tough and meticulous, Pulitzer Prize winner Farrow had built up a reputation for being a serious journalist, especially when it came to telling the stories of the women assaulted, harassed and otherwise destroyed by powerful men.

This is another serious, credible, and disturbing allegation against Brett Kavanaugh. It should be fully investigated, Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii told Farrow and the articles co-author Jane Mayer.

Except it wasnt. Disturbing though the new accusation may be it is not serious and it is not credible. It should be dismissed by the public at large and those pushing it should apologize to Judge Kavanaugh and his family. Farrow and Mayer have lost a great deal of credibility in publishing it at all.

Its much harder for women to be believed at all when accusations like this get an airing.

Deborah Ramirez attended Yale with Kavanaugh and wants her story told. What that story is is unclear to even her.

Farrow and Mayer write: In her initial conversations with The New Yorker, she was reluctant to characterize Kavanaughs role in the alleged incident with certainty. After six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney, Ramirez said that she felt confident enough of her recollections to say that she remembers Kavanaugh had exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

Thirty-five years after the alleged incident, Ramirez was unsure of what happened. But thirty-five years and six days later she somehow become more certain.

But even her current story is incredibly hazy. Did Kavanaugh do what Ramirez alleges? Shes not actually sure!

She saw him adjust his pants and assumed hes the one who committed the act. Im confident about the pants coming up, and Im confident about Brett being there. She doesnt remember much aside from her embarrassment.

Farrow and Mayer write Ramirez said that what has stayed with her most forcefully is the memory of laughter at her expense from Kavanaugh and the other students. It was kind of a joke, she recalled. And now its clear to me it wasnt a joke.

But it is a joke, a terrible joke that an accuser who is not sure of her own story is still given a platform by prominent #MeToo journalists.

Ramirez cannot say that the person she is accusing actually is the one who did what she is alleging. But Brett Kavanaugh is tarred with a 2nd accuser all the same.

Six classmates who Ramirez said would be able to substantiate her story, one of them her college best friend, have categorically denied, to Farrow and Mayer, that any such incident took place. To counterbalance this actual evidence, Farrow and Mayer quote several people who, while not present at the time of the alleged incident, find Ramirez generally believable.

This is not journalism. This is a bizarre political stage show where the actors are all working toward the same curtain call.

For those of us who had been waiting to hear Kavanaughs original accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, testify before forming an opinion on her accusations, the new piece was a gut punch.

Believe all women! were told. But what about the women like Ramirez who are plainly not believable? Why do they still get splashy stories in the New Yorker?

Its much harder for women to be believed at all when accusations like this get an airing.

We are all suspect, waiting to use the misplaced faith that people have in the female gender to our advantage. We arent strong, like modern society keeps assuring us we are, we are weak and able to be turned for political advantage as necessary.

In trying to destroy one man, Farrow and Mayer end up destroying the reputation of all women.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faced a storm of new sexual misconduct allegations Sunday after attorney Michael Avenatti said he had knowledge that Kavanaugh and high school friend Mark Judge targeted women with drugs and alcohol in order to "allow a 'train' of men to subsequently gang rape them."

Avenatti, who represents adult film star Stormy Daniels in a lawsuit against President Trump and has hinted at a possible presidential run, made the claims in an email to Mike Davis, the chief counsel for nominations on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He did not state the source of his "evidence" and did not name any alleged victims.

In Avenatti's email, a screenshot of which he posted to Twitter, the lawyer told Davis that he had "significant evidence of multiple house parties in the Washington D.C. area during the early 1980s" where Kavanaugh, Judge and others "would participate in the targeting of women with alcohol/drugs."

Avenatti included a list of questions for Senate investigators to ask Kavanaugh, including: "Did you ever attend any house party during which a woman was gang raped or used for sex by multiple men?"

Neither Kavanaugh nor Judge immediately responded to Avenatti's accusations.

Meanwhile, the New Yorker magazine reported late Sunday that a Yale classmate of Kavanaugh claimed he exposed himself to her at a college party. Kavanaugh strongly denied that claim as a "smear."

The woman, Deborah Ramirez, has called on the FBI to investigate the alleged incident. The magazine's report, which is co-written by Pulitzer Prize winner Ronan Farrow, states that four Democratic senators have received information about Ramirez's allegation and at least two have begun investigating it.

The report was published days before Kavanaugh is to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about an allegation of sexual assault against him dating to his days as a high school student in the early 1980s. The accuser in that case, Christine Blasey Ford, has agreed to go before the committee and tell her story.

"This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so," Kavanaugh responded. "This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name--and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building--against these last-minute allegations."

White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec said: "This 35-year-old, uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man. This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh."

Ramirez claimed Kavanaugh exposed himself to her while she was intoxicated during a drinking game in the 1983-84 academic year, when Kavanaugh was a freshman. She also claimed she inadvertently touched Kavanaugh's penis when she pushed him away and says the incident left her "embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated."

She also claimed another male student yelled "Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbie's face" and insisted that person used Kavanaugh's full name.

The report stated that the magazine had not corroborated that Kavanaugh was at the party in question. An anonymous male classmate said he was told that Kavanaugh had exposed himself to Ramirez within the following days.

Still another male classmate who Ramirez claims egged on Kavanaugh to expose himself to her denied any memory of the party in question. In addition, the magazine published a statement by six of Kavanaugh's classmates saying: "We can say with confidence that if the incident Debbie alleges ever occurred, we would have seen or heard about itand we did not. The behavior she describes would be completely out of character for Brett."

The statement continued, "In addition, some of us knew Debbie long after Yale, and she never described this incident until Bretts Supreme Court nomination was pending."

A female classmate who signed the statement told the New Yorker that Ramirez "is a woman I was best friends with. We shared intimate details of our lives. And I was never told this story by her, or by anyone else. It never came up. I didnt see it; I never heard of it happening."

Ramirez admitted to the New Yorker that she does not fully remember the alleged incident because she had been drinking at the time. The magazine also reported that Ramirez spent six days "carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney" before telling the full version of her story.

In response to the New Yorker report, Judiciary Committee ranking member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called on the committee's Republicans to postpone all proceedings related to Kavanaugh's nomination and refer Ramirez's allegation to the FBI.

"It is time to set politics aside," Feinstein wrote. "We must ensure that a thorough and fair investigation is conducted before moving forward."

At approximately the same time the New Yorker report was published, the committee released a partially redacted version of Ford's letter to ranking member to Feinstein that detailed Ford's sexual assault claim against Kavanaugh.

"Brett Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted me during High School in the early 1980s," Ford wrote to Feinstein. "He conducted these acts with the assistance of his close friend Mark G. Judge."

Both Kavanaugh and Judge have denied attending the party where Ford says she was assaulted.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

As top Democrats speak out on sexual misconduct claims against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, they've been largely silent on physical and verbal harassment claims against one of their own: Rep. Keith Ellison, a top Democratic National Committee (DNC) official.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, revealed earlier this month she knew of the initial accusations that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a woman in the early 1980s, when he and the accuser were teenagers. Feinstein, D-Calif., called for an immediate postponement of the Kavanaugh nomination process Sunday night after another woman publicly claimed he harassed her. Feinstein said the serious allegations deserve a fair, independent investigation from the FBI.

Kavanaugh has denied both accusers' claims strongly.

Meanwhile, Ellisons ex-girlfriend, Karen Monahan, on Sunday claimed there's been a smear campaign against her to help her husband. Last week, she said many Democrats haven't believed her claims: I've been smeared, threatened, isolated from my own party.

Asked for comment on the accusations against Ellison, Feinstein's office did not respond.

Monahan has said Ellison sent her threatening text messages and once screamed obscenities at her as he dragged her off a bed by her feet. She tweeted Sunday: I said this would happen early on. Keith is getting others to write commentary, sharing personal info, like being sexually abused, making false statements about who broke up, how it happened, etc. He will stop at nothing. #WhyIDidntReport victims get smeared, shamed,lied on.

She continued in a tweet addressed to Ellison: This isn't right. This is not going away and you are making it worse for you, your family and district by lying, smearing, getting others to do your dirty work, victim shaming, etc. You know I have the video and more. I am still trying to offer grace and a way out. She did not appear to clarify her tweets.

Ellison has pushed back on allegations of domestic abuse in their relationship, saying his accuser made up the story about him.

The Minnesota Democrat running for state attorney general also has dismissed a medical record that named him as the abuser, but said he could not be sure more people wouldn't cook up allegations against him.

His representatives didnt return Fox News request for comment.

In a Facebook post last month, Monahans son, Austin, wrote that he saw a video of Ellison screaming and calling her a f------ b---- and telling her to get the f--- out of his house. His mother later said her son's claims were true.

Last Wednesday, as Fox News reported, Monahan published a medical document in which a doctor wrote that Monahan states that she was in a very stressful environment for years, emotional and physical abuse by a partner with whom she is now separated.

She identifies the individual she was involved with as Congressman Ellison, and she is worried about retribution if she identifies him publicly, the document added.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT KEITH ELLISON ABUSE CLAIMS

Ellison, who serves as deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), decried Monahans story as not true and assured that an ongoing investigation will conclude that Monahans claims are false. Speaking at a televised debate last week, he dismissed the medical record, saying it was written a year after his relationship with Monahan ended.

When pressed whether the investigation would be done before the election, Ellison said it was an independent investigation and he wasn't sure about the timetable.

Doug Wardlow, a Republican opponent, wasnt satisfied with Ellisons answer, saying Monahans claims would not be reviewed by an actual independent investigator. Its not an independent investigation! he said. Its independent by your friends and fellow party members. Thats not an independent investigation.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and Lukas Mikelionis contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

A campaign by New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo to crack down on the National Rifle Association and similar groups is facing its first big legal test, with a federal judge expected to decide soon whether to allow a challenge to go forward.

Cuomos administration has asked Judge Thomas McAvoy of the U.S. Northern District of New York to throw out a First Amendment lawsuit by the NRA that claims the policy restricting financial activity with pro-gun organizations amounts to viewpoint discrimination.

The judge heard arguments on the motion to dismiss on Sept. 10. The decision, whatever it may be, will have far-reaching ramifications for free-speech and gun rights, the limits of financial regulation and possibly even the 2020 presidential contest.

The case has prompted an unusual alliance. The liberal American Civil Liberties Union, despite its support for gun control, filed a friend of the court brief in defense of the free-speech rights of the NRA.

Earlier this month, Cuomo defeated actress Cynthia Nixon in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, and he will likely coast to re-election to a third term in November. Though he said he wont run for president, hes widely seen as a potential contender for the 2020 Democratic nomination, and going after one of the lefts most reviled organizations could only help in that pursuit.

The case is more important than anyones political aspirations, said William Brewer, the lawyer for the NRA in the case.

This is giving the power to a state to discriminate against entities based on viewpoint, Brewer told Fox News.

If the script was flipped, and a conservative governor of Kansas was very pro-life, his administration could target Planned Parenthoods financial activity, Brewer added. Or, if its another governor, the administration could target the finances of Friends of the Earth or the Sierra Club.

In April, Cuomo directed the states Department of Financial Services to encourage insurance companies, banks and other financial services companies licensed in New York state to review whether business interactions with the NRA and other similar organizations would pose reputational risk.

New York may have the strongest gun laws in the country, but we must push further to ensure that gun safety is a top priority for every individual, company, and organization that does business across the state, Cuomo said at the time.

New York Financial Services Superintendent Maria T. Vullo said the agency urges all insurance companies and banks doing business in New York to join the companies that have already discontinued their arrangements with the NRA.

In May, the department hit Lockton Affinity with a $7 million fine and Chub Ltd. with a $1.3 million fine for their involvement with the NRAs Carry Guard insurance for gun owners that use a firearm in self-defense but face civil or criminal liability expenses. Both companies dropped the NRA. The Second Amendment group now contends it has trouble getting corporate insurance because companies fear state investigation, while banks have declined to provide financial services for the organization.

Cuomo also urged fellow governors in an August letter to ban Carry Guard because the NRAs insurance policy is providing illegal insurance coverage to gun owners for intentional criminal conduct.

In the motion to dismiss, New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood argued, Both the guidance letters and the press releases are classic government speechthey are expressing the government's position in the public gun control debate, which is entirely permissible.

However, Cuomo may have undermined Underwoods argument when he gleefully tweeted in August, If the @NRA goes bankrupt because of the State of New York, they'll be in my thoughts and prayers. I'll see you in court.

New York has definitely used state power going well beyond expressing an opinion, Brewer argues.

The state took actions well beyond the guidance letters, Brewer told Fox News. The dots connect themselves. The governor sent out a press advisory that Superintendent Vullo is monitoring not just the NRA but other pro-Second Amendment groups. Shortly after, within days, the department issued fines.

The New York Department of Financial Services referred Fox News to the April announcement on the policy and, when asked if someone could speak on the policy, a spokesperson said unfortunately no, not at this time.

Neither Cuomos office nor Underwoods office responded to inquiries for this report.

The program is similar in spirit to the Obama administrations Operation Choke Point, which tried to discourage banks from offering financial services to high risk customers  which included short-term lenders and firearms dealers. The Trump Justice Department later ended the program.

The liberal ACLU and the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation each filed a friend of the court brief in the New York case siding with the NRAs ability to move for discovery.

The ACLU brief in August said New York indisputably targeted the NRA and similar groups based on their gun promotion advocacy.

It is important to note that, however controversial it may be, gun promotion is core political speech, entitled to the same constitutional protection as speech advocating for reproductive rights, marijuana legalization, or financial deregulation, the ACLU brief continued. The central questions, then, are whether the guidance letters threatened adverse action against banks and insurers that associate with the NRA or other gun promotion advocacy groups, and whether this threat was motivated by the governments hostility to a gun promotion viewpoint.

Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for the Daily Signal. Follow him @FredLucasWH.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh repeatedly denied accusations of sexual misconduct that have threatened to derail his confirmation in an exclusive interview with Fox News on Monday.

"What I know is the truth, and the truth is I've never sexually assaulted anyone," Kavanaugh told Fox News' Martha MacCallum.

Kavanaugh's wife, Ashley, said the allegations against her husband were "hard to believe."

"I know Brett. I've known him for 17 years," she said. "He's decent, he's kind, he's good. I know his heart. This is not consistent with Brett."

California professor Christine Blasey Ford has accused Kavanaugh of covering her mouth and trying to remove her clothing at a party in the early 1980s, when both were in high school. Kavanaugh and Ford are set to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

In the interview, Kavanaugh emphatically denied Ford's claim against him, telling MacCallum that he was a virgin through high school and for "many years after."

"I was never at any such party," Kavanaugh said. "The other people who alleged to be present have said they do not remember any such party. A woman who was present, another woman who was present who was Dr. Fords lifelong friend has said she doesnt know me and never remembers being at a party with me at any time in her life."

KAVANAUGH ACCUSERS ENLIST HIGH-POWERED LAWYERS, DEM OPERATIVES

Kavanaugh added that he was "not questioning and have not questioned that perhaps Dr. Ford at some point in her life was sexually assaulted by someone at some place, but what I know is Ive never sexually assaulted anyone."

He also said he "may have met" Ford during his high school days, but added that she was "not a friend [and] not someone I knew."

"I know Brett. I know who he is," Ashley Kavanaugh added. "I dont know what happened to [Ford] and I don't even want to go there. I feel badly for her family. I feel badly for her through this process. This process is not right."

Kavanaugh also told MacCallum that he would not withdraw his name from consideration over the allegations.

"I want a fair process where I can defend my integrity, and I know I'm telling the truth," the judge said. "I know my lifelong record and I'm not going to let false accusations drive me out of this process. I have faith in God and I have faith in the fairness of the American people."

Kavanaugh also denied a New Yorker report published Sunday night in which classmate Deborah Ramirez said he exposed himself to her while they were students at Yale, pointing out that The New York Times had said it could not corroborate her claims.

"I never did any such thing," Kavanaugh said. "The other people alleged to be there don't recall any such thing. If such a thing had happened, it would have been the talk of campus."

KAVANAUGH DENIES SECOND ALLEGATION AS AVENATTI CLAIMS 'EVIDENCE' OF 'TARGETING' WOMEN FOR GANG RAPE

In addition, Kavanaugh said claims by attorney Michael Avenatti that he and high school friend Mark Judge had plied women with drugs and alcohol at parties so other men could gang rape them were "totally false and outrageous."

"Yes, there were parties and the drinking age was 18 and yes, the seniors were legal and had beer there, he said. "And yes, people might have had too many beers on occasion  I think all of us have probably done things we look back on in high school and regret or cringe a bit. But that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about an allegation of sexual assault. I've never sexually assaulted anyone."

The Kavanaughs, who have received death threats from those opposed to his Supreme Court nomination, also discussed how their two daughters are dealing with the accusations against their father.

KAVANAUGH FIGHTS BACK AGAINST 'SMEARS, PURE AND SIMPLE'

"Its very difficult to have these conversations with your children, which weve had to have, Ashley Kavanaugh said. But they know Brett and they know the truth and we told them at the very beginning of this process, This will be not fun sometimes. Youre going to hear things. People feel strongly and you need to know that and just remember, you know your dad.

Top Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have slammed what they described as a "smear campaign" orchestrated in part by Democrats. Meantime, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, has asked for the Kavanaugh nomination to be halted while the FBI investigates the allegations.

President Trump has repeatedly defended his nominee against sexual misconduct accusations, which he has called totally political" and "one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything."

Kavanaugh told McCallum that Trump had called him Monday afternoon to say "hes standing by me" and said he was confident that will remain the case.

Fox News' Martha MacCallum contributed to this report.HOUSTON, Sept. 23 -- The Chinese Consulate-General in Houston, Texas, the United States on Sunday urged Chinese citizens to pay attention to safety and security.

The notice was issued after a Chinese citizen was murdered Friday night in an attempted burglar in Dallas, about 380 km north of Houston.

According to the Chinese Consulate-General, two Chinese citizens with stab wounds were rushed to a nearby hospital. One of them was announced dead, and the other's condition was not available yet.

Local media reported that after interviewing several residents, homicide detectives learned that the woman who died had gone outside to walk her pet and was followed by the suspect back into her apartment. The suspect was described as a white man who was wearing a white and red t-shirt with a black design.

The Chinese consulate general attaches great importance to it. Entrusted by Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin, Deputy Consul General Liu Hongmei has headed for Dallas to visit victims and meet with the local police to urge them to solve the case as soon as possible.

Dallas is the ninth largest city in the United States. According to a 2017 U.S. Census Bureau report, Asians consist of 3.3 percent in city's total population.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

When California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law last spring a 12-cent gas tax increase and a new transportation improvement fee, Democrats hailed it as a way to fix the state's ailing roads and improve public transit.

But a little more than a year later  and with a gallon of gasoline costing about 80 cents more than the national average  some Democrats in key congressional races are siding with Proposition 6, a GOP-led ballot initiative to do away with the gas tax hike.

"I support Proposition 6, which repeals the gas tax, Josh Harder, a Democrat and venture capitalist challenging incumbent GOP Rep. Jeff Denham for a seat representing part of the states Central Valley, told the Los Angeles Times. We all agree that we need to fix our roads and bridges, especially here in the valley, but it should be through a thoughtful, cost-effective national plan, not through another tax we cant afford like a gas tax that hurts working families.

Harder is one of at least four Democrats running for Congress who are bucking their party and supporting Proposition 6. Many of the candidates are running in Republican strongholds like Orange County and the Central Valley.

The gas-tax increase -- along with a vehicle fee -- was approved by the states Democrat-controlled legislature and signed into law in April 2017 by Brown to generate roughly $5.2 billion annually to improve state infrastructure.

Supporters say the money is badly needed to fix the states crumbling roads, bridges and other infrastructure and that, if it passes, Novembers ballot measure would jeopardize not only road improvements, but public safety.

"This ballot measure would jeopardize public safety by eliminating funding for vital highway, road and bridge safety improvements across California. It's dangerous and must be defeated," Doug Villars, president of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, part of a coalition of labor unions, construction contractors and local governments, told Fox News earlier this year.

Critics of the tax, however, argue that the states soaring gas prices  one notorious gas station in Los Angeles is selling a gallon of regular for close to $5  paired with gross economic mismanagement have put an undue burden on Californians and led to little change in the quality of the states infrastructure.

This gas tax was not necessary and it affects anyone who drives, Matt Fleming, a spokesperson for the California GOP, told Fox News. Which in California is basically anyone who lives outside of San Francisco.

A USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times statewide poll conducted back in May found that 51 percent of Californians supported repealing the gas tax hike, while just 38 percent of registered voters supported keeping the higher taxes.

While the California GOPs official stance is that Proposition 6 is meant to repeal an onerous tax on working Californians and hold Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento accountable for spending, some speculate that the initiative will also be used to bring GOP voters to the polls and thwart Democrats' efforts to win a handful of Republican-held seats across the state.

The repeal measure has garnered the support  and the donations  of numerous big-name Republican leaders in Washington, including outgoing Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R- Calif., and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La.

Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, points out that California indeed has a robust history of ballot initiatives being used to significantly impact elections.

Its an effective way to connect voter issues with candidates, Levinson, who specializes in ballot initiatives, told Fox News. It games the electoral system in so many ways.

The Democratic defections over to the side of Proposition 6 come not only as more and more Californians voice their displeasure at the gas tax, but as the party has already faced setbacks over the gas tax hike.

In June, Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman was recalled from office over his support for the tax hike.

Pragmatically, candidates may be seeing opinion research that indicates the race is close, and opposition to the gas-tax repeal might cost them critically needed votes, Darry Sragow, a longtime Democratic strategist and publisher of California Target Book, told the Los Angeles Times.

As a caveat, however, Sragow added, Ideologically, they may have a heartfelt objection to the impact of the increase in the gas tax on people who survive from paycheck to paycheck and need to drive a car to make a living.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

The New Yorker's sketchy report that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh may have exposed himself to a college classmate decades ago has media critics asking if the prestigious magazine cares more about getting a story or getting it right.

The article, headlined Senate Democrats Investigate a New Allegation of Sexual Misconduct, from the Brett Kavanaughs College Years, was co-bylined by Pulitzer Prize winner Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer. It details a claim by Debbie Ramirez, who said Kavanaugh sexually harassed her during a Yale University party.

Yet, beneath the story's explosive thesis lie substantive seeds of doubt and a complete lack of corroboration that prompted howling from a chorus of media critics.

It's worth noting that Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer could not confirm with other eyewitnesses that Kavanaugh was present at the party. It's also worth noting that this disclaimer was buried to the 10th paragraph of the Deborah Ramirez report. Lazy at best, slimy at worst, Mediaite columnist Joseph Wulfsohn wrote.

National Review editor Charles C.W. Cooke penned a column calling the piece grossly irresponsible, which slams The New Yorker for publishing the story.

I am struggling to remember reading a less responsible piece of journalism in a major outlet, Cooke wrote.There is no scaffolding beneath this story."

Jedediah Bila wrote that she is typically a fan of Farrow but his latest report is not good journalism.

New Yorker piece doesnt even confirm that Kavanaugh was at the party, contains an admission of memory gaps by Ramirez due to intoxication, and has numerous people on the record disputing her claim. Once again, Im awaiting facts: evidence, corroboration, possible testimony, Bila wrote.

The story has been criticized for admitting a lawyer spent six days assessing Ramirezs memory, failing to confirm Kavanaugh actually attended the party, burying the fact that the New Yorker couldnt confirm the story with witnesses and relies on decades-old hearsay.

Ronan Farrow, Jane Mayer and the New Yorker ran with a story where the accuser still, today, right now, can not say that the person she is accusing actually is the one who did what she is alleging. IS THAT NUTS, New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz wrote in a series of tweets mocking the story.

The New Yorker piece is a terrible piece of journalism and it really seems like Farrow and Mayer know it, Markowicz wrote. I can't remember the last time I was this angry about something in politics. This is disgusting.

I have no words for how sickened I am by how the left and the establishment media are weaponizing non-credible sexual assault claims to destroy a human being, Daily Caller media editor Amber Athey tweeted.

Syndicated radio host Dana Loesch questioned if Farrow -- who helped launch the #MeToo movement with his reporting on disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein  was given a byline to add credibility to the report. Erick Erickson echoed Loesch, saying the piece doesnt live up to Farrows pristine reputation.

All of these New Yorker stories about Kavanaugh seem as if they're Mayer stories that Farrow was added to for credibility. Because they're not up to his standard sourcing. Hell, they're not really even sourced, Erickson wrote.

Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York sarcastically noted that the latest allegation has it all.

Accuser was drunk. Significant gaps' in her memory, recovered recently with help of lawyer. Memories fuzzy all 'round. Some say never happened. Accuser 'never described incident until Brett's SCOTUS nomination, York wrote.

While many of the pieces critics are conservative pundits, several mainstream media members have also questioned the report. CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King asked Mayer if she was ok knowing that Ramirez admitted that she had gaps in her memory from the night in question.

The story is very transparent about what she does and doesnt remember, Mayer insisted.

The CBS morning show further pressed Mayer, and Fox News contributor Stephen Miller called the exchange embarrassing after co-host Norah ODonnell tweeted a clip.

The New York Times wasnt as comfortable as Mayer, Farrow and The New Yorker -- admitting it couldn't find anyone with firsthand knowledge of the claim.

The Times had interviewed several dozen people over the past week in an attempt to corroborate her story, and could find no one with firsthand knowledge," the Times wrote in a story that followed the New Yorker report. "Ms. Ramirez herself contacted former Yale classmates asking if they recalled the incident and told some of them that she could not be certain Mr. Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself.

So it was too shaky for the New York Times, but The New Yorker went with it. Very telling, Fox News Britt Hume wrote.

Pundit Steve Cortes wrote that the sham story couldn't even meet the low standards of the Times.

Despite all the criticism the story has received, Farrow and Mayer spent Monday morning defending their work with a variety of media appearances.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Trump is scheduled to meet with Rod Rosenstein on Thursday, the White House said, seeming to tamp down speculation that the deputy attorney general faces the prospect of an immediate firing over a damaging press report.

The No. 2 Justice official, who frequently finds himself in the political crosshairs due to his role overseeing the special counsel's Russia probe and involvement in other controversies, was the subject of numerous conflicting reports late Monday morning.

One initial report indicated the embattled official had already quit, while sources told Fox News and other outlets that he was heading to the White House expecting to be fired -- in the wake of a story claiming he suggested wearing a "wire" against Trump and invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office last year.

But the White House put out a brief statement saying Rosenstein and Trump will meet Thursday, apparently to continue discussing that story, when the president returns from New York.

At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in the statement. Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C.

Rosenstein on Monday was attending a previously scheduled Principles Committee meeting at the White House in place of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was en route to Washington from Alabama.

Earlier in the day, Rosenstein met again with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. During that meeting, Rosenstein spoke to President Trump on the phone.

A source told Fox News that Rosenstein has neither resigned nor been fired. He is still deputy attorney general, for now.

Rosenstein's fate remains unclear, in the runup to the scheduled meeting with Trump.

Rosenstein had met with Kelly Friday afternoon to discuss the response to the Times report. After the meeting, Rosenstein put out another more strongly worded statement denying the story.

Rosenstein and Kelly also had discussions over the weekend. According to a source familiar with the talks, the subject of Rosenstein possibly resigning came up, though it is unclear whether he actually offered to resign.

Meanwhile, Rosenstein  who oversees Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe into Russias interference in the 2016 election  has repeatedly denied that bombshell report in The New York Times on Friday.

The New York Timess story is inaccurate and factually incorrect, Rosenstein said in an earlier statement. I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the department and are advancing their own personal agenda. But let me clear about this: Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment.

In the wake of the Times report, Democrats have warned Trump not to remove Rosenstein. If Rosenstein were to leave office, U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco would be in line to oversee the Russia probe.

Fox News asked Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday if he had ever heard any 25th Amendment talk. Mattis replied, No. Earlier Monday, both Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said they had not heard anyone discussing the 25th Amendment either.

The New York Times report said Rosenstein had discussed wearing a "wire" to tape Trump and pursuing his removal from office in meetings and conversations with Justice Department and FBI officials. This would have been in the tumultuous days after James Comey was fired as FBI director, with the president citing in part a memo penned by Rosenstein -- reportedly catching him off guard.

Fox News has learned one key meeting took place on May 16, 2017 at Justice Department headquarters. Several people were in the room, including former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and former FBI counsel Lisa Page. Mueller was appointed as special counsel the next day.

According to the Times, none of Rosensteins proposals were acted upon and it remains unclear the level of seriousness Rosenstein had when making the suggestions.

One source who was in the room told Fox News the statement was sarcastic and was never discussed with any intention of recording a conversation with the president.

Further, The Washington Post quoted an unnamed individual saying Rosenstein quipped sarcastically after McCabe pushed for an investigation into the president, "What do you want to do Andy? Wire the president?"

The Times quoted other sources who said Rosenstein was serious, however.

Rosenstein, 53, has been targeted by Republicans for months. In July, Reps. Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio, the chairman and a prominent member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, introduced five articles of impeachment against Rosenstein.

Those impeachment articles accused Rosenstein of intentionally withholding documents and information from Congress, failure to comply with congressional subpoenas and abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). That effort was referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where it has not been voted upon.

Before named by Trump to serve as the No. 2 to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Rosenstein served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. Rosenstein took over the Russia probe after Sessions recused himself last year.

Fox News' John Roberts, Matt Leach, Alex Pappas and Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

A former Obama White House counsel is facing increasing pressure from federal prosecutors over his former law firms ties to Paul Manaforts lobbying work for the Ukrainian government, The Washington Post reported.

Federal prosecutors reportedly are examining whether Washington attorney Gregory Craig, 73, failed to register as a foreign agent. According to court filings, Manafort helped pay Craig's former law firm -- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meager & Flom LLP -- $4 million to review the prosecution of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovychs rival Yulia Tymoshenko in 2012.

Craigs attorneys have downplayed the extent of his involvement in Manaforts lobbying campaign, arguing that the activity did not warrant registering as a foreign lobbyist.

Craig, who left Skadden in April, was among two other men  Washington lobbyists Vin Weber and Tony Podesta  who were referred to the Southern District of New York that month, The Post reported.

Court filings allege that Weber, a former Republican congressman, and Podesta, a Democratic lobbyist, were also involved in Manaforts lobbying efforts for Ukraine. The filings named two companies that matched descriptions of Webers Mercury Public Affairs and Podestas lobbying firm Podesta Group, respectively, which received $1 million to lobby on behalf of the Ukrainian government in 2012, the report said.

According to the report, both firms failed to register as a foreign agent. Representatives for Weber and Podesta have argued their clients did not need to.

The three mens cases were referred to New York prosecutors in April amid special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. No charges have been filed yet against either of the three men as prosecutors review their cases.

Manafort, who was briefly President Donald Trumps campaign chairman during the 2016 election, pleaded guilty earlier this month to charges of conspiracy and obstruction in exchange for cooperation with Muellers team.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

An uncorroborated, decades-old claim that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh exposed himself to a college classmate did not pass The New York Times' smell test, according to the White House.

The claim by Debbie Ramirez that the federal judge sexually harassed her during a Yale University party is the latest to rock the confirmation process. It was published by The New Yorker, despite the fact that none of the people Ramirez said could back her story did so.

The Times had interviewed several dozen people over the past week in an attempt to corroborate her story, and could find no one with firsthand knowledge," the Times wrote in a story that followed the New Yorker report. "Ms. Ramirez herself contacted former Yale classmates asking if they recalled the incident and told some of them that she could not be certain Mr. Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself.

The White House pointed to several other potential inconsistencies as it mounted an aggressive pushback to the latest Kavanaugh bombshell. As Kavanaugh himself denied the accusation, the White House noted the accuser admitted there were gaps in her memory as she had been drinking at the time, she spent six days assessing her memories in conversations with her attorney and the magazine acknowledged no other eyewitnesses backed up the account.

The claim followed that of a California woman who alleges Kavanaugh held her down and tried to force himself on her while both were in high school. Like Ramirez's claim, that charge, by Christine Blasey Ford, has not been corroborated.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, late Sunday slammed Senate Democrats for withholding information from the committee regarding the new sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh.

The Iowa Republican said the committee will attempt to evaluate the new claims, but said in a statement it appears that they [Democrats] are more interested in a political takedown" than pursing allegations through a bipartisan and professional investigative process.

His office released the statement after two new allegations emerged against Kavanaugh. A third potential allegation has arisen from Michael Avenatti, the attorney for porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims Kavanaugh and others targeted women with "alcohol/drugs" to allow men to gang rape them at high school parties. This accusation also has lacked any corroboration to date.

Ramirez claimed Kavanaugh exposed himself to her while she was intoxicated during a drinking game in the 1983-84 academic year, when Kavanaugh was a freshman. She also claimed she inadvertently touched Kavanaugh's penis when she pushed him away and says the incident left her "embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated."

The report stated that the magazine had not corroborated that Kavanaugh was at the party in question. An anonymous male classmate said he was told that Kavanaugh had exposed himself to Ramirez within the following days.

Ramirez admitted to the magazine that she does not fully remember the alleged incident because she had been drinking at the time. The magazine also reported that Ramirez spent six days "carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney" before telling the full version of her story.

Kavanaugh says the event did not happen and that the allegation is a smear, plain and simple.

A White House spokeswoman adds in a second statement that the allegation is designed to tear down a good man.

Grassleys office said the committees majority staff learned about the allegations in the magazines article. His statement read that Democratic staff were aware of the allegations, but did not inform Republican staffers.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called the timing of the new allegations very suspicious.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called for a full FBI investigation and said the committee cannot "in good conscience" vote on the nomination at this point.

Avenatti on Sunday alleged that he had knowledge that Kavanaugh and high school friend Mark Judge targeted women with drugs and alcohol in order to "allow a 'train' of men to subsequently gang rape them."

He did not state the source of his evidence and did not name any alleged victims.

Grassleys office said it reached out to Avenatti to find out more information about his allegations and requested that he provide any new information.

Avenatti posted a letter he wrote to Mike Davis, the chief counsel on nominations for the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He wrote that he had significant evidence of multiple house parties in the 1980s where Kavanaugh, high school friend Mark Judge and others would target women with alcohol and drugs in order to take advantage of them sexually, including gang rapes. He said to expect additional evidence in the coming days.

Avenatti included a list of questions for Senate investigators to ask Kavanaugh, including: "Did you ever attend any house party during which a woman was gang raped or used for sex by multiple men?"

Neither Kavanaugh nor Judge immediately responded to Avenatti's accusations.

Kavanaugh is slated to testify Thursday about the first allegation of sexual assault, dating back from a high school party more than 35 years ago. His accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, is also set to testify.

Kavanaugh, 53, an appellate court judge, has denied Ford's allegation and said he wanted to testify as soon as possible to clear his name.

"This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so," Kavanaugh responded. "This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name --and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building --against these last-minute allegations."

In response to the New Yorker report, Judiciary Committee ranking member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called on the committee's Republicans to postpone all proceedings related to Kavanaugh's nomination and refer Ramirez's allegation to the FBI.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Hundreds of protesters descended on the offices of several senators and the Capitol Building on Monday, calling on lawmakers to block the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh amid new allegations of sexual misconduct.

Protesters lined the halls outside the offices of Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.  both undecided voters on the Senate Judiciary Committee and key to Kavanaughs chances of being confirmed. Protesters also went to the office of Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and gathered in the Russell Rotunda inside the Capitol Building.

The protesters gathered outside Collins office wore black "Be A Hero" shirts and chanted various slogans, including "We will not be silenced," We believe the women and "Vote no or we'll fund your opponent." Members of the U.S. Capitol police arrested them one-by-one and led them away.

One of the protesters on hand was Marie Follayttar. She is co-director of a group that has raised money to give to Collins' election opponent in 2020 if she supports Kavanaugh. Follayttar was not among those arrested.

The United States Capitol Police ended up arresting 128 people - 46 at the Dirksen Senate Office Building and 82 at the Russell Rotunda - on charges of crowding, obstructing, or incommoding.

Mondays protests came a day after a new accusation against Kavanaugh landed late Sunday in a report from The New Yorker. The report was published just a few hours after negotiators had reached an agreement to hold an extraordinary public hearing Thursday for Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses him of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were teenagers. Kavanaugh denies the accusation.

The second claim against Kavanaugh dates to the 1983-84 academic year, which was his first at Yale University. Deborah Ramirez described the alleged incident after being contacted by The New Yorker magazine. She claimed that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

In a statement provided by the White House, Kavanaugh said the event "did not happen" and that the allegation was "a smear, plain and simple."

Coinciding with the protests in Washington, dozens of students at Yale Law School  Kavanaughs alma mater -- donned black and staged a sit-in on Monday to protest the judges nomination. Yale officials cancelled classes to accommodate the demonstration.

Some 50 Yale faculty members have signed a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee urging the Senate to conduct "a fair and deliberate confirmation process."

Defending Kavanaugh, presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway called the sexual misconduct allegations by two women against the judge "a vast left-wing conspiracy."

Conway noted Monday on CBS "This Morning" that Kavanaugh, in a statement Sunday, called the allegations a "smear campaign." She added, "This is starting to feel like a vast left-wing conspiracy."

Conway's rhetoric echoes Hillary Clinton's 1998 description of allegations that her husband, President Bill Clinton, had had affairs. She called them a "vast right-wing conspiracy."

Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

The women accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in high school and college have something else in common: they are enlisting a growing number of well-known Democratic lawyers, donors and operatives for their fight against President Trumps nominee for the Supreme Court.

They include pair of high-profile lawyers who fundraise for top Democrats; the attorney and spokeswoman for former FBI official Andrew McCabe; former advisers to then-Vice President Joe Biden; and even Michael Avenatti  the media-hungry lawyer for porn star Stormy Daniels who says hes considering a Democratic run of his own for president in 2020.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has raised questions about the circumstances that led to accuser Christine Blasey Ford hiring two lawyers, Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, asking who is paying their legal fees.

They are the people who want to sink Kavanaugh and get Trump, Graham said last week of Katz and Banks on Fox News The Story with Martha MacCallum.

Katz and Banks close ties to the Democratic Party were highlighted last week after it was revealed, amid negotiations with Republicans over whether Ford would testify, that they were scheduled to headline a fundraiser for Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwins campaign. After Fox News and other outlets obtained an invitation, Katz and Banks dropped out of the fundraiser.

According to donor records, Katz has donated generously over the years to Democrats, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren, John Kerry, the Democratic National Committee and others. Banks, too, has donated to numerous Democratic causes, including Obama, Clinton and Baldwin.

Katz has attended anti-Trump rallies, telling ABC News last year, We are going to resist. We will not be silenced.

Over the weekend, Fords legal team grew with the addition of attorney Michael Bromwich, who represents fired FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, who has sparred with Trump over the FBIs handling of the Hillary Clinton and Russia investigations.

Im honored to be joining Debra Katz and Lisa Banks in representing Dr. Ford, Bromwich tweeted.

Joining Bromwich on the effort are Melissa Schwartz, who works for Bromwich and has served as a McCabe spokesman, and Kendra Barkoff Lamy, a former press secretary to Biden. Democratic operative Ricki Seidman -- who also worked for Biden and the late Sen. Ted Kennedy and was involved in accuser Anita Hills testimony during Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation  is also advising Ford, according to Politico.

We are proud to be new members of Team Ford, Schwartz tweeted.

Ford has accused of Kavanaugh of forcing himself on her during a party in the 1980s before being able to get away.

In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley released Monday, Ford said it was a difficult decision to come forward with her allegation but she felt it was her civic duty. Ford said she initially wanted to disclose the allegations in a confidential manner, but shes now willing to testify.

My original intent was first and foremost to be a helpful citizen  in a confidential way that would minimize collateral damage to all families and friends involved, Ford said.

A second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, stepped forward in a Sunday story published by The New Yorker claiming Kavanaugh, while in college, exposed himself during a drunken party at a Yale dormitory.

KAVANAUGH BUFFETED BY MORE UNCORROBORATED CHARGES

The Colorado Sun reported that Ramirez located her attorneys with the help of Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet.

Meanwhile, Avenatti -- famous for representing Stormy Daniels, who claims she had a past sexual encounter with Trump  tweeted Sunday he soon intends to reveal other accusations against Kavanaugh from another woman.

Kavanaugh has denied all the allegations, calling them a smear, plain and simple.

I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge, Avenatti tweeted. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn.

Avenatti further alleged that he had knowledge Kavanaugh and high school friend Mark Judge targeted women with drugs and alcohol in order to "allow a 'train' of men to subsequently gang rape them."

He did not state the source of his evidence and did not name any alleged victims.

Avenatti, who was largely unknown before representing Daniels, has been giving speeches to Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire, teasing a possible presidential run against Trump.

Pinned at the top of his Twitter profile  which he is using to promote the new allegations  is his platform of where he stands on 20 key issues ahead of a possible White House bid.

Fox News Edmund DeMarche contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

An embattled Brett Kavanaugh on Monday said he wont be intimidated into withdrawing his nomination to the Supreme Court, as he called accusations he sexually harassed and assaulted women decades ago while in high school and college "smears" in a new letter to top lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process, Kavanaugh wrote in the letter. The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out. The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. The last minute character assassination will not succeed.

Kavanaugh, who intends to testify Thursday before the committee about the allegations along with the first accuser, has been hit with fresh but uncorroborated accusations.

There is now a frenzy to come up with somethinganythingthat will block this process and a vote on my confirmation from occurring, Kavanaugh wrote. These are smears, pure and simple. And they debase our public discourse.

He told committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., he is determined to defend his integrity.

Women from every phase of my life have come forward to attest to my character, Kavanaugh wrote. I am grateful to them. I owe it to them, and to my family, to defend my integrity and my name. I look forward to answering questions from the Senate on Thursday.

The latest detailed accusation was made by Debbie Ramirez, who in a New Yorker article alleged Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a Yale University party.

Ramirez claimed Kavanaugh committed the act while she was intoxicated during a drinking game in the 1983-84 academic year, when Kavanaugh was a freshman. She also claimed she inadvertently touched Kavanaugh's penis when she pushed him away and said the incident left her "embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated."

TRUMP CALLS NEW KAVANAUGH ACCUSATIONS 'TOTALLY POLITICAL,' STANDS BY NOMINEE

The report stated that the magazine had not corroborated that Kavanaugh was at the party in question. An anonymous male classmate said he was told that Kavanaugh had exposed himself to Ramirez during the following days.

Ramirez admitted to the magazine that she does not fully remember the alleged incident because she had been drinking at the time. The magazine also reported that Ramirez spent six days "carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney" before telling the full version of her story.

Kavanaugh's confirmation has been thrown into chaos since Christine Ford accused of him of forcing himself on her during a party in the 1980s before being able to get away.

In a letter to Grassley released Monday, Ford said it was a difficult decision to come forward with her allegation but she felt it was her civic duty. Ford said she initially wanted to disclose the allegations in a confidential manner, but shes now willing to testify.

"While I am frightened, please know, my fear will not hold me back from testifying and you will be provided with answers to all of your questions," Ford said. "I ask for fair and respectful treatment."

Michael Avenatti -- famous for representing the porn star Stormy Daniels  tweeted Sunday he soon intends to reveal other accusations against Kavanaugh from another woman.

Kavanaugh has denied all the allegations.

Meanwhile, President Trump stood behind Kavanaugh on Monday, calling the uncorroborated claims totally political and unfair.

I am with Judge Kavanaugh, Trump said in New York. For people to come out of the woodwork from thirty-six years ago, and thirty years ago, and never mentioned it, all of a sudden it happened  totally political.

Fox News Judson Berger contributed to this report.Visitors look at a new-generation carbon-fiber metro vehicle by CRRC at the "InnoTrans" railway industry trade fair in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 18, 2018. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

BERLIN, Sept. 23 -- Chinese exhibitors have impressed Europeans at recent exhibitions held separately in Germany and Montenegro with sharp-edged and innovative products and services.

"China's role in the world is shifting from a follower to a leader" in industrial innovation, one of the exhibitors said, adding that Chinese manufacturers have become the first ones to apply brand new technologies now rather than only use mature technologies and products as they did in the past.

ACTIVE ATTENDEE

The number of Chinese exhibitors at InnoTrans, the railway industry trade fair, has been growing steadily for years, said Matthias Steckmann, senior vice president of the bi-annual fair, which was held on Sept. 18-21 in Berlin.

Around 180 Chinese exhibitors, with a total exhibiting area of more than 6,000 square meters, attended the fair, Steckmann told Xinhua, saying "This is reflected in the growing importance of China's mobility industry, not just at InnoTrans."

This year, 3,062 exhibitors from 61 countries and regions with more than 400 new products showed up at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

"We look forward to the Chinese mobility industry's growing participation in InnoTrans," Steckmann said.

Besides InnoTrans, more than 200 Chinese companies have attended the eight-day 67th IAA Commercial Vehicles starting from Thursday in the German city of Hanover.

The bi-annual trade fair draws 2,174 exhibitors from around 48 countries and regions. In total, exhibitors debut 435 global models for the commercial vehicle sector, a record figure for the IAA, on an area of 282,000 square meters.

With China as the partner country, the 40th Civil Engineering Fair opened on Wednesday at the ground of the Adriatic Fair, together with the 13th Water Supply Systems and Sanitary Technologies Fair and the 6th Energy Fair.

Seven Chinese companies, including the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), participated in these fairs.

Rajko Bujkovic, executive manager of the Adriatic Fair, told Xinhua that in regard to the partner country status, Chinese companies have greater visibility at the fair that represents a "business gate of Montenegro."

EYE-CATCHING HIGH TECH

Chinese companies not only have strong presence at European fairs, but also in European markets.

CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive (CRRC ZELC), a China-based company in the rail industry, unveiled at InnoTrans the shunting locomotive specially customized for German rail service provider Deutsche Bahn (DB).

The locomotive will be delivered directly to Germany Hamburg depot after the fair.

"This is a typical green product with new technology, new material, new process and new structure," said Sun Yongcai, CEO of CRRC Corporation Limited, at the technology release conference of DB hybrid shunting locomotive.

In Hanover, Faw Jiefang Automotive Co. Ltd Wuxi Diesel Engine Works (FAWDE), a Chinese diesel engine manufacturer, and Stuttgart-based Mahle, one of the largest automotive parts supplier in the world, released the application of Mahle MonoLite piston on FAWDE ALL-WIN 6DM3 Engine, which is the first application of a laser welded steel piston worldwide.

China is an important market for diesel engine globally and the FAWDE is one of the market leaders, as well as an important partner, CEO of Mahle Joerg Stratmann said, on choosing the FAWDE as the first application partner of the new leading technology and product.

"Looking forward, we can really see an exciting future that we can achieve together with our joint forces," Stratmann added.

The CCECC finished the Kolasin-Kos railway rehabilitation project in Montenegro last year.

According to Zhu Tianran, general director of CCECC Montenegro Ltd., the company has strong presence in the international market in the field of railway construction, its core business, and in road construction. The company has also shouldered its social responsibilities in countries where they operate.

In Montenegro, besides providing products and services, Chinese projects also help boost employment in the long run.

Bujkovic explained that due to infrastructure projects such as Bar-Boljare highway, employment of Montenegrin companies as contractors enables them to employ their existing capacities as well as gain fresh know-how. In the meantime, Chinese high-quality products are distributed to the local market by Montenegrin companies.

"The CCECC aims to show its strength and experience, to expand its influence and to attract potential local partners, creating conditions for more participation in infrastructural projects in the Balkan area," Zhu said.

INCREASING COMPETITIVENESS

The technology and competitiveness of China's rail transit enterprises are constantly improving, said Wang Weidong, commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Germany.

"Compared with developed countries, many rail transit products in China have (their) own advantages in technology and cost, and they have very strong competitiveness," Wang said at InnoTrans.

Chinese tech giant Huawei's CloudMetro solution, which recently passed rigorous testing by the European Advanced Networking Test Center (EANTC), shows itself to European visitors in Berlin.

"We evaluated a wide range of functions of Huawei's CloudMetro solution. We can confirm that Huawei's 5G transport series products are getting ready to meet the challenges of metro network cloudification. Huawei's support in the ultra-broadband sector, in slicing, in the evolution from MPLS to next-generation transport, and in the management and analysis functions is really great," said Carsten Rossenhoevel, CTO of EANTC.

On cooperation with Huawei, Soeren Link, mayor of Duisburg, said, "there have been lots of exciting projects during the process of working with Huawei which inspired us in our work. Duisburg already has a tight connection with China. Through the cooperation with Huawei, such partnership with China grows even stronger."

As the exhibition organizer, Bujkovic said that Chinese companies are highly competitive thanks to the technology they are offering, "which is far superior to that used in Montenegro, as well as in the global market."

"The potentials of Chinese companies are immense, while their opportunities are great, as they are already present at the market and additionally represent ongoing projects, which is a great opportunity for them to gain recommendation for future projects," said Bujkovic.

Meanwhile, representatives of Montenegrin companies see Chinese companies as reliable, experienced, competitive and technologically advanced.

Dragan Markovic, official of the public enterprise for coastal zone management, told Xinhua that his company invests millions of euros in infrastructural works and welcomes companies from all sides to compete.

"Chinese companies are already present at this market through the capital infrastructure projects they are engaged in, which are both of immense importance to them as well as their Montenegrin partners. They are also welcome to participate in smaller projects with their technology and know-how," Markovic said.

Momcilo Stojanovic, member of the award jury for the best presentation of the fair, told Xinhua that he saw Chinese companies as "highly professional."

"They are very serious and I am not surprised because of the comprehensive and fast expansion of the Chinese model of economy in Montenegro, Europe and the whole world," he said.

Speaking of the potentials for Chinese companies, he said that China is among the most technologically advanced countries in the world, and that the realization of projects of its companies in Montenegro is impressive.

(Xinhua reporters Zhai Wei, Zhang Yirong, Qiao Jihong, Xu Yang, Shi Zhongyu also contributed to the story)NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

The confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was contentious, but still, the federal judge was expected to be confirmed by the Senate  until a psychology professor came forward to publicly accuse him of sexual assault.

Christine Blasey Ford has said Kavanaugh assaulted her while at a house party in the early 1980s, when they were teenagers. She said Kavanaugh held her on a bed, attempted to remove her clothes and held his hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming.

Kavanaugh has denied the allegations.

After some back-and-forth between Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee and Fords attorneys, both Ford and Kavanaugh appear set to testify before lawmakers Thursday morning.

As the details about the hearing have continued to change, heres an up-to-date look at what to expect from the much-anticipated hearing.

When is the hearing?

The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a committee hearing continuation for Thursday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. It will be public.

The hearing will be held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Who will testify?

Both Kavanaugh and Ford will testify at the hearing. Ford is expected to tell lawmakers about her accusation: Kavanaugh allegedly pinned her to a bed, tried to remove her clothes and covered her mouth with his hand while at a house party in the early 1980s.

KEY PLAYERS IN THE KAVANAUGH, FORD SENATE HEARING

In her opening statement, which has already been released, Ford will testify that she was the most frightened when Kavanaugh allegedly covered her mouth to keep her from screaming. She said it "has had the most lasting impact on my life."

"It is not my responsibility to determine whether Mr. Kavanaugh deserves to sit on the Supreme Court. My responsibility is to tell the truth," she will testify.

Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the allegations and has said he wanted to testify to clear his name ever since the accusation came to light. He told Fox News' Martha MacCallum that he wants a fair process where I can defend my integrity.

What is the format?

Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., will make opening statements.

Ford will testify first and will have the opportunity to give an opening statement without any time limit.

Then, senators will be allotted five minutes to ask questions. They can also defer to a designated counsel during this time.

After Ford is finished and has left the room, it will be Kavanaugh's turn. He, too, will be allowed to give an opening statement without time constraints. Senators will be allotted the same five minutes for questions.

Keep in mind that Kavanaugh's original hearing was derailed multiple times by protesters and Democratic senators.

What were some conditions?

Grassley wrangled with Fords team ahead of the scheduled hearing over the terms of her appearance. He was able to grant some of her requests.

After originally being planned for Monday, the hearing was moved to Thursday. It will take place in a smaller room with only one camera and limited press access. Ford was also guaranteed the ability to be able to testify without Kavanaugh in the room, adequate breaks and security.

However, the committee did not agree to other demands, including: making Kavanaugh testify first and only allowing senators to ask questions.

Who will ask the questions?

Senate Republicans have designated Rachel Mitchell, a decorated career sex crimes prosecutor with decades of experience, as outside counsel who can participate during the hearing.

The GOP side of the Judiciary Committee is made up of 11 men  which could send an unwanted message on live television against the backdrop of the #MeToo era.

KAVANAUGHS ACCUSER WANTS FBI TO INVESTIGATE ASSAULT CLAIM: WHY THE BUREAU LIKELY WONT

Senate Democrats will still be able to ask their own questions, if they so choose, and some have said they intend to do so.

Will there be any witnesses?

Fords lawyers repeatedly requested to pick witnesses for the hearing, but that was left up to the Judiciary Committee to determine who would be called. Specifically, her attorneys demanded Mark Judge  a friend of Kavanaugh whom Ford said was in the room when the alleged incident occurred  be subpoenaed and forced to testify as a witness.

Judge has already denied the allegations before the Judiciary Committee, according to lawmakers. Additionally, the Judiciary Committee does not take witness requests from other witnesses, it said.

Who sits on the Judiciary Committee?

Grassley is the chairman of the committee. Feinstein is the ranking member of the committee.

The Republicans on the committee are: Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, John Cornyn of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Mike Crapo of Idaho, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Kennedy of Louisiana.

KAVANAUGH CONFIRMATION DERAILED BY SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS: A LIST OF HIS ACCUSERS

The Democrats on the committee are: Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Chris Coons of Delaware, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California.

Anything else?

The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a vote on Kavanaugh for Friday morning.

The typically recommends a Supreme Court nominee to the full Senate for a vote. The committee can give a favorable or unfavorable recommendation  or none at all.

And you can bet that President Trump will be watching. During a news conference the day before, he told reporters that Ford's testimony could prompt him to reverse course on his nominee: "It's possible that I'll hear that, and I'll say I'm changing my mind."

Fox News Chad Pergram, Gregg Re, Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., vowed that lawmakers will vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in the near future, during a speech on the Senate floor in which he strongly criticized Democrats for what he continually called a smear campaign against the judge.

The Democrats have already made up their minds and chosen their tactics, McConnell said. Delay. Obstruct. Resist.

The Kentucky lawmaker added: This shameful smear campaign has hit a new low... Senate Democrats are trying to destroy a mans personal and professional life.

Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans were huddling in McConnell's office Monday evening to discuss the state of the nomination.

McConnells speech came as the controversy over Kavanaughs confirmation took another twist when a new accusation landed late Sunday in a report from The New Yorker. It came just a few hours after negotiators had reached an agreement to hold an extraordinary public hearing Thursday for Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses him of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were teenagers. Kavanaugh denies the claim.

In the second allegation, Deborah Ramirez told The New Yorker that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party at Yale in the 1983-84 school year.

In his speech, McConnell referenced the reluctance of the New York Times  a frequent punching bag for President Trump and conservative lawmakers  to print Ramirezs allegations. The New York Times reported that it could find no one with firsthand knowledge of the incident described by Ramirez and noted that Ms. Ramirez herself contacted former Yale classmates asking if they recalled the incident and told some of them that she could not be certain Mr. Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself.

In a play off the New York Times slogan All the News Thats Fit to Print, McConnell said the latest allegation is not fit to print and added that Senate Democrats just wanted another hit in the press.

Despite the New Yorker also raising concerns about Ramirezs claims  the magazine reported that she was reluctant to characterize Kavanaughs role in the alleged incident with certainty  one of the pieces writers, Ronan Farrow, told ABC on Monday that there are "several people in this story who back Ms. Ramirez."

Both Ramirezs allegations and McConnells speech come just days before both Kavanaugh and Ford are expected to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee about her claims. Two other Senate Republicans, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, are also urging a vote after the hearing with Ford.

President Trump also pledged his support for Kavanaugh on Monday, saying the sexual misconduct allegations against his choice are "totally political."

Trump, at the United Nations in New York, declared that Kavanaugh is "outstanding," and added, "I am with him all the way."

Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is scheduled to meet with President Trump  who nominated him to his current position  later this week amid speculation he will be fired.

Rosenstein, 53, has served in his position in the Department of Justice since April 2017. During that time, he appointed Robert Mueller to lead the Russia investigation and was involved in the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

Before he took the position, Rosenstein was a long serving U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland.

While Rosensteins fate as the No. 2 man in the Justice Department remains uncertain, read on for a timeline of his DOJ career  which spans more than two decades.

Russia investigation

In May 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation because of his close involvement with the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. His recusal catapulted Rosenstein into the position to oversee the probe.

Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller to serve as special counsel of the investigation that same month.

As deputy attorney general, Rosenstein has made two public announcements of indictments brought by the special counsel  one against Russians accused of hacking into Democratic email accounts, the other against Russians for allegedly running a social media troll farm to sway public opinion.

HOW ROD ROSENSTEIN IS CONNECTED TO TRUMP, RUSSIA INVESTIGATION

He drew scrutiny when it was revealed he drafted a memo used by the Trump administration to fire FBI Director James Comey. While Rosenstein said the memo was not a finding of official misconduct or a statement of reasons to justify a for-cause termination, the document did allege serious damage done to the department by Comey during his tenure, Politico reported.

Deputy Attorney General

Rosenstein was sworn in as the 37th deputy attorney general on April 26, 2017. He had been confirmed by the Senate a day prior.

Among his duties as deputy attorney general, Rosenstein is tasked with handling the day-to-day operations of the Justice Department and overseeing its agencies, including the FBI.

At the time, Rosenstein told the Baltimore Sun: I do my job without regard to partisan political consideration.

U.S. attorney

Former President George W. Bush appointed Rosenstein as the U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland in May 2005. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate and continued in his role as Marylands top federal prosecutor throughout President Obamas tenure, the Baltimore Sun reported.

According to The Atlantic, he was one of only three U.S. attorneys  out of more than 90  at the time who Obama asked to continue in his role.

TRUMP POINTS FINGER AT JEFF SESSIONS FOR LATEST ROSENSTEIN CONTROVERSY

In his role, Rosenstein reportedly became known as someone who worked at the highest professional level and who went after violent gangs in the state. He also took on corruption in correctional facilities among staff and inmates, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Principal deputy assistant attorney general

Rosenstein served as principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Departments tax division beginning in 2001 until 2005.

Assistant U.S. attorney

In 1997, Rosenstein was tapped as assistant U.S. attorney in Maryland. During this time, he was tasked with arguing before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Court, according to his biography.

Counsel and assistant

From 1993 to 1994, Rosenstein was counsel to the deputy attorney general. He then spent a year as the special assistant to the criminal divisions assistant attorney general.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MUELLERS RUSSIA INVESTIGATION

Following that, he served as associate independent counsel, serving on a team of prosecutors led by Kenneth Starr to handle the Whitewater investigation into Bill and Hillary Clintons real estate dealings while in Arkansas.

I would have trusted him with anything, Philip B. Heymann, the deputy attorney general who hired Rosenstein as his counsel, told The Washington Post. If there was a case where I was worried there was a perception we were being unfair, I would trust him to do the right thing and to do the job.

Honors Program

Rosenstein first joined the Justice Department through its Honors Program in 1990, according to his biography. He prosecuted public corruption cases with the Public Integrity Section of the Justice Departments criminal division.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

The legal drama tied to an October 2016 payoff for adult film star Stormy Daniels, who says she had an affair with President Trump, returns to a Los Angeles courtroom Monday.

Much has happened in the several months since U.S. District Court Judge James Otero issued the first of two stays in the case.

Most significantly, Michael Cohen, the now-former Trump lawyer who made the payment to silence Daniels just days before the election, pleaded guilty in August to numerous criminal charges and is now assisting the special counsels investigation into Russian meddling.

The civil suit delays were predicated on concerns that any further litigation over the validity of a settlement agreement associated with the $130,000 payment could compromise Cohens constitutional rights in the criminal case. With that matter now resolved, the California action figures to move forward.

But in a surprising turn, lawyers for Cohen and Trump now say they no longer want to enforce the agreement and have asked Otero to dismiss the matter saying theres no legal conflict for him to resolve.

Mr. Trump does not, and will not, contest [Danielss] assertion that the settlement agreement was never formed, or in the alternative, should be rescinded, Trump lawyer Charles Harder wrote the court.

Daniels, who in recent weeks has been promoting a new book, opposes the move saying its nothing more than a stunt by the defense to avoid discovery and depositions.

"[T]he court cannot simply allow defendants to exit the case without facing any true consequences or a meaningful inquiry into the truth," Daniels lawyer Michael Avenatti, who is openly flirting with a presidential run against Trump, said. He added that dismissing the case would erode public confidence in the court system.

Otero is also expected to address defamation lawsuits Daniels filed against Cohen and Trump.

Last month, Trump asked for dismissal, saying that a critical tweet directed toward Daniels is protected speech and that instead of being harmed by it, she has profited from the controversy.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Trump and representatives from the administration committed to fighting the drug epidemic together Monday at the first event of the week-long United Nations General Assembly forum.

The president, joined by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and others, participated in the Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem, addressing the U.N. General Assembly on an issue that affects every nation across the world.

The scourge of drug addiction continues to claim many lives around the world, Trump said. We commit to fighting the drug epidemic together.

The call to action includes signaturess from 130 U.N. member states pledging to do more on the global drug trade.

The president thanked U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who joined the administration as a special guest, as well as Haley for her leadership, Pompeo for his dedicated work and National Security Adviser John Bolton.

Hes become a great friend and hes doing a wonderful job in a very complex situation, Trump said of Guterres.

And I've always said the United Nations has tremendous potential, and that potential is being met, Trump said. Slowly but surely, it's being met.

The president outlined statistics  noting that global deaths related to illegal drug use, from 2000 to 2015, have risen 50 percent. Trump noted that the U.S. was contributing to combatting the epidemic by securing borders and promoting treatment and recovery.

For this reason, last month the United States announced a Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem. The call is simple: reduce drug demand, cut off the supply of illicit drugs, expand treatment and strengthen international cooperation, Trump said. If we take these steps together, we can save the lives of countless people in all corners of the world. And when I say countless,' I'm talking about millions and millions of people.

Trump thanked every country for their commitment to the initiative, adding that the U.S. looks forward to working with you to strengthen our communities, protect our families and deliver a drug-free future for all of our children.

Trump also mentioned Monday, before his address, that a second summit with North Koreas Kim Jong Un is likely quite soon to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The president said things with the rogue regime are progressing very nicely, and that they have asked for another meeting.

Later in the day Monday, Trump is slated to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-In, and is expected to discuss North Korea and trade details.

Moon is expected to share a personal message with the president on behalf of Kim, who shared it with him at their inter-Korean talks last week.

Fox News' Allie Raffa, Matt Leach and The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Trump stood foursquare behind Brett Kavanaugh on Monday in the wake of new sexual misconduct allegations against his Supreme Court nominee, calling the uncorroborated claims totally political and unfair.

The president addressed the latest twist to jolt the most chaotic Supreme Court confirmation process in modern times on the sidelines of the United Nations meeting in New York.

I am with Judge Kavanaugh, Trump declared. For people to come out of the woodwork from thirty-six years ago, and thirty years ago, and never mentioned it, all of a sudden it happened  totally political.

The president, signaling the White House would dig in and defend Kavanaugh amid the onslaught of allegations, called the situation one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate.

The allegations at this stage have gone well beyond the sexual harassment claims leveled by Anita Hill against now-Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991. The result is a confirmation process that, in a matter of days, shifted from a virtual lock to a situation where the nominee is teetering on a knife edge, his success or failure depending on the latest media bombshells and their perceived credibility in the Senate.

The latest detailed accusation was made by Debbie Ramirez, who in a New Yorker article alleged Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a Yale University party.

Ramirez claimed Kavanaugh committed the act while she was intoxicated during a drinking game in the 1983-84 academic year, when Kavanaugh was a freshman. She also claimed she inadvertently touched Kavanaugh's penis when she pushed him away and said the incident left her "embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated."

The report stated that the magazine had not corroborated that Kavanaugh was at the party in question. An anonymous male classmate said he was told that Kavanaugh had exposed himself to Ramirez within the following days.

Ramirez admitted to the magazine that she does not fully remember the alleged incident because she had been drinking at the time. The magazine also reported that Ramirez spent six days "carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney" before telling the full version of her story.

Kavanaugh responded that the event did not happen and that the allegation is a smear, plain and simple.

The report emerged just as the Senate Judiciary Committee had scheduled a Thursday hearing to receive testimony from the nominee's first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, who alleges Kavanaugh held her down and tried to force himself on her while both were in high school.

The White House, meanwhile, pushed back hard, pointing in part to a New York Times report that said the newspaper could not back up Ramirez' claims.

The Times had interviewed several dozen people over the past week in an attempt to corroborate her story, and could find no one with firsthand knowledge," the Times wrote in a story that followed the New Yorker report. "Ms. Ramirez herself contacted former Yale classmates asking if they recalled the incident and told some of them that she could not be certain Mr. Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself.

The White House pointed to several other potential inconsistencies, noting the accuser admitted there were gaps in her memory and the magazine acknowledged no other eyewitnesses backed up the account.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, late Sunday slammed Senate Democrats for withholding information from the committee regarding the new sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh.

The Iowa Republican said the committee will attempt to evaluate the new claims, but said in a statement it appears that they [Democrats] are more interested in a political takedown" than pursing allegations through a bipartisan and professional investigative process.

His office released the statement as a third potential allegation arose from Michael Avenatti, the attorney for porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims Kavanaugh and others targeted women with "alcohol/drugs" to allow men to gang rape them at high school parties. This accusation has lacked any corroboration to date.

Kavanaugh's staunchest allies have started to mount pressure for the Senate to proceed with a vote.

This has all of the ingredients of a smear campaign on steroids," Judicial Crisis Network's Chief Counsel Carrie Severino said in a statement. "Senate Republicans should stand up to these unsubstantiated and discredited allegations and move forward with a vote to confirm Kavanaugh."

Fox News Eddie DeMarche and Samuel Chamberlain 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.New drives of growth were contributing to China's economic restructuring and upgrading, and injecting power to global economy, said guests at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2018, also known as Summer Davos, which was held in Tianjin last week.

China's economic structure and growth pattern have experienced dramatic changes as statistics showed that the turnover of China's online retail maintained an annual growth of over 30 percent, and consumption contributed to more than 60 percent of the country's economic growth.

New drives of growth contributed to over a third of China's economic growth, and two thirds of the newly added urban jobs. They've brought prosperity to China's future development, and triggered strong resonance among the guests.

China's innovations, from shared bikes to mobile payment, are developing rapidly, Arvind Sethumadhavan, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer at Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific told People's Daily.

He noted that any product and service that could solve social problems would find a broad market in China.

China was looking for new drives for economic growth, said Chief Strategy Officer at Accenture Omar Abbosh, adding that the country enjoyed powerful potential in product design, manufacturing and supply chain.

He was confident that China would play a major role in the innovation and application of artificial intelligence (AI) in multiple fields such as industries and consumption.

A favorable market environment is indispensable for the sound development of new economic driving forces. In this regard, China has made relentless efforts, from creating a stable macro economy, to the continuous improvement of business environment and taxation policies, making solemn promises to the world.

Eric, founder of an American AI company planning to move his business to China, told People's Daily that nowadays China was addressing more and more concerns of foreign investors.

He cited intellectual property protection as an example, saying software industry especially needed such efforts to protect interests. In addition, foreign companies also wanted fair treatment in taxation, policy-making and services.

Zhang Chen, Chief Technology Officer of JD.com introduced that his company had invested 80 percent more in research and development in the first quarter this year. The maturing innovation platform was lowering the threshold for technological innovation, he said.

At present, AI technology was adopted by more and more enterprises, and would be adapted to different scenarios such as smart consumption and smart supply chain to provide better services for consumers through data analysis and machine learning, he said.

Innovation would further enhance consumer experiences, lower enterprises' cost and improve efficiency, Zhang noted.

Innovation not only existed in technologies and business models, but also mechanisms, Li Xiaojia, chief executive of HKEX Group remarked when speaking of the future solutions to boost Belt and Road construction through financing.

He compared government and market to steel and cement, respectively, saying the Belt and Road construction should match governmental and market funds so as to reinforce the building with both the steel and cement.Don't sleep on NASA's New Horizons spacecraft.

The history-making probe, which famously zoomed past Pluto in July 2015, is closing in on its next flyby target, a frigid chunk of ice and rock about 4 billion miles (6.4 billion kilometers) from Earth dubbed Ultima Thule.

New Horizons is now just 80 million miles (130 million km) from Ultima Thule, mission members said Wednesday (Sept. 19). That's less than the distance from Earth to the sun (about 93 million miles, or 150 million km). [Destination Pluto: NASA's New Horizons Mission in Pictures]

The spacecraft has already begun photographing Ultima Thule for navigation purposes and remains on track to cruise within a mere 2,200 miles (3,540 km) of Ultima in the wee hours of Jan. 1, 2019. The data New Horizons gathers during that encounter hshould shed considerable light on the solar system's early days, said mission principal investigator Alan Stern.

"Ultima Thule was formed at the origin of our solar system, and it's been in this deep freeze ever since," Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said during a webcast event Wednesday.

"Going to it is like making an archaeological dig into the history of our solar system," he added. "We've never been to anything like this."

Ultima Thule was discovered in 2014 (and is formally known as 2014 MU69). The object's surface is reddish and dark  about as reflective as potting soil, Stern said. And Ultima Thule appears to be about 23 miles (37 km) wide.

But the object remains shrouded in mystery. Its composition and shape are unknown, for example, as is its precise orbit. Researchers don't know for sure if Ultima Thule has any moons or debris rings or even if it's a single object. Indeed, Ultima may well consist of a pair of close-orbiting bodies, New Horizons team members have said.

The upcoming flyby will clear up such questions. But pulling off the epic encounter won't be easy, Stern stressed Wednesday.

Ultima Thule lies 1 billion miles (1.6 km) beyond Pluto and is much smaller than the dwarf planet. New Horizons is 3 years older now, with lower power levels. And the probe will attempt to get much closer to Ultima on Jan. 1 than it ever got to Pluto. (The 2015 encounter had a close-approach distance of 7,800 miles, or 12,550 km.)

"Everything about this flyby is tougher," Stern said.

New Horizons will have one shot at the flyby, which will occur as the probe is zooming along at about 32,000 mph (51,500 km/h). Stern said he thinks the team and the spacecraft are up to the challenge. But, as in the rest of life, there are no guarantees, especially given the boundary-pushing nature of this mission.

"It's really an adventure of exploration," Stern said.

The $720 million New Horizons mission launched in January 2006, tasked with lifting the veil on Pluto. The Ultima Thule encounter is the centerpiece of the probe's extended mission, which also includes the study from afar of a variety of other objects in the Kuiper Belt, the ring of icy bodies beyond Neptune's orbit.

Originally published on Space.com.Remarkable photo albums showing the Czar Nicholas II and the Russian royal family have gone on public display for the first time.

Dozens of candid photos show the Romanov family boating and enjoying sleigh rides during the twilight years of their ill-fated dynasty. The last czar of Russia abdicated on March 15, 1917, following the countrys February Revolution, bringing an end to the Romanov dynasty that ruled Russia for over 300 years.

Czar Nicholas was murdered with his family in Yekaterinburg on July 17, 1918.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S HAT A FAKE? THEY SPENT MILLIONS ON A HAT THAT COULD BE WORTH NOTHING

Part of a new exhibition at the Science Museum in London, the photos offer a fascinating glimpse into the gilded existence of the doomed Romanovs. They really show an insight into the private life of the family, a Science Museum spokesman told Fox News.

The two albums were created by Herbert Galloway Stewart, an English tutor to the Czars nephews. Most of the photos, which span from 1908 to 1918, were taken in St. Petersburg and the Crimea.

Galloway Stewart was employed by the Grand Duchess Xenia as a tutor for her son, Prince Andrei Alexandrovich Romanov.

LEGENDS OF A MEDIEVAL FEMALE POPE MAY TELL THE TRUTH, RESEARCHER SAYS

The Science Museum has a total of 22 albums from Galloway Stewart in its collection, the spokesman told Fox News.

The albums were found when Science Museum curator Dr. Natalia Sidlina was researching a previous exhibition entitled Cosmonauts.

I vowed they would have their moment, said Science Museum Director Ian Blatchford, in a blog post.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS 'FIND CAPTAIN JAMES COOK'S HMS ENDEAVOUR' SOLVING ONE OF THE GREATEST EVER MARITIME MYSTERIES

The exhibition, The Last Tsar: Blood and Revolution, includes other rare Romanov artifacts, such as personal diaries, jewelry found at the scene of the familys murder and two Imperial Faberge Easter eggs on loan from the Moscow Kremlin Museums. The eggs, which include an unusual Steel Easter Egg featuring military designs, were presented by the Czar to his wife in 1916 when Russia was embroiled in the World War I.

This exhibition marks 100 years since the end of the Romanov dynasty and explores one of the most dramatic periods in Russian history, all through the unique lens of science, said Blatchford in a statement. Our curatorial team have brought together an exceptional, rare and poignant collection to tell this remarkable story.

A key theme of the exhibition is the treatment of the czar and czarinas only son and heir Alexei, who suffered from the life-threatening condition hemophilia B. Artifacts on show, for example, include the Imperial familys traveling medicine chest.

JACK THE RIPPER MYSTERY: RESEARCHERS HIT ROADBLOCK

The exhibition runs through March 24, 2019.

DNA tests conducted on the exhumed remains of the czar and his wife in 2015 proved they were authentic. The tests were performed at the request of the Russian Orthodox Church, which canonized the slain Romanov family in 2000.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogersSix sharks have been killed after attacks on two swimmers at a tourist destination in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

A 12-year-old girl and a 46-year-old woman were mauled in separate incidents last week and remained in the hospital in stable condition, Sky News reports.

Drum lines, which use baited hooks to catch the fearsome predators, ensnared five tiger sharks, one which was 12 feet long, Queensland authorites said.

Fisheries Queensland told the Week U.K. the sharks had been humanely euthanised and taken out to sea for disposal. However, local media said they were shot, the Daily Mail reports.

INCREDIBLE PHOTOS OF THE LAST CZAR AND THE RUSSIAN ROYAL FAMILY SURFACE

The message is these waters are not safe for swimming, a fisheries spokeswoman told the Week U.K.

The drum lines were reportedly to remain in place over the next week, although consevationists say the lines pose a risk to other marine wildlife.

According to Australian broadcaster ABC, the two recent shark attacks were the first in eight years.With its cutesy curls and plaintive eyes, its no wonder the labradoodle became Americas second-favorite dog in 2010.

But the man who first invented the breed by crossing a Labrador with a poodle in the 80s ended up regretting it.

I opened a Pandoras box, thats what I did, said puppy-breeding manager Wally Conron in 2014. So many people are just breeding for the money. So many of these dogs have physical problems, and a lot of them are just crazy.

Originally, Conrons creation came from a desire to do good. He was fulfilling a request from a couple who needed a pooch that would serve as a guide dog for a blind woman but also be hypoallergenic for her husband.

Once the magic canine was produced, word got out and everyone wanted one. There was just one problem: Labradoodles dont come out the same way every time. Their coats  and their behavior  are actually unpredictable; some arent even hypoallergenic.

Purebreds crossed with other purebreds  better known as designer dogs  have been capturing our affections for the last 20 years. But the real cost of these dogs far exceeds their multi-thousand-dollar price tags, according to Designer Dogs: An Expose Inside the Criminal Underworld of Crossbreeding (Apollo Publishers, out Tuesday) by Madeline Bernstein.

Demand for these dogs has led to a corrupt underground economy that funnels animals through puppy mills, swap meets, Internet sales and retail stores that often buy from disreputable sources.

Bernstein, an animal-welfare expert, calls it the high price of cute.

The cost of breeding labradoodles is quaint when you consider teacup dogs. The miniature Yorkies, Pomeranians and Chihuahuas  often seen hitching a ride in the purses of celebrities such as Paris Hilton  are created by breeding runts with runts. But runts are usually the unhealthiest dogs of the litter, and those health problems are passed down. Teacup mothers often die giving birth.

Most legitimate breeders refuse to get into the teacup dog business at all, meaning that most are shipped in from South Korea.

Russian strongman President Vladimir Putin isnt immune to the charms of designer dogs. At the end of 2016, he received a trio of genetically modified Belgian Malinois pups that had been created to be stronger and fitter than normal dogs, with state-of-the-art-sniffers for detecting drugs and explosives. But his super war dogs also proved defective. Despite being cloned from a dog with the right traits at a leading lab in Seoul, they failed training and obedience tests, couldnt grasp Russian commands (they only understood Korean) and couldnt adapt to the merciless Siberian cold. Putin banished them to an unglamorous job guarding a prison.

Purebred dogs, of course, have long suffered from health problems, with French bulldogs being one of the most prominent examples. Their increasingly flattened noses make breathing difficult, while their distorted body shapes mean natural mating is now impossible. (Artificial insemination is used instead.) When its time to give birth, mother dogs must have C-sections, because French bulldogs heads are too large for a natural delivery.

In a bid to stop the madness, Bernstein predictably encourages people to adopt their pets from shelters. But what if you have your heart set on a labradoodle, a goldendoodle, a puggle or a maltipoo? First, Bernstein says, never buy a teacup dog. Then, find a reputable breeder. Responsible breeders dont sell their dogs over the Internet (although advertising their business online is fine). They shouldnt ask you to meet in a parking lot (its more common than you think). Theyll deal in one or two breeds  not several. There shouldnt be multiple litters available  you may have to wait for one. You should be allowed and encouraged to look around the breeders property. And you should be able to ask for references from past customers. Life can be ruff for a pup on its journey to a forever friend, says Bernstein, so its crucial people take their time to find a pet the right way.

This story originally appeared in the New York Post.U.S. Air Force researchers and bomb-makers are expressing concerns that the modernization of air-dropped weapons has been lagging-behind the many technical advances built into the larger platforms that drop them, such as the B-2, F-35 and the emerging B-21.

While advances in stealth technology, targeting, aerodynamics and computer avionics all continue to progress at alarming speeds, innovations when it comes to bomb configurations have not seen a commensurate technical acceleration, service leaders say.

The bomb body, minus the guidance unit, is relatively unchanged. A 500-lb. bomb body was flown in 1918, and the F-35 is now dropping these. You cant have an airplane and not have the same generation of munitions associated with it Maj. Gen. Larry Stutzriem, USAF (Ret.) said at the Air Force Association Air, Space & Cyber Conference.

Naturally, seeker technology and advances with guidance systems and targeting are vastly different than they were years ago. Yet, the fundamental configurations, or bomb structures themselves, have been somewhat stagnant, service observers say.

Stutzriem, a former fighter pilot and current Director of Research for the Mitchell Institute, cited research now exploring precision bomb technology intended to pursue weapons technologies with more precision and variable-yield effects

Current areas of inquiry, according to the Mitchell Institutes study, explain that, for decades, most bombs have operated with fixed-explosive envelopes. As a result, current developers are looking for innovative methods of achieving increased lethality with precision and variable yieldsmeaning bombs can be configured to tailor explosions depending on the target.

As co-author of the Mitchell Institute study, Stutzriem characterized the research as an effort to seek wider explosive ranges through a combination of heat blast and fragmentation.

Developing what Air Force engineers call flight selectability is essential to these developmental efforts, as it will enable dynamic combat-targeting to adapt while an aircraft is airborne. This can be done with a range of technologies to enable improved precision using multi-mode energetics and specialized structures engineered into the warhead itself, Col. Gary Haase, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), said at AFA.

Also, developers are working on smart-fusing embedded in a weapon providing an explosive range from a wide-area effect to a lower collateral damage effect, Stutzriem and Haase said.

The concept is to have selectable effects munitions capability in the cockpit, Stutzriem explained.

These kinds of technical advances, wherein munitions can be adjusted in-flight, are inspiring new thinking when it comes to Concepts of Operations (CONOPS). Newer targeting and explosive yield variation naturally changes the types of attack missions falling within the realm of the possible. For instance, if a weapon could be configured for a larger or lower blast-effect in flight, an aircraft could attack more targets, have more options or make adjustments much more easily amid fast-changing combat situations.

There is a compelling needed for a new regime of munitions for expanded effects, according to Haase.

Air Force bomb developers specifically cited a promising weapon designed to encompass many of these attributes; an adaptable carbon fiber bomb called the BLU 129 was developed for the specific need to create low collateral damage. At the same time, the weapon is said to be extremely lethal and is referred to as having the worlds largest sniper accuracy with controlled field effects.

In an analysis of the weapon, Globalsecurity.org writes the BLU-129/B is a 500lb bomb body that is made from carbon fibers, instead of traditional steel. This 500lb bomb body will be joined to JDAM tailkits, and eventually other weapon tailkits that interface with the standard 500lb bomb body shape.

Given that combat warfighters discovered more applications for the weapon beyond things it was initially built to do, the Air Force is now restarting production of the weapon.

There are limited numbers of this weapon, and we want to hold onto it for those missions which need to have only that capability, said Haase.

The BLU 129 is described as having innovations called adapted effects design with a contained lethal radius, yet precise and substantial destructive ability. This allows a much-reduced size of warhead with the same kill capability, said Stutzriem. By extension, the BLU 129 facilitates variable-yield effects allowing for extremely effective, yet precise and more narrowly-configured attacks.

Time-sensitive targeting driven by a need for fast-moving ISR is also emphasized in the Mitchell Institute study, according to Dr. John S. Wilcox, Director of Munitions for AFRL. Wilcox explained that emerging weapons need to quicken the kill chain by enabling attack pilots to make decisions faster and not lose moving target sets.

When considering the discussed discrepancy between aircraft modernization and new air-dropped bomb technology, the Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, Gen. Timothy Ray, said new large platforms such as the B-21 and F-35 are engineered with a specific mind to accommodate new weapons as they emerge.

"The Air Force is staying focused on weapons modernization," Ray told a group of reporters at AFA.

More Weapons and Technology - WARRIOR MAVEN (CLICK HERE)--Google, Amazon and Microsoft are linking arms with international organizations to use artificial intelligence to identify and prevent famines.

International organizations including the World Bank, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross are partnering with leading technology firms to launch Famine Action Mechanism (FAM)an initiative to harness the predictive power of data to prevent famine.

In 2017, according to the World Bank, more than 20 million people faced famine or famine-like conditions across northeastern Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen and South Sudan. Responses from humanitarian organizations have often come too late, after many lives have already been lost.

AIR FORCE: NEW BOMB TECHNOLOGY LAGS BEHIND LARGE AIR PLATFORM INNOVATION

The FAM seeks to change this by moving towards famine prevention, preparedness and early actioninterventions that can save more lives and reduce humanitarian costs by as much as 30 percent, the World Bank said in a statement made on Sunday.

The tech giants are joining forces to provide expertise to develop a set of tools called Artemis that will use AI and machine learning to estimate and predict food insecurity in real time, thus allowing authorities and agencies to respond faster.

Artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies can be a powerful force for good, and we've already seen that they have the potential to help farmers identify disease in cassava plants, keep cows healthier and more productive, and integrate overall relief efforts, said Kent Walker, Google's Senior Vice President of Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer, in a statement.

Google is proud to partner with the World Bank on the Famine Action Mechanism to help prevent future famine in communities around the world, he added.

NEW APPLE PHONES DON'T SURVIVE DROPS

Amazon, Google and Microsoft already use AI in a range of different ways and have big ambitions for the technology.

The partnership between tech giants and international groups will be rolled out first to a smaller group of vulnerable countries and later globally. It builds on U.N. work that puts prevention at the top of efforts to address food insecurity, poverty and famine.

Famines have been part of the whole human history throughout human history. In fact, probably the worse famine the world has ever seen took place during my lifetime, said United National Humanitarian Chief Mark Lowcock on Monday during the General Assembly in New York.

Lowcock continued: But its also the case that famine has become much rarer. There have only been only two declared famines during the last 20 years. ... The FAM can help us get all countries beyond the scourge.An American tourist is being treated in a Florida hospital after being attacked by a shark while spearfishing in the Bahamas.

The 32-year-old Massachusetts native, whose name has yet to be released, was bitten Sunday in the Treasure Cay area of Abaco Island, WFTV reported.

MAINE OFFICIALS SAY GETTING LOBSTERS STONED WITH MARIJUANA BEFORE KILLING THEM IS ILLEGAL

The woman had been spearfishing and was swimming back to her boat with a speared fish when the shark attacked, causing severe trauma to her left hand. She was with three other people, but no one else was injured, according to ABC News.

She was flown by air ambulance to a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, where she is recovering. The extent of her injuries is unknown.

She told authorities she isn't mad at the shark because getting attacked is a common risk with spearfishing."

Abaco Fire Chief Colin Albury told ABC News this is the first shark attack in the area this year.

A shark attack claimed the life of 26-year-old Arthur Medici earlier this month at a Cape Cod beach in Wellfleet, Mass.

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The young man was bitten while boogie-boarding about 30 yards off the beach. A friend dragged Medici to shore following the attack, where emergency CPR was performed. He later died at a nearby hospital from his injuries.

Despite these recent incidents, shark attacks arent all that common. According to the Yearly Worldwide Shark Attack Summary, 155 incidents of alleged shark-human interaction occurring worldwide in 2017, with the United States experiencing the most.

Fox News Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.Mary Kay Letourneau, the Seattle elementary school teacher who was convicted of raping her sixth-grade student before she ultimately married him and had two daughters, said in a new interview she didn't know the love affair was a crime.

If someone had told me, if anyone had told me, there is a specific law that says this is a crime, she said on Sunday Night on Australias Channel Seven. I did not know. Ive said this over and over again. Had Id known, if anyone knows my personality. Just the idea, this would count as a crime.

She also said she felt absolutely wrongfully convicted.

She added that although Vili Fualaau was 12 years old at the time, 22 years her junior, she claimed he was the boss and pursued her, as news.com.au reported.

Letourneau, now 56, became tabloid fodder when she pleaded guilty in 1997 to child rape. She was 34 and a married mother of four when her relationship with Fualaau began. The couple married on May 20, 2005, in Woodinville, Wash., after she served over seven years in prison.

Fualaau asked the court for a legal separation from Letourneau in May 2017, but they have reconciled since.

Letourneau told Sunday Night shes still in love with her husband.

Their daughter Audrey, 21, was born after Letourneaus initial arrest, while Georgia, 19, was born during Letourneaus prison time, news.com.au reported.

Its kind of surprising to people but its normal for us because weve adapted to it, Audrey said about their familys controversy.

Now a paralegal at the same court where she faced trial 21 years ago, Letourneau said she's looking to be removed from the sex offenders registry.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Shortly after last year's shooting massacre on the Las Vegas strip, Ohio Gov. John Kasich convened a working group to explore possible reforms to state gun laws.

A Republican, Kasich wanted to be sure the panel's members clearly supported the Second Amendment. Yet it also was to be bipartisan, with members from across the political spectrum.

The panel's work accelerated after the Valentine's Day slaughter at a high school in Parkland, Florida, and it eventually produced a legislative package of what Kasich labeled "sensible changes that should keep people safer." The legislation was introduced by a Republican lawmaker in the GOP-dominated Legislature.

It went nowhere.

Among other objections, the Republican leadership raised constitutional concerns about a provision allowing courts to order that weapons be seized from people showing signs of violence.

"The way we put it together, the fact that you had people on both sides of the issue  I would have thought something would have happened," said Kasich, who watched the bill package languish in legislative chambers run by his own party. "But the negative voices come in unison and they come strongly."

The Ohio experience is not unusual.

An Associated Press review of all firearms-related legislation passed this year, encompassing the first full state legislative sessions since the Las Vegas attack, shows a decidedly mixed record. Gun control bills did pass in a number of states, but the year was not the national game-changer that gun-control advocates had hoped it could be.

Even in a year that included yet another mass school shooting and an unprecedented level of gun-control activism, state legislatures across the country fell back to largely predictable and partisan patterns.

"It's exactly what happened after Newtown: The anti-gun states became more anti-gun and the pro-gun states became more pro-gun," said Michael Hammond, the legislative counsel for Gun Owners of America, referring to the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut that killed 20 children and six educators.

The major exceptions were Florida and Vermont.

Both states have Republican governors and long traditions of gun ownership. Lawmakers passed sweeping legislation after the February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 14 students and three staff members and after a foiled school shooting plot in Vermont days later.

The law signed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott banned bump stocks, raised the gun buying age to 21, imposed a three-day waiting period for purchases and authorized police to seek court orders seizing guns from individuals who are deemed threats to themselves and others. The latter provision has already been used hundreds of times, court data show.

Florida is a rare case in which gun laws approved by a Republican legislature and governor are being challenged in court by the NRA.

___

No other Republican-dominated state followed Florida's lead, the AP review found.

The Parkland shooting did slow momentum for additional gun rights bills in some Republican-led states, but others pushed forward with a pro-gun policy agenda. They widened the definition of who can legally carry a weapon in public, allowed more concealed weapons in schools, churches and government buildings, and strengthened legal protections for people who claim they shot someone in self-defense.

In Tennessee, county commissioners were granted the ability to carry concealed handguns in their workplaces. Oklahoma approved a bill allowing permit holders to carry handguns while scouting. Nebraska lawmakers enacted a long-sought bill shielding all documents related to gun permits from the state's open records law.

In South Carolina, where a state senator was killed in the 2015 church shooting in Charleston, lawmakers rejected a simple bill requiring court clerks to enter convictions and restraining orders in a timely fashion to strip gun rights from people who have been disqualified from possessing firearms.

The most significant policy development, the review found, was the enactment of so-called "red flag laws" in eight states. Those laws allow police or relatives to seek court orders to seize guns from people who are showing signs of violence.

Five Republican governors signed those laws, which have been used to seize guns from hundreds of individuals already this year.

Supporters say the laws are proven to save lives, and they were a rallying cry amid reports that the suspected Parkland high school gunman, Nikolas Cruz, was deeply troubled yet allowed to own guns. Nine states also approved laws to ban bump stocks, the rapid-fire devices that a gunman used as he shot hundreds of people at the music festival in Las Vegas, including 58 who were killed.

But often, the debate over public safety and the reach of the Second Amendment played out in statehouses with familiar results.

In Colorado, a state rocked by the 1999 Columbine High School and 2012 Aurora theater mass shootings, lawmakers in the divided Legislature refused to compromise.

The Democratic-controlled House passed bills to ban bump stocks and enact a red flag law that had the support of many police officers and prosecutors. But the Republican-controlled Senate quickly assigned those to a "kill" committee and defeated them.

"To me, the Second Amendment and individual rights demand the highest respect. That's the basis of where I come from," said Republican Sen. Tim Neville, a member of the committee and one of the capitol's most ardent gun rights activists.

The Colorado House returned the favor by rejecting Republican plans to allow concealed guns on school grounds and repeal the state ban on large-capacity ammunition magazines, a law passed after the Aurora shooting.

Tom Sullivan, whose son Alex was killed by James Holmes as he celebrated his 27th birthday in the Aurora theater, said he is encouraged that the state has maintained the post-Aurora ammunition limits and is calling for further gun control as he runs for a Colorado state House seat. Sullivan sees long-term promise in gun-control efforts by Parkland students and survivors of other mass shootings.

"It's like any major change. It can take 20, 30, 40 years," Sullivan said. "I tell the Parkland kids that this is the natural progression of things."

In North Carolina, where Republicans hold majorities in the legislature, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper asked lawmakers a few weeks after the Florida school shooting to pass new gun regulations, including more background checks and permit requirements.

But Republicans never took up gun-related proposals from him or legislative Democrats, whose efforts to force floor debate on them failed.

"We are really missing an opportunity for something serious for school safety," said Democratic Rep. Pricey Harrison.

Republicans instead approved money to hire more campus police officers, school nurses, psychologists and social workers, as well as to create a statewide phone app for students to report tips to deter school violence.

___

Democratic-controlled legislatures in states with already strict gun control laws, such as Illinois and New Jersey, made them tighter in the wake of the tragedies.

New Jersey expanded background check requirements to nearly all private sales and transfers of firearms and put into a law a strict definition requiring a "justifiable need to carry a handgun" for citizens to qualify for a permit. The Illinois Legislature extended an existing three-day waiting period to buy a handgun to rifles and other firearms, a measure signed by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Advocates for stricter gun laws pointed to the changes in Florida and Vermont, the new red flag laws, the bump stock bans and laws meant to disarm accused domestic abusers as major victories in 2018. They say many of the laws passed with bipartisan support and could mark the beginning of a slow turn in their favor.

"We've got a lot more work to do, but I do think we're seeing progress and the pace of progress is increasing," said Robyn Thomas, executive director at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, who said at least 55 bills backed by her group became law.

One policy change many thought would be non-controversial turned out to be a harder sell: banning bump stocks.

Lobbying by gun rights activists succeeded in blocking many states from enacting proposed bans, which they had feared would quickly spread nationwide after the Las Vegas shooting. Congress hasn't acted on them, either.

Hammond, the lawyer for Gun Owners of America, said that after early defeats his group also is beginning to succeed in thwarting red flag bills. He argues that they can allow authorities to unfairly seize guns from owners who are not dangerous.

In Texas, for example, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott had said the state should consider adopting some type of red flag bill. Supporters of the legislation were hoping for a breakthrough in the most populous of the GOP-dominated states, which has seen mass shootings at a high school and a church over the past year.

Instead, the Legislature's Republican leaders have already declared Abbott's idea dead, and the governor has backed away from it.

___

Vermont was a rare case of a Republican governor signing into law far-reaching gun control measures passed by a Democratic legislature.

The action by Gov. Phil Scott was out of step with his previous position on guns and angered his political base. The Vermont law is similar to Florida's but also requires background checks on most private firearms sales and bans high-capacity magazines.

Scott told a reporter the day after the Parkland shooting that he thought Vermont's loose gun laws were adequate. But later the same day, he learned of what police called a near-miss high school shooting in a town along the state's border with New York. Police have said a former student threatened to shoot up the school, hoping for more dead than the 32 killed during the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting.

The next day, a visibly shaken Scott, a life-long gun-owner and hunter, called on lawmakers to consider "gun safety" legislation. The resulting restrictions were the first significant gun ownership limits in Vermont history and came after weeks of intense debate.

Ohio's Republican governor never got the same chance as Scott.

A coalition of groups representing students, teachers, school counselors, police chiefs, pediatricians and Catholic clergy joined in a letter to state legislative leaders urging them to pass the changes recommended by Kasich's panel.

State Rep. Nickie Antonio, a Cleveland-area Democrat, said she could have told the governor it would fail. She said Republican lawmakers sound to her "like automatons" when the topic of gun control arises.

"They go to these automatic catchphrases that come right out of a pamphlet from either Buckeye Firearms or the NRA," she said. "That's what I think it's about. I do believe it's a case of follow the money."

To express his frustration, Kasich refused to sign the next gun bill that crossed his desk, which waived certain concealed carry license fees and training requirements for current and former military members. It became law without his signature.

Asked months later about the defeat of his legislation, the governor said gun-control groups are simply not as unified as the pro-gun lobby.

"And so you," he said, "you have disparate groups going against a force that totally knows what it wants."

___

Associated Press writers Jim Anderson in Denver, Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Wilson Ring in Montpelier, Vermont, contributed.

___

Follow Ryan Foley at https://twitter.com/rjfoleyA defense expert in the trial of a white police officer charged with murder in the death of Laquan McDonald on Monday criticized the official autopsy results in testimony that seemed to contradict what video of the 2014 shooting shows.

Forensic pathologist Shaku Teas testified that she believes at least 12 of the 16 shots fired by Officer Jason Van Dyke on Oct. 20, 2014, hit McDonald before the 17-year-old was on the ground. Prosecutors told the jury last week that the video shows McDonald hitting the ground less than two seconds after the first shot was fired. Twelve more seconds of gunfire then follows, they said.

Under intense questioning by prosecutors, Teas seemed to contradict her own testimony, saying she had no opinion on whether five of the shots hit the teen before he fell. She then stated that she didn't know how many shots hit McDonald before he fell.

Earlier, Teas had criticized the work of Dr. Ponni Arunkumar, Cook County's chief medical examiner, who testified last week that it was impossible to determine the exact order of McDonald's wounds. Teas said she believes a wound to McDonald's neck was the result of the first or second shot and was fired when he was still standing.

Teas said she believes the fourth shot hit McDonald's right chest and "caused him to die rapidly." She said the wound was consistent with McDonald being turned toward the officer when at the time, and that the bullet inflicted such massive injuries that she believes that the teen was dead within five minutes.

Squad car video shows Van Dyke opened fire as McDonald veered away from police with a small knife in his hand. Van Dyke's attorneys have argued that he was afraid for his life and acted according to his training. Prosecutors have stressed that no other officers who encountered McDonald opened fire. Prosecutors rested their case Thursday.

Later Monday, Van Dyke's attorneys turned to another key component of their strategy: McDonald himself. They called witnesses to testify about the teen's history of violent behavior. Miguel DeJsuus, who works at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, told jurors of an incident in which McDonald told him he was on drugs before striking him. Joseph Plaud of the Cook County's Sheriff's Department testified about seeing McDonald "yelling, screaming, swearing" while he was in the juvenile court lock-up a little more than a year before the shooting.

But both witnesses along with another man who worked in the lockup acknowledged that they never spoke to Van Dyke about McDonald before the shooting  admissions designed to tell the jury that Van Dyke knew nothing about the teen's past when he shot him.

A big question remaining for the trial is whether Van Dyke will testify. He isn't obligated to testify, but he has the right to take the stand to give his version of what happened.

Another question is which  if any  other officers at the scene the defense will call to testify. Prosecutors called several last week, but others, including two charged with trying to cover up what happened to protect Van Dyke, have not testified.

___

This story has been corrected to show that the forensic pathologist testified on the defense's behalf on Monday, not Wednesday.BEIJING, Sept. 23 -- China's local government debt balance stood at 17.66 trillion yuan (about 2.58 trillion U.S. dollars) by the end of August, remaining within the official limit, according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

The country's top legislative body has decided that the upper limit for local government debt this year should be 21 trillion yuan.

China issued local government bonds worth 883 billion yuan in August, up from the 757 billion yuan in July, with the tally for the first eight months of this year reaching 3 trillion yuan.

Over 526.6 billion yuan worth of the financing tools issued last month were special-purpose bonds for the development of public-interest projects, marking a substantial increase from 196 billion yuan in July.

The surge came after an MOF guideline was unveiled last month to accelerate the launch of special-purpose bonds by local governments to stabilize investment, expand domestic demand and strengthen weak areas.

Local authorities were told to speed up issuance in August and September to complete at least 80 percent of the annual quota by the end of this month, while the majority of the remaining 20 percent is expected to be accomplished in October.

China has made bond issuance the sole legal way for local governments to raise debt amid efforts to forestall a systemic financial crisis.When foreign officials visit the CIA, they sometimes leave with a fine bottle of Kentucky bourbon, newly confirmed CIA Director Gina Haspel said Monday in her first public event in which the former undercover intelligence officer disclosed a few personal details of her life and outlined her priorities for the agency.

Returning to her alma mater at the University of Louisville, Haspel delved into some of the United States' toughest challenges around the world. The spy agency's first female director also lifted the veil behind her life, discussing her affection for Johnny Cash songs, her reading preferences when not poring through CIA briefing books and her most memorable celebrity encounter. That would be Queen Elizabeth, and yes, the queen knew she was a CIA operative.

"The queen is extremely well-briefed," Haspel told the audience.

The 61-year-old native Ashland, Kentucky, also revealed that she promotes one of the bluegrass state's most famous products  bourbon  when meeting top-ranking foreign officials.

"Among my greatest pleasures as director are my relationships with foreign counterparts who come to visit," Haspel said. "And I made it a tradition that when ... foreign heads of service visit Langley, Virginia, and sit with me in my office, I send them away with a bottle of very fine Kentucky bourbon. And we are moving through a number so far."

She revealed Woodford Reserve was the brand most recently given as a parting gift.

While touting her Kentucky roots, Haspel grew up around the world as the daughter of an Air Force serviceman. She worked in Africa, Europe and classified locations around the globe and was tapped as deputy director of the CIA last year. She worked under former CIA director Mike Pompeo until President Donald Trump moved him to secretary of state.

During a question-and-answer session with political commentator Scott Jennings, she listed London and Istanbul as her favorite overseas cities and confessed to enjoying lighter reading fare during spare time. One of her most recent reads was "Hillbilly Elegy," which she enjoyed despite some initial issues with the title.

The Senate confirmed her in May to lead the spy agency. She told the Louisville audience that one of her top priorities is to invest more heavily in collecting intelligence against nation state adversaries as well as Islamic extremists.

"Our efforts against these difficult intelligence gaps have been overshadowed over the years by the intelligence community's justifiable heavy emphasis on counterterrorism in the wake of 9/11," she said. "Groups such as the so-called Islamic State and al-Qaida remain squarely in our sights, but we are sharpening our focus on nation state adversaries."

Haspel said she also is working to invest in foreign-language training to make sure CIA officers are attuned to the cultures where they work. Another one of her priorities is to recruit officers of all genders, races and cultures and increase the number of officers stationed overseas.

She said the CIA also is working to beef up counter narcotics efforts abroad to address the nation's opioid crisis.

On North Korea, Haspel said she thinks Pyongyang views its nuclear weapons program as leverage and a key to the survival of its government.

"I don't think that they want to give it up easily," Haspel said shortly before Trump said that a second summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un was likely to occur "quite soon."

Haspel said, however, that she believes the U.S. is in a better place than during North Korea's unprecedented level of testing last year "because of the dialogue we've established between our two leaders."

On China, Haspel said the CIA was monitoring Beijing's global ambitions, including its investments in Africa, Latin America, the Pacific Islands and South Asia.

"They want to be dominant in the Asia-Pacific region, of course, and unfortunately they are working to diminish U.S. influence in order to advance their own goals in the region," she said.

The CIA is concerned about some of the tactics China uses, such as offering poor countries investments and loans that perhaps those countries won't be able to repay. The U.S. wants those countries to be aware of how that might jeopardize their sovereignty, she said.

On Iran, she said the Iranian people are suffering from economic problems because their economy has been mismanaged. She said that as an intelligence officer, she has been surprised at the amount of money Iran is spending to prop up the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, expand its influence in Iraq and equip and train Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are using that equipment to attack U.S. allies, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Haspel's appearance was part of the McConnell Center's speaker series at the University of Louisville. The center is named for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. While introducing her Monday, the Kentucky Republican said Haspel's "unrivaled expertise is helping secure America's position on the world stage."

Haspel's appearance drew protests from a small group of students who chanted in the rain while huddled under umbrellas. They cited her past role supervising a covert detention site in Thailand where terror suspects were waterboarded, an interrogation technique that simulates drowning.

___

Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.A white Dallas police officer who fatally shot her black neighbor inside his own apartment was fired Monday, the same day the man was being buried in his Caribbean homeland.

Police Chief U. Renee Hall dismissed Officer Amber Guyger during a hearing Monday, according to the Police Department. Guyger is charged with manslaughter in the Sept. 6 shooting that left 26-year-old Botham Jean dead, and she was fired because of her arrest, according to the department.

Court records show Guyger said she thought she had encountered a burglar inside her own home. She was arrested three days later and is currently out on bond.

A statement from police said an internal investigation concluded that on Sept. 9, Guyger, a four-year veteran of the force, "engaged in adverse conduct when she was arrested for Manslaughter." Dallas police spokesman Sgt. Warren Mitchell later said that when an officer has been arrested for a crime, "adverse conduct" is often cited in the officer's termination.

Mitchell said that adverse conduct is "conduct which adversely affects the (morale) or efficiency of the Department or which has a tendency to adversely affect, lower, destroy public respect and confidence in the Department or officer."

One of the attorneys for Jean's family, Lee Merritt, said Jean was being buried Monday in St. Lucia.

The family's attorneys, along with protesters, have been calling for Guyger to be fired since the shooting. In a statement, the attorneys said they see the termination as an initial victory.

"However, we are committed to seeing through the next steps of the process of a proper murder indictment, conviction and appropriate sentencing," they said in the statement.

Guyger's attorney, Robert Rogers, said Monday night that her firing was premature and unfair.

"Unfortunately, today Chief Hall bowed to pressure from anti-police groups and took action before all of the facts had been gathered and due process was afforded," Rogers said in his first statement since the shooting. "That's not the way our system of justice should work."

He said the shooting was "a tragic mistake" and that "words can never express our sorrow for the pain suffered by those who knew and loved Botham Jean."

Guyger "is completely devastated by what happened," Rogers said.

Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson has said the case will be presented to a grand jury, which could decide a more serious charge than manslaughter.

During a conference call with Jean's parents and their lawyers on Sunday, Hall reported she intended to fire Guyger and explained the delay in the action, according to the family's attorneys in their statement.

Days before the firing, Hall said in a statement that she had not taken action against Guyger because she did not want to interfere with the ongoing criminal investigation.

There are conflicting narratives over what led up to the shooting.

Guyger told investigators that she had just ended a shift when she returned in uniform to the South Side Flats apartment complex where she lived.

She said when she put her key in the apartment door, which was unlocked and slightly ajar, it opened, according to the affidavit. Inside, the lights were off, and she saw a figure in the darkness that cast a large silhouette across the room, according to the officer's account.

Guyger said she concluded her apartment was being burglarized and gave verbal commands to the person, who ignored them. The affidavit said she then drew her weapon and fired twice.

She called 911. Asked where she was, she returned to the front door to see she was in the wrong unit, according to the affidavit. The 911 tapes have not been released.

But according to an affidavit for a search warrant Jean "confronted the officer at the door."

After the shooting, Guyger's blood was drawn to be tested for alcohol and drugs, according to Hall. Authorities have not released results.

Merritt has called into question Guyger's narrative. The lawyer has said that two independent witnesses have told him they heard knocking on the door in the hallway before the shooting.

He said one witness reported hearing a woman's voice saying, "Let me in! Let me in!"

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said he agrees with the decision to fire Guyger.

"The swift termination of any officer who engages in misconduct that leads to the loss of innocent life is essential if the Dallas Police Department is to gain and maintain the public trust," Rawlings said in a statement.

Guyger graduated from Sam Houston High School in 2008, according to an official at the Arlington Independent School District. She also attended Tarrant County College, according to an official there, although it is not clear when she went to the school.

Guyger also attended the University of Texas at Arlington in fall of 2012 and spring of 2013, said university spokeswoman Sana Syed. Guyger's intended major was criminology and criminal justice, Syed said.

Dallas police say Guyger was hired in November 2013 and state law enforcement records show she was appointed as a peace officer in May 2014.

Sgt. Michael Mata, president of the Dallas Police Association, said Guyger more recently worked on a team tasked with arresting some of the city's most violent offenders. He said the association, which is Dallas' largest police employee organization, will be paying Guyger's legal fees.A man on trial in the death of a pregnant North Dakota woman whose baby was cut from her womb told a fellow jail inmate whose ex-girlfriend had an abortion that he would have cut out the baby, according to testimony in the case Monday.

William Hoehn, 33, is accused of conspiracy in Savanna Greywind's death, which drew attention to violence involving American Indian women. Hoehn's former girlfriend, Brooke Crews, pleaded guilty earlier and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Inmate Bryan Grob, who was in the Cass County jail on a drug charge, said he had regular conversations with Hoehn after Hoehn's arrest in Greywind's August 2017 death. Grob testified that he and Hoehn talked about Grob's girlfriend's abortion and Hoehn responded by saying, "Well I just would have cut the baby out" of the woman. Grob said he responded with, "Really, dude?"

Hoehn has admitted helping to cover up the crime but says he didn't know about Crews' plan to take Greywind's baby. Grob said Hoehn told him about first putting Greywind's body in a dresser and then taking the body out of the house. Hoehn repeatedly denied having anything to do with the murder, Grob said.

A medical examiner testified earlier Monday that he isn't sure whether Greywind died from blood loss or strangulation. Dr. Victor Froloff called the death an unusual case with "two competitive causes of death."

Hoehn says he came upon a bloody scene in the bathroom of the couple's apartment, with Crews presenting him with an infant girl and saying: "This is our baby." But prosecutors said in opening statements that when Crews told Hoehn she wasn't sure if Greywind was dead, he put a rope around Greywind's neck and tightened it.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Brad Randall, testifying for the defense, said he agreed "in large part" with Froloff's findings. He added that it was "more than likely" that Greywind would have died from blood loss in less than 30 minutes.

Crews and Greywind had been friends, and Greywind had texted her mother shortly before she disappeared to say she was going to Crews' apartment. After Greywind was reported missing, police searched Hoehn and Crews' apartment three times in six days.

Crews originally told police that Greywind had given her the child. Crews later told police they had argued, saying she pushed Greywind down and knocked her out before cutting her open. Froloff testified Monday that there was no evidence of any head injuries to Greywind.

Crews is expected to testify this week.

Greywind's 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 slain Native American women . A similar bill has been introduced in the House.Federal authorities have joined the frantic search for a missing 6-year-old boy with autism who was last seen at a North Carolina park Saturday.

The Gastonia Police Department said Maddox Ritch, who has non-verbal autism, was last seen Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rankin Lake Park, located about 20 miles west of Charlotte.

One of Ritch's parents and two other adults were walking on the backside of the lake at the park when Maddox took off running and got out of their sight, police told FOX46. When the group of adults weren't quickly able to locate the 6-year-old, they called 911.

Since Saturday, authorities have searched more than 1,400 acres around the Rankin Lake Park using a helicopter from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and boat from the Charlotte Fire Department.

Police are asking anyone near the popular park on Saturday to try to remember any details that could help them find the boy.

"We know a lot of people were in the park and we have spoken to many of them, but we have not spoken to everyone," Gastonia Police Chief Robert Helton said at a news conference. "No piece of information is too small. Something you may think is insignificant could be helpful to our case.

NAVY VET'S BODY FOUND AFTER HE'S REPORTED MISSING DURING HAWAIIAN HONEYMOON

On Sunday, federal agents also joined the search for Ritch.

The FBI has very specially trained teams that are especially focused on finding missing children," FBI Supervisor Jason Kaplan said.

Ritch is described as being 4-foot, 45 pounds with blonde hair and was last seen wearing an orange "I am the man" t-shirt and black shorts with a white stripe.

Anyone with information is asked to contact a special tip line established by Gastonia Police, 704-869-1075.A Florida man who stole $600 worth of cigarettes from a convenience store was sentenced Friday to 20 years in state prison, The Pensacola News Journal reported.

An Escambia County jury convicted Robert Spellman, 48, of burglary and grand theft in August. Spellman went into a Circle K in December, and stole 10 cartons of cigarettes from a stock room in the store managers office, authorities said.

The State Attorneys Office said authorities found Spellman nearby, matching a description of the suspect, and had the cigarettes, The News Journal reported.

Spellman had 14 felony and 31 misdemeanor convictions prior to the cigarette theft, which qualified him as a habitual felony offender, The News Journal reported. That led to the lengthy 20-year prison sentence imposed Friday by an Escambia County judge.

The lengthy prison term prompted outrage on social media, with some people accusing the prosecutor of imposing too harsh a sentence for a seemingly petty crime.

Just such a disproportionate sentence, wrote one Twitter user. [W]ho are these cruel judges?!?

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A gunman who opened fire at a Wisconsin software company never talked and never smiled, a former co-worker said.

WTS Paradigm employee Anthony Tong shot four co-workers at the company's Middleton headquarters Wednesday before police stormed the building and killed him. All the employees survived their wounds, including one woman whom Tong shot 10 times.

The 43-year-old gunman's motive remains a mystery. State Department of Justice spokeswoman Rebecca Ballweg and Middleton Police Chief Chuck Foulke didn't immediately return messages from The Associated Press on Monday morning.

Isaac Hall told the Wisconsin State Journal newspaper for Monday's editions that he left WTS Paradigm for a new job a week before the shooting. Hall said Tong never spoke to anyone and never smiled.

Hall said he worked about three cubicles from Tong. Several times when Hall looked over at him, Tong stared back.

"His head would actually follow me and watch me as I go," Hall said. "He kind of creeped me out a little bit."

Former Madison Alderman Chris Schmidt told the newspaper that he was in the physics program with Tong at Lawrence University in the mid-1990s. He remembered Tong studied often in the library and was interested in computers.

"He was quieter than maybe some people are, but I don't know that he was any less sociable than I was," Schmidt said. "He wasn't asocial. He did socialize with some people."

Court documents filed in South Dakota show a judge revoked Tong's concealed carry permit in 2004 after Tong told Sioux Falls police that he had disabled electronic appliances including the fire alarm at his apartment because he thought his neighbors were spying on him. Officers took him to a hospital's mental health unit on a 24-hour hold.

Police discovered a cache of gun parts and ammunition in Tong's Madison home following the shootings.From 'Locked Out Of Heaven' to just plain locked up, a decades-long friendship between two Indiana men may reportedly be over because of a Bruno Mars song.

Roger Washburn, 71, is facing a battery charge after allegedly pistol-whipping his friend during a dispute over whether or not the popular artist was singing a song being played at Washburn's home Friday in Greenwood, the Indianapolis Star reported.

The Johnson County Sheriffs Office said they received a call from a man who said Washburn, him and a third person were listening to music when the incident unfolded.

The man, who reportedly told police the trio have been friends for five decades, said Washburn disputed the other mans claim that a song being played was performed by Bruno Mars.

When Washburn was shown evidence proving him to be wrong, the man said, the two friends got into an argument and Washburn pulled out a gun. The caller was then allegedly pistol-whipped  with the gun going off as a result -- after calling Washburn an expletive, the man told the Indianapolis Star.

A police report viewed by the newspaper said when officers visited the home later, Washburn admitted to striking his friend in the face with a .38 revolver and was jailed on suspicion of battery and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.

The victim, the police report stated, suffered a small gouge on his right cheek, blood on his pants, shirt and a red abrasion on his right forearm, according to FOX59.

It was not immediately clear which Bruno Mars song started the dispute.Authorities in Iowa are working to clear a massive train derailment that sent cars tumbling into a river on Sunday.

The Sioux County Sheriff's Office posted dramatic video taken by a drone that shows the wreckage near Alton, located about 40 miles northeast of Sioux City.

"There are no reported injuries," the sheriff's office said. "No known hazardous materials have been leaked into the river or air."

A spokesperson from Union Pacific told KETV the 95-car train was traveling from Mankato, Minn. to North Platte, Neb. when 38 cars derailed.

The train was hauling industrial sand and soybean oil, according to the railroad. One or more cars may be releasing industrial sand into the Floyd River, according to KETV.

"There are no reported injuries, no known hazardous materials are leaking or in the air," city officials said on Facebook. "Railroad and local Emergency Management officials are on scene accessing the situation at this time."The Latest on the remnants of Hurricane Florence (all times local):

11:30 a.m.

Residents in a coastal South Carolina county are being urged to evacuate ahead of river flooding as all that water dumped by Hurricane Florence works its way out to sea.

Georgetown County emergency officials said Monday morning that the county is now on its highest state of alert because of the dangers of flooding along the Waccamaw River, the Pee Dee River and the Intracoastal Waterway.

The county warns that even people who do not live in flood zones should get out if they can, because road conditions could leave them isolated.

Shelters opened early Monday at Georgetown High School in Georgetown and Waccamaw Middle School at Pawleys Island.

The Waccamaw River was at 20.75 (6 meters) feet at Conway at 10 a.m. Monday. That's already more than 3 feet (1 meter) above the previous record. It's expected to peak at 22 feet (6.7 meters) at Conway on Wednesday. Conway is about 35 miles (55 kilometers) northeast from Georgetown.

___

6:58 a.m.

Hurricane Florence is by no means done with the Carolinas, where some rivers are still rising and thousands of people were told to plan to leave their homes on Monday before rivers reach their crest.

About 6,000 to 8,000 people in Georgetown County, South Carolina, were alerted to be prepared to evacuate potential flood zones ahead of a "record event" of up to 10 feet (3 meters) of flooding, which is expected to begin Tuesday near parts of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers, county spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

The county's emergency management director, Sam Hodge, said in a video message posted online that authorities are closely watching river gauges, and law enforcement would be going door to door in any threatened areas.

"From boots on the ground to technology that we have, we are trying to be able to get the message out," Hodge said, warning people not to wait for an official evacuation order if they begin to feel unsafe.

In North Carolina, five river gauges still showed major flood stage levels and five others were at moderate flood stage, according to the National Weather Service. The Cape Fear River was expected to crest and remain at flood stage through the early part of the week, and parts of Interstate 40 are expected to remain underwater for another week or more.

While hundreds of smaller roads remain impassable, there was some good news: Interstate 95 was reopened to all traffic Sunday night for the first time since the floods, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced.

Floodwaters already receding on one stretch of Interstate 40 left thousands of rotting fish on the pavement for firefighters to clean up. Video showed firefighters blasting the dead fish off the highway with a fire hose in Pender County in eastern North Carolina. The local fire department posted online: "We can add 'washing fish off of the interstate' to the long list of interesting things firefighters get to experience."

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Michael Sprayberry said major flooding is continuing in eastern counties along the Black, Lumber, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers.

"Florence continues to bring misery to North Carolina," Cooper said in a statement Sunday evening. He added that crews conducted about 350 rescues over the weekend and that travel remains treacherous in the southeastern area of his state. But he said National Guard members would be shifting next to more door-to-door and air search wellness checks on people in still-flooded areas.

The storm has claimed at least 43 lives since slamming into the coast Sept. 14.

In Washington, lawmakers are considering almost $1.7 billion in new money for disaster relief and recovery, even as they face a deadline this week to fund the government before the Oct. 1 start of the new budget year.

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said the money would be available as grants to states to help rebuild housing and public works, as well as assist businesses as they recover. GOP Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey called it "a first round" and said lawmakers are ready to act quickly if the federal disaster relief agency also needs more money.

An economic research firm estimated that Florence has caused around $44 billion in damage and lost output, which would make it one of the 10 costliest U.S. hurricanes. The worst disaster, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, cost $192.2 billion in today's dollars, while last year's Hurricane Harvey cost $133.5 billion. Moody's Analytics offered a preliminary estimate that Florence has caused $40 billion in damage and $4 billion in lost economic output.

In other developments, at least three wild horse herds survived Florence on North Carolina's Outer Banks, but caretakers were still trying to account for one herd living on a hard-hit barrier island, the News & Observer reported Sunday. Staff members are planning to make trips to the island this week to check on the Shackleford Banks herd.

North Carolina environmental officials also said they're closely monitoring two sites where Florence's floodwaters have inundated coal ash sites .

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Waggoner and Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Also contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina; Meg Kinnard in Galivants Ferry, South Carolina; Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama and Michael Biesecker in Washington.

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For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/HurricanesThe Latest on a wildfire in western Wyoming (all times local):

3:10 p.m.

A Wyoming man says he's glad he defied evacuation orders so that he could defend his home from a wildfire using just a sprinkler and garden hose.

Bill Winney says he doubts his log home with a metal roof would have survived if he had not aggressively watered the area around it for several days and then stood his ground as flames tore through the surrounding sagebrush on Sunday.

Winney said Monday things got intense for about 10 minutes at one point as flames roared past his home in a subdivision south of the community of Bondurant.

But he says the worst he suffered was a cough and smoke odor inside his house.

He says he could see other homes that burned in the subdivision of widely spaced mountain retreats.

Authorities had evacuated about 300 homes because to a wildfire that has charred some 75 square miles (194 square kilometers) of mountainous pine forest and sagebrush meadows.

They urge people to heed evacuation warnings.

__

12:25 p.m.

Firefighters expect another afternoon of gusty winds as they try to keep a wildfire from burning more homes in western Wyoming.

Monday's forecast calls for gusts up to 30 mph (48 kph) around Bondurant, a community of mainly vacation homes south of Jackson Hole.

The fire swept through a subdivision of about 125 homes in the area Sunday. Local officials are still counting how many homes and other structures have burned besides three homes that burned previously.

Authorities have ordered the evacuation of over 300 homes.

The fire has burned about 75 square miles (194 square kilometers) of mountainous pine forest and open meadows.

___

9:42 a.m.

Authorities say a wildfire in western Wyoming near Grand Teton National Park has destroyed more buildings and forced the evacuation of over 300 homes.

Officials were surveying the damage Monday after the fire flared up in windy, dry weather and swept through a rural subdivision of about 125 homes on Sunday.

Emergency officials went door to door telling people to leave the small community of Bondurant and nearby areas south of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Park.

A 64-mile (103-kilometer) stretch of U.S. Highway 191 that is one of the gateway routes to the parks was reopened after the 76-square-mile (197-square-kilometer) fire forced its temporary closure.

Sublette County Sheriff's Sgt. Travis Bingham said authorities are trying to determine how many homes burned beyond the three that officials identified previously.A married Florida man was arrested Sunday for allegedly killing his girlfriend and his unborn baby boy last month, The Miami Herald reported.

Authorities found the body of Tania Wise, 23, and her unborn son along a road in St. Lucie County on Aug. 26, the report said.

Wise, who was over eight months pregnant at the time, was scheduled to have a cesarean section days after she was found, TCPalm.com reported.

It is unclear how Wise was killed, but her body was located in a ditch in a rural area, the report said. Authorities reportedly believe she was killed where she was found.

Jose Soto-Escalera, 41, was charged on two counts of first-degree murder, reports said. Investigators reportedly used DNA evidence and said they learned the suspect called the victim on the day she was killed.

Authorities said his truck was seen in the area where her body was discovered, The Palm Beach Post reported. Investigators do not believe that his wife knew about his relationship with Wise.

Sheriff Ken Mascara said the suspect was armed with an automatic handgun when he was arrested and showed no remorse, WPTV reported.

"We know that he was the father of the baby; we know that she had some other individuals in her life, men in her life; we dont know if jealousy was a motive; we dont know if there was other motives involved, Mascara said.Florida authorities on Monday released hundreds of new pages in the case of a white man accused of fatally shooting a black man in a parking lot dispute in July.

According to a transcript of Michael Drejka's interview with Pinellas County Sheriff's detectives, he said that if Markeis McGlockton had retreated, or even stayed still, he wouldn't have used his gun. But McGlockton's girlfriend, who was a witness to the incident, said McGlockton moved back.

The 70-page interview of Drejka sheds light on his thinking in the seconds before the shooting.

Prosecutors on Aug. 13 charged Drejka with manslaughter. He's been released from the county jail on $100,000 bail.

Surveillance video from July 19 shows Drejka starting a confrontation over a parking space. McGlockton's girlfriend, Britany Jacobs, was seated in the couple's car with two of their children, ages 3 years and 4 months.

Jacobs, whose interview with officers was in the newly released documents, said after parking, the 28-year-old McGlockton had gone into the store. That's when another vehicle pulled up and a man later identified as Drejka got out and started looking at her car in the disabled spot, then started hassling her, saying, "'Well, you need to move your car,' and all this and this, you know, 'Cause, you know, I got family that's handicapped,' and all this and this. So, I'm saying, 'Dude, uh, no. I don't know you, so, you know, leave me alone.'"

The two exchanged more heated words. McGlockton then came out of the store and knocked Drejka to the pavement.

"Markeis came running out and he pushed him," Jacobs said. "He was like, you know -- you know, um, 'Stay away from my girl,' or something, he said. And then all of a sudden, dude was on the ground, and he pulled out a gun and shot him."

Said Jacobs: "All he did was backed up. 'Cause, you know, anybody, you know, with a gun pointed at him, he gonna, you know, shut up and not say nothing."

Drejka, who is 48, told a detective, "It happened so fast and that was that ... I was literally blindsided."

During the interview, the retired tree trimmer said he'd carried a gun since he was 22, and that people parking illegally in handicapped spots at that store was a pet peeve, and that he'd approached people before.

"Does it ever go through your mind ... that they might not take that right? That this might go sideways a little bit?" the detective asked.

"Um, well, sure. But that's why I take precautions, as well," Drejka said.

When asked what kind of precautions, Drejka replied: "Well, I'm a very careful person and I have a permit."

In an interview with a local TV station since his arrest, Drejka said that parking spaces for the disabled "have always touched a nerve" because his high school girlfriend and his mother-in-law used disabled parking spots.

McGlockton's family has been outspoken in their dismay over how the case was handled, and hired attorney Benjamin Crump, who gained national prominence representing the family of Trayvon Martin after the black teen's fatal shooting by a Hispanic man in 2012.The brutal, unsolved murders of seven adults and one teen in Ohio in 2016 have the "aspects of a professional hit," an expert said this week.

Dr. Jennifer Murray's analysis builds on the results of an autopsy report released last week in the notorious slayings. While there have been no arrests in the case, Pike County authorities have long believed the deaths were tied to the drug trade.

All eight people shot were members of the Rhoden family.

It has aspects of a professional hit, but I don't think it was a cartel hit or anything like that, Dr. Jennifer Murray, a mass killings expert and associate professor at Indiana State University, told WLWT-TV on Thursday. They're not usually this cleanly done. Usually, you can see right away who did it.

Despite characterizing the murders as a drug-related crime, authorities have not named a suspect or suspects in the slayings. Attorney General Mike DeWine previously said Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40, oversaw a large-scale marijuana grow operation.

BRUTAL UNSOLVED KILLING OF EIGHT MEMBERS OF OHIO FAMILY WAS SYSTEMATICALLY EXECUTED, AUTOPSY SHOWS

DeWine said last June authorities were laser-focused on the Wagner family, who lived near the Rhodens at the time of the killings, but later moved to Alaska, according to the Dayton Daily News.

Edward Jacob Wagner, 25, had a child with Hanna Rhoden  the 19-year-old shot twice in the head during the murders. However, neither he nor George Wagner, Angela Wagner or their son, were named as suspects. Jason Kearson Clark, a lawyer for the family told the Dayton Daily News there was no animosity between the families.

Despite what has been said and alleged, the Wagners were on friendly terms with the Rhodens, Clark said. Therefore, the Wagners had no reason to wish them harm.

The attorney said last year the family was being harassed while the real killer or killers are out there.

The authorities [using the media] want the public to believe that the Wagners are responsible and have absconded, Clark told the Cincinnati Enquirer. If that were true, why would the Wagners have come forward on their own and agreed to give whatever limited information they had?

OHIO TEEN DIES AFTER ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTING HIMSELF DURING FACETIME CALL, COPS SAY

While the autopsies revealed members of the Rhoden family were murdered in a sadistic manner, Murray said professionals may have helped whomever was behind the slayings.

It's two years later and they haven't indicted anybody. So they did a pretty good job and I don't think the average family typically knows how to do that. So there's a potential they may have hired someone, she told WLWT-TV.

Authorities suspect there were multiple attackers in the slayings and they were familiar with the area. Piketon is located 70 miles south of Columbus. The killers are believed to have worked to cover their tracks, authorities have said.

Nobody's seen anything like this, Pike County Prosecutor Rob Junk said last week.The illegal day care facility where two adults and three babies were injured in a stabbing rampage last week is reportedly suspected to be a "birth tourism" site for Asian women.

The New York City residence where Yu Fen Wang, 52, allegedly went on the stabbing spree -- before police found her in the basement with a slit wrist -- was housing nine babies at the time of the attack, police said.

But the mystery about why there were multiple infants at the Queens home at 3:30 a.m. has only grown since news of the assault broke.

According to multiple reports, the building was being used to house pregnant Asian women who sought to travel to the U.S. on tourist visas so their babies could be born and gain U.S. citizenship.

Sheng Long Peng, 70, told The New York Times on Friday he often saw the homeowner with groups of pregnant woman. Elizabeth Lee, 51, told the newspaper she saw women with suitcases arrive at the building in the Flushing neighborhood at least twice per week.

We think it had something to do with immigration and citizenship, a law enforcement source told The New York Times. It had something to do with their desire to have the kids as American citizens and it would eventually help the parents.

The facility offered month-long intensive mother-baby care called zuo yue zi, which roughly translates to sitting the month, according to the New York Post. A community source told the newspaper most of the women come from China.

Ninety percent of them in these centers come from China, the community source told the New York Post, adding the women were recovering after giving birth in New York. They dont advertise. Its word of mouth.

The Queens building was charging women $4,600 to stay for a month, plus baby supplies, according to the New York Post. An investigator said birth tourism sites had mostly been located in Los Angeles until about 2016.

In 2015, federal officials busted 37 California locations that were offering similar accommodations. At that time, Chinese nationals paid up to $80,000 for the sole purpose of giving birth in the U.S. to obtain citizenship for their children.

An estimated 40,000 babies were born to couples posing as tourists each year, according to Fox News reporting from 2015. The U.S. is one of the few countries in the world that automatically grants citizenship to any child born in its borders, regardless of the parents nationality. Lying to obtain a visa to enter the U.S. under false pretense is illegal.

Investigators werent aware the Queens home was suspected of being a birth tourism site, a law enforcement official told The New York Times.

Yu was charged with five counts of attempted murder. A meat cleaver and butcher knife were found on the scene at the time of her arrest.A woman whose violent arrest on a New Jersey beach earlier this year was captured on video was indicted last week.

Emily Weinman, 20, was indicted by a Cape May County grand jury on charges of aggravated assault of a police officer, resisting arrest, throwing bodily fluids and obstruction.

WOMAN PUNCHED BY COP ON BEACH 'REFUSED TO COMPLY': NEW JERSEY MAYOR SAYS

Weinman, of Philadelphia, was on a Wildwood beach during Memorial Day Weekend with her boyfriend and 18-month-old daughter when police officers confronted her after they believed she was drinking underage.

What unfolded was captured on police bodycamera and in a video shot by a nearby beachgoer.

Weinman complied with a breathalyzer test but the situation escalated when she refused to give the officers her name. One officer could be heard saying saying he's "done with" her and works with another cop to try to arrest the woman, the video showed.

She then ran away, shouting profanities and telling the officers not to handcuff her. "You're about to get dropped," the officer responded.

Weinman resisted arrest and as the officer continued to approach, she "forcibly struck" him in the torso, Police Chief Robert Regalbuto said  an action he claimed turned the officer's body camera off. It was apparently reactivated as the two struggled in the sand.

The officer punched the woman twice  as voices in the background could be heard shouting "stop resisting"  before Weinman spit in the direction of one of the officers.

The officers involved in the incident were identified by the Wildwood Police Department as Patrolmen Thomas Cannon, John Hillman and Robert Jordan. They were cleared of wrongdoing after authorities reviewed the video footage.

Weinman rejected a plea bargain offer in July.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Leaders of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's governing coalition reached a deal Sunday to resolve a standoff over the future of the country's domestic intelligence chief, a dispute that has further dented the image of their fractious six-month-old alliance.

The center-left Social Democrats have insisted that Hans-Georg Maassen be removed as head of the BfV spy agency for appearing to downplay recent violence against migrants, but conservative Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has stood by him.

Last week, coalition leaders agreed to replace Maassen as head of the BfV but give him a new job as a deputy interior minister, a promotion with a hefty pay increase. The move prompted a backlash from furious Social Democrats, prompting party leader Andrea Nahles to call for the deal's renegotiation.

On Sunday, coalition leaders agreed instead to make Maassen a "special adviser" at the interior ministry with responsibility for "European and international issues," Seehofer said. He will remain at his current pay level.

In addition, a deputy interior minister and expert on construction issues, Social Democrat Gunther Adler, will now keep his job rather than making way for Maassen. Nahles will have to sell the new compromise to her party's leadership on Monday.

"I think it is a very good signal that we took the criticism of our decision on Tuesday evening seriously and were able to correct it," Nahles told reporters. She declared that "overall, the foundation has been laid for us to return to substantive work."

A left-leaning Social Democrat deputy leader, Ralf Stegner, described it as "a good solution."

The dispute has clouded the government's future at a time when the three parties face major challenges in upcoming state elections, in Seehofer's home state of Bavaria on Oct. 14 and in neighboring Hesse on Oct. 28.

The infighting appears to be weighing down their support, which hasn't recovered since a national election a year ago in which all three coalition parties lost ground and the far-right Alternative for Germany entered parliament.

The coalition of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, Seehofer's Bavaria-only Christian Social Union and the Social Democrats took office in March after Nahles' party decided reluctantly to join up.

It has already been through one crisis that threatened its survival, when Merkel and Seehofer -- a conservative ally, but a longtime critic of her initially welcoming approach to refugees in 2015 -- faced off in June over whether to turn back some migrants at the German-Austrian border.

Responding to violent right-wing protests following the killing of a German man, allegedly by migrants, in the eastern city of Chemnitz, Maassen said his agency had no reliable evidence that foreigners had been "hunted" down in the streets -- a term Merkel had used.

A video posted by a left-wing group showed protesters chasing down and attacking a foreigner but Maassen questioned its authenticity.

Seehofer, Maassen's boss, has insisted that Maassen is a "highly competent" employee who hasn't violated any rules and said he won't outright dismiss him. He accused the Social Democrats of running a "campaign" against Maassen.

Seehofer, who leads the CSU, became interior minister after giving up his previous job as Bavarian governor following last year's national election. There is widespread speculation that a poor election performance in Bavaria next month could threaten his political future.Opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, a longtime but little-known lawmaker in the Maldives, declared victory early Monday in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy.

Solih's win, announced at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city of Male, was unexpected. The opposition had feared the election would be rigged in favor of strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, whose first term was marked by a crackdown on political rivals, courts and the media.

"People were not expecting this result. Despite the repressive environment, the people have spoken their minds," said Ahmed Tholal, a former member of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives and a project coordinator at the nonprofit watchdog Transparency Maldives.

A democracy activist during the Maldives' decades of autocratic rule and former Parliament majority leader, Solih, 56, became the Maldivian Democratic Party's presidential candidate by process of elimination -- other opposition leaders had been jailed or exiled by Yameen's government.

Party leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed, in exile in Sri Lanka, had hoped to run again but was disqualified because of an outstanding prison sentence in the Maldives.

Famed for its sandy white beaches and luxury resorts, the Maldives under Yameen have seen economic growth and longer life expectancy, according to the World Bank. But Yameen's critics, including Solih, said he systematically rolled back democratic freedoms.

Solih campaigned door to door, promising at rallies to promote human rights and the rule of law, a message that resonated with voters who saw signs the Maldives were slipping back to autocratic rule, just a decade after achieving democracy.

"Ibu is totally different from Yameen, because Yameen is a dictator and a brutal person. Ibu is a very mild person who listens to everyone," said Ahamed Fiasal, a 39-year-old IT business owner, using Solih's nickname.

Still, Fiasal said, the result was surprising because "no one thought that Yameen would lose like this. He had all the power -- the judiciary, the police, the security forces under him. It seemed he might rig the election even at the last minute and would win somehow or the other."

Solih's supporters flooded the streets, hugging one another, waving the Maldivian flag, cheering and honking horns in celebration.

Yameen's campaign did not concede the race, and no one from the campaign could immediately be reached for comment. But Solih had 58.3 percent of the vote with nearly 97.5 percent of ballots counted early Monday, according to independent newspaper website mihaaru.com.

A spokesman for Maldives' Election Commission said official results would not be announced until September 29, allowing a week for parties to challenge the results in court.

Solih, surrounded by thousands of his supporters, urged calm until the commission had announced the results.

In his victory speech, Solih called the election results "a moment of happiness, hope and history," but said that he did not think the election process had been transparent.

A police raid on Solih's main campaign office the night before the election was seen by the opposition as a worrying sign that Yameen would "muzzle his way" to re-election, according to Hamid Abdul Gafoor, an opposition spokesman and former Maldives lawmaker now based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Few foreign media organizations were allowed in to cover the election.

Yameen used his first term to consolidate power, jailing opponents, including his half brother, a former president, and two Supreme Court Justices.

In February, Yameen declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and ordered troops to storm the Supreme Court and arrest judgesaafter they had ordered the release and retrial of those jailed after politically-motivated trials.

The Supreme Court ordered the release of Nasheed and many other political leaders.

The European Union had said that it was not sending election observers because the Maldives had failed to meet the basic conditions for monitoring. The U.S. had threatened to sanction Maldivian officials if the elections were not free and fair.

Despite the turmoil, voters flocked to the polls on Sunday, standing in long lines in rain and high temperatures to cast ballots.

More than 260,000 of the Maldives' 400,000 people were eligible to vote at about 400 polling stations across the approximately 1,200 islands that comprise the Indian Ocean archipelago. Voters also stood in long lines in Malaysia, the U.K., India and Sri Lanka, where the opposition had encouraged overseas Maldivians to participate.The Right Livelihood Award  known as the "Alternative Nobel"  was awarded Monday to three jailed Saudi human rights defenders and two Latin American anti-corruption crusaders.

The prize foundation said the 1 million kronor ($113,400) cash award for 2018 was to be shared by Abdullah al-Hamid, Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani and Waleed Abu al-Khair "for their visionary and courageous efforts, guided by universal human rights principles, to reform the totalitarian political system in Saudi Arabia."

The 2018 honorary award was given to Thelma Aldana of Guatemala and Colombia's Ivan Velasquez "for their innovative work in exposing abuse of power and prosecuting corruption."

Created in 1980, the annual Right Livelihood Award honors efforts that the prize founder, Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull, felt were being ignored by the Nobel Prizes.

Al-Qahtani and Al-Hamid were founding activists of the Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights, known by its Arabic acronym HASEM. In 2013, they were sentenced to 10 and 11 years respectively. Soon after, other verdicts followed against nearly a dozen members. The sentences came in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring.

Activist and lawyer Al-Khair, who defended a blogger sentenced to prison and lashings over his posts, was arrested in 2014 for signing a statement with dozens of others calling for reforms in the kingdom. He later received a 15-year sentence for "disobeying the ruler" and "harming the reputation of the state by communicating with international organizations," likely over his work as an outspoken activist.

Saudi Arabia's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the awards from The Associated Press.

Aldana and Velasquez are respectively the former chief prosecutor and the serving head of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, known by the Spanish acronym CICIG.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has rejected a Guatemalan request to name a new head of CICIG, saying he "does not see any reason to change his current position of support for" Velasquez.

The award, to be presented Nov. 23 in Stockholm, "is a recognition of the struggle of the Guatemalan people against corruption, and that it is possible to combat these criminal activities," Aldana said in a statement released by the Stockholm-based prize foundation.

"This prize comes at a particularly dramatic moment in the fight against impunity and corruption," Velasquez added in the same statement. "It is very important because it will turn the eyes of the world to Guatemala."

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Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.next Image 1 of 2

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World leaders kicked off their annual gathering at the United Nations on Monday by honoring a global icon of peace and reconciliation  drawing some pointed contrast with a U.S. president who has shaken up the international order with his assertion of "America First."

A statue of Nelson Mandela, who led South Africa's transition from the apartheid system of white minority rule over the majority black population, was unveiled at U.N. headquarters in New York, and delegates addressed a "peace summit" to elevate his memory in this year's centennial of his birth.

"Few people in the history of our world have left such an incredible mark on humanity," U.N. General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces said at the dedication ceremony of the life-sized sculpture of the prisoner-turned-president.

Shortly afterward, President Donald Trump arrived in the building, making a brief appearance at a separate event on fighting the global scourge of illegal drugs. Some 130 U.N. member states signed a U.S.-sponsored declaration to step up action against the narcotics trade that has left 31 million people around the world requiring treatment and is causing 450,000 deaths every year from overdoses or drug-related health issues.

"Today we commit to fighting the drug epidemic together," said Trump, whose administration is facing a rising tide of opioid addiction in the United States. He said the U.S. was taking "aggressive action" by securing its border, supporting law enforcement and devoting record funding to tackling the opioid crisis.

There were only three speakers at the U.S.-led event that wrapped up within 15 minutes.

The peace summit was running much longer, with dozens of leaders from both rich and poor nations taking turns to hail the legacy of Mandela, who after his release from nearly three decades in prison became South Africa's first black president in its first multiracial elections in 1994.

Among those offering accolades was Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who said Mandela had "sowed seeds of amity and compassion." He appeared to draw a tacit, negative comparison with Trump.

"This is a historical reality that great statesmen tend to build bridges instead of walls," Rouhani said. Trump campaigned for office on a promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Iran is a bitter adversary of Washington, and those tensions have spiked since Trump pulled the U.S. out of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that had provided it with sanctions relief. The U.N. meetings take place against the backdrop of Iranian accusations that an unidentified U.S.-allied regional country supported a deadly attack on an Iranian military parade that killed at least 25 people this past weekend.

But close U.S. allies are also continuing to express unease with Trump's approach to international affairs. His administration has upended U.S. support of multilateral cooperation on everything from fighting climate change to participation in a U.N. human rights council it considers to be anti-Israel.

Speaking to reporters, France's top diplomat, Jean-Yves Le Drian, decried what he called Trump's "mix of unilateralism and isolationism," but added that's no reason to snub Trump or lock him out of world events.

This week, "is an important moment where each is expected to show whether they are playing together or playing lone horseman, whether they are seeking solutions or sticking to slogans," Le Drian said.

Trump is making his second appearance at the U.N. since taking office in 2017. He will address the General Assembly on Tuesday, when in an annual ritual of diplomacy, heads of government take turns addressing that forum on pressing global issues. He's expected to redouble his commitment to "America First," while shining a spotlight on the threat that he says Iran poses to the Middle East and beyond through its support for terrorism.

But Trump has so far struck a far less ominous tone on than he did at his debut at the U.N. a year ago, when he stoked a long-distance slanging match with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that fueled fears of war. On that occasion, Trump called Kim "rocket man" and threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if it used its nuclear weapons against the U.S. or its allies. Kim branded Trump as "senile."

Now Trump looks to Pyongyang as a diplomatic opportunity. He said Monday he will likely hold a second summit with Kim "quite soon," to seek progress in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula that he and Kim committed to at a summit in Singapore in June.

Trump also offered some conciliatory remarks about the world body he has often disparaged, saying, "the United Nations has tremendous potential and that potential is being met slowly but surely."

___

Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer, Jennifer Peltz and Angela Charlton contributed.Humanitarian groups operating the sole private rescue ship near the deadly central Mediterranean human trafficking route have asked French authorities to allow 58 refugees to disembark in the southern port of Marseille.

Medecins Sans Frontieres and SOS Mediterranee are also urging European countries to intervene in order to secure the vessel's future after Panama yanked the ship's registration.

France's government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux tweeted on Monday that the solution will come from "cooperation with our European partners."

"Humanity is to make the ship land in the closest and safest port," he wrote, reiterating France's position on the issue.

Panama's maritime authority said it has begun procedures to remove the registration of Aquarius 2 after Italy complained that the ship's captain failed to follow orders to return rescued migrants to Libya. The charities described Panama's move as shameful.

Francis Vallat, the head of SOS Mediterranee France, asked European countries on Monday to "find a solution, whichever it is. We can't stop, we don't want to stop. We will only yield to force and constraint."

"We never did anything which was not authorized by Italian authorities," Vallat said, adding that the Aquarius 2 rescued 58 refugees last week in two separate operations, including 17 women and 18 minors.

Vallat added that the refugees come from Libya, Pakistan, Ivory Coast, Syria, Sudan, Algeria and Palestinian territories.

According to Vallat, SOS Mediterranee and Medecins Sans Frontieres' refusal to return migrants to Libya was in compliance with maritime law because Libya doesn't meet international standards for safe harbor. Malta and Italy refused to let the ship dock on their shores, and the charities made a formal request to France to welcome the ship in Marseille.

Last month, the ship spent days in Marseille after Gibraltar maritime authorities took Aquarius 2 off its registry. The boat resumed its operation after acquiring a Panama flag.

SOS Mediterranee said it has asked Panama to backtrack on its decision while urging the "international maritime community" to find another flag for the boat if needed.

___

Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report.A French ship was expected to rescue an Indian sailor on Monday who was injured in the remote southern Indian Ocean during a round-the-world solo yacht race, an official said.

The fisheries patrol boat Osiris has been heading the 740 kilometers (460 miles) to Abhilash Tomy since his yacht Thuriya lost its mast in a storm on Friday, Australian Maritime Safety Authority search and rescue officer Phil Gaden said.

The yacht is in Australia's search and rescue zone 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) southwest of the Australian city of Perth and 3,000 kilometers southeast of the French island Reunion, Gaden said.

The rescue could be treacherous because the yacht was badly damaged and Tomy had an injured back, Gaden said.

"It's going to be a very difficult situation onboard," Gaden told reporters. "The yacht is severely damaged with gear hanging over the side."

"We do know he's got a very severely injured back and we believe that he's very restricted in his ability to maneuver. We also know he's having difficulty keeping fluids down," Gaden.

Conditions were reasonably good for the area with a southwesterly wind blowing at up 46 kph (29 mph) and a 3-meter (10-foot) swell, Gaden said.

"It's one of the most remote areas on the planet almost equidistant from any of the search and rescue facilities," Gaden said.

"At the moment, our indications are that it is upright and floating high in the water, however at any moment a wave could push one of the damaged masts into the vessel and compromise its integrity," he added.

Tomy, a 39-year-old Indian navy commander, was keeping in contact with rescue authorities through texts, but batteries on his two devices were running low, Gaden said.

The French crew plans to take Tomy to a French research facility on Amsterdam Island 100 kilometers (60 miles) to the north. There is a doctor and small hospital on the island, Gaden said.

An Australian navy frigate HMAS Ballarat had left the Australian port of Fremantle on Saturday and was expected to reach Amsterdam Island on Friday, Gaden said. The Ballarat would then take Tomy to Fremantle for hospital treatment.

Another sailor in the Golden Globe Race, Irishman Gregor McGuckin, had also lost his mast on Friday near Tomy and would also be rescued, Gaden said.Authorities in Hong Kong on Monday took an unprecedented step against separatist voices by banning a political party that advocates independence for the southern Chinese territory on national security grounds.

John Lee, the territory's secretary for security, announced that the Hong Kong National Party will be prohibited from operation from Monday.

Lee's announcement did not provide further details. But Hong Kong's security bureau had previously said in a letter to the National Party's leader, 27-year-old Andy Chan, that the party should be dissolved "in the interests of national security or public safety, public order or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others." Chan had no immediate comment.

That letter had cited a national security law that has not been invoked since 1997. The ban is likely to raise further questions about Beijing's growing influence in the former British colony, which was promised semi-autonomy as part of the 1997 handover. Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials have warned separatist activity would not be tolerated.

The perception that Beijing is reneging on its promise of semi-autonomy and eroding Hong Kong's free elections and freedom of speech is helping fuel a rising generation of young activists calling for greater autonomy, if not outright independence.

Huge pro-democracy protests erupted in 2014 in response to the decision by China's ruling Communist Party to retain the right to effectively pre-screen candidates for Hong Kong's leadership.

Chan, the National Party leader, had told The Associated Press in July that police approached him with documents detailing his speeches and activities since the party's formation in 2016.

The party was founded in response to frustration about Beijing's treatment of Hong Kong. Despite a promise of autonomy, activists complain mainland influence over its democratic elections is increasing.

Chan and other pro-independence candidates were disqualified from 2016 elections to the Hong Kong legislature after they refused to sign a pledge saying Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China. The Hong Kong National Party has never held any seats on the council.next Image 1 of 2

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An Indonesian teenager who survived 49 days adrift at sea after the wooden fish trap he was employed to mind slipped its moorings says he ran out of food within a week and survived on fish and seawater he strained through his clothing.

Aldi Novel Adilang told The Associated Press on Monday that he turned on a lamp every time he sighted another ship and can't remember how many passed by "unaware of my ordeal."

The Indonesian Consulate in Osaka, Japan, says the 18-year-old was rescued by a Panamanian-flagged vessel off Guam on Aug. 31, about 1,200 miles from his original location, and returned to Indonesia with officials earlier this month.

He was employed since age 16 in the one of the world's loneliest jobs: lamp lighter on a rompong  a wooden fishing raft with a hut on top  moored about 125 kilometers (78 miles) off the coast of North Sulawesi.

The coastline is not visible from the fishing rafts and the numerous rompong are miles apart from one another, said Adilang's mother, Met Kahiking. Supplies are dropped off to the light keepers about once a week.

"I was on the raft for one month and 18 days. My food ran out after the first week," said Adilang. When it didn't rain for days, "I had to soak my clothes in the sea, then I squeezed and drank the water."

The teen's father, Alfian Adilang, said the family is overjoyed at his return but angry with his employer.

The rafts are anchored with ropes and Adilang said strong friction caused them to break.

"I thought I will never meet my parents again, so I just prayed every day," he said.

The MV Arpeggio, which rescued Adilang off Guam, contacted the Indonesian mission in Osaka when it docked and officials collected him on Sept. 6, the Osaka consulate said in a statement. He returned to Indonesia on Sept. 8.next Image 1 of 2

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Iran was holding funerals Monday for the victims of the weekend terror attack on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, the deadliest attack in the country in nearly a decade.

Thousands of mourners gathered at the city's Sarallah Mosque on the Taleghani junction, carrying caskets in the sweltering heat.

Others, mainly young people wearing ethnic clothes of the region's Arab minority, held large photographs of those slain at Saturday's parade in Ahvaz, the Khuzestan provincial capital, where militants disguised as soldiers had opened fire at marching troops and onlookers. Of the 25 people killed, 12 were from Ahvaz and the rest from elsewhere in Khuzestan.

The procession walked down the Naderi and Zand Streets, many weeping and beating their chests, a traditional way of showing grief. Mourners played drums, cymbals and horns, according to local Arabic custom.

Cries and wails erupted when the casket of a local Ahvaz hero, 54-year-old Hossein Monjazi, a disabled war veteran and Revolutionary Guard member who had lost a leg and a hand in the Iraq-Iran war of the 1980s, was brought out.

Monjazi was in the wheelchair watching the parade when the gunshots erupted and was unable to find shelter from the hail of bullets.

Speaking at the funeral ceremony, Revolutionary Guard's acting commander Gen. Hossein Salami vowed revenge against the attack's perpetrators and what he called the "triangle" of Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States

Arab separatists have claimed the assault, which killed 25 and wounded 60, including Guard members and soldiers. Iranian officials have blamed the separatists for the attack. The Islamic State group also claimed responsibility for the attack, but offered no clear evidence it carried out the assault.

President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday accused an unnamed U.S.-allied regional country of supporting the perpetrators. Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Western diplomats, accusing them of allegedly providing havens for the Arab separatists behind the attacks.

The Ahvaz attack has further shaken Iran, already facing turmoil in the wake of the American withdraw from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.

Rouhani's remarks could refer to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain  close U.S. military allies that view Iran as a regional menace over its support for militant groups across the Middle East.

"All of those small mercenary countries that we see in this region are backed by America. It is Americans who instigate them and provide them with necessary means to commit these crimes," Rouhani said before leaving for the U.N. General Assembly in New York.A top military official in Iran warned the U.S. and Israel on Monday of a devastating response after he blamed the two countries of playing a role in Saturday's assault that killed 25, including 12 members of the Revolutionary Guards, Reuters reported.

Militants disguised as soldiers opened fire on an annual Iranian military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz. The shooting was the deadliest terror attack to strike the country in nearly a decade.

Hossein Salami, the deputy head of the Revolutionary Guard, was at a funeral for one of the attacks victims when he reportedly said, You have seen our revenge before ... You will see that our response will be crushing and devastating and you will regret what you have done.

Suspects have reportedly been arrested and the country has declared Monday a national day of mourning. Iran believes the attack was carried out by militants trained by Israel and Gulf states, and supported by the U.S.

The U.S. government strongly condemned the attack and expressed its sympathy, saying that "the United States condemns all acts of terrorism and the loss of any innocent lives."

We stand with the Iranian people against the scourge of radical Islamic terrorism and express our sympathy to them at this terrible time, said Heather Nauert, the U.S. State Department spokeswoman.

The attack came as rows of Revolutionary Guardsmen marched down Ahvaz's Quds, or Jerusalem, Boulevard. It was one of many around the country marking the start of Iran's long 1980s war with Iraq, commemorations known as the "Sacred Defense Week."

Journalists and onlookers turned to look toward the first shots, then the rows of marchers broke as soldiers and civilians sought cover under sustained gunfire.

Iranian soldiers used their bodies at times to shield civilians in the melee, with one Guardsman in full dress uniform and sash carrying away a bloodied boy.

"Oh God! Go, go, go! Lie down! Lie down!" one man screamed as a woman fled with her baby.

Women and children scattered along with once-marching Revolutionary Guard soldiers as heavy gunfire rang out. The chaos was captured live on state television.

The region's Arab separatists, once only known for nighttime attacks on unguarded oil pipelines, claimed responsibility. Reuters reported that Islamic States Amaq agency posted a video that purportedly showed three men in a vehicle on their way to the parade.

We are Muslims, they are kafirs (non-believers), the man reportedly could be heard saying. He went on: We will destroy them with a strong and guerrilla-style attack, inshallah (God willing).

Tensions have been on the rise between Iran and the U.S. The Trump administration in May pulled out of the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, and since then has re-imposed sanctions that were eased under the deal. It also has steadily ramped up pressure on Iran to try to get it to stop what Washington calls "malign activities" in the region.

Iran summoned diplomats from Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands early Sunday for allegedly harboring "members of the terrorist group" that launched the attack.

State TV hours later reported that all four gunmen had been killed, with three dying during the attack and one later succumbing to his wounds at a hospital.

The Associated Press contributed to this reportThe Latest on Europe's migrant crisis (all times local):

3:50 p.m.

The humanitarian groups operating the sole private rescue boat operating near the deadly central Mediterranean human trafficking route are urging European countries to intervene in order to secure its future after Panama moved to cancel the ship's registration.

Medecins Sans Frontieres and SOS Mediterranee described the decision by the Panama Maritime Authority to de-flag the vessel as shameful.

Francis Vallat, the head of SOS Mediterranee France, asked European countries on Monday during a news conference to "find a solution, whatever it is. We can't stop. We don't want to stop. We will only yield to force and constraint."

Panama's maritime authority said over the weekend it has begun procedures to remove the registration of Aquarius 2 after Italy complained that the boat's captain failed to follow orders.

___

3:25 p.m.

Italy's populist government is making it harder for migrants to be approved for humanitarian protection.

Interior Minister Matteo Salvini told reporters that the government at a Cabinet meeting Monday approved a decree setting tighter criteria for such protection, which accords a status less than full asylum.

Humanitarian protection will only be granted for victims of labor exploitation, human trafficking, domestic violence, natural calamities or those needing medical care as well as to those who performed "deeds of particular civic value," an apparent reference to heroism.

He said asylum-request evaluations will be suspended for those deemed "socially dangerous" or convicted of crime, even before court appeals run out. Salvini insisted: "We're not harming any fundamental rights."

The decree also calls for reduced daily pocket money for asylum-seekers.

___

12:20 p.m.

The Open Society Foundations, created by billionaire philanthropist George Soros, says it has filed applications before the European Court of Human Rights and Hungary's Constitutional Court about recent laws in Hungary targeting civic groups working with refugees and asylum-seekers.

James Goldston, director of the Open Society Justice Initiative, the foundations' legal team, told The Associated Press on Monday that the legal action is aimed at countering laws "meant to intimidate and silence independent voices in Hungary."

Legislation dubbed "Stop Soros" passed in June threatens to incarcerate for up to one year people helping asylum-seekers, while in July Hungarian lawmakers approved a 25 percent tax on financial or material support for groups promoting migration.

OSF supports some of the civic groups targeted by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's unyielding anti-immigration policies.next Image 1 of 2

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The Latest on the United Nations General Assembly (all times local):

10 a.m.

France's foreign minister wants the U.N. to rally behind a Russian-Turkish accord averting a massive battle for the Syrian rebel stronghold of Idlib.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Monday that the accord is "a good thing" and an "opportunity to seize," despite concerns that it may not work.

Speaking ahead of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Le Drian said France supports a push for a U.N. resolution backing the Idlib accord.

However, he wants to add conditions to link the agreement to a longer term peace process.

Russia and Turkey reached an agreement last week for a buffer zone and cease fire around Idlib. Russia supports Syrian government forces and Turkey has leverage with opposition fighters.

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9:50 a.m.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the global drug problem is "alarming," with some 31 million people around the world requiring treatment and some 450,000 deaths every year from overdoses or drug-related health issues.

The U.N. chief told a meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump that a global spotlight on "this life-and-death issue" is needed now more than ever.

He said that "failure is, indeed, not an option," and added, "Together we will succeed. We will never give up."

Trump said global drug use has gone up 60 percent from the year 2000 to 2015.

He said he was "thrilled" that some 130 countries have signed on to a U.S. call for action to reduce drug demand, cut off supplies, expand treatment and strengthen international cooperation.World leaders looked to Nelson Mandela's legacy of championing peace, human rights and global cooperation but acknowledged the world is far from achieving his ideals as the U.N. General Assembly's annual top-level meeting began Monday.

At a peace summit honoring the late South African leader, nations from around the world adopted a declaration recommitting to goals of building a peaceful, inclusive and fair world and "to revive the values for which Nelson Mandela stood" by emphasizing human dignity. At the same time, they worried that the idea of taking multinational action to solve major problems is facing increasing doubt.

"As leaders of this time, you have moral imperative and the ability to bring the death and destructions we witness on a daily basis to an end," Mandela's widow, Graca Machel, told the heads of state and U.N. officials. She implored them to take on "ego-driven" decision-makers, political dogma, greed and the arms industry.

"Humankind will hold you accountable should you allow suffering to continue on your watch," she said.

The appeal for peace and collaboration comes as the U.N.'s founding concepts of shared values and responsibility are being tested, from the "America First" agenda of U.S. President Donald Trump to the U.K.'s impending divorce from the European Union and more.

Trump, arriving at the U.N. Monday for a meeting on drugs, highlighted progress on a key issue for global peace: the nuclear threat from North Korea.

He announced he will likely hold a second summit "quite soon" with the North's leader, Kim Jong Un. Trump said it's "a much different time" from last year's General Assembly meeting, when Trump derided Kim as "Rocket Man."

Still, some of the tensions underlying the global confab weren't hard to detect.

"Great statesmen tend to build bridges instead of walls," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said at the peace summit. Trump  who pulled the U.S. out of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers  campaigned on a promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mandela's birth, and the U.N. is declaring 2019-2028 the "Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace." A $1.8 million statue of a smiling Mandela with outstretched arms was unveiled at U.N. headquarters Monday.

Imprisoned in South Africa for 27 years, Mandela became the international face of the struggle to end the country's apartheid system of white minority rule over the majority black population.

Four years after he walked out of jail, he became the country's first black president in its first multi-racial elections. Over the ensuing decades, he became a Nobel peace laureate and global statesman.

In a speech at the U.N. in 1994, he said its challenge was "to answer the question - given the interdependence of the nations of the world  what is it that we can and must do to ensure that democracy, peace and prosperity prevail everywhere!"

His question is all the more pressing now, U.N. leaders said.

"With human rights under growing pressure around the world, we would be well served to reflect on the example of this outstanding man," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

U.N. General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces said Mandela "represents a light of hope for a world still torn apart by conflicts and suffering"  but one where there are concerns about the international community's ability to work together to resolve such major problems as poverty, hunger, war and global warming.

"Drifting away from multilateralism means jeopardizing the future of our species and our planet," she said. "The world needs a social contract based on shared responsibility, and the only forum that we have to achieve this global compact is the United Nations."Russia announced Monday that it will supply the Syrian government with modern S-300 missile defense systems following last week's downing of a Russian plane by Syria, a friendly fire incident that send regional tensions over the war-torn country soaring.

The Russian military aircraft was downed by Syrian government missile defense systems, killing all 15 people on board. Russia laid the blame squarely on Israel, saying that its fighter jets had pushed the Russian plane into the line of Syria's fire. Shortly before the downing, Israeli strikes had hit targets inside Syria, reportedly preventing an arms shipment going to Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.

Russia launched its campaign in Syria to support President Bashar Assad in 2015 and though the involvement turned the tide of war in favor of Syrian government forces, Moscow has since played a careful balancing act, maintaining good ties both with Iran and Israel.

For its part, Israel is wary of Iran's growing influence in Syria, bringing its archenemy closer to its borders.

Last week's downing has put Russia's relationship with Israel to a test.

President Vladimir Putin struck a reconciliatory note, blaming the downing on a "chain of tragic, fatal circumstances." But the Russian military came out on Sunday, renewing the accusations against Israel.

Russian officials said Syria's outdated S-200 systems weren't sophisticated enough to identify the Russian plane as a friendly one.

Monday's statement from Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia will send the newer S-300 missile defense systems to Syria within the next two weeks. Earlier in the war, Russia suspended a supply of S-300, which Israel feared Syria could use against it.

Shoigu said Russia is now going to go ahead with the shipment because "the situation has changed, and it's not our fault." The supply of S-300s to Syria will "calm down some hotheads" whose actions "pose a threat to our troops," he said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Russian news agencies that supplying S-300 to Syria is Russia's "own right" and expressed confidence that this would not hurt Russia's ties with Israel.

The Kremlin said Russia's decision was not targeted against anyone and only serves to protect Russian troops in Syria. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that recent findings by the Russian military showed an Israeli jet "deliberately" pushed the Russian Il-20 into the line of fire, enabling its downing.

Russia's stepped-up role in Syria enabled Assad's forces, which had been losing ground to the armed opposition, to gain the upper hand in the war and reclaim wide swaths of territory held by the rebels.

In recent months, the government recaptured many areas that were controlled by the opposition. And last week, Russia reached a deal with Turkey that averted a Russian-backed offensive against the northwestern province of Idlib, one of the last areas out of government control.

Idlib, controlled by a mix of radical groups and Turkey-backed armed opposition, overlooks the Syrian coast where Russia military and air bases are located, and have reportedly come under rebel fire.

Shortly after Moscow's announcement, the Syrian president's office said Assad received a call from Vladimir Putin and that the two discussed the latest developments, including the Idlib deal and the delivery of S-300s.

According to the statement, Putin reiterated that Russia holds Israel responsible for the downing of the Russian plane. The Russian president also informed Assad of the S-300 delivery, it said.

Assad expressed his condolences for the deaths of the Russian airmen, saying they were "carrying out noble mission, fighting terrorism in Syria."

___

Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report.Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met Sunday with President of the European Council Donald Tusk and Austrian Chancellor of Sebastian Kurz, in the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and Head of the General Intelligence Directorate Abbas Kamel.

El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's keenness on fostering various aspects of cooperation with the European Union in line with close ties and common interest in confronting challenges facing the Mediterranean region, presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Tusk and Kurz showed keenness on continuing intensive coordination and consultation with Egypt on all issues of common concern and enhancing bilateral cooperation at all levels due to Egypt's regional status, Rady added.

They touched on the outcomes of the Informal Summit of EU Heads of State or Government in Salzburg, Austria on September 19 and 20, the spokesman noted.

The two European officials lauded Egypt's efforts in halting illegal immigration since 2016, describing Cairo as a successful role model in the region, Rady said.

The meeting took up Arab-European coordination in face of common and regional challenges and threats in addition to the current arrangements for holding an Arab-EU summit within the coming period for boosting bilateral cooperation.

Both sides agreed on reaching political solutions to the regional crises in a way maintaining the national institutions, stability and unity of the war-torn countries, Rady underlined.

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A sailor who sustained a crippling back injury during a round-the-world solo yacht race in the remote southern Indian Ocean was rescued Monday after reportedly surviving for three days on iced tea.

The Indian Navy said that 39-year-old Abhilash Tomy hurt his back and was unable to move after his yacht lost both its masts during a storm on Friday as he was competing in the Golden Globe Race.

Tomy, an Indian naval officer, was in third out of 18 participants before the severe storm hit, and survived on cans of iced tea that were nearby, Sky News reported.

A spokesman with the Indian Navy told Sky News that the 39-year-old is "conscious" and "can talk."

"He's been injured but he's in safe hands," Capt. D.K. Sharma said. "He's been moved on a stretcher to the French fishing vessel Osiris."

Tomy had first issued a code red alert from his boat on Friday which said: "ROLLED. DISMASTED. SEVERE BACK INJURY. CANNOT GET UP."

He was then able to communicate by texting on a satellite phone that only had a battery life of a few days, Sky News reported. Organizers of the 30,000-mile race said the stricken sailor was "as far from help as you could possibly be."

INDONESIAN TEEN SURVIVES 49 DAYS ADRIFT WITHOUT PADDLE, BUT WITH BIBLE: REPORT

Tomy, one of India's top sailors, was invited to do the Golden Globe by British sailor Robin Knox-Johnston, who became the first person to sail single-handed, unassisted and non-stop around the world, according to Sky News.

The 39-year-old took part in a non-stop sailing race around the world in 2012, and received awards for his efforts.

The yacht, which was "severely damaged with gear hanging over the side," was located in Australia's search and rescue zone 2,200 miles southwest of the Australian city of Perth, Australian Maritime Safety Authority search and rescue officer Phil Gaden said during a news conference.

Another sailor in the Golden Globe Race, Irishman Gregor McGuckin, also lost his mast on Friday near Tomy and will also be rescued, Gaden said.

India's defense minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, tweeted that it was "a sense of relief to know that naval officer" Abhilash Tomy was "rescued by the French fishing vessel. He's conscious and doing okay."

She said the ship would shift Tomy to a nearby island by evening and that later Indian navy's frigate "will take him to Mauritius for medical attention."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.The head of Thailand's military government declared Monday he is "interested" in participating in politics, in a new indication he may seek to remain in office after elections scheduled for early next year.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's remarks did not clarify whether he is considering running in the general election, which is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 24 next year, or will seek to be appointed by the new parliament as a non-elected outsider prime minister.

Prayuth disavowed political ambitions when he led a May 2014 coup that ousted an elected government. The military declared it would reform politics to get rid of corruption, and banned political party organizing until earlier this month

"I can say right now that I'm interested in political positions," Prayuth told reporters at Government House.

For several months, Prayuth and his backers have been organizing support among pro-military parties, and at least three political groups have declared they will support Prayuth to become prime minister. Prayuth has also been making trips to provincial areas that strongly resemble campaign stops. Although the election is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 24, it can legally be held as late as early May.

Blood ran in the streets of Bangkok the last time a coup leader went back on his vow not to become an unelected prime minister. Gen. Suchinda Kraprayoon led a 1991 coup that ousted elected Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan, then curried favor among several parties that formed a coalition government after a 1992 election and named him prime minister.

Outraged pro-democracy protesters took to the streets to demand Suchinda resign, but instead he called out the army to disperse them by force, killing scores in events that became known as "Bloody May." Suchinda stepped down amid high tension after he and a protest leader were chastised on a live television broadcast by then King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Prayuth's first open admission that he saw himself as more than a coup leader came in January this year when he said, "I am a politician who used to be a soldier." He said he never wanted to become a politician but did so because of a "sense of responsibility."

On Monday, Prayuth said "I can use these words now: 'I am interested in politics,' because I love my country, probably like every Thai in the country."

"What I'll decide, whom I'll support, I'll need some more time," Prayuth said, adding that he had no immediate plans to resign from his position as junta leader. The junta, which holds power above the government, is set to be dissolved after an elected government comes to power.

Prayuth's junta has also pushed through laws that weaken democratic structures with the intention of limiting the power of elected politicians and keeping it in the hands of traditional Thai powerholders, including the judiciary and the military.Turkey said Sunday it would take steps to create "safe zones" across northern Syria, including in areas held by Syrian Kurdish fighters who are allied with the United States but who Ankara views as terrorists.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking in New York ahead of the U.N. General Assembly, vowed to clear the region of the Kurdish fighters, who Turkey says are linked to the long-running insurgency in its restive southeast.

"God willing, in the upcoming period, we will increase safe zones within Syria, also encompassing eastern Euphrates," he said.

Erdogan vowed that northern Syria would not be a "terror corridor," citing Turkish incursions in 2016 and 2018 to the west of the Euphrates River. Those were aimed at pushing Islamic State militants as well as the Kurdish fighters away from the border.

Turkish troops fought alongside Syrian opposition forces, and later set up local governance in the areas they retook. Erdogan says Turkish and allied forces have brought stability to the area, allowing children to return to schools.

Turkey has periodically threatened to expand its military operations into Kurdish-held areas further east, where U.S. troops patrol alongside the Kurdish fighters. The Kurds played a key role in driving the IS out of large parts of northern and eastern Syria with the help of U.S.-led airstrikes.

Erdogan recently reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to pause a Syrian government offensive on the northern province of Idlib, the last major stronghold of the Syrian opposition. The details on the implementation of the agreement remain vague.

Erdogan is not expected to meet with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the U.N. meeting, as relations remain strained over a number of issues.Bonn and the surrounding area : Heavy rainfall keeps fire brigades busy

Bonn Sunday afternoon has proven to be very rainy, there was even an official weather warning issued. In Bonn and the region the fire brigades were called to 20 emergencies.

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Most calls were made after cellars filled with water. In one case the manhole cover couldnt hold the water pressure and the whole street flooded. The fire brigade was also called to Bad Godesberg where a resident of the Otto-Kuhne-Platz had contacted the emergency hotline after the water didnt drain off and needed to be pumped.

It rained for the entire Sunday in Bonn and the region. The German Westher Service (DWD) issued a weather warning due to the forecast of heavy rainfall. They warned not to spend time outside and that flooding might be possible in areas with streams and small rivers. The warning was valid until 4.35pm.

In addition to the rain, gusts of wind with speeds of up to 60 mk/h were forecast, with some squalls of up to 70 km/h.

The latest information on weather news can be found at www.ga.de/wetter and www.ga.de/wetterwarnungenKuwaiti Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled al Jarallah said on Monday that Egyptian-Kuwaiti coordination is ongoing to determine the date of a joint committee meeting.

"The Egyptian-Kuwaiti Committee is an effective mechanism for developing bilateral ties," he elaborated in exclusive statements to MENA.

He said that the planned meeting will take up several important issues and a number of prospective agreements and memorandums of understanding.

Jarallah praised the deep-rooted ties between the two sisterly countries.

As for the latest updates on a US-proposed idea of creating a Middle East Strategic Alliance" also dubbed the "Arab Nato", Jarallah noted that the matter is still under discussion among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Egypt and Jordan.

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Egyptian Minister of Agriculture Ezzedin Abu Stait urged on Monday all at-risk citizens to take necessary measures to prepare for possible floods with the beginning of the winter season approaching.

State bodies are always coordinating efforts to better deal with heavy rains and floods and prevent any harm to citizens or damage to their property and crops, Abu Stait said in a statement.

Earlier this month, the head of the Meteorological Authoritys Analysis Center Mahmoud Shahin warned governors across the state of this autumn seasons expected floods, which were estimated to begin on 22 September.

Hassan el Fouly, the director of the General Authority for Agrarian Reform, said directorates in Behaira, Alexandria, Beni Sweif, Fayyoum, Minya, Assiut, Sohag, Luxor and Aswan are urged to coordinate action with the irrigation ministry to handle the floods, clean canals and make sure warehouses are fit to store production equipment.

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A top Asian cardinal has called the Pope's secretary of state to step down over a controversial deal between the Chinese government and Catholic leaders, saying any deal with Beijing would be an "incredible betrayal" to the Catholic faith.



The provisional agreement, which has the stated aim of allowing "the wounds of the past to be overcome," was announced on September 22. Under the agreement, the Vatican will recognize the legitimacy of bishops appointed by the Chinese government. The appointment of seven bishops approved both by Beijing and the Vatican will lead, said Pope Francis, to the "complete communion of all Chinese Catholics." The Vatican also expressed hope that the believers in the Asian country "will feel fully Catholic and fully Chinese."



Speaking to Reuters, Cardinal Joseph Zen, the most senior Catholic cleric in China, said he believed the two sides were making a "secret deal" and called on Parolin to resign.



"They're giving the flock into the mouths of the wolves. It's an incredible betrayal," he said. "I don't think [Parolin] has faith. He is just a good diplomat in a very secular, mundane meaning."



Because the Vatican is also under pressure for purportedly covering up a sex abuse scandal in the U.S., Zen suggested this China deal would further add to the Church's vulnerability.



"The consequences will be tragic and long lasting, not only for the church in China but for the whole church because it damages the credibility. Maybe that's why they might keep the agreement secret."



While some have praised the deal for allowing the Catholic Church to gain access to potentially millions of converts across China, others have criticized Pope Francis for willingly join forces the increasingly authoritarian Chinese government, which is officially atheist.



China's roughly 12 million Catholics are divided between an underground Church that swears loyalty to the Vatican, and the state-supervised Catholic Patriotic Association.



Speaking to Reuters, Zen said he believed only half the underground church in China would accept a deal and was concerned how the remainder might react.



"I'm afraid they may do something irrational, they may make rebellion," he said, adding that any deal with atheist China would deal a significant blow to Pope Francis' credibility. "It's a complete surrender. It's a betrayal (of our faith). I have no other words."



Amnesty International China Researcher Patrick Poon told CNN the agreement created serious concerns for freedom of religion in China in the future.



"Such an agreement will effectively set a very bad precedent for other religions (in China) ... It will put Catholics under a lot of pressure," he said.



On Twitter, Republican Senator and practicing Catholic Marco Rubio asked how the Vatican could justify the deal it had struck with the Communist Party.



"They are giving a government (an atheist one) influence in choosing bishops which (the Church says) are regarded as transmitters of the apostolic line. How does secular (and atheist) interference in that decision not break that line?" Rubio said.

A previous version of this column incorrectly reported that the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority had been authorized to receive revenue from a new 50 cent fee on taxi and ride-shared trips and a 1 percent fee on airport concessions. Final determination of the organization's revenue structure will be made in the next legislative session.

Nearly two decades ago, the Georgia General Assembly gambled on a radical redistribution of political authority in metropolitan Atlanta. It created a superagency -- the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, or GRTA for short -- and granted it the right to dictate transportation and land use decisions in the 13 counties surrounding the city.GRTAs formal powers were awesome. It could stop the state highway department from building a new road. It could block construction of a regional shopping center. It could build a brand-new transit system and force the suburban counties to pay for it. It made the governor of Georgia, Democrat Roy Barnes at the time, a virtual czar of transportation. It wasnt entirely in jest that GRTAs critics said the initials actually stood for Give Roy Total Authority.That was in 1999. Now, all these years later, its possible to render a verdict on what GRTA actually accomplished. The answer is virtually nothing.Barnes was defeated for reelection in 2002, and his successor, Republican Sonny Perdue, wasnt interested in using the unilateral powers that the legislature had bequeathed him. Perdue preferred the old-fashioned practice of making horse trades with the state Transportation Department. Perdues Republican successor, Nathan Deal, wasnt a GRTA fan either. Last year, he and the legislature finally put the once-powerful superagency out of its misery, folding it into the State Road and Tollway Authority.All of this would just be a morsel of odd urban history were it not for the fact that Georgia decided this year to try something that might be called GRTA Redux. The legislature has established a new superagency: the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority (ATL). ATL will be charged with knitting together plans made by the 13 metro counties into a genuine regional transportation strategy.ATL backers are talking about it in the same dramatic language that was used to inaugurate GRTA in the first place. I really believe this will be transformational, Republican Brandon Beach, the plans Senate sponsor, told the, which in turn called the agency the most sweeping expansion of transit enacted in the past 40 years.Why would an idea that failed dismally just a few years ago have a chance to work now? There is at least one plausible reason. ATL will speak a good bit more softly than GRTA did. The new law gives each of the 13 counties permission to impose a 1 percent sales tax for transit projects, but first the increase must be put to a public vote.Because the law requires counties to opt in if they want to participate, it could end up stumbling as GRTA did. Several county leaders have already said theres no consensus for an extra penny of sales tax among their constituents. In some counties, there may never be such a consensus. But theres also a pervasive sense among the political leadership that much of metro Atlanta is simply in a different frame of mind than it was two decades ago.Its a frame of mind that doesnt exist these days in Nashville. A few weeks after Deal signed the ATL bill into law in Georgia, Nashvillians humiliated the citys business community and much of its political elite by decisively voting against a proposal that would have provided $5.2 billion for 26 miles of light rail, four bus rapid transit lines and four new crosstown bus routes, among other things. As in Georgia, the funding mechanism for this massive expansion was to be a 1-cent sales tax increase, but 30 of Nashvilles 35 metro council districts wanted no part of it.Some aspects of Atlantas situation also prevail in Nashville. Traffic is bad there, not as bad as in Atlanta, but getting worse: The average Nashville driver has been estimated to spend 33 hours stuck in traffic every year. If there were a national register of gridlocked places, the Tennessee city would be a candidate for it. The chamber of commerce in Nashville felt strongly, as did the one in Atlanta, that failure to create a 21st-century transportation system would impose a heavy penalty when it came to business recruitment. None of that seemed to matter very much to the voters.What happened in Nashville can be explained in part by short-term political events that have been widely reported. Earlier this year, Mayor Megan Barry, the leading advocate for the transit sales tax, was forced out of office in a sex scandal. And Americans for Prosperity, the conservative advocacy group run by the billionaire Koch brothers, spent generous amounts of cash on a sophisticated political effort to convince voters to reject the proposal.All of that might account for why Nashvilles transit plan fell short, but not for the sheer magnitude of the rejection. More than 78,000 voted against it, and fewer than 44,000 voted for it. Those numbers are better explained by a brief excursion into geography and demographics.Nashville has a unified city-county government; its 526 square miles, whereas Atlanta is 134. So neighborhoods that would be outside the boundaries of many cities are within the Nashville city limits. These outer neighborhoods, such as Bellevue, Forest Hills, Hermitage and Old Hickory, opposed the transit plan in numbers much greater than the 64-36 citywide margin. In some of these places, the no vote approached 90 percent, largely because these communities didnt feel a kinship with the central city and saw no reason to pay for a light rail system that would mainly benefit downtown Nashville and a few surrounding districts. Some of the light rail lines would have ended several miles from the outlying neighborhoods.Looking at the Nashville result offers some useful lessons in how not to campaign for a transit program. Looking at Nashville and Atlanta together suggests that the two cities are passing through different stages in their history.For more than 50 years, the booming suburbs north of Atlanta have based much of their land use policy around one central idea: Stay away from anything Atlanta wants to do, especially when it comes to transportation. Cobb and Gwinnett counties, which together hold more than a million people, repeatedly refused to participate in MARTA, the metro Atlanta transit system. As a result, MARTA only covers the city itself and a few close-in suburban communities. Cobb and Gwinnett, meanwhile, had virtually no reliable public transportation well into the 21st century.Theres a reason why that happened, although its not a particularly inspiring reason. Cobb and Gwinnett were middle-class refuges for white Atlantans who werent keen on living in integrated neighborhoods or sending their children to schools with diverse populations. In 1990, Cobb County was 86 percent white; Gwinnett was 89 percent white.They havent stayed that way. By the time the 2010 Census was taken, the white population in Cobb was below 60 percent. Gwinnett didnt even have a white majority. In fact, Gwinnetts racial demographics were moving closer to the diversity that existed in Atlanta itself. This wasnt due to a mass migration of African-Americans out of the central city; it had more to do with growing numbers of Hispanic and Asian newcomers.But the bottom line is that white flight doesnt exist in Atlanta the way it once did -- not unless a homebuyer is willing to settle 40 or 50 miles outside the city limits. Atlanta and its biggest suburbs are not only starting to look alike; they are starting to think alike. Increasingly, the things that matter in Atlanta have started to matter in Cobb and Gwinnett as well.The political leadership in these suburbs readily admits it. We have a lot more people in the county now, and they bring in a different perspective, Cobb County Commissioner Mike Boyce told me recently. State Rep. Kevin Tanner, a Republican who sponsored the 2018 transit bill in the Georgia House, told me the same thing. The suburban mindset is changing, he said. This would have been out of the question 10 years ago.Numbers back this up. In a 2017 poll, a majority of respondents in Cobb County said they viewed transit as the best long-term transportation solution. In another survey, 56 percent in Gwinnett and Fulton counties said theyd pay more in taxes for a better transportation system.Those answers may be misleading. Its possible that when Atlantas suburban voters actually have to vote on paying for transit, as they will in the next couple of years, they will be thinking differently. But the current climate of opinion in places like Cobb and Gwinnett suggests that metropolitan Atlanta is finally beginning to perceive itself as one region.Thats something Nashville isnt ready to do. Residents of the affluent outlying communities there are voting more like the Atlanta suburbanites of 1990 than those of 2018. But Atlantas metropolitan diversity reflects changes that are taking place in much of urbanized America. Most likely, Nashville will eventually see them too. Just not for a while.Governments around the nation are working to design the best vaccine policies that keep both their employees and their residents safe. Although the latest data shows a variety of polarizing perspectives, there are clear emerging best practices that leading governments are following to put trust first: creating policies that are flexible and provide a range of options, and being in tune with the needs and sentiments of their employees so that they are able to be dynamic and accommodate the rapidly changing situation.Doctors in California will now be required to notify patients if they are put on disciplinary probation for sexual misconduct.Gov. Jerry Brown announced Wednesday that he had signed the Patient Right to Know Act, making California the first state in the nation to require physicians to inform patients when regulators put them on probation for harming those under their care.The disciplinary actions taken against doctors are already public, but the onus has been on patients to research a doctor's record. The Medical Board of California has an online registry that lists when physicians are on probation and the reasons for the disciplinary action.Under the new law, physicians on probation after July 1, 2019, must directly alert clients about their status before an appointment.The requirement applies only to physicians who are on probation for hurting patients through sexual misconduct, drug abuse or improper prescribing, or if the physician has been convicted of a crime that involves harm to a patient.Lee Harris, president of the Consumer Attorneys of California, said the statute was "a long-overdue fix" that would bring greater transparency."It's never made sense that doctors have had to tell their insurance companies, hospitals and clinics when they are put on probation, but not the people who are most at risk -- their patients," Harris said in a statement.Surgeons, osteopaths, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, podiatrists and acupuncturists are also bound by the new law.The bill faced steep opposition from groups representing medical professionals, who said it would interfere with the doctor-patient relationship. Opponents also said it would violate a doctor's "due process" and potentially put a practice out of business.Janus Norman, the California Medical Assn.'s senior vice president for government relations, said in a statement Wednesday that amendments to the law "ensure due process and appropriately define patient harm."Of the roughly 140,000 licensed physicians, about 130 are put on probation by the Medical Board each year.State Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), a co-author of the bill, campaigned over three years for passage of the law, and the recent push included testimony from U.S. Olympic gymnasts who were victims of Dr. Larry Nassar. Advocates of the bill also cited longtime USC gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall, who has been accused of sexually abusing dozens of women at a campus health center, as another case that necessitated passage of the disclosure law."As the testimony of survivors showed, leaving patients in the dark about this critical information makes them vulnerable to abuse," Hill said.After months of headlines about missing runaways, foster children sleeping in offices and high-profile deaths, this was the last thing the Kansas Department for Children and Families wanted to see.A 13-year-old in the state's custody reportedly was raped inside a child welfare office in Olathe. And the young man charged with the assault earlier this month also was in Kansas' care. Both were at the KVC Behavioral Healthcare office waiting to be placed in an available foster home or facility."It's tragedies like that that folks have been deeply worried was going to happen," said Benet Magnuson, executive director of Kansas Appleseed, a nonprofit justice center serving vulnerable and excluded Kansans. "It's one of these moments: if this doesn't shake us and get us to take action at the deep level that's needed, I don't know what will."The assault happened in early May, although it didn't become public until last week after The Star had obtained police calls for service to the KVC office. It occurred just as DCF Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel and her administration were in the midst of making changes and implementing programs that some say are beginning to show success.Despite those positive steps forward, Meier-Hummel found herself last week -- yet again -- picking up the pieces of a broken Kansas child welfare system.In a lengthy interview with The Star, the DCF leader referred to the assault inside the KVC office as "horrible" and "awful" and said the lack of supervision was unacceptable.She apologized, saying that even though it happened at KVC -- one of two private contractors that provide child welfare services in Kansas -- she's in charge of the system and "I don't think kids in our care should ever be hurt."She said she hopes that residents across Kansas see that DCF investigated the incident and took action, citing KVC for a violation. And that as egregious as the assault was, she has a plan to not only cut down on the number of kids staying in offices but to keep more families together and make DCF stronger."I think we all in the system feel disappointed this happened," she said, sitting behind her desk in her downtown Topeka office. "But absolutely there are things going right. There is movement happening. It's good movement."When Meier-Hummel took over DCF on Dec. 1, there were 30 staff vacancies in the Wichita region. Those positions have been filled, the agency said. So have dozens of others across the state, in part because Meier-Hummel decided to hire unlicensed social workers to fill vacancies in the investigations division.The system has added 150 residential beds in recent months, with at least another 50 expected by the end of the year. Only five kids, she said, stayed overnight in KVC offices since May 18 and workers are concentrating on keeping some children with their families and placing more with relatives."I'm a woman of faith," Meier-Hummel said. "I believe that I was sent here for a very special purpose ... to make this system better, distinctively better for children and families. And yeah, we're making real change."Lawmakers and child advocates across the state still express caution."I certainly am rooting for these reforms to work," Magnuson said. "I hope that we see more progress than we've seen so far, unfortunately. "Members of a legislative child welfare task force created to address problems within the system question why they weren't told about the assault. A DCF spokeswoman said it hasn't been practice to share daily critical incidents.Also, officials said state law prohibits them from discussing an incident until in becomes public knowledge. That didn't happen in this case until charges were filed, they said.Still, task force members said that information would be good to know."Here we are trying to fix this system that just failed this 13-year-old and it isn't brought to our attention?" said Rep. Jarrod Ousley, D-Merriam, a member of the task force.Rep. Linda Gallagher, R-Lenexa, also is a member of the panel. She plans to talk with Meier-Hummel about why task force members weren't informed.But Gallagher also said she thinks the secretary and her staff are moving in the right direction. The recent assault only shows, Gallagher said, that there's much more work to be done and that legislators have to own their part of the solution."An incident like this is definitely frustrating," Gallagher said. "It's not something any of us want, to have a child in custody of the child welfare system being attacked by another one. But I do know that some good things have been put in place."Meier-Hummel leans forward a bit in her chair and says she wants to be frank."We had a neglected system for a substantial time," she said. "There had not been major investments in this agency and in this work for a very, very long time."And that had repercussions, she said. Some communities don't have prevention services and don't have enough resources. That puts families in need."Then more kids come into out-of-home care," she said, "and that then causes a strain on the system."Ousley said it's encouraging to hear a DCF leader willing to talk about what's wrong with the system."At least there's someone admitting we have a problem now -- we didn't have that before," he said. "You're never going to address a problem unless you admit we have one."I think a lot of things have been brought to light, that weren't easily accessible to the public, since Gina took the helm."Lawmakers learned a year ago that because of a shortage of foster homes and residential beds, contractors had resorted to having kids -- many of them with extreme needs and hard to place -- sleep in offices overnight when needed."It's callous that they started it in the first place," said Lori Burns-Bucklew, a Kansas City attorney and accredited child welfare law specialist. "And once it started it became acceptable. It became normalized. It's shocking."When Meier-Hummel took over she said the practice was "unacceptable" and that her administration would work to put an end to that practice. Today, she admits that has proven more difficult than initially thought.From May 5 to mid-May, 41 youths stayed overnight in a KVC office. But since then, after Meier-Hummel increased oversight of KVC and her staff visited offices to make sure conditions were safe, only five have spent the night in an office."I'm frustrated that we couldn't change children sleeping in offices quicker than we did," she said. "That's ridiculous to me. We had to find providers, licensed providers."On May 5, three children were at the KVC office waiting for placement. One worker was supervising the three."We were making phone calls to foster families and other placement options," said Jenny Kutz, a KVC spokeswoman. "Many matches are made in the evening hours."At around 9 p.m., the 13-year-old reported the assault.The worker, who had been with KVC for 2 1/2 years, left that teen and an 18-year-old alone for an estimated "five minutes or less," Kutz said.Michael Anthony Hamer -- who was still in foster care at age 18, which the state law allows -- was charged earlier this month with rape and aggravated indecent liberties with a child under 14. Soon after, The Star realized that his case matched a call for service at KVC on May 5 for sexual battery.Lawmakers and advocates have questioned why it took four months for prosecutors to file charges.Steve Howe, Johnson County District Attorney, said he could not talk about this specific case. But, generally speaking, the length of time it takes to file charges varies from case to case. In instances where a juvenile sexual assault victim is involved, it can take longer because, in part, an interview with the child advocacy center needs to be conducted and prosecutors may need to meet with the victim and family before charges are filed.As for the assault, experts in child welfare insist that it isn't enough to have just one worker supervise three youths."That should never be the case," Burns-Bucklew said. "You always have to go to the bathroom or answer the phone."After the assault became public, KVC posted the news story on its Facebook page and said the agency was "saddened" by the incident."The safety of children and families is our utmost priority as our strong 48-year record attests," said Chad Anderson, president of KVC Kansas. "We work hard to keep thousands of children and families safe 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. But if even one child in our care is harmed, we are deeply sorry and committed to doing everything in our power to assist with their healing process. "One criticism of the Kansas system, and many state child welfare systems across the country, is that too many kids come into care. Keep kids with their families whenever possible, advocates often say. And concentrate on making that family stronger.A long-time social worker herself, Meier-Hummel said she understands that."If kids can be raised safely with their families, they should be raised safely with their family," Meier-Hummel said. "Government should not be involved in children and families' lives unless there's an extreme need."And this month, her staff has initiated an effort to try to keep families together when possible.Risk Removal Staffing Teams include about eight staffers from across DCF, not just from the child welfare division.Child welfare workers identify neglect cases where a child is at risk of entering the foster care system. The team then brainstorms what services could help the family and allow the child to stay in the home."We're not leaving kids at risk," Meier-Hummel said. "We are talking about putting real services in place to help families. We're talking about, 'Is there a community provider who we can connect with them? Is there someone who can be in there daily to help them?'"So we are trying to mobilize the resources we have as an agency to help families."Since Sept. 5, teams have discussed 17 cases. In 14 of those, services were identified to strengthen the family and the children. Those children were able to stay in their homes."That's encouraging," Ousley said. "They just kept 14 families together that would have been taken apart. Who knows what trajectory they changed by not putting those kids in the system. ... But they have to do follow up."Burns-Bucklew said for these teams to work for the long-term the agency needs to gather data "very carefully and very honestly.""They need to constantly evaluate those homes," Burns-Bucklew said. "And make sure they are giving them the supportive services to help things from re-occurring."Officials say workers will continue to have contact with the families who are provided services.Meier-Hummel listened in on one of the recent team meetings. A child had been born positive for drugs and the mother continued to use. Typically, that can be a reason to remove."Someone immediately said, 'I know where we can call to see if we can get a bed," Meier-Hummel said. And the baby would have been able to stay with the mother.In this case, the mother declined the treatment and the infant was taken into care. But for the DCF leader, it was encouraging to see that her staff looked for a solution and reached out to try to keep a family intact."We are making changes," Meier-Hummel said. "We are absolutely making changes that will have major impact on improving the system. We've seen it already and will continue to see it."I believe, given time, the system will be substantially different in the future."Another Form of Voter Suppression

An Uneven Expansion

Cities Take the Lead

A split is growing between cities that want to require private companies to give workers paid sick days and states that are determined to stop them.In the last three years, a dozen states have banned localities from passing paid leave requirements, more than doubling to 22 the states that now outlaw such local ordinances. The push for so-called preemption laws is backed by the Koch brothers and the American Legislative Exchange Council, a membership organization of state legislators who favor limited government.The state moves come in response to the increasing number of cities and counties passing paid sick days ordinances. Since 2015, more than 20 cities, as well as eight states, have approved measures mandating that companies provide local workers with paid sick leave. Since San Francisco approved the first paid sick leave ordinance in 2006, paid sick day requirements have been passed in 35 cities or counties and 11 states.Backers of required sick leave say theyre giving an essential health benefit to workers  one that will improve public health by keeping ill employees at home. Opponents say paid sick leave will cost employers too much, and that a patchwork of conflicting local and state policies will only cause confusion.Theres a real pitched battle going on in a lot of places right now between cities that have decided that they really want to protect workers rights and workers health, and state legislatures that dont want to interfere with businesses at all, said Sherry Leiwant, co-founder and co-president of A Better Balance, a New York-based group that supports paid leave. Were seeing that more and more, and I think were going to keep seeing that.The United States is the only developed country without a national paid leave law, says the International Labour Organization, a United Nations agency. Nearly a third of all workers in the United States dont have paid sick days, according to the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. Yet, bipartisan support for the benefits is higher than ever. Ninety-four percent of Democratic voters and nearly 80 percent of Republican voters favor paid sick leave laws, according to a 2015 New York Times-CBS News poll.A handful of states that prohibit local sick leave ordinances, including Maryland, Oregon, Rhode Island and New Jersey, do require businesses to provide sick leave, but bar cities from going beyond the state requirements. Other states, such as Wisconsin, dont have a state rule and prohibit cities from passing their own.In 2008, voters in Milwaukee approved a paid sick leave measure with support from nearly 70 percent of voters, making the city the third in the country, behind San Francisco and Washington, D.C., to approve one. But in 2011, newly elected Republican Gov. Scott Walker and the GOP-led Legislature reversed the Milwaukee measure and approved a law to preempt other Wisconsin cities from following its lead.The clash over paid sick leave is part of a broader divide between conservative states and their more liberal cities on a wide range of issues, including minimum wage laws, fracking, plastic bag bans, municipal broadband and anti-discrimination ordinances that protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.Earlier this month, in a political maneuver that some called unprecedented, Michigan lawmakers enacted a law requiring paid sick days only to block a similar ballot initiative from being put to voters Nov. 6. The Republican-led Legislature likely will roll back the measure.By passing the law to provide paid sick leave to nearly 2 million workers, Michigan lawmakers stopped a ballot initiative that, if passed, they would need a three-fourths majority to overturn. Instead, they need only a majority to undo the law they passed before it goes into effect.Ive never seen anything like this, said Robert Sedler, a law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. This is like a bait and switch.Christina Hayes, a Detroit mother who was diagnosed with lupus at age 19 and has since become an advocate for paid sick leave, said the move felt like little punches to those who spent months going door to door to help gather petition signatures.Ellen Bravo, executive director of Family Values at Work, a nonprofit pushing for paid leave reforms nationwide, called the move another form of voter suppression and a new level of dirty tricks.But Wendy Block, a lobbyist for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, defended lawmakers. You look at this proposal on its face and you say, Oh, mandatory sick leave  it must be a good thing. But, really, the devil is in the details, she said, referring to the ballot measure.A one-size-fits-all policy is really not appropriate for our state, she said. Some employers provide more generous leave policies than would be allowed under the proposal, while other employers cant afford the leave time theyd be forced to offer, according to Block.The proposal in Michigan really is the most extreme that has been introduced yet in this country, she said, and full of lots of legal landmines.The proposal requires one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked; applies to all employees and independent contractors; and allows employees to use their time in as little as 6-minute increments.Paid-leave advocates increasingly are turning to ballot initiatives to bypass resistant legislatures. Excluding Michigan, three of the 10 states to require paid sick time  Massachusetts in 2014, and Arizona and Washington in 2016  did so through citizen-led ballot initiatives.Overall, the number of U.S. workers with paid sick leave is growing, but the availability of the benefit varies by region. Seventy-five percent of private industry workers in the Northeast and 81 percent of private industry workers in the West have access to paid sick leave, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, compared with 67 percent in the South and 64 percent in the Midwest.Workers in rural areas are less likely than workers in cities and suburbs to have five or more paid sick days, according to a 2011 brief by the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire.The growing movement is really starting to show a story of the uneven expansion of these policies, said Shilpa Phadke, vice president of the Womens Initiative at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C. And what that does is remind us why we really need the federal baseline.With a federal sick leave measure stalled in Congress and stiff resistance in Republican-led states, more cities are acting on their own.In San Antonio last month, the city council  prompted by a local ballot initiative that gathered more than 144,000 signatures in favor of paid sick leave, enough for the measure to appear on the ballot in November  passed a paid sick leave ordinance and became the second city in Texas, behind Austin, to do so. And in Dallas, organizers in July aimed for a ballot initiative to provide paid sick leave to the estimated 41 percent of workers without it, but did not gather enough signatures.The Austin ordinance is currently tied up in Texas 3rd Court of Appeals after the Texas Public Policy Foundation filed a lawsuit last month arguing that the measure violates the Texas Constitution and state law.Robert Henneke, the foundations general counsel, said a paid sick leave mandate is unnecessary. Especially with as competitive a job market as Austin is and as low as our unemployment is, businesses here already have to compete very fiercely for good, qualified employees and to be able to keep and retain those employees. The way they do so is offering different types of compensation packages and benefits that can help them in being fully staffed and competitive in the workforce.Because proponents of the paid leave ordinance such as the Texas Organizing Project and Working Texans for Paid Sick Time have pushed the Austin proposals language in other Texas cities, Henneke said the courts decision will be very influential in addressing the same ordinance in San Antonio, if ones adopted in Dallas, and potentially Houston.Theres a weaponization of municipal governments and an abuse of power by cities that are doing this without any real data or evidence to show a need, he added.But Leiwant of A Better Balance said shackling cities prevents localities from acting as laboratories, where the effectiveness of new policies like paid sick leave can be tested. If the ordinances work, you can have them implemented on the state level or even the federal law, so its really a bad thing to cut local control off like some of these states have been doing.Preemption laws are typically backed by business groups that say mandated paid leave impedes flexible approaches to meeting employees needs and hurts businesses bottom line.Paid leave mandates impose an especially onerous burden on staffing firms, because they must track the hours of large numbers of employees on short-term, intermittent job assignments for purposes of leave accrual and utilization, said Stephen Dwyer, the general counsel for the American Staffing Association, a national business group thats among the lead plaintiffs that challenged the Austin ordinance.But in cities that have passed paid sick leave requirements, some studies have shown that impacts on employers have been minimal.In San Francisco, for instance, where workers are given up to nine days paid sick leave a year, the average worker takes only three sick days, according to a 2011 study by the Institute for Womens Policy Research, a social science research institute. And businesses reported minimal impacts setting up the new policy, an Urban Institute study found.Similarly, in New York City, the typical worker takes three paid sick days, according to a 2016 study by the left-leaning Center for Economic and Policy Research. And more than 4 in 5 employers supported the law.In Seattle, most employers said that paid sick leave was easy to set up, a study by the University of Washington found. Though about a third of employers reported having trouble working with payroll vendors and carrying out other administrative requirements. The costs to businesses overall were modest and smaller than anticipated.Today, for the average two-earner family in the United States without paid sick leave, taking 3.5 unpaid sick days means losing a months worth of groceries, according to a briefing paper by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C.Times are changing, said Vicki Shabo, the vice president for workplace policies and strategies at the National Partnership for Women and Families. When the push for paid sick leave began, it was a fringy issue, she said, and now its become more mainstream.But Shabo knows the battles will continue.Its not over, she said.In July 1998, 24-year-old Lucas Rosa walked into a Massachusetts bank to apply for a car loan. The loan officer refused to give Rosa an application and instructed her to leave and return wearing mens clothing before she could apply.Rosa is a transgender woman who later won a lawsuit against Park West Bank in 2000, marking a significant victory in the emerging fight against transgender discrimination. Since Rosas case, the state added discrimination protections for transgender people in public spaces, including restaurants, hospitals and bathrooms.In danger of being overturned, those protections were upheld by Massachusetts voters on Tuesday in the countrys first statewide referendum on transgender rights. With 67 percent of the vote in favor of Massachusetts' Question 3, the state will keep in place the anti-discrimination law, which Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed in 2016.No one should be discriminated against in Massachusetts because of their gender identity, said Baker after signing the bill two years ago.The vote marks a victory for the LGBTQ community."It would [have been] devastating for the transgender community to have these rights stripped away through a popular vote," said Janson Wu, executive director of GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD). "Especially for young transgender people who already have higher rates of depression and suicide because of society's stigma on who they are."When it comes to LGBTQ rights, Massachusetts is hailed as a leader . In 1974, former state Rep. Elaine Noble became the nation's first openly gay candidate elected to a state legislature. In 2003, the state became the first to legalize same-sex marriage. In 2011, former Gov. Deval Patrick signed the states first round of transgender protections, which covered employment, housing, education, and credit and lending.While the anti-discrimination law applies to any place that is open to and accepts or solicits the patronage of the general public, opponents of it focused on bathroom access because it is easier to stir up fear about womens safety, said Deborah Shields, executive director of the advocacy group MassEquality. (Polls this summer showed that voters were much less likely to approve of the transgender protections when the question focused on bathrooms. When the question used broader language with no mention of bathrooms, support increased by 20 percent.)The final ballot language did not mention bathrooms or transgender people specifically. Instead, it asked whether voters wanted to keep the current law, "which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity in places of public accommodation."For opponents of Massachusetts transgender protections, the issue of bathrooms and public safety is significant.Yvette Ollada is a spokesperson for Keep MA Safe, the group that petitioned to get the measure on the ballot. Her group makes a common argument: that sex offenders could pretend to be transgender and commit sexual crimes in bathrooms and locker rooms.It's an argument that has continually proven to be untrue. study published this month from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law concludes that anti-discrimination laws like Massachusetts are not related to the frequency of sexual offenses in these facilities. The researchers looked at Massachusetts specifically because, prior to 2016, some localities in the state had anti-discrimination policies for public accommodations and others did not, says Amira Hasenbush, one of the studys authors. They made a public records request for crime data before and after the 2016 law and compared localities with similarities in crime rates and demographics to determine the effect.The point of our research," said Hasenbush, "is that it takes out some of the other background noise and only looks at the impact of that law because were looking both at a place with the policy and without the policy."As part of its promise to make the nations capital a welcoming place for immigrants, the District has vowed it wont turn over arrestees to federal immigration agents unless that person is a convicted violent offender.But despite its status as a sanctuary city, the District finds itself powerless to shield many undocumented immigrants who get arrested  even those accused of minor crimes  from possible deportation.The issue recently sparked frustration among city leaders and anger among activists when a man suspected of theft was taken from the D.C. courthouse last month and handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Benjamin Ordonez, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, was accused of stealing a purse containing $200. He had just been released by a judge and told to return for his trial.He never walked out of the court building, said his court-appointed attorney, Lucas Dansie.Thats because, unlike in other cities, the Districts judicial system is run not only by local agencies, but also through federal partners that do not adhere to the citys sanctuary policies. Prosecutors and workers who conduct pre- and post-trial supervision of arrestees are federal employees. So are U.S. marshals, who provide security and transport inmates  and took Ordonez into custody after his court hearing.Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has had a busy schedule on Sunday in New York meeting with the president of the World Bank (WB), members of the American Chamber of Commerce, and senior representatives of leading US companies who are interested in the Egyptian market.

El-Sisi's meetings come on the sidelines of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly.

In the meeting with the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, El-Sisi discussed cooperation projects in the healthcare and education fields, especially technical education and vocational training.

They also discussed means of developing cooperation across various fields, including economic and social development, as well as assisting the government's efforts to attract foreign investments to the Egyptian market.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr, Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nassar and General Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said.

El-Sisi stressed the importance of enhancing relations with the World Bank group, as it is considered to be one of the most important development partners, Radi also said.

Meanwhile, Kim affirmed the continued support of the bank for the economic reforms implemented by Egypt, which has resulted in realistic positive results, including raising growth rates, reducing the budget deficit, and achieving economic stability.

The WB president promised to continue supporting Egypt in its efforts to improve the business and investment climate, shore up its service sector and establish more development projects to make Egypt a successful model for other developing nations to follow in achieving stability and economic reform.

Kim added that the meeting witnessed a review of the latest developments in the implementation of the economic reform program; and the mega development projects launched by the government to develop the economy.

El-Sisi also met with members of the American Chamber of Commerce, and heads and senior representatives of leading US companies operating or desiring to operate in the Egyptian market.

The meeting was attended by John J. Christmann, the chief executive officer and president of the US Apache Corporation.

The meeting heard discussions into the economic, financial and legislative reforms adopted recently by the Egyptian government to attract more foreign investments and investment opportunities in Egypt.

Christmann praised the continuous progress witnessed in the Egyptian economy and the success of the measures taken by Egyptian government to improve the economic situation and encourage investment.

He affirmed the determination of the Egyptian-American Business Council to enhance economic and trade cooperation between the two countries in different industries.

Meanwhile, Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce Myron Brilliant welcomed El-Sisi's visit and discussed ways of enhancing economic relations and joint cooperation between Egypt and the US.

During the meeting, El-Sisi pointed out that the Egyptian-American partnership has been and will remain one of the pillars of security and stability in the Middle East, especially as Egypt ranks first in the list of countries for American investments in Africa and second in the Middle East.

"The United States remains one of the largest and most important investors in the Egyptian market," said El-Sisi.

During the meeting, the Egyptian officials reviewed the investment opportunities available in various sectors in Egypt, including infrastructure, logistics, telecommunications, information technology, energy, pharmaceutical industries and the automotive industry.

El-Sisi stressed Egypt's desire to continuously communicate with American investors to identify the obstacles that may face them, and work on solving them.

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The state has notified Southwest Key it intends to revoke the licenses of its Arizona shelters holding migrant children, including the one in Tucson, after it failed to prove it is complying with required background checks."Southwest Key's lack of ability to deliver a simple report on the critical protections these children have against dangerous felons demonstrate an utter disregard for Arizona law, the mutual agreement with the Department, and calls into question the privilege you enjoy operating a health care institution in the state of Arizona," Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health services said in a letter sent Wednesday to Southwest Key CEO Juan Sanchez.After recent media reports of sexual abuse, the agency investigated all Southwest Key facilities and "was unable to substantiate multiple complaints regarding overcapacity, failure to report to law enforcement, staff qualifications, and the safety and care of children at Southwest Key," Christ wrote in a report to Gov. Doug Ducey last month. But it found problems with employee background checks, especially in Tucson, where inspectors determined eight employees were late to apply for fingerprint clearance cards.The Texas-based nonprofit was supposed to provide the state information regarding their efforts to audit and verify all current employees fingerprint clearance cards and the minimum training requirements by September 14, according to the letter, which was first reported by The Arizona Republic.The information provided to the state regarding roughly 2,000 employees was not only late, but deemed deficient and not acceptable by the department, which Christ said showed the organization's "inability and unwillingness to comprehend Arizona's most basic licensure laws."Among other things, Christ said the report provided by Southwest Key consisted of incongruent spreadsheets, filled with names and dates but no context that would allow the department to interpret the information.In a written statement, Southwest Key spokesman Jeff Eller said they apologize for missing the reporting deadline and that they were "serious about ensuring that never happens again."He said they've requested to meet with ADHS leadership as soon as possible and "know that having a strong partnership with the agency is incumbent upon us. We remain committed to meeting all Arizona licensing requirements -- both required by law and voluntary -- and doing so in a timely manner."Southwest Key, which describes itself as the largest provider of shelter services to unaccompanied minors in the country, operates 13 shelters in Arizona.Recent media reports have found incidents of sexual assault and abuse at some of the country's 100 shelters caring for migrant children across 17 states, including those in Arizona.Levian Pacheco, a former Southwest Key youth care worker in Mesa was convicted earlier this month for abusing at least eight boys over an 11 month-period. ProPublica reported he worked four months without a background check.Another staffer was arrested and charged with molesting a 14-year-old girl this year, The Arizona Republic reported. A 6-year-old girl who was separated from her mother this summer was fondled twice by another child at a migrant shelter in Glendale.Locally, nearly 100 incident reports since 2014 to the Tucson Police Department reviewed by the Star show at least three especially serious cases:* Oscar Trujillo was convicted last year of sexual abuse and sentenced to three years probation for touching a 15-year old boy in his genital area over his clothing and trying to pull down his pants inside the teen's room in 2015.* A 17-year-old Honduran boy who arrived at the Tucson shelter in February 2017 told DCS that after he had surgery on his knee and while recovering and still on pain medication, he woke up and saw a staffer standing next to his bed and talking about his penis. Another time, the staff member reached for the video game controller and his hand brushed his genitals. The teen initially denied the allegations because he was afraid he would have to stay at the facility. The investigation is ongoing.* In 2015, two female employees told managers that a maintenance supervisor had groped them. The company made an internal sexual harassment investigation and didn't find anything. The maintenance supervisor denied the accusations and ultimately the case was closed because it was his word against that of the female employees.Other reports point to allegations of inappropriate relationships with staff, sexual contact among minors and bullying.In an interview with NPR, Sanchez said the company self-reports allegations and "if any allegation involves a staff member, we immediately suspend the staff member so they are out of the program, and we turn over the investigation to child care licensing."If ADHS moves towards revocation, Southwest Key may: surrender their license; do nothing and have their license revoked after 30 days; or request a hearing before an administrative judge. In they choose the latter, they may also request a settlement conference with ADHS prior to the hearing, according to department spokeswoman Melissa Blasius-Nuanez.In the letter, Christ said the required fingerprint background checks are one of the most important tools the department has to verify the organization is taking every step to make sure employees don't have criminal history that would place children and vulnerable patients at risk. "We take this requirement seriously, but apparently, providing the Department with reassurance that you require the critical background check is not a priority for your organization."And it reminded Southwest Key that it had failed in the past with providing appropriate background checks of employees. "This report indicates an astonishingly flippant attitude in your organization's response to the Department's grave concerns."As more governments allow and even encourage their employees to use their own cellphones and computers for work, the line between private and public communication has blurred.Any employee who uses a personal device for work is in peril of having that device searched to make sure there isnt any information relevant to a public records request, says George Crisci, an Ohio employment and labor lawyer who specializes in the public sector.Last year, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor sent state and local public employees a clear message : Be careful about what you say over email.You cannot assume that you can have private conversations in a public arena, says Jenifer Schaye, the general counsel of the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. Even though youre having conversations on private phones and private iPads, you have to assume that at some point theyll be reviewed by the public.But how much of public workers personal information can be revealed to the public?It varies state by state, but generally the kinds of data that would make someone vulnerable to identity theft -- tax records, home addresses, cellphone numbers -- is protected. Public employees salaries are generally not. Medical information is sealed under federal law.Bans on sharing public employees' personal information have been hotly contested by organizations that believe they have a right to information about taxpayer-funded workers. The debate surfaced this summer in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's Janus decision , which made it illegal to require public workers to pay fees to unions that represent them.On the day of the ruling, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order to ensure that state workers' personal contact information was protected. According to the governor's office, Recent media reports indicate that certain far-right groups are obtaining contact information of public employees through freedom of information policies and using the information to launch full-scale campaigns against union membership by contacting employees, in some cases at their homes, and presenting them with anti-union information to encourage them to leave their union and discourage union membership.The tension between transparency and privacy is particularly acute in Washington state, which has an expansive public records law as well as strict privacy protections in the states constitution.I dont know that weve reached the right balance yet between the privacy protections that we expect and the transparency we demand from our public employees and elected officials, says Philip Paine, a health and privacy attorney based in Washington.The Washington Legislature has not yet dealt with this potential conflict, says Paine, and he cautions public employees to be careful about the risk to their personal privacy when public information mixes with private.The patchwork of laws dictating whats considered public record and whats not is particularly evident in cases involving police use of force.When Tamir Rice, a black 12-year-old was shot by police in 2014, Ohios expansive public records law allowed Cleveland newspapers to quickly get the officers personnel records. The files from Independence, a suburb where the officer had previously worked, contained negative notes from supervisors that chronicled emotional problems and an inability to perform basic functions as instructed.By contrast, New York state has a law that was passed in 1976 that protects officer disciplinary records from being released to the public. That law stymied efforts by the press and the Legal Aid Society to access the disciplinary records of the officer involved in the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who was placed in a chokehold by police prior to his death in 2014.Efforts to get that law changed have so far been unsuccessful, but the debate rages on.Police advocates believe that if too much personal information is revealed, that raises the specter of danger to officers.Unlimited public disclosure of police officers confidential personnel records would put them and their families at greater risk for harassment, or worse, said Patrick Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, last summer.But New York Assemblyman Dan Quart, who co-sponsored a bill that did not get traction this year, says New York is in the small minority of states that provide blanket protection of law enforcement personnel files.It is a shield to prevent the normal disclosure and transparency of police officer personnel records, he says. My hope is that this is at the top of the criminal reform agenda next year in Albany.Description

GIS 24 September, 2018: The opening ceremony of a two-day conference on Creative Writing entitled Heaven of Freedom, The opening ceremony of a two-day conference on Creative Writing entitled Heaven of Freedom, an initiative of the Presidents Fund for Creative Writing (PFCW) organised in the context of the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of Mauritius, was held on Friday 21 September 2018 at Le Labourdonnais Hotel in Port Louis.

The Acting President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory, the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun, and several other personalities were present at the event.

In his address, the Acting President of the Republic highlighted that there exist several cultures and languages in Mauritius while adding that the country has been created from a variety of civilisations namely from India, Europe, Africa and China. He stressed on the need to promote all the different languages in their pure state as well as to make a fusion of them.

Speaking about the PFCW, he pointed out that it was set up in 2000 under the aegis of the Ministry of Arts and Culture, with the aim to promote creative writing in English language while adding that in July 2010, under the Fund, new regulations were made to propagate and preserve creative writings of other languages written and spoken in Mauritius.

Mr Vyapoory recalled that the objectives of the Fund are to finance schemes to encourage and assist deserving Mauritian writers wishing to have their creative writings published; the promotion of creative writing in all languages written and spoken in Mauritius; the setting up of a network among educational institutions in Mauritius in order to promote creative writing in all genres; and the compilation and publication of regular anthologies and a directory of Mauritian writers.

For his part, Minister Roopun commended the PFCW for having chosen the theme Heaven of Freedom, which he underlined, has been taken from Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagores Gitanjali. Creative writing, the Minister highlighted has no limits as an author encompasses all walks of life, the past, the present and the future in his works. It also helps to raise awareness on social, political, economic and cultural issues, thereby contributing to a better world, he added. The Minister also seized the occasion to pay tribute to the Mauritian writer, late Abhimanyu Unnuth for his major works that are internationally recognised.

Moreover, he stressed that Government is committed to bring a new dynamism to the creative sector and make it another economic pillar of the country. Mr Roopun pointed out that his Ministry is engaged in the revamping of the creative sector so as to promote it in all its forms. He recalled that the Copyright Act has been amended to redefine and better safeguard the interest of copyright owners, as well as for better representation of rights of holders.

The Minister underpinned that it is imperative to look for new potentials and consider new ways of promoting local talents. He, therefore, called on the concerned authorities and stakeholders to provide avenues for local artists so as to recognise the creative potential that exist in them.Description

GIS  24 September, 2018: The Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, outlined Governments proposed amendments to the Electoral System during a press conference held on Friday 21 September 2018 at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis.

The proposed amendments comprise the introduction of a dose of Proportional Representation (PR) in the National Assembly; the allocation of additional seats  Best Loser Seats (BLS)  to do away with the mandatory declaration of community; the guarantee of better women representation; and anti-defection measures (in the case of PR and additional seats).

Prime Minister Jugnauth recalled that the objectives of the amendments are to provide a more equitable representation of parties in the National Assembly, while ensuring stability and governability; to do away with the mandatory declaration of community; and to ensure that the majority arising from the First Past the Post (FPTP) system remains the same after the allocation of PR and additional seats.

The aim is to guarantee a better representation of women in the National Assembly by providing for a gender neutral formula of at least one third of the total number of candidates of the same sex for each party or party alliance, both for the FPTP election and the PR list; and providing for anti-defection measures.

First Past the Post System (63 seats)

The FPTP system will be maintained, whereas each constituency of Mauritius will return three members. The constituency of Rodrigues will also return three members to the National Assembly instead of two. With the increase of the number of elected Members of Parliament for Rodrigues from two to three, the gender quota of one third will be guaranteed, as each party or party alliance in Rodrigues will have to ensure that its three candidates are not all of the same sex.

Proportional Representation System (12 seats)

Twelve PR seats will be allocated by the parallel mode and the highest remainder formula, based on the respective percentage of votes obtained by eligible parties or party alliances at national level. The threshold for the entitlement of parties or party alliances to PR seats is 10%, the Prime Minister added.

Each party or party alliance will be entitled to submit a closed party list of up to 24 candidates, in order of precedence, not later than two days after the last day for the withdrawal of candidatures.

Allocation of six Additional Seats (Best Loser Seats)

According to the Prime Minister, the aim of the allocation of additional seats to eligible parties or party alliances is to re-establish the majority obtained by the winning party or party alliance over the other eligible parties or party alliances by ensuring the balance between stability and fairness. The objective is to scrap the actual Best Loser System and do away with the mandatory declaration of community for nomination as a candidate for the National Assembly elections. This system will also allow leaders of parties or party alliances to ensure adequate representation in the National Assembly.

Six additional seats will be allocated in the first instance and the number of seats to be allocated to each eligible party or party alliances will be computed by the Electoral Supervisory Commission.

However, added the Prime Minister, the choice of Best Losers will be determined by the respective leaders of the eligible parties or party alliances from the unreturned candidates of their FPTP and/or PR list(s).

In the circumstance where more than two parties or party alliances secure seats under the FPTP system, each of the parties or party alliances ranking after the first two parties or party alliances will be allotted one additional seat for every 10% of votes secured, before the balancing exercise is effected between the winning party or party alliance on the one hand and the other eligible parties or party alliances grouped together on the other hand.

Where, following the allocation of the 6 additional seats, the majority is still not re-established, eligible party/parties will be allocated a further number of additional seats as may be necessary in order to ensure the re-establishment of the said majority. However, the maximum number of additional seats will not exceed 10.

Guaranteeing better Women Representation

At least one third of the total number of candidates fielded by each party or party alliances should be of the same sex with regard to the FPTP System.

Furthermore, at least one third of the total number of candidates on the PR list of each party or party alliance should be of the same sex. However, not more than two consecutive candidates on the PR list should be of the same sex.

Where a party or party alliance presenting more than two candidates fails to ensure that not more than two thirds of its candidates are of the same sex, all the candidates of the party or party alliance will be considered not to belong to any party or party alliance and their nomination papers will have effect accordingly (as is the case for Local Government and Rodrigues Regional Assembly Elections).

Where a PR list does not comply with the gender quota, the Electoral Supervisory Commission will declare the said list to be invalid (as is the case for the party lists of reserve candidates for Local Government Elections and the party lists of candidates for the Island Regional Election for Rodrigues Regional Assembly Elections).

Anti-defection Measures

Where a Member of Parliament, who has been elected under the PR system or who has been allotted an additional seat, crosses the floor voluntarily, his seat will be deemed to be vacant. However, where such a Member of Parliament makes a claim that he and any other members of his political party or party alliance constitute a group representing a faction which has arisen as a result of a split in his original political party or party alliance and such group consists of not less than five members of such party or party alliance, his seat will not be deemed to be vacant on the above mentioned grounds and from the time of such split, such faction will be deemed to be the political party to which he belongs.

Furthermore, the seat of such a Member of Parliament will not be deemed to be vacant where the party to which he belongs contracts an alliance with another party and such decision is supported by not less than five members. If such alliance takes place, the seats of those who do not agree to such alliance and opt to function as a separate group in Parliament will not be deemed to be vacant, whatever may be their numerical strength.

Filing of vacancies

Where a PR seat becomes vacant, the vacancy will be filled by the first available candidate in the order of precedence in which his name appears on the party list of the relevant party or party alliance to which the candidate, whose seat has become vacant, belonged.

In the eventuality that an additional seat becomes vacant, the filling of the vacancy will be determined by the leader of the relevant party or party alliance to which the candidate, whose seat has become vacant, belonged. The choice will be made from the unreturned candidates of the FPTP or PR list of the said party or party alliance.Description

GIS 24 September, 2018: Government expenditure on education and training for the financial years 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 are estimated at Rs 17,708 million and Rs 19,250 million, representing 12.6% and 12.1% of total expenditure, as per the data released by Statistics Mauritius on education. Government expenditure on education and training for the financial years 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 are estimated at Rs 17,708 million and Rs 19,250 million, representing 12.6% and 12.1% of total expenditure, as per the data released by Statistics Mauritius on education.

Pre-primary schools numbered 846 in March 2018 having an enrolment of 26,183 children with around 49% girls. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (number of students enrolled per 100 population aged 4 and 5 years) works out to 96% with an average of 12 pupils per teacher.

As at March 2018, there were 318 primary schools with 89,642 pupils of whom 50.3% were boys. The total staff comprised 8,564 persons including 4,269 General Purpose Teachers and 1,265 Oriental Language teachers. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (number of students enrolled per 100 population aged 6 to 11 years) is 97% and the pupil/teacher (general purpose) ratio works out to 21.

Moreover, there were 178 schools providing secondary education in the general stream. The secondary school enrolment was 110,715 with 48% girls as at March 2018. The number of teachers stood at 8,589. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (number of students enrolled per 100 population aged 12 to 19 years) works out to 73% and the pupil/teacher ratio to 13.

Pre-vocational education was dispensed in 111 schools in March 2018 with an enrolment of 6,243 students and 953 teaching staff. Boys pre-dominated in these pre-vocational schools, representing around 66 % of enrolment. The pupil/teacher ratio was 7.

Furthermore, the percentage of school candidates meeting Primary School Achievement Certificate (PSAC) requirement, before re-assessment, was 77.7 in 2017. After re-assessment, the percentage stood at 81.2. The pass rate for the Cambridge School Certificate (SC) declined from 72% in 2016 to 71.6% in 2017 and for the Cambridge Higher School Certificate (HSC) from 75.5% to 74.4%.

As regards tertiary level enrolment, it decreased from 48,089 in 2016 to 48,007 in 2017.A new algorithm toolkit could help local government guarantee that their automated decision-making processes are free of bias.The Ethics & Algorithm Toolkit is the product of a collaboration between the Center for Government Excellence (GovEx), San Franciscos DataSF program, the Civic Analytics Network, and Data Community DC, which announced the effort recently in a press release. The toolkit is specifically aimed at ensuring fairness within algorithms as they pertain to the criminal justice system, higher education processes, social media networks and other areas of governmental responsibility.Andrew Nicklin, the director of data practices for GovEx , said this toolkit was born out of stakeholders in the gov tech space identifying a growing need for both conversation and action around inadvertent bias in algorithms that enable automated governmental decision-making.Essentially, a conversation started in academic and government spaces about how to tackle these issues, Nicklin said, and, quite frankly, I think were only going to see an increase in the use of algorithms in government, with market forces driving that.Indeed, bias within such algorithms has been a topic of increased interest, with high-profile media outlets such asconducting investigations into the matter. The ProPublica story  which Nicklin referenced as an example of the toolkits importance  looked at algorithms being used within government to predict whether individuals were likely to commit crimes. In the story, reporters found instances of racial bias.Other instances of algorithm bias include teacher evaluations, in which a teacher who has consistently scored well on evaluations suddenly finds themselves scoring lower on automated checkins. As such, the toolkit aims to be a sort of risk assessment tool, one with two parts: the first being a risk assessment framework and the second being a set of mitigations that add to risk factors.The developers of the toolkit hope that this work will be a place to start a conversation, Nicklin said, rather than a comprehensive and immediate solution to a very complex issue. The intent is very much to help those in local government ask the right questions, along with some accompanying guidance on how to start work that will eventually lead to solutions for those problems.It also serves as a natural starting point for the work because there really hasnt been anything else like it created to date.The idea for the toolkit grew from conversations between GovEx and DataSF , which is San Franciscos office for data work. Former Chief Data Officer Joy Bonaguro was also instrumental in its creation. Representatives of Data Community DC and the Civic Analytics Network  a Harvard University-based collaborative of municipal data stakeholders  also contributed to the toolkit's creation.In terms of the future of this work, Nicklin said discussions are taking place as to what the exact next steps will be. The group behind the toolkit has organized workshops to spread the word, and so more of those are likely in the offing. Nicklin also noted that the work may look outside the public sector to see how instances of bias in algorithms are handled by other institutions.'Transportation of Tomorrow'

Midwest Connect

Great Lakes Hyperloop

Questions remain

(TNS) Chicago to Pittsburgh in 45 minutes? To Cleveland in 28? That might sound like the stuff of science fiction, but serious people, and serious money, are committed to the effort to make so-called "hyperloop" travel a reality.While skeptics question its technical, economic and practical feasibility, supporters envision a transformational technology."A hyperloop connecting Pittsburgh, Columbus and Chicago would transform the movement of goods and people in the Midwest and create a Great Lakes Megaregion, home to some 20 percent of the nations population and economic activity," one of the companies, Virgin Hyperloop One, stated in support of its preferred route.The other company, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, or HyperloopTT, is focusing on the Chicago-Cleveland connection. "The Great Lakes Megaregion is the gateway between the Midwest and the Northeast," HyperloopTT stated. "The Great Lakes Hyperloop will take the regions over-stressed infrastructure into the 21st century by establishing an efficient network connecting a megaregion which boasts over $6 trillion in annual GDP. "Both companies are active internationally. In the Midwest, they have teamed up with two Ohio metropolitan planning organizations to plan routes for the futuristic transportation system.Hyperloop technology is the brainchild of entrepreneur Elon Musk, who made the intellectual property available to the public in 2013. The hyperloop would use podlike vehicles traveling through a tube with very low atmospheric pressure."The benefit of the low-pressure environment is that it all but eliminates aerodynamic drag on the vehicle," Virgin Hyperloop One Business Strategy Director Josh Raycroft told the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation at a Sept. 13 hearing on "Transportation of Tomorrow.""This allows it to reach very high speeds and consume a small amount of energy while it's traveling along the track," Raycroft continued. "We use electromagnetic propulsion to move the vehicle, and we use magnetic levitation, rather than wheels, to allow the vehicle to glide along the track."Raycroft told the Senate committee that Virgin Hyperloop One, which is based in Los Angeles and employs about 250 people, has had success at its test facility, called DevLoop, near North Las Vegas, Nevada."On May 12, 2017, we had our 'Kitty Hawk moment'," Raycroft said. "We successfully completed the world's first full-system, self-powered Hyperloop test-run. In December 2017, we reached speeds up to 240 mph. This gives us high confidence we can reach our target speed of about 600 mph as we continue to develop the technology."The company has invited regional planning officials to its test site to see its progress first-hand. Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission Executive Director Ty Warner and Chairman Geoff Benson were there in May, and reported their impressions to commission members this summer."I think our big takeaway was that, just like autonomous vehicles have gone much faster than anyone expected, there's a lot more being poured into this research and this concept than you might think, from the sort of science fiction aspect of it," Warner said.The Chicago-Columbus-Pittsburgh route is one of 10 worldwide that Virgin Hyperloop One is pursuing as a result of a 2017 "Global Challenge."The company's main partner in the Chicago-Columbus-Pittsburgh project is the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, the metropolitan planning organization serving the greater Columbus, Ohio, area  the mid-point region in the Midwest Connect route."We have the opportunity to transform those regions by connecting those economies  connecting the assets in those cities in new ways," MORPC's executive director, William Murdock, said in announcing a $2.5 million planning project called the Rapid-Speed Transportation Initiative.MORPC has been joined in the effort by the Columbus Partnership, a group of more than 65 Columbus CEOs.The initiative will include a feasibility study by the engineering firm AECOM, a frequent partner of Virgin Hyperloop One. A second phase will consist of the first tier of an Environmental Impact Statement, the federally mandated, detailed analysis necessary for any major transportation project. The EIS, to be done by the engineering firm WSP USA, also will include traditional high-speed rail.Thea Walsh, the transportation systems and funding director for MORPC, said the feasibility study should be done in seven or eight months, and the EIS in about 10. They will include two potential corridors and multiple alignments along them, she said.Walsh noted the lack of a direct connection between Chicago and Columbus as a motive for the project."There's no over-the-road, easy way between Chicago and Columbus," she said. "This isn't duplication of an existing route."She also said freight-hauling would benefit from hyperloop."There's a lot of freight moving between Columbus and Chicago," she said. "It's a faster connection to get more done."The initial Midwest Connect route has the hyperloop passing through Fort Wayne, and the city and the Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association are partners in the planning project.Public-private partnership is at the core of both hyperloop projects.HyperloopTT, also headquartered in southern California, has signed a public-private partnership agreement with the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, backed by a large consortium of business, educational institutions and civic groups, to pursue a Chicago to Cleveland hyperloop. NOACA has also contacted the Illinois Department of Transportation for its assistance.NOACA, the metropolitan planning organization for five counties in the Cleveland area, intends to pursue its own feasibility study, a $1.2 million project funded by HyperloopTT, the agency and its partners. According to HyperloopTT, the study will address route options, travel demand, environmental considerations, technology and finances.The Great Lakes Hyperloop project map shows a route along the Indiana-Michigan stateline into Ohio. But HyperloopTT hopes that's only the beginning of a wide-ranging Great Lakes network.The Great Lakes megaregion represents a $15 billion transportation market with tens of millions of tons of cargo and millions of passengers connecting to the cities within the region every year, NOACA Executive Director Grace Gallucci said when the partnership with HyperloopTT was announced. Technologies like the Hyperloop can take our over-stressed infrastructure into the 21st century and beyond.But critics aren't convinced the technology and business model are sound. The Midwest High Speed Rail Association is direct in its preference for "steel wheel on steel rail.""Transportation experts have ... noted that hyperloop backers have wildly underestimated the costs of right-of-way acquisition, construction and operating," the association argues. Also, hyperloop cannot take advantage of the network of railroads and train stations already in existence, in the way high-speed rail can, it notes.And, while testing has begun, some question hyperloop's safety and comfort for passengers.HyperloopTT insists "there would be no turbulence along the travel, and the capsules would be pressurized to ground level air pressure. The capsules have been designed with special attention to maintaining a high level of passenger comfort throughout the trip, including methods of limiting the force felt by passengers during the critical acceleration and braking phases."People working on hyperloop know challenges remain. Walsh, of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, cites questions over cost, funding, creation of a regulatory structure, determination of the system's path and where it would have stations. Officials hope right-of-way could be acquired along existing highways or railroads, but that remains to be seen."There are so many questions," Walsh said.Work, meanwhile, continues. Virgin Hyperloop One's Raycroft told the Senate Commerce Committee that his company hopes the technology will be operational by the mid-2020s.(TNS)  As Georgia leaders debate how to replace the state's maligned voting system, local government officials have a simple request: Pick up the tab.In its list of legislative priorities released earlier this month, the Association County Commissioners of Georgia said the state government should fully fund any new voting technology. It also said the state should pay to train county employees to use the new system  whatever it turns out to be.State Rep. Barry Fleming, R-Harlem, said during a June meeting that a new voting system will cost "realistically" $30-$60 million. Todd Edwards, the association's deputy legislative director, pointed out Friday that a Georgia law on the books requires the state to pay for voting equipment in all 159 counties. That doesn't guarantee the law will be the same when the Legislature wraps up at end of March."There's always a concern," Edwards said. "However, at this point, we feel comfortable that the state is entertaining the notion of picking up that cost."Catoosa County Elections & Voter Registration Director Tonya Moore said she has not heard any talk of the state forcing the local governments to pay for any part of the voting technology. A bigger question, she said, was how much the counties would receive from Atlanta to train their employees on how to use a new system."We just have to follow suit" with the state's demands, Moore said. "Whatever the legislature writes is how it works."Edwards expects the counties and the state will split the cost on training: "We'll be doing some funding. We know we will. But whatever they can pick up on the state's side, we appreciate. There's no free ride here. We'll pay."Facing criticism across the country about the possibility of hackers infiltrating voting machines  and with a federal lawsuit pending  Secretary of State Brian Kemp formed a commission in April to review possible replacements for Georgia's technology. Most notably, cybersecurity advocates have called for the new system to create a paper trail for each vote to make sure an outside force doesn't alter the results.Kemp, the Republican nominee for governor, solicited bids from vendors Aug. 8-24, and the voting reform commission will meet again Oct. 12 in Macon.The state has used touchscreen machines since 2002. At the time, the new technology cost about $54 million, with expenses covered by the federal government. This was part of the fallout from the controversy of the 2000 presidential election. Today, the state has about 27,000 voting machines.Questions about the integrity of Georgia's elections began privately in August 2016, when cybersecurity analyst Logan Lamb said he looked into Georgia's Center for Elections website for a research project. He said he found files available to the public that should not have been. That included a voter registration database with personally identifiable information for Georgia residents. It also included PDF files with passwords to internal databases meant for election supervisors.In addition, Lamb later wrote in an affidavit, the server was not properly protected from hackers. He said training videos for election workers instructed them to download files from the center's website onto memory cards. The memory cards go into Georgia's voting machines, where they are supposed to record how each person votes throughout the election day. When polls close, election workers pull the cards and insert them into a special computer designed specifically to read the results on the cards.If someone secretly put a virus on the election center's website, Lamb argued, they could taint the results of an election."An attacker would have easily been able to gain full control of the server at elections.kennesaw.edu had they so wanted," he wrote. " An attacker could modify files that are downloaded by the end users of the website, potentially spreading malware to everyone who downloaded files from the website."In the affidavit, Lamb wrote that he told then-Center for Elections Systems Executive Director Merle King about the problem with the website a day after discovering it. He said King told him the problem would be fixed.But in February 2017, according to the affidavit, Lamb told a colleague what he had found. The colleague, Chris Grayson, said he checked the website himself and discovered the same problems. Lamb said they also found more files publicly available, including memos for accessing internal databases on election day in November 2016.In May of that year, some local elections officials asked Kemp to re-examine every voting machine. When they didn't hear back for two weeks, they sued Kemp, demanding a response. An attorney for the secretary of state's office responded with a letter days later. He explained a review of every machine would take about six months.A spokesperson for Kemp told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in June 2017 that their office did not believe hackers targeted Georgia before the presidential election. But in July of this year, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed indictments against 12 Russian intelligence officers that alleged they targeted county websites in Georgia.During a voting reform commission meeting on June 13, Secretary of State Elections Director Chris Harvey pointed out that there is no firm proof that hackers took advantage of the vulnerabilities."There has not been any evidence that the votes cast by anyone in Georgia have been changed or otherwise tampered with," he said. "It simply hasn't happened."A group of residents and the Coalition for Good Governance has sued Kemp's office in U.S. District Court over what they called "negligence, abuse of discretion, and noncompliance with the Federal Constitution." Though the lawsuit is pending, the plaintiffs asked a judge to force the state to use paper ballots in the upcoming November election.Judge Amy Totenberg, appointed to the bench by Barack Obama, denied their motion Monday, saying the state does not have enough time to install a new voting system by the first week of November. But she also chided state election officials for taking so long to switch their system, writing that they "buried their heads in the sand.""The state defendants have also stood by for far too long," Totenberg wrote, "given the mounting tide of evidence of the inadequacy and security risks of Georgia's voting system and software. The court is gravely concerned about the state's pace in responding to the serious vulnerabilities of its voting system."Charles Leclerc could emerge as Ferrari's number 1 driver as quickly as 2019.

That is the view of racing driver Raffaele Marciello, a former member of Ferrari's driver 'academy'.

Today, 20-year-old Leclerc is Ferrari's top academy member, and has received a promotion from Sauber to the top Maranello team for next year.

And Marciello thinks Sebastian Vettel could be in trouble.

"In the Red Bull years he (Vettel) had Mark Webber behind him but he (Webber) was not a champion and the car was better than all the others," he told AS newspaper.

He also recalls Vettel's final year at Red Bull, when Daniel Ricciardo was faster.

"A champion must always adapt rather than suffer from the pressure which is what we are seeing from Vettel today," Marciello said.

"The comparison with Kimi is also not reliable, because when I did the Abu Dhabi test in 2014, I was seven tenths faster.

"I think maybe Kimi lost some motivation a few years ago.

"Personally I don't think Vettel was ever on par with Hamilton, Alonso or even Kubica. I am convinced that when Leclerc is at Ferrari, he will immediately be able to beat Sebastian."

However, 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve says that while 2019 is a "great opportunity" for Leclerc, it is also a "risk" for Ferrari.

"Ferrari is the toughest team in psychological terms to drive for," he told the Dutch magazine Formule 1.

"A driver there really feels the pressure. We saw it with Prost, Mansell and now even Vettel is suffering."

(GMM)Advanced plans to bring F1 to Copenhagen have been scrapped.

The Danish capital's lord mayor Frank Jensen told the local Politiken newspaper: "We cannot participate in the planning of a project that carries so much risk."

Earlier, Copenhagen had been planning for a street race to begin in 2020.

But Jensen explained: "I had been open to it but I realised there was the expectation of a very large public contribution."

The project had been initiated by former Danish science minister Helge Sander, who told Ekstra Bladet newspaper: "I'm incredibly disappointed, because we had achieved so much.

"Liberty Media wanted a race in Copenhagen and we were approved by Charlie Whiting and Hermann Tilke was working on the circuit. We had it in our own hands," he added.

Also strongly involved in the project was businessman Lars Seier Christensen, who admitted he is "pretty angry" about it falling apart.

"The decision is purely political and could have been made 12 months ago, saving our small and talented team thousands of hours of work and several millions of dollars," he said.

(GMM)Egypts Court of Cassation upheld the prison sentences and death penalty Monday handed to 135 people in the case of the deadly attack on a police station in the town of Kerdasa in 2013.

In July 2017, a criminal court sentenced 20 defendants to death, 80 defendants to life-in-prison (25 years in prison per Egyptian law), 34 to 15-year prison term and one juvenile to 10 years in juvenile prison.

The court had acquitted 21 other defendants in the case.

The attack on the Kerdasa police station, which saw 12 policemen and two civilians killed and their bodies mutilated, followed the forced dispersal of sit-ins in support of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo in August 2013 that left hundreds dead and sparked nationwide unrest.

The case has been making its rounds in the court system since 2014, with a criminal court initially sentencing 188 defendants, some in absentia, to death.

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Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland, Alstom, Nahverkehrsservice Sachsen-Anhalt GmbH (NASA) and Rolls-Royce plan to implement jointly a new hybrid drive solution on Abellios fleet of Coradia Lint diesel trains.





The four companies agreed to conduct technical feasibility studies regarding the integration of hybrid drives developed by MTU (earlier post), a Rolls-Royce brand, into Coradia Lint rail vehicles and their use on routes of Dieselnetz Saxony-Anhalt, a diesel-powered rail network in Germany.

The four partners plan to sign a contract covering the retrofit of at least three vehicles once the studies have been successfully concluded and financing is secured.

Subsequent conversion of the entire fleet of 54 Coradia Lint vehicles is under consideration. The hybrid drives combine a modern diesel engine with an electric motor and batteries to recover braking energy, reducing fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions by up to 25%. In addition, the ability to run under battery power only can reduce noise pollution in city areas and stations by 75% (20 dB(A)).

Abellio is due to commence passenger services on behalf of the state of Saxony-Anhalt in December 2018 on 16 non-electrified lines in Saxony-Anhalt using 54 Coradia Lint trains. The contract covering the conversion of the first three of these vehicles to MTU hybrid drives is planned to be signed by the end of 2018. The conversion program is expected to take less than three years and will start operating in pilot mode to collect findings related to a normal daily use of a hybrid fleet.

The Coradia Lint is a fuel-efficient diesel multiple unit (DMU) that can reach operating speeds of up to 140 kph. It is powered by two MTU PowerPacks, each based on the MTU Series 1800 engine that meets the strict requirements of the current EU Stage IIIB emissions directive.

The Hybrid PowerPack is an even more environmentally friendly version of this proven drive system: It combines an MTU diesel engine plus an electric machine, which can be used either as an electric motor or generator, and the MTU EnergyPack battery system, which stores the energy recovered during braking. This enables very low-noise, emissions-free battery-only electric operation in urban areas and around stations. The total operating costs of rail vehicles with MTU hybrid drives are also significantly lower. Even brake pads and discs have reduced wear due to brake energy recuperation. Because of the additional power of the electric machine, train operators also have the possibility to make up time delays using the improved drive dynamics and acceleration.

The Coradia Lint is part of Alstoms Coradia range of modular trains which benefit from more than 30 years of service experience and proven technical solutions. More than 2800 Coradia trains have been sold to date, with 2300 of them currently operating in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Canada.A team at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), with colleagues at Tsinghua University and Brown University, have developed a means to regain the strain-hardening ability of high-strength metals by incorporating of extrinsic nanofillers at grain boundaries. A paper on their work is published in the ACS journal NANO Letters.

Grain refinement to the nano/ultrafine-grained regime can make metals several times stronger; however, this process is usually accompanied by a significant loss of ductility. Such strength-ductility trade-off originates from a lack of strain-hardening capacity in tiny grains.

The SJTU team demonstrated that the dislocation storage ability in Cu grains can be considerably improved through a novel grain-boundary engineering approach, leading to a remarkably enhanced strain-hardening capacity and tensile ductility (uniform elongation).

In this work, we present a new approach to overcome strength-ductility tradeoff in nanostructured metals by introducing a nano-scaled extrinsic reinforcing phase, referred to as nanofillers, with at least one dimension less than 100 nm, into the grain boundaries to form a metal matrix composite. In these composites, the large lattice mismatch between the reinforcement and the matrix drives the nanofillers to migrate from the grain interiors and segregate along the grain boundaries. The nature of the abundant reinforcement/metal interfaces can be elaborately tuned by tailoring the type, configuration, defect state and concentration of the reinforcement, affording additional freedom in designing or tuning boundaries with desired properties. Here, using nanostructured Cu reinforced with reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (RGO) as a model material, we show that the dislocation storage ability of Cu grains can be greatly enhanced by RGO incorporation at the grain boundaries, resulting in a remarkably elevated strain-hardening capacity and a profound increase in tensile ductility (uniform elongation). Li et al.

Experiments and large-scale atomistic simulations revealed that a key benefit of incorporated nanofillers is a reduction in the grain-boundary energy, enabling concurrent dislocation storage near the boundaries and in the Cu grain interior during straining.

The strategy of grain-boundary engineering through nanofillers is easily controllable, generally applicable, and may open new avenues for producing nanostructured metals with extraordinary mechanical properties.

The research was supported by National Key R&D Plan of Ministry of Science and Technology of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China and Science & Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality.

ResourcesDemand for cobalt has been on the increase due to its many applications. The metal is a crucial component of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for smartphones and electric cars. Around 60% of the worlds cobalt supply comes from the mineral-rich Katanga Copper belt, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Researchers at KU Leuven and the University of Lubumbashi have now shown that cobalt mining takes a high toll on both the creuseursthe diggers who work in the mines, often by handand on the environment. Their paper is published in the journal Nature Sustainability.

Previous research by KU Leuven and the University of Lubumbashi (2009) had already found high concentrations of trace metals in the urine of people living close to mines. The new works confirms the health risks of cobalt mining.

The researchers conducted a case study in Kasulo, an urban neighborhood in Kolwezi, in the heart of the Congolese mining area. When cobalt ore was discovered under one of the houses there, the entire area quickly became an artisanal mine. The houses are now interspersed with dozens of mine pits where hundreds of creuseurs hunt for cobalt. Most residents remained in the area.

The major problem is the dust containing cobalt and many other metals, including uranium that is released during the mining process and settles on the ground.

The houses in Kasulo are now interspersed with dozens of mine pits where hundreds of creuseurs hunt for cobalt. Most residents remained in the area.

The researchers collected blood and urine samples from 72 Kasulo residents, including 32 children. A control group with a similar composition was selected in a neighboring district.

Children living in the mining district had ten times as much cobalt in their urine as children living elsewhere. Their values were much higher than what wed accept for European factory workers. This study may be limited in scope, but the results are crystal-clear. The differences cannot be attributed to coincidence. Professor Benoit Nemery, doctor-toxicologist at the KU Leuven Department of Public Health and Primary Care

The long-term consequences of this increased exposure to cobalt are not yet clear, but Professor Nemery is not optimistic.

Cobalt is less toxic than other metals such as lead, cadmium, or arsenic. But we found increased concentrations of several other metals as well. Furthermore, we found more DNA damage in children living in the mining area than in those from the control group. And the preliminary results of an ongoing study suggest that miners new-born babies have an increased risk of birth defects. Benoit Nemery

Simply banning artisanal mining in the DRC is not a good option because the industrial mines usually leave a lot to be desired as well.

This field study provides novel and robust empirical evidence that the artisanal extraction of cobalt that prevails in the DR Congo may cause toxic harm to vulnerable communities. This strengthens the conclusion that the currently existing cobalt supply chain is not sustainable. Nkulu et al.

ResourcesBourdain and W. Kamau Bell in Kenya, shooting the season-twelve premiere of Parts Unknown. Photo: David Scott Holloway/CNN

As soon as the cameras turn off, Anthony Bourdain says in the first episode of the final season of Parts Unknown, I fucking pinch myself. I cant believe I get to do this. It was a sentiment seemingly shared by everyone who worked on the show, which they recalled this past weekend during a premiere event for the shows poignant final run of episodes.

The first episode follows Bourdain and W. Kamau Bell through Kenya. During the Tribeca TV Festival, Bell told Grub Street that working on Parts Unknown really was the fantasy job that everyone imagines. Everybody who watches the show goes, I wish I could do that, Bell said. You do wish you could have done that. It lived up to everything I wanted it to and then surpassed those things. Even in moments when Bourdain and Bell were confronted with, say, cows blood or a particularly chewy eyeball, Bell felt lucky to be there. This is what youre here for, he said at a Q&A after the screening. I had to really submit to the process of making the show, or else Im not being a good guest. If theres anything that Tony taught us, its how to be a good guest. For me, it was like, whatever you want me to do, man, I will do it.

Bell, of course, only worked on one episode, but for Bourdains longtime collaborators, too, Parts Unknown was a creative and professional high that will be hard to match. People tend to forget and view him as a cook or a chef, director and producer Morgan Fallon told Grub Street, but what Tony really was at the end of the day was an absolutely tremendous TV producer  he had his hands and his mind in every aspect of the show. Fallon added that not only was Tony a very powerful conduit for getting our ideas about the world out to people, he was a tremendous collaborator, a tremendous creative force.

Bell and Bourdain shooting in Kenya. David Scott Holloway/CNN. Bell and Bourdain shooting in Kenya. David Scott Holloway/CNN.

Executive producers Chris Collins and Lydia Tenaglia had worked with Bourdain since his earliest Food Network show, A Cooks Tour. After the Parts Unknown screening, they remembered how Bourdain had blossomed over the years into a more fully formed television host, especially when he had a guest along for a trip. You see Tony come alive in shows with companions in these sort of later episodes, Tenaglia said. Its really kind of beautiful. Having traveled for so long, he was always craving that experience of like, Can I see this anew? It was, she said, an extension of the way Bourdain had approached the show from the very beginning. When Chris and I met Tony, he was still working in a kitchen, Tengalia said. He really had never traveled before  We shot this ten-minute thing at the restaurant, and he was really talking about the world in very romantic terms, things that he had seen in books and films and that was his notion of travel at the time. It was the very beginning of what would become Bourdains series of shows: He just talked about what traveling would be like for him. He managed to sell that as a 23-part series.

For him, it began as a ruse, Collins added. Someones going to pay me to go do this stuff. Over time, it turned into a job. Then it turned into a profession. Then it turned into a lifes work.

Tengalia continued, I think people dont know that Tony was actually, in some ways, very shy. He really was, and the show was this vehicle for him to connect.

Indeed, along with those who worked on the show, its viewers, too, understood that food was only a starting point, and that each episode of Parts Unknown was a new piece in a much larger conversation. It was a very rare opportunity to have creative freedom, a very powerful platform to talk about how awesome and wonderful the world really is, Fallon said. I think we tend to have an understandably myopic view of whats out there because we only get exposed to certain elements of the world, but the truth is, when you go out there, there [are] primarily only good things to report. He then summed up what he hoped the show would continue to mean, even after it ends: What Id like to report to everyone is that the world is a good place. Go without fear.



Haiti - Politic : Jovenel Moise on an official trip to New York





On Sunday, President Jovenel Moise left the country from Hugo Chavez International Airport in Cap-Haitien to New York to attend the 73rd Ordinary Session of the UN General Assembly from September 23 to 28. He was accompanied by his wife Martine, several ministers including Bocchit Edmond (Foreign Affairs), Ronald Decembre (Economy) and Marie Greta Roy Clement (Health) and Jean Baden Dubois, Governor of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH).



Moise will take advantage of his stay to hold several bilateral meetings and participate in several summits on Haiti on the sidelines of this Assembly which will bring together 84 Heads of State and 44 Heads of Government.



During his stay, President Moise will meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He will meet in private (this Monday) Stefano Manservisi, the Director General of International Cooperation and Development of the European Commission. He will be received in audience (Tuesday) by John J. Sullivan Assistant Secretary of State of the United States of America before attending a session on the "Transformational Investment Strategy in Haiti". On Wednesday he will meet separately with Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).



The Head of State will participate in a High Level Round Table on the theme "Establishing Sustainable Paths to End Cholera in Haiti : Two Years to Pass the Last Stage", organized by the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary UN General in Haiti, Mrs. Josette Sheeran.



Moise will make a 10-minute speech at the "Concordia Annual Summit" this year around the theme "Disaster Preparedness in Haiti's Development". At the same time, he will take part in a roundtable at the "Bloomberg Global Business Forum" on Wednesday on "Building Resilient Economies and Preserving Marine Ecosystems in the Commonwealth Coast Countries and Haiti"



On Thursday, the Head of State will participate in the Conference "Highlighting Private Financing for the Sustainable Development Goals : Haiti on the Frontline" before speaking at the UN platform for the second time in its mandate..



He will be back home Friday, September 28, 2018.



SL/ HaitiLibre





















Haiti - Justice : The Procuratorate of Croix-des-Bouquets tackles prolonged pretrial detention





Tuesday shortly before the start of the judicial year (1 October 2018), the prosecutor's office of the Croix-des-Bouquets opens from 25 to 29 September, a special session to fight against prolonged detention. During this session more than fifty files, including a hundred inmates will be examined. Two to three correctional chambers a day will rule on offenses, a criminal chamber for crimes, a specific chamber to decide on habeas corpus proceedings and a case-study cell of those who have completed their sentences and who are still in jail for various reasons.



In addition, at the beginning of the new judicial year of the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the Prosecutor's Office proposes to hold special hearings every first and third Saturday, with the rapid procedure of immediate appearance under the law. May 6, 1927, which states in its Article 1 "In the case of flagrante delicto, when the fact carries a correctional sentence, the agents of the Urban or Rural Police will hand the accused immediately to the Judge of Peace with a report indicating the nature, the circumstances of time and place of the offense, as well as the names of the witnesses, evidence or clues they may have collected. The Justice of the Peace shall promptly forward the charge to the Government Commissioner who will question and if necessary will forward it to Tribunal.



This approach aims to fight more effectively against prolonged pre-trial detention, in accordance with the instructions of the new Minister of Justice Jean Roudy https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-25609-icihaiti-prisons-preventive-detention-ceant-guarantees-urgent-measures.html which intend not to spare any effort to implement the penal policy.



The prosecutor's office and the decanate of the Court of First Instance of Croix-des-Bouquets, under the leadership of Magistrates Yvon Jean Noel and Lyonel R. Dimanche, intend to make every effort to fight more effectively against this scourge that constitutes the prolonged preventive detention.



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-25609-icihaiti-prisons-preventive-detention-ceant-guarantees-urgent-measures.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25602-haiti-justice-74-of-detainees-in-haiti-have-never-been-tried.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23416-haiti-justice-the-minister-fortunate-blames-the-government-commissioner-dameus.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23393-haiti-justice-the-opc-wants-to-tackle-prolonged-pre-trial-detention.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20317-haiti-justice-gustavo-gallon-harshly-judge-the-haitian-prison-system.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-14401-icihaiti-justice-fighting-against-prolonged-preventive-detention.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13690-haiti-justice-towards-the-1927-law-enforcement-on-the-immediate-trial-in-correctional.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13254-haiti-justice-89-of-the-inmates-of-the-national-penitentiary-in-prolonged-pretrial-detention.html



HL/ HaitiLibre

















Three of the suspects were placed under arrest but one of them was released later last weekend, according to a press release from KRP.

The National Bureau of Investigation (KRP) says a total of seven people were brought into custody in connection with house searches conducted as part of an investigation into suspected economic offences in South-west Finland between Saturday and Sunday.

A total of 17 premises were searched during the large-scale operation that caught the attention of local residents and news outlets, with the officers seizing materials such as documents and data storages that may have been used for committing the alleged offences.

The operation progressed according to plan and smoothly. We will continue the investigation by interrogating the suspects and examining the seized material. There is a large amount of material and going through it all will certainly take months, commented Markku Ranta-aho, a senior detective superintendent at KRP.

Conducted in co-operation with the Finnish Tax Administration, the investigation revolves around a listed company that is believed to have been involved in laundering millions of euros and used undeclared workers for construction projects.

The suspected offences include aggravated money laundering and aggravated tax fraud, Ranta-aho said on Saturday.

The large-scale search operation also generated plenty of media interest on Saturday.

Helsingin Sanomat reported that the large premises and construction projects of the company have raised eyebrows among security officials for several years. The Finnish Defence Forces and Security Intelligence Service (Supo), it wrote, citing an anonymous source, have monitored the operations of the company closely due to its ties to Russia.

The company in question was identified as Airiston Helmi.

Ranta-aho dismissed such reports in an interview with Iltalehti.

Lets just say that I dont want to comment on these kinds of claims, but Ill reiterate that were talking purely about an economic crime investigation and aggravated money laundering, he stressed.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Source: Uusi SuomiCountry

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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of ZimbabweIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, an Israeli official said on Monday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide further details. Egyptian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Netanyahu travels to New York on Tuesday and will also meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu and Sisi met in public for the first time in 2017.

*This story has been edited by Ahram Online

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed cooperation projects with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim between Egypt and the bank in various fields, including health, education, economic, and social development in a meeting on Monday in New York.

In the meeting, El-Sisi discussed cooperation projects in the healthcare and education fields, especially technical education and vocational training.

They also discussed means of developing cooperation across various fields, including economic and social development, as well as assisting the government's efforts to attract foreign investments to the Egyptian market.

The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr, Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nassar and General Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said.

El-Sisi stressed the importance of enhancing relations with the World Bank group, as it is considered to be one of the most important development partners, Radi also said.

Meanwhile, Kim affirmed the continued support of the World Bank for the economic reforms implemented by Egypt, which has resulted in realistic positive results, including raising growth rates, reducing the budget deficit, and achieving economic stability.

The World Bank president promised to continue supporting Egypt in its efforts to improve the business and investment climate, shore up its service sector and establish more development projects to make Egypt a successful model for other developing nations to follow in achieving stability and economic reform.

Kim added that the meeting witnessed a review of the latest developments in the implementation of the economic reform program and the mega development projects launched by the Egyptian government in the recent period with the aim of pushing forward the Egyptian economy and the socio-economic development process.

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Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Monday that Nelson Mandela's life represented the hope of African people for dignity and independence, saying other African icons also played the same role including late Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser.

In a speech at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, which is held on the sidelines of the 73rd of the United Nations General Assembly "UNGA" in New York, El-Sisi said that there was a true need to solve roots of conflicts and to respect human rights.

"Today's gathering provides a great opportunity to provide our children with better education and to reduce the rate of unemployment among the youth," El-Sisi said.

He also stressed the importance of protecting the youth against the danger of extremism and terrorism.

Earlier on Monday, the president met with his Lebanese counterpart Michel Aoun, expressing Egypt's support for the security and stability of all Arab countries and the rejection of foreign interference in their domestic affairs.

Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said El-Sisi had praised the historical relations between Egypt and Lebanon during the meeting, expressing his desire to increase cooperation and coordination with Lebanon.

In turn, Aoun praised Egypt's efforts to achieve stability, peace, and development in the region and also hailed Egypt's support for Lebanon.

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Like any superstar, Elation has an agent.

Or, at least, Missouri seedstock producer Brian Bell might feel like he is managing a top NBA prospect. He fields calls from a growing list of cattle producers, all interested in the prize bull that he teamed up to buy for a record-setting $800,000 in February.

A genetic masterpiece, some might call him. He is the grandson of a bull considered to be one of the most influential of modern times.

However, from his Square B Ranch near Warsaw, situated among a rolling section of Ozark fescue, Bell looks past the headlines and hype. If there is a point he wants to get across, its the reason he bought a high-dollar bull and how it fits into his ranchs philosophy.

Great bulls are built from great mamas, he said as he sat in the Square B headquarters on a recent summer morning.

Elation has one job, the same as Square Bs other bulls: to produce phenomenal females and, in the end, high-quality calves.As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content.

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The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those.Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 18-09-24 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 <http://www.pio.gov.cy/> Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review-22-24.09.18 No. 184/18 [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS Contents [A] Turkish Cypriot Press [01] Akinci departs for New York on Tuesday [02] Ozersay met with Cavusoglu in New York [03] Talat does not expect much from the forthcoming contacts in New York [04] UBP officials call on Akinci not to be deceived by the Greek Cypriots [05] Organizations comment on Akinci's forthcoming contacts in New York [06] Dagli blames the "Turkish army" for the delay on the opening of the Deryneia crossing point [07] Crew of Republic of Cyprus vessel "arrested for illegal fishing" [08] Ataoglu argues that they will try to attract tourists from Scandinavian countries [09] Running water to be provided to the occupied Morfou area as of tomorrow A. Turkish Press [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS [01] Erdogan claims that the arms embargo imposed on them in 1974 has enabled them to understand that Turkey will ensure its security only if it produces its own technologies [02] Turkey's Erdogan in New York for the UN General Assembly [03] EU Ambassador Christian Berger: Turkey's bilateral engagements with member states positive, tensions left behind [04] Turkey to open its first Embassy in Paraguay [05] Over 20 FETO suspects arrested in Istanbul [06] Keep away from Greek territorial waters, Turkish ministry warns fishers [A] Turkish Cypriot Press [01] Akinci departs for New York on Tuesday Illegal Bayrak (22.09.18 http://www.brtk.net/?english posts=akinci-departs-to-new-york-on-tuesday) broadcast that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Ak?nc? will be departing for New York on Tuesday, the 25th of September for a series of contacts within the framework of the UN General Assembly. Ak?nc? is scheduled to meet with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterrres on Saturday, the 29th of September. He will be holding a press conference at illegal Tympou Airport on Tuesday before departing where he will be evaluating the meetings he held earlier this week with the leaders of the political parties with "seats" in the "assembly" as well as his upcoming contacts in New York. [02] Ozersay met with Cavusoglu in New York Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper(24.09.18) reports that Kudret Ozersay, self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in New York where he arrived yesterday to hold contacts in the sidelines of the session of the UN General Assembly and participate in meetings of various international organizations. Today Ozersay is expected to meet with Foreign Ministers of various countries and high ranking UN officials. He is also expected to address the Council of Ministers of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and the Annual Coordination Meetings of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation. Moreover, Ozersay will give interviews to various international media and refer to the Cyprus problem and the developments on the energy and security issues in Eastern Mediterranean. (I/Ts.) [03] Talat does not expect much from the forthcoming contacts in New York Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper(24.09.18) reports that former Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat has said that he does not expect much from the forthcoming meetings in New York on the Cyprus problem, but "this time something might happen". Replying to a question of the paper on this issue, Talat noted that the routine practice is for the Turkish Cypriot leader to meet with some heads of state and the UNSG. Describing this as useful, Talat argued that this time different things might happen and added: "It seems like it is possible for the UNSG to undertake a new initiative. He might launch a new process by meeting with the two sides either together or separately while they are there. In the regular routine these things do not happen, but this time they might happen". (I/Ts.) [04] UBP officials call on Akinci not to be deceived by the Greek Cypriots Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper(24.09.18) reports that so-called deputies with the National Unity Party (UBP) Faiz Sucuoglu and Ersin Tatar issued separate written statements regarding Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci's forthcoming contacts on the Cyprus problem in New York. Sucuoglu called on Akinci not to be deceived by the Greek Cypriots alleging that "the Turkish Cypriot people cannot abandon their equality, security, the geographical area in which they live and bi-zonality because the Greek Cypriots want so". Sucuoglu accused what he called as the "Greek Cypriots-Greece duo" of seeing Cyprus as a Greek island which should be put under Greece's rule. He claimed that the Greek Cypriot stance on the hydrocarbons' issue is "the most recent and evident proof for this". In his statement, Tatar argued that the Greek Cypriots dream of returning back to the pre-1974 period and plan to rule over the entire island. He alleged the following: "The views which they [the Greek Cypriots] expressed when they accepted the Guterres Framework as a basis are unacceptable. It is out of the question for us to abandon Morfou and other places in which the Turks of Cyprus built their lives. The continuation of the guarantees which include Turkey's unilateral right of intervention and the presence of an adequate number of Turkish troops on the island is sine qua non for us. It is in vain to try to deceive the Turkish Cypriots with other things. Especially the proposal for us to abandon our security in return for the rotating presidency means that they consider us to be naive". (I/Ts.) [05] Organizations comment on Akinci's forthcoming contacts in New York Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper(23.09.18) reported that the education secretary of the Turkish Cypriot teachers' trade union, Burak Mavis has called on the leaders of the two communities to leave aside Turkey's and Greece's expectations during their forthcoming contacts in New York and participate in a process in which a solution to the Cyprus problem will be reached the soonest. In a written statement, Mavis expressed the view that the only way out of the problems which the "country" is facing is the solution in Cyprus and argued that the solution was not possible for the past 50 years because of what he called as "lack of will" of the Greek Cypriot leadership to share power and the secessionist stance of the Turkish Cypriot leadership. Meanwhile, in a letter sent to Turkish Cypriot leader Akinci Yilmaz Bora, chairman of the "TMT fighter's association", it is argued that the Turkish Cypriots cannot abandon the guarantees of "motherland" Turkey. (I/Ts.) [06] Dagli blames the "Turkish army" for the delay on the opening of the Deryneia crossing point Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (22.09.18) reported that Okan Dagli, activist and "spokesman" of the Famagusta Initiative, in statements via his personal account in social media, condemned strongly the delaying of the opening of the occupied Deryneia crossing point, alleging that political will has been beaten by the "military authorities". "It is for this reason that the Deryneia crossing point has not opened yet", Dagli said, adding that they have officially protested to the UN since the military facilities of the Turkish army which are located inside the "buffer zone" in the area, constitute an obstacle for the opening of the Deryneia crossing point. Dagli wrote also the following: "We have experienced once again in the northern part of the island the defeat of the civil administration by the military authorities". Dagli accused the Turkish Cypriot side for not undertaking steps towards the opening of the crossing point in Deryneia, stressing that it became obvious once again the lack of will-power towards this direction. Referring to UN envoy, Jane Holl Lute recent visits in the region, Dagli argued that Lute conveyed to the UN Secretary General Guterres the view that the sides in Cyprus do not have the will power for the solution. (AK) [07] Crew of Republic of Cyprus vessel "arrested for illegal fishing" Illegal Bayrak (22.09.18 http://www.brtk.net/?english posts=crew-members-of-gc-vessel-arrested-for-illegal-fishing) broadcast that "the five crew members of a Republic of Cyprus flagged fishing vessel who were arrested for trespassing in TRNC waters have been ordered by the Girne District Court to remain in police custody for three days". The crew members, all Egyptian nationals were found 7 miles off the coast of occupied Kormakitis village. According to Bayrak, self-styled deputy prime minister and foreign minister Kudret Ozersay visited the 5 "arrested crew members" at the "police department" in occupied Keryneia yesterday. In a statement posted on social media, Ozersay alleged that "a large number of false or distorted reports had emerged in the Greek Cypriot press regarding the incident". He said that the names of the 5 arrested crew members were Ahmed Farag Taha Elzahed, Sameh Sobheye Ali Moharam, Abdelraouf El Dayed Abdelrahman, Abdou Ibrahim Eid Ibrahim Elgendy and Amr Mahmoud Abdou Mohamed. [08] Ataoglu argues that they will try to attract tourists from Scandinavian countries Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (24.09.18), on its front page, reports that although there is an increase of tourists to the occupied area of Cyprus from Turkey, there is a decline in the number of foreign tourists. Fikri Ataoglu, self-styled minister of tourism and environment, claimed that the reason of this is because the foreign travellers do not want to travel to the occupied area of Cyprus through Turkey. He further argued that there is also the interference of the Greek Cypriot side in other markets as the Israeli market, adding that as a result of their efforts, the UK market has slightly improved. He explained that their efforts of promotion and marketing in British and German markets have been intensified, adding that the improvement will continue to increase. Ataoglu claimed that they intend to close this gap after their promotion tour that they will do in the Scandinaviam countries next month with the Turkish airlines (THY). He further noted that they are working with agencies to bring tourists from different places, adding that they estimate that the occupancy rate will be above 80% as a result of these efforts. Referring to the difficulties that the tourists face in the occupied area of Cyprus, Ataoglu said that some hotels are located in remote areas in the occupied area of Cyprus, so for this reason they will start fast ferry services between occupied Vokolida and Famagusta. He also claimed that they aim to make occupied Vokolida into an amusement centre. He announced that they also aim to create an underwater museum in the occupied area of Famagusta. (DPs) [09] Running water to be provided to the occupied Morfou area as of tomorrow Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (24.09.18) reports that the "the pilot irrigation water project for the center of Morfou" will be launched as of tomorrow. According to a statement issued by the so-called ministry of agriculture, from the first day of the implementation of the project, running water will be provided via the occupied city network for the irrigation of 8 donums of plot of agriculture land. In statements on the issue, so-called minister of agriculture and natural resources, Erkut Sahalli stated, inter alia: "Finally life water will be sent to the region of Morfou and agriculture areas will be revived again". (AK) A. Turkish Press [01] Erdogan claims that the arms embargo imposed on them in 1974 has enabled them to understand that Turkey will ensure its security only if it produces its own technologies According to Turkish daily Cumhuriyet newspaper (22.09.18, http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/turkiye/1090685/Erdogan TEKNOFEST te konustu Ecdadimiz liderligi ne yazik ki elinden kacirmistir.html), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at Turkey's first aerospace and technology festival Teknofest in Istanbul on Saturday, said: "In today's world, the first condition of real freedom, independence and development is to design, produce and export technology. ()Turkey will not be able to ensure its security in all areas until it produces its own technologies. Every incident we have gone through in recent years has shown us that we should be in the front line in all fields of technology. Like every reform, the first stag e of any advancement in technology is to be capable of dreaming." Drawing attention to the difficulties experienced in the past regarding the defence industry, President Erdogan claimed that "the embargo in Turkey due to the Cyprus peace operation (as he refers to the Turkish invasion to Cyprus in 1974) in every sector from spare parts to all parts, even in radio communications, to communication systems, has enabled us to begin to understand the severity of the situation". However, he added, the necessary steps had not been taken for many years. He further said: "I followed all stages, from planning to financing, of the projects in person. We cancelled the direct procurement of many ready-made products like tanks, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, etc., and initiated works to develop ourselves national and unique models. Consequently, Turkey has become a country that is capable of fulfilling 65% of its defence industry needs by its own production. We have not only met our own needs, but also reached an important level in exports. Over 600 defence industry projects are currently being carried out in our country. We have a wide range of products from tanks to armoured vehicles, from warships to submarines, from planes to helicopters, from armed and unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles to national infantry rifles, from satellites to air defence systems, and from missiles to laser weapons. Frankly speaking, we might have faced with great difficulties in the operations we have been carrying out insi de and outside our borders if we didn't reach this level." (DPs) [02] Turkey's Erdogan in New York for the UN General Assembly Ankara Anatolia news agency (24.09.18 https://www.aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/turkeys-erdogan-in-new-york-for-un-general-assembly/1262790) reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday arrived in New York to attend the UN General Assembly's 73rd session. In his address to the session on Tuesday, Erdogan is due to highlight the longstanding Syrian crisis, among other issues. During his four-day visit, he will meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other foreign leaders as well as attend events on the sidelines of the summit. Included in his delegation are Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, and Fahrettin Altun, the presidential communications director. In addition, Ankara Anatolia news agency (24.09.18 https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turkey-to-create-safe-zone-east-of-euphrates-river-syria/1262839) reports that Turkish President Erdogan said Sunday that Turkey would continue to increase the number of safe zones within Syria to include the east of the Euphrates River. In his address to Turkish and Muslim communities in New York, organized by the Turkish American National Steering Committee, Erdogan said Turkey's struggle will continue until the terror threat against it ends and it would eradicate terror gangs that aim at Syria's future. In a speech later at the TURKEN foundation, Erdogan said the Turkish military cleared a 2,500 square mile (4,000 square kilometer) area from Daesh and YPG-PKK terrorists as part of Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations in Syria. Stating that Ankara turned the areas into safe ones for the Syrian people, Erdogan said: "We will take similar steps east of the Euphrates." Turning to Jerusalem, Erdogan vowed to safeguard the city against invaders. Turkey will continue its struggle against the U.S. and Israeli governments' breaches of the holy city at the "highest-level" in diplomacy, he said. In addition, reporting on the same issue, Yeni Safak (24.09.18 https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/terror-swamp-east-of-euphrates-biggest-issue-for-syria-erdogan-says-3441753) reports that the "terror swamp" east of the Euphrates river remains the "biggest problem" for Syria in the future, said Turkish President Erdogan on Sunday. Regarding a possible meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Erdogan said it was currently not on the table but that he would consider it if it was requested by Washington. [03] EU Ambassador Christian Berger: Turkey's bilateral engagements with member states positive, tensions left behind Turkish daily Sabah (24.09.18 https://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2018/09/24/eu-ambassador-christian-berger-turkeys-bilateral-engagements-with-member-states-positive-tensions-left-behind) reports that Christian Berger, the head of the European Union delegation to Turkey, stressed in an exclusive interview with Daily Sabah that there are positive developments regarding Turkey's relations with the EU. Improving relations with prominent member states, including Germany and the Netherlands, will bring momentum to Ankara's relations with the EU, the bloc's Envoy to Turkey told Daily Sabah, adding that it is time for the two sides to work together on new reforms and accession talks The EU Ambassador said some steps have been taken recently and they will to work together with Turkey on taking relations to the next level. Berger highlighted that Tukey's tensions with some individual EU states in recent years were left behind. He underlined that the developments such as the appointment of Ambassadors to the Netherlands and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's upcoming visit to Germany will have positive impact on overall EU ties. As Turkey's EU Reform Action Group (RAG) recently conveyed a strong message that Ankara is ready to revive its relations with the EU and implement some new reforms, Berger highlighted that now the sides need to work together over various issues. With an aim of engaging in discussions with Ankara, a series of meetings and visits are planned at the ministerial and commissioners' level, Berger said, adding that Violeta Bulc, the European Commissioner for transport, will come for the opening of the third airport in Istanbul. Moving forward, Berger stressed that considering the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe in relation to the recent developments in Syria's Idlib, the EU holds the same position as Turkey and is in favor of a political solution. He added that Ankara's diplomatic efforts to contribute to the resolution of the crisis are also supported. Berger also underlined that the EU will continue its support to Turkey in terms of meeting the needs of Syrian refugees that take shelter in the country. Reminding readers that the European Commission will provide a renewed 3 billion euros, the EU Envoy said that officials are working on projects to deliver this money. Berger underlined that there were tensions with both the EU and individual member states but that is over with now. Highlighting that the priorities of Turkey and the EU on Idlib are the same, Berger said, "Let me say that there are a number of issues we fully agree with Turkey, on Syria in general but also on Idlib in particular. The most important one is that we want a political solution, not a military solution to the conflict in Syria; I think this is the same position that Turkey holds." "In addition to the political activities and diplomatic efforts in support of Turkey we are closely monitoring the situation and are also evaluating what type of humanitarian assistance may be needed in dealing with the crisis," Berger said, adding that the issue of Idlib will be also a top agenda this week in U.N. meetings in New York. [04] Turkey to open its first Embassy in Paraguay Ankara Anatolia news agency (24.09.18 https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-to-open-its-first-embassy-in-paraguay-/1262695) reports that Turkey will open its first Embassy in the South American country of Paraguay, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. "Turkey has completed necessary legal procedures to open its embassy in Asuncion and designated Armagan Inci Ersoy as our first Ambassador," the Ministry said in a statement. "Paraguay is also expected to finalize necessary procedures soon," the statement added. According to the statement, Turkey aims "to increase our contacts and cooperation with Paraguay in the framework of our outreach policy towards Latin America and the Caribbean region." Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Paraguayan counterpart Luis Alberto Castiglioni met in New York this weekend on the sidelines of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly. "The mutual political will for promoting relations was confirmed during the meeting," the statement added. [05] Over 20 FETO suspects arrested in Istanbul Turkish daily Yeni Safak (24.09.18- https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/over-20-feto-suspects-arrested-in-istanbul-3441770) reports that at least 21 suspects have been arrested in Istanbul for their alleged links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 coup attempt, security sources said on Monday. The police arrested the suspects after they conducted anti-terror raids at 54 locations in 24 districts of the city, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media. The suspects are accused of using the organization's encrypted messaging application ByLock and being involved in training activities of the organization. The police also seized a number of organizational documents and digital tools. According to the Turkish government, FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured. Reporting on the same issue, Milliyet (23.09.18 http://www.milliyet.com.tr/20-askere-gozalti-karari-gundem-2747356/) reports that 20 soldiers were arrested in relation with FETO in 6 provinces of Turkey, "including the TRNC", as the paper wrote. [06] Keep away from Greek territorial waters, Turkish ministry warns fishers Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (24.09.18 http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/keep-away-from-greek-territorial-waters-turkish-ministry-warns-fishers-137132) reports that the Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has warned fishers in the Aegean region not to enter the territorial waters of Greece. A warning letter was sent to the provincial directorates of the ministry in the provinces of Edirne, Canakkale, Bal?kesir, Ayd?n, Mugla and Izmir on Sept. 3. "In order to prevent unwanted incidents and accidents, and to abstain from activities that would harm our country's legal and political theses and ones which we would be unable to explain or defend," the directorates were requested to inform and warn fishers. Several complaints were handed to Turkey's Foreign Ministry saying Turkish fisher boats had entered Greece's territorial waters. On Aug. 22, a Turkish fisher boat was intercepted by Greek coast guards in an area around the Samos island of Greece off the Didim district of the Turkish province of Ayd?n. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION (CS/ AM) Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleToday, a broad coalition formally submitted more than 500,000 public comments bringing the total to more than 800,000 comments opposing proposed changes to the regulations implementing the Endangered Species Act. The Endangered Species Act is our nations most effective tool in saving wildlife facing extinction. On July 19th, the Trump administration proposed sweeping changes to the regulations implementing the Act that will leave threatened and endangered wildlife at risk. Among many of these proposals are plans to reverse a longstanding rule prohibiting consideration of economic impacts when deciding whether to list a species as endangered or threatened, eliminate key protections for threatened species and weaken bedrock consultation requirements.

This shortsighted proposal to remove special protections for threatened and endangered species, including those in captivity, is both irresponsible and contrary to the ESA. We will continue fighting back against these shameful attacks on the ESA and the imperiled animals it protects.  Stephen Wells, Executive Director, Animal Legal Defense Fund

This drastic proposed revision of the Endangered Species Act is a clear-cut example of the administration favoring industry at the expense of at-risk wildlife. The preservation of our nations wildlife, which is beloved by Americans from coast to coast, is non-negotiable, and we will continue to fight this attack on our most vulnerable species.  Cathy Liss, president of the Animal Welfare Institute

This is the only planet we have. Its our urgent responsibility to protect each thread in the fabric of life here for future generations, and provide a wild home for our rare and imperiled species."  Greg Dancho, Beardsley Zoo Director

"Members of Congress and the Trump administration should listen to the 90 percent of Americansfrom across the political spectrumwho support the ESA and recognize the law's crucial role not just in saving species from extinction, but also in protecting the ecosystems that these species call home."  Angela Grimes, Interim CEO, Born Free USA

Imperiled species depend on the Endangered Species Act for their very lives. Our members and Americans have clearly spoken: Trump, hands off the Endangered Species Act. Our nations imperiled wildlife and wild lands and waters must be protected.  Jamie Rappaport Clark, President and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife

President Trump and Secretary Zinke have proposed a disastrous set of regulatory changes to the Endangered Species Act that benefit powerful corporations in the oil & gas, mining, and other extractive industries, amounting to an Extinction Plan for imperiled wildlife.  Drew Caputo, Earthjustices Vice President of Litigation for Lands, Wildlife, and Oceans

The Endangered Species Act has successfully prevented the extinction of the bald eagle, the humpback whale and grizzly bear. The Trump Administrations proposal would severely damage our tradition of protecting endangered fish, wildlife and plants and the special places these species call home.  Leda Huta, Executive Director, Endangered Species Coalition

We live in a world of excess, but were rapidly losing nature, including healthy habitats and their rich tapestry of species, said Emma Shumway, conservation associate with Environment America. The Endangered Species Act fulfills our obligation to protect other species, or at a minimum to limit the harm were doing. Weakening this vital conservation tool is simply the wrong choice.

These damaging changes to the Endangered Species Act are being offered to pave the way for more polluting oil and gas infrastructure in this country, stated Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. The Trump Administration is determined to increase our addiction to harmful fossil fuels come hell or high water. If it gets its way, the increasing climate impacts will ensure that our communities will suffer both.

The Administrations death-by-a-thousand-cuts approach aims to eviscerate one of the countrys most effective and popular laws, on which the survival of so many wildlife species depends. Keeping the ESA strong is critical if we are to ensure that imperiled species, including grizzly bears and African lions, do not go extinct.  Tracie Letterman, Vice President of Federal Affairs, Humane Society Legislative Fund

People and the planet need wildlife to thrive, and our collective wellbeing will be diminished if we lose even one more species to extinction, said Beth Allgood, U.S. Country Director at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). We must do everything in our power to safeguard imperiled speciesnot weaken their protections, as the Services now propose to do.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are calling out the Trump Administrations attack on the Endangered Species Act. They can see that this is not an effort to reform the rulesit is an effort to gut them on behalf of special interests like Big Oil and major real estate developers.  Rebecca Riley, Legal Director, Nature Program, Natural Resources Defense Council

We will not allow Secretary Zinke to dismantle the law that has supported the return of bald eagles soaring over Olympic, grizzly bears foraging with their cubs in Glacier and Channel Island foxes darting across hiking paths in Channel Islands National Parks, said Theresa Pierno, President and CEO of National Parks Conservation Association. National Parks Conservation Association stands in unwavering defense of the Endangered Species Act, which supports 600 threatened or endangered plant and animal species in our national parks.

As regional leaders in conservation, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park have witnessed first-hand the public support and many benefits afforded by the Endangered Species Act and are urging our community to speak up on its behalf. At a time when species are become ever more imperiled, we should be focused on strengthening the ESA, not weakening it.  Alan Varsik, Director of Zoological and Environmental Education for Metro Parks Tacoma

"From the largest animal ever to live on earth  the blue whaleto the tiny creatures that build coral reefs, the Endangered Species Act protects a spectacular array of ocean life," said Lara Levison with Oceana. "We urge the Trump administration to withdraw its proposals to weaken the ESA's protections for marine species."

The public clearly supports saving endangered species. Sec. Zinke must abandon plans to rollback wildlife protections to ease the way for his corporate cronies to drill, mine and log, said Dan Ritzman, Sierra Club Land, Water and Wildlife campaign director

These attacks on the Endangered Species Act do not reflect the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly support this wildly successful law, said Taylor Jones, endangered species advocate for WildEarth Guardians. Instead of rollbacks in the guise of reform, cementing a legacy of extinction, the administration should be fully funding the implementation of the Endangered Species Act and the recovery of imperiled species.

On our planet, endangered wildlife is struggling to survive, yet humans keep shifting the rules. The Endangered Species Act holds us accountable by creating a path for recovery for imperiled species. Animals do not hire lobbyists. It falls to us to speak for them. We must protect the Act that protects animals.  Alejandro Grajal, PhD, Woodland Park Zoo President and CEO

"The effectiveness of the ESA is proven99 percent of species listed on it have avoided extinction, said Leigh Henry, Director for Wildlife Policy at World Wildlife Fund (WWF). "Importantly, the ESA is an example of US leadership, used by many countries as a model for their own conservation laws. What message does it send to the world if it is weakened?"After strategic planning, a variety of organizations pooled resources and came together to launch a large-scale collaborative effort focused on identifying potential landscapes for conservation across the grasslands of North America. The effortdubbed Homes on the Rangeintegrates a keystone species, including prairie dogs, land use patterns and climate change to enhance current and future grassland restoration efforts.

Participants in the effort include the Prairie Dog Coalition of the Humane Society of the United States, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program and Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, USDA Agriculture Research Services and the Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies.

The Great Plains support a suite of species associated with black-tailed prairie dogs, including mountain plovers, burrowing owls, swift foxes and the highly endangered black-footed ferrets. Over the course of two years, conservation groups, scientists and agencies will work together to identify potential landscapes for conservation of the prairie dog ecosystem across North Americas Great Plains. Through mapping and ecological modeling, these landscape priorities will consider ecological parameters (soil types, vegetation types, etc.) landownership patterns and the presence of associated and endangered species, along with changing climate and land use to maximize long-term conservation potential and co-existence with human activities. Funds for this work are being provided by the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, administered through the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

The name Homes on the Range is in reference to the classic American folk song, but also speaks to the many species and ecosystems that call the range home. Because prairie dogs are a keystone species and ecosystem engineers of North Americas central grasslands, their conservation and management often lies at the core of many conservation efforts across the this region.

The Homes on the Range project is the realization of years of planning for proactive protection and conservation of the prairie dog ecosystem, said Lindsey Sterling Krank, Program Director for the Humane Society of the United States Prairie Dog Conflict Resolution Team.

Prairie dog populations have declined by over 95% over the last century, subsequently resulting in a decline of species that rely on prairie dogs for habitat creation, such as burrowing owls and mountain plovers and as prey for black-footed ferrets and ferruginous hawks.

Prairie dog management is challenging because they are severely affected by plague, a non-native disease introduced from Asia, which has the ability to devastate their populations. Their populations are also threatened by drought and climate change in the southern portion of their geographic range.

"By focusing priority areas for conservation around prairie dogsa keystone species of North America's grasslandswe are able to protect the unique grassland ecosystem they create and the suite of grassland species that associate with them, including North America's most endangered mammal, the black-footed ferret," said Ana Davidson, Ph.D., a senior research scientist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program & Joint Faculty, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University.

Continued human population growth, coupled with fragmenting and shifting habitats due to urbanization, climate change and energy development, necessitate a sense of urgency in conserving and improving the status of grassland ecosystems, said Bill Van Pelt, grassland coordinator for the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. By focusing efforts and increasing efficiency of grassland conservation, there will be improvements in agency staff time and budgetary investment to further grassland conservation into the future.

Key factsWASHINGTONConservation and animal-welfare groups today urged (PDF) Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reconsider a federal decision to allow a Texas billionaire to import a critically endangered black rhino shot as a trophy hunt in Namibia.

The Fish and Wildlife Service gave notice Sept. 20 of its intent to issue the permit in 10 days. Black rhinos are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, but the government unlawfully approves trophy imports in a pay-to-play scheme.

Todays letter (PDF) from the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, Humane Society Legislative Fund and Center for Biological Diversity argues that such permits undermine conservation of Africas endangered wildlife, contrary to industry claims. [K]illing a critically endangered rhinoceros and importing the trophy does not benefit the species, the letter states.

Sign the pledge to end trophy hunting.

The approximately 27-year-old western black rhino was shot last year by the Dallas hunter, who has his own museum of trophy kills. The permit application notes the intent to import a life-size mount of the rhino.

Approving this permit betrays the core principles of the Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Service is endorsing the import of a hunting trophy of an endangered species under the pretense that killing animals promotes conservation, said Anna Frostic, managing wildlife attorney with the Humane Society of the United States. It is telling that the three endangered species that FWS has authorized trophy imports forblack rhinoceros, bontebok and cape mountain zebraare highly prized by trophy hunters.

Black rhinos are highly imperiled with roughly only 5,500 existing worldwide by 2015, of which 1,946 are in Namibia.

Its disgusting to see federal wildlife officials giving a Texas billionaire a pat on the back for blowing away this incredibly rare rhino, said Tanya Sanerib, international legal director with the Center for Biological Diversity. We shouldnt be sanctioning the death of this majestic animal by allowing this trophy into the United States. The cruelty of trophy hunting simply doesnt comport with efforts to save Africas imperiled wildlife.

Poaching of rhinos for their highly coveted horns still threatens to drive the species toward extinction. Official Namibian government figures show that rhino poaching escalated from nearly zero to more than 80 in 2016, and the vast majority of rhinos poached were black rhinos. Due to the poaching crisis, the country is under consideration to join a handful of Priority Countries for Attention at the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which will meet in Russia next week.

The agency also approved elephant and lion trophy imports from Zimbabwe and Zambia last fall and has adopted policies favorable to trophy hunters.

The administration set up the International Wildlife Conservation Council, an advisory committee packed primarily with trophy hunters to further advise officials on how to liberalize trophy imports. The council is scheduled to meet later this week. The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Natural Resources Defense Council, represented by Democracy Forward, have a pending lawsuit in New York challenging the various illegalities in the establishment and operation of the IWCC.Quentin Palfrey is the Democrat's nominee for lieutenant governor. Sherwood Guernsey Adam Hinds Andrea Harrington Quentin Palfrey The office is on North Street. PreviousNext

Democrats Open Pittsfield HQ For November's Election Push





State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier introduced Andrea Harrington, calling her successful campaign for the Democratic nomination an inspiration. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  With the primaries in the rearview mirror, Democrats are gearing up for the -final election push.

Locally the party opened a North Street headquarters for the coordinated campaign.

The office will serve as the local headquarters for campaign staffer working on behalf of Democratic candidates up and down the ticket -- from Congress to district attorney.

"We have an incredible slate of Democratic candidates from the top to our incredible local winner Andrea Harrington for district attorney," said Sherwood Guernsey, a former state senator and a founder of the Berkshire Brigades.

In Congress, Democrats will be pushing for the re-elections of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal.

"When Democrats win, we have criminal just reform here in Massachusetts. When the Democrats win, we can stand up to what the heck is happening in Washington, D.C., and what is happening in the White House. That's why we need to elect Senator Warren and Representative Neal to go right back to Washington because that is where the real fight is as well," said state Sen. Adam Hinds said.

At the state level, Jay Gonzalez and Quentin Palfrey are representing the Democrats in the race for governor and lieutenant governor. Maura Healey is seeking re-election for attorney general, Suzanne Bump for auditor, Deborah Goldberg for treasurer, and Bill Galvin for secretary of state.

"All of those candidates are qualified, experienced, and they will do the job for all of us, for the average working men and women our party has always stood up for," Guernsey said.

Palfrey spoke at Thursday's office opening, saying Republican Gov. Charlie Baker can be beaten if the party can energize its base. He cited high turnouts in primaries and a surge of first-time voters heading to the polls to show the numbers are there for Democrats to take back the state's corner office.

"There has been a lot of pessimism about the ability of the Democratic ticket to beat Baker and Polito. Two weeks ago we saw what needs to happen to take back the corner office and what that is is a surge of Democratic enthusiasm," Palfrey said.

Gonzalez has taken on the slogan "Aim High" and Palfrey believes that by taking the corner office, the state can do just that. He said with support from the governor's office in Gonzalez and himself, Massachusetts can tackle transportation, education, college affordability, move toward single-payer health care, and tackle the opioid epidemic.

"Jay has a bold vision for leading Massachusetts forward, for investing in transportation and education, economic development, and really tackling the very serious challenges we have in Massachusetts," Palfrey said.

Locally, there isn't much for contested races. Hinds, State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, and state Rep. Paul Mark were all in attendance despite being on the ballots unopposed. Nonetheless, they voiced their support for the Democrat's push for November.

"There is this really strange idea out there that our governor can't be beaten. That's B.S. We know what the numbers are, we know what the demographics are, we know that if we energize our base, we work as a team with the energy and expertise of the Warren campaign, brought together with the Palfrey and Gonzalez enthusiasm for what we can do in this state," Farley-Bouvier said.

Farley-Bouvier called for Democrats to "bring our state to the next level." The other local state Legislature Democrats are William "Smitty" Pignatelli and John Barrett III, both are also uncontested and neither attended the opening.



The local state legislative officials have uncontested races. The Pittsfield representative recognized Harrington's work in the district attorney's race by upsetting the incumbent in the primary. Farley-Bouvier called that campaign an inspiration for what Democrats can do in November.

"This was not me, I did not do this, I did this with an amazing team of people from all over this county," Harrington said of that campaign effort.

But, Harrington continued to say that 62 percent of the voters "wanted change," referring to both her and fellow progressive candidate Judith Knight's vote totals.

"It is time for this community to have a district attorney that reflects the values and the principals of our party, who believe in justice for all," Harrington said.

Harrington's race isn't quite over, though many believed it should have been by now because no other party has a candidate on the ballot. In the three-way race for the Democratic nomination, Harrington just squeaked by the incumbent Paul Caccaviello by about 700 votes. Caccaviello isn't giving up and believes that can be overcome by opening himself up to voters of other parties. He is mounting a write-in campaign on the November ballot.

The local Democrats, however, seemed to coalesce around their nominee, with former Knight supporters at the opening wearing Harrington campaign stickers.

"We've got to aim higher than we have in the last few years with our present governor. The status quo doesn't work. The status quo didn't work in the DA's office, that's what the voters said. Status quo is not going to work statewide for Gov. Baker," Guernsey, who backed Knight in the primary, said.

Optimism is strong about the Democrat's chances in November. The coordinated campaign has gotten a particularly large boost by Warren, who put a significant amount of campaign funds behind it.

"When Democrats fight, Democrats win," Hinds said.PHS Graduates Honored For Scoring Well On AP Exams

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Thirty-nine Pittsfield High School students have been recognized for acing Advanced Placement examines.

Two students, Adam Shepardson and Stephen Taglieri, were named National AP Scholars. Shepardson is now attending Brown University and Taglieri is attending George Mason University. The designation is given to students who receive a score of at least 4 on all AP exams or a score of 4 or better on eight or more of the exams.

"We are very proud of our AP program at Pittsfield High School. Not only our AP scholars but also that our courses are open to all students," Principal Henry Duval said at last week's School Committee meeting.

PHS boasts of the county's largest AP exam program with 200 students taking 342 exams in 21 different subject areas in 2018. The school has taken on a focus on expanding AP opportunities for its students.

The school is also the only high school in the county offering the College Board's AP Capstone program.

"We've been steadily expanding our course offerings and we are particularly excited about Capstone, a challenging two-course sequence focusing on inquiry, college research writing, and presentation skills," Vice Principal of Teaching and Learning Brendan Sheran said.

Three PHS students, Isabelle Masiero, Stephen Taglieri and Emily Taylor earned the AP Capstone Diploma. This honor is given for students achieving a score of 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research courses, as well as four other AP exams. One student, Makailey Cookis, earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate. This distinction is given to students who achieve a 3 or higher in both Capstone courses.

Noah Beckwith, now attending Tulane, Anissa Lovallo, now attending Florida Institute of Technology; Eamon McCandless, at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and Liam Mooney, at Tufts University, all earned AP Scholar with Distinction designation, which is reserved for students who earned an average score of 3.5 or more on all AP exams and scores of 3 or better on five or more exams.

Named as AP Scholar with Honor from the class of 2018 are Trent Marran, now attending RPI; Emily Taylor, now attending Boston College; and Hayley Tobin, now attending Stonehill College. The AP Scholar with Honor designation means that they earned an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or better on four or more of those exams.

Named as AP Scholars from the upcoming class of 2019 are Hannah Berkel, Aidan Chalfonte, Jaden Coscia, Trista Dearstyne, Katherine Dumigan, Grace Heimann, Jacob Jamros, Olivia Kriedeman-Hubbard, Emily Mazzeo, and Thomas Rindfus.

Graduates of the class of 2018 named AP Scholars and the colleges they are attending: Nadine Billow, Makailey Cookis, Olivia Douhan, Daniel Maillet, and Molly Tierney, all at the Unversity of Massachusetts at Amherst; Joshua Allessio, Clarkson University; Michael Cavalieri, Wheaton College; Gabrielle DiMassimo, Worcester State University; Sabil Kaddoura, University of San Francisco; Isabella Masiero, John Cabot University; William Munch, UMass at Lowell; Giuliana Pierce, Assumption College; John Pletzer, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts; Alexa Pudlo, Providence College; Kamea Quetti-Hall, Occidental College; and Noah Santos, at Florida Institute of Technology.

The designation of AP Scholar is granted to students who receive scores of 3 or better on 3 or more AP Exams.Russia announced on Monday it will supply an S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria in two weeks against strong Israeli objections, a week after Moscow blamed Israel for indirectly causing the downing of a Russian military plane in Syria.

Last week's crash, which killed 15 Russian service members, had forced Moscow to take "adequate retaliatory measures to increase the safety of Russian military fighting international terrorism in Syria," Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday in a televised address.

"A modern S-300 air defence missile system will be transferred to the Syrian armed forces within two weeks," he said. The system will "significantly increase the Syrian army's combat capabilities," he said.

Russia, which fights in Syria to support the government, has said Syria shot the IL-20 surveillance plane down by mistake shortly after Israeli jets hit a nearby target. Russia blamed Israel for creating dangerous conditions that caused the crash.

Israel, which has struck Syria scores of times during the seven-year war, said after the incident that it would work to improve "deconfliction" of its missions with Russian forces, but would not halt them. It has long lobbied Moscow not to provide the S-300 to Syria.

Krelmin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on a conference call that the decision to supply the weapons was "not directed at any third country". "Russia needs to increase safety of its military and it should be clear for everyone," he said.

But he also repeated Moscow's accusations that Israel was to blame for the crash: "No doubt that according to our military experts, deliberate action by Israeli pilots was the reason for the tragedy and this cannot but harm our (Russia-Israeli) ties."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's office explicitly linked the Russian decision to supply the weapons to the air crash: "President Putin held Israel responsible for bring down the plane and informed President Assad that Russia will develop Syria's air defence systems," the Syrian presidency said.

Shoigu said Russia will equip Syrian anti-aircraft units with Russian tracking and guidance systems in order to identify Russian aircraft.

Russia in April had hinted that it would supply the S-300 to Assad's government despite Israeli objections.

The missile system, originally developed by the Soviet military, but since modernised and available in several versions with different capabilities, fires missiles from trucks and is designed to shoot down military aircraft and short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Israel says its air strikes on Syria are not a threat to Russia's ally Assad, but that it must carry them out to halt arms shipments to Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.

It has made repeated efforts to persuade Moscow not to sell S-300s to Syria, as it fears this would hinder its aerial capability.

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The Historical Commission is hoping to gain capital funds to fix the gatehouse at Mount Williams Reservoir.

North Adams Historical Commission Wants Funds to Preserve Gatehouse



Commissioners don't think the roof can wait years for repair. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The Historical Commission is hoping to get some of the leftover funds appropriated last year for capital projects to put toward some much-needed historical preservation.

A priority is the 104-year-old Mount Williams gatehouse, the tower at the reservoir on Pattison Road.

"We don't want anything happening to that," said commission Chairwoman Justyna Carlson at Thursday's meeting. "It's one of the old ones that should be preserved and according to [historical consultant Bonnie Parsons'] assessment, there were many more in the commonwealth but very few are left. ...

"This would be a good time to suggest that something be done with that."

The City Council last year authorized nearly $800,000 for capital projects , of which $176,600 was to be used for engineering studies at the Mount Williams and Notch Reservoir dams. The state, however, has provided the funding for those studies and the council appropriated $90,000 of those funds toward finishing exterior work at the Armory.

That leaves $86,600 that could be appropriated toward other projects.

The tower gatehouse and its distinctive red tile roof have seen better days. Resident Mary LaCasse has become particularly concerned over the deterioration she's seen over time. The roof has numerous holes and the tiles have fallen and broken.

"It's just so charming and amazing and I can see it going downhill," she told the commission. "It's going to get too late or very, very expensive ... it really has been upsetting to me."

The commission discussed the possibility of developing a "friends" group similar to the library and what Commissioner Wendy Champney had done for Fort Massachusetts to raise money for repairs but agreed that the gatehouse alone wouldn't be a good focus.

"There are other things that need preserving so not just a 'Friends of the Gatehouse," Carlson said. But Champney also thought it was important to do something for the gatehouse, motioning to create an action plan.

"I think we need a commitment and a direction today," she said. "It's one thing to talk about it and then walk away. It's 104 years old. It's our history and it's a roof ... it's going to cost money, but it's a roof."

Director of Special Project Michael Nuvallie suggested the commission make a recommendation to the corner office to have the building inspector provide a preliminary assessment. The commission voted to amend Champney's motion to develop an action plan and make a recommendation to Mayor Thomas Bernard.

Bernard, later that day, said the funds in question had not been targeted to anything else so far but any use would require an appropriation from City Council.

Commissioner Alan Horbal thought the motion would be setting a precedent, noting there were other preservation needs like the Johnson Grays plaque at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

The commission also spent some time speaking with Wigwam owner and manager Wayne Gelinas, who was seeking permission to raze two of the cabins six cabins on the property . Commissioners were concerned because Parsons had gotten the application together to list the Wigwam on the National Register of Historic Places. Gelinas recently purchased the largely dormant property and has been making improvements.

"We were kind of hoping this would go through first so we didn't have to take any more pictures ... of what was removed and renovated," said Carlson. "They look lovely renovated but they just don't look the same."

Gelinas is in the process of renovating the cabins, house and gift shop. The four good cabins have been repainted brown, rather than the yellow they've been for years, but there's been an effort to maintain their look.

Those four only needed small repairs and cosmetics, he said. "But two of them have had such bad leaks over the years they're all rotted, moldy and full of mice ... our plan is to start operations in October and to have guests walking by them, they smell they're just full of mold."

It wouldn't be possible, Gelinas said, not to raze them until after the application was submitted. There are also plans to rebuild entirely different, more modern cabins to replace them.

"We want to be successful but we have to be a little different," Gelinas said. "We're the 11th owner of the Wigwam since 1914, some were successful and some weren't."

Getting on the National Register would be helpful to the motel in terms of marketing and possible historic tax credits. The Historical Society is also hoping the listing will aid in having international travel company Tauck hold an upcoming anniversary in North Adams. Founder Arthur Tauck was inspired to start his bus tour company when he stopped at the Wigwam in 1924.

The commission approved the two cabin demolitions as well demolitions at 212 Eagle, 174 Liberty, 180 River streets.The original Catwalk Boutique, located at 325 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington, opened in May 2014.

Biz Briefs: Humane Society Opening Second Catwalk Boutique

Catwalk Times Two

Berkshire Humane Society will open a second location of Catwalk Boutique, its successful women's resale shop, in downtown Lenox this coming winter/spring. Dates are to be determined. The original Catwalk Boutique, located at 325 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington, opened in May 2014. The shop specializes in affordable womens clothing with an emphasis on designer and upscale labels, current styles, and contemporary fashion. All clothing is like-new or very gently used. Shoppers can also purchase handbags, jewelry, shoes, and accessories such as scarves, hats, and gloves. All proceeds from the shop benefit Berkshire Humane Society.



"Our shop in Great Barrington has done so well," said John Perreault, executive director for BHS. "We hope this second shop will bring us even closer to our community and give people in Lenox and Pittsfield a new place to shop. We'd love to have events in Lenox, for both fundraising and adoptions. This shop is a great opportunity for us to close the gap in our budget. We need this revenue to help us fund all the programs and services that benefit both people and animals. Money has been very tight, as always. So this is a very important endeavor for our shelter.



The new location is in a recently renovated building on Church Street next door to Alta and Patisserie Lenox. Catwalk Boutique is entirely stocked by community donations. A charitable clothing drive to collect items for the Lenox store kicks off on Monday, Sept. 24. All women's clothing and outerwear, jewelry, shoes, handbags, wallets, scarves, hats, and gloves will be accepted. Not accepted are lingerie, undergarments, bathing suits, or men's or children's clothing. Donations may be dropped off at Berkshire Humane Society at 214 Barker Road in Pittsfield and Purradise at 301 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington. Pick-ups in Lenox may be scheduled by sending an email.

Personal finance classes

The First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ of Hinsdale, will offer "Every Budget Can Get Better: Financial Wellness for All Ages and Stages," a five-week series of classes addressing key issues of personal finances. The purpose of the class is to give participants the essential tools and information to repair their finances if necessary and to build a solid financial future regardless of ones current situation.



The class will meet on Monday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. beginning on Monday, Sept. 24, and ending Oct. 29, with no class on Oct. 8. Complimentary childcare is provided. Topics will include building a budget and a strong credit history led by Cindy A. Shogry-Raimer, director of community cevelopment for Greylock Federal Credit Union; investing strategies by Jason LaBelle of Berkshire Retirement Strategies; and retirement, wills and estate planning by attorney Ben Smith.



The program is open to the public. The cost for all five sessions is $5 and the first 20 people to register will receive a free copy of "The Automatic Millionaire" by David Bach. The remainder of the expenses of the program will be covered by the First Congregational Churchs Outreach Memorial Fund established in memory of David Monk to honor and continue his commitment of serving the local community and beyond. Space is limited; register by calling 413-655-2670.

College Prep Information Night

Adams Community Bank is hosting a college prep information night at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at the Williams Inn. Dr. Joshua Mendel, director of recruitment and outreach at MCLA, Ann Marie Mutz, school counselor at Pittsfield High School, and Lauren Mangiardi, student scholar from MCLA, will present an information session on the college search and application process.



Berkshire Bank Foundation funding

The Berkshire Bank Foundation has allocated $1,118,000 in philanthropic investments to 294 nonprofit organizations during its initial two rounds of 2018 grant funding. The funding will allow organizations to transform possibilities into a brighter reality for over three million individuals.



Berkshire Bank Foundation is committed to investing in specific education and economic development programs that enhance opportunities for individuals in communities served by Berkshire Bank. The grant funding supports a wide-range of career advancement, affordable housing and small business initiatives. Among the recipients is YMCA Training, the recipient of a $10,000 grant for its Financial Services Training Program. This intensive, full-time professional skills and job-training program helps a diverse population of under-resourced adults prepare for employment in the banking and insurance industries. It replicates a real-life business environment, helping participants put their knowledge into practice so they are adequately prepared for careers in the financial services field. Berkshires partnership with YMCA Training is improving the economic prosperity of the participants, while also creating a pipeline of diverse, trained, entry-level talent for the financial services sector.



In addition to its education and economic development funding, the foundation once again offered a special Capacity Building grant opportunity designed to assist nonprofit organizations in improving their performance and impact. Through a competitive process, the foundation received more than 160 applications, with nine organizations selected to each receive a $5,000 grant, including: The Christian Center (Pittsfield); Revitalize Community Development Corporation (Springfield); Community Harvest Project (North Grafton); Irish International Immigrant Center (Boston); Billings Forge Community Works (Hartford, Conn.); Rebuilding Together Saratoga County (Ballston Spa, N.Y.); Abraham House (Utica, N.Y.); The Mentor Connector (Rutland, Vt.); and Rise  A Community Service Partnership (Hightstown, N.J.).

SVC honor

Southern Vermont College has been ranked the 25th best regional college in the north. The report was announced by the annual U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges for 2019.



"This U.S. News ranking acknowledges the hard work of everyone in the SVC community in ensuring that our students have excellent opportunities for success, and reflects greatly improved graduation rates and a stronger academic focus over the past several years," said SVC President Dr. David Evans. "Our engaging academic and co-curricular offerings and intense focus on the potential of every individual student to thrive here make our wonderful college special."



The data U.S. News gathers on colleges  and the rankings of the schools that arise from these data  serve as an objective guide by which prospective students can compare the academic quality of schools. The 2019 edition of U.S. News Best Colleges, along with college visits and interviews, is a helpful means of finding the right fit.



iciHaiti - Religion : Mgr. Launay Saturne takes possession of the archdiocese of Cap-Haitien





Sunday at the Cathedral Notre Dame of the Assumption of Cap-Haitien, in the presence of President Jovenel Moise, Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant, local authorities, many personalities and a crowd of faithful, took place a Mass of Canonical Possession of the Archdiocese of Cap-Haitien by the new Archbishop of Cap-Haitien Mgr. Launay Saturne.



The Communal Administration is pleased to welcome the new Archbishop of Cap-Haitien and wish him good mission in the department.



Learn more about Mgr. Launay Saturne :

Born January 14, 1964 in Delatte (Petit-Goave) was ordained priest on March 10, 1991 for the archdiocese of Port-au-Prince. Doctor in theology, Mgr Saturne was director of studies and professor of theology at the Grand Seminary of Port-au-Prince. The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI named him Bishop of Jacmel in April 2010. Since November 2017, he is President of the Episcopal Conference of Haiti.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24981-haiti-religion-pope-francis-names-mgr-launay-saturne-archbishop-of-cap-haitien.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24931-haiti-riots-the-episcopal-conference-points-to-the-irresponsibility-of-leaders.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16479-haiti-crisis-the-episcopal-conference-sounds-the-alarm.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-6953-haiti-religion-haiti-needs-a-new-spiritual-springtime.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3811-haiti-social-mgr-launay-saturne-we-must-move-from-words-to-action.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2825-haiti-jacmel-remarks-of-mgr-launay-saturne.html



S/ iciHaiti



















Senate president Abubakar Bukola Saraki has said he was certain that whoever emerges as the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) presidential candidate will get the support of other aspirants.

The Senate president and other candidates arrived at the PDP Legacy House in Abuja, where the screening of all PDP Presidential Aspirants took place.

Saraki, after he was screened took to twitter to gush about the the level of camaraderie between all his partys presidential aspirants. According to him, it is reassuring.

Saraki said he was more than certain that all other aspirants will work with whoever emerges as the partys candidate for the 2019 presidential election.

He wrote:The Intelligent creator Infinix Note 5 stylus is finally here, and it matches many of the rumours weve been hearing about Infinix Mobility next flagship for the past few weeks. Those seeking unadulterated smartphone tech intelligence need to no look further. Still retaining similar build with its predecessor, Infinix Note 5, this device is a good recommendation for smartphone lovers in need of a premium quality smartphone with revolutionary features.

To begin with, Infinix Note 5 stylus flaunts a stunning 6.0-inch FHD+ Infinity screen display moulded into an 8.4mm slim design wrapped in a well-polished plastic material that you can hardly notice because it looks so classic and beautiful with a smooth panel and rounded curved edges.

Next is an impressive A.I Camera with soft LED flashlight enhanced with ample amount of resolved sensors to take exceptionally good and clearer photos in different sort of lit scenarios. The Camera which is integrated is Artificial Intelligence automatically picks the best possible camera settings tailored specifically to every user.

Other awesome specs up Infinix Note 5 stylus sleeves is a 2.0GHz Octa-Core MT6763V processor, 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage expandable up to 128GB, Google Android One Operating System and a 4000mAH battery.

Also, the Infinix Note 5 stylus comes with a Google Assistant and Google Lens, thanks to pre-installed set of google apps present on the Note 5 stylus as a result of the Android One OS. This class-leading voice recognition system has the ability to use the entire publicly-available internet to find exactly what youre looking for and perform tasks seamlessly.

The device is also made available in three colour variants such as Milan Black, Berlin Grey and Ice Blue.

For Infinix Mobility, 2018 has been a stellar year churning out premium quality devices, affiliating with notable icons in several aspects of todays pop culture such as signing Davido as a brand ambassador, it is hugely refreshing to know you would always get a smartphone that delivers in camera performance, strong battery and overall performance.

Infinix simply has a smartphone for everyone and this time its the turn of the prospective trendsetting innovators to shine with Infinix Note 5 stylus.Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

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Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.Members of Qatar's Al-Ghufran tribe organized an exhibition to document the violations made by the Qatari regime against their tribe on Monday in front of the UN headquarters in Geneva, calling upon the international community to take action.

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.

The exhibition comes within the framework of a series of activities carried out by the tribe in Geneva last week to shed the light on the sufferring and oppression of the tribe's members.

The exhibition also comes in the framework of a broader sense to communicate their voice to the world through participation in the 39th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, currently held in Geneva.

"The international community must stop turning a blind eye to violations made against the Al-Ghufran tribe by the Qatari regime," said Mohamed Saleh al-Ghafzani, one of the sons of tribe who participated in the exhibition.

Al-Ghafzani said that they are trying to document all the violations made by the Qatari regime against them.

"We are trying from Geneva to communicate our voice in every way possible, whether through an exhibition, interviews, seminars and press conferences and we will not stop until we get our stolen rights returned," said al-Ghafzani.

"We are talking to everyone who comes in and out of the United Nations building about our crisis; after stripping our people of their nationality, there is nothing else to lose," he continued.

On 17 September, a delegation of the Al-Ghufran tribe met with Mohamed El Nsour, the head of the Middle East and North Africa Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, to deliver a letter addressed to the commissioner summarizing part of the tribal tragedy since 1996.

The letter referred to the crimes committed by the Doha regime against the tribe, including racial discrimination, forced displacement, denial of repatriation, imprisonment and torture, which led to "psychological disorders and the deaths of many tribesmen inside the Qatari intelligence prisons."

The delegation referred to a petition submitted on 21 September last year to the assistant high commissioner for the Middle East and North Africa.

The petition also expressed regret that the authorities in Doha, including the Emir of Qatar, the Prime Minister, the Attorney General, the President of the National Human Rights Commission and senior security officials, were informed and aware of the suffering of all victims of racial discrimination.

The letter pointed out that Qatari officials are deeply involved and are working to hide many facts of the crime from the eyes of international justice and humanitarian organizations.

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Opinion Policies

Editorials are longer opinion pieces that are written by a group of community members recruited across campus who address relevant issues on a local, national and international level. Editorials are research-based. The purpose of the Editorial Board is to promote discussion concerning relevant issues in the community while advising on possible solutions. Topics are chosen via relevancy and interests of the members, which are then discussed by the Editorial Board in order to reach a general consensus concerning the topic or issue.

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If you have a grievance concerning the content or argument of the Editorial Board, please contact either Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or the Editorial Board as a whole (editorialboard@iowastatedaily.com). Those wanting to respond to editorials can also submit a letter to the editor through the Iowa State Daily website or by emailing the letter to Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or Editor-in-Chief Sage Smith (sage.smith@iowastatedaily.com).

Column Policy

Columns are hyper-specific to opinion and are written by only columnists employed by the Iowa State Daily. Columnists are unique because they have a specific writing day and only publish on those writing days. Each column undergoes a thorough editing process ensuring the integrity of the writer, and their claim is maintained while remaining research-based and respectful. Columns may be submitted from community members. These are labelled as Guest Columns. These contain similar research-based content and need to be at least 400 words in length. The following requirements should be met: first and last name, email and relation or position to Iowa State. Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions.

Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020DisplayMate is one of the leading publications when it comes to reviewing and rating smartphone displays, and now it has weighed in with Apples newest, and biggest smartphone.

The iPhone XS Max, simply put, is the best ever when it comes to smartphone displays. Of course, this is a growing trend for Apple and Samsung devices across the board, with the iPhone X setting a high bar last year, which was replaced by the Galaxy Note 9 earlier this year, and now ultimately the bar has been set even higher by the iPhone XS Max.

Apple has continued to raise the on-screen Absolute Picture Quality and Absolute Color Accuracy of their displays by implementing Precision Factory Display Calibration, moving the overall iPhone XS Max display performance up to Record Setting Outstanding levels, and setting many new Display Performance Records, including Absolute Color Accuracy at a very impressive 0.8 JNCD that is Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect, and almost certainly considerably better than your existing Smartphone, 4K UHD TV, Tablet, Laptop and computer monitor. The iPhone XS Max also has a Record High Full Screen Brightness for OLED Smartphones of 660 nits, considerably brighter than most OLED and LCD Smartphones.

The iPhone XS Max earned DisplayMates highest Absolute Color Accuracy award, making the colors there indistinguishable from perfect. The devices display has the highest fullscreen brightness for smartphones equipped with OLED displays, the lowest screen reflectance, the highest contrast ratio, and much more.

Here are just a few of the major bullet points:

A state-of-the-art OLED display that is manufactured on a flexible plastic substrate. While the OLED display itself is flexible, the screen remains rigid under an outer hard cover glass.

A Full Screen design with a large 6.5 inch OLED display that fills almost the entire front face of the iPhone XS Max from edge-to-edge, providing a significantly larger display for the same phone size.

A new display form factor with a taller height to width Aspect Ratio of 19.5 : 9 = 2.17, which is 22% larger than the 16 : 9 = 1.78 on most Smartphones (and widescreen TVs) because the display now has the same overall shape as the entire phone. It is taller in Portrait mode and wider in Landscape mode.

A Record High 100% APL Full Screen Brightness for OLED Smartphones of 660 nits, which improves screen visibility in high Ambient Light. On its Home Screen the iPhone XS Max produces an impressively bright 725 nits.

Very High Absolute Color Accuracy (0.8 JNCD), which is Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect, and almost certainly considerably better than your existing Smartphone, UHD TV, Tablet, Laptop, and computer monitor.

This is solid news for Apple, and especially for owners of the iPhone XS Max who were hoping the bigger display would mean the best possible viewing experience. And that appears to be the case, to say the least. Couple this with the news that the iPhone XS Max is selling like hot cakes for the company, and its a good week for the company and its newest and biggest smartphone.

If you picked up the iPhone XS Max, are you happy with the display so far?

Our Take

This might be a nit-picky, but DisplayMate has had a lot of Best Ever smartphone displays in the last couple years or so. Maybe they should think about changing the award to Best So Far, because this is obviously a category thats going to see Samsung and Apple handing off the title every year. And, hey, maybe one day well get Google a winners cap one year.

[via DisplayMateStaff at the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees went on strike in the Gaza Strip on Monday to protest against job losses and US funding cuts.

The one-day strike closed more than 250 UNRWA schools in Gaza, as well as medical centres and food aid distribution points, the union said.

The United States has traditionally been UNRWA's largest funder, providing around $350 million (300 million euros) a year.

But President Donald Trump has cut all support, sparking a funding crisis.

More than 250 jobs have been cut in Gaza and the West Bank so far, while hundreds of full-time roles have become part-time.

The refugee agency's labour union is demanding the job cuts be reversed and its leaders say the strike could be the first of a number of measures.

A small protest took place outside the agency's Gaza headquarters.

"The strike comes in light of the (UNRWA) administration's lack of responsiveness to the demands of the employees' union and their insistence on not solving their problems," Amal al-Batsh, deputy head of the union, said in a statement.

UNRWA's spokesman Chris Gunness said the agency regretted the strike.

"We regret any action that negatively impacts the services we provide to refugees, particularly in a place like Gaza where after a more than decade of blockade they have suffered enough," he told AFP.

UNRWA says the funding deficit caused by the Trump administration's withdrawal of support is so severe cuts are unavoidable.

Around 13,000 people work for the agency in Gaza, where more than two-thirds of the roughly two million residents are eligible for aid.

UNRWA says more than 200,000 Palestinians attend its schools in the strip.

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The White House insisted Monday it was not seeking the overthrow of Iran's clerical regime even as it seeks at the United Nations to pile pressure on Tehran.

"As I have said repeatedly, regime change in Iran is not the administration's policy," national security advisor John Bolton told reporters as he previewed President Donald Trump's week at the global body.

"We've imposed very stringest sanctions on Iran, more are coming, and what we expect from Iran is massive changes in their behavior."

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We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to formRod Rosenstein, Donald Trump's deputy attorney general who oversees the Russia investigation, was headed Monday to the White House with the expectation of being fired, US media reported.

Several media including The New York Times and The Washington Post reported that Rosenstein was preparing to be dismissed, following the publication of reports that he had discussed ways to remove Trump over incompetence.

It was not immediately clear whether he would be sacked, or would resign first.

Rosenstein plays a key role in overseeing the probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Time is almost up to weigh in on the Trump Adminstration's proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act. The public comment period ends today.

The feds argue that the act unnecessarily holds up commercial projects, but conservation groups including the Endangered Species Coalition say the law has successfully staved off extinction for 99 percent of the species on the list.

"They will make it harder to protect wildlife, harder to protect habitat, more difficult to help species adapt to climate change. So, from just every perspective, we're really in trouble," said Leda Huta, executive director of the Endangered Species Coalition.

Right now, species that are listed as threatened are automatically protected. The new proposal would lift that blanket protection until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would issue specific rules for that species.



Click here to register your thoughts on the proposed changes.FOREST CITY, Iowa - Major employer Winnebago Industries hosted their annual North Iowa Motorhome Picnic, celebrating 60 years in the state.

Governor Kim Reynolds was invited to speak at the event. "we're here today to celebrate a significant milestone: 60 years with winnebago in the state of iowa and so it's great to be here and be with the employees and say, 'job well done and we're proud to have the company in the state of iowa,'" she says.

The company recognized maintenance supervisor Larry Kearney for being the second employee to achieve 50 years with the company. Reynolds helped fit him with a new Winnebago jacket. "It's an honor, I mean it really is," says Kearney.

About 2,000 people attended the picnic.GARNER, Iowa  A former Klemme man pleads guilty to drug crimes.

Dustin Lee Allen, 30, was arrested after law enforcement searched his home on January 10. He was charged with possession of meth with intent to deliver, possession of marijuana, and failure to use a drug tax stamp after authorities said they found meth, pot, and other items involved in the drug trade.

Allen, who later moved to Aredale in Butler County, pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession with intent to deliver and the tax stamp violation.

Hes been ordered to serve up to five years on supervised probation and must complete all recommended substance abuse treatment programs.For now nine weeks running, Gold's weekly settle has neither exceeded 1191 on the downside, nor 1223 on the upside: that is a week-to-week closing range for two months spanning just 2.7% from low-to-high, or a mere 32 points. Think back to just 2016, a year which was peppered with trading days alone exceeding that range!

One might infer price is being " protected " from the downside, yet at the same time " suppressed " from the upside. Either way, it flies in the face of the excited daily writings across the Gold-authoring spectrum with its perennial expectations of big Gold up moves to occur at any moment, the failure of which made manifest making one downright " depressed "!

You'll recall a valued friend of ours here in Monaco having suggested that "Well, it's dead money, isn't it?" Upon that thought on occasion crossing our mind, the instinctive response remains "no, No, NO!" This present blip of quietude across Gold's otherwise 5,000-year span as de facto money quickly assuages such suggestion. That noted, we at times wonder -- given the go-go "nuthin' but stocks" nature of today's generationally-turned-over drooling directors of money management -- that they've merely passed over Gold as a critical wealth-preserving asset, and/or are sufficiently naive to understand the Gold Story whatsoever. Indeed, 'twas reported that in the past week investors poured resources into equity funds at the swiftest rate since March.

As for the ever-anticipated "big move", be it Gold on the brink, or simple out of monetary sync, its weekly trading range has become sufficiently narrow as below portrayed from one year ago-to-date, the week just past spanning less than 20 points per the box (19.8), a dimension from which price has then tended to become more volatile, (direction notwithstanding):

But direction being everything, one might intuitively state 'twill be "up" given Gold's having settled out the week yesterday (Friday) at 1203, the fresh parabolic Long trend still in its infancy at just two weeks in duration. 'Twould be nice to see protection lead to some upside beyond suppression! And as for the Gold/Silver ratio remaining at essentially historic highs, it really is hard to imagine the numerator actually dropping with the denominator rising; rather 'tis the latter alone which still has a monumental amount of catching up to do (understatement of a trading lifetime!) Here are Gold's weekly bars with their parabolic trends from a year go-to-date:

Speaking of direction as we turn to the StateSide Economic Barometer, since June the trends remain basically the same, i.e. up for the stock market as measured by the S&P 500's red line making further all-time highs, dragging with it kicking and screaming the "ridiculous extreme" (per yesterday's Prescient Commentary) "live" reading of the price/earnings ratio of 51.8x -- the high equities valuations having some analysts pointing to a "Hindenburg Omen" -- but down for the Econ Baro .

This past week's incoming data included August's lagging report of "Leading Indicators", not surprisingly missing (given the negative bent of the Baro) the consensus expectation and falling short of the prior month's reading. We oft are perplexed by the consensus crowd not simply looking at the Baro ahead of making their guesstimations. Further from the " Keep This Under Your Hat Dept .", according to Standard & Poors, the majority of the States do not have the reserves to "weather" the next recession. Again, mind that Baro:

As to our guesstimation for Gold to break out from its narrow trading range by moving higher, the "Baby Blues" are at a loss for so confirming as is clearly shown below left across the daily bars from three months ago-to-date, the 21-day regression trend being as flat as a crepe. And as for the narrow points span across the 10-day Market Profile below right , the dominant trading supporter is 1201 and the dominant trading resistor is 1208. Ain't that great? Tight as a drum 'tis!

Sister Silver's similar graphic actually looks a bit more upside promising, which again given the Gold/Silver ratio of 84.1x ought well be the case. Her baby blue dots ( left ) of linear regression trend consistency are again making a valiant effort to get up off the -80% mat, whilst her price in the Profile ( right ) sits mere pips above trading support at 14.25:

Finally as anticipated, in strolling past the offices here of the Monoeci project, one has to say they appear fairly shuttered, although we did therein glimpse a lone, desk-bound soul. You'll recall that like the Venezuelan Bolivar's 99% decline year-to-date, the Monoeci has suffered the same percentage loss, albeit we've seen no publicity thereto. 'Course, discretion, proper decorum and privacy are the way of the world here such that we may, or may not, know to where it all shall go.

What we do know is that the Federal Open Market Committee is all geared up to goad up their Bank's Funds rate come this Wednesday, (26 September), featuring Chairman Powell in the post-pump press conference. As to how the yellow metal responds, be it protected yet suppressed such that you're feeling depressed, clearly 'tis best to hang onto your Gold !

Salut!Photo by Piotr Swat/Shutterstock.com

(Kitco News) - The biggest merger in the gold sector in recent years, creating the worlds largest gold company could bring some optimism back to the precious metals market, according to some analysts.

In premarket news Monday, Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE, TSX: ABX) announced that it would acquire Randgold Resources Ltd. in a merger valued at $6 billion. The move would create the worlds largest gold producer with a market cap of more than $18 billion.

Both Barrick and Randgold have seen their share prices push higher in reaction to the news. Randgold saw a gain of more than 5% on the London Stock Exchange; meanwhile, Barrick Shares in New York are up almost 6% on the day.

The price action in the shares tells me that the street thinks this is a good idea, said Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management.

Jeff Klearman, portfolio manager at GraniteShares said that the move is complimentary for both companies. He added it could signal a potential shift in the marketplace that as suffered from historic levels of negative sentiment.

It looks like these companies are positioning themselves to take advantage of a stronger gold market in the future, he said. I dont think the market will turn around tomorrow but Barrick appears to be looking long term.

Klearman added that this specific merger appears to accentuate each companys strengths, like Mark Bristow, CEO of Randgolds ability to efficiently run gold mines with Barricks prolific production pipeline. The merger also gives Barrick exposure to Africa with its North American production hedging any potential risks.

For the gold market its a deal that is better done than not, he said.

Cieszynski also thinks that the merger bodes well for the gold market.

Barrick wouldnt have made this move if they thought prices were going to be lower a year from now, he said. Companies are starting to see value in their own sector and that sends a strong message to investors. I think Barrick sees a strategic opportunity to grow their business and add value.

Cieszynski said that he thinks this is the type of news that will bring investors back to the marketplace. He added that the next thing investors need to see is higher gold prices, which have been stuck around $1,200 an ounce for the last six weeks.(Adds details, background) HELSINKI, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Finnish mining technology company Outotec will pull out of Iran due to the new U.S. sanctions, a company spokeswoman said on Monday. Outotec, which builds plants, makes equipment and offers services for the metal and mineral processing industries, has a long history in Iran and it remained in the market after the United States instituted sanctions against Iran in 2010.

Its business started to normalise after the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, helping Outotec to book orders from National Iranian Copper Industries Company (NICICO) and Iran International Engineering Company (IRITEC). The latest sanctions against Iran follow U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the nuclear deal with Tehran. The new sanctions have forced companies across Europe to reconsider their investments there. Some sanctions against Iran were reimposed in Aug. 6 and some others will take effect on Nov. 4. "We comply with all existing sanctions. Our projects in Iran are already in their final phases ... and we aim to complete our projects before November 4," spokeswoman Eila Paatela told Reuters in an email. Outotec has not disclosed the overall volume of its business in Iran but it said in May that the market did not represent a significant share of its global sales of about 1.2 billion euros ($1.41 billion).

The NICICO order is for two sulphuric acid plants for copper smelters with a value of around 50 million euros. The IRITEC order is for technology worth 45 million euros for an iron plant.

($1 = 0.8500 euros)

(Reporting by Anne Kauranen, editing by Jussi Rosendahl and Jane Merriman)Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High near 55F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. Low 32F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Sunday in New York with Christine Lagarde, the chief of the International Monetary Fund, the "good progress" Egypt has made in its economic reform, a statement by the IMF read.

President El-Sisi and I discussed the good progress Egypts economic reform program that was supported by the IMFs US$12 billion Extended Fund Facility has made," said Lagarde following her meeting with El-Sisi on the sidelines of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly.

The IMF chief added that "Egypts economy is showing strong signs of recovery, and its economic growth is among the highest in the Middle East."

Meanwhile, El-Sisi expressed his appreciation for the constructive cooperation between his government and the IMF within the framework of implementing Egypt's economic reform program, stressing Cairo's desire to continue cooperation with the Fund, a statement by the Egyptian presidency read.

We agreed on the importance of capitalizing on Egypts macroeconomic gains to advance the authorities home-grown structural reforms. These reforms will help achieve more sustainable, inclusive and private-sector led growth, which will help create jobs for Egypts young population while also ensuring that adequate resources are available for social protection. I reiterated the Funds commitment to support Egypt and its people, says Lagarde.

In the same context, El-Sisi highlighted "the Egyptian people's understanding of economic measures, in the belief that economic problems must be dealt with decisively in order to achieve a real developmental change that will positively affect all citizens."

The president also stressed Egypt's desire to create an attractive business climate and draw more foreign investments, with the aim of raising growth rates, reducing unemployment and public debt, and reviewing the administrative and legislative reforms taken to stimulate investment and provide a supportive environment.

The meeting was attended by Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, Investement and International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr, and Minister of Trade and Industry Amr Nassar. It was also attended by top officials of the IMF.

It has been a year-and-a-half since Egypt signed its Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with the IMF under which it will receive $12 billion over a three-year period.



Since the programme with the IMF began, the government has focused on fiscal consolidation, which has included spending cuts and tax increases. It has also liberalised the foreign-exchange market and tightened monetary policy.

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Unification Minister Cho Myung-gyon vows support for families separated since the Korean War in their joint ceremony celebrating the Chuseok holiday in Imjingak Park in Paju, just south of the demilitarized zone on Monday. Yonhap



Unification Minister said Monday the government will beef up efforts to reconnect families separated for decades since the Korean War in various ways in the follow-up negotiations with North Korea.



Cho Myung-gyon was speaking to a group of divided families who jointly celebrated the Chuseok holiday at Imjingak Park in Paju, just south of the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas.



"For both South and North Korea, the problem of divided families is an urgent task that can't be delayed," Cho said in an address. "The scene of the divided families exchanging their addresses and wishing for each other's health at the recent reunion touched people's hearts. We will make every effort to help them keep their promises to see each other again."



Cho said the government will seek various ways to check if separated relatives are still living, allow them to visit their hometowns and pay tribute to their ancestors' graves in the follow-up meetings with the North.



Last month, Seoul and Pyongyang resumed the joint reunions to bring the separated families together at the Mount Geumgang resort on the North Korean eastern coast for the first time in nearly three years.



Still, tens of thousands remain separated from their family members since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce.



During their third summit last week, the leaders of the two Koreas agreed make a joint effort to declare the formal end to the war by the end of this year. (Yonhap)South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife, Kim Jung-sook, wave to a group of U.S. and South Korean officials welcoming their arrival in New York on Sunday (local time) for the U.N. General Assembly. Yonhap



S. Korea's Moon arrives in New York for Trump summit, UN meeting

South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in New York on Sunday for a bilateral summit with U.S. President Donald Trump that is partly aimed at brokering a second U.S.-North Korea summit.



The Moon-Trump summit is set to be held Monday, four days after the South Korean president returned home from a three-day trip to North Korea for talks with leader Kim Jong-un.

Moon has said the North Korean leader hopes to hold a second U.S.-North Korea summit with Trump in the near future, and that he remains committed to complete denuclearization of his country, possibly before Trump's first four-year term ends in January 2021.



"Chairman Kim expressed his wish to finish complete denuclearization at an early date and focus on economic development," Moon said of his meeting with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang.

Kim and Trump met in Singapore on June 12, marking the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit in history.



Shortly after Moon's North Korea trip, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he has invited his North Korean counterpart to New York for talks.













Denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea had stalled since Trump called off Pompeo's scheduled visit to Pyongyang in July, citing what he called a lack of progress in the North Korean denuclearization process.



While meeting with Moon, the North Korean leader offered to dismantle his country's missile engine test facility and missile launch pads in Dongchang-ri, known to be the testbed for long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching the continental U.S.

Kim has also offered to dismantle the country's key nuclear facilities in Yongbyon in exchange for corresponding measures from the U.S.



Moon said he will discuss with Trump what their corresponding measures could be when they meet on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York this week, adding that declaring a formal end to the Korean War may be a way to provide some security assurance to the North.



Noting that many fear a formal end to the 1950-53 war may weaken the reason for the U.S. to continue maintaining tens of thousands of U.S. troops in South Korea, Moon said it would only be a political declaration that has nothing to do with U.S. forces in Korea, and that the North Korean leader shared such a view.



"A declaration of an end to the war is a political declaration that says we will end our hostile relations," Moon said earlier.



Moon's trip to New York is also aimed at explaining the outcome of his third bilateral summit with Kim to the world. He will deliver a keynote speech at a U.N. meeting on Wednesday.



Moon is also scheduled to hold summits with his counterparts from Chile and Spain before heading home on Wednesday (New York time). (Yonhap)South Korean President Moon Jae-in will have a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this week, Moon's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday.



The Moon-Abe meeting will be held early Tuesday here in New York.



Moon arrived in New York earlier in the day for the U.N. General Assembly.



The South Korea-Japan summit will come one day after Moon meets with U.S. President Donald Trump for discussions on ways to move denuclearization talks with North Korea forward.



Moon's trip here comes after his three-day visit to Pyongyang for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.













He will explain the outcome of his Pyongyang summit to the leaders of Japan and the United States and discuss ways to further accelerate the North's denuclearization process, a Cheong Wa Dae official said.



The Moon-Abe meeting will be the first of its kind since May, when the South Korean president visited Tokyo for a three-day summit that also involved Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. (Yonhap)Egypts state oil company Engineering for Petroleum and Process Industries (ENPPI) signed a deal on Monday with the UKs Wood Group for a technical and engineering partnership on natural gas exploration and production through deepwater drilling.

In an official statement, Egypts petroleum ministry said the inking of the agreement was witnessed by Minister of Petroleum Tarek El-Molla, UKs Ambassador to Egypt Sir Geoffrey Adams, and UK trade envoy Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

It was signed by the Chairman of Enppi Alaa Hejazi and his counterpart at Wood, Colin McKinnon.

El-Molla said following the signing that the agreement aims to transfer technology and necessary experience between both sides to undergo the needed engineering work for natural gas exploration and drilling in the deep ocean, as Egypt continues to move forward with executing mega projects for the development and production of natural gas from the Mediterranean.

He also praised the deal, marking it as a new step of extended cooperation between Egypt and the UK in natural gas production through several successful models of partnership between the petroleum sector and British companies throughout a number of development projects in discovered gas fields in the Mediterranean.

He pointed at the durability of economic relations between the two countries, describing London as Cairos first trading partner, responsible for 40% of direct foreign investments into Egypt.

Enppis Hegazi said the agreement is a representation of the successful partnership between the two companies in building on accomplishments between both sides in the past period in deepwater drilling projects.

Woods CEO McKinnon said there has been an ongoing partnership with Enppi for more than four years, adding that his company will continue to work with Enppi on offering the technology and the knowledge for Egyptian companies in oil exploration in deepwater projects.

The UK has shown great interest over the past years in Egypts petroleum sector, with British Petroleum (BP) signing with Egypt a deal on oil and gas exploration and production in the Gulf of Suez with investments of about $46 million, in addition to a $4 million grant to drill three wells.

Egypt said last May that the UK has investments of $5.6 billion through 1,450 companies operating in the country.

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Listen to stories about sisterhood by The Sisterhood under the harvest moon. Watch documentaries "Food, Inc" and "Salesman" courtesy of The Academy or catch genre flicks at Beyondfest. Feed your body at a pizza pop-up or with Sang's Six then feed your mind at a talk by Jose Antonio Vargas or a performance of Sarah Jones's one-woman show "Sell/Buy/Date."

MONDAY, SEPT. 24; 6:30 p.m.

The Secret Society of The Sisterhood LA

The Masonic Lodge in Hollywood Forever Cemetery -- 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood

The Sisterhood welcomes stories and performances inspired by the statement, "What in the HELL am I gonna do now?!" Guest storytellers include Hole drummer Patty Schemel, comedian Sasheer Zamata, punk rock historian Pleasant Gehman and comedian Sara Benincasa. Music from Reggie Watts. Stick around afterward for wine and hors d'oeuvres. Free parking.

COST: $20 - $25; MORE INFO

MONDAY, SEPT. 24; 10:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Free Vinyl Record Day(s)

The Record Parlour -- 6408 Selma Ave., Hollywood

The record store is giving away 30,000 records across all genres. It starts Saturday and ends Monday -- or whenever the stash runs out. If you spend $20 in-store, you can take up to 100 records for free. In addition to LPs, they're giving away more than 2,000 45s, 78s, cassettes, music magazines and promotional posters. Bring your own bag/box. If you want to DJ (vinyl only), sign-up sheets are available each day for one-hour sets.

COST: varies; MORE INFO

MONDAY, SEPT. 24 - TUESDAY, SEPT. 25, THURSDAY, SEPT. 27; 8 p.m.

Bespoke Plays

The Pico Playhouse -- 10508 Pico Blvd., Cheviot Hills

The new monthly series features play readings of works by L.A. writers with funds going to local nonprofits. Up first is the sci-fi, rom-com "Meet Cute," written by Christine Boylan ("The Punisher," "Cloak & Dagger") and directed by Gina Young ("Femmes: A Tragedy," "SORORITY"). The story follows two women who meet in a bar for the first -- or maybe the 12th -- time. Half of the ticket cost will benefit L.A.'s LGBT Center.

COST: $10; MORE INFO

MONDAY, SEPT. 24; THURSDAY, SEPT. 27; 7:30 p.m.

Food, Inc / Salesman

Samuel Goldwyn Theater -- 8949 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills; Linwood Dunn Theater -- 1313 Vine St., Hollywood

The Academy teams up with the International Documentary Association's Getting Real '18 conference to screen two great documentaries and discussions. Up first (in Beverly Hills) is "Food, Inc," Robert Kenner's examination of the food industry. It's followed by a panel discussion with Kenner, producer Elise Pearlstein, film subject Carole Morison, chef Roy Choi and Food Forward founder Rick Nahmias. The panel is moderated by Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW's "Good Food." In Hollywood on Thursday, the Maysles brothers' classic doc about door-to-door Bible salesmen brings despair and pathos to the big screen (in restored 35mm). Special guest is Rebekah Maysles, daughter of co-director Albert Maysles.

COST: $3-$5; MORE INFO



MONDAY, SEPT. 24; 6 p.m.

LA Chefs for Human Rights

Cassia -- 1314 7th St., Santa Monica

Kim Luu-Ng and Chef Bryant Ng, co-owners of the popular Santa Monica restaurant Cassia, host their third annual fundraising dinner. They'll present actor-activist Martin Sheen with the Human Rights Hero Award. All of the proceeds from the evening benefit The People Concern, a nonprofit that helps improve the lives of homeless people, domestic violence victims and those who are food insecure. Rustic Canyon's Zoe Nathan, Rossoblu and Sotto's Steve Samson, n/naka's Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama and Taco Maria's Carlos Salgado will join Ng in the kitchen.

COST: Table sponsorships only; MORE INFO

MONDAY, SEPT. 24; 5 p.m.

Pizza Pop-up

Salazar -- 2490 Fletcher Dr., Frogtown

The Sonoran-style BBQ joint holds its first pop-up with La Morra Pizzeria, serving pizzas cooked in its mobile oven, alongside Salazar's full bar. Zach Swemle and Marlee Blodgett will serve Neapolitan pies until they run out.

COST: Varies; MORE INFO



TUESDAY, SEPT. 25 - WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26; 7 p.m.

Florence + The Machine with Kamasi Washington

Hollywood Bowl -- 2301 N Highland Ave., Hollywood

The band is currently touring to support its fourth studio album, "High As Hope." Jazz saxophonist Washington opens the night. This is a lease event, so no outside alcohol is allowed. To ease cut-through traffic from mobile and ride sharing apps, there are a number of street closures for this concert between 5 and 10 p.m.

COST: Tickets start at $37; MORE INFO

TUESDAY, SEPT. 25; 8 p.m.

The Sunday Night Collective

Comedy Central Stage at the Hudson -- 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood

A modern take on the classic '70s TV variety show, the night includes Bollywood dancing with Aathira Rajeev and comedy from Naomi Ekperigin. Kay Cannon, the director of "Blockers," returns to her comedy beginnings and does long-form improv with her duo partner and show host, Christina Gausas ("Difficult People").

COST: FREE; MORE INFO

TUESDAY, SEPT. 25; 7:30 p.m.

The Mash-Up Americans Live!

Hammer Museum -- 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood

Hosted by Rebecca Lehrer and Amy S. Choi, the podcast celebrates our cross-cultural, multi-hyphenate and messy society. For this live show, Lehrer and Choi take on the topic "On Language, Polyglots and the Porousness of Culture" with Vice News correspondent Dexter Thomas Jr., comedian Marcella Arguello and UCLA professor Keith Chen. A cash bar and music by DJ Sizzle happens in the courtyard before and after the program.

COST: FREE; MORE INFO

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26 - TUESDAY, OCT. 9

Beyond Fest

Egyptian Theater -- 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

The largest genre festival returns in time for the Halloween season with 46 features and 24 West Coast premieres as well as a David Cronenberg retrospective. The fest opens with Gaspar Noe's "Climax" and closes with S. Craig Zahler's crime story "Dragged Across Concrete."

COST: FREE - $12; MORE INFO

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26; 7 p.m.

Dear America: Jose Antonio Vargas in Conversation

Balch Auditorium at Scripps College -- 1030 Columbia Ave., Claremont

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist made headlines in 2011 when he revealed his undocumented status in "The New York Times Magazine." Vargas immigrated from the Philippines at age 12 and only learned of his status when he tried to apply for a driver's license at 16. He discusses his memoir, "Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen," with KPCC's Immigration and Emerging Communities Reporter Leslie Berestein Rojas.

COST: FREE; MORE INFO

**Trigger warning - this music video is intense.**

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26; WEDNESDAY, OCT. 3; 7:30 p.m.

Childish Gambino

The Forum -- 3900 W Manchester Blvd., Inglewood

Donald Glover's musical alter ego performs for two nights as part of the "This is America Tour." Hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd opens this week and Vince Staples opens next.

COST: Tickets start at $49; MORE INFO

THURSDAY, SEPT. 27; 4:30 p.m.

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

The Greek Theatre -- 2700 North Vermont Ave., Griffith Park

NPR's news quiz show "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" is now in its 17th season, and host Peter Sagal leads a panel of humorists, celebs, journalists and listener contestants through a (funny-sad) review of the week's news.

COST: $20 - $135; MORE INFO

THURSDAY, SEPT. 27; 6 - 9 p.m.

Sunset & Dine

Columbia Square -- 1538 N. El Centro Ave., Hollywood

Guests to the seventh annual festival can sample food, wine and beer from more than 20 restaurants located near Sunset and Vine. Participating eateries include Delicious Pizza, Good Greek Grill, Loteria Grill, Paley, Soul Hollywood and Wood & Vine. Music for the night is curated by Amoeba Music. Proceeds benefit The Center at Blessed Sacrament, which works to end homelessness in Hollywood.

COST: $40, free for children 12 and younger; MORE INFO

Chef Sang Yoon's new dinner series begins at Lukshon this week. (Photo: Courtesy of Lukshon/Facebook)

THURSDAY, SEPT. 27; 6:30 - 7:45 p.m.

Sang's Six

Lukshon -- 3239 Helms Ave., Culver City

Chef Sang Yoon launches a new dinner series that features one-night-only, six-course menus with (optional) rare beverage pairings. The first installment, NorthEast in the SouthEast, mixes Southeast Asian favorites with a New England twist, like a lobster roll bahn mi and Thai clam chowder. Pre-paid reservations required.

COST: $75 per person; MORE INFO

THURSDAY, SEPT. 27; 8 p.m.

California Soul

Walt Disney Concert Hall -- 111 S Grand Ave., downtown L.A.

The L.A. Phil opens its centennial season with a gala and concert that focuses on the Golden State's creativity. The program includes an eclectic program of music from John Adams and Frank Zappa. Gustavo Dudamel conducts while Chris Martin of Coldplay, Corinne Bailey Rae and the Los Angeles Master Chorale lend their vocals.

COST: $104 - $180; MORE INFO

In advance of this weekend's CicLAvia, Bike!Bike! holds an international convening of bike advocates in L.A. (Photo by Steve and Julie/Flickr Creative Commons)

THURSDAY, SEPT. 27 - SUNDAY, SEPT. 30

Bike!Bike!

Los Angeles State Historic Park -- 1245 N. Spring St., downtown L.A.

Bicycle advocacy groups and riders from around the world convene in L.A. on the eve of this weekend's CicLAvia for a series of workshops, panel discussions and rides. Topics range from "Running a Trans*/Women/Non-Binary Bike Program" to "Bike Polo for Total Beginners." Camping is allowed in the park for this conference but preference will be given to out-of-town advocates/attendees. Registration includes two meals per day as well as housing and a loaner bike (if needed).

COST: Suggested registration is $50-$100; MORE INFO

THURSDAY, SEPT. 27; 8 p.m.

Sell/Buy/Date

Renberg Theatre at the Los Angeles LGBT Center -- 1125 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood

Previews begin for the remounting of Sarah Jones's highly acclaimed one-woman show inspired by real-life experiences of people affected by the sex industry. An advocate for the empowerment of women and girls globally, Jones presents insightful commentary through multicultural characters and humor.

COST: $20 - $75; MORE INFO

How are you spending your week? Let us know on Twitter @christineziemba and @LeoHasACat.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that contestants on "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" vie for a voicemail greeting from scorekeeper emeritus Carl Kasell.

They do not. LAist regrets the error.

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It's a real estate paradox: the most desirable places to live are also among the most susceptible to wildfires.

Mansions in the Santa Monica Mountains, tiny cabins tucked into the Angeles National Forest, and houses at the very edge of subdivisions are all beautiful because they're surrounded by undeveloped land. But what makes them beautiful is also what makes them dangerous. That nearby wild land is highly flammable.

Every year in California, there seems to be a bigger, crazier, more destructive wildfire. But every year, new houses go up in their path. And it's not just some houses, but thousands of houses -- over 85,000 new houses in high fire risk areas in L.A. County alone, between 1990 and 2010.

Shouldn't we know better by now? Why do we keep building houses in places that are likely to burn? I've reported countless wildfires over the years and this question continues to bother me.

I finally decided to answer it.

THE QUEST BEGINS

To do it, I decided to follow a new housing development that's being proposed for an undeveloped patch of land in Orange County. It's called Esperanza Hills, and it's a pretty fancy development: 340 multimillion-dollar homes on a gated, dead-end street above Yorba Linda.

[UPDATE SEPT. 25: Orange County Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve the Esperanza Hills development.]

An artist's rendering of the entrance to Esperanza Hills, a development proposed for a high fire risk area just outside Yorba Linda, California. (Courtesy Yorba Linda Estates LLC via OC Board of Supervisors)

It definitely fits the definition of high-risk -- 10 years ago, a massive wildfire completely scorched the land it would be built on. And Cal Fire calls the entire site a "very high fire hazard severity zone," a wonky term for an area that's likely to burn again in the next 30 to 50 years.

That matters because fire ecologists say where (not how) you build your house is the single most important factor in determining whether it will burn.

"There are many cases where you can do everything right, but if you're in a very risky location your house can burn down," said fire ecologist Alexandra Syphard, who has been studying wildfires for 20 years.

Building with modern, fire-resistant materials, clearing 100 feet or more of brush from around your house -- those things can help, but if you put your house in a fire-prone place, Syphard says, they're just Band-Aids.

"THE MOST DANGEROUS SITE YOU COULD PICK"

On Nov. 15, 2008, a small brush fire started near the 91 Freeway, a Santa Ana wind corridor. The fire raced west, scorching the entire Esperanza Hills site before moving down into neighborhoods and burning 381 homes, one of the most destructive fires in OC's history.

The evacuation was chaotic, recalls Ed Schumann, whose home burned down. Streets were gridlocked. Kids were running down the sidewalks with their pets. At one point, a teenage boy got out of his car to direct traffic, because no one else was doing it.

To Schumann and other Yorba Linda residents, the idea of adding 340 houses worth of people and cars to that mess is frightening.

"Evacuating that many more people with the same infrastructure, it's a scary thought," Schumann said.

It's why Kevin Johnson, a lawyer for one of the environmental groups that sued over the project, delaying the project for years, calls Esperanza Hills, "probably the most dangerous site in Southern California you could pick to put 340 new families into."

A dog waits in a cage in the back of a pickup truck as its owners evacuate from the advancing flames on Nov. 15, 2008, in Yorba Linda, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

MEET THE DEVELOPER

So, why would anyone want to build in such a risky place? I reached out to the developer behind the project, Douglas Wymore.

He has his reasons. First, he believes he can build these houses, on this site, safely.

"I disagree with somebody that just comes in and says, 'Oh, anytime that you put something next to an open space area that's a very high fire (hazard) zone, you can't protect it,'" he said. "I think the bottom line is you can mitigate it, you can protect it."

And Wymore is doing a lot to protect it. All the houses will be "hardened," in other words, built using fire-resistant materials as required by state building code, including sprinklers in the attic. He's building at least 170 feet of defensible space around the homes. There will be two on-site water tanks for firefighting. And two entrances, one for emergencies, one for everyday use (local residents say this is insufficient, and point to the multiple tight turns on the main entrance, but Wymore is doing what is required under the county's fire standards).

Second, by building modern, fire-resistant homes in the path of a wildfire, Wymore believes he is protecting everyone else in the area whose houses may not be up to the latest building codes. The thinking being: his neighborhood will act as a fire buffer for older, more flammable homes.

And third, he says, look, people want to live here.

"The bottom line is, there's a demand for people that want to live in those areas for obvious reasons," Wymore said. "And so if you're going to take on the task of satisfying that demand and building a project, I think you have a responsibility to make sure you do what's necessary to make your development safe."

Percent of houses in high fire risk areas, by county, 1990 - 2010

MONEY MONEY MONEY

So that's why the developer wants to build. But given the obvious risks, why would the Orange County Board of Supervisors approve this project?

Well, to start, it will generate $8.25 million a year in property taxes. And ever since voters passed Proposition 13 in California in 1978, which limited how much someone's property tax bill can go up each year, cities and counties haven't seen their tax revenue increase as housing values rise.

"Prop 13 handcuffs local jurisdictions in finding additional revenue," said Howard Penn, executive director of the Planning and Conservation League. "They can raise sales tax or build more homes. There's not a lot of ways to get more revenue."

Oh, and there's a little something else: Since 2011, Wymore has donated nearly $50,000 to the re-election campaigns of various members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, none of whom agreed to talk to me for this story.

Wymore was frank about why: "If you put political donations in, whether those people agree with you or don't agree with you, they will at least give you an opportunity to sit down with them and listen. Which maybe they would and maybe they wouldn't do otherwise."

Melanie Schlotterbeck, a consultant for the non-profit Hills for Everyone, shows the history of fires in the region. Red dots represent houses that burned in the 2008 Freeway Complex Fire. (Photo by James Bernal for KPCC)

THE DECIDERS

Although none of the OC supervisors wanted to talk, you can get a pretty good sense of why most of them support it from things they said at previous public meetings about the development. One big reason is the classic private property rights argument: Wymore owns the land, and he should be able to develop it as he sees fit.

"I don't have any reason to now deprive someone of the right to use their property," Chairman Andrew Do said at a May 2017 meeting.

Another big reason? The fire department had given Esperanza Hills the green light.

"If the fire department is satisfied, I'm not inclined to argue with them. I'm not a fireman," Supervisor Shawn Nelson said.

BUT WHY WAS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SATISFIED?

Well, according to deputy fire marshal Timothy Kerbrat of the Orange County Fire Authority, the preliminary plans for Esperanza Hills met all the state and local requirements for building in a high-risk area.

"Do they have access, do they have water, do they have defensible space, do they have hardened structures that they can protect? Are all those things occuring? And in the Esperanza project, that's the things that I'm seeing. That it's occurring," he said.

(Side note: Although the Supervisors approved the project in May 2017, an Orange County environmental group sued, and a judge overturned the approval, which is why it's back in front of the supervisors again this September).

The view of Chino Hills State Park where it borders residential neighborhoods in Yorba Linda, California, photographed on August 17, 2018. (Photo by James Bernal for KPCC)

WHO PAYS? WE PAY.

There's another factor here: the Orange County Fire Authority will get just over $1 million a year in revenue from the Esperanza Hills project.

And, mostly likely, the agency won't actually have to spend much of its own money to protect this neighborhood if a large wildfire breaks out. That's because state and federal agencies largely reimburse local fire departments for the costs of fire fighting.

Back in 2008, for example, the Orange County Fire Authority spent $2.3 million fighting the Freeway Complex Fire, but they got reimbursed for 94 percent of the costs.

"The irony is that we, as taxpayers, are paying for the protection of homes that are built in high-risk areas," said Kimiko Barrett, a researcher at the Montana-based think tank Headwaters Economics.

You read that right: when a big fire breaks out and threatens houses built in risky places, you and me are the ones picking up the bill.

Kerbrat, the deputy fire marshal, vehemently denies that money or firefighting costs play any role in approving developments, by the way.

"I've never heard firefighters, or a fire agency, talk in that manner," he said. "It's not in our thought process. We don't think of this as a business, for profit."

A MORAL HAZARD

Barrett, however, calls this situation a moral hazard.

"The consequences actually aren't borne by the people who are approving these developments," she said.

And it's not just Barrett with this theory: it's something the Office of Inspector General agreed with in a 2006 report.

"If state and local agencies became more financially responsible for (wildland urban interface) protection, it would likely encourage these agencies to more actively implement land use regulations that minimize risk to people and structures from wildfire," they wrote.

But until this case of misaligned incentives changes, Barrett says we're going to keep building in risky areas. Nearly 1 million new houses in California could be built in these areas before 2050.

Number of additional houses built in high fire risk areas, by county, between 1990 and 2010

This story is part of an Elemental series "Fire in the Neighborhood" about fire danger in cities and surrounding areas.

Elemental: Covering Sustainability is a multimedia collaboration between Cronkite News, Arizona PBS, KJZZ, KPCC, Rocky Mountain PBS and PBS SoCal.Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

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It's a major accomplishment to lock down a medical provider you click with. The process of finding a Unicorn M.D. (or D.O.) can be time-consuming, expensive and sometimes awkward, even under the best circumstances. But what if you also had to factor in whether your doctor will judge you -- or even deny you care -- because of your sexual orientation or gender identity?

That's the reality for many LGBTQ people when they need a check-up or a specialist. And the prospect of encountering homo- and transphobia at the doctor's office is very real.

According to the Human Rights Campaign's latest Healthcare Equity Index, 56 percent of lesbian, gay or bisexual patients and 70 percent of transgender patients reported experiencing some form of discrimination while getting care. What's more, a 2015 study found that straight health care providers generally showed a stronger preference toward heterosexual patients over those who identified as gay or lesbian.

Though the findings don't necessarily mean gay and lesbian patients receive worse care, the fear of being judged, or even denied care altogether, is enough to keep many from going in, or returning for follow-up care. Individuals who avoid care, or have interruptions in care, are more likely to suffer from a myriad of health problems at rates significantly higher than the general population.

Lesbian-identified and bisexual women, for example, are far less likely to undergo routine screenings for cervical and breast cancer than heterosexual women, and less likely to have access to regular medical care in general. Transgender and non-binary people are more likely to contract STIs, suffer from depression, anxiety or substance abuse and be victims of violence.

One bright spot is that more LGBTQ people do have access to health care, thanks to the Affordable Care Act. And California law says mandatory cultural competency requirements for doctors must include training to address the needs of LGBTQ patients.

FINDING A DOCTOR

Asking around used to be the only way to find an LGBTQ-affirming doctor. It's not the only option that exists today, but it's still a really good one. Ask friends and family, straight or gay, whether they know a good doctor (or if they've had a bad experience with one).

Another option is contacting local LGBTQ-friendly sources. The Los Angeles LGBT Center has its own primary care center with comprehensive care specifically tailored to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. It also offers the Audre Lorde Health Program for lesbian and bisexual women, as well as services specific to transgender patients. The Center accepts most major insurance plans, including MediCal. Some services, like its mental health and counseling programs, are available on a sliding scale basis. And if you need specialized treatment or a referral, staff can help connect you with an LGBTQ-friendly doctor or specialist elsewhere.

There's the LGBT Center of Orange County, which has a referral service. It's as easy as filling out this form.

Support groups offered by LGBT centers across Southern California can be valuable resources.

You can check out the Human Rights Campaign's Healthcare Equality Index, which lists facilities that are designated as "LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leaders" -- 24 providers on this year's index are in Southern California. Here's a map of them.

Then there's the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association's directory, where you can search for a provider by city, ZIP code or speciality.

Planned Parenthood centers in Southern California offer care for LGBT-identified patients, though the extent of their services will depend on location. You can contact your local Planned Parenthood directly to see what it offers.

You can call your health insurance carrier or check its website. Most have a searchable online database of physicians in your network, though not all of them will clearly indicate if a doctor is LGBTQ-friendly.

A growing number of hospitals actively maintain an "out list" -- a list of providers who are self-identified as allies, or have gone through special training to address the needs of LGBTQ patients. While the exact term for it might be different from place to place, it doesn't hurt to ask a health care facility if it has that information. UCLA Health, which oversees all of the school's medical centers, lists 30 "LGBTQ Champions." You can also call their Physician Referral Service number and ask for an LGBT-friendly doctor at (800) 825-2631.

Some doctors in the Kaiser Permanente network indicate on their biography page whether they specialize in LGBTQ care, though you'll still need to go through each page individually to find that information. Kaiser touts its Los Angeles Medical Office as a "Center of Excellence" for LGBTQ care. The doctors in the L.A. office "understand and are prepared to meet the needs of our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender patients," according to Kaiser's website. You can call your local Kaiser office .to ask about specific doctors.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

While you're on your search for a provider, here are some things to keep in mind:

Under California law, a health care provider cannot deny services to you on the basis of your sexual orientation or gender identity. You also cannot be denied health care coverage or dropped from your current plan just because you're LGBTQ.

If you feel that you've been the victim of discrimination or mistreatment because of your sexual orientation or gender identity, contact a legal services provider that specializes in these kinds of cases, such as the ACLU, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal or the Transgender Law Center. You can also file a complaint with the Medical Board of California.

You can check out a more comprehensive list of your rights as a patient at the LGBT Healthcare Bill of Rights -- there's even a wallet-sized version for handy referral when you go to the doctor's office.

Last but not least: Don't give up! Don't let fear or stigma keep you from getting the care you need. There are a lot of LGBTQ-friendly doctors in Southern California, but it's up to you to take the first step.

WE TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES

HOLLY'S STORY

Holly Painter (Photo courtesy of Holly Painter)

In 2005, Holly Painter was an undergrad studying English at USC. She went through a bad breakup, and sought counseling through the university.

"I had the expectation, because it was a university, and it was in Southern California, that it would go ok," said Holly, who's now an English professor at the University of Vermont. She describes herself as a "gender queer lesbian" who dressed in 2005 like "a 12-year-old boy."

After a few sessions, Holly said her counselor began making comments about her appearance -- particularly, suggesting that she wear more feminine clothing. "It was a really inappropriate suggestion, and he kept returning to it," she said.

Holly ended up staying on with that same counselor for the rest of the semester -- because, as she put it, "you're at the mercy of whoever is available at any given time." Because of that experience, she said it took her eight years to return to therapy.

Holly said it's been difficult to get regular check-ups over the years, in part because she's moved several times. "You have to start over with a new doctor every time," she said, "and it's not easy to have to constantly come out or explain how my gender identity works to a new person."

And for Holly, homophobia at the doctor's office doesn't just affect her: She and her wife have to contend with how it might affect their 3 year-old son.

"Everything we have to do with him -- medical care, preschool, all of that -- we always have to think about how people are going to treat him," Holly said. "Basically, we're worried about whether they're thinking more about his parents than they are about his health."

TRAVIS' STORY

Travis Avery (Photo courtesy of Travis Avery)

Travis Avery lives in Temecula, and is taking testosterone as part of a transition from female to male.

The 27-year-old regularly drives out to Oceanside for his health care -- even for routine blood work.

"Out where I am, my experience for any kind of medical care has not been positive," he said.

Instead, he's chosen to make those long drives out to the San Diego area, and even out to Los Angeles, to see a doctor he can trust.

Travis is dealing with other health issues in addition to his hormone regimen, so "for a person in my situation," he said, "[my doctor] kind of needs to know what they're doing."

Are you a woman who wishes "the talk" had covered a few more things? LADYist is here to fill the gaps in your sex education. It's sex ed for grown women. Tell us what you want to know.

Hey, thanks. You read the entire story. And we love you for that. Here at LAist, our goal is to cover the stories that matter to you, not advertisers. We don't have paywalls, but we do have payments (aka bills). So if you love independent, local journalism, join us. Let's make the world a better place, together. Donate now.The National Book Foundation revealed its annual 5 Under 35" honorees on Monday, celebrating five young authors who have published a debut work of fiction in the past five years, all selected by prior National Book Award winners and finalists.

The 2018 honorees are Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Hannah Lillith Assadi, Akwaeke Emezi, Lydia Kiesling and Moriel Rothman-Zecher.

This years class of authors includes two writers with roots outside the United States: Emezi, who was born in Nigeria, and Rothman-Zecher, a native of Jerusalem.

Emezi is the author of the novel Freshwater and was selected for the 5 Under 35 honor by Carmen Maria Machado, the author of Her Body and Other Parties. Reviewing Freshwater, Times critic at large Susan Straight praised Emezis startling prose depicting a fractured self.

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One California author made the cut this year: Kiesling, author of the debut novel The Golden State. She was selected for the 5 Under 35 honor by Samantha Hunt. Kiesling, who lives in San Francisco, told Ron Charles of the Washington Post that her novel was inspired by her family in northeastern California. The past few times Ive gone, Ive been struck by the feeling of melancholy I have about it, she said. It just seems like a changed place.

Rothman-Zechers novel, Sadness Is a White Bird, follows a young man preparing to serve in the Israeli army, and his friendship with two Palestinian Muslim twins. He was selected for the award by Bill Clegg.

Syracuse University professor Adjei-Brenyah made this years list for Friday Black, a short story collection, selected for the award by The Underground Railroad author Colson Whitehead.

Two of this years 5 Under 35 honorees are published by independent presses: Emezi, whose book was released by Grove Atlantic, and Assadi, whose 2017 novel Sonora was published by Soho Press, and was selected for the honor by author Claire Vaye Watkins.

Three of this years honorees celebrated the news on Twitter.

So incredibly grateful to everyone at @nationalbook and to @colsonwhitehead for this incredible honor. I'm not gonna lie, this is a dream come true for me. I've eyed this particular list for a long time. Honored beyond honored. https://t.co/UECikI3MMy  Nana Kwame (@NK_Adjei) September 24, 2018Comcast Corp. won its hard-fought prize in a rare London auction over the weekend  submitting the winning bid of $40 billion for the European pay-TV company Sky  but the hangover hit Monday.

The Philadelphia cable television giant suffered its worst day on Wall Street in nearly a decade  its shares tumbled nearly 6% to about $35.63  as investors reacted by concluding that Comcast dramatically overpaid for London-based Sky, which has valuable sports rights, premium shows such as HBOs Game of Thrones and the influential Sky News channel. Sky has 23 million customers in five countries in Europe.

Meanwhile, shares of Walt Disney Co.  which lost the auction  climbed 2.1% to $112.77.

Disney dodges a bullet (and then some) as Comcast pays a huge premium for Sky, Bernstein & Co. media analyst Todd Juenger wrote in a Monday report. This weekends outcome of the bidding war for Sky was, in our view, the best possible result for Disney. We never understood why Disney would want to operate a European [satellite TV] business.

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Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts badly wanted to add Sky to his portfolio because Comcast has struggled to build an international profile. Gobbling up Sky  even at a huge premium  will immediately give Comcast exposure in some of Europes most prosperous countries: Britain, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy.

The sealed bidding process, a requirement of Britains regulatory Takeover Panel, which conducted Saturdays auction, contributed to the sky-high bids. Comcast feared losing the prize after 21st Century Fox, which was bidding on behalf of Disney, twice raised its offer since Comcast jumped into the Sky bidding earlier this year.

On Saturday, the Fox-Disney team increased its offer for Sky in the auctions first round. Then Comcast raised its bid in the second round. Both companies submitted sealed bids in the sudden-death round  so Comcast bet big and ended up paying $8 billion more than its initial bid for Sky back in February. At that time, Skys market value was under $20 billion.

By the very nature of an auction, the so-called winner of the auction is the party willing to pay more for an asset than any other party believes it is worth, media analyst Michael Nathanson wrote in a Monday report, observing that Comcast grossly overpaid for Sky. We fear that Sky will be an albatross, he said.

Sky shares soared 8.6% in London trading. In the U.S., Fox shares rose 1.5%. Rupert Murdochs Fox currently owns 39% of Sky, so the company benefited from the tense bidding war. Murdoch was instrumental in the launch of Sky in 1989, but his companys stake in the pay-TV company will be transferred to Disney as part of the Burbank entertainment giants proposed $71.3-billion takeover of much of Fox.

Britains Takeover Panel presided over Saturdays auction, marking the first time in a decade that the London-based regulatory body conducted a corporate auction. Skys independent board members quickly approved Comcasts winning bid of $22.75 a share. Fox offered about $35 billion  or $20.63 a share  on behalf of Disney.

Fox was involved in the bidding because it had initiated the auction in December 2016 when the company made an offer to buy the 61% of the shares it didnt own. But Foxs proposed takeover of Sky quickly ran into resistance in London, where activists and Labor Party politicians worried that the Murdoch family already had too much sway over British media. The family controls another company, News Corp., which owns the Times of London and the tabloid Sun.

The resistance continued in London throughout 2017. Murdoch eventually decided to sell the bulk of his company, selecting Disney and its chief executive, Bob Iger, as the preferred suitor  not Comcast, which tried to hijack that separate auction.

Murdochs Fox will retain the Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, national sports networks, Fox broadcast network and the companys fleet of television stations, including KTTV-TV Channel 11 and KCOP-TV Channel 13. Disney plans to purchase the prolific Fox movie and television studios, the FX and National Geographic channels, Foxs stake in streaming service Hulu and Foxs popular Star TV service in India.

Foxs 22 regional sports networks, including Prime Ticket and Fox Sports West, will be sold off to some other company. The U.S. Department of Justice approved Disneys takeover of much of Fox as long as the companies divest the regional sports networks.

meg.james@latimes.com

Twitter: @MegJamesLAT

UPDATES:

3:40 p.m.: This article was updated with analyst commentary and closing share prices.

This article first posted at 8:35 a.m.Related Egypt cancels treasury bonds auctions for the third time in a row

Egypt on Monday cancelled an auction of 5- and 10-year treasury bonds worth 3 billion Egyptian pounds ($167 million), its fourth consecutive cancellation in as many weeks, data from the central bank showed.

Three previous T-bond auctions had been cancelled after bankers and investors demanded high yields on the debt.

Three bankers said the yields requested at Mondays sale were between 18.5 and 19 percent.

The Ministry of Finance is trying not to lock in such high yields for an extended period of time. Historically, they have gone for months without issuing bonds and were able to raise all the funds they need via treasury bills, another Cairo-based banker said.

Egypt on Sunday raised 19.16 billion Egyptian pounds at an auction for three- and nine-month treasury bills, central bank data showed.

Average yields on the three-month bills rose to 19.62 percent from 19.43 percent at the last similar auction, while average yields on the nine-month bills rose to 19.84 percent from 19.75 percent.

To date in September, Egypt has raised 7.1 billion Egyptian pounds in excess cash through auctions. In August they raised a total of 12.7 billion pounds from treasury bonds, so you can presume the bulk of the shortfall has been covered by the increased issuance of shorter-duration bills, said Allen Sandeep, head of research at Naeem Brokerage.

Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said on Thursday that Egypts economy is proving resilient in the face of emerging market turbulence and can draw on additional sources of funding if needed.

Emerging markets generally have been shaken by an escalating trade war between the United States and China, as well as interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve which are attracting funds back to the United States.

The last known figure for foreign holdings of Egyptian treasuries was $17.1 billion at end of July, down from $17.5 billion at the end of June.

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After months of demonstrations and protests, hotel workers at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim overwhelmingly approved a contract that boosts hourly salaries by at least 40% over two years and clears the way for staff to get bonuses that were promised last year.

The five-year contract establishes wages and benefits for about 2,700 Disney workers, including housekeepers, valets, cooks, bellhops, servers and other staff at the resorts three hotels. Terms are retroactive to February 2017.

The agreement that was voted on over the weekend raises the starting salary to a minimum of $15 an hour, starting in January, up from $13.25, and pays workers a $1,000 bonus that was promised after the Republican tax plan was approved last year.

Housekeepers minimum hourly pay rises to $15.80 immediately, Disneyland Resort said in a statement late Sunday. Starting pay for that job had been $11 an hour.

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Im proud that all of us cast members stuck together and stayed strong to win the money we deserve for the value we create, said Glynndana Shevlin-Sanchez, a concierge who has been working at the resort for 30 years.

The contract takes effect Monday.

Members of Unite Here Local 11 voted 96% in favor of the contract, the union said.

We are very proud to offer our cast peace of mind through affordable healthcare options and free educational opportunities with our groundbreaking new program called Disney Aspire, Disneyland Resort President Josh DAmaro said, referring to a program that launched recently with an initial $150-million five-year investment by parent Walt Disney Co.

The program pays for hourly Disneyland Resort employees to take vocational or language classes and to pursue bachelors and masters degrees.

Disneyland Resort said the new contract will roll out affordable employee healthcare coverage for workers, their families and eligible dependents. One plan could have an employee contribution of as little as $6 a week for single participants.

The unions for Disneyland Resort workers have pushed Disney management especially hard over the last year or so, arguing that the Burbank media giant has the financial means to boost salaries and offer better benefits to staff.

The union commissioned a study that was released in February which showed 73% of employees questioned said they dont earn enough to pay for such expenses as rent, food and gas. The study of workers at Disneyland and California Adventure Park also said that 11% of resort employees have been homeless or have not had a place of their own in the last two years.

Disney representatives called the study inaccurate and unscientific.

The tactics seemed to have paid off.

Unions representing nearly 10,000 workers at the Disneyland Resort voted in July in favor of a three-year contract that raised hourly wages by as much as 20% immediately and an additional 13% in January.

Under that agreement, candy makers, custodians, retail workers, attraction operators and others received an immediate increase in the minimum hourly rate to $13.25 from $11. The wage jumps to $15 starting in January, three years before Californias minimum wage is scheduled to reach that level. An increase to $15.50 an hour is slated for June 2020.

But the union has turned to other tactics besides contract negotiations to push for higher salaries.

This year, union members also collected about 20,000 signatures to place a measure on the Nov. 6 ballot in Anaheim that requires all large hospitality companies that accept a tax subsidy to pay a living wage.

Union leaders say the measure, if passed by a majority of voters, applies to the Disneyland Resort because it is benefiting from a 1996 bond agreement approved by Anaheim to build a six-story resort parking garage. Business leaders in Anaheim say the measure does not apply to the resort.

If the measure is passed, the wage increases called for in the initiative would supersede the union contracts of those companies in Anaheim that accept a tax subsidy. In all, Disneyland Resort has about 30,000 employees.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.Among the pedestals and vitrines common to sculpture exhibitions, Living With Clay: California Ceramics Collections also includes some old, comfy chairs, several side tables, a few bookcases and chests, a desk, and even a bed. Living isnt tossed into the title as a generality. The collectors featured in this terrifically engaging show at Cal State Fullerton sit, eat and socialize among the pieces theyve acquired. They read and work beside them. They are surrounded by them when they sleep.

Six collections are represented here, each of them decades in the making and thousands of works deep.

The focus and breadth of the collections are hinted at by a thoughtful sampling of roughly 20 pieces from each. The mix overall is largely stellar. To give a sense of the spaces these sculptures and their owners share, curator Rody N. Lopez has wedded the cabinet of curiosities to the period room. Other than a brief introduction at the entrance to the Begovich Gallery, there is no text on the walls. The didactics are all experiential. A wall-sized photo mural sets the scene in each of the six discrete sections, and select furnishings and sculptures from the pictured room appear again in the gallery. The texture and sensibility of each environment, spilled into our own, become that much more real.

Installation view of Living With Clay. (Leah Ollman)

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The vibrant turquoise, magenta and sunflower walls in Richard Oelschlagers Long Beach loft are replicated here, setting off a pair of milky white, mock hunting trophies by Jeff Irwin, an elegant, petaled ring of plates by Alleghany Meadows, and much more. Oelschlagers bed is parked center stage, a cinder block bracing one bum leg, and the quilt he fashioned himself draped atop.

The Claremont living room of Julie and David Armstrong is lined with display cabinets filled with collectible figurines and the like, but scattered throughout are ceramic works, some of which have been plucked from the array and re-installed here. On a credenza sit several pieces that spell out an abbreviated personal history: a rugged little bowl by Peter Voulkos; a tall, square bottle by Shoji Hamada; a teabowl with calligraphic markings by Paul Soldner, student of Voulkos and admirer of Hamada; and a graceful, narrow-necked bottle by David Armstrong, who studied as both an undergraduate and graduate student with Soldner.

Dame Lucie Rie, Vessel, 1980, earthenware. (Collection Diane and Igal Silber)

Many of the collectors, like Armstrong, are makers themselves, and their own sculptures, paintings and prints nestle among works by others in installations here--another tangible sign of the intimate connection between collector and collection. Books appear in every section of the show, further clues to the collectors personal interests and scholarship. A foot-long selection of reference texts on ceramic history belonging to Gloria and Sonny Kamm, Encino-based collectors with immense holdings of teapots, figurative clay sculpture and more, are propped up by a delightful pair of Viola Frey bookends that suggest a tumble of ancient pots from those very pages. The area devoted to Judy and Richard Jacobs Glendora-based collection includes published volumes and linocuts by him and a stoneware torso by her, set among sprightly ceramic birds, shelves of international fiction and lovely vessels by Otto Heino and others.

Diane and Igal Silbers Laguna Beach residence showcases an extensive collection of international, contemporary ceramics. Here, Utamaros Tears I-V, an exquisite porcelain piece by Maria Geszler-Garzuly that looks papered in indigo-inked musical scores, sits atop an elegant Japanese chest. The MAW Collection of Pre-Columbian Art, whose patrons prefer to remain anonymous, is represented by an array of ancient works. One of them, a polychrome jug from southern Peru tattooed with spirited patterning, sits on a worn wooden desk, beside a collectors handwritten archival record for it.

Hector Javier Martinez Mendez, The Artists of Mexico, 2017, earthenware. (Collection Julie and David Armstrong)

Narrowing the gap between art and life has been the professed aim of generations of artists, but in truth, that divide doesnt really exist for them or the avid collectors of their work. Many of the rest of us, though, could use some reminding of how rich that continuity can be. The visual freshness and curatorial ingenuity at play in this show well serve that end, while offering a physically involving opportunity to connect to work in the most materially grounded medium of all.

Nicholas and Lee Begovich Gallery, Cal State Fullerton, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, (657) 278-7750, through Nov. 17. Closed Friday and Sunday. www.fullerton.edu/arts/art/galleries/begovich_galleryRobert Venturi, the Philadelphia-based architect whose buildings and writings championed messy vitality above the rational order of Modernism, died last week at age 93.

For generations of architects, Learning From Las Vegas by Venturi, his wife and longtime collaborator Denise Scott Brown and Steven Izenour is a seminal text, as important as Le Corbusiers 1923 essay collection Toward an Architecture. Published in 1972, the bestselling book used research and analysis to dissect the most lowbrow of subjects, the Las Vegas Strip. It provided guidelines for how to understand American postwar cities and the growing suburbs that defied the traditional architectural logic of the East Coast or European cities. And importantly, especially for Angelenos, it gave architects the freedom to enjoy the symbolic, everyday roadside architecture  like Randys Donuts or Tail o the Pup  that theyd previously been taught to despise.

Venturi and Scott Brown are credited with ushering postmodernism into the world, to the chagrin of many, including Venturi. The unloved architectural style is often associated with eye-catching aesthetics  jarring combinations of bright colors and historical references, the worst of which continue to decorate mini-malls across Los Angeles. More hallmark examples include architect Charles Moores Beverly Hills Civic Center, which collages together Spanish Revival with courtyard and colonnades with Art Deco details painted in postmodernisms signature colors, pink and aqua. Or Walt Disney Studios in Burbank by Michael Graves, just off the 134 Freeway. There, seven terra-cotta dwarfs appear to hold up the Greek temple-like roof.

Venturi, however, was less interested in style; he was in pursuit of meaning, asking how might architecture respond to the richness and uncertainty of 20th-century life?

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Venturis Guild House in Philadelphia. (George Pohl / VSBA)

Its a tall order to ask that a building, through its form, ornament and materials, communicate something about our daily existence, but Venturi tried, and sometimes failed. Even now, 100 years after recalibrating architectural ideas of Bauhaus, we tend to believe that architecture should reach some kind of higher order of purity or good taste.

Venturi rejected those moralities.

Though he famously quipped Less is a bore in response to architect Mies van der Rohes Modernist maxim Less is more, Venturis first book provides more than sound bites. The influential treatise Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture, published by the Museum of Modern Art in 1966, provides lessons in generosity and humor that seem particularly relevant in our own time troubled by ideological polarization.

I prefer both-and to either-or, black and white, and sometimes gray, to black and white, he wrote.

Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Browns conceptual design for the American Sign Museum, rendered by Stephen Van Dyck. (VSBA)

We were happy to be finding all these ugly things Denise Scott Brown

Venturi and Scott Browns postmodern architecture isnt kitsch  although there are moments where their designs swerve a bit too close  nor does it perfectly re-create the past. Instead, their approach is deadpan, like Ed Ruschas photographs of parking lots or his 1966 series Every Building on the Sunset Strip.

What is ugly and ordinary, their terms, is archly observed and then amplified.

This shows up in Venturis early 1960s work, such as the residence he designed for his mother. With a pitched roof and sly ornament, the Vanna Venturi House in suburban Philadelphia rejects the doctrines of Modern architecture.

A photo of Venturis Fire Station No. 4 in Indiana. (Tom Bernard / VSBA)

Vanna Venturi House, designed by Robert Venturi, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1959-64. Front elevation. (Rollin La France / From Venturi, Scott Brown, and Associates)

In Learning from Las Vegas theres a cartoon-like sketch drawn by Venturi. It depicts a low, boring, boxy building topped by a giant sign nearly twice as high. The billboard proclaims I AM MONUMENT. A similar technique appears in their unbuilt design for the Thousand Oaks Civic Center from 1969. Monumental letters, meant to be seen from the 101 Freeway, spell out Thousand Oaks across a low berm surrounding a parking lot.

Venturi and Scott Browns architecture favors accessibility over abstraction, whether its the Best Products Catalog Showroom in Langhorne, Pa.  a big-box furniture store with a facade patterned in and oversized print resembling floral upholstery  or the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery in London, where Venturi and Scott Brown willfully embraced and then misused elements of Classical architecture.

Until recently, Southern Californians could visit the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla and experience the pairs addition; their colonnade, however, and other exterior elements have been demolished to make way for a newer addition by New Yorkbased Selldorf Architects.

Venturis Trubek and Wislocki Houses. (VSBA)

Venturi met Scott Brown at the University of Pennsylvania, where they were both faculty, and married in Santa Monica in 1967. When I interviewed her in 2017, the always-outspoken Scott Brown recalled speaking up at a faculty meeting at Penn in 1960. (She argued against the demolition of universitys library.) After that Bob came up to me and said, I agreed with everything you said. And I said, Then why didnt you say anything? From that time on, we got more and more involved in each others work.

She joined the firm Venturi & Rauch as partner in 1969, bringing with her an interest in sociology and expertise in urban planning  two areas that would influence the firms design approach.

Later, the firms name reflected her collaboration, changing to Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown, and then Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates after John Rauch resigned from practice. In 1991, Venturi was awarded the Pritzker Prize, the highest honor in architecture, although the jury failed to recognized Scott Browns contributions. The slight could have been corrected in 2013, when the Pritzker Prize was petitioned to retroactively include Scott Brown as an equal; the prize committee refused.

A husband-and wife-team, architects Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown in 1994 before their expansion of the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla. (Dave Gatley / Los Angeles Times)

Scott Brown was co-chair of the Urban Design Program at UCLA when she and Venturi visited Las Vegas together  a trip that would eventually lead to Learning From Las Vegas. In our interview, I asked about the photo she took of Venturi on their early trip in 1966. His back is to the camera  a la Rene Magritte, she recalled  and casino signs in the distance flank him. The image encapsulates so much about Venturis approach to architecture. We were happy to be finding all these ugly things, said Scott Brown.

We were kind of falling in love with each other.Another year, another Beatles 50th anniversary remix box set.

This time, its the Fab Fours sprawling 1968 double album The Beatles, a.k.a. the White Album, thats getting a sonic freshening up, to be accompanied in the seven-disc super deluxe box set by dozens of demo recordings and alternate takes of songs  more than 100 tracks in all  from what is the bestselling title of all the fabled quartets original studio releases.

It follows last years half-century anniversary edition of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was greeted by near universal acclaim for the updated stereo mix, accompanying surround sound version archival recordings that never previously had seen the light of day.

The forthcoming 50th anniversary White Album, out Nov. 9, brings out even more alternate takes and unreleased material because the Beatles spent even more time working up the 30 songs that made the final cut for the groundbreaking 1968 album released on Nov. 22, 1968.

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In fact, they piled up more than 100 takes of some songs, although not all were complete takes  sometimes they constituted false starts or quickly aborted attempts.

The overall goal of the new mix, according to producer Giles Martin and others associated with the project, is to give contemporary listeners something closer to what the Beatles heard in the studio than what was available to music fans 50 years ago.

Its a tricky thing to do, Martin told The Times in his office at Londons celebrated Abbey Road Studio.

Producer Giles Martin, son of the Beatles original producer George Martin, has overseen work on the forthcoming 50th anniversary remix and reissue of the groups 1968 album The Beatles. (Apple Corps)

Theres one side of a fence  which is actually more the Beatles side  that says, Why should we be playing outtakes? Theyre outtakes, said Martin, son of the Beatles original producer George Martin, who once again is overseeing the anniversary reissue along with veteran Abbey Road Studio mix engineer Sam Okell.

And theres the other side [of fans and Beatles collectors] that says We want everything, and we want it now. Martin said. I think my job, in a way, is to curate that, to balance that so that its all valid. Because once you put something out, its out forever.

Along with the new stereo and multi-channel mixes of the album itself, the box set will include a full disc of 27 Esher Demos, early acoustic recordings of the White Album songs made at guitarist-songwriter George Harrisons house in Esher, England, before the group formally started work on the album at Abbey Road Studio in London.

Many of those songs were written, or at least started, while the group had traveled to Rishikesh, India, to study Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi early in 1968.

It was a typically fertile period for the Beatles  indeed, the result was the first double album of the bands music. But it also was a time in which internal tensions were building following the death in 1967 of their manager, Brian Epstein, and for producer George Martin as the band members continued to exert greater control in the studio that had once been his exclusive domain.

Recording sessions often ran late in the night and the wee hours of the morning as the Beatles increasingly followed the 24/7 call of their muse rather than the regimented 9-to-5 schedule Martin and other Abbey Road personnel had long been accustomed to.

It was during recording of the White Album that drummer Ringo Starr quit the band for two weeks  although the news didnt go public at the time  and then rejoined them to complete those sessions.

Three more CDs contain 50 more recordings from the White Album sessions of such songs as Back in the U.S.S.R., While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Glass Onion, Birthday, Helter Skelter and Revolution.

In addition, those discs touch on other songs the group worked on at the same time that were not part of that album, among them Hey Jude, Let It Be, Lady Madonna, The Inner Light and Not Guilty, the latter two being songs written by Harrison.

The box set includes a 164-page hardbound book that gathers reproductions of the color portraits of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and the original albums large fold-out poster with a photo collage on one side and the songs lyrics on the other.

The seven-disc super deluxe 50th anniversary edition of the Beatles 1968 album The Beatles spans more than 100 tracks and includes a 164-page hardbound book. (Apple Corps)

Dozens of other archival photos will be accompanied by new introductions written by McCartney and Giles Martin and chapters detailing the recording sessions, with notes illuminating each song.

The box also brings to light the groups latter-day versions of songs they played during their early years covering their favorite American rock, R&B and country songs such as Elvis Presleys Youre So Square (Baby I Dont Care), Blue Moon and W.C. Handys St. Louis Blues.

The seventh disc is an audio-only Blu-ray disc with high-resolution files of the stereo and mono mix (the mono being a direct transfer of the original mono mix of the album) and DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby True HD 5.1 surround sound mixes.

The White Album remix will be offered in other configurations too, including a deluxe three-CD set that includes the new stereo mix and the Esher demos, also available in a four-LP vinyl edition. Finally, a two-LP vinyl edition will contain the new stereo mix.

In the 1968 Rolling Stone review, publisher Jann Wenner called the White Album the best album they have ever released, and only The Beatles are capable of making a better one.

It has been certified 19 times platinum, signifying U.S. shipments of 19 million copies, by the Recording Industry Assn. of America.

Referring to the deep trove of materials with which he and the Abbey Road team culled the selections from the 50th anniversary box set, Martin told The Times, Its the gift that doesnt stop giving.

randy.lewis@latimes.com

Follow @RandyLewis2 on Twitter.com

For Classic Rock coverage, join us on FacebookRedemption and second chances are born of a spooky aviation mystery in NBCs Manifest when a flight from Jamaica to New York goes missing somewhere over the Atlantic and then inexplicably touches down at its destination 5 years later  plane, crew and passengers intact.

Authorities are flummoxed by the return of Montego Air Flight 828, and so are the 191 souls aboard when they learn its 2018. No wonder their Obama-era BlackBerrys wont work.

The flight was uneventful, they later tell suspicious FBI agents, except for a brief, violent bout of turbulence due to a sudden weather surge undetectable by radar. Cue the ominous music.

The hour-long pilot episode, which premieres Monday, initially captivates with Lost-like puzzles: Where were they all that time? Why have none of them aged? And the bumpy flight scene is indeed terrifying (firsthand advice: dont watch on a plane).

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But once on the ground, rote themes of redemption and faith dilute an otherwise intriguing supernatural occurrence, and leave viewers with another puzzle to solve: why Manifests characters dont seem all that interested in figuring out what the heck happened.

Instead passengers Michaela Stone (Melissa Roxburgh), her brother Ben (Josh Dallas) and their loved ones spend a lot of time talking about righting wrongs and fixing their lives. The universe just gave all of us a do-over, marvels Bens wife, Grace (Athena Karkanis), while the biggest mystery in the history of mankind looms small in the background.

More interesting is the plight of Ben and Graces young son Cal (Jack Messina), who was also on the flight. He has advanced childhood leukemia; when they left Jamaica, he had only six months to live. His cancer did not progress during the half-decade time lapse, but effective treatments for the disease did. Now Cal has a shot at beating the disease.

Parveen Kaur as Saanvi Bahl in NBCs Manifest. (Virginia Sherwood / NBC/Warner Brothers)

Perhaps not so coincidentally, the graduate student and medical researcher behind the medical breakthrough, Saanvi (Parveen Kaur), was also on the plane and returns to find her work has manifested into a miracle cure. Did their disappearance serve a higher purpose and does their new lease on life come with the increased responsibility of saving others?

NYPD cop Michaela is starting to think so, even though her return from the abyss has been less hopeful than her brothers or Saanvis. Her fiance, Det. Jared Vasquez (J.R. Ramirez), married her best friend in her absence, and now she has no love, no job, no apartment. But shes gained a sixth sense thats geared toward protecting others from harm and worse, and shes beginning to think its coming from a higher power.

Manifest, which comes from executive producer and Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Jeff Rake and Jackie Levine, has all the right ingredients to develop into a sci-fi thriller or perhaps a divine-intervention drama.

Religious themes pop in and out of Manifest. Minutes into the pilot, Bible scripture Romans 8:28 is recited by Michaelas mother as they wait for their flight to board: All things work together for good.

The number 828, like Hurleys winning lottery number in Lost, becomes a recurring theme.

Its one of many bread crumbs that point toward a potentially addictive series if Manifest allows its gripping supernatural narrative to rise above its characters less interesting personal dramas.

The series also offers a story of hope that inevitably echoes the real-life disappearance of Malaysian Air flight 370 four years ago. And who couldnt use a miracle right about now?

Whether its magic at 35,000 feet or the beginnings of a biblical prophecy about those who are called, its worth getting past Manifests bumpy landing to see if the series truly takes off.

lorraine.ali@latimes.com

@lorrainealiHollywood made its faces seen Monday morning as people took to the sidewalks in an organized walkout to stand behind Brett M. Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford and to support survivors of sexual assault.

For Mondays walkout, orchestrated by Times Up, people were encouraged to wear black and walk out of wherever they were at 10 a.m. PDT in a silent show of support.

Ford, 51, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University, has been under siege since accusing Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her more than 30 years ago. She has received death threats and been forced from her home, according to her lawyers.

There was a time when business as usual could continue amid credible allegations of sexual violence, the Times Up organization said in a statement last week. But that era has ended forever.

Social media quickly filled with examples of celebrity participants in the movement, including Debra Messing, Emmy Rossum and Kerry Washington.

Ford will testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

libby.hill@latimes.com

@midwestspitfireThe lush plains east of Yosemite National Park offer a window into a bygone California  a place where sage grouse welcome the arrival of spring with theatrical mating rituals and cattle graze on verdant pastures.

For nearly a century, these lands have been made green thanks to annual flooding by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, helping maintain cattle forage and keeping alive a culture of ranching in southern Mono County.

But those days may have come to an end in August.

Citing climate change, LADWP this year shifted its irrigation policy, saying ranchers who lease grazing areas on its 6,400 acres near Crowley Lake should no longer bank on the promise of ample water when they renew.

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Water officials say the change is necessary as decreased snowmelt leaves them little water to spare. But the move could turn grasslands brown, rattling ecosystems, the local economy and a way of life, ranchers warn.

Without irrigation, wed be looking at mostly cheatgrass and tumbleweeds, which are good for nothing, said Kay Ogden, executive director of the nonprofit Eastern Sierra Land Trust, as irrigation water flowed ankle deep across pasturelands edging U.S. 395.

Does L.A. have the right to destroy habitat and the livelihoods of families, friends and neighbors who have lived here for generations? she said.

A meadow near Alkali Lake in Mono County, one of several natural meadow lands that dont require irrigation water supplied by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to thrive. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

The LADWP has for seven decades provided several lessees in the area about 5 acre-feet of water per acre per year, which made their pastures nutritious through the summer and added luster to the areas hiking, biking and angling hotspots. (An acre-foot of water equals about 326,000 gallons, more than enough to supply two households for a year.)

But as the agency prepares for a future with less snow, more rain and prolonged periods of drought, the prospect of flooding pastures with enough water to serve 50,000 families annually has lost its appeal.

The LADWP said it would have to spend about $18 million to replace the amount of water requested by ranchers and the lost hydropower it could generate  an unacceptable burden for its Southern California ratepayers of about $30 per family per year.

Beyond that, water officials say, irrigation was never a guarantee tied to the leases held by ranchers, who pay an average $10 to $15 per acre per year to graze on irrigated pastures.

As it drafts new 20-year leases for 10 longtime ranchers in area, the department says lessees should anticipate that little to no water will be available for them.

The agency said it would continue diverting about 1,000 acre-feet of water per year to protect the estimated 600 sage grouse in the area, a segment of a subspecies only found along the California-Nevada border.

The amount of water needed to sustain the bird, and whether any of it will be available to ranchers, will be determined by an ongoing environmental review, officials said.

Susanna Danner shows a sage grouse feather. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

The cutbacks have enraged residents in a region defined by water wars since the early 1900s, when Los Angeles city agents posed as ranchers and farmers to buy land and water rights in Mono and nearby Inyo counties. Their goal was to build the aqueduct system needed to meet the needs of the growing metropolis 300 miles to the south.

Bob Gardner, chairman of the Mono County Board of Supervisors, summed up the tensions in a recent letter to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

We refuse to accept that climate change and ratepayer obligations justify the impacts to our natural environment and regional economy, he said. Quite simply, LADWPs arbitrary plan is nothing more than a veiled water grab.

On Aug. 15, the county filed a lawsuit against the city and the agency asserting that they violated the California Environmental Quality Act by altering management policies without first analyzing their potential effects, including the increased risk of fire on dewatered pastures.

Three weeks later, the water district initiated its environmental review. Mel Levine, president of the LADWPs board of commissioners, said negotiations with the county ceased after its lawsuit was filed, but talks continue with ranchers over trying to get into more efficient irrigation practices.

In late August, a drone flown by a contractor for the LADWP crashed on grazing land near Crowley Lake, sparking a fire that charred 10 acres. That land was leased by cattle rancher Mark Lacey, whose ancestors settled in the region more than 130 years ago.

The DWP never ceases to amaze me, grumbled Lacey, one of several lessees in the area who have reacted to the coming water reduction by reducing their herds, sending cattle up to Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska and Oregon.

My operation is down by about 40%, Lacey said. That means I have three full-time employees  including myself  instead of five, and Im spending a lot less on lunch, gasoline and auto parts at local businesses.

Matt and Maria Kemp fear water restrictions could cause them to lose half their spread. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Matt and Maria Kemp, whose children are destined to become the sixth generation of ranchers to run cattle on 1,600 acres of private holdings and land leased from the DWP, said they could lose half their spread.

Theres a long tradition of livestock grazing in Mono County, Matt Kemp, 40, said. Id like to negotiate a compromise.

The impacts of the shift remain to be seen in the county where local ranchers increased their cattle and calf production by 16% over the last year, according to an economic survey conducted by California State University Chico.

Inyo-Mono Agricultural Commissioner Nathan Reade estimates that the loss to the Mono County economy may be as high as $8 million per year.

Locals say the policy shift illustrates a broader vulnerability of a region with only 14,000 residents and where 94% of land is owned by city, state and federal agencies  all of them preparing for a drier future.

(Los Angeles Times)

Alicia Vennos, economic development director and film commissioner for Mono County, expressed the sentiments of many residents this way: We need to stay green.

Doing so, some locals say, would help protect the sage grouse, whose strongholds overlap with irrigated pastures.

While the bird has the sympathy of many in the region, there is less support locally for mandatory conservation efforts, which some fear would lead to land-use restrictions.

Few residents were pleased when a U.S. District Court judge recently overturned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services decision not to consider petitions from environmental groups to place the bird on the endangered species list.

Plaintiffs organizations, however, including the Center for Biological Diversity, were elated by the ruling that also proposed a designation of 1.8 million acres of critical habitat across the western U.S.

A species that once numbered more than a million may be down to a few hundred thousand birds scattered across parts of 11 states. About 80% of the sage grouses historic nesting grounds have been lost to human development, including ranches and farms.

On the issue of listing the sage grouse, the LADWP and some local conservation organizations, including the Eastern Sierra Land Trust, this time find themselves unified in opposition.

Its not in the departments best interests to have this species listed  or to have ratepayers land made critical habitat, said Dave Martin, an environmental affairs officer with the LADWP. Thats because it would give outside agencies a say in how we manage Los Angeles land and water resources.

The sage grouse would be better served, Martin suggested, by removing a Mono County landfill that is a gathering place for predatory ravens that feast on their chicks and eggs.

Susanna Danner, land conservation program director for the Eastern Sierra Land Trust, stands next to a canal that diverts Sierra runoff onto pastures. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Laura Cunningham, an artist and biologist who has studied the ecological rhythms of life in Mono County for decades, described the challenge of accommodating sage grouse, cattle ranchers, the local economy and L.A. ratepayers as one of the most complicated and multifaceted environmental controversies Ive ever seen.

Everyone needs to step back, take a deep breath and start trying to replace their biases with information gathered from scientific research, she said. Otherwise, the sage grouse will spiral into oblivion while people with clashing agendas fight over the effects of climate change.

Levine could not agree more.

We are committed to protecting the sage grouse, he said. But we have concluded that its not fair for ratepayers to subsidize unnecessary extra water for Mono County ranchers at a time when were facing climate change issues, drought and regulatory requirements regarding water conservation.

Louis.Sahagun@latimes.com

@LouisSahagunPolice are searching for three men suspected in a home invasion robbery early Monday in Hollywood Hills that left one resident with a head injury.

Los Angeles police received a call at 4:23 a.m. from residents who said three men armed with guns robbed them inside their home in the 3300 block of Oak Glen Drive.

One of the suspects hit a resident on the head with a handgun, police said. It is not clear what was stolen from the home.

The men, who were all wearing dark clothing, fled in an unknown vehicle.

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NBC4 reported that the break-in occurred about midnight and residents were tied up for roughly four hours before they were able to call police.

Anyone with information is being asked to call Los Angeles Police Department North Hollywood detectives at (818) 754-8301.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahnfryA man was arrested Monday in connection with a stabbing at a Metrolink station in downtown Riverside over the weekend that left a 69-year-old man critically wounded.

Police took Raymond Bonner, 36, into custody on suspicion of attempted murder about 4 a.m. in Moreno Valley, Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback said. Authorities described Bonner as a transient.

Officers responded at 8:14 a.m. Sunday to a report of a stabbing on the platform area of the Metrolink station at 4066 Vine St.

Police say Bonner approached the victim on the platform, and after a brief verbal exchange, he pulled out a knife and stabbed the man in the neck. Bonner then ran north on the train tracks, Railsback said.

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The victim, who authorities think is from Los Angeles County, was planning to board a train home that day after visiting with friends. Paramedics treated the man at the scene before taking him to a hospital. He is in critical, but stable, condition, Railsback said.

Police searched the area around the train station for several hours Sunday with help from a Riverside County Sheriffs Department bloodhound but initially could not find the suspect. Detectives received tips from the public after the department released security camera footage Sunday afternoon in an effort to locate the attacker.

Detectives identified Bonner based on calls from the public. They secured a search warrant for a residence in the 12100 block of Graham Street, where he was staying, Railsback said.

Bonner is being held in the Robert Presley Detention Center on $1-million bail.

Police are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Det. Karla Corbett at (951) 353-7134 or kcorbett@riversideca.gov, or Det. Jim Brandt at (951) 353-7137 or jbrandt@riversideca.gov.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @Hannahnfry

UPDATES:

1:15 p.m.: This article was updated with information about the suspect and his arrest.

This article was originally published at 8:25 a.m.Despite an urgency to address Orange Countys growing homeless population, a plan to expand two shelters in Midway City is at a standstill as officials seek funding for the project.

The plan is a partnership among Huntington Beach, Westminster, the county and American Family Housing, a nonprofit that provides housing and other services to the homeless. The proposal would add 55 beds to the Midway City shelters, which have a total of 20.

Officials have declined to specify the shelters location, and it isnt clear how much money the cities and the county would contribute to the project.

The shelter would provide much-needed housing for the homeless in the Huntington Beach area, where a special task force of police is trying to deal with homeless encampments as they crop up.

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Orange County cities are struggling to figure out how to address the homeless issue after U.S. District Judge David Carter required cities in April to identify potential shelter sites after a county proposal for temporary ones in Irvine, Laguna Niguel and Huntington Beach was scrapped amid protests from residents and city leaders.

Carter is presiding over a lawsuit filed in January by homeless advocates who sought to halt the removal of an encampment along the Santa Ana River trail. The river was a prime spot for homeless camps, but advocates say the sweep left some camp dwellers with nowhere to go.

Huntington Beach officials have said the City Council would have to vote on the plan before it moves forward. A council study session on homelessness is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 15.

The Huntington Beach task force, which started about three years ago, is trying to determine through trial and error the best ways to help homeless people. The task force includes outreach coordinator Cathy Lukehart, two full-time police officers and four case managers.

The growing homeless population, Lukehart said, makes it difficult to formulate immediate solutions when homeless people often are dealing with mental health and addiction issues.

The city partners with several nonprofits across the county and at times receives free assistance from facilities that handle such matters. People and churches also give money that covers expenses related to helping the homeless, such as bus passes. In two cases, donations helped people with a rent payment, Lukehart said.

We try really hard to not put Band-Aids on things, she said. We try to put people in situations to help make a meaningful change.

Officers Gabe Ricci and Daniel Chichester of the Homeless Task Force are on the front lines. Chances are, Lukehart said, a homeless person will know Ricci, a veteran of the task force, and go to him when he or she is ready to ask for help.

On Wednesday, Ricci and Chichester visited a homeless encampment near homes off Ellis Avenue and woods near Sully Miller Lake. They said they had received complaints from residents for two months about homeless people gathering on a makeshift trail toward the lake.

Several tents stretching about half a mile were surrounded by debris. About eight people were in the area that morning, most of whom had already crossed paths with the officers.

Chichester approached Rigoberto Espinosa, 36, who sat on a beach chair adorned with a Mexican flag.

Why are you still on the streets? Weve offered you help before, correct? Chichester asked.

Espinosa confirmed in an interview that he had been offered help and was directed to a shelter in Santa Ana. But the location prioritized nearby residents, he said in Spanish. He said he was discouraged and returned to Huntington Beach, where his son lives.

One person Wednesday requested help to return to Hemet. The rest were told to find shelter elsewhere but were given business cards to contact Ricci or Chichester for help.

Officers estimate 250 to 400 people are living on the streets in Huntington Beach, with 500 living in cars.

Officials can do only so much until a person decides to get help, Ricci said.

The task force is expected to have housed or relocated 226 homeless people by October, Lukehart said.

Candice, a 36-year-old Huntington Beach resident, lived in her car for two years until she received help from the task force. She asked that her last name not be used because she isnt ready for her colleagues at work to learn about her past.

Candice said she had her own business but hit rock bottom after returning to Huntington Beach from Big Bear and experiencing the price difference of living near the coast. She said she tried living with her mother in a senior housing community but wasnt allowed to stay there with her two children.

Candice said her brother took in her children while she lived in her car with her husband. Then she met Ricci.

The task force connected her with Mercy House, a nonprofit that helped her with rent and inspired her to develop new habits and turn her life around. Candice has been employed and paying rent without help since March. She credits the task forces efforts with giving us our life back.

I dont feel like Ive made it yet, she said. Ive got a long road to go. I still live dollar to dollar every day, but thats only because I pay my bills. Im a productive member of society, my two children are fed and I dont waste my money on [things] I dont need today.The British Embassy in Cairo said on Monday that it has launched the First Youth Forum for Construction and Real Estate in Egypt, in cooperation with the International Academy for Advanced Research and Studies- London (IARS), in an effort to support plans for strategic development set by Egypt for its 2030 vision.

In an official press release, the embassy said the First Youth Forum, held on Sunday in Cairo, was attended by the UK Prime Ministers Trade Envoy to Egypt Jeffery Donaldson, along with several other ministers and representatives of more than 20 of the top construction and real estate companies in Egypt, including Bombardier, Samcrete, Madinet Nasr for Housing & Development (MNHD), Redcon Construction, Alforat Development, Sinai White Cement, and Aalborg Portland.

The embassy said the forum will give over than 10,000 fresh graduates the opportunity to join the fields of real estate and construction in some of the world's most reputable companies.

The purpose of the forum was to engage all stakeholders, including the government, employers, and learners, to generate and support the new generation of leaders as well as enhance the employability in the real estate and construction sectors in Egypt.

Other activities, such as job fairs, on-the-spot interviews, career counselling, job-fit assessments and open dialogue workshops between the real estate and construction sector leaders and the youth, were also included in the forum.



200 scholars from DMG Real Estate and Construction Future Leaders Academy graduates were awarded a British certification recognised by universities, employers, and professional bodies in over 120 countries.

Egypts economic success is a top priority to the UK and we remain committed to developing our partnership, Donaldson said.

Middle East Regional Director Karim Elsafty said IARS was extremely proud of the results achieved by DMG Real Estate and Construction Future Leaders Academy.

Ayman Ismail, the co-founder and chairman of DMG, said that human capital is Egypts real wealth, and that developing them is one of the main goals in realising Egypt 2030 vision.

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Thousands of coastal residents remained on edge Sunday, told they may need to leave their homes because rivers are still rising more than a week after Hurricane Florence slammed into the Carolinas.

About 6,000 to 8,000 people in Georgetown County, S.C., were told to be prepared to evacuate ahead of a record event of up to 10 feet of flooding expected from heavy rains dumped by Florence, county spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

She said that flooding is expected to begin Tuesday near parts of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers and that people in potential flood zones should plan to leave their homes Monday.

The countys emergency management director, Sam Hodge, said in a video message posted online that authorities are closely watching river gauges and that law enforcement would be going door to door in any threatened areas.

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From boots on the ground to technology that we have, we are trying to be able to get the message out, Hodge said, advising people that they dont need an official order to evacuate should they begin to feel unsafe.

In North Carolina, five river gauges were still at major flood stage and five others were at moderate flood stage, according to the National Weather Service. The Cape Fear River was expected to crest and remain at flood stage through the early part of the week, and parts of Interstates 95 and 40 are expected to remain underwater for an additional week or more.

The storm has claimed at least 43 lives since slamming into the coast Sept. 14.

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Michael Sprayberry said that eastern counties continue to see major flooding, including areas along the Black, Lumber, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers.

He said residents who register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency can begin moving into hotels Monday. The program initially will be open to residents in nine counties and then will be expanded. A FEMA coordinator said about 69,000 people from North Carolina already have registered for assistance.

In Washington, meanwhile, Congress is starting to consider almost $1.7 billion in new money to aid recovery efforts from Florence. Lawmakers already are facing a deadline this week to fund the government before the start of the new budget year on Oct. 1, and members of Congress are expected to try to act on the disaster relief along with separate legislation to fund the government.

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said the money would be available as grants to states to help rebuild housing and public works, and assist businesses as they recover from the storm. GOP Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey called that a first round and said lawmakers are ready to act quickly if the federal disaster relief agency also needs more money.A year after he derided North Koreas dictator as Rocket Man, President Trump expressed lavish praise for Kim Jong Un on Monday as the president prepared to use his second United Nations address to denounce what an aide called Irans global torrent of destructive activity.

In New York for the annual U.N. General Assembly meeting, Trump told reporters he expected to meet Kim again as a follow-up to their June 12 summit in Singapore, a meeting that Trump later claimed had produced a promise from Pyongyang to begin the process of denuclearization.

Chairman Kim has been terrific, Trump said Monday, insisting North Korea is making tremendous progress.

The progress is difficult to see. To all appearances, negotiations have stalled and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.s nuclear watchdog, has found no evidence that Pyongyang has dismantled any nuclear infrastructure or prepared an inventory of its arsenal, the first steps toward denuclearization. U.S. officials have not challenged that assessment.

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After attending a counter-narcotics conference Monday morning, Trump held bilateral meetings in a suite at the Lotte Palace Hotel in midtown Manhattan. During the first, he and South Korean President Moon Jae-in celebrated the signing of a new trade agreement, marking the first time Trump has inked a bilateral trade deal with another country since taking office.

Trump called the agreement a historic milestone although the changes agreed upon  doubling the number of U.S. automobiles that can be sold in South Korea and keeping a tariff on South Korean steel in place through 2041  were largely cosmetic, given that a broader renegotiation would have required approval from Congress.

This agreement will reduce bureaucracy and increase prosperity in both of our countries, Trump said.

Trump and his aides made clear he will focus his ire on Iran this week, and there were signs he is backing down from his demands for a quick withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, a position that had put him at odds with his national security team.

John Bolton, Trumps national security advisor, said the administration is planning to keep troops in Syria until Iran withdraws its own forces from the country, outlining a strategy shift that could leave U.S. forces on the ground there indefinitely.

Were not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders, and that includes Iranian proxies and militias, Bolton told the Associated Press.

Later Monday, Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis said at the Pentagon that U.S. troops could stay in Syria after Islamic State is routed, the administrations goal in the past. He said their mission would be to train local forces and to prevent the terrorist group from regaining a foothold.

Mattis did not say U.S. troops would stay until Iran withdrew its own forces, but he said there was no daylight between him and Bolton.

Part of this overarching problem is we have to address Iran, Mattis said. Everywhere you go in the Middle East, where there is instability, you find Iran.

U.S. policy until now called for withdrawing the 2,500 American troops once they and local militias in eastern Syria had defeated the last remnants of Islamic State, which appears near. That goal was aimed at mollifying Trump, who declared last April that he wanted to pull out of Syria as soon as possible.

Bolton and his allies in the administration have pushed to extend the U.S. military mission to put pressure on Tehran, which has sent troops and supported militias loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad in the countrys civil war. Iran also has stepped up its longstanding military support to Hezbollah, the anti-Israeli militant group in Lebanon.

The decision to keep U.S. troops in Syria is also aimed at preventing Russia, which has a naval base in Syria, from gaining more of a foothold there.

Speaking at a separate news conference, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo said Trump would use his speech to the General Assembly on Tuesday to deliver well-deserved strong words for the Iranian regime.

He called it among the worst violators of U.N. Security Council resolutions, if not the absolute worst in the world, adding that Trump will call on every country to join our pressure campaign in order to thwart Irans global torrent of destructive activity.

The United States has engaged in significant activity that has begun to counter the Iranian threat, Pompeo said. Today they remain the worlds largest state sponsor of terror. It is our fervent effort to make sure that that not remain the case.

Pompeo supported Trumps decision in May to withdraw from the landmark Iran nuclear deal that curtailed Tehrans nuclear abilities. Trump said the accord had failed, but the five other signatories  Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany  continue to support it.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., told reporters that Trump would repeat a theme he struck in his first General Assembly address and that has underpinned much of his foreign policy decisions: American sovereignty as the motivating force for U.S. military, economic and strategic actions overseas.

The United States is determined to be involved in multilateral [organizations]  where we see it, not where it infringes on the American people, Haley said.

In recent months, the Trump administration has cut funds for U.N. agencies dealing with refugees and peacekeeping, withdrawn from the U.N. Human Rights Council and announced plans to slash the number of refugees who will be allowed to settle in the United States.

Some White House aides expressed cautious optimism that Trump would stick to his written script on Tuesday. They recalled last years speech, when Trumps most memorable and controversial statement  threatening to totally destroy North Korea and mocking Kim as Rocket Man  was not part of his prepared remarks.

Haley acknowledged that Trumps debut last year was rocky, noting the administration was trying to figure what the U.S. presence was going to be.

This year, she said, Trump will lead his first Security Council meeting, Pompeo would attend his first Security Council session, and Vice President Mike Pence would attend an event on Venezuela.

This year, were here with a bang, she said.

Times staff writer David S. Cloud reported from Washington.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com | Twitter: @TracyKWilkinson

eli.stokols@latimes.com | Twitter: @EliStokols

david.cloud@latimes.com | Twitter: @davidcloudLAT

UPDATES:

4:15 p.m.: The story was updated with details of Trumps meetings and aides comments.

The story was originally published at 10:55 a.m.A middle-aged man sways across the outdoor dance floor, nodding and smiling at friends as he moves to the rhythm of the bachata coming from a band called Grupo Melaza Mania.

In his left hand, the man holds a can of Medalla Premium Light beer. He extends his right hand to a woman in tall black heels, ripped skinny jeans and a tight bun of black hair streaked with grey, who follows him to the dance floor.

Abraham Ortiz and Doris Vega, both in their 50s, move to the music effortlessly, as though theyve been doing it since they were born.

Its a little after 4 p.m. on a Sunday in September at La Gozadera, an outdoor dance club and unofficial haven for local residents off the main road into the small town of Yabucoa, near the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico.

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The place has been crowded with dancers and onlookers since the band started playing after 2. The sky is thick with clouds, the air is sticky. Beads of water form on the beer and water bottles that are piling up on tables between friends.

What do you want to hear? the band leader shouts to the crowd. Merengue, bachata, salsa?

All of it, people shout back.

The men and women at the dance hall are mostly in their 50s, 60s and 70s  and though the place wont close until 10 p.m., several say they will be gone by 7, before it gets dark and the lightless streets become too hard to navigate.

Its an adjustment the music lovers have made since the club reopened in late August after being closed for 11 months as a result of the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria on Sept. 20, 2017. The devastating storm left the town of about 34,000 people without a single working stoplight and many roads without working lights of any kind.

In the crowd of a hundred or so at the dance hall on this day, anyone could tell a personal story of loss from the hurricane. But they have come to enjoy themselves, so many hold each other close on the dance floor, while others sit on plastic chairs tapping their feet to the music or lean against the bar ordering drinks.

For two decades, La Gozadera, which means the party or a good time, has been a place for locals from Yabucoa and surrounding towns to dance, drink and eat fried empanadillas made by the owner, a tenacious businesswoman named Carmen M. Davila Ramos. There is a full bar, a dance floor that fits dozens of couples and a patio area where dozens more spend the time, some catching up with friends.

Carmen M. Davila Ramos, the owner of La Gozadera dance club, was unable to reopen her dance club until nearly a year after Hurricane Maria. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

In Yabucoa, dancers enjoy the music that was silenced after Hurricane Maria. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Ramos, 69, has made the club into a place where customers feel as though theyre with family. Women, in particular, consider it a place where they can dance without the worries they sometimes experience at other dance clubs in nearby towns, the ones with younger crowds.

When Maria hit, many regulars at La Gozadera  which was a wreck  were left without an outlet for their stress at a time when people went months without light, scrambled to find basic necessities and struggled to figure out how to rebuild homes that were damaged or destroyed.

It was like something was missing and we needed it back to feel normal again, says customer Shirley Martinez, 57, of Fajardo.

Another customer, Jenny Rodriguez, 60, of Luquillo, says her aunt died after Maria struck the island. She needed dialysis but could not get it.

It hit me hard. It hit all of us hard, she says of the storm.

Rodriguez is holding a Michelob Ultra beer in one hand and a Benson & Hedges cigarette in another. She is wearing flowery heels, a fuchsia blouse and red lipstick as she mouths the words to Te Amo, a ballad thats being played to a merengue beat.

Ay, si pudiera entender, porque tanto cambiaste mi vida y borraste mi ayer. If only I could understand why you so changed my life and erased my yesterday.

On the dance floor, Angel Manuel Barreto, 74, has his right hand settled softly above Magdalena Rojas Gomezs hip, guiding her steps front and back.

He wears a long gray ponytail and, in one ear, a small gold loop with a cross. Her eyes are outlined with green liner. Her lips are bright pink. They have been dancing together at La Gozadera for all the years its been open.

Maria destroyed the second story of Barretos home in Caguas.

All of it, says Rojas, 61, who also lives in Caguas. The roof, the walls, the furniture, his bed, everything.

She lost her patio, the gate and everything outside her home. They were without electricity for eight months.

Barreto says he rebuilt without any outside help. For a time, he had only part of a roof, and he would put his bed in a place where it wouldnt get wet from rain and sleep watching the stars.

I enjoyed it, he says. These things that happen are Gods decisions. And we have to respect them.

In a corner, a bit removed from the crowd, Blanca Perez, 49, and her husband, Samuel Mojica, 63, are holding hands in their chairs. She weaves her fingers in and out of his, caressing them slowly.

Water flooded her home and trees smashed into it, Perez says. They have fixed it little by little, despite months without electricity.

Before the event, as Mojica calls it, they danced at La Gozadera on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Now it opens for dancing only on Sundays. But having it back, even if just once a week, has been healing, Perez says.

A little beer. Some dancing. You get distracted, she says.

When a new song starts to play, Mojica takes Perezs hand and they dance near their chairs. He turns her around, holds her waist from behind for a couple of steps and then spins her around once more.

He pulls her close and kisses her gently on the cheek.

paloma.esquivel@latimes.com

Twitter: @palomaesquivelFor transgender Americans, 2018 has been marked by series of advancements and setbacks.

The steps forward have included numerous legislative actions and court rulings buttressing civil rights and a victory by a transgender candidate in Vermonts Democratic gubernatorial primary.

The steps back have included the Trump administration rolling back protections, and anti-transgender vitriol that caused an Oklahoma towns schools to be closed for two days in August after adults made threatening comments on Facebook about a 12-year-old transgender students use of a girls bathroom.

And the coming weeks may be even more unsettling, ahead of the first statewide vote on whether anti-discrimination protections should extend to transgender people.

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On the Nov. 6 ballot in Massachusetts is a measure drafted by conservative activists that would repeal a 2016 state law  passed with bipartisan support  that provides such protections in public accommodations, including bathrooms and locker rooms.

Though Massachusetts is among the most liberal states, and the first to legalize same-sex marriage, recent polls indicate voters are closely divided on the ballot measure.

Transgender attorney Kasey Suffredini, co-chair of the campaign seeking to preserve the 2016 law, calls the measure one of the single biggest threats to equality in recent memory. If the pro-repeal side wins, he predicts, opponents of LGBTQ rights will try to scale back nondiscrimination protections in other states.

Uncertainty about the outcome in Massachusetts has added to a sense among some transgender Americans that their recent civil rights gains are fragile and their acceptance by fellow citizens is far from universal.

I just try to focus on the long run, said Jennifer Finney Boylan, a transgender writer and professor. Were in this less for ourselves than for our children, whom I pray will grow up in a world less cruel than this one.

The progress in 2018 has included several cities and states making it easier for transgender people to change their gender on identification documents. Courts have upheld policies enabling transgender students to use the bathrooms of their choice at school. Connecticut became the first state giving transgender inmates the right to be housed in prisons matching their gender identity.

Among other breakthroughs: A best-foreign-film Oscar for the transgender-themed film, A Fantastic Woman, and transgender candidate Christine Hallquists Democratic nomination in the Vermont governors race.

But Hallquists triumph had a downside: She says shes been targeted with a stream of death threats and other personal attacks during her candidacy.

In early September, transgender activists got a jolting reminder that even some allies might belittle them.

At the national meeting of NLGJA, the Association of LGBTQ Journalists, anger was sparked when gay emcee and TV weatherman Marshall McPeek began the closing ceremony by welcoming ladies and gentlemen, things and its.

McPeek, of Columbus, Ohio, soon apologized, as did NLGJA, but many transgender people were outraged. The journalism organization promised to become more diverse and inclusive, and McPeek resigned from the group while promising to learn from his mistakes.

More broadly, transgender-rights activists are angered at moves by President Trump and his administration to undermine gains achieved before his election. Trump is seeking to ban transgender people from military service, although that effort has stalled in court.

The administration rescinded an Obama administration guideline advising schools to let transgender students use the bathroom of their choice. And it has asserted that civil rights laws dont protect transgender people from discrimination on the job.

Transgender attorney Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said he remained optimistic about the overall progress, citing favorable court rulings, broad resistance to the military ban, and new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics for how parents and others can support transgender children.

These changes reflect a growing understanding on the part of families, communities, courts and elected officials that transgender people are part of the fabric of our society, Minter said.

In April, transgender people got some support from voters in Anchorage. By a 6-point margin, they defeated a ballot measure that would have repealed a trans-inclusive civil rights ordinance and required transgender people to use public bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender at birth.

For activists, that result was heartening in light of events in Houston in 2015 after its City Council adopted an ordinance that included protections for transgender people using restrooms based on gender identity. Opponents of the ordinance gathered enough signatures for a repeal referendum, then campaigned using the slogan No Men in Womens Bathrooms. By 61% to 39%, the anti-bias ordinance was repealed.

Now, the divisive issue is resurfacing in Massachusetts, where the campaign seeking to repeal the 2016 state law is using Houston-style messaging.

The law puts women, children and vulnerable minorities safety at risk, says Keep MA Safe. It allows a person to self-identify as any gender in order to use whatever bathroom, locker room or shower facility they choose  even convicted sex offenders.

Transgender-rights supporters consider this argument malicious. They say 20 states and scores of cities have experienced no significant public safety problems linked to their policies allowing transgender people to use public bathrooms of their choice.Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein stepped into his government SUV on Monday morning for the short ride from the Justice Department to the White House, where he was convinced he was about to be fired.

Just three days earlier, the New York Times reported that Rosenstein, who supervises the high-stakes Russia investigation, had suggested secretly recording President Trump or even finding a way to remove him from office last year.

Although Rosenstein adamantly and publicly denied it, the next day he spoke with White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly about his tenure as the Justice Departments second-in-command.

Now, as he made his way up rain-slicked Pennsylvania Avenue, cable news and social media were erupting with reports that Rosenstein had offered his resignation and expected to be ousted  potentially throwing the special counsel investigation into turmoil as it racks up indictment after indictment of former Trump aides and others.

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But after meeting again with Kelly, Rosenstein wasnt fired. Nor did he quit. By early Monday afternoon, he had returned in his SUV to his office, his job intact. The White House said Rosenstein would meet with Trump on Thursday when the president returns from attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The episode left a cloud of confusion over the future of a veteran federal prosecutor who has spent his career shying from the spotlight only to find himself trapped in the glare of Washingtons political crucible.

Follow live coverage of the Trump administration 

In addition to supervising day-to-day operations of the 100,000-employee Justice Department, Rosenstein oversees special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into whether anyone from Trumps team conspired with Russians during the presidential campaign, making him a frequent target of Republican fury.

Replacing Rosenstein would not automatically derail Muellers work. But it could provide Trump an avenue to constrict the investigation or even bring it to a close if he can find a more compliant official to supervise the special counsel.

(Los Angeles Times)

Rosenstein has repeatedly defended Muellers work against Trumps outbursts that it is a politically motivated witch hunt.

Administration officials declined to say what transpired in Rosensteins meeting with Kelly. Nor did they elaborate on the extended conversation that the White House says Rosenstein had with Trump on Monday.

We will be determining what to do, said Trump, who has been unusually measured in his comments about Rosenstein in recent days. I spoke with Rod today and well see what happens.

Friends of Rosenstein, who was U.S. attorney in Baltimore before Trump nominated him last year to help lead the Justice Department, said he was prepared for whatever came next.

Hes a very fatalistic kind of person. He has no illusions that these positions last forever, said James Trusty, a former federal prosecutor who has known Rosenstein for nearly two decades.

Trusty, now a partner at Ifrah Law, said Rosenstein tends to put his head down and say: Im going to keep doing the job right. And the day they tell me I dont work here anymore is the day I stop.

Rosenstein began supervising the Russia investigation after Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, who campaigned for Trump, recused himself in March 2017. Two months later, when Trump abruptly fired James B. Comey as FBI director, Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel.

Those chaotic days have been the source of controversies that continue to shadow Rosenstein.

It was during that time, according to media reports Friday, that he suggested secretly recording the president or removing him from office using the 25th Amendment.

The 25th Amendment allows the vice president and a majority of Cabinet secretaries to declare that a president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, starting a process that would ultimately require two-thirds votes in the House and Senate.

Rosenstein has denied the reports. I never pursued or authorized recording the president and any suggestion that I have ever advocated for the removal of the president is absolutely false, he said in a statement on Friday.

Former FBI Director James B, Comey in 2017. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)

Rosenstein had little public profile until May 2017, when he was asked to lay out a case for firing Comey.

In a lengthy letter, Rosenstein sharply criticized Comey for his handling of the FBI investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server when she was secretary of State. The White House initially cited the letter to explain why Trump had abruptly dismissed Comey.

But Trump later said he had already decided to fire Comey before asking for Rosensteins letter, citing his displeasure with this Russia thing.

That put Rosenstein into an untenable position and raised questions about whether Trump was improperly trying to shut down or influence a federal investigation.

Days later, Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel, a decision that infuriated the president because it ensured the wide-ranging investigation would continue to cast a cloud over the White House.

It also left Rosenstein in the political hot seat as the investigation continued and expanded to include questions about whether Trump obstructed justice by trying to influence the inquiry.

He was someone who did not seek the limelight whatsoever, said Douglas Gansler, a former state attorney general in Maryland who worked alongside Rosenstein there. Nor does he seem to enjoy it.

So far, Muellers team has obtained criminal charges against 32 people, although no Americans have been charged with conspiring with Russians.

Four defendants have pleaded guilty to lying to investigators, including former national security advisor Michael Flynn, former campaign foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos and former deputy campaign chairman Richard Gates, who also admitted to a charge of conspiracy.

Solicitor Gen. Noel Francisco. (Cliff Owen / Associated Press)

Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud in August after a trial in Alexandria, Va. He later cut a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty and agreeing to cooperate to avoid a second trial in Washington.

In addition, 25 Russians were indicted for their alleged role in Moscows covert campaign to boost Trump in the presidential election, but are outside the reach of U.S. courts.

Rosenstein has staunchly defended Muellers work, telling Congress in December that the special counsel was handling the sensitive case appropriately. He also vowed to resist an improper order to fire him.

At various stages, Rosenstein has made decisions that have angered the president.

For example, he approved Muellers decision to refer information about Michael Cohen, Trumps former lawyer in New York, to federal prosecutors in Manhattan.

Cohen has since pleaded guilty to bank fraud, tax evasion and campaign finance violations. He told the court that Trump directed him, shortly before the election, to make hush-money payments to two women who said they had slept with him years ago.

If Rosenstein departs, his authority over the special counsels office would probably pass to the next most senior Justice Department official confirmed by the Senate, Noel Francisco, the solicitor general, who was confirmed in September 2017 by a vote of 50 to 47.

Francisco served under President George W. Bush, first in the White House and then in the Justice Department, from 2001 to 2005. He then joined Jones Day, a prominent Washington law firm and headed its government regulation practice before Trump chose him last year.

del.wilber@latimes.com

chris.megerian@latimes.com

Twitter: @chrismegerian

UPDATES:

4:05 p.m.: The article was updated with additional details about Rosensteins meetings.

10:15 a.m.: The article was updated with the White House announcement that President Trump will meet with Rosenstein on Thursday.

9:30 a.m.: The article was updated with additional details about Rosensteins meetings at the White House.

The article was originally published at 8:15 a.m.Of all the statewide elected offices in California, none offers a thinner portfolio of duties than that of lieutenant governor. With a bare-bones staff and no mandate to do anything, the lieutenant governors main job is to wait in the wings as an understudy in case the actual governor becomes incapacitated or dies (or runs for president and wins), and to fill in when the governor is out of state. He or she also sits on the University of California Board of Regents, the California State University Board of Trustees and the State Lands Commission. Beyond that, according to current Lt. Gov. (and current gubernatorial candidate) Gavin Newsom, the lieutenant governors office may have to field the occasional call from a frustrated constituent who didnt get a call back from the governor.

Slight as all that may seem, the two candidates for this office who emerged from the states top-two primary say they would embrace it as a bully pulpit from which to speak out on healthcare, trade, education and other issues important in California. But while both are Democrats, they have traveled markedly different paths to this point.

Eleni Kounalakis, a prominent Democratic Party donor whos never held elected office, is a former ambassador to Hungary appointed by President Obama (who included her in a slate of endorsements he made this year). Before that, Kounalakis led the Sacramento real estate development company started by her father, Angelo Tsakopoulos. A Greek immigrant who came here as a farmworker and built a fortune, Tsakopoulos contributed millions to an independent campaign that blanketed California televisions with ads for his daughter before the primary. The millions of dollars spent by Kounalakis and her father prompted critics to accuse her of trying to buy the office.

Hernandezs expertise is valuable, and the next governor would be wise to avail himself of it.

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State Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa), who grew up in La Puente, is an optometrist whose work with underserved communities and poor patients on Medi-Cal ultimately sparked his interest in state government. He was elected to the state Assembly in 2006 and then the California Senate in 2010, terming out this year. As chairman of the Senate Health Committee for eight years, he shepherded a number of tough, smart bills through the Legislature. These include laws prohibiting the sale of short-term junk health insurance plans that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act and requiring drug makers to reveal more about their price-setting practices. The latter measure, which also requires drug-makers to give insurers 60 days notice before raising their prices beyond a certain threshold, was a major win for consumer advocates and a rare defeat for the formidable pharmaceutical lobby.

Both candidates would acquit themselves respectably in this peripheral job. But Hernandez gets our endorsement.

Kounalakis is smart and has done her homework on the states many issues. In addition to her familys business, she has run a large embassy and now chairs the California Advisory Council for International Trade and Investment. But Hernandez has been a legislator of substance and persistence whos taken on powerful special interests. Plus, he knows his way around state agencies and the Legislature, making him better prepared to step into the governors office in a crisis. That gives him an edge over Kounalakis in this race.

Hernandez says he is eager to continue working on healthcare issues if elected to the statewide post. Given the two gubernatorial candidates interest in that topic, it would be unrealistic to think the next governor will let Hernandez take the lead on it. But his expertise is valuable, and the next governor would be wise to avail himself of it.

No one knows the pitfalls of the lieutenant governor job better than Newsom. The lieutenant governor is not the governor. I learned that the hard way, Newsom says. To a great degree, the success of the next lieutenant governor will depend on whether the next governor puts his or her talents to use. Newsom, at least, knows what its like to spend years spinning his wheels.

Still, the state boards that Hernandez would sit on if he wins do weigh in on substantial matters. The little-known State Lands Commission, for example, could play a pivotal role in aggressively protecting public access to the coast and battling private property owners who stand in the way. Hernandez says he strongly supports the publics right to access the California coast. If he becomes lieutenant governor, he should make sure he proves it.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or FacebookAllies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook

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Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings  one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook

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U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook

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Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook

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He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect  despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook

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Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram  which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal  claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook

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It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook

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New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook

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Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause.  #Georgia  Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook

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Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook

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Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook

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Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook

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Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution  something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm  U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush.



The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T  Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY  LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook

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Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook

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Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook

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Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook

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Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook

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James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump  as recently as Tuesday  continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along  that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right  to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook

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Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook

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Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook

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Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops  You really are our heroes, he said  as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water  we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook

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Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook

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Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see.  James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook

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Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes  he last won reelection by a 14-point margin  suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook

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Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook

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Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January  eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook

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Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook

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Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook

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Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook

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Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election  again, in blowout fashion  but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook

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Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook

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Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes  which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook

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Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook

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Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook

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GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10.  Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook

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Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook

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Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook

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Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook

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Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook

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CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook

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Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks  Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank  when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while  including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook

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Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook

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ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook

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Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters...  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook

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Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press  President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook

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Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there  the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day  and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event  a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook

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Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children  the older ones are 5 and 2  about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals  her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican  she the race felt mBrett Kavanaughs embattled nomination for the Supreme Court faced further disarray Sunday night after an explosive new account emerged of alleged sexual misconduct when he was in college, putting the White House on the defensive and the judges confirmation in fresh doubt.

Scrambling to respond, the White House and Kavanaugh issued swift denials of the report. Some Republicans on Capitol Hill said they were shellshocked even as they blamed Democrats for what they described as a political takedown based on scurrilous allegations.

Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the panel would attempt to evaluate these new claims but did not publicly respond to a call by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, to immediately postpone confirmation proceedings until the FBI could investigate.

The new allegations, reported by the New Yorker, date back to Kavanaughs freshman year at Yale University, when a classmate named Deborah Ramirez says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at close range at a drunken dormitory party, forcing her to bat him away.

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The White House quickly distributed a vehement denial from Kavanaugh, who last week strongly denied a claim by Christine Blasey Ford, a California professor, that he had sexually assaulted her when they were high school students in Maryland in the early 1980s.

This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple, Kavanaugh said of Ramirezs account, adding that he would defend himself when he and Ford testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for Thursday.

In a separate statement, a White House spokeswoman, Kerri Kupec, denounced the latest allegation as a Democratic-inspired effort to tear down a good man and said the White House stands firmly behind the increasingly controversial nomination.

The claims of abuse have turned Kavanaughs once near-certain confirmation into a fierce partisan battle, one of the most consequential such clashes in a generation. It has cast a shadow over the November midterm election, jeopardized President Trumps vow to cement conservative control of the Supreme Court and added more fuel to the cultural reckoning that is the #MeToo movement.

The sense of chaos deepened Sunday when Michael Avenatti, the California lawyer who represents porn actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Trump, wrote the Senate committee that he was aware of significant evidence of house parties in the early 1980s that Kavanaugh attended where women were targeted  with alcohol/drugs and subsequently raped. He offered no evidence.

Feinstein urged the FBI to reopen its investigation and gather all the facts, interview all the relevant witnesses and ensure the committee receives a full and impartial report. Several Democrats called on Kavanaugh to withdraw his name from consideration.

Kavanaughs fate in the closely divided Senate is almost certain to rest with three moderate Republicans: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Jeff Flake of Arizona, none of whom weighed in publicly Sunday night. If two of them defect, his confirmation is probably doomed.

Some Senate Republicans said privately that they were stunned by the allegations and the worrying turn the confirmation battle has taken. Grassley complained in a statement that neither Ramirez nor her legal representative had contacted his office, but it wasnt clear if Republicans on the committee knew about the allegations before Sunday.

The latest controversy erupted only hours after Ford agreed to testify to the Judiciary Committee at 10 a.m. Thursday about her claim that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a drunken party when they were teenagers, the charge that has roiled Washington for a week.

The New Yorker article, carrying the bylines of prize-winning investigative reporters Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer, did not name or cite eyewitnesses Ramirez said were present at the Yale party.

Ramirez acknowledged that her own recollections were faulty because she was highly intoxicated during the party. She said she remembered having a penis thrust in her face, seeing Kavanaugh pulling up his pants immediately afterward, and hearing another student shout out what had just happened, calling Kavanaugh by his full name.

Her allegations, if borne out, potentially could carry heavier legal ramifications than the assault described by Ford.

During his Senate confirmation hearings, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) asked Kavanaugh under oath  her usual practice with judicial nominees  whether he had ever committed sexual assault as a legal adult, and he denied it. Kavanaugh was over 18 when he was at Yale.

Earlier Sunday, Fords attorneys, after a lengthy phone call with committee staffers, said she would testify to the panel ahead of Kavanaugh  not after, as she had sought  to present their opposing memories of a drunken party more than three decades ago where she says she was nearly raped.

Weve made important progress, Fords attorneys Debra S. Katz, Lisa J. Banks and Michael R. Bromwich said in a statement. Dr. Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her. She has agreed to move forward.

Depending how the confrontation plays out, the Senate showdown could provide the capstone to a painful political drama that has riveted Washington and has threatened to derail Kavanaughs expected confirmation to the nations highest court.

It still wasnt clear Sunday who will ask the questions after Ford, a 51-year-old professor at Palo Alto University, takes the oath.

Republicans reportedly want to use an outside female counsel to question Ford and Kavanaugh. All 11 Republicans on the committee are men, and they are anxious to avoid grilling a woman claiming sexual abuse on live TV in the #MeToo era. They also could use staff attorneys, rather than ask the questions themselves.

We were told no decision has been made on this important issue, even though various senators have been dismissive of her account and should have to shoulder their responsibility to ask her questions, Fords lawyers said.

Fords lawyers reportedly have pushed the committee to call other witnesses, including a former FBI agent who conducted a polygraph of Ford, and trauma experts who could testify to her long delay in coming forward.

The committee has decided it will not subpoena Kavanaughs classmate, Mark Judge, who Ford has said was in the room during the alleged assault. Judge has said he does not recall the incident.

Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, asserted the panels control over the proceedings, saying only its members would decide who to put on the stand, and who would question them.

The committee determines which witnesses to call, how many witnesses to call, in what order to call them, and who will question them, Grassley wrote to Fords legal team. These are non-negotiable.

The White House is wary about Fords testimony, nervous not only that she could damage Kavanaughs chances for confirmation in the 51-49 Senate, but also that her account could inspire more women to vote against Republican candidates Nov. 6.

For Republicans, the questioning of Ford will need to tread a fine line between defending Kavanaugh  who has strongly denied the allegation  and starting a spectacle reminiscent of the demeaning verbal attacks 27 years ago, in the same committee, against Anita Hill.

Clarence Thomas was confirmed for the Supreme Court despite Hills claims of sexual harassment.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) suggested Sunday that Ford could say little to sway him. Speaking on Fox News Sunday, he promised a fair hearing but said that unless theres something more to support her accusation, hes not going to withdraw his support for Kavanaugh.

What am I supposed to do, go and ruin this guys life based on an accusation? he asked. I dont know when it happened, I dont know where it happened, and everybody named in regard to being there said it didnt happen. Im just being honest: Unless theres something more, no, Im not going to ruin Judge Kavanaughs life over this.

By contrast, Hirono, the Hawaii Democrat who has emerged as one of Fords strongest backers, declared: I believe her.

I put his denial in the context of everything that I know about him in terms of how he approaches his cases, Hirono said on CNNs State of the Union. Hes very outcome-driven; he has a very ideological agenda.

Democratic leaders renewed their demand for an FBI investigation of Fords claims, contending it could be carried out quickly. Republicans have generally backed the White House in saying that reopening an FBI background check on Kavanaugh would be pointless.

Their [the FBIs] role in this case is not to determine who is telling the truth, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) said on NBCs Meet the Press, describing that as the task of the Judiciary Committee.

I hope that we will get to the truth, he said.

Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) said on ABCs This Week that he did not feel Ford had been treated well, and that he believed some Republican lawmakers feel uneasy with the way this has been handled.

The unexpected blowup over a nomination that had been expected to sail through the Senate has also posed a challenge for politically ambitious women in the Trump administration, including Nikki Haley, the ambassador to the United Nations.

Interviewed on CNN, Haley was careful not to criticize Trump or fellow Republicans, but also said Ford should have her say before the committee.

What I have said very clearly is: Every accuser always deserves the right to be heard, she said. But at the same time, I think the accused deserves the right to be heard.  The Senate has a huge responsibility here.

Staff writers Jennifer Haberkorn in Washington and Mark Z. Barabak in Berkeley contributed to this report.

laura.king@latimes.com

@laurakingLAT

UPDATES:

9:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about Fords agreement to testify.

8:35 p.m.: This article was updated with Avenattis letter.

7:35 p.m.: This article was updated with Sen. Feinstein calling for a postponement in proceedings.

6:20 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details of the latest allegation.

5:50 p.m.: This article was updated to reflect the New Yorker article citing a second accuser, and the denials by Kavanaugh and the White House.

This article was originally published at 4:20 p.m.The video Katie Hill posted Friday on social media opens with a striking declaration for a congressional candidate: I have experienced sexual assault multiple times, different ways.

The 31-year-old Democrat, who is trying to unseat Republican Steve Knight of Palmdale, tells viewers she knows how hard it is for women to report an attack. If Americans look the other way, she says, we are showing to boys and men across the country that its OK.

Hills video highlights the threat Republicans face as they defend President Trump and his troubled Supreme Court nominee, Brett M. Kavanaugh.

Trump, who once boasted on tape about groping women, and other Republicans have been openly dismissive of Christine Blasey Fords accusation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were in high school.

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In a year when scores of powerful men have been called to account for sexual misconduct, gender politics are a central force in the Nov. 6 election.

Now, Republicans rush to put Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court before the midterm, regardless of Fords testimony Thursday in a high-stakes Senate hearing, risks further alienating women already put off by Trump and his party.

Late Sunday, The New Yorker reported that Kavanaugh allegedly exposed himself to a Yale University classmate, Deborah Ramirez, at a drunken party when they were students there in the 1980s.

Kavanaugh has denied both allegations.

An NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday found that women want Democrats to control Congress by a lopsided 58% to 33%. Democrats hope suburban women with college degrees  a group that has strongly favored the party in special elections since Trump took power  will drive the partys takeover of the House, if not the Senate.

At the same time, record numbers of women are running for seats in Congress. Of the 262 on the ballot, 202 are Democrats, according to Rutgers Universitys Center for American Women and Politics.

Hill, for one, is counting on a surge of support among women to overcome Knights standing in the states 25th Congressional District as a two-term incumbent, Army veteran and former Los Angeles police officer known for promoting the local aerospace industry.

Congressional candidate Katie Hill answers questions from the moderators at the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Lancaster West Rotary Congressional Forum at the Hellenic Center in Lancaster, Calif. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

At a Palmdale debate last week, Hill castigated Republicans for questioning Fords credibility and her motives in going public.

Thats such an incredibly difficult thing for a woman, which is why so many women never come forward, or why it takes decades in many cases, said Hill, a former director of a homeless-services agency.

Hill posted a longer version of her video nine months ago after Democrat Al Franken of Minnesota gave up his Senate seat amid accusations of groping women and making unwanted advances.

The contest between Hill and Knight is one of the most competitive in the nation. The district  covering Simi Valley, Santa Clarita, Palmdale and part of Lancaster  was dominated by Republicans until 2014, when the number of registered Democrats surpassed them.

The race is one of at least a half dozen in California in which suburban women will play a key role in deciding whether Democrats capture seats long held by the GOP.

For Brenda Mumford, a seventh-grade English teacher in Santa Clarita, the election offers a chance to put a check on Trump. When he first emerged as a leading contender for president, she thought he seemed like a refreshing change. But Mumford, an independent with four grown children, no longer trusts him.

Hes dividing our country and inflaming people, she said on a visit to a Santa Clarita Apple Store. It seems like hes not mentally balanced right now. He doesnt think before he speaks, and hes derogatory toward women.

Trumps erratic personal behavior, including frequent bursts of insults on Twitter, is just part of whats fueling a historically wide gender gap, said Susan J. Carroll, a senior scholar at the Rutgers center.

Rep. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale) speaks with Sascha Cohen, left, at a candidate forum Sept. 10 in Lancaster. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Many college-educated women view him as a bad role model for their children, she said, and they recoil at much of his agenda: the rejection of climate science, the attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and an immigration crackdown that has separated children from their parents at the border.

I think all of that is in the mix, she said.

With his unrelenting focus on his base of rural and blue-collar voters, predominantly white men, Trump has backed himself into an electoral cul-de-sac, imperiling many of his partys candidates, said Republican media consultant Mike Murphy.

Its like he was designed in a lab to offend female voters, Murphy said.

Trumps Republican allies in the Kavanaugh drama have only heightened the challenge, in some cases denigrating Fords allegation of sexual assault.

Calling Trumps nominee a perfect Supreme Court pick, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa suggested the accusation didnt matter because Kavanaugh was only 17 when Ford says he jumped on top of her, tried to remove her clothes and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream.

High school? Give me a break, Rohrabacher said.

Republican Senate candidate Kevin Cramer of North Dakota called the allegation absurd because Kavanaugh and Ford, who was 15 at the time, evidently were drunk at a party and it was supposedly an attempt or something that never went anywhere. Ford told the Washington Post that shed had one beer, but Kavanaugh was heavily intoxicated.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, told an audience of conservative Christians on Friday that Kavanaugh would be confirmed regardless of Fords testimony. Dont get rattled by all of this, he said. Were going to plow right through it and do our job.

To Mary Hughes, a veteran Democratic strategist in the Bay Area, the uprising of women against Trump and the Republican Party  seen most dramatically in the womens march the day after his inauguration  has a foundation as broad as the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s.

For many women, she said, Trumps boorishness is on a continuum with chronic sexual harassment, gender inequality in wages, the dominance of men in corporate management  an accumulation of insults.

Its a disregard, disrespect, minimization of women, and theres a rebelliousness against that, she said.

Still, in closely divided House districts, Republicans like Knight are maintaining support among conservative women.

Karina McAhren, a 27-year-old Santa Clarita clothing store manager who describes herself as a Republican against abortions, wont vote for Hill simply because shes a Democrat, even though she admits she doesnt like Trump.

Hes really crass, McAhren said as she hoisted her two fidgety 3-year-old boys into car seats in her minivan. But if he can make changes for our country, Im all for it.

We, as a country, havent learned anything about respecting women, Eva Rejhons, an Army veteran from Valencia, said of the Kavanaugh issue. Nothing. (Michael Finnegan / Los Angeles Times)

But other women, many of them Democrats like Eva Rejhons of Valencia who were already highly motivated to turn out and vote, are appalled by the Kavanaugh spectacle.

We, as a country, havent learned anything about respecting women, said Rejhons, an Army veteran who works in retirement planning. Nothing.

In their struggle to keep control of Congress, Republicans want to avoid angering core supporters by backing away from a conservative nominee.

Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, one of 11 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, all of them men, suggested last week that Fords accusation was false. Kavanaugh, he said, is a good man, too honest and straightforward to be doubted.

I know how he stands up for what he believes and whats right, Hatch said. And frankly, if you were going to believe anybody, youd believe him.

Another Republican on the panel, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, told Fox News on Sunday that Ford would be treated respectfully, but he still expects to vote for Kavanaughs appointment once she testifies.

Im just being honest, he said. Unless theres something more, no, Im not going to ruin Judge Kavanaughs life over this.

michael.finnegan@latimes.com

Twitter: @finneganLAT

UPDATES:

5:35 p.m.: This article was updated with the new allegations by Deborah Ramirez.

This article was originally published at 4:30 p.m.There is peril on the horizon in the nations politics this week.

Not just for those whose reputations are on the line as the topic of sexual violence takes center stage, but for the broader American discourse  accusations versus facts, justice versus vendetta, right versus wrong.

The stakes seem higher than ever as a Senate committee prepares to dive deep into conflicting accounts of a time more than three decades ago.

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A THURSDAY HEARING, A SECOND ACCUSER

It was anything but a quiet weekend in the debate over the future of Judge Brett Kavanaughs nomination by President Trump to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The woman whose name became nationally known last week agreed to testify, while a second explosive accusation was made against Kavanaugh.

The latest controversy erupted only hours after Christine Blasey Ford agreed to testify to the Senate committee on Thursday about her claim that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in the early 1980s, when they were teenagers.

On Sunday, the New Yorker magazine identified another woman whose allegation comes from when she and Kavanaugh were both students at Yale University  an allegation quickly denied by the judge and the White House.

The president tweeted Friday that he had no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents.

But surveys of sexual assault victims and crime reporting data from federal government agencies suggest theres a lot of room for doubt.

DECISION CALIFORNIA: KAVANAUGH, IMMIGRATION

The fierce reactions sparked by Fords accusations have made crystal clear that a sharp era of gender politics seems to have arrived with election day only six weeks away. And it could pose particularly tough times for Republicans.

Its a disregard, disrespect, minimization of women, and theres a rebelliousness against that, Mary Hughes, a veteran Democratic strategist in the Bay Area, said.

Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher lashed out last week at Fords accusation. High school? Give me a break, he said in a recording of a recent event.

And the Californian in the center of the fray  Sen. Dianne Feinstein  has seen new life in her challenge from the left this season, state Sen. Kevin de Leon. The Los Angeles Democrat is also taking on Feinsteins long history of comments on illegal immigration while criticizing her approach to the Kavanaugh controversy.

You can follow complete coverage of the midterms on our Decision California page.

THE NEXT CALIFORNIA: ROLLER-COASTER REVENUE

California voters who cast their ballots in November arent just choosing a new governor. They are choosing a leadership style and agenda for a future that promises to be dramatically different than the states past.

The Times is examining a handful of key issues facing the Golden State in our series The Next California. Melanie Mason is diving into four important topics that either man who hopes to be governor  Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom or businessman John Cox  will have to tackle.

This week, its the reality of a government funding structure that will continue its feast-or-famine nature unless someone steps in with a radical overhaul.

Weve also asked the candidates to respond. And we want to know from you: What do you think are Californias greatest challenges?

BROWN ON BILLS: STRAWS, FIRE PREVENTION, REBUKING TRUMP ON HEALTHCARE

The current chief executive, Gov. Jerry Brown, has six days left to take action on bills sent to him by the Legislature before its August adjournment. (And his office says no new decisions will come until Brown returns from a New York climate change event at midweek.)

Last week, the governor signed into law a first-in-the-nation effort to limit pollution from plastic straws, banning most restaurants from handing them out unless customers make a request.

Brown also signed a sweeping law to boost wildfire prevention efforts by $1 billion over the next five years, a law that also could allow some fire-related costs incurred by utility companies to be passed to consumers.

In other bill action:

-- A new law will require restaurants to offer only milk and water-based drinks to be served with kids meals.

-- Two laws will push back on Trump administration efforts related to healthcare. One forbids work requirements for healthcare provided to low-income adults; a second bans no-frills health plans, part of GOP efforts in Congress to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.

-- Brown signed a bill that will allow people to sell food they make themselves, a practice that was previously outlawed due to health concerns.

-- Voters whose signature on an absentee ballot doesnt match the one on file with elections officials will have eight days to fix the problem under a bill signed last week.

-- But the governor vetoed a bill to ban any middle school or high school start times before 8:30 a.m., part of an intense debate over the sleep patterns of teenagers.

-- He also vetoed a bill to study the effects of driving under the influence of cannabis, calling the measure a distraction for the states beleaguered Department of Motor Vehicles.

Melanie Mason and I discussed several of these bills in this weeks California Politics Podcast. And well continue to track bill action this week on our Essential Politics news feed.

TODAYS ESSENTIALS

-- Trump had a stormy debut at the U.N. General Assembly last year, blasting North Koreas leader as Rocket Man and warning of loser terrorists. When he returns on Tuesday, he will claim his brash diplomacy has led to foreign policy success.

-- Climate change has uprooted tens of millions of people around the globe, creating another refugee problem for the U.N.

-- The California Correctional Peace Officers Assn. opened up its campaign checkbook in a move that brought to mind the unions political power plays of days gone by. Is the union bringing back its swagger from the 1990s?

-- Officials at Californias DMV said last week that an additional 3,000 people were mistakenly signed up to vote during the rollout of the states new motor voter program.

-- Californias candidates for governor have agreed to face off in a San Francisco public radio forum next month.

-- A group working to repeal Californias recent increase in the gas tax argues that the charges are disproportionately hurting the working poor, while gas tax supporters counter that opponents are exaggerating the financial impact.

-- Californias campaign finance watchdog agency voted to prohibit the use of cryptocurrency including bitcoin for political contributions.

LOGISTICS

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Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com.

Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox.Significant strides in outlook have been made under the presidency of Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, but there remains work to be done to erase the basis for sectarian fanaticism

I spent my childhood and youth, up to the time I graduated from university, between Rod Al-Farag, where our family home was located, and Shobra, where I went to school.

Both neighbourhoods (though Shobra above all) are foremost among those historic districts of Cairo that physically embody the unique, cohesive national fabric of the great Egyptian people, both Muslim and Christian.

Half of my friends from childhood up to the present day are Copts, as are half of the excellent teachers and professors from whom I received my education.

This experience taught me the true essence of this tolerant people and their common bond of mutual affection and respect as equals.

I will never forget how reverently the Muslim merchants in our neighbourhood regarded the local nuns and, for example, how the kind local baker took delight in surprising his Christian customers with the delicious baked goods he prepared especially for them for Lent.

I was not blind to that minority of extremists on both sides or to the existence of problems here and there. But life in Shobra was truly splendid and the memories from those days infuse my soul.

Because of such precious personal experiences, I was horrified when the ogre of sectarian strife began to rear its head in the 1970s.

But I made a bet with some friends who, at the time, expected that blight to spread from Al-Zawiya Al-Hamra to Shobra. I had faith in the solidity of the Egyptian national weave. It might sustain some shocks, but its immune system was strong enough to sustain the toughest crises.

I won that bet. But the strife reoccurred. It was obvious that the exploitation of religion for political ends was the root cause. The Islamist movement was being used, at the time, to offset and suppress Nasserist and leftist trends.

As a result, hardline Islamists acquired increasing influence as certain authorities nurtured them and gave them the leeway to do as they pleased. I was aghast at the fanatics who were bussed in on Thursday nights from distant provinces to spend the night in my local mosque in Mohandessin so that they could attend the Friday sermons and prayers led by their charismatic leaders the next day.

This was how those Islamist leaders influence spread throughout Egypt.

At the same time, the role of the state as public service provider and caretaker was receding and the Islamists moved in to fill the void, winning another avenue to expand their influence.

They gained huge prestige among the simple poor and underprivileged who found those religious extremists by their side, helping them deal with their day-to-day hardships.

In this manner, the Islamists built their popular base which would manifest itself in the 2005 legislative elections and in their ability to hijack the 2011 Revolution for a while.

Although the fight against them began under president Hosni Mubarak, after the open-door policy towards them brought the assassination of president Anwar Al-Sadat, the successes were restricted to the security dimension.

The campaign never extended to the roots  to the houses of worship, the schools and the media. After the overthrow of Mubarak, the sectarian phenomenon increased while the Islamists hijacked the political scene. It was a way to flex muscle and intimidate opponents.

It increased further after the people seized back control over their revolution. This time it was a form of revenge.

In light of the above, I find nothing new in the recent incident in Dimshau Hashim village except in one respect. Such incidents, like their predecessors after the June 2013 Revolution, reflect a significant irony, which is that they occurred under a leadership that introduced a qualitative shift in the approach to handling the sectarian question in Egypt.

To me, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisis actions in this regard, which emanate from his proper understanding of the essence of Islam and his deep faith in the true principle of citizenship, are among the most important, if they are not the most important, of his accomplishments for which he will go down in history.

Some people may not appreciate the value of the unity of the Egyptian people and the weight this value carries as a component of Egypts strength.

Anyone who does not agree with me, here, only has to take a look around us in this region where they can see the catastrophic effects of the lack of national cohesion.

Unfortunately, a number of institutions have not kept pace with the qualitative shift that the president introduced. The religious establishment has yet to reform its discourse and educational curricula in a manner conducive to the fight against the logic of religious fanaticism and we still hear some Friday sermons that serve the fanatics designs.

The government educational establishment has yet to free its curricula of material harmful to national unity. Nor has it added to its curricula the type of material needed to strengthen this unity.

The media establishment has yet to fully undertake its responsibility in this regard while the security establishment has so far not done all it could to pre-empt the destructive acts of extremists.

Therefore, if we want to break the vicious cycle of sectarian strife, it is absolutely essential to close the gap between the outlook and actions of the political leadership and what is happening on the ground.

The biggest irony is that the extremists wreak their destruction in the name of protecting Islam whereas their actions are as remote as can possibly be from the text and spirit of Islam.

I should hardly need to remind people that freedom of belief is an authentic principle in Islam as is explicitly borne out by Islamic scriptures.

The Quran also states that the Christians are closer to the Muslims because of the prophets marriage to a Copt from Egypt. Indeed, the prophet, himself, said that to harm a Copt is to harm himself personally.

One cannot help but to be struck by the fact that the attacks against Copts always begin with attacks against them while they are performing prayers and religious rites.

Now, if the Lord established the principle of freedom of faith, by what right do a handful of fanatics who distort the meaning of Islam prevent affiliates of the other faiths from exercising their most basic religious rights? How can such people escape justice?

It troubles me that so much of what enlightened people are asking for today are demands decades old. One feels as though state and society are moving as slow as turtles on this critical issue, while their adversaries, the remnants of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood organisation, continue to move with persistent stealth. That should make us concerned.

* The writer is professor of political science at Cairo University.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 20 September 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Enhancing Egyptian unity

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Some pioneers of the Orange County sushi scene are celebrating their fourth anniversary this fall with an expansion.

Temakira serves temaki, the Japanese word for hand roll.

When Temakira opened in November 2014 in Costa Mesas East 17th Street, it was the first of its kind in O.C. to focus its menu on the sushi-stuffed hand rolls, which are a popular on-the-go item in Brazil.

The rolls are wrapped in nori (seaweed) or soy paper. White or brown rice is added, followed by a protein (like tuna, salmon or shrimp tempura), fillings (which include avocado, cucumber, green onions, fish eggs or tempura flakes) and, to top it off, a sauce (spicy mayo, mayo, eel sauce, sriracha or wasabi cream).

One of the photogenic, Instagram-ready rolls (which end up with a shape reminiscent of an ice cream cone) is a snack; two or three can be a meal.

Temakira  a made-up word that combines temaki with kira, which means coming of hope in Japanese  has three locations: East 17th Street, the OC Mix, also in Costa Mesa, and Irvine.

Natsuko Travioli and Ilka Komatsu, with Hugo Komatsu, center. All three are managing members of Temakira. (Photo by Spencer Grant)

In time for the chains fourth anniversary, a fourth restaurant is planned to open later this year near the Long Beach Airport, breaking Temakira into the Los Angeles County market.

Some of Temakiras menu temaki (they can also be customized) use American palate favorites, such as avocado and shrimp tempura, while others take their cues from traditional Japanese food, namely the Negi Hama (yellowtail and green onions with olive oil, lemon and daikon sprouts) and the Yuzu Tuna (seared tuna, mixed greens, sprouts, Yuzu chili sauce).

The chain has also caught onto the poke craze, offering its hand roll options in a bowl with base options, such as rice, cucumbers, sprouts and ginger.

And, for its managing members who founded Temakira  Hugo Komatsu, Ilka Komatsu, who are brother and sister, and Natsuko Travioli  that newness extended to themselves. They had never run or started a restaurant before.

Rather, the trio, who all live in Costa Mesa, where their company is based, came from the finance world.

Hugo and Ilka were born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Travioli grew up in Irvine and Japan, where she met Hugo. At the time, both were working in a Japan office of Newport Beach-based PIMCO, the investment management company.

But they werent meant to stay in the investment sphere too long.

Hugo harbored culinary dreams that eventually translated into becoming a founding member of a sushi hand roll shop in Costa Mesa, an area with which he was already familiar, with Travioli, a person whose friendship with him continued back in the United States. Ilka joined the business after its founding.

When planning Temakira, they could imagine the benefits of temaki: affordable price points, healthy options and its ability to be a gateway food that points some eaters toward more Japanese cuisine.

I thought it would be really interesting, Hugo said.

He had no restaurant experience, however. Hugo jokes now that the only culinary experience he had was running a food trading company in Brazil, a far cry from the restaurant operations required of him now.

It was Travioli who brought some restaurant experience to the fold.

Chef Julio Lopez crafts a hand roll at Temakira at the location on 17th Street in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Spencer Grant)

They chose Costa Mesa as a starting point, partially because they predicted it could be a success there. With the influx of stylish and popular eateries popping up along East 17th Street  from the Crack Shack and Sidecar Doughnuts to Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop and Pitfire Artisan Pizza  their predictions came true.

Like others have been along the street, their restaurant was a hit.

We were part of the wave, Travioli said.

Initial marketing was limited. People, it turned out, were curious and came in on their own.

Getting exposure was pretty easy, Hugo said.

It has also come with an unexpected bonus. Temakira never intended to convert fans of traditional sushi fare. Turns out, theyre doing just that.

They see its different, Travioli said, and they seem to like it.

Temakira is located at 259 E. 17th Street, Costa Mesa; the OC Mix, 3313 Hyland Ave., B5, Costa Mesa; and 4237 Campus Drive, B164, Irvine.

Bradley Zint is a contributor to Times Community News.I am a Republican. I have voted for most Republican candidates since Dwight D. Eisenhower. There have been a few exceptions. One was Richard Nixons run for a second term. Another was the second term for George W. Bush.

My Republican Party is one of fiscal stability and balanced budgets. It is a party that knew when to negotiate with other parties and to find common ground. It is a party whose elected representatives could find solutions without demeaning or insulting members of other parties. Thats not to say that campaigns were not lively. The failures and missteps of opponents were made dramatically clear during election time.



For the record: An earlier version of this op-ed piece stated that Rep. Dana Rohrabacher voted for the Republican tax cuts. He did not.

Today, my Republican Party no longer exists. It has been overcome by a mob of antagonists, which has resulted in both principal parties of left and right resorting to insult and defamation. Truth and fact have disappeared. Today, all news that does not support a particular point of view is labeled fake. Narcissism appears to be the rule. Self-promotion and self-enrichment by elected representatives is the primary goal.

Concentrating immigrants into camps and segregating children from parents contrary to law has become the new way. Demeaning and threatening imprisonment of people who disagree with the state and isolating national and racial groups reeks of experiences in Europe in the early 1930s. It is a sorry mess we are in.

Here in the 48th Congressional District, we have a congressman who has been in office 30 years, almost as long as I have lived in Laguna Beach. I have never heard him support a cause that was important to Laguna Beach citizens. He favors new oil drilling off Californias coast.

In an article in the Los Angeles Times (Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, facing a tough reelection fight, ridicules sex assault accusation against Kavanaugh, Sept. 20), he insulted women and showed his utter disregard for those who have suffered from sexual misconduct.

He supports the current administrations tariff policy, which raises prices for us and reduces jobs in local plants and factories.

According to a leading conservative magazine, no bill introduced by our congressman in the last 14 years has been passed by the House. It would be difficult to find a sitting Congressman who has done less.

Challenging our incumbent is a new face, Harley Rouda. He is a former Republican (my kind), which is good news. He supports Planned Parenthood and womens right to choose.

He supports common sense solutions to stop gun violence. He supports fair taxation that closes loopholes favoring the wealthiest and reduces the growth of the national debt. He supports Medicare for all as a solution for our health care mess.

He supports getting rid of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision permitting unlimited campaign contributions by corporations. He supports getting back to developing clean energy.

I support this candidate. I am a Republican for Rouda.

James S. McBride lives in Laguna Beach.Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome back to our horse racing newsletter as we delve into clockers and the coupling rules.

We can close the book on this Los Alamitos Fair meeting, so all of you can hold on to your complaints about the higher takeout for another year. Next time we see Los Alamitos it will be the Winter meeting anchored by the Los Alamitos Futurity, which has been a good springboard for a lot of horses.

Santa Anita is up next, but not until Friday. There is no Thursday racing this week. But, the track will get that day back on Monday, Oct. 8, known in some places, as Columbus Day, or around these parts, we call it Indigenous Peoples Day. This is the first year its the official holiday in Los Angeles.

Were always trying to keep the newsletter fresh, as we can see our one-year anniversary in our headlights, so were going back to the popular answer man feature. So, (I love to use So because one reader told me I use it too much.) if you have a horse racing question, mostly about how stuff is done or things you dont understand, send me an email at johnacherwa@gmail.com . Not looking for history type questions, but more of things youve always wondered but never had anyone to ask.

Well start with this one from reader Chris Hunkins : How do clockers accurately identify the horse they are timing and how do they get an accurate start on their watches since the horses are not often leaving from a gate?

No better person to answer that than Russell Hudak , who is the morning-line maker at Del Mar and Los Alamitos. Hes also an experienced clocker and timer and also served in those capacities at Hollywood Park.

Trainers are required to notify the Clockers by supplying the name and distance of the horses they intend to work. This is done either by a phone call to the Clockers Booth or by giving the names to the Clocker on the ground posted near the entrance to the race track. The Clocker on the ground can get a close look at the horses which often is very helpful.

All clockers keep an identification book (actually a lap top computer) which contains a description of the horses obtained from their foal certificates. The horses are listed under the registered trainers name. The description of the horse includes color and white markings on the face and legs. When timing the workouts these markings are used to separate the horses when working in teams and also to confirm the horses identity against the names which were reported to work.

Clockers timing workouts are located in a position with a full view of the race track allowing them to start timing a horse from the marker poles posted every sixteenth of a mile. All quarter-mile markers are red and white, all eighth poles are green and white and the sixteenth markers are black and white. With the trainers reporting both the distance along with the name of the horse to work, clockers can watch designated poles or in some cases locate the horse on the track and following him to the pole.

Southern California and NYRA area tracks can be very busy with a high volume of workers following renovation breaks. During these times, clockers need to coordinate their activities, take notes and put the information together after the action lets down. With cooperation from the trainers confirming their activity an accurate accounting of the workouts can be maintained.

Next question comes from Curtis Kalleward : How do they determine the rules for when to couple/uncouple entries? If multiple entries have the same exact owner(s) and trainer, who/what determines whether they race as coupled or uncoupled? Example: multiple times this year, John Sadler has entered multiple Hronis-owned horses, yet they were never coupled.

For this, I went to regular contributor Mike Marten , who is the media czar at the California Horse Racing Board and a guy who probably regrets me having his email.

In short, Mike said there is no coupling rule in California and hasnt been since 2011. He forwarded the release making that announcement.

The Board repealed the provision of the coupling rule requiring any horses to race as a single wagering interest. Along with this elimination of coupling in California, the Board requires racing associations to adequately inform the public when horses with common ownership are racing uncoupled.

Now, Mike cant say it (or maybe he would) that the reason for the elimination of the coupling rule is so there are more betting interests, which benefits the track, state and allows for maximum wagering in short fields.

In 2015, New York slimmed down its coupling rules to allow two or more horses to be decoupled in any stakes race of $50,000 or more. It used to be $1 million. Kentucky has the same threshold. Florida, as you might expect, has no rule, like California.

Those who favor coupling believe that it doesnt serve the bettors to have two different entries because one of them could be sacrificed to help the other one win. What that means is you could engage a favorite in a speed duel hoping to benefit one of your closers. If they were coupled, it would be one betting interest.

Well, guess what? That rationale is out the window in an era of shorter fields and declining interest in the sport. Hope that helps.

On the big races review in Sundays newsletter, I failed to replace Monomoy Girl with Midnight Bisou after the DQ. So, as I wrote in the top of the newsletter, Midnight Bisou was the race winner. The price was correct.

Sundays closing day gave us two almost identical features, six furlong allowance/optional claimers for Cal-breds, one for colts and geldings and one for fillies and mares. The purses were $45,000. Also consistent were the winning trainer and jockey.

The one for open competition (code for colts and geldings) was won by Ninety Nine Proof, who ran a smart race just off the front and put the race away as the leader tired on the long Los Alamitos stretch. He paid $5.00, $2.60 and $2.40 for trainer Peter Miller and jockey Heriberto Figueroa . King Abner was second and Tough But Nice was third.

In the filly and mare race, Wonderful Lie held on through the endless stretch to beat the veteran Princess Kendra (43 races). Wonderful Lie paid $4.40, $2.60 and $2.40 for, well, just check the previous paragraph. Princess Kendras rally from another zip code was impressive but not enough. Funny Bean was third.

Always looking to add more subscribers to this newsletter. Cant beat the price. If you like it, tell someone. If you dont like it, then youre probably not reading this. Either way, send to a friend and just have them click here and sign up . Remember, its free, and all we need is your email, nothing more.

Any thoughts, you can reach me at johnacherwa@gmail.com . You can also feed my ego by following me on Twitter @jcherwa

Los Alamitos Race Course Charts Results for Sunday, September 23. Copyright 2018 by Equibase Company. Reproduction prohibited. Los Alamitos Race Course, Los Alamitos, California. 12th day of a 12-day meet. Clear & Fast

FIRST RACE. 5 Furlongs. Purse: $40,000. Maiden Special Weight. 3 year olds and up. Time 22.53 45.90 57.28 1:03.39

Pgm Horse Wt PP St  3/8 Str Fin Jockey $1 5 Satrapa 120 5 4 31 2hd 1hd 1nk Desormeaux 0.50 3 Goldie's Hills 119 3 2 2hd 1hd 21 25 Payeras 36.60 1 Cayate 124 1 1 1hd 31 32 31 Gonzalez 6.90 4 Bless His Heart 120 4 6 4hd 4hd 41 4 Bejarano 2.30 2 Black Storm 124 2 5 52 52 5 52 Quinonez 14.30 6 Dynamic Duo 120 6 3 6 6 6 6 Pereira 42.90

5 SATRAPA 3.00 2.20 3 GOLDIE'S HILLS 12.40 1 CAYATE

$1 EXACTA (5-3) $16.70 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (5-3-1-4) $12.56 $1 TRIFECTA (5-3-1) $46.60

WinnerSatrapa Ch.g.3 by Square Eddie out of Spring Style (IRE), by Pivotal (GB). Bred by Reddam Racing, LLC (CA). Trainer: Hector O. Palma. Owner: Hector O. Palma. Mutuel Pool $75,076 Exacta Pool $37,863 Superfecta Pool $27,266 Trifecta Pool $37,387. Scratchednone.

SATRAPA dueled three deep, was fanned out a bit into the stretch, took as short lead outside the runner-up in the drive, drifted in through the final furlong and gamely prevailed under left handed urging. GOLDIE'S HILLS had good early speed and dueled between horses, put a head in front on the turn, fought back while drifting in through the final furlong and continued gamely to the wire. CAYATE dueled inside, came a bit off the rail and fought back into the stretch, weakened some in the final furlong but held third. BLESS HIS HEART a bit slow to begin, chased outside a rival then off the rail, came four wide into the stretch, drifted in and lacked a rally. BLACK STORM also broke a bit slowly, saved ground stalking the pace and weakened in the drive. DYNAMIC DUO chased outside then off the rail, came four wide into the stretch and lacked a further response.

SECOND RACE. 5 Furlongs. Purse: $12,000. Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $6,250. Time 21.95 45.76 58.03

Pgm Horse Wt PP St 3/16 3/8 Str Fin Jockey $1 3 Holidayincambodia 124 3 2 41 2 1hd 1 Sanchez 3.50 7 Anamontana 124 7 4 3hd 3hd 21 22 Hernandez 2.10 5 Scathing 119 5 5 5 52 54 32 Figueroa 2.00 1 Family Rules 124 1 1 12 12 31 4 Jude 19.10 2 Blooming Hannah 124 2 3 2hd 42 4hd 52 Harvey 17.60 6 Alpha Pegasus 124 6 6 62 61 6hd 6 Pereira 4.80 4 Rockantharos 124 4 7 7 7 7 7 Fuentes 15.60

3 HOLIDAYINCAMBODIA 9.00 4.00 2.80 7 ANAMONTANA 4.00 2.80 5 SCATHING 2.60

$2 DAILY DOUBLE (5-3) $13.80 $1 EXACTA (3-7) $18.50 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (3-7-5-1) $26.59 $1 TRIFECTA (3-7-5) $45.80

WinnerHolidayincambodia Dbb.m.5 by Harlan's Holiday out of Joxy Roxy, by City Zip. Bred by Jerry Romans Jr. (KY). Trainer: Daniel Azcarate. Owner: Dan Azcarate. Mutuel Pool $98,740 Daily Double Pool $19,848 Exacta Pool $47,997 Superfecta Pool $32,687 Trifecta Pool $37,989. Scratchednone.

HOLIDAYINCAMBODIA stalked between horses, came out into the stretch, bid between rivals to take a short lead in the drive and gamely prevailed under urging. ANAMONTANA close up stalking the pace three deep, came four wide into the stretch, bid three wide then outside the winner and continued willingly but was outgamed. SCATHING chased off the rail, swung out four wide into the stretch, drifted in through the drive but gained the show. FAMILY RULES sped to a clear early lead, set the pace inside, came a bit off the rail into the stretch and weakened in the final furlong. BLOOMING HANNAH saved ground stalking the pace throughout and also weakened. ALPHA PEGASUS chased outside on the backstretch and turn, came four wide into the stretch and did not rally. ROCKANTHAROS broke a bit slowly, settled off the rail, also came out four wide into the stretch and lacked a further response.

THIRD RACE. 5 Furlongs. Purse: $14,000. Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Prices $8,000-$7,000. Time 22.32 45.59 57.46 1:03.87

Pgm Horse Wt PP St  3/8 Str Fin Jockey $1 5 Tiz Love 119 4 2 33 31 31 1 Figueroa 2.20 2 Reverend Al 122 1 6 53 42 11 21 Fuentes 5.90 6 I'll Wrap It Up 124 5 3 4hd 51 52 3 Gonzalez 1.60 3 Towards the Light 122 2 1 1hd 1 21 43 Harvey 6.30 4 Kenny Benny 124 3 5 21 21 4hd 55 Hernandez 3.40 7 Sterling Wager 122 6 4 6 6 6 6 Allen 78.00

5 TIZ LOVE 6.40 3.40 2.60 2 REVEREND AL 5.80 2.60 6 I'LL WRAP IT UP 2.60

$2 DAILY DOUBLE (3-5) $28.20 $1 EXACTA (5-2) $13.00 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (5-2-6-3) $5.62 $1 TRIFECTA (5-2-6) $27.90

WinnerTiz Love B.g.5 by Slew's Tiznow out of Lovehi, by Swiss Yodeler. Bred by Revocable Trust of Dr. Mikel C.Harrington & Patricia O. Harrington (KY). Trainer: Patricia Harrington. Owner: Patricia Harrington. Mutuel Pool $112,254 Daily Double Pool $8,412 Exacta Pool $56,146 Superfecta Pool $38,074 Trifecta Pool $43,480. ClaimedTowards the Light by Elison, Kenneth and Vicky Jo. Trainer: Charles Treece. ScratchedNova. $1 Pick Three (5-3-5) paid $23.00. Pick Three Pool $32,983.

TIZ LOVE stalked off the rail, came three deep into the stretch, rallied under left handed urging to gain the lead in deep stretch to prove best. REVEREND AL a bit slow to begin, saved ground stalking the pace, came a bit off the rail and bid inside the pacesetter to gain the lead in the drive, fought back inside the winner late but could not contain that one. I'LL WRAP IT UP chased off the inside, came three wide into the stretch and edged a rival late for the show. TOWARDS THE LIGHT sped to the early lead, set a pressured pace a bit off the rail, fought back outside the runner-up in midstretch and was edged late for third. KENNY BENNY pressed thee pace outside a rival, came three wide into the stretch and weakened in the final furlong. STERLING WAGER settled off the rail, angled in on the turn and lacked a response in the stretch, then returned bleeding from the nostrils but walked off.

FOURTH RACE. 1 Mile. Purse: $30,000. Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Prices $32,000-$28,000. Time 23.65 46.76 1:11.07 1:23.37 1:36.03

Pgm Horse Wt PP St    Str Fin Jockey $1 2 Very Very Stella 121 2 4 2hd 21 11 13 12 Delgadillo 2.30 6 Crown the Kitten 114 6 6 6 6 51 21 22 Figueroa 1.70 5 Arch Prince 121 5 5 51 5 6 52 3nk Quinonez 8.60 3 Muchos Besos 119 3 3 41 42 4hd 3hd 42 Franco 6.80 4 Mr. Opportunist 121 4 2 33 32 2 4 57 Maldonado 2.90 1 La Waun 114 1 1 1 1 32 6 6 Espinoza 20.10

2 VERY VERY STELLA 6.60 3.00 2.60 6 CROWN THE KITTEN 3.20 2.40 5 ARCH PRINCE 3.40

$2 DAILY DOUBLE (5-2) $27.40 $1 EXACTA (2-6) $8.00 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (2-6-5-3) $9.85 $1 TRIFECTA (2-6-5) $34.50

WinnerVery Very Stella B.g.6 by High Cotton out of Call Me Dancer, by Gate Dancer. Bred by Ocala Stud (FL). Trainer: Dan Blacker. Owner: DA Meah Racing, Next Wave Racing, Cavalli, John, Peal, Larry and Bernardis, Dario. Mutuel Pool $121,245 Daily Double Pool $12,126 Exacta Pool $53,790 Superfecta Pool $27,288 Trifecta Pool $36,209. ClaimedArch Prince by E-Racing.Com. Trainer: Brian Koriner. Scratchednone. $1 Pick Three (3-5-2) paid $67.60. Pick Three Pool $13,710.

VERY VERY STELLA came off the rail into the backstretch to bid between foes, dueled outside a rival, took the lead on the second turn, inched away into the stretch, kicked clear and held under urging. CROWN THE KITTEN chased off the rail then outside a rival, came three deep into the stretch and gained the place. ARCH PRINCE chased a bit off the rail then inside on the second turn, came out into the stretch, angled in again and got up for third toward the inside. MUCHOS BESOS stalked just off the rail to the stretch, split horses a furlong out and was edged late for the show. MR. OPPORTUNIST bid three wide into the backstretch then stalked off the rail, came three deep into the stretch and weakened. LA WAUN sped to the early lead, set a pressured pace inside, fought back on the second turn and weakened in the stretch.

FIFTH RACE. 5 Furlongs. Purse: $12,000. Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $6,250. Time 21.54 45.17 57.70 1:04.35

Pgm Horse Wt PP St  3/8 Str Fin Jockey $1 8 Bourque 124 8 2 7hd 6 45 1ns Fuentes 6.30 10 Chrisiscookin 119 10 1 82 3hd 3 2 Figueroa 0.60 3 Love Your Life 124 3 3 1hd 1hd 1hd 31 Hernandez 11.10 5 Quantum Force 124 5 7 23 24 22 44 Sanchez 6.70 9 Hedoesitinstyle 124 9 8 10 10 61 55 Bednar 92.20 4 Particle of Energy 124 4 4 42 72 82 61 Monroy 7.50 2 Many Treats 124 2 9 91 92 71 7ns Jude 103.00 1 Rockin My Mojo 124 1 6 5hd 5hd 5hd 83 Vergara, Jr. 11.20 6 Rock N Doc 124 6 10 6hd 8hd 10 92 Locke 53.10 7 Hidden Crook 124 7 5 3 41 9hd 10 Harvey 116.10

8 BOURQUE 14.60 4.60 3.40 10 CHRISISCOOKIN 2.40 2.20 3 LOVE YOUR LIFE 4.00

$2 DAILY DOUBLE (2-8) $60.80 $1 EXACTA (8-10) $15.90 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (8-10-3-5) $26.03 $1 TRIFECTA (8-10-3) $72.00

WinnerBourque B.g.4 by Congrats out of Stormy Venus, by Stormy Atlantic. Bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds (KY). Trainer: Antonio Garcia. Owner: Bazan, Jose and Mendoza, Juventino. Mutuel Pool $145,238 Daily Double Pool $16,607 Exacta Pool $95,799 Superfecta Pool $63,894 Trifecta Pool $69,654. ClaimedChrisiscookin by Halm, David, Ratzlaff, Kenneth and Treece, Charles. Trainer: Charles Treece. Scratchednone. $1 Pick Three (5-2-8) paid $78.40. Pick Three Pool $30,333. $1 Pick Four (3-5-2-8) 4 correct paid $391.40. Pick Four Pool $78,845. 50-Cent Pick Five (5-3-5-2-8) 5 correct paid $250.60. Pick Five Pool $338,180.

BOURQUE chased between horses and three deep on the turn, came four wide into the stretch, angled in and rallied up the inside under some left handed urging to get up late and held. CHRISISCOOKIN settled outside, advanced four wide on the turn and five wide into the stretch and finished well. LOVE YOUR LIFE dueled inside, came off the rail in the stretch, fought back between foes late and continued willingly. QUANTUM FORCE dueled outside a rival, came out in the stretch, fought back three deep in late stretch and was outfinished. HEDOESITINSTYLE settled off the rail, came four wide into the stretch and improved position. PARTICLE OF ENERGY stalked a bit off the rail, continued outside a rival into the stretch and weakened. MANY TREATS saved ground chasing the pace throughout and did not rally. ROCKIN MY MOJO chased along the inside, came off the rail in the stretch and weakened. ROCK N DOC hopped in a slow start, tugged his way along outside a rival, drifted out on the turn, came three wide into the stretch and also weakened. HIDDEN CROOK stalked outside then off the rail on the turn, came three wide into the stretch and had little left for the drive.

SIXTH RACE. 1 Mile. Purse: $15,000. Maiden Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Prices $20,000-$18,000. Time 24.46 47.93 1:12.92 1:25.51 1:38.39

Pgm Horse Wt PP St    Str Fin Jockey $1 1 Spirit Mission 120 1 1 1 1hd 11 11 11 T Baze 2.10 3 Spend It 124 3 3 5hd 4 31 2hd 2nk Delgadillo 3.90 2 June Two Four 118 2 2 21 21 2hd 44 3 Franco 2.70 4 Alphadar 120 4 5 41 3hd 42 3hd 47 Arias 18.20 6 Skagit River 120 6 8 9 9 9 63 5hd Blanc 38.70 5 Violent Affair 120 5 6 71 7 6hd 5hd 66 Elliott 11.20 8 Welldidyougetit 120 8 7 64 63 81 81 7 Pereira 7.30 9 Grand Minister 113 9 4 3hd 5hd 51 71 87 Figueroa 6.90 7 Indy's Outlaw 124 7 9 82 86 71 9 9 Monroy 89.50

1 SPIRIT MISSION 6.20 3.40 3.20 3 SPEND IT 3.60 2.40 2 JUNE TWO FOUR 3.00

$2 DAILY DOUBLE (8-1) $72.40 $1 EXACTA (1-3) $10.40 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (1-3-2-4) $24.11 $1 TRIFECTA (1-3-2) $31.60

WinnerSpirit Mission B.c.3 by Scat Daddy out of Louve Royale (IRE), by Peintre Celebre. Bred by Joseph Allen, LLC. (KY). Trainer: Robert B. Hess, Jr.. Owner: Gulliver Racing LLC. Mutuel Pool $129,564 Daily Double Pool $16,494 Exacta Pool $67,371 Superfecta Pool $42,115 Trifecta Pool $47,463. Scratchednone. $1 Pick Three (2-8-1) paid $164.80. Pick Three Pool $32,037.

SPIRIT MISSION sped to the early lead, set a pressured pace inside, inched away on the second turn, came off the rail into the stretch, drifted out in the drive but held under urging. SPEND IT saved ground stalking the pace, came out into the stretch and edged rivals for the place. JUNE TWO FOUR pressed the pace outside the winner then stalked off the rail on the second turn, came three deep into the stretch and was edged for second. ALPHADAR stalked between horses then three deep on the second turn, came four wide into the stretch, was between rivals in the drive and was edged for the show. SKAGIT RIVER angled in and saved ground off the pace and improved position inside in the stretch. VIOLENT AFFAIR chased a bit off the rail then outside a rival on the second turn and lacked a further response. WELLDIDYOUGETIT chased three deep then five wide leaving the backstretch, dropped back on the second turn, came four wide into the stretch and weakened. GRAND MINISTER stalked three deep, went four wide on the second turn and five wide into the stretch and also weakened. INDY'S OUTLAW settled outside a rival, came three deep into the stretch and gave way.

SEVENTH RACE. 5 Furlongs. Purse: $15,000. Starter Allowance. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $8,000. Time 21.65 45.26 57.81

Pgm Horse Wt PP St 3/16 3/8 Str Fin Jockey $1 6 Lucky Student 124 4 4 2hd 31 2 11 Stevens 1.60 8 Kristie's Heart 119 6 8 7hd 61 5hd 2ns Figueroa 2.30 2 Asem 120 2 1 51 5 4hd 3 Martinez 45.80 5 Prophetinparadise 119 3 2 11 12 11 4nk McDaid 9.20 7 Parasail 119 5 6 3 2hd 31 51 Payeras 57.00 10 Adios Cali 119 8 7 8 8 72 6nk Espinoza 4.50 1 Gypsy's Rule 124 1 3 4hd 42 61 76 Quinonez 7.70 9 Belligerent 124 7 5 62 7hd 8 8 Pena 9.70

6 LUCKY STUDENT 5.20 2.80 2.40 8 KRISTIE'S HEART 3.00 2.80 2 ASEM 7.00

$2 DAILY DOUBLE (1-6) $13.20 $1 EXACTA (6-8) $6.40 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (6-8-2-5) $51.66 $1 TRIFECTA (6-8-2) $87.30

WinnerLucky Student Ch.m.8 by Game Plan out of Corissa's Birthday, by Half Term. Bred by Academic Farms (CA). Trainer: Michael Pender. Owner: Dirt Road Racing, Pender Racing LLC and Skellan, Jeanne. Mutuel Pool $156,109 Daily Double Pool $14,564 Exacta Pool $66,722 Superfecta Pool $48,244 Trifecta Pool $51,292. ScratchedGarrulous Gal, Herunbridledpower. $1 Pick Three (8-1-6) paid $70.70. Pick Three Pool $35,533.

LUCKY STUDENT stalked between horses then off the rail on the turn, came out into the stretch, rallied under an energetic hand ride while being shown the whip to gain the lead in deep stretch and proved best. KRISTIE'S HEART chased off the rail then a bit off the fence on the turn, continued between foes through much of the stretch and got up late for the place. ASEM stalked between horses then outside a rival on the turn, came out into the stretch and was edged for second. PROPHETINPARADISE sped to the early lead, set the pace off the rail then inside, held on well in the drive but was overtaken in deep stretch then lost a minor award late. PARASAIL stalked four wide on the backstretch and turn and into the stretch and was outfinished. ADIOS CALI settled outside a rival, came three wide into the stretch and could not offer the necessary late response. GYPSY'S RULE saved ground stalking the pace, continued inside in the stretch and also lacked the needed rally. BELLIGERENT stalked five wide on the backstretch, dropped back on the turn, came four wide into the stretch and weakened.

EIGHTH RACE. 6 Furlongs. Purse: $45,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $20,000. Time 21.90 44.56 56.51 1:09.00

Pgm Horse Wt PP St   Str Fin Jockey $1 7 Ninety Nine Proof 119 7 2 21 21 1 11 Figueroa 1.50 1 King Abner 119 1 3 31 33 32 21 Espinoza 3.30 6 Tough But Nice 124 6 1 11 11 21 3 Franco 3.80 3 Love My Bud 124 3 4 5 51 52 4nk Fuentes 14.60 2 Fire When Ready 118 2 5 4hd 4hd 4hd 51 Stevens 5.90 5 Shaymin 120 5 7 63 61 6hd 61 Mn Garcia 22.20 4 Perfect Wager 118 4 6 7 7 7 7 T Baze 7.30

7 NINETY NINE PROOF 5.00 2.60 2.40 1 KING ABNER 3.40 2.80 6 TOUGH BUT NICE 3.20

$2 DAILY DOUBLE (6-7) $12.80 $1 EXACTA (7-1) $7.10 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (7-1-6-3) $10.14 $1 TRIFECTA (7-1-6) $23.80

WinnerNinety Nine Proof B.c.4 by Idiot Proof out of Seattle Avenue, by Capsized. Bred by Judi Garfi-Partridge & Serenity OakFarms, LLC (CA). Trainer: Peter Miller. Owner: Rockingham Ranch. Mutuel Pool $127,702 Daily Double Pool $14,480 Exacta Pool $55,528 Superfecta Pool $30,812 Trifecta Pool $37,239. Scratchednone. $1 Pick Three (1-6-7) paid $24.80. Pick Three Pool $29,566.

NINETY NINE PROOF stalked off the rail, came three wide into the stretch, bid outside the pacesetter under urging to gain the lead nearing the furlong marker, inched away in deep stretch and held. KING ABNER came off the rail to chase the pace on the backstretch and turn, also came three wide into the stretch and finished willingly. TOUGH BUT NICE sped to the early lead, angled in and set the pace a bit off the rail, fought back in the stretch and held third. LOVE MY BUD chased between horses then outside a rival on the turn, came three deep into the stretch and was edged for third. FIRE WHEN READY stalked just off the inside, angled in on the turn, came out into the stretch and was outfinished for a minor award. SHAYMIN chased three deep then off the rail on the turn, came out into the stretch and lacked the needed rally. PERFECT WAGER angled in and saved ground throughout to no avail.

NINTH RACE. 6 Furlongs. Purse: $45,000. Allowance Optional Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $20,000. Time 22.11 45.40 57.48 1:10.28

Pgm Horse Wt PP St   Str Fin Jockey $1 7 Wonderful Lie 119 6 2 65 1hd 14 11 Figueroa 1.20 1 Princess Kendra 124 1 7 7 7 3 210 Fuentes 4.30 8 Funny Bean 122 7 1 4hd 31 2hd 3 Pena 24.90 2 Ciao Luna 118 2 5 2hd 21 43 43 Franco 9.90 4 Magicalchic 117 4 6 5hd 61 51 5nk Payeras 65.50 5 Happy Issue 117 5 3 1hd 4hd 62 65 Espinoza 4.40 3 Emmy and I 124 3 4 31 5hd 7 7 T Baze 3.20

7 WONDERFUL LIE 4.40 2.60 2.40 1 PRINCESS KENDRA 3.60 2.80 8 FUNNY BEAN 5.20

$2 DAILY DOUBLE (7-7) $11.20 $1 EXACTA (7-1) $5.40 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (7-1-8-2) $21.30 $1 TRIFECTA (7-1-8) $59.90

WinnerWonderful Lie B.m.7 by Bedford Falls out of Flying Alibi, by Flying Continental. Bred by Carol A. Lingenfelter (CA). Trainer: Peter Miller. Owner: Rockingham Ranch. Mutuel Pool $128,784 Daily Double Pool $12,951 Exacta Pool $65,285 Superfecta Pool $47,478 Trifecta Pool $50,728. ClaimedEmmy and I by Joe Davis. Trainer: Vann Belvoir. ScratchedBold At Night. $1 Pick Three (6-7-7) paid $13.50. Pick Three Pool $17,655.

WONDERFUL LIE chased off the rail then between foes, moved up between horses on the turn, bid three deep into the stretch to take the lead outside the pacesetter, kicked clear and held under urging. PRINCESS KENDRA dropped back inside then a bit off the rail, came out leaving the turn and four wide into the stretch and finished well. FUNNY BEAN stalked outside then four wide, continued outside on the turn and four wide into the stretch and held third. CIAO LUNA dueled inside, inched away on the turn, fought back in upper stretch and was edged for the show. MAGICALCHIC stalked a bit off the rail then inside on the turn and into the stretch and weakened. HAPPY ISSUE pressed the pace three deep then stalked on the turn, came three wide into the stretch and also weakened. EMMY AND I dueled between horses, stalked a bit off the rail leaving the turn, was between foes again in upper stretch and also weakened.

TENTH RACE. 5 Furlongs. Purse: $15,000. Maiden Claiming. 3 year olds and up. Claiming Price $20,000. Time 22.07 45.53 57.28 1:03.64

Pgm Horse Wt PP St  3/8 Str Fin Jockey $1 3 Snazzy Dresser 120 2 5 1hd 11 12 13 Franco 6.60 9 Captain N. Barron 115 8 6 8hd 81 5hd 2 Espinoza 4.10 11 Friendly Steve 120 10 3 94 5hd 32 3ns Fuentes 13.60 10 Iron Curtain 124 9 4 51 4hd 2hd 43 Quinonez 1.30 7 Jonas 124 6 7 4hd 3hd 4hd 52 Pena 12.50 2 Johnny Ray 115 1 1 3hd 61 61 62 Payeras 2.90 6 Scorpio 120 5 2 21 21 76 711 Jimenez 73.20 5 Calie View 120 4 10 10 10 94 81 Bednar 78.30 8 Tandy's Big Sky 120 7 9 7hd 7 81 99 Sanchez 75.50 4 Head of the Line 124 3 8 6hd 94 10 10 Hernandez 57.30

3 SNAZZY DRESSER 15.20 7.00 5.00 9 CAPTAIN N. BARRON 5.40 3.60 11 FRIENDLY STEVE 6.00

$2 DAILY DOUBLE (7-3) $31.00 $1 EXACTA (3-9) $32.00 10-CENT SUPERFECTA (3-9-11-10) $45.20 $1 SUPER HIGH FIVE (3-9-11-10-7) $2,045.40 $1 TRIFECTA (3-9-11) $181.10

WinnerSnazzy Dresser Dbb.g.3 by Soldat out of Treasured Freedom, by Open Forum. Bred by Moreau Bloodstock International, Inc (FL). Trainer: George Papaprodromou. Owner: Robert Gleckman. Mutuel Pool $125,109 Daily Double Pool $45,133 Exacta Pool $68,023 Superfecta Pool $65,986 Super High Five Pool $45,133 Trifecta Pool $62,968. ScratchedImpeachment Ace, Powerful Thirst. $1 Pick Three (7-7-3) paid $50.70. Pick Three Pool $52,465. $1 Pick Four (3/4/6-7-6/7-3) 4 correct paid $152.00. Pick Four Pool $263,046. 50-Cent Pick Five (1-3/4/6-7-6/7-3) 5 correct paid $353.15. Pick Five Pool $272,241. $2 Pick Six (8-1-3/4/6-7-6/7-3) 5 out of 6 paid $94.80. $2 Pick Six (8-1-3/4/6-7-6/7-3) 6 correct paid $6,605.00. Pick Six Pool $288,358.

SNAZZY DRESSER dueled inside, inched away leaving the turn, came off the rail into the stretch and kicked clear under urging. CAPTAIN N. BARRON chased between horses then outside on the turn and four wide into the stretch and gained the place. FRIENDLY STEVE stalked five wide then four wide on the turn, came out five wide into the stretch, drifted in and just held third. IRON CURTAIN close up stalking the pace four wide then three deep between foes on the turn, came four wide into the stretch, drifted to the inside and was edged for the show. JONAS stalked between horses, came three deep into the stretch and lacked the needed rally. JOHNNY RAY saved ground stalking the pace throughout and weakened in the stretch. SCORPIO dueled outside the winner, stalked leaving the turn, came three wide into the stretch and weakened. CALIE VIEW broke slowly, settled off the rail, angled in some on the turn and lacked a rally. TANDY'S BIG SKY chased between horses, angled in outside a rival on the turn and gave way. HEAD OF THE LINE stalked between horses then inside on the turn and had nothing left for the stretch.California isnt the only place thats suffering from drought. Just ask anyone who planned to take a Danube River cruise in Central Europe in August.

Hot summer weather and a scarcity of rain caused the river, one of Europes most popular, to drop to such lows that many riverboats couldnt sail on parts of it.

Passengers long-anticipated vacations were beset by delays, confusion and extended hotel stays. In some cases, travelers saw their destinations by bus instead of riverboat. In others cases, they sailed part of their itinerary on one riverboat, disembarked and were bused to another riverboat that could sail where the water level was higher.

Many cruises on the Danube and other rivers were canceled outright, some at the last minute.

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Do this summers weather problems mean you should steer clear of river cruises?

Not necessarily. Weather can affect any vacation, and it would be a shame to deprive yourself of this form of transportation, which offers a comfortable way to explore Europe at a leisurely pace while the world drifts by.

But the drought means passengers should consider the time of year when they schedule cruises. Summer and early fall months, for instance, are more likely to experience problems caused by low water. Spring cruises can suffered from the opposite issue: High water means boats cant get under low bridges.

Another solution: Book cruises on rivers that havent had problems. Cruises in France, for instance, werent seriously affected by this summers dry conditions. CroisiEurope Cruises Bordeaux itineraries  the Gironde estuary and the Garonne and Dordogne rivers  have been fine, said John McGlade, the lines North American general manager.

They are coastal and tidal, and much more predictable than inland rivers, he said.

For the river cruise industry, the disrupted and canceled trips have been a public relations issue not unlike outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on ocean liners and mean-spirited treatment of passengers on airlines.

Industry executives say the problem is resolving itself, thanks to a change in the weather that has reduced the need for busing and cancellations.

There was some good rain, and the temperatures cooled down, said Rudi Schreiner, president and co-owner of AmaWaterways, which sails 600 cruises a year in Europe, carrying about 80,000 passengers.

I feel more peaceful. Schreiner said. We are good for the next couple of weeks.

Of additional concern are the upcoming holiday market river trips in December, most of which focus on the Danube River cities of Passau, Nuremberg and Regensburg, Germany; Vienna; and Budapest, Hungary.

Tom Armstrong, communications manager for Tauck, a high-end tour company that specializes in land and river trips, is hopeful but not ready to make predictions.

Its simply too early to tell what, if any, impacts there will be on trips this fall and winter, he said. Its entirely possible that a good rain or two will address any concerns.

Tauck canceled one departure, Armstrong said. The most common impacts have been instances where guests would move to another Tauck riverboat on the far side of the low-water area, he said.

The company posted an appropriate video on its website called River Gods about the fickleness of weather.

Two cruisers who contacted The Times Travel section were upset because they werent told in advance that their cruises might be affected by water levels.

Neither was sailing on AmaWaterways, but Schreiner tried to explain why early notifications or cancellations arent always feasible.

The weather may change, bringing rain, he said. Also, If you cancel four or five days before departure, what would a passenger then do? Sit at home? Its too hard to plan anything else at the last minute. My thought is: Why dont I take them on a cruise, give them the best vacation I can and give them a future cruise credit?

Amas reimbursement/voucher plan is liberal, giving cruisers a 15% credit for each day their itinerary deviates significantly. It also has a cancellation/full cruise credit protection plan that costs $60 to $80 per passenger.

If you spend $10,000, you get a $10,000 credit, he said.

Some cruise lines are less liberal.

In that case, Colleen McDaniel, senior executive editor of CruiseCritic.com, recommends buying travel insurance and familiarizing yourself with the plan.

For added protection, purchasing a plan with cancel-for-any-reason coverage could be a worthy investment, she said.

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravelHurricane Florence is by no means done with the Carolinas, where some rivers are still rising and thousands of people were told to plan to leave their homes on Monday before rivers reach their crest.

Sean Rayford / Getty Images

Bucket brigade: A couple bails out their flooded home in Longs, S.C.

About 6,000 to 8,000 people in Georgetown County, S.C., were alerted to be prepared to evacuate potential flood zones ahead of a record event of up to 10 feet of flooding, which is expected to begin Tuesday near parts of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers, county spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

Sean Rayford / Getty Images

Helping hand: Luis Gomez rescues baby chicks from floodwaters caused by Hurricane Florence near the Todd Swamp in Longs, S.C.

Jason Lee / AP

Washed out: S.C. Highway 22 is flooded between SC-90 and SC-905. The blocked road has traffic snarled around Conway, S.C.

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Floaters: Propane tanks are seen in the floodwaters after heavy rains from Hurricane Florence inundated the area in Lumberton, North Carolina.

Sean Rayford / Getty Images

Protecting property: Jason Johnson walks on a temporary levee to hold back floodwaters caused by Hurricane Florence near the Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C.

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Surrounded: Flood waters are seen surrounding a home after heavy rains from Hurricane Florence in Lumberton, N.C.

Sean Rayford / Getty Images

Wading through: A woman walks through floodwaters caused by Hurricane Florence near the Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C.

Sean Rayford / Getty Images

Nobody home: A duck flaps its wings in front of an inundated home near the Waccamaw River in Conway, S.C.

Jason Lee / The Sun News

Staying put: Brian Terry of Bay Road in Brittons Neck, S.C., is staying in his home despite the floodwaters.

Jason Lee / The Sun News

Submerged: Flooding of the Little Pee Dee River is nearing the crest in Brittons Neck, S.C.

For more visual journalism, visit Framework As hefty new tariffs came into effect Monday in the escalating trade war, China accused America of trade bullyism, intimidating other countries and adopting protectionist policies that would harm the global economy.

The largest tariffs yet  U.S. duty on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and reciprocal Chinese tariffs on $60 billion in American products  kicked in amid fears the conflict will probably drag on at least until next year.

Global stocks took small losses on Monday, with industrial companies and banks suffering some of the worst declines among American securities.

Chinas retaliation will probably see the Trump administration move ahead with an additional $267 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods. Almost half of Chinas exports to the U.S. are now affected by tariffs, making them more expensive and less attractive to consumers.

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On top of the trade war, military tensions have sharply exacerbated tensions between Beijing and Washington in recent days following the imposition of U.S. sanctions on Chinas military for buying Russian fighter jets and a missile system. China summoned U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad on Saturday to complain about the sanctions. It argues that its decision to buy Russian military hardware last year was an arrangement between two sovereign countries, and none of Americas business.

China released a white paper Monday, cited by the state-run New China news agency, saying that since the Trump administrations America First policy came in, Washington has abandoned fundamental norms of mutual respect and equal consultation that guide international relations.

Rather, it has brazenly preached unilateralism, protectionism and economic hegemony, making false accusations against many countries and regions, particularly China, intimidating other countries through economic measures such as imposing tariffs, and attempting to impose its own interests on China through extreme pressure, the news agency said.

The tariffs on $200 billion of goods, now levied at 10%, will rise to 25% by the beginning of next year unless the countries reach a deal. Chinas new tariffs on U.S. goods have been set at 5% to 10%.

Earlier this year, the U.S. levied tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods. China retaliated by imposing tariffs on $50 billion in U.S. goods. President Trump has threatened tariffs on an additional $267 billion of Chinese goods should China retaliate today  which would mean virtually all Chinese imports to the U.S. would be affected.

The white paper, titled Facts about the China-US trade dispute and Chinas stance, published by the State Council, said China had been answering the U.S. concerns with the greatest level of patience and good faith. However, the U.S. side has been contradicting itself and constantly challenging China.

The New China agency reported the aim of the white paper was to clarify the facts, spell out the benefits of U.S.-China trade and pose solutions to the conflict.

Mike Starkey offloads soybeans from his combine as he harvests his crops in Brownsburg, Ind., on Sept. 21. (Michael Conroy / AP)

As well as the white paper, China also took its arguments on the trade war to the swing state of Iowa, one region hard hit by the trade war. The state-owned China Daily paid for a four-page advertising supplement in the Des Moines Register on Sunday, targeting Iowa soybean farmers hurt by Chinas moves to switch to imports from Brazil and grow more of its own soybeans. The advertising supplement called the effects of the trade war the fruit of a presidents folly.

The main U.S. demands are long-term and fundamental policy changes, such as insisting that China behave more like a market economy rather than subsidizing key state industries, making it difficult for foreign firms to compete. It also accuses China of forcing foreign firms to transfer technological know-how to Chinese partners and of the theft of American technology.

Trade talks in recent months have not narrowed the gap between the two sides, and no resolution is expected this year. As it drags on, the trade war will probably hit the global economy. Some companies may be forced to shift production out of China, but others, such as furniture companies, will find it difficult to find manufacturers elsewhere able to produce at the scale of manufacturers based largely in southern China.

In the longer term, China will probably work harder to develop its own high-tech industries instead of relying on American components, a policy already spelled out in its Made in China 2025 plan. The plan lays out Chinas ambition to be a global leader in some high-tech industries such as artificial intelligence, robotics and superconductors.

Both sides say they are open to talks, yet neither side appears willing to budge in a significant way.

The white paper  released on a national holiday  said China was willing to talk, but that negotiations could not be held under threats of the big stick of tariffs or at the cost of Chinas rights to develop. It said talks could only go ahead based on mutual respect and equality.

China was due to send Vice Premier Liu He to Washington this week for negotiations on a framework for trade talks, but the trip has been called off.

Narrowing the political gap may be difficult, with Chinese officials failing to offer concessions at the scale Washington wants, and Chinese President Xi Jinping probably unwilling to face domestic humiliation by backing down significantly. Xi has consolidated power since he took office as general secretary of the Communist Party of China in 2012, and a perceived defeat in the trade war would be an extraordinary setback.

Since China imports fewer goods from the U.S. than it exports, it cannot match American tariffs dollar to dollar. While the U.S. has so far imposed tariffs on $253 billion in Chinese goods, China has slapped tariffs on just $130 billion in U.S. goods, but it has vowed to match Washingtons tariffs through other means, without detailing what those would be.

They could include stepping up inspections on American goods, or creating bureaucratic barriers hampering American firms operating in China. However, Chinese leaders have ruled out manipulating the currency to make their exports more competitive.

The new U.S. tariffs affect 5,745 Chinese items, including frozen meat, fish, vegetables, chemicals, gases, handbags, clothing, furniture, fertilizers and TV components. The original list of more than 6,000 was reduced after consultations with business. Items such as smartwatches, Bluetooth devices, bicycle helmets and child safety equipment such as playpens and highchairs were excluded at the last minute.

Chinese state media have declared that the country is better placed to withstand a drawn-out trade war, but the Trump administration says it is determined to win.

We are going to win it, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo told Fox News on Sunday. Were going to get an outcome which forces China to behave in a way that if you want to be a power  a global power  transparency, rule of law, you dont steal intellectual property.

The friction between Washington and Beijing is being felt in other areas as well, including the mounting military tensions in the South China Sea, where China has built military installations on a series of islands and the United States carries out regular Freedom of Navigation exercises.

The U.S. has also expressed concern over reports China is holding upward of a million Muslim people, mainly of Uighur and Kazakh ethnicity, in re-education camps in Xinjiang province. A group of lawmakers led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has called for sanctions on officials responsible.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com

Twitter: @RobynDixon_LAT

UPDATES:

3:05 p.m.: This article has been updated with stock market declining.

This article was originally posted at 10:15 a.m.Opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, a longtime but little-known lawmaker in the Maldives, declared victory early Monday in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nations young democracy.

Solihs win, announced at his partys campaign headquarters in the capital city of Male, was unexpected. The opposition had feared the election would be rigged in favor of strongman President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, whose first term was marked by a crackdown on political rivals, courts and the media.

People were not expecting this result. Despite the repressive environment, the people have spoken their minds, said Ahmed Tholal, a former member of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives and a project coordinator at the nonprofit watchdog Transparency Maldives.

A democracy activist during the Maldives decades of autocratic rule and former parliament majority leader, Solih, 56, became the Maldivian Democratic Partys presidential candidate by process of elimination  other opposition leaders had been jailed or exiled by Yameens government.

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Party leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed, in exile in Sri Lanka, had hoped to run again but was disqualified because of an outstanding prison sentence in the Maldives.

Famed for its sandy white beaches and luxury resorts, the Maldives under Yameen has seen economic growth and longer life expectancy, according to the World Bank. But Yameens critics, including Solih, said he systematically rolled back democratic freedoms.

Solih campaigned door to door, promising at rallies to promote human rights and the rule of law, a message that resonated with voters who saw signs the Maldives was slipping back to autocratic rule, just a decade after achieving democracy.

Ibu is totally different from Yameen, because Yameen is a dictator and a brutal person. Ibu is a very mild person who listens to everyone, said Ahamed Fiasal, a 39-year-old IT business owner, using Solihs nickname.

Still, Fiasal said, the result was surprising because no one thought that Yameen would lose like this. He had all the power  the judiciary, the police, the security forces under him. It seemed he might rig the election even at the last minute and would win somehow or the other.

Solihs supporters flooded the streets, hugging one another, waving the Maldivian flag, cheering and honking horns in celebration.

Yameens campaign did not concede the race, and no one from the campaign could immediately be reached for comment. But Solih had 58.3% of the vote with nearly 97.5% of ballots counted early Monday, according to independent newspaper website mihaaru.com.

A spokesman for Maldives Election Commission said official results would not be announced until Saturday, allowing a week for parties to challenge the results in court.

Solih, surrounded by thousands of his supporters, urged calm until the commission had announced the results.

In his victory speech, Solih called the election results a moment of happiness, hope and history, but said that he did not think the election process had been transparent.

More than 260,000 of the Maldives 400,000 people were eligible to vote at about 400 polling stations across the approximately 1,200 islands that make up the Indian Ocean archipelago. Voters also stood in long lines in Malaysia, the U.K., India and Sri Lanka, where the opposition had encouraged overseas Maldivians to participate.The authoritarian leader of the Maldives, whose eager embrace of Chinese loans threatened to sink his island nation in debt, conceded defeat Monday after election officials declared a clear win for his opposition rival.

It was the latest in a string of elections in southern Asia in which voters ousted an incumbent who had allowed widespread investment by China, amid growing fears that Beijings lending policies were threatening vulnerable economies.

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom had kept the coral archipelago south of India  best known for its five-star beach resorts  in a tense limbo. He waited more than 12 hours to appear on television after unofficial returns showed he had lost the fledgling democracys third presidential election.

Many Maldivians wondered whether Yameen  who has jailed opponents, dismissed judges and alarmed traditional allies like the United States and India during five tumultuous years in office  would use force to hang onto power.

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But on Monday afternoon he pledged to step aside, saying: The Maldivian people made their decision yesterday. I have accepted that result.

With echoes of Sri Lanka in 2015 and Malaysia this year, Maldives voters had rejected a government that took on high-interest Chinese loans for showy infrastructure projects, including an $800-million airport renovation and a $400-million bridge.

Opposition leaders said the debt payments would soon eat up most of Maldives revenue, although Yameen argued the development was necessary to boost the countrys tourism-dependent economy.

Yameen was defeated by Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, a longtime lawmaker better known as Ibu, who emerged as the consensus opposition candidate after nearly all of Yameens other rivals were imprisoned or sent into exile.

From the archives: He brought world attention to his sinking island nation. Now he wonders if he can go back 

With nearly a 90% turnout, Solih won 58% of the quarter-million votes cast, according to preliminary results released by election officials, a resounding win following an election campaign that many feared would be rigged in Yameens favor.

Security forces harassed opposition supporters, the government denied visas to foreign journalists and poll monitors, and police raided Solihs offices on the eve of the vote, claiming to be investigating bribery allegations.

Not everyone was expecting these results, obviously, said Dhruva Jaishankar, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings India think tank in New Delhi. And questions are still lingering as to why there wasnt more rigging.

In claiming victory, Solih pledged to restore democratic institutions and freedom of the press, including investigating the death and disappearance of two prominent independent journalists.

I pledge to open investigations into journalist Ahmed Rilwans disappearance, Yameen Rasheeds murder, repeal the anti defamation act and ensure press freedom. https://t.co/NSllWXagzj  Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (@ibusolih) September 15, 2018

Unlike in Malaysia, where a new government is trying to renegotiate what it calls Beijings unfair deals, Solih has said he wont halt any development projects and did not make China a major campaign issue. And shutting out China isnt an option for most countries, because few other lenders have such deep pockets.

But analysts said the elections in Maldives, Malaysia and Sri Lanka  as well as Myanmars 2011 decision to cancel a controversial Chinese-financed dam  demonstrate the political costs to governments seen as being too dependent on one source of investment.

What youre seeing is the limitations of China translating economic influence into political influence, Jaishankar said. Its bumping up against walls in all of these places.

Maldives opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, left, and his running mate Faisal Naseem celebrate their victory in the presidential election in Male, Maldives on Sept. 24. (Mohamed Sharuhaan / Associated Press)

Still, the Maldives result was welcome in New Delhi and in Western capitals, particularly after Yameen withdrew from the Commonwealth of Nations in 2016 over sustained criticism of his government.

Some Western officials worried that the threat of Islamic extremism was rising as the Maldives, a traditionally moderate majority-Muslim nation, accepted more funding from Saudi Arabia to build conservative Islamic schools. Yameen also cut ties with Iran, citing security threats, a move that many saw as a bid to curry favor with the Saudis.

The U.S. Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka, congratulated Solih and said it [looked] forward to a peaceful transition of power. Indias foreign ministry hailed the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives.

After he takes office, likely in November, Solih would inherit an unwieldy coalition of parties that united against Yameen, including secular and Islamist forces. Mindful of the development needs of Asias least populous nation, Solih has pledged to restore relations with countries Yameen spurned  but also to maintain ties with China and Saudi Arabia.

Under this presidency, it can be hoped that the Maldives foreign policy wont be restricted to China and Saudi Arabia, said Gulbin Sultana, an analyst at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses in New Delhi.

Theyll probably try to restore relations with the U.S. and India, they will try to get back into the Commonwealth. But I dont see Chinese investment going away.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Shashank Bengali is South Asia correspondent for The Times. Follow him on Twitter at @SBengaliAmid wails and vows of revenge, thousands of Iranians on Monday attended a mass funeral service for victims of a weekend attack targeting a military parade that killed at least 25 people.

The dead from Saturdays attack in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, blamed on Arab separatists, ranged from a disabled war hero to a 4-year-old boy.

The assault killed members of Irans elite Revolutionary Guard, including conscripts, wounded more than 60 others and further ratcheted up tensions across the Persian Gulf ahead of this weeks United Nations General Assembly.

The father of 4-year-old victim Mohammad Taha lay atop his sons flag-draped coffin sobbing, a public display of grief near the Sarallah Mosque in Ahvaz, the capital of Irans oil-rich province of Khuzestan.

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Women in long black chadors held back tears while rhythmically striking their chests, a traditional way of showing grief. Mourners also played drums, cymbals and horns. ,

Of the 25 killed, 12 were from Ahvaz and the rest from elsewhere in Khuzestan.

As crowds flowed down Ahvazs streets, cries of Death to America and Death to Israel rose from the mourners. While a traditional chant in the years since Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution, they have taken on a new meaning as Iranian officials have blamed the U.S. and its regional allies for backing the separatists, who carried out the assault while disguised in military uniforms.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the attack showed Iran has a lot of enemies, according to remarks posted on his website, in which he linked the attackers to the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Definitely, we will harshly punish the operatives behind the terrorist attack, he added.

Speaking at the funeral, the Revolutionary Guards acting commander, Gen. Hossein Salami, vowed revenge against the perpetrators and what he called the triangle of Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States.

Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavai told the mourners that his agency had identified many suspects involved in the attack and a majority of them were detained.

We will punish the terrorists, one by one, he promised the crowd.

State TV reported late Monday that authorities have detained 22 suspects linked to the group behind the attack and confiscated ammunition and communication equipment. The semiofficial Fars News Agency reported that five militants took part in the assault, all of whom were killed. It said two of them were brothers.

Saturdays attack targeted one of many parades in Iran marking the start of the countrys long 1980s war with Iraq, part of a commemoration known as Sacred Defense Week. The attacks in Ahvaz sent women and children fleeing alongside the soldiers once marching in the parade.

Arab separatists in the region claimed responsibility for the attack, and Iranian officials have blamed them for the assault. The separatists accuse Irans Persian-dominated government of discriminating against its ethnic Arab minority. Khuzestan province also has seen recent protests over Irans nationwide drought, as well as economic protests.If time is circular and everything old is new again, then we might see more working people tKottayam : Former Jalandhar diocese Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who was arrested in the nun abuse case will be produced before the First Class Pala Judicial Magistrate on Monday.

Mulakkal's two days police custody will expire on Monday at 2.30 pm. Meanwhile, the Bishop's advocate will submit a bail plea pointing that the clergyman cooperated with the interrogation and the arrest was unnecessary.

Meanwhile, the police had earlier bought Mr Mulakkal to Kuravilangad convent for evidence collection on Sunday.Destroy America with Information Warfare

The populace has been misled for decades by the information that comes from the establishment. Most people believe that foreign powers are the primary providers of disinformation. Few are willing to confront the reality that the most destructive culprits are the international monopolists who dominate the global economy. These plutocrats may be part of boards of public companies that are listed in the U.S. but their allegiance is with the globalist model of transnational economic hegemony. This commercial pattern supersedes any nationalistic obligation to accept President Trump's goal of making America great again.

Within this context information warfare is used to strip domestic independence and supplant that infamous Trilateral Commission concept - interdependency. The net effect from this systematic betrayal has been a sellout of our standard of living for scores of years.

Steven Metz inquiries in the essay Why Is America Failing at Information Warfare? His answer follows:

"In reality, people often assess the credibility of information less by its observable evidence or logical consistency than by their affinity with the person or organization communicating the information. They believe things that fit their pre-existing beliefs and come from people or organizations they feel a bond with. Truth, for most people, does not exist separately from human perceptions, inclinations, preferences and prejudices.

Even domestically, the notion of an authoritatively defined ground truth is collapsing as the U.S. seems to have entered a post-truth or post-fact era, with political leaders, most of all President Donald Trump, telling the public not to believe what they see and hear. Demonstrably false claims and unsubstantiated explanations are taken as credible or legitimate by much of the public because they reflect existing biases and grievances, whether concocted or real, and are transmitted by new and skillful communicators as traditional authority mechanisms fade into obsolescence. In the broadest sense, salesmanship today matters more than authority.

These same broad trends undercut Americas public diplomacy and strategic messaging abroad, weakening its capabilities in information warfare. The problem is not a failure to speak with a single voice or to stay on script. Instead, it is that external audiences, like many Americans, have access to a wealth of information too and can assign credibility not based on evidence, logic or the authoritativeness of the sources, but on their own various biasesand on their affinity with the person or source transmitting that information."

Mr. Metz's attempt to hold onto the misguided viewpoint that corporatist and governmental communicators are honest or reliable sources of information simply does not bear any resemblance with the truth. The definitive circumstance boils down to the fact that establishment organizations are behind the dissemination of false narratives that push their globalist control of worldwide finance and commerce.

Weaponizing fabrications has become an integral aspect of the business plan for transnational cartels. Yet the consumer pays little attention to these destructive practices and continues to purchase the products and services of the dissimulation manipulators.

Lone hackers or criminal gangs do not pose the primary threat from network intrusions. All the attention and focus on the disloyal high tech mega conglomerates, like Apple and Google, is certainly deserved. They pledge their fidelity to Red China with every keystroke or censored data they monitor. However, companies that hope to pass under the radar screen are continually dedicated to deconstruct our heritage and principled culture.

Nike's defiant Colin Kaepernick ad campaign epitomizes the subversive sentiment of a sweat shop swine that has always disrespected American values. Phil Knight runs his coolie facilities in the mold of a Jeff Bezos Amazon indentured human robots. The extraction of personal data is worrisome in and of itself, but a much more sinister aspect of financially supporting these revolting companies is the ultimate dismantling and destruction of our traditional American society.

Why would the public patronize such pirates who pillage our culture? If the abuses of corporate collectivists does not trigger your outrage, surely one should not ignore the hypocrisy or the behavior of the mod squad, whether libtards or pseudo conventionalists. Authentic conservative and principled advocates of European Historic Christian Civilization are the most endangered species in this totalitarian age of a godless beau monde social order.

Information warfare has replaced objective inquiry according to scholarship standards. The goal of eradicating American History and replacing it with a politically correct version has been a work in progress for as long as the most senior of our citizens. Today the demographics and the mindless dribble from the mass media leave little opportunity for the already brainwashed sheeple to master independent thinking and intellectual integrity.

The bogus Russiagate distraction is an insult to reason and political acumen. Foreign regimes are undoubtedly in the business of spying. But to list advocacies and supposed allies as waging a continual campaign to infiltrate secured networks is not exactly news. Nevertheless, the assertion that enemies are conducting information warfare against American culture would seem to be overkill. Domestic suicide has been in full swing for over a century.

What are far more lethal are the autocratic technology developments that the social engineers direct to expand their dominance in cyberspace. The internet has been systematically disassembled from a worldwide beacon of knowledge sharing and communication. Searching for unrestricted sources provided an opportunity to seek out relevant info and access. Now the web has become a castrated extension of a neutered progeny.

The information war is well underway. Look to the Facebook 'Zukerberg' banners to purge your digital footprint. Just remember that users of their platform are being sucked into a destructive environment. Encouraging a voluntary acquiescence, the Silicon Valley charlatans guarantee a future of regimentation and compliance.

Recognize the real enemy of the people. This info battle is home grown. The ethernet czars are modern day Maoists. Their love for the global Davos set is un-American to the core. Continual usage of their autocratic networks will only hasten the final capitulation of the Republic. Modify your habits and sever ties with the corporatist data collectors. Defend Free Speech and oppose tech censorship.

SARTRE

Source: http://www.batr.org/totalitariancollectivism/091818.html

Discuss or comment about this essay on the BATR Forum

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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.



Gold and Miners are About to Explode Upward

After many weeks of pricing pressure as the US Dollar extended a rally delivering nearly unending devaluation pricing in most commodities, Gold is setting up for a big upside rally and is likely to extend beyond $1240 in this initial run higher. We believe the immediate bottom has formed in Gold and we believe the upside move will consist of two unique legs higher. The first leg is likely to run to near $1240~1250 and end near the middle of November 2018. The second leg of this move will likely run to near $1310 and end near May 2019.

This move is the precious metals and miners will likely coincide with some moderate US Dollar weakness as well as extended global market concerns related to the trade war with China, economic factors originating from China and the EU as well as concerns stemming from the existing emerging market issues. The bottom line is that all of these global concerns are setting up a nearly perfect storm for Gold, Silver and the mining sector to see some extended rallies over the next 6+ month  possibly longer.

This Weekly Gold chart shows our proprietary Fibonacci price modeling system and weve highlighted key price points that are currently being predicted as targets. The CYAN colored line on this chart (near $1245) shows a number of key Fibonacci projected price levels align near this level. These coordinated price targets usually result in key price levels that price will target. So, $1240~1250 is setting up as our first upside target.

The second key level is the MAGENTA level near $1300. This lone target well above the other aligns with historical support going back to October/November 2017.

Ultimately, our Fibonacci price modeling system is showing projected price targets as high as $1435 and $1570  see the YELLOW ARROWS on the chart below. These levels are valid targets given the current price rotation and the potential for these levels to be reached, eventually, should not be discounted. Our Fibonacci price modeling systems are adaptive and learns from price activity as it operates. It identifies these levels based on price activity, relational modeling and active learning of Fibonacci price structure and price theory. We believe these levels will become strong upside targets over the next 12+ months which indicates we have a potential for a massive 18% to 30% upside potential in Gold.

Please take a moment to read some of our other research posts, at www.TheTechnicalTraders.com, to learn how we keep our members keenly aware of these market moves before they happen and help our members find profits with strategic trading signals. Our most recent trade has already gained over 8% in less than 2 days. Our team of researchers are dedicated to helping you find and execute greater success and our advanced proprietary price modeling solutions are some of the best in the industry. Isnt it time you decided to invest in your future by finding a solid team of professionals to help you create greater success?

Chris Vermeulen

www.TheTechnicalTraders.com

Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic



Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better.



His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility.



He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk

Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect.

Chris Vermeulen Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.



In Britain, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell have made a number of bold and much-welcomed pledges in order to fix the "broken economy". But what kind of economic programme should a Labour government carry out?

Delegates and visitors arriving in Liverpool this month for the annual Labour Party conference will know that  with the Tories mired in crisis over Brexit  another potential snap general is in the offing.

With this comes the prospect of a left-wing Labour government and an end to eight years of vicious Tory rule. For millions of workers and youth, this brings with it enormous hopes of abolishing austerity and reversing almost a decade of cuts.

For the bankers and bosses, however, the possibility of seeing Jeremy Corbyn and and John McDonnell enter Downing Street is more likely to elicit dread than joy. Indeed, a recent survey of UK executives found that a Corbyn government was close behind Brexit in terms of the perceived threat to British businesses.

And no wonder. Amongst a number of welcome pledges from the Labour leaders, Corbyn and McDonnell have promised to nationalise rail, energy, and water; scrap tuition fees; and curb the rampant exploitation of workers in the so-called gig economy.

All of this will be music to the ears of the many but will send shivers down the spines of the super-rich few.

If such measures were implemented, Labours economic programme would vastly improve the lives of ordinary people, who have had to endure years of attacks and declining living standards.

For the capitalists, though, these policies pose a severe risk to their profits. For this reason, they will not go down without a fight.

The question we need to ask ourselves in advance of Labour coming to power, therefore, is: how can we put these plans into action and carry through Corbyns economic demands?

Paradigm shift

Jeremys election as leader in 2015 represented a turning point for the Labour Party and for the British political landscape as a whole. Now, finally, after two decades of Blairism, we had a Labour leader who is on the side of the working class, promising to end anti-trade unions laws and reverse privatisation.

Jeremys election as leader in 2015 represented a turning point for the Labour Party and for the British political landscape as a whole / Image: Flickr, LP

At the same time, Jeremy Corbyns leadership has fundamentally changed the economic narrative. After years of seeing Labour leaders parrot the Tories over the need for cuts, desperately attempting to prove themselves respectable and responsible managers of British capitalism, we now have someone willing to break with the near-universally accepted economic paradigm of austerity.

As the impact of the cuts sinks in and local councils (such as Northamptonshire) descend further into crisis, the failure of austerity is becoming apparent to all.

Recent disastrous examples of outsourcing and privatisation have boosted support for nationalisation. The collapse of Carillion exposed the Ponzi scheme of outsourcing. Elsewhere, the Conservative government has had to step in to bail out the billionaires formerly running the East Coast Mainline, and to bring a privatised prison in Birmingham back under public control.

It should come as no surprise therefore, that support for nationalisation is rising. Over 75 percent of people in opinion polls say they support the renationalisation of the railways and public utilities. Half even say they back the public ownership of the banks. This is why the demand to restore Clause IV is finding an echo amongst grassroots Labour members.

The result is that Theresa May and other leading Tories have repeatedly had to come out in defence of capitalism, promising an end to tax evasion and suggesting the idea of workers representation on company boards in order to fix the rigged economy.

As Jeremy Corbyn stated in his keynote speech at last years conference, and as has been discussed recently in the leading journals of British capitalism, it is clear that the political centre is shifting. Both the Tories programme of austerity and the so-called Third Way of Blairism has been thoroughly discredited and rejected.

But what is the alternative?

What are Corbynomics?

Ever since launching his leadership bid three years ago, Corbyn and his team  including left-wing ally and long-term friend John McDonnell as shadow chancellor  have sought to outline their economic alternative to Tory cuts.

In turn, the hundreds of thousands of new Labour members and radicalised supporters who have joined the Corbyn movement have projected their hopes and dreams onto a relatively blank canvas provided by the Labour leader. This has generated a plethora of ideas and policy suggestions for Corbyn and McDonnell to take up.

The resultant programme has been dubbed Corbynomics, a slightly vague term that has come to mean different things to different people.

Corbynomics is a slightly vague term that has come to mean different things to different people / Image: Socialist Appeal

For Jeremy Corbyns pro-business critics, who consider anything other than complete submission to the City of London to be sacrilegious extremism, Corbynomics might as well be outright Marxist-Leninism.

For the Labour leaders supporters, however, Corbynomics represents a burning desire for a change from the broken status quo of low wages, precarious employment and attacks on public services seen in modern day Tory Britain.

In the beginning, the economic alternative on offer largely consisted of a few catchy soundbites and phrases like Peoples Quantitative Easing and 21st Century Public Ownership.

In more recent times, however, the Labour leadership have fleshed their programme out. The 2017 general election Labour manifesto, for example, introduced important demands like nationalisation and an expansion of council housing.

Elsewhere, John McDonnell has travelled around the country with his New Economic Tour and State of the Economy conferences, outlining what workers (and businesses) could expect from a radical Labour government.

Clearly the reforms offered by the shadow chancellor will have undoubtedly struck a chord with ordinary voters. The next Labour government will put democratically owned and managed public services irreversibly in the hands of workers, and of those who rely on their work, he told the audience at the Alternative Models of Ownership conference earlier this year.

And he continued even more assertively: We arent going to take back control of these industries in order to put them into the hands of a remote bureaucracy, McDonnell reassured listeners, but to put them into the hands of all of you  so that they can never again be taken away.

More recently, the shadow chancellor also announced another series of big changes at the TUC conference, promising to tackle the scourge of low pay and precarious work facing millions of workers in the gig economy.

Finally signaling a reverse of decades of Thatcherite anti-union laws, John McDonnell affirmed that a Labour government would carry through the biggest extension of individual and collective rights our country has ever seen.

Labour  John stated  would take on the bosses at companies like Deliveroo and Uber, providing all workers with access to sick pay, holiday pay, and parental leave, in order to transform irreversibly the workplace and our working lives.

This is the kind of fighting talk that will galvanise and mobilise workers and youth; a much needed breath of fresh air after years of Tory attacks and austerity on the working class.

Sabotage

However, there is also a warning. The radical measures proposed by the Labour leadership will be met with fierce resistance from the ruling class. A Corbyn government should expect a bumpy ride from day one.

Indeed, we have already signs of what Labour could expect once in power. Before Jeremy Corbyn had even been elected as party leader, anonymous army generals were already saying they would consider carrying out a coup against a future Corbyn-led government.

The full weight of the establishment would be brought to bear on a Labour government. In response, Labour must carry out bold measures to defend the government and its policies / Image: Socialist Appeal

Elsewhere, John McDonnell has stated that his team have been war-game-type scenario planning for a run on the pound. The Blairites, meanwhile, have been openly discussing the possibility of sabotaging the Labour Party by splitting away and forming a new centre party or national government.

And this is only a fraction of what Corbyn and McDonnell would face as PM and chancellor. The full weight of the establishment would be brought to bear on the Labour leadership. The already-hysterical media would be ramped into overdrive. And, most importantly, the markets and big business would begin waging an economic war against the government.

In response, Labour must carry out bold measures to defend the government and its policies, which will be supported by millions of workers. Against a strike of investment from the capitalists, we need nationalisation of the banks and financial institutions. Against economic sabotage from the bosses and bureaucrats, we need nationalisation of the major monopolies under workers control and management. And against a flood of capital out of the country, we need a state monopoly over foreign trade, imports and exports.

Learning the lessons

This is the lesson that must be learnt from recent episodes across Europe  in particular, in France and Greece.

In 2013, Francois Hollande, the leader of French Socialist Party came to power promising to tax the rich and invest in public services. Within a year, the French President was overseeing even deeper austerity than his right-wing predecessor.

SYRIZA promised to end austerity and carry out radical measures. Within six months of coming to power, however, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was forced into a humiliating capitulation by the EU, ECB and IMF / Image:     

By the end of his term, Hollande and his party were even attempting to ram through a reactionary set of changes to labour laws, making it easier to fire workers and strip them of their rights. Unsurprisingly, the Socialist Party were punished by voters for these actions, with their candidate coming fifth in the presidential election last year.

In Greece, the fall was even mightier. SYRIZA party came to power in January 2015, promising to end austerity and carry out radical measures. Within six months, however, after the rich and wealthy had funnelled their billions over the border, the new Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, was forced into a humiliating capitulation by the Troika.

In exchange for EU-ECB-IMF bailout money, the SYRIZA leader went against the massive OXI (no to austerity) referendum result, and accepted the draconian measures being demanded by the European capitalists.

Today, after years of cuts, the Greek economy is barely turning a corner. But that offers little solace to the masses, whose government have committed to decades of balanced budgets  that is, further cuts and austerity.

World slump on the horizon

The reality is that the austerity measures and attacks seen over the past decade are not 'ideological'. The cuts we have seen in Britain arent simply just the result of having a callous and cruel Conservative Party at the helm. As seen above, even supposedly radical left parties have been administers of austerity.

At the end of the day, austerity is not simply a political choice. It flows from the nature of the crisis-ridden capitalist system itself. The whole world economy has been stuck in a slump for a decade now, since the crash of 2008 ushered in a new normal of stagnation and cuts.

The whole world economy has been stuck in a slump for a decade: austerity flows from this / Image: public domain

Indeed, living standards and working conditions have been under attack for decades longer, as deindustrialisation, globalisation, automation and attacks by the capitalists take their toll on jobs, wages and communities.

This is the situation that will face a Corbyn-led Labour government. And that is before taking into account the likelihood of a new world slump and the impact of Brexit.

Faced with such prospects, Labour must seek to break with this failed system and not attempt to patch it up. The whole of history has demonstrated that capitalisms dog-eat-dog nature cannot be reformed away.

Of course, we welcome and fight for every genuine improvement to workers living standards. But at the present time, even the reforms won through struggle by previous generations are under attack. Pensions, pay, and public services: all are being stripped back as a result of the crisis of capitalism.

This is why a Corbyn Labour government must come out fighting, offering a socialist economic plan as a real alternative to capitalist crisis and cuts. As Largo Caballero, the socialist Prime Minister during the Spanish Civil War, stated: you cant cure cancer with an aspirin.

Keynesianism vs socialism

Unfortunately, however, the most prominent voices around the Labour leadership do not hold this view. Rather than proposing a genuine alternative to capitalism, these economic advisors seek to manage it, hoping to create a kinder, greener and more responsible form of capitalism.

For example, Paul Mason, a former self-described Marxist who only a few years ago was writing about how to create a post-capitalist society, is now forcefully in favour of Keynesianism: borrowing to invest.

Keynesianism does not  and will not  work. Rather than borrowing from the markets or attempting to tax the rich, a Corbyn Labour government should nationalise the banks and major monopolies / Image: Socialist Appeal

But Keynesianism does not  and will not  work. The government cannot simply 'borrow' at will. It must go to the financial markets to find the money for any large-scale investment. But what City banker or Wall Street financier is going to lend to a left-wing government that is pledging to nationalise and improve workers wages and conditions?

Rather than lending to such a government, international creditors would launch an offensive of blackmail and sabotage against it, involving a strike of capital and the withdrawal of funds.

This is no idle threat, but has been seen by governments of the Left throughout history. Even the mildly reformist Labour government of Harold Wilson was faced with such threats. In his memoirs, for example, the former Prime Minister describes his meeting with the governor of the Bank of England:

That night we had our most desperate meeting with the governor of the Bank. Claiming that our failure to act in accordance with his advice had precipitated the crisis, he was now demanding all-round cuts in expenditure, regardless of social or even economic priorities, and fundamental changes in some of the chancellors economic announcements I asked him if this meant that it was impossible for any government, whatever its party label, whatever its manifesto or the policies on which it fought an election, to continue, unless it immediately everted to full-scale Tory policies. He had to admit that was what his argument meant, because of the sheer compulsion of the economic dictation of those who exercised decisive economic power.

Of course the government can try to raise taxes from big business instead of borrowing from the banks. But the argument in response is the same.

As has been revealed by countless scandals in recent years, the rich can easily evade and avoid paying their 'fair share'. Indeed, the Irish government even begged for Apple  the most valuable company in the world  not to have to pay its taxes owed, such was the craven desire for the tech firms investment.

Rather than borrowing from the markets or attempting to tax the rich, a Corbyn Labour government should nationalise the banks and major monopolies. Only in this way can we guarantee that the fruits of our industry are owned, controlled, and planned in the interests of societys needs, and not for the profits of the few.

Appeals to business

Masons Keynesian arguments are also being echoed by other leading figures in Labours economic team, such as Ann Pettifor, who has emphasised how a Labour government (in her opinion) should be prepared to work with business and the City of London.

Stressing how responsible Labour is with the economy, Pettifor notes that, Labour has a record, in key respects, of being more fiscally conservative than Conservatives...That is why they [business leaders] have been willing to listen to the shadow chancellors tea offensive.

Labour cannot appease both the bosses and the workers. The profits of the former are dependent on the continued exploitation of the latter / Image: Socialist Appeal

But no matter how much the shadow chancellor meets with big business to reassure them, the capitalists will never trust a left Labour government. They will continue to regard a Labour government as an existential threat to them and their interests.

In any case, as the Bible teaches, it is not possible to serve two masters at once. You cannot appease both the bosses and the workers. The profits of the former are dependent on the continued exploitation of the latter.

This is why we have seen such a race to the bottom  in Britain and worldwide  in recent decades, with workers in all countries seeing a falling share of wealth returning to them in the form of wages. No amount of appeals to the capitalists to be 'nicer' and 'fairer' will stem this tide.

Labours nationalisation

John McDonnell has argued that Labours nationalisation plans would cost absolutely nothing; they would be cost-neutral because you would be bringing into public ownership an asset. It would be just like taking out a mortgage when buying a home, he has stated. The government would borrow the money, gain an asset and then pay back your debts from the income generated by the asset  for example, the revenue from supplying customers with water or energy.

But big business is not going to be fooled by this. As the saying goes, theres no such thing as a free lunch. Just as a prospective home-buyer with a bad credit history would be denied a mortgage by the bank, so too a radical left Labour government promising to nationalise private property would face outright hostility and aggression from the international financial markets.

We must call for nationalisation under workers control, in order to abolish the anarchy of the market and bring about a democratic, rational and socialist plan of production / Image: Flickr, LP

Elsewhere, McDonnell has also suggested recently (in his speech to the TUC) that we can bring about collective ownership by forcing companies to give shares to their workers. But this John Lewis model does not address the real issue at stake: giving the working class control over the economy, rather than the capitalist economy having control over us.

In reality, giving shares to workers is not collective ownership. The capitalists, in this scenario, would remain very firmly in control. Indeed, workers in companies such as John Lewis do not have any real say in the running of the business.

If anything, giving individual employees a small personal slice of a business profits blurs the lines between the bosses and the workers, papering over their mutually antagonistic interests.

Most importantly, even fully worker-owned cooperatives are still subject to the laws of the capitalist market  i.e. forced by competition to produce at a lower cost than their more ruthless rivals. At best, such worker-owned companies would only be tiny islands of socialism in a sea of capitalism.

Instead of giving shares to workers, therefore, we must call for nationalisation under workers control, in order to abolish the anarchy of the market and bring about a democratic, rational and socialist plan of production.

Take back control

At the end of the day, any government that genuinely takes on the rich elite, threatening their power and privileges, will face an almighty backlash from the bankers and the entire establishment. The fact of the matter is that, under capitalism, the giant corporations and banks do run the country.

The answer to capitalist crisis and blackmail is socialist planning. You cannot plan what you do not control; and you do not control what you do not own. This is why we need to nationalise the major monopolies and banks  with no compensation to the fat cats.

Only then would we have the resources at hand needed to expand our social services, build the houses we require, reverse all Tory cuts, and provide a decent standard of living for all.

A strike of capital, sabotage from within the state apparatus and manoeuvers by the Blairites in the Parliamentary Labour Party: all of these will be used against a Corbyn Labour government that stands up to the banks and big business.

This is what Labour must prepare for. That means taking bold, decisive action against the billionaire class. Only in this way can we take control out of the hands of the capitalists and put it firmly in the hands of the organised working class.In a new email message, Stephen Kalm, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Montana, clarified misinformation sent by the director of the School of Music over the weekend concerning steep cuts and possible program eliminations within the college.

That message was sent broadly to the arts community, donors, alumni, and current and prospective students in Missoula and beyond.

"I am pleased to report that my fears for the future of art, music, and theatre and dance at UM were unfounded," Kalm wrote in the latest email.

His initial email message to directors in the college Saturday morning resulted in one of them, Director Maxine Ramey, sending the broader email communication. In it, Ramey quoted from Kalms email, which said in part, "This cut, in no uncertain terms, would mean a reduction in our faculty to the levels where we would not be able to offer accredited degree programs in music education, performance, composition or a host of our other Bachelor of Arts in Music degrees."

In his clarification, Kalm wrote, "In our initial meeting, the provosts comments on budget targets were stated in general terms. I learned in my meeting with Provost Jon Harbor this morning that the budget targets are more closely aligned with the plan that I presented last spring.  The plan allows us to maintain accreditation and the continuation of UMArts."

Harbor said the initial emails from both Kalm and Ramey were, unfortunately, inaccurate.

"Deans from every school and college across campus are engaged in funding discussions that are a part of an extensive process to arrive at budget targets for long-term planning" he said. "This process has been widely discussed and publicized, is ongoing, and no funding decisions have been finalized or announced."

The University is working to address a $10 million structural budget deficit announced earlier this spring, with a plan to be implemented over the next three years.

"President Bodnar has described the arts and humanities at UM as areas of distinction which are vitally important to our mission," said Harbor. "Many of our students choose UM for this distinction and the opportunity to learn in an awe-inspiring setting and in a community with a deep appreciation for human expression."

Contact: Paula Short, director of communications, UM Office of the President, 406-243-2311, [email protected].Israel produces an impressive number of highly successful tech companies for a country with just 9 million people, from social navigation app Waze, which sold to Google in 2013 for $1.15 billion, to autonomous driving company Mobileye, which sold to Intel last year for a whopping $15.3 billion.

Israelis have long lovingly referred to the Middle Eastern country as the "Startup Nation," thanks to the sheer number of entrepreneurs building businesses there, particularly in cities like Tel Aviv.

Harrison Jacobs

https://www.mysanantonio.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Israel-s-tech-scene-is-growing-so-fast-the-13250081.phpMontana State University has set a new enrollment record, with 16,902 students on campus this fall, while keeping students in school and graduating them on time at the highest rates in modern university history.

MSUs fall headcount is up 1.2 percent, or 199 students, over last falls census. The figure marks 11 straight years of enrollment growth for the Bozeman campus.

The headcount includes the second-most Montana students enrolled in the universitys 125-year history. A total of 10,177 Montana students are attending classes at MSU, comprising 60 percent of the student body.

http://www.montana.edu/news/18011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.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.NEW YORK  At the sidelines of 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan H.E. Salahuddin Rabbani attended the briefing session on Geneva Conference which is due to be held on November 28.

Foreign Minister Rabbani mentioned that the Geneva Conference is another opportunity to report the achievements of the Government of Afghanistan based on the commitments made in Brussels Conference in the areas of good governance, rule of law and fight against corruption.UNHQ - New York, USA

September 24, 2018

Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jenca, Ambassador Yamamoto,  Deputy Finance Minister Payenda, Distinguished Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to be in the presence of so many friends and partners, as we meet to discuss the agenda and key objectives of the International Geneva Conference to be held in November.

We look forward to a productive session, which will help ensure a successful outcome.

Let me begin by thanking Ambassador Yamamoto, his team at UNAMA and our colleagues at the Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs in Kabul for all their efforts in the preparation for that important gathering.

I also want to thank all of you for taking the time to attend this meeting.

It is reflective of your continued support and partnership with Afghanistan, for which we are grateful.

The numerous countries and organizations assembled in this room have been part of a difficult, yet strategic journey that began in 2001 to promote global peace and security, by virtue of a stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

The Geneva Conference will mark another milestone in our partnership with the international community.

It will be an opportunity for us to highlight achievements with respect to obligations assumed at the Brussels Conference in strengthening the effectiveness of our State institutions; enhancing service delivery for our people; but above all, in working to advance the rule of law as an important factor for our overall stability.

On the other hand, we will get a picture of the extent to which our international partners adjusted the nature of assistance delivery so that its impact is more visible and tangible in helping to improve the lives of our people.

That meant taking measures to align assistance programs with our national priority programs, under the Afghan National Peace and Development Framework (ANPDF).

The situation in Afghanistan has evolved over the past several years. So too has the capacity and role of the Afghan Government in assuming leadership of the security, economic and governance pillars.

This was the essence of the Kabul Process, initiated in 2011 to implement these three transitions.

The broader significance of the Geneva Conference relates to the start of a new phase in our joint partnership.

In that regard, we will subscribe to a new set of commitments, under the Geneva Mutual Accountability Framework, to be implemented on a reciprocal basis.

We believe the new phase of cooperation between Afghanistan and the international community, including regional partners, will be of special importance in the context of our long-term partnership with the international community, by virtue of our goal to become a Self-Reliant nation by the end of the Transformation Decade.

Our success in this endeavor will be the ultimate test of all that we have done together over the past 17 years for the security and stability of Afghanistan, the region and the world at large.

I will touch on the key elements of our discussions in Geneva.

Deputy Finance Minister Payenda, Ambassador Yamamoto and Deputy Minister Raz will provide a more detailed overview of various aspects of the Conference, including preparations thus far; the Conference agenda; expected outcome; final communique and the Geneva Mutual Accountability Framework.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As representatives of many partner countries and organizations, all of you are well aware of our strong resolve to achieve a peaceful solution to the current conflict in our country.

The temporary cease-fire with the Taliban was only a glimpse of hope, but a development nonetheless. Yet, we are far from our intended objective.

Geneva is an opportunity to integrate regional and international support behind our peace plan, presented in Kabul in February.

We welcome the support of all partners for our peace efforts through various initiatives, under the overarching Umbrella of the Kabul Process.

We expect all such support to conform with the principle of Afghan ownership and leadership of the Peace Process.

Here again, I want to reiterate that an inclusive peace process, enjoying the overwhelming support of all Afghans is imperative for achieving the desired result.

By the same token, parallel to our peace efforts, we will continue to defend our territorial integrity and sovereignty against all terrorist and extremist groups, which are targeting our civilian population and seeking to prevent our security and stability.

Distinguished participants,

Geneva will also be about reorienting the nature of our collaboration with international partners to advance the implementation of our self-reliance and reform agenda.

While progress was made against the benchmarks of the SMAF, new measures under the new accountability framework will benefit two key objectives:

First - generating greater coherence and efficiency of international aid; and

Second - reinforcing our progress in implementing our national peace and development framework, and national priority programs.

Needless to say, building on past reform efforts will remain a key priority for the remainder of the Transformation Decade.

In this context, among other areas of reform, sustained focus on ensuring free, fair, inclusive and transparent elections is a fundamental need.

The Conference will also take stock of advances in the area of regional connectivity, which is among the most notable achievements of the National Unity Government over the past four years.

Economic ventures such as the CASA 1000, TAPI, and Five Nation Railway Project, which were once just a concept, are now turning into reality.

Air corridors developed with India, Kazakhstan and and most recently Turkey have already led to a substantial increase in the volume of exports abroad.

We are in the process of operationalizing additional air corridors with other regional countries.

We also have high expectations of the Lapis Lazuli project, which, once fully operationalized, will mark another major milestone in the regions economic integration.

These initiatives are part of our broader efforts to achieve the full potential of economic opportunities available in the wider region.

In early December, the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process will be held in Turkey.

That will provide us another opportunity to follow-up on Geneva commitments related to specific economic regional projects.

The event will also feature an international investment road-show that will attract new investments by the private sector and business communities.

That said, we look forward to renewed commitments of the international community to further elevate the economic cooperation agenda to new heights, under our Afghan-led RECCA and Heart of Asia Processes and other initiatives.

Let me also seize this opportunity to thank all partners for their proactive engagement in the negotiation process of the Geneva Conference Communique.

We look forward to a final document that will clearly reflect our enhanced partnership in the way forward.

I want to close by conveying our gratitude to the United Nations for rallying international support behind Afghanistan.

Our meeting today in this building is another step in that endeavor.

We thank all partners, member-states and organizations alike, for standing beside us in our continuing journey for lasting peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.

With that, I have the pleasure to give the floor to Deputy Minister Payenda.

Thank You.[September 24, 2018] Three U.S. Bank Leaders among American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance Leslie Godridge, vice chairman and co-head of Corporate & Commercial Banking, Gunjan Kedia, vice chairman of Wealth Management and Investment Services and Kate Quinn, vice chairman and chief administrative officer at U.S. Bank, have been honored by American Banker magazine among the "Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance" for 2018. This marks the first time in U.S. Bank history that three women have been included on this prestigious list. Honorees will be celebrated at a ceremony hosted by American Banker in New York City in October. "Leslie, Gunjan and Kate are dedicated, ethical and community-focused leaders who are helping us drive critical change as we work to create the future of U.S. Bank," said Andy Cecere, chairman, president and CEO of U.S. Bank. "Each exemplifies our core values every day and leads with integrity and trust. We are honored to celebrate this recognition. On behalf of all our employees, it is my privilege to congratulate and thank these three outstanding leaders." Godridge (ranked 17th on Most Powerful Women in Banking list), joined U.S. Bank in 2007 and co-leads Corporate & Commercial Banking, one of the company's four primary business lines. She directly oversees corporate banking-specialized industries, global treasury management, international banking and the public sector and financial institutions groups. In 2017, Godridge championed and sponsored U.S. Bank's role in important industry innovations, including the launch of RTP, one of the first new core payments infrastructures in the United States in more than 40 years. During Godridge's tenure and under her leadership, Corporate & Commercial Banking's rankings and market share have grown dramatically. Kedia (ranked 16th on Most Powerful Women in Finance list), joined U.S. Bank in 2016 and leads Wealth Management and Investment Services, another ofthe company's four primary business lines. The division is composed of five distinct, but related businesses: wealth management, U.S. Bancorp Asset Management, global fund services, global corporate trust, institutional trust and custody, and trust technology and support services. Since joining the bank, Kedia has integrated product-specific sales teams organized by client segments, which resulted in accelerated sales and drove market share gains. She also reinvigorated innovation in the division's products by deploying technology, including distributed ledger, artificial intelligence and natural language processing, and she introduced a more comprehensive global strategy to deepen the bank's European presence. Quinn (ranked 14th on Most Powerful Women in Banking list), joined U.S. Bank in 2013 is the company's chief administrative officer and has been the driving force behind the company's corporate strategy and brand transformation, including hosting Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2018. She leads all areas that touch talent, brand, strategy and reputation for U.S. Bank, and has helped solidify the bank's position as one of the most admired and trusted banks in the financial services industry. Quinn's work has been a guiding force for the bank to be named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute for four consecutive years. U.S. Bank has been consistently recognized in the "Most Powerful Women in Banking" since the program's inception. In 2017, Godridge ranked 15th on the Women in Banking list and Quinn was ninth on the list of Women to Watch. "In an industry that continues to be male-dominated at the senior executive level, it is refreshing to see a company as large as U.S. Bank elevate these three women to the role of vice chairman, put women in charge of two of its four major business lines and ensure that women play such an important role in its corporate strategy," said Executive Editor Bonnie McGeer, who chairs American Banker's Women in Banking Editorial Committee. "Kate Quinn, Leslie Godridge and Gunjan Kedia stand out because of their performance but, just as importantly, they are all holding the door open for other women to advance as well, through their support of internal programs and their sponsorship of individual emerging leaders." ABOUT U.S. BANK

U.S. Bancorp, with 74,000 employees and $461 billion in assets as of June 30, 2018, is the parent company of U.S. Bank, the fifth-largest commercial bank in the United States. The Minneapolis-based bank blends its relationship teams, branches and ATM network with mobile and online tools that allow customers to bank how, when and where they prefer. U.S. Bank is committed to serving its millions of retail, business, wealth management, payment, commercial and corporate, and investment services customers across the country and around the world as a trusted financial partner, a commitment recognized by the Ethisphere Institute naming the bank a 2018 World's Most Ethical Company. Visit U.S. Bank at www.usbank.com or follow on social media to stay up to date with company news. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005550/en/

[ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ]By By:

Dr. Francis R. Souder, 85, formerly of Telford, died Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007 in the skilled nursing unit of Peter Becker Community, Franconia Township. He and his wife Marion R. (Parker) Souder celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary in July.

Born in Souderton, he was a son of the late Elvin B. and Mary (Rittenhouse) Souder.

A 1938 graduate of Souderton High School, he received his undergraduate degree in 1941 from the University of Pennsylvania where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Souder went on to receive his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College in 1944 and completed his internship at Hahnemann Hospital from Oct. 1944  July, 1945.

He served with the U.S. Navy Medical Corps for 30 months in San Diego and Long Beach, Calif. during WW II and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant prior to his discharge. He entered his second tour of duty during the Korean War where he served in Panama City, Fla. as the medical officer for the Panama City Naval Air Station and the Tyndal Air Force Base.

Dr. Souder owned and operated his family practice on Main Street in Telford from 1947-1989. He served on the staff of Grand View Hospital, and as its president, and taught at the Grand View Hospital Nursing School. He was a member of the Pa. Medical Society, the Bucks County Medical Society, Diplomat American Academy of Family Practices, and served on the board of trustees at Grand View Hospital, Sellersville.

He was a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Telford, where he sang in the church choir. He was also a member of the MacCalla Lodge #596 in Souderton, the Raja Shrine, and Lehigh Consistory.

In addition to his widow, he is survived by a son, Dr. Ronald L. Souder, and his wife Susan L. of Green Lane; a daughter, Susan J. Souder, and her husband Stephan Russo of New York, N.Y.; five grandchildren: Jennifer A. Souder of Philadelphia; Emily E. Souder of Philadelphia; Kathryn A. Souder of Washington, D.C.; Noah Russo of New York, N.Y., and Rebekah Russo of New York, N.Y., and two brothers: Attorney Elvin B. Souder of Souderton and Dr. Lawrence Souder of Souderton.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 12 p.m. in Trinity United Church of Christ, 101 S. Main St., Telford, with calling hours following the service.

Interment will be private in Trinity UCC Cemetery Telford.

Memorial contributions may be made to Grand View Hospital, 700 Lawn Ave., Sellersville, Pa. 18960.

Arrangements are by Sadler-Suess Funeral Home, Telford.September 24, 2018 Russia Beefs Up Syria's Air Defenses - Tells "Hotheads" To Cool Down The Russian Minister of Defense today announced some of the measures to be taken in Syria in response to last weeks destruction of its electronic warfare plane with 15 airmen on board. Yesterday the Russian MoD held Israel responsible for the incident. Shortly after the event happened we noted: On Netanyahoo's personal request Russia had stopped the delivery of original Russian S-300 long range air-defense missiles to the Syrian military. These would have been less likely to veer off towards the wrong target. In consequence an Iranian 747 was damaged and 15 Russian soldiers were killed. Netanyahoo can forget about any further such 'favors' from Moscow. Yesterday we added: The incident will have consequences on several levels. For one - the airspace along the Syrian coast will now be off limits for Israeli flights

...

The Syrian air defense will be further strengthened and modernized. Its personal will get more specialist training. But the probably worst issue for Israel's military will be cooled down relations with the Russian forces. There will be no more freebies, no more looking aside and direct Russian fire on Israeli forces should they again try such stunts. These predicted measures are exactly the ones Defense Minister Shoigu announced today. Syria will get the S-300, its air defense will be further updated, Syria's coast will be more heavily defended: MOSCOW, September 24./TASS/. Within two weeks, the Syrian army will get from Russia S-300 air-defense missiles to strengthen its combat capabilities following the downing of a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft in Syria, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday. Syria ordered the S-300 systems in 2013 but Russia held back the delivery on Israel's request. Syria also had more urgent needs, especially for short range air-defense systems, which Russia delivered in large numbers. It were these systems that allowed the Syrian air defense to disable a high number of U.S. cruise missiles fired against it in April. The S-300, with a reach of up to 250 kilometers, will be able to target Israeli planes over Lebanon as well as deep within Israeli air space. The delivery of the S-300s via transport planes from Russia already begun. There are several sub types of the system and a number of different radar combinations to guide them. There is no information yet about the exact types Syria will be equipped with and in what numbers. The first deployment will likely be around the capital Damascus. Shoigu also announced that Syria's air defenses will now be equipped with Russian IFF systems: "The command posts of Syrian air defense forces and units will be equipped with automated control systems only supplied to the Russian armed forces. This will facilitate centralized control over all forces and resources of the Syrian air defense, monitor the situation in the air, and ensure operative issuance of orders. Most importantly, we will guarantee the identification of all Russian aircrafts by the Syrian air defense systems," Shoigu said. Identification Friend or Foe systems are the holy grail of any air force. With IFF an air defense radar sends an secret challenge to any unidentified airplane it detects. If the code is correct, a friendly airplane will respond with an identification token. The systems use special frequencies, strong cryptography and a daily changing code that is kept ultra secret. (NATO procedures demand that two officers cooperate in any update of such codes.) Russia held back these codes from Syria to avoid them leaking to potential enemies. It is likely that Russian officers will be present at the Syrian air defense command posts to handle the issue. Russia will also take additional electronic warfare measures to hinder potential attacks near its bases in Syria: The third measure announced by the Russian defense ministry is a blanket of electronic countermeasures over Syrian coastline, which would suppress satellite navigation, onboard radar systems and communications of warplanes attacking targets on Syrian territory. Shoigu said the measures are meant to cool down hotheads and prevent misjudged actions posing a risk to our service members. He added that if such a development fails to materialize, the Russian military would act in accordance to the situation. The area where these electronic measures will be applied will certainly include most of Lebanon which air space Israel used several times to attack Syria. That and the upgrades of Syria's defenses will not be the only steps Russia will take. There will be additional political measure against Israel which are yet to be announced. Israel knows that it can only do little against the Russian responses to its devious attack. That is why some of its lawmakers now ask for even greater U.S. involvement in Syria. The U.S. military will not be happy about that. Posted by b on September 24, 2018 at 11:11 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page Michigan Tech students flocked to the Rozsa Center lobby to find out what its like to work and live in the Grand Traverse region of northern lower Michigan.

Michigan Tech partnered with the Grand Traverse Area Manufacturing Council and the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce to sponsor Grand Traverse Region Day, part of fall CareerFEST.

We are seeking to make Michigan Tech students aware of the tech businesses and potential future job opportunities in our area, says Bill Myers, CEO of Promethient Inc. in Traverse City. We are building grassroots working-level relationships between Traverse City area companies and Michigan Tech to build a talent pipeline, continuing education, and research and development.

More than 20 Traverse City area businesses sent representatives to the Upper Peninsula, and 260 Michigan Tech students showed up to meet them.

Bright Students Impress Business Reps

This is an amazing event, says Tim Heger, chief technology officer at HealthBridge, a company that develops employee benefits services. This is the first time that HealthBridge has worked with the University. Im finding the students very bright, very articulate, very engaged, Heger says. Theyre asking really good questions.

Chris Clark, a software engineer at Naveego, said that his new firm was really excited to be at Michigan Tech. The company develops data management software. Traverse City is booming, says Clark, and we are looking for interns and talented software engineers.

The students milling through the exhibits were enthusiastic, too.

Id heard good things about Traverse City from my ski team members, and I thought it might be a cool place to work, says Amanda Kautzer, a third-year student in biomedical and mechanical engineering. Kautzer is looking for a summer internship. There are a lot of great companies in Traverse City, she says.

Reese OMara, a senior in mechanical engineering, especially liked that the event resembled a smaller Career Fair.

The company representatives are approachable, he explains. OMara had talked with about half of the companies at the event, and I already have two internship possibilities so far."

Michigan Tech partnered with the Grand Traverse Area Manufacturing Council and the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce to sponsor Grand Traverse Region Day, part of fall CareerFEST.

Tech Business is Booming in Traverse City

There are more than 350 companies in the Traverse City area. Among those exhibiting at Grand Traverse Region Day were Atlas Space Operations, TentCraft, Promethient, RJG, Star Cutter Company, Century Inc., Skilled Manufacturing, Thompson Surgical Instruments, 20Fathoms, Naveego, Inphastos, HealthBridge, R.M. Young Company, Electro-Optics Technology, AlcoTec Wire Corporation, Boomerang Catapult, Haggerty, Keen Technical Solutions, Munson Healthcare, Faurecia and Britten.

A broad range of other Traverse City businesses, organizations and schools have been involved in planning the event, Myers says. Its been a major volunteer effort in Traverse City, he adds. Volunteers and philanthropists are coming together to build an ecosystem that attracts businesses and high paying jobs to the area.

Fridays event built on Michigan Techs visit to Traverse City in February, at which representatives from various academic areas met with business people to discuss recurring themes that Michigan Tech can help address to better serve innovative companies in the Traverse City area.

"There are many synergies between Michigan Tech and the Keweenaw area with the Grand Traverse-Traverse City Region, says Brent Burns, director of industry relations at Michigan Tech. There are amazing high tech employment opportunities coupled with an adventurous and outdoors lifestyle. This event is just one of many future partnerships to strengthen relations between our two great communities."

Revival of Aerospace Industry

Traverse City has a legacy of manufacturing innovation, and the revival of the aerospace industry there is sparking a commitment to economic development, Myers said.

Former NASA astronaut and STEM education advocate Greg Johnson put in a guest appearance at Fridays event, to promote aerospace opportunities in Traverse City. He was mobbed by excited students asking questions.

"For some, geographic location is the most important factor in a job search," says Shelley Farrey, coordinator of career development and corporate event promotions in Michigan Techs Career Services, who helped coordinate the event. "The Grand Traverse Region offers excellent opportunities not only for work/life balance, but a variety of industries that will attract Michigan Tech students of all majors."

Named Americas best beach town on a lake by WalletHub, Traverse City is a popular place for Michigan Tech alumni to settle, with 1,706 registered alumni within 60 miles of Traverse City.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, the University offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.By Ben Rimland

On July 31, the Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency (ATLA) of the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD) released a video, a promotional film for research activities for the Ground Self Defense Force, detailing steps taken to create a Japanese rail gun system.

ATLA's rail gun prototype. Screencapture from ATLA video.



While still far from operational, the proof-of-concept system can theoretically launch a ten kilogram projectile at over 2,000 meters per second. The below image demonstrates the hypothetical use of the system on a Maritime Self-Defense Forces Aegis destroyer, with hypothetical use against surface and airborne threats.

The ATLA rail gun prototype is the product of high-level research that began in 2016. As Sankei reported at the time, the original purpose of the project was to promote interoperability with what was at the time seen as the future mainstay weapon of the US navy surface fleet. The original goals for the research initiative were to design a weapon capable of anti-air, anti-ship, and surface attack warfare; the projectile was to be fired at 7,240 kilometers per hour over a range of 200 kilometers. The weapon would eventually be designed to have a firing rate of ten shots per minute.

JAX high-calibre rail gun for naval ships. This 2015 image illustrates the hypothetical use of the system on a Maritime Self-Defense Forces Aegis destroyer, with hypothetical use against surface and airborne threats.

As a GSDF source put it to Sankei, if we do not develop a rail gun to a satisfactory level, we will unable to offer [the Americans] sufficient cooperation. While the future of the rail gun in the US Navy is far from certain, a rail gun system could offer Japan a compelling alternative to enormously expensive missile defense systems like Aegis Ashore. With the cost-per-shot a tiny fraction of the SM-3 missiles utilized by Aegis Ashore, ATLA and MOD have their own incentives for continuing rail gun development beyond increased interoperability with the U.S.

Ben Rimland is an independent researcher on Asia-Pacific security issues. His academic research pertains to Japanese defense policy and American security policy in Asia. He can be found on twitter at @JPNsecuritywonk.

ATLA video



Additional comments by Navy Recognition

Mention of a rail gun system for Japan's destroyers first surfaced in July 2015 in Japanese Ministry of Defense request for proposal documents, as we reported at the time.

With this rail gun prototype officially revealed, Japan joins a relatively small group of nations working on the technology including the United States, China, Russia and France.By Express News Service

US President Donald Trump on Monday walked the talk by implementing his latest round of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports amid noisy protests from China. On September 18, Trump had announced the US would levy 10 per cent tariffs starting September 24, which would be jacked up to 25 per cent from January 1 next year.

While China did retaliate by slapping tariffs on $60 bn worth of US goods, it was notably muted. Last week, it had called off trade talks with the US in view of the impending tariffs.

On Monday, Beijing blamed bully Trump for taking trade disputes to a point of no return by making false accusations.

Trump has trumpeted America First policy since taking office in 2017, abandoning the fundamental norms of mutual respect and equal consultation that guide international relations, it said in a white paper published on Monday.

The major reasons behind the Trump administrations aggressive trade policy are to thwart Chinas alleged unfair trade practices and to narrow the $335 billion deficit in bilateral trade between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Indian benchmark indices ended in the red for the fifth straight session on Monday due to a combination of domestic and external factors. And, petrol prices continued to increase crossing the `90 mark in Mumbai on Monday.B Anbuselvan By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Even as RTI data reveals that two toll plazas on Chennai Bypass road have been collecting more than Rs 100 crore a year totally for the past two years, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) documents claim that only Rs 187 crore has been adjusted towards the principal expenses till December 2016, making one wonder as to how many years more motorists have to pay the toll.

The first phase of Chennai bypass road, a six-lane access controlled road was developed between Tambaram and Maduravoyal in 2003, and later extended up to Madhavaram in 2011. The two toll plazas at Vanagaram (Porur) and Surapattu in 44.6 km road have been collecting toll since 2003.

According to the RTI reply obtained by Express, 78.73 lakh vehicles passed through Vanagaram toll plaza between April 2017 and March 2018, yielding an annual collection of Rs 42. 91 crore. Similarly, Surapattu toll plaza collected Rs 67.28 crore a year as user fee from 52.94 lakh vehicles.

While the toll collection for 2017-18 stood at Rs 110.19 crore, between April 2016 and March 2017, motorists paid about Rs 101 crore, reveal RTI documents.

Official records of NHAI, however, revealed that as on December 2016, Rs 187 crore was the cumulative revenue earned from the road, for which the actual expenses was pegged at Rs 956 crore. The data has left people puzzled as the user fee is adjusted towards the project cost.

S Yuvaraj, president of Tamil Nadu State Sand Lorry Owners Federation (TNSSLF), said there is complete lack of transparency in toll collection system.

None of the toll gates in Tamil Nadu display the actual number of vehicles passing through it. During peak hours, the contractors open the additional lanes and issue tickets generated from a handheld machine. We do not know whether such tickets are getting accounted, he charged.

He added that the government should display digital boards at all the toll plazas as to how many more vehicles should pass the gate to realise the project cost so that the road gets converted into non-toll road.

According to official sources, the road was developed using funds from the Union government. The fee collected by NHAI through a contractor is being paid to the Centre. Authorities were tight-lipped when queried further.

Though Rs 30 lakh is collected as toll a day at both the plazas, the stretch between Ambattur and Tambaram does not have street lights putting motorists at risk. The absence of service road and lack of a two-wheeler lane has made the bypass road dangerous for two-wheelers.

Besides, the toll gates do not have any amenities such as toilets and emergency ambulances as mandated by NHAI rules.

NHAI sources, however, said that money collected through user fee will get adjusted in the order of maintenance, interest and the principal amount.

S Soundarajan, a retired Manager, Finance, NHAI Chennai, said during the second phase of widening of the highway, NHAI incurred huge expenses in developing the elevated bridges at Maduravoyal and Ambattur.

About 12 per cent of the user fee will be allocated for annual maintenance, while a huge portion will go as interest. The remaining money will get adjusted towards the principal. Since the road was developed using public funds, NHAI will settle toll fee with the Union government and same will be utilised for other projects, he said.

Explaining further, he said once the project cost is recovered, the toll rate will be reduced by 60 per cent. Only 40 percent of toll fee will be collected for maintenance. I hope in another five years, toll rates will be slashed in Chennai bypass road, he said.

The retired official also said until 2011, hand-held devices used at toll plazas for issuing tickets had been linked to automatic fee collection system. If motorists suspect that data is fudged at toll plazas they can lodge a complaint with NHAI, he said.

Retired IAS officer M G Devasahayam, however, terms the toll gates daylight robbery. Foreign countries charge user fee only in Autobahn road system, where the road will be free from disruption. The common people are being looted in a systematic manner. Why should the government collect user fee for the road which is developed using public funds. Then what happened to the road tax paid by motorists, asks the retired official.

ACCESS-CONTROLLED Highway from 2003

The first phase of Chennai bypass road, a six-lane access controlled road was developed between Tambaram and Maduravoyal in 2003, and later extended up to Madhavaram in 2011. The two toll plazas at Vanagaram (Porur) and Surapattu in 44.6 km road have been collecting toll since 2003. According to the RTI reply obtained by Express, 78.73 lakh vehicles passed through Vanagaram toll plaza between April 2017 and March 2018, yielding an annual collection of Rs 42. 91 crore.By Express News Service

KOCHI:The post-flood cleaning activities launched by the district administration in Ernakulam concluded on Sunday. The biggest challenge was the removal of non-biodegradable waste from the flood-affected areas, said Ernakulam District Collector K Mohammed Y Safeerulla.

The waste collection drive was carried with the help of the Kerala Suchitwa Mission, Health Department and local bodies. The waste materials were collected from 57 local bodies in the flood-affected areas. In the drive, a total of 2,12,009 houses were cleaned. As many as 80,335 wells were also cleaned in the district.

Around 11,000-tonne non-biodegradable waste materials were collected from the flood-hit regions in the district. The waste collected was transported to four collection points - Brahmapuram, Amabalamugal, Edayar and Kalamassery - in around 3,000 trucks and Taurus lorries. The non-biodegradable waste materials mainly include e-waste, beds, pillows, mattresses and carpets. The spare parts of vehicles damaged in the foods also contributed to the waste accumulated. While around 950 tonnes of spare parts were given to Kerala Electrical and Allied Engineering Co Ltd, around 600 tonnes were transported to Pigments India Ltd. Another 360 tonnes were transported to HMT. The other non-biodegradable waste materials, including plastic covers, bottles, rubber products, iron rods and card boards, were also collected as part of the drive.

The plastic products will be recycled with the help of GE Ecopower and Clean Kerala companies. However, the waste segregation process, which will take months to be completed, is going to be be a herculean task for the district administration. It is planning to seek the help of various scrap workers for the process. Haritha Kerala Mission coordinators Sujith Karun and Siju Thomas, supervisor of Panchyat Department performance audit Dimple Magy and Health officer P N Sreenivasan led the cleaning activities.

Waste segragation

The Kochi Corporation authorities have already expressed their apprehensions over the delay in segregating waste accumulated at Brahmapuram. According to Mayor Soumini Jain, a special council session will be convened to discuss treatment of huge quantity of waste collected from inundated areas.

Bio-degradable waste

Around 13,000 tonnes of bio-degradable waste was collected from the flood-affected areas in the district.

This waste was treated at the source itself. As many as 2,691 carcass of big animals, 2,462 carcass of small animals and 1,45,150 birds were also buried.By IANS

SYDNEY: An Australian documentary filmmaker is back home in Sydney after he was granted a Royal pardon in Cambodia for a espionage conviction, for which he was sentenced to six years in prison.

"I love Cambodia, I've always loved Cambodia (and) I don't love Cambodia any less now as a result of what has happened. In fact if anything I love it more," James Ricketson, 69, filmmaker told the media on his arrival at the airport here on Sunday night.

Ricketson, who denies the accusations, said he looks forward to going back to Cambodia soon, a country with which he has had a relationship for 20 years, and "doing all I can to help poor Cambodian families", reports Efe news.

The documentary maker said the Australian government could have performed better during his 15 months in prison, although he avoided giving more details.

"I do have a good story to tell but now, at the airport, is not the right time to tell it," he said on national broadcaster ABC.

Ricketson was arrested on June 7, 2017, after he was using a drone to film a protest organised by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was later dissolved in November 2017.

A Cambodian court ruled that Ricketson used his work as a documentary maker and humanitarian to gather information that could compromise the security of Cambodia.

Various organisations, including the Human Rights Watch, denounced the court ruling, saying that Ricketson was used by the Cambodian government as a scapegoat to justify the repression against the opposition.By PTI

NEW YORK: A packed and emotional hall paid a fitting tribute to celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain at the Tribeca screening of his CNN show "Parts Unknown".

The Kenya episode of 12th and final season premiere of the award-winning food and travel show is the last one to feature Bourdain's narration, Variety reported.

"I do my best. I look, I listen. But in the end, I know it's my story. Not Kamau's, not Kenya's. Those stories have yet to be heard," the popular host can be heard saying of his travel around the world.

The screening was also followed by a panel discussion with director Morgan Fallon, co-host W Kamau Bell from "United Shades of America", showrunner Sandy Zweig, and Bourdain's longtime producing partners Chris Collins and Lydia Tenaglia.

Talking about Bourdain's words, that now appear prophetic, Fallon said, "We didn't have any idea what the f**k he was talking about."

But after his death, when the team revisited the tape, "it was almost uncanny".

Bourdain, 61, committed suicide on June 8 at his hotel room in France where he was filming for the latest season of "Parts Unknown".

Tenaglia recalled the food critic's transformation into a "cultural anthropologist".

"He gave us and the audience an opportunity to see the world in a very intimate way. It wasn't just a travel show," she said.

Bell said Bourdain taught them to "be a good guest" through his journey.

Zweig said, "The people he worked with were like family to him."By PTI

LONDON: "Game of Thrones" star Richard Madden wants to be the next James Bond, the actor's father said.

Richard Madden Sr said his son may not be making a big deal about being interested in essaying Agent 007 when Daniel Craig steps down as the suave spy, but he is eager about playing the part.

"I'm quite sure he does want that to be on his CV one day but he's not making a song and dance about it. Whether it's Bond or any big role, Richard has ideas about things he'd like to do."

"It's probably best whatever his desires or thoughts are to keep it to himself," Madden Sr told The Mirror newspaper.

The actor's father said in spite of "GOT" success, Richard's journey has not been easy.

"It's not all been plain sailing. He's had disappointments. You have to be in the right place at the right time," Madden Sr said.

Post "GOT", the actor appeared in drama series "Medici: Masters of Florence" and Netflix romcom "Ibiza".

He currently stars as sergeant David Budd in the BBC thriller "Bodyguard".By Associated Press

FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA: At the end of the 1991 movie "Thelma & Louise," the two leading ladies  fugitives cornered by authorities in the Grand Canyon  decide against surrendering and instead drive off a cliff.

One of cinema's most iconic endings wasn't filmed in the national park in Arizona, but not for lack of trying.

"We didn't want to encourage people coming into the canyon doing what was done in the movie, so we declined it," said Maureen Oltrogge, a longtime spokeswoman for the national park who retired in 2014.

Nevertheless, Oltrogge said at least two people took their own lives by driving over the rim of the Grand Canyon after the movie was released, thinking it was filmed there.

The landscape in and around one of the world's seven natural wonders has a long history of stunts being staged  or turned down. An acrobat, a magician and overall daredevils are among those who have approached Grand Canyon National Park over the years with visions of a made-for-TV moment.

The latest planned feat will be Tuesday when actor Will Smith celebrates his 50th birthday by bungee jumping from a helicopter. While it's been billed as a leap "in the heart of the Grand Canyon," it actually will take place over a smaller gorge on the Navajo Nation, a tribe whose reservation borders the east rim of the national park.

In this June 23, 2013, file photo, daredevil Nik Wallenda crosses a tightrope

1,500 feet above the Little Colorado River Gorge, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation

outside the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park. | AP

Getting permission to film or stage something in the Grand Canyon means meeting a lot of criteria. Among the outrageous proposals the park has declined was in the 1990s, when now-deceased artist Ron Nicolino collected thousands of bras that he wanted to string across the Grand Canyon. The park said no.

Grand Canyon spokeswoman Kari Cobb said Smith did not approach the park for the bungee jump, but it wouldn't be allowed anyway. She said the park is responsible for protecting its assets.

"It's everything relating to safety, impacts to visitors and impacts to the resources," she said.

Oltrogge said other filming projects were turned down because of their size, the impact to tourism and because they didn't align with the park's educational values. The park also has rejected requests for ride-along criminal justice programs, and to launch jet engines from rim to rim.

Todd Berger, author of "It Happened at Grand Canyon," says the earliest-known publicized stunt he can recall from his research of the Grand Canyon was an airplane landing near Plateau Point in the early 1920s. Ellsworth Kolb and a swashbuckling pilot took off from the plateau below the South Rim and "spiraled" up and out of the canyon in front of large crowds and cameras.

The Grand Canyon is alluring for promotional purpose because it's "world-famous, spectacular and scary to most people," Berger said in an email.

In 1999 and 2011, Robbie Knievel, the son of stunt performer Evel Knievel, and Swiss aviator Yves Rossy, respectively, approached Grand Canyon National Park with requests to jump part of the canyon and soar over it in a jet suit.

After being rejected, both men went to the Hualapai Tribe, whose reservation stretches 100 miles (160 kilometers) along the Grand Canyon's west rim. The tribe agreed, and both successfully completed their feats.

The Hualapai also allowed illusionist Criss Angel in 2010 to be shackled and locked inside a crate that was suspended over the edge of the Grand Canyon.

In this April 29, 1999, file photo, Robbie Knievel leaves his jump sight

on the Hualapai Reservation in Ariz., after deciding not to make the

Grand Canyon Death Jump due to high winds and cold weather. | AP

The tribe is best-known for its Grand Canyon Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that juts over the canyon overlooking the Colorado River. The tribe's Grand Canyon Resort Corp. said any event must be respectful of Hualapai culture and consistent with its brand.

"Our Tribal Council would need to approve any proposal, and that's a high bar," CEO Colin McBeath said in a statement. "We want to protect the canyon and the businesses we have worked so hard to establish and grow."

Robert Bravo Jr., a tribal member who has served as the corporation's chief executive and as a member of its board, said the stunts had been a way to showcase to the tribe to the world. Special permission for filming and photos also is needed.

"They were necessary to really promote what we have and who we are," he said. "But now that we're on the map, it's not as much of a necessity."

One request the Hualapai declined was when aerial artist Nik Wallenda wanted to walk a tightrope over the canyon in 2013. Bravo said it was too risky.

"The canyon is very sacred and very spiritual to the Hualapai people, and God forbid something happen to him while he's out there," he said.

Wallenda ended up getting permission from the Navajo Nation to walk a 5-centimeter-thick steel cable 1,476 feet (450 meters) over the Little Colorado River gorge, just east of Grand Canyon National Park. The roughly 22-minute act was broadcast live on the Discovery Channel.

That is where Smith will be making his big leap.

Navajo Nation spokesman Mihio Manus said any stunt or filming project in the tribe's Little Colorado River park requires a special permit. Applicants outline their plans and fill out paperwork. If a department manager approves, they talk about the scope of the event and location. Environmental and wildlife officials also weigh in before a permit can be issued and a fee assessed.

Manus declined to comment on Smith's jump.

The "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" actor teamed up with charity website Omaze to make his bungee jump a fundraiser. The site launched a lottery for a fan to be chosen to witness the jump and meet Smith. Attempts to reach Smith were unsuccessful.Gopinath Rajendran By

Express News Service

We have previously reported that Jallikattu 5-23 Jan 2017 director Santhosh Gopal had commenced working on his second film Pasumai Vazhi Saalai even before his first film hit the screens. Its now known that a crucial scene in the film that is based on real-life incidents surrounding the Salem 8-way road project, has been shot at Khardung La pass, the highest motorable road.

We shot for 15 days in the Himalayan area covering Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, Leh and Ladakh. The land were speaking about in the film, Salem and Dharmapuri, also have hills such as Kalrayan and Shevaroy hills. So to highlight the importance of mountains, we have shown Kishores character in the Himalayas. There are tribal people who live in these hills and count on it for their livelihood, so imagine their plight when the 8-way road project happens, says the director.

Kishore, who plays one of the leads in the film, rode a bike in minus four degrees which apparently shocked the film crew. I was stunned by Kishores commitment. Many of us had altitude sickness, but he was able to withstand it as he lives on his farm in the Western Ghats when hes not shooting. While we had decided to take the bike up the mountain in a truck, Kishore insisted on riding it himself, says Santhosh, adding, Apart from shooting in Khardung La pass after obtaining a military pass, we also shot in Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Tibet.

The films shoot will continue in Switzerland and also various parts of Tamil Nadu. Co-starring Pasupathy, it is produced by Santhoshs wife Nirupama, and will have music by Justin Prabhakaran.By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of deflecting the country's attention from key issues like "corruption" in the Rafale deal by raising the issue of Pakistan.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala charged that "an unnerved, frustrated and worried Modi government is now seeking shelter of Pakistan to deflect attention of the country" as it was faced with corruption "exposed" in the Rafale scam.

He told reporters that Modi should answer questions raised on corruption in Rafale deal and other issues and not teach lessons to its leaders on nationalism.

The Congress leader charged that every time demonetisation-like "disaster" happens and people suffer, Modi remembers Pakistan.

"Every time a Mehul Choksi or 'chhota Modi' Nirav Modi runs away with India's money, the Modi government remembers Pakistan. Every time a bank scam where government is guilty, the Modi government remembers Pakistan".

"Now that Rafale scam has exposed rampant corruption, the Modi government is again seeking shelter behind Pakistan. Please answer questions of the nation for the nation seeks accountability from you Mr Prime Minister. We want to ask certain questions to the PM," he said.

Surjewala also took a dig at Modi for his "sari-shawl diplomacy" saying it was done when Pakistan was indulging in ceasefire violations.

"Was your love for Pakistan not apparent when you were indulging in sari -shawl diplomacy as Pakistan was doing ceasefire violations and killing our soldiers.

Was it not your love for Pakistan Modi ji when you had gone as an uninvited guest to Pakistan as Pakistan attacked our Pathankot airbase," he asked.

"Was it not your love for Pakistan when you invited the dreaded ISI who is the harbinger and protector of terrorists who come to India every day from Pakistan soil, when you invited them to investigate the Pathankot airbase attack and the same ISI went back and accused India of killing its own soldiers, " he queried.

"Was it your love for Pakistan when you formed a government in J&K with PDP and in presence of our Prime Minister, the PDP chief minister thanked not people of India or J&K not Indian army or election commission but they thanked Pakistan and the separatists.

" He also asked whether it was his love for Pakistan when a leader, whom the Congress alleged belonged to the BJP IT cell of Madhya Pradesh, was caught spying for the ISI.

"Was it your love for Pakistan when your deputy CM Nirmal Singh in J &K publically said that Burhan Wani the terrorist would not have been killed by security forces had they known that the terrorist was inside.

Was it your love for Pakistan when Modi government proceeded to invite Asiya Andrabi as the poster girl for 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'.

"So the connection of terrorists with BJP is well known. Don't preach us lessons on nationalism. We have served this country with our own blood. The history of this country is written with the blood of Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sardar Beant Singh, Nand Kumar Patel and many many others. Answer the questions don't deflect," he told reporters.By IANS

NEW DELHI: Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday ridiculed the Narendra Modi government for refusing a probe into the Rafale deal after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley discredited former French President Francois Hollande's revelation on the choice of an offset partner.

"Truth cannot have two versions' says Finance Minister (Jaitley). Absolutely correct. Since, according to the Finance Minister, there are two versions, what is the best way to find out which version is 'true'?

"Either (1) order an inquiry or (2) toss a coin. I suppose the Finance Minister would prefer to toss a coin (preferably with 'head' on both sides).

ALSO READ | Hollande's statement, Rahul's Gandhi tweet are 'orchestrated', claims Jaitley

"It is a pity that the government does not see the inexorable flow of events and refuses to order an inquiry. Who knows what will happen in six months or 12 months," the senior Congress leader said in a series of tweets.

"Truth cannot have two versions," Jaitley on Sunday cited Hollande's initial claim to a French website that "Reliance Defence partnership with Dassault Aviation was entered at the suggestion of the Indian Government" and his subsequent statement to the AFP news agency that "he is not aware if government ever lobbied for Reliance Defence".

Continuing its relentless attack against the Modi government over the "Rafale scam", a delegation of top Congress leaders will meet the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) later on Monday seeking a probe into the alleged regurgitates in the deal announced by the Prime Minister in April 2015.

The party has already submitted a memorandum to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India Rajiv Mehrishi for a special and forensic audit into the intergovernmental deal with France to purcure 36 Rafale jets.Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Five militants and a soldier were killed in two-day long gunfight at Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar sector in border district of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir, while a 45-year-old civilian abducted by militants was shot dead by his captors in north Kashmir on Monday.

Defence spokesman in Srinagar Colonel Rajesh Kalia said five heavily-armed militants have been killed in the two-day Army operation along the LoC in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara.

He said the Army men deployed along the LoC had launched the operation on Sunday after detecting a group of militants trying to sneak into India.

"The militants were challenged and they fired on the Army men. In the ensuing gunfight, two militants were killed," Kalia said.

Additional troops were rushed to the area and they are assisting the security forces in conducting combing operation in the area. The helicopters are also assisting the troops on the ground in the operation.

An Army official said ahead of winter, Pakistani troops may attempt to push as many militants as possible into Jammu and Kashmir to create disturbances in the State during the winter months in which the infiltration routes get closed due to snowfall.Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: To counter the neighbouring Pakistan's radio penetration in the border areas of Punjab and to reach out to Punjabis in Lahore, Sialkot, and Gujranwala in Pakistan, India launched an FM radio station on Monday.

A 20KW FM transmitter of the All India Radio (AIR) located at Gharinda close to the international border near Amritsar was formally inaugurated by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla, an AIR statement said.

In the initial phase, the transmitter shall carry an assortment of programmes broadcast in Punjabi by FM Rainbow Channel of AIR Jalandhar, 'Des Punjab', and programmes in Saraiki language for 18 hours per day from 6 am to 12 midnight. Popular programmes of Urdu service of the External Services Division, AIR, will also be broadcast.

The move is supposedly Indias answer to the Punjab Darbar  a show operated by Radio Pakistan  being aired in India and Pakistan for the past three decades.

This transmitter, due to its strategic location, would provide for countering of any misleading anti-India propaganda and put India's point of view in the correct perspective, the statement said.

The transmitter will cover about 80 km radius and programmes will be relayed in Lahore, Sialkot and Gujranwala in Pakistan.

According to sources, a total of 88 transmitters are proposed to be installed at strategic locations in regions bordering Pakistan, including a 10KW FM station in Green Ridge (Uri sector), Himbotinga (Kargil), Patnitop, Udhampur, Naushera, and replacement in Srinagar, Jammu, Bhadarwah (6 KW) and Chauntan Hill (20KW) in Rajasthan.By Express News Service

LUCKNOW: During the interrogation of BSF Constable Achyutanand Mishra, who was held on charges of spying for Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) recently, officials of the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) have found names of many more armed and paramilitary force personnel in the contact list of the unknown Facebook user whose account was reportedly operated by the ISI.

The ISI honeytrapped Mishra to extract crucial and classified information about the force, logistics, locations and troops movement in UP.

Mishra, who was arrested from Noida on Wednesday has been going through gruelling grilling since then.

According to ATS IG Asim Arun, the FB profile, supposedly of a woman, who trapped Mishra by posing as a defence journalist, had over 90 people in the friends list from India, out of which many from the armed and paramilitary forces were also allegedly honey-trapped through various social media platforms.

According to ATS sources, these youths were being given some financial incentives for their services. "They were asked to give pictures of important defence installations situated in the cantonment and other vital information about the name of the unit deployed, number of personnel etc," said an ATS officer.

The IG said the ATS had shortlisted top 10 people figuring in the friends list of the unknown handler with whom they all used to interact intensively.

He said that ATS had rounded up one of the 90 people figuring on the list, though he was not from the forces. However nothing substantial came out during the interrogation.

The information ATS gathered after grilling Mishra and this other person, is being shared both with central and military intelligence agencies.

IG Asim Arun said that while armed forces would be alerted about their personnel being in touch with unknown Facebook friends, the ATS teams were trying to track all those from UP who used to chat with unknown user extensively.

The ATS officials found a clear trend while quizzing Mishra that ISI people were trapping armed force personnel and common Indians by liking and commenting on their social media posts and then extracting information from them.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated Sikkim's first airport located on top of a hill, about 33 km from Gangtok, at 4,500 feet above sea level.

The Pakyong airport, which is India's 100th airport, is spread over 201 acres of land.

We are committed to making the North East an engine for India's growth story. For the first time since Independence, stress has been given on increasing connectivity by both air and rail, electricity in remote areas of the North East and building infrastructure," Modi said in his inaugural speech.

India has hit a century, the PM said as he dedicated the country's 100th operational airport to the people of Sikkim.

Since Independence, the country had only 65 airports till 2014. But in the last four years, we have built 35 airports. Earlier, the average was one airport every year. The average is now nine airports per year.

Work is progressing at high pace to strengthen both, infrastructural&emotional connectivity to Sikkim&Northeast. I've been here myself to check the development work in Northeast&Union Miniters regularly visit the region: PM Modi at inauguration of Pakyong Airport, Gangtok.#Sikkim pic.twitter.com/Wrz7UcmDVo  ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018

Pakyong airport site in Sikkim (Photo | DD National/ Twitter)

Located merely 60 km from the Indo-China border, the civilian airport will not only boost development in the Northeast region but is also of strategic importance. The Indian Air Force will be able to land various types of planes, boosting military logistic in the state sharing border with Bhutan.

PM @narendramodi dedicates #PakyongAirport to the nation in #Sikkim.

Spread over 201 acres and located on top of a hill, the airport stands at 4,500 feet above sea level. pic.twitter.com/VtS3zWMESU  Doordarshan National (@DDNational) September 24, 2018

The first commercial flight will operate on October 4 with low cost carrier SpiceJet operating a Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 connecting Pakyong with Kolkata. A flight will leave from Kolkata at 9:30 am daily and will return from Pakyong at 11:15 am. There will also be daily flights to Delhi and Guwahati under the government's UDAN regional connectivity scheme.

Though the foundation stone was laid about eight years ago, difficult topography and hostile weather made the project extremely challenging. The Northeast regions first greenfield airport has 3,000 sq m terminal building and has a capacity to handle 50 in-bound and as many out-bound passengers. It has a 1.75 km runway with a width of 30 metre. A 116-metre-long taxiway connects the runway to an apron measuring 106 metre by 76 metre that can simultaneously accommodate two ATR-72 aircraft.By Express News Service

KOCHI: After three days of midsea ordeal, Commander Abhilash Tomy, who suffered a serious back injury as his yacht was caught in a storm and dismasted while participating in the Golden Globe Race, a solo non-stop circumnavigation event, was rescued at 12.30 pm on Monday.

French fishing vessel Osiris reached the spot where Abhilash Tomy's damaged yacht was located by Indian Navy's P8i surveillance aircraft on Sunday. After checking his health condition. The crew shifted him to a Gemini boat and took him on board the vessel used an orange stretcher.

According to the crew, he is conscious.

"The good news is he has been rescued and shifted on board a fishing vessel. He has been provided first aid. Australian Naval vessel HMAS Ballarat, which set off from Perth on Saturday will reach the spot on Tuesday. The ship has a doctor and medical facilities on board. They will check his health condition and decide on whether to shift him to a hospital in Australia or to take him to India. INS Satpura, an India Navy vessel which was in the South India Ocean is also proceeding to the spot. But it will reach the spot only on Thursday," Defence PRO Commander Sridhar Warrier told Express.

The Osiris has started sailing towards the yacht of Gregor McGuckin, another contestant who was also stranded as his yacht was dismasted in the storm. Meanwhile, there is concern about the injury of Abhilash Tomy as he has been complaining of continuous vomiting and chest burning.

More than 80 days into the race, Abhilash Tomy was caught in a storm and dismasted on 21 September 2018 --- he sent a text to the race headquarters in France, Tomy typed out a distress message that read, "ROLLED. DISMASTED. SEVERE BACK INJURY. CANNOT GET UP."

(With online desk inputs)Ramananda Sengupta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: India on Monday welcomed the unexpected victory of the Maldives opposition combine lead by Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in presidential elections held on Sunday. "We welcome the successful completion of the third Presidential election process in the Maldives which, according to preliminary information, Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won. We heartily congratulate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory and hope that the Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest," said a ministry of external affairs statement released early on Monday.

This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law. In keeping with our 'Neighbourhood First' Policy, India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership," the statement said. Solih who has been an MP for almost 25 years, played a key role as a close aide of former President Mohamed Nasheed, who lives in exile in Sri Lanka.

"This is a moment of happiness, a moment of hope. a moment of history. For many of us this has been a difficult journey, a journey that has led to prison cells or exile," Solih told party workers after midnight Sunday, when the election commission announced that provisional results indicated that he had won.

"It's been a journey that has ended at the ballot box. I must thank all those people who have struggled for this cause," he said, pledging to be a President for all Maldivians, regardless of who they voted for. Later on Monday, President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, whose pro-China position had led to increasing frostiness in Delhi-Male relations, conceded defeated.

"Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him," he said in a televised address from his office. "My five-year term has been a period in which we faced a lot of difficulties. I worked to uphold the rule of law, and to prevent the effects of illegal acts from being felt by the people," he said. "In front of the Maldivian people, my work was sincere. But yesterday the Maldivian people made their decision about me. So I have decided to accept the results and stay in service to the people in any way I can," he added.

Yameen's defeat Sunday was unexpected, with most observers predicting that Yameen would rig the elections using state machinery which he had subverted. Some International observers said they had been denied access to polling booths during the almost 12-hour long elections Sunday, while those that did get access said they were not allowed to speak to anyone. Only a few selected foreign journalists were allowed to cover the elections.

But late on Sunday evening, the foreign ministry declared that "Maldivian Democratic Party candidate MP Hon Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, wins the Maldives Presidential Elections, with 134,616 votes. Of 262,135 eligible voters, 233,877 voters cast their votes at the 472 ballot boxes. This is a voter turnout of 89.22 percent. The election commission, which insists that the polls were free and fair, will formally declare the winner next Saturday.

"Candidate of the Maldivian Democratic Party, Member of Parliament Honourable Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, won the election, having received 134,616 votes. The President and Vice-President, elected today, will be sworn in on 17 November 2018," it said.

Gayoom had declared an Emergency in the country in February after the Maldivian Supreme Court ordered the release of jailed Opposition leaders. The Emergency, which evoked sharp Indian and international condemnation, was lifted after 45 days, during which he jailed several judges and opposition leaders and workers. Relations with India spiralled southwards subsequently, as Yameen started doling out major infrastructure contracts to Chinese firms while giving New Delhi the cold shoulder. The rapidly growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean archipelago barely 600 km south west of India had led to considerable heartburn in New Delhi.

While expressing both surprise and happiness over the results, and the fact that Yameen had "gracefully conceded defeat," an Indian official however, warned that "it might be somewhat premature to celebrate before the new government is formally sworn in. We must remember that a week is a long time in politics."By PTI

SRINAGAR: A 45-year-old man, who was abducted by militants, was found dead Monday in an orchard in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore area, police said.

Mushtaq Ahmad Mir's body was recovered Monday morning from an orchard in the Latti Shot area of Sopore in Baramulla district, a police official said.

Mir was abducted by militants after they barged into his house in Sopore's Harwan area in the north Kashmir district on Saturday night, he said.

The body has been sent for post mortem, the official said.By Online Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Sikkim to inaugurate Pakyong airport -- first-ever airport in the state, on Monday. The airport is located around 60 km from the China border. During the aerial route to the Himalayan state, the PM turned photographer and tweeted some of the beautiful pictures caught on camera.

PM Modi was onboard an MI-8 helicopter from Bagdogra. Later, he landed at the Libing Army Helipad in Sikkim.

The Prime Minister described the Himalayan province as serene, splendid, enchanting and incredible and used the hashtag Incredible India -- a tagline for India tourism.

Here are the pictures the PM tweeted:Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Escalating his attack on the Narendra Modi government, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal and accused the PM of favouring Anil Ambani's firm for production of the aircraft.

The Congress chief arrived on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Amethi on Monday.

Launching a broadside on the PM whom he addressed as 'Chowkidar', Rahul accused him of taking the money of poor and filling the pockets of Ambani. "The 'chowkidar' of the country has taken out Rs 20,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, martyrs and jawans to fill the pockets of Ambani," Rahul claimed. "They only talk about the 'truth' every day. Set up a JPC and the truth will unfold. But Arun Jaitley's boss Narendra Modi can't do it."

In a flurry of questions, Rahul asked the PM a flurry of questions, including the price of each jet and how the contract was awarded to the Anil Ambani group despite it not having any experience. "What is the hitch in disclosing the amount involved in Rafale deal? How was the contract given to Ambani and what is the PM's response to former French president Francois Hollande's stand over the deal?" he asked. "PM gives speeches but no answers...He does not have the courage to respond."

He repeated his jibe on Modi saying while the farmer, poor and downtrodden were suffering,

the government was doing everything to benefit selected 10 people, including the likes of Anil Ambani, Vijay Mallya, and Lalit Modi.

Playing a local card, Rahul claimed had the contract was not awarded to Anil Ambani's firm, the deal would have created jobs for youth of Amethi. "It could have given jobs to thousands of youth. The nation would have benefitted from it."

Referring to Hindustan Aeronautical Limited, he said the PSU was overlooked despite being in aviation sector for the last seven decades. "Anil Ambani has never made an aircraft in his life, and also has an outstanding bank loan of Rs 45,000 crore. He floated the company just 10 days before he got the contract."

Rahul also took swipe at defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman for not divulging the price of the aircraft on the alleged pretext of confidentially clause. He reiterated that there was no such secrecy pact as he was told by the French president himself.

Earlier, the Congress president started his Amethi visit with 'Shiv Aradhana' and was welcomed by Kanwariya Sangh. He offered prayers to Lord Shiva and was gifted with a memento of Lord Shiva.

Moreover, Amethi was flooded with posters of Lord Shiva, Kailash Mansarovar, and 'Shiv Bhakt' Rahul. The Congress MP laid the foundation stone of over a dozen works to be undertaken under the MPLAD scheme and also met volunteers of the Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojna being run by the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust in Nigoha area.Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday accused Congress president Rahul Gandhi of trying to draw a political mileage from the Rafale aircraft deal in an election-packed year.

There was no room left for doubt in the deal which was completely transparent after the clarifications from former French president Francois Hollande, France and French aerospace giant Dassault Avaitions, he asserted.

A fresh controversy had broken out after Hollande said France was given "no choice" on selection of the Indian offset partner for Dassault Aviations and that India proposed the name of Reliance. On Friday, there were reports that when asked if India put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Hollande said he was unaware and "only Dassault can comment on this".

While the French government said it was in no manner involved in the choice of Indian partners, Dassault Aviation stated it had decided to make a partnership with the Reliance Defence in accordance with the 'Make in India' policy.

"The opposition is left with no issue, so it is raking up Rafale," Singh told the media on the sidelines of the meeting of the Central Zonal Council.

At an interaction with students earlier in Lucknow, the Union Home Minister sought to take a soft line on Congress chief saying the BJP differed with Rahul Gandhi only on the political issues. "There is no personal issue involved." Elaborating further, Rajnath said the BJP never took political and ideological issue to a personal level.

Over Rahul's increasing inclination towards religion and his repeated visits to temples, he said it should be ensured that politics was development oriented without any strain of discrimination.

However, the home minister was evasive to questions on Kashmir and Article 370 saying that one had to wait for sometime as some decisions were to be taken with utter sincerity only after deliberations. He asserted Kashmir was an integral part of the country and no one could snatch it from India.

Playing safe, Singh added diplomatically that the Kashmir issue would be resolved as the problem was not increasing any more. "However, terrorism in the Valley is being sponsored by Pakistan and our security agencies are working in close coordination to tackle it."By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Courts verdict on whether politicians against whom criminal charges have been framed by a court of law should be debarred from contesting polls, is likely on Tuesday.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra will be delivering its verdict on the issue after reserving it last month. The Centre has opposed the PIL seeking to remove lawmakers with criminal backgrounds.

At present, the law provides for disqualification of MPs and MLAs only after they are convicted in criminal cases.

The Bench, which also includes Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra will deliver its verdict on a PIL filed in 2011 by Public Interest Foundation which demanded debarring of politicians facing serious criminal charges in order to de-criminalise Indian politics.

Ruling out any judicial legislation to check criminals entering Parliament and state legislatures, the Bench had last month wondered if it can ask the Election Commission (EC) not to allot symbols to recognised political parties' candidates facing serious criminal charges, even as the NDA government vehemently opposed it.

The Bench had said it would consider directing the EC to ask political parties to get their members disclose criminal cases against them to enable voters to know about "alleged crooks" attempting to enter the legislature.

During the hearing, Attorney General K K Venugopal had told the Bench that Article 102 provided for Parliament to make law on the issue and hence the top court should leave it to the wisdom of the parliamentarians.By PTI

NEW YORK: Reformed multilateralism, climate action, sustainable development, peace and security will be the key priorities for India during the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly as the high-level week for global diplomacy kicks off Monday.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in the city Saturday to attend the high-level UNGA session and will address world leaders on September 29.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, accompanied by Joint Secretary for UN Political in the Ministry of External Affairs Dinesh Patnaik, told reporters during a press briefing Sunday that priorities for India during the 73rd UNGA session will be reform of the multilateral system, climate action, sustainable development, peace and security.

If it is #UNGA ... then work starts early, even on Sunday.



Indias External Affairs Minister @SushmaSwaraj meets @WHO Director General @DrTedros to discuss global health issues.



(Note the gender sensitivity of both delegations) pic.twitter.com/zLm1csObNL  Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) September 23, 2018

"There are threats and challenges facing the multi-lateral system," Akbaruddin said adding that India agrees with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres assessment that multilateral remains as important as ever.

"We are by tradition and inclination multilateralists and we would be articulating our position on how we need to strengthen the multi-lateral system and move towards a reformed multilateral system," he said.

Responding to a question, Akbaruddin said it is quite obvious that multilateralism is not in good health.

"The Security Council is unable to move decisively on a whole range of issues. It's clear that great power rivalry has replaced great power cooperation," he said.

Emphasizing that multi-lateralism is under stress and being challenged, Akbaruddin said significant actors on the global platform are "disassociating" on very important areas of global interaction, whether migration or human rights, a veiled reference to the US withdrawing from the UN Global Compact on Migration and the UN Human Rights Council.

Further the finances of international organisations are becoming increasingly contested.

"All these are clearly indicators that multilateralism as was practiced previously is under stress, therefore we are advocating reformed multilateralism."

He added that one aspect of it is Security Council reform, which needs to be undertaken as otherwise there is no decision making in the 15-member body.

"Once this reform takes place, India will find its rightful place on the Security Council table."

Akbaruddin added that climate action and issues of health will be other focus areas for India, as the country has a 'good story to tell and narrative to articulate' on both the issues.

As the General Assembly addresses several issues of global health through landmark events during the week, including on non-communicable diseases, tuberculosis and universal health coverage, Akbaruddin said the ambitious health coverage scheme Ayushman Bharat launched by the Narendra Modi government has the attention of the entire global health fraternity.

Heads of State will participate at the first-ever high-level meeting on tuberculosis (TB) on September 26 to accelerate efforts in ending TB and reach all affected people with prevention and care.

On September 27, the UN General Assembly will stage the third High-level Meeting on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which will undertake a comprehensive review of the global and national progress achieved in putting measures in place that protect people from dying too young from heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes.

India is also among the early co-hosts of a high-level meeting organized by the US on counter narcotics.

"We are dedicated in this effort to combat the scourge of drugs," Akbaruddin said.

On the priority area of development, Akbaruddin said sustainable development is integral to India's approach to international cooperation.

He added that South-South cooperation is increasingly emerging as a major area of India's activity both in the UN but also in other areas, citing India's cooperation with Africa, with Pacific Island nations as well as the India-UN Development Partnership.

"Development cooperation for us also encompasses digital cooperation , which will be a major issue as we proceed during the course of this session.

India's other key priority area will be peace and security given that India is one of the largest troop contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions and has also lost the highest number of its peacekeepers in the line of duty.

India will be participating in a high-level meeting on Action for Peacekeeping convened by the Secretary General on September 25 to renew commitments to UN peacekeeping operations.

The objective of the Secretary-General's Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative launched on 28 March 2018, is to establish a shared understanding of the achievements and challenges of peacekeeping, as well as to renew the individual and collective commitments of Member States to strengthen peacekeeping operations on the ground.

The high-level event will serve as an opportunity to bring the international community together in pursuit of these goals.

The Declaration of Shared Commitments on UN Peacekeeping Operations, part of this initiative, is an unprecedented effort by the Secretary-General to renew political support for UN peacekeeping operations.By Online Desk

UNITED NATIONS: The recent killing of three policemen and a soldier in Kashmir and India's subsequent decision to cancel a proposed meeting with Pakistan likely to increase the heat between the warring neighbours with bitter rhetoric at the 73rd UN General Assembly sessions which will begin on Monday.

Addressing a news conference, Indian ambassador to UN Syed Akbaruddin said that 'one-trick pony (Pakistan)' can continue to rake the Kashmir issue at UN General Assembly. "If somebody else would like to be a one trick pony, it is for them to regurgitate and act. We've handled this act many times in past and are confident we'll be able to do it again," Indian ambassador to UN Syed Akbaruddin said when asked if Pakistan will raise the Kashmir issue at UNGA.

Akbaruddin said the UN General Assembly session is a global platform to address global issues, yet each country is sovereign and can do what they feel is in their best interests.

READ HERE | UNGA: Climate action, peace, security are key priorities for India

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj will see more action on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly (UNGA) session this week than in its chamber, as she keeps up a gruelling schedule of one-on-one meetings with some 30 leaders and participation in several multilateral meetings.

WATCH VIDEO

#WATCH If somebody else would like to be a one trick pony, it is for them to regurgitate&act.We've handled this act many times in past & are confident we'll be able to do it again: Indian Ambassador to UN Syed Akbaruddin on if Pakistan will raise Kashmir issue at #UNGA #NewYork pic.twitter.com/fwXfe35Tty  ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018

However, Sushma Swaraj and Qureshi will both be in the same room at the meetings of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc); the Commonwealth; G77 (the group of developing countries), and the Heart of Asia (a 15-member group stretching from Central and South Asia to Turkey).

Her formal address to the UNGA, at which she will lay out India's world view and its global agenda, is scheduled for Saturday during the morning session that will start at 9 a.m. (6.30 p.m. India time).

Listed as the fifth speaker, Sushma Swaraj was likely to speak after 7.15 p.m. India time.

Dinesh K. Patnaik, the Joint Secretary, UN Political, told reporters on Sunday that there have been 30 requests for bilateral meetings with Sushma Swaraj and she was scheduled to participate in eight meetings of groups.

In her roster of meetings in New York there would be one striking absence: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

India cancelled the meeting between them after terrorists killed three policemen in Kashmir and Pakistan issued stamps honouring terrorists including Burhan Wani -- which New Delhi said raised doubts about its commitment to ending terrorism.

Her meetings with leaders kicked off on Sunday when she met with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director General of the World Health Organisation, to discuss global health issues, which will feature prominently during the UNGA at two high-level events on Ending Tuberculosis and on Non-Communicable Diseases.

Away from world affairs, she met on Sunday with members of the Indian community at a meeting organised by the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin.

Sushma Swaraj will start the week participating in US President Donald Trump's Monday meeting on the Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem. India is among 124 countries co-sponsoring it.

That would be followed by a set of bilateral meetings with foreign ministers Pradeep Kumar Gyawa of Nepal, Nasser Bourita of Morocco, Aurelia Frick of Lichtenstein, Josep Borrell of Spain, Tsogtbaatar Damdin of Mongolia, Marise Payne of Australia, Jose Valencia of Ecuador, and Carlos Holmes Trujillo of Colombia, and with Federica Mogherini, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

Sushma Swaraj is scheduled to participate in the afternoon in the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit honouring the birth centenary of the South African freedom fighter and president.

During the week, she will also participate in meetings of the G4, a group made up of India, Japan, Germany and Brazil to advocate for expanding the permanent membership of the UN Security Council; IBSA, the India, Brazil and South Africa forum for cooperation; and BRICS, the group of emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

(with IANS inputs)By PTI

MUMBAI: Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, was taken to JJ Hospital from the Byculla jail here Monday, after she complained of restlessness, a doctor said.

Mukerjea, 46, was brought to the state-run hospital in central Mumbai around 7. 20 PM, after she complained of headache, double vision and restlessness, according to the doctor.

"She is the known case of hypertension andcervical spondylitis. Mukerjea's clinical evaluation and investigation is going on," he added.

Mukerjea, a former media executive, was briefly admitted to J J Hospital for the treatment of suspected drug overdose in April this year.

She is accused of killing her daughter Sheena (24) with the help of others in a car in April 2012.

According to the CBI, financial dispute was one of the reasons behind the killing.

The murder came to light in August 2015 after Mukerjea's then driver, Shyamvar Rai, arrested by police for possessing a firearm, disclosed it.Siba Mohanty By

The challenger might be enjoying a surge in popularity a week is a long time in politics, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson had famously said in 1964. Nothing can ring truer for Odisha politics at the moment with September providing the excitable twists and turns and keeping political players on the edge.

The month started with senior BJD leader and former minister Damodar Rout raising the hackles of the Naveen Patnaik Government by raking up serious corruption allegations coupled with daily outbursts against the party. The seven-time MLA from Pardip had been sidelined by party supremo Naveen who sacked him from the council of ministers as well as BJD vice-presidents post in December last year. But this sudden eruption on his part appeared as if he was desperately soliciting action against himself. As expected, the axe fell quickly and Rout joined the long list of political heavyweights like Bijay Mohapatra, Dilip Ray, late Nalinikanta Mohanty, Prafulla Ghadei and most recently Baijayant Panda who were unceremoniously shown the door from the party by Naveen.

However, the veteran did not appear to be someone who would quietly fade into the sunset. His corruption allegations were already causing a stir in the state. With the Assembly in session, the Opposition latched on to Routs allegations of the sapling scam along with financial irregularities in the Orissa State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation and Odisha State Cooperative Bank, and tried to put the government on the back foot.

Speculations of Damas (as he is popularly known) plans to bring together all the senior leaders and Biju Patnaik loyalists, who had been removed by Naveen, and forge a political front to challenge the BJD also gained momentum. Damas meeting with Baijayant, who quit the party in May this year, gave further credence to it. The buzz was that he was in contact with leaders like Bijay Mohapatra, Dilip Ray, former minister Prafulla Ghadai, former Union minister Braja Kishore Tripathy, etc., and a move to give shape to a new regional political outfit was in the offing.

Despite summarily dismissing the possibility of Dama being a potential challenger to Naveen or the BJD, there was a sense of discomfort within the party over the formers propensity to rake up controversies. And then Baijayant Panda happened! The former MP from Kendrapara was in the eye of a controversy over allegedly flying his chopper dangerously low over Chilika lagoon violating the Aircraft Rules  charges that have been vehemently denied by Panda. Even as the police lost no time in seizing the helicopter and registering cases against Panda and his two co-passengers, the haste shown in the action began to be questioned.

Panda, while protesting his innocence on the issue, seized the opportunity and resorted to victimhood posturing. And then, Abhijit Iyer-Mitra came into the picture. The strategic affairs writer was incidentally flown around the Chilika-Puri-Konark stretch on a sightseeing helicopter sortie by Panda but stirred the hornets nest when he posted a video and tweets poking fun at the Sun Temple in Konark.

As it sparked statewide outrage, political parties came together in a rare show of unity in not only condemning Iyer-Mitra but also going further to move a privilege motion against him in the Assembly, initiated by none other than Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra. Iyer-Mitra may have had no intention of being condescending towards Odias and their religious symbols or beliefs, but definitely crossed the line to offend sentiments. Once the voice of protests across different platforms reached a crescendo, he was arrested by Odisha police in Delhi and released on bail.

As things stand, a House Committee has been formed to probe Iyer-Mitras remarks against Odisha and Odias and there are plenty more fireworks in store. But the developments in recent days must have Naveen Patnaik and his government smiling. For, Abhijit has helped neutralise two big headaches for Naveen  the Dama flare-up has been doused and consigned to oblivion while Baijayant by virtue of being his host has been besmirched with the unholy association. To complete Wilsons statement, theres still time before the elections. And, Naveens apple-cart is steady.

Siba Mohanty

Deputy Resident Editor, Odisha

Email: sibamohanty@newindianexpress.comRicha Sharma By

Express News Service

Here's a look at the bullet train project that is struggling to take off because of various issues, including land acquisition. The project has already been delayed and its deadline extended by over two years.

PALGHAR/VAPI (MAHARASHTRA/GUJARAT): Rupji Dhinde, a tribal from Dehne village in Maharashtras Palghar district, is a worried man. His repeated visits to the offices of the district collector and tehsildar to inquire about a land acquisition notice for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project have yielded no results, so far. None of the officials could give him details about land to be acquired and route alignment.

I will never travel in a bullet (train), so why should I give my land for a project that is being constructed for the rich? The government has technology and money. The entire stretch should be built underground without disturbing farmers, said Dhinde, signalling towards the concrete markings left behind by a survey team on his small plot.

Dhinde is not alone. The Prime Ministers dream project is giving sleepless nights to over 5,400 people, one-third of them living below the poverty line, in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Many of them stand to lose either land holdings or houses.

PART II | Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project hit by delays, court cases

Racing against time are officials of the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), the implementing agency of the `1.08 lakh crore project, as the land acquisition deadline of December 2018 nears. As per NHSRCL data, only 0.9 hectares of the 1,400 hectares of required land has been acquired so far.

Beginning from Thane in Maharashtra, The Sunday Standard travelled along the 508-km corridor, passing through Palghar and Boisar in Maharashtra and Vapi, Valsad, Surat, Vadodara and Anand in Gujarat.

The proposed corridor traverses through small villages surrounded by paddy fields in Maharashtra and those falling under the fruit belt in south Gujarat. Dadra and Nagar Haveli lies mid-way.

In villages of Thane district, there is stiff resistance from farmers and landowners. Residents of Bharodi village complained about losing land to multiple projects. The land was already acquired or is in the process of acquisition for other projects, including the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, National Highway 8 expansion, Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway and a dedicated freight corridor.

PART III: Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project to hit wildlife sanctuaries, CRZ areas

Another complaint is that there is confusion over the alignment of the bullet train route. They are allegedly not provided with documents or any specific detail about how much of their land will be taken away the compensation in lieu of their acquired land, and rehabilitation.

Often, teams found surreptitiously carrying out land markings and measurements were held up by angry villagers at panchayat offices for hours. This correspondent was witness to one such instance in Bharodi.

They enter our land without permission. Isnt it against the law? It seems authorities are testing the patience of the Agari community, forcing us to come out on to the streets, said Bharodi sarpanch Sunanda Neelkanth Patil as she demanded a written apology from the NHSRCL team which came for electrical work for the proposed track. The incident was video graphed and shown live on Facebook. Villagers even took an apology letter from the team as a proof.

The lack of clarity and threat from government officials and police have led to resentment among villagers. Many gram panchayats have passed resolutions against land acquisition.

Replies to RTI queries about the project are vague. People dont know how much land, and whose farms will go. The public hearing was a farce and officials could not answer questions posed by villagers, said advocate Bhardwaj L Chowdhury, who has lost his land to infrastructure projects in the past.

Advocate Bhardwaj L Chowdhury said: The two public hearings, held on May 2 and June 2, finished abruptly, with officials assuring to provide more details on social impact assessment. We are still waiting for it. They circulated a 12-page brief which contained no information.

One-third of affected people are BPL families

The project is giving sleepless nights to over 5,400 people, one-third of them living below the poverty line. Many of them stand to lose either land holdings or houses. The proposed corridor traverses through small villages and paddy fields in Maharashtra and those falling under the fruit belt in south Gujarat.

This correspondent also faced a similar situation as emails to the NHSRCL went unanswered.

However, the Japan International Cooperation Agency responded to queries.

Land acquisition will need to comply with the JICA guidelines, it said to a query on the protests. The JICA added that it was not aware of the delay in land acquisition at this point. Regarding written representation about grievances, the Japanese funding agency said: We have responded to whatever query given in writing to the sender of the letter.

In Gujarat, the only major difference is a change in landholdings  small plots cultivated by tribals give way to big farmlands.

Concerns related to land acquisition are more or less similar. The project is likely to impact 163 villages in eight districts of the state.

Billimora, where one of the 12 train stations will come up, is known for mango and sapota (chikoo) farming. Villagers are clueless as to why a station is planned in the midst of fertile agricultural land at Kesli village in Navsari district, which is far away from the industrial area and 7-8 km away from National Highway-8.

We all are tense and remain alert to track any team that comes for the survey. The land is our only source of income. Our forefathers have lived here for ages. We are farmers and if they take our land, where will we get it. The price they are offering is the official market rate, which is several times lesser than actual market rates, said Dharmesh Patel, a Kesli resident who is set to lose seven acres of land on which stands his house and farm.By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Congress Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao has found fault with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidus remarks that the Congress is also supporting special category status (SCS).

Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, he said, The fact is it is the Congress which has been striving and fighting for SCS from day one.

Naidu, who was not in favour of special category status till a year ago, is now trying to project himself as the ultimate champion of the cause and take credit of all the struggles made for SCS in the State, he observed, and asked the TDP chief not to distort history.

Rao gave a powerpoint presentation before media on what happened since the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced to give SCS to AP on the floor of the Rajya Sabha in 2014, various agitations and efforts of the Congress and party chief Rahul Gandhis assurance time and again to accord SCS to AP once the Congress comes to power at the Centre.

READ| AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu begins early hunt for 2019 candidates

He also explained the U-turns made by Naidu on SCS from 2014 till recently when the latest resolution was passed in the State Assembly on SCS.

Naidu has welcomed the special package in lieu of SCS and even questioned as to why some people are describing SCS as a panacea for all problems in the State. A resolution was even passed in State Assembly thanking Modi Sarkar for granting the special package. However, just a year after, another resolution was passed in the Assembly demanding SCS, he pointed out.

He wondered as to what allure does package has for Naidu, as he always prefers them.

Referring to the Naidus often repeated complaint against the Congress - irrational bifurcation, the senior Congress leader sought to know what the TDP chief did in the last four and half years to correct the same as his party too was part of the Union government.

Rao also wrote a three-page letter to the CM questioning his frequent changing stance and detailing the efforts of the Congress on SCS. He also attached the letters of the TDP to the Centre before the State bifurcation, letters to PM Modi after announcement of special package in lieu of SCS and the resolution of Central Cabinet at the time of State bifurcation on SCS.

He, said he welcomes the changed stance of Naidu. He requested the Chief Minister to withdraw the cases foisted against those who were protesting for SCS and also lend a helping hand to families of those like Muni Koti in Tirupati, who sacrificed their lives for the cause.

Rao, when questioned about the Cong-TDP alliance in TS, said no one can surpass Naidu in taking advantage of the circumstances and pointed out at his partys alliance with the BJP, whom he once threatened with serious action if he sets foot in Hyderabad following Gujarat riots.Harish Gilai By

Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM: In a surprise attack, a group of CPI (Maoist) members shot dead Araku MLA Kideri Sarveswara Rao and his close associate and former MLA Siveri Soma, both belonging to the ruling TDP, at Lipittuputtu village in Tottangi Panchayat, Dumbriguda mandal, Visakhapatnam Agency, on Sunday.

This is the biggest such Maoist attack in AP in decades.

The incident occurred when the two leaders were on way to the interior tribal village, about 15 km from Araku valley and 20 km from the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB), to attend the TDPs Grama Darshini programme. Sarveswara Rao is survived by his wife and two sons.

About 40 to 50 armed Maoists along with their action team that specialises in attacks, intercepted the legislator and his followers vehicles at Lipittuputtu around 12 pm. Eyewitnesses, including K Chitti Babu, driver of Siveri Soma, told reporters that the Maoists surrounded their vehicles and ordered them to get down before forcibly taking away the MLA and the former MLA to a nearby place.

Mortal remains of Araku TDP MLA who was shot dead by Maoists at Dunbriguda in #Visakhapatnam agency is being taken to Paderu to perform final rituals@NewIndianXpress @Kalyan_TNIE pic.twitter.com/yIzEeXPIlM  Harish Gilai (@Harish_TNIE) September 24, 2018

The Maoists confiscated the weapons of the MLAs gunmen. They tied the hands of the MLA and the former MLA and took them to an isolated spot. After speaking to them for about 30 minutes, they opened fire. We heard gunshots. We were unable to step forward as we were surrounded with the Maoists pointing guns at us. They threatened to shoot us if we dared move, Chitti Babu explained.

The attack sent shockwaves throughout the police establishment, which had hitherto been claiming to have neutralised the Maoist menace in the State. Soon after the attack, the Maoists reportedly returned to the Odisha side of the AOB.

Later in the afternoon, DIG (Visakha Range) Ch Srikanth put up a brave face, claiming they had been on alert and had even sent alerts to the rural police in view of the CPI (Maoist) Formation Week celebrations, which began on September 21. Police sources unofficially claimed that the legislator did not inform them of his visit to the interior village.

Terming the attack unfortunate, Srikanth also recalled that they had advised all local leaders, especially in the Agency area, to be cautious and asserted that steps were being taken to avoid further Maoist violence.



Holding the police responsible for the death of the two leaders, their enraged followers attacked Dumbriguda and Araku police stations, and set them on fire. They also thrashed the police personnel who took to their heels and destroyed police vehicles. The entire region was tense when reports last came in. Sarveswara Rao, who won as YSRC MLA in the 2014 elections, defected to the TDP in April 2016. He was appointed government whip in November 2017. Former MLA Siveri Soma won on a TDP ticket from Araku in 2009.

The reason for the attack on Sarveswara Rao is yet to be ascertained by the police, but it is a known fact that he had received several threats from Maoists in the last four years over bauxite mining in the Agency area as well as a black metal quarry in Paderu region that belongs to B Rajendra Prasad, his brother-in-law. There have been allegations that mining was causing health problems to the tribals and damaging houses apart from 150 acres of cultivable land, which turned barren with borewells drying up. The Maoists had, in their threat letters to him, accused him of diverting/using up water for the quarry. Following the attack, the Maoists did not issue any letter claiming responsibility.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and DGP RP Thakur, who are on a visit to the US, expressed shock over the incident. ADG (Law & Order) Harish Kumar Gupta rushed to Visakhapatnam from Vijayawada to review the situation. Additional forces have been rushed and combing operations launched in the Agency area to nab the Maoists.By Express News Service

BENGALURU: The Congress leadership seems to have had enough of its legislators tantrums, especially as some MLAs impromptu trips are leading to more speculation. AICC general secretary and Karnataka in-charge K C Venugopal on Sunday issued a warning to MLAs looking to create trouble for the party that blackmail tactics would not be tolerated.

As far as the party is concerned, we have confidence in our MLAs. But if anybody is misusing (their post), the party is strong enough to tackle it. Threatening or blackmailing is unacceptable. We know the ground realities. If there are independent incidents, we will verify them, he said while briefing the press after a meeting of all district unit presidents and office-bearers.

Venugopals stern message comes in the wake of speculation over three MLAs visiting Tamil Nadu on Saturday and at a time when party insiders claim that a section of dissenting MLAs, including the Jarkiholi brothers, want G Parameshwara replaced as the deputy chief minister.

Shortly after this statement, Venugopal met M T B Nagaraj, a dissenting MLA aspiring to be inducted in the state cabinet. A day after their impromptu trip to Tamil Nadu, Sudhakar and M T B Nagaraj clarified that they had no intentions of leaving the party.

Amid worries of a cabinet expansion fuelling further dissent in the party, minister Shivananda Patil on Sunday said that he was willing to resign from the cabinet if asked by the high command.Venugopals warning also comes in the background of some senior party leaders deeming the attempt of some MLAs to pressurise the party as mere posturing.By Express News Service

MYSURU: Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa Srinivas and three others suffered injuries, after a car they were traveling in, met with a freak mishap here on Monday.

Apart from Darshan, actors Devaraj, his son Prajwal Devaraj and their friend have sustained injuries and are admitted at Columbia Asia Hospital at the outer-ring road junction on Mysuru-Bengaluru road.

According to VV Puram traffic police sources, the car rammed into a divider near a curve at JSS Urban Haat junction close to the ring road, at about 3 am.

Darshan who suffered a fracture in his right hand also underwent a surgery and is shifted to intensive care (ICU) at the hospital. The condition of others who suffered injuries is also learnt to be stable.

However, it is still not known who was at the wheels at the time of the mishap. Moreover, the car involved in the mishap is also yet to be traced by the police, as it has been shifted elsewhere.By Express News Service

IDUKKI: With the Neelakurinji at the Eravikulam National Park in Idukki blooming splendidly, tourists have started flocking to the misty hills to witness natures amazing marvel, which happens once in 12 years.

Despite the rain ravage in Munnar last month, the flowers bloomed across its hill stations, including at Rajamala, Kolukkumala, Kottakamboor, Vattavada and Kanthalloor, making small-scale vendors, businessmen and other stakeholders, particularly the Tourism Department, enthusiastic.

The collapse of the Periyavara Bridge, which connects Munnar with the Eravikulam Park, had prevented the tourists from visiting it. Besides, the restriction imposed by the District Collector on the tourism sector too was a reason.

After the restriction was lifted, tourists started reaching the hill station, with the District Tourism Promotion Council and Munnar Hotels and Resorts Association taking efforts to attract tourists. As per the Forest Department data, more than 25,000 tourists visited the park in the past five days. To avoid long queues of tourists, weve decided to open two more ticket counters, at Old Munnar and Karimutty, on Monday, Munnar wildlife warden R Lakshmi. KSRTC will start minibus service from Munnar to Rajamala from Monday.

Plucking is punishable

The Forest Department has decided to impose a penalty on those who try to uproot or pluck flowers from the park. At least 12 people have been caught so far. Strict instruction has been given to all the officers to tackle the stealing of kurinji, said Munnar wildlife warden R Lakshmi.By Express News Service

KOCHI: Rough seas and bad weather on Sunday thwarted efforts to rescue injured Indian Navy commander Abhilash Tomy, whose yacht was dismasted in a storm mid-way across the south Indian ocean on Friday. Tomy, who is representing India at the Golden Globe Race (GGR), is immobile due to a back injury.

ALSO READ | Hit by storm, Commander Abhilash Tomy suffers back injury

Amid growing concerns about his health, a Navy spokesman, however, had some positive news. Tomy shall be picked up in the next 16 hours (by Monday evening) by French vessel Osiris. The 39-year-old will then be shifted to Australian Naval ship HMAS Ballarat, which has left Perth to bring him. Though the Indian Navys P8i aircraft had established visual contact with Tommys vessel S V Thuriya on Sunday, rough seas  with waves as high as 10-12 ft  and heavy clouding kept rescuers from reaching him. The boat was damaged, with the mast hanging on the side.

The Navy officer is approximately 1,900 nautical miles from Perth and 2,700 nautical miles from Cape Comorin. The earliest arrival of the Indian Navy ship INS Satpura his location would only be by Friday.

The capability of our P8i has been a humongous force multiplier, who has given us and the Australian MRCC a huge input into the state of Thuriya for planning purposes, said the Navy spokesman.

Tomy safe on boat, immobile due to back injury, says Navy

The Indian Naval Defence attache is in Australia, camping at the regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). Meanwhile, the Australian Rescue Coordination centre at Canberra is coordinating the mission in conjunction with many agencies, including the Australian Defence Department and the Indian Navy.Continuous watch over the boat is being maintained by the Indian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force till rescue is completed, said the Indian Navy spokesman.

Regarding the health condition of Tomy, the spokesman said the officer in his last text message had indicated he is safe on the boat. However, he is immobile due to the back injury. Tomy was representing India in the Golden Globe Race 2018 on an indigenously-built sailing vessel S V Thuriya. The Kochi native, who became the first Indian to have circumnavigated the globe in 2013, is the only Indian participating in the race.

Tomys vessel was dismasted in extremely rough weather and sea conditions, with wind speeds of 130 kmph, on Friday. At the time of the incident, he was in third position and had sailed over 10,500 nautical miles since the race began on July 1.The prestigious Golden Globe Race was flagged off from Les Sables dOlonne, France, on July 1. A total of 18 sailors were in the starting line-up.

ALSO READ | Injured officer Abhilash Tomy located by Navy, rescue efforts on

Special invitee

Commander Tomy was a special invitee at the race, which is being held to commemorate 50 years of Sir Robin Knox-Johnstons successful completion of the solo, unassisted and non-stop circumnavigation in 312 days.Competitors will have sailing conditions similar to 1968, without modern navigation aids.By Express News Service

KOTTAYAM: Recording a history of first bishop in the country to be jailed on charges of rape, former Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal has been lodged in sub jail, Pala on Monday, after Judicial First Class Magistrate court here remanded him to judicial custody till October 6.

The special investigation team probing the rape complaint filed against him by a nun at Missionaries of Jesus Congregation under Latin Catholic diocese of Jalandhar, produced bishop Mulakkal before the Judicial First Magistrate K S Lakshmi at 1 pm following his police custody ended on Friday. Wrapping up the court proceedings in 10 minutes, judge remanded bishop Mulakkal till October 6.

Before taking him to the sub jail, the police took him to General Hospital, Pala to conduct medical test amid tight police bundobust. The police team brought him to the sub jail by 2.25 pm and lodged him at Cell No. 3 as remand prisoner No. 5968, where bishop has to share the space with two other prisoners.

Since the bishop did not seek any special consideration in jail, he was not given any additional facilities like cot, bed or anything else. Earlier, police conducted a medical examination of the bishop at Police Club, Kottayam before heading to the court by 12.20 pm.

Bishop Mulakkal spent the previous night in the police club, after he was taken to evidence collection on Sunday. Bishop Mulakkal was arrested by the special investigation team led by Vaikom DySP K Subhash on Friday night.

Now, the police are making all-out efforts to submit a fool-proof charge sheet in the case sooner than later. Though, the investigation team has 90 days period to submit the charge sheet, they can file it much earlier as the police completed a majority of investigation process before arresting bishop Mulakkal. At the same time, police is also planning to collect maximum evidences against bishop before filing charge sheet and hence they also seeking options to conduct a polygraph test to bishop Mulakkal.By Express News Service

KALPETTA: A nun who participated in the agitation demanding Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkals arrest has been barred from church activities, including teaching the Bible and offering Holy Communion. Sister Lucy Kalappura of Mananthavady Diocese has been taking catechism classes for Class X students and also engaging in various activities of St Marys Church, Karakkamala, in Wayanad, for the past three years.

Lucy had joined the protest outside the Kerala High Court, demanding the arrest of Bishop Franco for allegedly raping a nun. After he was arrested on Saturday, the fortnight-long protest was called off.

Lucy told Express: I dont know why such an action was initiated against me. I wish to know whats the mistake I committed. I reached the convent on Sunday around 5.30 am. Thats when I was informed by the Mother Superior that Ive been removed from all religious duties.

ALSO READ | Nuns stand by Sister Lucy targeted by Church for supporting rape survivor

Lucy, however, has not received any written notice in this regard. At the protest venue in Kochi, Lucy had said the Church should be prepared to correct itself if any lapses had occurred, and extended her unwavering support to the nuns seeking justice in the case. She has also been speaking to journalists about the case.

The Church had maintained utter silence when the complaint against the bishop surfaced and in the days that followed. But it took no time in reacting to my participation in the agitation, she added.

Disturbance to the believers forced move against Sr Lucy

An official statement issued on Sunday by St Marys Church vicar Fr Stephen Kottakkal refuted reports that the Catholic Church has taken disciplinary action against the nun for taking part in the stir demanding the bishops arrest.The congregation cant take action against Sister Lucy. Neither can I. In recent times, her writings and posts on social media and her participation in media discussions have been causing much disturbance to the believers. She has been taking Bible classes for children here. Parents have informed me over the phone and in person that they dont want Sister Lucy to give them the Holy Communion or teach their children. I had apprised Mother Superior of this who in turn informed Sister Lucy, Fr Stephen said in the statement.

As the church vicar, I only tried to inform her the general sentiment that has evolved among the believers and the community. The Church hasnt imposed any restrictions on her, the priest added. Sister Lucy has been facing attack for quite some time from a section of social media users over her Facebook posts supporting the agitating nuns. On September 13, she had filed a complaint with Panamaram police in this regard.By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR:Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched his visionary healthcare programme Aayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) with a target to cover 50 crore population, Odisha Government claimed that the State has a better health assurance scheme that will be a model for all.

Odisha is one among five States that have refused to implement the Central scheme till their concerns are addressed. Other States which have rejected the scheme are Telangana, Kerala, Punjab and Delhi.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena said Odishas revolutionary Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), already launched over a month back, is a complete State-funded scheme unlike the PMJAY.

Ours is different and better than the Central scheme. We are first to launch the healthcare scheme as an assurance model. The PMJAY is not completely Government-funded and is an insurance model which benefits insurance companies. Most importantly, BSKY covers both OPD and IPD patients while PMJAY covers only IPD patients, he said.

Odisha is opposing Aayushman Bharat scheme since the very beginning as the Centre refused the States demand to include nearly 10 lakh left out families who are entitled for the benefits provided under the plan.

The BSKY would benefit around 70 lakh families. People irrespective of income status and residence can avail all procedures including in-patient beds, surgeries, OT and ICU facility provided in public health facilities free of cost. This is going to be a game-changer initiative as entire population of the State can be benefited. But such facility is not available in PMJAY, Jena said.

As per the National Health Profile 2018, out-of-pocket expenditure contributes nearly 95 per cent of the total household health expenditures while insurance contributes only five per cent.Since out-of-pocket expenditure made directly by individuals at healthcare facilities are not covered under any financial protection scheme, we decided to make the scheme completely State-funded so that beneficiaries would not have to pay a single rupee for treatment, Jena added.Hemant Kumar Rout By

Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR:India on Sunday scripted history by successfully conducting first night trial of its indigenously developed Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system in salvo mode from a defence facility off Odisha coast.Defence sources said the hot standby interceptor missile capable of destroying enemy weapon system at high altitude of above 100 km was flight tested at about 8.05 pm against a target missile fired from a warship anchored in Bay of Bengal.

The made-in-India anti-ballistic missile, dubbed as Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV), blasted off from the launching complex-IV of Abdul Kalam Island a few minutes after the target, a modified version of Prithvi ballistic missile, took off from the warship.It is a significant milestone achieved in the direction of developing a two-layered BMD system. Both target and interceptor were successfully flight tested. The data generated during the trial is being analysed, said a defence official.

After the target missile was fired in an automated operation, the radar-based system detected and tracked the ballistic missile. The computer network with the help of data received from radars predicted the trajectory of the incoming ballistic missile and provided requisite command to fire the interceptor missile. Both the PDV interceptor and the two-stage target missile equipped with motors have been specially developed for the BMD mission. The target has been developed for mimicking a hostile ballistic missile approaching from more than 2000 km away.

The test of the next generation state-of-the-art interceptor missile, developed by DRDO, was aimed at engaging the target in the exo-atmosphere region. All events were monitored in real-time by telemetry and range stations at various locations.The DRDO has been focusing on high altitude interceptor missile because of its advantage. If an incoming missile is intercepted at a high altitude, the debris would not fall on the ground and there would be no collateral damage, the official informed.

It was the third test of PDV. While the interceptor missile was first tested on April 27 2014, the second trial was conducted on February 11 last year.With the anti-ballistic missile system, India has entered an exclusive club of four nations which have a robust BMD system. The other three countries are US, Russia and Israel.By PTI

CHENNAI: BJP's Tamil Nadu unit President Tamilisai Soundararjan Monday said she has 'nominated' Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Nobel Peace Prize for launching the "world's largest" health scheme.

Her husband, Professor Dr P Soundarajan, Head of Department and Senior Consultant in Nephrology at a private university, has also nominated Modi for Nobel, a press release from the state BJP chief's office said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize 2019 for launching the world's largest health care schemePradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana- Ayushman Bharat by Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan." the release said.

The "path-breaking initiative" of the "visionary" Prime Minister, launched Sunday, will transform the lives of millions of people, especially the underprivileged and vulnerable, it said.

"The last date for Nomination for Nobel Peace Prize 2019 is January 31, 2019. The nomination processes start in September each year. University Professors and Members of Parliament among others can also nominate our Prime Minister," the release added.

Please join me in nominating our visionary PM Modiji for Nobel Peace Prize 2019 for Launching the World's Largest Health Care Program#AyushmanBharat-"Pradhan mantri Jan arogya Yojana " which ensures access to quality Healthcare services for the underprivileged @PMOIndia @JPNadda  Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan (@DrTamilisaiBJP) September 24, 2018

Modi rolled out the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)-Ayushman Bharat, and had termed it a "game-changer initiative to serve the poor".

It was the 'biggest' government-sponsored healthcare scheme in the world, he had said, adding "the number of beneficiaries is almost equal to the population of Canada, Mexico and the US taken together."By Associated Press

WASHINGTON: Farmers across the United States will soon begin receiving government checks as part of a billion-dollar bailout to buoy growers experiencing financial strain from President Donald Trump's trade disputes with China.

But even those poised for big payouts worry it won't be enough. And while support for Trump is near unwavering in the heartland, some growers say that with the November election nearing, such disappointing aid outcomes could potentially affect their vote.

ALSO READ | China cancels trade talks with US: Wall Street Journal

"It's pretty obvious that the rural agriculture communities helped elect this administration, but the way things are going I believe farmers are going to have to vote with their checkbook when it comes time," said Kevin Skunes, a corn and soybean grower from Arthur, North Dakota and president of the National Corn Growers Association.

Corn farmers get the smallest slice of the aid pie. Corn groups estimate a loss of 44 cents per bushel, but they're poised to receive just a single penny per bushel.

Donald Trump. (Photo | AFP)

"If these issues haven't been resolved, there could be a change in the way farmers vote," Skunes said. "A person has to consider all things."

Farmers are already feeling the impact of Trump's trade tiffs with China and other countries. China has hit back hard, responding with its own set of tariffs on U.S. agricultural products and other goods.

The Trump administration is providing up to $12 billion in emergency relief funds for American farmers, with roughly $6 billion in an initial round. The three-pronged plan includes $4.7 billion in payments to corn, cotton, soybean, dairy, pork and sorghum farmers. The rest is for developing new foreign markets for American-grown commodities and purchasing more than two dozen select products, including certain fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, meat and dairy.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced last month that soybean growers will get the largest checks, at $1.65 per bushel for a total of $3.6 billion. China is the world's leading buyer of American soybeans, purchasing roughly 60 percent of the U.S. crop. But since Beijing imposed a 25 percent tariff on soybean, imports prices have plunged.

ALSO READ | Trade war escalates as China announces tariffs on US imports

The lack of initial detail about how the calculations were made left farmers scratching their heads.

Asked about the confusion, Rob Johansson, the Agriculture Department's chief economist, responded that the USDA took into account a number of factors "including the share of production that is exported and the value of trade directly affected by the retaliatory tariffs."

"The level of damage is not the same for each commodity," he said in a written response to questions submitted by The Associated Press.

He estimated that there would be more than 784,000 applications for relief.

The USDA has since released a detailed analysis of how the department made its calculations.

The breakdown has stunned corn and wheat farmers who say the payments are uneven and won't do much of anything to help keep struggling farms afloat.

ALSO READ | US companies in China say tariffs are hurting: survey

A lobbying group that represents wheat growers is challenging the way the administration determined payments for wheat farmers, who are set to receive 14 cents a bushel. Chandler Goule, CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers, said the USDA assumed U.S. wheat would be sold to China this year when it made its calculations. But the assumption was flawed, he said.

China typically makes its requests for American wheat between March and June. U.S. wheat farmers have sold, on average, 20 million bushels of wheat to China over the past three years. But none came this year, Goule said, as Trump escalated his threatening rhetoric on trade with Beijing. He hopes the per-bushel rate for wheat goes up if there's a second round of payments.

"I am very certain that we will not sell any wheat to China this year," Goule said. "The window we sell in has come and gone."

The response among farmers has been mixed. While some are grateful for the help, most are eager for the trade disputes to be quickly resolved.

"Nobody wants to have an aid package. I mean, if you're a farmer you're in the business of producing a crop. We just want a fair price for it," said Joel Schreurs, a soybean and corn producer near Tyler in southwestern Minnesota who sits on the board of both the American Soybean Association and the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association.

ALSO READ | Donald Trump's China tariffs will hit our products hard: Apple

His personal operation is about 1,000 acres. He farms an additional 500 acres with his son-in-law and other relatives. He estimates that the tariffs would cost him $40,000 to $50,000 in lost income and that he would get $16,000 to $20,000 in emergency aid.

Schreurs worries that it will be hard for farmers to get back the buyers they'll lose as a result of the trade wars. "And in the short term we have to find another home for those beans, otherwise they're going to pile up and it will keep prices depressed," he said.

In the Midwest, growers typically farm both corn and soybeans. Those farmers would get payments for both under the program, which began sign-ups Sept. 4.

Perdue said checks could start going out as soon as the end of September for crops that have already been harvested; payouts are based on yield.

In a recent C-SPAN interview, Perdue said he understands growers' frustrations.

"Farmers always live in unpredictable times," he said. "They're very resilient, but obviously the longer trade issues go on the longer it bears on them regarding what is the future."

Jack Maloney says corn farmers will be getting so little in bailout aid that for roughly 200,000 bushels of corn a farmer would get only about $2,000 for their losses.

"That's not even beer money," said the Brownsburg, Indiana, corn and soybean grower.

Maloney, 62, began farming full time in 1978 and now has two employees. He said some fellow farmers are angry and upset.

"Agriculture has always been the butt of all the trade wars," he said, adding that this isn't the first time he's seen trade disruptions affect the agricultural markets.

Maloney said he had already cut back on expenses during the past three years and hasn't taken a paycheck from his farm for more than a year because of tough times before the trade war began. He said the recent tumult has dashed hopes for stabilizing agricultural markets anytime soon.

"We were seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel  the markets were improving a little," he said, "and then this tariff thing happened and this trade war."

Daniel Weinand worries the market downturn could be the death knell for his farm. Weinand, 30, grows corn, canola and yellow peas on 900 acres of rented land near Hazen, North Dakota. He said he expects to reap about 30,000 bushels of corn, and to receive about $300 in aid.

"A penny a bushel on corn, it's not that it's entirely worthless. But it almost is," he said. "I don't know how many more years I can weather."By AFP

RIO DE JANERIO: As Brazil's general elections approach, a new social network is gaining traction aimed at giving greater visibility to black candidates while highlighting anti-racism initiatives in the country tainted by racial prejudice.

Black & Black, which has 100,000 users -- in a population of more than 200 million -- aims to "connect the demands and narratives of the world's black population" and to ensure that "black people get the prominence they deserve."

Brazil was the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery in 1888, and after centuries of racial mixing in Brazil, 55 percent of Brazil's population is either black or mixed race, according to the IBGE institute of statistics.

But the black community has historically lacked a uniting factor, according to Luana Genot, executive director at ID_BR, a charity that helps black people find work.

"The situation is different in the United States, for example, where the legal separation of races contributed to uniting the black community," said Genot.

Enter Black & Black, which allows the black community to share news, job offers, cultural activities and services.

"Black movements, women who talk about black beauty, black dances, afro religion... We can have different interests, but there's one thing that unites us: the feeling of being black," Celso Athayde, the network's creator, told AFP.

Crucially, it's also a space to get stuck into politics, facilitating exchanges with black candidates for October's legislative and gubernatorial elections.

Under the government of now-jailed socialist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from 2003-10, quota measures were introduced to increase the numbers of black people attending university or working in the public sector.

Those measures were criticized by conservatives, and notably right-wing presidential front-runner Jair Bolsonaro.

Under-representation



Still, black or mixed race people make up only 20 percent of representatives in the lower chamber of Congress -- although 46 percent of candidates are black or mixed race in the campaign for October's legislative, gubernatorial and state assembly elections being.

That doesn't mean they will win a seat, Athayde says.

"Blacks are not elected because you need financial resources for that and they don't have them because they're not employers," he said.

He added the under-representation of blacks in Congress is due to a lack of policies favoring the community.

"If you only have white men (in Congress), they will only think about what interests themselves," he said.

The problems aren't confined to politics: of business management positions, non-whites make up just five percent.

Athayde says businesses in general are missing an opportunity to tap into a market that offers huge commercial possibilities.

According to the Locomotiva Institute pollster, black consumption in 2017 was worth 1.6 trillion reals ($336 billion), around 20 percent of GDP.

On Black & Black, businesses selling products specifically for black people can communicate directly with their target market.

Athayde hopes to use the platform to mobilize black people to boycott businesses they consider racist.

"Right now, no-one's afraid of us. We need to strike a bit of fear and I think this platform is starting to enable us to do that. If blacks unite, things will start to change."By AFP

NEW YORK: Donald Trump on Sunday flew to New York ahead of this week's gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, and announced he would meet with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the evening.

"Going to New York. Will be with Prime Minister Abe of Japan tonight, talking Military and Trade. We have done much to help Japan, would like to see more of a reciprocal relationship. It will all work out!" he tweeted before his helicopter landed in Wall Street at around 5:45 pm (2145 GMT).

READ| At UN General Assembly, unrepentant Donald Trump set to rattle foes, friends alike

North Korea and Iran are set to dominate the UN General Assembly, where Trump will be in the spotlight as he continues to upend global diplomacy.

After warming up to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and ditching the Iran nuclear deal, the unpredictable Trump takes the podium on Tuesday to face foes and increasingly uneasy allies.

On Wednesday, he will for the first time chair a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation and weapons of mass destruction that will focus heavily on Iran -- likely triggering a clash with other big powers.By Associated Press

BLADENBORO: Florence is by no means done swamping the Carolinas, where rivers remain high above flood stage and thousands of people were told to plan to leave their homes Monday.

About 6,000 to 8,000 people in Georgetown County, South Carolina, were alerted to be prepared to evacuate potential flood zones ahead of a "record event" of up to 10 feet (3 meters) of flooding, which is expected to begin Tuesday near parts of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers, county spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

S.C. Highway 22 is flooded between SC-90 and SC-905 on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. The blocked road has traffic snarled around Conway, S.C. (Photo | AP)

Residents along the Waccamaw were bracing for water expected to peak Wednesday at 22 feet (6.7 meters) near Conway. That's twice the normal flood stage, and far higher than the previous record of 17.9 feet (5.5 meters), according to charts published by the National Weather Service on Monday.

The Cape Fear and Neuse rivers also remain swollen, and aren't expected to return to normal levels until October, the charts show.

ALSO READ | Hurricane Florence: Swelling rivers and fresh evacuation orders, North Carolina struggles

The county's emergency management director, Sam Hodge, said in a video message posted online that authorities are closely watching river gauges, and law enforcement would be going door to door in any threatened areas.

"From boots on the ground to technology that we have, we are trying to be able to get the message out," Hodge said, warning people not to wait for an official evacuation order if they begin to feel unsafe.

Parts of Interstate 40 are expected to remain underwater for another week or more, and hundreds of smaller roads remain impassable, but there was some good news: Interstate 95 was reopened to all traffic Sunday night for the first time since the floods, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced.

Flooding of the Little Pee Dee River is nearing the crest in Brittons Neck, S.C., but many residents are concerned that the floodwaters will increase damage to their community, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. (Photo | AP)

Floodwaters already receding on one stretch of Interstate 40 left thousands of rotting fish on the pavement for firefighters to clean up. Video showed firefighters blasting the dead fish off the highway with a fire hose in Pender County in eastern North Carolina. The local fire department posted online: "We can add 'washing fish off of the interstate' to the long list of interesting things firefighters get to experience."

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Michael Sprayberry said major flooding is continuing in eastern counties along the Black, Lumber, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers.

"Florence continues to bring misery to North Carolina," Cooper said in a statement Sunday evening. He added that crews conducted about 350 rescues over the weekend and that travel remains treacherous in the southeastern area of his state. But he said National Guard members would be shifting next to more door-to-door and air search wellness checks on people in still-flooded areas.

The storm has claimed at least 43 lives since slamming into the coast Sept. 14.

In Washington, lawmakers are considering almost $1.7 billion in new money for disaster relief and recovery, even as they face a deadline this week to fund the government before the Oct. 1 start of the new budget year.

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said the money would be available as grants to states to help rebuild housing and public works, as well as assist businesses as they recover. GOP Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey called it "a first round" and said lawmakers are ready to act quickly if the federal disaster relief agency also needs more money.

Maura Walbourne sits in the front of a canoe looking in at her flooded Long Avenue home as David Covington wades through the wreckage in Conway, S.C. Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018 The Sherwood Drive area of Conway began to look like a lake on Sunday as homes were submerged deeper than ever in flood waters that have already set historic records.

(Photo | AP)

An economic research firm estimated that Florence has caused around $44 billion in damage and lost output, which would make it one of the 10 costliest U.S. hurricanes. The worst disaster, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, cost $192.2 billion in today's dollars, while last year's Hurricane Harvey cost $133.5 billion. Moody's Analytics offered a preliminary estimate that Florence has caused $40 billion in damage and $4 billion in lost economic output.

ALSO READ | Hurricane Florence's drenching rains kill 23 in the Carolinas

In other developments, at least three wild horse herds survived Florence on North Carolina's Outer Banks, but caretakers were still trying to account for one herd living on a hard-hit barrier island, the News & Observer reported Sunday. Staff members are planning to make trips to the island this week to check on the Shackleford Banks herd.

North Carolina environmental officials also said they're closely monitoring two sites where Florence's floodwaters have inundated coal ash sites .

Elsewhere in the tropics, Subtropical Storm Leslie maintained maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) while drifting east over the central Atlantic, and Tropical Depression Kirk dissipated over open waters.By Associated Press

COLOMBO: Opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, a longtime but little-known lawmaker in the Maldives, declared victory early Monday in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy.

Solih's win, announced at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city of Male, was unexpected. The opposition had feared the election would be rigged in favor of strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, whose first term was marked by a crackdown on political rivals, courts and the media.

"People were not expecting this result. Despite the repressive environment, the people have spoken their minds," said Ahmed Tholal, a former member of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives and a project coordinator at the nonprofit watchdog Transparency Maldives.

ALSO READ | India welcomes outcome of Maldivian Presidential election

A democracy activist during the Maldives' decades of autocratic rule and former Parliament majority leader, Solih, 56, became the Maldivian Democratic Party's presidential candidate by process of elimination  other opposition leaders had been jailed or exiled by Yameen's government.

Party leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed, in exile in Sri Lanka, had hoped to run again but was disqualified because of an outstanding prison sentence in the Maldives.

Famed for its sandy white beaches and luxury resorts, the Maldives under Yameen have seen economic growth and longer life expectancy, according to the World Bank. But Yameen's critics, including Solih, said he systematically rolled back democratic freedoms.

Solih campaigned door to door, promising at rallies to promote human rights and the rule of law, a message that resonated with voters who saw signs the Maldives were slipping back to autocratic rule, just a decade after achieving democracy.

"Ibu is totally different from Yameen, because Yameen is a dictator and a brutal person. Ibu is a very mild person who listens to everyone," said Ahamed Fiasal, a 39-year-old IT business owner, using Solih's nickname.

Still, Fiasal said, the result was surprising because "no one thought that Yameen would lose like this. He had all the power  the judiciary, the police, the security forces under him. It seemed he might rig the election even at the last minute and would win somehow or the other."

Solih's supporters flooded the streets, hugging one another, waving the Maldivian flag, cheering and honking horns in celebration.

Yameen's campaign did not concede the race, and no one from the campaign could immediately be reached for comment. But Solih had 58.3 percent of the vote with nearly 97.5 percent of ballots counted early Monday, according to independent newspaper website mihaaru.com.

A spokesman for Maldives' Election Commission said official results would not be announced until September 29, allowing a week for parties to challenge the results in court.

Solih, surrounded by thousands of his supporters, urged calm until the commission had announced the results.

In his victory speech, Solih called the election results "a moment of happiness, hope and history," but said that he did not think the election process had been transparent.

A police raid on Solih's main campaign office the night before the election was seen by the opposition as a worrying sign that Yameen would "muzzle his way" to re-election, according to Hamid Abdul Gafoor, an opposition spokesman and former Maldives lawmaker now based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Few foreign media organizations were allowed in to cover the election.

Yameen used his first term to consolidate power, jailing opponents, including his half brother, a former president, and two Supreme Court Justices.

In February, Yameen declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and ordered troops to storm the Supreme Court and arrest judges after they had ordered the release and retrial of those jailed after politically-motivated trials.

The Supreme Court ordered the release of Nasheed and many other political leaders.

The European Union had said that it was not sending election observers because the Maldives had failed to meet the basic conditions for monitoring. The U.S. had threatened to sanction Maldivian officials if the elections were not free and fair.

Despite the turmoil, voters flocked to the polls on Sunday, standing in long lines in rain and high temperatures to cast ballots.

More than 260,000 of the Maldives' 400,000 people were eligible to vote at about 400 polling stations across the approximately 1,200 islands that comprise the Indian Ocean archipelago. Voters also stood in long lines in Malaysia, the U.K., India and Sri Lanka, where the opposition had encouraged overseas Maldivians to participate.By PTI

LAHORE: In yet another case of "honour killing" in Pakistan, an 18-year-old girl was beheaded along with her boyfriend by her father and uncle in the country's eastern Punjab province, media reports said.

The girl and the 21-year-old man were tied with ropes by her father and uncle when he arrived at the girl's house to meet her in Attock district, DawnNews TV quoted police as saying.

The accused then beheaded them with a sharp-edged weapon, police said.

The police have arrested both the suspects and recovered the murder weapon as well, Sub-inspector of Saddar police station Asif Khan said.

Police said that the victims were killed for honour.

A case of double-murder was registered.

Last month, a 17-year-old girl was shot dead by her brother in a suspected case of "honour killing" in Punjab province.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, nearly 1,000 women and girls in deeply conservative Pakistan are being murdered every year for allegedly bringing shame on their family.

The rights group says that the women are killed for being accused of having illicit relations and marrying without the family's consent.

Most of the women are killed by their brothers and husbands, the group said.By AFP

MONTREAL: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday it was "very likely" that informal talks aimed at renewing the North American Free Trade Agreement would continue on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York over the next several days.

Officials have been in talks nearly non-stop for a month as they try to overcome hurdles and agree on a NAFTA rewrite, under pressure from US President Donald Trump to sign onto a deal reached in August with Mexico.

The latest round between Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer ended Thursday without a deal.

"I don't think there are any formal encounters planned," Trudeau said as he addressed a press conference after a meeting with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez.

"But certainly the fact that many of our negotiators will be in New York at the same time, it's very likely that conversations continue in a constructive but less formal way."

READ| Donald Trump arrives in New York ahead of UN assembly, to meet Japan PM Shinzo Abe

Freeland, who leads the team of Canadian negotiators, is due to deliver Canada's speech to the UN General Assembly on Friday.

US President Donald Trump, who called NAFTA "one of the worst trade deals in history," demanded that the 1994 accord be revised. The talks started a year ago.

The United States and Mexico sealed their own deal at the end of August, after reaching agreement on auto content requirements and intend to sign the accord by December 1, when Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador takes office.

Ottawa and Washington remain at odds over Canada's managed dairy sector, and the dispute resolution provisions in NAFTA.

Trudeau also denied on Sunday that forthcoming provincial elections were behind a delay in Canada signing on to a deal.

The provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec are set to hold legislative elections on September 24 and October 1, respectively.

"I can say unequivocally that considerations around electoral timelines in Quebec or New Brunswick or elsewhere has never been part of the equation for us," Trudeau said.

Quebec's dairy sector in particular is one of the most powerful in the country, and is pressuring the Canadian government not to compromise on demands for increased access.By PTI

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Monday summoned Nawaz Sharif on October 8 during the hearing of a petition seeking action against the deposed prime minister for claiming that those involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack belonged to Pakistan.

Sharif, for the first time in May, publicly acknowledged in an interview to Dawn that militant organisations are active in Pakistan and questioned the policy to allow the "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai.

In the exclusive interview, he had also criticised the apparent delay in the conclusion of the Mumbai attack trial.

The Lahore High Court's three-member bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Dawn journalist Cyril Almeida and ordered placing his name on the Exit Control List.

"Justice Naqvi expressed anger over non-appearance of Almeida in the court, directing the Deputy Inspector General of the Police Punjab to present him in the court on next hearing (October 8)," a court official told reporters.

The judge, before summoning Sharif on October 8, also inquired from Sharif's counsel Advocate Naseer Bhutta as why his client did not appear before the court on Monday.

Advocate Bhutta said Sharif would appear in the next hearing as he was mourning the death of his wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz.

She died of throat cancer on September 11 in London.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, however, appeared before the court.

Petitioner Amina Malik said Sharif, who was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case in July 2017 and subsequently jailed for 10 years in Avenfield corruption case, in an interview to Dawn made the remarks that those involved in the Mumbai attack case actually belonged to Pakistan, thus he committed treason.

The petitioner said the "anti-state" statement of Sharif  a three-time prime minister  could be used against Pakistan by its enemies.

She said a meeting of the National Security Council was held to discuss the 'misleading' statement of the disqualified premier and later then prime minister Abbasi met Sharif and conveyed to him the concerns of the military leadership on his statement.

"The act of Abbasi was also a clear violation of his oath as he was bound not to allow his personal interest to influence his official conduct," the petitioner said.

The court adjourned the hearing till October 8.

Sharif, 68, resigned as Pakistan prime minister last year after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against the beleaguered leader and his children over the Panama Papers scandal.

The Avenfield case was among the three corruption cases filed against the ex-premier by the National Accountability Bureau on the Supreme Court's orders in the Panama Papers case.

Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Mohammad Safdar were released last week following the suspension of their sentences by the Islamabad High Court in the Avenfield properties corruption case.

Some 166 people were killed in the attack carried out by 10 LeT terrorists.

Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and hanged after handed down death sentence.By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday rejected a petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Imran Khan for not being truthful and righteous as required under the Constitution.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar rejected the petition, filed by barrister Danyal Chaudhry, on the grounds that the plea, filed at a time when Khan had not been elected prime minister, had become infructuous.

"The application has already been rendered ineffective," observed Justice Ijazul Ahsan.

The petition was filed in May last year after the apex court constituted a six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe allegations of corruption against then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Besides other grounds, the petitioner had sought disqualification of Khan for not disclosing his alleged love child Tyrian White in his nomination papers for elections.

The court said that the petition was filed when Khan was an MP in the previous National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, which has already expired, and the petition had become "ineffective".

The petitioner had also requested the court to restrain Khan from activities which could influence the JIT members.

The JIT report has led to the disqualification of Sharif in July 2017.

Sharif, 68, resigned as Pakistan prime minister last year after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against the beleaguered leader and his children over the Panama Papers scandal.

The Avenfield case was among the three corruption cases filed against the ex-premier by the National Accountability Bureau on the Supreme Court's orders in the Panama Papers case.By AFP

PARIS: The French government said Sunday it feared damage to its relations with India after former president Francois Hollande stirred controversy about a major deal to sell fighter jets to New Delhi.

Hollande, who left office in May last year, said Friday during a trip to India that French jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation had been given no choice about its local partner in a 2016 deal with the Indian administration.

The nationalist government of Narendra Modi agreed to buy 36 Rafale jets from Dassault, which announced afterwards it was partnering for the project with billionaire Anil Ambani rather than India's public defence conglomerate HAL.

ALSO READ: France, Dassault Aviation contradict ex-President Hollande on Indian partners

Hollande's announcement that Dassault "did not have a say in it" added fuel to claims from India's opposition that the New Delhi government had intervened to help Ambani, who is a supporter of Modi and hails from the same state as him.

"I find these remarks made overseas, which concern important international relations between France and India, do not help anyone and above all do not help France," junior foreign minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said Sunday about Hollande.

"Because one is no longer in office, causing damage to a strategic partnership between India and France by making remarks that clearly cause controversy in India is really not appropriate," he said in an interview on Radio J.

Hollande made the comments to defend himself from accusations of a conflict of interest because Ambani's Reliance conglomerate had partially financed a film produced by his girlfriend, Julie Gayet, in 2016.

The choice of Reliance for a highly strategic contract to upgrade India's ageing fleet of fighter jets had caused surprise at the time because the group had no previous experience in the aeronautics industry.

Hollande's comments were front-page news in Indian newspapers on Saturday and it was the top trending topic on Twitter.

READ HERE: Hollande's statement, Rahul's Gandhi tweet are 'orchestrated', claims Arun Jaitley

Rahul Gandhi, head of the main opposition Congress party, who is seeking to replace Modi and his rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in elections next year, went on the offensive.

"An ex-president of France is calling him (the prime minister of India) a thief. It's a question of the dignity of the office of the prime minister," he told a news conference in New Delhi.By AFP

YANGON: Myanmar's army chief said the United Nations had no right to interfere in the sovereignty of the country, a week after UN investigators called on him and other top generals to be prosecuted for "genocide" against the Rohingya minority.

The defiant response is the army chief's first public reaction since a UN fact-finding mission urged the Security Council to refer Myanmar's top military brass to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

ALSO READ | World 'won't rest' on Rohingya crisis, UK foreign minister Hunt tells Suu Kyi

No country, organisation or group has the "right to interfere in and make decisions over sovereignty of a country," Senior General Min Aung Hlaing told troops in a speech Sunday, according to the military-run newspaper Myawady.

"Talks to meddle in internal affairs (cause) misunderstanding."

UN investigators went into horrific detail about the atrocities allegedly committed by army troops last year in their"clearance operations" against the Rohingya, which forced more than 700,000 of the stateless Muslims to flee over the border into Bangladesh.

Troops, often aided by ethnic Rakhine mobs, committed murder, rape, arson and torture, employing unfathomable levels of violence and with a total disregard for human life, they concluded.

The military has denied nearly all wrongdoing, justifying its crackdown as a legitimate means of rooting out Rohingya militants.

Myanmar's civilian government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, had already rejected the report's finding as "one-sided" and "flawed" and dismissed a separate decision at the criminal court that found it had jurisdiction over the crisis.

Suu Kyi's civilian government shares power with the still mighty army, which has retained control over a quarter of parliamentary seats and three key ministries since the nation emerged from direct junta-rule in 2011.

The UN team also criticised the Nobel Laureate's government for "acts and omissions" that had "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes".By IANS

ALGIERS: Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak has accused the US of destabilising the global oil market, urging for wider cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC producers to reach long-term stability.

"The sanctions and the trade wars imposed by some powers will have an impact on the global economy and therefore on the oil market," Novak said on Sunday in his opening notes at the 10th OPEC and non-OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) in Algiers, the capital of Algeria, Xinhua reported.

READ| Saudi, Russian energy ministers agree continued oil market coordination

The Russian Minister was referring to the sanctions imposed by the US on Iran, a key oil producer, while "the trade wars" were referring to the ongoing trade conflict between the US and China.

Novak also said that when the production cut-off agreement reached in Algiers in 2016 expires at the end of 2018, "it will be necessary to think carefully to expand our cooperation to meet the rising challenges we face today and in the future."

"While oil markets are, for the moment, better off for both consumers and producers, we still have to avoid challenges that affect both parties," he said.

"All market stakeholders, either producers or consumers, are expecting from us to consolidate our solidarity and the approach we have created in order to maintain a long-term global market balance," the minister concluded.

The JMMC, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and Russia, comprises four OPEC member countries, namely Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Venezuela, and two non-OPEC member countries, namely Russia and Oman.

It aims to ensure the achievement of the objectives of the Declaration of Algiers on reducing oil outputs by 1.8 million barrels a day to adjust production in the range of 32.5 to 33 million barrels per day to boost plunging prices.

Algiers meeting is expected to extend the 2016 agreement to an additional period to maintain prices at the current level.By Associated Press

LIVERPOOL: Britain's Labour Party may hold the fate of Brexit in its hands  if only it can decide what to do.

With the UK and the European Union at an impasse in divorce talks, many Labour members think the left-of-center opposition party has the power  and a duty  to force a new referendum that could reverse Britain's decision to leave the 28-nation bloc.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has long opposed that idea, and a showdown on the issue looms at the party's annual conference, which starts Sunday in the port city of Liverpool. As delegates gathered, one message was emblazoned on hundreds of T-shirts and tote bags: "Love Corbyn, Hate Brexit."

Ever since Britain voted in 2016 to leave the EU, Labour has said it will respect the result, although it wants a closer relationship with the bloc than the one Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative government is seeking.

ALSO READ | Britain tells European Union to engage seriously on Brexit

Now, with divorce negotiations stuck and Britain due to leave in March, many Labour members think the party must change its course.

"Labour have to come to a decision. The time has gone for sitting on the fence," said Mike Buckley of Labour for a People's Vote, a group campaigning for a new Brexit referendum.

To drive home the message, several thousand People's Vote supporters marched through Liverpool on Sunday, waving blue-and-yellow EU flags alongside Union Jacks and holding signs reading "Bin Brexit," ''Exit from Brexit"  and a few ruder slogans.

More than 100 local Labour associations have submitted motions to the conference urging a public plebiscite, with a choice between leaving on terms agreed upon by the government or staying in the EU. Party chiefs will decide later Sunday which motions will be up for debate and votes at the four-day conference.

Margaret Mills, a delegate from Orpington in southern England, said her local party had passed a motion calling on Labour to "stop Brexit by any means  well, short of physical violence."

"I think the time for vagueness is over," she said.

ALSO READ | Political price of no-deal Brexit would be high, says Scotland's Nicola Sturgeon

Corbyn  a veteran socialist who views the EU with suspicion  has long been against holding a second public vote on Brexit, although his opposition appears to be softening.

He said Sunday that he would prefer a general election rather than a referendum, but added: "Let's see what comes out of conference."

"Obviously I'm bound by the democracy of our party," Corbyn told the BBC.

Still, Labour faces a major political dilemma over Brexit. Most of the party's half a million members voted in 2016 to remain in the EU, but many of its 257 lawmakers represent areas that supported Brexit.

"For Labour to adopt a second referendum policy would spell political disaster in all those Labour seats that voted leave," said Brendan Chilton of the pro-Brexit group Labour Leave.

Since the 2016 referendum, Labour has stuck to a policy of "constructive ambiguity" in a bid to appeal to both "leave" and "remain" voters. The party opposes May's "Tory Brexit" plan but not Brexit itself. It calls for Britain to leave the EU but remain in the bloc's customs union with "full access" to the EU's huge single market.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn | AP

Len McCluskey, leader of the Unite trade union, a powerful Labour ally, said British voters had decided to leave the EU and "for us now to enter some kind of campaign that opens up that issue again I think would be wrong."

Yet Pro-EU Labour members, including many lawmakers, say the party's ambiguous stance is becoming increasingly untenable as the risk of an economically damaging "hard Brexit" grows.

The Conservative government's blueprint for future trade ties with the bloc was rejected last week by EU leaders at a summit in Salzburg, Austria. That left May's leadership under siege and Britain at growing risk of crashing out of the EU on March 29 with no deal in place.

Andrew Adonis, a Labour member of the House of Lords who supports holding a second referendum, said Labour can't sit on the sidelines while the country staggers toward political and financial chaos.

"This is as big a crisis as I can remember in my lifetime," Adonis said. "And no one has a clue at the moment what is going to happen.

"That's why I think we now need to take a stand  we the Labour Party and we the country."

Brexit is one of several challenges facing Corbyn, who heads a divided party. He has strong support among grassroots members, many of whom have joined since he was elected leader in 2015. But many Labour lawmakers think his old-fashioned socialism is a turnoff for the wider electorate.

Labour has also been roiled by allegations that Corbyn, a long-time critic of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, has allowed anti-Semitism to fester inside the party. He has denied it and condemned anti-Semitism, but the furor has angered many Jewish party members and their supporters.

Labour backed the "remain" side during the 2016 referendum but Corbyn's support was lukewarm.

"Jeremy Corbyn is a Brexiteer and always has been," said Chilton of Labour Leave. "More and more people now support us leaving the European Union and getting on with it. ... they don't want to re-fight the referendum."By Reuters

MINNEAPOLIS/NEW YORK: With the Chinese billionaire Richard Liu at her Minneapolis area apartment, a 21-year-old University of Minnesota student sent a WeChat message to a friend in the middle of the night. She wrote that Liu had forced her to have sex with him.

I was not willing, she wrote in Chinese on the messaging application around 2 a.m. on August 31. Tomorrow I will think of a way to escape, she wrote, as she begged the friend not to call police.

He will suppress it, she wrote, referring to Liu. You underestimate his power.

This WeChat exchange and another one reviewed by Reuters have not been previously reported. One of the womans lawyers, Wil Florin, verified that the text messages came from her.

Liu, the founder of Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com Inc, was arrested later that day on suspicion of rape, according to a police report. He was released without being charged and has denied any wrongdoing through a lawyer. He has since returned to China and has pledged to cooperate with Minneapolis police.

Jill Brisbois, a lawyer for Liu, said he maintains his innocence and has cooperated fully with the investigation.

These allegations are inconsistent with evidence that we hope will be disclosed to the public once the case is closed, Brisbois wrote in an email response to detailed questions from Reuters.

Loretta Chao, a spokeswoman for JD.com, said that when more information becomes available, it will become apparent that the information in this note doesnt tell the full story. She was responding to detailed questions from Reuters laying out the allegations in the womans WeChat messages and other findings.

Florin Roebig and Hang & Associates, the law firms representing the woman, said in an email that their client had fully cooperated with police and was also prepared to assist prosecutors. Florin, asked if his client planned to file a civil suit against Liu, said, Our legal intentions with regard to Mr. Liu and others will be revealed at the appropriate time.

Representatives for both Liu and the student declined requests from Reuters to interview their clients.

The police department has turned over the findings of its initial investigation into the matter to local prosecutors for a decision on whether to bring charges against Liu. There is no deadline for making that decision, according to the Hennepin County Attorneys Office.

The Minneapolis police and the county attorney declined to comment on detailed questions from Reuters.

Reuters has not been able to determine the identity of the woman, which has not been made public. But her WeChat messages to two friends, and interviews with half a dozen people with knowledge of the events that unfolded over a two-day period provide new information about the interactions between Liu and the woman, a student from China attending the University.

The case has drawn intense scrutiny globally and in China, where the tycoon, also known as Liu Qiangdong, is celebrated for his rags-to-riches story. Liu, 45, is married to Zhang Zetian, described by Chinese media as 24-years old, who has become a celebrity in China and works to promote JD.com.

As the second-largest ecommerce website in the country after Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, the company has attracted investors such as Walmart Inc, Alphabet Incs Google and Chinas Tencent Holdings.

Liu holds nearly 80 percent of the voting rights in JD.com. Shares in the company have fallen about 15 percent since Lius arrest and are down about 36 percent for the year.



'IT WAS A TRAP'

Liu was in Minneapolis briefly to attend a business doctoral program run jointly by the University of Minnesotas Carlson School of Management and Chinas elite Tsinghua University, according to the University of Minnesota. The doctoral program is directed at high-level executives from China.

Liu threw a dinner party on August 30 for about two dozen people, including around 20 men, at Origami Uptown, a Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis where wine, sake and beer flowed freely, according to restaurant staff and closed circuit video footage reviewed by Reuters.

Liu, who Forbes estimates is worth about $6.7 billion, ordered sashimi by pointing his finger at the first item on the menu and sweeping it all the way down to indicate he wanted everything, one restaurant employee said. The group brought in at least one case of wine from an outside liquor store to drink along with the dinner, according to the restaurant staff.

Security video footage from the restaurant shows the group toasted each other throughout the night.

Later the woman told a second friend in one of the messages that she felt pressured to drink that evening.

It was a trap, she wrote, later adding I was really drunk.

The party ended around 9:30 p.m. The tab: $2,200, the receipt shows. One inebriated guest was helped out of the restaurant by three of his associates, according to the restaurant security video footage.

Liu and the woman then headed to a house in Minneapolis, according to one person familiar with the matter. Another source said that the house had been rented by one of Lius classmates in the academic program to give the class a place to network, smoke, drink whiskey and have Chinese food every night.

But they did not go in. Liu and the student were seen outside the house before Liu pulled her into his hired car, a person with knowledge of the incident said.

In the WeChat message to one of her friends sent hours later, the student said Liu started to touch me in the car.

Then I begged him not to but he did not listen, she wrote.

They ended up back at her apartment, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

Reuters could not determine what happened over the next two hours. According to the police report, the alleged rape occurred at around 1 a.m.

The woman subsequently reached a fellow University of Minnesota student who notified the police, according to two sources and her WeChat messages.

Minneapolis police came to her apartment early that morning while Liu was there, but made no arrests, another source familiar with the situation said. Reuters could not determine exactly what occurred during the police visit, but the source said the woman declined to press charges in Lius presence.

In a WeChat message with one of her friends, she asked her friend why the billionaire would be interested in an ordinary girl like her.

If it was just me, I could commit suicide immediately, she wrote. But Im afraid that my parents will suffer.

By Friday morning, she also wrote to one of her two friends that she had told several people about what had happened, including the police, a few friends and at least one teacher. She wrote that she would keep her bed sheets. Evidence cannot be thrown away, she wrote.

On Friday afternoon, the student went to a hospital to have a sexual assault forensic test, the source said.

Police officers arrived at a University of Minnesota office shortly after an emergency call around 9 p.m that night. The student was present at the office, alongside school representatives, and accused Liu of rape, the source said.

Representatives for the University of Minnesota declined to comment on detailed questions from Reuters.

Liu came to the university office around 11 p.m. while police were there, according to the person familiar with the matter. As an officer handcuffed him, Liu showed no emotion. I need an interpreter, he said, according to the source.

Liu was released about 17 hours later. Minneapolis police have said previously that they can only hold a person without charges for 36 hours.

Within days, Liu was back in China, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.

Liu has returned to work in Beijing and he continues to lead the company. There is no interruption to JD.coms day-to-day business operations, Loretta Chao, the JD.com spokeswoman, told Reuters.This website uses "cookies":

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For more information, please read our Privacy PolicyBy IANS

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has hailed the World Bank/United Nations Famine Action Mechanism (FAM) as an important new tool to help predict and prevent famine.

With the cooperation of humanitarian development organisations, tech companies, academia, the insurance sector and others, this initiative is a successful multi-stakeholder partnership, he told a forum for the launch of the mechanism at UN Headquarters in New York.

"FAM will give a more accurate picture of food security in real time, triggering early action from donors and humanitarian agencies that will save lives and prevent further suffering," he said on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The mechanism will use state-of-the-art technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to detect correlations between different risks, he noted.

Creating and strengthening partnerships will help donors, affected countries and international organisations to bridge funding gaps along the entire humanitarian cycle, from prevention and preparedness to emergency response, said the UN chief.

"With the Famine Action Mechanism, we are renewing our pledge to zero tolerance for famine and acute food insecurity. We are renewing our pledge to feed everyone in our world and to leave no one behind."

"This very basic goal should be within our grasp. With today's advanced technology and knowledge of agriculture, we can surely uphold everyone's fundamental right to food, " he said. "But sadly, harrowing images of parents holding their malnourished children, helpless in the face of tragedy, are not consigned to history."

After years of progress on hunger, the world is losing ground. The number of undernourished people is rising -- to more than 820 million in 2017, he said.

During the IMF-World Bank spring meetings in 2017, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and Guterres committed themselves to zero tolerance for famine.

As a follow-up, the World Bank, the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other global partners began to develop FAM, the first global mechanism dedicated to famine prevention, preparedness and early action.

The mechanism has the support of global technology companies, including Microsoft, Google and Amazon Web Services.By Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS: Confronting the dangers of North Korea's nuclear threat, President Donald Trump arrived at the United Nations on Monday striking a far less ominous tone than a year ago, announcing he likely will hold a second summit with Kim Jong Un "quite soon."

Twelve months after Trump stood at the rostrum of the U.N. General Assembly and derided Kim as "Rocket Man," the push to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula is a work in progress, although fears of war have given way to dreams of rapprochement. The president's bellicose denunciations of Pyongyang have largely given way to hopeful notes.

"It was a different world," Trump said Monday of his one-time moniker for the North Korean leader. "That was a dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time."

President Donald Trump, center, talks with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, left, as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley looks on during the "Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem" at the United Nations General Assembly, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, at U.N. Headquarters. (Photo | AP)

He added that preparations are underway by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for a second presidential meeting with Kim "quite soon."

Trump arrived at the U.N. on Monday morning for a meeting on the global drug trade, ahead of a sit-down with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who comes bearing a personal message to Trump from Kim after their inter-Korean talks last week.

ALSO READ | China accuses US of 'trade bullyism' as Trump's tariffs kick in

Trump and Moon are expected to sign a new version of the U.S.-South Korean trade agreement, one of Trump's first successes in his effort to renegotiate trade deals on more favorable terms for the U.S. Even so, some U.S. officials worry that South Korea's eagerness to restore relations with the North could reduce sanctions pressure on Kim's government, hampering efforts to negotiate a nuclear accord.

The nuclear threat was on the agenda at Trump's first meeting in New York, a dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Manhattan on Sunday night. Abe stands first among world leaders in cultivating a close relationship with the president through displays of flattery that he has used to advance his efforts to influence the unpredictable American leader.

United Netions General Secretary Antonio Guterres and US President Donald Trump open the Global Call To Action On The World Drug Problem at the United Nations in New York on September 24, 2018. (Photo | AFP)

"We have our eyes wide open," Pompeo told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. "There is a long ways to go to get Chairman Kim to live up to the commitment that he made to President Trump and, indeed, to the demands of the world in the U.N. Security Council resolutions to get him to fully denuclearize."

Redoubling his commitment to "America First" on the most global of stages, Trump will stress his dedication to the primacy of U.S. interests while competing with Western allies for an advantage on trade and shining a spotlight on the threat that he says Iran poses to the Middle East and beyond.

Scores of world leaders, even those representing America's closest friends, remain wary of Trump. In the 12 months since his last visit to the U.N., the Republican president has jolted the global status quo by pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, starting trade conflicts with China and the West and embracing Russia's Vladimir Putin even as the investigation into the U.S. president's ties to Moscow moves closer to the Oval Office.

Long critical of the United Nations, Trump delivered a warning shot ahead of his arrival by declaring that the world body had "not lived up to" its potential.

ALSO READ | Moon Jae-in to carry private message from Kim Jong Un to Donald Trump

"It's always been surprising to me that more things aren't resolved," Trump said in a weekend video message, "because you have all of these countries getting together in one location but it doesn't seem to get there. I think it will."

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters in a preview of Trump's visit that the president's focus "will be very much on the United States," its role and the relations it wants to build.

"He is looking forward to talking about foreign policy successes the United States has had over the past year and where we're going to go from here," she said. "He wants to talk about protecting U.S. sovereignty," while building relationships with nations that "share those values."

In his four-day visit to New York, Trump will deliver major speeches and meet with representatives of a world order that he has so often upended in the past year. On Monday he participated in a Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem and later was to meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and French President Emmanuel Macron, in addition to Moon.

ALSO READ | At UN General Assembly, unrepentant Donald Trump set to rattle foes, friends alike

Trump's address to the General Assembly comes Tuesday, and on Wednesday he will for the first time chair the Security Council, with the stated topic of non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The subject initially was to have been Iran, but that could have allowed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to attend, creating a potentially awkward situation for the U.S. leader.

Aides say the president will also use the session to discuss North Korea and other proliferation issues. While Trump is not seeking a meeting with Rouhani, he is open to talking with the Iranian leader if Rouhani requests one, administration officials said.

Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani. (Photo | AP)

In meetings with European leaders as well as during the Security Council session, Trump plans to try to make the case that global companies are cutting ties with Iran ahead of the reimposition in five weeks of tough sanctions against Tehran. The penalties are a result of Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Trump at the time cited Iran's role as a malign force in the region, particularly its support of terrorist groups, but also its involvement in Syria. U.S. officials say their priority for the region now is removing Iranian forces from Syria.

Trump is also expected to deliver a fresh warning to Syria's Bashar al-Assad that the use of chemical weapons against civilians in the major rebel stronghold of Idlib would have serious repercussions.By Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS: World leaders kicked off their annual gathering at the United Nations on Monday by honoring a global icon of peace and reconciliation  drawing some pointed contrast with a U.S. president who has shaken up the international order with his assertion of "America First."

Today, we commit to fighting the drug epidemic together! #UNGA pic.twitter.com/XgaYTOBrSK

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2018

A statue of Nelson Mandela, who led South Africa's transition from the apartheid system of white minority rule over the majority black population, was unveiled at U.N. headquarters in New York, and delegates addressed a "peace summit" to elevate his memory in this year's centennial of his birth.

In this July 22, 2007, file photo, Nelson Mandela gestures during the 5th annual Nelson Mandela Lecture at the Linder Auditorium in Johannesburg, South Africa. The United Nations is seeking to harness the soaring symbolism of Mandela, whose South African journey from anti-apartheid leader to prisoner to president to global statesman is one of the 20th century's great stories of struggle, sacrifice and reconciliation. The unveiling of a statue of Mandela, born 100 years ago, with arms outstretched at the U.N. building in New York on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, opens a peace summit at the General Assembly. (Photo | AP)

"Few people in the history of our world have left such an incredible mark on humanity," U.N. General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces said at the dedication ceremony of the life-sized sculpture of the prisoner-turned-president.

Shortly afterward, President Donald Trump arrived in the building, making a brief appearance at a separate event on fighting the global scourge of illegal drugs. Some 130 U.N. member states signed a U.S.-sponsored declaration to step up action against the narcotics trade that has left 31 million people around the world requiring treatment and is causing 450,000 deaths every year from overdoses or drug-related health issues.

ALSO READ | I love India, give my regards to my friend PM Modi: Trump tells Sushma Swaraj

"Today we commit to fighting the drug epidemic together," said Trump, whose administration is facing a rising tide of opioid addiction in the United States. He said the U.S. was taking "aggressive action" by securing its border, supporting law enforcement and devoting record funding to tackling the opioid crisis.

There were only three speakers at the U.S.-led event that wrapped up within 15 minutes.

The peace summit was running much longer, with dozens of leaders from both rich and poor nations taking turns to hail the legacy of Mandela, who after his release from nearly three decades in prison became South Africa's first black president in its first multiracial elections in 1994.

Among those offering accolades was Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who said Mandela had "sowed seeds of amity and compassion." He appeared to draw a tacit, negative comparison with Trump.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addresses the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit September 24, 2018, one day before the start of General Debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York. (Photo | AFP)

"This is a historical reality that great statesmen tend to build bridges instead of walls," Rouhani said. Trump campaigned for office on a promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Iran is a bitter adversary of Washington, and those tensions have spiked since Trump pulled the U.S. out of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that had provided it with sanctions relief. The U.N. meetings take place against the backdrop of Iranian accusations that an unidentified U.S.-allied regional country supported a deadly attack on an Iranian military parade that killed at least 25 people this past weekend.

But close U.S. allies are also continuing to express unease with Trump's approach to international affairs. His administration has upended U.S. support of multilateral cooperation on everything from fighting climate change to participation in a U.N. human rights council it considers to be anti-Israel.

Speaking to reporters, France's top diplomat, Jean-Yves Le Drian, decried what he called Trump's "mix of unilateralism and isolationism," but added that's no reason to snub Trump or lock him out of world events.

ALSO READ | US President Donald Trump says he expects second North Korea summit 'quite soon'

This week, "is an important moment where each is expected to show whether they are playing together or playing lone horseman, whether they are seeking solutions or sticking to slogans," Le Drian said.

Trump is making his second appearance at the U.N. since taking office in 2017. He will address the General Assembly on Tuesday, when in an annual ritual of diplomacy, heads of government take turns addressing that forum on pressing global issues. He's expected to redouble his commitment to "America First," while shining a spotlight on the threat that he says Iran poses to the Middle East and beyond through its support for terrorism.

But Trump has so far struck a far less ominous tone on than he did at his debut at the U.N. a year ago, when he stoked a long-distance slanging match with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that fueled fears of war. On that occasion, Trump called Kim "rocket man" and threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if it used its nuclear weapons against the U.S. or its allies. Kim branded Trump as "senile."

ALSO READ | Donald Trump arrives in New York ahead of UN assembly, to meet Japan PM Shinzo Abe

Now Trump looks to Pyongyang as a diplomatic opportunity. He said Monday he will likely hold a second summit with Kim "quite soon," to seek progress in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula that he and Kim committed to at a summit in Singapore in June.

Trump also offered some conciliatory remarks about the world body he has often disparaged, saying, "the United Nations has tremendous potential and that potential is being met slowly but surely."By Associated Press

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump will meet later this week with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the White House said Monday amid indications that Rosenstein was about to lose his job.

The meeting will be Thursday, said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. That's the same day as an extraordinary Senate hearing that is to feature Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and a woman who has accused him of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school.

ALSO READ | Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein expecting to be fired, heads to White House

Any termination or resignation would have immediate implications for special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of possible collaboration between Russia and the Trump campaign before the 2016 election. Rosenstein appointed Mueller and oversees his investigation.

Rosenstein and Trump, who is in New York for a U.N. meeting, had an extended conversation to discuss recent news stories about negative comments Rosenstein is reported to have made last year about the president, Sanders said. The deputy attorney general was reported as having discussed possibly secretly recording the president and invoking the Constitution to have the Cabinet remove him from office.

Rosenstein expected to be fired Monday as he headed to the White House for a previously scheduled Cabinet meeting in place of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, according to a person familiar with the situation. But he left with no action taken, and the White House statement suggested he may be in his job for at least several more days.

"At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories," Sanders said in a statement. "Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C."

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein leaves the White House in Washington, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. (Photo | AP)

Rosenstein called White House Counsel Don McGahn over the weekend to say he was considering resigning, according to one person familiar with the conversation. McGahn told Rosenstein they should discuss the issue Monday, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation.

Solicitor General Noel Francisco, the highest-ranking Senate confirmed official below Rosenstein in the Justice Department, would take control of the Mueller investigation. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment.

The reports about Rosenstein add to the turmoil roiling the administration, just six weeks before midterm elections with control of Congress at stake. In addition to dealing with the Mueller investigation, the White House is also struggling to win confirmation of its Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations.

ALSO READ | Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein suggested secretly recording Trump: Report

Trump had previously floated the idea firing Rosenstein in April after FBI raids of the office and home of the president's longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who has since pleaded guilty to several felonies and taken part in interviews with Mueller's team.

But the latest move comes after a New York Times report of Rosenstein comments in May 2017. That report and an unsigned opinion piece by a senior official in the Republican administration played to some of the president's concerns about a secret "Deep State" trying to undermine him from within the government.

The administration official, whom Trump has called for a federal investigation to unmask, wrote that there was a group of officials working to safeguard the country from the president's most dangerous impulses. And Trump's behavior had prompted "whispers" in the Cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, a move that was backed away from due to concerns it would "precipitate a constitutional crisis," the writer said.

In Rosenstein's case, he has said that the Times report was inaccurate and said it was based on "biased" anonymous sources "advancing their own personal agenda."

"Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment," Rosenstein said.

The Justice Department also released a statement from a person who said Rosenstein's recording comment was meant sarcastically.

If Rosenstein were to resign instead of being fired, it would allow the White House to use the Vacancies Reform Act to fill his role. The federal provision allows the president to circumvent the existing agency line of succession in most instances. But experts doubt it can be applied when the president creates the vacancy, by firing the officeholder.

As of Sunday, Trump said he had not decided what to do about Rosenstein. He angrily asked confidants, both inside and outside the White House, how to respond. He received mixed messages. Some urged him to fire Rosenstein. Others suggested restraint while seeing if the report was incorrect or if it was planted by some adversary.

Congressional Republicans, Democrats and some Trump aides have warned for months that the president shouldn't fire Rosenstein, saying such a move could lead to impeachment proceedings if the Democrats retake the House in the upcoming midterms.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whose private memos document comments made by Rosenstein, said Monday he he was concerned that a Rosenstein departure would put the investigation at risk.

"There is nothing more important to the integrity of law enforcement and the rule of law than protecting the investigation of special counsel Mueller," McCabe said in a statement. "I sacrificed personally and professionally to help put the investigation on a proper course and subsequently made every effort to protect it."

Rosenstein appointed Mueller in May of last year after Sessions, who ordinarily would have overseen the investigation, recused himself because of his close involvement in the Trump campaign.

Those developments came one week after Rosenstein laid the groundwork for the firing of Comey by writing a memo that criticized Comey's handling of the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server. The White House initially held up that memo as justification for Comey's firing, though Trump himself has said he was thinking about "this Russia thing" when he made his move.

As deputy attorney general, Rosenstein has made two public announcements of indictments brought by the special counsel  one against Russians accused of hacking into Democratic email accounts, the other against Russians accused of running a social media troll farm to sway public opinion.By AFP

MOSCOW: Moscow on Monday announced new security measures to protect its military in Syria as the Kremlin squabbled with Israel over who was to blame for the downing of a in the country last week.

Russia said it would supply the Syrian army with an S-300 air defence system and would jam radars of hostile warplanes.

A Syrian Soviet-era S-200 missile shot down a Russian surveillance plane last week, killing 15 people.

It was the deadliest friendly fire incident between Syria and its key backer Russia since Moscow's game-changing military intervention on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in 2015.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call Monday that he disagreed with the Israeli version of events, the Kremlin said.

He pinned the blame on the Israeli military.

ALSO READ | Russian President Vladimir Putin says operations of Israeli air force breach Syria's sovereignty

Netanyahu retorted that he was confident of his own account -- that Syrian forces were to blame.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the accident "has pushed us to adopt adequate response measures directed at boosting the security of Russian troops" in Syria.

Russia will "transfer the modern S-300 air defence system to the Syrian armed forces within two weeks," Shoigu said in a televised statement.

A handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on August 21, 2018 shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad praying at a mosque in the capital Damascus on the first day of Eid al-Adha. (Photo | AFP)

The Kremlin said Putin and Assad discussed the additional measures and delivery of the S-300 system on the phone on Monday.

Putin blames Israel

Putin had taken a more conciliatory tone last week when he described the downing as the result of "tragic accidental circumstances".

But the Kremlin said "the information provided by the Israeli military... runs counter to conclusions of the Russian defence ministry," in a statement released on Monday after the phone call between Putin and Netanyahu.

"The actions by the Israeli air force were the main reason for the tragedy," it added.

ALSO READ | Iran says military parade attackers trained by two Gulf states; linked with US, Israel

Under the new measures, "in regions near Syria over the Mediterranean Sea, there will be radio-electronic suppression of satellite navigation, on-board radar systems and communication systems of military aviation attacking objects on Syrian territory," Shoigu said.

Moscow says Israeli F-16 planes which struck Latakia in western Syria last Monday later used the landing Russian Il-20 surveillance plane as "cover," which resulted in the larger Il-20 being hit by a Syrian missile.

The Russian military has said that Israel's air force informed its command in Syria via an established hotline, but only one minute before the air strikes -- and gave the wrong target location.

Responding to Putin's claims on Monday, Netanyahu warned him against delivering an air defence system to Syria.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu said that transferring advanced weapons systems into irresponsible hands will increase the dangers in the region," Netanyahu's spokesman Ofir Gendelman said on Twitter after the call between the leaders.

Netanyahu "added that Israel will continue to defend its security and its interests", Gendelman wrote.

Fired recklessly

Israel regularly carries out strikes in Syria against Assad's government, its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Iranian targets.

An Israeli official said the Russian plane was shot down because Syrian batteries had "fired recklessly, irresponsibly and unprofessionally, long after our planes were no longer there".

He said the warning time before the strike was "much longer than one minute".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned earlier Monday the accident would affect relations between the two countries.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. (Photo | AFP)

"According to information of our military experts, the reason (behind the downing) was premeditated actions by Israeli pilots which certainly cannot but harm our relations," Peskov told journalists.

He insisted the new security measures "are not directed against third countries, but towards defending our own military".

Military analyst Vladimir Sotnikov said that despite the new security measures Moscow would want to avoid a direct military clash with Israel, a key US ally.

"I don't think that the decision to send an S-300 to Syria would significantly worsen ties with Israel," he said.Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Monday have given priority to a host of issues from various sectors. Four most significant stories covered on the front pages are the governments preparation to give back the 1,200 megawatt Budhigandaki Hydropower Project to the China Gezhouba Group Company, the publication of tiger census report that showed an encouraging rise in the population of big cat in past five years, the government decision to increase public transport fare, and the 100th birthday celebration of Rastrakavi Madhav Prasad Ghimire. Other contemporary political issues including activities of both houses of the Federal Parliament and parliamentary committees have also received significant attention today.

Annapurna Post has published the lead story on factional politics within the big Nepal Communist Party whereas Naya Patrika has published a report about changes made in the Nepali Congress proposed statute amendment.

Important

Criminal code amended as per doctors demand

Gorkhapatra reports in its lead story that an amendment proposed to the recently introduced criminal code has been endorsed by the National Assembly on Sunday. Now onwards, Nepal Medical Council will be authorised to investigate into if any medical case involved negligence of the doctors before deciding about punishments for the negligence.

Earlier, the doctors had staged street protests for weeks demanding the amendment. Their protest had ended after the government assured the amendment.

Nirmala murder probe: Suspended police to undergo polygraph test

Rajdhani reports in its lead story that a police team formed to investigate into the alleged involvement of police officials in the rape and murder of Nirmala Pant in Kanchanpur has begun polygraph tests of suspended police officials.

Total 20 police officials including SP Dilli Raj Bista will have to undergo the test.

Meanwhile, at least 28 rape cases have been reported in Province 7 in past two months after the rape of Nirmala Pant in July, according to Nagarik.

Ignored

Three contractors in Parliaments Development Committee

The Development Committee in the House of Representatives, which has a responsibility to supervise infrastructure development projects launched by the government, involves at least three construction entrepreneurs; and their involvement is likely to cause a conflict of interest, according to Kantipur.

They are Hari Narayan Rauniyar of Pappu Construction, Jip Chhiring Lama of Lama Construction and Bahadur Singh Lama of Himdung and Thokar Company.

CIAA launches probe into 1,500 academic certificates

Nepals anti-corruption body, Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, has launched an investigation into academic certificates of 1,539 government staff suspecting they are forged or receiving complaints against them, reports Naya Patrika in a brief story.

Meanwhile, the Commission filed cases against 21 staff with similar charges in past two months.

Experts question PMs Cost Rica visit

Republica claims experts and stakeholders in Kathmandus diplomatic community have questioned the intention behind Prime Minister KP Sharma Olis scheduled visit to Costa Rica after his participation in the ongoing 73rd session of United Nations General Assembly.

Former Nepali Ambassador to the UN Jaya Raj Acharya has told the paper, Our immediate foreign policy priority lies with India and China. Then come our various donor countries and our labour destinations. The Prime Minister does not seem to be utilising the great opportunity the UNGA visit offers to have meetings with them.

Govt reaches out to seven disgruntled groups

A team formed by the government to hold talks with disgruntled political groups and take them onboard the mainstream politics has so far reached out to seven groups, reports The Himalayan Times.

The team in the first phase had invited 12 groups for the talks, and seven of them responded positively. Besides them, informal discussions are underway with few others, according to the teams coordinator Som Prasad Pandey.

Modi likely to visit Janakpur in mid-December

Indian Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi is likely to pay a visit to Nepal in mid-December, which will be the fifth in his five-year term, according to The Kathmandu Post.

Modi, if he comes, will inaugurate the Janakpur-Jayanagar railway track, the report quotes senior foreign officials to say. Meanwhile, sources at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu say discussions are underway and the visit date has not been finalised yet.

Interesting

Madhav Prasad Ghimire turns 100

Gorkhapatra, Annapurna Post and The Kathmandu Post report that Rastrakavi (National Poet) Madhav Prasad Ghimire turned 100 on Sunday and his fans celebrated his birthday across the country with much fanfare.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Acting Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel went to Ghimires house in Lainchaur to congratulate him yesterday, Annapurna Post reports. The Kathmandu Post adds that the number of fans thronging the place was over 2,000.Home  Just In  Gandaki CM ahead of China visit: Will seek investment not aid

Pokhara, September 24

Gandaki Province Chief Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung says he will seek investment not aid when he meets Chinese leaders and investors this week.

Gurung, who heads to China on Tuesday on a six-day visit, said that he wants to present investment opportunities before Chinese businesses looking to invest in Nepal. CM Gurung, who is going to Hainan Province on the invitation of its governor, is attending a sepecial event to mark Chinas National Day (October 1).

He informed that during the course of his visit, the proposed technical school in Pokhara and the international convention centre will also be discussed. As Gandaki is an important hub for solar and hydropower, we look forward to discussing Chinese investment in these sectors.

We want to invite the governor of Hainan to Pokhara in November to strengthen our ties, explained Gurung.Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Rain early. A mix of sun and clouds in the afternoon. High around 55F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Clear skies with a few passing clouds. Low 37F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.Kathmandu, September 24

The government of Japan has provided medical equipment to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH)

worth one billion rupees.

At a programme organised in Kathmandu, Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Masamisi Saigo and Chief Representative of JICA Nepal Jun Sakuma handed over the medical equipment, including a digital monograph, CM X-ray machine, ventilator and anesthesia machine to Minister for Education, Science and Technology Girirajmani Pokharel.

JICA first provided support to TUTH for the construction of physical infrastructure and procurement of medical equipment 1983 and for the second time in 1992. This is the third time that JICA has helped TUTH.

Minister Pokharel said that the Japanese governments support was important for Nepals education and health sectors. Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Saigo said his government will continue to support Nepals economic and social development.

Similarly, TU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Tirtha Raj Khaniya and Institute of Medicine Dean Prof Dr Jagadish Agrawal, also thanked the Japanese government for its support.Tomb of the Unknown

Soldier Open to Public

for First Time in 96 Years(Newser)  Almost four years after insurance exec Melissa Millan was fatally stabbed on a Connecticut jogging trail, a suspect walked into a police station and confessed to the killing, law enforcement sources say. William Winters Leverett, 27, has been charged with murder and will appear in court Monday, police in Simsbury said in a press release. Police sources tell the Hartford Courant that Leverett, who arrived at the station accompanied by members of his church last week, said he could no longer live with what he had done. The sources say Leverett led police to where he had stashed items he had kept from the crime scene after what was apparently a random attack.

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Millan, the 54-year-old mother of two children, was stabbed in the chest on a popular hiking trail on the evening of Nov. 20, 2014. Police said six months later, when an anonymous donor offered a $40,000 reward, that they had no suspects. Leverett's landlord, Brian Durso, tells WFSB that Leverett couldn't live with himself any longer. "This young man went to the leaders of the church that I had been associated with and he was, and they made a decision after I think a lot of (tears) and prayer to go to the authorities," he says. Leverett is a registered sex offender who was convicted of sexual assault on a child in Colorado in 2011. He moved to Connecticut the same year. (Read more Connecticut stories.)(Newser)  Mary Kay Letourneau now works as a paralegal, but the former Seattle schoolteacher apparently didn't know much about law in the 1990s. She told an Australian TV station Sunday that when she had sex with 12-year-old student Vili Fualaau, she had no idea it was a crime, Fox reports. "If someone had told me, if anyone had told me, there is a specific law that says this is a crime," she told Channel Seven. "I did not know. I've said this over and over again. Had Id known, if anyone knows my personality. Just the idea, this would count as a crime." Letourneau, who served more than seven years in prison and married Fualaau after her release in 2005, said she "absolutely felt wrongfully convicted." She is trying to get her name removed from the sex offenders' register.

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After interviewer Matt Doran tried to get her to admit that she "should have known better," the former teacher, who is 22 years older than Fualaau, said he was the one who pursued her and had been "the boss" back then, news.com.au reports. Letourneauwho was living with her husband and four children when the affair with Fualaau beganhas two daughters with her former student, one born after her initial arrest and one born while she was in prison. The elder daughter, 21-year-old Audrey, told the station that their upbringing didn't feel strange. "It's kind of surprising to people but it's normal for us because we've adapted to it," she said. (Fualaau filed for legal separation last year, but the filing was later withdrawn.)(Newser)  A North Carolina woman who runs an animal rescue nonprofit took in dozens of abandoned cats and dogs in the wake of Hurricane Florence, cleaning their wounds and giving them antibiotics to help them heal. On Friday, however, Tammie Hedges was arrested, with Wayne County officials accusing her of being unlicensed to practice veterinary medicine, as well as soliciting a prescription painkiller for the animals in her care, Fox News reports. Per the Goldsboro News-Argus, Hedges and other helpers with Crazy Claws N' Paws brought 27 animals18 of them dropped off by an elderly couple, she tells USA Todayto a temporary shelter in a warehouse, one that Hedges says she's in the process of getting licensed as a full-fledged shelter. Some of those animals were sick, so Hedges gave them amoxicillin to keep them from getting worse.

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"The owners got to evacuate," Hedges says. "They got to save themselves. But who's going to save those animals? ... We saved them." She adds she voluntarily turned the animals in to the local animal control agency when threatened with a warrant, but "a few days later they called me in for questioning," and then she was arrested. "You need to remember this was during a natural disaster," writes someone who says they're a volunteer for the rescue organization on its Facebook page. "She did what she needed to at that time." Hundreds of people have pledged their support to a GoFundMe in Hedges' name, which has raised more than $20,000 for her legal defense. Hedges, who was released on $10,000 bond, has her next court date in mid-October. (A viral video of another North Carolina animal rescue.)(Newser)  Bill Cosby will learn his fate at a sentencing hearing this weekand he could be in prison by Tuesday night. After a two-day hearing beginning Monday in Norristown, Pa., Judge Steven O'Neill will have the option of sentencing the disgraced entertainer to anything between probation and 30 years in prison, the Guardian reports. Cosby was found guilty in April on three counts of aggravated sexual assault for drugging and molesting Andrea Constand in 2004. Since Cosby has no previous convictions, sentencing guidelines recommend one to four years, but O'Neill is not bound by them. The judge will also have to decide whether Cosby should be labeled a sexually violent predator, and whether he can remain free pending an appeal, USA Today reports.

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Prosecutors are expected to portray Cosby as a serial predator who belongs behind bars, while Cosby's lawyers are expected to point to his achievements and philanthropy, as well as the fact that he is legally blind and 81 years old, the AP reports. Constand and five other accusers who testified at Cosby's trial may speak at the sentencing hearing, though the judge has rejected a request to allow statements from some of the dozens of other women who accuse Cosby of sexually assaulting them. "I really do hope he does get prison time. He's responsible for his actions, and this is a way to show hes taking responsibilitywhether he wants to or not," accuser Lise-Lotte Lublin tells Time. (The judge has rejected a long-shot request from Cosby's wife.)(Newser)  Authorities in Hong Kong on Monday took an unprecedented step against separatist voices by banning a political party that advocates independence for the Chinese territory on national security grounds. John Lee, the territory's secretary for security, announced that the Hong Kong National Party will be prohibited from operation, the AP reports. Lee's announcement did not provide further details. But Hong Kong's security bureau had previously said in a letter to the National Party's leader, 27-year-old Andy Chan, that the party should be dissolved "in the interests of national security or public safety, public order, or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others." Chan had no immediate comment.

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That letter had cited a national security law that has not been invoked since 1997. The ban is likely to raise further questions about Beijing's growing influence in the former British colony, which was promised semi-autonomy as part of the 1997 handover. Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials have warned separatist activity would not be tolerated. The perception that Beijing is reneging on its promise of semi-autonomy and eroding Hong Kong's free elections and freedom of speech is helping fuel a rising generation of young activists calling for greater autonomy, if not outright independence.

(Read more Hong Kong stories.)(Newser)  Stormy Daniels' lawyer is now involved in the battle over Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nominationand he says he has a client with "credible information" to support some shocking allegations. In an email to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Michael Avenatti said he was aware "of significant evidence" of house parties in the early '80s during which Kavanaugh "and others would participate in the targeting of women with alcohol/drugs in order to allow a 'train' of men to subsequently gang rape them," the New York Daily News reports. Avenatti's email came soon after the New Yorker reported on another sexual misconduct allegation against Kavanaugh. A roundup of coverage:

"Multiple witnesses." Avenatti tells Politico that he is representing "multiple witnesses" who can back up allegations of misconduct involving Kavanaugh and his friend Mike Judge. He says the witnesses "went to schools in the same general areas" as Georgetown Prep, which Kavanaugh and Judge attended. Avenatti says the allegations are "not out of character" from the behavior described by Christine Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh, with Judge present, sexually assaulted her at a house party in 1982.

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Feinstein calls for delay . The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee called Sunday for an "immediate postponement" of proceedings relating to Kavanaugh's nomination, the Washington Post reports. Sen. Dianne Feinstein called for the FBI to investigate the allegations from Deborah Ramirez, the Yale classmate whose account was published in the New Yorker. The committee had scheduled a hearing Thursday to address Ford's allegations.

. The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee called Sunday for an "immediate postponement" of proceedings relating to Kavanaugh's nomination, the Washington Post reports. Sen. Dianne Feinstein called for the FBI to investigate the allegations from Deborah Ramirez, the Yale classmate whose account was published in the New Yorker. The committee had scheduled a hearing Thursday to address Ford's allegations. "FFFFFFFourth of July." Brett Kavanaugh must also be asked about this entry in his yearbook: 'FFFFFFFourth of July,'" Avenatti tweeted late Sunday. "We believe that this stands for: Find them, French them, Feel them, Finger them, F*ck them, Forget them. As well as the term 'Devil's Triangle.'"

Brett Kavanaugh must also be asked about this entry in his yearbook: 'FFFFFFFourth of July,'" Avenatti tweeted late Sunday. "We believe that this stands for: Find them, French them, Feel them, Finger them, F*ck them, Forget them. As well as the term 'Devil's Triangle.'" Republicans respond . Republicans on the Judiciary Committee say they will investigate Ramirez's allegations, though there has been no response yet on Avenatti's, the AP reports. Committee spokesman Taylor Foy, however, complained that Democrats "actively withheld information" from Republicans.

. Republicans on the Judiciary Committee say they will investigate Ramirez's allegations, though there has been no response yet on Avenatti's, the AP reports. Committee spokesman Taylor Foy, however, complained that Democrats "actively withheld information" from Republicans. Kavanaugh's calendars. The New York Times reports that as part of his defense, Kavanaugh plans to give the Judiciary Committee calendars from the summer of 1982 that show he spent much of the summer out of town. They list activities including movie outings and college interviews, along with some parties. Kavanaugh also listed some parties and the names of friends he went with, but none that match Ford's account.

(Read more Brett Kavanaugh stories.)(Newser)  First came the crime-fighting cows. Now, the mosquitoes. Police in Wisconsin's Fond du Lac County say they arrested a fleeing suspect who surrendered in a cornfield because he couldn't take the swarming mosquitoes anymore, reports ABC7 Chicago. "When we handcuffed him he asked us to wipe his forehead because he had 15-20 mosquitoes on his forehead at that time," says Campbellsport Police Chief Thomas Dornbrook.

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John Wilson faces charges including felony eluding. Police say he was the getaway driver after a companion left a liquor store with unpaid alcohol, reports the Fond du Lac Reporter. That led to a high-speed chase before Wilson and the other man each bailed from the car. Wilson might have eluded policea dog, a drone, and officers could not find himif not for the mosquitoes. Police say they know the identity of the other man and are still trying to pick him up. (Read more weird crimes stories.)(Newser)  The Dallas police officer who killed a neighbor in a high-profile shooting is out of a job. Dallas police chief U. Renee Hall fired Amber Guyger, 30, during a hearing on Monday, reports Dallas News. Hall cited "adverse conduct." Guyger faces manslaughter charges in the Sept. 6 death of Botham Jean, 26. Guyger has told investigators that she thought she had entered her own apartment and mistook Jean, who lived a floor above her, for an intruder. Jean's family disputes her version of events, citing witnesses who say they heard pounding on the door before the gunshots, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Guyger, who is free on $300,000 bond, can appeal the firing. (Read more Dallas stories.)#daughter murder Woman draws 22-year jail term for killing daughter after domestic dispute A woman who was convicted of killing her own eight-year-old daughter out of anger over discord with her live-in partner was sentenced to 22 years in prison by an appellate court Th...

#anti-COVID-19 rules 377 apprehended for violence in quarrels over anti-COVID-19 rules: police A total of 377 people have been apprehended on charges of using violence in disputes over COVID-19 rules between September and October, police said Thursday. Of them, 265 used ...(Newser)  Brett Kavanaugh will not withdraw from consideration as President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, the appeals court judge told the Senate Judiciary Committee in a letter Monday. Despite a second accuser coming forward, Kavanaugh said he "will not be intimidated into withdrawing," Politico reports. He called the allegations against him "smears, pure and simple" as well as "last-minute character assassination," and said the "coordinated effort to destroy my good name" is "a threat to any man or woman who wishes to serve our country." Kavanaugh, who also said in the letter that his family has been threatened with violence, will testify about first accuser Christine Blasey Ford's claims in a hearing Thursday. Politico notes that he had not used the term "smear" to describe Ford's accusation, and used it for the first time when responding to the second accusation from Deborah Ramirez. There are also rumors of a third accuser. (Read more Brett Kavanaugh stories.)His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa yesterday received senior officials, businessmen, intellectuals, media persons, journalists and citizens at Gudaibiya Palace.

He stressed that Bahrain is subjected to conspiracies which have doomed to fail thanks to the Bahraini peoples awareness and patriotism. He pointed out that the unacceptable violations committed during Ashoora season were one form of those failed conspiracies.

The Premier added that Bahrain is fine under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and will remain so thanks to the unity and cohesion of its people.

He noted that Bahrain will continue to stand out with its openness as well as religious and intellectual freedom which are protected despite attempts to exploit freedom to undermine security, drive wedges and sow sedition.

HRH the Premier denounced all forms of behavior that are alien to the ethics of the Bahraini people, describing them as desperate attempts to jeopardize security and national unity.Northern Governor Ali Al Asfoor, has rejected the defamation of national symbols by a few misguided extremists, noting that the evil act that happened at the Al Malkya village is condemned and represents an insult to all Bahrainis.

The governor pointed out that the Bahraini citizens have proved their unanimous stance in rejection of such a despicable act by a group of intruders seeking to undermine the national fabric. He affirmed that His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is the first supporter of religious freedoms in Bahrain, which are guaranteed by the Constitution, and are among the gains of HM the Kings Reform Era.

Mr. Al Asfoor highlighted the efforts of Interior Minister, Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, and the great success of the Interior Ministry in dealing with the requirements of the Ashoora season through ensuring the security of community centers, Hussainyas and processions across the Northern Governorate, in particular, and under all circumstances. The governor affirmed while visiting the Aali central Mourning, that the services provided by the kingdom during the Ashoora season are increasing and improving every year thanks to the directives of HM the King, His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier.Bahrains energy sector is one of the key targets set by Iranian hackers who have launched their latest cyber-attacks as American sanctions against Iran takes effect. Iranian hackers have launched an international cyber-attack targeting the energy sectors of Bahrain, its neighboring countries and America, it is learned.

The cyber-attacks are said to be in response to decision to place sanctions on Iran this November. US President Donald Trumps move to withdraw from the nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions is seen as a huge blow to Iran. According to sources, an Iranian government allied group of hackers are behind the attacks.

They say phishing emails impersonating an oil and gas company is being sent to its targets as part of its attacks. Phishing emails are fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information such as personal information. The attack also involves a malware that previously had damaged tens of thousands of terminals in Saudi Arabia.

The US-based cyber security firm FireEye recognized the hacks and identified the perpetrators as APT33 hacker group. Speaking to Tribune, Alister Shepherd, Middle East and Africa director for Mandiant at FireEye, said: In July we observed a significant increase in activity from this Iran affiliated APT group.

The APT33 operation primarily focused on the energy sector, which has been affected by recent sanctions that were placed on Iran. The motivation behind the operation is uncertain, but its possible that the attackers were using spear phishing to facilitate the theft of intellectual property or to subsequently cause disruption in retaliation to the sanctions. Its imperative for companies to ensure they are capable of quickly detecting and responding to these intrusion attempts.Environmentalists have been warning of water war, scientists of space war and the new entry to the list is jobs war. Technology experts are warning of a situation in the near future where Artificial Intelligence (AI) will wipe out nearly half of all existing jobs, leading to severe unemployment, especially among the youth.

Speaking to Tribune, technology expert and President of Bahrain Artificial Intelligence Society Dr. Jassim Haji said that policy-makers should be well aware of the situation to prevent a huge disaster from happening. AI will take away 45 percent of all jobs occupied by humans in the region in the next few years. And it will certainly have an adverse impact on the lives of 20 million full-time employees, he said. On the flip side, Dr. Haji said that it will contribute towards the economic growth in the region by adding around $320 billion, which is around 11pc of the regions GDP.

AI is capable of creating a radical change in the services provided by both the public and private sectors since AI will be able to perform more tasks currently operated by humans in the near future. Its expected that private commercial industries, such as the retail sector, would benefit more from AI. The public sector will also flourish with the utilization of AI in vital sectors including healthcare, education and other government services.

In our region, theres a remarkable interest in the development of AI and this is reflected in the future projects announced by the governments here, such as the smart cities and modern economies. Such initiatives require AI and modern operating systems, proving the growing interest in such technologies in the region. Dr. Haji also said that AI and its role in the development of Middle Eastern societies will be highlighted during an upcoming event to be held in Bahrain. The fourth edition of Bahrain Excellence Forum, which will be held on October 24, 25, will shed light on AI and its role in government excellence, he said. It will be held under the patronage of Cabinet Affairs Minister Mohammed Al Mutawa.

The expert stated that the forum will include a demonstration of the different uses of AI applications in all fields and the means to benefit from modern technologies in their development. AI has granted the ability to automate around 45pc of the existing jobs in the region. This would affect around 20 million full-time employees, but at the same time, it would save around USD366.6 billion in wages.

This would be challenging to decision-makers in the region, but it is definitely inevitable. Raising awareness on AI and its capabilities is important and our societies should be well prepared for such a huge step towards the future. On the other hand, experts worldwide fear that depending on AI and robotics in different industrial and service fields would have a negative impact on human resources and the opportunities of their employment. However, many other experts have an opposite and more optimistic opinion, predicting that newer work fields would be created.

On her part, the forums Assistant Secretary-General Noura Al Aliwi underlined the importance of AI as one of the major outputs of the industrial, informatics and technological revolutions. She said that AI is likely to open the door for unlimited innovations, pointing out its use in numerous fields. This, she added, might bring about a radical change in peoples lives due to the mammoth and fast-paced technological development and the global changes brought about by the fourth industrial revolution.The case of a Bangladeshi suspect who allegedly murdered a Bahraini mosque imam was adjourned yesterday to hear prosecution witnesses. In his first hearing, the defendant admitted to murdering his victim before the High Criminal Court, while the prosecution report showed that he had cut him open with a knife after hitting him using an iron bar.

He appeared before the High Criminal Court alongside another man accused in the case. However, the latter, also from Bangladesh, pleaded not guilty, stating that he wasnt aware of his co-defendants intention to murder Bahraini man Abduljaleel Hamood. Hamood went missing in the early hours of August 5 after he performed the Al-Fajr prayer (dawn prayers).

Police were notified about his absence by his family after they lost contact with him. His picture and information went viral on social media platforms as search efforts got into full swing. Putting an end to the mystery, the Ministry of Interior later announced on its official Twitter account that Hamoods body was found inside plastic bags in Al Mazra area near the scrapyard in Askar and it was cut into pieces. The ministry also stated that a 35-year-old Asian man was arrested in connection with the murder.

The suspect was a prayer caller at the same mosque in Muharraq, where the imam worked.A 34-year-old Bahraini man will hear on October 29, 2018, the verdict on his appeal against robbery conviction, for which he was sentenced to five years behind bars.

The defendant is said to have attacked and robbed an Indian motorcyclist, also aged 34, who was delivering food. He was abetted in his crime by a military officer. Both of whom are said to have robbed the wallet and a mobile phone from the victim before fleeing the scene. The defendant was reportedly arrested after he was identified by the victim in a police lineup.

According to court files, the 34-year-old man has committed similar crimes in the past with the help of the military man.Manila : Cash remittance from Filipino workers (OFW), particularly those in the Middle East, saw a steep decline from January to July this year, according to the figures released by the Central Bank of the Philippines (BSP). Based on latest BSP data, there was 15 per cent decrease in remittances from OFWs in the Middle East, although fund transfers from Libya and Israel fell the most at 73pc and 61pc respectively, Arab News reported.

Remittances from Kuwait fell by 20.4pc despite the resumption of OFW deployment last May. Bahrain showed negative 22.9pc, transfers from Oman dropped by 38.3pc and Saudi Arabia showed a slide of 10.4pc. Meanwhile, aside from the decrease in cash remittance, the Philippines also suffered a decline in deployment of OFWs in 2017 after 10 years of continuous growth. A decrease in the number of new hires was also noted in the rest of the top ten OFW destinations, which include Kuwait, Qatar, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the UAE, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Oman.Manama : A statement of intent was signed between Ebdaa Bank for Microfinance and the United Nations office of the Kingdom to work jointly on areas of mutual interest, especially the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The UN office will work with other UN agencies, programmes, and specially UNDP to provide technical support in integrating the SDGs into the banks future strategic plans.

The UN office will provide the necessary knowledge and expertise in this area and will organize a number of workshops by international experts to align the banks strategy and services with the SDGs. On the other hand, the bank is looking forward to present this experience in the Kingdom in aligning the strategy and activities with the SDGs during the AGFUND Development Forum and the AGFUND International Award, scheduled for mid-October in Geneva, Switzerland.

The signing ceremony was held at United Nations House in the presence of Dr. Khaled Al-Ghazawi, Chief Executive of Ebdaa Bank, and Amin Al-Sharkawi, United Nations Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, in addition to officials from both sides. Dr. Al-Ghazzawi expressed his contentment in working with the UN Office in Bahrain, which has an extensive experience in the fields of sustainable development. He explained that the statement of intent reflects the direction of the bank with its founding body, the Arab Gulf Development Program (AGFUND), which linked all its strategic objectives and various programs in development, microfinance, child support, women and education towards the sustainable development goals.

He added: This statement of intent comes as part of the banks efforts to develop its new strategy, which is based on two main pillars: first, the strategy adopted by AGFUND under the guidance and blessing of His Royal Highness Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and second is the action plan adopted by Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain in achieving the SDGs.Six people were injured, three of them seriously, when a motor boat carrying them slammed into a quay Sunday morning on an island in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture.

The injured passengers on the boat, measuring about 7 meters in length, were two women aged 28 and 85 and a 62-year-old male skipper, according to the local Japan Coast Guard office. A 3-year-old boy was also among seven people on board, it said.

The boat departed a port in Onomichi at around 9:20 a.m. Sunday and slammed into a quay on Mukaishima Island, which is a few hundred meters from Onomichi. The people aboard the boat were heading for Okunoshima Island in Takehara, Hiroshima Prefecture.Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has appealed to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the Osun State governorship election,...

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has appealed to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the Osun State governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, to join Peoples Democratic Party in the re-run election.





This followed the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Sunday that there will be a rerun on Thursday, Sept. 27 after it declared the poll inconclusive





Omisore is the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the election in which the candidate of the PDP, Senator Ademola Adeleke, came first with 254, 698 votes while the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, came second with 254,345 voters.





Atiku while predicting victory for the PDP ahead of Thursdays rerun, called on Omisore to remember when PDP believed in him in 2014.





The Wazirin Adamawa wrote on his Twitter page: I am confident PDP will win in Osun, no matter the ulterior motive of APC. I call on Senator Omisore to remember the PDP, which believed in him and gave him its ticket in 2014.



It is official: the governorship election in Osun state has been declared inconclusive.

It is official: the governorship election in Osun state has been declared inconclusive.





Joseph Afuwape, returning officer of the election, who announced this said the requirements for a candidate to be returned as winner were not met.





Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polled majority vote of 254,698 while Isiaka Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) followed with 254,345 votes, leaving a difference of 353.





This difference is far higher than the cancelled 3,498 votes recorded in the election.





What is an inconclusive election?

It is an election where the total number of registered voters in units where the results are cancelled or where the elections are postponed, are sufficient to cause a change in the outcome of the election.





What are cancelled votes?

Cancelled votes are votes that were annulled based on irregularities or anomalies during election. It is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which has the right to cancel votes.





Any difference between cancelled votes and voided votes?

Yes. A big difference, though some people use them interchangeably. Voided votes are votes that are not counted because of certain mistakes. For instance, if a voter thumbprints on the portion meant for two parties on a ballot paper, the electoral official has the right to declare such vote void.





A voter can only cast his ballot for a party.





INEC has fixed Thursday for a re-run election in Osun.





First, what is a re-run election?

A re-run election is an election conducted when the first one was marred by malpractices or when correct procedures were not followed. For instance, declaring an election inconclusive because of the number of polling units were the votes were cancelled. According to electoral rules, a re-run election can be so declared if the margin of victory in an election is lower than cancelled votes.





Is a rerun election different from run-off?

Yes. This is an election conducted when the first election fails to produce a clear winner for the position of president or governor. This can happen when the candidate with the highest votes does not have the required vote spread in the affected state/federation. A run-off will involve just the two leading contenders.Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday threw his weight behind the presidential ambition of Sen. David Mark, saying the former senate president will strengthen the bond of unity in Nigeria.The former president, who hosted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant in his Yenogoa residence, said Nigeria was in dire need of unity.Jonathan said that it would take a man with strength of character and clear conscience like Mark to rebuild and foster unity in Nigeria in 2019.Heavy down pour traps British Airways passengers inside plane at Lagos AirportWe are only existing superficially and this is very dangerous, he warned.He said that beyond dwindling economy and worsening insecurity, the major problem the next president would face was the challenge of uniting the country and giving every section a sense of belonging.Jonathan noted that every right thinking Nigerian should crave for peace and unity as we continue to stay together.Staying together is what everyone desires as the global community respects and values us because of our size and population.As president of Nigeria, I worked harmoniously with Mark as President of the Senate. He demonstrated patriotism and loyalty to his fatherland.His colleagues admitted that he is a detribalised leader. He is the kind of man the nation needs now. Jonathan said.The former president expressed optimism that the PDP would get it right in 2019 elections.In his remarks, Mark, said that Nigerians now knew the difference between the former and present administrations.He said that he possessed the experience, knowledge and skill to bring the nation out of the social and economic malaise within two years if elected.Earlier, Director General of David Mark Campaign organization, Sen. Zainab Kure, paid glowing tribute to Jonathan for his uncommon leadership quality and sacrifices he made to keep the nation united.Kure noted that Nigerians would forever be grateful to the ex-president for his statesmanship.Chief Femi-Fani-Kayode has said that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, must send the All Progressives Congress, APC, packing.Fani-Kayode reacting to the inconclusive Osun election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, called on Iyiola Omisore and Demola Adeleke to join forces and send the APC packing.He said I am so proud of the @OfficialPDPNig in Osun. Congrats to my friend and brother Demola Adeleke. Now is the time for us to reach out and work with others. I will talk to my cousin Iyiola Omisore. He is a fighter. We need him. We must join forces and send the APC demons packing.I am so proud of the @OfficialPDPNig in Osun.Congrats to my friend and brother Demola Adeleke. Now is the time for us to reach out and work with others. I will talk to my cousin Iyiola Omisore. He is a fighter. We need him. We must join forces and send the APC demons packing. Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) September 23, 2018The people have spoken and Osun is back in the hands of @OfficialPDPNig.If INEC rigs Osogbo and declares that APC won it will lose the little credibility that it has built up in the last 2 days. INEC must not allow themselves to be used to thwart the will of the people of Osun. Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) September 23, 2018One thing that is clear from the Osun state results no matter which way it finally goes is that @OfficialPDPNig is alive and well in Osun state and Nigeria. We will field a formidable candidate for the Feb. 2019 election who will be elected as the next President of Nigeria. Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) September 23, 2018President Muhammadu Buharis aide on Social Media Lauretta Onochie has said thatThe Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announced that the Osun gubernatorial election which was earlier declared inconclusive would hold its re-run on Thursday, 27 September @vanguardngrnewsOne more evidence that INEC under Pres @MBuhari, is truly independent. pic.twitter.com/mMQcVUS2g6 Lauretta Onochie (@Laurestar) September 23, 2018A former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, has said that he has no regrets serving the country.

A former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, has said that he has no regrets serving the country.





Sambo was the Vice President under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.





Speaking on Sunday while paying a condolence visit to the Toru-Orua country home of Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, over the recent lost of his mother, the former Vice President said he had every cause to thank God for giving him the opportunity to serve Nigeria in the exalted position of vice president.





This was contained in a statement by Dicksons Special Adviser on Media Relations, Fidelis Soriwei.





The former VP, who also revealed that he had just been appointed an active Ambassador by Afrexim Bank and the African Union, for an intra-African trade fair in Cairo, Egypt, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to do the right thing in the forthcoming general elections of 2019.





Sambo said, I have no regrets serving Nigeria. There is no cause for any regret. I thank the Almighty Allah that he gave me that opportunity to serve our country.





First and foremost, I am here to condole with my brother and sister on the loss of our mother and we pray that Almighty God will grant the family the fortitude to bear the great loss.



Senator representing Borno South in the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, has dismissed Senate President Bukola Sarakis presidential ambition, describing it as a pipe dream and not a threat to President Muhammadu Buharis second-term bid.Saraki, who recently defected from the ruling APC to the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, is aspiring to be the countrys next president in the 2019 general elections.Speaking as a guest of the News Agency of Nigeria Forum in Abuja, however, Ndume, who was an ally of the Senate President until they fell out in 2017 said, Saraki can only win elections in his home state, Kwara.I think it is good he is going for the presidency of Nigeria and he will see that it is only Kwara people that will vote for him, not Nigerians.We are waiting. At best, you will see that maybe people from North Central will vote (for him) because that is where he is from, but I do not think Saraki will be Nigerias president.When you present President Buhari and Saraki for people to choose from, the difference is very clear.Since his declaration for the presidential race, Saraki has said at different fora that the country was in need of a leader like him with the demonstrable capacity to unite the nation.But Ndume said Saraki could not be trusted with the countrys leadership, having used his position as Senate President to antagonise and sabotage the current government.The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki on Monday declared that all presidential aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Pa...

The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki on Monday declared that all presidential aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are determined to support whoever emerges as the partys flag bearer for Februarys election.





Saraki, a PDP presidential aspirant, reiterated this after he was screened by the partys Presidential Screening Committee led by a former Vice President, Namadi Sambo at the Legacy House in Abuja.





In a tweet, the Senate President commended his fellow aspirants for what he termed the level of camaraderie among all the PDP presidential aspirants.









The two-time former governor of Kwara State described the camaraderie as reassuring.



Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, says the upper legislative chamber has failed in its responsibility to Nigerians.

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, says the upper legislative chamber has failed in its responsibility to Nigerians.





Speaking during a NAN forum on Sunday in Abuja, Ndume blamed this on the leadership of Senate President Bukola Saraki.





He also said Saraki could not be in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and still be the head of the senate.





Ndume said as minority leader in the house of representatives, when he defected to PDP from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), he resigned from the position willingly.





Saraki dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the opposition party in July but retained his position as senate president despite calls for him to relinquish the seat.





He asked the number three citizen to call for a vote of confidence from his colleagues to defend his position.





I think that is the only thing he can do may be; he did that before, let him try it; let him call for vote of confidence from us, his colleagues, Ndume said.





I assure you that he will not get the majority. I am still thinking and hoping that Saraki will do the right thing and the right thing is for him to relinquish that position for the majority to preside.





I really want to admit that we have failed in our responsibility to the people somehow, but we the members are not responsible for that.





It is more of the responsibility of the leadership that shut down the Senate abruptly because of personal issues.





It is very unfortunate. The senate is the Nigerian senate, it is not the senators Senate; it is not Sarakis senate.





Ndume also accused Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, of privatising the national assembly.





It is more of the responsibility of the leadership that shut down the Senate abruptly because of personal issues, he said.





It is very unfortunate. The Senate is the Nigerian Senate, it is not the senators Senate; it is not Sarakis senate.





They have privatised and personalised the institution, and the reason we were elected to be there, had been relegated to the background.



A veteran journalist, Dele Momodu, has appealed to a National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu to forgive the Lag...

A veteran journalist, Dele Momodu, has appealed to a National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu to forgive the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode for any sin he may have committed.





Momodu, who is the Publisher of Ovation Magazine, said Tinubu should forgive Ambode because the APC leader will be held responsible for any plight that his face-off with Ambode may cause the state and his party.





Momodu, a former presidential aspirant, claimed that the face-off between Tinubu and Ambode was caused by some witches and wizards.





He stressed that, though Ambode has been accused of not looking after anybody, Tinubu should consider the good work of the governor.





Following a reported relationship breakdown between Ambode and Tinubu, the latter was said to have anointed one Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the next governor of Lagos State.





Just recently, the Vice Chairman of the APC in Lagos East Senatorial District, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, had disclosed that Tinubu instructed the 57 Local Council Chairmen in the state to work towards the emergence of Sanwo-Olu as the next governor of the state.





However, Momodu in his latest article, Pendulum, urged Tinubu not to fire the bullet because Ambode deserves a second chance.





The article reads partly: Let me say categorically that no one has sent me to you because what is fashionable these days is the web of conspiracy stories on social medial.





You must have guessed what this is all about, already. My appeal to you, openly and frontally, is to plead with you to handle the Akinwunmi Ambode debacle with utmost care and tact.





Until you brought him out from retirement, not many people ever knew him and his achievements as the Lagos State Accountant-General.





He was obviously a young, shy but brilliant man who knew how to get results. Your unusual sagacity and prescience in unearthing gems like Fashola and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice-President birthed another genius of an administrator in Ambode. He has succeeded in following and emulating the glorious heights set by you and Fashola and Lagos State has again been better for the choice you made. I have read all sorts about how power changed him and how he has not been too grateful and appreciative to all those who gave him this uncommon favour and the seat of power that he currently occupies. I have also sat with people who swore never to forgive him even if you do.





We all know though, that once you give direction, all the sabre-rattling by these political journey-men will cease and they will abide by your decision.





Hmmm, Asiwaju, at the end of the day, no matter what happens, you would be held responsible for the plight of your party, APC and Lagos State, for good or for bad.





It is normal for every mortal to feel let down. It is even always tempting for humans to get angry and seek vengeance but after every war, the gladiators often come together on the table to start a new life as if they were not killing themselves in recent past. I cant claim to know all the sins Governor Ambode committed to warrant his present predicament. But whatever it was, we are told he has begged and pleaded, his wife has apologised, many distinguished Nigerians have beseeched that you forgive and allow him to complete his good work. I have read the complaints of many of your foot-soldiers, Sir, the reasons and excuses for dumping Ambode are very similar, he has not looked after anybody, he has been standoffish, who does he think he is, and so on. These are at the very worst, personal issues that could naturally lead to bickering and animosity. I doubt if the issue was more about lack of performance in accordance with the mandate of improving Lagos which you gave to him. Not even uncharitable persons would accuse him of that. Politics is indeed a delicate and dangerous game. A few months back, no one would have envisaged this type of strife or brouhaha to visit a man everyone called the most hardworking Governor in Nigeria. If I want to sound superstitious and to put it the African way, this is the handiwork of witches and wizards.





Im aware that my very dear Brother, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, incidentally, Im 20 times closer to him than Ambode, has been dragged into the cauldron of intrigue and power struggle in Lagos State. I will love him to be Governor, because he is undoubtedly qualified, but not in the manner many of your supporters are going about it.





If he is so destined, he may still be Governor, some day. This is my reason for saying that the apparent unnecessary and unwarranted humiliation of the current Governor is bizarre and definitely uncalled for.





The giddiness of the moment must urgently give way to sobriety. If care is not taken kata kata may burst! It seems that the Lagos electorate is being taken for granted and that it is assumed that they are merely dogs that can be controlled by the whistle of the dog handler. Asiwaju, you never know, the unpredictable may happen and it has happened before. I do not pray that history repeats itself within a short time, at a time when you hold sway as the undisputed power broker. If that happens, God forbid, most of those saying there is no one like you today, will swiftly disappear before you can blink an eye. I venture to say that most of them do not personally like you. They live in fear of you and not in awe of you. I hear and know what many of them say behind you. If one asks them, why havent they told you face-to-face, the usual answer is you will be called an enemy once you tell Oga the truth





I remain your dear younger one who will not shirk from telling you the plain truth!





These are people very close to you, but do not have your interest at heart. They are only concerned with their selfish interests and self-preservation.





What would be worse is for this grave matter not to be settled and Babajides head is used to break coconut. This would be sad.





Everything must be done to bring your team together again as one. Both of them can still work perfectly for the good of the State. There is nothing wrong in having two brilliant, diligent and industrious people on the same ticket to advance the prospects of the State, with the recognition that the deputy is already anointed to take over. I believe that this may be a veritable solution to the present imbroglio and that it can work to assuage the feelings and aspirations of all concerned.





The present situation is sad and unfortunate. I seriously pity those who think you and Ambode cannot be friends again. I know from your antecedents that you do not practice politics like that. You are much more astute. You are buoyed by the philosophy of itesiwaju Eko. That demands sacrifices for the Lagos State you envision. I believe this is one sacrifice that is necessary to make. It is difficult but not impossible. You must forgive and make up, before it is too late. All those who have intervened are waiting, and watching, to see if you would disregard, and disrespect, them all collectively. That would be truly unfortunate.



Sen. David Mark, a presidential aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, says his quest to be president is to develop the capacity women and youth in the country.Mark, a former Senate President, made the remarks on Monday at the PDP secretariat in Birnin Kebbi while canvassing for support from PDP leaders and delegates from Kebbi State.I will be more committed to add value to our women and the youth if elected as President in 2019.I believe that the future of this country depends on women and youth development; they are playing a vital role in the development this country.I am seeking the Peoples Democratic Party ticket to contest the 2019 presidential polls to also bring about peace and development to the entire people of Nigeria, he said.According to him, the experience he garnered during his service in the military and as a legislator places him in vantage position to offer more quality service to Nigeria.Mark however told the delegates that he would accept the outcome of the PDP presidential primary.Earlier, the state PDP Chairman, Alhaji Haruna Saadu described the former Senate President as the kind of leader Nigerians need to stabilize and reposition the country in all sectors.Saadu added that Mark and other presidential aspirants under the party were people of integrity, vision and statesmanship, and had earned good reputation through the public offices they have held.Dallas Officer Who Killed Botham Jean After Mistaking His Apartment For Hers Has Been Fired Elijah C. Watson Elijah Watson serves as Okayplayer's News & Culture Editor. When

Amber Guyger is no longer a part of the Dallas Police Department.

The Dallas cop who fatally shot Botham Jean in his own apartment has been fired.

READ: A Manipulation Of Black Innocence: Botham Jean & How Black People Are Wrong Even When Theyre Not

The Dallas Police Department released a statement via Twitter Monday afternoon announcing the firing of Amber Guyger.

Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall terminated Police Officer Amber Guyger during a hearing held September 24, 2018, the statement reads. An Internal Affairs investigation concluded that on September 9, 2018, Officer Guyger, engaged in adverse conduct when she was arrested for manslaughter.

Officer Guyger was terminated for her actions, the document continues. Under civil service rules, Officer Guyger has the right to appeal her discipline.

Guyger shot Jean Thursday night. After returning home from a 12-hour shift, she walked into Jeans apartment and shot her gun twice, killing the 26-year-old. After the shooting, she proceeded to call 911. She also said that the apartment door was left ajar and that the room was completely dark when she fired. It was only after the shooting that she turned on the lights and realized she was in the wrong apartment.

Since the incidence, Guyger has since claimed that Jean didnt listen to her verbal commands before fatally shooting him.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz recently offered his thoughts on the shooting, saying that Jean found himself murdered and that people shouldnt jump to conclusions.

The response came after his opponent, Beto ORourke, voiced his support for Guygers firing.

I dont understand given the actions how anyone can come to any other conclusion, the Democratic nominee for Texas Senate said to an audience at a Dallas church on Friday. When we all want justice and the facts and the information to make an informed decision, whats released to the public? That he had a small amount of marijuana in his kitchen.Paducah, KY (42003)

Today

Clearing skies after some morning rain. High 61F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 39F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.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.Ox Industries to Convert Halltown Paper Mill from Coal to Natural Gas

Sept. 24, 2018 - Ox Industries announced that they will convert their Halltown, West Virginia uncoated recycled paper mill from coal to compressed natural gas, which will support the mill's new high pressure steam boiler.

Being one of two (non-utility) industrial users of coal in the state, we are excited to take this major step switching to a cleaner and more efficient source of energy for our paper mill, said Kevin Hayward, CEO of Ox Industries. This project reaffirms our commitment to our Halltown Mill and surrounding community.

The total project is expected to be completed by the end of November this year.

The Halltown Mill is one of the oldest continuous manufacturing sites in West Virginia. It began making paper out of rags and straw in 1869 and will celebrate 150 years of paper making next year.

Headquartered in Hanover, Pennsylvania, Ox is a leading vertically integrated supplier of 100% uncoated recycled paperboard, paper tubes and cores, and protective packaging with facilities in Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Texas. To learn more, please visit: www.oxindustries.com .

SOURCE: OX IndustriesOver the weekend, Hilary Duff, who is currently nine months pregnant, told off a paparazzo who had been following her around as she ran errands.

The Younger star filmed a confrontation with the man (and posted it to Instagram), telling him repeatedly that he was making her uncomfortable, and she felt like she was being "hunted down." Never mind the fact that she mentioned being with her son, and wanting to shield him from the photographer's gaze.

To be clear, Duff's language of feeling preyed upon is not untrue, of course, when you think of how often paparazzi's harassment of women in the public eye is basically stalking. (This also applies when you consider how often this kind of harassment occurs in a culture that consistently supports types of male dominance over women).

Duff also calls out the inherent double standard of people who suggest that, as a celebrity, she has essentially "signed up for" such mistreatment due to her visibility. Par for the course, these people often say. No, says Duff: if it weren't due to the fact that she were famous, such actions from her stalker (let's just call it what it is) would be considered illegal and therefore worth legal recourse.

Further, Duff's confrontation is a window to an ongoing problem in Hollywood, and society at large. Only now, on the strength of movements like #MeToo, are men beginning to understand something really basic that should have long been obvious: Women are not prey.Ja Rule has enthusiastically not apologized for Fyre Festival (again). In an interview on Revolt TV's Drink Champs, Ja Rule told hosts Noreaga and DJ EFN that he is "in no way, shape or form ashamed" and maintains that "the idea was fuckin' beyond brilliant."

He admits things didn't go perfectly with his concept Bahamas music festival that ended with rich aspiring influencers stranded on the Caribbean island without food or lodging, organizer Billy McFarland going down for fraud charges, and millions awarded to attendees in damages: "It wasn't what I dreamed it of being and what I envisioned of it being and what I wanted it to be. It wasn't done properly...People didn't really know I had anything to do with the festival until it went wrong. And then it was like, 'Ja Rule's festival!' It was my idea, my vision to do this...I wanted to create something amazing..."

He takes a few pinches of responsibility: "I shoulda been more on top of things, I should've not trusted people with certain things that part of it, I take all responsibility."

But mostly the rapper maintains that other actors were responsible, explaining they didn't fully "grasp" his vision: "My main lesson that I learned, is to never give anyone the keys to your motherfucking carIt's like the old saying, you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself...You can't expect somebody else to carry out your vision, and that's what I learned..."

In case anyone was worried about the blow to Ja Rule's confidence, don't be: "These things in business happen, but, you know, the one thing that I'm really proud of myself of I didn't let that set me back the way people thought it would I've dusted myself off, I've recreated my situation, my company. And it's an amazing company, and you know, I'm pushing forward." Well, it's slightly better than the non-apology Ja Rule gave April, in which he claimed the events were "NOT [HIS] FAULT," but for which he's taking responsibility nonetheless:

In case you are hoping to play a long-game investment in suing him over his next project, he hints at a forthcoming event that's "very different, but similar." Relive the most magnificent news story of 2017 with it's ludicrous pitch deck, or hold out until its Hulu documentary series hits the small screen in 2019. Watch the interview below, starting at 1:08:00.Romantic comedies rarely delve into the world of sex work with nuance or sensitivity (though the Pretty Woman Rodeo Drive scene will stand the test of time). But upcoming rom-com The New Romantic is flipping the script, featuring The End of the F***ing World's Jessica Barden and Riverdale's Camila Mendes as sugar babies (fellow Riverdale actress Hayley Law also stars). The film, by debut director Carly Stone, won the Special Grand Jury Award at SXSW. Mendes and Barden wear a lot of different sunglasses.

The New Romantic follows Blake (Barden), a sex columnist at her college newspaper. When her editor threatens to cut her column for not being exciting enough, Blake embarks on an adventure in sugar babying, seeking guidance from Mendes' more experienced character. Jane the Virgin"s Brett Dier also appears as a love interest. Male editors repeatedly lecture Blake about "gonzo journalism" and regular journalism.

The film reminds me a great deal of my own college experience, in that I went to NYU during the launch of sugar baby juggernaut Seeking Arrangement and the in-school publication I worked for ran a series interviewing student sugar babies. All of them were doing it to pay tuition, some for fun, none for a column. Male-led lectures about Hunter S. Thompson were not a factor.

Sex columnist and television host Karley Sciortino, a seasoned sugar baby, wrote about sugar babying in her fantastic book, Slutever: Dispatches from a Sexually Autonomous Woman in a Post-Shame World, detailing everything from her wildest encounters to how when it comes to sex worker privilege, sugar babies are at the top of the heap. "I made what I felt was the best choice for me at the time," she wrote. "I looked at myself in the mirror and said: 'Yo, you have sex with people you don't like all the time; you might as well get fucking paid for it.'" The New Romantic comes out Friday, November 9th.

Photo via YouTubeSat., Nov. 13, 7-8:30 p.m. and Sun., Nov. 14, 2-3:30 p.m.

UIS Performing Arts Center One University Plaza, Springfield Lake Springfield Area

Film & Television

Presented by the University of Illinois Springfield. The generation that fought hardest to come out, is going back in. "Gen Silent" follows the lives of six LGBT seniors living in the Boston area who must choose if they will hide their sexuality in order to survive in the long-term health care system. AgeLinc and the Phoenix Center are co-Hosting along with Illinois HIV Care Connect, Illinois Assistive Technology Program and KW Capital, Keller Williams Realty as sponsors. Seating is limited. Registration is required. AgeLinc, Your Link to Aging Well. 217-787-9234News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.Chirano Gold Mines Limited, a subsidiary of Kinross Gold Corporation, has paid $13 million, equivalent to GH61,887,800, as dividend to the Government of Ghana for the 2017 fiscal year.



The company paid the dividend to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on Thursday in Accra following what it described as strong operational performance.



Government of Ghana has a 10 percent carried interest in Chirano Gold Mines Limited.



Making the presentation, Vice President and General Manager of Kinross Chirano, Adriano Sobreira, said the payment of the dividend for 2017 was approved by the Board of Directors of the mining company.



He said there is a representative of the Government of Ghana on the Board of Directors and that the approval was done on September 14, 2018.



We are proud to pay this $13 million dividend to the Government of Ghana. It illustrates our capacity to create and deliver value for our shareholders, our host countries and local communities, he said.



According to him, This dividend represents only part of the significant contributions Kinross has made to local communities and the development of the Ghanaian economy, with more than US$1.8 billion spent in the country since 2011.



From 2011 to 2017, he asserted, the company contributed approximately $400 million to the Ghanaian economy through taxes and royalties paid to the government, and $257 million through wages and salaries paid to employees, approximately 98 percent of whom are Ghanaians.



The company, he said, has also provided numerous business opportunities to local contractors, with nearly $1.2 billion spent on goods and services since 2011.



It said 73 percent of all procurement at Chirano was conducted in the country in 2017.



Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, commended the company for the gesture, urging other companies to emulate it.



He said that the Auditor Generals Report of 2014 showed that from 2005 to 2015, only four out of 22 mining companies paid dividends to the government of Ghana.



He, therefore, urged mining companies in Ghana to comply with the countrys mining laws.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoThere are very good reasons why all well-meaning Ghanaians must not only bare their teeth at the Akufo Afford government, but also fiercely oppose government's 'treacherous' dalliance with the Chinese Company, StarTimes.



Beyond the technicalities in the mysterious DTT 'enhancement' contract the Akufo-Addo government signed with StarTimes on April 5, 2018, it is important Ghanaians understand why this government has made it an article of faith to be bedmate of the Chinese firm.



When the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association and some Minority MPs raised concerns about government's new deal with StarTimes, the understanding most us got, courtesy the Communication ministry, was that the existing DTT network platform was not fit for purpose and desperately needed to be improved.



Both the Minister of Communications and her deputy have both canvassed the point that there was the need for StarTimes to enhance the work done by K-Net. K-Net, a wholly owned Ghanaian company, was the company the Mahama government contracted in 2015 to build the country's DTT network platform at a cost of $82.4m.



This was after the Mahama government abrogated the same contract it signed with StarTimes in 2012 at a cost of $95m of which the Chinese company could not execute because it could not secure the needed funding from China's Eximbank as it promised.



Interestingly, the deputy Communications Minister, George Andah, who is now seeking to spit on the work K-Net had done, until recently described the DTT network platform built by K-Net as 'amazing'. The deputy minister, in an interview with Joy FM, could not fathom how an indigenous company like K-Net developed such a robust platform at a cost of $13m lesser than what StarTimes had wanted to charge Ghana.



All players in the technology industry, save the Communications Minster, her deputy and NPP unrepentant backers, believe there is absolutely nothing to be enhanced so far as the DDT platform is concerned. If there is something to be enhanced, as the Communications ministry wants Ghanaians to believe, that supposed enhancement, 'commonsensically', must be done by those who built the DTT platform and not a new company.



But as the Communications Minister explained on Newsfile yesterday, the Akufo Addo government's only decision to re-engage Star Times to virtually do nothing but, at the end pay them for work already executed by K-Net, was to 'romance' and impress the Chinese government to release loans it had pledged to government. So even if we have to enter into a bad deal with StarTimes, like we are presently doing, for the Chinese government to release the $2 billion Sinohydro facility, $50 billion century bond etc, we must do it without recourse to the interest of our country and the plight of Ghanaians who voted for the New Patriotic Party.



The Communications Minister, thanks to her, inadvertently let out the intention of the Akufo Addo government in bringing back Star Times which could not fulfil its contractual obligations in 2015. The Minister made the point that her predecessor, Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah's decision to abrogate Star Times' contract in 2015 irked the Chinese government, and that affected Ghana's long-standing relationship with the Chinese government.



As a result of this, the Chinese government, Ursula Owusu Ekuful explained, decided not to continue granting loans to government. The Minister further added that the Eastern Corridor road is in a deplorable state as it is today because the government of China decided to punish Ghana by not 'giving us money' to fix it because we abrogated our contract with StarTimes.



In essence, what the Minister is saying is that the Akufo Addo government decided to renew Ghana's marriage with China by re-engaging StarTimes with mouthwatering but questionable deals since that was the only way the Chinese government will smile back at Ghana and give us more money. So this was what the NPP government did. When the 2012 contract with StarTimes was cancelled for nonperformance, the Chinese company sued the government of Ghana at the High Court, claiming $200m in judgment debt. Star Times lost the case.



The Company appealed the decision of which they lost again. Not satisfied, lawyers of the Chinese firm invoked the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to overturn the verdict of the Court of Appeal; unfortunately, they lost again. The company then went for International Arbitration in 2015, then again the arbitration tribunal gave a partial award in favour of Ghana.



At this point, the NDC lost the 2016 election and the NPP took over. From the series of cases StarTimes had lost, it was clear that Dr Omane Boamah was right in abrogating the contract. Again, it was clear that Ghana had strong defence to knock out StarTimes on any day at any forum. For very strange reasons, Ursula Owusu and her NPP concluded that Ghana had no case. In August 2017, the Communications Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with StarTimes to abrogate the arbitration process in London.



After doing this great disservice to Ghana, Ursula Owusu and her ministry then engaged StarTimes to assess the DTT network platform with hopes of finding fault with it so the ministry could establish grounds on which to rearward the contract to StarTimes to please the Chinese government. Unfortunately, StarTimes after their assessment concluded that K-Net delivered beyond expectation.



At this stage there was nothing the Ministry could do. But they finally found flimsy alibi that the DTT platform needed to be 'enhanced'. Industry players including sources at K-Net have rejected this 'enhancement' argument. While at this, the Communications Ministry awarded another contract to StarTimes in what has become known as the 300 villages satellite TV project with some "juicy" tax waivers. This project will be launched in Ursula Owusu's constituency.



As it stands, StarTimes has been awarded two juicy contracts by Ursula Owusu's ministry. The DTT 'enhancement' contract which the Minister signed on April 5, 2018 needs to be explained further.





















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































According to the Minister, the contract states in parts, that the DTT enhancement project will be financed by a loan agreement between China Eximbank and Ghana. Mind you, it was this same Eximbank facility 'thing' that led to the abrogation of the first contract because StarTimes could not raise the money. The Minister again explained that the April 5, 2018, contract she committed Ghana to would only take effect after the loan has been secured.



All China Eximbank-Ghana loan agreements are governed by framework agreements. The Communications Minister in her own words stated that, the existing framework agreement to source funds from Eximbank for the DTT project has expired and that the Minister of Finance has applied for one which is yet to be approved. This is very worrying! Why was the Minister in a hurry to sign a contract when the terms of the loan to be used to execute that contract has not be discussed and agreed upon by all parties?



The Eximbank facility is an international agreement, therefore it will end up in Parliament for approval in line with article 181 of the 1992 constitution. What the Minister and the NPP government have done is to give the Chinese government superior bargaining power when negotiating the facility. In effect, what will eventually happen is that the desperate Akufo Addo government will have no option than to accept whatever terms the Chinese will bring to the negotiation table. At the end, the NPP will use it's numbers in Parliament to approve the loan agreement flowing from the negotiation however bad or detrimental it is to the interest of Ghana.



These are the reasons why the Burundi and Zambian experience being canvassed by Samuel George Nartey must be considered seriously. In Zambia, for instance, Star Times entered into an agreement with them not to manage or control their DTT but to only build it for them. Then in the loan agreement, the Chinese government managed to insert a term that in the event Zambia defaults, StarTimes will manage and control the DTT for some years. The experience on the African continent shows that StarTimes will come with the intention of building the DTT, then they will cleverly use their government to woo the country involved to agree with the terms in the loan agreement that StarTimes will manage the DTT when the country defaults.



That is exactly the route StarTimes is using again. The Minister says StarTimes will only enhance the DTT and leave. The management and control of the DTT will be done by the Central Digital Migration Company which is yet to be formed. Curiously, the Minister herself does not know the terms the Chinese will introduce in respect of the loan agreement to finance the April 5, 2018 contract she signed without engaging key stakeholders. This is where we find ourselves where our Minister of Communications, a lawyer, signs a contract without knowing when it will take effect simply because we have to please China in order to access more loans.



What is so surprising is that StarTimes is not a state-owned company. The Chinese government has no shares in Star Times but it is using it as a bargaining chip to push its interest. And instead of our Communications Minister to raise objection to this unfair treatment, she is going round justifying what the Chinese government has done. I would be surprised if the government of Ghana would muster courage and tell China or any other country in the face that because they have abrogated a contract they have with a private firm from our country, we will not honour any obligation to them.



It is sad that the Akufo Addo government is comfortably fighting to protect the interest of Chinese firms and awarding them undeserved contracts while indigenous companies suffer. And when they raise legitimate concerns, the Minister and her deputy say they are making 'ugly noise'.

Source: Amorse B. Amos









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Dialysis Service Foundation (DSF) has appealed to corporate organisations and persons with resources to help support needy kidney patients.



According to the foundation, an average of 12,000 kidney failure cases are detected among Ghanaian patients every year.



Speaking at the launch of DSF fundraising, a board member of the foundation, Dela Herman Agbo indicated that DSF would provide subsidised or full dialysis treatment to needy members in the country.



The foundation is doing this "so that these patients will not be deprived of treatment due to financial difficulties, he noted.



He stated that the foundation would also assist in researching for a cure for kidney diseases in Ghana.



Mr Agbo revealed that dialysis cost about GH250 per session, adding that for patients with kidney failure, this was going to be a cost to be borne for a lifetime.



"Can you imagine what you can do with GH250?" he questioned.



The foundation's research, he said, showed that 12 to 14 session of dialysis is needed each month to keep a patient alive, stating that it could amount to over GH3000 monthly.



He pointed out that GH2.5 million is needed for the foundation to be able to provide basic treatment required to survive kidney disease.



Talking about the cost of dialysis, Rector of Ghana Physicians and Surgeons, Plange Rhule intimated that when a patient receives a transplant, the patient has to continuously live on medication to ensure that the new organ is not rejected by the body, and that involves cost.



"This is the kind of service we need to develop in Ghana for people to benefit," he added.



Touching on people who are prone to kidney disease, Mr Rhule noted that people with ill-treated hypertension and diabetes are likely to suffer from this disease.



According to him, data from Korle-Bu Hospital showed that one in three persons who come with hypertension has some form of impairment with kidney function.

Source: The Finder









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Featured VideoThe Ministry of Communications has emphatically stated that it does not intend to hand over the management of the national Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) infrastructure to any third party.



A statement signed by the Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said that the DTT Platform would be managed as a commercial entity incorporated as the Central Digital Transmission Company Limited (CDTCL) and governed by a board with representatives from GBC, GIBA and other industry and content producers.



There were reports that Chinese communication giant, StarTimes, had been contracted to manage the countrys Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Platform.



The Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) had called on government to immediately end negotiations with StarTimes over Ghanas DTT Platform.



According to GIBA, the project, which aims at protecting broadcasting from interference, must not be given to the foreign firm, which also owns a TV network in Ghana.



But the allegations were debunked by government which stated that it had not signed any contracts with the Chinese firm to manage the countrys digital platform.



A press statement signed by Mrs. Ekuful-Owusu yesterday revealed that the broadcasting space is not being handed over to Chinese firm StarTimes as speculated by some Ghanaians.



The ministry wishes to state emphatically that it has in no way committed to and does not intend to hand over the management of the DTT infrastructure platform to any third party. The DTT infrastructure platform shall be managed as a commercial entity incorporated as the central Digital Transmission Company Limited (CDTCL) governed by a board with representatives from GIBA, TNX Creative Arts Industry and contents Producers, MoF, MoC, the CEO of the CDTCL and the board chair, the statement said.



It added that the selection of a contractor and financing options for any aspect of the project ought not to be interpreted as an intention to hand over the ownership and management of the platform to any third party.



The statement from the Communications Ministry indicated that the DTT infrastructure and 300 communities Satellite TV project were not interrelated.



The ministry has not reneged on its framework for managing the DTT Platform and wishes to reiterate that the ministry has no intention of allowing StarTimes or any foreign entity to manage the platform, according to the statement.



It said the 300 Village Satellite TV project is expected to benefit 6,000 households drawn from 300 villages nationwide.



According to the ministry, StarTimes has been working with the Ministry of Communications and various districts and regional representatives to identify the 300 villages.



The project is another giant step towards helping our citizens to access TV information on national and international events and programmes that would educate and inform them; hence increasing their awareness and knowledge to improve their welfare, said the Communications Ministry.



It said apart from the 6,000 households, 900 public viewing locations would be connected through two solar powered satellite projector TV systems and 32-inch TV sets for free.



This, according to the ministry, would create an opportunity for selected local youth to be trained to provide maintenance support services for the communities and also provide jobs to over 1,000 Ghanaians.

Source: Daily Guide









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Featured VideoOut of a total of 43,215 applications received, the University of Ghana was able to admit 28,149 students for the 2018/2019 academic year, representing about 65 per cent of the total applications received.



This is because of the lack of infrastructure to accommodate the high number of students wanting to pursue university education.



The University of Ghana has consequently initiated a move to seek partnership to put up new residential facilities on campus within the next two years.



This, will help to increase students housing stock, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, has stated.



He indicated that providing accommodation for all fresh students had always been a challenge although the university in recent times had put up a number of new halls of residence to augment the accommodation provided by the traditional halls.



Prof. Owusu was speaking at the 2018/2019 matriculation ceremony for newly admitted students to the university on Saturday September 22, 2018.



He said of the 11,216 registered freshmen, although 7,289 were entitled to residence only 2,488 of them representing 34 per cent had been offered accommodation. Of the figure 1,227 are female and rest male.



This clearly indicates an improvement in female-male ratio trend from 40:60 to 49:50. The university will continue to strive towards achieving the 50:50 ratio or better, he added.



The Vice-Chancellor submitted that the university continued to invest in providing accommodation and improve the living conditions in the various halls of residence by rehabilitating the halls, improving the water supply situation, providing internet service and ensuring adequate security.



Admissions



The university received a total of 43,215 undergraduate applications for the 2018/2019 academic year but was able to admit 28,149 which constitutes about 65 per cent of the total applications received.



Of the number admitted, 11,216 students have registered for programmes at all the university campuses.



On graduate admissions, the Vice-Chancellor said in the 2018/2019 academic year, the university received a total of 8,106 applications but was able to offer admission to 2,462 applicants.



Touching on international students admission, Prof. Owusu noted that the university continued to attach great importance to the presence of international students on the various campuses and as such the university received 2,537 international applications for the 2018/2019 academic year.



Of that number the university was able to admit 734 applicants of which 306 students of various nationalities had successfully registered.



Adhere to rules



Prof. Owusu urged the students to be obedient to the school authorities as well as adhere to its rules and regulations to avoid sanctions.



As fresh students you are expected to contribute your quota to enhance the universitys image wherever you find yourself, and to ensure that you do not do anything that will bring the name of the university to into disrepute, the Vice-Chancellor told the newly admitted students.



He stressed that you must begin to own the institution and make sure that whatever you do or say remains a compliment to the development of the university.



Oath administration



The Registrar of the university, Mrs Mercy Haizel-Ashia, administered the matriculation oath.



She had earlier in her welcoming remarks taken the students through other matriculation ceremonies for students in the distance and sandwich programmes and other programmes during the academic year.



She wished the students well in their new environment and asked them to strive for academic excellence.



One of the fresh students, Mr David Henry Boakye-Yeboah, who delivered a speech on behalf of the fresh students on their expectations looked forward to meeting new people, forming new relationships and networking to last their lifetime.



He urged his colleagues to put up the best of behaviours and study hard to justify the confidence reposed in them.









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Featured VideoKencity Media has been thrown into a state of mourning following the news of the death of one of its senior reporters with Oman FM, Opanyin Kwadwo Fordjuor.



According to close family sources, he died on Sunday at about 9pm at Legon Hospital where he was on admission.



Opanyin Kwadwo Fordjour was a senior court reporter at Oman FM, which is owned by the politician, Kennedy Agyapong



During 2012 election petition, he marveled lawyers with his understanding of proceedings though he was not a member of the BAR.



He left behind four children and a wife.









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Three people drowned and two others swam to safety when their canoe capsized on the Black Volta.



A woman and two men drowned while two others managed to swim to safety.



The victims are from Briffoh in the Lawra Municipality of the Upper West Region.



The incident happened at about 5pm last Friday when they were returning from market in Burkina Faso.



Mr Robert Seuzagla, Lawra Municipal Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), who visited the scene of the accident, told The Finder that life jackets were provided to the people around the Black Volta last year, but they were not using them.



He has, therefore, promised to intensify education on the use of life jackets.



The bodies of the deceased have been handed over to their families after doctors examined them.



The families have started mourning in line with the customs and traditions of the people of Briffoh.

Source: The Finder









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoJames Kwabena Bomfeh has advised the Minister of Communications Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to uphold the interest of Ghana in every contract the Ministry signs with foreign entities.



James Kwabena Bomfeh, popularly called Kabila, was commenting on the brouhaha arising as a result of the contract between the Government of Ghana and Chinese Communications giant, Star Times.



The contract dubbed "Access to Satellite TV for 300 villages in Ghana" will benefit 6000 households.



Reports are rife that Star Times had been contracted to manage the country's Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Platform.



But according to a statement by the Sector Minister, the DTT Platform would be managed as a commercial entity incorporated as the Central Digital Transmission Company Limited (CDTCL) and governed by a board with representatives from GBC, GIBA and other industry and content producers.



Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) however has raised red flag over the deal stating it will conflict with a roadmap for Ghanas Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) migration.



Addressing the issues on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Kabila urged the Minister not to engage in any deal that's not in the interest of Ghanaians.



To him, there should be a "total loyalty to Ghana" before any considerations are made to transact business with a foreign company.



He therefore wants Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful and her Ministry to do due diligence to the deal saying the love for Ghana should take "precedence over other consideration. Does what Im doing prove my love for the nation? Will it result in the development of Ghana?



Meanwhile, Hon. Owusu-Ekuful has hinted in an interview with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's Kokrokoo that her ministry will meet with GIBA on Thursday to deliberate on the Star Times Satellite TV project.





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Before the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government took over the administration of the country, Ghana was losing a whopping sum of of $1.5 million every month as a result of the bogus contract entered into between the previous Mahama government and Befesa Desalination Development Ghana for the construction and operation of the Teshie-Nungua Desalination Plant.



Before the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government took over the administration of the country, Ghana was losing a whopping sum of of $1.5 million every month as a result of the bogus contract entered into between the previous Mahama government and Befesa Desalination Development Ghana for the construction and operation of the Teshie-Nungua Desalination Plant.



Befesa Ghana Limited was contracted by the Mahama government to build the desalination plant, operate it to defray its cost and hand over to the GWCL after 25years.



An example of data analysis on the water supply and payments shows that operators of the plant, whose construction was completed in February 2015 at a cost of $126 million, for a period of nine months, supplied an average of 650,000m3 of water per month to the GWCL.



The Daily Statesman can state on authority that the financial obligation to the GWCL for the supply was $1.5 million per month, in addition to $300,000.00 paid to the Electricity Company of Ghana for power supply.



Strangely, however, the water company got less than $300,000.00 from the sale of the water every month, indicating that the Mahama government was committing the nation to losses of a whopping $1.5 million every month.



Rip-off



The available facts now appear to confirm the fact that the Teshie Desalination Plant project intended to produce water by way of reducing saltwater to domestic and industrial consumption was a total rip-off by agents of the erstwhile Mahama administration.



Engineers say the "head" or elevation of the plant is not high enough to push the water by gravity to enable it reach more people and generate more revenue.



They also see the location of the plant at Teshie to be problematic because residents there are poor, and it will therefore be unreasonable or unacceptable to charge them more than everyone else.



Patronage is also low because of the aesthetics: the yuk factor.....this is where the residents poo and dump rubbish, one engineer told the Daily Statesman.



According to the engineers, it would have been better to have located the plant at Tema for the water to be used as raw material for industries.



That would limit customers to a few key industries; and it would make for easier, more efficient revenue collection. Ghana Water Company could then charge higher/ more commercial rates per unit, one engineer explained.



Alternatively, the engineers believe the best option would have been to bring the water from Ada or Sogakope, where there is too much fresh water to require desalination.



If the decision makers were really thinking, we could have built a pipeline from the Volta Lake (largest freshwater lake in Africa) for $40 million and gotten the same effect. Or the Ada one would have been cheaper, one of them explained further.



$7m savings



It has been confirmed by authoritative sources to the Daily Statesman that in spite of an intervention by the current management that led to annual savings of $7million on the cost of the water supplied by the plant, it was still not enough to rescue the GWCL from the investment mess created by the Mahama government.



Credible information available to the Daily Statesman indicates that a renegotiation of the dirty water deal by the new management resulted in reducing payment for water supplied by the Desalination Plant from US$24,000,000/annum to US$17,000,000/annum.



Because of the extent of the rip-off, the new GWCL management had to bid its time studying the situation to enable it finalise other technical issues. For instance, there were no GWCL technicians on sight to monitor and verify operational activities to ascertain quality and quantity levels to enable it certify operational records and claims by the operators of the plant.



Shutdown



The GWCL shut the plant on October 15, 2017 and provided water from Kpong for its customers when the independent water company began throwing its weight about in a strategic meeting to resolve the dirty issues surrounding the deal.



What is the latest on this dirty water deal entered into by the Mahama government for the country? Stay tuned for more.

Source: The Daily Statesman









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Toronto Real Estate Board's CEO John DiMichele attends a presentation by the Toronto Real Estate Board of their mid-year forecast update to the media in Toronto on Thursday July 6, 2017. Toronto Real Estate Board chief executive officer John DiMichele says he has seen evidence of brokers??? remarks about homeowners being posted online. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris YoungHistorical books detailing residential schools released by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission sit on a table as the commission releases an interim report during a news conference in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday February 24, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl DyckElizabeth Wettlaufer is escorted by police from the courthouse in Woodstock, Ont, on June 26, 2017. The families of eight people killed by an Ontario nurse, as well as one of her surviving victims, lamented a fundamental lack of respect for human life in the province's long-term care system Monday as they addressed a public inquiry probing the circumstances around the woman's crimes. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dave ChidleyBelgium is to cull 4,000 domestic pigs to prevent the further spread of African swine in the infected area in the south of the country.

So far nine cases have been confirmed in wild boar since the virus was confirmed in the Luxembourg region of Belgium, near the French and Luxembourg borders on Friday, September 14.

A 240 square mile infection zone has been set up around the infected area and, alongside various other measures, Beligium is planning to cull around 4150 pigs on 58 farms within it. According to the Belgium farming organisation Boerenbond this includes three large farming companies, while the rest are small farms. It includes 350 sows.

Belgian Minister Denis Ducarme announced that planned cull on Sunday evening, following calls from Boerenbond for all pigs to be removed from the zone.

The danger is there, because of the large wild boar population, that the virus sooner or later spills over to the pig sector and then the consequences are incalculable. The emptying of the buffer zone is also a very positive measure for the confidence of exporting abroad, Boerenbond said.

Farmers will be compensated by a combination of national and EU funding. Belgiums plan to slaughter pig inside the infection zone, which reflects the EUs ASF policy, has been welcomed by the European Commission.

Belgian authorities took the right decision, Anca Paduraru, a Commission spokeswoman said. She said the fight against swine fever would be an EU priority because of the threat it poses to the continental economy, according to reports.

Other measures inside the zone include movement restrictions and monitoring of pigs and wild boar. Some farmers are calling for a cull of wild boar.

The UK Animal and Plant Health Agency has warned, however, that given the large numbers of wild boar in this forested area, crossing EU border, eradication of the virus will be a challenge. However, the Belgian authorities said very few domestic pigs are kept in this region and maintain that the risk of domestic pigs becoming infected with ASF remains limited.

So far 13 non-EU countries have now banned Belgian pork and pork products, following confirmation of ASF, and pork prices have fallen as a result.

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WASHINGTON, DC  The US House of Congress has warned the Ugandan government against suppressing political dissent in the wake of the arrest of Members of Parliament and others in Arua by-election chaos.

It has also asked Kampala to drop all charges against Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine and others who were arrested in the August 13 chaos.

In a September 21 letter to the Ugandan Ambassador to the US Mull Katende, the US Congress said the continued suppression of political dissenters by the Uganda government contradicts the principles of cooperation which the two countries share.

We urge the government of Uganda to immediately drop all charges filed against Robert Kyagulanyi and his colleagues, we also call for a thorough investigation into all allegations of violence against Kyagulanyi, his colleagues, demonstrators and journalists, reads the letter in part.

It adds: Suppressing political dissent is a dangerous trend  one must be reversed if Uganda wants to truly embrace democratic ideas.

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the Federal government of the United States. The legislature consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The Congress also condemned the continued use of tear gas and live ammunition on demonstrators during and after the arrest of Bobi Wine and beating journalists.

The US added that it has worked with Uganda to promote rule of law and protection of human rights as well as support the advancement of health and economic well-being of the country, which values must be respected.

On Thursday, September 13th, the European Parliament accused Uganda of continued violation of human rights during and after the Arua municipality by-elections.

The European Parliament also asked Uganda drop what they described as trumped-up charges against Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine and all other suspects implicated in the Arua chaos.

The EU parliament expresses its deep concern at the arrest of opposition parliamentarians in connection with the Arua by?election; Stresses that it is vital for Ugandan democracy that the President and Government of Uganda respect the independence of the countrys Parliament as an institution and the independence of the mandate of its members and ensure that all members of parliament can freely pursue their elected mandates and Calls on the Ugandan authorities to drop what appear to be trumped-up charges against Bobi Wine and to stop the crackdown against opposition politicians and supporters, part of the resolution reads.

However, acting Information Minister Chris Baryomunsi said Uganda is a sovereign nation and will not allow anyone to meddle into its internal affairs.

That is colonial mentality. No one tells us what to do. We have systems and structures that handle and resolve our internal matters as a country. Uganda is a sovereign state, said Dr Baryomunsi in an interview.

RelatedAn officer with the Boston Police Department was shot on Sunday, but did not suffer life-threatening injuries, according to the Boston Herald.

Boston police Commissioner William Gross said that the shooting underscores the danger of the job and callous attitude faced by police.

Gross said the officersmembers of the department's youth violence strike forcecame upon a group of subjects sitting on a stairway.

"Upon seeing police, the men got to their feet and grabbed at their waists," according to the Herald.

The men then reportedly barricaded themselves in an apartment. When officers entered, they were immediately fired upon.

One officerwho has not yet been identifiedwas struck. He was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger faces a manslaughter charge in the shooting death of a neighbor. (Photo: Fox News Screen Shot)

Amber Guygerthe female officer formerly with the Dallas (TX) Police Department who shot a man in his own apartment while reportedly thinking it was her residencehas been fired, according to the department's Twitter page.

According to Fox News, Guyger was arrested on a manslaughter charge after she shot and killed Botham Jean.

Guyger claims she walked into what she believed to be her own apartment, saw someone she thought was a burglar, drew her gun and opened fire.Fall is here, and that means that the Friends of the Dearborn Heights Libraries Fall Book Sale is coming fast.

Books are so expensive now. Do you have enough money to go to a book sale? But this is not a book store, brick or on-line. This is a sale for the same residents who donated books, magazines, CDs and videos to the libraries. The price of these books remains very low.

They are low because the Friends believe that the purpose of their sales are not to make as much profit as possible, but instead to thank the people for coming to the libraries for books, lectures, book discussions, computer classes and computer use and many other things. That is how libraries are supported, by using them.

At the Friends of the Dearborn Heights Libraries Fall Book Sale most everything is just $1.

These donations are carefully sorted. Some go to the library shelves, if the libraries dont own them yet or can replace worn copies on the shelves. The rest becomes the rows upon rows of books at the sale.

And because the book sales have been very successful, enough money is made to help the libraries offer more services or buy special supplies to supplement their regular budgets.

The sale hours are Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Oct. 5-6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Source: Friends of the Dearborn Heights LibrariesBOCA RATON, Florida, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Cendyn, the leading provider of hotel CRM and hotel sales platforms in the hospitality industry, has been voted as North America's Leading Hotel CRM Technology Provider and North America's Data Driven Marketing Agency for 2018. The prestigious World Travel Awards recognizes companies, organizations and brands that push the boundaries of hospitality industry excellence.

"We are truly honored to have won these awards. Cendyn was founded over 20 years ago in North America, so these awards really resonate with our continued efforts to innovate and evolve with the hospitality industry," says Charles Deyo, CEO & President of Cendyn. "Day-in-day-out, we see hoteliers across the globe now embracing technology systems, such as CRM and data-driven digital marketing, to improve how they engage with, and acquire their guests. It is becoming a 'must-have' as hotels that implement these technologies not only see more direct, higher yielding bookings, but they are also able to watch those guests become returning, loyal guests."

The awards in North America follow Cendyn's win of Leading Hotel CRM Technology Provider in Europe and Leading Data Driven Marketing Agency in Europe and Asia 2018. Cendyn is also in the running for these categories, as well as Events Management and Sales Proposal Platforms, in the Worldwide competition, with winners announced in December at a gala reception in Lisbon, Portugal.

Cendyn's CRM Suite caters to every hotelier from large brand to small boutique properties. Using multiple integrations, Cendyn consolidates numerous data points from disparate data transactions to engage with travelers throughout the guest journey. Business rules-based automation combined with dynamic personalization and upsell opportunities drive revenue through multiple channels and helps hotels acquire new customers.

eInsight CRM provides enterprise marketing automation and guest intelligence for multi-property/multi-brand hotels and Cendyn's Guestfolio CRM provides intuitive marketing automation and guest intelligence for boutique and independent hotels.

Cendyn's unique Data-Driven Digital Marketing Suite enables hoteliers to learn about and target their most valuable guests. By targeting the right guests, at the right time, with the right message, hoteliers cut through the noise of the crowded hospitality industry with personalized multi-channel campaigns that showcase and drive awareness of your brand.

Hotels are continuing to evolve in how they engage with their guests. By using technology and data to drive this engagement with guests, hoteliers are able to revolutionize how they interact with guests, use tools to drive direct bookings, maintain brand presence with their most valuable guests and stay competitive in their market. Cendyn's integrated Digital Marketing Suite and Hotel CRM Suite enables hoteliers to keep their guests at the forefront of what they do and concentrate on providing exceptional, personalized customer service at all times.

About Cendyn

Cendyn is a cloud-based software and services provider that develops integrated technology platforms for driving sales and marketing performance in the travel and hospitality industry. The Cendyn Hospitality Cloud offers the most complete set of innovative software and services in the industry, covering hotel marketing, guest engagement, group sales, and event management. With offices in Boca Raton, Atlanta, Boston, San Diego, Toronto, Whistler, London, Munich and Singapore, Cendyn proudly serves more than 30,000 clients in 143 countries with enterprise spend levels in excess of $1 billion. For more information on Cendyn, visit www.cendyn.com.

Media Contact

Michael Bennett

SVP, Global Marketing

[email protected]

561-419-2286

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/514869/Cendyn_Logo.jpg

Related Links

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SOURCE CendynBAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Silk Way Airlines ("Silk Way") strongly refutes the recent false claims put forward in several online articles attempting to smear Silk Way's trusted reputation. Void of any merit, these articles are a result of an organized campaign of misinformation penned by geopolitically motivated authors perpetrated to be in direct collaboration with Armenian connections.

Contrary to the false claims made in the articles, Silk Way dutifully followed all applicable protocols and methods under national and international aviation regulations and legal provisions concerning the transportation of goods by air, including International Air Transport Association (IATA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. As a standard operating procedure, prior to conducting the flights in question, Silk Way always obtained, without any diplomatic immunities, all necessary permits and exemptions required to transport dangerous cargo.

In addition, so-called 'secret flights', published in the articles referred, besides their fictitious quantity, were operated in full compliance with all established procedures and were ordered by the United States Department of Defense (DoD), while all consignors and consignees were designated by the mentioned authority. Thereby, the statements questioning the nature of these flights and their consignors and consignees lack all legal or substantive elements.

On the contrary, Silk Way's proper handling of this cargo has been confirmed by multiple authorities, which have since publicly refuted the false claims of misconduct in official statements, one of them made available here.

The very same authors who attempt to describe Silk Way as a company involved in illegal activities, admit in their posts that high-ranking institutions such as the U.S. military including U.S. Transport Command, Boeing and Boeing Global Services, the Canadian Department of National Defense, the German Armed Forces, the French Army and the United Nations, have a long-standing contractual relationship with Silk Way. These partnerships reaffirm the outstanding reputation of our airline and are a testament to Silk Way's commitment to quality services, safety, reliability, and corporate compliance.

Having failed to substantiate its claims of illegal flights, the misinformation campaign then engaged in a libelous character assault on Silk Way Group President, Mr. Zaur Akhundov and questioned the financing of Silk Way's fleet expansion. The articles fabricated information about Mr. Akhundov's professional credentials and experience, attempting to portray him as an unknown 'mystery man' who took control of the Silk Way brand. In truth, however, Mr. Akhundov was critical to the founding of Silk Way, has been a leader of the Silk Way team from the beginning, and brings decades of valuable experience in developing the aviation industry in Azerbaijan. Mr. Akhundov has no ties to any government or political party.

Concerning the allegations related to the financing of Silk Way's fleet expansion, our airline has cooperated transparently and as a result has built trusted partnership with many well-known international financing institutions, including notably, the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank of the United States. The Ex-Im Bank is a federal agency with the primary policy of supporting the acquisition of U.S.-made products such as Boeing aircraft. Before Silk Way legally obtained loans at the prevailing market rate which were backed by the Ex-Im Bank, the airline successfully passed all steps of compliance procedure, including due diligence reviews by the U.S. government. Furthermore, the guarantee that Silk Way obtained from the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBAR), was required by the Ex-Im Bank as additional security and has been provided to our airline based on standard market terms and conditions, the airline's rating, and without any privileges to Silk Way. In addition to the airline's rigorous executive vetting processes, Silk Way upholds a vigilant 'Know Your Customer' protocol and strictly adheres to best international business practices, proactively vetting each prospective client for any potential risks or illegal activities. Silk Way's history of corporate compliance has not only minimized risk, but also forged and strengthened business relationships across the globe. Any information to the contrary, including the inflated amount of Silk Way's loan, is categorically false.

Silk Way's trusted team, strong worldwide partnerships and ethical, safe operations will proudly continue delivering the best services the air cargo industry has to offer to the more than 50 destinations worldwide to which we operate.

About Silk Way Airlines:

Silk Way Airlines is a leader in scheduled and charter cargo flights, with a route network of more than 50 destinations worldwide.

We provide cost-effective solutions to your cargo transportation needs, and have extensive experience in areas not accessible by scheduled flights, in addition to regular flights on intercontinental routes that extend throughout Asia and Europe from our centrally located hub in Baku. We work with government and non-government organizations from all over the world to provide solutions to any request, no matter how complex.

The dedicated personnel at Silk Way Airlines continues to build our reputation based on a commitment to safety and reliability.

Learn more at silkwayairlines.com

CONTACT: Silk Way Airlines Communications, [email protected], (+994 12) 437-47-75

Related Links

http://silkwayairlines.com/



SOURCE Silk Way AirlinesPUNE, India, September 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

ReportsnReports.com has announced the addition of the "Global WPC Flooring Market Research Report 2018" published in "Sep 2018" and available in its growing Parts Supplier business intelligence and data database.

This report focuses on the global WPC Flooring status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the WPC Flooring development in United States, Europe and China. Global WPC Flooring Market Report 2018 market research provides industry overview and analysis with 2025 WPC Flooring market forecasts as well as company profile, product picture and specification with capacity production, price, cost, production value and more for major manufacturers.

Complete report on WPC Flooring market spread across 116 pages, providing analysis of 10 major companies supported with 196 tables and figures is now available at https://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/1681854-global-wpc-flooring-market-insights-forecast-to-2025.html .

Companies profiled in this WPC Flooring market research include - Sentai WPC, NewtechWood, Lesco, Jufeng WPC, LUXWOOD, Sunywood, Golden Elephant, xinyuan, HongJing, TaiXu and others.

This study categorizes the global WPC Flooring 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.



Global WPC Flooring 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 WPC Flooring.

This is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the WPC Flooring market. The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The WPC Flooring market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Development policies and plans are also discussed and manufacturing processes and cost structures analyzed. WPC Flooring market import/export consumption, supply and demand figures and cost price and production value gross margins are also provided.

Order a copy of Global WPC Flooring Market Report 2018 market research at https://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=1681854 .

This 2018 WPC Flooring market report focuses on global major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity production, price, cost, production value and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The WPC Flooring market development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered. With 196 tables and figures the report 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 WPC Flooring market.

In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of WPC Flooring are as follows:

- History Year: 2013-2017

- Base Year: 2017

- Estimated Year: 2018

- Forecast Year 2018 to 2025

Some of the tables and figures provided in Global WPC Flooring Market Report 2018 research report include:

Table Global Capacity (Unit) of WPC Flooring by Types 2013-2018

Figure Global Capacity Market Share of WPC Flooring by Types in 2013

Figure Global Capacity Market Share of WPC Flooring by Types in 2017

Table Global Production (Unit) of WPC Flooring by Types 2013-2018

Figure Global Production Market Share of WPC Flooring by Types in 2013

Figure Global Production Market Share of WPC Flooring by Types in 2017

Table Global Revenue (M USD) of WPC Flooring by Types 2013-2018

Figure Global Revenue Market Share of WPC Flooring by Types in 2013

Figure Global Revenue Market Share of WPC Flooring by Types in 2017

Table Global and Major Manufacturers Capacity (Unit) of WPC Flooring 2013-2018

Table Global Capacity Market Share of WPC Flooring Major Manufacturers 2013-2018

Figure Global Capacity Market Share of WPC Flooring Major Manufacturers in 2013

Figure Global Capacity Market Share of WPC Flooring Major Manufacturers in 2017

Table Global and Major Manufacturers Production (Unit) of WPC Flooring 2013-2018

Table Global Production Market Share of WPC Flooring Major Manufacturers 2013-2018

Figure Global Production Market Share of WPC Flooring Major Manufacturers in 2013

Figure Global Production Market Share of WPC Flooring Major Manufacturers in 2017

Table Global and Major Manufacturers Revenue (M USD) of WPC Flooring 2013-2018

Explore more reports on the Parts Supplier market at https://www.reportsnreports.com/market-research/chemicals/ .

Comparable research titled "United State WPC Flooring Industry Report 2017" is spread crosswise over 112 pages and profiles 16 organizations that gives a fundamental outline of the business including definitions, characterizations, applications and industry chain structure. This report considers WPC Flooring in United State showcase, centers around value, deals, income of each kind in United State. This report additionally centers around the business (utilization), creation, import and fare of WPC Flooring in United State, conjecture to 2022, from 2017. Right off the bat, this report centers around value, deals, income and development rate of each kind, and additionally the sorts and each write cost of key makers, through talking key producers. Second on premise of sections by makers, this report centers around the business, cost of each sort, normal cost of WPC Flooring, income and piece of the overall industry, for key makers.

The WPC Flooring Industry improvement patterns and advertising channels are additionally broke down and the practicality of new speculative ventures is evaluated and general research conclusions advertised. With the tables and figures the report gives key measurements on the condition of the business and is an important wellspring of direction and course for organizations and people. Producers profiled in this report are Sentai WPC, NewtechWood, Lesco, Jufeng WPC, LUXWOOD, Sunywood, Golden Elephant, xinyuan, HongJing, TaiXu and others.

2017 Market Research Report on United State WPC Flooring Industry is available at https://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/1092652-united-states-wpc-flooring-market-report-2017.html .

The study objectives of this report are:

- To analyze and study the global WPC Flooring capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);

- Focuses on the key WPC Flooring manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.

- 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.

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ReportsnReports.com is your single source for all market research needs. Our database includes 100,000+ market research reports from over 95 leading global publishers & in-depth market research studies of over 5000 micro markets. With comprehensive information about the publishers and the industries for which they publish market research reports, we help you in your purchase decision by mapping your information needs with our huge collection of reports. We provide 24/7 online and offline support to our customers.

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SOURCE ReportsnReports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Welcome Guest! You Are Here:Marathon 2021 Runners of all racing stripes took part in the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon on November 7. Racing categories in this, the largest marathon...

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...Russian court rules orders to pay $1,800 to penal colony for his maintenance

 RIA Novosti, Vadim Braidov

10:59 24/09/2018

MOSCOW, September 24 (RAPSI)  The Zavodsky District Court of Oryol in Southern Russia has ordered a prisoner to pay the Kursk Regional Penal Colony One 120,000 rubles ($1,800) as compensation for his maintenance, the press-service of the regional department of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) has stated.

The court found that the prisoner was sentenced to 10 years in a penal colony, where he was supplied with food and other basic items. During his stay in prison, the penal colony spent nearly 120,000 rubles on his maintenance.

It was noted that administration of the penal colony offered the prisoner a paid work position, but he vehemently refused the offer despite not being incapable.Ulyukayevs appeal against return of $2 mln to FSB general dismissed

 RIA Novosti, Ramil Sitdikov

11:59 24/09/2018

MOSCOW, July 24 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court has upheld a ruling to return $2 million, that former Economy minister Alexey Ulyukayev received as a bribe to Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, to the Federal Security Service (FSB) general Oleg Feoktistov, RAPSI correspondent reports from the courtroom.

The appeal filed by Ulyukayev was dismissed.

Earlier, it was revealed that money was transferred to Ulyukayev during the investigatory experiment in 2016.

In July, the court ruled to return money to Feoktistov, who personally filed an application for return of the assets.

The former minister was sentenced to 8 years in high security prison and a 130-million-ruble fine (about $2 million) on December 15, 2017. Moscows Zamoskvoretsky District Court held that his involvement in the bribery was proven by witnesses testimony and other examined evidence. The defendants words about innocence were regarded as attempt to evade criminal liability. Later, the Moscow City Court upheld the prison term for Ulyukayev despite slightly changing the sentence itself.

Ulyukayev was arrested on November 14, 2016, when leaving the office of Rosneft oil company. The Federal Security Services (FSB) officers found a bag holding $2 million in cash in his official car. He was charged with extortion a grand bribe. According to the Investigative Committee, he threatened to create obtrusions for Rosneft with the use of his position.

Ulyukayev stated that the case was fabricated. The defendant noted that there was a provocation, orchestrated by FSB and that there was no sound evidence in the case, aside from testimony provided by Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin.

President Vladimir Putin relieved Ulyukayev of his post because of loss of trust on November 15, 2016.

On June 4, the defendant was transferred to a prison.Russian government backs bill to protect children from criminal online communities

 RIA Novosti, Aleksei Naumov

12:59 24/09/2018

MOSCOW, September 24 (RAPSI)  Russian government has supported a bill to protect children from involvement in illegal activities threatening their life through online social networks, according to a statement of the lower house of parliament.

The bill submitted by MP Irina Yarovaya to the State Duma in May was also backed by Russias communication watchdog Rodkomnadzor, Communications Ministry, Interior Ministry, Justice Ministry, Prosecutor Generals Office, Investigative Committee and Education Ministry, the statement reads.

The initiative is aimed at restriction of criminals access to communication with minors and prevention of their malign influence on minors.

Law enforcement authorities would receive a mechanism for effective exposure and suppression of criminal behavior by curbing access to information and social media groups involving children in illegal activities dangerous to their life or health, Yarovaya stated in an explanatory note to the draft law.

The bill also authorizes Roskomnadzor to immediate submit suspicious information to police for crime detection, investigation and further trial.All largest pirate movie websites blocked in Russia  official

 Fotolia/ jamdesign

17:58 24/09/2018

MOSCOW, September 24 (RAPSI)  The head of Russias communications watchdog Roskomnadzor Alexander Zharov said during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Monday that all major websites with pirate movies had been blocked, the Kremlin press service reported.

The work on detection of illegal content and taking measures to remove such information is in progress and will be continued, the Presidents press service quoted Zharov as having said.

Moreover, over the last three years, Roskomnadzor found 1,200 companies out of control distributing of personal data bases containing information on cars and residential property of Russian citizens. According to Zharov, 690 websites removed this information while 550 resources were blocked.Police arrest Navalny shortly after his release from previous detention

 RIA Novosti, Maksim Blinov

13:59 24/09/2018

MOSCOW, September 24 (RAPSI)  Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny has been arrested by police officers just after release from previous detention, his spokesperson Kira Yarmysh has told RAPSI.

According to Yarmysh, the arrest is related to an unauthorized public rally held on September 9. Navalny was brought to a police station where an administrative report on the matter would be compiled. Yarmysh expects the documents to be transferred to the Simonovsky District Court of Moscow soon.

The police reported that about 2,000 people took part in the public rally on September 9. Two of them, Vasily Kostylev and Viktor Fedoseyev were charged with violence against a representative of authority and were detained by a court.

Navalnys previous detention lasted 30 days and was related to an unauthorized public rally that occurred on January 28.The Mahindra Marazzo is a practical, spacious, budget-oriented MPV that is sure to give its competitors a run for their money.

Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com reveals the good, bad and ugly of the latest MPV from the Mahindra stable.

Mahindra's latest offering, the multi purpose vehicle Marazzo, will be competing with segment leader Toyota Innova Crysta, Tata Hexa, Renault Lodgy, Honda BR-V and current favorite Maruti Suzuki Ertiga.

With the launch, Mahindra is clearly aiming to set itself up in this segment.

Derived from the Basque word 'Marazzo', which means a shark, the vehicle is clearly influenced by the physical aspects of a shark. If you didn't get the point, its latest TVC drives home the point further.

The Marazzo carries a new bold design, which Mahindra is using for its new generation vehicles.

Mahindra claims the front grille inserts looks similar to shark teeth and the tail lamp is inspired by the shark-fin. Undeniably, this adds to the vehicle's aggressive looks.

The Marazzo is developed by a collaboration between Mahindra Automotive North America and Mahindra Research Valley, Chennai, while the design element is an outcome of collaboration between Pininfarina, Italy, and Mahindra Design Studio in Mumbai.

For now at least, the Marazzo has been launched only with the diesel option with manual gearbox.

IMAGE: Pawan Goenka, MD, Mahindra & Mahindra, and chairman Anand Mahindra at the launch of Mahindra Marazzo

Pawan Goenka (managing director, Mahindra & Mahindra) during the launch stated that the company has plans to introduce a petrol engine for the Marazzo only in 2020, once the BS-VI emission norms kick in.

Mahindra also has plans to roll out an automatic variant in the near future.

The Marazzo has a body-on-frame structure with front wheel drive, which results in light weight, a car-like handling, and also the durability and toughness of monocoque chassis.

Despite getting a body-on-frame structure, the vehicle has a low-floored cabin.

The Marazzo will come in 7-seater and 8-seater options, with the 7-seater offering captain seats in the 2nd row.

The 2nd row (in 8-seater) and 3rd row come with a foldable 60:40 split (mouse-over the above image). There is also a pull-up sunshade for 2nd row passengers.

The Marazzo gets a three-box design with as forward as possible A-pillar to maximise interior space.

Compared to the body, the headlight is bit small for my liking while the tail light is a bit too big.

As you get inside the cabin you will get that airy feeling due to the large windscreen and massive windows.

The Marazzo comes with a roof mounted air-con system for second and third row passengers.

Mahindra claims the rear roof mounted AC helps cool the cabin quicker than the rear floor mounted AC unit.

But the presence of roof mounted AC means there is no option for a sunroof.

The dashboard gets a large 7-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with reverse parking camera that shows guidelines and also helps you with audio-visual guidance.

There is also a multi-information display and analogue dials with purple background.

The piano black finish dashboard with chrome-finished air-con vents gives the Marazzo a premium touch but the white dots on the left side of the dash look very odd.

The dashboard offers iPod connectivity, on-board navigation, Android auto, automatic climate control, steering mounted controls and first-in-segment emergency call feature using Mahindra Blue sense app.

Sadly, Apple Carplay has been left out.

The Marazzo has also missed out on keyless entry and push button start.

The quality of plastic and fit-finish has really improved, compared to earlier siblings.

Many interior parts are similar to other Mahindra cars. Like, the climate control unit is taken from the XUV 500.

The Marazzo is a practical car with plenty of storage but some features are difficult to access.

The handbrake design is similar to that of an aircraft, but difficult to operate compared to our conventional handbrakes, and also occupies more space.

The box on top of the dashboard where we normally keep the phone, toll tickets and sundries is way behind.

The USB charging point is also deep down and difficult to reach.

The seats, however, are very comfortable and offer good under-thigh support for long journey, and they look very premium too.

The legroom and headroom are quite good for first two rows, whereas legroom is a bit of an issue in the third row.

Adults will find their legs sticking to the back of the second row seat.

The third row space is almost similar to the Innova but looks more spacious due to the large windows.

The boot capacity is 190 litres compared to 300 litres of the Toyota Innova.

With the third row folded, it goes up to 680 litres, and to a massive 1,055 litres with the second row also down.

Sadly, the seats do not fold flat down (mouse-over the above image).

The Marazzo debuts with an all-new engine. According to Mahindra, a lot of aluminum has been used in the engine to keep the weight down.

The engine is placed in a transverse (east-west) position instead of north-south, which opens up a lot of space for the cabin.

But this makes it difficult to access the battery as it is placed behind the engine.

Power is generated by 1.5 litre, 4-cylinder D15 diesel engine which produces 90.2kW (121 HP) power and 300 Nm torque.

Crank the engine and you can hardly feel any vibration in the cabin. The torque kicks in pretty early, at 1500 rpm.

The NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) levels are well refined when compared with other Mahindra vehicles.

Power delivery is very linear. It has a strong mid-range but top-end power struggles as it makes hardly any progress beyond 4000 RPM. However, the engine has enough punch for sensible driving.

There is also an option of ECO mode on selecting which the power output drops to 100 HP for better fuel efficiency. The ARAI-certified mileage for the Marazzo is 17.3 kmpl.

The Marazzo comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Gear shifts are nice and smooth and the clutch feels very light, making it very easy to drive.

High-speed stability is also good and the steering wheel gives a nice feedback even at high speeds. But you will find some body roll at high speed curves.

The Marazzo is offered in 4 variants -- M2, M4, M6, M8 -- and six colour options: Mariner Maroon, Poseidon Purple, Aqua Marine, Iceberg White, Oceanic Black and Shimmering Silver.

On the safety front, the Marazzo comes with dual airbags and ABS (anti-lock braking system) with EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution); all 4 disc brakes and brake assist come as standard on all variants.

Mahindra has smartly slotted the Marazzo in between Toyota Innova and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga.

Toyota currently rules this segment with Innova and with the launch of the new Toyota Innova Crysta, its market share has become even stronger.

Innova is offered in both petrol and diesel variants and is backed with low maintenance costs and Toyota's reliable service.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga offers good ride quality, features and comfort at very affordable price point.

The diesel power unit of Ertiga is not as powerful or performance oriented as others in the segment but it is highly fuel-efficient while compromising on performance.

The Mahindra Marazzo is a budget-oriented MPV with unique design, good styling that sets it apart from its counterparts, and has enough punch for day-to-day driving requirement.

It is comfortable, spacious, easy-to-maneuver and does everything you would expect from an MPV.

The Toyota Innova Crysta is the benchmark in this segment. But it is also costlier by around Rs 500,000-600,000. So if its price is a deterrent, then the Mahindra Marazzo is the one for you.

Marazzo(D) Innova Crysta(D) Tata Hexa(D) Maruti Ertiga(D) Price (Ex-showroom Delhi) 9.99 Lakh - 13.90 Lakh 15.77 Lakh - 22.01 Lakh 12.49 Lakh - 17.89 Lakh 8.79 Lakh - 10.69 Lakh Engine (Diesel) 1.5-litre 2.4/2.8 litre 2.2-litre 1.3-litre Power 121HP 150/174PS 154PS 89 PS Torque 300Nm 343/360Nm 400Nm 200Nm Length 4585mm 4735mm 4788mm 4296mm Width 1866mm 1830mm 1900mm 1695mm Height 1774mm 1795mm 1785mm 1685mm Wheelbase 2760mm 2750mm 2850mm 2740mm

Photographs and Video: Rajesh Alva/ Rediff.com'If you are looking to fulfil imminent long-term commitments, the new online Ulips are the right product for you,' notes Santosh Agarwal/Policybazaar.com.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Unit-linked investment plans (Ulips), once the poster child of a lousy investment option, are now transforming into an attractive, low-cost investment product.

The journey of change has been a steady one.

The second generation came in after the regulator capped charges.

The real change, however, began with the launch of low-cost Ulips in 2015, including the online version, which addressed the transparency-related concerns of customers.

Now we have the fourth generation of Ulips -- the enhanced online version -- that were launched towards the end of the last calendar year.

To attract customers, insurers decided to remove policy administration and premium allocation charges completely.

The fourth-generation online Ulips have started winning over investors with their low-cost model.

While Ulips sold through the offline channel now charge lower fees than a few years back, the current online products are even cheaper.

Since the launch of online Ulips, there have been numerous debates on which type are better for investors.

To understand why online Ulips score over their offline counterparts, it is essential to understand the benefits an online model offers.

Ulips were notorious for the exorbitant policy administration charges they levied.

These charges were to a great extent responsible for investors losing money or getting returns that were lower than the amount invested.

The regulations that the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India introduced did address this issue and capped the charges.

There is still a stark difference between online and offline plans.

In an online plan, for example, the total cost inclusive of all charges, such as fund management, premium allocation, etc, is capped at less than 2 per cent.

For an offline plan, the charges can go up to 10 per cent.

If you factor in the higher charges over the long term, they can impact your returns significantly.

To make their products more appealing, some insurers have a structure where they contribute to the investor's funds.

For example, one of the online plans adds 1 per cent, 3 per cent, 5 per cent and 7 per cent of the premium in years one to five, six to 10, 11 to 15, and 16 to 20, respectively.

Due to extremely low cost, better transparency and increased flexibility, the new age online Ulips stand a better chance of offering higher returns as compared to their offline counterparts.

You may also be able to earn better returns than other investment products available in the market as there's no tax on investment, accrual and withdrawal.

This model of taxation is known as exempt-exempt-exempt (EEE).

ONLINE VS OFFLINE PLANS

Online Plan Offline Plans Plan Name Bajaj Allianz Life-Goal Assure TATA AIA Life-Fortune Pro Age (years) 30 30 Policy term (years) 15 15 Pay term (years) 15 15 Premium (Rs) 100,000 100,000 PAC Nil Starts at 6%, reduced gradually* Admin charge# Rs 400 a year inflating at 5% every year 0.75% a year of annualised premium Annual FMC (%) 0.95-1.35 0.65-1.20 Commission No Yes Return of mortality Yes No Cost (%) 1.62 2.18 Fund Value @8% (Rs) 2,549,209 2,430,290 Note: PAC is premium allocation charge and FMC is fund management charge. All charges are a percentage of premium. *It's 6% for 1st and 2nd year, 5.5% for 3rd and 5th year, 4.5% for 6th and 7th year, 3.5% for 8th and 10th year and 2% from 11th year onwards. #This is subject to a maximum limit of Rs 6,000 annually

Typically, one Ulip has multiple fund options like mid-cap equity fund, large-cap equity fund, debt fund, and so on.

In online versions of Ulips, you can change from one fund to another as and when you wish.

This feature allows you to change your investment strategy depending on your age and requirement.

The switch can be done instantly, saving valuable time, while it takes longer in the offline version.

Suppose that you invest in a Ulip at the age of 25 and decide to allocate a bigger portion of your premium towards small-cap equity funds.

After a few years, you may want to move to large-cap funds for portfolio stability.

You can switch between these funds instantly by going online and logging into your account.

Investors can also choose strategies like life-stage investing, wherein the money is automatically shifted from equities to debt as one gets closer to the end of the term.

Switching from one fund to another is tax-free in insurance policies.

The product is designed for individuals who are well-informed, understand finance, and prefer to take decisions on their own, rather than consult an agent.

To maximise your gains from this investment, it is important that you identify your need and purpose.

Child's marriage, education, or post-retirement cash flow are some of the reasons why you may need lump-sum cash in the future.

If you are looking to fulfil imminent long-term commitments, the new online Ulips are the right product for you.

But you need to stay invested in them for at least 10 years if you wish to realise their true potential.

Most investors consider all Ulips to be the same and don't read the policy documents carefully.

Since a percentage of the premium is invested in the market, there is an underlying risk associated with these investments too.

Understand all aspects of the plan well before putting in money.

When you invest in stocks, mutual funds or any other investment vehicles, you follow a strategy.

Typically, investors assess their financial goals, risk appetite and time horizon of investment before signing on the dotted line.

Ulips also invest in the markets and investors, therefore, need to consider the same parameters before investing.

When it comes to Ulips, investors have a plethora of options to choose from.

Remember, every plan can have different features and benefits.

Before you buy an investment plan, ensure that you compare the plans shortlisted by you to find the one that is best suited to your needs.

Some factors that you must compare are policy term, pay term, charges, the return of mortality charge benefit, past year returns, etc.

The new online Ulips are by all means an improved version of their traditional offline counterparts.

They offer a convenient option for investment in multiple asset classes at low charges.

Also, the inherent flexibility with minimal/nil charges for switching and changing fund allocation makes them a formidable investment option.

With a lock-in period of five years, these insurance plans are a great investment tool for long-term investors.

Santosh Agarwal, associate director and cluster head, life insurance, Policybazaar.comThe Rafale will surely be flying in Indian skies next year.

But the way the BJP government has botched this will cast a shadow on defence acquisitions in the years to come, warns Shekhar Gupta.

We now have sufficient evidence to say that there is a humongous scam in the Rafale deal. Except that this, 'scam' is spelt as 'stupidity'.

If you find 'stupidity' too strong, you can choose a euphemism if you think it adequately describes this breathlessly arrogant idea that you could refuse to answer any questions on the pricing of a nearly $10 billion (Rs 69,000 crore/Rs 690 billion) deal by claiming a secrecy clause between two democratic governments where all spending is subject to parliamentary and audit scrutiny.

Or with explanations that get ludicrous by the day.

Today's arms bazaar carries almost no secrets about platforms, weapons and accessories.

If you are buying the Meteor missile to go with the Rafale, not just the Pakistani and Chinese air forces, but any teenaged defence nerd with a smartphone can give you a tutorial on it.

What you can, and must keep secret in this is sensitive electronics and tactics. Even the ballpark price of a Meteor missile, the Israeli 360-degree helmet for the pilot, is widely discussed in open-source military literature.

There was no harm in discussing it in public and no reason to hide it. Except arrogance: How dare anybody question us in a defence deal? Are we like the Congress in the Bofors decade?

Now the Bharatiya Janata Party is realising how, post-Bofors, any government making a big defence purchase must expect to be called a thief.

It can deal with the problem in one of three ways.

First, the A K Antony way: Just don't buy anything, and ban all private global armament companies.

The only purchases made were purely government-to-government, with Russia where there is no transparency of pricing or competition and a few non-lethal systems from the US.

Second, set up a transparent procedure, buy boldly but be willing to answer questions that will inevitably arise.

Or third, you buy like a monarch, bypass all 'boring' procedure like Cabinet Committee on Security and other formalities, make big headlines on a foreign visit, and then contemptuously decline to answer any questions.

This is serial, arrogant stupidity, and shows how the Modi government has dug a hole for itself.

With each passing day, the government is digging itself deeper into this hole.

The latest excuse for not proceeding with the earlier deal of 126 Rafales, 108 of which were to be manufactured by the holy Public Sector Unit monopoly, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, is that it didn't have the back-end infrastructure.

Now, no company in the world would be immediately ready with assembly lines for a specific foreign fighter aircraft. Any reasonable person would know that HAL would still be better equipped for licensed production than any other company because that is mostly all -- regrettably -- that it has done in all these monopoly decades, and not particularly efficiently.

But that nobody would dis a defence PSU.

It is a different story that India missed a great opportunity during the Vajpayee years when the Indian Air Force wanted to shift the entire Mirage-2000 assembly line to India.

It would have had HAL ready for the Rafale, but George Fernandes, then Tehelka-hit, was wary of a 'single-vendor' buy.

For some reason the government won't state the simple truth, that a purchase as large as 126 Rafales was unaffordable, that it would have vacuumed the budgets from the army and the navy and that, for now, two squadrons were considered sufficient.

Nobody is willing to say that HAL wasn't dumped to favour somebody else, but because you scaled down the order and gave up co-production? Why, it beats me.

Unless the logic is, why speak the truth when it is so much sexier to spin a web of nonsense and trap yourself in it.

Then, the alibi an emergency purchase had to be made as the IAF force levels had fallen to dangerous levels. That fact has been well-known for 15 years.

This aircraft requirement was first mooted in 2001. This Rafale deal is a great commentary on the inability of a nation with super power fantasies to buy for its air force a couple of fighter squadrons that were critically needed two decades ago.

Even these two Rafale squadrons won't be fully battle-worthy until 2022. A government or a 'system' (since it is irrespective of who's in power) as incompetent as India's should either outsource its national security to a bigger power, or give away Kashmir and Arunachal to Pakistan and China, respectively, demilitarise and save all that money for health and education.

One of the engines that powered Narendra Modi's conquest in 2014 was his promise of a tough, decisive national security policy.

He accused the United Progressive Alliance of being waffling and woolly-headed and weakening the armed forces by being too scared to buy new weapons for them.

People believed him then, because he was right. The same people, therefore, are justified to ask him what has he done, with just months left for his full term, to rectify this.

The answer can't be a few defence 'Make in India' tamashas and air shows. The amount of foreign direct investment in defence manufacturing is so ridiculously low, not even a few million, that we are embarrassed to mention it.

This government has been as pusillanimous, unimaginative, over-cautious and unsuccessful as the UPA. It is just that the UPA had never promised any better, but the BJP did.

The Rafale will surely be flying in Indian skies next year. These two squadrons will duly come up. But the way the BJP government has botched this will cast a shadow on defence acquisitions in the years to come.

And defence Make in India? It was, very unfortunately, dead on arrival when you carried in your wake one among India's most controversial corporate houses as a beneficiary from India's biggest defence deal in decades.

This, when this country is yet to see any private sector company make anything major for the military. Even that will take getting used to in a country which took half a decade accepting private airline and phone companies.

And when a corporate almost guaranteed to leave a trail of controversy and litigation with many of its projects, pops up in pictures and television footage, even in an aviator's livery at the Bengaluru air show, and makes press releases claiming tens of thousands of crores of manufacturing deals as 'offsets' for a brand new venture in defence, you should expect trouble.

Now, you say he will not manufacture even a screw for the Rafale, or that the orders he gets from Dassault under these 'offsets' will be no more than Rs 60 billion to Rs 120 billion and mostly to make wings for the Falcon, a popular executive jet Rafale makes, you are indeed speaking the truth.

But it doesn't matter. People will believe what they want to believe and they will compare this with the company's boats earlier.

The final act of self-destructive absurdity in this list of serial stupidities was the string of 'cease-and-desist' lawyer's notices the corporate sent out to media houses and journalists (this writer included) somehow believing that everybody will be silenced in shock and awe.

I don't know what has caused more damage to the government's case on the Rafale, the exaggerated claims of offset beneficiary, or this incredibly arrogant notice.

Governments will muddle along, but sadly, both actions damage the IAF, and the dream of defence Make in India.

Any major defence deal in this benighted city, crawling with defence agents, fixers, corporate lobbyists and self-styled 'subjantawalas' (know-alls) is bound to be called a scam.

In the post-Bofors decades, every government has spun more complex layers of procedures to escape just such an opprobrium. None has succeeded in achieving such immunity, and none can.

The Modi government had the opportunity to change this with transparency, disclosure and engagement. It has blown it.

By Special Arrangement with The Print'Only on two occasions has the RSS thrown itself completely on the side of the BJP.'

'In 1977 in the wake of the Emergency. And in 2014 with Modi.'

'Now, I've been told that this is not going to happen in 2019.'

IMAGE: RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat at a book release event in New Delhi. Photograph: Subhav Shukla/PTI Photo

Is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh turning into a more moderate organisation? That's the question in the minds of many people after its chief Mohan Bhagwat's address at the Sangh's three-day event 'Future of Bharat: An RSS Perspective' on September 17, 18 and 19, 2018.

Walter K Andersen, senior adjunct professor of South Asia Studies at Johns Hopkins University, believes that the change is not sudden and the RSS is a very different organisation than it was two or three decades ago.

Dr Andersen's is an authoritative voice on the RSS, having first co-authored The Brotherhood in Saffron, with Shridhar Damle in 1987.

This year, the duo has followed up the book with another one called The RSS: A View to the Inside. Dr Andersen says he felt the need for another book in view of how much the RSS has changed since he wrote the first one.

"One, it is much bigger than it was before. And two, it has established an enormous range of affiliated organisations around it, which penetrate virtually all parts of Indian society. It is the only organisation like that in India," Dr Andersen tells Rediff.com's Utkarsh Mishra.

The first of a multi-part interview.

Your book shows how the RSS is changing itself in order to avoid creating trouble for the BJP.

I don't think that's a good explanation of why it's changing. Because the RSS has some differences (with the BJP), they are not the same organisations.

What I really wanted to do in writing the book was to show how the RSS has changed, and it has changed in very significant ways.

One, it is much bigger than it was before. And secondly, it has established an enormous range of affiliated organisations around it, which penetrate virtually all parts of Indian society.

That is an interesting development all in itself. It's the only organisation like that in India.

Now, that development has had some consequences.

One is it has mobilised into the Sangh family a far more diverse membership and they don't always have the same views, they sometimes represent different views.

Let me give you an example. (Take) Foreign Direct Investment. This government looks at FDI as very valuable in creating jobs, and it is a political compulsion that it has, to create jobs.

But not all parts of the Sangh family are as enthusiastic about FDI. For example, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch was organised to oppose FDI and continues to do so.

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the labour affiliate (of the RSS), also opposes FDI, as does the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, the farm affiliate. Because their members find that there are aspects of FDI that goes against their interests.

I gave that long example to demonstrate that what the RSS has done and is doing increasingly is to serve as a mediator (to sort out) differences among its various affiliates.

In this case, it is on the issue of FDI between the government on one hand and some of the affiliates like the SJM on the other.

And that's what we try to show in the book, that various interests are represented (by its affiliates) and how the RSS is sought to serve as a mediator.

It is very different from when we wrote the first book three decades ago. At that time, the major function (of the RSS) was 'character building', that was training in the individual shakhas.

The idea behind that was that the RSS will train young men who then develop 'character' to use that kind of 'perfected self' in perfecting India.

And behind that the RSS has always had a kind of ideological theme, which was that for this to happen, what these young men should do was to unify Hindu society.

Because that was seen as a reason for India's weakness in the past and continuing weakness now is that you have divisions in society.

Now that creates a dilemma. The dilemma which we have noted in the book was Hindutva versus Hinduism.

Hindutva is a very equalitarian notion, that people should be as equal as possible. But Hinduism is not an equalitarian notion, it has a hierarchy.

That is an issue that the RSS, increasingly, faces some kind of a dilemma on.

So are these changes being wrought to make the RSS more popular or just to be on the side of the BJP?

Well, no organisation wants itself to be disliked.

All organisations want themselves to be liked, particularly in society so that they can operate without restrictions.

Now regarding the BJP, it is interesting because when people talk about the RSS they automatically think of the BJP.

But I am reminded of what one very senior person in the RSS told me that when you talk to journalists about us, keep in mind to say that we are not a political party and we don't want to be one.

Our mission is quite different from that of a political party. We are in a kind of educational mode, whereas the political party is there to govern.

Now that doesn't mean the RSS takes no interest in policy issues. In fact we have a whole chapter on it in the book.

The chapter on the affiliates (shows) that (the RSS) is more involved in the policy process than ever before, and that's because of the growth of affiliates.

All the affiliates have programmes. The Indian government is so pervasive that it is hard to avoid interacting with it.

For example, take education. Schools have to follow state norms on what is to be taught; and there are other norms on safety, health and so on. And the RSS has an affiliate which runs, by far, the largest private school system in India.

Those schools have to conform, in order to be certified.

Now, because there's a sense of what constitutes a good education, the RSS takes advice from them and, therefore, (it) comes out with certain views on it.

Let's take agriculture. Farmers want as high procurement prices as possible, they want as lower prices possible for inputs like water, electricity etc. Now the RSS has a very active farmers' group. They want these things to happen.

Therefore, the RSS has to address these issues on their behalf within the larger Sangh family. Therefore, it is getting more and more politicised.

Another example that in some ways is more politically relevant is land acquisition and labour.

Now, many economists have argued, many in the BJP have argued that you need to liberalise the regulations in these two areas in order to grow the economy and get people to invest.

And there were proposals to have national laws on those two subjects that didn't pass (in Parliament).

A lot of people argue that it didn't pass because the Opposition was against it and I argue that no, that's not the reason; they didn't pass basically because there was huge difference within the RSS family about that.

You had the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh dead set against those (legislations) and the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, and there were some in favour as well, like the BJP.

So the issue was debated.

The RSS has a system of calling groups together periodically during the year to discuss certain issues (both) at the state-level as well as at the national level. And on this one, at the national level, they couldn't reach a consensus.

So what they often do, in fact it is a typical decision making system, is to put the issue on side and come back to it.

Now on these two issues they haven't really come to a conclusion, so they had a very interesting way out of this.

On these two areas the Indian Constitution allows the states to consider legislation if the Centre allows them to do so. In this case the Centre did, and you have several states that passed labour legislation as well as land acquisition legislation.

But the reason they couldn't do it initially was because there were such basic differences within the RSS family.

Has Prime Minister Modi succeeded in making himself a bigger Hindu figure than the RSS? We saw what happened to Pravin Togadia who was becoming critical of Modi.

It is an open secret that the RSS helped in ousting Togadia, because he 'became problematic' for the RSS family. So he had to go.

The RSS family has generally not been keen on instability. They want things to be worked out among themselves. And, hence, they have these very elaborate and frequent meetings.

In fact the book begins with one such meeting held in Delhi shortly after the (2014 Lok Sabha) elections, in which various affiliates gathered to talk, for several days, about what are the major issues facing their respective organisations and then they called in government people to explain government policies on the various issues they had brought up.

And I think probably Prime Minister Modi had attended that and the rest of coordination meetings as well.

So this is what the RSS is doing. And therefore it is taking an unprecedented interest in the policy process.

Now that's different from the electoral process.

Only on two occasions has the RSS thrown itself completely on the side of the BJP.

In the first (instance) it was the predecessor of the BJP, that is the Jana Sangh. That was in 1977 in the wake of the Emergency.

And (then) in 2014 with Modi.

And the reason it did so is fear that, in both cases, the Congress party (if it wins the election) will engage in efforts to restrict its activities.

Now, I've been told that this is not going to happen in 2019.

That doesn't mean there won't be swayamsevaks who work, they always have to, in their individual capacities. And, of course, within the RSS there is certain sympathy for the BJP.

Not entirely though, there have been cases where the RSS and its membership have almost literally sat on their hands during elections.

The year 1984 is a good example.

There were a lot of people not happy with how the new BJP in 1980 was formed and so didn't take an active interest. It was not until much later that they began to get actively involved (with the process).

Coming back to the first question, every year the head of the RSS issues the Vijayadashami speech.

That is the major speech the head of the RSS gives and it is coming up in just a matter of weeks.

I met Mohan Bhagwat (recently) and he was saying that they are in the process of starting to draft that speech.

The last Vijayadashami speech was very critical of the government. It argued that the farmers were not getting their just rewards; that small business was suffering; that, too often, the decision makers were relying on Western concepts that may not be applicable in the Indian situation.

In fact I showed a copy of that Vijayadashami speech to a colleague of mine at John Hopkins University without telling him who wrote it and to whom it was addressed. He looked at it and said, 'My goodness, this is really a critical statement'.

When people tell me that the RSS is totally in lockstep with the BJP, all I do is read the last two Vijayadashami speeches. And the one that is coming up now, you will find it's actually quite critical.

The RSS is a very different kind of organisation than the BJP.

The BJP runs, like all political parties, from election to election.

The RSS has a much longer outlook; it looks a 100 years ahead. It is not dependent on passing social developments. It tries to build structures that will last generations.

Its own survival as an organisation to carry on is in many ways critical to the RSS and here we get back to Togadia.

Togadia was actually attacking the RSS in some fundamental ways. And no organisation will take this well. It doesn't like to be attacked.

Now in political parties they kick the individual out. The RSS has been reluctant to kick people out. They ease them out or they do what I call that wonderful Indian thing of outcasting.

People in Indian families don't like to kick someone out, what they do is just stop associating with them. So the RSS has a very similar way.

In the case of Togadia they had to go further. He was just becoming impossible.

IMAGE: Dr Bhagwat addresses the 'Future of Bharat: An RSS Perspective' event in New Delhi, September 19, 2018. Photograph: PTI Photo

What will happen if there is a confrontation between Modi and Bhagwat in the same way as between then RSS sarsanghchalak K S Sudarshan and then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpyee?

You write that Modi is quite popular among the RSS cadre. Will Bhagwat risk losing support in such a case?

They would both try to avoid an open confrontation. Because each respects the other, they were both born in the same year -- 1950.

In their mutual career they have crossed lines with each other. And they know that each has a function to perform.

Bhagwat knows that Modi is the political leader of India with both domestic and international responsibilities.

And Modi recognises that the RSS is engaged in the effort to train young men who will then give service to society.

But that doesn't mean they necessarily agree with each other.

One has only to read last year's Vijayadashami speech. It was a kind of lecture from the RSS to the Modi government that there are certain issues you need to pay more attention to.

And I'm told reliably that the next one is going to be similar to that.

You say the RSS won't involve itself in the 2019 election the way it did in 2014.

That's what we have been told, that they don't intend to do so.

In both cases when they did (involve themselves in elections) there was a fear that the Congress, if it came back to power, will impose restrictions on their activities.

I don't think they are nearly as concerned these days that that will happen.

But if an organisation, with such a large following, that claims to be apolitical, throws its complete weight behind a political party...

It's not totally apolitical though. The BJP, after all, is a political party. So they are obviously deeply engaged in politics.

There are quite a few swayamsevaks who like politics or engage in politics as well.

So much so that you may recall during the 2014 elections, Bhagwat had to issue statements reminding swayamsevaks were engaged in politics who seemed to be enjoying it a little bit too much, that their first loyalty is to the RSS. Not to a political party.

That's a certain tension that is there.

What I am asking is isn't it similar to a religious guru asking his followers to vote for a particular party or candidate?

The RSS membership, or sometimes the organisation, gets involved in politics where the BJP organisation is weak.

I will give you the example of the 2015 Bihar elections which is in the book. The BJP is rather weak in rural Bihar. The RSS, however, does have shakhas (there).

Important questions in any democracy are what kind of candidate should we nominate and what are the issues that people in certain area are interested in.

So what the RSS did in Bihar, and may do it elsewhere, is to provide advice that here are the issues people are concerned about and here are people who are popular who might win.

Now the BJP is in the process of organising these booth-level committees. This is one of Amit Shah's efforts.

I am told that at some places they have been successful but not so much at other places. And there you will find swayamsevaks helping it out.

But as I said, it is not necessary that this should happen. The year 1984 is a good example where most of the RSS just sat on its hands and didn't do much.

And it showed in the results, where the BJP won only two seats.Photograph: PTI Photo

In view of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat on Monday said he believed there was a need for another surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control.

In response to a question on whether there is a need for one more surgical strike, Rawat responded in affirmative.

"I believe there is a need for one more action (surgical strike). But I would not want to disclose how we want to do it," he said in an interview to India Today news channel that was telecast on Monday.

The Indian Army conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control on September 29 two years ago.

On Sunday, Rawat had backed the government's decision to call off dialogue with Pakistan, asserting that talks and terror cannot go together.

The government on Friday had called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in New York, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri terrorist Burhan Wani.

Last week, a Border Security Force solider was shot dead and his body was found mutilated.

Rawat had also said infiltration from across the border persists despite the call for a ceasefire by Pakistan, and stressed that this cannot be allowed to continue and appropriate action has to be taken to deter terrorists from disrupting the peace in the Valley.Roman Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal, arrested on charges of repeatedly raping a nun, was remanded to a 12-day judicial custody by a court in Kerala's Kottayam district on Monday.

Mulakkal was produced before the Pala magistrate court after completion of his two-day police custody.

The court remanded him to judicial custody till October 6.

The clergyman has been shifted to the sub-jail in Pala after medical examination at a hospital there.

Meanwhile, the priest moved a bail plea in the Kerala high court on Monday, after it was rejected by the magistrate court on Saturday.

Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan posted the plea on Thursday for consideration.

The court said the anticipatory bail plea filed by the bishop last week had become infructuous with his arrest.

A high court division bench, comprising Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar, on Monday disposed a bunch of petitions, including those seeking protection to the nun and a court-monitored probe, in view of the police action against the senior priest. Another petition seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation was withdrawn.

On Sunday, the bishop was taken to the St Francis Mission Home in Kuravilangad, where he had allegedly raped the nun at a guest house, to reconstruct the crime scene.

In its remand report submitted in the court, police had said the nun was subjected to rape and unnatural sex 13 times by the accused between 2014 and 2016.

In her complaint in June, the nun had alleged that the priest raped her in May 2014 and sexually-exploited her on several occasions.

The nun had said she approached the police as church authorities did not act on her repeated complaints against the clergyman. However, the bishop has denied the charges.Firing a fresh salvo at the prime minister over the Rafale jet deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday charged that the country's "chowkidar" Narendra Modi snatched money away from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

Gandhi also asked the prime minister for answers on several issues relating to the Rafale jet fighter deal and also to clarify as to why the former French president Francois Hollande allegedly called him a "thief".

"The chowkidar of the country has taken out Rs 20,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, martyrs and the jawans and put it in the pocket of (Anil)Ambani," Gandhi said at a meeting in the Jais area of his Lok Sabha constituency.

The Congress chief arrived here on a two-day visit, the first after his Kailash Mansarover pilgrimage, and said the people of the country want to know the amount involved in the Rafale deal.

"Why was the price not disclosed...how was the contract given to(Anil) Ambani... serious charges have been levelled by former French president Francois Hollande," he said.

Recalling that during a debate in Parliament on the Rafale deal, "The prime minister could not look me in the eye. PM gives speeches but no answers... he does not have the courage to give reply."

"Under the BJP government, the farmers and poor are crying...the present government is providing all benefits to a selected five to ten people," he said, alleging people like Anil Ambani, Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi are getting all benefits.

The Reliance Group, in a statement quoting Anil Ambani's letter to Gandhi last month, had said, "Allegations of Reliance benefitting by thousands of crores is a figment of imagination, promoted by vested interests."

French company Dassault, which is supplying the fighter jets, has entered into a joint venture with Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Defence to meet its offset obligations to create business for Indian firms, following the Rafale deal.

Escalating his tirade against the Modi government on the Rafale issue, Rahul said the contract worth thousands of crores of rupees could have provided jobs "to youth of Amethi, to engineers...it could have given employment to thousands of youth...aircract with French technology would have been made in India...the nation would have benefitted from it."

"The deal worth thousands of crores, which could have benefitted the youth and the country, was given to an industrialist," he said.

"Soon after becoming the prime minister, 'chowkidarji' goes straight to France and enters into a deal with the president of that country...," Gandhi said and alleged, "Modiji says leave HAL...the contract has to be given to Anil Ambani."

"The HAL which has been in the business for 70 years, makes aircraft...while Anil Ambani had not made an aircraft in his life and also has an outstanding bank loan of Rs 45,000 crore.

"The company, which got the contract, was floated just ten days before...don't know how Ambani came to know ten days before that he was going to get the contract," he said.

Gandhi further said, "The defence minister of the country says that price of the aircraft will be disclosed but three months later says that under a secret pact with France it cannot be done but that has been denied by their president, I personally asked him."

He also alleged that the Modi government has gone back on election promises like providing employment and sending money in bank accounts of the people.

He also asked mediapersons to show his byte on TV, saying he was aware of pressure on them and asked them not to be afraid of anyone.

"We sought a JPC probe and tweeted to Arun Jaitley also, but Jaitley's boss Narendra Modi will not do this...I asked four questions but not even one has been replied to. You talk of big issues, give speeches, go to Rajasthan and Chattishgarh but there is not a single word about Rafale from Modi...why, because 'chowkidar' has made Anil Ambani commit a theft," he said.

The Congress MP later laid the foundation stone of various works to be undertaken under MPLAD scheme and also met volunteers of Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojna being run by Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust in Nigoha area.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that following "clarifications" from former French president Francois Hollande, there is no room for any doubt in the matter.

He also accused the Congress of trying to gain political mileage over the issue with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections next year.

"The opposition does not have any issue left so it is raking up Rafale deal issue," the home minister told reporters after a meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Lucknow.

"After clarifications from Hollande there is no room for any doubt about the deal. The Congress is making it an issue to gain political mileage in 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Singh said.

Hollande, who was French president when the Rs 58,000 crore deal was announced, was quoted as saying by French publication 'Mediapart' that France was given "no choice" on selection of the Indian partner for Dassault and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance as offset partner for the French aerospace giant.

AFP reported that Hollande told it on the sidelines of a meeting in Canada on Friday that France "did not choose Reliance in any way".

When asked whether India had put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Hollande said he was unaware and "only Dassault can comment on this".

The Centre on Saturday had asserted that it did not have any role in the selection of Reliance Defence as a partner for Dassault while France said it was in "no manner" involved in the choice of any Indian industrial associate for the contract.

The Reliance Group, in a statement quoting Ambani's letter to Congress president Rahul Gandhi last month, had said, "Allegations of Reliance benefitting by thousands of crores is a figment of imagination, promoted by vested interests."

"Simply put, no contract exists with the Government of India."

French company Dassault, which is supplying the fighter jets, has entered into a joint venture with the Reliance Group to meet its offset obligations to create business for Indian firms, following the Rafale deal.Maldives Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih pulled off a surprise victory on Monday when polling results showed that he had won the Maldives presidential election, a surprise defeat for President Abdulla Yameen.

IMAGE: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih secured 58.3 per cent of the popular vote. Photograph: Ashwa Faheem/Reuters

Results showed that Solih, who had the backing of a united opposition trying to oust Yameen, secured 58.3 per cent of the popular vote.

Yameen, who was widely tipped to retain power, had jailed or forced into exile almost all of his main rivals.

Many voters across the Indian Ocean archipelago said they stood in line for over five hours to cast their ballots, while expatriate Maldivians voted in neighbouring Sri Lanka and India.

Some 2,62,000 people in the archipelago -- famed for its white beaches and blue lagoons -- were eligible to vote in an election from which independent international monitors have been barred.

Only a handful of foreign media were allowed in to cover the poll.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Solih on his victory as the two leaders agreed to work closely to further strengthen relations between the two countries.

Modi also conveyed his good wishes for the strengthening of democracy, peace and prosperity in the Maldives under the leadership of Solih, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.

The two leaders agreed to work closely together to further strengthen the close, friendly and good neighbourly relations between the two countries, it said.

Solih thanked the prime minister for his greetings and good wishes, the statement said.

Earlier, India said the election reflected the countrys commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law.

India also hoped that the Maldivian Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest.

We welcome the successful completion of the third presidential election process in the Maldives which, according to preliminary information, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won, the ministry of external affairs said.

We heartily congratulate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory and hope that the Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest, it said.

This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law, the MEA said.

Indias ties with the Maldives came under strain after Yameen declared Emergency in the country on February 5, following an order by the countrys Supreme Court to release a group of Opposition leaders, who had been convicted in widely criticised trials.

India had criticised the Yameen government for the imposition of the Emergency and urged it to restore the credibility of the electoral and political process by releasing political prisoners.

-- With inputs from PTIIncessant rains triggered flash floods and landslides in hill states of northern India, with at least 11 people killed on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, and a 'red alert' being issued in Punjab.

IMAGE: A tourist bus washed away by flooded river near Manali.



The Bhakra Beas Management Board issued an advisory to the Punjab government that it will release "excess" water from the Pong dam in the wake of incessant rains in catchment areas of the Beas river.

Educational institutes have been ordered to remain closed on Tuesday in Punjab.

Schools have been closed in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir and in most places of Himachal Pradesh.

Heavy rains led to landslides which blocked the roads to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Yamunotri, affecting the Chardham Yatra, while traffic snarled in the national capital due to waterlogging following heavy rains.

The Punjab government has asked district authorities to maintain vigil to avert any untoward situation due to heavy rains, an official said.

Punjab has been witnessing widespread rainfall for the last two days and the downpour continued Monday, prompting state authorities to review preparations to tackle flood-like situations.

Incessant rains in Punjab and Haryana could cause damage to kharif crops and dip in their yield, farm experts said.

IMAGE: A swollen Beas river flows after heavy rains in Kullu. Photograph: PTI Photo

In Haryana's Ambala, a 45-year-old man died when the roof of his house collapsed due to heavy rains, police said.

Five people, including a minor girl, died and as many injured in separate incidents during heavy rains in Kullu, Kangra and Chamba districts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the officials said. A "high alert" has been sounded for Kullu district.

Several houses were also swept away in flash floods as the Beas is flowing at a dangerous level, HP Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur said, cautioning people against going near rivers and nullahs.

An Indian Air Force team had rescued, with the help of a chopper, 21 people stranded due to flash floods at Dobi in Kullu district in the last 48 hours.

BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur said, "So far, 126 roads have been affected by landslides triggered by rains and news of the loss of lives are too pouring in from many places."

IMAGE: Several houses were also swept away in flash floods as the Beas is flowing at a dangerous level. Photograph: PTI Photo

People residing in the low-lying areas, especially in Kangra, Chamba, Kullu and Mandi districts, are being evacuated, officials said.

In Chamba, the Ravi river is still flowing at a dangerous level and people are being evacuated from low-lying areas by the administration since Sunday, Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru said.

In Uttarakhand, most of the places, including state capital Dehradun, received showers with around 45 rural roads blocked in these districts, the state emergency operation centre said.

IMAGE: A view of a road that caved in after continuous monsoon rains in Amritsar. Photograph: PTI Photo

In Rajasthan, heavy to moderate rainfall was recorded in various parts of the state in 24 hours, an MeT official said.

Heavy rains lashed several parts of the national capital, causing waterlogging and traffic snarls on major intersections in the city.

IMAGE: Worker lift wet gunny bags lying in a puddle of rainwater at a grain market after incessant rains in Amritsar. Photograph: PTI Photo

In Jammu and Kashmir, five members of a family, including three minors, were killed Monday when their house was buried under debris after a landslide in the Doda district, while 29 people stranded in Kathua district after flash floods were rescued.

Doda and other parts of Jammu region have been lashed by incessant rain for the past two days.

IMAGE: A damaged car stands buried under a tree after it was uprooted due to incessant rains. Photograph: PTI Photo

"A total of 29 persons, including six women and 10 children, were rescued from various flood-hit areas of Kathua district during overnight operations," a police officer said.

With improvement in weather, authorities Monday morning opened the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway for traffic.

IMAGE: Locals inspect a damaged car washed ashore due to incessant rains, at Palampur approximately 45km from Dharamshala. Photograph: PTI Photo

Multiple landslides and shooting stones from a hillock along the highway between Ramban and Udhampur districts had blocked the arterial road since Sunday morning.

According to the Meterological department, heavy to very heavy rain is expected at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.The BJP alleged that former French president Francois Hollande is part of the "nexus" to sabotage the procurement.

The political slugfest over the Rafale issue touched a new low on Monday with the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing Rahul Gandhi of being involved in a "conspiracy, internationally" to sabotage the fighter aircraft deal and benefit his brother-in-law Robert Vadra, while the Congress chief, in a veiled attack, called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "India's commander-in-thief".

The BJP alleged that Gandhi is involved in a "conspiracy internationally" and former French president Francois Hollande is part of the "nexus" to sabotage the procurement, and claimed that the Congress chief wants it scrapped to help a firm linked to Vadra.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat also hinted at Pakistan's role in the conspiracy, saying one of its leaders, former interior minister Rehman Malik, has even tweeted that Gandhi will be the next Indian prime minister.

As allegations flew thick and fast, the Congress released a video showing Dassault CEO Eric Trappier telling a gathering at an event about "responsibility sharing" with the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd on the Rafale contract, indicating that it was almost finalised.

The Congress claimed that the video was of March 2015, barely days ahead of the announcement of the deal.

However, the veracity of the video could not be ascertained.

"What happened in a space of 17 days as Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced purchase of 36 Rafale jets on April 10, 2015, in Paris, abandoning the HAL from the mega deal," Congress Spokesman Abhishek Singhvi asked.

The party also released another video of then Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar speaking at a press conference on April 8, 2015, that the HAL was very much on board.

However, the BJP forcefully rejected Congress' charges of wrongdoing and benefiting Reliance Defence Ltd in the deal.

Shekhawat said there is a conspiracy to get the deal scrapped, defame the country and lower the morale of the Indian Air Force.

Referring to Hollande's reported comments that the Indian government had proposed Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as a partner for Dassault Aviation for the Rafale deal, he said, "How Rahul Gandhi and he are linked as a part of nexus, and are trying to sabotage the deal needs to be understood."

Shekhawat alleged that Gandhi is involved in "conspiracy, internationally".

To a question whether Gandhi's meetings with foreign leaders during his trips abroad was part of this "conspiracy", he said,"Definitely, yes."

Earlier, a delegation of senior Congress leaders met the Central Vigilance Commissioner and demanded registration of a case in alleged corruption in the multi-billion dollar deal, saying it has now emerged as India's biggest defence scam.

On Twitter, Gandhi posted a video relating to French publication "mediapart" which carried a story last week quoting Hollande that Reliance Defence was proposed by the Indian government to partner with Dassault Aviation for the contract.

"The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief," Gandhi said on Twitter, in what appeared to be an attack on the prime minister.

Addressing a meeting in his parliamentary constituency of Amethi, Gandhi alleged that the country's "chowkidar" Modi snatched money from the poor martyrs and the jawans, and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about an "international dimension" to Gandhi's attack on the prime minister over the deal, and told reporters that Hollande's comments were not a coincidence.

In Jaipur, Union minister Prakash Javadekar termed Gandhi a "directionless leader" and said the Congress chief and his party have no hope to return to power therefore, they were trying to create a campaign on the basis of lies and speculations against the BJP government.

The senior BJP leader said Gandhi has no facts and evidence against the government over the Rafale deal.

In Lucknow, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said following "clarifications" from Hollande, there is no room for any doubt in the matter. He also accused the Congress of trying to gain political mileage over the issue with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections next year.

The Rafale controversy took a new turn last week after Hollande, who was French president when the Rs 58,000 crore deal was announced, was quoted as saying by French publication 'Mediapart' on Friday that France was given "no choice" on selection of the Indian partner for Dassault and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance as offset partner for the French aerospace giant.

Modi had announced the procurement of 36 Rafale fighters after holding talks with Hollande on April 10, 2015, in Paris.

A day later, when asked by AFP whether India had put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Hollande said he was unaware and "only Dassault can comment on this".

Referring to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's statements in Pakistan long back that Narendra Modi needs to be removed as the prime minister, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra drew a parallel between the opposition party and Pakistani leaders, saying "both want Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed from Indian politics".

He read out tweets attacking Modi posted by Pakistani leaders, including its Prime Minister Imran Khan and present and former ministers, and said it looked like they have been campaigning for Congress president Rahul Gandhi.The mother of one of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, A G Perarivalan, on Monday met Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit seeking her son's release following a cabinet recommendation to him on the matter.

Arputhammal, mother of Perarivalan alias Arivu, said she met Governor Purohit at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai and presented a petition with some accompanying material and exuded confidence he will accept her demand.

The material she presented to Purohit included Judge K T Thomas' reported remarks of some 'serious flaws' in the Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the case and details on her son's behaviour during his earlier parole and its extension, she said.

Thomas had last year reportedly written to then Congress president Sonia Gandhi, wife of Rajiv Gandhi, to show magnanimity towrads her husband's killers and enable remission of their sentences.

On Monday, Arputhammal said: "Tamil Nadu government had adopted a cabinet resolution (on the seven persons' release) and sent the files here (Raj Bhavan). You all know that their release is waiting for his signature (of approval)."

On September 9, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government in Tamil Nadu had recommended to Purohit the release of all seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, a move hailed by most political parties in the state barring the Congress.

The cabinet had decided to release the convicts V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthanthiraraja alias Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini, under Article 161 of the Constitution, which relates to the power of the Governor to grant pardons and to suspend, remit and commute sentences in certain cases.

Arputhammal further said the Governor was 'cordial' towards her and went through her petition, and that he even suggested some correction which was done.

"So I am confident he will soon accept the cabinet recommendation and approve my son's release. He will respect the Cabinet, Supreme Court," she added.

The Supreme Court had earlier asked the Governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan seeking remission or pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution, while disposing of the Centre's petition opposing the state's 2014 decision for the convicts' release.A new sexual assault allegation has surfaced against United States Justice Brett Kavanaugh and is being investigated by the Senate Democrats, a media report claimed, a development that can further complicate the confirmation process of US President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee.

IMAGE: Justice Kavanaugh was quick to deny the latest allegation, which dates back to his time as freshman at the Yale University in the 1980s. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Justice Kavanaugh, who is already facing at least one publicly known similar charge, was quick to deny the latest allegation, which dates back to his time as freshman at the Yale University in the 1980s.

Justice Kavanaugh and the accuser of the first allegation against him, Christine Blasey Ford, are scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple, Justice Kavanaugh said in a statement issued through the White House.

I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name -- and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building -- against these last-minute allegations, the Supreme Court nominee said after The New Yorker magazine published the latest allegation of sexual assault against him.

The alleged sexual assault dated back to the 1983-84 academic school year, when Justice Kavanaugh was a freshman at Yale University, The New Yorker said, adding that at least two Senate Democrats were investigating the allegation.

The magazine identified the woman as Deborah Ramirez, 53. She attended Yale with Justice Kavanaugh, where she studied sociology and psychology, the magazine said. Later, she spent years working for an organisation that supports the victims of domestic violence, it added.

IMAGE: An activist wears a button in support of Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused US Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault at a high school party about 35 years ago, during a protest on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

The White House continued to stand behind Justice Kavanaugh.

This 35-year-old, uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats, designed to tear down a good man, White House Spokesperson Kerri Kupec said.

This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men, who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college, say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh, she added.

Earlier in the day, the Senate Judiciary Committee announced that it will hear the testimony of Ford on September 27. This will occur as a continuation of the hearing to consider Justice Kavanaughs nomination to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the US.

Following Dr Fords testimony, Judge Kavanaugh will appear again before the committee, a media statement said.

As a result, the committee postponed the vote on Justice Kavanaughs nomination, previously scheduled for Monday.

Meanwhile, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Committee on the Judiciary Ranking member Dianne Feinstein, in a letter, urged US President Donald Trump to direct the Federal Bureau of Investigation to immediately and thoroughly investigate Fords allegations and report to the Senate as soon as possible.

Justice Kavanaugh is the second judge being nominated by Trump on the nine-member US Supreme Court. Trumps first nominee, Judge Gorsuch, was confirmed by the Senate on April 7, 2017.

Unlike India, where Supreme Court judges have a retiring age, the judges to the US Supreme Court are appointed for life. As a result, all the nominations to the apex bench have long-term implications -- mostly generational.

For instance, Judge Clarence Thomas, who was nominated by George H W Bush, has been a Supreme Court judge for nearly 27 years and Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was nominated by the then president Bill Clinton, has served on the bench for over 25 years. Judge Stephen Breyer, also nominated by Clinton, has been a Supreme Court judge for over 24 years now.IMAGE: Chhattisgarh CM Dr Raman Singh. Photograph: Kind courtesy @drramansingh/Twitter

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Monday said his government is making efforts through development projects to 'soon neutralise' the ideological and financial support Naxalites receive from sympathisers from Raipur to Delhi.

In an interview to PTI, the longest-serving Bharatiya Janata Party chief minister outlined several development-related activities, including those being undertaken in the state's Naxal-affected Bastar region.

Singh also exuded confidence of a consecutive fourth victory for the BJP in the upcoming assembly polls in the state.

Polls for the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly are due this year-end.

The chief minister said his government has been working on a plan to completely eliminate Naxalism from the state since 2003 and that the strategy is showing results.

"We have brought development in most (of the Naxal-affected) areas and more than that we have been able to win the people's trust. Naxalites are getting discouraged and Naxal activities are going down," he said.

Referring to Maoists sympathisers, Singh said Naxals have got a very strong support system from Raipur to Delhi.

"I feel the kind of support that is given to Naxals and their ideology is very strong. They make big lawyers who take up their cases. So, they are economically strong too.

"There are people of their (naxals) ideology who support them, from high courts to the Supreme Court (referring to some providing legal aid to them)," the chief minister said.

He, however, expressed confidence that these sympathisers will soon be 'neutralised'.

"Like the naxals are getting weaker, they (sympathisers) will also become weak. This fight (to check naxalites and their supporters) is of Chhattisgarh and other states.

"We are getting successful (in checking naxal activities) and this support system will soon be neutralised," Singh said.

He also lamented that some human rights supporters are opposing action against Naxals.

"They make noise of human rights violation. They had come to me also. I asked them whether the human rights are of Naxalites alone or of the common people also. They (Naxals) abduct their children, girls and destroy schools.

"They are the biggest violators of human rights as they keep the whole area (of their influence) captive. Why you (sympathisers and human rights defenders) don't speak then? You only think of them (Naxals) only?" Singh said.

His assertion assumes significance as some human rights defenders were arrested last month from different parts of the country, including one Chhattisgarh-based activist, by state police forces.

The Supreme Court is hearing a case on a plea made by a historian challenging the arrests.

Talking about the upcoming Assembly polls in the state, Singh said the BJP is confident of its victory and all set to form government after the elections.

"The experience of the last three elections tells us that we will be in a better position in this poll. BJP chief (Amit Shah) has decided a target of 65 plus seats in the state.

"We all are set to achieve that. Our workers up to the booth level are doing their jobs. We are sure that we will get a big victory this time," the chief minister said.

Singh, who has been the chief minister of the state since December 2003, rejected suggestions that there was anti-incumbency against his administration.

"Sensing, somewhat, a little mood of anti-incumbency in some areas, we started a mass contact programme. We visited different parts of the state and heard the people's grievances, if any, and provided on the spot solution to them.

"So, whatever little concern or problem they had from the administration, we have already provided solutions to them. Hence, no such (anti-incumbency) feeling exist," he said.

The chief minister said the BJP is approaching the people with a promise and vision to make a 'New Chhattisgarh' by 2025.

"When Chhattisgarh turns 25 (in 2025), our GDP will be doubled, farmers' income will be doubled. We will ensure 100 per cent literacy in the state.

"We are creating an educational hub in the worst naxal-affected Bastar region to Sarguja, and providing all possible support to the farmers of the state, Singh said, outlining plans to approach voters ahead of the Assembly polls.'The Elgar Parishad turned out to be the first rallying cry against the BJP and RSS in Maharashtra.'

'The speakers took a vow not to vote for the BJP.'

Jyoti Punwani reports from Pune.

IMAGE: Laughing at the Pune police's accusation that the Elgar Parsihad event was financed by Maoists, Aakash Sable reveals that so hard up were the organisers for cash, they found it difficult to pay the sound system provider who threatened to switch off the mikes every hour.

As the government and Hindutva think-tanks such as the Vivek Vichar Manch link the Bhima-Koregaon violence to the 'Maoist-backed' Elgar Parishad, what do those who were closely involved in the nitty-gritty of organising the Parishad think about this allegation?

The Pune police not only gave permission for the Elgar Parishad, held on December 31, 2017, at Pune's Shaniwar Wada, they even facilitated a meeting between the organisers and another organisation that wanted the Shanivar Wada ground the next morning, January 1, 2018.

Today, the same Pune police are attempting to link the Elgar Parishad with Maoists.

So far, they have arrested five activists and attempted to arrest five others from across the country in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence of January 1.

The police allege that those arrested are 'urban Naxals', involved in organising and helping finance the Elgar Parishad. The speeches made at the Parishad are being linked to the Bhima-Koregaon violence.

However, reveals Aakash Sable, a member of the coordination committee set up to organise the Parishad, it was a policeman from the Vishrambagh police station who arranged a meeting between Kishore Kamble, who had booked the ground for the Elgar Parishad, and people from the MIT-World Peace University who had booked the ground on January 1.

The organisers of the university's programme feared they would not get enough time to set up the stage and mandap for its function after the Elgar Parishad wound up late on December 31.

So, the university set up everything a day earlier, and let the Elgar Parishad use it for free.

The Parishad could not have made all these arrangements on its own, adds Sable.

"We couldn't afford it," he says. "We had decided to put up a big banner and keep a dozen chairs for the speakers in the front, that's all. We had also planned to sell T shirts and badges at the venue."

Laughing at the police's accusation that the event was financed by Maoists, Sable reveals that so hard up were they for cash, they found it difficult to pay the sound system provider who threatened to switch off the mikes every hour.

But passing the hat around "as we do at all our functions", yielded Rs 72,000. More than enough to keep the mikes going.

Despite spreading the word about the Elgar Parishad for about three months, no one had expected the massive crowds that filled the Shaniwar Wada on December 31, says Sable. There was barely place to stand.

What drew so many to a meet conceived by two retired judges, Justice P B Samant and Justice B G Kolse Patil?

"Our preparatory meetings held to publicise the event showed people, that for the first time, the BJP government was being openly criticised for its casteist and communal policies," says Sable.

IMAGE: A protest in Mumbai on March 26, 2018 against the Bhima-Koregaon violence.

"The Elgar Parishad turned out to be the first rallying cry against the BJP and RSS in Maharashtra. The speakers took a vow not to vote for the BJP. That is also the reason the government is linking us with Maoists to discredit us," he adds.

Sable credits the large turnout to the opposition to the Parishad from "upper caste" organisations.

The Akhil Bharatiya Brahman Mahasangh, as well as Udaysingh Peshwe, a descendant of the Peshwas, wanted the Pune police to cancel the permission it had granted the Parishad.

Former BJP corporator Milind Ekbote, head of the Samasta Hindu Aghadi, held a press conference on December 30 against the Parishad.

The police, in turn, asked the organisers to ensure that the speeches did not offend anyone's sentiments.

Hence, the police were present right till the end.

"Had they found anything objectionable in the speeches or songs, they would have immediately filed cases against us," says Sable.

Instead, he points out, the first complaint was filed by Tushar Damgude on January 7.

IMAGE: Dalit activist Amita Sawale who filed the first FIR against the January 1, 2018 violence. Photograph: Jyoti Punwani

This was five days after the first FIR was filed against the January 1 violence by Dalit activist Anita Sawale. She named Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide as the men behind the violence.

Sawale says she has no intention of withdrawing her complaint despite vulgar remarks posted against her on her Facebook page.

Sawale's accusation against Ekbote and Bhide was echoed in the report of the 10-member fact-finding committee set up by Inspector General of Police Kolhapur Vishwas Nangre-Patil soon after the Bhima-Koregaon violence and the subsequent bandh against it.

Nangre=Patil has since denied having set it the committee.

Professor M N Kamble, Pune president of the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, was part of the committee, which was headed by Pune Deputy Mayor Siddarth Dhende.

Kamble tells this reporter that a delegation had gone to meet the police to protest against the combing operations in Dalit colonies that were being carried out after the Maharashtra bandh called by Prakash Ambedkar on January 2.

The outcome of that meeting was a suggestion by Nangre-Patil to set up a fact-finding committee.

The committee's report, submitted on January 20, discovered that the immediate cause of the violence at Bhima-Koregaon were two developments in the last days of December in the village of Vadhu Budruk, four kilometres from Bhima-Koregaon. The village has Sambhaji Raje's samadhi.

These developments resulted in pitting the 'upper castes' against the Dalits:

On December 28, a plaque was put up at the samadhi of Govind Gopal Gaekwad in the village. The plaque eulogised Gaekwad, a Mahar, for having been the only person who dared to perform the last rites of Sambhaji Raje who had been killed on Aurangzeb's orders.

On December 29, the plaque was thrown away by some villagers. This led to cases under the Atrocities Act being filed against 49 villagers. These cases were later withdrawn.

These events led to a call by the Marathas for observing January 1 as a 'Black Day' with a complete bandh. A resolution to this effect was passed by the gram panchayats of Vadhu Budruk, Bhima Koregaon and Sanaswadi.

WhatsApp messages calling for the bandh show the depth of the Marathas' anger.

Addressed to the 'Maratha samaj', these messages criticised the 'false history' displayed on the plaque at Vadhu Budruk, and the attempts to give it a 'casteist colour' by filing cases under the Atrocities Act against the villagers. The messages asked the Marathas to gather in lakhs to show their condemnation.

One message described January 1 as a 'Black Day' on which the British put an end to Shivaji Maharaj's empire. It called for a condemnation of the 'desh drohis' who helped the British.

Knowing that lakhs of Dalits were to arrive in Bhima Koregaon on the 200th anniversary of the battle, why didn't the Pune police persuade the gram panchayats to call off the bandh?

Why did the Pune police not act against the senders of such messages?

IMAGE: 'We should have portrayed Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Raje as Bahujan Yodhas (people's heroes), which they actually were. But we didn't bother. They were appropriated by the Hindutvawadis and portrayed as fighters for the Hindu religion," says advocate Mohan Wadekar.

At the heart of the conflict, says advocate Mohan Wadekar, who was also associated with the Elgar Parishad, are the rival histories and cultural narratives of icons such as Shivaji and Sambhaji Raje.

"All of us -- whether we are Communists or Socialists or Dalits -- have stuck to our respective ideologues, and ignored the culture of the people. The Hindutvawadis occupied that space," says Wadekar who heads the Bahujan Nayak Smruti Samiti (committee to commemorate Bahujan heroes), and works with Baba Adhav and the Rashtra Seva Dal.

"We should have portrayed Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Raje as Bahujan Yodhas (people's heroes), which they actually were," he adds. "But we didn't bother. They were appropriated by the Hindutvawadis and portrayed as fighters for the Hindu religion."

Ekbote has been holding functions in Sambhaji Raje's memory for many years. In his speeches, he describes Sambhaji Raje as a defender of the Hindu dharm against Aurangzeb.

The Hindutvawadis, alleges Wadekar, succeeded in sowing the seeds of cultural conflict between the scheduled castes and the rest around these narratives.

At the same time, the scheduled castes are important for the Bharatiya Janata Party unlike the Muslims. As Sable says, "The Hindutvawadis' circle is not complete until Dalits are part of it."

Which is why the growing association of a section of Dalits with the Leftists alarms the BJP.

"Ambedkarites were never with Hinduism," points out Sable. "We are Buddhists. But after the BJP came to power, incidents such as Una and the killing of Dalits who marry upper castes" have been happening frequently.

"Even non-Ambedkarite Dalits are contemplating converting to Buddhism. They are realising that though they consider themselves Hindus, the BJP doesn't treat them as equals. By branding Ambedkarites as Maoists, the BJP hopes to frighten young Dalits away from us," he asserts.

What of the Ambedkarites? Have they been frightened by the recent arrests and the accusations of being Maoists?

Sable and his companions laugh. "We are soon going to hold another Elgar Parishad against fascism," they says. "The latest attempt to arrest intellectuals such as Gautam Navlakha and Sudha Bhardwaj has even brought Pune's elite to our side."Caffeine, the drug that gives coffee its kick, works differently, depending on the consumer's weight, gender, hormonal shifts and a variety of other factors.

P Rajendran reports from New York.

Research by a team that included Dr Sridhar Ramakrishnan have put together a detailed mathematical model for just that.

Dr Ramakrishnan, a research scientist at the Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine in Maryland, USA, and the other members of the team were not primarily addressing the needs of the average sleep-deprived desk jockey; the focus was on US military personnel whose work calls for alertness even in the face of deep fatigue.

The first author on the first paper on the algorithm is Dr Francisco Vital-Lopez, a researcher at the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, in Fort Derrick, Maryland.

Caffeine, the drug that gives coffee its kick, works differently, depending on the consumer's weight, gender, hormonal shifts and a variety of other factors.

So the team relied on relying on just how performance was affected by consuming caffeine, via coffee.

Speaking for the team was Dr Jacques Reifman, a senior research scientist at the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.

According to Dr Reifman, "About 40 percent of US service members sleep less than five hours per night on a regular basis, while the required sleep to fully restore one's mental acuity is between seven and eight hours per night."

"Nevertheless, many military tasks requires considerable vigilance, even when our Warfighters (military personnel) are sleep-deprived," he added.

Dr Reifman pointed out that caffeine is widely used by military personnel and the general public, with about 85 percent of adults in the US consuming the equivalent of two cups of coffee a day.

The average cup packs about 95 mg of caffeine.

Caffeine works by plugging itself to a protein that usually binds to adenosine, a hormone released as our cells use up energy.

But for coffee, on average, the more the adenosine binding to its receptors, particularly one called A1, the more tired you are.

When we sleep, adenosine production slows down, giving the body an opportunity to to break down the adenosine that has accumulated during the waking hours (using the enzyme adenosine deaminase).

For those who recall those early biology classes, one of the four amino acids in our DNA is adenine.

And the sugar that forms the backbone of our RNA is ribose.

The two bind together to form adenosine.

In caffeine-free conditions, our cells break down adenosine that is attached to a daisy chain of three units of phosphate (PO4), essentially lopping off one phosphate at a time to release stored energy.

According to Dr Reifman, "We sought to develop a mathematical algorithm that could safely identify when and how much caffeine an individual should consume, so as to optimize mental acuity at the desired times of the day for the desired duration, in spite of being sleep deprived."

"That is, the algorithm allows us to take full advantage of the restorative effects of caffeine," he added.

"Hence, our work directly impacts soldier readiness, a key priority for the US army."

The team used a computerised test to measure vigilance by seeing how long it took people with different amounts of sleep deprivation to react to a visual stimulus.

Dr Sridhar Ramakrishnan Dr Sridhar Ramakrishnan

The test is called a psychomotor visual task (PVT).

The tests were conducted on soldiers who were short on sleep for between five hours to 85 hours.

Their model seemed to by very accurate but for those who were badly sleep-deprived.

But even in those cases, the coffee worked as well as in those less sleep deprived but the effects did not last as long.

The team is doing more research on the subject now.

Dr Reifman said PVT was done using computers and smartphones.

Yes, there is an app for that: 2B-Alert.

But Dr Reifman called for a modicum of caution in interpreting the results:

IMAGE: About 25 percent of subjects are resilient (their response time is the same whether they are sleep deprived or well rested), about 30 percent are very vulnerable, and the remaining fall in between.

"While there is a large body of knowledge that supports the notion that caffeine improves reaction time, such a preponderance of evidence does not exist for other mental skills. Hence, it is not clear the extent to which caffeine benefits other mental acuity properties."

The biggest dose the team used in most of the conditions is 200 mg, half the limit for the average person, though in one case that was upped to 600 mg.

Was there an optimum dose for the average sleep-deprived office worker?

"There is no "one-size-fit-all" solution," Dr Reifman warned.

Different individuals can drastically differ in their response to sleep deprivation.

About 25 percent of subjects are resilient (their response time is the same whether they are sleep deprived or well rested), about 30 percent are very vulnerable, and the remaining fall in between.

It is well established that there is large between-subject variability in response to sleep deprivation.

Similarly, individuals can differ drastically in their sensitive to caffeine."

That was why the team developed the 2B-Alert app that uses artificial intelligence to gauge how individuals respond to sleep deprivation and caffeine.

Search the Web for 2B-Alert Web, and you can find it.

'I helped develop and validate the underlying biomathematical model that predicts the effects of sleep deprivation and caffeine on human alertness,' Dr Ramakrishnan was quoted as saying.

According to Dr Reifman, "His work was key because it forms the bases used by Dr Vital-Lopez in his caffeine optimization algorithm."

The research appeared in the May issue of the Journal of Sleep Research.Springfield, MO -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/24/2018 --The Missouri Association of Manufacturers (#MAM) congratulates the Missouri manufacturers and individuals named to receive the 2018 Made in Missouri Leadership Awards. The awardees represent outstanding contributions and accomplishments in shaping the future of global manufacturing here in Missouri.



- Legacy Pharmaceutical Packaging has received the Domestic Growth Award for demonstrating new or significant domestic growth through products, services, operations and/or facilities. They have increased sales within the United States and outlined a strategy for sustainable domestic growth.



- JSI: Jeffco Subcontracting will take home the Community Impact Award for demonstrating various levels of community involvement on a local, regional and/or State level. JSI is in Arnold, MO and is a sheltered workshop, providing support to manufacturers in the St. Louis region. JSI offers assembly, production and quality workmanship while giving meaningful employment to developmentally disabled adults in Jefferson County.



- CNH Industrial Reman wins the Next Generation Leadership Award for creating a culture of engagement and implementing programs that enable them to attract excellent new talent and create a productive pipeline of next-generation leaders. CNH Industrial Reman believes developing leaders is the best guarantee for future success. Career opportunity and career progression are managed without discrimination by respecting and enhancing diversity. Progress largely depends on the ability to construct a stimulating, dynamic and multicultural company. Through education, training, succession planning, networking and a robust internship program, this process ensures that the leadership pipeline is continuously fed at all levels of the organization.



- 180 Skills LLC will receive the ONESource Outstanding Member Benefit Award. 180 Skills receives this award for their end-to-end manufacturing skills training solution. Their manufacturing skills training system enables employers, educators, and workforce professionals to deliver, on-demand, high-quality, low-cost, skills development. Created with employers, this on-line solution delivers the competencies needed to succeed in a manufacturing career. From online learning to hands-on instruction, they provide all the tools you need to create, grow and retain a skilled workforce.



- Connell Insurance will take home the ONESource Outstanding Member Program Award. Connell Insurance has played a critical role in the development of an affordable and sustainable association healthcare plan (MAM's HEALTHSource a 5019 trust) for Missouri Manufacturers and MAM Members. Connell Insurance, as an industry leader, has made a personal commitment to partner with MAM to find solutions to help address the insurance needs of Missouri Manufacturers.



- Jeff Cox, Shapiro Metals, will receive MAMBassador of the Year Award. This award was given to Cox for his ongoing dedication and commitment to the growth of the Missouri Association of Manufacturers. As a MAMBassador, Cox understands the importance of the advancement and preservation of the manufacturing industry in our state. With an unquestionable commitment, Cox has stepped up to provide support and visibility to our industry. Traveling around the state, Cox provides MAM information to manufacturers while promoting the value of joining an association that supports the manufacturing industry.



- SRC Holdings Corporation has received the Apprenticeship Program Excellence Award. This award celebrates an apprenticeship program's outstanding contribution to the workplace and to the manufacturing industry, involving exceptional progress in both skills development and studies. SRC Holdings Corporation demonstrates inspirational qualities, offers apprentices a solid foundation of best practices and operations, and is committed to apprentices achieving the best possible results within their chosen framework and long-term commitment to their personal and professional development and progression through learning.



- Workforce Investment Board of SWMO is awarded the Alliance Partner of the Year. Recognizing an outstanding union and support for MAM shown by another organization. This alliance is mutually beneficial between organizations, but this organization has consistently proven their ongoing support of MAM. By working together, our alliance is making the manufacturing industry stronger.



- TG Missouri & Ranken Technical College receives the Workforce Development Program Excellence Award. This award celebrates a program's outstanding contribution to the workplace involving exceptional progress in both skills' development and studies. TG Missouri & Ranken Technical College has demonstrated inspirational qualities and serve as a positive role model for vocational qualifications. They have been committed to achieving the best possible results within the chosen framework and the long-term commitment to personal and professional development and progression through learning. They have developed a strong commitment to the manufacturing industry and promoting apprenticeships and other programs as a gateway for manufacturing careers.



- MilBank Manufacturing Company the Manufacturing Talent Development Award. As a 90-year-old and third generation manufacturer demonstrates, how their approach to skills training and workforce development has improved employee satisfaction, optimized productivity, quality, and increased engagement within the workforce. Their company culture promotes learning, focusing on talent and performance, as well as encouraging openness among employees about their development needs.



- Andy Wake, United Poly Systems will receive the Manufacturing Executive of the Year Award for his tenacity for accomplishing the impossible. His uncanny ideas for development, issue resolution and the many accomplishments he has made in Missouri's manufacturing industry is proof of his commitment to workforce development and sound employee relations. The openness and willingness to communicate that he has fostered throughout the company truly shows how effective his leadership has been.



- The Boeing Company & St. Louis Community College will take home the SKILLSource Initiative Award. For their unique partnership and providing support to microenterprise training programs, workforce and economic development in the region. On May 15 they officially launched the Women in Aerospace Manufacturing (WAM) initiative to encourage women to work in aerospace and manufacturing.



- Michael C Mittler, Mittler Bros Machine & Tool will be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. Mittler has demonstrated profound and lasting impacts on their stakeholders, company and markets within the manufacturing industry. Through his ideas and actions, they have pioneered new markets, developed new business models, created market-changing products, devised transformative production methods, and significantly enhanced the overall role of manufacturing in society. Mittler has made major accomplishments in Missouri's manufacturing industry and contributed to the advancement of the industry for over 30 years.



- TrippNT wins Small Manufacturer of the Year Award. This premier award recognizes TrippNT for their commitment to business excellence. TrippNT demonstrates the use of effective lean methodologies and techniques that focus on improvements in quality, cost, productivity, physical waste reduction and non-value adding activities, customer service and safety. TrippNT has been committed to innovation, an entrepreneurial spirit, creative solutions to industry-related challenges, supplementing or enhancing best-practice standards an engaged workforce and development of a lasting culture of continuous improvement. TrippNT is a certified woman-owned business, which was named one of the fastest growing private companies in America by Inc. Magazine and been on their list again in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.



- Cambridge Engineering receives the Member of the Year Award. This award recognizes Cambridge Engineering for taking an involved role in the continued growth and support of Missouri Association of Manufacturers. Cambridge Engineering has played an interactive role in numerous aspects of the organization, business, events, education, resources and other important components. By working with our staff, Board of Directors and other members, Cambridge Engineering has shown their dedication to improving the manufacturing industry in Missouri.



About Missouri Association of Manufacturers (MAM)

Missouri Association of Manufacturers (MAM) strives to instill interest and enthusiasm among elected officials and the public in general, by advocating policy that promotes regional economic growth and worldwide competitiveness. Missouri Association of Manufacturers (MAM) serves as the manufacturer's advocate in Missouri and works to educate policy makers at all levels of the importance about issues important to manufacturers. MAM utilizes its strength in numbers to develop strategic partnerships and create exclusive benefit programs. The goal of each program is to offer lower pricing or greater advantages than members would be able to obtain on their own. MAM is focused on bringing manufacturers together to address common issues and challenges, and to learn from one another. MAM events, conferences, workshops and networking events provide a non-competitive environment for developing these beneficial relationships.



For more information visit us @ http://www.MAMstrong.org.Business sentiment from Germany is due on Monday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

At 2.00 am ET, Statistics Finland publishes producer prices for August. Prices had increased 0.4 percent on month in July.

At 3.00 am ET, the Czech Statistical Office is slated to release consumer and sentiment survey results.

At 4.00 am ET, Germany's Ifo business sentiment survey data is due. The business sentiment index is seen falling slightly to 103.6 in September from 103.8 in August.

At 9.00 am ET, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi is set to speak at the ECON Hearing of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsShares of Sky Plc (BSY.L, SKY.L) were gaining around 9 percent in the early morning trading in London after the media giant urged its shareholders to immediately accept a superior cash offer of 17.28 pounds by Comcast Corp. (CMCSK,CMCSA). The consideration under Comcast's second increased offer implies a value of approximately 30.6 billion pounds or $40 billion for Sky.

In an auction process set by the UK's Takeover Panel, Comcast offered the highest price, topping 21st Century Fox's (FOX, FOXA) bid at 15.67 pounds per share.

The Comcast offer price represents a premium of 125% to the closing price of 7.69 pounds on December 6, 2016, the last day before 21st Century Fox's initial approach.

Sky's Independent Committee considers the terms of the superior offer to be fair and reasonable, and said it was an "excellent outcome" and represents "materially superior value". The offer, which opened on July 13, remains open for acceptances by Sky shareholders until 1:00 p.m. (London time) on October 11.

Comcast said it has received all required regulatory approvals to complete the acquisition.

The British broadcaster has been in a competitive takeover situation following the possible offer statement from Comcast in February 2018. Sky said its Shareholders have benefited from seven months of competitive tension which has ultimately led to an auction process.

The Sky Independent Committee noted that both the cash offers from Comcast and 21st Century Fox of 17.28 pounds and 15.67 pounds per Sky Share are now incapable of being increased.

Brian Roberts, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Comcast said, "This is a great day for Comcast.... We now encourage Sky shareholders to accept our offer, which we look forward to completing before the end of October 2018."

Meanwhile, Fox said it is considering its options regarding its own 39 percent shareholding in Sky and will make a further announcement in due course.

"Sky is a remarkable story and we are proud to have played such a significant role in building the incredible value reflected today in Comcast's offer," Fox said.

In London, Sky shares were trading at 1,724.50 pence, up 8.80 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsIndian shares came under heavy selling pressure on Monday as trade tensions persisted and oil prices jumped around 2 percent on signs of tightening global supply, aggravating concerns over the risk of twin deficits.

A plunging rupee and rising concerns over the liquidity crunch in the banking system also kept investors nervous.

The government today announced that it would take all measures to ensure adequate liquidity for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and mutual funds, in the wake of the uncertainty created by the ongoing debt crisis in the IL&FS group.

The benchmark BSE Sensex ended the session down 536.58 points or 1.46 percent at 36,305.02, extending losses for the fifth straight session. The broader Nifty index fell by 168.20 points or 1.51 percent to 10,974.90.

Bajaj Finance, HDFC, Mahindra & Mahindra, Eicher Motors and Indiabulls Housing Finance slumped 6-7 percent in the Nifty pack while IT stocks such as Infosys, Tech Mahindra and TCS jumped 1-5 percent, tracking the weakening rupee, which was trading down half a percent at 72.57 in the evening.

Globally, other Asian ended mostly lower as Beijing cancelled upcoming talks with the Washington and a new round of tariffs between China and the United States came into effect, ending hopes of a resolution to the trade dispute.

Trading activity was subdued as markets in Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan were closed for public holidays. European stocks also fell in early trade after the release of disappointing German confidence data.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.comGermany's confidence weakened in September as companies scaled back their expectations amid deteriorating current situation, survey data from the Mannheim-based Ifo institute showed Monday.

The business sentiment index fell less-than-expected to 103.7 in September from 103.9 in August. Economists had forecast the score to drop to 103.2 from the originally estimated 103.8 in August.

Ifo President Clemens Fuest said the German remains robust, despite the growing uncertainty.

Joerg Kraemer, chief economist at Commerzbank, said as the Ifo index hardly fell in September, defending the strong rise in August, the weakness in the Ifo business climate is probably over.

The strong domestic economy is almost completely offsetting the soft patch in the export-oriented industry, the economist added. Kraemer expects the German economy to continue growing strongly.

The survey showed that current assessment indicator dropped marginally to 106.4 in September from 106.5 a month ago. The expected score was 106.

Likewise, the expectations index came in at 101.0 in September, down from 101.3, but above the forecast of 100.5.

In manufacturing, the index fell due to far poorer assessments of the current business situation, while business expectations climbed to their highest level since February. Manufacturers plan to ramp up production in the months ahead.

In the services sector, the business climate remained almost unchanged as improvement in current business situation was offset by the fall in their six-month business outlook.

In trade, the index rose again in September. Traders upwardly revised their assessments of both the current business situation and their expectations.

In construction, the business climate index continued to rise with the business climate and its sub-components hitting new record highs.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsDespite weakness in Asian and European amid trade concerns, Bay Street is likely to see some buying Monday morning, with stock futures edging higher, riding on gold and crude oil prices.

Amid lingering U.S.-China trade tensions, gold prices have edged higher. OPEC and Russia's tepid response to US President Donald Trump's call to boost crude supply and the upcoming ban on Iranian oil are aiding crude's uptick.

On Friday, the benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index ended up 9.38 points, or 0.06%, at 16,224.13, after scaling a low of 16,211.00 and a high of 16,267.69 intraday.

In company news, Barrick Gold Corp. announced that iw will acquire Randgold Resources for $7.9 billion in stock to create the world's largest gold miner. As per the deal, investors will receive 6.128 new Barrick shares for each

Randgold share they hold. Shareholders in Barrick will own about 66.6% of the merged company, which will combine Randgold's African mines with Barrick's holdings in the Americas.

Empire Company Limited (EMP.A.TO) announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Farm Boy, a fast growing food retailer, for a total enterprise value of $800 million.

TeraGo Inc. (TGO.TO) today announced that it has entered into a definitive share purchase agreement under which TeraGo Networks Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of TeraGo, will acquire shares of Mobilexchange Spectrum Inc.

and its parent holding company Mobilexchange Spectrum Holdings Inc.

Asian stocks ended mostly lower on Monday as Beijing cancelled upcoming talks with the Washington and a new round of tariffs between China and the United States came into effect, ending hopes of a resolution to the trade dispute.

Among the markets in Asia, Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan were closed for public holidays.

European stocks were edging lower amid trade concerns. Downbeat confidence data from Germany also weighed on markets.

According to the survey data from Mannheim-based Ifo institute, Germany's business confidence weakened slightly in September, falling to 103.7, from 103.9 in August. Economists had forecast the score to drop to 103.2 from the

originally estimated 103.8 in August.

The current assessment indicator stood at 106.4 in September versus revised 106.5 a month ago. Nonetheless, the score was above the forecast of 106. At the same time, the expectations index came in at 101.0 in September, down

from 101.3, but above the forecast of 100.5.

Meanwhile, UK manufacturing orders deteriorated in September as export order books faded a little, the Industrial Trends Survey from the Confederation of British Industry showed Monday.

In the U.S., Chicago Fed National Activity Index for August will be published at 8.30 am ET. The consensus is for 0.20 versus 0.13 in the prior month.

Dallas Fed Manufacturing Survey Index for September will be issued at 10.30 am ET. The General Activity consensus is 31.2 compared to 30.9 last month.

In commodities, crude oil futures for November were up $1.30, or 1.84%, at $72.08 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Natural gas futures for November were down $0.013, or 0.44%, at $2.961 per million btu.

Gold futures for December were gaining $3.00, or 0.25%, at $1,204.30 an ounce.

Silver futures were up $0.006, or 0.04%, at $14.365 an ounce, while Copper futures were down $0.007, or 0.26%, at $2.850 per pound.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (file photo) The Election Commission of Maldives on Monday declared opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party as the winner of the presidential election in the country that has been gripped by political upheaval. The Commission spokesman Ahmed Akram said that Solih obtained 134,616 or 58.3 per cent of the votes polled, as per the provisional data of the election commission, reports Efe news.



Solih's supporters took to the streets of capital Male in celebrations after he claimed victory over incumbent President Abdulla Yameen in the controversial election that took place on Sunday.



He called on Yameen to "accept the will of the people", the BBC reported.



"The message is loud and clear. The people of Maldives want change, peace and justice," Solih, told the media here before the Election Commission's announcement.



Yameen, who had been widely expected to win another term in office, has not yet commented publicly.



His government stands accused of crushing dissent and observers had believed the election was rigged in his favour.



India, which is concerned with the political instability in the Maldives, welcomed the result.



"We welcome the successful completion of the third presidential election process in the Maldives which, according to preliminary information, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.



The island country, home to around 22,000 Indians, is of strategic importance to New Delhi and its growing proximity with China is a cause of concern.



Exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed said on Twitter that olih had done "an extremely good service" to the people of Maldives.



The European Union and US had earlier voiced concerns about the election, with both threatening to impose targeted sanctions if the democratic situation did not improve.



The upheaval in the archipelago worsened after the Supreme Court in February quashed the convictions of nine opposition figures, among them Nasheed, who was ousted from office in 2012.



But after President Yameen declared a state of emergency and ordered the arrest of two judges, the court reversed its decision.



PHILADELPHIA (AP)  Two of the women who have accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault decades ago said Sunday they hope he will be sentenced to prison time this week.

Lise-Lotte Lublin and Chelan Lasha, who appeared with attorney Gloria Allred, also said they hoped they would be allowed to read victim impact statements before Cosby is sentenced on three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault .

Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004 in what became the first celebrity trial of the #MeToo era. A two day-sentencing hearing begins Monday in Montgomery County.

"I really think it's important that he spend some time behind bars," said Lublin, who said Cosby assaulted her when she was 23 in 1989. The then-model said Cosby prodded her to take two drinks to relax. "At some point, he should acknowledge what he's done, and do the time for the crime."

Lasha, who wept during her testimony at the trial last spring, said she prays Cosby is sentenced to 30 years. "He deserves every year."

Lasha said she was a teenage aspiring actress in 1986 when she lay immobilized and unable to speak as Cosby touched her breast and rubbed himself against her leg. She said he gave her a pill he described as an antihistamine.

"He ruined my life at 17 years old," Lasha said. "I have nightmares about it this very day, and I want them to go away, just like him."

More than 60 other women accuse Cosby of sexual misconduct during his 50-year show business career. Five were allowed to testify, while others came to watch the court proceedings.

Allred said she believed the sentencing would be "sending a message" in the #MeToo era. She said Cosby should be sentenced to "a substantial period of time," shouldn't receive probation or house arrest, and shouldn't remain free pending appeal.

"Mr. Cosby should not be treated differently because he is a celebrity," she said. "Judgment day has finally arrived for this convicted sexual predator who betrayed the trust of so many women."

Lawyers for the 81-year-old, legally blind Cosby are expected to stress his age, health problems, legacy and philanthropy. Prosecutors hope to call other accusers to paint Cosby as a sexual predator deserving of prison.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Lublin and Lasha have done.The ongoing support from the different denominations around Samoa continues for the children survivors of violence and sexual abuse cared for by Samoa Victim Support Group at the Campus of Hope.

The latest was the Church of the Nazareth from Ululoloa, led by Pastor Talomua and Mona Fetaiai and accompanied by members of the Nazarene Theological College.

There was fellowship with the children, sharing, praying and singing in thanksgiving, despite the difficulties in life, we are always embraced in Gods grace.

Mona encouraged the children to pray for Gods peace and to move forward with forgiving hearts as they each have a purpose in life.

The Nazareth Church of Ululoloa presented various donations during the visit including fire woods, banana, taro, sacks of rice, boxes of noodles, papayas, coconuts, and toiletry supplies.

Thank you so much Pastor Talomua and Mona Fetaiai, the Nazarene Theological College and the congregation from Ululoloa for your contributions towards the rehabilitation of the children through the spiritual sharing. Thank you also for the food supplies which will assist us with the daily caring of the children, said S.V.S.G. President Siliniu Lina Chang.

We look forward to your next visit to continue our working in partnership as part of the childrens rehabilitation programme.TOKYO (AP)  An unmanned Japanese space capsule is headed to the International Space Station filled with cargo including food, experiments and new batteries.

The craft was launched Sunday at 2:52 a.m. from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. It will take 4  days to reach the space station.

The launch was delayed for about two weeks because of bad weather and a mechanical problem.

The delay has led NASA to postpone two space walks to install the six lithium-ion batteries until new crew members arrive next month. They will replace aging nickel-hydrogen batteries for the station's electric power, enabling an extension of its operations.

The supply ship is a 9-meter- (30-foot-) long cylinder that will be retrieved by the space station's robotic arm. It is named Kounotori, which means white stork.

The 5,500 kilograms (12,000 pounds) of cargo includes racks and equipment for experiments and an experimental re-entry capsule to try to demonstrate a novel technology to bring back samples from the space station.

Once it is unloaded, the supply craft will be filled with trash and sent Earth-ward. It will be destroyed when it re-enters the atmosphere.We live in an interesting time, one defined by countless challenges which require every member of our society, to step up to do their part. Everyone has a role to play.

Whether youre the Head of State, Prime Minister, Church Minister, matai or just an ordinary villager, each and everyone of us has a responsibility to make this a better place to live.

All roles are important. This is a democratic country after all.

It means peoples rights are paramount but for those rights to be protected, it is mandatory that the three branches of government, the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, are independent of each other.

One should not interfere with the other and members of the public must not try to meddle in carrying out their duties.

In Samoa this week where the 27th Pacific Judicial Conference is taking place at the Taumeasina Island Resort, one particular branch, the Judiciary, is under the spotlight. The conference being attended by whos who of the Judiciary in the Pacific and the world was officially opened yesterday.

For the next few days, the participants are dealing with a number of issues including human trafficking, money laundering, cybercrime, illegal fishing, climate change and more.

The issues reflect the different challenges the world is faced with. As leaders of the Judiciary, their work has been cut out for them and they have a job to do.

But they do not operate in a vacuum.

On Sunday, the point about just how critical it is for the Judiciary to be independent of the other pillars of governance was highlighted. Made by United States Court of Appeals Senior Judge and Chief Judge Emeritus, John Clifford Wallace, on the front page of Sunday Samoan, it is a timely reminder given everything that has been happening in Samoa in the recent past involving the Judiciary. We will not delve into them today.

Suffice to say, it is critical for the Executive and the Legislature to respect the independence of the Judiciary. The Judiciary has such an important role to play.

The wisdom shared by Judge Wallace on the Sunday Samoan is worth listening to.

Every judge wants an independent judiciary, he said. The foundation of that type of government to protect peoples rights is the three branch of Government, each one being independent of the others but being balanced.

So why is it important?

There are times when an executive has to be called in to check, there are times when the legislature is passed in unconstitutional statutes, so unless the judiciary is independent regardless of whom the President is or who the Legislature is, peoples rights are not protected.

During the interview with the Sunday Samoan, Judge Wallace made reference to a quote by American statesman and one of its founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton.

Alexander said more than 200 years ago that the Judiciary is really the weakest branch. The President has the army and the navy, Legislature has the money and the Judiciary doesnt have any of those.

In that case, he pointed out that the question to ponder upon is how the Judiciary then gets its independence.

My view is that the judiciary gets its independence when the people are independent, that is the judiciary has the responsibility to being so effective with the people who rely on the judiciary to protect everybodys rights, he said.

When that happens, the judiciary will then gain its strength because the people generally want it to be independent and to check the other branches of Government and bring politicians and leaders to task.

We say amen to that.

At the end of the day, it comes down to people power. It is what people want. Which reminds us of the words of Abraham Lincoln who coined the famous phrase of the government of the people, by the people, for the people in relation to governance. Lincoln went on to say such a form of governance shall not perish from the earth.

We cannot stress enough how important it is for the judiciary to be independent. Looking at Samoa today, the Government has become so powerful.

We must not allow them to reach a point where they will try to interfere with the role of the judiciary. This is why we believe that the point raised about the need to respect the independence of the judiciary could not have been said at a better time. Samoa desperately needs to maintain those checks and balance.

We take this opportunity to welcome all the Justices, Judges, the experts and all participants who are in Samoa for the 27th Pacific Judicial Conference. Enjoy your visit and do take some time to check out our beautiful home.

Have a great Tuesday and God bless!Re: Like Malaysia

Yes, Samoa is definitely going to become the next Malaysia or even Indonesia, the most racist against Chinese ethnicity in the Pacific.

Taking money from China and discriminate against Chinese ethnic, borrowed debts for 5 years and now asking the debt to be written off?

Why dont you just give back the money and keep your Samoan pride?

Thats better for the Chinese people anyways. They work so hard, they dont need to spare millions and getting treated like rubbish.

A Chinese man got murdered in Samoa this year with a native Samoan wife who is six months pregnant, Asian store got burnt down.

So its definitely Malaysia / Indonesia in the Pacific.

Diana PaiDear Editor,

Re: Waste of money

Faleolo inter-Samoa flights - They flew the American Samoan airlines from Faleolo because the aircraft were too big to land at Fagalii.

Polynesian airlines eventually re-opened Fagalii as their planes were the perfect size for the runway there.

Not long after this, the American Samoa airline went out of business because they could not compete with Polynesian at Fagalii.

Fagalii is the perfect size and distance from Apia and I hope the SAA never closes it down, as I am sure they are playing around with in their heads.

Tiavea airport - the logic behind this is part of the so-far disjointed and a bit aimless grand strategy for the long-talked about Aleipata township.

The airport and the lonely wharf at Satitoa is supposed to serve the future township. I do not fault the logic because Apia is jam-packed and there are far too many people overpopulating Apia-Vaitele already.

There needs to be another township in the regions, like Aleipata to draw development, jobs, and services away from Apia to the rural regions to keep people living in the rural villages, instead of them all moving to Apia. Overcrowding in other pacific urban centres has led to a huge spike in crime and social problems in the cities. Just look at Honiara and Port Moresby. Crime is also going up in Apia as well - refer to that Chinese national killed at Eleele Fou the other week.

So the logic is sound. Aleipatas tourism economy will eventually necessitate a township in the district. The idea is to make it easier for American Samoan holiday-makers to fly into Aleipatas tourist strip via Tiavea. If they were to fly to Fagalii, then it is a very uncomfortable 90min-2 hour drive from Apia to Aleipata.

However, I will say this. The plans for Aleipatas township really need to start. It seems to have been meandering without any proper planning for over a decade now.

A petrol station in the area should be one of the first things to be built, and if the airport is the catalyst for this, then well and good.

Petelo SuaniuDear Editor

In its proper context, Heather du Plessis comes from the racial background of the Boer War between her Dutch ancestral migrants in South Africa, and the British settlers seeking colonial domination of the original people of South Africa.

The history of course, is apartheid, the racial segregation system in which whites like her  minority though they were  milked like leeches the economic and financial riches of the country in order that Soweto remains Soweto, and the true South Africans are made second class citizens in their own country.

Nelson Mandela fought against them of course, but as in the nature of white segregation, he was jailed for twenty three years.

And that was why Heather du Plessis and her parents migrated to New Zealand  they wanted freedom, real freedom  not the political abstract rule by the majority of the African South Africans.

Yet that was what her Africanner migrants were doing to the African South Africans.

And in New Zealand, her eyes opened to the damning but true perspective of migrants  Pacific migrants in particular  joyously entering into New Zealand mainstream.

For her, her Africanner Boer legacy of the apartheid segregation of South Africa shall remain her perspective until she can return to her homeland.

L.T.M.

Samoan freedom leecherA family from Faleula is mourning the death of their six-year-old daughter after she was hit by a vehicle on Sunday morning.

The death was confirmed yesterday by a member of the extended family of the deceased. The family member requested that their names be withheld as the extended family did not want to talk to the media.

A traditional apology has already been done this morning and we have already accepted the apology, and we had forgiven the family, especially the person who was behind the wheel.

Therefore, it does not look good on us to accept the apology by the family and they see that we went ahead and spoke to the media about it. But we do miss our little girl and that is all I can say, the family member told Samoa Observer.

The young girl was returning home after Sunday school when she was hit by the vehicle according to the family member.

She was crossing the road when the car hit her. Her body was found about 20 meters away from where the car hit her. It was a sad scene and she is sorely missed. Tomorrow (today) is actually her birthday and yet she is gone.

A police officer, who is not authorised to speak to the media, told Samoa Observer that the vehicle involved is a Hyundai Tucson and a female driver has been charged.

She was heading from Faleolo to Apia when the incident occurred. The accused is being charged with negligence driving causing death.

She is 29 years old, that is all I can say, said the police officer.

Emails and telephone calls made to the Ministry of Police for a comment were not responded to at the time of going to press.Human trafficking, money laundering, cybercrime, illegal fishing and climate change are some of the major issues on the agenda at the 27th Pacific Judicial Conference in Apia.

The four-day conference at the Taumeasina Island Resort is attended by Chief Justices, Deputy Chief Justices and Judges from the Pacific, New Zealand and United States of America. The theme for the conference this year is Addressing emerging issues in the Pacific.

Samoas Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiava'asu'e Falefatu Sapolu who was accompanied by his good Lady, Ili Sapolu, welcomed the delegates.

The conference was established in 1991, is held biennially and its members jurisdictions rotate in hosting the conference.

It has provided us with the opportunity to exchange views and information and to discuss issues of neutral interest and common concerns relating to the law and the administration of justice within our region.

It has also given us the opportunity to interact amongst ourselves and renew old contacts and establish new ones, said the Chief Justice.

His Honour indicated that in line with the theme of the conference, the issues of transnational crimes, the impact of climate change and marine littering, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, the use of therapeutic and specialist court, use of technology in the work of the courts, and the continuing need for judicial independence will take center stage.

The Chief Justice also acknowledged experts from Samoa and overseas who will give presentations on the issues highlighted in the conference programme.

Governor of Samoas Central Bank, Maiava Atalina Enari will present on money laundering from the perspective of the Pacific, and regional efforts to combat the issue, while Police Commissioner Fuiavailiili Egon Keil will present on transnational crime.

Deputy Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa, who is Acting Prime Minister, emphasised the importance of the Pacific Islands working together in her speech to the conference participants.

Last year, the Pacific Forum Leaders which was themed the Blue Pacific our sealed islands, our security through sustainable development, management and conservation, which speaks to the very heart of Pacific Regionalism.

Exercising of common identity and purpose linked to the ocean has been critical for protecting and promoting the potential of our shared Pacific Ocean. Fundamental to peace and security in the Pacific is the rule of law.

Fiame commended the Pacific Chief Justices in promoting Pacific regionalism through the conference theme, which focused on emerging issues in the Pacific.

The issues no doubt present unique challenges in the way the judiciary responds legally and judicially.

The challenges we face but our responses are guided by many factors, such as our laws and resources and capacity, she added.

The Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration, Chief Executive Officer, Papalii John Taimalelagi was the master of ceremony. The conference will end on Thursday.A cache of drugs with a street value $200 million has turned up on the shores of Tonga and Fiji and Samoa is in danger of getting entangled in a drug war.

Police Commissioner, Fuiavailiili Egon Keil, sounded the warning recently in response to questions on drug incidences in the neighboring islands of Fiji, Tonga and American Samoa.

Drugs in the Pacific have been here and we are all trying to eliminate the drug problem, he said.

The Police Commissioner indicated that there are a lot of crime that is transnational in nature, with narcotics heading the list and it is already coming into the region.

And thats what is facing Pago Pago and definitely we dont want that in Samoa, he added.

The issue is critical that the next Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police conference  to be held in American Samoa  will focus on drugs.

Samoa is definitely not immune from the drug problems, he added.

He commended the American Samoa Department of Public Safety Commissioner, Lei Sonny Thompson, for the active role in eliminating drugs in the territory, if the recent raids in the territory  where significant amount of methamphetamine was uncovered  is any indication.

Im very concern, being the chair of the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre, we gather all the statistics of whats happening, there is a big emerging drug issue and Samoa is right in the middle.

Its a drug war, and essentially its coming here in Samoa. Discovered recently were 103 kilo of cocaine found floating on Fiji waters and another 60 kilo of the same type of cocaine washed ashore in Tonga.

And were talking about $200,000 million is the cash value and it is a concern. Its hitting the shores of Tonga, Fiji and Pago Pago and that means its heading here too, he said.

Fuiavailiili indicated that Samoa oversees the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre which is to Samoas advantage.

The Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre is stationed here in Samoa and were getting all the knowledge from the center and we are getting all the information as well.

So we are pulling all the information in to help each Island nation including New Zealand and Australia. And of course I will use that knowledge in Samoa to protect our people, he added.

The statistics gathered indicate that transnational crime will continue.

But that does not mean we will step aside and let the cartels come into our Pacific Islands and use our resources, our oceans for their profit. That will not happen.

That is why we have all teamed up with the Pacific Islands, we have the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre and the Pacific Transnational Crime Network, we share information and we share data to combat this problem, the Police Commissioner added.A search of company records at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour (M.C.I.L.) has revealed Associate Minister Peseta Vaifou Tevaga is the major shareholder of Aldan Civil Engineering Company Ltd.

Peseta told Samoa Observer two weeks ago that he had no role to play in the company, which he claimed is run by his son Leiataua Danny Tevaga.

I am not involved in the project of this company, he said, in response to questions from this newspaper on his involvement with the company.

But a company search by Samoa Observer has uncovered that Peseta is the largest shareholder of Aldan Civil Engineering Construction Company Ltd.

As per the result of the private company search on the M.C.I.L. website, out of the 100 shares in the company, Vaifou Tevaga has 50 share parcels followed by Ruby Tevaga with 20, and Allen Tevaga and Danny Tevaga (with 15 share parcels each).

Peseta is the Associate Minister of the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and is also the Associate Minister for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Attorney General, and the Public Service Commission.

The Cabinet, according to the F.K. (18) 28 issued on 15 August 2018, endorsed the decision by the Tenders Board to award a $3,574,890 (inclusive of taxes) contract to Aldan Civil Engineering Company Limited to build a new airport at Tiavea.

Despite denying any involvement with the company, Peseta went on to give details of the airport project in his interview with Samoa Observer.

He said the company has received a confirmation letter from the Tiavea Village Council, which gave approval for the airport project to go ahead.

The runway is 1,000 meters long. Its a small airport similar to the Fagalii Airport, but a longer runway.

We anticipate starting the project with setting the boundaries next week Tuesday with the Tiavea village council and as soon as that is done, we will get to the construction of the runway, he said.

The contract awarded to Aldan Civil Engineering Company Ltd will only cover the work to build the airport runway, Peseta indicated and does not include the airport terminal. The building of the runway will take up to four months and should be completed by February next year, he added.

Attempts to get a comment from Peseta were not successful.PR - A Practical guide to Solid Waste Management in Pacific Island Countries and Territories was launched during the second Clean Pacific Roundtable in Suva.

The compendium features the experiences and lessons learnt from 16 Pacific island waste practitioners from across seven Pacific islands.

The Guidebook was developed under the Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for Promotion of Regional Initiatives on Solid Waste Management in the Pacific Island Countries Phase I (JPRISM) from 2011 to 2016 funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The project is now in its second phase  JPRISMII.

Bringing together 16 national waste practitioners from the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Palau to think tank the different waste processes and activities happening on the ground in countries it then led to the contribution and development of the Guidebook.

We celebrate the accomplishment of the contributors to this book, and the support from JICA to help make this happen. It represents an accumulation of many years of work from experts in the Pacific, said Dr. Vicki Hall, Director of Waste Management and Pollution Control of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (S.P.R.E.P.).

This is the first time our local waste officials have been given a chance to come together to document their works for future reference purposes. We congratulate JICA for this amazing achievement and encourage many to use this guidebook in the management of waste in the region.

There are six chapters to the Guidebook which span Basic Surveys and use of information for waste management planning to Contract Management and Waste Management Plants and Equipment. Each chapter draws upon work and experience from within the Pacific island countries and the practitioners themselves. Examples of which include the Green Fee in Palau, Clean School Programme in Fiji, Market Composting in Vanuatu, Public-Private Partnership in Collection and Returning of Waste to Overseas Market in Federated States of Micronesia.

This Practical Guide is the compilation of good practices identified and developed by experts in the region through J-PRISM Phase I.

This covers all solid waste management issues from the technical ones to the managerial ones. These good practices have high applicability to other Pacific islands although modification and adaptation are always necessary, said Professor Emeritus Kunitoshi Sakurai, of Okinawa University, the Chairman of JICAs Advisory Committee for JPRISMII.

Through the active use of this guide and the feedback of results to the JPRISMII Office, this guide will be revised and improved. Let us work together to materialise a Cleaner Pacific.

The launch of the Practical guide to Solid Waste Management in Pacific Island Countries and Territories took place at the Clean Pacific Roundtable held at the Forum Secretariat Conference Room in Suva, FijiPrime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi has visited a secondary school in China, which is currently hosting a group of students and teachers from Samoa College.

The three teachers and eight students are being hosted by the Hualuogeng Secondary School in Huizhou City in the Guangdong Province. They are participating in a 12-day education exchange programme from September 18-29.

To mark the visit of Samoas Prime Minister, the students from Samoa College and Hualuogeng Secondary School performed a Samoan song and a traditional Chinese dance.

Tuilaepa told the students and their hosts that he did not know the extent of the exchange programme until his visit to the school that day.

It's a pleasure for me to visit your school, an occasion which will manifest the very close cooperation between Samoa and our Huizhou City located in Guangdong.

I did not know the depth of this cooperation in terms of the education that has been exchanged, until I came here and witnessed with my own eyes the implementation of this close cooperation.

Samoa College is the very first college that was established by our Samoan Government, and it was from this college that produced some of the best leaders in Samoa. It is a high profile college to be selected for this programme, he said.

The Prime Minister conveyed his gratitude towards Huizhou City officials for ensuring the exchange programme became a reality after the agreement to establish it was signed in 2015.

The fact that it has taken place, it has brought up again the leadership that the leaders of the Peoples Republic of China have taken in raising the level of living conditions, the welfare of the people from all over the world and it can only happen through this kind of exchange.

Exchange of students, of knowledge, of technology, and of course exchange of what is produced by one country to sell to other countries in the famous law of comparative advantage can only bring about equality of people all over the world.

And on behalf of my own country I want to congratulate the authorities for implementing these initiatives like the student exchange programmes. And for all of you from Samoa, use this great opportunity which you have been given wisely. With your being here, each one of you must be attentive in learning new things.

Learn from the Chinese people because they are one of the leading countries in trade, compared to our small country, there's a big world out there, he said.

The Prime Minister, talking directly to the Samoan students and their teachers, said they should learn the Chinese language and apply the newly-found knowledge back in Samoa.

You need to polish up your Chinese language skills, that is the key to learning the knowledge of today due to China being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, let's try and copy from what they are doing and not do what always happens back home which is complaints after more complaints, he added.AHVAZ, Iran (AP)  Amid wails and vows of revenge, thousands of Iranians on Monday attended a mass funeral service for victims of a weekend attack targeting a military parade that killed at least 25 people.

The dead from Saturday's attack in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, blamed on Arab separatists, ranged from a disabled war hero to a four-year-old boy. The assault killed members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard, including conscripts, wounded over 60 others and further ratcheted up tensions across the Persian Gulf ahead of this week's United Nations General Assembly.

The father of 4-year-old victim Mohammad Taha lay atop his son's flag-draped coffin sobbing, a public display of grief near the Sarallah Mosque in Ahvaz, the capital of Iran's oil-rich province of Khuzestan.

Women in long black chadors held back tears while rhythmically striking their chests, a traditional way of showing grief. Mourners also played drums, cymbals and horns, according to local customs.

Of the 25 killed, 12 were from Ahvaz and the rest from elsewhere in Khuzestan.

As crowds flowed down Ahvaz's streets, cries of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" rose from the mourners. While a traditional chant in the years since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, they have taken on a new meaning as Iranian officials have blamed the U.S. and its regional allies for backing the separatists, who carried out the assault while disguised in military uniforms.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the attack showed Iran has "a lot of enemies," according to remarks posted on his website, in which he linked the attackers to the U.S., Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

"Definitely, we will harshly punish the operatives" behind the terror attack, he added.

Speaking at the funeral, the Guard's acting commander, Gen. Hossein Salami, vowed revenge against the perpetrators and what he called the "triangle" of Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States.

"You are responsible for these actions; you will face the repercussions," the general said. "We warn all of those behind the story, we will take revenge."

Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavai told the mourners that his agency had identified many suspects involved in the attack and "a majority of them were detained."

"We will punish the terrorists, one by one," he promised the crowd.

State TV reported late Monday that authorities have detained 22 suspects linked to the group behind the attack and confiscated ammunition and communication equipment. The semi-official Fars news agency reported that five militants took part in the assault, all of whom were killed. It said two of them were brothers.

Saturday's attack targeted one of many parades in Iran marking the start of the country's long 1980s war with Iraq, part of a commemoration known as "Sacred Defense Week." The attacks in Ahvaz sent women and children fleeing alongside the soldiers once marching in the parade.

Arab separatists in the region claimed the attack and Iranian officials have blamed them for the assault. The separatists accuse Iran's Persian-dominated government of discriminating against its ethnic Arab minority. Khuzestan province also has seen recent protests over Iran's nationwide drought, as well as economic protests.

President Hassan Rouhani has accused an unnamed U.S.-allied regional country of supporting the attackers. Iran's Foreign Ministry also summoned Western diplomats and an envoy from the UAE, accusing them of allegedly providing havens for the Arab separatists.

Rouhani's remarks could refer to Saudi Arabia, the UAE or Bahrain  close U.S. military allies that view Iran as a regional menace, in part because of its support for militant groups across the Middle East. Saudi-linked media immediately carried claims of responsibility by the separatists after the attack and have widely covered their previous attacks on oil pipelines.

The Islamic State group also claimed Saturday's attack, initially offering incorrect information about it and later publishing a video of three men it identified as the attackers. The men in the video did not resemble images of two dead attackers published by Iranian media in the aftermath of the attack. Iranian state media have not acknowledged the IS claims.

The attack comes as Iran's economy reels in the wake of the U.S. re-imposing sanctions lifted by Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. While Iran still complies with the accord, President Donald Trump withdrew America over the deal in part due to Tehran's ballistic missile program, its "malign behavior" in the Mideast and its support of militant groups like Hezbollah.

Iran's national currency has gone from trading at 62,000 rials to one U.S. dollar to as much as 150,000. Economic protests and other demonstrations have spiked across Iran, putting new pressure on Rouhani's government.

At Monday's funeral, however, those attending rallied around the Iranian government and its soldiers. Cries and wails erupted at the sight of the casket of a local hero, 54-year-old Hossein Monjazi, a disabled war veteran and Revolutionary Guard member who had lost a leg and a hand in the Iraq-Iran war. A photo of his crumpled body out of his wheelchair after the attack shocked the country, as did the death of the four-year-old boy.

Mahmoud Falaki, a teacher attending the funerals, said the ceremony showed Iranians "are always ready to sacrifice ourselves for our country. The terrorists are a bunch of cowards."

Another Ahvaz resident, Ghaseem Farhani, said: "Just look at the crowd, with no fear, people are gathered here to see their soldiers and martyrs off to heaven."There is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid answers, Colin Powell.

Well, that is a nice sentiment, but we all know that there are stupid questions  like when the television news reporter shoves a microphone in front of a woman whose house has just burned down and asks how she feels.

What really matters is HOW you ask the question. The content of the question matters less than all the associated characteristics of a question, its phrasing, the choice of words, the tonality, the spacing, the pause, the intensity, the feelings, the facial expression etc.

I went to school in Boston (not the famous one), and I got a degree in English. I went on to write sitcoms, develop real estate and start technology companies. I am convinced that my English degree was both superfluous, worthless and without which, I would have been homeless.

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Maurice Schweitzer, a professor at the Wharton School of Business, has done some research in this area and has discovered that subtle tweaks in the way a question is asked can lead to profoundly different answers. The underlying heuristic for a question is how you frame it. Is it leading, does it have an obvious answer, are you trying to prove that the other fellow is stupid, do you leave an open end for him to expand? For example, a doctor who says, You dont use drugs, right? makes it very hard for the patient to admit he has a substance abuse problem.

Schweitzer gives a simple example. Asking What is wrong with this car you are selling me as opposed to This car doesnt have any problems, does it? In the first case, the seller is more inclined to disclose problems. In the second, he blasts along and tells you no problems and by the way, the air-conditioning works great. There is this tension in all interactions to find the right balance of on-the-nose direct words, complete with a declarative statement or accusation versus the dodge-to-the-right lob one off the wall and see what happens. You dont know what you dont know  but would like to find out.

Now lets complicate the puzzle. What if you dont know what question to ask versus you are an expert in an area and can tell the truth from fiction. If you are well-versed in the subject, you can be more assertive in the question versus golly, gee whiz, I just got off the bus from Kansas. And of course there is the double sandbag, where I ask a question to which I already know the answer to see if the other side will tell me the truth.

The truth exists, it is knowable (mostly) and in spite of presidential concerns about fake news, some facts are immutable and real. And the search for truth in a negotiation is critical. Rudy Giuliani says, truth is not truth, but that only applies in politics  not in real life.

Schweitzer goes on to explain that questions not only solicit information, they also reveal information  about our assumptions, about what we know, about the quality of our cards. To put it bluntly, words and how we use them really matter. To paraphrase Glengarry Glen Ross, always be closing at least implies you know the direction you want the discussion to go.

Another example is the use of presumption. So, Betty, do you use any of your work time for online gambling? Whoa, lots of possibilities there. One is that Betty thinks you are a jerk for even suggesting such a thing or Betty says, I dont gamble, but I do some personal shopping on Amazon while I am at the office. She reveals herself. Schweitzer finds people are more likely to disclose problems when you presume there is a problem. When did you stop beating your wife?

Another aspect in a negotiation is to ask a question that allows the other side to wax eloquent. It allows him to tell you how smart he is, and then you hook him by playing to his ego. Unlike the famous lawyer rule about only asking questions you know the answer to  in the search for truth, the stupid question, properly framed, may turn out to illuminate and reveal a true surprise from the unknown world.

Rule No. 578  Whos on first?

Source: From Neil Senturias book Im There for You, Baby: The Entrepreneurs Guide to the Galaxy, which has more than 200 rules for entrepreneurs (imthereforyoubaby.com).Next month, San Diego Gas & Electric customers will start seeing a reduction in their monthly utility bill as a result of a new settlement reached earlier this year that altered the financial terms surrounding the closing of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

In October, typical SDG&E residential customers will receive an estimated one-time refund of $13.80 on their bills. the utility said Monday. At the same time, typical residential customers will see their monthly charges reduced by about $1.32 on an ongoing basis.

Customers on the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) bill assistance program will see a one-month refund of about $8.50 and an ongoing average bill reduction of about 81 cents a month.

Originally, the utility planned to split the one-time refund of $13.80  half in November and half in December  but SDG&E spokesman Wes Jones said, We wanted to get this out as soon as we could to benefit customers.

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SDG&E owns about 20 percent of the nuclear plant, which shut down in 2012 following a leak in a steam generator tube.

Were happy to reach the final chapter in the SONGS settlement and provide these savings for our customers, said Dan Skopec, SDG&Es vice president of regulatory affairs.

The rate reductions are part of a new cost-sharing settlement that halts payments by utility customers for the now-shuttered power plant, as of December 2017. The settlement slices about $750 million from customers utility bills from an earlier agreement passed in 2014 by the California Public Utilities Commission.

The 2014 deal prompted a federal lawsuit filed by Citizens Oversight, a San Diego consumer group, against the commission and Southern California Edison on the grounds that customers were being charged for a power plant that no longer produced electricity. Edison is the utility that owns a majority stake in SONGS and operates the plant.

In January, Citizens Oversight attorneys Michael Aguirre and Maria Severson reached the outlines of an agreement with Edison and SDG&E and in July, the utilities commission voted to endorse the new settlement.

Aguirre and Severson will collect attorneys fees of just over $5.4 million as part of the settlement.

Edison announced their customers rate reductions last month.

A typical Edison residential customer received a one-time refund of about $11 and will see an ongoing reduction of an estimated $2 a month. SDG&E officials said the monthly Edison reduction is slightly larger than SDG&Es because Edison has a larger stake in the plant.

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rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewskiUpscale grocer Whole Foods, long planned for a hotel and office development in downtown San Diego, has backed out amid continuing delays related to pending litigation.

Although approved two years ago, the $400 million 7th & Market development has been on hold since last year when labor union interests filed suit alleging that city approvals relied on an outdated 2006 environmental analysis for all of downtown instead of a specific impact report analyzing just the development.

San Diego-based Cisterra, which is developing the project, said Whole Foods had the right to terminate its participation as a tenant after a certain period of time elapsed and exercised that right earlier this year. The termination, said project principal Jason Wood, was related to the delays precipitated by the ongoing litigation.

The project, which would bring San Diegos first Ritz Carlton to downtown, also calls for 156,000 square feet of office space, 59 Ritz-branded condos, 125 market-rate apartments and 39 affordable rental units.

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Despite Whole Foods withdrawal, Wood said Monday that he has a solution and that the plan is still to incorporate a specialty gourmet grocer into the project.

Representatives of Whole Foods did not respond to emails seeking comment on Monday.

It appears that both Cisterra and Unite Here Local 30, which represents hospitality workers, are now talking in hopes of moving the project along, although both sides are being coy about what progress, if any, is being made toward reaching common ground.

Im working on solutions so that the project can move sooner vs. later, Wood said. Im not waiting on a trial date, Im working on a solution.

Rick Bates, research analyst with Unite Here, said union representatives have been talking to Cisterra and hope to see the project moving along soon.

Last October, a Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the city of San Diego, concluding that it properly reviewed the project in advance of its approval. Unite Here union leader Sergio Gonzalez and San Diegans for Responsible Planning, a coalition of community and union members living and working in San Diego, subsequently appealed the ruling.

While the focus of the the lawsuit concerns environmental issues, Unite Here attorney Gideon Kracov told Civic San Diego board members during a 2016 hearing that the incomes for workers in service industries are insufficient for them to be able to afford to live in San Diego, forcing them into long commutes or overcrowding to afford housing near their jobs.

While Cisterra at the time already had consented to a labor agreement that would ensure the hiring of union workers for the construction of the project, it said it was unable to persuade Ritz Carlton and Whole Foods to commit to doing the same.

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lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-2251

Twitter: @loriweisbergI hadnt realized how quickly my fathers mind was fading until one morning a few years ago when he asked me why he was taking only six medications per day. What will I take on the seventh day? he wanted to know.

My mother, who had been given a diagnosis of Parkinsons disease, had been in decline for some time and could be of limited help. Anti-Parkinsons medications helped to relieve her muscle rigidity, but her condition had continued to worsen.

So we pressed my father to retire his professorship so that the two of them could move from Fargo, N.D., to Long Island to live closer to me and my brother. When my parents arrived, it was alarming how much their conditions had deteriorated.

My father was forgetful; my mother required assistance with walking. The friend who helped them move took me aside after they arrived. They have to have hope, she said. Hope for what? I asked.That one day they will be able to do the things they cant right now.

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The authors parents in 2006. (Courtesy photo)

We wanted our parents to live independently in their own home, which meant that my siblings and I were going to have to chip in to help. It was a small price to pay, we thought. When my sister visited from Minneapolis, she bathed and dressed my mother. I administered their medications and helped with groceries. My brother took care of household issues. Still, my parents home, like my parents themselves, was in a constant state of disrepair.

That summer, my siblings and I joined the ranks of the 15 million or so unpaid and untrained family caregivers for older adults in this country. A recent study found that almost half of this largely invisible work force spends, on average, nearly 30 hours a week providing care to relatives, many of whom have dementia, an estimated more than $400 billion worth of annual unpaid time.

The work takes its toll. These sons, daughters, husbands and wives are at increased risk of developing depression, as well as physical and financial difficulties, including loss of job productivity. Being sick and elderly in this country can be terrifying. Having a sick and elderly loved one is often a full-time job.

As the workload increased, we hired help, as much for ourselves as for our parents. But after some items were stolen, we realized we had to be more careful about whom we allowed into our parents home. Older adults in this country lose almost $3 billion a year to theft and financial fraud. Nearly every week my father instructed us to donate money to someone who had sent him a generic email appeal. It fell on us to keep our parents from being exploited.

With millions of elderly adults requiring assistance with daily living, physicians should make it routine practice to ask family members whether they can provide the requisite care. Many of these potential caregivers, ill or stressed themselves, simply cannot.

Insurers should also set aside funds to support these caregivers. Family members are often the people most invested in the care of their loved ones. Supporting them will only benefit our most vulnerable citizens. It wont be cheap, of course. Because of the size of this unpaid family work force, even providing minimum wage to the most taxed caregivers could cost up to $100 billion annually.

In 2015, Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, announced a $67.5 million grant to help ease the burden of informal caregivers of dementia patients in the state. The money pays for counseling, support groups and a 24-hour hotline. It also subsidizes the hiring of friends and neighbors at $15 an hour so that family members can enjoy occasional respite from the strain of caregiving. Several other states, including North Carolina, North Dakota, Minnesota and Vermont, have similar programs but on a much smaller scale. Much more needs to be done nationally.

Though our parents independent living required a steadily increasing commitment, there was no dearth of moments to remind us that it was worth it. I once called my father to tell him I was going to stop by the house later to talk about a change in one of her medications that her doctor had suggested.

When we ended the conversation, he forgot to hang up the phone. I heard him turn on the TV, which was playing a popular Hindi film song.

Will you listen to some music with me? he asked my mother. She did not reply. Come on, hold my hand, he said.

No one has any use for me, I heard my mother say.

I do, my father said. The kids do. Here, hold my hand and dance with me.

Sandeep Jauhar (@sjauhar), a cardiologist, is the author of Intern, Doctored and the newly released Heart: A History.The Port of San Diego will host a series of meetings for the public to weigh in on the design of a pair of waterfront parks in Chula Vistas Bayfront.

The first meeting is scheduled for Sept. 27 at Chula Vistas public library downtown.

We want to create a welcoming, warm environment for visitors with equally important efforts to preserve Chula Vistas natural resources and protect the waterfront access for future generations, Port Commissioner Ann Moore told Chula Vistas City Council while announcing the public meetings Tuesday evening.

Chula Vistas Bayfront project, which includes a $1 billion hotel and convention center, features two public parks.

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The Port of San Diego envisions Harbor Park, which will be located just north of the marinas and wrap around the waterfront, as a large park filled with amenities and enough space for different activities and events. Sweetwater Park, which will be in the north end of the Bayfront, will have an environmental education focus and host family-friendly activities.

The public will have a chance to weigh in on specific amenities, activities, and design features of each park, Moore said.

The Port will host a series of meetings between September 2018 and April 2019.

The Ports design teams will take input from the first meeting and present proposed designs to the public in a January meeting.

During that second meeting, the public will get another chance to weigh in.

The Port will have another meeting in April to present its final concepts and hopes to submit a coastal development permit application by August.

Apart from telling the council about the upcoming community input meetings, Commissioner Moore also updated Chula Vista on several aspects of the Bayfront project.

The Port is currently finalizing a lease with the developer of a new RV Park. They hope to finish building the park by early 2020.

The $1 billion hotel and convention center is currently in the design phase. The Port anticipates having a coastal development permit before the board within the next few months. That will allow the developers to begin public infrastructure improvements.

Additionally, the Airport Authority pulled out of a lawsuit they had joined against the Port of San Diego.

The two rental car companies that filed the lawsuit, claiming a rental car fee to fund a parking structure for the Bayfront project is illegal, are still in litigation.

We are in the process of discussing the possibility of settlement with the two remaining rental car companies in the lawsuit right now, Moore said. If we cannot reach settlement, we will definitely push forward and we will defend our rental car fee vigorously in court.

Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or TwitterRight from the start, Bull in a China Shop makes it clear that if this is a period piece, its one that comes with an exclamation point. (Not to mention plenty of &%@#s.)

At Diversionary Theatre, the very first scene of Bryna Turners fast-and-furious play has the pious strains of a church choir giving way to some searing rock n roll  a suitable soundtrack to this story of two mavericks who helped shake up society and make history.

Although Mary Woolley and Jeannette Marks  the college educators and longtime romantic companions at the center of the work  were in their heyday some 100 years ago, Diversionarys production and Turners writing both emphasize the here-and-now-itude of the couples story.

And as the work makes abundantly clear, the two did champion a whole lot of laudably modern ideas about womens rights and sexual freedom.

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At Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, where Woolley was longtime president and Marks the eventual head of the English department, they not only fought for progressive ideas and innovations but lived more or less openly as a lesbian couple, at a time when staying in the closet was very much the default.

As a somewhat wary Marks (Tamara McMillian) says to Woolley (Jo Anne Glover) early in the play: You want a revolution!

To which the supremely confident Woolley replies: I am the revolution.

Director Kim Strassburgers sharply acted San Diego premiere of Bull in a China Shop, a work that landed off-Broadway last year, gets full impact out of Turners lacerating wit and the plays sometimes profanity-laced banter.

But at length (although this is a pretty abbreviated show  about 80 minutes with no intermission), the well-chosen rock-music cues between scenes and the sometimes self-consciously contemporary dialogue can feel as though theyre selling the present-day connections a little harder than is necessary.

The way the play is structured as a series of mostly short scenes also sets up a staccato rhythm that can make it hard to probe character deeply or get into a sense of flow.

Those truncated scenes, though, often provide stirring showcases for the work of the productions five strong actors.

As Woolley, Glover  a Diversionary returnee, Moxie Theatre co-founder and leading light among San Diego actors  mixes raw passion with a canny sense of knowing how to play the academic game.

Thats a good contrast to Marks, whom McMillian  a relative newcomer with memorable turns in Intrepid Theatres Father Comes Home From the Wars, Parts 1, 2 and 3 and other shows  gives a more volcanic, impetuous vibe.

Those two get top-level support from the versatile Milena (Sellers) Phillips as the colleges compassionate but exasperated Dean Welsh; Maybelle Covington as Marks friend, roommate and fellow faculty member Felicity; and Andrea Agosto as the excitable student Pearl, head of the couples Holyoke fan club, whos particularly devoted to Marks.

One of the shows best moments comes when Agosto delivers a comically unhinged monologue that has the jilted Pearl yelling at Marks window: I want to drown you in my tears! Violently!

Ron Logans set plays cleverly off the staid columns of academia, whose looks are transformed by Curtis Muellers dynamic lighting; TJ Fucellas sound design is stuffed with ear-catching song excerpts (including Cupids winsome The Big Moon and acoustic covers of Bowie and Springsteen), and Beth Connellys costumes speak to both period and personality.

It should go without saying that Woolley and Marks didnt see all their dreams for womens equality achieved in their lifetimes.

Too much revolution, I guess, says Woolley, after Holyoke replaces her with a family man as president.

To which Marks replies: Or not enough.

Bull in a China Shop

When: 7 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Oct. 14.

Where: Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd., University Heights.

Tickets: $15-$55

Phone: (619) 220-0097

Online: diversionary.org

jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @jimhebertFor almost seven decades, sailors attached to Fleet Combat Camera Pacific at Naval Air Station North Island deployed with air, ground and sea combat units to document action in overseas hot-spots.

On Friday, a ceremonial bell tolled one last time for this historic Navy unit.

Fleet Combat Camera Pacific  ComCam  was known over the years by several names, but its mission never changed. According to a statement from the unit, it provided direct imagery capability to the Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Military Departments, combatant commands and joint task forces during wartime operations, worldwide crisis, contingencies and joint exercises.

The total number of billets  military jobs  being eliminated are four officers, 50 enlisted personnel and 31 enlisted reserve components.

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Sailors assigned to Combat Camera could expect to be trained for highly-specialized roles, such as Diver, Aircrew and Search and Seizure.

About 200 Combat Camera veterans, sailors and civilians gathered at the Island Club on NAS North Island in Coronado for an emotional, bittersweet ceremony.

The orders shuttering Combat Camera, read at the end of the ceremony, said the closure was part of a budget-saving initiative to eliminate billets that do not directly contribute to improving war-fighting capability.

Earlier Friday morning, the Atlantic Fleets Combat Camera element was also decommissioned in Norfolk, Virginia.

Combat Cameraman Yeoman 1st class Anthony Ardisone with some of the memorabilia he has collected related to Combat Camera uniforms and equipment representing roughly the years 1944 to 1991. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune)

The mood of the day was summed up in a speech by retired Lt. Cmdr. Rick Naystatt, who once served as Combat Cameras commanding officer.

Events like this are kind of like a funeral of sorts that brings together far-flung family one last time, he said. We all feel the loss, but were happy to see each other again.

One attendee, Mark Elder, served at Combat Camera during Vietnam. When he left active duty, he came back as a reservist.

He said Combat Camera gave him a pass to go anywhere.

They gave you an assignment, you got in a plane, you got to go, he said, describing his experience deploying with a squadron in Vietnam in 1970. They knew you were coming and they took care of you. You had a special card from (Combat Camera) that said you will render assistance to (us) in all things...It was kind of like a get out of jail card. I wish Id kept it.

Elder remembered one squadron  VAL-4  and how the commanding officer took him under his wing.

The Black Ponies, Elder said, were a light attack squadron. They were the only (Navy) squadron that was fixed-wing in Vietnam.

He said he got to eat, sleep and fly with the officers in the squadron.

Elder was emotional about the Combat Cameras closure.

It hurts so bad, he said. I dont know.

Navy Cmdr. Doug Houser, the last commanding officer of Combat Camera, called the experience an honor, and told attendees to be proud of what they accomplished when they were there.

I cannot tell you how proud I am to be part of your team, he said. Take comfort in knowing you are part of something much bigger than yourselves.

Before the end of the ceremony, Houser had Combat Camera veterans stand and be acknowledged by the decade they served. Veterans from each decade since the 1940s stood.

Chief Petty Officer Jon Rasmussen was the last Officer of the Deck for Combat Camera, a watch from which he was relieved as the orders to close the command were read. He said the ceremony was emotional for him.

Ive grown as a sailor, photographer, and the things Ive experienced at this command have done a lot to make me who I am, he said.

Combat Cameraman Yeoman 1st class Anthony Ardisone, on the right, a reservist with the unit, and Dave Weideman, left, who served 15 years of his career in Combat Camera before retiring in 2004, looked at a vintage Speed Graphic camera. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Petty Officer Third Class Jason Isaacs was one of the last sailors to report to Combat Camera. He said he was intimidated reporting to the historic unit.

I felt really nervous at first when I first got here, when I looked at the history and saw the men and women who served before me, and the work that theyd done, he said. It looked like I had a lot to live up to.

Isaacs is staying in San Diego at a Navy public affairs unit.

Rear Adm. Robert Durand, the Navys vice chief of information, said to preserve Combat Cameras legacy, the Navy needed to add capacity to its communication units.

Where that capacitys going to reside will be in different places, he said. Some of it will be in our Navy pub affairs support element, some of that is going to be organic in the ships themselves.

Durand said sailors who had served at Combat Camera should be proud.

I think each sailor who served here will always feel that Combat Camera was part of what made them who they are he said. They look back at the past and they look to the future and they feel theyve been part of something really special.

Naystatt, reservedly defiant in his speech, said he didnt agree that Combat Camera had worn out its usefulness.

Ill be honest with you, I dont agree with it, he said, adding that change was always part of the mission. Situations change. Adaptations have to be made. Hell, every ship I was ever stationed on is decommissioned now.

At the end of his speech, Naystatt told sailors to save their command rocker-patches somewhere special  so youll have them when Combat Camera is re-established, he said.

80 year old Kurt Kinnamon, left, who was with the Combat Camera Group for 57 years of the 67 years of its existence, shook hands with Commander Tom Cotton at the Disestablishing ceremony for the unit. Kinnamon served as both enlisted and as a civilian. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Contact Andrew Dyer via email or Twitter.September 24, 1872 The Daily San Diego Union

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.

Tuesday, September 24, 1872

In 1872 Prof. J.L.R. Agassiz and his scientific party arrived in San Diego aboard the U.S. coast survey steamer,"Hassler. " The Hassler expedition was the first important scientific expedition sent by the American government for marine exploration.

After returning to New York, a member of the party shared his impressions of San Diego. The authors derisive description of San Diegos Chinese and native population sounds overtly racist today, but has been left intact as part of the historical record.

Here are the first few paragraphs of the story:

IMPRESSIONS OF SAN DIEGO.

Notes by a Member of the Agassiz Party with the Hassler Expedition.

A correspondent of the New York Tribune, who was a member of scientific party under Professor Agassiz, with the Hassler Expedition, thus records his impressions of San Diego:

Good weather and favorable winds brought us into the harbor of San Diego noon on Sunday, August 18. We had not been here long before a telegram ordered the Hassler to return to the Mexican coast and sound for a rock reported to have been seen in a certain place. The Hassler obeyed, and was gone several days, searching for a rock which probably does not exist, the scientific party meanwhile remaining in San Diego. It was a delightful place for the naturalists and for us all. It was our own country, and we were at home; and among hospitable people who at once made us feel at home. A few Chinese (washers and ironers and fishers) seemed to be the only low people in the place, if we except a few Indians in tents in the adjoining fields. All the restI speak of the new townseemed to be industrious, respectable Americans, Germans or Spaniards. The harbor is a long crescent. The protection is from a long range of hills running southward in a promontory to the west, and two flat islands on the south, connected with each other and the continent on the east, by a narrow strip of sea beach. On the north side of this crescent are numerous little villages, two of which, Old San Diego and New San Diego, are of considerable importance.

In the new town two daily papers are published, and a steamer leaves five times a month for San Francisco. While we were there the town was intensely excited over the arrival of Col. Scott and other railroad magnates, to make arrangements for the commencement of work on the western division of the Texas and Pacific Road. The town has been built in faith that a railway communication with the Atlantic must at no distant day be opened with this, the best harbor in the southern part of California. But hope deferred had begun to make the heart sick. Those who had not means of living had begun to consider the expediency of retreating to some place of greater activity. But the visit of Col. Scott, and the arrangement made by him with the citizens of the town have put every one at San Diego into high spirits, and they look forward now, I think reasonably, to the rapid growth of their city.

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.As crews continue to battle blazes across California, one firefighter was taken to a local hospital for heat-related injuries received in the Charlie fire, officials said Monday morning, and two other fires forced evacuations in the state.

While acreage stayed the same on the 3,400-acre Charlie fire throughout Sunday, firefighters reached 30% containment, up from 10% Sunday morning. The blaze started Saturday afternoon in the Castaic area, prompting road closures and evacuations.

San Francisquito Canyon Road, where between 20 and 30 homes had been evacuated, reopened Monday morning, but part of Lake Hughes Road was still closed.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department said he didnt have information about the severity of the injuries suffered by one of the firefighters battling the blaze.

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Farther to the north, residents of the Oakhurst area  to the south of Yosemite National Forest, where the Ferguson fire burned through 96,901 acres this summer  are monitoring another wildfire.

The much-smaller Oak fire, which has burned about 400 acres and was 45% contained Monday morning, currently poses no threat to Yosemite National Park, said Jaime Williams, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The blaze is burning mostly in the Sierra National Forest.

Firefighters are making good progress, Williams said. They continue to work hard to increase containment and strengthen containment lines. The fire is burning in steep rugged terrain hit hard by tree mortality, so its a major hazard for firefighters.

Severe drought has caused many of the areas trees to die, so falling timber and branches are a constant threat to those battling the flames, she said. Hot, dry weather with low humidity is expected to persist over the next few days.

The area along Road 620 was reopened, but the Tinder Loft and Cedar Brook communities, as well as the Lone Sequoia Campground, remain under mandatory evacuations. Williams said she didnt know how many homes were threatened but said the fire hasnt caused any structure damage.

Northeast of Chico, a brush fire that broke out overnight is threatening homes near the towns of Magalia and Centerville in Butte County. The 25-acre fire began about 12:30 a.m., and fire officials are seeking more resources to battle the blaze, which had no containment late Monday morning, Cal Fire spokesman John Gaddie said.

An evacuation warning was issued for Nimshew Road between Ponderosa and Daly Mine Road, and for Centerville Road between Nimshew Down Canyon and Nimshew Run Lane. The fire is burning in steep terrain with heavy brush. It was unclear how many homes were under threat from the latest blaze.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandraA robbery suspect was taken to the hospital Monday after Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies shot the person in Compton, officials said.

Deputies responded to the 700 block of West Spruce Street about 9:29 a.m. to reports of a robbery. A sheriffs spokeswoman initially said the location was on Rosecrans Avenue.

On Spruce Street, deputies confronted two people and fired at them. One of the suspects was struck by gunfire and was taken to a local hospital, according to the Sheriffs Department. The other person was detained.

A firearm was recovered at the scene, but officials said the circumstances of the shooting are unclear.

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News outlets initially reported that a deputy had been shot, but officials said no officers were injured in the incident.

(Los Angeles Times)

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra

UPDATES:

1:35 p.m.: This article was updated with information that the suspect was shot by sheriffs deputies.

This article was originally published at 11:20 a.m.At least four people in California have died of West Nile virus this year, state health officials said.

The first deaths were reported earlier this month in Glenn and Yuba counties, the officials said. Two other deaths occurred in Placer and Yolo counties.

On Monday, Butte County reported a West Nile virus death. The patient who died reported symptoms in August and was between 50 to 70 years old.

The California Department of Public Health lists the total number of West Nile deaths at four. Officials said the department did not include the Butte County fatality in its count because the tally is updated at the end of each week.

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West Nile season typically begins with warmer weather in the summer and continues into the fall. One hundred people from 25 California counties have tested positive for West Nile virus this year, authorities said.

The virus exists mostly in birds but can be transmitted to mosquitoes that bite infected birds. Humans  and horses  get the disease when theyre bitten by those mosquitoes.

Most people who contract the virus dont notice any symptoms. But a very small number can develop encephalitis or meningitis that can be fatal. In 2017, mosquitoes infected at least 553 Californians with serious cases of West Nile virus, leading to more than 40 deaths.

Health officials recommend wearing insect repellent, long pants and long-sleeve shirts outdoors, especially during dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active. They also recommend draining any standing water, such as in flower pots or buckets, where mosquitoes can lay their eggs.

sarah.parvini@latimes.com

For more California news follow me on Twitter: @sarahparviniAs Wilson Guarin watched the green helicopter roaring above, he wondered if the men being hoisted into the sky felt the risk had been worth it.

Moments earlier, Guarin and his children, Olivia, 11, and Brandon, 12, had hiked to Hermit Falls in Angeles National Forest, one of the most popular waterfalls in the Los Angeles area.

Soon after they arrived, they saw a man dislocate his shoulder when he jumped into the rock pool at the base of Hermit Falls. Less than a minute later, another man jumped and appeared to break both his legs.

Guarin, 40, of Long Beach said the cliff jumpers intentions were obvious: They wanted to get a video of themselves and post it to social media.

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A thirst among hikers, often inexperienced and under-prepared, to gobble up likes and shares on Instagram and other social media sites has led to a significant increase in rescue missions by first responders.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Search and Rescue teams conducted 681 missions in 2017, the largest number in five years. Its a 38% increase from the 491 rescues they did in 2013.

The teams leaders say the single largest factor for that increase is people posting videos of extreme activities online. Then, without any thought about the difficulty, others try to re-create their own 15-second version of glory. Rescue teams in Santa Barbara and San Bernardino counties have seen similar increases.

People will post videos of themselves jumping off of Hermit Falls or the Malibu rock pool, and they post it in the springtime when theres a decent amount of water. But now, the water is a lot less, so what used to be a 10-foot pool is now a 5-foot pool, said Michael Leum, who oversees the Sheriff Departments Search and Rescue teams. You dont want to be a lawn dart going into that shallow pool.

On Instagram, posts from visitors venturing to waterfalls and swimming holes in Angeles National Forest and other recreation areas show hikers morphing into models, striking seemingly the same poses in the same places. Theres the sexy pose on a rock. Sometimes its the contemplative one, in which they gaze into the sky. The subject line is often a quote about nature, but sometimes its just a pun referencing Waterfalls, a hit by the 90s R&B group TLC.

Or maybe just someone bragging about how cool his friends are. A few visitors even dress up, either in suits and evening gowns for a photo shoot, or as mermaids. And then, sometimes, people just get naked  because YOLO (you only live once).

Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, Robert Garcia remembers when Eaton Canyon and Monkey Canyon, a harder-to-reach swimming hole, were known only to locals. Today, its easy to find the routes online and videos on YouTube that explain just how much fun a person might have.

Garcia, the fire chief for Angeles National Forest, doesnt discourage people from enjoying the outdoors. But he points out that many accidents are avoidable and happen either when people go off trail or ignore official warnings about an area being closed  such as the upper falls of Eaton Canyon  and visit anyway.

Beyond the safety element, theres an element of resource damage, Garcia said. Trails are designed with mitigation and resource protection in mind, so user-created trails dont have that level of planning.

Three years ago, Daniel Sedha and his family wanted to visit Switzer Falls, a stunning 50-foot waterfall and rock pool in Angeles National Forest. But they ended up on the wrong path. Planning to end their hike at the base of the waterfall, they instead ended up trekking to the top of the falls.

The waterfall dry, Sedha walked to the ridge and decided to try to climb to a flat spot where the top of the waterfall usually cascades down. Within seconds, he was sliding.

Sedhas family heard him fall, a thud like a sack of potatoes hitting the ground, before they saw him. They thought he was dead.

Sedhe broke his pelvis and tailbone. He smashed the right side of his face and still has no feeling above his eyebrow. His elbows have scars from his attempt to stop himself from plummeting onto dry rock.

I just remember feeling that sliding sensation, and then it was almost like a feeling of super bliss, like euphoria, that feeling of just lifting up, said Sedha, 19, of La Mirada. From the slope, I caught air, and thats it. Boom! I fell 50 feet.

Sedha is quick to admit he wasnt prepared for his hike that day. For one, he was wearing sneakers that didnt provide the same level of grip of hiking boots.

In the hiking world, the 10 essentials is a common phrase for an informal list of recommended items: a map, a compass, sunscreen, extra food, extra water, extra clothing, a flashlight or headlamp, a first aid kit, matches and a knife.

The lists vary, but officials agree that the majority of people they save dont carry a fraction of the list. And sometimes, they hike in flip-flops.

The proximity of Angeles National Forest to Los Angeles  a drive from downtown L.A. to the Switzer Falls trailhead usually takes less than an hour  can give people a false sense of safety. But soon after entering Angeles, a visitor will lose cellphone reception, which will remain spotty throughout the forest. Many folks dont plan for that, either.

Instead, people often enter the forest in hopes of mimicking an #adventure they saw.

They might Google map the hike, and not realize its a 3,000-foot elevation change as well as a three-mile hike, said Quintin Humphrey, an engineer with the Los Angeles County Fire Department who regularly goes on rescue calls to Angeles National Forest. I think those are the things that never cross peoples minds, whereas 20 or 30 years ago people were maybe more prepared for it and had more of a camping mentality.

Guarin still thinks about the two men he watched hitching helicopter rides to a hospital.

You get concerned about what people are willing to do  to not have fun. Its risking everything for no reason.

Well, there are the likes.

jaclyn.cosgrove@latimes.com

@jaclyncosgroveIts hard to imagine a more daunting task than defending a client facing multiple charges  including murder and kidnapping for ransom  in a death penalty trial that would last more than a year.

But attorney Ricardo Garcia, who has been involved in several high-profile cases in San Diego including the 15-month trial mentioned above, is headed for his next big challenge: leading the Los Angeles County Public Defenders Office.

Garcia, 49, wrapped up his tenure here last week and is preparing to take the helm of the oldest and largest public defenders office in the nation. (The office opened Jan. 9, 1914.)

It has more than 700 attorneys, tasked with defending clients in criminal cases who cant afford their own lawyers, working out of 39 offices. By comparison, San Diego County  where Garcia was a supervising attorney  has around 365 employees in public defense.

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After graduating from law school at UC Berkeley, he started working in the San Diego County Public Defenders Office in 1995. He later worked for the American Civil Liberties Union in Los Angeles before returning to San Diego in 2006. Most recently, he worked for the multiple conflicts/major cases section of the local Public Defenders Office.

In a recent interview with Union-Tribune, Garcia reflected on his time in San Diego, some of the major cases hes handled and and his thoughts about the new job.

The questions and answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: So youre about to start your new gig, leading the Los Angeles County Public Defenders Office. How did that come about?

A: I was contacted by the search committee. Someone suggested that I apply for the position. I was contacted on a Friday (and told I was being considered for the position). I said I was flattered but extremely happy in San Diego. I talked about it with my wife over the weekend, and we made the decision that I should do it.

I will be the first Latino public defender in the history of Los Angeles. I feel personally over the moon and thrilled.

Q: Do you have ties to Los Angeles?

A: I grew up there  in Los Angeles and Mexico City. Both of my parents were born and raised in Mexico. They separated and when I was about 7, my mother collected the four kids and moved us back to Mexico City. When I was in middle school, my mother collected us and we moved back to the U.S. (to the Los Angeles area). We moved around a lot, mostly on the west side of L.A.  Culver City, Santa Monica. I graduated from Santa Monica High.

Q: Youve defended clients in several cases that got a lot of media attention in San Diego County and beyond. Which ones stand out in your mind?

A: The first is Nathaniel Gann. That was an amazing case for me. It brought so much media attention and I developed a good relationship with Nathan.

(Gann, then-20 years old, and his 18-year-old sister Brae Hansen were charged in 2007 in the shooting death of their stepfather, local attorney Timothy MacNeil. Both were convicted of first-degree murder, but the jury did not find that Gann, who also went by Nathan, was guilty of a special-circumstance allegation of lying in wait, which would have made him eligible for life in prison without parole. He was sentenced to 25 years to life.)

Q: And then there was what was known as the Los Palillos case, in which you defended one of two accused leaders of a drug trafficking crew San Diego prosecutors said had carried out multiple killings and kidnappings. What was it like being on a case like that?

A: It was the largest, most complex criminal prosecution of that type that they had done in San Diego. (The trial lasted 15 months, including two months of jury selection.) At first glance, it seemed like an impossible task. It changed the way I approach my cases and how I do my work. I was consumed by the case.

I was getting to know (my client, Jorge Rojas Lopez) and really understand who he was growing up... It affected my practice; it affected my personal life.

I learned a lot about balance and the importance of giving my client as much of me as I can, and at the same time realizing I had to take care of myself to be a better lawyer for him and also take care of my family.

(Rojas, who was already serving life in prison on, was convicted of first-degree murder and other felonies, but the jury was unable to reach a decision on the death penalty.)

Q: Los Angeles County has not had a permanent public defender in two years. Do you think that will create problems going forward?

A: Like any organization that has had a lack of consistent leadership, there are some issues. But everyone in that office has been so supportive and welcoming The lawyers there are dedicated advocates that live and breathe the representation of their clients. I plan to do everything I can to make sure they have resources and support  and my trust.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefieldJust east of border fence construction that has been visited by both the vice president and the homeland security secretary, Border Patrol launched Operation Blazing Sands last month to deter illegal border crossings and thwart human smuggling attempts.

Border Patrol noticed an uptick in smuggling organization activity along a stretch of border in the southeastern-most part of the California desert, according to agent Justin Castrejon. Agents responded in mid-August with Operation Blazing Sands, a collaboration between Border Patrols El Centro and Yuma sectors.

This operation leverages the strengths of El Centro Sector and Yuma Sector to better target transnational criminal organizations, said Gloria Chavez, chief of the El Centro Sector, after the operation launched.

 Border Patrol launches Operation Blazing Sands in California desert

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Agents apprehended 2,427 people illegally crossing that part of the border from October 2017 through July 2018, before the operation began, according to data from the sector. Thats about eight people per day and just over 10 percent of the 23,452 people caught in the entire El Centro Sector during that period.

The sector splits its 70 miles of border among three Border Patrol stations. The 20-mile area where Operation Blazing Sands is focused, known to agents there as the east desert, makes up close to 29 percent of that border and is patrolled by agents from the Calexico station.

Calexico station is the fifth busiest along the southwest border, Castrejon said.

About 10 miles outside of the town of Calexico, the landscape turns from farmland to short brush and small mounds of sand. The All American canal runs between Interstate 8 and the border, and the canals steep sides and strong currents sometimes trap border crossers who are often already exhausted from their journey through the desert in Mexico.

For many trying to sneak across the border in the El Centro Sector, their goal is Interstate 8, Castrejon explained. If they can make it to a car thats supposed to pick them up there, they can disappear into traffic before they are detected.

Near the Gordon Wells exit on Interstate 8, the All American Canal curves under the highway, removing the dangerous obstacle from border crossers path and allowing the freeway to stretch closer to Mexico. The sand begins to mound higher in this part of the desert though the dunes dont yet reach the peaks of those further east at Buttercup, a popular dune buggy area.

A Border Patrol camera tower stands near the exit, and agents frequently make cuts in the area, checking for footprints where they had dragged the sand smooth earlier in the day.

Just before the canal turns away from Mexico, the border fence changes from 15- to 20-foot bollards used in town to a floating fence that was built around 2009. The floating fence has similar bollards, or posts placed close together, that are a few feet shorter, and its base allows agents to prevent sand from mounding into dunes along the fence until it is easy to climb over. If the sand gets too high, the fence can be lifted and set down again on top.

Despite the heat and the sand that drags and slides underfoot, the area around Gordon Wells has become a popular place to cross, Castrejon said.

He and fellow agent Jose Enriquez, their eyes habitually scanning for signs of crossings, were quick to point out footprints on the Mexican side of the fence and a piece of rope tied between bollards to act as a ladder. Sun-blanched water bottles were scattered on the ground around the fence.

Castrejon said when he was patrolling in the east desert about a month ago, less than 10 minutes after he checked the area by Gordon Wells, an agent monitoring the camera tower alerted him to a group that had just crossed there.

As much as were watching out for them, theyre watching us, Castrejon said.

 Operation Blazing Sands hopes to stop human smuggling along the border between Calexico, Calif., and Yuma, Arizona.

The group made it to a car and headed west on the freeway. Castrejon responded, arresting one U.S. citizen smuggler and four unauthorized immigrants.

When border crossers do make it to the highway, agents can try to pull the car over. If the driver refuses to stop, agents collaborate over radios to monitor where the car goes. In some cases, including for at least one arrest so far during Operation Blazing Sands, agents can deploy a vehicle immobilization device that punctures the cars tires with hollow needles and slowly lets the air out. The gradual deflating helps keep the cars passengers safer, Castrejon said.

After agents make arrests, they backtrack to the border to look for people that the group might have left behind. Smugglers often abandon people who become sick or injured because they dont want to slow down the group, Castrejon said.

Smugglers dont have any regard for human life, he said. All they care about is money.

Operation Blazing Sands has increased the number of agents operating in the east desert, borrowing from other stations in both sectors, Castrejon said. He was not permitted to say how many agents were involved.

Were not going to sit by and let a part of the border not be in our control, he said.

On a recent morning, several agents in trucks patrolled close to the border and along the highway. A helicopter hovered overhead, waiting if needed.

The operations first arrest came two days after the effort began, according to a press release, when an agent spotted five people crossing illegally into the U.S. The group got into a car, and the agent followed and stopped it in Brawley.

Castrejon declined to say how many people the operation has apprehended so far.

According to press releases that cited Blazing Sands, at least 10 people, almost all U.S. citizens, have been charged with human smuggling after being apprehended through the operation. They were transporting 23 people who were not authorized to be in the U.S.

The operation is also intended to prevent migrants from dying in the deserts extreme heat. Temperatures there can reach 120 during summer days.

Border Patrol agents in the El Centro Sector have found 14 people who died crossing the border so far in fiscal 2018, Castrejon said, and many of those deaths were in the east desert.

A lot of times, people will get in trouble and underestimate their abilities, Castrejon said. The terrain is unforgiving.

Agents treat many who cross in this area for heat exhaustion, Castrejon said.

Castrejon declined to say how long the operation would last because Border Patrol didnt want to tip off smugglers.

Its going to be in operation for the foreseeable future, Castrejon said.

Border Patrol also plans to gather intelligence on smuggling organizations in the area as part of the project.

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 documentary featuring immigrant stories from the Haitian community in Tijuana as well as San Diego Border Dreamers is coming next week to the Central Library.

The independent film, Letters from Our Elders, by the Buenpaso Collective, seeks to connect the story of the directors grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, with stories of todays immigrants.

The documentary follows two Haitians who came to Tijuana and eventually into the U.S. and three members of San Diego Border Dreamers, a group of young unauthorized immigrants affected by the Trump administrations changes to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

These are their letters to other [future] generations, said Edwin Cruz, one of the executive producers for the project. Thats brought the whole film into perspective. What were doing here is documenting these stories and documenting these lessons that people, particularly people from immigrant backgrounds, are leaving for us.

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The connecting message among the stories, Cruz said, is resilience.

Inspiration for the documentary came from the films director Aaron Freeders experiences filming protests in Los Angeles following the election of President Donald Trump.

At an airport demonstration against the travel ban, a woman from Syria told him about how personal the protest was for her. That prompted him to look at his own personal connection to immigration. He ended up at a Shoah Foundation archive at the University of Southern California for footage of an interview with his grandfather that he had known about for years but never sought out.

Its important to contextualize each of our own stories, whether it be our families or those of our friends, Freeder said.

The film tells individuals stories in an authentic way, he said, which is something he believes is missing from public discourse.

We need to try our best to understand the reality of situations and not compress them into how they fit into a brief in the 24-hour news cycle, Freeder said. People should come in expecting an element of truthfulness and authenticity and reality in our project.

This will be the first public showing of the film, which is still a work in progress, Freeder said.

The screening begins with a reception at 6 p.m. on Monday in the Neil Morgan Auditorium and is free and open to the public. There will be a question-and-answer session after the showing.

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

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kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on TwitterA white police officer accused of fatally shooting her black neighbor in his own apartment has been dismissed, the police department announced Monday.

The Dallas Police Department fired Officer Amber Guyger on Monday, weeks after she fatally shot 26-year-old Botham Jean inside his own apartment on Sept. 6. Court records show Guyger said she thought she had encountered a burglar inside her own home.

Guyger was arrested on a preliminary charge of manslaughter days after the shooting. She is out on bond.

Jean family attorneys and protesters have called for her firing following the shooting.

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Guyger was a four-year veteran of the police force. She told investigators that she had just ended a shift when she returned in uniform to the South Side Flats apartment complex.

When she put her key in the apartment door, which was unlocked and slightly ajar, it opened, the affidavit said. Inside, the lights were off, and she saw a figure in the darkness that cast a large silhouette across the room, according to the officers account.

She called 911. When asked where she was, she returned to the front door to see she was in the wrong unit, according to the affidavit. The 911 tapes have not been released.The wife of a Florida deputy texted a friend that her husband had lost his mind not long before he killed her in a tragic murder-suicide that left their four children without parents.

Samantha Keithley was communicating with pal Kristin Kellin moments before she was fatally shot by her husband in their Land OLakes home late Sunday, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Kirk has lost his mind Kristin, one text read, according to the newspaper. Hes literally losing it. Hes been harassing me for the last 6 hours and Ive asked him repeatedly to just leave me alone because Im sick.

That text was sent at 11:50 p.m. on Sunday, and investigators say both parents were dead soon after. One of their kids, a 14-year-old, ran from the house after hearing an argument and gunshots and called 911.

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The other three children were upstairs in the home, but were unharmed.

Just pray for these kids, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco told reporters. Its Monday morning, theres a lot of people waking up, getting ready to go to school, and theres four children trying to put their shattered lives together and figure out what just happened to them overnight.

Kirk Keithley was a nine-year veteran of the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office. He had been married to the 33-year-old Samantha for six years, Kellin told the Tampa Bay Times.

She was an amazing mother and an amazing friend and amazing wife, she told the newspaper. This is horrible.

She said that she had known Samantha for nearly two decades. She enjoyed life, Kellin told the Tampa Bay Times. Sporting events, traveling. She had her best friends, five of them, myself included. She was a very amazing person. She liked concerts.

Kellin told the paper that Samanthas husband was a quiet guy, but he wasnt irrational.

Everybody has problems, but not anything that would cause him to shoot her in the head, she told the newspaper.

With News Wire ServicesA Florida man who stole 10 cartons of cigarettes from a Circle K was sentenced to 20 years in state prison.

Robert Spellman, 48, was convicted of burglary and grand theft in August, according to the Pensacola News Journal, after he stole the cigarettes from a stock room in the store managers office at the convenience store.

Police tracked him down nearby, according to the State Attorneys Office.

On Friday, he was sentenced to two decades behind bars.

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Spellman has 14 felony and 31 misdemeanor convictions on his resume, making him a habitual felony offender.A good Samaritan stopped to help a stranded motorist on a Florida highway  and was fatally struck walking back to his car.

Dhimitri Andoni, a 22-year-old employee at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, decided to help a driver after seeing him lose control and stop in the median of Interstate 275 in St. Petersburg around 9 p.m. Thursday.

After pulling over on the highways inside shoulder and offering assistance, the unknown motorist was able to leave the scene, according to a Florida Highway Patrol press release.

Andoni walked back to his vehicle near the roadways edge, where he was struck by a pick-up truck driven by 30-year old Dana Tomas Byrd.

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Byrd stopped his 1996 Ford after the crash and realized he killed a man, causing him to leave the scene in Andonis car, a 2015 Hyundai, authorities said.

The Hyundai was located hours later from a GPS tracking system used by Andronis father, who notified police of his missing son.

On Friday at about 12:30 p.m.  15 hours after the incident  a road ranger found Andonis body and the abandoned truck.

Byrd was arrested at his St. Petersburg home Friday night.

Police charged him with grand theft auto and leaving the scene of a crash involving death.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office, Byrd has 16 prior arrests since 2005 and is being held with a $100,000 bond.

The unknown driver who lost control and caused Andoni to get out of his car is advised to contact the Florida Highway Patrol with further information.A 19-year-old Indonesian boy was in deep waters as he floated 49 days on a wooden fish trap headed to Guam.

Aldi Novel Adilang, a lamp lighter on a floating fish trap called a rompong, was rescued on Aug. 31 by a Panamanian vessel.

I thought I will never meet my parents again, so I just prayed every day, said Adilang, who told the Associated Press that he lit his lamp anytime he spotted another ship.

His rompong  which had been anchored about 78 miles off the coast of North Sulawesi  had been found about 1,200 miles from his original location in Indonesia.

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His father Alfian Adilang recalled this was the third time the raft had drifted away. The companys owner had saved his son the other two times.

Ropes attached to Adilangs fish trap were snapped by strong winds in mid-July, which sent him adrift with limited supplies.

Normally, when the romping is secure, someone is sent once a week to harvest the trapped fish and give Aldilang food, gas, clean water, and fuel  but that wasnt possible with Adilang drifting at sea.

Aldi Novel Adilang is rescued near Guam after 49 days adrift. (Indonesian Consulate General Osaka/Facebook /)

I was on the raft for one month and 18 days said Adilang.

His food supply ran out after the first week stranded at sea.

I had to soak my clothes in the sea, then I squeezed and drank the water, he explained.

After he ran out of the cooking gas, he burned the rompongs wooden fences to make a fire for cooking. Indonesian consul general Mirza Nurhidayat told The Jakarta Post.

Adilang sent an emergency message via a hand-held radio and called for help  leading to his rescue by Panamanian-flagged vessel called the MV Arpegio.

The consulate in Osaka said the rescue didnt come easy, as the waves were rough and a rescue rope didnt reach Adilang  but he jumped in the water to grab it.

Diplomat Fajar Firdaus said Aldilang had been scared and often cried while adrift.

Aldis story is indeed dramatic, and we are thankful to all  the ships captain and the Japanese authorities that have been very helpful in ensuring Aldis return, Mirza said.

Adilang returned home on Sept. 8 and doesnt wish to work on a rompong anymore.

With News Wire ServicesA Massachusetts woman was airlifted from the Bahamas to Florida Sunday afternoon after she was attacked by a shark while spearfishing.

The unidentified 32-year-old woman was flown to Memorial Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, after the shark, trying to catch the fish on her spear, instead bit her hand, according to NBC.

She isnt mad at the shark because getting attacked is a common risk with spearfishing, Abaco Fire Chief Colin Albury told ABC News.

The condition of the woman is currently unclear.

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Albury said that shark attacks in the Bahamas rarely occur, but its not unheard of.

Its part of nature, he said. Were in their territory and things happen.BEND, Ore.  Authorities say that a 19-year-old man was arrested in central Oregon after a series of drive-by paintball gun attacks.

Bend police say Zachary Taylor Richardson fired yellow and pink paintballs while cruising around town in a white Hyundai hatchback on Sept. 15 and 16.

There were at least 10 attacks reported by people who were pelted by the paintballs, including a man riding with his daughter in the back of their bicycle, an Uber driver, a man walking home from Walmart and two women in a vehicle.

Richardson, who couldnt be reached for comment, was tracked down Thursday through witness descriptions of him and the car.

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He now faces 25 criminal charges including unlawful use of a weapon, harassment, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct.

Police said theyre investigating accomplices involved.SCRANTON, Pa.  A former middle school teacher in Pennsylvania who was fired despite being acquitted of assaulting a student in 2015 has settled his lawsuit against the district for $950,000.

The Times-Tribune reports 35-year-old William Yellund will receive $640,000, and the rest will go toward attorney fees. He also agreed to resign in exchange for the Abington Heights School District withdrawing the termination.

Yelland was charged in May 2015 with simple assault and endangering the welfare of a child after district officials reported he placed a 13-year-old boy in a choke hold, injuring his neck.

A jury deliberated 10 minutes before finding him not guilty in November 2015.

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Yellands lawsuit alleged officials were pressured into seeking charges by the childs mother, and ignored statements from other students that the behavior was horseplay.

An attorney for the district says theres no admission of wrongdoing.A female beachgoer who was struck twice by a New Jersey cop during a forcible arrest in May has been indicted on a pair of counts of aggravated assault of a police officer, authorities announced Monday.

Emily Weinman, whose arrest in Wildwood over Memorial Day weekend went viral, also faces charges of resisting arrest, obstruction and throwing bodily fluids.

The 20-year-old had declined a plea deal in July.

She was arrested after police approached her after seeing her near a beer bottle she claimed belonged to her aunt.

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She passed two breathalyzer tests but repeatedly declined to provide her last name to the officers and began to leave as a cop continued to question her.

Video of the arrest shows an officer chasing Weinman down before punching her two times while holding her down in the sand and handcuffing her. The cop said Weinman attempted to kick him.

An image from the police officers body cam during the arrest of Emily Weinman in May. (Wildwood PD)

Weinman, who was with her 18-month old daughter at the beach, went on Good Morning America after video of her arrest went viral and explained why she didnt tell police her name.

Something in my gut was just telling me  something wasnt right with the situation, and I just knew in my rights that I didnt have to give them my name due to everything that they did, she said.

She said on GMA that she was spitting sand out of her mouth, not spitting at an officer, in reference to a moment caught on the officers body-cam.

The officers involved in the arrest were not charged following an investigation.Local attorneys and judges are scrambling to finalize a flood of accelerated divorces prompted by new federal tax laws that eliminate the spousal support deduction starting Jan. 1.

Beating the Dec. 31 deadline will allow people expecting to pay spousal support to annually deduct the money from their taxable income, which can mean many thousands in tax savings for high earners.

Those who will receive spousal support also have an incentive, because judges are expected to start awarding smaller spousal support payments next year as the lost tax deduction shrinks what high earners can afford.

That mutual benefit prompted a rush of divorce filings before June 30, because a divorce cant be finalized in California until at least six months after proceedings begin.

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And now family law attorneys are scrambling to finalize those divorces by the end of the year, which is expected to prompt a flood of paperwork at local courthouses in November and December.

Everybody anticipates that come December, the line for judgment day will be around the block because people want to get it done, said Garrison Bud Klueck, a local family law attorney. I imagine the courts will be devoting whole groups of court clerks to handle this.

San Diego Superior Court officials say they expect an increase in divorce cases and have begun clearing a backlog of judgments so they will be ready.

We will take actions needed to process judgments at the end of the year depending on the number coming in, said court spokeswoman Karen Dalton. We dont have the funds to hire more clerks, so if we need resources, they will have to be shifted from other areas.

Dalton, who listed paying overtime to some employees as another option, said officials plan to evaluate the situation thoroughly in October.

We will adjust as necessary when we get a better feeling for the actual impacts, she said.

Klueck said there was a sharp uptick in people filing for divorce during the first half of 2018, partly because attorneys began alerting clients to the impacts of the Republican tax reform bill shortly after it was approved last December.

To partly counteract large tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy, the bill eliminates many longstanding deductions including spousal support.

In the past I would tell people it was a de facto way to have Uncle Sam and Uncle Jerry Brown subsidize them, Klueck said. Every dollar of alimony has only been 60 cents out of pocket, but unfortunately we cant say that anymore.

But the bill included a one-year window where people can grandfather in the eliminated deductions, which is crucial for spousal support because sometimes payments are required for as long as 15 or 20 years.

The surge would be even larger if more divorces included spousal support agreements, but only about 20 percent do.

Spousal support is relatively uncommon because many divorcing couples have young children, and judges calculate child support first. That often leaves little or no money left over for spousal support.

In addition, spousal support is only a significant factor in a divorce if one of the two spouses earns significantly more than the other.

Despite that, the Internal Revenue Service says about 600,000 taxpayers across the nation claim the spousal support deduction each year.

Eliminating the deduction, which has been in place in one form or another since 1954, is expected to have a wide range of impacts.

The most crucial is that judges are expected to start awarding smaller spousal support payments, primarily because the lost deduction will leave those paying spousal support with less income available to support their former spouse.

The prospect of smaller spousal support payments may also mean fewer divorces, with lower-earning spouses being more reluctant to end a marriage if their financial future is less secure.

Fran Setzer, another local family law attorney, said the prospect of smaller spousal support payments for divorces finalized in 2019 has served as an incentive for lower-earning spouses to help their mates accelerate the process this year.

One mitigating factor for them is that spousal support payments are taxed under the current law, but will not be taxed under the new law.

So they face a choice between a larger payment that will be taxed if they finalize the divorce in 2018, and a smaller payment that wont be taxed if they finalize the divorce in 2019.

Setzer said the larger payment, despite it being taxed, is typically the best option. One reason is that the larger payment makes it easier to qualify for a car, a mortgage or to rent an apartment.

Another long-term impact of the spousal support deduction going away is likely to be more complicated divorces, particularly among wealthy and upper middle class couples.

Spouses can accept property in lieu of spousal support, or be granted a large share of their spouses retirement savings.

Setzer said the individual tax brackets of the two spouses can also create opportunities and potential complications.

In addition, the new law lowers taxes on small businesses and some high-earning professionals, potentially leaving more income eligible for spousal support.

Theres an awful lot of other changes in the tax law that are going to affect us, she said. The spousal support one is the most obvious and probably the most glamorous, but theres a tremendous amount of change we need to be aware of as family law attorneys.

Setzer said all of the changes have forced family law attorneys to do more preparation and analysis.

There is a general panic in the community because this is a very big change for us, and were also not entirely sure how this is going to filter down, she said. But were well prepared.

There is also a caveat to the Dec. 31 deadline to finalize divorces. Through a process called bifurcation, a couple can agree on the spousal support portion of the settlement and get it approved by a judge even if other parts of the divorce remain unsettled.

People can sever out a given issue, leaving other issues to be decided later, Klueck said.

But theres no away around the requirement that the divorce proceedings must have begun by June 30.

Setzer and Klueck said theyve both had to break that bad news to many couples who have called since then trying to beat the Dec. 31 deadline.

They are out of luck and they cant get divorced this year, so theyve lost out on the tax-deductibility, Klueck said.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrickWill Stanford Universitys recent decision to strip the name of Father Junipero Serra from a prominent campus avenue and two buildings ripple into San Diego?

A number of things here are named after the 18th Century founder of the California missions, including a public high school in Tierrasanta, a museum and cross in Presidio Park, and a street and hiking trail in Mission Trails Regional Park.

An entire community  Serra Mesa  honors his memory, with the name adorning the post office, the library and other structures.

One place where theres been public agitation about a name change is the University of San Diego. The American Indian and Indigenous Student Organization, critical of the mission-systems impact on native lives and culture, has been pushing for a re-branding of Serra Hall.

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The group held an informational gathering outside the building last fall, placing red-painted rocks on the ground near a statue of Serra, each one meant to represent scores of Native American deaths attributed to colonization. Another gathering is being planned for November, as well as a petition drive.

We just want to keep informing people about what he did, said senior Patrick Murphy, the organizations president, who is a member of the Pechanga tribe in Temecula.

Murphy acknowledged the uphill climb of getting a Catholic university to remove the name of Serra, who was canonized by the pope three years ago. But he said Stanfords decision is encouraging.

Its really exciting to see that change can happen, Murphy said.

Pamela Gray Payton, the universitys assistant vice president for media and digital communications, said in an email that administrators have no plans to remove Serras name from the hall, which is used for classrooms, a computer lab, an art gallery and offices. But she said dialogue on the topic is welcome.

Our Catholic intellectual tradition calls upon us to see the world through the lenses of others, and we welcome the tensions that exist when considering a full range of competing viewpoints on matters such as those related to the complex nature of St. Junipero Serras legacy, she said.

The plight of the Native Americans in North America is a source of considerable concern by many, including questions about colonialism and injustices and suffering experienced by the tribes and cultures of the New World.

Saint, sinner or both?

Stanfords decision comes amid a nationwide reckoning about historical figures and the way they are remembered and honored.

Much of the focus has been on Civil War leaders in the Confederacy who fought to retain slavery. Statues of them have been toppled, sometimes by government order, sometimes by protesters. Confederate flags have been removed. In San Diego, Robert E. Lee Elementary was renamed Pacific View Leadership Elementary two years ago.

But the movement has expanded to other people as well. Earlier this month, a committee at UC Berkeley recommended removing references to John Boalt, an attorney who helped get the Chinese Exclusion Act passed in 1882.

Stanford has been considering what to do about Serra for at least two years, and the arguments echoed many of those aired in 2015 when Pope Francis elevated the Spanish missionary to sainthood.

Serras supporters cite his determination and faith in bringing Christianity to California, founding a system that would eventually include 21 missions from San Diego to San Francisco. He believed he was offering the Native Americans a better place to live and eternal salvation, and he intervened against inhumane treatment of them by Spanish soldiers.

His critics point out that the Indians who built the missions were often forced to do so against their will. Those who tried to leave were flogged. They had to give up much of their culture. Thousands died from diseases they had never been exposed to before.

A committee at Stanford weighed the various viewpoints, researching Serras history and meeting with students and community members, including Native Americans and Hispanic Catholics. It then recommended several changes, which were approved earlier this month by the schools Board of Trustees.

Serra Mall, a bicycle, pedestrian and shuttle bus road that is considered Stanfords main street (and also its mailing address) will be renamed. So will the Serra dormitory in Stern Hall and Serra House, home to a gender-research institute.

But Serra Street was left unchanged as a less salient feature on campus that still speaks to the mission systems historical significance in California and its influence on the universitys founders when they decided the campus architectural look.

The committee wrote, Because the mission systems violence against California Native Americans is part of the history and memory of current members of the community, we believe that features named for Junipero Serra, who was the architect and leader of the mission system, are in tension with (Stanfords) goal of full inclusion.

Past protests

In some ways, its surprising there havent been more protests about Serras name on things in San Diego County, which has more Indian reservations  18  than any other county in the nation.

This is where Native Americans revolted in 1775, burning down the mission and killing three people, including one of the Franciscans.

Its where people arriving in 1988 for a mass at Presidio Park to celebrate Serras beatification  the step before sainthood  found the statue of him splashed with red paint and the walls nearby scrawled with graffiti calling him a genocidal maniac.

And its where a 2015 Walk for Our Ancestors ended, a two-month, 780-mile trek to all 21 California missions by Native Americans protesting Serras sainthood.

But San Diegos Native American population also includes many Catholics who worship in churches on the reservations, including one at Pala  an extension of Mission San Luis Rey  that dates to 1816.

Olivia Chilcote, an assistant professor of American Indian Studies at San Diego State and a member of the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians, said in an e-mail that a re-consideration of Serra-named buildings here needs to happen because the use of space and symbolism often reinforce certain ideologies and obscure power relations.

She applauded what happened at Stanford and said institutions here should think about what ethical responsibilities they have to the larger community in framing the past and deciding what or who should be forgotten or remembered.

Earlier this year, Chilcote was part of a panel discussion at USD about re-naming Serra Hall, a move she supports, even as university administrators say a change is unlikely.

The building got its name around 1969, according to Payton, the assistant vice president. But the ties to Serra date back farther, she said.

She pointed to a story involving one of the schools founders, Mother Rosalie Hill, who stood in 1945 on the mesa where the university now sits and looked south across Mission Valley to see Presidio Park, where Serra had held the first Catholic mass in California 176 years earlier.

The mass is at the heart of the Catholic religion, Payton said. It has long been the case in Catholic universities and other institutions to name buildings after those who, despite their imperfections, have given extraordinary witness to the faith and have been designated with the title of sainthood.

For this reason, our location adjacent to the place the faith was first celebrated, and the first chapel built in this region by (Serra), is significant for the University of San Diego and our Catholic intellectual tradition.

Still, she said, the dialogue about the buildings name will continue as 2018 turns toward 2019, the 250th anniversary of Serras arrival here.

A list of places and organizations named for Serra in San Diego county:

Father Junipero Serra Trail at Mission Trails Regional Park

Fr. Serra Room, Mission San Diego de Alcala

Junipero Serra High School, Tierrasanta

Junipero Serra Museum, Presidio Park

Serra Center at Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside

Serra Cooperative Library System

Serra Cross, Presidio Park

Serra Hall, University of San Diego

Serra Hall, Conception Roman Catholic Church, Old Town

Serra Mesa neighborhood; and various features

Serra Way, Ramona

--Merrie Monteagudo, researcher manager

john.wilkens@sduniontribune.comA SWAT standoff between San Diego police and a possibly suicidal man ended early Monday, nearly eight hours after it started, when the resident came out of his Birdland home and surrendered to officers, police said.

Officers were sent to check on the man in his home on Seagull Court near Seagull Lane  north of Mission Valley  about 4:40 p.m., San Diego police Officer John Buttle said.

As the officers approached, they heard a gunshot and called for assistance from a SWAT team soon after, police said.

An unknown number of nearby houses were evacuated while police worked to persuade the man to come outside. Other news agencies reported neighbors were told to shelter in place.

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The man was believed to be alone.

The standoff ended around 12:15 a.m. He was taken to a mental health facility to be evaluated, Buttle said.

City News Service contributed to this report.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

6:30 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details.

8:40 p.m.: This article was updated.

This article was originally published at 6:25 p.m.A San Diego murder case that questions whether the creator of a sophisticated, computer-driven DNA analysis technique that is gaining wide use in crime labs across the country should be required to share the computer source code with defense lawyers is now in the hands of the 4th District Court of Appeal.

The case of Florencio Jose Dominguez has attracted attention from criminal justice groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and Legal Aid Society of New York. At issue is how the increasing use of new forensic tools  which rely on complex computer programs developed largely by private companies  can be questioned in court proceedings.

From face recognition software that identifies suspects to risk assessment scores that judge who is suitable to be released from jail and technology that can determine where gunfire came from  the criminal justice system is increasingly changing from shoe-leather policing to computer-driven analysis of evidence to bring charges and convict people.

Dominguez and his lawyer, Matthew Speredelozzi, want to examine the bedrock computer source code for a DNA analysis tool that relies on a powerful computer algorithm now used by the San Diego Police Department crime lab, called STRmix. It is one of a growing type of DNA analysis programs known as probabilistic genotyping, which proponents say can examine complex DNA evidence samples and come up with more reliable results than previous techniques.

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STRmix was developed by Environmental Science and Research, a joint venture between the governments of New Zealand and the State of South Australia. When Speredelozzi sought to have an expert examine the source code to determine how the program is working, he was rebuffed. The company said he would have to sign a restrictive nondisclosure agreement first, claiming the code was a privileged trade secret it could protect.

Arguing such a condition violated his clients constitutional rights, Speredelozzi filed a motion to get the District Attorneys Office to turn over the code as part of the pre-trial discovery. But prosecutors said they could not force the company to do so and there were other ways for the defense to get the information.

Earlier this year, San Diego Superior Court Judge Charles Rogers ruled, however, that the company was part of the prosecution team that provided critical evidence in the case, and that the information should be turned over.

That decision was appealed, and earlier this month a three-judge panel of the appeals court heard arguments from both sides. Prosecutors argued that by saying ESR was part of their team the judge overreached his authority, and they also contended the company should at least be allowed to argue its case for trade secret protection on its own.

Moreover, in court papers they argued that upholding the ruling could have a longstanding effect on future high tech crime fighting techniques and would chill the development of complex forensic analytic software that could benefit both prosecutors and defendants.

Advocates urged the justices to uphold the ruling.

This Court should not set precedent that curtails how judges balance commercial interests and constitutional rights when faced with corporations seeking to unilaterally dictate how defense teams access, analyze and use their source code in a criminal proceeding through restrictive non-disclosure agreements, when their instruments are being introduced by the prosecution to convict, lawyers for the Legal Aid Society of New York argued.

A decision by the court is not expected for weeks. ESR said in court papers that developing STRmix took 27,600 hours of work, and it has been validated in 33 scientific publications. In an email statement CEO Martin Riegel said the company has allowed defense lawyers to review the source code in the past, and that the nondisclosure agreement is necessary to protect the legitimate trade secrets and proprietary interests of the company.

Speredelozzi has said that he needs an expert to examine the software and determine not only if it is accurate, but also how it works. He has argued his client has the right to question the veracity of the evidence being used to convict him.

When they are using a piece of equipment to accuse you of something, a logical question for an accused person to ask is, how does that work? he said. He added that the companys resistance is not fueled so much by the need to protect a trade secret, but to deflect scrutiny of its product.

Riegel rejected that claim. The STRmix source code has been reviewed a number of times by forensic experts. In no way is the request for an NDA an attempt to avoid such scrutiny, he wrote.

Richard Torres, a lawyer with the Legal Aid Society in New York, said the companys insistence that it has a commercial trade secret it has to protect cant stand.

I get theyve spent all this time and money and they want to protect it,  he said.  I would want to do the same thing. The problem is they marketed it to crime labs in the U.S., where the constitution guarantees you the right to due process.

Dominguez was serving a life sentence for the murder of Moises Lopez in a San Diego park in 2008. After two trials he was convicted in 2011, largely on the strength of testing which found his DNA in a bloody glove found at the scene  one that contained DNA from more than one person.

Such mixture DNA samples have long been a controversy in DNA circles, because it is difficult to clearly identify one person as a contributor especially when there are low-levels of genetic material. In 2010, a national forensic science body recommended changing how such samples are analyzed to a more conservative interpretation that would classify some evidence  like Dominguezs  as inconclusive.

In 2017, Dominguezs murder conviction was thrown out by a San Diego judge. In preparing for a new trial, prosecutors reanalyzed the evidence  this time using the STRmix tool.

The technique uses computer software that runs millions of calculations and produces a likelihood ratio of whether or not a specific individuals DNA is present in the mixture, and does it quicker and with greater accuracy than humans can.

That analysis again concluded Dominguezs DNA was part of the bloody glove mixture.

One way to resolve the issue may be through a protective order fashioned by the court, a position both the DA and ESR advocate, though the defense lawyer would still have to sign a nondisclosure agreement. A decision by the appeals court is expected later this year.

Twitter: @gregmoran

greg.moran@sduniontribune.comA 28-year-old man was found dead in a wrecked car down a roughly 500-foot embankment Monday after an electronic sensor in the car notified the mans father of the early morning crash in North County.

Hampered by heavy fog, authorities found man in the gray Mazda 3 sedan about 90 minutes after the crash notification.

The driver had been on a stretch of Pauma Heights Road and traveling at high speed about 5:45 a.m. when he failed to negotiate a left turn on the curvy hilltop road, California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Latulippe said.

The Mazda drove off the road and flew off the embankment, then rolled hundreds of feet down the hill, the CHP officer said.

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The drivers father received a notification that the car had crashed, prompting him to call 911.

A resident in the area also called to report hearing a crash in the area, Latulippe said.

The mans family, CHP officers and firefighters searched in heavy fog for the sedan, finally spotting it about 7:15 a.m.

The driver, a Pauma Valley resident, was found dead inside the vehicle.

The incident is under investigation, Latulippe said. The victims name has not been released.

UPDATES:

2:50 p.m. This article was updated with additional details.

The article was originally published at 10:25 a.m.Just prior to the start of the 2018 San Diego Walk to End Alzheimers on Sunday, the 3,000 participants raised colored- coded plastic flowers in the air, symbolizing how the disease had touched their lives.

Caregivers carried yellow flowers. Alzheimers suffers held blue flowers. Clare Wells lifted a purple flower  signifying she had lost a loved one to the disease. Her husband of 40 years, Jim, passed way in May. He was 64.

Through tears, Wells recalled the drastic changes that Alzheimers brought to her family in the three years her husband suffered from the disease  the denial, the financial burden, the wandering and the worry.

It is staggering how many people are getting diagnosed and dying of this disease, and there is no cure, said Wells. Even with my husband, there was medication to slow it down, but he would throw up the medication. It is devastating. He stopped speaking. He would acknowledge me, but not say too many words.

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The Walk to End Alzheimers is a top fund-raiser for the San Diego/Imperial chapter of the Alzheimers Association. Pledges totaled $235,000 this year  short of the local chapters $365,000 goal. But contributions can continue to be made through year-end.

The money funds education programs for Alzheimers and dementia suffers and their caregivers, as well as political advocacy, care consultation, support groups and other services.

At the national level, the Alzheimers Association also puts money into scientific research to help prevent the disease and find a cure  including 17 projects locally at UC San Diego, the Salk Institute and other organizations.

We fund $11 million in research right here in San Diego, said Kristen Cusato, associate director of communications for the Alzheimer Associations San Diego/Imperial chapter. We fund everything from research into whether exercise can reduce your risk of cognitive decline to new medications to lets look at the genetic risks.

The 5K Walk to End Alzheimers raises money for education and research and support services. (Peggy Peattie)

Alzheimers disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.

Estimates vary on the number of Americans that have the disease, but experts suggest that it is more than 5.5 million, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Randie Kolender-Hock, daughter of long time San Diego Police Chief and County Sheriff Bill Kolender, has been working with the Alzheimers Association locally for about four years. Her father died of the disease in 2015.

Because people remember my dad, it helps them become more connected and care more about the disease, she said. I am just embracing that. It means so much to me that people remember him and care, and I do this for his memory.

According the Alzheimers Association, the disease is now the third leading cause of death in California. Five days ago, Barbara Orozco-Valdivias father passed away. He officially died of cancer, but he was also diagnosed with Alzheimers, she said. As such, he did not fully comprehend why he needed cancer treatments.

We need to be aware of the disease and how it impacts the whole family, not just the person who has it, said Orozco-Valdivia, who served as chair of this years Walk to End Alzheimers. Being patient and learning those skills as a family member, understanding the process and that it is out of their control.

Tina Carpenter lost two uncles to the disease and has another uncle who has been diagnosed. Her mom suffers from dementia, with her father as sole caregiver.

When a person you have loved all your life doesnt know who you are, there is just no describing that, she said. It breaks your heart.

Carpenter and Wells joined former classmates at Madison High in San Diego to participate in this years walk, which was held at Crown Point Park in Mission Bay. The group reconnected during the 40th high school reunion in 2017. The Madison High walkers raised $3,200 for the Alzheimers Association.

They just provide great support, said Wells. When my husband was diagnosed, I wanted to learn everything I could about the disease. So you go there and get the research.

Business

mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com;

Twitter:@TechDiego

760-529-4973Lawyer Michael Avenatti told the Senate Judiciary Committee late Sunday that he has multiple witnesses who can say Brett Kavanaugh participated in gang rapes of drunken women during high school.

We are aware of significant evidence of multiple house parties in the Washington, D.C. area during the early 1980s during which Brett Kavanaugh, Mark Judge and others would participate in the targeting of women with alcohol/drugs in order to allow a train of men to subsequently gang rape them, Avenatti said in an email to Mike Davis, chief counsel for nominations for the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Avenatti did not disclose any details or identities of his witnesses.

Avenatti, who made a name for himself as porn star Stormy Daniels lawyer, aired the allegations Sunday night as another allegation against Kavanaugh emerged in The New Yorker.

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Judge, Kavanaughs high school friend, has previously denied that any sexual misconduct took place.

My e-mail of moments ago with Mike Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations for U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. We demand that this process be thorough, open and fair, which is what the American public deserves. It must not be rushed and evidence/witnesses must not be hidden. pic.twitter.com/11XLZJBTtY  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018

Avenatti hinted at the nature of his allegations when he suggested to the Senate Judiciary Committee a series of questions to ask Kavanaugh.

One of his questions: Did you ever target one or more women for sex or rape at a house party? Did you ever assist Mark Judge or others in doing so?

Also, Avenatti suggested asking Kavanaugh: Did you ever attend any house party during which a woman was gang raped or used for sex by multiple men?

And: Did you ever witness a line of men outside a bedroom at any house party where you understood a woman was in the bedroom being raped or taken advantage of?

Avenatti also said Kavanaugh should be asked if he ever tried to prevent men from raping or taking advantage of women at any house party.

The new allegations follow the claims of Christine Blasey Ford, who claims that Kavanaugh attempted to rape her at a high school party.

In this Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018, file photo, attorney Michael Avenatti talks to the media in Houston. (Marie D. De Jesus / AP)

Ford, who was 15 at the time, told the Washington Post that then-17-year-old Kavanaugh pushed her into a bedroom, groped her and tried to pull off her clothes while covering her mouth with his hand so she couldnt scream.

I thought he might inadvertently kill me, she said. He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing.

Kavanaugh has denied Fords allegations.

I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation, he said in a statement distributed by the White House. I did not do this back in high school or at any time.

Late Sunday, Deborah Ramirez told the New Yorker that Kavanaugh had exposed himself to her at a dorm party when they were both at Yale.

She said Kavanaugh thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

Brett was laughing, she told the magazine. I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants.

Kavanaugh also denied Ramirezs accusations.Two more allegations of sexual misconduct by federal appeals judge Brett Kavanaugh cast more controversy Sunday on his nomination to the Supreme Court  that he thrust his private parts in a womans face at a college party, and that he participated in gang rapes in the 1980s when he was in high school.

The accounts became public as Kavanaughs nomination was already roiled by allegations he tried to rape a woman while both were high school students.

President Trump says sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh are totally political 

Kavanaughs first public accuser, Calfornia college professor Christine Blasey Ford, is to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. After Sundays revelations, a White House spokeswoman said the Trump administration remains firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh, and Republican senators showed no sign they plan to abandon his nomination.

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In a story published Sunday night, The New Yorker quoted Deborah Ramirez, 53, saying that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a college dorm party when they were both students at Yale. The magazine reported that Ramirez claims Kavanaugh thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

Brett was laughing, Ramirez said. I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants.

GOP operatives predict extraordinary Republican anger in midterms if Democrats block Brett Kavanaugh 

Ramirez claims that a male student brought out a fake plastic penis at the party, where the group was playing a drinking game. At one point, she claims another male student exposed himself and other students encouraged her to kiss it.

I wasnt going to touch a penis until I was married, said Ramirez, a devout Catholic. I was embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated.

During the incident, she claims, she heard another male student shouting about Kavanaugh.

More allegations emerge about Brett Kavanaughs sexual misconduct 

Somebody yelled down the hall, Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbies face, she told The New Yorker. It was his full name. I dont think it was just Brett. And I remember hearing and being mortified that this was out there.

Another Yale student, who chose to remain anonymous, said he was 100% sure that he had heard about Kavanaugh allegedly exposing himself to Ramirez at the time.

Brett Kavanaugh plans to provide calendars to Senate Judiciary Committee to prove he wasnt at party where he allegedly tried to rape classmate: report 

Kavanaugh denied Ramirezs allegations, reported by New Yorker writers Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer.

This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen, Kavanaugh told the magazine. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name  and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building  against these last-minute allegations.

At least two Democratic senators are investigating the allegations, the magazine said. At least two other senators know about the claims, as well as some senior Republican staffers, the magazine said.

After hearing the claims in the New Yorker story, Senate Republicans allegedly tried to push up the timing of Kavanaughs confirmation vote, which was already postponed once.

This 35-year-old, uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man, White House spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said in a statement.

This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh.

The second new claim  that Kavanaugh and high school friend Mark Judge participated in gang rapes  came in a Twitter post by Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for porn star Stormy Daniels, who says she had sex with President Trump in 2006.

Kavanaugh friend Mark Judge allegedly told ex-girlfriend about Georgetown Prep classmates having sex with drunken woman 

I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn, Avenatti tweeted.

The new claims follow those of Christine Blasey Ford, who claims Kavanaugh tried to rape her at a high school party they both attended.

A new cloud over Kavanaugh: What did he know about a slimy smear campaign? 

Ford, who was 15 at the time, told the Washington Post that she went upstairs at the party to use the bathroom, but was pushed into a bedroom and on top of a bed. There, she claims, Kavanaugh, then 17, attacked her. He allegedly groped her and tried to pull off her clothes and a one-piece bathing suit  all while holding his hand over her mouth so she couldnt scream.

I thought he might inadvertently kill me, she said. He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing.

What if Kavanaugh decided to be completely honest? 

Judge was allegedly in the room during the attempted assault.

Kavanaugh has denied Fords allegations.

I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation, he said in a statement distributed by the White House. I did not do this back in high school or at any time.

Kavanaugh is also scheduled to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the committees top Democrat, on Sunday night urged to postpone further consideration of Kavanaughs nomination. In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, Feinstein asked that the newest allegations of sexual misconduct be referred to the FBI for investigation.Mark Judge, the high school classmate who has defended Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh against allegations of attempted rape, allegedly confessed to an ex-girlfriend about sexual misconduct at Georgetown Prep.

Elizabeth Rasor, who dated Judge for three years, told the New Yorker that he previously told her a story about he and other classmates taking turns having sex with a drunken woman.

Rasor said Judge considered the encounter consensual.

Second woman accuses Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, claims he exposed himself to her at college party 

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Judge, who previously told the Weekly Standard that he didnt remember any rough-housing with girls at parties, denied allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford, who claims that Kavanaugh attempted to rape her at a high school party.

Ford, who was 15 at the time, told the Washington Post that then-17-year-old Kavanaugh pushed her into a bedroom, groped her and tried to pull off her clothes while covering her mouth with his hand so she couldnt scream.

I thought he might inadvertently kill me, she said. He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing.

Kavanaugh has denied Fords allegations.

I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation, he said in a statement distributed by the White House. I did not do this back in high school or at any time.

Judge and Kavanaugh attended Georgetown Prep together in the 1980s. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)

Another woman, who went to high school in the area at the same time as Kavanaugh, Judge and Ford, claims male students would get a female blind drunk on grain alcohol and Hawaiian Punch and then try to take advantage of her.

It was disgusting, the woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told the New Yorker. They treated women like meat.

A second woman, who went to Yale with Kavanaugh, came forward Sunday to accuse him of sexual misconduct.

Deborah Ramirez, 53, told the New Yorker that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a college dorm party when they were both studying at Yale, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

Kavanaugh also denied her allegations.State political regulators are investigating whether Bessmon Ben Kalasho properly recorded $1 million in loans against two of his properties that were taken out after the El Cajon councilman was sued for fraud and defamation.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission agreed to open the investigation late last week, two weeks after San Diego lawyer Jimmie Parker filed a complaint about the questionable recordings.

Kalasho and his attorney did not respond Monday to a request for comment.

Parker sued Kalasho last year on behalf of several plaintiffs who accused the councilman of creating social-media profiles to disparage them, among other actions. He said he is concerned that Kalasho is seeking to shield his assets from an eventual civil judgment.

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Mr. Kalasho has testified under oath in civil proceedings that the loan is $1 million and that he secured the loan against two real properties, the complaint said. However, Mr. Kalasho has been unable to produce a writing memorializing the loan with this foreign entity. This is so despite being ordered to produce the loan documents by a judge.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported in February that Kalasho filed a series of documents with the county recorders office representing loans he took out against his home in El Cajon and another property he owns in Santee.

The filings were questionable because one of the lenders is a limited liability company based in St. Kitts and Nevis, a tiny Caribbean island nation, and another is an entity whose listed trustee is a person who could not be located in numerous searches of publicly available databases.

The civil trial had been scheduled for November, but the proceeding was delayed after Judge Timothy Taylor recused himself. The recusal came after Taylor chastised Kalasho in court for failing to properly respond to questions about his assets and after the judge issued an arrest warrant for Kalashos wife, Jessica, who failed to appear in court.

It is not clear when the state investigation may conclude.

You will next receive notification from us upon final disposition of the case, the commission told Parker. However, please be advised that at this time we have not made any determination about the validity of the allegations you have made or about the culpability, if any, of the person you identify in your complaint.

Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonaldJudge must welcome chance to clear name

Re Why Kavanaugh should call for FBI probe (Sept. 21): If Brett Kavanaugh is completely innocent of sexual assault some 36 years ago, he should welcome an FBI investigation into whether Professor Christine Blasey Fords accusations are true. He should also insist that the Senate delay the hearings until this matter is cleared. If the investigation turns up nothing, then he looks like the good guy who let the accuser speak. That would just emphasize what a fair and impartial Supreme Court Justice he could be.

But, if Kavanaugh is confirmed and it comes out later that the accusations are true, he would be subject to impeachment, which would be far more damaging to his personal and professional reputation. If we learned anything from Watergate, the cover-up is always worse than the crime.

Paul Willemssen

Bay Park

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Kavanaugh doesnt have to prove anything

I have been long convinced that American liberals have a goal to drive the United States into Third World status. I was naive to I believe that the 2016 election had derailed the liberal train railroading the country into that condition. I was wrong and there is ample evidence to show it.

One of the tools needed by the liberals is a media, such as the U-T, to help mold public opinion and aspirations toward their goal. I point out the editorial of explaining that Kavanaugh should call for an investigation to prove his innocence. In a civilized country, an individual is presumed innocent until it is proven by some other party that he/she is guilty. In a Third World country, an individual is presumed guilty until proven innocent. By your editorial, you stand by the Third World standard since he must prove himself innocent. Shame on you.

Robert Draper

San Diego

Another good reason to turn down Kavanaugh

Re Should it be harder to confirm a Supreme Court nominee? (Sept. 20): A recent online news article indicates that Donald Trumps two Supreme Court nominees, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, are alumni of the same elite prep school in Washington, D.C. (Georgetown Preparatory School, founded in 1789).

In the interest of diversity on the court, it seems that President Trump should choose candidates not so closely similar in terms of upbringing, social status, worldview and geographical origins.

As an aside, elevating an unpopular candidate to the bench would be less likely if confirmation required a two-thirds majority vote of the Senate.

R. Lowell Smith

Mission Heights

Attack on Kavanaughs accuser is telling

Re Trump says its hard to imagine Kavanaugh assault (Sept. 19): The majority of women (and men) who are sexually-harassed and/or assaulted do not report it, because society blames and shames them.

Just as Trump just did.

Marsha Lindbeck

San Diego

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.

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.Weekly Newsletter The best of The Saturday Evening Post in your inbox! Join

As it prepares to enter a television-record 51st season, 60 Minutes continues to deliver its famed investigative reporting and personality profilesThough the cast of correspondents has changed over time, the mission of the program remains the same. On the occasion of the shows 50th anniversary today, we look at five of the biggest stories that 60 Minutes tackled.

1969 and 1999: Mike Wallace and the My Lai Massacre

Mike Wallace covered the My Lai Massacre in 1969, then returned to the story (and the village itself) in 1999.

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As the Vietnam War raged on, a company of American soldiers perpetrated the My Lai Massacre in March 1968. Its estimated that as many as 500 South Vietnamese civilians were murdered, including women and children. The company entered the area having been told that civilians would have cleared out, leaving only National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) collaborators. The horror of what was happening was discovered by helicopter pilot Warrant Officer (WO1) Hugh Thompson, Jr., and his crew. Thompson intervened, saving civilians on the ground and going so far as to order his crew to open fire on U.S. troops if they attacked any other civilians. Thompson reported the incident to his superiors; however, steps were taken to cover-up what had happened, including disseminating false versions of the story to armed forces periodical Stars and Stripes. Eventually, servicepersons in the know began writing letters to superiors and to members of Congress, prompting an investigation. When the story got out and 60 Minutes covered it, there was outrage. Some observers believed that the story added fuel to the opposition of the war in the United States.

While 26 people were tried in relation to the massacre, only Lieutenant William Calley was convicted. Years later, Thompson and his crew, Glenn Andreotta and Lawrence Colburn, were awarded the Soldiers Medal for bravery (Andreottas award was posthumous, as he died before the end of the war). Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes reported on the incident in 1969; 30 years later, he, Thompson, and Colburn returned to the spot of the Massacre for another piece.

1973: John Ehrlichman Sweats Out Watergate

John Ehrlichman served as White House counsel and then assistant to the president for domestic affairs for President Richard Nixon. During all of the furor surrounding the Watergate Hotel break-in and subsequent scandal, Mike Wallace interviewed Ehrlichman. The visibly uncomfortable advisor denied that the White House was involved in a cover-up even as Wallace ran through the laundry list of charges being levelled. Ehrlichmans protestations mattered little, in the end; in 1975, Ehrlichman was convicted of conspiracy, perjury, and obstruction of justice, and spend eighteen months in prison.

1992: Bill and Hillary Clinton Discuss Gennifer Flowers

The famous 60 Minutes interview with The Clintons.

In the midst of a contentious campaign that would later see Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton emerge as president, 60 Minutes sat down with him and his wife, Hillary, for what would become a famous interview. Bill Clinton had been dogged by allegations of infidelity, notably with Gennifer Flowers, who claimed that shed had a 12-year-long affair with him. During the interview with Steve Kroft, Clinton minimized his association with Flowers. Hillary Clinton remarked that she was not sittin here like some little woman, standing by my man, like Tammy Wynette, in reference to the legendary country tune. That quote became an oft-repeated sound bite, and Wynette drafted an angry open letter in response; Hillary Clinton later issued an apology. The interview is still the fourth-most-watched interview in television history, with an estimated 40 to 50 million total viewers. Overall, the general consensus is that the piece may have saved Bill Clintons imperiled candidacy at the time by addressing the allegations directly.

1993: CIA Shipped a Literal Ton of Cocaine to America in 1990

The piece, The CIAs Cocaine, earned a Peabody Award.

Pre-emptively embarrassing itself is not something that that Central Intelligence Agency chooses to do lightly, but they chose to do it by releasing one particular story. The CIA had to get ahead of 60 Minutes in 1993 when they discovered that the show was about to break some embarrassing news. An investigation revealed that during Reagans war of drugs in the 80s, elements inside the CIA pitched a plan to the DEA and the Venezuelan military for an operation that would ship drugs out on the South American country into the United States in order to gain the confidence of Colombian drug traffickers. This was a plan that involved long-game thinking and complicated strategy, and the DEA wanted no part of it. The CIA did it anyway, with the unfortunate side effect that some of the cocaine made its way into the hands of American dealers to be sold. In the years since, rumors and conspiracy theories about the CIAs involvement in the drug trade continue. Politicians like Representative Maxine Waters of California have called for further investigations, and books continue to be written that allege that the CIA was not only involved in South American cocaine, but in the crack epidemic as well.

2004: Ed Bradley Revisits the Emmett Till Murder

Correspondent Ed Bradley tried to speak to Carolyn Dunham (nee Bryant) about Emmett Till.

In 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was abducted, beaten, shot in the head, and thrown into a river, weighted down by a fan blade. The reason? It was alleged that he whistled at, flirted with, and touched a white woman, Carolyn Bryant. The men accused of the crime not only got away with it, but admitted to their guilt post-trial during a Look magazine interview. In 2004, Ed Bradley took a further look and attempted to speak to Bryant. She and her son both declined, but she would later remarkably recant portions of her story, including the portions regarding Till touching her, in a 2008 interview with historian Timothy Tyson. Bradleys report is credited with helping to bring the Till story back into the spotlight, paving the way for Tyson to obtain the subsequent interview. The investigation into Tills murder was reopened in July of this year, based in part on the recantation.Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/24/2018 -- In order to study the various trends and patterns prevailing in the concerned market, Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has included a new report titled "Biofertilizers Market" to its wide online database. This research assessment offers a clear insight about the influential factors that are expected to transform the global market in the near future.



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Biofertilizers are the substances which make use of the living micro-organisms and are applied to seed, plant surfaces, or soil. They promote the growth of the plants by supplying adequate amount of nutrients and improve the quality and yield of the crops. The three major biofertilizers existing in the market are nitrogen fixing bio-fertilizer, phosphate mobilizing bio-fertilizer and potassium mobilizing bio-fertilizer. Biofertilizers add nutrients through the natural processes of fixing atmospheric nitrogen, solubilizing phosphorous, and stimulating plant growth through the synthesis of growth promoting substances. The benefits of Biofertilizers include longer shelf life, less contamination, better survival on seeds and soil, high commercial revenues and export potential. Biofertilizers help to increase the nutrient absorbing surface area beyond the depletion zone of the root. Different kinds of soil micro-organisms belonging to several taxa of the bacteria, fungi, and protozoa kingdoms, colonizing the rhizosphere or the plant tissues and promoting plant growth, can be utilized for the production of Biofertilizers.



Global bio-fertilizer market can be segmented on the basis of product and applications. The product segment of bio-fertilizer market includes nitrogen fixing bio-fertilizer, phosphate mobilizing bio-fertilizer and potassium mobilizing bio-fertilizer. In terms of application, global biofertilizer market can be categorized into cereals and grains, fruits and vegetables, oil seeds and pulses and others segment including nursery turfs and ornamental plants.



The report estimates and forecasts the Bio Fertilizers market on the global, regional and country levels. The study provides forecast between 2017 and 2025 based on volume (Tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2016 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage. The study includes drivers and restraints for the Biofertilizers market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market. The report analyzes opportunities in the Bio Fertilizers market on the global, regional and country level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources. Furthermore, the report analyzes substitute analysis of Biofertilizers and global average price trend analysis.



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The report includes Porter's Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the Biofertilizers market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users and regions have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region. Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market. The report comprises price trend analysis for Biofertilizers between 2017 and 2025.



The study provides a comprehensive view of the Biofertilizers market by dividing it into, product, application, and geography segments. The product segment of the biofertilizers market is classified as nitrogen fixing, phosphate mobilizing and potassium mobilizing fertilizers The Biofertilizers market, by application has been categorized into oil seeds & pulses, cereals & grains, fruits & vegetables and others. The regional analysis of global biofertilizer market include includes the current and forecast consumption of biofertilizers in North America (U.S, Canada), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) , Europe (Germany, France, Russia, Spain, CIS, Greece, Ukraine, Italy, Serbia, and Rest of Europe),Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN (Excluding Indonesia and Vietnam), Japan, Australia, Rest of Asia Pacific), and Middle East & Africa (Iran, Israel, Nigeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Rest of Middle East & Africa).Favorable regulatory scenario in highly developed regions such as North America and Europe are driving the market of global biofertilizers.



The report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include PotashCorp Agri Life, Bodisen Biotech, Inc. , Italpollina SpA , Protan AG , Novozymes A/S , Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd. , T. Stanes & Company Limited , Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited Symborg S.L, & Rizobacters Argentina S.A. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).



Secondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to Food & Agricultural Organization(FAO), International Fertilizer Association (IFA), National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF) and International Fertilizer Society (IFS). Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.



In-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. Key players' product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis team's expertise and market understanding.



The global biofertilizers market has been segmented as follows:



Biofertilizers Market  Product Analysis



Nitrogen Fixing

Phosphate Mobilizing

Potassium Mobilizing



Biofertilizers Market  Application Analysis



Cereals & Grains

Oil seeds & Pulses

Fruits & Vegetables

Others



Biofertilizers Market  Regional Analysis



North America

U.S.

Canada

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Argentina

Rest of Latin America

Europe

Germany

France

Russia

Spain

CIS

Greece

Ukraine

Italy

Serbia

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

India

ASEAN (Ex Indonesia & Vietnam)

Indonesia

Vietnam

Japan

Australia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

South Africa

Iran

Israel

Nigeria

Morocco

Saudi Arabia

Egypt

Rest of Middle East & Africa



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Email: sales@mrrse.comAlbany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/24/2018 -- Czech Republic exhibits a highly developed telecom market, thus incurring ample foreign investments. Development towards LTE and mobile infrastructure are likely to unearth new possibilities for the growth of telecom, mobile, and broadband market. Further, new initiative by leading telecoms towards 5G further exemplifies robust growth scale in telecom economy of Czech Republic. Market Research Hub (MRH) presents a complete overview of various developments and etches details on the implications of upcoming trends on the growth of the market, in its recent report offering, 'Czech Republic - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses' added to its burgeoning repository.



Leading network operators are inclined to offer superlative customer services such as mobile broadband as well as other value added services. LTE development in Czech displays excellent connectivity and mass reach, thus reflecting favorably on the growth of Czech Republic telecom infrastructure. A recent development in Czech demonstrates Vodafone's 5G demonstration in Karlovy Vary, a small town in Czech. The town has also in the past assisted Vodafone's LTE network trials. Rival companies O2 and T-Mobile have also affirmed their 5G trial thus unwinding broad spectra of opportunities in 5G allocation in Czech Republic.



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Elaborate research derivatives postulated in the report enable readers to gauge into various pertinent segments and factors prevalent in Czech Republic telecoms, mobile, and broadband market. This section of the report allows readers to understand the impact of segments in incurring profit generation in the market besides enriching readers' understanding about the segment responsible for revenue accentuation in Czech Republic telecoms, mobile, and broadband market. Additionally, the report also amplifies readers' comprehension about potent business tactics and tools implemented by market players across regions and their reciprocate implications on end-user response besides holistic growth of the market.



Competition Landscape: Czech Republic Telecoms, Mobile, and Broadband Market



This section of the report entails veritable insights about winning marketing strategies implemented by core market players across regions and their corresponding impact in enticing end-user response such as their buying preferences and eventual buying discretion. New and existing market players can engage in thorough evaluation of these strategies to infer core deductions based on which new and existing market players can facilitate result oriented business decisions that fetch surged revenues, besides ensuring their lead in Czech Republic telecoms, mobile, and broadband market. Leading market players identified in the market include VOLNY, CD-Telematika, Ceske Radiokomunikace, O2, T-Mobile, and Vodafone besides others.



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Read Industry News at - https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/24/2018 -- At the backdrop of a diminished economic landscape of Malawi, significant investments have been recently directed towards mobile infrastructure betterment and fixed-line development in the country. Mobile penetration has presented limited penetration, thus paving way for ample growth scope in mobile broadband. Additionally, potential investments in converged licensing are also likely to boost growth in Malawi telecom, mobile, and broadband market. A new research report titled, 'Malawi - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses', added to the database of Market Research Hub (MRH) offers veritable insights on current developments and their implications on the growth of the market.



TNM Invests Lucratively to Bolster Developments in Mobile Broadband and Voice Services with its UMTS Band



Mobile Phone Penetration in Malawi is highly disparate with some areas exhibiting high penetration in contrast others which portrayed miniscule penetration. However, Malawi government, in order to strike the emerging trend of digital economy, has made vital investments towards ICT.



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To strike new growth opportunities in mobile, telecom and ICT in Malawi thereby progressing towards digital economy, TNM has recently made announcements to add a host of new network matrix in Malawi to enhance internet data offerings. The regions included in the 200 network site includes areas which have ample economic viability in terms of trade, commerce, and tourism. This will aid TDM to strike novel client base and offer enhanced services in terms of accessibility and quality. The company has also made affirmations of its underway projects in 3G and 4G besides making headfast progresses for 5G trials. The company's UMTS band has lent promising growth drivers in mobile broadband and voice services across several regions in Malawi.



Airtel Malawi Inks Deal with FMB to Serve Dual Objectives of Improved Internet Infrastructure and Mobile Banking



To augment the growth and development of financial landscape in Malawi, leading mobile operator Airtel Malawi in alliance with First Merchant Bank (FMB) has inked a new partnership deal for enhancement of integrated mobile and banking services. Mobile banking services are to witness novel growth stories with the amalgamation of Airtel Money and FMB accounts. The development not only allows Malawi to remain a witness of financial inclusion and mobile banking, but also improve Airtel's internet infrastructure to remain industry specific.



Browse Full Report with TOC- https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/malawi-telecoms-mobile-and-broadband-statistics-and-analyses-report.html



Airtel Malawi Ushers Growth in Mobile Penetration with Enticing Service Plans



Further, to diversify mobile penetration in Malawi, Airtel has also introduced a competition, Bandulo Bandulo which will encourage Malawians to purchase local and international SMS bundles as well as data in exchange of attractive gifts and rewards. The marketing strategy is envisioned to encourage more subscriber inclusion as well as increase visibility in the telecom, mobile, and broadband market in Malawi by offering customized data and SMS plans favoring subscriber requirement and purchase capabilities.



Competition Spectrum: Malawi Telecom, Mobile, and Broadband Market



Thoroughly researched findings listed in the report offer leaders with a versatile overview of market segments and factors that leverage growth in the market. Additionally, the report also entails thorough insights on various marketing tactics and tools employed by market players across regions and their impact on end-user response. New and existing market players can engage in thorough analytical review to infer core deductions based on which new and existing market players can facilitate lucrative business decisions to harbor their lead.



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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.



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Read Industry News at - https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/Australian National University researcher Debbie Argue may have solved one of English literatures most enduring mysteries: Jonathan Swifts inspiration for the Yahoo characters in his famous novel Gullivers Travels. In a paper Dr. Argue published in the Relict Hominoid Inquiry she suggests that Swift based the Yahoo on a creature called sasquatch that is derived from the ethnography of North American indigenous peoples.

Gullivers Travels is a political and social satire by Jonathan Swift, published in 1726.

Part IV of this fictional work is an account of Lemuel Gullivers voyage to the country of the Houyhnhms, in which he discovers two animal populations.

One comprises horses, the articulate Houyhnhms, and the other is a subservient humanoid group called Yahoos.

Swift gave quite a detailed description of what the Yahoos looked like, how they acted and what they ate, said Dr. Argue, a visiting fellow in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University.

As I read about the Native American descriptions of the sasquatch I noticed they had similar descriptions.

Both represent a large, hairy, tailless, strong and agile humanoid form with tough skin; both have an offensive odor and are variously described as an ugly monster, she said.

Hands and feet have sharp claws or nails and the skin on their palms is coarse; females have pendulous breasts; both males and females may have beards.

Neither has capacity for speech but they vocalize by chattering, howling, grinning, roaring (the sasquatch is said to yell, whinny, scream, gibber and chatter, and make a sound like a crying child).

They both eat herbs, roots, berries, carrion, fish, and a wild rat-like animal.

England had a lot of involvement with Native American Indians in the early 1700s, and its conceivable that Swift could have been inspired by their stories.

The book makes reference to three specific dates, two of which are known to correspond with significant events in Swifts own life, but the relevance of the third has remained a mystery.

I think the date relates to the visit of the four Native American Kings who arrived for a visit to England on 10 April in 1710, Dr. Argue said.

The Kings were actually four Native American leaders who visited for diplomatic reasons.

They were received in London by Queen Anne at the Court of St. James Palace, hosted by the nobility, and transported around the city in Royal carriages.

I think Swift used the date of the Kings arrival after he heard about their beliefs in these beings. These mystical beings became the model for the Yahoos.

Dr. Argue said the theory was given further weight when you look at the placement of the date within the book.

Swift uses this date for the arrival of Gulliver back in London following a voyage, and he places this date within three sentences of introducing us to the Yahoos, she added.

_____

Debbie Argue. 2018. Does the Yahoo in Gullivers Travels Represent an Eighteenth Century Description of the Sasquatch? The Relict Hominoid Inquiry 7: 97-106A statement from BW said that the Danish executive was resigning from the company for personal reasons.

BW chairman Andreas Sohmen-Pao said Mortensen had made significant contributions to the group. Carsten and I have had a great partnership working closely together to grow the company, but the non-stop travel and living on two continents eventually reached a natural limit for him. We are very grateful to Carsten for his contributions and wish him all the best for the future.

Mortensen was also the acting ceo of BW Tankers after Tina Revsbech left the role heading the tanker unit last month.

The Danish executive joined BW from Norden where he had spent nearly a decade as ceo, and worked for the company for some 17 years.

BW Group is a third generation family-owned shipowner comprising both private and public-listed entities. It is currently involved in an unsolicted takeover offer from New York-listed Dorian LPG by its unit BW LPG, and recently took a 43.5% stake in Hafnia Tankers.

Read more on BW Group:

BW's Sohmen-Pao astonished by amount of new equity in shipping given rates of return

BW acquires 36.3% stake in Hafnia Tankers taking shareholding to 43.5%The new school was officially inaugurated 14 September. Chios has long supplied Greece with captains, engineers, sailors and shipowners, one of whom, Captain Panagiotis Tsakos, has set up the Maria Tsakos Foundation which is now funding Greece's first private professional lyceum for maritime education, the Tsakos Enhanced Education Nautical School (TEENS).

TEENS opened with an inaugural class of 20 students, and has a capacity to host up to 60 students in all three high school grades.

While offering the same opportunities to students as state professional lyceums for graduating to Greece's state merchant marine academies or universities, the new school has the bonus of giving students the opportunity to experience working as trainees with the widely diversified Tsakos shipping group if they so wish.

Reversing a trend

Michalis Belegris, gm of the Maria Tsakos Foundation, said TEENS aims to reverse the trend in Greek shipping of fewer Greek officers on board. Belegris said: "We have managed to convince several teenagers to swap the general-education lyceum with the only private school on Chios which offers them the skills needed to succeed in the maritime professions."

The inaugaration tape was cut by Captain Tsakos, son Nikos Tsakos, the ceo of NYSE-listed Tsakos Energy Navigation and chairman of Intertanko, his son Panagiotis, Antonios Kounadis, president of the Athens Academy, and Efthymios Mitropoulos, Imo secretary general emeritus and president of the Maria Tsakos Foundation.

A dream coming true

At the inauguration, Captain Tsakos spoke of "a dream coming true as the project was announced just a year ago and was finished in time". He referred to the great tradition of Greek seamanship and expressed his concern over the decreasing number of Greek seafarers. He welcomed the new students and called on them to attain ethos and knowledge from the institution and become the future leaders of shipping.

The new lyceum will also employ a pioneering e-learning application developed in Greece, SQLearning, that allows for the optimum cooperation between teachers, students and parents. Belegris has said a goal of the foundation is to enhance maritime education on the island and, in general, in Greece whose shipowners control some 20% of the global merchant fleet.

Indeed, Chios is developing as an international centre for maritime research and education and TEENS hopes it sets an example for others to follow.

Bridge simulator

Launch of the academic year also saw the Merchant Marine Academy at Aspropyrgos enriched by the addition of a bridge simulator. Officially presented 18 September, the simulator was donated by shipowner Marios Iliopoulos and will enable Aspropyrgos students to become familiar with ship handling in all conditions as the simulator provides these capabilities.

At the inauguration Shipping & Island Policy Minister, Fotis Kouvelis said: " Problems in shipping are real. There are many challenges and opportunities ahead of us as we further enhance our shipping in a highly competitive business environment. The Shipping and Island Policy ministry considers the education and training sector of the merchant marine executives an important dimension for the development of shipping and for safe navigation."

IIiopoulos, described the event as special for his Seajets Group and for the Shipping ministry as the academy's facilities are enhanced by a modern bridge simulator. He said it represents the company's social sensitivity, noting the Seajets group's ships have trained hundreds of masters and engineers.ANGARA: BOOKS SHOULD REMAIN TAX-FREE

Senator Sonny Angara has assured that his committee will not touch any provision that grants incentives and tax exemptions to the book publishing industry.

Under House Bill 8083 or the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High Quality Opportunities (TRABAHO), Section 12 of Republic Act 8047 or the Book Publishing Industry Development Act of 1994 is repealed. RA 8047 was authored by the late Senate President Edgardo Angara.

This means that incentives, including VAT and customs-duty exemption, on importation of raw materials for book publication will be removed, which may result to higher prices of books.

Local publishers will only continue to enjoy incentives on importation of raw materials if the book publication is in the Strategic Investment Priority Plan of the Board of Investments.

Despite the proposed repeal, sale and importation of books will still be VAT- and customs-duty free under the Tax Code and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

"My father authored such law because he believed that the book publishing industry plays a vital role in national development. He used to say that books are the most effective and economical tools for achieving educational growth.

"Walang katumbas na halaga ang nakukuha nating kaalaman at talino mula sa pagbabasa, kaya hindi makatwiran na tanggalan ito ng insentibo. We want a smarter population," said Angara, chairman of the ways and means committee.

The Philippine Book Publishing Development Federation (PhilBook) has recently presented a posthumous recognition to the late Angara for being the primary author of RA 8047.

"Due to this law, the publishing and printing industries became vibrant. The number of authors, writers, book publishers, importers, booksellers, printers, editors, illustrators, designers, lay-out artists, translators and literary agents has increased," PhilBook stated.

Meanwhile, Angara lamented the declining number of Filipino readers in the country.

An SWS survey on the reading habits of Filipinos showed that the number of Filipino adult readers of books declined from 90% in 2003 to 80% in 2012.

The same survey also showed that majority of Filipino readers borrow or receive books as gifts rather than buy one for personal use.

"Kapag tumaas ang presyo ng mga libro, mas lalong hindi na ito magiging abot-kaya at posibleng bumaba pa ang bilang ng Filipino readers. We should not let this happen," Angara said.

Following the House of Representatives' approval of TRABAHO Bill, the Senate ways and means committee is set to conduct its first hearing on September 25.Press Release

September 24, 2018 Senate panel to tackle pending bills on poverty alleviation The Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development chaired by Senator Leila M. de Lima will start public hearing tomorrow (Sept. 25) on several measures that seek to alleviate poverty and improve the plight of the Filipino people, especially the poor. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who was also designated as vice chairman of the committee, will preside over the Senate hearing tomorrow on behalf of Senator De Lima who was not allowed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conduct public hearing inside PNP-Custodial Center, in Camp Crame, Quezon City. "My committee will start a public hearing on these measures, nonetheless, and we have invited several resource persons from the concerned government agencies and civil society organizations to shed light on the significance of each of these measures," she said. "In my absence, Senator Sonny will preside over the deliberations of these measures. We agreed to cluster 38 pending bills and resolutions according to eight areas. We hope to consolidate similar measures, consolidate them and report them out soon," she added. The pending bills that would be tackled by her committee include the Magna Carta of the Poor, the institutionalization of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Magna Carta of Child Development Workers (CDWs). The proposed "Magna Carta of the Poor" seeks to guarantee the full enjoyment of the fundamental rights of the poor by granting them ready access to government services and encouraging private sector's investments in poverty alleviation programs. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act seeks to make 4Ps as one of the regular poverty reduction programs of the government for qualified poor families and ensure that its implementation will not be dependent on future administrations. Meanwhile, the Magna Carta for CDWs seeks to provide child development workers with security of tenure and social protection in times of unforeseen contingencies such as sickness, disability or retirement. Aside from these top three bills, other pending measures that were clustered according to areas of concerns include the Proposed System for Registration and Licensing of Social Welfare and Development Agencies, Protection of Volunteerism from Liability, Regulating Public Solicitation, Rural Employment Assistance Program and National Rotary Day. "It is my ardent hope that these measures meant to address poverty across the country will be passed into law, as they will definitely benefit the marginalized and underprivileged sectors of our society, especially those in the rural areas," she said. Last June 28, Senate President Vicente Sotto III visited Senator De Lima at PNP-Custodial Center where the two talked about how they can push for important measures. In July 2, Sotto sent a letter to PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde requesting to allow De Lima to conduct Senate hearing inside the PNP's Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City where she has been unjustly detained. Albayalde, however, denied Sotto's request but left it to the proper court to decide on the matter. Amid the political persecution she is constantly subjected to under the present administration, De Lima has remained active in drafting legislative measures aimed at promoting the welfare and protecting the rights of the Filipino people. To date, De Lima has authored and co-authored 180 bills and 120 resolutions since she was elected into office in 2016, 89 bills and 98 resolutions of which were filed while in detention. "Challenges may continue to come my way, but I vow to never let these challenges stop me from serving the Filipino people," she said.Press Release

September 24, 2018 Dispatch from Crame No. 386:

Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Statement on the Lies about Martial Law and Historical Distortion 9/24/18 Fortunately for former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, he is blessed with a long life and a sharp mind. But late in life, he still has chosen to squander these on the perpetuation of lies about Martial Law. Unfortunately for him, many of their victims - those who survived the torture chambers - are still alive to remind us of the truth. Before turning against Marcos, Enrile, as Defense Minister, was of course the regime's Martial Law enforcer. He was as responsible as Marcos for the thousands killed, disappeared, tortured, and imprisoned during Martial Law. In distorting history, Enrile is only whitewashing his own role in this dark chapter of our nation's history. His account is therefore nothing but another self-serving attempt to absolve himself from responsibility for the tortures and murders he helped perpetuate as Marcos's henchman. Enrile has already attempted to distort history several times in the past, including in his own memoirs that he released several years ago. His fabricated accounts were met with as much protestation then as now. He is doing the same thing now in the era of fake news, enabled no doubt by an atmosphere of blatant lying and distortion of facts by the Duterte government. In doing so, Enrile is simply riding the bandwagon of fake news and historical revisionism. Enrile may be as old as history, but his lies will never be as sharp as the truth etched on the bodies and minds of the survivors of Martial Law.Press Release

September 24, 2018 Sponsorship Speech

Senate Bill No. 2024 / Committee Report No. 476 AN ACT CREATING THE PHILIPPINE RISE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (PRDA), DEFINING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Session Hall, Senate of the Philippines

September 24, 2018 Delivered by HON. WIN GATCHALIAN, Senator of the Republic: Mr. President, my fellow senators, I bid you all a good afternoon. One of the greatest blessings bestowed upon the Filipino people is the abundance of ecological diversity and natural wealth found throughout the islands and seas of the Philippines. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of many in advocating for the preservation and responsible development of these rich resources, the government has often fallen short in its task of safeguarding these treasures. These failures have resulted in the decline of our country's natural wealth through unjust exploitation and, at times, pure negligence. Thankfully, the Benham Rise - now known as the Philippine Rise - is not a story of strife and decline, but of cooperation and triumph. Since the beginning, the Philippine scientific community and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines have worked hand-in-hand to establish and solidify our claim to sovereign rights over this vast underwater plateau and the waters surrounding it. After 11 long years of scientific research and international legal advocacy, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf finally approved the claim of the Philippines in 2012 and recognized our sovereign rights over 13 million hectares of the Philippine Rise region as part of the Philippine Extended Continental Shelf. With 11.4 million hectares of the Rise already falling within our Exclusive Economic Zone, this brought the entire 24.4 million hectares of the Rise under our jurisdiction. For context, the land area of the entire island of Luzon is just under 10.5 million hectares. Truly, the Philippines has been made richer by its successful claim over the Philippine Rise. The reefscapes and varieties of fish found in the shallower Benham Bank, and throughout the entire Philippine Rise region, are important for their contributions to marine biodiversity. This is significant not only for ecological purposes, but also for bioprospecting. Who knows, perhaps the next miracle drug to cure one of the world's previously incurable diseases will be developed from biological resources found in the Philippine Rise. Meanwhile, the large volume of various tuna species found in the region showcases a huge potential for commercial fishing as well. Lastly, but certainly not least, the seabed of the Philippine Rise holds a potentially massive treasure trove of rare and precious resources, the most impactful of which may be methane gas hydrates. Methane gas hydrates, composed of natural gas encased in ice and usually found deep under the ocean in the seabed, are highly touted for their potential as the so-called "fuel of tomorrow". As the technology to exploit gas hydrates for commercial energy purposes develops over the next decade or two, the Philippines could eventually become an energy exporting powerhouse to rival even the most powerful oil-producing nations. That day could come sooner rather than later, as just last month an Israeli oil firm expressed to the Department of Energy its interest in exploring the potential of the gas hydrates found in the Rise. Lubos ang aking paniniwala na ang Philippine Rise ay magbibigay ng kasaganaan at maunlad na kabuhayan para sa susunod na henerasyon ng mga Pilipino -- ito ay makakamit lamang kung mapangangalagaan ang ating likas-yaman. With this in mind, Mr. President, I am proud to sponsor Senate Bill No. 2024, otherwise known as the Philippine Rise Development Authority Act. This measure takes a responsible, proactive, and forward-looking approach to developing the natural resources of the Philippine Rise by establishing the institutional mechanism needed to facilitate a coordinated and integrated approach to optimizing the full potential of the Philippine Rise, while conserving its ecology and resources for the benefit of future generations. This institutional mechanism comes in the form of the Philippine Rise Development Authority - a coordinating, policymaking, and regulatory body which will serve as a sort of "one-stop-shop" for everything concerning the Philippine Rise. The 15-member Board of the PRDA will be chaired by the President of the Philippines and will include representatives from pertinent cabinet departments and technical agencies. Significantly, Section 7 of the bill provides that no "proposals, plans, programs, projects or activities involving the Philippine Rise Region including, but not limited to, marine science research, exploration, and exploitation, whether conducted by Filipino and foreign nationals, shall be carried out...without the clearance of the Authority." Since the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of National Defense, and the National Security Council are all represented on the Board of the Authority, we can be sure that the well-publicized past instances of unauthorized research in the area will not be repeated. Aside from issuing clearances for activities in the Philippine Rise, the PRDA shall be tasked to conduct a wide range of activities including policy formulation and advocacy, coordination and support for scientific research and exploration, environmental protection, and investments promotions. Mr. President, the numerous areas of interest to be covered by the PRDA further backs up the necessity for its creation. We say that this is a forward-looking piece of legislation because we are creating this institutional mechanism now, while the Philippine Rise remains pristine and undeveloped, so that we will be prepared to meet threats of ecological degradation and irresponsible development when they are present themselves in later years. Patunay lamang na ang paglikha ng ahensya para sa Philippine Rise ay isang puhunan para sa napakalawak na benepisyo na mapakikinabangan ng bawat Pilipino sa hinaharap. Mr. President, at this point, I would like to thank the authors of the original bills substituted by the measure reported out by the Committee on Economic Affairs: Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and my Seatmates - Senators Sonny Angara and Senator Joel Villanueva. The road to finally sponsoring this bill on the floor is definitely longer than the others. It took the Committee on Economic Affairs three public hearings and one technical working group before we could finish crafting a substitute bill that will reflect both the intersecting and opposing opinions of our resource persons. After finally finding that middle ground we were looking for with the filing of this substitute bill, I hope the members of this chamber to join the sponsors of this measure in securing the swift passage of this unique and impactful piece of legislation. Finally, I would like to mention that while attending the commemoration of the first anniversary of the renaming of the Philippine Rise at Casiguran Bay, off Aurora province last May 15, I was honored to have participated in the send-off of 50 of the best Filipino scientists who are now studying the resource-rich waters of the Rise. Inaalay natin ang panukalang batas na ito sa mga mahuhusay at makabayan nating siyentipiko. Thank you, Mr. President.Press Release

September 24, 2018 HONTIVEROS BLAMES "TARA-FFICATION" FOR RICE CRISIS Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros blamed corruption inside the National Food Authority (NFA) under its former administrator Jason Aquino for the country's rice crisis. In a privilege speech delivered on Monday, Hontiveros said that the rice crisis resulted from a conspiracy between unscrupulous private traders and insiders within the NFA. According to her sources, corruption is rampant in the entry of imported rice through the country's two main pathways: (1) through the Minimum Access Volume Program, which is a program of the NFA aligned with our commitments to the WTO, and is the private sector's program for importing rice, and (2) through the G2G (Government to Government)/ G2P (Government to Private) program which is the government's program for its importation of rice for the NFA buffer stock. "In both these pathways, corruption is endemic. First, by gaming the price of rice through the manipulation of the buffer stock. Pinasadsad ang laman ng buffer stock para sumirit pataas ang presyo ng bigas galing sa private traders sa merkado. Pinatengga ang pasok ng G2G na bigas sa mga piyer para maka-position muna ang mga private traders at makabenta ng mahal. Secondly, by consolidating the hold of rice cartels over stocks of imported rice through the use of front cooperatives and farmers association, among other strategies," Hontiveros said. Hontiveros said that Aquino is at the center of the alleged massive corruption. "Tara system" Mr. President, paano kumikita ang administrator dito? Simple. Ang kalakarang tara per bag ay between 100-150 pesos. 100 kung kaibigan ka. 150 kung di kayo masyadong close. Gawin na nating 100 pesos. Each ton contains 20 bags of rice. We import around 1,000,000 tons of rice per year. This is the difference between the national consumption of rice and the domestic production. This means we import 20,000,000 bags of rice. Let us multiply 20,000,000 bags by 100 pesos. Twenty million bags multiplied by 100 pesos is a windfall of 2 billion pesos. Ito pa lang ang "entrance fee" ng mga importer para mabigyan ng certificate of eligibility at import permit. Hindi pa kasama ang iba ibang bayad pa para sa iba ibang modus operandi. Hindi pa kasama ang service fee na bigla-bigla nalang pinataw sa administrasyon ni Jason Aquino. In short, we are looking at a multi-billion peso enterprise. A multi-billion enterprise that has lined the pockets of a privileged few, and caused hunger to untold numbers of Filipinos," Hontiveros explained. The opposition Senator then enumerated the NFA's "favored individuals." "Who are these privileged few? Binigay sa amin ito ng ilang insiders sa NFA at binangga po namin ang mga pangalan dito sa mga pangalan na nabanggit ni Senator Grace Poe noong hearing ng February 27 ng Committee on Agriculture: Marlon Barillo, Marigold De Castro, Richie Carpio, Mercedes Yacapin, Rocky Valdez, Judy Carol Dansal," Hontiveros said. "Economic sabotage" Hontiveros said that Aquino might be liable for "economic sabotage." "How much was paid to Aquino by private importers for allowing this modus operandi? We can only surmise. What criminal offense can be charged against him? Here, there is no surmising. Economic sabotage under Republic Act No. 10845," Hontiveros asserted. The Senator also raised her concerns over news that Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel "Manny" Pinol cancelled Aquino's leave of absence. "In short, si Jason Aquino na umani ng batikos dahil sa tuluyang pagsirit ng presyo ng bigas, umani ng batikos dahil sa pakikipagsabwatan sa mga rice hoarder at smuggler, at umani ng batikos dahil sa sunod sunod na kapalpakan, ay nasa pamunuan na naman ng NFA," Hontiveros said. Hontiveros asserted that the government must file charges against Aquino and all the private traders and importers involved in the large-scale corruption. Rice tarrification not "tara-ffication" "Hindi na dapat ibalik sa NFA si Jason Aquino kung saan magkakaroon na naman siya ng pagkakataon at kapangyarihan na impluwensiyahan at makinabang sa pag-angkat ng bigas. We can talk about rice tarrification and other important policy measures. But without addressing rice tara-ffication, our policies remain inutile," Hontiveros concluded.Senate passes bills declaring holidays in San Fabian and Davao Occidental

The Senate approved today on third and final reading two house bills seeking to declare special non-working holidays in San Fabian, Pangasinan and Davao Occidental to commemorate their founding anniversaries.

Senator Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government and sponsor of the measures, said that "for communities to progress, we must consider honoring and learning from our history and the people who are part of it."

"These dates warrant equal recognition because they help remind the residents of San Fabian and Davao Occidental how their communities were formed. This is also an occasion for them to celebrate the period when they united as one province," Angara said.

House Bill No. 1865 proposes the declaration of a special non-working holiday in San Fabian, Pangasinan on March 21 while HBN 2692 proposes the declaration of a special non-working holiday in Davao Occidental on October 28 in commemoration of their respective founding anniversaries.

San Fabian, with its 34 barangays, was created by the Spanish Supreme Court on March 21, 1717. The seat of government was founded in what was then called Barangay Angio and was named after Saint Fabian, the 20th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

Davao Occidental, meanwhile, was created through Republic Act 10360. It was signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III on January 14, 2013. A plebiscite held on October 23, 2013 coinciding with the barangay elections, ratified RA 10630, thereby creating the province of Davao Occidental. (AY Almiranez)Press Release

September 24, 2018 Senate passes bill reconstituting PCA Board With a vote of 18 senators present, the Senate on Monday passed on third and final reading a measure that would give coconut farmers greater representation in the body tasked to manage the coco levy fund. Senate Bill 1976, or the Strengthened Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Law, amends Presidential Decree 1468, otherwise known as the Revised Coconut Industry Code of 1978. The reconstituted PCA board, under the proposal, will be composed of six farmer-representatives, four government representatives, and one industry representative. The measure, which was authored by Sen. Cynthia Villar, is the accompanying bill of SB 1233 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act, which has been submitted to Malacanang for the President's signature. SB 1233 created the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund and provided for its management and utilization by the reconstituted PCA. Under the measure, the P100 billion coco levy fund, consisting of the P76 billion in Treasury and escrow accounts and an estimated P30 billion in assets, will form the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund, which shall be used exclusively for the benefit of coconut farmers and for the development of the coconut industry. The funds will be released to the PCA at P5 billion annually until it runs out, which is estimated to be within 25 years. Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, said SB 1976 addresses the concern "that farmers were not adequately represented in the body that will manage the coconut levy trust fund. With six farmer-representatives in the 11-member board, it is guaranteed that the interest of the coconut farmers will be protected." Villar also added that the reconstituted PCA Board would be tasked to strictly implement the programs for the development of the coconut industry as earmarked in the bill. "It is the bill that would safeguard the approximately P100 billion coco levy funds composed of cash and assets and ensure increased income for all coconut farmers such as investments of the trust funds in Philippine government securities to ensure the safety of the fund and for assured returns," she said. Under the bill, the corporate powers and duties of PCA shall be vested in and exercised by a board of 11 members to be composed of the following: - Four representatives of the government -- the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture as Chairperson; the Secretary of the Department of Finance as the Vice Chairperson; and as members, the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management, and the Administrator of the PCA who will be appointed by the President; - One representative from the coconut industry; and, - Six representatives from the coconut farmers sector, divided into two representatives each for the island groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao as members. The farmer-representatives must be Filipino citizens, registered with the Coconut Farmers Registry, have considerable experience and reputable track record in promoting coconut farmer's interest and welfare, and nominated by coconut farmers organizations or cooperatives that are active for the past three years in the farmers organizations and development or community enterprise development. The greater representation of some 3.5 million coconut farmers in the reconstituted PCA, Villar said, is in response to the clamor of farmers for them to be involved in the management of the coco levy funds and in matters concerning their industry. (JPL)Press Release

September 24, 2018 Senate backs creation of energy research and policy institute for Phl The Senate approved today on third and final reading a bill seeking to establish the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute (PERPI) to help address policy gaps and push reforms in the energy sector that will directly benefit Filipinos. Senate Bill No. 1574, or the "Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute Act of 2018," was sponsored by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy. The measure was passed with 18 affirmative votes, no negative vote and zero abstention. "It is my sincere belief that the development of a stable, affordable, and sustainable energy supply would be critical to meeting the country's ambitious long term socio-economic goals. The research output of the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute in turn, would be essential to turning this vision into a reality," Gatchalian said. According to Gatchalian, the proposed Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute (PERPI) will "serve as an independent body which will undertake multidisciplinary research, explore and develop cutting edge technologies, and provide autonomous policy output for the benefit of private and public energy players alike." "Essentially, PERPI will be a think-tank, a laboratory, an innovation incubator, and a sparring partner of the government energy policy apparatus, all in one," he said. Under the bill, the PERPI will be attached to the University of the Philippines and will be headed by an executive director who is "a recognized expert in energy policy and research development." In particular, Gatchalian said PERPI would conduct research and provide technical assistance and guidance "backed by rigorous empirical evidence to government offices on energy policy issues." "PERPI will be charged with ensuring that the results of its energy research and policy development activities are used to craft energy sector reforms for the benefit of the national economy and the lives of the Filipino people," he said. Gatchalian said the PERPI would undertake efforts to "enhance the masters and doctoral pool of researchers and faculty in the field of energy" and to provide common research support facilities for the said researchers. The institute, he said, would also "promote collaborative and multidisciplinary energy research" among private, public and academic stakeholders and would establish links with local and international energy experts. If passed into law, Gatchalian said that the PERPI would be allocated an annual budget of P200 million to be further supplemented by an Endowment Fund to power the institute's research. Gatchalian said the proposed PERPI was inspired by similar energy think-tanks such as the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy, the Cornell Energy Institute, Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy, Boston University's Institute for Sustainable Energy, and the Energy Institute of the University of Michigan, among others.Press Release

September 24, 2018 Villanueva's closing remarks on Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers Bill hearing Today, there was a lot of positive feedback and overwhelming support from both the government and seafarers' organization and its social partners to the proposed Magna Carta of Seafarers Bill. So, let me assure you that we are committed to push for the passage of this measure and through your help we can fast track the legislative process. We hope to retain that provision in the Magna Carta of Seafarers and include the recent amendments to the Maritime Labor Convention as outlined by Atty. Sale of the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen's Union of the Philippines. We are now instructing the secretariat to convene the TWG for these bills, we'll of course look into the details of these measures and clarify sensitive matters like, for example, the inclusion of occupational diseasesin the bill or the inspection of foreign vessels by DOLE, etcetera. Ako po, as I always say, workers' rights and the interests of business are not contradictory. So, I agree with Mr. Marquez that we should like for tenable solutions or balance the interests of the seafarers, the labor unions and ship owners. Now, I agree with Senator Nancy that we cannot afford to lose more jobs for Filipino seafarers. Kapag kumakapal daw po ang tao d'yan sa may Kalaw Avenue sa Maynila, dalawa lang ang ibig sabihin: maraming job order sa mga Pinoy seaman o kaya, kumakapal ang bilang ng mga aplikante kasi nahihirapang makahanap ng trabaho. Ayaw po nating mawala ang oportunidad sa mga Pinoy seafarers at para ma-maintain din natin ang maritime industry sa bansa kaya ginagawa po natin ito, kaya itinutulak po natin ang mga panukalang ito. On the other hand, we understand the NLRC for saying that there may be some duplication or redundancy if we create a new commission or seafarers' administration. This October 31, ang alam ko po may audit po ulit ang EMSA at may pangamba nga po na baka malagay sa alanganin ang trabaho ng 80,000 seafarers kung adverse ang magiging resulta nitong audit but we're hoping for the best at kasama po itong mga panukalang ito para mapatatag natin ang trabaho ng mga Pinoy seaman. We will continue to study these measures thoroughly, together with your positions papers and statements but it is our firm belief that these bills can help create a better and brighter future for our seafarers and their families. Thank you very much for giving us your precious time today. Pagpalain po tayo ng Panginoong Diyos.Press Release

September 24, 2018 Villanueva seeks passage of proposed Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers Act The Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development chaired by Senator Joel Villanueva discussed anew on Monday several bills aimed to protect the rights of seafarers. One of the bills tackled is Senate Bill No. 314 or the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers Bill, a bill authored by Senators Villanueva, Angara, Legarda, and Ejercito, which aims to institute mechanisms to protect our country's seafarers' rights, provide them compulsory benefits, and enforce standards set by international laws. The committee also discussed Senate Bill No. 429 or the "National Seafarers' Commission" which aims to create a centralized agency directly involved in promoting assistance to all seamen and seawomen; and Senate Bill No. 881 or the "Pilipinong Marino Act" which gives greater protection and welfare of Filipino sea-based migrant workers through the creation of a National Seafarers Administration. "Naniniwala po tayo na ang mga panukalang batas na ito ay angkla sa matatag na trabaho at magandang kinabukasan ng mga Pinoy seaman at seawoman at kanilang pamilya," Villanueva said. During the hearing, the major issue that was put into light was the decreasing number of Filipino seafarers being deployed. According to Ericson Marquez, Vice Chairman for External Affairs of Joint Ship Manning Group (JMG), from 400,000 seafarers deployed in 2017, the number decreased to 370,000 this year. Marquez attributed the drop in the deployment of seafarers to the unreasonable awards or legal costs being shouldered by employers whenever injured seafarers file a medical claim. He further cited a situation wherein a company lost 20 ships due to an alleged unreasonable claim amounting to USD250,000 for a cut middle finger sustained by a seafarer. Marquez said that these kinds of injuries are being declared as total and permanent disability which costs the employer huge amounts of money that affect their businesses. On the other hand, Dennis Gorecho from the National Seafarers' Day Committee said that while these problems exist on the part of employers, it is more important to pass a law that will not limit the protection being given to seafarers and should instead reflect the greater interests of Filipino mariners. Recognizing the issue at hand, Villanueva assures the stakeholders--employers and seafarers alike, that the committee will strike a balance in addressing issues coming from both sides that will protect the interests of shipowners while ensuring that rights and welfare of Filipino seafarers are safeguarded. "We cannot afford to lose more jobs for Filipino seafarers. Ayaw po nating mawala ang oportunidad sa mga Pinoy seafarers at para ma-maintain din natin ang maritime industry sa bansa kaya ginagawa po natin ito, kaya itinutulak po natin ang mga panukalang ito," Villanueva said. Apart from the said issue, the committee also tackled the training of seafarers and the alleged exorbitant fees being paid by cadets to maritime schools for their cadetship. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) which is in charge of regulating the fees of schools and institutions maintained that they follow existing regulations to monitor the increase of fees being charged by maritime schools. With regard to the proposed creation of a specialized agency that will address the concerns of seafarers, Villanueva acknowledges the position of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) that there might be some duplication or redundancy if a new commission or seafarers' administration will push through. The passage of the said measures is targeted to benefit thousands of seafarers. Based on the data of the Philippine Statistics Authority, there are around 700,000 Filipino seafarers worldwide. Of the said figure, 380,000 are deployed in foreign ships which constitute 25% of the whole maritime industry at a global scale. "Malaking pwersa po ang bilang ng mga Pilipinong marino para pag-ugnayin ang mundo kaya nga talagang 'kayamanan sila ng ating lahi.' Sabi nga po, titigil ang ekonomiya ng daigdig kapag bumaba ang mga Pinoy seaman sa mga barko dahil 90% po ng lahat ng pagkain, raw material, coal, oil at gas ay binabyahe sa dagat," Villanueva shared. Furthermore, remittances of Filipino seafarers are expected to reach $6 billion this year. "It is our firm belief that the passage of these bills into law can help create a better and brighter future for our seafarers and their families. Our seafarers truly deserve the passage of these measures without any more delay so that we can maintain their advantage over other nationalities and spur the development of the Philippines as a maritime country," Villanueva said.The government's proposed ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration permits may cost the country $7.9 billion in revenue foregone between now and 2050, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment says.

The estimate accompanies the long-awaited release of Crown Minerals Act amendments required to put the ban in place. Energy Minister Megan Woods, who released the Crown Minerals (Petroleum) Amendment Bill this evening after share market trading closed, is disputing the figure. She says it is practically impossible to make a credible estimate about oil and gas discoveries that have not been and can never be made.

She is also questioning MBIE's decision to assume that there would either be no oil and gas finds or no commercial development of finds made in the 100,000 square kilometres of offshore territory still covered by permits already granted, but still awaiting exploration efforts.

The MBIE modelling, which was quality-checked by the Treasury, gives a huge range of possible outcomes, saying foregone revenue could be as little as $1.2 billion or as much as $23.5 billion. Lost oil company profits are separately estimated to fall within a range of $199 million and $7.3 billion, with a calculated mid-point of $2.1 billion.

Oil industry critics of the April 12 decision to end offshore oil and gas exploration have been predicting for months that official advice would fail to back the government's controversial decision, which was a major win for the Green Party and the clearest possible signal that the government wants the New Zealand economy to accelerate its transition to a low-carbon emissions economy.

However, the MBIE regulatory impact statement says only that the policy "may" contribute to the government's climate change action goals.

Also embarrassing is the fact that the amendments are now so late that the 2018 Block Offer for onshore exploration permits cannot begin until January 2019. The process normally concludes before Christmas each year.

Woods is trying to make a virtue of that by ensuring a four-week period for public submissions on the Crown Minerals (Petroleum) Amendment Bill, which it had been widely assumed would be rammed through Parliament under urgency and without the normal select committee hearings process.

Oil and gas industry leaders last week called on MPs to hold hearings on the amendments in Taranaki, the country's main oil and gas-producing province, to hear first-hand the economic and job impacts of the decision.

Those impacts have not been modelled, MBIE said in the RIS.

It warns that security of natural gas and electricity supplies could be reduced by the decision and could raise the price of both for consumers, although future governments can use their discretion to "consider these factors". Onshore exploration in Taranaki is allowed but that was to be reviewed after 2020.

MBIE warns also the decision could raise global greenhouse gas emissions if production of oil and gas goes to "countries that have higher emissions footprints" and investments that might have occurred in New Zealand may not proceed.

However, there had been insufficient time to consult either the oil and gas industry or the public prior to the April decision, so "it is not possible to be confident that all potential impacts have been identified," the MBIE analysis says.

(BusinessDesk)

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Hawaiki Submarine Cable has contracted with US-based Ciena Corp to increase the capacity of its deep-sea fibre optic cable by more than half.

The 15,000-kilometre cable links Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and the United States and started operating in July with a transmission capacity of 43.8 terabits of data a second.

Now Hawaiki plans to upgrade that to 67 terabits per second using Cienas GeoMesh solution.

That will give Hawaiki the lowest cost for per bit of data transmitted, and let it offer greater granularity of capacity products for customers, the companies said in a joint statement.

As the provider of the largest and fastest link between Australia, New Zealand, and the US, we recognize our customers need for innovative capacity solutions that support a shorter time-to-market and improved revenue generation, Hawaiki chief executive Remi Galasso said.

Our collaboration with Ciena will allow us to both scale our infrastructure with minimal operational complications and meet market requirements for greater connectivity and diversity across the Pacific.

Hawaiki is a carrier-neutral service linking Sydney, New Zealand, American Samoa, Hawaii and Oregon. The New Zealand link comes ashore at Mangawhai head.

The US$300 million project was developed with support from anchor customers including Amazon Web Services, Vodafone, American Samoa Telecommunications Authority and Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand.

Earlier this month, Australian infrastructure investor Palisade Investment Partners agreed to take a stake in the project. Other major investors include founder Galasso, Eion Edgar, Malcolm Dick and Greg Tomlinson.

(BusinessDesk)

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The government said its Provincial Growth Fund will invest $27.4 million to support Rotorua's plans to redevelop its lakefront and Whakarewarewa Forest as part of an effort to bolster tourism and job growth in the region.

The remainder of the $55 million revamp of Rotorua Lakefront and Whakarewarewa Forest will be funded by the Rotorua Lakes Council, Fletcher Tabuteau, parliamentary under-secretary for regional economic development, said in a statement

The redevelopment of the lakefront will include building new boardwalks, walkways, cycleways, event infrastructure, more car parking, landscaping and an improved visual connection between the city and the lake, according to Tabuteau. An improved access road, a cycleway from the park to the city, and visitor centre will be created at Whakarewarewa Forest, he said.



Once completed, redevelopment is expected to attract significant private and iwi investment in Rotoruas high-value tourism and hospitality offerings, leading to the creation of hundreds of new jobs," Tabuteau noted.

Earlier this year, Rotorua was named as one of the top places to see in the prestigious The New York Times 52 Places to Go in 2018 list. Rotorua, at number 45, was the only New Zealand destination to make the list.

The government established the fund to provide $3 billion over three years for regional development. More than 70 tourism, transport, energy and environmental projects have so far been granted more than $126 million. That figure excludes up to $137 million committed earlier this month for roading projects on the East Coast.

(BusinessDesk)

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Steel & Tube Holdings has reaffirmed its full-year earnings guidance citing new customer contracts and progress with efforts to streamline its business and cut costs.

The firm, which incurred almost $54 million in write-downs and restructuring costs last year, reiterated that it expects to report earnings before interest and tax of $25 million in the financial year ending June 30. That is up from $16.5 million last year before one-off items.

Chair Susan Paterson said the board is pleased with progress on a range of initiatives and sales remain on a positive trajectory.

The company now has a solid foundation from which to build Steel & Tube and the financial flexibility to implement our business transformation initiatives, achieve longer term strategic objectives and create long-term value for shareholders. The board remains confident in the improving performance of the company under its significantly advanced turn-around strategy.

Steel & Tube is one of New Zealands largest steel suppliers. It raised almost $81 million last month to pay down debt after restructuring costs and write-downs put it in breach of its borrowing agreements.

Today it said the significant investment made in the groups enterprise resource planning system is delivering benefits, while the firm is also consolidating its facilities, exiting third-party warehousing arrangements and re-tendering freight runs.

While the market remains highly competitive, it said it has won new customers, committed to large contracts and continued reducing costs. A significant contract to supply steel to the Westfield Newmarket project is under way, as is the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway project and another significant infrastructure project in the lower North Island.

Steel & Tube made its 2019 forecast on Aug. 7. It said then that it would resume paying dividends this year and expected normalised ebit to be back up to $35 to $40 million within three years.

The firms shares last traded at $1.22 and are down about 40 percent so far this year.

(BusinessDesk)

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Page Content

Finance Minister the for the Government of St. Maarten the Honourable Perry Geerlings and Director of Belastingdienst Caribisch Nederland (B/CN) in Bonaire Drs. Nichalin Martina agreed on Thursday this week to extending the period of cooperation between the B/CN and St. Maarten to assist with strengthening the Tax office and improving tax compliance within the Tax Department on St. Maarten.





Both have agreed that Bonaire and St. Maartens Tax Office will also broaden their collaboration to include an exchange program for personnel which is geared towards providing them with a unique opportunity to cultivate professional relationships and to further promote the sharing of ideas on enhancing the service level of the Tax Department on St. Maarten.





Minister Geerlings hosted Drs. Martina for a meeting during which the two discussed the challenges and opportunities that exist for St. Maarten as it undergoes the process of revamping its Tax Administration. Bonaires Tax Office has been instrumental in exchanging best practices and support to the Tax Department on St. Maarten. That collaboration has had an added value based on the BCN's wealth of experience and success in restructuring its own tax administration which it started in 2013.





A key point brought forward during the meeting was Drs. Martina's report on the benefit of the Customs Department where it pertains to improving the accuracy and efficiency of data collection. Minister Geerlings reemphasised his vision to provide the Tax department with the means to recieve an accurate accounting of what comes into the island and said this is essential if we are to improve the efficiency in our tax collection.





According to Minister Geerlings the information provided by Drs. Martina further strengthens his position that the Customs Department would be a valuable asset in the improvement of tax collection if it is returned under the Administrative responsibility of the Ministry of Finance. Bonaires Tax Offices model includes the Customs Department.





Bonaire has made substantial progress in upgrading its Tax Administration and have proven to be a vital partner in helping the St. Maarten Tax Office as it undergoes its own improvements. A team from Bonaires Tax Office recently completed a quick scan of the Tax Office on St. Maarten as part of the process to improve its functionality. Amongst the plans for improving the services of the Tax Office on St. Maarten, is making more procedures electronic and reducing the need for clients to visit the Tax Department.





The Tax Department of the Caribbean Netherlands in Bonaire B/CN is part of the Belastingdienst Nederland. The BCN consists of both the Tax Authorities and the Customs Caribbean Netherlands and has offices on Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius and provides support to Curacao and Aruba in the area of tax collection.





MINISTER GEERLINGS RECEIVES DIRECTOR TAX ADMINISTRATION CARIBBEAN NETHERLANDS

FURTHER TALKS ON COLLABORATION AS PART OF THE RESTRUCTURING TAX OFFICE

PHILIPSBURG  Minister of Finance Perry Geerlings received Nichalin Martina, Director of Belastingdienst Caribisch Nederland (B/CN) at the Ministry of Finance. The visit was initiated to discuss the challenges and opportunities that exist for St. Maarten as it undergoes the process of revamping its Tax Administration.

Since 10-10-10, B/CN has made substantial progress in upgrading and restructuring its Tax Administration and can therefore be a vital partner in helping the St. Maarten Tax Office with its planned improvements. A team from B/CNs Tax Office recently completed a quick scan of the Tax Office on St. Maarten as part of the process to improve its functionality. Amongst the plans for improving the services of the Tax Office on St. Maarten, is making more procedures electronic and reducing the need for clients to visit the Tax Department.





During their meeting, Minister Geerlings and Martina focused on B/CNs Tax Office model that includes the Customs Department. According to Minister Geerlings the information provided by Drs. Martina further strengthens his position that the Customs Department would be a valuable asset in the improvement of tax collection if it would fall under the administrative responsibility of the Ministry of Finance.

A key point brought forward during the meeting was Martina's report on the benefits of the Customs Department where it pertains to improving the accuracy and efficiency of data collection. Minister Geerlings reemphasised his vision to provide his ministry and the Tax department with the means to receive an accurate accounting of what comes into the Country and said this is essential if we are to improve the efficiency in our tax collection and producing more accurate budgets.





Both Director Martina of B/CN and Minister Geerlings have agreed that Bonaire and St. Maartens Tax Office will broaden their collaboration to include an exchange program for personnel which is geared towards providing them with a unique opportunity to cultivate professional relationships and to further promote the sharing of ideas on enhancing the service level and the knowledge of the Tax Department on St. Maarten.





Pic: In the photo from the left is Minister of Finance the Honourable Perry Geerlings, and Director of Belastingdienst Caribisch Nederland (B/CN) in Bonaire Drs. Nichalin Martina



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/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(0x7f3fda695398)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdabe6c20)', '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(0x7f3fda695398)') 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(0x7f3fdabe6c20)') 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(0x7f3fda6c1828)') 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(0x7f3fdabe6c20)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdabe6c20)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fc6a6d8d8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fda947740)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fda947740)') 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: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... 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(0x7f3fda00d6e8)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fda047388)', '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(0x7f3fda00d6e8)') 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(0x7f3fda047388)') 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(0x7f3fda04ef88)') 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(0x7f3fda047388)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fda047388)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd9af0f38)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fda007240)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fda007240)') 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: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... 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(0x7f3fda3be998)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdab3a988)', '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(0x7f3fda3be998)') 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(0x7f3fdab3a988)') 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(0x7f3fda3f1a10)') 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(0x7f3fdab3a988)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdab3a988)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd9af0d28)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fda803200)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fda803200)') 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: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... 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(0x7f3fd9fc7690)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd9ee1100)', '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(0x7f3fd9fc7690)') 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(0x7f3fd9ee1100)') 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(0x7f3fda017350)') 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(0x7f3fd9ee1100)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd9ee1100)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fd9af0a28)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd9af0638)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fd9af0638)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0Russia says plane downing result of 'premeditated' actions by Israeli pilots



Moscow, Sept 24 (AFP) Sep 24, 2018



The Kremlin on Monday accused Israeli pilots of "premeditated actions" over the downing of a Russian plane in Syria last week, warning it will harm relations between the two countries.

"According to information of our military experts, the reason (behind the downing) were premeditated actions by Israeli pilots which certainly cannot but harm our relations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Peskov's remarks followed an announcement by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu that Moscow will be sending an advanced S-300 air defence system to the Syrian military as well as jamming communications of any military planes that attack Syria from over the Mediterranean.

On September 17, a Russian Il-20 plane was hit by a Syrian S-200 air defence missile when it was landing following strikes by Israeli F-16 planes of western Syria. Moscow blamed the friendly fire incident on Israeli pilots using the larger Russian plane as "cover."

Peskov said the new measures were decided on to boost the security of its troops in Syria.

"Russia in this case is acting in its interests only, these actions are not directed against third countries, but towards defending our own military," he said.Bosnia arrests Syrian, Algerian migrants with weapons



Sarajevo, Sept 24 (AFP) Sep 24, 2018



Two migrants, a Syrian and an Algerian national found in possession of firearms were arrested in the Bosnian capital at the weekend, police said Monday.

It was the first time that police found weapons with migrants who have been passing through the Balkan country in growing numbers since the start of the year as they head towards western Europe.

"For the time being we do not know what they were planning to do with (the weapons)," a police spokeswoman told AFP.

"The two men tried to flee when police asked them for documents but they were quickly arrested," spokeswoman Suvada Kuldija said.

The arrests were carried out on Sunday evening.

Police searched several locations linked to the two where they found and seized a "rifle, four guns, a silencer and more than 100 bullets of different calibres," the spokeswoman added.

The 34-year-old Syrian national was officially registered with the authorities in charge of migrants, while police were verifying the status of the 23-year-old Algerian.

Since the start of the year, 15,000 migrants trying to reach western Europe have been registered in Bosnia, a minister said Sunday.

So far the influx does not compare with the hundreds of thousands who arrived in Europe via the 'Balkans Route' in 2015 and 2016, fleeing war and poverty across Africa and the Middle East.

The route was effectively closed in March 2016.

Now, most of the migrants, who enter Bosnia from Serbia or Montenegro, stay for a few days in Sarajevo before heading towards the northwestern town of Bihac.

Bihac is on the border with Europan Union member Croatia, where they try to sneak into the bloc.

Since the 1990s wars that marked the collapse of Yugoslavia, the Balkans have been considered a centre for arms trafficking.

Jihadists who have carried out attacks in western Europe in recent years are also believed to have passed through.Russia boosts Syria air defence in plane row with Israel



Moscow, Sept 24 (AFP) Sep 24, 2018



Moscow on Monday announced new security measures to protect its military in Syria as the Kremlin squabbled with Israel over who was to blame for the downing of a Russian plane in the country last week.

Russia said it would supply the Syrian army with an S-300 air defence system and would jam radars of hostile warplanes.

A Syrian Soviet-era S-200 missile shot down a Russian surveillance plane last week, killing 15 people.

It was the deadliest friendly fire incident between Syria and its key backer Russia since Moscow's game-changing military intervention on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in 2015.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call Monday that he disagreed with the Israeli version of events, the Kremlin said.

He pinned the blame on the Israeli military.

Netanyahu retorted that he was confident of his own account -- that Syrian forces were to blame.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the accident "has pushed us to adopt adequate response measures directed at boosting the security of Russian troops" in Syria.

Russia will "transfer the modern S-300 air defence system to the Syrian armed forces within two weeks," Shoigu said in a televised statement.

The Kremlin said Putin and Assad discussed the additional measures and delivery of the S-300 system on the phone on Monday.



- Putin blames Israel -



Putin had taken a more conciliatory tone last week when he described the downing as the result of "tragic accidental circumstances".

But the Kremlin said "the information provided by the Israeli military... runs counter to conclusions of the Russian defence ministry," in a statement released on Monday after the phone call between Putin and Netanyahu.

"The actions by the Israeli air force were the main reason for the tragedy," it added.

Under the new measures, "in regions near Syria over the Mediterranean Sea, there will be radio-electronic suppression of satellite navigation, on-board radar systems and communication systems of military aviation attacking objects on Syrian territory," Shoigu said.

Moscow says Israeli F-16 planes which struck Latakia in western Syria last Monday later used the landing Russian Il-20 surveillance plane as "cover," which resulted in the larger Il-20 being hit by a Syrian missile.

The Russian military has said that Israel's air force informed its command in Syria via an established hotline, but only one minute before the air strikes -- and gave the wrong target location.

Responding to Putin's claims on Monday, Netanyahu warned him against delivering an air defence system to Syria.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu said that transferring advanced weapons systems into irresponsible hands will increase the dangers in the region," Netanyahu's spokesman Ofir Gendelman said on Twitter after the call between the leaders.

Netanyahu "added that Israel will continue to defend its security and its interests", Gendelman wrote.



- 'Fired recklessly' -



Israel regularly carries out strikes in Syria against Assad's government, its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Iranian targets.

An Israeli official said the Russian plane was shot down because Syrian batteries had "fired recklessly, irresponsibly and unprofessionally, long after our planes were no longer there".

He said the warning time before the strike was "much longer than one minute".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned earlier Monday the accident would affect relations between the two countries.

"According to information of our military experts, the reason (behind the downing) was premeditated actions by Israeli pilots which certainly cannot but harm our relations," Peskov told journalists.

He insisted the new security measures "are not directed against third countries, but towards defending our own military".

Military analyst Vladimir Sotnikov said that despite the new security measures Moscow would want to avoid a direct military clash with Israel, a key US ally.

"I don't think that the decision to send an S-300 to Syria would significantly worsen ties with Israel," he said.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.He succeeds Ray Spinks, who has stepped down from the role after 40 years working in the farm equipment industry.

Adrian Winnett is no stranger to the Argo Tractors product line, having worked as Landini sales manager for seven years before joining the UK arm of implement manufacturer Amazone, where he was appointed general manager in 2009 and then managing director in 2014.

He started his career in the familys Northamptonshire-based farm machinery dealership, which held the Landini tractor franchise, before joining the Landini sales operation in Britain.

Simeone Morra, Corporate Business Director, Argo Tractors, said:

Adrian brings invaluable experience of managing a successful agricultural equipment distribution company, which combined with his knowledge of our business and the Landini product range, will be a great asset. We welcome him back to the Argo Tractors family.

Adrian Winnett, who is married with three children, said of his appointment:

Im very pleased to have this opportunity to work with Argo Tractors again and a product line that has been transformed while Ive been working elsewhere.

We face turbulent times in the agricultural machinery industry, with cost, staffing and competition pressures, and also with restructuring in the dealer sector as some manufacturers go full line in the hope of securing more business from their dealerships.

Argo is taking a different path, continuing to specialise in what it does best, producing well-engineered and performance tractors for all sectors, and promoting and supporting independent dealerships free to decide on the products they sell.

Im looking forward to steering the AgriArgo business and encouraging more farmers and contractors to consider a Landini or McCormick for their next tractor.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.A mid-2018 Russian a weapons sales event included several live fire demonstrations. One was curious, for a number of reasons. The demo in question had a Russian wheeled APC (armored personnel carrier) showing how it could destroy tanks protected by ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) or APS (Active Protection System). The tactic involved the Russian vehicle firing two Kornet EM missiles at the same target. The Kornet EM is a new (since 2013) version which is meant for use mounted on vehicles. This arrangement consists of four Kornets (in their storage/launch tubes) and the operator has the option to rapidly fire two missiles at the same target the fire control system is aiming at. Since Kornet uses a beam riding guidance system (where the operator aims a laser beam at the target and the missile follows that beam to a specific area of the target vehicle) that enables two Kornets to hit the same target in quick succession. Russia touted this as a way to defeat ERA and APS.

What was curious about this demonstration (that used an old 1960s era T-62 as a target) was that it used a target that had neither ERA nor APS. Moreover, a cheaper solution to ERA was introduced decades ago in the form of tandem warheads. In effect, a tandem warhead was two warheads in one with the first detonating the ERA and the second penetrating the regular armor behind the ERA. There are some new ERA systems that are designed to defeat tandem warheads but there have not been a lot of realistic tests. Tandem warheads are available for Kornet, but they are expensive. The Russians were pointing out that in an emergency (where a vehicle equipped with Kornets lacking tandem warheads) the dual firing system to have the same effect. What the double tap (two Kornets on one target) feature was really there for as to defeat vehicles with APS.

Israel, and now the United States, are installing combat proven APS on their tanks and light armored vehicles (including wheeled ones). Russia did not demonstrate the Kornet dual shot technique on an APS equipped tank. There was a good reason for that. Although Russia was one of the pioneers in developing APS they never got their APS systems to work reliably in combat. The Israeli Trophy APS has been successfully used in combat since 2010 and Russia failed to mention that Trophy was designed to handle multiple targetings so two Kornets coming in following the same laser beam would not be a problem. Moreover, current APS designs make greater use of electronic countermeasures (like detecting the use of laser beam riding systems and disrupting the beam.) With all that the vehicle-mounted Kornet system has found export customers because Kornet itself has proved itself in combat and there was demand for a vehicle based version. Thus using two Kornets on the same targeting laser beam to defeat ERA or APS was more of a stunt that a reality.

ATGMs are having a real problem with APS systems because ones like Trophy are quite effective. This year the U.S. Army began upgrading 261 M1 tanks with the Israeli Trophy APS. Trophy has already been tested on the M1, a process that occurred after the Americans noted that Western tanks, like the M1 and Leopard 2 are vulnerable to weapons like Kornet (which Russia will sell to just about anyone). This was demonstrated recently in northwest Syria where Turkey lost at least ten Leopard 2s and older American M60s to Kornet ATGMs.

Israel has been a pioneer in APS development and there are several Israeli firms developing and selling APS gear. The most well-known of these is Trophy but another Israeli firm created the Iron Fist APS, which found a market by evolving into an APS that is lighter, more compact, easier to install and, on paper at least, has more features than Trophy. Thus Iron Fist will be equipping lighter American armored vehicles like the M2. Iron Fist contains heat sensing as well as radar to detect threats and that includes rifle and machine-gun fire. These weapons cannot damage armored vehicles but it is useful for the crew to know where the fire is coming from. A full-size Iron Fist can also jam guidance systems on some missiles and has a lower false-alarm rate. There is also a lightweight version with fewer of the extras but that can be put on much lighter vehicles like trucks. While Iron Fist has not been proven in combat like Trophy the manufacturer says it has worked well in tests and that was enough to encourage the American and Dutch armies to evaluate it on some of their armored vehicles. The Israeli army also selected Iron Fist for its Nemer heavy IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle).

The U.S. also planned to install the American developed Iron Curtain APS on Stryker armored vehicles. Iron Curtain began development in 2005 and was part of a Department of Defense effort to catch up in APS development. In mid-2018 the U.S. dropped Iron Curtain because it was not ready for combat while Iron Fist and a lightweight version of Trophy were.

Until now Trophy was the only APS most people heard about, and for good reason. In 2010 the first battalion of Israeli Merkava tanks was equipped with Trophy. Then in 2011 Trophy defeated incoming missiles and rockets in combat for the first time. This included ATGMs like the Kornet E. This is a laser guided missile with a range of 5,000 meters. The launcher has a thermal sight for use at night or in fog. The missile's warhead can penetrate enough modern tank armor to render the side armor of the Israeli Merkava tank vulnerable. The Kornet E missile weighs 8.2 kg (18 pounds) and the launcher 19 kg (42 pounds). A few weeks before the first ATGM intercept Trophy defeated an RPG warhead (an unguided rocket-propelled grenade fired from a metal tube balanced on the shoulder). As it was designed to do, Trophy operated automatically and the crew didn't realize the incoming RPG warhead or missile had been stopped until after it was over. That is how APS is supposed to work and Trophy has proved to be the most reliable and effective APS out there. By 2012 Israel was convinced sufficiently to equip all the Merkava tanks in an armor brigade with the Trophy APS. Now the U.S. Army is planning to eventually equip three brigades with Trophy. More brigades would follow if Trophy proved necessary in future combat situations.

This first combat use doe Trophy was a big deal because APS has been around since the 1980s but demand and sales had been slow until Trophy showed up. The main purpose of APS is to stop ATGMs but on less heavily armored vehicles, stopping RPG type warheads is important as well. The Israeli Trophy APS uses better, more reliable, and more expensive technology than the original Russian Drozd (or its successors, like Arena) APS. This includes an electronic jammer that will defeat some types of ATGMs. For about $300,000 per system, Trophy will protect a vehicle from ATGMs as well as RPGs (which are much more common in combat zones). Israel is the first Western nation to have a lot of their tanks shot up by modern ATGMs and apparently fears the situation will only get worse. Trophy protected several Israeli tanks from ATGM and RPG attacks during the 50 Day War with Hamas in mid-2014.

In 2015 a lightweight (200 kg/440 pound) version of its Trophy APS called Trophy LV was introduced. This is intended for MRAPs (heavily armored trucks), IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) and other heavy vehicles that are lighter than tanks. The regular Trophy weighs about a ton and is one of several APS models on the market but it is also the one with the most impressive combat record. The Israeli manufacturer of Trophy also partners with American firms to manufacture Trophy and Trophy LV for the U.S. market. Meanwhile, another Israeli firm entered the American market with the similar and more capable Iron First.In July the U.S. Air Force tested its new DABS (Deployable Air Base System). This involved moving 161 shipping containers and 60 construction and airfield operation vehicles from Luxemburg to Poland largely by land (via 19 railroad cars and 87 trucks). Two C-130s were also used to get everything to a small airport that did not normally handle military operations (and thus was seen as likely to survive a major Russian attack on Polish airbases.) The land movement took 24 hours and then 57 air force logistical and airfield operations personnel spent another 24 hours to unload, position and get the equipment operational.

After DABS was set up the small airport was capable of arming or loading/unloading, refueling and repairing damaged aircraft with the support of the recently arrived Air Force airbase personnel and equipment. This included medical, housing, sanitary and dining facilities. DABS included tents and modular structures, generators, satellite communications and airbase support electronics. Poland would offer whatever resources they might have available in a wartime situation but DABS also worked on the assumption that food, fuel and other supplies would also have to come in from West Europe via rail, road and cargo aircraft.

The initial test found no serious flaws in the system, but there was a long list of those little things that would make DABS operation go a lot more smoothly. For example, there were no printed instructions about what was in each container and what had to be done with it. That is being changed because in wartime electronic communications might not be sufficient to consult sources back in Western Europe or the United States. The Polish site was surveyed via aerial photos and that approach did not contain enough detail about which areas near the airstrip were swampy or otherwise unsuitable for setting up the military facilities. You needed to bring enough fuel with you to get the generators going and operational until fuel supply for the base could be established. There were a lot of minor items like that but DABS was considered a success.

The air force plans to purchase and preposition up to half a dozen (or more) DABS sets in Western Europe and survey many more sites for setting them up in Poland and other East European NATO countries during a wartime emergency. First, however, air force planners want to tinker with the DABS equipment list because it was pointed out that DABS could also be used for crises short of major war to provide a base just for UAVs, aerial refueling tankers or just transports. To deal with these possibilities the DABS equipment set would have to be larger and everything clearly marked for which mission packages it was used for. That will make DABS more flexible than earlier iterations of this concept.

DABS is a variant of the Cold War REFORGER (REturn of FORces to GERmany) technique which pre-positioned large quantities of army (and later marine) equipment in Europe. All you had to do was fly in the troops and you had brigades and divisions ready for combat in 24 hours or so. The pre-positioning of equipment continued after the Cold War ended in 1991 but the annual troop movement exercises (REFORGER) to use the pre-positioned equipment stopped. In 2016 the army began reviving the REFORGER exercises. As part of this, the U.S. Army moved to store more pre-positioned military equipment in Europe and have brigades move their personnel to Europe for training with that equipment each year. At least one brigade a year is being sent to Europe to use the pre-positioned equipment for training exercises aimed at defending East Europe against Russia. Just like the Cold War, except then the Russian armies were already in East Europe and it was Western Europe being defended.

This practice of moving troops and equipment as separate entities was a Cold War innovation. To speed the movement of reinforcements from the United States to Europe, in the event that the Soviet Union invading, two divisions had one set of equipment in Europe, and another back in the United States, where the divisions were based. In reality, this pre-positioning and troop movement plan also served political demands in the United States that some of the divisions stationed there be brought home. The pre-positioning was a politically acceptable way to withdraw two divisions from Europe in 1968. But the equipment stayed behind and was stored and maintained by contractors (local civilians). Starting in 1969 troops from the two withdrawn divisions began flying to Europe each year, firing up the gear, and going out on field exercises. The troops would then return the gear to the storage areas and fly home. These annual exercises lasted until 1988.

The experience gained in all those REFORGER exercises made the army and marines confident that they could apply the concept of pre-positioned equipment elsewhere. This also led to the idea, as applied in Iraq from 2004 to 2011 of having the first units to get there to leave their gear behind (if they were being replaced by the same type units) when the troops returned home. This saved a lot of money in shipping costs, not to mention the additional work the troops had to do preparing everything for sea movement. Same deal in Afghanistan and the REFORGER techniques have become standards.

One thing that did change was that there were no longer regular movements of troops each year to use the pre-positioned equipment. But there are less regular exercises where the troops are flown overseas, take control of pre-positioned gear and go out and train for a week or two. It is good training and a way to make sure that the pre-positioned material is being maintained properly.

The air force already has the capability to fly in personnel and some equipment to set up operations at a foreign airbase or large airport. DABS takes that one step further and makes it possible to quickly turn hundreds of sites in East Europe into an operational military airbase. But to fly the DABS gear from the United States to Eastern Europe would require the use of a hundred C-17 transports (or equivalent civilian ones like B747 freighters). These military transports would be in high demand in wartime and DABS was created as an inexpensive solution to the air transport shortage. Like REFORGER the air force will regularly assemble teams of air force personnel in West Europe (or fly them in on a single military or civilian transport) from the U.S. on short notice and deploy DABS to East Europe, set it up, handle some traffic then pack it up and send it back to West Europe. Air Force logistical and airbase operations personnel are accustomed to doing this, just not with an instant airbase kit available. The July test showed that air force personnel (active duty and reserve) could quickly implement DABS.France and the United States are pressuring the recently reelected Mali president to finally implement the terms of the 2015 peace deal with separatist Tuareg tribes up north. Failure to do so will cause more of those tribes to go rogue and be nothing but trouble for the government. The only thing that keeps those Tuareg tribes in line are the peacekeepers and especially the French counterterrorism force. If the Mali government cant get past its own corruption and prejudice (against Tuaregs and Arabs up north) then there will be unspecified but definitely punitive consequences. The corruption and mismanagement by Mali government officials is what triggered the 2012 rebellion and subsequent (March) army coup against the government of corrupt president Amadou Toumani Toure (who fled the country in April). After that government finances were scrutinized and it was found that Toure had managed to steal or waste $261 million in the two years before he fled. The high level of corruption in the Toure government was one reason why he was overthrown by the military, who knew that he and his cronies had stolen a lot of money intended for the troops in the north. Toure had been in power since the 1990s and was long known for being extremely corrupt. While a new government was technically opposed to corruption the economy and much of the government is still seen as controlled by the wealthy families and prominent politicians who were deposed from power in 2012. Many Malians believe that the core problem is the endemic corruption that never seems to go away. Toure along with his predecessors and successors openly pledged to do something about the corruption. Toure actually did and was much more effective than his very corrupt and brutal predecessors. But in absolute terms, Toure was corrupt, because he believed that was how you got things done in Mali. Many prominent Malians still believe that. But the current president, the one that that succeeded Toure (after the army was persuaded to back off so elections could be held) is repeating history not changing it.

The European and African countries providing the peacekeepers (and economic aid) are also losing patience. Meanwhile, all that corruption and mismanagement in northern Mali provides Islamic terror groups opportunities to do business (smuggle drugs, weapons and people), but the support of some locals and survive. The recently activated G5 Sahel Joint Force is meant to deal with the Islamic terror groups but is also having problems with corruption, coordination and poor leadership. G5 Force was designed to deal with terrorism in the semi-desert area between well-watered central Africa and the Sahara (and other North African deserts). The five Sahel nations (Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad) each contributed troops best able to deal with the threats throughout the Sahel. That is no instant solution because there is a lot of Islamic terrorist activity in the Sahel. G5 began operations in early 2018 and so far has demonstrated the ability to move and fight and make a difference. Mali is still the most troublesome Sahel nation but also has the most outside assistance, including a peacekeeping force along with a separate French counter-terror force that also covers much of the Sahel alongside the G5 force. The Mali contingent of the G5 is considered the least capable and that has to be taken into account while the training program for the Mali military slowly improves the quality of leadership and troop reliability. With Mali secured by all these foreign troops, the G5 has been able to deal with Islamic terror problems elsewhere, especially Burkina Faso and Niger. But there have been administrative and coordination problems. Mali is the most corrupt of the Sahel counties not the only corrupt nation in the region.

The G5 force consists of 5,000 soldiers and police that are stationed in three operational areas along with troops familiar with local conditions. Thus Sahel East consists of troops from Chad and Niger. Sahel Central is staffed by troops from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso while Sahel West uses troops from Mali and Mauritania. Some of the G5 force was operational by the end of 2017 and by early 2018 the G5 force had already taken part in several counter-terror operations, one of them in the area where the borders of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso meet. The G5 troops have done well when fighting Islamic terrorists but most of the time G5 personnel are either searching for Islamic terrorists or back at their bases training and waiting to get new or replacement equipment or, in the worst cases, to get paid and fed in a timely manner.

September 13, 2018: The government declared that administrative problems made it impossible to hold the parliamentary elections as scheduled for October 28th. The vote will be delayed one month. Many of the problems were related to candidates being late in registering to run for office. The opposition parties still claim, with some justification, that the recent (August) presidential election was tainted by corruption and expect the same with the legislative elections.

September 5, 2018: The United States declared Mali based JNIM (Jamaah Nusrah al Islam wal Muslimin, or Group for the support of Islam and Moslems) a foreign terrorist organization and thus subject to all manner of sanctions and restrictions. Most of the Islamic terrorists in Mali belong to AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) or JNIM. In Mali and neighboring states, most of the Islamic terrorists are not ISIL and are largely united. AQIM concentrates on its fund raising operations (mostly drug and people smuggling) while most of the Islamic terrorist activity is the work of JNIM, which was formed in early 2017. In part JNIM was a reaction to the growing threat from ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) which is hostile to everyone who is not ISIL and will attack or recruit from JNIM members (AQIM factions, Ansar Dine, FLM and al Mourabitoun). Another reason for the merger was to make it easier to pool resources (including information and advice) and coordinate with other Islamic terror groups in the area. This reduces friction and destructive feuding. Making a coalition like this work is always difficult, especially considering the importance of ethnic differences. As a result of this cooperation, there are now connections (supplying information, personnel, supplies) between Islamic terrorists in central Mali and those in the north. These links werent that common before JNIM was formed. JNIM is primarily active in central Mali where the Niger River marks the boundary between the green south and sandy north. JNIM is distracted by some tribal feuds, which makes it more difficult to plan and carry out Islamic terror attacks.

September 4, 2018: In the northeast (outside Menaka) someone fired a rocket into a peacekeeper base, wounding one peacekeeper. The attacker was probably from the ISGS (Islamic State in the Greater Sahara), which is active in this area and angry about French forces recently killing their leader. ISGS is having problems and concentrating on survival. ISGS, like most Islamic terrorists, even the most extreme ones like ISIL need cash because it is simply more efficient to purchase many items (like weapons, ammo, information and sanctuary in areas controlled by local tribes). Northeast Mali (near Gao and the Niger border) is where ISGS, the local branch of ISIL operates and these Islamic extremists do not get along with the local Tuareg tribes. This ISIL franchise is frequently encountered in northeastern Mali on both sides of the Niger border. The ISGS personnel frequently clash with pro-government Tuareg militias and usually lose. Its not that these ISGS men are not fanatic enough but that the Tuareg know the area well and have lots of experience in irregular warfare. Since March 2018 ISGS has taken very heavy losses as the Tuareg militias worked with a special French counterterrorism operation that included troops from Mali and Niger and spent enough time searching to find several ISGS camps and forcing the Islamic terrorists to fight. So far ISGS has lost over 150 dead and captured but groups like ISGS dont surrender but fight harder until they are crushed. ISGS is still up there but in much reduced circumstances. The fact that this recent rocket attack was the only violence up there this month attests to that.

August 27, 2018: France verified that they had killed Mohamed Ag Almouner, the leader of the ISGS yesterday in northeast Mali, near Menaka. In addition to Almouner and one of his subordinates, two civilians were also killed in the August 26 airstrike.The move towards the Caminito del Rey walkway becoming a Unesco World Heritage site took an important first step forward on Tuesday as the Diputacion provincial government unanimously approved launching a bid.

The Diputacion has agreed to the creation of a working commission in collaboration with the local town halls to piece together the bid which will eventually be put forward for the regional government's approval before being sent to Madrid.

The provincial government also approved the creation of a number of campaigns, locally and internationally, to generate support for the eventual bid.

Elias Bendodo, president of the Diputacion, highlighted the importance of this agreement as it would ensure the highest protection for the site, contribute to its growth internationally and guarantee its preservation. He also pointed to the economic impact that Unesco status for the dolmens has had on neighbouring Antequera.The sheets spread out on the promenade from which tourists are invited to buy goods with fake designer labels, have become part of the scenery on the Costa del Sol. Scarce police resources, the complicit custom from passers-by and the lack of consensus over how to deal with the problem has turned illegal street vending into a chronic offence on the coast. The displays of bags, shirts and trainers make some stretches of promenade in Puerto Banus, La Carihuela or Benalmadena almost impassable in the summer when the population can triple in these tourist resorts with services designed for their census of around 75,000 people.

The concentration of the hawkers in one particular area complicates the work of the local police. Officers who normally patrol in pairs have little room to manoeuvre when as many as ten vendors group together. The situation has forced councils in towns such as Marbella and Benalmadena to reinforce their patrols aimed at controlling illegal selling. The predominant feeling among the Costa's local police officers is, however, impotence. Their work multiplies in the summer, when paradoxically there are fewer officers on duty due to holidays. Add to this the frustration as the hawkers tend to abandon the area minutes before they arrive thanks to informants who take a share of the profits.

The problem wouldn't be there, of course, if there wasn't a demand for the goods from the general public. Police officers have told this newspaper that they are often rebuked by both locals and tourists when they confiscate the fake goods on sale. While their activity might seem harmless, it constitutes unfair competition for traders who pay their taxes, it swells the "black" economy and generates million-euro losses for firms that manufacturer and sell bags, sunglasses, watches or clothing. The European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights has pointed out that some sectors lose up to 17 per cent of jobs due to the illegal vendors.

Although it may seem a harmless activity, the illegal vendors upset the shop owners who pay taxes

Trade in fake goods, in the words of Pablo Lopez, accounts director at intellectual property specialists Clarke, Modet & Co, uses a structure similar to that of drug or arms traffickers. An internal report within the Benalmadena Local Police force reveals the organisation of this illegal industry, on occasions controlled by ringleaders who don't sell items themselves but exploit dozens of migrants. The police have identified at least seven of these "bosses". Two of them drive Mercedes. In his report the Local Police chief points out that it is "a priority to avoid forceful arrests or actions that can scare people away", as well as any other "disproportionate action that could lead to reproach from passers-by" and put citizen safety at risk.

Back in March local business owners called a meeting to tackle the problem in Torremolinos and Benalmadena, which was attended by both mayors and representatives of the Local and National Police forces.

"It was useless because they never put into action any of the measures we called for," said the president of the Benalmadena Traders Association ACEB, Rosa Maria Gonzalez, who says she is "indignant" at the impunity with which illegal trading grows every year on the Costa del Sol.

"This summer I've received more than 500 photographs of these hawkers taken by local traders, because a lot of them are sick of them standing right in front of their shops. How can we allow someone to come along and lay down a sheet full of fake versions of the same goods sold in the shop right behind him, when the shopkeeper is paying 4,000 or 5,000 euros just in rent, as is the case in Puerto Marina?" she added.

Some of the alternatives suggested by business owners and councils involve registering the vendors in cooperatives where their commercial activity is regulated, or moving them to markets. So far however, these options have been frustrated by the fact that many of the hawkers have no legal documents and others refuse to stop selling fakes, their main source of income.

Through the Local Police, local councils seize thousands of items every summer, a figure that contrasts with the few arrests. The vendors tend to run when they realise there are police around and leave their goods behind - or bury them in the sand - a reaction that prevents the officers from associating the individuals with the goods and from issuing fines for illegal trading.

Informants

Internally, officers from several Police forces on the Costa del Sol have called for reinforcements in the form of substitutions, the employment of municipal informants, the setting up of an immediate action unit and paid overtime. They also agree that the problem should be tackled from a global perspective given the increase in violent reactions among the vendors: "It's not just something that concerns the Local Police," they say.

Recently in Marbella a group of illegal street vendors turned on police who had confiscated the fake goods that they were trying to sell on Rodeito beach. The three officers were outnumbered and a large part of the contraband was snatched back.

Behind the illegal hawkers are several mafia-style organisations that supply the goods, the majority of them fakes, stored on industrial estates. The mafias force the migrants to endless working days, exposed to arrest at any moment.

Tired of this situation, several vendors in Benalmadena have been trying for at least a year to create their own brand, following the example of Barcelona, where the hawkers sell trainers, T-shirts and other articles under the brand Top Manta, the name given in Spanish to the sale of goods on sheets or blankets (mantas). The idea has not caught on yet on the Costa del Sol.

"There are a lot of us who want to change this way of life. We would prefer to be in a street market, but some of us don't have papers," said one Senegalese vendor who works in the province of Malaga. His story is another piece in the complex puzzle which combines business losses, police frustration, personal dramas and exploitation of workers.Spirit Cartel launches tequila Orendain

Spirit Cartel is launching two 100 per cent agave tequila's from Orendain, a large independent Mexican producer.

The firm will distribute its Cantinero Reposado and the new expression Cantinero Blanco, which was created in collaboration with the Spirit Cartel team in London.

Orendain is poured in the La Capilla, the oldest bar in Tequila, where the Batanga cocktail was created using Orendain. As is common with tequila, Cantinero, Spanish for bartender, is named after a famous animal of myth or legend. In this case, Cantinero was a bull beloved by the firms founder Don Eduardo Orendain in the 1920s. An etched image of the beast appears on the bottles.

Orendain has not installed the mechanical diffusors used by more industrial producers. Diffusors extract the last drops of liquid from agave, but in doing so, can strip away flavour and add bitter notes to the end product. Crucially, with the ongoing agave shortage, Orendain also owns significant acres of the crop. Apart from ensuring a steady supply, it means the firm can harvest the plant at its peak.

David Hood, general manager at Spirit Cartel, says: This deal is a real coup for us  and another sign of our commitment to bringing the very best tequilas to the UK on-trade. We want to show agave at its best  its time to move on from those thin, industrial, tequilas and give customers a taste of some of Mexicos finest.

Spirit Cartel has also taken on Orendains premium ranges of Ollitas (Blanco and Reposado) and Gran Orendain (Blanco, Reposado, Anejo, plus a 3 Years Old and 7 Years Old Extra Anejo). All these variants are triple distilled.

21 September 2018 - Sam Coyne the drinks report, editorShare this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Jusuf Wanandi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 10:24 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877432c6c 3 Opinion ASEAN,international-relations,Southeast-Asia,#ASEAN,marty-natalegawa,Book Free

In August 2018, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) hosted the launch event for Marty Natalegawas book, Does ASEAN Matter? A View from Within.



I was privileged to be the single discussant of the book, and a wider audience of the experts and observers of ASEAN present at the event shared their thoughts. As designed, we had a very good dialogue and exchange of views. My comments, then, were limited to certain issues, hence, I would like to add a few more in this article.



First, the tone and style of Pak Martys excellent book attest to his qualities as a person, scholar and practitioner. His prose is outstanding, which shows his mastery of English. He is very clear in his analyses on ASEAN, as he sees it amid differing views others have on the problems faced by ASEAN, but as a whole he believes ASEAN has achieved a lot.

Read also: 'Does ASEAN Matter?': Marty Natalegawa's personal notes

His outlook on the future of ASEAN is cautiously optimistic, while new and important challenges are looming. He outlines the achievements of ASEAN, in particular in overcoming its history as the Balkans of East Asia thanks to its ability to prevent tensions, conflicts and wars among its members. More than that, Marty is very happy with ASEAN developing into a community, so its pursuit of peace and development of the region can be achieved.



Some parts of the book are very informative in enlightening readers about his former role as Indonesian foreign minister, as the Indonesian representative to the United Nations and during Indonesias chairmanship of ASEAN in the period of 2011-2012. Among other things, the book touches on the settlement of the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand over the Vihear Temple, including the debate at the UN Security Council. Another case is the rescheduling of Myanmars chairmanship of ASEAN as a newly joined member. These issues are important to show how ASEAN has worked beyond the principles of consensus and noninterference in members domestic affairs.



In addition, Marty highlighted three cases, in which the ASEAN principle of non-interference was more widely interpreted. One was Indonesias request to some ASEAN members to send troops for peacekeeping in the resolution of Acehs conflict under the auspices of the European Union. Another was for the post-referendum of Timor-Leste under the UN.



Second and third are the roles of Indonesia and Malaysia as interlocutors in the Southern Philippines struggle to deal with the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front at the request of the Philippine government. The non-interference principle has been upheld in relations among ASEAN members. However, there have been exceptions, when consensus among members was reached that certain flexibility was important for ASEAN members to help each other in overcoming domestic challenges. Here the consent of the country concerned is very important to show that every member is at ease with the need for such a decision.



Marty has shown how the consensus principle of decision-making can be adjusted if needed, and that stronger future relations among ASEAN members can make it more comfortable to do so. Those are the important points Marty describes in his book. They are also important for the development of relations among the many subdivisions of ASEAN, such as the Coordinating Council, the three Working Councils on political security, economic and sociocultural affairs and the relations between the permanent representatives to ASEAN and the Secretariat General.



Future adjustments in the process of decision-making are possible if needed as if the relations among ASEAN members are strong and open. The idea of the Secretariat General becoming a supranational entity is less important when there is a lack of harmony among the members, thus, a so-called supra-national secretariat would not be relevant. That does not mean that the Secretariat General and its funding arrangements cannot be improved.



Marty believes a people-centered ASEAN is a game-changer. It is already operational in the Economic Community building, where people benefit from this new development.



However, it should also be possible to work out in the field of security. For that to happen, there is dire need for more frequent and integrated relations among the leaders and among the foreign ministers. The leaders should at least have four meetings annually among themselves, and there should be eight meetings of the foreign ministers annually to establish effective cooperation. The gatherings could take the form of retreat or informal business meetings in addition to the Summitry or ministers meetings.



What is also important for Marty with regard to a people-centered ASEAN is the role of the nongovernmental groupings: politicians, businesses, think tanks and universities, youths, students and CSOs/NGOs, which still have few opportunities to provide input or convey their thoughts and proposals to the government, even though their presence is mentioned in the ASEAN Charter.



Pak Marty has given us a lot of thoughts and shares his experience, and now it should be the people themselves to provide their governments with their thoughts and ideas and in doing so create a people-centered ASEAN.



***

The writer is the vice chair of the CSIS Foundations board of trustees.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Isabella Veronica Silalahi (The Jakarta Post) Washington D.C.  Mon, September 24, 2018 14:45 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877446ddd 3 Opinion United-Nations,general-assembly-meeting,UNGA,international-relations,foreign-affairs,multilateralism,Donald-Trump,Rohingya-Muslims Free

It is that time of the year, time for the largest international political gathering of heads of states, thought leaders, civil society members, development practitioners, and other industry professionals. The 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York opened on Sept. 18.

This years theme is all about Making the United Nations relevant for all people, but will this years General Assembly bring new hope or new criticism for multilateralism?

The General Assembly convenes every year in mid-September for three months, a deliberative platform for 193 member states to allow their high-level heads of state to discuss issues ranging from humanitarian, security to development.

Established in 1945 under the UN Charter as the UNs main deliberative, policymaking and representative of the UN, the General Assembly is a unique form of multilateral discussion for all member states. Thus, with the amount of actors involved in one sitting, consensus might not be the main focus of the body. It is the only UN body that has equal representation from every member nation and often influences the codification of international laws.

Making the UN inclusive to all individuals, as this years theme suggests, is highly ambitious. In this polarized world, global leadership is in distress and shared responsibilities are shared by too few.

The UN meeting is always a bit of a circus. The stakes are high, but expectations are manageable. This is because with different issues being brought to the table along with the different actors involved, it is difficult to focus on one particular issue and deep-dive to create concrete and specific solutions for it.

So, here are just three broad issues that we can expect to be in the spotlight:

Humanitarian

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his top human rights official have described the killings and persecution of Myanmars Rohingya Muslim minority as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. With over 600,000 Rohingya refugees now in Bangladesh and daily evidence of atrocities in Myanmar, what will world leaders say? Will the UN Security Council (UNSC), which is empowered to do something to halt the killings, maintain its conspicuously mild response despite increased pressure to act quickly? These are several questions to think about.

Security

United States President, Donald Trump will reportedly attend the UNSC session for next weeks agenda. However, due to his repeatedly expressed distrust of the UN since his debut in UNGA last year, it will be interesting to see Trumps view on security as he has constantly been dismissing the UNs effective role as a multilateral agent. This is seen in the withdrawal of funds for UN activity by the US government.

On the other hand, this will also be Indonesias first time after 10 years to debut its role as a non-permanent member of the UNSC. Winning the non-permanent bid is an invaluable opportunity for Indonesia to achieve its goals of global peace and security, to enhance its reputation, and draw attention to regional issues.

However, Indonesia will unlikely push for any big changes during its tenure on the Security Council. While some have wondered whether Indonesia will raise the South China Sea issue, this seems exceedingly unlikely pending significant changes to the situation. How will Indonesia position themselves as the peace-broker will be interesting to observe.

Development

From climate change to rural migration, these issues will be a hot topic that directly relates to this years theme. Mobilizing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals is the way to move forward, and echoing the words of Ammina J. Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, the SDGs is for everyone.

Governments cannot achieve them alone. Networks, coalitions and alliances of global actors can achieve them. This includes big companies, philantrophies, NGOs, that when combined can create major progress towards reaching the goals.

Climate change action will be of particular interest to member states, especially with the US recently withdrawing from the Paris Accord. Climate change is the defining issue of our time and we are at a defining moment. Questions include: how will the talking points brought up in this assembly shape the upcoming Conference of Parties convening in Poland this December knowing that the US will likely be present?.

Therefore another question is, is constructive diplomacy possible at this years UNGA with the diversity of issues? As the theme states, the focus should be more on reaching out to individuals who the policies and goals are created for rather than just the states, and to continue emphasis on pursuing equal human rights for all. Still, the world needs the General Assembly to show the value of international cooperation. So get ready to watch the Assembly unfold, especially regarding issues which catch your interest.

***

The writer is a recent graduate of the Master of International Affairs program at the George Washington University. She is now working as a partnerships analyst in the UN Office of Project Services in Washington DC. She is also active in youth development and digital activism.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Muthi Achadiat Kautsar (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 09:08 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087742f96e 1 Food alfresco-dining,restaurants-in-Jakarta,Tangier-Jakarta,Up-in-Smoke-Jakarta,Piknik-at-Arif-Inn,food,#food,restaurant Free

When escaping to the beachside is not an option, these three restaurants in Jakarta may cheer you up with their outdoor dining areas.

Tangier

Offering authentic Moroccan cuisine and an outdoor area with a view of lush trees and Jakarta high rises, Tangier is the brainchild of Moroccan French chef Nabil Jaghdour. The restaurant opens for lunch, but its busiest time is early evening when guests flock to the balcony for after office shisha, followed by Moroccan dishes for dinner.

Tangier is one of just a few places that offer shisha in Jakarta. (JP/Muthi Kautsar)

A la carte specials are couscous, chicken tagine with lemon and olives, and grilled leg of lamb cooked with Moroccan spices. Cooked in a tagine, a clay pot used for slow cooking without oil or water, the juices and nutrients of the meat and vegetables are preserved, resulting in rich flavors.

Kerhin bel Hummus (beef with chickpea) is served at Tangier. (JP/Muthi Kautsar)

For those looking for something light, a chicken gyro wrap is a good choice. This comprises marinated chicken, lemon juice, Moroccan spices, herbs, lettuce, tomato and onion wrapped in a flatbread.

Besides running the restaurant, chef Nabil also teaches French cooking at Institut Francais. For the past few years, he and his restaurant have participated in Gout de France, which celebrates French gastronomy.

Where

Thamrin Residence, Level P2, Mezzanine RTE/G15

Jl. Teluk Betung I, Kb. Melati, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta

Up in Smoke

Serving an array of barbecued meat, Up in Smoke is an ideal destination for those in need of extra protein. The open kitchen in its main dining area grills many different ingredients, such as beef ribeye, brisket, chicken wings, red snapper, shrimp and corn. One recommended vegetable dish is grilled broccoli with pickled gold raisins, spiced cashews and Romesco sauce.

Up in Smoke has a long bar at which guests can enjoy drinks and quality time with friends, but the bar in its outdoor area is also tempting. Various activities take place in this area, for instance outdoor movie screening every Sunday evening.

Where

RDTX Tower, Lobby Level

Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio, Mega Kuningan Kav. E4 No. 6, South Jakarta

Read also: Jakpost guide to vegetarian restaurants

Piknik at Arif Inn

For Jakartans who miss beach clubs in Bali but are unable to leave town, Piknik, which calls itself a tropical poolside hangout, could be the answer. It may not be a fancy beach club or have any beach in sight, but it does have a pool and its unpretentiousness is relaxing.

Piknik was established by chef Ragil Imam Wibowo, a seasoned chef and restaurateur who created Nusa Indonesian Gastronomy, Locarasa Indonesia -- which serves gelato, coffee and snacks -- and the Warung Pasta chain.

For those who visit on a warm day and want to sit outdoors, the tuna poke bowl, mangosteen kombucha and watermelon yakult are interesting options. If visit on a "cheat" day, a beef sandwich with melting cheese or grilled chicken noodles are the dishes to choose.

Where

Jl. Pertanian Raya No. 53, RT. 2/RW.4,

Lebak Bulus, Cilandak, South JakartaShare this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Giulia Segreti (Reuters) Milan  Mon, September 24, 2018 15:47 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087744914c 2 Lifestyle Armani,Milan-Fashion-Week Free

After stunning the fashion elite with his spectacular show-with-concert on Thursday, Giorgio Armani returned on Sunday and gave a "shape to colour" in a new collection of ethereal designs in pastel and silver coloured satins.

"Liquid and lightness are given by a rarefied range of colours. It's all very subtle, just like the colour palette, which gives a shape to the clothes," designer Giorgio Armani told reporters at the end of his show.

But unlike past designs, Armani used a palette of silver, grey, pastels and soft blues, with touches of darker blue and bright pink making only a brief appearance on the runway.

"Emotions turn into colours, colours become shapes," read a style note.

"The woman I portrayed is one that wants to be noticed, she doesn't slip away dressed like a man with a pencil stuck in her ruffled hair. She wants to be stunning," Armani added.

Designs were clean and light, with elongated silhouettes, giving a delicate, almost celestial appearance to the models.

The show opened with delicate sheer flowing skirts matched with soft satin jackets and worn with stiletto heel sandals.

Satin, in trousers, skirts as well as sophisticated jackets, reigned on the catwalk, giving a fluid and softly draping flow to the collection.

Armani said that he added a touch of shine and glimmer to his clothes and accessories, as women like to "play" with it.

Models in sophisticated suits wore big shiny earrings, elaborate necklaces and wide-brimmed hats. Tiny bags were tied to the wrist, small rucksacks were slung onto backs and PVC shopper bags were held in models' hands.

Organza was layered on trousers and skirts, adding light as well as movement, and was also worn on capes.

The 84-year old Italian designer had already entertained the Milan Fashion Week crowd on Thursday with his Emporio Armani show, held in an airport and ending with a Robbie Williams concert and described by all as the must-see event of the week.

Read also: In Milan, Fendi and Prada dress strong women, Armani invades airport

Armani also said that the Italian fashion industry had to "defend itself", in response to a recent article by the New York Times on workers in the southern region of Puglia being exploited and underpaid by certain fashion houses.

"There is always an American attack (during Milan fashion week). It seems to me that in the last years the American (fashion) industry hasn't done much...," Armani said, dismissing the issue.

Milan Fashion Week ends on Monday, with a show by Japanese designer Atsushi Nakashima. Dolce & Gabbana is expected to show later on Sunday.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Joseph Ax (Reuters)  Mon, September 24, 2018 14:04 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877444d9d 2 Entertainment Bill-Cosby,#MeToo,sexual-harassment Free

When a grainy video of standup comedian Hannibal Buress making a joke about Bill Cosbys rape allegations on an October night in 2014 went viral, the rallying cry of #MeToo was years away.

The men the movement would lay low were still at the height of their powers. That same evening, Bill OReilly was on his top-rated Fox News show, railing against political correctness, while the next morning, Charlie Rose told CBS This Mornings audience about an Ebola outbreak.

But the Buress clip was the first rumble of an avalanche bearing down on Cosby, prompting dozens of women to come forward with their own stories of abuse by the entertainer, eventually leading to his arrest and subsequent conviction.

When the comedian, once known as Americas Dad, is sentenced to what could be up to 10 years in prison this week for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2004, it will be perhaps the starkest evidence yet that the #MeToo movement has permanently altered the way the country reckons with sexual misconduct by powerful men.

Im hoping thats a permanent change  that there isnt the idea that you get to a point of success that you can do whatever you want, said Aviva Orenstein, a law professor at Indiana University who has studied sexual assault cases. Jokes about casting couches  I mean, that was tolerated for years. Sexual favors are expected, and genius is recognized as an exception to decency.

Cosby, once the beloved star of the 1980s television comedy The Cosby Show, eventually faced accusations from some 60 women stretching back decades, some of which had long been known but previously failed to gain traction.

His arrest in late 2015 predated the #MeToo movement, which gained steam following multiple allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, by nearly two years. But Deborah Tuerkheimer, a law professor at Northwestern University and an expert on sexual assault cases, said Cosbys case, as well as the election of U.S. President Donald Trump in 2016, helped seed the ground for the coming wave.

I do think you can draw a line between the Cosby case and where we are now, she said.

Read also: Cosby is 'sexually violent predator': Pennsylvania panel

The movement itself may have helped convict Cosby, after his first trial in mid-2017 for sexually assaulting a former friend, Andrea Constand, ended with a hung jury. By the time he faced his retrial, the #MeToo campaign had exploded.

Defense lawyers grilled prospective jurors before the trial on whether they could set aside their feelings about #MeToo. The judge who oversaw both trials, Steven ONeill, allowed prosecutors to call five additional accusers to tell their stories at the second proceeding, bolstering Constands account.

[The movement] may have influenced the judges willingness to allow more witnesses, Orenstein said.

In closing arguments, prosecutors specifically called out Cosbys lawyers for targeting the womens credibility, saying those attacks discourage victims from speaking up.

Experts said the #MeToo movements work is far from over. In Cosbys case, he was only convicted after a jury heard from several women, rather than only one, underscoring the challenges sole accusers can face. That dynamic is on display in the controversy surrounding U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Tuerkheimer said, with Kavanaugh and his allies denying allegations from a woman that he sexually assaulted her in high school.

But Cosbys conviction has given hope to many survivors, particularly those whose abuse occurred too long ago to pursue criminal charges, according to Rebecca OConnor, vice president of public policy at RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). The nonprofits hotline has received a record number of calls in the last year, with many survivors citing the Cosby case and others as inspiration.

I think for a lot of survivors, they can see themselves in this story, she said. People are watching carefully.Hundreds of dancers were busily putting on makeup and costumes prior to their performance at the Warna-Warni tourism village.

The dancers were students from Malang State Universitys (UNM) performance art program, who performed Out of Frame themed traditional and contemporary dances for five hours in Jodipan subdistrict, Malang city, East Java, on Sunday.

Other than the dance performances, visitors were also entertained by classic music and theatrical performances presented by 200 participants consisting of students, alumni and teachers.

The show kicked off at 8 a.m. and ended at 11 a.m., with a duration of five to seven minutes for each dance, theatrical and music performance, beginning with the baris dance from Bali. It was later followed by Malangs remong dance, ketuk tilu dance, jaipong dance and umbul dance from West Java; Central Javas gambyong and ronggeng dances; remong malangan dance, baskalan dance and topeng malangan dances from East Java; and Balis baris dance, margopati dance and pendet dance.

Read also: Glass bridge between 2 villages draws tourists to Malang

Between the dance performances, spectators were entertained by folklore and classic music performances.

Australian tourist Nancy Caitlin told The Jakarta Post that she had not planned to watched the show while vacationing with three friends in Malang specifically to visit Mount Bromo. We initially intended to only enjoy the beauty of the colorful kampung. Hopefully traditional art performances like this can be held more often and be properly announced by tourism agencies, she said.

This five-hour event is to be held once a year based on dance movements, drama and music that [these students] learned from the classroom. Hence the theme is Out of Frame, to allow them to explore their dance knowledge and skills, perform dramas and music according to their surroundings  and not get caught up by the rules of dance and other arts.

He is hopeful that the students will be able to develop their skills and share their knowledge on traditional and cultural art as well as further develop traditional art.

Hopefully we can also help develop and enliven the growth of tourism villages through the art sector in Malang, he added. (kes)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 11:33 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087743780c 1 Food Chuseok,Thanksgiving,Thanksgiving-Day Free

A holiday to celebrate the main harvest and abundance also takes place in Korea. Every fall, Koreans observe Chuseok, which falls on Sept. 24 this year.

On this day, Korean families gather to share food and stories and give thanks to their ancestors. It is a time when Koreans return to their hometowns to spend quality time with family and friends.

During Chuseok, a memorial service called charye to honor ancestors takes places. Freshly harvested rice, alcohol and songpyeon (half-moon shaped rice cakes) are served as an offering. Charye is then followed by a family feast.

Korean songpyeon (half-moon shaped rice cake). (Shutterstock/sungsu han)

Read also: Warding off Lembu Soras curse at Mt. Kelud crater

Jakartans who are interested in Korean dishes may treat themselves to a Chuseok feast at Anigre restaurant at the Sheraton Grand Jakarta, Gandaria City mall. The restaurant is offering a Chuseok thanksgiving buffet on Sept. 25. A buffet offered on Sept. 23 was fully booked.

Different colored songpyeon were placed in a corner. These half-moon shaped rice cakes are made of rice flour and filled with sesame seeds, red bean or chestnuts.

Anigre, which consulted with the Korean Embassy in Jakarta prior to holding the feast, said in a press release that making songpyeon as a family on the eve of Chuseok was a Korean tradition.

Another significant aspect of the Chuseok feast is jeon, made of sliced fish, meat and vegetables lightly fried in a batter of flour and eggs. These savory Korean pancakes are paired with traditional liquor.

The rest of Anigres Chuseok buffet appeared as if a Korean guest chef worked in the kitchen to help with the preparation. However, the Sheraton Grand Jakarta employs an all-Indonesian kitchen team.

While the Korean Embassy lent ornaments to decorate the buffet, Anigres team did its own research for the recipes.

We were also assisted by our Korean sales manager, who tastes our cooking so that the flavors are the same as the real [Korean food]. There are also items that we serve according to whats available in the Korean market such as Myeongdong [in Seoul]. There are so many Korean snacks [in Myeongdong], street foods, said Anton Sulistiawan, chef de cuisine at the Sheraton Grand.

More food items to be found in Anigres Chuseok buffet include gimbap (Korean sushi filled with sweet marinated chicken, beef, vegetables), Korean barbeque, kimchi, tteokbokki (rice cakes) and oden (one pot dish that includes boiled eggs, tofu, fish cakes).

Patbingsu, a popular Korean shaved ice dessert with sweet toppings is also available. Each ingredient is displayed separately so that guests can build their own patbingsu according to personal preferences. (mut)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Katrin Figge (The Jakarta Post) Berlin  Mon, September 24, 2018 10:33 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308774338cc 4 Books Laksmi-Pamuntjak,Indonesian-writer,#books,Book,German,translation Free

The audience listened attentively when Laksmi Pamuntjak, dressed in a traditional kebaya, began to read a passage of her new novel in her mother tongue, Indonesian.

Only a few among the people who had come to the premiere reading of Laksmis new novel Fall Baby could understand the words, but they seemed enthralled by her accentuation and the melodious sound of the Indonesian language.

This is a common sight at the International Literature Festival Berlin: authors of prose and poetry from all over the world, both renowned and up-and-coming, read in their original language before actors present the German translation. Every reading ends with a moderated discussion.

The German version of her book Fall Baby  Herbstkind in German  was released in August, while the English and Indonesian translations are still in progress.

This is certainly not the most conventional route, but according to Laksmi, it was due to practical considerations, as she wanted her German publisher Ullstein Verlag to quickly understand what Fall Baby was about, so she wrote the story in English, and Corinna Rodewald then provided the German translation.

I am happy and content in both English and Indonesian and have been an avid reader in both languages since I was quite small, Laksmi said when asked about the difficulty of having to switch between languages.

I was taught to appreciate and be in love with both languages. I do dabble in different genres, and sometimes an idea comes to me in one language and I feel that I have to honor it. That is basically my governing principle. If a story presents itself to me in English, I would heed it as well.

It was already the second time for Laksmi to be part of the festival, which ran from Sept. 5 to 15, during which Germanys capital transforms into a platform for local and international literature. Three years ago, she presented her first novel Amba or The Question of Red on the same stage.

While the premiere reading of Fall Baby was the main event for Laksmi, she also took part in other programs of the festival, which celebrated its 18th edition this year.

In the 3x8  Late Night Readings, she joined two other authors  Karen Connelly from Canada and Antonio Ortuno from Mexico  giving eight-minute readings of their recent poems and stories in their own languages.

She also participated in the special section The Art of Cooking, dedicated to literature dealing with cooking and eating in both the scientific as well as political and cultural context, where she talked about her book Aruna dan Lidahnya or The Birdwomans Palate, which has been turned into a movie that will soon hit theaters.

It is perhaps not surprising at all that Fall Baby was first published in German, seeing that the city of Berlin plays quite a crucial role in the book.

Fall Baby is the sequel to Amba or The Question of Red  a love story set against the backdrop of culture, political turmoil and mythology.

While Amba is the protagonist in the first book, Fall Baby follows the story of Ambas daughter Siri, an artist and wanderer between worlds. When Siri finds out the man she had always believed to be her father is, in fact, not her biological father, she packs her bags and moves to Germany. In Berlin, a city that connects her to both her fathers, she tries to recover her balance.

Laksmi Pamuntjak: Shines through with 'Fall Baby' (Courtesy of Laksmi Pamuntjak/-)

Like her main character Siri, Laksmi feels a deep connection to Berlin. In the book, Siri describes the city as both poison and cure.

Thats what love is, isnt it? You need it, you dont need it, but youd rather not be without it, Laksmi explained, adding that this feeling could also be applied when talking about the love for a city.

I wanted to pay tribute to my past that has always been very full of all things German, she said.

Berlin has always been very inspiring, in all the stories my father told me. When I first came here in 2015, I thought it was lovely that it lacked the hustle, vanity and attitude of many of the art capitals of the world. I found calm and measure in Berlin. People here value their privacy, which I dont find in my neck of the woods. At the same time, it can be deceptive because it also insists on intellectual awareness and you are held to a very high standard.

But the similarities between Laksmi and Siri  who is, of course, a fictional character, as the author adds with a laugh  dont end there. Siri finds out about her true origins shortly before her 50th birthday. Laksmi had a similar experience.

The notion of adoption and what it does to the adoptee, being internally as well as externally divided, and at the same time what it does to the parents who raised and sustained you and the ones who gave you life  why it is so important and why it was a story that I wanted to tell is because I was myself adopted and only knew about the truth of my origins when I was 23, on the eve of my wedding, and I was not told by my adoptive parents whose prerogative it was to tell me, but by my late husband, Laksmi recalled. Everybody knew  except for me.

How did she react when she found out? Was she shocked, disappointed, furious? Did she feel betrayed?

Yes, I did feel betrayed, maybe for five minutes, Laksmi said jokingly. After the initial shock, it made sense. I had always known that there was something else to my story, not of my own making. It was pre-knowledge, in a way. And yet, at the same time, I was filled with awe and magnified love for my parents, because it does call for tremendous generosity and sacrifice to decide to love and raise someone else as if she was your own child. I was filled with empathy but at the same time I didnt know how to express it. Its a lifelong struggle.

While adoption is one of the central themes in Fall Baby, it also thoroughly discusses topics like art and politics.

I grew up with paintings, as I did with books and music, Laksmi said of her lifelong passion for art.

Every painting reveals itself over time, and it takes on a story within you. I have had these long and close relationships with many paintings. Im always at my calmest when I stand before a painting, so I have always wanted to write about it. Im not an artist, but its the one thing that makes me happy and calm.

The novel is set in both Berlin and Jakarta  this is where politics come into play. Fall Baby also introduces the character of Dara, a political activist from Indonesia.

Dara is very much engaged in this battle against censorship by Islamists, which is of course fictional, but it is not something that you do not encounter in the Indonesia of today, Laksmi explained.

There is no such censorship in art, and yet you can find isolated incidents, in which anybody could storm into an exhibition and insist that it be banned on religious grounds. There is increased conservatism, and we have religious groups trying to impose or legalize a very singular view of life.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Jonathan G T Tan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 09:28 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308774300f9 4 Art & Culture short-story,#shortstory Free

Like her name, Mega, which means a girl who is like the clouds, Edemi Mega loved the idea of flying, suspended somewhere, grateful for the little respite even though she was nowhere near the orbit of finding an answer to where her life was headed. She would figure out what to do next when she landed. In the meantime, she watched cairns of clouds giving way to achingly blue skies out there, the patches of green and blue anchored below telling her little about where she was.

Hours later, when the familiar necklace of mountains and paddy fields shimmering in the sun came into view, and as the plane approached Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, she shut the window flap tight, regretting her decision to come home. What seemed familiar about the place she grew up in was often lost on her. She had never understood it and probably never would.

As she wended down the glass-covered aerobridge, she felt the familiar tropical heat creeping up her skin despite the chill of the air conditioning. Too much sun in this country, she thought. Not being able to stand the sudden glare of sunlight, she fished out her sunglasses from her handbag and put them on quickly.

But it wasnt just the heat that she hated.

By the time she walked over to the luggage collection belt, it was only just starting up. From behind black flaps spewed out contents of life stories safely tucked inside each and every suitcase and parcel box  waiting to be picked up, then unpacked in a hotel or home, the story continuing from where it left off. Swept along by the bustle of passengers coming and going, she could feel the magic she always felt at the airport  teasing with promises  where you couldnt be sure what there was out there to embrace or how you would alter your life story with an inculpable stroke when you stepped into the busy node. It fascinated her how people from different destinations all over the world would converge in the same spot, as she was at this moment in time, yet never to meet again.

Her face fresh without a trace of fatigue, in her white skater dress that barely reached her knees and a pair of casual flats, she stood, her arms folded, watching for more contents spilling out onto the belt, then looping around the winding path and disappearing into the black flaps.

The unpicked luggage spewed out yet again like some reincarnations till the gods reached out to lift them out of their sorry plights. She scanned the faces of the passengers with whom she had spent the last 13 hours in the air from Munich to Jakarta via a stopover in Singapore. She had connected with the rest, following a short hour-long flight from Berlin, which had been her home for the last eight years. When she first left Indonesia, she hadnt bought herself a return ticket.

She could have continued to call Berlin home had it not been for her mum who rang her up one fine Sunday evening after she had revelled with some friends in an open-air karaoke in the quirky Mauer Park. In her commanding tone, she told her to return home, at once, then for once, pleading with her when the former failed to work.

A stroke had crippled her dad. The family jewelry business was mired in a muddle of mess after their second uncle (her mums second brother) fought over control of the business with her dad who cofounded the business with her grandfather. Ibunyas side of people, as her dad used to say. Edemi wasnt keen to know more. She had walked out of her life back home because she didnt want any part in the family drama. Life was much more fun-loving when she was younger.

Her parents were not as busy and they would often take her on short getaways to different parts of the country.

You can walk out of your life here for all I care was her dads last words to her on the night before she had left for Berlin. As the jewelry business lifted off the ground, Edemi couldnt put a finger on why her genial dad would evolve into a monster of sorts, always picking on her, even though she had to admit that she could be willful and stubborn at times. I dont want to disappear like you and everybody else into your own tiny life and not live it. It was her parting shot then.

When she spotted her suitcase with a rainbow ribbon tied around the top handle emerging around the corner toward her, Edemi hesitated for a moment before she pulled it off the belt.

Setting it on the ground as she gripped the handle upward to pull it along, she headed away from the exit that was steps away. She wasnt ready to embrace what was out there. She found herself a seat in a corner not far from the belt, unsure about what to do next. It wasnt lost on her that what the next step could change her life, irreparably.

Where she was seated, she took in the moving belt with the unclaimed pieces of luggage moving along like a joyride. There was a constant stream of people arriving at the belt, waiting for those things that were a part of their lives to appear on it. Once they grabbed their things they moved on with their life in tow to the next destination. Why had it become so hard for her to do the same, just like everybody else?

Resting her luggage flat on the empty seats, she scrambled the numbers to unlock it.

What she had on was no match for the artificial cold as she searched the luggage for her cardigan. Cobbled inside were a few pieces of summer clothes. She did not think that she would stick around long enough. Besides her large bag of cosmetics and toiletries, she had brought along a half-read novel, a story set in Berlin. She had left it unfinished intentionally, not wanting to break the bond with her Berliner life.

After putting on her cardigan, Edemi sat herself down beside her luggage. The hard plastic of the seats was no more welcoming than that found elsewhere. It was not meant for one to linger longer than needed, much like Tegel Airport in Berlin where she first boarded.

Built as a hexagonal complex to move passengers in quick time, all it took were a few brisk steps from the taxi stand to the ticketing counter, right past the security counters into the departure gate and out onto the aerobridge in a zip.

Mbak, is there anything I can help you with? A voice, politely helpful, broke her thoughts. Edemi looked up to see a lady in a smart suit, her name  Fatin, Airport Concierge  proudly emblazoned on her jacket.

No, no, Edemi replied hastily. Saya baik-baik saja [Im good]. Thanks for asking.

My pleasure, she replied helpfully, a brilliant smile bracketed her face.

As she watched the lady walk away, Edemi could feel her heart racing hard. A wallop more to her chest would have rent her heart asunder on the spot. Too much sun, too much risk, she muttered.

Too willful maybe.

While wanting to stay defiant, Edemi regretted at the same time she had brought the pot (marijuana) stash along. The idea, conceivably irresistible before, now sat hollow in her heart. But how could she have resisted it? A puff was all it would take to suspend her somewhere, make the homecoming easier and the stay more pleasant.

She worked her memory for the penalty  How many grams for conviction? Do they still shoot people for drugs?

Perhaps it was all meant to be. The inconsolable unconscious part of her wanted to be caught and deported. This way, she did not have to go home and see her dad, in a state she imagined was no less broken than her granddad was a week after she came home from a holiday trip. Her granddad used to be a jockey before venturing into the family business. Edemi was taken on horse rides in the leafy enclave of Tangerang when she was a child. In a way, it was the experience of horse-riding at the spine of Tangerang, an area increasingly assaulted by urbanization that made Edemi wish to live somewhere else, out in the countryside where she could canter on the horse, not just watch a steeplechase on the turf club.

After the stroke, her granddads hair turned sullen white overnight, barely able to speak, mouth looped sideways, eyes retreated into somewhere that was not quite him anymore. For the rest of the two years he was alive, he was mostly confined to the bed in his study on the ground floor of the house, because he could no longer make his way up the stairs to his bedroom. Now, Edemi could not reconcile the image of her dad  who always thrived on picking a good fight  now sitting defeated on the edge of the bed; the dare in him leaking into a kind of resignation or surrender. At this thought, it saddened her that it had come to this: Wouldnt it be such a fake to make up with her dad at his most feeble?

Standing her luggage on the ground, Edemi pulled it along as she headed toward the washroom. Just a puff, perhaps that would clear the head, then she would know what to do next.

Latching the door behind her, she lifted the luggage onto the toilet seat and unscrambled it as she searched for the pocket penknife in flap pocket. Using the blade, she carefully unstitched the seams behind the flap and took out the small packet of pot stash concealed there.

With the seams torn, Edemi suddenly felt a sense of relief. Now, she could no longer conceal it back where she put it, so she would have to dispose of it.

The right thing to do.

She rolled a little of the stash deftly on the tobacco paper and lit it, filling her lungs to the brim before she exhaled the anguish and all that was locked inside her.

As the high kicked in, Edemi felt it was somebody elses experience she was having, like an actor in character  smoking pot, living life.

Edemi was vaguely aware of the rapid knocks that came raining hard onto the door, as she sat slumped on top of her luggage above the toilet seat. Her mind had descended into a swirl of cotton.

Madam, can you please step out of the cubicle? A voice, firm and steely, ringed on the other side of the door.

Edemi could not make out whether it was a woman or man standing outside. Moments before the rattling stopped and the latch gave way, there was a quiet few seconds where her mind trailed off. Then, just like that, the seconds were gone: the door sprang open and there were faces staring at her before she got dragged out of the hole. Edemi finally realized why she loved flying  you never really knew what there was to embrace until you embraced it fully.

***

The writer is currently working on a novel in his spare time with mulish determination and self-doubt. His stories have appeared in the Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, New Asian Writing and Azuria Australia, among others, and has been made into a short film, as well as appearing in educational textbooks.

________________

We are looking for contemporary fiction between 1,500 and 2,000 words by established and new authors. Stories must be original and previously unpublished in English.

The email for submitting stories is: shortstory@thejakartapost.com

Topics :

shortstory@thejakartapost.com

We are no longer accepting short story submissions for both online and print editions. New submissions towill not be published.French English





Press release



Gosselies, Belgium, 24 September 2018, 7am CEST  BONE THERAPEUTICS (Euronext Brussels and Paris: BOTHE), the bone cell therapy company addressing high unmet medical needs in orthopaedics and bone diseases, today announces that the Company will present on 26 September at the 26th Annual Meeting of the European Orthopaedic Research Society (EORS), in Galway, Ireland.

The Annual EORS Meeting is Europe's Summit for orthopaedic research and is attended by scientists, clinicians and entrepreneurs in the field. In the oral presentation, Bone Therapeutics will highlight recent preclinical in vitro and in vivo results demonstrating the potent osteogenic properties of its allogeneic bone-forming cell therapy platform to promote bone-formation and improve fracture healing in relevant models.





Oral Presentation Details:

Title Presentation: Injectable human bone-forming cells derived from bone marrow MSC display potent osteogenic properties

Session: Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Session Date & Time: Wednesday, 26 September 2018, at 4pm CEST (3pm BST)

Location: Veranda room of the Galmont Hotel & Spa, Lough Atalia Road H91 CYN3, Galway, Ireland





About Bone Therapeutics

Bone Therapeutics is a leading cell therapy company addressing high unmet needs in orthopaedics and bone diseases. Based in Gosselies, Belgium, the Company has a broad, diversified portfolio of bone cell therapy products in clinical development across a number of disease areas targeting markets with large unmet medical needs and limited innovation.

Bone Therapeutics technology is based on a unique, proprietary approach to bone regeneration, which turns undifferentiated stem cells into bone-forming cells. These cells can be administered via a minimally invasive procedure, avoiding the need for invasive surgery.

The Companys primary clinical focus is ALLOB, an allogeneic off-the-shelf cell therapy product derived from stem cells of healthy donors, which is in Phase II studies for the treatment of delayed-union fractures and spinal fusion. The Company also has an autologous bone cell therapy product, PREOB, obtained from patients own bone marrow and currently in Phase III development for osteonecrosis of the hip.

Bone Therapeutics cell therapy products are manufactured to the highest GMP standards and are protected by a rich IP estate covering nine patent families. Further information is available at: www.bonetherapeutics.com.





Contacts

Bone Therapeutics SA

Thomas Lienard, Chief Executive Officer

Jean-Luc Vandebroek, Chief Financial Officer

Tel: +32 (0) 71 12 10 00

investorrelations@bonetherapeutics.com

For Belgium and International Media Enquiries:

Consilium Strategic Communications

Amber Fennell, Jessica Hodgson, Hendrik Thys and Lindsey Neville

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5701

bonetherapeutics@consilium-comms.com

For French Media and Investor Enquiries:

NewCap Investor Relations & Financial Communications

Pierre Laurent, Louis-Victor Delouvrier and Nicolas Merigeau

Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

bone@newcap.eu

For US Media and Investor Enquiries

Westwicke Partners

John Woolford

Tel: + 1 443 213 0506

john.woolford@westwicke.com

Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company or, as appropriate, the Company directors` current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such person`s officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (Kyodo News) Tokyo  Mon, September 24, 2018 22:07 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087745e718 2 Food Tokyo,cafe,restaurant,robot,disabled,waiter Free

A cafe will open in Tokyo's Akasaka district in November featuring robot waiters remotely controlled from home by people with severe physical disabilities.

The cafe, which will open on weekdays from Nov. 26 to Dec. 7, will deploy OriHime-D robots controlled by disabled people with conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a form of motor neuron disease.

The robot waiters, 1.2 meters tall and weighing 20 kilograms, will transmit video footage and audio via the internet, allowing their controllers to direct them from home via tablets or computers.

At an event marking the OriHime-D's debut in August, a robot controlled by Nozomi Murata, who suffers from autophagic vacuolar myopathy that causes muscle weakness, asked a family if they would like some chocolate.

"I want to create a world in which people who can't move their bodies can work too," said Kentaro Yoshifuji, chief executive officer of Ory Lab. Inc., the developer of the robots.

Yoshifuji suffered from a stress-induced illness during childhood and had difficulty communicating. With his experience of social isolation, he started developing robots at Waseda University to help connect people, according to the company's website.

Read also: Chip labor: Robots replace waiters in China restaurant

Smaller OriHime robots that are 21.5 centimeters tall and weigh about 600 grams have been introduced by about 70 companies for telecommuting. They can also be used remotely in classrooms by students who cannot attend school due to illness or other reasons.

Ory Lab. aims to set up a permanent cafe featuring OriHime robots and increase adoption by companies in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

"Everyone should have the freedom to work in the way they like," said Masatane Muto, an ALS patient and one of the organizers of the project, which also involves the Nippon Foundation.

"I want to send out the message toward 2020 that you can show hospitality even if you have disabilities," Muto said.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 08:25 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087742b705 4 Politics Jokowi,Jokowi-Maruf,Prabowo-Subianto,Prabowo-Sandiaga,#2019PresidentialElection,KPU,campaign-fund,campaign,NasDem,PAN,Zulkifli-Hasan,PKS Free

The Joko Jokowi Widodo-Maruf Amin and Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno national campaign teams reported their initial campaign funds to the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Sunday.

Jokowi team member Syafrizal told the press at the KPU office in Jakarta that the team had collected Rp 11 billion (US$742,291) for its initial campaign fund.

Around Rp 8.5 billion of the fund is in cash, while the rest is in the form of services, he said as quoted by kompas.com.

He said the funding came from individual and corporate donations, which consisted of one individual and four corporations. However, he declined to identify the donors.

Prabowo's team was represented by the vice-presidential candidate himself, Sandiaga Uno. Sandiaga, however, declined to reveal the initial funding. "Sadly, not much," he said as quoted by kompas.com.

Zulkifli Hasan, chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), which has endorsed the Prabowo-Sandiaga pair, said on Sunday that the team had collected only Rp 100 million. "I'm not sure, I think Rp 100 million. Only that much has been collected so far," he said as quoted by kompas.com.

Besides presidential candidates, political parties such as the NasDems and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) also reported their initial campaign funds on Sunday.

The PKS reported its initial campaign fund collected in its account amounted to Rp 17 billion, with Rp 5 billion already spent on meetings, campaign displays and other requirements.

The partys financial reporting team head, Unggul Wibawa, said the funding was collected from the partys 553 legislative candidates running in 2019 elections, with each candidate donating around Rp 50 million.

Meanwhile, the NasDem Party also reported that it had collected Rp 500 million in campaign funding.

We just opened the account five days ago and have collected Rp 500 million in funds and Rp 7 billion in the form of goods and services, Nasdems treasurer Ahmad Ali said.

The funding for the campaign came from the partys internal cash, donors and members. However, the NasDems have yet to report the details of the sources of the funds.

When asked about the target, Ali said the party had not determined how much money it needed to fund the campaign to win 100 seats at the House of Representatives.

KPU commissioner Hasyim Asyari previously explained that there were three types of campaign funding that needed to be reported to the commission for the 2019 elections, including an initial campaign fund report, campaign donations and final campaign fund report. (ris)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 07:28 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877428d74 1 Politics #2019PresidentialElection,Susilo-Bambang-Yudhoyono,campaign,KPU,party,Hinca-Panjaitan Free

Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono staged a walk-out during a campaign declaration at the National Monument (Monas) on Sunday due to unauthorized party regalia worn by people who attended the gathering.

We have agreed from the start that all the participants would wear traditional attire without party logos, but Yudhoyono saw so many people wearing them and this made it seem like a campaign rally, the Democrats secretary-general, Hinca Panjaitan, said on Sunday.

Hinca then took over but he was unable to get on the stage to sign the declaration.

He said he had laid a complaint with the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) about the unauthorized logos.

KPU chairman Arief Budiman said all the participants at the gathering agreed to wear traditional attire during the declaration.

However, he added, the KPU had no authorization to regulate people who waved party flags on the side of the road.

Besides, we have now entered the campaign period, Arief said. So, they can now campaign however they want to as long as they follow the rules and regulations. (ris)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung  Mon, September 24, 2018 20:25 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087745cf73 1 National persib,Persija,jakmania,jakarta,bandung,mob-attack,violence,brutality,soccer-fans,soccer,police Free

The Bandung Police have named eight Persib Bandung supporters suspects in the fatal beating of 23-year-old Persija Jakarta fan Haringga Sirila before a Persib vs Persija match on Sunday.

Sixteen people have been detained and eight of those have been named suspects, Bandung Police crime unit chief Adj. Sr. Comr. M. Yoris Maulana said in Bandung, West Java, on Monday.

The suspects have been identified only as B, 41, GA, 20, CG, 20, AA, 19, SMR, 17, DFA, 16 and JS, 31.

Yoris said it was possible that more suspects would be named.

According to the police, Haringga came to Bandung alone on Sunday to watch the match and was picked up by a friend who lived in the city. When they arrived at Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium, they were confronted by a mob of Persib fans who were checking for holders of non-Bandung ID cards.

A Persib supporter who requested anonymity confirmed the details of the incident.

When [people] arrived [at the stadium], they were stopped and asked to show their ID cards, the supporter said. I was allowed to pass through because I had a Bandung ID card, but the person behind me was pulled out of the line.

Haringga, who had a Jakarta ID card, was chased by the mob and eventually surrounded.

The victim was immediately beaten, until he died at the scene, Yoris said. Some [people] beat him with their hands and feet, while others used objects, such as wooden planks and helmets.

One detainee, Dadang Suptriatna, 19, reportedly said he beat Haringga because he saw the other Persib supporters doing it.

I was just following the others, he said at the police station.

Police are looking for more suspects and are coordinating with the Persib club management and the Viking Persib fan club in their investigation.

We urge anyone who was involved to immediately turn themselves in, Yoris said, adding that the suspects had been charged under Article 170 of the Criminal Code on attacking and injuring others, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 12 years.

Viking Persib Club head Heru Joko expressed deep regret over Haringgas death.

We apologize for yesterdays incident. We did not mean for that to happen, we did not order that, he said, adding that the club supported any law enforcement action the police took. (kmt)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 16:05 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087744b54d 4 Politics Maruf-Amin,Jokowi,Jokowi-Maruf,basuki-tjahaja-purnama,ahok,blasphemy,MUI Free

Supporters of former Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, who was imprisoned for blasphemy, have begun warming up to vice presidential candidate Maruf Amin, despite the latter having stated in the past that Ahok had insulted the Quran in relation to his remarks about verse al-Maidah.

The supporters, grouped under Relawan Nusantara (RelaNU), have declared their support for presidential candidate Joko Jokowi Widodo and Maruf, with RelaNU initiator Nusron Wahid saying on Monday that he had met with the Muslim cleric to show the organizations support for him in next years election.

Ive just met with Kiai [teacher] Maruf. God willing, well gather friends that are still active in the RelaNU network that supported Ahok and Muslim supporters of Ahok to support Pak Jokowi and Kiai Maruf, he said at Marufs house in Jakarta as quoted by Antara news agency.

Ma'ruf's picture was also on the posters along with other initiators of Defend Islam rallies in late 2016.

He said some Ahok supporters in RelaNU were initially shocked to find out that the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) chairman would be running with Jokowi in the presidential election next year. However, following discussion, they started to understand the reasons behind the selection and vowed to support the pair.

In return, Maruf has expressed his intention to reconcile with Ahok.

I will arrange a special meeting with him, he said at his house in Jakarta on Monday as quoted by Antara.

His willingness to meet with Ahok was expressed after Nusron paid a visit to his house.

During his trial last year, Ahoks lawyer team accused Maruf of bias after Maruf testified against him. Ahok later apologized for implying the cleric had succumbed to political pressure in his trial. (ris/evi)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 17:24 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087744dd20 1 National BLBI-case,Sjamsul-Nursalim,Syafruddin-Arsyad-Temenggung,megawati-soekarnoputri Free

The Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced Syafruddin Tumenggung, the former head of the Indonesian bank bailout agency that led the country out of the 1998 financial crisis, to 13 years in prison on Monday for manipulating a commercial banks credit status.

Syafruddin, the former chairman of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA), was found guilty of issuing a letter in 2004 for Sjamsul Nursalim, the owner of Bank Dagang Negara Indonesia (BDNI), freeing him from repaying a debt owed to the government and thereby causing Rp 4.58 trillion (US$308 million) in state losses.

The defendant is ordered to pay Rp 700 million in fines or face an additional three months in prison, said presiding judge Yanto as he read out the verdict.

Syafruddin has stated that he will file an appeal.

The case dated back to the 1998 Asian financial crisis when BDNI received Rp 28 trillion in Bank Indonesia liquidity support (BLBI) funds, which were disbursed by the government through the central bank to help them cope with massive runs during the crisis.

It was later found that 95 percent of the Rp 144.5 trillion of BLBI funds disbursed to 48 commercial banks, including BDNI, had been embezzled.

During the trial, it was revealed that Syafruddin, who was appointed IBRA chairman in 2002, sent a letter to then-coordinating economic minister and Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK) chairman Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti in February 2004 recommending the KSSK write off some of Sjamsul's debt, claiming the decision was based on a Cabinet meeting led by then-president Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Dorojatun later issued a KKSK decree in accordance with Syafruddin's recommendation, while in fact, the two officials, who had attended the Cabinet meeting, knew that the meeting had never concluded or approved the writing off of the debts, according to prosecutors.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors also found that Syafruddin had cooperated with Sjamsul and his wife, Itjih S Nursalim, as well as Dorodjatun in the graft case.

The sentence is lighter than that sought by the KPK prosecutors of 15 years in prison and Rp 1 billion in fines. (sau)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Minya, Egypt  Mon, September 24, 2018 08:38 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087742c996 2 World #Egypt,#EgyptAttack,Egypt,brotherhood,leader,life,EgyptAttack Free

An Egyptian court on Sunday sentenced 66 people to life in prison, including Muslim Brotherhood chief Mohammed Badie, over an August 2013 attack on a police station in Minya.

Death sentences were meted out to 183 people over the deadly attack on the police station in the southern province, before a retrial was ordered.

On Sunday, around 700 people were tried again in this case, defence lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsood told AFP.

Sixty-six of the 700 were sentenced to life imprisonment, which is 25 years in Egypt, 288 were acquitted, six have died since the first trial and the rest were sentenced to between three and 15 years in prison.

Badie, 75, was on Sunday convicted of inciting his supporters to violence in the Minya case following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Badie, on trial in 35 cases related to the Brotherhood, has been sentenced to death in several of them but the verdicts have been overturned by the court of cassation. He got life sentences in more than five cases.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands arrested since the military ousted Morsi.

Elected after the 2011 uprising against president Hosni Mubarak, Morsi served as president for a year before being toppled after mass protests against his divisive rule.

His successor was former military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose regime has been accused of a campaign of repression to wipe out dissent.

The government has rejected the allegations, saying its priority is to reform the economy and fight "terrorism", and accusing its detractors of seeking to harm Egypt's interests.

On September 8, a Cairo court sentenced 75 people to death, including other leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The verdicts drew condemnation from human rights groups.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Rachmadea Aisyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 18:45 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308774517fc 1 Business Bulog,rice-imports,Budi-Waseso,Joko-Widodo Free

State-owned logistics company Bulog president director Budi Waseso said on Monday he had told President Joko Jokowi Widodo that Indonesia did not need to import rice.

The statement was a reiteration of his previous statements that the existing rice stocks and the ongoing production of local farmers could fulfill the market demand up to June 2019.

I told the President that God willing, [we] wont have to import because Indonesia is an agricultural country where everything is available, Budi said during a roundtable discussion on food security held by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) in Jakarta on Monday.

In April, the government decided to import 2 million tons of rice when the rice price had increased in the local market.

Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said in August that the country had imported 1.4 million tons of rice. He said the government had canceled its plan to import a further 600,000 tons because of technical problems.

Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukito previously said that rice warehouses were none of the Trade Ministrys business in response to a compliant by Budi that Bulog had spent too much money to rent warehouses.

Therefore, I hope this food issue will be handled entirely by the state and is taken care of with integrity, said the retired police general, who entered his current post in April. (bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 14:21 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877445b37 1 National Mount-Anak-Krakatau,eruption,flights,Garuda-Indonesia,AirAsia,Lion-Air,sumatra Free

Authorities say flights have not been affected by the eruption of Mount Anak Karakatau in the Sunda Strait, South Lampung regency, Lampung.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported that the volcano erupted over 44 times over the weekend, with thick smoke billowing from the volcanos crater at a height of 200 meters from the crater's peak.

The agency also recorded 253 incidences of seismic activity, prompting local authorities to warn tourists and residents to steer clear of the volcano and its surrounding areas.

BMKG spokesperson Hary Djatmiko told The Jakarta Post that as of Monday morning, the volcano was still spewing volcanic ash into the air.

Based on satellite imagery, the volcanic ash has reached 7,000 feet and is moving west to Sumatra island, he said on Monday.

However, he has yet to receive reports of potential disruptions to flights.

Airlines have confirmed the statement.

Garuda Indonesia spokesperson Ikhsan Rosan said the airlines flights, especially those bound for Sumatra, were operating normally.

AirAsia Indonesia spokesman Baskoro Adiwiyono said the airline's flights had also been operating normally, while the operator was monitoring Mount Anak Krakataus latest situation.

Lion Air Group spokesman Danang Mandala Prihantoro also ensured that all Lion Air flights on the Java-Sumatra route would fly on schedule.

To ensure the safety of flights, we will obey the airport authoritys decision, Danang said. (ris/swd)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 18:13 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087744e6d2 1 City Gerindra-Party,jakarta,deputy-governor,PKS Free

In the midst of a power struggle with its political ally, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Gerindra Partys Jakarta executive board (DPD) has nominated its chairman, M. Taufik, for the seat of Jakarta deputy governor left vacant by Sandiaga Uno, who is running for vice president alongside Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto.

The nomination was declared just days after the PKS had nominated two of its members, Ahmad Syaikhu and Agung Yulianto, for the same seat.

Gerindra Jakarta deputy chairman Syarif said the decision was made unanimously during the DPDs meeting last Friday and was based on Taufiks leadership experience, including his tenure as deputy speaker in the Jakarta Council.

He has more than 18 years of experience in leading organizations, especially as the city council deputy speaker, Syarif said on Monday, kompas.com reported.

He said the Gerindra DPD would consult with the partys executive board (DPP) to discuss the nomination.

The Gerindra Jakarta DPD will consult with the DPP and hand over the recommendation letter for our nominee for the seat of the Jakarta deputy governor to be processed according to the prevailing rules, he said.

However, Gerindra deputy secretary-general Andre Rosiade told tempo.co that Prabowos niece, Rahayu Sara Saraswati Djojohadikusumo, would also be one of the partys candidates for the seat.

Sara is currently a member of House of Representatives Commission VII on religious and social affairs and women's empowerment.

Last week, PKS executive Hidayat Nur Wahid said Gerindra had already taken enough prestigious posts. (ami)Favre-Leuba Selects WISekey's cutting-edge WISeAuthentic Blockchain platform to protect its luxury timepieces

Switzerland, September 24, 2018 - Favre-Leuba AG, the second oldest Swiss watch brand that is renowned for its tool watches such as the Bivouac and Bathy, and WISeKey International Holding Ltd ("WISeKey") (SIX: WIHN; OTCQX: WIKYY), a cybersecurity IoT platform company, have partnered to implement the WISeAuthentic Blockchain edition to authenticate and protect Favre-Leuba's watches and their owners.

Purchasing an exclusive Swiss watch is always a matter of great joy and pride, but this purchase comes with the concern that the timepiece maybe stolen or that the watch itself may not be an original. While most high-end watch brands find it extremely difficult to stop such acts, Favre-Leuba has taken steps to protect its watches. Reliable methods include the use of cutting-edge software or blockchain technology, which together with on-the-ground measures can ensure the authenticity of the watch. Moreover, if the watch is stolen, it can be traced thus making it difficult to be traded on the secondary market. This control is possible to practice because the identity of each watch is stored on an immutable ledger in the implemented system.

At Favre-Leuba, the welfare of its luxury tool watches continues long after they leave the manufacturing facility. Upon activation of a Favre-Leuba warranty, the legitimate ownership of the watch is registered in the company's highly secure SAP database and is supported by WISeAuthentic blockchain technology. Owners of a new Favre-Leuba luxury timepiece become digital members of an exclusive club and their registered watch is protected by Favre-Leuba's 24/7 online fraud prevention unit.

Each Favre-Leuba timepiece has a unique serial number etched on the watch. Upon ownership of a new Favre-Leuba piece, the authorised Favre-Leuba retailer must activate the warranty of the watch. Each watch is accompanied with a warranty card which has a unique number and a unique electronic identity that is generated by the WISeAuthentic blockchain platform and engraved into a WISeKey Secure Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) hardware chip. The identity is a unique ePassport able to identity the product on the blockchain ledger.

When the serial number of the watch is paired with the unique warranty number, the watch is then considered active for the applicable 5-year warranty period. Only authorized distributors can activate the warranty via a highly-secured, encrypted software system.

It is vital for the authorized retailer to activate the warranty upon purchase - otherwise the watch will not be covered under the Favre-Leuba warranty and not registered in the ledger.

If a Favre-Leuba watch is stolen - by simply informing the company, relating the details of the watch, the serial number and some other basic information, the watch will be flagged as 'stolen' in the warranty activation system. If at any point the stolen watch enters a Favre-Leuba registered service centre, it will be immediately identified, and the company can then take measures to track down the watch's legitimate owner. The WISeAuthentic blockchain technology used by Favre-Leuba, provides transparency and traceability and is tamper-proof, unlike the traditional databases often used by other watch manufacturers.

The Blockchain Advantage

While most people consider Blockchain technologies as a vital component in securing cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, the cryptography and security inherent in the Blockchain system can be utilized for storing information, making transactions and performing functions for web-based services that demand high security requirements for an impenetrable global reach. Favre-Leuba's implementation of WISeAuthentic Blockchain technologies ensures the company's database, its watches and the warranty system are protected by the highest level of security and encryption available today whilst providing full transparency and traceability to the stakeholders involved, including Favre-Leuba's authorized retailers and its trusted customers.

"WISeKey has long been recognized as a leader in providing luxury and other product manufacturers with reliable means to protect their brands against counterfeiting," said Carlos Moreno, VP Corporate Alliances and Partnerships. "The combination of blockchain technology with our secured NFC chips and our WISeAuthentic PKI platform further leverage the unified manner that shield these brands from the harmful effects of counterfeit products, while enhancing transparency into their end consumers and the entire ecosystem."

About Favre-Leuba:

Favre-Leuba is the second oldest active Swiss watch brand, with a rich heritage in watch engineering and designing spanning over 281 years. Led by eight generations of the Favre family until the 1980s, Favre-Leuba was acquired by the Tata Group on November 16th, 2011. With the global scope of the Tata Group behind it, Favre-Leuba is now transitioning a legendary brand into the contemporary while continuing to cherish that which its forefathers breathed life into, the art of watchmaking. Not many can claim the power of history and own a piece of it. Today - Favre-Leuba is creating historic legends to be cherished for those that believe that being exemplary is just the start of their own legend.

For additional information and images please contact:

Reema Vazirani

Email: reema@favre-leuba.com

About WISeKey:

WISeKey (SIX: WIHN; OTCQX: WIKYY) is a leading global cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale digital identity ecosystems with a patented process. WISeKey's Swiss based cryptographic Root of Trust ("RoT") provides secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of online transactions among objects and between objects and people. For more information, visit www.wisekey.com.

For additional information and images please contact:

Carlos Moreno

Email: cmoreno@wisekey.com

Disclaimer:



This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 14:30 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308774462be 4 Business Agrarian-and-Spatial-Planning-Ministry,airspace,underground,regulation Free

The Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry says it is preparing a bill on airspace and underground construction.

The ministrys secretary-general, Budi Suryanto, said in Jakarta over the weekend that such regulation was needed to provide legal certainty for investors interested in placing funds in projects such as transit-oriented development and the MRT, which used airspace and underground spaces.

We see that there is more interest in investment [that pushes] growth of land ownership, Budi said as quoted by kontan.co.id, adding that certificates issued by the ministry would regulate the use of airspace, underground spaces as well as sea territory.

Budi added that the ministry was finalizing a draft that would be submitted to the House of Representatives for further deliberation. Budi said such a law would provide better legal certainty and encourage investment.

Australian investors, for example, had shown interest in investing in pearls in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (Lombok), Budi said.

We need to regulate the pearl industry. We currently have no such rule. We expect all investors to abide by the regulations we set for spatial planning. he said. (acr/bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Andi Hajramurni, Suherdjoko, Rizal Harahap, and Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Makassar/Semarang/Pekanbaru/Medan  Mon, September 24, 2018 11:09 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877433a75 1 National 2019-elections,campaign,peace Free

Cities have pledged to host peaceful campaign events amid concerns over rising sectarian sentiment during elections over the past few years.

Residents, local public figures and legislative candidates of major cities in the country--namely Medan in North Sumatra, Pekanbaru in Riau, Semarang in Central Java and Makassar in South Sulawesi--gathered at the cities respective town squares on Sunday, pledging to maintain a peaceful campaign period, which runs from Sunday to April 13 next year.

Makassar General Elections Commission (KPU Makassar) chairperson Misna M. Attas said the region had been zoned red until recently, meaning that it had been prone to conflict. However, its security status was revised to green following successful 2018 regional elections.

South Sulawesi [] is in the green zone at the moment. We shall maintain it during the ongoing campaign period until the 2019 elections end, Misna said.

South Sulawesi Governor Nurdin Abdullah supported the pledge, calling on people to respect each other regardless of ethnicity and religion. Lets not undermine our achievement in the 2018 regional elections, he said.

In Semarang, legislative candidates, led by Central Java KPU chairman Joko Purnomo, made their vow to lead a peaceful campaign period. The declaration was witnessed by, among others, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, Semarang Mayor Hevearita Gunaryanti Rahayu and Central Java Police chief Ir. Gen. Condro Kirono.

The legislative candidates are allowed to argue against each others ideas, but please do so in an orderly fashion. Use this campaign period to offer solutions to various problems in society, Ganjar said.

Similar events were also held in Pekanbaru and Medan, with both events calling on residents to avoid hoaxes and tribal affiliation, religion, race and societal group (SARA) related issues during the campaign period.

Let us guard the election [from hoaxes and SARA issues] to create a peaceful atmosphere, Riau acting governor Wan Thamrin Hasyim said.

Separately, Rizal, a mass organization leader in North Sumatra, said the anti-hoax and anti-SARA campaign must be supported to realize honest politics in Indonesia.

Observers have noted increased sectarian sentiment in recent elections, the worst being the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election and the 2014 presidential election. In 2017, then- Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent, lost to challenger Anies Baswedan in a runoff election, after being charged with blasphemy following a statement he made insinuating that religious leaders had used a Quranic verse to manipulate voters. In 2014, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo faced accusations that he was a communist sympathizer and that he was actually a non-Muslim. Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country with a long history of communal conflicts. (vny/swd)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 18:46 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877451f93 1 City Jakarta-administration,Jakarta-police,anies-baswedan,Idham-Azis,2019-elections,2019-presidential-election,2019-legislative-election Free

The Jakarta administration and Jakarta Police have stepped up security measures following the official start on Sunday of the campaign period for next years simultaneous legislative elections and presidential elections.

The Jakarta Police are set to deploy 16,000 personnel, or two-thirds of their full force, to secure the capital throughout the election campaign period, which ends on April 13. The National Police is also ready to send reinforcements to Jakarta if needed.

We anticipate terrorist activities, crimes that can disturb the peace and security, as well as smear campaigns that spread hoaxes to divide the people, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Idham Azis said on Monday after a video conference with National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian.

The Jakarta Police created a special cyber task force in March to handle cases of fake news making the rounds on social media.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said the administration would also support law enforcement by arranging the signing of peace pledges from the provincial to the subdistrict level as part of the nationwide peace declaration for the elections.

We have held peaceful regional elections before and Insha Allah [God willing], next years election will also be peaceful, he said at the Jakarta Police headquarters.

The peace pledge is an informal treaty signed by all competing political parties promising to avoid and prevent violence, hoaxes, money politics and ethnoreligious politicization.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo, his running mate Maruf Amin and their competitors Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno also joined the national-level peace pledge held at the National Monument (Monas) on Sunday. (nor)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Stefanno Reinard Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 18:39 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087745027b 1 Business Mercedes-Benz-Indonesia,charging-stations,Plaza-Indonesia-shopping-mall Free

German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz unveiled its first charging station in Indonesia on Monday in the parking lot of Plaza Indonesia shopping mall in Central Jakarta to welcome its electric vehicles that will be introduced next year.

Under the name EQ Power, the charging facilities comprise four exclusive parking bays in the malls car park, with two 3.7 kilowatt wall box chargers.

EQ stands for electric intelligence, with the goal to provide a comprehensive electric ecosystem of services and technologies, the firm stated. It is part of the automaker's efforts to lead the automotive industry amid growing interest and need for alternative-fuel cars.

Roelof Lamberts, the president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Indonesia, said at the inauguration was an important step to providing solutions for future electrified mobility.

With the dedicated parking bays for our discerned customers, we continue Mercedes-Benz commitment to offering the best customer experience and at the same time promoting electric vehicle infrastructure, he said.

Hari Arifianto, the deputy director of marketing at Mercedes-Benz Indonesia added that the firm expects to kick off the sales of EQ Power models in 2019.

Before starting to sell the cars, we must ensure that EQ is familiar to potential customers and the dealer network in Indonesia, he said.

Industry Ministry director of maritime industry, transportation equipment and defense equipment Putu Juli Ardika expressed appreciation for the initiative, saying that it helped the government reach the target of lowering greenhouse gas emissions by 29 percent by 2030. (bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Beijing, China  Mon, September 24, 2018 16:04 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087744b1fe 2 World #China,#Muslim,China,Muslims,human-rights,AmnestyInternational Free

China must come clean about the fate of an estimated one million minority Muslims swept up in a "massive crackdown" in its far western region of Xinjiang, Amnesty International said Monday.

Beijing has tightened restrictions on Muslim minorities to combat what it calls Islamic extremism and separatist elements in Xinjiang.

Critics say the drive risks fuelling resentment towards Beijing and further inflaming separatist sentiment.

In a new report, which included testimony from people held in the camps, the international rights group said Beijing had rolled out "an intensifying government campaign of mass internment, intrusive surveillance, political indoctrination and forced cultural assimilation".

Uighurs and other Muslim minorities are punished for violating regulations banning beards and burqas, and for the possession of unauthorised Korans, it added.

Up to a million people are detained in internment camps, a United Nations panel on racial discrimination reported last month, with many detained for offences as minor as making contact with family members outside the country or sharing Islamic holiday greetings on social media.

"Hundreds of thousands of families have been torn apart by this massive crackdown," said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International's East Asia director, in a statement.

"They are desperate to know what has happened to their loved ones and it is time the Chinese authorities give them answers."

Beijing has denied reports of the camps but evidence is mounting in the form of government documents and escapee testimony.

These suggest that Chinese authorities are detaining large groups of people in a network of extrajudicial camps for political and cultural indoctrination on a scale unseen since the Maoist era.

Amnesty's report interviewed several former detainees who said they were put in shackles, tortured, and made to sing political songs and learn about the Communist Party.

The testimony tallies with evidence gathered by foreign reporters and rights groups in the past year.

- Unfolding 'nightmare' -

Amnesty also called on governments around the world to hold Beijing to account for "the nightmare" unfolding in Xinjiang.

Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced "awful abuses" of Uighur Muslims detained in re-education camps.

"Hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of Uighurs are held against their will in so-called re-education camps where they're forced to endure severe political indoctrination and other awful abuses," Pompeo said in a speech.

However Pakistan, China's biggest Muslim ally, quickly denied reports last week that it had criticised Beijing -- which is pouring billions in infrastructure investment into the country -- over the issue.

Religious affairs minister Noorul Haq Qadri told AFP China has agreed to exchange delegations of religious students to help promote "harmony" between Muslims and Chinese authorities.

China's top leaders recently called for religious practices to be brought in line with "traditional" Chinese values and culture, sparking concern among rights groups.

Earlier this month draft regulations suggested Beijing was considering restrictions on religious content online, such as images of people praying or chanting.

State supervision of religion has increased in a bid to "block extremism", and authorities have removed Islamic symbols such as crescents from public spaces in areas with significant Muslim populations.

Christians have also been targeted in crackdowns, with a prominent Beijing "underground" church shuttered by authorities earlier this month. Churches in central Henan province have seen their crosses torn down and followers harassed.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 17:46 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087744e2b0 4 Politics PSI,Golkar,PDI-P,Garuda-Party,PKPI,PKS,Gerindra-Party,#2019GeneralElections,2019-legislative-election,2019-elections,KPU,Democratic-party,Perindo Free

The 16 political parties participating in next years general elections have submitted their initial campaign budget to the General Elections Commission (KPU), the latters commissioner, Hasyim Asyari revealed on Sunday.

The Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) reported the largest starting amount, with Rp 105 billion (US$7.05 million).

Rp 103 billion came from the legislative candidates, while Rp 2.386 billion is from the PDI-P central executive board, PDI-P treasure Olly Dondokambey said as quoted by Antara news agency.

PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said that the party was committed to ensuring the transparency of its campaign funds.

The PDI-P is consistent in building transparency. That is why the PDI-P received an ISO 9001:2015 certification and is the only party with an ISO certification in ASEAN, he said.

The Gerindra Party reported an initial campaign budget of Rp 73.5 billion, while the Crescent Star Party (PBB) reported Rp 17 billion, the National Awakening Party (PKB) Rp 15 billion and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) rounded out the top five with Rp 11 billion.

On the other end of the spectrum, newcomers Garuda Party and United Indonesia Party (Perindo) each reported Rp 1 million, while the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) declined to disclose their budget. (kmt)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 19:15 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308774536ab 4 City demonstration,rally,South-Jakarta Free

Protestors staged a rally in front of the global security service company PT G4S office on Jl. Ciputat Raya, South Jakarta, on Monday, and threatened to continue demonstrating for a month until their demands were met.

In their demand for better industrial relations, the protesters, who claimed to represent more than 700 security guards employed by PT G4S, occupied part of the street, causing traffic to back up to as far as Ciputat, South Tangerang.

We dont want to rally like this, disturbing people and the authorities. But this is PT G4Ss own doing, their leader, Kardinal who also heads the Indonesian Metal Workers Federations (FSPMI) Jakarta branch, said on Monday, kompas.com reported. We will rally for a month until our demands are met.

He said most of the workers claimed they had been forced by the company to renew their contracts three times. [After the third contract renewal] the company then moved them to G4S subsidiaries, said Kardinal.

He added that the striking workers did not receive additional benefits despite the companies that they were assigned to guard being billed tens of millions of rupiah.

Furthermore, the company also tried to break up the workers union by firing one of its members unilaterally. One of our leaders was fired arbitrarily, even though the Jakarta Manpower Agency has said that the process of firing someone must be fair, Kardinal said.

Jakarta Manpower Agency head of manpower monitoring Khadik Triyanto said the agency was mediating between PT G4S and its striking workers.

Its being handled by the South Jakarta Manpower Agency, Khadik said. (ami)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Koh Gui Qing and Lawrence Delevingne (Agence France-Presse) MINNEAPOLIS/NEW YORK, United States  Mon, September 24, 2018 13:01 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087743eff3 2 World #SexAssault,#China,Chinese-billionaire,jd-com,Sexual-assault Free

With the Chinese billionaire Richard Liu at her Minneapolis area apartment, a 21-year-old University of Minnesota student sent a WeChat message to a friend in the middle of the night. She wrote that Liu had forced her to have sex with him.

I was not willing, she wrote in Chinese on the messaging application around 2 a.m. on August 31. Tomorrow I will think of a way to escape, she wrote, as she begged the friend not to call police.

He will suppress it, she wrote, referring to Liu. You underestimate his power.

This WeChat exchange and another one reviewed by Reuters have not been previously reported. One of the womans lawyers, Wil Florin, verified that the text messages came from her.

Liu, the founder of Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com Inc , was arrested later that day on suspicion of rape, according to a police report. He was released without being charged and has denied any wrongdoing through a lawyer. He has since returned to China and has pledged to cooperate with Minneapolis police.

Jill Brisbois, a lawyer for Liu, said he maintains his innocence and has cooperated fully with the investigation.

These allegations are inconsistent with evidence that we hope will be disclosed to the public once the case is closed, Brisbois wrote in an email response to detailed questions from Reuters.

Loretta Chao, a spokeswoman for JD.com, said that when more information becomes available, it will become apparent that the information in this note doesnt tell the full story. She was responding to detailed questions from Reuters laying out the allegations in the womans WeChat messages and other findings.

Florin Roebig and Hang & Associates, the law firms representing the woman, said in an email that their client had fully cooperated with police and was also prepared to assist prosecutors. Florin, asked if his client planned to file a civil suit against Liu, said, Our legal intentions with regard to Mr. Liu and others will be revealed at the appropriate time.

Representatives for both Liu and the student declined requests from Reuters to interview their clients.

The police department has turned over the findings of its initial investigation into the matter to local prosecutors for a decision on whether to bring charges against Liu. There is no deadline for making that decision, according to the Hennepin County Attorneys Office.

The Minneapolis police and the county attorney declined to comment on detailed questions from Reuters.

Reuters has not been able to determine the identity of the woman, which has not been made public. But her WeChat messages to two friends, and interviews with half a dozen people with knowledge of the events that unfolded over a two-day period provide new information about the interactions between Liu and the woman, a student from China attending the University.

The case has drawn intense scrutiny globally and in China, where the tycoon, also known as Liu Qiangdong, is celebrated for his rags-to-riches story. Liu, 45, is married to Zhang Zetian, described by Chinese media as 24-years old, who has become a celebrity in China and works to promote JD.com.

As the second-largest ecommerce website in the country after Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, the company has attracted investors such as Walmart Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google and China's Tencent Holdings.

Liu holds nearly 80 percent of the voting rights in JD.com. Shares in the company have fallen about 15 percent since Lius arrest and are down about 36 percent for the year.

"IT WAS A TRAP"

Liu was in Minneapolis briefly to attend a business doctoral program run jointly by the University of Minnesotas Carlson School of Management and Chinas elite Tsinghua University, according to the University of Minnesota. The doctoral program is directed at high-level executives from China.

Liu threw a dinner party on August 30 for about two dozen people, including around 20 men, at Origami Uptown, a Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis where wine, sake and beer flowed freely, according to restaurant staff and closed circuit video footage reviewed by Reuters.

Liu, who Forbes estimates is worth about $6.7 billion, ordered sashimi by pointing his finger at the first item on the menu and sweeping it all the way down to indicate he wanted everything, one restaurant employee said. The group brought in at least one case of wine from an outside liquor store to drink along with the dinner, according to the restaurant staff.

Security video footage from the restaurant shows the group toasted each other throughout the night.

Later the woman told a second friend in one of the messages that she felt pressured to drink that evening.

It was a trap, she wrote, later adding I was really drunk.

The party ended around 9:30 p.m. The tab: $2,200, the receipt shows. One inebriated guest was helped out of the restaurant by three of his associates, according to the restaurant security video footage.

Liu and the woman then headed to a house in Minneapolis, according to one person familiar with the matter. Another source said that the house had been rented by one of Liu's classmates in the academic program to give the class a place to network, smoke, drink whiskey and have Chinese food every night.

But they did not go in. Liu and the student were seen outside the house before Liu pulled her into his hired car, a person with knowledge of the incident said.

In the WeChat message to one of her friends sent hours later, the student said Liu started to touch me in the car.

Then I begged him not to but he did not listen, she wrote.

They ended up back at her apartment, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

Reuters could not determine what happened over the next two hours. According to the police report, the alleged rape occurred at around 1 a.m.

The woman subsequently reached a fellow University of Minnesota student who notified the police, according to two sources and her WeChat messages.

Minneapolis police came to her apartment early that morning while Liu was there, but made no arrests, another source familiar with the situation said. Reuters could not determine exactly what occurred during the police visit, but the source said the woman declined to press charges in Lius presence.

In a WeChat message with one of her friends, she asked her friend why the billionaire would be interested in an ordinary girl like her.

If it was just me, I could commit suicide immediately, she wrote. But Im afraid that my parents will suffer.

By Friday morning, she also wrote to one of her two friends that she had told several people about what had happened, including the police, a few friends and at least one teacher. She wrote that she would keep her bed sheets. Evidence cannot be thrown away, she wrote.

On Friday afternoon, the student went to a hospital to have a sexual assault forensic test, the source said.

Police officers arrived at a University of Minnesota office shortly after an emergency call around 9 p.m that night. The student was present at the office, alongside school representatives, and accused Liu of rape, the source said.

Representatives for the University of Minnesota declined to comment on detailed questions from Reuters.

Liu came to the university office around 11 p.m. while police were there, according to the person familiar with the matter. As an officer handcuffed him, Liu showed no emotion. I need an interpreter, he said, according to the source.

Liu was released about 17 hours later. Minneapolis police have said previously that they can only hold a person without charges for 36 hours.

Within days, Liu was back in China, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.

Liu has returned to work in Beijing and he continues to lead the company. There is no interruption to JD.coms day-to-day business operations, Loretta Chao, the JD.com spokeswoman, told Reuters.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Mon, September 24, 2018 23:01 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087745fa9b 2 World #DonaldTrump,#Russia,DonaldTrump,Russia,probe,officials Free

Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general overseeing the probe into alleged collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump, was about to resign or be fired Monday, US media reported.

Several media including The New York Times and The Washington Post reported that Rosenstein was preparing to be dismissed, following the publication of reports that he had discussed ways to remove Trump over incompetence.

He was expected to arrive at the White House shortly.

It was not immediately clear whether he would be sacked, or would resign first, the reports said.

The departure of Rosenstein -- possibly giving Trump an opportunity to get more of a loyalist as a replacement -- would dramatically rock the probe into whether Russia colluded with the Trump campaign in his shock presidential election victory in 2016.

Rosenstein plays a key role in overseeing the probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which Trump calls a politically motivated "witch hunt."

In a highly unusual move for a US president, Trump has repeatedly attacked the Justice Department and the FBI, claiming that they are biased against him.

Just last Friday, Trump referred in a speech to supporters to a "lingering stench" at the Justice Department that he would soon eradicate.

The rancor between Trump and his own law enforcement officials took an extraordinary turn with reports that in May 2017 Rosenstein suggested secretly recording Trump for evidence of White House dysfunction -- and using that to remove him from power.

The New York Times and Washington Post reports were based on secret memos by a former FBI director -- which some speculated may have been leaked in order to undermine Rosenstein, and in turn the Russia special prosecutor Mueller.

Democrat opponents and also many from his own Republican Party have warned Trump not to take any action that could be seen as attempting to weaken or even dismantle the Russia probe.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States  Mon, September 24, 2018 13:23 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087744405c 2 World #DonaldTrump,#Shinzo-Abe,DonaldTrump,meeting,Shinzo-Abe,UnitedNations Free

US President Donald Trump on Sunday flew to New York ahead of this week's gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, where he met with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the evening.

"Going to New York. Will be with Prime Minister Abe of Japan tonight, talking Military and Trade. We have done much to help Japan, would like to see more of a reciprocal relationship. It will all work out!" he tweeted before his helicopter landed in Wall Street at around 5:45 pm (2145 GMT).

Following dinner with Trump at the president's New York tower, Abe told reporters the pair discussed North Korea and its abduction of Japanese citizens, along with US-Japan and international trade, "in a warm atmosphere as usual."

"On the North Korean issue, we agreed to further boost the momentum created at the historic US-North Korea summit in June and cooperate closely and firmly in realising the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," Abe said.

North Korea and Iran are set to dominate the UN General Assembly, where Trump will be in the spotlight as he continues to upend global diplomacy.

After warming up to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and ditching the Iran nuclear deal, the unpredictable Trump takes the podium on Tuesday to face foes and increasingly uneasy allies.

On Wednesday, he will for the first time chair a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation and weapons of mass destruction that will focus heavily on Iran -- likely triggering a clash with other big powers.English French Dutch

Mid-term annual growth potential for underlying EBITDA of 6 to 9% organically, and for free cash flow to shareholders of 10 to 15%;

Greenhouse Gas Emission (GHG) commitment, expressed in absolute terms, more than offsetting the anticipated business growth impact





Brussels, September 24, 2018 --- Solvay will today update investors in London on its portfolio, and illustrate the key markets and key levers that will enable the Group to deliver superior and sustainable value growth.





"Under Jean-Pierre's leadership, Solvay is now a leading advanced materials and specialty chemicals company," said Nicolas Boel, Chairman of Solvay's Board of Directors. "After a thorough search process, we expect to be in a position to announce the appointment of a new CEO in the next few weeks. The new CEO's primary mission will be to unleash the potential of what we have built and to create further sustainable value for all stakeholders. "





"Solvay's profound transformation has delivered strong profits, cash and returns. Looking ahead, Solvay will leverage on its differentiated technologies and its simpler, customer-focused organization to continue to innovate and generate superior growth," said Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Chief Executive Officer of Solvay. "We have also set CO2 reduction targets in absolute terms, ensuring that our growth does not come at the expense of the planet, and placing us at the forefront of the chemical industry."





Solvay's mid-term growth potential over 2019-2021 for organic underlying EBITDA is 6 to 9% on average per year and is based on:

6 to 10% growth potential in Advanced Materials, driven by leading market positions and unmatched combination of high-performance polymer and composite technologies, which offer solutions for next generation mobility, mainly to improve energy efficiency of aircraft and cars;

6 to 10% growth potential in Advanced Formulations, driven by leading market positions and tailored surface chemistry solutions mainly to improve resource efficiency in mining, oil & gas and agro, while minimizing the environmental impact;

2 to 6% growth potential in Performance Chemicals, based on recovery in the soda ash business, reflecting its global leadership with world-class assets.

Free cash flow to Solvay shareholders has the potential to grow by 10 to 15% on average per year. Continued disciplined capital spend and lower financial charges from expected deleveraging should contribute to the strong growth.

Cash Flow Return On Investment (CFROI) has the potential to increase 50 to 100 basis points over the next three years, cementing returns firmly in the value creation zone, a level that was reached in 2018 for the first time in more than a decade.

Solvay also updated its greenhouse gas emissions approach. Solvay commits to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1 million tonnes by 2025, by improving its energy efficiency, the energy mix and by investing in clean technologies. In setting an objective in absolute terms, it is among the first chemical groups to decouple its emissions from its growth..

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Linkedin Severianus Endi (The Jakarta Post) Kuching, Sarawak  Tue, September 25 2018

Looking for something: A woman examines gaharu (agarwood) leaves for worms. Gaharu growers use an organic farming system, in which pests in the form of worms are manually removed.

Dozens of people can be seen working under the sweltering midday sun in a hilly area where around 11,000 gaharu (agarwood) trees were planted last year.

The area is a part of a 14,000-hectare conservation zone in Sarawak, east Malaysia.

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Linkedin Xiao Qian (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25 2018

Xinjiang, What a Wonderful Place is a popular folk song in China that describes the beauty of Xinjiangs countryside and pastures, the fragrance of local fruits, the solidarity between ethnic groups and the rhythmic music and dance. The song makes people feel as if they are actually in Xinjiang and are loved by friends from around the world.



The wonders of Xinjiang lie not only in its vast landmass, breath-taking scenery or abundant resources, but also in the mutual respect, solidarity and harmony among ethnic groups, cultures and beliefs and the shared aspiration to build a better home.



Xinjiang is home to 13 ethnic groups, six major religions and more than 24 million citizens. It would not have been possible to achieve harmony and inclusive development in such a diverse region without the ethnic and religious policy upheld by the Chinese government, especially its policy on freedom of religious belief.



As clearly stipulated in the Chinese Constitution, citizens of the Peoples Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief. The Chinese government respects and protects citizens freedom of religious belief in accordance with the Constitution. In Xinjiang, there are around 14 million Muslims, 24,400 mosques and 29,000 clerical personnel.



Governments at all levels in Xinjiang fully respect the religious feelings and needs of citizens and protect normal religious activities in accordance with the law. During each years holy month of Ramadan, efforts are made to ensure sufficient supply of goods at a reasonable price and to guarantee food safety. Whether to open or close a halal restaurant is entirely at the discretion of its owner without any interference.



The mosques, which are capable of providing medical services and equipped with cooling equipment, offer free iftar or breaking of the fast meals for those who fast. Every year, chartered flights are arranged for thousands of Muslims to go to Mecca together with doctors, chefs, tour guides, translators and other staff to provide necessary services.



Special funds are allocated to repair and renovate religious sites, including Id Kah Mosque in Kashi and Juma Mosque in Hotan, which are also under state protection as historical sites. The representatives of religious communities enjoy full rights to participate in the deliberation and administration of state affairs through the peoples congresses and the peoples political consultative conferences at various levels.



Many Indonesian friends also set a high value on the freedom of religious belief and happy life enjoyed by Muslims in Xinjiang.



The chairman of Indonesias largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Said Aqil Siradj, who once attended religious services with local Muslims in Yanghang Mosque in Urumqi, spoke highly of the efforts undertaken by the Chinese government to protect the freedom of religious belief as well as to support and facilitate Muslims in fulfilling religious duties.



Press photographer Ismail from Antara, Indonesias state news agency, participated in the Xinjiang Through My Lens photography trip and captured the spectacular celebration of Ramadan in Xinjiang with his camera. The trip was an eye-opening experience that deepened his knowledge of Xinjiang.



When vividly recalling his recent trip to Xinjiang, detik.com journalist Faya said what impressed him the most were the local governments efforts to build infrastructure, preserve traditional culture and protect normal religious activities.

[...] risks still simmer beneath the surface as some people try to spread religious extremism in Xinjiang.

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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Kuala Lumpur  Mon, September 24, 2018 20:00 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087745b88a 2 SE Asia orangutan,Malaysia,smuggling,Kuala-Lumpur,Indonesia,animal-conservation Free

A pair of young orangutans, baby crocodiles and rare birds were among over 400 animals rescued from a boat off Malaysia as they were being smuggled from neighboring Indonesia, officials said Monday.

Three suspected Indonesian traffickers were arrested after customs officials thwarted the bid to transport the animals to Thailand in an operation Friday off the Malaysian holiday island Langkawi.

The unusual cargo included two "frightened-looking" orangutans and dozens of baby saltwater crocodiles, Malaysian wildlife official Mohamad Zaki Rahim told AFP.

There were also about 350 sugar gliders -- a type of small marsupial -- cockatoos, parrots and parakeets found in boxes on board, he said, adding the smugglers intended to sell all the animals as pets.

The smugglers were seeking to transport the animals under cover of darkness in a cargo vessel from the vast, jungle-clad Indonesian island of Sumatra, through the Malacca Strait to Thailand, customs chief T. Subromaniam told the Star newspaper.

But Malaysian customs officers received information about the boat and intercepted it, Subromaniam said.

The arrested Indonesians, who were on the vessel when it was stopped, are expected to be charged in court for breaking wildlife laws and could face up to 10 years in jail, Mohamad Zaki said.

Elizabeth John, spokeswoman for wildlife trade watchdog Traffic, said that the number and variety of animals seized showed "how tremendous the pressure is on wildlife due to demand for pets".

Authorities in Malaysia, a tropical Southeast Asian country that is home to many rare species, regularly thwart smuggling attempts, but finding 400 animals at the same time is unusual.

In June 2017, Thai authorities nabbed a Malaysian trying to smuggle two juvenile orangutans and some 60 other animals in a taxi through the country's southern border.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, September 24, 2018 16:39 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087744bbc3 4 News Tourism-Ministry,New-Zealand,tourism Free

The Indonesian community in New Zealand launched Wonderful Indonesia Generation (GenWI), an initiative overseen by the Tourism Ministry, over the weekend.

Indonesian Ambassador to New Zealand Tantowi Yahya expressed support for GenWI at the launch on Saturday. The initiative encourages the local Indonesian diaspora, which also includes students studying in the country, to promote Indonesian tourism.

Tantowi also urged the community to support the government's goal to attract 20 million tourists by 2019.

"I see this as a good initiative because it involves our community abroad, which has been wanting to participate in the development of the nation. GenWI is channeling that desire," Tantowi said, as quoted by kompas.com.

[RAPi and GenWI help propel Indonesia as worlds best destination::http://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2017/11/04/genpi-and-genwi-help-propel-indonesia-as-worlds-best-destination.html]

The ministry's expert staff member, Don Suhardono, who represented Minister Arief Yahya at the event, expressed his appreciation for the support in the establishment of GenWI in New Zealand. Don said the community had also established branches in other countries, including Japan, South Korea, India, China, Malaysia and Thailand.

"The country needs help from all of you. Indonesia has many advantages compared to other countries. Not only is the nature beautiful but the culture and cuisine are also very attractive to tourists," Don said.

Ibnu Sitompul, head of the Indonesian Students Association (PPI) in New Zealand, said the presence of students abroad was not just to learn and study but also help the government in many ways, including cultural promotion and tourism.

According to data from the ministry, the number of tourists from New Zealand visiting Indonesia had reached 125,000 people as of August, an increase of almost 100 percent from the same period last year.

One of the reasons for the growth was increasing connectivity, with direct flights from Auckland to Denpasar available every day served by Emirates and four times a week by Air New Zealand. (liz/mut)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Jonathan Powell (China Daily/Asia News Network) London  Mon, September 24, 2018 20:04 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087745bbe7 2 News Venice,Italy,tourists,travel,tourism Free

Officials in the historic Italian city of Venice will discuss proposals to ban tourists from sitting on church steps or in squares in their latest effort to clamp down on what they describe as "boorish" behavior.

The potential rule, suggested by the mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, means fines between 50 euros ($58) and 500 euros ($580) could be issued to travelers who are found to be ignoring the rules.

The ban would come into place after a council vote in October, the Guardian newspaper reports. Sitting down on the steps of monuments or those that surround St Mark's square is already banned.

Authorities are also considering banning music on boats, the principal mode of transport for residents. People can already be barred from the city or fined for drunken behavior and swimming or dipping their toes in the canals. Snacking on steps or while walking along the street are also frowned upon.

According to Italian wire service ANSA, serious cases could result in tourists being forced from the city and even banned from entering.

Brugnaro has made it a priority to manage the tourism industry ever since his election in 2015. He has spearheaded efforts to manage the industry, with measures ranging from fines for unruly tourists to people-counters and increased police enforcement.

The existing and proposed changes have been met with disdain from local groups and opposition.

Read also: 'Party city' Amsterdam to crack down on tourists

"There is such a long list of things that are forbidden in Venice there is nothing left that you can do," said Marco Gasparinetti, who leads the residents' group Gruppo Aprile 25. "They would need to hire an extra 5,000 officers to properly enforce everything."

Each summer, a group of so-called "angels of decorum" patrol the main tourist areas to ensure people are respecting the rules. Designated picnic areas, away from the hotspots, have been assigned for the purpose of sitting down and eating, although few people are aware of this.

Venice has long struggled to manage a tourism industry that brings in about 60,000 visitors a day, outnumbering its 55,000 permanent residents.

Anti-tourist groups have previously fought back, blaming tourism for overcrowding and house price increases which mean residents are priced out of the market.

Barriers were even implemented to divide locals and tourists, to allow the former to continue their day without interruption, although these were met with anger by locals and some were torn down.

Last year, Venice's city council approved measures proposed by Brugnaro, including the installation of people-counters in heavily trafficked areas, an increase in police numbers, new maps with alternative tourist routes, and the promotion of offbeat Venice landmarks.

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This article appeared on the China Daily newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta PostIts a big blow for the Essex Street Market. On Saturday, a letter went up alongside Saxelby Cheesemongers stall announcing that the business, a stalwart in the historic public market, would be closing its Lower East Side location at the end of this month. Whats more  Anne Saxelby  chief advocate for the vendors over the past decade  will not be making the move to the new Essex Street Market next year. Shes keeping a retail space at the Chelsea Market and bolstering her successful wholesale business, which is based in Brooklyn.

Heres what Saxelby wrote:

I want to reach out personally and let you know that due to certain business pressures and personal circumstances Saxelby Cheesemongers at the Essex Market will close on Sept. 30, 2018 and will not be opening in the new location.

I realize that this will come as a surprise, as Ive personally devoted many years to this project, advocating for the market and its vendor community. However, over the past few years our sales in the market have declined precipitously. After much reflection it is clear to me that I would be unwise to proceed with opening this store as it could jeopardize the future of Saxelby Cheesemongers.

It is not easy to run a small business in New York (or anywhere for that matter!) And while I feel very attached to the Essex Market, I have to be pragmatic and put the sustainability of my business, our employees livelihood and the 50+ farms we support first.

I want to apologize for the timing of this message  so close to the markets move and opening. My partner and I have been exploring every alternative to this conclusion, but at this time we cannot commit to going forward with opening in the new market. I am very sad about this and do not take it lightly for the past 12 years the market has been our flagship, our base and our community, and I am very proud of what we built at Essex. The community of vendors, friends, neighbors and customers is unlike any other in New York, and it has been amazing to be part of this community. The Essex Market was, is and will continue to be an amazing, historic, one-of-a-kind destination in New York City, and I wish the new market nothing but the greatest success.

Saxelby Cheesemongers will continue to operate in the Chelsea Market, and we will continue our wholesale operations from our base in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Thank you for your understanding. It has been an amazing run, and I will dearly miss being part of the Essex Market community.Providence Resources P.l.c. ("the Company")

Notification of Interest in Share Capital

Providence Resources P.l.c. have been informed by Pageant Holdings Ltd. on 21 September 2018 that with effect from 21 September 2018;

Pageant Holdings Ltd. now holds 71,852,410 ordinary shares of 0.10 each in the capital of the Company representing 12.02% of the issued ordinary share capital.

Tony O'Reilly

Director

24 September 2018

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Home PageMANCHESTER, United Kingdom, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- October 2018 will mark five years since Graham Campbell and Ian Henderson made the decision to turn away from the common workforce after they were made redundant. They both had far too much to offer towards people in business and desired a more favorable lifestyle. "We started the business in October 2013. Ian was a Circulation Manager with a regional magazine and I was Managing Director of a security business. We were both made redundant earlier in the year and decided to try something different. We came across Minuteman Press at a franchise show in Manchester."



Each man knew their greatest investment would come from making sure they signed a franchise agreement with a worthy brand, one that is respected widely and one that would become an ally for as long as entrepreneurship served them well.

Minuteman Press International's presence in the United Kingdom was firmly established, as it had been many decades earlier in the U.S., and the proven system of operations was enhanced by the dedication of Graham and Ian. Graham describes their mission statement, "To promote and grow our customer's businesses through innovative marketing and design, supported by quality print products and first-class service delivery. You will never build a business based on price. I hate using the cliche 'people buy from people they know, like and trust,' but in our case, it's certainly true. Our top customers are all looked after on a personal level. Relationships like that get you breathing space when things go wrong from time to time. We work on the premise that 'relationship is margin.'"

The local support from Area Manager Mark Heath , coupled with their ability to connect their clients with the perfect audience, resulted in a healthy response from their bottom line. "We have grown year on year and have developed many loyal and worthwhile customers."

Graham, Ian and their Graphic Designer, Jane Hart, continue to move everyone forward in partnership towards greater brand awareness through design, print and marketing that define the modern printing industry. Graham says, "We never over-promise and under-deliver because we fully understand each customer's needs, deadlines and budget. We know a damaged reputation is rarely recovered quickly; we are proud to have customers who have marketed their start-up businesses with our help and ideasand have gone on to be successful."

"There is no better satisfaction than the delighted look on customers' faces when they see their finished product."  Graham Campbell

Mark Heath is the Area Manager for Minuteman Press International in the Central UK. He has been in a prime position to observe how Graham and Ian have taken Minuteman Press in Ashton under Lyne into the community as an advocate for brands from businesses to non-profits. In his role as a local support expert, Mark will always be at the side of his franchise owners, and as they gain respect and a bigger client base, he is delighted for them. "It has been an absolute pleasure to work with such driven individuals who wanted to be in control of their lives. They have embraced the business, followed the programs we set for them and are going from strength to strength, so much so they have just received their 7th award from Minuteman Press International in less than 5 years," he says.

Safety Guide UK joined forces with Minuteman Press in Ashton under Lyne to design, print and promote all that is needed to help parents, relatives, and teachers provide educational resources to help protect children.

When a community has happy, healthy children, the adults responsible can be found at home, at school, in youth groups and through wonderful organizations like Safety Guide UK. The strongest Minuteman Press franchise owners lead the modern printing industry by investing their greatest talents right back into the community through special partnerships. As Graham and Ian develop deeper connections with clients in their area, the effects are evident in the youngest residents.

Graham has been a member of the local BNI chapter (Genesis) since he and Ian bought their franchise and says they have "enjoyed a large amount of business from our networking efforts." He is currently the president of their BNI chapter. Matthew Ralphs, the Director from Safety Guide (UK) Ltd, went on to use the services of six other chapter members thanks to his relationship with Graham. "I know if you work hard on the networking element of marketing though business groups like BNI, the benefits come back to your own business. That Matthew would go on to use the services of other chapter members further enhances our credibility, for example."

The actual design and print needed to promote the work of Safety Guide UK began through the simple but well-done printing of their certificatesand from there, more work was desired. Graham explains, "We initially started out by printing certificates for them in April 2017, but following further meetings we managed to secure all their printing products, such as T-shirts, certificates, flyers, self-inking stamps, presentation folders and most importantly, their booklets. In the last 12 months, we have provided 500,000 booklets and we anticipate in the next 12 months this will increase to 700,000. They are by far our largest customer and are a huge supporter of our business."

Matthew Ralphs is the Director of Safety Guide (UK) Ltd, and he is enthusiastic about the future. "We have a great partnership with Graham and Minuteman Press Ashton. We are expanding our plans going forward and will be increasing production of booklets with their help."

He adds, "Thanks to our partnership with Graham, Ian and Jane at Minuteman Press, we have produced nearly half-a-million booklets to help promote our mission to protect and educate children. Our books help guide youth through critical themes such as road safety, internet safety, cyber-bullying and, of course, bullying in real life situations. We are providing means for mentors and parents to be tremendously impactful towards a healthier and happier tomorrow for our children. Just a few of the titles designed and printed through Minuteman Press in Ashton include 'It Stops with You', 'Child Safeguarding', 'Drugs and Alcohol' and 'The Truth'."

Matthew and Safety Guide (UK) are so encouraged by the quality production of their printed message through this partnership and the healthy response from all using their books that possibilities include international expansion.



He concludes, "Minuteman Press goes the extra mile, always, and we have built a great relationship together. I am interested in opening an American campaign, which I feel would be a great success. Plus, the quality of books and print we are able to distribute are brilliant, so there is reason to think about spreading our message further."

About Minuteman Press International

Minuteman Press International is the number one rated business marketing and printing franchise that offers world class training and unparalleled ongoing local support. Started in 1973 by Roy Titus and his son Bob, Minuteman Press began franchising in 1975 and has grown to nearly 1,000 business service franchise locations worldwide including the U.S., Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Minuteman Press is ranked #1 in category by Entrepreneur 26 times and 15 years in a row, including 2018. Franchise Business Review has also named Minuteman Press International to its 2018 Top Franchises, 2018 Top Franchise Leaders, and 2018 Top Franchises for Women lists thanks to positive reviews from our owners .

At Minuteman Press, We Are The Modern Printing Industry  providing high quality products and services that meet the needs of today's business professionals and go way beyond ink on paper. Today, our centers offer innovative branding solutions and produce custom designs, promotional products, branded apparel, direct mail marketing, large format printing (banners and posters), signs and graphics, and much more. Prior experience is not necessary to own and operate a successful Minuteman Press franchise.

To learn about Minuteman Press UK print franchise opportunities and access UK owner testimonials and Minuteman Press franchise reviews, visit http://bit.ly/minuteman-uk or call 0800 756 6332 for more information.Editors Note:

The disappearance of about $100 million U. S. dollars in thin air in Monrovia has outraged Liberians at home and in the Diaspora. Though the president is said to have set up a committee to investigate, the efforts is considered not to be enough for the hapless people of the country who are severely affected by the disappearance and are therefore demanding that President Weah and Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf account for the missing 16 billion Liberian dollars. President Weah is in the USA to speak at the United Nations. Sources close to the government say that the Liberian President has asked the FBI of the United States of America for its intervention in the investigation.



There is currently a serious foreign exchange crisis in the country partly due to Liberian leaders insatiable appetite for printing money to support their corrupt schemes. As we talk about the missing money, there are calls from some intelligentsia of the regime for Liberia to print more money to replace the missing millions. Are they serious? When will the impunity end? In any case, the today's demonstration starts outside the U.S. Embassy on Benson Street and proceeds through downtown Monrovia. Published below is the Press Release from the organizers of the demonstration:

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the Press, members of the class of intelligentsia, members of the underprivileged majority, sons and daughters of the poor and dejected masses, petite traders and yana boys, members of the disabled community, youth and student groups, civil society actors, the religious community, teachers and marketers, traditional leaders, rural inhabitants and slum dwellers, civil servants, members of all registered political parties and fellow citizens of the Republic of Liberia:



We bring you greetings in the name of transparency and accountability. Over 27 civil society organizations, youth/student groups and diverse unions, have assembled here today with one voice under one umbrella named and styled Concerned Citizens United to Bring Our Money Back (COCUBOMB). Our ultimate and collective goal as a pro-democracy and pro-advocacy citizen action movement is to demand the full restitution of L$16 billion (US$106.6 million) that mysteriously disappeared under the CDC-led government of President George M. Weah on March 31, 2018



It can be recalled about a few days ago that the Liberian media (specifically journalist Philibert Brown of the Hot Pepper Newspaper and journalist Rodney Sieh of FrontPage African Newspaper) revealed to the Country and the World that billions of public money were missing by a group of economic vampires, pseudo-patriots, and micro-nationalists. The government of Liberia later confirmed this shocking revelation.



God first. It is because of the independent media that we know about this mass looting and economic sabotage under President Weah and his government. Our L$16 billion banknotes must be brought back. We appreciate the Liberian media and encourage members of this noble profession to continuously demonstrate dedication, patriotism, and loyalty to the nation in the discharge of their reportorial duties.



COCUBOMB describes the sudden disappearance of the peoples money as a HORRIFIC MYSTERY and a NATIONAL TRAGEDY that is too difficult to be explained and justified by functionaries of this government. The flow of information released so far from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Information surrounding this syndicate of mass looting is contradictory, and can better be considered as a FAIRY-TALE.



Even though there have been attempts to distort the facts and mislead the public, but such vain pursuit remains detectable. While Liberia remains the 4th poorest, 8th unhappiest and 8th hungriest nation with a high rate of youth unemployment, food insecurity and infant/maternal mortality rate, a handful of vicious economic pillagers and State mafias were braved enough to divert and siphon a container of L$16 billion of the masses wealth. This is the first time since 1847 for such huge amount of money to be stolen at once.



The national treasury of our nation is profusely bleeding and all those linked to this gross WICKEDNESS against the collective destiny of the ordinary people must be brought to book without delay. Let it be noted that the disappearance of this L$16 billion has far-reaching economic and security implications. The PEOPLE are becoming impatient and weary about hearing spider-stories. Those who unremorsefully plundered and leeched on our resources must account and account now. The perpetrators will not go with impunity because such devilish action is no different from selling the entire country. Liberians must not be surprised that one morning they wake-up up and this country is sold. COCUBOMB calls on the International Community to withhold all support to Liberia until this L$16 billion is accounted for. We plea with Liberians in the Diaspora to join this patriotic call by petitioning foreign governments.



While our government is begging China for L$54 million grant and food aid, a few groups of self-seeking and greedy scoundrels are pocketing US$106 million of public money. In our opinion, CORRUPTION is flying under President Weah even though it was walking under past regimes. While thousands of parents cannot even afford to pay their childrens tuition, L$16 billion is missing in thin air. This is unacceptable and the PEOPLE must rise up to demand full accountability and restitution of this money.



COCUBOMB lacks trust and confidence in the ability of the Weah-led government to set-up any investigative panel to probe this mass looting. The government has already demonstrated non-credibility by providing a preponderance of misleading information. In fact, former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said recently in an interview with FPA that the Weah-led government is providing misleading information surrounding the L$16 billion disappearances. We no longer trust the government to investigate itself and the immediate past regime in this L$16 billion saga. The government cannot be the litigant, the defendant, and at the same time the jurist.



COCUBOMB is demanding an Independent International Forensic Investigation that would systematically unravel this mystery which remains disturbing and vexing. In fact, there should be a State of Emergency called by the government because this situation is beyond the mere administrative crisis and could degenerate into unintended consequences. No wonder why the call for the establishment of a War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia is intensifying. COCUBOMB joins Liberians in and out of Liberia to support this justified cause. We appreciate those patriotic Liberians in the Diaspora who have been protesting especially in New York.



In our opinion, we think it is completely insensitive and inhumane for President Weah to attend the UN General Assembly in New York when we have a national emergency situation in the country. COCUBOMB is calling on all Liberians to peacefully assemble at the US Embassy on Monday, September 24, 2018, as we petition the International Community (The US Government, European Union, African Union, ECOWAS, Chinese Embassy, MRU, etc. Such action is in line with Article 17 of the 1986 Constitution.



This peaceful mass assembly or build-up is meant to send a clarion call to the International Community to immediately take full charge of this investigation and prevail upon the Weah-led government to account for our missing billions and prosecute all those involved with this spree of mass looting. We call on all of our people to dress either in white or black with an inscription on their T-shirts and posters BRING BACK OUR MONEY.



COCUBOMB calls on all students, teachers, motorcyclists, pen-pen riders, petit traders, and slum-dwellers to come out en masse on Monday as we together demand the agents of corruption to BRING BACK OUR MONEY. We encourage all businesses and schools to close down and join us in solidarity for this mass peaceful assembly on Monday, September 24, 2018. Enough is enough  it is enough living in extreme poverty and misery as a result of mass corruption.



The suffering is enough for our people in West Point, Clara Town, Soniwen, Doe Community, New Kru Town, and Chicken Soup Factory. It is enough for the poor people in the fifteen political subdivisions. The GLUTTONY and GREED of a few people cannot continue to humiliate us. It is enough for young people of this country to have no future simply because a few groups of egoistic elites and a newborn cartel of State mafias have chosen to amass illicit wealth and milk on public resources.



We call on our people to go all out in various communities and hamlets to mobilize/rally the good people ahead of Mondays assemblage. Each one must mobilize and bring 100 persons on Monday. This is a national campaign. It is enough  and this must END!



Where it has reached, it is about the survival of the country, and no one else! Everyone in support of this national campaign is hereby and humbly requested to change his or her Facebook profile picture to our LOGO Bring Back Our Money. May God rescue Liberia from this global disgrace.



Ladies and gentlemen of the press, fellow Liberians, thank you for coming. See you on Monday!

Signed: ______________________________________

Jeremiah S. Swen

Secretary General, COCUBOMB

Approved: ____________________________________

Martin K. N. Kollie

Chairman, COCUBOMB

Cc: US Embassy, UN, EU, AU, ECOWAS, MRU, and Chinese Embassy

Reputable Organizations that have endorsed this statement:Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 74F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Showers early, becoming a steady rain late. Thunder possible. Low around 60F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eve & Co Incorporated (the Company or Eve) (TSXV: EVE) is pleased to announce that it has been included in the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences exchange-traded fund (TSX: HMMJ). To be eligible for inclusion in this ETF, issuers must meet certain minimum asset, market capitalization and liquidity thresholds.



Eve is pleased to be included in the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF. Eve has achieved successes and made strides in production, expansions, branding and, with the addition of sales and extracts authorizations, licensing and we hope that the inclusion in this ETF will enable us to reach additional shareholders who may share our direction, said Melinda Rombouts, CEO of Eve.

ABOUT EVE & CO INCORPORATED

Eve, through its wholly owned subsidiary Natural MedCo Ltd., is a licensed producer and seller of dried cannabis and cannabis plants, and producer of cannabis oil under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations. Natural MedCo Ltd. is Canadas first female founded licensed producer, and received its cultivation license from Health Canada in 2016 and its sales license from Health Canada in June 2018.

Eve is led by a team of agricultural experts and has a 220,000 sq. ft. scalable greenhouse production facility located in Middlesex County, Ontario with 32 acres of adjacent land for future expansion. Eve has broken ground on an additional 780,000 sq. ft. expansion, bringing Eves total anticipated greenhouse capacity to 1,000,000 sq. ft.

The TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV) has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those regarding the Companys future, strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words believe, expect, aim, intend, plan, continue, will, may, would, anticipate, estimate, forecast, predict, project, seek, should or similar expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Companys expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, including those described in the Companys filing statement dated June 18, 2018 and available on the Companys SEDAR profile. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking information or forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities law.



For further information, please contact:Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

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A mix of clouds and sun early, then becoming cloudy later in the day. High 8C. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional rain after midnight. Low 5C. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%.Recover your password.

A password will be e-mailed to you.Market-Leading Computer-Assisted Physician Documentation (CAPD) delivers AI-powered, physician-centric insights to the early consulting cycle for sustainable physician engagement and impact



FRANKLIN, Tenn. and COLLIERVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- M*Modal , a leading provider of clinical documentation and Speech Understanding solutions, and Enjoin , the leader in physician-led clinical documentation integrity, today announced a technology-driven CDI (Clinical Documentation Improvement) advisory solution to help healthcare organizations succeed in risk-based population health. Putting providers at the heart of every HCC (Hierarchical Condition Category) CDI program, this clinically-focused solution provides a holistic view of the patient by combining AI (artificial intelligence) and natural language understanding technologies with coding and clinical expertise through physician leadership.

Given the advancement of alternative payment models and associated challenges, M*Modal and Enjoin collaborate to deliver a comprehensive provider-focused CDI program. M*Modals AI-enabled HCC Management solutions are complemented by Enjoins risk-adjustment services to establish and advance outpatient CDI programs. Combining leading-edge technology, processes and education, this complete program meets healthcare organizations at their individual level of need and readiness to deliver outcomes in any care setting.

Healthcare systems, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) and provider practices now have a physician-driven and clinically-focused program that is designed to improve the quality of patient care and documentation integrity. With ingrained clinical emphasis, this customizable solution drives best practice with innovative technology, expert knowledge of HCC risk adjustment, and extensive medical experience.

The CDI consulting paradigm is enhanced by including our widely-adopted CAPD technology in the early physician training process, said Scott MacKenzie, CEO of M*Modal. The goal is to have a sustainable impact on physician documentation behavior at the point of care with AI-enabled tools and clinical expertise to proactively close gaps in patient care and risk scores while driving continued physician partnership.

Utilizing our combined strengths, targeted analytics and customized workflows are designed to strategically develop a successful program through a data-driven methodology, said James Fee, MD, CCS, CCDS, CEO of Enjoin. This holistic approach enables success through perpetual provider engagement at the point of care achieving compliant risk adjustment and thereby, accurate financial and performance benchmarks.

To learn more, please visit the M*Modal booth (#712) and the Enjoin booth (#1129) at the 2018 AHIMA Convention & Exhibit in Miami, FL till September 25.

About M*Modal

M*Modal is a leading healthcare technology provider of advanced clinical documentation solutions, enabling hospitals and physicians to enrich the content of patient electronic health records (EHR) for improved healthcare and comprehensive billing integrity. As one of the largest clinical transcription service providers in the U.S., with a global network of medical editors, M*Modal also provides advanced cloud-based Speech Understanding technology and data analytics that enable physicians and clinicians to include the context of their patient narratives into electronic health records in a single step, further enhancing their productivity and the cost-saving efficiency and quality of patient care at the point of care. For more information, please visit www.mmodal.com , Twitter , Facebook and YouTube .

About Enjoin

Enjoin provides clinical documentation improvement services across the continuum that achieve demonstrable enhancements to CMI, coding accuracy, quality metrics, risk adjustment and physician alignment. A pioneer in clinical documentation integrity programs, Enjoin continues to be an industry leader and innovator after more than 30 years and ensures evidenced-based care is accurately reflected through precise documentation and coding. The organization is led by nationally renowned physicians with strong backgrounds in scientific-based medicine and years of clinical practice, coupled with certified coding and clinical documentation credentials. For more information, please visit www.enjoincdi.com , Twitter , and Facebook .

Media Contact:

M*Modal

Aparna Prabhakar

267-535-7680

aparna.prabhakar@mmodal.comNOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAWS.



CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RMMI Corp. (RMMI or the Company) is pleased to announce today that it has successfully completed its initial public offering (the Offering) of 1,765,700 common shares of RMMI at a price of $2.50 per common share for gross proceeds of approximately $4.4 million. Subject to RMMI fulfilling certain customary Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) requirements, the common shares of RMMI are expected to commence trading on the CSE on September 25, 2018 under the trading symbol RMMI.

Management and the Board of Directors are extremely pleased with the successful completion of our initial public offering and we look forward to having RMMI trading on the CSE, said Earl Connors, President and CEO of RMMI. We are proud to announce that RMMI has joined the growing family of cannabis companies listed on the CSE and believe this represents an important milestone for the Company and its shareholders. RMMI was able to complete this milestone within two years of incorporation, which speaks to the dedication and hard work of our team. We will continue to build on this foundation, enhancing shareholder value, increasing liquidity and executing our strategy.

The Offering was made on a commercially reasonable efforts basis and was led by Canaccord Genuity Corp., as lead agent, and Haywood Securities Inc. as co-agent (collectively, the Agents). In connection with the Offering, the Agents received a cash commission and were granted compensation warrants. RMMI has granted the Agents an over-allotment option (the Over-Allotment Option) that is exercisable at the Agents sole discretion, to offer for purchase and sale additional common shares of RMMI in an amount that is equal to 15% of the total number of common shares issued under the Offering at a price of $2.50 per common share. The Agents may exercise the Over-Allotment Option, in whole or in part, at any time on or before the date that is 60 days following the date of closing of the Offering.

An amended and restated (final) prospectus relating to the Offering has been filed with securities commissions in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, and a copy is available under RMMIs profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The common shares 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. Accordingly, the common shares may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of RMMI in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About RMMI Corp.

RMMI is an Alberta-based company focused on the production, cultivation and sale of medical marijuana in various forms. RMMI, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Rocky Mountain Marijuana Inc. (Rocky Mountain) is a late stage applicant under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (Canada) and is in the process of obtaining the requisite license to commence cannabis production operations. Rocky Mountain blends science with nature using aeroponic cultivation and CO 2 extraction. Rocky Mountain intends to produce high-purity, organic-quality cannabis oils. RMMIs team will employ leading commercially available science and technology to maximize production yields and product quality as a low-cost producer, while reducing risk to its crops and its business.

For more information about RMMI, please visit www.rmmi.ca .



Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of the applicable securities legislation (collectively, forward-looking statements). These statements relate to managements expectations about future events, results of operations and RMMIs future performance (both operational and financial) and business prospects. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: anticipate, intend, contemplate, continue, propose, predict, plan, goal, seek, believe, project, forecast, pursue, potential, objective, estimate, expect, strategy, future, likely, might, may, shall, should, could, will, capable, and similar references to future periods. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. Unless otherwise indicated, these statements speak only as of the date of this news release. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to the following: the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option by the Agents (if any) and the commencement of trading of the Companys common shares on the CSE.

Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by RMMI in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate and are subject to risks and uncertainties. In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, RMMI has made the following assumptions: that market conditions and regulatory requirements will not change in any material respect such that the Companys common shares will successfully commence trading on the CSE; general business and economic conditions and RMMI's ability to successfully execute its plans and intentions. Although RMMI believes that these assumption are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect, and RMMI cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with the forward-looking statements included in this news release. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, prospective purchasers of common shares should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this news release. In fact, RMMIs actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of the risk factors and other factors set forth in its amended and restated prospectus dated June 26, 2018.

The forward-looking statements included in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and, except as otherwise indicated, are made as of the date of this news release. RMMI does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or departures from them except as required by applicable securities laws. All of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements.

Contact Information:

Earl Connors, President and Chief Executive Officer

ir@rrmi.ca

403-984-6446LAST weeks man-made crisis at the height of a legal three-day strike over socio-economic issues by members of the Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA) (presumably Eswatini now), provided empirical evidence that we are on the wrong side of history, at least the ruling class that is.

In case you often take leave of your faculties; have you ever wondered why the sum total of the problems facing this country is self-made, more often than not by the ruling elite? The impact of challenges accruing from natural phenomena could be minimized if this country maximized on opportunities but for a short-sighted and self-serving leadership the kingdom is worse for wear.



In last weeks brazen abuse of power, brawn was allowed to replace reason in what could otherwise have been a peaceful and perhaps less than momentous strike. This just about authenticated the governing elites affinity to violence when dealing with legitimate grievances by workers that it misinterprets to be political dissent  not that dissent of whatever nature should be met with violence other than constructive engagement for consensus building. Consequently, the leaderships hostile strong-arm tactics in dealing with workers and other stakeholders grievances have entrenched the Kingdom of Eswatini on a calamitous path to nowhere but ruin and possible candidacy for global pariah status. About time too!



On the eve of the strike, government, perhaps out of respect for the rule of law, appeared to be informed by reason when the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training, Dr Sibongile Mtshali informed parents to keep their children at home for the three days of the strike. This position must have been heartily welcomed by parents because it removed their children from harms way, while at the same time showing a government that had turned the corner by respecting the legality of the protest action by workers.



There was all the reason to believe that the announcement by Dr Mtshali had been a product of consultations possibly involving all PSs and acting Prime Minister Dr Vincent Mhlanga. Therefore, parents and all stakeholders must have accepted the statements authenticity and its concomitant reassuring tone at a time of uncertainty. But in a sudden turn-around reminiscent of the erstwhile hegemony of the Liqoqo in the early to mid-80s, the acting PM stunned the nation with a shockingly contradictory announcement later; teachers must report for duty and children must attend classes as normal.



While Dr Mtshalis statement was seemingly underscored by governments stated commitment to respect for the rule of law in recognising and acknowledging the legality of the strike, nothing of the sort could be gleaned from Dr Mhlangas latter announcement. In the event, the acting PMs statement must have and was, indeed, made outside the law. The import of this contradiction being that government had turned around and no longer recognised the strike as legal without relying on or invoking any legal precept whatsoever.

Thus, in one fell swoop government had moved from a position of rationality and reason informed by the law - Dr Mtshalis initial announcement - to one of brawn and confrontation - acting PM Dr Mhlangas later pronunciation. The conclusion being that government had, once again, retreated to its natural habitat of not respecting the rule of law anchored on its loyal security apparatus.



As I see it, had governments initial position held, there would never have been the sporadic violent flare-ups that were witnessed across the country, as well as gory pictures of police violently attacking and maiming not just unarmed striking workers but as well as onlookers, which were instantaneously flighted on social media. These gruesome images provided, and are providing, empirical evidence of the source of the violence that denial and counter accusations by National Commissioner of Police Isaac Magagula will not erase.

And it is, these grisly images that the world will judge for itself if the obtaining political hegemony of Tinkhundla is democratic enough that people are free to exercise their inalienable human rights and liberties. This apparent infantile government behaviour could not have happened at a better time than it did on the eve of the secondary elections and in full view of international observers and media.



It is apparent that the thinking of the leadership in trying to stop the strike through illegal machinations was to save face and project a positive image of the country as a peaceful haven. But this has apparently backfired fantastically, especially happening as it did on the eve of the secondary elections that naturally have attracted the worlds attention. In the event, the false facade of a peaceful, rather than a silent and fearful, the country has been shattered once and for all. Now the Tinkhundla political system has been left bare for all to behold an experiment that has gone terribly wrong and taken the country to the edge of the abyss.

Ultimately it is government  or whoever arbitrarily sought to contradict the Ministry of Education and Training PS - that was left with egg on the face for eventually there were no classes for the duration of the strike from Tuesday to Thursday. Instead the pro-democracy movement was dealt a good hand by government for exposing its dictatorial tendencies to the world. Proponents of multiparty democracy could not have wished for a better expose of the abuse and excesses of the Tinkhundla political hegemony. One such glaring abuse being the bribery of 217 junior police officers with promotions  when government has refused to award cost-of-living salary adjustments for civil servants ostensibly because there is no money  that was enough motivation for them to unleash violence against unarmed and peaceful protesters.EZULWINI  Political parties should be allowed to participate during the countrys national elections.



This was said by former Sychelles president James Alix Michel, when he presented the African Union Elections Observers report on Saturday.

According to the recommendations released yesterday by the AU, the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini should consider reviewing the ban of political parties, which would allow them to participate during the elections.



The AU Election Observer Mission encouraged the Government of Eswatini to consider reviewing the 1973 decree and allow for the formation, registration and participation of political parties in elections in accordance with the 2005 Constitution, and in compliance with the countrys international commitment.

The AU further recommended that marginalised groups should be encouraged to participate during the elections, and these included the youth, women and those with disabilities.



Michael said as much as they appreciated that a majority of the staff employed by the Elections and Boundaries Commission was female, they still needed to be in positions of empowerment.

The AU further recommended that transport should be added in more voting areas, especially the rural ones.

They stated that a full report would be released in two months.



The 2018 Elections were described as peaceful and professional.

Meanwhile, former Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) president Sibongile Mazibuko asked why the African Union Elections Observer Mission would come to Eswatini to legitimise the illegitimate.



Mazibuko made these submissions during a press conference held at the Royal Swazi Sun Convention Centre yesterday. The briefing was for the media, but Mazibuko was quick to point out that she didnt have a media house, but was just speaking as a citizen.

Mazibuko said she wondered why organisations like the AU came to Eswatini when they knew that the country was not democratic, according to Section 4 of the Constitution.MBABANE  At least 10 of the elected 59 Members of Parliament (MPs) shall be ministers.



This shall be in accordance with Section 67 (3) of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini, which provides that half the number of ministers should be appointed from among the elected members of the House. Cabinet has 20 ministers  including the prime minister and his deputy. In the event the prime minister and deputy prime minister do not regard themselves as ministers, it would mean His Majesty the King would appoint nine ministers from among the members of the House.



Reads Section 67 (2) and (3) of the Constitution: The King shall appoint ministers from both chambers of Parliament on the recommendation of the prime minister. At least half the number of ministers shall be appointed from among the elected members of the House.



It must be said that former Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini is on record that he and his deputy could not be counted among the ministers. The argument arose when this publication questioned the constitutional composition of Cabinet.

The Constitution serves as the supreme law of the country.



However, Obed Dlamini, the late former Prime Minister and member of Liqoqo, differed with Sibusisos definition of minister. Obed argued that a prime minister was also considered as a minister and the difference was that he was senior and chairman of Cabinet meetings.



The prime minister is also the leader of government business in Parliament, according to the supreme law. In the 10th Parliament, Cabinet had nine ministers appointed from among the elected members of the House. These were Phiwayinkhosi Mabuza, David Cruiser Ngcamphalala, Phineas Magagula, Mduduzi Small Joe Dlamini and Patrick Magobetane Mamba, who was relieved of his duties on medical grounds in October 2016.



Mamba was replaced by an elected MP in Owen Nxumalo. Nxumalo represented Manzini South Inkhundla. In the general elections for the 11th Parliament, he lost to Thandi Nxumalo.

Other ministers who came from among the elected MPs were Gideon Dlamini, who was dismissed and subsequently succeeded by Christopher Gamedze, the former Mafutseni MP.



Gamedze did not contest the 2018 general elections. Dumsani Ndlangamandla was an MP for Ngudzeni when the King appointed him minister of Information, Communication and Technology. He, too, did not contest the 2018 general elections.

Moses Vilakati and Jabulani Mabuza were both Members of Parliament representing Ntondozi and Piggs Peak Constituencies respectively when Ingwenyama elevated them to the ministerial positions.LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- King & Spalding today announced that Peter Hsiao has joined the Government Matters practice group as a partner in the Los Angeles office. As a member of the firms Environmental, Health and Safety team, he will head the teams efforts on the west coast.



Peter is a highly respected environmental attorney with a stellar reputation, said partner Wick Sollers, leader of King & Spaldings Government Matters practice group. He adds significant firepower to the Environmental, Health and Safety team and will broaden our capabilities in California.

Hsiao advises Fortune 500 clients on a wide variety of complex environmental and land use matters. Among his cases are the cleanup of the San Francisco International Airport and air pollution control measures for the Owens Dry Lake bed, which is considered the largest source of particulate air emissions in the United States. He represents clients on Clean Air Act matters, hazardous waste management and disposal issues, and in multi-party groundwater and soil contamination cases. Hsiao also litigates cases under the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, and was involved in an seminal matter involving Prop 65, the states Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act. He also advises clients on alternative energy issues. Most recently Hsiao served as head of Morrison & Foersters Environment and Energy Group in Los Angeles and of its Green Products and Chemicals team.

California is one of the primary centers of environmental law in the world, with new regulatory initiatives frequently emerging there first, said partner Granta Nakayama, who leads King & Spaldings Environmental, Health & Safety team. With Peter on board, clients in California and elsewhere will know they have one of the countrys leading environmental attorneys in their corner. He also brings to the table experience as a former prosecutor and an engineering degree.

Hsiao served as a senior trial lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. In this role, he represented the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies in major environmental and chemical litigation, obtaining several multi-million dollar judgments. In private practice, he has worked on a number of high-profile government investigations.

Hsiao received the U.S. Department of Justices Special Commendation Award, the U.S. Attorneys Office Special Achievement Award, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Golden Eagle Award. He is one of 16 lawyers named as a Distinguished Environmental Advocate by the American Bar Association. He was named a Trailblazer in Energy and Environmental Law by the National Law Journal and is a Fellow and elected as a Regent of the American College of Environmental Lawyers. Hsiao is named by Chambers and Partners as well as Legal 500 as one of the nations best environmental lawyers, and is a recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Award for pro bono legal services from the State Bar.

Im excited about the strategy and growth of King & Spaldings Environmental, Health and Safety team, said Hsiao. And I look forward to working with this great group of practitioners.

Hsiao graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Utah and obtained his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.

About King & Spalding

Celebrating more than 130 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,000 lawyers in 20 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com .You have permission to edit this image.

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President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has sent his condolences to the President of Iran Hassan Rouhani in connection with the terrorist act that occurred in the Iranian city of Ahvaz during a military parade and resulted in casualties and injuries.

"Resolutely opposing any manifestations of terrorism and extremism, Turkmenistan fully supports the efforts of the international community in combating this evil and its eradication," the message published in the local media says.

Berdimihamedov conveyed the words of deep empathy and support to the families, relatives and friends of the victims and wishes for a speedy recovery to the victims.

On Sept. 22, the unknown armed men who stood behind the podium during the military parade in Ahvaz, opened fire on people. At least 29 people were killed and 57 - injured.

Ahvaz city is located in southern Iran near the border with Iraq.The city was established in 631 BC

Nearly 2,600 years ago, a group of Greeks from the island of Thira (also known as Santorini) headed south, searching for a new place to live. Their journey ended in the northern part of Africa, where modern-day Libya is located.

These Greek settlers founded a new city and they called it Cyrene.

The city was established in 631 BC and Cyrene obtained its first King, Battus.

Battus was the first powerful figure of what later became the famous dynasty of Battiads.

The Battiads ruled Cyrene for 8 generations, until 440 BC. Under their rule, the port city of Apollonia was founded along with Berenice, current Benghazi.

Cyrene was prosperous and had strong trade ties with every Greek city in todays Greek mainland and islands.

The city became a Republic in 460 BC, after the tradition that Athens had established.

When Alexander the Great passed away in 323 BC the Cyrenian Republic became subject to the Ptolemaic Dynasty and a few centuries later became part of the Roman Empire as a province.

Cyrenes ruins remain there today as a reminder of the regions rich past, that was shaped by Greeks and Romans alike.

Read more at greekreporter.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: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Daviegunn License: CC-BY-SABabis Bizas, a 64-year-old who was born Charalampos Bizas on the 16th of September 1954 in Epirus, Greece, is a travel writer, explorer, tour operator, and has entered the Guinness Book of Records as The most travelled person in the world.

Bizas journeys have led him from one side of the globe to the other and he participated in an expedition to the North Pole in May 1996. Almost 18 years later, in December 2014, he landed in the South Pole, becoming the only one Greek and one of a few to have visited both Poles.

The journey to the South Pole had to be done. As others go to Agios Gerasimos to fulfill a vow, I felt it was my duty, as a Greek, to raise the Greek flag there,  Babis noted.

By 2004 Bizas had visited all 194 sovereign countries of the planet at that time and is currently a member of the RGO (Russian Geographic Society).

As a university student, he travelled as a backpacker in Europe mainly hitchhiking and in 1977 he followed the stream of the young European travellers to India in his twenties.

Travelled to all the known tourist destinations

He loved Afghanistan and was impressed by Bangladesh. When the money was about to finish he found a job on one of the numerous Greek ships anchored in the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka and sailed to Mozambique, South Africa, and the United States. For the next 8 years, he was busy travelling as a tour leader. In 1987 when he had already travelled to all the known tourist destinations, he decided to slow down his trips for a while to concentrate on planning and organising new tours for small groups and he then created The Cultural Tours, beginning with Cambodia and Vietnam (but not Laos at that time yet) where he led the first group.

Soon, the countries of West Africa like Chad, Nigeria, and Guinea Bissau followed, where the locals saw for the first time such a number of people traveling together. In a couple of years, the Cultural Tours became a success.

Babis has travelled numerous times to Antarctica, visited the remote Islands of the Aleutian Chain in Alaska, and explored the off beaten track islands of the Pacific. But his top passion was the tribal areas of Africa and Asia where old cultures and traditions are still alive.

He has spent time with the Himbas in northern Namibia, loved and been loved by the Hamers in South Ethiopia, met with the Bela in Niger and escorted the first visitors to the tribal areas of the Apatanis in Arounachal Pradesh and to the mountain areas of Southern China. It comes as no surprise the National Geographic has named him The most travelled person in the world.

The tours Babis plans and organises are totally booked months ahead and no two tours in the same country are ever alike. Every time he returns from a trip something different is added to the next one.

Even though he lives in Athens, he is away from his home for more than 300 days a year, exploring new areas of the world. Babis tour groups mainly consist of Greeks but has been joined by expats who live in Athens or travellers who came from as far as Australia, Taiwan, Mauritius, and the USA.

You can follow Babis journeys here

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: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: MakKost License: CC-BY-SAOpportunities that are ready to be grabbed, among them being that of clean food that was healthier and more nutritious as well as a life with strong feeling that all the world now sought

Greece is a country with major advantages and exciting features that anyone would want, brand strategist Peter Economides argued in an interview with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) radio station Praktoreio 104.9 FM on Saturday.

Greece is full of treasures, noted Economides, a Greek expatriate who ranks among the most successful professionals in his field, describing both the global conditions and the market where Greeks must promote their products, services and the countrys image.

According to him, the strongest weapon that Greece has for this purpose is the way that Greeks live their lives. What Greece has is a knowhow that pivots around life itself, he said, noting that the country must promote its many, alternative and chiefly unknown attributes, in addition to the classic associations with the sun, sea, antiquities and the rest.

Read more at thenationalherald.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: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Letzan License: CC-BY-SAShooting for the fourth season of the series is taking place on Corfu from the end of August until October 11

Shot on location on the island of Corfu, the critically-acclaimed television series "The Durrells" has been much lauded as a sunny, moving story that "captures an age of innocence" and "recreates an authentic sense of innocent exoticism." According to the Guardian newspaper, it has succeeded in once more bringing families together around a television set once a week.

Talking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) in an interview released on Sunday, the producer of the series Christopher Hall noted that he had insisted that it be shot on Corfu, despite the difficulties presented at that time, and felt vindicated by the result.

The idyllic setting on the island was a major part of the series' success, Hall said, while he predicted a bright future for Greece's audiovisual industry after the introduction of a cash rebate for film companies that shoot in Greece, which 'The Durrells' will be among the first productions to receive.

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:Tasoskessaris License: CC-BY-SAUAE-based Al Dahra group has announced that following its recent acquisition of Agricost and Braila Island, the largest consolidated farm in Europe, the company is planning to invest an additional $500 million in Romania over the coming five years, in various sectors.



This announcement coincides with a visit to Romania by a delegation comprising the executive leadership team from Al Dahra. During the visit, several meetings and discussions with high ranking officials in the country were held.



Regarding farming investments, Al Dahra will look at acquiring additional farming land in Romania and will invest in modernising the existing portfolio of agricultural machinery and technology, said a senior official.



The target is to reach a combined annual production of one million metric tons of Grains and Combined Feed, by the year 2022. In parallel, a grains collection hub with silos will be established, with the capacity to handle two million metric tons of different grain varieties, produced by both Al Dahra and non-Al Dahra Romanian farms, remarked its co-founder Khadim Al Darei.



The grains hub will facilitate strategic inventory creation, stock rotation and international trading. Furthermore, and to facilitate the processing and distribution of the forage yield, five fodder dehydration and pelleting plants will be established.



From a logistics and supply chain investments standpoint, Al Dahra plans on acquiring a logistics operator at Constanta Port to facilitate the export of grains, and the import of fertilisers, stated Al Darei.



Further, it will establish a specialised fertiliser company, in charge of importing fertilisers into Romania and trading in neighbouring markets with an expected volume of 350 thousand metric tons annually, he added.



Al Dahra said it plans to undertake the upgrading of the harbour loading facilities at Braila Island to allow increased capacity for goods and vessels traffic.



It is also part of Al Dahras plan to make investments in the livestock sector, by establishing a barn with the capacity to accommodate a herd of 150 thousand heads of various livestock species, it stated.



Also, Al Dahra will pursue other investments that aim at creating an integrated value chain within the agribusiness in Romania, including factories and pack houses as well as other value-added services depending on the business requirements, it added.



Al Darei, said: "Following the addition of Braila Island to our global portfolio of farming projects, Al Dahras investment plans expand beyond farming to include investments in different value-added services. Such investments will benefit Romanian farmers, will create new job opportunities for Romanian citizens and will improve the reach of Romanian-grown products to international markets by leveraging Al Dahras network, hence boosting the domestic farming and logistics sectors."



"Most importantly, investments will, in turn, contribute to achieving long-term food security for Romania, creating a win-win scenario for all parties," he noted.



Al Dahras investment plan will be executed in a phased approach over the coming few years and will contribute to Al Dahras strategy to fulfill the Abu Dhabi Governments long-term food security vision, as well as equally contributing to the diversification of the companys farming footprint, expanding its product offering and serving its growing global customer base.-TradeArabia News ServiceBahrain-based Hilal Computers, a member of Dells Presidents Circle, will be leading a knowledge exchange on Dell EMCs data protection services, hyper converged infrastructure updates and midrange storage solutions.



The event will take place on September 26 at the Capital Club in Bahrains Financial Harbour before an invited audience of Bahrains major companies.



Hardy Koshy, general manager of Hilal Computers said; Dell EMCs technical team from Dubai, will lead the thought provoking event around the latest technology innovations from Dell contribute to the current global trends in digital transformation for business agility.



HCI  Hyper Converged Infrastructure is the path most commonly taken by users to achieve self-serviced auto provisioned cloud environments as well as utilizing Dell EMCs industry leading midrange powerful and comprehensive storage solutions. Dell EMCs data protection services are specifically tailored to meet the users needs from DE duplication, integration to Cloud environment, and advanced VMware cloud initiatives, added Koshy.



The specialized awareness platform, would allow end users to receive global technological trends and support to transform business through cloud initiatives.



Speakers from Dell EMCs Dubai technical team include Dany Elkhoury, Sr. V partner account manager in Mena region and Turkey; Bassam Elbouery, DPS manager and Ezzat Adhami, senior systems engineer.



Hilal Computers recently received the highest accolade by being inducted into the Presidents Circle by Dell Computers. We are able to leverage on this special relationship to bring experts to the Kingdom to ensure that the knowledge available to companies on data storage and applications is the latest, concluded Koshy.



Hilal Computers was set up in 1989 to provide IT solutions and technical services to the corporate and retail sectors with consultancy, enterprise solutions, networking and all aspects of hardware and software sales. The company through its associate branches has offices in Saudi Arabia and UAE.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe Telecommunications Regulatory Authoritys (TRA) efforts to rectify the telecoms towers situation in the kingdom have been hailed by TRA Board of Directors.

The board, at its third meeting this year, discussed the issue related to regulating and rectifying the telecoms towers situation in Bahrain which is of high importance to the telecommunications sector.

It hailed the endeavours and the actions taken by TRA to rectify the telecoms towers situation and find the appropriate solutions in coordination with the concerned government bodies, in particular, the development of a rectification plan which focuses on important aspects as a priority among other things, said a statement.

Board members also discussed other key issues related to the telecommunications sector. This included the progress of the projects related to the Spectrum Award and Batelco Separation.

The Board commended TRAs significant efforts in relation to these major projects which are in the interest of consumers in Bahrain, said the statement.  TradeArabia News ServiceToronto, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- September 24, 2018 (Toronto)  The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) and Pollara Strategic Insights will release the results of their 13TH annual survey of mutual fund investors on Thursday, September 27, 2018. Journalists are invited to attend a media briefing with Craig Worden, President, Pollara Strategic Insights and Paul Bourque, President and CEO, IFIC. They will highlight key findings in the 2018 Canadian Mutual Fund Investor Survey and respond to questions.

What: 2018 Canadian Mutual Fund Investor Survey Results

Who: Craig Worden, President, Pollara Strategic Insights and Paul Bourque, President and CEO, IFIC

When: Thursday, September 27, 2018 at IFICs Annual Leadership Conference, 12:15 p.m.

Where: The Carlu, 444 Yonge Street, Toronto

** Media are asked to please register with Lisa Hall (416-309-2317). **

About IFIC

The Investment Funds Institute of Canada is the voice of Canadas investment funds industry. IFIC brings together 150 organizations, including fund managers, distributors and industry service organizations, to foster a strong, stable investment sector where investors can realize their financial goals. By connecting Canadas savers to Canadas economy, our industry contributes significantly to Canadian economic growth and job creation.

About Pollara Strategic Insights

Founded in 1980, Pollara Strategic Insights is one of Canada's premier full-service research firms  a collaborative team of senior research veterans who are passionate about conducting research through handson creativity and customized solutions. Taking full advantage of their comprehensive toolbox of industry-leading quantitative and qualitative methodologies and analytical techniques, Pollara provides research-based strategic advice to a wide array of clients across all sectors on a local, national, and global scale.

For more information please contact:

Lisa Hall

Senior Manager, Communications and Public Affairs

lhall@ific.ca

416-309-2317O Boticario, the largest fragrance player in Brazil, has opened its first international Amphora concept store at City Centre Mirdif, Dubai.

Known for its iconic products for more than 40 years, O Boticario has more than 4,000 stores across the globe. It is also the largest cosmetic franchise in the world with a 6% market share in Latin America and an estimated $4 billion in revenue, according to Euromonitor International report 2017.

Andre Farber, vice president of business and franchises at O Boticario, said: After the great success of the iconic Amphora stores in Brazil, we chose Dubai for our first Amphora concept store outside the country. The amphora is the icon of O Boticario, and represents Brazilian perfumery, standing out in a grid created exclusively for the new project.

Farber added: We are bringing the Amphora store in Dubai in a new format that defines the evolution of physical retail by offering consumers unique experiences. It will provide interactive content coupled with a visual aesthetics created to attract visitors to the brand's stories. The new store will offer some of the most innovative retail technologies, helping us connect better with our customers through services that set us apart.

Earlier this year, the Brazil-based cosmetics, fragrances and skin care company agreed to licence its exclusive brand rights and partner with Millennial Capital Ltd, a Dubai-based emerging retail, consumer, wellness and investment management firm, to facilitate expansion in the Gulf region.

Talking about the partnership with Millennial Capital, Farber said: We decided to partner with Millennial Capital based on their past successes in the region and due to the innovative approach in terms of developing a fully integrated team of professionals covering branding, marketing, distribution, logistics, operations and finance. When we evaluate the key success factors in international markets we asses our partner's ability to invest in the development of the brand regionally but also their understanding of local market dynamics and structure.

Millennial Capital as a consumer-focused emerging venture capital firm is well positioned to partner with Grupo Boticario and gradually expand O Boticario brand in the GCC markets. The group has a history of being supported by reputable investors in the region and is managed by a multinational team of investment professionals creating a solid value proposition for our franchise.

Andreea Danila, founder and managing director of Millennial Capital, said: We are pleased to partner with the worlds largest cosmetics franchise, combining their heritage, innovation and expertise with Millennial Capitals in-depth knowledge and world-class ability to ensure a successful launch of an entirely original concept store in the UAE and it will be the first Amphora store outside Brazil.

According to a 2016 Euromonitor International report, the global beauty and personal care sector is estimated at $444 billion, with both Brazil and Middle East expected to grow at a CAGR of 9%. In the Middle East, the beauty market is fast growing, and is estimated at $6 billion. In light of the burgeoning industry, O Boticario and Millennial Capital have agreed to open more stores in the UAE, establishing online partnerships with leading e-Commerce portals, stores in stores targeting the departmental stores and pharmacies, and expansion to Saudi Arabia in Q4 2019.

Speaking about the exclusivity of the brand, Farber said: Our main focus has always been to create new experiences for the people. Nowadays consumers are very demanding and very discerning when choosing a brand or product to buy. When they buy our products, they know exactly what our brand stands for. We want our stores to reveal the soul of O Boticario, thus our team is continuously researching different combinations that make our products stand out in the market. Our leading fragrance brands Malbec, Lily and Floratta retain international market-leading positions in men and women categories.

Created in 1977, the cosmetic companys individuality relies on the story of its founder, a pharmacist who fashioned a unique blend of natural ingredients to produce one of its kind beauty products in a small pharmacy in Brazil. To this day, O Boticarios product lines consist of approximately 1,200 items, but the Dubai store will have the 480 best sellers - body care, facial care, makeup, fragrances, deodorants, soaps and shampoos.  TradeArabia News ServiceNational carrier Oman Air lent its support to the sultanate's tourism ministry as it hosted a special Omani themed workshop aimed at promoting the country's tourism stakeholders, to celebrate the upcoming Moscow service in October.



The event provided a perfect opportunity to introduce Oman Air to the Russian market as well as showcase the unique hospitality and culture of Oman.



The event which was held last week in Moscow saw important personnel from Oman in attendance. Over 200 highly regarded tour operators attended the event, with delegates from Oman Air. In addition to Oman Air, Oman Ministry of Tourism was joined by key hotel partners including Anantara, Kempinski, Shangri-La, and Crowne Plaza Muscat.



The new daily service to Moscow Domodedovo Airport will be operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with an estimated flight time of 5 hours and 55 minutes, offering 12 seats in Business Class and 150 in Economy.



Flight WY181 will depart Muscat daily at 14.55, arriving in Moscow at 19.55 local time. And the return flight WY182 will depart Moscow at 00.20, arriving into the award-winning new passenger terminal at Muscat International Airport, at 06.55. - TradeArabia News Service

CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ATCO Ltd. (TSX: ACO.X, ACO.Y)



ATCO announced today that its Mexican subsidiary, ATCO Energia, will enter Mexicos wholesale electricity market after receiving approval from the National Center for Energy Control (CENACE) to provide electricity and related services as a Qualified Supplier. ATCO Energia anticipates commencing operations by the end of 2018.

ATCO has a long and proud history of delivering safe, efficient and reliable energy to people in Canada and Australia and we are now bringing that expertise to Mexico, said Wayne Stensby, Managing Director for ATCOs Electricity Global Business Unit.

As a Qualified Supplier, ATCO Energia will competitively supply energy, capacity, ancillary services and Clean Energy Certificates to Qualified Users (i.e. those customers with aggregate demand of more than 1 MW, such as commercial and industrial facilities). Prior to the countrys energy reforms, all consumers were required to meet their electricity needs through the Federal Energy Commission.

We look forward to helping our customers capitalize on the tremendous potential of Mexicos wholesale market while enjoying the efficient and innovative service that ATCO provides, said George Opocensky, ATCOs Managing Director in Mexico.

ATCOs entry into the wholesale electricity market marks another milestone in the companys continued growth in Mexico. Earlier this year, Canadian Utilities, an ATCO company, acquired a 35-MW hydroelectric power station in the state of Veracruz and announced plans to build a 26-MW cogeneration project on the site of the Chemours Company Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V.s chemical facility near Gomez Palacio, Durango.

With approximately 7,000 employees and assets of $22 billion, ATCO is a diversified global corporation delivering service excellence and innovative business solutions in Structures & Logistics (workforce housing, innovative modular facilities, construction, site support services, and logistics and operations management); Electricity (electricity generation, transmission, and distribution); Pipelines & Liquids (natural gas transmission, distribution and infrastructure development, energy storage, and industrial water solutions); Commercial Real Estate; and Retail Energy (electricity and natural gas retail sales). More information can be found at www.ATCO.com.| By Jena Frick

As the former associate vice chancellor for diversity and academic leadership development for the University System of Maryland, John T. Wolfe Jr., PhD, MS, isn't one to back down from challenges.

So when he was asked to give the third presentation in the Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) Speaker Series at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) on Sept. 17, Wolfe jumped in with both feet, stirring the pot from the outset.

Jay Perman, MD, the president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (left), and Elsie Stines, DNP, CRNP, member of the Diversity Advisory Council (right), greet John Wolfe Jr., PhD, MS (center), after his presentation on 'Managing Conflict: Cooperating and Collaborating Even When We Disagree.'

Before a roomful of UMB students, faculty, and staff, Wolfe began by quoting the English poet, John Milton. Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, and many opinions, Wolfe said. For opinion in good men is but knowledge in the making,

Smiling at those assembled in the SMC Campus Center Elm Ballrooms, Wolfe added, I intend to stir curiosity, to provoke thought, test boundaries, reinforce some things that you already know and hopefully  if I do it right  disrupt.

(View a video below.)

Wolfe came back to the concept of disruption several times during his hourlong presentation Managing Disruption: Cooperating and Collaborating Even When We Disagree.Founder and principal of Avant-Garde Higher Education Services and Solutions, Inc., Wolfe defined a disruption as words, actions, or occurrences that may distract or test people and their reactions. The outcome could either cause conflict and chaos or it could inspire progressive movement within an organization or group. In this context, he is hoping to accomplish the latter.

Through a series of anecdotes and words of wisdom, Wolfe talked about managing disruptions in both working environments and everyday life.

Disruption is a part of life. You have to anticipate it, continued Wolfe, whose decorated career spans five decades including stints as English teacher, employee relations manager, tenured faculty member, department head, and provost. I have been a disrupter. I have had to mediate and mitigate, and I found that in order to make diversity and inclusion work, you have to find a common ground.

Finding common ground is one of the aims of the DAC, which provides recommendations that promote UMBs commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion in every aspect of the University.

The DAC created the Diversity Speaker Series to provide a forum for faculty, staff, and students to deepen their knowledge and understanding of issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, said DAC member Elsie Stines, DNP, CRNP, a pediatric nurse practitioner who is assistant vice president of special projects and initiatives in the Presidents Office.

We wanted to find a speaker who most aligned with where we were going with diversity and conflict management, said DAC member Vanessa Fahie, PhD, RN, assistant professor in the School of Nursing. Dr. Wolfe seemed like a logical choice.

Read about previous DAC speakers.

Before joining UNDP last month, I had collaborated with UNDP throughout my career  as a civil society partner, working in countries like Guatemala and Mozambique, as an OSCE elections monitor in Armenia and as a donor in my last role as Swedens State Secretary for International Development Cooperation and Climate.

My experience as a development practitioner, in a variety of roles, tells me that transparency and accountability are fundamental to gain trust and make change.

That is why I think it is so important for UNDP to demonstrate its commitment to transparency and accountability  and why Im keen to continue building on this work as head of UNDPs Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy.

Im proud to be speaking this week, alongside several eminent panellists, on Retrospectives and future trends on data, transparency and open government. Among many celebrations taking place at the 2018 UN General Assembly, UNDP is co-organizing this important event to mark the 10th anniversary of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI). UNDP was a founding member of the initiative in 2008, and we have led the Secretariat of IATI for the past five years.

IATIs aims have been clear from the moment it was launched during the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana. Founding members wanted to ensure governments in developing countries have the information they need to make data-driven decisions that support their national development policies. This fundamentally supports UNDPs own efforts to improve the effectiveness of development, and weve been fortunate to be engaged in this agenda ever since.

UNDP was instrumental in ensuring the voice of developing country governments informed the creation of the IATI Standard by holding extensive consultations throughout our network of programme countries. We engaged hundreds of government and civil society representatives from 79 countries to understand exactly what data was difficult to access.

We heard that the key data needs were for timely, comprehensive and forward-looking data on development spending and activities of donors and non-government actors. Having this data in an open, accessible format would enable officials in ministries of finance to align foreign aid with domestic resources in planning budgets and delivering on their national development plans.



UNDP publishes detailed information, including results for more than 4,000 projects, on its own transparency portal, open.undp.org.



Ten years later, were proud to see that more than 850 organizations are now regularly publishing good quality data according to the IATI Standard that was established on the basis of those consultations. Numerous organizations have found countless new and innovative ways to analyse, visualize, consult and share IATI data. Beyond simply aid, IATI data now includes details on humanitarian spending, climate finance and private sector activities, and the Standard continues to evolve under the custodianship of 90 members to meet the ever-increasing demands of new users.

When IATI was established in 2008, the Sustainable Development Goals did not exist, and yet the Standard is flexible enough to now offer the means for donors to report on the activities they undertake in pursuit of the SDGs, and the results of those activities. This data will contribute to monitoring progress in achieving the Goals.

In addition to the work we do for the IATI Secretariat, UNDP has walked the talk, holding ourselves to the highest standards in our own implementation of the IATI Standard. We publish detailed information, including results for more than 4,000 projects worth more than US$5.5 billion. We make this information available through our own transparency portal, open.undp.org, as well as through the IATI Registry, opening our books to scrutiny and making us more accountable to our donors and partners.

Were proud that our efforts have led us to be ranked among the top four most transparent development organizations in four successive independent Aid Transparency Index assessments, including top ranking for two consecutive years. Weve worked to support other UN Agencies to implement IATI, following the commitment of the UN Secretary-General in 2017 to reinforce transparency on agency-specific expenditures and results through system-wide enrolment into the International Aid Transparency Initiative.

So, what comes next for UNDP as we continue to support and strengthen IATI? Well continue to work with our government partners to raise awareness about the availability of data, ensure that they are able to access and use it, and that the content evolves even further to ensure their data needs are addressed. For our Administrator, Achim Steiner, and for our staff at headquarters and throughout our global network, transparency is an absolute prerequisite for development effectiveness and sustainable development results, and well continue to step up the efforts of our own organization through our support to IATI. Stay tuned!As prepared for delivery.

Excellencies, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to thank the co-hosts of the Roundtable, the African Union and the African Adaptation Initiative, and salute the leadership of Gabon, particularly H.E. President Ali Bongo Ondimba as the Chair of the Africa Unions (AU) Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) and the AUs Champion for the AAI.



Gabons firm commitment to climate action was exemplified by President Bongos announcement at the One Planet Summit in Paris last December of a USD$500,000 contribution to the AAI  thereby being the first African nation to contribute financially to the initiative. And UNDP was honoured to be asked to receive that contribution on behalf of the AAI and put it straight to work.



This Partners Roundtable on the African Adaptation Initiative (AAI) comes at the right moment, when leaders are focused on the implementation of the Paris Agreement, a historic Accord that demonstrates global political recognition of the risks of climate change and a commitment to action.



Africa is on the frontlines of the climate challenge - as I said at the AU Summit in January with President Bongo- but equally, Africa is leading in finding innovative ways to address it.



Adaptation is a top priority: in fact, 53 African States have included adaptation components in their Intended and Nationally Determined Contributions (I/NDCs) in the context of the Paris Agreement. And, according to a new UNDP-commissioned study, several African Governments are already spending a significant percentage of their national budgets on adaptation measures.



The Africa Adaptation Initiative (AAI) promises to play a pivotal role in scaling up adaptation finance and accelerating action across the continent. Already, the AAI has made important contributions, including by:

o Providing the evidence base for scaling up adaptation action in Africa;

o Rendering Africas climate adaptation efforts more visible globally and providing a platform for accelerating action;

o Promoting greater coherence in climate adaptation initiatives and actions at all levels  national, regional, and on the African continent.



From its inception, UNDP has been a proud supporter of AAI, including through:

o Technical and policy advice and support;

o Financial support (notably the preparation of its initial Framework Document and Workplan, and now the preparation of its State of Africa Adaptation Report, the SoAR);

o Financing the Technical Support Unit that served as the interim Secretariat from 2015-2017 and now, hosting a temporary Secretariat.



Overall, UNDPs current Climate Change portfolio in Africa is large and diverse. We implement 216 projects in 41 countries, worth over $828 million in grants. Adaptation accounts for 33% of that  more than $280 million  which comes mostly from GEF. Our work includes, for example:

o Improving Climate Information and Early Warning Systems;

o Advancing climate-smart agriculture and climate resilient livelihoods; and

o Supporting National Adaptation Planning



Excellencies, Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

In closing, let me emphasize the significant potential of the Africa Adaptation Initiative in scaling up adaptation efforts in Africa. I urge you all to lend it your strong support.













South Sudanese refugee Peter Batali runs a community initiative that helps young Ugandans access online learning platforms. Uganda allows refugees to work, start businesses and own property.  UNHCR/Michele Sibiloni

NEW YORK  UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, hosted a gathering with political leaders from four continents, including Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Turkey and the World Bank today at the UN General Assembly High Level Week in support of the international agreement known as the global compact on refugees, a robust and systematic model to improve the lives of refugees and their host communities.

The global compact is expected to be endorsed by members of the UN General Assembly in December 2018, after two years of intense consultations UNHCR has led with UN member states, international organizations, experts, civil society, and refugees.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi praised the role of host countries as first responders to refugee emergencies, like Bangladesh, Uganda, Niger or Mali, among others.

These countries have kept their borders open at a time when in the world this is not something that we can take for granted anymore, Grandi said. We are facing an increasing tendency to reject, to close, to push back.

"Host countries have kept their borders open at a time when in the world this is not something that we can take for granted anymore."

2017 saw record figures of forced displacement  68.5 million people worldwide were forced to leave their homes, of whom 25.4 million became refugees in other countries.

Almost nine in 10 of the worlds refugees are hosted in developing countries, where they often live in remote areas with significant development challenges. The impact on local services, infrastructure and resources is colossal, Grandi said.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi greets Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a High Level Meeting on the Global Compact for Refugees in New York.  UNHCR/Lorey Campese

The global compact envisions specific measures benefiting both refugees and hosts, such as strengthening the hosting countrys health and educational infrastructure, as well as potentially revitalizing economies.

The prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina shared the experience of how the country has been helping Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in the neighbouring country of Myanmar.

Bangladesh has received over 727,000 Rohingya refugees in one year and it has allocated 600 acres of land to provide shelter, as well as covering their basic needs. The resources invested in the Rohingya refugees have taken a toll on our environment and our economy, Hasina said.

"Inaction is not an option.

The Bangladeshi leader stressed the need for the international community to share the burden of the global refugee crisis. World leaders must come forward with political will and commitment, she added.

No government has the right to ignore this problem, said the Turkish minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Cavusoglu pointed at the crisis in the Mediterranean sea, where over 1,600 people have already died in 2018 trying to reach Europe. He advocated for sustainable solutions to the migration crisis like the global compact on refugees. The current situation is unsustainable. Closing borders is not the right answer, he said.

Refugees and migrants contribute to economic development and enrich cultural diversity, said the vice-president of Costa Rica Epsy Campbell Barr. The Central American country has been experiencing a rising flow of refugees from Nicaragua in recent months.

Barr reminded the representatives in the room of their shared responsibility: A small country like ours is committed to the systematic efforts of receiving dozens of refugees daily. We anxiously look forward to the adoption of these global agreements.

We need to remember that this is about people, about refugees who dream of better lives for themselves and their families.

The global compact also envisions measures such as resettlement and other pathways to third countries to help ease pressures on the countries hosting the largest numbers. The High Commissioner expressed concern about the shrinking figures of resettlement admissions. We must reverse that course, Grandi said. It is another expression of solidarity.

The involvement of development actors is key in the success of the global compact. The president of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim described the international agreement as an example of how multilateralism can and should work.

Kim highlighted that 52 per cent of refugees worldwide are under the age of 18 and the consequences of inaction will haunt us for generations.

We need to remember that this is about people, about refugees who dream of better lives for themselves and their families, he added. And host communities, the vast majority of which are in low and middle-income countries that themselves aspire to grow and thrive.

The process leading to the global compact on refugees was set in September 2016 when the UN General Assembly adopted the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, which gave UNHCR the task to develop a compact based on those consultations.

The new international agreement also builds on important lessons from applying a new vision for a more comprehensive response to these crises, known as the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), in 15 countries.

The experiences shared in the ECOSOC chamber suggested huge promise in the new comprehensive approach underpinning the global compact to be considered by the General Assembly before the end of the year.

Inaction is not an option, said the president of the UN General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa.

Grandi urged the country leaders in the room: Help UNHCR say to the international community that better ways exist to deal with something many consider an intractable problem. We owe it to millions of uprooted and displaced people and we owe it to their generous hosts.

E Pluribus Unum



By PAUL KRUGMAN





Its that time of year  the long weekend when we gather with friends and family to celebrate hot dogs, potato salad and, yes, the founding of our nation. And its also a time for some of us to wax a bit philosophical, to wonder what, exactly, were celebrating. Is America in 2013, in any meaningful sense, the same country that declared independence in 1776?



The answer, Id suggest, is yes. Despite everything, there is a thread of continuity in our national identity  reflected in institutions, ideas and, especially, in attitude  that remains unbroken. Above all, we are still, at root, a nation that believes in democracy, even if we dont always act on that belief.



And thats a remarkable thing when you bear in mind just how much the country has changed.



America in 1776 was a rural land, mainly composed of small farmers and, in the South, somewhat bigger farmers with slaves. And the free population consisted of, well, WASPs: almost all came from northwestern Europe, 65 percent came from Britain, and 98 percent were Protestants.



America today is nothing like that, even though some politicians  think Sarah Palin  like to talk as if the real America is still white, Protestant, and rural or small-town.



But the real America is, in fact, a nation of metropolitan areas, not small towns. Tellingly, even when Ms. Palin made her infamous remarks in 2008 she did so in Greensboro, N.C., which may not be in the Northeast Corridor but  with a metropolitan population of more than 700,000  is hardly Mayberry. In fact, two-thirds of Americans live in metro areas with half-a-million or more residents.



Nor, by the way, are most of us living in leafy suburbs. America as a whole has only 87 people per square mile, but the average American, according to the Census Bureau, lives in a census tract with more than 5,000 people per square mile. For all the bashing of the Northeast Corridor as being somehow un-American, this means that the typical American lives in an environment that resembles greater Boston or greater Philadelphia more than it resembles Greensboro, let alone true small towns.



What do we do in these dense metropolitan areas? Almost none of us are farmers; few of us hunt; by and large, we sit in cubicles on weekdays and visit shopping malls on our days off.



And ethnically we are, of course, very different from the founders. Only a minority of todays Americans are descended from the WASPs and slaves of 1776. The rest are the descendants of successive waves of immigration: first from Ireland and Germany, then from Southern and Eastern Europe, now from Latin America and Asia. Were no longer an Anglo-Saxon nation; were only around half-Protestant; and were increasingly nonwhite.



Yet I would maintain that we are still the same country that declared independence all those years ago.



Its not just that we have maintained continuity of legal government, although thats not a small thing. The current government of France is, strictly speaking, the Fifth Republic; we had our anti-monarchical revolution first, yet were still on Republic No. 1, which actually makes our government one of the oldest in the world.



More important, however, is the enduring hold on our nation of the democratic ideal, the notion that all men are created equal  all men, not just men from certain ethnic groups or from aristocratic families. And to this day  or so it seems to me, and Ive done a lot of traveling in my time  America remains uniquely democratic in its mannerisms, in the way people from different classes interact.



Of course, our democratic ideal has always been accompanied by enormous hypocrisy, starting with the many founding fathers who espoused the rights of man, then went back to enjoying the fruits of slave labor. Todays America is a place where everyone claims to support equality of opportunity, yet we are, objectively, the most class-ridden nation in the Western world  the country where children of the wealthy are most likely to inherit their parents status. Its also a place where everyone celebrates the right to vote, yet many politicians work hard to disenfranchise the poor and nonwhite.



But that very hypocrisy is, in a way, a good sign. The wealthy may defend their privileges, but given the temper of America, they have to pretend that theyre doing no such thing. The block-the-vote people know what theyre doing, but they also know that they mustnt say it in so many words. In effect, both groups know that the nation will view them as un-American unless they pay at least lip service to democratic ideals  and in that fact lies the hope of redemption.



So, yes, we are still, in a deep sense, the nation that declared independence and, more important, declared that all men have rights. Lets all raise our hot dogs in salute.



Published in July 4th, 2013Sudanese refugee Richard Maliamungu strolls through the dusty market. Squinting up at the midday sun, he slows and stops outside a shuttered stall.

Here, in Rhino Camp Settlement, Richard hopes to open a business selling phones to fellow refugees. It is a dream only possible since internet access arrived in this remote part of northern Uganda.

Being online has really improved peoples lives here  for us and the Ugandans, says Richard, 23, who came up with the idea for his business together with classmates while studying for an online course in social enterprise this August. We see that in the community people want to create businesses, they want to study. Thats possible now we have internet.

Being online has really improved peoples lives here."

Richard fled escalating violence near his home in South Sudan in February 2017. He is just one of over a million mainly South Sudanese refugees to enter Uganda in two years, swelling the countrys refugee population to become the largest in Africa.

Praised for its progressive policies, Uganda allows refugees to work, start businesses and own property. However, the scale of recent arrivals has strained already overstretched regional resources. This, coupled with poor or non-existent mobile phone coverage, meant that until recently refugees were at risk of languishing in remote settlements.

In response, the UN Capital Development Fund, UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) and partners turned to the private sector for help. Together with partner NetHope, they appealed to mobile providers to extend coverage to Ugandas new refugee settlements. Over the past year, providers Airtel, Africell and MTN have installed cell towers across the region, bringing internet access to millions for the first time.

Richard Maliamungu, 23, hopes to open a business selling phones to fellow refugees.  UNHCR/Michele Sibiloni

South Sudanese refugees stand in front of the phone shop they are opening soon.  UNHCR/Michele Sibiloni

South Sudanese refugee Peter Batali runs a community initiative that helps young Ugandans access online learning platforms. Uganda allows refugees to work, start businesses and own property.  UNHCR/Michele Sibiloni

We put towers across northern Uganda, tailoring our network plan to suit where the refugee camps are, says VG Somasekhar, Managing Director of Airtel in Uganda. The towers ensure that all the population, Ugandans as well as the refugees, are now well served.

Airtel consulted closely with government agencies and NGOs working with refugees in the region to ensure the extended network would facilitate their work. Improved connectivity helps coordinate distribution of food, medicine and housing, as well as allowing NGOs to distribute cash grants directly to refugees via mobile money transfer.

In this way, the project forms part of a wider response to refugee movements known as the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, or CRRF, which calls for a broader range of actors to get involved in the refugee response and stronger partnerships.

See also: Phone technology gives refugees in Uganda a cash lifeline

This collaborative approach of government, NGOs and private sector can all serve one objective, explains Airtels Somasekhar. So the government has given a refugee policy, the NGOs have come to do what they can do and corporate companies like Airtel have ensured that all three work towards one objective.

"So corporates don't need to do separate corporate social responsibility, you can actually collaborate with the governmental agencies to achieve the same objective, he adds. I think thats really an opportunity for all of us. In a very meaningful manner, weve been able to impact lives and facilitate change.

On the ground, that impact has been profound. Improved connectivity has transformed opportunities not only for refugees, but also Ugandans in this previously-isolated northern region. In Rhino Camp Settlement, community initiative CTEN is helping young Ugandans access online learning platforms, transforming prospects for those struggling to afford school fees.

Ive learned how to come up with my own business plan."

Since the refugees arrived I have benefitted and so has the whole community, says Richards Ugandan business parter Gift Munguleni, who also recently completed a social enterprise course with CTENs help. Having internet here has helped us. The youth can now access so much information.

The fifth child in a family of ten siblings, Gifts father couldnt afford to send him to school after the sixth grade. But now that internet has arrived in the area, he can continue to learn, radically improving his life chances.

Ive learned how to come up with my own business plan, says Gift, 22. If the refugees hadnt come I was just going to work in the field. Thats how the course and the internet has helped me, and I know its going to help me much more than that. Its going to have a lot of impact for all of us.

See also: New Zambia settlement gives refugees and hosts a chance to prosper

We are doing such great things since we got internet here, agrees Matthew Lubari, 26, who volunteers with CTEN to teach digital skills to fellow refugees and locals who dream of careers as scientists, engineers and doctors. Access to information has become so easy. Community members can come here and access online courses. It has really changed their lives.

While they seek investment for their mobile phone stall, Richard and Gift will continue to bring the knock-on benefits of internet access to the wider community. The two men are back online, studying for a diploma in public health. They plan to pass on what they have learned to improve hygiene and stop diseases spreading in the Rhino Camp settlement.

Everybody here, locals and refugees, is thinking how to develop this place, says CTEN founder Peter Batali, 32, a Sudanese refugee who believes connectivity can allow refugees a role in regional progression. We have a peaceful place here to learn skills and improve conditions. You could start a business here or a clinic. Whatever the challenge is, you can now go online and find answers.New York, Sep 24 (UNI) Upswing in bitterness between India and Pakistan over the killing of Jammu and Kashmir policemen and the Indian government calling off a proposed meeting of foreign ministers could come to the fore at the UN General Assembly.

"Any body can try and be a solo player," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin said in reference to Pakistan.

But he asserted in a multi lateral global body like the UN, "solo players in multi lateral context have neither a past nor a future".

"It is their call how they spend that time allocated to them. We as India work in partnership. We are proud that all the issues that are listed we have a great resonance in terms of our position. If somebody (Pakistan) else would like to be a one-trick pony, it is for them to regurgitate an act which we have handled many times in the past and are confident we will do so again."

All eyes are on September 29 UN General Debate in the UNGA to be held in New York when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will make her speech.

The speech from the Indian External Affairs Minister will come close on the heels New Delhi calling off the proposed meeting between her and Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi citing "evil agenda" of Pakistan.

India on Friday announced cancellation of the meeting - although it was clearly stated as not part of beginning of resumption of stalled talks between two parleys - and maintained - "Any conversation with Pakistan in such an environment would be meaningless".

".....it is obvious that behind Pakistans proposal for talks to make a fresh beginning, the evil agenda of Pakistan stands exposed and the true face of the new Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has been revealed to the world in his first few months in office," MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar has said in a rare but strongly worded statement.

India's reactions came after three J&K police personnel were killed and postage stamps glorifying a terrorist and terrorism was issued by the authorities in Pakistan.

External Affairs Minister Ms Swaraj will address the General Debate in the morning of September 29.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Mr Qureshi is also scheduled to address the august gathering the same day.

UNI DEVN SB 1104Lucknow, Sep 24(UNI) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has blamed the opposition for unnecessarily raking up the Rafale fighter aircraft issue and alleged that some parties are trying to make it an 'agenda' during the coming elections.

" There is nothing to hike on the Rafale deal and the French government has also clarified from time to time. But the Congress was trying to make a non-issue an issue just for political gains," he said.

Talking to reporters here after the zonal inter-state council meeting here on Monday, Mr Singh said the Narendra Modi government is totally clear and transparent on the Rafale issue but the opposition was making wild allegations without any basis.

When asked about the rising terrorism in Kashmir valley, the Union Home minister said that there is mutual coordination between the armed forces and they are giving befitting reply to the infiltrators.

" I can say that Pakistan is behind the terrorist acts in Kashmir but their conspiracy would not be allowed," he said.

When asked, if India would initiate talks with Pakistan to resolve the vexed issue, Mr Singh said," India is always positive for any talks with Pakistan and may be in future it can be done."

" We want to resolve the Kashmir issue and to end the terrorist act there, but on the other hand we will not give an inch of land to any one," he said.

UNI MB JW1507Pak Opposition slams Imran Khan for not informing parliament on giving air corridor to US 11 Nov 2021 | 12:11 PM Islamabad, Nov 11 (UNI) The Opposition in Pakistan Senate has slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government for not keeping the parliament in loop on the decision of giving air corridor to the US and instead the information was given by the US Congress that Islamabad was in talks with the US on the matter. see more..

Foreign journalists in Cuba receive online threats coming from US: FM 11 Nov 2021 | 12:06 PM Havana, Nov 11 (UNI/Sputnik) Foreign journalists accredited in Havana have been receiving online threats traced to US-based sources, top Cuban diplomat Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said on Thursday. see more..

NASA, SpaceX send Crew-3 mission into orbit to ISS 11 Nov 2021 | 12:05 PM New York, Nov 11 (UNI/Xinhua) The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and private player SpaceX successfully launched Crew-3 mission into orbit on Wednesday night following delays due to unfavorable weather conditions and medical conditions with one of the crew members, according to NASA. see more..

Cavusoglu refuted claims of Turkey's involvement in bringing migrants to Belarus: Source 11 Nov 2021 | 11:59 AM Ankara, Nov 11 (UNI/Sputnik) Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu refuted claims of Ankara's involvement in bringing migrants to Belarus in a recent phone conversation with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, a source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Sputnik on Thursday. see more..Yaduveer to be Brand Ambassador for Karnataka Tourism

Mysuru, Sep 24 (UNI) The titular head of the Mysore Royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar has accepted invitation by Karnataka Tourism Department to be its brand ambassador.

In a letter to the department on Monday he said that the Royal Family had accepted the invitation of him being the Abassador of Tourism Department particularly during Mysuru Dasara Festivities.

He also said that in order to boost the City of Palaces as one of the best tourism destination in the country and asked the department officials to arrange for a meeting in this behalf to chalk out the future course of actions in this behalf .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.More sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh surfaced on Sunday, and all point to a pattern of using alcohol and drugs to take advantage of women at parties.

The first new allegation came from the New Yorker last night. Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer report that Kavanaugh's former classmate at Yale UniversityDeborah Ramirezhas come forward to accuse Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a dorm party during the 1983-1984 school year. Ramirez recalled lying on the floor after playing a drinking game that left her "foggy and slurring her words." She recalled a group of male students standing over her, one of whom dangled his penis over her face and instructed her to "kiss it." She recalled pushing the boy away, accidentally touching his penis in the process.

"Brett was laughing," Ramirez said. "I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants. ...Somebody yelled down the hall, 'Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbie's face.' It was his full name. I don't think it was just 'Brett.' And I remember hearing and being mortified that this was out there." Ramirez emphasized that she spent six days deliberating with an attorney and "carefully assessing her memories" before agreeing to share them publicly, knowing that the involvement of alcohol and her spotty memory would lead people to doubt her account. She did not seek out the press or Senate Democrats, she said; rather, Senators found her.

In a statement to the publication, Kavanaugh unequivocally denied the story. "This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen," he said. "The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good nameand the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime buildingagainst these last-minute allegations." (Some of Kavanaugh's classmates, including some who allegedly participated in the misconduct, did defend him in the article; others recalled hearing about the incident and independently offered many of the same details Ramirez did.)

A White House spokesperson called the Ramirez allegations "the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man." Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said that, although he stands by his man and "there is a chance this could be one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything," we will just have to "wait and see how it goes with the Senate."

Despite Trump's "I am with him all the way" on Kavanaugh, this is some hedging from the president:



h/t @SZilberstein pic.twitter.com/myVJYlApmk  Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) September 24, 2018

But shortly thereafter, a fresh crop of similar accusations came up. Attorney Michael Avenatti, who represents Stormy Daniels, tweeted Sunday evening that he'd taken on a new client: "A woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge," the man Christine Blasey Ford characterized as Kavanaugh's conspirator in the incident that catalyzed this wave of reports. Blasey Ford says Kavanaugh and Judge got "stumbling drunk" and ambushed her at a house party when they were 17 and she was 15, Kavanaugh pinning her down and attempting to rape her before she got away.

I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn.  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 23, 2018

In a series of tweets, Avenatti shared screenshots of emails he'd sent Mike Davis, chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the exchange, Avenatti says he has "significant evidence" from "multiple house parties in the Washington, D.C. area during the early 1980s," suggesting that Kavanaugh, Judge, and other young men "would participate in the targeting of women with alcohol/drugs in order to allow a 'train' of men to subsequently gang rape them." He also pointed to an entry in Kavanaugh's yearbook reading "FFFFFFFourthofJuly," which he believes "stands for: Find them, French them, Feel them, Finger them, F*ck them, Forget them," and mention of a "Devil's Triangle."

My e-mail of moments ago with Mike Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations for U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. We demand that this process be thorough, open and fair, which is what the American public deserves. It must not be rushed and evidence/witnesses must not be hidden. pic.twitter.com/11XLZJBTtY  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018

Brett Kavanaugh must also be asked about this entry in his yearbook: "FFFFFFFourth of July." We believe that this stands for: Find them, French them, Feel them, Finger them, F*ck them, Forget them. As well as the term "Devil's Triangle." Perhaps Sen. Grassley can ask him. #Basta  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018

Avenatti demanded his client receive the opportunity to testify before the Judiciary Committee, and Ramirez requested an FBI investigation. Police in Montgomery County, Maryland, are reportedly investigating allegations against Kavanaugh from his senior year in high school, following a tip from an "anonymous witness" who contacted them over the weekend. According to the Montgomery Sentinel, authorities did not confirm whether their witness was the same woman Avenatti alluded to.

Also on Sunday, Blasey Ford agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday: The obligation that she appear in person have drawn parallels to Anita Hill's treatment during Justice Clarence Thomas's confirmation process. Demanding that Senators listen to survivors this time around, protests have popped up in Washington, D.C. (with accompanying arrests); at Yale Law School; in Palo Alto, where Blasey Forda professor in the joint psychology program at Palo Alto University and Stanfordteaches.

Yale Law Students are lining the halls of the Senate. We. Will. Not. Go. Back. #metoo #IBelieveChristine pic.twitter.com/MBc8GhPxa5  Dana Bolger (@danabolger) September 24, 2018

Arrests of protestors at Senators offices.



Chanting:

This is what #Democracy looks like.



Are you listening, Senators? #Kavanaugh pic.twitter.com/jPwPKpnpjI  Washington News Line (@WashNewsLine) September 24, 2018

As the White House continues to shout "smear" and to question the timing of these snowballing allegations just before Kavanaugh's confirmation, it's worth remembering that sexual assault survivors often wait years before sharing their stories, and often feel emboldenedor compelledto do so once others echo their own experiences. This story is, however, developing, and we will update as more emerges.

UPDATE: In a statement issued Monday, the Montgomery County Police Department said it "has not received a request by any alleged victim nor a victim's attorney to initiate a police report or a criminal investigation regarding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh," but noted that the Department "stands prepared to assist anyone who reports being the victim of a sexual assault." The Sentinel article's author, Brian Karem, tweeted a clarification, explaining that he "never said Montgomery County was investigating anything," but rather, that area investigators were looking into the matter.Published: September 24, 2018

UT to Welcome Guest Flutist and Pianist for Recital Sept. 28

On Friday, Sept. 28, The University of Tampa will welcome the Texas-based duo of Meghan Bennet, flute, and Maria Lyapkova, piano, for a concert in the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

The program for the performance includes Samonovs Sonata for Flute and Piano in G Major, Op. 100, Martins Ballade for Flute and Piano, Schwantners Black Anemones for Flute and Piano and Uebayashis Sonata for Flute and Piano.

An adjunct instructor of flute at Prairie View A&M University, Bennett leads a diverse career as an educator and solo, chamber and orchestral musician. Recently, she was a guest soloist with Chamber Music in Dallas, and is a founding member of both Prismatx Ensemble and Li5ten quintet based in Austin, TX.

A native of Russia, Lyapkova has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S. and Europe and performed at a number of music festivals, including the Spotlight on Young Musicians in France, a concert series of Edvard Griegs music in Norway, the Primavera Classica in Russia and the National Music Festival in the U.S.

For more information, contact Grigorios Zamparas at gzamparas@ut.edu.UW Extension State Office Associate Receives Professional of Year Honor

Ann Roberson, left, receives UW Extensions 2018 Administrative Professional of the Year Award from last years recipient, Donna Nelson, of Johnson County. (UW Photo)

Ann Roberson, in the University of Wyoming Extension state office, has received the organizations 2018 Administrative Professional of the Year Award.

She was presented the honor Thursday, Sept. 13, during the extension office associates professional development conference in Afton.

Roberson, of Laramie, joined UW Extension in 2010, where she worked in the Wyoming State 4-H Office in the UW College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. She then accepted the administrative associate position in the state extension office in 2014.

Her job is complex, demanding and can be stressful, says Mary Kay Wardlaw, associate director of UW Extension.

Yet, she is quick to smile, will always give a Yes, I can response and exemplifies outstanding customer service to educators, specialists, administrators and the general public, Wardlaw says. She is our rock and keeps us well-grounded.

Nominators also cited her customer service skills, patient demeanor and her willingness to go above and beyond in her responsibilities. She frequently serves on search committees to help hire staff and participates in special events throughout the year.

Wardlaw notes she and fellow Associate Director Kelly Crane are often out of town as part of their assignments.

The only way we can be effective in our jobs is by having Ann handling and managing the office on campus, she says.

UW Extension has offices in every county and the Wind River Indian Reservation.More than four years in the making, the comprehensive plan for Bushwick, a community-driven effort launched to address the neighborhoods rapid gentrification that includes a mass rezoning scheme, was unveiled on Saturday.

Released as Mayor Bill de Blasios administration continues to forge ahead with rezoning plans for neighborhoods across the city, the Bushwick Community Plan contains a list of policy changes intended to control new development in the neighborhood while maintaining its private housing stock, as well as addressing a variety of other issues in the neighborhood, including the creation of historic districts to preserve the character of some areas, increasing sanitation funding in major commercial corridors and improving access to healthy food.

But the piece de resistance of the community plan, and the part that has put different groups of residents and the citys Department of City Planning at odds in terms of specifics, is a general proposal to allow high-density development along high-traffic areas like Broadway, which forms Bushwicks southwest border, while restricting building heights along some residential side streets.

For some of the residents who have been working on the plan since day onea process that has included input from a wide swath of groups and enjoys the full-throated support of the two City Council members who represent Bushwickthere is lingering skepticism as to whether or not it will restrict Bushwicks runaway growth or slow the tide of longtime residents getting priced out of their homes.

Robert Camacho, the chair of Brooklyn Community Board 4 and a 57-year resident of Bushwick who was been working on the community plan since the beginning, concedes that rezoning the neighborhood would be no magic bullet to corral new development and keep low-income residents from being displaced.

Is it going to help Bushwick come up? I dont know, Camacho said. But doing something is better than doing nothing.

According to U.S. Census data contained in the community plan, Bushwicks median household income in 2016 lagged behind incomes for New York City as a whole: it was $43,481 in Bushwick and $55,191 citywide.

The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the neighborhood in August, according to a report by MNS, was $2,323.



Local residents discuss the plan at Saturday's meeting. (Andrew Denney / Gothamist)

I want this to be the first rezoning that a community wants, not one the community fights, said City Councilman Antonio Reynoso, addressing a crowd of about 200 who gathered at the Bushwick School for Social Justice at 400 Irving Avenue on a sunny Saturday afternoon for the release of the Bushwick Community Plan.

As Reynoso seemed to suggest, residents of almost any neighborhood in New York City, especially in north Brooklyn, are right to be concerned when the city starts talking about large-scale rezoning.

For example, Williamsburg and Greenpoint implemented one for the East River waterfront about 13 years ago during the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg  since then, median income in the area jumped from $39,550 to $67,830, according to the community plan, and has become festooned with luxury high-rises that are unaffordable for many longtime residents.

The causes of gentrification are complex, but the red carpet laid at the feet of developers in Bushwick is the neighborhoods high proliferation of R6 residential zoning, a designation that allows developers construct taller buildings with a certain amount of open space at street level.

The process to develop the plan began in 2013, when Community Board 4 sent Reynoso and City Councilman Rafael Espinal, who also represents Bushwick, a letter expressing concern about the out-of-character development springing up on the neighborhoods side streets.

Among the groups that came to the table to develop the plan were CB4, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, Make the Road New York, Churches United for Fair Housing and others.

Some of the objectives in the plan are wishlist items that would require legislation to pass through the City Council or through the State Legislature, like a good neighbor program to offer tax credits and other incentives as carrots to entice property owners to keep their units occupied.

A proposed stick for that carrot is a flip fee to disincentivize property owners from selling off their stock too quickly, which would likely be met with strong resistance from real estate interests.

But given the wide range of groups working on the plan, consensus remains elusive. Earlier this year, a schism erupted between City Planning and the residents working on the community plan, a split that is noted briefly in the plan itself; additionally, activist groups have come to the fore in outright opposition to a rezoning plan.

Among the groups opposing the rezoning are Mi Casa No Es Su Casa, G-REBLS and the Brooklyn Anti-Gentrification Network.

Longtime Bushwick resident Pati Rodriguez of Mi Casa No Es Su Casa, which recently disrupted a CB4 meeting where the steering committee presented the plan, said theres little reason to trust that Mayor Bill de Blasio and other city leaders will follow through on the plans recommendations.

Residents should put the rezoning aside, she said, and push for other recommendations in the plan that are needed for the neighborhood.

It could be the best plan, but at the end of the day the city will decide what it wants, Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said that, despite the appearance of wide support for the plan from neighborhood groups, many of the residents she has spoken with in recent months were unaware that there were talks of rezoning Bushwick.

And as for capping building heights on side streets, the opponents say the restrictions themselves wouldnt keep developers from turning more of Bushwicks virtually ubiquitous three-story row houses into luxury units.

It doesnt need to be a tower to be luxury housing, said Ariella of G-REBLS, who declined to give her last name.

Another sticking point concerns rezoning manufacturing sites on Flushing Avenue, the northern border of the neighborhood and close to the massive housing development on the former Rheingold Brewery site, for high-density residential development.

City planners argued that those sites should be included in the mass rezoning, which would be subject to one run through the citys Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, while community plan architects argued that the manufacturing zoning should be maintained and that rezoning them should be subject to separate ULURPs.

The city wasnt listening to us, Fennell said. It wasnt responding to what the community was very clear about they wanted.

And Winston von Engel, head of the Department of City Plannings office in Brooklyn, made a comment in a public meeting that seemed to throw fuel on the fire for anyone who was anxious about rezoning the neighborhood, even for those who felt that some rezoning isnt such a bad idea: Our intention is to preserve the character and the buildings, not the people in them.

Moving forward, the steering committee for the plan will reconvene to pore over the plan and prioritize which recommendations can move forward first, said Asher Freeman, Reynosos legislative and land use director.

But many key recommendations, Freeman said, including those for affordable housing and economic development, are tied to the rezoning plan. An environmental impact study must be completed for the plan, he said, which usually takes around eight months.

City Planning is expected to certify a rezoning application for the ULURP process that wont take all of Bushwick residents asks into consideration, Freeman said, but the competing visions for the neighbrohood-wide rezoning will likely come closer together through negotiations as the application reaches the City Council.

Ultimately, a rezoning request for the neighborhood must go through Reynoso and Espinal, who pledge that they wont sign off on anything that doesnt have community support; in practice, the City Council will not sign off on a proposal if it falls under the jurisdiction of a council member who doesnt support it.

We know that, if no rezoning recommendations are carried out, the current rate of development will be destructive for the community; as many as 7,000 market-rate housing units could be built without the construction of a single affordable unit, the plan warns.



Andrew Denney, a Bushwick resident who originally hails from Missouri, is a staff writer for the New York Law Journal, focusing on litigation in New Yorks state and federal courts.



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.State authorities have opened a criminal investigation into a group of longtime professors at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattanone of the country's leading training grounds for police and other law enforcement officialsfollowing student allegations of rampant sexual misconduct and drug dealing at the Midtown campus dating back to 2014.

The university, which is part of the City University of New York, has placed four professors on paid administrative leave, and the state Inspector General and Manhattan District Attorney are now in the early stages of probing the allegations, officials said. Through lawyers, the professors denied all wrongdoing.

Two of the accusers spoke publicly for the first time in an interview with the NY Post this weekend, detailing a "world of deviance" in which veteran professors aggressively preyed on and tried to "pimp out" female students, while openly selling drugs out of their offices. One professor, former anthropology department chair Anthony Marcus, is accused of raping 24-year-old Naomi Haber during an academic conference in 2015.

He put his hands around my throat, choked me with both hands and forced himself inside me without warning," Haber alleges. "The only thing I could do was to go numb and detach myself from my body."

Both Haber and a second accuser, 39-year-old Claudia Cojocaru, say that they were sexually harassed by Ric Curtis, an anthropology professor who's been at the school for three decades. The 64-year-old is a well-known drug policy expert and the former chair of the sociology, anthropology, and law and police science departments. He was also the alleged ring leader of what is apparently known as "the swamp," a secluded floor in a campus building on 54th Street that victims say served as an epicenter of sexual harassment and drug use.

Cojocaru also says that she was groped by Curtis during a party in Brooklyn, then shamed by a different professor, Barry Spunt, for her "unwillingness to sit on Rics lap to show gratitude about being helped by Dr. Curtis." Haber, meanwhile, says that Curtis once tried to "entice" a visiting professor to join the staff at John Jay by encouraging her to have sex with him. He also introduced Haber to Leonardo Dominguez, a 27-year-old adjunct professor who allegedly "continuously" harassed her.

Wed be sitting on Rics couch, and [Dominguez] would try and put his hands on my legs and on my butt," according to Haber. He would also stick his hands down my pants to see what underwear I was wearing and to feel my 'warm vagina.'"

Marcus, Curtis, Spunt and Dominguez did not return to campus for the fall semester, the Post reports. According to the Times, there are allegations against other professors, who have not yet been placed on leave, as well. The two woman filed complaints with the school's Title IX office in May, but have criticized the university's handling of the investigation. John Jay, which maintains close ties to law enforcement officials, reportedly conducted an internal review before alerting police or prosecutors.

"They were incredibly rude and victim-degrading," Cojocaru the Times. They made us perform like circus animals, distorted the facts, and distorted what we talked about. They tried to brush the whole thing under the rug, so to speak. They retraumatized us by making us relive all sorts of traumatic experiences."

The Times also notes that the school's inquiry turned up "significant quantities" of drugs and drug paraphernalia in some professors' offices, which were not turned over to police until this month. In a statement, a spokesperson for the college, Richard Relkin, said the school was cooperating with investigators.

Throughout this ongoing investigation, we have been working under the direction of law enforcement, to ensure the appropriate authorities are aware of the situation and may take any action they deem appropriate," he said.Cancellation of Ceremony of the Keys Parade

"It is with much regret that, for the second year running, the Ceremony of the Keys Parade has been cancelled."

The Office of the Governor has issued a statement explaining that this is owing to the Royal Gibraltar Regiments ongoing operational commitment in Bahrain which draws heavily on the Regiments personnel.

The related, but separate, Ceremony of the Keys Reception to be held in the Convent on the same evening will, however, still go ahead. This event will commence at 7pm on Thursday 27th September for those invited to attend by His Excellency the Governor.

His Excellency the Governor and the Commander British Forces would like to apologise to the Guests and Members of the Public who were looking forward to attending the Parade.Photo: David Livingston/Getty Images

As more and more people share why they didnt report their sexual assault following Donald Trumps comments about Christine Blasey Ford, Alyssa Milano wrote an essay for Vox explaining why she didnt report the assault she experienced as a teen.

She directly addressed the allegation made by Christine Blasey Ford against Brett Kavanaugh, and Donald Trumps response to those allegations. The courage of survivors will always be stronger than Donald Trumps hate. The lives of survivors will always be more important than Brett Kavanaughs career, she wrote. Ive watched, horrified as politicians and pundits refused to believe or take seriously these allegations.

Milano also highlighted the realities of sexual abuse in the United States: One in four girls and one in six boys will experience sexual assault before they turn 18. Many will not report their abuse. The system in place to handle sexually based offenses is often ineffective.

She wrote about the very emotional experience of choosing to disclose her assault, and why it took years to do so.

It took me years after my assault to voice the experience to my closest friends. It took me three decades to tell my parents that the assault had even happened. I never filed a police report. I never told officials. I never tried to find justice for my pain because justice was never an option.

For me, speaking up meant reliving one of the worst moments of my life. It meant recognizing my attackers existence when I wanted nothing more than to forget that he was allowed to walk on this Earth at all. This is what every survivor goes through. Telling our stories means being vulnerable to public attacks and ridicule when our only crime was to be assaulted in the first place.

Milanos essay was partially a personal exploration of her own response to Donald Trump and the GOPs comments about Fords allegation against Kavanaugh, and partially a reflection of her feelings about her own assault years ago. But it was also a call to action.

Every person who refuses to loudly and openly reject Brett Kavanaughs nomination is telling every generation of Americans that an alleged abusers career is more valuable than a survivors humanity, Milano wrote. And the highest court in our land is no place for an alleged sexual offender to sit.

RelatedIf you were getting mugged on the streets of London on a chilly winter night, which Avenger would you want to save you? Captain America, Thor, Iron Man? Wrong. Its obviously Doctor Strange, not because hed do some magic and send them all to space but because Benedict Cumberbatch, the actor who plays him, already has some experience. Reports of Cumberbatch helping a cyclist who was being surrounded came out earlier this year, but the vigilante opened up about it for the first time on todays episode of The Ellen Show. I just stopped the Uber that we were in, got out and tried to intervene, tried to calm the kids down, who were riled up. Tried to calm him down, who looked like he was about to fight for his life, Cumberbatch humbly explains. Didnt really think twice about knives or acid or any of the other things that can be part of that situation so its a bit foolhardy but no real bravery. No real heroics. Does he know that being so modest about the situation only makes it sweeter?

RelatedPhoto: Courtesy of HBO

What in the world is the matter with Jane Fonda? I feel so sorry for Henry Fonda, whos a nice man.

Thats Richard Nixon caught on White House tape in 1972, around the time that Jane Fonda, a movie star and Hollywood legacy in the process of reinventing herself as a left-wing activist, accepted the North Vietnamese governments invitation to visit Hanoi. The trip culminated in Fonda letting herself be photographed sitting in a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun of the type that was used to shoot down U.S. planes. The image was treated as emblematic of Fondas anti-American stance on the war, including a quote suggesting that American pilots should expect to be beaten and tortured for trying to escape prisoner of war camps because theyd been caught bombing and strafing and napalming the country. Susan Lacys HBO documentary Jane Fonda in Five Acts, which opened theatrically Friday and bows on the cable channel tonight, treats the Vietnam trip as the pivotal moment in Fondas adult life, after which she was known more for being an issue than an actress  but not to the exclusion of other meaningful moments in her life. Using a series of interviews with Fonda as its centerpiece, which are augmented with archival footage, rare photos, home movies, and comments from friends, colleagues, and her two living ex-husbands, this is an engrossing feature that will fascinate anyone interested in Fondas life and work.

The movie traces Fonda through the present, starting with her childhood in a family of Hollywood royalty marred by tragedy  her father Henry was domineering and withholding, and her mother Frances killed herself  and following her through six decades of career highs and lows, a gradual political awakening, and three marriages (to French filmmaker and Lothario Roger Vadim, political activist Tom Hayden, and media mogul Ted Turner). The film is broken into the eponymous five acts, each of which bears a title card stating the name of the person who most shaped Fondas life during a certain period. In chronological order, they are Henry Fonda, Vadim, Hayden, Turner, and finally Jane Fonda herself.

Fonda is always at the center of the film, sitting for interviews and describing her life in ways that seem alternately raw and powerful and overly polished and narrativized. (Many of the anecdotes and some of the phrasing are straight from her 2005 biography My Life So Far.) The documentary is most intimate and compelling when Fonda analyzes her motivations for major decisions, armed with hindsight, experience and (one assumes) decades of therapy. Shes brutally honest in assessing the eager-to-please girl who just wanted to be acclaimed for doing a good job and was terrified of asserting herself or making too strong an impression. Shes good at forgiving herself without letting herself off the hook; shes publicly flagellated herself over aspects of the North Vietnam trip for three decades now, and she does it again here. (She mainly regrets oversimplifying the issues and seeming to demonize military personnel through careless language, not the trip itself.) She expresses regret over what her divorces, her constantly traveling, and her intense phase of political activism in the 1970s might have done to her children, even though the kids themselves accept her in totality, as a mother who, like most parents, was wonderful in some ways and useless in others.

Fonda straight-up tells us that her strong progressive stances on economic and racial issues are partly a reaction against having grown up so privileged and insulated, and feeling as if she needed to atone by fighting for people without advantages. Shes quite aware of the seeming hypocrisy of living in luxury while fighting for economic justice. (She admits that her 70s phase, when she lived in a small, cluttered house and insisted on doing her own dishes, was a symbolic correction of sorts.) Shes also frank when admitting how her sex drive sent her down certain paths. When she talks about Vadim, Hayden, and Turner especially, her face lights up as if shes just spotting them across a room for the first time and admiring the set of their jawlines. (Visiting Turner on his ranch, she peruses the master bedroom and says, I remember the good times we used to have in here!) All in all, Fonda emerges as a complex, in some ways contradictory woman whos lived an extraordinary life, and seems to have reached a place where she can own her failures as well as her successes. Among the latter: producing and starring alongside her father in the 1981 film version of On Golden Pond, a project that now seems half-adaptation, half-therapy, and which won Henry Fonda the Oscar that had previously eluded him.

My main quibble is Jane Fonda in Five Acts is the frame Lacy has chosen. It seems meant to send a feminist message of empowerment  the narrative culminates in Fonda becoming the primary arbiter of her own life, after years of being overshadowed by certain men  but this ironically reduces her even as it strives to exalt and empower her.

The five acts of the title are phases of Fondas life. Four of these acts are ceded to important men: Fonda, Vadim, Hayden (who was with her during her sloganeering Earth Mother phase), and Turner. Chapter five credits Jane Fonda herself as the prime mover. But when this section arrives near the end of a documentary running almost two-and-a-half hours, the attentive viewer may raise a skeptical eyebrow, because everything weve seen up to that point suggests that Fonda had already been doing a bang-up job of defining her own life since at least 1971, when she had her hair chopped off to take the lead role in Klute (winning her first of two Best Actress Oscars). Maybe even before then: taking classes with Lee Strasberg and relocating to France were bold steps, too.

The long section about Fondas marriage to Vadim, who turned her into an intergalactic space vamp in Barbarella, never convincingly makes the case that Vadim defined her in any meaningful way, aside from investing her previously white-bread image with Gallic va-va-voom. By her own account, Fonda starts getting interested in the civil-rights, feminist, and antiwar movements in the late 1960s independently of Vadim  who was opposed to the Vietnam War, but seemed mainly interested in making films and getting laid. She starts morphing into 1970s Jane quickly and forcefully, and immerses herself in those causes. Its obvious that she was thinking about these changes in terms of a life narrative back then; Fonda even provides a sophisticated reading of her role in the Depression-era drama They Shoot Horses, Dont They? that connects the film to 1960s America as well as her own psyche. This section of Jane Fonda in Five Acts is so rich in both incident and insight that we forget Fonda is even married to Vadim until she reminds us that he exists by divorcing him.

Slightly less irksome is the idea that Tom Hayden defined Fonda in the 1970s. His time with her codified and expanded some of the viewpoints Fonda had held in the 60s, and cemented her image as a movie star that Republicans could hate on sight. (Shes 80 now, and they still hate her.) But one could still make the case that Fonda defined Hayden as strongly as Hayden did Fonda, maybe more so. Exhibit A: Proceeds from from Fondas workout tape, still the best-selling home-video release of all time, funded Haydens Campaign for Economic Democracy, something he was incapable of doing on his own.

By the time we get to Ted Turner, Fondas admission that marrying a billionaire undercut her image as a fiery progressive is somewhat mitigated by our realization that she was 53 when she hooked up with him  an age when even female movie stars of Fondas caliber get put to pasture by Hollywood for supposedly aging out of lead roles. (Fondas friend and frequent co-star, Robert Redford, appeared with her in The Electric Horseman in 1981, but five years later hired Debra Winger, then 20 years his junior, as his love interest for Legal Eagles.) So there, too, Fonda appears to have been making her own decisions for her own reasons, whatever we may think of them as we peek in from outside.

Its a shame that the film tries to pack a life of overflowing abundance into a series of boxes that dont quite suit the contents theyre designed to hold. Fonda is as mesmerizing an interview subject as she is an actress, activist, and fitness star, and shes experienced more in her 80 years than some families do in generations. She defines herself each time she appears on camera, and judging from their awed and abashed tones as they talk about her, both her family and her exes agree. Based on Fondas own statements and comments by people who know her best, it seems quite possible that she was always defining herself, even when she thought she wasnt.Just days after Kanye West told a cheering crowd of high-school students his plans of moving back to Chicago and never leaving again, Yeezy joined his son Saint West in throwing out the first pitch at Sundays Chicago Cubs versus Chicago White Sox game. For someone who is simultaneously eating candy and being an actual toddler, Saint put a fair amount of heat on that ball. Kanye then threw out a pitch of his own, foreshadowing that fateful day in the distant future when Saint and Kanye will finally square off against each other in the World Series. Maybe his dad-rival will be part robot by then. Hey, anythings possible. Kanyes back in Chicago!Kidding Every Pain Needs a Name Season 1 Episode 3 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * *  Previous Next  Photo: Paul Sarkis/Showtime

This week, the Pickles Boys are getting girlfriends, and once again it seems like Will is handling adult feelings more maturely than his dad. Both, however, are in better shape than Seb, who is getting creepier and creepier every episode.

We start with another scene of Mr. Pickles lashing out at his dad on set. I can only imagine what a nightmare working on Mr. Pickless Puppet Time must be for anyone not related to the Pickles clan  though maybe its worse for those who are. Mr. Pickles more or less rips out his own heart/puppet to give it a listen. When Seb suggests that seeing a man rip out his own heart might be traumatic for child viewers, Mr. Pickles pulls out the same old story about how actually what hes doing will help children, so get off my case, dad. Just like a really healthy workplace.

And of course it immediately gets worse when Seb pulls Mr. Pickles  his son  into his office and demands that he hook up with a (grown-up) fan. Apparently, when viewers send Mr. Pickles dirty mail, Seb keeps it in his desk, ready to be pulled out when he gets tired enough of Jeffs whining. When Jeff gets uncomfortable about the idea of being seen in public with a woman who isnt his (estranged) wife, Seb insists that no one will give it a second thought because no one sees Mr. Pickles as a sexual being. Jeff takes offense, declaring, I am a man. I am. Just a different kind. Which, like, what kind of man, Mr. Pickles? Its still a little hard to believe that Mr. Pickles had sex the one time it took to produce twins who share his haircut.

We catch up with Deirdres family drama, and her cheatin husband Scott gets stood up by his boyfriend; Scott doesnt know that Deirdre let Rex know that she knows. Thats all secondary, though, to Maddys reaction to all this. Shes regressing hard, throwing her arms up and screaming like  her pediatrician explains  an infant afraid of falling. It remains to be seen whether depriving her of a bath will solve this one, but Sebs pretty smug when Deirdre sort of takes his advice and tries hugging her kid. Again: What the hell happened in the Piccirillo household when Jeff and Deirdre were growing up? Why is Deirdre alternately cruel and desperate, like her dad, while Jeff is passive aggressive and obsessive?

Yet again, Mr. Pickles drops by the hospital where his wife works, ostensibly to cheer up cancer patients but, oh, by the way, whats my wife up to? He gets some details from a cranky patient, Vivian (Ginger Gonzaga, whos really great), and also of course admonishes her, an adult cancer patient, for using the f-word. (Different kind of man, indeed.) On his way out he tries to bust into the employee lounge to catch his ex hooking up with Justin Kirk, which is, like, so gross. Mr. Pickles is really leaning in to these patterns of obsessive stalking that are not very flattering.

Worried about his son falling in with a bad crowd, Mr. Pickles buys Will a magic kit, something every teenager needs to make friends. He trashes Wills friends, insisting, Youre too young to have friends that are lost, as if his own son isnt feeling lost himself. He also talks extensively about his admiration for Nancy Reagans (ineffective and wrongheaded) anti-drug campaign. Apparently Wills late brother, Phil, once pranked Nancy Reagan on an escalator. Way to go, Phil. Mr. Pickles, unsurprisingly, cannot last an entire conversation with his son without trying to pump him for info on Jill and Peter.

Finally, Mr. Pickles goes on a date with the woman who wrote to him  played by Riki Lindhome!  who says that his show helped her turn her life around. The date goes pretty well and they seem to have a nice time together, until she makes it clear that she credits him with helping her change her life. He does more or less the right thing and declines to go further than one friendly date with a woman who clearly worships him. He later encounters his drunk neighbor, who also propositions him: again, he politely declines.

Elsewhere in Ohio, Seb lets Deirdre in on his long-term plans for Mr. Pickles. He sees the way Jeff is falling apart, and wants to make sure the brand has longevity beyond Mr. Pickles quitting? Dying? Its not clear what Seb sees coming, but its an upsetting thing for a father to be quite so cavalier about. He believes Mr. Pickles can become animated, his voice done by an expert mimic, and by the way, how about Mr. Pickles on Ice? Deirdre balks at the idea, but its not clear she has any say in what happens to the Mr. Pickles brand.

Since nearly every scene that Mr. Pickles doesnt appear in must include people discussing Mr. Pickles, Will is hanging out with his lost friends (including the girl hes crushing on), and they demand to know if its true that Mr. Pickles used to be a government assassin. This is also based on a persistent rumor about Fred Rogers, and its really just a variation on the Paul-from-The-Wonder-Years-grew-up-to-be-Marilyn-Manson rumor: the idea that ones public persona could be comically far removed from their background. For what its worth, Bob Ross really was a mean Air Force sergeant who decided when he left the military that hed never scream at anyone again.

Will and his lost friends are getting into the most suburban kind of trouble  walking from neighborhood to neighborhood, moving garbage bins under streetlights. Will doesnt understand why theyre doing this until the end of the episode, when the girl shows him a bit of magic. Sitting on a hill above the suburbs, she points his magic wand at a neighborhood and theres a flash of lights and noise. The prank, it becomes clear, was to make the garbage truck lift the bins under the streetlights, thereby smashing the lights. This is a pretty good prank, honestly, and Id gladly try it myself if I ever got 17 Again-ed or 13 Going On 30-ed. The two of them share a kiss and I start to wish Mr. Pickles was going to his son for life advice instead of thinking his son needs advice from him.

Mr. Pickles does get to hook up with a woman, though, when he returns to Vivian, whom he met in the hospital; she appears to be the only person not entirely in his thrall. Shes also not long for this world, as shes dying of cancer, so that morbidity might offset whatever positives a healthy adult relationship would add to Mr. Pickless life. It might just be a one-time hookup, but Jeff really doesnt seem like a one-time guy, particularly if the woman is in the hospital hes always skulking around.

Notes for Nancy Reagans Eulogy

 Will is so good at articulating his issues! He explains the unique challenges of losing an identical twin brother well, apart from the regular grief.

 Mr. Pickles is completely right: Saying the word neuroplasticity does turn ones mouth into a bouncy castle. Try it.

 Deirdre and Seb have very similar wardrobes, and they both wear those warm-looking sweaters at work and at home.

 I dont think anything will help Maddy until Deirdre confronts her husband and acknowledges that their family isnt functioning.

 How often does that woman play Edward Fortyhands? Do her roommates just tape up her hands every time theyre getting laid?

 Dont you ever get tired of doing the right thing? Dont worry, hes usually a jerk.

 What was the deal with that phone call Seb made last week? No new details on it this week that I could see.Scene from Maniac. Photo: Michele K. Short / Netflix

Spoilers throughout for Netflixs Maniac.

Say what you will about Maniac, but it doesnt lack for ambition. The new Netflix mini-series is ostensibly an adaptation of a Norwegian show about a delusional man in a mental institution, but director Cary Joji Fukunaga and writer/series creator Patrick Somerville took only the slightest shred of the original, planted it in fertile ground, and it blossomed into a piece unlike anything else in serialized storytelling. In it, Jonah Hill and Emma Stone play troubled 30-somethings in a New York City that somewhat resembles our own, but contains bizarre, retro-future technology and odd business ventures, including a pharmaceutical corporation aiming to make therapy obsolete through an experimental procedure that cure all mental ailments.

When Hills Owen and Stones Annie embark upon a trial version of the process  which is coordinated in large part by Dr. James K. Mantleray, an onanistic scientist played by Justin Theroux  they find themselves trapped in a series of elaborate fantasies while the whole operation gradually melts down. The fantasies hop gleefully from genre to genre, yet the whole endeavor retains a thematic cohesiveness and never loses its momentum. To learn more about how exactly they made Maniac, we caught up with Fukunaga and Somerville to talk lemurs, working with Sally Field (who plays Mantlerays therapist mother, Dr. Greta), and the art of futuristic masturbation technology.

What do you see as the divergence point between our world and the world of the series? Its not completely divorced from us: like, you have somebody singing Sting in it. Clearly some of our history overlaps with their history. Is it like, in the 80s, we stopped inventing things?

Patrick Somerville: Something happened in the 90s.

Cary Joji Fukunaga: There were culture references that take place in culture now that we took out. Sting is 80s. For example, Madagascar. We took it out.

You referenced the movie Madagascar?

Fukunaga: At one point, yeah. And also Taken.

Somerville: And Ordinary People a little bit too. The break that we always talked about was somewhere in the early 80s.

Fukunaga: Or potentially 90s. Whatever our IBM era was, we were kinda looking at. But there are nods to it. When Annie says, I got a van. I got a man who has a van.

Somerville: At one point, she was watching Taken earlier in that episode and she got that idea from it. I think, too, its also just sort of figurative. Theres a break, but at the same time, its our world now in terms of the ideas that lay behind AdBuddy and Friend Proxy and Dox Stop. Its all just dressed up in a different way. Hopefully, its relatable to now.

Right, its like the Justin Theroux monologue at the beginning: There are parallel worlds, but human impulses are the same in all of them.

Fukunaga: That was the idea. Where he says every connection creates a new reality, its like the idea that, at some point, some connection happens and this is where this world went.

I have to say, Im mentally ill and really admired the way you guys handled mental illness in the show. How did you approach that topic?

Fukunaga: Thank you for sharing that. From the very beginning, we were like, We cannot set this in a mental hospital. We did not want to make mental illness the butt of a joke by any means. Beyond even this project, there are things I want to do to try and destigmatize mental illness and address it in the workplace and figure out how to create more sensitivity around it.

Somerville: My wife is a psychotherapist and my dad was a neurologist. The mind has always been a part of my life in some way, if it was my dad lecturing me about it when I was 5, or my wife and my dad debating about psychotherapy versus pharmaceuticals. My wife was a consultant on the show, too. I think my personal life, from my side of that conversation, we said, Yeah, lets make a show that looks at this in a different way.

What struck me was that the series isnt exactly anti-therapy or anti-medication. Its anti-arrogance.

Somerville: Anti-quickness, and anti-easiness, I think, too.

You have these characters who, by the end, realize that it is a long process. Being aware of that gradualness is important for mental health.

Somerville: And people who know that youre worried about that, too. At the end of the show, part of whats helpful to Owen is that Annie is aware that this is a part of who he is and something that he is struggling with. [He] needs a friend to know that about him, and that is just not true at the beginning of the show for him.

So, I want to talk about something just as serious: the SuckBot.

Fukunaga: No, you mean the SuckTube.

Sorry, SuckTube.

Fukunaga: The PoopBot is for the sanitary stuff and the SuckTube is for  other stuff.

Somerville: We didnt do the SuckBot yet.

Fukunaga: The SuckBot is in development.

What went into the creation of that scene, that device, and the erotic Atlantis simulator? Fuklantis, I think it was called?

Somerville: One of the early writers, Mauricio Katz, told a story about going to this kind of eco-recovery lodge, and a woman spoke of her erotic fantasies having to do with Atlantis. That got into the show early, and then there were all kinds of different versions of what the VR was. Then they really built it.

Fukunaga: The thing is, you have to go through a lot of legal stuff to even get things cleared. We were going to name it something other than SuckTube, because there is no way 

Somerville: We were never going to clear SuckTube.

Fukunaga: Never going to clear SuckTube.

Somerville: And then SuckTube cleared [snaps] like that.

Fukunaga: So when it came down to functioning, we were dealing with 1980s technology. Was it going to be a 5.25-inch floppy? A 3.5? We decided to go with the bigger floppy.

How did you put together the stand-alone episode with the lemur caper?

Fukunaga: The lemur thing was probably the quickest and fastest-accepted idea.

Somerville: That was the earliest delusion idea. I think the first conversation Cary and I had was about Raising Arizona  that energy, but also there was another littler known Nic Cage movie, I cant remember what it is called, but hes basically a mean businessman and he flashes into a domestic situation. [Editors note: Its The Family Man.] Anyway, Cary and I had an initial conversation. Nick Cuse, one of the writers on the show, wrote a draft of that, we worked on it together, gave it to Cary. It just felt right in that moment, for two characters who didnt know each other, to make them be married and to start getting into the gonzo elements of the show. Were doing a lemur here and were going to insist on it.

Fukunaga: Also, infusing energy. Its a purposely slow beginning to immerse the viewer in the world without necessarily bombarding them with exposition. When you dont have exposition, its a little slower getting into it. We knew that there needs to be a payoff for that, too. We had to increase the energy and the pace with which the episodes are going to roll out.

Somerville: There was also figuring out the strange roles of the delusions, in terms of when Annie would pop through Linda. Annies emotional life would be put on the table. I love that episode because it hides it until she gets to that scene.

And it happens so seamlessly. Shes talking, and all of a sudden, shes talking about Annies life, not Lindas.

Somerville: Thats Emma. Emmas performance in that scene 

Fukunaga: I think it was just one take.

Somerville: She just crushed it. She just got it. When she does, you dont tell her a thing.

What was the most challenging delusion to pull off?

Fukunaga: I think the seventh and eighth episodes were really the toughest ones to pull off.

Those are the elf ones?

Fukunaga: Yeah the elf, and also Owen in the Mob family. Those are tough because at that stage, what exactly does confrontation mean for them? What has GRTA mapped out for them? That gets so hyperintellectual that it takes away from the enjoyment sometimes. Trying to find something that was a subtle nod to that, while still being a separate adventure that would end in reuniting them again, it was really tricky to shoehorn. It just had all of these obstructions, in terms of the execution and writing of it.

Somerville: Not to mention to keep it fun. Thats the core terrors you associate with mental illness, but its supposed to be fun. That was a lot to do at once.

In the Mob story, you have this extremely serious and violent A-plot, and then the charmingly weird B-plot with the girl whose skin gets so hot that she radiates heat waves.

Somerville: I was always trying to really introduce insane things in the absurdist mode and Carys restraint was very good. Especially in that episode to make sure that we stayed closer to a realism vibe.

Fukunaga: We dont want people to ask if they should still even care about whats going on at this point.

Somerville: At some point, you just stop giving a shit because it doesnt feel like there are rules.

What sticks out in your mind about working with Sally Field?

Fukunaga: How down she was to kiss her son. [Laughs.]

Somerville: More than down. She was pushing for more! [Laughs.]

Fukunaga: Her first day was actually voicing GRTA live. I like doing sound live on camera. I dont like someone trying to record it later. So she was there on the microphone, kinda like voice of God, doing GRTA, and she brought this sensuality to the role that I was not expecting.

Somerville: A gentleness.

Fukunaga: A gentleness and sensuality to the role and a maternal energy that was verging on being slightly sexual.

Well, she had to be a computer that can fall in love.

Fukunaga: Yeah. Its always a joy to watch people that are so pros. She knows comedy. She knows drama. She knows what she is looking for and hones in on it and does it.

Somerville: She has done this for so long that whenever I was walking up to Sally to talk to her about something, I felt like she knew what I was about to say before I said it. Every time.

Fukunaga: What was that moment in episode five where she has the book? I needed her to do something and I didnt even tell her. I was trying to get Jonah to exit in a way that the camera would end on her pivoting around.

Somerville: She knew what you wanted before you even said it.

Fukunaga: She knew what I wanted before I even said it. Then we went to the second take and I didnt even tell her and she landed right where I needed her to be. And it was like six in the morning by the way, we had been shooting all night.

Somerville: It was a gift from Sally Field.

She arguably has the best line in the entire show: Gas up the Miata.

Somerville: Thats a Cary Fukunaga line.

Oh really, that was you?

Fukunaga: That was actually my  its a nod to people I know.

Somerville: Specific people? Youve heard that? Someone said that before?

Fukunaga: No, I just know a lady. She does a lot of film screenings in New York and she has a Miata.

Why all the Don Quixote references?

Somerville: Its a very on-the-nose reference, but its one that served us well. Don Quixote is about a person struggling to tell the difference between his subjective reality and objective reality. Just to throw that big heavy book on the table at the beginning of the series is a way to say, We are interested in these ideas. It comes back in episode five, hopefully to deepen the conversation about what Annie is doing, how shes living in a subjective world, and maybe she needs it to hold on to to pull her out of it.

Cary, did you have a particular shot that made you shout, Yes!

Somerville: Cary Fukunaga does not go, Yes! [To Fukunaga] You pull your bud out of your ear, you look at [assistant director] Jon [Mallard], and then you do this: [Nods solemnly.] Or hell say, Yeah, thats good.

Fukunaga: Usually, Im like this. [Sighs, places his head in his hands in exasperation.]

But seriously, was there something especially hard to pull off?

Fukunaga: Strangely, some of the smaller things. Getting the camera to pull off of the GRTA computer fluidly into the spindle that goes into the experiment room was a shot that took a long time to do. Just weird, balletic, micro-moves.

How about the uninterrupted shootout sequence?

Fukunaga: No, we did that in like four tries, five tries.

Really?

Fukunaga: Yeah, we had rehearsed it a little bit, but 

Somerville: There arent cuts.

So thats not CGI wizardry? It really happened in single takes?

Fukunaga: Oh yeah, but thats exhausting. You cant really do it much more than that, so it is what it is.

Cary, you just got tapped to direct the new James Bond movie. What will you be looking for in a Bond villain?

Fukunaga: Im not ready to answer any of these questions yet, but I am super excited about it.

Thats what I figured. Back to Maniac, why did you pick Every Breath You Take for the scene where Jed makes everyone uncomfortable at the engagement party?

Fukunaga: We went through a bunch of different ideas for the song, including opera at one point, which we thought would be a poetic moment for Owens character. Ultimately, thats one of those songs, I think even Sting himself said it was one of the stalk-iest songs he ever wrote. Im paraphrasing. It just felt like Jed is so emotionally tone-deaf. It was the perfect song for him to sing to his future wife that is mildly imprisoning. Owen can see that and its just the straw that breaks the camels back. Its also very meta because Trudie Styler, who plays his mother, whos dancing right next to him, is Stings wife of 26 years or something.

Holy crap, I totally didnt make that connection.

Somerville: Shes heard that song a few times.

Fukunaga: Yes, shes heard that song a few times.

Somerville: Thats real acting for her to be, like, into it.

The show is very dense with references and world-building. Do you have a detail that you hope people will notice, but think they wont?

Somerville: I do, for sure. Nobody is ever going to notice it. In the first episode, Jonah said, Somebody invented a new type of ham, which to me, I dont know why, is the funniest thing. It got zero laughs when we watched it in London. Cary was trying to take it out of the show for months. I was like, Youre leaving it! Youre leaving it!

Fukunaga: Thats compromise, man.From now until Election Day, The Brian Lehrer Show is hosting a series called 30 Issues in 30 Days. The idea is to dive deep on one issue a day to give voters a sense of what candidates are saying about the policies that affect their lives. To kick things off this week, Lehrer is focusing on New York issues that may be in play if the State Senate flips to the Democrats, and that have previously been blocked by a Republican majority and the IDC. Up first: Rent Laws.

Since 1993 New York City has lost over 152,000 rent-regulated apartments because of changes to laws that have made it easier for landlords to bring their rent-regulated apartments into the open market.

Weve seen the rent laws gutted every single time theyre up for renewal. More and more units are being lost to the market," Jonathan Westin, director of New York Communities for Change, said on The Brian Lehrer Show Monday morning.

But the trend, he hopes, could be about to change.

In 2019, the states rent laws will once again be up for renewal. With Cynthia Nixon and her allies out of the picture, tenant advocates like Westinwho supported Nixon and other Working Families Party candidates for their tough stance on Big Real Estatesee flipping the State Senate as the last chance to make changes to rent laws that, they say, have long served landlords over tenants.

I think were on the verge of taking back the State Senate with [Senate Democratic Leader] Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and we have a chance of making some major changes, said Westin. Among those major changes are policies the group has spent years fighting for, like repealing the Urstadt law, which prevents the city from enacting rent laws more restrictive than those of the state, and ending high-rent vacancy decontrol which allows a landlord to charge market rates once a rent-controlled apartment's monthly rent threshold rises above $2,733/month.

Also on the agenda is ending vacancy bonuses, which allow a landlord to increase rent of a regulated apartment once it is vacated, thus creating an incentive to push out long-term residents. Another objective of tenant advocates is closing the preferential rent loophole, which allows for sudden and unexpected rent increases to people now paying below the legal maximum.

The prospect of these policies concerns Jack Freund, vice president of The Rent Stabilization Association, a trade group representing landlords. Were being threatened by a progressive takeover in Albany and it is not in the best interest of the city, Freund said Monday, arguing that imposing stronger regulations will not solve New Yorks affordability crisis, and proposed the city offer rent subsidies to tenants rather than tightening the noose on landlords.

But if Westin, and other tenants rights groups, have their way rent laws would go far beyond tightening existing regulation. When we have a Democratic Senate we need to go further, Westin said. We need to fight for things like universal rent control, a tenants' rights platform that includes the right to a lease renewal for all renters (not just those in rent-regulated apartments), and protections against untenable rent hikes and harassment. I think its very realistic that major pieces of it are accomplished this session.

Winners of the Democratic primary earlier this month, especially the six candidates who replaced former IDC members, are particularly gung-ho about upending rent law status quo. IDC challenger Zellnor Myrie, who beat incumbent Jesse Hamilton in the primary, made it a cornerstone of his campaign, and Julia Salazar, winner of the 18th District Democratic nomination against Martin Dilan, pilloried her competitor for taking big money from the real estate lobby. Democrat Andrew Gourdanes, challenging Republican Senator Martin Golden in South Brooklyn in a race that has been identified as competitive, fully supports upending the Urstadt law, a measure Republicans, like Golden, are loathe to give up.

The rent laws were Issue #1 on Lehrer's 30 Issues In 30 Days because unaffordable housing is the #1 issue for so many New Yorkers. Coming up this week, Brian will look at four more New York specific issues, and game out how they could change if Democrats take control of the State Senate.



A man has been arrested after multiple cars in Decatur were broken into.

Decatur Police say they got a call about a burglary at Brakes for Less on Highway 31 on Sunday.

That's where they found Dallas Shane Bridgmon with several items taken from the burglarized cars.

When officers tried to detain Bridgmon, they say he pulled illegal narcotics out of his pocket and tried to eat them.

He has since been charged with two counts of unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle, illegal possession of prescription drugs, possession of marijuana in the second degree, tampering with physical evidence, and public intoxication.

He was booked into the Morgan County Jail in lieu of a $3,200 bond and is expected to face more charges.The UN General Assembly is now underway, bringing traffic-snarling street closures to East Midtown as the world's leaders kick off a full week of high-level meetings on matters of global peace and security. President Don John Trump is here too, and since arriving via helicopter in Manhattan last night, he's wasted no time setting into motion a national nervous breakdown. Call it a Gridlock/Constitutional Crisis Alert Day, if you want.

Moments after leaving a morning session on global drug issues, the president reportedly affirmed his support for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, declaring that the mounting sexual assault allegations could turn out to be "one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate." About an hour later, news broke that Trump was possibly attempting to force out Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election.

Given the Kavanaugh dumpster fire, look for the @POTUS to be particularly provocative at the U.N. this week to divert attention away from the squalid spectacle in Washington.  David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) September 24, 2018

(Though news outlets initially said that Rosenstein had submitted a verbal resignation to the White House, that reporting has since been walked back, and most recent reports now suggest that while Rosenstein expects to be fired, he does not plan to voluntarily resign. Can't wait for tomorrow's Daily News cover depicting a screaming Baby Trump flinging a feces-filled diaper at Rosenstein under the headline "SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE CHILD.")

Just before 1 p.m., White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders released a statement noting that Rosenstein and Trump "had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories. Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C."

As it happens, Thursday is also the day that Christine Blasey Ford is scheduled to testify in an open hearing about her allegation of sexual assault against Kavanaugh.

If Trump thinks he can divert attention from the Kavanaugh hearing by scheduling a meeting with Rod Rosenstein that same day, hes going to be sorely disappointed when he learns that women can multitask. https://t.co/bRwae6tqCc  Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) September 24, 2018

On Tuesday, President Trump is scheduled to address the General Assembly for the first time since referring to Kim Jong Un as "Rocket Man." The following day, he will chair a Security Council meeting focused on nuclear non-proliferation. He will then go back to Washington to meet with and possibly fire the person overseeing the investigation into his campaign's alleged crimes, as his fellow Republicans attempt to push through a Supreme Court nominee credibly accused of sexual assault by multiple womana person who may soon happily obstruct women's reproductive rights for decades to come.

Traffic is expected to be bad throughout this time, as street closures will shut down 1st Avenue from 42nd Street to 48th Street, along with most adjacent streets between 1st and 2nd Avenue (Full street closures can be found here.) It is highly recommended that you don't drive through the area, read breaking news on the internet, or do anything else this week that further aggravates your already fragile mental state. An evening walk or bike ride, far from your cell phone or Midtown Manhattan, sounds pretty nice though.

On Tuesday night, the group Rise and Resist is planning a protest at Trump Tower; details here. And there's an "Impeach Trump" parade scheduled for Saturday.

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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Sep. 24, 2018 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 24, 2018 | 02:43 PM | PADUCAH

A man who police say has been convicted twice of abusing children was arrested again on Saturday.



According to the Paducah Police Department, a social services representative called from the emergency room of Baptist Health Paducah on Saturday night. A two-year-old girl had been brought to the hospital with fractures to her left tibia, right femur and the left side of her skull.



Police say the child's mother was in the hospital because she had just given birth, and the child was left in the care of her boyfriend, 30-year-old Dustin Gorham. Police say his mother brought the girl to the hospital.



When questioned by police, Gorham reportedly told them the child fell from a bed early that morning, but hospital staff told police that a fall could not have caused the girl's injuries.



Gorham was arrested for first-degree criminal abuse of a child 12 or under, and was taken to McCracken County Jail.



Paducah Police say they arrested him the previous two times he was charged with abuse. In 2006 he was convicted for abusing a 7-month old and was sentenced to 5 years in prison. In 2016 he was convicted on two counts of abuse of a 5-year-old and sentenced to three years on each count. The prison terms ran concurrently, and his parole ended last December.News

10 years jail for damaging public property in UAE

The UAE Public Prosecution on Wednesday clarified through a tweet posted on its social media accounts that whoever deliberately makes a break, a damage, or alike in the machinery, piping, or equipment of a water, electricity, gas, or petroleum facility or any other public facilities in what would render such facility faulty, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a duration not exceeding 10 years, according to the Article 301 of the Penal Law.

By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 24, 2018 | 05:33 PM | CALLOWAY COUNTY

The Calloway County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in identifying two people who may be suspects in recent burglaries.

Deputies say several burglaries have been reported over the last several days, including at some churches. Coldwater Church of Christ, Flint Baptist Church and Dexter Pentecostal Church are among the recent church burglaries.

Surveillance photos captured two individuals that police say might be possible suspects in the burglaries. One appears to be a male and the other a female.

Anyone that can help identify the two individuals is asked to contact the Calloway County Sheriff's Office at 270-753-3151.Kentucky gun deer season opens Saturday with some new regulationsTwo men from Oneida are facing charges after they were allegedly found driving a stolen vehicle on the New York State Thruway in Montgomery County, according to New York State Police.

Police say around 11:23 p.m. Saturday, they stopped a vehicle on the Thruway in the town of Glen after receiving a be on the lookout alert for a reported stolen vehicle.

Police say after stopping the vehicle, police determined it was the one reported stolen to the Syracuse Police Department.

The driver, 18-year-old Joshua Eberle, and his passenger, 35-year-old Quiana Thomas, were both taken into custody and charged with felony third-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

Eberle and Quiana were arraigned in the Town of Glen Court and sent to the Montgomery County Jail. Eberle is being held on $1,000 cash bail or $3,000 bond, and Quiana is being held on $3,000 cash bail or $6,000 bond.

The two men are scheduled to appear in court again on Sept. 27.MOHAWK  Police have identified the Mohawk man who was killed in a motorcycle crash on Saturday.

Mohawk police say 54-year-old Steve DeRosa, who was commonly known as Geeber, was killed in the crash.

DeRosa was driving a motorcycle in the village of Mohawk on Saturday when he crashed into a pole in the area of Main and Catherine streets around 11:45 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the hospital following the crash.

No other vehicles or people were involved.It's time to meet the newest members of our Morning Mug Club...brought to you by Holland Farms Bakery and Deli.

Coming up on September 28th, the St. John Lutheran Church on 502 West Chestnut Street in Rome is hosting a blood drive from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.



To register or for more information give them a call at (315) 336-8090.UPDATE: Police say the missing Rochester area man has been located in good health.

_________________________________________

REMSEN  There is a heavy police presence in Remsen today as authorities are helping to search for a missing person from the Rochester area, according to New York State Police.

State police say theyre assisting the Greece Police Department with the search for a missing person whose vehicle was located on Bardwell Mills Road in Remsen. Police were first called to the scene just after 8 p.m. Sunday, according to the Oneida County 911 Center.

We will provide more information as it becomes available.Bill Cosby had potentially faced up to 30 years in prison, but he now faces a maximum of 10 years after prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to merge the three counts of his conviction into one for sentencing purposes.

Prosecutors asked a judge on Monday to sentence Cosby to five to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, saying he had shown "no remorse" for his actions.

"This is about a person who put himself in a situation of being a mentor, but we know he had other intentions just from the beginning," District Attorney Kevin Steele said. "We know that from the statements he made. What he saw in Andrea the first time he laid eyes on her. What his plan was. To get to the point they were going to get to. And that didn't involve consent."

However, Cosby's defense attorney, Joseph P. Green, asked for a sentence of house arrest, citing Cosby's advanced age and blindness.

"Mr. Cosby is not dangerous," he said. "Eighty-one-year-old blind men who are not self-sufficient are not a danger, unless perhaps to themselves."

The sentence is expected to come on Tuesday after Judge Steven T. O'Neill decides whether Cosby should be classified a "sexually violent predator." The determination would require him to register with state police and submit to sex-offender counseling and notification for life.

Cosby was convicted in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and assaulting Constand at his home in 2004, in the first high-profile celebrity criminal trial of the #MeToo era.

Judge O'Neill announced that the charges had been merged into one because they all stem from the same event. The state sentencing guidelines indicate 22 to 36 months in prison, plus or minus 12 months because of aggravating or mitigating circumstances.

FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES

Monday's hearing also featured victim impact statements from Constand, her parents and her sister. Constand, whose testimony at trial was central to the case against Cosby, spoke for just a few moments in court.

"I have testified, I have given you my victim impact statement," Constand said. "You heard me, the jury heard me and Mr. Cosby heard me. All I'm asking for is justice as the court sees fit."

Sexually violent predator status

A prosecution expert said Cosby should be labeled a "sexually violent predator" because he has a mental disorder that involves urges toward nonconsenting women.

"The behaviors are beyond their controls, so they are urged to act on it. He is likely to reoffend," Kristen Dudley, a psychologist and a member of the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board, testified in state court.

Defense attorneys challenged her assessment that he would reoffend, saying that his age and blindness made it unlikely.

A state panel had advised that Cosby should be classified as a "sexually violent predator." Cosby declined to participate in the evaluation by Dudley, who said she came to her determination by reviewing trial transcripts and other reports.

O'Neill ruled Monday morning that the state's classification process is constitutional, knocking down the defense's argument that it is not. His expected ruling on Cosby's status will not impact the rest of the sentence.

Cosby's case tests #MeToo

Cosby's conviction represented the first high-profile test of the #MeToo movement in a courtroom. The trial centered on testimony from Constand and also featured testimony from five "prior bad acts" witnesses who similarly said Cosby had drugged and assaulted them.

Several of Cosby's victims also arrived at court Monday for the sentencing, including supermodel Janice Dickinson, who testified at the trial. Cosby arrived with his spokespeople, Andrew Wyatt and Ebonee Benson.

Cosby, the groundbreaking actor and comedian, did not testify at the trial. But when prosecutors asked the judge to revoke his bail because, they claimed, he has a private plane, Cosby stood up and yelled, "He doesn't have a plane, you a**hole," referring to himself in the third-person.

Green downplayed the outburst on Monday when requesting that Cosby receive house arrest.

"Mr. Cosby's frustration got the better of him and he used a name towards Mr. Steele he shouldn't have," Green said, asking the judge to consider the context.

"When Mr. Steele's witnesses at trial made outbursts, that was excused, everybody understands, but when the defendant makes one it deserves 3 pages in a sentencing memorandum?"

Cosby has remained out of prison for the past five months on $1 million bail, and his lawyers said they plan to appeal his convictions. Cosby could also be allowed to remain out of prison until any legal appeal is resolved.

The decision is ultimately up to O'Neill, who oversaw Cosby's 2018 retrial, as well as his mistrial a year earlier that ended in a hung jury.

Constand's family speaks

Constand's mother told the court in her victim-impact statement that her family feels "vindicated."

"This battle was about justice and our family feels that we have been vindicated," Gianna Constand said. "The victims cannot be unraped, all we can do is hold the perpetrators responsible."

Andrea Constand's father, Andrew, told the court: "The thought of what happened to my daughter ... will always be with me forever like a dark cloud hanging over my head."

O'Neill last week denied prosecutors' request to present "numerous" witnesses who would testify that Cosby sexually abused them in incidents that did not result in criminal charges, court records show.

Cosby also could address the court in an "allocution," Kate Delano, spokeswoman for the county prosecutor's office, said. Convicts typically use the opportunity before a sentence is handed down to ask for mercy.

Monday's sentencing came as Cosby's defense team has accused O'Neill of bias and asked him to remove himself from the case -- and to reverse an order that allowed the trial to happen in the first place.

At issue was a "nasty" personal conflict involving a prior district attorney, Bruce Castor, Cosby's team argued. O'Neill last week denied the motion, calling it untimely and "wholly without merit," court records show.

Camille Cosby, Bill Cosby's wife, said in a statement that she had retained a former prosecutor to facilitate her efforts to "uncover the truth" regarding what she says is a feud between O'Neill and Castor.

Since the April verdicts, Cosby has not been permitted to leave his Pennsylvania home. If he wanted to leave the state for another home, he'd have to arrange it ahead of time and wear a GPS monitoring device, O'Neill ruled in April.TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI)  A police chase through Carroll, White and Tippecanoe Counties has ended after a 15-year-old boy swerved to avoid a crossing train, Indiana State Police Sgt. Kim Riley confirms.

Carroll County dispatch called in the chase of a maroon Chevy Silverado pickup Monday morning around 9 a.m., according to Riley. He also said the vehicle did not have any plates.

Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby said around 6:40 a.m., the suspect stole his great aunt's vehicle from her home on 100 North in Tippecanoe County. He then headed toward his mother's home in Carroll County near Lake Freeman.

Leazenby said the suspect stole firearms and a car when he got there. Deputies found the suspect and chased him for a while. They eventually lost him.

He was later spotted at a convenience store in Monticello. Leazenby said he swerved through corn fields as well in White County.

According to Sgt. Riley, Indiana State Police picked up the chase on State Road 26 and U.S. 52 in West Lafayette.

Riley said as the chase was underway on U.S. 52, the boy tried to run a trooper off the road. Two Troopers in a marked State Police vehicle attempted to deploy stops sticks just north of 275 South. The driver of the pickup ran off the roadway to avoid striking the sticks and then turned west on 275 South. Riley said a train was crossing 275 just past Weaver Lane. As the suspect came up over a hill, he swerved to miss the train and jumped a guardrail. Riley said the truck hit the train, but there was little damage to the vehicle or the train.

A trooper ordered the juvenile driver out of the vehicle. He was taken into custody as other police officers arrived to assist. He is being held on Felony Resisting with a Vehicle, Operating a Vehicle While Never Receiving a License and Driving While Suspended.

The train stopped while CSX inspected, according to Riley.

There were no injuries reported in the chase.WAYNETOWN, Ind. (WLFI) Indiana State Police are investigating an officer involved shooting in Montgomery County. It happened in Waynetown just before 2 a.m. Sunday.

According to Indiana State Police, officers responded to an alleged drunk and disorderly subject at a party in Waynetown. Police said the man in question appeared intoxicated and belligerent.

After police had the scene under control, they said the man came out of the home with a weapon and allegedly pointed it in the direction of bystanders and officers. A shot was fired by an officer striking the subject.

The man was taken to a local hospital and was later taken to an Indianapolis hospital with serious injuries. No one else was injured in the incident.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office asked Indiana State Police to conduct the investigation. The name of the subject or officer is not being released at this time.JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (AP)  A southern Indiana man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and eating parts of her body will undergo more mental evaluations to determine whether he's competent to face trial.

Defense attorneys for Joseph Oberhansley say he remains suspicious and paranoid despite a Logansport State Hospital psychiatrist telling the Clark County judge in late July that his competency has been restored since he was committed there last year.

Oberhansley's lawyers say he "continues to express bizarre and irrational beliefs" when meeting with them and defense investigators.

Prosecutors allege Oberhansley broke into the Jeffersonville home of 46-year-old Tammy Jo Blanton in September 2014, and that he raped her, fatally stabbed her and ate parts of her body.

A competency hearing was set Friday for Nov. 16. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.Constraints and 11.5m cost sees Groves building surplus to requirements as council look to put new school on site

This article is old - Published: Monday, Sep 24th, 2018

The future of a Grade II listed school in Wrexham has once again been cast into doubt, with a new report stating that the cost of redeveloping the building will cost over 11 million.

Instead it has been proposed that the former Groves School, located in Wrexham town centre, will be deemed as surplus to the councils requirements amid plans to build a a new primary school on the site.

The Groves saga has been running for several years, with the councils plans to demolish the building scuppered by the Grade II listing by the Welsh Government in 2016.

This decision was later overturned in a legal battle by Wrexham Council, before going full circle with the Welsh Government later listing the building for a second time.

On Wednesday members of the customer, performance, resources and governance scrutiny committee will receive an update on a feasibility study, which was carried out by external consultants TACP Architects to explore the potential uses of the site.

The joint report between Council Leader Mark Pritchard and Lead Member for Education, Cllr Phil Wynn, explains that while it is possible to convert the existing building for primary school use, doing so would require significant compromises, which are not acceptable to the education department as they would not afford the most favourable learning environment for pupils.

As part of the process it is explained that TACP Architects were appointed to provide an all-in design and costing service to undertake the feasibility study into:

a) The conversion of the remaining building into a primary school to accommodate 420 pupils plus 60 nursery pupils;

b) The removal of the existing building and the construction of a new build primary school to accommodate 420 pupils plus a nursery for 60 pupils on the existing footprint;

c) The study should also consider the placement of a second 420 / 60 pupil school on the site with shared playing fields for both Options (a) and (b);

d) The study should also consider options for the use of the remaining space within the listed building, should the provision of a primary school prove feasible but not requiring the entire foot-print of the listed building.

Details provided in the architects report show a mock-up of how the school could look if it was converted into primary education.

The artist impression focuses on the northern, southern and eastern elements of the building, with the access to the school via the Penymaes Avenue site.

Along with the creation of a new entrance to the school, the image shows that infant classes, nursery, the canteen and hall would be based on the ground floor; with junior classes on the first floor.

The west wing, which fronts onto Chester Road is proposed for alternative use.

However while it has been found that the building could be used for primary school use, it is estimated that such a redevelopment would cost 11.5 million.

While it is acknowledged that there are benefits to redeveloping the building, including  the schools interesting features, larger than standard rooms in some locations, large circulation spaces which create opportunities for use as flexible learning areas and the opportunity to create a new feature main entrance and define a new school identity  the report notes that they are outweighed by the impact they have on the overall costs associated with the scheme.

Such constraints include alteration to the elevations and external facades restricted due to Listed Status, increased running costs, disabled access being described as challenging in areas due to level changes, proximity of car parking, access to upper floors and interior feel with dark glazed bricks  which is described as imposing for young children.

It is also noted that the design is compromised in terms of efficient pick up and drop off arrangements as it would not be possible to dismiss younger pupils directly from their classrooms to their parents.

Due to the constraints and the estimated cost, the report continues onto say that a preferred use of the site is to place a single new build 420 pupil primary school plus a nursery for 60 pupils on the site.

As a result it proposed that the councils education department notifies the assets team and corporate land and buildings group of its intention to declare the existing building surplus to its requirements.

The report notes that whilst many adults will appreciate the legacy features inherent in re-using the building, the overall effect is unlikely to be as child friendly and conducive to learning as a new build.

It adds: The report has concluded that it is possible to convert the existing secondary school building for primary school use. To do so however, would require significant compromises, which are not acceptable to the Education Department as they would not afford the most favourable learning environment for pupils.

The architects held meetings with CADW officers to explore a number of configurations for the development of the listed building. Some of these configurations could have provided a reasonable compromise in terms of maintaining aspects of the original build, whilst allowing the development of a modern facility to provide education for our primary aged pupils.

Ultimately, only one configuration has resulted in an indication of support from CADW officers, which essentially maintains all of the current building, including the poor quality Park Avenue elevation. There was some allowance for the demolition of infill buildings in the courtyard area.

As a result of these constraints, the opportunity to design a building that fully meets 21st Century School standards and expectations has proved extremely difficult.

The customer, performance, resources and governance scrutiny committee will take place at the Guildhall at 10am on Wednesday 26th September. The meeting will not be webcast but as usual the public gallery is open to anyone who wishes to observe the debate.

You can view this weeks report and the consultants findings in full here.Warning issued following theft from local business

This article is old - Published: Monday, Sep 24th, 2018

North Wales Police Wrexham Rural have issued a warning following a break-in at a local business over the weekend.

Officers say that key safe locks and other items were stolen from a business on Gresford Industrial Park between Thursday 20th September and Saturday 22nd September.

Any further information please contact North Wales Police via their online webchat service quoting reference 18300097141The 2017 Student Finances Survey, released last month by Universities Australia, revealed that 15 percent of Australian students regularly go without food or other basic necessities.

The report, based on data from 18,584 students enrolled at 38 universities, paints a picture of the unprecedented financial hardship faced by students in higher education resulting from decades of cutbacks by successive governments, Labor and Liberal-National alike.

More than half of the students surveyed said that their financial situation was often a source of worry. A quarter of undergraduates had been forced to reduce their course load or defer their studies because they could not afford to continue.

The situation is most dire for indigenous students and working class students classified as being from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds.

Some 71 percent of indigenous, and 63 percent of low SES, students were concerned about their finances. Around 27 percent of indigenous students regularly go without food or other basic necessities because they cannot afford them. Indigenous and low SES students are also less likely to have savings or financial support from family.

The report found that four in five domestic students are engaged in paid employment. Approximately 30 percent of full-time domestic undergraduates reported working more than 20 hours a week in addition to their studies, up from just 16 percent in 2006.

The pressure to work increased hours has a detrimental effect on studies, with 27 percent of full-time domestic students regularly missing class to attend work, and 40 percent stating that their work commitments adversely affect their performance at university. About 36 percent of part-time students are regularly forced to skip classes for work, and more than half report that employment has a negative impact on their studies.

The median annual income from paid employment in 2017 was $15,600 for full-time domestic undergraduates, and $33,900 for part-time domestic undergraduates. Taking into account other sources, including poverty-level government allowances, the median total income for full-time domestic undergraduates was $18,300, and for part-time domestic undergraduates, $33,900.

More than half of full-time domestic undergraduates, and at least 20 percent of part-time domestic undergraduates reported total annual income below the poverty line of $26,494, defined as 50 percent of median income.

In fact, the present situation is likely worse than the survey suggests, as the data, collected in 2017, does not reflect the full impact of federal cuts to Sunday and late-night penalty rates introduced in July last year, and extended in July 2018.

The second most common source of student income after paid employment was government support. One third of domestic undergraduates, and 18 percent of domestic postgraduate students received Youth Allowance, AUSTUDY, or ABSTUDY payments averaging about $10,000 annually.

Legislation proposed as part of the 2017 Federal Budget would increase the maximum liquid assets test waiting period for these payments from 13 to 26 weeks. The waiting period before receiving these payments would be increased for anyone with more than $11,500 in savings, and the maximum 26-week wait would apply to the estimated 25 percent of students with liquid assets of $18,000 or more.

Domestic undergraduates estimated they would complete their studies having incurred an average HELP student loan debt to the government of $32,000. Average estimated HELP debt for domestic postgraduate students was $40,000, and for higher-degree research students, $30,000. New legislation passed in August lowers the minimum repayment threshold for these loans from an annual income of $55,874 to $45,000.

For many domestic students earning $40,000 and over, this will mean beginning to pay back student loans while still at university.

Median annual expenditure for domestic students was $16,300 for undergraduates, $32,500 for postgraduate coursework students, and $31,500 for higher degree research students. The primary expense reported by students was housing.

Economic modelling in a recent Urbis report found that a student earning average income could afford to pay $114 per week for accommodation. The average weekly cost of one bedroom in a shared three bedroom house was $112. For the more than half of full-time students who earn less than the average income, the cost of housing is prohibitive.

The majority of students at Australian universities live in private rental housing rather than purpose-built student accommodation, and are therefore subject to the same housing crisis facing workers across the country. Most Australian universities are located in the major cities, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, which were all considered severely unaffordable housing markets by a 2017 Demographia survey. Sydney was the second least affordable city in the world, and Melbourne the fifth least affordable.

In recent years there has been a significant increase in the amount of purpose-built student accommodation, primarily to cater to full-fee-paying international students, who are a crucial source of revenue for universities looking to compensate for cuts in government funding.

Most of these new developments are commercially owned and managed, and according to real-estate analyst Savills, record numbers of investors are looking to access the Australian student accommodation market. This growth can hardly be seen as a move to provide affordable housing for all students. According to Urbis, the average weekly cost of such accommodation was $222, or 24 percent more than a student earning average income could afford to pay.

The effect of rising tuition and housing costs, reduced access to government support, and growing inability to earn sufficient income while studying will be to exclude from higher education all but the wealthiest of students.

This is the outcome of decades of funding cuts to higher education, imposed by successive Labor and Liberal-National governments. Recent funding reductions imposed by Liberal-National governments are a continuation of sweeping cuts imposed by the Greens-backed Labor government of Julia Gillard, which in 2013 introduced a $2.3 billion cut to university funding, the largest in history.

The increasingly dire plight of students makes clear that the fundamental social right to education is incompatible with a society subordinated to the profit dictates of a tiny corporate and financial elite.

The author also recommends:

Australian coroner: Chinese student killed in building fire because laws violated

[22 September 2015]During a news conference on Saturday, Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez refused to rule out endorsing former military and CIA agents who are running for Congress alongside Ocasio-Cortez in the Democratic Party.

Ocasio-Cortez was elevated as a national political figure in June after beating incumbent Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary race for New Yorks 14th Congressional seat. When a WSWS reporter asked her if she would back candidates from the military and intelligence agencies, she attempted to deflect the question.

I think it all depends on the individual candidate, Ocasio-Cortez replied. I dont think that a persons life experience in one way or another necessarily precludes them from running for office. I think what is important is a candidates given story. And, for me Im very outspoken about being an anti-war candidate... I dont think that a person should be discounted because they were a bartender or on the front lines.

When this reporter pressed the question asking about Democratic Congressional candidate Max Rose, who is running in the same city as Ocasio-Cortez on a platform that emphasizes his experience as a soldier in Afghanistan, she continued to evade, claiming, I dont know a ton about his background, but I do know What we try to do is focus on issues. What I see my responsibility as is building a consensus on single payer healthcare, on a peace economy... thats really what we focus most on. I cant provide opinions on all 200 candidates running.

The response was a calculated evasion aimed at maintaining a left cover while avoiding stating her opposition to any of the Democratic Party candidates. In fact, Ocasio-Cortez has stated on multiple occasions that she supports a vote for all Democratic Party candidates in the 2018 elections.

Following the New York gubernatorial primaries, where incumbent Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo beat the DSA-endorsed candidate, Cynthia Nixon, Ocasio-Cortez declared that she would support Cuomo in the general election, despite his record as a stooge of Wall Street who has overseen massive budget cuts. She told CNN that she looks forward to rallying behind all Democratic nominees, including the governor, to make sure that he wins in November.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) answers questions from WSWS about the CIA Democrats

Minutes before the news conference, Ocasio-Cortez told a rally of her supporters, There are a lot of folks that are in swing districts that are a little scared to say things like Black Lives Matter, they are a little scared to say things like abolish ICE, they are a little scared to say things like we need single payer healthcare in this country, and thats fine. That is, it is perfectly acceptable to support Democrats indistinguishable from their Republican counterparts as long as the Democratic Party makes room for figures like Ocasio-Cortez in other parts of the country.

Despite her claims to be an anti-war candidate, during her run in the Democratic primary she made virtually no reference to foreign policy. She has also remained silent on the Democrats provocative anti-Russia campaign, only nodding along with Bernie Sanders at a rally after her victory as he denounced supposed Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Ocasio-Cortezs real attitude toward the Democrats pro-war positions was expressed in her reaction to the death of Republican John McCain, which became an occasion for the entire political establishment to heap praise on one of the chief warmongers in the US Senate.

John McCains legacy represents an unparalleled example of human decency and American service, Ocasio-Cortez declared. As an intern, I learned a lot about the power of humanity in government through his deep friendship with Sen. Kennedy. He meant so much, to so many. My prayers are with his family.

Based on this statement, Ocasio-Cortez would evidently conclude that McCains given story drawn from his life experience would allow her to support him if he had had the opportunity to run as a Democrat in the elections.

Ocasio-Cortez: "It's fine" if Democrats run on a right wing platform.

Since her primary victory, Ocasio-Cortez has worked to establish her credentials as a conventional Democrat with a mildly left twist. She moved to distance herself from any association with socialism, disavowed a tweet criticizing Israelis massacre of Palestinians, voiced her support for border security, and hailed McCain.

In July, Ocasio-Cortez also stumped for one of the Democratic Congressional candidates drawn directly from the military and intelligence agencies. She traveled to Kansas alongside Senator Bernie Sanders to show support for James Thompson, an Army veteran, who pledges to Fight for America and calls on his supporters to Join the Thompson Army.

As the WSWS has analyzed, the Democrats are running 30 candidates who come from military-intelligence agency backgrounds. If the Democrats win control of the House, these candidates would hold the balance of power. It is not only the candidates drawn from intelligence and military backgrounds who are running on a pro-war platform. The Democratic Party as a whole has centered its opposition to Trump on the claim that he is too soft on Russia, demanding, in the words of one of the CIA Democrats, an uncompromising victory over Russia and its tyrannical regime.

Despite the friendly takeover of the Democratic Party by the military and intelligence agencies, most media outlets and pseudo-left groups, such as the DSA, have remained completely silent on the issue.

The politics of Ocasio-Cortez and the DSA are not in conflict with the politics of the CIA Democrats. They are, rather, complementary. In the end, there is hardly a hairs breadth of difference between the two.Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat threatened military action against Pakistan Saturday, while applauding the Indian governments sudden about-face on accepting a Pakistani offer for their respective foreign ministers to meet on the sidelines of this weeks UN General Assembly.

I think our governments policy has been quite clear and concise, General Rawat told reporters. Weve made no bones about the fact that talks and terrorism cant go hand in hand. Pakistan needs to curb (the) menace of terrorism.

On Thursday, Indias government, which is led by Narendra Modi and his Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had accepted an offer of talks from Pakistans newly-minted prime minister, Imran Khan. But less than 24 hours later, New Delhi scuttled the planned meeting between Indias External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

As justification, India cited the killing of three policemen, who had been abducted by anti-Indian Kashmiri insurgents from their homes in Jammu and Kashmir Thursday evening, and the alleged mutilation of the corpse of an Indian soldier killed earlier in the week in firing across the Line of Control (LoC) that separates Indian- and Pakistani-held Kashmir. A third reason cited by India was the Pakistani post offices publication of a series of stamps commemorating Burhan Wani, the 21-year-old commander of an Islamist Kashmiri insurgent group whose July 2016 killing sparked mass protests in Indian-held Kashmir.

In his remarks Saturday, General Rawat, who was reportedly promoted over more senior officers because of his readiness to pursue an aggressive policy against Indias nuclear-armed rival, went beyond supporting the governments hardline and declared India should inflict pain on Pakistan. We need to take stern action to avenge the barbarism that terrorists and the Pakistan Army have been carrying out. Yes, its time to give it back to them in the same coin, not resorting to [a] similar kind of barbarism. But I think the other side must also feel the same pain.

Peace talks between India and Pakistan, the arch-rivals born from the 1947 communal partition of South Asia, have been in limbo for more than a decade.

Beginning in late September 2016, India and Pakistan exchanged bloodcurdling threats of all-out war and heavy artillery and gun fire across the LoC on virtually a daily basis, causing scores of military and civilian casualties on both sides.

Nevertheless, both New Delhi and Islamabad claimed the coming to power of a new government in Pakistan last month provided an opportunity to ratchet down tensions.

Pakistan has responded to Fridays announcement from New Delhi and Rawats threats by both repeating its offer of talks and declaring its readiness for war. Warning that India should not misconstrue Pakistans offer of friendship as weakness, Prime Minster Imran Khan said, Our people are ready, our tanks are also ready.

Islamabad has charged that Indias about-face was a sham, that it never wanted the foreign ministers meeting to go ahead. It chose to make a show of accepting the offer only to pull-out a day later, so as to highlight its hardline stance against Pakistan in the run-up to the flurry of diplomatic activity that will surround this weeks UN General Assembly.

What is clear is that Indias ruling elite, emboldened by its emergence as Washingtons principal ally in South Asia, is determined to bully Pakistan into demonstratively accepting New Delhis preeminence. Specifically, it is demanding that Islamabad ensure no logistical support is provided to the anti-Indian insurgency in Kashmir. This goes hand in hand with a narrative that reduces the alienation of the population of Indias lone Muslim-majority province to Pakistans machinations.

In reality, the Indian government has repeatedly and systematically violated Jammu and Kashmirs constitutionally guaranteed autonomy and rigged its elections. For the past three decades, Indian security forces have waged a dirty counter-insurgency war in Jammu and Kashmir, subjecting the states population to armed-occupation, torture, disappearances and summary executions.

The Pakistan bourgeoisie is no less hostile to the democratic and social aspirations of Kashmirs workers and toilers. It has manipulated the insurgency, promoting reactionary Islamist forces, so as to use them to pursue its own reactionary geo-strategic interests.

The cancellation of the foreign ministers talks fits well with the political calculations of the BJP government in the run-up next years general election. It has proclaimed September 29 Surgical Strikes day to mark the second anniversary of the provocative raid that Indian forces carried out inside Pakistan on September 2829, 2016. It has also suggested the countrys universities organize parades to be addressed by Indian military personnel and cajole students to write letters and emails pledging support to the armed forces.

But there is strong support across the Indian political establishment for a belligerent stance against Pakistan. The countrys main opposition party, the Congress Party, denounced the BJP government for its short-lived acceptance of the Pakistani offer of talks, and when it cancelled them complained that the BJP should never have agreed to talks.

In the brief interim between New Delhis acceptance and cancellation of the foreign ministers meeting, the US State Department declared the planned talks to be terrific news.

For the past decade, Washington has showered India with strategic favours, with the aim of transforming it into a frontline state in its military-strategic offensive against China, while dramatically downgrading ties with Pakistan. This has included explicit threats from Trump and his top aides that the US could repudiate Islamabads designation as a major non-NATO ally, and block an IMF emergency loan to Islamabad. However, the US still hopes to bully Pakistan, which has turned much of the country into a killing zone in support of the Afghan war, to eliminate all Taliban safe-havens in Pakistan, and calculates a lessening of tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad would help.

Under the four-year-old BJP government, India has dramatically increased its integration into the US drive against China, including throwing open its airbases and ports to routine use by Pentagon warplanes and warships and developing trilateral and quadrilateral ties with Washingtons closest allies in the Asia-Pacific, Japan and Australia.

New Delhi is also preparing, albeit reluctantly, to abide by the US sanctions against Iran, although India is heavily dependent on imported oil and Iran is one of its largest suppliers.

However, when it comes to Pakistan, India is ready to ignore Washington, as it seeks the greatest room and leverage to ruthlessly pursue what it deems its core strategic interests.

Indias corporate media has responded to the scuttling of the Indo-Pakistani foreign ministers meeting by saying that it indicates there will be no meaningful steps to revive the so-called comprehensive peace progress until after Indias general elections next May.

Such statements are based on an enormous underestimation of the combustibility of the Indo-Pakistani conflict and the extent to which it has become intertwined with the maelstrom of world geo-politics, above all the US-China divide. Pakistan has repeatedly warned that Washingtons drive to harness India to its predatory strategic ambitions has overturned the balance of power in the region. It is forcing Islamabad to both deepen its longtime strategic alliance with Beijing, leading to the crystallization of South Asia into rival blocsthe US and India versus China and Pakistanand to deploy tactical, i.e., battlefield, nuclear weapons.Amid saturation media coverage, the Senate Judiciary Committee and lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford agreed Sunday to go forward with an open hearing Thursday on Fords allegations that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her 36 years ago, when they were both teenagers in a Maryland suburb of Washington, DC.

The stage is thus set for a day of political theater that will do nothing to establish which of the two is telling the truth. Psychologist and Palo Alto University professor Ford claims that an inebriated 17-year-old Kavanaugh threw her on a bed during a house party when she was 15 and attempted to rape her. Kavanaugh denies that he was even at the party.

Fords lawyers and the Republican-controlled committee reportedly agreed to have Ford testify first, followed by Kavanaugh. Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley rejected Fords request for other witnesses to be called, including Kavanaughs friend Mark Judge, whom, she claims, was present and complicit in the sexual attack, something Judge denies. Grassley also refused to allow her to respond at the hearing to Kavanaughs testimony. Earlier, the Republicans rejected demands by Ford and the Democrats for an FBI investigation of her charges prior to a hearing.

In recent days, four people named by Ford as having been present at the house party where she was attacked, including Judge, have said they have no memory of the party or the alleged incident.

It is not clear whether the Republicans on the committee will question Ford directly, as she has requested, or have a committee staff lawyer, presumably a woman, do the questioning.

Only hours after the agreement with Ford was announced, a second allegation of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh was unleashed by the New Yorker magazines team of Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer. They cited the account of 53-year-old Deborah Ramirez, who claims she encountered Kavanaugh at a dorm-room party on the Yale University campus where they were both drunk, and he exposed himself to her.

The New Yorker writers were unable to confirm Ramirezs account with any other witnesses, but they claimed Judiciary Committee aides had obtained the same information and tried to push through the nomination before it came out. Senior Republican staffers also learned of the allegation last week, they wrote. Soon after, Senate Republicans issued renewed calls to accelerate the timing of a committee vote.

The media circus surrounding Fords chargessoon to be amplified by those of Ramirezis the latest stage in the ongoing political warfare between two reactionary factions of the American ruling oligarchy. President Trump, backed by the bulk of the Republican Party and certain major media outlets such as Rupert Murdochs Wall Street Journal and Fox News, is seeking to foster a fascistic base for extreme nationalist, militarist and authoritarian policies, using anti-immigrant racism as his primary tactic.

The Democrats are no less militaristic, opposing Trump from the standpoint that he is insufficiently aggressive in confronting Russia and escalating the war in Syria. Backed by publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post and most of the television and cable networks, they are aligned with the dominant factions of the military/intelligence apparatus and are presenting themselves as the loyal defenders of the CIA, the FBI and the anti-Russia investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Moreover, in the name of combating Russian meddling in US politics and fake news, the Democrats are spearheading a campaign of internet censorship directed against left wing, anti-war and socialist publications and organizations.

The Democrats have made a calculated decision to make Fords sexual allegations the focus not only of their opposition to the confirmation of Kavanaugh, but also of their campaign for the November congressional elections. They, and the major media outlets allied with them in opposition to Trump, have increasingly linked Fords allegations to the nearly year-old #MeToo sexual witch hunt. This reactionary exercise in identity politics has been used to undermine basic democratic principles such as due process and the presumption of innocence.

Both the print media and the Sunday talk shows were dominated by the sexual abuse allegations against Kavanaugh. Two of the three commentaries on the op-ed page of the New York Times dealt with the Kavanaugh allegations, and the front page of the Sunday Review section featured a hysterical rant in which the author wrote: Its one thing to say #MeToo, but if I find out its them, too, I can picture myself hunting down the man who hurt them and dismembering him with my fingernails and burning the whole world down.

The Washington Post s opinion section was devoted entirely to a six-page essay on Amber Wyatt, who in 2006, at the age of 16, reported that she had been raped in her home town of Arlington, Texas, and was ignored by the authorities.

On NBCs Meet the Press program, moderator Chuck Todd asked Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington state to respond to an ad being broadcast by the Democratic-aligned Demand Justice group. The ad presents Fords story as fact rather than allegation and essentially accuses the Republicans of being defenders of rape and sexual assault.

In an example of Orwellian Newspeak, Murray cited the #MeToo campaign and replied: So I think its really important, in this time, in this day, that we recognize when women speak out, that we should presume that they are innocent  It should be a presumption of innocence and then have a fair process to go through to determine the truth.

In other words, the presumption of innocence means that the accuser, if a woman, must be assumed to be telling the truth and the accused must be assumed to be guilty, unless he can prove otherwisea complete inversion of the democratic principle of presumption of innocence, but entirely in line with the methods of the Salem witch trials.

Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, interviewed on ABC televisions This Week program, made clear that the top priority for his party is not to block the arch-reactionary Kavanaugh from joining the four other far-right justices on the Supreme Court, but rather to use the sex scandal surrounding him for electoral purposes.

Host George Stephanopoulos showed a clip of Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell threatening to launch judicial impeachment proceedings against Kavanaugh should he be confirmed and installed on the court. Asked by Stephanopoulos if he agreed with this proposal, Durbin declared emphatically, No, I dont.

On some of the same talk shows, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made war-mongering threats against Iran and Russia in advance of Trumps appearance at this weeks UN General Assembly meeting. On Meet the Press, Pompeo threatened military action against Russia in the event of a new alleged chemical attack by the Syrian regime against US-backed Al-Qaeda-linked rebels.

The following exchange took place:

Chuck Todd: If Assad uses chemical weapons, are you going to hold Russia accountable for this?

Pompeo: The president is very clear. We will go to the source of the bad behavior

Chuck Todd: Are we afraid to usehave we ruled out using a military response, if we see something like that?

Pompeo: Were not going to rule out a single thing, Chuck.

This chilling exchange was not mentioned on the evening news programs or by Democratic Party spokespeople.

The Kavanaugh sex scandal is being used by the Democrats to disorient public opinion and divert attention from the basic class issuessocial inequality, poverty, attacks on health care and education, attacks on democratic rights and immigrantsthat are driving rising anger and resistance among workers and young people as well as opposition to capitalism and interest in socialism. The Democrats mounted no serious opposition to Kavanaugh on the basis of his right-wing record and positionshis role in drafting the torture policies of the Bush administration, his participation in the Clinton impeachment drive, his far-right positions on abortion rights, business regulation and executive powers.

In seeking now to make sexual abuse allegations the centerpiece of their campaign in the fall elections, the Democrats are continuing the tactics Hillary Clinton employed against Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Clinton, running as the chosen candidate of the intelligence establishment and Wall Street, disparaged working class Trump supporters as deplorables, avoided attacking him on his right-wing policies, and sought to mobilize wealthy upper-middle class layers by focusing on charges of sexual harassment following the release of the Access Hollywood tape.

The use of sexual allegations to manipulate public opinion has reached a new stage in the #MeToo operation. By means of this campaign and identity politics more generally, the Democrats are seeking to conceal their agreement in all essentials with the right-wing program of austerity, war and authoritarianism of Trump and the Republicans, disorient popular consciousness and divide the working class along gender and race lines.PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR | PART FIVE | PART SIX

This is the first in a series of articles published by the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka to mark the 50th anniversary of its foundation in June 1968. Established as the Revolutionary Communist League (RCL), the Sri Lankan section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), it was renamed the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in 1996. A statement has already been published to mark the RCLs founding congress on June 1617, 1968.

These articles will elaborate the RCLs principled foundations and draw the essential political lessons from the struggle for these principles over the past 50 years. The RCL was founded on the program and perspective of socialist internationalism that the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, which claimed to be a Trotskyist party, had betrayed by entering the bourgeois government of Madam Sirima Bandaranaike in 1964.

Central to the work of the SEP has been the fight for Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolution, which established that in countries of a belated capitalist development only the working class is capable of leading the struggle for the basic democratic and social rights of the workers and rural toilers as part of the fight for socialism internationally. These lessons are critical for the emerging struggles of the working class, not only in Sri Lanka, but throughout Asia and the world.

The Revolutionary Communist League (RCL) was founded in 1968 in the political struggle against the betrayal of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), which, in July 1964, joined the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)-led government of Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike. In doing so, the LSSP sabotaged the mass movement of the working class that was threatening bourgeois rule on the island. Its betrayal sowed political confusion among workers in Sri Lanka, throughout the region and internationally.

Amid this disorientation, a group of mainly young people, radicalised by the Vietnam War and predatory imperialist crimes elsewhere, sought to understand why the LSSP had betrayed. But it was only when they came into contact with representatives of the Socialist Labour League (SLL), the British section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), that they were able to discover the answer.

The Great Betrayal was not simply a matter of the LSSP leaders treachery, or mistaken policies. Rather, it lay in the opportunist politics of the Pabloite United Secretariat, with which the LSSP was affiliated. A struggle for Trotskyism in Sri Lanka necessitated the establishment of a section of the ICFI as part of the fight against Pabloism and all forms of opportunism. That was the only road to the working class.

Fifty years later, the RCL, now the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), stands alone in the fight for the international socialist perspective of Trotskyism. The LSSP has functioned for decades as the chief political prop of the Sri Lankan bourgeoisie and, as such, is responsible for all its crimes, including the atrocities committed during the protracted 30-year war against the islands Tamil minority. Today it lacks any significant base of support and is nothing more than an electoral appendage of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), a bourgeois party.

All the various factions of the LSSP (R) that split from the LSSP in 1964, but not from the Pabloite United Secretariat, have collapsed. The two pseudo-left descendants of the LSSPthe Nava Sama Samaja Party and the United Socialist Partyshamelessly function as satellites of the Colombo political establishment and have assisted in establishing the current right-wing national unity government.

The evolution of these tendencies was foreshadowed in the LSSPs betrayal. In a remarkably far-sighted conclusion, the ICFI explained in 1964: The entry of the LSSP members into the Bandaranaike coalition marks the end of a whole epoch of the evolution of the Fourth International. It is in the direct service to imperialism, in the preparation of a defeat for the working class, that [Pabloite] revisionism in the world Trotskyist movement has found its expression.

James P. Cannon

The International Committee of the Fourth International was established in 1953 in the struggle against an opportunist tendency led by Michel Pablo and Ernest Mandel, after James P. Cannon, leader of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in the US, had issued an Open Letter to the world Trotskyist movement, calling for the defence of orthodox Trotskyism.

The Pabloites had adapted to the post-World War II restabilisation of world capitalism and rejected the struggle for the political independence of the working class. Instead, they called for the liquidation of the Trotskyist parties of the Fourth International into the various Social Democratic, Stalinist and bourgeois nationalist parties that dominated the working class, under the guise of pressuring them to the left.

In countries like Sri Lanka, Pabloism abandoned the Theory of Permanent Revolution and promoted the fatal illusion that various left bourgeois and petty-bourgeois parties and leaders could meet the social and democratic aspirations of the masses. At every step, the Pabloites encouraged and facilitated the backsliding of the LSSP, which culminated in its entry into the Bandaranaike government.

The LSSPs coalition with the SLFP represented an acceptance of the reactionary state structures established in 194748 on the Indian subcontinent, as a result of the deals struck by Britain with the local bourgeoisies. The LSSP abandoned the struggle to unify the working class, accepted the SLFPs divisive Sinhala populism, and promoted the dangerous illusion that its program of nationalisations and limited social welfare constituted the road to socialism. This was the antithesis of Trotskys Permanent Revolution, which demonstrated the organic incapacity of any section of the bourgeoisie to advance the democratic and social aspirations of the masses, and insisted that the working class had to rally the peasantry in the revolutionary struggle to abolish capitalism, as part of the fight for world socialist revolution.

The LSSP was first founded in the 1930s as a radical national movement. It opposed British colonial rule, but prominent within its ranks was a layer of intellectuals who had been won to Trotskyism. With the outbreak of World War II, they waged a struggle against a Stalinist faction within the party, which, in line with Moscows diktats, supported Britain and the so-called democratic imperialists against Nazi Germany and its allies. The Stalinists were expelled from the party and the LSSP leaders, in preparation for the vast movement against British colonial rule that was to erupt across the region in the course of the Second World War, established the Bolshevik Leninist Party of India (BLPI) as the section of the Fourth International, to unify the working class throughout the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka.

Colvin R. de Silva

BLPI leaders such as Colvin R. de Silva and Leslie Goonawardene gained enormous political stature as a result of their courageous and principled struggle, both during the war and in its immediate aftermath. In opposition to an opportunist tendency that re-established the LSSP after the war, the BLPI exposed the fake independence granted by Britain to Sri Lanka in 1948, and the bloody partition of the subcontinent along communal lines into India and Pakistan.

However, so-called independence created new pressures on the party as opportunities opened up in business and politics for sections of the middle class. Encouraged by Michel Pablo, the BLPI became fractured along national lines. In Sri Lanka, it made a hasty fusion with the opportunist LSSP in 1950, without any discussion of the fundamental political differences between the two parties.

In November 1953, James Cannon, leader of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in the United States, issued an Open Letter to rally orthodox Trotskyists within the Fourth International against Pabloite opportunism. The LSSP had been critical of Pablo and his adaptation to Stalinism, but it rejected the Open Letter on which the ICFI was founded to fight Pabloism. To have supported the ICFIs principled stance would have cut across the LSSPs own increasingly opportunist preoccupation with the number of their parliamentary seats and trade union members.

Leslie Goonawardene

The LSSPs abandonment of a revolutionary orientation was already evident in August 1953, when a mass movement of strikes, shop closures and protests, or hartal, erupted and brought the government to the brink of collapse. However, the LSSP, together with the Stalinist Communist Party, called off the struggle after one day, leaving protesters to the mercy of state repression, and sought to channel the mass opposition into fresh elections. The failure of the LSSP to provide revolutionary leadership allowed the SLFP, formed in 1951, to posture as a defender of the rural masses. At the same time, the SLFP won support from a section of the bourgeoisie shocked at the uprising and looking for a stronger base for its rule.

The LSSPs decision not to support the ICFI later that year was the start of an opportunist live-and-let-live relationship with Pablo, Mandel and their International Secretariat (IS). As the SEP explained in its Historical and International Foundations document: The LSSP could claim Trotskyist credentials for its reformist politics in the national arena, while the International Secretariat could boast of having a mass Trotskyist party in Asia. The LSSPs support for Pabloism was a terrible blow against Trotskyism and thus the working class, particularly in Asia.

Over the next decade, aided and abetted by the Pabloites, the LSSPs backsliding accelerated. This took the form of an increasingly naked adaptation to the SLFP, which combined socialistic phrase-mongering with Sinhala populism and anti-Tamil chauvinism. The key turning points were:

* In the 1956 general election, the SLFP consciously whipped up anti-Tamil sentiment to divide the working class. Its communalist campaign was based on rendering Sinhala the only official language and assigning to Buddhism, the religion of the Sinhalese majority, a special status within the state. Automatically, that meant consigning the islands minoritiesTamils and Muslims in particularto the status of second-class citizens.

While the LSSP opposed the Sinhala-only policy, it did so on the basis that it would divide the nation, not the working class. Far from seeking to unite Sinhala and Tamil workers, the LSSP adapted to the Sinhala populist campaign and struck a no-contest pact with the SLFP. When the SLFP won the elections, the LSSP adopted a stance of responsive co-operation towards the government and voted in 1957 for the Throne Speech that set out government policy.

* The LSSPs shift to the right accelerated in the two elections held in 1960. In March, the LSSP explicitly abandoned a revolutionary perspective and embraced the parliamentary road to socialism, contesting 100 seats and calling for a Samasamajist government. The Pabloite International Secretariat enthusiastically supported the LSSP, absurdly describing its election campaign as a decisive struggle for power.

When the LSSP gained fewer seats than in 1956, its leader N.M. Perera openly advocated a coalition government with the SLFP. As the first step, he called for a no-contest pact with this party of the Sri Lankan bourgeoisie, to be followed by bringing about a programmatic agreement with the SLFP with a view to forming a joint government.

N.M. Perera

Once again, the IS gave its political blessing, declaring it was possible to give critical support to a non-working class government in colonial and semi-colonial countries. While the party did not adopt Pereras proposal for a coalition with the SLFP, it did enter a no-contest pact in the July 1960 elections, and again voted for the Throne Speech.

* In June 1963, the American SWP abandoned the principled stand taken in the 1953 Open Letter and reunified with the Pabloites. Their adulation of the victory of the petty-bourgeois guerrilla movement led by Fidel Castro in Cuba, which was declared to have established a workers state, made clear that the SWP had fully adopted the Pabloite perspective. The newly-formed United Secretariat (USec) declared that, in countries like Cuba, it was possible to achieve power through a blunted instrumentthat is, without a Leninist Party fighting for the independent mobilisation of the working class to take power.

The reunification congress also hailed the LSSPs plans to form a United Left Front (ULF) with the Stalinist Communist Party and the Sinhala communalist MEP (Mahajana Eksath Peramuna [Peoples United Front]). In forming the ULF, the LSSP dropped its earlier demand for parity of the Sinhala and Tamil languages as a concession to the MEP, and adapted to existing Sinhala only legislation, refusing to call for it to be overturned, but only to be made less discriminatory. The ULF, with the blessing of the Pabloites, became the springboard for the LSSPs betrayal.

Since 1961, the British Socialist Labour League (SLL) had opposed the SWPs moves towards reunification. The SLL rejected the SWPs contention that petty- bourgeois leaderships could be forced by the logic of the revolution itself to lead the working class to power, and emphasised that the central task confronting the Fourth International remained the resolution of the crisis of proletarian leadership, through the construction of Bolshevik-type parties.

Gerry Healy

In a letter to the SWP National Committee in June 1963, SLL leader Gerry Healy condemned its reunification with the Pabloites and specifically criticised its failure to warn the working class that the LSSP was preparing a betrayal. After noting that the MEP had opposed the representation of Tamil plantation workers at a joint May Day rally, Healy declared: The LSSP to its eternal shame agreed to this farce. It must be remembered that in the past the LSSP was the only party in Ceylon to stand unconditionally for the equality of the Indian and Tamil working class.

The letter warned that the LSSPs capitulation to the MEP would lead to support for a bourgeois government. It is now freely admitted in the LSSP that the leaders are prepared to make real and large concessions on the question of parity of status for Tamil and Sinhalese. This is the logic of the capitulation which has led them to support the capitalist government of Mrs. Bandaranaike, Healy wrote.

* Amid growing unrest in the working class, the Joint Committee of the Trade Unions (JCTUO) was formed in 1963 around 21 common demands, which, for the first time, united Tamil-speaking plantation workers with urban workers. In September 1963, several hundred delegates, representing a million workers, launched the 21-demands movement, precipitating a severe crisis for the SLFP government.

Madame Bandaranaike, who became the SLFP leader after her husbands assassination, opened talks with the ULF leaders in March 1964. When the talks became public knowledge, the prime minister justified her decision by declaring that none of the other suggested options, including establishing a dictatorship and forcing striking workers to work at the point of a gun and bayonet, would take us where we want to go. For their part, the LSSP leaders embraced Bandaranaikes offer, falsely declaring it to be a leftward move.

Colvin R. de Silva seated alongside Bandaranaike

In order to ratify the decision to form a coalition with the SLFP, N.M. Perera called a party congress for June 67. While the Pabloite USec formally opposed this naked abandonment of the principles of socialist internationalism, it had paved the way, at every step, for the betrayal.

The majority, led by Perera, was opposed by a centrewhose only criticism was that other ULF parties should also be included in the coalition governmentand a minority faction, which unambiguously denounced entry into the SLFP government as treachery to the proletarian revolution. After the vote501 for Pereras resolution, 75 for the centre and 159 for the oppositionthose who opposed the coalition outright left the congress, met separately and formed what became the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (Revolutionary) or LSSP (R).

Healy flew to Colombo to intervene in the LSSP congress. Although barred from entering the venue, he spoke to those workers and youth who were opposing the coalition. Through these political discussions, he established important contacts, who were to play a crucial role in forming the Revolutionary Communist League (RCL) in 1968. The call by Healy and the ICFI to form revolutionary parties in opposition to the Pabloite betrayal was thus realised in Sri Lanka through the formation of the RCL.

To be continuedMaldives opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared victory in the country's presidential elections Sunday.

Solih said he won with a 16% margin after 92% of the votes were accounted for, according to Reuters.

Abdulla Yameen Asia Continents and regions Elections and campaigns Government and public administration Maldives Political Figures - Intl Politics South Asia Arrests Crime, law enforcement and corrections Criminal law Law and legal system Law enforcement Voters and voting Protests and demonstrations Government bodies and offices Government organizations - US US federal court system US federal government US Supreme Court Political candidates

"The will of people has spoken; and it has spoken decisively for change," Solih said, according to state broadcaster PSM News.

Incumbent President Abdulla Yameen, who has been accused of cracking down on dissent and jailing opposition leaders, has not officially conceded.

In a televised press conference, Solih said his priority is to unite the country after such a contested election, and called upon the incumbent to ensure a peaceful political transition.

Transparency Maldives, an anti-corruption nongovernmental organization, acted as an observer during the elections and said its results also indicated Solih had won.

"Our quick count results indicate that Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won the 2018 presidential election by a decisive margin. We call on all stakeholders to maintain an environment conducive for a peaceful transfer of power," the organization posted on its Twitter account.

Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, who governed the country from 2008-2012, congratulated Solih in a message on his official Twitter account.

"You have done an extremely good service not only to the people of Maldives, but also to freedom loving people everywhere. Democracy is a historical inevitability," Nasheed wrote.

Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party accused Yameen's government of planning electoral fraud ahead of the election and several foreign monitoring groups criticized the freedom and fairness of the election.

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) said the election was heavily in favor of the ruling party after crackdowns on critical media outlets and arrests of opposition figures.

Human Rights Watch also criticized the election process, citing Maldivian activists who say new changes to the vote counting process will complicate verification.

"Maldives authorities have detained critics, muzzled the media, and misused the Election Commission to obstruct opposition candidates to ensure President Yameen a victory on election day," Human Rights Watch Asia Associate Director Patricia Gossman said in a statement.

Some 262,135 people were eligible to vote in Sunday's election, according PSM News.

Criticism denied

The Maldives Elections Commission has denied criticism of its vote counting process.

"The Commission strongly refutes the allegations and calls upon all parties to refrain from disseminating such false information and unsubstantiated allegations that could create concern within the general public, and create concern amongst international partners and stakeholders, on the integrity of the Commission," it said in a statement on September 19.

State of emergency

The Indian Ocean island nation, a popular tourist destination and home to about 400,000 people, has been engulfed in a political crisis since earlier this year when Yameen defied a Supreme Court ruling to reinstall opposition MPs and release political prisoners.

Opposition supporters staged street protests lobbying the government to obey the court order and urged the international community to help persuade the government to obey the ruling.

Yameen instead declared a state of emergency, giving him power to arrest and detain people, and setting off a power struggle between the Supreme Court and the government.

After the emergency declaration, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom -- Yameen's half-brother -- Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another Supreme Court judge, Justice Ali Hameed, were arrested.

Amnesty International condemned their convictions for "obstructing justice" as politically motivated.

Yameen appointed a new chief justice in June.

US warning on democracy

Earlier this month, the US State Department said the elections "were of critical importance to the Maldives' future."

"The United States is concerned about continued democratic backsliding in Maldives, particularly as the country prepares for a presidential election on September 23," spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement issued September 6.

"We join the international community in calling for the release of falsely accused political prisoners; full implementation of the Maldivian Supreme Court's February ruling overturning the convictions of opposition members; an end to executive interference in the Parliament and judiciary; respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and holding a free and fair election that reflects the will of the Maldivian people," Nauert said.

She said without a return to a democratic path in the Maldives the US would "consider appropriate measures against those individuals who undermine democracy, the rule of law, and a free and fair electoral process."(CNN) -- The Japanese space agency JAXA said it made history Saturday by successfully landing two unmanned rovers on an asteroid.

"The two rovers are in good condition and are transmitting images and data," a JAXA statement said after the rovers separated from the Hayabusa2 spacecraft and landed on the asteroid Ryugu.

The rovers are collectively known as MINERVA-II1. The space agency reported that MINERVA-II1 is the world's first mobile exploration robot to land on the surface of an asteroid.

"I felt awed by what we had achieved in Japan. This is just a real charm of deep space exploration," said Takashi Kubota, a spokesman for the space agency.

The Hayabusa2 began its approach to Ryugu from an orbiting altitude of around 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) on Thursday afternoon.

As the craft approached to within 100 meters (328 feet) of the space rock, it sent back a photo showing Hayabusa2's shadow projected onto its barren, cratered surface.

Beneath their desolate surfaces, asteroids are believed to contain a rich treasure-trove of information about the formation of the solar system billions of years ago.

The 1 kilometer-wide space rock, which is shaped like a diamond, is expected to be "rich in water and organic materials," allowing scientists to "clarify interactions between the building blocks of Earth and the evolution of its oceans and life, thereby developing solar system science," JAXA said in a statement.

A series of specially designed cameras -- four on the first rover and three on the second -- will take stereo images of the asteroid's surface. The rovers are also equipped with temperature gauges and optical sensors as well as an accelerometer and a set of gyroscopes.

A third rover called MASCOT will be launched from Hayabusa2 in early October.

Later in the mission, scheduled for the end of October, the spacecraft will land on the asteroid after blowing a small crater in it using explosives, so samples that haven't been exposed to space can be gathered from below the object's surface.

After examining the far distant object and taking samples, Hayabusa2 will depart Ryugu in December 2019 before returning to Earth by the end of 2020 with its cargo of samples.

If successful, JAXA has said it will be the "world's first sample return mission to a C-type asteroid."

Japanese scientists are racing NASA for that achievement, with the US agency's sample retrieval mission due to arrive back on Earth in 2023.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.Former first lady Michelle Obama on Sunday delivered a message to potential voters in the midterm elections, telling them "democracy continues with or without you."

Obama was speaking in Las Vegas at an event for When We All Vote, a nonpartisan organization committed to voter registration that she co-chairs. While the former first lady's group aims to increase participation regardless of party affiliation, Democrats have sought to rally turnout ahead of an election that is largely a referendum on the Trump presidency, which has made undoing former President Barack Obama's legacy a central focus.

Barack Obama Elections and campaigns Government and public administration Government bodies and offices Michelle Obama Political Figures - US Politics US federal government Voters and voting White House Democracy Forms of government

Obama told attendees that she is "sick of all the chaos and the nastiness of our politics," but that the importance of voting still remains.

"But here's the problem, while some folks are frustrated and tuned out and stay at home on election day, trust me, other folks are showing up," Obama said. "Democracy continues with or without you."

The event was the first of two events that the former first lady plans to attend this month to rally voters. CNN first reported on her involvement in the organization earlier this month.

Obama and her husband have largely avoided criticizing the Trump administration in public, though the former president offered a pointed critique of his successor earlier this month, saying President Donald Trump is "capitalizing on resentment that politicians have been fanning for years."

While stressing the importance of voting to attendees, Michelle Obama said Sunday that the way to get "qualified people" into office was to vote.

"You know, we saw that happen. We experienced that we had a great president, but every couple years folks sat out and said 'well, I did my part, I voted once, I'm done, I'm out,'" she said. "And I'm just telling you that democracy doesn't work that way."

"As I said earlier, democracy doesn't wait for you to be bothered. It moves on as it rightly should and therefore the people who vote determine the direction of the country, determine the mood, the tone, and the people who stay out don't get a say," Obama said. "And I want every American to feel the power of that choice."

Obama plans to visit Florida later this week for another When We All Vote event.

CORRECTION: This story and headline have been updated to reflect that When We All Vote is a nonpartisan organization.ABERDEEN, Miss. (WTVA)  A federal judge has dismissed a federal lawsuit filed over the termination of a former Aberdeen High School principal.

Cloyd Garth, Jr., sued the school district and state conservator Mac Curlee over his firing last June.

The federal lawsuit says his termination violates the First and 14th Amendments.

He accuses Curlee of attempting to dissuade Garth from applying for a superintendent position because Curlee told him the Mississippi Department of Education wanted a white person for the position.

The lawsuit also claims he was fired less than a month after an employee evaluation and after signing a contract with the Aberdeen School District.

He says Curlee denied him a hearing over his termination.

He says the reason he was given for his dismissal was falsifying time cards.

After reviewing the case, a federal judge issued a ruling Monday dismissing the case because Curlee had qualified immunity for the actions he took in removing Garth.PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say a Florida man is charged with two counts of murder in the killing of an expectant mother and their unborn child.

TC Palm newspapers reported Sunday that 41-year-old Jose Soto Escalera is charged in the death of 23-year-old Tania Wise, whose body was found last month in a ditch. She was about to give birth to their child.

St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara says investigators have digital forensic evidence and witnesses who confirmed seeing a truck matching Escalera's near where Wise's body was found. Authorities have not said how she died.

Mascara says DNA proves Escalera was the father of the unborn child. He is also married to another woman and has four other children.

It wasn't immediately clear if Escalera has a lawyer to represent him.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - A Florida teenager is facing attempted murder charges after police say he fired shots on employees when denied late-night fast food at a Checkers restaurant.

The Broward Sheriff's Office said in a news release that 17-year-old Albert Humberto Ponce was arrested Thursday and charged as an adult.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports that the shooting happened about 4 a.m. July 26 when Ponce and a woman drove up to the Checkers near Fort Lauderdale to order food.

An arrest report says that two employees who were outside told Ponce they had just closed the restaurant and that's when he sprayed the front of the building with gunfire, hitting one man in the leg. The wounded employee was treated and released from the hospital. The other man was unharmed.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)TURNER COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - Turner County High School got to witness a surprise during their homecoming game crowning, when the chosen queen gave up her crown to a friend.

After a week long of campaigning at Turner County High School, Zebony Davis decided if she won Homecoming Queen, she would want her friend Faith Hobbs to escort her on the field.

Faith is the only senior in the class and she wasnt being included in anything, said Davis.

Hobbs has the genetic disorder down syndrome, but Davis said that doesnt mean she has to miss out.

She is a senior just like everyone else and she should have something to do, she should have that moment of recognition, Davis explained.

Two weeks later, Davis was crowned the queen, but she handed over her crown.

And then I went and took Faiths hand and gave her the crown because that was just the right thing to do. And she deserved it you know, said Davis.

Davis said it meant more to her for Hobbs to wear this crown, to show people the true meaning of friendship.

I guess it touched a lot of peoples hearts, but all I really wanted to do was touch Faith, and her parents, and her familys hearts, she said.

Hobbs wears her crown proudly, and Davis said she wants people to learn from this experience.

"Be the person someone would want someone to be to you no matter, no matter what.

I love you Zebony, whispered Hobbs.

I love you too, said Davis.

Davis also wants to remind people that October is Down Syndrome Awareness month.

She believes that her example was a great way to head into the month.

Copyright 2018 WALB. All rights reserved.JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in finding a missing 15-year-old female.

Julia Weeks was last seen by a family member while wearing a hunter green shirt and gray sweatpants, the JCSO said in a Facebook post.

Weeks is believed to have voluntarily left the home. She was reported missing to JCSO on Sept. 22, 2018.

A person matching Weeks description was seen at a gas station in Marianna around 6:40 a.m. on Sept. 22, 2018, in the company of a white male approximately 35-40 years old with dark brown hair and a beard. The two departed walking east on Lafayette St.

Weeks has recently been in contact with an unknown male and may be traveling to Dothan, Alabama, or Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and also has contact with individuals in the Panama City area.

Weeks is described as 5'04 tall and about 140 pounds. She has a medium build with dark brown hair and brown eyes.

Weeks has black roses tattooed on her right thigh and a beauty mark above her right upper lip.

Anyone with information about Weeks or her whereabouts is asked to contact the Jackson County Sheriff's Office or can remain anonymous by calling Chipola Crimestoppers at (850)- 526-5000.(WTXL) - New information reveals ground beef products recalled last week for possible E. Coli contamination were sold to Target and Sam's Club stores in Florida.

The United States Department of Agriculture updated the original recall from Cargill Meat Solutions with additional information about where the meat was sold.

According to the information provided, the possibly contaminated meat was sold to Target stores in Florida and Sam's Club stores nationwide. It was also sold to Meijer and Safeway stores nationwide.

An investigation by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service has identified 17 illnesses and one death with illness onset dates ranging from July 5 to July 25, 2018.

Officials warn that some product may be frozen and in consumers freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

The recall list and the labels are available on the USDA site.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WTXL) - A nationwide recall has been issued for about 132,606 pounds of ground beef products because of the possibility of E. coli contamination.

The beef products are being recalled by Cargill Meat Solutions, which produced and packaged the items on June 21, 2018, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture news release.

Federal official are concerned that some products may be frozen and in consumers' freezers.

An investigation by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service has identified 17 illnesses and one death with illness onset dates ranging from July 5 to July 25, 2018.

Consumers who have bought the products are urged to either throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for refunds.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number EST. 86R inside the USDA mark of inspection.

E. coli can make people ill from two to eight days after exposure to the organism. Most people infected with E. coli develop diarrhea and vomiting but recover within a week.

Rarely, some people develop a more severe infection. Kidney failure can occur in people of any age but is most common in children under 5 years old and in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems.

The recall list and the labels are available on the USDA site, and the list is also below:

 3-lb. chubs of OUR CERTIFIED 73/27 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF with a USE OR FREEZE BY JUL/11/18 and case code 00228749057646.

 3-lb. chubs of OUR CERTIFIED 73/27 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF with a USE OR FREEZE BY JUL/11/18 and case code 00228749002653.

 10-lb. chubs of EXCEL 73/27 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF with a Use/Frz. By Jul 11 and case code 00228749089098.

 10-lb. chubs of EXCEL 73/27 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF with a Use/Frz. By Jul 11 and case code 90028749002751.

 10-lb. chubs of EXCEL 81/19 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF with a Use/Frz. By Jul 11 and case code 90028749003536.

 10-lb. chubs of EXCEL GROUND BEEF 81/19 FINE GRIND with a Use/Frz. By Jul 11 and case code 00228749003568.

 10-lb. chubs of EXCEL CHUCK GROUND BEEF 81/19 FINE GRIND with a Use/Frz. By Jul 11 and case code 90028749402773.

 20-lb. chubs of EXCEL 81/19 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF COMBO with a Use/Frz. By Jul 11 and case code 90028749073935.

 10-lb. chubs of Sterling Silver CHUCK GROUND BEEF 81/19 FINE GRIND with a Use/Frz. By Jul 11 and case code 00228749702416.

 10-lb. chubs of CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF CHUCK GROUND BEEF 81/19 FINE GRIND with a Use/Frz. By Jul 11 and case code 90028749802405.

 10-lb. chubs of CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF CHUCK GROUND BEEF 81/19 FINE GRIND with a Use/Frz. By Jul 11 with case code 00228749802413.

 10-lb. chubs of Fire River Farms CLASSIC GROUND BEEF 81/19 FINE GRIND with a USE/FREEZE BY: 07/11/2018 with case code 90734730297241.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Maybe you've seen the buzz on social media or even one of the Tallahassee Fire Trucks about the departments newest and youngest crew member.

WTXL ABC's Jada Williams on Monday spoke to the department about that new member.

The Tallahassee Fire Department is honoring 4-year-old Mason Sturms because the child loved fire trucks, and after his death they wanted Mason's love and memory to continue.

The Sturm family lives in Jacksonville, but thanks to social media, they're working to get their son inside every fire department in the country.

When Sarah Cooksey with the Talhassee Fire Department was tagged in a post about the family's quest, she knew that it would become something the fire department would love.

Now Mason Sturms travels with crews on call, hangs out in the dispatch, and does just about every other job around the department.

"At the end of the day, we all want to make it home safe and just having this little guy ride around with us and watching over us, he's like a little angel," said Sarah Cooksey of TFD. "It's inspiring and humbling. It's a great way to remind the community that we're human and that we really do care about the families in the area."

The Sturms family has also started a foundation to help sick and less fortunate children.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Police Department is crediting an alert citizen for their being able to make a quick arrest on a Tennessee man seen pulling on car door handles.

Grayson Lee Guilliams, 23, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was arrested by TPD officers Sunday morning, according to a TPD Facebook post.

The "alert citizen" said Guiliams was pulling on door handles on Claude Pichard Drive.

Officers found Guilliams on Frederick Drive with a handful of stolen electronic items and a .22-caliber handgun.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 00:27:40|Editor: Lu Hui

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Villagers perform a lantern dance to celebrate China's first Farmers' Harvest Festival in Majiazhai Village of Shuiwei Township in Cengong County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Sept. 23, 2018. People across China hold various activities to celebrate the country's first Farmers' Harvest Festival, which falls on Sept. 23 this year. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China celebrated its first ever national harvest festival across the country on Sunday, also the day of the Autumnal Equinox.

Autumnal Equinox is one of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunar calendar and usually falls between Sept. 22 and 24, during the country's harvest season. It was designated a special day for farmers to celebrate the harvest earlier this year.

In Xiaogang Village, Fengyang County in east China's Anhui Province, people gathered to examine the quality of a variety of rice on the eve of the festival.

Only 40 years ago, local villagers could barely feed themselves before they boldly pioneered reforms that were later promoted nationwide, mainly a household-responsibility system that links remuneration to output.

This year, China's agricultural conglomerate Beidahuang Group based in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province set up a modern rice plantation in Xiaogang Village.

"We will develop a one-stop supply and marketing mechanism with Xiaogang as a brand of modern agriculture," said Li Jinzhu, first secretary of Xiaogang Village Party committee.

Farmers across China celebrate the harvest festival with activities ranging from skill contests, products exhibitions to parties and carnivals.

In Deqing County of east China's Zhejiang Province, 11 teams of farmers participated in a series of farming skill competitions.

In Hulin, a small city in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, farmers attended a grand outdoor party to celebrate the festival. They sang, danced and joined games such as tug of war in the urban square.

"I am glad to see that a festival is specifically designated for the farmers. That means farmers now enjoy a higher status in China," said Zhao Guihai, a resident in the city.

In Kuche County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, more than 20,000 people gathered at a bonfire party on Friday night in the county square.

The county also held a fair for agricultural products, picking out "the biggest cantaloupe", "the biggest walnut", and "the biggest Chinese date", all freshly harvested products famous in Xinjiang.

For some people, the harvest festival is a time for reflecting upon the past and looking forward to the future.

Dai Geniu, a 94-year-old living in the city of Xinzheng in central China's Henan Province, has been a farmer for her whole life in the major crop-producing province. She has experienced wars, floods, and famines.

"Harvest is the happiest time of a year, even better than the Spring Festival, because food gives people a sense of security and hope," Dai said.

Wu Daowen, a farmer in southwest China's Guizhou Province, will reap a bumper harvest of kiwi fruits for the first time in three years. Wu started growing kiwi fruits in 2016, and then expanded the scale to about 1.33 hectares after he improved the planting techniques.

"I expect to have a yield of 1,750 kg of kiwi this year, and with the price of 12 yuan per kilo, I can make at least 20,000 yuan (about 2,900 U.S. dollars)," Wu said.

"Now as the kiwi fruit is very popular on the market, we don't have to worry about selling it," Wu said, "I estimate we'll reap 5,000 kg next year and there will be more bumper years to come."Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 01:12:48|Editor: yan

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DUBAI, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash on Sunday rejected accusations by Iran that the U.S. Gulf allies were responsible for the attack in the Islamic republic on Saturday.

"The official incitement against the UAE by Iranian officials is regrettable ... it is clear that Tehran's accusations are unfounded," said Gargash on his Twitter account.

On Saturday morning, four armed men attacked a military parade marking the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980-1988 in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz.

The attack killed at least 29 people, including two of the militants.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the United States and its regional allies were responsible for the attack.

Ahvaz National Resistance, an Iranian ethnic Arab opposition movement, and the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 01:22:51|Editor: yan

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NAIROBI, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The UN refugee agency on Sunday urged Kenya to adopt a policy of inclusion rather that use of camps in refugee protection.

Raouf Mazou, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Kenya, told Xinhua in Nairobi that restriction of refugees inside camps means that donors' funds can only be used for the refugees.

"What we have seen as a result of studies conducted by the World Bank and other organizations is that it is much better for the economy if Kenya embraces an inclusive policy for refugees," Mazou said during the Step for Safety walk, which is an initiative of UNHCR's LuQuLuQu campaign.

The campaign calls on individuals, families, colleagues to walk in solidarity for the over 24 million people who have been forced to flee their homes across Africa.

Mazou said the policy of using camps could lead to resentment by the host population who perceive that refugees are receiving more assistance than them.

He said the international comprehensive refugee response framework was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2016 and urges all member states to implement a new approach to refugee protection and assistance including the policy of inclusion.

While the majority of refugees in Kenya live in the Dadaab and Kakuma camps, approximately 50,000 reside in the cities, Mazou said.

The UN official said there are currently 470,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya, with over 50 percent of them from Somalia.

He noted that the overall number of refugees hosted in Kenya has been on the decline due to the voluntary repatriation of Somali refugees to their home of origin.

"However, the country is still receiving refugees mostly from South Sudan on a daily basis," he said.

Mazou said total funding to the refugees in Kenya from UN agencies and other partners is estimated at between 200 million to 300 million U.S. dollars annually.A ship passes by oil facilities on the Kharg Island in the Gulf, southern Iran, on Feb. 23, 2016. Kharg Island provides a sea port for the export of oil and extends Iranian territorial sea claims into the Gulf oil fields. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

TEHRAN, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Ministry of Petroleum confirmed on Sunday that South Korea has halted oil imports from the Islamic republic.

"It it for three successive months that South Korea has not imported oil from Iran," public relations of the ministry announced.

"South Korea was the first country to halt Iran's oil imports following the U.S. sanction threats against the country," Kasra Nouri, the public relation manager of the ministry, was quoted as saying by SHANA news agency.

Prior to the U.S. sanctions threat, Seoul imported 180,000 barrels per day of Iran's crude oil, according to the report.

Despite global outcry, the White House re-imposed sanctions on Iran last month which had been lifted under the Iran nuclear deal.

The first batch of sanctions targeted Tehran's purchase of U.S. banknotes, trade in gold and other precious metals, as well as the use of graphite, aluminum, steel, coal, and software used in industrial processes.

Another round of sanctions, to be reinstalled on Nov. 5, will be on Iran's port, energy, shipping and shipbuilding sectors, petroleum-related transactions, and business deals by foreign financial institutions with the Central Bank of Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out the United States from the 2015 international Iranian nuclear deal in May.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 01:37:54|Editor: yan

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HOUSTON, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Oil prices recorded a weekly gain at the end of Friday. The prices for both benchmarks increased due to decline in the U.S. crude inventories and some reports signaling huge declines in the Iranian crude oil exports.

The price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent for November delivery increased by 2.6 and 0.9 percent, respectively, during the week ending Sept. 21. And WTI and Brent settled at 70.78 and 78.80 U.S. dollars, respectively, on Friday.

On Tuesday, WTI and Brent prices rallied due to reports indicating huge declines in the Iranian crude oil exports. The sanctions targeting Iran by the United States will take effect on Nov. 4, but it has caused supply concerns.

Matthew Smith, director of commodity research at ClipperData in Houston, U.S. state of Texas, told Xinhua that "there is a major drop in Iranian exports which should be reflected in lower output from the Persian state."

On Tuesday, WTI increased by 1.47 percent and settled at 69.59 dollars a barrel, while Brent crude increased by 1.46 percent and settled at 79.03 dollars a barrel.

On Wednesday, the major benchmarks continued their upward movement as EIA reported significant draws in both crude oil and gasoline inventories during the week ending Sept. 14, which supported the bullish sentiment that was driven by the supply concerns due to lower Iranian oil exports.

EIA reported a draw of 2.06 million barrels in commercial crude oil inventories, close to the market's expectation of a draw of 2.7 million barrels.

U.S. import of crude oil increased by 433,000 barrels from the previous week's levels to 8.02 million barrels per day. Crude oil exports also increased by 539,000 barrels per day from the previous week's levels to 2.37 million barrels per day.

According to EIA, the weekly estimate of U.S. oil production remained unchanged at 11 million barrels per day.

Meanwhile, EIA reported a build of 839,000 barrels in distillates inventory, much smaller than the market' s expectation of build of 1.8 million barrels. It also reported a draw of 1.76 million barrels in total gasoline inventories, much larger than the market's expectation of draw of 100,000 barrels.

During the week ending Sept. 14, the crude oil input to refineries in the United States decreased by 442,000 barrels per day to 17.42 million barrels per day. The decline is seasonal as some major refineries start their maintenance projects after the high demand season.

Normally, the crude oil inventories start building up during the maintenance season as the utilization rate of the refineries decline and the inventories of the oil products come down due to the temporary decline in the supply of the oil products.

Analysts attributed the decline in the crude oil inventories to the increase in the crude oil exports. Analysts consider the sustainability of the U.S. crude oil exports as a crucial factor for the oil prices.

After the EIA's weekly petroleum status report, WTI and Brent contracts prices moved upward and settled 2.02 percent and 0.68 percent higher, respectively, on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the prices for both major oil benchmarks took a dive as the U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted about the high oil prices, in which he urged "the OPEC monopoly must get prices down now!"

According to analysts, the nature of the policy decisions in the United States, the OPEC and Russia are quite different from each other.

Anna Mikulska, a non-resident fellow at the Center for Energy Studies, Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy based in Houston, told Xinhua that "U.S. production depends on decision of multitude of oil companies and responds to market conditions rather than government direction. This distinguished U.S. oil production from that of Russia and Saudi Arabia, where state-owned companies serve state goals and where production levels are decided on the basis of policy rather than strict market profitability."

She said, "In addition to being also guided by motivations other than profits, policy response is never as fast as market response. Now the Trump Administration is urging Saudi Arabia and Russia to keep oil output high as the U.S. is set to renew sanctions on Iran."

However, some analysts believe the looming sanctions against Iran would lead to higher prices of crude oil in the future.

Anas Alhajji, an energy economist based in Dallas, Texas, told Xinhua that "Trump Tweet asking OPEC for more oil before the November elections misses an important point: Lower prices now means higher and uncontrollable prices before the 2020 elections."

He explained that "lower prices now mean lower investment in E&P (Exploration & Production) and consequently lower supply later."

On Thursday, WTI and Brent contracts prices settled 0.93 percent and 0.79 percent lower, respectively.

On Friday, Baker Hughes reported that the number of active drilling oil and gas rigs in the United States decreased by 2 to 1053. The oil rigs in the country declined by 1 to 866.

The pipeline bottlenecks are causing big price differential between Midland and WTI. Analysts see those pipeline bottlenecks as a big threat against production growth of the Permian Basin, locate in the region of western Texas and southeastern New Mexico.

Baker Hughes also reported the number of active drilling oil and gas rigs in Canada decreased by 29, but still 13 higher than the same period last year. Oil rigs declined by 13 and gas rigs declined by 16 in the country,

Analysts attributed the major decline in the Canadian gas rig count to the very low gas prices on the Canadian natural gas spot market. The natural gas producers preferred curtailing their production rather than increasing in the current depressed market.

Moreover, U.S. Dollar Index maintained around 94 during the week, down from its peak level of 97 last month. U.S. Dollar Index is a measure of the value of the U.S. dollar relative to a basket of foreign currencies. Oil is mostly traded in dollars all over the world and a stronger dollar pressures the oil demand.

On Friday, WTI and Brent contracts prices settled 0.83 percent and 0.13 percent higher, respectively.

The price differential between WTI and Brent contracts narrowed down this week. The differential was 8.02 dollars at the end of the week.

As the U.S. oil exports increase, the differentials between the two major benchmarks come down. The higher differentials give more arbitrage opportunities for traders to pursue. As a result, more U.S. crude oil would be shipped to Asian market.

The oil market has been concerned with the ongoing trade dispute as it might slow down the economic growth across the world, especially in the case of China. The oil demand growth in China has been the main driver for the increasing world oil demand.

However, the market is right now focusing on the OPEC meeting on Sunday in Algiers, the capital city of Algeria.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 06:08:38|Editor: Li Xia

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DAMASCUS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-led coalition air strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria has killed thousands of civilians since they entered the course of Syrian war four years ago, a war monitor reported on Sunday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll of civilians is part of a total of 12,000 rebels and ultra-radical militants killed by the U.S.-led strikes.

The UK-based watchdog group said the overall death toll also includes 169 soldiers with the Syrian army and allied forces. They were killed by the U.S.-led attacks on Syrian military positions.

The U.S.-led coalition has been recently backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in their push to defeat IS in the last remaining pocket in the eastern countryside of the oil-rich province of Deir al-Zour.

The Syrian government, citing the death toll of civilians throughout the last four years, has repeatedly urged the UN to push for the withdrawal of the coalition from Syria.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 06:53:45|Editor: yan

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MEXICO CITY, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's main priority must be combating insecurity in its main tourism destinations in order to avoid a reduction in the number of visitors, the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (Concanaco Servytur) said Sunday.

In a news release, the organization's president Jose Manuel Lopez, said that it is of utmost urgency that tourist destinations be kept as "authentic sanctuaries and examples of social peace."

"Tourism is one of the most susceptible to insecurity, because the flow of visitors depends in great part on the reputation of the destination based on an international level of excellent service and competitive prices," Lopez said.

He also said that Mexico's tourism sector meets its commitment of offering the very best to visitors both national and foreign, although he acknowledged the need of a favorable context to achieve its objectives.

Lopez recommended that the incoming government maintain a commitment to tourism, with a proper level in the budget to promote Mexico on an international level and avoid using those funds for other programs.

President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has mentioned he could use funds earmarked for promoting tourism for his ambitious rail project known as the Maya Train.

The project is meant to promote the country's southeastern area by connecting the Mexican states of Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo as well as Tabasco and Chiapas and potentially bringing three million tourists to the region.

In 2017, Mexico moved to sixth place in countries most visited in the world in a listing by the World Tourism Organization. It had previously been number eight.

However, Mexico also experienced a wave of violence in 2017 when it saw a record 31,174 murders, according to official data.

This insecurity has led some countries, including Germany, the United States and Netherlands, to issues warnings to tourists who may be planning to visit Mexico.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 07:03:50|Editor: Chengcheng

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RABAT, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Vita Club of Congo dumped debutant RS Berkane of Morocco out of CAF Confederation Cup, forcing a 1-1 second-leg draw on Sunday night in Casablanca to win 4-2 on aggregate.

Vita Club advanced to the African competition semifinals thanks to their 3-1 win in the first-leg match at the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa, DR Congo.

At the Stade Municipal de Berkane in Morocco, the Moroccan team had brilliant start, taking the lead at the 6th minute through a header from striker Alain Traore.

Berkane continued their pressure, but they failed to convert several clear attempts into goals.

As the Moroccan team put all the pressure on the Congolese side, Ngoma delivered the killer blow equalizing for Vita through an impressive counter attack in the 87th minute.

Berkane enjoyed a historical season in Africa after topping their group, but Vita side's massive experience in CAF inter club competitions made the difference in their encounter.

Vita Club reached the semifinals of the 1976 CAF Cup Winners' Cup and 1996 CAF Cup.

Vita Club will face Egyptian club Al Masry in the semifinals.

Masry reach the semis following a 2-0 aggregate win against Algerian side of USM d'Alger.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 07:08:50|Editor: Li Xia

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and the European Union on Sunday pledged to strengthen cooperation and jointly advance multilateralism.

"At a time of unprecedented and pressing global challenges, the United Nations and the European Union continue to engage together as positive forces for change to promote and renew full commitment to multilateralism and a rules-based global order, in line with their respective mandates, and to work closely for stability and prosperity to promote a safer and better world for all," said the two organizations in a joint press statement.

Strengthened cooperation between the two sides will continue in promoting development, addressing global challenges, preventing conflict and safeguarding peace and security, said the statement, which was released after a meeting of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU's foreign and security policy chief Federica Mogherini at UN Headquarters in New York on the margins of this year's UN General Assembly high-level week.

They committed themselves to the implementation of UN reform. The European Union is committed to strengthening and further promoting the multilateral system, with a reformed UN at its core, said the statement.

Partnerships with regional organizations are central to the United Nations' preventive action, and the EU is an indispensable partner of the United Nations, contributing to regional and global peace and security, as well as to sustainable development and human rights, it said.

The leaders further reiterated their determination to seek innovative and forward-looking solutions to global challenges which require collective action, drawing on all parts of society to maintain the global efforts to tackle climate change, and mobilizing private sector investments for sustainable development, with women and youth at the center of all action, said the statement.

Together, the United Nations and the EU will continue to reinforce efforts to prevent conflict. Not least, the two sides will also continue to leverage their respective strengths to support the implementation of the landmark 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its ambitious goals, it said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 07:18:52|Editor: Li Xia

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SAO PAULO, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro said Sunday he would eliminate and privatize a large part of the public businesses and would reduce the number of ministers as part of his economic program if elected on Oct. 7.

"These are unnecessary expenses that must be taken care of by the people," Bolsonaro said.

The far-right Social Liberal Party (PSL) candidate, made the comments on his Twitter account from his hospital bed at Albert Einstein Hospital, where he has been recovering from a knife wound he suffered on Sept. 6 during a campaign rally in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.

On Sunday, Bolsonaro met with his economic strategist Paulo Guedes, who earlier this week, announced that he intended to reimplement a tax on financial transactions and increase the taxes on the income of those who make the least.

According to polling firm Datafolha, Bolsonaro currently has support of 28 percent of voters.

His main rival is the Workers' Party (PT) candidate Fernando Haddad, who had been the running mate for popular ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva until Lula was barred from seeking re-election.

For his part, Haddad, who was making a campaign stop in the northeastern state of Bahia, said he wants to unite Brazil, and called on the other candidates to put an end to personal attacks in the homestretch of the elections.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 07:23:53|Editor: xuxin

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People enjoy the Manhattan view during the boat cruise on the eve of Mid-Autumn Festival in New York, the Unite States, Sept. 23, 2018. More than 20 Chinese communities in New York co-hosted a boat tour around Manhattan on Sunday to celebrate the up-coming Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. (Xinhua/Han Fang)

NEW YORK, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- More than 20 Chinese communities in New York co-hosted a boat tour around Manhattan on Sunday to celebrate the up-coming Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

Starting from 6:30 p.m., the three-hour cruise took in various iconic sights in New York City, including the Statues of Liberty, Ellis Island, Brooklyn Bridge and the inspiring view of Manhattan's skyline.

During the tour, attendees tasted Chinese moon cakes while appreciating the moon. The festivity also featured an art show with musicians performing traditional Chinese melodies such as "Colorful clouds chasing the moon" and "Song of the phoenix."

"We hope to provide a platform for overseas Chinese to reunion since it is the tradition for our Chinese people to enjoy family reunion during Mid-Autumn Festival," Frank Zhang, chairman of Henan Chinese Associates USA and co-organizer of the event, told Xinhua.

It is the 4th consecutive year for Chinese communities in New York to host such an event to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, or Sept. 24 this year, according to the organizer.

More than 600 people from various Chinese communities attended the celebration.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 07:28:54|Editor: Li Xia

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HAVANA, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel called on to speed up the production of construction materials to solve the housing deficit in the Caribbean country.

During a meeting with his Cabinet, Diaz-Canel stressed the relevance of the construction materials, not only for housing but also for the investments related to the development of the country, as reported by the official daily Juventud Rebelde on Sunday.

It is essential to achieve adequate standards of the cement and aggregates industry, said the president to his ministers and insisted in the quality of the new dwellings to be built.

He also stressed the need to include permanent maintenance and repair plans in the construction schedules, to preserve the existing housing in the country.

As to erecting new neighborhoods and communities, the Cuban president insisted on reconciling all the ideas with the state plan, in order to foresee in which places is not convenient to build human settlements.

In the last decades, the weather events have forced the Cuban government to move entire towns away from the coastline and rivers.

As reported by the National Housing Institute, Cuba suffers a housing shortage of about 800,000 homes, which is considered the worst social problem in the island, forcing two or three generations to inhabit under the same roof.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 09:24:10|Editor: Li Xia

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MANILA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in the two major landslides that struck the Philippines last week has climbed to 95, authorities said.

As of Sunday night, officials said a total of 49 bodies have been pulled out of the rubble in the mining town of Itogon, Benguet province in the northern Philippines, while a total of 46 bodies have so far been retrieved from the landslide that also hit a community at the foot of a quarrying site in Naga City in the central Philippine Cebu province.

In Itogon, disaster officials said at least 19 others are still missing after mud and boulders crashed on a bunkhouse where dozens of small-scale miners and their families sought refuge as super typhoon Mangkhut barreled the Philippine main Luzon Island on Sept. 15.

Rescuers are continuing their retrieval efforts to locate 40 others still missing in the Naga City landslide that buried some 30 houses around 6 a.m. last Thursday.

Disaster officials counted nearly 200 deaths in typhoon Mangkhut and the twin landslides that struck the Philippines last week.

Nearly 1.6 million farmers and fisherfolks were affected by Mangkhut, the strongest typhoon to hit not only the Philippines but the region this year.

Data showed that 80 to 90 percent rice and corn crops were destroyed in the affected area, not only jeopardizing food supplies, but also devastating poor farmers who were counting on their upcoming harvest.

Other livelihoods such as mining are also severely impacted in the typhoon's aftermath.

Indeed, the Philippines is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world.

Annually, an average of 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippines each year of which around six to seven cause significant damage.

In 2013, super typhoon Haiyan devastated the central Philippines, killing more than 6,000 people. In 2009, typhoon Ketsana also caused massive flooding in Metro Manila, killing more than 700.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 09:39:12|Editor: Li Xia

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Sunday that multilateralism has to have a chance as it is the "avenue for the future."

"Multilateralism has to have a chance. It is difficult, but that's the avenue for the future," said Juncker in a press encounter together with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"We are here to say that the multilateral approach is not dead. It has to be maintained. It is the only chance we have to shape the future of the globe in a way that is acceptable for all the stakeholders," Juncker said.

"We don't like the unilateral approach," said Juncker, who is in New York for this week's high-level session of the UN General Assembly.

Some of the UN member states are promoting unilateralism, said Juncker, without naming the United States.

He reiterated the European Union (EU)'s support for the United Nations, which he said is the cornerstone of multilateralism.

In less than two years' time, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement on climate change, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the UN Human Rights Council. It has also stopped funding a UN agency that supports the livelihood of more than 5 million Palestinian refugees.

At the press encounter, Guterres said the EU is an exemplary partner of the United Nations.

"We share the same concerns, in favor of multilateralism, and in favor of a rules-based international order," Guterres said.

The United Nations and the EU are working together in many scenarios around the world -- most of all, for peace and security, for sustainable development, for the promotion and protection of human rights, said Guterres.

"We have the same concern about climate change, and the fact that climate change is running faster than we are and the need to have climate action is an absolutely essential global priority," he said.

Guterres thanked the EU for its support, both to the reform of the world body, to many of its operations around the world -- in the humanitarian and development areas, but also from the peace and security perspective.

Guterres, Juncker and EU's foreign and security policy chief Federica Mogherini got together on Sunday on the margins of the UN General Assembly's high-level session.A passenger enters the West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong, south China, Sept. 23, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

HONG KONG, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- "It's so fast!" said Hong Kong resident Leung Shing, as high-speed train G5736 pulled into the Shenzhen North Railway Station in Guangdong Province on the Chinese mainland Sunday morning.

High-speed train G5736, named Vibrant Express, departed from the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, terminus to the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, at 7 a.m. local time Sunday when the whole line of the rail link officially started operation.

Some 500 passengers, including those from media, came to the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station to take the first train. The carriage is quite spacious and the seats can be adjusted to face front or back.

In less than 20 minutes, the bullet train arrived at Shenzhen North Railway Station. Leung, who could not wait for his next ride, told the reporters that he was so excited for this historic moment that Hong Kong became part of China's high-speed rail network.

Seventy-year-old Leung woke up in the wee hours on Sunday and hurried to the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station to do the check-in.

The West Kowloon Station was open at 5 a.m., one hour earlier than usual, to welcome the first batch of passengers. Customs counters started to serve at 6:15 a.m., 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

The station was swarmed with people after opening. Passengers rushed to get their tickets, with some of them seizing this precious opportunity to take pictures before boarding the train.

Passengers pose for photos with the train at West Kowloon Station in Hong Kong, south China, Sept. 23, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Over 230,000 tickets have been sold thus far, according to Frank Chan, secretary for transport and housing of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government on Saturday.

The service of the Hong Kong section high-speed rail follows the same real-name ticketing system as on the mainland. With their tickets and personal identity document ready, passengers passed through the identity check at the ticketing concourse on level B1, followed by security check.

Passengers then went to the departure concourse on Level B3 to complete both the Hong Kong and mainland clearance procedures in one go.

Station assistants in navy blue uniforms were around to offer help when passengers had problems in doing ID checks or were not sure what to do next.

Sunny Tsui and her family were among the first batch of passengers on the debut ride. "I hope that my child can learn more about the development of the motherland," Tsui said.

On level B4, high-speed train Vibrant Express, a silvery train with white and red waves on both sides of each carriage, was at the platform waiting for passengers.

Mainland resident Jiang Zhihao was a big fan of high-speed train. To join this special journey, he flew all the way from from Shanghai to Shenzhen on Saturday evening, then entered the Hong Kong SAR through the land boundary control point.

"Besides of riding on the Vibrant Express, I also want to experience the convenience of co-location arrangement," said Jiang, who arrived the West Kowloon Station at around 4 a.m. local time.

Co-location arrangement has been applied at West Kowloon Station to speed up cross-border passengers' journey. Both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland port areas have been set up at the station.

A passenger poses for photos after G5736 arrived at Shenzhen North Railway Station in Shenzhen City, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 23, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

The 141-km Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link includes 115 km on the mainland and 26 km in the Hong Kong SAR.

Being a key part of China's high-speed rail network, it will offer direct rail services between Hong Kong and 44 destinations on the mainland, among which 38 to be long-haul, including Beijing and Shanghai.

"The ride is so smooth," said Jiang, who was looking forward to his next high-speed railway journey.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 12:04:31|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Information Office of the State Council will release a white paper on the facts and China's position on China-U.S. trade friction on Monday.

Related:Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 13:09:43|Editor: Li Xia

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank, the United Nations and partners on Sunday launched the Famine Action Mechanism (FAM), the first global initiative dedicated to preventing famine.

The mechanism, with the support of global technology companies, including Microsoft, Google and Amazon Web Services, seeks to change the status quo of delayed response and to move toward famine prevention, preparedness and early action, said the the organizations in a joint press release.

The initiative will use the predictive power of data to trigger funding through appropriate financing instruments, working closely with existing systems, they said.

Such a proactive approach can save millions of lives and reduce international humanitarian costs by as much as 30 percent, said the two organizations.

Famine is a fundamental moral issue, said World Bank President Jim Yong Kim at the launch event at UN Headquarters in New York. "The fact that tens of millions of people risk starving to death is a tragedy. And in the 21st century, the fact that we haven't ended famine is a collective failure of shameful proportions."

"Today we are taking a historic step to address these challenges and deliver our commitment to end the vicious cycle of panic and neglect when it comes to famine," he said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said FAM is an important new tool to help predict and prevent famine.

"FAM will give a more accurate picture of food security in real time, triggering early action from donors and humanitarian agencies that will save lives and prevent further suffering," he told the same forum.

With the cooperation of humanitarian development organizations, tech companies, academia, the insurance sector and others, this initiative is a successful multi-stakeholder partnership, he said.

The mechanism will use state-of-the-art technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to detect correlations between different risks, he noted.

During the spring meetings between the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2017, Kim and Guterres committed themselves to zero tolerance for famine. As a follow-up, the World Bank, the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other global partners began to develop FAM.

In 2017, more than 20 million people across northeastern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen faced famine or famine-like conditions. These conditions continue in many parts of the world today, derailing hard-won development gains in chronically poor countries, according to the press release.

Today, 124 million people live in crisis levels of food insecurity, requiring urgent humanitarian assistance for their survival. Over half of them live in areas affected by conflict, it said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 13:29:48|Editor: Liangyu

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PARAMARIBO, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China and Suriname agreed to deepen pragmatic cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during a meeting between Surinamese Vice President Ashwin Adhin and visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday.

Surinamese Foreign Minister Yldiz Pollack-Beighle and other government ministers attended the meeting. The two sides exchanged views on issues of common concern.

China attaches importance to the development of ties with Suriname, Wang said during the talks, calling on both sides to deepen pragmatic cooperation on the basis of consolidated mutual political trust in order to achieve a win-win situation.

He said China appreciates Suriname's support for and participation in the building of the Belt and Road.

The two sides reached an agreement on BRI cooperation in May this year, which Wang said will bring broader prospects and new opportunities for bilateral cooperation as well as more benefits to the people of Suriname.

Wang called on both sides to step up alignment of their strategies and deepen cooperation in the fields of trade, agriculture, energy, infrastructure and tourism.

He also called for increased people-to-people and cultural exchanges, including jointly building a Confucius Institute at the University of Suriname.

China is willing to continue cooperation on human resources development in order to train more talents needed in Suriname's economic and social development, Wang said, noting that China appreciates Suriname's help with its hunt for fugitives and illicit money, and is willing to strengthen anti-corruption cooperation.

Wang also praised the 42-year-old China-Suriname relations based on mutual respect, trust and support as a model for South-South cooperation and exchanges between countries of different sizes and cultures.

He said China appreciates the Surinamese government's adherence to the one-China policy and respect for China's core interests, adding that China will continue to support Suriname's efforts to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests in international affairs.

Wang also noted that China and Suriname, both as developing countries, should join hands to safeguard multilateralism and international trade rules, as well as the common interests of the two countries and of the developing countries.

China has been working to deepen ties with the Caribbean countries, and it hopes that Suriname will continue to push China's cooperation with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in efforts to building a community of a shared future for mankind, said Wang.

Adhin said Wang's visit to Suriname will help further the friendly relations and pragmatic cooperation between their two countries.

Adhin praised the Suriname-China relations as a partnership enjoying mutual trust and equality, noting Suriname has consistently adhered to the one-China policy.

Adhin and Surinamese ministers attending the talks regard China as the most important partner in Suriname's development, saying bilateral cooperation provides opportunities and helps promote the growth in various areas.

They reaffirmed Suriname's commitment to building the Belt and Road, and expressed the hope to expand cooperation in a range of fields including agriculture, energy, infrastructure, investment, technology, culture, tourism, human resources and healthcare.

They said Suriname attaches great importance to China's role in the world's political and economic affairs, and is willing to closely communicate and coordinate with China to jointly promote global peace and development and achieve a fairer and more reasonable international order.

Wang arrived here Saturday night for a two-day official visit. He is on a three-nation tour through Sunday to Latin America, which has taken him to the Dominican Republic and Guyana.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 13:34:50|Editor: Li Xia

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KABUL, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan Public Health Ministry launched a five-day campaign on Monday to give immunity vaccination dose to 6.4 million children under the age of five in 27 of the country's 34 provinces, the ministry said in a statement.

"Polio vaccination teams will visit 6.4 million children under the age of five in 27 high-risk provinces, mainly in Kandahar and Nangarhar. This follows several new cases in both regions," the statement read.

The drive was launched as a fresh polio case was detected in Afghanistan earlier this month, bringing to 14 the number of confirmed cases of polio virus since January this year, according to the statement.

"Polio is a crippling and a potentially fatal infectious disease. There is no cure and the polio vaccine is the only safe and effective way to protect children." It added.

In early August, the ministry with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), launched a nationwide campaign targeting 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| 2018-09-24 14:09:57|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said Monday it resolutely supports the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's ban on the so-called "Hong Kong National Party."

The HKSAR government has announced an order in its Gazette to prohibit the operation of the "Hong Kong National Party." A spokesperson of the office said it is an unregistered and illegal group as well as a "Hong Kong independence" organization.

The HKSAR government's decision to bar the group from operating according to relevant laws and legal procedures is an action that should be taken to maintain national security and the rule of law in Hong Kong, and is absolutely necessary, the spokesperson said. "We resolutely support the decision."

The central government firmly supports the HKSAR in punishing any acts that jeopardize national security in accordance with the law and has zero tolerance for any organizations preaching "Hong Kong independence" or engaging in activities of splitting the country, said the spokesperson.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 14:14:58|Editor: Chengcheng

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CANBERRA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Australia's space agency has the capability to help establish a human base on the Moon, according to the nation's peak scientific body.

In its industry roadmap for the space exploration sector released on Monday, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) said that Australia's domestic space industry could be worth 12 billion Australian dollars (8.7 billion U.S. dollars) by 2030.

"Our space roadmap charts a course for economic growth using space, and champions a new era of space exploration to inspire our children with the power of science to make the 'impossible' possible," CSIRO chief executive Larry Marshall said in a media release.

"Our existing space industry is built on a foundation of trust earned 50 years ago when we enabled the world to see mankind touch the Moon.

"That kind of inspiration is a key ingredient in supercharging growth in new industries, new jobs, new science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) talent and developing a dynamic nation where the sky is no longer the limit."

The report, "Space: A Roadmap for unlocking future growth opportunities for Australia," found that Australia's "unique strengths and geographic advantages" would "increase Australia's share of the international space sector."

It said that "Australian space sector support for the lunar challenge would be an opportunity to grow our existing relationships with global partners, including international space agencies."

The CSIRO identified three key opportunities for developing the domestic space industry such as building capabilities to observe Earth from space, working with international agencies to track objects in space and supporting space exploration.

"CSIRO's unique position creates a bridge between research and industry to deliver breakthrough innovation to Australian SMEs and start-ups across the space value chain," Marshall said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 14:55:05|Editor: Li Xia

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TRIPOLI, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Sunday said it is preparing a list of international humanitarian law violators over the violence in the capital Tripoli that killed and injured many people.

"UN reiterates that it's preparing a list of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violators to submit to UNSC for sanctions and prosecution, as it did against Ibrahim Jadhran," the Mission said in a statement late on Sunday.

The Mission also urged the families of the victims of the clashes in the city to refrain from acts of revenge.

Violent clashes continued in southern Tripoli between forces allied with the UN-backed government and the "7th Brigade" militia from the city of Tarhuna, some 80 km southeast of Tripoli.

The fighting, which started late August, killed and injured hundreds of people, mostly civilians, and forced many families to flee their homes.

Earlier in September, the UN Support Mission in Libya brokered a cease-fire agreement between the warring parties. However, the agreement was breached and violence has continued.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also expressed concern over continued violation of the UN-brokered cease-fire agreement in Tripoli.

He called on the warring parties to "respect the cease-fire and refrain from any actions that would increase the suffering of the civilian population."

The Libyan government on Friday called on the international community and the UN to "take more firm and effective practical actions to stop the war and protect civilians."

Libya has been suffering insecurity and escalating violence since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 15:15:07|Editor: xuxin

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MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Two security personnel lost their lives and five others sustained injuries as a roadside bomb struck a police van in Shortepa district of the northern Balkh province on Sunday, spokesman for provincial government Munir Ahmad Farhad said on Monday.

Speaking from provincial capital Mazar-e-Sharif, the official said that the deadly incident occurred in Toqi village Sunday afternoon, killing two police on the spot and injuring three others.

The rate of government forces casualties has gone up in recent months. Afghan Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami told Afghan Mushrano Jirga, or upper house of parliament, on Sunday that 30 security personnel lose their lives on average every day in fighting against militants.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 15:20:08|Editor: xuxin

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KATHMANDU, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Nepal has been able to almost double the number of wild tigers within a decade, according to the tiger census report released by the government on Sunday.

The report released on the occasion of National Conservation Day states that the number of tigers across the country have reached 235. The tiger census of 2009 had put the number of wild cats at 121, which has been nearly doubled in a decade. There were 198 tigers in the country according to the last survey in 2013.

The latest growth has raised hopes for the Himalayan country to meet the international target of doubling the population of tigers by 2022 as per the global commitment.

Regarding the doubling of tiger population as a huge achievement in the field of conservation, Nepali Forest and Environment Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet told local media that Nepal can easily meet the global commitment with this growth rate.

During the St Petersburg Tiger Summit in 2010, Nepal agreed in the ambitious target to double the wild tiger population by 2022.

According to a statement issued by World Wide Fund (WWF) Nepal on Sunday, Nepal is the first country to achieve global standards in managing tiger conservation areas, an accreditation scheme governed by the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards.

"Every tiger counts for Nepal and for the world. While Nepal is a few tigers away from the goal to double tiger numbers by 2022, it also underscores the continued need to ensure protection, and improved and contiguous habitats for the long-term survival of the species," Dr. Ghana Gurung, WWF Nepal Country Representative, was quoted in the statement.

The latest national tiger survey was held from November 2017 to April this year in the trans-boundary Terai Arc Landscape with the help of camera traps and surveys.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 15:35:10|Editor: xuxin

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ISTANBUL, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police on Monday detained at least 21 suspects, over their alleged links to a network accused of masterminding a failed coup in 2016, local media reported.

Police launched simultaneous operations against the suspects in 54 locations across Istanbul, the Hurriyet daily said.

The majority of the detainees were former teachers who worked either for the schools run by the network or educational institutions of the state, according to the daily.

Ankara blames Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Turkish cleric and his network of directing the July 2016 putsch, in which 250 people were killed.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 16:05:17|Editor: Liangyu

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by Xinhua writer Pei Jianrong

SANTO DOMINGO, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- With the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the Dominican Republic, a new chapter of friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation has began, Chinese Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Zhang Run said.

Zhang made the remarks following the inauguration of the Chinese embassy in the Dominican Republic on Friday, which was also attended by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Dominican Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas.

Thanks to the joint efforts of both countries, relations between China and the Dominican Republic are off to a good start, the Chinese ambassador said.

The Dominican president has set up a special office to coordinate the affairs related to the exchanges and cooperation with China, Zhang said.

Zhang also said that relevant government agencies from both countries are in close contact in order to explore the signing of cooperation agreements and to establish mechanisms of cooperation.

The Chinese ambassador, who arrived in the Dominican Republic on Aug. 19, said the Dominican government recognizes and adheres to the one-China principle, and the development of friendly cooperation with China constitutes a unanimous consensus of the diverse social sectors in the Dominican Republic, which will not be affected by other factors or outside forces.

The Chinese ambassador said the Dominican government has shown great enthusiasm to be part of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, with the establishment of diplomatic ties as a starting point.

Both countries have broad perspectives on cooperation in areas such as electricity, highways, ports, information technology and urban construction, he added.

"The two countries can study new cooperation models within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative," Zhang said.

The Chinese ambassador proposed that both sides look at the possibility of opening direct airline routes, constructing a main digital route as a means to introduce advanced Chinese technology that would strengthen the Dominican program Digital Republic, and building a main cultural route by strengthening cultural and human exchanges.

"The most important thing is constructing an ample main route in the heart of the two, in order to build a bridge between the two countries. With the more frequent exchanges between the two nations, more windows will open that will boost mutual understanding," Zhang said.

In terms of China International Import Expo to be held in Shanghai in November, the ambassador said the Dominican government places great importance on the event and will send a high-ranking delegation.

"I hope the Dominican delegation will be able to increase its understanding about the Chinese marketplace and find more opportunities for the introduction of Dominican products in China," Zhang said.

"We believe that the development of relations between China and the Dominican Republic will deepen even more with the bilateral cooperation and as a result we will see more tangible benefits for both parties," Zhang said.

China and the Dominican Republic signed a joint communique in Beijing on May 1 on the establishment of diplomatic relations.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 16:35:24|Editor: Liangyu

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HONG KONG, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Monday banned the operation of the so-called "Hong Kong National Party" which advocates "Hong Kong independence".

In exercise of the power conferred on the secretary for security by the Societies Ordinance, "I hereby order that the operation or continued operation of the Hong Kong National Party in Hong Kong be prohibited," said Lee Ka Chiu, secretary for security of the HKSAR government.

The order was published in the Gazette on Monday and took effect on publication.

The "Hong Kong National Party" is an illegal group from Monday on, said Lee at a press conference, adding that according to the Societies Ordinance, to join in activities of or provide financial help to any illegal group is against the law.

The order was made to safeguard national security, public security, public order, and other people's rights and freedom, he said.

The "Hong Kong National Party" sets "Hong Kong independence" as its creed, which is against the Basic Law, he noted.

The group has taken substantial action following the creed and declared that it will not rule out the use of force to attain "Hong Kong independence," Lee said, stressing that such speeches and actions should not be taken merely as political slogans.

Hong Kong citizens enjoy freedom of association and speech, but such freedom is not limitless and should be within the law, Lee said.

Earlier, Lee had sent a letter to the group, giving them time to submit explanations. But its convenor still has kept advocating "Hong Kong independence".

The moves were condemned by various communities in Hong Kong, and they asked the HKSAR government to deal with the group according to law.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 16:50:27|Editor: xuxin

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank, the United Nations and partners on Sunday launched the Famine Action Mechanism (FAM), the first global initiative dedicated to preventing famine.

The mechanism, with the support of global technology companies, including Microsoft, Google and Amazon Web Services, seeks to change the status quo of delayed response and to move toward famine prevention, preparedness and early action, said the the organizers in a joint press release.

The initiative will use the predictive power of data to trigger funding through appropriate financing instruments, working closely with existing systems, they said.

Google, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services and other technology firms are providing the world's top expertise to develop a suite of analytical models called "Artemis" that use advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning to estimate and forecast worsening food security crises in real time. These forecasts will help guide and prompt decision-makers to respond earlier.

Famine is a fundamental moral issue, said World Bank President Jim Yong Kim at the launch event at UN Headquarters in New York. "The fact that tens of millions of people risk starving to death is a tragedy. And in the 21st century, the fact that we haven't ended famine is a collective failure of shameful proportions."

"Today we are taking a historic step to address these challenges and deliver our commitment to end the vicious cycle of panic and neglect when it comes to famine," he said.

"We have within our power to change that. There are challenges ahead of us. The commitment we are making is to find new and innovative ways to address them."

FAM will enhance the predictive power of the early warning systems, make financing predictable and strategic, and work with key partners to help ensure that resources are channelled to the most effective and well-coordinated interventions, said Kim.

However, early warning must translate into early action, he said. "Investment in more proactive responses to avert humanitarian crises could save millions of lives and also reduce the cost (of humanitarian interventions) to the international community by as much as 30 percent."

"We need to move away from ad hoc decision-making toward strategic coordinated planning across the humanitarian and development communities, and with governments, if possible," he added.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said FAM is an important new tool to help predict and prevent famine.

"FAM will give a more accurate picture of food security in real time, triggering early action from donors and humanitarian agencies that will save lives and prevent further suffering," he told the same forum.

With the cooperation of humanitarian development organizations, tech companies, academia, the insurance sector and others, this initiative is a successful multi-stakeholder partnership, he said.

Creating and strengthening partnerships will help donors, affected countries and international organizations to bridge funding gaps along the entire humanitarian cycle, from prevention and preparedness to emergency response, said the UN chief.

"With the Famine Action Mechanism, we are renewing our pledge to zero tolerance for famine and acute food insecurity. We are renewing our pledge to feed everyone in our world and to leave no one behind."

"This very basic goal should be within our grasp. With today's advanced technology and knowledge of agriculture, we can surely uphold everyone's fundamental right to food," he said.

After years of progress on hunger, the world is losing ground, he said. The number of undernourished people is rising to more than 820 million in 2017. "In our world of plenty, one person in every nine does not have enough to eat. Around 155 million children are chronically malnourished and may suffer the effects of stunting for their entire lives."

There are many reasons for this reversal, including spreading conflict, growing inequality and the impact of climate change. But without ending hunger everywhere, the international community cannot be satisfied with the progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development anywhere, he said.

"In our interconnected world, peace, stability and prosperity on a healthy planet depend on leaving no one behind," he noted.

In 2017, more than 20 million people across northeastern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen faced famine or famine-like conditions. These conditions continue in many parts of the world today, derailing hard-won development gains in chronically poor countries, according to the press release.

Today, 124 million people live in crisis levels of food insecurity, requiring urgent humanitarian assistance for their survival. Over half of them live in areas affected by conflict, it said.

During the spring meetings in 2017 between the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kim and Guterres committed themselves to zero tolerance for famine. As a follow-up, the World Bank, the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other global partners began to develop FAM.

FAM will initially be rolled out in a small group of vulnerable countries. Leaders dedicated to this initiative will gather as part of the IMF-World Bank annual meetings in October to discuss further implementation of FAM, said the press release.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 17:15:32|Editor: Yamei

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HO CHI MINH CITY, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The 2nd Annual Global Hotels & Resorts Conference kicked off here on Monday, with the participation of some 100 delegates from all over the world.

At the two-day conference, delegates are to center their discussions on market trends and business opportunities in the hospitality industry across the globe, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, including hotel mergers and acquisitions, its organizers said. They will also engage in networking and making deals.

By the end of 2017, Vietnam housed 80 international hotel operators, up from 30 by late 2010, according to Savills Vietnam, the largest property consultancy in the country. Over 150 four- and five-star hotels and resorts are under construction and slated for opening by 2020.

In the first eight months of this year, the country hosted 10.4 million international arrivals, up 22.8 percent year-on-year, with the highest growth of 52.4 percent in the number of visitors from South Korea, followed by Finland and China, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 18:21:50|Editor: xuxin

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A health worker (R) gives a polio vaccine to a child during a vaccination campaign in Ghazni province, eastern Afghanistan, Sept. 24, 2018. The Afghan Public Health Ministry launched a five-day campaign on Monday to give immunity vaccination dose to 6.4 million children under the age of five in 27 of the country's 34 provinces, the ministry said in a statement. (Xinhua/Sayed Mominzadah)Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 18:30:47|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Information Office of the State Council on Monday released a white paper that elaborated on China's position on the trade friction with the United States.

China-U.S. economic and trade ties concern not only the well-being of the peoples of the two countries, but also world peace, prosperity and stability, said the white paper titled "The Facts and China's Position on China-U.S. Trade Friction."

"Cooperation is the only correct option for China and the United States, and only a win-win approach will lead to a better future. China's position is clear, consistent and firm," the white paper said.

The following are China's position on the trade friction with the United States:

First, China is firmly committed to safeguarding its national dignity and core interests. "China does not want a trade war, but it is not afraid of one and will fight one if necessary."

"China has kept the door to negotiations open, but negotiations can only happen when there is mutual respect, equality, good faith, and credibility. Negotiations cannot be conducted under the threat of tariffs, or at the cost of China's rights to development."

Second, China is firmly committed to the sound development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations.

"China would like to work with the U.S. in the same direction, act in a spirit of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, focus on economic and trade ties, and properly manage economic and trade differences."

China is willing to resume negotiations with the U.S. on a bilateral investment treaty, and launch bilateral free trade agreement negotiations when appropriate.

Third, China is firmly committed to the reform and improvement of the multilateral trading system.

China is firm in observing and upholding the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, and supports an open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system, and necessary reform of the WTO, and firmly opposes unilateralism and protectionism.

China is working to enhance cooperation within the G20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and other multilateral frameworks, and make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all.

Fourth, China is firmly committed to protecting property rights and intellectual property rights (IPRs).

China will keep improving its laws and regulations on IPR protection, enhance the quality and efficiency of IPR reviews. China protects the lawful IPRs of foreign businesses in strict accordance with the law, and takes stern measures to address all types of IPR infringement cases.

China will enhance its cooperation with all countries to protect IPRs, and hopes that governments of other countries will also step up their efforts to protect Chinese IPRs.

Fifth, China is firmly committed to protecting the lawful rights and interests of foreign businesses in China.

"China treats all businesses registered in China equally. China will always protect the lawful rights and interests of foreign investors and foreign-invested businesses, and take firm measures to address violations of their lawful rights and interests in accordance with the law."

Sixth, China is firmly committed to deepening reform and widening opening-up. "China will not reverse its course, but only deepen reform. China will not close its door to the world, but only open wider."

"The market will play a decisive role in the allocation of resources and the government will play a better role to encourage competition and oppose monopoly."

China will manage its own affairs well, develop an open economy at a higher level, and share development and prosperity with all countries that aspire to progress.

Seventh, China is firmly committed to mutually beneficial cooperation with other developed and developing countries.

China will work with the European Union (EU) to expedite the negotiations on the China-EU Investment Agreement, and will accelerate negotiations on the China-Japan-ROK Free Trade Area.

"China will promote deeper cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative based on the principles of consultation, cooperation and benefit for all...and create new drivers for common development."

Eighth, China is firmly committed to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

China will continue to act as a responsible major country, and join every other country in building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 18:35:48|Editor: xuxin

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SUVA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Farmers from the interior of Naitasiri, Navosa, and Ba in Viti Levu, Fiji recently met to discuss opportunities to maximize income generation through agricultural practices in their villages.

More than 50 farmers attended the 2-day meeting organized by Fiji's Ministry of Agriculture through the Fiji Agricultural Partnership Project (FAPP), which supports farming communities in the remote and rural highlands of these three out of the 14 provinces in the island nation to increase income from their farms to improve their livelihoods.

A press release from the Department of Information on Monday said the meeting provided a platform for peer learning as representatives from the various area clusters shared practical issues they faced and discussed opportunities and potential solutions to overcome these challenges.

Through the work led by PCDF, around 1,000 Fijian farmers within the seven highland districts of the provinces of Ba, Naitasiri and Navosa have been registered.

The project will benefit Fijian farmers in 41 villages on Viti Levu which is the largest island in Fiji.

Cluster representatives from these areas said the potential for growth in these areas was not realized because of their remote locations.

The absence of farm roads has deprived these areas of agricultural production opportunities and they were grateful for the Fijian government's foresight in addressing the challenges by empowering them with information, knowledge and skills to boost agricultural production and reduce hardships faced by families in the provinces.

FAPP's Knowledge Management, Monitoring and Evaluating Officer Inosi Vulawalu underscored the value of these community empowerment initiatives in providing a space for farmers to highlight issues important to them.

"This initiative provides an opportunity for farmers to be part of the process of identifying solutions to overcome the constraints and in the process improve their capacity, strengthen and promote viable market linkages and agri-businesses," said Vulawalu.

The FAPP project and the Ministry of Agriculture will now be working together with other stakeholders to see how best to address the central issue of farm road access raised by farmers.

The FAPP project is co-funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and implemented through the Ministry of Agriculture and Partners in Community Development Fiji (PCDF).

More than 100,000 households in Fiji engage in agricultural activities such as growing crops, raising livestock, fishing, freshwater aquaculture or marine aquaculture.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 18:40:51|Editor: xuxin

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WARSAW, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Two people died and several others were injured after a school bus collided with a truck on Monday morning in Tyrowo, northeastern Poland, local media reported.

All the seven children who were traveling to school on the school bus were taken to local hospitals for observation. Their life seems not to be threatened, according to Polish broadcaster TVN.

The bus driver and the person in charge of the children were dead on the spot. The truck driver was seriously injured, and has been transported to a hospital by helicopter.

The police is investigating the cause of the accident and has designated detours, as the road is still impassable.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 18:40:52|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Information Office of the State Council on Monday released a white paper, titled "The Facts and China's Position on China-U.S. Trade Friction," clarifying six key facts about China-U.S. trade and economic relations.

According to the white paper, the current U.S. administration, in its Section 301 report and other ways, stigmatizes China by accusing it of "economic aggression,""unfair trade,""intellectual property rights (IPR) theft" and "national capitalism."

"It is a gross distortion of the facts in China-U.S. trade and economic cooperation. It turns a blind eye to the huge progress in China's reform and opening-up as well as the dedication and hard work of the Chinese people," the white paper said.

"This is disrespectful to the Chinese government and people as well as incompatible with the real interests of the American people. It will only aggravate differences and tensions, which in the end will damage the fundamental interests of both countries," the white paper added.

The white paper clarified six key facts about China-U.S. trade and economic relations: the gap in trade in goods alone is not a good indicator of China-U.S. trade and economic relations; the discussion of fair trade should not be detached from the principle of mutual benefit of the World Trade Organization (WTO); the accusation that China forces technology transfer is against the spirit of contract; China's huge efforts and achievements with regard to IPR protection should not be dismissed; the Chinese government's encouragement to Chinese business to go global should not be distorted as a government attempt to acquire advanced technologies through commercial mergers and acquisitions; China's subsidy policy complies with WTO rules and should not be attacked.

In today's world of greater globalization and widespread international production, bilateral trade and economic cooperation already extend beyond trade in goods, according to the white paper.

"If we give full consideration to these three factors -- trade in goods, trade in services, and sales of local subsidiaries in the host country, trade and economic cooperation delivers balanced benefits in general for China and the United States, with the latter reaping more net benefits," the white paper said.

The mutual benefit principle advocated by the WTO means overall reciprocity and balance of interests in market opening across all the industries of the members, it said. "This is genuine global fairness."

Since China's adoption of reform and opening-up, foreign enterprises have established partnerships with Chinese companies by voluntarily entering into contracts, according to the white paper.

"They transferred production capacity and orders to China of their own volition so as to tap into the emerging market, save production costs, achieve economy of scale, and extend the term of profiting from technologies," it said. "These are voluntary behaviors based on business interests."

"It accords with neither historical facts nor the spirit of contract to unjustly label bilateral transactions on a voluntary basis as forced technology transfer simply on the grounds of Chinese firms' technological advances," the white paper added.

According to the white paper, China's attitude towards IPR protection is clear and firm. "It has continued to reinforce protection through legislation, law enforcement and the judiciary, and achieved some notable successes."

It is consistent with the WTO for the Chinese government to encourage businesses to go global and engage in international economic exchanges and cooperation, and China conscientiously complies with WTO rules on subsidy policy, the white paper said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 18:45:55|Editor: xuxin

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by Wang Shoubao, Elias Gebreselassie

ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Arkebe Equbay, special adviser to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is a busy man, as the country of around 105 million people races to meet the economic needs of the estimated 70 percent of the population that is believed to be below 30 years old.

In particular, Equbay sees the textile and apparel sector and the experience of China in this sector as crucial to lifting his country from poverty and achieving an industrialized middle-income economy status by 2025.

Emphasizing that the textile and apparel sector is the largest employment generator globally, Equbay told Xinhua he foresees his country, with the help of China, achieving a 30 billion U.S. dollar revenue from the sector in 10 years' time.

"Ethiopia needs China's experience and knowledge in the textile and apparel sector to fill our skill gap and make Ethiopian textile products competitive in the global market," he said.

With Chinese firms already an integral part of the global textile and apparel value chain and a major part of its output, Ethiopia has decided it needs China's help for its own burgeoning industry.

With China announcing during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), held in Beijing earlier this month, plans to step up its efforts to help the industrialization ambitions of African countries, Ethiopia sees China as a strategic partner to achieve its manufacturing ambitions.

Equbay said Ethiopia has learned from China's experience on the need first for skilled manpower and basic infrastructure, if the east African country's manufacturing ambitions are to be realized.

"Ethiopia has an abundant trainable labor force, low energy cost... and almost free provision of land for those interested to invest in the textile and apparel sector," he said.

Ethiopia has also learned the need for an integrated supply chain in the textile and apparel sector and, for this purpose, is currently in negotiations with 12 large Chinese mills for them to set up plants in Ethiopia.

Having reconciled recently with its former bitter rival Eritrea and deciding to allow foreign investment in its logistics sector, landlocked Ethiopia is working to ease transportation bottlenecks for its exports and expand its port options now largely restricted to Djibouti.

Equbay's optimism in Ethiopia's textile and apparel sector is shared by Liu Yu, economic and commercial counselor at the Chinese embassy in Ethiopia.

Speaking to Xinhua, Liu said the recent FOCAC summit concluded with China pledging to assist African countries in eight major initiatives, including industrial promotion, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation and green development, and that Ethiopia, the first African host of FOCAC back in 2003, is one of the key African countries expected to benefit from those initiatives.

"China in the next three years will provide 60 billion U.S. dollars in financing for African countries and Chinese companies will be encouraged to invest 10 billion dollars during the next three years, based on the principle of open and inclusive approach to African countries," Liu said.

With China starting its successful industrialization process with the textile and apparel sector 40 years ago, Liu noted, Ethiopia, which is looking to emulate China's manufacturing success, will be given special attention.

"Chinese investment has covered well over half of increased investment to Ethiopia over the past two years, with an increasing trend, helping complement Ethiopia's manufacturing ambitions," Liu told Xinhua.

He said China also hopes to help Ethiopia avoid the environmental cost China had to endure to achieve its four decades of rapid economic growth.

"We advise Chinese investors to establish environmentally friendly manufacturing plants, in strict compliance with Chinese and Ethiopian environmental standards," said Liu.

Ethiopia, which hopes to create a carbon neutral economy by 2025, is already being supported environmentally by China, including in flagship projects like the 4 billion dollar Ethiopia-Djibouti electrified rail line and the eco-friendly Hawassa Industrial Park.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 18:55:56|Editor: xuxin

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TEHRAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Iranians took part in the funeral ceremonies on Monday for the victims of recent terrorist attack in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz.

Iranian government declared public mourning in the country on Monday.

Senior Iranian military and civil officials, along with the people, attended the ceremonies.

The statement by the participants in the ceremonies called for an urgent reaction of the government to the sponsors of the terror attack both inside and outside of the country.

Iran has declared the United States and its regional allies responsible for the terrorist attack on the military parade on Saturday, in which at least 25 people were killed and 60 others were injured.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 19:00:58|Editor: xuxin

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Tan Kok Wai, Malaysian Prime Minister's special envoy to China and head of the Malaysia-China Business Council, addresses a cultural exchange event hosted by south China's Guangzhou City in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Sept. 24, 2018. Closer people-to-people exchanges and relations between Malaysia and China could facilitate greater cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, said Malaysia's special envoy to China on Monday. (Xinhua/Lin Hao)

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Closer people-to-people exchanges and relations between Malaysia and China could facilitate greater cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, said Malaysia's special envoy to China on Monday.

The Belt and Road Initiative emphasizes connectivity of policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and the people, said Tan Kok Wai, Malaysian Prime Minister's special envoy to China and head of the Malaysia-China Business Council.

Among the five aspects, the people-to-people connectivity is the most relevant to the public and where ordinary people could contribute, he said during a cultural exchange event hosted here by south China's Guangzhou City.

The closer ties between the people could lay a solid foundation for cooperation in areas like infrastructure and trade. "Everything will be gone smoothly as long as the people's hearts and minds are connected," he said.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Tan mentioned that during the recent visit by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to China, the Malaysian government has clearly stated that "we welcome, support and will continue to participate in the Belt and Road cooperation."

The Belt and Road is a road of mutual respect and mutual trust; a road of win-win cooperation and a road of mutual understanding, said Tan. "Let us work together to create a new chapter for the new Silk Road and share the fruitful results of the 'Belt and Road'," he added.

The event, named "Floral whisper along the Silk Road - Cultural Journey of Maritime Silk Road", featuring cultural performance, symposium and exhibition, is aimed at promoting people-to-people friendship as well as the cooperation in research and preservation of the heritage of the ancient Silk Road.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 19:06:00|Editor: xuxin

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JAKARTA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian authorities have arrested a trader of protected animal in East Java province of Indonesia, environment and forestry ministry said on Monday.

The trader with initial of T is believed to be a member of a syndicate which has illegally traded protected species, and has been arrested in Kediri district of the province.

During a crackdown, the authorities seized one Javanese eagle with latin name nisaetus bartelsi and one perut karat eagle with latin name lophotriorchis kienerii.

The trader admitted that the animals were from Java island and other parts of the country.

The sales of the species were undertaken online.

The arrest of the perpetrator was conducted after the authorities undertook cyber patrol , Antara news wire reported.

In July Indonesian police arrested 2 persons for illegally selling critically endangered sumatran tiger in Jambi province and pursued a syndicate involving in the prohibited activities, a police officer said.

Indonesia is known as the most species rich nation as its large area of rain forest is home to numerable species spreading over 17,500 islands.Thousands of people gather in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz for the funeral of those killed during an attack on a military parade in the city, about 560 kilometres (350 miles) south of Tehran, on September 24, 2018. (AFP photo)

TEHRAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Iranians took part in the funeral ceremonies on Monday for the victims of recent terrorist attack in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz.

Iranian government declared public mourning in the country on Monday.

Senior Iranian military and civil officials, along with the people, attended the ceremonies.

The statement by the participants in the ceremonies called for an urgent reaction of the government to the sponsors of the terror attack both inside and outside of the country.

Iran has declared the United States and its regional allies responsible for the terrorist attack on the military parade on Saturday, in which at least 25 people were killed and 60 others were injured.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 19:16:05|Editor: xuxin

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MALE, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen on Monday conceded defeat at the presidential polls, hours after the Elections Commission declared that opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had secured victory.

In an address to the nation from the President's Office, Yameen congratulated Solih and his party members and said he had accepted the results.

"The citizens of the Maldives had their say yesterday. And I accept that result," Yameen said in a televised speech.

"I have served the Maldivian public sincerely. But the public have made a decision on my service yesterday. So I intend to accept that result and once again, to remain in their service," Yameen added.

The president further said he had met the opposition leader at the President's Office in Male shortly before his public speech. He had also met his party members from the Progressive Party of Maldives.

Yameen said he will stay in the presidency until the end of his term on November 17.

The Foreign Ministry earlier Monday said in a statement that the new president and vice-president elect are expected to be sworn in on November 17.

According to provisional results released by the Elections Commission, Solih had won the polls after securing 58.3 percent votes.

Solih received 134,616 votes while Yameen received 96,132 votes.

233,877 voters cast their votes at the polls on Sunday.

The Elections Commission said that voting proceeded smoothly and peacefully, with no reported incidents.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 19:16:06|Editor: xuxin

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CAIRO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court on Monday confirmed death sentence against 20 members of Muslim Brotherhood group over breaking into a police station and killing 14 policemen, officials news agency MENA reported.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 19:21:07|Editor: xuxin

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Brunei has the second least polluted urban areas in the world, according to study by the World Health Organization (WHO) measuring ambient air pollution in 1,622 locations across 92 countries.

Australia has the least polluted urban areas, followed by Brunei and New Zealand. Estonia is Europe's top performing nation, followed by Finland and Iceland, said local daily the Borneo Bulletin on Monday, quoting the WHO study.

Pollution-related deaths in Brunei are also among the lowest among countries included in a Lancet Commission report on pollution and health published in The Lancet medical journal recently, with the sultanate standing alongside Sweden.

The five countries topping the Lancet rankings are Brunei, Sweden, Finland, Barbados and New Zealand.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 19:31:13|Editor: xuxin

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TEHRAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Italy traded 390 tons of non-oil commodities worth 594.82 million U.S. dollars during the first five months of the current Iranian fiscal year (March 21-Aug. 22), Eghtesadonline reported on Monday.

The figures registered a 32.03 percent growth in the weight and 15.42 percent decline in value compared with corresponding period last year.

Iran mainly exported steel to Italy during the five-month period.

Imports from Italy mainly included baking machinery and air pumps.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 19:36:14|Editor: xuxin

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MOSCOW, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Russia will supply the S-300 air defense system and identification, friend or foe (IFF) equipment to Syria after its Il-20 surveillance plane was mistakenly downed by Syria's S-200 system, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday.

"The Syrian Armed Forces will receive within two weeks a modern S-300 surface-to-air missile system capable of intercepting air attack means over a range of more than 250 km and simultaneously hitting several air targets," Shoigu said in a televised statement.

Shoigu recalled that in 2013 Russia suspended the supply of the S-300 to Syria at the request of Israel.

"Today the situation has changed, not due to our fault," Shoigu said.

He said that the command posts of Syrian formations and air defense units will be equipped with "automated control systems" that are currently supplied only to the Russian Armed Forces.

According to the minister, this will guarantee the identification of all Russian aircraft and ensure the centralized management of all Syrian air defense forces and facilities.

In areas adjacent to Syria over the Mediterranean, Russia will carry out radio-electronic suppression of satellite navigation, airborne radars and communications systems of combat aircraft attempting to attack facilities on the Syrian territory, Shoigu said.

"We believe that the implementation of these measures will cool 'hotheads' and deter unreasonable actions threatening our servicemen. Otherwise, we will have to respond in accordance with the unfolding situation," he said.

The Russian Defense Ministry has said that a Russian Il-20 surveillance plane with 15 servicemen on board was mistakenly downed on Sept. 17 by a Syrian missile due to a simultaneous Israeli air strike that confused Syria's S-200 air defense system.

The Israeli military rejected the accusation that its jets deliberately used the Il-20 as a shield and led to its downing.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 19:36:15|Editor: xuxin

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CAIRO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court confirmed on Monday death sentence against 20 members of Muslim Brotherhood group over storming a police station and killing 14 policemen, official news agency MENA reported.

The Court of Cassation, Egypt's top court that gives final verdicts, upheld death verdicts against 20 militants, mostly loyalists and members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

The defendants stormed the main police station in Kerdasa district of Giza province in mid-August 2013, killing 17 people including 14 policemen.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 19:41:16|Editor: xuxin

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ULAN BATOR, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia on Monday launched a week-long campaign to create positive and safe cyber environment.

The campaign, called "Positive, Safe and Responsible Cyber Environment," aims to reduce harmful impacts of modern technological breakthroughs and cyber risks, and induce proper usage of social media, Sodnomtsog Sukh-Ochir, head of the Youth Development Department of Ulan Bator, told Xinhua over the phone.

Under the campaign, 300 students studying information and technology were assigned to call on people to do positive things on preventing cyber crimes and using social media properly, he said.

The number of Internet users has been growing day by day in Mongolia. Two out of three people in the country with a population of over 3 million are Internet users, according to data released by the National Statistical Office.

Cyber-related cases like child sexual abuse through the Internet, creation of child pornography and online fraud have been increasing dramatically in the country in recent years.

In this connection, relevant authorities have carried out a number of measures to prevent risks of cyber crimes in recent months. The campaign is part of the efforts.

Recently, the country's National Police Agency has launched a national campaign to protect children from cyber crimes and strengthen parental control over children's social media usage.

According to the police agency, around 300 cyber crimes have been registered in the country in the first half of this year. Before 2010, the number is about 20.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 20:11:23|Editor: xuxin

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ASSADABAD, Afghanistan, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- At least five militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) have been killed as government forces launched operations against the terror group in Watapur district of Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province on Monday, provincial police chief said.

"The operations launched against IS hideouts in Ghondi area of Watapur district today morning and so far five armed militants have been killed and three others injured," Haq Nawaz Haqyar told Xinhua.

The operations, he said, would last for four days to wipe out the IS militants from the area.

The IS group has yet to make comment.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 20:11:23|Editor: xuxin

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BERLIN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The German government has reversed a highly controversial decision to promote an ex-intelligence chief accused of stoking far-right conspiracy theories, the leaders of the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU) and German Social Democrats (SPD) parties announced on Sunday night.

Hans-Georg Maassen, the former president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), will now become a special advisor to interior minister and CSU leader Horst Seehofer where he will receive the same salary as he did before being forced out of his intelligence agency last week.

Earlier, demands by the SPD for Maassen to be sacked after appearing to stoke far-right conspiracy theories resulted in an unusual cabinet compromise by which the ex-BfV president was transferred from his original post to a more senior and better-paid role as secretary of state in the interior ministry.

Rather than resolving the issue, however, the impression that chancellor Angela Merkel's governing cabinet had rewarded a civil servant for wrongdoing immediately provoked outrage among opposition parties and the grassroots membership of the SPD alike.

The incident brought Germany's "grand coalition" to the brink of collapse over the weekend and made yet another emergency cabinet session necessary in which the latest compromise on Maassen was reached.

A previously little-known intelligence chief, Maassen, has found himself at the center of a national controversy for questioning the authenticity of video footage showing right-wing extremists chasing foreigners in Chemnitz.

In doing so, the intelligence agency chief directly contradicted chancellor Merkel and local security officers on the issue, only to backtrack on the public statements again in a subsequent report.

That Maassen was at least temporarily able to secure a surprising promotion from the government is due to the loyal support which he has received from interior minister Seehofer in the affair. Commenting on the widely-publicized far-right mobilizations in Chemnitz, the CSU leader told press that he would have participated in the demonstrations in question as well if he were a regular citizen.

As a consequence, a growing number of senior SPD politicians began to question Seehofer's suitability for his own post as interior minister. SPD vice president Natascha Kohnen has publicly complained that the CSU leader is "completely out of control", while SPD leader Nahles blamed him personally for harming the reputation of the government by insisting on Maassen's already annulled promotion.

According to a recent "Deutschland-Trend" opinion poll, a meagre 28 percent of Germans think that Seehofer is suitable for his role as interior minister, down by 11 percentage points compared to a survey in April. Even among self-declared CDU/CSU supporters, only 31 percent expressed support for Seehofer as the right individual to lead the interior ministry compared to 45 percent in April.

In spite of still unresolved cabinet fractures, the "grand coalition" emphasized its desire on Monday to finally move on from the Maassen affair and return to business as usual. Speaking to press in Berlin, Merkel apologized for what she described as a flawed assessment of the situation by her cabinet.

"The result from last Tuesday (to promote Maassen) was not a persuasive one. I focused too much on functionality and procedures in the interior ministry while not thinking enough about how the people will feel when they hear promotion. I very much regret that this has happened," the CDU leader said.

Merkel argued that the second coalition compromise reached on Maassen was a "satisfactory one." It gave him a "clearly-defined area of tasks", advising Seehofer on asylum policy and joint European Union (EU) social policies at the same paygrade without amounting to an effective promotion for the civil servant.

The chancellor announced that her priority was now to reach an overdue cabinet agreement on whether to require so-called hardware updates from carmakers in the ongoing "dieselgate" scandal. A cabinet session is scheduled to hold discussion towards that end at the start of next week.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 20:31:27|Editor: xuxin

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CAIRO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul-Gheit welcomed on Monday Spain's readiness to recognize the state of Palestine.

"That approach indicated longstanding friendly ties between Spain and all the Arab countries," Abul Gheit said in a statement.

The latest move mirrored the deep attachment the people and government of Spain have toward the Palestinian cause in particular, he added.

He stressed that "the current U.S. administration policies starting with the transfer of its embassy to Jerusalem last May unveiled its complete prejudice to the Israeli agenda. Those policies require all the peace-loving powers to stand by the Palestinians in their legitimate peaceful struggle."

The statement said the recognition of the state of Palestine "is necessary to protect the endangered two-state solution."

The Arab League urged Spain to proceed with the recognition saying such a step will encourage other European countries to follow suit.

On Thursday, Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said at a press conference of EU leaders in Austria, that his country will spearhead a move within the European Union to recognize Palestine as an independent state.

He added if the initiative fails the government is ready to recognize Palestine individually.

"If the EU is not able to reach a unanimous decision, then each to their own," Borrell said.

Borrell confirmed that he will initiate an "intensive" consultation process to set a timetable for achieving a common position on the given subject, as EU policy is unclear concerning unilateral recognition.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) said that there are 139 countries that have recognized Palestine.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas asked the EU to officially recognize Palestine in Brussels when he met with foreign minister from the bloc in January.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 20:41:30|Editor: Liangyu

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by Zhang Jianhua, Wang Shan

VIENTIANE, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- "Every project department of China Railway is ready to be dispatched at any time!"

At the end of this July, when a deadly flash flood swept through Attapeu province of southern Laos, China Railway, a Chinese company constructing the China-Laos Railway in the country, provided assistance to the disaster-stricken areas without any hesitation.

Meanwhile, Lao Asia Pacific Satellite Co., Ltd. (LAOSAT), a joint venture between China and Laos, immediately sent a technical team to provide live satellite television broadcast and emergency communication service for the victims and rescuers in the disaster-stricken Attapeu, and transmit real-time video content through the satellite network at the forefront of the disaster area.

These cases are not rare in Laos nowadays. Chinese enterprises have been playing an increasingly important role in enhancing people's livelihood with practical actions.

Nam Ou River is the largest eastern tributary of the Mekong River in Laos. It is one of the key hydropower resource bases that the Lao government is pushing forward to explore. PowerChina is developing a full basin cascade hydropower project at that site.

As of August this year, the first phase of the project has been put into operation and has delivered more than 3 billion KWh of electricity to the northern part of Laos. The second phase of the project is expected to be completed by 2020 and will guarantee 12 percent of the electricity supply in Laos.

"Based on the actual needs of Laos, integrating with Laos' social and economic development and people's livelihood planning, we creatively propose a scientific development plan of seven-dam cascade project, which is fully recognized by the Lao government," said Huang Yande, assisting general manager of PowerChina Resources Limited and general manager of the branch company in Laos.

Bounpong Ketsadasak used to work with Laos' state-owned Electricite Du Laos (EDL) and now works as a deputy general manager in charge of PowerChina's Nam Ou phase one project.

Ketsadasak said that the Laos' strategy of "Battery of Southeast Asia" goes well with the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, and Nam Ou cascade hydropower project was a great achievement of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"The Belt and Road is a great cause. As a witness and participant, I will be devoted to it with my Chinese colleagues," said the Lao manager.

Bounthong Chitmany, deputy prime minister of the Lao government, spoke highly of the construction and operation of the Nam Ou cascade hydropower project and its contribution to local economic and social development.

Back in the 1990s, Sinohydro Bureau 10 Co., LTD undertook the construction of Nam Leuk Hydropower Plant, which was widely praised by the local government and society.

The successful construction of the Nam Leuk has consolidated a market position for Sinohydro Bureau 10 Co., LTD in Lao hydropower industry.

Yu Mingchuan, deputy general manager of Sinohydro Bureau 10 and general manager of its Lao branch, told Xinhua that thanks to scientific management and hard work, the company has been recognized as an international and professional construction team with a good reputation in Laos.

The company is well-known in Laos for its capabilities of constructing large and medium-sized hydropower projects and installing electro-mechanical equipment.

"Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, our company will strive for the economic and social development of China and Laos, and contribute to the bilateral friendship," Yu said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 20:41:31|Editor: xuxin

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CAIRO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court confirmed on Monday death sentence against 20 members of Muslim Brotherhood group over storming a police station and killing 14 policemen, officials news agency MENA reported.

The Court of Cassation, Egypt's top court that gives final verdicts, upheld death verdicts against 20 militants, mostly loyalists and members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

The defendants stormed the main police station in Kerdasa district, a stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood at that time, of Giza province in mid-August 2013, killing 17 people including 14 policemen.

The assault, known as "Kerdasa massacre," took place more than a month following Morsi's military removal on July 3, 2013 and shortly after a massive security crackdown on two pro-Morsi sit-ins on Aug. 14, 2013, in Cairo and Giza, which left hundreds dead and thousands more arrested.

The case originally involves 188 defendants including fugitives. In February 2015, the court sentenced 183 of them to death and a minor to 10 years in jail. After appeals, later in February 2016, the Court of Cassation ordered the retrial of 156 of them.

In April 2017, the criminal court recommended death penalty for 20 of them and referred their case documents to the Grand Mufti, the country's interpreter of religious law, to get his religious opinion on their execution. He later approved.

They appealed the death sentence later, but the court of cassation rejected their appeal on Monday.

Most Brotherhood leaders, members and supporters, including Morsi himself and the Brotherhood spiritual guide Mohamed Badie, are currently jailed. Many of them have received appealable death sentences and life imprisonments over various charges varying from inciting violence and murder to espionage and jailbreak.

Morsi is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence over inciting deadly clashes between his supporters and opponents in late 2012 and a 25-year jail term over leaking classified documents to Qatar.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 20:46:34|Editor: xuxin

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DHAKA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Confucius Institute at Bangladesh's top leading Dhaka University Monday celebrated the Global Confucius Institute Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival with the participation of officials, academicians, students and members of the local Chinese community.

The institute held a variety of activities including Chinese songs, poem recitations, speeches, dances, martial arts and paintings.

Dozens of students attended the cultural events titled "the Confucius Institute 2018 - the Poetry Charming on Moon Day" from a number of leading Bangladeshi institutions.

Confucius Institute Day, which was set up in 2014 to mark the 10th anniversary of the first Confucius Institute, falls on Sept. 27 each year.

Confucius who lived between 551 and 479 BC, was an educator and philosopher.

He founded the school of Confucianism that deeply influenced later Chinese generations.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 20:51:35|Editor: xuxin

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AMMAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East and North Africa will be held at the Dead Sea in Jordan on April 5-6 2019.

The meeting will convene over 1,000 government, business and civil society leaders from more than 50 countries, the WEF said in a statement.

Meeting in New York on the occasion of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the WEF, described the meeting as a unique opportunity to address the region's most critical challenges.

"The region stands at a crucial moment in its history, with an unprecedented opportunity for transformation, driven by its young populations and their embrace for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. But the promise can only be fulfilled if regional and international stakeholders step up their commitment to resolving the ongoing conflicts, which hold back the region's standing in the world," said Schwab, according to the statement.

With first results starting to emerge from social and economic reform efforts launched in several of the region's economies, the meeting will be a key opportunity to collaborate on scaling up such efforts, with a focus on creating sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems.

The meeting will pay particular attention to women entrepreneurs and key intergenerational issues such as transparency, accountability and sustainability and the protection of the environment.

In addition, building on the World Economic Forum's longstanding position as a platform for peace and reconciliation, the meeting will host dialogues between key decision-makers from the region, and the United States, Europe and Asia on addressing geopolitical challenges, including in Syria and Libya.

The World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa was last held in Jordan in 2017.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 20:56:36|Editor: mmm

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Photo taken on Sept. 24, 2018 shows Afghan security force members on a military operation against the Islamic State (IS) group in Watapur district of Kunar province, Afghanistan. The Afghan security forces launched operations against IS in Watapur district of eastern Kunar province on Monday amid reports of the presence of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the fugitive leader of the armed group, in eastern Nangarhar province of the insurgency-plagued country.(Xinhua/Emran Waak)

KABUL, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan security forces launched operations against the Islamic State (IS) group in Watapur district of eastern Kunar province on Monday amid reports of the presence of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the fugitive leader of the armed group, in eastern Nangarhar province of the insurgency-plagued country.

According to Haq Nawaz Haqyar, police chief of Kunar province, a well-coordinated operation was launched against IS hideouts in Watapur district Monday morning and so far five insurgents have been killed.

"The operations launched against IS hideouts in Ghondi area of Watapur district today morning and so far five armed militants have been killed and three others injured," Haqyar told Xinhua.

According to the official, the operations would last for four days to wipe out the IS militants from the area.

IS group has yet to make comment.

The operations against IS group have been coincided with report about the presence of Abu Bakr al-Baghdai, the elusive chief of the self-claimed Islamic caliphate in Kunar's neighboring Nangarhar province.

"Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State group, has been shifted to Afghanistan," a local newspaper the Daily Weesa reported on Monday.

Citing unknown sources, the paper added that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has entered Nangarhar province.

The IS fugitive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been disappeared since the collapse of his self-claimed caliphate in Iraq last year and the gradual defeat of his fighters in Syria.

IS militants had been badly defeated by Taliban outfit in northern Jawzjan province in August forcing the militants to surrender to the Afghan government.

Since the defeat of IS militants in Jawzjan province, the armed group has reportedly massed its fighters in Nangarhar and the neighboring Kunar province.

Officials have yet to make comment on the report.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 21:01:38|Editor: xuxin

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BEIRUT, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese parliament approved Monday the controversial solid waste management law, local media reported.

The draft law allows the incineration of trash which some concerned would lead to environmental pollution and harm human health, according to independent online newspaper Elnashra.

"I am sorry to hear that some members of parliament believe that Lebanon is not polluted," said Paula Yacoubian, a parliament member who objects the law.

Osama Saad, another parliament member, said earlier this morning during a protest over the law that the trash issue in Lebanon should be solved in a different way in a bid to minimize negative repercussions on the health of the Lebanese.

The national bloc announced on social media during the parliament session that it will not vote in favor of the law.

Lebanon has experienced a severe trash crisis that left piles of rubbish on beaches, in mountain forests and river beds across the country, after the country's largest landfill at Naameh, just south of Beirut, was closed in July, 2015.

In a bid to solve the issue, Lebanese decision-makers decided to burn the waste while establishing two landfills to ease the crisis.

According to IndyAct, a non-governmental organization (NGO), waste incinerators are globally known as the main source of dioxins and other toxic pollutants that cause cancer.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 21:21:44|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Cooperation is the only correct option for China and the United States, and only a win-win approach will lead to a better future, said a white paper released by the Information Office of the State Council on Monday.

The white paper titled "The Facts and China's Position on China-U.S. Trade Friction" said that China's position is clear, consistent and firm.

China is firmly committed to safeguarding its national dignity and core interests, advancing the sound development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations and protecting the lawful rights and interests of foreign businesses in China, it said.

The United States is a major source of foreign investment for China. According to China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), by the end of 2017, there were approximately 68,000 U.S.-funded enterprises in China with actualized investment of more than 83 billion U.S. dollars.

China and the United States have both reaped enormous benefits from trade and economic cooperation. American firms have played an exemplary role in China for their Chinese peers in terms of technological innovation, marketing management, and institutional innovation. They have promoted market competition and motivated Chinese firms to improve their technology and management.

At the same time, the United States has gained access to a wide range of business opportunities such as cross-border investment and entry into the China market, which have played a big part in driving economic growth, improving consumer welfare, and upgrading the economic structure in the United States.

The white paper said that China is firmly committed to protecting the lawful rights and interests of foreign businesses in China, including building an open and transparent foreign-related legal system, improving the business environment, and providing better, higher-quality services to businesses from all countries operating and investing in China.

China respects international business practices, observes the rules of the World Trade Organization, and treats all businesses registered in China equally. China encourages market entities including foreign businesses to engage in various forms of cooperation, and stands committed to creating a level playing field in the market.

The white paper said the Chinese government pays close attention to the legitimate concerns of foreign investors, and stands ready to respond to and address their specific concerns. China will always protect the lawful rights and interests of foreign investors and foreign-invested businesses, and take firm measures to address violations of their lawful rights and interests in accordance with the law.

The white paper said that China will keep improving its laws and regulations on IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) protection, and enhance the quality and efficiency of IPR reviews.

"China protects the lawful IPR of foreign businesses in strict accordance with the law, and takes stern measures to address all types of IPR infringement cases," it said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 21:41:50|Editor: xuxin

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LONDON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Britain's shadow chancellor John McDonnell announced Monday that the main opposition Labor Party is to convene an international social forum to tackle the task of a "Great Depression" financial crash.

In a keynote speech at Labor's annual conference in Liverpool, McDonnell said the Nobel Prize winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz, has agreed to lead the forum's discussion next Spring.

He said the forum will bring together leading economists, politicians and civil society representatives, launching a dialogue on the common risks faced and the actions that need to be taken.

McDonnell told a packed conference hall: "With major nations on the brink of a trade war, and with climate change accelerating, we can't risk the kind of international breakdown that led to the Great Depression. Just as at the Bretton Woods conference in 1944, there is an urgent need to work out if the current international system can cope with these threats."

Calling on Prime Minister Theresa May to call an early general election, McDonnell said the Labor party in government would set up a public ownership unit as part of plans to re-nationalize the water and rail industries.

He said: "People have had enough of being ripped off by privatization. We will set up a 'Public and Community Ownership Unit' in the Treasury. It will bring in the external expertise we will need. We are ending the profiteering in dividends, vast executive salaries and excessive interest payments."

Surpluses will be reinvested in water infrastructure and staff, or used to reduce bills, he added.

McDonnell said: "We are extending economic democracy even further by bringing water, energy, Royal Mail and rail into public ownership."

In a major shake-up of worker rights, McDonnell backed a commitment to give a third of seats on the boards of big companies to workers.

He also announced a share ownership plan to ensure workers were given some of the profits being made.

"We believe that workers, who create the wealth of a company, should share in its ownership and in the returns that it makes. Employee ownership increases a company's productivity and encourages long term decision making."

McDonnell said a Labor government will legislate for large companies to transfer shares into an inclusive ownership fund with shares held and managed collectively by the workers. He said 11 million workers could receive payments up to 658 U.S. dollars a year, adding each would have with a greater say, and a greater stake, in the rewards of their labor.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 21:46:53|Editor: Liangyu

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TAIPEI, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- A single slide might not look like much when fit in a 5x5 cm of cardboard that is slightly bigger than a piece of jigsaw puzzle. Yet a total of 147 such slides piece together unfading memories of architecture in Taipei.

"In the 19th century, a lot of Taiwan's camphor was exported to Europe, not to make mothballs but rather celluloid film," recounted Li Chien-lang, a Taiwanese architecture scholar, when describing the history of slides and his personal experiences of using slides to capture some of Taipei's oldest buildings.

A collection of 147 slides, all photographed by Li between 1970 and 2010, is being exhibited until April 2019 at Museum 207 in Dadaocheng, a historic neighborhood in western Taipei.

Slides, known as positive color film, better preserve the vivid colors of the original compared to the negatives that are more commonly used. Thus, they are considered a better choice for architecture photography.

But Li remembers his early days of taking photos as a costly experience. "A camera cost me three months' salary, not to mention the film and the cost to develop the photos."

It was also time-consuming. "Very often I only took two photos for each building. I had to stand there and look long and hard before I pressed the shutter," Li recalled. "Pressing the shutter often caused my heart to race because you didn't know if the photo would be a successful one."

OLD MEMORIES COME TO LIFE

The collection features some famous old buildings in Taipei and important moments in the city's the architectural history, such as the old Taipei train station being demolished in 1985.

Li Ling-Ling, who was born and raised in the Dadaocheng district, was one of the earliest visitors to the exhibition. She found photos of her primary and middle schools. "This is the Red Building, as we called it, of my alma mater. It was taken down years ago," said Li, in her 50s, while pointing to a photo on the wall.

For the twenty- and thirty-somethings, the slides are not entirely obsolete. "When I was in school, the teachers used slides when teaching. It is seldom seen today," said Lin Shih-feng from Taipei.

Lin spent quite some time in the room where the slides were being projected on to a big screen. "It was very touching to see that some buildings still look the same as they did in the old photos. They have been fully taken care of," Lin said.

In fact, the venue of the exhibition, Museum 207, was renovated from a pharmacy built in 1962. The district, Dadaocheng, dates back to the 1850s and is full of historical landmarks.

"I don't see nostalgia as a waste of time," said Li the architectural scholar. "With these pictures, we try to restore the truth, trace back the history and analyze and discuss a story. Stories are necessities. Without stories, human civilization is nothing."

SLIDES VS. VINYL RECORDS

Some very rare slide projectors from Li's collection are also being showcased at the exhibition. Visitors are able to enjoy slides in various ways -- by projections, hands-on and via a slide viewer or on a light table.

Although slides can preserve colors for decades, they need to be kept away from mildew and in an environment with strictly monitored temperatures and humidity control, explained Li.

Li believes that this type of photography will not disappear. "I recently visited a record shop in the U.K. that was selling newly-pressed vinyl records because some people think the sound of the CD has little depth," he said. For him, like vinyl, slides have a distinct charm giving it a strong chance to survive in this new digital era.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 21:51:54|Editor: xuxin

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HARARE, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said he is happy with the gradual improvement of relations between Zimbabwe and Britain and several other Western countries that had sided with London when ties between the two countries soured over two decades ago.

Britain, Zimbabwe's former colonial power, became hostile when Zimbabwe expropriated land from whites for redistribution to the landless black majority.

The program, meant to correct colonial land ownership imbalances, drew the ire of Britain, which then internationalized the issue, resulting in the European Union and the United States imposing economic sanctions on Harare.

Since November 2017, the new political dispensation in Zimbabwe has embarked on a re-engagement program to restore relations with Britain and other Western countries.

Mnangagwa told a meeting on Sunday of Zimbabweans based in the United States that the land reform program is a closed chapter, and that London now fully appreciates that position, state news agency New Ziana reported Monday.

"We are now talking. We have escalated our relations from officials to ministerial level. Very soon, perhaps, it will go beyond ministerial level," he said.

"We are where we are as a result of the decision we took on the land reform program. Be clear, I am not regretting that we took back our land. The land reform is irrevocable. Fortunately, even the British now accept that the issue is dead," Mnangagwa was quoted as saying. "We are discussing with mutual respect to move forward."

The president said he would meet British Minister of State for Africa Harriett Baldwin on the margins of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly to further consolidate ties.

Zimbabwe, he added, had lived in isolation for too long hence the need to focus on improving relations with the global community.

"We cannot anymore live in the past nor do we desire to live in the past," he said.

Mnangagwa said progress is being made toward the country attaining its vision of becoming a middle-income economy by 2030.

"At the time this dispensation came into office in November last year, the per capita income was around 900 U.S. dollars. But within eight months we have moved to 1,500 dollars per capita and we are saying that our goal is to reach 3,500 per capita by 2030 and by then it means we shall become an upper middle-income economy," he said.

Mnangagwa said the task to revive the economy is a process, which requires concerted efforts including from Zimbabweans living in the diaspora.

"I have no doubt that you have gained a lot of international exposure. The good side of what happened is that we now have a body of skilled Zimbabweans residing outside and with our current thrust for modernizing, industrializing, mechanizing, reforming and growing our economy, we have to draw from this reservoir of skills from our people abroad," he said."Political language -- and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists -- is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind."

-- George Orwell, Politics and the English LanguageSource: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 22:22:00|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- China strongly condemned and has lodged stern representation to the Swedish Television SVT for insulting China in its news program, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday.

Spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks when asked for comments on a Swedish news program by the SVT which outrageously insulted China on Friday evening.

The program insulted and attacked China and Chinese people maliciously, Geng said, adding the program moderator's remarks were full of discrimination, prejudice and provocation against China and other ethnic groups, completely deviating from the media professional ethics.

"We strongly condemn it, while the Foreign Ministry of China and the Chinese Embassy in Stockholm have lodged solemn representations and strong protests to the Swedish side respectively in Beijing and Stockholm," he said.

According to the spokesperson, China also urged responsible people of the program to take immediate measures to eliminate bad influence and China would reserve the right to take further measures.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 22:27:02|Editor: xuxin

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that efforts must be made to deny a "safe haven" to drug traffickers.

Addressing a high-level event, called the "Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem," the UN chief said that the situation of drug problem is "alarming."

The meeting was organized by the United States and attended by U.S. President Donald Trump and high-ranking officials of many other countries.

Noting that drug problem is very "personal" and could "knock on our door any moment," the UN chief said "it's our duty to act and act now."

"Global production of opium and manufacturing of cocaine, as the President (Trump) has just said, has never been higher," he said.

"In recent years, some 31 million people around the world required treatment because of their drug use," he added, noting that "some 450,000 people die every year from overdoses or drug-related health issues."

To tackle this complex issue, he said efforts must be made to crack down on drug trafficking and those who profit from human misery and make sure that those who need treatment get it, he said.

"These two principles guided the drug policy launched by my government when I was Prime Minister of Portugal two decades ago," said the UN chief.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 22:27:03|Editor: mym

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Photo taken on Sept. 24, 2018 shows a statue of Nelson Mandela at the United Nations headquarters in New York. A statue of Nelson Mandela was unveiled at the UN headquarters Monday to honor the 100th anniversary of the late South African president's birth. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- A statue of Nelson Mandela was unveiled at the UN headquarters Monday to honor the 100th anniversary of the late South African president's birth.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the ceremony that Mandela "embodied the highest values of the United Nations -- peace, forgiveness, compassion and human dignity."

His fight against apartheid "marks a landmark in human rights and freedom," the UN chief added, thanking the South African government for donating the statue.

A high-level meeting, the Mandala Peace Summit, was scheduled for Monday at the UN for world leaders to renew their commitment to global peace, conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peace building, promotion and protection of human rights and long-term development initiatives.

The UN member states decided in December 2017 to hold the meeting to mark the 100th anniversary of Mandela's birth.

Mandela was born in July 1918 and died five years ago due to a respiratory infection. He was imprisoned for 27 years for his role in the fight against apartheid and became the first black president of South Africa.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 22:52:09|Editor: yan

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by Xinhua writers Naftali Mwaura and Wang Xiaopeng

NAIROBI, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Across Africa, Chinese communities were in an ebullient mood ahead of this year's Mid-Autumn Festival that was observed on Monday this year.

PEACEKEEPERS ENLIVENING MID-AUTUMN FESTIVITIES

Zhang Xiangfa, a soldier of a group of 331 Chinese peacekeepers who arrived in South Sudan in September, celebrated his first Mid-Autumn Festival in the faraway land after his marriage.

The peacekeepers, including a medical unit, are to serve on a one-year mission in a country which has been embroiled in conflict in the past few years.

They are tasked with repairing roads, bridges and airports, constructing and maintaining barracks and shelters, building facilities for water, power and heating supplies, and providing engineering support in mission-areas.

Meanwhile, the medical unit will carry out tasks including treating diseases and performing operations and vaccinations.

"Participating in peacekeeping has made me more aware of the preciousness of harmony and tranquility," said Zhang.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in April that "China is today a very important pillar in our peacekeeping operations."

China is the second largest financial contributor to peacekeeping and one of the countries with a very significant number of peacekeepers on the ground, said Guterres, adding there are about 2,400 Chinese police and peacekeepers on missions in 14 countries.

CHINESE MEDICAL WORKERS BRING CHEER TO AFRICAN PATIENTS

Wang Hefeng and his 15 colleagues, stationed at China-funded Tirunesh-Beijing Hospital on the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, had completed their one-year medical sojourn.

The medical workers wanted to join their families and friends in China to spend the holiday together.

However, they decided to stay at the hospital and work, as the number of Ethiopians coming for medical care is rising during the festival.

China has dispatched a huge batch of medical personnel to offer specialized healthcare services to communities in several African countries.

Wang Junqi, a 33-year-old father and a medical doctor, works as a volunteer at Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, capital of Zambia.

Though he missed being home and being part of the festival celebrations, Wang said it was fulfilling to serve the needy in faraway lands.

The ear and throat specialist is a member of a Chinese medical team that has been deployed to offer volunteer medical services in Zambia under a bilateral agreement signed by the two countries four decades ago.

CULTURAL EVENTS TO CELEBRATE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

The festival was marked with fanfare in Kenya where China's rich culture, language and cuisine have attracted locals.

Peter Gikonyo, a 29-year-old graduate student, said the activities around Mid-Autumn Festival that include family reunions had a powerful resonance in Kenya.

"In China, the Mid-Autumn Festival entails bringing families together to talk amongst themselves and share meals. Just like in China, Kenyans also appreciate family values," said Gikonyo.

He was among dozens of Kenyan youth who learned about preparing mooncakes at a pre Mid-Autumn Festival event held in the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi on Friday.

Chinese communities living in Kenya on Sept. 22 celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival at the China-Kenya Culture Education Center in Nairobi with a gala comprising African dance and Chinese programs, attracting about 300 people.

(Wang Shoubao in Addis Ababa and Peng Lijun in Lusaka also contributed to the story.)Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 22:57:12|Editor: yan

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MOSCOW, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad by phone on Monday about his decision to strengthen Syria's air defense, including providing it with an S-300 surface-to-air missile system.

"Both sides noted readiness for further joint efforts to achieve long-term normalization in Syria, restoration of its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity," a Kremlin statement said.

Earlier in the day, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia will supply an S-300 air defense system and identification, friend or foe equipment to Syria within two weeks after its Il-20 surveillance plane was mistakenly downed by Syria's S-200 system last week.

In areas adjacent to Syria over the Mediterranean, Russia will carry out radio-electronic suppression of satellite navigation, airborne radars and communications systems of combat aircraft attempting to attack facilities on the Syrian territory, Shoigu also said.

The Russian Defense Ministry has said that the Il-20 plane with 15 servicemen on board was shot down by mistake on Sept. 17 by a Syrian missile due to a simultaneous Israeli air strike that confused Syria's S-200 air defense system.

The Israeli military rejected the accusation that its jets deliberately used the Il-20 as a shield and led to its downing.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow's decision to strengthen Syria's air defense was made after week-long discussions between the leadership of the country and military experts.

He said that the deployment of the S-300 system in Syria does not target a third country.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 23:02:14|Editor: yan

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HARARE, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Sunday dismissed claims that his country may fall into a debt trap by China, saying a large portion of Harare's debt to Beijing was for projects which generate revenue to service the loans.

He made the remarks during a meeting with Zimbabweans living in the United States, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to the country's state news agency New Ziana.

China has emerged as a key investor in large infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe and has also extended concessional loans to assist in the development of the economies of many African countries.

However, some Western countries have claimed that the Chinese loans, which have funded several mega projects across Africa, leave many countries in a debt crisis.

Noting that there was nothing wrong with African countries accepting Chinese financing, the president said Zimbabwe had in particular benefited immensely from Chinese funding for the expansion of Kariba South Hydro Power Station, which added 300 MW into the national grid, and that of Hwange Power Station, which would add an additional 600 MW.

"I do not see any danger where you have a project which becomes productive in terms of revenue streams to pay for itself," he said.

"When you finish paying the loan, the asset remains with us and we will continue to have electricity so I do not see the danger there," he said.

Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube, who is also in New York, said there was nothing sinister about the Chinese funding.

"We (Zimbabwe) have a very strong debt sustainability analysis framework which allows us to understand whether we are over indebted or not, and whether we can pay or not. The Chinese also do that analysis themselves and if they find out that you cannot pay they do not lend you the money, this is not free money," he said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 23:12:17|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday accused again the United States and its regional Arab allies of "backing" a recent terror attack in southwestern Iran.

"According to the reports, this cowardly act was carried out by those (Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) who were rescued by the United States when engulfed in (the wars of) Syria and Iraq," Khamenei said at his meeting with a group of Iranian people.

"Their (terrorists') hands are also in the pockets of Saudi Arabia and the UAE," he said, hinting at the two country's financial supports for terrorists.

At least 25 people, including troops and civilians, were killed and 60 others injured in an armed attack on a military parade in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz on Saturday.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 23:17:18|Editor: yan

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by Olatunji Saliu

ABUJA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The number of people killed in a cholera outbreak hitting two out of Nigeria's six northeastern states has risen to 97, according to United Nations data.

Local authorities on Sunday confirmed that 36 people were killed by the water-borne disease in Borno, local daily The Guardian reported on Monday, citing data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

A total of 3,126 cases of acute watery diarrhea (AWD) have been recorded in the two northeastern states of Borno and neighboring Yobe so far, according to the report.

Laboratory tests later confirmed the AWD cases as cholera, a local official told Xinhua.

The Nigerian Center for Disease Control declined to comment on the latest death toll, but confirmed more than 16,353 cholera-related cases have been recorded so far in Nigeria since the beginning of the year.

Last Friday, 61 people were confirmed in cholera-related deaths and 50 others hospitalized in Yobe, according to government data.

The government of Yobe said six local areas have so far been affected by the disease.

Cholera is a highly virulent disease characterized in its most severe form by a sudden onset of acute watery diarrhea that can lead to death.

Borno has 2,137 suspected cases of cholera across eight local districts.

As of Sept. 20, the state had recorded a fatality rate of 1.6 percent in the affected areas, according to the government of Borno.

Inadequate sanitation facilities in the affected local communities and flooding resulting from recent heavy rains are likely causes of the outbreak, said Muhammad Kawuwa, commissioner for health in Yobe.

"Some of the AWD cases were caused by Vibrio bacteria which causes cholera," Kawuwa said.

Over 795 patients were successfully treated and discharged in the past two months, the official said.A general view shows an attack on a military parade in Ahvaz, Iran, on Sept. 22, 2018. This photo is watermarked from source. (ISNA photo)

TEHRAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday accused again the United States and its regional Arab allies of "backing" a recent terror attack in southwestern Iran.

"According to the reports, this cowardly act was carried out by those (Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) who were rescued by the United States when engulfed in (the wars of) Syria and Iraq," Khamenei said at his meeting with a group of Iranian people.

"Their (terrorists') hands are also in the pockets of Saudi Arabia and the UAE," he said, hinting at the two country's financial supports for terrorists.

A Iranian serviceman holds an injured child in an attack on a military parade in Ahvaz, Iran, on Sept. 22, 2018. This photo is watermarked from source. (ISNA photo)

At least 25 people, including troops and civilians, were killed and 60 others injured in an armed attack on a military parade in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz on Saturday.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 23:42:23|Editor: yan

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LUSAKA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Zambia has signed an agreement with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Center for Africa for the establishment of a southern Africa regional office, a senior government official said on Monday.

The deal was signed between Zambia's Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji and SDG Center for Africa director-general Belau Begashaw in New York, the United States.

The agreement will see the country host the office which will be advocating for the implementation of SDGs in the southern African region in line with the principles of the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, the Zambian minister said.

The Zambian minister, who is in New York, for the United Nations General Assembly, said the government was committed to the global principles in the fight against poverty hence its decision to develop the Seventh National Development Plan which has since been aligned to the SDGs, according to a statement released by the Zambia embassy.

The government, he said, was implementing several social protection programs aimed at empowering women and youth as well as other vulnerable people.

Belau Begashaw, SDG Center for Africa director-general, commended the Zambian government for agreeing to host the regional center and committing itself to fighting poverty.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 23:52:28|Editor: yan

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KUNMING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Dai Cunfeng, 45, and Zhang Lianzhi, 68, celebrated this year's Mid-Autumn Festival not only with their family members but also their fellow villagers in Mojiang Hani Autonomous County, Pu'er City, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

On September 8, a 5.9 magnitude quake hit Mojiang, leaving 28 injured and over 160,00 residents relocated. Niuku village and Bingbang village, where Dai and Zhang lived, were among the most severely hit area by the quake.

A total of 182 people in the two villages were relocated. Now they all live in the tents provided by the local government. Quilts, blankets, folding beds, food, and water had been distributed to the affected residents by local quake relief agencies as well.

In order to assist with local disaster-relief efforts, the local publicity department in Mojiang decided to organize art performances to cheer them up.

Near the end of the performance at the Mid-Autumn Festival, fellows in Dai's village spontaneously started their ethnic stomp dance. Glittering in the moonlight, the villagers danced around in a circle hand in hand.

"Our village enjoys Mid-Autumn Festival together this year. And its boisterous atmosphere makes me feel warm inside my heart," said Dai. "Though our houses were damaged, the distance between our hearts is even closer as we live in tents together."

Just a few kilometers away from Dai's village, Zhang was holding a festival ritual with her fellows, decorating the table with preserved and fresh fruits. Two ethnic traditional pastries with red roses on them, each about 30 centimeters in diameter, were also served on the table.

Villagers put their palms together devoutly for a blessing. "We dedicate the pastries to the moon first, and after the ritual, the villagers will share the sacrifice, praying for peace, family reunion and happiness."

"The government is planning and constructing our new homes with special areas for animal breeding, as well as kitchens and bathrooms," said Dai.

"It is said that we can move there in next spring. If so, we will live a better live in the new house," Dai's husband said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 23:57:29|Editor: yan

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BERLIN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not take part in the first-ever official state banquet to be hosted for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan here, German media reported on Monday.

The reports cited information from government circles confirming rumors that Merkel would not attend the event hosted by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at his official residence of Bellevue palace.

Merkel is one of several German guests to turn down the invitation. Earlier, Free Democratic Party (FDP) leader Christian Lindner said he would not come to the banquet in order not to become a "part of Erdogan propaganda." Green party leaders Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck have also declined their invitations.

Although the Turkish leader has already visited Germany dozens of times in his official function as prime minister and president, his current visit marks the first time he has been offered full military honors, as well as a state banquet.

Merkel reportedly justified her absence by saying she already has two lengthy meetings scheduled with Erdogan during his two-day visit from Sept. 27 to 29. However, German media interpreted the decision as a further sign of lasting strains in the traditionally close relationship between Berlin and Ankara.

Before embarking on a diplomatic visit to Turkey recently, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas vowed to reiterate demands for Ankara to release several German citizens who remain imprisoned there on political grounds. Maas told the press that it was "no secret" that a spat of such arrests in the wake of a failed military coup against the Turkish president in 2016 had "cast a shadow" over German-Turkish ties.

The foreign minister, who will not be in Germany himself during Erdogan's visit, emphasized that there could be no normalization of bilateral relations until the last seven German political prisoners in Turkey were freed.

Nevertheless, the Turkish official has expressed hopes that during meetings with representatives of leading German companies on Thursday and Friday, the country will succeed in encouraging trade with, and investment from, the eurozone's largest economy and Turkey's largest trading partner.

Turkey is currently in the midst of a severe currency crisis, a circumstance which has raised pressure on Erdogan to provide markets with signs of reassurance, such as an expression of continued confidence in the prospects of Turkish growth from Germany.

While Erdogan may well find that business leaders are more welcoming towards him than politicians in Germany, at least one of his vocal critics in the country announced that he would attend the state banquet in Bellevue Palace. Cem Oezdemir, a former Greens leader with Turkish roots, told the newspaper Tagesspiegel that although Erdogan did not deserve the dinner, he would still accept his invitation in order to send a signal that political opposition was a "firm and necessary part" of German democracy.Photo taken on Sept. 22 shows the scene of rescue. Tanzanian authorities said on Saturday the death toll in the ferry that capsized in Lake Victoria on Thursday rose to 209 as more bodies were expected to be pulled off one of Africa's great lakes. (Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said on Monday more bodies could be trapped inside the ferry that capsized in Lake Victoria on Thursday, killing at least 226 people.

"Work to pull the ill-fated ferry out of the lake started yesterday (Sunday) and one more body of a child has been recovered this morning (Monday morning)," said Majaliwa in his public address to the nation broadcast live on Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation.

"We suspect there might be more bodies trapped inside the ferry," Majaliwa said, adding that the operation to recover the bodies will continue until the ferry is pulled out of the waters of one of Africa's largest great lakes.

The announcement by the prime minister on the recovery of the body of the child brought to 226 the total number of death from the ferry tragedy.

Majaliwa said President John Magufuli has directed relevant authorities to immediately announce tenders for the assembly of a new 50-tonne ferry with the capacity to ferry more than 200 people.

He said the government has formed a seven-member investigative team of experts led by former army general George Waitara to establish what caused the sinking of the ferry.

Photo taken on Sept. 22 shows a survivor of the accident. (Xinhua)

"I have directed the team to come up with a full report in one month's time," said Majaliwa.

Following the ferry accident, President Magufuli on Sunday dissolved the board of directors of the Tanzania Electrical, Mechanical and Electronics Services Agency (TEMESA), which is mandated to provide efficient and effective electrical, mechanical and electronic services, and reliable and safe ferry transport services.

A terse statement by the Directorate of Presidential Communication at State House in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam said President Magufuli dissolved the TEMESA board of directors chaired by retired army Brig. Gen. Mabula Mashauri to pave way for investigations.

At the same time, Magufuli on Monday revoked the appointment of the chairman of the Board of Directors of the country's transport regulator, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA), John Ndunguru.

The president also dissolved the SUMATRA board of directors following the ferry accident and several other accidents across the country that have claimed the lives of hundreds of people and caused loss of property.

Meanwhile, the Tanzania People's Defense Forces (TPDF) on Sunday began the arduous task of pulling out the ferry from Lake Victoria.

"Pulling the ferry out of the lake is a grueling task. Pray for us... this task could take us seven days," said Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Venance Mabeyo.

On Sunday, prime minister Majaliwa said police have arrested a number of officials responsible for operations of the ill-fated ferry.

Photo taken on Sept. 22 shows the scene of rescue.(Xinhua)

"Police have arrested a number of officials for questioning following the grisly marine accident as investigations continue," said Majaliwa at the national burial of nine victims who were not identified by relatives.

About 216 victims have already been identified by relatives and their bodies collected for burial.

On Friday, President Magufuli announced a four-day mourning for the victims of the ferry accident. The mourning period ends on Monday.

According to sources, the ferry, with a capacity of 101 passengers and 25 tonnes of cargo, capsized at around 1 p.m. local time Thursday.

The last major ferry accident on Lake Victoria occurred in 1996 in the same region, killing at least 500 people.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 00:07:33|Editor: yan

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LUSAKA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank on Monday announced that it has partnered with the Zambian government for a project that will see the construction of 82 secondary schools.

The schools will be constructed at a cost of 62 million U.S. dollars under a project called Zambia Education Enhancement Project (ZEEP) in seven of the southern African nation's 10 provinces.

Nalin Jena, World Bank Senior Education Specialist, said the bank wanted to see enhanced quality of education delivery specially in mathematics and science.

In remarks delivered when he led a delegation from the World Bank to the Ministry of General Education, the World Bank official said the bank will assist the ministry in improving its data storage system as the current one was inefficient.

According to him, human development was a key strategic pillar in the socio-economic development of any country, adding that the project was also meant to assist the country realize its strategic goals of the human development pillar in its Seventh National Development Plan.

Henry Tukombe, Ministry of General Education Permanent Secretary in charge of education services, said the quality of education was expected to improve with the implementation of the project which will also see 764 teachers trained.

Felix Phiri, Ministry of General Education in charge of administration, commended the World Bank for the support to the education sector, saying it resonates with the government's desire to take education to all parts of the country.

According to him, the project was in line with government's agenda of becoming a middle-income country by 2030, adding that the ministry will achieve a number of its goals through the project.

He has since assured the World Bank of prudent utilization of the funds for the project which will come to an end in 2022.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 00:12:34|Editor: yan

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GENEVA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Asia is now the dominant source of worldwide Intellectual Property applications, accounting on average across the various IP rights for over 60 percent of them, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Francis Gurry said Monday.

He said rapid technological change is driving demand for intellectual property rights and growth in the WIPO global IP systems.

Gurry was speaking at the opening of the 2018 WIPO Assemblies to some to some 1,000 delegates from the organization's member States.

He noted that that IP is increasingly important in policy-making and international trade.

In a written report presented to the assemblies, Gurry said that in 2017, 49.1 percent of all applications came from countries located in Asia, the same as the combined share for Europe (24.9 percent) and North America (24.2 percent).

"If current trends continue, Asia will very soon be the source of more than half of all PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) filings," said Gurry.

China, he said, recorded another year of remarkable growth with 13.4 percent more applications in 2017 than in 2016 and moved into the second spot as a source of international patent applications.

Overall, the United States continues to be the top source of applications, followed by China, Japan, Germany and the Republic of Korea.

Intellectual property continues to grow in economic and social importance around the world, said Gurry.

"This increased prominence is being driven by rapid, profound and pervasive technological change, which is shaping the future of the economy and placing increasing value on knowledge in its economic and commercial expression as intangible assets," he said.

This has resulted in increased demand for IP rights and the centrality of IP to innovation.

"We see this change in the position of IP unfolding in many ways -- in demand for IP rights, in attention to IP as a part of innovation and industrial strategy by both governments and enterprises, in trade discussions and in news and analysis within the media and the general public," said the WIPO head.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 00:22:35|Editor: yan

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BERLIN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- A large majority of teachers in Germany is unsatisfied with the quality of digital services and physical infrastructure in the country's school system, a study published on Monday by the German Union for Education and Science (GEW) found.

According to the GEW study, digitalization represents an area where the German education sector still suffers from a worrying lack of appropriate equipment and training.

"(A total of) 82 percent of respondents indicated an improvement of digital infrastructure at schools as being either important or very important. 82 percent demanded for the provision of additional funds to be the highest or a very high priority," GEW president Marlis Tepe complained.

The findings were based on a representative survey of the GEW's 280,000-strong membership conducted by the Mauss Research institute during the summer.

In the survey, the educators raised concerns that a failure to ensure that schools were at the cutting edge of digitalization could enhance the leverage enjoyed over them by private companies. "The teachers want the state to remain in charge of digitalization (in the education sector), rather than leaving the field to large media companies," Tepe said.

Aside from infrastructure surrounding digitalization, teachers also lamented deterioration in the quality of schools in Germany more generally.

"There is great dissatisfaction with the condition of buildings, the spatial possibilities -- especially with view to all-day schooling, hygiene and the availability of teaching materials," the GEW president emphasized.

Asked specifically what type of physical infrastructure they needed, topping the wish list were functional rooms, geared specifically to certain types of academic subjects, and rooms to hold conversations with parents.

Tepe argued that the figures cast an "unfavorable light" on how little Germany was doing to provide the appropriate framework conditions to successfully educate its next generation.

The GEW president predicted that a promise by the federal government to provide schools with 3.5 billion euros (4.1 billion U.S. dollars) for school renovations and 5 billion euros for a digitalization offensive would be "much too little" to make a meaningful difference.

A recent study by the state-owned KfW banking group has warned that German schools already have a cumulative backlog of necessary investment in public infrastructure worth 47.7 billion euros.

To address these issues, as well as a widely-publicized shortage of qualified teaching staff, Tepe called on the ruling grand coalition government to organize an urgent high-level summit of national policy makers on the country's ongoing education crisis.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 00:22:36|Editor: yan

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RIYADH, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led coalition involved in a war in Yemen vowed on Monday to continue to target suspicious ships threatening navigation in the Red Sea.

The warning was issued after an Iranian ship with military experts onboard was found using spying devices to monitor ships crossing the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, Turki Al Maliki, the coalition spokesman, told a press conference aired on Al Akhbariya local news TV.

The ship is assisting Houthi militias in threatening the international navigation, he added.

Saudi Arabia has been leading the war against Iran-allied Houthis in support of the exiled Yemeni government in the last three years.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 00:57:39|Editor: yan

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SARAJEVO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) will contribute an additional 1.1 million euros (1.29 million U.S. dollars) to the de-mining projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), an agreement signed here on Monday shows.

The money will be divided in two projects that will have the end goal of clearance of mines. The first project relates to reconnaissance of the suspected areas and the second one relates to the establishment of the new database on areas covered by mines and establishment of the web application.

At the press conference held in the capital Sarajevo on Monday, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the EU to BiH Khaldoun Sinno signed the agreement titled "General Assessment of Suspected Areas in BiH 2018 - 2019" with BiH Minister of Defense Marina Pendes.

Sinno pointed out that the EU, apart from demining projects, provides support to the victims of mines, to returnees. He expressed hope that by the year 2025, BiH will be completely cleaned of mines.

The realization of the first project is planned to be finished by December 2019 and will be executed with help of 14 non-technical research teams from BiH Armed Forces, BiH Mine Action Centre and Norwegian National Aid, according to a BiH Armed Forces statement.

"I am assured that, with the new methodology, it will be much easier to attain the goal of 2025 as the year when BiH will be truly cleared of mines," Pendes said.

After the war that took place here from 1992-1995, 1,756 people were injured by mines or unexploded ordnance, of which 613 were killed. During the de-mining operations in BiH, 51 deminers were killed.

More than 20 years after the war ended in BiH, there are still reports on casualties from unexploded ordnance, and according to estimations done by BiH Mine Action Centre, 2.2 percent of BiH territory are still covered by mines, out of which, 60 percent is located in the woods.

According to the latest data, there are 1,398 vulnerable sites containing mines in 129 municipalities in BiH. Possible contamination with mines directly affects the safety of about 545,603 inhabitants, or 15 per cent of the total population.

Since 1996, the year marking the end of the war in BiH, the EU has invested 46 million euros (54.2 million U.S. dollars) for demining programs in BiH.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 01:02:42|Editor: yan

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RAMALLAH, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) announced on Monday that its fiscal deficit has declined thanks to new donations.

Sami Mshasha, a UNRWA spokesman, told the official Palestinian radio station Voice of Palestine Radio that UNRWA has reduced its deficit from 217 million U.S. dollars to 186 million dollars by "mobilizing new contributions from traditional countries and partners."

International and Arab donors are scheduled to convene soon in New York at the side line of the UN General Assembly to discuss the UNRWA financial crisis, according to Mshasha.

He said the financial crisis, which affects the services of the UN refugee agency, has negative impact on the Palestinian refugees.

The Palestinian refugees "want a multi-year financial stability in order to have regular services," Mshasha stressed.

The United States supported UNRWA with 360 million dollars annually in the past, but this year it cut the amount to 60 million dollars, and decided to stop funding from next year.

The UN refugee agency, established by a UN General Assembly resolution in 1949, provides services to about 5 million registered Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Its services include education, health care, relief, social services, infrastructure and camp improvement.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 01:02:43|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is likely to meet with the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Un, "quite soon."

Speaking with media as he came to the United Nations for an anti-drug speech, Trump said that "tremendous progress" has been achieved concerning the DPRK's efforts on nuke and missile test halting.

"It was a different world," Trump said when asked to note the difference of this year's Korean Peninsula situation from that of last year. "That was a dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time."

"It looks like we'll have a second summit quite soon," he said. "As you know Kim Jong Un wrote a letter, a beautiful letter, asking for a second meeting and we will be doing that."

He added that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is doing preparations for the two leaders' summit.

Trump was expected to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in later on Monday. Moon met with Kim last week and was reportedly carrying a personal message from Kim to Trump.

At the conclusion of the historic Trump-Kim summit in June in Singapore, the two sides issued a joint statement, agreeing to improve bilateral relations and work together to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the peninsula.

However, U.S.-DPRK 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.

In August, just one day after Pompeo announced his visit to the DPRK, Trump tweeted that he had asked Pompeo not to go due to the insufficient progress with the DPRK.

During his Sept. 18-20 trip to Pyongyang, Moon held talks with Kim, and signed the Pyongyang Declaration on further steps toward the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization and concrete measures to end hostile acts near inter-Korean border areas.

Pompeo said later in response that the United States is ready to transform its relations with the DPRK immediately.

Pompeo added that he had invited DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho to meet in New York City where they are scheduled to attend the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

He also said on Friday that he hoped to travel to Pyongyang soon to prepare for the second summit between Trump and Kim.A Palestinian patient receives treatment at the department of kidney dialyses at a hospital, during the worsening crisis of power outages, in the Gaza City, on Aug. 14, 2017. (Xinhua File photo)

GAZA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Gaza health ministry warned on Monday that the mounting severe shortage of medicines is risking the life of thousands of patients in the Gaza Strip, especially those who suffer from chronic diseases.

"Primary Health Care services and their programs and protocols are at risk as the deficit in essential drug lists becomes more acute," Maher Shamiya, director general of the ministry's Primary Care, told a news briefing in Gaza City.

According to him, around 100 out of 143 Primary Health Care medicines are unavailable. Besides, another 16 may run out in the next three months.

Shamiya warned that lack of medicine will deprive patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma, of continued treatment for the next three months.

It has become very difficult for patients to "obtain medicines from government health centers or the local market," Shamiya noted.

In addition, there is also a severe shortage of therapeutic milk for children.

A Palestinian patient receives treatment at the department of kidney dialyses at a hospital, during the worsening crisis of power outages, in the Gaza City, on Aug. 14, 2017. (Xinhua File photo)

The situation is "life-threatening" and "complications are expected if the crisis is not resolved," the health official concluded.

The Gaza Strip has been suffering from an Israeli blockade since 2007. One of the Israeli restrictions is that the patients in Gaza are not allowed to move freely for medical treatment.

Ashraf al-Qedra, the ministry spokesman, told Xinhua that the Israeli authorities prevent about 60 percent of Gazan patients from travelling abroad for medical treatment.

A total of "56 patients died in 2017 because they were banned by Israel from travelling abroad for medical treatment," al-Qedra said.

Such moves by Israel violated the international conventions, including the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Humanitarian Law, he added.

Meanwhile, the medical work by the health facilities in the Gaza Strip are at risk of being interrupted by the shortage of fuel needed to operate generators used to cope with frequent power cuts.

The United Nations recently warned of the lack of funds allocated to purchase emergency fuel for hospitals, water stations and other vital installations in the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza Strip suffers from a deficit of more than two thirds of its electricity supply, leaving the residents there with only four hours of electricity every half day.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 02:38:05|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Fuad Hussein speaks at a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 25, 2018. The leader of the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Masoud Barzani on Monday nominated Fuad Hussein as the party's presidential candidate. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)

BAGHDAD, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The leader of the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Masoud Barzani on Monday nominated Fuad Hussein as the party's presidential candidate.

"Based on his competence and abilities, I nominated Dr. Fuad Hussein for this post," Barzani said in a statement.

Fuad Hussein, 69, is an independent Kurdish politician born in the city of Khanaqin in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala. He graduated in 1971 from the Education College in Baghdad University and served as the head of president office of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan since 2005.

On Sept. 19, the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) named Burham Salih as their presidential candidate, asserting that the ceremonial post should be held by one of the party's members.

After the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the PUK leader Jalal Talabani acted as the Iraqi president until 2014, when Fuad Masoum, a PUK leading figure, took over the post.

Since 2003, an informal power-sharing system agreed upon by Iraq's three largest ethnic-sectarian components stated that the prime minister is a Shiite Arab, the speaker of parliament a Sunni Arab and the president a Kurd.

The Iraqi newly-elected parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi set Sept. 25 as the date for the next parliament session to vote on Kurdish candidates for the presidency.

According to the Iraqi constitution, the president-elect needs to gather at least two thirds of the votes. Then, the elected president needs to form a government within 30 days.

If the parliament lawmakers fail to vote by a two-third majority, the two candidates with the highest number of votes shall compete with each other and the one receiving the majority of votes in the second round of vote shall be declared the president of Iraq.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 02:43:07|Editor: yan

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by Alessandra Cardone

TURIN, Italy, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- As it happens to plant varieties, seeds, or animal species, also villages can be at risk of extinction.

Yet, they should be preserved as much as biodiversity, for they are part of the gastronomy and cultural heritage, and usually provide a model of production sustainable for the environment.

This message was largely discussed at the 12th edition of the Terra Madre-Salone del Gusto, one of the world's largest exhibitions of local food cultures that ran in the Italian city of Turin on Sept. 20-24.

More than 5,000 delegates from 140 countries and regions, over 800 exhibitors, and 500 food communities took part in the event this year.

Representatives with Slow Food -- the grassroots movement promoting the right of access to sustainable, healthy, and fair food at global level -- said this would become a new guideline.

"The defense of villages represents the new frontier on which Slow Food has to work globally," Carlo Petrini, founder and president of Slow Food International, told a conference.

The risk of extinction for villages was directly connected to the urbanization of hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Experts warned such wide trend would risk making development less and less sustainable for environment and human health, unless a partial balance could be found in small-scale production communities.

FOOD TRADITIONS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD

Abdullahi Adem from Ethiopia could easily agree with this concept. Behind the desk of his country's stand, he explained properties and benefits of an organic honey made in the Oromia region.

"This honey comes from an area some 3,000 meters high in the mountains, and it is not their only special product," Adem told Xinhua.

Yet, he said, if that community was not to be protected by social and climate changes, farmers could gradually disappear, along with all of their farming knowledge.

The stalls of the international exhibitors offered a wide variety of products to discover and taste, mostly food.

For example, there were special teas from South Africa and forest-friendly teas from Thailand, organic cranberries from Latvia, saffron from Afghanistan, wild fruits from Argentina, seaweeds from Japan, lupine beans from Peru, karite butter from Burkina Faso, among others.

Andrea, a 36-year-old office worker from Rimini, Italy seemed interested in everything. The man stressed local productions and environment-friendly consumption were both crucial in his idea of development.

"My family and I like genuine food that is also produced in a sustainable way," he told Xinhua. "Unfortunately, daily life in a city does not always make this practice easy to follow, and the access to large-scale distribution is still the simplest way to buy food."

For Slow Food's Petrini, the link between protecting villages and promoting a sustainable food production (the "Food for Change" campaign) was strong.

"The more you protect life in villages, the stronger our 'Food for Change' message is," he told Xinhua.

In fact, people would take care more easily of their original land, and best practices were easier to implement in small communities.

"But if we lose all small centers, raising awareness about a eco-friendly food production becomes harder," Petrini said.

SLOW VILLAGES IN CHINA

A project repeatedly mentioned by experts at the Salone del Gusto referred to China, where the local branch of Slow Food planned to create 1,000 "slow villages" by 2025.

"We are outlining the specific guidelines on how to create a slow village," Sun Qun, secretary general of Slow Food Great China, told Xinhua. "We will be ready to start the construction of the first village by the end of this year, with the help of the Chengdu city's government."

The pilot project would be developed in the community of Anren near the city of Chengdu, in the Sichuan province, which hosted the 2017 Slow Food Int'l Congress.

Sun explained the goal was to have slow villages formed by original farmers, original inhabitants, and original food productions.

This might not be easy, since many local farmers would not easily believe a slow village could become a new community. Yet, Sun stressed, China today offered big opportunities.

"I see at least three major tools: the first is communication, which is very developed in China and could help us present the slow village to the society as a 'fashionable' model," he said.

Secondly, major players in the logistic technology sector might get involved, providing small farmers in villages a larger access to the market.

Finally, Sun suggested Chinese big chains of restaurants could play a role.

"These chains have young chefs, who aim at becoming not just good professionals in the food industry, but 'fashionable' chefs," he said. "If we are able to involve them in the project, invite them to visit a slow village... We could show them one way to be really innovative in their profession."Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 02:53:09|Editor: Yang Yi

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt during their meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York, on Sept. 24, 2018. (Xinhua/Qin Lang)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday urged Britain to honor its commitment not to take sides regarding the South China Sea issue.

While meeting with his British counterpart Jeremy Hunt on the margins of the UN General Assembly, Wang said China expects Britain to materialize its promise and show true respect for China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China expects Britain to do more things that promote bilateral ties, rather than those that undermine mutual trust, so as to secure a healthy and stable development of China-Britain relations, Wang said.

For his part, Hunt reiterated Britain's stance that it will not take sides on the South China Sea issue, and is willing to properly handle disputes through dialogue with China.

He added that Britain is willing to build a Golden Era together with China, and it does not believe that China's rise is a threat.File Photo: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt co-chair the Ninth China-UK Strategic Dialogue in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2018. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday urged Britain to honor its commitment not to take sides regarding the South China Sea issue.

While meeting with his British counterpart Jeremy Hunt on the margins of the UN General Assembly, Wang said China expects Britain to materialize its promise and show true respect for China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China expects Britain to do more things that promote bilateral ties, rather than those that undermine mutual trust, so as to secure a healthy and stable development of China-Britain relations, Wang said.

For his part, Hunt reiterated Britain's stance that it will not take sides on the South China Sea issue, and is willing to properly handle disputes through dialogue with China.

He added that Britain is willing to build a Golden Era together with China, and it does not believe that China's rise is a threat.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 03:08:15|Editor: yan

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VILNIUS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Ingrida Simonyte, Lithuanian economist, member of parliament and former minister of finance, announced on Monday that she would run for the Baltic country's presidential office.

Simonyte confirmed that she would participate in the opposition's conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrat party's (TS-LKD) open primary election and, in the case of success, run for the president's office next May.

"I confirmed my intention to take part in the party's primary election and further in the election of Lithuania's president if my candidacy is supported by the party members and other supporters eligible to vote," Simonyte told reporters at a press conference in Vilnius.

As reported earlier, TS-LKD branches put forward a total of 12 candidates for the 2019 Lithuanian presidential election, but only one of them will be nominated in November. Simonyte received the strongest support from the members of TS-LKD.

A "very big support" from the party's community, as well as non-partial supporters, was the main reason behind the decision to put forward her candidacy, Simonyte said.

"It would be too arrogant to reject or ignore this support. I suppose that people relate my person with expectations of different, probably more open, more sincere and respectful policy," Simonyte noted.

It is up to voters to decide whether she can meet these expectations or not, Simonyte added.

When asked by reporters about the frequent comparisons of her and the incumbent President Dalia Grybauskaite, the politician said that "such similarities are drawn from the fact that we are not used to see many women in politics and have some kind of stereotype."

Forty-three-year-old Simonyte was not a member of TS-LKD, however in 2016 she was elected to the parliament with the party's list and currently belongs to TS-LKD fraction in the parliament.

An economist with a master's degree from Vilnius University, Simonyte served as a member of the board at the Bank of Lithuania before she became a member of parliament. During the financial crisis years, from 2009 to 2012, Simonyte was Lithuania's finance minister.

With eight months to go before the presidential election, official announcements about participation have been made by philosopher Arvydas Juozaitis, economist Gitanas Nauseda, diplomat Vygaudas Usackas, MPs Ausra Maldeikiene and Naglis Puteikis, and members of European Parliament Valentinas Mazuronis and Petras Austrevicius.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 03:13:17|Editor: yan

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ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Majority of the victims from the recent deadly conflict that killed 28 people on the outskirt of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa have restarted their lives afresh as security situations restored.

More than 15,000 people had left their homes since early last week as the attack drove them to flee and seek refuge in schools and other public facilities across Addis Ababa.

The displaced people, who initially hesitated to return back home amid fears of potential attack, over the past few days returned home as security restored following massive government-led efforts to make peace among the conflicting groups.

As majority of the displaced people left their homes abandoning their belongings, public institutions -including universities, regional state administrations - and private business-people have been contributing mainly through financial support to help them restart afresh.

Since Friday, some 11,902 affected people returned to their respective townships seeking fresh start to their lives with financial as well as emotional support from Ethiopians.

According to Oromia regional police, security situations are under control since late last week while discussions that aimed at peaceful coexistence were held among the various groups in the affected townships, eventually restoring better livelihood for conflicting parties.

Some 26 people have so far been confirmed dead from the conflict, while 15,086 others left their homes staying in 20 refugee camps across Addis Ababa, according to the Addis Ababa City Administration.

Seventeen of the 20 temporary refugee centers - most of which are schools - are now terminated and restarted their normal services as majority of the displaced people returned home.

The remaining 1,514 others are currently staying in three active camps in the city. According to the city administration, the remaining displaced people are also expected to return back to their lives soon.

The attack happened early last week, in which video footage circulating across various social media platforms - showing dead bodies and looted houses and properties - incited anger among Ethiopians.

Thousands of Ethiopians took to the streets in Addis Ababa to protest the attack, urging the east African country's government to take action and protect civilians. They also called for the provision of swift support from the government to displaced people.

Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had also condemned the deadly attack and vowed to bring perpetrators before justice.

"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 was in Saudi Arabia during the attack to witness the signing of a peace agreement with Eritrea, was quoted as saying.

Ethiopia's Oromia regional state had last week announced the arrest of regional security officers and government officials for failing to discharge their responsibilities during the recent conflict on the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

Police, in the aftermath of the attack, also arrested hundreds of suspects in connection with the attack.

Authorities also indicated that they have seized various armaments in areas where the deadly ethnic-based attack occurred.

As angry demonstrators took the streets of Addis Ababa protesting the attack, five people were shot dead amid confrontations between police and demonstrators.

Ethiopia Federal Police Commissioner Zeynu 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.

The latest incidents followed recent deadly clashes in Addis Ababa between local residents and youth from surrounding areas who came to celebrate the return of a rebel leader from exile.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 03:28:23|Editor: yan

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ARUSHA, Tanzania, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania on Monday defended its decision of importing a male black rhino from the United States to help in breeding the endangered species.

The eight-year-old male East African black rhino known as Eric from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park was last week successfully moved to Tanzania's western Serengeti National Park, in an effort to save the critically endangered species from extinction.

Faustine Masalu, Tanzania's acting director of the wildlife division in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, defended the move saying it was not only for multiplying the number of rhinos in Tanzania but also improving the rhinos' gene pool through cross-breeding.

"Eric is a strong rhino and we are confident this will be manifested through its off-springs," Masalu said.

Masalu said Eric roots were from a tropical zone and was indeed sub species from Africa, and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute and the Tanzania Wildlife Authority had been consulted before the undertaking.

"All processes were followed including engaging wildlife authorities and researchers," said Masalu.

"It will remain in a small enclosure before it is released into the wild as it tries to acclimatize its new home," said Masalu, adding that Eric will be under the watchful eyes of veterinary officers all the time.

The ecological undertaking involving the 1,157-kilogram black rhino was planned, organized and coordinated by Singita Grumeti Fund (SGF), a non-profit organization carrying out wildlife conservation and community development work in the western corridor of the Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania.

Eric, who is now acclimatizing to its new home in the 350,000-acre private concession, is said to be a gift to Tanzania by San Diego Zoo as a way of increasing population of the critically endangered eastern black rhino within the greater Serengeti ecosystem.

However, the move faces strong criticism from local media, with some questioning Tanzania's ability in conserving its wildlife.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 03:28:24|Editor: yan

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JERUSALEM, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The number of Chinese tourists to Israel rose by about 30 percent in August year on year, according to data published Monday by the Israel's Ministry of Tourism.

During the last month, some 8,700 Chinese tourists arrived in Israel, compared with 6,700 a year ago.

However, in the first half of 2018, the number of tourists to Israel from China dropped sharply, due to a travel warning issued by the Chinese government last December, immediately after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

As a result, in January, the number of Chinese tourists to Israel dropped by 27 percent year on year, and the decline continued until July, when there was still a sharp drop of 17 percent in Chinese tourist arrivals year on year.

The data also showed that 65,500 tourists from China visited Israel from January to August this year.

The number of tourists from China to Israel is expected to increase further with the planned launch of the new Sichuan Airlines flight between Chengdu and Tel Aviv on Sept. 26.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 04:33:36|Editor: yan

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HELSINKI, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said on Monday the Finnish-Russian relations will not be affected by the major police raid on seventeen foreign owned properties in strategic locations in the archipelago in southwestern Finland.

Finnish media has reported that the real estate that were inspected over the weekend are largely of Russian ownership via companies in Finland and the rest of the EU.

Niinisto said, however, that he has been concerned for a long time about Russian purchase of real estate in strategically important areas in Finland.

Talking to the media in New York, he said he had been aware of the planned major investigation in the Turku archipelago "for a long time". Niinisto is in New York attending the UN general assembly.

The enterprise being investigated has not been identified by Finnish officials, due to the legal restrictions on naming suspects.

Niinisto declined to comment on whether the properties investigated should be expropriated. He said, however, that the state of Finland does not have expropriation rights in case the real estates were purchased many years ago. He said legislation should be updated so that comparable purchases should be looked into carefully in the future.

Earlier on Monday, Finnish Defense Minister Jussi Niinisto said a legislative reform on foreign ownership of militarily important areas will be submitted to parliament this autumn.

The comments of the Russian side are not available now.

Finnish police has detained one Russian and one Estonian citizen. The police investigation focused on tax fraud and money laundering. A Russian individual has been reported to be a key background person for the real estate project being investigated. He has not been identified. He is reportedly also a citizen of Malta.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 04:43:40|Editor: Yang Yi

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KIEV, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Monday donated 50 ambulances fitted with life-saving equipment to Ukraine.

A memorandum to hand over the vehicles was signed in Kiev by Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Du Wei and acting Health Minister of Ukraine Uliana Suprun.

The donation, worth about 3.5 million U.S. dollars, was granted to Ukraine in accordance with an agreement between Chinese and the Ukrainian governments in 2016.

Under the deal, 44 ambulances will be distributed among the centers of emergency medical care and disaster medicine in all 24 regions across Ukraine.

Besides, six vehicles will be dispatched to the medical institutions of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry and the National Guard of Ukraine.

Chinese experts have already trained Ukrainian healthcare workers to operate the ambulances and the equipment installed inside.

At the ceremony to sign the memorandum, Suprun expressed her gratitude to China for the donation, saying it would help Ukraine deliver better and faster emergency care.

"I appreciate the Chinese government for granting the aid for the emergency medical care. Currently, it is the priority for our government," Suprun said.

For his part, Du said that in the past years, China has provided Ukraine with various kinds of aid on the basis of three key principles: not imposing any political conditions, granting only high-quality equipment, and making contributions in such fields as medical care, education and post-disaster recovery.

"Following these principles, we will continue providing assistance to the friendly Ukrainian people," Du said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 04:43:41|Editor: yan

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LONDON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Department for Transport (DfT) in London spelled out Monday the potential impact on air travel if Britain leaves the European Union without a new deal.

Media reports said in a no-deal could see some flights between Britain and EU members grounded if Britain crashes out of the bloc without a deal, and without an emergency deal to keep flights operating.

The DfT released six technical notices setting out plans to be put into place if Britain and the EU failed to strike a post-Brexit deal.

The documents detailed the potential impact of a no deal scenario on transport policy, including people flying or driving vehicles from and to Europe as well as the affects of the haulage industry.

It would affect millions of passengers every year, unless both sides agree to allow planes to continue flying.

The British government said it will unilaterally grant EU airlines permission to land at British airports and hopes that EU members would reciprocate.

But the document added: "If the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 with no agreement in place, UK and EU licensed airlines would lose the automatic right to operate air services between the UK and the EU without seeking advance permission."

The DfT said there would be no disruption to air traffic control across British airspace as this is guaranteed under international conventions.

The notice added there will be more information in the coming months, with the aim of giving aviation businesses and passengers as much certainty as possible ahead of Britain's exit from the EU next March.

The document added: "Negotiations are progressing well and both we and the EU continue to work hard to seek a positive deal. However, it's our duty as a responsible government to prepare for all eventualities, including 'no deal', until we can be certain of the outcome of those negotiations."

It added that if Britain leaves the EU with no agreement in place, Britain and EU licensed airlines would lose the automatic right to operate air services between the UK and the EU without seeking advance permission.

This would mean, said the advice, that airlines operating between Britain and the EU would need to seek individual permissions to operate. EU-licensed airlines would lose the ability to operate wholly within Britain, for example from London Heathrow to Edinburgh, and Britain-licensed airlines would lose the ability to operate intra-EU air services, such as from Milan to Paris.

The latest papers also said people taking dogs and cats on holiday to EU countries may have to make preparations for pet travel at least four months in advance instead of the current two months.

The DfT said that for business, a more proactive approach will be necessary to ensure new procedures are in place for March 2019.

Included in the latest papers were recommendations hauliers may want to take step to prepare for any future trailer registration requirements, and to ensure drivers have the right documentation.Chen Yuan, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), delivers a keynote speech at the Second Conference of the non-governmental forum of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Beijing, capital of China, June 28, 2017. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

NEW YORK, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday underlined the role of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in regional security and development issues.

Attending a meeting in New York with foreign ministers or representatives of other CICA members, Wang said that since China assumed the CICA presidency in May 2014, the mechanism has been a security cooperation forum that has the widest coverage, largest membership and most representation in Asia, and it has played an important and constructive role in promoting regional stability and prosperity.

He proposed that the forum be enhanced for sustained peace and security, win-win development, innovative transformation, and inclusive partnership in the future.

All the CICA members shall confront resolutely against unilateralism, protectionism and hegemony, in a bid to promote fairer multilateralism and build a new type of international relations, said the Chinese top diplomat.

China calls on all CICA members to deepen cooperation in trust-building, ensure effective operation, and expand collaboration with outside countries and international organizations, he said.

China will hand over its presidency to Tajikistan, Wang announced.

For their parts, foreign ministers of countries including Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Pakistan exchanged ideas on CICA cooperation, and spoke highly of China's contribution to the forum during its presidency.

All parties agreed to grasp the new opportunities brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative, actively promote fair and just multilateralism, build a new type of international relations, and forge a community of shared interests, responsibility and future.

The CICA was established in 1992 as a forum for dialogue and consultation on security issues in Asia. Among its 26 member countries are China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia and Thailand. It also includes other countries and international organizations as observers.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 05:23:51|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that globally, investments of 5-7 trillion U.S. dollars are needed each year to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Addressing the High-Level Meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN chief said that "our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals will require a surge in financing and investments."

"Our efforts today are about more than mobilizing resources. At heart, they are about ensuring that the ambitious 2030 Agenda delivers for people and planet," said the secretary-general.

"This is no easy task. The financing needs of the 2030 Agenda are immense," he added.

Noting that "some progress" in mobilizing resources has been made, the UN chief said that "more is needed. Much more."

"Today, more funds are committed to futures contracts, than are invested in our common contract for the future -- the 2030 Agenda," he said.

The high-level meeting discussed opportunities to increase both the level and the quality of investments in the SDGs.

The meeting was part of a longer-term effort by the secretary-general to finance and mobilize efforts to achieve the SDGs to drive global growth and sustainable development, generating trillions of dollars in investment opportunities.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 05:48:57|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that globally, investments of 5-7 trillion U.S. dollars are needed each year to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Addressing the High-Level Meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN chief said that "our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals will require a surge in financing and investments."

"Our efforts today are about more than mobilizing resources. At heart, they are about ensuring that the ambitious 2030 Agenda delivers for people and planet," said the secretary-general.

"This is no easy task. The financing needs of the 2030 Agenda are immense," he added.

Noting that "some progress" in mobilizing resources has been made, the UN chief said that "more is needed. Much more."

"Today, more funds are committed to futures contracts, than are invested in our common contract for the future -- the 2030 Agenda," he said.

Speaking about "the need to act urgently to drive progress," Guterres said that efforts must be made to galvanize political support across governments and local communities; to build momentum for change in corporate boardrooms; and to do better in tapping resources that sit idle -- some 300 trillion dollars in financial assets "are managed by the global financial system on our collective behalf. "

"There is no single solution for financing the Sustainable Development Goals," said the secretary-general, pointing to several essential actions.

He first of all urged all developed countries to meet the commitments they made in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.

"Second, we must continue to support developing countries in creating conditions for mobilizing domestic resources, including tax reform and other good governance measures," he added.

"Third, we also need to step up our efforts in developing innovative financing and in mobilizing private investment. Without the private sector and the business community the goals are simply not achievable," the secretary-general noted.

The high-level meeting discussed opportunities to increase both the level and the quality of investments in the SDGs.

The meeting was part of a longer-term effort by the secretary-general to finance and mobilize efforts to achieve the SDGs drive global growth and sustainable development, generating trillions of dollars in investment opportunities.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 06:04:03|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Monday condemned "in the strongest terms" Saturday's terrorist attack in Iran's Ahvaz that left 25 people dead.

The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Iranian government, and wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured, said the council in a press statement.

The council members underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice, and urged all states to cooperate actively with the government of Iran and all other relevant authorities in this regard.

They reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security and that all states should combat by all means threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

Apart from the 25 deaths, the attack on a military parade in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz also left 60 people injured.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 06:29:06|Editor: yan

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VIENNA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Austrian Minister of Digital and Economic Affairs, Margarete Schrambock, said here on Monday that Austria will continue taking China as a priority of its foreign trade relations.

Schrambock said that Chinese economy has shown great potential.In December this year, Austria will announce its foreign economic strategy, and the cooperation with China will play an important role in it. Austria will continue to promote the cooperation between the two countries at the political and economic levels, she added.

The minister also said that the two countries have traditional friendship. Austrian top leaders, including President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, paid a visit to China in the first half of this year. The bilateral long-term and fruitful economic relationship fully proves the friendship between Austria and China.

Her remarks was made in the reception held jointly by the Chinese Embassy in Austria and the Chinese Permanent Mission to UN and other International Organizations in Vienna to celebrate the 69th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China which falls on Oct. 1.All five doctors gave 45 days notice of their resignation from the intensive ward of Ajka hospital on Thursday, ATV reported.

ATV said their work was made impossible by the resignation of all nurses from the intensive ward two weeks ago. The nurses were replaced by pensioners and staff transferred from other wards, but the lack of experienced nurses made the work of the physicians difficult.

The hospital management has not commented on the resignation of the five doctors.

The State Health Care Supply Centre said in a statement that Ft 5 billion worth of development projects have been implemented at the Ajka hospital since 2010, thanks to which the hospital has been renovated and a new emergency service created.

The statement also said that the affected doctors had come forward with such a high wage demand that its approval would have caused major tension and problems in the everyday work of hospital staff.

Hospital management said it will make sure that the five are replaced in the 45 days remaining until their departure.Budapest Bank will suspend teller and electronic services on Thursday, October 25, and Friday October 26, while it introduces a new bank card system, Hungarian news agency MTI reported.

The new bank card system will be installed from 9 p.m. on October 24 until 6 a.m. on October 29. 

Clients may still be able to use their bank cards to make purchases and withdraw cash at ATMs, but electronic transfers may not be made.Budapest has been selected to host the official celebrations of this years World Tourism Day on Sept. 27, under a decision of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

The focus of this years event will be innovation and the digital transformation in tourism, director of the Budapest tourism centre (BTFK) Teodora Ban told a press conference.

BTFK will coordinate UNWTO programmes and organise 46 of its own events that include sight-seeing on board a classic Ikarus bus and guided tours of museums, galleries and historic buildings, she said.

She noted the launch of the guideme. hu English-language information website. Foreign tourists have discovered Budapest and Hungary for themselves; their number has doubled since 2010, the citys deputy mayor said.

Both 2016 and 2017 were record years, Alexandra SzalayBobrovniczky said, adding that 2018 was likely to set a new record.

More: media.unwto.orgThe Im Kayl (My Step) Alliance scored a crushing victory in yesterdays Yerevan Municipal Council election, garnering 81.06 % of the vote, according to preliminary results from all 475 precincts.

As a result, Hayk Muratyan, a well-known TV actor and producer that headed the Alliances ticket, is set to become Yerevans next mayor.

The My Step Alliance includes Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans Civil Contract party.

Coming in a distant second, at 6.95 % in the field of twelve political parties/blocs that ran candidates in the election was Gagik Tsarukyans Prosperous Party of Armenia.

The Luys Alliance came in third, winning 4.99 %.

According to the Article 141 of the Armenian Electoral Code, the Council should have representatives at least from three political parties/blocs getting most of the votes, so the mandates will be distributed between the three mentioned above.

Results for the rest of the field are as follows:

ARF: 1.62 %

Yerkir Tsirani Party: 1.39 %

Rule of Law Party: 1.09 %

Yerevantsiner Alliance: 0.82 %

Heritage Party: 0.75 %

Yerevan Society Alliance: 0.69 %

Peoples Path Party: 0.22 %

Reformists Party: 0.22 %

Hayk (Haykazunner) Party: 0.19 %The Csongrad County prosecutors office has raised charges against a Nigerian man and seven accomplices in a 250 million forint (EUR 772,000) fraud scheme, the offices spokesman said.

According to the indictment, the Nigerian man had agreed with his clients, thought to be African, to recruit Hungarian citizens to defraud Spanish, German, Austrian, Swiss, British, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Thai, Philippene and African individuals and companies and help launder the stolen money.

The defendant hired Szeged residents to open forex bank accounts, to which the gangs victims later transferred money after being sent scam messages online.

The gang operated between September 2015 and April 2017 and got their Hungarian accomplices to open a total of 32 bank accounts in Szeged to be used for money laundering.

They scammed their victims out of 307 million forints in total across 61 transactions, but could only withdraw 254 million before the banks had been notified of the scams.

The Hungarian accomplices got to keep 10% of the take per transaction. They then had to hand over the remainder of the money in cash to the Nigerian man, who also kept 10% for himself before transferring the rest to his clients.It is important to draw peoples attention to the fragility of peace, a state secretary of the Prime Ministers Office said on Friday, marking the UNs International Day of Peace.

The UN declared September 21 the International Day of Peace in 2001. This year, ceremonies worldwide also mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the first world war.

Speaking at a ceremony before a mass in Budapests third district, Miklos Soltesz (pictured on top) said that the Great War inflicted terrible damage in the Carpathian Basin.

The destruction of war can be seen today in the Middle East, he said, where Christians are persecuted more than any other religious group, he said. It is therefore imperative that churches also work for peace, he said.

Finance Minister Mihaly Varga, whose constituency is in the district, also attended the event.

MTI Photo: Soos LajosThe opposition Socialists claim the government is trying to cover up severe poverty and growing regional inequalities by falsifying economic statistics.

Speaking at a press conference in Budapest over the weekend, Socialist MP Ildiko Borbely Bango said earlier governments published poverty indicators every autumn until 2014. However, the Fidesz cabinet has not released data about the poverty situation since 2015 and stopped calculating minimum subsistence level data from the following year, she added.

Children, young people, single-parent families, the jobless and the Roma are the worst hit by poverty, she said. But the prime minister refuses to talk about child poverty, the housing crisis, the poverty of pensioners, the health care crisis and emigration, she added.

In the poorest areas of the country, per capita monthly income remains below 47,000 forints (EUR 145), and the difference between average net wages in the capital and Borsod County in northern Hungary is more than 110,000 forints, she said.

The Socialist politician added that in-work poverty has also increased, with one in ten employees forced to live in poverty.The sausage festival organized at the Hungarian Railway Museum includes special family programs, folklore shows, 'nostalgic music' programs, and an enormous selection of local sausages to enjoy.

From the organisers: The capital's largest gastronomic festival, the Sausage Festival in Budapest, will be held for the fourth time in 2018.

As the capital's Deputy Mayors wife mentioned before in one of her previous welcome speeches: "This sausage Festival brings the countryside to Budapest for a weekend".

The main themes of the Sausage Festival of Budapest are: "traditions, gastronomy and folklore".

On the second weekend of October the Budapest Railway Museum, and the adjacent Water Tower Park, will be completely full of fun attractions.

The total 10-acre exhibition area will feature special programs and well-known performers to entertain the audience during the three days.

The Water Tower Park will host the Country House Street, which at the end will be found the Country House of Bekescsaba furnished with 140-year-old antiques. Here you can taste the world-famous Csabai Sausages.

In the yard of the House, the Children Entertaining House and a front of it a Story Telling Theatre.

Next to the Country House will be the Petting Zoo, where children can feed the pets with fodder. The Museum is an interactive exhibition of agricultural equipment, visitors can try themselves with the corn crumbs, the pumpkin peeling and grinding.

There will be a nostalgic amusement park featuring with a chain swing and a carousel with wooden horses. In front of the paddocks will be the main attraction, the pig slaughtering and meat processing demonstrations of each exhibition day.

During the presentations, the butchers will scorch the slaughtered pigs with thee grains falling from the 124-year-old working trashing machine, and then cut and processing the meat with traditional instruments, in traditional clothing.

The townspeople will be able to see how our grandfathers used to slaughter and process pigs at the countryside.

Those who attend the pig-slaughtering presentation, can taste the organizer own Palinka- the Railwayman Sting Palinka, as a sign of hospitality.

At the Festival free of charge a variety of games are available for children: folk playground with 30 games, bouncy castle, slide, forge, face painting, archery education and Yurt, where you can dress in clothes of the conquest period, and can test ancient Hungarians weapons.

Tickets:

Adult HUF 1,800

Children HUF 1,350

Family HUF 5,500

Opening hours :

Friday 13:00 - 22:00

Saturday 09:00 - 22:00

Sunday 09:00 - 20:00

Venue:

Hungarian Railway Museum

1142 Budapest, Tatai ut 95.Transportation network operator Taxify is set to launch the test phase of its ride-sharing service in Debrecen in a few weeks, after the conclusion of the search for drivers in the city, according to a press release.

Debrecen is set to become the second city in Hungary where Taxify offers its smartphone app-based ride-sharing service.

The company is currently in the process of recruiting drivers with the relevant taxi permits and a vehicle that meets all requirements. The new drivers will be provided financial support for the required medical check-ups, the "PAV II" test, and mandatory transportation courses.

Taxify aims at competing with traditional services with performance-based payment, as opposed to the fixed salary system found at a range of competitors, offering a premium in a system based on the number of completed fares.

Drivers who do not own a point of sale terminal may also take part in the program, as Taxifys app allows passengers to pay their fare via the Taxify app.

As the company possesses a countrywide permit, the expansion to Debrecen is merely the first step towards a Taxify presence across Hungary, according to the press release.

Taxifys journey began in Estonia in 2013, with the company entering the Budapest market in 2016. Currently, it has more than 600 drivers in Budapest alone, up from the initial 20 cars at its launch.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...Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived in New York on a working visit. On the evening of September 23 Pashinyan met with representatives of the Armenian community and U.S.-based Armenian organizations in New York. Pashinyan thanked them for such a warm welcome, noting that he had already met with many of them in an atmosphere of general enthusiasm in Armenia.

Heres an unedited government transcript of his address:

The 27th anniversary of Armenias independence was celebrated two days ago. We had not seen such a festive atmosphere of independence celebrations since the referendum on independence in Armenia. This mood was confirmed today with another fact. You may know that Yerevan City Council elections have been held, with 99% of results summed up already. In those elections that went off in absolutely fair, free and transparent conditions, My Step alliance has won 81% of the votes. This means that the allegations about the possibility of a counter-revolution are null and void as evidenced by the election results, the Prime Minister said, noting that the only thing that is possible in Armenia is lawfulness, democracy, independent judiciary and free economic competition.

Nikol Pashinyan underscored that unlike what we have had for many years, there are no longer monopolies and privileged people in Armenia. The government has set itself many priority tasks to address - foreign policy, economy, institutional, etc. Two days ago, the European Court of Human Rights issued its first ruling on the events of March 1-2, 2008, which according to lawyers opinion, implies that the whole judicial system was at odds with lawfulness and legality in Armenia. This means that what I was talking about at the rally of August 17 has been confirmed by the ECHR judgment, the Head of Government said.

The Prime Minister stressed that faced up with serious challenges, Armenia pins great hopes on the Diasporas backing.

A landmark shift has occurred in Armenias development model. Before the revolution many used to ask others to do something, but now we realize that each of us has to do something. The revolutions pivotal meaning is that every citizen of Armenia now understands that his or her position is decisive in terms of shaping Armenias future. No matter who is the prime minister, what matters is that today the citizens of Armenia are free to elect a government or a member of parliament through fair, transparent and democratic elections. It may seem somewhat strange that the ruling political force gets so many votes in City Council elections, but you all know that there was a particular political context in those elections. I had asked people to vote for My Step alliance as an approval of early parliamentary elections, Nikol Pashinyan said, adding that he would negotiate with parliamentary and non-parliamentary political forces to discuss the terms and timetable of early parliamentary elections.

There was a mood that they should be held by June next year, but the expectation that potential investors have in terms of making long-term political records, and the overall economic environment make the elections more earnest, of course. Today, the structure of our economy is far from giving rise to any optimism, and we have to change it. Today, it consists of three main branches: agriculture, which does not meet modern requirements; mining which sells the national wealth, and finally the betting industry, Pashinyan said.

See more HEREToamna aceasta decoreaza-ti caminul pentru o atmosfera mai calduroasa si mai confortabila!

Impatimitii decoratiunilor stiu foarte bine faptul ca fiecare sezon vine cu un iz propriu si personal pe care trebuie sa il exploatezi la maximum pentru un plus de confort in propriul camin.... Acesta este [citeste mai departe]Chase office towers just north of the Wilmington, Del. Amtrak station, Sept. 21, 2018. Parent JPMorgan,Chase & Co. employs 11,000 in the Philadelphia metro region, mostly in Delaware. Joseph N. DiStefano/Inquirer Read more

JPMorgan Chase & Co., the largest U.S. bank, plans to open 50 branches in the Philadelphia area over the next five years, as other big banks have been shutting branches and customers turn to digital banking.

The New York company plans to announce its Philly plans as its chief executive, Jamie Dimon, visits Center City on Monday to address the nonprofit World Affairs Council of Philadelphia on "the role of business in society, the state of the economy, and creating economic opportunity in our communities," according to the council.

"The Delaware Valley is a critically important market to our branch expansion and growth as a firm," Dimon said in a statement, citing "more than one million" credit card, home loan, and other consumer clients, plus 30,000 business clients, in the area.

JPMorgan Chase employs 11,000 in the metro Philly region, mostly at its Wilmington credit card, investment, and tax shelter offices; a Fairfax, Del., technology center; a Newark, Del., transactions-compliance center; and other offices near the University of Delaware, where the bank is a major recruiter. That headcount ranks JPMorgan alongside Merck, Wawa, Comcast, and Vanguard among the region's top corporate employers.

Philadelphia-area banks have shut 330 branches in the last 10 years, reducing the number of neighborhood bank offices to 1,659, according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. data. Six lenders that operated at least 100 branches in the region in 2008  TD, Wells Fargo, PNC, Citizens, Bank of America, and the banks that consolidated into BB&T  have each shut 20 to 40 branches since then.

Only a handful of banks, including former Commerce Bank chief Vernon Hill's Republic Bank and former Sovereign Bank boss Jay Sidhu's Customers Bank, have added new branches in the last decade. JPMorgan's New York rival, Citigroup, spent more than $50 million building a Philly-area branch network that it shuttered in 2013, calling the market unprofitable.

But "customers tell us they want branches," says Thasunda Duckett, head of JPMorgan Chase's consumer banking group. The bank wants mortgage, credit card, and small-business borrowers it deals with by phone and mail to walk in, open deposit accounts, and buy investments. "Two-thirds of customers visit a branch four times every quarter," Duckett said. "For millennials, it's three times a quarter."

Dimon said last spring he planned to pump billions into a total of 400 new offices, loans, and other projects in several U.S. markets including Philadelphia, after President Trump's tax cuts boosted his bank's already-soaring profits. The bank earned $24 billion, after taxes, last year, and is on track this year to earn a record $30 billion.

JPMorgan Chase plans to hire 300 to staff the branches, with entry-level wages at $16.50, plus health care, retirement, and tuition benefits. By comparison, Beneficial Bank, the largest bank based in Philadelphia, until recently started at $14; WSFS Financial Corp., which has agreed to buy Beneficial, says it will boost that to $15.

As regional director, JPMorgan Chase has hired Michele Lawrence, a former Wells Fargo executive who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination last Spring to represent Philadelphia in Congress. Jodi Dayborn, formerly with Citizens Bank's Northeast Philadelphia district, is Lawrence's new market director for banking.

JPMorgan Chase plans offices in the 500 block of Federal Street, Camden, in November; other near its offices around Philadephia's 1600 block of Walnut Street and at Second and North Walnut in Wilmington and on Lancaster Avenue in wealthy Villanova, later in the fall; and in the 1600 block of JFK Boulevard, on US 130 in Burlington, and in Newark, Del., next year, with others to follow. A company rendering shows a future branch on the Penn campus, transient home to many New Yorkers.

A branch network will also be convenient for professionals who shuttle back and forth between Philly and the bank's New York base, including Comcast staff moving between its Center City headquarters and New York-area media properties. The companies have close ties: JPMorgan Chase is one of the media giant's lead banks; Dimon attended Harvard Business School with Steve Burke, now chief executive of Comcast's NBC Universal and a JPMorgan director; Comcast chief financial officer Michael J. Kavanaugh held the same job at JPMorgan under Dimon.

JPMorgan Chase says it's targeting poorer neighborhoods, too. The JPMorgan Chase Foundation has committed $5 million over the next three years for "mixed-use" apartment and business projects in Kensington, and "technical assistance" to small firms, through an umbrella group  "Kensington del Corazon Collaborative"  including Philadelphia LISC (Local Initiative Support Coalition), Finanta (Financing and Technical Advice), the Impact Loan Fund, and the Community First Fund, said Janis Bowdler, president of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. Goals include to "attract or retain 85 small businesses, create or preserve 300 jobs, and raise $5 for every dollar from Chase," and to help residents participate in neighborhood recovery, instead of being forced out, she added.

The company also said it was setting up Spectrum Scholars, a job program for computer science and engineering students with autism, in partnership with the University of Delaware.

In a statement, Philadelphia Mayor Kenney said he was "proud" to welcome JPMorgan Chase's expansion and Kensington initiative, which he said would help "put more residents on a pathway to prosperity, revitalize neighborhoods, and strengthen our local economy."

Chief executive Dimon, a onetime protege of Citigroup empire builder Sandy Weill, joined JPMorgan Chase when it acquired the company he previously headed, Bank One, in 2004. Bank One owned the former First USA Bank, whose cofounder, Richard W. Vague, had built it into one of the biggest U.S. credit card lenders. That group forms the base of JPMorgan's current operations in the region.Jamie Dimon, at right of center, waits to resume his talk for more than 200 guests of the World Affairs Council Philadelphia, as security workers clear a handful of protesters who rushed up to the stage, in the Loews Philadelphia hotel, Sept. 24, 2018 Read more

Jamie Dimon sounded like a politician as he delivered a wide-ranging address to more than 200 members of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel on Monday.

Dimon, chairman and chief executive of JPMorgan Chase & Co., briefly touted his own business, claiming a million Philadelphia-area residents  one man, woman or child out of every six  already owes his bank money for credit card, mortgage or small-business loans, or invests with the $2.6 trillion in assets banking giant.

The company hopes to sell customers more products after it opens five branches here this fall, and 45 more by 2023.

Tanned, silver-haired, speaking fast and clear with traces of an Outer Boroughs accent, Dimon quickly moved to broader issues. Hold onto your stocks, he suggested: Sure, the U.S. economy has been growing since the 2008 financial meltdown. But it would be growing faster except for past "bad policy decisions," many of which are getting fixed (under President Trump, though Dimon didn't name him).

What bad policies? Spending trillions on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was "like throwing money in the ocean," Dimon said  while letting roads and bridges fall apart, neglecting practical education programs, and putting too many people in prison who should be working. But the nation is moving the right way  and U.S. growth will likely accelerate, he insisted, though "you wouldn't know it to read the papers."

Dimon does worry about "a higher chance of policy error" given the (unnamed) administration's aggressive talk toward China, Iran, and trading partners. But Dimon says political noise isn't usually serious  he remembers the Nixon and Clinton impeachments, and neither hurt the economy much.

Dimon said bosses complain they can't find enough workers, so wages are slowly rising; "Isn't that what we want?" And yet it's still too hard for poor Americans to get a well-paid job. "We should fix it two ways. Proper training  apprenticeships for jobs that pay, in robotics, coding." Plus "a negative income tax"  welfare payments for poor people who work.

He cheered deregulation  it takes too long to fix New York subways or add bridges, tunnels, hospitals. But we also need to spend more on that public infrastructure, Dimon added. "Who should pay? The people in this room," Dimon told the well-dressed crowd. He thinks Trump was right to cut corporate income taxes to foreign levels  but said rich people can afford to pay more.

Ten years after the financial crisis, banker Dimon said that "in hindsight" more banks could have been allowed to fail  "Old Testament justice." But he had no suggestion that more bankers who lied about bad loans should have gone to prison. He praised the Federal Reserve for making cash available to troubled banks and investment funds that "could have taken our system down," adding that "it's going to be 25 years before banks are forgiven for what happened."

Dimon was briefly interrupted by a handful of anti-fossil-fuel protesters, who security rushed out of the Loews conference hall. Dimon looked the other way  he's used to hecklers  then called a carbon tax a better remedy than the unenforceable Paris climate accords. "But we don't have the political strength to do it," Dimon added. "We can't even raise our gas tax."

The most effective welfare state is what's provided by big white-collar employers, Dimon said: "We pay our people well. We give them health care. Retirement. We give them Pilates and massages. We are hugely philanthropic. We do all the things you say you want to do with a society."

In the next breath, Dimon acknowleged "issues in corporate governance." Like short-term earnings guidance, which "can corrupt" management. He noted the number of publicly traded U.S. companies has dropped from a high of 8,000 in the 1990s to about half that. In part he blamed plaintiffs' lawyers: "Litigation is capricious and arbitrary." He worries that cyber security is too focused on impractical government regulations, not fluidly directed against bad actors.

He called on his fellow business leaders to "do more promoting the good things capitalism does." He praised the Trump tax bill's cancellation of state and local tax exemptions, which he said mostly helped rich people. He condemned the low tax rates on money managers' shared investment profits  "carried interest". He wants such "loopholes" closed because they "give the American people a great distrust for the system. It makes people think the system is rigged." Which, Dimon said, "it's not."

On immigration, Dimon is for "proper border security"  but also seeks "a path to legal status for the undocumented who have been here and taxpaying for a long time."

On trade, Dimon can't bring himself to praise the Trump tariffs  he thinks they are risky  but "China was unfair." He added, "I hope [Trump's] method works."

He doesn't quite trust the government to efficiently extend "Medicare for all:" "I'm not against a single-payer plan. But it needs to be properly constructed."

Is Dimon running for president? "I am a banker first. I am not running. I just think it is very important that we have good policy," Dimon told Philly native Jim Cramer on CNBC earlier in the day. Though "I would not say a CEO cannot be a good president," or at least get elected, he added. "President Trump was a CEO."

Dimon "certainly sounds like he is running," said Howard Trauger, who runs the Philly office of Cleveland-based Carnegie Investment Counsel.

"There's always been speculation he wants to run. He could run on that platform today," said Joseph Del Raso, past chairman of the law firm Pepper Hamilton. "And he said it in a very commonsense way. Not with all the political vitriol we hear too much of nowadays."

And will the company's new Chase branches pry customers away from the established banks in Philadelphia? I expect they will find it's tough to get customers to switch," said Daniel Fitzpatrick, head of Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania and a leader of the Greater Philadelphia chamber of commerce.State regulators again are calling on Philadelphia elected officials to get rid of the "duplicative" Philadelphia Gas Commission, which they say costs city gas customers nearly $1 million a year.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, in an update of its 2015 management audit of the Philadelphia Gas Works, said the city had failed to address a longstanding suggestion to streamline the "duplicative and unclear governance structure" over the city-owned gas utility.

"I urge the City of Philadelphia to seriously evaluate PGW's governance structure and to create the changes needed to reduce the financial impact that the current duplicative structure has on the city's ratepayers," David W. Sweet, a commissioner, said in a statement.

But the Gas Commission chairman, City Councilman Derek S. Green, on Monday defended the agency, saying its costs were money well spent, as it had saved ratepayers more than $250 million over 16 years through PGW budget reductions.

"We're always looking at ways of making PGW a more efficient entity," Green said.

About $190 million of the savings were cuts to the utility's capital budget, however, which the PUC has criticized for slowing replacement of critical infrastructure.

PGW currently reports to two city bodies: The Philadelphia Facilities Management Board, a panel of seven unpaid mayoral appointees that operates like a corporate board of directors; and the Gas Commission, whose unpaid members include two appointed by the mayor, two appointed by Council, and one by the city controller.

The Gas Commission once functioned as a regulatory body, setting rates and handling customer complaints, but its role was diminished in 2000 after the state legislature assigned oversight to the PUC. The Gas Commission's role is now is largely focused on approving PGW's budget after it is reviewed by the Facilities Management Board.

PGW should streamline its corporate governance structure by combining the Gas Commission and governing board into "a single board with comprehensive, clearly defined roles and responsibilities," the PUC's audit bureau said in its report, which the PUC unanimously approved on Thursday.

"The current corporate governance structure is duplicative, does not follow standard governance practices, and has been highlighted in numerous PUC audit reports as inefficient," the agency's auditors said in the report.

The PUC auditors said the Gas Commission's cost amounted to $954,000 per year for 2016 and 2017. Green said the budget was about $100,000 less. About half the budget pays for salaries of the Gas Commission's five-person staff, he said. The rest largely pays for rate experts and other consultants.

Overhauling PGW's governance would require an ordinance by Council, which maintains a level of influence and control through the Gas Commission.

"We're always looking at ways to streamline governance to make PGW more efficient and effective for the ratepayers and residents of Philadelphia," Mike Dunn, a city spokesman, said in a statement. "We continue to have discussions on the question with stakeholders, and we are fully aware of the PUC's perspective."

Since it was placed under state control after a financial crisis in the 1990s, PGW has had an unusual relationship with the utility commission, which is accustomed to regulating investor-owned utilities that it can financially penalize through fines or even a license revocation. Municipal utilities, owned by the public and governed by political leaders, do not always respond to the same incentives.

The friction reached a low point in 2014 when Council declined to consider Mayor Michael Nutter's proposed $1.86 billion sale of PGW to an investor-owned utility, effectively killing the deal. Some PUC members suggested the state could force the city to give up the $18 million annual fee receives from PGW, though it did not follow through on the threat.

The PUC highlighted the recommendation to overhaul the utility's governance structure Thursday, though it was only one of 65 recommendations it made in 2015 audit.

The PUC commended the utility on some progress since the 2015 audit. PGW has accelerated replacement of aging cast-iron gas mains, saved $47 million over two years by maximizing purchases of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale region, and improved scores in customer satisfaction surveys.

"PGW is growing in value as an asset to the City of Philadelphia, and a big reason for that is our focus on constantly improving the way we work, on behalf of the people and businesses of Philadelphia," the utility's spokesman, Barry O'Sullivan, said in a statement. "The PUC is obviously a key part of that effort, which is why we have already implemented many of the recommendations in the Stratified Management and Operations Audit."Attorney, Gloria Allred talks to reporters during a press conference at the Le Meridien Hotel in Philadelphia Pa. Sunday, September 23, 2018. Allred held a news conference prior to being honored by the Walnut Club where she was the featured speaker. Read more

Lawyer Gloria Allred, a shero of the #MeToo Movement, literally danced on the eve of Bill Cosby's sentencing.

I had never seen this side of Allred, and I watched in amazement Sunday afternoon as she moved her hips back and forth and pumped her arms overhead. She was in good company, as members of the Walnut Club, a local professional women's networking group, followed her lead. It was a lovefest at Le Meridien Philadelphia, 1421 Arch St.

Too many women still aren't being heard and their stories not believed, so it felt empowering to be in the company of accomplished women applauding such a fierce advocate for women and minorities. Black women. White women. Republicans and Democrats. It was as if we'd closed ranks over our mimosas. Divisiveness was on hold as we applauded a Philly homegirl who graduated from Girls High and went on to become one of the nation's best lawyers.

"Mr. Cosby should not be treated differently because he is a celebrity," Allred told reporters while club members dined on chicken. "Judgment Day has finally arrived for this convicted sexual predator, who betrayed the trust of so many women. It's time for him to face the consequences of his criminal acts and stop denying what a unanimous jury found after a careful and thoughtful deliberation."

In April, the once-beloved comedian was convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his Cheltenham home in 2004. Since then, dozens more women have made similar claims against Cosby.

I asked Allred what she made of Cosby's sentencing happening at a time when America is waiting to hear from Christine Blasey Ford, the 51-year-old professor who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were teens. She is scheduled to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Allred said she didn't know the details of Ford's allegations but predicted that it won't go well for her when she testifies in Washington.

"This is a panel of senators, the majority of whom are Republicans, many of whom have indicated they have made up their mind," Allred said. "I call it, 'I've made up my mind. Don't confuse me with the facts.'"

She pointed out that a mostly male Senate Judiciary Committee will sit in judgment as Ford testifies about having been at a party when a reportedly drunk Kavanaugh allegedly forced Ford onto a bed, groped her, and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream.

"This is not a court of law," Allred added. "This is going to be political theater on Thursday."

"There is no burden-of-proof requirement like in the Cosby criminal trial, where the jury had to find beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Cosby was guilty of the crime," she continued. "There's not even a preponderance-of-evidence standard, which is the lowest standard of evidence. It's whatever they want. This is a railroading of Dr. Ford."

Last week, President Trump questioned why Ford hadn't contacted law enforcement back when this allegedly happened, conveniently omitting the fact that Ford was just 15 at the time. Allred slammed him for that.

"Really? How many 15-year-olds report? Most don't," she said. "That's absurd. It just shows his ignorance or his callousness, insensitivity to those who allege they were sexually assaulted as teenagers.

Her advice to Ford when she testifies on Thursday?

"Don't be intimidated."

That's easier said than done, but I'll be rooting for Ford. A lot of us will.Bill Cosby arrives for sentencing in his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown on Monday. Read more

The sympathy I have for Bill Cosby would fit into a thimble, and I'd still have room left over for three peas and an orange M&M.

Back in April, he was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea Constand 14 years ago, while she was a Temple University employee and he was on the board of trustees. The decades-long megastar from North Philly is expected to be sentenced Tuesday.

He was the first famous man found guilty after the awakening of the #MeToo movement, but I guarantee you he won't be the last.

At least six other women who have accused Cosby of similar sexual attacks were in the courtroom Monday for the first phase of the sentencing hearing, feeling vindicated.

Prosecutors on Monday asked the judge for 10 years on the three counts to be laid on Cosby, 81.

At least two of his accusers want him to get jail time, as do I.

"I think he needs to pay for what he's done to everyone," said Chelan Lasha, who testified at Cosby's criminal trial.

That's where this goes wrong.

Once the dam burst, dozens of women came forward to accuse the man once known as America's Dad. I have no reason to disbelieve them. But Cosby wasn't convicted of assaulting any of them, and Judge Steven T. O'Neill really should not have them on his mind.

Attorney Gloria Allred, Philly native, said, "Mr. Cosby should not be treated differently because he is a celebrity," meaning he should not be allowed to skate.

The flip side is also true. He should not be treated any more harshly because he is a celebrity. Equal justice under the law.

These days, we believe jail is supposed to rehabilitate in addition to punish.

How many years would it take to rehabilitate Cosby? Undoubtedly he will be listed as a violent sex offender, the chance of his selling Jell-O products or starring in another TV series is nil, and his concerts won't draw flies.

Is this "punishment" enough?

No. Cos deserves time in the old Graybar Hotel. In the interest of justice, he must sit in a 6-by-8 cell for some period of time, and I mean years, not months. He can work up new routines in the exercise yard featuring the zany new characters he will meet in the stir. (Probably not that zany, because I expect Cosby to be placed in a low-security lockup with white-collar criminals. He's not much of an escape risk when he's half-blind and on a cane.)

The sentence must punish him only for what he actually was convicted of. I understand the temptation to throw the book at him for what we believe he did, but that's not right, that's not how the system is supposed to work.

What can I say to the dozens of other victims?

Imagine that the sentence, whatever it is, was pronounced as punishment for the crime he committed against you.

That may be the closest you can get to justice from the system.Incoming Haverford College freshman Matthew Dodds, left, from Princeton, NJ, gets help from Haverford professor Zachary Oberfield, center, in filling out his voter registration form on the first day check-in for freshman at Haverford. The Delaware County election board on Monday unanimously voted to approve a request to put a polling place on the college campus. Read more

Voting just got easier for students at Haverford College.

Following an outpouring of support from the college and nearby residents, the Delaware County Board of Elections on Monday voted unanimously to move the precinct's polling place from Coopertown Elementary School to the Main Line campus.

The approval came after years of trying and after the college assured the board that it would provide a pleasant voting experience for students and residents.

"It met all the requirements, and the college went out of its way to be accommodating to all voters," Election Board Chairman Carmen Belefonte said after the vote.

Jack Stollsteimer, an attorney who represented nearby residents who wanted the change, credited the persistence of residents and the college and the "power of the press," referring to an article and an editorial in the Inquirer this month. Stollsteimer and residents told the Inquirer earlier this month that they believed the Republican-controlled county government had been denying requests to move the polling place in the past because they were trying to discourage voting at a Democratic-leaning college campus  an assertion the GOP chairman of Delaware County denied.

Belefonte said that previous requests did not meet requirements.

But college officials and residents complained that students, most of whom don't have cars and who make up the majority of voters in the precinct, had to travel a mile and a half, in some cases on a road without sidewalks, to reach Coopertown Elementary, which isn't even in the college's voting precinct.

>>>Inquirer editorial: Delaware County should help Haverford College students vote>>

The college runs shuttles, but that means students, who have heavy academic workloads, must wait more than an hour to catch a ride, vote and return.

Effective for the November election, the polling place will be in the college's facilities building.

The move also won the support of Andy Lewis, the Republican commissioner for the Fifth Ward, who represents the precinct. He wrote a letter to the Election Board urging the move.

"Objectively, this checked all the boxes," he said, citing proximity for voters, the in-precinct location and Haverford's offer to reserve adequate parking and provide signs directing voters to the polling place.

Joseph Possenti Jr., a newcomer to the board, said he asked for more time after the last meeting to consider the request so that he could learn more about it, and was satisfied.

"I did a lot of research over the summer, and it seemed like the best thing to do, the right thing to do," he said.

Zach Oberfield, an associate professor of political science at the 1,300-student college, who has been pushing for the change, was thrilled.

"It's a moment where you feel like the system works," he said. "We shed some light on the process. We met the concerns that were raised previously, and we feel really good about the result, It feels like a moment of victory for democracy  because this is more access and making it easier to vote for everyone should be our goal."

Haverford student Sam Epstein, 21, who is from Bellmore, N.Y., said students have found it pretty difficult to get to the Coopertown location. He went there to vote in the last election.

"It's really exciting that students are going to have better access to the polls," said Epstein, a senior chemistry major.Following an outcry that its Fels Institute of Government was straying from its original mission, the University of Pennsylvania on Monday announced that Mayor Kenney's managing director would join the program in January.

Michael DiBerardinis, who has served as managing director since January 2016, will become a full-time professor of practice, student mentor, and bridge between the regular standing faculty and the practitioner community, the university said.

The move comes after an upheaval at Fels this year, including a change in leadership that had some alumni questioning whether the institute, which has a storied history as the trainer of many of the city's and state's public-service managers, would begin to emphasize academic theory over practice. More than 200 alumni sent a letter to the school to express their concerns.

"We strongly encourage the university to continue the Fels Institute's founding objective to combine multi-disciplinary academic rigor with the practical skills and professional opportunities needed for effective governance and problem-solving," the letter said in part.

Kenney said in a statement that students at Fels "will benefit greatly from [DiBerardinis'] wisdom and experience."

DiBerardinis has spent decades in public service. Prior to his role in Kenney's administration, he served as deputy mayor for environmental and community resources, commissioner of the Department of Parks and Recreation, special adviser to the Free Library of Philadelphia, and secretary of conservation and natural resources for the state.

The appointment will help "ensure that Fels continues to produce outstanding public-sector leaders," said Matt Levendusky, a political science professor who directs Fels' master's program.It's been eight months and countless scandals since President Trump was reported to have used a potty-mouthed slur against immigrants from Haiti and some African countries. "Why are we having all these people from s-hole countries come here?" Trump said during an Oval Office meeting in January, according to a Washington Post report. The president denied using the term.

This Friday, a pop-up one-day art show at the Adrienne Theater of works by 20 artists with roots in Africa, Latin America, and elsewhere uses that very slur as its title.

"S-holes: The Exhibit," at the Adrienne from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m on Sept. 28, was organized by Fatene Ben-Hamza, of Casablanca, Morocco, and Steve Garguilo, of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, who bring together "remarkable, quirky artists" from all corners of the globe in similar one-day shows around the world. They call their effort the Le Chapeau Project, Garguilo said, because it tips its hat to the beauty being created in often-overlooked and disparaged places.

Entry is free and donations will be accepted to support the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, Along with the art, there will be musical performances, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

One of the visual artists participating in the show is Northeast Philly resident Vanny Channal, a sculptor whose Cambodian-born parents raised him in a tough neighborhood of Long Beach, Calif. "My parents, they're war survivors," Channal said.

Exhibiting with Le Chapeau gives him an opportunity to counter negative stereotypes of their homeland and pay homage to its artistic heritage, he said. "If you look at the history of Cambodia, we have the largest religious structure in the world." The famous Angkor Wat temple complex includes architecture from the 9th to the 14th centuries.

In his day job, Channal is a welder at the Philadelphia zoo. Many of his sculptures use scrap metal to create precise and perfectly proportioned but larger-than-life animals, based on consultations with specialists at the zoo. Some of his work, including a human-sized praying mantis, is currently on display at the Morris Arboretum.

Channal considers the aspersions sometimes cast upon the countries targeted by Trump to be a product of ignorance. "A lot of the people who say these things have never even been to these places, you know what I'm saying?  I want to show people that we're more than that.

"When I got into this I knew  I assumed  that everyone else that's in the show is as hungry as I am," he said, "and they want to make a difference as much as I do."Gagik Tsarukyan, whose Prosperous Armenia Party came in a distant second in yesterdays Yerevan Municipal Council election, today congratulated the winner, the Im Kayl (My Step) Alliance.

While categorically refusing the dangerous approach that divides society into black and white, the Prosperous Armenia party accepts the results of the election and congratulates the Im Kayl Alliance, Tsarukyan wrote in a Facebook post.

Tsarukyan, a wealthy member of the parliament, then thanked his staff for running a principled campaign and that the promises made to Yerevan residents would be realized.Healthy food lovers, rejoice! Pennsylvania's first Sprouts Farmers Market opened Wednesday at 1000 S. Broad St., inside a historic train shed at South Philadelphia's Lincoln Square. The grocery store chain, which got its start in Arizona in 2012, calls itself an outlet for those who want to eat clean and live healthy.

Some might simply call it a more affordable Whole Foods.

The Philly location sprawls across 32,000 square feet, so there's plenty to peruse, including many products likely to be unfamiliar. Interested in a product but hesitant to commit? Ask a Sprouts staffer for a taste. The sampling policy is encouraged as part of Sprouts' mission to inspire its customers to try new healthy foods.

Highlighted below are a dozen items you don't want to miss. Take note: It's best to buy on a Wednesday, the day that store discounts double. On any given day, roughly a third of in-store items are on sale, but on Wednesdays, the specials from the previous week and the week ahead overlap.

1. Cheap produce

Unlike most grocery stores, produce is situated smack in the middle of the store, taking center stage at Sprouts. But even before you step through the doors, you're likely to find bins of fruits and veggies displayed out front, currently including 88-cent cantaloupes. Inside, steals like 68-cent bell peppers and asparagus bunches for under $1.50 await, as do a wealth of both organic and novelty items, like jackfruit, baby purple potatoes, red tamarillo, and pepino melons.

2. Sausage from the in-house butcher

When not custom-cutting meat, Sprouts' in-house butchers can be found whipping up a variety of daily-made sausage options, ranging from spicy chicken Parmesan to Cajun pork andouille to breakfast-style links. Find them on display between the hickory-smoked thick-sliced bacon and the 100 percent grass-fed rib-eye.

3. Nuts by the pound

Sprouts' bulk section appears as if it's on steroids, with cashews, almonds, and other nuts in gigantic, whiskey-sized barrels. Beyond classic raw and roasted options, seasonings for almonds include Gochujang, Indian curry, sea salt and vinegar, and Thai coconut. The nearby trail-mix section offers sweeter options, too.

4. Loose leaf tea and draft kombucha

As cold weather nears, the loose leaf tea section is sure to come in handy. Varieties including green strawberry, ginger peach, black currant, and passionberry tisane. Meanwhile, toward the front of the store, Sprouts offers several fizzy kombucha teas on tap. Current flavors are blueberry basil, raspberry goji rose, and tropical turmeric, stationed next to two different varieties of draft nitro coffee.

5. On-tap honey

Based out of Monroeville, Fruitwood Orchards supplies Sprouts with tubs full of honey that you can stream into takeaway containers either brought from home or available at the store. Varieties currently include N.J. Wildflower and N.J. Blueberry, as well as an option for Light Organic Blue Agave, all of which range from $4.99 to $5.99 per pound. Right next to the sweet Jersey goodness, find extra virgin olive oil on tap, too.

6. Healthier ready-made and freezer meals

Looking for convenience? Whole-wheat mac-and-cheese, sweet-potato shepherd's pie, and broccoli-cheese nuggets are stocked in the freezer aisle. In a refrigerated "Heat & Eat" section, find ready-made meals like grilled sockeye salmon with veggies, dandan noodles with chicken, and turkey, kale and quinoa meat loaf, most for under $8.

7. Vitamins, supplements, and protein powders

Sprouts stocks around 7,500 products in its supplements section. It's a lot to take in, but team members are always available to assist and also climb the department's moving stepladder to locate any unreachable products. In this area, you'll also find all sorts of bone-broth products, an extensive selection of probiotics, and an entire section labeled "plant-based protein".

8. All-natural bath products

Not surprisingly, Sprouts' selection of Dr. Bronner's Castile soap is mighty, as is the array of other natural, chemical-free soap options. Sprouts makes its own brand of bar soaps with fragrances like lavender vanilla and orange blossom, as well as a variety of other bath products available at competitive prices. You'll also find eco-friendly items like bamboo toothbrushes, as well as recognizable brands like Burt's Bees, which offers lip balm flavors ranging from coconut and pear to cucumber mint to pink grapefruit.

9. Sweet treats without artificial ingredients

Not everything at Sprouts is "healthy." A wide array of treats are available, most free of artificial colors, artificial flavors, and preservatives. Find an entire section dedicated to taffy ($3.99 a pound), located right near the bulk area for gummies and other candies. (Be warned: This is destined to be a dangerous area if you've got kids in tow.) Unusual items like dark-chocolate-covered pumpkin seeds and banana chips invite you to at least think that you're delighting in something "healthy" come dessert.

10. Quality ice cream

In the freezer aisle, find every flavor of Talenti gelato (peanut butter fudge, mint cookie crunch, vanilla blueberry crumble) imaginable, as well as organic ice cream made by smaller companies from across the country. Large tubs of extra creamy Tillamook ice cream come in flavors like double nutty peanut butter and Stumptown cold brew coffee, while a variety of dairy-free brands are available, too.

11. Vegan and gluten-free specialties

Many supermarkets now offer vegan and gluten-free products, but Sprouts takes it up a level by having multiple options for nearly everything you could want. For instance, if you're seeking gluten-free brownie mix, you might want to make sure your phone is charged so you can research the available options  because there's more than one. Vegan products abound, too, like coffee creamer in flavors like pecan caramel, stationed next to Califia Farm's Barista Blend Almondmilk, the kind most cafes use to whip up dairy-free lattes and other frothy espresso specialties.

12. Weird snacks

Pretzels made from cauliflower and cassava? Check. Salted caramel chickpeas? Check. Baked carrot chips? Check. All of these items and more can certainly help to make snack time a little more interesting. Of course, standards like potato chips and popcorn are available at Sprouts, too, and you better believe you can get nearly all of them in organic versions.Marchers make their way up Kensington Avenue during the "March in Black" on International Overdose Awareness Day last year. Read more

Seven people were killed and 110 were revived by police and paramedics in an unusual spike in overdoses around Philadelphia this weekend, with many victims displaying symptoms that doctors said were not typical of an opioid overdose. But the citywide total is likely higher  perhaps closer to 200, health officials said, once people who went to hospitals or were revived by friends are counted.

Health officials, who updated the figures several times, said they believe that the "bad batch" behind the overdose spike, centered around Kensington, was likely a combination of the same drugs that caused 165 overdoses and 10 deaths on a weekend in July. That deadly blend: a mix of heroin, fentanyl, and K2, a synthetic cannabinoid. Victims were agitated, hallucinating, and vomiting repeatedly.

"Overdose may not be the right term  it may be adverse reaction," said Tom Farley, the city's health commissioner. "People were responding to naloxone [the overdose-reversing drug], but when revived were combative, and some had repeated vomiting. That's not just from an opioid." Farley said his office is waiting for test results on the drugs suspected to be behind the overdoses.

Not all of the overdose victims were tied to the bad batch in Kensington. But, normally, police and paramedics would report from 30 to 60 overdose reversals around the city over a three-day span, compared with more than 100 from Friday through Sunday.

Joseph D'Orazio, the director of the division of medical toxicology in the emergency department at Temple University's Katz School of Medicine, said the emergency room at Temple's Episcopal Hospital, which handles most of Kensington's overdoses, is often so swamped with overdoses that patients must be diverted elsewhere.

Between Thursday and Sunday, Episcopal's ER saw 110 patients with drug-related complaints. Not all of the patients had taken the heroin-fentanyl-K2 combination, he said; still, over a typical four-day stretch, the hospital sees about 80 patients with drug-related issues.

On Friday, with 27 people overdosing that day, Allison Herens, the city's harm reduction coordinator, marshaled four other outreach workers to join her in Kensington as part of the city's new overdose-response protocol.

"Folks were violently vomiting, severely agitated, hallucinating," she said. "It can be much scarier than the kind of overdose you typically see. It's definitely a challenge  you don't have naloxone for K2," she said of the reversal medicine used to bring people out of an opioid overdose. "It seems everything is just getting all mixed together, which is just incredibly scary when you think about trying to respond and reduce harm."

John Fetterman, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor and a native of Western Pennsylvania, happened to be touring the neighborhood with local activists on Saturday, at the height of the overdose spike, when 62 people were sickened.

What he saw, Fetterman said Monday morning, shocked him. Braddock, the small Pittsburgh-area town where he is mayor, has been hit by addiction too, but the visibility of the crisis in Kensington was "a whole different level."

"Just the tragedy, and how pervasive it was," Fetterman said. "It's things that your average Pennsylvanian can't glean from reading an article about it. I've seen people in overdose  it's not uncommon, it's an issue in Western Pennsylvania, but not on the scale I saw that day."

He said he and his wife, Gisele, who were heading to a community cookout at an elementary school on Saturday, were struck by scenes that have become almost normal in Kensington: people in addiction asleep or unconscious on the sidewalks; people overdosing; people injecting drugs in the open.

"The image that will forever be in my mind," Gisele Fetterman said, "was a family with a child skipping through the chaos, and what that must be like to see that growing up, and how that becomes normal."

Several victims of last weekend's overdose cluster suffered serious complications, D'Orazio said  mostly because of the agitation caused by the drug combination.

"They'll swing at people, they'll injure other people as they're trying to get away, and they're clearly unaware of what they're doing," he said. "We had to sedate them. And if you require lots of medication to be sedated, you're not breathing so well, and some of those patients did end up in our hospital on ventilators."

Last weekend, he said, was frightening for doctors, first responders, and victims.

"I just spoke to a patient this morning who said that she intentionally used K2 once, and it was the worst thing ever, and she never wanted to use it again," D'Orazio said. "And clearly, she was exposed to it again without intending to be. It just goes to show that you never know what you're getting when you're buying a bag of heroin on the street."Jason Han (left) is a resident in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and Jack DePaolo (right) is a pediatrics resident. Read more

With Gov. Wolf's recent declaration of a state of emergency over the opioid epidemic, many physicians and hospitals must also learn how to cope with the ongoing crisis.

Two medical residents from Philadelphia share their stories of encountering different sides of the opioid epidemic and how it touches them, their patients, and their colleagues.

Jack: I see it in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Telling a mother that her newborn is going to have to be transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) because of drug withdrawal was one of the most difficult conversations I have had since starting my pediatrics residency.

The physical harm to newborns is significant. Symptoms arise after the babies have been exposed to opioids in utero. Soon after being born, these infants experience agitation, fever, sweating, poor feeding, vomiting, and diarrhea. They are placed in the neonatal intensive care unit for days to weeks.

Separated from their mothers, these infants suffer more than immediate symptoms of withdrawal. We always encourage skin-to-skin contact after birth because it improves breastfeeding outcomes, mother-child attachment, and even heart and lung function. Though hard to measure, some of these benefits are surely lost.

Furthermore, at a societal level, opioid addiction can rip apart families, sometimes leading to placements in foster care, away from mothers whose addiction is too often criminalized and punished, instead of being recognized as a disease process and treated.

In these sensitive and difficult encounters, I found myself reflecting on the totality of costs presented to society as we deal with the current opioid epidemic. The prevalence of this so-called neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) increased fivefold from 2000 through 2012. As I looked at the mother and the newborn, both victims of a systemic problem, I began to realize the dangers of this epidemic and how it was dramatically changing patient care and well-being.

Though at the time I did not understand how vast the effects of this epidemic were, I would soon come to learn that it was everywhere across the hospital, from the NICU to the cardiac surgical operating rooms.

Jason: I see it in the faces of our organ donors.

"Seven heart transplants." The attending surgeon said that in just one week in December, our program had completed seven heart transplants. Then, just as we were having this conversation in the operating room, the attending surgeon received yet another phone call.

"There may be an eighth one," he remarked, almost incredulously.

"Eight? How many do we do in a typical year?" I asked.

"About 50, but the opioid epidemic is really changing the number of available donors."

Silence fell over the OR staff. Seven heart transplants meant that seven more lives were lost prematurely. What's more, this number was continuing to rise at an unprecedented rate.

Prior to starting residency, I had been interested in the area of transplantation, an inspiring story that combines the feats of surgical pioneers and breakthroughs in medical therapy.

During medical school, I used to accompany one of our surgeons who would go to other hospitals to procure donor organs to observe these operations firsthand. To this day these memories remain as one of the most convincing testaments to our connectedness as a society. While the circumstances behind the donors' deaths were tragic  to have organs suitable for transplant, donors must have been generally healthy people who lost their lives to an accident  their selflessness gave the recipients a chance to be reborn, and to return to their loved ones.

I could not help but notice that our donor population was increasingly comprised disproportionately of young overdose victims in their 20s and 30s, no older than Jack, my colleague in pediatrics, and me.

Night after night, while observing procurement of donor organs just outside of Philadelphia, we were struck by the sight of the donors' bodies. Though pronounced brain-dead from overdose, they otherwise looked as if they could have been sleeping, neither harmed by accidents nor weathered by age. All we could do was bear witness to the overwhelming tragedy.

Deaths each year due to overdose have surpassed the peak death rate caused by HIV/AIDS in the United States. In 2016, more Americans died from opioid-related causes than died in the Vietnam War. If that is not shocking enough, we are on a trajectory to see those numbers climb to a peak of unknown magnitude.

Pennsylvania continues to be particularly hard hit by this epidemic. In 2016, 13 Pennsylvanians died daily from a drug overdose. That number is up 37 percent from just one year prior. More than 900 of these deaths occurred in Philadelphia County and 78 percent of Pennsylvania counties have overdose death rates that are higher than the national average. Rates are highest among men ages 25 to 34, but the epidemic reaches across all demographics and geographic boundaries.

This is not an epidemic that is conspicuous in hospitals, where people are covered in protective gear and units are quarantined. These are mothers separated from their newborn children too early or organ donors whose time had come far too soon.

As providers, we constantly remind ourselves and our colleagues that opioid medications can be powerful instruments for good but can easily become very dangerous. One out of every 550 patients initiated on opioid medication succumbs to an opioid-related cause of death 2.6 years later. Providers must continue to prescribe opioids with caution.

But most important, this epidemic demands systemic action. In January, Gov. Wolf declared it a state of emergency in Pennsylvania, an important step that will mobilize resources.

As frontline physicians, we believe we need policies that heal, instead of punish, people in addiction. Now is the time to come together as a community to help our patients, and to treat the root cause of this epidemic while also providing the social supports that keep families together.

Our shared experiences have taught us that this epidemic affects all of us. Once seen firsthand, the sense of urgency becomes palpable. The consequences of the opioid epidemic are observed by physicians, nurses, families, patients, and from the hospital wards to the city streets. Can you see what we see?

Jason Han, M.D., is a resident in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and Jack DePaolo, M.D., is a pediatrics resident.Andrew Cambridge, draws at his home in Willow Grove Pa. Monday, Sept 17, 2018. Andrew, exposed to alcohol in the womb, has been with the Cambridges since he was 6 months old. He is child-like with autism (or autism-like behavior). Andrew loves drawing and cartooning. JOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer . Read more

For such a little guy, Robert McCloud has worked very hard to get to where he is today.

At age 13 months, he weighs less than half of most babies his age. He has a cleft lip and trouble swallowing, so much of his nourishment comes through a feeding tube. Born with an undersized head and brain, he still can't sit up by himself, let alone walk. No baby coos, no "mama" or "dada" sounds.

But Robert is trying hard to learn to crawl, to laugh. He does roll over. He'll grab for anything. And, boy, can he smile.

"When he smiles," said Kimberly Martinez, the Philadelphia foster mother who hopes to adopt him, "it's like he's lighting up the whole room."

Robert's doctor says the baby's struggles are due to what his birth mother ingested while she was pregnant. A substance known to cause serious physical and neurological abnormalities in a developing fetus.

The opioid crisis has sparked fresh awareness of babies born dependent on the drugs their mothers used. But it wasn't heroin or pain pills that caused Robert so much harm. His mother chose something far more common and, scientists say, even more devastating.

"The best science we have right now shows that alcohol is by far the most dangerous recreational drug to use during pregnancy," said Kathleen Mitchell, spokeswoman for the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS). Use and abuse of other drugs can lead to certain abnormalities or defects, but research shows that none seems to cause as many different kinds as alcohol.

Alcohol caused Robert's birth defects and developmental delays, according to his pediatrician, Renee Turchi, medical director of the Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children.

Robert suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome, the most severe, physically disfiguring form of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a wide range of disabilities, birth defects and behavioral issues that experts say all too often get misdiagnosed or overlooked. Children born with an FASD may get ineffective treatment or none at all.

"Prenatal alcohol exposure is the most common preventable cause of intellectual and developmental delays and disabilities in the United States," stated a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published Sept. 10 in the journal Pediatrics.

And alcohol-related birth disorders are far more common than previously believed. An article published this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimated conservatively that 1.1 percent to 5 percent of U.S. children have some sort of alcohol-related disorder  as much as five times what had been previously thought and more than the approximately 1.5 percent of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Turchi, a lead author of the new AAP report, along with colleagues in the academy's ongoing education and awareness campaign, are encouraging doctors nationwide to learn more about FASD, screen all patients, and help their families get the therapy and support they need. The extent of the dangers, she said, are not widely recognized.

"We're still not there, even the medical community," said Turchi. "You still have some folks telling people, 'Oh, it's OK to drink [during pregnancy].' And it's really not."

Turchi said the message is clear. "There is no safe time, amount, or type of alcohol to drink when a woman is pregnant."

Meanwhile, child advocates are also urging more maternal education. While not all children exposed to alcohol in the womb end up with such problems as organ defects, unexplained aggression, or learning disabilities, subjecting an unborn child to any amount or form of alcohol could be dangerous.

There is no risk-free point in pregnancy to consume alcohol, including right after conception when the neurological system is starting to form, and many women don't realize they're pregnant. Nearly half of all U.S. pregnancies are unplanned. Studies have shown that drinking during weeks six through nine of a pregnancy has been linked to developing FAS' facial abnormalities.

Women do not need to be alcoholics to harm their babies. For obvious reasons, it's not possible to run clinical trials on alcohol use during pregnancy, so just how much alcohol it takes to produce lasting problems is not clear. But even less severe forms of FASD, though they may produce no physical evidence, can have far-reaching effects.

Even for women who aren't pregnant, the amount of alcohol medical experts consider acceptable is far less than what many people think. "Moderate drinking" outside of pregnancy is classified as no more than one drink a day. Binge drinking for women is defined as four drinks within a two-hour period.

Mitchell is a self-described member of the drugs, sex, and rock and roll Woodstock generation. She thought she was reining in when she stuck to alcohol during her pregnancies in the 1970s. At that time, the threat to a developing fetus was not widely known.

But when one of her children was a teenager, a diagnosis of suspected cerebral palsy was changed to FAS. Mitchell thought of two babies she had lost  one who died at birth and another lost to sudden infant death syndrome.

"I now believe that prenatal alcohol exposure was the main reason my children did not survive," said Mitchell, an addiction counselor.

Doctors and health providers, she said, should create a clearer road for women to seek help.

"We should be asking everyone at their annual exams about alcohol and drug use in a very matter-of-fact way that's not judgmental, that's not like a witch hunt," Mitchell said. "We ought to be treating this as a medical problem and take the blaming and shaming out of it."

Turchi agreed that some doctors were missing the opportunity to reach women using alcohol during pregnancies and help them and their babies.

She recalled the mother of one of her infant patients, a woman in opioid addiction. The baby's father said he would give his partner alcohol to try to keep her home, thinking it was better for their baby than her being out on the streets using heroin.

"It was horrible," Turchi said. "He felt like he gave his son fetal alcohol syndrome."

Many of these youngsters, for example, don't grasp the idea of stranger danger, leaving them vulnerable to predators. They also may be easily manipulated or can be very impulsive or emotionally immature, and many don't understand the concept of cause and effect  all of which can lead to trouble in school or even with the law. It's estimated that more than 60 percent of people with fetal alcohol disorders over age 12 have been charged with a crime, according to NOFAS.

Sometimes, their behaviors mimic other conditions. Dan Dubovsky, a Philadelphia resident who adopted a boy with FAS and now advocates for FASD children and families, said conventional therapies or medications often don't work with these youngsters  or worse.

Before Dubovsky's son Bill was eventually diagnosed with FAS, the boy's behavior in school was chalked up to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and he was prescribed Ritalin.

"It made him act out even more," Dubovsky said.

But there can be hope for children with FAS, too, especially when they get the right kind of help.

Take Andrew Cambridge, 19, of Willow Grove. When not at school or helping at his church, this dedicated artist is often working on the comic character he has created, "Rekomon! The Karate Cat," a martial arts feline full of untapped potential.

"He's just a kid, so there's way more power in there," Andrew said of the character he's created. "He doesn't know about his true ability yet."

His parents Mildred and Harold Cambridge took him into their home at age 6 months. Andrew was born premature at 26 weeks and 1.5 pounds. The Cambridges, who formally adopted him a couple of years later, were told he probably wouldn't live very long and would never walk or talk.

"I said, 'We'll see about that,' " said Mildred.

Turchi, now his doctor, said Andrew was exposed to alcohol and crack cocaine before birth, resulting in partial FAS, some intellectual disability, along with other birth defects. But the Cambridges, who have other adopted children as well as biological offspring, were steadfast advocates, making sure that he got into programs that could help him, such as Early Intervention, therapies, and supports in school.

"You can't underestimate [children with FAS]," Mildred said. "You never know what they will do."

And Andrew isn't done. He says his dream is to work for the Cartoon Network. He'd like to see "Rekomon! The Karate Cat" on TV.

"If that doesn't work," he said, undaunted, "we can try the Nickelodeon station."

By the numbers

1 in 10 women in the United States reports drinking alcohol during their pregnancy.

1 in 33 pregnant women admitted to binge drinking.

60 percent to 68 percent of Pennsylvania women ages 18 to 44 report drinking alcohol.

48 percent to 56 percent of New Jersey women ages 18 to 44 report drinking alcohol.

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionHeart-failure patients who had this tiny clip implanted in their mitral valves were less likely to be hospitalized than those who did not receive the clip. Read more

A tiny clip designed to fix a leaky heart valve has shown promising effectiveness in a new study of more than 600 patients, apparently reducing rates of death and hospitalization in people with heart failure.

One-third of patients who had the clip implanted in their mitral valves were hospitalized at some point during a two-year period. Among those who did not get the clip, two-thirds needed to be admitted to the hospital over the same period.

During that time, 29.1 percent of patients who received the clip died, compared to 46.1 percent of those who did not receive the MitraClip device, made by Abbott. To participate in the study, which was funded by the Chicago-area company, patients were required to have had at least one hospitalization for heart failure in the previous 12 months.

The study results, announced Sunday in San Diego at a symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Among more than 80 health systems that enrolled patients in the trial were three in the Philadelphia area: Temple University Hospital, Penn Medicine, and Cooper University Health Care.

Some physicians had expressed doubt that the clip would prove helpful in these patients, arguing that they were too sick to realize much benefit. On the contrary, the results suggest the device can help sick patients live longer, said interventional cardiologist Brian O'Murchu, a professor at Temple's Katz School of Medicine.

"It's quite positive," he said. "These data are disruptive for a disease which has had very few good treatment options."

The MitraClip costs about $30,000, not including hospital and doctor costs, according to the New York Times.

The mitral valve is one of four key gateways in the human heart, allowing oxygen-rich blood to pass from the left atrium to the left ventricle, where it is then pumped out to the body.

It can fail in one of two ways, said O'Murchu.

In one instance, the leaflets that seal the valve shut can degenerate. The FDA already has approved the MitraClip for use in patients with that type of valve failure, provided they are too sick for surgery.

The other type of failure occurs when the tissue in which the valve is anchored becomes enlarged  almost as if the frame around a set of double doors has become stretched to twice normal size, O'Murchu said. The "doors" remain in good shape but can no longer cover the opening  a phenomenon that can occur as the result of a heart attack or cardiomyopathy.

"These perfectly good heart-valve leaflets no longer are able to maintain a tight seal," the Temple cardiologist said.

The device, which is implanted with a catheter, was approved in 2013 for patients with the first type of valve failure  the kind caused by degenerative leaflets. The new results may lead the agency to approve the device for the type of patients who were in the trial, whose condition is referred to as secondary regurgitation.When light cigarettes  so named for their less pronounced flavor  were introduced in the 1950s, the tobacco industry marketed them as a healthier option.

Since then, it has been well-documented that light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes, but the myth persists, said Andrew Strasser, director of the Biobehavioral Smoking Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania.

Now as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration looks to reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to lessen the potential for addiction, researchers such as Strasser are trying to prevent a repeat of the light-cigarette myth. They worry that if the rule is enacted, tobacco companies might market the new products as healthier and subsequently increase the number of smokers through the billions of dollars they spend each year on cigarette advertising and promotions.

"We're trying to get out ahead of the policy being brought into law," Strasser said, "and avoid some of the past mistakes that happened."

Strasser, along with Cristine Delnevo, director of the Center for Tobacco Studies at Rutgers University, is starting a five-year multipronged research endeavor to study the effects of tobacco product advertising and packaging on perceptions of healthfulness. The two received an $18 million federal grant, announced this month.

They are one of nine groups to receive funding from the Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, a partnership between the National Institutes of Health and the FDA to promote research on tobacco regulations. The center chose 14 groups for its first round of awards in 2013.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking is the leading preventable cause of death, accounting for about one in five U.S. deaths. The FDA has the authority to regulate marketing and packaging of tobacco products to mitigate public harm, but it must have evidence to support its actions. "It's paramount that we're able to extend that evidence base," Delnevo said.

Over the next five years, Strasser and Delnevo will focus on four core projects.

The first is a clinical trial on how people perceive low-nicotine cigarettes and what health effects they produce. These type of cigarettes are not on the market yet, but would become standard if the FDA enacts the new rule, Strasser said.

The second project focuses on how marketing of low-nicotine products might create false beliefs, and how those beliefs can be corrected. It will be studied in part by tracking eye movement when people look at advertisements.

"It's not the case that people look at everything in the same order and for the same amount of time," Strasser said. Using infrared cameras, researchers can track which words and images people look at the longest, where their eyes return repeatedly, and more.

In his previous work, Strasser found that people didn't look at warning labels placed at the bottom of cigarette ads. As a result, many falsely believed that certain products were safer or could help them quit smoking. But when the warning was placed in the body of the ads, where people spent the most time looking, they came away with more accurate knowledge. Now researchers will see whether the same principles apply for low nicotine product ads.

The third project will examine how the packaging of cigarillos  short, narrow cigars  affect the way young adults think about them. Cigarillos have become increasingly popular among youth nationally and in Philadelphia  a trend many attribute to their colorful packaging and candy flavors.

"We're particularly interested in what color communicates to consumers," Delnevo said. "It might be communicating taste and flavor, but it could also be how harsh or easy it is to smoke." This could make youth see them as less harmful, she added.

The fourth project will focus on Natural American Spirit cigarettes, a brand that markets itself as pure and natural, and is popular among young people. One of their ads shows just a tobacco leaf and a drop of water, emphasizing that there are no additives. "We want to see how young consumers perceive this product," Delnevo said. "Do they think it is safer than other products? Because it's not."

The projects will not address e-cigarette products, such as Juuls, which have received increased attention in recent weeks for their growing popularity among youth and first-time smokers. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has called youth vaping an epidemic, and has ordered the manufacturers of e-cigarettes to show how they will restrict sales to minors or risk having their sales restricted by government regulation.

But the researchers said they're focusing on cigarettes and cigarillos because they still make up the majority of the market. "There is still a lot of work to be done on the combustible products side of the equation," Delnevo said.Nas Haddad poses for a photograph in Philadelphia, Pa. Thursday September 20, 2018. The subject is part of a story exploration of how men view their bodies, and if retailers are making allowances for men with larger frames. JOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer . Read more

Growing up in Germantown, marketing consultant Nas Haddad found himself sticking to an all-black color palette for most of his outfits as a matter of function, not fashion. It wasn't that he hadn't developed the curiosity to explore bold colors and patterns, but mostly because such styles weren't available in a size that fit his body comfortably.

Haddad, like many men, has simple needs: find fashionable clothes that fit appropriately. But for his 6-foot, broad-shouldered, XXL frame, Haddad learned that shopping at accessible and reasonably priced retailers such as H&M and Forever 21 had a negative impact on his confidence.

"It [messes] you up," Haddad said. "There are confidence issues and self-esteem issues that come from shopping [with a larger frame]. It's always about fitting into the clothes. Sometimes I'll get clothes that may not necessarily fit right, and I'll have to lose the weight to fit it."

Adolescent boys struggle with body image as much as girls do, but body-positive messaging is much more pronounced among women due to years of conversations on inclusivity in fashion.

"Now, with the advocacy of so many women coming forward and saying, 'Listen, this is my body. I like it as is. I cannot get skinny. It's just who I am. I love me,' it's given men this room to also have a conversation about self-love, too," says London-based men's fashion editor and stylist Geoff Cooper. "However, [self-love] is not really translated into men's fashion."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national waist size for adult men in 2017, age 20 and over, is 40, yet companies such as Zara and Abercrombie & Fitch offer up only to size 36 and 38 on their websites, respectively. Simply constructed trousers or well-tailored blazers can often be difficult to find in stores because traditional size runs have a limited quantity of larger-sized items. In addition, when stores do carry XLs and above, rarely do the cuts of the garments account for larger biceps or thigh circumferences, resulting in an unflattering fit.

South Jersey-based model Darnel Ghramm, 32, said he's shopped at big-and-tall stores such as Destination XL, but felt that the clothes were more conservatively styled.

"Based on what's available in stores, there's still a misconception of what a male should look like," said Ghramm, who will be walking for Volare France, a brand that caters to plus-sized men, at Philly Fashion Week. "He should be 6'1, 6'2. He should have a 34-inch waist. It raises a question of who's setting these standards. We have quite a ways to go with that."

It's undeniable that men with larger bodies feel insecure when shopping, and to complicate matters even further, representation of larger men is sparse. "We need to see ourselves," said Kevin Parker, founder of Philly Fashion Week, which takes place this week. Some brands do offer up to 3XL, but very rarely do those same brands book full-figured models for campaigns and advertisements.

"I get insecure because a lot of the times I can't find things in my size," Parker said. "I have to travel far or choose different items to find clothes that really fit me. A lot of the men I surround myself with are on the heavier side, and we feel unappreciated [by designers] because we can't find anything to wear. So we often find ourselves working out, trying to get our bodies fit because of what society tells us what we should look like."

For social media influencer Emeka "Soouizz" Okeke, shopping from mainstream brands isn't worth the trouble. While Soouizz may be fashion-savvy enough to navigate retail spaces, he wants more high-end brands such as Gucci to align with the trend and introduce sizes above an XL. The fact that influencers and stylists such as Soouizz  including Ghramm  can exist alongside smaller-bodied people challenges traditional portrayals of the male body, and consequently, highlights a market of men that has been overlooked by designers for years.

Similarly to Cooper and Parker, Soouizz doesn't believe that the fashion industry exists without its foibles. But Soouizz's approach to redefining the public image of the male physique is driven by showing rather than telling  a form of activism in and of itself. With his 40-inch waist and 3XL frame, Soouizz uses his growing Instagram platform of 15.8 thousand followers and counting to show how larger men can style themselves in a heightened way with his use of vibrant color and pattern mixing  two techniques that are typically reserved for slimmer frames because of availability.

Ultimately, Soouizz's shopping perils were reconciled through a deeper understanding of self-love, which he believes is the gateway to confidence. "It took a whole lot," Soouizz said regarding his journey to believing that his body was worthy of high-fashion.

"It wasn't about the clothes. It was about how I carried myself," Soouizz said.

"If a smaller dude is wearing the same clothes that I'm wearing, it's nice. But you don't get to see as many of the details compared to me. So I had to come to terms with the idea that bigger is better. And now I feel like I haven't had a bad-outfit day in a while."

Cooper is hopeful that brands will market to a larger-framed man in the future because of sheer competition. But with such brands as ASOS, Bonobos, Fashion Nova, and Chubstr making strides toward the intersection of high-fashion and inclusivity with their collections catered to men of a particular size, more designers are understanding the value of this demographic.

"We're seeing that people are being pushed to create. Yes, it can be frustrating but you figure out a way. You have to be inclusive in 2018," Cooper said. "So one of two things is going to happen: new brands popping up all the time or established brands will say, 'There's a market here of men who are upwardly mobile and have the money to afford our clothes; we need to start creating for them.'"Bill Cosby leaves after the first day of sentencing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown Pa., on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. TIM TAI / Staff Photographer Read more

Prosecutors asked a Montgomery County judge on Monday to send Bill Cosby to prison for 10 years, arguing that he has shown no remorse for using his celebrity status to befriend and then sexually assault Andrea Constand.

Cosby's lawyers, however, asked the judge to show mercy on the 81-year-old entertainer, arguing that he is no danger to the public and should be sentenced only to house arrest.

Judge Steven T. O'Neill is expected to make his decision Tuesday, determining if Cosby will spend perhaps the rest of his life behind bars or return to the Cheltenham home where he has remained under house arrest since a jury convicted him in April of drugging and assaulting Constand one night in 2004.

Although he was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in connection with the incident, the lawyers agreed to merge them into one, making District Attorney Kevin R. Steele's sentencing request the maximum penalty.

"This is about a person who put himself in a situation of being a mentor, but we know that he had other intentions right from the beginning," Steele said of Cosby, who offered to help Constand when she was a Temple University employee.

The arguments capped off the first day of what is expected to be a two-day proceeding in Norristown. O'Neill also heard from Constand and her family, and earlier heard a psychologist assert that Cosby should be designated a "sexually violent predator" in part because he has a personality disorder that makes him inclined to engage in sex with nonconsenting women.

Pennsylvania law gives great latitude to judges in determining a sentence, but state guidelines suggest a term of 22 months to three years in prison for Cosby.

Steele told the judge that the defense request to spare Cosby from prison is essentially a "get-out-of -jail-free card," and asserted that Cosby even hired a band to play for him while on house arrest. He also asked that Cosby pay a $25,000 fine as well as reimburse the court and prosecution for the cost of both trials.

"We ask this because of who he is behind the mask, behind the act that he perpetuated for all the years that he did, behind [the persona] he used to victimize," Steele said.

About a half-dozen of Cosby's accusers showed up for the hearing, greeting each other with hugs. Constand sat in the courtroom with her sister and parents. Behind her sat three women who testified at Cosby's trial this year  Chelan Lasha, Lise-Lotte Lublin, and Janice Dickinson.

Cosby, wearing a dark suit, sat quietly between his lawyers and leaned forward in his seat, appearing to pay close attention to the proceedings. His wife, Camille, did not attend, and his lawyers chose to call no character witnesses.

Joseph Green, one of Cosby's lawyers, urged O'Neill to avoid influence from the court of public opinion. He spoke of Cosby's childhood in North Philadelphia and a legendary career in which he sought to unite people of different races. Now, he said, Cosby is simply a frail old man.

"Mr. Cosby is not dangerous," Green said. "Eighty-one-year-old blind men who are not self-sufficient are not dangerous."

Green acknowledged Cosby's April courtroom outburst, when, minutes after the jury found him guilty, he called Steele an "asshole."

"Mr. Cosby's frustration got the better of him and he used a name toward Mr. Steele that he shouldn't have," Green said.

At one point  as Steele was noting that Cosby isn't the beloved father figure he portrayed on television  the entertainer appeared to react again, leaning toward his lawyer, whispering and gesturing. Green appeared to shoo his client away.

During her brief statement, Constand reminded the judge of her testimony during both trials.

"The jury heard me. Mr. Cosby heard me," she said. "And now all I am asking for is justice as the court sees fit."

In a letter she wrote to O'Neill  and which Steele described  Constand recounted nightmares in which Cosby assaulted other women in front of her and made her feel as if it was her fault. "He took my beautiful, healthy, young spirit and crushed it," she said, accusing him of "psychological, emotional, and financial bullying."

Her parents and sister also spoke about how the assault had impacted Constand, changing her from a confident and outgoing young athlete to a reclusive and nervous victim.

"The victims cannot be un-raped," said her mother, Gianna. "All we can do is hold the perpetrator accountable."

Earlier, a psychologist who evaluated Cosby told the judge that she classified his behavior as predatory, and said he was likely to re-offend.

Psychologist Kristen F. Dudley, a member of the Pennsylvania Sex Offender Assessment Board, said Cosby declined to let her interview him, so she instead reviewed "boxes of documents," including police reports in the case and the transcripts of both trials.

She noted that Cosby "repeatedly engaged in grooming and sexual offending behavior with young adult females," and said individuals with a sexual disorder like his "are inclined, urged, to act upon this."

The defense lawyer, Green, questioned whether Cosby was likely to commit more crimes. "There's no reasonable prospect than an 81-year-old blind man is likely to re-offend," he said.

Dudley disagreed. "Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't happen," she said.

O'Neill said he would make that ruling Tuesday, after hearing from an expert offered by defense lawyers. If he rules that Cosby is a sexually violent predator, Cosby would have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and attend monthly counseling.A crowd gathers at Dilworth Plaza by City Hall for a walkout in solidarity with Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Survivors of sexual assault shared their stories with the crowd, and then led a march around City Hall. The walkout is part of a nationwide movement called for by Tarana Burke, the founder of the #MeToo movement. Read more

Lola Oladapo understands how sexual violence can affect generations of women.

She cares for her own mother, who survived sexual assault and still, decades later, experiences health issues from the trauma. So, Oladapo said, she wants to have more conversations about sexual violence in public spaces with the hope that future generations won't have to do the same work.

"This is not normal behavior," said Oladapo, of West Philadelphia, while demonstrating Monday in support of women who have accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. "And we cannot normalize this."

About 100 people gathered at Dilworth Park on Monday afternoon for a #BelieveSurvivors walkout and demonstration that was part of a national action. Philadelphia native and #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, alongside dozens of progressive organizations, called on supporters across the country to wear black and walk out of work or school for a "moment of solidarity" for Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez, who have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct and assault against Kavanaugh.

Several women spoke about their own experiences with sexual violence, and before marching around City Hall, participants in unison tweeted messages about supporting survivors of sexual violence at Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa)  chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee  and at State Sen. Daylin Leach (D., Montgomery), who has been accused of sexual misconduct.

Emily Woods, one of eight women who have accused Leach of inappropriate touching and sexually charged conversations, said the senator spoke about his history of fighting for women at a fund-raiser and then grabbed her thigh, triggering painful memories of being sexually assaulted before.

"We have had enough," she said in a message directed at Leach, adding: "We are organizing, we are taking names, and your time is up."

Leach has repeatedly denied allegations of sexual misconduct but has said he has "always been a somewhat touchy person in conversation with both men and women."

The timing of Monday's action wasn't lost on organizers  as the demonstration that was a direct response to allegations against Kavanaugh was taking place, disgraced comedian Bill Cosby was sitting in a courtroom 20 miles away for the first day of a sentencing hearing after he was found guilty in April of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman. The 81-year-old entertainer, who has been accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, is the first celebrity to face possible prison time for sexual assault in the #MeToo era.

"It's a very emotional time," said Gwen Snyder, one of the demonstration organizers. "But there's a glimmer of hope that survivors are finally being heard and believed."

Ford, who told the Washington Post that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a house party in the early 1980s while they were both in high school, is scheduled to testify Thursday about the allegations before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

And on Sunday night, the New Yorker published new allegations against the Supreme Court nominee lodged by Ramirez, a former Yale University classmate of Kavanaugh's, who said he exposed himself to her and thrust his penis near her face  causing her to touch it while trying to push him away  during a booze-soaked party in the mid-1980s. The magazine reported the offices of at least two Senate Democrats are investigating.

Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the allegations, saying Ramirez's allegation is "a smear, plain and simple." The White House has stood behind the nominee, and President Trump on Monday said: "There's a chance this could be one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything." White House counsel Kellyanne Conway suggested that "it's starting to feel like a vast left-wing conspiracy."

Meanwhile, Stormy Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti on Sunday night publicly claimed he has "significant evidence of multiple house parties in the Washington, D.C., area during the early 1980s during which Brett Kavanaugh, [friend] Mark Judge and others would participate in the targeting of women with alcohol/drugs in order to allow a 'train' of men to subsequently gang rape them." The lawyer told Politico he represents a group of people who can corroborate the allegations, including one victim.

Nina Ahmad, a politician, board member at the National Organization for Women and the former president of the group's Philadelphia chapter, said the White House should withdraw its nomination of Kavanaugh, particularly in light of new allegations against him, saying that "when it's more than one person, skeptical people start saying, 'It's not just her.'"

She said appearing and speaking at the demonstration Monday was about mobilizing in support of legislation and policies that would make it easier for women to report sexual misconduct and standing in solidarity with women who have faced backlash for coming forward with such an allegation publicly.

"The silencing and bullying that goes on is unacceptable," she said. "We are going to make sure their voices are heard."Philadelphia police investigate a shooting near Central High School that left a 17-year-old girl, who is a junior at the school, with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Read more

A 17-year-old girl was hit by a stray bullet Monday morning while walking to Central High School in Philadelphia's Logan section, police said.

Police Commissioner Richard Ross said the high school junior was walking on the 1600 block of West Olney Avenue, a block from Central, when gunfire erupted from 16th Street.

Struck in the shoulder by a bullet, the girl ran to her school and went to the nurse's office, where the slug fell out while she was being treated, Ross said.

"There is no question she was not the intended target," Ross said.

The girl, whose name was not released, was taken to Einstein Medical Center, where she was in stable condition, police said. The School District confirmed the girl was a Central junior but didn't identify her further; police don't typically release the names of victims of nonfatal shootings.

The shooting prompted an hour-long lockdown at Central as well as nearby Girls High School and Widener Memorial School.

Ross said the gunfire came from two males who were shooting at each other or a third person in what he called another case of "idiotic behavior" on the city's streets.

Ross said police would temporarily increase patrols in the area as investigators look for witnesses and surveillance video in an effort to identify the shooters.

Ross said that while the girl would be OK, the student, her family, and her schoolmates still experienced a significant trauma.

"We know the psychological impact of getting shot," the commissioner said.Vahan Kostanyan, a member of the My Step Alliance that scored a landslide victory in yesterdays Yerevan Municipal Council election, told people gathered at the Hodvatz 3 club for a post-election discussion that yesterdays election, the first free election in Armenia in the past 23 years, shows that Armenia desperately needs to hold snap parliamentary elections as soon as possible.

The Im Kayl (My Step) Alliance linked to Nikol Pashinyan won 81% of the vote in yesterdays election and will comprise an overwhelming majority in the municipal council. The alliances candidate Hayk Marutyan will most likely become Yerevans next mayor.

Kostanyan said that there wouldnt be a major staff shake-up at the Yerevan Municipality as a result of the election.

ARF party member Davit Hakobyan congratulated My Step on its victory and urged the winner to approach the job of organizing the future of Yerevan with a great deal of responsibility.

Our citizens must see a more beautiful Yerevan. We must prove that the election was more a vote of confidence for Nikol Pashinyan, rather than electing a candidate for mayor, Hakobyan said, adding that the ARF would participate in snap parliamentary elections.

The ARF came in fourth, with 1.62% of the vote, out of a field of twelve political parties/blocs.

Arman Abovyan, a candidate on the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) ticket, said that the people had spoken and described yesterdays election was the freest he had seen.

The PAP came in second with 7% of the vote.

Heritage Party member Andranik Grigoryan said yesterdays election was the most legitimate since 1991.

Grigoryan said yesterdays election signaled the end of the former Republican Party of Armenia regime.

Describing the election as highly politicized, Grigoryan argued that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan regarded the election as a test of his legitimacy.

Its time for Pashinyan to implement his and the governments program to hold snap parliamentary elections as soon as possible, so that we dont have a government that doesnt trust the de jure majority in parliament, Grigoryan said.

The Heritage Party won 0.75% of the vote in yesterdays election.Open land in the Cenco Boulevard Industrial Park in Clayton, N.J. A company is proposing building a cannabis cultivation and manufacturing plant at the industrial park. Read more

In the tiny Gloucester County borough of Clayton, a battle is shaping up between Big Marijuana and organized anti-weed forces divided over whether a $10 million cannabis cultivation and processing facility should be built on vacant land in an industrial park.

Earlier this month officials hastily called a town meeting to discuss Green Thumb Industries' proposal and to quell rumors that borough lawyer Tim Scaffidi said were stoked by "false and unsubstantiated claims" published by the Clayton Free Press and mailed to the borough's 8,700 residents. The publication relied heavily upon the remarks of David G. Evans, a special adviser to the Drug-Free America Foundation, a leading opponent of legalized marijuana. Evans was quoted as saying a marijuana operation carries "many proven negative impacts  on your home value, your children's health and safety, and the environment."

The applause and comments made during the heated meeting Sept. 13 suggested the crowd of more than 200 was equally divided over what one resident described as the "hot-button issue" of marijuana. Would a marijuana facility bring increased crime, odors, and stigma, and send a wrong message to young people, or would the business bring 150 new jobs, provide tax revenue for the struggling town, and help people who are ill and could benefit from cannabis?

Clayton is the latest municipality to wrestle with whether it wants to host a marijuana business as New Jersey expands its medical-marijuana program and weighs legalization for recreational use. Several towns at the Jersey Shore have passed ordinances banning such facilities, while a few others across the state have welcomed them.

The state Health Department recently announced that it will double the number of medical-marijuana facility licenses statewide to 12, in November. It has received 146 applications and will select six. Moorestown, Cherry Hill, and Sewell are among the towns that have proposed sites under review.

Currently South Jersey has marijuana dispensaries in Bellmawr and Egg Harbor Township.

"Weed is what you're worried about? Weed?" asked Joseph Toal, after a few other Clayton residents voiced opposition to GTI's project at the meeting. Toal said studies show that cannabis helps people addicted to opiates, which he said deserve much more attention than a drug he said is relatively harmless.

In a letter to the Health Department last month, Clayton Mayor Thomas Bianco said he supports GTI's application to build a 50,000-square-foot facility in the industrial park on Cenco Boulevard because it is a national cannabis company with a solid reputation. "GTI is publicly traded and possesses a market capitalization of more than $1 billion," he said. And, he added, "They have committed to hire local people."

The industrial park includes a hazardous-waste storage and transfer facility and is near two senior-citizen housing developments.

GTI currently operates seven grow sites across the country, including one in Danville, Pa. During an appearance this month on Fox's MadMoney, GTI chief executive officer Ben Kovier said that his business was growing rapidly and that "there's a tidal wave of demand for this product."

GTI declined to say whether it has purchased land for the Clayton project, saying it has not yet been awarded a license. For the project to go forward, GTI would have to get approval from the planning board.

Kevin Nesko, who publishes the Clayton Free Press with his wife, Bridget, said his publication examined the impact the project might have on the borough. The former chairman of the borough's planning board said he gathered information from various organizations and quoted Evans because of his knowledge on the subject. The pro-marijuana groups that Nesko contacted didn't "back their statements with information or statistics," he said, so he didn't quote them.

Evans, a Flemington, N.J., lawyer, said at the meeting that he had offered to represent residents and sue if the marijuana facility were approved. He told the crowd that marijuana is still illegal under federal law and that GTI's plant could be construed as "trafficking" and racketeering.

During a later interview, Evans said that he doesn't normally sue in such cases, but is a consultant for lawyers who do.

Devra Karlebach, CEO of GTI's Rise New Jersey, said at the meeting that the facility would be state-of-the-art. "We have never had an odor violation, or a security breach," she said.

One man in the crowd heckled her.

"I understand it's scary, an unknown," she replied.

One resident said she favors the project and said that the Clayton Free Press stories read like propaganda and Reefer Madness, referring to the cult film.

Bridget Nesko responded angrily to the criticism. She said all of the information was thoroughly researched.

One resident said her husband died from smoking cigarettes and she could not understand why drugstores continue to sell these "cancer sticks" while medical marijuana is treated as taboo.

Another said bluntly, "I don't want it in my backyard."A 7-year-old boy was killed when he fell from a SEPTA subway car, authorities said Sunday night.

The accident happened shortly before 6 p.m., when the boy slipped between cars on the Broad Street Line near the North Philadelphia station at Lehigh Avenue, Philadelphia Police and transit authority officials said. He fell through to the tracks, and was struck by another car.

The 7-year old, his 11-year-old brother, and a 26-year-old man were selling candy to passengers on the moving southbound train when the boy fell between cars, said Sgt. Eric Gripp, a police spokesperson.

"We're not sure why or how he fell; that's all part of the investigation," said Heather Redfern, a SEPTA spokeswoman.

The boy, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead by medics who arrived shortly thereafter.

No other injuries were reported, Redfern said.

The Broad Street Line was shut down for a time between the Girard and Erie stations while the investigation was underway, and later resumed normal service.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. Read more

Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination has once again been thrown into disarray, after a second woman has come forward to accuse Trump's pick of sexual misconduct.

Further adding to the growing chaos surrounding Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court, a lawyer indicated more allegations could emerge, and the nominee and his wife addressed the misconduct accusations in an interview scheduled to air on Fox News on Monday night.

Deborah Ramirez, who attended Yale University with Kavanaugh, told the New Yorker in a story published Sunday evening that the Supreme Court nominee pulled down his pants and thrust his penis in her face during a drunken dormitory party during the 1983-84 academic year, causing her to touch it without her consent as she attempted to push him away.

"She remembers vividly Brett Kavanaugh laughing at her during this incident, pulling his pants up afterwards," Ronan Farrow, one of the New Yorker reporters who spoke with Ramirez, told CNN Monday morning.

Kavanaugh vehemently denied the new allegations, calling them a "smear, plain and simple" in a letter he sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday afternoon.

"There is now a frenzy to come up with something  anything  that will block this process and a vote on my confirmation from occurring," Kavanaugh wrote.

"I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process," he vowed in the letter.

Ramirez's allegation emerged not long after Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Kavanaugh of groping her during a high school party, came to terms with Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about her allegations on Thursday. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the committee, called for the "immediate postponement" of any further action on Kavanaugh's nomination after Ramirez came forward.

Here's what else happened Monday involving Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination:

Im not going anywhere, Kavanaugh says in Fox News interview

A portion of the interview was released Monday afternoon.

"I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process," Kavanaugh, sitting next to his wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, said in the clip. Fox also quoted Brett Kavanaugh as saying: "What I know is the truth, and the truth is I've never sexually assaulted anyone."

The rest of the interview airs at 7 p.m. on Fox's The Story with Martha MacCallum.

McConnell calls sexual misconduct allegations unsubstantiated; Ford says fear wont stop her from testifying

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday questioned Ford's allegation and said Democrats were trying to destroy Kavanaugh's life.

Ford, meanwhile, sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) saying she had one motivation: "To tell the truth about what Mr. Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge did to me."

Avenatti reveals more details about mysterious new accuser

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, shared some details about a mysterious new victim he claimed could corroborate allegations involving Kavanaugh and his friend, Mark Judge, dating back to high school.

According to Avenatti, the woman has previously worked within the State Department, the U.S. Mint and the Department of Justice, and has been granted multiple security clearances in the past.

"The GOP and others better be very careful in trying to suggest that she is not credible," Avenatti wrote on Twitter.

Earlier on Monday, Avenatti said in an email to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he had "significant evidence" involving Kavanaugh's participation in sexual misconduct while in high school.

In the email, which Avenatti posted on Twitter, the attorney claimed he has evidence that would show Kavanaugh, Judge and others purposely gave women alcohol and drugs "in order to allow a 'train' of men to subsequently gang rape them."

Avenatti told Politico that in addition to representing one victim, he also represents a group of individuals he claims can corroborate previously reported allegations of sexual misconduct involving Kavanaugh.

"She will testify," Avenatti said of the victim. "But before she does, she will likely appear on camera for an interview."

Maryland police say no new Kavanaugh accuser has come forward

The Montgomery County police department said on Monday that no one had approached the agency with new accusations against Kavanaugh, and it had received no information that would initiate a police report or a criminal investigation.

"We have no idea the sources of this information," J. Thomas Manger, the chief of police, told the Inquirer and Daily News regarding a report from the Montgomery County Sentinel. "To date, no one has come forward to report any allegations involving Judge Kavanaugh."

The report, written by Sentinel executive editor and Playboy White House correspondent Brian Karem, claimed that investigators were looking into claims made by an anonymous witness who came forward this weekend, though the nature of the investigators remains unclear. Karem did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Who will question Ford on Thursday? Republicans have some ideas

Republicans are considering asking Kelly Ayotte, a former Republican senator from New Hampshire, according to The Daily Beast. The news outlet reports:

Mindful of the optics of an all-male panel grilling an alleged sexual-assault victim, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have begun narrowing their search for an outside counsel to question Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's accuser this week. Playing the role of outside counsel would be a natural fit for Ayotte. The one-term senator, who lost her re-election bid in 2016, formerly served as the attorney general of New Hampshire from 2004 to 2009. She also has experience with Supreme Court confirmation fights, having shepherded Justice Neil Gorsuch's nomination through the upper chamber last year.

#MeToo founder holds rally in Philly to support Ford

Tarana Burke, the Philadelphia woman who started the #MeToo movement, held a walkout and moment of solidarity Monday in Delworth Plaza for survivors of sexual violence.

Burke and others, who gathered because of the attacks on Ford's character and credibility by some Kavanaugh supporters, are calling for sexual predators in positions of power to be held accountable.

Conservative columnist spreads false information about new accuser

John Fund, a prominent conservative columnist and a former member of the Wall Street Journal's editorial board, apologized Monday morning for spreading false rumors against Kavanaugh's latest accuser.

Fund, currently a columnist for National Review, falsely claimed on Twitter that Ramirez had ties to billionaire George Soros, a progressive activist vilified by conservatives for his support of liberal causes. But it was a different Deborah Ramirez who received the 2003 Soros Justice Fellowship "to strengthen understanding between law enforcement and the Arab, Muslim, and Sikh communities."

Ford was the target of widespread disinformation spread across social media when she came forward with accusations against Kavanaugh last week. The Drudge Report linked to negative teacher reviews about a different Christine Ford, while several prominent conservative commentators falsely claimed Kavanaugh's mother presided over the foreclosure of Ford's childhood home.

Trump calls allegations totally political

Speaking to reporters outside of the United Nations, President Trump called Kavanaugh an "outstanding person" and pledged to stand by his Supreme Court nominee, even as a second woman now accuses him of sexual misconduct.

"There's a chance this could be one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate to anything," Trump told reporters. "For people to come out of the woodwork from 36 years ago and 30 years ago, and never mention it, all of the sudden it happens, in my opinion it's totally political."

Ronan Farrow: New accuser came forward because Democrats came looking

Ronan Farrow, who broke the story of Ramirez's allegations along with New Yorker chief Washington correspondent Jane Mayer, said during an interview on ABC Monday morning that Ramirez came forward now after being contacted by Senate Democrats.

"She came forward because Senate Democrats began looking at this claim. She did not flag this for those Democrats," Farrow told George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America on Monday. "This came to the attention of people on the hill independently, and it's really cornered her into an awkward position. She said, point-blank, I don't want to ruin anyone's life, but she feels this is a serious claim. She considers her own memories credible and she felt it was important that she tell her own story before others did for her."

During an interview on NBC's Today show, Mayer said it was emails from Kavanaugh's classmates at Yale  not Ramirez  that were the original source for their story.

"The story broke overnight, but it dates back 35 years She didn't come forward with it," Mayer said. "What happened was, the classmates at Yale were talking to each other about it, they were emailing about it. We've seen the emails, back in July before Christine Blasey Ford came forward, and eventually the word of it spread. It spread to the senate. It spread to the media. And [the New Yorker] reached out to her."

Kellyanne Conway questions so-called accuser

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway dismissed Ramirez's allegations during an appearance on CBS News Monday morning, referring the her as a "so-called accuser."

"Indeed, this is starting to feel like a vast left wing conspiracy," Conway said, adding there is a "great deal of suspicion."

Conway claimed there was "a great deal of suspicion" about Ramirez's claims, pointing out that the New York Times, a frequent target of the Trump administration, reported it couldn't find anyone with firsthand knowledge to corroborate her allegations.Deputy Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein, sits in his office in the U.S. Department of Justice building July 20, 2017. Read more

WASHINGTON  Questions swirled around Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Monday amid widespread reports that he might be out of his job at the Department of Justice, potentially eliminating a critical official who has supported the special counsel probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Three days after news emerged that Rosenstein once discussed secretly recording President Trump in a bid to remove him from office, a barrage of conflicting reports said he would resign or be fired, and cameras were aimed on the White House as Rosenstein arrived there Monday morning.

By early afternoon, however, both predictions proved premature, if not wrong. At 1 p.m., the White House announced Rosenstein and President Trump would meet later this week.

In a statement, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president and Rosenstein "had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories" but that "because the president is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the president returns to Washington."

While the announcement deflated the frenzied speculation building in Washington, it unleashed a new round of anticipation that Thursday  the same day a Senate committee will hear sexual assault accusations against Trump Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh  could portend a momentous day in Washington, and the country.

Firing Rosenstein, who as acting attorney general in 2017 appointed Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, would heighten concern about the possibility of Trump's trying to strong-arm  if not shut down  the investigation that has shadowed his presidency and reached into his inner circle, and that he has denounced as "a witch hunt" and "hoax" whipped up by Democrats.

Trump has reportedly sought to derail the Mueller probe, and that could intensify if Rosenstein is replaced with a closer ally of the president. Rosenstein's position grew even more precarious after Friday's report by the New York Times that he had discussed secretly recording the president and invoking the 25th Amendment as a way to remove Trump from office after the president fired FBI Director James Comey.

The news of Rosenstein's potential departure sent shock waves through the Capitol, just weeks before midterm elections already seen as a national referendum on Trump's first two years in office.

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, tweeted that Rosenstein "should continue to do his job, protect the independence of the DOJ, and if the President intends to obstruct justice, force Trump to fire him."

Some of Rosenstein's former colleagues puzzled over the reports of a resignation. Megan Brown, who worked for Rosenstein in the early 2000s when he was a federal prosecutor in Maryland, found it difficult to imagine that Rosenstein would resign, given that he'd already survived so many months of tumult.

"Whatever the truth ends up being  and I'm quite skeptical, given the media's track record with most things related to Rod  I'm confident that he's doing the right thing for the country and himself," Brown said.

Democrats and some Republicans have said for months that the rule of law is under threat by Trump, and Rosenstein's ouster would heighten those warnings. Trump and his allies have painted the Justice Department as an out-of-control agency seeking to undermine him.

If Rosenstein resigns or is fired, Noel Francisco, the solicitor general, would assume oversight of the Russia investigation, according to the New York Times.

Over the course of a nearly three-decade career in federal law enforcement, Rosenstein has developed a reputation as a straight arrow who didn't allow personal politics  he's a Republican  to influence his day job.

Born in Philadelphia and raised in Montgomery County, Rosenstein began working at the Department of Justice in 1990 and got his first taste of a megawatt political scandal in 1995, when he worked on the Kenneth Starr-led Whitewater investigation into murky Arkansas real estate deals that involved Bill and Hillary Clinton and a number of their associates.

In 2005, President George W. Bush appointed Rosenstein as U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland. He stayed in that position throughout President Barack Obama's tenure, an accomplishment that Rosenstein's supporters cited as proof of his apolitical nature.

During an interview in 2017, Rosenstein shied away from responding to President Trump's ongoing criticism of the Mueller investigation. "Some people might say, 'Well, we should respond every time there's a criticism, because we need to get our position on the record,' " Rosenstein said. "But that's actually not the way that I see it. I think the public's respect for the Department of Justice is in part a product of people understanding that we do not react to every immediate development in the media."

Rosenstein's last public appearance in Philadelphia was in June, when he spoke at a Society Hill alumni dinner for Central High School, which counted his father as an alumnus.

Rosenstein didn't mention Trump or the Mueller probe then, either  but he did speak about Rocky Balboa. Life isn't about how hard you can hit, Rosenstein said, paraphrasing Rocky, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.Cindy Leech (center) is greeted by Judy Deaven on the steps of the Pennsylvania State Capitol at the end of a march Monday in support of legislation to change the statute of limitations for child sex crimes. Both women have endured the deaths of sons who suffered from abuse by priests. Read more

HARRISBURG  After protesters flocked to the Capitol on Monday, the state House advanced a measure that would allow more victims of child sex abuse to sue their attackers decades after being assaulted.

The House voted, 171-23, to amend a bill to lift for two years the state's civil statute of limitations that bars accusers older than 30 from suing over abuse that occurred when they were children. The change was a major recommendation in last month's state grand jury report that outlined decades of sex abuse and cover-ups by Catholic clergy across the state.

The measure needs a final House vote, expected later this week. Its fate in the Senate is uncertain.

"This isn't a hard vote. It isn't," State Rep. Mark Rozzi (D., Berks), who as a child was raped by a priest, said on the House floor Monday afternoon. "Ask yourself one question: Do you stand with victims, or do you stand with pedophiles or the institutions that protect those pedophiles?"

Watching in the gallery as the House considered the amendment were Attorney General Josh Shapiro and his senior deputy, Daniel Dye. Their office oversaw the two-year investigation that found that more than 300 "predator priests" across the state assaulted at least 1,000 children over seven decades.

Victims also piled into the House gallery. When the bill passed, they applauded and many stood. A few people whistled.

The House vote on the bill, which would also eliminate the criminal and civil statute of limitations for future victims in most cases, came after throngs of protesters brought a buzz to the halls of the Capitol on the opening day of the legislature's fall voting session. The bill, as amended Monday, would also permit lawsuits against public institutions, although only in cases of "gross negligence."

Monday was the first time lawmakers had gathered en masse since late June, before the Aug. 14 release of the grand jury report outlining the abuse and cover-up in six of the state's eight Roman Catholic dioceses.

After the vote, dozens of victims gathered in the Capitol Rotunda with some of the state's highest-ranking officials, including Shapiro and Gov. Wolf.

"You've changed me," Shapiro said, turning to address the victims directly. "You've nourished my soul. You've actually strengthened my faith in humanity."

He and nearly a dozen others called on state legislators  and especially those in the Senate  to enact all four recommendations outlined by the grand jury, including the two-year window for civil suits.

In getting its first round of approval in the House, the proposed window received deep support from leaders and rank-and-file House members in both parties. All eyes are now on the Senate.

There, Republicans, led by President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson), have resisted past efforts to make retroactive changes to the statute of limitations, arguing that doing so would be unconstitutional.

Some Democrats also shared that concern. One, State Sen. Daylin Leach (D., Montgomery), said the grand jury report and meetings with victims or their relatives altered his perspective. He said he now supports all of the grand jury's recommendations.

"I wound up doing something that almost never happens in Harrisburg: I changed my mind," said the senator, whose own congressional bid this year was derailed by #MeToo accusations.

Leach, a lawyer, said he often viewed bills analytically and from a legal perspective.

"I got sort of caught up in my own head, on hyper-technical readings of the law, on this and that and worse-case scenarios, all of which served to blind me to what got me into politics in the first place, which is the desire to help people who have been wronged get justice," he said.

The climate in the Capitol feels different this time, said state Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm, who recalled participating in a similar rally two years ago and having to leave to make room for an event about a dog that had been abused.

She recalled wondering where the outrage was for the human victims.

"I don't know about you, but this feels like outrage," she said Monday night.

Throughout the day, survivors and their supporters participated in marches and rallies. Early on, they walked through Harrisburg, passing by the offices of public officials and of Long, Nyquist & Associates, one of the lobbying firms hired by the Catholic Church.

One woman went up to the large plate-glass windows on the street side of the lobbyists' office and yelled: "When are you going to stop lobbying for rapists?"

Another, Karen Weigle of Lancaster, stood with her hand on the brownstone exterior and silently prayed.

"I prayed the Lord would break off all the evil influence," she said afterward.

The crowd then marched into the Capitol for the first of two highly charged rallies, each of which featured a slew of public officials who called on the state legislature to enact the grand jury's recommendations.

One survivor, Shaun Dougherty, reminded the crowd that survivors had stood there before  a nod to what happened in 2016, when the state House passed a measure allowing victims to sue retroactively, and a Senate committee killed the effort.

"We've been here before," he said. "We're not finished yet."President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, a federal appeals court judge, arrives before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, for the second day of his confirmation to replace retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. Read more

A few years ago, when women started using social media to share stories of assault, some men became alarmed. They seemed to take it personally, and a hashtag was born: #NotAllMen.

The overriding message: Not all men are jerks. I'm not! Give me a trophy and acknowledge I'm not. It felt like a conversation hijack, and the backlash was swift. Women were not in the mood to tenderly reassure individual men just then; what they wanted was to raise awareness about how many women had been victimized.

But if there were ever a time for the maligned hashtag to be reclaimed and redeemed, it's now. Right this very minute, when the sexual assault allegation against Brett Kavanaugh is being met with a nauseating rationale: If he did this, it's no big deal. All young men do stuff like this; boys will be boys.

I want #NotAllMen back. But this time, it shouldn't be a message written by wounded men to frustrated women. It should be a message written by furious men to the dingbats spreading lies about what it means to be a decent guy.

I want #NotAllMen to be the battle-cry response to Carrie Severino, the Kavanaugh defender who went on CNN and dismissed the alleged incident as "rough horseplay." No, Carrie. Not all men would consider luring a 15-year-old into a room, pinning her down and trying to rip off her bathing suit "horseplay."

I want to shout it through a bullhorn to Fox News columnist Stephen Miller, who decided the alleged event was "drunk teenagers playing seven minutes in heaven." No, Stephen. Not all men believe that a basement kissing game should involve covering a girl's mouth so she can't scream for help.

I would like 10,000 good men to bellow "not all men!" at the reader who sent me an email claiming that "every living (heterosexual) teenager pushes the boundaries a little in the height of his hormones."

No, reader. Not all men believe that attempted rape is a normal part of growing up. And not all men would like their violent behaviors to be chalked up to "hormones," as if the men are plumped-up bovine instead of civilized people with agency and free will.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D., Hawaii) made some of these points when a reporter asked her on Wednesday whether it was helpful that there were women on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"I expect all of the enlightened men in our country, 'cause there must be millions of men out there who are enlightened, who also will rise up to say we cannot continue the victimization," Hirono said. "I just want to say to the men in this country: Just shut up and step up. Do the right thing for a change."

This is not an instance where only women should be upset. Men should be livid. Good men all over the country should be enraged that Kavanaugh's defenders would suggest that there is something inherently rape-y about being a man.

There is nothing inherently wrong with men. There is only something wrong with a society that would turn to millions of young women and say, Trying to rape you is a necessary part of his development, and say to young men, What happens in prep school stays in prep school.

You don't believe Kavanaugh did it? Fine. You don't have to have an opinion on whether Kavanaugh did it. If you are a good man, though, you will picture this scenario: You will think about a 17-year-old boy holding down a 15-year-old girl and trying to rip off her clothes. You will think about the moment she starts to scream, which should pierce his drunken stupor and signal to him that she is terrified and wants to leave  but instead makes him decide to put his hand over her mouth to quiet her down. She'll later say that in this moment, she was afraid she was going to die.

Not all men will think this scenario can be described as "boys will be boys." Most of them will think it's sickening. Maybe 99 percent.

If you are in that majority, this is your moment. Your voice is needed. Ninety-nine percent of you should be furious that boys hurting girls this way is presented as normal. Ninety-nine percent of you should be screaming.

Monica Hesse is a columnist for the Washington Post's Style section and author of "American Fire." @MonicaHesseAround 1984, under the Mayor Primas administration in Camden, the state decided to build a dedicated office building. One of the unions involved in the project filed a lawsuit in an attempt to waive required training and employment of Camden residents.

The argument? Camden residents were "uneducable."

The court was not amused, the requirements were kept in place, and the union had to hire and train local residents, who subsequently earned membership.

Krishna Singh, founder and CEO of Holtec International, could have learned a lesson from this 34-year-old incident. Last week, he was the object of much controversy after comments about the Camden workforce.

"They don't show up to work," Singh was quoted as saying to ROI-NJ. "They can't stand getting up in the morning and coming to work every single day. They haven't done it, and they didn't see their parents do it. Of course, some of them get into drugs and things. So, it's difficult."

The statement was widely condemned by city officials and activists, though Singh later said that his comments were taken out of context.

>> READ MORE: Camden's Holtec CEO draws rebuke and sympathy for comments on workforce

Singh's comments, even when clarified, touched a nerve with regard to the reinvestment and growth opportunity that exists by developing a robust workforce. It's important that Singh see the City of Camden as a viable partner and not just a $260 million tax break.

There's a reason tax incentives exists for cities like Camden. How this tax break inures to the political and public benefit of Holtec depends on Singh's respect for the city he now calls his business home.

The covenants of a tax benefit should compel a recipient to develop and implement economic and workforce development programs with the political and social stakeholders in the city. The same political will that enabled Holtec's award of the tax break should require the reinvestment of that capital to change the culture of engagement with Camden and its residents. This type of commitment isn't grounded in the hope of gentrification, but a belief and respect for the humanity of Camden and the promise of a viable partnership.

Camden doesn't need boutique solutions. It needs jobs with living wages and affordable housing that will create the tax base to improve the city and school district. Systemic change is needed that only a committed corporate partner can initiate and do the work that needs to be done.

>> READ MORE: Camden companies with big tax breaks say they can't find qualified or willing workers in the city | Kevin Riordan

A corporate tax break in a distressed market must be more than real estate and tax relief. It must require a commitment to reimagine what can be, and work to make it happen. If that vision isn't there, then Holtec is just one more white collar crime scene injuring the city and the taxpayers of New Jersey.

Patricia A. Darden held positions of city attorney and director of housing and community development in Camden; Karen A. Robinson was chief of staff to the Office of the Mayor, and deputy director of housing and community development. Both worked during the administration of Mayor Melvin R. "Randy" Primas Jr.Judiciary and Transportation Committees, Drivers License Suspensions for non  driving offenses at the Trade Institute. Anna Hollis, Hemachi, speaks to a panel of law makers. Read more

Anna Hollis, executive director of Amachi Pittsburgh, a nonprofit that works on behalf of the 8,500 children of incarcerated parents in Allegheny County, is closely watching the Pennsylvania state Senate calendar and hoping for the best.

She knows that many parents will lose their driver's licenses due to minor, non-driving-related offenses. The nonsensical result is that they also lose their ability to work, run errands, pick up children in after-school programs, and perform many other basic, parental duties.

In her job, Hollis has had remarkable success keeping families together and helping individuals return to productivity after completing a court sentence. But the driver's license suspension policy is such a barrier to further progress, she says, that she agreed to chair the Driven to Work Campaign, the statewide effort to eliminate automatic driver's license suspensions as part of sentencing, where appropriate.

>> READ MORE: Gov. Wolf, waive the fee for birth certificates so state IDs are easier to get | Ronnie Polaneczky

"It's cruel and unusual punishment for individuals trying to turn their lives around," she says, "and [the] innocent children and other family members who depend on them."

Suspensions can affect people long after they've completed jail time or probation, often for offenses committed in their youth. They're particularly hard on those in rural and suburban areas where public transportation is limited or nonexistent.

As leaders of a community foundation and a private nonprofit who share the mission of improving the region's quality of life and economic future, we have been advocating to eliminate this barrier to employment for those who have paid their debts to society. That's why we, along with Hollis, are greatly encouraged by recent progress in the state Legislature.

A legislative package made up of H.B. 163 and H.R. 76 would remove driver's license suspension as a penalty for many non-violent offenses not connected to driving and eliminate a major barrier to employment for those trying to avoid returning to the criminal justice system. Thanks to a bipartisan 193-3 vote in the House in April, and to the diligence and commitment of Senate Transportation Committee Chairman John Rafferty, (R., Montgomery), we anticipate a vote and passage by the Committee next week.

>> READ MORE: Need your birth certificate? Be prepared to wait.

We're excited to see such strong bipartisan support, but we're all watching the clock: there's just 11 session days between Sept. 24 and Nov. 13 for the legislation to pass the General Assembly. As representatives of many stakeholders in the outcome, we're asking legislative leaders to make it a priority in the remaining voting period.

Last year alone, Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation suspended about 40,000 licenses for nonviolent, nondriving offenses. The new law would retain driving privileges for thousands annually and the benefits to the state would be substantial.

The numbers show that wages for those affected increase sharply when they have a driver's license. In the construction trades, it's a requirement for many higher-paying jobs, which are more likely to offer health insurance and other benefits that further smooth the roadway for re-entry to society. It's a win for workers and a win for Pennsylvania.

Since 2012, 15 states, including Virginia, Washington, and California, have recognized these issues and narrowed their driver's license suspension programs. Michigan's Republican-controlled legislature voted in 2014 to end the practice, calling it a "money grab" and an "immaturity penalty" for minor matters, such as nonpayment of parking tickets.

The best reason for Pennsylvania to discontinue this unfair policy is that programs like these overwhelmingly punish low-income people by trapping them in cycles of debt and poverty. A 2017 study by the National Center for State Courts found that "the financial and familial consequences of license suspension are so severe that 75 percent of drivers continue to drive after a suspension, which in turn exposes them to criminal prosecution and additional financial penalties," while also increasing costs of enforcement and even incarceration in those states.

The Pennsylvania legislation will improve life prospects for those who need it most, and it will improve the state government's bottom line. We urge legislators to be driven, as Hollis and her clients are, to move Pennsylvania forward and quickly pass H.B. 163 / H.R. 76.

Maxwell King is president and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation. Matthew Smith is president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, an affiliate of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.On Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, the Ramonita G. De Rodriguez branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia in North Philadelphia was closed due to low-staffing. The Rodriguez branch is one of many across the city that struggles to stay open day-to-day. Read more

Philadelphia is wisely spending millions to renovate city libraries, but too frequently, residents find the doors shut, with a note saying there just wasn't enough staff to open.

This all-too-common event begs the question: What's the point of spending millions to refurbish Philadelphia's public libraries if the city can't staff them?

This year, branches across the city closed 372 times. They closed without notice and left users without access to books, the internet for job searches, a safe place to do homework or school projects, and so much more. According to a recent Inquirer report, more of the closures happened in neighborhoods with high poverty rates, though the city denies this is the case.

>> READ MORE: In the city's poorest neighborhoods, libraries close earlier and more often

Calling libraries essential centers of the community doesn't even begin to cover the role of libraries in our lives. They hold the tools residents can use to make themselves better. Membership is free, and patrons can check out musical instruments, learn a language, attend lectures, and take courses. Not only can members use the library to find a job, but they can check out a tie, scarf, or even jewelry, so they look their best at a job interview. In one extreme case, the librarian at Kensington's McPherson Square Library has administered live-saving Narcan to opioid users.

Library President Siobhan Reardon told staff writer TyLisa C. Johnson that her department's budget was cut a decade ago, which leaves her "constantly moving chess pieces in order to" keep branches open.

The library, like other city departments, was hit with budget cuts in the 2008 recession, and its budget is slowly being restored to pre-recession levels.

Still, those cuts were deep. Staff is down by about 150 positions from 11 years ago. According to city budget documents, there were 813 full-time positions filled in the library system back in 2007, before the recession hit. At the end of this March, there were 657. The cuts make staff allocation all the more important. Library leadership would be wise to plan better for the unexpected and study absenteeism patterns, so it can keep the branches open, especially on weekends.

The staffing problem has lingered for years. In 2012, the Pew Charitable Trusts reported that Philadelphians don't use their libraries as much as their cohorts in other big cities because of the "extraordinary number of times that branches have experienced temporary, unscheduled closings in the past few years."

>> READ MORE: 10 things you didn't know you could do with a library card | Perspective

Annually, an average 6 million people use the system's 54 branches. Soon, those branches will get some long-overdue attention. In the first two years of its Rebuild program, the city expects to issue about $90 million in bonds to refurbish libraries as well as parks, playgrounds, and recreation centers. But it is absurd to fix buildings and not supply enough staff to help people use them.

Mayor Kenney and City Council should fix the staffing problem so that when libraries are repaired, they can better serve the city. Call and tell them that a city without fully-functioning libraries doesn't offer much hope to residents who want to better their lives, or their minds. If you want to help, go to https://libwww.freelibrary.org/support/. Use it to send a donation.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-22 06:05:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RABAT, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Mauritania pledged Friday to expand bilateral cooperation.

This vow was made during talks between Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani and Mauritania's Foreign Affairs Minister Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, according to a statement from prime minister's office.

Speaking on this occasion, El Othmani praised the "solid" ties between the two countries, highlighting the promising prospects for the two countries, as well as the possibilities of co-ordination in different areas, including agriculture and fisheries, in addition to the exchange of experience in the fields of vocational training and higher education.

For his part, the Mauritanian foreign minsiter lauded the depth of relations between the two countries, while underlining the need to develop bilateral cooperation between the two countries.Hot item today on the New York Times, Fox News and elsewhere is whether the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation paid $6.5 million on a top hat that may not be Abraham Lincoln's after all.

The FBI and experts are questioning whether the claims associated with the hat in the museum are credible.

If the hat is not what it is claimed to be, it could be devastating to the Springfield museum, since the hat is coming closer and closer to being auctioned off.

So Chicago State Rep. Ann Williams is calling a meeting to discuss what happened to the museum's finances and why it is in such dire financial straits:Mumbai: After unveiling the motion posters featuring megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Lloyd Owen and Katrina Kaif last week, the makers have released a brand new motion poster to reveal Aamir Khan's look in Thugs of Hindostan.

Aamir too took to Twitter to share the motion poster and even describe his character in the film.

Going by the way Aamir has been introduced in the poster, it looks likely that the superstar's character has a comical element.

Aamir wrote: "   ,  .

           .

     ,    .

  !!! (sic)."

The teaser zooms out of a bottle and shows a shabbily dressed man with unkempt hair and a bizarre sense of style named Firangi Mallah (the character played by Aamir) riding a donkey.

Check out the motion poster:

Thugs of Hindostan directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya will see Aamir and Amitabh together on screen for the first time. English actor Lloyd Owen plays John Clive a British, Amitabh plays a character named Khudabaksh, Fatima essays Zafira while Katrina comes across as Suraiyya.

Reportedly set in the backdrop of India under the British rule in the 19th century, Thugs of Hindostan is inspired by Philip Meadows Taylor's 1839 novel Confessions of a Thug. It revolves around the life of a thug and his gang who challenge the British Empire in the country.

The film is slated to release on November 8. Are you ready to watch this fantasy adventure drama?BATUMI, GEORGIA: Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand is expected to rest on Tuesday as the Indian men take on El Salvador in the 43rd Chess Olympiad.

Anand was called for the ceremonial draw of lots that gave the top-seeded United States and India white colour on the top board in the first round.

After a glittering and probably the best ever opening ceremony in any Olympiad that was a mix of performances by the local stars, its time now to set the clock rolling and start the biggest biennial chess event.

Each match will be played over four boards and the team scoring 2.5 points in all will be declared the winner. The points awarded are called Match points which means two points are awarded for every win.

One point is for a drawn 2-2 result and none if a team scores less than two.

Defending champions USA are also resting Fabiano Caruana in the first round clash against Panama.

Russians, too, gave a day off to their biggest star Vladimir Kramnik.

However, the biggest absentee in the Olympiad this year remains the reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen and Norwegians, who finished a creditable sixth last year.

The other notable absence is that of Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria but that is because Bulgarian team is not playing this time.

The first round should be a piece of cake for the Indian men who have over 400 rating points separating each member from their respective opponents.

The challenge will get tougher as it goes but the real hurdle may not come till the fourth round when some relatively big clashes are expected to take place.

Apart from the fancied, United States, Russia, China and Azerbaijan, a young Iranian team might just come knocking on the doors and can trouble the best.

The team is headed by recently crowned world junior champion Parham Maghsoodloo on the top board and has an average age of less than twenty years with all players already attaining the Grandmaster title.

Meanwhile, in the women's section the Indian eves can also fancy for a 4-0 opening round rout against New Zealand.

Out of action for almost two years, Koneru Humpy has been given the chance to get back in competitive mode and the other Indian Grandmaster D Harika has taken a drop instead. Humpy's form will be crucial if Indian women have to win a medal here.

Russian women start as the top seed this time as top Chinese player Yifan Hou is not playing for her team.

Ukraine is seeded second ahead of China and the local favourite Georgia is seeded fourth. While there could be individual upsets on some boards, it is unlikely that any top team will go down in the opening round.

(With PTI Inputs)New Delhi: Nitin Sandesara, an absconding director of a Gujarat-based pharma company which is being probed in a Rs 5,000 crore fraud case, may have fled to Nigeria, as per media reports.

It was earlier reported that Sandesara, wanted by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED), was detained in Dubai. However, a Times of India reported on Monday said that Sandesara, along with his family is hiding in Nigeria. The paper, quoting sources said that reports of him being detained in UAE was a misinformation.

CBI has booked Vadodara-based Sterling Biotech, its directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and Vilas Joshi, chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, former director Andhra Bank Anup Garg and some unidentified persons in connection with the alleged bank fraud case.

It is alleged that the company took loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank which had turned into non-performing assets. As per the FIR, the total pending dues of the group of companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016. The ED has taken the FIR into cognisance.

So far, the ED has arrested few people in this case including Delhi-based businessman Gagan Dhawan, former Andhra Bank director Anup Garg and Sterling Biotech Ltd director Rajbhhushan Dixit.

Multiple prosecution complaints or charge sheets have also been filed by it before a special court. It had also attached assets worth over Rs 4,700 crore of the pharmaceutical firm in June this year.

With PTI InputsGURUGRAM: Private airline SpiceJet on Monday announced the launch of daily direct flights from New Delhi to the famous temple town in Maharashtra's Shirdi district, which is visited by thousands of devotees of Shri Sai Baba every year.

The private air carrier also announced the launch of four new direct flights to Maharashtra.

Tushar Srivastava, Head of Communications, SpiceJet, took to Twiter to make the announcement.

''SpiceJet will be the first and only airline to provide air connectivity to the temple town of Shirdi with daily direct flights from Delhi, '' he tweeted.

Interestingly, the flights on Shirdi-Delhi-Shirdi sector will start from October 1, the airline said.

Home to the famous temple dedicated to Shri Sai Baba, the Maharashtrian town of Shirdi receives an estimated 60,000 pilgrims every day.

With the launch of daily direct flights, tourists who otherwise take a rail or road tour can now switch to a more convenient and less time-consuming travel mode to reach Shirdi.

Inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind, Shirdi received its first operational airport in October last year.

Additionally, the airline has also launched a new daily direct flight on the route of Mumbai-Kanpur route, which will be effective from October 8, thereby becoming the first airline to connect the countrys financial capital and UPs commercial capital.

With the introduction of the daily direct flight services on the Mumbai-Kanpur-Mumbai route, passengers from Kanpur can now conveniently travel to a host of other cities both on SpiceJets domestic as well as international network via multiple onward connections from Mumbai.

The airline will also operate the first direct flight on the Mumbai-Jaisalmer route starting October 29 and third direct flight on Mumbai-Kolkata route from November 1.

This is indeed a proud moment for us and a celebrated milestone for Indian aviation as SpiceJet becomes the first and only airline to connect Shirdi with Delhi. Our new flight will offer an immediate boost to religious tourism that the city is best known for, Shilpa Bhatia, Chief Sales and Revenue Officer, SpiceJet said.

SpiceJet will be deploying the Boeing 737 on the sectors of Mumbai-Kanpur-Mumbai, Shirdi-Delhi-Shirdi, Mumbai-Jaisalmer-Mumbai and Mumbai-Kolkata-Mumbai routes.

Bookings are now open on airline's official website and its mobile app and through other online travel portals.PANAJI: The main opposition party in Goa  Congress  has mocked the changes made by the ruling BJP in the state cabinet led by ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday and termed the entire exercise as ''laughable and hypocrisy''.

Criticising the ruling party, the Congress said that ''if they're dropping ministers on health grounds, it's laughable.''

''It's hypocrisy. When the CM (Parrikar) is himself on the bed whose condition is worse than other two ministers and they're dropped on health grounds and the CM is continuing,'' Girish Chodankar,

Goa Congress president, said slamming the move.

If they're dropping ministers on health grounds, it's laughable. It's hypocrisy. When CM is on bed whose condition is worse than other two ministers & they're dropped on health grounds&CM is continuing: Girish Chodankar, Goa Congress President,on 2 Cabinet Ministers' resignation. pic.twitter.com/UxfjPRkuMw  ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018

The Goa Congress chief had on Sunday alleged that the PM Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah lacked the courage to replace ailing Parrikar since they fear blackmail on Rafale issue since the latter was the Defence Minister in the Modi government before taking over the CM of Goa.

The harsh reactions from Goa Congress came hours after two ailing ministers in the BJP-led coalition government were dropped from the Goa cabinet on Monday, to make way for the induction of two others from the party into the 12-member cabinet.

A statement issued by the government said that BJP MLA from Mormugao, Milind Naik, a former Power Minister, and BJP MLA from Curchorem, Nilesh Cabral, would be inducted into the state cabinet later in the day.

The swearing-in has been scheduled for 4 PM at the Raj Bhavan, the statement said.

The ministers who have been dropped from the cabinet are Francis D`Souza, who holds the Urban Development Ministry portfolio and Pandurang Madkaikar, who was the in charge of the Power Ministry.

Reacting to the development, D'Souza, who is being treated for cancer at a New York hospital, said, ''I am happy with the decision. This is the fruit of working for the party for 20 long years. I have been ill for only one month."

Madkaikar is being treated in Mumbai since June when he suffered a brain stroke.

BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday had hinted at a ministerial rejig in a tweet, which also said that Parrikar, who is being treated for advanced pancreatic cancer at New Delhi`s All India Institute of Medical Sciences would continue as the Chief Minister.

Parrikar has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and now Delhi, for the last seven months.

(With Agency inputs)New Delhi: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Monday said that there was a need for another surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control in view of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Army Chief made these remarks while responding to a question on whether there is a need for one more surgical strike.

"I believe there is a need for one more action (surgical strike). But I would not want to disclose how we want to do it," Gen Rawat said.

The Army Chief made these remarks in an interview to India Today news channel on Monday.

Interestingly, Gen Rawat had on Sunday said that surgical strike is a weapon of surprise and must remain so while hinting that the security forces will respond when the appropriate time comes.

''Surgical strike is a weapon of surprise. Let it remain a surprise,'' General Rawat had said.

The Army had conducted a massive surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control on September 29, two years ago.

Rawat also backed the Narendra Modi government's decision to cancel talks with Pakistan, asserting that talks and terror cannot go together.

"The government's policy is very clear cut... You (Pakistan) show us some initiatives so that we feel that you are not encouraging terrorism. But we see that terror activities are continuing and terrorists come from the other side of the border. In such an atmosphere, whether talks can be initiated that the government can only decide. I agree with the government's decision that peace talks and terrorism cannot go together," he said.

The Army Chief was reacting to the government's decision to call off the Foreign Minister-level talks with Pakistan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

The Centre had on Friday called off a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan in New York, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri terrorist Burhan Wani.

Rawat also said infiltration from across the border persists despite the call for a ceasefire by Pakistan and stressed that this cannot be allowed to continue and appropriate action has to be taken to deter terrorists from disrupting the peace in the Kashmir Valley.

''Infiltration from across the border persists despite the call for a ceasefire by Pakistan,'' said Rawat stressing that ''this cannot be allowed to continue''.

''They have been carrying out barbaric acts and Pakistan Army is used to doing this. It is not the first time that they have done it,'' the Army Chief said.

Last week, a BSF soldier was shot dead and his body was found mutilated.NEW DELHI: Ahead 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress held a high-level meeting to brainstorm over possible alliance partners in 10 states Monday.

The meeting is exploring coalition possibilities in 10 states namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Jharkhand.

In the absence of party chief Rahul Gandhi, who's currently in Amethi, senior Congress members Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel and Ashok Gehlot are presiding over the meeting.

The meeting has been divided into two parts. Political representatives of five states will meet up in the morning, while the leaders remaining five states will meet in the evening around 5 pm.

In the day-long meeting, leaders representing each state has been allocated 30 minutes to present their facts and figures on alliances.

Party high command has also invited regional party heads to express their views.

The meeting comes against the backdrop of Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) entering an alliance with Ajit Jogi's Janta Congress Chhattisgarh Thursday.

BSP will also fight upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections solo. Mayawati has already announced the names of 22 party candidates contesting for the MP state polls.

Meanwhile, eight political parties will meet on September 30 to work out an alliance against the ruling BJP in the forthcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, Loktantrik Janata Dal mentor Govind Yadav said Sunday.

"Now that the BSP has decided to fight elections on its own, we are going to sit together to talk about forming an alliance so that the opposition vote does not get fragmented," Yadav, former Janata Dal (United) Madhya Pradesh president, said Sunday.

Leaders of the Samajwadi Party (SP), CPM, CPI, Bahujan Sangharsh Dal, Gondwana Gantantra Party, Rashtriya Samanta Dal, Prajatantrik Samadhan Party, apart from the Loktantrik Janata Dal, would meet to work out the modalities of an alliance, Yadav informed.

With agency inputsTo counter Pakistani FM radio channels broadcasting anti-India messages in border areas with Punjab, a 20 kilowatt FM channel - Desh Punjab - was launched on Monday in Amritsar's Attari sector.

With a radius of 60 kilometres, the FM channel will cover several areas across the border as well and it is reported that this radius would be increased to 75 kilometres in the days to come. While Pakistan-based FM channels which can be received in border areas within India have been found spreading messages of hate, Desh Punjab will broadcast Punjabi news and songs.

The FM channel was launched by Vijay Sampla, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, who said that it would help counter the anti-India narrative being spread through Pakistani FM channels in border areas. He also said that it would spread the message of brotherhood and peace. "Pakistani FM's misinformation would now be replied with our message of bonhomie and brotherhood," he said.

In the past, several locals in border areas have complained that they have been receiving Pakistani radio channels - which spew venom against India - on their radio frequencies. Authorities took a stern view of these radio stations but instead of a tit-for-tat approach, opted to have a broadcast station for the betterment of people and to spread the message of peace and harmony.Injured Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy, who currently lies injured in his sailing vessel in the south of Indian Ocean, will soon be rescued by a French vessel. Despite the hostile weather, French ship Osiris led by Irish sailor Irish sailor Gregor Mc Guckin will soon be reaching Tomy. Wave heights of 5-8 metres are being experienced in the area during the time of the rescue operations.



Navy Spokesperson DK Sharma said that the Indian sailor will be given first aid and will then be rescued. "Help is reaching Commander and Golden Globe Race (GGR) skipper Abhilash Tomy anytime. He will be rendered first aid and then will be rescued," the Navy Spokesperson said.

The Rescue Mission is being coordinated with the Australian Navy. "HMAS Ballarat is on its way assist an injured solo yachtsman, approximately 1800 nautical miles off the WA coast. The sailor, an officer in the Indian Navy is understood to have suffered a serious back injury when his ten-metre vessel, Thuriya was de-masted in extreme weather," the Royal Australian Navy had tweeted.

Please be advised that communications will be limited during the current situation. We can report Gregor is safe and making his way towards Abhilash's position. We are in regular contact with Gregor and the race... https://t.co/4rP6Bildw2  Gregor McGuckin (@GregorMcGuckin) September 23, 2018

"We will find your man," Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead Commander Australian Fleet had said when the Indian Navy had reached out to them for help.

Tomy, representing India in the Golden Globe Race 2018 (GGR) on an indigenously built sailing vessel 'Thuriya', was dismasted and suffered a back injury on Friday.

HMAS Ballarat is on its way assist an injured solo yachtsman, approximately 1800 nautical miles off the WA coast. The sailor, an officer in the Indian Navy is understood to have suffered a serious back injury when his ten metre vessel, Thuriya was de-masted in extreme weather. pic.twitter.com/e5zgO6F7bj  RoyalAustralianNavy (@Australian_Navy) September 23, 2018

He is in the south Indian Ocean, approximately 1900 nautical miles from Perth, Australia and about 2700 nautical miles from Cape Comorin.

The Indian Navy's P-8I aircraft is on the scene to coordinate the final stretch of the rescue operation. Navy had on Sunday tweeted: "Capability of our P8i has been a humongous force multiplier who has given us and the Australian MRCC a huge input into the state of Thuriya for planning purposes. Indian Naval Defence Attache' in Australia camping in regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC)."

The Indian Navy sources said the capability of the P8i has been a "humongous force multiplier" who has given it and the Australian MRCC a huge input into the state of Thuriya for planning purposes.NEW DELHI: In a veiled reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi called him 'India's Commander in Thief' and shared a video on French-based journal Mediapart's recent report on the Rafale deal.

The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief. pic.twitter.com/USrxqlJTWe  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 24, 2018

The video, created by French digital video publisher Brut, highlights the main points of Mediapart's interview with French President Francois Hollande.

Hollande has claimed said the French government didnt have a say in choosing the Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence for the Rafale deal.

The Indian government suggested this service provider and Dassault negotiated with Ambani. We did not have a choice, we took the interlocutor we were given," said Hollande to the French investigative paper.

Hollande's comment unleashed a fresh tug of war between the BJP and Congress.

"President (Former) Francois Hollande should also enlighten us how the price went up from 590 crores in 2012 to 1690 crores in 2015 per Rafale fighter jet? Escalation of a mere 1100 crores. I am sure the Euro equivalent would not be a problem to calculate," tweeted Congress leader Manish Tewari.

Citing conflicting media reports on Francois Hollande`s claims, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that that there was "no partnership as suggested by the former French President". Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also reiterated similar views, stressing that Dassault and Reliance got into an agreement on their own.

India is currently verifying the French report. The Ministry of Defence spokesperson, however, reiterated that neither India nor the French government had any say in the commercial decision.The global population living in extreme poverty is now less than 750 million. That represents a decline of more than 1 billion over the last quarter century and the lowest point since the World Bank began monitoring in 1990. ReadMumbai: Former media executive Indrani Mukerjea - the prime accused in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora - was admitted to JJ Hospital here on Monday after she fell ill.

News agency ANI reported that Mukerjea complained of headache, double vision and restlessness, and had to be taken to the hospital for checkup. A clinical evaluation and medical investigation would be carried out.

Lodged in Byculla Jail, Mukerjea's health has been the reason for a number of trips to the hospital since she was imprisoned in August of 2015. In June of this year, she was taken to the JJ Hospital after she complained of chest pain. She was admitted in a semi-conscious state and it was reported that she had had an overdose of anti-depressants which had not been prescribed to her. In April too, she had to be taken to the hospital following an alleged drug overdose.

Mukerjea is currently facing trial for allegedly killing her daughter Sheena. 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. Bora was Mukerjea's daughter from an earlier relationship. Mukerjea and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna were arrested in August 2015 along with her former driver Shyamvar Rai, while Mukerjea's present husband Peter Mukerjea was nabbed in November the same year. Rai has turned an approver (prosecution witness) in the case.United Nations: New Delhi will work on multilateral platforms and let Pakistan continue it's 'one-trick pony' rhetoric on Kashmir, said the Indian Ambassador to UN, Syed Akbaruddin.

"If somebody else would like to be a one-trick pony, it is for them to regurgitate that act. We`ve handled this act many times in the past and are confident we`ll do so again." Akbaruddin made the comment in reponse to a question on possibility of Pakistan raising Kashmir at the UNGA during a press conference.

"Solo players in a multilateral context have neither a past nor a future" and get "no resonance in such matters", he said, adding that the UN platform works best with multilateralism.

#WATCH If somebody else would like to be a one trick pony, it is for them to regurgitate&act.We've handled this act many times in past & are confident we'll be able to do it again: Indian Ambassador to UN Syed Akbaruddin on if Pakistan will raise Kashmir issue at #UNGA #NewYork pic.twitter.com/fwXfe35Tty  ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018

"Terror is a perennial threat and will be addressed in strong terms at multiple forums. This is a goal that we've been pursuing since 1996 when India introduced a draft of the CCIT which is the global convention to combat terror. Since then the resonance has only increased," he added.

#WATCH India's Ambassador to the United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin says 'Terror is a perennial threat and will be addressed in strong terms at multiple forums' #NewYork #UNGA pic.twitter.com/7xJezaD01T  ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018

Pakistan has been raising Kashmir at all UN forums, regardless of the topic of the meetings.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that Islamabad would bring up Kashmir at the UNGA and give "unequivocal support to the cause", Radio Pakistan reported earlier.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who arrived in New York on Sunday for the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, was slated to meet her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the meeting. However, after increasing reports of violence on police and army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, the meeting was called off.

With agency inputsNew Delhi: Injured Commander and Golden Globe Race (GGR) skipper Abhilash Tomy has been rescued by a French vessel on Monday. Tomy is in a conscious state and has been shifted to the French Fishing Vessel Osiris.

Fighting all odds, Osiris led by Irish sailor Gregor Mc Guckin reached Tomy who was lying injured in his sailing vessel in the south of Indian Ocean. Wave heights of 5-8 metres were being experienced in the area during the time of the rescue operations.

"He has been rescued and has been pulled out on a stretcher by French Fishing Vessel Osiris. He is conscious and is in safe hands," Navy Spokesperson Captain DK Sharma told news agency ANI.

On Sunday morning, an aircraft took off to locate Tomy, an Indian Navy officer. He was injured after his vessel was hit by a vicious storm mid-way across the south Indian Ocean while taking part in the Golden Globe Race (GGR).

Aircraft P8i located Tomy and his boat Thuriya in the Southern Indian Ocean. The Navy officer, who had earlier dismasted in extremely rough weather and sea conditions, was in communication with the Race Control at France through messages.

The Race Control was relaying messages to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Australia, according to the Indian Navy. Tomy had requested for a stretcher as he was not able to move on his own.

Earlier, the rescue efforts led by the Australian Defence Forces were underway off Perth, Australia, to find the 39-year old. Golden Globe Race is a sailing race around the world that started on July 1 from France.

During the storm, Tomy got dismasted and suffered a back injury. According to the Indian Navy, Commander Tomy is representing India in the GGR 2018 on an indigenously built sailing vessel 'Thuriya'. The yacht is in the south Indian Ocean.

Commander Tomy, in his last message via satellite phone, had indicated that he was safe on the boat but was immobile due to a back injury. The naval officer is the only Indian to have circumnavigated the globe non-stop on the legendary sail Yacht INSV Mhadei. He was awarded Kirti Chakra in 2013 by the then President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. He is also a recipient of the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award.NEW DELHI: Amid an ongoing political slugfest over the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal, the sources on Monday claimed that the Narendra Modi government is not likely to accept the Opposition's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the India-France defence deal.

Highly placed government sources told Zee News that the Centre is in no mood to call a JPC probe into the Rafale controversy despite extreme pressure from the Congress-led Opposition.

An indication in this regard came from none other than the Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, who said that there is no room for doubt after former French president Francois Hollande's 'clarification' on the Rafale deal.

"After clarifications from Hollande, there is no room for any doubt about the deal. The Congress is making it an issue to gain political mileage in 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Singh said.

Hollande, who was French president when the Rs 58,000 crore deal was announced, was quoted as saying by French publication 'Mediapart' that France was given "no choice" on selection of the Indian partner for Dassault and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance as offset partner for the French aerospace giant.

Singh also accused the Congress of trying to gain political mileage over the issue with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections next year.

"The Opposition does not have any issue left so it is raking up Rafale deal issue," the Home Minister told reporters after a meeting of the Central Zonal Council here.

The development came shortly after a delegation of senior Congress leaders met the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and demanded registration of a case in alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal.

A Congress delegation had earlier met the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and urged the apex auditor to prepare a report on the alleged irregularities in the deal and present it in Parliament.

The delegation met CVC KV Chowdary and submitted a detailed memorandum, accusing the government of causing loss to the public exchequer and endangering national security by bypassing state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in favour of some businessman "friends" for offset contract.

"Rafale scam has now emerged as India's biggest defence scam. Tracks of corruption are getting unravelled by the day with repeated disclosures getting no answers from the Defence Ministry of the Government of the day. The stench of corruption and cronyism in the Rafale deal is nauseating, requiring urgent intervention by your goodself," the Congress memorandum to the CVC said.

The memorandum said that as per law, the government is bound to provide full information to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), "entire deal, its contours, nature of contract, absence of favouritism, corruption, crony capitalism, violation of law and procedures and the principles of level playing field are part of CVC's domain to examine and to return a finding".

"The government is bound to disclose the price of 36 aircraft to scrutiny by CVC in light of the serious allegations of corruption and loss of money to the public exchequer.

"We, therefore, request the CVC to undertake its statutory duty by examining record threadbare, so that corruption, crony capitalism, violation of law and procedure and loss to public exchequer is brought out as the earliest," it further said.

The delegation comprised senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Manish Tewari, Vivek Tankha, Pramod Tiwari and Pranav Jha.

Singhvi later told reporters that there are no answers with the government to various questions raised on the deal and no one is telling why the whole procedure took place in a reverse order.

"Why was a contract of Rs 30,000 crore given to a company that is on the verge of bankruptcy? How can they sideline a company like HAL?" he said.

Congress leader Anand Sharma said, "We have urged the CVC to take cognisance of the memorandum submitted by us and we urged CVC to seal all files and documents and register an FIR."

Terming it as the century's "biggest scam", he said the decision of the deal was taken by the prime minister and the Cabinet Committee on Security was not informed about it.

The Congress has alleged that the fresh deal for Rafale fighter jets was inked by the Narendra Modi dispensation at a cost much higher than what was negotiated by the previous government led by it.

The Congress has launched an offensive against the BJP government over the Rafale deal, alleging corruption and violation of rules by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded answers from him.

Its president Rahul Gandhi has also accused the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the Defence Minister of "lying on the issue".

#WATCH: Congress President Rahul Gandhi says, "Set up JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) & the truth will come out. But Arun Jaitley's boss Narendra Modi can't do this work. Narendra Modi gives big speeches but never speaks a word on Rafale or Anil Ambani" pic.twitter.com/8ygJxJ5jnd  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 24, 2018

The Rafale controversy took a turn last week after former French president Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence's name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

PM Modi had announced the procurement of 36 Rafale fighters after holding talks with Hollande on April 10, 2015, in Paris.

(With Agency inputs)NEW DELHI: While the political slugfest over the Rafale fighter jet deal continues, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday termed the Opposition mudslinging and counter-attack by the government as a ''perception battle.''

The Defence Minister also vowed to fight the Rafale deal tussle at all levels, while alleging that the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress party was running a smear campaign to tarnish the image of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the international level.

"This is a perception battle. We'll go to places and state facts on record on Rafale. Congress designs to run a smear campaign against us at an international level. This is an attempt to malign our reputation," Sitharaman said.

This is a perception battle. We will fight this battle. We'll go to places and state facts on record on Rafale. Congress designs to run a smear campaign against us at an international level: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (File pic) pic.twitter.com/myn6kZvbts  ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018

Adding a fresh twist to the Rafale row, the ruling BJP on Monday dragged UPA chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's name, alleging that the latter was keen to get the defence deal to help his businessman friend.

The allegations were made by Union Minister and senior BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who said that Vadra wanted to help his friend Sanjay Bhandari so the previous UPA government led by the Congress party wanted to seal the Rafale defence deal with France.

The UPA regime wanted to use the firms of Robert Vadra and Sanjay Bhandari as middlemen in procuring the Rafale deal. But when it could not do so, the Congress party is now trying to take revenge by maligning the NDA government by alleging corruption in the Rafale jet deal,'' Shekhawat said.

Addressing a press conference, the Union Minister further said that Bhandari and Vadra are close friends and the duo has been seen at various defence expo in the recent past.

As the blame game over the Rafale deal continued, the sources on Monday said that the government is not likely to accept the Opposition demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the multi-crore defence deal.

Highly placed government sources told Zee News that the Centre is in no mood to call a JPC probe into the Rafale controversy despite extreme pressure from the Congress-led Opposition.

An indication in this regard came from none other than the Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, who said that there is no room for doubt after former French president Francois Hollande's 'clarification' on the Rafale deal.

"After clarifications from Hollande, there is no room for any doubt about the deal. The Congress is making it an issue to gain political mileage in 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Singh said.

Hollande, who was French president when the Rs 58,000 crore deal was announced, was quoted as saying by French publication 'Mediapart' that France was given "no choice" on the selection of the Indian partner for Dassault and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance as offset partner for the French aerospace giant.

Singh also accused the Congress of trying to gain political mileage over the issue with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections next year.

"The Opposition does not have any issue left so it is raking up Rafale deal issue," the Home Minister told reporters after a meeting of the Central Zonal Council here.

The development came shortly after a delegation of senior Congress leaders met the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and demanded registration of a case in alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal.

A Congress delegation had earlier met the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and urged the apex auditor to prepare a report on the alleged irregularities in the deal and present it in Parliament.

The delegation met CVC KV Chowdary and submitted a detailed memorandum, accusing the government of causing loss to the public exchequer and endangering national security by bypassing state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in favour of some businessman "friends" for offset contract.

"Rafale scam has now emerged as India's biggest defence scam. Tracks of corruption are getting unravelled by the day with repeated disclosures getting no answers from the Defence Ministry of the Government of the day. The stench of corruption and cronyism in the Rafale deal is nauseating, requiring urgent intervention by your goodself," the Congress memorandum to the CVC said.

The memorandum said that as per law, the government is bound to provide full information to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), "entire deal, its contours, nature of contract, absence of favouritism, corruption, crony capitalism, violation of law and procedures and the principles of level playing field are part of CVC's domain to examine and to return a finding".

"The government is bound to disclose the price of 36 aircraft to scrutiny by CVC in light of the serious allegations of corruption and loss of money to the public exchequer.

"We, therefore, request the CVC to undertake its statutory duty by examining record threadbare, so that corruption, crony capitalism, violation of law and procedure and loss to the public exchequer is brought out as the earliest," it further said.

The delegation comprised senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Manish Tewari, Vivek Tankha, Pramod Tiwari and Pranav Jha.

Singhvi later told reporters that there are no answers with the government to various questions raised on the deal and no one is telling why the whole procedure took place in a reverse order.

"Why was a contract of Rs 30,000 crore given to a company that is on the verge of bankruptcy? How can they sideline a company like HAL?" he said.

Congress leader Anand Sharma said, "We have urged the CVC to take cognisance of the memorandum submitted by us and we urged CVC to seal all files and documents and register an FIR."

Terming it as the century's "biggest scam", he said the decision of the deal was taken by the prime minister and the Cabinet Committee on Security was not informed about it.

The Congress has alleged that the fresh deal for Rafale fighter jets was inked by the Narendra Modi dispensation at a cost much higher than what was negotiated by the previous government led by it.

The Congress has launched an offensive against the BJP government over the Rafale deal, alleging corruption and violation of rules by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded answers from him.

It has also accused the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the Defence Minister of "lying on the issue".

The Rafale controversy took a turn last week after former French president Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence's name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

PM Modi had announced the procurement of 36 Rafale fighters after holding talks with Hollande on April 10, 2015, in Paris.NEW DELHI: Adding a fresh twist to the ongoing row over the Rafale fighter jet deal, the ruling BJP on Monday dragged Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's name, alleging that the latter was keen to get the defence deal to help his businessman friend.

The allegations were made by Union Minister and senior BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who said that Vadra wanted to help his businessman friend Sanjay Bhandari so the previous UPA government led by the Congress party wanted to seal the Rafale defence deal with France.

The UPA regime wanted to use the firms of Robert Vadra and Sanjay Bhandari as middlemen in procuring the Rafale defence deal. But when it could not do so, the Congress party is now trying to take revenge by maligning the NDA government by alleging corruption in the Rafale jet deal,'' Shekhawat said.

Sanjay Bhandari ki company aur Robert Vadra ki company ko UPA bicholiye ke taur par istemal karna chahti thi. Jab yeh nahi ho saka tab aaj Congress is deal ko khatam karke uska badla lena chahti hai: Union Minister & BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on #Rafale pic.twitter.com/reswoTbaSa  ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018

Addressing a press conference, the Union Minister further said that Bhandari and Vadra are close friends and the duo has been seen at various defence expo and exhibitions on many occasions in past.

Amid the ongoing blame game over the Rafale deal, the sources on Monday said that the government is not likely to accept the Opposition demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the multi-crore defence deal.

Highly placed government sources told Zee News that the Centre is in no mood to call a JPC probe into the Rafale controversy despite extreme pressure from the Congress-led Opposition.

An indication in this regard came from none other than the Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, who said that there is no room for doubt after former French president Francois Hollande's 'clarification' on the Rafale deal.

"After clarifications from Hollande, there is no room for any doubt about the deal. The Congress is making it an issue to gain political mileage in 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Singh said.

Hollande, who was French president when the Rs 58,000 crore deal was announced, was quoted as saying by French publication 'Mediapart' that France was given "no choice" on the selection of the Indian partner for Dassault and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance as offset partner for the French aerospace giant.

Singh also accused the Congress of trying to gain political mileage over the issue with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections next year.

"The Opposition does not have any issue left so it is raking up Rafale deal issue," the Home Minister told reporters after a meeting of the Central Zonal Council here.

The development came shortly after a delegation of senior Congress leaders met the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and demanded registration of a case in alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal.

A Congress delegation had earlier met the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and urged the apex auditor to prepare a report on the alleged irregularities in the deal and present it in Parliament.

The delegation met CVC KV Chowdary and submitted a detailed memorandum, accusing the government of causing loss to the public exchequer and endangering national security by bypassing state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in favour of some businessman "friends" for offset contract.

"Rafale scam has now emerged as India's biggest defence scam. Tracks of corruption are getting unravelled by the day with repeated disclosures getting no answers from the Defence Ministry of the Government of the day. The stench of corruption and cronyism in the Rafale deal is nauseating, requiring urgent intervention by your goodself," the Congress memorandum to the CVC said.

The memorandum said that as per law, the government is bound to provide full information to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), "entire deal, its contours, nature of contract, absence of favouritism, corruption, crony capitalism, violation of law and procedures and the principles of level playing field are part of CVC's domain to examine and to return a finding".

"The government is bound to disclose the price of 36 aircraft to scrutiny by CVC in light of the serious allegations of corruption and loss of money to the public exchequer.

"We, therefore, request the CVC to undertake its statutory duty by examining record threadbare, so that corruption, crony capitalism, violation of law and procedure and loss to the public exchequer is brought out as the earliest," it further said.

The delegation comprised senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Manish Tewari, Vivek Tankha, Pramod Tiwari and Pranav Jha.

Singhvi later told reporters that there are no answers with the government to various questions raised on the deal and no one is telling why the whole procedure took place in a reverse order.

"Why was a contract of Rs 30,000 crore given to a company that is on the verge of bankruptcy? How can they sideline a company like HAL?" he said.

Congress leader Anand Sharma said, "We have urged the CVC to take cognisance of the memorandum submitted by us and we urged CVC to seal all files and documents and register an FIR."

Terming it as the century's "biggest scam", he said the decision of the deal was taken by the prime minister and the Cabinet Committee on Security was not informed about it.

The Congress has alleged that the fresh deal for Rafale fighter jets was inked by the Narendra Modi dispensation at a cost much higher than what was negotiated by the previous government led by it.

The Congress has launched an offensive against the BJP government over the Rafale deal, alleging corruption and violation of rules by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded answers from him.

It has also accused the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the Defence Minister of "lying on the issue".

The Rafale controversy took a turn last week after former French president Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence's name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

PM Modi had announced the procurement of 36 Rafale fighters after holding talks with Hollande on April 10, 2015, in Paris.

(With Agency Inputs)NEW DELHI: The Home Ministry on Monday rubbished Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's claims that the Special Protection Group (SPG) chief appointed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to quit because he refused to accept list the of SPG officers handpicked by RSS.

"The matter has been verified. The officer in question, Vivek Srivastava, former Director, Special Protection Group (SPG), has specifically averred that he did not have any such conversation with Rahul Gandhi at any point of time," the Home Ministry said.

"The officer has stated that as part of his professional duties he interacted with SPG protectees. However, he has categorically stated that during his interaction with (Rahul) Gandhi, there was no talk whatsoever regarding the appointment of a new director, or the reasons for his leaving the SPG," the ministry said in a statement.

During an interaction in Delhi on September 22, Rahul had said that the SPG chief had to quit for refusing to accept the list of officers handpicked by RSS.

The Ministry added that the force is a professional organisation which guards the serving prime minister, former prime ministers and their families. "The comment reportedly made by Gandhi through the media is baseless, devoid of fact and unfortunate, coming from an SPG protectee," the statement said.

Rahul Gandhi, his mother and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka are among the Special Protection Group's protectees.

At an interaction with academicians on Saturday, Rahul had alleged that educational institutions, the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India and others are "systematically being captured" by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Citing an example, the Congress chief had alleged, "When Mr (Narendra) Modi came to power, a person from Gujarat was chosen to head the SPG. In a short time, he left the position. He told me that he refused a list of SPG officers handpicked by the RSS, and that is why he was sent home."United Nations: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will see more action on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly (UNGA) session this week than in its chamber, as she keeps up a gruelling schedule of one-on-one meetings with some 30 leaders and participation in several multilateral meetings.

Her formal address to the UNGA, at which she will lay out India`s world view and its global agenda, is scheduled for Saturday during the morning session that will start at 9 am (6.30 pm India time). Listed as the fifth speaker, Sushma Swaraj was likely to speak after 7.15 pm India time.

Dinesh K. Patnaik, the Joint Secretary, UN Political, told reporters on Sunday that there have been 30 requests for bilateral meetings with Sushma Swaraj and she was scheduled to participate in eight meetings of groups.

In her roster of meetings in New York, there would be one striking absence: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

India cancelled the meeting between them after terrorists killed three policemen in Kashmir and Pakistan issued stamps honouring terrorists including Burhan Wani -- which New Delhi said raised doubts about its commitment to ending terrorism.

However, Sushma Swaraj and Qureshi will both be in the same room at the meetings of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc); the Commonwealth; G77 (the group of developing countries), and the Heart of Asia (a 15-member group stretching from Central and South Asia to Turkey).

Her meetings with leaders kicked off on Sunday when she met with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director General of the World Health Organisation, to discuss global health issues, which will feature prominently during the UNGA at two high-level events on Ending Tuberculosis and on Non-Communicable Diseases.

Away from world affairs, she met on Sunday with members of the Indian community at a meeting organised by the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin.

Sushma Swaraj will start the week participating in US President Donald Trump`s Monday meeting on the Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem. India is among 124 countries co-sponsoring it.

That would be followed by a set of bilateral meetings with foreign ministers Pradeep Kumar Gyawa of Nepal, Nasser Bourita of Morocco, Aurelia Frick of Lichtenstein, Josep Borrell of Spain, Tsogtbaatar Damdin of Mongolia, Marise Payne of Australia, Jose Valencia of Ecuador, and Carlos Holmes Trujillo of Colombia, and with Federica Mogherini, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

Sushma Swaraj is scheduled to participate in the afternoon in the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit honouring the birth centenary of the South African freedom fighter and president.

During the week, she will also participate in meetings of the G4, a group made up of India, Japan, Germany and Brazil to advocate for expanding the permanent membership of the UN Security Council; IBSA, the India, Brazil and South Africa forum for cooperation; and BRICS, the group of emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The Indian Foreign Minister will also attend Secretary-General Antonio Guterres`s high-level meeting on Action for Peacekeeping.

India was among more than 130 countries that signed a declaration committing themselves to support peacekeeping that was drafted by Guterres ahead of the meeting.

Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will represent the country at high-level events on Ending Tuberculosis and on Non-Communicable Diseases during the week.

Thiruvananthapuram: An yellow alert has been issued in Kerala's Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Wayanad districts for Tuesday, September 25. A yellow alert has also been issued for Palakkad, Idukki, Thrissur and Wayanad districts for September 26.

The Metereological (MeT) Centre has, meanwhile, predicted heavy rainfall of 64.4mm to 124.4mm in these districts.

"Yellow alert for Pathanamthitta, Idukki & Wayanad districts for September 25th. In addition, a yellow alert has been issued for Palakkad, Idukki, Thrissur and Wayanad districts for 26th. Met Centre has predicted heavy rainfall (64.4mm to 124.4mm) in these districts," Kerala Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.

The CM's office further added that the State Disaster Management Authority has instructed district authorities to be on alert and directed them to take necessary precautions.

"The State Disaster Management Authority has instructed district authorities to be on alert and directed them to take necessary precautions," Kerala CMO said.

Last month, Kerala witnessed incessant rain and worst floods in a century. The deadly monsoon rains savaged the state with heavy rain and severe floods. The rain and floods claimed 231 lives since August 8 in the second spell of the monsoon.Kottayam/Kochi: The sister of Kerala nun, who has accused former Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her, on Monday alleged that she was being threatened of dire consequences by the close aides of the accused in the case. She even filed a formal police complaint in this regard.

The woman alleged that she and her family had received death threats apparently from the close aides of the accused bishop - Franco Mulakkal.

In her complaint to the state DGP, Kottayam SP and Kalady Circle Inspector, the woman said that she and her family needed police protection.

Due to hatred, brothers of Franco filed fake complaints against me.Thomas Chittuparamban,a relative of Franco threatened to cause danger to my son & brother. One of his relative named Unni took a photo of me protesting & later threatened me:Sister of Kerala nun rape case's victim  ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018

Mulakkal, who was arrested on charges of repeatedly raping a nun, was remanded to a 12-day judicial custody by a court in Kerala's Kottayam district on Monday.

Mulakkal was produced before the Pala magistrate court after completion of his two-day police custody. The court remanded him to judicial custody till October 6.

The clergyman has been shifted to the sub-jail in Pala after a medical examination at a hospital there.

Meanwhile, the priest also moved a bail plea in the Kerala High Court on Monday, after it was rejected by the magistrate court on Saturday.

Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan posted the plea on Thursday for consideration.

The court said the anticipatory bail plea filed by the bishop last week had become infructuous with his arrest.

A high court division bench, comprising Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar, on Monday disposed a bunch of petitions, including those seeking protection to the nun and a court-monitored probe, in view of the police action against the senior priest.

Another petition seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was withdrawn.

On Sunday, the bishop was taken to the St Francis Mission Home in Kuravilangad, where he had allegedly raped the nun at a guest house, to reconstruct the crime scene.

In its remand report submitted in the court, police had said the nun was subjected to rape and unnatural sex 13 times by the accused between 2014 and 2016.

In her complaint in June, the nun had alleged that the priest raped her in May 2014 and sexually-exploited her on several occasions.

The nun claimed that she approached the police as church authorities did not act on her repeated complaints against the clergyman.

The accused bishop has denied the charges made against him by the victim.

(With PTI inputs)WASHINGTON - Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh wrote the US Senate Judicial Committee Monday, saying: "I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process. The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out.PURI: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is responsible for poverty in Odisha, said BJP chief Amit Shah at a BJP rally in Puri on Monday.

Modi ji launched the Ayushman scheme in the country but the government of Odisha is not implementing this scheme in the state, said the BJP chief.

In the last 3 years, goons of state government have killed our 14 workers in Odisha.

Instead of emerging on top for development, Odisha is leading for in misbehaviour against women. The Biju Janata Dal's government is no longer following the principles of Biju Patnaik ji, he added.

Taking a swipe at the entire Opposition, Shah said, Narendra Modi government is working for 'Make in India'. Whereas the whole opposition, including the Congress, has been 'breaking India'.

Shah is currently in Odisha for a daylong tour to fine-tune the party's strategies for next year's state assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

His visit comes two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state where he slammed Patnaik for saying no to the Centre's flagship Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme and alleged corruption in the state government.

Earlier on Sunday, the BJP president had slammed the Naveen Patnaik-led government on Twitter for rejecting the Centre's flagship health scheme - PMJAY-Ayushman Bharat.

He had alleged that CM Patnaik has deprived the people of the state of the benefits of the health scheme owing to his "animosity towards the BJP".

"The poor people of Odisha are unable to benefit from the scheme because of BJD's narrow mindset. You will have to answer the people for petty politics. The BJP workers will undertake door-to-door campaign to make people aware of your anti-poor politics and their rights," he had tweeted.

Shah is later scheduled to attend a women's wing meeting at the seaside town of Puri.

During his last visit to the state on July 1, Shah had advised BJP workers to strengthen the party base at the grassroots level.

With agency inputsNew Delhi: Ace comedian Kapil Sharma's absence from the small screens has created a void which the fans are now feeling. Ever since the buzz about his comeback show caught fire, all sorts of rumours have started floating around. The king of comedy took a sabbatical after his health deteriorated a number of controversies cornered him.

Kapil recently shared a thoughtful quote on social media and fans commented saying that they want him back on television.

Check his post:

Kapil's health had taken a toll due to which he had to take a break from the small screen. He now looks visibly heavier than before. After getting back to Mumbai, he even tweeted and briefed about having changed his lifestyle for good.

Earlier this year, Kapil made his comeback with 'Family Time With Kapil Sharma', however, it didn't flag off as expected and it has reportedly gone off air. Many television celebs have supported to Kapil, from Shilpa Shinde, Sugandha Mishra, Krushna Abhishek and Bharti Singh, to Sunil Grover, Kiku Sharda, Ali Asgarall have expressed their concerns about his health.

Kapil fans are eagerly waiting for him to make splashing comeback!Bengaluru: Kannada cine star 'Duniya' Vijay and his three friends were arrested here on charge of assaulting a gym trainer, police said on Sunday.

"We have taken Vijaya (44) and his three friends into custody on a complaint by the victim's relative Kitti for questioning though there are conflicting reports about the crime and its reasons," Assistant Police Commissioner (West) Ravi Shankar said.

A metropolitan court remanded the accused in 14-day judicial custody till October 6 after the police produced them before its judge at his residence in the city.

"The accused have been lodged in the city central jail, as they have been remanded to judicial custody for investigating the assault charge," said Shankar.

According to the complaint, the accused forcibly whisked away gym trainer Maruti Gowda outside an event hall on Saturday night and assaulted him in a moving car before freeing him after police warned the actor.

"The accused and the victim went to watch a bodybuilding event at the Ambedkar Bhavan in the city centre on Saturday night and quarrelled over some issue. They forcibly pushed Gowda into a car and drove away and thrashed him for over an hour while driving around the city," said Katti in the complaint.

Denying the assault, Vijay told the police that it was his fans who attacked the latter for abusing him during the fracas at the hall.

"We will investigate the case after recording the statement of the victim, admitted at a private hospital with bruises," said Shankar.

The 'rebel' actor shot to fame when his fans began calling him Duniya Vijay after his Kannada film "Duniya" became a blockbuster over a decade ago.

Some of Vijay's other films like "Chanda", "Junglee", "Johny Mera Naam Preethi Mera Kaam" and "Jayammana Maga" have also turned into box office hits since then.

According to international magazine Forbes latest list of wealthy Indians in the celluloid world, Vijay's net worth is $21 million (Rs 151 crore).

"Vijay is on bail after he was arrested in another case on June 8 on charge of obstructing police from investigating an accidental death of two stunt actors by drowning during a film shoot in a city lake in November 2016, in which he was the hero," a police officer said.Mumbai: The makers of Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka will reportedly come up with new twists and turns. Viewers will wonder how the story would shape up, and what may happen to Kunal and Mauli's marriage.

The upcoming episodes may disappoint Kunal - Mauli's fans. In Friday's episode, after devastated Mauli reaches the hospital to see her husband Kunal (who has met with an accident) she finds Nandini by his bedside. Nandini is furious with the Doctor and tells him to bring Kunal back to consciousness. This is when Mauli realises how madly Nandini has fallen in love with Kunal.

Just when she musters the courage to face the situation, she is heart-broken to see Kunal leaving with Nandini. This week, we may see Mauli taking a big step to put an end to this drama. She may file for divorce to free Kunal from the marriage because she feels he no longer loves her. She believes that Nandini has replaced her in Kunal's life and hence she makes up her mind to go the legal way.

Moreover, in the new promo, we can see Kunal telling Nandini that his relationship with her is pure and that they will begin a new journey together. Does this mean that Kunal is ready to end his marriage with Mauli?

Let's wait and watch.KOLKATA: The BJP has called a 12-hour bandh in West Bengal on September 26 to protest over the Islampur school violence in which two students were killed in clashes with police recently.

The incident took place in North Dinajpur district's Islampur.

Meanwhile, the 12-hour bandh called by the BJP in West Bengal has been challenged in the Calcutta High Court.

According to ANI, a PIL has been filed on behalf of the All India Minority Forum seeking direction to the BJP to withdraw its West Bengal bandh call on Wednesday.

The PIL has been filed by Trinamool Congress MP Idris Ali, who is also a practising lawyer.

#WestBengal: TMC MP Idris Ali has filed a PIL in Calcutta High Court on behalf of All India Minority Forum against the 12-hour Bengal Bandh called by BJP on Sept 26. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/XYnljbuitL  ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018

Ali prayed before a division bench presided by Chief Justice J Bhattacharya for an injunction restraining the BJP from giving effect to the bandh call.

Moving the PIL, Ali urged for an urgent hearing of the matter since the bandh is to be held on Wednesday and submitted that citizens cannot be prevented from attending to their vocation forcibly.

The division bench, also comprising Justice Arijit Banerjee, said that the matter would be listed for hearing on Tuesday.

Submitting for petitioner All India Minority Forum general secretary MA Ali, Idris Ali said the Kerala High Court had held that bandhs are illegal and unconstitutional and that this order was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Trouble had brewed at Daribhit High School in Islampur over the recruitment of Urdu teachers as the protesting students said they needed Science and English teachers instead.

The students and the locals had stopped two newly-recruited teachers from entering the school on Thursday, demanding that all vacant teaching posts be filled, resulting in a clash.

The BJP alleged that ITI student Rajesh Sarkar and third-year college student Tapas Barman were killed in police firing while the police denied the claim.

District Superintendent of Police Sumit Kumar has maintained that police did not resort to firing during the incident.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is in Milan, Italy, had said that under no circumstances the bandh will be observed.

Now, Im hearing that some people have called a bandh. We will not allow anyone to observe bandh. Anyone who tries to impose the bandh forcibly, will have action taken against them, said Banerjee.Male: Maldives opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the Indian Ocean archipelago nation`s presidential election on Monday, delivering a possible blow for China which has invested millions of dollars in projects under the outgoing administration.

Incumbent Abdulla Yameen, who had cultivated ties with both Beijing and Saudi Arabia, conceded defeat after the Election Commission said Solih had won Sunday`s election by a margin of 16.7 percent.

The Maldives, a string of palm-fringed islands and atolls lying 325 miles (523 kilometres) southwest of the southern tip of India, is best known as a luxury holiday destination.

But the Muslim nation of less than half a million people has suffered a turbulent transition to democracy following the end of three decades of authoritarian rule in 2008.

"This is a moment of happiness, a moment of hope," Solih told reporters in the capital Male. "This is a journey that has ended at the ballot box because the people willed it."

India and The United States congratulated Solih, popularly known as "Ibu", on his victory even before Yameen conceded.

"This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law," India`s foreign ministry said in a statement.

"India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership."

Both New Delhi and Washington had been concerned by China`s growing influence in the Maldives and its lurch toward more hardline attitudes on religious issues during Yameen`s five years in power.

China, meantime, has helped build an extension to the international airport in the Maldives, and a bridge linking it to the capital, Male.

Before the election, the opposition said it would review the Chinese investment, partly out of concern over the level of debt entailed, with experts warning that the government could fall into a debt trap.

Exiled former prime minister Mohamed Nasheed - an ally of Solih - told Reuters in June he wants to renegotiate these deals.

The Chinese investment in Maldives is seen as part of its "String of Pearls" strategy, developing a network of friendly ports in the region from Sri Lanka to Pakistan.

India and Western nations have worried that the strategy ultimately aims to help China`s military extend its reach.

Since coming to power in a contested election in 2013, Yameen has been criticised for jailing opponents and restricting election observers and the media, and there had been fears that Sunday`s election would an unfair contest.

But Yameen soothed concerns over the risk of another messy transfer of power in a televised address to the nation.

"Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results from yesterday. Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him," he said.

The country has been in political turmoil since February, when Yameen imposed a state of emergency to annul a Supreme Court ruling that quashed the convictions of nine opposition leaders, including Nasheed, the country`s first democratically elected leader and former president.

The foreign ministry said in a statement that voting had proceeded "smoothly and peacefully, with no reported incidents".

Voter turnout was 89.2 percent, the Elections Commission said, adding the official results would be released by Sept. 30.

Mohamed Shainee, the minister of fisheries in Yameen`s government, said on Twitter it was "the beginning of a new chapter" for the country, asking voters to "forgive our wrongdoings".The Milan court, in charge of the second appeal trial in the case of the alleged bribes paid by AgustaWestland for the 2010 sale of helicopters to India, did not see enough evidence to consider the case. The 322-page order released this week explains why Giuseppe Orsi, the former president of defence and aerospace giant Finmeccanica, was acquitted by the court in January this year.

Giuseppe Orsi was on January 8 acquitted of charges related to alleged bribes paid in exchange for a Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal to sell 12 AgustaWestland helicopters to India.

With the publication of this text, the court has hoped that curtains will be drawn on the issue which has already passed a first-degree trial, two appellate trials and a Supreme Court ruling.

As per news agency Reuters, the chances of the prosecution presenting a new appeal have been greatly reduced after the order on the second appeal trial.



Orsi was arrested in 2014 and resigned as chief executive of the aerospace group which was later renamed as Leonardo. He was at the helm of AgustaWestland when the deal was struck and he is suspected of involvement in the payment of bribes.

He had been sentenced to four-a-half-years years in jail for false accounting and corruption.

Along with Orsi, Bruno Spagnolini had also been cleared of the charges. Bruno is the former CEO of the company's helicopters subsidiary AgustaWestland who had been handed a four- year jail term on the same charges.

The case against Orsi and Spagnolini resulted from an investigation launched in 2012 into the sale of 12 luxury helicopters to India.

India had scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AugustaWestland in January, 2014 for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force over the alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks paid by the firm for securing the deal.

India's defence ministry had ordered a CBI probe into the allegations of kickbacks to the tune of Rs 362 crore after the arrest of Orsi and Spagnolini by Italian investigators in connection with the case.

In February 2010, India had inked the deal to acquire 12 three-engine AW-101 helicopters from AgustaWestland for VVIP use.Washington: India's reluctance to hold talks with Pakistan will not stop Islamabad from closing doors on its efforts to promote peace in the region, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said, days after New Delhi cancelled the foreign minister-level meeting in New York.

Addressing a news conference at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington on Sunday, Qureshi said India used incidents that happened in July to cancel peace talks that it agreed to in September.

India on Friday cited the "brutal" killing of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the release of the postal stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani for calling off the meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this month.

"India is reluctant, we will not close our doors," Qureshi said.

"Hiding away from issues will not make them disappear. It will not improve the situation in Kashmir," he was quoted as saying by the 'Dawn' newspaper.

The foreign minister said he was unable to understand India's refusal to participate in peace talks with Pakistan.

"Engagement, no-engagement. Coming, not coming. We desired talks as we believe the sensible way is to meet and talk. They agreed, and then disagreed," he said.

Qureshi said India's response to Pakistan's peace offer was harsh and non-diplomatic.

"We did not use a non-diplomatic language in our rejoinder. Our response was matured and measured. They adopted a new approach, and moved back," he said.

The foreign minister also alleged that Swaraj's "language and tone was unbecoming of a foreign minister", the report said.

Asked if tensions between India and Pakistan could lead to a war between the two countries, Qureshi said "Who is talking of war? Not us. We want peace, stability, employment and improving lives. You identify where is the reluctance".

Qureshi said that Pakistan's desire for peace should not be mistaken for a sign of weakness. "We want peace. It does not mean, we cannot defend ourselves against aggression. We can but we do not have an aggressive mindset," he said.

Qureshi also rejected India's concerns over the release of postal stamps "glorifying" a slain Kashmiri terrorist, "hundreds of thousands of people are fighting in Kashmir, not all of them are terrorists".

The foreign minister also reiterated Pakistan's offer to open the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara corridor for allowing Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the historic gurdwara on the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev.

India initially agreed to a meeting between Swaraj and Qureshi, but later said it would be "meaningless" to hold talks after the "two deeply disturbing" developments.

Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived following a spate of terror attacks on Indian military bases by Pakistan-based terror groups since January 2016.

Following the strikes, India announced it will not engage in talks with Pakistan, saying terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand.Lahore: The Lahore High Court Monday summoned Nawaz Sharif on October 8 during the hearing of a petition seeking action against the deposed prime minister for claiming that those involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack belonged to Pakistan.

Sharif, for the first time in May, publicly acknowledged in an interview to Dawn that militant organisations are active in Pakistan and questioned the policy to allow the "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai. In the exclusive interview, he had also criticised the apparent delay in the conclusion of the Mumbai attack trial.

The Lahore High Court's three-member bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Dawn journalist Cyril Almeida and ordered placing his name on the Exit Control List.

"Justice Naqvi expressed anger over non-appearance of Almeida in the court, directing the Deputy Inspector General of the Police Punjab to present him in the court on next hearing (October 8)," a court official told reporters.

The judge, before summoning Sharif on October 8, also inquired from Sharif's counsel Advocate Naseer Bhutta as why his client did not appear before the court on Monday.

Advocate Bhutta said Sharif would appear in the next hearing as he was mourning the death of his wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz. She died of throat cancer on September 11 in London.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, however, appeared before the court.

Petitioner Amina Malik said Sharif, who was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case in July 2017 and subsequently jailed for 10 years in Avenfield corruption case, in an interview to Dawn made the remarks that those involved in the Mumbai attack case actually belonged to Pakistan, thus he committed treason.

The petitioner said the "anti-state" statement of Sharif, a three-time prime minister, could be used against Pakistan by its enemies.

She said a meeting of the National Security Council was held to discuss the 'misleading' statement of the disqualified premier and later then prime minister Abbasi met Sharif and conveyed to him the concerns of the military leadership on his statement.

"The act of Abbasi was also a clear violation of his oath as he was bound not to allow his personal interest to influence his official conduct," the petitioner said. The court adjourned the hearing till October 8.

Sharif, 68, resigned as Pakistan prime minister last year after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against the beleaguered leader and his children over the Panama Papers scandal.

The Avenfield case was among the three corruption cases filed against the ex-premier by the National Accountability Bureau on the Supreme Court's orders in the Panama Papers case.

Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Mohammad Safdar were released last week following the suspension of their sentences by the Islamabad High Court in the Avenfield properties corruption case.

Some 166 people were killed in the attack carried out by 10 LeT terrorists. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and hanged after handed down death sentence.Traditionally, India and Maldives have shared a close bond with bilateral relations between the two countries flourishing despite the gaping differences of size and stature. In fact, India was one of the first countries in the world to recognise Maldives as an independent country after the island gained independence from British rule in 1966. Decades of cooperation and warm ties though became rather frosty in recent times with Abdulla Yameen pushing for closer ties with China in an unprecedented manner.

As ties with Beijing improved, suspicions grew. New Delhi became anxious. And then came the 2018 elections with Yameen eventually losing by a margin of 16.7 per cent.

Yameen's defeat at the hands of opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih would possibly calm frayed nerves in India - a country that has always seen Maldives through the prism of friendship but also a country that has been snubbed arrogantly by the Yameen government on several occasions. Just earlier this year, Maldives signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pakistan to develop its power sector. And before that, the island nation had scrapped a helicopter deal with India. Work permits given to Indians were being squeezed as well while Male also saying it wanted two Indian helicopters and accompanying crew stationed here to pack up and leave.

Around the same time, Yameen's push for closer ties with China were for all to see. In fact, many suspect distancing Maldives from India itself was Yameen's way of showing Beijing that it values relations with China above all else. It may have had the required results with China committing to investing big bucks in infrastructure projects in the tiny country.

China spreading its wings in the Indian Ocean has always been seen with more than just an iota of doubt. Behind its commercial assistance is the suspicion of Beijing trying to extend its military reach. Obviously then, India and even the United States have been quite alarmed at what has been unfolding in Maldives in recent times.

Democracy vs political doldrum

A certain extent of what Yameen has done vis-a-vis India stems possibly from what India has always highlighted - democractic values need to be upheld. The Muslim nation of less than half a million people has suffered a turbulent transition to democracy following the end of three decades of authoritarian rule in 2008. More recently, in February this year - Yameen imposed a state of emergency to annul a Supreme Court ruling that quashed the convictions of nine opposition leaders, including Mohamed Nasheed, the country`s first democratically elected leader and former president.

Nasheed repeatedly asked India to exert its influence to ensure free and fair elections in his country. India too repeatedly said that there should be no compromises with democratic processes. In August, PM Narendra Modi himself said that India wishes to democratic institutions functioning independently in Maldives.

Little wonder then that New Delhi was one of the first to congratulate Solih - even before Yameen had officially conceded defeat. "This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law," India`s foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

What now?

The transition of power is expected to be smooth with Yameen, in his televised address to the nation, assuring democratic processes to take their course. "Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results from yesterday. Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him," he said.

For India, Solih could be a far better PM candidate to foster bilateral ties with than what Yameen ever was. Related to Nasheed, Solih is expected to share his political and diplomatic vision. During campaigning, he had assured he would repair Maldives' foreign policy - especially in relation to India. And while it is unlikely that he would completely reverse all dealings done with China thus far, returning to an India-first fold could restore status quo for both New Delhi and Male.

(With inputs from Reuters)The Democrats are energized too, of course. Its a midterm, and the party that doesnt hold the White House is always energized in a midterm. The important point here is that Wisconsin Republicans are able to be equally energized, because of the people at the top of their ticket in November.

Wisconsin Republicans are energized. With eight years of incredibly successful Republican leadership to boast about, activists are happy to be campaigning for a third term for Governor Scott Walker, and they are equally happy that one of his key allies in the state legislature, Leah Vukmir, is the Wisconsin GOPs nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Tammy Baldwin.

Even if you dont know your local state rep, state senator, or even congressional candidate, having well known, successful partisan heroes at the top of the ticket has an attraction effect; strong and popular federal and statewide candidates attract volunteers, donations, and voters to everyone down ballot too.

Having two-term hero Scott Walker on top of their ticket, Wisconsin Republicans can proudly tie their state reps and state senators to the eight-year Republican reform programs that have been so successful for the once-troubled state.

By contrast, the Republican ticket in Illinois, just on the other side of the line, boasts no such surplus of Governor Rauner yard signs, or other excitement, for that matter.

Illinois has no U.S. Senate seat up in 2018, so the top of its ticket (after each districts respective congressional contest) is the race for governor. But while Illinois incumbent governor, also running for reelection, is a Republican, he doesnt inspire the kind of energy or pride in the ranks that his neighbor to the north does.

Governor Bruce Rauner was elected four years ago on a promise to bring conservative economics to the Governors mansion after a long absence and as he acknowledged his own differences from the GOP base on other issues, he promised to stick to economics, and to resist any temptation to govern as a liberal in other areas.

He did not keep that promise.

While Governor Rauner did stay firm on most economic issues  fighting all the way to the Supreme Court to free the state from public employee unions fighting tax increases calling for genuine spending cuts, etc.  he wouldnt leave it at that. Governor Rauner did indeed support the kind of left-wing social engineering that the GOP base had feared from his administration: taxpayer funding of abortions, making Illinois a sanctuary state, approving transgender state identification the list goes on and on. Governor Rauner is no conservative.

Of course, the Democrat nominee, JB Pritzker, is an ultra-liberal extremist, who if elected would be just as liberal on the social issues, but would also be as far to the left on economics as Rauner is conservative on them. JB Pritzker never met a government program he didnt want to fund  with your money, not his  and he boasts of his plan to impose a massive tax increase on everyone from working folks to the wealthy, through a steep progressive income tax.

As a result, Illinois Republicans might have found it in their hearts to get excited for this election, even if based only on how bad JB Pritzker is, and on the need to hold the Governors Mansion during the post-2020 census re-districting.

But this states board of elections  one that never lets an opposition referendum see the light of day, no matter how many petition signatures it gets  has allowed two minor party Gubernatorial candidates on the ticket: Kash Jackson of the Libertarians, and Sam McCann of the independent Conservatives, both of them running to the right of Governor Rauner.

This means that the votes of the right are split between three candidates, while JB Pritzker doesnt have to share the votes of the left with anyone else. By making a Rauner victory that much less likely, much of the Illinois Republican activist base simply cant get excited about this fall campaign. And downballot candidates  even excellent ones, as many of our state legislative and county board level candidates are  will suffer severely on election day, from this lack of the general excitement that only a popular statewide candidate can bring.

It didnt have to be this way.

The Illinois GOP had a vigorous primary in 2016, with a terrific conservative challenger from the state house leading the charge. State Rep Jeanne Ives attracted armies of volunteers in the primary season, but it wasnt quite enough to compete with either Bruce Rauners money or his campaigns reprehensible advertising campaign against her. If she had won, the fall statewide campaign would have been a true grassroots effort. 2018 would still be a rough year for a state like Illinois, but the GOP would have had a better chance in many districts, thanks to the general level of activism that only a candidate like Jeanne Ives could have attracted.

Unfortunately, not only did Bruce Rauner win re-nomination, he did so in such an underhanded way that many of Jeanne Ives primary supporters simply could not bury the hatchet after the dust settled in the spring. Rauners tactic may have won him the primary, but it may well have also lost him the general.

Worse still, by depressing activist involvement in this election  and likely, depressing turnout on the right as well  the Rauner campaign may end up costing the party much more than just the swing seats normally in jeopardy in a year like this. It could cost the party many state reps, state senators and county board members from districts normally considered safe.

It is critical to remember the lesson of 2018 well into the future. The wrong kind of primary, even if the candidate wins, can wind up destroying a candidates chances in the general, and more.

It was Governor Rauners primary ads that did the damage; he will bear the responsibility when voters skip races or skip the election altogether.

Theres an old saying: yard signs dont vote. And it is true.

But yard signs are an indicator of excitement, sometimes a very good one, sometimes more dependable than polls.

And there is no doubt this year: Wisconsin Republicans did it right, by putting Scott Walker and Leah Vukmir atop their ticket, attracting palpable energy to their statewide effort. Illinois Republicans, sadly, for the umpteenth time, did it wrong again.

Campaigns are a team effort; they have to be. No matter how much money they spend, Illinois will likely lose state legislators, county board members, and many other positions in this election, whom they should never have lost, even in an opposition midterm.

All because Bruce Rauner couldnt keep a simple promise or understand the consequences of breaking it, and because his advertising team dreamed up a primary campaign that anyone could have predicted would offend the partys base in a lasting manner.

Primaries have consequences. When the history books address the Illinois general election of 2018, honest writers will recognize what caused the state to suffer a worse midterm than many others.

But will Republicans ever learn the lesson?

Copyright 2018 John F Di Leo

John F Di Leo is a Chicagoland-based trade compliance trainer, speaker, writer and actor. His columns are regularly found in Illinois Review.The recorded conversation took place one week after the death of ex-head of the 'DPR' Aleksandr Zakharchenko

Open source

The Security Service of Ukraine intercepted the conversations of the leaders of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic," in which they discussed changes in their 'power structures' and the coordination of these actions with the Kremlin. This was reported by Ukraines SBU.

According to the record, in the evening on September 6, Aleksandr Kazakov, the advisor of the deceased Aleksandr Zakharchenko, called Dmitry Trapeznikov, - at that time the acting head of the so-called DPR.

As it became clear from the conversation, they were counting on the resolving of the situation by Vladislav Surkov, a well-known assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the curator of the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The terrorists were waiting for a verdict after the emergency meeting in Moscow on the final appointment of the future head of the DPR and the Council of Ministers of the DPR by the Russian Federation.

On the same day, around 9:00 pm Dmitry Trapeznikov talked to Denis Pushilin, who was the head of the People's Council of the DNR. They coordinated their actions with the head of the so-called DPR State Security Ministry Vladimir Pavlenko on the fast neutralization of Kazakov by imprisoning him.

According to them, Kazakov planned in his interests to glorify the "image of the former leader of the DPR" and ensure the preservation of power for the so-called Zakharchenko group. In this conversation, Pushilin, in particular, expresses personal interest in the immediate removal from the position of Timofeyev (called Tashkent) through his dismissal from the post of Vice Prime Minister of Income and Charges of the DPR on Pushilins order, the SBU reported.

"The recording of talks took place one week after the death of the DPR leader Zakharchenko, which shows a full dependence of the so-called top leadership of the DPR on the decisions of the curator from the Kremlin Mr. Surkov. The content of the talks points to the existing steady conflict between the leaders of the fake republic. It also demonstrates Pushilins and Trapeznikov's intentions to get rid of influential rivals from the Zakharchenko team, in any way, in particular, Kazakov and Timofeev and end the local coup d'etat, the SBU report states.

Reportedly, on August 31, as a result of the explosion in the restaurant in the downtown of Donetsk, head of so-called DNR Aleksandr Zakharchenko died. The Russian mass media reported that Timofeyev, so-called "minister of revenue and duties" of so-called "DNR" has also died. The so-called law enforcers of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic stated that they detained Ukrainian saboteurs who are presumably involved in the assassination of Zakharchenko. Although, SBU hasnt approved the information.Russian occupant forces went for provocation attacks in the area of the occupied Horlivka. The Joint Forces Operation HQ posted this on Facebook.

'On September 23, the militant-controlled media released information about shelling the living neighborhood in Horlivka, which resulted in damage to 12 houses at Nansen and Artilleristov streets', the post reads. According to the message, there were no casualties in the incident.

The Ukrainian side of the Joint Control and Coordination Centre (JCCC) reported that the attack actually took place, as the militants opened fire from a 120 mm mortar located near a concrete factory in Horlivka; four mines hit the target.

JCCC added that the said fact once again confirms the ill intentions of the Russian armed formations to compromise the Armed Forces of Ukraine, laying the responsibility upon them for the violation of the ceasefire, the ignore of Minsk agreements and damage to civilian population'.

Another provocation took place in the area of Avdiivka, where mercenaries attacked technical crews fixing the local water pipeline. The militants used grenade launchers, small arms and heavy machineguns. Workers of 'Voda Donbasa' company were evacuated and the works stopped immediately. Avdiivka and the adjacent towns and villages remained without regular water supplies.Open source

Three fighters of the Ukrainian army sustained combat wounds in action in Donbas on Sunday, as pro-Kremlin militants attacked their emplacements 35 times. Maksym Prauta, the defense ministry speaker said that at a briefing in Kyiv on September 24.

According to him, the injured are getting the necessary medical assistance.

Prauta added that since Monday morning, Russian mercenaries have attacked Ukrainian positions four times. In Luhansk region, illegal armed gangs shelled Krymske using grenade launchers and small arms. In Shyrokyne and Lebedynske (Donetsk region), they fired small arms and heavy machineguns.

The Ukrainian forces have taken no casualties since Monday morning.

As 112 International reported earlier, Russian occupant forces went for provocation attacks in the area of the occupied Horlivka. The Joint Forces Operation HQ posted this on Facebook. 'On September 23, the militant-controlled media released information about shelling the living neighborhood in Horlivka, which resulted in damage to 12 houses at Nansen and Artilleristov streets', the post reads. According to the message, there were no casualties in the incident. Another provocation took place in the area of Avdiivka, where mercenaries attacked technical crews fixing the local water pipeline. The militants used grenade launchers, small arms and heavy machineguns. Workers of 'Voda Donbasa' company were evacuated and the works stopped immediately. Avdiivka and the adjacent towns and villages remained without regular water supplies.Endless corridors, impressive columns and massive doors. For decades in this building on the Kyiv hills was an office of the communist party with a separate cabinet for Nikita Khrushchev. Now the President of Ukraine is working here. The head of state, Petro Poroshenko, accepts us with deep cordiality, which melts the tension from the cold architectural luxury.



- Mr. President, for 4.5 years the war has been raging in the east of Ukraine. How do you plan to convince people there that the peace is possible?



Thank God, Ukrainians are by nature very optimistic people whose spirit is not so easy to break. And I, as the president, am almost obliged to personify the hope of victory in this conflict.



- You say victory?



Yes, but a victory, which we aspire to achieve by political and diplomatic methods. Russia must leave Ukraine and finally leave us alone. Here we are talking not about an internal conflict, but about the military aggression of another state against Ukraine.



- In your opinion, what interest does President Putin have in this war?



I think we should realize that Putin considers himself not only the president of Russia. He sees himself as the leader of the Great Russian Empire. And without Ukraine this is not possible, I'm sure. Do you remember what he called the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century for Russia? Not the Second World War with its millions of victims, but the disintegration of the Soviet Union! Therefore, he will continue to treat Ukraine as a vassal state. However, we are a sovereign country and we have the right to choose our own future.



- This includes the choice regarding membership in NATO and the EU?



Of course! We strive to fix this political goal even in our Constitution. For us, the goal of future membership in the EU is a powerful motivation for the continuation of the reforming process. On the way to the West, the West, with which we are connected. And, you know what? For the first time in 300 years, the vast majority of people support this goal. 70 percent want membership in the EU. Five years ago the situation was different: then half of the Ukrainians wanted to join the EU and even less part  to get membership in NATO. And now 54 percent are in favor of it. And who provided such growth support? Putin! He united us!

- But for Putin, the entry into NATO will be like a red rag to a bull.



But does he leave us another choice? If Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, does not observe international peace and order, then NATO will remain our only guarantee of survival. I would like to recall that Russia solemnly guaranteed Ukraine state sovereignty after the collapse of the USSR. In response, we abandoned the Soviet nuclear weapons located on our territory - at that time - the third largest arsenal in the world! And what in the end? Putin annexes Crimea and foments a war in the east of our country.



- Do you think that Ukraine really has a chance to become a member of NATO?



Now we spend 6 percent of our GDP on defense. And, I think, due to our opposition to Russian aggression on the eastern flank of NATO, we are already playing an important role today. We are fighting not only for ourselves, but for Europe, democracy, the West and its values. This is not a frozen conflict, as some argue, but a bloody war. At the same time Ukrainian soldiers perish every day. Almost 170 have been lost since the beginning of the year. Hundreds were injured, among the victims there are civilians.



- You proposed the introduction of the blue helmet mission in the East of Ukraine, Putin - too. But this is not the same thing?



No, we are striving for a true peacekeeping mission that would provide for the location of international forces throughout the war zone as a prerequisite for a ceasefire, ensuring the political process and holding free local elections in Donbas. But Putin offers something like the mission of escorting international observers. It's something completely different. It is important for Putin to maintain the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine, which he officially denies. And that the Russian frontier remains open for the possibility of sending reinforcements. Such a mission is just a cover.



- In Germany there is a fierce discussion about the expediency of sanctions against the Russian Federation. Some consider them ineffective. Why should we keep them then?



The question is, what do we have to replace them? Sanctions mean the only non-military tool that we have at our disposal in order to put pressure on the aggressor in such a situation. At the same time, we are not talking about punishing Russia at all. The goal is to keep Putin at the negotiating table. And in this sense, sanctions are very effective. Believe me, without them, Putin would not have bothered with the Normandy process, designed to find a peaceful solution. Now Russia pays a high economic price for its aggressive foreign policy, and Putin's popularity also suffered. The Russians long ago disposed of the belligerent euphoria that reigned at the beginning, as a result of the annexation of Crimea. Today, many people ask, what does it cost us?

- However, there are a growing number of European governments, which want to abolish sanctions as soon as possible. Among them is also Italy.



Putin made a bet on this from the very beginning: that the common position of Europeans on this issue is failing. He hoped that after the presidential elections of 2017, France, under the influence of the right-populist National Front, would surrender positions in the issue of sanctions - in vain. Then he hoped for the growth of the Alternative for Germany position and the completion of the cadence of Angela Merkel to finally get rid of the sanctions. Until this time, Putin's calculations have not worked, Europe has preserved unity, and for this we are immensely grateful to our European friends.



- You have repeatedly sharply criticized the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline, designed to supply Russian gas, bypassing Ukraine to Germany. You call it a political project. What do you mean?



This pipeline from the economic point of view is not profitable. This is an attempt of Russia to weaken Ukraine, which thanks to transit now receives 3 billion US dollars annually. But above all, Putin is trying to create a geopolitical tool of pressure on Western Europe. I will say directly: you have a strong political lobby of this project in Germany. And the stubborn facts testify to this. Ukraine has more than enough transit capacity to supply Russian gas to Europe: 146 billion cubic meters, of which only slightly more than 90 billion are currently used. Why waste 20 billion dollars on an unnecessary gas pipeline? Give the answer yourself!



- Every time, there were doubts regarding the reliability of the Ukrainian supply...



To this I can only say that I cordially invite German energy concerns to invest in our gas transportation system. If you want, you can control the management process, if there is any doubt. Our doors are open. I can only caution our European friends, and this is because of our own bitter experience: if you will be so dependent on Russia on the issue of gas supply, how Ukraine depended on it several years ago, it forms a field for blackmail. I can assure you that this was not the most pleasant moment when Putin called me and said that the next day the tap would be shut off. Do not fall into the same trap!



- Next year elections will be held in Ukraine. Do you care that Russia will try to influence the voting process?



This is more than just a concern that Russia will actively intervene. With the help of propaganda and disinformation, they are already doing it today. Daily. The war in Donbas takes lives and brings destruction. But another war, at least, is just as dangerous, because it aims to split my state. And not only mine, but yours. After all, during the last 4.5 years, Germany has always stood on the side of Ukraine. And not only in the conflict with Russia, but also in the process of Ukraine's modernization. Over the past few years, we have been able to implement more reforms than it was done 20 years before - during the war. To do this, we needed support from our friends in Europe, and we received it. To a large extent, this is the merit of Angela Merkel, who proved that she is not only a successful federal chancellor, but also a major European leader. We will never forget this assistance on her part and on the part of the German people.

Read original article at RP online

Related: Provision of Tomos to Ukraine is fall of Third Rome, - PoroshenkoBelarus will increase the numbers of the border guards at the border with Ukraine to stop the arms traffic. Aleksandr Lukashenko, the President of Belarus claimed this as Belta reported.

We made a decision to strengthen the border with Ukraine. We see how many trouble come from there to Belarus, including arms. We need to close the border. But not for the decent people, for bandits who bring arms, Lukashenko claimed.

We need the number. Lets see. But not in mass, not hundreds and thousands of people will watch it; one person where he needs to see. Without the chefs. There should be minimum chiefs, Belarusian president added.

Earlier Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine and Aleksandr Lukashenko, the President of Belarus held the phone conversation and discussed the economic and cultural cooperation of the countries.

Also, Lukashenko claimed that Belarus accepted at least 160, 000 refugees from Ukraine during the Donbas Conflict. He also spoke on the settlement of the Donbas Conflict for many times, including his readiness to send the Belarusian peacekeepers to Donbas.

Related video:Gjorge Ivanov called the referendum harmful and destructive for the nation

Open source

Gjorge Ivanov, the President of Macedonia, urged the citizens to protest against the referendum on the renaming of the country, which is to be held on September 30, as Ekathimerini reports.

Ivanov called the referendum harmful and destructive for the nation.

The President noted that he would not vote on the referendum.

Even if this harmful Greek decision and the relevant constitutional amendments are adopted, the membership in NATO and EU will not come automatically, Ivanov stressed.

The opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, which was against the signing of the agreement from the very beginning, supports the Macedonian president.

It should be noted that the referendum on the renaming of Macedonia is scheduled on September 30.

Earlier, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, stated that Macedonia would be invited to the negotiations on the membership in NATO right after the question of the renaming of the state is finally settled. Stoltenberg said that the recent agreement on the renaming of the country into the North Macedonia with Greece and the end of a long-term conflict was a historic agreement, which provides a historic opportunity for Skopje to join NATO.Open source

In Moldova, the Constitutional Court has stopped the authority of President Ihor Dodon one more time. Such decision was made on September 24 upon request of MPs of Democratic Party of Moldova as point.md. reported.

It is noted that earlier the Constitutional Court rejected the request of Adrian Lebedinschi, the adviser of the president who asked the court to stop the process. According to him, the application was filed by people who do not possess the proper authorities.

The order of the Constitutional Court is connected with the refusal of Dodon to appoint a number of ministers offered by the prime minister. The chairman of the parliament has a right to sign the order on the appointment of the ministers after the suspension of Dodon.

In this case, the authority of the head of the state can be delegated to the chairman of the parliament or prime minister, Mikhail Poalelungi, the Chairman of the Constitutional Court explained.

At the end of last week, the MPs of the Democratic Party of Moldova appealed to the court as Igor Dodon refused to appoint Nikolai Chubuk and Silvia Rada at the posts of the ministers.

Earlier it was reported that the Constitutional Court of Moldova temporarily stopped the powers of Ihor Dodon, the President of Moldova. The court made such decision on January 2 on the request of the group of the MPs from the ruling coalition.

The similar situation took place in October 2017 when Dodon rejected the nominee of Evgeny Sturza for the position of the Defense Minister for many times. Then the Constitution Court stopped the powers of Ihor Dodon and the chairman of the parliament signed the appointment of Sturza to the post of the Defense Minister.

Related video:Russian vessels and combat aircraft went for provocations in the waters of the Sea of Azov. The press office of the Ukrainian Navy's HQ posted this on Facebook.

The Ukrainian crews reported two incidents on September 20 and 21. A scout ship of the Russian Navy approached the Ukrainian vessels at the distance of two cable lengths, which is a rude violation of the international maritime regulations. On another occasion, Sukhoi Su-27 fighter approached Ukraine's transport aircraft Antonov An-26.

The Ukrainian forces located near Kerch Strait remain on high alert, the Navy HQ said. Specifically, armored cannon boats Lubny and Kremenchuk protect the two Ukrainian vessels; combat aviation is ready for deployment, too.

On September 23, Donbas and Korets, the vessels of the Ukrainian Navy entered the Kerch Strait, currently controlled by the Russian troops. The Ukrainian crews did not ask for any permission from the Russian side, which is in line with the Ukrainian and the international law; it considers Crimea a part of Ukraine's territory.

Related: Ukraines Navy is increasing its presence in Sea of Azov



The Ukrainian side noted that the vessels should be included in the compound supposed to be deployed in the new naval base of the Ukrainian Navy, established in Berdyansk. Strengthening the groupings of the Ukrainian Navy in the Sea of Azov is a response to Russia's aggressive actions in the Sea of Azov.

According to the agreement of 2003, the Sea of Azov is an internal sea of two states where civil and military vessels under the flags of Ukraine and the Russian Federation can freely enter through the strait and go to their ports.

Related: NATO, Ukraine's Navy to hold joint drills in Black Sea

Related: Ex-Navy commander suggests mining Azov Sea to prevent Russia's attackImagine if these political hacks were in charge of your medical care. Medicare-for-All as planned is the exclusive purveyor of medical benefits. If you want a medical service they do not want you to have, you are on your own.

This last-ditch effort to derail Judge Kavanaughs confirmation is more than mere political theater; the interrogators are immoral and beyond hypocritical. The Lion of the Senate, Ted Kennedy, killed a woman and former Senate majority leader Robert Byrd was an Exalted Cyclops in the Ku Klux Klan, and we all know about President Clinton. But thats okay; their lapses in judgment were somehow worth our compassion and forgiveness.

Our legislators have been at their worst over the Supreme Court confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. What a shameful display: condescending, arrogant show-boating senators questioning him in a manner reminiscent of the Grand Inquisitor. The only things missing from this B-grade movie were the rubber hoses and interrogation lights. Some of us remember that you could count on one hand the nay votes for the confirmations of ACLU attorney Ruth Bader Ginsberg and known conservative Antonin Scalia.

The government is already shaping the way we use medical services. The Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act (PCHETA), S. 693 and the companion bill H.R. 1676 passed by the House and is now before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. This bill dedicates $100 million in additional taxpayer dollars to persuade patients to forgo treatment that might prolong life in exchange for a steady stream of increasing doses of narcotics. Perhaps knowing that many physicians still adhere to the Oath of Hippocrates, the legislators included multiple non-physicians and non-medical personnel as recipients of these funds.

Including outsiders in decision-making must be undertaken with caution. Hospice/palliative care has become the new growth industry in our health system. Compared to home health care, hospice had significant growth in 2017  increasing 6.5 percent in one year. Further, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission the Increase in hospice is driven by for-profit providers which made up two-thirds of the 4,400 hospices in 2016.

Why direct $100 million for a new medical specialty in relieving pain and suffering, a skill all physicians should embrace as part of a comprehensive treatment plan? The focus on palliative care may be one more bipartisan incremental under-the-radar step along the road to government control of our medical care. Subtly devaluing life softens us up and primes the pump for rationing  without having to pass a sweeping single payer bill that is bound to draw attention and criticism.

Ironically, within days of passing the Palliative Care bill, the Senate passed a huge package of some 70 bills designed to reduce opiate abuse. Unafraid to practice medicine without a license, the Senate legislated prescribing mandates and penalties for failure to comply. And the government is developing a system of care where all people will receive appropriate and evidence-based care for pain.

So now physicians may be under pressure to relinquish their patient to a palliative care specialist and prescribe medications according to government dictates. This is wrong. Our patients must never have any doubts that every treatment their physician administers is in their best interests.

We must not allow the whims of politicians to direct our medical care. Physicians must refuse to be tools of the government. Patients must decide whether they want their tax dollars spent on developing cures and life-saving treatment  or programs that steer them toward the least costly alternatives.

Can we trust our medical care to legislators who are willing to sacrifice their integrity on the altar of partisan politics  legislators who are willing to destroy a mans life in their naked quest for power? Can we trust that doctors who oppose their agenda will not be treated like Judge Kavanaugh by medical boards, hospitals, and courts?

###

Bio: Dr. Singleton is a board-certified anesthesiologist. She is also a Board-of-Directors member and President-elect of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS). She graduated from Stanford and earned her MD at UCSF Medical School. Dr. Singleton completed 2 years of Surgery residency at UCSF, then her Anesthesia residency at Harvards Beth Israel Hospital. While still working in the operating room, she attended UC Berkeley Law School, focusing on constitutional law and administrative law. She interned at the National Health Law Project and practiced insurance and health law. She teaches classes in the recognition of elder abuse and constitutional law for non-lawyers.The Ukrainian Crimea was annexed by the Kremlin, U.S. Secretary of State says

The Kremlin has been working against the American interests in Ukraine, Syria and other 'hot spots' across the globe. Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State said that in an interview at NBC channel.

As the medium quoted him, Trump's administration is struggling with numerous de-stabilizing actions of Russia across the globe; Russia supports Syrian dictator Bashaar al-Assad, violently annexed the Ukrainian Crimea and went for many other steps that directly contradict the U.S. external interests, Pompeo claimed.

Chuck Todd, the TV host who spoke with Pompeo added that Russia never assisted Washington in any international matter, and the official agreed: 'It's pretty fair assessment, and it's most unfortunate because there are places where we have shared interests... President's tried to develop a relationship and change that but we're not successful - at least today', he said.Russian MFA claimed that Ablyatipov was going to take part in the 39th session of the UN Council for Human Rights in Geneva

Swiss authorities refused in the issuance of a visa for so-called deputy minister of education, science and youth of Crimean occupation authority Ajder Ablyatipov. The press office of Russian MFA reported.

We are disappointed by the decision of Swiss authorities to refuse the issuance of the visa in Moscow to Ablyatipov, deputy minister of education, science, and youth of the Republic of Crimea, reads the message.

The Russian MFA advised that Ablyatipov was going to participate in the 39th session of the UN Council for Human Rights in Geneva.

Also, the Ministry expressed regret that Switzerland didnt listen to the appeals of Russia and deprived its representative of a right to deliver the real picture of the situation on the Crimean peninsula.

Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014. Crimea is announced as a temporarily occupied territory. The Ukrainian Parliament announced the date of February 20, 2014, as a beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia. On October 7, 2015, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a relevant act. International organizations recognized the occupation and annexation of Crimea illegal and condemned Russias acts. Western countries introduced the number of economic sanctions. The Russian Federation denies the occupation of the peninsula and calls it restore of historical justice.The MP is suspected in the creation of the organized group in 2014 in Moscow that aimed to provide the financial assistance to the Donbas militants

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) called Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the MP of the Russian State Duma for the questioning. The text of the summoning of the suspect is published on the website of the force agency.

The Russian lawmaker should come for the questioning on September 27, at 9:00 a.m. to the senior prosecutor for the major case of the Chief Prosecutors Department of the SBU in Kyiv.

Zhirinovsky was called for the handling of the note of suspicion, questioning as the suspect, provision of the access to the materials of the pretrial investigation, familiarizing with the materials of the criminal proceeding, getting of the copy of the indictment and register of the materials of the pretrial investigation in the criminal proceeding dated July 24, 2014, as the suspect.

On September 18, Shevchenkivskiy District Court of Kyiv allowed holding a special (extramural) pre-trial investigation of the criminal proceeding against Vladimir Zhirinovsky, MP of Russian State Duma and two other Russian parliamentarians.

Zhirinovsky and his associates are suspected of the creating of an organized group (jointly with the MPs of State Duma, including LDPR members) in Moscow in March-April 2014, which aimed at the financial assistance to the militants of so-called DNR and LNR. In particular, two Russian MPs publically called to raise funds for the militants and concluded an agreement on the material security of the separatists. Later, the group supplied six vehicles manufactured by Russia to the division of dead militant "Givi", they were used against Ukrainian military during the hostilities in the area of Donetsk Airport.

As we reported earlier, yet on July 25, 2014, Ukrainian MIA initiated an investigation against Zhirinovsky on suspicion of financing the terrorism in the east of Ukraine. Later, it was known that the MIA called him for an interrogation. In his turn, Zhirinovsky claimed that he was ready to arrive in Kyiv for the questioning but the occasion for that is unclear for him.

Zhirinovsky has repeatedly expressed extremely anti-Ukrainian attitude, and actively supports the Russian aggression in Donbas and the annexation of Crimea.

Related video:An evening programme of Ukrainian radio was heard in Simferopol at the frequency of 549 kHz

Open source

It is still possible to tune in to Ukrainian radio on the territory of the Russian-annexed Crimea. Serhiy Kostynsky, the member of Ukraine's National Council for TV and Radio Broadcasting posted this on Facebook.

'UA: Ukrainian radio (the pro-government radio station, - 112 International), along with Radio Krym.Realii continues to conduct its information mission in Crimea', Kostynsky wrote. He uploaded a video on his page, which clearly shows that the evening programme of Ukrainian radio was heard in Simferopol at the frequency of 549 kHz.

Earlier, the official wrote that in October, 75 percent of the public broadcasting content in Crimea will be in the Ukrainian language.

Previously, 112 International reported that the final state of the implementation of the quotas for the Ukrainian-language songs and programs at radio began in Ukraine. Besides, the volume of Ukrainian-language broadcasting content on TV became 98% after language quotas were adopted that is 23% more than the established quotas required.

In accordance with the law "On Amending Certain Laws of Ukraine on the Language of Audiovisual (Electronic) Media," all TV channels are required to observe a quota of 75% of Ukrainian-language broadcasts during the week between next hours 07:00 -18:00 and 18:00-22:00 on nationwide TV channels. For regional TV channels, the quota is reduced to 60%, although in the first reading this figure ever reached 50%. But this was not applied to news.Volker also noted that some of the participants of the illegal armed formations in Donbas are Ukrainian citizens recruited on a contract basis

Open source

The USA has detailed information on the number, organization, and command of regular units of Armed Forces of Russia in Donbas. The U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker claimed this, Echo of Moscow reports.

Yes, no matter what I say, someone will immediately resist against me, someone who doesnt like one or other numbers but let me note that we have thoroughly studied this matter. We have a very detailed information on the commanders, the chain of command, the types of forces, their funding, the troop strength of regular Russian army, the number of specialized units, and the most of the forces are contracted soldiers, Volker claimed this by answering on the question, whether the USA possesses a data on the presence of Russian troops in the Donbas.

Volker added that the illegal armed formations carry out direct Russian command and control through a chain of command including regular troops, regular officers, but most of the forces are contracted soldiers paid by Russia on the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are not controlled by the authorities of Ukraine.

The Special Representative has also noted that some of the participants of the illegal armed formations in Donbas are Ukrainian citizens recruited on a contract basis.Open source

Russia intends to pass the Syrian army a famous man-portable air defense system S-300 within two weeks, as Sergiy Shoygu, Russian Defence Minister, said, Interfax reports.

Syrian armed forces will receive a modern famous man-portable air defence system S-300 within two weeks. It can intercept air attack weapons at a distance of more than 250 km and simultaneously hit several aerial targets, he said.

Shoygu reminded that Russia was going to pass the complex in 2013, but under Israels request, stopped the supply.

I stress: in 2013, under the request of the Israeli side we stopped the supply of S-300 complex to Syria, which was prepared to shipment, and the Syrian military has been trained, the Head of Russian Defence Ministry noted.

He hopes that the air defence system will significantly strengthen the forces of the Syrian air defence, as the complex has a high-noise immunity and fast firing.

Earlier, it was reported that Russia was considering the possibility to pass the Syrian authorities man-portable air defence system S-300 Favorit.

Such statements have been made earlier  since the missile attack of the allies at the Syrian military on April 14. Sergei Rudskoy, the Head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, claimed the intention to supply the complex to Syria first, then, on April 16, Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister. On April 20, he stated that Russia does not have any moral obligations after the missile strike conducted by the U.S. and the allies.

Reportedly, on the same day, on April 20, the Russian President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with the Heads of the General Staff and Defence Ministry, where, under the official version, some aspects of the Syrian situation were discussed, but no details reported.

The Syrian Government raised the issue of the complex supply in 2010, yet when the contract was canceled due to the Israeli position, which got concerned about the security of its airspace. This time, as the sources of the news agency suppose, the reaction might be even more negative, even airstrikes at the supposed deployment of the air defence systems.

Related video:Open source

Since the beginning of 2018, 39 people with dual citizenship were revealed in Zakarpattia region, as Artem Oliynyk, the representative of Chop border squad, said on air of a TV channel, mukachevo.net. reports.

This year, we have recorded 39 cases when Ukrainians received passports of other states. Last year, it was 49 cases. 90% of the cases  these are Hungarian passports, the rest are Slovakian, Romanian and even Israeli. When we reveal such cases, we make protocols on the administrative offence and send the documents to the court. We dont seize the passport, as we dont have legal reasons for that, he said.

It should be noted that Chop and Mukacheno border squads are responsible for the border in Zakarpattia region.

Earlier, Ukrinfrom published a video where a few Ukrainians are receiving Hungarian passports and owe allegiance to Hungry in the Consulate in Berehove. The Hungarian diplomat recommended not to inform the Ukrainian authorities about receiving the new documents.

Later, Pavlo Klimkin, the Foreign Minister, said that the video is being checked on the authenticity. If it is authentic, the Hungarian consul might be expelled from the country.

In his turn, Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, claimed the attempts to intimidate the Transcarpathian Hungarians and threatened to make Ukraines integration more complicated.It is planned to place 90 seats on each railway bus

The reconstruction of the platform for the express buses to the International Airport Boryspil has begun at the Central Railway Station in Kyiv as Yevhen Kravtsov, the acting Head of Ukrzaliznytsia reported on Facebook.

The reconstruction of the platform of the 14th track for the expresses to the airport has begun at the railway station. The first train, as we promised, will be launched this year, the message said.

Also, it became known that five Pesa Bydgoszcz SA buses were put in order. It is noted that they should be painted and furnish the interior of its passenger compartment.

It is planned to place 90 seats on each railway bus.

Earlier Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman claimed that the construction of the high-speed railway between Boryspil Airport and Kyiv will be finished until December 1.

As we reported the railway platforms are constructed near the left wing of the landing hall of Boryspil International Airport's Terminal D. It was specified that the two platforms will service the transfers between the Ukrainian capital and the airport itself.

Also, the workers have begun to install the framework of the new section of the international terminal in Zhuliany airport.

Related video:He was one of the founders of the New York group

Open source

On September 23, a Ukrainian poet, professor of the Illinois University Bohdan Rubchak died, as Sergiy Trymbach, a movie critic, wrote on his Facebook page.

According to him, a prominent Ukrainian poet died yesterday morning, on September 23, in the New Jersey hospital at the age of 83.

One of the founders of the New York group passed away, a poet of a special melos of the Ukrainian poetry, literature connoisseur, erudite, my friend, with whom Ive been friends for 10 years. This friendship was an honor to me. Last years, Bohdan spent in Boonton (New Jersey, U.S.) with his wife. His house and his heart were open for the world, he knew the worth of the words and could revive them like a magician, the movie critic wrote.

Bohdan Rubchak was born in 1935 in Kalush. In 1943 he moved to Germany with his parents, and after his father died, he moved to the U.S. with his mother.

Rubchak is the author of numerous poetic collections, like Kaminnyi sad (Stone Orchard, 1956), Promenysta zrada (Bright Betrayal, 1960), Divchyni bez krainy (For a Girl without a Country, 1963), Osobysta Klio (Personal Clio, 1967), and Marenu topyty (To Drown Marena, 1980)and a volume of collected works, Krylo Ikarove (The Wing of Icarus, 1983).Five officers of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine who complained about health problems due to the chemical emission in Crimea were hospitalized and still are being treated. Oleg Slobodyan, the spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service claimed this as 112 Ukraine reported.

Five border guards needed the medical help. They were examined and were treated in the hospital, actually, they are still finishing the treatment, and then they will return to their duty, Slobodyan reported.

Earlier Ukraine's Foreign Ministry claimed that it prepares the project of appeal to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons because of the chemical emission in Crimea and would send it after gathering evidence.

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.

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:French city of Grenoble has already served as an example for Kyiv in another sphere

Open source

Kyiv plans to use ARC Nucle Art laboratory technology (Grenoble, France) to preserve artefacts that have already been discovered and are yet to be found during the excavations on Poshtova Square. The deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration Valentyn Mondryivsky announced this, as the press service of the administration reports.

"On September 23, our delegation returned from an official trip to Grenoble. The main thing is that the Grenoble laboratory is ready to help us and share experience and technology. We have repeatedly heard from various experts that there are no wood preservation technologies in Ukraine and in the whole world, but we found the specialists. The laboratory staff introduced our delegation to all existing technologies of preservation of archaeological wood, showed all the stages of this complicated process, including one with the use of radiation. They are not only ready to share the technologies, but also to take our specialists for training," Mondryivsky said.

Mondryivsky added that the ARC Nucle Art laboratory staff would visit Kyiv and the site of excavations on Poshtova Square and study plans to create the Center for preservation of archaeological object and give advice and recommendations.

Let's not forget that there are several places of excavations in Kyiv where the artefacts were found, but no one can preserve them. That is why Kyiv council provided for the creation of the Center for the preservation of archaeological objects. It will be the only such center in Ukraine, he said.

Mondryivsky informed that after the completion of archaeological research an international competition for the creation of the museum on Poshtova Square will be announced.

"The position of Mayor and his team on the creation of the museum on Poshtova Square was defined back in 2015, - the museum will be built and its final. But it should be the experts in the museum business, historians, architects and archaeologists who decide what kind of a museum it will be," he added.

Valentyn Mondryivsky also reminded that the city of Grenoble has already served as a model for Kyiv in another sphere.

"When we just started implementing the reform of outdoor advertising, Grenoble was also among the cities which we took as an example. Then the mayor of the town (Grenoble) with a population of a little more than 160,000, prohibited any kind of outdoor advertising on the street, and it was planned to plant trees on these places. I think we should use the idea with the trees," Mondryivsky noted.

As it was reported earlier, protesters blocked the pedestrian zone on Poshtova Square in Kyiv because the excavation site has been flooded. The flooding of excavations began due to the main pipeline break. Because of the flooding, artefacts of XI-XII centuries were damaged.

Earlier, on June 7, a fight occurred at the session of Kyiv city council. The activists who demand to create the Museum of Kyiv's History at Poshtova Square, broke the doors in the session hall of the city council's building. Kyiv city council failed to vote for suspension of the agreement with the tenant builder, not collecting enough votes. The respective draft law was only approved in the first reading in April. The draft foresees passage of the land parcel and the unfinished museum to the state-run Centre of Kyiv Archaeology. Various construction projects are now considered on the international contest; the winner will get the right to construct the building.

Poshtova Square (Poshtova Ploshcha) is the main entrance of the Podil district of Kyiv. Here, near the Church of the Nativity of Christ, at a depth of 100 meters underground a street of the Kyivan Rus is situated. So, three years ago, during the archaeological excavations, many artifacts of the Middle Ages were found here - prince prints, coins, rings, wooden piles, balls and pendants.Today is the 134th day of Sentsovs hunger strike in the Russian colony

Crimean filmmaker Oleg Sentsov who is starving in the Russian colony became an honorary citizen of Paris. Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of the French capital claimed this on Twitter.

Thank the municipal council, which unanimously voted for awarding the title of an honorary citizen Oleg Sentsov. Paris will always be on the side of the defenders of individual liberty, freedom of expression and democracy, she said.

As we reported earlier, Oleg Sentsov, Ukrainian political prisoner announced a hunger strike in May 2014, demanding to release him and the rest of Ukrainian political prisoners illegally kept by the Kremlin. Sentsov already survived three health crisis; the medics warn that the fourth one, which might involve the breakdown of the body's internal organs, could begin anytime.

The native of Crimea, film director, and political activist, Sentsov was illegally detained in Crimea in 2014, then taken to Russia. They judged him and sentenced him to 20 years of imprisonment at a high-security penal colony. The prosecutors charged Sentsov with preparing terrorist acts in the occupied Crimea. Sentsov denies his guilt. Ukraine's government, common citizens and the international society - politicians, artists, public figures - urge the Kremlin to release him.

Sentsov's photos from Labytnangi penal colony were published on August 9.Ukraine's Embassy commented on the information which was published in Zakarpattia News about the fact that the representatives of the embassy have allegedly refused to provide the victim with medical assistance

Ukrainian Embassy in Hungary denied the information published in Zakarpattia News concerning the refusal to help the victim of a car accident which occurred in August, as the press office of Ukraines Foreign Ministry reported.

In particular, the news agency published an article Ukraines Embassy in Budapest refused to help a gravely wounded Transcarpathian.

Ukraines Embassy in Hungary officially reports that the information presented in the article does not correspond to reality. Right after the car accident, Ukraines consul made contact with the injured Ukrainians and Hungarian competent authorities. The report on the car accident was immediately published on the website of the Embassy so that the relatives of the victims have a possibility to promptly get the relevant information concerning the situation, the press office informs.

Besides, it was noted that the consul contacted the doctors and visited the injured Ukrainians in the hospital. He was in telephone contact with the doctors and the victims.

Right after the car accident, in coordination with Ukraines Health Ministry, the Embassy offered the Hungarian side medical assistance. At the same time, it was assured that the Hungarian side can provide the victims with all they need, the message says.

It was noted that the Embassy maintains links with the Hungarian doctors, the law enforcement agencies, injured Ukrainians and their relatives.

During another phone talk with Popovichs father which was held on September 21, 2018, the consul offered to give lawyers contacts, who demanded the relatives of the injured to give a certificate with unclear content from the Embassy or to give the lawyer a phone number of the relevant officers of the Embassy to clarify the matter, the representatives of the Embassy added.

The representatives of the Foreign Ministry called the speculations on this topic irrelevant and sent a refutation to the editors' office of Zakarpattia News.

It should be noted that Ukraines Embassy in Hungary confirmed the information on the injuries of 13 Ukrainians in a car accident in Hungary, which occurred on August 12.Three Ukrainians were aboard MV Glarus vessel at the moment of assault. One of them is taken hostage, two more are on the vessel on the parking for ships in the area of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Open source

One of 12 members of the crew of Swiss trade vessel MV Glarus captured by pirates in the territorial waters of Nigeria, is the citizen of Ukraine. The press office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported.

A pirate assault on trade vessel MV Glarus with the crew of 19, including three Ukrainian citizens, took place in Nigerian waters on September 22, 2018. As a result of the pirates assault, 12 members of the crew including one Ukrainian citizen were captured, reads the message.

The Ministry notified that the vessel is on the parking for ships in the area of Port Harcourt, Nigeria with the seven members of the crew, including two Ukrainian citizens who are aboard.

The Ukrainian Embassy to Nigeria is commissioned to establish contact with the ship-owner, Nigerian law enforcement bodies to obtain information about taken measures for the release of the detained Ukrainian sailor, and also the other two Ukrainians who left on the vessel in order to provide necessary aid, the MFA claimed.

The message reads that the case is being specially monitored by the Department of Consular Service of the Ukrainian MFA and the Embassy of Ukraine to Nigeria.

Reportedly, MV Glarus vessel, which was carrying a wheat left Lagos, Nigeria and headed to Port Harcourt.

The pirates boarded the vessel on the way to the southwest of Bonny Island having captured 12 crew members out of 19.Pirates kidnapped 12 crew members of a Swiss vessel off the coast of Nigeria. The crew has workers from Philippines, Slovenia, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as Radio Liberty reports.

The crew members were abducted on September 22 from the vessel that was traveling between the cities of Lagos and Port Harcourt, the news agency reads.

On September 23, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) informed that seven of those abducted were from the Philippines and one from each of the other states.

The 12 workers were still missing. Kidnapping for ransom is a common problem in parts of Nigeria, the news agency reads.

As the news agency says, several foreigners were kidnapped in the last few years in the southern Niger Delta region.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."Peru has great potential for increasing exports and business in the Chinese market in various domains ," he told Andina news agency.Vincent York

A life in jazz

by Eve Silberman

From the September, 2018 issue

When he was fourteen, an unhappy kid suffering under bad teachers and getting into fights, a family friend gave Vincent York a two-record set by the great jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker. "All that nonsense I was going through school--it came to a halt," he remembers. "Because every day, I was trying to learn: what was Charlie Parker doing?"



Growing up in Vero Beach, Florida, York already knew about the struggles--and occasional brushes with glory--of a working musician. His father led a popular band and told his kids that Ray Charles had played for him as a young man. But he had to work a day job at a plant nursery, and "we didn't believe him," York recalls. (Years later, they found it was true--Charles mentioned it in his autobiography.) Their mother worked as a beautician to help support the four children.



The family was better off than many in their neighborhood, but in his segregated middle school, he fought with bigger boys--"I wasn't a person who would accept bullies," he says--and was beaten with a fraternity paddle. In seventh grade, his civics teacher made a sexual advance. Though he never touched him, York could no longer concentrate in the class, and his grades dropped further.



"I tell everybody that Charlie Parker saved my life," he says. Instead of worrying about school, he'd stay up till midnight, listening to the records and trying to play like the master improviser.



He counts it as the first of three "rescues" that turned his life around. The second was desegregation: in tenth grade, he moved to newly integrated Vero Beach High School.



"It was there that things started changing," he says. "I was around my new buddies--really nice guys. Today they would have been considered geeks." He learned how poorly prepared he was when he failed his first test, but success in music helped as he caught up. A new band director heard him play and put together the school's first

...continued below...

jazz band. He sent them out to festivals, where they--and York--began to win awards.That led to a scholarship to the prestigious, traditionally black Southern University in Baton Rouge, and his third "rescue:" meeting his wife, Kathleen. They moved to Ann Arbor together in 1974, where Kathleen got a job teaching in the public schools and he started grad school in the U-M's brand-new jazz program.---While still in school, he got a call from Mercer Ellington--Duke Ellington's son and successor. York spent his last semester at Michigan practicing for his master's recital during the week, then flying out on weekends to play with Ellington's band and stars like Ella Fitzgerald. ("She bought us all [LaCoste] crocodile shirts," he remembers.) But Kathleen's job and a growing family--daughter Natasha and son Cedric--anchored them in the Midwest.York fell in with the immensely talented Detroit jazz set, playing many shows and festivals there. He taught, both individually and for universities, was artist-in-residence at Community High, and performed shows in Detroit schools--a sidelight that became a new focus in the early 1990s, when he realized that his young listeners weren't listening.With the arrival of the rap era, young Detroiters "didn't want to hear these old musicians play these old songs," he recalls. "But they needed to know! Detroit was one of the cities where a lot of the great jazz came from." Remembering his own troubled school years, he wanted to use music to reach them.Working with fellow musicians, he developed a program that combined live performances with a retelling of American history through the voice of jazz. He called it Jazzistry."To me, Jazzistry is the soundtrack to America," says Lori Saginaw, who helped York set it up as a nonprofit. "It takes audiences to the deep roots of it, in the polyrhythmic elements of African drumming, through slavery and field calls to spirituals ... the evolution into gospel, and how that as a continuum led to blues ... and how blues led into boogie woogie."Over the years, Jazzistry has visited more than 300 schools. Afterward, students are encouraged to follow up in some way, often with a performance that may include singing spirituals or dancing the jitterbug.---Grownups can get a taste of Jazzistry at the group's rollicking annual "Rent Party" fundraiser. A high point is when York--in tails and a stylish hat--leads the musicians and audience in a parade around the auditorium playing "When the Saints Go Marching In." Kathleen is usually in attendance along with Cedric (who teaches at Mack School) and Natasha (who's principal at Thurston). This year, Natasha's two-year-old son, Cameron, attended wearing a tiny tuxedo.York comes across as relaxed and friendly, the kind of neighbor who would be delighted to buy your kid's Girl Scout cookies. But underneath, says Saginaw, "he is one of the most focused and disciplined people I have ever met."The discipline helped him through medical crises in 2009, when he was rushed into emergency surgery for a brain tumor. "I was in ICU for over three weeks," he recalls. "And when they asked me if I could get out of the bed, I didn't know how to." He managed to perform at the Rent Party two months later, but full recovery took four years. Then, a year ago, he suffered a stroke--paralyzing his left side. He recovered again, but still is careful in his movements.It was a wake-up call. "Kathleen came to me and said, 'Vincent, look,'" he remembers. "'Our mothers died in their eighties. We would be blessed and lucky to make it to that. We've got about fifteen years.'"He realized that he wanted to spend whatever time he had left "doing what I feel like I'm in the world for"--performing. He'd spent so much time on Jazzistry's educational shows and working on administrative tasks that he'd lost his edge as a performer, and he wanted it back.He asked his board members for help. They agreed to reorganize Jazzistry, taking over many of the management tasks that had absorbed his time.York still leads Jazzistry, and looks forward to a show at the Ark in December. But he's using his new free time to prepare for a return to serious performance. He's spending four or five hours a day rehearsing on the saxophone--Charlie Parker's instrument, and the one he still loves best."That's always been my ambition," he says. "To be a jazz master." [Originally published in September, 2018.]YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The Iranian government has declared a national day of mourning in honor of the latest terrorist attack which claimed at least 29 lives in the city of Ahwaz.

Saturdays terrorist attack on people and defenders of peoples security in Ahwaz city proved it clearly that the enemies of Iran follow no goal but to destroy Iran and Iranians, and in their anti-human bloodshed, women, children, old and young, Lur and Arab, worker and soldier will be subject to their grudge merely because they are Iranians.

The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran offers condolences to the brave people of Khuzestan and the patient family of martyrs and those injured in the incident, announcing their funeral day (Monday 24 September 2018) national day of mourning, calling on all governments, especially neighbours, to carry out clear, decisive measures in countering terrorist groups that had a role in this bloodshed or supported them, and believe in the fact that the security of the countries of the region is an integral and common capital of all the nations of the region and that the Iranian government and nation's fight against terrorism and their sponsors and cooperation in safeguarding the region's security will continue with determination until terrorism is eradicated from the region, the Iranian Cabinet said in a statement.

On September 22, gunmen opened indiscriminate fire during a military parade in Ahwaz, Iran. At least 29 people died and 57 were wounded in the attack.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson Tigran Balayan has commented on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs latest Tweet, where the latter wrote: International observers positive reaction to the recent elections in Armenia should be investigated. Whats noteworthy is the fact that Aliyev tweeted the statement a day before the elections in the Armenian capital began.

The ongoing processes in Armenia, worldwide reactions clearly show why the neighboring dictator is so nervous, Balayan said.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres later commented on the developments in Armenia, praising the peaceful transfer of power, and noting it to be a fantastic example for settling this kind of issues.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenian minister of agriculture Arthur Khachatryan and his deputy Artak Kamalyan visited Georgia September 18-19 on a working visit.

On the first day of the visit, minister Khachatryan had a meeting with Georgias minister of environment and agriculture Levan Davitashvili, followed by an expanded format meeting.

The sides discussed a broad circle of bilateral cooperation issues between Armenia and Georgia. Davitashvili briefed his Armenian counterpart on the state assistance projects in Georgia for the development of the agriculture field.

This is my first visit to Georgia in the capacity of minister and I have to say that there is significant progress in the agrarian field. I got acquainted with the innovations with great interest and I hope that our productive cooperation will be continuois, Arthur Khachatryan told Palitra News TV.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Within two weeks, the Syrian army will get from Russia S-300 air-defense missiles to strengthen its combat capabilities following the downing of a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft in Syria, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday, TASS reports.

"A modern S-300 air defense missile system will be supplied to the Syrian Armed Forces within two weeks. It is capable of intercepting air assault weapons at a distance of more than 250 kilometers and hit simultaneously several air targets," the minister said.

Shoigu said S-300 missiles will strongly strengthen combat capabilities of the Syrian air defense due to their jamming invulnerability and firing speed.

"I will underscore - at the request of the Israeli side, in 2013 we suspended the delivery of S-300 systems that were ready for the dispatch, while the Syrian military had undergone training. Now the situation has changed, and we are not to blame," the defense minister said.



Command posts of the Syrian air defense will also be equipped with Russian automated systems, which guarantee the identification of Russian aircraft, the defense chief stated.

"The command posts of Syrian air defense forces and units will be equipped with automated control systems only supplied to the Russian armed forces. This will facilitate centralized control over all forces and resources of the Syrian air defense, monitor the situation in the air, and ensure operative issuance of orders. Most importantly, we will guarantee the identification of all Russian aircrafts by the Syrian air defense systems," Shoigu said.

A Russian electronic surveillance Il-20 plane was downed over the Mediterranean Sea late on September 17 when it was flying back to the Russian airbase at Syrias Hmeymim. According to the Russian defense ministry, the plane was shot down by a missile from a Syrian S-200 air defense complex when it was firing at four Israeli F-16 aircraft attacking targets in the Latakia governorate. The Israeli pilots actually used the Russian aircraft as a cover, exposing it to Syrian missiles, the ministry stressed.YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov had a meeting today with Chairman of the House of Representatives of Belarus Vladimir Andreychenko in Minsk. Sharmazanovs delegation includes MP Tigran Urikhanyan and MP Tatchat Vardapetyan.

During the meeting the sides attached importance to the joint work of the Armenian-Belarusian inter-parliamentary committee and cooperation in the parliamentary assemblies of the CSTO, the CIS and the OSCE, the parliaments press service said.

Sharmazanov presented the important issues of Armenias foreign policy agenda, stressing that effectively withstanding security challenges is of key importance to Armenia.

In this context the Deputy Speaker addressed the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, once again reiterating the Armenian stance that the conflict should be settled in the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format based on the three well-known principles.

The only obstacle for advancement in the talks is Azerbaijans destructive stance. [Azerbaijan] is refusing the complete exercise of the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh, whereas the settlement of the conflict must guarantee the realization of the inseparable rights of the people of Artsakh. Artsakh is entitled to independence as much as Armenia, Belarus and Azerbaijan, he said.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Belarus is suggesting launching an elevator and tractor assembly plant in Armenia.

The issue was discussed during the meeting of Deputy Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov and Chairman of the House of Representatives of Belarus Vladimir Andreychenko in Minsk, BELTA reported.

Andreychenko proposed several options which could be of interest to Armenia. These are issues related to organizing assembly plants, for example of elevators, he said, adding that a need for a project of changing elevators in Yerevan is noticed.

He said that specialists from Belarus can have participation in this project.

As another promising direction, the Belarusian official pointed out assembly plants of agricultural equipment, namely tractors.

Vladimir Andreychenko mentioned that his year Belarus and Armenia mark 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. Relations based on friendship, mutual understanding and respect have developed between the two countries, he said.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The Yerevan City Council election was unique, a full opportunity existed for citizen to freely go and vote without any coercion, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a live broadcast on Facebook from New York City.

This is an extremely important event for our political life. I want to congratulate us all on this election, because this election was unique since the citizens had no coercion and were able to freely go to polling stations and fulfill their civil duty, Pashinyan said.

Congratulating Hayk Marutyan, the PM wished productive work to the future mayor. The PM also congratulated the Prosperous Armenia Party and the Luys bloc, who also made it to the city council.

He said that the observers reports about the election should be closely followed in order to elevate the electoral system to a higher level.

The turnout issue is being greatly discussed. Many are trying to say that the majority did not participate and that conclusions must be drawn. In this regard I want to say that these arguments are ridiculous. The turnout was less in the previous city council election, and this in the event when people were being forcefully brought to polling stations in [buses] and with bribes. Second of all, our electoral lists do not reflect the true picture that exists. Many of our compatriots have left the country 20-25 years ago, but are still in the lists. In addition, during the bribed elections they didnt even take into consideration one fact, they were bringing bedridden senior citizens to polling stations, he said, adding that the participation of the citizens in this election leaves no space for any doubts.

I highly value the fact that mayoral candidate from the Luys alliance Artak Zeynalyan congratulated the My Step alliance, and that Prosperous Armenia leader Gagik Tsarukyan, the Heritage party, Rule of Law have congratulated. This is a new political culture, which is very important. I would like to say that mayor-elect Hayk Marutyan, the city council will engage in the city affairs, and that we will commence discussions with political forces in order to see how and in which timing we will hold early elections [of parliament]. Political events have shown that early elections of parliament should take place very quickly. Political uncertainty is braking the attraction of investments in our economy.

This election showed that the incumbent parliament essentially doesnt have the mandate to function. All parliamentary forces taken together garnered very little votes. We need to enable the people to authorize their desired political force with a new election, Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan highly appreciated Republican faction leader Vahram Baghdasaryan for expressing readiness to negotiate, as well as the Prosperous Armenia party. He stressed that the election results showed that the government has great resource of trust. I am proud, I bow before the people, this is the exclusive victory of the people. This election showed that political processes are in the hands of citizens. I am sure that we will all consider this a value, he said.

He said that he is planning to head to the UN headquarters where he will take part in several events. Pashinyan is expected to deliver remarks at the summit dedicated to the 100th anniversary of birth of Nelson Mandela. He will also deliver a speech at the opening of the Armenia! Exhibiton at the New York Met. Pashinyan will hold a meeting today with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The 11th session of the Inter-parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus took place in Minsk on September 24 during which Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov delivered a speech.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, Sharmazanov referred to, inter alia, the activities of the CSTO and regional security issues, saying,

Armenian-Belarusian inter-parliamentary relations are of key importance given that both countries are members to the CSTO and the EAEU. Security issues continue to be a priority for our region. Back in 2000 our counties adopted a declaration in the sidelines of the Collective Security Treaty, according to which military-technical cooperation between the member states of the organization had to be a priority, but its not a secret that some CSTO member states sell arms to Azerbaijan. Its necessary to note that the weapons sold to Azerbaijan fired, fire and will probably fire in the direction of CSTO member state Armenia. This is concerning.

I have to note that in the recent period the Azerbaijani forces often fire at the civilian population of the bordering communities of Armenia, which is a gross violation of all the international norms. I think our partners should condemn such an unconstructive policy.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, 24 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 24 September, USD exchange rate is down by 0.17 drams to 482.27 drams. EUR exchange rate is up by 3.03 drams to 567.63 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is up by 0.03 drams to 7.31 drams. GBP exchange rate is down by 4.27 drams to 632.79 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price is down by 77.90 drams to 18586.25 drams. Silver price is up by 2.17 drams to 222.19 drams. Platinum price is up by 181.60 drams to 12853.93 drams.YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Anna Hakobyan, wife of the Armenian PM, was in St. Petersburg on a working visit, where at the invitation of Valentina Matviyenko, Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation participated in the 2nd Women's Eurasian Forum headlined Women for Global Security and Sustainable Development. Mrs. Hakobyan delivered opening remarks on September 21, as well as had a number of bilateral meetings with high ranking officials of different countries.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the office of Anna Hakobyan, Anna Hakobyan emphasized the role of the forum for discovering and fully utilizing the potential of women.

According to her, the role of women, who are more peace-loving by nature and tend to deny violence and sufferings, is invaluable for mitigating the burden of our planet from major and small wars, humanitarian disasters, ecological problems, for finding some solutions for changing something for the better. Anna Hakoyan noted that women should not only raise their voice, but also take practical steps.

In this context Anna Hakobyan presented to the participants of the forum her initiative Women for peace. The whole sense of the campaign is that we, as women and mothers, should consolidate and convey a joint message to all the actors involved in Karabakh conflict aimed at eradicating any military settlement to the conflict and to find solutions without shooting and without taking away the lives of young Armenian or Azerbaijani people, she said, adding that human mind knows no borders and its possible to achieve even the impossible.

Anna Hakobyan told the participants of the forum about her meeting with the mothers of the 2016 April war victims, noting that they have joint her campaign and have called on the mothers of the Azerbaijani victims to do the same.

Can you imagine mothers who have lost their sons in the battlefield, do not strive for revenge, but take their step for the sake of other mothers who enjoy the presence of their sons. I really do not know what kind of response to expect from Azerbaijani mothers and the First Lady. But I believe that together we can put an end to Karabakh conflict, making it a history, she said.

Anna Hakobyan concluded her speech with a plea addressed to the participants to express their unconditional support to the campaign Women for peace, adding that the initiative will expand beyond Artsakh issue.

Nearly 2000 women from 120 countries participated in the forum.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a welcoming speech.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia NIkol Pashinyan met with President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades at the UN Headquarters in New York.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the official website of the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the continuous development of friendly relations between Armenia and Cyprus and expressed satisfaction with the high level bilateral political cooperation. The PM highlighted the deepening of economic relations and increase of trade turnover.

Nicos Anastasiades talked about Armenia and the Armenian people with warmth and emphasized that he greatly highlights the future deepening and expansion of the friendly relations.

The Armenian PM and the President of Cyprus highlighted the necessity of holding a business forum for the expansion of trade and economic relations and the implementation of relevant steps in that direction.

The sides highlighted the role of the Armenian community in Cyprus for fostering bilateral relations and expressed confidence that the Armenian community can serve as a bridge particularly for the development of economic cooperation.

Nikol Pashinyan and Nicos Anastasiades also discussed issues related to the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the Cyprus issue and highlighted the peaceful negotiations as a settlement tool. The sides particularly highlighted the cooperation on different international platforms.

Nicos Anastasiades invited Nikol Pashinyan to Cyprus at a time convenient for him.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanAustralian actor and writer Damian Hill has died, aged 42.

Hill, who was best known for his starring performance in 2015 comedy Pawno, passed away on Saturday night in Melbourne, his brother Julian confirmed.

My eyes are bluer but he was the best one, a beautiful soul, Julian Hill said in an emotional Facebook post according to Fairfax Media.

The cause of death was not immediately reported.

Better known as Dame, Hill was due to start filming M4M today  a project he co-wrote and co-produced about Shakespeares Measure for Measure. He was due to star alongside Hugo Weaving.

Damian Hill and stepson Ty Perham in West of Sunshine. Image: Twitter/AACTA

We are all heartbroken but we will regroup and forge ahead, the films director Paul Ireland said.

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts also paid tribute, quoting Hills fellow actor and friend, Steven Bastoni.

We have lost a real gem, Steven Bastoni said.

He had that rare screen presence, a combination of warmth & fragility reminiscent of a young Montgomery Cliff or James Dean.

Hill, who had more recently starred in the Venice Film Festival hit West of Sunshine alongside his stepson Ty Perham, had previously completed roles in Neighbours, Nowhere Boys and The Death and Life of Otto Bloom.

He is survived by his partner Beth, daughters Jordie, 24, and Frankie, seven, and stepsons Ty, 13, and Jay, 11.US President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to hold a second summit soon with Kim Jong Un, lauding the North Korean strongman at the United Nations as "terrific" one year after he eviscerated him from the same platform. Trump used his debut address to the UN General Assembly 12 months ago to threaten to "totally destroy" North Korea and belittled its leader as "rocket man," prompting Kim to respond by calling the US president "mentally deranged." But returning to New York for this year's gathering, Trump hailed "tremendous progress" to halt Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests and said that a year later it was a "much different time." "Chairman Kim has been really very open and terrific, frankly, and I think he wants to see something happen," Trump said after meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a dove who recently visited Kim in Pyongyang. "I think within a fairly short period of time that (summit) will be announced. It will be at a location to be determined but we're both very much looking forward to having it." Trump, who met Kim in Singapore in June in the first-ever summit between the two countries that have never signed a peace treaty, earlier told reporters that he appreciated "a beautiful letter" the young North Korean leader had sent to him. While relations with Kim have improved dramatically, leaders attending the annual assembly expect this year to hear Trump espouse a hard line on a different US adversary, Iran's Hassan Rouhani. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who has visited Pyongyang three times -- will preside over a Security Council meeting Thursday to explain the administration's imposition of sanctions on North Korea, which has hit Chinese and Russian companies. Skepticism remains about whether Kim has taken any concrete steps, but that seems unlikely to deter Trump from pushing toward a new summit in what he considers a key foreign policy achievement. - Focus on sovereignty - In his 41-minute speech at the General Assembly in 2017, Trump made clear he wanted to turn the clock back on the last half-century's growth of global rules and institutions and to return to the primacy of the nation-state. His national security adviser, John Bolton, said that Trump would stress defense of US sovereignty in his latest UN address on Tuesday. The UN's number one financial backer, the United States has moved under Trump to cut funding to the world body, notably to peacekeeping missions that are key to the UN's goal of promoting peace and security. "The United Nations has tremendous potential and that potential is being met, slowly but surely," Trump told a meeting on combatting drugs attended by UN chief Antonio Guterres. - Pressure on Iran - While Trump will dial down the rhetoric against Kim, there seems to be little prospect of him doing likewise with Rouhani. The United States annoyed many of its allies in Europe by pulling out of a deal they jointly negotiated in 2015 that lifted sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program. US allies in the Middle East, notably Saudi Arabia, have, however, been delighted by Trump's stance. Bolton said the United States was seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran but not to overthrow the regime -- an idea he supported before taking his job and reiterated recently by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is Trump's personal lawyer. "As I have said repeatedly, regime change in Iran is not the administration's policy," Bolton told reporters. "We've imposed very stringent sanctions on Iran, more are coming, and what we expect from Iran is massive changes in their behavior," he said. On Wednesday, Trump will for the first time chair a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation that will focus heavily on Iran, likely triggering a clash with other big powers. The White House has not closed the door on a Rouhani-Trump meeting. But Rouhani, in an interview with NBC News after arriving in New York, saw such an offer as hypocritical. "Naturally, if someone is keen on having a meeting and holding dialogue and creating progress in relationships, that person would not use the tool of sanctions and threats (and bring) to bear all of its power against another government and nation," Rouhani said. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday accused US allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of supporting Arab separatists allegedly behind an attack on a military parade last week that killed 24 people. Returning to New York a year after he assailed Kim Jong Un at the UN General Assembly, President Donald Trump hailed "tremendous progress" to halt Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests US President Donald Trump met in New York with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a dove who recently visited Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang Donald Trump is expected at the UN General Assembly to espouse a hard line on Iran's Hassan Rouhani, seen here in New York on September 24, 2018Marxist rebels in Colombia said on Monday they will not suspend their insurgency until President Ivan Duque names a new team of peace negotiators to restart Cuban-hosted talks. "The ELN is an insurgent force and is under no obligation to comply with Colombian law, as long as there is no agreement on a definitive end to the conflict in which both sides feel satisfied with the pact," said the guerrilla group on its website. Peace talks have been suspended since the beginning of August when ex-president Juan Manuel Santos admitted defeat in his bid to reach a conclusion before handing over power to Duque. The new right-wing president has pursued a tougher negotiating line with the ELN, demanding an end to "criminal activities" and the release of hostages as a prerequisite to resuming peace talks. Nine hostages, amongst them soldiers and policemen, were released recently, as well as a teenage girl the ELN had accused of being an "informant for the armed forces." However, the government says the ELN still holds another 10 hostages and Duque is refusing to contemplate the formation of a new negotiating team without significant compromises on the part of the rebels. But the ELN insists that "a peace process is not subject to the unilateral imposition" of demands and says that if Duque fails to advance negotiations then he would "invalidate himself as a negotiator." Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for having negotiated the disarmament of FARC Marxist rebels in December 2016 following a half century of conflict. That left the ELN and its estimated 1,500 fighters as the last recognized guerrilla group fighting authorities in a multifaceted conflict that also involves drug-trafficking gangs and paramilitaries. ELN chief negotiator Pablo Beltran blames military operations against the rebels for the delay in releasing hostagesCuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Sunday his government wants a "civilized" relationship with the United States -- despite the embargo imposed on the island by the US since 1962. Speaking to the Cuban state press upon his arrival in New York for the UN General Assembly, Diaz-Canel said he would use his speech at the annual gathering to denounce the commercial, economic, and financial embargo "which has already failed and will continue to fail." Of Cuban-US relations, he added Havana seeks "a civilized relationship despite ideological differences." However, he said the government of US President Donald Trump is "an administration with which it is difficult to form an equal relationship." The General Assembly marks Diaz-Canel's debut on the world stage, after he took office on April 19, succeeding brothers Fidel and Raul Castro. His address is scheduled for September 26 -- 58 years to the day since Fidel Castro's first speech there. In a month, the Assembly will vote on a resolution calling for an end to the embargo. The issue has been voted upon annually for over two decades, and has majority support. Despite its well-known position in favor of the embargo, the US abstained in 2016 after former president Barack Obama and Raul Castro restored diplomatic relations after over 50 years of tension. But after Trump entered office, Washington reported several US diplomats and their relatives in Havana had suffered mysterious symptoms as a result of alleged "acoustic attacks" in late 2016 -- an accusation Cuba denies. As a result, the US recalled more than half of its staff from its Havana embassy and expelled 15 Cuban diplomats from Washington. Diaz-Canel is to address the UN General Asembly on WednesdayA Frenchman who spent his whole adult life searching for his American father, a soldier who fought in Europe during World War Two, said he was "bowled over" after coming face-to-face with a previously unknown half-brother on Monday thanks to a chance DNA breakthrough. Andre Gantois, now aged 72, was told he was asking for the impossible when he began his search for his dad aged 20 at the American embassy in Paris, knowing only that his late mother had fallen pregnant shortly after the end of the war. She had revealed the existence of her American lover on her deathbed, when Gantois was 15, but did not share his name or any other details. "They told me that what I was asking for was like looking for a needle in a haystack," the retired postal worker from the Lorraine region of eastern France told AFP. Undeterred, Andre continued to research US military and legal documents, but the breakthrough only came when his sister-in-law suggested he approach a popular American DNA company MyHeritage which specialises in family research. "I didn't expect anything. I'd come to the conclusion that I'd die without knowing my father," he added. Instead, after sending off a couple of swabs from his mouth, the group informed him that he had a match: a half-brother from South Carolina called Allen Henderson, who was seven years younger. Henderson had also approached MyHeritage weeks' before "on a whim just to see where I'm from" after seeing the company advertise its geneological research services on the Fox News channel. "He had no idea that we were here and, of course, I wasn't looking for him, because I had no idea that he was there," Henderson told local US channel 7News at the end of August. The discovery of his half-brother softened what was a blow for Gantois: his father had died in 1997, apparently without ever knowing he had a son in France because Gantois' mother Irene had never told him she was pregnant. On Monday, having already exchanged photos by mail, they came face-to-face on the same windswept beach in northern France where their father landed along with hundreds of thousands of Allied forces in June 1944 to liberate France from its Nazi occupiers. The two men share a clear physical resemblance, have a black cat and both like plaid shirts. "People around me say it's incredible how much we look like each other. You'd really say we are brothers," Gantois told AFP. Furthermore, having seen some of Henderson's pictures, "my father is the spitting image of me, the same smile, everything." Sadly, for the time being, neither of them speaks the other's language, meaning an interpreter is needed at all times. "I'll need to start studying English now," said Gantois, who has also gained a half sister, Judy, 70. As for his father, though he never met him Gantois says he has already visited his grave in a military cemetary in Los Angeles. The number of children born in France to American servicemen is unknown, a local historian Emmanuel Thiebot told AFP. There were an estimated 200,000 children born to Germans, according to official figures. Andre Gantois and Allen Henderson, seen at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, had the same GI father who landed near Omaha Beach as part of the 1944 "D-Day" landings but knew nothing of each other's existence before recent DNA tests The half-brothers look on as the US flag is raised in the grounds of the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Colleville-sur-Mer where their father landed 74 years agoFirefighters were required to put their hoses to a new use after receding floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence left hundreds of rotting fish on the side of a highway.

Footage showed firefighters blasting the dead fish to the highway shoulder with a fire hose in Penderlea County, in eastern North Carolina.

Receding swells left piles of the fish stranded on a highway near Wallace, about 56 kilometres from the nearest beach, according to the Penderlea Fire Department, which shared video of firefighters hosing down the asphalt.

Firefighters turned their hoses to a different cause after receding floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence left hundreds of rotting fish on the side of a North Carolina highway. Source: Penderlea Fire Department

Well, we can add washing fish off of the interstate to the long list of interesting things firefighters get to experience! the fire department wrote on Facebook Sunday.

Hurricane Florence caused massive flooding in our area and allowed the fish to travel far from their natural habitat, stranding them on the interstate when waters receded, the fire department added.

Thousands of coastal residents remained on edge on Sunday, told they may need to leave their homes because rivers are still rising more than a week after Hurricane Florence slammed into the Carolinas.

Firefighters blasted the dead fish to the highway shoulder with a fire hose in Penderlea County after Hurricane Florence. Source: Penderlea Fire Department

At least 40 people have died as a result of the storm, with most of those in North Carolina.

About 5000 people across the state have been rescued by boat or helicopter since the storm made landfall, twice as many as in Hurricane Matthew two years ago, according to state officials. Thousands of people remained in shelters.

Rivers and waterways in North and South Carolina were expected to peak on Sunday and remain at dangerous flood levels for days, the US National Weather Service warned more than a week after the arrival of Hurricane Florence, which has killed at least 40 people.

Much of the region remained under heavy flooding, including one area 64km north-northwest of Wilmington where waters were still 1.5 metres above flood status, according to the National Weather Service.

Story continues

Receding swells left piles of the fish stranded on a highway after Hurricane Florence. Source: Penderlea Fire Department

This isnt over. Large sections of rivers near the coast wont start cresting until at least early in the week, maybe later, said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the NWSs Weather Prediction Center

All that water is going to take a good while to recede, he said. Damage can still be done. Itll be a slow drop.

The storm dumped 75cm to 1 metre of rain on the Wilmington area, temporarily cutting off the historic coastal city that lies along the Cape Fear River.

While some areas of the state will experience major flooding through at least Tuesday, waters have receded elsewhere.

with ReutersThe European Union referred Poland to its top court on Monday for an alleged breach of the independence of its supreme court, the latest showdown between Brussels and populist member state governments. Brussels took action amid fears Poland and other EU countries with populist and authoritarian tendencies are undermining the union's founding democratic and rule of law values. The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, said it will take Poland's right-wing government to the European Court of Justice for lowering the age at which Supreme Court judges must retire from 70 to 65. This would hasten the departure of judges appointed under previous governments, allowing the appointment of figures seen as loyal by Warsaw's current leadership. The Commission said it "decided to refer Poland to the Court of Justice of the EU due to the violations of the principle of judicial independence created by the new Polish law on the Supreme Court." The Luxembourg-based court could impose fines if it finds Poland in breach of EU law. In Warsaw, Polish government spokesperson Joanna Kopcinska said: "Poland is ready to defend its legal arguments before the court." The Polish government insists the reforms are needed to tackle corruption and overhaul a judicial system still haunted by the communist era. Krzysztof Raczka, a supreme court justice, welcomed the decision in Brussels. "I am profoundly convinced and hope that it is the moment marking the start of a return to the state of things worthy of a democratic country in the early 21st century," the judge told journalists. "I would like Poland to remain so." - 'Risk of serious damage' - Warning that Warsaw is accelerating retirements, the Commission said it had asked the ECJ to give a final judgement "as soon as possible." The Commission said Warsaw's implementation of the new laws creates "a risk of serious and irreparable damage to judicial independence in Poland." Consequently, the move also undermines "the EU legal order", including member states' mutual recognition of court decisions. Already in July, the ECJ authorised EU countries to refuse arrest warrants from Poland if they doubt defendants will get a fair trial there. The Commission also asked the ECJ, pending a final ruling, to take "interim measures" such as restoring the Supreme Court to its situation before April 3. The Commission has previously urged the Polish authorities to address its concerns about the April 3 law or risk being taken to the top EU court. "The response of the Polish authorities on both occasions has failed to alleviate the Commission's legal concerns," it said. The commission said the Polish supreme court law "undermines the principle of judicial independence, including the removability of judges." - 'A purge' - The new retirement age requires more than a third of current Supreme Court judges to step down, including chief justice Malgorzata Gersdorf. Calling the law a "purge," Gersdorf has refused to step down, citing a constitutional guarantee that she serve a six-year term until 2020. The law more broadly violates Poland's obligations under the EU treaty, which it signed onto when it joined the bloc in 2004, the commission said. The EU first sounded the alarm over Polish judicial reforms shortly after the right-wing Law and Justice Party, PiS, won elections in 2015. Brussels has since engaged in more than two years of talks, but Warsaw has largely ignored its warnings that the changes would affect democratic checks and balances. In December, the Commission triggered unprecedented proceedings against Poland under Article 7 of the EU treaty, citing "systemic threats" to the rule of law. This could eventually see Warsaw's EU voting rights suspended, but Warsaw's neighbour Hungary, led by right-wing populist Viktor Orban, has vowed to veto any such penalty. The European Parliament took similar action against Hungary earlier this month, accusing it of targeting freedom of the press and judicial independence as well as the rights of minorities. People demonstrate in support of Poland's Supreme Court judges in Warsaw in July 2018The European Union announced Monday it will take Poland to the bloc's top court to stop alleged breaches of the independence of the country's supreme court. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said Poland's decision to lower the age at which Supreme Court judges must retire from 70 to 65 would undermine judicial independence and breach Poland's obligations under EU law. "The European Commission decided to refer Poland to the Court of Justice of the EU due to the violations of the principle of judicial independence created by the new Polish law on the Supreme Court," the commission said. The Commission statement said it has asked the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice to take "interim measures" pending a ruling in the case. "The European Commission maintains that the Polish law on the Supreme Court is incompatible with EU law as it undermines the principle of judicial independence," it added. It said the action violates Poland's obligations under the EU treaty, which it signed onto when it joined the European Union. The commission has for more than two years been in talks with Warsaw about a number of judicial reforms that the EU says threaten the rule of law in Poland. But it has called for swift action on the Supreme Court issue. The new retirement age, introduced by Poland's Law and Justice (PiS) government, cames into force in July and would require more than a third of current Supreme Court judges to step down. The PiS government insists the changes are needed to tackle corruption and overhaul a judicial system still haunted by the communist era. The EU and the Warsaw government's Polish critics argue these measure undermine the division of powers and therefore threaten democracy and the rule of law. In December, Brussels triggered unprecedented proceedings against Poland under Article 7 of the EU treaty over "systemic threats" to the rule of law, which could eventually see Warsaw's EU voting rights suspended. People demonstrate in support of Poland's Supreme Court judges in Warsaw in July 2018France's foreign minister said an African Union-led plan was the only viable way to end fighting among rival factions in the Central African Republic, pushing back Monday against an alternative peace process steered by Russia. "There is no alternative that is either desirable or is likely to succeed," Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters at the United Nations. His comments came after Russia and Sudan co-hosted talks in Khartoum late last month among some of the Central African Republic's rival militias in a sign of Moscow's growing involvement in the country. The militias have been battling one another ever since the 2013 overthrow of longtime leader Francois Bozize, a Christian, by majority-Muslim militias in a coalition called the Seleka. France, the former colonial power, intervened to oust the Seleka and the UN deployed a peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, in 2014. But President Faustin-Archange Touadera, elected in 2016, controls only a fraction of the country. Most of the territory is overrun by armed groups, many of which claim to protect Christian or Muslim communities, and which often fight bloodily over resources. Violence has led to thousands of deaths, while according to the UN, nearly 700,000 people have been internally displaced, 570,000 are refugees abroad and 2.5 million are in need of humanitarian aid. The AU, supported by the UN and the CAR's main partners, has been striving to set up negotiations among the militias and the government since July 2017 but progress has been scant. Le Drian, however, said the AU initiative remained the best chance for peace. "The African Union's initiative is the only credible framework which has the backing of the entire international community for a lasting end to this crisis", Le Drian told reporters. "This is an initiative that would secure the disarmament of armed groups and the restoration of governmental authority over the entire country," he added, underlining that the security situation "remains worrying." A high-level ministerial meeting is expected to be held on Thursday on the margins of the UN General Assembly to discuss the situation in the CAR. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres (R) greets Faustin Archange Touadera, President, Central African Republic at the United Nations in New York on September 23, 2018Two activists fighting corruption in Guatemala won the 2018 Rights Livelihood Prize on Monday, the jury for the Swedish human rights prize announced. Thelma Aldana of Guatemala and Ivan Velasquez of Colombia were honoured for their "innovative work in exposing abuse of power and prosecuting corruption, thus rebuilding people's trust in public institutions," the jury said in a statement. Aldana, 62, is a former president of Guatemala's Supreme Court and served as attorney general until May, when she stepped down. Velasquez, 63, is currently the head of the UN's International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). "This prize comes at a particularly dramatic moment in the fight against impunity and corruption. It is very important because it will turn the eyes of the world to Guatemala, and hopefully also provide international solidarity with those who are committed to the transformation of the country," Velasquez said in the statement. On September 20, thousands of students and activists demonstrated in Guatemala's capital calling for the resignation of President Jimmy Morales, whom the CICIG alleges failed to report nearly one million dollars in financing to electoral authorities during his 2015 presidential campaign. The UN mission has asked for Morales' presidential impunity to be lifted so it can investigate the matter. In late August, Morales said he would not ask the United Nations to renew the CICIG's mandate beyond September 2019. Four days later, Morales banned Velasquez from entering the country. The two laureates have collaborated together and been responsible for several high-profile and sensitive criminal investigations, most notably the "La Linea" corruption case which led to 60 prosecutions, including the arrest of then-president Otto Perez Molina, who was forced out in 2015 after three years in power. - 'Alternative Nobel prize' The Swedish jury also awarded three other cash awards of one million kronor (97,000 euros, $114,000) each. The first went to jailed Saudi human rights defenders Abdullah al-Hamid, Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani and Waleed Abu al-Khair, while the second went to farmer Yacouba Sawadogo of Burkina Faso for "turning barren land into forest" and making it possible for farmers to regenerate their soil. The third prize went to Australian agronomist Tony Rinaudo for "demonstrating on a large scale how drylands can be greened at minimal cost". Swedish-German philatelist Jakob von Uexkull founded the donor-funded prize in 1980 after the Nobel Foundation behind the Nobel Prizes refused to create awards honouring efforts in the fields of the environment and international development. They were introduced "to honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today," according to the Right Livelihood Award Foundation, which often calls its distinction the "alternative Nobel prize". Thelma Aldana and Ivan Velasquez have won the 2018 Rights Livelihood Prize for fighting corruption in GuatemalaA woman elbowed a man in the face to escape his grasp after he sexually assaulted her at a Melbourne music festival, police say.

Sexual Crimes Squad detectives are hunting for a man who they say grabbed the woman and sexually assaulted her in the mosh pit of Saturdays Listen Out outdoor dance party at St Kilda.

A facial composite of a man police believe may be able to assist with their enquiries, after a woman was sexually assaulted at St Kilda music festival Listen Out. Source: Victoria Police

Investigators have been told the victim and her friends were at the main stage of the event, which attracted about 18,000 people, about 8pm when an unknown male approached the woman in the mosh pit and began dancing behind her.

The woman tried to move away but the stranger grabbed her by the waist and pulled her towards him.

When she tried to get away he grabbed her around the neck, placed his hand inside her clothing and sexually assaulted her, police said.

The woman was in the mosh pit of the event that attracted about 18,000 people, when she was sexually assaulted. Source: Facebook/ Listen Out (File pic)

The victim managed to elbow the attacker in the face to free herself, before she found her friends and called police.

Investigators have released a facial composite picture of a man they believe may be able to assist with their enquiries, described as being Caucasian with ginger coloured hair.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the online reporting page.A Russia-Turkey deal may have stopped a regime assault on Syria's Idlib for now, but analysts are sceptical that rebel backer Ankara can impose it on the jihadists who dominate the area. Under the agreement announced Monday, a demilitarised zone is to be set up aroundIdlib, one of the country's last major jihadist and rebel bastions on the border with Turkey. For now, that averts a Russia-backed military offensive on the region, currently hosting some three million people, which many had feared would spark a humanitarian catastrophe. But the deal hands Turkey the near-impossible mission of ensuring that battle-hardened jihadists and heavy weaponry are removed from the u-shaped zone in just a few weeks. "I don't see how Turkey will be able to impose its will on jihadists," Syria expert Fabrice Balanche said. "Implementing the deal will be very difficult," he warned, adding that it would likely result in "a failure of the ceasefire and a Syrian army offensive in the coming months". Under the agreement, "radical" groups -- seen as meaning the jihadist-led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance and fellow hardliners -- must pull out of the planned buffer zone by October 15. All fighters in the area, including some pro-Ankara rebels, have until October 10 to hand over their heavy weapons. Almost 70 percent of the planned zone is controlled by either HTS, which is dominated by Syria's former Al-Qaeda branch, or other jihadists, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Britain-based Observatory says some factions in the buffer area have actually begun reinforcing their positions instead of withdrawing from them. An AFP correspondent in Idlib said there had been no sign so far of hardliners or heavy weapons being pulled out. - 'Weak position' - On Saturday, Hurras al-Deen, a smaller Al-Qaeda-linked group in the planned buffer area, rejected the agreement. HTS has not officially responded to the deal, but its propaganda channel Ebaa cast doubts on Turkey's intentions. The group has spent months cracking down on anyone willing to negotiate with the regime, and its chief Abu Mohammad al-Jolani has previously warned rebel weapons were a "red line". "If (HTS) abandoned its defence lines, it would find itself in an extremely weak position as no one would protect it in the case of a Syrian army offensive," Balanche said. He said he expected Turkey would even have trouble convincing its own proxies in the town of Qalaat al-Madiq and the region of Sahl al-Ghab to relinquish their heavy arms. Pro-Ankara rebels tentatively accepted the deal in a statement on Saturday, but said they remained wary of "betrayal by the Russians, the regime or the Iranians". Persuading jihadists to leave the buffer area is just one step towards ousting them from the larger region partly encircled by the zone. HTS controls more than half of that territory too, while rival Turkey-allied rebels hold sway over most of the rest. Hurras al-Deen and the Turkestan Islamic Party, a Uighur jihadist group close to HTS, also have a small presence. Analyst Aron Lund said Turkey faced the unenviable task of "dismantling, destroying, or displacing some of Idlib's most powerful extremist factions in the coming weeks". "I suspect Ankara will use every instrument in its toolbox to persuade HTS to dissolve, split, rebrand, or just move out of the way -- whatever works," he said. Turkey might, for example, attempt to influence some HTS elements, or allies like the Uighur jihadists, said Lund, a fellow with The Century Foundation. - 'Carrot and stick?' - Turkey may be partly successful. "With the right mix of carrot and stick, it's likely they could peel away sympathetic factions to weaken the hard core that remains," said Lund. Then, Ankara may try to remove some of the more irreconcilable extremists from Syria. "But it's unclear where they'll drop them next -- no one wants these guys in their own country," he told AFP. More than 360,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since Syria's war started in 2011 with the brutal repression of protests against President Bashar al-Assad. With Monday's deal, Turkey -- which already hosts three million Syrian refugees -- has averted more violence on its doorstep and a further influx of people across its border. "Despite this success, Turkey is still in a predicament," said Nicholas Heras, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security. "The Russians want the Turks to provide unmistakable proof of Turkey's successful completion of this task in a month," he said. In a province already riven with infighting, Turkey must now decide whether it should push its proxies to battle the dominant jihadist force in the region. "Turkey is the sheriff of Idlib now," Heras said. Turkey has the near-impossible mission of ensuring that jihadists and heavy weaponry are removed from the demilitarised zone set up around Idlib Almost 70 percent of the planned demilitarised zone is controlled by jihadists Persuading jihadists to leave the buffer area is just one step towards ousting them from the larger region partly encircled by the zoneIranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday pointed blame at Arab separatists for a deadly attack on a military parade and accused an unnamed US-backed Gulf state of supporting them. Tehran also summoned diplomats from Denmark, the Netherlands and Britain for allegedly hosting members of the group suspected of links to Saturday's attack that killed 24 people, according to a revised death toll. Four militants attacked a parade commemorating the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, capital of the border province of Khuzestan. Officials and an eyewitness said the gunmen were clad in Iranian military uniforms and had sprayed the crowd with gunfire using weapons they had stashed in a nearby park. The Islamic State (IS) jihadist group claimed responsibility for the rare assault. But Iranian authorities blamed "the Al-Ahwaziya movement" -- pointing the finger at the Arab separatist movement in Khuzestan which includes various groups. "One of the countries in the south of the Persian Gulf took care of their financial, weaponry and political needs," said Rouhani. "All these little mercenary countries we see in this region are backed by America. It is the Americans who incite them." - US hits back - The United States condemned the attack, with its UN envoy saying it had happened because Rouhani has "oppressed his people for a long time". "He needs to look at his own base to figure out where that's coming from. I think the Iranian people have had enough," said Nikki Haley. London-based opposition channel Iran International TV on Saturday broadcast a claim of responsibility for the attack from a movement called the "Ahvaz National Resistance". Another group, the Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front, denied any involvement in a statement on its website, accusing Iranian authorities of ordering the attack to distract from Tehran's support for "militias in the region". Iran summoned diplomats from Denmark, the Netherlands and Britain to complain about them "hosting some members of the terrorist group" responsible and "double standards in fighting terrorism," the foreign ministry said. The British charge d'affaires "was told that it is not acceptable that the spokesman for the mercenary Al-Ahwazi group be allowed to claim responsiblity for this terrorist act through a London-based TV network," said ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi. Britain said its diplomat had extended the country's condolences to Tehran and that Iranian officials were planning to lodge a formal complaint with the United Kingdom's media watchdog, Ofcom. Ghasemi also said Iran expected the Danish and Dutch governments to "hand over the perpetrators of this attack and anyone related to them to Iran for a fair trial". Denmark said there would be consequences if any such links were established, while the Netherlands said it had heard the Iranian version of events and offered its condolences. - Diplomatic row - Iran also warned the United Arab Emirates over "offensive remarks" attributed to a UAE "political adviser" following the attack. Oman, Kuwait and Qatar issued condemnations of the attack, while Saudi Arabia and Bahrain had yet to react on Sunday. The UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, for his part, stressed his country's rejection of acts of terrorism and accused Tehran of a campaign of "official incitement" against the Emirates. State media initially gave a toll of 29 dead and 57 wounded in the attack, including women and children, but Ahvaz city governor Jamal Alami Neysi said Sunday this was a mistake and put the numbers at 24 dead and 60 wounded. Their funerals will be held on Monday. Three attackers were also killed and the fourth died later of his injuries, the armed forces said. IS had claimed the attack via its propaganda mouthpiece Amaq saying it was in response to Iranian involvement in conflicts across the region. The Revolutionary Guards accused Shiite-dominated Iran's Sunni arch-rival Saudi Arabia of funding the attackers, while Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also blamed Iran's pro-US rivals. "A deadly and unforgettable revenge will be exacted... in the near future," it said. Khuzestan, which has a large ethnic Sunni Arab community, was a major battleground of the 1980s war with Iraq and it saw unrest in 2005 and 2011, but has since been largely quiet. Kurdish rebels frequently attack military patrols on the border further north, but attacks on government targets in major cities are rare. On June 7, 2017 in Tehran, 17 people were killed and dozens wounded in simultaneous attacks on the parliament and on the tomb of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini -- the first inside Iran claimed by IS. Soldiers and a Muslim cleric take cover during an attack on a military parade in the Iranian city of Ahvaz on September 22, 2018 Map of Iran locating AhvazThe Italian government on Monday adopted a heavily-criticised security decree which will make it easier to expel migrants and strip them of Italian citizenship. The new bill is "a step forward to make Italy safer," far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Facebook. It will help Italy "be stronger in the fight against the mafia and (people) smugglers, reduce the costs of excessive immigration, expel delinquents and fake refugees, strip terrorists of citizenship, (and) give the police greater powers," Salvini said. President Sergio Mattarella has 60 days to sign the legislation and then it goes to Parliament for approval. Presenting the decree to journalists alongside Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Salvini said the decree streamlines the rules for processing asylum requests and brings Italy into line with other EU countries. Humanitarian protection -- a lower level of asylum status that is based on Italian rather than international law -- that was awarded to 25 percent of asylum seekers last year would henceforth be awarded based on six strict criteria. These include whether there is an urgent medical need or if the applicant was the victim of a natural disaster, or if they had carried out "heroic acts" in Italy. Of the 81,500 decisions handed down by Italian authorities in 2017, eight percent were granted asylum, eight percent subsidiary protection and a quarter humanitarian protection. The remainder were rejected. If appeals fail, they face the prospect of being classed as economic migrants who must return home. Those seeking refugee status will now have their requests suspended if they are considered "socially dangerous or convicted in the first instance" of crimes, while their appeals are ongoing. They will also in future be housed in bigger reception centres, while only minors and those with recognised refugee status will be housed in different parts of the country in order to facilitate integration. There are currently around 155,000 migrants held in reception centres, down from 183,000 at the end of 2017. The Italian mayors' association has railed against the change as having hundreds of unemployed migrants in reception centres can have a negative impact on small communities. - 'Bad sign' - The new law also lets local police have Taser stun guns and makes it easier to evict squatters by getting rid of the obligation of finding provisional housing for the most vulnerable. The controversial bill has been heavily criticised in recent weeks, including by members of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) which governs in coalition with Salvini's far-right League. One of the most controversial measures in the bill provides for stripping immigrants of their Italian nationality if they are convicted of "terrorism". Italian media reported that President Mattarella obtained amendments to the draft after threatening not to sign it, an obligatory step on the bill's way to parliament. The cabinet passed the decree unanimously but fellow deputy prime minister and M5S head Luigi di Maio warned that "there are points (in the bill) that are not in the government programme and so will be discussed in parliament." The head of Italy's bishops' conference Nunzio Galantino has lamented the fact that security and the treatment of migrants are dealt with in the same bill. "This means that the immigrant is already judged because of his condition and that he's already considered a public menace, whatever his behaviour. This is a bad sign," Galantino said. Salvini, who is also deputy prime minister, has taken a hardline on immigration since the coalition came to power in June, refusing to allow several ships carrying migrants and asylum seekers rescued in the Mediterranean to dock at Italian ports. Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini says a new bill will "reduce the costs of excessive immigration, expel delinquents and fake refugees, strip terrorists of citizenship (and) give the police greater powers"Russia's top opposition leader Alexei Navalny was sentenced to 20 days in jail for organising an opposition protest in a new court ruling Monday, the day he was freed after spending a month behind bars, his spokeswoman said. "Twenty days," Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on Twitter after a Moscow district court issued the ruling late Monday. The 42-year-old anti-corruption campaigner will now have spent a total of 50 days in prison for organising two opposition protests. He was detained early Monday immediately upon his release from jail after serving a 30-day sentence for organising an opposition rally in January. He spent some eight hours in a holding cell ahead of the trial. The new ruling is related to Navalny's call on Russians to take to the streets on September 9. Navalny timed those protests to coincide with a nationwide election when Russians voted to elect a Moscow mayor and regional governors, among others. Navalny was jailed ahead of the September 9 protests when thousands rallied across Russia and more than a thousand people were detained, according to an independent monitor. His allies fear that the two consecutive administrative cases mean the authorities may be getting ready to open a criminal probe against Putin's top foe. In that case he could face a lengthy prison term. Ahead of the ruling, Amnesty International urged the Russian authorities to release the opposition politician. "He is a prisoner of conscience that has not committed any crime," Natalia Zviagina, director of Amnesty International in Russia, said in a statement. Amnesty International calls Navalny a prisoner of conscienceRussia's ruling party suffered two rare defeats in regional elections this weekend as its candidates lost to populists amid widespread discontent over a pension reform backed by President Vladimir Putin. A second round of governorship elections was held in two key regions on Sunday, after support for the pro-Kremlin United Russia part saw its strongest decline in a decade during election day on September 9. Vladimir Sipyagin, of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), won 57 percent of the vote in the Vladimir region located 190 kilometres (120 miles) northeast of Moscow. He defeated the incumbent United Russia governor Svetlana Orlova, who won 37.5 percent of the vote, results showed on Monday. United Russia also lost to nationalists in the far eastern Khabarovsk region, where LDPR candidate Sergei Furgal won nearly 70 percent of the vote against current governor Vyacheslav Shport. Sunday's runoff votes were held after the United Russia candidates failed to win at least 50 percent of the vote in a first stage on September 9. "There is, of course, an element of surprise," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, referring to the election results. He insisted that the results in the Vladimir and Khabarovsk regions proved the votes were "free, honest and just." This month the Kremlin also suffered election blows in the far eastern region of Primorsky Krai and the southern Siberia region of Khakhasia, where its candidates failed to win in the first round. The next-round runoff in Primorsky Krai was cancelled following protests over vote-rigging in favour of a United Russia candidate backed by Putin. A re-run is expected to be held in three months. Khakasia has yet to hold a runoff vote. - Protest votes - The election blows came after widespread discontent over a Kremlin-backed plan to raise the retirement age, which has triggered street protests and led to a major drop in Putin's approval ratings. Voters across Russia are also angry over rising poverty, partly due to Western sanctions. In a rare show of unity, Russia's liberal and parliamentary opposition have opposed the government's pension reform. The LDPR and the the Communist Party are tolerated by the Kremlin and sit in the lower house of parliament. While they support the Kremlin's foreign policy, they occasionally challenge its stance on domestic issues. Putin's top critic Alexei Navalny also organised protests against the reform. On Monday, Navalny was detained on his release from jail after serving a 30-day sentence for an unauthorised protest. Writing on Twitter, his associate Lyubov Sobol wrote that the 42-year-old opposition politician was detained again "because authorities are now weaker than ever." "The overwhelming majority of people are against raising the retirement age and United Russia was defeated in gubernatorial elections in key regions," she wrote. "They are scared, panicking and taking revenge." A recent series of regional elections in Russia has been marked by protests against a pensions reform backed by President Vladimir Putin Demonstrators such as these Communist Party supporters have protested against a Russian pensions reformIn 2014, the Kuwaiti press hailed Gabriel Garcia Marquez as a literary "giant". But since his death, the Colombian writer and a slew of others have been banned as censorship takes root in the Gulf state. More than 4,000 books have been blacklisted by Kuwait's information ministry over the past five years, according to local media reports, including Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Dozens of writers and activists have taken to the streets -- on September 1 and again two weeks later -- to protest ahead of Kuwait's annual book fair in mid-November. Kuwaiti novelist Mays al-Othman is among the blacklisted writers, following the 2015 publication of her novel "The Wart," the story of a woman raped during the 1990-1991 Iraqi occupation of the emirate. "Censoring a book reflects a profound ignorance... and cruelty," Othman told AFP. "And unfortunately it's happening more and more." - Literary 'immorality' - All titles on show at Kuwait's international book fair will be screened in advance by a censorship committee. The committee works under a 2006 law on "press and publications", which outlines a string of punishable offences for publishers of both literature and journalism. On the list: insulting Islam or Kuwait's judiciary, threatening national security, "inciting unrest" and committing "immoral" acts. Mohammed al-Awash, a senior information ministry official, defended the censorship committee, which includes academics not affiliated with the ministry. "Prohibition is an exception. Permission is the rule," Awash told AFP. But activists fear censorship floodgates are opening in a country once known for a relatively free press and that ranks as the only Gulf state with elected legislators. Conservatives and tribal leaders have become dominant in parliament, reflecting the changing mood in society. "The idea of content that could contradict good or moral behaviour is grounds for a ban -- and it's an extremely vague phrase," said Talal al-Ramidhi, secretary general of the Kuwaiti Writers' Union. - 'Drugs in my house' - Kuwait was a publishing hub in the 1970s and 1980s, home to the high-brow, pan-Arab cultural journal "Al-Arabi" and a string of popular scientific and literary books. While no one has yet been prosecuted for selling banned books, according to Ramidhi, activists are turning to social media to combat what one termed the "ridiculous" increase in the banning of books. "Ignorance is the only reason for censorship," writer Bouthaina al-Issa tweeted this month. "I have drugs in my house," another activist tweeted alongside a picture of a pile of forbidden books. Writer Aquil Yussef Aidan, two of whose books are banned, points to the "influence of religious circles on cultural institutions". "Books are sometimes banned over a single word, a single image, and that only harms Kuwait's image," Aidan said. Kuwaitis gather outside parliament to protest against censorship that has resulted in many books from entering the country A vendor organises books at a bookstore in Kuwait CityHeads of state and government on Monday kicked off "Climate Week," held every year on the margins of the UN General Assembly, by urging world leaders to act urgently to reduce global warming. With Poland hosting the COP 24 climate summit in December, UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa called on nations to unite behind limiting global warming to the less than two degrees Celsius enshrined in the 2015 Paris accord. "Nations are not living up to what they promised," she said, making no mention of the Trump administration's decision in June 2017 to pull out of the Paris agreement. "What nations have currently pledged under Paris will bring the global temperature up about three degrees by 2100," she said. Emergency climate talks in Bangkok earlier this month did not make sufficient progress, she said. "We must therefore work harder than ever between now and Cop 24 to complete this work." Following a recent climate conference in San Francisco, California Governor Jerry Brown, whose state has taken up the lead abandoned by Washington, made a pitch to the private sector. "The problem with climate change is that it's about transforming the whole economy," said Brown. "The key part is technological investment and we need big company investment to get the technology." Hilda Heine, president of the Marshall Islands, which face an existential threat from rising sea levels, officially unveiled a national strategic plan to reach zero emissions by 2050. "If we can do it, so can you," Heine told representatives from dozens of countries. The Marshall Islands was only the 10th country and the first island nation to make the pledge, she said. Climate Week, organized by The Climate Group in partnership with the United Nations and the city of New York, is in its 10th annual edition. Around 150 events are scheduled this year, including a "One Planet Summit" on Wednesday led by billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg and French President Emmanuel Macron, and cultural events, including the Global Citizen Festival with Janet Jackson, The Weeknd and Cardi B. A woman wears a sign on her head at a September 8, 2018 march in San FranciscoAn attack on a protest by opponents of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega left one person dead and at least five others wounded in the capital Managua, police said. The deceased was identified as 16-year-old Max Romero, who died as a result of "crossfire," the police said in a statement on Sunday that attributed his death to the protesters, a version of events denied by the boy's aunt. Months of turmoil in the Central American country have left more than 320 people dead, according to rights groups, but the unrest had declined in recent weeks before resurfacing at Sunday's march, which called for the release of political prisoners. "I was shot and wounded by Daniel Ortega's paramilitaries," a 41-year-old protester who was wounded in the arm and who did not wish to reveal his name told AFP, as he was treated in a church in an eastern neighborhood of the city. Fifteen-year-old Bryan Garcia, who was hit by a bullet, said: "It was the paramilitaries, they wounded me in the neck near the shoulder." Among the wounded was journalist Winston Potosme of the 100% Noticias channel, who was hurt in the arm. The march was convened by relatives of at least 500 protesters imprisoned for participating in anti-government demonstrations, which began on April 18. Protesters took to the streets despite Ortega's threats they would be prosecuted if they demonstrated against him. They were met by riot squads and government supporters from the beginning of the march in southeast Managua. One woman told AFP the marchers, having being harassed, decided to alter their route to avoid a confrontation. But riot police followed them, and an AFP journalist witnessed them form a cordon around the Las Americas neighborhood before shots were heard minutes later. Some locals shouted "Murderers!" from surrounding homes. Many protesters then dispersed, but those who continued were again met by police. An AFP journalist witnessed shots fired from a black truck toward a group of villagers protesting the police's presence -- but nobody was injured. "Nicaragua does not need more repression or deaths. (It needs) urgent democracy, early elections and justice," said Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States, in a statement posted on Twitter in the wake of the protest. The Nicaraguan opposition accuses Ortega, in power since 2007, of establishing a corrupt dictatorship with his wife and vice president Rosario Murillo. Months of turmoil in Nicaragua have left more than 320 people dead, according to rights groupsA pair of young orangutans, baby crocodiles and rare birds were among over 400 animals rescued from a boat off Malaysia as they were being smuggled from neighbouring Indonesia, officials said Monday. Three suspected Indonesian traffickers were arrested after customs officials thwarted the bid to transport the animals to Thailand in an operation Friday off the Malaysian holiday island Langkawi. The unusual cargo included two "frightened-looking" orangutans and dozens of baby saltwater crocodiles, Malaysian wildlife official Mohamad Zaki Rahim told AFP. There were also about 350 sugar gliders -- a type of small marsupial -- cockatoos, parrots and parakeets found in boxes on board, he said, adding the smugglers intended to sell all the animals as pets. The smugglers were seeking to transport the animals under cover of darkness in a cargo vessel from the vast, jungle-clad Indonesian island of Sumatra, through the Malacca Strait to Thailand, customs chief T. Subromaniam told the Star newspaper. But Malaysian customs officers received information about the boat and intercepted it, Subromaniam said. The arrested Indonesians, who were on the vessel when it was stopped, are expected to be charged in court for breaking wildlife laws and could face up to 10 years in jail, Mohamad Zaki said. Elizabeth John, spokeswoman for wildlife trade watchdog Traffic, said that the number and variety of animals seized showed "how tremendous the pressure is on wildlife due to demand for pets". Authorities in Malaysia, a tropical Southeast Asian country that is home to many rare species, regularly thwart smuggling attempts, but finding 400 animals at the same time is unusual. In June 2017, Thai authorities nabbed a Malaysian trying to smuggle two juvenile orangutans and some 60 other animals in a taxi through the country's southern border. jsm/sr/rox Orangutans and baby crocodiles were among 400 animals seized by customs officials from a boat off MalaysiaUS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday he was hopeful Turkey would release this month an American pastor whose detention has rocked relations between the NATO partners. "Yes, he could be released this month. He should have been released last month -- and he should be released today, in fact," the top US diplomat told reporters in New York where he is taking part in the UN General Assembly. Pompeo reiterated that the United States considers Andrew Brunson, who has been detained for nearly two years on terror charges, to be "wrongfully" held. "Pastor Brunson and the other US persons that are being held by Turkey all need to be released by Turkey and that needs to be done immediately," Pompeo said. Relations between the United States and Turkey have been shaken and the Turkish lira has taken a beating over Brunson. President Donald Trump said he has doubled tariffs on Turkish aluminum and steel over Brunson's detention, with Ankara responding in kind. Brunson, who has lived in Turkey for a quarter-century, belongs to an evangelical Protestant church and has become a cause celebre for conservative US Christians, a core base for Trump. Turkey detained him on allegations of assisting groups branded as terrorist as part of a sweeping crackdown by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following a failed coup against him. Erdogan had suggested making a deal for Brunson's release, such as trading him for Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Turkish pastor whom the Turkish leader accuses of backing the coup. US pastor Andrew Brunson, seen here escorted by Turkish plainclothes police officers as he arrives at his house in Izmir, Turkey, was moved from prison to house arrest on July 25, 2018Prime Minister Scott Morrison is weighing up the idea of a new national day for Indigenous Australians (separate from Australia Day) to honour and acknowledge their history.

Its hoped the move will defuse the Australia Day debate, which has flared up again after a Byron Bay council announced it will move our national day celebrations forward to January 25 next year, in order to acknowledge that January 26 marks the day the cultural decimation and denigration of the First Australians began.

On Sunday Mr Morrison tweeted in response to an article in the Daily Telegraph, saying indulgent self-loathing doesnt make Australia stronger.

Indulgent self-loathing doesnt make Australia stronger. Being honest about the past does. Our modern Aus nation began on January 26, 1788. Thats the day to reflect on what weve accomplished, become, still to achieve. We can do this sensitively, respectfully, proudly, together. https://t.co/uM59Lwrr1p  Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) September 23, 2018

Watch the full story above.Mainly Protestant Latvia on Monday welcomed Pope Francis on a visit many hope will put the small Baltic country on the map and bring its people closer together. "I'm happy he's here. I recognise him even though I'm Lutheran," lawyer Ketija Strazda told AFP. "He's the head of a major religion... He'll make my country known abroad." The Latvian government declared Monday a public holiday so that as many people as possible could welcome the pontiff. A couple of hundred turned out to greet him at the freedom monument in downtown Riga, a huge statue of a woman with arms raised towards the sky, on a cold rainy morning. Many were grateful to the pope for visiting this year, when the three Baltic countries celebrate 100 years of a sometimes precarious independence. Occupied by Nazi Germany, then by the Soviets for nearly half a century, Latvia is now tied to the west as an EU and NATO member. But it is still in the process of building a national identity, wary of its huge Russian neighbour and sometimes at odds with its own population of Russian-speakers. - Faith unites - Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis told Francis that "faith brings countries together beyond their national differences." Protestants make up 25 percent of the Latvian population, followed by Catholics at 21 percent and Orthodox 11 percent. Early Monday, Francis met Christian leaders -- Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian -- at Riga's Lutheran cathedral. The immense red-brick building is the largest medieval cathedral in the Baltic states and houses one of the world's largest organs. Shuttered by Soviet authorities in 1959, the cathedral became a concert hall before the Lutherans got it back in 1989. Francis lauded what he said was a country marked by "friendship between the different Christian churches, which have succeeded in building unity while preserving the unique and rich identity of each." For some, this tolerance also extends to Latvians' ties to Russians. "We have no problems with Russians on a personal level. I have Russian neighbours. We get along great," Strazda said. Yet new legislation to impose Latvian as the main teaching language in minority schools has created tension among some of the country's ethnic Russians. There have been several protests over the change, mostly called by politicians from Latvia's Russian Union party, ahead of a general election in October. The country of 1.9 million people is also struggling with an exodus of young people moving abroad. Francis on Monday encouraged Latvians to "generate employment opportunities, so that no one will need to be uprooted in order to build a future." Tabita and Helga, two young Catholic volunteers, were handing out little flags in the Vatican colours. "Thanks to the pope's visit, perhaps more people will find the way to God," Tabita said. Before arriving in Latvia, Francis spent the weekend in Lithuania -- the only Catholic-majority country of the three Baltic states. He was due to end his tour in Estonia on Tuesday. Latvian worshippers greeted Pope Francis at the Shrine of the Mother of God in Aglona Pope Francis said Latvia had built unity between the different Christian churches Pope Francis was welcomed by Latvia's President Raimonds Vejonis (second left) and children at the airport in RigaSwedish authorities said Monday they had temporarily halted the deportation of Muslim minority Uighurs to China due to concerns over the situation there. "Information from several human rights organisations indicates that the situation for Uighurs has deteriorated" in the western region of Xinjiang, the Swedish Migration Agency said in a statement obtained by AFP. The decision also concerns "other minority groups from Xinjiang who have received expulsion orders," a spokeswoman for the agency told AFP. The authorities did not give any details of how many people might be affected by the decision but in early September, the Swedish Migration Agency announced it had suspended the deportation of a Uighur family to China after their asylum request was rejected. Xinjiang is home to around 22 million inhabitants, of whom almost half are Uighurs of Turkish origin. Many of them say they are discriminated against by China's Han majority. Human rights organisations around the world have accused China of detaining massive numbers of people in re-education camps for political and cultural indoctrination. Amnesty International said in a report Monday that Beijing had rolled out "an intensifying government campaign of mass internment, intrusive surveillance, political indoctrination and forced cultural assimilation". Beijing has rejected UN estimates that more than a million members of Muslim minorities are being held in internment camps. China says its restrictions on Muslim minorities, including ubiquitous police checkpoints and video surveillance, are intended to combat what it calls Islamic extremism and separatist elements in the far western province. In early September, the Swedish Migration Agency announced it had suspended the deportation of a Uighur family to China after their asylum request was rejectedA group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression.Sweden's centre-right parties on Monday saw their candidate elected speaker of parliament on Monday, apparently thanks to the support of the far-right, after the country's September 9 legislative elections left neither bloc with a majority. The election of the speaker came a day before another crucial vote in parliament, the Riksdag, when Social Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Lofven is expected to lose a confidence motion. Lofven is expected to carry on as caretaker prime minister until a new head of government is in place, a process that could take several weeks given Sweden's splintered political landscape. The election of the speaker is important as he designates the party leader seen as most capable of forming the next government. Andreas Norlen of the conservative Moderates Party was elected speaker with 203 of 349 votes, defeating the Social Democratic candidate. The vote was anonymous but the far-right anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, who hold 62 seats in the new parliament, had indicated they would support the Moderates candidate -- clearly hoping to get something in exchange. "If the Sweden Democrats want to keep their election promises, they're going to demand influence sooner or later," Dagens Nyheter daily wrote on Monday. The centre-left bloc -- comprising the Social Democrats and the Greens, who have ruled together with the informal support of the Left Party since 2014 -- hold 144 seats in the new parliament, just one more than the opposition centre-right Alliance, made up of four parties. Neither bloc holds an absolute majority and it remains unclear what the country's next government could look like. After the expected ouster of Lofven, the speaker is likely to task Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson with forming a new government. But in order to pass legislation through parliament, some MPs on the right wing would like the Alliance to cooperate with the Sweden Democrats, now the country's third-biggest party. For two of the four Alliance parties --the Centre and Liberals -- that option is unacceptable. They have said they would quit the Alliance if the Moderates and Christian Democrats were to negotiate a deal -- for example on immigration -- with the far-right in exchange for their support. Another alternative would be for the Alliance to reach a compromise with the Social Democrats on big political issues, such as the autumn budget. "If an Alliance government is to take power in this current situation, cross-bloc support is needed... for economic policies as well as reforms," Centre Party leader Annie Loof said Monday. Andreas Norlen, of the Moderates Party, addresses media after he was elected Sweden's new Speaker of the Parliament on September 24, 2018 in Stockholm, SwedenThousands of people gathered Monday morning in the south-western Iranian city of Ahvaz for the funeral of those killed during an attack on a military parade. AFP reporters saw members of the public and the military carrying coffins draped in the Iranian flag, some bearing pictures of the deceased. Four militants attacked a Saturday parade marking the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, spraying the crowd with gunfire and killing 24 people. State TV reported that 12 of the 24 dead would be buried in Ahvaz, about 560 kilometres (350 miles) south of Tehran, while the others will be buried in their home towns. Mourners carried pictures of the dead along with banners reading "we will stand to the end" and "no to terrorism". Some waved the flags of Arab tribes from the region as sign of solidarity with the victims. The ceremony in front of the Sarallah Mosque was attended by thousands of people including soldiers, clerics and officials. Speakers included the wartime commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Lieutenant General Mohsen Rezai, deputy IRGC chief Brigadier General Hossein Salami and Intelligence Minister Mahmood Alavi. Iranian authorities have blamed an Arab separatist group and accused the United States, Israel and Gulf Arab monarchies of backing Saturday's "terrorist" attack. The Islamic State group also claimed responsibility. Wounded Iranian soldiers lie on the ground at the scene of an attack on a military parade on September 22, 2018Italian fashion giant Versace is about to be sold, the country's biggest-selling newspaper said Monday, citing anonymous sources who suggested the deal could come in the next few hours. Donatella Versace, the brand's artistic director and vice-president of the group, has called a staff meeting in Milan for Tuesday, according to the Corriere della Sera newspaper. Celebrity shoemaker Jimmy Choo, luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co and US fashion group Michael Kors Holdings were listed as possible buyers. The company in its entirety is estimated to be worth some $2.0 billion (1.7 billion euros), the report said. Versace could not immediately confirm the news to AFP. Twenty percent of the brand, known for its Medusa head logo, was bought by US private equity group Blackstone in 2014, and the family owns the rest. The group, founded by designer Gianni Versace in 1978, boasted sales of 686 million euros in 2016 and turnover is expected to exceed one billion euros in the "short term", CEO Jonathan Akeroyd said in June. Italian fashion giant Versace is about to be sold, according to a report in the country's biggest-selling newspaperThe UN World Food Programme on Monday took its campaign to fight world hunger to a global cinema audience with an innovative, interactive advertisement. Billed as a world first, the advertisement that will appear in cinemas in more than 30 countries will feature an on-screen code that movie-goers can scan with their smartphones to interact on Facebook Messenger. On Messenger, the user can then interact with the character from the advertisement who shares her story and offers a way to donate meals to hungry children through the UN agency's ShareTheMeal app. In the short clip, a woman appears at a packed news conference said to be about a breakthrough medical advance. When she speaks, she instead reveals that she has died of hunger at age eight -- followed by the UN agency's message on how to help. Unveiling the advertisement on the eve of the annual UN General Assembly, the World Food Programme said it wanted to find a new way to drum up support for tackling hunger, which has been rising in the world through factors that include conflict and drought. Some 821 million people, or one-ninth of the global population, go to bed hungry, according to the World Food Programme. The campaign is being backed by the global cinema advertising association SAWA and will also appear on Facebook and Instagram. "The creative challenge here is to find a way of engaging the audience without resorting to endless images of starving children," said veteran British advertising executive John Hegarty, who conceived of the campaign. The advertisement creates "empathy by reminding the viewer that when a child dies, we all lose," he said in a statement. The ShareTheMeal app, launched two years ago by the World Food Programme and which takes donations in even tiny amounts, has provided for more than 22 million meals in hungry countries including South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, according to the UN agency. Women collecting sacks of maize and sorghum air-dropped from a World Food Programme (WFP) plane in a village in South Sudan in July 2018The Preservation Association of Central New York has announced the winners of its 2018 Preservation Awards, and three Cayuga County sites are among them.

The local winners are the Cayuga County Arts Council, on behalf of the Auburn Schine Theater; the Montezuma Historical Society and the town of Montezuma, on behalf of the Montezuma Heritage Park; and the Howland Stone Store Museum, on behalf of the Opendore project in Sherwood.

The arts council is working with Bowers Development, of Syracuse, to restore the 1938 Schine theater; the council is also in the process of selling the theater to the developer. The 160-acre Montezuma Heritage Park was acquired by the town in the 1960s to be preserved, and the historical society regularly holds programs there. And the Howland Stone Store Museum has been working to restore Opendore, the former home of Isabel Howland, since 2013.

The awards recognize those who work to preserve the area's most distinctive historic resources, including owners, builders, artisans, designers, educators and artists. The region covers Madison, Onondaga, Oswego, Cortland and Cayuga counties.

Other winners are:

 The city of Cortland on behalf of the Cortland Fire Station, Cortland

 Gabriel and Heather Coleman on behalf of 610 Allen St., Syracuse

 Crescent Commons (Housing Visions) and David Yaman on behalf of the Crescent Commons Project, Cortland

 The University Neighborhood Preservation Association, Crawford & Stearns Architects and the Gustav Stickley House Foundation on behalf of the Gustav Stickley House, Syracuse

 The Sutton Real Estate Company on behalf of the Harbor Street Lofts, Syracuse

 Mr. Murray Gould for his faithful and energetic service to PACNY

The awards will be presented at a ceremony at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the Erie Canal Museum, 318 Erie Blvd. E., Syracuse. Tickets are $20 for association members and $25 for nonmembers.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit pacny.net.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0AUBURN  Despite a last-minute attempt to withdraw a guilty plea, a New York City man was sentenced to two to four years in prison Monday in Cayuga County Court for having contraband weapons while incarcerated at the Auburn Correctional Facility.

Brandon Griffith was sentenced to the minimum of two to four years on each of two counts of first-degree promoting prison contraband, with the sentences to run concurrently and with credit for time served.

Griffith, originally incarcerated at the ACF for a third-degree burglary conviction, was sentenced, per a previously agreed upon plea bargain, for two separate incidents just months apart in which he was found in possession of weapons.

Monday's sentence came three years after the original incident, a delay Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann said was a result of Griffith's deceptive stall tactics.

"This defendant manipulated the Court system and delayed proceedings by claiming he was incompetent, not able to understand the proceedings," Budelmann said in a press release. "At one point he claimed he did not know what a judge was or even understand the role of his own attorney."

Budelmann said Griffith had twice convinced the court to cancel trial dates so the defendant could be examined under the custody of the commissioner of mental health, and tried again earlier this year, but was confronted with his own words in recorded telephone calls made from prison.

In those calls, Griffith bragged that he was a "paralegal scholar" who provided advice to other inmates on their charges and was able to cite specific laws, penal codes and precedent case, according to Budelmann. Griffith also talked about how he had to act like he didnt understand things.

"For two and a half years this defendant has played games and delayed and manipulated these proceedings," Budelmann said in court Monday.

The district attorney also described the contraband cases. In the first incident, a corrections officer observed Griffith fiddling with his pants while outside in the prison's yard in September 2015. When the officer approached, Griffith began to run the length of the yard while apparently attempting to remove what officers later found to be a folding knife with a 2.5 inch blade.

Multiple corrections officers eventually caught up to Griffith, who by then had gotten stuck while trying to sneak between a small shack and the prison wall, and began to frisk search him.

One officer noticed the knife dangling on a shoelace from Griffith's fly and found upon inspection that it had been securely tied to his genitalia with a shoe lace.

In a second incident in December 2015, officers found a disposable razor broken so the blade could be safely held hidden inside Griffith's hair while he was held in a special housing unit. Griffith had claimed he'd swallowed the blade in a suicide attempt.

In court Monday, Griffith disputed those events in an attempt to withdraw his guilty plea. Through his defense attorney Rome Canzano, Griffith requested that Judge Mark Fandrich revoke the plea, insisting that it had been made under duress and that he was prevented from calling appropriate witnesses in earlier proceedings.

"He believes there were witnesses that would benefit him relative to his claims this was a setup," Canzano said, referring to Griffith's claim that the weapon had been planted by the corrections officers.

Fandrich denied the motion to withdraw the plea, as well as a request for adjournment so Griffith could deal with matters around the death of his grandmother, his legal guardian.

When given the opportunity to speak before hearing the sentence, Griffith held firm to the claim of a setup, alleging that the corrections officer who first started chasing him had planted it on him, resulting in a beating from the other officers.

"If you have a weapon, whether it's yours or not, you're going to get beat up," Griffith said.

An incident report filed by the corrections officer described Griffith as having only minor abrasions and scratches.

Griffith also disputed Budelmann's claims that he had purposefully drawn out legal proceedings by feigning incompetence and gaming the system. He said the recorded calls were only in reference to helping other inmates with in-prison disciplinary cases, not criminal cases. Additionally, he disputed Budelmann's characterization of his mental health claims as "specious" by noting that he'd been placed on a suicide watch for 120 days and was sent to an outside hospital after an attempt.

"That's not malingering," Griffith said.

Budelmann asked for a longer sentence due to the consumption of resources the repeated delays and rescheduling had cost, and noted Griffith's long history of previous convictions.

"He's demonstrated an inability to play by the rules either inside or outside," Budelmann said.

Griffith had faced seven to 14 years in prison in total based on the maximum for the two charges being served consecutively. The two to four he was given was the minimum allowable as a second felony offender.

Staff writer Ryan Franklin can be reached at (315) 282-2252 or ryan.franklin@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @RyanNYFranklin

Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 6LOS ANGELESFor those outside the adult industry, its important to point out that the executives working in the industry are by and large dedicated supporters of the talented people who consistently turn out the most amazing content for the massive worldwide audience of porn fans. The industry sustains itself in part through a circuit of business-focused tradeshows that include the one Pineapple recently attended in Prague. For those outside the adult industry, its important to point out that the executives working in the industry are by and large dedicated supporters of the talented people who consistently turn out the most amazing content for the massive worldwide audience of porn fans. The industry sustains itself in part through a circuit of business-focused tradeshows that include the one

It was quite a whirlwind of activity, explained Pineapple CEO Leya Tanit. From a full slate of meetings each day with producers, directors and service providers, to the evening award shows and activities throughout the day, I managed to meet with dozens of top quality companies and the amazing people who manage them at every level. Presenting the Pineapple mission is a passion of mine, and I can say that the enthusiasm and receptive remarks we got back in response to what we are doing was extraordinary.

Pineapple Support is a charitable organization launched in April of 2018 to provide performers and producers within the adult industry with free or subsidized therapy and a 24/7 online emotional support service. The organization received UK charity status in September and anticipates 501(c)(3) status being granted in the USA during Q4 of 2018. is a charitable organization launched in April of 2018 to provide performers and producers within the adult industry with free or subsidized therapy and a 24/7 online emotional support service. The organization received UK charity status in September and anticipates 501(c)(3) status being granted in the USA during Q4 of 2018.

The adult industry is already well aware that the mental, physical and social health of sex workers and performers is a vital part of what makes the industry function. Many of the execs we spoke with are former performers or are very close to a number of performers, which gives them an important amount of perspective on the urgent issues facing some of todays top starlets.

As one company owner said to me, 'We dont make cars or widgets like other industries; we are the most intimately human sector and our interest in the heaLth of our performers goes far beyond any financial or commercial limits. We want every consenting adult who participates in our films or watches them from home to know that each actor and actress are cared for to the full extent we can foster on their behalf.'and that sentiment was echoed by nearly everyone I spoke with during the Prague tradeshow," said Ms. Tanit.

Pineapple will continue to remain very active throughout the year at a variety of shows inside and outside the adult industry, providing a presence and a voice for performers who often choose not to attend. Those who would like more information about Pineapple Support's upcoming schedule, to arrange meetings or to suggest issues to be raised by staff during future events, contact the company today.Many people across the UK will be tucking into traditional treat the mooncake today (24 September) to mark the Chinese and Vietnamese mid-autumn festival.

Also eaten in countries including the Philippines and Taiwan to celebrate the occasion, the sweet treats are such a big part of the annual celebration it is sometimes referred to as Mooncake festival.

A typical mooncake is circular, around 4cm thick and 10cm in diameter. It traditionally comprises a whole ducks egg yolk, surrounded by a sweet filling that is usually made from red bean or lotus seed paste, wrapped in a pastry case and imprinted with an intricate design  traditionally the Chinese characters for longevity and harmony.

As part of the mid-autumn festival, mooncakes are offered to family and friends, to show that the giver wishes the recipient a long and happy life.

Available from restaurants and specialist supermarkets in the UK, including Seewoo and Wing Yip, the delicacy is popular among the Chinese and Vietnamese communities in the UK, Seewoos managing director Lucy Mitchell told British Baker.

Generally, mooncakes go on sale around one month ahead of the mid-autumn festival, she explained.

The most popular traditional filling is lotus bean paste and a duck egg yolk, although now flavoured custard fillings are proving very popular.The federal courts have become political , rather apolitical, which is what they were intended to be. Contract law governs the role of a judge when it comes to the interpretation of the Constitution; the document is interpreted according to its plain words, the meaning of those words at the time they were written and agreed upon, and any contemporaneous documents or writings that help explain its meaning and intent.The contemporaneous documents that might be included in a judge's exercise of interpretation include The Federalist Papers (because they were written to explain the Constitution and because they were written, in large part, by James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution and Alexander Hamilton, who also attended the Convention in 1787, they were assurances given to the States on which they relied in their ratifying conventions) and any debates in the Ratifying Conventions (because those "understandings" became part of the "meeting of the minds" on which the States agreed to adopt the Constitution). There is NO role of a federal judge to interpret the Constitution applying modern values or norms or to interpret it through the lens of a political agenda. And so, you are right that Confirmation Hearings have become a political circus. The Democrats want nothing more than to get promises from Kavanaugh that he will use his position as a Supreme Court justice to further their agenda to get rid of President Trump. They seek nothing more than to co-opt a single seat on the bench of the highest court in the land to undo the 2016 election - the legal and constitutional election by the people. The Democrats, in every public hearing, in every instance before a microphone, in every interview, with every national crisis, and with every act of presidential power taken by President Trump, use the occasion to condemn, criticize, mock, and humiliate him... to misconstrue his actions, to accuse him of acting erratically, and to call for his impeachment.They are a bunch of low-lives who hold no moral ground to accuse anyone of being imperfect. How dare they impugn the character of someone like Brett Kavanaugh when they are, collectively, nothing more than a bunch of tax cheats, law-breakers, criminal solicitors, race baitors, hustlers, sexual predators, and constitutional illiterates. Senator Lindsey Graham said it best at the Hearing when he told Democrats (paraphrasing) -If Democrats are going to turn every confirmation of a Republican candidate into a public lynching (a term used by Clarence Thomas in his hearing), then I agree - keep the deplorable circus out of the eyes and ears of the American people. No one needs to be reminded of how low and vile and despicable and unconscionable and dishonest and uncivil our Democratic lawmakers have become. Thanks for addressing this topic. I found the hearings to be absolutely sickening. Now, more than ever, I believe Democrats to be the enemy of our country and nothing more than parasites and a disease (a plague) on our good and honorable nation.Oh, and let's not forget WHY Democrats continue to follow their new playbook - Spread lies and make up allegations of sexual harassment.... Because it works. The politics of PERSONAL DESTRUCTION is something the Democrats have become good at. The politics of spreading lies and instilling fear (including a return to Jim Crow) is something Democrats are good at. Look what it did to Judge Roy Moore. (You don't hear anything any more about his accuser). Look what happened to Mitt Romney in 2012 when he ran for president. During that election, Harry Reid accused Mitt Romney, FALSELY, of not paying his taxes in over 10 years. He knew it wasn't true. After the election, when confronted about his lie and whether he felt remorse for stooping so low, he said no. His response epitomized what the Democratic Party's politics of personal destruction would become: "It worked didn't it? He lost, didn't he?"A Vermont man's attempts to work as a funeral director in North Carolina were thwarted when the N.C. Court of Appeals upheld a decision rejecting his request for a reciprocal license.Craig Franklin Smith is licensed as a funeral director in Vermont, but the N.C. Board of Funeral Service decided this wasn't enough to grant him a license to work in the Tar Heel State. The board has rejected Smith's application for a reciprocal license multiple times. Smith petitioned the court to overturn the board's ruling on technical grounds, but ultimately the court sided with the NCBFS.The board's main reasoning follows statute , which requires the licensing requirements of another state to be "substantially similar" to North Carolina's to be considered reciprocal. NCBFS ruled that Vermont's licensing requirements didn't meet this standard. Smith also didn't submit proof that he passed two examinations required for a non-reciprocal license.Jon Sanders, director of regulatory studies at the John Locke Foundation, said North Carolina's occupational licensing model is needlessly restrictive and worth reconsidering.Sanders said.North Carolina requires graduation from a funeral director program at an approved mortuary science college, 12 months of resident training as a funeral director, passing exams covering such subject matters as psychology or funeral management, and an exam covering laws and regulations of the state. Renewing a funeral director license requires the licensee to complete at least five hours of continuing education of a board-approved course. Vermont requires graduating from a school of funeral service and completing a written examination for the board. Like North Carolina, Vermont requires an applicant to complete 12 months of resident training under direct supervision of a licensed funeral director. Upon renewal, Vermont also requires a licensed funeral director to earn credits from board approved continuing education programs.Sanders said the state should consider following the lead of other states like Nebraska in reforming occupational licensing.A law passed earlier this year requires Cornhusker State legislators to review all occupational licensing laws and relax or eliminate those which don't protect public health and safety.Sanders said.The NCBFS didn't respond to requests for comment by press time.In a new report published on Sunday, a 53-year-old registered Democrat made new allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh from his college days - allegations which come just as doubts continue to grow over allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford.Deborah Ramirez, who studied sociology and psychology at Yale with Kavanaugh, outlined her accusations to The New Yorker after the left-wing publication contacted her, acting on a tip about a possible incident.Ramirez said that she was not politically motivated to come forward but that she "works toward human rights, social justice, and social change."The New Yorker reports.The New Yorker notes that Ramirez's lawyer, Stanley Garnett, isRamirez is now calling for an FBI investigation into Kavanaugh, sayingThe New Yorker adds thatThe left-wing magazine admits that itRamirez claims that the incident happened at a party when she and Kavanaugh were both freshmen at Yale at a suite at Lawrance Hall, where there was a drinking game taking place.Ramirez said she quickly became drunk, adding that she later ended up on the floor in a "foggy" state, and "slurring her words," as a male student was nearby. Ramirez asked The New Yorker to not publish the identity of that male and another male who she claims pointed a "gag plastic penis" at her.Ramirez claims that a third male student, who she identifies as Kavanaugh, exposed himself to her.she claims.She claims that she recalled saying,adding that sheRamirez claims that Kavanaughand that she heard someone in her drunken state yell:These allegations come after doubts have started to grow over recent accusations made by Ford as all four of the people that she claimed were at a party, where she claims she was assaulted, have denied that the party ever happened or say they do not remember the party ever happening.Kavanaugh responded to the allegations in a statement, writing:This is a breaking news story, refresh the page for updates.Cryptocurrency remains one of the most challenging markets in today's financial landscape. Largely unregulated, it's prone to volatile surges and falls but despite this risk, many traders continue to be fascinated by the world of crypto.

For many, it explores previously unheard of territory; a currency that isn't tied to the financial system, while others are wary of its lack of regulation. Whichever side you fall on, there's no denying that it remains of the most exciting areas is today's financial climate.

Here are some of this week's emerging stories:

The Ripple effect leads the market into another surge

Once the poor cousin of Bitcoin, Ripple has now come into its own and is leading another surge in cryptocurrency interest, Cointelegraph reports. It was hailed as the "clear winner" at the end of last week, hitting weekly gains of 68% and currently trading at around the $0.46 mark.

However, it wasn't alone with it strong performance. Bitcoin too improved, erasing much of the damage it's incurred this month. In fact, prices were sent above $6,700 for the first time in two weeks.

Citing information from Cointelegraph's price tracker and Coin360, the report also looked at altcoin Ethereum. For weeks it's been leaving Bitcoin behind in terms of performance but it has started to struggle.

Is Venezuela sending warning signs to crypto markets?

Venezuela, which is undergoing a major economic crisis, has been used as a prime example for how cryptocurrency could be used to rescue an entire nation. Dash Force News believes the biggest lessons coming out of Venezuela will be about the cryptocurrencies themselves.

Throughout the country, the open-source currency Dash is growing at an incredible pace but does this pose more problems than opportunities? The report highlights how insular many crypto enthusiasts are, almost completely unaware of what's happening outside their "bubble".

It also predicts that the ugly side of cryptocurrency will eventually affect Venezuela. Although there used to be the spirit of "a victory for one currency is a victory for all", this is no longer the case and asset holders are only interested in the progress of their own cryptocurrency. This will be a damaging blow for traders that want to liberate financial services, allowing people to choose a system that isn't tied to banks or "financial slavery".

Cryptocurrency boom fuelling new wave art

Bitcoinist reports that the surge in cryptocurrencies is providing inspiration to artists. Often dominated itself by the very wealthy, the art world is being driven to explore ideas related to value, abstraction and the digital world in their work. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies seem to have provided the catalyst to a new art culture.

One example of such is the project called 'I AM A COIN' by artist Kevin Abosch, which saw him create ten million ERC-20 'IAMA' coins using his own blood. Some 100 of them were stored "in" one piece entitled 'Stealing the contents of this wallet is a crime'. The coins were all displayed in the artwork until the tokens were stolen.

Speaking to the New York Times, Abosch said: "Blockchain seems like it has some sort of potential to offer a different economic logic that structures society, and so a lot of artists are interested in the social implications of Blockchain and crypto."

Crypto-inspired works have reached fairly impressive sums too, with one piece called "Terrible Store of Value" ironically selling for $33,000 at auction.One of the core issues at stake in the 2018 Farm Bill is the degree to which it favors factory farming operations over independent family farmers committed to more humane and sustainable approaches to animal welfare, environmental stewardship, social cohesion, economic opportunity and healthy communities. Photo by iStockphoto

884 shares







With the confirmed deaths of 3.4 million chickens and 5,500 hogs in North Carolinas factory farms during Hurricane Florence, and the toxic torrent released by the flooded-out fecal lagoons of the industry in that state, a look at federal policy on factory farming could not be more timely. Through this and prior incidents, Tarheel State residents have been learning the hard way that factory farms dont make good neighbors. At the Humane Society of the United States, weve known that for a long while. That is why we are working hard to ensure that the latest iteration of the Farm Bill supports Americas independent family farmers over Big Ag.

One of the core issues at stake in the 2018 Farm Bill is the degree to which it favors factory farming operations over independent family farmers committed to more humane and sustainable approaches to animal welfare, environmental stewardship, social cohesion, economic opportunity and healthy communities. The Farm Bill covers everything from farm safety nets to land conservation programs to nutrition programs for low-income citizens. At approximately 956 pages, and a cost in the hundreds of billions of dollars, the legislation affects each and every one of us  farmer or not.

In an op-ed in The Hill earlier this month, one Missouri farmer and cattleman points out how  at every turn  the Farm Bill favors factory farming corporations and their concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) over independent family farmers.

Ultimately, the Farm Bill will determine whether our current agricultural system will see the reform that it so desperately needs. At the HSUS, we do our best to stand firmly alongside the nations humane, sustainable farmers, and we appreciate all that we have in common. Our Rural Affairs Department works daily on the issues most important to these farmers, who live and work throughout the United States, and some of whom serve on our state and national Agriculture Advisory Councils. Because of them, we more clearly understand the issues that most directly affect American farmers committed to high standards of animal welfare.

This is one of the reasons that we have pressed to close loopholes in the U.S. Department of Agricultures checkoff programs, originally established to pool money for commodity promotion and research. These programs have long been misused by corporate interests to sabotage and lobby against animal welfare reforms and family farmer interests. Most recently, proposed changes to federal Food Safety and Inspection Service labeling and policy standards are the subject of a petition filed by the Organization for Competitive Markets and American Grassfed Association. The petition asks that confusion in current policy be cleaned up so that foreign meat coming into the United States cant bear the label Product of the U.S.A. As it stands now, multinational corporations producing cheap meat in foreign countries can process, and then market, their goods using the same labels that American family farmers and ranchers enjoy. That isnt fair to American producers. And it isnt fair to consumers who want to know the origins of their food.

We are also in a fierce fight to scuttle the Protect Interstate Commerce Act, H.R. 4879, a pet project of Representative Steve King, R-Iowa. If Kings amendment makes it into the Farm Bill, the lowest legal standards on the production or manufacture of an agricultural product could control all states  regardless of the negative effects on health, the environment, the welfare of the animals raised and the well-being of local communities. Weve also engaged in the issue of antitrust reform, which is needed to protect and foster competition in the agricultural marketplace, on Farmer Fair Practices (or GIPSA rules), which provide protections to shield family farmers and ranchers from predatory and retaliatory practices by big agribusiness corporations, and more. These concerns often put us on the same page with farm organizations like National Farmers Union, R-CALF USA and Organization for Competitive Markets.

I have always believed that our supporters want to see the HSUS digging deep in support of our nations farmers. We do so because we understand that the issues they confront are central to our own concerns about the welfare of the animals raised for food in the United States. In our Farm Bill fight and in other battles, were stepping up our game in the interests of standing strong with natural allies.Minimum Age for Louisiana Strippers Rejected Again

In the great state of Louisiana, the state's attorney general and commissioner of alcohol and tobacco have been fighting a fight that exotic dancers just don't think are right.

In 2016, the state both defined and raised the minimum age requirement for exotic dancers in establishments that serve alcohol. While the industry had always presumed the minimum age was 18, this was not actually stated in the law. In 2016, the new law passed and set the minimum age at 21, which as a result, caused many dancers between the ages of 18 and 21 to be out of a job, or forced to take other positions which pay significantly less.

Injunction Function

Fortunately for the three Jane Doe plaintiffs, both the district and appellate courts have taken their sides. The appellate court recently upheld the preliminary injunction issued by district court preventing the law from being enforced. The matter reached the Fifth Circuit on an interlocutory appeal.

The appellate court explained that while the district court may have some flaws to its reasoning, it was nevertheless correct to find the Louisiana statute unconstitutionally vague.

Vagary for Exposure

Notably, while the appellate court disagreed with part of the district court's analysis, it did agree that the failure of the state to proscribe exactly how much of an exotic dancer's buttocks and breasts need to be exposed before they fell under the law, caused terminal vagueness.

Related Resources:The Arkansas Supreme Court Has an Embarrassing Ethical Problem

The Arkansas Supreme Court has an ethical problem, and it started with an email to a trial judge.

Judge Wendell Griffen had ordered the state to stop an execution, and the state supreme court emailed him to respond to charges that he could not be impartial. The email was sent at 4:23 p.m. Saturday, and the response was due at 9 a.m. Monday.

When Griffen didn't respond in time, the Arkansas Supreme Court removed him from all capital cases. Then came the shot heard round the courthouse.

Email Error

Griffen is not the type to go down quietly. That's part of the reason he was in trouble with the Arkansas Supreme Court.

After issuing his stay order, Griffen participated in a public protest against capital punishment. The state attorney general saw it, and shot off an email to the state supreme court asking that Griffen be removed.

When Griffen found out what happened, he fired back. He complained to the Arkansas Judicial and Disability Commission, which issued formal ethics charges against six of the seven members of the state supreme court.

A complaint against the seventh judge was pending when the commission issued the charges.

Not Reasonable

"Judge Griffen could not have reasonably been expected to have effectuated a meaningful response to the state's petition to remove him," wrote J. Brent Standridge, special counsel for the commission.

Basically, the justices didn't give Griffen a chance. The commission found probable cause they acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" in violation of the canons and rules of judicial conduct.

Unlike the case against Griffen, the ethics case will proceed to a hearing. The commission may admonish, reprimand, or remove the justices, but it is not likely anyone will be removed.

The West Virginia Supreme Court, however, is another story. No email problem there; more of a furniture problem.

Related Resources:Federal Judge Overturns NC Anti-Farmworker Law

North Carolina farmworkers are embroiled in a legal battle with the state legislature over whether an anti-union law adopted in 2017 violates civil rights laws. That law made it illegal for farms and labor unions to negotiate settlements involving union contracts, as well as for farmworkers to directly transfer parts of their paycheck to the union as dues, even if they agree to it.

Though the legality of this new anti-union law is still being debated in the legal system, a federal judge declared that it seems likely that the law is unconstitutional, and therefore barred it from being in effect while under legal review.

North Carolina -- a "Right to Work" State

North Carolina is a "right to work" state. Though the title may be misleading, the philosophy behind "right to work" laws is that every individual has the right to join a labor union, but cannot be required to. Therefore, these states mandate that no one can be forced to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment. Also, unions can't create contracts that require employers to only hire unionized workers. Taken altogether, the intended effect of the laws is make it very difficult for a union to be effective.

Right to Work + Anti-Union Law = Insurmountable Disadvantage

Agriculture is North Carolina's most powerful industry. Using its power and affluence, it was able to lobby the North Carolina General Assembly to pass the new anti-union law. Layered on top of the "right to work" laws, it became increasingly impossible for unions to form and be effective. There is just one union for North Carolina farm workers, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC). Over 90% of North Carolina's farm workers are hispanic, and they felt that they were being mistreated, based on race. Therefore, FLOC, along with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), and North Carolina Justice Suit filed suit on behalf of these workers to fight for better treatment in the workplace.

Tipping Point: No Direct Deposit of Union Dues

The tipping point in the anti-union law was the "direct deposit" prohibition. Union employees agreed to have money deposited directly into a FLOC bank account to pay for union dues, and the employers agreed to do so. But the law forbids these sorts of direct deposits between employers and unions. Therefore, it was getting harder and harder for the unions to collect dues. Many union workers did not have bank accounts, and so this required a union representative to collect cash at meetings. Such collections were hit and miss, and they required an administrative cost, thereby diverting precious funds away from more pressing labor issues.

The judge in this case declared that the anti-union law cannot be put in effect until its constitutionality is declared. Though this is a victory in the battle for the right to have an effective union, plaintiffs have not yet won the war, which will continue to rage on in the local federal court system.

If you or someone you love has been the victim of unfair labor practices, in violation of First Amendment rights to unionize and Fourteenth Amendment Rights to equal protection, contact a local labor union attorney. A well-trained lawyer can listed to the facts of your case and apply them to current local, state and federal laws to determine if your rights are being violated, and advocate for your justice.

Related Resources:Charged with paying a 16-year-old girl for sex at a hotel in Austin, Texas, Cody Wilson was bailed Sunday and is a free man againat least for now. The BBC reports that Wilson, famous for promoting 3D-printed gun plans, was arrested by Taipei police and returned to the US over the weekend. KHOU 11 filmed him leaving jail and hopping into a cab.

Wilson's attorney Samy Khalil of Gerger, Khalil & Hennessy released a statement late Sunday evening.

"We are glad that Cody is back in Texas again where we can work with him on his case. That's our focus right now, representing our client and preparing his defense."

It's been a long journey back for the accused 3D-printed gun designer.

Authorities say the 30-year-old flew out to Taiwan after a friend told him he was being investigated for allegedly paying $500 for to have sex with a 16-year-old girl he contacted online.

Surveillance video shows Wilson checking in to a Taipei hotel Thursday. That's where police finally arrested him on Friday.

Ports of America in Freeport, Texas donated 45 boxes of ripe bananas to the nearby Wayne Scott Unit prison. When the prison officers unloaded the boxes, they "discovered something not quite right."



"One of the boxes felt different than the others," TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) said in a statement. "They snipped the straps, pulled free the box, and opened it up. Inside, under a bundle of bananas, he found another bundle! Inside that? What appeared to be a white powdery substance."

They counted 540 packages of cocaine worth approximately $17,820,000. Now that's bananas!





(UPI)Former US Marine and well-known actor Al Matthews has passed away at the age of 75. His portrayal of Sgt. Apone in Aliens remains one of my favorite all-time military characters.

Via Hollywood Reporter:

Al Matthews, the real-life military man who portrayed the no-nonsense, cigar-chomping Sgt. Apone in the sci-fi horror classic Aliens, has died. He was 75.

Matthews was found dead in his home in Alicante on Spain's Mediterranean coast Saturday at 10 p.m. by a neighbor, the Spanish international news agency EFE and the El Pais newspaper confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.



Matthews also had bit parts in Rough Cut (1980), Ragtime (1981), Superman III (1983), The Fifth Element (1997) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).

But it's his performance in James Cameron's 1986 sci-fi horror film that endeared him to audiences. Near the movie's beginning, the crew of the USS Sulaco awake from their deep sleep and Apone instantly reaches for his cigar and shouts instructions to the drowsy crew.Entertainment / Events

by Tidi Kwidini

It has been 120 years since Bulawayo was first declared a municipal town and as the anniversary approaches, a UK community initiative called, Vuka Bulawayo Vuka (wake up Bulawayo wake up), are organising an event to celebrate the City of Kings.Scheduled for 20 October, the celebration will take place in one of Manchester's culturally diverse suburbs, Cheetham Hill.Community organisations and businesses that include Qoki Zindlovukazi, Parry Building Products Limited, Century Ambulance Service and Helping Hands have confirmed their participation in the event that seeks to bring Zimbabweans, especially those born, raised or who have a special connection with Bulawayo together, to celebrate good music, its history and culture.Organising Director, Busani 'Socks' Ncube, said that Vuka Bulawayo Vuka was part of a wider community initiative that is not only about celebrating Bulawayo but that brings Zimbabwean community organisations and enterprises together for an evening of networking and an opportunity for them to raise awareness of what they are doing.Ncube, who was born and raised in Bulawayo said; "We are at a critical time in our history as Zimbabweans and often, it is difficult to remind ourselves of the beautiful country we come from and the rich culture and uniqueness of our cities and towns in Zimbabwe.This event is a chance to remind ourselves of the positive work that Zimbabwean's are doing and an opportunity to network, uplift and empower each other."He added that he and Ezra (Tshisa) Sibanda wanted to create a platform that highlighted the history and diversity of the city and that the day is a chance to truly celebrate the arts and music but more significantly, to appreciate the part Bulawayo played historically as the industrial centre of Zimbabwe and how it has served as the hub for being one of the most culturally diverse cities."While this is a celebration it is also important to recognise the work that still needs to be done and the role each of us has to play in rebuilding, not only our primary conurbations and towns but, Zimbabwe."The inaugural event will be hosted by the former ZBC broadcaster (Ezra) and will include several guest speakers, a variety of stalls and DJs on rotation.Tickets are now on sale for 15 and for every ticket sold, 5 will go to the charitable causes of the participating organisations.For more information or to purchase tickets contact 07877987016 or 07852239743.News / National

by Staff reporter

THE Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) is seized with engaging and luring more airlines to service the country's route as part of measures to increase international connectivity and arrivals, an official has said.Acting chief executive officer, Mr Blessing Ngwarai, told Business Chronicle the aviation company was in talks with many airlines, negotiating deals for them to service Zimbabwean routes."We have an incentive scheme running that is aimed at incentivising an airline to service Zimbabwe and reduce their destination start-up costs. Zimbabwe is open for business," said Mr Ngwarai.His sentiments come amid indications that international giant, Virgin Atlantic, was in negotiations with authorities to introduce a direct Harare- London flight.Excited travellers took to Twitter to express their excitement at the unconfirmed news. The country has not had a direct flight to London for more than a decade. Mr Ngwarai, however, could not confirm nor deny engagement with Virgin Atlantic."At this point in time, we cannot comment on any individual airline but we are working tirelessly to engage and attract airlines to Zimbabwe," he said.Government through CAAZ has lined up a programme to upgrade airports across the country in a bid to double existing annual passenger handling capacity. The eight main airports in the country have a handling capacity of close to six million passengers annually, with the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport being the biggest at 2,5 million passengers per year.There has been growing interest in Zimbabwe as a tourist and investment destination under the new dispensation. Recently, CAAZ revealed Government was in talks with Algeria, Tunisia, France, Italy and Chile for bilateral air service agreements that would allow Zimbabwe to establish flight links with their destinations.Kenya Airways and RwandAir introduced flights to Victoria Falls connecting to Cape Town from their bases in Nairobi and Kigali November last year. This alone has seen Victoria Falls passenger traffic increasing by 30 percent.News / National

by Gibson Nyikadzino

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision a few years ago officially declared immaturity an ailment.According to WHO, immaturity has symptoms akin to other impulse control disorders such as oppositional defiant disorder and disruptive impulse-control disorder. Many people exhibit symptoms of this ailment. Zimbabweans are generally becoming sick of politicians who command their followers to defend heckling, dishonourable, childish behaviour in the legislature.There is no need for politicians to take pride in behaving childishly as they are not only disrespecting the voters that employed them, but the signals they are sending to their families and close associates are unfortunate.They say charity begins at home, and should not end there. The walk-out by opposition lawmakers is nothing but a reflection of what could be a major deficient of basic home schooling as there are traits of immaturity in such an act, itself a disease. The MDC-Alliance, then, failed miserably by nominating Mr Nelson Chamisa as that alienated just enough voters to lose.Mr Chamisa's fragile discourse and unbroken flip-flopping did not breathe a lot of confidence in voters hence people did not recognise him with his message. They now turn the bayonet of their electoral loss against the people they claim want to lead. Protest politics in Zimbabwe are becoming a frail and sick phenomenon which opposition leaders think they are perfecting yet they are pushing themselves to the brink of turmoil and conscience baselessness.In opposition ranks, whatever binding decision or indecision they agree has always been done with a childish protocol. They think in circular fashion, instead of a linear fashion that has headway. In their view, walking out of the August House when President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially opened the First Session of the Ninth Parliament and also making his State of the Nation Address, was the right thing.Their claim is "we do not recognise" President Mnangagwa. The syndrome of political deniability remains a shock reality to the opposition six weeks after President Mnangagwa's victory. In certain cultures age is not determined by biological, physical years alone but also by emotional maturity and behaviour. What the few parliamentarians did should not be ego-massaged as "acting out" but it is a contagious disease of immaturity. Politics aside. To imagine President Mnangagwa say he will only work to serve the people whose vote ushered him to the presidency is as hard to conceive as it is to propose marriage to a shadow.It is time that the populace warn the politicians that continuing to feel that they are entitled to behave badly and show open contempt for their role as public servants, they deserve not the respect of their employers.In the absence of the opposition parliamentarians, business continued with President Mnangagwa laying out the legislative agenda. President Mnangagwa reiterated that addressing the economy to improve livelihoods of the people should be done with fierce urgency. While the opposition lawmakers continue to believe their lies that President Mnangagwa has no support of the people and the international community, it has been otherwise.A few hours after the walk-out, Britain's Ambassador Catriona Laing announced that her government would support Zimbabwe to get on to an interim International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff programme to help the country quickly clear its foreign arrears. Debt-clearance is also a plan in President Mnangagwa's Vision 2030 in which Zimbabwe will be a middle-income economy.Now that the MDC lawmakers refuse to be a part of that vision, Britain has felt the sincere commitment of the country's need to re-engage the international community because Zimbabwe cannot do it while alienated. Martin Luther King Jr once cautioned: "We must live together as brothers or perish as fools." King Jr. made the remark seeing the totality of humanity. While it was spoken specifically about the racial divide then present in the United States of America, it applies to everyone.The challenge for all of us in our relationships and interaction with others is to be able to live and accept differences in opinion and way of life with understanding and respect.There is no need for pursuing personal agendas and have less concern with serving the interests of every Zimbabwean It is important for politicians to be careful and mindful of human prejudices and pre-judgments of others. Both Zanu-PF and opposition parliamentarians are reminded to go beyond their emotions and see unity and grace in the midst of negativity and pessimism. It is time to push together before circumstances pull us together, hence, we should live as brothers or perish together as fools!News / National

by Staff reporter

INDICATIONS from President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government currently show that he has taken a tough stance against corruption, a cancer that has done significant damage to the country's socio-economic fabric and induced a lot of suffering to ordinary citizens since independence in 1980.Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) coordinator Farai Mutondoro told a recent TIZ discussion on transparency and accountability in Harare that if the country was open for business as parroted by Mnangagwa, there was need to combat corruption at State enterprises and parastatals.He said there has been a lot of filthy lucre around issues of issuance of tenders and there was need to put in place and implement measures that ensured investors were not asked for bribes when they tried to open companies as well as a mult-stakeholder stance against corruption.Zimbabwe is ranked number 157 out of 180 in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2017 by Transparency International, and it is considered as one of the most corrupt countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.Mutondoro, who is a researcher, in 2017 did a study which showed that 74, 3% of respondents thought corruption has been increasing, with 68, 5% saying government was ineffective in fighting it.Around 77, 4% Zimbabweans from the sampled population were reported to have said they were asked to pay bribes for services rendered, with the police topping the list, followed by officials at various local authorities, the education sector, Vehicle Inspection Department, Registrar-General's office, health institutions and the judiciary."In the education sector, lecturers and teachers were said to be selling examination papers to students in return for money or sex," Mutondoro's research revealed.Johannes Mudzengerere, a representative from the small and medium enterprises sector (SME) , said the sector was one of the hardest hit by corruption especially when they wanted to participate in tender processes."We meet several challenges in that when we participate in tender processes, it is difficult to win the tenders because of inherent corruption by government and local authority officials when handling tenders. It is impossible to get business if you do not part with one or two dollars to grease the hands of officials, but SMEs can only grow by getting tenders," he said."The only SMEs that are growing are otherwise doing so at an expense and it is actually increasing their cost of doing business."He said it was a mammoth task for SMEs to pay taxes due to the liquidity crunch in the country, adding that they ended up buying cash on the parallel market in order to purchase raw materials."We cannot get money from the banks, and we end up buying it from the streets, which is corruption. We also have to comply with Zimbabwe Revenue Authority taxes, and in most cases SMEs end up cooking up books of accounts for survival, and that is corruption. Due to the high costs of running businesses in Zimbabwe, SMEs end up employing casual workers. To us the main challenge is costs through the value chain which is littered by a lot of corruption," he said.Economist Prosper Chitambara said corruption was the major factor hindering ease of doing business in Zimbabwe, with empirical global evidence showing that corruption raised the costs of doing business by over 20%.Chitambara said the key drivers of corruption were excessive regulations and cumbersome procedures, bureaucracy, onerous tax regimes, a weak economy and underpaid civil service as well as lack of ethical leadership resulting in bribery.He said the policy options to fight corruption included the need to build strong, credible, accountable political institutions, undertaking key institutional reforms at SEPs (State Enterprises and Parastatals), embracing e-governance, reducing bureaucracy and implementing extractive industry transparency initiatives."Corruption is a major binding constraint to doing business, and it is the fifth most problematic factor for doing business in Zimbabwe. Global research shows that on average, the costs of doing business increase by more than 20% as a result of corruption."For Zimbabwe to come up with appropriate policies to curb corruption, we need to appreciate its key drivers, which include excessive regulations and procedures governing doing business in Zimbabwe. They are cumbersome and it is fertile breeding grounds for corruption because corruption greases the oil of businesses by circumventing cumbersome policies," Chitambara said.He said State capture and red tape hindered ease of doing business, adding that in Zimbabwe it took 90 days to register a business, yet in other countries like Singapore it took only 10 hours.Chitambara said an onerous tax regime and weak institutions like State enterprises and parastatals (SEPs)  burdened by lack of accountability and transparency  also bred corruption."An environment where there is lack of ethical leadership also breeds corruption, as well as poor economic conditions and poorly paid public officials," he said.However, Chitambara said there were policy options available for Zimbabwe to combat corruption. He said these needed political will and commitment, as well as ethical leadership."There is need to build strong, credible and accountable political and economic institutions so that they deal effectively with corruption. There is also need to undertake key institutional reforms at SEPs to ensure they comply with principles of corporate governance," he said.Chitambara said e-government was also another option, adding that in countries like Singapore everything is done electronically, with CCTV exposing all activities done behind closed doors."There is need to streamline doing business regulations and procedures to reduce bureaucracy and red tape which attracts petty bribery. There is also need to have an efficient public service and to adopt a biometric payroll that can weed out ghost workers in the civil service," he said.The economist observed that to plug leakages and illicit financial flows (IFFs) in the minerals sector, there is need for government to implement the extractive industry transparency Initiative as government was losing about $2 billion per year through IFFs."There is need to strengthen the national institutional framework for monitoring and evaluation process and promote social cohesion in the country. It is also important to have social dialogue with institutions and different stakeholders in the fight against corruption in the country," he said.Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commissoion (Zacc) commissioner Nannette Silikhuni said it was imperative for public officials that have been sworn in to disclose their assets. Silikhuni said Zacc was also working on a national strategy to address issues of corruption."We also need to closely look at cultural policies that will address the root causes of corruption. We have become a people that have accepted corruption as a way of life. Zacc is mandated to look at policies that will address these cultural issues. We are working towards coming up with a national strategy to address issues of corruption," Silukhuni said.News / National

by Staff reporter

Newly appointed minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Joel Biggie Matiza, revealed that the Government is securing smaller Embraer aircraft in other deals still being negotiated for the servicing of domestic routes, ZimTechReview reported.Speaking to journalists Matiza said the national flag carrier, Air Zimbabwe and the controversial Zimbabwe Airways, will be merged to form one entity as both are state-owned enterprises and will play a critical role towards reviving the country's ailing aviation sector.Matiza also said that Zimbabwe Airways is a Government entity and his Ministry is working towards finalisation of the purchase agreement of the four Boeing 777 aircraft.Matiza revealed that the Government is securing smaller Embraer aircraft in other deals still being negotiated for the servicing of domestic routes.In October 2016, the government entered into an agreement with Malaysian Airline System Berha for the sale and purchase of the four aircraft. But the government later decided to buy two Boeing 777s for $18,5 million and $16,5 million and later resolved to buy two Embraers using treasury bills.News / National

by Staff reporter

TWO more Zimbabwean minors were killed in a road accident in Polokwane on Sunday morning at the same spot where nine others, including a toddler, died in an Intercape bus accident on Friday last week.Sources from Limpopo Province said the two children, who are siblings, were killed when a family car they were travelling in collided with another a vehicle that made a sudden turn along the N1 highway.Zimbabwe's Consul General to South Africa Mr Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro said it's very unfortunate that two more people were killed at the same spot where fellow countrymen perished."We once again had another tragic accident near Polokwane where a family lost two children. We pass our condolences to the family on this tragic loss."It indeed has been a sad week coming on the heels of the Intercape bus accident on Friday morning, again in the Polokwane area. We call upon fellow travellers to exercise caution especially at night," he said.Mr Mukonoweshuro said the nine people who died on Friday morning had been confirmed Zimbabweans and that their names would be released today.He said among the 51 who were injured during the mishap, seven were still admitted to Polokwane Hospital where one of them was still in the Intensive Care Unit.He said the consulate would meet relatives tomorrow to facilitate the repatriation processes.Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said investigations into the two accidents were still in progress.News / National

by Staff reporter

THE fuel supply situation in Bulawayo has normalised after Government last week disbursed $20 million towards the importation of the petroleum product.On Friday, Energy and Power Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo said the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had disbursed $20 million to Government to facilitate fuel importation to ease the supply gap.The intermittent fuel shortage that was experienced across the country last week resulted in the resurfacing of long queues at filling stations.A snap survey by this paper in Bulawayo's Central Business District yesterday revealed there were no more queues at service stations.On Friday some stations had no fuel and those that had the commodity had winding queues.Some attendants at filling stations said they received fuel supplies on Saturday."On Friday we were only selling to those motorists with our fuel card because we had limited supplies and we decided that instead of selling to all and sundry given the fuel situation then, it was better to at least sell only to those loyal customers who have got the Total fuel card."As of today, our supplies have improved and we are selling to any motorists with or without our Total fuel card," said a Total fuel attendant who preferred not to be named.Another attendant at a service station along Fort Street said they had limited supplies and were only selling to motorists with fuel coupons accepted at the garage.Recently, there has been a steady increase in demand for petroleum products in the country largely premised on the escalation of economic activities.Dr Gumbo last week said the intermittent fuel shortage was ignited by recent social media reports causing panic buying among motorists.He urged the nation not to panic as the fuel supply situation would improve following the disbursement of $20 million for fuel importation to dealers.In light of the prevailing foreign currency shortages in the country, RBZ has prioritised the allocation of foreign exchange towards fuel importation disbursing $80 million every month.News / National

by Staff reporter

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa agrees with the principle of Zimbabweans living outside the country being allowed to vote, and his administration is looking into the logistical issues between now and the next general election in 2023.The President made this revelation while interacting with Zimbabweans living in the United States in New York on Sunday.President Mnangagwa indicated a vote for Diasporans may well have been implemented for the recent 2018 elections  which he and his Zanu-PF party swept  but his Government had not had enough time to thrash out all the attendant logistical issues.President Mnangagwa only assumed the helm of Zimbabwean politics in November 2017 when Zanu-PF, as the majority in Parliament, nominated him to complete Mr Robert Mugabe's term of office after the latter resigned following pressure from his own party and from legislators who wanted to impeach him.Zimbabweans living outside the country have for decades called for the right to vote, which is not captured in existing electoral laws, and on Sunday President Mnangagwa said he agreed with them."As you are fully aware, every five years we have to submit ourselves to seek a new mandate to govern.So I did proclaim a general election on the 30th of July this year."As I went around (different) countries I met  our Zimbabweans in the Diaspora who insisted on wanting to have an opportunity to vote."I agree with that request but we were not able, in the time available, to have the logistics put into place to implement that objective. We now have five years where we can work on that objective where we can see whether we can implement it," President Mnangagwa said.Zimbabwe's voting system is polling station-based, meaning people cast ballots at specific centres in their areas of residence in the country.However, people on Government service abroad can cast postal ballots.On Sunday, President Mnangagwa also updated the Zimbabwean Diaspora in the US about the recent electoral process. "Our elections were premised on a platform of non-violence peace unity, love for our country," he said."For the very first time we had a very peaceful campaign and every single political party had the opportunity to exercise their democratic right to campaign and seek support from our people."News / National

by Staff reporter

FORMER Cabinet Minister Saviour Kasukuwere was yesterday arrested on four counts of alleged abuse of office and spent a night at Rhodesville police station in Harare pending his appearance in court today.Kasukuwere handed himself to the police yesterday morning on his return from South Africa.He is facing three counts of criminal abuse of office as a public officer during his tenure as a Cabinet Minister, according to his lawyer Mr Jonathan Samukange.Mr Samukange said the first three charges were committed while Kasukuwere was still serving as a Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.The other count was allegedly committed while he was the Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment in which he corruptly awarded a tender to a company called Brainworks Capital.Mr Samukange said Kasukuwere is expected to appear in court today."My client arrived from South Africa yesterday (Sunday) and we communicated with the police and agreed to hand him over to them today (Monday) in the morning and the agreed time was 8:30 AM," he said."We handed him to the Uniform Branch Special Anti-corruption Unit where they recorded his warned and cautioned statement on criminal abuse of office charges. From there we proceeded to the National Prosecuting Authority and spent hours there."We were then told that there were certain issues that police needed to attend to in respect of the allegations hence he was taken back to the police and is now being detained at Rhodesville police station pending his appearance in court today."Mr Samukange said the three counts were related to land issues involving former First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe's sister, Junior Shuvai Gumbochuma.Gumbochuma appeared in court recently facing three counts of fraud.She was reportedly given land through the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.It is the State's case that sometime in August 2014, stands number 139 and 140 Gillingham Estate in Dzivaresekwa were available for sale to deserving and capable developers who could subdivide them into high-density residential stands.Gumbochuma misrepresented to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing that she had the capacity to develop the land.On March 27, 2015, she was offered the land and was asked to pay $424 426 to the ministry.Gumbochuma, the State alleges, who had neither the capacity to pay the intrinsic land value nor to develop it then formed and registered a company called Scanlen (Pvt) Ltd as a vehicle to affect her fraudulent transaction.Between August and October 2017, Gumbochuma sold the land for $2 060 000 without paying for the land. She made a profit of $1 636 574 without doing anything.It is also alleged that in February 2016, Gumbochuma misrepresented that Rodonior (Pvt) Ltd was a registered company capable of contracting as a legal persona.She made an application for land under the unregistered company and the ministry acting upon the misrepresentation allocated 150 hectares of land in Good Hope to Rodonior (Pvt) Ltd.On the third charge in August of the same year, Gumbochuma again used the same company and made an application for allocation of land in Chishawasha B Goromonzi.A few days later, the ministry allocated 20 hectares of land to Gumbochuma, it is alleged.News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe is attracting self-financing investments, particularly from China, and hence there are no fears of Harare falling into a debt trap, the President has said.The Head of State and Government said this to Zimbabweans resident here at a lively and well-subscribed interaction with them on Sunday.President Mnangagwa is here for the 73rd Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he will deliver his maiden address to the world's biggest international organisation since he won the July 2018 harmonised elections.In a segment of the interaction during which he took direct questions from Zimbabweans, the President was asked what his administration was doing to ensure the country did not fall into a debt trap that could have dire consequences on developmental aspirations.President Mnangagwa said most of the money coming from China was going towards revenue-generating infrastructure projects that would pay themselves off.He said, "During (Zimbabwe's) period of isolation, very few countries outside the West assisted us. Some of the notable countries which came to our assistance are China, India, Brazil, Russia and Malaysia."And when things are good you then do not forget your friend who stood with you during bad times, but you do not sell your country because somebody stood with you during bad times."What is necessary when you get loans or investment, it must be structured. (There is need for) investment in projects which can re-finance themselves to pay the loan."President Mnangagwa cited the two massive capital projects of the expansion of Kariba South and Hwange power stations, which are financed with Chinese capital."I do not see any danger where you have a project which becomes productive in terms of revenue streams to pay for itself," he said."When you finish paying the loan, the asset remains with us and we will continue to have electricity so I do not see the danger there."Weighing in on the issue, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, who is part of the President's delegation on the visit to New York, said China was "where the money is".Prof Ncube also said African countries should negotiate sustainable terms when seeking loans."We have a very strong debt sustainability analysis framework which allows us to understand whether we are over indebted or not, (whether) we can pay or not."The Chinese also do that analysis themselves and if they find out that you cannot pay they do not lend you the money, this is not free money," he said.At the recent Forum on China-Africa Co-operation, Beijing unveiled a $60 billion package to support development on the continent over the next three years.Beijing's cumulative assistance to African development initiatives since 2000 was about $124 billion by 2016.News / National

by Staff reporter

President Mnangagwa's vision of making Zimbabwe an upper middle-income economy by 2030 is on track, if the upward trajectory in per capita income is anything to go by.On Sunday, the President revealed that per capita income in the country has increased in the eight months since he first assumed office, from $900 to $1 500.Addressing the Zimbabwean Diaspora in the United States in an interaction with them here on Sunday, the President said the country was moving in the right direction, and enjoined all citizens  at home and abroad  to work together in unity, peace and love to grow the economy and improve livelihoods.President Mnangagwa is leading a delegation that includes Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor Dr John Mangudya, Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications) Mr George Charamba, and other senior officials.The President is primarily here to attend the 73rd Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly, but has used the opportunity to engage potential investors and financiers who can support his economic turnaround agenda.And on Sunday, he broke from the tradition of his predecessor and reserved the entire afternoon to meet Zimbabweans resident in the United States to update them on developments in their country, hear their concerns and respond to them, and to rally them to support the development of their homeland regardless of political affiliations.The interaction was frank and buoyant, with opposition supporters also being given the floor to air their unflattering views of Zimbabwe's leader.President Mnangagwa took it all in his stride, keeping the atmosphere relaxed and taking on criticism head-on while responding with both wit and poise, often drawing applause and laughter from supporters and opponents alike.On the issue of the state of the economy, the President said: "At the time this dispensation came into office in November last year, the per-capita income was around $900 that time. But within eight months we have moved to $1 500 per capita and we are saying that our goal is to reach $3 500 per capita by 2030 and by then it means we shall become an upper middle income economy."He said economic revival was a process and not an event, and it required concerted efforts from all Zimbabweans, including Diasporans."I have no doubt that you have gained a lot of international exposure, acquired a lot of skills that you could not have acquired back home with a collapsing economy," he said."I have no doubt that the good side of what happened is that we now have a body of skilled Zimbabweans residing outside and with our current thrust for modernising our country, industrialising our country, mechanising our country, reforming our country, growing our economy, we have to draw from this reservoir of skills from our people abroad."On Zimbabwe's standing in the international community, President Mnangagwa said he was pleased that relations with the West were improving, all this too was painstaking work.He said the normalisation of relations in no way meant a reversal of the Fast-Track Land Reform Programme, itself the bone of contention between Zimbabwe and  primarily  Britain, the European Union and the US.President Mnangagwa said land reforms were a closed chapter in as far as international relations were concerned, and that Britain had accepted this and was willing to move forward in unison with Zimbabwe."We are now talking, we have escalated our relations from officials to ministerial level, very soon perhaps it will go beyond ministerial level," he said."We are where we are as a result of the decision we took on the land reform programme, be clear, I am not regretting that we took back our land, the land reform is irrevocable."Fortunately even the British accept now that the issue is dead, we are discussing with mutual respect to move forward."President Mnangagwa said he would meet Britain's Minister of State for Africa Harriett Baldwin during the course of the General Assembly. The President is also scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General Mr Antonio Guterres, and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel."We cannot anymore live in the past nor do we desire to live in the past," President Mnangagwa said.Opinion / Columnist

To most Zimbabweans, the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings had become synonymous with controversial and fiery speeches by former President Robert Mugabe which denounced, without fail, the US, Britain and other Western countries for their supposed interference in the internal affairs of the country. It had almost become a predictable pattern that whoever would be the US and British leaders would be in for a public tongue lashing by the veteran nationalist.It is indeed true that the US and Western countries interfered in one way or the other with Zimbabwe's internal affairs, ranging from sponsoring opposition parties to imposition of sanctions. How a country would respond to this kind of provocation is subject to debate.Enter President Mnangagwa in 2017 with his rallying war cry on economic priorities over political grandstanding. President Mnangagwa has made it as clear as day that his Government will pay more attention to economic issues than politics as he seeks to reverse the country's socio-economic decline that spans over two decades. The President has clearly diagnosed that prioritising politics would not help in resuscitating the economy, hence his wise decision to focus on the economy.It is in this framework that President Mnangagwa's address to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, 26 September is expected to outline the country's shift from political grandstanding to forging mutually beneficial economic ties, even with the very countries that have sanctions against Zimbabwe in place. It is an undeniable fact that the US wields significant influence in the unipolar world that emerged from the ashes of the cold war. Its economy is strong. The US wilds strong influence in the United Nations itself, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank and other multilateral financial organisations.As such, it would not be wise for President Mnangagwa to follow in the footsteps of Mugabe in pursuing confrontational politics with the US and other multilateral financial institutions. The President has already pronounced that he would seek to mend relations with the US for the common good of both countries, while forging new ties with other economies. The Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor, Dr John Mangundya are also singing from the same hymn book with the President on the need for re-engagement with the international community.Expectedly, President Mnangagwa will consolidate this emerging foreign policy based on securing Zimbabwe's economic interests when he addresses the UNGA. The President is expected to extend Zimbabwe's friendship to willing partners for mutually beneficial engagements.Zimbabwe has always maintained a non-aggressive foreign policy based on advancement of Zimbabwe's economic interests, protection of its sovereignty, the total liberation of oppressed peoples and advancing Pan Africanism.The President's delegation to the General Assembly speaks volume about his commitment to channel resources towards national development. Unlike the days of Mugabe when a big delegation would accompany the President to the UNGA, this time President Mnangagwa only took with him two key officials, the Minister of Finance and the RBZ Governor and a few aides. This points to the President leading by example in saving State resources.Zimbabwe is indeed poised for interesting times economically. What remains to complete the puzzle is the cooperation of all stakeholders in Zimbabwe towards realising the dream of a middle-income economy by 2013.Opinion / Columnist

"OPPOSITION MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said he was ready to weigh any offers tabled by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to enable them to work together for the good of the country, but cautioned that dialogue would be centred around five key issues his party wants addressed first," reported Bulawayo24."The five key issues Chamisa wants to discuss with Mnangagwa include ensuring that future elections are safeguarded so that they are held in a transparent manner and can never be disputed again, that there are moves to ensure the country returns to legitimacy and normalcy following what the opposition claims was a stolen July 30 election."The opposition leader also wants to have dialogue centred around the economy to avert a complete meltdown."The fourth issue is around national healing, starting from the Gukurahundi massacres to the August 1 shootings."The MDC Alliance leader also wants measures put in place to allow constitutional Chapter 12 and 13 institutions  the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, among others,  to have complete independence without undue influence from political players."The offer from Mnangagwa is a bribe to buy the opposition off given the regime is already under pressure from all the democratic nations who have pointedly refused to accept the 30 July elections as free, fair and credible. It is bad enough to have to deal with the illegitimate question coming from outsiders without Chamisa adding salt to the open wound!As for Chamisa's five demands since when has MDC leaders ever stuck to their guns on anything."Morgan Tsvangirai was stupid to go into the 2013 elections with no verified voters' roll! I will not make the same mistake!" said Chamisa before this year's elections. The idiot went into the elections with no verified voters' roll!If the MDC failed to get even one democratic reforms implemented during the 2008 to 2013 GNU when MDC had the majority in parliament and SADC backing what hope is there of getting any reform implemented now with no SADC and with Zanu PF having 2/3 majority in parliament.The only hope of getting the reforms implemented now is by forcing Zanu PF to step down; the party rigged the elections and, per se, it is illegitimate. If Zanu PF is allowed to stay in power until 2023 then we can be certain of one thing  the party will see to it that no meaningful reforms are implemented leaving the door open for it to rig the elections.Zanu PF rigged the 30th July 2018 elections, that is a historic fact. The only way we are ever going to stop the culture of rigged elections is by refusing to recognise and support any party that rigs elections because it is, per se, illegitimate.MDC leaders are sell-outs; they sold-out during the 2008 to 2013 GNU by failing to implement even one reform in five years. They sold-out by participating in the 2013 and this year's elections, disregarding the warning not to until reforms are implemented. Whatever deal they make with this illegitimate Zanu PF junta we can be certain that it is NOT in the national interest.We have a unique opportunity to pressure this illegitimate Zanu PF junta to step down to allow the appointment of an interim administration that will implement the reforms and hold the nation's first ever free, fair and credible elections.Mnangagwa is hoping that Chamisa will accept his bribe and thus get some modicum of political credibility and legitimacy. This is just a divide and rule tactic and we, the ordinary Zimbabweans, must not fall for it. Chamisa and a few MDC leaders will get ministerial limos, generous salaries, etc. And we, povo, will get nothing other than another five years of command agriculture, corruption, etc. and, to crown it all, another rigged election in 2023!(Reuters) - The Canadian heavy oil differential closed at its widest point on record against the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) benchmark on Monday in thin trade, as transportation constraints continued to weigh. Western Canada Select (WCS) heavy blend crude for October delivery in Hardisty, Alberta, settled at $42.00 a barrel below the WTI benchmark crude futures , compared with Friday's settle of $41.00, according to Shorcan Energy brokers. Higher production compared with the second quarter has swelled volumes in storage and put pressure on prices, while tight pipeline space and insufficient rail capacity have pushed the differential even wider, say analysts. Some of the recent price weakness can be attributed to leftover barrels stranded by Canada's pipeline apportionment system, where shippers nominate a certain volume of barrels but see their shipments reduced if lines are oversubscribed. "Often what we see post-apportionment is simply weak pricing in the aftermarket," said Matt Murphy, an energy analyst with Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Murphy noted that rail volumes continue to rise, but still appear to be insufficient to clear the market. A jump in the global benchmark for crude also weighed on the Canadian prices, with Brent rising 3 percent to a four-year high above $80 a barrel after Saudi Arabia and Russia ruled out any immediate increase in production. The transportation constraints mean Canadian producers are not able to get their barrels to market, leaving them unable to fully benefit from rising benchmark prices. Monday's WCS close surpasses a previous record discount of $41.50 reached in November 2013. Light synthetic crude from the oil sands for October delivery settled at $17.75 under WTI, recovering slightly compared with Friday's settle of $18.90 under. (Reporting by Julie Gordon in Vancouver; Editing by Leslie Adler and Matthew Lewis)It's not every day you become the first Indigenous woman to own an airline in Canada.

"Even today it's hard to imagine that I am launching an airline," said Teara Fraser, who grew up in a remote town in the Northwest Territories, and plans to fly her airline to hard-to-reach Indigenous communities.

On Friday, Fraser announced the start of Iskwew Air, based at Vancouver International Airport, which she says will start flights next March.

Fraser, 47, is Metis whose family is from Fort Chipewyan, Alta. She raised her two adult children in Metro Vancouver.

A pilot for 15 years, she previously flew for Hawkair, a Terrace-based regional airline, flying to towns such as Masset and Prince Rupert. She's also owned her own businesses, including Kisik Aerial Survey.

The name, Iskwew, is a Cree word for woman, and Fraser wants it to to eventually be known for its Indigenous food and philosophies.

Humble start with big vision

For now, Fraser has just one cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft, but she envisions a full fleet that will specifically provide charter services.

The plane received a blessing Friday from the elders from Musqueam, whose territory the Vancouver International airport is on.

Angela Sterritt

"When I close my eyes I see flight attendants, a busy ramp, I see connecting people to the land," Fraser said.

Her idea to build an Indigenous airline from scratch came during the 2010 winter Olympics when tourists from all over the world came to Vancouver.

Many wanted a first-hand look at First Nations communities in B.C.

"There was a vision to connect those international travellers to Indigenous communities and showcase B.C.'s First Nations," she said.

But there were few airlines with the capability to travel to remote communities.

"When they identified a barrier, I thought that was a way I could support Indigenous tourism," she added.

CBC

Boost to women in aviation

Heather Bell, chair of the British Columbia Aviation Council, has been in the industry for 35 years and said it's nice to see a female entering the male-dominated field.

Story continues

"It's great to see an Indigenous woman making this kind of statement, it's fabulous and I'm very excited," said Bell.

Research conducted by the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association and the Canadian Aviation Historical Society indicate that there has never been an airline wholly owned by an Indigenous woman.

"There are woman that have been in high levels in the aviation industry, but even that is very rare," Bell said.

Remote communities to be focus of airline

Fraser wants to break barriers that have kept women and Indigenous people away from aviation, but she said there is is shortage of pilots, especially those willing to fly to small, remote areas.

"We are facing a global, national and local pilot shortage that is worsening and I am worried about those fly-in communities," she said.

"I worry that those services won't be available to remote communities that depend on services for basic needs," she added.

Fraser was born in Hay River, N.W.T. and her Metis family comes from Fort Chipewyan, Alta., a fly-in only community.

asdas

"We have just a winter road and the only way to get there is by boat or by plane," said Jumbo Fraser, Teara's uncle who came from Fort Chipewyan to witness the blessing.

'It's time'

Teara's daughter, Kiana Alexander, an Iskwew team leader, said she's most excited about the Indigenous focus of the airline.

"Reclaiming language and matriarchal ways of being in a non-traditional field like aviation is powerful," Alexander said.

The plane will be ready to provide charter services out of the South Terminal at Vancouver Airport on International Women's Day on March 8, 2019.

"It's time," said Fraser.

"Time to show the world what is possible."

Read more from CBC British ColumbiaFrom left: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Marshall Islands President Hilda C. Heine and Haitian President Jovenel Moise. (Photos: Markus Schreiber/AP, Francois Mori/AP and Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images)

Leaders from island nations vulnerable to the impacts of climate change said Monday the whole world is facing a threat to its survival and warned that mitigation alone is an inadequate response.

Business leaders, government ministers and presidents gathered in Manhattan for the opening ceremony of Climate Week, an annual summit hosted by the Climate Group, the United Nations and New York City that coincides with the U.N. General Assembly.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, President of the Marshall Islands Hilda Heine and Haiti President Jovenel Moise bore witness to the impacts of climate change.

The challenge of climate change requires us to look beyond the domestic. Our duty of care is as global as the challenge of climate change itself. In the Pacific we feel that acutely, as do countries like Bangladesh where land is literally being lost and fresh water is being inundated with saltwater, Ardern said in the Times Centers 378-seat auditorium near Times Square.

Climate Group CEO Helen Clarkson, who kicked off the ceremony, later told Yahoo News that many nations are feeling record temperatures, but these leaders are distinctly qualified to say, Look at whats happened to us and illustrate whats on the horizon for others.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. (Photo: Michael Walsh/Yahoo News)

At the event, Ardern announced that New Zealand plans to spend at least $300 million in climate-related development assistance over the next four years  with the majority of that funding focused on practical actions such as coastal adaptation, water security, rainwater harvesting and desalination.

These are not hypothetical questions. They are immediate questions of survival, Ardern said. Although New Zealand accounts for a tiny percentage of global emissions  less than 0.2 percent  we recognize the importance of doing our part. More importantly, we recognize that global challenges recognize everyones attention and we all have a responsibility.

She said New Zealands minister on climate change, James Shaw, is working on a zero-carbon bill  which would be fully aligned with the Paris Agreements objectives  this week back home. New Zealand aims to use 100 percent renewable energy by 2035 and plant one billion trees over the next decade, Ardern said.

Story continues

When youre a population of 4.5 million people, that is a lot of trees, Ardern said. And we are no longer issuing permits for offshore oil and gas exploration.

Heine announced at the opening ceremony that the Marshall Islands are launching a strategy to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

President of the Marshall Islands Hilda C. Heine. (Photo: Michael Walsh/Yahoo News)

We are only the tenth country to produce a 2050 strategy and the first island nation to do so, Heine said. This strategy sets out a concrete pathway for the country to reach our long-held vision of net-zero emissions and climate resilience.

Named Tile Til Eo (Marshallese for lighting the way), the strategy lays out the responsibilities for her successors in the coming decades and commits to making a national adaptation plan in 2019 to address the Marshall Islands uniquely vulnerable position as a nation of 1,156 individual islands and 29 atolls where the average elevation is just six feet above sea level. Heine said Tile Til Eo is a living document that will be updated and enhanced every five years based on new experiences and information.

I challenge you all to develop your own vision to fully decarbonize by 2050, Heine told attendees from developed nations. If we can do it, so can you.

Heine said that the Paris Agreement will never succeed in limiting the increase in average global temperature to less than 2C if other nations do not follow suit.

If you ever want to steer a ship through troubled waters, ask an islander to take the helm, Heine said.

Haitian President Jovenel Moise. (Photo: Michael Walsh/Yahoo News)

Moise, who was an entrepreneur before becoming the president of Haiti, said he is well aware that the Caribbean is a significant economic hub with enormous potential for investment in renewable energies like wind and solar power. Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with more than 35 million inhabitants, are the three most populous countries in the region.

He said its self-evident that disaster preparedness is not sufficient to avoid severe damage in island countries like Haiti or the U.S. coasts, and limited his remarks to shared humankinds responsibility and the role of capitalism in climate action.

I urge you to put your money where your mouth is, Moise said in French. Act now to reduce emissions in the short and medium term and in the long term eliminate emissions by investing in green renewable energy sources. Haiti stands ready to welcome you with open arms to both invest in green energy and do good for the planet at the very same time.

The Americans hosting Climate Week NYC are in an odd position. Though they support climate action, their president does not. President Trump, who dismisses climate change as a hoax, announced in June 2017 that he was beginning that process of withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. Under the accord, a country is permitted to submit its withdrawal three years after it entered into force for that party, which was Nov. 4, 2016, for the U.S. This means Trump needs to wait until Nov. 4, 2019, to formally request the nations removal and it would not become official until Nov. 4, 2020.

Although climate change doesnt surpass the economy or terrorism as the most pressing issue in the minds of most voters throughout the U.S., it is increasingly becoming a serious concern  particularly for coastal communities at risk from rising sea levels.

Political leaders open Climate Week NYC 2018. (Photo: Michael Walsh/Yahoo News)

California Gov. Jerry Brown, who hosted the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco this month; Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa, the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Peru President Martin Vizcarra also addressed Mondays opening ceremony  arguing that time is a dwindling resource.

Just pick the news up today. You wont see anything about climate change, Brown said. Theres a lot of news, but theres not much news on the very topic were talking about, which is an absolute existential necessity for the continuation of our civilization as we know it.

Climate change is an opponent we shaped with our own hands, Espinosa said, but whose power now threatens to overwhelm us.

Climate Week NYC will continue until Sunday, Sept. 30.

Top, left to right; Rt. Hon. Jacinda Ardern, prime minister, New Zealand; Carlos Alvarado Quesada Alvarado, the president of Costa Rica, and Jovenal Moise, president of the Republic of Haiti. Middle, left to right; President Hilda C. Heine, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Climate Week logo, President Martin , Peru. Bottom, left to right; Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown, Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , and Helen Clarkson, CEO, the Climate Group. (Photos: AP/Getty/climateweeknyc.org, The Climate Group)

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni reacts after playing a shot during the one day international cricket match of Asia Cup between India and Bangladesh in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Pakistan hopes to have learned its lesson from a heavy group-stage loss to India when the two rivals meet again in the Asia Cup on Sunday, this time at the Super Four stage.

After the group defeat, Pakistan narrowly avoided humiliation when Sarfraz Ahmed's team beat Afghanistan in its opening Super Four match with just three balls to spare in Abu Dhabi. Also Friday, in Dubai, India easily beat Bangladesh by seven wickets.

India thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets with 21 overs to spare in their last encounter and will take confidence from that win into Sunday's game at Dubai International Stadium. The same stadium hosts the final on Friday.

Pakistan still appears annoyed by India playing only in Dubai, while other teams face a nearly 90-minute bus journey for some matches in Abu Dhabi. Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has also criticized this arrangement.

Ahmed said earlier in the tournament: "I believe things should be even for all teams, whether that's India, Pakistan or anyone else. If matches are played in Abu Dhabi, then all teams must play a game or two there."

Defending champion India, despite losing Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur to injury during the tournament, has looked the strongest team so far. India is expected to field the same lineup that defeated Bangladesh.

Pakistan dropped struggling fast bowler Mohammed Amir against Afghanistan, but he may be recalled after the team's unconvincing bowling display. Left-arm medium-pacer Shaheen Afridi took two wickets against Afghanistan, but the newcomer might not be risked against the experienced Indian batting lineup.

India's bowling unit has played well in the conditions apart from conceding an opening 174-run stand against Hong Kong.

India captain Rohit Sharma, who has scored 52 and an unbeaten 83 in the last two matches, expressed satisfaction with his bowling attack.

"The bowlers have done a very good job and stuck to their plans. Spinners (Yuzvendra) Chahal and Kuldeep (Yadav) did not get any wickets (against Bangladesh), but they are allowed a day off and (Ravindra) Jadeja stepped up with four wickets," Sharma said.

Story continues

"It is a big match for us again and we just hope to recover well and continue to repeat the same performance against Pakistan."

On Wednesday, Pakistan once again travels to Abu Dhabi for its last Super Four match against Bangladesh, a day after India plays Afghanistan in Dubai.

___

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsPhoto - Ausctwitz  a time of war

In my searches I was unable to find any reference to any Australian Prime Minister calling Australia to Prayer in a national crisis apart from 21 April 2007 when Prime Minister John Howard called the nation to pray for rain in an historic drought.

Now new Prime Minister Scott Morrison has once again called the nation to pray for rain in this current horrific drought.

A Google search provided innumerable instances where Australian Prime Ministers have said something along the lines of the nation is praying for / with ...  such as former Prime Minister Tony Abbott's remarks on the loss of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. We hear the current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull saying that we are praying for you ..

I found many similar documented statements of similar ilk including Prime Minister's Kevin Rudd, Bob Hawke, Malcolm Fraser, Gough Whitlam, Bob Menzies, Ben Chiefly, John Curtain and Billy Hughes. If memory serves me well Julia Gillard and Paul Keating spoke of such as well, but I was unable to find references to this.

I wondered about this topic of an Australian Prime Minister's calling the nation to prayer on a specific date having read Tremore Christian Fellowship, Tremore Manor, Bodmin published account of either King George VI, the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's WWII or Commanders on the ground - ten occasions - the nation to prayer.

This article was republished in Evangelicals Now which was in turn republished by The Canberra Declaration Team which in turn was distributed by Ramon Williams Religous Media. So it's got a good airing (as it should have) and I'm pleased here to simply summarise these 10 calls for the nation to pray during WWII.

Photo - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Dunkirk 1940

Sunday May 26 at the request of His Majesty King George VI, observed as a National Day of Prayer. In a stirring broadcast, the King called the people of Britain and the empire to commit their cause to God. The whole nation was at prayer. Three miracles then happened: (1) Hitler stopped his general advance, (2) a storm of extraordinary fury grounded the German Air Force on May 28, and (3) a great calm settled over the English Channel for several days. 335,000 men of the British army were evacuated from Dunkirk!

The Battle of Britain

Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, Commander-in-Chief of Fighter Command, was asked: What are your plans for defeating an overwhelming number of the German Air Force? He replied: I believe in God. And then there is radar. On 30 August 800 enemy aircraft darkened the skies of southern England, flying in to put key airfields out of action. By September 6 Fighter Command was in serious trouble.

The King, as if gifted with some foreknowledge, had expressed the wish that Sunday September 8 should be fixed as a National Day of Prayer. There was a tremendous response. At a crowded service in Westminster Abbey, the final prayer began: Remember O God, for good, these watchmen, who by day and by night climb into the air. Let Thy hand lead them, we beseech Thee, and Thy right hand hold them.

On September 17, a tele-type message clacked out from the German High Command postponing the invasion of Britain ?until further notice.

Malta

There were later divine over rulings in the Mediterranean, the outstanding example being Malta, which lay in the path of Italys vital supply lines to North Africa. General Dobbie was appointed Governor of Malta. He was a Christian, a man of faith who testified to the power of prayer. He issued an Order of the Day to the garrison which included the following: I know that the courage and determination of all ranks will not falter, and that with God?s help we will maintain the security of the fortress.

The Germans seemed strangely blind in failing to see that the key to all supply problems, and, indeed, the key to control of the Mediterranean, was the capture of Malta.

Photo - Jewish Holocaust - a time of war

At the gates of Cairo

Two dedicated Christian men were appointed to the most responsible positions in the Middle East on August 15 1942: Field Marshal Alexander as Commander-in-Chief and General Montgomery as Commander of the Eighth Army.

On September 3, according to the wish of King George VI, there was another National Day of Prayer. People flocked to the churches all over Britain.

On October 23 Montgomery issued this Order of the Day to the Eighth Army: Let us pray that the Lord, mighty in battle, will give us the victory. A succession of remarkable occurrences followed. When the attack on the German forces was opened, Rommel was in Germany, sick for the first time in his life. General Stumme, appointed to take his place, died of a heart attack the next day, leaving the German High Com-mand in a hopeless state of confusion. At the same time, Rommel's Chief of Staff was actually on leave. And, due to faulty intelligence, the Afrika Korps was completely taken off its guard when the bombardment began.

Churchill said afterwards concerning the battle of Alamein: Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat.?

A bumper harvest

During 1942 shipping normally used to bring food to these shores from overseas was urgently required for carrying men and munitions. Yet Britain had to be fed. A supreme effort was made by British agriculture and a degree of co-operation and united labour was achieved as never before in our history. Added to this were the prayers of innumerable people that God would bless their efforts.

There was a bumper harvest! It had become apparent to R.S. Hudson, the Minister of Agriculture, that God had been with us, for in a postscript to the BBC nine o'clock news on Old Michaelmas Night 1942, he said: I believe we have a Higher Power to thank as well, and from the depths of our hearts. Some power has wrought a miracle in the English harvest fields this summer, for in this, our year of greatest need, the land has given us bread in greater abundance than we have ever known before.

Photo - Cylkon 2  a time of war

D-Day 1944 deliverance of a continent

The deputy Chaplain-General, Canon Llewellyn Huges, said: The consecration of our armies has not been a last-minute effort. We were asked, and strongly asked, to make our men as Christian as we could, to preach the Word faithfully because it is true; to bring men to God that he might make them good. Most of the men are not regular churchgoing men, but they are God-going men, and they have their picture of the King of Kings in the sanctuary of their hearts. And when General Eisenhower and General Montgomery in their final Orders of the Day asked us all to pray that God would prosper us, that prayer went up, and went up from honest hearts, freely and fully convinced that the business in hand was a liberation according to the will of God.?

The decision when to invade

The Supreme Commander, his Commander-in-Chief and their Chiefs of Staff met at 4.00 am on Monday June 5 for the final and irrevocable decision. Messages went to all the vast forces concerned: the invasion of France would start on the morning of the next day. General Eisenhower gave testimony to the effect this had on him, when he was speaking in Abilene, Kansas, his home town on June 4 1952 (Time magazine June 16 1952). This day, eight years ago, I made the most agonising decision of my life. I had to decide to postpone, by at least 24 hours, the most formidable array of fighting ships and of fighting men that was ever launched across the sea against a hostile shore.

The consequences of that decision at that moment could not have been foreseen by anyone. If there was nothing else in my life to prove the existence of an Almighty and merciful God, the events of the next 24 hours did it. The greatest break in a terrible outlay of weather occurred the next day and allowed that great invasion to proceed, with losses far below those we had anticipated.?

On VE Day the Prime Minister spoke from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. He was one who had always been conscious of that over-ruling providence, that guiding, guardian hand. He must have come straight from the Thanksgiving Service in St. Margaret's, Westminster.

His Majesty King George VI then stepped quietly to the microphone. He said with great emphasis: We give thanks to Almighty God for the victory He has granted us in Europe.

Photo - Dr Mark Tronson at Birkenau  a time of war

Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.

Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.htmlHave you ever stopped to consider what you will be thinking when you are close to the end of your life? For me personally, this is a scary topic when I actually stop and think about it. One which I find is rarely talked aboutyet one day we will all come to that place, there is no escaping it.

Alone.

After you have passed, you will no longer be in contact with the physical world. All your thingsgone. Peoplegone. Just you, maybe alone initially for some time, moving on to what I feel is largely the unknown. So, it is essentially sin to not trust in God, yet I still have a fear of the unknown.

Were fallen so its easy for us to fall into sin, but also, I feel a portion of the root of our fear is unbelief. We have to trust and believe that God is truly in control and trust and believe that God will care for us. This really hits home when thinking about deathwe have no control even if we wanted to take control.

What exactly will happen? As usual, I turned to the Bible and prayer for answers.

Paradise

There are hints in the Bible of a heaven we will go to, the thief at the cross with Jesus is an example. Today you will be with me in paradise Jesus says to him when hanging on the cross.

But then, in the book of Revelation, chapter 21, it mentions a new heaven and a new earth, with a new Jerusalem coming out of heaven for God to dwell with his people.

So, I am guessing, we might wait in heaven before this? Maybe for thousands of years? I pondered these questions with God in prayer and felt a few scriptures stood out.

It is written in second Peter, Chapter 3 verse 8, But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

This scripture indicates to me, the spiritual dimension is non-linear, and time may not be how we know it to be here in the physical universe. I thought, this makes it possible for us all to reach the other side at the same time.

If time in the spirit realm is not related to our time in the physical realm, then those who died 1000 years ago and those who died a day ago, could arrive to the same destination at the same time.

I am not trying to make gospel of this theory, but it is interesting to ponder, especially since there is no mention in the Bible of waiting after death, yet we will end up somewhere.

Nevertheless, I still feel afraid of that day I will leave this physical world.

Realistic fears

Will God turn around and say depart from me, I never knew you as is written in Mathew chapter 7, verse 23? I think this statement from scripture scares me the most about passing away.

While we are here, we have the chance to change, and walk the path the best we can with God.

The context of Mathew chapter 7 verse 23 relates to us performing works by our own accord, even supposedly godly works, rather than following the will of our Father in heaven.

I would be incredibly sad to arrive in the next life and be told he never knew me, so learning and understanding to follow his will and throw away the desires of the flesh has become of increasing priority in my mind.

I recently read the supposed last words of Steve Jobs, an original founder of Apple Computer. It turned out it was largely unverified, but it still got me thinking  there were still some standout truths in it regardless as to who said it. It echoes wealth on your death bed is meaningless, the only thing which matters is the people you love.

How true is that! The scriptures state the greatest commandment with the highest priority, found in Matthew chapter 22, verses 36-40 are:

Love the Lord God with all your soul and all your strength and Love your neighbour as yourself.

I find it interesting, the two things Jesus mentions are the two things which are eternal.

The further from God I fall in the busyness of life, the greater becomes my fear of such things. The fear of deaththe biggest fear many of us have as we have absolutely no control over the fact we will one day pass away. We are at the absolute mercy of our Lord to take control at that time and day. All we will have at that moment is our relationship with our Lord. Will he know you?

All the more reason to seek him daily and not be lead astray by the emptiness of the world.

Michael Dahlenburg is an electronics technician currently working in the ATM industry. He is non-denominational and has previously been involved in church plants and assisting those in ministry. His interests include; enjoying family, home DIY, gardening, most things tech-related and driving his wife crazy with a constant stream of inventions!

He lives with his wife Michelle and three children in Gods own land of Southern Adelaide, Australia.

Michael Dahlenburgs previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/michael-dahlenburg.htmlUK aid agencies including Tearfund and Christian Aid have used the International Day of Peace today to highlight the need for peace in South Sudan.

With Oxfam, CAFOD, Mercy Corps, Saferworld and Conciliation Resources, the agencies released a statement urging support for the peace deal between warring parties signed on September 12.

Refugees in South Sudan are struggling to make a life for themselves. ( Christian Aid)

It says: 'Peace is the first and foremost priority to our partners and the communities we work with in South Sudan. We want to reiterate our solidarity with South Sudanese women, men, boys and girls who bear the brunt of the devastating conflict which broke out in December 2013.

'We are gravely concerned about the continuation of violence which has forced more than 4.3 million people to flee their homes. The conflict has led to 7 million people in South Sudan requiring humanitarian assistance. Up to 2.4 million children are out of school in the country  the highest proportion of out of school children in the world.

'In the wake of the signing of the peace agreement last week, all sides need to immediately stop all hostile and violent action. The implementation of the peace agreement should be a key priority for all parties and any other interests should be put aside.'

The statement says peace needs 'more than a formal agreement', stressing the need for local community-based reconciliation and peace-building projects.

It says: 'Civil society, youth groups, diaspora communities, women's groups and faith-based organisations can play a key role in the prevention and resolution of conflict in South Sudan. Exclusion of these groups from peacebuilding efforts  at national, regional or local-level  marginalises the voices of ordinary South Sudanese. Building sustainable peace is a long-term process and empowering people to reconcile their differences locally and end violence is an achievable and crucial step forward.'

For more on Tearfund's work in South Sudan click here.Photo - Peter Bentley editor of the ACC magazine Catalyst

Christian Today article Uniting Church in Australia highlights less-uniting stance from 30 August explained the theological and practical dispute of the evangelicals within the Uniting Church over the same-sex policy of the Uniting Church.

A huge conference was held last week of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations. Christian Today has been reliably informed there will not be a separation within the denomination, rather formative creative expressions of evangelical thought and practise.

Already the largest Queensland congregation within the Uniting Church, New Life Church in Robina (Gold Coast) have removed any image of the formal Uniting Church in Australia. More to come.

Hillsong goes alone

Photo - Hillsong conference

Hillsong has formally left the Australian Christian Churches so as to establish itself under Australian State law as its own denomination similarly to other main line denominations.

Two thirds of the people attending Hillsong Church each weekend live in countries beyond Australia. Pastor Brian Houston explained  There are pastoral staff in twenty-four nations around the world, representing 123 campuses and locations, with 263 different church services on any given weekend. We consider it to be 'One House, with many rooms.

"For this reason, we are now registered by the Australian Department of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, as a recognized denomination with the ability to credential pastors in our own right. This recognition alleviates the issues that would occur if, for example, a concern arises that affects the credential of a Hillsong Church youth pastor in one of our campuses in Europe. The Australian ACC cannot be expected to have adequate information to address this issue or even know who the person is, let alone the resources to appropriately deal with the issue on a personal or pastoral level."

(This news information has come from Eternity magazine, The Christian Post, Christian Today Australia, and our Hillsong connects).

Former Governor General Bill Hayden

Photo - Bill Hayden

85 year old former Governor General Bill Hayden has been baptised. The Brisbane Catholic Leeder reported - Theres been a gnawing pain in my heart and soul about what is the meaning of life. From this day forward Im going to vouch for God.

He was baptised and welcomed into the Church at St Marys Church, Ipswich, west of Brisbane on September 9. He had witnessed so many selfless acts of compassion by Christians over his lifetime, and deep contemplation while recovering from a stroke, - that prompted his decision.

The history of Bill Hayden, originally a Queensland policeman, succeeded Gough Whitlam as leader of the ALP following a Labor defeat in the 1977 election. In 1983 he resigned as leader, making way for Bob Hawke who went on to win the election. Haydens classic statement - he could have won, as a drovers dog could lead the ALP to victory  remains as one of the iconic Australian political statements.

(This news information has come from News.com, Eternity, The Australian, Eternity magazine)

Ramon Williams - a documentary movie

Photo - Ramon Williams

Christian Today has run quite a number of feature articles on the astonishing Christian media ministry of Ramon Williams  earlier this year we ran such an article on 19 February  Ramon Williams the Lion of Christian media medically retires

Now Ramon Williams has been invited by Richard Attieh, of the Australian Television and Media Group, to have a documentary movie made of his life and ministry. In short for well over 55 years Ramon Williams has photographed and distributed Christian media across the world with the theme being - Telling others what the Lord has done. End.

Christian Today invites Christian news for this regular space.

Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.

Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.htmlMONDAY, Sept. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Breast milk from the bottle may not have as many benefits for a baby's weight as feeding straight from the breast, a new study suggests.

The researchers found what many others have: Overall, breastfed babies tended to have a healthier weight than those who were formula-fed.

However, babies given pumped breast milk did not benefit as much as those who fed from the breast.

Researchers stressed that breast milk, in any form, is better than formula. But they said the findings support the notion that the method of feeding matters, too.

Many women, particularly in the United States, have to pump breast milk when they return to work, noted lead researcher Meghan Azad, an assistant professor of pediatrics and child health at the University of Manitoba in Canada.

"The message here is not that pumping is 'bad' or 'wrong,' " she said. "It's better than formula-feeding."

However, Azad explained, there are reasons why feeding at the breast might promote the healthiest rate of weight gain.

For one, she said, breast milk contains a range of "interesting enzymes and hormones." And it's possible that their activity is depleted when pumped milk is refrigerated.

In addition, Azad said, it's thought that babies learn to "self-regulate" food intake when they nurse at mom's breast. In contrast, when parents bottle-feed, they often take charge -- encouraging their baby to finish the bottle.

Dr. Joan Meek is chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics section on breastfeeding. She said the AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about six months. Once the baby starts on solid foods, Meek said, breastfeeding can continue "for as long mother and child desire."

She agreed that there are reasons direct breastfeeding is ideal -- and the new findings support that. But practically speaking, Meek added, many women have to pump.

"The lack of paid maternity leave policies in the U.S. can be a barrier for mothers who work outside the home," Meek said. "Certainly for those mothers, their [pumped] breast milk is still the next best thing to direct breastfeeding."

The findings, published online Sept. 24 in the journal Pediatrics, are based on more than 2,500 mother-infant pairs.

On average, the study found, babies who were still exclusively breastfed at 6 months had the healthiest weight by the age of 12 months. By comparison, babies who were no longer exclusively breastfed at 6 months had a threefold greater risk of being overweight by their first birthday.

However, when the researchers looked at moms' feeding methods, they found that babies given pumped breast milk tended to weigh a little more than those who fed from the breast.

It all suggests that direct breastfeeding is better for a "healthy weight trajectory," said Dr. Alison Holmes, a pediatrician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, N.H.

Like Meek, Holmes acknowledged the practical barriers. So she recommended that any time working moms are with their baby, they opt for the direct route rather than the bottle.

Holmes also pointed to a side benefit: "There's less time spent washing dishes."

The study also looked at the effects of solid food introduction on babies' weight. In general, it found, when babies started on solids before the age of 5 months, their weight gain was on the rapid side.

But there was no sign that introducing solids at 5 months, rather than 6 months, spurred especially quick weight gain.

"So introducing solids at that age may be OK, if that's what your baby wants," Azad said.

When it comes to starting solids, Holmes said, there seems to be a window that's best for babies' overall health.

"Introducing solid foods sometime after the 5-month mark, but before the 7-month mark is healthiest in terms of balancing the benefits of healthy weight gain, allergy prevention and infectious disease prevention," she said.

To Azad, the findings have implications not just for parents, but for policies on paid maternity leave.

"This is saying, you can't just give moms a breast pump and think you've solved the problem," Azad said.

More information

The AAP has more on breastfeeding.Share this: Twitter

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Lagos, Nigeria, August 16, 2012Unidentified gunmen today stormed a private television station owned by Gabons main opposition leader and burned down its transmitters, according to local journalists and news reports. It was the second armed attack on the broadcaster since 2009.

About 15 masked men armed with assault rifles and pistols subdued the five security guards at TV+ around 1 a.m. local time and set fire to the stations transmitters on the third floor of a building in Libreville, the capital, according to news reports.

Hours before the attack, TV+, owned by former Interior Minister Andre Mba Obame, had extensively covered violent clashes between security forces and Obames supporters, who are calling for the ouster of President Ali Bongo and the holding of a national conference to draft a new constitution, news reports said.

Frank Nguema, director-general of TV+, told CPJ the motive for the arson is not clear but said the armed men set the transmitters on fire and left without taking any property or injuring anyone. The station is preparing to file a formal complaint with police and the courts, Nguema said. The station is not broadcasting for now, he said.

We condemn the armed attack on TV+ and the sabotage of its transmitters as an act of political thuggery and censorship against an outlet critical of the government, said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita in New York. The Gabonese government must carry out a credible and transparent investigation or risk being suspected of involvement in the attack.

In a telephone interview with CPJ, Blaise Louembe, Gabons information minister, denied any knowledge of the attack. I confirm to you that I am not aware there was such an incident of fire or sabotage on TV+, he said. TV+ can also file a complaint which will ensure an investigation is carried out, Louembe added.

Hours before the attack, TV+ had experienced power cuts that disrupted its coverage of the clashes, and had resorted to generators to continue broadcasting, according to news reports.

In September 2009, gunmen knocked the station off the air by firing on its transmitters, according to CPJ research.Share this: Twitter

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The Committee to Protect Journalists, along with the organizations International Media Support, IFEX, and the International Senior Lawyers Project submitted an amicus curiae brief to the European Court of Human Rights in support of a legal complaint by Azerbaijani journalist and human rights advocate Emin Huseynov.

Huseynov, the director and co-founder of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety who is living in exile in Switzerland, lodged a complaint to the European Court in 2015 that argues that the Azerbaijani government illegally stripped him of citizenship in retaliation for his critical views.

The third-party intervention highlights how denationalization is used as a tool of political persecution and how deprivation of citizenship contributes to silencing dissenting voices in Azerbaijan, which is one of the worst jailers of journalists among the Courts members.

Azerbaijan is one of the worst jailers of journalists in the world. The repressive techniques that authorities there use against reporters and media activists, including Emin Huseynov and his brother, Mehman, currently jailed for his journalism in Azerbaijan, deserve international condemnation. We urge the Court to rule in favor of Emin Huseynov and send a strong signal that it will not tolerate abusive behaviors by member nations seeking to silence critical voices through means such as denationalization, said Gulnoza Said, CPJs Europe and Central Asia research associate, in the brief.

Read the full brief and press release here.Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched ambitious Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), under Ayushman Bharat umbrella at Ranchi, Jharkhand. The scheme aims to provide annual health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to 10.74 crore beneficiary families i.e. over 50 crore beneficiaries across India. It is touted as worlds largest healthcare scheme that will serve beneficiary population that equals 27-28 European countries and almost equal to population of Canada, Mexico and US put together. The scheme will become operational from September 25, 2018 i.e. on birth anniversary of Deendayal Upadhyay.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)

PMJAY is government-sponsored health insurance scheme, that will provide free coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year in any government or empanelled private hospitals all over India. It will cover beneficiaries families identified on the basis of Socio Economic Caste Survey (SECC) 2011 in 444 districts of 30 states/Union Territories.

Note: Telangana, Odisha, Kerala, Punjab and Delhi (UT) are the states which have still not signed MoUs for joining this schemes.

National Health Agency (NHA) is the apex body for implementing this scheme. States will be required to form State Health Agency (SHA) to implement scheme and at the district level also structure for its implementation will be set up. Around 13000 hospitals both public and private in the country have been coordinated for implementation of the scheme.

PMJAY will be funded with 60% contribution from Centre and remaining from the states. NITI Aayog will be working as partner for this scheme for operationalizing robust, modular and interoperable IT platform which will involve a paperless and cashless transaction.

Key Features of PMJAY

PMJAY is entitlement based scheme with entitlement decided on basis of deprivation criteria in the SECC database. There will be no cap on family size and age under this scheme. The benefit cover under it also includes pre and post-hospitalisation expenses.

It also takes into consideration all pre-existing medical conditions. It will provide reimbursement for bed charges and drugs and diagnostics two days before, during and 15 days after hospitalisation. Beneficiary will be also paid transport allowance for hospitalisation defined under it.

The payment for treatment will be done on package rate which will be defined by Government in advance basis. The package rates will include all costs associated with treatment. States and UTs have flexibility to modify these rates within limited bandwidth.

PMJAY allows national portability i.e. resident of any part of country is entitled for free hospitalization at empaneled hospital anywhere in the country. It will strengthen healthcare services in India by targeting poor and vulnerable population of the country.

The scheme allows beneficiary to take cashless benefits from any public or private empanelled hospitals across the country. ID documentation required for verifying beneficiary under this scheme may be Aadhaar card or election ID card or ration card. Aadhaar is not mandatory. Beneficiaries will QR codes having letters for verification through scanning.

Bangladesh: 22-day ban on ilish fishing from Oct 7

September 24,2018 | Source: Dhaka Tribune

There will be a ban on catching of all kinds of fish in the rivers of 37 districts during the period. The government has imposed a 22-day ban on catching, selling and transporting ilish in a 7,000-km breeding ground to ensure the safe spawning of this popular fish during its peak breeding period.



The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Task force formed to implement the Mother ilish protection campaign 2018 held on Sunday with Fisheries and Livestock Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda in the chair, reports UNB citing a PID handout. The objective of the restriction from October 7 to October 28 is to save mother ilish which lays eggs during the period.



There will be a ban on catching of all kinds of fish in the rivers of 37 districts during the period, the handout said. At the meeting, the minister urged all, including fishermen and fishermen's associations, to help make the countrywide program a success.West Bengal: 48 fishermen still missing in Bay

September 24,2018 | Source: New Age BD

At least 48 fishermen from Barguna and Patuakhali remained missing for four days since Thursday evening trawler owners and fishing community leaders expressed fears on Sunday that their fishing trawlers capsized in the Bay of Bengal during storm. They told New Age that 32 missing fishermen were from Barguna and 16 others from Patuakhali. Coast Guard officials told New Age that since receiving information about the missing fishermen from different places they launched rescue operations in the Bay.



Barguna district Fishermen-Trawler Owners Association president Golam Mostafa Chowdhury told New Age that at least 32 fishermen on three boats from Kalapara, Barguna remained missing. He said that 11 fishermen were on Fishing Boat Tanjila, four on FB Arman and 17 on board the FB Maa. Quoting his organization members, he said that at least nine fishing boats capsized in the deep sea near Fairway Boya, Narkelbaria and Dubla during Thursday nights storm.



He said that on Friday and Saturday fishermen rescued most of 99 fishermen floating in the bay 14 others from the channels passing through the Sunderbans. He said that some of the fishermen were rescued by the Coast Guard and the Bangladesh Navy. Mostafa said that contacted 39 fishermen who with their fishing boats were carried away to Kakdwip off Indias West Bengal coast.



He said that they told him that they were safe and in good health. New Age Correspondent in Patuakhali reported that 16 fishermen from the district on board three fishing trawlers were missing. He reported that eight of the missing fishermen were on board the Fishing Boat Nur, seven on FB Swapan and one was on the FB Sajeda. They are from villages in Kalapara upazila, Patuakhali, said Alipur-Mahipur Fish Traders Cooperative Society president Ansar Uddin Molla.

The missing fishermen on board FB Nur are Nur Islam, 30, Shahjahan, 36, Khaleq, 50, Nur Jamal, 28, Shahidul, 30, Rasel 25, Harun, 55 and Sabuj, 40, said Md Monirul Islam of Kalapara, the owner of the fishing boat.



The Cooperative Society president Ansar said that FB Sajeda was carrying 16 fishermen, 15 of whom were now at Pekuar Khal in West Bengal, India and the boat was missing with a fisherman. Coast Guard west zone staff officer for operations Lieutenant Zahid Al Hasan told New Age that all the five Coast Guard Stations in the Sunderbans were continuing the search for the missing fishermen.Bangladesh: Sanctuary extended for Sundarbans wildlife

September 24,2018 | Source: Dhaka Tribune

The biodiversity boundary of the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, has been extended. Experts think this move will help sustain and boost forest resources including wildlife, fisheries, and trees, reports UNB. The government has imposed a ban on the collection of wild resources from areas designated as 'sanctuaries' in the forest. The Forest Department has demarcated these sanctuary areas by colour-coding trees and blocking entrances to fishermen, Bawals, and Mowals.



The Sundarbans is the world's largest coastal mangrove forest, straddling the border of India and Bangladesh. The total area of the Sundarbans, in Bangare, is 6,017 sq km. According to a new notification issued by the government, over half of Bangladeshs Sundarbans is now designated as a sanctuary. This will go a long way toward protecting wildlife in the mangrove forest.



The 'sanctuary'-designated areas now comprise up to 317,950 hectaresover double the 139,699 hectares categorised as such two decades ago. In 1996, the government granted a 139,699-hectare area of the forest sanctuary status, covering 23% of the total area of the forest. Recently, the government issued a new notification on the expansion of sanctuary areas in different parts of the Sundarbans. Through this notification, another 178,260 hectares have been added to the existing sanctuary aggregate. That means over half of Bangladeshs Sundarbans has sanctuary status.



Forest Department sources said of the additional 178,000-odd hectares falling under sanctuary, 91,693 hectares has been added to Sundarbans East division, in Sarankhola; 38,339 hectares to Sundarbans South division, inKhulna; and a total of 48,216 hectares area has been added to Sundarbans West division, in Satkhira. Md Amir Hossain, forest conservationist of Khulna circle, said the government has banned the collection of forest resources from the sanctuary areas. This is to help increase the biodiversity of the forest including wildlife and trees.



The birth rates of wild animals ranging from the tiger to the deer, and all the birds and fish, will increase in the safe sanctuary, Amir Hossain predicted. Md Mahmudul Hasan, divisional forest officer of Sundarbans East, said the Forest Department has delimited the Sundarbans sanctuary areas.



Placards and signboards will be hanged at different points within the next two months. Nobody will be able to enter the sanctuary areas to collect forest resources, he said.



Meanwhile, the Sundarbans Protection project has been proposed, and is awaiting approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec). This project will help to engage people near the forest in alternative employment that is not dependent on the depletion of the forest's resources, he further said. Prof Mahmud Hossain at the forestry and wood technology department of Khulna University said expanding the sanctuary is good news for the Sundarbans as it will reduce "human pressure on the forest."



An end to the extraction of its resources is expected to precipitate a boon for the Sundarbans wildlife populations, trees, and water resources. The government will be faced with the challenge of providing alternative employment for the people who are dependent on the forest resources. However, forest-dependent traders, fishermen, Bawals, and Mowals are not happy with the further expansion of the protected area.



They said they already faced extreme poverty, when the sanctuary area of the Sundarbans was last expanded. Jalal Mollah, a fish trader of Sarankhola upazila, said he has no business due to the expansion of the sanctuary area in the Sundarbans. He and his boatload of fishermen could not catch anything with their nets as most of the rivers in the upazila are protected. A good number of fishermen have become unemployed and now they are searching for alternative employment, he added. Alamin Munshi of Khurialkhali village, and Phul Mia of Sarankhola village, relayed how they struggle to support their families; the fishing ban in expanded protected areas has stranded them with their fishing boats. . Their grievance, is not that large swathes of forest are being closed off to them, but rather, thatno alternative employment has been provided. The fishermen and others like them, who depend on the forests resources, now lack the means to live.Derrick Dearman, the man charged with killing 5 people, 1 of whom was a pregnant women, and kidnapping his estranged girlfriend and an unrelated infant, has been found guilty of 10 counts of capital murder, according to the Mobile County District Attorney's Office.





The jury recommended the death penalty, according to the DA's office.





Dearman was charged with 6 counts of capital murder and 2 of kidnapping, and entered an initial plea of not guilty on Aug. 31, 2016.





In March 2017, a grand jury indicted him on multiple counts of capital murder, both for murders committed during a burglary and a murder involving multiple victims.





Dearman pleaded not guilty to the charges in May 2017.





The bodies of 5 adults were found in an isolated home on a dirt road west of the Citronelle on Aug. 20, 2016.





Law enforcement officials allege Dearman entered the home in the early hours of the morning; attacked the sleeping residents using an axe and at least 1 firearm.





Police say he killed 5 adults including a pregnant woman; and kidnapped his estranged girlfriend and an unrelated infant, eventually freeing them after he took them to a relative's home in Mississippi.





Questions about Dearman's competency to stand trial arose and a change in council happened last fall, AL.com journalist Lawrence Specker reported.





Dearman objected to any mental evaluation, according to court filings from earlier this year.





Records also say that "At the present time, Mr. Dearman has not indicated that he will introduce evidence of this nature at trial and has not raised the issue of 'not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect,' his competency to stand trial or any claims regarding his intelligent quotient."

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"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 Chinese nanny has been executed after deliberately starting a fire that killed a mother and her 3 children in the eastern city of Hangzhou.





Mo Huanjing, 35, was sentenced to death for arson in February.





She had allegedly racked up significant gambling debts, and had hoped "saving" the family from the blaze would persuade them to lend her more money.





Instead, the fire in their 18th-floor apartment killed Zhu Xiaozhen and her children, aged 6, 9 and 11.





Lin Shengbin, her husband and the children's father, was away on business at the time of the crime in June 2017.





Mo, who used a lighter to start the blaze in the living room, escaped.





News of the execution provoked a huge reaction on Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, where Mr Lin told his 2.6 million followers: "The devil Mo Huanjing is finally executed."





"Hearing the news, my tears would not stop flowing," he wrote. "I called my parents. My mother listened and cried and said that everyone has waited too long for this day."





Mr Lin said that while he feels justice has been served, "the road ahead will be even harder", and shared a picture of his wife and children's graves.





Over 108,000 Weibo users commented on his post, many saying they had cried too or wishing him peace and good health.





The case has made national headlines in China since it first emerged, partly due to claims that firefighters had been slow to respond.





The fire brigade denied that, blaming low water pressure and the building's poor fire safety features.





The tragic nature of the crime has made the "Hangzhou Nanny Arson Case" a popular reference for pro-death penalty advocates in China.





When neighbouring Mongolia abolished capital punishment in July 2017, it was repeatedly cited by those who felt China should keep the death penalty.





China is believed to execute more people annually than any other country, but is highly secretive about the number.





Human rights group Amnesty International puts the figure in the thousands - more than the rest of the world's nations put together.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar WildeGillum's stance under question by Orange County family





The family of a murdered Orange County teen said they want to know more details about Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum's stance on the death penalty.





Gillum told WFOR-TV in August that he wants to temporarily suspend the death penalty in Florida if he's elected governor.





"Until we can come up some answers as to why it is that there seems to be in this state the racial bias when it comes to the application on the death penalty," he told the station.





"These are heinous crimes," Rafael Zaldivar said in response.





Zaldivar's 19-year-old son Alex was shot and killed in Orange County in 2012 by Bessman Okafor.





Okafor is now being resentenced after a Supreme Court decision requiring all death penalty cases to have a unanimous jury verdict.





Zaldivar said he doesn't want that possibility taken away.





"That's going to be a problem with not only for my son's case, Bessman Okafor, but we have the Markeith Loyd case and 26 other cases," he said.





Many of those cases were taken away from State Attorney Aramis Ayala by Gov. Rick Scott after she announced last year that she would not seek the death penalty in any case.





Since then, Ayala has made changes.





She said she will now consider whether the death penalty is appropriate in some cases using a panel of colleagues as the decision-makers.





She has also come out supporting Gillum in his bid for governor.





Gillum said he disagrees with Ayala on some topics, and he doesn't call himself a "death penalty opponent."





He said he just wants it to be carried out fairly.





"Justice delayed is not justice denied," he told WFOR. "Justice will be had here."





"I'm asking you, Mr. Gillum, personal question to you," Zaldivar said. "Are you for it or against it? If you win, are you going to give those cases back to Aramis Ayala? That's what I need to know."





Gillum's campaign staffers did answer that question after News 6 asked them Thursday.





Ayala's office also did not comment.





Gillum's Republican competitor, Ron DeSantis, also did not respond to a request for his stance on the death penalty, although DeSantis has supported legislation that included the death penalty as a sentence.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde9 prisoners were hanged at Adel Abad Prison in Shiraz on the charge of rape.





According to the state-run news agency, Mizan, on the morning of Saturday, September 22, 9 prisoners were executed at Adel Abad Prison in Shiraz.





The prisoners were sentenced to death on the charge of rape.





There is no information regarding the time of their arrest or the proceedings of their case, but according to the state-run media, the defendants were identified as Abdolkhaleq Safaiy, Ali Akbar Haqiqi, Ali Shah Alian, Hamidreza Safaiy, Behnam Roustaiy, Ehsan Safaiy, Mohammadreza Safaiy, Davoud Zareiy, and Mehdi Zamani.





According to the reports, the defendants sexually harass a woman in a villa, however, the reports mentioned that 3 women were harassed but the other 2 did not file a complaint.





A Brief Look at an Executed Political Prisoner's Case





Mohammad Abdollahi, a political prisoner, was hanged along with four other people at Urmia Central Prison in August 2016.





After 3 years, Iran Human Rights has obtained some pieces of evidence indicating multiple violations in the judicial proceedings of his case. We interviewed one of Mohammad Abdollahi's relatives under the pseudonym Ali. It should be noted that the burial place of the defendant has not been announced to his family yet.





Mohammad Abdollahi was shot and arrested by the Revolutionary Guards in Mahabad in March 2010.





One of his relatives, aka Ali, told IHR, "We went to Almahdi Detention Center several times but they told us that Mohammad was not there and threatened us not to look for him."





He added, "The Revolutionary Guards beat him badly while he was already injured and bleeding. His right hand, left leg, and three of his teeth broke under torture. Mohammad was interrogated and tortured in the solitary confinement for three months until he had internal bleeding and was transferred to Mahabad Prison."





Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that Mohammad Abdollahi had entered Iran along with some members of Komalah and was involved in an armed conflict that led to the murder of 3 police officers. However, Ali says, "Mohammad never admitted to involvement in the armed conflict, possession of any weapons, and cooperation with Komalah, the only thing they found on him was a membership card of Komalah. Nonetheless, he was sentenced to death on the charge of "Moharebeh and membership of Komalah" in September 2013."





He added, "His lawyers believed that he would be saved from death. He didn't even make a false confession under torture. But Judge Javadi Kia told him that he would do everything in his power to have him executed."





Mohammad Abdollahi was finally transferred to Urmia Central Prison after his verdict was issued in April 2014. He protested against the verdict and his case was investigated at branch 27 of the Supreme Court.





Mostafa Ahmadian, his appointed lawyer, had told HRANA news agency, "There are many problems with the case. My client wasn't treated with justice. He had never touched a gun."





Mr. Ahmadian explained, "We made an appeal and it was sent to the same court that had issued the death sentence while it should have been sent to a parallel court."





Finally, Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death again and the Supreme Court accepted the verdict.





Mohammad Abdollahi was executed along with 4 other prisoners, named Kamran Pourfat, Tohid Pourmahdi, Amir Azizi, Jahangir Razavizadeh, and Jebraeel Kanani at Urmia Central Prison on August 9, 2016.





Ali stated, "Judge Javadi Kia finally did what he wanted to do and got him executed...they told him to write a repentance letter but he refused and said that he hadnt done anything to repent of."





IHR has obtained some evidence that confirms there are no confessions or pieces of evidence in Mohammad Abdollahi's case proving the accusations - except for the claims of the security forces.





Now after 3 years, Mohammad Abdollahi's family don't know where his burial place is, although, they asked the authorities about it several times.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar WildeIndia's Ambassador to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin said: 'Terror is a perennial threat and will be addressed in strong terms at multiple forums.' (Photo: File)

Mumbai/New York: With the United Nations General Assembly high level week starting on Monday, increasing hostilities between India and Pakistan over issues including killing of Indian soldiers and policemen, and New Delhis decision to call-off the proposed foreign ministers meeting of both countries can only lead to some bitter dialogue.

India and Pakistan are to speak on Saturday as part of the UN General Assembly debate. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj will speak before Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

India's Ambassador to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin on Sunday said, "If somebody (Pakistan) else would like to be a one-trick pony, it is for them to regurgitate an act which we have handled many times in the past and are confident we will do so again."

India called off the talks on the sidelines of the UNGA accusing Pakistan and its newly-elected prime minister Imran Khan of "evil designs" after three policemen were kidnapped and killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmirs Shopian.

Not only this, Pakistan has also released stamps glorifying terrorist Burhan Wani, who was killed by Indian security forces in 2016 in Kashmir.

Read: Pak glorifies Burhan Wani, calls him freedom icon in postal stamps

Pakistan PM Imran Khan's caustic response, many believe, leave little room for further dialogues between the two nations that have been suspended since 2015.

"Disappointed at the arrogant and negative response by India to my call for resumption of the peace dialogue. However, all my life I have come across small men occupying big offices who do not have the vision to see the larger picture," tweeted Imran Khan.

Also Read: Small men in big offices lack vision, says Imran after India calls off talks

Dinesh Patnaik, Joint Secretary for the UN, Political, told the media in New York: "We will raise the issue of cross-border terrorism at the Global Counter Terrorism Strategy meeting. You will have to wait to see what the External Affairs Minister says but yes, it is a concern for us always."

Terror is a perennial threat and will be addressed in strong terms at multiple forums, Akbaruddin added.However, seeing his daughters struggling for life after they ate the poisoned food, he called the 108 ambulance and all three were rushed to Andhiyur government hospital.

Erode/ Namakkal: The stigma of 'HIV Aids' runs deeper in society for all the awareness campaign run by the government and NGOs'.

In a tragic episode late on Saturday night at a village near Andhiyur in Erode district, unable to bear the pain and depression from the late stage of the disease, 37-year-old Sikkaran, a daily wage worker of Merku Malai village near Baruhoor, mixed poison with food and gave it to his two daughters, before consuming it himself in a bid to end his life.

Police said Sikkaran, separated from his wife after the onset of HIV-Aids, took his two daughters- Sudha, 15, and Mekala, 10, to an Amman temple near Andhiyur where he sought to sniff out the lives of his two daughters before taking his life.

However, seeing his daughters struggling for life after they ate the poisoned food, he called the 108 ambulance and all three were rushed to Andhiyur government hospital. While Mekala died at the hospital last night not responding to treatment, Sikkaran and Sudha were sent to Erode government hospital. On Sunday, Sudha succumbed to the poison, even as her father battles for life there. Andhiyur police have registered a case of murder and suicide against Sikkaran.

In a similar suicide pact in neighbouring Namakkal district, a woman sanitary worker, Mahalakshmi, with her three daughters, sought to end their lives over a family issue with her husband, by consuming a concoction from crushed poisonous Arali (Ghanera) seeds on Sunday.

All four swooned at their home and neighbours rushed them to Namakkal government hospital where they are being treated.A book on Vietnamese firm Tan Hiep Phat has been praised as important material reflecting Vietnamese business culture.

Competing with giant, the first book by a Vietnamese author published by ForbesBooks, is co-authored by Tran Uyen Phuong, deputy CEO of the firm.

Justin Batt, chief revenue officer of ForbesBooks, said the story will help international businesspeople understand more about post-war Vietnam.

The book tells the story of Tan Hiep Phat, a Vietnamese firm established during the difficult times in the 1980s and 1990s, and its experience in competing with multinational giants.

Challenges for Vietnam's economy remain, but people like Tran Uyen Phuong are overcoming these difficulties to prove to the world that Vietnamese are not behind in catching up with global economic developments, Batt said.

The book is a story of a small business in Vietnam that has risen up to directly compete with giants, and "the world needs to hear that story," he added.

American author and speaker Deborah Toress Patel said she was impressed with the history of Vietnam told by the pictures of Vietnamese people in the 1980s and 1990s carried in the book.

American author and speaker Deborah Toress Patel and Tran Uyen Phuong.

Patel said she'd heard a lot about how the Vietnamese won the war and its consequences, creating so many difficulties for the Vietnamese people.

But they have overcome the past and strongly risen up with knowledge and courage.

Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, said that the book was more than a story of a business, it was a story about Vietnam's economy after the war.

Vietnamese businesses have been constantly growing and competing with the giants; and businesses like Tan Hiep Phat have contributed to the development of Vietnam, he said.

Quy said he hoped that more books on the Vietnamese economy would reach global readers, emphasizing Vietnam's position on the global trade map.

Family business

Other people said that building a business culture is one of the biggest lessons in the book.

Dr. Amit K. Trehan, a gastroenterologist in Texas, U.S., said that Phuong's story is not only about her family but the whole company staff.

Dr. Amit K. Trehan (middle), a gastroenterologist in Texas, U.S and Phuong's classmates in the Harvard's Owner/President Management (OPM) program.

Such corporate culture is not popular in Western countries and not many Eastern businesses can achieve it, he added.

Patel said readers can see the motivation to grow from a business where people are aiming in the same direction, like a family.

All members of the "family" believe that nothing is impossible and put their all in achieving big goal, she added.

All of Phuong's family members had to put a lot of effort in building that culture. Phuong and her father, Tran Qui Thanh, were in charge of business and social activities. Phuong's sister, Tran Ngoc Bich, was in charge of operations, and Phuong's mother, Pham Thi Nu, was always caring about employees' personal lives.

The publisher released 20,000 copies of the book on its debut. It is also available on Amazon.com.

Thanh said that he saw the book as proof that his daughter has grown to become a capable leader.

"My daughters did not understand why I was always strict and demanding. With what Phuong wrote in the book, I see that my daughter has become mature, understand the value that I try to build in the Tan Hiep Phat family," he said.

Phuong started writing the book after finishing her training at Harvard University in 2012. The book is co-authored by British journalist Jackie Horne and American economist John Kador.Ejj Jewellery is a top brand that has become the first firm in Hong Kong to print out creative 3D designs to make affordable jewelry.

Designer Elaine Shiu had never thought of opening a jewelry business until she worked as an interpreter at an international jewelry conference in Hong Kong.

After a year, she decided to quit her job to start her own company. She was the CEO of Shanshu Jewelry, which focuses on selling jewelry made from precious corals, from 2010-2015.

Ejj Jewellery is Elaine Shius second company, started with two others. Her partners are responsible for business development and marketing, while Elaines focus is on researching designs and creating new products.

She searched for new material and focused on application of digitization. In 2017, Ejj launched jewelry products created with a 3D printer, becoming the first brand in Hong Kong to utilize this new technology in jewelry making. It took her a year of study, research and experimenting before the creation of the first product.

The company started with the aim of conquering the Hong Kong and China markets. To compete with individual designers, as well as top jewelry corporations, Elaine Shiu opted for product diversification. A special feature of Ejj is that the shine of Italian silver jewelry depends not on the gemstones, but on the cutting technique.

A bracelet made with the 3D printer has a unique color and design.

Before the product is loaded into a specialized printer, it is designed entirely through digital graphic applications like Autodesk Fusion 360, SketchUp and Rhinoceros. This allows Elaine to fine-tune every detail, control the parameter as well as the size of the product so that it suits many customers.

Then, the design is entered into the 3D printer to create shape, and color according to pre-determined settings. After finishing this part of the process, the products surface is treated and added gems to create highlights. Thanks to the elasticity of the material, finished products like bracelets can be easily adjusted to fit the size of the wearer by lightly squeezing it 1-2 times.

With the application of technology and reducing the manual process, the product price, ranging from HKD 750 to HKD 1,500 (equivalent to USD 96 - USD 192), is quite reasonable and suitable for young people.

Elaine also uses 3D printers to create innovative designs for silver and gold jewelry, shortening production time but still able to deliver unique designs.

A stylish 3D ring design from Ejj.

"Jewelry made with 3D printers is still a new thing, and even though it has not been received as well as the traditional products, sales are still impressive compared to our companys initial expectations. We're confident that this product line will grow due to its unique advantages," said Elaine Shiu.

For achieving breakthroughs in the use of new material and designs, Ejj was honoured with the "Hong Kongs Most Innovative Jeweler 2017" award. Elaine Shiu also received the "Asia-Pacific Enterprenuer of the Year 2017" award, given by NGO Enterprise Asia.

Ejj Jewellerys products are being distributed through Design Gallery chains managed by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). The brand has also extended its reach to major cities in mainland China, including Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chengdu and Chongqing.

Elaine Shiu took her products to In Style  Hong Kong Exhibition, held in HCMC on September 20th-21st.

In 2017, Ejj successfully cooperated with luxury hotel group Banyan Tree in Bangkok, Thailand. Currently, the company has started negotiations or franchising, which has the potential to raise the number of its stores to hundreds. Elaine Shiu also lists Vietnam as a market with high potential, given its population of more than 90 million and many similarities with Thailand.

On September 20-21, Ejj Jewelry was officially available in Vietnam via the In Style - Hong Kong Exhibition.

Elaine Shiu said that she hopes to find a right partner to expand her market.

Bao AnHong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan at the In Style Hong Kong Expo held at the GEM Center in Saigon last Thursday. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa

Vietnamese firms can overcome their internal limitations by doing business in and with Hong Kong, experts say.

Paul Chan, Hong Kongs financial secretary, said the territory presents many business opportunities that Vietnamese firms can tap in order to expand their markets in Asia and other continents.

Addressing the In Style Hong Kong Expo held in Saigon last Thursday, he also said that Hong Kong can help Vietnamese companies overcome internal limitations and take their products to the global marketplace.

This process will be facilitated by the ASEAN-Hong Kong-Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA) and the ASEAN-Hong Kong-Investment Agreement (AHKIA), signed last year, he said. The agreements will come into force on January 1, 2019.

The agreements will promote stronger economic relations between Hong Kong and Vietnam, facilitating the flow of goods, services and investments," he said.

Prominent Hong Kong business leaders including Jonathan K.S. Choi of the Sun Wah Group, Dr John Cheh of Esquel Group, Wallace Lam of banking giant HSBC and others also highlighted how Hong Kong can facilitate the business expansion of Vietnamese companies.

I look forward to cooperating more closely with a country that is leader in rice and coffee exports. Sunwah is ready to become a support channel if any Hong Kong brands want to enter this market," Jonathan K.S. Choi said.

Vincent HS Lo, chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, said he believes that Vietnam is a bright spot in the world economy, with dynamic enterprises having great growth potential.

Anthony Lau, Chairman of Pacific Air Hong Kong, also emphasized that Vietnamese enterprises cooperating with Hong Kong will benefit from modern logistics knowhow.

Hong Kong ranks Vietnam its largest export market in ASEAN and 6th in the world.

In 2017, total bilateral trade between Vietnam and Hong Kong reached $18.11 billion, rising 11.7 percent over the previous year.

According to the Foreign Investment Department, Hong Kong was sixth largest FDI provider for Vietnam last year, with registered capital of $17.7 billion.A fully budded marijuana plant at a marijuana store is seen in a file photo by Reuters.

A Vietnamese man has been sentenced to five years in jail for cultivating cannabis and stealing electricity.

Ngoc Tuyen Nguyen, 28, turned six rental properties in several suburbs of Perth city, Western Australia into cannabis houses in 2016 and 2017, The West Australian reported Monday.

Nguyen and his accomplices also interfered with the properties power meters to steal about $151,000 worth of electricity.

Australian police found 569 cannabis plants worth around $750,000 last year in the six properties.

Nguyen pleaded guilty to 11 charges, including cultivating cannabis with intent to sell and supply and fraudulent use of power. He faces deportation after hes released from prison.

These types of cannabis growing operations in residential areas pose a significant risk to the community, said Judge Michael Gething of the District Court of Western Australia.

He ordered Nguyens sentence backdated to July last year.

Nguyen came to Australia in 2007 to study English, and has overstayed his visa.

Australia is fairly relaxed about cannabis use. In February 2016 the Federal Government passed laws to legalize medicinal cannabis to treat patients with painful and chronic conditions with products imported from overseas.

It has also given the green light for licensed companies to legally import, store and sell the drug until domestic production meets local needs.

But cannabis is still illegal in Vietnam, and its cultivation is punishable by up to seven years in jail.A sex worker waits for customers, as seen in a file photo by Reuters.

Two Vietnamese nationals were arrested in Brunei Friday over suspicions they were engaged in commercial sex work.

Ngo Thi Hien, 31, and Huynh Ngoc Thuan, 22 were arrested in two separate hotels in Bruneis Tutong District and capital city Bandar Seri Begawan, respectively, the Borneo Bulletin reported.

The two suspects will be detained by the Gambling Suppression and Anti-Vice Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation, the report said.

Last month, nine Vietnamese were among a group of 24 women arrested in an anti-prostitution raid in Malaysias Melaka state.

In February, ten Vietnamese migrant workers were arrested in Taiwans Greater Taipei area on suspicion of engaging in sex work.

Vietnam reported 670 human trafficking victims last year, down almost half from 1,128 in 2016.

Most victims were uneducated women and children from poor areas who were sold to men seeking wives in other Asian countries, or just to bear children, or work as prostitutes there.The messaging app Zalo of Vietnamese tech giant VNG was inaccessible for 12 hours on Sunday. Photo by VnExpress

Many Vietnamese online newspapers went offline Sunday as a tech giant reportedly failed to deal with a scheduled power cut.

The newspapers hit reportedly included the popular Thanh Nien, Tien Phong, Sai Gon Giai Phong, Voice of Vietnam, Zing, and Bao Moi, all of which use the ePi content management system hosted on VinaData, a data center owned by tech company VNG.

According to an email VinaData sent to its clients, the disruption  which began at 9 a.m. -- was due to a power cut at Quang Trung Software City (QTSC) in HCMC, where the data center is located.

In addition to the news sites, VNG services such as music player application Zing MP3, messaging application Zalo, online television service Zing TV, payment gateway ZaloPay, and VNG's online games also became inaccessible.

After power supply resumed, the online newspapers and Zing's services came back on at around 4:30 p.m. But Zalo, ZaloPay and VNG's online games remained inaccessible as of 11 p.m. Sunday.

VNG's services are widely used in business and communication.

Speaking to the media Sunday afternoon, Nguyen Tan Hung, public relations chief of the Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation, said the fault lay with VNG since it was a scheduled power cut and QTSC had been informed five days earlier.

Hung claimed the blackout occurred due to an issue with VNG's backup power generator.

But a tech firm spokesperson refused to comment on this.

According to security expert Nguyen Hong Phuc, it is "unacceptable" for such issues to occur at a data center just because of a power cut.

"Electricity, network and cooling system are the three bases of a data center and the reason customers use its service instead of hosting their servers at home.

"The time it takes to carry out maintenance or resolve incidents such as power cuts shows the capability and quality of a center. If the downtime is one minute then it's normal, five minutes is a big issue and 30 minutes to one hour is unacceptable."

Many users of VNG services have expressed frustration.

"I could not contact my customers on Zalo, I missed a lot of work," said Bich Huyen, who works for an insurance company in Hanoi. Zalo is a top messaging app in Vietnam and Huyen said it has been her main contact tool.

Duc Huy, who was paying his electricity bill via ZaloPay when the service was disrupted on Sunday, was worried that his payment had not gone through. "I'm not sure if I would get a refund," said Huy from Ho Chi Minh City.

The incident Sunday is the second time this year that VNG has been hit by a systemic problem. Last April detailed personal information of over 163 million Zing ID account owners were leaked on an online forum.Indian navy forces at Tien Sa Port in Vietnam's central city of Da Nang during a visit in May, 2018. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong

India is thought to have an important role in the Pacific region given the decline of U.S. influence and the emergence of China.

"The rise of India's economic and military power opens the possibility that the country could fill the void left by the U.S., Dr Sinderpal Singh of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore told a conference in Hanoi last week.

But he expressed doubts about India's ability to meet the expectations of other countries that have the same objectives as he analyzed the strategic differences between India and the U.S. at the Indias rise and its impact on regional security architecture conference.

First of all, while the U.S. looks at East Asia and the Indian and Pacific Oceans as major pillars in its strategy, India has a bigger view, asserting that those pillars must include the Indian Ocean and Africa.

This has led to differences between the two, Singh said.

For instance, India believes that Iran plays a key role in ensuring security in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, but the U.S. does not agree with that.

Secondly, the U.S. supports India in expanding its influence in East Asia, but India puts East Asia below South Asia in terms of strategic interet, he said.

And last but not least is the difference in their viewpoints about the South China Sea, known in Vietnam as the East Sea.

In 2016 India had refused to undertake joint naval patrols with the U.S. in the waters partly because its laws did not dovetail with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Besides, India did not want to be a part of the maritime sovereignty disputes between China and Southeast Asian countries in the East Sea, where China has already spelled out its interests. Since China has already acknowledged Indias interests in the Bay of Bengal, it expects India to do the same in the East Sea.

Singh pointed out that India always wants to maintain an inclusive regional order, and while security in the region is still unclear with the overlap of too many institutions, including the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Regional Forum, and ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, India does not want to alienate China but instead keep the relationship stable.

Professor Gundre Jayachandra Reddy of the Center for Southeast Asian and Pacific Studies at Sri Venkateswara University in India said while projecting influence in the Pacific Ocean would help promote its image and allow it greater initiative, India should become a South Asian power first before trying to become a global power.

In fact, India faces a series of internal problems, he said.

For now, the country is not too different from other developing countries, with a large population and low per capita income.

Despite its economic growth, India's human development, healthcare and education are still underdeveloped, and its information technology sector does not stand out compared to those of other South Asian peers, he said.

The current trend shows that a country that makes more investment in other countries are the "big guys," and in this India is clearly one step behind China.

India's role is not prominent in the international arena because of such problems. So India needs to be prepared to show its important and strategic global role, Reddy said.

The world is changing from being politics-oriented to economy-oriented. If major countries used to show off their power by fighting wars with smaller ones in the past, these days a nation is considered powerful only when it makes big investments in other countries.

Reddy said India has insisted on protecting its maritime freedom and expressed the wish to ensure security and peace in the region and the world.

At the same time the country has never tried to project itself as an emerging power, he added.

Shri Ajaneesh Kumar, deputy general director of the Indian Council of World Affairs, said the Indian navy would play a bigger role in the country's cooperation with other nations, given that China has increased its maritime influence.

Parvathaneni Harish, Indias Ambassador to Vietnam, said his country attaches great importance to its maritime interests because it has a 7,500-kilometer (4,700 miles) coastline, 1,200 islands and an exclusive maritime economic zone that stretches 2.4 million square kilometers (over 593 million acres).

Indias viewpoint is that all countries are equal in the use of public space at sea or in the air. India promotes freedom of navigation, unhindered trade and peaceful settlement of disputes under international laws.

India does not look at the Indo-Pacific region as a group of countries that are considering ways to suppress or fight each other, said the ambassador.

ASEAN would remain the center of this region in future when countries seek opportunities for cooperation, securing peace and creating a security architecture.

Regional connectivity initiatives, in addition to building infrastructure, also need to build trust based on the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, negotiations, transparency, feasibility, and sustainability.

"Those kinds of connections should boost trade and not encourage competition. It should help every nation become stronger rather than create bigger debts for some countries, Harish said.

Cu Chi Loi, director of the Institute of American Studies at the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences, said China is now very powerful economically and militarily, and countries in the Asia-Pacific region should be cautious when assessing the China-U.S. relationship to avoid making wrong moves.

If the Cold War returns, it would be a tragedy for all.The visually impaired have a lot more potential than people might commonly think of them.

Hong Phuc, a journalist

She was all of 10 years old when Men was abandoned by her mother in front of the Saigon Central Post Office in District 1.

Men was also blind.

After hours, her heart-rending cries caught the attention of the local police. They took her to a nursing home near the Thi Nghe Bridge in Binh Thanh District.

Men stayed there for two years, before moving to the Blind Association of HCMC in the same district. Shes been living there for 26 years now.

Her days in the associations dormitory were peaceful, revolving around a single bed and a pet cat named Quay. But Men wanted more.

She decided to start her own handicraft business. Stuffed animals, handbags, key chains, artificial flowers... she could make many things.

Her work is so remarkably meticulous that even people with sight would have a hard time imitating it.

She asked me how to post pictures of her works online. She has a Facebook account for her business, naturally, but for the last two years, no one bought any of her products. So she said she needed a different business strategy.

I asked to see some of the pictures and product descriptions, but she didnt have much to show. After all, its hard to take photos when you cant see anything. She has to rely on other people to help her.

Men said it was difficult to do business in her small room, so shes been saving up to move out. She has stashed away about VND2 million ($89) now, saved from her days of selling lottery tickets.

I didnt have the heart to tell her that its impossible to find a place in Saigon to both live and do business at VND2 million a month.

Vietnam has approximately three million blind people at present.

The employment rate for the blind, according to some institutions, is roughly 20 percent. They mostly sell lottery tickets, provide massages, or beg for a living.

But several of these jobs are more suited to males. Blind women face many difficulties when interacting with society, since they are much more vulnerable to bullying or harassment. So many of them prefer to stay at home, rather than go out on the streets.

I dont know why people assume that visually impaired people are limited in what they can do. Ive heard their singing, tasted their cooking, and seen them do housework. They are just as capable as any of us.

A visually impaired individual reads using the Braille system. Photo by AFP

Just wont do

The government does have policies and institutions designed to support more vulnerable members of our society, but these are nowhere near effective enough to provide them a stable career where they can do well and stand on their own.

More importantly, the assistance offered is based on the assumption that the more vulnerable people, like the blind, cant do most jobs done by those who are not.

With this mindset that they are limited, somehow, people with visual disabilities in Vietnam are only taught simple jobs that generate little value and income.

So teaching them how to give massages seems to be the bread-and-butter option in many career orientation programs for the blind in our country.

So thats it? They should join us in accepting that certain easier tasks are all that they can do? They should accept our assumptions, and that of the government, that if they can barely get by, it is enough?

It is high time we realized that it is not the blind peoples handicap that deprives them of a better life, but societys blindness and bias.

A 2008 report from the International Labor Organization of HCMC and the northern province of Quang Ninh said that after participating in career orientation programs, over 50 percent of blind people surveyed wanted to start their own business.

But whos going to give them funds? Or advice? Logistical support? Whos going to do all that, if society still regards the blind as helpless people only suited to manual labor?

Theres more

Blind people arent the only people excluded from Vietnams startup zeitgeist. The same goes for farmers, ethnic minorities, people with other disabilities and many other population segments. The biggest handicap that these groups of people face is the low expectations that society has of them.

Men has experienced this first-hand. Some people have taken notice of her condition and offered her cash and other gifts. But she knows that their kind gestures come from pity, not because they acknowledge the value of her works.

That knowledge still hurts her.

What Men and her brethren need more than kindness is the opportunity to prove themselves professionally, to showcase their talents and to make the world see that they too exist.

The other day, a motorbike taxi driver refused to receive VND25,000 from Men, despite her saying that she had enough to pay. At that moment, she just wanted to say: I dont need your money. I just need a decent job.

But let him be, she thought. People love the feeling of satisfaction they get when helping someone less fortunate than them, she said.

Mens going to move out once the monsoon season ends. Ill do so by the end of this year. But first, I have to focus on my business.

*Hong Phuc is a Vietnamese journalist. The opinions expressed are her own.Tourists rappel down a cliff at the Datanla Waterfalls in Da Lat. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Loc

Lam Dong Province has decided to suspend adventure tours and services at the Datanla Waterfalls.

The suspension followed the death of a young South Korean man at the waterfall last Saturday.

Nguyen Thi Nguyen, director of the Central Highlands province's tourism department, said Sunday that the Datanla Waterfalls management has been told to suspend jumps and other adventure activities at the waterfall, the Thanh Nien (Youth) newspaper reported.

Datanla, which is around five kilometers from downtown Da Lat, is a popular destination for adventure seekers in the resort city.

Jang Won Seok, 23, died on Saturday afternoon after he jumped off a waterfall there, from a height of around nine meters. The accident is being investigated.

Nguyen said tourism authorities will inspect operational processes and safety level of adventure tours at the waterfall.

Safety has become a matter of concern around Da Lat's waterfalls of late, with several accidents injuring or killing visitors in recent years.

Last year, a Polish tourist and a Vietnamese tour guide fell to their deaths while climbing down a waterfall in Da Lat. A local travel firm was later fined VND100 million ($4,380) for organizing the unlicensed tour in which the fatal accident took place.

In 2016, three British tourists died while climbing the Datanla waterfalls with an unauthorized tour guide.

Da Lat welcomed around 3.38 million tourists in the first half of this year, including 245,000 foreigners, up 20 percent from a year ago.Taking lots of time and effort, the people in this village is keeping the handcrafting mats alive.

Mat making in Dinh Yen village in the southern province of Dong Thap was recognized as an intangible national heritage in 2013.

Some 3,000 people there were involved in making mats for generations. They grow the sedge they require to make the mats along the Hau River.

It was in the 1920s that mat making emerged as a profession in Dinh Yen. Without enough raw materials back then, villagers had to source them from nearby provinces. The peak was achieved in the 1980s when the villages products were exported to Thailand, Cambodia and East European countries.

Nowadays villagers use machines to reduce the time taken to make mats though the details on them are still completely made by hand.

There are many skilled artisans still working in the village. According to a long-time mat maker, to make a mat requires careful selection of materials and drying them in the sun for an hour before putting in a hot dye.

After the dyeing the materials are put in the sun again, weaved, trimmed and put again for a few hours under the sun.

Visitors coming to Dinh Yen Village are fascinated by the colorful mats they see all over the place.

Red, green, yellow, and purple are the main colors used and you can see them almost everywhere in Dinh Yen.

A pair of beautifully handcrafted mats is sold for VND25,000-50,000 ($1.1  2.1), depending on the size and variety.

In the past villagers used to sell their mats at the Dinh Yen Market at night, but not anymore.A logo of Mitsubishi Electric Corp is pictured at CEATEC (Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies) JAPAN 2016 at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan, October 3, 2016. Photo by Reuters

A growing number of Asian manufacturers of products are moving to shift production from China to other factories in the region.

Companies including SK Hynix of South Korea and Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba Machine Co. and Komatsu of Japan began plotting production moves since July, when the first tariffs hit, and the shifts are now under way, company representatives and others with knowledge of the plans told Reuters. Others, such as Taiwanese computer-maker Compal Electronics and South Koreas LG Electronics, are making contingency plans in case the trade war continues or deepens.

The company representatives and other sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The quick reactions to the U.S. tariffs are possible because many large manufacturers have facilities in multiple countries and can move at least small amounts of production without building new factories. Some governments, notably in Taiwan and Thailand, are actively encouraging companies to move work from China.

The United States imposed 25 percent duties covering $50 billion of Chinese-made goods in July, and a second round of 10 percent tariffs covering another $200 billion of Chinese exports will come into effect next week. The latter rate will jump to 25 percent at the end of the year, and Trump has threatened a third round of tariffs on $267 billion of goods, which would bring all of Chinas exports to the United States into the tariff regime.

The tariffs threaten Chinas status as a low-cost production base that, along with the appeal of the fast-growing China market, drew many companies to build factories and supply chains in the country over the past several decades.

At SK Hynix, which makes computer memory chips, work is under way to move production of certain chip modules back to South Korea from China. Like its U.S. rival Micron Technology, which is also moving some memory-chip work from China to other Asian locations, SK Hynix does some of its packaging and testing of chips in China, with the chips themselves mostly made elsewhere.

There are a few DRAM module products made in China that are exported to the United States, said a source with direct knowledge of the situation, referring to widely used dynamic random-access memory chips. SK Hynix is planning on bringing those DRAM module products to South Korea to avoid the tariff hit.

Most of SK Hynixs production wont be affected, the source added, since Chinas dominance in computer and smartphone manufacturing makes it by far the largest market for DRAM chips.

Toshiba Machine Co says it plans to shift production of U.S.-bound plastic moulding machines from China to Japan or Thailand in October.

The machines are used for making plastic components such as automotive bumpers. Weve decided to shift part of our production from China because the impact of the tariffs is significant, a spokesman said.

Mitsubishi Electric, meanwhile, says it is in the process of shifting production of U.S.-bound machine tools used for metal processing from its manufacturing base in Dalian, in northeastern China, to a Japanese plant in Nagoya.

In Taiwan, an executive at notebook PC maker Compal, who declined to be named, said the trade wars impact had been limited so far, but the company was studying its options.

We can also use facilities in Vietnam, Mexico and Brazil as alternatives, the person said. It wont be easy because our majority production is in China; no other country can replace that at this moment.

Smaller companies are exploring their options too. South Korean medical equipment manufacturer IM Healthcare, which makes products including air purifiers, is studying a move to Vietnam or South Korea if the trade conflict intensifies, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Some Asian governments hope for an economic and strategic boost from the U.S.-China conflict. In Taiwan, the government is actively encouraging companies to move production out of China, pledging last month to speed up its existing Southbound Policy to reduce economic reliance on China by encouraging companies to move supply chains to Southeast Asia.

Taiwan economics ministry official William Liu told Reuters that the trade war was a challenge and an opportunity for the self-ruled island. Taiwan depends on China as an export market, he noted, but at the same time could see a boost in jobs from companies moving operations back home.

Thailand also hopes to benefit from the flow of technology and investment leaving China during the trade war, said Kanit Sangsubhan, Secretary-General of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office of Thailand, which is coordinating a $45 billion project to attract investment into the country. The EEC last month took some 800 representatives of Chinese companies on a tour around the eastern industrial heartland, and the countrys Board of Investment has done seven roadshows in China this year to woo investors.Ukraine loses up to EUR 750 mln in taxes every year because of tax evasion  German media

The findings of this study will be made public on Monday, September 24.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterThe lack of buyers in the market has resulted in almost daily losses for the price of a Ukrainian kernel, as sellers attempt to remain price competitive.

Ukrainian corn is expected to slide to below $160/mt, possibly as low as $150/mt in the next few weeks, as it struggles to compete with U.S. corn on price, sources said.

The competitiveness of U.S. corn has kept the arbitrage route from the U.S. to buyers in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia open.

The lack of buyers in the market has resulted in almost daily losses for the price of a Ukrainian kernel, as sellers attempt to remain price competitive.

Ukrainian corn, as assessed by S&P Global Platts, has shed $30.50/mt in the last five weeks.

"I'm pessimistic about the market. Some Ukrainian exporters still don't have an export program in place. Silos will remain plugged for much of the year," a source said.

U.S. corn has been driving lower prices due to expectations of another large harvest this marketing year as well as escalating trade tensions with China.

The growing trade tensions have signaled that Chinese tariffs of 25% will remain on U.S. corn and U.S. soybean for some time to come.

As soybean and corn farmers typically store both commodities together, the growing carry attached to soybeans has pushed more farmers to sell their corn on the market as they opt to store soybean in anticipation of a higher future price amid limited storage capacity.

Similarly, ethanol production waivers for small oil refineries in the U.S. have reduced demand for corn crushing, thus adding to domestic supplies.

However, due to the weak price of corn, some ethanol crushing is going at full capacity as the lower price of the feedstock means margins still work.

Moreover, in addition to weak demand, Ukraine is likely to see a bumper corn crop.

The most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture WASDE report forecasts 2018-19 production of 31 million mt, with exports forecast at 25 million mt.

"Ukraine will need to export 20-25 million mt of corn this [marketing] year," a source said, adding that under current conditions this will be incredibly difficult because prices will have to drop further for Ukraine to sell.

Should the EU place a levy on Ukrainian corn as it has previously done, this will likely squeeze Ukrainian corn margins further, a source said.

This is important because corn distributors suffer from high logistical cost premiums due to insufficient infrastructure in the country.

Logistical tightness can be best represented by the price surge of over $40/mt through Q1 2018 as demand came in droves from the EU and China.

However, the EU is unlikely to apply another levy. The drought and heat of the summer punished many corn crops. The USDA forecasts the EU 2018-19 corn crop at nearly 2 million mt, with imports at 19.5 million, up from 18 million the previous marketing year.

Despite the gloomy short-term picture, many are hopeful that tighter overall global supply and demand fundamentals will absorb any excess corn in the long run.



well, not exactly next upthe intervening speaker, Dr. Shen Changyu , Commissioner, National Intellectual Property Administration of the Peoples Republic of China, delivered his address in Chinese and this Kat unfortunately had no access to a simultaneous translation

This Kat has taken a less enthusiastic view than Mr. Lossingnol on this point, but the difference of view between us is for another time.

There was a time when national IP offices were cozy little operations, dealing with the registration of patents, trademarks and designs. Various national offices did a better or worse job at this, but all agreed- the task of the IP office was .well, mostly technical and administrative. No one came looking for guidance on how the fruits of protected IP was meant to filter through the greater world of business and industry.No more. While not the stuff of racy headlines, one of the most important dynamics running through the IP world is how national IP offices are coming to terms with this expanded role, easily defined in the abstract, but surprisingly challenging to implement.Against this backdrop, this Kat felt the undercurrents of uncertainty that characterized the First Plenary Session (Anchoring Innovation: The Future of IP Organisations) of the 2018 edition of Singapores nonpareil IPWeek @ SG . This Kat was not able to attend this year, but the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has been kind enough to provide streamed tapes of various sessions. If other sessions challenge this Kat as much as this one did, he will be in for one exciting IP ride.First, we offer a brief feline summary, which featured senior IP officials from various national IP offices as well as the president-elect of the International Trademarks Association (INTA), whose activities in interfacing with national and international IP offices are so wide in scope that they confer a quasi-governmental feel to the organization.The initial speaker was Mr. Andrei Iancu , Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director United States Patent and Trademark Office. Mr. Iancu took the audience back to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and Chicago Columbian Exposition , which in his words ushered in the modern world of technology. His focus was on the race over who would provide the lighting for the event? On the one hand, there was Thomas A. Edison and his invention of direct electrical current, on the other, the development of alternating current, by Nikola Tesla (the inventor, not the car), supported by George Westinghouse. As noted by Mr. Iancu, Westinghouse (and Tesla) won the bid.For Mr. Iancu, what we learn from this story is that the patent system both encourages invention as well as patent design around, both of which are integral parts. But in todays world, the outcome of the war over electrical currents and the role of patent protection in that contest, are not enough. Now, the USPTO is equally(?) focused on how to incentivize invention (read: innovation), although specifics offered were few, other than to emphasize the role of education.Next up was Mr. Daren Tang , Chief Executive, Intellectual Property Office of Singapore [].Mr. Tang stated at the outset that IPOS is engaged in more than mere registration. Keeping with the overall theme of IPWeek @ SG, Ideas to Assets: Connecting Markets Through IP, Mr. Tang then talked at length about the various actors and stakeholders in the Singapore IP ecosystem, and how IPOS was constantly seeking to reach out to them against the backdrop of innovation and providing the right incentives. His emphasis was on the dynamic nature of the task: Singapore as a market and economy is morphing, and so it was incumbent on IPOS to continually evolve to serve these market needs. Following Mr. Tang, the audience received the words of Mr. David Lossignol , President-Elect, International Trademark Association. The challenge for Mr. Lossignol was how to place this IP trade association within the framework of the subject of the session. He did so by emphasizing that INTA is more than an organization dedicated to trademarks (read: registration); it is a body dedicated to protecting and promoting brands.As such, INTA was continuously going beyond the bounds of mere trademarks to include other legal rights (such as copyright and design), reflecting the wider scope of brands and branding. In this way, without going into detail, the message from Mr. Lossingnol is: innovation can contribute to brands, and brands can contribute to innovation. [Returning to Southeast Asia, the podium was then graced by the presence of Dr. Freddy Harris , the Director General of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia, and currently the Chairman of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property. Dr. Harris devoted notable attention to the developments that have been implemented by his national IP office to improve the quality of customer engagement, presumably with the countrys IP registry. He also made the intriguing point of stressing how a country at its stage of development, such as Indonesia, should pay special attention to what he termed simple innovation, leaving complex innovation for such places as the U.S.The final speaker was Madame Naoko Munakata , Commissioner, Japan Patent Office. Madame Munakata chose to emphasize the activities in which the JPO was engaged in attempting reach out more to the increasing entrepreneurial interest being shown by the nations youth. In this vein, the fast-tracking of patents in certain areas can be of help, as well of being of more assistance to the countrys SMEs. More broadly, the JPO was paying close attention to Japans innovation cycle, with the focus on the needs of its users.This Kat, in reflecting on these various presentations, was struck by the diversity of approach, nuanced as they were, about how each of them is trying to find its role beyond traditional prosecution.The two large, long-standing IP offices, namely the U.S. and Japan, seem still to be seeking to find their respective paths in achieving this expanded goal. Mr. Iancu choose to focus on the historical example of the electric current war, presenting the dynamics of this technical competition in terms of the role of the patent system. Madame Munakata, on the other hand, in measured terms, downplayed the registration function of the JPO, focusing on specific steps that the JPO is taking steps to better reach out to users.Dr. Harris was, in some sense, clearer on how his national IP registry views its current task. Getting the registration function right was still primary. Where innovation is concerned, he was realistic about what can be expected: innovation, yes, but of a certain scope.Which leaves us with Mr. Tangs enthusiastic description of how his national IP office is reaching out to multiple stake holders and actors in the promotion of innovation and the continued growth and development of the Singapore market (in his words, to Singapore; from Singapore).There are two challenging questions that emerge from from Mr. Tang's words. First, is the Singapore model something other national IP offices should be aspiring to? And even if the answer is, in principal, yes, are the dynamics of Singapore so tied to its unique settingsize, commercial openness, strategic location, governmental efficiency, educational system and development of its human capital, that any such aspiration will need to be tempered by these realities?Maybe the 2019 version of IPWeek @ SG will delve more deeply into these questions.By Neil WilkofPhoto on lower right by chensiyuan and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International licenseSpanish Foreign Affairs Minister Josep Borrell. EFE

The future of Gibraltar after Brexit, when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, requires a negotiating strategy with clear objectives from the Spanish government. The final Brexit pact must set down a series of measures to improve conditions in the area, including the labor conditions of the 10,000 Spanish workers who cross into the British offshore territory from neighboring Campo de Gibraltar every day, the environment (pollutants discharged by Gibraltar affect Algeciras Bay), tobacco smuggling and tax evasion.

Spain has a big advantage that the government should exploit to all lengths: the right to veto

As international organizations have recognized, Gibraltar is a de facto tax haven, and this situation cannot go on any longer.

The government seems to be aware that these are the main issues that need to be negotiated. This, however, means putting on hold  but not forgetting  talks over joint sovereignty, which will have to wait until a not-so-distant future. But the fast-approaching deadline is proving no small problem in the negotiations with London. A bilateral agreement must be reached in October if it is to be included in the international pact between the European Union and United Kingdom that will regulate the two-year transition after Brexit, scheduled for March 2019.

Spain has a big advantage that the government should fully exploit: the right to veto. According to section 24 of the guidelines document, agreed upon by the European Council in April 2017, after the United Kingdom leaves the Union, no agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom may apply to the territory of Gibraltar without the agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom.

Including a bilateral agreement, with the aforementioned improvements, in a separate chapter to the final Brexit pact, is convenient because it will have the exact same legal weight as the actual Brexit agreement and the flexibility needed for the geographical scope of the pact. Thats why another two problematic issues  Ireland and British military bases in Cyprus  are likely to be included in annexes.

A bilateral agreement must be reached in October if it is to be included in the Brexit pact

So it cannot be claimed, as the spokesperson of the Popular Party (PP) in the Foreign Affairs Commission in Congress, Jose Ramon Garcia Hernandez has done, that it would very serious to include the agreements on Gibraltar in a separate chapter instead of the central Brexit pact. Exactly the opposite is true. What can be improved however, as the PP has reasonably requested, is the speed with which official information circulates and, as a result, the involvement of all parliamentary groups in the negotiating process with the United Kingdom.

Gibraltar today sets a bad example of what could happen in the border zone between Ireland and Northern Ireland if a suitable Brexit agreement is not reached: instability, corruption and organized white-collar crime. This is about achieving the opposite: an agreement that makes the current situation in Ireland a positive reference point for Gibraltar.

English version by Melissa Kitson.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

Google Ad

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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 Sharmazanov: Weapons sold to Azerbaijan fire in direction of Armenia

Weapons sold to Azerbaijan fire in the direction of CSTO member state Armenia, Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov said during the 11th session of the Inter-parliamentary Committee on Cooperation between the National Assembly of Armenia and National Assembly of Belarus took place in Minsk on September 24, the press service of the parliament of Armenia reported, Sharmazanov referred to, inter alia, the activities of the CSTO and regional security issues. "Armenian-Belarusian inter-parliamentary relations are of key importance given that both countries are members to the CSTO and the EAEU. Security issues continue to be a priority for our region. Back in 2000 our counties adopted a declaration in the sidelines of the Collective Security Treaty, according to which military-technical cooperation between the member states of the organization had to be a priority, but its not a secret that some CSTO member states sell arms to Azerbaijan. Its necessary to note that the weapons sold to Azerbaijan fired, fire and will probably fire in the direction of CSTO member state Armenia. This is concerning. I have to note that in the recent period the Azerbaijani forces often fire at the civilian population of the bordering communities of Armenia, which is a gross violation of all the international norms. I think our partners should condemn such an unconstructive policy," he noted.Second President of Ukraine (1994-2005), who is Ukraine's envoy to the Trilateral Contact Group in the Minsk talks, is confident that the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project would result in the loss of gas transit across Ukraine. He lamented the fact that a gas transmission consortium for the Ukrainian gas transportation system (GTS) was not created.

"Do you imagine what Nord Stream 2 is for Ukraine? It means that our pipe is almost empty. They say and promise that we are considering something to be left. But nothing will be left, if the Nord Stream 2 [is implemented]. There is Turkish Stream. Then nothing remains for Ukraine - 10-15 billion [cubic meters]," Kuchma said at a press conference in Dnipro on Friday, September 21.

"We are now receiving $2-3 billion with the small pumping we have today and to lose it... all because of our shortsightedness. Russia asked, Europe asked, and we signed a Memorandum with Russia, Germany in 2002 to create a joint consortium for our Ukrainian GTS. Then France agreed, the Italians. We would have been on horseback today. And what did we say? Gather the media: I was pressured that I was almost a traitor to national interests and that I was selling the national wealth. However, we were not selling. We were joining the consortium with our pipeline. It was planned that we would have 51%. Today we have already opened our eyes, proposed that ourselves. However, the ship has sailed. They waved us," the second Ukrainian president said.

According to Kuchma, it happens so "when politics runs ahead of the economy."

In this regard, he recalled the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with the Russian Federation, a decision on non-renewal of which was adopted last week.

"What will we benefit from this? We always need to look at the final result... I understand if in 2014, once the war in Ukraine started, we broke the Treaty, but we do not do it. And when do we do? We do it when tomorrow are elections," Kuchma said.Acting Head of the State Property Fund (SPF) of Ukraine Vitaliy Trubarov does not see the problem that Concord Consulting won at once four tenders to select advisors for privatization.

"We are talking about the fact that not the frontman wins, but the consortium wins. They will cope [with the task]," he told journalists in Odesa on the sidelines of the Ukrainian Financial Forum organized by the ICU investment group.

According to Trubarov, consortiums formed by Concord Consulting are very serious partners who have already taken part as advisers in the privatization of other assets.

"They were able to gather a team of well-known companies, each of which will perform its function: someone will do legal analysis, someone will conduct financial analysis, someone will carry out environmental analysis and someone will work with investors. They showed that they were prepared best," the head of the State Property Fund said.

He also said that thanks to the lack of significant problems with assets such as Indar and state-owned enterprise (SOE) Coal Company Krasnolymanska, they may be put up for sale before the end of this year, although, according to the terms of the tenders, it is given up to four months for the work of advisors.



What we knew already





Berne Convention. This means that the principle of 'national treatment' and the other (de minimis) obligations contained therein will continue to apply even after the UK's exit from the EU. So, w The Notice begins by stating that the UK and the other EU Member States are party to the main copyright instruments, including the. This means that the principle of 'national treatment' and the other () obligations contained therein will continue to apply even after the UK's exit from the EU. So, w the same protection in each of the other countries as the latter grants to the works of its own nationals. orks originating in one of the Berne Union countries will be givenin each of the other countries as the latter grants to the works of its own nationals.





Also:

Portability and Marrakesh Regulations, will continue to have direct effect at least until then. Until Brexit day nothing changes as regards the value and supremacy of EU law over UK law. This means that EU regulations, including the recentandRegulations, will continue to have direct effect at least until then.

likely means that the EU directives from which they derive will continue to matter to the UK, and so will the interpretation of provisions in relevant directives as provided by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) [if you are interested in this, I discuss it more at length here . UK legislative provisions adopted to implement EU copyright directives into UK law will continue - by default - to apply as they are domestic law. Thismeans that the EU directives from which they derive will continue to matter to the UK, and so will the interpretation of provisions in relevant directives as provided by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) section 6 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 However, states that, following the departure of the UK from the EU, a court or tribunal in that country would not be bound by any principles laid down, or any decisions made, on or after exit day by the CJEU, and would not be able to refer any matter to the CJEU on or after exit day. As regards CJEU decisions issued after exit day, a court or tribunal would need not to have regard to anything done on or after exit day by the CJEU, another EU entity or the EU, but "may do so if it considers it appropriate to do so".





Britons travelling abroad might lose the (human)

right not to miss a single episode of Love Island ... In addition, any question concerning the validity, meaning or effect of any retained EU law (this would also apply to copyright provisions adopted in light of EU obligations) would need to be decided, so far as that law is unmodified on or after exit day and so far as they are relevant to it in accordance with any retained case law and any retained general principles of EU law, and having regard (among other things) to the limits, immediately before exit day, of EU competences.





The UK Supreme Court would not be bound by any retained CJEU case law, nor would the High Court of Justiciary in certain scenarios or when no court or tribunal would be bound by any retained domestic case law that it would not have otherwise been bound by. In any case, i n deciding whether to depart from any retained CJEU case law, the Supreme Court or the High Court of Justiciary would need to apply the same test as it would apply in deciding whether to depart from its own case law.





EU cross-border mechanisms





This said, the most evident effects of a no-deal Brexit would be on EU regulations (that would cease applying directly; but see also below) and the cross-border mechanisms envisaged by EU law and applicable to EU/EEA countries. This is because, by leaving the EU and the EEA, the UK would become akin to a third country.





section 7 of the Withdrawal Act clarifies that EU law that has the status of ' direct principal EU legislation' by default would be considered retained EU law. As explained by the UK Government Notice, this means that " Directives and Regulations on copyright and related rights will be preserved in UK law as retained EU law under the powers in the EU Withdrawal Act 2018. The government will make adjustments under the powers of the Act to ensure the retained law can operate effectively." This said,clarifies that





... making some deeply unhappy However, things would change substantially in respect of EU cross-border mechanisms envisaged in EU instruments. That would be so in respect of:The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) has announced repeated tenders to select advisors for preparing the following companies for privatization: 99.9988% stake in OJSC Oriana, 99.9952% in PJSC Sumykhimprom and 100% in National Joint Stock Company Ukragroleasing.

"To privatize companies for which there no tender was held, and only one bid was submitted, we announced a new tender to select advisors. Next month there will be a repeated tender," Head of the SPF Vitaliy Trubarov told journalists in Odesa on the sidelines of the Ukrainian Financial Forum organized by the ICU investment group.

According to their terms, bids for participation in the tenders are accepted until the end of the day on October 17. The first stages of the tenders are scheduled for October 23, and the second - for October 26.

"Unfortunately, during the summer period many investment advisers could not be prepared for unbiased reasons," Trubarov said, expressing hope that the repeated tenders will be success.

He also recalled that for the selection of an adviser for the privatization of Azovmash, the State Property Fund did not receive a single bid, and now, according to the requirements of the new law on privatization, the fund will prepare it for sale without involving an adviser.PACE to send monitoring mission to Armenia to get facts on its internal political processes

The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will send a mission to Armenia to gather facts due to internal political processes in the country.

"The PACE Monitoring Committee made a decision to promptly send co-rapporteurs on Armenia with a mission to gather facts following the exchange of views on the latest internal political developments in Armenia," Arpine Hovhannisyan, the deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament and the head of the Armenian delegation to the PACE, said on her Facebook account.

"They were instructed to report on the outcomes of the visit at the first meeting of the committee," she said.

On September 12, Hovhannisyan said that the PACE commission on political issues and democracy had discussed the case against former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and the internal political situation in the country.

The commission would send to the PACE Monitoring Committee a letter suggesting the monitoring of ensuring the rule of law and independence of legislative and judicial authorities be conducted in Armenia, she said.Pope Francis has called on Lithuania to be open for a dialogue amid modern challenges and become a bridge between the West and the East of Europe.

"In the modern world, where the voices of those who sow discord and enmity using insecurity or growing threats and claiming that we would ensure security and preserve our culture only by means of getting rid of others by destroying or banishing them are growing increasingly louder, you, Lithuanians, must speak out in favor of accepting the differences," the pontiff said in his speech in front of the Presidential Palace in Vilnius.

"By initiating a dialogue, being open and understanding, you can become a bridge between Eastern and Western Europe," he said, adding that Lithuania was able to accept people of various nationalities and religions.

The pope congratulated Lithuania on the 100th anniversary of the restoration of its statehood and called on it "to find solutions to the existing threats, look into the future in the spirit of a dialogue and unity with all people living here and ensure that no one is spurned."

He also urged Lithuania to pay special attention to the youth, the BNS news agency said.

"The nation, where the youth have enough space for development and work, will help young people to feel important while forming the social and cultural system. This way everybody can look into the future with hope," the pontiff said.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite thanked Pope Francis for his efforts in uniting people and religions and pointed out that his visit would strengthen Lithuanian residents' faith.

"A meeting with you will strengthen our faith and give us new strength. The warmth of Lithuanian residents' hearth and gratitude for your revolutionary efforts in overcoming all challenges, in bringing the Church closer to every person will always follow you," Grybauskaite said.

"Lithuania not only shares its bitter experience, but is also looking into the future with a great hope. Those hopes are primarily aimed at young people, who were born and grew up in freedom. Together with them we are heeding your call to unite for the sake of a more humane world. The world, where there will be less poverty and pain and more compassion. The world, where the gates of mercy are always open," she said.On Thursday, search and rescue vessel A500 Donbas and the tugboat A830 Korets departed from the Western Naval Base of the Ukrainian Navy in Odesa to Berdiansk, where they will become the basis for the new naval base of the Ukrainian fleet in the Sea of Azov, the 'Ukrainian militaristic portal' media outlet said referring to its own sources.

"It is expected that the passage from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov will take place through the Kerch Strait controlled by the Russians. According to the 2003 agreement, the Sea of Azov is an inland sea of two states, according to which civil and military vessels under the flags of Ukraine and the Russian Federation can pass through the strait and go to their ports. This was repeatedly used by the Russian Federation, and now with the aggravation of the situation on the Azov Sea, the command of the Ukrainian Navy decided to take advantage of it in accordance with the needs that have arisen," the message reads.

The ship Donbas is planned to be used to strengthen the fleet infrastructure in the Azov Sea. So, it is possible to place the headquarters of the future base, places for servicemen, warehouses and other necessary premises on it, which are absent in the region today.

"Starting from the transition near the occupied Sevastopol, Ukrainian ships began to accompany the patrol ship of the Coast Guard of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation - Ametist of Project 22460, later another unidentified ship joined it," it says.Hungary not to leave possible expulsion of its consul from Ukraine unanswered

If Ukraine expels the Hungarian consul, Budapest will give a proportionate response, although this could hopefully be avoided, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.

Speaking to journalists before leaving for a UN General Assembly session in New York, Szijjarto confirmed that he planned to meet with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin in the United States, the Hungarian publication Origo said.

Anti-Hungarian sentiments have lately been growing in Ukraine, which could be attributed to upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in that country, Szijjarto said.

Szijjarto said the events of the past week "went too far" and beyond "all written and unwritten rules of international law and diplomacy," as Ukrainian special services "conducted a special operation at the consulate general of Hungary, a member of NATO."

Dual citizenship is common in Europe, and if Ukraine truly wants to move toward the European Union, it should not question this institution, he said.

Hungary will continue to take steps to slow down Ukraine's movement toward the EU and NATO, he said.

Ukrainian media reported earlier that Hungary issued its passports to Ukrainian citizens at its consulate in Berehove, the Zakarpattia (Trans-Carpathian) region. The reports included a video in which the new Hungarian citizens took the oath of allegiance.

Klimkin said he would discuss the issue with Szijjarto at the UN General Assembly session in New York.SAPO opens case to investigate into possible disclosure of data of pretrial investigation in 'infrastructure minister's case' by NABU chief

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) has registered a criminal proceeding to investigate into a possible disclosure of data of the pretrial investigation in the criminal proceedings against Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan, who is suspected of unlawful enrichment, by Director of the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Artem Sytnyk.

"It is a question of yesterday's [September 20] statement of suspected Infrastructure Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Omelyan about the advance notification of him by the specified official about the planned search of his place of residence," the SAPO said on its Facebook page on September 21.

It is reported that this statement by the minister "is not considered unsubstantiated, since the materials of the criminal proceeding in which he was informed of suspicion contain information about the presence of telephone connections between Omelyan and the subscriber recorded as "Artem Sytnyk," on the eve of the search," in particular, four calls on November 2, 2017 were made.

"To ensure the effectiveness of pretrial investigation, the materials of the criminal proceedings will be sent to the Prosecutor General to determine the body of pretrial investigation," the SAPO reported.

"At the same time, we draw your attention to the fact that Sytnyk consistently and regularly implements unlawful disclosure of these pretrial investigations, which significantly harms the interests of criminal proceedings," the SAPO reported.Russia pays a high economic price for its aggression, and without sanctions, "Putin would not be engaged in the Normandy process, designed to find a peaceful solution," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said.

"Sanctions are the only non-military instrument that we have at our disposal in order to put pressure on the aggressor in such a situation. In general, this does not mean punishing Russia. The goal is to keep Putin at the negotiating table. And in this sense sanctions are very effective," the presidential press service said on Saturday, referring to Poroshenko's interview with the German newspaper Rheinische Post.

"Believe me, without them Putin would not be engaged in the Normandy process, which is called to find a peaceful solution. Now Russia is paying a high economic price for its aggressive foreign policy, and Putin's popularity has also suffered because of this," the Ukrainian president said.

Poroshenko added: "The Russians have long done away with the bellicose euphoria that prevailed in the first place due to the annexation of Crimea. Today many people ask: what does it cost us?"

The president of Ukraine also commented on the discussions among European governments on the possibility of lifting sanctions as soon as possible, in particular the discussions in the Italian government. "Putin counted on it from the very beginning: he thought that the common position of Europeans on this issue will fail. He hoped for nothing that after the presidential elections in 2017, France, under the influence of the right-populist National Front, would surrender positions in the issue of sanctions. Then he placed a bet on the growth of positions of AfD in Germany Party [Alternative for Germany] and the completion of the cadence of Angela Merkel to finally get rid of the sanctions," Poroshenko said.

"Putin's estimations have not worked until now. Europe has preserved unity, and for this we are infinitely grateful to our European friends," the Ukrainian president stressed.Ukrainian Ambassador to Italy Yevhen Perelyhin believes that depriving Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko of the title of honorary citizen of Verona was orchestrated by the Kremlin.

The draft resolution on the deprivation of the Ukrainian president of this status was registered in the city council of Verona in December of last year on the initiative of the leader of the youth wing of the League of the North Party (now the League party), the diplomat told the European Pravda media outlet.

"The analysis of the text of the document, as well as the fact that it was signed by almost all representatives of the League of the North Party, which won in Verona in municipal elections, attest to the political direction of this decision," the ambassador said.

Perelyhin stressed that the decision of the previous Verona City Council to grant the honorable citizenship of the city to Poroshenko and to make free admission for Ukrainian citizens to the city's museums during the past year "became a sincere reaction of local deputies," whereas "successful promotion of Ukraine in many spheres nags the regime in Moscow."

"That is why the political show of the Kremlin was performed by Verona artists," the ambassador said.

As reported, on the evening of September 23, the media referring to the Italian agency ANSA reported that the city council of Verona deprived President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko of the title of honorary citizen of the city. Twenty-eight local deputies voted for this decision, four were "against."

Poroshenko received the title of honorary citizen of the city at the end of May 2016. Then he returned 17 paintings, found in Ukraine, to the Verona Museum of Castelvecchio.Russia's hybrid military forces have mounted 35 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with three Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action, the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) has reported.

"The invaders opened fire on the positions of our troops 35 times, while the enemy used weapons that were banned by the Minsk agreements on 13 occasions ... Three soldiers of the JFO were injured because of shelling," the press center of JFO said in its update on Facebook on Monday morning.

Russian occupation forces opened aimed fire to attack the defenders of Krymske, Luhanske, Novoluhanske, Shumy, Pivdenne, Mayorske, Pisky, Avdiyivka, Chermalyk, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Vodiane, Shyrokyne and Lebedynske.

According to intelligence reports, four enemy troops were killed and another four were wounded.Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN, Volodymyr Yelchenko, considers it necessary to move the site of the negotiation process on Donbas from Minsk to another capital, because of the position of the Belarusian delegation to the UN, which "chronically" votes against any ideas and proposals of Ukraine.

"It seems to me that we have to draw serious conclusions from the position of Belarus, from the position of Kazakhstan. If you can still understand the votes of Syria and North Korea, they are just satellites. But let's say our neighbors, our former partners in the CIS, I cannot understand why they vote "against," he said on the air of the Priamy TV channel on Sunday evening.

Yelchenko stressed that the position of Belarus looks strange, which everywhere speaks about the best opportunity for the negotiation process on the Minsk platform and its neutrality, but in fact "votes against our resolution."

"I personally fully support, I do not remember who suggested it, some parliamentary groups in our Verkhovna Rada, that we just need to transfer this site from Minsk to some other capital. With all my respect for Belarusian diplomacy, I cannot understand such a position. What neutrality are we talking about? And let them not take offense at us, but the facts are on the General Assembly's panel," the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN said.

"They simply on a regular basis vote against any of our ideas, against any of our proposals, even those that do not concern the conflict with Russia, which already indicates a certain position of the country with which we need to draw serious conclusions," the diplomat said.Bids invited for second phase of project

The Gautam Buddha International Airport project in Bhairahawa has invited global bids for the implementation of the second phase which involves the installation of communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) and air traffic management (ATM) systems.Police have detained more people suspected in the murder of Berdiansk activist and ATO combatant in Donbas region, Vitaliy Oleshko. Five people arrested earlier including the crime organizer are in police custody.

The Zaporizhia regional police press center on Thursday cited Ukraine's First Deputy National Police Chief Vyacheslav Abroskin, who reported the results of the criminal investigation involving Oleshko's murder.

Regional police has said it is putting all five suspects, including the recently detained 38-year old Donetsk region resident, in police custody.

"Police have detained a few more people for committing grave and severe crimes. They are reasonable grounds to suspect them of committing this murder," Zaporizhia regional police's press service quoted Abroskyn as saying.

Oleshko (nom de guerre Sarmat) was shot dead with hunting rifle on July 31, 2018 in the center of Berdiansk. Law enforcement agencies have detained the five individuals suspected in Oleshko's murder, four of them in the town of Vasylyevka in Zaporozhia region and one more in Berdiansk.

All four detained in Vasylyevka were served notices of suspicion for committing premeditated murder by a group of individuals. According to the Facebook page of the spokesman of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) Andriy Lysenko, the persons are suspected under Part 12 of Article 115 of Ukraine's Criminal Code.

Vekhovna Rada of Ukraine (People's Front Party) deputy Anton Gerashchenko said Oleshko's murderer used to be a sniper from the Tornado special purpose militia detachment and took part in the Anti-terrorism Operation (ATO) in eastern Ukraine. The other four detainees are his accomplices, sportsmen from Dnipro and the Dnipropetrovsk region.

A suspect initially classified as a witness in the case detained in Berdiansk is now classified as a suspect. According to unofficial sources, he loaned his car to the four murder suspects without knowing why they needed it.

Berdiansk city court ordered the arrest of the four suspects. Berdiansk City Court Judge Serhiy Moroka said the main version of the murder is that it involved personal relationships and committed due to business conflicts.

Police on September 15 announced the detention of individual who planned and organized Oleshko's murder.Ukraine's SBU Security Service of Ukraine has made public intercepted conversations of representatives of the authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in which persons discuss changes in the "government structure" of the pseudo republic and the coordination of these actions with Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov, the SBU's press center reported on Monday.

According to the report, on September 6, 2018, at about 18.30, Alexander Kazakov, an official adviser of the deceased DPR leader Alexander Zakharchenko, called Dmitry Trapeznikov, who at the time served as acting DPR head.

"As it became known from the conversation, they clearly count on the settlement of the situation by Vladislav Surkov," the SBU said.

In the released audio recordings, Trapeznikov and Kazakov discuss the upcoming "emergency meeting" that Surkov convened in Moscow in order to consider the final approval of the new DPR head and the composition of the DPR's so-called Council of Ministers.

On the same day, at about 21.00, according to the SBU, a conversation took place between Trapeznikov and Denis Pushilin, who served as chairman of the so-called DPR People's Council, in which they coordinated their actions together with the head of the so-called DPR State Security Ministry, Vladimir Pavlenko, including the speedy elimination of Kazakov (Zakharchenko's adviser) through the deprivation of his freedom.

"According to them, Kazakov planned for his own purposes to glorify 'the image of the former DPR leader' and to preserve the power of the so-called "Zakharchenko group." In this conversation, Pushilin, in particular, expresses his personal interest in the need to immediately remove Timofeyev (nom de guerre Tashkent) from his post and his dismissal from the post of DPR deputy prime minister  income and fees minister' through an urgent order of Pushilin himself," the SBU said.

The SBU said the conversations were recorded a week after Zakharchenko's death, which testifies to the "complete dependence of the so-called top DPR leadership on the decisions of Kremlin curator Surkov."

"The content of the talks points to the existing stable conflict between the 'leaders of the fake republics.' It proves the intentions of Pushilin and Trapeznikov in any way to get rid of influential competitors from the team of Zakharchenko, in particular Kazakov and Timofeyev (Tashkent) and complete the local coup," the SBU said.Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will visit New York (the United States) on September 24-27, where he will take part in the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

According to the website of the head of state, Poroshenko will speak during the general debate at the UN General Assembly, take part in the UN peacekeeping summit, and hold a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders.

"Special attention during the visit will be paid to deepening Ukrainian-U.S. relations in the trade, economic and investment spheres. To this end, the head of state will hold a meeting with U.S. business representatives," the report said.

In New York, the Ukrainian president will also meet with the leaders of the Ukrainian community in the United States and the heads of Jewish organizations in the United States.MPs sign letter to Poroshenko with appeal to publicly respond to information about his abuses

Independent MP Viktor Chumak has said that he handed over a letter to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed by 40 parliamentarians with a call to publicly confirm or deny reports of his abuses.

"Together with the Criminal Code, which I presented to the president, I handed over to him personally a letter signed by 40 people's deputies, including the most rated presidential candidate, Batkivschyna leader Yulia Tymoshenko," Chumak wrote on his Facebook page on Monday.

The MP also posted copies of the letter and signatures. Lawmakers ask the head of state to hold a press conference or organize an open meeting with people's deputies. They call on Poroshenko to personally confirm or deny the report about Poroshenko's possession of undeclared property, corporate rights and assets in offshore jurisdictions and tax evasion in Ukraine.

Parliamentarians also asked Poroshenko to respond to information about possession of undeclared grain and starch business in Russia, about the abuse of power by the president to win tenders for the supply for the Ukrainian army at inflated prices of equipment manufactured by enterprises controlled by him.

In addition, the questions concern the Rotterdam+ scheme for the formation of electricity prices, the repair of the Hetman Sahaidachny frigate at Kuznya on Rybalsky Plant, the operation of the Lipetsk confectionery factory in Russia, and the receipt of Poroshenko's profits from it.

People's deputies are also interested in confirmation or refutation of reports about the bribery of people's deputies before the voting, in particular on personnel matters - when Yuriy Lutsenko was appointed prosecutor general, about obtaining an unjustified benefit for Oleksandr Onyshchenko's registration as a candidate for deputy.

The letter also sets out questions regarding the president's establishment of control over the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, the State Bureau of Investigation, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO), National Commission for the State Regulation of Energy, Housing and Utilities Services, the heads of local state administrations, and the courts.

In addition, in the letter, people's deputies called unsatisfactory the answers of the presidential press service to certain cases.Let me briefly introduce myself. I am Belgian, and I have been working at IKEA for almost 25 years. For the first 12 years, I was employed as a Store Manager, and for the next 13 years, I have held the position of CEO in Poland and France. Currently, I am CEO of IKEA South-East Europe. The region I am responsible for includes Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania, and from now on, Ukraine. I am married, with two children, a 9-year old daughter and a 7-year old son.



- You are most welcome here, in Ukraine! In our country, many people have been waiting for the news of your arrival. Earlier today, you had a meeting with Ukraine's top officials. Could you give us some details of this meeting? In particular, what matters were discussed?



- How did we arrive at the decision to advance into the Ukrainian market? The main reason was that Ukraine is a very important European country where IKEA used to have virtually no presence. We believe that now is the right moment for our company to come to Ukraine because we see the countrys economic growth indicators. Our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Most of the 40 million people that live in Ukraine are already aware of the IKEA brand, and, hopefully, like it.



Today, we had a meeting with President Petro Poroshenko and Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko. Supported by the countrys government authorities, we accomplished the necessary groundwork for entering the Ukrainian market. Therefore, we first thanked the President and the Mayor, and pointed out the importance of future fruitful cooperation with all stakeholders. In general, before entering a market we ensure that our business activity and products fully comply with the relevant regulatory framework. Cooperation with the government enables us to meet the desired high standards of business operations.



- Let us return to the moment when the company made yet another attempt to enter the Ukrainian market. When, exactly, did it happen, and what market entry strategy has been chosen for the current try?



- If I am not mistaken, the very first attempt was made way back in 2005. We have now reached the end of this long road. Our first concrete step is to open a store in Kyiv. We are truly satisfied and proud that for the city of Kyiv we will introduce a brand new business approach called the city center store. We are doing it for two important reasons. First, we must recognize the fact that not only in Kyiv, but also in the whole world consumer trends are changing. Nowadays, people buy more and more online, and have less and less time to move around the city because of traffic. I think we clearly see this trend in Kyiv, too. In this respect, the issues of convenience, time saving, and financial resources become more important.



The new city center store approach enables us to get much closer to the consumer. It is well known that in a classic IKEA store, large areas are reserved for restaurants, logistics and self-service. We are not going to offer the cash&carry service in our store in Ukraine; instead, we will provide home delivery and self-delivery services. We also intend to reserve some space for a very important component  the show room. This business format is new for IKEA, and the first such store will open in London (specifically, in Greenwich), with stores in Paris, New York, Shanghai, Warsaw, and Kyiv to follow.



This new business format also gives us a much faster market entry process. The standard IKEA market entry takes much longer. For instance, in Serbia 10 years passed between the decision to open the store and its actual opening. In the case of Ukraine, the new format will help us open a store as early as in summer 2019. That means that we will set a new IKEA record by making an entry into the Ukrainian market in just two years.



- In the process of entering the Ukrainian market, have you experienced any difficulties, for example, corrupt practices?



- As a company, we are extremely transparent, and any corrupt practices are absolutely unacceptable for us. In view of this, our strategy is to cooperate with various government authorities with maximum efficiency. We also encourage other stakeholders to cooperate in this fruitful manner. This way, we keep our business operations clean; in other words, we simply have managed to avoid the practices of graft and corruption. When we enter a country, our toughest challenge is to make sure our product lines and IT systems comply with all pertinent local requirements  that is, we must ensure that our entire range of products is in compliance with the local legal regulations, and our IT solutions are properly aligned with the scope of regulatory policies. The latter group of issues is more technical, we resolve them when entering any market. We have been reassured by the President, the Prime Ministers office, UkraineInvest and the Investment Council that our efforts to avoid corruption shall be met with the strongest government support.



- What will your first store at the Ocean Mall look like? Do you intend to launch online sales at the same time the physical store opens its doors for customers?



- The total floor area of our store will reach almost 6,000 square meters; the range of products will include furniture and accessories. The store will be divided into locations (or room sets, as we call them) that look like rooms adapted for displaying various home solutions. In addition, we will present our concept solutions for small households. These will include all necessary components, and we will assemble as many products as possible to fully satisfy the potential buyers expectations in high quality products. The product range will include products sold in other countries. At the same time, we are striving to launch online sales as soon as possible. We want our business to expand rapidly in order to satisfy the needs of consumers from Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine.



The store is a place where the magic of democratic design and variety of solutions is born. In developing our products, we adhere to the principle of democratic design that consists of five vectors: beautiful appearance, functionality, high quality, environmental sustainability, and affordable price.



We try to gather as much information as possible about the way people live in Ukraine, particularly in Kyiv. We analyze the obtained data in our office, as well as visit peoples homes, talk with them, find out their preferences and dreams, ask about their disappointing experiences, and try to find solutions to fully satisfy their needs.



For instance, we are aware that Ukrainians often live in small-size residential spaces; to meet this challenge, we have developed the concept of third generation housing. A home should look attractive, encourage people to spend time there with friends; also, living conditions for children are of great importance, the home should be comfortable for them. Apartments should be stylish and inspire people; in this respect, we have noticed that Ukrainians gravitate towards light colors. For our store in Kyiv, we will try to account for all these considerations.

- Recent years were quite difficult for Ukraine, both from a political and economic perspective. So, why did the company take on a risk of entering the Ukrainian market? Is it true that the decision of H&M to enter the Ukrainian market sent a positive signal for you?



- The Swedish Embassy strongly supported us. In fact, when we enter a foreign country the first thing we do is contact the Embassy. They provided us with enormous insight on the current economic and political situation in the country, which is extremely important for understanding what goes on in the region.



We had no contact with H&M because we started our work in Ukraine three years ago when H&M were not even around. We talked to other foreign retailers, and they shared with us their positive experiences. We are confident that we have chosen the right moment to enter Ukraine because we see the economy growing, the IT sector is booming, a number of reforms have been successfully implemented. Needless to say, more things need to be accomplished, but we are looking on the bright side and have no doubt that this is the right time for us to enter Ukraine.



Along with our business goals, we carry a social mission to support sustainable development; that is, we intend to improve societies where we have a business presence. We believe we can create value for the Ukrainian society in various sectors of life. Our products can encourage people to save money by consuming less water and energy. We also offer competitive wages and benefits while providing good business opportunities for our employees. We are happy to share our positive business cases, show the Swedish way of running business. In addition, we are committed to promoting gender equality; for us, equal rights, opportunities, and pay for women are subjects of great importance. We will cooperate with various organizations in order to help improve the quality of everyday life in Ukraine.



- Is this true that the company sought Ukrainians from various IKEA foreign divisions to work in Ukraine?



- I can even say that some Ukrainians employed by IKEA in other countries got in touch with us when they heard that we were entering the Ukrainian market.



We have conducted business interviews with some of them. The recruiting process is not over yet. Personally, I think it will be a great opportunity for Ukrainians with previous IKEA experience to come back and work here.

- What is the volume of IKEA investment into entering the Ukrainian market?



- At this early stage, I cannot say for sure. We want to use our first store to study and understand the local market. Then, when we get the feeling that we truly understand this market, we will open more stores in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.



- How long is the market study going to take?



- In an ideal situation, one year should be enough to study the full cycle.



- Have you attempted to evaluate the black market volume of IKEA goods brought from Europe into Ukraine?



- It would be difficult to evaluate. Our research shows that people here are well aware of the IKEA brand, many have our furniture in their homes. It is true that a lot of people resell goods. When we were coming to Ukraine, we realized that IKEA, even with no actual business presence here, had a positive image.



- Illegal use of the IKEA trademark remains an issue in Ukraine. In particular, you may have noticed many outdoor signs in Kyiv bearing the name of IKEA. Will you respond to this situation in any way?



- Well, this situation exists not only in Ukraine, but in other countries where we still have no presence. Perhaps, this is solid proof of the strength of our brand. On the other hand, our experience shows that these signs disappear as soon as we enter a country, because our official stores provide a positive customer experience for a lower price.



- What will be IKEAs pricing policy in Ukraine?



- Our business idea is to start with the widest available range of goods at low and affordable prices, in order to enable a large number of people to purchase our products. Availability and low prices are the key to understanding IKEA. This and our high quality is what make our company second to none.



Different markets have slightly different prices because they are being influenced by various factors such as the VAT or import expenditures. We intend to become as affordable as possible since it looks important for the Ukrainian market. In this respect, our policy is to offer the lowest prices among similar products in any market segment.



- How do you plan to achieve this? Perhaps, by closer cooperation with local producers?



- We are a franchisee of INGKA Group. Another company, Inter IKEA, is responsible for the design and purchase of goods from manufacturers. A second important point is that if we purchase goods in a country (nowadays, we do it in Ukraine as well), it is intended not only for sale in this particular country, but in other countries where we have a business presence.



- Nevertheless, can your entry into the Ukrainian market facilitate closer cooperation with Ukrainian producers?



- We are responsible only for sales. But I also know that Inter IKEA is looking for opportunities to get in touch with new suppliers capable of providing the required quality at affordable prices. The scalability of the manufacturer is also an important factor. As you know, our total annual sales volume reaches almost 40 billion. So, we look for professionalism and skills, and we know for sure that Ukraine can offer both, plus the necessary resource base. In view of this, I think its possible that in the future the focus will be on expanding this type of cooperation.



- It is obvious the company intends to increase the number of its stores. Can we expect more IKEA stores to open their doors next year?



- It would be premature to make announcements of future openings. We will continue our development here as planned. One of the main vectors for our business in Ukraine will be supporting online sales. At the same time, a country with 40 million people offers us great possibilities to open more and more physical outlets.



- I fear your first outlet will not be able to handle the demand.



- If this will be our only problem, then we will be more than happy

- In other countries, in Poland, for example, not only mini-IKEAs, but also small pickup points for online orders are being opened. Taking into account the large area of our country and the limited high-quality retail space, have you considered developing similar pickup points in Ukraine?



- As we will launch online sales, one of the ways to reach customers will be a delivery service, another option will be self-pickup  in other words, the aforementioned pickup point. This will allow customers to come in person to pick up their order, which will be cheaper and at the most convenient time for the customer. Later we hope add full service, which will include the following options: for example, if you need kitchen furniture, our specialists will come to your place, take measurements, and offer you different functional and style-based solutions. And when you agree, we will come to your place with the ready-to-assemble kitchen furniture and simply install it. This is an example of full service, but now it's too early to consider it. Instead, we are concentrating on providing local delivery services in Kyiv and on offering the option for people to come and pick up their orders.



- Next year, do you plan to offer deliveries to the regions?



- By the time our physical store opens, we will not have launched e-commerce. This is why we will deliver within Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast. As soon as we launch our e-store, we will be able to supply our products to other regions of Ukraine. In this regard, we want to become a leading company that guarantees multi-channel sales. We intend to become a world-class retailer that provides multi-channel communications for the client at home.



- Have you already chosen a logistics operator, or maybe several of them?



- At this time, negotiations are ongoing with two companies, and we are at the final stage of approving the candidate. We will make a public announcement as soon as we make our choice. This partner will provide home and warehouse delivery for us.



- Do you have plans for opening classic large IKEA shopping centers in Ukraine in the future? We understand that the company now has a new global development strategy of opening small-size stores. Nevertheless, in other countries, the company has long operated large shopping malls, where consumers can enjoy walking, relaxing and even eating famous IKEA meatballs. Will you provide Ukrainian consumers with a similar experience?



- Good question. The first step is to open the first small store. Later, we will launch online sales, then we may open additional points of sale. We do have an ambition to achieve a broader presence in the Ukrainian market. We had a working concept of a flagship store, with many facilities like a restaurant, etc., but we are unlikely to open huge classic shopping malls like we used to in the past. We are now looking for other formats that will enable us to sell products and, at the same time, to provide a good customer experience. We will continue working here, and firmly intend to ensure easier access for our customers in Kyiv. But the idea of building one large shopping mall in one city area does not seem to work anymore. For instance, residents of Kyivs left bank would have to spend 1-2 hours just to get to the store located on the right bank, which would not be particularly accessible. So, we will start with the citys downtown area; later, hopefully, we will add a food outlet, and then we are likely to further develop the concept of smaller retail points in less accessible locations away from the downtown area.

Our colleagues have analyzed the market of large shopping malls. Indeed, Ukraine, compared to Western European countries, has the potential for increasing IKEA retail spaces. Our large shopping mall designs are more typical for countries like China. But we will continue our analysis of Ukraine, and we will watch how the market develops.



- Have you analyzed the competition in the Ukrainian market? For instance, we already have a local strong player, namely, Epicenter, with whom you share some market segments. Do you intend to compete?



- Indeed, your domestic retail market is interesting and dynamic. It has local players and is showing increasing activity from global players, but we intend to make a unique business offer. We plan to offer something that the market has not seen yet. Normally, when we enter a new country, we observe that the domestic market of household furniture and accessories starts to grow. People start spending more money on home improvement rather than on travel or something else. When we enter a market, its indicators, including competition, demonstrate growth.KYIV. Sept 24 (Interfax-Ukraine)  Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) is in favor of amending legislation to expand the possibility of concluding contracts between foreign citizens and Ukrainian agencies participating in the Joint Force Operation (JFO) in Donbas.

"In the near future, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko will hold a meeting with Interior Minister Arsen Avakov on the issue dealing with arrangements for a simplified procedure for granting foreign citizens a residence permit in Ukraine who are on the front line in volunteer units protecting our country," said PGO spokesman Andriy Lysenko at a press conference in the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Friday.

Also, on September 20, on the instructions of the Prosecutor General, criminal proceedings were opened under Part 2 of Article 367 of Ukraine's Criminal Code (official negligence) on the extradition of Timur Tumgoev, who fought for Ukraine in the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Donbas.

"From today, prosecutors have started to work on his issue," Lysenko said.

Lysenko said there is a possibility of amending the Law on Military Duty and Military Service to permit concluding contracts with foreign citizens not only with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but also with other security forces of Ukraine participating in JFO in Donbas.

"We will appeal to the Committee for National Security and Defense of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in order to correct this systemic omission at the legislative level. People who come from other countries to Ukraine to fight for its independence and freedom should have legal status and enjoy the rights of citizens of Ukraine," Lysenko said.

According to him, measures will also be strengthened to check citizens who are on the territory of Ukraine in order to ensure the safety of Ukrainian servicemen and volunteers.

In turn, the commander of the 8th battalion of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, Andriy Gergert (nom de guerre Cherven), said that at the moment two fighters have already been removed from the extradition record.

"One young man was released in Mykolaiv region, and another fighter is also in Kharkiv, plus nine are also now in the process of being removed from this extradition process," he added.

Also, according to him, there is an agreement with law enforcement agencies that a special inspection will be set up at the PGO to simplify the procedure for granting residence permits in Ukraine to foreign citizens who fought in Donbas. The commission may include: editor-in-chief of censor.net, Yuriy Butusov, Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Chairman and Petro Poroshenko Bloc Deputy Chairman Refat Chubarov, as well as a fighter of the 8th Volunteer Battalion.

"We expect 100% implementation of the agreements reached between us and representatives from the Ukraine's law-enforcement ministries," Cherven said.

In addition, he said he hoped Tumgoev's extradition would be "sufficient price" to resolve the situation of 25 fighters who are currently registered with the State Migration Service (that is, they do not have a residence permit in Ukraine).

According to Butusov, the goal of the negotiations at the PGO is to regulate the status of foreign volunteers, all people who help the army and take part in hostilities.

"Now the volunteer who helps is fighting in the ranks of the volunteer unit, according to the report of the commander of the volunteer unit, he can get a reason for the quick submission of documents for residence in Ukraine." We can finally legalize the status of those people who come to our aid," Butusov said.

Butusov stressed that this does not mean that volunteer battalion commanders would not work as a branch of the Migration Service.If violations were made in Tumgoev's extradition to Russia, Ukraine will ask court to return him  PGO Spokesman Lysenko

KYIV. Sept 24 (Interfax-Ukraine) - If Russia violates the rights of Timur Tumgoev, extradited from Ukraine, Kyiv will appeal to an international court demanding his return to Ukrainian territory, Spokesman for Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office Andriy Lysenko said at a press conference hosted by the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Friday.

"According to the documents the PGO received from Ukraine's SBU Security Service, and the National Police that collected the data, there was no mention that Tumgoev took part in hostilities in the eastern Ukraine," Lysenko said, adding that a pretrial investigation of the matter will establish the "real picture" of the case.

Replying to a question about information on Tumgoev's possible involvement in the international terrorist organization Islamic State, Lysenko said: "Based on the extradition notice, the information was provided by Russia. But we have reasons to doubt the information. Therefore, a pretrial investigation was launched to establish the truth and those people who stood behind to extradite a person to the aggressor country," Lysenko said. He said Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko has contacted Ukraine's consulate in Russia with a request to check on Tumgoev's status.

"If there are illegal actions taken against him, Ukraine will file an appeal with the international court to bring him back," Lysenko said.

Commander of the 8th Volunteer Battalion Andriy Gergert (nom de guerre Cherven) has said Tumgoev took part in the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

"We say that he fought. We will monitor the investigation and tell investigators whom they should contact to verify this," he said, adding that volunteer battalion commanders continue cooperating with Ukraine's so-called power ministries, but "We now understand that our enemies are in some of these structures."

As earlier reported, on September 17, Svoboda Party activists with members of National Crops, as well as C14 and other nationalist organizations staged a protest outside the PGO office in Kyiv to protest the extradition of Tumgoev to Russia.In a move to increase pressure on the former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a court in Iran has issued additional jail sentences for two of his close allies.

The court for government employees has convicted Ahmadinejads former advisor Ali Akbar Javanfekr to 2 1/2 years and his former deputy Hamid Baghaei to 6 months for spreading lies and insulting regime officials, their lawyer Mehran Abdollahpour told the news agency IRNA on Saturday.

Both defendants had been already sentenced to jail.

Javanfekr had received a 4-year prison sentence early this month for acting against national security, and Baghaei was convicted to 15 years in prison, a cash fine, and lashes for embezzlement and illegal business transactions in December last year.

Among other things, Baghaei had been accused of pocketing millions of dollars that he had received from the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force to distribute among African leaders.

Baghaei and Javanfekr have vehemently denied charges against themselves and called their convictions politically motivated.

In the past one year, the former president has become a vocal critic of the Islamic Republic establishment, criticizing many officials and even the Supreme Leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Since his presidency ended in 2013, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his allies have also been in an intense conflict with Sadegh Larijani, the head of Irans judiciary and his brother Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Iranian parliament, calling them corrupt and accusing them of following orders from England.

Irans chief justice has been, among other things, accused of receiving millions of dollars from judiciary income in his unmonitored personal bank accounts. Unconfirmed reports also allege that Sadegh Larijanis daughter has been charged with espionage for the British Embassy in Tehran. However, the government and judiciary have denied both allegations.

In early September, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, the former vice president and chief of staff under Ahmadinejad, was also sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison after being convicted on charges including acting against national security and insulting judiciary officials.

Mashaei was arrested after he burned the court verdict against Baghaei on March 15 in a symbolic move outside the British Embassy in Tehran. Without providing any proof, he claimed that the British queen had instructed the judiciary to crack down on Ahmadinejad and his allies.

Blaming Britain for conspiracies , which goes back to the 19th century, has been common in Iranian politics and popular imagination.Tehran, Sept 24, 2018 (AFP)

Iran's supreme leader on Monday said the attackers who killed 24 people at a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz were funded by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

"Based on reports, this cowardly act was the work of those very individuals who are rescued by the Americans whenever they are in trouble in Iraq and Syria and who are funded by the Saudis and the (United) Arab Emirates," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, in remarks posted on his official website.

He did not give any further details on the identity of those behind what he called a "terrorist attack".

In the immediate aftermath of the attack on Saturday, Iranian authorities said they suspected Arab separatist groups were behind the attack, none of whom is known to have a presence in Syria.

Khamenei, who was speaking to a group of Iranian athletes, said the attack "once again shows the Iranian nation faces many enemies on its proud path of progress and development".

"We will most certainly rigorously punish the perpetrators of this attack," he added.

Pope Francis has paid tribute to those who suffered and died in Lithuania during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the second day of his visit to the Baltic state.

During Mass in a park in Lithuania's second city, Kaunas, Francis on September 23 honored Jews who were executed or sent off to extermination camps during the three-year Nazi occupation and the Lithuanians who were deported to gulags or were oppressed at home during five decades of Soviet occupation.

"Earlier generations still bear the scars of the period of the occupation, anguish at those who were deported, uncertainty about those who never returned, shame for those who were informers and traitors," Francis told a crowd of about 100,000 people.



Pope Francis also said that society should be vigilant for "any whiff" of resurgent anti-Semitism, calling for new generations to be taught the horrors of the Holocaust.

Later in the day, Francis visited the World War II Jewish ghetto in Vilnius and the capital's Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, which is housed in a former KGB building and dedicated to the crimes of the Soviet regime.

"In this place of remembrance, Lord, we pray that your cry may keep us alert," he said afterward. "That your cry, Lord, may free us from the spiritual sickness that remains a constant temptation for us as a people: forgetfulness of the experiences and sufferings of those who have gone before us."

Francis paid tribute to victims of both Nazi and Soviet atrocities on the 75th anniversary of the final destruction of the ghetto in Vilnius, which had been known for centuries as the "Jerusalem of the North" for its importance to Jewish culture and politics.

Each year, the September 23 anniversary is commemorated with readings of the names of Jews who were killed by Nazis or Lithuanian partisans or were deported to concentration camps.

According to historians, around 195,000 -- around 90 percent of the entire Jewish population -- were killed at the hands of the Nazis and local collaborators under the 1941-44 German occupation.

Today around 3,000 Jews live in the EU and NATO member state.

Francis prayed silently in the former ghetto and warned against the temptation "that can dwell in every human heart" to want to be superior or dominant to others again.

On September 22 in Vilnius, the pope warned against political forces that would seek to eliminate other cultures, and called on Lithuania to use its decades of occupation by the Soviets and the Nazis as a basis for battling intolerance in the world.

Lithuania is the pontiff's first stop on his regional tour that will also bring him to Latvia and Estonia, as the three countries mark their 100th anniversary of independence this year.

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were part of the Russian Empire and briefly Soviet Russia before they declared independence 100 years ago.

The small countries were occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940 and by Germany between 1941 and 1944 during World War II.

They regained independence from the Soviet Union in August 1991 and joined the European Union and NATO in 2004.

According to the Vatican, around 80 percent of the Lithuanian population is Catholic. Latvia is a primarily Lutheran country, while Estonia is largely nonreligious and has a small Catholic population of around 5,000.

John Paul II in 1993 was the only other pope to visit the three Baltic states.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and Baltic TimesBridge project delay affects Lalima residents

Construction of a suspension bridge at Lalima Village in Lekam Rural Municipality-3, Darchula, has been left neglected for months now.The terror attack on an Iranian military parade over the weekend has changed the diplomatic calculus for Iran, regional countries and the United States.

Tensions have risen mainly due to incessant Iranian accusations against the U.S. and its regional allies and constant threats to avenge the attack.

Perhaps Irans president Hassan Rouhani will feel the impact of the attack more than anyone else during his trip to the New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

Rouhani has said that he would use his upcoming speech at the UN General Assembly meeting as an "opportunity to expose US breaches of international regulations", Iran's official news agency IRNA reported on Sunday September 23.

This looks like an early warning that a translation of his speech humming into the headsets of jet-lagged diplomats at the meeting is likely to contain his usual complaint about the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Tehran.

If before the September 22 attack there were murmurs of a possible meeting between Trump and Rouhani, that seems to be out of the question now.

The IRNA report says that "meeting with some leaders" are also on Rouhani's agenda. This comes while hardliner MP Javad Karimi Ghodousi, has warned Rouhani and his Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif not to hold "any planned or accidental meeting or phone conversation with the evil president of the United States, and not to accept any role as mediator" for talks with others; possibly in an allusion to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's comment about President Trump's readiness to hold talks with Khamenei.

There is at least one European leader who would definitely meet with Rouhani. French President Emanuel Macron is slated to hold talks with Rouhani while prospects for the two countries' relations are darkened by a delay in dispatching France's new ambassador to Tehran as Paris did not like the news of an Iranian plot to attack a gathering of Iranian opposition group Mojahedin-e Khalq, aka MeK in France in July.

On the other hand, Iran is not happy about several French companies leaving its market, fearing they might be targeted by US sanctions, while France and other European states may not be able to do much to help Iran as long as the Iranian parliament does not approve the bills that would make Iran committed to abide by international financial conventions such as the FATF.

The second round of renewed US sanctions will target Iran's oil exports and international banking operations, while President Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Sunday that new sanctions would be awaiting Tehran if Iran fails to change its regional policies.

"The president's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal has had a profound effect on Iran and the region as a whole. And with even stronger sanctions coming back in November, we think we have disrupted their efforts to impose their will in countries around the region," Bolton told Fox News on Sunday.

Bolton also spoke about the possibility of more sanctions being imposed on Iran: "We think these new sanctions coming in will have a significant economic and political effect inside the country. And that's what we want. We want massive changes in behavior by the regime in Iran. And if they don't undertake that, they will face more consequences, because we will find more sanctions to impose and other ways to put maximum pressure on them," he added.

Meanwhile, according to an ISNA report from Tehran on Monday, Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, Morteza Saffari Natanzi has suggested that Rouhani should talk about Saturday's terror attack in Iran in his speech in New York.

Rouhani accused the US, and Iran's neighbors in the Persian Gulf region, which he described as "Little mercenary states," of being behind the attack in comments he made before leaving Tehran for New York.

Denying any US involvement in the attack, US chief diplomat at the UN, Nikki Haley said, "I think what Rouhani needs to do is he needs to look at his own home base," adding that Rouhani "should look in the mirror" rather than blaming the United States for the attack.

However, the political dynamics surrounding the attack could have changed Iran's position from one of sponsor of terror to a victim of violence, but by accusing the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, as well as all of the Persian Gulf states and some European countries of being behind the attack, Iranian leaders seem to have effectively ruined their own chance of taking advantage of it for a publicity stunt in New York, while some Iranian media, including the IRGC's own daily newspaper Javan, have blamed flaws in security arrangements and breach of security by the Iranian military intelligence units.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 89 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Sept. 24.

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. 24

Trend:

Making a statement by the CSTO secretary general on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict goes beyond the organization's mandate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said in a statement.

"The CSTO secretary general, abusing his official powers, made a statement on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which goes beyond the mandate of the organization. The statement of the secretary general, who is a citizen of Armenia, is subjective and biased, and, with the exception of Armenia, contradicts the position of the member states of the organization on this conflict," said the message.

"The secretary general of the organization conceals the fact of constant firing at the territory of Azerbaijan from various types of weapons by the armed forces of Armenia along the borders of the two countries, in particular civilian persons and objects. We recommend the secretary general, who declares the harmfulness of military rhetoric, to get familiarized with the absurd and conflicting statements made by the Prime Minister of Armenia, which serve the aggravation and disruption of the process of negotiations", the Foreign Ministry said in a message.

The cause of tension on the line of contact between the troops of Azerbaijan and Armenia and along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is the continuation of the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan and the illegal presence of Armenian troops in the occupied territories, the message says.

"In accordance with the first paragraph of the Collective Security Treaty, updated on December 10, 2010, which forms the international legal basis of the CSTO, the member states reaffirmed their obligations not to use force, or to avoid the threat of use of force in inter-state relations," the statement reads.

The Foreign Ministry said that the military aggression and aggressive policy of the CSTO member state against Azerbaijan also contradicts the legal documents that form the basis of the organization.

"If the CSTO secretary general is really interested in eliminating the tension, he should demand to withdraw the troops of the member state Armenia from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in accordance with the UN Security Councils resolutions," the Foreign Ministry said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, 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. 24

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, by his speech in the parliament, gave Armenia a chance to draw conclusions and take the right path, Azerbaijani MP, Chairman of the countrys Press Council Aflatun Amashov told Trend.

He noted that the speech of Ilham Aliyev at the meeting held on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijani parliament was a detailed description of the chronicle of Azerbaijans development over the past 100 years.

What path did we pass? This story is a real source of pride, Amashov said. The Azerbaijani president in his speech showed the real foundations of Azerbaijans leading position in the region. What Ilham Aliyev said from the rostrum of the highest legislative body at the jubilee meeting held in connection with the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijani parliament, is a special source of pride, high assessment of the place and role of the Azerbaijani parliament.

"The president said - I cannot say that at that time we could completely overcome international isolation. Some countries didnt take us seriously. We know the history well. Today Azerbaijan is a model of success on the world map. ... Not a single initiative, not a single project can be implemented in the region without Azerbaijan, our strength, political weight, economic potential, military power are gradually increasing, our international positions are being strengthened".

There are more than 5,000 nations in the world, and only about 200 of them have a state, Amashov said. There is no doubt that todays independent Azerbaijan is historical heritage of our people.

If one takes into account that the region where Azerbaijan is located is extremely complex, the past 27 years of independence are indeed heritage, he added.

Amashov noted that 100 years of parliamentarism is an eternal symbol of the modern independent life of Azerbaijan, and the role of the Azerbaijani parliament in writing this story is extremely great.

Azerbaijani parliament is an important institution that preserves our 100-year-old tradition of parliamentarism, he said. The activity of the Azerbaijani parliament, which continues the traditions of our historic parliament, is at the same time a platform for establishing the image of the legal and democratic state of Azerbaijan in the world. In the speech of the head of our state these moments were thoroughly brought to attention, comparisons and parallels were carried out.

Amashov stressed that the speech of the Azerbaijani president from the parliamentary rostrum, on the basis of serious arguments, was an exposure of the adventurist nature of the statements by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in recent days, the lesson of realism for populism, if it is possible to say so.

In what case can Armenia become a part of the regions development? President Ilham Aliyev in his speech pointed out the way of development for the Armenian society, having explained the reason for the collapse of this country, Amashov said.

"The president said - "Today, our policy - I would like to repeat, it is no secret, - is to put Armenia in a completely isolated position and to shatter its economic foundations - although it is hardly possible to call them so".

There has been no development in this country of the South Caucasus for many years, socio-political situation is tense, social and economic situation is deplorable, unbearable, Amashov said. This is while Azerbaijan implements big projects, characteristics of the countrys development are measured by global ratings. I believe that both the Armenian society and the authorities should consider this and seriously think about it.

Amashov noted that in fact, the president of Azerbaijan in his speech in the parliament also gave Armenia a chance to draw conclusions and take the right path.

This path passes through the de-occupation of the Azerbaijani lands, the Azerbaijani MP said. The head of state also stressed that Azerbaijan wont put up with the occupation, Amashov added.

The words voiced by the president of Azerbaijan, who said that independence isnt only state attributes were very simple but fundamental explanation of the philosophy of state independence, Amashov said.

The MP noted that this explanation expressed confidence in the irreversibility of the political course pursued by Azerbaijan.

Amashov said that the following words of the Azerbaijani president were also a message for Armenia, an occupier country: Can you pursue an independent policy or not? Can you do it successfully or not? Does this independent policy benefit you or not? Answering these questions, we can say with confidence that today Azerbaijan, which conducts an absolutely independent policy, fully ensures its national interests. The parliament of Azerbaijan has an important role in these matters.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

By Samir Ali - Trend:

The Ministry of Defense Industry of Azerbaijan has expanded arms sales, the Deputy Minister of Defense Industry Yahya Musayev said at a press conference Sept. 24.

"Basically, the sale of small arms has been increased. Its main buyers are Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries."

The Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition "ADEX - 2018" will be held in Baku on September 25-27.

The third exhibition, which has been held every two years since 2014 in the region under the title of "ADEX", is one of the most large-scale events organized to demonstrate weapons and military equipment.

The participation of 224 companies from 29 states is expected at the forthcoming exhibition. Azerbaijan, Turkey, France, Russia, Israel, Belarus, Pakistan, Serbia, Ukraine and other countries will be represented at the exhibition by national stands.

Also, the exhibition will be attended by leading companies representing the defense industries of Bulgaria, China, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands and other participating countries.

The ADEX-2018 exhibition is an ideal platform for demonstrating the latest weapons and signing new agreements in the field of international military-technical cooperation. Information support of the exhibition is provided by more than 60 local and international leading media news agencies, websites and magazines.

The exhibition, held by the initiative and organizational efforts of the Ministry of Defense Industry, is supported by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

By Samir Ali - Trend:

The Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition "ADEX-2018" will be held in Baku on September 25-27.

This event is one of the largest exhibitions of arms and military equipment in the region.

As a rule, the ADEX exhibition is attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

The exhibition is held by the initiative and organizational efforts of the Ministry of Defense Industry, the forum is supported by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. The Caspian Event Organizers (CEO) LLC is the organizer of the exhibition.

Some 224 companies representing 29 countries are expected to participate in the upcoming exhibition. The exposition of the exhibition will be accommodated in three pavilions and the outdoor area of Baku Expo Center.

Azerbaijan, Turkey, France, Russia, Israel, Belarus, Pakistan, Serbia, Ukraine and other countries will be represented at the exhibition by national stands. The exhibition will also be attended by leading companies representing the defense industries of Bulgaria, China, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands and other participating countries.

This year many countries have expanded their stands. Thus, in comparison with the last exhibition (2016), Turkey's stand has been increased by 30 percent.

The pavilion of the Ministry of Defense Industry of Azerbaijan will be located in the third hall of Baku Expo Center, and the latest models of weapons and equipment of domestic production will be demonstrated on its stands.

In addition, the exhibition will be attended this year for the first time by the local Scientific-Technical Company "Vitta", the High-Tech Park of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, and the Service Center for Inspection of Weapons and Armored Vehicles of the Azerbaijani Air Force.

The information support of the exhibition is provided by more than 60 local and international leading media news agencies, websites and magazines.

The main information partner of the event is the British "IHS Jane's Defense Weekly" newspaper. Belgian "Army Recognition" magazine and "Azeri Defense" magazine are also covering the developments of the event.

The ADEX 2018 exhibition will feature air and missile defense systems, military shipbuilding, manufacturing and modernization of weapons systems, drone systems, robotic systems, small arms, ammunition and combat equipment, demilitarization systems, missile and artillery weapons, multiple launch rocket systems, optic-electronic and laser equipment, armored vehicles, submarines, system for cyber security of the Navy, electronic warfare and command, control and communication systems, computer, network systems of control, communication, intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance (C4ISR), rolling stock and equipment of the military railway forces, technology and equipment for the production, repair and disposal of weapons, etc.

Along with other sectors, the sector of the military aviation industry is widely represented at this years exhibition, which will be attended by such corporations and companies as "MIQ" ("MIG"), "TUSASH", "Leonardo", "OAK", "Motor Sich", "Russian helicopters" and "Aeronautics Group".

The ADEX-2018 exhibition will be an ideal platform for demonstrating the latest weapons and signing new agreements in the field of international military-technical cooperation.Tehran, Iran, Sept. 24

Trend:

Azerbaijan's Interior Minister Ramil Usubov arrived in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Monday for bilateral talks.

Heading a high-ranking political delegation, Usubov arrived in Tehran on Monday and was received by his Iranian counterpart Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli, ISNA reported on September 24.

During his two-day visit, the two sides are expected to explore ways for enhanced cooperation in the campaign against narcotics.

They will also discuss ways to expand their cooperation in the fight against insecurity and terrorism in the region.

The senior Azerbaijani official will hold separate meetings with Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani, and Police Chief Brigadier General Hossein Ashtari.Details added (first version posted on 17:45)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

Trend:

The 2019 draft state budget of Azerbaijan has been drawn up taking into account the global financial and economic processes, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Novruz Mammadov said at a regular meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on Sept. 24.

The draft state budget of Azerbaijan for 2019, the draft consolidated budget and indicators of the consolidated budget for the next three years, the concept of economic and social development of Azerbaijan for 2019 and the next three years were discussed at the meeting.

Mammadov stressed that the successful economic policy being conducted under the leadership of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has contributed to the country's dynamic development.

The prime minister said the draft state budget for the next year from this point of view was compiled on the basis of achievements, as well as taking into account the global financial and economic processes taking place in the world.

Mammadov added that as always the social orientation of the budget and the constant improvement of people's well-being were taken as a basis while preparing the draft state budget.

He added that special attention was paid to supporting the development of the non-oil sector, ensuring the defense power and security of the country, further improvement of the country's prestige on international arena.

Then, reports of Azerbaijani minister of finance and deputy minister of economy on the issues of the agenda were heard.

After the discussion of the drafts, a decision was made to approve them and submit a collection of documents included in the draft budget to the president.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

Azerbaijan has prepared a strategy for the development of agriculture, and in this regard, important tasks are set before the countrys Agriculture Ministry, Agriculture Minister Inam Karimov said.

He was speaking Sept. 24 at a national seminar on the role of sustainable food industry and agriculture in achieving sustainable development goals (SDG) in Azerbaijan.

He noted that a roadmap for the manufacture and processing of agricultural products has been prepared.

The necessary work is being done to apply modern technologies in the agricultural sphere, he added.

The minister said that the development of agriculture, providing the population with food is given special importance.

Azerbaijan fruitfully cooperates with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, implementing a number of projects, he said.Masalli, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

By Jeyhun Alakbarov - Trend:

Opening of the first "Friend of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)" regional service of Azerbaijan's Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Masalli District is a significant event, Chairman of the Agencys Board Orkhan Mammadov said during presentation of the first regional service.

He noted that the Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises was created to support entrepreneurs and the "Friend of SMEs" centers will operate under the agency.

About 10 'Friend of SMEs' centers will be created, Mammadov added. Masalli is part of the Lankaran economic zone, which also has great potential and population density.

He also said the Friend of SMEs centers will support entrepreneurs mainly in five areas.

The Friend of SMEs centers will play the role of a bridge between entrepreneurs and government agencies, Mammadov said, adding that attention will also be paid to protecting the rights of entrepreneurs.

Thus, the rights of entrepreneurs will be protected and entrepreneurs will get acquainted with their rights, he noted.

He added that surveys and monitoring services will also be important areas in the centers activity.

The "Friend of SMEs" centers will be able to study entrepreneurs problems, Mammadov noted.Anup Ojha is a reporter for The Kathmandu Post primarily covering social issues and human interest stories. Before moving to the social beat, Ojha covered arts and culture for the Post for four years.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sept. 24

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

A meeting has been held in Ashgabat with Takashi Yoshioka, Director of Office for Promotion of International Project, Infrastructure System and Water Industry of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Noting the priorities in the field of international cooperation, the possibilities of implementing new joint projects in Turkmenistan have been discussed, the message says. The delegates expressed their interest in cooperation with Turkmen partners in such spheres as economy, transport and petrochemicals.

Following the results of the official visit in October of 2015 of the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe in Turkmenistan, the MoUs in the field of development of deposits of natural resources and development of transport infrastructure of Turkmenistan were signed.

Also agreements on a number of projects worth $ 18 billion were signed. The Japanese companies also announced their desire to take part in projects to develop the industrial infrastructure of the largest gas field in Turkmenistan - "Galkynysh".Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

Trend:

An Uzbek-Indian business forum and the National Industrial Exhibition of Uzbekistan will be held in Delhi (India) Sept. 28-29, Uzbek media reported.

The events will be held to further expand trade, economic and investment cooperation between Uzbekistan and India, according to the State Committee for Investments of Uzbekistan.

The delegation from Uzbekistan will consist of about 130 participants, including representatives of business circles of the country.

As part of the events, Uzbekistan and India will discuss promising directions for cooperation in B2B (business to business) and B2G (business to government) formats.

The National Industrial Exhibition of Uzbekistan will feature stands with agricultural, fruit and vegetable, confectionery, food and alcohol products of Uzbekistan.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

Powers of banks supervisory boards may be expanded in Azerbaijan, according to the proposals on amending the Law on Banks discussed Sept. 24 at a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Policy, Industry and Entrepreneurship.

Under the proposed amendment, supervisory board of a bank will be able to appoint and dismiss members of banks audit committees.

There are also proposals to reduce the maximum term of office of the members of banks management board. In line with the proposed amendments, members of a banks management board may be appointed for a maximum period of three years. Presently, the maximum period provided by law is four years.

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Follow the authors on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyevBaku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

The third airport in Istanbul will be opened on October 29, 2018, the Turkish media reported citing the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan said it in New York, where he is taking part in the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

According to Erdogan, the new terminal of Istanbul's third airport is ready for operation.

The president also noted that, along with the new terminal, runways of the new airport are also ready for operation.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Turkey had earlier said that, such cargo companies as UPS, DHL, and FedEx appealed to the management of the third airport with a request to open their representative offices at the airport.

At the new airport, 3,500 flights can be daily carried out and there will be a hotel and parking lot for 25,000 cars.

The first control flight was carried out at the third airport in Istanbul on May 29 under the control of the General Directorate of State Airports Authority of Turkey (DHMI). The testing of the first flight in the third airport was held successfully.

The third airport is being built near the Lake Terkos in northern Istanbul.

After commissioning, the number of flight destinations in Turkey will increase from 282 to 350.

Under the project, the first runway of the new airport will be 3.7 kilometers long and 60 meters wide. The second runway will be 4.1 kilometers long and 60 meters wide.

About 300 passenger and service elevators will be installed at Istanbuls third airport.

Airport City, which will include a network of shops, logistics and exhibition centers, will be also built at the new airport. Limak-Kolin-Cengiz-MaPa-Kalyon consortium of companies won the tender for construction of the airport.

The construction will cost 10 billion Turkish liras, the Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications told Trend earlier.

Turkeys Ziraat Bankasi allocated 1.54 billion euros for the airports construction, while Halkbank and Vakifbank  1 billion euros, Denizbank  500 million euros, Garanti and Finansbank  300 million euros each in October 2017.

($1 = 6.2831 TRY on Sept. 24)

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluBaku, Azerbaijan, Sept.24

By Leman Zeynalova, Huseyn Veliyev - Trend:

E-commerce is an important component of Azerbaijans economic diversification, said Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas during the e-commerce forum in Baku Sept.24.

Talking about cooperation with Azerbaijan in e-commerce, Jankauskas noted that the EU has both multilateral and bilateral programs in this sphere.

We have Digital Europe Program encompassing all Eastern Partnership countries, including Azerbaijan. We work there for the harmonization of the e-trade. But more importantly, we have the bilateral one and were just finishing one of the EU-funded projects called Enhancing Development of E-Services and E-Commerce in Azerbaijan. We have done it for about 16 months, spent around 300,000 euros, he said.

The head of the EU Delegation noted that e-commerce and the whole work done in this sphere is an important component and is going in line and in support of the economic diversification, which is now happening in Azerbaijan.

In that respect the EU is working in all areas. We work on development on small and medium-sized enterprises, export promotion, agricultural sector and so on. We believe this will help to bring EU and Azerbaijan closer. It is also an important component of what Azerbaijan aspires next  creation of transportation hub here, which can only succeed if properly accompanied by variety of the electronic services, he added.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynDetails added (headline changed, first version posted on 11:38)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

Azerbaijans draft state and consolidated budgets, as well as the countrys consolidated budget forecasts for the next three years have been sent to the Cabinet of Ministers, Azerbaijani MP Ziyad Samadzade said Sept. 24.

He was speaking at a meeting of Azerbaijans parliamentary committee for economic policy, industry and entrepreneurship.

The Cabinet of Ministers should discuss the draft state budget and send the document for Azerbaijani presidents consideration.

Revenues of Azerbaijans state budget in January-July 2018 amounted to over 12.078 billion manats, which is 28.4 percent more than in the same period last year. Expenditures of Azerbaijans state budget over the past seven months amounted to over 11.649 billion manats, which is 19.3 percent more than in the same period of 2017.

During the period, the state budget of Azerbaijan was executed with a surplus of 428.8 million manats.

(1.7 AZN = 1 USD on Sept. 24)

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Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyevBaku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

Trend:

The 9th Russia-Azerbaijan interregional forum will be held in Baku on Sept. 27, the Roscongress Foundation said in a message Sept. 24.

Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev and Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin will attend the forum.

The event will be aimed at the intensification of ties between the regions of the countries.

The event is aimed at the development of trade, economic and humanitarian ties between the regions of the two countries and will become a platform for joint work of Russia and Azerbaijan, including the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassadors of both countries, representatives of the business community and experts.

Heads of six regions, namely, Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan and Novgorod regions, Stavropol, as well as Dagestan and Udmurtia are planned to participate in the event from the Russian side.

The program of the event includes a plenary session where ministers Maxim Oreshkin and Shahin Mustafayev, diplomats, heads of business associations and heads of a number of Russian regions will deliver speeches.

The program also includes an expanded meeting of the Azerbaijan-Russia and Russia-Azerbaijan business councils, as well as a series of round table meetings titled Industry: prospects of bilateral cooperation, Development of cooperation in tourism, Development of cooperation in agrarian sphere, Cooperation on small and medium businesses, Strengthening cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, Strengthening cooperation in transport and transit and Prospects of cooperation in development of women's entrepreneurship.

The event is traditionally organized by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development jointly with the Azerbaijani Ministry of Economy with the support of the Roscongress Foundation.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

Trend:

GM Uzbekistan launched a new campaign whereby buyers of Spark cars will receive a discount of 1 million soums (about $124), Podrobno.uz reported.

"On the eve of the day of teachers and mentors, GM Uzbekistan launches a special campaign together with dealers. Now, when buying a Spark R2 Optimum A/T car in showrooms across the country, each customer receives a gift discount of 1 million soums. The campaign begins September 26 and will last until November 10," the company noted.

Another interesting offer is discounts on car loans when buying Spark cars.

"The InfinBank JSCB, the official partner of GM Uzbekistan, offers preferential terms on car loans in the branches of the bank when buying a Spark R2 Optimum A/T car," the company announced.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

By Ilkin Shafiyev  Trend:

Creation of the Azerbaijan-Iran-Georgia energy corridor is one of the priority issues, the Azerbaijani Energy Ministry told Trend.

"The current capacity of import and export of electricity between the energy systems of Azerbaijan and Georgia is 650 megawatts, between the energy systems of Azerbaijan and Iran - 400 megawatts. Measures are being taken to expand these capacities. Negotiations are underway to develop the Azerbaijan-Iran-Georgia energy corridor."

"Negotiations on the construction of the second Yashma-Derbent interstate power transmission line are currently underway with the Russian Energy Ministry," the ministry added.

"An agreement was reached at a tripartite meeting of the deputy ministers of energy of Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran, held in Baku in April, to hold activities related to construction of the second Yashma-Derbent interstate 330 kilovolt power transmission line between the energy systems of Azerbaijan and Russia," the ministry said.

"According to the agreement, discussions are held within a working group with participation of representatives of the energy ministries of the two countries," the ministry said. "The second meeting of the working group is planned to be held in Moscow."

The capacity of the Azerbaijani energy system is more than 6,000 megawatts.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyevSaudis Aramco Trading Company (ATC) expects to increase its oil trading volume to 6 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2020, 50 percent higher than current levels, the companys top official said on Monday, Reuters reports.

Currently ... were at 4 million barrels per day and with expansion I think our target is 6 million barrels per day, President and Chief Executive Ibrahim Al-Buainain said at the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC).

About 50 percent of the 2.5 million bpd of oil products it trades currently are hedged, he said.

The company is also looking at building its capacity in trading liquefied natural gas (LNG), using its Singapore office as a trading hub, Buainain said.

ATC plans to set up its European office in either Geneva or London and also aims to have an office in Fujairah to manage oil storage, he said.

In Singapore, Buainain said he expects the companys office to grow to 30 to 40 people within the next two years.

ATC also expected to benefit from a switch by ships to cleaner fuels in 2020 as mandated by the International Maritime Organization.

The second-hand effect of the IMO is the oversupply of high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) which in our case is a positive because we are net short on fuel oil and that will help us in meeting our requirements (for HSFO) in power generation, Buainain said.

Buainain has headed the trading arm of Saudi Aramco since 2016.

ATC was set up in 2012 to market refined products, base oils and bulk petrochemicals. It started trading non-Saudi crude oil and refined products from its overseas refineries in the past years as the worlds largest oil exporter seeks to optimize profits.Directive on foreign visits gets approval

The council of ministers has endorsed a directive that bars local representatives from going on foreign visits sponsored by international or Non Government Organisations.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

Uzbekistan is going to liberalize access to direct connection to international telecommunications networks for all operators until 2020, Uzbek media reported referring to the decree of the head of state.

Changes, as indicated in the document, will reduce the price for internet access for end users.

By 2021, Uzbekistan plans to increase the share of exports of information and communication technology services to 4 percent of the total volume.

Earlier, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on the analysis of work in the system of information technologies and communications.

He criticized the low quality of the internet and telephony services, as well as the fact that only 27 percent of existing communication networks are built on fiber-optic lines, with the rest still operating on copper lines.

The president gave instructions to increase the speed of internet connection, complete replacement of communication networks with fiber-optic lines.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanovBaku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

Trend:

The Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan has organized a business forum jointly with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Georgia and with the assistance of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Georgia within the framework of the trade and economic mission of the Kazakh delegation to Tbilisi (Georgia), Kazinform reported referring to the forum organizers.

The main purpose of the event is the establishment of direct contacts, the intensification of trade relations between Kazakh enterprises and potential Georgian buyers.

Kazakh delegation includes large companies functioning in the mining, construction and engineering fields.

As part of the trade and economic mission, it is planned to sign a Memorandum of cooperation between the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Georgia.

Currently, Kazakhstan exports to Georgia oil products, nitrogen fertilizers, pasta, flat rolled iron, cigarettes, frozen fish, medicines. The main goods imported from Georgia to Kazakhstan are wine, soft drinks and water, alcohol tinctures, metal pipes, vaccines, condensed milk and cream.

From January to July 2018, the foreign trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Georgia has increased by 67 percent compared to the same period in 2016 and amounted to $77 million.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

Trend:

A meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Independent States will be held in Dushanbe, Tajik news agency Avesta reported citing the press service of the CIS Executive Committee.

"A regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the CIS will be held in Dushanbe on September 27," the report says.

The foreign ministers of the CIS states will exchange views on topical issues of the international agenda and cooperation within the Commonwealth.

The ministers will consider a wide range of issues related to further development and deepening of cooperation in key areas of the CIS activity.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sept. 24

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has sent his condolences to the President of Iran Hassan Rouhani in connection with the terrorist act that occurred in the Iranian city of Ahvaz during a military parade and resulted in casualties and injuries.

"Resolutely opposing any manifestations of terrorism and extremism, Turkmenistan fully supports the efforts of the international community in combating this evil and its eradication," the message published in the local media says.

Berdimihamedov conveyed the words of deep empathy and support to the families, relatives and friends of the victims and wishes for a speedy recovery to the victims.

On Sept. 22, the unknown armed men who stood behind the podium during the military parade in Ahvaz, opened fire on people. At least 29 people were killed and 57 - injured.

Ahvaz city is located in southern Iran near the border with Iraq.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.24

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Irans Khodro Group (IKCO) will start selling its 53,000 products online from Sept.25, said sales and marketing deputy of the company Mostafa Khankarami.

He pointed out that the decision to sell the products online was made in order to avoid crowds on the market, ISNA reported.

Peugeot 206, Peugeot 405 GLX, Samand LX, Soren ALX, Rana, Dena and Arisun Vanet can be put on sale online, he said.

Khankarami also talked about the terms of selling the cars.

By selling the cars online, it will be possible to save time. Customers will register on the companys website (http://esale.ikco.ir) by using different passwords for each day of the week. For example, they will use 1 for Tuesdays, 2 and 3 on Wednesdays, 4 and 5 on Thursdays and Fridays, 6 and 7 on Saturdays, 8 and 9 on Sundays.

Iran Khodro is an Iranian multinational automaker headquartered in Tehran. It manufactures vehicles, including Samand, Peugeot and Renault cars, and trucks, minibuses and buses.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynTehran, Iran, Sept.24

Trend:

Iran's Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alawi announced that the countrys security forces managed to detain members of a terrorist team behind the recent deadly attack in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.

He said that the intelligence forces succeeded in arresting some of the key elements behind the terror attack.

The terrorists that carried out the act of terror were killed and rest will be traced and arrested soon, Alawi said late on Sunday, Khabar Online reported on September 24.

During a military parade in Ahvaz, which was staged concurrently with nationwide military parades on Saturday to mark the start of Iran-Iraq war, militants opened fire at the people participating in the ceremony.

The deputy governor of Khuzestan Province, Ali Hossein Hosseinzadeh, put the latest death toll from the attack at 25, saying 60 others have been injured.

According to media reports, the Al-Ahvaziya group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Irans Armed Forces staged the countrywide military parades to mark the Sacred Defense Week on the 38th anniversary of the onset of the Iraqi imposed war on the Islamic Republic back in the 1980s.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 24

By Matanat Nasibova  Trend:

The raising of the status of Azerbaijan in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) from the dialogue partner to the observer will raise the cooperation of Baku with this authoritative international organization to a new qualitative level, well-known Russian political analyst, associate professor of the Institute of World Civilizations Vitaly Zhuravlev told Trend.

Zhuravlev was commenting on the consideration of the issue of getting an observer status by Azerbaijan in the SCO.

According to the information spread by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, the issue of obtaining an observer status by Azerbaijan is expected to be considered at the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO member-states.

This was announced at a recent meeting between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and SCO Secretary General Rashid Alimov in China.

This is good news in many respects, he said. "Today the SCO is the leading organization that deals with the issues of Eurasian integration. When talking about Eurasian integration, first of all, economic integration that is developed around the "silk roads" designed to establish partnership between China and the countries of Europe and the Middle East is implied.

However, this is beneficial for all transit countries, including the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan, Zhuravlev said. The appropriate infrastructure is being created, investments are being made, new jobs, various new projects are appearing, trade relations are being strengthened, etc. All this leads to the formation of a huge market, which includes finance, human resources, information, humanitarian contacts."

Azerbaijan will receive certain additional economic prospects, by participating through the SCO in the Eurasian integration, he said.

"The second dimension of the SCO is the issues covering regional security, Zhuravlev said. There is clear understanding that political stability is required for the development of socio-economic processes, so the issues of combating religious extremism, separatism, and some external negative threats in terms of security are the most important task of the SCO. In this context, Azerbaijan's participation can be viewed as the extension of the zone of stability for the SCO and Azerbaijan itself."

It is difficult to predict exactly how this will affect the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but it is clear that this will be only a positive factor, Zhuravlev added.

This conflict situation must somehow be resolved, he said. It is already too protracted and the SCO can also play a positive role here. The third dimension of Azerbaijan's participation in the SCO is geopolitical. Presently, we all observe the struggle for spheres of influence. The Syrian war can be cited as an example.

Of course, membership in the SCO does not automatically mean that Baku has embarked on a military alliance with Moscow and Beijing, but potentially, proceeding from the fact that new geopolitical configurations are created in the world, cooperation with the SCO is a certain prerequisite, Zhuravlev said. This means that Baku can receive certain guarantees of loyalty from the SCO in case of pressure from the West.

But these are only the potential possibilities of such a course of events, he added. If we continue to consider the geopolitical configuration scenarios, one can assume the Beijing-Moscow-Tehran-Ankara-Baku format. Of course, there are certain contradictions among the countries on different issues, but, in principle, there is logic in this format.

It can also be assumed that Baku's steps to strengthen cooperation with the SCO will cause criticism from politicians of Western countries, various pro-Western structures in Azerbaijan itself, as well as fundamental religious organizations, but this must be taken as an inevitable reaction of ideologically motivated opponents of Eurasian integration," Zhuravlev said.

As for Moscow's position on intensification of Baku's participation in the SCO, it will be positive, especially taking into account that confrontation with the West has not left the Kremlin any other choice but to work on the Eurasian direction and, accordingly, to promote the all-round development of the SCO, he added.U.S. and Canadian officials trying to reach a deal on NAFTA are very likely to hold informal talks on the sidelines of a major U.N. meeting in the next few days, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday, Reuters reported.

With time running out ahead of a U.S.-imposed deadline of the end of September, negotiators are making slow progress on updating the North American Free Trade Agreement.

U.S. President Donald Trump struck a side deal on NAFTA with Mexico last month and has threatened to exclude Canada if necessary. He also said he might impose a 25 percent tariff on Canadian autos exports, which would badly hurt Canadas economy.

Trump took office last year vowing to tear up NAFTA unless major changes were made to a pact he blames for the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer - the two top officials at the talks - are due to be in New York on Monday and Tuesday for the U.N. General Assembly.

Certainly the fact that many of our negotiators, many of our teams, will be in New York at the same time (means) its very likely that conversations continue in a constructive but less formal way, Trudeau told reporters.

Trudeau, speaking after talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, said nothing had formally been arranged. A Freeland spokesman declined to comment.

The United States and Canada are divided over the best way to resolve trade disputes and a U.S. demand for more access to Canadas protected dairy market.

Markets are reacting nervously to uncertainty over the future of the 1994 pact, which underpins $1.2 trillion in annual trade. Over the past 25 years, the three countries economies have become increasingly integrated, especially the auto industry.

Canadian negotiators have said they will not be rushed and Trudeau reiterated on Sunday that he would not sign a bad NAFTA deal.

Freeland and Lighthizer met in Washington last Thursday and made little progress. Canada also made clear the United States needed to withdraw the threat of auto tariffs for a deal to be possible.Russia and India can conclude an agreement on the exchange of experience and interaction in preparation for the launch of the first Indian manned space mission, Sputnik reported citing Indian media.

Indian agency PTI reported, citing official sources, that the parties may sign the contract during the upcoming official visit of Vladimir Putin to New Delhi early next month.

In late August, head of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Kailasavadivoo Sivan said that members of the first Indian national space crew would be trained in one of the foreign states, with Germany, the United States and Russia being named among the possible options.

Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said in September that New Delhi was looking forward to Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit on October 4. The visit of the Russian leader to India is expected to take place within the framework of the annual bilateral summit.

India has been developing its own space program since 1947, immediately after the country gained independence. The work is conducted under the guidance of the government department of space research. The coordination of activities of various organizations and firms within the national space program, as well as the creation of rocket and space technology is entrusted to the ISRO.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the country planned to launch the first national manned mission into space before 2022. The spacecraft has already received the name Gaganyaan, which means "Skycraft."Two days before planned operations on the Jerusalem fast-rail link are scheduled to begin, Israel Police and fire and rescue services have successfully carried out an emergency drill and finally approved the line, Globes reports.

Israel Police announced, "According to the instructions of Israel Railways and other organizations and under recognized limitations Israel Police approves the opening of the line." Passenger services between Jerusalem and Ben Gurion airport will begin Tuesday.

The fire and rescue services have given only temporary approval for the operation of passenger services for one month until completion of required changes to the line.

As reported by "Globes" last week, when a special test run was made with a train operating from Jerusalem's new Yitzhak Navon Station to Ben Gurion airport on Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Transport Minister Yisrael Katz, Israel Railways had yet to receive the required approvals for commercial passenger train operations.

The line has also yet to receive the required safety approval from the Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) International institute. However, following today's successful emergency drill this is expected to be granted tomorrow.

The drill conducted today was carried out deep in one of the line's longest tunnels to ensure that special trains and vehicles can reach any incident.

The new station in Jerusalem, Yitzhak Navon Station, is 80 meters deep, and located opposite the central bus station at the western entrance to the city. In the first stage, trains will only run from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion airport where passengers will change to a diesel train until electrification of the line is completed to Tel Aviv.

Optimistic estimates say it will take another 3-6 months before the line is fully operational. In the first stage there will be only one train per hour between Jerusalem and Ben Gurion airport station where passengers will change to a diesel train. When fully operational there will be one train every 15 minutes.

For the time being Jerusalem residents can travel for free on the train, if they book in advance.

The cost of the high-speed train to Jerusalem, the Ministry of Transport's largest-ever project, is estimated at NIS 7 billion. The line is designed to connect Israel's capital to the Greater Tel Aviv metropolitan area and the central region and relieve traffic congestion. Travel time from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the last stop on the line, is meant to be 28 minutes.

The project was first started in 2001, but following a series of managerial missteps, the completion date was postponed from 2008 to 2017 and then to March 2018. The line is 57 kilometers long, including 32 kilometers on a new segment from Kfar Daniel to Jerusalem containing nine bridges, and five tunnels totaling 19 kilometers.Elderly man hacks son to death

An elderly man hacked his son to death at Tikapur Municipality-8 in Kailali district on Saturday.A gang of pirates took hostage 12 crew members of a Swiss cargo ship they attacked in Nigerian waters on Saturday, the vessel's operator has said, Press TV reported citing AFP.

Massoel Shipping said its bulk carrier MV Glarus, with 19 crew, came under attack early Saturday morning as it transported bulk wheat from Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos to the southern oil hub of Port Harcourt.

During the attack, around 45 nautical miles southwest of Bonny Island, "the pirate gang boarded the Glarus by means of long ladders and cut the razor wire on deck to gain access to the vessel and eventually the bridge," the company said in a statement sent to AFP.

"Having destroyed much of the vessel's communications equipment, the criminal gang departed taking 12 of the 19 crew complement as hostage," it added.

The Geneva-based shipping company said "all the appropriate authorities have been notified" and specialists have been called in to "secure the speedy and safe release of those being held."

"Families are being kept closely informed of the situation," it said, without providing details on the nationalities of the kidnapped crew members.

Switzerland's foreign ministry said it "has been informed of the attack on Glarus, a vessel sailing under a Swiss flag along the Nigerian coast."

The Swiss Maritime Navigation Office was in contact with the vessel's operator, it added.The death toll in the two major landslides that struck the Philippines last week has climbed to 95, authorities said, Xinhua reported.

As of Sunday night, officials said a total of 49 bodies have been pulled out of the rubble in the mining town of Itogon, Benguet province in the northern Philippines, while a total of 46 bodies have so far been retrieved from the landslide that also hit a community at the foot of a quarrying site in Naga City in the central Philippine Cebu province.

In Itogon, disaster officials said at least 19 others are still missing after mud and boulders crashed on a bunkhouse where dozens of small-scale miners and their families sought refuge as super typhoon Mangkhut barreled the Philippine main Luzon Island on Sept. 15.

Rescuers are continuing their retrieval efforts to locate 40 others still missing in the Naga City landslide that buried some 30 houses around 6 a.m. last Thursday.

Disaster officials counted nearly 200 deaths in typhoon Mangkhut and the twin landslides that struck the Philippines last week.

Nearly 1.6 million farmers and fisherfolks were affected by Mangkhut, the strongest typhoon to hit not only the Philippines but the region this year.

Data showed that 80 to 90 percent rice and corn crops were destroyed in the affected area, not only jeopardizing food supplies, but also devastating poor farmers who were counting on their upcoming harvest.

Other livelihoods such as mining are also severely impacted in the typhoon's aftermath.

Indeed, the Philippines is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world.

Annually, an average of 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippines each year of which around six to seven cause significant damage.

In 2013, super typhoon Haiyan devastated the central Philippines, killing more than 6,000 people. In 2009, typhoon Ketsana also caused massive flooding in Metro Manila, killing more than 700.Belarus law enforcement authorities are closely cooperating with the Russian side on the 30-day visa-free entry to the republic for foreign citizens, said head of the Department for Citizenship and Migration at the Belarusian Interior Ministry Alexei Begun on ONT television channel live on Sunday.

"The Interior Ministry is taking preventive and organizational measures jointly with interested [authorities] to minimize risks. We are cooperating with our Russian colleagues to remove their concerns over the possibility of penetration of this category of people (who are banned entry to Russia) to the Russian Federation," Begun noted.

He highlighted that Belarus "is doing all that is possible to find illegal migrants and channels of illegal migration." "The Interior Ministry is constantly monitoring the migration flow and certain liberalization [of the visa regime] did not lead to a growth in criminality and violations on the part of this category of citizens," said the head of the Belarusian Interior Ministrys department.

On July 24, 2018, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered to prolong the visa-free stay for foreign citizens from five to 30 days provided they enter the country and subsequently leave it through the state border at Minsk national airport. The visa-free regime has been operating against citizens from 80 countries, including the EU states. The procedure for visa-free movement through the airport does not affect people who come to Belarus by planes from Russia, as well as those wishing to fly to Russian airports, as these flights are domestic, which do not require border control.Heavy rainfall triggered flash floods and landslides in the hill states of northern India, including Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal pradesh and Haryana, India TV reported.

At least 11 people were killed on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, and a 'red alert' being issued in Punjab, where educational institutes have been ordered to remain closed on Tuesday.

Schools have been closed in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir and in most places of Himachal Pradesh.

Heavy rains led to landslides which blocked the roads to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Yamunotri, affecting the Chardham Yatra, while traffic snarled in the national capital due to waterlogging following heavy rains.

The Punjab government has asked district authorities to maintain vigil to avert any untoward situation due to heavy rains, an official said.

Punjab has been witnessing widespread rain for the last two days and the downpour continued Monday, prompting state authorities to review preparations to tackle flood-like situations.

Incessant rains in Punjab and Haryana could cause damage to kharif crops and dip in their yield, farm experts said.Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday that Moscow will supply an S-300 anti-missile system to Syria within two weeks, Reuters reports.

The announcement comes a week after the ministry accused Israel of indirectly causing the downing of a Russian military plane in Syria that killed 15 servicemen.Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has said the decision to provide S-300 air defense systems to Syria is a sovereign right of the two countries. He hopes that it will not spoil Russia-Israel relations, TASS reports.

"I dont believe it will. Our relations [with Israel] are far wider. This is an important issue, of course. But it is also our right and the right of sovereign Syria," Bogdanov said, when asked if Russias decision to supply S-300 air defense systems to Syria might affect Russias relations with Israel.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday said that Syrias air defense forces would be armed with S-300 air defense systems and that Russias radio-electronic warfare units will jam satellite navigation, onboard radars and communication systems of combat aircraft attacking targets in Syria. Also, he said that Russia would equip Syrian air defense command posts with automated control systems, previously supplied only to the Russian armed forces. Shoigu said it was one of the counter-measures to maintain security in Syrias airspace after the loss of the Ilyushin-20 plane.Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and US National Security Adviser John Bolton may meet in Russia in the second half of October, a diplomatic source told TASS on Monday.

"Such a meeting may take place in the second half of October," the source said.

When asked if Russia would host the meeting as it had been planned, he answered in the affirmative.

Patrushev and Bolton held a meeting in Geneva a month ago. The Russian Security Council secretary invited Bolton to meet again in Moscow or another Russian city.

No date for the next meeting was set at the time. However, US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman said on September 21 that a new round of consultations was set to be held in the near future.S President Donald Trump said that he intended to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in New York on Sunday to discuss military and trade issues, Sputnik reported.

"Going to New York. Will be with Prime Minister Abe of Japan tonight, talking Military and Trade. We have done much to help Japan, would like to see more of a reciprocal relationship. It will all work out!" Trump wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

On Friday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said that Abe and would hold talks on September 26 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The 73rd UN General Assembly started on September 18 and will last until October 5. The week of September 24  28 is expected to be the most intense and see numerous high-level meetings.

Previously, the White House said that the US President and the Japans prime minister during a phone call agreed to closely consult after the summit between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore.KYODO NEWS - Sep 24, 2018 - 21:32 | World, All

Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won a surprise victory in the presidential election held in the Maldives over the weekend, ousting authoritarian President Abdulla Yameen, according to provisional results announced Monday.

The Maldives Election Commission said that Solih won 58.3 percent of the vote, receiving 134,616 votes compared to Yameen's 96,132 votes.

Out of 262,135 eligible voters, 233,877 people cast votes in Sunday's election at 472 ballot boxes in the Maldives and abroad in India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, the commission said on its website.

(Ibrahim Mohamed Solih attends a press conference to declare victory)

Yameen, of the Progressive Party of Maldives, conceded defeat soon after the Election Commission announced the provisional results.

"The Maldivian people have made their decision about me and I have decided to accept the results and stay in service to the people in any way I can," he said in a speech broadcast live.

Yameen also conveyed his sincere congratulations to Solih, adding that he will work to ensure a smooth transition.

"Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, I have congratulated him," he said.

Solih, of the Maldivian Democratic Party and widely known as Ibu, claimed victory shortly after midnight, calling the result a "historical moment of happiness and hope."

"The will of the people has spoken decisively for change," Solih, who was backed by a coalition of four opposition parties, told reporters at a press conference in the capital Male.

"The message is loud and clear. The people of Maldives want change, peace and justice," he said.

Mohamed Nasheed, the exiled former president of the Indian Ocean nation, conveyed his best wishes in a tweet from Colombo.

"Congratulations to President Elect @ibusolih. You have done an extremely good service to not only to the people of Maldives, but also to freedom loving people everywhere. Democracy is a historical inevitability," said Nasheed, who was barred from taking part in the election.

Neighboring India on Monday welcomed the result and "heartily" congratulated Solih on his victory.

A statement issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs notably said the election "marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law."

The United States hailed the election result in a tweet by its diplomatic mission in Sri Lanka. "We look forward to a peaceful transition of power and will work with President-elect @ibusolih's government to further strengthen bilateral ties," it said.

Solih and his vice president are scheduled to be sworn in on Nov. 17.

An official announcement of the election result will be made before Sunday.

Yameen, who became president in the 2013 election that remains mired in controversy, faced criticism for running an authoritarian regime.

During his tenure he oversaw the arrest of political opponents, dismantled the Supreme Court, and imposed martial law twice.

He also pushed the country deeper into a Chinese "debt trap" with a new $200 million bridge that was opened just ahead of the election.

The presidential election was the Maldives' third since becoming a democracy a decade ago.KYODO NEWS - Sep 24, 2018 - 12:54 | All, World

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday he and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to continue working closely toward North Korea's denuclearization, kicking off his busy five-day diplomatic schedule in New York.

After dinner with Trump, Abe said he had a "very constructive" discussion over trade and that the two leaders will take the topic up again when meeting as scheduled on Wednesday.

(Photo courtesy of Japan's Cabinet Public Relations Office)

"We agreed to make the momentum created in the historic U.S.-North Korea summit in June even stronger and to continue to coordinate closely toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Abe told reporters after dining at Trump Tower.

Abe said Trump listened closely when he conveyed a message from family members of Japanese nationals who were abducted to North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.

Dining with Trump was the first event on Abe's schedule after arriving in New York on Sunday. The bilateral alliance has been at the heart of Japan's diplomatic efforts, and Abe, who recently secured another three-year term as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is expected to stress its importance.

Before dining with Abe, Trump tweeted that he would be "talking military and trade. We have done much to help Japan, would like to see more of a reciprocal relationship. It will all work out!"

Abe said they exchanged candid views on various topics related to U.S. trade policy during their meeting that lasted over two and a half hours, adding, "We had a very constructive discussion on trade and investment between Japan and the United States."

Abe and Trump have built a rapport, but uncertainty remains over whether the Japanese leader can use it to leverage trade issues. Washington seeks a bilateral deal to correct what Trump sees as a trade imbalance between the two nations.

(Abe speaks to reporters after dinner with Trump)

Japan's economic revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will meet Monday in New York to lay the groundwork for the Abe-Trump summit.

Abe's visit comes after the inter-Korea summit last week kept hopes alive for progress on North Korea's denuclearization.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to dismantle his country's major nuclear facility if the United States takes reciprocal actions, and to close its key missile test site in the presence of international experts.

Japan has been coordinating closely with the United States toward the shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea, and Abe is expected to express support for Trump's possible second meeting with

Kim. Abe also plans to sit down with South Korean President Moon Jae In during his stay through Thursday.

Abe's week will be busy with high-level meetings aimed at addressing international issues ranging from the Syrian civil war and the Rohingya refugee crisis to U.N. sustainable development goals and climate change.

(Photo courtesy of Japan's Cabinet Public Relations Office)Government bans raunchy content

After a gap of eight years, the government has again geared up with its plan of banning pornographic content, citing increased cases of sexual violence in the country.K N Balagopal sought to turn the tables on the UDF saying that the Oommen Chandy government had increased sales tax 13 times during its five years.Journalists relief fund set up

The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), Ilam chapter, has decided to set up a fund to financially assist journalists during emergency. A meeting of the FNJ chapter held on Sunday decided to establish an emergency fund of Rs 50,000 for the time being.New York [USA], Sep 24 (NT): India will co-host 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, with the United States and other selected countries on Monday in the leadership of EAM Sushma Swaraj.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and United States President Donald Trump participating the global meeting will mull over the issue of how to battle the drug pest.

Following a jam-packed day Swaraj will be holding back-to-back bilateral talks, starting from meeting with Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini.

She is also slated to hold meeting with Liechtenstein Foreign Minister Aurelia Frick, Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Spain Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, Colombia Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo later in the day.

In the afternoon, Swaraj will be present the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit at the General Assembly Hall, at the United Nations headquarter in New York.

The Indian External Affairs Minister will resume her remaining bilateral talks with other countries representatives like with Ecuador Foreign Minister Jose Valencia, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, and Mongolian Foreign Minister Tsogtbaatar Damdin.

At last, Swaraj will grace a reception by South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa in honour of the Centenary of President Nelson Mandela.

The General Debate will start on September 25. World leaders from 193 UN member states will address the international organization. On sidelines of UN General Assembly, EAM Swaraj is to take part in the G4 meet to be held tomorrow, Non-Aligned Movement meets on Sept 26, BRICS, IBSA&SAARC meetings on Sept 27.EAM's statement in the UN General Assembly on Sept 29, she will also hold more than 30 bilateral meets .

(NT)Koirala will lead Congress: Shashank

Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Shashank Koirala has claimed that the next party president will be elected from the Koirala family.Maldives says opposition wins 'peaceful' presidential election

Maldives opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won the island nations presidential election, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Twitter on Monday, Reuters reported.Photo credit: Tom Ervin/Getty Images - Getty Images

From Popular Mechanics

Within lab experiments in a technique called "gene drive," scientists in England have been able to eliminate malaria within mosquitos that were part of the test. Using gene drive, the elimination only took in between 7 to 11 generations.



The scientists studied a mosquito known as Anopheles gambiae, or An. gambiae. A nasty insect that prefers to feed on humans, An. gambiae are among the most effective spreaders of malaria known to humanity. They mainly live in sub-Saharan Africa, which counts for around 80 percent of the modern world's cases of malaria according to the World Health Organization.

An. gambiae has a gene known as "doublesex," which determines the male or female sex of the mosquito. Using gene drive, scientists at Imperial College London were able to selectively target a region of the "doublesex" gene that holds sway over female development. Males with the modified gene showed no changes, with the same results going for females with only one copy of the altered gene. However, when female mosquitos got two copies of the alternated gene, changes were definitely noticeable.

These females did not bite nor did they lay eggs. With the gene modification being passed down 100 percent of the time, the population began to collapse. After 8 generations, no females were being born at all. Unlike other attempts at gene manipulation, there was no evolutionary resistance from the mosquitos as they passed from one generation to the next. No functional mutation of the doublesex gene developed to save the mosquitos from their plight.

This breakthrough shows that gene drive can work, providing hope in the fight against a disease that has plagued mankind for centuries," says Professor Andrea Crisanti of he Department of Life Sciences at Imperial. "There is still more work to be done, both in terms of testing the technology in larger lab-based studies and working with affected countries to assess the feasibility of such an intervention.

Story continues

It will still be at least 5-10 years before we consider testing any mosquitoes with gene drive in the wild, but now we have some encouraging proof that were on the right path. Gene drive solutions have the potential one day to expedite malaria eradication by overcoming the barriers of logistics in resource-poor countries.

Mosquitos are among humanity's most troublesome pests. Last year after Hurricane Harvey, they flooded Houston. Talk of gene editing mosquitos has happened for several years now, going back to at least 2015.

While some are reluctant to use gene editing because it's akin to playing God, few would miss the path of devastation and sickness that mosquitos have caused over the years. In 2016, there around 216 million cases of malaria worldwide with around 445,000 deaths, mostly children under the age of 5.

"2016 marked the first time in over two decades that malaria cases did not fall year-on-year despite huge efforts and resources," Professor Crisanti says, "suggesting we need more tools in the fight. New genes might be just the weapon.

Source: Imperial

('You Might Also Like',)Man rapes 12-year-old girl in Dharan

Police arrested a 30-year-old man on charge of raping a 12-year-old girl in Dharan, Sunsari, on Saturday.Facebook FB has reportedly launched Facebook Dating in Colombia. Notably, the feature, which is free, will be part of its mobile platform only.



The social media giant had first announced the feature at its annual F8 conference in May this year. The company unveiled an opt-in feature for Facebook users that will pair them up with potential dating partners based on existing profile information and also allow them to build a separate dating profile that will not be visible to their other friends.



In an effort to be different from Match Groups MTCH Tinder, Facebook is trying to project its dating feature for people seeking serious long-term relationships.



Notably, online dating is catching up very fast in South America and this is probably why Facebook has rolled out the service in Colombia. With the companys 30 million monthly active users (MAUs), the feature is expected to be adopted very quickly



Facebook, Inc. Revenue (TTM)

Facebook, Inc. Revenue (TTM) | Facebook, Inc. Quote



Can Facebook Stand Apart?



Facebook is trying to cash in on the growing adoption of online dating. The company, which generally allows third-party dating websites to access users data, will now use the data for its own good.



Facebooks user base of 2.2 billion share massive amount of data on the platform. The company, using artificial intelligence (AI), focuses on developing a customized feed for its users.



Going a step ahead, Facebook will now use the same technology to match its users interest give dating recommendation. People who share similar interest will be matched, excluding friends and blocked connections.



Additionally, Facebook allows users to set a maximum distance limit of 100kms to find a match. Moreover, the company has taken a few security measures to prevent any misuse of the platform.



The social media giant, which has 200 million users categorized as Single, is trying to help them connect with people sharing similar interest. With this, the company will also increase the time spent on the platform.



Facebook, which is seeing a slowing user base growth rate, is ramping up efforts to bring in new features to enhance engagement levels.



However, Facebook will go against established players like Match while building its dating business.



Stiff Competition from Match



Match Group is considered to have pioneered the concept of online dating, which is why it enjoys a first movers advantage in this market. Match.com, Tinder, PlentyOfFish, OkCupid and OurTime (aimed at daters aged 50+) dominate the market across a wide swath of demographics and dating expectations.



Moreover, smaller Match Group brands target specific geographical areas (Europe, Asia), plus racial, ethnic and religious groups and even political affiliation.



Match group has 7 million subscribers worldwide and 3 million of them use Tinder - the most profitable segment of Match Groups business for advertising. Notably, the companys average paid subscribers increased 27% in the second quarter, driven primarily by strength in both North America (up 4% year over year) and international (up 14% year over year).



Additional Concerns for Facebook



Facebook along with Twitter TWTR and Alphabets GOOGL Google are under constant scrutiny over repeated failures to secure the platform.



Given Facebooks repeated failures to secure the platform, many users may be reluctant to share more personal information than they already have. This provides competitive leverage to Match in the online dating market.



Facebook currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).



Currently, Match has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All



Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.



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Zacks Investment ResearchThis natural gas ETF hits a new 52-week high. Are more gains in store for this ETF?

On Sep 24, oil prices continue to increase as Trumps oil sanctions on Iran are taking effect as Irans oil exports have declined by 35% since April. Additionally, domestic crude inventories fell to a three and a half year low, which in turn boosted oil prices.

Also, Brent oil is evidently nearing the desired level of $80 a barrel following U.S. sanctions on Iran. Following the recent recovery in oil prices, mutual funds that have significant exposure to the energy sector could be solid investments.

Geopolitical Tensions Benefit Oil Prices

On May 8, President Trump canceled the Iran nuclear deal and called it a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made. After initial criticism, Trumps decision is clearly showing results now. With less than two months left before U.S. sanctions on Iranian crude on Nov 5, Iranian oil exports fell 35% from April to early September.

In fact, Irans third-largest oil exporter, South Korea, already stopped obtaining oil from Iran last month after purchasing 194,000 barrels per day in July. Other major exporters like India, China and Japan are also preparing to live without Iranian crude supplies ahead of the Nov 5 deadline. Additionally, 71 foreign companies are planning to exit Iran, as per data by think tank, Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

U.S. Crude Stockpiles Post Surprise Slump

On Sep 24, WTI crude price futures rose 1.2% to reach $71.60, while Brent crude price futures advanced 1.3% to settle at $79.82, closing near the $80 level. Along with Iran sanctions, the gain was triggered by a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) per which U.S. commercial crude oil inventories fell 2.1 million barrels to 394.1 million for the week ended Sep 14. U.S. commercial crude oil inventories posted their fifth consecutive weekly fall and reached the lowest level since 2015.

Additionally, Saudi Arabia has agreed to keep oil prices at about $80 and they dont want prices to go below $70, per a Reuters report earlier this month. Further, on Sep 18, Saudi Arabia reportedly said that for the short run the country is comfortable with present crude prices  Brent oil prices increasing over $80 per barrel.

Story continues

Meanwhile, on Sep 23, Saudi Arabia energy minister Khalid al-Falih after a meeting between the joint OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial monitoring committee said crude production in "October will be even higher." However, he added that the countrys output levels will be influenced by customer demand and not intended to manipulate oil prices.

5 Best Energy Funds to Buy

As discussed above, the energy sector has witnessed significant growth in recent times. This is borne out by the fact that the Energy Select Sector SPDR (XLE) has gained 9.5% in the past six months. Additionally, mutual funds related to this sector registered strong returns. According to Morningstar, the equity energy mutual fund posted year-to-date and one-year annualized returns of 5.1% and 15.3%, respectively.

Against this backdrop, we have highlighted five energy mutual funds that carry a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). We also expect these funds to outperform their peers in the future. Remember, the goal of the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank is to guide investors to identify potential winners and losers. Unlike most of the fund-rating systems, the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank is not just focused on past performance, but also on the likely future success of the fund.

These funds witnessed encouraging returns during their last bull market, and their minimum initial investment is within $5000.

Vanguard Energy Investor VGENX invests a major portion of its assets in equity securities of companies from the energy sector. VGENX normally invests in stocks of companies that are engaged in the production, marketing, transmission and research of energy. The fund seeks growth of capital for the long run.

VGENX carries an expense ratio of 0.38% compared with the category average of 1.36%. Moreover, VGENX requires a minimal initial investment of $3,000. The fund has one-year annualized returns of 21.2%.

The fund carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #2. James P. Stetler is one of the fund managers of VGENX since 2012. Further, as of the last filing, Exxon Mobil is the top holding for VGENX.

Fidelity Advisor Energy A FANAX invests a huge part of its assets in securities of companies principally engaged in the energy field. FANAX seeks appreciation of capital. The fund invests in both U.S. and non-U.S. companies.

FANAX carries an expense ratio of 1.09% compared with the category average of 1.36%. Moreover, FANAX requires a minimal initial investment of $2,500. The fund has one-year annualized returns of 29.1%.

The fund carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1. John Dowd is the fund manager of FANAX since 2006. Further, as of the last filing, Chevron is the top holding for FANAX.

Invesco Energy Investor FSTEX seeks capital growth for the long run. The fund invests a bulk of its assets in equity securities of companies involved in energy-related industries. FSTEX mainly focuses on investing in common stocks.

FSTEX carries an expense ratio of 1.33% compared with the category average of 1.36%. Moreover, FSTEX requires a minimal initial investment of $1,000. The fund has one-year annualized returns of 21.9%.

The fund carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #2. Norman MacDonald is the fund manager of FSTEX since 2013. Further, as of the last filing, BP Plc is the top holding for FSTEX.

BlackRock Natural Resources Investor A MDGRX invests a large chunk of its assets in securities of companies that are engaged in the natural resources industry, like energy, oil and mining. The fund seeks growth of capital for the long run.

MDGRX carries an expense ratio of 1.13% compared with the category average of 1.34%. Moreover, MDGRX requires a minimal initial investment of $1,000. The fund has one-year annualized returns of 10.8%.

The fund carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #2. Alastair Bishop is one of the fund managers of MDGRX since 2017. Further, as of the last filing, Nutrien is the top holding for MDGRX.

Fidelity Select Natural Gas FSNGX seeks appreciation of capital. The fund invests the majority of its assets in company involved mainly in transmission, production and distribution of natural gas. FSNGX invests in both U.S. and non-U.S. companies.

FSNGX carries an expense ratio of 0.87% compared with the category average of 1.36%. Moreover, FSNGX requires a minimal initial investment of $2,500. The fund has one-year annualized returns of 18.4%.

The fund carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1. Ben Shuleva is the fund manager of FSNGX since 2014. Further, as of the last filing, EOG Resources is the top holding for FSNGX.

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Zacks Investment ResearchA former White House official has revised her statement to the FBI regarding whether or not former national security adviser Michael Flynn discussed sanctions with her following his conversations with a Russian ambassador, The Washington Postreports.

K.T. McFarland, Flynns former deputy, allegedly told the FBI that Flynn may have been referring to sanctions during a discussion in December 2016, when he made a general statement about things going to be okay. Last year, she had told investigators that she never spoke with Flynn about any conversation he may have had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak regarding sanctions, but this statement was inconsistent with the FBIs information, the Post reports.

McFarland revised her statement not long after Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his Russian contacts in late 2017, says the Post, claiming she misremembered the conversation.

However, court papers connected to Flynns plea state a senior Trump transition official was directly involved with strategizing for the Kislyak calls, and sources familiar with the case told the Post this official was McFarland.

Flynn and [McFarland] discussed the U.S. sanctions, including the potential impact of those sanctions on the incoming administrations foreign policy goals, reads the plea document, which refers to McFarland as a transition team official, says the Post.

Before McFarland amended her statement, she withdrew her nomination as ambassador to Singapore after Senators pointed out the discrepancies between her statement and Flynns plea, The Hill reports.

Senator Cory Booker called the statements contradictions an alarming development at the time, according to The Hill, adding that its another example of a pattern of deception on the part of Trumps closest associates regarding their connections and communications to Russian government officials.MEXICO CITY, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Mexican bottler and retailer Fomento Economico Mexicano, or Femsa, said on Monday it had reached a deal to acquire Ecuadorean drugstore operator Corporacion GPF, without providing details about the transaction.

Femsa, which controls Coca-Cola Femsa, the world's largest Coke bottler, and operates the OXXO convenience stores, said the acquisition was subject to regulatory approvals and was expected to close during the first quarter of 2019.

Femsa will purchase Corporacion GPF through its majority-owned subsidiary Socofar, a Chile-based drugstore and distribution platform.

"GPF is a strong local operator with attractive growth prospects, and it will help Socofar as it continues to build a robust base from which to expand further in the region," Femsa said in a statement.

Corporacion GPF operates more than 620 points of sale in Ecuador.

Femsa representatives were not immediately available to provide further details about the transaction. (Reporting by Noe Torres Writing by Anthony Esposito; editing by Diane Craft)FILE PHOTO: The logo of the Organization of the Petroleoum Exporting Countries (OPEC) at OPEC's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo

By Ahmad Ghaddar and Olesya Astakhova

ALGIERS (Reuters) - OPEC and its allies reduced oil output in August as a drop in Iranian supply due to U.S. sanctions derailed their attempts to raise production to agreed levels, delegates said on Saturday as the energy producers prepared to hold talks in Algiers.

The development further raises pressure on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to boost supply amid calls from U.S. President Donald Trump to lower oil prices.

On Friday, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters OPEC and its allies led by Russia were considering the possibility of raising crude supplies by a further 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) as U.S. sanctions on OPEC's third-largest producer, Iran, bite into Tehran's exports.

"If an increase in production is proposed there will be plenty of market counter-argument that it reduces even further the available spare capacity," Olivier Jakob from consultancy Petromatrix said.

"Saudi Arabia has made the mistake of trying to compensate for the loss of Iranian supplies with just-in-time replacement; but the oil market is looking for greater supply security than that. As a result, the strength of oil prices is now putting oil demand growth at risk," he added.

An OPEC and non-OPEC monitoring committee gathering in the Algerian capital this weekend found that oil producers' compliance with a supply-reduction agreement reached 129 percent in August, two committee delegates said.

This compares with a compliance level of 109 percent for July, indicating that the group went beyond its agreed cut.

Oman's oil minister Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Rumhy told reporters on Saturday that OPEC and non-OPEC producers overachieved on pledged output cuts by 600,000 bpd in August, putting the reduction at around 2.4 million bpd.

Story continues

OFF-TARGET

Seeking to reverse a downturn in oil prices that began in 2014, OPEC, Russia and other allies decided in late 2016 to reduce supply by some 1.8 million bpd.

In June this year, however, after months of cutting by more than their pact had called for amid involuntary reductions from Venezuela and other producers, they agreed to boost output by returning to 100 percent compliance.

That equates to an increase of about 1 million bpd, but the latest figures show they are some way from achieving that target.

Oil (LCOc1) reached $80 a barrel this month, prompting Trump to demand again that OPEC bring down prices.

"We protect the countries of the Middle East, they would not be safe for very long without us, and yet they continue to push for higher and higher oil prices! We will remember. The OPEC monopoly must get prices down now!" he wrote on Twitter.

Higher gasoline prices for U.S. consumers could create a political headache for Trump before November mid-term congressional elections.

OPEC sources said any official action to raise output would require OPEC to hold what it calls an extraordinary meeting - a proposal that is not on the table yet.

But the joint OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial committee known as the JMMC, which meets on Sunday, can still recommend a further increase in output if needed, the sources said.

(Graphic: Iran crude oil exports to top destinations - https://tmsnrt.rs/2MQogku)

(Additional reporting by Rania El Gamal; Editing by Dale Hudson)Modi may visit Janakpur again, officials say

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may visit Nepal in mid-December, his fifth to the country, to inaugurate the Janakpur-Jayanagar railway track, senior diplomatic officials have told the Post.Texas Instruments Hikes Dividend, to Buy Back $12B Shares Texas Instruments (TXN) hikes dividend to 77 cents per share and increases buyback by $12 billion, reflecting strong cash-generation capabilities to win investors' loyalty.

Texas Instruments TXN or TI recently announced a hike in dividend along with a share repurchase program.

This time around, the company plans to raise its quarterly dividend by 15 cents to 77 cents per share. This translates into a 24% increase from the prior dividend of 62 cents. The new dividend will be paid on Nov 19, 2018 to stockholders of record as of Oct 31, 2018, contingent upon a formal declaration by the board of directors at its regular meeting in October.

Moreover, Texas Instruments approved a share repurchase program worth $12.0 billion, in addition to approximately $7.4 billion already available.

Notably, Texas Instruments shares have rallied 25.8% in the past 12-month period, underperforming its industrys growth of 32.6%.

TIs Cash position

TIs strong balance sheet and cash flow provide financial flexibility for dividend hikes, share repurchases and strategic acquisitions.

The company generated $1.8 billion in cash from operations, spending $249 million on capex, $1.02 billion on share repurchases and $606 million on cash dividends. Free cash flow at the end of the second quarter was $5.7 billion.

Texas Instruments is one of the few chip making companies that returns a significant amount of cash to its investors.

Bottom Line

Texas Instruments is one of the largest suppliers of analog and digital signal processing integrated circuits. The companys compelling product line-up, increasing differentiation in business and low-cost 300-mm capacity should drive earnings over the long term.

Also, its margins should continue to expand because of the secular strength in the auto and industrial markets, a stronger mix of analog and embedded processing products, benefits of restructuring actions and more than 300mm capacity coming online. Moreover, the semiconductor giant is poised to gain from the growing market for Internet of Things.

We believe that the increase in dividend and share buyback indicates that the company is confident about its steady cash flows. However, increasing competition from Analog Devices, NVIDIA Corporation and Applied Materials remains a concern.

Story continues

Texas Instruments Incorporated Price and Consensus

Texas Instruments Incorporated Price and Consensus | Texas Instruments Incorporated Quote

Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider

Texas Instruments currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the same industry include Infineon Technologies AG IFNNY, ON Semiconductor Corporation ON and Rambus Inc. RMBS, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Long-term earnings growth for Infineon Technologies, ON Semiconductor and Rambus is currently projected to be 7.5%, 13.2% and 10%, respectively.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All

Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce ""the world's first trillionaires,"" but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.

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Zacks Investment ResearchWomen have grown accustomed to being harassed by strange men on the streets of Dushanbe:

"Is your mom looking for a son-in-law?"

"I'm speechless."

"Hey, $100 girl."

Overtures can range from unsolicited "compliments" to personal insults to physical assault. Whatever the case they are not welcomed.

Acting on complaints, police in the Tajik capital are flipping the script on catcallers with the introduction of strict measures intended to get them to keep their comments to themselves.

Catcallers in Dushanbe now face the prospect of up to two weeks in jail, community service, and the humiliation of having their pictures plastered on police websites as a warning to others.

Naming And Shaming

Anisa Ibrohimova recently saw a melon seller get his comeuppance. The 19-year-old student was shopping earlier this month at a street-side market stall when a merchant, Muhammadjon Qurbonov, called her a "$100 girl," slang for prostitute.

Ibrohimova says she confronted Qurbonov, telling him he had "no right to say that."

"But he shouted: 'Get lost,' and pushed me," Ibrohimova told RFE/RL on September 9. The teenager managed to partially record the incident on her mobile phone and handed it to police.

On September 6, a Dushanbe court convicted the 21-year-old Qurbonov of disorderly conduct and sentenced him to five days in jail and community work.

Photos of Qurbonov sweeping streets, and cleaning and painting the walls of an old building were published on the website of the Dushanbe police department.

Officials explained that they name and shame offenders to "make others think twice" about catcalling.

"Citizens, especially young people, will see the photos of the offenders washing floors, sweeping, and painting walls," says Nusratullo Saidzoda, a spokesman of the Interior Ministry, which oversees the police in Tajikistan.

"The pictures are aimed at making other people to think about the implications," Saidzoda told RFE/RL's Tajik Service.

Dushanbe city authorities set up a special group to address women's complaints about street harassment after a group of women called on the officials in July to tackle the problem.

Police say the city's 2,700 CCTV cameras help authorities monitor bad behavior by men.

Women's rights activist Hilola Nazarova welcomes the measures against street harassment, saying they will help change attitudes.

"Sharing these photos on the Internet will definitely have an impact," Nazarova told RFE/RL. "People see that there is punishment for bad behavior."

'Compliment'

Nazarova says women are often subjected to comments from total strangers on the street, while using public transport, and at bazaars, making them feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

Some men see their overtures as "innocent," says Behruz, a college student who spoke to RFE/RL on condition that his full name not be used.

"I didn't know it was a crime, it was just a compliment, an innocent remark about someone's nice coat, for example," Behruz said.

"I don't see it as a big deal if someone tells me the color of my shirt suits me," he added.

Many women, however, say unsolicited comments are unacceptable, and are often sexually suggestive, gender-based harassment.

Ibrohimova, the victim of harassment at the market, says it was a "painful" experience.

"I often see young men in the streets saying extremely inappropriate things to women," Ibrohimova told RFE/RL. "It has to stop."

Dushanbe authorities say they want to promote more respectful behavior among city dwellers and, in January, the city mayor issued a decree setting up special groups to promote good citizenship and raise people's awareness of their rights.

Despite recent efforts, city police say they received about 10 complaints from women about street harassment in the past two weeks alone.

Written by RFE/RL correspondent Farangis Najibullah based on a report by Tajik Service correspondent Mirzonabi Kholiqzod.BANNU, Pakistan -- The reopening of a major trade route connecting western Pakistans North Waziristan region with southeastern Afghanistan was touted as a major step toward stabilizing the restive border region, which is still reeling from years of terrorist attacks and the militarys counterinsurgency sweeps.

But four months later, traders say the Ghulam Khan border crossing has failed to deliver the prosperity that was promised because of customs restrictions that block free trade between North Waziristan and the neighboring southeastern Afghan province of Khost.

Qamar Zaman is one of scores of traders in North Waziristans administrative capital, Miran Shah, whose livelihoods depend on importing produce from Afghanistan.

This amounts to economic murder. We have no option but to protest this move, he told Radio Mashaal. Trade through this border crossing is our economic lifeline.

Another trader, Abdullah Khan, says customs officials at Ghulam Khan have stopped them from importing tomatoes and grapes from Afghanistan.

When the border first reopened [in May], our business flourished, but now it is dead, he said.

North Waziristan traders say customs authorities are only allowing Pakistani traders to export cement, food, and electronics while preventing them from importing Afghan produce. Many are still not sure what rules they are supposed to follow.

Everyone knows trade between the two countries can flourish if it is bilateral, Khan noted. We borrowed a lot in Afghanistan. Now our debts are piling up.

Khan says the only thing that made their investment profitable was the relatively free movement of goods across their restive border. We would send goods into Afghanistan and then bring in stuff from there [without any paperwork], he said.

Khan says traders in North Waziristan incurred huge losses when the Ghulam Khan crossing was closed for nearly four years after the Pakistani military launched a large-scale military operation in June 2014. More than 1 million residents were displaced by the offensive, which the military says rid the region of militants.

In Khost, Afghan trader Anwar Khan sees little economic benefit in restricting trade through Ghulam Khan in the name of customs regulations.

We were really hoping for an economic upturn in this underdeveloped border region when the crossing reopened, but these [customs] measures have brought bilateral trade to a virtual standstill, he told Radio Mashaal. Our farmers have lost a lot because they cant find a market for their produce.

Anwar says several of his trucks carrying fruit and ropes made from plants have now been held up at the border crossing for more than a week.

Its difficult to do business in such conditions, he said.

The nearly 2,500-kilometer porous Durand Line border between landlocked Afghanistan and Pakistan has historically seen few regulations.

In the past, most of the official trade between the neighbors took place through the Torkham crossing in the north and Chaman in the south. In recent years, Pakistan fenced off many parts of the border and opened several new crossings for official bilateral trade.

Authorities in North Waziristan say trade through Ghulam Khan is key for reviving the local economy. A senior civilian official told Radio Mashaal they are hoping to sort out the customs issues soon.

Tahir Iqbal, a senior customs official dealing with customs operations along the Afghan border, says that since 2014 Pakistans central bank requires all imports to obtain an Electronic Import Form (EIF) issued by a bank.

Imports through all the other border crossings provide us with the EIFs because we are legally required to have them, he said. Without these forms, we cannot clear imports to enter our country.

Iqbal says traders in North Waziristan know that the form is mandatory because Islamabad is trying to regulate trade with Kabul. So far, most of our trade [with Afghanistan] has been undocumented, he noted.

In Miran Shah, traders are anxious over the prospect of their business being documented, fearing it will eventually invite more regulations and taxes.

Zaman says he expects an exception from Islamabad considering the suffering, violence, and displacement they have endured.

The ban on imports has really trashed our hopes, he said.

Abubakar Siddique wrote this story based on Radio Mashaal correspondent Umar Darazs reporting from Bannu, Pakistan.NC objects to ruling partys plan to impeach Joshee

Nepali Congress has questioned the government about the impeachment motion initiated by the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) lawmakers against Justice Deepak Raj Joshee.The team behind season three of Serial, from left: Julie Snyder, Emmanuel Dzotsi, Sarah Koenig and Ira Glass.Up, down, up, down. Thats the theme of the Elder-Fehn Trail at Catamount Ranch, a Teller County open space. It wont appeal to traditionalists preferring a steady uphill that ends at some overlook. And thats fine by the frequenters of this protected paradise.SANTA FE  As a child in Santa Fe, Daniel Chamberlain Lehman knew what he wanted to be when he grew up.

A military man. A protector of his country. One who serves a greater cause.

He cared so deeply about people and about freedom, his mother, Laurie Lehman, said last week. He was a West Point type of guy, Army all the way. He was a patriot, and he wanted to serve his country, always.

Police found the body of Army Capt. Daniel Lehman at the end of a trail of blood near East Costilla Street and South Wahsatch Avenue in Colorado Springs, a couple of blocks from where investigators believe he was shot about 2 a.m. Sept. 15.

Police said they still dont know who shot him or why, and theyre asking for residents help. Lehman was stationed with the 4th Infantry Divisions 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Carson.

Fort Carson captain, a West Point graduate, fatally shot in downtown Colorado Springs; police asking for help A man whose body was found early Saturday east of downtown Colorado Springs has been identified as an Army intelligence officer who graduated 

His mother said police only told her he probably was walking home when he was killed, well before officers arrived about 7:15 a.m. that day after receiving a report about a body.

I dont have a clue, Lehman said of her sons slaying. Police say they are looking at video cameras and trying everything they can to find out more. They dont have anything.

Why would someone do this? Who would do this? I dont understand. He was a good, sweet boy. Just a boy, really  28 is still a boy.

Lehman was born Feb. 6, 1990, in Los Angeles to Laurie Chamberlain Lehman and Daniel George Lehman. The family moved to Santa Fe that year.

He became an honor roll student at St. Michaels High School and volunteered at libraries and at a retirement home in downtown Santa Fe, serving juice and cookies to residents and engaging in chess games.

When he was only 12, he was selected as one of the Santa Fe New Mexicans 10 Who Made a Difference in 2002. I get to do something I like to do and at the same time I get to give something special to someone else, he told an interviewer that year.

He spent a year in China as an exchange student and came back fluent in Mandarin, his mother said. He also was fluent in Spanish, she said, because he pushed himself to learn the language.

Youd think hed be in his room playing video games, she said, but hed be studying Spanish.

He was determined to do what he wanted to do, she said.

Hed say, I want to go climb that mountain, and then hed go and climb it. He came to me at 15 and said, I want to be an exchange student.  He came back and said he wanted to go to West Point. I said OK, but I made him also apply to the Naval and Air Force academies, too.

After graduating from St. Michaels in 2008, Lehman attended the U.S. Military Academy, graduating in 2012 with a double major in nuclear physics and philosophy. He was commissioned that year as a second lieutenant in the Army within the military intelligence branch.

Lehman served in Afghanistan in 2013 and rose through the ranks to become a captain. After a year in Eastern Europe, he was stationed at Fort Carson less than a year ago.

His units commander, Col. Michael J. Simmering, said in a statement, 3rd Brigade Combat Team mourns the loss of Capt. Daniel Lehman and extends our sincerest condolences to his family and friends. He will be sincerely missed by each and every member of our team. Dan will always be remembered as an incredible leader and a fierce friend.

Lehman, who was single, didnt tell his mother about his work. When you go into military intelligence, they teach you to not talk about it, she said.

She said she tried not to be intrusive and to respect his privacy. He was a quiet, reserved type of guy. I would have spoken to him every night if I could have.  I adored him.

Lehman tearfully remembered little moments from his life, such as his fascination with cats when he was a volunteer at Santa Fes animal shelter. His love of dogs. His knowledge of algebra, and how he sat and patiently explained its concepts to his younger brother, Jonathan Giles Lehman, who died in 2012 at age 21.

And the day he told her he wanted to learn how to play a musical instrument and chose the trumpet. She suggested he consider various options, but he said, No, I want a trumpet. And he learned to play it, she said.

I miss him. Ill miss him every day of my life, Laurie Lehman said. Im so very proud of him and everything he did in his life. He had so much to give and so much to offer. Its so sad. I dont understand why this happened.

She said her son will be honored with a private military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Colorado Springs police ask anyone with information about the shooting to call 444-7000.According to a recent report by safety website ASecureLife.com, a Colorado city cracks the top 20 list for cities with the most car thefts.

Pueblo ranks 12th on the list of mostly western cities, including Oakland (No.1) Tacoma (No. 6) and Salt Lake City (No. 15). Pueblo also beat out the lone eastern city on the listBaltimore (No. 19).

According to the report, which uses the most recent FBI data from 236 cities, Pueblo has roughly five cars stolen per 1,000 people. That compares to about seven cars stolen per 1,000 people in Oakland.

The national average is two cars stolen per 1,000 people.

So what's up with all the western cities on the list? The report says these cities are more car-dependent than cities on the east. The report points out that New York City, a city with ample public transportation, ranks seventh on the list for the fewest car thefts.

Also, this may come as no surprise to some, but older models of the Honda Accord and Honda Civic are the most common car models to be stolen.

You can take a look at the full list and report here.Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Ohio Gov. John Kasich wrote a letter Monday urging the Trump administration to put an end to a trade war they contend hurts U.S. industries and leaves large numbers of our citizens worse off.

The letter, addressed to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, seeks to highlight the impact of trade on the states economies and the detrimental effects that uncertainty in U.S. trade policy and the imposition of retaliatory tariffs are having on our states.

We appreciate the desire to revise and seek updated, fair and equitable trade agreements, the pair wrote. However, we strongly urge our negotiators to address these opportunities without closing markets, imposing tariffs or enacting government regulations that threaten to negatively affect our manufacturers and agricultural producers, as well as the businesses and rural communities so dependent upon their profitability.

Twenty-seven states count North American Free Trade Agreement partners Canada and Mexico as their two largest export markets, the governors wrote, citing International Trade Administration statistics.

Those states include Colorado. China, Japan, the UK, Germany and South Korea are also major export destinations, they added. Now, some of these trading partners are among the countries imposing retaliatory tariffs on our states manufacturing and agricultural products.

The letter closes with an exhortation to pursue a trade policy that is forward-looking and designed to place our workers and our economy in a position to benefit from all the changes the 21st century will bring.

A recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce report warns that $277 million in Colorado exports and 733,000 jobs are threatened by trade war.A 60-year-old man charged in the 2017 stomping death of Full Throttle Auto shop owner George Maldonado was convicted Monday of first-degree murder.

Derrick Davis wasnt accused of inflicting the fatal blow, but an El Paso County jury concluded he shared responsibility for the death because he plotted and helped execute the armed robbery.

In addition to felony murder, Davis was convicted of aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery.

Davis, whose attorneys argued that police arrested the wrong man, continued to deny wrongdoing even as 4th Judicial District Judge Barbara Hughes proceeded directly to sentencing, imposing life in prison plus 16 years.

I had nothing to do with this right here, Davis said before he was taken into custody. During brief sentencing remarks, prosecutor Margaret Vellar described Davis as a career criminal with multiple felony convictions, including for robbery, dating to the 1980s.

The guilty verdicts came just after noon, ending about eight hours of deliberations by the seven-man, five-woman jury. The trial lasted more than three weeks. Davis accomplice, Eric Grant, was convicted of first-degree murder at a June trial and sentenced to life in prison plus 25 years.

Maldonado, 51, and a customer were tied up and beaten in July 2017 by two robbers posing as Colorado Springs Utilities workers. Surveillance footage, along with cellular phone records, led police to Grant and Davis, who exchanged many calls in the days before the robbery. The men fled and were arrested in other states  Davis in Minnesota and Grant in Pennsylvania.

Maldonado died of a single kick to the head after he refused to give Grant the combination to a safe inside the shop, authorities say.

Six people identified Davis from the footage, reporting that he must have pulled his long hair tight and tucked it under a ball cap.

Public defenders Sheilagh McAteer and Deana Feist tried to persuade the panel that a different man accompanied Grant into the shop, going so far as to identify their alternate suspect.

That man  who prosecutors say had nothing to do with the crime  was shot to death weeks after the robbery in an attack that remains unsolved.

Grants attorneys also claimed wrongful arrest, telling a different jury that police grabbed the wrong bearded black man in the wake of Maldonados killing.

After Davis sentencing, Maldonados relatives embraced quietly in the hallway, saying the trials resolved questions about the mens guilt, leaving the family only the pain of his murder.

Nothing will bring him back, said his youngest son, Corey Maldonado.

Maldonado, survived by his wife of 32 years and four grown children, was remembered as a devoted father who treated his nieces and nephews as if they were his own.

They took my brother, but theyll never take the memories, said Theresa Maldonado.

A son, also named George, took up the family business in the wake of his fathers death, determined to keep it alive, relatives said.

Now that the fight for justice is over, the family says they must learn how to go on without the man who helped draw them together.

Its over, but the worst is just beginning, said Theresa Maldonado.Because of TABOR, Colorado became one of the best business environments in the country. -- Economist Barry Poulson (Gazette file)Nirmala Pant rape: Panel conducts polygraph test on police officers

The nine-member probe team led by Additional Inspector General (AIG) Dhiru Basnyat has started conducting polygraph (lie-detector) test on police officers who allegedly mishandled the evidence while investigating the rape and murder of Nirmala Pant of Bhimdutta Municipality in Kanchanpur district.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Copper Corp. (TSX: NCU) ("Nevada Copper" or the Company) is pleased to announce results from 19 holes in and near the open pit project (the Open Pit Project) which is located 4km from the Companys underground mine, both situated at its 100% owned Pumpkin Hollow copper project (Pumpkin Hollow). All of the 19 holes have hit copper mineralization, with 9 holes hitting high-grade mineralization, including hole NC18-22, located outside of the current pit limits, which intercepted 6.9 meters true thickness averaging 4.12% copper between 175.7m and 187.0m. In total, 26 holes were drilled during the 2018 Open Pit Project expansion work program and the results indicate a new high-grade zone, new lenses of mineralization and the continued success of the waste-to-ore conversion program. None of these holes were included in the recent preliminary economic assessment (PEA) study (see news release dated September 10, 2018). These 26 holes will be included in the upcoming pre-feasibility (PFS) study anticipated Q1, 2019 and have the potential to enhance the size and economics of the Open Pit Project.



Results Highlights

A total of 26 Holes over 9,800 meters have been drilled this year, including 19 New Mineralized Drill Holes: All 26 holes encountered multiple zones of mineralization. Results include: Hole NC18-06 intersected 9.2 meters true thickness averaging 1.09% copper Hole NC18-14 intersected 13.0 meters true thickness averaging 2.42% copper Hole NC18-23 intersected 29.4 meters true thickness averaging 0.71% copper, including 5.7 meters true thickness averaging 2.60% copper.

All 26 holes encountered multiple zones of mineralization. Results include: Demonstrates potential for waste to ore conversion and upgrading of inferred-category ore: The program intersected strong mineralization in the Northern Extension target area outside and within the walls of the Open Pit Project mine plan that have been classified as waste rock. It also targeted areas classified as inferred category ore with the goal of upgrading to indicated category. Converting the waste rock may reduce stripping costs and extend the ore body.

The program intersected strong mineralization in the Northern Extension target area outside and within the walls of the Open Pit Project mine plan that have been classified as waste rock. It also targeted areas classified as inferred category ore with the goal of upgrading to indicated category. Converting the waste rock may reduce stripping costs and extend the ore body. New High-Grade Zone discovered outside of the existing Open Pit Project 1 boundaries : Three of the holes encountered high-grade mineralization outside of the walls of the existing Open Pit Project plan. Drill hole NC18-19 intersected 9.9 meters true thickness averaging 3.48% copper. NC18-09 also targeted down dip expansion and intersected 28.0 meters true thickness averaging 1.97% copper. The mineralization remains open. The Company intends to further delineate this new zone of high-grade mineralization.

: Three of the holes encountered high-grade mineralization outside of the walls of the existing Open Pit Project plan. Drill hole NC18-19 intersected 9.9 meters true thickness averaging 3.48% copper. NC18-09 also targeted down dip expansion and intersected 28.0 meters true thickness averaging 1.97% copper. The mineralization remains open. The Company intends to further delineate this new zone of high-grade mineralization. Enhancing the Scale and Potential Economics of the Open Pit Project: As outlined in the recent PEA study, the Open Pit Project has the potential for robust economics and the option to expand in stages. Following the dissemination of the PEA technical report, the results of the 26 mineralized drill holes will be included in the resource model of the PFS study, expected Q1, 2019 with the potential to improve the grade and size of the resource estimate.

Matt Gili, President and CEO, of Nevada Copper, commented, We are very encouraged by this extensive set of drilling results, which includes the discovery of a new high-grade zone and new lenses of mineralization. We are also pleased to see the continued, strong progression of our waste-to-ore conversion program. Overall, the success of this program has the potential to improve the size and the economics of the open pit development at Pumpkin Hollow and we look forward to the PFS that is planned for Q1, 2019.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f217f86a-77d1-472b-a1dc-5a16defcdb79

* Cu Equivalent using Cu US$3.10/lb, Au US$1300/oz and Ag US$17/oz; recoveries 89.3%, 67.3% and 57.3% respectively.





Hole #



From



To Azimuth Dip



Length True Length



Cu



Gold



Silver



CuEq* (m) (m) (deg) (deg) (m) (m) % (g/t) (g/t) % NC15-18 106.7 115.8 0 -90 9.1 8.6 0.29 0.006 0.6 0.30 239.9 310.9 0 -90 71.0 66.7 0.37 0.045 1.7 0.40 352.0 381.0 0 -90 29.0 27.3 0.37 0.037 1.5 0.39 NC18-03 172.5 263.3 0 -90 90.8 78.6 0.36 0.039 1.3 0.38 283.8 297.5 0 -90 13.7 11.7 0.24 0.029 0.7 0.26 335.3 344.7 0 -90 9.4 8.1 0.15 0.034 0.7 0.17 352.3 358.4 0 -90 6.1 5.3 0.17 0.031 1.1 0.19 419.4 439.2 0 -90 19.8 17.1 0.16 0.024 0.9 0.18 453.9 482.8 0 -90 28.9 25.0 0.22 0.020 1.2 0.24 NC18-06 88.4 99.2 180 -75 10.6 9.2 1.09 0.070 2.4 1.13 150.0 160.8 180 -75 10.8 9.4 0.24 0.024 1.4 0.26 255.5 264.9 180 -75 9.4 8.1 0.71 0.045 3.5 0.75 342.6 350.8 180 -75 8.2 7.1 0.22 0.030 0.9 0.24 431.9 444.7 180 -75 12.8 11.1 0.22 0.018 1.5 0.24 457.9 480.6 180 -75 22.7 19.7 0.39 0.024 1.3 0.41 NC18-09 265.2 304.8 180 -75 39.6 28.0 1.97 0.153 1.3 2.05 320.0 324.6 180 -75 4.6 3.3 0.86 0.021 2.1 0.88 NC18-10 319.3 331.3 180 -75 12.0 7.8 0.80 0.026 0.6 0.82 337.5 343.9 180 -75 6.4 4.2 0.33 0.017 0.4 0.34 NC18-11 136.0 149.4 0 -90 13.4 11.6 0.38 0.012 1.6 0.39 NC18-12 243.9 255.4 180 -80 11.5 10.4 0.84 0.027 1.0 0.86 279.1 283.1 180 -80 4.0 3.6 0.41 0.015 0.7 0.42 299.8 309.0 180 -80 9.2 8.3 0.30 0.016 0.5 0.31 NC18-13 89.9 105.2 0 -90 15.3 9.8 0.35 0.007 1.0 0.36 118.9 129.5 0 -90 10.6 6.8 0.25 0.018 0.3 0.26 332.2 355.3 0 -90 23.1 14.8 0.25 0.003 0.4 0.25 420.6 426.7 0 -90 6.1 3.9 0.66 0.018 1.4 0.68 NC18-14 154.6 173.0 180 -80 18.4 13.0 2.42 0.186 6.6 2.54 345.8 349.5 180 -80 3.7 3.6 0.73 0.029 3.0 0.76 NC18-15 89.9 97.5 0 -90 7.6 5.4 0.26 0.012 1.6 0.27 131.2 159.3 0 -90 28.1 19.9 0.72 0.029 2.2 0.74 205.5 214.0 0 -90 8.5 6.0 0.25 0.014 0.3 0.26 NC18-16 153.9 160.6 180 -80 6.7 6.3 1.97 0.091 3.5 2.03 248.4 254.5 180 -80 6.1 5.7 0.19 0.002 0.4 0.19 NC18-17 254.5 260.9 0 -90 6.4 5.3 0.38 0.017 1.5 0.40 NC18-18 283.9 291.5 0 -90 7.6 5.8 0.18 0.009 0.1 0.18 NC18-19 284.4 297.5 0 -90 13.1 9.9 3.48 0.070 4.7 3.54 309.4 314.0 0 -90 4.6 3.5 0.22 0.008 0.5 0.23 NC18-20 137.8 142.3 0 -90 4.5 4.2 0.19 0.012 1.1 0.20 155.1 160.0 0 -90 4.9 4.6 0.22 0.011 1.2 0.23 NC18-21 172.7 178.5 0 -90 5.8 5.5 0.32 0.017 1.4 0.34 196.5 210.9 0 -90 14.4 13.5 0.53 0.023 1.6 0.55 NC18-22 175.7 188.0 0 -90 12.3 6.9 4.12 0.132 5.6 4.19 195.7 204.7 0 -90 9.0 5.0 0.17 0.013 0.2 0.18 210.9 217.0 0 -90 6.1 3.4 0.27 0.011 1.2 0.28 NC18-23 150.0 188.4 0 -90 38.4 29.4 0.71 0.053 1.0 0.74 including 162.7 170.2 0 -90 7.5 5.7 2.60 0.21 3.6 2.72 NC18-24 156.0 161.4 0 -90 5.4 4.1 0.32 0.014 0.8 0.33 167.3 172.4 0 -90 5.10 3.9 0.24 0.022 0.8 0.25

* Cu Equivalent using Cu US$3.10/lb, Au US$1300/oz and Ag US$17/oz; recoveries 89.3%, 67.3% and 57.3% respectively.

The Importance of the Northern Extension Target Area: Located adjacent to and in the North Pit and covering an area of approximately 26 ha, the Northern Extension Zone was not previously drilled due to the now-completed land transfer process. As a result, the Northern Extension Zone was classified as waste rock or inferred material in the Existing Technical Report. Subsequent field work and analysis has shown the Northern Extension to be a highly-prospective area and the 2018 drilling included a waste-to-ore conversion program which has successfully intersected significant mineralization in this high priority target area.

Whats Upcoming: A new drilling program is expected in H1, 2019 as well as exploration to locate the source of the mineralization at Pumpkin Hollow In addition, a new PFS, encompassing the new drill holes and further expanding on the PEA results, is expected Q1, 2019. The underground mine is expected to commence production in Q4, 2019.

Further details on the Open Pit Project drill program, the Open Pit PEA and the underground mine can be found on the Companys website www.nevadacopper.com .

QA/QC Information: The Company has a QA/QC program in place that monitors the chain-of-custody of samples and includes the insertion of blanks, duplicates, and certified reference standards within each batch of samples. Core is logged, photographed and split in half with one-half retained in a secured facility for verification purposes. Sample preparation (crushing and pulverizing) and analysis has been performed at American Assay Laboratories, Reno Nevada an ISO 17025 and NDEP accredited lab.

About Nevada Copper



Nevada Coppers (TSX: NCU) Pumpkin Hollow project is the only major, shovel-ready and fully-permitted copper project in North America. Located in Nevada, USA, Pumpkin Hollow has substantial reserves and resources including copper, gold and silver.



Its two fully-permitted projects include: the high-grade Pumpkin Hollow underground mine which is already under construction with a view to near-term commencement of copper production; and the Pumpkin Hollow open pit, a large-scale copper deposit which is currently undergoing an optimization program to target a reduced-capex, staged-development approach.

Qualified Persons

The technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Gregory French, P.G., Vice-President, Exploration & Project Development and Robert McKnight, P. Eng., Executive Vice-President and CFO of Nevada Copper, all of whom are Non-independent Qualified Persons within the meaning of NI 43-101.

NEVADA COPPER CORP.

Matt Gili, President and CEO

For further information call:

Rich Matthews,

VP Marketing and Investor Relations

Phone 1-877-648-8266

Email: rmatthews@nevadacopper.com

1NI 43-101 Technical Report NI43-101 Technical Report: Pumpkin Hollow Development Options - Pre-feasibility Study 5,000tons/day Underground Project; Feasibility Study for a 70,000 tons/day Open Pit/Underground Project, with an effective date of September 15, 2017 and an amended report date of January 3, 2018 (the Existing Technical Report).

We seek safe harbour.Fri, 11/12 (9:30am ET): How to Best Use the Next 2 Months to Make Strong R2 Application + Gregs Special Q&A with R2 Applicantsaragonn wrote:

Less than 20 nations do not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, owing to the fact that the People's Republic of China claims it as part of its "One China" territory, refusing to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes it as an independent nation, and most western nations unofficially consider Taiwan an independent state.



A. Less than 20 nations have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, owing to the fact that the People's Republic of China claims it as part of its "One China" territory, refusing to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes it as an independent nation, and



B. The People's Republic of China refuses to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes Taiwan as an independent nation, claiming Taiwan as part of its "One China" territory, and as a result of this, fewer than 20 nations have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, though



C. Refusing to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes Taiwan as an independent nation, the People's Republic of China claims it as part of its "One China" territory, and correspondingly, fewer than 20 nations have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, while



D. The People's Republic of China claims Taiwan as part of its "One China" territory, and by refusing to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes it as an independent nation, fewer than 20 nations have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, though



E. Because the People's Republic of China claims Taiwan as part of its "One China" territory and refuses to have diplomatic relations with any nation that recognizes Taiwan as an independent nation, fewer than 20 nations have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, though

+1 for B

Less

20 nations is countable. Hence, we require 'fewer' here

claiming

fewer

Corrects the error in A. Grammatically correct

it

'it' is ambiguous here

and by refusing

Change in meaning

Because

Change in meaning

Only those who risk going too far, can possibly find out how far one can go Signature Read MorePeople with vested interests oppose airport in Nijgadh

Minister for Forest and Environment Shakti Bahadur Basnet on Sunday said influential people are trying to create obstacles in the construction of the international airport in Nijgadh, Bara.PM asks ministry to rehire Chinese firm

Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project, once again, has fallen into politicking. The KP Sharma Oli administration last week decided to rope in China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC), reverting the erstwhile Sher Bahadur Deuba governments decision to develop the 1200MW project with internal resources.Up until about two weeks ago, the Upper Midwest and Northeast were rushing toward maturity with warm temperatures and relatively dry conditions.

Then it started raining and raining. In the past two weeks, areas in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan have received upward of 20 inches of precipitation. The dairy states of New York and Pennsylvania have not been much drier.

With the rain has come flooding, fungi, bacteria, and the like.

As Rock River Labs John Goeser said in recent correspondence, Im expecting this years crop to be relatively dirty.

For producers that have dealt with flooding, Goeser suggested keeping a close eye on bacterial populations and mud and soil contamination. Additionally, corn that has been flooded at this stage of maturation is a candidate for fermentation issues.

Goeser shared that this year is not a good year to eliminate inoculants. Utilize well-researched preservatives and consider using them at high rates, especially in fields that are suspect for poor fermentation.

Across the Upper Midwest, reports of fungi such as tar spot have been common. Goeser recommended walking fields and monitoring infestations. He said the goal should be to harvest as close to 35 percent whole-plant dry matter as possible. He also suggested being aware of infestations for next year as tar spot is expected to overwinter on residues.

Be aware also of plants and kernels that continue to mature through the wet and soggy weather. If kernels are well beyond 1/2 milk stage, shorten the chop length during harvest as this will help with kernel processing, Goeser explained. Shoot for 60 percent or higher kernel processing scores with fresh-chopped corn.

Finally, if corn has snapped off and is dead, Goeser suggested getting it off immediately. If it has bent, but not broke, let it grow out and reach maturity if possible.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2018

September 10, 2018



IceViking strongly condemns physical attacks and harassment directed towards them.





They are also often victims of the Islamic idea. This is true when it comes to the cruel and tragic treatment of Muslim women and children when it is in accord with the Koran, the example of Mohammed and Islamic law, Sharia, which may be applied regardless of where a Muslim male may find himself in the world, whether in a Muslim or non-Muslim country.





However, in no way, shape or form should one judge all Muslim men because of what is in Islamic scripture and what constitutes the Islamic law, Sharia.





"Race", ethnicity or basically anything that you are "merely" born with should never be a basis for bigotry and discrimination.





Apostates from Islam have been executed for 1400 years in accord with the Koran and the words and actions of the Islamic prophet Mohammed and Islamic law, Sharia.





They should be lovingly helped.





Furthermore, approximately as many as 11,000,000 Muslims may have been killed by other Muslims since 1948.





To quote the website The Religion of Peace (TROP), edited by Glen Roberts:





While it may be safe to say that a true Muslim would not intentionally kill another true Muslim ( 4:92-93 ), the Quran places no such value on the life of a Muslim who is not true. Consider verse 9:73 :

Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh against them, their abode is Hell.

The Arabic for strive hard uses the same root as Jihad - and the context in this sura is holy war (see v. 86 and 91). Thus, there are two distinct classes of people that a true Muslim is to target with harshness: disbelievers and hypocrites.



A disbeliever obviously refers to a non-Muslim, so a "hypocrite" must be a Muslim of some sort. In fact, hypocrites are those who say they believe, but do not act as they should. In other words, they are "Muslims", but not true Muslims. They will go to hell just as unbelievers do, and so, according to the verse, their lives matter for naught.



The same sura says that a hypocrite can be recognized not just by lack of piety (reluctance to follow Sharia), but by fear of death ( 9:56 ), reluctance to fight ( 9:44-45 ) and even friendliness toward non-believers ( 9:67 ). A true Muslim would thus be a pious person who relishes martyrdom, is eager to fight, and shuns non-believers.



Even the Quranic passage that warns against killing "believers" ( 4:88-94 ) is more complicated than it first appears. It never says that a true Muslim is incapable of killing another Muslim, just that it should not be done. In fact, it makes exceptions for the unintentional killing of "believers" in war and mandates the killing of "hypocrites."



Verse 17:33 says, "Do not kill anyone which Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause" . The greatest cause of all is that Islam be superior ( 9:33 ), which is exactly what Islamic terrorists say is their goal. Thus believing Muslims are allowed to be collateral damage in the war on unbelievers.









There is sadly a phenomena that I`ve noticed in Sweden and elsewhere of people using true facts about Islamic doctrine and history as a cover for all sorts of irrational targeting of Muslims, ranging from xenophobia and racism to verbal abuse and physical attacks.





This is strongly condemned by this website and does not in any way serve serious criticism of orthodox Islam and other important work.





It`s also important that one tries to express oneself in a civilized way. Words matter.





In this bloggers humble opinion the root cause of the problem is the ancient doctrine of orthodox Islam.













In simple terms a non-Muslim is a Kafir.





" The Koran defines the kafir and kafir is not a neutral word. A kafir is not merely someone who does not agree with Islam, but a kafir is evil, disgusting, the lowest form of life."





An exact quote, as stated in the writings of Dr. Bill Warner in the article "Kafir" at http://www.politicalislam.com/kafir .





In the perfect Koran (Allah`s direct and literal word as revealed to Mohammed through the angel Jibril), Muslims are told 89 times to emulate Mohammed in all ways (see Koran 33:21 for instance).





Mohammed`s example, the Sunna, is found in the Hadith (stories of what Mohammed said and did) and the Sira (biographies of Mohammed).





Islamic law, Sharia , is directly derived from these unchanging scriptures. It is based on the Koran`s numerous commands to obey Allah and obey the Messenger, that is Mohammed (see Koran 4:59 for instance).









Islam is Sharia. Sharia is Islam.





It is a capital crime for Muslims to deny Sharia in any way.





A Muslim is someone who submits to Islam and submitting to Islam means obeying the Sharia of Allah.





Sharia law includes pronouncements for both Muslims and non-Muslims (Kafirs).









Islam is a "complete way of life", a "complete code of life", a "complete system of life".





Islam is not just a religion but also a comprehensive ideology.





Islam is a supremacist ideology.





Islam is a totalitarian and imperialistic ideology akin to Communism and Nazism.





Islam is a civilization.

Islamic law, Sharia, is a manual for a civilization.





Islamic law, Sharia, governs every aspect of life.

It has a say about every conceivable human act .





Non-Muslims are morally and legally inferior in Islam. Women are morally and legally inferior in Islam.

























The History of Jihad: From Muhammad to ISIS by Robert Spencer is the first one-volume history of jihad in the English language and a great book on the topic.





Allah guarantees Paradise to those who "kill and are killed" for him (Koran 9:111).





A hadith depicts a Muslim asking Muhammad: "Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward)." Muhammad replied, "I do not find such a deed." (Bukhari 4.52.44)





Muhammad himself said:

I have been commanded to fight against people so long as they do not declare that there is no god but Allah, and he who professed it was guaranteed the protection of his property and life on my behalf except for the right affairs rest with Allah. (Sahih Muslim 30)









Freedom of speech, human rights, democracy, science and human lives are all at stake in the fight against the Islamic Jihad.



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Project-control issue stalls 1,500 road works

Around 1,500 regional road projects have come to a complete halt because they remain under federal government while their budgets are allocated to provincial governments.Sugar price shoots up after import quota

The price of sugar rose sharply in the local market after the government imposed import quotas on the daily essential despite assurances by domestic mills that prices would not go up.U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Republican challenger Mike Braun both seek to assure seniors theyll protect Medicare and Social Security.

But neither gave many specifics in recent AARP Indiana town halls.

Braun says future generations will have to make tough decisions on Social Security and Medicare. But hell only say what those decisions shouldnt be.

You either raise the retirement age, cut benefits, or youd have to raise taxes. And believe me, that would be a very uncomfortable conversation," Braun says.

Republicans criticize Donnelly for two votes in particular  to defend the Affordable Care Act and oppose the federal tax reform bill. But Donnelly uses those votes as his shield in the Medicare and Social Security debate.

The Affordable Care Act extended the life of Medicare approximately another eight years," Donnelly says. "It solidified the program.

Donnelly says the tax bill adds billions to the deficit and threatens Social Security and Medicare. Braun is a proponent of that bill.A Bloomington domestic violence shelter participated in a walkout Monday in solidarity with the women accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault and harassment.

It's one of several #BelieveSurvivors events that took place across the country at 1 p.m.

A small group gathered in Bloomingtons Third Street Park, huddling under umbrellas as they observed a moment of silence to demonstrate their support of the two women who say Kavanaugh sexually assaulted or harassed them.

Debora Morrow is executive director of Middle Way House, which provides resources to victims of domestic and sexual assault. She says its important for Indianas Senators to believe the women.

"We hear the stories of survivors everyday," Morrow says. "We hear how theyre questioned, doubted, shamed and blamed. And, weve had enough."

Morrow says Middle Way House doesnt support any political parties, but she wouldnt trust a Supreme Court justice who sexually harassed or assaulted someone. She expects politicians representing Indiana to act accordingly.

"We expect for them not to give power to people whove used their power to harm others," Morrow says. "Thats what we expect of them."

Kavanaugh denies the allegations.Indeed, US President Donald Trump previously announced that Irans malign behavior would dominate the agenda, before scaling back on this provocative move, presumably under pressure from critics.

The Security Council will convene against the backdrop of the UN General Assembly, which began this week with individual meetings at the international bodys New York headquarters. Anticipating the start of the broader proceedings of the General Assembly, various policymakers and non-government organizations have been lobbying for more wide-ranging international attention for their most important causes.

Trump administration officials can certainly be counted among these, as they continue to urge European governments and others to join in exerting pressure on the Iranian regime with the intention of comprehensively changing its behavior.

As part of this effort, the administration is clearly striving to call attention to the persistent threat of Iran-backed terrorism. This issue has already become significantly more visible in recent months following the arrest of several Iranian operatives in the US and multiple European countries.

The American arrests were associated with spying on Iranian Resistance activists, and the criminal complaint against the operatives indicated that this spying was likely aimed at facilitating attacks on those activists. The European arrests, meanwhile, were related to specific plots, including a plan to bomb the international rally of the National Council of Resistance of Iran just outside Paris.

Direct references by the White House to such incidents were recently accompanied by the release of the State Departments Country Reports on Terrorism.

Fox News pointed out that in addition to reaffirming that the Islamic Republic is the worlds foremost state sponsor of terrorism, those reports specifically pointed to the ongoing collaboration between Iran and Al Qaeda  a relationship that is predicated on their mutual antipathy toward the US and other enemies, in spite of the sectarian differences between the Shiite theocracy and the Sunni terrorist group.

The Fox News report quotes terrorism experts as saying that Al Qaeda maintains a core facilitation pipeline through Iran, a fact that underscores broader concerns about the growth of Iranian proxy and terrorist networks throughout the Middle East.

Separate communications from the State Department further emphasized the reality of these concerns when they reiterated that the US is absolutely certain of Iranian backing for the Houthi militant rebels who initiated a civil war in Yemen more than three years ago.

Al Masdar Online points out that this topic arose in the context of Wednesdays speech at the Hudson Institute by Brian Hook, the US special envoy for Iran and the head of the Iran Action Group recently created by the White House.

Hook called attention to missiles that have been fired into Saudi Arabia from Yemen and reminded listeners that the US had detailed the evidence of their Iranian manufacture. He then situated the topic in the context of the Trump administrations outreach to European partners, urging them to imagine if [such a missile] was launched at Heathrow Airport.

So far, the Trump administration has largely focused on European security concerns in making the case for more assertive policies regarding the Islamic Republic. But other opponents of the Iranian regime have taken a more multifaceted approach.

Various recent statements by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, for instance, have sought to appeal to European sensibilities through reference both to security concerns and the moral imperative to hold Iranian officials accountable for frequent and severe human rights abuses in Iran and surrounding spheres of influence.

At times, these two areas of focus overlap with each other, as was evident in an NCRI commentary published on Thursday, which warned of emerging civilian militias in Iraq that are linked to Iran.Such militias are, or would be, modeled on the Iranian Basij, which is controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The NCRI emphasized that that organization is largely responsible for the suppression of popular protests throughout much of Irans recent history, and it cautioned that if Irans regional activities remain unchecked they will likely lead to the reproduction of that repressiveness in neighboring societies.

Indeed, the NCRI points to early indicators of a crackdown on social activists in Iraq. But the known arrests pale in comparison to those that have been carried out inside Iran in recent months. An estimated 8,000 peaceful protesters were arrested just at the end of December and beginning of January, when anti-government protests were taking place all across the country.

As the CHRI emphasized in a report on Thursday, this and subsequent crackdowns are indicative of Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis abject failure to follow through on a declared reform agenda. The report explains that Rouhani has repeatedly defended himself against criticism by saying that he has no control over the independent judiciary.

But CHRI does not accept this explanation, noting that Rouhani has made no apparent effort to even criticize the judiciarys actions, and that he does enjoy control over the Ministry of Intelligence, which has been another major contributor to the ongoing crackdown on dissent.

With the so-called moderate presidents abysmal human rights record in mind, CHRI urged the attendees at the UN General Assembly to give this particular emphasis in their communications with Iranian delegates, and to directly address the worsening human rights situation.

CHRI has promised to underscore this message by display pictures of Iranian political prisoners on a mobile billboard outside the UN headquarters in the week ahead.

Meanwhile, groups affiliated with the National Council of Resistance of Iran can be expected to stage protests outside of the General Assembly when Rouhani is present, just as they have done in previous years.Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh, the authors of Captive in Iran, were forced to flee to the US in 2011 after the Iranian Regime arrested, imprisoned and sentenced them to death for their evangelical Christian faith two years before.

The pair, who testified before the US State Departments first-ever Ministerial to Advance International Religious Freedom in August about the horrifying restrictions on religious freedom in Iran, converted to Christianity as adults and met while attending Christian seminars together in Turkey.

In 2009, they were both arrested and spent 259 days in Tehrans notorious Evin Prison, where they endured daily interrogations and threats. After an international advocacy campaign, they were released, but forced to move to Turkey, where they registered as refugees. In 2011, they were allowed to come to the US as religious refugees.

They wrote: We will forever be thankful to America for welcoming us and offering us the freedom to live out our faith without fear.

However, Rostampour and Amirizadeh caution that many more Christians and others besides are being persecuted in Iran.

The State Departments Refugee Processing Center reports that since 2008, over 16,000 Iranian Christians and 10,000 more Iranians from other religious minorities, including adherents of the Jewish, Bahai and Mandaean faiths have been resettled in the US because of the mistreatment they face from the Islamic government of Iran.

And thats just the ones who have been allowed to apply as refugees and have made it through the strict vetting process to enter the US. There are hundreds of thousands more that never make it as far as applying.

Rostampour and Amirizadeh assessed that more needs to be done for these victims of a corrupt and abusive government and applauded all that Donald Trump and his administration are doing to advance international religious freedom broadly, and in particular to hold the Iranian regime accountable for their abuses.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that he wants refugees to experience religious freedom in their own countries, such that there will be fewer that have to travel to the United States to practice their faith.

This is a good thing, but it must be clear that this will never happen under the Iranian Regime. If the US wants this to exist in Iran, then they will have to support the rule of the Iranian Resistance, who have prioritised religious freedom.Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, told the Iran Uprising Summit held by the Organization of Iranian-American Communities at a hotel in Times Square: I dont know when were going to overthrow them. It could be in a few days, months, a couple of years. But its going to happen.

Giuliani, a longtime supporter of the Iranian Resistance and frequent guest at their rallies, was speaking in own right at the event.

The economic sanctions that Giuliani referred to were reimposed by Trump in August, following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers in May. More sanctions are set to be imposed on Irans oil exports from November 4.

Trump withdrew from the deal citing that Iran was not abiding by the terms of the agreement, most notably the continued launching of ballistic missiles. He also said that the deal did not actually stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon in a few years time or prevent any of Irans other malign behaviour.

The official US policy, as of writing, is that the sanctions should convince Iran to come back to the negotiations table to arrange a deal that deals with all of Irans problematic behaviour, including support for terrorism and regional interventionism. Even US National Security Adviser John Bolton said that the administration wants a massive change in the regimes behaviour.

However, a significant change is not likely. In fact, its damn near impossible for this Regime to change. Its just not in their nature. And the US government knows this. It seems, especially with Giulianis support, that the US may soon pivot on this issue. After all, a policy of regime change would certainly have the support of the Iranian people who are out in the streets protesting against the mullahs.

Giuliani said: The people of Iran obviously have now had enough. The sanctions are working. The currency is going to nothing  these are the kinds of conditions that lead to successful revolution.

Giuliani previously suggested that the re-imposition of sanctions was aimed at regime change, during the Free Iran gathering, organised by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, in Paris in June. He said Trumps policy would suffocate Irans ayatollahs.To them, it is completely normal to violate the human rights of people in other countries.

Recently, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and asked him to close down accounts linked to the Iranian Resistance after accusing him of shutting down accounts of real Iranians.

He wrote: 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.

In August, Twitter, Facebook, and Alphabet (Googles parent company) removed hundreds of accounts uncovered by cyber security firm FireEye that were tied to an Iranian propaganda operation.

The operation involved posing online as Americans who disliked Donald Trump and promoting policies that favoured the Iran Regime; none of which sounds especially like real Iranians.

Zarifs comments about removing social media accounts linked to members of the opposition the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has garnered backlash from the Iranian opposition.

Mohammad Mohadissen, the NCRIs Foreign Affairs Committee Chair, tweeted: RIDICULOUS! Mullahs FM tries 2cover up the scandal of the closure of regimes fake accounts, by asking Twitter 2close Iran resistance accounts, thus mobilized Trita Parsi&other agents &paid TV programs.

The anxiety of the main sponsor of terror from ppl uprising prior 2oil sanctions.

While Reza Shafiee, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NCRI, wrote: Zarif knows that Iranian people are fed up with the mullahs regime and want it gone.

He is nostalgic for the 1980s when the theocratic regime tortured and killed thousands of Iranian dissidents in dark cells Back then with the exception of families of political prisoners hardly anyone was aware of the full extent of the regimes atrocities. Had there been social media, it would have been a totally different picture.

Iranian Internet activists then became a Twitter campaign using the hashtag #WeAreNotBots and posted comments like Theres no robot involved, we are the real people! Weve been denied our right to free expression and get severely cracked down on freedom of speech and free use of press or cyberspace.

It is clear that the Regime is increasingly desperate to stop news of its malign behaviour from spreading across the world, lest it lead to more sanctions and more isolation.

They are also terrified of how the Iranian uprising has spread using social media, with protesters using it to communicate, plan, and regroup. Thats why they went to so much effort to slow and block the internet earlier this year.

Mostafa Tajzadeh, a regime strategist close to Rouhanis camp, said: Open access to social media is yet another problem. This is unprecedented and we have never faced such dilemmas all at once.

The biggest problem, however, is that the MEKs Resistance Units are shining a light on the Regime and its suppression.

Shafiee wrote: The regime wants this voice silenced at all costs. [Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei struggles to keep everyone and most of all Iranian people in the dark. Thanks to social media including Twitter for their work.

Keeping the free flow of information is a must. The Iranian regime simply wants to stifle science and hide the truth.Note: This article is part of the Principles Project, a list of principles, axioms, and beliefs that undergird a Christian view of economics, liberty, and virtue. Click here to read the introduction and other posts in this series.

The Principle: #4F  Social institutions have religious liberty that must be protected.

The Definitions:

Religious liberty  The freedom to believe and exercise or act upon religious conscience without unnecessary interference by the government. (Source)

Social institutions Groups of persons banded together for common purposes having rights, privileges, liabilities, goals, or objectives distinct and independent from those of individual members. (Source)

The Explanation: Is religious liberty only for individuals or is also for social institutions?

Over the past decade, that question has become surprisingly contentious. While most Americans recognize, sometimes grudgingly, that the U.S. Constitution protects the religious freedom of individuals, many disagree that such rights should be granted to social institutionsparticularly for-profit corporations. What such people do not see is that when we deny this liberty to social institutions we are denying it to individuals too.

To understand why this is true, lets consider another freedom protected by the First Amendment: freedom of speech.

Imagine if the government said that while individuals could practice freedom of speech, social institutions could not. We would quickly see how such a restriction would limitand may even abolishthe free expression of the individual.

Consider a playwright. She might have the freedom to write a scorching criticism of the state or religious institutions, but few people would hear about it. The government could prohibit publishers from printing the text, theater companies from putting on the play, and newspapers from reporting on the content of the work. She might be allowed to stand in the public square and read it aloud, but most other forms of expression would require the help of a social institution.

The same is true for religious liberty. Individuals who cannot express their religious views collectively do not have freedom of religion. As Ryan Messmore explains,

Why is religious liberty important for institutions? Because of our relational nature as humans. We are relational beings at our core. Everyone exists in some form of relationship to others. In fact, we become who we arewe develop our own unique habits and viewsin the context of these relationships. We need to think of ourselves and others not merely as self-standing individuals but as persons in community. There is something deep within human nature that prompts us to seek out membership in communities of purposeto desire to be on the inside of a meaningful group and to participate in something larger than oneself. This quest for community, as Robert Nisbet calls it, plays out largely through social institutions. In their essence, institutions are structured relationships. They are habits of activity that bind people together in a common purpose through time.

As with other rights, it is sometimes necessary to curtail the absolute freedom of religious practice to promote the greater flourishing of society. But curtailment of certain practices does not negate the necessity of defending the religious liberty of social institutions. If we allow unnecessary restrictions, or even outright bans, on the ability of social institutions to practice religion, we will soon find we have lost the freedom altogether.

The Additional Info: A particularly controversial area of this issue is the inclusion of for-profit corporations in the list of social organizations whose religious liberty should be protected. In an article in the Harvard Law Review, Alan Meese and Nate Oman make the case for why even for-profit corporations, should be afforded the same religious freedoms as individuals. A few of the key points from their argument are:

 The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that for-profit corporations are constitutional persons.

 Nothing about limited liability or entity status justifies stripping corporations, whether for-profit or non-profit, of their religious personhood. Therefore, shareholders ability to pursue their religious values via the corporate form should not turn on whether they have forsaken limited liability.

 When individuals act religiously using corporations they are engaged in religious exercise. When we regulate corporations we in fact burden the individuals who use the corporate form to pursue their goals.

 Religious freedom is broader than an individualist concern with personal rights. Rather, it is about limiting the ability of the state to regulate a particular kind of conduct  religious exercise  even when corporate bodies engage in that conduct.

 People practice religion collectively. To protect religion only within the confines of personal conscience or individual action would do great violence to lived religion.

 Many for-profit corporations are infused with religious values and religious missions. Some for-profit corporations are solely owned by churches. The owners of these corporations can feel called on to infuse their business activities with religious values.Teen girl injured in acid attack dies

An 18-year-old girl, who was critically injured in an acid attack at Chandrapur Muncipality-6 in Rautahat district on September 13, breathed her last during the course of treatment at the Kirtipur Hospital on Monday morning.What was left behind

In the first few months at my all-womens college, I attended a meeting on how to stay safe from sexual assaults, rape, and unwanted bodily interference. The moderator asked how many in the audience had been victims. I was shocked at how many hands flew up to admit publicly that they had experienced sexual assault, in many cases by people they knew.- Jasmine Curtis took to Twitter to complain about her terrible experience during a phone call

- She revealed that customer service representatives of PLDT behaved unprofessionally towards her

- According to the actress, she ranted about it online to raise awareness about this kind of behavior from some employees of PLDT

PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed

Jasmine Curtis-Smith took to social media to rant about a recent horrible experience she had.

KAMI learned that the actress complained about the poor customer service from a representative of PLDT during a phone call.

According to Jasmine, she heard other people talking about her in the background. She described their behavior as unprofessional.

"So I called @PLDT_Cares for assistance this morning. After 15 mins of waiting for someone to answer my question, someone picks up says the formulated greeting, then just as I'm about to reply I hear in the background 'JASMINE CURTIS IN THE HOUSE.'

"Pinagsisigawan pala ang customer name sa mga ka office pag private customer service call?

"Hindi ba that's disclosing the private and paying customer na to your other employees?

"Complete name and hindi lang sa katabi, isisigaw pa para marinig ng ibang tumatanggap ng customer care/troubleshooting calls. How is this allowed?"

Here are the actress viral tweets:

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!

In a previous report by KAMI, Jasmine gave a surprise Mothers Day gift to her beloved mom.

Jasmine Curtis is the sister of Kapamilya star Anne Curtis.

She signed up as an artist for GMA-7 in April 2018. Before that, she used to be an actress for TV-5.

In this episode of our series of pranks in the Philippines 2018, our host will ask strangers to hold his plastic cup for a while. And then several passersby will put coins in it Reactions of pranked people are priceless!  on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel!

Source: Kami.com.phA trip is expected to last up to 35 minutes.

Five rail buses manufactured by Polish-headquartered Pesa Bydgoszcz SA will run between Kyiv's central railway station and Boryspil International Airport, which is located outside the city.

"An important question is what kind of rolling stock will run from the Central Railway Station to Boryspil International Airport," acting CEO of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia Yevhen Kravtsov wrote on Facebook on Monday, September 24. "Five buses produced by Pesa Bydgoszcz SA have recently arrived. They need to be painted and their passenger compartments need to be finished. We have repaired them on our own, at the Hrechany locomotive depot. There will be up to 90 seats in each rail bus."

Read alsoUkrzaliznytsia to launch railway service between Kyiv and Boryspil Airport by Dec 1

Ukrzaliznytsia also started renovation of platform 14 at the railway station, from which the rail buses will depart for the airport, he said.

"The first train, as promised, will be launched this year," he added.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Cabinet of Ministers in February 2018 supported a project developed by Ukrzaliznytsia for building a high-speed railway line between Kyiv and Boryspil. According to the construction project, the line will link the Kyiv Pasazhyrsky (Kyiv Passenger) station and Boryspil Airport's Terminal D. It will run through the Vydubychi railway station. A trip is expected to last up to 35 minutes.Worsening climate impacts

Droughts in the middle of the monsoon means there is something wrong somewhereCity Calls for Special Election

City Clerk Holly L. Wolcott announced today that on August 21, 2018, the LAUSD Board of Education requested the City of Los Angeles to call a special election on March 5, 2019, to fill the vacancy in District 5 of the LAUSD Board of Education, resulting from the resignation of Board Member Ref Rodriguez. On Friday, September 21, the City Council approved the election ordinance setting the special election for March 5, 2019, and the runoff, if required, for May 14, 2019. The calling of a special election to fill the vacancy is authorized by Los Angeles City Charter Section 410(b).

While the City will conduct the candidate filing portion of the election, the County of Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder (County) will administer this special election. The County recently received State Certification of its new Vote by Mail tally system that will be utilized in November 2018 and is already conducting elections for other municipalities on this date in surrounding areas.

The Citys candidate filing and nominating petition periods are as follows:

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Filing Period: November 5 to November 13, 2018

Nominating Petition Period: November 13 to December 5, 2018

To be eligible to run for this office, candidates must have resided in LAUSD Board of Education District 5 at least 30 days before the first day to file for the office. Thus, based on the proposed special election schedule, candidates must be residents of LAUSD Board of Education, District 5, no later than October 6, 2018. Candidates must also be registered voters of LAUSD Board of Education, District 5 at the time of their nomination or election to office.

For inquiries related to the County Clerks administration of this election, please call (800) 815-2666.

For more information, contact the Office of the City Clerk-Election Division between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at (213) 978-0444 or toll-free at (888) 873-1000. More information can be found on the City Clerks election website at: clerk.lacity.org/elections.1. Yes. Losing daily service to Houston could be just the first in a series of service cutbacks.

2. Yes. Being less competitive with Austin and D-FW will hurt the airport in the long run.

3. No. The airport has seen strong passenger numbers. Good marketing can keep it going.

4. No. The airport is still pursuing other service, including a Denver route. Its still a solid asset.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say without knowing future airline and travel industry trends.

Vote

View ResultsDallas PD Fires White Female Cop that Fatally Shot Black Man in his Home

A white police officer accused of fatally shooting her black neighbor inside his own apartment has been dismissed, the police department announced Monday.

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The Dallas Police Department fired Officer Amber Guyger on Monday, weeks after she fatally shot 26-year-old Botham Jean inside his own apartment on Sept. 6. Court records show Guyger said she thought she had encountered a burglar inside her own home.

Guyger was arrested on a preliminary charge of manslaughter days after the shooting. She is out on bond.

Jean family attorneys and protesters have called for her firing following the shooting.

Guyger was a four-year veteran of the police force. She told investigators that she had just ended a shift when she returned in uniform to the South Side Flats apartment complex.

When she put her key in the apartment door, which was unlocked and slightly ajar, it opened, the affidavit said. Inside, the lights were off, and she saw a figure in the darkness that cast a large silhouette across the room, according to the officers account.

She called 911. When asked where she was, she returned to the front door to see she was in the wrong unit, according to the affidavit. The 911 tapes have not been released.The largest opposition party in Bangladesh is holding huge protests to demand the release of their jailed leader, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) says the country cannot hold free and fair elections without Zias freedom. Voting is expected to take place in December.

A court sentenced the 73-year-old politician to prison in February. It had earlier found her guilty of misusing foreign money meant for an aid organization.

Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar is a top BNP leader and former President of Bangladesh.

If Khaleda Zia can work freely leading the party during the election campaign, BNP will winand form the next government, he said. They are keeping her in jail simply to keep her away from our partys election campaign.

BNP leaders also spoke of dangers to Zia in jail. A.K.M. Wahiduzzaman told VOA that Zia is being kept in a decaying jail without important medical care.

They are gradually pushing her towards death.

Change of power

Since 1991, control of Bangladesh has moved between two parties: the BNP and the Awami League. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leads the Awami League.

Between 1991 and 2006, Zia was the prime minister for three terms and Hasina for one. In 2009, Hasina became prime minister again and the Awami League has led the government since then.

Opposition arrests

Zia, her son and four others were accused of misusing $252,000 of foreign money meant for a non-profit aid organization. In February, a court sentenced her to five years in jail. Five others, including her son, received jail terms of 10 years each.

Thousands of BNP leaders and activists have been arrested in recent months, mostly on charges of political violence.

Dhaka University law professor Asif Nazrul said the arrest and detention of opposition leaders and activists is still happening. He said the current government hopes to weaken BNPs ability to take part in the elections and the government-run media is damaging the image of the BNP.

But Awami League official Mahbubul Alam Hanif denied the arrests are political.

He said that, in 2013, 2014 and 2015, many BNP leaders and activists took part in violence, killing or injuring people. He said law enforcement agencies are acting correctly and that innocent people will not be arrested.

New demands

Earlier this month, BNP presented a list of demands for the government before it takes part in the election. They included Zias release and the suspension of Parliament.

But, Food Minister Kamrul Islam said the government would not meet any such demands. He said elections would be free, fair and follow the Constitution.

The BNP boycotted elections in 2014 when their demands were not met. That will not happen this time, said official A. K. M. Wahiduzzaman.

But, we will make our best effort to campaign and take part in the national election this time.

Im Alice Bryant.

Maaz Hussain wrote this story for VOA News. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

decaying  adj. to go slowly from a bad condition to a worse condition

gradually  adv. happening in a slow way over a long period of timeA former nuclear weapons center is now a wildlife refuge.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service officially opened the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado last week. The factory made plutonium triggers for nuclear bombs for nearly 40 years.

The new wildlife refuge is about 26 kilometers northwest of Denver, Colorados capital. The refuge is generally on flat land and covered with tall grass. It is home to bears, elk, falcons, songbirds and hundreds of other animals. Visitors to the area can enjoy views of the Rocky Mountains and some of Denvers tallest buildings.

Jerry Jacka spent two hours riding his bicycle at the refuge last week. He says he was not worried about his safety. He told the Associated Press, I dont believe that theyre covering up any sort of information about pollutants and radioactive elements and stuff in the soil.

The federal government built plutonium triggers at Rocky Flats from 1952 to 1989. During that period, there were a number of fires, leaks and spills at the factory. It was closed after a criminal investigation into environmental violations.

The U.S. Energy Department said it found 28 kilograms of plutonium stuck in airways inside factory buildings.

Over the years, Rocky Flats operations were under the control of a number of businesses, including Rockwell International. In 1992, a court ordered Rockwell to pay a fine of $18.5 million after it admitted guilt to charges that included mishandling chemical and radioactive material.

The weapons factory covered five square kilometers at the center of the property. The area was cleaned up at a cost of $7 billion, but people are still barred from going there. The 21-square-kilometer area surrounding the factory was given to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a wildlife refuge.

About 16 kilometers of walkways are now open at the refuge. Visitors are told to stay on the paths and not go into the grasslands.

State and federal health officials say the area is safe. But some people worry that plutonium particles could have escaped and are still on the property. Some are concerned that visitors could unsettle the particles or bring them home. At least seven Denver-area school districts have banned school field trips to the refuge.

Plutonium can get trapped in lung tissue, where it can kill lung cells and damage the tissue. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the tissue damage can lead to lung disease and cancer.

Jon Simon rode his mountain bike on the refuge trails last week. Simon says he did not think he would develop plutonium-related health problems. But he worries that children might be at risk.

I wouldnt want to walk my kid through here every day in the morning for our morning walk or something like that, he said.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Dan Elliott reported this story for the Associated Press. Jonathan Evans adapted the AP story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

____________________________________________________________

Words in this Story

stuff  n. materials, supplies, or equipment; used to refer to something when you do not need to name exactly what it is

mishandle  v. to deal with in the wrong day

radioactive element  n. a substance containing radiation

view  n. the ability to see something or to be seen from a place

trigger  n. a device that activates something else, causing it to explodeIndonesian President Joko Widodo is facing a social media campaign as he prepares to seek re-election next year.

The campaign has criticized him for failing to show enough sympathy to Islamic interests and the rising prices of household goods.

The movement is calling itself #2019GantiPresiden, which means change the president in 2019 in the Indonesian language.

Police officials have rejected several requests by the group to organize protests. In the past, its members have clashed with supporters of the president, who is known as Jokowi.

The police decision has led the movements organizers to accuse Jokowi of using authoritarian methods like those of former President Suharto.

Mardani Ali Sera of the Prosperous Justice Party launched the social media campaign. He told VOA that he got the idea while appearing on a television program in which all the panelists appeared to praise the president. Mardani said he decided that was not good for democracy and that he wanted to change the government.

Freedom of speech and keeping the peace

Indonesia is the worlds third largest democracy. However, the country has struggled to balance the ideas of freedom of speech with keeping the peace between ethnic and religious groups.

Many comments linked to the #2019GantiPresiden movement seem aimed at inciting disputes. For example, some accuse Jokowi of secretly being a Christian, not a Muslim. They also accuse him of supporting the Chinese Communist Party.

The president denies these things. Earlier this month, he told the Indonesian publication Tempo: This country is a democracy. Yes, you are free to gather, to argue. But remember there are limits, there are rules.

Neno Warisman is an activist who opposes the president. Neno said she went to the Sumatran city of Pekanbaru in August to attend a #2019GantiPresiden event. But she said she was met by supporters of the president who threw things at her car. Police sent her back to Jakarta on an airplane, she said.

The deputy speaker of the Indonesias House of Representatives said the incident showed an authoritarian mentality in Jokowi.

Political disagreement

In 2014, the year he was elected president, Joko Widodo appeared on the cover of TIME magazine, in which he was called the new face of Indonesian democracy. He was unlike Indonesian leaders who came before him. He was not from a political family or a general. Instead he had served as a mayor in Solo, a city on the island of Java.

But observers say democracy has suffered during his years as president. They point to the jailing of Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnam in May of 2017 on blasphemy charges.

The government also has been criticized for outlawing the Islamic group Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, which seeks to establish an Islamic caliphate in the country.

Until 2017, only one organization, the Indonesian Communist Party was banned by the government. Critics of Jokowi say this shows that he is acting like a dictator.

Tom Pepinsky is an associate professor at Cornell University in the United States. He said that the Indonesian political system still has laws that permit the regulation of political speech should the president choose to do so.

Officials say that activists in the campaign have been denied requests to demonstrate for several reasons. The activists reportedly spread hate speech, misinformation and are a threat to public order.

But Rahayu Saraswati of Gerindra compares the #2019GantiPresiden group to Americans who oppose U.S. President Donald Trump. He said in Indonesia, the campaign is a rally call to all those who feel the same.

Im Mario Ritter.

Max Walden wrote this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted this story for Learning English from VOA News and Associated Press stories. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

household  adj. related to all the people in a family or group

authoritarian  adj. expecting or requiring people to obey rules or laws; not permitting personal freedom

panelist  n. a person who is part of a group that answers questions, gives advice or opinions

blasphemy  n. something said or done that is disrespectful to God or to something holy

caliphate  n. the state under the leadership of an Islamic leader

rally  n. a public meeting to support or oppose someone or somethingResearchers are using DNA evidence to fight the illegal trade in ivory. They have shown how genetic testing is able to link seizures of valuable elephant tusks to ivory traffickers.

In a report, the researchers says targeting ivory smugglers could have a major effect on elephant poaching. Wildlife experts note that illegal hunting threatens the very existence of the animals.

The findings mean some ivory smuggling suspects already facing charges from earlier arrests could face additional charges or larger fines if found guilty.

Ivory trafficking is a huge business with ties to other illegal activities, including drug trafficking. Poachers kill an estimated 40,000 elephants each year.

Missing tusks

Samuel Wasser is a biologist with the University of Washington. He and other researchers have studied tusks seized in police raids to identify where poached elephants came from. They had earlier identified places in Tanzania and Mozambique from which almost all the ivory seized between 2006 and 2014 came.

Wasser and the team noticed that when ivory shipments were seized, they often only contained one of an elephant's two tusks. They examined genetic records from major raids on smugglers between 2006 and 2015.

The records had information about DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid. The chemical is found in nearly all creatures and carries genetic information.

The researchers reported finding 26 examples where a tusk from one seizure was genetically similar to one from a separate shipment.

In each case, the two shipments passed through the same port within a few months of each other. Wasser said that suggests the same major trafficking organization was responsible for shipping both.

The study was published in the journal Science Advances. It follows the ivory back to three major trafficking groups. They are based in Lome, Togo; Mombasa, Kenya; and Entebbe, Uganda.

When traffickers are caught, they usually only face charges for one shipment. But the methods Wasser's group developed can link individual smugglers to more than one shipment, and to each other.

For example, an important suspect in the Uganda group currently is awaiting trial for one seizure. The new study links him to two others. One of those includes tusks from a 2012 incident where poachers in a Ugandan helicopter shot 22 elephants across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"You can imagine, if this evidence is used, how much stronger a case we can build against him," Wasser said.

International links found

The new study also finds links between the criminal organizations in Togo and Kenya. East African and West African tusks were found in a shipment seized in Malaysia. Ivory from this shipment is connected to tusks from separate seizures linked to Lome and Mombasa.

East African drug-smuggling suspects facing charges in the United States have also been linked to the Kenyan ivory trafficking group.

Frank Pope heads the nonprofit group Save the Elephants. He believes that the stories coming from the new study are very important. "Wasser's work is helping us to close in on networks by telling the story of the connections between the different shipments," Pope said.

Wasser's methods have already helped investigators interfere with trafficking operations, notes John Brown, a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.

But Brown notes that few countries are obeying orders to send ivory collected in raids for genetic testing. This makes it harder for law enforcement to get to the beginning of the problem, he added.

"A seizure of three tons of ivory looks very good on the front page of the local newspaper," Brown said. "But if we don't attack the transnational criminal organizations behind it, then the problem will continue."

Im Phil Dierking.

Steve Baragona reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

poach - v. to hunt or fish illegally

smuggle - v. to move (someone or something) from one country into another illegally and secretly

trafficker - n. a person who buys and sells something that is illegal

tusk - n. a very long, large tooth that sticks out of the mouth of an animal Archeologists have found a centuries-old shipwreck off Portugals coast near Lisbon, a local mayors office said yesterday [Macau time], the CNN reported.

Aboard the ship, thought to have sunk between 1575 and 1625, divers found spices, including pepper; Chinese ceramics from the period; and cowries, a type of shell used as currency for the slave trade in some parts of Africa at the time.

The projects science director, Jorge Freire, called it the discovery of the decade.

From a conservation perspective, both of the assets as of the ship itself, this discovery is of great patrimonial value, he said as quoted by CNN.

The report says the ships bronze cannons, engraved with the Portuguese coat of arms and the armillary sphere were also found.

Judging by whats been found so far, the ship was probably coming into Lisbon from India, Freire said.

The wreck was discovered September 3 as part of an underwater investigation project spearheaded by Cascais, a city near Lisbon, with help from Nova University of Lisbon, the Portuguese government and navy. The ship was found just 12 meters below the surface.

This is one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the century, Cascais Mayor Carlos Carreiras told CNN. The recognition from the scientific community that this is the discovery of the decade, the century, in terms of marine archeology, is for us of great satisfaction.

Some objects were removed from the wreck for safekeeping, as they were at risk of permanently being lost.

The Chinese ceramics found are from the Wanli period (1573-1619), a late era in the Ming dynasty. MDT/CNNNorth Koreas Kim Jong Un is little rocket man no more. President Donald Trump isnt a mentally deranged U.S. dotard.

In the year since Trumps searing, debut U.N. speech fueled fears of nuclear conflict with North Korea, the two leaders have turned from threats to flattery.

And theres fresh hope that the U.S. presidents abrupt shift from coercion to negotiation can yield results in getting Kim to halt, if not abandon, his nuclear weapons program.

Trump will address world leaders at the United Nations tomorrow on the back of an upbeat summit between South and North Korea, where Kim promised to dismantle a major rocket launch site and the Norths main nuclear complex at Nyongbyon if it gets some incentive from Washington.

North Korea remains a long, long way from relinquishing its nuclear arsenal, and the U.S. has been adding to, not easing, sanctions. Yet the past 12 months have seen a remarkable change in atmosphere between the adversaries that has surprised even the former U.S. envoy on North Korea.

If someone had told me last year that North Korea will stop nuclear tests, will stop missile tests and that they will release the remaining American prisoners and that they would be even considering dismantling Nyongbyon, I would have taken that in a heartbeat, said Joseph Yun, who resigned in March and has since left the U.S. foreign service.

Since Trump and Kim held the first summit between U.S. and North Korean leaders in Singapore in June, Trump has missed no chance to praise Chairman Kim, and Kim has expressed trust and confidence in the American president he once branded senile.

But progress has been slow toward the vague goal they agreed upon  denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which has eluded U.S. presidents for the past quarter-century. The U.S. wants to achieve that by January 2021, when Trump completes his first term in office.

Although Kim wont be going to New York next week, meetings there could prove critical in deciding whether a second Trump- Kim summit will take place any time soon.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has invited his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho for a meeting in New York, and Trump will be consulting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, fresh from his third summit with Kim this year. It was at that meeting in Pyongyang that the North Korean leader made his tantalizing offers to close key facilities of his weapons programs that have revived prospects for U.S.-North Korea talks.

Yun, who spoke to reporters Friday at the United States Institute for Peace in Washington, said the U.S. goal of achieving denuclearization in just two years is unrealistic, but the offer to close Nyongbyon, where the North has plutonium, uranium and nuclear reprocessing facilities, is significant and offers a way forward.

Thats a far cry from last September. After Trumps thunderous speech, Yuns first thought was on the need to avoid a war. The president vowed to totally destroy North Korea if the U.S. was forced to defend itself or its allies against the Norths nukes. Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime, the president said.

His blunt talk triggered an extraordinary, almost surreal, exchange of insults. Kim issued a harshly worded statement from Pyongyang, dubbing the thin- skinned Trump a mentally deranged U.S. dotard. A day later, the Norths top diplomat warned it could test explode a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific Ocean.

Tensions have eased hugely since then, and cracks have emerged in the international consensus on pressuring North Korea economically to get it to disarm.

The U.S. accuses Russia of allowing illicit oil sales to North Korea. Trump has also criticized China, which has fraternal ties with the North and is embroiled in a trade war with the U.S., for conducting more trade with its old ally. Sanctions could even become a sore point with South Korea. Moon is eager to restart economic cooperation with North Korea to cement improved relations on the divided peninsula.

All that will increase pressure on Washington to compromise with Pyongyang  providing the incentives Kim seeks, even if the weapons capabilities hes amassed violate international law. Hes likely eying a declaration on formally ending the Korean War as a marker of reduced U.S. hostility and sanctions relief.

That could prove politically unpalatable in Washington just as it looks for Kim to follow through on the denuclearization pledge he made in Singapore.

Frank Aum, a former senior Pentagon adviser on North Korea, warned tensions could spike again if the U.S. does not see progress by years end, when the U.S. would typically need to start planning large-scale military drills with South Korea that North Korea views as war preparations. Trump decided to cancel drills this summer as a concession to Kim.

Things can flip pretty quickly, Aum said. Weve seen it going from bad to good and it could fairly quickly go back to the bad again. Matthew Pennington, Washington, APChina summoned the American ambassador and the defense attache and recalled its navy commander from a U.S. trip to deliver a strong protest against economic sanctions Washington lodged over the purchase of Russian fighter jets and surface-to-air missile equipment.

The Defense Ministry said the U.S. had no right to interfere in Chinese military cooperation with Russia.

We demand that the U.S. immediately correct the mistake and revoke the so-called sanctions, otherwise the U.S. must bear the consequences, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The Foreign Ministry said that it had summoned Ambassador Terry Branstad.

The Central Military Commission, which commands the Peoples Liberation Army, the worlds largest standing military, said that Huang Xueping, the commissions deputy head for international military cooperation, had also summoned the acting U.S. defense attache on Saturday evening, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Huang said China would immediately recall Shen Jinlong, a Chinese navy commander currently in the U.S. attending a symposium, and would postpone a meeting scheduled for Sept. 25-27 in Beijing about a communication mechanism.

The Chinese military reserves the right to take further countermeasures, Huang was quoted as saying.

Washington says Chinas purchase of the weapons from Rosoboronexport, Russias main arms exporter, violated a 2017 law intended to punish the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin for interfering in U.S. elections and other activities.

The action triggers a visa ban on Chinas Equipment Development Department and director Li Shangfu, forbids conducting transactions with the U.S. financial system and blocks all property and interests in property involving the country within U.S. jurisdiction.

The U.S. State Department said Lis office made a significant transaction involving the purchase of Su-35 combat aircraft in 2017 and S-400 surface-to-air missile system- related equipment this year.

The sanctions were enacted to further impose costs on the Russian government in response to its malign activities, it said. The U.S. will continue to urge all countries to curtail relationships with Russias defense and intelligence sectors, both of which are linked to malign activities worldwide, it said.

The Kremlin dismissed the sanctions as an unfair move to undercut Russia as a major arms exporter.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that Russia views the new set of sanctions as an attempt to undermine the competitiveness of Russian arms exports and vowed to reciprocate. Christopher Bodeen, Beijing, APRepresenting the city of Macau, the director of the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) recently joined other UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy for the 1st Gaziantep International Gastronomy Festival, in Turkey, to learn more about the host citys gastronomic culture and traditions, exchange and attend gastronomy network meetings. In addition, Macau participated in a session during the event to advance on the research project of the History of food culture based relations on the Silk Road. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network will hold meetings again at future events including in Macao early next year.

Guangzhou eases entry barriers for SARs banks

The Bureau of Financial Affairs of Guangzhou Municipality has announced it will reduce the entry barriers for Hong Kong and Macau banks entering Guangzhou. One of the measures consists of reducing the total assets requirement for a Hong Kong or Macau insurance brokerage company setting up a sole proprietorship insurance company in Guangzhou. The city will continue allowing branches established by Hong Kong or Macau banks in Guangzhou to apply to set up cross-location sub-branches within Guangdong provinces.

IPIM wins travel award in Bangkok

Representatives of the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) went to Bangkok, Thailand, in mid-September to attend the 29nd TTG Travel Awards Ceremony, where IPIM was awarded the Best Convention & Exhibition Bureau. This year, at one of the most important Incentive Travel & Conventions trade fair events in Asia, IPIM set-up a 204-square meter Macau Pavilion, to provide display and communication platforms for 22 Macau enterprises. IPIM says the Pavilion helped to facilitate networking, as well as exposure to business matching sessions. The TTG Travel Awards are designed to recognize outstanding performance in the tourism and convention and exhibition industries in the Asia Pacific region.A Chinese navy hospital ship docked near Venezuelas capital yesterday [Macau time] as the OPEC nations deepening economic crisis garners the attention of the U.S. and other world powers.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino was on hand to greet the Peoples Liberation Army Navys ship, the Peace Ark, on its latest stop as part of the 11-nation Mission Harmony tour announced in June.

This is how you undertake diplomacy in the world, Padrino said, with concrete actions of cooperation and not stoking the false voices of those who beat the drum of war.

Interest in the goodwill visit has been building since the Pentagon announced in August it was sending its own hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, to neighboring Colombia to provide free medical treatment for thousands of Venezuelan migrants fleeing their homes amid widespread food and medicine shortages.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, in a visit to Colombia last month, called the ships deployment a humanitarian mission to deal with the fallout of President Nicolas Maduros mismanagement of the economy. The United Nations estimates that 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled the crisis-torn country in recent years, mainly to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil.

But top officials in Venezuelas socialist government saw the Comforts deployment as a threat, part of an effort by the U.S. to pave the way for a military intervention on humanitarian grounds.

Padrino on Saturday said the Chinese boats visit was part of the governments strategic defense operation.

The Peace Arks humanitarian tours around the world have become a sign of Chinas outreach efforts and Beijings ambitions of gradually expanding its military influence abroad.

The ship, which has 300 beds, eight operation rooms and a medical helicopter, has carried out such missions to more than 40 countries provided free medical services for more than 180,000 people since it was commissioned in 2008.

Such goodwill visits have been the mainstay of U.S. diplomacy in Latin America for decades.

The Chinese ship has twice before visited Latin America, in 2011 and 2015, but never has stopped in Venezuela. It will also visit the Caribbean island of Grenada and Ecuador on its current deployment.

Maduro, who came back a week ago from a visit to China where he sought fresh investment and financing from one of Venezuelas top ally, said on Twitter that the boat will stay in Venezuela for about a week. APThe European Unions trade chief heads to New York this week to continue negotiations with the U.S. and Japan, as the three parties seek a way to end what they see as Chinas unfair commercial policies and dial down global tensions.

Their plan is to create an agreement to try and force China to end non market-oriented policies that lead to overcapacity, create unfair competitive conditions and hinder technological development. The stakes couldnt be higher.

The EU is engaged in a delicate balancing act, working with the U.S. to address common complaints while also trying to convince President Donald Trump to roll back unilateral tariffs he imposed on the 28-country bloc this year and persuade him against instating other, more punitive measures. Cecilia Malmstrom, the EUs trade negotiator, will also seek to stem the American assault on the multilateral system by shoring up the World Trade Organization.

Its a longshot, and these talks are at a very early stage, said Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics. But this may be the best way both to resolve Trumps escalating trade war with China and to address some of the WTOs key shortcomings.

Malmstrom will meet U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Japanese Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko on Sept. 25 while the U.N. General Assembly is in session. The three will seek to lay the groundwork to develop stronger rules for industrial subsidies; state-

owned enterprises; forced technology transfers; WTO transparency; and e-commerce.

The meeting comes after Trump has already hit China with tariffs on USD50 billion of its imports, announced duties on another $200 billion of goods coming from the nation that go into effect on Sept. 24, and threatened levies on another $267 billion if China retaliates  which Beijing has already pledged to do. China canceled trade talks that had been planned between the two nations.

Overall manufacturing in the euro area grew at the slowest pace in two years in September as the economy feels the pain from the global trade war. The auto industry  which has been targeted by Trump and is particularly sensitive to larger EU nations  is taking the brunt of the slowdown in demand, according to IHS Markits latest monthly survey.

If this initiative succeeds, it could provide an off-ramp from the current tariff escalation, said Scott Miller, a senior adviser at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Thats good, since U.S.-China bilateral talks seem not to be making progress.

The stakes are high for the EU and Japan as well, who fear the Trump administration could trigger national security tariffs on automobiles and auto parts if they refuse to play ball. In May, the U.S. Commerce department launched an investigation to determine if foreign imports of cars, SUVs, vans, light trucks, and auto parts are having a detrimental impact on U.S. national security.

Though U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said his agency would hold off on any new auto tariffs while the EU and the U.S. negotiate a new trade pact, major car exporters fear Trump could still forge ahead with duties if he believes progress is lacking. MDT/BloombergMacaus industry characters have given this city an element of basic trust, but establishing a high level of trust across town remains to be seen due to the citys mono-industrial economy, according to Lalita Raman, corporate trainer at Dale Carnegie Training Hong Kong and Macau.

Last week, Raman spoke to a group of around 30 people at Macau Tower during a human resources seminar organized by the France Macau Chamber of Commerce (FMCC).

On the sidelines of the seminar, Raman shared some of her personal thoughts on human resources and building trust, credibility and respect in Macau.

Industry absolutely matters, and also organization culture. FMCC chose this [the seminar] mainly because Macau is a very transient place. People come and go, and there is always a feeling of how can I trust them? They are here today and maybe they are gone tomorrow. So its important for both Hong Kong and Macau, because trust is sometimes questionable.

The topics matter in terms of the type of people who come [to the seminar], the organizations they work for and the organizational culture, said Raman, explaining that her training topics vary, depending on the industries which different participants work for.

In Ramans opinion, there is a lot of volatility in the gaming industry and it may be difficult for Macau to establish a high level of trust.

I think its just the nature of the industry itself. There is a degree of skepticism, because its all about gambling. Yet I think there is already an element of trust, because when you go to a casino [] I think you wouldnt enter that place and be willing to bet your money [unless an environment of trust has already been created]. Otherwise, why would I walk into a casino and be willing to gamble? Raman remarks.

I would say that in organizations here, possibly, people feel there is a lot of turnover. Not in a bad way, just the nature of the place. Maybe people get a two-year contract [and they leave after the contract ends]. I think that the element of trust may not be as much as we expect, and yet there is trust. It is a bit ironic. An element of basic trust exists  [although] maybe not be a high level of trust  thats the feeling I am getting sometimes, said Raman.

According to Raman, most of the Dale Carnegie programs are designed for senior leaders, but the programs also receive requests from mid-level management as well.

Participants are from all nationalities, including Chinese, Westerners and Indians. They mostly come from corporations, although some are students.

The majority is probably Chinese. Because again, Hong Kong has seen a change in the past four or five years. It is becoming more and more Chinese-dominated, said Raman, explaining that the ratio of Chinese and non-Chinese program participants is 3 to 1.

The topics offered at Dale Carnegie training programs range from communication to leadership. JZIrans president yesterday accused an unnamed U.S.- allied country in the Persian Gulf of being behind a terror attack on a military parade that killed 25 people and wounded 60, further raising regional tensions.

Hassan Rouhanis comments came as Irans Foreign Ministry also summoned Western diplomats over them allegedly providing havens for the Arab separatists who claimed Saturdays attacks in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.

The Iranian moves, as well as promises of revenge by Irans elite Revolutionary Guard, come as the country already faces turmoil in the wake of the American withdraw from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers. The attack in Ahvaz, which saw women and children flee with uniformed soldiers bloodied, has further shaken the country.

Rouhanis remarks could refer to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain  close U.S. military allies that view Iran as a regional menace over its support for militant groups across the Middle East.

All of those small mercenary countries that we see in this region are backed by America. It is Americans who instigate them and provide them with necessary means to commit these crimes, Rouhani said before leaving for the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Iran meanwhile summoned diplomats from Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands yesterday for allegedly harboring members of the terrorist group that launched the attack. Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen condemned the attack and stressed that there would be consequences if it turns out that those responsible have connections to Denmark.

The ministry later summoned the UAEs envoy as well over what it called the irresponsible and insulting statements of an Emirati adviser, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. The UAE did not immediately acknowledge the summons.

Saturdays attack, in which militants disguised as soldiers opened fire on an annual Iranian military parade in Ahvaz, was the deadliest attack in the country in nearly a decade. Women and children scattered along with once-marching Revolutionary Guard soldiers as heavy gunfire rang out, the chaos captured live on state television.

The regions Arab separatists, once only known for nighttime attacks on unguarded oil pipelines, claimed responsibility for the assault, and Iranian officials appeared to believe the claim. The separatists accuse Irans Persian-dominated government of discriminating against its ethnic Arab minority. Khuzestan province also has seen recent protests over Irans nationwide drought, as well as economic protests.

The attack killed at least 25 people and wounded 60, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. It said gunmen wore military uniforms and targeted a riser where military and police commanders were sitting. State TV hours later reported that all four gunmen had been killed.

At least eight of the dead served in the Revolutionary Guard, an elite paramilitary unit that answers only to Irans supreme leader, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. The Guard responded to the attack on Sunday, warning it would seek deadly and unforgiving revenge in the near future. APThe Maldives is holding its third multiparty presidential election on Sunday [today, Macau time]. The Indian Ocean nation of 400,000 has been rife with political turmoil since democracy was introduced just a decade ago.

Famed for its white sand beaches and luxury resorts, the Maldives under President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who is seeking re-election, has seen economic growth and longer life expectancy, according to the World Bank. But Yameens critics say he has systematically rolled back democratic freedoms, jailing rivals and controlling courts. Like elsewhere in South Asia, China has made fast inroads into the Maldives with aid and investment, challenging Indias long-held position as the dominant regional power.

A look at the Maldives, and why the election matters:

THREATENED BY RISING SEAS

The Maldives is a low-lying archipelago in South Asia formed from a chain of about 1,200 coral islands grouped in 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean, 430 kilometers southwest of India. The reefs, less than a meter above the sea, attract scuba divers from around the world, but theyre also threatened by rising temperatures and sea levels. Former President Mohamed Nasheed held an underwater Cabinet meeting in 2009 to highlight the threat of climate change.

VICIOUS POLITICS

The Maldives was a British protectorate until 1965. The centuries-old sultanate was restored again a year later until 1968. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom came to power in 1978 through a public referendum, ruling with an iron fist until 2008. That year, Mohamed Nasheed became the countrys first freely elected president. But Nasheed was forced to resign and later was sentenced to a 13-year prison term. He was later granted asylum in the United Kingdom when he traveled there for medical treatment, and continues to live in exile.

Nasheed was succeeded by his running mate, Mohamed Waheed Hasan. Current President Yameen, Gayooms half brother, won in 2013. His former vice president, Ahmed Adeeb, Gayoom, two ex-defense ministers, a prosecutor general and opposition lawmakers are among those who have been jailed during Yameens five-year tenure. All of the trials have been criticized for alleged lack of fairness.

With Nasheed ineligible to run in Sundays election because of his conviction, the opposition joined forces around longtime lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Yameens only contender.

IMPLICATIONS

The opposition and outside observers have cautioned that because of Yameens tight control of government institutions, Sundays election could be rigged. The European Union canceled plans to send observers after determining that the Maldives had not met the conditions for monitoring. The U.S. has threatened to sanction Maldivian officials if the elections are not free and fair.

Nasheed told reporters in neighboring Sri Lanka on Friday that the elections are critical for stability in the Indian Ocean, where he said a cold war was brewing between India and China. Gulbin Sultana, a researcher on the Maldives at the Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses based in New Delhi, said that if Yameen is re-elected, the state of democracy is unlikely to improve. That will probably mean the media, the people opposing the government will have to suffer more, she said. MDT/AP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The Vatican and China said yesterday [Macau time] they had signed a provisional agreement over the appointment of bishops, a breakthrough on an issue that stymied diplomatic relations for decades and aggravated a split among Chinese Catholics.

The deal resolved one of the major sticking points in recent years, with the Vatican agreeing to accept seven bishops who were previously named by Beijing without the popes consent.

The development comes nearly seven decades after the Holy See and Beijing severed official relations. Beijings long-held insistence that it must approve bishop appointments in China had clashed with absolute papal authority to pick bishops.

With the status of the seven bishops now reconciled, the Vatican said all bishops in China are now in communion with Rome  even though the Catholic community in China is still split between Catholics who belong to the official Chinese church and those in the underground church who remain loyal to the pope.

Pope Francis hopes that, with these decisions, a new process may begin that will allow the wounds of the past to be overcome, leading to the full communion of all Chinese Catholics, a Vatican statement said.

Some Chinese Catholics have opposed such a deal, notably Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, who previously called it a sell-out of Chinese Catholics who refused to join the state Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and who paid the price of remaining faithful to Rome during years of persecution.

Zen didnt reply this weekend to an AP request for comment. But on his blog, the cardinal criticized the lack of specifics in the accord, including no mention of the status of several underground bishops named by the pope.

What is the message this communique conveys to the faithful in China? Trust us! Accept the agreement!, he wrote. That, he said, was tantamount to the Chinese government telling Catholics to Obey us! We are in agreement with your pope!

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke, speaking in Vilnius, Lithuania, where Pope Francis was visiting, indicated the accord would serve as a blueprint for future appointments of bishops, who lead the faithful in their dioceses.

Burke told reporters the aim of the accord is not political but pastoral, allowing the faithful to have bishops who are in communion with Rome but at the same time recognized by Chinese authorities.

The Vaticans No. 2 official indicated that the pope and Chinese authorities would jointly approve new bishop appointments.

What is required now is unity, is trust, and a new impetus: to have good pastors, recognized by the Successor of Peter [Pope Francis] and by the legitimate civil authorities, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

A Vatican official earlier this year said the deal allows the pope to effectively veto future bishop names proposed by Beijing. That official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because diplomatic negotiations were involved, had described it as the best arrangement the Holy See could achieve for now.

The deals provisional nature left open the possibility of improvements down the line.

The Vatican described the provisional agreement as the fruit of a gradual and reciprocal rapprochement following a long process of careful negotiation.

While the agreement could help pave the way for formal diplomatic ties and possibly an eventual papal trip to China, it was also sure to anger Catholics who vigorously advocated for the Vatican to maintain a hard line on caring for the 12 million faithful in China. The accord was signed in Beijing during a meeting between Chinas deputy minister for foreign affairs, Wang Chao, and the Vatican undersecretary for state relations, Monsignor Antoine Camilleri.

In Beijing, the Foreign Ministry said China and the Vatican will continue to maintain communications and push forward the process of improving relations between the two sides.

Yet even as China professed the desire for better relations with the Holy See, the deal was signed against a backdrop of a Chinese crackdown on religions.

In one glaring case of pro-Vatican Catholics in China, Bishop Guo Xijin, head of an underground diocese, was whisked away in March by government agents in the southern village of Saiqi. It wasnt immediately clear how the new accord affected him and others opposing Chinese authorities.

The question now is: What is going to happen to the bishops who are under house arrest? said the Rev. Bernardo Cervellera, a Vatican-China expert and chief editor of the missionary news agency Asia News.

Cervellera noted that Shanghais underground bishop and others were under house arrest and some priests were imprisoned. He said about a year ago, about 10 priests were in prison in Hebei province near Beijing, but he didnt know their current situation.

The Vatican had to start a dialogue from a weak position, because China is very powerful and therefore dictated the rules of this dialogue, Cervellera told the AP.

Under President Xi Jinping, Chinas most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, faithful are seeing their freedoms shrink even as the country experiences a religious revival. Experts and activists contend that as Xi is consolidating power, he is waging the most systematic suppression of Christianity since the Chinese constitution allowed for religious freedom in 1982.

Xi is trying to infuse all of the religions in China with Chinese characteristics such as loyalty to the Communist Party.

As part of this drive, Islamic crescents and domes have been stripped from mosques and a campaign is underway to re-educate tens of thousands of Uighur Muslims. Tibetan children have been moved from Buddhist temples to schools and banned from religious activities during summer holidays, state-run media have reported.

This spring, a 5-year plan regarding Christians was introduced, along with new rules on religious affairs. Over the last few months, local governments across China have shut down hundreds of private Christian house churches.

The Vatican spokesman indicated there was still some ways to go for better relations between the Catholic Church and China.

This is not the end of a process. Its the beginning, Burke said. This has been about dialogue, patient listening on both sides even when people come from very different standpoints.

In Beijing, Zhang Ye, a 31-year-old Catholic leaving church after a Saturday evening Mass, said the Vatican couldnt afford to ignore the importance of China and the growing number of believers in the country.

My biggest wish is that we can have more communication and interactions with Vatican, he said.

Bridging different points of view has characterized much of Francis five-year papacy, and led to the Vatican helping improve relations between another communist nation, Cuba, and the United States.

In Taiwan, the reaction focused on the plight of ordinary Catholics.

As the world watches China increasingly tightening control over religious practices, Taiwan trusts that the Holy See has made appropriate arrangements to ensure that Catholic adherents in China will receive due protection and not be subject to repression, Taiwans Foreign Ministry said. Frances Demilio, Vatican City, APNearly 100 Sands China team members attended the companys annual Advanced Responsible Gaming Ambassador training program on Thursday and Friday at Conrad Macao, Cotai Central. This program was organized for team members to become responsible gaming ambassadors with enhanced knowledge of gambling problems and awareness of the importance of responsible gaming.

This is the sixth consecutive year Sands China Ltd. has offered the training. It supplements the companys wider responsible gaming training, which is received by each of Sands Chinas 28,000 plus team members.

The program is part of the companys ongoing commitment to create responsible gaming in Macau, and is the only one in the city done in coordination with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

A total of 99 team members received certificates issued by UNLV on Friday, after attending one of two training sessions held on September 20 and 21.

The program is delivered by responsible gaming expert Professor Bo J. Bernhard, executive director of the UNLV International Gaming Institute.

One of the things we are very excited about is now we are starting to study the results and we are finding very positive effects here in Macau, Bernhard told the Times.

The problem gambling community  if you will  the company that helps problem gamblers is growing every year. Its a terrible existence to have a gambling problem, [but] never has there been a better day for problem gamblers than today. So as somebody who has been coming to Macau for 20 years and working on these programs between six and 10 years, its really exciting for me to come and visit every year and see the positive results.

After completion, the ambassadors are able to provide appropriate assistance to patrons exhibiting signs of problem gambling, and initiate conversations using crisis management and intervention skills.

I have been coming out here for many years now, going back to the years before Cotai was here, and Ive been very impressed. Because when I first started coming there was not a problem gambling community, there were no professional treatment clinics that did this work. We were just starting the research work at the University of Macau. For example, now the University of Macau has a big program. Our [Macau] treatment community is very large, in many ways, this is the best time, if you will, to be a problem gambler in Macau, even as painful as it can be, said Bernhard.

The responsible gaming expert also noted that problem gambling rate in Macau was going down.

So one of the things thats very encouraging is that Dr. Davis Fong and his colleagues at University of Macau has found is actually the problem gambling rate in Macau is going down. Now this seems perhaps surprising because the gambling opportunities are growing, but this is actually very normal in a community where you are seeing the science of problem gambling improve, the research and our understanding of problem gambling improve, and also the treatment of problem gamblers is getting better and better and better.

So its a good thing. Its good news to learn that the rate of problem gambling has actually gone down since the inception of the expansion of casinos here in Macau, the professor said.

Bernhard also remarked that it is important to talk about how Macau is primarily a tourist market.

In general, tourist-oriented casino economies are healthier or better on the problem gambling front than every day local-oriented jurisdiction and gambling markets, said Bernhard.

Sands Chinas Advanced Responsible Gaming Ambassador training program is a global initiative launched by parent company Las Vegas Sands Corp. in 2013.

New elements are integrated each year as part of the companys efforts to support measures introduced by Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ).

Nearly 530 team members have completed Responsible Gaming Ambassador training to date, totaling over 3,200 hours of instruction.Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, the countrys No. 2 after the ruling Communist Partys leader, died Friday after a serious illness, the government said. He was 61.

Quang passed away despite utmost efforts to treat him by Vietnamese and foreign professors and doctors and care by the party and state leaders, the statement said. It said Quang died at a military hospital in Hanoi but did not elaborate on his illness.

The state-run online newspaper VnExpress quoted the head of a national committee in charge of leaders health as saying that Quang had contracted a rare and toxic virus since July last year and had traveled to Japan six times for treatment. He did not specify the virus.

Quang hosted President Donald Trump during his first state visit to the communist country last year, when Trump attended a summit of Pacific Rim leaders.

Vietnams National Assembly is scheduled to convene a session next month and expected to elect a new president.With rising unilateralism challenging its very existence, the United Nations convenes its annual meeting of world leaders today and will try once more to tackle problems together as a community of nations, addressing threats ranging from Mideast conflicts to the effects of global warming  and also encouraging the glimmer of hope over the nuclear standoff in North Korea.

This year, 133 world leaders have signed up to attend the General Assembly session, a significant increase from last years 114. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the expected large turnout eloquent proof of the confidence of the international community in the United Nations, though other U.N. officials and diplomats said its in response to growing concerns about an increasingly turbulent world.

The seven-year-old conflict in Syria and the three-year war in Yemen that has sparked the worlds worst humanitarian crisis and is now seriously threatening large-scale famine will certainly be in the spotlight, along with meetings on other Mideast and African hot spots. So will Iran, which faces escalating hostile rhetoric from the Trump administration over its activities supporting international terrorism, which Tehran vehemently denies.

Guterres said last week that one of his overriding concerns in an increasingly globalized world is the threat to having the U.N.s 193 member nations work together, which is the foundation of the United Nations.

Multilateralism is under attack from many different directions precisely when we need it most, the U.N. chief told reporters last week. In different areas and for different reasons, the trust of people in their political establishments, the trust of states among each other, the trust of many people in international organizations has been eroded and  multilateralism has been in the fire.

Guterres challenged diplomats at last weeks opening of the 73rd session of the General Assembly by saying: At a time of fragmentation and polarization, the world needs this assembly to show the value of international cooperation.

Whether it will be able to remains in question.

At this years gathering of presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and minsters, populist leaders will include U.S. President Donald Trump, President Andrzej Duda of Poland and Premier Giuseppe Conte of Italy along with the foreign ministers of Hungary and Austria.

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told reporters that Trump, who champions an America First policy, wants to talk about protecting U.S. sovereignty, and she reiterated Washingtons opposition to the 2015 Paris climate agreement on curbing global warming and a newly agreed international compact aimed at regulating migration.

We really value sovereignty of the country, Haley said. It is not saying multilateralism cant work, but its saying sovereignty is a priority over all of that, and we always have to make sure were doing that  and there are many countries that agree with us.

Before stepping down as U.N. humanitarian chief Aug. 31, Zeid Raad al-Hussein expressed serious concern that populism, intolerance and oppression are becoming fashionable again.

It all builds, because once you start down the path of intolerance, its very difficult to stop it, unless at the end of the day you have conflict, he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to be a key voice joining Guterres in the coming week in speaking out against this trend and supporting multilateralism as key to promoting peace.

The weeks activities kick off with a peace summit Monday morning honoring the 100th birthday this year of South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela. A statue of Mandela will be unveiled at U.N. headquarters and leaders are expected to adopt a declaration recognizing the years 2019-2028 as the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace.

Trump is hosting an event Monday on The World Drug Problem and Haley said 124 countries have signed a global call to action. Activists on drug policy note it was never negotiated, and one group, the Harm Reduction Coalition, called it an instance of heavy-handed U.S. with us or against us diplomacy.

The increasingly strident U.S. rhetoric against Iran is expected to be a feature in U.S. speeches. Haley said that every dangerous spot in the world  Iran seems to have its fingerprints in it, which Tehran denies.

Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement in May and the foreign ministers of the five remaining powers who support the deal  Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany  are expected to meet privately tomorrow [Macau time] with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

The General Assemblys General Debate, as the ministerial session is called, officially opens tomorrow with Guterres report on the state of the world, to be followed soon after by speeches from Trump, Macron and late in the morning by President Hassan Rouhani of Iran.

The U.S. holds the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council in September and has scheduled two ministerial meetings, the first on Wednesday presided over by Trump. It was initially to focus on Iran but has now been broadened to the topic of nonproliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Im sure that is going to be the most watched Security Council meeting ever, Haley told reporters.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will preside over the second meeting Thursday on North Korea, an issue the Security Council was united on in imposing increasingly tough sanctions. But that unity now appears to be at risk over enforcement of sanctions and the broader issues of how to achieve denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and when sanctions should be lifted against North Korea.

Guterres welcomed the recent positive meeting in Pyongyang between the leaders of North and South Korea but warned that there will not be success in intra-Korean negotiations if simultaneously there is not success in the American and North Korean negotiations to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the United Nations has received 342 requests for meetings during the high-level week.

They includes sessions on conflicts in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Mali and Central African Republic as well as the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, aid for Palestinians, education for girls, modern slavery, environmental threats, efforts to end poverty, and the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

Asked what are the big issues, Russias U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told The Associated Press: All of them are big issues  nonproliferation, cooperation, the world peace architecture  its every year, but this year its maybe more topical than ever.

Uruguayan Ambassador Elbio Rosselli said the biggest issue for his country is multilateralism.

Its a vow that all of us ought to keep reinforcing particularly at this conjuncture where so many undercurrents and contrary views are surfacing on different scenarios, he told AP. The validity of this institution is more than ever necessary, and for that we need the recommitment of all states. Edith M. Lederer, United Nations, APCredit: CC0 Public Domain

Distinct brain patterns can help explain variations in the way children present with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), paving a course towards improved treatment and support for the common neurodevelopmental disorder.

Using neuroimaging techniques, The Children's Attention Project, run at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI), found that certain patterns across the whole brain appear to be linked to ADHD symptoms, development and cognition.

The findings, published online in the American Journal of Psychiatry, suggest that the different ways ADHD presents in children may stem from a combination of factors that have specific biological foundations in the brain.

Lead investigator Associate Professor Tim Silk from Deakin University's School of Psychology said that to improve treatments or predict the likely progression of ADHD it is important to understand what is happening in the brain.

"We still don't know what the underlying mechanisms are in ADHD, but it is quite clear that it is not isolated to one or two areas of the brain," Assoc. Prof. Silk said.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects five per cent of school-aged children. It is typically characterised by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity  although not all children with these behaviours will have ADHD.

No biological marker can detect ADHD, with assessments by a doctor or psychologist currently forming the basis of formal diagnosis. The condition is treated with behaviour strategies, counselling and medication as required.

The study combined multiple magnetic resonance images to examine the brains of 160 Australian children aged nine to 12 years, 70 of whom met diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Once they had identified a set of brain patterns, the researchers demonstrated that those patterns could predict ADHD symptoms in an independent group of children.

The researchers identified four different patterns across the whole brain, each associated with unique profiles. These covered demographic characteristics such as gender and socio-economic status, early life variables such as birth weight and smoking in pregnancy, cognitive factors such as thinking, language and academic skills, and ADHD related factors such as typical symptoms, medication use, social difficulties and quality of life.

They found two brain patterns particularly relevant to ADHD. In one, children with less developmentally mature brains showed more hyperactive symptoms and were more likely to be receiving medication for ADHD. The other pattern reflected typical clinical features of ADHD, such as increased likelihood of being male, having hyperactivity symptoms, social problems and irritability, lower cognitive and academic scores and ADHD medication use.

"Differences in the brain's overall structure may give rise to functional changes across brain networks that are responsible for cognitive function, sensory and motor processes," said Assoc. Prof. Silk, who is also Honorary Fellow Manager at MCRI and Honorary Senior Fellow, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne.

"Recent advances in MRI analyses allow us to better examine these variations across tissue types and individuals."

He said the ultimate long-term goal of the research was to see if neuroimaging could provide objective measures to inform diagnosis of ADHD and customised treatments.

Explore further Study identifies distinct origin of ADHD in children with history of brain injury

More information: Gareth Ball et al. Multimodal Structural Neuroimaging Markers of Brain Development and ADHD Symptoms, American Journal of Psychiatry (2018). Journal information: American Journal of Psychiatry Gareth Ball et al. Multimodal Structural Neuroimaging Markers of Brain Development and ADHD Symptoms,(2018). DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.18010034Blaine Christiansen and his lab team are on the path to finding therapies that reduce bone losses following fractures. Pictured (top to bottom on the left) are Christiansen, Armaun Emami, Hailey Cunningham and (right) Allison Hsia. Credit: Copyright UC Regents courtesy of UC Davis Health

Breaking a bone causes bone density losses throughout the body, not just close to the site of the fracture, and primarily around the time of the fracture, two new studies from UC Davis Health show.

The studies are among the first to associate fractures with systemic bone loss. They also begin the path to finding treatments that preserve long-term skeletal health and reduce susceptibility to additional fractures and, potentially, osteoporosis, which is diagnosed when bone-density losses are severe.

Both investigations were led by Blaine Christiansen, whose research focuses on identifying changes in musculoskeletal tissue due to injury, aging or disease.

"We know one fracture seems to lead to others, but we haven't known why," said Christiansen, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at UC Davis. "Our work is the first step on the path to identifying the cellular mechanisms of systemic bone loss."

The first study, published in Osteoporosis International, was based on about 4,000 participants in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, an observational study of older women that included hip bone mineral density (BMD) measures and fracture history gathered regularly over 20 years.

Outcomes showed that hip BMD decreased over time for all women in the study, but was greatest for those who had fractured a bone ? even if the fracture was not near the hip. BMD reductions averaged between .89 and .77 percent per year for those with fractures, and .66 percent per year for those with no fractures. Those losses were greatest within the first two years of a break.

Published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, the second study was conducted using mice with femur fractures and BMD tests in various bones. Once again, bone loss occurred throughout the body, most notably in the spine, and was greatest within the first two weeks of fracture. It also was accompanied by higher levels of inflammatory markers in the blood.

Outcomes of the second study showed interesting age-related recovery differences as well. Younger mice eventually recovered their pre-fracture BMD levels, while older mice did not.

Christiansen next hopes to further characterize the post-fracture inflammatory factors that may contribute to bone loss following fracture.

"It's possible that these factors are key to initiating BMD loss once a bone is broken," Christiansen said. "Ultimately, we hope to develop therapeutic strategies that interrupt those processes and prevent bone loss."

Explore further Which bone measures predict fractures in postmenopausal women?When Robert Shafran started community college in upstate New York in 1980, he was puzzled that some of his fellow students seemed unusually friendly, acting as though they already knew him.

That mystery is retold in the opening moments of the movie "Three Identical Strangers," and it gets more bizarre from there.

Spoiler alert: Shafran learned he was one of a set of triplets who were separated soon after birth and placed with adoptive familiespart of a study in which researchers explored the age-old question of how human beings are shaped by nature and nurture.

"I wouldn't believe the story if someone else were telling it," he says in the documentary, which came out this summer.

The three were near-identical in appearance and seemed, at a glance, to share a number of behavioral traits. They had the same genes, after all. Yet in certain respects, their personalities were noticeably different. Should that be chalked up to the families who raised them, the filmmakers ask?

The film suggests that question remains somewhat unresolved, at least for these triplets and other participants in the study (which drew fire from ethicistsmore on that later). But on a population level, scientists know a great deal about the relative roles of genetics and the environment in shaping all sorts of characteristicsboth physical traits such as height and weight, and behavioral attributes such as personality and mental health.

For starters: Identical twins (and triplets) are not 100 percent identical, even though they originate from the same egg and sperm. Each time our cells divide and the DNA is copied, there is a chance for small, usually inconsequential, mistakes.

"It's not a perfect copy machine," said Gene Fisch, a behavioral genetics researcher and adjunct professor of statistics at Baruch College in New York.

Second point: instead of saying nature vs. nurture, call it genetics and the environmentthe sum total of a person's experiences and exposures. And forget the word versus, as the two life-shaping forces interact with each other. For example, the environment can affect how a person's genes are expresseda phenomenon known as epigenetics.

Imagine a person born with a combination of traits needed to be a good reader, said Rebecca Waller, an assistant professor in clinical psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Those tendencies can be enhanced by environmental factors.

"You're going to read more, and that's going to make you even better," she said. "And maybe because your parents see that, they buy you more books. Or maybe they drop you at the library on a Saturday."

Likewise, researchers have identified numerous genes that increase a person's risk for depression, but the outcome is far from certain, said Patrick Sullivan, a professor of genetics and psychiatry at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

"It depends what happens to you, what you're taught, whether you learn skills about resilience, and the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune," Sullivan said.

For decades before the advent of modern gene-sequencing techniques, studying twins was a powerful tool for answering such questions. By comparing identical twins with fraternal twinsthose who share just half of their DNA, on averagescientists could tease out how much of the variation in a given trait was due to genetics.

Sullivan was part of a team that analyzed the results from 50 years of such studies. Generally speaking, genetics have been found to play a strong role in shaping easy-to-measure physical characteristics such as height, but they have less influence on behavioral attributes.

No surprise there, said Baruch College's Fisch.

"The brain is orders of magnitude more complicated than, pick an organ, whether it's bladder or heart or kidney," he said.

In most of these twin studies, adoptive and birth parents were told the goal of the research and agreed to take part. Not so for the children who were placed for adoption in the movie.

Renewed spoiler alert: Not only were the adoptive parents and children unaware of the study's aims, but the researchers had a hand in deciding where they were placed. In the case of the triplets, one was placed with a blue-collar family, another with a middle-class household, and the third in a wealthy home.

Other researchers have blasted this arrangement as a grotesque breach of ethics. It was all the more surprising because one of the study leaders, Peter Neubauer, was Jewish and had left his native Austria in the late 1930s under the growing shadow of Nazi Germanya regime notorious for its experiments on concentration camp prisoners.

It remains unclear what he learned from the study, as the results were never published and Neubauer died in 2008. But when Shafran and his newfound brothers became celebrities in the 1980s, family, friends, and even talk-show hosts rushed to draw their own conclusions. As the film relates, much was made of superficial similarities such as the fact that all three liked Marlboro cigarettes, older women, and wrestling.

Likely a coincidence, said James Tabery, a University of Utah associate professor of philosophy and the author of Beyond Versus: The Struggle to Understand the Interaction of Nature and Nurture.

"People look for similarities because it sort of feeds this narrative of, 'Oh, look, isn't that amazing? It's your genes that are driving this," Tabery said. "They don't focus on the fact that one drinks Pepsi, or another drinks Sprite, and maybe another does not drink soda at all."

On a tragic note, one of the triplets, Eddy Galland, killed himself in 1995, and the filmmakers imply that his adoptive father's strict, unyielding demeanor played a role.

Fisch is skeptical.

"If that were the case, there would be a whole lot more suicides," the researcher said.

Shafran and the other surviving triplet, David Kellman, have been granted access to some of the findings in the study in which they unwittingly took part. But the public will have to wait. At Neubauer's direction, they were sealed in an archive at Yale University until 2066.

Explore further Twin study highlights importance of both genetics and environment on gene activity

2018 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Mitochondrial DNA. Credit: Wikipedia

Mitochondrial genetic engineering is the adaptation of genetic engineering techniques to specific mitochondrial problems. Although it is not common to be born with severe mitochondrial issues, we will all eventually have to face these problems in one form or another, provided we live long enough.

Perhaps the most powerful tool currently available for controlling the code of the mitochondrial genome is gene-editing technology. The CRISPR/Cas9 system, in particular, has been used with great success in the nuclear genome. Unfortunately, there are several reasons why CRISPR is problematic for mitochondria. For one, there are not that many sites in the comparatively small mitochondrial genome where CRIPSR could be effectively brought to bear. Furthermore, there is no clearly defined mechanism for importing the guide RNA into mitochondria. These facts of life make the few published claims of any successful mito-CRISPR rather dubious.

A much more attractive option for editing mitochondria is to use zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) engineered to cut double-stranded DNA at desired locations. ZFNs work in pairsone part targets the offending nucleotide on one strand while the other part is designed to bind a specific number of nucleotides away on the opposite strand. If all goes well, the two halves will eventually dimerize and cleave the DNA.

One seeming roadblock is that splicing in the 'correct' nucleotide and then patching things back together is difficult because mammalian mitochondria don't do double-stranded repair very efficiently, if at all. The beauty of the ZFN approach is that one doesn't actually need to do a full edit and repair. Any mtDNA molecules with double-strand breaks are broken down and eliminated in short order by the endogenous nuclease activity of PolG, the mitochondrial DNA polymerase, and MGME1, a mitochondrial endonuclease involved in mtDNA replication. The cell then responds accordingly to bring mtDNA levels back into balance by upregulating nucleotide pools and printing new mtDNA. Rather then performing single-genome editing per se, one is actually editing the mitochondria at the population level to achieve a desired level of heteroplasmy between different (and not necessarily all bad) genomes.

Payam Gammage, from MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit at the University of Cambridge, and his colleagues have just reported the first in vivo successes in using zinc finger nucleases for selectively editing away pathogenic mtDNAs in a heteroplasmic mammalian mitochondrial population. Writing in the Sept. 24th issue of Nature Medicine, they demonstrate the correction of a cardiac-specific mitochondrial disorder with concomitant therapeutic restoration of molecular and biochemical hallmarks to an undiseased state.

To do this, they used a mouse model that contains well-defined levels of heteroplasmy for the mitochondrial tRNA-encoding alanine. The notation for this variant reads m.5024C>T tRNA(Ala). Because the alanine tRNA is actually coded on the light strand, the RNA ends up containing an A instead of a G at the 5024 spot. This likely creates issues with folding and/or aminoacylation, and leads to reduced steady state levels of the tRNA. In both the mouse variant and the corresponding human variant, these effects show up most acutely in heart tissue as a classic mitochondrial cardiomyopathy.

Each of the two ZFN proteins were systemically delivered to the mouse via a cardiotropic version of the adenovirus. This particular vector (AAV9.45 serotype16) has a unique coat protein structure that preferentially targets it to the heart over other organs like the liver. The resultant change in mtDNA heteroplasmy was found to be specific to the heart, and sensitive to the precise dose, with 51012 viral genomes per monomer per mouse being a typical delivery.

The Moraes lab in Miami is working on a similar strategy to edit mitochondria. They are using different kinds of nucleases called transcription activator-like effector nucleases (Mito-TALENs) which can be made to bind almost any DNA sequence. Reported back-to-back in Nature Medicine, the Moraes results closely corroborate those obtained by the Cambridge group. Like ZFNs, the Mito-TALENs used here aren't necessarily driving the heteroplasmy all the way to zero. In instances and regions where there are high levels of mutant heteroplasmy, sudden depletion of all the local mtDNA would likely be catastrophic.

While finessing heteroplasmy ratios has lots of immediately useful applications, it is important to realize that it won't be a total cure-all if all of a patient's mtDNA happens to be bad. It such a case, there would be no good mtDNA to clonally expand and fill the gaps. Fortunately, other promising techniques like mitochondrial transplantation may eventually be available to seed new healthy mitochondrial populations. One might liken this kind of combo procedure to a bone marrow transplant wherein native populations of white blood cells and their precursors are wiped out and replaced using more desirable donor stock.

As we have recently seen in the highly sensationalized English cases of Charlie Gard at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Alfie Evans at Alder Hey Hospital, the most severe forms of presumptive mitochondrial disease often encompass larger issues that involve the nuclear encoded mitogenome. In Gard's case, the problem was a double mutant dose of a critical subunit for ribonucleotide reductase (RRM2B), which left him unable to build deoxynucleotides for his mitochondria. He needed nucleotides (or nucleoside precursors), or at least a steady supply of healthy mitochondria, but unfortunately couldn't get any real treatment. The Charlie Gard Foundation is currently working to pass Charlie's Law to protect parental rights in these kinds of cases by restricting court involvement when parents seek to bring their kids to another hospital for care.

The case of Alfie Evans was a bit more complex. Despite massive public appeal to find out what was going on, including bold entreaties from Pope Francis and President Trump, no one could figure out what was wrong with the child. It was widely reported that he had a couple of suspicious variants in his mtDNA amidst an underlying mitochondrial disorder. While the particulars here are not yet publicly disclosed, the family did share this particular data and some history with me, and it is far from conclusive, at least to my layperson's amateur eye. However, as we'll see in a minute, there a few things we can learn here.

Martin Picard and mitochondrial founding father Doug Wallace just published a study showing how somatic mtDNA mutations augment the effects of unfavorable mtDNA-nDNA interactions in the progression of cardiomyopathy. Picard also just sent me another recent paper in which he and researchers Amy Vincent and Robert Taylor, among others, show that depletion of mitochondrial DNA spreads across restricted mitochondrial populations in muscle at the subcellular level. In these cells, the subsarcolemmal mitochondria are located at the periphery of the muscle fiber adjacent to the sarcolemma membrane, and a subset of these are distinctly perinuclear. A completely different population, the intermyofibrillar mitochondria, are located between the myofibrils at the Z-band.

The mtDNA-nDNA interactions in the cardiomyopathy study above are precisely the kinds of interactions that may have proved to be critical in Alfie Evan's case. Incidentally, not too long ago, we published a systematic procedure to analyze these kinds of interactions. Using my own mtDNA as an example, and various bioinformatics software tools, I demonstrated that it is now practical to directly generate lines of inquiry to evaluate the larger mito-nuclear genome.

For example, shortly after that was published, a member of the Wallace bioinformatics group wrote me a nice python program that can take a whole genome variant file (.vcf file) and extract just those variants for the genes that appear in the MitoCarta database of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins. This drastically reduces the amount of data that needs to be considered and focuses the scope of the possible. One thing still required for convenience is to extract only the variants that appear in the coding exons. The program and files for that can be found here.

In cases like Alfie's it is difficult to verify facts reported in the media, especially from the outside. Reports indicated that Alfie had been receiving the drug vigabatrin, and at some point thereabouts, he had really started to go south. Vigabatrin is sometimes used for certain types of seizures and inhibits the enzyme that degrades Gaba. Taking that as one possible clue, I wrote a fairly speculative piece ostensibly about Gaba, but particularly about the Gaba transaminase enzyme (ABAT, or Gaba T), nucleotides, and vigabatrin. Without mentioning any names, it was published shortly after Alfie died. Excerpt:

"While it is a close structural analog of GABA, vigabatrin acts as a potent suicide inhibitor of ABAT, but it won't bind all to GABA receptors. GABA levels, mitochondrial levels, and mtDNA levels have all been proven to be very sensitive to precise amounts of vigabatrin given. Undesirable effects of vigabatrin might be expected if given to individuals with pre-existing mitochondrial disease alone."

I am not a doctor, and have no idea what treatments were or were not administered, but I would suppose that giving an inhibitor of Gaba breakdown to someone with a pre-existing deficit in the ability to break down Gaba might drive Gaba levels very, very high. For example, CSF levels can be measured as high as 60 times the normal level in Gaba T variant cases.

In an interesting turn of events, Alfie's parents, Tom and Kate, recently appeared on national TV to announce they are having a second son. After extensive testing, they discovered that they were both carriers of a autosomally recessive mutant Gaba T gene. They further revealed that they were told in June that Alfie had the extremely rare brain condition GABA-transaminase deficiency. In other words, in zeroing in on Gaba T back in May, I was either very lucky, or very right.

The publicly released court documents for Alfie's hearing emphatically said that no more testing was needed, and that they would only have been futile. Hindsight may be 20/20, but in light of the above, it appears that proper early testing, as called for repeatedly and extensively by some individuals, could likely have shown Alfie was doubly recessive for Gaba T.

No one is asserting that mitochondrial genetic engineering is ready to be mainstreamed tomorrow, nor that it would be the whole answer to severe cases of mitochondrial disease. The main point is that in the future, successfully treating kids like Charlie or Alfie will require an integrative strategy that comprehensively considers unique subpopulations of mitochondria throughtout the body. Of particular note, a paper recently posted to Arxiv highlights these issues in more detail. The authors carefully draw a distinction between 'microheteroplasmy,' or intra-cellular mtDNA variance, and 'macroheteroplasmy,' or inter-cell variation. We might additionally introduce the term 'nanoheteroplasmy' for describing situations in which mtDNA varies within a single mitochondrion, or within a single nucleoid of a mitochondrion.

The relevance and possible relation of Alfie's particular mtDNA variants to his particular Gaba T variants in his nuclear mitogenome can be debated. As above, we know many tRNA variants have been linked to conditions like cardiomyopathy or selective damage to the nervous system, and also that many of the variants have yet to be be fully explored.

Explore further Changes in mitochondrial DNA control how nuclear DNA mutations are expressed in cardiomyopathy

More information: Payam A. Gammage et al. Genome editing in mitochondria corrects a pathogenic mtDNA mutation in vivo, Nature Medicine (2018). Payam A. Gammage et al. Genome editing in mitochondria corrects a pathogenic mtDNA mutation in vivo,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-018-0165-9 Sandra R. Bacman et al. MitoTALEN reduces mutant mtDNA load and restores tRNAAla levels in a mouse model of heteroplasmic mtDNA mutation, Nature Medicine (2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-018-0166-8 Journal information: Nature Medicine

 2018 Medical XpressCredit: CC0 Public Domain

Older adults at risk for falls are less likely to suffer fall-related hospitalizations when they have a "fall plan of care," according to new research featuring faculty at Binghamton University, State University at New York.

Older adult falls pose a growing burden on the U.S. healthcare system. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Stopping Elderly Accidents Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) initiative was developed as a multifactorial approach to fall prevention that includes screening for fall risk, assessing for modifiable risk factors, and prescribing evidence-based interventions to reduce fall risk. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a STEADI initiative on medically treated falls within a large healthcare system in Upstate New York.

"Fall prevention activities such as raising awareness about fall risk, identifying individual risk for fall, discussing fall risk prevention strategies and providing referrals to fall risk reduction programs in the community for older adults were shown to reduce fall-related hospitalizations," said Yvonne Johnston, research associate professor at the Binghamton University Decker School of Nursing and corresponding author of the paper. "As a result of these interventions, older adults may be more conscious of conditions that contribute to falls, take steps to modify their home environment to reduce fall risk, and participate in falls prevention programs and physical activities that improve strength and balance. These steps, what we called development of a Fall Plan of Care, likely contributed to the observed lower rates of fall-related hospitalizations for older adults who were identified as being at risk for fall."

The researchers classified older adults who were screened for fall risk into three groups: (a) At-risk and no Fall Plan of Care (FPOC), (b) At-risk with a FPOC, and (c) Not-at-risk. The sample consisted of 12,346 adults age 65 or older who had a primary care visit at one of fourteen outpatient clinics between September 11, 2012 and October 30, 2015. A medically-treated fall was defined as a fall-related treat-and-release emergency department visit or hospitalization. The researchers found that older adults at-risk for fall with a FPOC were 0.6 times less likely to have a fall-related hospitalization than those without a FPOC and their post-intervention odds were similar to those who were not-at-risk.

This project demonstrated that healthcare systems can successfully implement fall prevention screening and referral for older adults in the primary care setting, said Johnston.

"The STEADI initiative can be feasibly modified to streamline office workflow, and incorporation of a fall risk screening protocol in the electronic health record can provide a supportive infrastructure for addressing fall risk among older adults," she said. "These system-wide changesscreening for fall risk among older adults in primary care and developing a plan of care for those identified as being at risk for fallwere shown to have a positive impact on reducing hospitalizations. These findings suggest benefit for patient health and well-being and potential reduction in health care costs associated with fall-related hospitalizations."

The paper, "Implementation of the Stopping Elderly Accidents Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) Initiative in Primary Care: And Outcome Evaluation," was published in The Gerontologist.

Explore further Physical therapy after a fall may help reduce emergency department revisits

More information: Yvonne A Johnston et al, Implementation of the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries Initiative in Primary Care: An Outcome Evaluation, The Gerontologist (2018). Yvonne A Johnston et al, Implementation of the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries Initiative in Primary Care: An Outcome Evaluation,(2018). DOI: 10.1093/geront/gny101The first large, randomized trial comparing a novel polymer-free amphilimus-eluting stent to the latest-generation permanent polymer drug-eluting stent found that the polymer-free stent was clinically safe and effective.

Findings from the ReCre8 trial were reported today at the 30th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

ReCre8 is a physician-initiated, prospective, multicenter, randomized, non-inferiority trial of all-comer patients requiring percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients were randomized 1:1 to either polymer-free amphilimus-eluting stents (PF-AES) or durable polymer zotarolimus-eluting stents (PP-ZES).

Between November 2014 and July 2017, 1,532 patients were enrolled at three European sites. Of those randomized, approximately 40% were troponin-positive and 60% were troponin-negative. In both treatment arms, patients with troponin-positive acute coronary syndromes were treated with 12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), whereas low-risk troponin-negative PF-AES patients were treated with an ultra-short (one month) duration of DAPT. In addition, total of 304 (20%) patients were diabetic.

The device-oriented primary endpoint of target lesion failure was defined as cardiac death, target-vessel myocardial infarction, or target-lesion revascularization at 12 months. TLF occurred in 6.2% of the PF-AES group and 5.6% of the PP-ZES group (Risk difference: 0.5%, One Sided 95% CI: 2.6%, pnoninferiority=0.0086). The secondary endpoint of net adverse clinical events at 12 months was 12.2% for PF-AES and 11.6% for PP-ZES. Results were consistent across all subgroups, including DAPT duration.

"ReCre8 is the first randomized clinical trial of its kind and found that polymer-free amphilimus-eluting stents are shown to be clinically non-inferior to latest-generation zotarolimus-eluting stents in terms of target-lesion failure at 12 months in an all comers PCI population," said Pieter R. Stella, MD, Ph.D. Dr. Stella is Head, Interventional Cardiology and Manager, Research Division Heart & Lungs at University Medical Center Utrecht in The Netherlands. "Although further study is warranted, one-month DAPT following these latest-generation drug-eluting stents in troponin-negative patients may be safe regarding stent thrombosis, especially in non-complex lesions."

Explore further Novel drug-eluting stent with improved radiographic visibility found to be safe and effectiveThere are many barriers to the implementation of the Anti-Domestic Violence Law. In particular, the community has yet to be adequately educated about domestic violence laws. Author provided

On 22 September 2004, Indonesia enacted the Anti-Domestic Violence Law. This law remains as relevant as ever. The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) recently reported that domestic violence is the most prevalent type of violence against women in Indonesia.

The law has been in effect for over a decade, yet there remains widespread impunity for domestic violence perpetrators and a failure of state mechanisms to protect women.

There are many barriers to the implementation of the law, in particular the failure to adequately educate the community about domestic violence laws.

Violence in the private sphere

The Anti-Domestic Violence Law explicitly identifies domestic violence as a human rights violation. Some people may think that by legislating human rights norms into the domestic sphere the fight against domestic violence has been won. But this is very much only the beginning.

Some 14 years since the enactment of the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, public education efforts, such as the "Stop Kekerasan" campaign by Pusat Pelayanan Terpadu Pemberdayaan Perempuan dan Anak  P2TP2A (the Centre for Women and Children's Empowerment), have yet to change the public's mindset that domestic violence a "private issue".

The definition of the household in the law includes not only spouses, children and other family members who live together but also domestic workers. The law specifically targets violence in the home. However, many people still consider the household as a "private sphere" under the control of the male head of the household. This leads to victims being stigmatised and silenced.

Victims of domestic violence are stigmatised not necessarily for being abused, but for speaking out about being abused. This has become one of the the main barriers deterring victims from reporting domestic violence.

What constitutes domestic violence

There is a gap between the legal conceptualisation of domestic violence and the public's understanding of the law. In other words, the public have a different understanding of what constitutes domestic violence from that envisaged by the legislators.

The Anti-Domestic Violence Law defines violence broadly to include physical, psychological, sexual and economic violence (or "negligence"). But, in practice, the public's understanding of non-physical violence as violence is very limited. This corresponds to low reporting rates for psychological, sexual and economic violence.

Despite the broad legal definition, only in cases of severe physical violence do communities recognise domestic abuse as violence and not as a "private issue between husband and wife".

Some community members also try to justify the use of physical violence against women. They argue that, according to local culture and religious interpretations, the male head of the household is responsible for educating his family so a degree of physical violence against women is allowed.

Physical violence is therefore often justified as being "disciplinary" or "educative". This kind of rhetoric minimises the seriousness of violence and emphasises the reciprocity of violence  i.e. blaming the victim for provoking violence.

It is not uncommon for domestic violence perpetrators to try to justify their violence with excuses such as "my wife didn't fulfil her household obligations" or "my wife doesn't listen to me". These views often stem from patriarchal misinterpretations of Islamic doctrine.

In many parts of Indonesia, the authority of the male head of the household produces resistance to government efforts to intervene in the domestic realm to protect women's rights. Physical violence is over-emphasised  sidelining other forms of violence  as well as minimised through attempts to justify violence.

What's next?

Misunderstandings about domestic violence at the community level inevitably impact institutional understandings (for example, of police officers) and affect the implementation of the laws.

Educating the community about domestic violence is important to ensure people understand exactly what constitutes domestic violence. Without proper understanding of the laws, victims are not aware of their rights and they may not be supported by the local community to exercise their rights. In many instances, the local community may actively try to deter victims from reporting domestic violence.

The enactment of the Anti-Domestic Violence Law was, and is, a huge achievement for the Indonesian women's movement. The implementation of these laws in local and regional contexts is also an achievement  even if there remains room for improvement.

While we celebrate these achievements, we must also look to the future and take stock of the barriers we still need to overcome. In particular the need to improve community understandings of domestic violence and the law.

If you are experiencing domestic violence and require support contact P2TP2A or Unit Pelayanan Perempuan dan Anak (PPA) Polda in Indonesia, or local services in Australia.

Explore further Male couples report as much domestic violence as straight couples

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.(HealthDay)Breast milk from the bottle may not have as many benefits for a baby's weight as feeding straight from the breast, a new study suggests.

The researchers found what many others have: Overall, breastfed babies tended to have a healthier weight than those who were formula-fed.

However, babies given pumped breast milk did not benefit as much as those who fed from the breast.

Researchers stressed that breast milk, in any form, is better than formula. But they said the findings support the notion that the method of feeding matters, too.

Many women, particularly in the United States, have to pump breast milk when they return to work, noted lead researcher Meghan Azad, an assistant professor of pediatrics and child health at the University of Manitoba in Canada.

"The message here is not that pumping is 'bad' or 'wrong,' " she said. "It's better than formula-feeding."

However, Azad explained, there are reasons why feeding at the breast might promote the healthiest rate of weight gain.

For one, she said, breast milk contains a range of "interesting enzymes and hormones." And it's possible that their activity is depleted when pumped milk is refrigerated.

In addition, Azad said, it's thought that babies learn to "self-regulate" food intake when they nurse at mom's breast. In contrast, when parents bottle-feed, they often take chargeencouraging their baby to finish the bottle.

Dr. Joan Meek is chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics section on breastfeeding. She said the AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about six months. Once the baby starts on solid foods, Meek said, breastfeeding can continue "for as long mother and child desire."

She agreed that there are reasons direct breastfeeding is idealand the new findings support that. But practically speaking, Meek added, many women have to pump.

"The lack of paid maternity leave policies in the U.S. can be a barrier for mothers who work outside the home," Meek said. "Certainly for those mothers, their [pumped] breast milk is still the next best thing to direct breastfeeding."

The findings, published online Sept. 24 in the journal Pediatrics, are based on more than 2,500 mother-infant pairs.

On average, the study found, babies who were still exclusively breastfed at 6 months had the healthiest weight by the age of 12 months. By comparison, babies who were no longer exclusively breastfed at 6 months had a threefold greater risk of being overweight by their first birthday.

However, when the researchers looked at moms' feeding methods, they found that babies given pumped breast milk tended to weigh a little more than those who fed from the breast.

It all suggests that direct breastfeeding is better for a "healthy weight trajectory," said Dr. Alison Holmes, a pediatrician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, N.H.

Like Meek, Holmes acknowledged the practical barriers. So she recommended that any time working moms are with their baby, they opt for the direct route rather than the bottle.

Holmes also pointed to a side benefit: "There's less time spent washing dishes."

The study also looked at the effects of solid food introduction on babies' weight. In general, it found, when babies started on solids before the age of 5 months, their weight gain was on the rapid side.

But there was no sign that introducing solids at 5 months, rather than 6 months, spurred especially quick weight gain.

"So introducing solids at that age may be OK, if that's what your baby wants," Azad said.

When it comes to starting solids, Holmes said, there seems to be a window that's best for babies' overall health.

"Introducing solid foods sometime after the 5-month mark, but before the 7-month mark is healthiest in terms of balancing the benefits of healthy weight gain, allergy prevention and infectious disease prevention," she said.

To Azad, the findings have implications not just for parents, but for policies on paid maternity leave.

"This is saying, you can't just give moms a breast pump and think you've solved the problem," Azad said.

Explore further New moms moving toward the bottle

More information: Meghan Azad, Ph.D., assistant professor, pediatrics and child health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Alison Volpe Holmes, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor, pediatrics, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, N.H.; Joan Younger Meek, M.D., R.D., chair, American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Breastfeeding, and professor, clinical sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee; Sept. 24, 2018, Pediatrics, online Meghan Azad, Ph.D., assistant professor, pediatrics and child health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Alison Volpe Holmes, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor, pediatrics, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, N.H.; Joan Younger Meek, M.D., R.D., chair, American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Breastfeeding, and professor, clinical sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee; Sept. 24, 2018,, online The AAP has more on breastfeeding. Journal information: Pediatrics

Copyright  2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.Lee Miller wrote in a touching tribute to Hudson Cattell last month that when they met in the spring of 1976 in a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, advertising agency, they both knew the same amount about wine and grapes.

Almost nothing.

But when the two of them created L&H Advertising and began fielding calls requesting freelance stories about the wineries that were beginning to pop up around the county, they leaned together. "So off we went to meet Tom and Cindy Hampton at Tuquan Vineyards and Pete Wood at Pequea Valley. Years later we laughed at ourselves in remembering that we had no idea what all those 'little sticks' in the ground were as we approached our first destination!" she wrote, in a piece for the American Wine Society Journal.

Hudson Cattell

The interest in wineries germinated a career that fermented for four decades, sending Cattell throughout the East as one of its first, if not the first, journalist to cover the growing industry as if it was a beat.

Cattell died on June 25, 2018, and a memorial meeting was held Saturday at the Lancaster Friends (Quaker) Meetinghouse. He was 87.

It's safe to say that at least 95 percent of those in the industry now never met him and a vast majority of those people know nothing about Cattell, unless they've stumbled across one of his books, such as "Pennsylvania Wine: A History," which he wrote with Linda Jones McKee, and "Wines of Eastern North America: From Prohibition to the Present - A History" a coffee-table compilation that culminated his career.

But his "unquenchable thirst to know everything, every fact, every grape, every winery, every person and every happening in the eastern American wine industry," as Miller described it in her tribute, provided the industry with a voice and a reputable overseer at a time when it was just beginning to put down roots.

"Hudson Cattrell was the best monitor of Eastern wine production," said Dick Naylor, one of Pennsylvania's earliest winery owners whose namesake winery celebrated its 40th birthday this year. "If you had a question about anything having to do with wine, you called Hudson Cattell and he knew the answer. He was an invaluable resource for me when I was in the early stages of running the winery. He will be greatly missed, especially in the wine community."

Per the obituary that ran on lancasteronline.com in late June, Cattell was a 1949 Lancaster Country Day School alum who earned his degree in English from Wabash College in Indiana in 1953, then earned a master's in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin in 1960.

Nothing early in his career suggested a future involving wine and grapes. According to the obit, he worked for his uncle, Jaques Cattell, at The Science Press, then wrote a prize-winning book on the stock market and was employed by the IRS.

But when he met the then Lee Stauffer in 1976 and set up shop in Lancaster with a PR firm that, among other things, handled publicity for the School District of Lancaster, that all started to change. As they met local winery owners and that interest grew, they began publishing full-page articles on Pennsylvania wine in the Lancaster Newspapers and a newsletter, the "Pennsylvania Grape Letter and Wine News."

Once Stauffer met her future husband Eric and would first move to New York and then down to the Brandywine Valley to start Chaddsford Winery, Cattell would team with Jones McKee for a business (and wine) relationship that would last more than 30 years.

READ MORE: Best East Coast wineries: A sampling meet for a late April 'summit'

She said last week that she was unemployed after the antiques magazine she was working for folded, and answered an ad in the paper for an opening with the PR agency. She took it, admittedly having no more experience with wine beyond perusing the barrel that contained dollar bottles of French wine around the corner from her house in New York growing up. But, soon enough, wine would become far more than a subject they promoted.

By 1981, Cattell was cultivating an interest in the industry far beyond Lancaster County. "After his family, there was simply nothing else he loved and pursued with such vigor and determination," Miller wrote. "Hudson and I worked and traveled together for just a few years, but during those years we visited and wrote about more vineyards, vinyardists, wineries and winemakers than I can recall or remember. We chased down and interviewed the old boys like Philip Wagner in Maryland and Dr. Konstantin Frank in the Finger Lakes and Charles Fournier in Canada. We traveled to the shores of Lake Erie and wandered into Ohio, down to Maryland and Virginia, and up to the Hudson Valley."

Wherever there was a new story or a news story about the emerging eastern American wine industry, she wrote, Cattell wanted to write about it.

There are wine writers who focus on taste and smell and the vocabulary of wine, capturing its essence in adjectives and prose and sharing that with their readers. Cattell found the language that he understood best was the blood, sweat and pioneer spirit of the East Coast winemakers, building an industry in the shadow of the West Coast and in a region where only a few at the beginning saw a future despite the many hurdles that the growing seasons put in front of them.

"He was interested in interviewing the people who gotten started in the business," Jones McKee said. "This was one of the things he was really passionate about. And listening to him talk, the most important time of his life was the four years between 1976 and when I joined L&H in 1980, because during that time he interviewed everybody from Philip Wagner to Konstantin Frank."

Over time, the monthly Pennsylvania Grape Letter that began in 1976 was accompanied by a series of publications, beginning with "Presenting Pennsylvania Wines" in 1978. That was followed, as Miller described, by a trio of booklets about the (often new and unknown) grapes being grown in East Coast vineyards, including "The French Hybrids" (1979), "The Vinifera" (1980) and "Native American Grapes" (1981). In 1982, they published their last joint venture, "Wine East of the Rockies."

Teaming with Jones McKee, the Pa. Grape Letter & Wine News evolved into Wine East magazine, which was launched in May 1981 and continued until it was sold to Wines & Vines in August of 2008. The duo served as co-editors of the Wine East section in that publication until 2013.

Said Jennifer Eckinger, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Winery Association: "Hudson was always very sharing about his extensive knowledge of East Coast wineries. He thoroughly researched the wineries and got to know many of the personalities at the forefront of the Eastern wine industry. Hudson's attention to detail and and dedication to facts made him the foremost expert on the history of PA wines. Wine East, a publication focusing on eastern wineries, he ran in conjunction with Lee Miller and then Linda Jones McKee closely chronicled the burgeoning wine industry in PA and the eastern US."

Added Kevin Atticks, who heads up Maryland's wine industry, "He was incredible at his craft, and supported me when I wrote my books. He was one of the original East Coast wine experts."

READ MORE: Takeaways from East Coast winemakers tasting? Here are four to chew on

During that last decade, Cattell "turned his attention to finishing what he considered to be the authoritative research book on the history and background of the eastern American wine industry," Miller wrote. "His non-stop efforts in this regard involved reviewing and compiling almost 40 years of interviews, notes, photographs and memories. His zeal to get it right was beyond what normal people could understand. I will never forget the weeks, months [years?] he spent trying to pin down a date, a single date of a single meeting between Dr. Charles Fournier and Dr. Philip Wagner. Each remembered the date differently. When I advised him to 'let it go,' his response was 'never.' He simply felt it was his duty to record the indisputable and unblemished history of this industry that had captured his attention and captivated him for so long."

Jones McKee said this dedication to documenting what was unfolding on the East Coast was what made the publication of the "Eastern Wines of North America" book such a big deal. "Really and truly, we kept the business going longer than we might have because he hadn't finished that, and I wanted to make sure he got it done. I know if I didn't show up, it wasn't going to happen."

It was published by Cornell University Press in 2014, according to the obituary. In his "retirement," it added, Cattell was working on a memoir tentatively titled "Covering the Eastern Wine Beat."

When he died, the state he called home for more than 40 years was now host to more than 250 wineries, and the East Coast's profile had reached the point where both national and international writers and publications are beginning to notice the overall breadth of its volume and quality.

Jamessuckling.com is getting ready to crank up what it's calling "The Great American Tasting," a review of nearly 1,000 wines from more than a dozen non West Coast states, including the East Coast. International Wine Review also is preparing for something similar, more focused on the U.S. East Coast.

Both are expected to be released this winter. Cattell should get some credit for his zeal in providing coverage of the industry and profiles of those gutsy enough to take a chance on a business that had, and continues to have, many doubters.

For his work, in March 2012, he received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Eastern Winery Exposition.

Three years later he was admitted to Pennsylvania's Voter Hall of Fame for having voted in every election for 50 years. Per his obituary, he "loved opera and classical music, read widely, especially in modern history and Scandinavian mysteries. He enjoyed cooking, especially with his daughter Kharran, and wine was always served with dinner. His family and friends will miss the peanut brittle he made every Christmas."

And, no doubt, those who followed his coverage for decades miss his observations and discoveries.

"Hudson Cattell was a man with an amazing ear for a story and a mind like a steel trap," Carl Helrich said in an email. Helrich and wife Kris Miller took over Allegro Winery in southern York County in 2001. it's a winery that has roots (and some vines) that date back to the 1970s. "He had such an interest in the evolution of our industry, how we each played a role in it, and how we related to our place in history. We current winemakers are all standing on the shoulders of the giants who went before us. Not only did Hudson know those giants, he recorded their stories for us . . . . and he was one of those giants."

--

Editor's note: Here's one more tribute I found, from richardleahy.com.Porter County, IN - An Indiana driver was arrested Friday after she was caught on video allowing three students to drive her bus, police said.

Joandrea McAtee was charged with felony neglect of a dependent after officials launched an investigation when parents of Boone Grove High School students told a school resource officer the 27-year-old driver was letting students take turns driving the bus, CBS Chicago reported.

McAtee is accused of letting three students  ages 11, 13 and 17  take the wheel while other children were on the bus. The three students took turns steering the vehicle down Lourdes street in Valparaiso, Indiana.

An investigation was immediately started and no one was injured or harmed. The Sheriffs Office and the Porter Township School Corporation takes safety and security of every student seriously and every parent must understand that this case will be investigated thoroughly, Porter County Sheriff David Reynolds said in a statement.

In one video posted on Twitter, a woman believed to be McAtee is seen standing over a child in the drivers seat.

Dont you tell no other adults, McAtee tells the child, while in another video a woman is heard saying, its all good. Its all good. Im letting her stop at Michaels stop.

Rochelle McNamara, whose daughter was on the bus during the alleged incident, told CBS Chicago her child told her about what occurred.

Then we got the email, and I was just like, I dont understand where an adult whos driving a bus gets an idea that that is okay, McNamara told the news station.

McAtee was immediately fired by First Student, the company that operates the buses in the area, and Porter Township School Corporation. A spokeswoman for the bus company said in a statement to Fox News that they were incredibly disappointed by McAtees actions.

We are incredibly disappointed by the actions of our former driver. There is nothing more important than the safety of the students we transport. Behavior such as this is completely unacceptable and totally at odds with what we stand for as a company. The driver was terminated. We have a zero-tolerance policy for employees whose actions may harm or put others at risk," the statement read.

Fox News request for a statement from Porter Township School were not immediately returned.The government is moving ahead with its plans to build a Wireless Open Access Network (WOAN), which it says will help transform South Africa into an inclusive and innovative digital society.

The WOAN concept sounds great  using all available spectrum for one network, which will reduce duplication and infrastructure cost.

This national open access network, the government promises, will provide faster and more affordable mobile broadband to all citizens.

There is only one problem, and a big one at that  the government will mess it up and it will cost South Africa billions.

Like all the ANC governments ideological telecoms projects, they have grandiose plans with big promises, but ultimately end in failure. And you will have to pay for the mess.

You may see this view as negative and destructive, but there is a good reason.

Over the last 24 years, the ANC government has moved from one blunder to the next in the telecoms industry, hampering growth and holding the country back.

It is only through the exceptional work of the private sector, which fought against the governments stupidity and incompetence, that we have good telecoms services in South Africa.

Here are a few examples of how the ANC government tried to block some of the best things which happened in the local telecoms market.

In 1993 the ANC threatened to revoke the cellular licences granted to Vodacom and MTN as soon as it came to power. The ANC wanted cellular to be a separate, autonomous parastatal service offered by Telkom.

granted to Vodacom and MTN as soon as it came to power. The ANC wanted cellular to be a separate, autonomous parastatal service offered by Telkom. After the ANC gained power, it provided Telkom with a decade-long monopoly in the fixed-line market by preventing companies from building their own networks.

VoIP services like Skype were illegal in South Africa until 2005. Only specially-licensed operators like Telkom, Vodacom, and MTN were allowed to carry voice calls in South Africa.

When competition was set to arrive in South Africa, former Minister of Communications Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri fought as hard as she could to stop it. Mercifully she failed.

to stop it. Mercifully she failed. In 2007 the former communications minister effectively blocked both SEACOM and EASSy from landing in South Africa.

The Department of Communications, through the governments ineptitude and inaction, missed the international deadline to migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting. In fact, this process should have been completed in 2011, but is still dragging on.

There are numerous other examples of how government initiatives in the telecoms market failed, which include:

The City of Johannesburgs broadband network project, which was ruined because of insidious corruption .

. The Eastern Cape broadband project, which is supposed to connect the Eastern Capes government departments and offer Wi-Fi access, is now marred by infighting between National Treasury executives, SITA, and the Eastern Cape government.

With its dismal track record, the ANC government should not be allowed near anything to do with telecoms, let alone being in charge of a national network project.

We have heard it all before

Unbeknownst to many people, the governments idea of the national wireless network to service citizens is nothing new.

In 2006, Matsepe Casaburri announced a plan to use state-owned signal carrier Sentech to build a national wireless broadband network.

This network, she said, would form part of their plan to offer broadband infrastructure to advance its socio-economic development goals.

At that stage Sentech already had a wireless broadband network, and the minister said this network would be expanded beyond its existing footprint and offer voice services.

She said the government had decided to invest in wireless broadband networks as they were less costly to roll out than fixed lines, especially to remote and rural areas.

Unsurprisingly, nothing came of these plans, and in November 2009 Sentech switched off its wireless network.

Competition on the network layer is important

Additionally, without the private sector competing on the network level we would not have had national mobile networks or Vumatel offering fibre to thousands of households.

To ensure further competition in the mobile market, the private sector should get more spectrum  both existing players and new entrants.

The governments WOAN plans may well go the same way as Sentechs MyWireless network, and they should not be allowed to hog valuable spectrum in the process.

It the government insists on testing the viability of its ideological projects, let it not be at the expense of progress by the private sector.

Auction high-demand spectrum immediately, and keep some LTE spectrum aside for its WOAN plans.

This way we at least ensure that the current mess  which saw the ICT industry missing out on more spectrum and increased competition for a decade  does not continue.To recognize their dedication and community service, Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, recently named Wine Down Media as Senate District Three business of the year for 2018 for Napa County.

Will and Julissa Marcencia of Wine Down Media had owned Napa County radio stations KVON 1440 AM and KVYN 99.3 FM for little more than three months when wildfires broke out in October.

The station owners (under parent company Wine Down Media) "rose to the challenge, broadcasting without commercial interruption for five days straight and providing much-needed information for thousands of listeners, including many who had been forced from their homes," said a news release.

Our mission to super-serve the community was put to the test during the wildfires, said Will Marcencia, who goes by the title of chief executor.

When we recognized our community needed real-time information, we interrupted our regular programming and went on-air. With many concerned calls, we worked around the clock comforting people that just needed a familiar voice. We continue to strive to be the connective tissue of the Napa Valley day after day.

Under Will and Julissas leadership, these stations proved themselves to be absolutely indispensable during the fires, Sen. Dodd said. I commend them for their tireless work and continued commitment to the community. They truly are the voice of Napa Valley.

KVON was founded in 1947. KVYN  also known as The Vine  was launched in 1975. Will and Julissa bought the stations in July 2017 after careers with Southern California media companies. They employ a staff of 10.

Wine Down Media is expecting to move into an all-new, state-of-the-art facility on Gasser Drive in the coming months.

We are honored to receive Senator Bill Dodds Napa County Small Business of the Year Award, solidifying our team's commitment and dedication to our core audience, the Napa Valley and North Bay, said Julissa Marcencia, the chief visionary.

A heartfelt congratulations to our team and our listeners.A Napa grape grower with a penchant for using gunshot-simulating propane cannons to ward off birds from his vineyard recently moved on to using real gunshots.

Grower Eleodoro Hernandez was arrested last month for discharging a firearm with gross negligence, after Napa County Sheriffs deputies responded to calls from neighbors of Noemi Vineyards, the 8-acre parcel Hernandez owns on North Kelly Road in southern Napa County.

According to deputies, Hernandez was shooting a .22-caliber rifle over the top of a neighbors residence, but said they were unable to approach Hernandez until he ran out of ammunition. When approached, Hernandez was found to be intoxicated and placed under arrest. He has yet to be criminally charged.

Jennifer Leslie and Scott Espinoza own the house Hernandez was seen shooting over and were home as Hernandez fired in their direction.

Espinoza recalled Hernandez positioned on his deck shooting into the nearby hillside, as he had done on other occasions. Things took a turn, Espinoza said, when Hernandez turned in the direction of the couples house.

The couple was feeding their animals when the volleys began, Espinoza said. We could see the gun.

They moved inside and began to watch Hernandez through a pair of binoculars. Then he turns and starts shooting at our house, Espinoza claimed.

Hernandezs shots also went in the direction of a neighbors property, set behind Espinozas parcel, where a party hosting more than 100 people was being held that night. Beyond that, Hernandezs bullets traveled in the direction of North Kelly Road, Highway 12, Highway 29 and the Napa County Airport.

In total, Sheriffs deputies estimated Hernandez fired more than 500 rounds before being apprehended. Though arrested only for gross negligence in firing the rifle, Hernandezs neighbors allege the incidents tone is considerably darker.

Relations between Hernandez and the couple have been icy at best for more than a year, centering in part on a dispute over Hernandezs use of propane cannons to ward off birds in his vineyard, which abuts the couples property. Espinoza and Leslie claim Hernandez has used his cannons to harass them and drive down their property value since they moved in more than a year ago.

To the couple, Hernandezs upgrade from bird cannons to real firearms now represents an escalation in what has been a year-long dispute in part over the growers unchecked use of his bird cannons.

Following the events of last month, Leslie filed an order against Hernandez in late August to bring an end to the alleged civil harassment.

Hernandezs attorney in the civil case, Matthew Bishop, said, We dispute all the allegations. I believe that when the case is finally heard, that the truth in fact will come out. Bishop declined to comment further on the civil case while the potential for a criminal case lingers.

But beyond the civil suit now making its way through Napa Superior Court, the clash on North Kelly Road has since become a flash point in the ongoing dispute between Napa residents and grape growers who are able to use bird cannons largely unregulated and as they see fit.

The recurring episode underscores how a lack of enforceable standards for bird cannon use in Napa has led to yet another confrontation between residents and growers, a cycle that repeats itself year after year.

In the last three years, the countys Agricultural Commissioners Office has received 25 complaints regarding propane cannons. The Sheriffs Office and the county Planning, Building & Environmental Services Department have also received such complaints.

The majority of complaints have come from south county residents perturbed by what many say has been excessive use of bird cannons for years by growers. The cannons tend to be used more often in the southern parts of the county, where birds are a greater threat to ripening grapes.

At the heart of the issue is Napa Countys Right to Farm ordinance. A protection for those using agricultural practices, such as bird cannons, the ordinance is described in the countys General Plan as a means of ensuring that agriculture remains the primary land use in Napa County and is not threatened by potentially competing uses or neighbor complaints.

While Right to Farm gives growers the ability to defend their grapes from birds whenever needed, the ordinance also lacks any official customs or standards for agricultural practices. Meaning there are no related standards or rules that officials could enforce, even if they wanted to.

Six California counties have adopted such standards, including Sonoma. In those counties, the use of propane cannon use is regulated according to best practices that are clearly defined and enforceable.

In Solano County, an ordinance specifically regulates propane cannons, spelling out when they can be used, how often, how many a grower can use for a parcel and how close cannons can be placed to a residence.

Napa County has no such protections for residents living near growers who use bird cannons.

Espinoza and Leslie moved into the house on their 2-acre parcel adjacent to Noemi Vineyards in May of 2017. Soon after, volleys of bird cannon blasts began and carried on for months through the end of the growing season.

As the cannons persisted, Espinoza and Leslie reached out to the Napa County Agricultural Commissioners office and the county Board of Supervisors in search of a solution.

Then-Ag Commissioner Greg Clark visited Hernandez to discuss alternatives the grower could use. The office also sent an email notice to grape growers with recommended practices for those using propane cannons.

The Napa Valley Grapegrowers also recently sent out a similar bulletin to their members, offering a set of best practices for cannon-using growers.

However, those practices are not enforceable rules, and despite the public education, officials have been left without recourse for regulating growers blasts, even in cases of alleged misuse.

As grapes in the southern areas of the county ripened again this year and the time came when the bird cannons would inevitably be put to use, the county still had not adopted any such rules.

And, like last year, as his fruit ripened, Hernandez began using his cannons again in early July, Espinoza said.

And again, he and Leslie reignited their efforts against the blasts, contacting the Board of Supervisors and the Ag Commissioners office, in addition to the Sheriffs Office.

A complaint once again to the Ag Commissioners office brought an inspector out to Hernandezs property to meet with the grower in mid-August. The incident that led to Hernandezs arrest took place little more than a week later.

According to a report of the inspectors visit obtained by the Register, Hernandez was using three cannons at the time and all were placed along the property line with the Espinoza and Leslie. One cannon was placed within 135 feet of the couples house. Hernandez does not live on his parcel.

Though the inspector wrote that he noticed a heavy bird presence and damage in the north block of Hernandezs vineyard, no cannon was present to protect the area, as all were placed in the southern block along the property line.

A 2007 profile in the Napa Valley Register traced Hernandezs life path from Michoacan, Mexico to Napa. Although he began working in vineyards with no knowledge of grapes or wine, at the time of the article Hernandez was considered an expert in vineyard planning and practices and was praised by several other growers for his expertise.

The inspector recommended placing at least one of the cannons in the north block, where it would be almost 600 feet from Leslies and Espinozas house. He further recommended Hernandez use only two cannons, with each placed more than 500 feet from the couples house.

In the report, the inspector noted the best practices employed by neighboring counties to prevent similar conflicts between growers and residents. Pointing out that neither Napa County nor the local grape growing industry had developed such practices, the inspector wrote, A thorough examination of these practices by both the County of Napa and industry interests might yield standards of operation that meet the needs of both vineyards and residential properties.

As of this week, the county may at last be taking the need for such standards to heart.

In a Tuesday meeting of the Board of Supervisors, residents were invited to publicly comment on their experiences living with nearby cannons.

Julia Winiarski lives in Alta Heights and, like several other residents, told Supervisors she had endured months of unchecked cannon blasts occurring at all hours. The majority of the time I dont call, she said. I dont even think about it, because Right to Farm.

But, Winiarski said, recently cannons had been going off in earshot every minute and a half for a week. The blasts have also been occurring at night, she said, when birds are not active.

And its very discouraging then to look back through the history in the Napa Register and see that its been going on for years, she told Supervisors.

Its not an isolated thing, Winiarski added. So there needs to be a solution. It needs to be enforceable. It needs to be clear to everyone. It cant just be people choosing to do what they think is best. The Right to Farm is not absolute when it affects so many other people.

Industry groups, including the Napa County Farm Bureau, Napa Valley Grapegrowers and Winegrowers of Napa County all told Supervisors they were opposed to an ordinance specific to bird cannons, like the one in Solano County. Each group instead urged the county to come up with a set customs and standards that would enhance the Right to Farm ordinance.

(Editor's note: The Grapegrowers spokesman reports that the organization has not taken a formal position against such an ordinance.)

What a clear list of customs and standards would look like is unclear, but having a list at all would help define when and what the county could enforce in terms of bird cannon use.

That really would define when we have users that arent following those standards, that are abusing it, Tracy Cleveland, interim Ag Commissioner, told Supervisors. According to Cleveland, having such standards would do little to infringe on the Right to Farm ordinance.

Board of Supervisors Chair Belia Ramos represents District 5, where Leslie and Espinoza live. Following residents comments and those from industry groups, Ramos noted, I brought this up last year, and our solution was best management practices. And guess what? We all did that and it didnt work.

Seemingly referring to the events on North Kelly Road, Ramos added that at this point, The Agricultural Commissioners office has been placed in a position of enforcement, as opposed to education, needing to go out with deputies to address violent situations with neighbors that have arisen because of improper use of propane cannons.

With that, the county began to make its first concrete moves toward a fix for the bird cannon fracas. Forming an ad hoc committee, Ramos and Supervisor Ryan Gregory would begin to work with industry groups and the Ag Commissioners office to bring a set of customs and standards into effect before the next growing season.

Ramos said she is not looking for a specific bird cannon ordinance like Solanos that would infringe on the Right to Farm. But I absolutely disagree about the urgency, she said. This idea that were all going to come to the table  weve been asking for that for a very long time.

For now, on North Kelly Road, Leslies civil suit against Hernandez is continuing forward.

A temporary restraining order filed against Hernandez had been keeping the grower from using his bird cannons for a time. That order has since been modified, allowing Hernandez to use his cannons again, but with placements and frequencies coordinated by the Ag Commissioners office.

Hernandez was readily amenable to those conditions, his attorney, Matthew Bishop said.

Hes not trying to annoy anyone, Bishop added. Hes trying to protect his livelihood.

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.Politicians face a perpetual conflict between whats expedient at the moment and what they should do for the long-term.

The tendency, unfortunately, is for expediency to prevail, thus worsening longer-term consequences.

A very good example is the sequence of events that preceded Proposition 6, a November ballot measure to repeal the package of fuel taxes and automotive fees enacted by the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown in 2017.

The $5-plus billion per year that the package would generate for road repairs and other transportation improvements would partially offset decades of neglecting our vital transportation infrastructure.

The state amassed an enormous backlog of deferred maintenance as politicians ignored warnings from transportation officials about decaying conditions, unwilling or unable to gradually increase user taxes and fees to meet the needs of an aging and heavily used highway and road system. Thus, when the Capitol finally acted, it was a heavy hit on motorists wallets.

An even more graphic example is what happened in 2017 to Oroville Dam on the Feather River, the centerpiece of the states massive water distribution system.

The dams main spillway, although constructed of concrete, crumbled as water was released to relieve pressure from heavy rains. When releases were shifted to an auxiliary spillway, which was basically dirt, it also deteriorated rapidly.

With the dam itself threatened, a quarter-million people living along the Feather were forced to evacuate.

The state had been warned about both a lack of maintenance on the main spillway and the dangerously weak auxiliary spillway, but failed to do what was needed.

The bill for repairing the dam is now over $1 billion and climbing  much, much more than what it would have cost to have done what was needed years earlier.

The state wants the federal government to pay much of the bill on the fictitious assertion that it was a weather-caused incident, but the post-crisis engineering studies tell us that it was wholly caused by human  meaning political  neglect.

The Sacramento Unified School District offers us another example of how expediency can backfire.

Late last year, the districts teachers were threatening to strike for higher pay, and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg intervened, mediating a new contract that averted the strike and gave teachers an 11 percent raise.

Later, it emerged that the money for the contracts salary increases would come from a reserve that the district had set aside to pay for rapidly increasing payments to the State Teachers Retirement System. Brown and the Legislature had required higher payments from school districts to cover the systems huge unfunded liability for teacher pensions.

Sacramento Countys school superintendent, David Gordon, who oversees local school district budgets, looked askance at tapping dedicated reserves for new salaries and warned SUSD several times that its budget was faulty. Finally, in August, Gordon formally disapproved the 2018-19 budget.

The result is a full-blown financial crisis born of political expediency. The district must now redo its budget and deal with a teacher union contract it cannot afford.

We tried to warn them over and over, Gordon told the Sacramento Bee. Yes, just as transportation officials warned about the deterioration of the states highways and water officials were warned about Oroville Dams deficiencies.

There are consequences when politicians and other officials take the easy way out, rather than confronting reality and making the hard decisions it requires.

CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.I am writing in support of Amy Martenson, who is running for re-election for the Napa Valley College Board of Trustees. Amy is one of the most qualified candidates to be on the Board, having dedicated over 24 years of her life to the students of Napa County and their educational success, first as a high school teacher, then a school guidance counselor with at-risk youth.

She has in-depth knowledge of the educational and vocational needs of our students and how to help them achieve their goals. In addition to the professional knowledge and experience she brings to the college are her personal qualities of impeccable honesty, transparency, a strong sense of ethics, and a passion to serve her community and to protect the health and welfare of its citizens and our environment.

I met Amy in 2012, when I began volunteering with the organization Label GMOs to pass Proposition 37 to label genetically engineered foods in California. Amy was the coordinator for our county.

Immediately, I was impressed with how skilled she was at coordinating a diverse group of people, tactfully dealing with difficult personalities and helping everyone stay focused on the goals. As I eventually joined her as co-coordinator, and we worked together beyond Prop. 37, my respect and admiration for her have only grown.

I have seen that she is skilled at reaching out to stakeholders of varied interests to work toward goals for the common good, and she is fearless about speaking up for what is fair and right, even when powerful interests oppose.

These skills have been very useful in her first term on the board at Napa Valley College, as not all board members were as interested in being more transparent and in making board meetings more accessible to the public as Amy.

However, due to her leadership and persistence on this issue, Board meetings are now video recorded, and minutes are now taken at the boards subcommittee meetings, and both are published online. Amy has also been steering the board toward better fiscal management, bravely being the only board member not to vote for the first budget that came before her, because it was a deficit budget during good economic times.

Although that budget passed, a message was sent, and since then, all the budgets that have been presented to the board for adoption have been balanced ones, and the college has more than doubled its budget reserve.

As a true progressive, Amy accepts no money from corporations and businesses, which might leave her beholden to their special interests. As a result, she does not have the biggest signs, and I am sure she will not have slick mailers.

Unlike her opponent, Amy is not the child of a State Senator and cannot boast that she has the endorsement of most of Napas political establishment. However, lets not forget that the local officials who have endorsed her opponents campaign have repeatedly put the interests of the wine industry, tourism, and unchecked development above the needs and wishes of citizens who live here.

Lastly, Amy has dedicated her life to helping others through the field of education and volunteering to protect public health and the environment.

Meanwhile, her opponent, as a land use and environmental attorney, has chosen to represent clients, such as Syar Industries and the Halls, in support of projects that have drawn criticism from the local community due to their environmental and social impacts.

We need more independent, corporate-free candidates in elected office--candidates who are qualified and have demonstrated their commitment to the general public.

If you look into the history of Amys service to our students and community and her positions while serving on the college Board in her present term, I am sure you will agree that Amy Martenson is the grassroots choice for the people of Napa. Please join me in voting to re-elect Amy for the Napa Valley College Board of Trustees.

Carol Nagle

NapaNapas Area 4 has an incredibly rare and exciting opportunity this upcoming election. A smart, well informed, civically active and truly gifted individual with the unique qualities to serve in public office, to inspire us and propel that inspiration into positive change for our communities has joined the election race.

On the November ballot, those who live in Areas 2, 3, 4, and 5 will also have the opportunity to vote on the Napa Valley College Board of Trustees and Xulio Soriano is running for Area 4.

Xulio is an activist and has been a community organizer for over 10 years. Activism is who he is and he has the intellect, the philosophical ability, and the connections to so many diverse facets of our community to create positive change for all of us.

He will not waiver from his moral ethics and you will never find Xulio waiting to see where the status quo lies before taking a stance on an issue. He is authentic and he truly is for The People. These are the attributes we hope for but do not always find.

As a city, we have some major decisions to make this season, decisions that will affect us and our future generations here in Napa. We have six candidates vying for two open City Council seats. Its a lot to keep up with and hard to know where people stand and I find myself wondering about their choices in talking points.

People tout being born and raised in Napa as a bonus and Im left wondering about worldly and other life experience, their exposure to diversity. We also hear a lot about helping veterans, and yes it is always good to help people in need, however, still a far way from looking at the systemic issues of why we have those needs. I digress, but for good reason. Many of us could emulate the rest of the pack and stand up and say, I want to make Napa a better place for us all, but Xulios reach is far beyond the drone of rhetorical politi-speak.

Xulio is not afraid to approach issues from a philosophical standpoint and his talking points are incredibly rich, focusing on student success, eradicating gender based violence, acquiring socio-economic equity, racial equity, climate action leadership, transparency and shared governance, and Native American reconciliation on this land weve been so fortunate to call home.

He cares about the environment not because it is becoming a growing trend to do so, but because he genuinely loves our Earth. On a global level, he understands intimately that our Earths most vulnerable have the most to lose if we continue doing things the same way.

He was chosen to be our representative at the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women conference this year at the United Nations.

On a local level he has already given thousands of hours of his time to bring awareness to our watersheds and other important social issues, such as co-founding multiple community based organizations, including the Napa Valley Dream Team and the Napa Valley Rapid Response Network. In 2017, I had the opportunity to work with him on a show I co-produced called "This Is My Brave," in an effort to reduce the stigma of mental health issues.

He genuinely cares about all people and you wont smell him coming because he has not chosen to spray toxic chemicals all over his body, as you can with some of our civil servants. Xulio embodies his beliefs.

The college Board of Trustees has a unique opportunity to take a turn in a new direction, demonstrating to the rest of society that we will produce students who not only have opportunities ahead of them, but will do so in an environment that is equitable, safe, and has their future in a sustainable world as a top priority.

Napa Valley College is one of the best in the nation. We need the strongest leadership possible. Xulio could have picked many offices to run for and we are so blessed with this opportunity.

Xulio is a rising star as a voice for the people and will no doubt continue to do what he has been doing all along, yet it would be pretty incredible to be part of getting him to the position he seeks. Lets snag him up before he outgrows us.

If you live in Area 4, which overlaps heavily with Supervisor Alfredo Pedrozas area, I urge you to say yes to this opportunity to elect Xulio Soriano to the college Board of Trustees. Xulio can be both be a critical thinker and get the job done in a culturally diverse and culturally competent way.

Beth Nelsen

Documentary Filmmaker, Business Owner

Napa County Mental Health Board & Executive Committee Member

Napa Valley College Class of 1994Nepal has been working to save the tiger population from facing extinction as a result, the number of tigers has increased in the last decade.

According to the latest tiger census report released on Sunday, which was also National Conservation Day, 235 tigers were found to be living in the country.

In 2009, 121 tigers were recorded to be in the country and now it has almost reached the double of that.

Due to this, Nepal became the first country on track to meet the international goal of doubling the tiger population by 2022.

Nepal Forest and Environment Minister Shakti Basnet said, The current growth of tiger population is a landmark achievement for the country. With the current progress, we can easily fulfill our global commitment of doubling our tiger population in 2022.

During the 2010 Saint Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation, Global Tiger Recovery Plan(TX2) was endorsed by 13 countries that had a rich population of tigers.

Nepal was also one of the countries which has endorsed the TX2 plan. Accordingly Nepal has been working to double its tiger population up to 250 or more by 2022 from its base tiger population of 125 in 2010.

However, the Chitwan National Park (CNP) which had the highest population of tigers in the country now has 93 adult tigers, a drop from 120 that was recorded in the last census of 2013.

The tiger census began in month of November in 2017. The census was carried out by dividing the countys tiger zone into three parts  Chitwan-Parsa Complex, Banke-Bardiya Complex, and Shukla-Laljhadi-Jogbudha Complex. The total count of tigers was made by adding up the number of tigers in each of the three parts, reports The Kathmandu Post.

Apart from poaching and illegal trading of wild tigers, a number of factors like territorial fight among the big cats, migration of the wild tigers from one park to another and floods are the main causes of decline of tiger population.Ex-MP also dies in Yerevan shooting

1,482 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

4 die in Yerevan shooting

Armenia opposition staging protest outside government building

Elon Musk sells $1.1 billion in Tesla shares

Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs meet in Paris

Newspaper: Armenia PM Pashinyan preparing big theater soon, some in Artsakh will be sacrificed

Aeroflot to face sanctions over migration crisis on Belarus-Poland border?

Newspaper: Armenia-EU agreement measures not being implemented, says ex-ambassador

Mayor of Armenias Berd town arrested for 1 month

Opposition 'Armenia' faction's Gegham Manukyan: Come to Republic Square tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Karabakh President expresses gratitude to Russia's Putin again

Luxembourg legislature calls on govt to not endorse Azerbaijan-European Union relations until Armenian POWs' return

Armenia Security Council Secretary; All to-be-unblocked infrastructures will be under sovereign control of given state

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijani Defense Ministry's statement on 60 Armenian soldiers encircled in Sev Lake is disinformation

Armenia Security Council Secretary: Azerbaijan to set up customs points on Goris-Kapan motorway starting today

Sweden PM resigns

Turkey Parliament approves extension of mandate for Turkish soldiers to be in Azerbaijan

TIME magazine names first Armenian Robin the robot one of the best innovations of the year

Armenia FM meets with French counterpart, issues related to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict discussed

Armenia parliament majority leader meets with US Ambassador

Karabakh President convenes consultation over security issues

Karabakh's parliamentary speaker receives Armenia Parliament Deputy Speaker Ishkhan Saghatelyan

Armenia PM chairs consultation over economic priorities

Armenia Judicial Department chief sues Public Council ex-chairman Styopa Safaryan

Armenia President meets with outgoing UN Resident Coordinator

Armenia defense minister attends session of Council of Ministers of Defense of the CIS in Moscow

Armenia minister states periods for construction of new energy bloc of nuclear power plant before 2036

Zakharova: It is time to implement the programs for launching '3+3' regional mechanism

Russian MFA Spokesperson on work of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and their visits to region

NEWS.am daily digest: 10.11.21

Armenia Deputy PM's assistant sacked

Statue of Peacekeeper unveiled in Nagorno-Karabakh

First Orthodox church opened in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia police identify man who beat woman on the street

Erdogan: Turkey is engaged in ongoing process in Caucasus

Armenia FM meets with France Senate speaker (PHOTOS)

Dollar goes down in Armenia

Armenia PM appoints deputy provincial governor to Armavir

Artsakh ombudsman: 2 civilians, 9 soldiers killed as result of Azerbaijan criminal actions after war

Azerbaijan plans to spend over $2.5B on defense in 2022

Xi Jinping: China is ready to work with US under condition of mutual respect

Russia hopes old Europe won't allow entanglement in confrontation with Moscow and Minsk

CIS countries' defense ministers discuss improvement of unified air defense system

Azerbaijan trying to include Artsakhs occupied Armenian Shushi in UNESCO Creative Cities Network

Armenia to tax electronic services provided by foreign companies

Possibility of 44-day war inquiry committee work boycotting being discussed, says Armenia opposition MP

Artsakh FM: Azerbaijan, Turkey are taking action to provoke Russia military

Armenia premier receives outgoing UN Resident Coordinator

Russia, France to discuss joint efforts as Co-Chairs of Minsk Group

PACE rapporteurs: Armenia has emerged successfully from serious political crisis

How many Karabakh residents are in Azerbaijan captivity?

January 2 to also be non-working day during Armenia New Year holidays

8 kids hospitalized in Yerevan on suspicion of food poisoning in satisfactory condition

Gyumri man, 32, dies in hospital without regaining consciousness after falling from 4th floor

1 more person dies of coronavirus in Artsakh

Karabakh village man, 72, commits suicide by hanging himself

Parliament factions: Artsakh Armenians living safely in homeland is possible only in case of Artsakh recognition

Natural gas fees to not increase in Armenia on January 1

Water tariff to increase for most Armenia consumers?

9 kids from Yerevan child development center hospitalized on suspicion of food poisoning

Los Angeles City Hall is illuminated in Armenia flag colors

1,675 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Artsakh state minister delivers lectures at Fletcher School, Harvard University

Mayor of Armenias Kasakh village to be arrested

Biden-Xi virtual meeting could take place next week

US concerned about meeting between UAE FM and Syria President

Newspaper: Criminal cases against Armenian ex-military officials making no headway

Newspaper: Armenia parliament opposition calls PM Pashinyan to legislature

Japan ex-nurse who killed 3 patients gets life sentence

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YEREVAN.  Once in Yerevan, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan plans to start talks with the heads of parliamentary factions to dissolve the parliament.

Armenian PM stated this during his closed meeting in the Yale club in New York, political scientist Hayk Martirosyan wrote on Facebook.

During the meeting PM Pashinyan said that the developments show that it is necessary to make this step as soon as possible, Martirosyan wrote.

Obviously, this is due not only to the more and more aggressive position of the Republican Party of Armenia, but also to the absolute victory of the Civil Contract in the elections to the Council of Elders of Yerevan, he wrote.

In addition, it is noted that the system of transitional justice will not be in the form of extraordinary courts, but there would be an instrument that will allow studying the origin of illegal amounts.

Obviously, this is not the model of transitional justice that will cut the Gordian knot, and judges who committed violations will lose their jobs massively, he said.

During the meeting, the defeat of other forces participating in the elections to the Council of Elders of Yerevan was discussed.

It also became clear that the PM does not take seriously concerns about his security and believes that the prime minister can move freely around his own city.The structure of our economy today gives no grounds for optimism, and we need to change it.

Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday said the aforementioned during his talk with representatives of the Armenian community of the US, in New York.

We want to turn Armenia from an agrarian, mining, and bet-making country into a high-tech country, which is our most important imperative, [and] which stems from our security environment, the PM stressed.

He noted that, within four months, his government has done its task to keep the situation stable in the country, and what they have been able to do is the key challenge in the post-revolutionary period.

Our most important task today is attracting new investments [into Armenia],Nikol Pashinyan added. To that end, we are going toward tax code reforms, establishment of an independent judicial system, [and] maintenance of the stabile political situation, [and] for which we need to hold snap parliamentary elections in the near future.By Ritah Kemigisa.

The Kyadondo East legislature Robert Kyagulanyi commonly known as Bobi Wine has asked president Museveni to be a true statesman and not a mere politician if he wants to be an exemplary leader and a great grandfather.

Addressing journalists at his home in Magere, Kyagulanyi said the president has since diverted from what took him to the bush and what many people have grown up admiring him for.

He claims that the president has allegedly turned brutal and violent.

Kyagulanyi says people power doesnt stand for violence further tasking the president to change and save his legacy so that Ugandans can feel free in their own country.YEREVAN. -- Armenian Revolutionary Federation Party has made an announcement about the elections of Yerevan Council of Elders held on Sunday, September 23.

The text of the announcement is placed hereby:

The new political reality based on nationwide movement has left its mark on both the pre-election campaign and results of elections of Yerevan Council of Elders. The high rank of PM Nikol Pashinyan and his personal participation in the campaign virtually had a decisive impact and predetermined the results of the extraordinary elections of Yerevan Council of Elders.

Also, worth mentioning is the fact that the elections of Yerevan Council of Elders were held in free and fair conditions and they are the unconditional expression of the will of the citizens, who participated in the elections.

Accepting the results of the elections and congratulating My Step alliance on their victory we express our support towards bringing Yerevan into the reality we all wish for.

Any victory is obliging and we hope that the political force with such outstanding victory will be equally responsible for the task it has undertaken.

Earlier Armenian news  NEWS.am reported that according to preliminary results of the elections of Yerevan council of Elders My Step alliance received 81.6% , Prosperous Armenia  6.95% and Luys alliance  4.99% of the vote.The 43-percent voter turnout at Sundays snap election for the capital city Yerevan Council of Elders is much discussed now. Many are saying, See, more than half of Yerevan residents didnt take part in the elections, and they are making political conclusions from that.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday stated about the aforesaid during his Facebook livestream. In his words, however, such arguments are ludicrous, to put it mildly.

First, fewer people took part in the Yerevan Council of Elders elections that were held last year; under conditions when people were basically forcedly detained to the election precinctwith GAZelles [vans], administrative levers, election bribe,  Pashinyan stressed. Second, you know that our electoral rolls dont reflect the real picture that exists because many of our compatriots who have left the Republic of Armeniaeven 20-25 years agocontinue to be on the electoral rolls.

Third, in election-bribe elections, bedridden, elderly people are broughtunder degrading conditionsto election precincts to vote; but this time no one was forced to go to [election] precincts and vote.

The result of these elections and the mandate given by the citizens cant be subjected to any doubts.

According to the preliminary results of Sundays snap election for the Yerevan municipal council, Pashinyan-supported My Step bloc garnered the most votes with 81.06 percent, the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) came in second with 6.95 percent, and the Luys (Light) bloc was third with 4.99 percent.

As a result, these three political forces will make up the next Yerevan Council of Elders. Accordingly, 57 of the 65 council seats will be allocated to the My Step bloc, the PAP will get 5 seats, and the Luys bloc3 seats.By Ritah Kemigisa.

The Kyadondo east Legislator Robert Kyagulanyi known by many as Bobi Wine has lashed out at PresidentYoweri Museveni for distributing millions of money to the ghetto youth.

According to Kyagulanyi, the youth who stay in slums or the ghetto have a lot of problems that cannot be solved by money.

Kyagulanyi says giving the ghetto youth money shows that the regime has nothing else to tell people but rather buy them something which he says cannot change their minds.

Kyagulanyi adds that the youth have suffered for long and all they need now is proper functioning institutions and long lasting solutions.

He meanwhile adds that much as the youth and the family of Yasin Kawuma who were recently given money by the president are poor all they need is justice.

Just yesterday today Museveni yesterday gave out shs 100 million to the ghetto youth of Kamwokya to help boost their businesses.

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Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the continuous development of friendly relations between Armenia and Cyprus and expressed satisfaction with the high level bilateral political cooperation. The PM highlighted the deepening of economic relations and increase of trade turnover.

Nicos Anastasiades talked about Armenia and the Armenian people with warmth and emphasized that he greatly highlights the future deepening and expansion of the friendly relations.

The Armenian PM and the President of Cyprus highlighted the necessity of holding a business forum for the expansion of trade and economic relations and the implementation of relevant steps in that direction.

The sides highlighted the role of the Armenian community in Cyprus for fostering bilateral relations and expressed confidence that the Armenian community can serve as a bridge particularly for the development of economic cooperation.

Nikol Pashinyan and Nicos Anastasiades also discussed issues related to the settlement of Karabakh conflict and the Cyprus issue and highlighted the peaceful negotiations as a settlement tool. The sides particularly highlighted the cooperation on different international platforms.

Nicos Anastasiades invited Nikol Pashinyan to Cyprus at a time convenient for him.Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met on Monday with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the UN Headquarters, the official website of the Prime Minister of Armenia reported.

Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the close and firm cooperation between Armenia and the UN for the protection and strengthening of values adopted by the UN. The PM emphasized that the bilateral cooperation fosters the implementation of reforms in various spheres in Armenia and hoped that those programs will not only be continuous but will also be refreshed. The PM emphasized that Armenia is actively involved in the works of the UN and its affiliations and added that the future targeted assistance of the UN will further foster and strengthen Armenias development potential.

Antonio Guterres expressed confidence that the effective cooperation with Armenia will further strengthen and develop. Referring to the political changes underway in Armenia, the UN Secretary General noted that the peaceful power change in Armenia is a brilliant example and hoped that Armenia will develop and implement new reforms in various spheres.

The sides exchanged views on holding early parliamentary elections in Armenia and highlighted the implementation of such reforms that will even technically rule out the possibility of election frauds. In this context Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the continuous assistance of the UN.

During the meeting the sides also referred to Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. The PM thanked the UN Secretary General for fully supporting the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-office.Regional aviation fly-in will showcase SIUs program

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Local residents and general aviation enthusiasts have an opportunity to get involved next month when Southern Illinois University Carbondales nationally recognized aviation program hosts more than 500 pilots from across the nation at a regional fly-in.

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is holding one of its four large regional fly-in events at Southern Illinois Airport, Oct. 5-6. Officials are expecting up to 500 aircraft and thousands of people will attend.

Community volunteers needed for several areas

While aviation students and certified pilots will be involved with airside operations that involve aircraft airplanes, community volunteers are needed for a variety of other show-side operations that will include exhibits, logistics, food, and hospitality.

Additional information and signup is available on the organizations volunteer 2018 fly-ins website. Some volunteer events are full but many more remain available. Setup begins Oct. 2, three days before the start of the event.

The fly-in will provide a great opportunity for our students to participate in a large aviation event and expose them to new technology and aircraft outside of their normal day-to-day experience, Michael Burgener, interim chair of the Department of Aviation Management and Flight and chair of the Department of Aviation Technologies, said.

Numerous activities are planned throughout the event

SIU aviation is planning a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Fair, drone and flight simulator demonstrations and several other activities, Burgener said. SIU aircraft, including the programs three new Piper Arrow general aviation flight trainer planes, will be on display.

Many events are open to the community and most, particularly on Oct. 6, are free and provide an opportunity to learn more about general aviation.

Registration and fees are required for select Oct. 5 workshops. There are also costs for the Barnstormers Party from 6 to 9 p.m., Oct. 5, and pancake breakfast at 8 a.m., Oct. 6. Additional information is on the events website within several tabs.

Free events include:

Exhibit hall and aircraft display, Noon to 6 p.m., Oct. 5 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Oct. 6.

Back Country Adventure and Skills, 9 a.m. to noon, Oct. 5.

Free seminars beginning at 9 a.m., Oct. 6. Topics include You Can Be A Pilot at 10 a.m., Oct. 6, in the You Can Fly Pavilion at the airport.

Third annual Special Olympics Illinois and Law Enforcement Torch Run Plane Pull

Pilot Town Hall and Ice Cream Social, 3 p.m., Oct. 6.

Other exciting university-related events open to the public

Flight and a Bite in Southern Illinois a workshop hosted by the Fermentation Science Institute, is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Oct. 5 and will give visitors an opportunity to see the research and work going on.

Visitors will also be able to hear from SIU Carbondale faculty, local vintners and brew masters about the growing beers and wine tourism in the region. The tour and lunch includes local food, wine and beer, along with transportation to the institute and back to the airport.

The cost is $40 for regular admission, with ID showing proof of age required, or $28 for the non-drinker rate with no age restriction. Additional information is available under the websites excursions tab.

Speakers will include:

Matt McCarroll, director, SIU Fermentation Science Institute.

Sylvia Smith, associate professor, animal science, food and nutrition

John Farrish, assistant professor, animal science, food and nutrition.

Chuck Stuhrenberg, founder and owner, Big Muddy Brewing, Murphysboro, Illinois.

Scott Albert, vintner at Kite Hill Vineyards, Carbondale, Illinois.

Foundations of a Campus: Walking tour of SIU Carbondale, feature two separate free tours hosted by Jon Davey, distinguished professor, School of Architecture.

The primarily walking tours will showcase the unique and innovative architecture, many of which date back to the 19th century, that are found on the more than 1,100-acre campus, which includes Thompson Woods and campus lake. Weather appropriate attire and comfortable walking shoes are strongly encouraged.

The free tours are:

Tour One:

9-10:30 a.m.  Walking tour of campus architecture.

10:30-11:30 a.m.  Travel to and tour of R. Buckminster Fuller dome.

Tour Two

1:30-3 p.m.  Walking tour of campus architecture.

3-4 p.m.  Travel to and tour of R. Buckminster Fuller dome.

AOPA celebrates 80th anniversary in 2019

AOPA, a not-for-profit organization, dedicated to general aviation, started in 1939 and represents the worlds largest aviation community, with more than 300,000 members in 75 countries.

The organization launched the regional fly-ins in 2014 and by the end of this year the association will have held 24 events in states across the country.Home | News | General | Breaking: National Assembly postpones resumption to October 9

The National Assembly, on Sunday, September 23, announced that its earlier scheduled resumption from recess has been postponed by about two more weeks.

The countrys legislative organ is to resume on October 9, as against the earlier September 25, resumption date.

READ ALSO: Davido claims he has Oshogbo official results even as counting is ongoing in Osun governorship election

Premium Times reports that the postponement was contained in a statement by the National Assembly clerk, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, addressed to the lawmakers.

This is to inform all distinguished senators and honourable members that resumption of plenary session earlier scheduled for Tuesday, September 25, has been postponed to Tuesday, October 9, due to the activities of the primaries of the political parties.

All Distinguished Senators and Honourable members are expected to resume plenary session by 10 am on the 9th of October, please, the statement reads.

NAIJ.com earlier reported how it was claimed that the National Assembly had concluded arrangements to cut short its long recess to consider the controversial INEC budget for the 2019 elections.

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According to one of the report, the question of reconvening on Tuesday, September 25, as scheduled has been taken over by events.

The report quoted a source as saying the likelihood of the postponement of the September 25 date of resumption is being considered due to prevailing political circumstances.

Osun 2018: I have evidence that they added to APCs votes - PDP Chairman | Naij.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralBy Ritah Kemigisa.

The Kyadondo East legislator Robert Kyagulanyi commonly known as Bobi Wine has said that his life is under threat and he longer feels safe in his own country.

Addressing journalists at his home in Magere, Kyagulanyi said he believes the bullets that killed his driver Yasin Kawumain Aruawere meant for him since the deceased was seated in the exact position he always sat in.

He has asked security agencies to stop playing politics and instead protect Ugandans since many citizens especially leaders do not feel safe enough.

Kyagulanyis revelation comes amid reports of death threats reported by several legislators, the latest being the former Leader Of Opposition in parliament Winnie Kiiza.Home | News | General | Osun election: Our expectation - Aregbesola speaks about INEC declaration of inconclusive exercise

The governor of Osun state, Rauf Aregbesola, on Sunday, September 23, reportedly expressed optimism that the election re-run declared in some polling units declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be won by his party.

Aregbesola said the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win at the first ballot during the re-run slated for Thursday, September 27.

READ ALSO: Davido claims he has Oshogbo official results even as counting is ongoing in Osun governorship election

Vanguard reports that Aregbesola, spoke through his media adviser, Sola Fasure, saying: We expect to win at the first ballot.

We believe in the rule of law and due process and as democrats, we will abide by INECs decision, it is okay by us.

If there was no cancellation in those areas, we would have won outrightly without the need for the rerun.

NAIJ.com earlier the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejected the declaration made by the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC) on the Osun gubernatorial election on Saturday, September 22.

The party said it rejects in its entity the declaration made by the electoral body that the Osun election is inconclusive.

NAIJ.com also reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a new date for the Osun state gubernatorial election rerun.

The electoral body said the rerun election will be conducted on Thursday, September 27.

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The election will be between the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

I have evidence that they added to APCs votes| Naij.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | Credit Direct commissions new head office, reassures excellent service delivery

CREDIT Direct Limited (CDL), a member of FCMB Group Plc and a provider of unsecured consumer loans to individuals in Nigeria, has again raised the standards in customer experience and employees engagement by commissioning its state-of-the-art new head office in Lagos.

Credit Direct Limited, established over 10 years ago, is a non-bank financial services company with operation in 25 states across Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. The company which has a staff strength of over 1,000 employees has given out over 1.5 million loans worth over N150 billion since it began operations. With an active customer base of over 200,000 individuals in the public and private sectors, Credit Direct is poised to continue leading the market with its innovative offerings and excellent customer experience, as attested to by its teeming customers.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Mr. Ladi Balogun, Chairman, Credit Direct, said, This edifice is another milestone in the history of our company. It is a re-affirmation of our commitment to raise the bar in the manner in which we operate and the kind of environment in which we provide services. We are excited that within 10 years of the establishment of Credit Direct, the company has added significant value to Nigerians and the country in general.

He assured that FCMB Group will continue to invest in projects and initiatives that would develop entrepreneurship.

Also speaking, Mr. Akinwande Ademosu, Managing Director, Credit Direct, said: Our story changed the face of the financial services sector, the people we are servicing today are the underserved and unserved by the conventional financial services sector. We believe so much in the future that has been created  from just giving out loans, to giving our customers peace of mind.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | NSC holds sub-regional workshop on port concession

By Samson Echenim

THE Nigerian Shippers Council and the Union of African Shippers Councils, UASC, in collaboration with United Nations Conference on Trade & Development, UNCTAD will on Tuesday and Wednesday, hold a Sub-Regional Workshop and Joint Standing Committee Meeting of Union of African Shippers Councils, UASC.

Themed Port Concession in West and Central Africa: Impact on Economies of Member States of the sub-region, and slated to hold in Abuja, the workshop is targeted at the governments of member states, international and regional organisations and other stakeholders in the trade and transport facilitation process in the West and Central African Sub-Region.

According to a statement from the Shippers Council, among other objectives, the workshop is expected to appraise the state of maritime transportation in West and Central Africa viz-a-viz other regions of the world and proffer solutions to challenges facing the sector; assess the implementation of WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, TFA and issues relating to port operations; advocate for the development and maintenance of criticial trade support facilities/infrastructure that would promote efficiency, competitiveness and cost reduction in the carriage of goods as well as linkages to other markets.

Similarly, the statement added that the workshop would also look at the state of Maritime Transport in West and Central Africa: UNCTADs viewpoint; Sealink: A Panacea for boosting Intra-African Trade; charges, Surcharges and related costs of carriage of goods; Evaluation of IMO Container weighing regine Verified Gross Mass, VAM and impact on shipping services/business.

The UASC, as a specialised organ of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central African, MOWCA comprises of nineteen Shippers Councils and similar organisations of West and Central African Countries. The Union with its Headquarters in Douala Cameroun comprises three main organs; The General Assembly, Steering Committee and General Secretariat.

The UASC became a member of the Global Shippers Forum, GSF, in September 2010 and maintains close reletions with other international organisations, notably; WTO, International Maritime Organisation, IMO, World Customs Organisation, WCO, United Nations Commission for International Trade Law, UNCITRAL and UNCTAD.

The Nigerian Shippers Council has over the years under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Transportation hosted the Sub-Regional Workshop that has gone a long way in the reduction of the incidence of transport cost on the economies of West and Central African Countries.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | Osun election: INECs announcement on votes tallies with our projections - YIAGA Africa

- Nigerias largest non-partisan and independent citizens movement on electoral integrity has given its latest verdict on the Osun elections

- YIAGA Africa's Watching The Vote (WTV) has released its analysis of the election

- The civil society organisations says INEC announcement tallies with theirs

A civil society organisation, YIAGA Africa, says the Independent National Electoral Commissions (INEC) official announcement on votes cast for the Osun gubernatorial election is overall consistent with its observation.

Dr Aisha Abdullahi, co-chair of YIAGA Africas Watching The Vote Osun Election Observation Mission, said this in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, September 23.

Abdullahi said the groups WTV project was an initiative to monitor the credibilty of elections across the country, using its Parellel Vote Tabulation (PVT) method.

She said that the PVT produced an estimated range based on the untainted polling unit results collected from a representative statistical sample of polling units.

READ ALSO: Saraki faults INEC verdict on Osun polls

She said this range was calculated, using long established statistical formula.

However, because the PVT is based on the untainted results from polling units, the official results must fall within the PVTs estimated range for them to reflect the ballots cast at polling unit.

Thus, if the official results fall within the PVTs estimated ranges, then the official results accurately reflect the ballots cast at polling units but if the official results fall outside the PVTs estimated ranges, then the official results were changed, Abdullahi said.

She said that YIAGA Africa deployed 500 stationary observers in pairs to a representative statistical sample of 250 polling units and 31 mobile observers located in all 30 LGAs of Osun.

Her words: The WTV result statement is based on reports from 247 of 250 which is 99 per cent sampled polling units.

YIAGA Africa had noted in its pre-election statement that the Osun governorship election would be keenly contested and largely determined by swing LGAs and a small margin in the difference of votes between the top contesting parties.

Our preliminary estimates indicated that turnout for the Osun gubernatorial election will be between 45.0 and 47.8 per cent based on official turnout figures collected from the statistical sample of polling units across the 30 LGAs in the state.

As such YIAGA Africa can verify that INECs official turnout of 45.7 per cent falls within WTVs estimated range and accurately reflects the turnout of voters.

Abdullahi said that at dawn on Sunday, September 23, YIAGA Africa WTV findings had also indicated that no party or candidate would receive more than 37.4 per cent of the vote share.

She said that based on the total votes announced so far by INEC, YIAGA Africas statistical analysis considering the margin of errors showed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) should receive between 33.6% and 37.4 per cent of the vote.

She said that the Action Democratic Party (ADP) should receive between 5.7 per cent and 8.9 per cent of the vote.

She added that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should receive between 32.5 per cent and 36.9 per cent of the vote while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) should receive between 15.1 and 19.7 per cent of the vote.

Abdullahi said that the rejected ballots fell outside YIAGA Africas range of 4.1 per cent to 5.3 per cent but given the rerun to be held at cancelled polling units and the closeness of the election, it likely did not affect the overall outcome.

It is important to highlight the counting process at polling units was transparent and included representatives from the political parties that received the most votes.

At 98 per cent of polling units the polling officials showed how every ballot paper was marked to everyone present, she noted.

Abdullahi said that during counting, in 96 per cent of polling units, there were no recorded incidents of intimidation, harassment against the polling officials.

She said that by 4:00 p.m, counting of gubernatorial ballot papers had finished in 78 per cent of polling units and at 99 per cent of polling units APC, PDP and party agents countersigned the result forms.

On average, 12 polling agents were present at the observed LGA collation centres during the collation process and they countersigned the results.

She said that in all 30 collation centres, no party agents disagreed with the results declared.

Abdulahi said that YIAGA Africa WTV for the Osun election focused on providing information on the election day process to build citizens confidence and to verify the accuracy of the official results.

She said that the importance of the result statement was hinged on the need to ensure that the official results for the Osun gubernatorial election truly reflected the ballots cast at polling units.

She said that YIAGA Africa was committed to confirming the official results if they reflected the ballots cast at polling units and exposing manipulation if the results were changed during the collation process.

However, it is important to note that the election is not over and outcomes yet to be concluded, she concluded. (NAN)

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Meanwhile, election observer group, the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), has said with the tremendous improvement shown by INEC in the Osun governorship election, the commission has proved it is now well prepared for the 2019 general polls.

Addressing journalists in Oshogbo on Saturday, September 22 after the elections, on its preliminary report of the election, CTA executive director, Dr Chima Amadi described as satisfactory the overall improvement of INEC in the election, describing the electoral commission as being proactive and innovative.

According to him, the 120 observers deployed by his group observed that INEC for the first time deployed men and materials to various polling booths before 8am, adding that the 100 % deployment achievement by INEC is a remarkable improvement in election management.

INEC Officer who tore election results confesses, says his Electoral Officer sent him | Naij.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | Wike plotting to disrupt APC governorship primaries - Amaechi's men allege

- Supporters of Rotimi Amaechi has accused Governor Nyesom Wike of plotting to disrupt the governorship primaries of APC in Rivers state

- The governorship primaries of the APC in Rivers state is slated for September 29

Supporters of Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi on Sunday, September 23, accused Rivers state governor Nyesom Wike of plotting to disrupt the All Progressives Congress (APC) September 29 governorship primary election.

The Nation reports that the supporters, represented by a chieftain of the APC in Rivers, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, said a legislative aide to a serving senator, Kennedy Friday, boasted in Port Harcourt that his boss loyalists would get favourable judgment today at the Rivers High Court, Port Harcourt, to quash the APC congresses that produced Ojukaye Flag-Amachree.

READ ALSO: All aspirants will support whoever emerges as PDP presidential candidate  Bafarawa

Friday, while reacting to Eze's claim, however, said: Every Nigerian knows Chief Eze as a hireling of the Minister for Transportation, with the duty to blackmail Senator Abe. Where, when and how did I make such statement?

Also, the state's commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah asked members and leaders of Rivers APC to leave out Governor Wike out of their internal matter.

Okah maintained that Rivers governor had no hand in the crisis and alleged factionalisation of Rivers APC.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that Governor Wike, on Sunday, September 16, accused the minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, of being the architect of the crises rocking the state's chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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Wike, in a statement signed by his commissioner for information and communications, Emma Okah, also accused Amaechi of forcing the APC in Rivers to adopt indirect primaries.

The governor's comment is a reaction to an alleged statement by Amaechi, where he reportedly accused Governor Wike of sponsoring APC members to cause confusion ahead of 2019.

Nigeria Latest News: Not Too Young to Run Pay a Visit to APC and PDP on NAIJ.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | Aisha accompanies President Buhari to New York ahead of the 73rd UN General Assembly (photos)

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, September 23, departed Nigeria for New York ahead of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The president was accompanied by his wife, Aisha to the event.

Also among those who accompanied the president was the minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama.

READ ALSO: 2019 elections: APC reschedules presidential primaries

President Buhari would deliver Nigerias national statement on the first day of the general debate. Photo credit: Femi Adesina

Source: Facebook

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that President Buhari will address the 73rd session of the high-level general debate of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, United States, on Tuesday, September 25.

President Buhari has been placed as the number 20 on the list of the speakers out of the 193 world leaders. Photo credit: Femi Adesina

Source: Facebook

The president would deliver Nigerias national statement on the first day of the general debate of the General Assembly high-level events.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Oshiomholes former aide defects to PDP with thousand supporters

NAIJ.com gathers that the president has been placed as the number 20 on the list of the speakers out of the 193 world leaders that would address the Assembly.

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He would deliver the address to the Assembly during the afternoon session on the first day between 8 pm and 9 pm (between 1am and 2am Nigerian time).

President Buhari on 2019 Presidential Election: Will You Vote For Him? | on NAIJ.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | We will all support whoever wins PDP presidential primaries - Bafarawa

- PDP presidential aspirants, Attahiru Bafarawa, said he and other aspirants will support whoever emerged as the party's flag bearer for 2019

- Bafarawa said what the aspirants wanted was to rescue Nigeria from All Progressives Congress

- He also claimed that he is the best among the aspirants with 8 years experience as Governor of Sokoto state

A presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, has said that all the aspirants are committed to supporting any of them that emerges the partys candidate.

Bafarawa, former governor of Sokoto state, stated this in an interview with journalists in Bauchi on Sunday, September 23, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Two aspirants come from Sokoto my home state, the present Governor, Aminu Tambuwal and me, Attahiru Bafarawa.

READ ALSO: Saraki faults INEC verdict on Osun polls

That is not a problem at all because we the aspirants pledged that whoever emerged the candidate, we will all support him as our presidential candidate.

Bafarawa said what the aspirants wanted was to rescue Nigeria from All Progressives Congress (APC).

I am a democrat and therefore ready to support any aspirant who emerges as the partys flag-bearer in order to move the country forward.

We all, however, need to be screened before the final decision on the partys candidate is taken.

I am not into politics to make money but to serve and I remain the best among the aspirants with 8 years experience as governor of Sokoto state.

The presidential aspirant presented two books on his eight years of stewardship as governor and pledged to do more as president.

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NAIJ.com earlier reported that Bafarawa said President Muhammadu Buhari wont be able to fix the economy, even if he is given 20 years to govern the country.

Bafarawa made the comment in Imo state, while addressing his supporters, in continuation of his campaign for the presidency.

Should President Buhari seek reelection in 2019? - on NAIJ.com TV:

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | Over 1.5 million APC members to partake in presidential primaries in Zamfara

Over 1.5 million card-carrying members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are to participate in the upcoming presidential primary election of the party in Zamfara.

The secretary of the state committee on presidential primary election in the state, Professor Abdullahi Shinkafi, disclosed this to newsmen in Gusau on Sunday, September 23.

Shinkafi, who is also the secretary to the state government, said all card-carrying members of the party in the state would partake in the primaries.

READ ALSO: You have caused us serious embarrassment - APC queries chieftain for attending PDP rally

He said the direct primaries would hold in all the 147 wards across the 14 local government areas of the state.

He said monitoring committees were set up right from the ward, local government, senatorial zones as well as state level to ensure smooth running of the process .

He, therefore, urged security agencies to provide adequate security to ensure peace throughout the exercise.

He also called on members of the party to turn out in orderly manner and cast their vote.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the ruling party has rescheduled its presidential primaries.

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The spokesperson for the APC, Yekini Nabena, on Sunday, September 23, said that the primaries scheduled to hold on Tuesday, September 25, will now take place on Thursday, September 27.

INEC Officer who tore election results confesses, says his Electoral Officer sent him | Naij.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | INEC was wrong in declaring Osun election inconclusive - Saraki

- Senate President Bukola Saraki has faulted INEC's decision to declare Osun polls inconclusive

- The Senate urged PDP and its aspirant, Ademola Adeleke to seek legal guidance on INEC's decision

- He added that the national interest of the country is at stake at this election period

President of the Senate and Chairman, People's Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Council on Osun State Gubernatorial Election, Bukola Saraki, has faulted the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the election results were inconclusive.

Saraki, in a statement signed by him, and sent to NAIJ.com, expressed dismay over the decision by INEC to declare as "inconclusive" an election in which a candidate won the highest number of votes and fulfilled the condition for geographical spread.

He said: "In my lay man's opinion, the INEC was wrong in declaring the election as inconclusive because the votes in certain polling units were cancelled. The decision of INEC to cancel the election in those areas after voting had taken place means INEC had already excluded the votes in these areas from the election process and therefore those units should have no place in the overall results. My opinion would have been different if the election in the affected units did not take place at all, may be as a result of malfunctioning of the card reader machine or unavailability of the electoral materials. Since the voting took place and was cancelled, only the courts could reverse the initial decision by INEC to cancel the votes in these areas.

READ ALSO: APC queries chieftain for attending PDP rally

"That is why I call on our party and its candidate to seek further legal interpretation on this decision by the electoral body. One cannot but wonder whether if the places were reversed and the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is the one leading in the election, the INEC will take the same decision it has taken now.

At this point, it is necessary to also call on INEC to display courage, boldness, independence, neutrality and patriotism so as to send signals to the world at large that Nigerian electoral system has come of age and that our democracy has matured. The electoral body needs to re-assure all and sundry that the 2019 election and other elections will be free of manipulations and undue interference.

"The INEC should note that the Osun gubernatorial election is not only about that South-western state. It is about our country and the entire world is watching. Our national interest is at stake. The integrity of our electoral system is at stake. The reputation of the electoral body is at stake. The future of our democracy is on the line. The way INEC conclusively handles the Osun election will determine global expectations from our political process. It should therefore ensure that the wish of the Osun state electorate eventually prevail."

He commended PDP supporters and the candidate of the party, Senator Ademola Adeleke for remaining steadfast, resilient, focused and determined.

"Let me also commend all the other contestants in yesterday's election for their gallant efforts because it is clear they are all working for the same objective from different perspectives and platforms to ensure that the era of mis-governance, pain, injustice and insensitivity to the plight of the common people comes to an end. It is our hope that they will all co-operate with Senator Adeleke to ensure that Osun state witnesses a development-oriented era.

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"Let me remind our party supporters and the good people of Osun state that this INEC decision constitute only a delay of the victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke and the PDP in Osun Gubernatorial election, as our triumph will come either through the judiciary or a further balloting.

I thank PDP supporters and the general public in Osun state and note that we got to this point after many months of hard work, determination and focus. We should not despair and not lose our focus and determination to ensure that the final results reflect the will of the Osun people.

Our party is ahead, despite the irregularities. Our people must remain resilient to see this through to the finish. Now is the time to re-strategize, reach out to all the other candidates and their supporters, build on our lead, and bring this election home.

"Our supporters and the entire people of Osun state should remain calm and maintain peace as we move forward to see the successful completion of the electoral process. Once again, I thank all supporters of the PDP and the people of Osun state who stayed up all night, both physically and on social media to monitor the numbers and protect our votes. We remain undeterred, and we all remain determined to ensure that Senator Ademola Adeleke becomes the next governor of Osun state", Saraki stated.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that PDP rejected the declaration made by INEC on the Osun gubernatorial election on Saturday, September 22.

The party said it rejects in its entity the declaration made by the electoral body that the Osun election is inconclusive.

Speaking at a press conference, the national publicity secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the PDP insists that the process was conclusive and that its candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, who won a total of 254, 698 votes, is in clear lead and should be immediately declared winner by INEC.

I have evidence that they added to APCs votes| Naij.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | Sambo, ex-VP, tasks INEC on credible elections

By Samuel Oyadongha

YENAGOA  FORMER Vice President, Namadi Sambo, weekend, said he had no regrets serving the country as Vice President under the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, even as he called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to do the right thing in the forthcoming elections in 2019.

Former Vice President Sambo

Sambo, who paid a condolence visit to the Toru Orua country home of Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, on the death of his mother, Mrs Goldcoast Dickson, said: I have no regrets serving Nigeria. I thank the Almighty Allah that gave me that opportunity to serve our country.

Seeing what is happening today, we are expecting that INEC will do the right and that there will be a free and fair election come 2019.

He commended Governor Dickson for the execution of several big ticket projects in Bayelsa, especially Bayelsa International Airport.

Meanwhile, former Senate President, David Mark, who also led a delegation on a condolence visit to the governors community, said late Mrs Goldcoast Dickson left behind enduring legacies, which should console the family on the loss.

Responding, Dickson restated the decision of his family to establish a cancer awareness centre in memory of his mother through the Henry Seriake Dickson Foundation.

He commended them for their loyalty and commitment to national stability, in support of the Jonathans administration.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralBy Ritah Kemigisa.

The Kyambogo university vice chancellor Prof Elly katunguka has dismissed reports that his office and life is receiving threatening letters.

Katunguka tells KFM that anonymous letters in higher institutions of learning are common especially from people disagreeing with management and thus write such letters when raising issues to the IGG for investigation through his office.

He says no letter threatening his life and that of his staff has been received.

Currently many legislators have spoken out with the latest being the Ntungamo Mp Gerald Karuhanga of how they have been receiving death threats.Home | News | General | See the amount of cakes Sani Abacha's daughter celebrated her birthday with in Kano (photos)

One of the ever beautiful children of the former military head of state in Nigeria, Gumsu Sani Abacha, recently celebrated her birthday and was celebrated by friends, family members and well-wishers.

She turned a year older on Sunday, September 23 and decided to celebrate her new age with so much class, style and poise. Despite her age, she is a beauty to die for.

It was also reported that Gumsu hosted a few of her family members and friends to a private dinner party at her home in Kano, last night. Prominent persons like Senator Shehu Sani were also in attendance.

Sani Abachas daughter throws birthday party in Kano Photo: Gistreel

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Your husband owns you and everything you have - Nigerian man advises women (photo)

The birthday girl had her dining table decorated in white and gold. The table was covered with a white cloth and the chair had white chiffon crossed on it. The setting was very beautiful.

However, a birthday celebration is usually not complete without a cake. Gumsu celebrated her new with about five cakes and cupcakes that had one of her names Tutu spelt with it. They looked very beautiful.

See more photos from the celebration below:

Gumsu Abacha giving a speech at her birthday dinner in Kano Photo: Gistreel

Source: UGC

Gumsu Abacha's birthday cakes Photo: Gistreel

Source: UGC

Gumsu Abacha, Shehu Abacha and guest at her birthday dinner Photo: Gistreel

Source: UGC

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Gumsu Abacha's dinner table setting Photo: Gistreel

Source: UGC

NAIJ.com gathered that Gumsu walked down the aisle with a Cameroonian billionaire, Mohamadou Bayero Fadil. Their marriage is blessed with beautiful kids and they have been in holy matrimony for 17 years.

Happy birthday!

Project Fame Winner Olawale Ojo - Why I Became a Cab Driver | Naij.com TV - on NAIJ.com TV.

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | Nigerian pilot Shaddad becomes a captain on the Boeing 737 (photos)

- A young Nigerian pilot had become the captain for an airline in Kano

- The young pilot became the captain of Boeing 737

Shaddad Tijani Mohammed, a young Nigerian pilot, has become a captain for a popular Nigerian airline in Kano. The young pilot's story was shared by the Nigerian school of flight on social media.

Mohammed, who graduated in April, 2011, had to go back to school to get a higher education level after he couldn't get a suitable job. The young pilot had gone back to school to learn how to become an instructor.

After getting his degree, he became an instructor at the International Aviation College, Ilorin. Mohammed later headed to Miami, Florida, to do his Boeing 737 type rating at Panam Intl Flight Academy.

Inspiring story of Nigerian pilot Shaddad who is now a captain on the Boeing 737 Photo: Facebook Source: Madiba Bay School of Flight

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Reactions as Nigerian lady gets N5m from her boyfriend after he asked her to make a wish

Upon his return back to Nigeria, he got a job as the first officer with a Nigerian airline on a Boeing 737, and he later became the a captain for Boeing 737 the same company.

In his excitement, he contacted his school to inform them about his success on becoming a captain.

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The pilot began flying at Madiba Bay Photo: Facebook Source: Madiba Bay School of Flight

Source: Facebook

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The school took to his Facebook page to share the good news in other to motivate anyone who is facing difficulties in their lives.

Read below:

"When a past student of ours recently got in contact to let us know how he is doing, we thought sharing his story could lift some spirits in what can be a ruthless industry at times.

Shaddad Tijjani Mohammed began flying at Madiba Bay in April 2011. He went solo on May 11th and achieved his PPL on August 17th of the same year. He went on to earn his CPL one year later on August 13th, 2012.

After not finding work back home in Nigeria for around 15 months, Captain Shaddad came back to do his instructor's rating, before leaving again to go and get a job as an instructor at International Aviation College, Ilorin in Nigeria.

After instructing at the college for one year, Captain Shaddad headed to Miami, Florida to do his Boeing 737 type rating at Panam Intl Flight Academy.

He then returned home to Nigeria and landed a job as a First Officer with Azman Air on the Boeing 737.

Captain Shaddad recently got his upgrade within the company and is now a Captain on the Boeing 737 with Azman Air.

Captain Shaddad considers his greatest career achievement thus far to having been an instructor at IAC Ilorin where he was able to touch lives and help many young pilots realize their dream of flying aircraft.

Captain Shaddad believes this business is all about setting the correct goals and targets for yourself. Being resilient, above board and professional at all times with integrity and being ready to develop others. With self belief, hard work and some focused prayer, you will achieve. Find a mentor that inspires you and be prepared to follow in his steps at all costs.

Captain Shaddad stresses the fact at first it always seems like an extremely long and hard road to success but trust him he says, "...with patience you will get to the promised land." ,as he is a walking testimony to this.

Captain Shaddad very importantly, never forgets where he came from and remains grateful to everyone that had an input into his training along the way to where he now finds himself, from his early days as a student pilot at MBSF to the flight deck of a modern jet liner, Captain Shaddad's story is one of just many that should remind us all of where we are going and that we will get there, no matter how long the road may look.

Let your dreams take flight with us at Madiba Bay."

Success Story of akara seller who makes a minimum of N10,000 daily | Faces of Nigeria - on NAIJ.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | Nigerian Army rescue team vows to find body of missing General Alkali

- Rescues team of the Nigerian Army has vowed to find the missing body of a Major General who was declared missing

- Major General Muhammad Idris Alkali was declared missing on Monday, September 3, 2018

- A source said Major General Alkali may have been killed together with the 11 people who were murdered on September 2, 2018, by unknown gunmen.

The Nigerian Army has promised that its search and rescue team will find the body of missing Major General Muhammad Idris Alkali, who was declared missing on Monday, September 3, 2018.

The Guardian reports that the Nigerian Army made the vow after commander of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Major General Augustine Agundu, visited the pond where Major General Alkali's body and car may have been dumped.

NAIJ.com notes that the spokesman for the Special Task Force (STF), Major Adam Umar, said: On Sunday, September 2, 2018 youth in the area protested the killing of their kinsmen and possibly the missing general could have been among the victims and we suspect that his body could be in the water.

READ ALSO: 2019: Senator Ndume renews call for power shift in Borno

Although we are not sure where his body could have been dumped, we strongly suspect that he could be one of those thrown inside the pond. But as I speak, the draining of the water is still ongoing."

According to a source, Alkali may have been killed together with the 11 people who were murdered on September 2, 2018, by unknown gunmen.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the Nigerian Army was evacuating water from a mining pond at Dura, Du District, Jos South local government area of Plateau, in search of Idris Alkali, a missing retired major general.

Alkali, immediate past chief of administration, Army Headquarters, Abuja, was declared missing on Monday, September 3. He was on his way to Bauchi after leaving Abuja in the morning.

Brig Gen Ibrahim Mohammed, garrison commander, 3 Division Garrison, Nigeria Army, Rukuba, Jos, addressed newsmen on Thursday, September 20, shortly after the commencement of the evacuation.

He said: In carrying out a directive from the Army headquarters, a thorough search was conducted, hospitals were visited, we searched everywhere. Based on credible intelligence, we had to come to this place and we have been here for the last one week."

Nigerian Air Force Operations Against Boko Haram | on NAIJ.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | Group alleges plans by foreign media to undermine fight against terrorists

- A group has raised alarm over plans by foreign media to undermine the fight against Boko-Haram

- It accused media outfits like Reuters of using fictitious reports to undermine the Nigerian Army

- It also added that those foreign media are on the path of painting the military as weak and ineffective

The Coalition on Conflict Resolution and Human Rights in Nigeria (CCRHRN) has said it has uncovered plots by foreign agents to underrate the Nigeria's efforts on war against insurgency through the use of fictitious reports in the media.

In a statement sent to NAIJ.com, the group accused some media outfits of projecting the activities of the Nigeria Army towards curbing the Boko Haram insurgency as false and far from what Nigerians have been fed with.

It named Reuters as one of the the news agencies marauding the truths and destabiliing Nigeria through false, malicious and fabricated news reports concerning the efforts of the Nigerian military against Boko Haram terrorists in the northeast Nigeria.

READ ALSO: APC queries chieftain for attending PDP rally

Maxwell Gowon, the national president of the group, at a press conference on Sunday, September 23, said Reuters has been churning out negative reports, capable of thwarting the Nigeria's military war against insurgency.

He added that the news agency is resolute on reporting Nigeria into failure by propping up Boko Haram as a parallel and state terrorist group despite the overwhelming evidence that the terrorist group is a global terrorist organization.

The statement read: "It is instructive to state that Reuters through their actions further enforces the French connection in the sustenance of the Boko Haram conflict through its former colonies in Africa ( Niger, Chad, and Mali), and to see that the efforts of the Nigerian military are discredited using all means possible.

"While the Coalition on Conflict Resolution and Human Rights in Nigeria frowns at such unprofessional display by a supposedly objective news medium such as Reuters, it also suffices to state that there is a bigger script the Reuters is acting out.

"It is also curious that Reuters can publish fiction as fact when comments on troops capability would be anathema to it when discussing the US or UK military.

"A logical explanation for such irresponsible conduct is that Reuters places itself as that news platform that is committed to advancing the cause of the imperial empire it serves using any means possible ( hook or crook).

"CCGRN is aware that Nigerias defence minister, Mansur Dan Ali, told Reuters last month that 'The country has been stable for the past three years,' and this much can be easily verified. But again, Reuters chooses to play the devils advocate by painting a picture of gloom and doom, of deserting troops and thousands killed  yet the country still has a standing military. How curious.

"The case of Gudumbali is an example of the mischief that Reuters has continued to perpetuate with fanfare. While its stated that Gudumbali is under the firm control of Boko Haram terrorists, the same Gudumbali is where the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai visited some days ago to boost the morale of the troops stationed there. One then wonders if it a possibility or a strange coincidence, and or a figment of the imagination of Reuters.

"Such rash and unfounded reportage imply that there is a tendency for members of the unsuspecting public to believe their storyline (even though entirely false) to the detriment of Nigeria.

"CCGRN also wishes to invite Reuters on a tour of the northeast Nigeria with its reporters, photojournalists, and editors so they can have a better insight into the great sacrifice the Nigerian Army has put in to ensure that peace returns and by extension the modest achievements of the Nigeria Army under the leadership of Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai in keeping Boko Haram terrorist in check."

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the Nigerian military had been able to sustain its victory over insurgency due to its highest level of transparency and intelligence, a report by the Global Amnesty Watch (GAW) claimed.

GAW, a non-governmental organization that monitors the conduct of military, defence and security forces in combating crimes globally made this known at a presentation on Tuesday, May 30, in Abuja.

The presentation which was titled: The Mid Term Report on Nigeria's Counter-Insurgency War was an independent assessment by GAW on the Nigerian military war against terrorism.

Nigerian Air Force Operations Against Boko Haram | NAIJ.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | Man who took over a failed farm project and made it profitable cries out after government threatens to reclaim it

- A 61-year-old man took over a failed farm project in 2009 by leasing the land from the government

- Mfana Sithole then managed to turn in into a profitable business in under 10 years

- However, now that it is profitable, the government wants to take the land back

When Mfana Sithole, 61, took over control of Richtershoek farm, situated outside Malelane in Mpumalanga, it was nothing more than a rundown piece of land with looted equipment.

Sithole started to lease the land in 2009 after 72 farm workers failed in a government funded farm project.

NAIJ.com learned that the farm workers were given the over N700million farm with all the necessary equipment, but they ended up failing miserably and within just three years there was nothing left on the farm and they even looted the equipment.

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However, to Sithole the multi million naira failed farm was a diamond in the rough and he saw potential.

Man turns farm in into profitable business, now the government wants it back. Photo credit: Sizwe Sama yende/News24

READ ALSO: Anyone that has a son or a nephew like you does not even need federal power - Ben Bruce tells Davido

So, he struck up a deal with the Mpumalanga government and they agreed to lease the land to him.

Sithole had to start from scratch- the farm equipment was either stolen or broken and there was no electricity or water connections, News24 reported.

However, despite all the set backs, with hard work and a N358million check from the government to help him, Sithole managed to grow the business and in under a decade the farm was raking in profits.

Sithole's lease contract was renewed every two years and for the past nine years he was living the dream as a successful black farmer.

The farm consists of 71 hectares (ha) of sugar cane; 12ha of seed cane and 40ha of various vegetables. Apart from all that, the 15 hectares of the land is also used for seed maize for a seed company; and Sithole also owns goats and pigs.

However, the old farmer received the shock of his life when he heard the government refused to renew his lease contract now.

At first the 61-year-old thought it was a joke but then he discovered the government wanted to give back the farm to the workers who failed it almost 10 years ago.

READ ALSO: Tiwa Savage and Tonto Dikeh kneel down to greet Sir Shina Peters (photos)

Sithole has his own theory to why the government would want to boycott a successful black farmer- and according to him it has to do with corruption.

He said since the farm is making profits, it does not need funding from the government- which means corrupt officials would not be able to help themselves.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that a lady proved that there is power in words by storing cooked rice in a jar for 30 days, and tweeps were surprised at the outcome.

According to the Twitter user, she disclosed that she labeled one of the rice jar love and the other one hate. She kept them in different places at home for 30 days, at the end of the 30th day the hate rice fermented while the love rice did not change much.

CEO's Interview: Meet Nigerian Woman Who Quit Banking for Farming | Naij.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | PAL Pensions takes financial literacy training to students

In line with it's positioning of creating value for Nigerians, PAL Pensions has launched a youth-focused campaign tagged NextU' across five (5) Universities in Nigeria.

NextU' is the CSR initiative of PAL Pensions focused on providing knowledge and guidance for 'Creating The Future' to young people on career, investment and life choices.

Olusola Amusan, Tomi Balogun, Seyi Law, Shola Akinlade, Otto Orondaam, and Kunle Idowu (Frank Donga) were among the more than ten (10) speakers who spoke to well over eleven thousand students (11,000) of the University of Lagos, University of Benin, University of Port Harcourt, Obafemi Awolowo University and Ahmadu Bello University.

L-R: Oluyomi Ojo, CEO, Printivo; Uche Okigbo, Regional Manager, Lagos Mainland, PAL Pensions; Sunmi Mark-Okoma, Head, Brand Management and Corporate Communication, PAL Pensions; Helen Paul and others

Source: UGC

The speakers and panelists who came from various backgrounds representing; Financial Literacy, Investment, Employability, Career growth, Entrepreneurship and Art/Creativity; gave the students' tips on how to be successful in their career and business, manage funds and invest wisely with small funds.

Donald Onuoha, Regional Manager, South-South, PAL Pensions; Shola Akinlade, Co-founder/CEO, Paystack; Seyi Law, Actor and Comedian; Tomi Balogun, Founder, The Green Club; Sunmi Mark-Okoma, others

Source: UGC

The students were also thrilled by award winning musician Orezi, who has consistently proven himself through sheer determination and handwork, a quality that brings the NextU idea to life.

Speaking to the students of the University of Lagos, the managing director, PAL Pensions, Morohunke Bammeke, said the vision of PAL Pensions is to be the best PFA by creating value. PAL Pensions is that company that will always add value to you.

Mrs Morohunke Bammeke, Managing Director/CEO, PAL Pensions, speaking to students at NextU Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Source: UGC

She further averred that making money is not enough, preserving and investing wisely is what makes one wealthy. She encouraged the students to commit to lifelong learning to create sustainable success and charged them to go out and create the future!'

Seyi Law, Tomi Balogun, Sunmi Mark-Okoma, Head, Brand Management and Corporate Communication, PAL Pensions; Andrew Gabriel, Sanusi Ismaila, Founder, CoLab at NextU Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Source: UGC

The event, targeted at young, social media savvy, forward-thinking students interested in not just career after graduation but also entrepreneurship was well attended by students in the participating institutions.

Participants not only got the chance to learn from the experiences of the panelists, but they also got an opportunity to win fantastic prizes by taking part in the #SellYourself competition.

Tunde Alade, CEO, Dynamix; Saudat Salami, Founder, EasyShopEasyCook; Tomi Balogun, Sunmi Mark-Okoma, Kunle Idowu (Frank Donga), Esther Ahaiwe, Assistant Brand Manager, PAL Pensions; Vincent Egbe

Source: UGC

PAL Pensions team at NextU University of Lagos

Source: UGC

"PAL Pensions is always interested in ways to impact the society positively," said Sunmisola Mark-Okoma, Head, Brand Management and Corporate Communications. "This is why we started the NextU project. A project that aims at guiding young people through career choices and financial literacy. Basically, we are telling them that PAL Pensions would provide them with the support they need to become whom they want to become.

"This maiden edition was a great success and the students were excited to receive us. We decided to begin with five (5) schools across Nigeria but looking at the impact of the project and reactions from the students, we will definitely be visiting more schools next year."

Students at NextU Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Source: UGC

Students at University of Benin during the NextU campus tour

Source: UGC

Pensions Alliance Limited (PAL Pensions) is a licensed Pension Fund Administrator with over 12 years of professional experience in Pension Funds Administration, incorporated on April 14, 2005, to manage and administer retirement savings contributions of employees in Nigeria as a result of the Pension Reform Act of 2004.

Students during NextU Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife.

Source: UGC

With a client base of over 400,000, the company's vision is to be the leading PFA, creating value.'

[Sponsored]

Source: Naija.ng

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | Analysis: Which party has better chance of winning Osun re-run election between APC and PDP?

The Osun state 2018 gubernatorial election will go down as one of the most hotly conducted elections in the history of Nigeria.

In the afternoon of Sunday, September 23, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the Osun gubernatorial election as inconclusive after accusations and counter-accusations particularly from the two leading parties, the APC and the PDP.

Joseph Afuwape, the returning officer, announced this at the head office of the commission in Osogbo, the state capital.

He said the margin between Ademola Adeleke, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Isiaka Oyetola, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was not significant enough to declare a winner.

The PDP candidate polled 254,698 votes while the APC flagbearer had 254,345, leaving a gap of 353 votes.

READ ALSO: You have caused us serious embarrassment - APC queries chieftain for attending PDP rally

INECs election guideline made pursuant to Section 153 of the Electoral Act stipulates a rerun if the margin of victory in an election is lower than the number of voters in units where elections are cancelled.

Since the total number of cancelled votes (3,486) exceeds the difference between the two leading parties (353), Afuwape said it was impossible for him to declare any party as the winner.

Thursdays supplementary contest will be a straight battle between Adeleke and Oyetola, as the rerun will hold only in the seven polling units where results were cancelled. However, other parties will be allowed to participate.

For the avoidance of doubt, the rerun elections will only take place in the affected polling booths; there are seven of them. So let us be very clear. In Ife North we have one polling booth, in Ife South, we have two, in Orolu we have three and in Osogbo, we have one, Solomon Soyebi, the INEC commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, in his address to the press, explained.

Breakdown of the local government areas and the polling units affected, according to the Returning Officer

1. Orolu local government

Ward 9, Polling unit 001 (393 votes)

In Orolu local government, Ward 9, Polling unit 001, and with a total registered voters of 393, the election was cancelled after hoodlums snatched ballot boxes and ballot papers.

Ward 9, Polling unit 004 (387 votes)

Also in the same ward, at polling unit 004, with a total of 387 registered voters, ballot boxes were snatched resulting in the cancellation.

Ward 9, another polling unit (specific name unmentioned, 167 votes)

INEC also mentioned that a polling unit in Ward 9 in Orolu was also affected with total registered voters of 167.

2. Ife North local government area

Ward 15, Polling unit 010 (502 votes)

In Ife North local government area, Ward 15, unit 010, with the voting strength of 502 voters, the election was cancelled due to card reader problems.

3. Ife South local government area

Ward 16

In Ife South, Ward 16, two polling units were affected with a voting strength of 812 and 502 respectively.

4. Osogbo local government

In Osogbo, one unit was affected with a voting strength of 884 registered voters. The collating officer had alleged that the presiding officer of that particular unit walked away with the results, and no further explanations came from that.

Candidates of the APC casting his vote on Saturday, September 22.

Source: Original

The number of voters in the units where the elections were cancelled

Orolu - 947

Osogbo - 884

Ife South - 1314

Ife North - 353

Total cancelled: 3,498

Based on the statistics above, which party has a better chance?

Orolu LGA

In Orolu local government, the PDP has a better chance than the APC if the result released by INEC on Sunday, September 23 should be considered. The PDP has 7776 votes while the APC has 5442 votes. However, considered the fact that the margin is not very wide, the PDP may need the SDPs support (SDP came third in Orolu with 2043 votes) to win with a good margin in the local government. Similarly, if the APC can get the support of the SDP, it can even out the PDPs margin in Orolu.

In summary, both the APC and the PDP need SDPs support in Orolu LG; PDP to win with a clear margin, APC to even out the PDPs winning margin.

Osogbo LGA

Osogbo local government is believed to be the APCs stronghold. The INEC result proved this as the ruling party got 23,379 votes in the local government while the PDP got 14,499.

However, the APC already has a deficit of 353 votes to catch up with the PDP and may need to win with a wider margin in the local government where it has a good stronghold.

In this case, the SDP is still the go-to party as it came second in the local government with 10188 votes. Securing the support of the SDP will give the APC the chance to win with a good margin.

Ife South LGA

Though many may believe that the SDP has a stronghold in Ife South because its candidate is from Ife town, the election result shows that the ruling APC has an edge in the local government, though a slim one. The APC has 7,223 votes, PDP has 4, 872 while the SDP has 6, 151.

In this case, as well, the SDP has an important role to play; the APC needs the party to get a better winning while the PDP can even out the APC margin if it gets the SDPs support.

Ife North LGA

The APC also stands a better chance in this local government as well. In the September 22 election, the ruling party came first with 6,527 votes, the PDP was second with 5,486 votes while the SDP was third with 5, 158 votes.

Though the ruling party also has an edge here, it still needs the support of the SDP to get a better winning margin. Likewise, the PDP can upturn the winning edge the APC has in the local government if it can secure the support of the SDP.

Candidates of the PDP casting his vote on Saturday, September 22.

Source: Original

Summary

In the four local government areas where the re-run election will take place, the APC has an edge in three (Osogbo, Ife South, Ife North) while the PDP has a stronghold in one, which is Orolu local government.

However, getting the support of the SDP is a crucial factor that will determine the party that will eventually win this hotly contested election.

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Between APC and PDP, which party has better chance of getting SDPs support?

The APC, it may be argued, has a good chance considering the fact that it is the ruling party and can use the power of incumbency and federal (political) influence to get the support of the SDP.

Also, the candidate of the SDP, Iyiola Omisore, left the PDP because he failed to get the PDP governorship ticket. Thus, it may be difficult for the PDP to get the support of someone it did not consider fit enough to be its gubernatorial flag bearer.

Nevertheless, it is still not impossible for the PDP to get Omisores support if he is offered a reasonable compensation.

For instance, there are speculations that the PDP has started making moves to strike a deal with Omisore.

NAIJ.com in a previous report gathers that the PDP has already initiated talks with Omisore who came third in the inconclusive election to secure a win in the forthcoming September 27 re-run.

I have evidence that they added to APCs votes| Naij.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | Man, 34, assaults ex-wife, gets N100, 000 bail

A 34-year-old male applicant, Ezechi Onuoha, who allegedly assaulted his ex-wife, Ifeoma Onuoha, has been released on bail in the sum of N100,000 on the orders of a Badagry Magistrates Court.

domestic violence

Charged with a two-count offence of assault and act of irresponsibility, the accused has pleaded not guilty.

Chief Magistrate Patrick Adekomaiya, who gave the ruling, said the accused should produce two sureties in like sum.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, ASP Akpan Ikem, told the court that the accused on Aug. 8 at 7.00 p.m. at No. 5 Abdullahi St., Oto-Awori area of Lagos, physically assaulted Ifeoma.

Ikem also alleged that the accused failed to live up to his responsibility to both his ex-wife and the two children of the union.

The offences contravened Sections 56 and 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 (Revised).

Hearing in the case has been adjourned until Oct. 15. (NAN)

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | SERAP failing healthcare report: FMC Ebute Metta faults claims

By Chioma Obinna & Kosiso Onyibalu

The management of Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Ebute Metta, Lagos, weekend, dismissed Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, on federal hospitals in Lagos including its facility, saying it did not reflect the true state of the hospital presently.

SERAP

Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Adedamola Dada, who spoke to journalists in Lagos, described the report tagged: Failing Healthcare: How Federal Hospitals Are Letting Down The Poor And Making Healthcare A Privilege Rather Than A Right, as not representative.

SERAP in its report had highlighted humanitarian crises, manifestations of corruption and mismanagement in the three hospitals Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH; National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, NOHIL, and FMC in Ebute Metta. It also alleged how unhygienic conditions, severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies in the hospitals made it difficult for Nigerians to obtain essential medical care.

But the hospitals have rejected the report.

In an interview with Vanguard, Dada insisted the claims by SERAP were unbalanced.

He said: We have not only improved infrastructure-wise, but we have also improved in terms of the quality of service we render to our patients. We are not saying that we are perfect, but our major disagreement with SERAP report is that although a report must be representative, in other words, if you pick what is not good enough in the facility, you must also pick what is good enough. Otherwise, you present an unbalanced result and that is why we said it is unbalanced.

FMC Ebute Metta was only mentioned in the beginning, while in every other part of the report, the authors mentioned other health institutions, which basically means to us that they linked the FMC to some of the wrongs that were mentioned in other institutions.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralHome | News | General | APC Primary: Lagos Assembly Speaker Begs Lagosians To Pray For Governor Ambode

The fate of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode hangs in the balance as the All Progressives Congress prepares to conduct its primary.

An indication to this effect came from Mr Adeyemi Ikuforiji, a former Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, as he urged Epe indigenes to pray for Ambodes successful clinching of the All Progressives Congress ticket at the governorship direct primary scheduled for Sept. 29.



Ikuforiji made the appeal at the grand finale of Kayokayo festival in Epe on Saturday night.

Epe is home to Ambode and the late Gov. Michael Otedola.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the states Governors Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision making body of APC in Lagos, met on Saturday night where it resolved that the chapter must hold its primary to determine its governorship candidate.

The decision may have put paid to hopes that the party would clear the coast for Ambodes bid by asking his challengers to step down for him.

Among his challengers are Mr Jide Sanwo-Olu, a former Commissioner for Training and Establishment, believed to have been backed by Chief Bola Tinubu, APC National Leader and ex-governor, and Dr Obafemi Hamzat, also a former Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure.

A source close to the 22-member GAC meeting held at Tinubus Ikoyi residence told NAN that the party insisted that Ambode must go through the primary with others.

We met and deliberated extensively on the governors second term bid and our forthcoming primary.

After the deliberations, we resolved that the party should hold the primary to pick its candidate because that is just the right thing to do.

We are a democratic party that believes so much in internal democracy, so we think we should allow everyone to sell themselves to members who will eventually determine their choices, the source who attended the meeting said.

Among those who attended the meeting are Sen. Anthony Adefuye, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi and former Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, and Chief Abayomi Finnih, who is scheduled to address the press on Monday on the outcome.

Ikuforiji, however, urged the people to be calm and support the governor in prayers for him to be successful in the re-election bid.

He said prayer became necessary because of the speculations that Mr Jide Sanwo-Olu has been tipped to succeed Ambode as the next governor on APC platform in 2019 election.

Also addressing the gathering, Mr Adedoyin Adesanya, the Chairman, Epe Local Government, stressed the need for peaceful coexistence and be focused.

He said the people of Epe should live in peace and harmony for the progress of the community.

Earlier, Mr Alade Saliu-Okulu, the Chairman, Organising Committee, thanked sponsors and attendees, noting that this years festival was better than the previous editions.

He advised the winner of a brand new car at the festival to make a good use it and support the staging of other editions.

The activities marking the Epe Kayokayo festival which started on Sept. 14 were rounded off at mid-night of Sept. 22 with several artistes on the bandstand.

-NAN

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralBy Ritah Kemigisa.

The Kyadondo East legislator Robert Kyagulanyi known to many as Bobi Wine has today come out to explain the real meaning of people power which he says has been misunderstood by many people and government.

Addressing journalists at his home at Magere, Kyagulanyi said People power is just an ideology and not a political party.

He says this ideology brings together all Ugandans irrespective of their political party, the professions they practice, the unemployed and employed coming together to stand for what is right and fight for their liberty.

He adds that the ideology stems from article one of the constitution which states that power belongs to the people.

He has meanwhile warned government to stop stifling the work of those who belong to the people power movement saying they are unstoppable.Home | News | General | Saraki is not a threat to Buhari, only Kwara people will vote for him  Senator Ndume

- Senator Ndume expressed optimism in Buharis victory in 2019

- The lawmaker dismissed claim that Saraki is a strong contender for presidency

- He said only Kwara people will vote for Saraki

A member of the National Assembly, Sen. Ali Ndume, has dismissed Senate President Bukola Sarakis presidential ambition, describing it as a pipe dream and not a threat to President Muhammadu Buharis second-term bid.

Saraki, who recently defected from the ruling APC to the main opposition PDP, is aspiring to be the countrys next president in the 2019 general elections.

READ ALSO: Osun election: Saraki meets Omisore (photos)

Speaking as a guest on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, however, Ndume, who is a strong ally of the senate president until they fell out in 2017, and an APC senator representing Borno South, said that Saraki could only win election in his home state, Kwara.

I think it is good he is going for the presidency of Nigeria and he will see that it is only Kwara people that will vote him, not Nigerians.

We are waiting, at best you will see that maybe people from North Central will vote (for him) because that is where he is from, but I do not think Saraki will be Nigerias president.

When somebody cannot manage the Senate. How can he manage Nigeria?

When you present President Buhari and Saraki for people to choose from, the difference is very clear.

Since his declaration for the presidential race, Saraki has said at different fora that the country was in dire need of a leader like him with the demonstrable capacity to unite the nation.

But Ndume said the senate president could not be trusted with the countrys leadership, having used his position as senate president to antagonise and sabotage the current government.

Where we got it wrong was where Senate President Saraki thought that the Senate is independent. The legislature is not independent to the extent of operating like a different country.

If it were in Nigeria, Saraki would have been the Vice President. Would he be sabotaging his principal?

The senate is supposed to support the government, not to sabotage the government, not to antagonise the government.

Ndume and Saraki were strong allies and members of the bipartisan Like Minds Group in the Senate, formed to among other things, protect the legislature against undue interference.

Ndume said their problem started when he allegedly discovered that Saraki was pursuing a personal agenda against national interest for which the group was founded.

The rift got to a head with the removal of the Borno lawmaker as Majority Leader of the Senate and his subsequent suspension for six months.

Meanwhile, former military ruler, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, has backed the presidential ambition of Senate president, Bukola Saraki. Babangida on Sunday, September 16, said that Saraki was well prepared to be the president of Nigeria, the Nation reports.

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The former military ruler made the statement at his residence in Minna, Niger state, when Saraki paid him a courtesy visit as part of his nationwide tour to seek support of PDP supporters and delegates for his nomination as the presidential candidate.

Babangida stated that there can be no better candidate than Saraki, owing to his experience as a governor, legislator and Senate president.

Babangida commended the Senate president for championing unity, economic development and security as part of his objectives.

Nigeria Election 2019: What are Bukola Sarakis chances against President Buhari? | Naij.com TV

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: GeneralZimbabweans in the diaspora stand ready to participate in the new dispensation to rebuild the country after nearly two decades of economic stagnation and regression under the previous administration. This came out of a planning meeting held yesterday in New York by Zimbabweans based in North America to discuss how they can participate in the country's rebuilding process during President Emmerson Mnangagwa's ongoing visit to the United States where he is set to address the United Nation General Assembly summit on Wednesday this week.

"Many people have this negative view of Zimbabweans in the diaspora as asylum seekers or people without professions or skills who are just seeking asylum to flee the economic challenges at home. On the contrary, especially here in the (United) States, we have doctors, bankers, brokers and businesspeople among other professions," said patriot and Pan-Africanist writer, Dambudzo Mapuranga, on the sidelines of the meeting.

"We love our country and we are ready to mobilise resources and offer our skills in re-building our country. Zimbabwe has a lot of potential and we want to be part of the tapping of that potential to restore the country's glory which was lost over the past two decades," said Mapuranga.

"We appeal to fellow Zimbabwean diasporans here in the US and elsewhere from the MDC camp that there is no honour in agitating for sanctions against the whole country just for the asylum comforts of a few people. There is no political capital in travelling from Zimbabwe to appeal to (American President, Donald) Trump for the extension of sanctions just to spite and score points against ZANU PF," said another American-based professional, Dr Frank Guni.

The US-based Zimbabweans' commitment to rebuilding the country comes after Trump's extension of sanctions against Zimbabwe in July following a trip to the United States in December last year by the MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa, who led a delegation which, among other issues, requested for the extension of the sanctions.

It also comes against a background of Chamisa's insistence that he won the 30 July presidential elections although he is increasingly standing alone on this matter as many progressive Zimbabweans including members of the Dr Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T faction are accepting and recognising President Mnangagwa's victory. The faction was represented at the meeting by Denny Moyo.The 73rd Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly currently in motion in the United States provides boundless opportunities for Zimbabwe to tell its story following the recent political transfiguration that gave birth to a new dispensation, now commonly referred to as the Second Republic.

The newly elected leader of the Republic of Zimbabwe, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has made his maiden appearance at the intergovernmental organisation following his recent election as Head of State and Government in a free, fair, transparent and credible harmonised election. The President is expected to explain to the world how he was democratically elected in the July 30 polls despite unproven contestation from the main opposition party, the MDC Alliance. However, the President will be preaching to the converted as the 193-member multipurpose organisation witnessed the democratic electoral process which ushered in President Mnangagwa as the second executive President of Zimbabwe. Spontaneous endorsements of the polls poured from most of the observers.



The new dispensation has a new political thinking which the President will explain in his maiden speech this Wednesday. He is to explain to the world a myriad of political reforms he is implementing. During his interview with CNN's Christian Amanpour, President Mnangagwa has already hinted that his administration would adopt the Commonwealth parliamentary democracy approach where the leader of the opposition is formally recognised. This is a complete departure from the previous administration wherein there was a paucity of such formal recognition. However, it is everybody's hope that the leader of the opposition will conduct himself in a manner that is commensurate with such a recognition.

The world has heard President Mnangagwa's gospel of peace and tranquillity which is in harmony with the UN's objective of creating and maintaining international order. Before he left for the US, President Mnangagwa swore in a seven-member Commission of Inquiry into the violent protest that led to the unfortunate death of six people in Harare last month. The setting up of the team with highly regarded commissioners should excite the international body as it shows President Mnangagwa's commitment. The inclusion of eminent people in the Commission, again is indicative of the importance that the President attaches to the inquiry.

The President has not gone to the US for sightseeing and his trip will certainly pay dividend. Unlike in the previous administration where the President went to such trips with a bloated entourage in tow, President Mnangagwa went with a lean but effective train. The team that comprised of the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor, Dr John Mangudya and a few other Government officials, has already convened a highly subscribed Zimbabwe Investor Forum where the brand Zimbabwe was marketed.

Investors were apprised of what Zimbabwe offers and hopefully the American investors will hasten to grab the opportunities on offer. Zimbabwe has opened up for business to all interested investors. Instead of looking exclusively east, there is now a paradigm shift where the country now looks everywhere without necessarily neglecting its all-weather friend, China. The investment environment has been significantly value-added through the rescinding and amendment of laws such as the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act which were inimical to investors.

President Mnangagwa has a vision of building a middle-income economy by 2030, thus, he is not lost to the fact that such a vision needs international cooperation to come to fruition. Therefore, his speech on Wednesday will be a complete departure from his predecessor, whose speeches at such fora had become characteristically antagonistic. He is going to undo the entrenched negative perception that the world had on Zimbabwe under the former president.

He will preach the gospel of re-engagement. In his own words soon after landing in the US, the President said: "I am here to share our story of a nation reinvigorated, a hope reborn and a dream renewed. I am proud to represent you all and I am proud to represent the new Zimbabwe." Indeed, Zimbabweans are expecting their president to renew their hope. Gone are the days when Zimbabweans lined-up at the airport upon the return of the president to thank him for hauling the West over the coals. This time around, Zimbabweans want to receive a bagful of investment deals and memos of understanding.It is now forty one years since Steve Biko, the doyen of South African Black Consciousness Movement passed on. A part of this piece title is developed from Steve Biko's, I Write What I Like. Although Steve Biko may not be with us physically, his memories live on with much vigor as they were more than a generation ago. The paper was presented in 1972 at a Conference of Black Ministers of Religion, organized by Black Community Programmes at Edendale in Natal. Despite being a layman (not an expert in Religious matters) Biko's submissions point to an individual who challenged Christo-centric egoistic teachings of his time. The implicit arguments for Black Theology are articulated with important observations against a society which used Christianity for self-serving purposes. Four issues were highlighted, which are vital today and the future generations as they were over forty years ago. A decolonial reading of this chapter by Biko opens us new insights on current challenges encountered by the Church, the clergyman as well as the believer/s.

The first important major issue raised by Biko was that of a Christianity which sought to inculcate forgiveness to believers that is 'turn the other cheek' whilst facing poor people. Drawing from the archives, King Leopold ll of Belgium, in a letter directed to missionaries send to Africa in 1883 also echoed such teachings with beatitudes central to their message. The story of Christianity in Africa is not all flowery, as it also exhibits the 'darker side of modernity.' Beyond political domination in the colonial agenda was the need to 'colonise the soul' of the Africans. Thus the popularization of the three Cs. In their so-called civilization mission was that aspect of darkening the soul with Christianity. Africans are now directed to be forgiving by the same people who disturbed their religious systems, such is the irony and hypocrisy of the West. This however does not suggest that forgiveness is not an ethical thing to do but the very fact that it is directed by unconverted makes it problematic. The apartheid regime used the black-white divide to serve white monopoly in all facets of life. The South Africans are 'destitute people' in that their land, the root of empowerment isn't in their hands, twenty five years after their claimed independence. In that regard, Steve Biko's articulations remain vital and his memory has to be fed to the living young generation. Decolonization is not fully implemented when the man of the pulpit still preaches forgiveness without first and above all, the land injustices are not addressed.

The Preacher has to grapple with these issues openly. Even in Zimbabwe, some preachers have wrongly approached to the Bible in their sermons as the forgiveness button is pressed carelessly and without serious thought. The Herald Zimbabwe Newspaper,1 September 2009 had a story titled Refrain Your Tongue from Evil. In brief, the article pointed to the main reason for poverty among Zimbabweans as resultant of sinning. Obvious Vengeyi (2011) also critically engaged with such teachings from Pastors and the like-minded who fail to unmask the real factors behind poverty among Zimbabweans. In fact Vengeyi (2011) dismissed the gospel of prosperity preachers by situating the historical context in which poverty manifests in Zimbabwe. The story of South Africa cannot be ignored in this whole discourse as the scars of colonial inequalities are everywhere. As such Steve Biko's layman observations are worth addressing in contemporary Zimbabwe.

Tracing even from the time of Martin Luther King to the time of Steve Biko, the centricity of Christian doctrines in both the making and unmaking of colonialism has been extravagantly perceptible. The church in its centrality has pivoted numerous defacto ideological implications that make it contestable to dogmatically articulate the role of the church in projecting the praxis of decolonization. From a Euro-North America albeit Neo liberal narrative the church remains as a critical discourse legitimizing the Hegelian patterns of whiteness against the rest of the world. From a Marxian perspective, the church is still an elite project legitimizing the exploitation of the masses. In Africa both the neo-liberal and Marxist theories, still fail to account for the perceptions of black people towards the church.

Frequently the participation of black people in the institution is mistaken for their belonging to the discourse, very little is invested in extracting the actual causalities probing black people to attend or even practice the religion in a manner that is alien to their culture/ history. Many books and articles about religion in Africa have been written but by outsiders. In these writings a number of wrong and derogatory things have been said. Even worse, these submissions have led Africans to use those same wrong terms and hold the same ideas to articulate their participation and belonging to the church. Let us put right some of these wrong things.

The second area of interest is the obsession with bureaucracy and institutionalization. Far from the teaching of the Bible which is alien to the black people, white monopoly in leadership has to be confronted. Situational black theology becomes imperative as real problems affecting the oppressed and repressed are addressed. Truthful teachings shall among other things unmask the evils existing in the world and by so doing emancipate the oppressed. Thus believers should be encouraged not to 'suffer peacefully,' but to confront inequalities existing in our societies as they are.

What then is the 'church' to a native? Or what is the native to the church? Who is the church when it comes to the politics of epistemic disobedience? Steve Biko teaches us that all societies, individuals, ancient or modern, young or old, identify themselves with a particular religion, in the case that none exists one is developed. Therefore using the church as both an ideological construct and an ideological contrast, this article resolves that, in the same manner the church was used to de-culturalize black people, it is equally imperative for the same church to be used in reconstructing the metaphysical empire of the previously disenfranchised polity without any terms and conditions that derive legitimacy from the western Hegelian truth(s).

When calculating the politics of manufacturing a belief system, it is logical to conclude that every human should have their own deity/knowledge. Even from a Hegelian notion of a 'one deity' universe, interpretations of the communications to that deity/knowledge should not be homogenizing, any consistency to the later patterns of hegemony becomes antithetical to those phonotypical factors that form the thrust of reasoning. As such, any incompliance to the cause of pluralizing conceptions to the deity is tantamount to racism or a deliberate attempt to dismember_specific groups from the politics of being.

Thirdly, white hegemony is upheld with 'white equals value' approach. Christianity which puts the Africans at the centre in their response to particular problems of their daily lives is vital. The call for dismissing the centrality of whites in religious beliefs everywhere becomes a pertinent aspect. Black theologians should stand up for the task beforehand is huge.

Of recent the church has perpetuated its assault on indigenous knowledge systems. Very often, specific local knowledge(s) are excluded from practice on the basis of their parallel position to the discourse of the church. This perennially makes natives feel inadequate about themselves, feel guilty for just being black as if blackness is tantamount to being a spiritual misfit.

Since we have established that religion belongs to the people, no individual member of the society should stand and dismiss his people's religion neither should there be anyone standing up to command people to disband their own religion or their shared interpretations on 'the' deity and his works.

The church is a universal part of human life, of necessity it must have a great and important value otherwise by now most people in the world will abandon it completely. Of interest in this text was celebrating the life of Steve Biko through his splendid contribution to the body of knowledge using the church as a point of reference. In Biko's terms, religion in the same manner it was central in the conquest of black people it should also be central in the liberation of the same black people. From a decolonial perspective, the church should actively assume the mandate of undoing the coloniality of power. It can only do so if it shifts its emphasis from inculcating imbecility in the minds of an unsuspecting audience into inculcation spirituality of self consciousness.



Finally, too much focus on specialization is emphasized on unlike anything. Due to monopolization and bureaucracy usually found in some churches, blacks should fight such that their voices and influence are well thought out. More worth remembering that Christianity was imposed by way of coercion rather consent. Although this may be debated, Christianity was not all good. It is the 'darker side of modernity' that Steve Biko unmasked to Africans, as such they remain relevant.

Brian Maregedze is a Historian and Author (membership: Leaders for Africa Network [LAN] and Zimbabwe Historical Association [ZHA]) bmaregedze@gmail.com

Tedious Ncubeis a Political Science and Public Management Researcher with Leaders for Africa Network [LAN]. TediousNcube@icloud.com

Disclaimer: These are their own views.Home | World | Africa | CNN calls Mnangagwa 'old wine' to his face - after rigging elections again, vinegar turned poison

CNN calls Mnangagwa "old wine in a new bottle" forcing Zanu PF apologists and spin-doctors to burn the midnight oil in a futile attempt to portray the interview in more flattering terms.

"In an interview with CNN journalist and television host, Christiane Amanpour on Friday, last week, he (Mnangagwa) seized the opportunity to clarify some of the West's misconception about him for instance, the fact that having worked under Mugabe for almost four decades he was likely to perpetuate the former's leadership style and that nothing much would change under his administration," wrote Nobleman Runyanga.

"The events of 1 August, which saw some six people dying as a result of some skirmishes between the police and some opposition members who were protesting against the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) even when the electoral body was not yet done with announcing the results, is one issue which has been used by most people to liken President Mnangagwa to his predecessor."

The seven (not six) did not just die as if of heart attack or something; they were shot dead by soldiers (not the Police) who had orders to shoot to kill.

The people were protesting what everyone could see was yet another rigged election process. Yes there was something fishy with the way ZEC was taking forever to announce the results, these were echoes of the March 2008 when it took six weeks to tally 5 million vote and announce results. Still these elections had been rigged long before the first ballot was cast on 30 July 2018.

The regime denied 2 to 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora the right to vote for no other reason than that the regime feared most of them did not support Zanu PF. The regime stubbornly refused to release a verified voters' roll at least one month before nomination day; this is a legal required. Even to this day, two months since voting day, there is still no verified voters' roll. One has only to look at the voting results to see why no verified voters' roll was released.

In 16 polling stations there are two or more stations within driving distance of each other in which exactly the same number of ballots were cast and Mnangagwa, who got the lion's share of the votes, got exactly the same votes in each, for example. It should be noted here that Zanu PF has increased the number of polling station from 2 000 in 2008 to over 11 000 this year, a staggering 550% increase. A close scrutiny of the voters' roll would be shown there was multiple voting and other vote rigging shenanigans; the voters' roll was the smoking gun.

As for the 1st August shoot to kill tragedy, the regime knew the people knew the elections were rigged and were angry at being short changed again. The regime used brute force just to remind the people of all the brutality of the past, it has murdered over 30 000 to establish and retain the de facto one-party dictatorship, and that it will shed fresh blood without a moment's hesitation.

The shooting and the follow up harassment and arrest of the regime's critics have achieved the desired effect of cowing the nation into quite submission.

"President Mnangagwa rebutted the "Mnangagwa is Mugabe" by pointing out that he had put in place a commission of enquiry into the matter which is being led by former South African president, Kgalema Motlanthe. He demonstrated his administration's commitment to transparency by indicating that, "we could not investigate ourselves." The President gave a clear indication of the country's future by emphasising peace going forward," continued the spin-doctor.

"Seemingly, unsatisfied by this explanation, Amanpour insisted that President Mnangagwa was part of the previous administration and described the new Government as "old wine in new bottles" but the President demonstrated his commitment to championing change for Zimbabweans to enjoy better life than that experienced during the Mugabe era."

Of course, Amanpour was not satisfied, who would! Everyone can see nothing in Zimbabwe has changed, the vote rigging, the corruption, the use of wanton violence to silence all critics, etc. The commission of enquiry into the shooting will never change the results on the ground  the regime rigged the elections and used brute force to silence all dissent!

"If you look at me then you would say I belong to the old guard that's a fact, but look at the Cabinet how many people are new in that Cabinet you can see the direction that we are taking," said President Mnangagwa in reference to his gender-balance and technocratic 21-member Cabinet.

There is no doubt that President Mnangagwa and his junta friends rigged the 30 July 2018 elections; the regime is, per se, illegitimate. Appointing a few innocent faces into the cabinet will not change the fact the regime is illegitimate.

"President Mugabe ended up being one of the longest serving president in Africa. He just wouldn't leave. Elections or no elections, he just wouldn't go. He considered an election or process to be illegitimate," argued Christiane Amanpour before she played a clip of an interview she had with Zimbabwe's former dictator, Robert Mugabe.

"Haven't you heard of regime changed championed by Britain and the United States which is aimed at get Robert Mugabe and his party out of power. That naturally means we dig in. We remain in our trenches!" the now deposed dictator argued.

Zanu PF has justified denying the ordinary Zimbabweans their freedoms and basic human rights including the right to free, fair and credible elections and even the right to life under the pretext that it was not the people of Zimbabwe who wanted regime change but foreigners. Ian Smith and his white colonial regime used to argue that the blacks in the country did not want independence, it was a few communist agitators who did. The whites denied the blacks a democratic platform to speak for themselves, sadly the same continued to happen after independence.

By rigging the 30 July 2018 elections and using wanton violence to cow the nation into silent submission President Mnangagwa has proven once again that when it comes to regime change Zanu PF is still dug in and remains in the de facto one-party state trenches.

After listening to Mugabe's bombastic blast, no one would make the mistake of calling him old wine for fear of someone mistake it for wholesome old vintage. Both Mugabe and Mnangagwa are old wine, decades past its use by date, that have long turned into bitter vinegar then poison and now carries a health warning "Do not open. Incinerate bottle and contents!"

Mnangagwa rigged the recent elections. He is Mugabe mark 2. His regime is illegitimate and must not be supported in any way. If the regime is allowed to serve its five-year term, we can be certain that it will rig the next elections and thus perpetuate its no regime change mantra against the democratic wish of the long suffering people of Zimbabwe.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: AfricaIt is now a full month since the Constitutional Court delivered its watershed ruling to dismiss with costs MDC Alliance Presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa's, application challenging the results released by the Zimbabwe Elections Commission declaring President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the winner of the 30 July elections.

This means that President Mnangagwa and Zanu PF's victory has been endorsed by three sections of our existence; the people who voted for him, ZEC which ran the election and announced the results and the highest court in the land (Constitutional Court). Yet Chamisa and his new MDC party continue to insinuate that they were robbed and they are the rightful winners of the election.

This futile endeavour by the opposition movement is now bordering on lunacy and an embarrassment to those continuing to make noise over the issue of elections results when the rest of the country is clearly moving-on and supporting the new administration of President Mnangagwa.

President Mnangagwa will on 26 September deliver his maiden speech to the family of nations at the 73rd edition of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). If he was an illegitimate leader as claimed by Chamisa and company, would he be allowed to address such a gathering of world leaders?? The answer to this is a definite NO. One then wonders why Chamisa is wasting people's time by claiming the opposite.

When the President delivered his first State of the Nations Address (SONA), MDC Alliance legislators walked out only to later return and demand their seats. One again asks why these legislators are being used by Chamisa, an unelected individual, to embarrass themselves and draw scorn from those who voted for them to represent them in the August House.

One of the country's veteran politicians and the ZAPU leader, Dumiso Dabengwa, seems to have come back to his senses as he is now advising Chamisa and crew to stop stonewalling and accept the reality that they lost the election and help the nation to move forward and focus on developing the country's economy as being tabled by President Mnangagwa.

"I'm a realist and being realist, I believe that we have a Government with us today whether you like it or not. The current Zanu-PF Government is unlikely to change until 2023."

"In 2023 that is when the country will go for another harmonised election as per the country's electoral cycle," said Dr Dabengwa.

This showed the level of maturity on Dabengwa's part, something that Chamisa is clearly lacking. Dabengwa chose to put national interests first and leave petty political squabbles behind.

Former First Lady, Grace Mugabe, shocked the nation when she revealed to the world that President Mnangagwa assisted her during her mother's funeral and because of this, she was now willing to move past the events of operation restore legacy and work with the Government of President Mnangagwa.



This was a shocker because on the eve of the elections the Mugabes had pledged never to support those who removed them from power. They had, instead, opted to support Chamisa and his Alliance partners. However, they are now ready to place the nation first and work with President Mnangagwa.

MDC-T spokesperson, Linda Masarira was even impressed by the mending of fences between the Mugabes and President Mnangagwa.

"After the humiliation he (Mnangagwa) went through when he was belittled by the former First Lady last year, it clearly shows that he has a forgiving heart and is committed to build, unity and tolerance in our diversity," said Masarira.

Any sane person can see that the time of petty politics and irrelevant squabbling is now over and this is the time to build a nation that will be a marvel for all. Someone needs to get this message to Chamisa because he risks alienating himself and his party from the rest of the people who are now looking forward and ready to work with President Mnangagwa for a better brighter Zimbabwe.Home | World | Africa | Chigumba lashes out at 'sore losers'

Over two months since Zimbabwe held its first post-Robert Mugabe elections, the outcome of the polls is still being disputed by the country's biggest opposition party, the MDC Alliance.

MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa accuses President Emmerson Mnangagwa of rigging the elections with help from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and has refused to concede defeat.

Zec chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba was thrust into the centre of the dispute as she was accused of favouring Mnangagwa.

However, the Constitutional Court last month dismissed Chamisa's petition challenging the results.

Chigumba (PC), who has since gone on leave until November, told our senior reporter Xolisani Ncube (XN) in an exclusive interview yesterday that her conscience was clear and believes that Zec ran a transparent election.

She said she was unfairly targeted by "sore losers" and advised the winning MPs to use their terms to push for electoral reforms if they were not happy with the current legislation.

Below are excerpts from the interview.

XN: The election period is over. What is your assessment of the 2018 elections?

PC: The 2018 elections went on well according to the commission's roadmap and the laws of the country. This was also confirmed by the majority of observer groups in their initial reports.

XN: What is your reaction to the incident in Parliament two weeks ago where you were booed by opposition MPs that accused you of being a thief?

PC: People are entitled to their opinions and are free to demonstrate as the constitution allows for freedom of expression.

However, it is worrying to observe that some people still believe that their party's victory was stolen by the commission despite due process being followed.

The commission is convinced that it had strongly rebuffed evidence to the allegations raised by the applicant, who unfortunately, could not back up his claim to the satisfaction of the Constitutional Court.

XN: Do you think the behaviour of the opposition MPs was justified given the way the election was conducted?

PC: It was not justified and I am convinced that they know the truth and are aware that the elections were professionally conducted in accordance with the laws of the country.

Their behaviour can best be explained as political posturing meant to ingratiate themselves with their supporters for reasons best known to them.

Our conscience is clear. As I said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and expression.

However, I think it is grossly unfair to hurl unsubstantiated accusations at someone under the guise of exercising freedom of expression.

XN: Do you have any regrets about how the election was run given the court challenges that have characterised the post-election period?

PC: I have no regrets at all since the elections were conducted in terms of our law and international best practice.

XN: According to the joint International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission (ZIEOM), "false information circulated to undermine confidence in the secrecy of the vote, under-registration of urban voters, and failure to provide the preliminary voters roll in electronic format" undermined the July 30 elections. Do you agree with that assessment?

PC: Definitely we do not agree, but they are entitled to their own view. That is the essence of democracy.

As far as we are concerned, the commission conducted the elections guided by the laws of the country.

The voters roll was made available in searchable and analysable electronic format as stipulated by the law.

The commission also made efforts to provide essential information to stakeholders at any given turn.

It is unfortunate if the two observer missions concluded their observations with such an assertion.

XN: The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission said you had not done enough to earn the confidence of the contesting parties that you were independent. What is your comment on that?

PC: That is their view. However, the commission is independent as stipulated by law and so am I.

The commission ensured that it continuously engaged stakeholders in its preparations for the elections and will continue to do so in the forthcoming elections.

Hopefully, stakeholder confidence in the commission will grow as time goes on.

XN: Other concerns included the high number of assisted voters and confusion around sub-polling stations. Were these issues of any concern to Zec?

PC: There is a tendency by some stakeholders to generalise issues without providing statistics to back up allegations being made.

For instance, on the issue of assisted voters, the commission is still to ascertain and analyse data from polling protocol registers to see how many voters were assisted to vote.

However, we are surprised that there are already people speaking authoritatively as if a national survey on assisted voters was conducted.

Furthermore, the commission noted that the so-called confusion at sub-polling stations did not affect voting as this was quickly addressed by polling officers.

The created sub-polling stations actually facilitated the speedy processing of voters since no polling station handled more than 1 000 voters.

XN: The MDC Alliance petition challenging the presidential election raised a number of issues, which the party said undermined the elections. Are there any lessons that Zec learnt from the legal process?

PC: The commission learnt that it is important to safeguard the identity of its documents and for stakeholders to authenticate them through appendage of signatures among other measures.

It would have been difficult for the commission to rebut the allegations made against it if it did not have documents signed by party agents to signify that they were in agreement with what had transpired at their places of deployment.

If the commission had failed to follow the dictates of the law, it would have been found wanting resulting in it losing court cases that arose before and after the elections.

XN: What can be done to ensure Zec is "widely perceived to be an independent election management body capable of administering credible elections" as recommended by the NDI and IRI in their post-election reports?

PC: There is need to manage perceptions through continuous stakeholder engagement and information dissemination through various modern platforms.

There is also need for stakeholders to play their part through dissemination of correct and objective information on the country's institutions in order for the electorate to have trust in their institutions.

XN: The issue of traditional leaders actively participating in ruling party activities ahead of the elections was raised by the NDI and IRI as well as the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission as another problem that undermined the elections. Is there anything Zec could have done about it?

PC: Zec played its part through stakeholder engagements and by discouraging any conduct that violated the law.

In some instances, legal action was taken and the court made decisions, which stakeholders should follow.

Zec met with the relevant authorities and reminded them of provisions of the law.

Furthermore, the commission also communicated these publicly in press statements and in the electronic media.

XN: Have you at any time during the election period felt your security was under threat or your privacy had been invaded?

PC: Every public official will inevitably be subjected to scrutiny about the manner in which they discharge their duties.

To a certain extent, public officials' conduct must be beyond reproach.

However, I hold the considered view that there is an invisible line which must never be crossed.

Unfortunately, it was crossed not for purposes of achieving any positive outcome, but purely to feed misogynistic prejudices and to maliciously distort a well-managed process and its outcome by sore losers.

The social media was used to peddle falsehoods, hatred and threats on a fellow commissioner and on my person. However, I was not physically harmed by anyone.

XN: Since the harmonised elections are over, what major activities will Zec be engaged in other than by-elections that might arise?

PC: Elections are not a one-time event, but happen in a cycle. The commission is currently preparing for the forthcoming constituency delimitation exercise.

Voter registration and voter education is also continuous while by-elections will be held in those areas where vacancies may arise.

The commission will review its processes to see if there is need to amend the law or improve any of its administrative functions.

The commission will also participate in other election observer missions to learn more from them.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission would like to urge all those representatives of the people who were duly elected to both houses as well as all Zimbabwean citizens to use the time between now and 2023 to draft and promulgate the electoral law that they want.

It is not incumbent on the commission to make electoral law or to use disingenuous tools of interpreting it to fill in any gaps or ambiguities.

Come 2023, the Zec will apply and implement the provisions of the Electoral Act, its regulations and the constitution without fear, favour or bias.

The current Zec chairperson, commissioners and secretariat are confident that they discharged their duties to the best of their abilities and within the confines of the law.

Those who are unhappy with the current law are encouraged to work towards changing it now so that it accurately reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people and so that the electoral law will never again be the root cause of polarisation in our electoral processes.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: AfricaBY KELVIN ATUHAIRE.

President Museveni yesterday gave out shs 100 million to the ghetto youth of Kamwokya to help boost their businesses that they operate.

Government Deputy Spokesperson Col Shaban Bantariza who represented the president at Passover harvest church where the youth were being handed over the money, tasked the different youth that received money to utilize it well if they want to get more money in future from the president.

The president has given you this money, but I urge you to use it well, because now you have been given 100M but if you use it well, in future you will get more than that. Col. Bantariza said.

He added that this money given out to the youth will be used by the different groups that have registered themselves as saccos.

This money will go into their saccos where each member can borrow money from there, take it back. This is like startup capital in their saccos, even more will come depending on how they use it. He added.

The president came up to give this money to the kamwokya youth after he was contacted by one of the youth leaders in kamwokya Dr. Apollo Ahimbisibwe who owns a clinic in the area, after hearing of the presidents initiative of empowering slums.

The shs 100M that is meant to help out about 20,000 youth was distributed among-est six groups from kamwokya which include chamuka youth development association that took shs 30M, new kamwokya taxi drivers and conductors association 30M, Kamwokya twezimbe womens group 10M, kamwokya youth Boda boda association 10M, Twegate development group 10M and Kamwokya washing bay youth development 10M.

Each group leader was given a check of the money respectively which they will take to the bank and get cash, where they will be monitored closely to see how best they manage the money.

Related Stories..

Bobi Wine scoffs at M7 for giving money to the ghetto youth"It's not a secret that the United States aims at replacing our engines by probably less reliable and more expensive but indigenous U.S. engines." -- Igor Komarov, ex-director general of Roscosmos

"But can we, say, just stop [selling rocket engines to the United States]? We can." -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin

Russian policy statements don't always make a lot of sense, nor are they always consistent. (Then again, that's not necessarily confined to Russia these days, is it?) Yet some of the statements coming out of President Putin's empire lately are raising the bar for incongruity.

BE-4 engine test firing horizontally

Blue Origin is lighting up the space race -- and building a new engine to free America from dependence on Russian rocket engines. Image source: Blue Origin.

On the one hand, faced with the prospect of American companies inventing a new rocket engine to power United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rockets, Russia's space agency has thrown shade on America's space industry. American engines are overpriced, says Mr. Komarov. And they're of worse quality than rocket engines made in Russia -- the implication being that ULA should buy Russian RD-180 engines instead of new engines from Blue Origin or Aerojet Rocketdyne (NYSE: AJRD).

On the other hand, Russia is threatening to refuse to sell the same engine that it is so eager to have ULA continue buying. Echoing past threats by Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin, last month Russia's Senate budget committee chairman Sergei Ryabukhin warned that Russia might halt rocket engine exports to the U.S. if it doesn't lift its "obnoxious and cynical" economic sanctions against Russia.

So does Russia want to sell us its rocket engines or not? What, a space investor wonders, will it take to make Russia make up its mind?

Russia makes up its mind

As it turns out, the answer to that question is "money." Backtracking on past threats, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin now says Russia must "weigh the pros and cons" from the viewpoint of "economic pragmatism." And when it does that, the scales tip decidedly in favor of continuing to make money off the American space program.

Story continues

Earlier this month, Rogozin concluded that "it is necessary to continue exporting high-tech" rocket engines to the U.S. Whatever their political disagreements, Rogozin told Russian state news agency TASS that "Russia depends on rocket engine supplies to the US" and "the US also depends on the supplies of Russian rocket engines."

RD-180 sales are essential to Russia

The first part of that statement is clearly correct. DefenseNews.com estimates that Russian company Energomash, which builds rocket engines both for Roscosmos and for export, gets roughly half its annual revenue from the sale of massive RD-180 rocket engines to power ULA's Atlas V rockets. Additional revenue comes from sale of the smaller RD-181 engine used on Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket.

Without these revenues, Energomash -- barely profitable in most years -- would almost certainly slip into losses.

But is the RD-180 good for America?

As for whether Russian rocket engines are "[more] reliable and [less] expensive" than their American competitors' rockets, though -- well, that's much more debatable.

According to TASS, Energomash sells its RD-180 engines to ULA for about $9.9 million apiece. That's pretty cheap, and with 860,000 pounds of thrust at sea level, one single RD-180 engine is powerful enough to serve as the core engine on a Lockheed Martin-designed Atlas V launch vehicle.

To replace the RD-180, two American companies are designing smaller engines that will work in pairs to launch ULA's new Vulcan rocket, expected to replace the Atlas V in 2020.

Aerojet Rocketdyne is hoping that ULA will choose its liquid oxygen (LOX)/kerosene-fueled "AR1" engine to replace the RD-180 on future ULA rockets beginning in 2019. Putting out 500,000 pounds of thrust at sea level, it's only about 58% as powerful as the RD-180. What's more, Aerojet is targeting a unit cost of about $10 million to $12.5 million for each AR1 engine -- meaning a pair will probably cost twice the sticker price of an RD-180. (And even that doesn't include amortization of AR1's development costs, expected to reach $1 billion.)

Blue Origin says that its LOX/methane-powered BE-4 -- currently the favorite to power ULA's Vulcan -- will be ready to fly by 2019. Blue Origin hasn't published an exact price for the BE-4, but promises that once developed it will sell for "about 30 to 40 percent less than the RD-180 engine."

This implies a sticker price as low as $6 million or $7 million -- but whether that's the cost of just one BE-4 engine (remember, Vulcan will need two of 'em to get off the ground) or the cost of a working pair hasn't been clarified. Potentially, at $7 million per engine, Blue Origin's solution could cost $14 million.

That would be 40% more than Russia charges for the RD-180. On the other hand, Blue Origin points out that with a combined 1.1 million pounds of thrust at sea level, a pair of BE-4s can lift as much as an RD-180 and a supplemental solid rocket booster could. Eliminating the need to buy a booster, says Blue Origin, would save $10 million per launch on heavy lift missions. In that scenario, two BE-4s could end up costing less than one RD-180 plus one supplemental booster -- a lot less.

The upshot for space investors

Net-net, it sounds to me like NASA and the Air Force won't pay too much of a premium by switching from Russia's RD-180 to Blue Origin's BE-4, and may even save money on some missions. But what about Komarov's assertion that U.S. engines are inferior in quality? Can the Air Force and NASA afford to risk switching from Russian engines to Blue Origin?

The RD-180's quality is undeniable. It's successfully powered 68 straight Atlas V flights into orbit for United Launch Alliance without a hitch. That being said, Blue Origin's got a pretty good reputation for quality in its own right. To date, its New Shepard reusable rocket (which uses a BE-3 engine, predecessor to the BE-4) has a 100% record of reliability, flying nine times in a row without incident. Indeed, several of those test flights were with the same rocketship, using the same engine -- which Russia cannot say about its RD-180.

While we won't know for certain how reliable the BE-4 will be until it begins flying, we shouldn't have to wait long for the answer. Vulcan's first flight -- and the BE-4's -- is scheduled for next year.

Assuming all goes well, America's reliance on Russian rocket engines could soon be at an end, and Blue Origin could have its first bona fide revenue stream, and be well on the way to becoming a viable commercial space company.

More From The Motley Fool

Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.lmaooo yes!!

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He looks like the Friends episode where Ross gets leather pants.

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now THAT'S ironic!

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If only more men would refuse to wear shorts. Or at least refuse to wear shorts when it isn't appropriate.

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I have nice legs. let me live.

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Only if you're not going to show up to Thanksgiving in cargo shorts and socks with sandals.

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my thighs are thick and muscular, bye. I'm rocking my bb shorts.

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I only wear coochie cutters 

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Louis is the superior Theroux lbr





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There's no contest.

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Paul, too

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he's trash too after his dumb XXXTentacion tweet

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+ liking a pro-Woody Allen tweet.

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god what

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https://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/108855823.html?thread=18656841743#t18656841743 Not anymore

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never wears shorts? damn he must have had some major swamp ass in NYC this summer

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Hes basically Dr Mantleray irl, isnt he?



ETA: somebody should post those pics of him wearing black jorts during a vacation in Cabo with Jen. For shits and giggles.



Edited at 2018-09-24 05:01 pm (UTC)

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He's deeply Dr. Mantleray - clad in Mid Life Crisis Black Leather.

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Oh you mean when he went to the POOL in a BELT with his jorts? He's too fucking much

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Insufferable.



Also: Bahahahah Google him in shorts. I would avoid them aswell. Those are choices.

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lol

you're right.



for someone who refuses to wear shorts, he's been photo'd in shorts a lot

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This makes me wonder about his marriage bc Jennifer Aniston has never given me pretentious vibes in any way and has always seemed more laid back.

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MTE, she mustve gotten out when she noticed that it wasnt an act....dodged that bullet

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They were together for like 7 or 8 years total.



Methinks she's right up there with him.

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So he basically played himself in sex and the city?

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Do these not count as shorts?

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I guess now we know why he doesn't want to wear shorts.

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with tattoos like that, i would never wear shorts either.

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lol these kinds of tattoos are on every 'hip' person in Brooklyn nowadays. Just tons of little black line drawings/icons

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The toe band tattoo is cracking me up.

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I was sure Id seen him in shorts so, I googled it. There are recent interviews of him saying he hates men in shorts and flip flops, but there he is in both. What a douche canoe.

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They are terrible

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I just... I don't understand them at all. Such weird ass random placement/designs. No wonder he doesn't want to wear shorts anymore.

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Lmao wtf are those tattoos? Yikes.

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what is this ben affleck mess on his back? what is this ben affleck mess on his back?

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omfg the tattoos scream hipster

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so is that hairline..

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Still hot though. Sad to see no one's posted the pic of him in his sweatpants yet.

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lmao

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i will always think of him as his parks and rec character and it seems like i'm not too far offbase

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YES!! I imagine him just like that but with a dash more douche

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Look at dem jorts!

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unf

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Some guy I went to hs with used to wear those to to the beach, paired with tall cowboy boots & a fishing pole. And yeah, he was a redneck.

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That Chinatown quote was... something.

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Shut up and let me remember you as Drew's ex in CA's

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give us tha RANGS heh-lehn

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lmaooooo

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lol

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wait what give me more of this jesus chraist

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offensive to irish ppl

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looks like a buff tin tin 

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daddy

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Yum. Sam Rockwell too

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LinkSaudi Arabia will boost its crude oil production in the coming months as it expects stronger demand, Oil Minister Khalid al-Falih said this weekend, as quoted by S&P Global Platts, after President Trump last week lashed out at OPEC again for allowing prices to rise too high.

Al-Falih added, however, that production levels will be determined by customer demand and will not be a concerted effort to influence prices. Many would smile ironically at this statement, but it has been Riyadhs official line that demand is the only factor determining production.

Saudi Arabia pledged in June to increase its crude oil production to help rein in prices, but July saw disappointing daily figures at 10.29 million bpd. In August production rose further, to 10.42 million bpd and this month, said Al-Falih, it will be even higher.

"Our plan is to respond to demand. If demand [for Saudi crude] is 10.9 million b/d you can certainly take it to the bank that we will meet it. But the demand is 10.5 million b/d or 10.6 million b/d. I think October will be more than this," Al-Falih said, speaking on the sidelines of an OPEC meeting in Algiers.

The minister said some clients were already asking for more shipments than they had originally contracted with Aramco, and Al-Falih assured them these additional shipments will be made. At the same time, the Kingdom is stocking up on crude oil at home at abroad, even though overall inventories have been falling sharply recently, raising doubts about Saudi Arabias statements that it has enough spare capacity to respond to higher demand after the Iran sanctions kick in in November.

Data from the Joint Organizations Data Initiative showed Saudi Arabia had about 229 million barrels of crude in stock as of Julythe lowest since October 2009, S&P Global Platts notes. In July, drawdowns from these inventories averaged 178,000 bpd, up from just 15,000 bpd in the previous month and additions of 30,000 bpd in May.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:The weekend terrorist attack in Iran could be more important to oil prices than Sundays OPEC meeting, as the attack could exacerbate a rivalry in the most crucial oil-producing region in the world, analysts at RBC Capital Markets said on Sunday.

While a joint committee of OPEC and allies met in the weekend to discuss the state of the oil market, refraining from issuing any recommendation on lifting oil production, an attack on a military parade in the city of Ahvaz in Iran killed 25 people, including 12 of Irans elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, who vowed a deadly and unforgettable revenge for the terrorist attack.

On Sunday, the OPEC/non-OPEC Joint OPEC-non-OPEC Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) met in Algeria and said that despite growing uncertainties surrounding market fundamentals, including the economy, demand and supply, the participating producing countries of the DoC continue to seek a balanced and sustainably stable global oil market, serving the interests of consumers, producers, the industry and the global economy at large.

In a note on Sunday, as carried by CNBC, RBC Capital Markets analysts, led by global head of commodity strategy Helima Croft, said that:

We believe that Saturdays terrorist attack in Iran could prove to be the weekends more consequential event as it will likely exacerbate the already dangerous Middle East antagonisms.

The pledge by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to exact revenge raises the risk of the cold war in the Middle East becoming a hot one, according to RBC Capital Markets.

We also contend that the risk of such a destabilizing clash will only grow as Iran comes to feel the full effects of economic sanctions that are designed to radically alter the behavior of the ruling regime, if not change it, the analysts said.

Following the OPEC meeting, which left the OPEC+ supply as-is without announcing any immediate production boosts, oil prices jumped to four-year highs early on Monday, with Brent Crude breaking above $80 at $80.03 as of 07:41 a.m. EDT, and WTI Crude rallying 1.68 percent at $71.97.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:By Ritah Kemigisa.

The deaf people in Uganda have asked government to exempt them from paying social media tax.

According tothe executive director Uganda National Association of the Deaf Joseph Mbulamwana, the new social media tax is hurting most deaf people because they cannot afford it.

Mbulamwana says this is because many of the deaf members are really poor.

He adds that it complicates their communication problems and access to essential services such as education, health, justice, worship and news and information.

He meanwhile adds that as the deaf they are already suffering from a communication gap where many misunderstand some of the key government campaigns adding that with the OTT tax, the deaf community is headed for bad times.

Government introduced the OTT tax and mobile money tax in order to bring in revenue and improve the distribution of taxation.The OPEC/ non-OPEC JMCC meeting in Algiers has provided a very diffuse outcome.

Oil markets seem to be heading to a state of instability, as oil supplies come under severe pressure in the coming months. The worlds leading oil cartel seems also to be under pressure, as internal conflicts and possible in-depth cooperation with Russia could lead to a restructuring of the old giant.

The outcome of the JMCC meeting between OPEC and Russia has produced a diffuse result. Saudi Arabia, OPECs leading oil producer, and Russia seem to have rebuked U.S. president Donald Trumps request to increase overall oil production to counter higher oil prices.

In a direct remark, Saudis minister of energy Khalid Al Falih stated that OPEC is not interested to increase prices as was stated by Trump. The U.S. president even had warned to take action if the oil cartel continued with its so-called strategy to squeeze the market to gain higher revenues. The Algiers answer was clear, production wont be increased, except if the market shows a severe tightening. The cartel seems to be taking a very interesting position, as this means that OPEC and Russia will decide when to act and how to act.

At present, OPEC sees not yet a real need to supply additional volumes at all, as stocks are still above the 5 year average. Russia and Saudi Arabia repeated their claims that if needed they will be able to supply the additional volumes, as spare capacity is still available. These statements have been made on a regular basis the last months, especially after Trump revoked the JCPOA deal with Iran, which will significantly reduce Iranian oil exports the coming months. Analysts are keeping a close eye on the situation, as a severe tightening in the market could become a major problem after November this year, when U.S. sanctions will be fully implemented on Iran and all of its customers.

Oil traders still seem not to have reached a consensus on the future situation. Optimism in Europe is bluntly contrasted by statements made by traders such as Mercuria and Trafigura, who have warned already that oil prices could spike to around $100 per barrel. $100 oil is not even a real doomsday scenario, as global outages and possible conflicts could easily push prices up further. Related: Iran Terror Attack Boosts Oil Prices More Than OPEC Meeting

Not all signals, however, are bullish for oil. The escalating trade war between the U.S. and China, which could lead to a lower demand growth the coming months, could soften the pain and result in stabilizing oil prices due to lower demand growth. At the same time, several emerging markets seem to be heading towards a possible economic crisis scenario. Turkey, Egypt and others, are facing headwinds, while higher oil prices in combination with higher dollar exchange rates in markets such as India also are putting pressure on demand.

The Algiers meeting however has shown that the oil cartel is heading towards a potential existential crisis. The already well documented crisis between leading OPEC members Saudi Arabia-UAE and Iran is escalating. The fact that Iran was not even attending the meeting showed that Tehran is not amused at all about the ongoing efforts of Saudi Arabia and Russia to fill in the gaps in supply expected the coming months. Tehran has repeatedly warned both not to take advantage of the dire situation that Iran is facing the coming months. Moscow and Riyadh were quick to say that any supply crunch will be met by others accordingly.

Other OPEC leaders have also stepped up their efforts to further formalize the ongoing cooperation with non-OPEC countries, especially Russia, for the future. Even that no real legal document has been produced yet to formalize a NOPEC approach, most market analysts are expecting that at or even before the next OPEC meeting in Vienna discussions will be held to put a new framework in place. If this is being put on the table, OPECs current position will be changed. Iran, and possibly other hard-liners such as Venezuela, will not be amused as the new oil cartel will be seen as a direct attack on the position of these OPEC members. In a possible new strategic alliance or even formal oil cartel (NOPEC), the power of Iran and others will be under pressure. A possible real split within OPEC is a real possibility, as Tehran will never be willing to become a minor partner in a new NOPEC organization. Moscow and Riyadh, supported by the UAE and others, however seem not to be willing to take notice of any Iranian concerns at present. Geopolitical considerations, supported by a possible revenue windfall due to higher oil prices, are leading Putin and Mohammed Bin Salmans efforts to squeeze Iran to the fullest. Trumps tweets and Tehrans threats are currently brushed aside.

For oil consumers, the coming months will be a rollercoaster ride not seen since the start of the financial crisis. A possible price hike, combined with economic uncertainty worldwide, will increase price volatility severely.

The potential risk of an oil price bump is high, but oil producers currently are smelling blood. Continuing economic growth, even slightly tempered by the U.S.-China trade war and instability in emerging markets, is still strong enough to push demand above 100 million bpd in 2018. Further global demand growth is expected, while supply growth is starting to slow down. Related: What Will Trigger The Next Oil Price Crash?

OPECs stated spare production capacity has not materialized at all yet as a factor in the market. Saudi Arabias presumed spare capacity is under severe pressure, as the Kingdom still needs to show to be able to sustainably produce 12.5 million bpd. Recently, producers such as Iraq, Libya and Russia, have published very positive preliminary production volumes, but no real volumes have been reported on the market. Historically, optimistic production figures emerge always around OPEC meetings, but facts have most of the time shown a different reality. OPEC at the same time reported that US$11 trillion in new investments are needed until 2040 to keep production levels up. The last years, investments in upstream and downstream have been lagging behind, and there are no clear signals that this will change anytime soon. Some relief can be expected from U.S. shale, at least according to OPEC and the U.S. This, however, will only be the case if investors show an appetite for upstream projects. The current reality is different, fear about a carbon bubble and the anti-hydrocarbon lobby already support a negative spiral of investor confidence.

OPEC and Russia will NOT be able to meet all new demand in the coming years, and international oil companies and independents will have to fill the gap. If they fail to do so, US$100 oil could become a reality faster than many governments and consumers expected.

By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Libyas oil production has hit its highest level since 2013, the chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mustafa Sanalla, told Bloomberg in response to questions on Sunday.

If the security situation in the country improves, Libyas production could further rise from the recent 1.278 million bpd, Sanalla said. The country could lift production by hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil per day, security permitting, according to the head of the national oil company.

However, the situation in Libya remains uncertain, which could prompt the national oil firm to revise down its production target to pump more than 2 million bpd in 2022, according to Sanalla.

Over the past few months, Libyas oil production has seen wild fluctuations as a result of attacks and blockades on oil facilities that have frequently shut in oil production and exports.

Just last week, members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) blocked the airfield of the Wafaa oil field in southwestern Libya, attempting to blackmail the operator of the field into awarding an unwarranted catering contract. The runway at the oil field reopened after one day, with no production affected. This latest incident at a Libyan oil field, however, highlights the fragile state of the oil industry in the North African OPEC member.

Earlier this month, several gunmen stormed NOCs headquarters in Tripoli, killing two employees and injuring 25 others.

A port closure for more than two weeks in June-July blocked 850,000 bpd of Libyas oil (nearly all Libyan production) from being exported from four ports.

Libyas July oil production slumped to just 670,000 bpd, as per OPECs secondary sources. In August, production recovered to average 926,000 bpd, according to OPECs latest monthly report, but the security situation in the country is still fragile, making Libya one of the wild cards in predicting supply in a tightening oil market.

According to S&P Global Platts trade flow data, Libyas oil exports jumped to more than 1 million bpd in the first half of September, up from just below 900,000 bpd in August, as a 120,000-bpd refinery is shut due to power issues, thus freeing more oil for exports.



By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:South Korea has not bought any Iranian oil since June, an official from the Iranian oil ministry told Shana. This makes it the first country to actually bring its Iranian imports down to zero following the pullout of the United States from the so-called Iran nuclear deal.

The official, Kasra Nouri, director of the ministrys public relations department spoke in response to claims from South Korean officials that Korean companies continued working with Iran despite the sanctions.

Before it suspended oil purchases from Iran, South Korea imported a daily average of 180,000 bpd, which made it one of the top three buyers of Irans crude, after China and India.

In July, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources, that South Korean refiners had halted their oil purchases from Iran, even as it talked to Washington in an attempt to secure a waiver from the sanctions that come into effect in early November.

There was pressure from the South Korean government to halt purchases, one of the sources said at the time. South Korea overall is lifting zero oil (from Iran) for July loading. Apparently, Korean refiners followed the same line for the next two months as well.

This might not bode well for bilateral relations, but the new ambassador of Seoul to Tehran this weekend reassured his hosts that bilateral business relations would continue despite the sanctions.

South Korean companies did not cut their trade and business cooperation with Iranian economic enterprises in the sanctions period, Yu Chang Hwang said.

Japan has also stopped importing Iranian oil despite hopes that local refiners could secure a waiver from the United States. Like South Korea, Japan also hopes to maintain positive bilateral trade relations with Tehran despite the sanctions.

Although Japan, along with South Korea, is an important buyer of Iranian crude, which Tehran has done its best to keep on its books by deepening its sales discounts, China is the country that Tehran has pinned most of its hopes on.

If China . . . buys Irans oil, we can resist the U.S., one Iranian analyst told the Financial Times in July, amid reports of import cuts among Irans Asian clients. China is the only country which can tell the US off.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Guest post by Saurabh Vishnubhakat, Associate Professor at the Texas A&M University School of Law and the Texas A&M College of Engineering. Although Prof. Vishnubhakat was an advisor at the USPTO until June, 2015, his arguments here should not be imputed to the USPTO or to any other organization. This post is based on a paper for the Iowa Law Review symposium Administering Patent Law and is forthcoming in the Iowa Law Review. The full draft is available at at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3237841.

It has now been four months since the Supreme Court decided SAS Institute v. Iancu, and it seems clear that ending partial institution will, indeed, be a significant disruption to the Patent Trial and Appeal Boards administration of its docket. As I noted on this blog just after the decision came down, the power of partial institution was at the heart of PTAB case management from the beginning, and the requirement of binary institution from now on raises several important questions.

In this post, I will offer some more detailed analysis of one of those issues in particular. That issue is how the Patent Office should understand the stakes of binary institutionwhich is to say, fully appreciate how much work partial institution was truly doing.

The Stakes of Binary Institution

Now that the PTAB must either fully grant or fully deny each petition that comes before it, the stakes of accepting versus rejecting a case largely point toward rejecting. The cases that were already being instituted in full or denied in full will be unaffected. The cases that were being partially instituted, however, will not be accepted lightly.

Fully instituting such a case will necessarily bring significant obligations of deciding why arguments that the PTAB has already found likely to fail do, indeed, fail. On top of that, the PTAB must also explain fully enough, under the Chenery doctrine, why these arguments lack merit.

Under partial institution, these unmeritorious portions of a petition could easily be dispensed with at the institution stage. No judicial review was availablenot even after final judgment, under Cuozzoso Chenery obligations did not even come into the picture. This is not to say the obligations of reasoned decision-making should not apply to the Patent Office at the institution stage. (Judge Reynas concurring opinion in Shaw Industries, for example, made a persuasive case that mere nonappealability does not legitimize black box decisions such as denying redundant grounds without explanation. Still, the panel majority in that case did not reverse the agency.)

Now that partial institution is unavailable, granting review will open the door to judicial scrutiny of the PTABs handling of the entire case, some or much of which will consist of arguments that the PTAB already had reason to think were not worth its time. This change generally counsels against full institution of close cases.

On the other side of the agencys choice is what effect a PTAB denial would have on the petitioner, for a denial would exclude meritorious arguments as well. In general, the harm would be minimal, as denying review creates no estoppel and so does not prejudice the petitioners ability to make the same arguments elsewhere. Under  315(e), estoppel requires a final written decision under  318(a), which applies only to a petition that has been instituted and not dismissed. As most petitioners (about 70%) are district-court defendants seeking PTAB review in response to an infringement lawsuit (what my coauthors and I have termed standard petitioners), invalidity arguments in the district court will remain available.

The remaining petitioners (about 30%) who seek PTAB review preemptively would be similarly unharmed. It is true that they may or may not have Article III standing to seek declaratory relief in the courts, standing that they would not have to show in the PTAB. But they still remain free to refile their petitions in the PTAB itself, using the PTABs earlier denial of institution as a roadmap for filing a more successful petition. Because these nonstandard petitioners have, by definition, not been charged with infringement, the one-year time bar of  315(b) does not apply to them.

Thus, under the PTABs existing resource constraints, the burden of fully granting borderline petitions is generally higher, and the cost and prejudice on litigants inflicted by fully denying such petitions is relatively low, tilting on balance toward fully denying borderline petitions. The next question is whether this analysis in the abstract has real-world relevance to the PTABs likely incentives.

The Scope of Partial Institution

The data strongly suggests that it does. Partial institution was doing much more work than previously appreciated to filter out unmeritorious arguments and focus the PTABs resources on challenges that were reasonably likely to succeed. The following two figures show why this has largely been overlooked. Through April 2018, when SAS Institute was decided, the respective shares of petitions that were fully instituted (39.2%), partially instituted (25.8%), and fully denied (35.0%) suggest that partial institutions accounted for only a minor part of the agencys workload. Indeed, the trends of these shares over time suggest that partial institution was diminishing even before the Supreme Court abolished the practice.

But looking at petitions or cases as a whole misses the mark. The legal grounds asserted vary from petition to petition. An anticipation challenge generally relies on a single prior art reference rather than a combination of multiple references and so is less workload-intensive than an obviousness challenge. The patent claims that a petition actually challenges vary as well, and the workload burdens posed by different petitions vary accordingly. Taking these facts into account, the more granular and accurate measure of partial institution is the share of claim-ground pairs being challenged in the PTAB that were being granted, and the share that were being denied.

As the next three figures reveal, this share has been both large and persistent. Through April 2018, the PTAB denied review of nearly half of all the claim-ground pairs that came before it in petitions. This finding is robust across technologies. It is also strikingly stable over time, starting at a rate of about 30% but quickly rising into the 4050% range, where it has stayed for the past five years. This evaluation shows that partial institution was a substantial filter on the challenges that were admitted into administrative review.

Confronted with the choice of full institution or full denial, therefore, the PTAB should think carefully about how much of a petition should present meritorious arguments before a panel is willing to take on the additional burden of adjudicating additional arguments that it already knows are likely to fail.

The PTABs treatment of transitional caseswhere the PTAB had already made partial institutions but now had to be reevaluated under SAS Instituteis telling in this regard. The agencys April 26 Guidance on the Impact of SAS on AIA Trial Proceedings had stated it may issue a supplemental order to institute on all remaining challenges. Though it did not say so, the agency also had the power, of course, to vacate its partial institution, effectively deinstituting the petition in full. In an order earlier this month, the PTAB revealed an agency-wide thumb on the scale toward instituting-all rather than deinstituting-all:

If now faced with the Petition in the first instance, and understanding that we have only a binary choice, it may well be appropriate to deny the Petition in its entirety. But we have been instructed that the Office SAS Guidance is to be interpreted with the weight of Office policy as precluding termination of a partially instituted proceeding in response to SAS Institute.

ESET LLC v. Finjan, Inc., IPR2017-01738, Paper No. 28 at 10 (Aug. 10, 2018).

This exercise of agency discretion for transitional cases is entirely sensible as a policy matter. For cases where the PTAB has not only concluded that a patent is at least partly problematic but also invested resources to adjudicate those problems, terminating the proceeding would give the mistaken, but still potentially harmful, impression that the PTAB were actively abdicating its error-correction duties.

In future cases, evaluating petitions in the first instance, the PTAB would be much better positioned to balance its obligations with its resource constraints within its broad discretion over institution.

Conclusion

As I discuss further in the full paper, although the structural choices that lie ahead for the Patent Office are difficult, they are appropriate for the agency to have to make. The policy judgments that are most rational for the Patent Office to reach in light of SAS Institute are likely to promote reasoned decision-making by the agency as well as more efficient substitution of administrative adjudication for judicial review. These policy judgments, in turn, will also bring important questionsincluding the one-year time bar and the issuance of stays pending PTAB reviewback to the Federal Circuit. These questions are a valuable chance for the Federal Circuit to reconsider panel decisions that have largely been overtaken both by its own recent en banc decisions and by the Supreme Court." " Participants in the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade march up 5th Ave. on June 11, 2017 in New York City. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

It's National Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States (September 15 through October 15), a time for Americans to celebrate the richness of Hispanic and Latino culture at home and abroad through art exhibits, food festivals, Spanish-language film and theater productions, and more.

It's also a time for politicians and the media to stumble over the subtle differences between the terms Hispanic and Latino. The confusion is real, because the dictionary definitions of Hispanic and Latino don't always jibe with the way the terms are understood and used in the real world.

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Let's start with the main difference between the official definitions of Hispanic and Latino. The term Hispanic covers anyone from a Spanish-speaking country or their descendants. So you're considered Hispanic if you or your ancestors are from one of more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries around the world. That list includes countries in Latin America (which consists of South and Central America, plus Spanish-speaking islands in the Caribbean) and Spain.

Latino, on the other hand, refers specifically to people from Latin America. Confusingly, this includes people from non-Spanish-speaking countries. So someone from Brazil (where Portuguese is the main language) or Suriname (where they speak Dutch) is considered Latino, but not Hispanic, because they don't speak Spanish.

To sum up:

Somebody from Spain is Hispanic, but not Latino.

Somebody from Brazil is Latino, but not Hispanic.

Somebody from Mexico is both Hispanic and Latino.

But before you get too comfortable with those definitions, you need to understand how each of those terms is loaded with its own history and politics. The U.S. census officially began using the word "Hispanic" in 1980 as an umbrella term for Americans with origins in Spanish-speaking countries. But not everybody was comfortable with that term.

Rolando Romero was chair of the Department of Latina/Latino Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign when we spoke to him in 2018 (he is now associate professor emeritus). Romero was born in Mexico and emigrated to the U.S. at 13 years old. For him and many others, the word "Hispanic" is too tied to Spain and doesn't reflect the lived experience of Latino communities in America, most of which have ties to Latin America.

Romero prefers "Latino," but believes it should only be used to describe Latinos in the U.S., not people living in Latin American countries. And even then, he thinks that Latino falls short of describing most Latinos' self-identity.

He says that if you ask a Latino person about their background, most won't say, "I'm Latino." They'll say "I'm Mexican-American. I'm Puerto Rican. I'm Cuban." When describing himself, Romero uses "Chicano," a term for Mexican-Americans that arose during the Civil Rights movement and still carries a note of pride and political defiance.

"If you go to the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago, you'll see Cuban food, you'll see Colombian food, you'll see Salvadoran food," says Romero, "but you'll never see 'Latino food.' Latino has become the umbrella term in the U.S. to refer to all those groups, but it's hardly ever used in real life."

Romero's impression is backed by 2019 survey data from the Pew Research Center, which found that 47 percent of all Hispanics and Latinos would describe themselves using an "origin term" like Mexican or Dominican, while 39 percent used an umbrella term like "Hispanic" or "Latino."

More recently, the term Latinx has been tossed into the mix. It was born of the LGBTQ movement and a desire among some Latinos to create a more inclusive term outside of the gender binary Latino or Latina. Romero worries that it's impossible to rid the Spanish language of gendered words and that Latinx is confusing to native Spanish speakers.

But Maria R. Scharron-del Rio, a counseling professor at Brooklyn College, disagrees, seeing the new word as a way of reaching out to people who haven't always been embraced by Latino immigrant communities.

"By using Latinx, nobody is telling you how to identify. It's up to you if you want to be Latinx, Latino, or something else," she told NBC News. "It's really a way to be inclusive. For people who are traditionally marginalized, that millisecond of politeness and recognition towards someone who is gender queer, tells them that you see them, that you are an ally."

Now That's Interesting A 2018 Pew survey found that 27 percent of Hispanic/Latino respondents preferred the term Hispanic, 18 percent prefered the term Latino and 54 percent had no preference. Just 3 percent of Hispanic/Latino adults use the term "Latinx" according to a 2019 Pew survey.

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Originally Published: Sep 24, 2018US President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to hold a second summit soon with Kim Jong Un, lauding the North Korean strongman at the United Nations as "terrific" one year after he eviscerated him from the same platform. Trump used his debut address to the UN General Assembly 12 months ago to threaten to "totally destroy" North Korea and belittled its leader as "rocket man," prompting Kim to respond by calling the US president "mentally deranged." But returning to New York for this year's gathering, Trump hailed "tremendous progress" to halt Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests and said that a year later it was a "much different time." "Chairman Kim has been really very open and terrific, frankly, and I think he wants to see something happen," Trump said after meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a dove who recently visited Kim in Pyongyang. "I think within a fairly short period of time that (summit) will be announced. It will be at a location to be determined but we're both very much looking forward to having it." Trump, who met Kim in Singapore in June in the first-ever summit between the two countries that have never signed a peace treaty, earlier told reporters that he appreciated "a beautiful letter" the young North Korean leader had sent to him. While relations with Kim have improved dramatically, leaders attending the annual assembly expect this year to hear Trump espouse a hard line on a different US adversary, Iran's Hassan Rouhani. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who has visited Pyongyang three times -- will preside over a Security Council meeting Thursday to explain the administration's imposition of sanctions on North Korea, which has hit Chinese and Russian companies. Skepticism remains about whether Kim has taken any concrete steps, but that seems unlikely to deter Trump from pushing toward a new summit in what he considers a key foreign policy achievement. - Focus on sovereignty - In his 41-minute speech at the General Assembly in 2017, Trump made clear he wanted to turn the clock back on the last half-century's growth of global rules and institutions and to return to the primacy of the nation-state. His national security adviser, John Bolton, said that Trump would stress defense of US sovereignty in his latest UN address on Tuesday. The UN's number one financial backer, the United States has moved under Trump to cut funding to the world body, notably to peacekeeping missions that are key to the UN's goal of promoting peace and security. "The United Nations has tremendous potential and that potential is being met, slowly but surely," Trump told a meeting on combatting drugs attended by UN chief Antonio Guterres. - Pressure on Iran - While Trump will dial down the rhetoric against Kim, there seems to be little prospect of him doing likewise with Rouhani. The United States annoyed many of its allies in Europe by pulling out of a deal they jointly negotiated in 2015 that lifted sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program. US allies in the Middle East, notably Saudi Arabia, have, however, been delighted by Trump's stance. Bolton said the United States was seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran but not to overthrow the regime -- an idea he supported before taking his job and reiterated recently by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is Trump's personal lawyer. "As I have said repeatedly, regime change in Iran is not the administration's policy," Bolton told reporters. "We've imposed very stringent sanctions on Iran, more are coming, and what we expect from Iran is massive changes in their behavior," he said. On Wednesday, Trump will for the first time chair a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation that will focus heavily on Iran, likely triggering a clash with other big powers. The White House has not closed the door on a Rouhani-Trump meeting. But Rouhani, in an interview with NBC News after arriving in New York, saw such an offer as hypocritical. "Naturally, if someone is keen on having a meeting and holding dialogue and creating progress in relationships, that person would not use the tool of sanctions and threats (and bring) to bear all of its power against another government and nation," Rouhani said. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday accused US allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of supporting Arab separatists allegedly behind an attack on a military parade last week that killed 24 people.Beijing has accused Washington of bullying tactics and economic intimidation, while restating its own stance that only cooperation on trade issues will produce results, in the governments most comprehensive statement of its trade war stance to date.

The white paper released by the official Xinhua New Agency on Monday came after Beijing declined on Saturday the US invitation to hold talks to try to resolve the ongoing trade dispute and only an hour after the latest round of US tariffs on US$200 billion of Chinese imports kicked in.

The document declared that the America first economic policies being pursued by the US administration and punitive tariffs on Chinese products had greatly undermined bilateral economic ties and threatened the worlds multilateral system of trade.

In keeping with its practice not to personalise the trade conflict, the white paper never mentions US President Donald Trump by name throughout the 36,000-word text.

The government re-emphasised its belief in free trade and multilateralism. Cooperation is the only right option and only win-win cooperation can lead to a better future for China and the US, it added.

The white paper  titled Facts about the China-US trade dispute and Chinas stance  marked the latest effort by Beijing to portray itself as occupying the moral high ground in the quarrel with the US, analysts said.

Liu Weidong, a Sino-US affairs expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Beijing was not intending to end the trade war with Washington via the document but was using it to show to the international community its sincerity and willingness to resolve the trade issues.

The white paper also shows the world that Beijing has really tried its best to avoid confrontations with the US, Liu added.

Tu Xinquan, a trade professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said China was trying to show goodwill by releasing a white paper and avoiding the term trade war.

Story continues

Chinas policy is consistent but the tone is a bit softer compared with a few months ago, Tu added. Beijing is kicking the ball back into Trumps court by demonstrating to the audience both at home and abroad that China is willing to talk but the US is not.

The white paper was published as tensions between China and the US have also spread to the military realm. At the weekend, China summoned Americas ambassador and recalled its naval chief from the US to protest against sanctions Washington slapped on Chinese entities for procuring military equipment from Russia. China threatened to follow through with additional measures by its military.

The white paper was also released at an unusual time, during a public holiday in China. In another departure from normal practice, Chinese state media issued alerts notifying the public of the pending publication prior to release time.

The government will drive home its message at a press conference due to be held in Beijing on Tuesday. Seven vice-ministers, including Vice-Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen, the last Chinese official to hold trade talks with the US in August, will explain the white paper, the State Council Information Office said in its announcement.

It comes after a planned trip to Washington on Monday by Vice-Premier Liu He, who is leading trade talks with the US, was cancelled after Trump said the US would go ahead and levy tariffs on US$200 billion worth of Chinese products, significantly escalating the trade war. The latest tariffs took effect at 12pm on Monday, Beijing time.

Julian Evans-Pritchard, senior China economist at Capital Economics, said Beijing wanted to be seen as a victim rather than the perpetrator of the trade war and the white paper was part of that effort.

They reiterate that they are liberalising the markets, you just have to be patient [and] you will be rewarded, Evans-Pritchard said.

The US side has accused China of stealing technologies from US businesses and unfairly subsidising Chinese state-owned enterprises.

China defended its practices in the white paper and blamed the US for the trade tensions.

Since the new administration took office in 2017, under the slogan of America first, it has brazenly preached unilateralism, protectionism and economic hegemony and intimidated China with tariffs, according to the white paper. China has offered solutions but the US side had repeatedly contradicted itself and escalated trade tensions, it said.

China is always open to talks with the US but the discussions cannot be conducted under threats of the big stick of tariffs or at the cost of Chinas rights to develop, the paper said.

The Chinese government said it was willing to work with the US to restart bilateral investment treaty talks and to launch bilateral free-trade negotiations at appropriate times. At the moment, both these proposals are long shots since Washington has enhanced screening of Chinese investment in the US and has not offered China any negotiations to pursue a free-trade deal.

Additional reporting by Kristin Huang

This article China accuses US of bullying on trade but calls for cooperation first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.24 Sep  Actress Nathalie Hart recently revealed that she is planning to travel to Sydney, Australia and give birth to her baby in the said country.

As reported on PEP, the actress who appeared at an event recently, shared that she is set to leave the Philippines at the end of the month, but will first make a stop in India to visit her future in-laws.

Her fiance Mayank will also be with her when she gives birth, Hart added.

Calling him her "husband", Hart said that Mayank has been very involved in the pregnancy, and has been there every step of the way.

"We will go to India together, then I will be with him in Australia. My partner is very hands on, I really like it," she said.

Hart also revealed that she will be staying in Australia for four months, and will only return to the Philippines once her body is back to normal.

"I just want to enjoy this moment before I leave, and when I come back, I will return to filming. I have a new movie with Viva," she added.

(Photo Source: Nathalie Hart Instagram)Singapores antitrust watchdog on Monday said it would fine ride-hailing firms Grab and Uber a combined S$13 million (US$9.5 million) for anti-competitive behaviour as a result of their March merger, in spite of Grabs insistence that the company did not intentionally breach competition laws.

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) slapped Singapore-based Grab with a fine of around S$6.4 million, while Uber was penalised about S$6.6 million for violations of the competition act, according to a statement released by the watchdog. However, the companies have been spared from having to reverse the transaction.

The CCCS reiterated in a statement that Uber would not have left the Singapore market if the merger had not occurred. Prices for Grabs services also increased after the merger, it found.

Grab, which was co-founded by chief executive Anthony Tan, acquired Ubers Southeast Asian operations for an undisclosed sum in March this year, in return for giving Uber a 27.5 per cent stake in the Singapore-based firm. The merger effectively made Grab the dominant ride-hailing player in Singapore, with about 80 per cent market share.

A chance conference meeting helped Grab seal Uber merger although regulators may still have last word



Mergers that substantially lessen competition are prohibited and CCCS has taken action against the Grab-Uber merger because it removed Grabs closest rival, to the detriment of Singapore drivers and riders. Companies can continue to innovate in this market, through means other than anti-competitive mergers, said CCCS chief executive Toh Han Li in a statement.

Grabs exclusivity obligations on taxi companies, car rental partners and even some drivers also hampered smaller players from expanding in the ride-hailing market, CCCS found. Apart from financial penalties, CCCS also instructed that Grab remove any exclusivity arrangements it has with partners and maintain its pre-merger pricing algorithms and commission rates.

Story continues

In a statement, head of Grab Singapore Lim Kell Jay insisted that it did not intentionally or negligently breach competition laws and that the company has not raised fares since the merger, in contrast with the CCCSs findings.

From machine guns to Fortune magazine, Grab's CEO hits the big time

However, the company agreed to abide by the penalties and remedies issued by the competition watchdog, including the removal of exclusivity arrangements.

Grab agrees with, and has long advocated for, industry-wide regulations that allow drivers to freely choose which platform or operator they wish to drive with, Lim said.

Grab should not be the only transport player subjected to non-exclusivity conditions. This is inconsistent with taxi industry practices and we will continue our dialogue with the CCCS and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to create a level playing field for all.

Meanwhile, Uber expressed disappointment at the decision and said it was reviewing its options.

We are disappointed by the CCCS decision announced today. We believe it is based on an inappropriately narrow definition of the market, and that it incorrectly describes the dynamic nature of the industry, among other concerns, said Brooks Entwistle, Ubers Chief Business Officer International. We are reviewing the decision carefully and will consider our options, including an appeal.

Indonesias Go-Jek, which said earlier this year that it will expand outside its home market to countries including Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and Singapore, said that the company was glad that the Commission has come to the same conclusion that we have  that new entrants into the market are facing a very high barrier to entry.

Were encouraged to see the measures being taken to level the playing field  it will have a significant effect on our strategy and timeline, Go-Jek said in a statement. We are now confident that Singapore will have a robust, efficient and competitive market, and that our arrival will have a significantly positive impact on the lives of people in Singapore.

Go-Jek recently launched its services in Vietnam with local partner Go-Viet, offering ride-hailing services, with food delivery and payment services to come later. It is also working with a local partner in Thailand to launch its ride-hailing services in the country soon, which will be called Get.

This article Singapores competition watchdog slaps Grab, Uber with US$9.5 million in fines over merger first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018.

More from South China Morning Post:Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The United States ranks 27th in the world for its investments in education and health care as measurements of its commitment to economic growth, according to the first-ever scientific study ranking countries for their levels of human capital.

The nation placed just behind Australia (ranked 26th) and just ahead of Czech Republic (ranked 28th). In contrast, China's ranking of 44th in 2016 represents an increase from its 1990 ranking of 69th.

"The decline of human capital in the United States was one of the biggest surprises in our study," said Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. "Our findings show the association between investments in education and health and improved human capital and GDPwhich policymakers here in the US ignore at their own peril. As the world economy grows increasingly dependent on digital technology, from agriculture to manufacturing to the service industry, human capital grows increasingly important for stimulating local and national economies."

The World Bank President, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, defines human capital as "the sum total of a population's health, skills, knowledge, experience, and habits." It is a concept that recognizes that not all labor is equal, and the quality of workers can be improved by investing in them.

The US's ranking of 27th in 2016 represents a significant decrease from its 1990 ranking of 6th. It comes from having 23 years of expected human capital, measured as the number of years a person can be expected to work in the years of peak productivity, taking into account life expectancy, functional health, years of schooling, and learning.

Overall, US residents had 43 out of a possible 45 years between the ages of 20 and 64; expected educational attainment of 12 years out of a possible of 18 years in school; and a learning score of 89 and a functional health score of 88, both out of 100. Learning is based on average student scores on internationally comparable tests. Components measured in the functional health score include: stunting, wasting, anemia, cognitive impairments, hearing and vision loss, and infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.

"Clearly, China is on an upward trajectory, while the US, without more strategic investments, especially in education, risks falling behind even further," Murray said.

Kim has stated that measuring and ranking countries by their human capital will enable comparisons over time, thereby providing governments and investors insights into where critical investments are needed to improve health and education. Last year, he asked IHME to develop such a measurement.

"Measuring and ranking countries by their level of human capital is critical to focus governments' attention on investing in their own people," Kim said. "This study from IHME is an important contribution to the measurement of human capital across countries and over time."

The study, "Measuring human capital: A systematic analysis of 195 countries and territories, 1990 to 2016," was published in the international medical journal The Lancet. It is based on a systematic analysis of an extensive array of data from numerous sources, including government agencies, schools, and health care systems.

The study places Finland at the top. Turkey showed the most dramatic increase in human capital between 1990 and 2016; Asian countries with notable improvement include China, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam. Within Latin America, Brazil stands out for improvement. All these countries have had faster economic growth over this period than peer countries with lower levels of human capital improvement.

In addition, the greatest increase among sub-Saharan African countries was in Equatorial Guinea. Some of the world's most rapid improvements were in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Over the past quarter century, there has been limited progress in building human capital in selected countries that started at a high baseline. The US was ranked sixth in human capital in 1990 but dropped to 27th in 2016 because of minimal progress, particularly in educational attainment, which declined from 13 years to 12.

Health and education advocates, economists, and others should use the findings as evidence to argue for greater attention toand resources forimproving their nations' human capital.

"Underinvesting in people may be driven by lack of policy attention to the levels of human capital," Murray said. "No regular, comparable reporting across all countries on human capital currently exists. Such reporting over the next generationas a way to measure investments in health and educationwill enable leaders to be held accountable to their constituents."

Researchers found that nations with greater improvements in human capital also tend to have faster growth in per capita GDP. Countries in the highest quartile of improvements in human capital between 1990 and 2016 had a 1.1% higher median yearly GDP growth rate than countries in the bottom quartile of human capital improvements. For example, between 2015 and 2016, a 1.1% increase in the human capital growth rate in China equated to an additional $163 per capita; in Turkey, $268 per capita; and in Brazil, $177 per capita.

The study focuses on the number of productive years an individual in each country can be expected to work between the ages of 20 to 64, taking into account years of schooling, learning in school, and functional health. The calculation is based on systematic analysis of 2,522 surveys and censuses providing data on years of schooling; testing scores on language, math, and science; and health levels related to economic productivity.

Among other findings:

At the top of the listing of 195 nations, Finland's level of expected human capital in 2016 was 28 years, followed immediately by Iceland, Denmark, the Netherlands (each with 27 years), and Taiwan (26 years).

Niger, South Sudan, and Chad all ranked lowest in 2016 at 2 years, followed by Burkina Faso and Mali (each with 3 years).

In 2016, 44 countries surpassed more than 20 years of expected human capital, while 68 countries had fewer than 10 years.

Rankings for the 10 most populous countries in 2016, in addition to China, India, and the United States were Indonesia (131st), Brazil (71st), Pakistan (164th), Nigeria (171st), Bangladesh (161st), Russia (49th), and Mexico (104th).

There were notable differences in expected human capital by sex in 2016. Across the board, expected years lived between 20 and 64 years are greater in females than in males. In addition, health status tends to be higher among females than males, with the exception of high-income countries. In terms of the overall measure, for countries below 10 years of expected human capital, rates of human capital tend to be higher in males, while countries above 10 years tend to have higher expected human capital for females.Amazon.com's advertising business is likely to more than double its sales in the U.S. this year, a market researcher said Wednesday, which would place the company behind only Google and Facebook.

Amazon's U.S. digital advertising business is likely to bring in $4.6 billion in 2018, from an estimated $1.8 billion a year ago, eMarketer said.

Amazon doesn't break out sales from advertising, which it reports alongside other lines of business in an "other" category on its financial reports. That segment recorded $2.1 billion in sales during Amazon's most recent quarter, more than double the year-earlier figure.

Amazon has sold ads on its retail websites and on specific product search results for years. But that business began to take off recently with a perception among some ad buyers that Amazon, with its data on what people buy, can help them more precisely determine whether people bought something after seeing advertisements.

"People are switching much of their purchasing to online channels, which Amazon is of course driving and benefiting quite heavily from," said Monica Peart, senior forecasting director of eMarketer. Amazon is also reaping the rewards of an increase in product searches started on the retailer's website, instead of on Google or another search engine, she said.

Google will take in $41 billion in digital ad revenue in the U.S. in 2018, eMarketer estimates, and Facebook $22.8 billion.

Amazon was just ahead of rival Microsoft, which, including its LinkedIn professional social networking arm, will post digital ad revenue of $4.5 billion this year, eMarketer estimated. In fifth place is Oath  the Verizon-owned grouping of AOL, Yahoo, and other early web stalwarts  which will take in $3.6 billion.

2018 The Seattle Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Dr Jonathan Cramb emerging from the cave where Leggadina irvini was discovered. Credit: University of Queensland

The fossils of two extinct mice species have been discovered in caves in tropical Queensland by University of Queensland scientists tracking environment changes.

Fossils of Webb's short-tailed mouse (Leggadina webbi) were found at Mount Etna near Rockhampton, while Irvin's short-tailed mouse (Leggadina irvini), was discovered near Chillagoe at the base of Cape York Peninsula.

Dr Jonathan Cramb from UQ's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences said the finds show that analysing fossils found in caves could help determine how the local environment had changed over time.

"Caves are great places for the preservation of fossils, partially because they're natural traps that animals fall into, but also because they're roosting sites for owls and other flying predators," he said.

"Owls are exceptionally good at catching small mammals in particular, so the cave floor beneath their roosts is littered with the bones of rodents and small marsupials.

"The accumulation of bones build up over time, providing us with a record of what species were living in the local area, which can stretch back hundreds of thousands of years.

"Many species are only found in certain habitats  for example, hopping mice (Notomys spp.) generally live in deserts, while tree mice (Pogonomys spp.) only live in rainforests - so changes in the fauna tell us about changes in the environment."

A fossil Leggadina webbi jaw from the cavers' explorations. Credit: University of Queensland

Dr Cramb said the team, including UQ's Dr Gilbert Price and alumnus Scott Hocknull from the Queensland Museum, was able to confirm a number of environmental changes thanks to the fossils.

"Our findings show that the caves around Mount Etna had gone through a period of local extinction of rainforests, which were replaced by dry to arid habitats less than 280,000 years ago," Dr Cramb said.

"My colleagues and I wondered if the same environmental change happened elsewhere in Queensland, which is why we were searching the caves near Chillagoe.

"Our analysis of fossils from the caves in north-east Queensland has shown that rainforest extinction was widespread.

"This research shows that, at least in these instances, rainforest extinction is correlated with a sudden shift in climate - a warning that rainforests are particularly vulnerable to climate change."

The new species of mice were named after UQ palaeontologist Professor Gregory Webb and citizen scientist and caving guide Douglas Irvin.

Explore further Climate change reduces Queensland's bat numbers

More information: Jonathan Cramb et al. Short-tailed mice with a long fossil record: the genus Leggadina (Rodentia: Muridae) from the Quaternary of Queensland, Australia, PeerJ (2018). Journal information: PeerJ Jonathan Cramb et al. Short-tailed mice with a long fossil record: the genus Leggadina (Rodentia: Muridae) from the Quaternary of Queensland, Australia,(2018). DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5639The desert ant Cataglyphis fortis has an extraordinary memory for different food odors. The insect is able to learn many food odors very quickly and never forgets them for the rest of its life. Credit: Markus Knaden/Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology used behavioral experiments to show that desert ants quickly learn many food odors and remember them for the rest of their lives. However, their memory for nest odors seems to differ from their food odor memory. Whereas food odors are learned and kept after a single contact, ants need several trials to memorize nest odors. Moreover, ants forget a nest-associated odor very quickly after it has been removed from the nest. Hence, ants process food and nest odors differently in their brains.

The desert ant Cataglyphis fortis has amazing abilities to trace food and to return to its nest in the North African desert. Its sense of smell has a central function for orientation. The ant is not only a master navigator, it is also a memory artist. Behavioral scientists Markus Knaden from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology has been studying the navigational skills of this ant species for years. Previously, he was particularly interested in how the small insects find their way back to their nest after an extensive search for food in the vast salt pans of the Tunisian Sahara. After all, the nest entrance is only a small, inconspicuous hole in the desert surface. He and his team found thatapart from other factorsthe specific nest odor plays a crucial role. However, during their experiments, the researchers had noticed that ants learned food odors much faster than nest odors. "Our central question was whether different types of memory exist for food and nest search. The idea to compare both learning processes popped up when we observed that the ants were able to learn food odors so incredibly fast in comparison to nest odors which need to be trained much longer," first author Roman Huber explains.

The scientists developed a simple experiment to test the response of ants to more than 30 different food odors. They held the end of a stick which had been scented with an odor about two meters away from a foraging ant on the ground so that the wind blew the odor to the ant. At first, most odors were ignored by the ants and did not evoke any response. "After we had offered a food crumb to the ants which had been scented with one of these odors, however, the ants were almost always attracted by this odor afterwards," Knaden says. "We were amazed how quickly the ants learned food-associated odors and how long they could remember them. Even ants, that had learned an odor more than 25 days ago, were able to remember it." In nature, most ants have a short life and are usually killed by a predator within six days. Therefore, it is particularly astonishing that ants that have reached more than four times the average age could still remember what they had learned.

In this short video, the researchers explain how they found out in experiments, that the desert ant Cataglyphis fortis learns food related odors faster and better than nest odors. Credit: Markus Knaden, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

On the other hand, ants were not able to learn nest-associated odors as quickly as food odors. When the researchers attached a scent to the nest entrance, the ants needed five to 10 trials to learn the odor as a nest cue. Only after several trainings did they concentrate their nest search on this odor. When the odor was removed from the nest and after the ants had returned to the nest a few times, they completely stopped responding to the former nest cue. In ants, odors are obviously processed differently in the brain depending on whether they are food or nest cues.

Knaden provides an explanation: "The two different odor memories make sense. During its entire life, an ant encounters many different pieces of food while foraging. Since the insect finds its food mainly through olfactory cues, it is important for an ant to learn the odor of good food in order to specifically search for it later. The nest, in contrast, should always smell the same during an ant's short life. Therefore no extraordinary memory is needed to locate the nest entrance by following olfactory cues. It is sufficient if an ant knows how the nest smelled when it left to search for food, to find it on its way home. It is unlikely that the nest odor changes while an ant is away foraging."

The scientists now want to design lab studies to underpin the results of the behavioral experiments in the natural habitat of the desert ants. Their goal is to employ imaging techniques, like calcium imaging, to locate and visualize the different memories in the ant brain and to compare brain activities during food and nest search. "We already use similar techniques for the visualization of brain activity in flies and moths. It would be great to establish these techniques for ants as well, because ants exhibit a particularly complex behavior," Markus Knaden says.

Desert ants have evolved impressing abilities to survive in the salt pans of the Tunisian Sahara, which are pretty barren habitats. Credit: Markus Knaden/Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Explore further Desert ants are able to assess the reliability of landmarks as they search for the way home

More information: Roman Huber el al., "Desert ants possess distinct memories for food and nest odors," PNAS (2018). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Roman Huber el al., "Desert ants possess distinct memories for food and nest odors,"(2018). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1809433115Researcher Bob Sturm performs one of the AI generated folk tunes. Credit: David Callahan

At turns lively and yearning, the traditional folk musics of Ireland and Britain have made their mark around the world. Now these perennially popular forms of music are helping computers learn to become a new kind of partner in music creation.

A machine learning system overseen by a researcher in Sweden has produced 100,000 new folk tunes to date, generating a diverse range of reactions from folk musicians and the public. Some of the music can even be heard on a newly-released album by an Irish folk group.

Bob Sturm, associate professor of computer science at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, says that the main idea of the project was to train computer models on folk music, so that they appear to have some musical intelligence, and then to "devise methods to unravel what they are actually doing," he says.

The research subsequently led to creative opportunities.

"Our work with many collaborators, such as composer Oded Ben-Tal at Kingston University in the UK, and professional musicians, has also shown how the models can serve a wider purpose: as useful partners in creating new music," Sturm says.

The project uses an off-the-shelf artificial intelligence method called a recurrent neural network (RNN), which essentially predicts what comes next based on what it has previously seen. For training data, the team drew upon the website thesession.org, which contains tens-of-thousands of tunes transcribed by people using a short-hand language designed for folk music.

Visitors to folkrnn.org can create their own AI-generated tunes in the style of Irish and British traditional music. Credit: KTH The Royal Institute of Technology

"The resulting computer models show some ability to repeat and vary patterns in ways that are characteristic of this kind of music," Sturm says. "It was not programmed to do this using rules  it learned to do so because these patterns exist in the data we fed it."

To test the plausibility of the generated tunes, Sturm and Ben-Tal challenged a group of professional Irish traditional musicians to create an album of folk music drawing upon existing tunes and the 100,000 generated by their computer models. The result is a full-length album on which over half of the music is computer-generated. Sturm and Ben-Tal then released the album online in order to solicit reviews and comments from professionals and the public. "We had to make up a story about the album's origins in order to avoid the bias that can result when someone believes a creative product was created by a computer," Sturm says. "And now that we have reviews, we are revealing the true origins of the album."

The album can be heard and downloaded for free at: soundcloud.com/oconaillfamilyandfriends

These computer models aren't about to elbow human composers aside any time soon, Sturm says. "Music is and always will be a human activity. Our models are merely generating sequences of symbols that require trained musicians to transform into music, or even to decide not to waste the time.

"But strange, unexpected, and sometimes wonderful things occur when models venture outside their limited knowledge," he says. "If we push a model just a bit away from patterns it has seen, it can fail catastrophically. Unlike a human, the system isn't able to generalize beyond a very specific context." Much of what the researchers originally thought the system learned about key features of folk music, such as variation and repetition, it hadn't learned after all.

The models' idiosyncratic knowledge of music notwithstanding, Sturm and his colleagues are the pursuing the question of whether they can augment music creation. They created an online implementation at folkrnn.org, where anyone can explore the models for themselves. They also created an online project called The Machine Folk Session themachinefolksession.org: a growing collection of machine-generated folk music, which much like thesession.org serves as a collection of real music.

"It will be interesting to see if this collection is used to train future generations of computer models," Sturm says.

Explore further From Mozart to Botzart: when machines write our music

More information: Let's Have Another Gan Ainm: An experimental album of Irish traditional music and computer-generated tunes. Let's Have Another Gan Ainm: An experimental album of Irish traditional music and computer-generated tunes. kth.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2 %3A1248565&dswid=5373Cranes dismantle buildings damaged by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Credit: iStock

In early September 2018, a powerful earthquake on the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan triggered landslides, toppled buildings, cut power, halted industry, killed more than 40 people and injured hundreds. The national meteorological agency warned that aftershocks could strike for up to a week following the main event.

"A large earthquake will typically have thousands of aftershocks," said Gregory Beroza, the Wayne Loel Professor of geophysics in the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (Stanford Earth) at Stanford University. "We know that a big earthquake changes something in Earth's crust that causes these aftershocks to happen."

The rarity of big quakes, however, makes it difficult to document and statistically model how large earthquakes interact with each other in space and time. Aftershocks could offer a workaround. "Aftershocks occur by the same mechanism, on the same geological faults and under the same conditions as other earthquakes," Beroza explained in a recent article in the journal Nature. As a result, interactions between the largest earthquake in a sequence, known as a mainshock, and its aftershocks may hold clues to earthquake interactions more broadly, helping to explain how changes on a fault induced by one earthquake may affect the potential site of another.

Here, Beroza discusses how scientists forecast aftershocks and why they're turning to artificial intelligence to build better models for the future.

What are the current methods for predicting foreshocks and where do they fall short?

GREGORY BEROZA: When a large earthquake slips, that changes the forces throughout the Earth's crust nearby. It's thought that this stress change is most responsible for triggering aftershocks. The stress is what drives earthquakes.

Scientists have noted a tendency for aftershocks to occur where two types of stress act on a fault change. The first type is called is normal stress, which is how strongly two sides of a fault are pushing together or pulling apart. The second type is called shear stress, or how strongly the two sides are being pushed past one another, parallel to the fault, by remote forces. Decreases in the normal stress and increases in the shear stress are expected to encourage subsequent earthquakes. Measures of these changes in the volume of rock around a fault are combined into a single metric called the Coulomb failure stress change.

But it's not a hard and fast rule. Some earthquakes occur where in a sense they shouldn't, by that metric. There are components of stress that are different from shear stress and normal stress. There's stress in other directions, and complex combinations. So we do okay at predicting where aftershocks will, and will not, occur after a mainshock, but not as well as we'd like.

What is an artificial neural network and how can scientists use this kind of artificial intelligence to predict earthquakes and aftershocks?

BEROZA: Picture a machine that takes inputs from the left. Moving to the right you have a series of layers, each containing a bunch of connected neurons. And at the other end you have an outcome of some kind.

One neuron can excite another. When you add lots of these layers with lots of different interactions, you very rapidly get an extremely large set of possible relationships. When people talk about "deep" neural networks, that means they have a lot of layers.

In this case, your input is information about stress on a fault. The output is information about the locations of aftershocks. Scientists can take examples of observed earthquakes and use that data to train the neurons to interact in ways that produce an outcome that was observed in the real world. It's a process called machine learning. Given this set of inputs, what's the right answer? What did the Earth tell us for this earthquake?

A pioneering effort to use artificial intelligence in this context published in Nature in August 2018. The authors fed a machine-learning algorithm estimates of stress changes and information on where aftershocks did or didn't occur for a whole bunch of earthquakes. They're not doing earthquake prediction in the usual sense, where you try to predict the time, place and magnitude of the earthquake. They're just looking for where aftershocks occur. The model doesn't capture the true complexity of the Earth, but it's moving in the right direction.

How might artificial intelligence approaches be applied to seismology more broadly?

BEROZA: In the Earth sciences in general, we have complicated geological systems that interact strongly in ways we don't understand. Machine learning and artificial intelligence can help us explore and maybe uncover the nature of some of those complicated relationships. It can help us explore and find relationships that scientists hadn't thought of or tested.

We also have very large data sets. The biggest seismic network I've worked with has something like 5,000 sensors in it. That's 5,000 sensors, 100 samples per second, and it runs continuously for months. There's so much data it's hard to even look at it.

The trend is for these data sets to be ever larger. Within a few years, we're going to be working with data sets of over 10,000 sensors. How do you make sure you're getting as much information as you can out of those massive data sets?

Our usual way of doing business isn't going to scale at some point. Techniques such as data mining and machine learning to help us extract as much information as we can from these very large data sets are going to be an essential part of understanding our planet in the future.

Explore further OK computer: How AI could help forecast quake aftershocks

More information: Gregory C. Beroza. Machine learning improves forecasts of aftershock locations, Nature (2018). Journal information: Nature Gregory C. Beroza. Machine learning improves forecasts of aftershock locations,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/d41586-018-06030-yDetails of four maps representing planetary maps with different themes, goals and eras. 1647: one of the first detailed telescopic maps of the Moon, with an Earth-like representation (J. Hevelius: Selenographia). 1824: the first segmented lunar map with topographic and albedo details of the Moon, using hachures (W. Lohrman: Topographie der sichtbaren Mondoberflaeche, Dresden). 1960: the first astrogeologic map of the Moon, the Lunar Photogeologic Chart (LPC 58) that introduced stratigraphic methods to planetary mapping (EM Shoemaker, RJ Hackman, USA). 2016: Map of Charon designed for children, representing a new type of outreach maps. Credit: A. Gyongyosi, Hungary

A catalogue that provides an overview of over 2,200 planetary maps produced worldwide between 1600 and 2018 has been presented today at the European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) 2018 in Berlin. The catalogue has been produced by Henrik Hargitai, from Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest (Hungary), and Mateusz Pitura, from the University of Wroclaw (Poland).

"Production of planetary maps started in Europe in the 1600s. It expanded to the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1960s and, more recently, has spread to China and Japan," said Hargitai. "Over time, mapping has become less coordinated and more diverse, so that today it is becoming challenging to oversee the proliferation of spatial data published in different countries by institutions, individual researchers and, increasingly, citizen scientists. A common database is needed."

To provide this definitive overview, Hargitai and Pitura have created the open access "International Catalogue of Planetary Maps", available at planetarymapping.org and through the International Cartographic Association's Commission on Planetary Cartography. The data can be filtered by author, year, country, scale, type and reveal long-term trends in planetary mapping and planetary science activities. Recent web-based map services, such as MoonTrek by NASA/JPL/Caltech or OpenPlanetaryMap's vector basemap of Mars are organised into layers so that the user can view and analyse planetary surfaces in detail with Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. Most of the maps in the catalogue present Mars (40% of all maps) and the Moon (46%) whereas mapping of Venus (5%), Mercury (2%) and the Jovian moons (4%) has produced many less examples. Around 20% of all maps are geologic maps that represent the most complex planetary cartographic analysis.

"Our catalogue is being updated regularly with both newly resurfaced historic maps and new additions. For the future, we plan to add maps that have been published in journal articles and digitise maps that do not yet include GIS formats," added Hargitai. "We live in a transition period where static maps that characterised the last 400 years may become extinct, replaced by dynamic digital map services and tools. In the digital platforms it is becoming difficult even to define what we consider to be a "map", and not just layers of spatial data. Maps are used for mission planning, surface operation, and post-mission analysis. In the near future, they will be key components of planning and operating new human missions."

Explore further New map of daily light integrals generated from updated data

More information: EPSC Abstracts, Vol. 12, EPSC2018-258, 2018, European Planetary Science Congress 2018. Four Centuries of European Planetary Mapping: Towards Mapping for New Human Surface Operations, Henrik Hargitai, Mateusz Pitura

Provided by EuroplanetA 127-million-year-old fossil bird, Jinguofortis perplexus (reconstruction on the right, artwork by Chung-Tat Cheung), second earliest member of the short-tailed birds Pygostylia. Credit: WANG Min

A newly identified extinct bird species from a 127 million-year-old fossil deposit in northeastern China provides new information about avian development during the early evolution of flight.

Drs. Wang Min, Thomas Stidham, and Zhou Zhonghe from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported their study of the well-preserved complete skeleton and feathers of this early bird in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The analysis of this early Cretaceous fossil shows it is from a pivotal point in the evolution of flightafter birds lost their long bony tail, but before they evolved a fan of flight feathers on their shortened tail.

The scientists named this extinct species Jinguofortis perplexus. The genus name "Jinguofortis" honors women scientists around the world. It derives from the Chinese word "jinguo," meaning female warrior, and the Latin word "fortis" meaning brave.

Jinguofortis perplexus has a unique combination of traits, including a jaw with small teeth like its theropod dinosaur relatives; a short bony tail ending in a compound bone called a pygostyle; gizzard stones showing that it mostly ate plants; and a third finger with only two bones, unlike other early birds.

Major changes of the coracoid and scapula (main components of the shoulder girdle) across the major vertebrate groups; the right is a simplified cladogram shows the phylogeny of Mesozoic birds with highlights of the changes of the shoulder and hand. Credit: WANG Min

The fossil's shoulder joint also gives clues about its flight capacity. In flying birds, the shoulder, which experiences high stress during flight, is a tight joint between unfused bones. In contrast, Jinguofortis perplexus preserves a shoulder girdle where the major bones of the shoulder, the shoulder blade (scapula) and the coracoid, are fused to one another, forming a scapulocoracoid.

The existence of a fused shoulder girdle in this short-tailed fossil suggests evolutionary variety during this stage of evolution, which probably resulted in different styles of flight.Based on its skeleton and feathers, Jinguofortis perplexus probably flew a bit differently than birds do today.

Measurement of the fossil's wing size and estimation of its body mass show that the extinct species had a wing shape and wing loading (wing area divided by body mass) similar to living

Explore further Fossil find pushes back date of earliest fused bones in birds by 40 million years

More information: Min Wang el al., "A new clade of basal Early Cretaceous pygostylian birds and developmental plasticity of the avian shoulder girdle," PNAS (2018). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Min Wang el al., "A new clade of basal Early Cretaceous pygostylian birds and developmental plasticity of the avian shoulder girdle,"(2018). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1812176115Big Data facilitates and supports the efforts of researchers, analysts, statisticians, business leaders, and policymakers to improve operations, profitability, and communications within their organizations. Spanning a broad array of disciplines focusing on novel big data technologies, policies, and innovations, the peer-reviewed journal brings together the community to address the challenges and discover new breakthroughs and trends living within this information. Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

We now live largely in a data-driven world, and ethical oversight and constraints are needed to be sure that data ethics can reach an appropriate balance between the risks and benefits of data technology. The goal is to control the risk, but to allow enough risk to make it possible to take advantage of any potential benefits of data technologies now or in the future. A comprehensive perspective on this topic, which focuses on the nature of data, personal data, data ownership, consent and purpose of use, trustworthiness of data and those using the data, and issues related to privacy and confidentiality is published in Big Data.

In the article entitled "Aspects of Data Ethics in a Changing World: Where Are We Now?" David Hand, Ph.D., Imperial College, London, U.K. discusses how the automation of measurement and data collection procedures, together with the development of vast capacity for inexpensive data storage and the creation of advanced tools for analyzing and processing data, is dramatically changing our world. These data capabilities have the potential to significantly improve the human condition, but they can also be misused. Among the factors that make data ethics in particular so challenging is their complexity and the fact that data and the tools to collect, interpret and use data are present in all aspects of our lives.

"In this article various aspects of principles for resolving ethical dilemmas were discussed, and related ethical codes were analyzed related to the nature of dataincluding the pervasiveness of data harvesting, the dynamic characteristics of data, interconnectedness of data across platforms and contexts, ability to reveal unexpected information, risk for exceptional intrusiveness, potential for misuse, and ownership issues," says Big Data Editor-in-Chief Zoran Obradovic, Ph.D., Carnell Professor of Data Analytics, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

Explore further Ethics of genealogy data use for solving crimes discussed

More information: David J. Hand, Aspects of Data Ethics in a Changing World: Where Are We Now?, Big Data (2018). David J. Hand, Aspects of Data Ethics in a Changing World: Where Are We Now?,(2018). DOI: 10.1089/big.2018.0083Professor Sharon Robinson and Dr Melinda Waterman examine an Antarctic moss sample in a lab at the University of Wollongong. Credit: Paul Jones

A landmark 13-year study published in Nature Climate Change has provided the first evidence that climate change is affecting terrestrial ecosystems in East Antarctica.

While West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula are among the most rapidly warming places on the planet, East Antarctica has not warmed in the same way and appeared to have so far escaped the strongest impacts of climate change.

The study, by researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW), the Australian Antarctic Division and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, found that vegetation in East Antarctica is changing rapidly in response to a drying climate

East Antarctica, the researchers argue, has become colder, windier and drier due to the combined effects of climate change and ozone depletion.

Starting in 2000, the researchers monitored old-growth moss beds near Australia's Casey Station. The lush green moss bed at Casey, known as the "Daintree of the Antarctic", are the largest plant ecosystem in East Antarctica.

Lead researcher Senior Professor Sharon Robinson from UOW's Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions in the School of Biological Sciences said that when the researchers began monitoring the moss bed in 2000 they thought any changes they saw would be very gradual.

"We were really surprised when we saw how fast it was changing. After a pilot study in 2000 we set up monitoring in 2003. When we returned in 2008, all these green moss beds had turned dark red, indicating they were severely stressed. It was a dramatic change," she said.

Looking for the cause of the stress, the researchers found evidence of a drying climate. One piece of evidence was the changing species composition.

When the study began, the moss beds were dominated by Schistidium antarctici, a species that can survive long periods under water, which the Casey moss beds often were during Antarctica's brief summer. By 2013, many of those areas were being encroached by two other moss species that thrive in drier conditions and are less tolerant to being submerged.

UOW research associate and co-author Dr. Melinda Waterman said they also found evidence of drying in the moss shoots themselves, which, like tree rings, preserve a record of past climate.

"When we trace down the moss shoot cores we get these signatures that tell us how wet or dry it was while they were growing. Some of the mosses are hundreds of years old so they give us a really good climate record for this part of Antarctica," Dr. Waterman said.

"We used the radiocarbon bomb pulse  the spike in radioactivity in the atmosphere caused by nuclear weapons testing which peaked around 1965  to accurately date the moss cores, and found that many of the mosses are growing in drier conditions now than in the 1960s.

"Of the 18 mosses we sampled, most showed evidence of drying and 40 per cent showed evidence of significant drying. Only three didn't show drying."

Data from Bureau of Meteorology stations in East Antarctica show it has become colder and windier over the same period.

"The fact it's colder over summer means there's less meltwater  it never rains down there so all the water has to come from melting snow and ice," Professor Robinson said.

"All these different lines of evidence are telling us it's got drier and that's connected to this change in the winds. The ozone hole and climate change have pulled the westerly winds closer to Antarctica, which has increased the speed of the wind and made it colder and drier.

"It's the first evidence the East Antarctica communities have been affected by climate change and ozone depletion."

The broader message from the study, Professor Robinson said, is that nowhere on Earth is spared the consequences of climate change.

"We think of Antarctica as a pristine wilderness but climate change and ozone depletion have a huge impact there. What we do in the rest of the globe affects the plants and animals in Antarctica," she said.

At the same time, what happens in Antarctica affects the rest of the globe; as the westerlies that circulate Antarctica move poleward, they are changing weather patterns across the Southern Hemisphere.

"Another message from this is that we don't necessarily anticipate the consequences of what we do. We knew ozone depletion would increase UV radiation, but it was decades before we knew it affected the climate," Professor Robinson said.

"Those shifting winds are affecting southern Africa and South America and Australia because they are pulling all the weather bands to the south. Some areas are getting wetter, and big areas that were wetter have got much drier. It's affecting how trees grow in New Zealand. It's affecting the southern tip of Chile where trees are growing less well, forests are contracting and there's less water for hydroelectric power plants."

Supported by UOW's Global Challenges Program, the researchers will continue to monitor the impacts of climate change on Antarctica.

"Our monitoring methods in East Antarctica allow us to track the response of moss communities to a changing climate. They are integral to ways in which near-shore and terrestrial communities can be monitored with minimal impact as part of a continent wide Antarctic Near-Shore and Terrestrial Observing System (ANTOS); an international collaborative program which we are contributing to with our new Global Challenges ECO-Antarctica interdisciplinary project," Dr. Waterman said.

Explore further Climate change stunting growth of century-old Antarctic moss shoots

More information: Sharon A. Robinson et al. Rapid change in East Antarctic terrestrial vegetation in response to regional drying, Nature Climate Change (2018). Journal information: Nature Climate Change Sharon A. Robinson et al. Rapid change in East Antarctic terrestrial vegetation in response to regional drying,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-018-0280-0In this illustration, arrows indicate the vibrational activity of particles studied by UD researchers, while the graph shows the frequencies of this vibration. Credit: University of Delaware

From photonics to pharmaceuticals, materials made with polymer nanoparticles hold promise for products of the future. However, there are still gaps in understanding the properties of these tiny plastic-like particles.

Now, Hojin Kim, a graduate student in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Delaware, together with a team of collaborating scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Germany, Princeton University and the University of Trento, has uncovered new insights about polymer nanoparticles. The team's findings, including properties such as surface mobility, glass transition temperature and elastic modulus, were published in Nature Communications.

Under the direction of MPI Prof. George Fytas, the team used Brillouin light spectroscopy, a technique that spelunks the molecular properties of microscopic nanoparticles by examining how they vibrate.

"We analyzed the vibration between each nanoparticle to understand how their mechanical properties change at different temperatures," Kim said. "We asked, 'What does a vibration at different temperatures indicate? What does it physically mean?' "

The characteristics of polymer nanoparticles differ from those of larger particles of the same material. "Their nanostructure and small size provide different mechanical properties," Kim said. "It's really important to understand the thermal behavior of nanoparticles in order to improve the performance of a material."

Take polystyrene, a material commonly used in nanotechnology. Larger particles of this material are used in plastic bottles, cups and packaging materials.

"Polymer nanoparticles can be more flexible or weaker at the glass transition temperature at which they soften from a stiff texture to a soft one, and it decreases as particle size decreases," Kim said. That's partly because polymer mobility at small particle surface can be activated easily. It's important to know when and why this transition occurs, since some products, such as filter membranes, need to stay strong when exposed to a variety of conditions.

For example, a disposable plastic cup made with the polymer polystyrene might hold up in boiling waterbut that cup doesn't have nanoparticles. The research team found that polystyrene nanoparticles start to experience the thermal transition at 343 Kelvin (158 degrees F), known as the softening temperature, below a glass transition temperature of 372 K (210 F) of the nanoparticles, just short of the temperature of boiling water. When heated to this point, the nanoparticles don't vibratethey stand completely still.

This hadn't been seen before, and the team found evidence to suggest that this temperature may activate a highly mobile surface layer in the nanoparticle, Kim said. As particles heated up between their softening temperature and glass transition temperature, the particles interacted with each other more and more. Other research groups have previously suspected that glass transition temperature drops with decreases in particle size decreases because of differences in particle mobility, but they could not observe it directly.

"Using different method and instruments, we analyzed our data at different temperatures and actually verified there is something on the polymer nanoparticle surface that is more mobile compared to its core," he said.

By studying interactions between the nanoparticles, the team also uncovered their elastic modulus, or stiffness.

Next up, Kim plans to use this information to build a nanoparticle film that can govern the propagation of sound waves.

Eric Furst, professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at UD, is also a corresponding author on the paper.

"Hojin took the lead on this project and achieved results beyond what I could have predicted," said Furst. "He exemplifies excellence in doctoral engineering research at Delaware, and I can't wait to see what he does next."

More information: Hojin Kim et al. Direct observation of polymer surface mobility via nanoparticle vibrations, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications Hojin Kim et al. Direct observation of polymer surface mobility via nanoparticle vibrations,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04854-wPhobos, the larger of Mars' two tiny satellites, pictured near the limb of Mars by the robot spacecraft Mars Express in 2010. Credit: G. Neukum (FU Berlin) et al., Mars Express, DLR, ESA; Acknowledgement: Peter Masek

The weird shapes and colors of the tiny Martian moons Phobos and Deimos have inspired a long-standing debate about their origins.

The dark faces of the moons resemble the primitive asteroids of the outer solar system, suggesting the moons might be asteroids caught long ago in Mars' gravitational pull. But the shapes and angles of the moons' orbits do not fit this capture scenario.

A fresh look at 20-year-old data from the Mars Global Surveyor mission lends support to the idea the moons of Mars formed after a large impact on the planet threw a lot of rock into orbit, according to a new study in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, a publication of the American Geophysical Union.

The dataset held unplumbed clues to the stuff Phobos is made of, which may be more similar to the crust of the Red Planet than it appears, according to the study's authors.

"The fun part for me has been taking a poke at some of the ideas out there using an old dataset that's has been underutilized," said Tim Glotch, a geoscientist at Stony Brook University in New York and the lead author of the new study.

Marc Fries, a planetary scientists and curator of cosmic dust at NASA's Johnson Space Center, who was not involved in the new study, said the inability to explain the genesis of two moons around a neighboring planet is a glaring shortcoming in scientists' understanding of moon formation. Clearing it up will help with interpretations of how other moons and planets formed in our solar system and beyond. The new study does not clinch the mystery, but it is a step in the right direction, he said.

"The issue of the origins of Phobos and Deimos is a fun sort of mystery, because we have two competing hypotheses that cannot both be true," Fries said. "I would not consider this to be a final solution to the mystery of the moons' origin, but it will help keep the discussion moving forward."

The new study compared mid-infrared spectra from a chip from the Tagish Lake meteoroid whole (right) and ground-up (left) to spectra collected from Phobos by the Mars Global Explorer spacecraft in 1998. Credit: AGU

Dark objects

The debate over the origin of Mars' moons has split scientists for decades, since the early days of planetary science. In visible light, Phobos and Deimos look much darker than Mars, lending weight to the adoption hypothesis.

Scientists study the mineral composition of objects by breaking the light they reflect into component colors with a spectrophotometer, creating distinctive visual "fingerprints." By comparing the spectral fingerprints of planetary surfaces to a library of spectra for known materials, they can infer the composition of these distant objects. Most of the research into the composition of asteroids has examined their spectra in visible light and in near-infrared light, which is just beyond human vision on the red side of the visible spectrum.

In visible and near-infrared light, Phobos and D-class asteroids look much the samethat is, both their spectra are nearly featureless because they are so dark. D-class asteroids are nearly black as coal because, like coal, they contain carbon. This dark aspect of Phobos led to the hypothesis that the moon is a captive asteroid that flew a little too close to Mars.

But scientists looking at the orbits of Mars' moons argued they could not have been captured. These scientists believe the moons must have formed at the same time as Mars, or resulted from a massive impact on the planet during its formative millennia.

"If you talk to the people who are really good at orbital dynamics and figuring out why certain bodies orbit the way they do, they say that, given the inclination and the details of Phobos' orbit, it's almost impossible that it was captured. So you have the spectroscopists saying one thing and the dynamicists saying something else," Glotch said.

Heat fingerprints

Glotch decided to look at the problem in a different light: the mid-infrared, which is in the same range as body temperature. He looked at the heat signature of Phobos captured in 1998 by an instrument he describes as a fancy thermometer carried on the Mars Global Surveyor. The robotic spacecraft spent most of its lifetime looking down at Mars, but took a quick look at Phobos when it passed near the moon before settling into a closer orbit around the planet.

Phobos sets over Mt. Sharp, Mars, in a mosaic of three images captured by the Curiosity rover in 2014. Credit: NASA / JPL / MSSS / Justin Cowart CC-BY-3.0

Heat energy, like visible light, can be split into a spectrum of "colors." Even objects that look black in visible light may glow in a distinctive infrared spectrum. Although Phobos is very cold, its heat spectrum has a discernable signature.

Glotch and his students compared the mid-infrared spectra of Phobos glimpsed by the Mars Global Explorer to samples of a meteorite that fell to Earth near Tagish Lake, British Columbia, which some scientists have suggested is a fragment of a D-class asteroid, and other rock types. In the lab, they subjected their samples to Phobos-like conditions of cold vacuum, heating them from above and below to simulate the extreme changes in temperature from the sunny to the shady sides of airless objects in space.

"We found, at these wavelength ranges, the Tagish Lake meteorite doesn't look anything like Phobos, and in fact what matches Phobos most closely, or at least one of the features in the spectrum, is ground-up basalt, which is a common volcanic rock, and it's what most of the Martian crust is made out of," Glotch said. "That leads us to believe that perhaps Phobos might be a remnant of an impact that occurred early on in Martian history."

Planetary crust baked in?

The new study does not argue Phobos is made entirely of material from Mars, but the new results are consistent with the moon containing a portion of the planet's crust, perhaps as an amalgamation of debris from the planet and the remnants of the impacting object.

Fries, the scientist who was not involved in the new study, said the Tagish Lake meteorite is unusual, and perhaps not the best example of a D-class asteroid available for a compelling comparison with Phobos. Fries added the new study was unlikely to be able to produce a definitive answer because Phobos is subject to space weathering, which affects its reflectance spectrum and is difficult to replicate in the lab.

But Fries said he found it interesting that a mix of basalt and carbon-rich material made an appropriate match for Phobos. Another possibility is that carbon-rich space dust in the vicinity of Mars has collected on the close-orbiting moons, darkening their surfaces, he said.

Scientists may get their answer to Phobos' origins in the next couple of years, if the Martian Moon eXploration spacecraft and the OSIRIS-Rex and Hayabusa2 asteroid explorers complete their missions to collect samples and return them to Earth for analysis. Hyabusa2 landed two mini robots on the asteroid known as Ryugu on September 21..

"The really cool thing is that this is a testable hypothesis, because the Japanese are developing a mission called MMX that is going to go to Phobos, collect a sample and bring it back to Earth for us to analyze," Glotch said.

Explore further Hubble sees martian moon orbiting the Red Planet

More information: Timothy D. Glotch et al, MGS-TES spectra suggest a basaltic component in the regolith of Phobos, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets (2018). Timothy D. Glotch et al, MGS-TES spectra suggest a basaltic component in the regolith of Phobos,(2018). DOI: 10.1029/2018JE005647Mosquito that causes malaria, Anopheles gambiae. Credit: NIAID, CC BY

The team from Imperial College London were able to crash caged populations of the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae in only 7-11 generations.

This is the first time experiments have been able to completely block the reproductive capacity of a complex organism in the laboratory using a designer molecular approach.

The technique, called gene drive, was used to selectively target the specific mosquito species An. gambiae that is responsible for malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. There are around 3500 species of mosquito worldwide, of which only 40 related species can carry malaria.

The hope is that mosquitoes carrying a gene drive would be released in the future, spreading female infertility within local malaria-carrying mosquito populations and causing them to collapse.

In 2016, there were around 216 million malaria cases and an estimated 445,000 deaths worldwide, mostly of children under five years old.

Lead researcher Professor Andrea Crisanti, from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial, said: "2016 marked the first time in over two decades that malaria cases did not fall year-on-year despite huge efforts and resources, suggesting we need more tools in the fight."

The team's results, published today in Nature Biotechnology, represent the first time gene drive has been able to completely suppress a population, overcoming resistance issues previous approaches have faced.

Professor Crisanti added: "This breakthrough shows that gene drive can work, providing hope in the fight against a disease that has plagued mankind for centuries. There is still more work to be done, both in terms of testing the technology in larger lab-based studies and working with affected countries to assess the feasibility of such an intervention.

"It will still be at least 5-10 years before we consider testing any mosquitoes with gene drive in the wild, but now we have some encouraging proof that we're on the right path. Gene drive solutions have the potential one day to expedite malaria eradication by overcoming the barriers of logistics in resource-poor countries."

The team targeted a gene in An. gambiae called doublesex, which determines whether an individual mosquito develops as a male or as a female.

The team engineered a gene drive solution designed to selectively alter a region of the doublesex gene that is responsible for female development. Males who carried this modified gene showed no changes, and neither did females with only one copy of the modified gene. However, females with two copies of the modified gene showed both male and female characteristics, failed to bite and did not lay eggs.

Their experiments showed that the gene drive transmitted the genetic modification nearly 100% of the time. After eight generations no females were produced and the populations collapsed because of lack of offspring.

Previous attempts to develop gene drive for population suppression have encountered 'resistance', where targeted genes developed mutations that allowed the gene to carry out its function, but that that were resistant to the drive. These changes would then be passed down to the offspring, halting the gene drive in its tracks.

One of the reasons doublesex was picked for the gene drive target was that it was thought not to tolerate any mutations, overcoming this potential source of resistance. Indeed, in the study no functional mutated copy of the doublesex gene arose and spread in the population.

While this is the first time resistance has been overcome, the team say additional experiments are needed to investigate the efficacy and the stability of the gene drive under confined laboratory settings that mimic tropical environments.

This involves testing the technology on larger populations of mosquitoes confined in more realistic settings, where competition for food and other ecological factors may change the fate of the gene drive.

The doublesex gene targeted in the study is similar across the insect world, although different insects have different exact genetic sequences. This suggests the technology could be used in the future to specifically target other disease-carrying insects.

Recent work from Imperial showed that suppressing An. gambiae populations in local areas is unlikely to affect the local ecosystem.

Explore further Modified mosquitoes could help fight against malaria

More information: Kyros Kyrou et al. A CRISPRCas9 gene drive targeting doublesex causes complete population suppression in caged Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, Nature Biotechnology (2018). Journal information: Nature Biotechnology Kyros Kyrou et al. A CRISPRCas9 gene drive targeting doublesex causes complete population suppression in caged Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/nbt.4245Yosemite National Park. Credit: Patrick Gonzalez

Human-caused climate change has exposed U.S. national parks to conditions hotter and drier than the rest of the nation, says a new UC Berkeley and University of Wisconsin-Madison study that quantifies for the first time the magnitude of climate change on all 417 parks in the system.

Without action to limit greenhouse gas emissions, many small mammals and plants may be brought to the brink of extinction by the end of the century, the study shows.

The analysis reveals that over the past century, average temperatures in national parks increased at twice the rate as the rest of the nation and yearly rainfall decreased more in national parks than in other regions of the country.

At the current rate of emissions, the team projects that temperatures in the most exposed national parks could soar by as much as 9 degrees Celsius or 16 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100. This rate of change is faster than many small mammals and plants can migrate or "disperse" to more hospitable climates.

"Human-caused climate change is already increasing the area burned by wildfires across the western U.S., melting glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park and shifting vegetation to higher elevations in Yosemite National Park," said Patrick Gonzalez, associate adjunct professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at UC Berkeley and a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, a summary of the most up-to-date scientific knowledge of climate change.

"The good news is that, if we reduce our emissions from cars, power plants, deforestation, and other human activities and meet the Paris Agreement goal, we can keep the temperature increase in national parks to one-third of what it would be without any emissions reductions," Gonzalez said.

Using data from weather stations scattered throughout the U.S., climate researchers have created maps of the average annual temperature and rainfall totals at points approximately 800 meters apart over much of the United States. In this study, the team used these maps to calculate historical temperature and rainfall trends within the parks and over the U.S. as a whole. Credit: Patrick Gonzalez

The locations of these unique ecosystems are what make them particularly exposed to climate change, Gonzalez said. Many national parks are found in deserts, high mountains or in the Arctic region of Alaska, climates that are known to be the hardest hit by global warming.

"National parks aren't a random samplethey are remarkable places and many happen to be in extreme environments," Gonzalez said. "Many are in places that are inherently more exposed to human-caused climate change."

The analysis, which includes all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and four territories in the Caribbean and Pacific, appears Sept. 24 in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

Mitigation and Adaptation

Weather stations scattered throughout the U.S. have been gathering monthly data on temperature and rainfall dating back to 1895. Using this data, climate researchers have created maps of the average annual temperature and rainfall totals at points approximately 800 meters over much of the United States.

In this study, the team used these maps to calculate historical temperature and rainfall trends within the parks and over the U.S. as a whole. They found that the temperature in national parks increased by a little over 1 degree Celsius from 1895 to 2010, roughly double the warming experienced by the rest of the country. Yearly rainfall totals decreased over 12 percent of national park land, compared to 3 percent of land in the United States. Alaska and its national parks saw the most dramatic increases in temperature, while rainfall decreased most in Hawaii.

Using data from weather stations scattered throughout the U.S., climate researchers have created maps of the average annual temperature and rainfall totals at points approximately 800 meters apart over much of the United States. In this study, the team used these maps to calculate historical rainfall trends within the parks and over the U.S. as a whole. Credit: Patrick Gonzalez

The team mapped projected future changes in temperature and precipitation for climate models representing each of four climate change scenarios developed by the IPCC. These four "storylines of the future," as scientists call them, include a scenario where no action has been taken to reduce emissions, one that is consistent with the Paris Agreement and two that are intermediate.

Under the most extreme climate change scenario, the average temperature of all the national parks together is projected to increase between 5 and 7 degrees Celsius. Sticking to the Paris Agreement could limit this rise to between 1 and 3 degrees Celsius. Under both scenarios, temperature could increase most in Alaska and its national parks, while rainfall could decrease most in the Virgin Islands and the southwestern U.S.

To analyze future projections, the team also "downscaled" the climate models, making more detailed maps of future climate trends within the parks. Whereas the climate models themselves have coarse resolutions of approximately 100 to 400 kilometers, the downscaled data have resolutions of 100 to 800 meters over most of the country.

These maps can help park service employees plan for future vulnerabilities to climate change of endangered species and other park resources by developing measures to protect against wildfires and controlling invasive species.

"The park service is already integrating this climate change information into their planning and resource management," said Fuyao Wang, a research associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"It is important to note that even if we really do a strong mitigation of greenhouse gases, the national park system is still expected to see a 2 degree temperature change," said John Williams, a professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "At this point, it is likely that the glaciers in Glacier National park will ultimately disappear, and what is Glacier National park if it doesn't have glaciers anymore? So I think this adds weight to the importance of reducing our future levels of climate change and also extends the National Park Service mission to both adapt to these changes and educate all of us about these changes."

Explore further Climate change may impact future tourism at some US national parksCredit: CC0 Public Domain

For the first time, researchers have developed a data set quantifying what the social cost of carbonthe measure of the economic harm from carbon dioxide emissionswill be for the globe's nearly 200 countries, and the results are surprising. Although much previous research has focused on how rich countries benefit from the fossil fuel economy, while damages accrue primarily to the developing world, the top three counties with the most to lose from climate change are the United States, India and Saudi Arabiathree major world powers. The world's largest CO 2 emitter, China, also places in the top five countries with the highest losses.

The findings, which appear in Nature Climate Change, estimate country-level contributions to the social cost of carbon (SCC) using recent climate model projections, empirical climate-driven economic damage estimations and socioeconomic forecasts. In addition to revealing that some counties are expected to suffer more than others from carbon emissions, they also show the global social cost of carbon is significantly higher than the one standardly used by the U.S. government to inform policy decisions.

Among the most-trusted contemporary estimates of SCC are those calculated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The latest figures for global costs range from $12 to $62 per metric ton of CO 2 emitted by 2020; however, the new data shows SCC to be approximately $180800 per ton of carbon emissions. What's more, the country-level SCC for the U.S. alone is estimated to be about $50 per tonhigher than the global value used in most regulatory impact analyses. This means that the nearly five billion metric tons of CO 2 the U.S. emits each year is costing the U.S. economy about $250 billion.

"We all know carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels affects people and ecosystems around the world, today and in the future; however these impacts are not included in market prices, creating an environmental externality whereby consumers of fossil fuel energy do not pay for and are unaware of the true costs of their consumption," said lead author, University of California San Diego assistant professor Kate Ricke, who holds joint appointments with the campus's School of Global Policy and Strategy and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Ricke added, "evaluating the economic cost associated with climate is valuable on a number of fronts, as these estimates are used to inform U.S. environmental regulation and rulemakings."

For example, claims that carbon dioxide causes relatively little harm to the economy can more easily justify rollbacks on environmental regulation.

In order to model the effects of CO 2 emissions on country-level temperatures, the authors use an innovative approach by combining results from several climate and carbon cycle modeling experiments to capture the magnitude and geographic pattern of warming under different greenhouse gas emission trajectories, and the carbon-cycle and climate system response to carbon emissions.

Since carbon dioxide is a global pollutant, previous analysis has focused on the global social cost of carbon; however the country-by-country breakdown of the economic damage global warming will cause that this paper presents is important for various reasons.

"Our analysis demonstrates that the argument that the primary beneficiaries of reductions in carbon dioxide emissions would be other countries is a total myth," Ricke said. "We consistently find, through hundreds of uncertainty scenarios, that the U.S. always has one of the highest country-level SCCs. It makes a lot of sense because the larger your economy is, the more you have to lose. Still, it's surprising just how consistently the U.S. is one of the biggest losers, even when compared to other large economies."

Ricke and the authors noted mapping domestic impacts of climate change can help better understand the determinants of international cooperation. The nationally-determined architecture of the Paris climate agreementand its vulnerability to changing national interestsis one important example.

The findings point to some paradoxical behavior in the climate governance arena. While the European Union has been an international leader on climate issues, the research shows the threat levels of future warming to be much higher for counties such as the U.S. and India. These nations might be expected to take a leadership role on climate, which historically has not been the case.

The authors conclude that many countries have not yet recognized the risk posed by climate change; yet a clearer understanding of domestic impacts may play a role in incentivizing nations to join forces to act, in their own self-interest, to mitigate climate change.

More information: Katharine Ricke et al, Country-level social cost of carbon, Nature Climate Change (2018). Journal information: Nature Climate Change Katharine Ricke et al, Country-level social cost of carbon,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-018-0282-yBrian Powell, right, works on a test bed that was developed for the team's research. Credit: Clemson University

A team that has included more than 85 researchers from three South Carolina universities is receiving $2 million to continue investigating how buried nuclear waste would react with soil and groundwater if it were to leak into the environment

It's a project that researchers said could help ensure safe disposal of nuclear waste, ideally for thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years.

The project, led by Brian Powell of Clemson University, began in 2014 with $5.25 million from the U.S. Department of Energy's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, also commonly called by the acronym EPSCoR.

The additional $2 million comes from the same program and funds the project for two more years, bringing the funding total so far to $7.25 million.

"Like every good research project, we started down a path and found some new things out, and that generated more questions than answers," Powell said. "We are grateful to have the renewal period to start pushing out into those additional areas. We're very well equipped and aligned now to continue advancing this project into the renewal phase and continue the work we envisioned four years ago when we started."

The project has brought together a versatile team of researchers from Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and South Carolina State University. They include 24 faculty members, 20 undergraduates, 26 graduate students and 13 postdoctoral fellows.

Fifteen master's students and three Ph.D. students have graduated as a result of the work they have done thus far on the project.

The team's members have published 24 articles related to their research on the project and pioneered new ways of using technology developed for medical-imaging to study the movement of radionuclides through soil.

Timothy DeVol, the Toshiba Professor of Nuclear Engineering at Clemson, said the team's research will be relevant for years to come.

"Being able to safety dispose of radioactive waste for 10,000 years or 1 million years and beyond is of paramount importance to future generations," he said. "This grant allows us to study the fundamental properties that control contaminant fate and transport. Key to this research effort is the ability to scale our results over time and space."

David Freedman, chair of the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, congratulated the team on its work.

"Brian Powell and his team have built a nationally competitive research group that is working in an area critical to human and environmental health," he said. "The team has an impressive record in publishing journal articles and graduating students. The funding renewal is richly deserved."

Powell, who is the Fjeld Professor in Nuclear Environmental Engineering and Science, said just five of the 24 faculty members had experience with nuclear waste remediation before the research started in 2014, broadening the range of specialization brought to bear on the project.

"You have to have a multidisciplinary team to deal with the complexity of disposing of radioactive waste in the environment," Powell said. "We needed to bring in a plant physiologist and a hydrogeologist and a geochemist and a nuclear detection specialist and computational modelers. That's just to name a few. We needed the whole team to do this."

One of the highlights of the project so far has been an article titled, "High-Resolution 4-D Preclinical Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography/X-ray Computed Tomography Imaging of Technetium Transport within a Heterogeneous Porous Media."

In the article, four researchers from Clemson and three collaborators from The Netherlands detailed how they are pioneering the use of SPECT scans, a medical-imaging technique, to examine how water and radionuclides move through soil. SPECT stands for Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography.

The article was published in a respected journal, Environmental Science & Technology, and it got a bump in attention when a summary was featured on the website of the U.S. Energy Department's Office of Science.

When the project first started four years ago, the larger team broke into three smaller, largely independent teams, with one each for physical, chemical and biological processes. The new round of funding will allow the teams to realign and dive deeper into cross-disciplinary research, Powell said.

"All the new experiments are designed to have both biological and chemical influences in them with real-time imaging of the water," Powell said. "So, we really are uniting all these concepts we've been understanding in isolation for the first three years. We're really driving the experiments home and getting to the key experiments to see what are the processes that are driving the systems."

One of the project's key goals is to build a nationally competitive team of researchers that can get funding independent from the EPSCoR program. The effort to find new sources of funding has already begun, and team members are well positioned to bring in federal grants, Powell said.

Anand Gramopadhye, dean of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, said that Powell and his team are helping secure a sustainable environment for years to come.

"The level of funding underscores the quality of research that Dr. Powell and his team are delivering," Gramopadhye said. "Further, the research is creating graduates who are well-equipped with the tools and skills they need to protect human and environmental health. This grant renewal is well deserved."

Explore further Moving from protecting health to protecting the environmentCredit: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Coral reefs have long faced problems like overfishing, global warming and pollutionbut they're also threatened by how slow they regenerate.

To reproduce, coral release sperm and eggs and form larvae, which then swim around and attach to a surface, where they begin to develop into coral polyps and grow. They face a variety of competitors, and most don't survive. If they do survive, it takes years for the coral to be able to reproduce, and even longer for entire reefs to form.

Researchers at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) at the University of Illinois want to increase the rate of coral regeneration by creating a new home for coral larvae: artificial structures that encourage larvae settlement and discourage the growth of competitor species.

The research will be led by IGB faculty member Amy Wagoner Johnson, a professor of mechanical science and engineering, along with four Co-PIs including IGB faculty Bruce Fouke, Professor of Geology and of Microbiology, Gabriel Juarez, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Forest Rohwer, Professor of Biology at San Diego State University, Kristen Marhaver, and collaborator Mark Vermeij. Marhaver and Vermeij are two leading coral scientists at CARMABI Research Station, a field site on the Caribbean island of Curacao that studies coral reefs, and the site of the fieldwork for this research.

Last year, Wagoner Johnson had the idea to apply her research on bone regeneration to coral research.

"We thought it would be really interesting if we could take some of the things we've learned from tissue engineeringcells interacting with materials and what kinds of factors influence cells . . . and apply that to coral reproduction," she said.

She will use her background in material science to design artificial structures for the coral larvae to settle on, while Juarez will build a water tank to test how the larvae interact with the structures and the flow of the water.

"When you take a closer look, it turns out that these organisms are able to sense things, like chemical gradients and fluid forces," Juarez said. "They have complicated little sensing systems. They haven't been studied much in this way. This work will hopefully allow us to at least get insight into whether they actually are a bit more autonomous than we think."

By testing different materials, they'll learn which materials and surface structures are ideal for larvae settlement.

"Once we understand more about the surface, then we should be able to replicate that surface on something larger that is deployable on a larger scale," Wagoner Johnson said. "The idea is to understand more of the immediate interactions and do it in a very systematic way."

Fouke, who has studied the coral reefs of Curacao for almost 30 years, will provide the overall geobiological context of the ecology and evolution of the reefs. He will also make detailed analyses of the coral skeleton as it grows.

The team is funded by a three-year NSF Growing Convergence Research Grant, which encourages collaboration between scientists who don't typically work together.

As a mix of engineers and biologists, the team will first need to learn more about each other's fields. They'll do this through a series of workshops at the CARMABI Research Station in Curacao, which is home to some of the world's leading experts on culturing coral larvae.

"They'll teach us about larval culture, collecting samples, so we'll have to learn to scuba dive before we go," Wagoner Johnson said. "Then we'll teach them some engineering principles, some fluid mechanics, some materials science, and 3-D printing. That way we'll be cross-fertilizing the disciplines in a very targeted way."

In doing so, the team hopes to create a new area of research: coral reef engineering.

"There is not a lot of work that has been done in this area," Wagoner Johnson said. "We really think that the potential is there to make significant impact."

That's good news for coral reefs, which bring food security, biodiversity, and even economic growth from fishing and tourism.

"We see it in the news all the time that coral reefs are endangered, and there are many statistics about how they're dying," Wagoner Johnson said. "Being able to more efficiently regenerate coral can contribute a little bit to resolving the issue of losing the coral reefs."

Explore further Healthy coral populations produce a surprising number of offspringA silver fox bred for tameness at the the Institute for Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Russia. Credit: Darya Shepeleva/Provided

In 1959, Russian scientists began an experiment to breed a population of silver foxes, selecting and breeding foxes that exhibited friendliness toward people. They wanted to know if they could repeat the adaptations for tameness that must have occurred in domestic dogs. Subsequently they also bred another population of foxes for more aggressive behavior.

After 10 generations, a small fraction of the tame-bred foxes displayed dog-like domesticated behavior when people approached. Over time, an increasing fraction of the foxes showed this friendly behavior.

Now, after more than 50 generations of selective breeding, a new Cornell-led study compares gene expression of tame and aggressive silver foxes in two areas of the brain, shedding light on genes responsible for social behavior.

The study, published online Sept. 18 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, identified genes that were altered in tame animals in two areas of the brain involved with learning and memory.

"That such a radical change in temperament could be accomplished so quickly is truly remarkable," said Andrew Clark, professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Cornell and a senior co-author of the paper.

The research team obtained prefrontal cortex and basal forebrain brain tissue samples of 12 tame and 12 aggressive foxes from the Institute for Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Russia, where the foxes were bred.

Clark and first author Xu Wang, Ph.D. '11, a former research associate in Clark's lab, conducted two types of genetic analysis. In one investigation, they sequenced the RNA produced by all genes, which allowed them to measure how much every gene was turned on. The other test identified different versions of genes, called alleles, and measured how they changed in frequency in the population over generations.

These analyses revealed which brain pathways were altered by breeding tame and aggressive foxes. The prefrontal cortex and basal forebrains are known for handling higher processing of information, including higher-level social interaction. The team was especially interested in neurons classified by the neurotransmitters (brain signaling chemicals) they release: dopamine, serotonin and glutamine.

The pleasure centers in the brain are triggered by dopamine, and Clark said he expected those dopaminergic pathways to be altered in the tame animals.

"Tame animals seem like they are blissed out all the time," he said. "They're just so happy and adorable, so I thought certainly the dopaminergic [pathway would be affected]. But there was no signal."

However, the genes that impact the function of both serotonergic neurons and glutaminergic neurons were clearly affected by selection toward tameness. These neurons are important for learning and memory.

Also, the analyses implicated genes important in the function of the neural crest, a transient group of cells that arises very early in the embryo. These cells migrate to form many types of adult cells, including those that determine skin and hair pigment (melanocytes), peripheral nerves, and the tissues of the face. The signals suggest a link to "domestication syndrome," a cluster of ancillary traits  white fur spots, shorter nose, curly tail and floppy ears  that pops up in domesticated canines, and in similar forms of other species.

"Darwin, and many others since, observed that when people select for domestication, there is a tendency to see a reversion in these traits to a more juvenile form," Clark said, adding that more study of the neural crest's role in domestication syndrome is needed.

The paper was written in tandem with another related study recently published in Nature Ecology and Evolution (NEE) that includes many of the same co-authors

Explore further Sequenced fox genome hints at genetic basis of behaviorMaps of the Jamaica Bay study areas. B and C show the extent of two regions--the Jo Co and Yellow Bar marshes, respectively--in 1897 (green overlay) versus 2016 (white). Credit: Peteet et al.

Historically, salt marshes have not only served as ecological nurseries for fish, birds, and other wildlifethey've been stalwart defenses against coastal storms. But recently, coastal development coupled with accelerated sea level rise has threatened wetlands across the globe. Among them are the salt marshes in New York City's Jamaica Bay, an 18,000-acre estuary bordered by Queens and Brooklyn.

Using sediment cores to trace the evolution of Jamaica Bay's wetlands, a team led by researchers within Columbia's Earth Institute finds that urbanization is weakening the shoreline and starving the marshes of vital mineral sediment, causing their gradual but dramatic erosion. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also offers strategies to restore and preserve these important natural systems in Jamaica Bay and elsewhere.

"We knew that these marshes were disappearing, and there were lots of reasons people had proposed as to why," said Dorothy Peteet, lead author and senior research scientist at NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, "but no one had actually looked at the organic and the inorganic part of it to see why the marshes are fragmenting."

The Jamaica Bay wetlands have helped dampen waves and substantially block or slow down winds that accompany storms. The marshes have also been a haven for an estimated 325 species of migratory and resident birds and upwards of 90 types of fish. In recent decades, though, these marshes have been eroding at alarming ratesputting the shores and the animals at peril.

Inorganic sediment supply to the Jo Co marsh has decreased dramatically over the past few centuries. While the overall accretion rate has gone up due to organic sediments, the lack of mineral sediments weakens the marshes. Credit: Peteet et al.

Two sediment cores, which the team drilled from the marsh surfaces, provided a window into the area's past and revealed why the marshes are disappearing. A lack of inorganic sedimentor sand, silt, and clayis depriving the marshes of mineral sediment that helps to hold the ecosystem together. Without these sediments, the marshes lose their structure and disintegrate.

"The major cause of decline is that we have changed the natural sediment supplywe have destroyed the input for sand, silt, and clay," Peteet explained. Eighteen streams that once emptied into Jamaica Bay filled the estuary with rich amounts of sediment. Now only eight streams remain, and they bring "hardly anything but wastewater," said Peteet. "In the centers, the marshes have kept up because we still have the native grasses herebut at the edges, they're really not sustainable due to fragmentation."

The Jamaica Bay wetlands are also being weakened by sea level riseperhaps even more so than in other coastal regions of the U.S., since relative increases in sea levels due to climate change are greater in mid-Atlantic states such as New York. As such, regional sea levels are rising at faster rates than the marshes themselvesputting these mineral-depleted wetlands in danger of drowning.

"Now, we're seeing almost five millimeters in sea level rise per year," said Peteet. "If your accretion rate is below that, there is no way the marshes can keep up."

Layers within two sediment cores enabled the researchers to reconstruct centuries of Jamaica Bay's history. Credit: Dorothy Peteet

To restore and strengthen the salt marshes, the study recommends filling in Jamaica Bay's dredged areas and spraying sand, silt, and clay onto the remaining marshes. The estuary's craters must be filled in first, Peteet explained, so that the sprayed sediment doesn't leave the marshes and accumulate in the pits. Marshes were successfully restored in Los Angeles' Wax Bay Delta using these tactics.

Collectively, upwards of $130 million has already been spent on tidal marsh restoration in Jamaica Bay over the past two decades, according to Adam Parris, executive director of the Science and Resilience Institute of Jamaica Bay. Government agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the city's Parks Department are working to rebuild damaged marshes on the bay's islands and restore marshes that have been buried by fill.

While these efforts are cause for hope, the rates and magnitude of sea-level rise anticipated for the next half-century remains concerning, Parris noted. "There is definitely no question that clean sediment will be required to help sustain those restoration projects over the long-term," he said.

On a larger scale, manmade development has caused New York State to lose more than half of all its wetlands, and has resulted in the disappearance of marshes worldwide, said Peteet. "It is incumbent on us as people to remedy it."

More information: Dorothy M. Peteet el al., "Sediment starvation destroys New York City marshes' resistance to sea level rise," PNAS (2018). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Dorothy M. Peteet el al., "Sediment starvation destroys New York City marshes' resistance to sea level rise,"(2018). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1715392115One of two cases of healed blows to the cranium from the Playa Venado excavations. Most of the evidence of violence was interpreted by Harvard archaeologist, Samuel Lothrop based on body positioning in graves at the site. Smithsonian post-doctoral fellow, Nicole Smith-Guzman, found no examples of trauma that occurred near the time of death among the skeletons in the collection. Credit: Nicole Smith-Guzman, STRI

Buried alive. Butchered. Decapitated. Hacked. Mutilated. Killed. Archaeologist Samuel K. Lothrop did not obfuscate when describing what he thought had happened to the 220 bodies his expedition excavated from Panama's Playa Venado site in 1951. The only problem is that Lothrop likely got it wrong. A new evaluation of the site's remains by Smithsonian archaeologists revealed no signs of trauma at or near time of death. The burial site likely tells a more culturally nuanced story.

The "long-overdue" reexamination of the Playa Venado site, which dates to 500-900 A.D. and is located near the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, revealed no evidence of ritual killing, said Nicole E. Smith-Guzman, post-doctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). Lothrop's misinterpretations are likely due to the era of "Romantic archaeology," underdeveloped methods for mortuary studies and literal readings of Spanish accounts of indigenous peoples after European contact.

"We now realize that many of these Spanish chroniclers were motivated to show the indigenous populations they encountered as 'uncivilized' and in need of conquering," said Smith-Guzman, adding that many accounts of sacrifice and cannibalism have not been confirmed by the archaeological record. "Rather than an example of violent death and careless deposition, Playa Venado presents an example of how pre-Columbian societies in the Isthmo-Colombian area showed respect and care for their kin after death."

The article, co-authored by STRI staff archaeologist Richard Cooke, was published in Latin American Antiquity. But Lothrop's 1954 paper, "Suicide, sacrifice and mutilations in burials at Venado Beach, Panama," left its mark on the annals of Panamanian archaeology. It has been cited more than 35 times as evidence of violence, cannibalism or trophy decapitation. Some authors have used the paper to suggest Playa Venado is a mass burial site or a manifestation of conflict.

In defense of Lothrop, who was an archaeologist with Harvard University's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Enthnology, bioarchaeology (the study of human remains from archaeological contexts) did not exist as a sub-discipline until two decades after his work concluded at Playa Venado. Today's practitioners also benefit from methods developed in the 1980s and 1990s.

A female skeleton in situ with a ceramic pedestal bowl in the shape of a turtle at her head. Amateur archaeologist Kenneth Vinton kept this ceramic artifact and there were several photos of it on display in his classroom in Panama.Credit: Courtesy of Ripon College, Kenneth Vinton estate

Lothrop's careful documentation and preservation of remains made reevaluation possible. Remains from more than 70 individuals from Playa Venado are at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, sent there by Lothrop for osteological evaluation.

Upon examination, Smith-Guzman found only wounds that showed signs of healing well before the individuals died, including blows to the head and a dislocated thumb. Various broken bones and disarticulated remains discovered by Lothrop more likely explained by normal processes of decomposition and secondary burial of remains, which is believed to have a common ancestor-veneration practice in pre-Colombian Panama.

Evidence suggests certain people's remains were preserved for long periods of time before being buried in ritual contexts. "At Playa Venado, we see a lot of evidence of adults being buried next to urns containing children, multiple burials including one primary and one secondary burial, and disturbance of previously laid graves in order to inter another individual in association," said Smith-Guzman.

"The uniform burial positioning and the absence of perimortem (around the time of death) trauma stands in contradiction to Lothrop's interpretation of violent death at the site," said Smith-Guzman, who also used evidence from other archaeological sites around Panama about burial rites as part of the investigation. "There are low rates of trauma in general, and the open mouths of skeletons Lothrop noted are more easily explained by normal muscle relaxation after death and decay."

Smith-Guzman and Cooke's reassessment of the Playa Venado burials suggests that ideas about widespread violence in pre-Columbian Panama need to be reconsidered. The research is part of a larger, interdisciplinary site reanalysis that will be published by the Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Washington, D.C..

Overhead: Bioarchaeologist Nicole Smith-Guzman looks for clues that might explain the cause of death of individuals from ancient Panamanian gravesites. Credit: Sean Mattson, STRI

Smith-Guzman's previous discovery of the first case of bone cancer in Latin America is featured on this month's Smithsonian Sidedoor podcast.

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a part of the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute furthers the understanding of tropical nature and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. STRI website. Promotional video.

Explore further Why was a teenager with bone cancer buried on Witch Hill in Panama?

More information: Nicole E. Smith-Guzman et al, INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE AT PLAYA VENADO, PANAMA (550850 AD): A REEVALUATION OF THE EVIDENCE, Latin American Antiquity (2018). Nicole E. Smith-Guzman et al, INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE AT PLAYA VENADO, PANAMA (550850 AD): A REEVALUATION OF THE EVIDENCE,(2018). DOI: 10.1017/laq.2018.48 American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

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The Louisiana Supreme Court rejected the Office of Disciplinary Counsel's appeal of a dismissal of bar charges

Briefly stated, this case involves the obligations of an attorney who learns his client has failed to produce evidence in response to a search warrant in an ongoing criminal investigation. Upon learning the evidence was in his clients possession, respondent counseled his client on several occasions to turn the evidence over to the authorities. Respondent also informed his client that he was likely to be charged with obstruction of justice. Respondent was ultimately successful in persuading his client to allow him to release the evidence to the authorities; however, this release occurred approximately three months after respondent learned of the existence of the evidence, during which time respondent had an expert retrieve, preserve, and copy the evidence.

After a formal hearing, the hearing committee made a finding that respondent was credible when he testified that he knew he would be bound to inform the court and the prosecutor of the existence of the evidence if he could not convince his client to turn over the evidence. The committee also accepted respondents testimony that he always believed his client would comply with his legal advice, which the client ultimately did. Based on these findings, the committee recommended the charges be dismissed. The disciplinary board found no manifest error in the committees findings and also recommended the charges be dismissed.

In its argument to this court, the ODC focuses on the three-month period between the time respondent learned of the evidence and ultimately released it to the authorities. The ODC argues respondent took no action whatsoever to force his client to release the evidence sooner. The ODC contends respondent should have advised his client that he (respondent) would be compelled, as an officer of the court, to go to the authorities if the client did not turn over the evidence. According to the ODC, the delay in production created a possibility that the evidence might be damaged or lost and potentially impaired the prosecution.

The primary provision of the Rules of Professional Conduct at issue in this case is Rule 3.3(b), which provides:

A lawyer who represents a client in an adjudicative proceeding and who knows that a person intends to engage, is engaging or has engaged in criminal or fraudulent conduct related to the proceeding shall take reasonable remedial measures, including, if necessary, disclosure to the tribunal. [emphasis added].

As the board observed, this rule does not contain any temporal elements, but instead focuses on the reasonableness of the remedial measures taken by the lawyer. The hearing committee made a factual finding that respondents actions were reasonable under the circumstances presented.

Based on our review of the record, we cannot say the hearing committees factual findings, which were based on credibility determinations, are clearly wrong. In reaching this conclusion, we make it clear that the determination of whether a lawyer has fulfias standing for any proposition beyond the stated holding. We caution members of the bar to be very sensitive to their obligations under this rule, as any breach of these lled the duties imposed under Rule 3.3(b) will turn on the specific facts presented in each individual case, and our ruling today should not be considered as standing for any proposition beyond the stated holding. We caution members of the bar to be very sensitive to their obligations under this rule, as any breach of these duties can have significant adverse impacts on the administration of justice. However, under the specific facts of the case presented, we find the board correctly concluded respondent did not breach his ethical obligations.

(Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/09/the-louisiana-supreme-court-rejected-the-office-of-disciplinary-counsels-appeal-of-a-dismissal-briefly-stated-this-case-inv.htmlUsername: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 5 Vote(s) - 3.6 Average

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Page: 1 2 3 4 Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library Bao2

Banned

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09-24-2018 04:38 AM



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Post: #1 Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library

Advertisement



https://www.breitbart.com/big-government...tory-hour/



Port Jefferson Library officials say they expected protests at the event, but called it a success and say they plan on having more Drag Queen Story Hour events in the future. Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library Saturday to speak out against the librarys decision to host a Drag Queen Story Hour with children as young as four years old.Port Jefferson Library officials say they expected protests at the event, but called it a success and say they plan on having more Drag Queen Story Hour events in the future. (This post was last modified: 09-24-2018 04:39 AM by Bao2 .) LoP Guest

lop guest

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09-24-2018 04:53 PM











Post: #2 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library

The reason the Windsor's and the Roman catholic Church, push this, is to destroy places of public learning.



They want the masses uneducated, and from their evil view point: illiterate. So they will infiltrate and destroy all institutions, so all is left is the British Crown and the Roman Church.



The antichrist and false prophet, the world order they are trying to build. Archangel

Michael

User ID: 441975

09-24-2018 05:01 PM



Posts: 14,103









Post: #3 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library





I want my sex back aka, I want my willie back:









https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pxxBQm114k





. This 'make everyone queer agenda that's being pushed by the usual suspects is sick and twisted. Many to most regret their sex changes. The people pushing this agenda need to do a rope dance.I want my sex back aka, I want my willie back: Sing-I'llSway

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09-24-2018 06:07 PM



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Post: #4 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library

I support anyone's right to protest. It's one of the few genuinely great things about America. So good for these people voicing their opinions.



But what are they protesting against specifically...?



I've been to drag shows. They're a blast. One of my best friends is very active in the drag scene here in my city. It's basically dudes in fancy dresses and makeup lip-syncing to Madonna.



Seriously.



Certain acts get a bit risque. If these particular performers were doing "risque" things in front of kids I'd have a major problem with that, of course.



But is that happening? Or are dudes in dresses simply acting fabulous in front of little kids? Because I don't really see any problem with that.



Kids probably laugh their asses off.



If there's anything "overtly sexual" going on, that would be inappropriate for little kids.



But is there....?





















(something tells me we're about to get into it over the definition of "overtly sexual", lol....) God gave Moses the rainbow sign,

no more water, but fire next time Sing-I'llSway

Equal Opportunity Skeptic

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09-24-2018 06:09 PM



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Post: #5 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library

Archangel Wrote: (09-24-2018 05:01 PM) This 'make everyone queer agenda that's being pushed by the usual suspects is sick and twisted. Many to most regret their sex changes. The people pushing this agenda need to do a rope dance.



I want my sex back aka, I want my willie back:









https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pxxBQm114k





.

You can't "make" anyone queer.





I f*ckin' love girls. All the drag shows in the world couldn't change that. Will never change that.



It's a very bizarre idea, that being exposed to drag could instill in a child a craving for their own gender.



Forgive my explicitness, but it really kind of is this fundamental: you either want to suck cock, or you don't.



I don't. And no amount of lip-syncing to Madonna is ever going to change that. You can't "make" anyone queer.I f*ckin' love girls. All the drag shows in the world couldn't change that. Will never change that.It's a very bizarre idea, that being exposed to drag could instill in a child a craving for their own gender.Forgive my explicitness, but it really kind of is this fundamental:I don't. And no amount of lip-syncing to Madonna is ever going to change that. God gave Moses the rainbow sign,

no more water, but fire next time Archangel

Michael

User ID: 441975

09-24-2018 06:14 PM



Posts: 14,103









Post: #6 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library

Sing-IllSway Wrote: (09-24-2018 06:07 PM) I support anyone's right to protest. It's one of the few genuinely great things about America. So good for these people voicing their opinions.



But what are they protesting against specifically...?



I've been to drag shows. They're a blast. One of my best friends is very active in the drag scene here in my city. It's basically dudes in fancy dresses and makeup lip-syncing to Madonna.



Seriously.



Certain acts get a bit risque. If these particular performers were doing "risque" things in front of kids I'd have a major problem with that, of course.



But is that happening? Or are dudes in dresses simply acting fabulous in front of little kids? Because I don't really see any problem with that.



Kids probably laugh their asses off.



If there's anything "overtly sexual" going on, that would be inappropriate for little kids.



But is there....?



(something tells me we're about to get into it over the definition of "overtly sexual", lol....)



You bork bork queer jerk!!



You don't titillate kids with Queer sh*t!!



Only bastards and mother f**kers do stuff like that.





titillate

[tidlat]

VERB



stimulate or excite (someone), especially in a sexual way.

"these journalists are paid to titillate the public"

synonyms: arouse  rouse  excite  stimulate  stir  thrill  interest  attract  please  fascinate  tantalize  lead on  seduce  tempt  ravish  inflame  kindle  provoke  quicken  turn on  [more] You bork bork queer jerk!!You don't titillate kids with Queer sh*t!!Only bastards and mother f**kers do stuff like that.titillate[tidlat]VERBstimulate or excite (someone), especially in a sexual way."these journalists are paid to titillate the public"synonyms: arouse  rouse  excite  stimulate  stir  thrill  interest  attract  please  fascinate  tantalize  lead on  seduce  tempt  ravish  inflame  kindle  provoke  quicken  turn on  [more] (This post was last modified: 09-24-2018 06:15 PM by Archangel .) Archangel

Michael

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09-24-2018 06:21 PM



Posts: 14,103









Post: #7 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library

Sing-IllSway Wrote: (09-24-2018 06:09 PM) Archangel Wrote: (09-24-2018 05:01 PM) This 'make everyone queer agenda that's being pushed by the usual suspects is sick and twisted. Many to most regret their sex changes. The people pushing this agenda need to do a rope dance.



I want my sex back aka, I want my willie back:









https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pxxBQm114k





.

You can't "make" anyone queer.





I f*ckin' love girls. All the drag shows in the world couldn't change that. Will never change that.



It's a very bizarre idea, that being exposed to drag could instill in a child a craving for their own gender.



Forgive my explicitness, but it really kind of is this fundamental: you either want to suck cock, or you don't.



I don't. And no amount of lip-syncing to Madonna is ever going to change that.

Homosexuals can are are created. To say they can't is unabashed silliness.



What exposing children to it does, is implant the ideas that we can change our gender if we want. The children exposed will replay the

excitement of the tranny show in their minds. It will play over and

over as they drift off to sleep.



Nothing is more distant from the truth.



Anyone allowing young children to be exposed is engaging in

Child molestation on a psychological level.



It is brainwashing, being used in the worst, the ugliest, the most perverted, the most life long damaging way.



. Homosexuals can are are created. To say they can't is unabashed silliness.What exposing children to it does, is implant the ideas that we can change our gender if we want. The children exposed will replay theexcitement of the tranny show in their minds. It will play over andover as they drift off to sleep.Nothing is more distant from the truth.Anyone allowing young children to be exposed is engaging inChild molestation on a psychological level.It is brainwashing, being used in the worst, the ugliest, the most perverted, the most life long damaging way. Sing-I'llSway

Equal Opportunity Skeptic

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09-24-2018 06:26 PM



Posts: 7,569









Post: #8 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library

Archangel Wrote: (09-24-2018 06:14 PM) Sing-IllSway Wrote: (09-24-2018 06:07 PM) I support anyone's right to protest. It's one of the few genuinely great things about America. So good for these people voicing their opinions.



But what are they protesting against specifically...?



I've been to drag shows. They're a blast. One of my best friends is very active in the drag scene here in my city. It's basically dudes in fancy dresses and makeup lip-syncing to Madonna.



Seriously.



Certain acts get a bit risque. If these particular performers were doing "risque" things in front of kids I'd have a major problem with that, of course.



But is that happening? Or are dudes in dresses simply acting fabulous in front of little kids? Because I don't really see any problem with that.



Kids probably laugh their asses off.



If there's anything "overtly sexual" going on, that would be inappropriate for little kids.



But is there....?



(something tells me we're about to get into it over the definition of "overtly sexual", lol....)



You f*cking queer jerk!!



You don't titillate kids with Queer sh*t!!



Only bastards and mother f**kers do stuff like that.





titillate

[tidlat]

VERB



stimulate or excite (someone), especially in a sexual way.

"these journalists are paid to titillate the public"

synonyms: arouse  rouse  excite  stimulate  stir  thrill  interest  attract  please  fascinate  tantalize  lead on  seduce  tempt  ravish  inflame  kindle  provoke  quicken  turn on  [more]

If you're "titillated" while watching a drag show, that's on you.





Personally, I have never been. Nor have I been "aroused", "excited", "stimulated", (I may have been "thrilled", if the performer's talented enough, I'll cop to that), and I have definitely never been "turned on".



I like girls. Not guys dressed up like girls.





Furthermore, it matters to know what kinds of routine these drag performers are doing.



Because if all they're doing is walking out dressed like fabulous ladies with too much fabulous makeup and dancing and singing with the kids...who cares?



Again, if you see something "titillating" about that.... it's on you, boo.







For the record, I called you "boo".



You called me:



"bork bork queer jerk" (again, lol... I'm straight )



AND you insinuated I'm a:



"bastard"

"motherf**ker"





Which one of us sounds like a child? If you're "titillated" while watching a drag show,Personally, I have never been. Nor have I been "aroused", "excited", "stimulated", (I may have been "thrilled", if the performer's talented enough, I'll cop to that), and I haveI like girls. Not guys dressed up like girls.Furthermore, it matters to know what kinds of routine these drag performers are doing.Because if all they're doing is walking out dressed likeladies with too muchmakeup and dancing and singing with the kids...who cares?Again, if you see something "titillating" about that....For the record, I called you "boo".You called me:"bork bork queer jerk" (again, lol...AND you insinuated I'm a:"bastard""motherf**ker"Which one ofsounds like a child? God gave Moses the rainbow sign,

no more water, but fire next time Archangel

Michael

User ID: 441975

09-24-2018 06:28 PM



Posts: 14,103









Post: #9 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library

What queer rubbish you spread, Sing. Sing-I'llSway

Equal Opportunity Skeptic

User ID: 418032

09-24-2018 06:44 PM



Posts: 7,569









Post: #10 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library

Archangel Wrote: (09-24-2018 06:21 PM) Sing-IllSway Wrote: (09-24-2018 06:09 PM) You can't "make" anyone queer.





I f*ckin' love girls. All the drag shows in the world couldn't change that. Will never change that.



It's a very bizarre idea, that being exposed to drag could instill in a child a craving for their own gender.



Forgive my explicitness, but it really kind of is this fundamental: you either want to suck cock, or you don't.



I don't. And no amount of lip-syncing to Madonna is ever going to change that.

Homosexuals can are are created. To say they can't is unabashed silliness.





Assuming you're a guy, could any amount of drag performances make you want to make out with another man?



I'm perfectly serious.



If you and I went to 3 drag shows a week, every weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, are you saying you'd find yourself slowly veering in the direction of homosexuality...?



Because I wouldn't.



Not with a gun to my head could you make me kiss another guy.



I like girls. Always have. It's in my DNA.



And the gay guys I know? And I know a lot. They could never be convinced to make out with a girl. No interest. And it is beyond the pale to consider they ever could have at any point in their lives.



They like boys. It's in their DNA.



Can't speak for the gay guys you hang out with. Though I'm guessing there aren't many in your sphere....(?)









Archangel Wrote: (09-24-2018 06:21 PM) What exposing children to it does, is implant the ideas that we can change our gender if we want. The children exposed will replay the

excitement of the tranny show in their minds. It will play over and

over as they drift off to sleep.



My guess is these kids laugh their asses off at the silly, fabulous men dancing around singing...and then head home with mom and dad and go about their day.



A drag show may plant itself into your mind where it may play "over and over" until you fall asleep, but don't assume any kid is as hung up as you are.



Concepts like "changing gender" are pretty sophisticated for a 5-year-old whose main concerns in life are "Black Panther" -toys and Pokemon.



And if a little kid goes into a drag show at the library with a crush on a little girl in his class...he's going to leave the library with the same crush on that same little girl still intact.



The dancing fabulous men aren't going to change whether a kid has a crush on a little girl, or a little boy, in their class. The dancing fabulous men are just something to laugh at.









Archangel Wrote: (09-24-2018 06:21 PM) Nothing is more distant from the truth.



Anyone allowing young children to be exposed is engaging in

Child molestation on a psychological level.





That's some dangerous, reckless hyperbole there.









Archangel Wrote: (09-24-2018 06:21 PM) It is brainwashing, being used in the worst, the ugliest, the most perverted, the most life long damaging way.



.



Men dressed in silly clothes come and out dance and sing with a bunch of kids and make them laugh.





If you see something "damaging" about that...



It's got to be worth pointing out here, the specifics of this drag routine really matter. I might even be on your side if the performances involved some overtly sexual displays.



But I don't know. If they're just singing and dancing and making the kids laugh? Then you are definitely freaking out over nothing.





Do you know the specifics of these routines? I'm assuming you do, given the surety of your....uh, "condemnations". Assuming you're a guy, could any amount of drag performances make you want to make out with another man?I'm perfectly serious.If you and I went to 3 drag shows a week, every weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, are you sayingfind yourself slowly veering in the direction of homosexuality...?Because I wouldn't.Not with a gun to my head could you make me kiss another guy.I like girls. Always have. It's in my DNA.And the gay guys I know? And I know a lot. They couldto make out with a girl. No interest. And it is beyond the pale to consider they ever could have at any point in their lives.They like boys. It's in their DNA.Can't speak for the gay guysThough I'm guessing there aren't many in your sphere....(?)My guess is these kids laugh their asses off at the silly,men dancing around singing...and then head home with mom and dad and go about their day.A drag show may plant itself intowhere it may play "over and over" until you fall asleep, but don't assume any kid is as hung up as you are.Concepts like "changing gender" arefor a 5-year-old whose main concerns in life are-toys and Pokemon.And if a little kid goes into a drag show at the library with a crush on a little girl in his class...he'sThe dancingmen aren't going to change whether a kid has a crush on a little girl, or a little boy, in their class. The dancingmen are just something to laugh at.That's some dangerous, reckless hyperbole there.Men dressed in silly clothes come and out dance and sing with a bunch of kids and make them laugh.If you see something "damaging" about that...It's got to be worth pointing out here, the specifics of this drag routineBut I don't know. If they're just singing and dancing and making the kids laugh? Then you are definitely freaking out over nothing.Doknow the specifics of these routines? I'm assuming you do, given the surety of your....uh, "condemnations". God gave Moses the rainbow sign,

no more water, but fire next time LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 415606

09-24-2018 06:51 PM











Post: #11 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library



They need to be aborted.

TRANSGENDERED People Don't Need to get Abortions!They need to be aborted. MESSENGER

(on vacation!)

User ID: 464102

09-24-2018 06:55 PM



Posts: 1,552









Post: #12 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library





Drag queen images



https://www.qwant.com/?q=drag%20queen&t=images







. Drag queen images Sing-I'llSway

Equal Opportunity Skeptic

User ID: 418032

09-24-2018 06:56 PM



Posts: 7,569









Post: #13 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library

Archangel Wrote: (09-24-2018 06:28 PM) What queer rubbish you spread, Sing.

Yeah...





Always stating my opinions with an effort towards clarity and coherency.



I'm such a queen.





Maybe I should drop more name-calling into my posts, eh Archangel...?



Is that how all the evangelicals are posting these days....? Yeah...Always stating my opinions with an effort towards clarity and coherency.I'm such a queen.Maybe I should drop more name-calling into my posts, eh Archangel...?Is that how all the evangelicals are posting these days....? God gave Moses the rainbow sign,

no more water, but fire next time LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 464018

09-24-2018 06:57 PM











Post: #14 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library

Gay people created this with there gay rights. Straight up was talking to a guy the other day about seeing two little kids hanging out with a known queer pedo in the area. His response? Perhaps the children are gay. Sing-I'llSway

Equal Opportunity Skeptic

User ID: 418032

09-24-2018 07:01 PM



Posts: 7,569









Post: #15 RE: Protesters gathered outside a Long Island, New York, public library

LoP Guest Wrote: (09-24-2018 06:51 PM) TRANSGENDERED People Don't Need to get Abortions!

They need to be aborted.



See, I can totally laugh at politically incorrect humor. The funniest joke I ever heard is probably also the most racist.





The problem is the joke has to be funny. It has to be witty.



And I'm honestly trying to do you a solid here when I say: it's cool to post "laughing"-smilies to your own jokes... if they're witty.





Otherwise, well....



I just wouldn't do that anymore. See, I can totally laugh at politically incorrect humor. The funniest joke I ever heard is probably also the most racist.is the joke has toAnd I'm honestly trying to do you a solid here when I say: it's cool to post "laughing"-smilies to your own jokes...Otherwise, well....I just wouldn't do that anymore. God gave Moses the rainbow sign,

no more water, but fire next time Advertisement

















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As a period piece, the films offers an immersive historical window into life during the wax of Apartheid, yet it is clearly also a mirror for contemporary South Africa. The film stirs rich contemplation of the country's ongoing tribulations, many of which we see the seeds of in Kepe's time.

Qubeka's critical creative choice is the rejection of dialogue driven plot, and the result I'm pleased to report is not a slow and silent contemplation, but an energetically enigmatic masterpiece of visual storytelling. The sparse dialogue leaves room for every character to fill their moments, and even lesser roles are imbued with the gravitas of careful and unhurried attention.

His last feature was 2013's Of Good Report, another extraordinary film that caused such a furor it was banned, and about which I wrote extensively. Sew The Winter To My Skin is a more mature film, and more ambitious in scope, but brimming with the same fiery spirit, pulling no punches.

For instance, this is the first film I've seen that explicitly invokes a connection between the origins of Apartheid and the South African Nazi movement, whose flag and regalia are seen adorning a room of military memorabilia preciously curated by the film's antagonist, a military veteran and now sheep farmer called Botha.

Kepe is no easy hero though; his actions and choices leave him largely estranged from his wife, bring tragedy to his household, and eventually result in a self-abasement so horrifying and symbolically searing that the memory lingers with a foul stench long after the film. He is as much a cautionary tale as invitation to rebel.

Ezra Mabengeza shines in the leading role of Kepe, in what appears to be his first feature film in front of the camera. Brenda Ngxoli plays his wife with nary a smile nor a word all film, delivering a desperate performance as she's left alone and vulnerable by her husband's choices.

Botha is played with venomously droll condenscenion by Peter Kurth, but the cruelest villain is his native lawman/henchman, Black Wyatt Earp, mustachioed with the same iconic and enchanting effect as Christof Waltz's pipe in Inglorious Basterds, and brought to loathsome life by Zolisa Xaluva. He's a survivor who embraces the modest opportunities provided by his oppressors, but who in doing so has adopted the worst of their sadistic indifference. He's a vile caricature of his villainous masters, and probably the most hated man in South Africa after any given screening.

Supporting acting is universally outstanding, a necessary standard for a film of few words. The cast includes some Canadian-South African talent (Kandyse McClure), straight up Canadian talent (Dave Walpole) talent, and well-known local talent like Bok van Blerk (Moddern En Bloed), Bongile Mantsai (who soared in last year's The Wound), and veteran Nomhle Nkonyeni as the old matriarch (Of Good Report).

There are many bold images in this film, and some of them are truly unprecedented. But for all the visual panache, to say nothing of the quality acting and craftsmanship at essentially every level of this production, it's the film's insistent disruption of comfortable perspectives that gives it such soul. When a throng attacks a villain in his home, there is no easy retribution - we hear his wailing children and family. When a racist farmer fails to save his farm, there is no easy satisfaction - this is when we see his only display of tenderness in a sweet moment of marital solidarity.

Again and again, Qubeka forces us to acknowledge our tribal allegiances, and animosities, and to question what our interpretations mean for ourselves and the greater truth. Sew The Winter To My Skin is a timely historical reflection with profound contemporary reverberations for South Africa, but this local tale of tribal perspectives has a powerful global resonance in the current socio-political climate across so much of the world.

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Expect to see this film firing on the festival circuit, and perhaps even on the Oscar ballot in 2019.

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New York Times is not so sure about Kavanaughs second accuser LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 463999

09-24-2018 04:42 PM











Post: #1 New York Times is not so sure about Kavanaughs second accuser

Advertisement





Ms Ramirez herself contacted former Yale classmatesTold Classmates SHE COULDNT BE CERTAIN Kavanaugh Was Person She Was Accusing So New York Times Refused to Run Her Story.



Yesterday, the ultra-liberal New Yorker magazine, who makes no secret about their hate for our President and the GOP, published an article that was avaible on 9/17, pushing a narrative that another woman had been sexually assaulted by Judge Kavanaugh. Brett Kavanaugh, President Trumps pick for US Supreme Court Justice, made a statement about the allegation, vehemently denying the claim:



This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good nameand the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime buildingagainst these last-minute allegations.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk...ah-ramirez



Ramirez acknowledged that there are significant gaps in her memories of the evening, and that, if she ever presents her story to the F.B.I. or members of the Senate, she will inevitably be pressed on her motivation for coming forward after so many years, and questioned about her memory, given her drinking at the party.

The New York Times, who unashamedly attacks President Trump, his supporters and anyone connected to him on a regular basis, dropped a bombshell ( likely an unintended admission) about the Ramirez story, as they explained that before the New Yorker ran with the unsubstantiated story, the New York Times was also in possession of Ramirezs claim, but after interviewing dozens of people over the past week to offer a shred of evidence that could substantiate her story, all they could find is a woman who appeared to be desperate to pin an accusation on Kavanaugh, even though she herself couldnt be certain it was Kavanaugh that exposed himself. From the New York Times article

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/23/us/po...stify.html







In a statement, Judge Kavanaugh denied the allegation from the woman, Deborah Ramirez, and called it a smear, plain and simple. The New Yorker did not confirm with other eyewitnesses that Judge Kavanaugh was at the party. The Times had interviewed several dozen people over the past week in an attempt to corroborate her story, and could find no one with firsthand knowledge. Ms. Ramirez herself contacted former Yale classmates asking if they recalled the incident and told some of them that she could not be certain Mr. Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself.



Fortunately for the Democrat Party, they can always rely on the support of the fake news mainstream media to prop up their efforts in their war against Trump and anything related to Trumpand the Ramirez non-story is the top story of the day So much so, they refused to run the storyMs Ramirez herself contacted former Yale classmatesTold Classmates SHE COULDNT BE CERTAIN Kavanaugh Was Person She Was Accusing So New York Times Refused to Run Her Story.Yesterday, the ultra-liberal New Yorker magazine, who makes no secret about their hate for our President and the GOP, published an article that was avaible on 9/17, pushing a narrative that another woman had been sexually assaulted by Judge Kavanaugh. Brett Kavanaugh, President Trumps pick for US Supreme Court Justice, made a statement about the allegation, vehemently denying the claim:This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good nameand the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime buildingagainst these last-minute allegations.Ramirez acknowledged that there are significant gaps in her memories of the evening, and that, if she ever presents her story to the F.B.I. or members of the Senate, she will inevitably be pressed on her motivation for coming forward after so many years, and questioned about her memory, given her drinking at the party.The New York Times, who unashamedly attacks President Trump, his supporters and anyone connected to him on a regular basis, dropped a bombshell ( likely an unintended admission) about the Ramirez story, as they explained that before the New Yorker ran with the unsubstantiated story, the New York Times was also in possession of Ramirezs claim, but after interviewing dozens of people over the past week to offer a shred of evidence that could substantiate her story, all they could find is a woman who appeared to be desperate to pin an accusation on Kavanaugh, even though she herself couldnt be certain it was Kavanaugh that exposed himself. From the New York Times articleIn a statement, Judge Kavanaugh denied the allegation from the woman, Deborah Ramirez, and called it a smear, plain and simple. The New Yorker did not confirm with other eyewitnesses that Judge Kavanaugh was at the party. The Times had interviewed several dozen people over the past week in an attempt to corroborate her story, and could find no one with firsthand knowledge. Ms. Ramirez herself contacted former Yale classmates asking if they recalled the incident and told some of them that she could not be certain Mr. Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself.Fortunately for the Democrat Party, they can always rely on the support of the fake news mainstream media to prop up their efforts in their war against Trump and anything related to Trumpand the Ramirez non-story is the top story of the day PioneerSpirit

Registered User

User ID: 441578

09-24-2018 04:44 PM



Posts: 15,196









Post: #2 RE: New York Times is not so sure about Kavanaughs second accuser

LoP Guest Wrote: (09-24-2018 04:42 PM) Told Classmates SHE COULDNT BE CERTAIN Kavanaugh Was Person She Was Accusing " ... ... and that should be the end of the story unless actual facts emerge. ... and that should be the end of the story unless actual facts emerge. "They notice that you notice" - Mothman Prophecies



A tradition cannot make an historical claim and then refuse to have it evaluated by history ~*~

I'm already gone

User ID: 462062

09-24-2018 04:48 PM



Posts: 3,385









Post: #3 RE: New York Times is not so sure about Kavanaughs second accuser

If you read carefully, she's not so sure herself.

The attack that was immediately launched against her by Kavanaugh's team and the GOP seemed rather harsh in light of it.

Also, it sounds like there is a third accuser now.

Hopefully, they will get to testify before the committee, treated with respect, actually cared about, and the ladies treated like human beings.

I don't know why that is too much to ask.















Indonesian palm oil farmer Kawal Surbakti says his livelihood is under attack, but the threat is not from insects or hungry orangutans eating his prized crop.

Half a world away, the European Parliament is moving to ban the use of palm oil in biofuels, while British grocer Iceland has announced it will stop using the commodity over concerns that it causes widespread environmental destruction.

Losing the key European market worries small farmers like Surbakti and millions of others in Indonesia and neighbouring Malaysia -- the world's top two producers -- as prices drop for an oil found in everything from biscuits and sweets to cosmetics and vehicle gas tanks.

"I've suffered serious losses," the 64-year-old Surbakti said from his two-hectare (five acre) farm on Indonesia's Sumatra island.

"Before, I could save up a little money but now I can't even do that."

Across the Malacca Strait in Malaysia, grower Mohamad Isa Mansor issued a dire prediction as he plucked reddish-orange fruits from his trees.

"If the EU succeeds in the ban, I'm dead," he said at his small plantation in the coastal town of Ijok.

"Without this crop we will be living in poverty. It is the source of income for thousands of people (here)," he added.

- 'Victims of big corporations' -

Europe is one of the world's biggest palm oil consumers, along with India and China.

About half of the palm oil used last year in Europe was for biofuels that ended up in gas tanks, according to environmentalists.

Indonesia and Malaysia have threatened retaliatory sanctions on European products over the proposed palm oil ban, which calls for a complete phase-out from biofuels by 2030. The legislation is awaiting a final vote and member-state approval.

As the diplomatic row smoulders, Indonesian grower Selamet Ketaren says he and other small farmers -- the backbone of the industry -- are pawns at the mercy of land-clearing multinational firms that buy their crops.

"Smallholder farmers like us are just victims of the big corporations," said Ketaren, who has been growing palm oil since the mid-eighties.

Story continues

Environmentalists accuse the multi-billion-dollar industry of destroying huge swathes of rainforest home to indigenous communities, orangutans and other threatened species.

Critics say that palm oil development also contributes to climate change through deliberate forest-clearing fires, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and lung-clogging smog into the region's air.

Many under-pressure firms made "no deforestation" pledges, but activists say they are tough to monitor and frequently broken in the vast jungles of Sumatra and Borneo island.

This week, Greenpeace said a group of Indonesian palm oil firms that supply major international brands including Unilever and Nestle have cleared an area of rainforest almost twice the size of Singapore in less than three years.

But Malaysian farmer Mansor rejects the depiction of growers as an environmental threat.

"(The EU) says we cut down the forest. But my land is on peat soil -- there was rubber growing here before," he said.

"How can the EU claim that I'm killing the earth?"

- 'Negative campaigns' -

An EU ban would threaten the livelihoods of 650,000 smallholders and over 3.2 million Malaysians who rely on the industry, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Council.

"The policies that the EU is proposing to introduce will harm Malaysia's rural communities and reduce incomes for Malaysian families," said Douglas Uggah Embas, deputy chief minister of Sarawak state on Borneo island, home to many smallholders.

Some three million people in Indonesia -- the world's biggest palm oil exporter -- are estimated to be working in the sector and many more depend on their income.

While it hopes to tap other markets, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association said that a slowdown in China and "negative campaigns" against palm oil could hurt the bottom line.

Malaysian grower Muhamad Ngisa Kusas fears that political decisions made in Europe will lead to poverty, crime and could push desperate people into the arms of religious extremists in the two Muslim-majority countries.

"If the EU bans comes into effect, the price of palm oil will surely plunge. Then we smallholders are doomed," said the 78-year-old.

"The EU had better think very carefully about this action."

burs-pb/gle/jtaThe European Union referred Poland to its top court on Monday for an alleged breach of the independence of its supreme court, the latest showdown between Brussels and populist member state governments. Brussels took action amid fears Poland and other EU countries with populist and authoritarian tendencies are undermining the union's founding democratic and rule of law values. The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, said it will take Poland's right-wing government to the European Court of Justice for lowering the age at which Supreme Court judges must retire from 70 to 65. This would hasten the departure of judges appointed under previous governments, allowing the appointment of figures seen as loyal by Warsaw's current leadership. The Commission said it "decided to refer Poland to the Court of Justice of the EU due to the violations of the principle of judicial independence created by the new Polish law on the Supreme Court." The Luxembourg-based court could impose fines if it finds Poland in breach of EU law. In Warsaw, Polish government spokesperson Joanna Kopcinska said: "Poland is ready to defend its legal arguments before the court." The Polish government insists the reforms are needed to tackle corruption and overhaul a judicial system still haunted by the communist era. Krzysztof Raczka, a supreme court justice, welcomed the decision in Brussels. "I am profoundly convinced and hope that it is the moment marking the start of a return to the state of things worthy of a democratic country in the early 21st century," the judge told journalists. "I would like Poland to remain so." - 'Risk of serious damage' - Warning that Warsaw is accelerating retirements, the Commission said it had asked the ECJ to give a final judgement "as soon as possible." The Commission said Warsaw's implementation of the new laws creates "a risk of serious and irreparable damage to judicial independence in Poland." Consequently, the move also undermines "the EU legal order", including member states' mutual recognition of court decisions. Already in July, the ECJ authorised EU countries to refuse arrest warrants from Poland if they doubt defendants will get a fair trial there. The Commission also asked the ECJ, pending a final ruling, to take "interim measures" such as restoring the Supreme Court to its situation before April 3. The Commission has previously urged the Polish authorities to address its concerns about the April 3 law or risk being taken to the top EU court. "The response of the Polish authorities on both occasions has failed to alleviate the Commission's legal concerns," it said. The commission said the Polish supreme court law "undermines the principle of judicial independence, including the removability of judges." - 'A purge' - The new retirement age requires more than a third of current Supreme Court judges to step down, including chief justice Malgorzata Gersdorf. Calling the law a "purge," Gersdorf has refused to step down, citing a constitutional guarantee that she serve a six-year term until 2020. The law more broadly violates Poland's obligations under the EU treaty, which it signed onto when it joined the bloc in 2004, the commission said. The EU first sounded the alarm over Polish judicial reforms shortly after the right-wing Law and Justice Party, PiS, won elections in 2015. Brussels has since engaged in more than two years of talks, but Warsaw has largely ignored its warnings that the changes would affect democratic checks and balances. In December, the Commission triggered unprecedented proceedings against Poland under Article 7 of the EU treaty, citing "systemic threats" to the rule of law. This could eventually see Warsaw's EU voting rights suspended, but Warsaw's neighbour Hungary, led by right-wing populist Viktor Orban, has vowed to veto any such penalty. The European Parliament took similar action against Hungary earlier this month, accusing it of targeting freedom of the press and judicial independence as well as the rights of minorities.Chew Eng Han in police van on 22 February 2018. Photo: Dhany Osman/Yahoo News Singapore

Former City Harvest Church (CHC) leader Chew Eng Han wanted to leave Singapore as he felt injustice and unfair for his High Court case and did not want to be convicted.

This was the prosecutions position at the opening of Chews case on Monday (24 September) as the 58-year-old claimed trial to one charge of attempting to leave Singapore illegally by boat and one charge of attempting to escape from justice by avoiding serving his sentence.

For his first charge, Chew is accused of embarking on a boat from Pulau Ubin jetty, which is not an authorised place of embarkation, on 21 February this year with the intention of later transferring to another boat that would leave Singapore for Malaysia.

Chew was foiled in his escape attempt and arrested one day before the start of his jail term of three years and four months for his previous conviction of misappropriating some $50 million in church funds to finance the music career of Kongs wife Sun Ho along with five other CHC leaders. The Police Coast Guard (PCG) intercepted his boat 2.4km off Pulau Ubin at about 8.45am.

His lawyer, Adrian Wee, is arguing that the charge of Chew attempting to leave Singapore illegally was not made out, as Chew was arrested while enroute to another rendezvous point and that he was not out of Singapore waters.

On Monday, the bespectacled Chew turned up in the State Courts dressed in purple prison overalls and looked thinner than during his previous appearances in court. He smiled at his wife, who was seated in the gallery, as he was led to the dock.

He chose to remain silent when called to testify. The trial wrapped up in the same morning as no other defence witness was called.

According to the prosecution, as early as October last year, Chew contemplated fleeing Singapore by car and was at Queen Streets bus terminal seeking drivers to help him in his attempt. Most drivers whom he spoke to allegedly told him that they would not smuggle people out of Singapore.

Story continues

He then met Khoo Kea Leng, a Malaysian freelance driver who ferried people between Singapore and Malaysia. Khoo told Chew he had the necessary contacts and the two men exchanged contact numbers.

Later that day, Khoo allegedly sent a message to Chew quoting a price of $18,000 to leave Singapore by car but Chew declined as it was too expensive.

A day before the escape attempt, Chew asked Khoo if he could arrange an escape attempt by boat. Khoo quoted a price of $12,000 and told Chew to meet him at Marine Drive at 8pm. Khoo also asked Chew to prepare fishing equipment to pass himself off as a fisherman.

At around 7.45pm, Chew told his elder brother, Chew Eng Soon, about the plan and asked for help to buy fishing equipment at Mustafa Centre.

Chew met Khoo at Marine Drive at 8pm and handed over $8,000 to him. Khoo told Chew to dress as if he were going for a fishing trip, adding that someone would call him about the meeting place.

Khoo later told Chew that he would be sent to Johor Bahru via two boats the next day and instructed him to pass the remaining $4,000 to a second boatman. He added that the second boatman would bring Chew to a shopping mall in Johor Bahru, where he would meet Khoo.

Shortly after midnight on 21 February, Chew received a call instructing him to

meet at Changi Village at 7.30am. His elder brother dropped him off at the location with the fishing equipment at 7.20am.

He was later directed to take a boat to Pulau Ubin Jetty as there were Police patrol boats in the vicinity of Changi Village. Chew took a boat to the jetty and later boarded another boat, which was piloted by Singaporean fish farmer Tan Poh Teck at 8.19am.

The boat was intercepted by Police Coast Guard (PCG) craft within Singapore waters in the vicinity of Chek Jawa Wetlands and Pulau Sekudu at 8.43am.

This was as the boat was headed towards four fish farms, northeast of Pulau Ubin close to the boundary between Singapore and Malaysian waters where Chew was to board a second boat to head towards Malaysia, according to the prosecution.

Tan and Chew were arrested and $5,186 in cash was seized.

Khoo and Tan have been jailed for their respective offences. A Malaysian tour guide, Tan Kim Ho, was also previously jailed for helping Chew in his escape attempt.

The prosecution, represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Christopher Ong, said in its opening statement that since Chew had admitted to wanting to leave Singapore due to his perceived injustice at his conviction, it was undisputed that (Chews) intention was to entirely avoid serving his sentence, which had been lawfully imposed on him by the High Court.

On the first day of his trial, three prosecution witnesses were called, including two crew commanders of the PCG vessels that intercepted Chews boat.

One of the officers, Inspector Lam Kok Wah, testified that the officers received a call at around 5.40am that an unknown person would be attempting to leave Singapore illegally. The boat license number and the identity of the boatman were given. The identity of the caller was not revealed in court. Two vessels were deployed to intercept the boat.

When asked by the defence if he believed the boat piloted by Tan would turn north towards Malaysia, Inspector Lam said no, adding that he stopped the boat as he believed a person was attempting to leave Singapore illegally.

Investigating officer Samantha Wong also testified that she recorded three statements from Chew between 21 and 27 February.

The case will resume on 13 November, when the verdict is expected to be delivered.

Related stories:

2 men who helped ex-CHC leader Chew Eng Hans failed escape jailed

Malaysian suspect allegedly met Chew Eng Han at Marine Drive carpark to discuss escape plan

Chew Eng Han to start jail term after remand period: Court of Appeal

Third man arrested over Chew Eng Hans attempted sampan escape

Elder brother of Chew Eng Han out on bail over ex-City Harvest leaders escape attempt

City Harvest saga: Chew Eng Han and accomplice charged over failed attempt to leave SingaporeUsername: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 1 Vote(s) - 5 Average

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U.S. Citizen Tortured: Nicaragua Communist Repression Against Students Now LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 451595

09-24-2018 06:27 PM











Post: #1 U.S. Citizen Tortured: Nicaragua Communist Repression Against Students Now

Advertisement



Where is the UN on this?



"Marco Noel Novoa survived over a week of intense torture in a Nicaraguan prison, exacerbated by the communist regime knowing his status as a U.S. citizen and fearing he was working for the CIA. In remarks to Breitbart News this week, Novoa says the violence against pro-democracy student protesters like himself continues, even if international media attention has waned.



Novoa, 27  who was born in Macon, Georgia, but was studying in Nicaragua when protests began in April  has returned to Miami, Florida, since his harrowing experience in his familys native country, where he says he was subject to rape, electroshock, waterboarding, and psychological torture. He insists that the cause of removing Sandinista dictator Daniel Ortega remains more important than ever. Novoa says he now has a duty to speak for those who remain in Managuas notorious El Chipote prison and similar torture centers nationwide.



My mission is to talk as much as I can and to tell the media what is happening in Nicaragua, Novoa told Breitbart News. Right now, Im speaking on behalf of those who are in prison, tortured, and afraid. I am making the world aware of the terrible situation that is happening in Nicaragua. I am looking for justice for those who are where I was who are not as fortunate as I am."



REad more here: As history continues to illustrate - communist regimes spread death and despair amongst the citizens they enslave - leaving the citizens starving and in fear for their lives.Where is the UN on this?"Marco Noel Novoa survived over a week of intense torture in a Nicaraguan prison, exacerbated by the communist regime knowing his status as a U.S. citizen and fearing he was working for the CIA. In remarks to Breitbart News this week, Novoa says the violence against pro-democracy student protesters like himself continues, even if international media attention has waned.Novoa, 27  who was born in Macon, Georgia, but was studying in Nicaragua when protests began in April  has returned to Miami, Florida, since his harrowing experience in his familys native country, where he says he was subject to rape, electroshock, waterboarding, and psychological torture. He insists that the cause of removing Sandinista dictator Daniel Ortega remains more important than ever. Novoa says he now has a duty to speak for those who remain in Managuas notorious El Chipote prison and similar torture centers nationwide.My mission is to talk as much as I can and to tell the media what is happening in Nicaragua, Novoa told Breitbart News. Right now, Im speaking on behalf of those who are in prison, tortured, and afraid. I am making the world aware of the terrible situation that is happening in Nicaragua. I am looking for justice for those who are where I was who are not as fortunate as I am."REad more here: https://www.breitbart.com/national-secur...nicaragua/ LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 458005

09-24-2018 06:46 PM











Post: #2 RE: U.S. Citizen Tortured: Nicaragua Communist Repression Against Students Now

LoP Guest Wrote: (09-24-2018 06:27 PM) As history continues to illustrate - communist regimes spread death and despair amongst the citizens they enslave - leaving the citizens starving and in fear for their lives.



Where is the UN on this?



"Marco Noel Novoa survived over a week of intense torture in a Nicaraguan prison, exacerbated by the communist regime knowing his status as a U.S. citizen and fearing he was working for the CIA. In remarks to Breitbart News this week, Novoa says the violence against pro-democracy student protesters like himself continues, even if international media attention has waned.



Novoa, 27  who was born in Macon, Georgia, but was studying in Nicaragua when protests began in April  has returned to Miami, Florida, since his harrowing experience in his familys native country, where he says he was subject to rape, electroshock, waterboarding, and psychological torture. He insists that the cause of removing Sandinista dictator Daniel Ortega remains more important than ever. Novoa says he now has a duty to speak for those who remain in Managuas notorious El Chipote prison and similar torture centers nationwide.



My mission is to talk as much as I can and to tell the media what is happening in Nicaragua, Novoa told Breitbart News. Right now, Im speaking on behalf of those who are in prison, tortured, and afraid. I am making the world aware of the terrible situation that is happening in Nicaragua. I am looking for justice for those who are where I was who are not as fortunate as I am."



REad more here: https://www.breitbart.com/national-secur...nicaragua/

The US DOJ does even worse to foreign citizens, they just make sure that no one hears about it. Read the blog "jefferson de souza brazilian railroaded by us justice system" and you will discover that they US DOJ is just as corrupt. You only think that the US is different. The US DOJ does even worse to foreign citizens, they just make sure that no one hears about it. Read the blog "jefferson de souza brazilian railroaded by us justice system" and you will discover that they US DOJ is just as corrupt. You only think that the US is different. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 443451

09-24-2018 07:31 PM











Post: #3 RE: U.S. Citizen Tortured: Nicaragua Communist Repression Against Students Now

Blimey, that sounds similar to the plot the true story in the film 'Missing', but without the same grim conclusion.















In 2014, the Kuwaiti press hailed Gabriel Garcia Marquez as a literary "giant". But since his death, the Colombian writer and a slew of others have been banned as censorship takes root in the Gulf state. More than 4,000 books have been blacklisted by Kuwait's information ministry over the past five years, according to local media reports, including Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Dozens of writers and activists have taken to the streets -- on September 1 and again two weeks later -- to protest ahead of Kuwait's annual book fair in mid-November. Kuwaiti novelist Mays al-Othman is among the blacklisted writers, following the 2015 publication of her novel "The Wart," the story of a woman raped during the 1990-1991 Iraqi occupation of the emirate. "Censoring a book reflects a profound ignorance... and cruelty," Othman told AFP. "And unfortunately it's happening more and more." - Literary 'immorality' - All titles on show at Kuwait's international book fair will be screened in advance by a censorship committee. The committee works under a 2006 law on "press and publications", which outlines a string of punishable offences for publishers of both literature and journalism. On the list: insulting Islam or Kuwait's judiciary, threatening national security, "inciting unrest" and committing "immoral" acts. Mohammed al-Awash, a senior information ministry official, defended the censorship committee, which includes academics not affiliated with the ministry. "Prohibition is an exception. Permission is the rule," Awash told AFP. But activists fear censorship floodgates are opening in a country once known for a relatively free press and that ranks as the only Gulf state with elected legislators. Conservatives and tribal leaders have become dominant in parliament, reflecting the changing mood in society. "The idea of content that could contradict good or moral behaviour is grounds for a ban -- and it's an extremely vague phrase," said Talal al-Ramidhi, secretary general of the Kuwaiti Writers' Union. - 'Drugs in my house' - Kuwait was a publishing hub in the 1970s and 1980s, home to the high-brow, pan-Arab cultural journal "Al-Arabi" and a string of popular scientific and literary books. While no one has yet been prosecuted for selling banned books, according to Ramidhi, activists are turning to social media to combat what one termed the "ridiculous" increase in the banning of books. "Ignorance is the only reason for censorship," writer Bouthaina al-Issa tweeted this month. "I have drugs in my house," another activist tweeted alongside a picture of a pile of forbidden books. Writer Aquil Yussef Aidan, two of whose books are banned, points to the "influence of religious circles on cultural institutions". "Books are sometimes banned over a single word, a single image, and that only harms Kuwait's image," Aidan said.Heads of state and government on Monday kicked off "Climate Week," held every year on the margins of the UN General Assembly, by urging world leaders to act urgently to reduce global warming. With Poland hosting the COP 24 climate summit in December, UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa called on nations to unite behind limiting global warming to the less than two degrees Celsius enshrined in the 2015 Paris accord. "Nations are not living up to what they promised," she said, making no mention of the Trump administration's decision in June 2017 to pull out of the Paris agreement. "What nations have currently pledged under Paris will bring the global temperature up about three degrees by 2100," she said. Emergency climate talks in Bangkok earlier this month did not make sufficient progress, she said. "We must therefore work harder than ever between now and Cop 24 to complete this work." Following a recent climate conference in San Francisco, California Governor Jerry Brown, whose state has taken up the lead abandoned by Washington, made a pitch to the private sector. "The problem with climate change is that it's about transforming the whole economy," said Brown. "The key part is technological investment and we need big company investment to get the technology." Hilda Heine, president of the Marshall Islands, which face an existential threat from rising sea levels, officially unveiled a national strategic plan to reach zero emissions by 2050. "If we can do it, so can you," Heine told representatives from dozens of countries. The Marshall Islands was only the 10th country and the first island nation to make the pledge, she said. Climate Week, organized by The Climate Group in partnership with the United Nations and the city of New York, is in its 10th annual edition. Around 150 events are scheduled this year, including a "One Planet Summit" on Wednesday led by billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg and French President Emmanuel Macron, and cultural events, including the Global Citizen Festival with Janet Jackson, The Weeknd and Cardi B.By Anamesere Igboeroteonwu

ONITSHA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Twelve crew members of a Swiss merchant vessel kidnapped by pirates off the coast of Nigeria are from the Philippines, Slovenia, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia and Bosnia, the West African nation's maritime agency said on Sunday.

They were abducted on Saturday from the vessel that was travelling between the cities of Lagos and Port Harcourt. The ship's operator said the attack happened around 45 nautical miles southwest of Bonny Island.

Kidnapping for ransom is a common problem in parts of Nigeria. A number of foreigners have been kidnapped in the last few years in the southern Niger Delta region, source of most of the oil that is the mainstay of the West African nation's economy.

Sunday Umoren from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said seven of those abducted were from the Philippines and one from each of the other five countries.

"They are still missing," said Umoren, who heads maritime safety at NIMASA.

The number of seafarers taken hostage in the Gulf of Guineau - the region where the attack took place - rose from 52 in 2016 to 75 last year, said Jake Longworth, senior analyst at EOS Risk Group, in a report published in July.

He said that although the number of people kidnapped was similar in the two years, there was a trend for pirates to take more hostages in each attack. Longworth said 35 seafarers were kidnapped for ransom in the region in the first half of 2018.

(Additional reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Edmund Blair)China must come clean about the fate of an estimated one million minority Muslims swept up in a "massive crackdown" in its far western region of Xinjiang, Amnesty International said Monday. Beijing has tightened restrictions on Muslim minorities to combat what it calls Islamic extremism and separatist elements in Xinjiang. Critics say the drive risks fuelling resentment towards Beijing and further inflaming separatist sentiment. In a new report, which included testimony from people held in the camps, the international rights group said Beijing had rolled out "an intensifying government campaign of mass internment, intrusive surveillance, political indoctrination and forced cultural assimilation". Uighurs and other Muslim minorities are punished for violating regulations banning beards and burqas, and for the possession of unauthorised Korans, it added. Up to a million people are detained in internment camps, a United Nations panel on racial discrimination reported last month, with many detained for offences as minor as making contact with family members outside the country or sharing Islamic holiday greetings on social media. "Hundreds of thousands of families have been torn apart by this massive crackdown," said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International's East Asia director, in a statement. "They are desperate to know what has happened to their loved ones and it is time the Chinese authorities give them answers." Beijing has denied reports of the camps but evidence is mounting in the form of government documents and escapee testimony. These suggest that Chinese authorities are detaining large groups of people in a network of extrajudicial camps for political and cultural indoctrination on a scale unseen since the Maoist era. Amnesty's report interviewed several former detainees who said they were put in shackles, tortured, and made to sing political songs and learn about the Communist Party. The testimony tallies with evidence gathered by foreign reporters and rights groups in the past year. - Unfolding 'nightmare' - Amnesty also called on governments around the world to hold Beijing to account for "the nightmare" unfolding in Xinjiang. Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced "awful abuses" of Uighur Muslims detained in re-education camps. "Hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of Uighurs are held against their will in so-called re-education camps where they're forced to endure severe political indoctrination and other awful abuses," Pompeo said in a speech. However Pakistan, China's biggest Muslim ally, quickly denied reports last week that it had criticised Beijing -- which is pouring billions in infrastructure investment into the country -- over the issue. Religious affairs minister Noorul Haq Qadri told AFP China has agreed to exchange delegations of religious students to help promote "harmony" between Muslims and Chinese authorities. China's top leaders recently called for religious practices to be brought in line with "traditional" Chinese values and culture, sparking concern among rights groups. Earlier this month draft regulations suggested Beijing was considering restrictions on religious content online, such as images of people praying or chanting. State supervision of religion has increased in a bid to "block extremism", and authorities have removed Islamic symbols such as crescents from public spaces in areas with significant Muslim populations. Christians have also been targeted in crackdowns, with a prominent Beijing "underground" church shuttered by authorities earlier this month. Churches in central Henan province have seen their crosses torn down and followers harassed. burs-st/smDefense Secretary Jim Mattis said Monday that the US military is adjusting tactics in Afghanistan as the Taliban continue to inflict heavy casualties on local forces. The Taliban are killing hundreds of Afghan army and police forces each month. The New York Times said the death toll is making it harder to recruit new soldiers. "So far, they have taken hard casualties over the last year," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. "But they have continued to fight, and we are adjusting tactics. We're bringing more support in certain areas," he added, declining to go into further detail. In terms of overall violence -- impacting soldiers and the citizenry alike -- the Afghan conflict could overtake Syria as the deadliest conflict in the world this year, analysts say. The grim assessment suggests President Donald Trump's much-vaunted strategy for Afghanistan is -- like those of his predecessors -- failing to move the needle on the battlefield.BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan has convicted hundreds of people for extremism by using an excessively broad definition of the crime, Human Rights Watch said and it urged the largely Muslim Central Asian nation to review such cases.

Imprisoning people for mere possession of "extremist literature" - which includes some reports by rights activists - risked generating support for militant groups in the volatile ex-Soviet republic, the New York-based HRW said in a report.

The Bishkek government said on Wednesday that such cases would be reviewed after legal reforms next year.

The mountainous nation of six million, which hosts a Russian military airbase, is vulnerable to the spread of militant Islamist views, and its government fought against armed radicals in the 1990s.

Last year Russian authorities blamed a Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen for a deadly suicide bomb attack in St Petersburg.

HRW however said Kyrgyzstan's broad crackdown on extremism had been too heavy-handed and potentially counterproductive.

"... When people who are not dangerous and were simply in possession of literature (deemed extremist) are sent to prison, where they meet really dangerous people, there is a big risk of radicalising them," Rachel Denber, deputy director of the Europe and Central Asia division at HRW, said in an interview in Bishkek.

Denber said the new Kyrgyz criminal code, due to take effect from 2019, excluded possession of literature from the list of offences, but said HRW was concerned about possible delays and the fact that many people had already been convicted.

Apart from Islamist books and pamphlets and recruitment videos of militant groups, Kyrgyz courts have classified as extremist at least two reports by human rights activists, Denber said.

Commenting on the report, Kyrgyzstan's State Prison Service said about 500 people had been convicted on charges of possessing and disseminating extremist media. Of these, some 300 were in prison and about 200 had received suspended sentences.

With the planned criminal law reform, some inmates may be released, a spokeswoman for the prison service said.

(Reporting by Olga Dzyubenko; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Richard Balmforth)Reuters

CHENNAI/COLOMBO (Reuters) -Heavy rains across southern India and Sri Lanka have killed at least 41 people, authorities said on Thursday, with weather forecasters expecting the downpours to ease in the next few days as stricken communities pumped out the deluge. The Indian Meteorological Department forecast light to moderate rain in most affected areas, with occasional flooding of some roads and low-lying areas. Counterparts in neighbouring Sri Lanka said rain there was expected to ease from Thursday as the low pressure that brought the bad weather moved away.Singapore on Monday fined ride-hailing firms Grab and Uber $9.5 million for breaking competition rules when they merged, saying the deal had increased fares and thrown up roadblocks for competitors. Singapore-headquartered Grab agreed to buy US firm Uber's ride-hailing and food business in Southeast Asia in March, ending a bruising battle between the companies. In return, Uber received a 27.5 percent stake in Grab. However the deal came under scrutiny across the region, and the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore was among watchdogs in several countries that launched probes. In the conclusion to its investigation, the commission said it had found the merger had substantially reduced "competition in the ride-hailing platform market in Singapore". Grab fares rose between 10 and 15 percent after the deal as the company reduced the number of points earned by riders and made it harder for them to redeem them, it said. Potential competitors were hampered by exclusivity agreements Grab forged with taxi companies, car rental partners and some of its drivers, the commission said. The deals meant drivers could not work for other companies. The commission fined both firms a total Sg$13 million ($9.5 million) -- Sg$6.42 million for Grab and Sg$6.58 million for Uber -- "to deter completed, irreversible mergers that harm competition". The body also criticised Grab and Uber for not getting the commission's clearance before completing the deal. In addition to the fines, the commission ordered several measures be implemented to ease fares and allow new players to compete with Grab, including reverting to pre-merger pricing and allowing Grab drivers to use other ride-hailing platforms. Lim Kell Jay, head of Grab Singapore, said the firm completed the deal "within its legal rights, and still maintains we did not intentionally or negligently breach competition laws". In the Philippines, the competition watchdog last month approved the merger but imposed conditions related to areas including pricing and exclusivity arrangements to prevent Grab acting like a monopoly. Malaysian authorities are also examining the deal.Getty file image

While attending a cybersecurity conference in Singapore, a Chinese national decided to hack into the WiFi of the hotel he was staying in.

Zheng Dutao, a 23-year-old security engineer with Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings, was curious to find any vulnerabilities in the WiFi server of a Fragrance Hotel branch.

Zheng successfully hacked into the server and blogged about it in a post titled Exploit Singapore Hotels, in which he published the hotel administrators server passwords. The blogpost caught the attention of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA).

On Monday (24 September), Zheng was fined $5,000 in the State Courts for the offence. He pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally disclosing a password providing unauthorised access to data belonging to Fragrance Hotel. One similar count was taken into consideration for his sentencing.

Zheng arrived in Singapore last month to participate in a Capture the Flag competition, which was held in conjunction with a cybersecurity conference at InterContinental Hotel. The competition pitted security experts who were involved in hacking and counter-hacking.

Zheng checked into Fragrance Hotel at Bugis on 27 August. A day later, he became curious about the possible vulnerabilities in the hotels WiFi server. He successfully searched for the hotel WiFi systems default User ID and password via Google.

After connecting to the WiFi gateway of the hotel, Zheng executed scripts, decrypted files, and cracked passwords over the next three days before gaining access to the database of the hotels WiFi server.

The hotel server model had a vulnerability which Zheng exploited to gain access to the server. He also tried to access the WiFi server of Fragrance Hotels Little India branch but failed.

Zheng documented his hacking steps on his personal blog. He published the administrator passwords of Fragrance Hotels WiFi server in his blogpost and also shared the URL link of his blogpost in a WhatsApp group chat.

Story continues

By disclosing these access codes, (Zheng) knew that it was likely that the vulnerability in Fragrance Hotels WiFi server would be exploited by others for wrongful purposes, potentially causing losses to the hotel chain, said the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Thiagesh Sukumaran.

Zheng had been blogging about server vulnerabilities since 2014, said the prosecution. The incident was the first time he posted about a vulnerability that he discovered himself.

The CSA came across his blog and alerted Fragrance Hotels management. Zheng took the blogpost down after he was asked to. The vice president for IT of Fragrance Hotel lodged a police report on 1 September about the hacking.

The prosecution asked for a fine of $5,000, stating that Zheng had appeared to commit the offence out of curiosity and that no tangible harm was caused. But the DPP noted the blogpost was shared on more than one forum.

As a security professional, Zheng would have known that by publicising the administrator passwords on his blog, the potential for the passwords to be used by nefarious elements was high, said the DPP.

According to the prosecution, as other hotels used the same server model, Zhengs actions could have led to other hotels being victims of cyber attacks with hackers gaining access to information of hotel guests.

The sentence served to deter foreigners from accessing Singapore systems without authorisation, added the DPP.

Zhengs lawyer, Anand Nalachandran, pointed out that although there Zhengs actions caused a heightened risk, no actual harm was caused to the hotel. As Zheng had already spent a few days in custody, the lawyer asked for a fine of not more than $5,000.

For the offence of disclosing the password without authority, Zheng could have been jailed up to three years and fined a maximum $10,000.

Other Singapore stories:

Ex-CHC leader Chew Eng Han wanted to leave Singapore as he felt injustice for his High Court case.

Man who pulled out clump of policewomans hair jailed 4 months

Ministers should accept pay sacrifice as job is form of NS: Blackbox surveyAcclaimed adaptation of the best-selling espionage thriller by Ken Follet, and directed by Richard Marquand (most famous for Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi).

Englishmen know him as Faber (Donald Sutherland), but to the Fatherland, hes the loyal and lethal spy known as The Needle.

Shipwrecked on a Scottish island en route to Germany, Faber befriends the beautiful Lucy (Kate Nelligan), whose marriage to a crippled, embittered pilot is faltering. Faber sets about seducing her, intending to use her to help carry out his mission and prevent the impending D-Day invasion.In the music world, there are fans, and then there are fans. And as CNN reports, the anonymous music lover who paid tribute to Weens classic summer anthem Bananas and Blow by attempting to smuggle $18 million worth of cocaine into the Texas prison system in a crate of bananas is definitely a fan. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice explained the amazing tribute to Americas favorite rock band on their Facebook page:

For now, all the Texas Department of Criminal Justice would say was that the bananas were donated from the Port of America in Freeport, Texas, and that an investigation was underway. (Not to do the polices job for them, but there is a rental property in nearby Surfside Beach known as the banana cabana, which seems like a good place to start.)

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Of course, when youre dealing with the music of Gene and Dean Ween, judging the precise valence of someones appreciation can get tricky, because the songs themselves are so tongue-in-cheek. There are nearly as many ways to enjoy Bananas and Blow as there are ways to enjoy bananas and blow, so we hope the Texas Department of Criminal Justices cocaine-and-banana-smuggler profilers consider the possibility that this was the work of a confused Jimmy Buffet fan. Either way, heres the song thatthanks to one dedicated music lover in Texashas finally become a reality:

If music, bananas, and cocaine be the food of love, play on!Fourteen years ago, I didnt sleep for two weeks. Following my psychiatrists advice, I was tapering off Effexor, a medication prescribed for a bout of clinical depression eight months prior. So, over a period of a week and a half, cutting the pill into half, and then the halves into quarters, I weaned myself off the drug. Immediately following that, I suffered delusions and psychosis, which sent my whole life spiraling out of control.

Sleeplessness opened up a window onto a world of moonlit walks and florid personal emails sent at midnight.

The night after I took my last crumb of the medication, I heard the sound of tin rattling in the bathroom. Perhaps it was water drizzling through the pipes, finding a cracked joint and sliding out in fits and spurts. I heard a gurgle composed of metal and breath, like something out of a horror movie. Perhaps it was my mind playing tricks on me.

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Quickly, sleeplessness opened up a window onto a world of moonlit walks and florid personal emails sent at midnight. At work over the next two days, it became hard to stop talking because I found myself so entertaining: I thought I was more amusing to friends, family, casual acquaintances, and storeowners. Three days into my sleeplessness, I began plundering antique stores for expensive furniture and knick-knacks, putting more than $5,000 on my credit card. Every purchase seemed magicaleach object I bought for the loft a talisman with special meaning. But on the fourth night without sleep, my reactions became erratic. There was a quicksilver in my blood. I was skating on the edge of a precipice in a state of enchantment unable to find my bearings and not caring that I couldnt. And then somewhere toward the middle of that second week of no sleep in 2004, George W. Bush defeated John Kerry in the national election, and my delusions from sleeplessness snowballed even further.

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I imagined that a small network of my cohorts controlled the presidential election. My closest friends name was Kerry, and I thought that her name was a sign that she was secretly campaigning for John Kerry. I believed that television shows like Dawsons Creek were a kind of steganography; the lines of dialogue alluded to my life as clues to be interpreted like a text in a semiotics class. While watching a scene between Joey and Dawson in the series finale, I called an ex-boyfriend to ask why they were re-enacting a television show about us, and to marvel at the show within the show within the show. When he told me his mother had just passed away, I assumed what he was telling me was code for something else.

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Toward the end of the second week, I became completely confused and disoriented. I lost track of time and space, and desperately wanted to escape myself. I was convinced my parents were buying the loft where I lived to turn it into a safe house for people who wanted to disappear from the ugly politics of the world. I perceived so many coincidences, and I decided they were not coincidences, but instead part of a larger conspiracy.

My imagination was on overdrive, and ideas flowed out of me at warp speed. It was clear in hindsight that this disconnection with reality was a psychotic episode due to my two full weeks without sleep. When I was finally taken to an emergency appointment with my psychiatrist, I was put on Geodon, an antipsychotic drug, and Klonopin, forcing me to sleep.

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Because of this episode, I lost my job at the law firm, my live-in boyfriend, my apartment, my mentor, and multiple friends. It took me five months to recover sufficiently to find a new job, and it took about eight years after that to recover completely. I developed an understandable intensity around sleeping a full night, every night. Nothing in my prior life as a reliable overachiever, nothing Id ever imagined or even read, had prepared me for what it felt like to endure, for years, the shame, the powerlessness, the misery, of rebuilding a broken life from scratch. But I had always had trouble sleeping.

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Around the age of 8 or 9, I used to have a surge of energy just before falling asleep. I kept myself tucked inside my comforter, even on the hottest California nights, because I was worried that someone would come around at night and hack off the ends of my limbs that showed outside the blanket. I shut the window because I imagined from the rustling outside my bedroom window (in retrospect most likely squirrels or stray cats) that a prowler would cut a hole into the wire screen and climb inside. I slept with a long wooden dowel rod that I would use in case somebody managed to climb through the window.

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I visualized an intruder so many times that I felt certain I could feel him breathing on my face. Sometimes I conjured him purposefully, just to pre-empt him from appearing without my permission, and once Id gone through the ritual of imagining him and being frightened, Id feel ready to sleep. These thoughts barraged my brain every night, and the irrational image of my limbs being hacked off during my sleep never went away: In fact, every now and again, they return to my thoughts even now, decades later.

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I did nothing to address these terrifying thoughts. From childhood, I considered this kind of obsession part and parcel of being a writer. When I became a litigator, while my imagination became debilitating in a courtroom, my written work became bettercautious, checked and double-checked and triple-checked.

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I thought up worst-case scenarios day in and day out. Didnt everybody have the fear that they would fail the bar and lose their minds and become a bag lady standing on the side of the road with a cardboard sign and zero prospects? Didnt everyone clutch the steering wheel while driving next to a big rig for fear that the rig driver was under the influence? Didnt everybody have that surge of energy just before falling asleep? Didnt everyone go out of their way to imagine the Worst Possible Thing? And didnt this worrying help everyone fall asleep?

As an adult, I wore blue light-blocking glasses while watching television at night. I drank insomnia tea and took magnesium. I cut carbs and ate slices of turkey. After completely losing my grip on reality in 2004, Id diligently taken Ambien and benzos and melatonin to get to sleep every night. However, Id never genuinely addressed my imagination and anxiety until the sleep doctors told me it was necessary: I was dependent on too high a dose of benzodiazepines. I had been on them at that level for almost six years, ever since those fateful two weeks.

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So, at the behest of my sleep doctors, I sat at the edge of the hospital bed. A technician placed electrodes and glued sensors all over my head. I was participating in a sleep study to measure what my brain did at night. Theyd monitor my heart rate, breathing, and leg movements. The technician placed a CPAP mask over my face and turned out the lights. I could walk around the room and do what I liked, although I was advised that the earlier I went to bed, the longer theyd have to study me.

It took a while, but eventually, I did fall asleep, albeit briefly. The sleep doctors told me that I had mild sleep apnea, but they suspected the cause of the insomnia was mostly anxiety. I didnt need to undergo a sleep study to tell me the latter.

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My sleep doctor, in her white coat, assured me that other people didnt spend their bedtimes getting increasingly energetic. She called this generalized anxiety. I wouldnt have called it thatI would have called it imagination and drive. She wanted me to exercise more, but interestingly, she also wanted me to worry even more intensely.

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You need to set aside a solid block of time to really focus on your worries, and nothing else, she said.

I demurred, noting that I was a litigation associate at a law firm and had no time.

She insisted. You dont have even 20 minutes?

I acknowledged that if I really tried, I could set aside 20 minutes every day. And I really mean nothing else, she said. Youre not allowed to even think of anything else during that time. And at other times of the day, you need to set aside your worries and reserve them just for your special worrying time.

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Twenty minutes? I scoffed. Thats easy. She clearly had no idea the level of sleep difficulty and anxiety she was dealing with.

OK. If you want, you can try 30 minutes. The key is that you dont get to worry at any other time. Thirty minutes every day for two weeks, and then Ill see you back here. But Ill warn you that its actually hard for most people to fill up 20 minutes, much less 30 minutes.

That night, I worried for 30 minutes before bed, per the doctors orders. I worried mostly about my cases and my clients, about blowing deadlines, or getting some tiny minutiae about the law incorrect in a brief. I worried about not making my billable hours, and about taking too long on a particular task, which meant the insurance adjustor wouldnt bother to pay my bosses for my hours, which meant eventually my bosses would get rid of me. I worried about the administrative assistants who gossiped about my weight and my disastrous dating life would forget to file my papers with the courthouse. I worried they would purposely not serve papers because they didnt like me. I worried about a favorite client whose friends wouldnt testify for him, and how disillusioned he might become about friendship. I worried that John McCain would become president and that Barack Obama would not. I worried about climate change, and about the vanishing of endangered species. I doubled back to the bag lady image and considered the possibility of never again sleeping in a warm bed, of trying to sleep with the sounds of the freeway in my ears, of what might happen financially if I quit a job I hated to pursue writing.

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My imagination kept me from sleeping, but it also kept me going, kept me surviving.

As the days passed, Id worry about slightly different things, and Id look at the clock and it would say that 20 or 24 minutes had passed, and so I had to actively think up a few other things to focus on, and thinking of problems was not hard for me. I did this every day for 15 days straight, and just as my doctor said it would, it became fairly difficult to worry for that solid 30 minutes.

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It also became easier to fall asleep, but I still woke up periodically through the night. Just when most people started to doze off, my mind kept inventing new ways to amuse itself, to replay things, particularly moments of shame, humiliation, or feeling out of place that had happened during the workdayeven the weekends were workdays for mein ways that either made things better, or made things much worse.

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The following year, about seven years after my two weeks of sleeplessness, I quit litigation and I spent most of my time writing fiction. Perhaps not coincidentally, I started to sleep again. Big long sleep, big luxurious sleep, the kind where you slide into your bed, and snuggle into the clean sheets, and drift away into colorful dreams and your secret life.

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In fiction, this would have been the moment when I had my epiphany that writing fiction was what I was supposed to be doing, the moment after which nothing was the same. But when I cut benzos due to my first pregnancy, my insomnia returned with a vengeance. It returned again like an old nemesis with my twins. I listened to relaxation and self-hypnosis apps in order to fall asleep. But my imagination only became worse after the birth of my children. There are so many ways things can go wrong when there are multiple incarnations of your heart walking around outside your body, and I was only more fearful that Id have a recurrence of sleeplessness and the delusions that had brought. I kept trying to find a magic bullet for sleep. There was none.

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Making things worse, most new babies do not sleep for a long period of time. It was after many sleep-deprived nights trying to coax my children to sleep and not doing a bang-up job of it that I came to understand that what caused my insomnia was as much enemy as friend. Imagining the worst in visceral sensory detail had been a crutch for me all my life.

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My imagination kept me from sleeping, but it also kept me going, kept me surviving. For most people it would have been pessimistic misery to imagine all the worst things happening, but I thrived on it, I fed off it. It kept me calm knowing Id already been through an experience in my vivid imagination and survived the terror it produced inside me.

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Even at its most horrifying, my imagination had always served as a safety net. I had the power and freedom of imagining or inventing all the details of what could go wrong, to live through the worst thing in my mind, to prepare myself for it, long before it happened. Most people avoid thinking about what is tragic and what is terrifying and what is cruel about the world. But I always felt that if I can survive the horrors of what I am able to imagine in such great detail, I will be prepared for the worst when it happens. And I didnt imagine only the worst things but also the best things and the boring things and alternate versions of myself that embodied the worst things other people had ever said about me. To know that I could live through these devastating things, as I imagined them, made me feel all right with the world, less uneasy about how utterly unpredictable life is. It all made me feel much more powerful than I was.It was just last spring that President Trump promised that, with ISIS nearly wiped out, Well be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let the other people take care of it now.

On Monday, national security adviser John Bolton made it very clear that the U.S. troop presence in the war-torn country will continue indefinitely, telling the AP, Were not going to leave [Syria] as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias.

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There are currently about 2,200 U.S. troops in Syria, mostly in the countrys northeast, where they have fought alongside the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces against ISIS. Other senior administration officials, including former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the State Departments representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, have previously stated that U.S. troops will be remaining after the fight against ISIS is over, and that containing Iranian influence would be one of the goals, but Boltons statement was still surprisingly specific: The U.S. isnt leaving Syria until all Iranian troops and militias are out of the countryperhaps as many as 20,000 fighters, and an integral part of the forces supporting President Bashar al-Assad.

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Boltons statement could raise new questions from Congress about the legality of the U.S. troop presence in Syria. Combat operations against ISIS, in theory, fall under the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Terrorists passed after 9/11. Its already a stretch to apply this authorization to ISIS, which didnt exist in 2001, but applying it to a pressure campaign against Iran would make a mockery of the whole process.

The U.S. troops on the ground will find themselves operating in an environment becoming more complex and dangerous by the minute. A last-minute deal between Turkey and Russia last week forestalled what was sure to be a disastrously bloody offensive in Idlib province. But its still not clear if rebel groups in the region, particularly the formerly al-Qaidalinked Tahrir al-Sham, will abide by the terms of the deal. The U.S. has threatened to again use military force against the Syrian regime if it uses chemical weapons in the offensive against Idlib.

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Last week also saw Syrian forces shoot down an ally plane, one of Russias, highlighting the dangers of having so many foreign militaries operating in such close proximity. Russia and the Syrian regime blame the incident on Israel, which has been waging an ongoing air campaign against Iranian assets inside Syria. The diplomatic fallout blew over quickly, but Russia raised the stakes Monday by announcing it will provide the Syrian regime with an S-300 air defense system. Bolton called this move a major mistake that would inflame tensions, noting, We have American forces in the area were concerned about.

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Complicating matters further, its not clear that the U.S. troops Kurdish allies from the fight against ISIS are on the same page when it comes to pressuring Assad and containing Iran. Kurdish officials have suggested they would consider joining the offensive against Idlib, which is currently under the control of rebel groups backed by their rival Turkey. Turkey, meanwhile, is looking to increase the number of safe zones in northern Syria, which could mean sweeping out the U.S.-backed Kurdish militias that Ankara considers terrorists.

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For all the complications involved in their presence, its not clear what exactly U.S. troops would do to combat Iranian influence in Syria. The U.S. has on several occasions launched strikes against pro-Assad forcesin addition to the two high-profile strikes that followed Syrian chemical weapons attacksbut has mostly avoided direct conflict with them, and its been made abundantly clear that the U.S. has no plans to remove Assad by force. So as long as the Syrian president remains in power, and remains dependent on Iranian support, American troops would appear to be stuck. It could be a long wait.Christine Blasey Ford will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday about her allegations that Judge Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her more than three decades ago when they were both teenagers. Fords lawyers said some details still need to be worked out but that wont prevent her from testifying. We committed to moving forward with an open hearing on Thursday Sept. 27 at 10 a.m., Fords attorneys said in a statement following a call with staff from the Senate Judiciary Committee that lasted about one hour.

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Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr. Ford believes it is important for Senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her, the statement read. Fords lawyers, Debra Katz, Lisa Banks and Michael Bromwich, also wrote that important procedural and logistical issues remain unresolved. Chief among them is whether Republican senators would use staff attorneys to question Ford rather than do it themselves. We were told no decision has been made on this important issue, even though various senators have been dismissive of her account and should have to shoulder their responsibility to ask her questions, Fords attorneys wrote. Nor were we told when we would have that answer or answers to the other unresolved issues.

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Fords attorneys also complained that lawmakers had refused to invite other witnesses who are essential for a fair hearing that arrives at the truth about the sexual assault. Her lawyers have been calling on the committee to subpoena testimony from Mark Judge, who Ford said was in the room during the alleged assault. They also want senators to question the former FBI agent who gave Ford a polygraph test earlier this year as well as call on two trauma experts to testify. Republicans have opposed these demands.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley reportedly wrote an email thanking Ford for accepting the invitation. In the email, Grassley also allegedly reminded her attorneys that the committee determines which witnesses to call, how many witnesses to call, and what order to call them and who will question them. These are nonnegotiable.

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The committee official scheduled the Thursday hearing on Sunday afternoon.Buried inside the New Yorkers bombshell story on a second woman coming forward to allege sexual misconduct by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is a disturbing paragraph about the hard-drinking culture at his high school. The New Yorker quotes Elizabeth Rasor, who was in a relationship with Kavanaughs high school classmate and friend Mark Judge for three years, contradicting his claim that he couldnt recall any type of sexual aggression toward girls.*

Christine Blasey Ford has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a drunken party while Judge was in the room. As Ford tells it, Judge at points even egged Kavanaugh on, telling him to go for it as he tried to remove her clothing. Judge has said he has no recollection of the incident and has characterized the allegations as completely unrealistic and out of character. I can recall a lot of rough-housing with guys, he said in an interview with the Weekly Standard. I dont remember any of that stuff going on with girls.

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Rasor, however, says thats not true and is coming forward to contradict his claim. Under normal circumstances, I wouldnt reveal information that was told in confidence, Rasor said. But she said that I cant stand by and watch him lie. The New Yorker summarizes why Rasor says Judge was being disingenuous claiming that there werent incidents of rough-housing with female students at Georgetown Prep:

Rasor recalled that Judge had told her ashamedly of an incident that involved him and other boys taking turns having sex with a drunk woman. Rasor said that Judge seemed to regard it as fully consensual. She said that Judge did not name others involved in the incident, and she has no knowledge that Kavanaugh participated. But Rasor was disturbed by the story and noted that it undercut Judges protestations about the sexual innocence of Georgetown Prep.

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Judges lawyer says he categorically denies Rasors claim.

But Rasor isnt alone. Another woman, who asked to remain anonymous, also disputed Judges claims about the culture at Georgetown Prep. She said that it was common for male students to get a female student blind drunk on a mixture of grain alcohol and Hawaiian Punch that they called jungle juice and then try to take advantage of her. It was disgusting, she said. They treated women like meat. Judge has told the Senate Judiciary Committee he doesnt want to testify about Fords allegations.

Read more from Slate:

 Feinstein Says Kavanaugh Nomination Must Pause for FBI Investigation

 #WhyIDidntReport and #MeToo Have Higher Aims Than Converting Skeptics

 Why the Brett Kavanaugh Evil Twin Theory Is So Diabolical

 The Kavanaugh Accusation Has Men More Afraid Than EverI cannot remember a time in my life when I have been as saddened by such a travesty that has now erupted in the confirmation process that would place Brett Kavanaugh on our Supreme Court. I am sad for every single person who has been touched by this catastrophe, from 85-year-old Dianne Feinstein to Bretts wife and two young daughters, ages 13 and 10. Not a person, in any way involved, will not wear a scar when this nightmare ends.

As an American and a patriot who tries to stand unflinching by The Holy Bible and The Constitution of our nation  whether I am ever able to fulfill either goal or not  this whole nightmare is wrong as wrong can be. Brett Kavanaugh has given us his oath that he never attacked or besmirched another mans 15-year-old daughter. (When I look at anything this lurid, my first thought is  hey  remember she is somebodys daughter. This is because I, too, have a daughter.)

I am also a senior citizen of a man who, in this nations unprecedented time of anger and hate, realizes other people can say or accuse anybody else under the sun and, just as Mark Twain told us, A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.

I have absolutely no reason to not believe Kavanaugh. I cannot find in all that I read the thinnest shred of evidence contrary to his exemplary life and, in a nation where the very cornerstone of justice is innocent until proven guilty, I cant ignore a law based on truth and my Bibles principles.

I have no reason to disbelieve Kavanaughs accuser, who was 15 years old and admittedly drunk at the time. But without evidence, with four possible witnesses all saying the vulgar scenario never took place, the only thing for the zealous Democrats to do is hurl dirt, as worthless and as plentiful as dust may be.

I am well aware of dirty politics and my key scent in trying to smell out the truth in the Kavanaugh story comes, believe it or not, from what is called a now-raging crowdfunding effort against moderate Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine. Thus far over $1.5 million has been rushed by liberals to threaten the Senator with defeat in the 2020 election if she votes to confirm Kavanaugh.

The insane promise is this: All of the money will immediately go to the war chest of Collins opponent two years from now, regardless of who that may be, but if Collins folds against party lines, and votes against Kavanaugh, all the disgusting donors will get their money back. This is nothing more than a quid pro quo fundraising to be the equivalent of an attempt to bribe me to vote against Judge Kavanaugh, said Collins.

Yes, this is where we are in America. There is solid evidence  credit card pledges -- to prove the underhanded shenanigans by the Democratic Party and, believe this, if the despicable types will fund a bribe in Maine, they surely go to the other side of the country to where Diane Feinstein can lead the lefties in stooping much, much lower.

Chuck Grassley, a Republican Senator from Iowa, kowtowed to a slick pair of liberal lawyers in a disgraceful way over the weekend. The addled Grassley extended four, or was it five deadlines, until the accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, agreed to testify before his committee.

Fords lawyers turned Grassley into such shrivel he even sent out a Tweet, I feel like I am played 2nd trombone in the judicial orchestra and (Democrat leader Chuck) Schumer is the conductor.

On Sunday a poll by Fox News came out in favor of the accuser Ford. More people believed Fords claims than Kavanaughs denials by a 6 point margin, 36 vs. 30 percent, revealed the network, adding, However, about one-third, 34 percent, are unsure who is telling the truth.

It is said by the wise that the daughter of Time is Truth  truth always wins but, often, only after some time has passed. As I wrestle with why have a hearing where there is no evidence, therefore not one thing that can be proven, I recalled what Abraham Lincoln once observed, The trouble with too many people is they believe the realm of truth always lies within their vision.

I love Lincolns wisdom. On another occasion, this on a September afternoon is 1862 as he sat alone in his despair during the horrendous Civil War, he wrote, The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time.

You would have thought we would have learned that by now yet one thing remains certain to provide solace: The will of God will prevail.

* * *

DID YOU KNOW -- "Innocent until proven guilty" means only that a defendant has a presumption of innocence, which is why the outcome of a trial is "not guilty" instead of "innocent." Common laws are laws adopted from English jurisprudence. They have been part of the legal system for so long that they have been universally accepted as U.S. law. The Constitution does, however, provide provisions allowing for the right to remain silent if detained, as well as the right to a trial by jury.

* * *

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. -- Thomas Jefferson

* * *

In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. -- Theodore Roosevelt

* * *

Two people in a conversation amount to four people talking. The four are what one person says, what he really wanted to say, what his listener heard, and what he thought he heard. -- William Jennings Bryan

* * *

"Unless we change direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed." - Chinese proverb

Royexum@aol.comThe World Bank said Monday the Philippines needs to grow 6.5 percent annually over the next 22 years to achieve its vision of becoming a prosperous middle-class economy free of poverty. World Bank senior economist for the Philippines Rong Qian said in a news briefing in Makati City that such growth would be faster than the average expansion of 5.3 percent since 2000. To achieve its long-term vision of becoming a prosperous middle-class country free of poverty by 2040, the Philippines will need to triple its income per capita in the next two decades, Qian said. Qian said sustaining a higher productivity growth would be the key for the Philippines to achieve its vision of becoming a prosperous country. Qian cited the banks latest report titled Growth and Productivity in the Philippines: Winning the Future which showed that the more efficiently the country could use its resources, the better chances it would have to generate high-paying jobs and reduce poverty. The report said productivity growth was particularly important for the agriculture sector where many poor families derived their incomes. World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand Mara Warwick said the Philippines ability to sustain its current high growth rate would depend primarily on how the country could accelerate investment in improving its physical infrastructure and how it could make better use of capital, labor and technology to increase productivity.In the long run, a persistently booming economy will require constant boosts in productivity, Warwick said. The Philippines introduced reforms in the late 1980s and 1990s that transformed the country into one of the top performers in East Asia. It has been growing at an average of over 6 percent since 2010, and income per capita nearly doubled between 2000 and 2017. Warwick said the Philippines was clearly in a better position now to speed up reforms to achieve its development goals. The economy grew by 6.7 percent last year, on higher fiscal spending, robust domestic demand and investments. This year, the government projected a 7 percent to 8 percent expansion on the back of higher spending particularly on the Build, Build, Build program of the Duterte administration, sustained domestic demand and investments.About half of Yale Law Schools students attended protests against Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court on Monday.

Dozens of professors canceled or rescheduled classes as more than 100 students went to D.C. to voice their opposition to Kavanaugh and join with other progressive groups at the capitol. The demonstrating students met with senators and stood outside the Supreme Court holding signs protesting the nomination proceedings and demanding an investigation into the sexual assault allegations made against the judge.

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About 200 students also stayed on campus to hold a sit-in at the law school, reportedly filling the main hallway of the building. Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Yale Law School alumnus, reportedly spoke to the students and echoed their demands for a full investigation. The protestors have reportedly been wearing black.

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Yale University has come up repeatedly during this Supreme Court fight. Kavanaugh attended both Yale College and Yale Law School in the 1980s. In recent weeks he has been accused by two women of sexual misconduct. One of his accusers, Deborah Ramirez, was his classmate at Yale College and alleged that he thrust his exposed genitals in her face at a dorm party when the two were freshmen. (He has denied the accusation.) Former law school students also told the Guardian and the Huffington Post last week that Yale professor Amy Chua advised female students seeking clerkships with Kavanaugh to have a certain look during interviews. Chua has denied these accounts.

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An ad hoc group of students called Yale Law Students Demanding Better have been planning the demonstrations since Thursday night. They aimed to show their support for Ramirez and Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of pinning her down and attempting to remove her clothes during a party in high school. Both Ford and Kavanaugh, who has denied her allegation, are scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

The Yale students protesting Monday also intended to push for an investigation into the allegations by a neutral third party, express solidarity with victims of sexual violence and harassment, and bring attention to Kavanaughs potential impact as a Supreme Court justice on issues like reproductive rights. The students are also calling on the Senate to avoid treating Kavanaughs accusers the same way it did Anita Hill, a Yale Law School alumnus, during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings in 1991.

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Samantha Peltz, a student and organizer for the group, told Slate, [Yale Law Students Demanding Better] is really people who have come together from across the Yale Law School community to organize, to plan this protest  and to follow up with next steps for accountability and transparency at Yale.

The law school will have a town hall on Tuesday for students to ask faculty about internal issues that this nomination process has brought to light. A majority of faculty members signed an open letter last week calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to conduct a fair confirmation process and marshal a neutral fact-finder to investigate the allegations.According to President Trump, Brett Kavanaugh is an extraordinary man with an unblemished record and an impeccable reputation. Sen. Orrin Hatch describes the Supreme Court nominee as a person of immense integrity who has always been honest and truthful and very, very decent. These two and other Kavanaugh defenders argue that, because the judges character and integrity are purportedly unassailable, Christine Blasey Fords allegations against him should be disbelieved.

As the nation has repeatedly learned, such rosy character attestations are of limited value in judging the merits of an allegation of sexual misconduct against a prominent individual. Furthermore, in Kavanaughs case, reliance on claims about his character and integrity are all the more dubious given that a number of serious questions regarding his professional conduct remain unanswered in the wake of the Senate Judiciary Committees rushed confirmation hearings.

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There are still substantial questions, for instance, regarding Kavanaughs tenure as a White House staffer in the George W. Bush administration. Most notable among them is whether he knowingly misused materials stolen from Democratic senators offices to further efforts to confirm several controversial Bush judicial nominees and whether he lied about the matter under oath during multiple hearings. Other questions regarding Kavanaughs White House tenure could not even be meaningfully explored during the confirmation hearings because so many relevant documents were withheld (or not even requested), including materials relating to Kavanaughs possible role in reviewing the CIAs use of enhanced interrogation techniques against certain detainees.

But the least-examined portion of Kavanaughs career concerns his role as an associate counsel under Ken Starr during the multiple investigations of President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and others. Among the most important unanswered questions about Kavanaughs years as a prosecutor is whether he provided selective leaks to favored journalists in contravention of Justice Department policies respecting the confidentiality of criminal investigations.

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Prosecutors and investigators are generally directed to avoid even disclosing the existence of ongoing investigations, let alone serving as confidential sources regarding the substance of sensitive, nonpublic facts gleaned in criminal inquiries. This policy of confidentiality is intended to protect the rights of both victims and defendants. As the Department of Justice U.S. Attorneys Manual provisions in force at the time of Starrs investigation explained, the department has long had a general policy of not respond[ing] to questions about the existence of an ongoing investigation or comment[ing] on its nature or progress. Even in unusual circumstances, when a comment on an ongoing investigation need[s] to be madesuch as to address existing publicity regarding a mattermedia contacts had to be approved in advance by the U.S. attorney or DOJ official in charge. Furthermore, a knowing violation by a law enforcement officer of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures restrictions on the disclosure of information obtained in grand jury proceedings can result in a finding of contempt.

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One need only look to the last presidential race to confirm the wisdom of these policies in favor of maintaining the confidentiality of ongoing investigations, given that James Comeys repeated comments regarding a criminal investigation that did not even end with charges may have swayed the outcome of the election.

It appears clear, however, that Starrs Office of Independent Counsel had little regard for the DOJs policies regarding press contacts. The Starr teams off-the-record media communications during its investigation of President Clintons sexual activities were so extensive, and so questionable, that they ultimately led a federal judge to commission an investigation into whether members of Starrs staff violated the prohibitions on disclosing grand jury information. (No charges of illegal conduct were ultimately levied.) Furthermore, Starrs press liaison was the subject of an (ultimately unsuccessful) criminal prosecution arising from his role in leaking information related to Starrs contemplation of a potential indictment of President Clinton.

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The Starr offices systemic leaking actually began years earlier and was in full swing when Starr embarked on a three-year investigation into the death of deputy White House counsel Vincent Foster. By the time Starr came on the scene, there was no actual mystery surrounding Fosters death. Starrs predecessor, Robert Fiske, had already fully investigated the matter and confirmed that Foster had taken his own life. Yet Fosters demise was the obsessive focus of a then-emerging group of right-wing conspiracists, including, most notoriously, GOP House member Dan Burton, who filmed himself shooting melons in an amateur forensic effort to challenge the merits of the FBIs investigation. The most audacious conspiracists were hellbent on proving that the president and his wife had killed (or covered up the purported murder of) Foster, one of Hillary Clintons closest friends, in order to keep him from telling the truth. As former Clinton aide Paul Begala recently stated, Starr tormented Fosters family by pandering to these conspiracy theorists through his pursuit of an extremely lengthy, and utterly unnecessary, investigation.

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This matter goes to the heart of whether Kavanaugh has a practice of complying with important policies intended to protect the fairness and integrity of the justice system.

Starr relied on Brett Kavanaugh to document the results of his sprawling Foster investigation. One might question why Kavanaugh, who was coming off a clerkship for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy (whom he has been nominated to succeed) and was even then marked for a brilliant career in the law, chose to spend years of his life conducting such an utterly pointless investigation into a suicide. The likely answer is that Starr, Kavanaughs then-mentor, was determined to pursue any and all potential avenues for going after the president and his spouse and that Kavanaugh was not one to second-guess the boss.

Starr had served as a federal appeals court judge as well as the solicitor general, but he was a loyal Republican as well. Unlike Robert Mueller, he approached his investigation as a public relations battle as well as a law enforcement endeavor. To that end, his office was intensely focused on cultivating its image in the press, particularly among rabid opponents of the president. To that end, his office leaked like a sieve.

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Starr has long admitted that he and his team regularly communicated with the press on an off-the-record basis, in apparent derogation of Justice Department policies. Recent revelations, including from Kavanaugh, have confirmed that these leaks were not merely responses to curious reporters. Rather, Starr himself directed his line prosecutors to assist those whom they perceived to be friendly journalists.

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In late 1997, Dan Moldea was working on a book about Fosters death for Regnery, an imprint known to publish works by extreme right-wing authors. Moldea, though, is a liberal investigative journalist, and his book was an inquiry into how anti-Clinton propagandists had fabricated the story that Foster had been murdered.

When Moldea got word that Starr was about to publish a report on Fosters death, he contacted the independent counsels office. As Moldea recounts in a piece for National Memo, two of Starrs senior deputies, Hickman Ewing and Jackie Bennett, rolled out the welcome mat for him, presumably because they believed he was a right-wing journalist. In a (perhaps inadvertently) on-the-record call, Ewing explained that Starrs office had a practice of providing non-public information on an off-the-record basis to certain reportersif the OIC knew where they were coming from and Ken Starr personally approved of them. Ewing told Moldea that the office, and indeed Starr himself, had spoken with writers of two separate conspiracy-laden books on Fosters death.

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Moldea asked for the opportunity to speak with Starr. Bennett responded, however, that if Moldea wanted to obtain substantive information about the Foster investigation, he would be better off speaking to people who are most hands-on on this and really have better knowledge than Ken does. Ewing later said he would ask Starr for permission for Moldea to speak with Brett Kavanaugh, whom he identified as a young and brilliant guy who had primary responsibility for writing Starrs report on Fosters death (just as he would later play a principal role in writing the section of The Starr Report that advocated vigorously in favor of impeaching the president).

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Moldea states that he took up Ewings offer and met with Kavanaugh. Although it seems likely that, just as Ewing promised, Kavanaugh shared nonpublic, substantive information regarding Starrs then-ongoing investigation into Fosters death, the meeting was off the record. Moldea says he therefore remains bound by his agreement with Kavanaugh to maintain the confidentiality of the conversation.

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Moldea was hardly the only member of the press that met with Kavanaugh to discuss the Starr teams ongoing criminal investigations. Journalists including Jonathan Alter and Stephen Brillthe latter of whom published a lengthy article regarding the Starr teams leakinghave stated that Kavanaugh was a central operative in Starrs off-the-record press operation.

But we need not simply take these journalists words for it. In a questionnaire that Kavanaugh submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee in connection with his nomination to the Supreme Court, the judgeafter specifically listing various on-the-record interviews he has granted during his careerstated, I have also spoken to reporters on background as appropriate or as directed. In his Senate submission, Kavanaugh chose not to identify the reporters at issue, even though, as the source, he faces no legal or ethical obligation to keep those communications secret. Kavanaugh has apparently also chosen not to release Moldea and the other reporters with whom he had off-the-record communications from their confidentiality obligations despite a specific request to do so by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse; those reporters thus remain bound to keep silent on the matter as well.

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Kavanaughs defenders have pointed to the fact that he is not among the Starr personnel mentioned in a recently unsealed report into whether Starrs office illegally leaked grand jury material. But, as Moldea notes, that report was focused on the later investigation into President Clintons sexual activities, not the independent counsels inquiry into Vince Fosters suicide. Furthermore, it was apparently prepared during a period in which Kavanaugh had taken a leave from the Starr team and was working in the private sector. In any event, the Justice Departments confidentiality policies also extend well beyond grand jury material, and there is ample reason to believe that the Starr team regularly violated those policies.

This matter goes to the heart of whether Kavanaugh has a practice of complying with important policies intended to protect the fairness and integrity of the justice system. Kavanaugh should be required to supplement his Senate submission by identifying each instance in which he spoke to reporters on background as appropriate or as directed, and to expressly relieve Moldea and any other journalists whom he spoke with of their confidentiality obligations.

That would be small step toward determining whether Kavanaugh truly merits the reputation for character and integrity that Trump and others have ascribed to him.While refusing anything so prosaic as an actual FBI investigation (which Anita Hills claims received when Clarence Thomas was a nominee), Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have reached a tentative agreement to hear the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford, via a baroque negotiation that insists on their competence to investigate something like this while functionally stripping themselves of the power to actually investigate it. According to the few details we had as of the weekend, the GOP has agreed to speak only to the man and woman concerned, thus confirming that there can only ever be a he said and a she saida situation they claim to deplore even as they deliberately engineer it. (Despite repeated requests by Ford, they have so far refused to subpoena any potential witnesses, of which there are severaleven though they might theoretically help Kavanaughs case, since theyve said they have no memory of the party Ford describes.) But no: Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans insist that theres no need for witnesses, or an FBI investigation. They are constitutionally empowered to conduct this inquiry, committee leadership says.

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This is not a serious approach to Fords allegations, and senior Republicans have as much as admitted they have no intention of letting Fords account factor into their votes. What am I supposed to do, go ahead and ruin this guys life based on an accusation? Sen. Lindsey Graham hyperbolized on Fox News Sundayan unintentionally clear invocation of the fact that for powerful white men, not getting a promotion is what counts as life-ruining. Still, he said, she should come forward. She should have her say. She will be respectfully treated. This is contradictory rot. And this worldviewnot the allegation aloneis partly whats on trial right now. The habits of mind that make it possible to tell a woman you plan to ignore everything she says and call that respectful treatment are the same as those that allow the Lindsey Grahams and Orrin Hatches of the world to call men like Rob Porter decent.

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Its worth watching, then, how the GOP implodes through the internal pressure of their own oxymoronic mixed messaging: loudly announcing their indifference to a nominees alleged attempted rape while just as loudly promising to investigate it. They hope (and even more remarkably, expect) that the tentative hearing theyve agreed to will offer decent cover for their preordained votes. On the other side of all this is Ford, whose account has not changed, and who hasafter suffering an inundation of threatshad to go into hiding while trying to negotiate with an intimidating and hostile body the conditions under which she will testify. On Friday, the day Grassley demanded she answer him in one of several ultimatums, she was meeting with the FBI over death threats shed received.

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Republicans on the outside, meanwhile, have generated a hurricane of stories to refute Fords allegation that she was assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh when they were teenagers. There are roughly four. A) There is no proof, and we cannot know what happened. B) It didnt happen, and shes a liar. C) It happened, but attempted rape really isnt that big a deal. And D) the evil twin theory: It happened, but her attacker was someone else. (I hesitate to even mention E, but it exists: According to Ben Carson, this is a centuries-old plot by 19th-century socialists to take over America.)

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I have written about C, but today I want to examine Da line of thinking as diabolical in practice as strategic in theory, and the twisted natural result of this effort to take the accuser seriously while discrediting her. Easily the most surprising theory to emerge in this exculpatory carnival around Kavanaugh is one holding that Ford was indeed assaulted; shes just wrong about who did it! This position ostensibly requires one to accept Fords account, believing her every word except her memory of who the assailant was. The advantage of this theory is that its palatable: It avoids calling a woman who seems credible a liar.

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This isnt one mans mistake. Its systemic bad faith.

The seeds of this argument began to trickle out as early as Sept. 17, when Sen. Orrin Hatch shared his theory that Ford must be mistaken. That same day, the Wall Street Journals editorial board had written about the vagaries of memory and suggested that mistaken identity is also possible. (Research shows that the core of traumatic memory is more certain, not less.) Kavanaugh himself told Sen. Orrin Hatch that Ford had the wrong guy. On Tuesday, Ed Whelan, president of the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center, promised compelling evidence that would vindicate his good friend and old George W. Bush administration colleague Brett Kavanaugh. The next day, Whelan tweeted out Kathleen Parkers op-ed for the Washington Postwhich proposed that, per Occams razor, Kavanaugh must have had an evil twin.

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Then Thursday night, Whelan took the evil-twin theory and made it a real live boy. His speculationwhich he published on Twitter after several conservative commentators had hyped it in advance, and whose particulars I will spare youwas as far-fetched and wild-eyed as True Detective and just as hollow. His Twitter thread culminated by strongly implyingwhile denying it was implyingthat a classmate of Kavanaughs who vaguely resembled him was probably responsible for the attack on Ford. Once this shockingly irresponsible account came out, GOP reps tried to distance themselves. Well: not immediately. Some conservative pundits thought there must be more to itunderstandably, since Whelan is a powerful and respected figure in conservative legal circles, and what he put forth was garbage.

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But even after Whelan apologized for his theory, which was quickly recognized as such radioactive nonsense hes been put on a leave of absence by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, questions remain about its genesis. The theory is developing into a second scandal, in other words: If Whelans good friend Kavanaugh, say, had anything to do with this effort to frame a classmate to exonerate himself, wellit would be beyond disqualifying. It will be important, going forward, to establish who knew about this particularly vicious version of the evil twin theory. So far, its unclear. Whelan denied that he shared the specifics of his plan with the White House and Kavanaugh, but he left out the Senate. It feels improbable that he would have cooked up such a crazy concoction alone in a lab, with everyone else trumpeting it on blind faith.

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And indeed, by Friday afternoon it turned out the lone wolf act was to be too good to be true: Whelan had at least been working with CRC Public Relations, a firm closely connected to the Federalist Society (which plays gatekeeper to conservative judicial picks) whose accomplishments include working with the Swift Boat Veterans in 2004 to crush John Kerrys presidential run. Nor is Whelans claim to be working in isolation exactly bolstered by the revelation, made Friday night, that Whelan found Fords LinkedIn profile before her name had been made public. Within 90 minutes of the Washington Posts privately sharing Fords name with a White House spokesman, Whelan had searched for and found her page. There are also questions about how Whelan somehow knew the address of the other party attendees and the name of the Kavanaugh classmate he potentially libeled.

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Your mileage may vary, but that doesnt soundto melike a lack of coordination.

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Maybe all these people came up with the same ludicrously implausible evil-twin theory at the same time through sheer coincidencekind of like how Leibniz and Newton just happened to invent calculus independently. Maybe Whelan was the only guy to take it to the next level. But whether this was conspiracy of coincidence matters less than the fact that the entire Kavanaugh apparatus seemed ready to take the evil-twin theory on board. This isnt one mans mistake. Its systemic bad faith.

But the reality is that this is all an ugly, desperate mess. Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and his ilk have shown no desire to find the truth. Forced into a hearing at the insistence of senators like Jeff Flake and Lisa Murkowski, theyve structured it not to bring the truth to light, but to do the least damage. Grassley refused Ford a real investigation on the grounds that the Senate is enough: The job of assessing and investigating a nominees qualifications in order to decide whether to consent to the nomination is ours, and ours alone, he said. And as he was saying this, the Chief Counsel for Nominations Mike Davis was writing, Unfazed and determined. We will confirm Judge Kavanaugh, in a since-deleted Tweet. They, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Kavanaugh will be on the Supreme Court), couldnt be clearer: This hearing is purely for show.

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Its worth trying to imagine what this must feel like to Ford. Hearing the Senates power brokers proclaim their refusal to even consider her testimony in their decision-makingshe and her husband sleeping in hotels away from their children while Grassley accuses her of stalling and the Wall Street Journal and a clutch of other venues suggest, repeatedly and on the basis of nothing, not even a single testimony, that she has the wrong man. Imagine being vilified for false accusations and then watching those very people make their own. Its to Fords credit that the same night Whelans thread went viral that she managed to issue a statement clarifying that she knew both Kavanaugh and the other boy. There is zero chance that I would confuse them, she said.

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The woman whose alleged assault is about to be investigated by these strategy-crazed politicos has remained quiet but steadfasteven as she tries to inject a modicum of seriousness into the process by asking (for example) that they interrogate witnesses. As these guys proliferate theories and throw spaghetti at the wall, her account remains modest and incomplete but consistent.

The talk about last-minute timing is bilge: Her record on this is clear. She mentioned the attack to her therapist back in 2012. She contacted her representative about her concerns on July 6, when Kavanaugh was still just one of several potential nominees. She wrote to Sen. Dianne Feinstein at the end of July, requesting confidentiality, but finally came forward in September when it was clear her name was about to become public anyway. While Republicans posit secret societies, vast conspiracies, and evil twins, she has not changed her basic account, nor has she claimed to remember things she doesnt. In response to Republican pressure, insinuation, and outright accusation, she has asserted her story and her right to fairness simply and directly. All she has done is request that her claim be investigated in full by competent authorities who can be believed to be acting in good faith.

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Despite the GOPs best effort to disparage her communications as delay tactics, Fords requests of the committeeasking for an independent investigation, requesting certain conditions for the hearing, some of which were denied, and then agreeing to testify with final details still being worked out as of Saturdayhave been reasonable and prompt for an ordinary person gearing up to face what Anita Hill did almost three decades ago. Republican commentators disagree: They seem to think she couldnt be asking time for herself; it must be for the sake of the Democrats who shes been smeared as helping. In a system populated by amateur sleuths like Whelan and spokesmen like Garrett Ventry (who resigned Saturday as a Grassley adviser after previous accusations of sexual harassment surfacedand also resigned from CRC Public Relations, where hed taken leave to help with the Kavanaugh nomination), somehow shes the conspiracy.

Republicans have done their level best to dissuade her from testifying without being too obvious (its hard to read their initial requirement that she testify at the same table as Kavanaugh any other way). In the interim, theyve attempted to impugn her memory and muddy the waters with alternative theories. And yet, after all that, shes planning to come.

If anything worthwhile can be rescued from the mangled rebar of our nominations process, it will be what this one says about how America handles a sexual misconduct allegation against a potential Supreme Court Justice 27 years after the previous one.A longtime friend of Christine Blasey Ford named Leland Ingham Keyser says she doesnt know Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and doesnt recall attending a party with him. Ford said Keyser was at the party where Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school, but she says she has no memory of it. Simply put, Ms. Keyser does not know Mr. Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present, with, or without, Dr. Ford, Keysers lawyer, Howard Walsh, said in a statement.

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Keysers lawyer wrote the statement after she was contacted by the Senate Judiciary Committee for information about the alleged incident. I understand that you have been identified as an individual who was in attendance at a party that occurred circa 1982 described in a recent Washington Post article, a committee staffer wrote Keyser earlier this week. Keyser told the Washington Post in a brief interview that she was close friends with Ford and believes her allegations about Kavanaugh.

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Ford herself had told the Post she didnt think Keyser would remember the party since she had no reason to think anything really out of the ordinary happened there. Fords lawyers emphasized that point after Keysers statement to the committee became public. Its not surprising that Ms. Keyser has no recollection of the evening as they did not discuss it. Its also unremarkable that Ms. Keyser does not remember attending a specific gathering 30 years ago at which nothing of consequence happened to her. Dr. Ford of course will never forget this gathering because of what happened to her there, Fords attorney, Debra Katz, said.

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The White House, however, is using this denial to cast doubt on Fords claim. Spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said: One week ago, Dr. Christine Ford claimed she was assaulted at a house party attended by four others. Since then, all four of these individuals have provided statements to the Senate Judiciary Committee denying any knowledge of the incident or even having attended such a party. In addition to Keyser, two other people who were allegedly at the party where the assault took place say they have no memory of the incident.

While Republicans are quickly seizing on these statements to question Fords credibility, Sen. Dick Durbin agrees with Fords lawyers, saying Sunday that there is no reason for the other people who were allegedly at the party to remember the event. Its no surprise, if another person was  in the house that night and had no occurrence like the one that was stated by Dr. Ford, theres no reason why they wouldnt even remember that party scene 36 years ago, Durbin said on ABCs This Week.

AdvertisementSen. Dianne Feinstein is calling on Sen. Chuck Grassley to halt proceedings related to Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court. Feinstein sent a letter to the chairman of the Judiciary Committee on Sunday night, shortly after the New Yorker published a piece on allegations from a second woman who has accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

NEWS: Feinstein writes to Grassley asking for an immediate postponement of any further proceedings related to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh and calls on him to support an FBI investigation jnto the sexual misconduct allegations by Deborah Ramirez and Christine Blasey Ford. pic.twitter.com/DKadLRJ3Kn  Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) September 24, 2018

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In the letter, Feinstein calls for an immediate postponement of any further proceedings related to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. The Democratic senator also calls for the new allegations to be referred to the FBI for an investigation. She said it was important for this investigation to be carried out by career professionals at the FBI rather than the partisan staff of the Committee. But if the White House continues to refuse to direct the FBI to do its job, the Committee must subpoena all relevant witnesses. Feinstein concludes her letter by noting that it is time to set politics aside. We must ensure that a thorough and fair investigation is conducted before moving forward.

Earlier Sunday, Grassleys office released the unredacted letter that Chrstine Blasey Ford sent to Feinstein detailing her accusations against Kavanaugh. As you know, the letter was given to me in confidence and I am giving it to you with the expectation that you will maintain its confidentiality and that it will not be released publicly or disseminated further, as requested by Dr. Blasey Fords counsel Debra Katz, Feinstein wrote in a letter to Grassley that accompanied Fords letter.On this weeks episode of my podcast, I Have to Ask, I spoke to Jonathan Haidt, the co-author, with Greg Lukianoff, of The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure. Haidt, a social psychologist who teaches at NYUs business school, and Lukianoff examine what they consider to be a dire situation on college campuses, with identity politics running rampant and students unable or unwilling to listen to different viewpoints, especially conservative ones. The book examines why, at least in the authors view, kids today are so coddled and what impact that coddling might have for society at large. Haidt and Lukianoff also widen the picture to include an analysis of how different versions of campus identity politics are likely to play when taken up by politicians and public figures.

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Below is an edited excerpt from the show. In it, we discuss whether college students are really less supportive of free speech than other Americans, why Haidt thinks liberals cant reach middle America, and how he explains the rise of Donald Trump.

You can find links to every episode here; the entire audio interview is below. Please subscribe to I Have to Ask wherever you get your podcasts.

Isaac Chotiner: What do you think is happening on college campuses today, and why do you think its happening?

Jonathan Haidt: What Greg and I think is happening is a kind of subtle change in the dynamics that has far-reaching effects. Its not that a generation has lost its mind, or a generation has turned against free speech. So, we try to avoid using the word crisis or we dont talk about snowflakes. Its really a clash of moralities. With the goal of being more inclusive and welcoming, some students have become much more sensitive to the use of words and the presence of ideas and speakers. So, its not that students are turning against free speech, its that there are now conflicting goals on campus, and its leading to a call out culture: a culture in which some students feel that they can criticize or even shame people who say things that they deem offensive. And this has led to more fearfulness among both students and professors.

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Do you think this is intimately connected to whats going on in our politics, or do you think this was starting before the past three years and has kind of been exacerbated by it?

Oh, it is definitely exacerbated by the current political situation. So, the way we think about it in the book is that theres this surprising change that begins to happen around 2014. This is when the New York Times and the New Republic start writing the first articles about trigger warnings. This is when we see the first references to students at Brown and other places wanting safe spaces in their classrooms.

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[Greg] noticed that while, of course, students have been politically active for a long time, for the first time around 2014, they were saying not this is offensive, or this is racist, or this is unjust, or this needs to be stopped, but this is harmful, this will traumatize some students, this will damage some students. It was the medicalization.  So thats whats new.

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You write about iGen, which is people who are aged 18 to 24 now, is that correct?

Its kids born after 1995. Yes.

You wrote in an online debate that theyre a little less tolerant but that The skeptics are also right that the data dont show a sudden giant change. We do not have a Lost Generation. Young people have not suddenly turned against free speech in such numbers that we see cliffs in the data. Ive looked through a ton of the data trying to get ready for this interview, and Im trying to make out trends. What I see is that on racial matters, millennials or people in the iGen generation seem to be more sensitive, thinking that people who say things that are racially offensive should be banned from speaking. But then there are other issues, like whether professional athletes should be able to express political opinions, or the president should have the authority to close down news outlets, or building mosques, things like this, which we consider First Amendment things where, in fact, this generation is more tolerant. And so, its hard to kind of come up with one big takeaway. What have you found?

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Its not that students are turning against free speech, its that there are now conflicting goals on campus and its leading to a call out culture.  Jonathan Haidt

The debate was started when a political scientist in Canada named Jeff Sachs analyzed some data from the General Social Survey. He pointed out that you dont see a big change in attitudes about free speech in questions going back to the 1970s. And it was a wonderful debate. What came about as a result of the debate was, I think, the general consensus that its not that a generation has turned against free speech. Its that theres now a clash of moral values.

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On campus, a lot of it has to do with diversity and inclusion. So, I dont talk a lot about free speech in the abstract, I talk about what are the sacred values of any group. And around the sacred values, youll often find a ring of ignorance and intolerance. So, on a college campus, and there are many subgroups, if some subgroups act like, well, this is our sacred value, and we will not allow anyone on campus to question it, well thats kind of illiberal. It makes life difficult for the rest of the university. And if it was someone coming out to campus to spout racial slurs, well, of course, thered be a lot of consensus to keep them off. But when it extends to people presenting data, or ideas, or a professor questioning the gender gap in pay, the things that should be debatable, if people get upset and say, This is not permissible, well that chills academic discourse.

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Absolutely. So, youre not trying to say the sky is falling, but your book is also subtitled how bad ideas are setting up a generation for failure. You start one chapter talking about the Cultural Revolution in China and about getting to a place where things are not allowed to be said. So, clearly you think that we might be in a place to say were setting up a generation for failure. I assume you dont think previous generations are a failure? What is it about this generation when you look at this data that sticks out?

We dont have really good national data on the attitudes and behaviors of kids born after 1995. On all sides of this, were trying to figure out whats going on. But the place where we have really good data, and the reason why we do think that there is a danger of something fairly big is that the rates of depression and anxiety have gone up very substantially for boys. The suicide rate for boys is up 25 percent, between the first decade of this century and the last few years. For girls, its a 70 percent increase in suicide for teenage girls.

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And so, we think that if we are trying to accommodate them by telling them, You are fragile, youre vulnerable, we will protect you from books, speakers that you think are threatening, we will protect you. This is the worst thing we could do.

Theres a point in the book where youre talking about Martin Luther King, and youre talking about ways to win people over. Martin Luther King Jr. understood this, you write. Instead of shaming or demonizing their opponents, they humanize them and then relentlessly appealed to their humanity. It seems like what youre saying here is that if liberal people want to appeal to the average American, that they must appeal to their good side. That they shouldnt demonize them, they shouldnt shame them, they shouldnt tell them that theyre all racist, or whatever else. It seems like theres a little contradiction there, because when were talking about college students youre saying, Why cant these people toughen up? Why cant they hear the real truth? Isnt it good for them to hear what we perceive as honesty? But in this case, it seems like youre saying, No, the way to win people over is actually to kind of tiptoe a little bit. Is there a contradiction there?

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Its two separate psychological issues. On the issue of anti-fragility, youre right that we think that in general, overprotection is bad. But the issue here  is the basic psychology of tribalism.

What Martin Luther King and [other civil rights leaders] understood is if you start by using a vocabulary of brothers and sisters, if you activate what you have in common first, and then you make your case that some of our brothers and sisters are being denied equal dignity, theyre being denied equal access to the fruits of their labor and of the American society, that is a psychologically effective way to make the case. Whereas what we argue in Chapter 3 is identity politics is not bad, you have to have a politics of identity. But you can have an identity politics based on common humanity, which is what we say works. Or you can have one based on a common enemy, which is where you try to unite people in hatred of, lets say, a dominant group. That might feel good and there may be some truth to it, but it is not an effective way to bring about change, especially within an institution like the university, which really, really wants to work with you.

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It seemed effective in winning the last election, though.

Thats right. There are times when if the goal is to get out the vote and crush the other side, there are times in national politics, there are times in opposing racial injustice in the criminal justice system when very forceful methods are all that will work. But if you have an institution like a university, our argument is that a lot of the strategies are backfiring, not just within the university, but my God, are they providing material that right wing news sites use to stir up anger, outrage, and disgust against universities and against the left. Theres a kind of expressive politics, which feels good and which plays into right-wing narratives about universities, but it doesnt get the job done.

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If these types of stories are driving right-wing people into paroxysms of rage, and getting them to support people like Donald Trump, it does seem like then we can make somewhat of an argument that words do have an impact on people, right?

Oh, they certainly do.

That things people perceive as hurtful can get them to vote for authoritarians, or can get them to do really, really, really awful things. So, maybe we should be worried about the fragility of people because words really can hurt.

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So, the argument that is debated on campus is, Are words violence? Nobody doubts that words can hurt. Anybody who has ever been broken up with by the person they love knows that words can hurt sharper than knives. The question on campus is, should we consider words that are hurtful to be violence? And that is a line that no democratic society should cross. Because as soon as you label your opponents words as violence, that entitles your side to use violence. And as soon as your side uses violence, research and common sense show you lose. Especially in an age of smartphones, you lose. Videos of your side being violent get played all over the place. Boy, does that energize the other side. Theres research showing that violent protest, at least in the American context, is less effective than nonviolent protests.

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The last year that this data is available, which is a 1966 Gallup poll, Martin Luther King had an approval rating of 32 percent and a disapproval rating among Americans of 63 percent. How do we understand that, given the type of politics he was preaching?

Well, what little I know of that history is that when he took a plunge in the polls, he was working on various economic issues that were not powerful. So, I dont know how to track the polls. But I think we have enough examples. And certainly, we have enough people like Nelson Mandela and others taking the long view and saying, In the long run, youre going to win. Youre going to win with love and dignity, not by demonizing your opponents.

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Well, right. But Nelson Mandela was also the head of what we would consider a terrorist group in terms of a group that carried out terrorist actions for a political cause that Im sure both of us think was in the long run a good one. The African National Congress was not just a peaceful group.

No, thats right. Again, I dont know the history to know whether the violent methods were effective, or it would have been effective, or whether it was ultimately the more inclusive appeal that Mandela made after he got out from prison. I remember watching him and watching those early speeches and just the thrill of someone coming out from prison and preaching forgiveness, preaching working together. I thought that was incredibly powerful. And in the long run, it seems to have worked.

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Im not trying to be glib asking this question, but: Do you think that the left has more of a responsibility, or for practical reasons, more need to appeal to these things than the right, which has seemed certainly in the past few years to be able to win with precisely the opposite of what youre putting forward as an effective strategy to win hearts and minds?

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My own work on moral psychology: I began it in 2004 after John Kerry lost. I thought that the Democrats just repeatedly showed they didnt know how to talk about American morality; they didnt know how to appeal to voters.

Over and over again, we see that if you take people and you put them together in groups where they can only talk to each other, they are not able to understand the truth. They end up making ineffective appeals and bad policies. This is what truly motivated Mark Lilla, the frustration of seeing Democrats make what many of us think are mistakes. There is a quote from Steve Bannon, I forget the exact quote, but he says, The more Democrats talk about raising identity politics, we win. So, its easy to trigger an authoritarian reaction, an authoritarian alarm in voters.

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Democrats need to understand the authoritarian dynamic, stop playing into it, and I think the more inclusive form of identity politics shuts that down. It turns off the authoritarian alarm.

Why did eight years of Obama not shut that down?

Well, eight years of Obama  lets see. When you say shut it down, you mean why wasnt America changed completely?

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No, I thought you used the phrase shut it down just now to say that Democrats can try to shut down right-wing authoritarianism by not using identity politics, by appealing to common humanity, and so on. It seems like we had a president for eight years who did not spend his time appealing to identity politics and did speak to our common humanity in very

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Oh, no, thats right. He did. Yeah.

And he doesnt seem to have avoided the rise of Donald Trump and Steve Bannon.

No. The authoritarian dynamic is a preparedness or its the reactivity in the minds of about 20 to 30 percent of the population. And so, Obama was great at appealing  he was just brilliant, especially in his first campaign at appealing to American values, American traditions, the founding fathers, so he did turn it off. Now, you cant make the button disappear. You cant remove from the minds of the 30 percent or so who have it. But Obama did not press the alarm. And in return, he won majorities in both elections.

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I used to write all kinds of memos about how Democrats can speak to American values, and I didnt get anybody to read them.  Haidt

Now, obviously, Clinton won a majority of the national vote, but against Donald Trump, it should have been a landslide. She was complicated. She made a number of different appeals. But a lot of what she did, she did play up identity politics much more than Obama did. And the right-wing media was able to exploit that and exaggerate it. But they did get very high voter turnout on their side, even without much of a ground game. They didnt have a big operation.

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But look, Donald Trump got 46 percent of the vote, which in a two-party system is about as low as youre ever going to get. So, you could say, maybe without Hillary Clintons appeals to identity politics, he would have gotten 45 or 44 and a half percent. But Donald Trump also won the Republican nomination around the same time Hillary Clinton did, and had already conquered the Republican Party. The rise of Donald Trump, the rise of right-wing authoritarianism, to ascribe it to a couple speeches Hillary Clinton made

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Oh, no. No, Im not ascribing the rise of it to the Clinton speeches. Im just saying that I think Clinton played it in a way that left her open to . it made it very easy for operatives on the other side. But no, she didnt cause that to happen.

You mentioned briefly that you were interested after the Kerry election in writing about why Democrats cant appeal to moral values, is that what you said? What was the phrase you used a couple minutes ago?

I used to write all kinds of memos and tried to get Democrats to read them about how Democrats can speak to American values, and I didnt get anybody to read them. But later, those ideas turned into The Righteous Mind.

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I guess whats frustrating about trying to figure this out is that when I grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, there was a sense that Democrats need to learn to speak to family values. They need to understand patriotism. They need to understand respect for law enforcement and the military. And if they dont do these things, theyre not going to win as many elections as they should. And then you have a guy come along, who has no respect for family values, who attacks law enforcement agencies basically every day, who makes fun of POWs, who tells voters hes smarter than them and exhibits every form of elite condescension that you could imagine. And now its sort of, well, now its Democrats need to learn to do this or that, or theyre never going to win the undecided white voter, basically. It makes me wary of any analysis that says, this is what liberals are doing wrong today to not win over the Trump voter.

I see. I see. Well, first of all, on Trump, yes. He is an incredible hypocrite. And if voters were consistent in their values, conservatives and Republicans would turn him out.

But a really important change in our politics happened over the last 10 or 15 years. Political scientists call it negative partisanship, in which it used to be that you would vote for a candidate primarily because you like the candidate. And sometime in the last 10 to 15 years, we shifted to voting primarily because we hate the other candidates. And so, Donald Trump doesnt have to deliver on promises, he doesnt have to be consistent, all he has to do is say, Im the one who hates the people that you hate. And hes very good at hating people on the left and hating Hillary Clinton and hating the coastal elites like you and me. So, it is an ugly and unfortunate change in our politics, that we are so deep into negative partisanship that the Republicans elected an incredible hypocrite like Donald Trump.Update, 1:12 p.m.: After a frenzy of reporting otherwise, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein did not resign on Monday. Instead, he is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to discuss the recent drama surrounding his position, according to press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Statement on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein: pic.twitter.com/yBgAydv9oR  Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) September 24, 2018

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Original post: Something is happening on Monday with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Axios is reporting that Rosenstein has verbally resigned to Chief of Staff John Kelly in anticipation of being fired by President Trump, according to a source with direct knowledge. MSNBC is reporting that Rosenstein has been summoned to the White House. CNN is reporting that Rosenstein expects to be fired and was on his way to the White House late Monday morning. The New York Times is reporting that Rosenstein is expected to leave the Justice Department on Monday. The Washington Post is reporting that he has offered to resign.

NBC News justice correspondent Pete Williams, meanwhile, was reporting that Rosenstein would not be resigning.

NEW: @PeteWilliamsNBC reports that Rosenstein has said if Trump wants him gone, they'll have to fire him, and that Rosenstein will refuse to resign and go quietly.  Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) September 24, 2018

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The frenzy of rumors come in the wake of a New York Times report on Friday, which said that Rosenstein had sincerely discussed tape-recording Trump and invoking the 25th Amendment for removal from office after FBI Director James Comeys firing.

Rosenstein manages special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation, which has infuriated the president for months. Trump regularly tweets that the probe, which has won guilty pleas and convictions against multiple former top Trump lieutenants, is a witch hunt.

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If Rosenstein is fired or resigns, Solicitor General Noel Francisco would be in line to take over management of the Russia probe. Trump could also appoint any Senate-approved official to take Rosensteins job and take charge of the Mueller probe.

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Management of the probe is no small thing: Mueller is supposed send every major decisionsuch as indictments or plea agreementsto the Department of Justice official in charge of the investigation. (Attorney General Jeff Sessions is recused from the investigation due to his campaign work, another fact that the president has continuously railed against.) The DOJ manager of the investigation also determines whether any report Mueller compiles on Russian interference in the 2016 election, possible collusion by Trump campaign officials, and possible obstruction of justice by the president is advanced to Congress and the public.

Trump is currently in New York for a United Nations meeting, so if Rosenstein is meeting anyone at the White House, it would not be the president.This is a transcript of Episode 6 of Season 2 of Slow Burn. Listen in the player below, or subscribe here.

On Jan. 21, 1998, NPRs Mara Liasson was scheduled to interview Bill Clinton about his upcoming State of the Union address.

MARA LIASSON: The biggest news for us was what he was going to say. I even had a little scoop on thathe was going to say something about Social Security. And I knew what it was, so I was going to ask him about that. How quaint.

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Liasson and her colleague Robert Siegel had planned out the whole interview.

MARA LIASSON: And then, the day of, we wake up and read the Post and we see the story about Monica Lewinsky. And we looked at each other and we went, Ew, yuck, I guess we have to ask him about this.

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The notion that Clinton had been romantically involved with a former White House intern first appeared on a fledgling website called the Drudge Report. The sites proprietor, Matt Drudge, had received a tip that editors at Newsweek were sitting on a story about Clintons affair. Drudge published the allegation in the middle of the night on Sunday, Jan. 18about 24 hours after Monica Lewinsky walked out on Ken Starrs prosecutors at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Drudge had received the tip from Lucianne Goldberg, the literary agent who was working with Linda Tripp.

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Drudges post didnt make it into the mainstream media for three full days. When it finally did, by way of a front-page story in the Washington Post, it was a lot for people to take in.

TOM BROKAW: The unexpected: Reports of a new sex scandal involving President Clinton. JOHN SEIGENTHALER: Bombshell allegations that he had a sexual affair with a former White House intern.

Not only was the president being accused of having an affair with a woman half his age, he was also under criminal investigation by independent counsel Ken Starr for trying to cover it up.

CLAIRE SHIPMAN: Theres a growing sense here that this scandal could unravel the administration.

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When Mara Liasson and Robert Siegel sat down across from Clinton in the Oval Office the day the Post story came out, they opened their interview with a series of direct but charitably phrased questions about the allegations.

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MARA LIASSON: I was very, um, decorous, and I said MARA LIASSON ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED: Mr. President, where do you think this comes from, did you have any kind of relationship with her that could have been misconstrued? MARA LIASSON: Then he said, Well, Mara, I dont know anything more about this than you do. BILL CLINTON ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED: Mara, Im gonna do my best to cooperate with this investigation. I wanna know what they want to know from me. I think its more important for me to tell the American people that it wasnt improper relations, I didnt ask anybody to lie, and I intend to cooperate. And I think thats all I should say right now so I can get back to the work of the country. MARA LIASSON: What I do remember very distinctly from the interview was that Bill Clinton, who has a large jaw, his jaw muscle was like pulsing as he was speaking. And you could see this bah-bum-bah-bum-bah-bum, this kind of jaw-muscle pulsing. So he was tense.

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The Lewinsky story sent a chill through the White House, as Clinton staffers who had grown accustomed to scandal wondered amongst themselves if this one was for real.

ELI ATTIE: They just read about it in the paper like everybody else.

This is Eli Attie. In 1998, he was working for Vice President Al Gore. Later on, he would become a writer for the television show The West Wing.

ELI ATTIE: The building, you know, was very functional, but with this kind of overlay of unreality I think because, you know, when the Lewinsky story started to break, nobody really knew what it meant. Nobody knew where it was heading.

One night, Attie was talking on the phone with a friend from Time magazine, whose outlook on the situation left him jolted.

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ELI ATTIE: I was wondering, you know, what Clinton might do, what he might say. And this guy said to me like, Dont you get it? Gores going to be president by Friday. Theres no way Clinton survives this week.

A few days later, Attie was organizing a routine press conference, in which the vice president and the first lady would announce a new grant for after-school programs. The morning of the event, Attie was informed that the president would also be making an appearance.

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ELI ATTIE: I remember it as if it were yesterday because, you know, Gore spoke about after-school care and it was fine. AL GORE: This mornings announcement should be seen in the context of how we prepare the children in this country to succeed in the 21st century. ELI ATTIE: And the first lady spoke and same thing. HILLARY CLINTON: This morning we come together to hear about the presidents plans to strengthen education. ELI ATTIE: And then President Clinton got up and he gave another fairly mundane speech about after-school care and education, and you could have slept through the whole thing. And then, at the very end of the presidents remarks, he said BILL CLINTON: Now I have to go back to work on my State of the Union speech. But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. Im going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time. Never. These allegations are false, and I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you. ELI ATTIE: And he just walked right out the door.

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Clintons denials were enough to assuage most of his prominent allies, including Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who vouched for him publicly and without equivocation.

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT: I believe that the allegations are completely untrue.

But Clintons critics on the right were not satisfied.

REED IRVINE: He has scandal after scandal, it should disqualify him from being the occupant of the Oval Office. REP. BOB BARR: Mr. President, you are responsible for bringing shame upon a great institution, and we, the people of the United States of America, will hold you accountable.

In the weeks and months that followed, some of the most withering criticism that Clinton took came from a coalition of conservative activists whose political views were bound up with their faith. The influence of the Christian right within the Republican Party had been growing steadily since the Reagan years. When the Lewinsky story broke, some of the movements leaders pounced on it with righteous vigor.

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Heres John Ashcroft, a Christian conservative who in 1998 was a senator from Missouri.

JOHN ASHCROFT: Leaders who suggest that they can separate their private lives and their public actions are wrong. Morality is not divisible. It is not divisible by any man, it is not divisible by any president.

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Clinton and his allies, meanwhile, continued to insist hed done nothing inappropriate. Even as increasingly vivid details about his relationship with Lewinsky began to trickle out of Starrs grand jury.

BRIAN WILLIAMS: Today even more graphic and salacious allegations came to light.

The official position of the White House was that none of it had happened.

Most Americans were pretty sure that wasnt true. And so, during the spring and summer of 1998, conservatives who thought Clintons alleged behavior was immoral and unforgivable went to war against his defenders, many of whom believed that even if Clinton had done something wrong, it wasnt as grave or dangerous as the campaign to chase him out of office. It was a struggle that played out in the mediain newspapers, on the World Wide Web, and most importantly on television. Meanwhile, a steady stream of public opinion polls provided a running score.

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How did the rightand the religious right, in particularfan the flames of outrage during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal? How did the presidents supporters fight back? And how did the American people decide whose side to take?

This is Slow Burn. Im your host, Leon Neyfakh.

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DAVID BLOOM: The criminal investigation of the president is proceeding tonight at a breakneck pace. BRIAN WILLIAMS: Will the president feel the need to tell the nation what he knows? RANDY TATE: Hes no longer someone we can look to with moral authority in the White House. BILL CLINTON: I dont think there is a fancy way to say that I have sinned.

Episode 6: God Mode.

In the 1990s, Bill Bennett was basically a professional moral crusader. Earlier in his career, he had served as secretary of education under Ronald Reagan and drug czar under George H.W. Bush. But after hitting it big in 1993 with The Book of Virtues, an anthology aimed at teaching moral principles to children, the devout Catholic became something in between a preacher and a political pundit.

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BILL BENNETT: You cant invent a new color and you cant invent a new virtue. There either is courage and fidelity to task and responsibility, or there isnt. These are the things by means of which we keep society together, or we dont.

Thats Bennett promoting his book in 1994. Throughout the 90s, he appeared regularly on Sunday talk shows, wrote op-eds, and published booksall while running a right-wing think tank called Empower America. Some of Bennetts fellow Christian conservatives saw him as a future candidate for president.

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After the Lewinsky story broke, Bennett emerged as one of Clintons most unsparing critics.

BILL BENNETT: I care if my president is a felon. But I care just as much whether hes a scoundrel. I care just as much whether I can trust him to be telling the truth.

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This is Bennett speaking at a debate with Mario Cuomo just a few days after the world learned Monica Lewinskys name.

BILL BENNETT: If he cant be trusted to tell us the truth, then he has to go.

At this early stage, many of Bennetts fellow Republicans were exercising restraint, telling reporters it was too soon to be using words like impeachment or resignation.

JOHN PALMER: From the Republican National Chairman, words of caution. JIM NICHOLSON: We dont really know what has happened and should refrain from giving people a reason to make this a highly partisan political matter.

Bennett went all in, refusing to consider the possibility that Clinton might be telling the truth and wasting no time in calling for his ouster. For Bennett, anything less would teach Americas children that lying and cheating were OK.

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BILL BENNETT: One of the worst things we do in this society is we destroy the innocence of the young before their time. We have done it through TV, weve done it through the movies, weve done it through popular culture. Were now doing it through our politics.

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In a borderline implausible twist of fate, Bill Bennett had a direct and intimate connection to Bill Clinton: His older brother Bob was the presidents personal lawyer. One of Bob Bennetts primary duties was to speak publicly on Clintons behalf regarding the Paula Jones sexual harassment case.

While Bob Bennett was out defending Clintons honor on television

BOB BENNETT: Were going to show you that this is a pack of lies.

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Bill Bennett was condemning Clinton as a liar and lamenting his deficiencies as a role model.

BILL BENNETT: This may be the trashiest, sleaziest moment in American history.

Raised by a single mom and, for a while, an abusive stepfather, the Bennett brothers shared a bumpy childhood in Brooklyn. Bill, the future Christian activist, liked to read, while Bob, the future lawyer, liked to box. At school, Bob protected his younger brother; sometimes when Bill came home he would give Bob a list of everyone who had picked on him so Bob could go confront them.

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When they grew up and assumed their respective positions in the Clinton drama, the Bennetts started getting confused for one another. I learned they were brothers because the New York Times misidentified Bob as Bill in a photo caption and had to run a correction.

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Heres Bob Bennett, explaining what happened when he gave Newsweek an incendiary quote about how his client was being gratuitously tormented by Republicans.

BOB BENNETT: I said that, you know, theyd cut them themselves just to bleed on him, nothing was more important than going after him. And instead of attributing it to me, they attributed it to Bill. He got all sorts of letters calling him a traitor and everything.

Both brothers always insisted that they didnt let politicsor Bill Clinton in particularget between them. Bill Bennett, who did not agree to be interviewed for this podcast, was impeccably gracious whenever people asked him about his Clinton-enabling brother.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Whats the possibility that your brother Bob, the presidents lawyer, will conclude that he has been deceived and lied to by his client and publicly repudiate his client? BILL BENNETT: Whatever Bob Bennett knows or thinks, he doesnt tell me. As to the measure of the man, I know him, I know him better than you do. We grew up together. There were things he did for me as a child I will never be able to repay. If you wish to trash Bob Bennett, you can. I will not join you.

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Apart from this unlikely overlap between his family and his work, Bill Bennett could not have asked for a more perfect foil than Bill Clinton. This was true even before the Lewinsky story broke. Bennett had always been a culture warrior, and one of his recurring themes was the depraved influence of liberalism on American culture. In 1992, Bennett wrote a book about how real Americans still had good values, while the intellectuals who controlled the levers of power in Washington, New York, and Hollywood were a bunch of moral relativists who held American traditions in contempt. As Bennett saw it, the two sides were in the midst of a struggle over whose values will prevail in America.

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Bill Clinton, with his pot smoking and his draft dodging and his reputation as a womanizer, fit perfectly into that narrative. Heres Bennett in 1996, during the lead up to Clintons re-election.

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BILL BENNETT: I am not a Bill Clinton guy. I have never been a Bill Clinton guy. I have never believed this guy was telling the truth about things at all.

It wasnt just Bill Bennett. The entire Christian conservative movement was invigorated, if alarmed, by Clintons pro-choice, gay-friendly agenda. With Clinton in the White House, Christian activists like Pat Robertson and James Dobson were able to consolidate their hold on the grassroots of the Republican Party. Heres journalist Steve Kornacki, who writes about the Christian right in his new book about the rise of political tribalism.

STEVE KORNACKI: Basically, the story of the 1990s is in part, at least in Republican politics, is the Christian right reached full maturation politically and it was understood to be a giant and crucial component of any winning coalition for the Republican Party.

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In 1994, with their political influence in Washington growing, Christian conservatives gained a spiritual ally in the fight against Bill Clinton with the appointment of Ken Starr to the Office of the Independent Counsel.

Ken Starr was deeply religious. As a boy, he would listen to his father, a minister, rehearse his sermons in the familys backyard. And in college, he saved up money for tuition by going door to door selling Bibles. Here is Starr:

KEN STARR: I am an evangelical Christian. I attend a nondenominational church and have for many, many years. And my faith journey calls on me in the words of the prophet of all to seek justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly.

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Starr wasnt shy about discussing his religious beliefs when I interviewed him earlier this month.

KEN STARR: As an evangelical Christian, I take the teachings of the New Testament seriously and try to live up to those teachings, including the teachings of compassion and kindness and mercy and forgiveness.

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But he was insistent that his faith played no part in his handling of the Clinton-Lewinsky investigation.

KEN STARR: Im a law person who tends to just think of, look, this is my job, Im not a spiritual guide or a savant. Im not a priest or a rabbi. So I leave all that to others and just focus on what is the charge that I have as a duly appointed law officer?

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Starrs faith wasnt widely noted when he was first appointed independent counsel, and for the most part, it stayed that way until after the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal broke. Since the allegations against Clinton were so obviously tied to morality and family values, Starrs religiosity became newsworthy. In early February, the Washington Times published a front-page story about Starr being deeply Christian. The story included an old quote from Starr about how he loved to go jogging in the morning and sing hymns to himself as he huffed and puffed.

Many of Clintons defenders came to see the intensity of Starrs faith as the source of his desire to punish Clinton for the Lewinsky affair. Heres Clinton adviser Sidney Blumenthal speaking at the Harvard Kennedy School in 1998:

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SIDNEY BLUMENTHAL: It is not simply that Ken Starr has jettisoned the language of the law, speaking now of defilers of the temple, the apocalyptic rhetoric of a zealot on a mission divined by a higher authority. The ultimate problem is in his fervor, he is engaged in an anti-constitutional destructiveness.

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Starrs most visible antagonist in the media was Clintons former campaign manager James Carville, a flamboyant political consultant from Louisiana. Carville was not on the White House payroll, but when the Lewinsky story broke, he went to bat for Clinton like it was his job.

JAMES CARVILLE: This is a scuzzy investigation. Hes so obsessed with the presidents sex life  The real Nixonian character hereand people understand thatis Ken Starr  who was put in there by a political hack, to do the jobs of political hacks  and he cant even follow the law!

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Carville saw Starrs religiosity as a kind of puritanical self-righteousness.

JAMES CARVILLE: He was better than everybody else, he was holier than everybody else. He was very, very, very concerned, and would go down to the creek and listen to gospel music as inspiration to stop consensual sex.

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Thats Carville. He talked to me a few months ago while he was driving. That thing he said about Starr going down to the creek and listening to gospel music? He made a similar comment back in 98 about how Starr was trying to wash the fornicators and the sodomites out of Washington on the Potomac River.

JAMES CARVILLE: The whole thing was one of the great exercises is pure bullshit in the history of the United States.

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About 10 minutes into our conversation, just as I was getting ready to ask him a question, Carville made a break for it.

JAMES CARVILLE: Hey man, I gotta stuff an Egg McMuffin in my face real quick. So Ill call you back in a minute. OK.

I thought Id lost him. But then, seven minutes later

JAMES CARVILLE: OK, go ahead.

He got right back to ragging on Ken Starr.

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JAMES CARVILLE: I just dont like him. I dont like his friends, I dont like the way he smirks. I dont want to have dinner with him. I dont want to talk to him. I dont wish him any physical ill. But I just dont like him.

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Carville was no less blunt in 1998, when he accused Starr and his team of leaking grand jury secrets to the press and generally questioning their integrity.

Starr was deeply offended by Carvilles attacks, especially the accusation that he was driven to extremes by his religious beliefs.

KEN STARR: It was politicizing a dimension of human life and freedom of conscience that was anti-constitutional. And so I viewed it as unfortunate, but just any weapon that the White House and its friends could use, they would use it.

Back in 1998, Starr mostly kept such thoughts to himself, letting prominent conservatives who supported the investigation rally to his defense instead. Among Starrs champions was Bill Bennett.

BILL BENNETT: Ken Starr should take the time he needs to do it right. The Democrats have knocked him down. Theyre kicking him every way they can. This is the most shot-at, kicked-at, hit-at independent counsel in history.

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Bennett called on Clinton to take control of his surrogates and show some respect toward the independent counsel.

BILL BENNETT: The president needs to call off the dogs. He needs to call off his goons and say, Stop the smear campaign, stop the intimidation. What kind of president would allow this kind of thing to happen?

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But Clinton liked having the attack dogs out there. When a White House spokesman was asked about Carville, he said only that the administration was not in a position to dissuade him from speaking his mind.

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Now, its fair to ask: What was the point of fighting all this out in the public eyefor either side? Giving quotes to newspapers, appearing on cable news shows, doing press conferenceswhat was it supposed to achieve?

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After all, while Carville and Bennett gave interviews, Ken Starr and his prosecutors were gathering evidence.

DAVID BLOOM: The criminal investigation of the president is proceeding tonight at a breakneck pace.

And the grand jury was hearing from witnesses.

CLAIRE SHIPMAN: Another White House intern, as well as former presidential adviser George Stephanopoulos, were called before the grand jury today. DAVID BLOOM: Prosecutors wrapped up a fourth straight day of grand jury testimony.

The legal process, in other words, was moving inexorably toward a conclusion. So why did it matter what anyone said on TV in the meantime?

The reason it mattered is that realistically, that legal process was only going to be consequential if it resulted in Congress forcing Clinton out of office. If impeachment was ever put on the table, it would be a political process, not a legal one. And that was why people like James Carville and Bill Bennett thought it was so important to go out and make their arguments and try to win people over to their side.

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And at first, it really wasnt clear which side would win. As you heard Eli Attie say, it seemed absolutely possible in the days after the story broke that Clinton would be forced to resign and Al Gore would be sworn in as president.

CHARLIE RANGEL: If indeed the president was guilty of obstruction of justice, I really would think that impeachment would be one of the words to be used. CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: The odds are 80, 60 percent that his presidency is over and that hell have to resign in a month or two.

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But then, the poll numbers started coming in.

CLAIRE SHIPMAN: Unexpectedly, the presidents job approval ratings are at an all-time high. DAVID BLOOM: Seventy-nine percent. TOM BROKAW: The highest since he was first elected. TRENT LOTT: What we need is a few more allegations of problems, and it could go over 100 maybe.

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There had been indications very early on that Clinton would lose public support. Polls taken in the days after the Lewinsky story broke showed his approval rating dropping by as much as 10 points. But this dip turned out to be temporary, and soon enough, it was clear that the forces aligned against Clinton were at a severe disadvantage. Even people who thought Clinton was lying didnt think he should lose the presidency because of it.

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CLAIRE SHIPMAN: And a majority54 percentthink the Starr investigation has political motivations.

James Carville, understandably, felt vindicated.

JAMES CARVILLE: The origins of this entire thing were partisan or political and people kind of saw it from the beginning. I mean, I was basically trying to convince people of something they already knew.

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Bill Bennett, on the other hand, was horrified. He couldnt believe that Americans were willing to tolerate the presidents sins, to give him a pass just because the economy was booming, or to accept the argument that private behavior was unrelated to an elected officials public duty.

In a speech at the end of January, Bennett scolded his fellow Republicans for not taking the allegations seriously enough.

BILL BENNETT: First, I want start with some counsel and advice to friends on the right. Stop yucking it up. Stop laughing about it. Its not funny. This is our country. This is our president. As my son, 8 years old, said to his mother the other day, Why are they laughing? Shouldnt we be mad? The answer is yes. We should be mad.

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But people just werent that mad. Around the time that Bennett gave this speech, the Washington Post published the results of a poll in which 60 percent of respondents said they did not think it was important whether Clinton had an affair with a former intern and 65 percent said they would want him to remain in office if in fact the affair had happened.

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For Bennett, these numbers were a repudiation of a foundational political beliefthat real Americans still had good values, even if the liberal elite did not.

BILL BENNETT: And the unstated fear of many of us is that the moral decline in Washington is not only in Washington, but outside the beltway too. We have been lowered down, folksthose opinion polls are from all over the country.

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Bennett held out hope that the winds would shift, that when Clinton was finally forced to confess, the public would turn on him.

BILL BENNETT: I think its gonna change. I believe itll change once the case is presented, once more of the facts are out. People keep saying, its just about sex, its about sexits not just about sex. The problem is if there was a sexual relationship, he has lied about itand he has lied under oath about it, probablyand when people put all that together and actually see some evidence of it, if its true, I think opinion will change. I hope itll change. Look, Jim, if the truth comes out 

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The evidence started to come in that summer. In mid-July, Starrs office issued a subpoena requiring Clinton to appear before the grand jury. Not long after that, Monica Lewinsky made a deal with prosecutors that gave her immunity in exchange for her testimony. Starrs office had been trying and failing to negotiate an agreement with Lewinskys lawyer, Bill Ginsburg, for months. Ginsburg was a medical malpractice attorney hired by Lewinskys fatherand by all accounts he didnt really know what he was doing.

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TOM BROKAW: Ginsburgs criticsand there are many of themthink that he may be in over his head.

Sometimes, Ginsburg went on TV and said things that were counterproductive.

BILL GINSBURG: All 24-year-olds and all 18-year-olds and 19-year-olds tend to embellish.

Ginsburg had proven to be such a reckless and ineffective advocate that Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz went on television and implored the Lewinsky family to hire someone new. Finally, Lewinsky replaced Ginsburg with a pair of experienced D.C. attorneys who were able to reach a deal with Starr without delay.

BRIAN WILLIAMS: Monica Lewinsky has made a deal: full immunity, no strings, just an agreement to tell the truth, the whole truth, no matter who she takes with her in the process.

The deal came as a relief to Lewinsky, who had been living under the threat of prison time ever since that day at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. But the moment she signed the agreement, she burst into tears. Later she told her biographer: It was knowing that I was turning against someone with whom I had wanted to spend the rest of my life.

Lewinskys time as a cooperating witness was dreadful in its own way: First she had to endure day after day of private debriefing sessions with prosecutors, in which she had to answer questions about how Clinton had touched her and where. She also had to testify in front of Starrs grand jury, then watch helplessly as details about her testimony leaked out to the press.

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On July 30, 1998, it was reported that Lewinsky had provided Starr with an extraordinary piece of physical evidencesomething that promised to extinguish any remaining doubts about whether she and Clinton had been sexually involved.

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LISA MYERS: Tonight all eyes are on the FBI crime lab in Washington. Tests are underway on a navy-blue cocktail dress which Lewinsky turned over as evidence of her relationship with the president.

At around 10 oclock on the night of Aug. 3, the president left a formal dinner party in the White House while wearing a tuxedo and went to meet one of Ken Starrs prosecutors in the Map Room. There, the prosecutor and an FBI agent stood watch as a White House doctor drew a 4-milliliter blood sample from Clintons right arm.

With his scheduled appearance before Starrs grand jury coming up in just a few weeks, Clinton was cornered.

SOLOMON WISENBERG: Do you understand that because you have sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, you could be prosecuted for perjury and/or obstruction of justice? BILL CLINTON: I believe thats correct.

Clinton was allowed to deliver his testimony from the White House. With a camera on him and a group of Starrs prosecutors in the room, the president began by putting on his reading glasses and reciting a statement in which he confessed that he and Monica Lewinsky had indeed shared a series of sexual encounters.

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BILL CLINTON: These encounters did not consist of sexual intercourse. They did not constitute sexual relations as I understood that term to be defined at my Jan. 17, 1998, deposition.

During four hours of testimony, Clinton admitted to deliberately withholding the truth about his relationship with Lewinsky when Paula Jones lawyers asked him about it under oath.

BILL CLINTON: My goal in this deposition was to be truthful, but not particularly helpful. I did not wish to do the work of the Jones lawyers. I deplored what they were doing. I deplored the fact that they knew, once they knew our evidence, that this was a bogus lawsuit. But I was determined to walk through the minefield of this deposition without violating the law, and I believe I did.

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Clinton made a highly legalistic argument: He said that when hed denied having sexual relations with Lewinsky, he was using the idiosyncratic definition of sexual relations that the Jones lawyers had provided to him during his deposition. Based on that definition, Clinton said, he had been telling the truth.

BILL CLINTON: My understanding of this definition is that it covers contact by the person being deposed, if the contact is done with an intent to arouse or gratify. Thats my understanding of the definition.

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Theres a common misconception about the point Clinton was making here. He wasnt saying oral sex didnt count. He was saying that, according to the Jones lawyers, having sexual relations with someone requires touching them in a manner intended to arouse or gratify them. According to this definition of sexual relations, Lewinsky had had sexual relations with Clinton, but not vice versa.

BILL CLINTON: I thought the definition included any activity by the person being deposed, where the person was the actor and came in contact with those parts of the body with the purpose or intent of gratification, and excluded any other activity. For example, kissing is not covered by that, I dont think.

Clinton went into considerably less detail when he addressed the nation later that night.

TOM BROKAW: Over the years, there have been dramatic late-night speeches from the White House, but nothing like the speech that were about to hear from there tonight, when President Bill Clinton explains to the nation his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

He came on TV around 10 oclock and, with nearly 70 million people watching, began to explain himself.

BILL CLINTON: Indeed I did have a relationship with Ms. Lewinsky that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong. It constituted a critical lapse in judgment and personal failure on my part for which I am solely and completely responsible.

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After getting through the part of his address in which he expressed remorse, Clinton shifted his focus to Ken Starr.

BILL CLINTON: The independent counsel investigation moved on to my staff and friends, then into my private life. This has gone on too long, cost too much, and hurt too many innocent people.

In Washington, the consensus was that Clinton had badly miscalculated in attacking Starr instead of just saying he was sorry. Even Democrats were angry at his apparent defensivenessafter all, he had lied to all of them as well. In the wake of the speech, it once again seemed possible that Clinton would lose the support of his political allies.

Heres journalist Peter Baker, who helped break the Lewinsky story in the Washington Post.

PETER BAKER: And his people, they always knew that the biggest danger wasnt the Republicans, it was the Democrats. The people who pushed out Richard Nixon back in 1974 were Barry Goldwater, Hugh Scott, the Republicans who marched down to the White House and say its over, you have to give up. And thats the scenario they always worried about at the White House.

After Clintons public address, it wasnt clear whether Democrats would just express their disapproval or go further. How mad were they? How mad were their constituents? Now that Clinton had admitted to the affair and opened himself up to charges of perjury, would Democrats decide to cut bait and call for his resignation?

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In order for that to happen, some influential member of the party would have to make the first move. But who?

JOE LIEBERMAN: Television is making it harder for millions and millions of Americans to raise our children with the values and the discipline we would like them to have.

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Joe Lieberman was a family values Democrat, a moderate senator from Connecticut who cared about upholding the moral authority of government. He was also an Orthodox Jew who had, throughout the 90s, found common cause with the Christian right on a host of cultural issues. If anyone in the Democratic party was going to abandon Clinton over the Lewinsky matter, it was Lieberman. Here again is Steve Kornacki.

STEVE KORNACKI: If Joe Lieberman said, This crosses the line and Bill Clinton needs to go, other Democrats then potentially might have said, You know, if Liebermans there, its safe for me to be there. Im going to go there. Or If Lieberman is there, I need to be there because this is no longer a Republican push, this is no longer a conservative push, Ken Starr. This is Joe Liebermanthis is a mainstream establishment Democrat here.

When word got around that Lieberman was planning to weigh in, Clintons chief of staff called the senator and urged him not to take a hard line. Whispering in Liebermans other ear was none other than Bill Bennett. It so happened that Bennett and Lieberman were friends. They had worked together throughout the 90s on public morality campaigns against gangster rap, violence in movies, and The Jerry Springer Show.

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STEVE KORNACKI: Bennett saw this as, you know, this was a moment to lean on Lieberman a little bit. He was talking to him privately and trying to push him, I think, in that direction of, go to the Senate floor, dont just say youre disappointed. Dont just say you know the president needs to do better. Say the president needs to go. The president needs to lead by example here. And I think Bennett had real hopeand I think Lieberman might have been giving him real hopethat he is going to go down there and do that.

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On Sept. 3, two weeks after Clintons confession, Lieberman stepped onto the Senate floor and began to deliver a speech.

JOE LIEBERMAN: Mr. President, I rise today to make the most difficult and distasteful statementfor me probably the most difficult statement Ive made on this floor in the 10 years Ive been a member of the United States Senate.

No one knew where Lieberman was goingand the way he was condemning Clinton, it didnt look good for the White House.

JOE LIEBERMAN: Mr. President, my immediate reaction was deep disappointment and personal anger.

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Finally, Lieberman put his cards on the table.

JOE LIEBERMAN: It seems to me that talk of impeachment and resignation at this time is unjust and unwise.

He would not be calling for impeachment, and he would not be demanding that Clinton resign. Bill Bennett had failed.

And yet, the intensity of Liebermans criticism on the Senate floor made it clear that the White House still had more work to do. The week after, Clinton began a new phase of his cleanup effortone that seemed specifically engineered toward shoring up support with voters who cared about his morality and his values.

Clinton, who had been raised as a Baptist, first delivered a televised speech at the annual White House Prayer Breakfast.

BILL CLINTON: I was up rather late last night, thinking about and praying about what I ought to say today.

Unlike in his earlier address, this time he took a tone of humility and repentance.

BILL CLINTON: I dont think there is a fancy way to say that I have sinned. It is important to me that everybody who has been hurt knows that the sorrow I feel is genuine.

A few days after that speech, it was reported that Clinton had recruited a group of religious leaders to counsel him in his quest for healing and forgiveness.

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TOM BROKAW: Now with his presidency in troubleto say nothing of his personal lifeMr. Clinton has turned to the clergy.

According to the New York Times, the ministers Clinton selected would meet and pray with him weekly and help him resist what one of the ministers called the temptations that have conquered the president in the past.

JIM MIKLASZEWSKI: The president will also turn to the Rev. Gordon MacDonald of Lexington, Massachusetts, who had his own extramarital affair 12 years ago, sought redemption, then wrote a book about itthat the president says hes already read twice.

Activists associated with the Christian right didnt buy these gestures. Randy Tate, head of the Christian Coalition, questioned whether Clintons private reckoning was anything more than a public relations strategy.

RANDY TATE: It seems more contrived than it does contrite. If he asks forgiveness and he is sincere, we can forgive him as an individual. That does not absolve the president of the United States.

But it didnt matter what Randy Tate thought. After the prayer breakfast, Clintons job approval ratings went up again.

DAVID BLOOM: Mr. Clintons supporters say theyre bolstered by public opinion polls, which show most Americans disapprove of the presidents behavior but dont want to see him resign or be impeached.

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Bill Bennett was disappointed in his country. In late March, he gave a speech in which he declared that the American people were coming dangerously close to being complicit in their own corruption.

In the last days of summer, Bennett published a short book on this theme called The Death of Outrage. In it, Bennett lamented that that the war over the nations values was seemingly being won by the liberal elite. Bennett wrote that Americans needed to realize they were being played for fools by the president and his defenders.

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BILL BENNETT: Theres concern, theres consternation, theres a worry, but there should be outrage. KATIE COURIC: Is that the death of outrage youre talking about? BILL BENNETT: Thats the death of outrage Im talking about.

Although Bennetts book became an instant bestseller, it was overshadowed by a different one that came out around the same time: the Starr Report.

BRIAN WILLIAMS: The report from Ken Starr is out, landing with a thud on the internet, splashed across front pages across this nation and around the world this morning.

Starr had submitted the fruits of his investigation to Congress on Sept. 9. In addition to describing the presidents encounters with Lewinsky in extraordinary detail, the report alleged that Clinton had committed 11 impeachable offenses, including perjury, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and abuse of power.

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Youll hear more about the Starr Report in our next episode. Whats important to understand for right now is that the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal could have pretty much ended with its publication. Republicans in Congress could have decided not to pursue impeachment and instead push to censure Clintonmeaning formally condemn him but not try to oust him from the White House. It would have been a compromise with broad, bipartisan appeal, one that put an embarrassing asterisk on Clintons presidency without overturning the will of the voters who had elected him.

Were Republicans really going to push for impeachment when most Americans didnt want them to? What was the point, given that without Democratic support, the Senate would never vote to convict him? Heres James Carville again.

JAMES CARVILLE: They were moving in, and as they kept getting deeper, there was nobody behind them. Its kind of an eerie feeling, you know, when its like an army that moved ahead and they looked back and there was no supply linethe public was not with them.

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But Republicans who wanted to see Clinton thrown out of office did have one reason to remain hopeful: the upcoming midterm elections.

TOM BROKAW: Decision 98all across the country, candidates are making the final push for votes.

The impending elections were significant for two reasons. One was that if Democrats lost a lot of seats in Congress, it could undercut the sense of Clintons invincibility and perhaps convince a critical number of Democrats to turn on him. The other reason the midterms mattered was that they made Republicans in Congress feel more pressure than ever to cater to their most fervently anti-Clinton constituents.

Republicans needed these voters to turn out in large numbers. That gave the Christian right a whole lot of influence.

PAT ROBERTSON: Unless we go back to the moral foundation, every single thing that we have by way of our freedom, by way of our wealth, by way of our materialism, by way of our government, is in danger.

Thats Pat Robertson, the televangelist who had run for president a decade earlier. He was speaking at the annual gathering of the Christian Coalition in September of 1998. With less than two months to go before the midterms, Robertson and a host of other speakers at the convention called on Republicans to impeach Clinton at any cost.

PAT ROBERTSON: We are in serious trouble! And weve got to do something here in America now to get strong leadership into this nation. It is imperative.

According to Kornacki, the pressure had a significant, if not decisive impact.

STEVE KORNACKI: I think one of the reasonsthere are a bunch of thembut one of the reasons why Republicans still pressed on with impeachment, even with the polls not moving in their favor, was that Christian Coalition convention. And I think they were exposed to a huge element of their base being totally up in arms about this, being ready to fight it in the midterm election, and I think that entered into their thinkingwe cant let these voters down.

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And so they didnt. On Oct. 7, 1998, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee announced a resolution to begin impeachment proceedings.

TOM BROKAW: Tonight, Bill Clinton knows that whatever else happens in his presidency, he will always have a black mark by his name. Only the third president to formally become the subject of an impeachment inquiry 

It didnt matter that it was probably a lost causethat getting two-thirds of the Senate to vote against Clinton in an impeachment trial would be extremely difficult regardless of how the midterms turned out. To Clintons most dedicated adversaries, what mattered at this point was not turning back.

It was a few months later, with the impeachment process in full swing, that Bill Bennett did something surprising at a theater in Richmond, Virginia: He engaged in a public debate with his brother Bob.

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Thank you, welcome, and good evening, ladies and gentlemen. And welcome to tonights program on values in America, featuring Bill Bennett, Bob Bennett 

It was the first time they had ever faced off in this way, and while the tone of the event was decidedly gentle, it was still a collision between two different views of justice.

BILL BENNETT: Is it your view that lying to a grand jury, perjury, obstruction of justice, simply are insufficient grounds to remove a president? BOB BENNETT: I think theyre terrible, terrible things, but the fact of the matter is, is most of our presidents lie. BILL BENNETT: Under oath? BOB BENNETT: I think sometimes they do, sometimes they dont. And what Im very worried about 

Bob, who had recently helped Clinton settle the Paula Jones lawsuit, spoke about the excesses of partisan politics, the erosion of privacy in America, and the importance of context in moral reasoning.

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BOB BENNETT: When fostering values and moral principles and judging others, we must do so without putting such values in a straitjacket. Often, the most judgmental of us, and certainlyand I mean thispresent company excluded, are the biggest moral hypocrites.

Bill, who is now an enthusiastic supporter of Donald Trump, responded by citing data on murder, rape, suicide, drug use, and abortion, and arguing that the president, his brothers client, had pushed the country into a moral abyss.

BILL BENNETT: People are not sure they can trust anymorenot just their leaders. A lot of it is their leaders, but their neighbors too. I dont know if trickle-down works in economics but it works in civics. It works in politics.

What bothered Bill was the idea that Clinton was somehow exempt from judgment. Judging our leaders, he said, was an essential part of living in a democracy.

BILL BENNETT: Thats what it means to be self-governing. Thats what it means to be human. We hope to judge openly, honorably, tolerantly, but we have to judge.

Next week on Slow Burn, feminists react to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal and start a conversation about power dynamics and consent that we are still having to this day. And though you may have heard that everyone in the feminist movement simply turned their backs on Lewinsky in order to close ranks around their Democratic president, the real story is a whole lot more interesting.

AMY RICHARDS: When we were defending Monica, I think what we were implicitly saying was we believe her. We believe that shes telling us the truth, and shes telling us that she was not a victim of Bill Clintons. And we were defending her truth, as much as I think we were also sort of defending choices that she made.

Slow Burn is a production of Slate Plus, Slates membership program. You can sign up for Slate Plus to hear bonus episodes of the show. In this weeks bonus episode, youll hear an extended interview with Ken Starr, the independent counsel who spent years investigating Whitewater until something more exciting came along.

Careful listeners will note that I said that last week, when the Slate Plus episode actually featured an interview with Linda Tripp, but this time I mean it.

KEN STARR: Were trying to get to the bottom of this, these are very serious allegations. And again, the allegations echoed with what we suspected in the Arkansas phase of the investigation, which was that the president had lied under oath.

Get More Slow Burn Slate Plus members get a bonus episode every week, and a lot more. Sign up now and try it free for two weeks. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to Slow Burn Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page.

This episode of Slow Burn was produced by me and Andrew Parsons, with editorial direction by Josh Levin and Gabriel Roth. Our researcher is Madeline Kaplan. Our theme song is by Spatial Relations, and this episode featured music by Nick Sylvester of Godmode. Our artwork is by Teddy Blanks at Chips NY. Steve Lickteig is the executive producer of Slate Podcasts. T.J. Raphael is the senior producer for the Slate Podcast Network.

Thanks to the NBC News archive, C-SPAN, NPR, and the Richmond Forum for the archival audio you heard in this episode. For a full bibliography of all the works we consulted while making this episode, check out our show page. For help with research, special thanks to Steve Kornacki, whose book The Red and the Blue, comes out Oct. 2, as well as to Peter Baker, Dan Williams, and Seth Dowland.

For script notes and all kinds of other help, we want to thank Ruth Graham, Daniel Schroeder, Ava Lubell, Jeff Friedrich, Benjamin Frisch, Jayson De Leon, Mary Wilson, and Camilla Hammer.

See you next week.President Trump will be fighting with European allies at this weeks session of the United Nations General Assemblya clash guaranteed by the fact that its his turn to chair the Security Councils meeting on nonproliferation. Some of the issues will seem technical, but they boil down to this: The Europeans want to keep the Iranian nuclear deal alive, along with the lifting of sanctions that was part of that deal; Trump, who has pulled out of the deal and reimposed sanctions, wants to topple the Iranian government.

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U.S. sanctions alone would give Trump little leverage, since the United States does little business with Iran. But Trump is also imposing secondary sanctionsmeaning that any country trading with Iran will be barred from doing transactions with U.S. financial institutions.

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This is serious, and unusual. Trump stopped short of that step even during the height of his maximum pressure campaign against North Korea. Nor has heor any previous presidentpenalized countries that do business with Cuba. Irans economy has been in decline for a while; the Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei permitted President Hassan Rouhani to sign the nuclear deal in the hopes that the lifting of sanctions would elevate living standards. Trumps reimposition of those sanctions, which go into effect Nov. 5, has deflated those hopes.

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Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and national security adviser John Boltonwho all opposed the nuclear deal when the P5+1 nations (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, plus Germany) signed it in 2015calculate that these economic problems will foment rebellion against the Iranian regime.

Whether or not the accusations against the U.S. are true, politically aware Iranians wouldnt have to be overly paranoid to believe them.

Tensions along these lines intensified during the weekend, when an attack on an Iranian military parade in the southern city of Ahvaz killed at least 25 people. ISIS and an Arab separatist group both separately claimed credit for the attack. Khamenei claimed that the terrorists were paid by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, noting that those two countries are allies of the United States. Irans Revolutionary Guard blamed the United States and Israel directly and warned of retribution.

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Whether or not these accusations are true, politically aware Iranians wouldnt have to be overly paranoid to believe them. First, their views are deeply shaped by the 1953 CIA-sponsored coup that overthrew Mohammad Mosaddeq, the countrys popularly elected leader, and installed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, propping him up for the next quarter century.

Second, on Saturday, Rudy Giuliani, Trumps lawyer, told the audience at a conference called the Iran Uprising Summit, that revolution was precisely the purpose of the administrations sanctions. I dont know when were going to overthrow them, Giuliani said, referring to the ruling mullahs. It could be in a few days, months, a couple of years. But its going to happen.

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Giuliani was not speaking on behalf of the administration. Pompeo has denied that regime change is U.S. policy. But he too has spoken before similar groups in just more slightly veiled terms.

Close followers of Iranian politics say that Tehrans rulers are planted more firmly in power than some passionate critics believe. They also say that, if the rulers were overthrown, the democratic street protesters arent likely to be their successors. The new leaders would probably hail from the army, probably the Revolutionary Guard, and they would impose still-heavier crackdowns and would be inclined to resume enriching uranium.

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This is the ironyor tragedyof Trumps campaign. International inspectors have reported, several times, that Iran is fully abiding by the terms of the Iran deal. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis urged Trump to stay in the deal precisely for that reason, as did Rex Tillerson when he was secretary of state and Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster when he was national security adviser.

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Trump, Pompeo, Bolton, and many Republican legislators have complained that the deal put no restrictions on Irans development of ballistic missiles or its support of terrorist movements or its military deployments in Syria. The European leaders who signed the deal, as well as President Obama at the time, have replied that they focused strictly on Irans nuclear program because that posed the most immediate threat. Meanwhile, sanctions that had been imposed on Iran for those other deedsthe missiles and the support of terroristsremained, and still do remain, in place.

European leaders have suggested that, rather than throw out the nuclear deal, the countries that signed it should try to negotiate a follow-on accord that supplements its terms. There is precedent for this in the annals of U.S.-Soviet arms-control treaties. The 1974 Vladivostok accord added limits to the 1972 Strategic Arms Limitation Talks Agreement without scrapping the earlier deal. The 1979 SALT II treaty went still further, again without killing SALT I. The Additional Protocol plugged some loopholes in the Non-Proliferation Treaty without requiring the scuttling of the NPT.

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Neither Trump nor his top aides have evinced the slightest interest in this approach. Trump has said he would like to negotiate an all-new deal, covering all the disagreements with Iran. But no one believes that this is either likely or sincere.

Meanwhile, some of the European countries are frantically searching for a way to keep the deal in placewhich would mean keeping Trumps secondary sanctions at bay. The Financial Times reports that France, Britain, and Germany are exploring ways to facilitate oil imports from Iran without going through U.S. financial networks. China, the largest purchaser of Iranian oil, could start making purchases with its own currency.

However, analysts say that global finances are so interconnected that it would be hard for any country or large firm to operate entirely outside of the U.S. banking system and that any attempt to evade U.S. sanctions would be made at considerable risk.

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If Iran truly does get closed out of the world economy, would its leaderseither the ones in power now or their successorsdrop out of the deal too and resume the nuclear weapons program? Its hard to say. Some in the Trump administration, notably Bolton, could well be awaiting just such a move, in order to justify a U.S. pre-emptive strike on Irans enrichment and storage facilities.

Such an attack could trigger all sorts of eruptions in the Middle East and beyondand wouldnt necessarily preclude Irans reconstructing its nuclear program a few years hence. (Nearly all of Irans political factions took pride in that program.)

Then again, Trump has never been a fan of stability; he welcomes eruptions. This week at the U.N., the earthquake could start rumbling.Every year for the past decade, the Family Research Council has hosted the Values Voter Summit, a convention of conservative activists who vote based on traditional right-wing values. Those values are predictable: Theyre opposed to gay marriage, abortion rights, and immigration; they support gun rights, tax cuts, and personhood for both fetuses and corporations.

This year, there was a new value to add: the belief that sexual assault might be a morally acceptable actor at minimum, that it is not an unequivocally immoral act. In a speech at the summit on Saturday, Gary Bauerthe former FRC president and current head of the right-wing nonprofit American Valuessaid that Christine Blasey Fords sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was unproven and  unprovable. But more than that, Bauer said, women shouldnt want a country where  the man in your life can be ruined by someone getting up and saying 36 years ago, he did this to me. 

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Here, Bauer suggests that women should turn against those who claim to have survived sexual violence in order to protect their husbands and, by association, themselves. A culture that believes women when they publicly recount memories of pain, trauma, and shame is one that could expose sexual violation as commonplacea transgression that the man to whom youve hitched your social and financial security has probably enabled, if not enacted. Both Fords story and the new allegation that Kavanaugh shoved his exposed penis in the face of an unwilling college classmate include bystanders who allegedly egged him on as he drunkenly forced himself on women. In his speech at the Values Voter Summit, Bauer tried to get women in the audience to see their husbands in those bystanders, if not in Kavanaugh himself. If conservative Christian women whove sublimated their desires into their husbands were forced to reckon with the likelihood that those men have applauded or perpetrated the things Kavanaugh and Donald Trump have been accused of doing, and if they were forced to confront those things as morally wrong, their worlds would come unmoored.

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While conservatives are busy reassuring themselves that sexual harassment and assault are not systemic problems because theyre not problematic at alljust horseplay, reallya parallel conversation is taking place on the left, in which women periodically dredge up and display their worst memories in hopes of kindling empathy and effecting social change. For the past few years, a pattern has emerged: Whenever a seemingly game-changing allegation becomes public, women flood social media to share stories of their own experiences with sexual assault, as if they could prove the severity of the problem through sheer numbers. The Access Hollywood tape of Trump bragging about groping womens genitals prompted women to tweet about the first time they were sexually violated, using the hashtag #notokay. The ghastly allegations against Harvey Weinstein inspired people around the world to relive their memories of harassment and assault with #MeToo, an attempt to demonstrate that big-name alleged rapists like Weinstein were just the tip of the iceberg. When Roy Moore was accused by several women of abusing young teenagers and pursuing relationships with them while a prosecutor in his 30s, women tweeted photos of themselves at 14 years old (#MeAt14) to illustrate that 14 is too young to meaningfully consent to sexual contact with a 32-year-old man. Before all that, there was #YesAllWomen, which endeavored to show the pervasiveness of gender-based violence and harassment in response to the 2014 Isla Vista, California, murders carried out by a young man whod found a home for his hatred of women within the incel and mens rights movements.

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The chronic agony of sexual-violence hashtags may provide the fuel female activists need to keep up the fight.

On Friday, a new sexual assaultrelated hashtag, #WhyIDidntReport, took hold on Twitter. Its origin was a Trump tweet that questioned why Ford or her parents didnt report Kavanaugh to the police in 1982 if his alleged assault was as bad as she says. The hashtags assumption seemed earnest and a bit naive: that perhaps there are people out there who spend time on Twitter, follow women who tweet about sexual assault, think women are lying about a decades-old sexual assault they didnt report, but are still somehow willing to believe other womens stories of sexual violence and possibly change their minds. Perhaps! But its far more likely that people sympathetic to Trumps skepticism of women who dont file police reports about sexual assault will continue to roll their eyes. Those who think like Trump are far more likely to see easily triggered women who refuse to take responsibility for their own sexual behavior than they are to let a series of tweets awaken them to structural barriers to sexual-assault reporting.

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Women on the right are no more likely than their male counterparts to be moved by a Twitter campaign of women recounting their own sexual traumas. For conservative women, rejecting the notion of sexual violence as pervasive and wrong is integral to preserving their sense of self and community belonging. Another speaker at this years Values Voter Summit, the anti-Islam, anti-gay vlogger known as Activist Mommy, is a prime example of the kind of anti-feminism that Christian conservatives offer women. In a December 2017 video on the sexual harassment movement, Activist Mommy calls #MeToo an assault on men and masculinity and on natural love between men and women. She posits that a woman who willingly enters her bosss hotel room is just as guilty as the boss who then forces himself on her, that such women are Jezebels, and that the women who accused Matt Lauer of sexual harassment betrayed Matts wife.

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This worldview would have survivors of sexual violence, including Christian conservative ones, blame themselves instead of their assailants, as so many already do. In a community that fetishizes male authority in the church, the home, and the workplace, a sexual power structure infected by male aggression seems unobjectionable, even natural. The arguments Phyllis Schlafly was making in 1981sexual harassment on the job is not a problem for the virtuous womanare the same ones conservative women like Activist Mommy and Candace Owens are using now to sow fear of a #MeToo movement that casts any woman with a husband as a potential future Ashley Estes Kavanaugh or Annette Roque. If sexual misconducts definition is so narrow and the threshold for believability and fault is so high that only Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby qualify, women wont ever have to confront the politically inconvenient realityand personally devastating realizationof a society simultaneously full of and indifferent to sexual violation.

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But there is some utility to the #WhyIDidntReport and #YesAllWomen and #MeAt14 and #MeToo hashtags, even if they never inspire a surge of defectors to abandon Trumpism and the right-wing dogma that regards sexual assault as both a rarity and no big whoop. The hashtags and the abusive patterns that prompt them have set in motion a cycle of female emotional excavation and self-examination, a recurring reminder of the battles feminists have yet to win. They help women place isolated incidents in the context of systemic power imbalances and forestall complacency by keeping emotions fresh.

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The cultural conversations that surrounded each of these hashtags have resurfaced long-submerged memories for some women and pushed others to reassess and recategorize transgressions they once waved away as benign. When a slew of women came forward with sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump in October 2016, thenSlate columnist Michelle Goldberg wrote that Trump had shaken a psychic snow globe, and now flickers of half-remembered horror are floating through the atmosphere all around us. Calls and online chats to a rape and abuse hotline spiked in the days after the Access Hollywood video came out. The #MeToo movement and the wave of public accusations that followed motivated many women, myself included, to confront the men in our lives whod never had to answer for their exploitative behavior. The moment has also pushed former victims to relinquish the self-blame that accompanies a sexual assault processed alone. Deborah Copaken wrote in the Atlantic last week that the initial Kavanaugh allegations led her to contact the man who date-raped her in college. She accepted his 30-years-late apology. The most recent allegation against Kavanaugh will no doubt remind even more women of similar incidents from their college years and provoke a similar reckoning.

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Its extraordinarily painful to realize and admit that a disturbing memory you tucked away in the category of boys being boys was textbook sexual assault. Its confusing to comprehend that a long-ago event that caused you no physical or emotional harm may have nonetheless been an act of sexual exploitation. Its exhausting and distracting to be faced every few months with a wall of tweets that remind you of the times you felt weakest and destroyed. And its profoundly dispiriting to realize that this is the new normalthat women will keep offering vivid descriptions of their dehumanization in hopes that right-wing defenders of the likes of Trump, Kavanaugh, and Moore will listen, and that those women will keep getting brushed off as hysterical, asking-for-it, overdramatic, angry, man-hating opportunists.

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But pain may still predicate a foundation for healing, and consciousness-raising has its place even if it never wins any converts. Where women once got an Anita Hillgrade moment of galvanizing anger once a decade, they now get one every few months. With the GOP salivating over the empty Supreme Court seat, the fast-approaching midterms, and the 2020 elections not far behind, the chronic agony of sexual-violence hashtags may provide the fuel female activists need to keep up the fight. We dont have to tell each other to stay woke when the periodic invitation to revisit our trauma makes it impossible to get any rest at all.Energy Development Corp. plans to participate in the auctions for new geothermal contracts in Chile and Peru as part of its expansion program, a top executive said. Were preparing for the auctions in Chile and Peru...The system in Chile, the national grid is the one that auctions. Theres an auction next year, second quarter, EDC president Richard Tantoco said. He said the new concession area in Chile that the company was looking at could produce about 150 megawatts of geothermal capacity. EDC already has a stake in the Mariposa project, located in the Andes Mountains 300 km south of the capital city of Santiago. The project covers two geothermal exploitation concessions, Pellado and Laguna del Maule. The rights to these concessions are owned by Compania de Energia Limitada where affiliates of EDC and Canada-based Alterra Power Corp. hold 70-percent and 30-percent stakes, respectively. EDC hold stakes in five concessions and 19 applications in Chile and Peru. The company acquired the local subsidiaries of Australian geothermal firm Hot Rock Ltd. and signed joint venture agreements with TSX-listed and global renewable energy player Alterra Power.Peru has good concession, big ones but we are waiting for the auction of the government. What is nice in Peru is it auctions the capacity by technology. Auction for solar, auction for geothermal, Tantoco said. EDC announced earlier that its Chile and Peru geothermal projects had the potential to generate at least 800 MW. Tantoco said preparations were also ongoing for developing EDCs Indonesian geothermal prospects. The company already completed its survey activities in GrahoNyabu in Sumatra. The results of the initiative will be used by the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources for its upcoming tender for the GrahoNyabu concession.It all makes sense once you realize they want to kill us, by Mike Whitney - The Unz Review : 'It is now apparent that these products in ...Rules for hiring foreigners are simpler. For exceptions

Despite positive changes, employers still point to some barriers preventing more effective and simpler recruitment of foreign workers.

If a citizen of a country outside the European Union, like Ukraine, wants to obtain residence or a work permit in Slovakia, they need to wait for at least three months.

As a result, the best experts end up in neighbouring countries, like the Czech Republic and Poland, where the process is much shorter, Martin Hostak of the National Union of Employers told The Slovak Spectator.

This is happening at a time of record low unemployment with an increasing number of employers calling for simplifying the conditions for recruiting workers from non-EU countries due to the lack of qualified workforce on the Slovak labour market.

Though the state has adopted some changes aimed to help firms recruit such workers quicker, observers say it is still not enough since the process remains very long and administratively difficult.

Economic growth will sooner or later require more flexible rules, said Martin Krekac, founding partner of the recruitment company Amrop and chairman of Jenewein Group.

What changed after May 1?

Following the calls of companies to simplify the process of recruiting non-EU citizens, the parliament adopted the law on employment services, which came into force in early May, with the aim of fighting social dumping. It cancelled the condition that firms first had to report a vacant position to the labour market where it was to be published for at least 30 days. However, the share of such workers cannot be higher than 30 percent of the total number of staffers.

Read also:

Read also: Government accelerates hiring from abroad Read more

The exception applies only for regions where the jobless rate is below 5 percent, i.e. mostly the districts of Bratislava, Trnava, Trencin and Nitra Regions, and certain professions that are mentioned on the list published by the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (UPSVaR).

Employers addressed by The Slovak Spectator welcome the changes. Bratislava-based carmaker Volkswagen Slovakia considers the list helpful.

24. Sep 2018 at 11:57 | Radka MinarechovaAfter a summer break, organisers of the protests that have drawn masses to Slovakias streets stated that their  and the citizens  demands are far from being met.

For A Decent Slovakia march on June 22, 2018, in Bratislava. (Source: TASR)

The For a Decent Slovakia gatherings will return to the streets of the Slovak capital, with the next edition being scheduled for September 28, starting at 19:00 in SNP Square.

The organisers stated that the public still has not been told who murdered journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee, Martina Kusnirova. Earlier this year, the gatherings led to the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico in March.

The September 28 event will be supported by dissatisfied scientists, students, farmers, artists, teachers and NGOs, the initiatives representative Juraj Seliga said at a press conference, as cited by the TASR newswire.

Read also:

Read also: For a Decent Slovakia initiative will resume protests in September Read more

Let light defeat darkness

We want to live in a decent country with politicians serving the public and abiding by the law, Fedor Gomory of the Science Wants to Live initiative said, as quoted by TASR. We witnessed over the summer that Slovakia isnt functioning like this, and thats why we need to make our voices heard.

Read also:

Read also: Five things that the murders of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova have changed Read more

Karolina Farska from For a Decent Slovakia called on people to bring candles, torches and mobile phones to the demos on the evening of Friday, September 28.

We want to show that light always defeats darkness, she explained for TASR.

People will gather in other cities too

Apart from Bratislava, the gatherings will take place in two more cities:

Banska Bystrica, starting at 19:00 in Namestie Slobody

Kosice, starting at 18:00 in front of the State Scientific Library

24. Sep 2018 at 13:39 | Compiled by Spectator staffSakova: Germany is not calling Slovakia to account in the abduction case of a Vietnamese man

Slovak interior minister met with her German counterpart in Berlin.

The investigation into the abduction of a Vietnamese state manager, Trinh Xuan Thanh, from Germany to Vietnam continues, with the Interior Ministry providing full cooperation to German bodies, said Slovak Interior Minister Denisa Sakova (Smer) after meeting her German counterpart Horst Seehoffer in Berlin on Monday, September 24.

Sakova informed after her return to Bratislava, that Germany is not calling Slovakia to account in the abduction case of the Vietnamese man. Allegedly, the German side will respond to questions on the possible involvement of Slovakia in the abduction only after the investigation is over, the Sme daily reported.

It was the German interior minister in particular who demanded that he should be informed of the steps taken by the Slovak side in the case of the alleged kidnapping, said Sakova, as cited by the TASR newswire, adding that a German investigator has been allowed to attend all interrogations carried out by Slovak law enforcement bodies.

Sakova underlined that neither Berlin nor Bratislava perceives the case as a German-Slovak issue, but rather as a German-Vietnamese and Slovak-Vietnamese problem. She added that Seehoffer unequivocally declared that there is also great interest on the German side in shedding light on the whole case.

Sakova does not perceive her June statements, in which she trusted the Vietnamese government which claimed that the Vietnamese businessman was not on the governmental plane, to be a mistake. She also keeps insisting that it is impossible to say if the Vietnamese businessman was on the plane or if he was transported from Slovakia to Vietnam against his will because the investigation is not over yet.

Read also:

Read also: Political scientist: Vietnamese kidnappers maybe did not care about being exposed Read more

The Vietnamese businessman was allegedly kidnapped on July 23, 2017 in Berlin by an armed man. He was then driven by van to Bratislava. Here he was allegedly, drugged and beaten, taken on board the Slovak governmental plane and transported via Moscow to Vietnam.

25. Sep 2018 at 0:11 | Compiled by Spectator staffAmerica is in the middle of a trade war with what feels like the rest of the world. Luckily, trade wars are fun and super easy to win, so Ill just sit back and watch all the fun and the winning from the comforts of my American-made Ikea POANG (I turned the Allen wrench, therefore its technically American made, ok). But until all the messy details of the winning get ironed out, other countries are being real meanies about the whole war and slapping tariffs on American goods. Eater has been keeping a running list of things seeing anywhere between a 10% and 25% tax added to the top, and that list now includes coffee.

The trade war has escalated quickly since Trump signed an executive memo to tax up to $60 billion worth of Chinese imports with the intent of penalizing China for unfair trade practices. China then went tit-for-tat with $60 billion worth of their of tariffs, which then led the American leader to Im rubber and your glue the whole situation with an added $200 billion in tariffs earlier this month.

Now its Chinas turn to spin the wheel of calamity, and their newest round of tariffs include a tax on coffee, taking effect today, September 24th. It is unclear exactly how much in additional taxes will be placed on coffee.

And its not just China who is penalizing the American coffee industry. Our friends and allies to the north CanadaCANADA! We are openly feuding with Canada now?!have also implemented retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. According to Eater, the Great White North having been taxing American goods since July 1st, including a 10% fee on coffee, non-decaf.

Back in 2016 we openly wondered if Trumpwho famously claims to have never had a cup of coffeewould be bad for the coffee industry. If elected, we wrote, would President Trump ban coffee? Only time will tell. Welptime has told us that Trumps Game of Tariffs is, at the very least, going to make the global commerce of coffee needlessly more expensive, at a time when the global coffee market can least afford such pointless belligerence.

Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.Champagne Phil lasted on the lead to take top honours in the featured $11,500 Preferred Handicap Pace on Sunday night (Sept. 23) at Flamboro Downs.

Driven by Scott Coulter and trained by Craig Gilmour, Champagne Phil secured the lead with his inside post advantage and retook command early on after Imsporty crossed in front. The eight-year-old Shanghai Phil gelding set fractions of :27.3, :57.2 and 1:25 before holding off the pocket-pulling Imsporty by half a length for the 1:52.4 victory. Favourite Croft Bay N finished four lengths behind in third.

Owned by ICR Racing, Champagne Phil has won 39 times in his career spanning 199 races. He's banked $57,390 of his $558,138 career bankroll this year with wins in a quarter of his 20 starts.

Sent postward as the 9-5 second choice, Champagne Phil paid $5.80 to win.

The $8,500 Preferred 3 went to 2-1 second choice Redonkulous, who pocketed Beavercreek Artist early on and prevailed by one length over that foe in a matching time of 1:52.4 for driver Travis Cullen and trainer/owner Jodie Cullen.

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Flamboro Downs.Cotabato CityMaguindanao officials brace for kinship and political alliance to defeat their opponents in the May 2019 midterm polls. This developed as the Commission on Elections has set the filing of certificates of candidacy on Oct. 11 to 17 for national and local candidates. Local officials gathered in a low-key meeting on Sunday in Datu Odin Sinsuat, the center of power of the old Sinsuat clan to sustain political alliance at local level. Officials said Maguindanao Vice-Governor Lester Sinsuat and his father Mayor Datu Ombra Sinsuat of Datu Odin Sinsuat, hosted the meeting for member-local executives of the Alliance of Lumad Iranun Maguindanaon mayors. The Alim mayors were also joined by Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu and his brothers Maguindanao Assemblyman Khadafeh Mangudadatu of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Ibrahim Mangudadatu, former mayor of Buluan. Sources privy to the meeting said an initial consensus among them held that a prevailing local alliance would be sustained for a political status quo. This would mean that Vice-Governor Sinsuat would be seeking for the same position in May 2019, but since Governor Mangudadatu is no longer eligible to seek another term, the alliance will endorse from consensus an experienced and rightful successor for the [Maguindanao] governorship in a more appropriate forum, according to a source who did not want to be named for lack of political authority to speak to the press.Vice Governor Sinsuat and Governor Mangudadatu have been rumored to be at odds of late, over a perceived conflict akin to political preparations for the next local election. But distinctly, Muslim local leaders always go back to traces of blood relations and family ties to address causes of conflict at early stage. Indeed, centuries old narratives in a Book of Nobles called Tarsilan reveal secrets of ties-that-bind among Moro leaders, as decoded by Syrian-American historian, Dr. Najeeb Salleby in 1905. Most of the provinces elected officials are related by blood. For instance the Sinsuats and the Mangudadatus are bound by kinship ties: The governors grandmother Bai Ginandingan was the sister of Commonwealth Senator Sinsuat Balabaran, great grandfather of the vice governor. Most Alim-member mayors, including Marshall Sinsuat of Datu Blah Sinsuat town; Muhammad Ali Guro of Matanog; Freddie Mangudadatu of Mangudadatu town; Dr. Ibrahim Ibay of Parang; Abdulradzak D. Tomawis of Barira; Ramon Piang of Upi, attended the meeting. Pandag Mayor Bai Zihan Mamalinta-Mangudadatu was represented by her executive assistant and political aide Melvyn Aradanas Avancena. The local executives were also joined by Atty. Abubakar Katambak, a former member of the provincial Board; Board Members Adnan Biruar and Buluan Vice-Mayor Prince Mosafeer M. Dilangalen.Volunteers pick up trash on the coast of Manila Bay during the recent Manila Bay Cleanup organized by the Manila City government and Greenpeace Philippines.

According to Greenpeace Philippines, majority of waste collected during the recent coastal cleanup in Manila Bay composed mostly of plastic.

When it comes to plastic waste, its never truly gone when you throw it away, as proven by the amount of trash the Manila Bay spewed back inland during the recent typhoon that pounded the country.During the Manila Bay Cleanup, organized by the Manila City government and Greenpeace Philippines as part of the Break Free from Plastic movement, almost a thousand of volunteers who participated picked up trash composed mostly of plastic. The groups conducted a brand audit as an added step to the usual cleanup, wherein single-use plastics were assessed according to brands and companies that manufactured them. According to Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Abigail Aguilar, branded plastic consistently tops their list when they audit the waste. The overwhelming number of volunteers in todays clean-up and brand audit is a testament to our peoples commitment to do better and their resolve to take action against plastic pollution, said Aguilar. Wastes were picked up on the coast while Greenpeace inflatable boats collected waste from the waters of Manila Bay. The cleanup and brand audit intended to name the brands that end up in Manila Bay and ultimately our oceans.The activity coincided with the belated celebration of the International Coastal Cleanup Day, after the original scheduled cleanup was cancelled due to Typhoon Ompong. Greenpeace also conducted a rapid assessment of plastic wastes found in Pasig River after Typhoon Ompong. The group named Monde Nissin, JBC Food Corporation, and 7-Eleven the top three contributors of plastic waste in Pasig River Companies must reciprocate and step up in this fight. They are the missing piece in this global action against plastic pollution, and they can do better by reducing their production of single-use plastics, asserted Aguilar.Globally, a study said one truckload of plastic enters the ocean every minute, which yields at least 8 million tons of plastic leaking to the worlds seas every year.The Court of Appeals has stopped the public bidding, auction, sale, disposal, and transfer of properties, assets, and credits under the name of the padlocked Banco Filipino Savings and Mortgage Bank. In a decision, the CAs 10th Division, through Associate Justice Ronaldo Roberto B. Martin, granted the plea for cease and desist order of the Banco Filipinos stockholder, Ekistics Philippines, Inc., which challenged an earlier order of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. PDICs precipitate haste in attempting to sell the assets of Banco Filipino is tantamount to grave abuse of discretion on its part, the CA stressed. The appellate court noted that the banks receivership issue was still pending with the Supreme Court. Respondent PDIC is hereby ordered to desist from selling the assets of Banco Filipino covered under the liquidation proceeding before the Regional Trial Court of Makati City, Branch 66, pending final determination of the Supreme Court in G.R. No. 210249, the CA ruled. In the instant case, the status quo wherein the assets are not sold pending the ruling of the Supreme Court as to the validity of placing Banco Filipino under receivership is but safe and proper. Should it be otherwise and allow the sale even if the Supreme Court has yet to decide on its validity would render Banco Filipino without any asset and money if the Supreme Court later on rules that placing it under receivership was invalid, the appellate court said. Another division of the CA had stopped the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas from disposing of Banco Filipinos assets. The earlier ruling also said the receivership issue involving Banco Filipino was still pending with the SC. Case records showed that in 1985 Banco Filipino was padlocked but was ordered reopened by the SC nine years later in 1994.On March 17, 2011, the BSP and the Monetary Board again placed Banco Filipino under the receivership of the PDIC, which ordered its liquidation on Oct. 27, 2011. The BSP-MBs orders on receivership and liquidation have been elevated by the banks shareholders to the SC where the case is still pending. The trial court suspended the liquidation of Banco Filipino as it acted favorably on the case filed by the banks stockholders. However, while the liquidation proceedings were suspended, BSP published in its website an invitation to bid for the sale of certain properties, including those of Banco Filipinos. In ruling against PDIC, the CA pointed out that any decision of the Supreme Court would render moot and academic all issues raised with this Court as well as the lower court. Citing an example, the CA said if the Supreme Court found that the MB Res. 372-A was invalid, the PDIC and the RTC had no jurisdiction to dispose of Banco Filipinos assets as its closure and receivership and apparent liquidation were all for naught. On the other hand, if the Supreme Court finds that the placement of Banco Filipino under receivership was valid, then the MBs succeeding order of placing it under liquidation, absent any finding to the contrary, would be considered valid and the RTC could continue its liquidation proceeding, the appellate court said. The appellate court said it must maintain the status quo of the parties until such time the Supreme Court has ruled on the validity of placing Banco Filipino under receivership.Government agents intercepted another shipment of prohibited drugs worth P5.4 million at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Customs operatives intercepted Saturday night a parcel from Republic of Congo containing 800 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, which was declared in the manifest as art table. The parcel, which arrived at the Federal Express warehouse last Sept. 21, contained shabu inserted in the art table box consigned to a certain Joy Bido Mariel of Cavite. The shipment came from Asuman Lopeta of 5EM Rue Industrielle Kinshasa, Republic of Congo. Alerted Customs agents at the airport held the parcel for further investigation. NAIA Customs collector Carmelita Talusan commended her men for their untiring effort to examine and profile shipments that resulted in the capture of several passengers and other personalities bringing to the country illegal drugs. Last month, the Customs bureau turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency some P37.3 million worth of illegal drugs it earlier seized from the bonded warehouses of NAIA. The agency haul consisted of 5,239 grams of shabu which were concealed in various items like a baby carrier, camera, finance magazines and bar tools. The contraband were interdicted last May, June and July, respectively. Aside from shabu, 1,000 pieces of party drugs known as Ecstacy, which was concealed in wooden toys, were seized on July 20. The seizures, Talusan said, were due to consistent reform initiatives and his five-point program of Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena. Lapena said the shabu mostly came from the United States while the Ecstacy came from Germany. Since Aug. 30, 2017, the agency has been very proactive and relentless in its effort to combat the smuggling of illegal drugs. The bureau was able to intercept an estimated P3.436 billion worth of illegal drugs and arrested a total of 23 drug personalities.The Bureau of Customs is very much on board in the countrys war against drugs and we will exert our efforts to continue protecting our nation and prevent the use of our ports in the smuggling of illegal drugs into the country, said Lapena. Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacson said the recent Social Weather Station survey where majority of the respondents favored the governments war on drugs Filipinos feel is proof that most Filipinos feel helpless in dealing with the drug scourge. Because of this, he said people are now willing to allow the government to use its iron fist to battle the problem Rightly or wrongly, they only experience the same under the administration and they are even willing to give the authorities more allowance in dealing with the drug problem, said Lacson, a former PNP chief. Sen. Koko Pimentel said this is the very first administration which has targeted drugs. Since drugs is really we one of the main problems then, we should support this administrations war on drugs, Pimentel said. But at the same time, it constantly reminds our law enforcers that the war on drugs can and should be carried out in accordancd with law, he added. What is so didficult with that? For law enforcers to follow the law when implementing the law? That should be easy for them to do. Pimentel said. Senator Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, expressed doubts on the result of the survey, saying the respondents may have felt afraid when asked whether tjey support the Presidents war on drugs. He insisted that Filipinos were klled left and right like animals under Oplan Tokhang that can also result to a situation wherein those opposed to the drug war can also be victims. Senator Risa Hontiveros said she does nit know if the survey truly reflects the peoples current sentiments on the government war on drugs. She siad the survey, conducted on July 27 to July 30 is already stalePopularity won over qualification in the Senate race, the Palace said Monday after the old names in politics dominated the latest senatorial survey of Pulse Asia. No one should be daunted. We are not talking about qualifications here, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque told reporters. Were talking of family names and how long they have been in the highest echelon of power in this country. Roque made his statement even as Senator Jose Victor Ejercito said he does have the benefit of name recall after using Ejercito and not Estrada for his non-inclusion in the winning circle of senatorial candidates based on the latest Pulse Asia survey. The Estrada factor is working against me this time, Ejercito told reporters. Ejercitos rating dropped in Pulse Asias Sept. 1 to 7 survey, to 26.7 percent from 35.6 percent in the June 15 to 21 survey. Roque said to be a skillful lawmaker, one needed to know the intricacies of the Constitution. You should know what your law is for you to know what law you will come up with. You should know the policies and not just focus on popularity, Roque said. In a recent Pulse Asia survey released on Saturday, Senator Grace Poe emerged at the top of the potential winning senatorial candidates for 2019. Among the politicians who topped the survey were Senator Cynthia Villar, Rep. Pia Cayetano, Senator Nancy Binay, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and Senator Edgardo Angara.Meanwhile, Roque and Presidential Assistant Christopher Go, both eyeing Senate seats, were ranked between 24th and 35th. Asked to comment, Roque said he was no longer surprised to see his name at the bottom of the list. It doesnt surprise me. Im just an ordinary human being. I dont belong to any political family. Im not rich. Im not surprised, he said. Like everyone else, democracy in the Philippines can be very expensive and depends on who your parents are. Roque said it was the children of senators, those who had been in politics, who had a very good chance of being reelected. Look at those who topped [the survey]. Aside from their relationship with their fathers, what skills do they have? What laws have they passed? Roque said. Many of them are reelectionists and comebacking. Have you heard the laws they created? All they do is to investigate to gain public attention. Excuse me, thats why nothing happens here in this country because we lack new policies. Roque said the Pulse Asia survey was a measure of popularity and not of qualification. But he excluded Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, saying she was qualified to become a senator as she was a lawyer.The Office of the Solicitor General asked the Supreme Court on Monday to dump the petition of opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV challenging the legality of President Rodrigo Dutertes Proclamation 572 nullifying the amnesty granted to him during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III. Malacanang, through Solicitor General Jose Calida, said Proclamation 572 was valid as it correctly voided the amnesty grant under Proclamation 75 issued in January 2011 during the previous administration, which he said violated the Constitution. As a result, the Palace said, the high court should dismiss Trillanes petition for lack of merit. Malacanang made its statement even as Trillanes on Monday filed documents before the two regional trial courts in Makati City rejecting the Duterte administrations claim that he did not file his application for amnesty. Through his lawyer, Trillanes filed the supporting documents before the Makati RTC Branch 148 and Makati RTC Branch 150 where he is facing charges of rebellion in 2003. Calida said Proclamation 75 violated the Constitution, which he said provides that only the President may grant amnesty since it was signed only by former Defense secretary Voltaire Gazmin and not by former President Aquino as required by law. The power to grant clemency is a non-delegable power and solely the Presidents prerogative, which must be exercised by the President personally and exclusively, Calida said. Neither the Defense secretary nor a special committee could grant or approve amnesty.Calida said Trillanes did not comply with the minimum requirements to be amnestied. The petitioner neither filed a sworn application nor admitted his guilt, which would have entitled him to the benefits of the amnesty proclamation, Calida said. He said Trillanes failed to attach a copy of his application and its annexes in his petition and also did not submit a copy of that application as required by the [Makati regional trial court] on Dec. 16, 2010. More than the requisite formal requirement, the petitioner did not at all admit his guilt. He stated repeatedly in public that he does not admit committing the crimes charged against him and that the charges are erroneous. Calida also disputed Trillanes assertion in his petition that the Presidents order violated the constitutional grant of shared power between the Executive and Legislative branches, his rights to due process and equal protection as well as the rule on double jeopardy. Malacanang also insisted that the revocation of amnesty does not require the concurrence of Congress and that the move of the Department of Justice to file motions before the RTC where Trillanes could raise his defenses only showed that the government did not violate his right to due process.The Palace said Monday it was confident the ouster of President Rodrigo Duterte in a plot called Red October would not triumph after the military warned that groups were still planning to overthrow the President in the coming weeks. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque backed the militarys claim linking the Liberal Party, Senator Antonio Trillanes Magdalo group, the Communist Party of the Philippines and the groups Tindig Pilipinas and Movement Against Tyranny to the so-called ouster plot. We have no doubts that the AFP has intelligence information on this. We have no doubts that the CPP-NPA has been out to overthrow the governments since they were founded, Roque told reporters. We have no doubts that there are power-hungry individuals in the opposition who would like to resort to extra-constitutional means to bring down the government of President Duterte. And we have no doubts that the Magdalo group are addicted to coup detats. In other developments:  A broad coalition of communist rebels and President Dutertes critics are conspiring to remove him from office in October, military officials warned over the weekend. Communist leaders Rey Casambre and Satur Ocampo were allegedly leading the coalition, said Armed Forces of the Philippines Assistant Deputy Chief for Operations Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade.  The Philippine National Police continues to monitor some groups plotting moves to unseat Duterte, an official said Monday. But PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said the actions appeared to be limited to discrediting Duterte since the alleged plotters themselves were aware that ousting Duterte was an impossible task. The plot to unseat Duterte was a serious accusation, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Monday and added it should not be taken lightly regardless of the basis of the information of the military. If only for the fact that the AFP leadership itself had declassified such information, he said, the onus to show proof rested on their shoulders. Otherwise, we cant blame the opposition groups, even the public, for suspecting that the AFP is engaging in some psywar to justify a crackdown as alleged by those opposing the policies of the administration in dealing with a wide range of issues ranging from human rights, even foreign relations, Lacson said. Roque said the government was complacent that the ouster plot would not succeed as the people were overwhelmingly supporting the President, citing the latest Social Weather Stations survey saying eight out of 10 Filipinos backed the administrations war on drugs. AFP deputy chief of staff for operations Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade said the previous Sept. 21 attempt was unsuccessful, but the plan for the next month called Red October remained. There will still be a plan this coming October. They call it Red October. That is the month of international celebrations for communism, Marxism, and IP [indigenous peoples], he said. There are documents being recovered that they have an alliance with the Movement Against Tyranny for the Aklasan for the campaign to oust. Their objective is to oust Duterte with the opposition aligned with it, the Liberal Party and the camp of Vice President [Leni] Robredo and then Trillanes and then actually Magdalo.Nine CEO Hugh Marks has defended Today co-host Karl Stefanovic following weekend speculation he was about to be sacked by the network.

News Corp articles drew upon unnamed sources suggesting he would be told this week that he would not be returning in 2019.

No doubt the constant publicity surrounding issues with his personal life have had an impact on Karl, his colleagues and on the show. We cant hide from that. And as a result we know theres a lot of hard work to be done to win back the audience, Marks has since told The Australian.

But Marks also insisted Nine would not be dumping Stefanovic.

We stick by our people at Nine and weve put the challenge on the Today show producers, the presenters and, especially, on Karl to regain the trust and loyalty of our audience. And I have every confidence they will do it.

He also backed executive producer Mark Calvert after the show fell below 200,000 metro viewers last Tuesday.

Stefanovic is understood to have significant time left on his hefty contract, with Nine seemingly hoping to ride out, rather than pay out, any remaining time. He also fronts This Time Next Year which filmed S2 interviews in March and must return to cameras again next March.

On Instagram yesterday Stefanovic said, Im incredibly grateful for the family and friends I have in this world. Its all that matters really. Im so proud of them.A no-deal Brexit threatens to disrupt thousands of flights each week. Photo: Getty

The UK government has laid bare how Europe-bound flights from the UK could be grounded in the event of a no-deal Brexit in March 2019. The government published new documents on Monday explaining that if its unable to reach a comprehensive Brexit deal with its European Union counterparts, UK-based airlines would have to seek permission each time they plan to fly from the UK to Europe.

This could affect about 11,000 flights from the UK to the EU each week, according to weekly flight data from Flightglobal.

If there is no deal with the EU, airlines wishing to operate flights between the UK and the EU would have to seek individual permissions to operate from the respective states (be that the UK or an EU country). In this scenario the UK would envisage granting permission to EU airlines to continue to operate. We would expect EU countries to reciprocate in turn  if such permissions are not granted, there could be disruption to some flights, the government said.

Aviation experts and executives have been warning for over two years about the risk of grounded flights in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

It is clearer than ever that a no-deal Brexit risks disruption to air passengers and businesses in aviation, aerospace and many other sectors across our economy, said the aerospace trade group ADS on Monday.

Failure to agree a deal will threaten jobs and investment, damage prosperity and disrupt aviation connectivity, the group said. It represents over 1,000 UK businesses.

Earlier this month, Ryanair (RYA.L) boss Michael OLeary warned there is no assurance that flights between the EU and UK could continue, according to Reuters.

Johan Lundgren, the CEO of rival British carrier easyJet (EZJ.L), has been less concerned about Brexit, saying he had been reassured by both Brussels and London that at least a basic agreement would be in place to enable flights to continue after Brexit.

UK airlines have sought to limit the potential damage by registering business units in the EU, and European airlines have done the same in the UK. This would theoretically allow UK domestic flights to continue operating, and EU flights to keep flying between EU countries. But flights from the UK to the EU could face problems, or be blocked altogether.

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The guidelines outline very matter-of-factly how a no-deal scenario would impact aviation, said Bernstein aviation analyst Daniel Roeska. All involved hope that common sense will prevail in the end, but given the current state of negotiations, adverse effects  though hopefully unlikely  cannot be fully [ignored] at this point in time.





What about US flights?

The government also noted its in the midst of renegotiating air service agreements with 17 other nations  including the US, Canada, Morocco and Israel  to keep flights moving between these nations.

These countries have air service agreements with the EU, but after Brexit, the UK wont be part of these deals.

The UK is working closely with these countries to agree replacement, bilateral arrangements designed to come into force as soon as the EU-negotiated agreements cease to apply to the UK, the government said, noting it had finalised some agreements and was working on the rest. It did not specify which countries had agreed to new deals and which ones were in progress.

The UK said it had aviation deals with 111 other countries, including China, India and Brazil. Flights to these nations would continue normally after Brexit, it said.

Maintaining passenger rights

Luckily for British passengers, the government confirmed it would keep EU legislation that protects passenger rights. These rules allow passengers to apply for airline compensation if their flights are severely delayed or cancelled. Passengers can sometimes receive hundreds of pounds in compensation when their flights are delayed for hours on end, or outright cancelled.

Passengers would be entitled to assistance and compensation on the same basis as today, the government said.Reuters Videos

Kazakhstan is struggling to meet the energy needs of its booming crypto mining industry.The Central Asian country is now the world's second-biggest bitcoin mining location after the United States, according to experts.Miners have moved en masse into the country, due to its low energy prices, and after China recently banned all crypto transactions and mining.That's presented a dilemma for local authorities.The government is trying to decide how to tax and regulate the largely underground and foreign-owned industry.The power used by miners has forced Kazakhstan to import energy and ration domestic supplies.Renat Malikov is a director of local mining company BTC KZ."Since the beginning of October, we having been facing restrictions. There are periods when the electricity is turned off. There are days when we are provided with only 20% of total capacity to meet our primary needs."Some see crypto as a way to make a quick fortune.But many governments are concerned privately run and highly volatile digital currencies could undermine their control of monetary systems.They believe it could also hurt investors and promote financial crime.With most Kazakh mining firms powered by aging coal plants, the business is also seen by many as contrary to global environmental goals.Unregistered operators are thought to consume even more electricity than recognised firms: "Due to the emergence of many 'grey' miners, companies which mine illegally, there is an electricity deficit in Kazakhstan. Because of the deficit, the government has to limit consumers. And mining companies that work legally, 'white' miners, are the first to fall under the restrictions. Our company is on the list."Even so, as long as Kazakhstan's energy prices remain capped at artificially low levels, the miners probably aren't going anywhere.A man was released without charge after a genuine error over a Taser keyring (Picture: PA)

A man arrested at Buckingham Palace on suspicion of possessing a Taser has been released by police over a keyring error.

He was later freed after it emerged the Taser was a low-powered device that was part of a keyring which posed no threat.

The 38-year-old  a visitor to London from the Netherlands  was detained by security staff at the visitors entrance to the palace at about 12.45pm on Sunday.

He was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm, namely a Taser, and was taken into custody at a police station in central London.

Scotland Yard confirmed the man was released without further action on Sunday evening.

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Officers were satisfied that his possession of the device, which was low-powered and part of a keyring, was a genuine error on his part, and that he posed no threat.

A spokesman said: Officers are reminding visitors to the United Kingdom to ensure that any items that they are carrying comply with legislation in the UK.

Tourists outside Buckingham Palace in London where the Dutch visitor was arrested (Picture: PA)

This includes small knives and personal Taser-type devices, both of which may be considered offensive weapons or in breach of strict UK firearms laws.

Parts of the palace, the Queens official residence, are open to the public for 10 weeks over the summer.

The Queen was not there at the time of the incident, as she is at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on her summer break.Conservative MEPs have received a letter from Hungary's far-right leader Viktor Orban, expressing his "gratitude" for their decision to oppose a recent vote in the European Parliament against his government.

It follows a row earlier this month after it emerged the Tories were the only governing conservative party in western Europe to vote en masse in support of Mr Orban's administration - a vote he lost by 448-197.

Just three of the party's MEPs voted against the triggering of the EU's sanctions process after a report citing widely-condemned behaviour, such as violating press freedoms and waging an antisemitic campaign against a leading Jewish businessman.

Addressing the vote in the European Parliament in a letter to Conservative MEPs, according to Yahoo News, Mr Orban said he would like to express his "gratitude for your support during the vote on the report on the situation in Hungary".

He continued: "I believe that the report is a verdict against Hungary and the Hungarian people. Not only it is based on political insinuations and factual errors, but it deploys double standards as such it undermines the credibility and integrity of the European Parliament and the European institutions in general.

"I appreciate the support you've shown towards national sovereignty and solidarity during the vote. I can assure you that regardless of the shameful attacks of pro-immigration forces, we will not give into extortion."

"We will continue to fulfil our European obligations and defend the borders of Europe and Hungary, for the sake of our citizens. I wish you good health and much success in your highly responsible duties."

According to the website, the letter was sent to Conservative MEPs and other political groups in the parliament two days after the vote.

His letter comes after a row over the Tory MEPs' vote in the European Parliament earlier this month to stop the Hungarian leader being censured for widely-condemned behaviour, such as violating press freedoms and waging an antisemitic campaign against a leading Jewish businessman.

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Responding to the report, Ian Lavery, the chairman of the Labour Party, said being thanked by Mr Orban should be a matter of "shame" for the Conservatives.

"Theresa May has still not accounted for why her party is backing a government that has attacked judicial and media independence, denied refugee rights, and pandered to antisemitism and Islamophobia.

"The prime minister must explain and apologise for her party's behaviour."

A spokesperson for the Conservative MEPs in the European Parliament said the letter was a "round-robin" sent to all those who opposed the vote against Mr Orban's government and said it had "nothing to do with supporting Viktor Obran".

Instead, the party has previously argued, the motion was "politicised" and Michael Gove, the environment secretary, said last week that rather than supporting the far-right leader his party was refusing to interfere in the domestic affairs of another member state.By Babak Dehghanpisheh

(Reuters) - A deadly assault on an Iranian Revolutionary Guards parade dealt a stunning blow to Irans security establishment, which has often said it can repel any threat no matter how big, even from the United States and its chief Middle East ally Israel.

Saturday's shooting attack, among the worst ever on the Guards, illustrated that Iran's elite force, which answers directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, can be vulnerable to guerrilla-style operations.

Iran had enjoyed relative stability compared to Arab neighbours who have grappled with political and economic upheaval touched off by popular uprisings in 2011.

The Guards have vowed to retaliate for the attack.

WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE?

Iran blamed the United States and its Gulf Arab neighbours for the bloodshed. But it has presented no evidence.

An Iranian ethnic Arab opposition movement called the Ahvaz National Resistance, which seeks a separate state in oil-rich Khuzestan province, claimed responsibility for the attack.

So did Islamic State, who also claimed responsibility for a 2017 attack at the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, which left 18 dead.

Neither group has presented proof of their involvement.

Arab opposition groups have a long list of grievances against Iranian leaders and their frustrations are growing.

The city of Ahvaz, where the attack took place, is the capital of Khuzestan, a region bordering Iraq where the majority of Iran's Arab minority lives.

The community has long felt neglected by the Persian-dominated central government in Tehran.

The area has been hit particularly hard by the economic problems afflicting the entire country and the unemployment rate in Khuzestan is 14.5 percent, higher than the national rate of 11.8 per cent.

Poor living standards have been compounded by electricity shortages and a severe drought, which locals blame on mismanagement by the central government. Residents of Ahvaz have been forced to stay inside their homes on some days because of severe sandstorms linked to drought in the past year.

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Armed opposition groups have played on this discontent to attempt to drum up support for their actions which have included attacks on oil pipelines in the region. Civil rights activists say these violent attacks undermine their peaceful efforts to help the community and lead to widespread arrests.

The Kurds in western Iran and the Baluch in the southeast, both prominent minority groups, also complain of central government neglect. Armed Kurdish opposition groups have clashed with the Guards in the border area with Iraq in recent months, leading to several dead and wounded on both sides.

In early September, the Guards fired seven missiles at a base of a Kurdish opposition group in northern Iraq, killing at least 11 people.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE REACTION TO THE ATTACK AMONG IRANS RIVAL POLITICAL FACTIONS?

Such attacks tend to unite Iranian reformers and hardliners despite sharp differences over domestic and foreign policies.

President Hassan Rouhani has pushed back against the growing economic and political influence of the Guards in recent years but, after the Ahvaz attack, it will be difficult for Rouhani to challenge them.

The violence has led to a boost in support for the Guards, according to analysts, which they will likely use to silence their critics, including Rouhani.

President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw the United States from an international nuclear deal from Iran will also give hardliners more political leverage because they argued that the United States should not be trusted.

HOW WILL THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS REACT?

Senior commanders have said the Ahvaz attack was carried out by militants trained by Gulf states and Israel and backed by America. But it is unlikely that the Guards will strike any of these foes directly.

They will probably present a show of strength by launching missiles at groups operating in Iraq or Syria that may be linked to the militants who carried out the attack.

After the Tehran attack by Islamic State in 2017, the Guards launched missiles at militant groups in eastern Syria days later. And after a series of clashes with Kurdish opposition groups in recent months, the Guards unleashed missiles at a Kurdish opposition base in northern Iraq in early September.

The Guards are also likely to enforce a tight security policy in Khuzestan province for the foreseeable future, arresting any perceived domestic opponents including civil rights activists.

(The story has been refiled to correct spelling of Khamenei in paragraph 2)

(Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Michael Georgy and Mark Heinrich)Jejomar Binay is running for congressman in the first district of Makati City. Binays spokesperson Joey Salgado confirmed this on Monday after Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay announced during the flag-raising ceremony at city hall that her father is returning to politics. In this mornings flag-raising ceremony, Mayor Abby announced that she will run for reelection. She also said former Makati mayor and Vice President Jejomar Binay will return to public service. I am confirming that former VP Binay will run as representative for the First District under the ticket of Mayor Abby, Salgado said. Binay will be facing former Makati mayor Romulo Pena Jr. who also announced his plan to run for the citys first district congressional race in the May 2019 midterm elections. Actor Monsour del Rosario is the incumbent congressman in the first district. There were reports that he is running for reelection or considering trying his luck in the senatorial race next year. Binay is being considered as a political icon and the longest-serving mayor in Makati. He was the city chief executive from 1986 to 1998, and from 2001 to 2010 before serving the country as vice president during the time of President Benigno Aquino III. Makati, a city with more than 370,000 registered voters, has been a stronghold of the Binays since the former vice president was appointed by the late former President Corazon Aquino as its officer-in-charge in 1986. During the flag-raising ceremony Monday, incumbent Mayor City Mayor Abigail Binay awarded a Certificate of Honor and a Loyalty Certificate to her father. It is a great honor to be standing on the same platform with the person who taught and showed me genuine loyalty to public service, Makatis beloved, my father Jojo Binay!, she said.The city government paid tribute to the elder Binay for his leadership that has brought Makati to a new era of unprecedented growth which led to the implementation of innovative and groundbreaking programs for the upliftment of the lives of Makatizens during his years of service to the City. He is a public servant worth emulating and from whom government employees can take inspiration, read the inscription on the certificate. In her speech, Mayor Binay challenged her detractors and political opponents to focus on performance, rather than engaging in dirty politics, and vowed to counteract any accusation or criticism with a clean and principled leadership capable of outstanding performance. The mayor cited the unprecedented Unqualified Opinion rendered by Commission on Audit on its financial statements for 2017, which was the highest audit rating a government agency or unit can get. She expressed confidence that the city can maintain the said rating in the next audit periods, with the support and cooperation of the city government employees. Mayor Binay thanked the awardees for their loyal and dedicated service, and appealed to all employees to join her in the pursuit of greater achievements for the city and its people. The elder Binays daughter-senator Nancy Binay, however, said she was surprised on learning that his father will run for Congress. I didnt know. I was surprised with the events this morning. We never talked about it. What I know was that hes just going to Italy to pray. He has been repeatedly saying he would not like to talk politics, the senator said. If that would be his next career move niya, we have been supporting all his undertakings-- when he ran for vice president when he ran for president. As her daughter, of course, we should give him full support, she said.Igor Dodon has had his presidential powers suspended four times for refusing to approve government-proposed candidates for ministers or enact laws passed by parliament: Maxim Shemetov/AP

Moldovas pro-Russian president has been temporarily stripped of his powers after he refused to endorse new ministers and a political standoff ensued.

Igor Dodon was stripped of his duties after he said he would not approve candidates for the health and agricultural portfolios. He said they lacked the necessary skills.

After the ruling, the countrys prime minister or parliamentary speaker will be entitled to sign decrees appointing the pair.

Mr Dodon has often been at odds with the ruling coalition, which favours closer relations with the European Union (EU) and US.

His spokesman, Maxim Lebedinschi, accused the court of being an instrument in the political fight.

It is the fourth time Mr Dodon has had his presidential powers suspended for refusing to approve government-proposed candidates for ministers or enact laws passed by parliament.

Moldova is divided between pro-Western and Moscow-backed factions.

In March, more than 10,000 people took to the streets of the capital, Chisinau, to call for reunification between Romania which is a member of the EU and Moldova.

While such a union with its south eastern neighbour to the northeast is unlikely, the issue highlights the political split in its society.

Moldova itself is split between a Romanian speaking majority and the breakaway region of Transdniestria, which is propped up by Russia.Thomas Cook has downgraded annual profit forecasts, saying hot weather hurt demand for bookings across its crucial summer season.

The holiday firm said "tough" trading in June and July had continued, with the "unprecedented" period of higher-than-average temperatures across Europe meaning it had, like rivals, been forced to discount late bookings heavily.

As a result, the FTSE 250 firm warned that underlying operating profits for the year to September were now expected to come in at 280m.

Its previous guidance was for 323m. Shares plunged by 28% in the wake of the announcement on Monday while rival TUI was one of the biggest faller on the FTSE 100, down nearly 3%.

Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook's chief executive, said: "Summer 2018 has seen a return to popularity of destinations such as Turkey and Tunisia.

"However, it has also been marked by a prolonged period of hot weather across Europe. This meant many customers spent June and July enjoying the sunshine at home and put off booking their holidays abroad, leading to even tougher competition and higher than usual levels of discounting in the 'lates' market of August and September.

"Our recent trading performance is clearly disappointing. However, despite the recent challenges, we continue to make good strategic progress which positions us well to drive further performance improvement; this includes the launch of our Expedia alliance in the UK and Scandinavia, signing our first own-brand hotel in China and lining up a pipeline of 10 new Cook's Clubs in some of our key destinations for Summer 2019."

Thomas Cook reported that the warm temperatures had also had an impact on winter bookings at this stage.

Egypt is among the destinations it has invested in though the country's efforts to boost tourism suffered a setback last month when a British couple died in mysterious circumstances while on a Thomas Cook break.

The company has been supporting efforts to get to the bottom of how John and Susan Cooper, from Lancashire, died.

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A UK inquest was told last week about a "musty smell" in their room at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

Thomas Cook said a greater focus on Turkey, Greece, Tunisia and Egypt had proved a strong point.

It said overall group tour operator bookings were up 1%, while pricing was 3% higher than last year.

Its statement continued: "The slowdown in (UK) customer bookings during June and July extended into August, leading to higher than normal levels of promotional activity.

"This has exacerbated pressure on margins, on top of an already competitive market for Spanish holidays, as previously highlighted."

Thomas Cook is due to report its full-year results on 29 November.

Commenting on the dramatic share price fall Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at markets.com, said: "The manner of these large share price moves whenever a company misses its numbers appears increasingly excessive, although we must note that profit warnings rarely come alone.

"We really need to wait to see how summer 2019 looks now to get a clear idea of where the company stands."

Thomas Cook also announced separately that chief financial officer Bill Scott had decided to step down.

The company said he would be replaced on 30 November, on an interim basis, by Sten Daugaard who is on the company's German board.FILE PHOTO: A Rohingya refugee child looks at the vill from a hill at Unchiparang refugee camp, near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh January 11, 2018. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

By David Brunnstrom and Michelle Nichols

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States almost doubled its aid for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and Myanmar, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced on Monday as she pushed for U.N. investigators to brief the U.N. Security Council on the crisis.

A Myanmar military crackdown in the western state of Rakhine last year after attacks by Rohingya militants on police and army posts drove more than 700,000 of the largely stateless minority across the border with Bangladesh.

U.N.-mandated investigators have said the military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya with "genocidal intent." Myanmar rejected the findings as "one-sided" and said it was a legitimate counterinsurgency operation.

"The military are at fault, the fact finding mission came out and gave clear examples of what's happened," Haley told reporters on Monday as she left a ministerial meeting in New York on the sidelines of the annual U.N. gathering of world leaders. "These weren't terrorists. This was the military that did this to them. These people just want a place to live."

The Myanmar mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment after the meeting.

A U.S. government investigation report, reviewed by Reuters, has found that the military waged a planned, coordinated campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Rohingya, but it stopped short of describing the crackdown as genocide or crimes against humanity.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian hosted the closed-door ministerial meeting on the crisis, which diplomats said focussd on accountability.

"It's time for the international community to move. I did also request the French and the British that I think we need to bring the fact finding mission and have that reported in the Security Council," Haley said.

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She said the United States would give an extra $185 million (141.1 million pounds) in humanitarian aid, of which $156 million would go to refugees and host communities in Bangladesh, taking its total for the crisis to nearly $389 million in the past year.

Haley had said last week that U.S. President Donald Trump would "lay down a marker" on U.S. foreign aid during his speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday and that Washington would not be generous to countries "that try and stop the U.S. or say they hate America."

About 16 countries plus the EU and top U.N. officials attended the meeting in New York on Monday, diplomats said.

"It was a constructive meeting, but let's see," Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Pororashtrya Montri told Reuters, adding that the U.N. report should be the basis for accountability.

Hunt visited Myanmar last week and said the government must ensure there is "no hiding place" for those responsible for crimes. Myanmar's army chief on Monday warned against foreign interference.

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has begun examining allegations of forced deportation of Rohingya to Bangladesh. Myanmar has said it wants to repatriate Rohingya who fled.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols and David Brunnstrom; editing by Grant McCool)WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale to Taiwan of spare parts for F-16 fighter planes and other military aircraft worth up to $330 million (251.6 million pounds), the Pentagon said on Monday.

U.S. military sales to self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its sacred territory under its "one China" policy, is an irritant in the relations between the world's two largest economies.

"This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security and defensive capability of the recipient, which has been and continues to be an important force for political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region," the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.

China is deeply suspicious of U.S. intentions towards Taiwan, which is equipped with mostly U.S.-made weaponry and wants Washington to sell it more advanced equipment, including new fighter jets.

Military experts say the balance of power between Taiwan and China has shifted in favour of China, which could probably overwhelm the island unless U.S. forces came quickly to its aid.

The $330 million request covers spare parts for "F-16, C-130, F-5, Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF), all other aircraft systems and subsystems, and other related elements of logistics and programme support," the Pentagon said, adding that it notified Congress of the possible sale.

The Pentagon said the proposed sale is required to maintain Taiwan's "defensive and aerial fleet," and would not alter the military balance in the region.

China has never renounced the use of force to bring what it sees as a wayward province under its control.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis during a visit to Beijing in June that Beijing was committed to peace, but could not give up "even one inch" of territory that the country's ancestors had left behind.

(Reporting by Mohammad Zargham; editing by Eric Beech and Leslie Adler)In 2005, my stepfather in Zambia, David Busiku Mainza contributed to a pamphlet on the Tonga people, some 57,000 of whom were resettled in 1957 and 1958 from the Zambezi Valley after their villages were flooded because of rising waters during the construction of the Kariba dam. The vivid memories he shared with the little books author, Elisabeth Thomson, the then curator of the BaTonga Museum in Binga, Zimbabwe, demonstrate the damaging repercussions of such upheaval over generations.

Decades later, as I survey the priorities of the international community as chief executive of Christian Aid, I note with despair that there is one glaring omission on the agenda for the formal discussions as representatives from world governments gather at the UN General Assembly in New York: internal displacement.

Yet it would take more than a year to read the names, if we knew them, of the more than 65 million people who are currently forcibly displaced due to conflict or violence, at least 40 million of whom remain in their countries of origin.

And so, 20 years on from the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, it is time for world leaders to stand in solidarity with those who have fled their homes but not crossed borders. Many of them are the poorest and most vulnerable in their communities  including women, children, elderly and disabled people  and yet, so often, they receive none of the support and protection to which refugees are entitled.

Displaced on average for 15 years, often repeatedly, most exist without access to basic services such as health and education, and are often subjected to abuse and torture.

Meanwhile, climate change is a massive factor. Since 2009, it is estimated that one person has been displaced every second by weather disasters: an average of 26 million people every year. This trend is likely to intensify in the immediate future as rural areas struggle to cope with warmer weather and more erratic rainfall, not to mention disasters such as Typhoon Mangkhut which has killed dozens and displaced many more in the Philippines and China.

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The latest figures from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) show that millions of individuals have become displaced inside their own country since January. There were 5.2 million new internal displacements associated with conflict and violence in the first half of 2018. In Ethiopia, 1.4 million new internal displacements have already been recorded. Somalia and South Sudan are also among the 10 worst affected countries for new displacement linked to conflict and violence.

At the same time, East Africa accounts for five of the most significant disaster events between January and June, with flooding in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and Uganda, and drought in Somalia displacing more than a million people in total. In addition, 3.3 million displacements associated with disasters were recorded in 110 countries and territories. In May and June, monsoon flooding in India caused the most significant displacement, affecting over 370,000 people. Unprecedented flooding continued in July and August, with government reports indicating that over 1.4 million were displaced to relief camps in Kerala alone. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has the highest number of new displacements related to conflict, there are currently more than two million people internally displaced. More than 80 per cent of aid for those who are displaced is directed into camps, but 73 per cent of internally displaced people live outside them, meaning they miss out on the help they need.

Despite these urgent disasters, the global compacts on refugees and migration, to be signed this year, regrettably provide scant attention to these people. If we are to realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and make sure that we do indeed leave no one behind, then the international community must ensure that internally displaced people receive much needed protection and support.

Politicians with consciences must now work with UN agencies, international non-governmental organisations, civil society and faith communities to prevent displacement in the first place, to protect those who are displaced, and to work with people forced to flee to find durable solutions.

lf fields could be carried, we would have carried them, says one contributor to the Tonga pamphlet, talking of the fertile lands by the river banks that had to be abandoned. Others who were interviewed speak of the deep sense of loss they felt at leaving behind the shrines and graves of their ancestors. And yet there is an overriding hope for the future in the booklet.

In response to that universal need for hope, Christian Aid calls for the UN and countries to adopt a FAIR deal: funded  with long term commitments; ambitious  beyond commitments made so far at summits; inclusive  all people on the move need to be protected, especially people who are stateless and people who have been trafficked; and respectful of international law  enshrined within the UNs guiding principles on how to help internally displaced people from 1998.

Now, I and more than 50 faith leaders, who have signed a letter coordinated by Christian Aid, want to see the international community joining the GP20 Plan of Action to prevent further forcible displacement, and strengthen the protection of those who are displaced. With faith leaders leading the way on this moral question, I call on world leaders urgently to consider their commitments to ensure that, truly, nobody is left behind.

Amanda Khozi Mukwashi is the CEO of Christian AidTheresa May will face pressure on Monday as Brexiters will urge the Prime Minister and her cabinet to ditch the Brexit Chequers plan after her meeting with EU leaders in Salzburg last week.

Pressure comes from within the Cabinet as backbench Brexiters such as ex-Brexit Minister David Davis and Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg push the PM and her ministers to back an alternative 'Plan A+' for a hard Brexit laid out by the free market-supporting Institute of Economic Affairs.

The launch of the alternative proposals on Monday will come out just hours before May faces her cabinet after what was seen as a humiliating Salzburg summit for her.

The European Union rejected key elements of her blueprint, forcing the government back to the drawing board. However, May continued to say that Chequers was the only option.

Some ministers were reported to be losing faith in the Chequers plan are now moving towards a Canada-style trade deal. Nevertheless, this option would force the UK to accept the EUs backstop proposal for Northern Ireland which would see a hard border down the Irish sea.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt at the weekend refused to rule out the prospect that the government could switch to a Canada-style trade deal.

On Sunday, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that a Canada-style deal would mean agreeing to customs controls between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, something May has firmly ruled out. Raab said the government would keep negotiating with the EU on the basis of her plan.

After speculation suggested that May could resign over the plan or could call for snap elections in order to save it. Raab denied the possibility of new elections.

May likely to face more of a concerted and coordinated effort at the Tory party conference next week, when Brexiters in her cabinet could try to shift her towards the kind of free trade proposal Davis and Rees-Mogg, reported ITV.

The IEA's Plan A+ states that "tying the UK to future EU regulation is a major threat to the UK economy" is in stark opposition to the common rulebook proposed in the Chequers plan that would mean the EU setting standards for the production of goods and food in the UK.

On Northern Ireland, Plan A+ recommends "a basic free trade agreement between the UK and the EU for goods, and a commitment by the parties to undertake all necessary investment and cooperation mechanisms to enable formalities on trade between Northern Ireland and Ireland to be overseen away from the border", and if the EU refuses to recognise UK regulations after the exit date, the UK "should be prepared to take action" via the WTO.Carmaker Volvo has halted its truck assembly lines in Iran over US sanctions that are preventing it from being paid, a company spokesman said on Monday.

The sanctions were imposed on 6 August after US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, leading a number of companies to reconsider their operations in Iran.

Volvo spokesman Fredrik Ivarsson said the company could not obtain payment for any of parts it shipped and had therefore decided not to operate in Iran.

"With all these sanctions and everything that the US put [in place]... the bank system doesn't work in Iran.We can't get paid [...] So for now we don't have any business," he told Reuters.

According to Reuters, a commercial department manager at Saipa Diesel, the company that assembles the trucks in Iran, confirmed that sanctions had prompted Volvo Trucks to terminate their partnership agreement.

"They have decided that due to the sanction on Iran, they couldn't cooperate with us," the manager said.

"We had some renovation planned in Iran for a new plant but they refused to work with us."China has refused to continue trade negotiations with the US until President Donald Trump stops threatening further tariffs.

Beijing released a white paper to put across its side of the argument on the same day that the latest round of 10% US tariffs on Chinese products worth $200bn came into effect on Monday.

Bilateral talks were scheduled for this week but were cancelled by China after President Trump threatened higher tariffs if Beijing were to retaliate to the latest batch. China decided to impose its own set of tariffs on US imports worth $60bn.

The door for trade talks is always open but negotiations must be held in an environment of mutual respect, said the white paper, according to Xinhua News Agency.

"[The US] has brazenly preached unilateralism, protectionism and economic hegemony, making false accusations against many countries and regions, particularly China, intimidating other countries through economic measures such as imposing tariffs, and attempting to impose its own interests on China through extreme pressure," said the paper.

Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said that European markets were not as severely affected by tariffs as originally expected: It would appear that the fact that the tariffs were set at 10% as opposed to 25% initially has tempered market concerns of a sharp deterioration in relations between Chinese and US officials after China responded fairly modestly with 5-10% tariffs on only $60bn worth of US goods in return.

Both Asia and Europe are more exposed to global trade than the US, said analyst Jasper Lawler at the London Capital Group: "For markets, the new tariffs might have been acceptable because the economic effects will be felt most over a longer time period. It was the Chinese delegation of trade representatives pulling out of the latest round of talks that has dampened spirits."State Democrats have appealed a decision by Chancellor Jeff Atherton to dismiss their lawsuit seeking to keep Republican Robin Smith off the ballot.

The party says the GOP should not be able to field a candidate in the House District 26 contest on grounds that former Rep. Gerald McCormick's late withdrawal was invalid.

Ms. Smith's campaign said, "Through each attempt to assail the voting rights of Hamilton County residents, Robin Smiths position has been consistent. These ongoing efforts by the Tennessee Democratic Party are a result of a failing political organizations desire to subvert the electoral process, deny Tennesseans our right to vote and install a socialist in the legislature to promote the radical liberal Bredesen/Dean agenda without giving Tennesseans a choice in the voting booth.

"The subversive efforts of the Democratic Party to deny nearly 8,000 Tennesseans our right to vote have cost the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars. Democrats have been told they have no legitimate case by judges in two counties and wasted the precious time of Tennessees courts. Laughably, they have now asked the Court of Appeals to make Hamilton County taxpayers pay to defend yet another meritless appeal to deny our voting rights and force us to pay the fees of their lawyers, who have twice failed in their efforts to steal our votes.

"With this latest farcical legal stunt, Democrats continue to prove that they have no faith in the socialist they nominated in District 26 to win the election and press her agenda of sanctuary cities, open borders, socializing our health care system, raising taxes, and killing job creation in favor of government handouts.

"Across Tennessee, we see liberal Democrat candidates misleading the voters, falsely touting their desire to work together and running from the discredited views of their national party. These repeated attacks on our elections prove there is no underhanded tactic they will not resort to in a shameless effort to impose a radical agenda on our state.



"On Aug. 2, voters elected Robin Smith as their Republican nominee. On Aug. 22, the Republican State Primary Board unanimously affirmed Robin as the Republican nominee after the election results had been duly certified. As the Republican nominee, Robin successfully petitioned the court to include her as a party to the ongoing lawsuit so she may directly work to defend the integrity of the votes cast in the August election and protect Tennesseans from a precedent that is not just plain wrong. In fact, its dangerous.

"Nashville Democrats  like Caucus Leader and member of the retained law firm for the Tennessee Democratic Party, Mike Stewart  who continue to attack Hamilton County voters should be clear. Robin Smith, the duly elected Republican nominee in House District 26 and the only candidate for this office who lives in the district, will defend the votes of Tennesseans regardless of the venue.

"While no one can predict how a court might rule, Robin is confident that the appellate court will have no more patience for the Democrats' skullduggery than did the previous two trial courts.

"Voters of the 26th District understand that Bredesen/Dean Democrats do not honor their rights, preferring intimidation and attempts to delegitimize our electoral process over true policy and honest debate. The voters will have an opportunity to pass judgement on their tactics on Nov. 6."The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the number of families affected by Typhoon Ompong has climbed to 507,945 in 4,819 barangays in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B, National Capital Region, and the Cordillera Administrative Region. This was the equivalent to 2.14-million people, the 6 am Monday update said. Also, a total of 117,685 houses were reported damaged, 10,334 severely and 107,351 partially, in Regions 1, 2, 3, and the CAR. Damage to infrastructure and agriculture was placed at P18.82 billionlower than the Agriculture departments estimate. The Department of Energy reported that power has been restored in 79.19 percent of the affected areas. Ompong affected 2,366,504 households after it made landfall in Cagayan on Sept. 15. As of Sept. 22 evening, the DoE reported the reenergization of 1,871,707 households.Fourteen provinces are still undergoing rehabilitation. The affected areas have different timelines for power restoration, depending on their location and situation, the department said. In Naga City, Cebu, the death toll from a landslide at a mining site rose to 49. Naga City police said at least 10 were injured, but did not say how many remained missing. The landslide buried about 20 houses in the village of Tinaan and four houses in Naalad on Sept. 20, after several days of heavy rain. The Department of Health said it found water sources of at least five evacuation centers in Naga City, Cebu, positive for fecal coliform, making it unsafe for human consumption.Business confidence in Germany deteriorated less than expected in September, according to a survey released by the Ifo Institute on Monday.

The business climate index slipped to 103.7 from 103.9 in August, beating expectations for a drop to 103.2.

The current situation index was steady at 106.4 versus expectations for a decline to 106.1. Meanwhile, the expectations index nudged down 101.0 from 101.2, compared to expectations for a reading of 100.2.

The manufacturing index fell to 23.5 this month from 24.3 in August, while the service sector gauge ticked up to 32.5 from 32.4. The index for trade rose to 11.6 from 10.6 and the index for construction pushed up to 31.9 in September from 29.6 the month before.

Clemens Fuest, president of the Ifo Institute, said: "Firms assessments of their current business situation deteriorated marginally, but remain at a high level. Companies also scaled back their business expectations somewhat. Despite growing uncertainty, the German economy remains robust."

Jennifer McKeown, chief European economist at Capital Economics, said: "Septembers very small fall in the Ifo business climate ndicator was a pleasant surprise, suggesting that the German economy will continued to grow quite strongly in the near term.

"On recent form, the Ifo looks consistent with healthy annual German GDP growth of over 2%. The current conditions index was unchanged at a high level while expectations fell only slightly."

Pantheon Macroeconomics said the headline business index was "decent" and consistent with resilience in the services PMIs released last week.

Remember that the IFO recently was re-based and re-weighted, which means that services are now a much bigger share of the survey.

"The sector details were consistent with the PMIs. The manufacturing index fell, albeit marginally, while the services index rose. Finally, the construction index soared to a new all-time record high, indicating that activity in the building sector will remained firm in Q3, and that growth will be strong into year-end too."US Deputy Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein, tendered his resignation to the White House on Monday, in the belief that President Donald Trump was set to dismiss him.

One source with direct knowledge of the matter told Axios "[Rosenstein's] expecting to be fired" and that he was therefore planning to step down.

Another source with direct knowledge told Axios he had already informed White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly, verbally of his intention to step down.

The week before, The New York Times had reported that Rosenstein had at one point in 2017 offered to secretly record his meetings with the President in order to obtain evidence that might serve for the purposes of declaring Donald Trump unfit to hold office.

Finally, the idea had gone nowhere, the newspaper reported.

According to the New York Times, Rosenstein had challenged the claims made by their sources.

"I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the department and are advancing their own personal agenda," he told the New York Times.

"But let me be clear about this: Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment."Randgold Resources has agreed to nil-premium merge with larger Canadian rival Barrick Gold to create the largest gold mining company in the world.

UK company's shareholders will receive 6.128 shares in what will be called Barrick Group for each of their Randgold shares and consequently therefore own 33.4% of an enlarged New York- and Toronto-traded group that will be delisted from London.

The price valued Randgold broadly in line with the 20-day volume weighted average price at 4,935p per share before a $2 per share dividend to which Randgold shareholders will be entitled for the 2018 financial year. If the merger is effected, the combined group intends to grow its dividend from the 2018 Barrick level.

After completion of the deal, which is expected in the first quarter of next year if approved by shareholders at forthcoming extraordinary general meetings, Randgold chief executive Mark Bristow and his chief financial officer Graham Shuttleworth will retain their roles in the new Barrick, where John Thornton will remain executive chairman.

Recommending their shareholders approve the deal, directors of both companies said they believe the merger will create a company with "the greatest concentration of tier one gold assets in the industry, the lowest total cash cost position among senior gold peers, and a diversified asset portfolio positioned for growth in many of the world's most prolific gold districts", not to mention a copper business that produced 413m pounds of the metal last year.

The proposed deal comes eight years after Barrick spun off its African assets as African Barrick Gold, which later changed its name to Acacia Mining and in which Barrick still holds a 63.9% stake.

Based on the 2017 financial results for both companies, the new Barrick Group would have generated revenue of roughly $9.7bn and adjusted EBITDA of close to $4.7bn.

Directors plan to invest in the portfolio gold and other strategic assets with an emphasis on organic growth and buying land in many of the world's most prolific districts, selling off non-core assets over time and looking to "maximize the long-term value" of the copper business. Analysts said assets could be sold off piecemeal or into a 'spin-co'.

"Our industry has been criticised for its short-term focus, undisciplined growth and poor returns on invested capital," Bristow said. "The merged company will be very different. Its goal will be to deliver sector leading returns, and in order to achieve this, we will need to take a very critical view of our asset base and how we run our business, and be prepared to make tough decisions.

"By employing a strategy similar to the one that proved very successful at Randgold, but on a larger scale, the new Barrick Group will leverage some of the world's best mines and talent to create real value for all stakeholders."

Thornton added that the main measure of success for the new group being "the returns we generate and not the number of ounces we produce".

He added: "There are no premiums in the merger because we strongly believe in the opportunity to add significant value for our shareholders from the disciplined management of our combined asset base and a focus on truly profitable growth."

From an anti-trust perspective, the only jurisdiction required is South Africa, which includes a public interest test.

Barrick will pay a break fee to Randgold of $300m if Barrick shareholders do not approve the deal or if a competing offer is made for Barrick.

MARKET REACTION & ANALYSIS

Randgold shares, which earlier this month fell to a two-and-a-half year low, were up almost 4% to 5,116p on Monday morning.

The proposed merger, instead of one being based on merit, strength and strategic integration, is more akin to the proverbial two drunks supporting each other at closing time, said Panmure Gordon analyst Kieron Hodgson.

But Shore Capital's Yuen Low said "Oh no! London could be waving good-bye to long-time market favourite Randgold."

He added: "Given the lack of similar alternatives to Randgold in London, and given that not all Randgold shareholders will be able to hold non-London equities, we suggest that Randgold shareholders should hold out for a golden goodbye premium to make up for their inability to benefit in future upside.

"For those who are able to continue to hold, we see Randgold CEO Mark Bristow becoming president and CEO post-transaction as a good thing. However, we are concerned that incumbent executive chairman John Thornton retains his executive title."

He also said the plan is to grow the dividend from the 2018 Barrick level, "which is not quite as appealing to us as the Randgold level".

Given Randgolds successes in its negotiations with several African jurisdictions, Credit Suisse said the deal "may give Barrick the needed assistance to move forward with its ongoing struggles with Acacia", which has had problems with Tanzania's government.

From Randgolds perspective, the deal diversifies exposure away from high-risk African markets and towards Barricks more stable North American assets, said Analyst Nicholas Hyett at Hargreaves Lansdown.

"Given recent headwinds thats welcome," Hyett said. "The regulatory shakeup in the Democratic Republic of Congo has dented the share price and Randgold has also struggled to find new projects of scale, potentially holding up dividend growth in the years ahead. Its also worth noting that Randgold has been trading at a premium to Barrick in recent weeks, so the deal does favour the smaller partner."

However, Hyett said the deal is an interesting one for Barrick, eight years after the Acacia spin-off that was seen as a move to de-risk the portoflio. "Back then the group argued that the London Stock Exchange delivered a better valuation for African assets. Given that fact, the decision to scrap the London listing is perhaps a bit of a surprise.

Analysts at RBC Capital Markets said it had felt Randgold's valuation was "too full given the challenges faced", including increased risk across the groups African portfolio, slowing production momentum due to a lack of new projects and the impacts from this on dividend growth. But it noted that Randgold traded at a 1.35-times premium to net asset value versus Barrick on 1.05 times, while Randgold's enterprise value was 7.9 times EBITDA to Barrick's 6.7.

"Today's transaction removes these issues and dramatically changes the outlook for Randgold, albeit with a 'New Barrick' vehicle that will not be London listed... Despite the potential overhang of the removal of the London listing causing selling pressure from European holders, we see the news as overall positive for the group due to the higher-quality nature of the assets in Barrick."

Noting the South African public interest test, Olivetree Research did not anticipate this being a problem given the low level of operations of either company in South Africa, but said it does introduce probably the only element of risk in the transaction.Tour operator Thomas Cook warned that profits for the full year would be lower than expected after the long, hot UK summer created fiercer than usual industry competition in the 'lates' market.

The FTSE 250 group cut its full year guidance for earnings before interest and tax by around 40-50m to 280m as a result.

Chief executive Peter Fankhauser said the prolonged period of hot summer weather across Europe "meant many customers spent June and July enjoying the sunshine at home and put off booking their holidays abroad, leading to even tougher competition and higher than usual levels of discounting in the 'lates' market of August and September".

In the outlook statement, recent trading was described as "tough", particularly in the tour operating business as the company's ability to drive margins in the 'lates' market was restricted by this excess summer capacity, with the hot summer continuing to be felt in winter bookings.

With the summer 2018 programme now 90% sold, in line with last year, overall average selling prices are down 5% due to a higher mix of short- and medium-haul airline bookings, even though pricing across all segments was higher than last year.

Total group bookings rose 12% compared to this time last year driven by the return in popularity of holidays to Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Greece, with UK and continental bookings flat, Northern Europe up 4%. Long haul bookings were down 1%, with short- and medium-haul up 18%.

Winter bookings were 43% sold, with bookings 2% behind last year and average selling prices up 1% as a slow start in the Nordics and Continental Europe saw some knock-on impact from the hot summer weather. Management has decided to trim capacity in the Nordics by 5%.

Airline bookings saw double-digit growth to short- and medium-haul destinations, and good growth in long haul.

Fankhauser said detailed guidance for full-year 2019 will be provided in November, as usual, adding that "despite recent challenges, we continue to make good strategic progress which positions us well to return to profitable growth".

The group also revealed on Monday that chief financial officer Bill Scott has decided to step down after less than a year in the role, leaving on 30 November. Sten Daugaard, currently on the board of the German operating arm, will take part in a handover with Scott until formally taking on an interim-CFO role on 1 December, while a search has begun for a long-term group CFO.

Shares in Thomas Cook lost around a quarter of their value in early trading, falling to just below 60p for the first time in more than two years.

Broker Shore Capital observed that issues were felt across the tour operator segment, with the UK suffering further margin pressure and Northern European and Continental Europe pricing slowing by two percentage points and 1ppt respectively to +2%, with the airline broadly in line with the previous update.

Winter bookings are said to be slower in the Nordics and Continental Europe, with capacity in the former to be trimmed by 5%, with the UK said to made a strong start to demand with the Airline seeing positive trends, with short and mid-haul destinations up double digit and good growth in long-haul.

Analyst Greg Johnson cut his full year forecast for profit before tax by 45m to 150m for earnings per share of 7.4p and pencilled in a similar cut for 2019 with PBT of circa 200m with EPS of 9.8p.

"Looking into next year, the statement highlights the continued strategic progress, which we believe can drive material profit improvement over the medium term. Assuming a more normal trading environment we would expect some of this years shortfall to be recovered, although the winter is likely to be tougher," he wrote in a note to clients, expecting greater clarity at the prelims in November.

"The shares are undoubtedly cheap although we lower our recommendation from 'buy' to 'hold' until we get greater clarity over trading for Summer 2019."

Russ Mould at broker AJ Bell said: Investors might legitimately ask why the firm wasnt more conservative when it updated on trading at the end of July  surely it could have seen this coming. Worryingly the impact is continuing to be felt into Winter trading and all eyes now are likely to be on the guidance given for 2019 when the company reports its results for the 12 months to 30 September on 29 November.

Analyst Neil Wilson at Markets.com said the 20%-plus fall in the shares was "perhaps an overreaction".

"The manner of these large share price moves whenever a company misses its numbers appears increasingly excessive, although we must note that profit warnings rarely come alone. We really need to wait to see how summer 2019 looks now to get a clear idea of where the company stands. Further improvements in Egypt and Turkey should help with the tough Spanish market."US firms are taking advantage of the cheap pound to snap up some of Britains most successful businesses at bargain prices, according to the latest mergers and acquisitions data. The value of deals involving US companies buying UK businesses more than doubled to 79bn in 2017-18 from 36.8bn in the previous year. The low value of sterling, which last week slumped to $1.30 in the wake of Theresa Mays post-Salzburg statement, has given American buying power a boost and allowed US firms to outbid rivals.  Guardian

Employee ownership schemes in large companies could result in almost 11 million workers being given up to 500 a year each, in plans to be expanded upon by the shadow chancellor on Monday. Under the scheme, every company with 250 or more employees will be expected to create an inclusive ownership fund (IOF) under a future Labour government, John McDonnell will say.  Guardian

City regulators have been urged to investigate UK links to a 200bn (180bn) dirty-money scandal at Denmarks largest lender Danske Bank. Anti-corruption groups told the Telegraph that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) should investigate the case and consider stripping Danske of its UK banking licence.  Telegraph

Profits at River Island have plunged 40pc as the chain invested in the business to cope with the shift in shopping habits online. Ben Lewis, the chief executive, said sales were moving to its website, but shops remained a very important part of the customer experience. Operating profits sank to 80.6m for the year ending December 2017, down from 135.7m the year before, as it invested in stock, distribution and technology to underpin its multichannel offer. Sales edged 3pc lower to 944.5m.  Telegraph

Jeremy Darroch, Skys chief executive, is in line to receive 50 million after the sale of the satellite broadcaster to Comcast for more than 30 billion. Americas largest cable television provider prevailed this weekend in a protracted takeover struggle against 21st Century Fox, which already owns 39 per cent of Sky and was bidding with Disneys backing to take full control.  The Times

Drax is in talks to buy Scottish Powers gas and hydroelectric power plants in its latest attempt to diversify beyond its main North Yorkshire power plant. The FTSE 250 energy company derives the vast majority of its profits from Britains biggest power station, but it is trying to broaden its business.  The TimesLondon's FTSE 250 was down 0.34% at 20,520.29 in afternoon trade on Monday.

Travel stocks were hit as Thomas Cook warned over its full-year profits as it said unseasonably hot weather hit bookings, sending On The Beach, into the red.

Thomas Cook plummeted after it cut its full year guidance for earnings before interest and tax by around 40-50m to 280m as a result of the hot weather .

"Many customers spent June and July enjoying the sunshine at home and put off booking their holidays abroad, leading to even tougher competition and higher than usual levels of discounting", according to chief executive Peter Fankhauser.

In response to the news, Shore Capital Markets downgraded the company's shares from 'buy' to 'hold'.

"Looking into next year, the statement highlights the continued strategic progress, which we believe can drive material profit improvement over the medium term. Assuming a more normal trading environment we would expect some of this years shortfall to be recovered, although the winter is likely to be tougher," said a note from the broker.

Retailer Card Factory also fell ahead of the release of its first half results on Tuesday.

The high street greetings card chain took a big hit last month when it released a profit warning, blaming the warm weather for a downturn in trading, but reiterated its intention to expand its network of 900 stores opening 50 new ones this year.

At the positive end of trading, the oil sector was enjoyed a boost on Monday afternoon as crude oil prices rallied to highs last seen in late 2014, with a barrel of front-month Brent up more than 2% to as high as $80.94 at one point. Mid-cap producers Cairn Energy and Premier Oil were on the rise, while Tullow Oil was also lifted despite the company having plugged and abandoned its Cormorant-1 exploration well offshore Namibia after finding "non-commercial hydrocarbons".

Elsewhere, real estate investor NewRiver REIT jumped after Liberum reiterated its 'buy' rating and target price of 350p, citing the "operational capability" of its management team.

"We believe NewRiver has proven its expertise in managing large pub portfolios and the site visits demonstrated the levers by which management expect to maintain their high yielding income as well as leveraging its property expertise to maximise value," said a note from the broker.

Market Movers

FTSE 250 (MCX) 20,520.29 -0.34%

FTSE 250 - Risers

Just Group (JUST) 83.85p 4.62%

Hochschild Mining (HOC) 169.50p 4.15%

Equiniti Group (EQN) 265.00p 3.11%

Cairn Energy (CNE) 227.60p 2.99%

FDM Group (Holdings) (FDM) 999.00p 2.78%

Premier Oil (PMO) 128.00p 2.65%

Tullow Oil (TLW) 253.20p 2.59%

NewRiver REIT (NRR) 255.44p 2.59%

Games Workshop Group (GAW) 3,985.00p 2.57%

Wood Group (John) (WG.) 761.60p 2.45%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Thomas Cook Group (TCG) 59.46p -23.62%

On The Beach Group (OTB) 480.50p -5.60%

Bank of Georgia Group (BGEO) 1,790.10p -4.72%

Card Factory (CARD) 184.70p -4.25%

Capita (CPI) 141.30p -3.71%

Computacenter (CCC) 1,300.00p -3.70%

Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income Fund Limited (SEQI) 109.95p -2.70%

Spectris (SXS) 2,396.00p -2.44%

Sanne Group (SNN) 641.00p -2.44%

Polar Capital Technology Trust (PCT) 1,306.04p -2.39%Jenelle Evans may be a lot of things, but one thing she is not is self-absorbed to the extreme that her critics wish for people to believe. Instead of shrinking back and staying out of the publics eye on social media after her home state was hit by Hurricane Florence, Evans plunged forward, letting people know of specific supplies that are needed at a shelter in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, for instance. The point of posting to her social media was not to take away from the seriousness of hurricanes aftermath, but to move people to help others in need right now, a point In Touch Weekly noted on September 22.

Shes using her platform for a good cause, In Touch pointed out. While many people hold firm to the belief that Jenelle initially did not think or act as though Hurricane Florence was a serious weather event, with the potential for devastating effects, the MTV star appears to grasp the aftermath, as does "Southern Charm" star Craig Conover. Like Jenelle, he is using his social media accounts to bolster awareness of the hurricane's effects while he assists in recovery efforts.

Star reaches out for relief supplies

In the days following the hurricane, Jenelle has been relaying updates on her social media accounts. She has also shared videos on her YouTube channel JETV. The reality star has also been seeking relief supplies from her social media followers.

For instance, she tweeted on September 18 that the shelter in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, was in need of items such as water, milk, diapers, and blankets. In putting out the message to her followers, she also mentioned that board games were sought if possible.

Hurricane Florence ravaged Jenelles home state, displacing residents and leaving many without necessities.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

Regardless of what her critics believe, the devastation created by Florence seems to have penetrated Jenelles often tough exterior.

Roads are still collapsing left and right, dams are breaking across NC, doctors offices are closed. This is some really scary stuff to go through. Im so grateful to have my family home and safe.  #CarolinaStrong  Jenelle Eason (@PBandJenelley_1) September 22, 2018

Jenelle urges people to rebuild North Carolina

She posted on Instagram on September 22 that people should join forces to rebuild North Carolina, Pop Culture reported.

Before and during Hurricane Florence, it appears that Jenelle also might have been more serious, too, than her critics wish to acknowledge. She made it clear that she was concerned for her mother, Barbara Evans.

The shelter in Boiling Springs needs milk, water, formula, diapers, wipes, kids juice, blankets, and possible board games for kids. Thanks!  https://t.co/yQJbiEVDq4  Jenelle Eason (@PBandJenelley_1) September 19, 2018

Despite their past differences, Jenelle evidently does care for and about her mother. Not only has the Teen Mom 2 cast member shared information about the hurricanes effects nearest where she lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, but she has also been relaying updates about the areas close to where her mother lives, OK!

Magazine reported.

Prayers please, star urged for her mother

I actually feel bad for my mother," Jenelle wrote, according to OK! She further noted, Prayers please! While many people disagreed with the stars decision not to evacuate her children before Florence, Jenelle could very well be accurate in assessing her critics, Always taking my words and twist them to make it sound negative.

Still, there are other people who relate to her decision. One of her Instagram followers, who uses the moniker @sgardner10682, posted to Jenelles account, No one could've prepared early on enough for that kind of destruction, adding, I'm so glad you're all safe!

Be sure to follow Blasting News for updates about Teen Mom 2 and for the latest information.Former senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cannot twist history, the Palace said Monday, after Enrile claimed there were no arrests of political activists during martial law. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the presence of certain laws and court decisions pertaining to martial law belie Enriles claim that only a few of then-President Ferdinand Marcos critics were arrested for criminal acts. As far as the Palace is concerned, there are decisions affirming that there were grave human rights violations committed during the Marcos regime. Theres even a law in Congress which provides for compensation for victims of martial law, Roque told reporters in a Palace press briefing. I dont think they can twist history when theres a law and there are court decisions attesting to what happened during martial law, he added. The Palace official said members of the Compensation Board were in Malacanang to resolve last-minute problems about the release of all the compensation for victims of martial law. Roque was referring to the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013 signed five years ago by Enrile, then Senate president. The law said the government recognized the heroism and sacrifices of all Filipinos who were victims of summary execution, torture, enforced or involuntary disappearance and other gross human rights violations under the martial rule. The State hereby acknowledges its moral and legal obligation to recognize and/or provide reparation to said victims and/or their families for the deaths, injuries, sufferings, deprivations, and damages they suffered under the Marcos regime, the law read, creating the Human Rights Victims Claims Board tasked to hand out reparations to victims of Marcos martial rule. The reparations come from the P10-billion Marcos deposits turned over by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court to the Philippine government in 1997 after the regime fell in 1986. Senator Nancy Binay, meanwhile, said her father, former vice president Jejomar Binay, was a living testament to debunk Enriles assertion that not one person was arrested for his political beliefs or criticism of the late dictator. Name me one person that was arrested simply because he criticized President Marcos. None, Enrile said in the video posted on the Facebook Account of the son and namesake of the late president. Binay said her father was arrested and jailed during the martial law regime, and that her mother, who was pregnant with her at the time, would visit him at the detention center.As a girl, she said, her nickname was Maki for makibaka, a Filipino word for struggle and revolution. She also remembered joining protests, marching from Buendia in Makati to Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila, and grew up participating in rallies against the Marcos regime. She said it is only Enrile who can say why he has a different recollection of martial law. But Binay said she knows what is true, and remembers visiting political prisoners such as Satur Ocampo and Crispin Beltran during Christmas. The son of the late senator Jose Diokno said Marcos interview with Enrile was torture that further insulted the victims of martial law. In an interview on the program Dobol B sa News TV, Diokno denied Enriles claim that his father did not want to be released from prison. What Enrile said in his interview was painful. After all, he knows the truth, Diokno said in Filipino. If you were detained without reason, I think youd want to be released. He added that his father was psychologically tortured by his illegal detentionwhich could not be dismissed as an inconvenience, as Enrile said. On the program News to Go, former senator Rene Saguisag said Enrile was demented for claiming nobody died during the martial law years under Marcos. Saguisaghimself jailed during the martial law yearssaid Enrile was Senate president when the human rights compensation bill became a law. The Marcos regime destroyed the natural evolution of our leaders, Saguisag said. Many of the young, promising leaders... their flower of youth was nipped in the bud. If we were to name them one by one, wed run out of time, he said.The Toybox is a suspenseful new horror film about a haunted RV that strands an unsuspecting family in the middle of the desert.

Spooky and thoroughly unnerving, the film was directed by Tom Nagel who discussed the project via an exclusive interview on September 19, 2018.

Filming, casting, plot and special effects

Meagan Meehan (MM): How did you get into making Movies and how did you get involved with The Toybox?

Tom Nagel (TN): My first experience with movies was as a kid. My aunt and uncle are actors, so they got me into the business early.

My first bigger movie I acted in was  Telling Lies in America  which starred Kevin Bacon. I was fascinated with how the film was created. I think I caught the bug then. I took a break from the industry when I was older and took time to serve in the U.S Navy. I was stationed in San Diego, and when I got out, I felt the acting bug again, being so close to LA. I moved to LA and began acting again. But I always just had an interest in how movies were made. I bought my first decent camera about seven years ago and made some short films. It just grew from there, and I found that I really loved directing. The Toybox was created with Jeff Miller, Jeff Denton and my brother Brian Nagel, who I have all worked with before.

We started throwing ideas around, and Miller suggest a haunted RV story. It grew from there.

MM: What about the plot of The Toybox most interested you?

TN: I think the overall idea that such a terrible persons soul is locked in and occupies the RV. At first, when we were brainstorming the idea, I was worried it would be cheesy, but after developing it a bit and Jeff Dentons great writing, it really came together.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

MM: What was the filming and casting process like?

TN: The casting process was tough, but simple at the same time. We had several bigger names that we had in mind, and it was not easy to lock them down, so that created problems. On the other side though, the rest of the cast came very naturally. For the role of Olivia, I knew Malika was it the first time I met her.

For being the first movie for Drake Jacobson and Malika Michelle, they really shined.

The filming was brutal but so rewarding at the same time. Just being out in the desert for so long and dealing with wind storms and the elements was really hard. But what made it rewarding was the fact that the whole cast and crew pulled together and became a family and we all worked together. Everyone lifted each other up, and we got through it together. I cannot say enough good things about this cast and crew. Every single person was incredible.

MM: Was it difficult to get the special effects included and how important were jump scares?

TN: It was not that difficult because we had the amazing David Greathouse and Beki Ingram with us handling the special effects.

Although they would probably say, it was hard, since they had to deal with the elements. Almost all the effects were practical and House and Bek I are some of the best in the business. I have worked with them both before, and I would work with them on every film if I could. The jump scares are definitely important. Thats why I wanted to have pros handle the effects so we could get it right.

MM: Years ago, there was a serial killer named David Parker Ray who tortured and killed women in an RV that he dubbed The Toybox, so howif at alldid that horrifying true story influence the plot of this film?

TN: After we came up with the road trip/RV idea we quickly found out about the real toybox killer, and it definitely inspired us for sure.

We just ultimately did not want to do a based on story or call it inspired by. But I can say that reading about him definitely inspired some of our ideas.

MM: What is your favorite scene and why are you so fond of that particular moment?

TN: Thats a tough one. Its really hard to pick an absolute favorite; I like different scenes for different reasons. One of my favorites is when Steve (played by Jeff Denton) has to deal with the death of a family member. I wont say which one and spoil it. But he did an incredible job and the way the edit came out really worked for me. It was better than expected.

Audiences, films, and the horror genre

MM: What has audience response been like so far and are you planning to put this movie in the film festival circuit?

TN: The audience response has been really good so far. We screened it at Texas Frightmare and had an amazing response. We also were in the Northeast Film Festival and got nominated for best picture. Jeff Denton and Mischa Barton both won for best actor, and it was pretty cool, I won the best director award. So, I am very humbled and grateful for the positive response we have so far. That will be it for festivals because it comes out September 18 nationwide.

MM: What other films are you makingor planningnow and are you intending to focus on the horror genre?

TN: I do love the horror genre, but it is not my complete focus. I would love to step away from horror and try something else definitely.

There are a few things being talked about, and we do have a great script that is titled Daisy right now. Its still close to the horror genre, but it is a bit more of a psychological thriller.

MM: What are your big dreams for the future of your career as a director and is there anything else that you would like to add?

TN: I just want to be able to tell stories that touch people in some way. The best feeling for me as a director is sitting in a theater and seeing people react. Sometimes its not always how you intended them too, but getting a reaction or inspiring some kind of emotion out of them is priceless. Especially when you see them smiling after the film.Whitsunday Islands off the Queensland coast of Australia is a tourist spot in the Great Barrier Reef and the recent incidents of attacks by tiger sharks have taken the authorities by surprise. The 12-year-old girl was from Melbourne, while the 46-year-old woman was from Tasmania, and both suffered shark bites on the legs. These happened within 24 hours of each other at more or less than the same spot and both have been hospitalized. They are believed to be critical but stable.

Sky News reports that as a preventive measure, the authorities killed two sharks that were in the region by using traps to ensnare them.

One of the tiger sharks was nearly 11ft long. Normally the waters are safe and the Australian broadcaster ABC has said that these shark attacks were the first in eight years.

Australia tiger sharks killed after attack on tourists near Great Barrier Reef https://t.co/eW3xja9fTj https://t.co/DqDqr5n43e pic.twitter.com/HPQKyUROrW  Germany Talks (@Germany525) September 22, 2018

Safety of the people must be ensured

Fisheries Queensland have put in place deadly traps ignoring objections from conservationists and marine scientists. They have made use of Drum lines with baited hooks and these will be there for the next few days, probably a week. This will ensure safety of swimmers. Of course, shark attacks are very rare in the region but in view of the latest incidents, such precautionary measures are expected to provide a certain level of safety for the people

It is difficult to ascertain whether the tiger sharks that have been killed were responsible for the attacks but, action has been taken and the carcasses will be moved out to sea for disposal.

Officials of concerned departments along with water police will patrol the Whitsunday Islands and swimmers are being advised to avoid the waters for some days. Incidentally, New South Wales has conducted trials on non-lethal measures to reduce such risks. They have used aerial drones to track the movement of sharks and pass on the information in advance.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

It was necessary to kill the sharks

According to The Break Area, the manager of Queensland Fisheries has indicated that the killing of the tiger sharks was not a cull. Jeff Krause is the manager of the shark control program, and he has told Australias ABC that steps will be taken to confirm whether the sharks killed were indeed the attackers.

This will involve matching their teeth with the wounds inflicted on the victims. The attacks took place outside Cid Harbour in the Whitsunday Islands region. This is a popular tourist destination near the Great Barrier Reef. The authorities cannot be faulted because shark attacks can lead to serious consequences including loss of lives.Here is another week with another theory to puzzle the question what happened to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in March 2014. Almost every week arrives with a new speculations about the doomed flight but the biggest mystery of aviation history is still unsolved.

People around the world are still unable to believe that a Boeing 777 of Malaysia Airlines disappear suddenly and completely without trace along with 238 other passengers and crew. The web users often search for the latest MH370 news to know about any update which can give them a relief to believe in this modern era when an iPhone can be traced anywhere.

The 53-year-old pilot-in-command Zaharie Ahmad Shah of doomed flight remained in the headlines since the plane vanished.

The young Instagram model twins Lan Qi Hui and Qi Min Lan are trending this week who were begged by the pilot Shah. He was ignored most of the times in his 97 separate Facebook comments.

Hes been described as self-destructive by psychologists after his Facebook messages have been revealed. Britains The Sun and Daily Star Online have deep eyes on almost every development about the plane. They publish, every week, a new story for the curious readers who always ask search engines to know the reason behind this mystery.

Here they came with a new story. Shahs friends and family members described him a easy going and kind but the latest messages show the stalker Shah. SELF DESTRUCT MODE Married MH370 pilot, 53, bombarded model twins with 97 creepy messages before doomed flight vanished, The Sun entitled a new article today.

MH370 pilot STALKED twin models with sexual messages in year before flights disappearance, Star Online posted with the words sexually suggestive and flirty messages for models messages by the pilot.

26-year-old sisters and Instagram model twins had 30-years difference of age with Shah at in March 2014. When in KL?, How about KL?, he invited models again and again in his messages to come and visit him in his home city of Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia.

Shah was against the policies of government. He used social media to slam its policies as one he called moron to Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. There is a rebel in each and every one of us. Let it out!, Shah wrote.

Zaharie Shah should had been fired if he had such strong anti-government views, aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas from airlineratings.com told Austrailian media.

It should have raised serious alarm bells with the airline that you have someone flying who has such strong anti-government views, Thomas told Australias Daily Telegraph. If a Qantas pilot did something like that, he would be spoken to and grounded.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was deliberately turned off course and plunged into Indian Ocean, it was revealed in the final report of Malaysian government.With the recent placement by President Duterte of the NFA (National Food Authority) under the supervision of the head of the DA (Department of Agriculture), food policymaking in this country has come full circle. Food policy-making authority had been lodged with the DA since Independence Day. The governments technical personnel were happy with that administrative arrangementafter all, agriculture embraced foodbut certain politicians wanted to see an agency devoted to the food crops. Thus was NARIC (National Rice and Corn Administration) born. When NARIC became enmeshed in politics and corruption, the decision was made to try and sanitize the agency by renaming it NGA (National Grains Authority). Later the agency underwent another change of name; NGA gave way to NFA, to emphasize the fact that it was food that was under consideration. With President Dutertes Executive Order, food policymaking authority has been returned to DA, where it all began. The professed concern of the proponents of a separate agency for food was the prioritization of food in the governments policy hierarchy. It was argued that, with an agency of its own, food would enjoy priority at the hands of the dispensers of fiscal and other benefits. Separated and distinct, a food agency would not suffer the inattention and parsimony habitually accorded to DA by the Executive Department and Congress. NFAs champions were correct in their calculations. The food agency did come to enjoy the fiscal policymakers favor and preferential attention. Indeed, one measure of the policymakers complaisant attitude toward NFA were the huge explosion of NFAs debt. One of the three largest items in the governments domestic-debt service is the debt of NFA. Nowhere in the law creating NFA is there a provision allowing NFA to engage in losing operations. Yet year after year NFA piles up operational losses, to the point where the agencys name has become virtually synonymous with losses. Thats because NFAs management has acquired the mindset that NFA is required to provide Filipinos with cheap rice at all cost. Cheap rice, yes; NFA is mandated by law to provide cheap rice, but it is not required to do so at a loss. Cheap rice. Unfortunately, rice, being the staple food of the low-income groups, is a political commodity and lends itself to the overwhelming influence of partisan politics.If the truth must be told, NFA has never really been interested in keeping Filipinos supplied with low-priced but domestically produced rice. With its enormous budget, NFA could well operate in a manner that was supportive of Filipino farmers. Given the levels of the farmgate prices that NFA pays them for their outputthats around P17 per kilogram at presentthere is little incentive for Filipino farmers to be more efficient. The resulting low per-hectare yield gives rise to inadequate domestic production, which, when sold to NFA, becomes known as NFA rice. Naturally, the supply of low-priced NFA rice is soon exhausted. Enter imports. Paraphrasing the Department of Tourism slogan, Theres more fun in imports. Imports yield under-the-table commissions, even when done on a government-to-government basis; purchases from domestic farmers dont give rise to commissions. Thats why NFA management is trigger-happy whenever the possibility of supply deficits arises. This country has the resource endowment with which to achieve self-sufficiency in rice, but as long as NFA is structured the way it is and as long as the present NFA management is oriented, like its predecessors, toward imports, that desideratum will be elusive. Over the years NFA has been associated with supply deficits, imports operating losses, heavy indebtedness, inefficiency and corruption. Clearly, the experiment with an agency charged with delivering national food security has failed. Time to bring food policymaking back into the fold of the DA. The name Department of Agriculture and Food would, in the light of the latest structural change, be entirely appropriate.We walk a thin line between death and life

The Russian Defense Ministry held a press conference to discuss the destruction of a Russian military aircraft with people on board off the coast of Syria, which happened at the same time that Israeli and French forces were mounting aerial attacks on targets in Syria.The Il-20 aircraft has been downed by Syrian military forces after Israel jets put it under attack off the Syrian coast, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov stated. According to the spokesman, the Israeli jets delibe

Source: Russian MoD Blames Israel for Downing Il-20, Tel Aviv Says its Syrias Fault  Sputnik International

So, it seems by what I know about war is that Israel used the Il-20 as cover and sent missiles to attack Syrian army positions. Israel knew full well that Syria would defend itself and let the Russian craft (only a cargo craft) take the hit

You suck Israel.but then I have said that before about the Israel Gov

WtRToday, Sept. 25, 2018, is a wonderful day for the Ateneo de Manila University. Our community will gather together at Irwin Theatre in the Loyola Campus for the conferment of the 2018 Traditional University Awards. The awardees, as they are every year, have diverse backgrounds: a printmaker, a human rights lawyer, a peacemaker and a diplomat are this years awardees. For sure, Virgilio Aviado, Carlos Medina, Zenaida Brigida Pawid and Albert del Rosario are great Filipinos. The Ateneo de Manila University honors itself more in honoring these individuals. Aviado is the 2018 Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi awardee. The Ateneo de Manila University created this award to recognize those who have dedicated their lifes work to the pursuit of Filipinism and the Filipino identity through any of the channels of culture. This award was first given in April 1970 to Mr. Amado Hernandez and was conferred on violinist Alfonso Bolipata last year. In conferring the Tanglaw ng Lahi Award to Pandy Aviado, the university recognized his dedication to the art of printmaking and the excellence with which he pursued it. He has produced hundreds of prints, garnered a multitude of awards, and has participated in more than a hundred exhibitions here and abroad. The university also recognized this artists work in promoting the use of printmaking techniques in contemporary and hybrid forms, through workshops for students and practitioners of printmaking and in successfully lobbying for a permanent workshop space for the Printmakers Association of the Philippines, now called the Association of Pinoyprintmakers (A/P). Zenaida Brigida H. Pawid, Manang Briggs to us who have worked and fought policy and governance battle with her, will be conferred the Ozanam Award. The Ozanam Award honors Christian laymen or laywomen who work for charity and justice. The Award is named after Frederick Ozanam, now Saint, the great French Catholic leader, who founded the St. Vincent de Paul Society for the relief of the poor. It was awarded last year to Synergeia Foundation under the leadership of Milweda Guevarra. Manang Briggs is a known stalwart in peace and development community, having dedicated more than 30 years of her life to protecting the rights of the indigenous peoples (IP) of the Cordillera region in northern Philippines, focusing especially on the restoration of their ancestral rights and peacebuilding. She has also been active in peace work, among others representing the IPs during the governments peace negotiations with the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army and the Communist Party of the Philippines. In relation to this, Manang Briggs was instrumental in creating peace zones in the region and was vital to the passage of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA). One of the big joys in my professional life as an indigenous peoples rights and environmental lawyer has been collaborating with Manang Briggs from the 1990s when we were both in civil society and more recently when she became Chair of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples during the Aquino (PNoy) administration. Speaking of the Aquino administration, the Ateneo de Manila University will be conferring on Albert F. del Rosario, former Foreign Affairs Secretary, one of its highest awardsthe degree of Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa. This award is in recognition of del Rosarios brilliance as a diplomat, his love for all Filipinos and especially those in our diaspora, a strong commitment to good and effective governance, personal discipline and an incredible work ethic, his devotion to family, and for patriotism beyond the call of duty. As described in the university citation: Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Albert del Rosario pursued a foreign policy that was truly independent, principled and based on the rule of law, and relentlessly promoted and defended the national interest of the Philippines in the global arena. His dedication to the protection and welfare of Filipinos in all parts of the world was legendary. Under his leadership, the Philippines won a big victory in the arbitration case it filed against China. If in the end, we will triumph against attempts to undermine our territory and sovereignty, it is because Secretary Del Rosario, with other like-minded Filipinos, stood their ground and drew sharp lines in the seas. Future generations will benefit. Finally, there is Carlos P. Medina Jr. who will receive the Parangal Lingkod Sambayanan. The Award is in recognition of outstanding public service of an individual or organization, with public service defined as areas of endeavor that supplement or complement what government should be or is doing e.g., helping the needy, protecting the environment, promoting public discourse, promoting peace and development. Karl Gaspar was the 2017 awardee. Chochoy to all of us who loved him, Medina was director of the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) for more than 20 years. He was a pioneering and leading light in the alternative law community of the Philippines. Regionally, he played a strategic role in the promotion and defense of human rights in the Philippines and Asean region, succeeding in what was thought to be an impossible missionthe establishment of a regional human rights mechanism, the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.Equally important was Chochoys work in electoral reforms and election monitoring. In the crucial elections of 2007, which followed the 2004 elections plagued with allegations of cheating by the Arroyo administration, he led the convening of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) which continues to be a leading advocate for clean and honest elections. President In July 2010, Noynoy Aquino appointed Medina to the Truth Commission headed by former Chief Justice Hilarion Davide. Unfortunately, the commission was not able to continue its work when the Supreme Court declared its creation unconstitutional. I have known Chochoy for 42 years. I first met him in 1976 when we were first year students in Ateneo de Manila. Being both Mindanawons, we stayed in Cervini Hall, Ateneos dormitory for students. Later, we became classmates in most of our subjects being both philosophy majors, influenced by our brilliant and wise dorm prefect Eddie Calasanz. Chochoy was so impressive during our college years; he commanded attention and respect. He was focused, disciplined, and articulate. He was passionate, tooI can still recall how he mesmerized us with his rendition of Andres Bonifacios Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang lupa (English Translation: Love for Ones Homeland) which he recited on the martial law anniversary of 1979. I was so sure that Chochoy would one day be a congressman and senator and eventually the President of the Philippines, the first from Mindanao and his hometown Davao City. He seemed to have been destined for politics. But he chose a different path, a better one in my viewhe chose to become a human rights lawyer and a law professor. Using the AHRC and the Ateneo law School as his base, Chochoy mentored and formed hundreds of human rights lawyers in the Philippines and abroad. Through this work, he has ensured that the work of defending and promoting human rights will be continued by new generations of lawyers and advocates. In 2001, Chochoy suffered an aneurysm, from which he still has to fully recover. In these last seven years, we have seen him struggle with its impact on his motor skills even as his intellectual abilities have remained the same. He avidly follows what is happening in the country and the world. The Ateneo de Manila University is honored to confer its Parangal Lingkod Sambayanan award to Carlos Medina Jr. His professional life has always been a public serviceas a teacher and lawyer, and for human rights, clean election, and good governance. And today, Chochoys choice to live and love courageously is a public servicehe challenges us, he ennobles us. Welcome back, Chochoy!We had recently reported that Ram Charan has been shooting for the past few days in Azerbaijan for his upcoming film in Boyapati Sreenus direction. Now, Kiara Advani, the films lead actress, has joined the team in Baku, Azerbaijan, and she will reportedly be shooting for a song and a few scenes with Ram Charan in the ongoing schedule.

It is Kiaras first film with Ram Charan, and after making her debut in Telugu with Mahesh Babus Bharat Ane Nenu, the actress became a heartthrob among the youth. Although, she hasnt signed another film in Telugu, Kiara has become quite busy with ample work in Bollywood. The latest rumour is that she has reportedly been signed up to play the lead role opposite Shahid Kapoor in the Hindi remake of Arjun Reddy.

RC12 is slated for release in early 2019. More details about the film are awaited.









Articles that might interest you:Much was said during the 46th anniversary of martial law. In September 1972, strongman Ferdinand Edralin Marcos issued Proclamation 1081 which placed the entire country under martial law. Much more has been uttered by Leftists, communists and Marcos haters on what they call the dark pages of history. They recite alleged atrocities and violation of human rights and civil liberties. All these bring to fore the question: Is Marcos a heel or a hero? I would like to quote Justice Manuel Lazaro, former Marcos Government Corporate Counsel and Court of Appeals Justice. He wrote the foreword to The Marcos Legacy which my colleague Cecilio Arillo wrote as an objective narration and exposition of events. Lazaro is now president of the Philconsa (Philippine Constitution Association) chaired by former Rep. Martin Romualdez. Lazaro wrote: He [Marcos] is a hero to those who are aware and appreciative of his remarkable performance and achievements. However, he is heel to those who envy his ingenuity, vision and foresight and to those who take revenge and hatred. Thus, the answer depends on who is talking. It is a matter of perspective. Some may say that Lazaro being with the Marcos government is biased. But I myself look at the entire picture of what Marcos did. History tells us that Marcos was not only facing the threat of communism. Communists were acting in connivance with the Liberal Party opposition and civil society in media, labor academe, the Church and in parliament where legislators and their sympathizers were already knocking on the gates of Malacanang. He was also facing the separatist movement of the Muslims in Mindanao. In other words, Marcos was fighting on several fronts and he had to do something when Mao Tse Tung-inspired communists were already having their arms brought to Northern Luzon. Santa Banana, if it were not for martial law, God knows what could have happened to the country! The Supreme Court upheld martial law because it was allowed by the 1935 Constitution to suppress rebellion. Public safety required it. People often forget that Marcos was responsible for the North and South Expressways, the Marcos Highway to Baguio, and the Marcos Maharlika Highway that extends from Leyte to Luzon. Significantly, out of the 2,036 presidential decrees issued by Marcos, only 67 have been repealed or modified. Santa Banana, the Marcos laws still govern us today! Lazaro put it very well when he said: In a manner of speaking, Marcos the corpus is dead. But Marcos the law giver lives, pulsating vibrantly. His laws are eloquent proof of his wisdom, vision and foresight in crafting policies for good and effective governance. Marcos also crafted and issued signal laws that have been hailed and lauded by all succeeding administrations. I would even say that Marcos was the most brilliant among all the presidents I have known. He also had the best Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Cesar Virata, with Roberto Ongpin, Gerardo Sicat, O.D. Corpuz, Juan Ponce Enrile and Estelito Mendoza. Lazaro said that with times healing hands, FM will be vindicated. He is a great man unjustly judged at the wrong time by the wrong minds. Time and history will vindicate his vision and foresight, especially in lawmaking. Generations freed from the ugly blemishes of hate, vengeance and prejudice will look more kindly and with gratitude on his achievements and contributions to the nation. All I can say to that is Amen.*** In another context, Marcos haters say that attempts to distort and revise history demean the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution. Santa Banana, when people talk of Edsa 1, I am puzzled. I know that when people talk about revolution or rebellion, they mean an entire change of government, the substitution of another form of government by the governed. I think the 1986 People Power Revolution is a misnomer. In fact, historians Salvador Escalante and J. Augustus dela Paz of the Truth and Justice Foundation said that Edsa One was never a revolution but a pocket mutiny that grew into a localized revolt, with less than half a million people out of the more than 80 million Filipinos at that time. Santa Banana, how could it be a revolution when Edsa One happened only in Quezon City, not participated in by the masses, much less from Filipinos in Visayas and Mindanao! The same historians lamented that the 1986 People Power Revolution has been made as a shady and shallow series of Edsa commemorative celebrations. But, really, is there anything to celebrate and commemorate? In short, Edsa One was nothing but a change of regime and a President. The worst part was when it was said Cory Aquino was the icon of democracy. She was not even at Edsa, She was hiding at the Pink Sisters Convent and went only as far as the corner of Edsa and Ortigas Avenue. I asked Enrile once why he decided to make Cory the president post-Edsa. He said she was the face of the opposition. He and his companions had already formed a civilian junta at that time to take power from Marcos, but Enrile was not too sure that the junta would be acceptable to the people. That, in short, was the history of Edsa. The tragedy is that the aspirations of the people, the same ones that moved them to go to Edsa, were never realized. In fact, Cory Aquinos presidency was hounded by nine, I repeat, nine, coup attempts. *** President Duterte should not be repeating an alleged ouster plan by a combined group of communists, the Magdalo Group, the Liberal Party and his critics. The so-called Red October attempt will never happen because the President remains very popular, enjoying a high trust and satisfaction rating. How can there be an alleged ouster plan when the Communist Party of the Philippines has its own agenda to overthrow the government? More importantly there is no single credible personality with enough following who can lead the ouster of the President. The less the President talks about destabilization, the better for him. Foreign investors do not like a country where the president is being ousted.by Carl Pierer

In the first part of this essay, the axiom of choice was introduced and a rather counterintuitive consequence was shown: the Banach-Tarski Paradox. To recapitulate: the axiom of choice states that, given any collection of non-empty sets, it is possible to choose exactly one element from each of them. This is uncontroversial in the case where the collection is finite. Simply list all the sets and then pick an element from each. Yet, as soon as we consider infinite collections, matters get more complicated. We cannot explicitly write down which element to pick, so we need to give a principled method of choosing. In some cases, this might be straightforward. For example, take an infinite collection of non-empty subsets of the natural numbers. Any such set will contain a least element. Thus, if we pick the least element from each of these sets, we have given a principled method. However, with an infinite collection of non-empty subsets of the real numbers, this particular method does not work. Moreover, there is no obvious alternative principled method. The axiom of choice then states that nonetheless such a method exists, although we do not know it. The axiom of choice entails the Banach-Tarski Paradox, which states that we can break up a ball into 8 pieces, take 4 of them, rotate them around and put them back together to get back the original ball. We can do the same thing with the remaining 4 pieces and get another ball of exactly the same size. This allows us to duplicate the ball.

The second part of this essay demonstrated a useful consequence (or indeed, an equivalent) of the axiom of choice, known as Zorns Lemma and looked at a few applications of this Lemma. Two positions have been mapped out in the course of this essay. On the one hand, the axiom has very counterintuitive consequences, so much so that theyve received the name of a paradox. On the other hand, the axiom proves to be very useful in deducing mathematical propositions. These considerations lead back to the question that had already been raised at the end of the first part: how are we to decide on the status of an axiom, on whether to accept it or reject it?

In this third and final part of the essay, we will take a more philosophical approach to this problem. In particular, we will look at a possible resolution offered by Penelope Maddy in her Defending the Axioms. The solution offered would lead onto further questions about the nature of mathematics: what is mathematics actually about? At the same time, Maddys view is based on a certain conception of proof that does not really reflect mathematical practice. The essay, due to limitations, only hints at a different perspective offered by looking at what mathematicians actually do and what role proofs play for them.

*

In her recent Defending the Axioms, mathematician and philosopher Penelope Maddy raises the question how set theoretic principles can be defended. More precisely, for Maddy mathematics progresses by proofs and proofs have to start somewhere. This somewhere are usually the fundamental assumptions or axioms of set theory. However, in contrast to the old Euclidean axioms, some of the set theoretic axioms do not convince by mere intuitiveness. The question thus becomes what are the proper methods to defend set theoretic axioms. In her book, Maddy attempts to answer this question by sketching how a special field of mathematics (so-called pure mathematics) came into being and how this coincides with questions asking about the foundations of mathematics becoming more pressing. This leads her on to investigate how progress of pure maths is guided, of which mathematical entities and proof techniques are legitimate, of what constraints our methods must properly satisfy. [i]



The brief sketch of the history of mathematics Maddy gives, the relation between mathematics and science undergoes a radical change. She begins with Plato, who considered mathematics the highest form of knowledge  as opposed to science, which he considered as uncertain and changeable. At the time of Galileo and Newton, this already began to change. For them mathematics and science were one and the same: the great thinkers of that time  from Descartes and Galileo to Huygens and Newton  did mathematics as science and science as mathematics without any effort to separate the two. [ii] Nowadays, this relation has been all but inverted: science, for the positivists of the Vienna Circle and their heirs, is the measure of all things. Any sentence was meaningful only insofar it expressed some content that could be empirically verified. Such a strong and radical position of course threatens to dispense with mathematics altogether (how could a principle such as the axiom of choice ever be empirical verified?). Thus, their solution was to view mathematics as purely linguistic, as true by the conventions of language, as telling us nothing contentful about the world.[iii]



How did we go from a conceived and practiced unity of science and mathematics in the 16th and 17th century CE to the radical theses of the Vienna Circle? For Maddy, this happened when mathematics slowly became detached from its worldly roots. In fact, the whole picture of mathematics and what mathematics is about changed. She proposes three ways in which this happened.

1. The pursuit of various purely mathematical goals gradually led mathematicians to new studies not motivated by their immediate application to the world. In the 19th century, gradually mathematics introduced non-empirical concepts, ideas that are not tied to the world we experience: complex numbers, n-dimensional spaces, and the like. This slowly led to the dominant orthodoxy today: Mathematics progresses by its own lights, independent of ties to the physical world. Legitimate mathematical concepts and theories need not have any direct physical interpretation.

2. Mathematical theories were protected from empirical falsification by positing a special realm of abstracta about which they remain true. This was the case for when Riemannian geometry developed in departure from the classical and much more intuitive Euclidean geometry.

3. Finally, the view developed that our best mathematical accounts of physical phenomena arent the literal truths Newton took them for, but free-standing abstract models that resemble the world in ways that are complex and sometimes not fully understood.

With these developments, the mathematician finds herself in an entirely new situation: pure mathematics detached itself from empirical science and needed no longer to be justified by application to observable phenomena. The question then arose how else to ground mathematics? In this brave new world, where can the pure mathematician turn for guidance? How can we properly determine if a new sort of entity is acceptable or a new method of proof reliable? What constrains our methodological choices? [iv] In this changed setting, mathematicians newly emphasis rigour: whereas earlier generations of mathematicians were happy with imprecise or even erroneous proofs, as long as it worked, the new, pure branch of mathematics had much stricter requirements. The central tool of this process was axiomatisation: as exemplified in Hilberts axioms for geometry and

Dedekinds for the real numbers. Maddy continues:

But it was widely appreciated that simply laying down a list of axioms wasnt enough to establish that they succeed in describing a genuine structure.  What emerged gradually  in the theory of functions, in Dedekinds constructions of the reals, in the foundations of arithmetic and elsewhere  is that set theory provides a natural arena in which to interpret the myriad structural descriptions of mathematics, to settle which are and arent coherent. [v]



For Maddy, it is set theory which enables us to answer all sorts of mathematical questions: the existence of mathematical objects or structures is determined by finding an instance or surrogate for it in the set-theoretic hierarchy. The provability of propositions is decided by checking whether it follows from the axioms of set theory. As Maddy writes enthusiastically: In this way, set theory furnishes us with a single tool that can give explicit meaning to questions of existence and coherence; make previously unclear concepts and structures precise; identify perfectly general fundamental assumptions that play out in many different guises in different fields; facilitate interconnections between disparate branches of mathematic now all uniformly represented; open the door to new strong hypotheses to settle old open questions; and so on. [vi]



This view of set theory, together with the genesis of pure mathematics, provides Maddy with a twofold way to reject the problem posed by the Banach-Tarski paradox. The first is afforded by the third aspect of how pure mathematics became separated form empirical science: In fact, if pure mathematics does not give literal truths about the physical universe, but rather abstract models resembling the world, there is no reason to suppose that the (mathematical) consequences we might derive in the abstract sphere find exact implementations in the physical world. The drastic step to reject the axiom because it leads to impalpable consequences is not needed: instead of modifying our model, understanding that its application to the physical world is subtle might lead us to apply with due care, making sure not to rely too heavily on its more esoteric aspects. [vii] The second is to use the second aspect of the story: if we suppose that indeed the physical world is literally modelled by subsets of R3, going through the Banach-Tarski construction we show an impossible consequence of the axiom and hence empirically falsified it. However, as Maddy rightly points out, there is an issue here: why reject the axiom of choice and not some other premise  for instance the assumption that the world is modelled by subsets of R3? She suggests that in light of the success of the axiom of choice, it might be more reasonable to replace this assumption with the idea that the world is better modelled by all measurable subsets of R3  which would push the Banach-Tarski paradox into the realm of abstracta, thereby depriving it of its bite. As Maddy writes: Once we have those well-stocked warehouses, any candidate for an empirical confirmation or disconfirmation of the mathematics is more reasonably viewed as confirming or disconfirming the claim that the best model has been identified.[viii]



Of course, at this point all the argument has done is to show that an empirically unpalpable consequence of an axiom in itself is not conclusive reason to reject the axiom. Nonetheless, it provides us with a good sketch of a way out of the predicament we found ourselves in at the end of the two previous parts of this essay. It would be interesting to continue from here and examine the question what mathematics is actually about  both in Maddys view and in that of other philosophers. Unfortunately, such an endeavour would go beyond the scope of the present essay.

An entirely different perspective is open up by challenging the assumption that Maddy departs from: what if proofs do not play this crucial role in mathematics? What if mathematical practice is guided by a different principle? There is a good argument to be made here, following the wonderful Eugenia Chengs presentation of morality in mathematics [ix]. In essence, her argument is that proofs  as understood by philosophers  do not play such an important role in mathematical practice. Instead, her point is that what is much more relevant for mathematicians is understanding and a sense of coherence. Regrettably, a full discussion of this theory cannot be given in the present essay.

*

In this last part of this essay, we have looked at Penelope Maddys approach to settling the question and presented a solution to the problem under discussion that draws on the development of pure mathematics as a discipline in its own right and distinct from any physical applications. This, however, raised further questions as to the subject matter of mathematics. In addition, it was suggested that this solution is based on a certain conception of proofs that does not reflect actual mathematical practice. While the further examination of these issues sadly lies beyond the scope of the essay, the present discussion illustrated a nice mathematical consequence of the axiom of choice which runs counter our physical intuitions. In the second part, we showed that there are some consequences to the axiom that are highly productive in mathematics and hence mounted a kind of defence of the axiom. In the present part, we showed one way in which this particular axiom can be defended.

***

References:

Cheng, E. (2004, January 23). Mathematics, morally.



Talk at the Cambridge University Society for the Philosophy of

Mathematics



. Cambridge. Retrieved from http://cheng.staff.shef.ac.uk/morality/

Maddy, P. (2013).



Defending the Axioms: On the Philosophical Foundations of Set Theory.



Oxford: Oxford University Press.by Joseph Shieber

The German philosopher Albrecht Wellmer died earlier this month in Berlin, on September 13 at the age of 85.

A member of the second generation of the Frankfurt School, Wellmer was a Ph.D. student of Adornos, a professorial assistant of Habermass, and a colleague of Arendts.

Although Wellmer wrote both of his dissertions (the Promotionsschrift and the Habilitationsschrift) on topics in the philosophy of science, he soon turned to ethics and critical theory, and later to the study of the philosophy of language and the philosophy of music. He held positions as a professor at the New School for Social Research, the Universitat Konstanz, and the Freie Universitat Berlin. In 2006, he was awarded the Theodor Adorno Prize by the city of Frankfurt.

Infinitely less significant is that Wellmer also gave me my first job in philosophy, as a wissenschaftlicher Hilfsassistent  basically a teaching assistant  in the Institute for Hermeneutics in the philosophy department at the Free University of Berlin. I worked under him from 1994 to 1997, including serving as a teaching assistant for the lectures that were published in 2004 as Sprachphilosophie: Eine Vorlesung.

One of the pleasures of being a teaching assistant for Wellmer was that I was allowed to participate in the invitation-only, biweekly discussion group that Wellmer held with his assistant professors, Ph.D. students, and teaching assistants.

Generally, probably about fifteen people or so attended those discussions. During my time there, I remember our having tackled  often over the course of a semester or more  Hegels theory of tragedy, Brandoms Making It Explicit, Derridas Signature, Event, Context, and Heideggers Nietzsche volumes.

As a sample of the high level of the participation at those biweekly meetings, heres a  surely incomplete  list of the assistant professors and doctoral students who participated during the three years I attended the group who have since continued on to careers in philosophy: Eduardo Fermandois, Andrea Kern, Christoph Menke, Juliane Rebentisch, Sebastian Rodl, Ruth Sonderegger.

I remember at least one meeting with the discussion group in Wellmers airy, spacious apartment in Berlin, and how I was struck by the pride of place that Wellmers piano enjoyed in the apartment. Wellmer was, himself, quite an accomplished pianist, and it was evident how important music was to him  an abiding interest that he shared with his dissertation director, Adorno.

Wellmers deep connection to music got me thinking about some of the ways in which music and philosophy are analogues.

There is the distinction between composers and performers. Some philosophers  those who publish articles or books  are the composers of philosophys etudes and symphonies. Other philosophers focus more on performing: conveying the classics or the new music to new generations of budding connoisseurs.

There are the questions of relevance: Why waste your time with that? But how will you earn a living?

There are concerns that the field is overly focused on a too-narrow Western canon and that the major figures in the field lack an appropriate appreciation for the contributions of non-Western or other traditionally marginalized figures.

Finally, there is the fact that not everyone has an ear for it. Some can hear the beauty and the pathos, the terror and the joy. Others just hear noise.

For the lucky few for whom it has resonance, though, philosophy  like music  can be a source of consolation in dark and debased times.

I noted that some philosophers were composers while others were performers. Wellmer was both: a composer and a performer  both of the classics and the new music  whose contributions deserve to be remembered.

In his last book, Versuch uber Musik und Sprache, published in 2009, Wellmer assessed Adornos views on the place of music in society, and contrasted them with his own position.

According to Wellmer, Adorno was mistaken in seeing music as, at best, the promise and placeholder of a reconciled, of a free society. Adorno, according to Wellmer, was prevented from appreciating the true role of music because of Adornos pessimism about the inability of the hoodwinked masses to appreciate genuine art.

In contrast, Wellmer suggests that music in fact

opens itself to the world and  without sacrificing its autonomy or its historically situated compositional quality  finds a connection with the horizon of experience of contemporary listeners. It does so not in order so much to fraternize with them, but in order critically to engage with their experiences and perceptions.

Sounds like philosophy to me.by Abigail Akavia

Would I rather go deaf or blind? Every once in a while, I come back to this question in some version or another. Say I had to choose which sense Id lose in my old age, which would it be? I always give myself, unequivocally, the same answer: Id rather go blind. Id rather my world go darker than quieter. I imagine it as a choice between seeing the world and communicating with it; in this hypothetical, communication with the world is all-encompassing, its loss more devastating than the loss of sight. It is perhaps clear from the mere fact that I pose this question that I do not live with a disability involving the senses. Individuals who are vision- or hearing-impaired would have an entirely different take on this question and on the issues I raise below, but hopefully what I write here will go beyond stating my own prejudices.

To prefer sound over sight is by no means an obvious choice. One could say that a preference for sound over sight goes against millennia of Platonic thought, which prioritizes sight as giving us access to what is stable, verifiable, graspable to the minds eye: the idea is literally that which is seen (from id-, one of the Greek roots for to see). Sound, on the other hand, changes in time, it is fleeting, untrustworthy, and hence inferior.

But poetry and myth have offered an alternative way of thought. Ancient myth is populated by sage blind men like the prophet Tiresias and Oedipus (after, of course, he learns the truth about his identity). Their lack of physical sight is not only a counterpart to their exceptional insight into the way of the world but, to an extent, the very source of their intellectual and spiritual advantage. In the case of both, what they lack in perception they make up for in a remarkable facility with language. Tiresias advantage over his seeing adversaries is perhaps the better-known example, as he delivers truthful but irritatingly cryptic prophetic messages to Oedipus (in Sophocles Oedipus the King) and Creon (in Antigone). Managing to confuse and manipulate them, Tiresias has the rhetorical upper hand, and the audience always already knows that he is in the right. In Oedipus at Colonus, the last play Sophocles wrote, the old Oedipus turns up as a similarly prophetic, wrathful speaker of harsh truths, with a sharp ability to pick out the dissimulators from the honest ones around him by virtue of what they say. Neither mans ability to communicate is lessened by their blindness; in fact, it allows them to recognize and speak the truth more easily.

Isaac of the Old Testament may seem like a counter-example, representing the vulnerability of the blind (and the old, but thats a different story). Isaac is duped by his younger son Jacob to give him the inheritance rightfully due to the first-born Esau. And yet, the way Jacobs trick is almost exposed by his fatherthe voice is Jacobs voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau (Genesis 27:22)points precisely to the importance of the sense of sound that remains to the blind, and the sensory advantage that it may give them. Isaacs moment of doubt comes in response to that auditory uniqueness imprinted in and carried by Jacobs voicethat unmistakable identity that can only be recognized by the ear.

The voice is always for the ear, it is always relational; [] each voice, as it is for the ear, demands at the same time an ear that is for the voice. So writes philosopher Ariana Cavarero in For More than One Voice: Toward a Philosophy of Vocal Expression (Italian original, 2003). This focus on the relationality of the voice, the way it presupposes and prescribes listening, is shared by philosophers in both the continental and the American phenomenological traditions, who break with the established philosophical prioritizing of sight over sound. In The Responsibility of Forms (French original, 1982), Roland Barthes has proposed that the voice serves as a double index of a person: the innermost of ones physical movements as well as a reflection of emotional interiority. Listening to the voice, he suggests, is the basis for interpersonal relationship. Don Ihdes 1976 groundbreaking work Listening and Voice: A Phenomenology of Sound urges its readers to consider alternatives to the dominant visualism of our understanding of experience and the tyranny of voice-less reason. Ihdes writing stresses that voice, with its inherent musicalitythat inability-to-pin-it-down qualityis essentially human. Composer Pauline Oliveros advances an expansive notion of deep listening that involves the entire human body, ear, skin, bones, meridians, fluids and other organs and tissues of the body as coupled to the earth and its layers from the core to the magnetic fields.  All cells of the earth and body vibrate.

The thinkers I mention here have this in common: in prioritizing sound over sight, and in giving special attention to the voice and the vocalizing body, they strive to effect a re-evaluation of the ethics and politics of interpersonal relations. Listening becomes a crucial humanistic activity and a means to generate and sustain empathy in our relationships with each other and with the world.

In comes Nina Raines award-winning play Tribes (2010) and stands this whole re-adjusted hierarchy of senses on its head once again. Tribes, in its own way, also forces us to rethink our biasesas a culture, and as individuals with perfect vision and hearingby dramatizing voice in new and unexpected ways. Yet it is not by removing sight from one of the characters that it seeks to elevate the status of voice. Quite the contrary. The protagonists in this play are, to varying degrees, deaf. Here voice is enhanced because we come to see it on a continuum of modes of communication, a continuum which includes physical and entirely visual modes such as sign language and lip-reading. I must admit I have not seen the play performed, and this places another limitation on what I write here. My exposure to Tribes has been similar to what I am used to doing as a philologist reading ancient drama, mining the script for clues of what can only be experienced in live performance and is barely traceable in the printed text. But there is one important difference: Raines script includes extensive stage directions. These prescribe, for one, the actors gestures in sign language, an actual script of the physical dimension of the interaction between the characters. Second, they describe the audio and visual dimension of the performance, an entire visual-soundscape made up of music and projected supertitles.

Billy is a young man, the youngest of three siblings, born deaf but raised by his hearing family as non-deaf. He uses hearing aids and is a master of lip-reading. At the beginning of the play, he doesnt associate with other deaf people and has never learned sign language. This is exactly as his family likes it, especially his aggressively intellectual father (a patriarch who utters liberalist rants against identity politics) and his charming, depressed, and possessive older brother. Billy meets and falls in love with Sylvia, who was raised by two deaf parents and is gradually losing her hearing. The play shows us the path each of them follows to cross over to the others tribe, and the sense of loss this transition entails. Through his deep connection with Sylvia, Billy comes to realize that his family, his very restricted tribe, never truly listened to him, and he demands that they learn sign in order to remain in contact with him. Sylvia yearns for an empathic reaction to what she is going throughthe process of losing her hearing as a traumatic deprivation not only of sound but of her identityand she feels such empathy is entirely lacking from her tribe, the deaf community.

Billys father epitomizes the bias of the hearing against the deaf, for example when he patronizingly presents Sylvia with increasingly complex sentences to translate into sign, finally asking her point blank to admit to the inferiority of sign-language. Sylvia wont have it: Are you asking me whether signing makes you a coarser person because signing is a coarse language? Whether deaf people are emotionally deaf as well, lack empathy? Tribes repeatedly dramatizes the fuzzy boundary between having an emotion, arousing empathy, and feeling empathy. To feel something is to be able to put it into words, in whatever form or language they may be, and to communicate it to another so that theyd understand.

Fundamentally, this play asks what is the meaning of love. This may sound corny, yet its anything but. Tribes is at its most lyrical when first Billy and then Daniel essentially try to articulate their love for another person. Billys voice, the stage directions indicate, starts to fragment because the batteries in his hearing aids are about to die out, and he sounds like someone on a mobile phone with fragmenting reception. This begins when he tries to express how excited he is at meeting Sylvia and her family, a family where everybody signs. He becomes barely intelligible when he says it was like a light being lit in my mind [] shes the one. The script gives us his fragmented speech shethenn as well as the projected supertitles translating his speech for us. Using both semiotic registers, both sight and sound, it conveys: this is what it is to use (limiting) words to express an unfathomably complex feeling. We see Billy trying out the words for the first time, literally feeling them out in his mouth, in a way that injects this hackneyed metaphorical expression with the freshness and urgency of genuine emotion. Daniel replies with a question: You like her?, as if that straightforward, juvenile expression can contain what Billy feels. Through meeting Sylvia, and then falling in love, learning sign language, finding a job, Billy sheds his role as his familys sheltered child and little brother. He finally matures, becomes capable of articulating himself in his separateness from his family. He comes into his own not by finding his voice, like the traditional teleological journey from infancy (literally, inability to speak) to adulthood, but by finding sign.

The process has the opposite effect on Daniel, whose childhood stammer returns and psychosis gets worse (he hears voices, of course). At the very end of the play, Daniels stutter is so bad that his voice becomes fragmented like Billys deaf speech. He can no longer speak, and the first word for which he asks to learn the gesture in sign-language is love. If Daniel is infantilized by the experience of losing Billy, he begins to recover both his adult self and his brotherhood not by recovering his voice but by returning tofinding for the first time, it seemsthe non-verbal gesture. Whats particularly moving here is that this is not marked as a reversion to the maternal embrace but as a mutual action between two adults. The embodied, non-vocal mode of communication finally becomes a true alternative, a true path towards recognizing oneself and ones connection to another. By focusing on the deaf community, and on the diverse individuals within it, Tribes enriches our understanding of the voice as the ultimate medium to inter-personal connections. It by no means undermines the philosophical-ethical enterprise to destabilize our dominant visualism. It enhances the commitment to a more holistic and inclusive notion of understanding and communication by allowing us to hear and see voice as something moresomething deeperthan sound.En espanol | From wristbands that help older adults cross busy intersections to businesses that hire more senior workers, countries around the world are finding creative ways to prepare for the challenges and opportunities of a world population that will reach 1 billion over the age of 65, according to the 2018 AARP Aging Competitive and Readiness (ARC) research, released Monday.

Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Lebanon, Mauritius, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore and Taiwan are the 2018 countries the ARC initiative examines. The research provided by FP Analytics reveals that these countries have a common goal: to not only treat the needs of older adults, but to value their contributions to their communities.

Nine of the 10 countries, for example, have universal health coverage and eight have national plans in place to manage dementia. In the Netherlands, two advocacy organizations and a national medical society joined forces to develop an age-friendly accreditation for hospitals that evaluates facilities based on 14 measures of quality, including access to a medical team specializing in geriatric care. The accreditation criteria were developed in close collaboration with both health care professionals and older adults. Today, more than half of Dutch hospitals can claim the age-friendly label.



AARP launched the ARC initiative last year to assess how countries around the world are responding to the globes demographic shift in ways that empower and engage older adults. This years research pinpoints the progress of 10 nations in four key areas: community, technology, the workforce, and health care and wellness.The coming month brings trouble, according to military officials.

Despite the fact that Red October has been outed, it remains in motion, they say. A broad coalition of anti-administration forces is hatching a plan to remove President Rodrigo Duterte from office. Armed Forces Assistant Deputy Chief for Operations Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade said two communist leaders, Rey Casambre and Satur Ocampo, are leading destabilization efforts against President Duterte. Also in on the scheme are the critics of the President, specifically supporters of the ousted chief justice, Maria Lourdes Sereno, and members of a group called Tindig Pilipinas. The military also said the plan includes egging labor groups to go on strike, an attempt at creating a dent on industry. Earlier this month, the President himself talked about a plot to get him out of office. He pointed to his usual vociferous critics as the culprits. It would be unfortunate if such plans were indeed in motion. These would disrupt not only the term of Mr. Duterte but more importantly our attempts to rise above our current difficultiesthink high prices, gaping income inequality, rampant corruption, sluggish infrastructure and achieve a modicum of progress.If there were indeed a coalition of unlikely partnerscommunists and middle-class individuals who themselves have stakes in businesses-then we cringe to think of the chaos that would ensue once they have toppled the presidency and started figuring out who should do what in its aftermath. Talk of destabilization in itself unsettling, not for the individual at the helm of government but for the people who know all too well the lessons in ousting somebody and then stopping right there. It also portrays a negative image of volatility at a time when we are desperate to attract tourists and foreign investors. At worst, talk of Red October or any other scheme conditions the peoples minds that danger is imminent and that government forces are ready to resort to harsh measures to contain it. At best, it takes the mind of our officials off the real work they must do: Improve the lot of Filipinos instead of obsessing about whether they will still be in power next month, or next year.Third person dies after shooting in Scotland, South Dakota

The Division of Criminal Investigation said the shooting was the result of a "domestic-related altercation."April Molina, who calls herself an entrepreneur by nature, has started three companies.

She sold her last one, a clothing line, to launch her latest venture, Kids Luv Yoga, which offers techniques she and her husband developed for her son, who has autism.

The business has 30 certified instructors serving three dozen Albuquerque-area public and private schools and offers training to schoolteachers.

Still, Molina says, shes often dismissed as a hobbyist.

I believe its hard as a woman to be seen as a CEO, as a confident leader, Molina says. People say, Its a cute idea, its just mom doing a thing.'

Molina is among a growing number of female entrepreneurs in New Mexico, although the growth is much more muted than in other states.

New Mexico is ranked No. 45 in womens economic clout, which includes growth in the number of female-owned firms, as well as growth in the number of people they employ and revenue generated, according to the annual State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, released last month with projections for 2018.

The report, commissioned by American Express, shows a 21 percent rise in female-owned businesses in New Mexico since 2007, compared to 58 percent nationwide.

As with the rest of the country, much of New Mexicos growth has been fueled by Hispanic women, who had a 51 percent increase, and Native Americans, at 27 percent growth. (No state figures were available for African-American women.)

Despite the lag in growth, female-owned businesses still account for 39 percent of all companies in New Mexico  similar to the nations 40 percent. But their revenues are limited to just over 5 percent of the states total business revenues, according to the Small Business Administrations New Mexico office.

And while employment by female-owned firms in New Mexico went up 12 percent since 2007, the national figure was 21 percent. Those revenue and employment figures could reflect the number of female firms in the state that are solopreneur ventures or one-employee shops, said Agnes Noonan, executive director of WESST, a business development organization. Because New Mexicos wages are relatively low, some women find it more profitable to go into business for themselves rather than seek another kind of job, she said.

Preparing for success

Monica Jojola started Montech Inc., which provides government contract support services, in 2011, but she had been thinking about launching her own company for years.

Jojola, who was working as business development director at Chickasaw Nation Industries, become acquainted with the nitty-gritty of government contracting and made a broad network of contacts before making her move.

I could see men spinning off companies left and right, but not many women were willing to play in that lane, she said. I wanted to be a part of it.

Montech, with an office at the edge of the Albuquerque airport, has 30 full-time and about 15 part-time employees.

Jojola said her secret to success was her long preparation of learning the business while at Chickasaw Nation.

Although she faced few stumbling blocks, she could see only a handful of women who were doing what she was doing and who could serve as role models.

If you asked a young man starting a business, who do you see, they could name company after company (headed) by men, Jojola said. Can a young gal see that? Not as much.

Lacking a richness of entrepreneurial tradition, women often struggle with a fear of failure and a fear of assuming debt, and thats a disadvantage if you want to start a small business, Noonan said.

There simply has not been a long tradition and experience of women, people of color, creating wealth, Noonan said. Wealth, for the most part, has been created by white men.

She said that although women have made strides in business ownership, they still are often the primary caretaker at home and might feel they have more to lose if their business goes into debt or bankruptcy  risks that men seem more comfortable assuming.

One of the things weve seen (at WESST) in 30 years, over and over again, is that women can be frequently very averse to debt, Noonan said.

WESST works to teach women about business financing, as well as budgeting and marketing, because smaller business continues to be a big option for women in New Mexico, and thats as it should be, Noonan said.

Molina said she sold her previous company to raise money for Kids Luv Yoga because she had trouble finding investors. She said she felt burned after one investor stopped taking her calls, even though the deal was pretty far into the process.

Noonan said access to capital is an issue for everyone, but its the biggest issue for women and people of color.

When it comes to venture funding, meant for companies that have a high-growth potential, any New Mexico startup faces difficulty because theres such a limited pot in the state, said Lisa Abeyta, founder of APPCityLife and co-founder of Hautepreneurs, a mentoring organization for women in business.

But I would say its harder to raise money as a female, based on my own experience, she said.

Venture funding tends to go toward businesses in certain focused areas, like bioscience or tech transfer, and not necessarily the types of businesses women own, Abeyta said.

About 11 percent of all venture capital in New Mexico goes to female-owned businesses, according to database Pitch Book, a financial data and software company.

Friendly community

Terri Giron-Gordon, president of GenQuest Inc., has been around for a while.

She started her company, offering human resource and government contracting services, from the ground up in 1997.

Giron-Gordon said she has found New Mexicos small-business community to be very friendly to female owners, saying, many of my competitors became my friends.

This is a great place for me, as a woman and a minority, but I also see limited growth, said Giron-Gordon, who is a WESST board member. There should be many more women-owned businesses.

The way forward, she said, is through mentorship so young women have role models who can teach them that while the first few years of running a business are hard, you can manage it and get through it.

I think that we cant just accept the numbers as they are and throw in the towel, she said. But its going to take women like me to step up and really make that happen. We need to take the time to help young women who are doing what I did 25 years ago.CHICAGO  Cedar Electronics has been selling CB radios to American truckers since the 1960s, helping connect the workers who keep the U.S. economy rolling. But these days Cedars business isnt exactly trucking along.

The Chicago-headquartered company is racing around Asia looking for other countries to host its manufacturing, after the radios Cedar makes in China and brings to the United States were hit with one of the Trump administrations 25 percent tariffs this summer, making them more expensive to import.

The White Houses decision to extend its tariff campaign to an even broader range of Chinese imports starting Monday is putting similar pressure on more U.S. companies to uproot their Chinese manufacturing, and to consider layoffs, price hikes and investment cuts.

We are looking as fast as possible to find an alternative [manufacturing] place, but were dealing with a very unstable situation, said Cedar vice president Mark Karnes, referring to President Trumps penchant for issuing policy decisions by tweet. He added: As a business, my government just clubbed me over the head.

The Consumer Technology Association alone has heard from hundreds of U.S. member companies hurt by the levies, many of which are small businesses ill equipped for this sort of tumult, said Sage Chandler, vice president for international trade at the lobbying group.

Eighty percent of our companies are small and medium enterprises, she said. They dont have trade experts on staff. They dont have customs people on staff.

More than 80 industry and agricultural groups this monthbacked a multimillion-dollar campaign, Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, to oppose the White House effort. The groups are holding town-hall events and running advertising arguing that the tariffs are causing job loss and higher prices for consumers.

Sellers of consumer electronics and appliances are in a particular bind. Many shifted their manufacturing to China years ago to take advantage of lower labor costs. As manufacturing grew in China and withered elsewhere, China became the sole source of parts for some products, making companies more reliant on the country.

Scosche Industries, an Oxnard, California, seller of car-stereo accessories and other electronics, manufactures 95 percent of its products in China, according to chief executive Roger Alves, who co-founded the company nearly 40 years ago in his garage.

The company in recent weeks has dispatched employees to look for new manufacturing in Taiwan and Vietnam after the Trump tariffs hit some Scosche products, Alves said. Scosche needs to find an existing factory it can contract with to do the work, because it cant afford to build one from scratch, he said.

The company isnt considering moving production to the United States because labor costs are too high, and there isnt enough manufacturing capacity to make Scosches products, he said.

Scosche is also attempting to negotiate price increases with retailers now that its goods are more expensive to import, but it is in a vulnerable position with big-box stores that drive hard bargains, Alves said. If they dont like our pricing, theyll invite someone else to compete, said Alves , who employs 190 people in the United States. Our argument is its not an arbitrary price increase: Its a mandate from the government.

Cedar Electronics predecessor company was the first to introduce CB radios to the market decades ago. We like to joke it was the first social media device, Karnes said. The radios, made famous by movies like Smokey and the Bandit, are still used by many truckers, despite the advent of cellphones.

Steven Fields, a trucker based in Kansas City, Missouri, said he uses a CB to warn other drivers about bad weather and accidents. Being prepared can make a big difference between a miserable trip and a safe trip, he said.

About 15 years ago, Cedar moved its manufacturing to China to save money on parts and labor, Karnes said.

Cedar imports almost all of its Cobra-brand CBs to North America, where it holds almost 80 percent of the market. The radios are mostly sold at large truck stops, for $99 to $199, depending on the model.

When Cedar learned its CBs would be included on the initial tariff list targeting $50 billion in imports, it applied for an exemption and imported additional inventory by costly airfreight to have stock on hand before the tariffs took effect. That gave the company enough CBs to meet demand through September without having to raise prices, Karnes said.

As the weeks wore on, the companys other products, including its dashboard cameras and portable power packs, were also hit by 25 percent tariffs as the Trump administration widened its attack on Chinese imports. Cedar is planning to request exemptions from those levies, too, but realized it had to start planning for the possibility that the tariffs were sticking around, Karnes said.

Some of the manufacturers Cedar works with in China have factories in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan, so Cedar started asking whether it would be possible to shift to those facilities. Those discussions are still unresolved, Karnes said.

In case its Chinese partners are unwilling to move production, Cedar also started combing Vietnam and other countries for manufacturers, he said. Moving to the United States isnt an option, Karnes said, because China is the only supplier of most of the parts used to make Cedar products, and many of those parts have been hit with U.S. import tariffs, too.

The company estimated it would take about two years and cost millions of dollars to move each product line to a new facility outside of China: to set up new machinery, buy new parts and secure approvals from the Federal Communications Commission and regulators in other countries, which certify new products.

Cedar also recently began talking to its retailers, including truck stops and sporting-goods stores, about the possibility of raising prices after its current pricing agreements expire at the end of the year.

The retailers are sympathetic, but they do warn us they have other options, Karnes said. If our products become too expensive, [the retailers] are likely to lose business. Cedars competitors manufacture their CBs in Vietnam and Japan, so they havent been hit with the tariffs and can hold their prices steady, Karnes said.

Cedar employs about 150 people in the United States  most in corporate, engineering or warehousing jobs in Chicago, but also some in West Chester, Ohio, where the company makes its high-end radar detectors, which are custom installed in cars. The parts for those products also come from China and now carry a 25 percent tariff.

Unless we can find relief, we will have to take drastic measures. It could mean job loss; it could mean cutting investment in new products, Karnes said.AZTEC  Middle and high school students across San Juan County learned how to identify possible life-threatening or nonlife-threatening behavior that could help prevent a tragedy or save the life of a fellow student today.

The Aztec, Bloomfield, Central Consolidated and Farmington school districts deployed the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System to more than 8,000 students in 21 schools.

The program is provided by the nonprofit organization Sandy Hook Promise, which was founded by some of the family members of victims of the Dec. 14, 2012, shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

The program is designed to provide middle and high school students, and the community with an outlet to anonymously report tips through a smartphone app, a website or a telephone number operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

There are many cases where this app has saved lives and prevented tragedies, Aztec Superintendent Kirk Carpenter said. Its something we need to happen to make sure kids get involved and use it appropriately.

Students at Aztec High School filed into the schools multipurpose room today and were given an overview on possible behavior to report and how to report it. Middle and high school students countywide were instructed on use of the program.

Dahlia Perryman, a senior trainer for Sandy Hook Promise, spoke to the seniors and shared stories about two friends who showed signs they needed help.

Perryman said she regrets not speaking up about one friend, who died by suicide.

She said she was glad she reached out to another friends mother regarding her daughter possibly needing help. Perryman stated their friendship ended after the incident, but she added her former friend is alive and doing well.

Students were taught by Perryman about the differences between a warning sign, a warning signal and a threat in terms of reporting behavior.

Warning signs are behaviors, thoughts and feelings that indicate a person is going through a significant change or is need of help. Extreme mood changes, significant personality changes and thoughts or plans of harming themselves or others are some of the warning signs Perryman shared.

A warning signal is usually an action or gesture that is vague, Perryman said. Signals include bragging about access to guns, fascination with writings or drawings of death and a person giving away their possessions.

Some of the threats mentioned included students stating they would blow up a school, saying everyone would be better off without them and stating life isnt worth living.

The program is free for the participating school districts.

Sandy Hook Promise provides training and management of the anonymous tip system to students and school districts. It also pays operational expenses to keep the program running in a school district.

Some of the training was provided to local law enforcement officials and dispatchers at the San Juan County Communications Authority. Dave Ripley, director of county dispatch, said dispatchers and operation managers were trained to handle calls from the nonprofits crisis center.

When there is a more immediate threat, we are contacted to deal with that, Ripley said.

Depending on the severity of the information shared, the programs crisis center will contact dispatch or share information with local law enforcement and school officials, Lt. Al Jamison of the San Juan County Sheriffs Office said.

After receiving information on a possible incident, Sheriffs Office school resource officers or members of a crisis intervention team can be deployed to help provide a student the resources he or she needs, Jamison said.

I think this app is going to give people a way to report things they may not have reported before, Jamison said.

Carpenter hopes to get the program into every school district across New Mexico.

Were driving forward because we owe that to all of our kids and the legacy of Casey and Paco, Carpenter said, referring to Francisco Paco Fernandez and Casey Marquez, who were killed during the Aztec High School shooting on Dec. 7.

We cant change what happened to us, but we have full control of how we go forward, Carpenter said.

More information on the program can be found at https://www.sandyhookpromise.org.

Joshua Kellogg covers crime, courts and social issues for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.



2018 The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.)

Visit The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.) at www.daily-times.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Children in New Mexico are at a significant disadvantage. They are far less likely to experience a safe, secure and healthy childhood compared to their peers in other states, such as New Jersey, Utah and California.

New Mexico is one of five states in America that has a rural child poverty rate at or above 33 percent. That means one in three rural children across the state is growing up in poverty  three times the rate of wealthier states.

New Mexico also has the highest high school dropout rate in the country  one of the factors that contributed to Save the Children recently ranking New Mexico as 47th in the nation where childhood is most threatened.

We cannot ignore that year after year, New Mexico remains at the bottom of the list in the percentage of children living in poverty. Ninety-five percent of children never receive a home visit from a professional dedicated to their well-being. Seven thousand fewer children are receiving child care assistance than just a few years ago. Sixty percent do not have access to pre-K. All of these hard facts have a significant impact on the educational outcomes of New Mexicos children.

Investing money now on quality early learning programs such as child care and preschool will enable us to save considerable amounts of money on law enforcement, prison cells, drug rehabilitation, Medicaid, unemployment benefits and other social service programs.

The earlier young learners have access to quality child care and preschool, the more likely they are to succeed in life. Years of research from economists, neuroscientists and educators shows that when young children are in group settings with other children, they learn how to play well together, build their vocabularies and take direction from other adults.

This ultimately builds confidence, and these children enter kindergarten ready to learn and are better prepared to meet national third-grade reading standards.

If elected governor, U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham has pledged to make early childhood education a hallmark of her administration and work toward providing pre-K to every child in New Mexico. She would prioritize quality programs, teacher training and full-day programs  all critical components of an effective early childhood structure.

How is the state to fund early childhood education? Options include real tax reform which addresses deductions, exclusions, exemptions, credits and deferrals. Capital outlay reform might generate some savings. Increasing the cigarette tax and royalties from methane mitigation would generate some additional revenue. Eliminating redundant institutions, programs, agencies and programs might generate savings to be earmarked for education.

A report from Nobel Prize-winning University of Chicago economist James Heckman shows the rate of return on investments in early childhood education for many children can be 13 percent per child, per year, due to improved outcomes in education, health, sociability, economic productivity and reduced crime.

Lujan Grisham and I agree we need to set up New Mexicos children for a successful life. We understand that by investing in children now, that investment will make New Mexicos communities safer, build a stronger workforce and help New Mexico become a national leader in child well-being. Children may be a quarter of our population, but they are 100 percent of our future.Taxpayers pay the Albuquerque Public Schools superintendent nearly a quarter of a million dollars every year. The APS superintendent is responsible for more than 85,000 students, is in charge of 15,000 employees and oversees a roughly $1.3 billion annual budget.

Yet APS officials are now arguing that its none of your business who applies for this important job  at least not until three finalists have been selected.

The APS Board of Education adopted a resolution on Wednesday formally asking lawmakers to exempt New Mexico public schools superintendent candidates from the Inspection of Public Records Act until the candidate pool has been narrowed to three applicants.

The Inspection of Public Records Act, also known as IPRA, guarantees everyone access to public records and says the public is entitled to the greatest amount of information possible about its government. Right now resumes for all applicants for state or local public jobs are subject to IPRA, except in university president searches, in which only the top five finalists must be made public.

At the APS board meeting, Board President David Peercy said transparency is important, but its the boards  not necessarily anyone elses  responsibility to hire a superintendent. What Peercy failed to mention is while the boards most important job is to hire a superintendent, it is the voters job to hold board members accountable. And it becomes much harder for voters to do that if neither they nor the media are allowed to know who has applied for these critical superintendent jobs because that information is shrouded in secrecy.

APS and others argue that Open records of all applicants  for superintendent positions discourages some qualified candidates from applying for positions in New Mexico schools. However, applicants should know up front that, because they are applying for a public job paid with public money, the public deserves to know who they are. Transparency helps build public trust in the hiring process and prevent good-ol-boy cronyism.

Because like it or not, New Mexico has had more than its share of scandal over the years involving high-paying jobs going to individuals who are well connected but not necessarily well qualified. Just look at former northern New Mexico school superintendent Charles Trujillo, who earlier this year pleaded guilty to one count of fraud over $20,000 after being accused of falsifying a college transcript and other credentials and obtaining an administrative license he didnt qualify for. At the time the scandal broke, Trujillo was serving as superintendent of the Mora school district.

Reporters stumbled onto Trujillos fraud while comparing his credentials with all the other applicants in an effort to determine whether Trujillo was indeed the most qualified candidate or he had merely been hired because his uncle was on the school board.

If lawmakers acquiesce to APS and allow all school districts to hide the identities of individuals who apply for superintendent positions, they will be giving the green light for crony politics. Worse yet, they will be giving school boards their blessing to do it with impunity.

The biggest problem with school districts only releasing the names of three finalists is it provides no way to know whether excellent candidates were eliminated to prop up a lesser candidate who is politically connected.

The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, of which the Journal is a member, rightly argues the public has an interest in who applies, not just who is a finalist. Giving the public access to all candidates ensures all qualified people are fairly considered, FOG Executive Director Melanie J. Majors says.

There are other reasons to be transparent when it comes to superintendent applicant pools. Without full transparency, there will be no way to know whether qualified minority applicants are being shut out of positions. Keeping these records public also gives the public insight into whether a wide search was conducted and if it attracted a diverse pool of applicants.

But the best argument for requiring school districts to disclose the identities of all applicants is taxpayers are paying the six-figure salaries for these superintendents, and their decisions and actions affect the public.

Lawmakers, the state Public Education Department and New Mexicos next governor would be smart to file this APS resolution where it belongs  the trash can.

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.Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

Bridging the gap through art.

Its a process that has worked for centuries by starting dialogue within a community.

In the next 20 days, 50 murals will come to life at 33 locations across the Central corridor in Albuquerque as part of Mural Fest 2018.

The annual event is meant to beautify, unify and showcase the city utilizing the murals.

We have a running roster of 50 muralists, said Jay Spang, Mural Fest co-producer. Were going through 12 neighborhoods and bridging the whole Central corridor together.

This years locations stretch along Central Avenue from Durans Central Pharmacy just west of 12th NW all the way east to the Flying Star and Empire Board Game near Central and Carlisle NE.

The festival theme this year is When Nature Calls and it brings focus to Earths climate crisis and how it is affecting all life.

From California being on fire to Houston, Puerto Rico and Hawaii drowning in water and lava to New Mexico facing one of the worst droughts in history, we felt a need to bring our world community together through murals, music and culinary arts to highlight solutions we can all play a part in moving forward, Spang said.

Most of the work on the murals will be done in the coming week, which is the first week of the festival.

Albuquerque artist Christian Michael Gallegos is one of the many artists returning to produce a mural for the festival.

Gallegos is working on a piece at Empire Board Game near Central and Carlisle.

Hes excited to work on another project and has a few tricks up his sleeve.

There are a lot of gaming elements that Ive incorporated into the piece, Gallegos said. Theres some Monopoly images, as well as chess pieces and backgammon dice.

Gallegos says he was inspired by this years theme of nature.

I had a chance to put the spin on their gaming element, he says. Im a big advocate for beautifying the community through public art. Getting exposure and trying to make my mark for this city is always the goal. You want to get people talking about the pieces. Thats what starts all of the conversations.

Events will be peppered in throughout the more than two weeks.

JP Eaglin, Mural Fest co-producer, said interest for this years festival has grown immensely over last year.

We sent out a call to artists, and we had over 400 replies, Eaglin said.

Each location is chosen very similarly to the way artists are selected.

We want to find owners of walls that want to showcase public art, Eaglin said. Art is a transformative process of healing and moving our community together as one.

Last year, the event produced 45 murals in 12 locations.

Weve had many in the community and neighborhood associations reach out and weve been able to delegate more. The fest has grown more because we have a well-rounded community effort behind us.

Because Mural Fest aligns with the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Eaglin said the festival is offering visitors a chance to participate in adventures in art, music and cuisine spurring economic growth for local businesses and the citys artist community.

There is a festival pass  available for $50  that has discounts on goods and services to more than 100 businesses along the Central corridor.

Since the ART project hit those businesses hard, we wanted to infuse it a little with some of the visitors, he says. Its more than just putting paint on walls. Through this public art, we are able to build community and an identity.Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

LAS CRUCES  In the final weeks leading up to the midterm election, divisive views on immigration are on display on the campaign trail, in debates and in the barrage of candidates television ads.

Probably no other issue generates more raw emotion than this particular topic, said Jon Barela, CEO of the Borderplex Alliance, a nonprofit economic development organization in the region that includes southern New Mexico.

Barela was among several speakers at this months Domenici Public Policy conference that examined immigration issues.

It seems to me that today in Washington, D.C., the people who are purported to be the biggest experts on immigration reform, or lack thereof, are people who have never even visited the border, said Barela. Or alternatively they will come here for the obligatory photo op in front of the wall or with border enforcement officials, he said.

The current debate over immigration has its roots in Americas often conflicted feelings about immigrants. The welcome and the rejection of the foreign born are inseparable companions in the United States, said another speaker, historian Alan Kraut, a professor at American University.

Kraut said fear of foreigners dates back to the birth of the nation with Benjamin Franklins worry about Pennsylvania becoming a colony of aliens because of the influx of German immigrants.

Even as the country depended on immigrants to build the railroads, settle territories and work in factories during the industrial revolution, nativist and xenophobic backlashes flared up at times into full-blown racism with various groups including the Klu Klux Klan joining the call to restrict immigration

All of this is a kind of echo of things past that is coming around again, Kraut said.

He said the Charlottesville march in Virginia where white supremacists chanted you will not replace us is a reflection of new nativist fears.

Though extreme attitudes have grabbed headlines, most Americans have more complex views about immigration and immigrants.

Most Americans think immigration helps the United States, said Theresa Cardinal Brown, director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington, D.C., think tank, also participating in the conference.

Most people (are) more concerned about are we letting in the right types of immigrants rather than how many, Brown said.

Earlier this year, the Bipartisan Policy Center set out to learn about voters current perceptions and priorities about immigration with a national survey and series of focus groups.

The vast majority of those voters described the current immigration system as broken and said they want pragmatic solutions.

According to the survey, 44 percent supported a path to citizenship for those illegally here if they pass a background check, pay their fair share of taxes and pay a monetary penalty; 25 percent supported legal status but not citizenship and less than 25 percent favored deportation.

But a majority said strong immigration enforcement is needed at the border.

Its not mass deportation or abolish ICE. Its not drastically cutting immigration or open borders. Its not attracting only the best and the brightest or family unification, Brown said.

Its about finding those policies that meet in the middle.

But that bipartisan effort has become increasingly difficult through the years. Brown is a veteran of five failed attempts at immigration reform.

The focus on immigration this election is hardening those positions and ratcheting up the rhetoric even further, she said.

The border region is often the target of that rhetoric as candidates perpetuate myths about illegal immigration including the idea that a flood of Mexicans is sneaking across the border, Barela said.

There are more Mexicans moving back to Mexico than there are coming to the United States, he said, pointing to multiple Pew Research Center studies in the past several years.

Immigrants categorized as OTMs, other than Mexicans, make up the largest share of illegal border crossers, and people who overstay visas are a growing share of undocumented immigration.

Misperceptions manifest in policies that take direct aim at our region and our regions business and paralyzes us in making comprehensive immigration reform, said Barela, a Republican.

Neither party has clean hands when it comes to this debate, he added.

President Barack Obama had a veto proof majority in Congress during his first two years in office yet not one single, serious bill was ever presented before either house of Congress, Barela said.

Hes also critical of President Donald Trumps signature border enforcement plan of building a wall.

As a fiscal conservative, ladies and gentlemen, spending $25 (billion) to $30 billion dollars on a wall is the least effective and most antiquated approach we can take to solving a problem, Barela said.

The fact of the matter is, we need immigration and we need immigrants, he said, pointing to the recent Department of Labor statistics showing a record 6.9 million American jobs are going unfilled as we speak.

But if history is any lesson, he and the other experts are concerned politicians are more likely to react to problems than try to craft a comprehensive policy for coping with Americas evolving immigration landscape.

So we kick the can down the road, still debating the issue, still getting angry, using our region and using our culture and Mexico as a political pinata, scoring cheap political points on both sides, Barela said.Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Gov. Susana Martinez will leave office at the end of this year with much of her support among New Mexico voters having evaporated, a new Journal Poll found.

Just 35 percent of proven general election voters surveyed earlier this month said they approved of the job Martinez is doing as governor, while 46 percent said they disapproved of her job performance.

Martinez, a Republican who took office in 2010 and was easily re-elected in 2014, has seen her approval rating steadily plummet during her second term, said Brian Sanderoff, president of Albuquerque-based Research & Polling Inc., which conducted the poll.

That could be partly due to voter fatigue, as previous two-term New Mexico Govs. Gary Johnson, a Republican, and Bill Richardson, a Democrat, also saw their approval ratings decline during their final years in office.

Its hard to maintain popularity for eight years, Sanderoff said. Gary Johnson definitely did not, and Bill Richardson didnt either.

Martinez enjoyed broad support in September 2012, when 69 percent of voters surveyed expressed support for the job she was doing and just 17 percent said they disapproved. The governors approval rating dropped to 55 percent in a January 2014 poll, and was then at 42 percent in October 2016.

Meanwhile, Martinezs most recent approval rating is even lower in New Mexico than that of President Donald Trump, who recently invited the governor to take part in a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at the White House. Thirty-eight percent of voters surveyed in the Journal Poll approved of Trumps job performance.

Some of Martinezs unpopularity could also be due to a state economy that for several years lagged behind many other Western states in terms of job creation and unemployment rates until showing recent signs of growth, Sanderoff said.

I think a lot of New Mexicans became frustrated by the states economic stagnation, especially while our neighbors were thriving, he said.

The contentious relationship between the governor and the Democratic-controlled Legislature, especially on issues relating to education, the economy and crime, took its toll over time, Sanderoff said.

As governor, Martinez pushed successfully for tax cuts and increased funding for economic development programs in an attempt to improve New Mexicos business climate, but she was unable to win approval of other initiatives, such as reinstating the death penalty in New Mexico.

The Martinez administration has also faced criticism for high vacancy and employee turnover rates in many state agencies, including the Children, Youth and Families Department.

Demographics

The Journal Poll found younger voters were more likely than older voters to disapprove of Martinezs performance as governor, while Anglo voters were more likely than Hispanics to express support for Martinezs handling of the job.

Martinez is the nations first elected Latina governor and was elected, at least in part, due to notable support from Hispanic Democrats.

Meanwhile, the poll also found Martinezs approval rating has deteriorated not just among Democrats, but among Republican voters, too.

Fifty-two percent of GOP voters surveyed said they approved of the governors job performance, while 26 percent said they disapproved. The remaining Republican voters had mixed feelings, didnt know or would not say what they thought.

That support level among voters of her own political party was notably lower than that of Trump, who had an approval rating of 77 percent among Republican voters surveyed in the Journal Poll.

The mild support among Republican voters could be due partly to intraparty strife, Sanderoff said.

Some prominent New Mexico GOP officials, including Republican National Committeeman Harvey Yates Jr. of Albuquerque, have in the past criticized Martinezs governing style.

In addition, Martinez faced criticism after being recorded in December 2015 telling police dispatchers to call off officers who had come to check out a late-night gubernatorial staff party at a downtown Santa Fe hotel that was the subject of complaints about noise and objects being thrown from the balcony.

Poll methods

The Journal Poll is based on a scientific sample of 423 registered voters who cast ballots in the 2014 and 2016 general elections and said they were very likely to vote again in this years election.

The poll was conducted September 7-13 by professional interviewers, with multiple callbacks to households that did not initially answer the phone. The voter sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points. The margin of error grows for subsamples.

Cellphone numbers (64 percent) and landlines (36 percent) of proven general election voters were used.ARE LEAD AND COAL GOING TWO-WAY AGAIN? That question comes from Adolphe, who says the plethora of orange barrels and construction work sure make it look like the roads that were two-way, then one-way streets are going back to two-way again.

Johnny Chandler, who handles information for the citys Department of Municipal Development, explained on Wednesday that Councilor Isaac Benton has organized and paid for the barricades along Lead and Coal in Downtown Albuquerque. DMD is implementing the two-week test.

The citys Sept. 21 Traffic Report included a Traffic Study on Lead from Fourth to Second to run from Sept. 17 through Sept. 30. The details included temporary east- and westbound lane restrictions on Lead and Coal Ave. between Sixth Street and Second Street. Closure will be setup continuously for two weeks. No construction will take place.

But on Friday night, KRQE Channel 13 posted on its website that while the test was to study whether the change could improve safety, the barricades came down after just three days following complaints from drivers about the major backups along that stretch. A city spokesperson said it quickly became evident the new traffic pattern wasnt working.

CAR-SEAT CLINICS THIS WEEKEND: Its that time again, time to ensure your childs car seat and/or booster seat has not been recalled and is installed correctly.

Safer New Mexico Now, a traffic safety advocacy group, cites National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data that motor vehicle-related injuries remain a leading cause of death for children ages 15 and younger.

Using child safety seats decreases the risk of death by an estimated 71 percent for rear-facing infants and 54 percent for older, forward-facing children. Additionally, belt-positioning booster seats reduce the likelihood of significant injury for 4- to 8 year-old children over the use of seat belts alone.

Safer and the New Mexico Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Division will run free clinics from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in five N.M. cities. Certified child passenger safety technicians will provide education about the proper selection, installation, and use of child safety seats. To ensure the best possible fit, parents and caregivers should bring their child safety seat, and if possible, the child, a Safer news release says.

Clinics will be in Albuquerque at the Kohls on Holly NE and Kohls on Ellison NW, in Artesia at the Walmart on 26th Street, in Farmington in the Hobby Lobby parking lot on 20th Street, in Las Cruces at the Kohls on North Triviz, and in Santa Fe in the J.C. Penney parking lot on Cerrillos.

For more information, call 800-231-6145 or visit www.safernm.org.

Editorial page editor DVal Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Metro area on Mondays. Reach her at 823-3858; dwestphal@abqjournal.com; or P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, N.M. 87103.WASHINGTON  After a long weekend spent wondering if he should resign or would be fired, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein still has his job  for now.

President Donald Trump gave Rosenstein a three-day reprieve pending their face-to-face White House showdown Thursday. Thats when the man who oversees the Trump-Russia investigation will respond to reports that he had discussed secretly recording the president and possibly using constitutional procedures to remove him from office.

The revelation that Rosenstein last year had broached the idea of taping the president touched off a dramatic weekend of conversations with the White House in which he offered to one official to resign and confided to another that he was considering doing so, according to two people familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Even as he took issue with the reports, Rosenstein arrived at the White House on Monday expecting to be fired, according to another person who spoke on condition of anonymity. Instead, after he met with chief of staff John Kelly and spoke by phone to Trump himself, questions about his future were effectively tabled until the personal meeting Thursday.

The position of deputy attorney general is ordinarily a relatively low-visibility one in Washington, but Rosenstein has assumed outsized significance given his appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller to investigate potential ties between Russia and Trumps 2016 presidential campaign.

Any firing or resignation spells immediate uncertainty for an investigation that Rosenstein oversees and would place that responsibility in the hands of a replacement who Democrats fear would be less respectful of Muellers independence and mandate. Even some congressional Republicans and Trump aides have warned for months against firing Rosenstein for fear that it could lead to impeachment.

The commotion about Rosensteins future adds to the turmoil roiling the administration, just six weeks before midterm elections with control of Congress at stake. In addition to dealing with the Mueller investigation, the White House is also struggling to win confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations.

The Trump-Rosenstein meeting will be on the same day as an extraordinary Senate committee hearing featuring Kavanaugh and a woman who has accused him of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school.

Questions about Rosensteins future, long simmering, took on new life Friday with a New York Times report that, in May 2017 discussions with FBI and Justice Department officials, he suggested the idea of secretly recording Trump  remarks his defenders insist were merely sarcastic  and of invoking the Constitution to have the Cabinet consider removing him from office.

Rosenstein was summoned to the White House on Friday evening for a conversation with chief of staff Kelly, after which he issued a denial meant to be even sharper in tone than the one the Justice Department sent out hours earlier.

In conversations over the weekend, he offered to Kelly to resign, though the terms were unclear. He also told White House Counsel Don McGahn that he was considering doing so. McGahn told Rosenstein they should discuss the issue Monday, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation.

He met again with Kelly on Monday and spoke by phone with Trump, and he attended a pre-scheduled meeting at the White House in place of the Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was traveling. Rosenstein was captured by photographers leaving the White House after his meetings Monday and was led out by Kelly, later returning to the White House.

At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C.

Its unclear what will happen Thursday.

Despite his Youre Fired! tagline from his The Apprentice reality show days, the president has shown himself reluctant to directly fire aides himself. While his White House has been marked with unprecedented staff turnover, Trump has often left the task to deputies, including Kelly.

He dispatched his former bodyguard to fire FBI Director James Comey  though Comey was out of town. In other cases, Trump has publicly and privately shamed staffers, pushing them to resign.

Trump, who said Friday that he would remove a lingering stench from the Justice Department, did not publicly reveal any plans over the weekend.

On Monday, he said he hoped Thursdays meeting would help him figure out whats going on.

Over the weekend, he appeared undecided on Rosensteins fate, asking confidants, both inside and outside the White House, how to respond to the situation. Some urged him to fire Rosenstein. Others suggested restraint while checking whether the report was correct or if it was planted by some adversary.

Though Trump has mostly spared Rosenstein from some of the harsher and more personal attacks he has directed at Sessions, he has occasionally lashed out with angry tirades at the deputy, including after FBI raids in April targeting the presidents former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Rosenstein appointed Mueller in May 2017 after Sessions, who ordinarily would have overseen the Russia investigation, recused himself because of his close involvement in the Trump campaign.

The move came one week after Rosenstein laid the groundwork for Comeys firing by writing a memo criticizing Comeys handling of the FBI investigation into Hillary Clintons email server. The White House initially cited that memo as justification for Comeys firing, though Trump himself has said he was thinking about this Russia thing when he made his move.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers in both parties said Muellers work needed to be insulated from the political storm, but Democratic Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner said the legislation to protect Mueller should be passed right away.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a White House ally, said its up to Trump to show Muellers work could continue unimpeded. If the president does fire Mr. Rosenstein, I think that the burdens on him to assure the country that Mueller would be allowed to do his job, Graham said.

Were Rosenstein to be forced out, Solicitor General Noel Francisco, the highest-ranking Senate-confirmed official below him in the Justice Department, would take control of the Mueller investigation.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whose private memos document comments allegedly made by Rosenstein, said Monday he was concerned that a Rosenstein departure would put the investigation at risk.

There is nothing more important to the integrity of law enforcement and the rule of law than protecting the investigation of special counsel Mueller, McCabe said in a statement. I sacrificed personally and professionally to help put the investigation on a proper course and subsequently made every effort to protect it.

____

Miller reported from the United Nations. Associated Press writers Ken Thomas, Michael Balsamo, Chad Day, Jill Colvin, Mary Clare Jalonick, Lisa Mascaro and Jonathan Lemire contributed to this report.NEW YORK  The Trump administration is warning Russia that supplying Syria with an advanced missile defense system would be a major mistake and should be reconsidered. It also says U.S. forces will not leave Syria until Iran leaves.

National security adviser John Bolton said Monday that delivery of the Russian S-300 would be a significant escalation in already high tensions in the region and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he would raise the matter this week with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at the U.N. General Assembly.

We think introducing the S-300s to the Syrian government would be a significant escalation by the Russians and something that we hope, if these press reports are accurate, they would reconsider, Bolton said.

Russia announced earlier Monday that it would give Syrias government more modern, S-300 missile defense systems after last weeks downing of a Russian plane by Syria in a friendly fire incident. The militarys reconnaissance Il-20 was shot down by the Syrian government missile defense systems responding to an Israeli airstrike. Russia laid the blame on Israel, saying Israeli fighter jets had pushed the plane into Syrias line of fire.

We have American forces in the area were concerned about, Bolton said. The Israelis have a legitimate right to self-defense against this Iranian aggressive behavior, and what were all trying to do is reduce tensions, reduce the possibility of major new hostilities. Thats why the president has spoken to this issue and why we would regard introducing the S300 as a . major mistake.

Syrias skies, where regional and international powers back different parties in the conflict, are increasingly crowded.

Shortly before the downing, Israeli strikes had hit targets inside Syria, reportedly preventing an arms shipment to the Iranian-backed militant Hezbollah group.

Russia launched its campaign in Syria to support President Bashar Assad in 2015, and though the involvement turned the tide of war in favor of Syrian government forces, Moscow has tried to play a careful balancing act, maintaining good ties both with Iran and Israel. For its part, Israel is wary of Irans growing influence in Syria.

Bolton said the U.S. would keep a military presence in Syria until Iran is no longer active there.

Were not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias, he said.

Asked about Boltons statement that U.S. troops will stay in Syria as long as Iran forces and proxies are there, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon, Right now our troops inside Syria are there for one purpose, and thats under the U.N. authorization about defeating ISIS. He said this includes training local Syrian forces to prevent an ISIS comeback.

Mattis did not explicitly support or dispute Boltons statement, although his description of the role and mission of U.S. troops in Syria did not include outlasting Iran.

Pressed to say whether he agreed with Boltons statement, Mattis said, Ill let Ambassador Bolton speak for himself, but added later that he had spoken to Bolton twice Monday. I think were on the same sheet of music, which he said means supporting U.N.-brokered efforts to reach a political settlement. There is no daylight between his appreciation of the situation and mine.The International Folk Art Market has a new leader.

Stuart Ashman was appointed chief executive officer by the Folk Art Market Board of Directors on Monday.

Ashman is currently executive director at the Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe. He has held the position for a year.

Ashman will begin his role on Jan. 2, 2019.

My time at CCA has been extremely rewarding, and its been a very hard decision to leave, Ashman said in a release. I know CCA is poised to do great things in the future. Its an important part of New Mexicos art community, and they will always have my support.

During his tenure at CCA, Ashman helped to develop a strong board and an effective staff, and gallery visits increased by 40 percent while membership numbers were up by 50 percent.

The Cinematheque attendance numbers also rose by more than 20 percent, and Ashman and Jason Silverman, the director of the Cinematheque, created a partnership with the City of Santa Fe to save The Screen, which CCA took over in July.

Ashman will work closely with CCAs board to identify his successor.

He brings decades of experience to his new role at the International Folk Art Market.

Ashman and his wife, Peggy Gaustad, have been deeply involved with the International Folk Art Market since its beginning. Gaustad has served on the board and they both have championed Cuban artists involvement at the Market since 2010.

I look forward to working with the dedicated Board, the staff, and the energetic volunteers, Ashman said. Most of all, I look forward to being with the artists, and helping to make them and their communities around the globe sustainable.

Prior to both roles, Ashman was Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs from 2003-10.

During his tenure at DCA, Ashman guided capital projects for new state cultural institutions, including the New Mexico History Museum and El Camino Real International Heritage Center. In addition, he oversaw a complex group of statewide cultural institutions, including eight museums, seven state monuments, the State Library, the Office of Archeological Studies, the Historic Preservation Division and two administrative divisions. He also oversaw construction of the New Mexico History Museum and secured the acquisition of Historic Los Luceros and the former Archives building soon to become the Vladem Contemporary.

Were extremely fortunate to have secured someone of Stuarts experience and stature to lead IFAM in its role as a vital part of the Santa Fe community, as well as an artist-centered organization working on behalf of folk artists worldwide, comments Kathryn King Coleman, chair of the International Folk Art Market Board. He will deepen our roots here in New Mexico and extend our ability to create more opportunities for folk artists.

Currently celebrating its 15th anniversary, the International Folk Art Market has hosted 1,000 folk artists from 98 countries, generating total sales of over $30 million and impacting an estimated 1.3 million lives worldwide.The New Mexico Gas Co. is asking the state Public Regulation Commission to add 15 cents per month to average residential bills to generate an extra $2.5 million in annual revenue  much lower than the companys rate hike request last February for $8 million in additional revenue.

The utility reached a settlement agreement last week with parties in the case that slashed its proposed increase to the fixed monthly charge on customers bills from a $3 hike to 15 cents, or from a 26 percent jump to 1.3 percent.

If approved by the commission, the additional 15 cents would be phased in over two years, with fixed monthly charges climbing from $11.50 per month now to 11.57 next year, and to $11.65 in 2020.

The increase will allow the company to raise an additional $1 million in revenue in the first year and another $1.5 million in the second year, said Peter Gould, attorney for New Mexico Industrial Energy Consumers. Most people will see a very small impact on their total bill.

The parties presented the agreement Monday morning to PRC hearing examiner Frances Sundheim, who will review it and make a recommended decision to the full five-member commission.

The hearing had been scheduled to last up to 10 days, but with all parties in the case either supporting the settlement or not opposing it, Sundheim concluded the hearing Monday morning.

Under the agreement, a new weather normalization adjustment mechanism will help the utility smooth out erratic ups and downs in its annual revenue. The utility earns a profit only from the transport and distribution of natural gas. For the fuel itself, customers pay the actual cost of what they consume.

But warmer winters have caused sharp fluctuations in heating patterns, disrupting the balance between revenue flow and operating costs. To correct that, the adjustment mechanism authorizes a rate rider that would rise or fall each year depending on weather patterns, providing a buffer to weather-related changes in consumption.

That mechanism allowed the company to minimize its proposed increase to fixed monthly charges on customers bills, said Thomas Domme, the utilitys general counsel and vice president for external affairs.

It levels out revenue by taking weather out of it, Domme told the Journal. That was key for us to lower our request on the fixed rate.

Savings from the federal tax reform, which took effect in January, also substantially lowered the utilitys rate request. However, with new rates postponed until next January, parties still disagree on whether the company should rebate its 2018 tax savings to customers. As a result, they agreed to deal with that issue in a separate hearing later this year.Theres a familiar face on the sales floor at the newly opened Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry store at ABQ Uptown.

You will likely be greeted by Ron Beauchamp, the former owner of Beauchamp Jewelry, and a good friend of the Baton Rouge, La.-based Lee Michaels retailing family. Beauchamp, whose family ran a jewelry business in Albuquerque for 66 years, is working for Lee Michaels in a consulting capacity in a community where he has long-standing relationships.

Jewelry is in my DNA, said Beauchamp, whos come on board to help launch Lee Michaels. As a company, Lee Michaels is a pillar in the industry.

The store opened for business Monday at 2201 Q Street NE, Suite 9B, the site of the former Marcellos Chophouse. The fine-dining restaurant closed suddenly in early April.

The 3,500-square-foot store will represent many of the most prestigious watch and jewelry manufacturers in the world, including Rolex timepieces, David Yurman jewelry and others, said Ryan Berg, the son of founder Lee Michael Berg. The new store is the ninth in the family-owned and operated business.

Albuquerques the classic Middle-America community thats in the Lee Michaels wheelhouse, said Berg.

Founded in 1978, the firm recently posted $56 million in sales at its stores in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, and the companys first New Mexico store is projected to be a strong contributor in the future, said Berg.

He said the company sees tremendous potential in the market, particularly as the only Rolex and Yurman dealers in the state. The shopping plaza, with tenants like Apple, Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma, is ground zero for high-end retail in Albuquerque, said Berg.

The retailer could potentially open a 10th store, although Berg said the owners havent yet identified a location.

Larry Chenoweth, who worked at the Lee Michaels San Antonio location, relocated to Albuquerque to manage the new store.

Chenoweth said the upcoming holidays are a time for jewelry retailers to shine. December is the month when they can expect to make some 20 percent of annual sales, according to 2017 data in the U.S. Census Monthly Retail Trade Survey.In an era where we glorify speed and nearly everyone carries a computer in their pocket, its a surprise to find New York Citys Paul Schweitzer filling up a doctors bag with tools of his trade  typewriter ribbons, needle-nose pliers  to make emergency calls to repair sticky typewriter keys and shredded ribbons.

Vintage typewriters are making a comeback, due to young people who appreciate the machines in the same way they fell in love with vinyl records and turntables. Celebrities  including actor and typewriter enthusiast Tom Hanks  writers, collectors and anyone who wants to own a reminder of simpler times have been the key to Schweitzers success at Gramercy Typewriter Co., a shop started by his father, Abraham Schweitzer, in 1932.

In the early 2000s, Schweitzer said he sold about 10 manual typewriters a month. In recent years that number skyrocketed to about 60 a month, with millennials steadily buying the machines and bringing them in for service.

In the last five or six years, Ive seen a huge rush on manual portable machines, Schweitzer, 79, said about his business, located across Fifth Avenue from the iconic Flatiron Building.

During the holiday season in December, he said, 110 typewriters were sold  at a cost between $195 and $595 each  as gifts for children and young adults. He expects to see similar sales this year.

People love them, he said. They take us back to a slower-paced, quieter time.

While Manhattan was once home to hundreds of typewriter stores, there are now only a handful, Schweitzer said. There are only about 250 repair shops coast to coast, he added. Now that hes approaching age 80, he said, he almost feels an obligation to continue the work for as long as he can  just as his father did after starting the family business during the Great Depression.

Theres a big demand right now for what we do, said Schweitzer, who wears a tidy black apron over his shirt and tie so that hell always be ready for emergency office calls.

Just the other day, a man came in with his 12-year-old son, he said. The kid wanted a typewriter. Not a computer. A typewriter. He wanted to type notes to his friends.

People are astonished, Schweitzer said, to learn that he lugs a physicians bag on office calls to businesses throughout Manhattan, where manual typewriters are still tucked away in corners here and there.

The days are gone when an insurance company might need to have 200 typewriters cleaned, he said, but they might have 15 or 20. Its rewarding to me to help keep these machines running.

Schweitzer finds beauty in a smooth-functioning Smith-Corona or IBM Selectric, and he has plenty of company. One of his most loyal customers is actor Tom Hanks, who has a large collection of typewriters  not to simply decorate an office, but to use for typing letters, movie memos, reminders and more.

Paul sells tools, not toys, Hanks wrote in an email to The Washington Post. His typewriters work, and are meant to be used, to be pounded on, to be written with.

Hanks said he likes the permanence and tactile nature of the typewriter.

Typewriters are like pianos  translation objects that artists use to create dreamscapes and shoppers use to make grocery lists, Hanks added. The difference is that whatever you type will physically exist for centuries.

When Hanks is in New York, Schweitzer added, hell pop in to talk shop and relax for a while and maybe try out a new typewriter. This really is his idea of a candy store.

Hanks, who recently starred as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee in the movie The Post, took home a desktop Royal with an oversize tab key from The Post set.

Schweitzer sold about 25 vintage typewriters  manual and electric  to the films director, Steven Spielberg, who later presented them to his cast and crew as thank you gifts.

He matched the typewriters to the people on the set and rolled a personal thank you note into each one for a one-of-a-kind gift, said Jay Schweitzer, Paul Schweitzers son and business partner. We helped him to figure out the best mix of machines to give away.

Matching a typewriter with a person is one of Paul Schweitzers best-honed skills.

Just ask customer Michael Leslie. During a visit two months ago to Schweitzers shop, Leslie spotted a sleek, lean model with a sand-colored finish, an elegant carriage and a zippy return.

Wow  whats this? the New York City apartment designer asked Schweitzer. Ive never seen one quite like it.

The typewriter was a Swedish Facit model from the early 1960s, extremely rare. Schweitzer didnt tell Leslie until later that hed been saving the typewriter just for him, knowing that it would be the perfect match.

He wanted me to find it for myself, Leslie, 62, said. It was a knockout  love at first sight. Paul knew exactly what I needed.

Paul Schweitzer brought his son into the business when Jay was 7, and they would spend summers together in the shop.

My dad said, Youre not going to sit around and watch TV all day, youre coming with me,  recalled Jay Schweitzer, 50, who now shows up to work in a suit and tie like his father.

Now, every day, father and son patiently look under the hoods of old Underwoods, Royals, Olivettis and Smith-Coronas, brought in by customers who complain about stuck keys, slow returns and shredded ribbons.

The Schweitzers have an abundance of parts for repairs, said Paul Schweitzer, since he bought the inventories of nearly every typewriter shop in Manhattan when the owners grew tired of competing in a high-tech world and went out of business one by one.

But not Schweitzer. He bet on the lasting allure of the typewriter.

I had a hunch, he said.Amazon.com, fighting back against the image of poor working conditions at its warehouses, has been calling workers around the country into all-hands meetings in the past week where theyve been given raises  of 25 to 55 cents an hour, according to employees.

One worker, in San Bernardino, California, says the 40-cent bump to $13.15 an hour is the first raise he has received since he began working at the company four years ago. Like the other Amazon workers in this report, he spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

It wasnt enough. It wasnt enough at all, the worker said. The HR manager in the room was like, Arent you excited? Come on, clap! We started a slow clap, with no emotions on our faces. A 3 percent raise in four years  it feels like damage control.

Amazon has also been showing animated videos promoting Amazons benefits packages at the meetings, according to workers.

Workers in other parts of the country also reported raises: 25 cents in Orlando; 35 cents in Coppell, Texas; and 55 cents in Hebron, Ky. That brings their pay to between $11.50 and $15.05 an hour, after raises ranging from 2 to 4 percent. An employee in Robbinsville, New Jersey, said she had been notified of staff meetings scheduled for this week.

The staff meetings and hourly raises come as Amazon faces continued scrutiny over the treatment and pay of its workers, particularly in its more than 100 U.S. fulfillment centers with 200,000 employees. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., this month introduced a bill calling on Amazon to pay a living wage to its employees, following reports that thousands of Amazon workers rely on federal assistance for food, housing and health care. The median Amazon worker was paid $28,446 last year, according to company filings.

A spokeswoman for Amazon said the company evaluates employee pay each year to make sure wages are competitive.

Wage increases are standard practice for Amazon, Ashley Robinson said in an email. Sometimes the increases are on a rotational basis or determined by local demand so we can continue to attract local talent and retain existing employees.

Amazon said full-time workers in its U.S. fulfillment centers make an average hourly wage of over $15 an hour, which includes stock and incentive bonuses.

The tech giant has grown rapidly in recent years to become the nations second-largest private employer, and earlier this month was valued at $1 trillion. Its founder, Jeff Bezos, is now the worlds wealthiest man with a net worth of about $160 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. (Bezos also owns The Washington Post.)

Retailers around the country are offering higher pay and better benefits to attract seasonal workers in a tight labor market. Target, which plans to hire 120,000 temporary workers this holiday season is paying $12 an hour and offering a chance at $500 gift cards. Ulta is giving new hires half-price haircuts, while Williams-Sonoma is promising employee discounts of 40 percent. Amazon, which last year hired 120,000 seasonal workers, has yet to announce its holiday plans for this year.

In Orlando, an employee said about 150 workers were called into a meeting at the beginning of their shift last week. The general message was that, with benefits, were being paid $15 an hour even though were only getting $11.25, he said. (By the time the meeting was over, all of the employees had gotten a pay increase to $11.50 an hour. Full-time warehouse workers also receive benefits such as health insurance and restricted stock units.) More money is more money, but a lot of us still dont make enough money to not live paycheck to paycheck.Israels Defense Forces (IDF) Sunday refuted the Russian Defense Ministrys accusation that it was sole responsible for the downing of its spy military aircraft, which was victim of Syrian fire last week.

In a statement, the IDF reiterated its claims that Syrian forces are to blame for the destruction of the Russian Il-20 electronic intelligence plane last Monday. The 15 Russian forces aboard the military aircraft died in the incident.

The full, accurate and factual details are known to the Russian military professionals involved in the matter, and from them it is clear that the de-confliction mechanism worked and did so in a timely manner (as it has for the past two and a half years), the IDF said in a statement late on Sunday following Russian accusations.

The Israeli Air Force does not hide behind any plane, and the Israeli jets were in Israels airspace when the Syrians struck the Russian plane, the military said.

The response came after Russia accused Israeli military of deception and lack of professionalism. Russias Defense Ministry spokesperson Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov at press conference blamed Israel for misleading Russian forces.

We believe that the blame for the tragedy of the Russian Ilyushin aircraft lies entirely with the Israeli Air Force and those who made the decision to carry out such actions, he said.

During the timeframe covered by the agreements, the Israeli command center received 310 notifications about Russian missions near Israeli territory. During the same time, Israel issued only 25 notifications and did so only just before attacks, Konashenkov said.

An Israel top commandment delegation traveled to Moscow to sympathize with Russian authorities few days after the mishap.

President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toned down Russias ire indicating that a chain of tragic accidental circumstances was responsible for the loss of the plane and its crew.

Israel has conducted several airstrikes on alleged positions of Iran and its proxies in Syria.

Israel defense minister Avigdor Liberman on Sunday said the Israeli military will continue its operations in Syria despite the incident which has cooled relations with Russia.

We act with discretion and responsibility, Liberman said. Nothing has changed and nothing will change. This is our policy, Liberman was quoted as saying.

Russia has joined the Syrian conflict in 2015 taking the side of the Syrian regime  a move that turned out decisive for President Bashar al-Assad who appears getting the upper hand in the conflict.Grapes Digital, the full-fledged digital marketing agency has bagged the digital marketing mandate of Maxxis Tyres in India, one of worlds fastest growing tyre brand, delivering high-quality tyre products across 180 countries.

The agency will be responsible in handling their Digital Strategy,Social Media&Digital Media Buying and Planning across India.

Speaking on the win, Himanshu Arya, Founder, Grapes Digital, said, We are glad to partner with a world-renowned brand like Maxxis Tyres. One of the world's fastest growing tyre brands, MaxxisTyres delivers high quality tyre products to customers all over the world, we would like to build this trust further using digital medium.

Mr. Bing-Lin Wu, Marketing & Retail Sales Head, Maxxis India, said, At Maxxis, we believe that Digital, as a medium, has become increasingly important for brands, given the changing media consumption behaviour of consumers.With Grapes Digital being a digital first agency, we look forward to working, innovating and growing together in synergy.

Maxxis India recently inaugurated their first manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat and India market is touted to play a vital role in Maxxis global vision to become one of the top 5 tyre manufacturers in the world by 2026.In its annual Martech Report, top ten international accountancy firm Moore Stephens, along with WARC, the worldwide authority on advertising and media effectiveness, has valued the global marketing technology market at an estimated $99.9 billion.

The study, carried out amongst more than 800 UK, North American, Asia-Pacific and European brands and agencies, was initiated to better understand the scale of opportunity, and reveals not only a huge existing market, but one that continues to grow exponentially. Indeed, when asked about the outlook for the market, brands expect to increase their investment in martech for the year ahead. This is particularly true in the case of Europe (excluding UK), where nearly two thirds (63 per cent) said they expect their budgets to increase.

In the UK and North America, brands have increased their martech budgets by 44 per cent, meaning its now worth up to $52 billion. These brands are spending nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of their budgets on martech, up from 16 per cent 12 months ago. Interestingly, brands in the UK and North America are also keen to spend on in-house technology.

63 per cent of technology budgets were spent in-house  compared to 44 per cent last year  a figure Moore Stephens believes is driven by a desire from brands to excel in their customer experience, coupled with an element of mistrust in agencies.

Damian Ryan, Partner, Moore Stephens, said, Investment in martech has reached a tipping point over the last 12 months. Established marketers in disrupted industries, such as insurance and financial services, realise they need to invest if they are to future-proof themselves, and view martech as a key area of investment. Just look at Nationwide Building Societys recent announcement of 1 billion investment in tech. Staying relevant is key, but taking on the new breed of competitors  such as Revolut is creating a big rethink, he added.

All the while, agencies are struggling to stay relevant. Clearly marketers are seeking to build in-house strength and are set to spend more on martech to remain competitive. Our research finds that this budget is coming from media spend and will have a resounding impact on the value of media-centric agencies.

Looking at the global market, those who said their budget will increase expect to see an average increase of 13 per cent. Even more indicative of a fast-growing market is the fact that around one-in-five (18 per cent in North America, 17 per cent UK) expect increases of more than 25 per cent in their martech budgets over the next year.

Moore Stephens and WARC also looked at the specific technologies behind this burgeoning market. On a global scale, perhaps unsurprisingly, email remains the most likely avenue for martech, used by 79 per cent of marketers. This is closely followed by social media, with 77 per cent currently using the technology with a further 18 per cent expecting to use in the next 12 months.

The most planned for tactic in the year ahead, interestingly, is SEO  an established marketing discipline, but one which continues to change as algorithms develop. The biggest rise, year-on-year for the UK & North American market, was the use of martech for analytics, measurement and insights, selected by 75 per cent  a 19 per cent rise on a year ago.

The study showed that the most established tech currently in use is that of internet of things (IoT) and connected devices. Second is voice which has seen rapid development over the past year, influencing the way searches are made online and driving progress in areas such as voice optimisation. A new wave of martech tools will likely emerge, and when the results are broken down by region, the UK is likely to be the most progressive in terms of voice search, with 36 per cent stating they currently use a tool in this area, and a further 11 per cent planning to do so in the next few months.

Ryan continued, There is no question the future looks big and bright for the entire market. Voice is a technology were watching very closely. In many households, Alexa has evolved from being a source of music and news to become more like a member of the family. Along with being great fun for quizzes and questions  theres a clear trend towards VAL (voice activated lifestyle), the implications for marketers here are immense.

Though the market is burgeoning, the study also looked at what the barriers are to future investment. Understandably, the number one restriction for 43 per cent of respondents is marketing budget constraints. Secondly, however, for over a quarter (26 per cent) was a lack of understanding of the technology coupled with increasing complexity is creating issues for marketers.

Amy Rodgers, Research Editor, WARC, concluded, There has been no discernible sign that the rate of growth within the martech space is slackening. With data volumes continuously increasing, this research shows that data, analytics and automation are key focuses for martech investment globally as marketers look for help with metrics and measurement. Understanding of the technology available continues to be an issue for brands, however, and with many planning to move tech in-house over the next year, agencies will have to adapt to a changing, advisory role in the martech strategies of their clients.Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier?

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Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page.Ireland has warned it would officially recognize Palestine as a state should peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis remain at standstill.

The EU members Foreign Minister Saturday said Dublin is concerned about Palestinians plight, which continues because of standoff in the talks between the two sides.

We have made a choice not to officially recognize the state of Palestine just yet, said Simon Coveney during a press conference with his Palestinian counterpart, Riyad al-Malki.

But if this hopelessness continues in terms of the dialogue working we will be forced to review that for obvious reasons, as I think a lot of other countries in Europe will too.

Spain, according to media reports, could also recognize Palestine as a state. Madrid confirmed last week it was pushing other capitals of the Union to do likewise, Times of Israel reports.

Ireland, known as one of the leading western countries attached to the Palestinian cause, was considering convening a gathering of Arab and European leaders to jumpstart peace talks, the Irish Times reported.

Conveney also announced that Ireland will significantly increase its contribution from $5 to $8 million, to the UNs aid agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, following Washingtons $200-million cut.

The Irish Foreign Minister voiced concern over the closure of the Palestinian de facto diplomatic mission in Washington this month noting that the move was not a good idea.

We need sustained dialogue if we are to make a breakthrough in the Middle East peace process. We believe that shutting down channels of communications is never a good idea.

Over 130 member countries of the UN have recognized Palestine as a state. However, world powers like France, the U.S. and the UK have not backed the move. The Palestinians believe France is increasingly considering to do so.

The French certainly care a lot about that issue, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told reporters after meeting President Emmanuel Macron on Friday in Paris on his way to the UN General Assembly.

They are studying it more and more. They believe it is one of the most important issues on which they should focus their attention.CAIRO  Egypt is overcoming the harm from numerous nations' longstanding bans on its horses and is once again turning into a major area for investment in purebred Arabian horses.

The Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture announced Sept. 6 that Jordan has become the most recent country to lift its ban. That announcement comes a year after Egypt resumed horse exports to the European Union, shipping eight horses Aug. 7, 2017. The EU had imposed a ban in 2010 on Egyptian horse imports after a medical committee affiliated with the EU found that Egyptian horses are vaccinated against the West Nile virus. The discovery raised concerns about how widespread the disease might be in Egypt. The results also pushed Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and some other Arab nations, such as Jordan, to ban Egyptian horse imports.

In 2015, Egypt submitted a report to the EU saying samples had been taken from all horse breeds in all Egyptian provinces to make sure they didn't suffer from any dangerous diseases. All results confirmed the horses weren't infected with the West Nile virus. In 2016, the EU reversed its decision, and Egypts exports to the EU resumed in 2017.

The Egyptian government is working to turn the country into an international arena for investment in horses.

In January, Egypt adopted a new system to regulate horse exports. Under this system, horses are required to have passports to be transported from a breeding farm to a veterinarian facility for 90 days of observation and testing before they're then transported to Cairo airport. The horses are required to be insured and have medical certificates proving they are not infected by any diseases.

Egypts efforts in promoting horse exports come at a time of repeated complaints from horse breeders and owners of horse farms about governmental obstructions to the equine industry in Egypt. These obstructions include limits on exports and the lack of a proper veterinary clinic with high-quality services dedicated to horses, despite the high number of horse farms in Egypt.

Said Sharbash, an expert on horses who owns a horse farm, told Al-Monitor, Horse farms are currently packed, and sales are slow.

Some nations, such as the GCC countries, still refuse to import horses from Egypt. Cairo is negotiating with the GCC to reverse its decision.

Sharbash noted that only 56 horses had been exported since the EU's ban was lifted, compared with 240 horses in September 2006. There is still stagnation in the export movement of Egyptian horses despite the lifting of the ban. The Egyptian government has to find other mechanisms to restore the number of horses that are exported from Egypt to the world," he added.

Meanwhile, 11 horses have been approved to be exported to Jordan next month.

Sharbash said there is only one office in Egypt responsible for registering and numbering Arabian horses in Egypt: El Zahraa horse farm.

He held the Egyptian government accountable for the ban on horse exports in 2010, as it failed to raise awareness about the list of approved vaccines. As a result, horse breeders used vaccines for diseases that did not even exist in Egyptian horses. The EU became suspicious, fearing these diseases were prevalent in the country, after antibodies for them appeared in test results.

In 2011, the Egyptian government banned any unregistered vaccines and vaccines for diseases that hadn't been documented in the country.

Egypt has more than 640 horse farms and more than 10,000 Arabian horses, and the Egyptian Agricultural Authority oversees them through El Zahraa.

The station registers and marks all Egyptian horses with a permanent stamp. El Zahraa is a genetic bank for the horses, designed to protect them from extinction. Arab princes and people from around the world visit it to buy pure Arabian horses.

Sami Taha, former head of the Egyptian Veterinarians Syndicate, told Al-Monitor that the 2010 ban resulted from using vaccines for horses indiscriminately. This does not diminish the reputation of Arabian horses being among the best in the world.

Omar Sakr, one of the most famous Egyptian Arabian horse breeders and head of the board of trustees of the Pyramids Society, told Al-Monitor, Egypt is the worlds hub of purebred Arabian horses, and horse breeding is not an investment as much as it is an art. He noted that the Egyptian government is trying to attract horse lovers and breeders from across the world and perhaps even to develop tourism around the industry.

Sakr added that this goal should have been achieved through construction of the Egyptian Equestrian Center, or Marabet, which still hasn't materialized. Studies conducted about the project's feasibility were concluded just before the outbreak of the January 25 Revolution in 2011. The government of the ruling National Party under former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak prepared the outline for the project and estimated in January 2011 that it would cost 5.4 billion Egyptian pounds ($1 billion, according to the exchange rate at the time).

The project, which has been revisited by successive Egyptian governments since the departure of the Mubarak regime in 2011, consists of a plan to build an international facility for certifying horse breeds and pedigrees, and the establishment of a technical school for graduating trainers and horse breeders. The project would also feature an equestrian training academy to raise awareness of Egypt's horse industry, starting from the horseshoe to the saddle, as well as the establishment of an international hospital for equine treatment, hotels to provide services during international festivals and a facility to produce biofuel from horse manure.

He added, The Marabet project has not yet seen the light of day for reasons I don't know. However, if it doesn't go through under the helm of current Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, who was a member of the project study committee since its onset, all hope of achieving it will be lost.

In 1970, Egypt participated, along with the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the United States, in establishing the World Arabian Horse Organization. It has members in 82 countries, and the organization is responsible for registering Arabian horses in all countries. Egypt is known for holding horse festivals, races and auctions because it has the strongest and most expensive horse breeds in the world.

A prominent source at the Ministry of Agriculture in Egypt told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that a major problem facing the current Egyptian government is its ongoing negotiations with Gulf and Arab countries, notably Kuwait and the UAE, which did not lift the ban on horse imports from Egypt, unlike the EU. He underlined that the minister of agriculture has prioritized bringing Egyptian horses back to the international spotlight.Congress is once again trying to reduce Iran's influence in Iraq in a way that could jeopardize the country's efforts to form a new government following May legislative elections.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee is scheduled to vote Thursday on bipartisan legislation that would block the assets of Iranians found to pose a threat of violence in Iraq. Meanwhile Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., has introduced a bill to sanction two Iran-backed Shiite militias in the upper chamber.

Im proud to introduce this legislation and send a strong message that we will not tolerate the destabilizing efforts of the Iranian regime when it comes to the government of Iraq, the House bill's sponsor, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said in a statement when he introduced the Preventing Iranian Destabilization of Iraq Act in December.

The House unanimously passed similar legislation to Perdue's earlier this year as an amendment to the defense authorization bill. But the provision from Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, was dropped when the bill was merged with the Senate version.

My amendment sanctioning Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Harakat Hezbollah Nujaba, two of the most destabilizing Iranian-backed militias in Iraq with American blood on their hands, passed the House unanimously, Poe told Al-Monitor in an emailed statement today. Removing the provision was a mistake and only emboldens these Iranian-backed terrorist groups.

The Iraqi Embassy in Washington declined to respond to repeated requests for comment.

However, public disclosure forms indicate that Iraq's lobby shop, the Livingston Group, met with Kinzinger in January to discuss his bill. And Iraq's former ambassador, Lukman Faily, told Al-Monitor that the Perdue bill in particular could complicate Baghdads struggles to form a governing coalition.

This will be seen as another example of the geopolitical increase in tension between the US and its allies on one side and Iran and its supporters on the other side, said Faily.

The House initially passed its version of the Perdue legislation a few weeks after one of the targeted militias, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, won 15 seats in Iraqs May parliamentary elections. The group is part of the pro-Iran Fatah coalition, which came in second and is in talks to form a coalition government with the top vote-getter, Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's nationalist Sairoon coalition. The other targeted militia, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, did not field any candidates.

At the very least, [Asaib Ahl al-Haq] bought one Cabinet member in the Iraqi government, Michael Knights, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Al-Monitor. Not a major one like defense, interior, finance, none of those. The worst that can happen is that [the group] will control a junior ministry in the Iraqi Cabinet.

Still, the Perdue bill could place the United States in the unenviable position of sanctioning an Iraqi government official.

They are no longer in the fringe of politics, Faily said. Such a legislation, if implemented, will have ramifications within our internal politics too. It will enhance polarization and will push parties and blocs to take sides with or against such sanctions. [Asaib Ahl al-Haq] is now part of our democratic setup and hence its effect will be visible and for all to see and feel, more so if they take part as ministers within the next Cabinet formation.

Knights confirmed that the potential sanctions have caused considerable consternation among Iraqi politicians across multiple sects and ideologies. Knights himself favors holding off on the sanctions until Baghdad forms a new government and recommends narrowly targeting figures such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali, who is a member of parliament himself.

Knights said he asked every single Iraqi official he met during a June trip to the country  from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on down  about the wisdom of sanctioning Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Khazali himself.

They were nervous about the prospect, less nervous about sanctioning Khazali personally and more anxious about sanctioning all the members of his movement, Knights said. They felt it would drive the rank and file to Khazali if they were to be lumped with the same label as being a terrorist.

Knights also said that many fighters were not involved in the surge of violence targeting US soldiers following the 2003 invasion of Iraq and joined the group more recently in 2014 to fight the Islamic State. He said the Trump administration has the authority it needs to enact the sanctions laid out in both the Kinzinger and Perdue bills.

People in the Middle East take this stuff seriously, said Knights. Even though we might know that its just completely duplicative  they dont know that in the Middle East. It sends a kind of signal of continuing and intensifying intent on behalf of the US government.

Indeed, the Trump administration has started to ratchet up the pressure on Tehrans proxies throughout the Middle East as part of a hard-line strategy against Iran.

Following two separate rocket attacks earlier this month  one on an airport in Basra, which hosts a US Consulate, and another in Baghdads Green Zone, where the US Embassy is located  the White House placed the blame on Iran and its Iraqi militias, without offering evidence.

Iran did not act to stop these attacks by its proxies in Iraq, which it has supported with funding, training and weapons, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. The United States will hold the regime in Tehran accountable for any attack that results in injury to our personnel or damage to United States government facilities.

Asked today about US plans to counter Iranian influence in Iraq, Pompeo said the United States has been working to achieve a government that is an Iraqi national government. He added, We are working diligently to make sure that the Iraqi people  that voice they gave during the election  is who ends up in leadership.

The rocket attacks came after Reuters reported in August that Tehran had given ballistic missiles to its Iraqi proxies, citing Iranian, Iraqi and Western officials.

Irans willingness to transfer these missiles to its Iraqi agents is a measure of its involvement in these forces, Behnam Ben Taleblu, a research fellow at the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Al-Monitor. The US should determine which militias received these weapons and designate them for liaising with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Ben Taleblu also noted that the missiles may end up in Syria since much of Irans infrastructure has gone up in smoke there.

Both militias targeted by Perdue's bill fight alongside Iran in Syria on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad government.BAGHDAD Iraq's presidency, a largely ceremonial position, is usually held by a Sunni Kurd, while the premiership has been the preserve of Shiites for more than a decade. But Kurds are having trouble agreeing on a candidate, which could threaten their essential united front in Baghdad.

Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi announced Sept. 18 that presidential candidates could begin submitting their applications through parliament's website.

The next day, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) announced it was nominating Barham Salih. The PUK didn't discuss the nomination beforehand with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which is its political ally in the Kurdistan region. The KDP also wants to nominate a candidate  and has several in mind. The KDP, led by Massoud Barzani, is the larger party.

The PUK believes the presidency should be held by one of its own members, as per a previous agreement concluded under the late party leader, President Jalal Talabani. Salih, a former PUK leader, split from the party in 2017 to form his own party, citing what he called mismanagement of the Kurdish provinces. He participated in the May general elections and his party won two parliament seats.

If Salih intends to accept the nomination, he will have to withdraw from his party, the Coalition for Democracy and Justice, and return to the PUK, according to Mullah Bakhtyar, a PUK leader. Bakhtyar spoke during a Sept. 18 joint press conference with US envoy to Iraq Brett McGurk.

Despite the historical ties between the PUK and Iran, McGurk's presence in Sulaimaniyah to hold meetings with PUK leaders on the day of Salih's nomination suggests there might be a US-Iranian consensus on that nomination.

However, Salihs nomination deal doesn't seem to be ripe just yet because his nomination primarily requires the approval of the KDP, as well as the Shiite parties forming the largest parliamentary bloc.

Shakhwan Abdullah, a KDP leader, said the PUKs nomination of Salih came as a surprise to his party.

"The KDP was hoping that the PUK would consult the KDP about their presidential candidate before officially declaring his name. After all, the two parties are allies and are both running for the same post," he told Al-Monitor.

He added that the KDP has more seats (25) in the Iraqi parliament than the PUK (18). He said he believes the presidency of the republic should be the KDP's, and that if the PUK wanted to nominate someone, it should have consulted the KDP first.

Concerning the previous agreement between the two parties, which provided for giving the PUK the Iraqi presidency while leaving the presidency of the Kurdistan region to the KDP, Abdullah said the agreement was nullified" after Barzani stepped down in October as president of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the post was abolished.

Abdullah added, These nominations also need to be discussed with the Shiite allies because the post of president of the republic needs the approval of two-thirds of the members of parliament, a percentage that can't be guaranteed by the Kurdish blocs alone."

Barzani's KDP wants to nominate former Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari, former Deputy Prime Minister Rowsch Nuri Shaways and KDP Secretary-General Fazil Mirani for the post of president, according to one of party's parliament members in Baghdad, Bashar al-Kiki. The KDP argues that each Kurdish party should have the right to nominate one or more candidates and then discuss their potential. Ideally, the groups would be able to narrow the choices down to one winner.

If the Kurds can't agree on one candidate soon, then more than one name will be presented to parliament, which will select one person, as happened this month with Halbusi's election as parliament speaker.

If the Kurds don't go before the Baghdad parliament as a single bloc, presenting a single candidate, it will be tough for any candidate to secure the necessary two-thirds majority. Another session will need to be held, and whoever gets the simple majority will be the winner, as per the Iraqi Constitution.

Kurds shun this scenario as it is fraught with danger. This is especially true in the event that figures from other Iraqi groups run for the post. Such a scenario would depend on the ability of Kurdish parties to win over the rest of the Iraqi parties, especially the Shiites, knowing that they usually prefer the pro-Iran PUK. However, the Shiite blocs are still maneuvering to form the coalition with the most parliament seats, and one bloc could still forge an alliance with Barzanis party, which has the largest number of seats for a single party.

However, Ahmed al-Asadi, a spokesman for Al-Binaa Alliance, said the alliance accepts Salih's candidacy provided there is consensus among Kurds." The alliance includes the Fatah Alliance, the State of Law Coalition and other smaller parties, and is led by Popular Mobilization Units commander Hadi al-Ameri and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The statement calling for consensus reflects Al-Binaas desire not to lose any Kurdish ally to the alliance between Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's backers and Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Sairoon bloc. Abadi and Sadr are also trying to form the largest parliamentary bloc and name the next prime minister.

However, it doesn't look like things will reach a critical stage, as the Kurdish parties are aware of the significance of their unity in Baghdad to be able to achieve significant gains in Kurdistan. Also, the presidential post is deemed an honorary or protocol post because the president holds no broad powers. Current President Fuam Masum has decided not to seek another term.

Therefore, the Barzani party's statement regarding the nomination of KDP leaders for the same post is probably only a means to pressure the PUK and obtain other gains, such as Cabinet appointments in the new government or improvements for Kurdistan.

Most importantly, Salih is accepted by seemingly all political parties and respected by the sectarian and nationalist components of the country.The Knesset adopted the controversial nationality law on July 19, anchoring the Jewish nature of the State of Israel. In response to the public uproar in Israel and around the world following the passage of the law in the Knesset, its authors and supporters have claimed that it does not change the current reality and does not hurt the equal rights of minorities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surpassed himself and, as his custom, attacked the left and demanded that it check itself. In his opening remarks at the Cabinet meeting following the passage of the law on July 29, Netanyahu said: Does determining that our flag bears the Star of David somehow abrogate the individual right of anyone among Israel's citizens? Nonsense, but determining this ensures that there will not be another flag. Does determining that Hatikvah is our national anthem detract from the personal rights of any person in Israel? Nonsense, but it does determine that there will not be another anthem.  We are not ashamed of Zionism. We are proud of our state, that it is a national home for the Jewish people, which strictly upholds  in a manner that is without peer  the individual rights of all its citizens.

Not even two months later and the district court in Jerusalem proved the impact of the nationality law when Judge Moshe Drori relied on the nationality law to decide on compensation for victims of a terror attack.

The plaintiff, David Mashiach, was a witness in 1998 to a terror attack in Tel Aviv and suffered shock. Later he was diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which impacted his everyday functioning. In 2007, he and his family submitted a claim for compensation from Hamas, which carried out the attack.

In the verdict, decided Sept. 17 against Hamas, Drori analyzed, among other things, the question of punitive damages and noted the addition of the nationality law to the Israeli law book and Clause 6a in particular: The state will strive to ensure the safety of the members of the Jewish people in trouble or in captivity due to the fact of their Judaism or their citizenship.

The judge wondered how this clause could be interpreted and how it could contribute to the verdict regarding punitive damages. He also took into account the charter of Hamas and its clauses against Jews and the Jewish state, writing: According to the written formulation  of the Hamas charter, and no less, as it acts in practice, one can say, without exaggeration, that the Jewish people, all the more so when they are in Israel, are among those who are in trouble because of their Judaism.

He further wrote, I am aware that the said basic [nationality] law was legislated only two months ago, while the attack happened 20 years ago. However, a Supreme Court decision has determined, and repeatedly determined, that basic laws have interpretive application also on laws that preceded them.

To his critics, who he anticipated would object to his verdict, he asked as well as answered: Is the Basic Law: Israel - The Nation-State of the Jewish People, merely declarative? I dont believe so. It is surely assumed that the Knesset, as the legislative branch, when it produced a basic law, intended that it may be used in the courts  thus, as the injured party is one of the 'Jewish people [or one of its] citizens who are in trouble because of their Judaism or their citizenship,' the scale will tip toward punitive damages, among other things, by force of the Nationality Law.

Even if the authors of the nationality law, such as member of Knesset Avi Dichter and Netanyahu, and its supporters insistently claim that it does not encourage discrimination, it seems they hadnt imagined that it would so quickly make its way to the judicial system in Israel and would define in the clearest way that Jews and Arabs are not equal before the law.

The worst is still ahead, but theres no doubt that it will help in our public relations against the nationality law, said Knesset member Ahmad Tibi, of the Joint List, to Al-Monitor. Members of his party have already started an international campaign to enlist opponents to the law that they define as racist. Theres no doubt that this is a racist verdict and explanation from a racist judge with a history that stains him with racism, said Tibi. As he sees it, the use Judge Drori made of the nationality law proves the arguments of Arab members of Knesset and the Arab public in general that its a racist law that paves the road to apartheid, which [Justice Minister Ayelet] Shakeds judges could in the future use as legal precedent.

While Shaked is not responsible for the appointment of Drori, who was appointed in 2001 to the district court in Jerusalem, the minister does see this court, where Drori serves as vice president, as a safe place to bring cases related to Jewish-Arab relations. Shaked initiated a bill adopted by the Knesset this July that transfers the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to debate [Palestinian] petitions regarding administrative decisions in the West Bank to the district court in Jerusalem, where it is allegedly easier to rule in favor of Jews.

Indeed, last month on Aug. 28, a controversial verdict was handed down by Judge Arnon Darel according to which an illegal outpost on private Palestinian land may be recognized [legalized by Israeli authorities] if it can be proven that the territory was allocated [to settlers] in good faith.

Droris verdict, which grants legal preference to Jews, is not the only verdict for which he has been called racist. In 2009, he was a candidate for a Supreme Court nomination. But leading up to the meeting of the committee to nominate judges, dozens of angry messages regarding his candidacy arrived at the office of then Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch. It turned out that in 2006, Drori heard a case of an ultra-Orthodox man who ran over a cashier who was a new immigrant from Ethiopia. The yeshiva student left a shop without paying, and when the cashier stood in front of his car in an attempt to prevent him from fleeing, he struck her. Drori, a religious Jew, decided to acquit the yeshiva student out of concern that a criminal conviction would hurt his hopes to be appointed to a religious court judgeship. He even determined that the case actually benefitted the injured woman, since thanks to the event she finally integrated into Israeli society. This verdict turned out to be an obstacle for him, and his candidacy for the Supreme Court was withdrawn.

Now the district court in Jerusalem has become a Supreme Court bypass, and Drori has proven that you dont have to be a Supreme Court justice to grant legal certification to the nationality law and determine in unequivocal language that Israel grants legal preference to Jews by virtue of their Jewishness.As competition heats up among rival Iraqi Kurdish factions for the countrys presidency, regional power Turkey appeared to signal its preference by extending an ongoing ban on flights to Sulaimaniyah, where the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) holds sway.

Tahir Abdullah, the official in charge of Sulaimaniyah airport, told the Iraqi Kurdish news portal Rudaw that the ban imposed in the wake of the Iraqi Kurds referendum on independence that was held a year ago would remain in effect until Dec. 24. Ankara had also halted flights to Erbil, the Iraqi Kurdistan Regions capital, in keeping with the Iraqi central governments ban on flights to the Kurdish region because of the referendum.

Baghdad allowed air travel to the region to resume in March. Ankara, however, continues to block flights to Sulaimaniyah. Turkey has not formally commented on any of the candidates for the Iraqi presidency, a largely ceremonial post that is traditionally allotted to the Kurds.

But sources familiar with Turkeys Iraq policy said that Ankara was opposed to the PUKs candidate Barham Salih, the urbane former deputy prime minister of Iraq who moves as easily in Tehran as he does in Washington and Baghdad and is acclaimed for founding and building the American University of Iraq Sulaimani into one of Iraqs most prestigious academic institutions.

The extension of the flight ban was a clear sign that relations with the PUK remain frozen. There is no particular hostility towards Dr. Barham but hes the PUKs pick, so that makes him undesirable, one of the sources told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.

Salih, who spent long years in Washington and served as the Kurdistan Regional Governments prime minister, was seen as a shoo-in until Massoud Barzanis Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) announced that it was fielding Barzanis longtime aide de camp, Fuad Hussein, against him. It marked a dramatic break from past practice whereby the KDP would retain the presidency of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and the PUK would get Baghdad.

But bitter acrimony over the PUK's collusion against the KDP with Baghdad during and after the referendum, allowing Iranian-backed Iraqi forces to retake so-called disputed territories from the Kurds, including the oil-rich province of Kirkuk, has thrown that agreement out the window. KDP officials insist they will not withdraw Hussein's candidacy, saying their party is entitled to the post because it won seven more seats in the Iraqi Parliament than the PUK.

Hussein, a Shiite Kurd from Khanaqin, is the go-to figure for Western officials in their dealings with the KRG and is lauded for his discretion, intelligence and wit. He is seen as a sobering voice, a sort of eminence grise, in the cutthroat world of Kurdish politics. Though he keeps a low profile, Hussein has an extensive net of contacts in Baghdad as well.

Ranj Alaaldin, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution Doha, suggested that Hussein might stand a better chance because he brings more to the table than his rival. He explained to Al-Monitor, Despite some suggestions that Salih is backed by Iran, that has more to do with Iranian calculations than it does Salihs history and capabilities. Praising what he termed Salihs impeccable political and strategic acumen, Alaaldin observed that Tehran views Salih as Americas man in Iraq and is deeply suspicious of his intentions.

Hussein, on the other hand, could help kick start a new chapter in Erbil-Baghdad relations that is defined and shaped according to an Iran-centric lens while also rolling back the Kurdish independence narrative and further shifting the KRG towards Irans orbit of influence. Western sources with intimate knowledge of the political process argued, however, that both candidates would be equally palatable for Washington.

Not so for Ankara. Turkey remains at odds with the PUK over its perceived support for militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The group has been waging a 34-year insurgency initially for independence and now for self-rule inside Turkey. Since 1991 its commanders have been based in the Qandil mountains separating Iraq from Iran and are known to move around freely in Sulaimaniyah, unlike in KDP-controlled areas.

Relations between Turkey and the PUK took a sharp turn for the worse when the PKK captured two senior Turkish intelligence operatives and their local assets near Sulaimaniyah in August 2017.

Turkey expelled the PUKs representative in Ankara, claiming that the group had leaked information on the whereabouts of its men to the PKK.

The PUKs late founder and former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's family members are believed to have played a critical role in helping forge the ongoing partnership against the Islamic State between the Pentagon and the PKKs Syrian affiliate, known as the Peoples Protection Units (YPG).

The alliance struck in 2014 has seen the YPG expand its control across northeastern Syria and a concurrent souring in Turkish-US ties. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed threats to take military action against the group in areas east of the Euphrates River in Syria, where several thousand US special operations forces are based.

God willing, in the period ahead we will increase the number of secure zones in Syria, encompassing the east of the Euphrates, he said in a weekend speech in New York, where he will be attending the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly before heading to Berlin. Turkey has already taken action against the YPG west of the Euphrates in the Russian zone of control, driving the militants out of their Afrin stronghold in March. Turkey has meanwhile intensified military operations against the PKK in Iraq, killing a key leader in Yazidi-dominated Sinjar in August.

Unlike Iran and the United States, Turkey has no real influence, however, over political machinations in Baghdad. Thus its preference for the countrys new leaders is unlikely to have much of an effect, analysts say. Part of the reason that Turkey currently has lesser impact in Iraq is that it's distracted by Syria, so it's absent in the horse-trading over the next Iraqi president and prime minister alike, said Bilal Wahab, the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Wahab noted in an interview with Al-Monitor that Turkeys Iraqi Sunni proteges such as former Ninevah Governor Atheel Nujaifi and his brother Osama had suffered a string of setbacks, leaving Ankara with even less sway. The latter, a former speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, scored poorly in the race for the speakership that was won by Mohammed al-Halbusi, the former governor of Anbar province.

Barzanis decision to press ahead with the independence drive in the face of Ankaras fierce objections has also cooled once strong ties between Turkey and the KDP.

Erdogan continues to enjoy a close personal relationship with Barzanis nephew and KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, however, and even at the height of tensions over the referendum did not interrupt the flow of Kurdish oil to export terminals on Turkeys Mediterranean coast.

But Turkeys continued attacks on PKK bases in Qandil, causing casualties among Iraqi Kurdish civilians, is a huge embarrassment for the KDP leadership, Wahab said. The net result, he concluded, was that the Kurds find themselves turning to Baghdad for support against Turkish incursions as Turkey reverts to its default setting of viewing Iraq through an anti-PKK lens. On Sept. 16 the Iraqi government announced that it would be deploying border guards between Turkey and Iraq to prevent further breaches, presumably by Turkish troops. It's unclear, however, whether it is able or willing to halt Turkish airstrikes against PKK camps, operations that remain the top cause of civilian losses in targeted areas.A top commander of Irans powerful Revolutionary Guards Sunday called up the United States and Israel to expect Tehrans devastating revenge following the Saturday terror attack on a parade that left over 20 dead.

You have seen our revenge before  You will see that our response will be crushing and devastating and you will regret what you have done, said Deputy Head of Irans Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, in in a speech before the funeral of the victims in Ahvaz.

A military parade in Ahvaz, southern Iran, on Saturday, turned sour as four gunmen attacked troops and onlookers. Over 20 people died including 12 members of the Revolutionary Guards.

Tehran swiftly blamed the U.S. and its allies in the region for masterminding the attack. The Islamic State group (ISIS) on Sunday claimed credit for the attack, posting on its Amaq agency videos and photos of three men, who were, it said, on their way to carry out the attack.

Islamic State fighters attacked a gathering of Iranian forces in the city of Ahvaz in southern Iran the terror group said on a messaging app.

U.S. envoy to the UN, Nikki Haley, Sunday rejected Tehrans blames noting that President Hassan Rouhani should look into the mirror.

Hes got the Iranian people are protesting, every ounce of money that goes into Iran goes into his military, he has oppressed his people for a long time and he needs to look at his own base to figure out where thats coming from, she told CNNs State of the Union.

He can blame us all he wants. The thing hes got to do is look at the mirror.

Iran also blamed Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for paying and training the attackers. UAE also on Sunday brushed aside finger pointing from Iran noting that the accusations are baseless.

The formal incitement against the UAE from within Iran is unfortunate, and has escalated after the Ahvaz attack, said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, in a tweet.

The UAEs historical position against terrorism and violence is clear and Tehrans allegations are baseless.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the terrorist attack that targeted the military parade in Ahvaz and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Iran.The Donald Trump administration today bluntly warned Moscow against its announced plans to move advanced missile defense systems to Syria after Bashar al-Assad's forces accidentally shot down a Russian military plane with 15 service members on board. There are many topics that we'll talk about with the Russians. I am very confident that their latest decision to move the S-300s will be among them, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters on the margins of the UN General Assembly gathering in New York. We're trying to find every place we can where there's common ground, where we can work with the Russians. We're finding lots of places where they're working against American interests, and we will hold them accountable. Asked if he expected to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the week, Pompeo said, I'm sure Sergey and I will have our time together.

Why it matters: Russia first proposed selling the missile system to Syria in 2013 but postponed the move at Israel's urging. After Israeli jet strikes against targets inside Syria triggered last week's incident, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a live television address today that Russia would shortly deliver the systems and directly link up with Syria's air-defense network. While Shoigu said the move aimed to cool hotheads that threaten Russian troops, it could hinder Israel's ability to suppress Iranian support for Hezbollah and increase rather than decrease regional tensions.

In other news: Pompeo addressed several other issues in his press conference alongside US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley and national security adviser John Bolton.

Pompeo said Trump would have well-deserved strong words for the Iranian regime when the president hosts Wednesday's Security Council meeting on nonproliferation, and he called on every country to join our pressure campaign in order to thwart Iran's global tour of destructive activity. Bolton, however, repeated that US policy was not regime change but massive change in their behavior.

Asked about US plans to counter Iranian influence in Iraq, Pompeo said the United States has been working to achieve a government that is an Iraqi national government. He added, We are working diligently to make sure that the Iraqi people  that voice they gave during the election  is who ends up in leadership.

He addressed reports of an imminent deal for the release of US pastor Andrew Brunson by saying, Yes, he could be released this month. He should have been released last month. Pompeo went on to call for the release of all US prisoners in Turkey, adding, I'm sure there will be some conversations this week in furtherance of that.

Know more: Check out Al-Monitor's Israel Pulse and Russia-Mideast coverage for all the latest on the fallout over last week's Russian plane incident, including Israel's concerns that any reduction in Syria operations will give Iran and Hezbollah dangerous breathing room. Also check out our Washington section for live coverage all week from the United Nations.

-Julian PecquetGAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Tension between Palestinian leaders and the US administration is growing, especially since the United States decided Sept. 10 to shut down the PLOs mission in the United States and officially expel its head, Husam Zomlot, along with his family and the mission's representatives. Washington also closed their bank accounts Sept. 16.

Washington explained the move by saying that the PLO hasn't taken steps to embark on direct and meaningful talks with Israel, and that the United States seeks to foil any Palestinian attempt to have the International Criminal Court investigate alleged Israeli crimes.

The PLO doesn't want the United States to lead Israeli-Palestinian talks, particularly as its closing of the mission was only the latest action the US administration has taken against Palestinians. US President Donald Trump declared in December that Washington would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The US administration also has withheld more than $500 million in annual aid for Palestinians via international and US institutions.

In addition, the United States, which used to contribute one-third of the annual budget for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), cut off funding to the organization.

According to a Sept. 17 report from WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency, Zomlot said the US actions are vindictive and reflect an unprecedented diplomatic chaos. Zomlot had left the United States in May after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recalled him when the United States relocated its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

His family, however, remained behind during his recall. He has confirmed that they left the country Sept. 16 when the State Department said their visas would expire when the PLO mission closes, although they were set to remain valid until 2020.

Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, told Al-Monitor that closing the PLOs financial accounts and expelling its representatives from Washington is a declaration of war on the Palestinian people and leadership. He said the US administration seeks to impose Trump's pending peace plan, which he said is designed to liquidate the Palestinian cause.

The Palestinian Authority has rejected the US peace plan. Some supposed parts of the plan have been floated in the media, but nothing of substance has been revealed publicly. PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat told Sky news Sept. 15 that the United States is already implementing the deal unofficially through its "measures regarding Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and settlements.

The Palestinian leadership has contacted many countries to hinder the US decision to close the PLO's mission, Abu Yousef said. The Trump administration is blackmailing the Palestinian leadership and the latter will seek to protect its people with the help of international institutions, he added.

He said the Palestinian Authority is preparing to present to the UN and the International Criminal Court a number of cases relating to alleged Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people. Abbas already has asked the court to consider the case of Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that Israel plans to raze. The PLO called Israel's plan "blatant ethnic cleansing."

Abdel Sattar Qassem, a political science professor at An-Najah National University in Nablus, told Al-Monitor the latest US measures are designed to pressure the PLO and Palestinian Authority and have them return to the negotiating table without preconditions.

He said that indignation over the US administration's recent moves is widespread in the Palestinian territories and that it has become hard for the Palestinian Authority and the PLO to accept any potential US offer for talks with Israel. He said the PLO and the Palestinian Authority have no recourse against the latest US measures  which are seen as probable predictors of future US actions.

Talal Awkal, a political analyst for the Palestinian Al-Ayyam newspaper, told Al-Monitor that the US measures point toward a total rupture of ties between the United States and the Palestinian Authority. He explained that Washington's decisions to recognize Jerusalem, halt funding for Palestinians and close the PLOs office in Washington affirm that the United States no longer recognizes the current Palestinian leadership as legitimate representatives of the Palestinians, and that the United States wants to end any role of the PLO.

He added that the US actions align with Israel's intent to annul the PLO's role as sole representative of the Palestinian people, or to give the impression that the PLO is unfit to lead Palestinians. The United States, he said, hopes to find a PLO alternative that will abide by the dictates of Washington and Israel and resume direct talks.

The Palestinian public awaits Abbas' discourse before the UN General Assembly on Sept. 27, where he will seek international protection for the Palestinian people against the recent US and Israeli measures. He has also called for a Sept. 26 meeting in New York of about 30 Middle East foreign ministers and diplomats to discuss the status of peace efforts.A BBVA Compass executive has been named to trade publication American Banker's Women to Watch list for the third straight year.

In her third year as the company's Chief Talent and Culture Executive, Rosilyn Houston was named to the list for her work to increase employee engagement, beef up benefit programs and establish recruitment initiatives.

"The efforts are paying dividends," American Banker wrote. "Turnover rates at the $88 billion-asset bank continue to fall while employee engagement scores are trending upward."

Among the programs Houston has been involved with has been the company's Employee Engagement Council, which meets with executives bi-weekly to discuss issues; the Bureaucracy Campaign, described as a collaborative online idea generation tool for employees to reduce bureaucracy, and a business resource group to increase engagement for women in the company. There's also a Female talent mentoring program.

"Simply being nominated for this prestigious award means so much to me, but to be selected to the Women to Watch list for a third year blows me away," Houston said in a statement. "As I said to American Banker, I feel so fortunate to be the chief builder of an internal culture that creates opportunities for all people, much as I had opportunities created on my behalf along the course of my 25 year career."What could be better than starting your week with coffee and a doughnut? How about a combination of the two?

Krispy Kreme is kicking off an early National Coffee Day celebration by rolling out a coffee glazed doughnut. The specialty treat will be offered Monday, September 24 through Sunday, September 30.

Krispy Kreme is also launching a new original Glazed Doughnut flavored coffee that will become a permanent addition to the chain's menu.

Think the offer can't get better? Just wait.

On National Coffee Day itself  that's Saturday, September 29 in case you didn't know  you can get a free brewed coffee at your local Krispy Kreme. Rewards members will get an extra perk of a free doughnut with their coffee. You can sign up today if you're not already a member.

You can go here to see all the Krispy Kreme locations that will be participating in the deal. The list of participating Alabama locations is below:

Auburn

Birmingham

Decatur

Dothan

Florence

Foley

Gadsden

Hoover - New Patton Chapel Road

Hoover - Highway 280

Huntsville

Mobile

Montgomery

TuscaloosaMeineke Car Care Centers, the automotive repair chain, is looking to open as many as 15 new locations in Alabama over the next few years.

Dennis Elliott, vice president of franchising for the company, said Meineke hopes to expand not only in Birmingham and Huntsville, but also in the Auburn and Montgomery areas.

"We've been making heavy investments in priority markets, and we think we have the ability to nearly double in size," Elliott said. "Expanding in Huntsville and Birmingham makes a ton of sense."

Meineke, based in Charlotte, N.C., has more than 900 locations. It currently has centers in Bessemer, Florence, Mobile, Montgomery and Vestavia Hills.

Elliott said the company would like to open up to five locations in the Huntsville and Birmingham areas, and up to five in the Auburn-Montgomery corridor along Interstate 85.

Alabama's low-cost, business-friendly reputation is one reason, Elliott said.

"There's a lot of positive factors," he said. "There's a lot of economic growth in the Southeast, and we're looking to find the people who are interested in growing with us."

Elliott said a new Huntsville location will open within the next year, following land acquisition. The company is currently looking for those interested in franchise development.

"Meineke is a 45-year-old brand, very stable, with an aggressive growth plan," he said. "It has a broad awareness with high levels of interest."Authorities have released the name of an infant boy who died after an apparent drowning in the bathtub Sunday night.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the boy as Dezmend Cotton. He was 5 months old.

Center Point Fire and Rescue and Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies responded to the Jefferson County Housing Authority complex at 8:19 p.m., said Center Point Fire Chief Donnie West. When medics arrived on the scene, the child was being carried from the apartment.

A dispatcher had been providing CPR instruction while first responders were en route and paramedics took over and continued to try to revive the baby while en route to Children's of Alabama.

Chief Deputy Randy Christian said the boy was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. Early information from the scene, he said, is that the father of the child placed him in the bathtub and left the room. When he returned, he found the child unresponsive.

Multiple friends and family gathered outside the apartment Sunday night while sheriff's investigators took pictures inside the home and carried out the probe.

"I can't imagine how hard this is going to be on that child's family,'' Christian said Sunday. "This will be heart-wrenching for all involved. God be with them."A 5-month-old child is dead after apparently drowning inside an apartment in eastern Jefferson County.

Center Point Fire and Rescue and Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies responded to the Jefferson County Housing Authority complex at 8:19 p.m., said Center Point Fire Chief Donnie West. When medics arrived on the scene, the child was being carried from the apartment.

A dispatcher had been providing CPR instruction while first responders were en route and paramedics took over and continued to try to revive the baby while en route to Children's of Alabama.

Chief Deputy Randy Christian said the boy was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. Early information from the scene, he said, is that the father of the child placed him in the bathtub and left the room.

When he returned, he found the child unresponsive.

Multiple friends and family gathered outside the apartment Sunday night while sheriff's investigators took pictures inside the home.

"I can't imagine how hard this is going to be on that child's family,'' Christian said. "This will be heart-wrenching for all involved. God be with them."The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday will vote on whether to enter into an agreement with Alabama Power to install 95 surveillance cameras in the Central Park, Ensley, Gate City and Kingston neighborhoods in an effort to fight crime.

Jim Stanley, of the Birmingham law department, told city councilors last week that the surveillance cameras would be installed through a pilot program with Alabama Power. The Jefferson County Metro Area Crime Center will monitor the cameras not Alabama Power, he said.

The camera content and locations are confidential, according to the contract between Birmingham and Alabama Power. The 95 cameras, which will include 24 pan, tilt and zoom cameras, 17 dome cameras and 54 license plate recognition cameras, will be installed on 64 power poles. The cameras can produce 182 video streams.

The location of the cameras are subject to change.

Birmingham City Councilor Hunter Williams, who chairs the council's public safety committee, praised the program in a committee meeting last week.

"This is one more tool our police department will be able to use in their constant daily fight to make Birmingham a more livable city," he said.

The agreement with Alabama Power is for five years at an estimated cost of $672,000 annually, which will be paid in monthly installments of $56,000.

According to the city's contract with Alabama Power, the cameras will be capable of producing footage, which be an archived for 24 hours a day and for 30 days, providing detailed and fluid video information for incident investigation. The cameras would provide "situational awareness in the field" during emergency operations. The presence of the surveillance cameras will be deterrent on crime.

Also, according to the contract, the cameras will be accessible to third-party agencies such as Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and other state and local responders.

Alabama Power will be responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing any equipment damaged or destroyed due to vandalism or other abuse for a calendar year limit of $10,500, according to the contract.

If approved by the city council, the cameras could be installed in about 90 days.The historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is one of 20 finalists across the United States competing for $150,000 in grant money.

If the church wins the Partners in Preservation competition, the grant money would be used to install protective glass on the outside of all the church's recently-restored stained glass windows and make repairs to the cupola and twin bell towers.

This year's competition, which is sponsored by American Express and The National Trust for Historic Preservation, in collaboration with Main Street America, is focused on sites that celebrate diversity and the fight for equality.

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is well known as the site of the 1963 Ku Klux Klan bombing that killed four little girls and injured 22 others, shocking the world and galvanizing the American Civil Rights Movement.

"Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is a symbol of hope," said Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. "While it reminds us of a painful past that we must never forget, it also proves how far we've come. Through its doors enter people of all colors, classes and backgrounds to experience today's Birmingham - a place where, despite our differences, we work together. We unite as a city, region and state to support this sacred place."

The grant competition's winners will be decided through public voting, which is open today through Oct. 26. Sixteenth Street Baptist Church invites the community to "lift every voice" in support of the Birmingham project by visiting www.16thStreetBaptist.org or texting "MAINSTREET" to 52886 to vote each day of the competition.

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church was built in 1911 by a group of African Americans who had a few years earlier been ordered to raze their 1883 building because the steeple was too tall. Black architect Wallace A. Rayfield designed the church that is now known as a national Civil Rights icon.

During Birmingham's turbulent 1960s, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church was a venue for the organization of mass meetings and demonstrations. On Sunday, September 15, 1963, the church was bombed, killing four young girls: Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson.

When the bomb exploded, many of the stained-glass windows were damaged and some destroyed, but the center window of "Jesus knocking at the door" had just the face of Jesus missing, a detail that many interpreted as a symbol of Jesus' shame of the racial divide in Birmingham and America. Once the building was restored in 1964-65, a gift of a stained-glass window from the people of Wales arrived depicting a "Black Christ" holding up the world and at the same time extending help to the world.

"The tragic death of four little girls in the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church diminished our world in ways that we cannot fathom," said church pastor the Rev. Arthur Price. "Yet, this terrible act of terror motivated a movement to support the passage of long overdue civil rights changes in our country. Sixteenth Street Baptist Church will always be a place of service, a place of significance, and a place of social change. Please help us to preserve it by lifting your voice!"

In 2017, Birmingham's Alabama Theatre won a $120,000 grant through this competition that helped fund the replacement of their 18th Street vertical Alabama sign.

This year the campaign will award a total of $2 million in grants to historic sites on America's Main Streets.

REV Birmingham, a Main Street American organization invested in historic preservation, nominated Sixteenth Street Baptist Church for this year's Partners in Preservation competition and is working with the church to run the monthlong campaign for votes.

"Not only is Sixteenth Baptist Church an important Civil Rights landmark, it's also a beautiful, historic church designed in 1911 by African American architect Wallace Rayfield," said David Fleming, REV Birmingham CEO. "Preservation of our city's unique historic assets is essential to the continued success of Birmingham. This Partners in Preservation opportunity allows everyone, no matter the size of your bank account, to invest in saving a piece of our history - by simply voting."

Open House

On Sunday, Oct. 21, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is inviting its neighbors to a Sunday lunch reception to enjoy food and fellowship in the basement gathering space. Open House Weekend activities in Birmingham are one of many local events taking place nationwide between Oct. 19 and 21.The owners of an Irondale motel were discovered missing Friday, and the 27-year-old suspect who has an extensive history of mental illness was captured Monday afternoon at a Virginia motel.

U.S. Marshal Marty Keely said Steven Richard Mulkey was arrested by deputy marshals at a hotel in Staunton, Virginia. Keely said he was arrested at the Hometown Inn by the U.S. Marshals Capitol Area Fugitive Task Force based on information provided by the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force.

Irondale police late Monday said Mulkey has been charged with capital murder of two or more victims. A no-bond has been issued against him. Irondale detectives are en route to Virginia to try to talk to the suspect.

Irondale police responded Friday to the Siesta Motel at 2510 Crestwood Boulevard on a welfare check of the husband and wife who own the business and live there - 77-year-old Ching Kao and his wife, 75-year-old Siumei Kao.

Irondale Police Chief Ken Atkinson said one of the couple's daughters became concerned when she had not spoken with them. The couple has owned the motel since at least 2005, but the business has been closed since January for code violations and the victims were the only people living there.

Once at the hotel, police found the couple gone. Atkinson said the safe was missing from the office and there was blood in the surrounding areas. At least one dog had been left behind in the office, in which there appeared to have been some kind of disturbance.

A review of surveillance footage showed the couple being beaten. The video showed the blunt-force trauma attack, which police said was brutal."It does show them attacked in the office of the motel,'' Atkinson said.

"We're treating this as a possible double homicide until we find something to lead us to believe differently,'' he said.

The couple's vehicle was later found not far away but authorities have not been able to find the couple.

Irondale police on Saturday night identified Mulkey as a person of interest in the couple's disappearance but didn't immediately say who was missing. He was living at the nearby USA Econo Lodge in Birmingham and the victims' vehicle was recovered by investigators there. A resident at the Econo Lodge on Monday told investigators she believed Mulkey may have fled in her vehicle.

She awoke Saturday to find it gone and it had been parked next to Mulkey's vehicle. Motel workers, she said, saw someone leaving the motel in a hurry Friday night in her Nissan Altima. It wasn't immediately clear whether that vehicle was found with Mulkey in Virginia.

Irondale police, along with other agencies, spent all weekend searching for Mulkey, who is from Fort Payne in DeKalb County and has previously been in trouble with the law. Mulkey reportedly was working as a handyman at the Siesta Motel.

"He was a maintenance guy there,'' Atkinson said. "They had no reason to be afraid of him."

Atkinson said they were able to see only a small portion of surveillance video because much of it is password protected. They have turned the remaining video over FBI computer forensics investigators to try to unlock the rest. "We've only seen a small amount of that footage,'' the chief said. "A lot of it will give us more answers."

"It's certainly a mystery. We can't possibly imagine where he would have taken them to, or why he would have taken them to another location and what he would have done with them,'' Atkinson said earlier Monday. "That's why we need help. Obviously the family is deeply concerned where their loved ones are. We need him in custody to get those answers."

Investigators returned to the Siesta Motel Monday afternoon to continue the evidence gathering and to do a second search of each room at the motel in the ongoing effort to find the victims.

Court records show Mulkey pleaded guilty in December 2013 to a charge of third-degree robbery. He was originally charged with first-degree robbery but pleaded to a reduced charge. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with 30 months to serve followed by five years of probation.

Mulkey was sent to Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, which is responsible for providing comprehensive psychiatric evaluation/treatment to the criminally committed. The court ordered that Mulkey continue his mental health treatments once he was released from the facility.

In 2014, according records, Mulkey's probation officer reported that mental health officers notified him to say that Mulkey had failed to show up for his "injections" and appointments. The nature of his mental illness and treatment was not detailed in court records.

In that probation report, authorities noted that Mulkey at the time was a suspect in two theft cases. Once case involved a vehicle theft and the other was the theft of a television from people with whom he was living. His attorney at the time noted Mulkey had an "extensive mental health history."

In August 2014, Mulkey's probation was revoked and he was ordered to serve the remainder of his sentence. He received credit for 509 days spent in the county jail and the judge ordered that once back in prison, he be given the opportunity to earn his GED.

In 2016, Mulkey pleaded guilty to a theft of property charge. He received a 45-month sentence in that case. It wasn't immediately clear when he was released or how long he has been living in the Birmingham area.Lee University will host School of Music faculty Dr. Jose Valentino Ruiz and Shawn Perkinson for a recital at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The performance will take place in the Squires Recital Hall, in the Humanities Center.

Dr. Ruiz and Mr. Perkinson will perform a repertoire in the style of artists who have had tremendous influence on the performers artistic identities during their earlier years of training. These artists include Michael Brecker, John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorious, Mike Stern, and Giovanni Hidalgo.

Possessing a deep-rooted passion for providing students with experiential learning opportunities, Dr. Ruiz and Mr. Perkinson decided to utilize selected Lee University students who were up to the challenge of performing the dynamic repertoire. Among them are Robert Acevedo Jr. on drums and percussion, Japheth Varlack on acoustic bass, and Mathew Zalusky on piano. All three students became recipients of four DownBeat student music awards earlier this year.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to showcase what our students at Lee University can do musically, said Dr. Ruiz. All of the rehearsals have been completely collaborative. It will be a treat to play the music from our recently released album, A New Standard.

Special guests will include Nyreay Penn (music business major) on vocals who will sing a sultry version of "Misty," Kadison Beaver on vocal percussion on Ruiz's "It's My Promise," Dr. Nathan Warner on trumpet performing a fiery rendition of Cherokee, and Alan Wyatt on tenor saxophone performing on the closing piece, "Mood Swings."

Dr. Ruiz will perform on flute, saxophone, electric bass, and percussion. Mr. Perkinson will alternate between jazz, fusion, and acoustic guitars.

"It's so awesome to be able to work with students who play at such a high caliber, said Mr. Perkinson. This is some of the most exhilarating and challenging repertoire in the world of jazz and fusion. Being a mentor to these students gives me the greatest satisfaction.



Dr. Ruiz joined Lees faculty in 2016 as an assistant professor of music business and teaches courses pertaining to music business, music technology, small jazz ensemble, and advises senior projects. He is the recipient of two Latin GRAMMY Award Nominations, has served as a film scorer for Hayden5Media, and currently serves as strategic communications director for Trevor James Flutes and Saxophones UK Co.

He has performed at esteemed venues such as Carnegie Hall and Tanglewood. He is a TEDx presenter, 49-time DownBeat Student Music Award recipient, 2018 Global Music Award winner, and a 2017 Gold Medal Parents Choice Award winner.

Dr. Ruiz earned his Doctor of Philosophy in music education and Bachelor of Arts in music theory from University of South Florida, his Master of Music in instrumental performance (classical performance and studio music/jazz) from University of Miami, and a Doctor of Ministry in global outreach from Truth and Mercy Institute.

Mr. Perkinson has been a commercial/jazz guitar instructor at Lee University since 1999. He received his bachelors degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he was able to study with Jerry Coker, Donald Brown, and Mark Boling, and currently pursuing a master's in music education from Lee University.

Mr. Perkinson has performed and recorded with groups and artists ranging stylistically from rock, country, and bluegrass to gospel, blues, and jazz, including the Charlie Daniels Band, Jerry Garcia Band, and Sidewalk Prophets, among others. He also co-produces albums for students at Lee University and is one of the most sought-after guitarists in the southeastern United States.



This event is free, non-ticked, and open to the public.

For more information, contact the School of Music at 614-8240 or music@leeuniversity.edu.



Govt Postpones Wheat Import Restrictions for One Year

By Gvantsa Gabekhadze

Georgian Finance Minister announced on Thursday that the wheat import restriction, which allows wheat product import only via rail and sea transport, will be postponed for one year.Minister Ivane Machavariani made the statement after his meeting with Georgian drivers importing wheat into Georgia from Armenia, as the drivers had been protesting changes since September 17.One of the drivers even walked up the roof of one of the buildings and said that he would commit a suicide if the government did not change its decision over the restrictions, which would have come into play on October 1.The driver said that he had severe financial problems and if the government banned wheat import by trucks his family would face deadly problems.Police had been negotiating with the man for several hours and when the minister appeared at the scene he was taken down safely.The driver attended the meeting with Machavariani.We have taken the drivers conditions into account and postponed the changes for one year. We also decided to discuss future restrictions in the presence of the drivers. This may include seasonal restrictions or several others, Machavariani said.Drivers said that they were ready to get involved in the negotiations.The motive why the government wants the ban wheat import via road transport is that the import creates rows at Larsi checkpoint and creates problems for visitors.Machavariani says that the wheat import via trucks may become seasonal after one year.An investigation is underway after a juvenile was shot Sunday night in south Birmingham.

The shooting happened at 7:48 p.m. at 29 Fifth Avenue South, said Sgt. Bryan Shelton. The victim, whose age wasn't released, was shot in the leg and taken to Children's of Alabama.

The injuries are not life-threatening. Shelton said no arrests have been made.A man who claims he was racially profiled while returning a malfunctioning paper-cutting machine to a Hobby Lobby near Birmingham is suing the craft store for false imprisonment and negligence.

On May 15, Brian Spurlock tried to return an item, with a receipt in hand, to the Hobby Lobby on Patrick Way in Trussville, according to the lawsuit. During the exchange, the Trussville police were called because store employees said he resembled a person who was returning stolen items.

"The Hobby Lobby employees did everything they could to have Spurlock incarcerated and therefore prevent him from enforcing the contract and returning the item in accordance with the contract," the complaint reads. "They did this simply because Spurlock is a young African American male, and under the guise that he 'resembled' a thief."

Christopher Burrell, attorney with the Birmingham law firm of Burrell & McCants, filed the lawsuit in Jefferson County on Thursday on behalf of Spurlock.

The complaint states Spurlock wouldn't have had a receipt if he had been trying to return a stolen item. At the time, police said Spurlock was not the suspect. Spurlock's attorneys questioned the store's reasoning in the complaint, in which the store and its employees are listed as defendants.

The complaint seeks compensation for an amount to be determined by a jury.

Hobby Lobby did not return phone calls or emails seeking comment before this article was published.

The complaint states Spurlock was trying to return a malfunctioning item he bought from the store 10 days prior. The store's return policy allows customers to return items within 90 days of purchase with a receipt. That same policy was printed on Spurlock's receipt, the complaint states.

The cashier, a white female identified as "Fictitious Defendant No. 1," told Spurlock she needed to go see a manager, another white female identified as " Fictitious Defendant No. 2," to see if the item is returnable. The manager said she would have to call corporate and asked for Spurlock's identification.

The complaint alleges the manager either didn't call corporate and called the police instead or called both corporate and the police since a Trussville police officer arrived at the store shortly after the call. Burrell said the officer approached Spurlock "in an aggressive manner," asked for Spurlock's identification and told him he was "about to be trespassed."

According to the complaint, the manager gave the officer Spurlock's ID. The officer left the store and went to his police car. The lawsuit states that the officer came back and told the manager there were no warrants on Spurlock.

The complaint claims Spurlock became falsely imprisoned when the manager took his ID and gave it to the officer.

"The Defendants gave the police the Plaintiff's identification, which further detained him as the police searched for warrants on him," the complaint reads. "The Defendants' actions deprived the Plaintiff of his personal liberty and has caused the Plaintiff pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment, out of pocket expenses, and a fear of loss of standing in the community of their peers."

Trussville Police Lt. Phil Dylan said in a statement in May that dispatch received a call from Hobby Lobby about someone store employees believed had written bad checks and made fraudulent returns to the store. Hobby Lobby asked for police assistance. When the officer came into the store, Trussville police said the officer asked Spurlock for his ID. The police said Spurlock asked them why. After giving him an explanation, Spurlock gave the officer an ID. When the officer ran the ID, it came back expired.

According to the police statement, the officer gave the ID back to Spurlock and told him to call someone to pick him up since he didn't have a valid driver's license on him at the time.

"Hobby Lobby did have a picture of the person that was writing bad checks and making fraudulent returns and it looked somewhat like the person in the store but it did not appear to be him," Dillon said.

During this time, Burrell said Spurlock's girlfriend, Ashley Maddox, came into the store and asked the manager why the police were called on her boyfriend for returning an item. Maddox video recorded the incident. In the video, Spurlock tells an employee, "I wasn't disrespectful towards nobody."

The complaint states the manager said she was only following orders from upper management. When Spurlock stepped away to speak to another individual, the manager then threatened to have Spurlock "trespassed" for speaking more loudly than she felt he should speak, the complaint reads.

Spurlock was allowed to return the item and he was issued a refund, but Burrell said his client was shocked and hurt after the incident. The complaint argues the store employees were negligent in their actions towards Spurlock because the store's responsibility is to provide customers with "a reasonably safe environment free from, among other things, discrimination and false imprisonment."

Spurlock and Maddox were given a customer service number during the incident. When they called the same day, Maddox said a customer representative promised that they would get back with them.

Burrell said the law firm tried to contact Hobby Lobby corporate in May, but did not hear from anyone.

"Defendant Hobby Lobby breached its duties when it allowed Fictitious Defendants No. 1 and No. 2 to remain on its premises after it should have been aware of their discriminatory propensities," the complaint states. "The inattention, thoughtlessness, heedlessness and lack of due care on behalf of Defendant Hobby Lobby in their actions and inactions in allowing the aforementioned situation to occur during business hours constituted a breach of the duty of care owed by Defendant Hobby Lobby to the Plaintiff."

Burrell told AL.com during an interview on Friday the law firm also sent a letter to Hobby Lobby's CEO via certified mail in July asking to handle the matter without litigation. Burrell said they haven't heard anything from the store.

"Most times whenever we send something to the possible party about a lawsuit, we get some type of response about us speaking to their attorneys and we get a response from the attorneys," Burrell said. "But in this case, we haven't gotten a response back. So, it is very unusual."

Hobby Lobby Complaint by Jonece on ScribdThrough the year, AL.com journalists will be reporting stories from "The Many," a Facebook group created by journalism organization, Spaceship Media, and launched in partnership with AL.com. Our stories will detail how these conservative, independent and liberal Alabama women are exploring local and national issues together and with women from around the country.

Women from across political divides met at the Birmingham Public Library to discuss the benefits of civil discourse.

The meet-up was the first in-person gathering for "The Many," a moderated women's Facebook group that has facilitated these women getting to know each other for the last year.

The Many is a moderated Facebook group for women to discuss everything from current events and politics, to education and parenting. The group started with women from Alabama, and many of them were excited to meet for the first time at the gathering on Sunday.

A panel directed by a a project director for Spaceship Media, Adriana Garcia of New Orleans, featured five of the women in The Many from Alabama.

"[The Many] has given me a toolkit to disagree," Ashley Edwards of Auburn, said.

Edwards took a step away from social media after the presidential election in 2016 and found it hard to jump back into discussing political topics outside of her friends with similar beliefs. She said The Many was a way to gently reintegrate herself with opposing views.

The women each agreed that the political divide in the United States today is something they feel in their day to day lives. Some mentioned the difficulties they experienced finding common ground instead of jumping to speak first or "be right."

Tiffany Rouse, of Birmingham, said she has learned to understand how someone's background and personal experiences determine beliefs. She said this comes in handy when talking about hot-button issues, such as abortion and reproductive rights, that often devolve into online shouting matches.

"We've gotten better about this in the group," she said. "The first thread [about abortion] had to be shut down."

Meg Glenn, a former teacher from Bremen, explained that her views on immigration changed after she encountered undocumented students in her classroom. Glynn said she feels emotionally and physically charged when these topics are broached in the group, but she has learned to figuratively step back and listen before responding.

If you are interested in joining The Many, visit spaceshipmedia.org/the-many/More than a week after news broke that Mountain Brook High School donated its old band uniforms to a Birmingham high school, Mayor Randall Woodfin has made a commitment to support the bands at the city's seven high schools.

"Bottom line, our students deserve the best when it comes to equipment and band uniforms," the mayor said in a video posted to his official social media accounts on Monday afternoon. "That's why I am happy to support and make a recommendation to the Birmingham City Council that we, the city of Birmingham, purchase band uniforms on behalf of all seven high schools because our students deserve the best."

I 100% support Birmingham City Schools, particularly our bands. I was a drummer from fourth grade until eighth grade  I walked in their shoes and I understand their commitment to excellence. Thats why Im making a recommendation to Birmingham City Council that the city purchase new uniforms on behalf of all seven of our high schools. Our students deserve the best. Lets continue to invest in our students. Posted by Randall Woodfin on Monday, September 24, 2018

It's unclear at this time when the recommendation will be formally made to the city council, and how much the band uniforms may cost.

Mountain Brook and Woodlawn high schools share the same colors, green and gold, and all that had to be changed were patches on the uniforms. Woodlawn had been without proper band uniforms for years.

Rick Journey, director of communications for the Birmingham mayor's office, said Woodfin made the decision after having a conversation with Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Lisa Herring about the needs of individual high school bands.

In the video, Woodfin said he also supports bands because he played the drums in his school band from grades fourth through eighth.

Herring said the city's donation would enhance "ongoing efforts of the district to provide support to its fine arts program.

"This is great news for us because we know that for many of our students, band is the gateway to college, and college is the gateway to a solid start in life," Herring said in a statement. "In addition, we know that band helps to cultivate leadership, collaboration and pride, all skills that contribute to success in life."

Birmingham City Schools' students earned $2.75 million in band scholarships last school year, according to the school system.

Birmingham Board of Education President Cheri Gardner issued this statement: "We are excited that the mayor is continuing to champion causes that impact student success. We hope that the council will embrace the proposal and support the mayor's vision to invest in our students."

Mountain Brook band director Jason Smith told AL.com in a previous story that he began looking at what to do with the high school's old band uniforms last fall. The decision to donate to Woodlawn was made after he was contacted by Woodlawn's auxiliary sponsor Marie Smith.

Smith took the uniforms to Lori Higginbotham, who owns Magic Stitches Embroidery in Birmingham. Together, the women designed patches for the school.

Higginbotham told AL.com that a customer of hers donated the money for the patches, $2,100, after seeing the uniforms displayed in her shop. Another one of Higginbotham's customers who heard about the uniforms donated dark green hand towels to the band. Higginbotham embroidered the towels for free.

Updated at 6 p.m. with statements from Birmingham City Schools.Lockheed Martin CEO and University of Alabama alumna

Marillyn Hewson

is the most powerful woman in business,

magazine.

The site's annual "referendum on the state of women in business" says the Kansas native is "leading a cadre of women at the helm of defense contractors," as she becomes the new No. 1.

Chairman, president and CEO at Lockheed Martin, the 64-year-old Hewson took over that role in 2013, and the company's market cap has since doubled.

Forbes wrote the following about Hewson in their priofile:

"Hewson has become the top purveyor of U.S. defense at a time when geopolitical threats (and the government funding that goes along with them) abound--not just on earth, but also in space and cyberspace. As head of the country's largest government contractor, Hewson rises to No. 1 this year, having positioned Lockheed Martin in the sweet spot to cater to the modern military's needs--from its humming F-35 fighter jet program to its ability to equip the White House's proposed "Space Force." Lockheed is also leading the charge to develop hypersonic weapons, which travel five times as fast as the speed of sound. Such new tech has become a U.S. national security priority given advances in Russia and China, helping Lockheed win about $1 billion in contracts so far in 2018. That's been a tailwind for the stock, with returns up 15% year over year, boosting Lockheed's market value to nearly $100 billion."

She was previously ranked third on the list.

Hewson is a 2-time graduate of UA with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's in economics. She is also a member of the Culverhouse College of Business Board of Visitors as well as a member of UA's President's Cabinet. Her husband James holds a bachelor's degree in communications.

In July,

to benefit the Culverhouse College of Business, which was the largest one-time financial contribution in the school's history.As Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was meeting Monday morning with the White House chief of staff amid reports that he was going to resign or be fired, his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, was 750 miles away in Hoover to give a keynote speech to a public safety symposium.

Sessions did not reference Rosenstein, who is overseeing the Russia investigation following Sessions' recusal, in his remarks to some 400 members of law enforcement, or the reports.

The attorney general received a standing ovation at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover. During the praise, Sessions said: "I may need this. Going back to Washington, you never know."

Sessions was not made available to the media; he was led through the back door of one of the hotel's conference rooms.

Rosenstein's meeting with White House chief of staff John Kelly ended with no resolution on Rosenstein's fate. The deputy attorney general denied initial reports that he was going to resign Monday morning, and the White House said that Rosenstein and President Trump are scheduled to discuss his situation on Tuesday.

The New York Times reported Friday that Rosenstein had implored Trump cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from the presidency and that Rosenstein suggested wearing a wire to record incriminating information from Trump. Rosenstein denied that report.

Sessions has had a tense relationship with Trump, who was angered over the attorney general's decision to recuse himself from the Russia probe. The president has used social media to complain that Sessions is not using his office to protect him.

"We'll see what happens. A lot of people have asked me to do that," the president said in an interview last week with The Hill. "And I guess I study history, and I say I just want to leave things alone, but it was very unfair what he did."

On Sunday, the Young Republican Federation of Alabama - an organization where Sessions once served as chairman - approved a resolution supporting the attorney general.

The resolution said Sessions "has restored honor, integrity and impartiality" to the attorney general's office" and has "vigorously advanced President Trump's agenda, especially in the areas of immigration and violent crime."

"As Republicans, we adamantly support those who follow the rule of law and those who enforce it. As Alabamians, we have seen the dangers of elected officials choosing political convenience over integrity. We trust America's centuries old justice system and its ability to protect the innocent and bring truth to light," the resolution goes on to say. "[T]he officers of the Young Republican Federation of Alabama offer our full support to a former YRFA Chairman and the current U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions."

In Hoover, Sessions praised the Public Safety Partnership, a DOJ-administered program to increase participation between federal, state and local law enforcement.

The attorney general announced $200,000 in grants to the Hoover-based National Association of School Resource Officers. The funds are allocated to provide training for school resource officers, including training on how to prevent school shootings.Red tide levels at Panama City and Bay County have lessened, according to recent testing by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The most-recent testing shows a decline in red tide concentrations caused by Karenia brevis from "medium" to "low" for the waters off Bay County.

"In Northwest Florida, K. brevis was observed in Okaloosa, Bay, Gulf, and Pasco counties, with up to 'medium' concentrations observed in Gulf County only," the FWCC update noted. "Relative to last week, cell counts generally decreased in Bay County."

K. brevis was observed on very low to low concentrations off Okaloosa County; low concentrations in Bay County; background to medium concentrations in Gulf County; and background to low concentrations offshore of Pasco County.

Red tide levels reached medium concentrations in Bay County earlier this month. It was the first reported red tide outbreak of the year for Bay County and Panama City, but high levels have been recorded along a 135-mile stretch of southwest Florida from Pinellas to Collier counties, where residents have been battling destructive algae blossoms since late last year.

The bloom has been blamed for the deaths of thousands of marine animals and respiratory illnesses in humans. The Panama City News Herald said about 40 fish kills have been reported in Bay County since the outbreak was first recorded.

Respiratory illnesses, a common illness associated with red tide, were also reported in Gulf County. No red tide-related illnesses were reported in Bay County, FWCC noted.A Selma police officer wounded in an ambush early Sunday is recovering at home, but Selma Mayor Darrio Melton said the shooting is the latest example of why police need better equipment, including more protective vests.

Officer Micah Hale is expected to make a full recovery, Melton said. Hale was driving through downtown Selma after leaving the scene of a homicide when he was fired on by multiple weapons, police have said. The State Bureau of Investigation is working the case.

Melton called Hale "one of the most humble officers" on the force. He said Hale was cheerful and in good spirits when he visited him at UAB Hospital on Sunday.

"You never hear any complaints from him," Melton said. "Even when I visited him yesterday in the hospital. He said, 'I signed up for hazardous duty and mayor I'm there with you. Whatever it takes to make sure we protect the citizens of Selma, that's what we're going to do.'"

Melton said Hale had been in law enforcement for about 10 years.

Melton and Selma Police Capt. Natasha Fowlkes spoke to reporters and a crowd that gathered for a press conference outside City Hall. They talked about the need to convince the City Council to support additional funding for public safety and about their reliance on citizens to help stop crime.

"On four different occasions over six weeks, we've had officers who have been shot at," Melton said.

Melton said Hale was not wearing a vest. He said the city has about 50 police officers and not enough vests to protect them all.

"By the grace of God again, he's still standing with us today," Melton said.

Fowlkes declined to say how many more vests are needed. She said the starting cost for a vest is about $700, but that does not include the cost of plates.

Fowlkes said the attack on Hale marked a sad day in Selma. There were also

bringing the total to 11 for the year, four more than in all of last year. Fowlkes said the police need help.

A crowd gathered outside Selma City Hall for a press conference about violence in the city and a call for more city funding for public safety. (Mike Cason/mcason@al.com)

"We need your eyes and your ears to help us do our job effectively," Fowlkes said. "We rely on the citizens of Selma to relay information to us to help us put away these senseless individuals that don't have a care for life."

Earlier this month,

at two Selma police investigators called to the George Washington Carver Homes public housing community. The investigators escaped injury. A patrol car was struck.

Selma Police Chief Spencer Collier has called the attacks cowardly and has said his officers aren't getting the equipment they need.

Melton said Collier was not at today's press conference because he has been working for four days without sleep.

Melton was asked what he thinks is fueling the violence in the city and the attacks on police. He said enforcement efforts have stepped up since he became mayor 22 months ago.

"The arrest rates are up inside the city of Selma," Melton said. "But when you have officers who are continuing to be shot at and there's no response from city government saying we're going to give them the necessary equipment that they need to protect themselves and go out in full force, then, I think it sends a message to the criminals.

"What I will say, though. I have given the chief instructions to go full force. We're not going to go to a parent or or go to a spouse and tell them that their husband or wife is not coming back home. So they have got permission from the mayor of whatever it takes for you to get back home, I want my officers back at home."

Melton wants the City Council to pass a 1 cent sales tax to support public safety, including a $1 million increase for the police department. He said the city has been operating on roughly the same amount of money for about 10 years and that it's not adequate.

The mayor said he understood that a sales tax increase might not be popular but said the money would be well spent.

"Let's do this 1-cent public safety sales tax to make sure all of our officers are fully clothed," Melton said. "Let's make sure they have all the resources that they need. They need this to make sure they can protect us."

Melton said his goal is to have 70 officers so the city can be "saturated" with police. He said the city had 38 when he took office and increased that number to 57. But he said that has declined slightly since then. Starting pay is $32,000 a year, he said.

Besides vests, Melton and Fowlkes said the police department also needs vehicles and surveillance equipment.

"Our police department is decades behind other police departments. So we're trying to move our police department to the 21st century," Melton said.Commissioners of the Mobile Housing Board have voted to fire executive director Akinola Popoola, citing a range of issues including financial lapses that may have cost the board nearly $1.5 million.

Akinola Popoola (Opelika Housing Authority)

Popoola was still working in a probationary "working test period" following his hiring last year. That status gave the board wide latitude to end his employment and may mean Popoola has little recourse. The discussion indicated, however, that the board was positioning itself to respond to a possible lawsuit

Popoola, who had recently been suspended, did not attend a special meeting called for Monday morning. The only item spelled out on the agenda was "to consider and act upon, if necessary, the appropriate discipline for the executive director and any personnel and/or policy matters deemed appropriate as the result of, if necessary." The vote to terminate Popoola was 3-0, with commissioners Reid Cummings, Norman Hill and Breanne Zarzour voting in favor.

Kimberly Pettway, chair of the board of commissioners, recused herself because of the likelihood that she would be put in position to carry out the executive director's duties -- a step that the board did in fact approve after the vote on Popoola. Commissioner Joyce Freeman also recused herself, without giving a specific reason.

Before the vote, outside attorney Larry Wettermark summed up the issues factoring into the situation. Wettermark said he was involved because if Popoola does file suit against the board, then board attorney Raymond Bell could be called as a witness.

Attempts to reach Popoola via an attorney representing him in a suit he has filed against the Opelika Housing Authority, where he formerly worked, were not immediately successful.

Wettermark cited several factors:

Failure to perform duties in a manner satisfactory to the board and conduct unbecoming to his position.

Insubordination, "failure to respond to guidance from the board, failure to follow instructions, failure to provide biweekly reports as requested by the board."

Failure to exercise oversight in two major financial transactions: One case in which $478,000 was improperly wired "to an unauthorized party," and another matter involving a series of task orders that were "above the authorized contract amounts" for a total of about $800,000.

Failure to take disciplinary action against the chief financial officer and another officer in those matters.

Failure to submit a budget as requested; failure to conduct performance reviews of employees in a timely manner; failure to address infestation issues at a housing development; and failure to use sick leave while being absent from work.

Wettermark told commissioners that following their vote, they will have to give the Mobile Housing Board and Popoola a letter providing more specific information on their complaints. After the vote he said that letter is likely to be issued Monday or Tuesday.

The $478,000 transaction reportedly involves a case in which hackers scammed former Chief Financial Officer Lori Shackelford into sending a payment of $478,000. Shackleford has since resigned. Commissioner Cummings said that regardless of whether Popoola was required to sign off on that transaction, he would have been aware of it and should have exercised oversight on a payment of that size.

Cummings said the $800,000 issue involved a series of work orders that had been approved for amounts totaling $1.6 million. But payments for larger amounts were approved, and Cummings said that through a "failure to pay close attention," the overages brought the total paid to around $2.4 million. Cummings again said that while Popoola's direct approval might not have been required, oversight was one of his core responsibilities.

Cummings said that "we're hopeful" some of the lost money can be recouped. But the potential loss of up to $1.3 million, not to mention the associated turmoil, is bad news for an agency that has been struggling to turn a corner.

Early in 2017, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development upheld previous findings that MHB had failed to comply with HUD regulations, creating an apparent conflict of interest. While HUD never ruled that the conflict had resulted in real malfeasance, it nonetheless ruled that MHB would have to shift its own "non-federal agency funds" to make up for $1.24 million in HUD money that had been spent.

At the time, Pettway said that reallocating the $1.24 million to satisfy HUD wouldn't immediately impact service to residents, but would cause some "administrative strain."

Executive Director Dwayne Vaughn, who had disputed HUD criticisms, had resigned by the time HUD and MHB came to terms. The search for a new director wasn't entirely smooth: Commissioners initially voted to extend an offer to one candidate and then, citing problems with the vetting process, withdrew that offer in August 2017 and extended one to Popoola.

At the time, Popoola was head of the Opelika Housing Authority. He also is a past president of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials. He officially started work in November 2017, and Wettermark said his working test period was to continue until December 2018. Within that window, Wettermark said, commissioners could end his employment "basically for any reason you want ... [and] under the rule there's no right to a hearing."

Court documents show that since leaving Opelika, Popoola has filed suit against the Opelika Housing Authority, seeking to be paid for a little more than 1,700 hours in unused sick leave, with a claimed value of nearly $110,000. The board's position is that Popoola's contract only provides for such payment if he is fired, and no money is owed because he left voluntarily. It appears no trial date has been set but an organizational conference is scheduled for late October.

Cummings said he would "not be surprised, based on early indications," if Popoola opted to file suit over his termination. "That's certainly his right," Cummings said.

The next task for the Mobile Housing Board, Cummings said, is to stabilize under interim leadership. Pending HUD approval, Pettway will serve as HUD liaison and will have the authority to sign contracts until the leadership vacuum is filled. The timetable for hiring a new executive director hasn't yet been established, Cummings said.

"I think the first step for Ms. Pettway as interim director is to just get a handle on operations, see where we are, find out if there's any other surprises, if you will, and let's address those," Cummings said. He added that MHB has begin developing budgets for calendar year 2019.

HUD personnel are in Mobile this week as part of a previously scheduled visit to give MHB "technical assistance," Cummings said. That presence was welcome, Cummings said, and involved an "intense" schedule of activities.

In summer 2016, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson had made his third appointment the board, meaning Popoola was the first executive director chosen by a board on which Stimpson appointees held a majority. At around the same time, the mayor said that attaining a majority would allow for long-needed reform at MHB. More recently Stimpson has made a fourth appointment.Jerry Galloway never wanted recognition for the things he did, he just wanted his work to make life better for people.

Galloway, who died Sept. 5 at 81, made a career out of improving lives and his city as Huntsville's director of community development. He worked for the city from 1971 until his retirement in 2009, becoming head of community development in 1985.

Jerry Galloway died Sept. 5 at age 81.

Day-to-day, his department did things like making sure city ordinances were enforced so that abandoned and unkempt homes wouldn't become eyesores.

He took no satisfaction from fining someone for letting their property go and looked instead at why it happened.

"Under his leadership, the city's community development department evolved and matured from one that ensured people maintained homes and properties to certain standards, to one that advocated for homeowners in need," said Mayor Tommy Battle. "Jerry recognized that when he cited someone for not mowing their lawn, or repairing a roof or broken porch - there were deeper needs behind the issues. Many of these residents were struggling financially, or were elderly, so Jerry came up with a plan."

With the support of former Mayor Loretta Spencer, he went out to volunteer organizations and churches and organized clean-up and repair days. He brought in the volunteer group "World Changers," which came to the city for several summers with dozens of young people who went to work fixing homes and sprucing up yards for people in need.

Spencer got to know Galloway when she served on the planning commission, long before she became mayor in 1996. He amazed her with his ability to find a way to get things done, whether it was funding home repairs, putting solar panels on the senior center or rebuilding an entire neighborhood.

He was instrumental in what became known as the Meadow Hills Initiative, in which the city bought up houses in a drug- and crime-ridden neighborhood and restored it as a safe place for families.

"He always found those federal dollars we needed to make it happen," Spencer said.

Galloway's work organizing help for those who couldn't keep their homes up became the city's Deferred Home Maintenance Program.

"Through the years it's helped hundreds, if not thousands of people, remain in their homes, many of whom wouldn't have had the resources to do so otherwise - especially seniors," Battle said.

Programs were also started in Community Development to assist first-time homebuyers and build, or rebuild, neighborhood parks and community facilities.

Michelle Jordan, now director of planning and community development and Galloway's hand-picked successor when he retired, said he was not only a mentor to her, but to other professionals in his field and to countless planning students at Alabama A&M University.

"For decades, he gave students the opportunity to intern and do meaningful work for residents throughout the city," Jordan said.

The work he did wasn't just appreciated locally, but nationally, Jordan said.

"He believed in helping neighborhoods thrive, and as a result, several communities thought the city are wonderful places to raise families and live out dreams," Jordan said. "Jerry's housing programs were considered 'best practice' models throughout the country, and community leaders throughout the state would come and tour the developments that Jerry supported in Huntsville to gain inspiration for their own communities."

Galloway's wife of 53 years, Mae Galloway, said she knew what a hard worker her husband was and that he had a huge heart for his city and his people. But he was so humble, he never bragged about his work around the dinner table, he just got it done.

At the funeral friends and city leaders talked at length about all the many things that her husband had done to make Huntsville a better place.

"Half of that stuff they were talking about, I had no idea," Mae Galloway said. "I think the main thing to him was bringing communities up to a better standing. If they could be helped in any way to bring that neighborhood back or bring that home back he wanted to do that and see the results."

Having a man like that as a role model made a huge impression on his family, said his daughter, Michele Galloway Soteres, especially his two grandsons, 17-year-old Steven and 12-year-old Will.

"Everything he did was for the betterment of the whole, not for him as an individual," she said. "He lived what he believed in and that's a great gift to give your family and your children, to see that. He worked hard and he never complained about anything. It's just what he did and what he believed in."

Haskins writes about points of pride statewide. Email your suggestions to shaskins@al.com, or tweet them to @Shelly_Haskins using #AlabamaProudIs United National Movement Main Opposition Party?

By Levan Khutsishvili

On September 19, at the parliamentary sessions Archil Talakvadze, the chairman of the parliamentary majority, criticized "United National Movement" and its Presidential candidate Grigol Vashadze for the anti-campaign they started against the presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili, supported by the Georgian Dream. According to Talakvadze, Grigol Vashadze and other people who "Ran away during the 5 days the war", have nothing to say about Salome Zurabishvili and their attempts of discrediting Zurabishvili proves that National Movement is not main opposition party anymore and it will be demonstrated once again by the results of elections.I would like to remind you that your candidate Grigol Vashadze was a mayoral candidate in Kutaisi 1 year ago and Giorgi Chigvaria, who, though has not withdrawn Russian bases, has defeated him, so what do you hope now? Salome Zurabishvili will win these elections in the first round because of your actions. The society should know why National Movement and the people associated with the party are so aggressive in this campaign. You probably understand that not only your candidate is losing in this election but your party as well, the party that you were trying to promote as the main opposition force. You lose the election and you lose the status of main opposition party. Your main interest is to maintain a myth that you are the main opposition party. You are not the main opposition party anymore and this worries you the most and it will be proved once again in this election, - the leader of the parliamentary majority told the members of "United National Movement.It seems that Archil Talakvadze and Georgian Dream is sure that Salome Zurabishvili will win the elections. However, media as well holds a negative opinion on Zurabishvili. Opposition parties, part of the society and some members of the Georgian Orthodox Church openly criticize Salome Zurabishvili for her statements. Group of people has created the online petition signed already by 13 723 people, asking Georgian Dream and Salome Zurabishvili to remove her candidacy from elections, as her statements were anti-state.We believe that a person spreading and disseminating narratives of Russia and messages from Kremlin cannot fulfill the taken responsibilities before the country and society and cannot guarantee the independence and territorial integrity of the country.  is said in the petition.Another group started transferring 30 Tetri on Salome Zurabishvilis bank account writing in the description Dont sell Georgia for 30 Silver.Above is mentioned a minor part of the campaign going on against Salome Zurabishvili and critics and negative statements from representatives of the church can have a serious effect on the opinion of the electorate and in the end- on the results of elections. Archil Talakvadze may be mistaken to believe in the victory of Salome Zurabishvili in the first round, but if there is a second round, who will be the second candidate?Amhara, Ethiopia  Newly elected Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been praised for his recent negotiations culminating in peace with Eritrea, but still has to solve harsh realities at home.

Thousands of boys and girls with disabilities in Ethiopia are invisible in government statistics, unable to access health services, discriminated against by society and trapped in a cycle of poverty and violence.

A report from UNFPA and the Population Council highlights that one in every three girls living with disabilities has been sexually assaulted. They also face systematic and violent abuse at home and in their communities; theyre blamed for being different and feared because theyre seen to be under the spell of witchcraft.

Eniyat Belete, 17, has been blind since birth. In her village, as in many other towns all over Ethiopia, disability comes with a heavy stigma.

They believe I was cursed with blindness because God was angry, explains the teenager.

Fisseha Arage Haile, himself blind, works as a special needs and inclusive education expert for the South Gondar Zone Education Office.

He confirms that teenagers with disabilities are largely excluded from education, health and social welfare services. The Charities and Societies Proclamation (CSP) law makes it impossible for NGOs and other civil societies to operate in the country, which compounds the severe gap in service provision.

Specialised health and rehabilitation services are not accessible to the majority of the population and medical aids are expensive: crutches cost $8 on average and a wheelchair costs $224, unaffordable for most Ethiopians.

Only a fraction of children with disabilities are enrolled in formal education. Ethiopia, with a population over 100 million, only has 164 schools that serve students with hearing, visual and intellectual impairments. There are only two schools for students with autism, both of which are in Addis Ababa.

There is still much work to be done until we can truly speak of an inclusive society, Haile, an avid advocate of disability rights and changing the system from within, sighs: As it is now, it is only inclusive by name.Russias decision to install the S-300 in Syria increases the risk of unintended confrontation with Israel.

Russian-Israeli relations are currently going through the worst crisis they have witnessed in recent years. On September 17, an incident involving Israeli F-16 jets resulted in the downing of a Russian reconnaissance plane, killing all 15 of its crew members.

The Russian defence ministry accused Israel of being responsible for the tragic incident, saying that the Israeli fighter jets used the Russian aircraft as a shield when the Syrian air defence system started firing at them. It also claimed that Tel Aviv gave a one-minute warning before launching the operation and did not specify that it was going after a target in Latakia province, which is home to Russias Hmeimim airbase.

The Israeli government rejected the accusations and even sent a defence delegation to Russia to provide clarification. Its efforts, however, do not seem to have pacified the Russian defence ministry, which on September 24 announced that it was going to deploy a modern S-300 system to Syria.

This could curb Israels ability to launch air operations in Syria and exacerbate further the already strained Russian-Israeli relations.

The Tehran problem

When Russia launched its direct military intervention in Syria in September 2015, Israel welcomed it because it saw it as a way to contain Iran.

The two countries reached a mutual understanding not to cross each others red lines. While Moscow conceded that Iranian proximity to Israeli borders may be undesirable as it could drag Israel into the Syrian war, Tel Aviv acknowledged the security of the Assad regime was not to be compromised.

Because of their close ties, Israel tolerated the expansion of Iranian forces towards its borders in support of Russian operations in Syria securing the success of the counter-offensive against the Syrian armed opposition.

At the same time, Russia gave Israel considerable operational freedom when it came to its national security interests in Syria. To ensure that there are no problems with Israeli air force operations, from the very start of its direct military intervention in Syria, Russia established a hotline with Israel. And according to former Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon, Tel Aviv did not have to inform Moscow of its operations, as the Russian military is able to identify Israeli jets and not interfere in their operations.

Since the beginning of 2018, Israel has intensified its attacks on Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria with Russias tacit consent. Yet the policy of non-interference in Israels limited and calculated operations in Syria was mistakenly perceived by the Israeli government as a nod of approval by Moscow.

Yet, Russia has not made any major moves to contain Iran. In fact, over the past three years, its military successes have allowed Iran to entrench its presence in Syria, shattering Israels hopes and straining relations between the two countries. Russian officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, have consistently made it clear to Israeli counterparts that they do not see Irans presence in Syria as an existential threat to Israel.

Over the past year, Iranian presence in Syria has increasingly become a point of tension between Moscow and Tel Aviv. In February, tensions also escalated after Syrian air defences downed an Israeli jet near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. This new development challenged the viability of Russias red line and risked erasing Moscows political gains in Syria.

Then in May, Russia managed to secure a deal with Israel (and by extension the US) which allowed Syrian forces to advance onto the southern provinces of Deraa and Quneitra after the US abandoned the opposition groups it was supporting there. In return, Russia agreed to keep Iranian forces at a distance of up to 100km from the Golan Heights, according to Russian officials and promised to withdraw Iran-led forces from the country.

This agreement provided a short-term relief for built-up tensions but it failed to established trust between Israel and Russia.

Escalating tensions

The diplomatic fallout from the September 17 incident proves how fragile the Russian-Israeli partnership really is.

The sharp tone of the Russian defence ministry, which is usually cautious when commenting on Israeli activities in Syria, was quite surprising. The statement it released was reportedly first approved by President Putin, who retains personal control over the Israeli diplomatic file.

Russia has been going back and forth on supplying the S-300 defence systems to Damascus for a few months now, fearing Israels reaction. Israeli officials made it clear a number of times that they do not approve of such a move.

Thus, Russias decision to go forward with it is the strongest message to date that it has sent to Tel Aviv. This move does very little to limit Israeli operations in Syria, but for the first time in its relations with Israel, Moscow puts its words into action.

After the S-300 announcement, the press secretary of the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov, accused Israel of premeditated actions that led to the downing of a Russian IL-20 in Syria, while Putin rejected the Israeli version of events in his conversation with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

These are clear signs that Russia is escalating the issue with Israel, which is likely to have long-term implications for bilateral relations.

The current low in Russian-Israeli relations was only a matter of time once Moscow launched its military campaign in 2015. The close ties the two countries enjoyed are increasingly becoming toxic over disagreements on Syria and Irans role there.

While the deconfliction mechanism between the two countries will continue to function, the risk of unintended confrontation between them is higher than ever before.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.Male, Maldives  Maldives President Abdulla Yameen has conceded defeat after a surprise election win for the opposition in a poll that was billed as a test for democracy in the troubled island nation.

The citizens of the Maldives had their say  and I accept that result, Yameen said in a televised speech on Monday.

The 59-year-old, who presided over a five-year crackdown on dissent, said he met with president-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at the presidents office in Male shortly before his speech.

I have congratulated him, Yameen said.

The remarks came hours after the National Elections Commission confirmed a decisive victory for Solih, a long-time member of parliament, who ran representing a coalition of four parties whose leaders are either in jail or exile.

Solih won with 58 percent of the vote, or 134,616 ballots, while Yameen garnered 96,142 votes or 42 percent, the official count showed.

Turnout in the election, in which more than a quarter million people were eligible to vote, was more than 89 percent.

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Yameen said he has served the Maldivian public sincerely to ensure economic prosperity for the country.

The result of that service is clear, and I thank the thousands who accepted that and voted for me, he said.

The president, who ran on a platform of defending Maldives Islamic faith and boosting the economy, said he will stay on in the presidency until his term ends on November 17.

Yameens running mate, Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, a Muslim scholar with close ties to Saudi Arabia, also congratulated Solih in a post on Twitter, saying he hoped for positive changes in the country.

High stakes poll

The contentious election on Sunday took place against a backdrop of uncertainty and fears of rigging and was closely watched by India, the United States, European Union, China, and Saudi Arabia.

Even before the elections commission announced its results, both India and the US issued statements congratulating the people of the Maldives.

New Delhi, which has criticised the rollback of democracy under Yameen, said the election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law.

The US Department of State said the Maldivian people had raised their democratic voices to determine the future of their country, and urged calm and respect for the will of the people.

Supporters of Maldives opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate early on Monday [Eranga Jayawardena/ AP Photo]

Crisis in paradise

The Maldives, better known for its luxury honeymoon resorts, has been in turmoil since its first democratically elected leader, Mohamed Nasheed, was forced out of office following a police mutiny in 2012.

The trouble only intensified under Yameen, who assumed power following a disputed election the next year.

He has jailed or forced into exile nearly all of his opponents, suspended parliament for long periods of time, and declared two states of emergency after citing threats to national security.

Faced with widespread international criticism, he pulled the Maldives out of the Commonwealth in 2016 and fostered closer ties with China and Saudi Arabia over traditional allies India and the United Kingdom.

The president is also accused of overseeing the embezzlement of at least $79m from tourism revenues, an incident that was the subject of a 2016 Al Jazeera investigation.

In the lead-up to the vote, there was fear in Male that Yameen may not accept the results of the vote, given his past refusal to tolerate any dissent.

Solih declared victory soon after 90 percent of votes were counted [Sharif Ali/Al Jazeera]

Yet, as tallies from the opposition and media outlets showed Solih maintaining a strong lead over the incumbent president, anxiety in the capital gave way to disbelief and joy.

Solih declared victory soon after 90 percent of votes were counted, prompting huge celebrations that ran into the early hours of Monday morning in Males narrow streets.

This is a moment for happiness. This is a moment for hope, Solih told reporters late on Sunday night.

This is a moment of a history.

Urging Yameen to release jailed dissidents and begin an immediate transfer of power, Solih said: I will be a president for all Maldivians.

Shortly after Solihs declaration, hundreds of jubilant opposition supporters gathered at their main campaign office, waving yellow and green flags as they sang, danced and exchanged hugs.

Later in the night, a group of people pulled down a massive wooden cutout of Yameen on the countrys first bridge, the presidents crowning achievement that was opened just weeks before the vote.

Still proud

On Monday morning, on a quiet street corner in Male, 43-year-old Ahmed Adhuham, responded to the presidents concession of defeat, saying he was very happy.

I did not think he would let go so easily, he said.

Mariyam Shiuna, executive director of Transparency Maldives, an election monitoring group, said the results showed that no matter how much you try to manipulate laws and the system, ultimately it is the people that will decide who gets to govern them.

This is an opportunity to reclaim our lost democratic space and I hope the opposition keep to their promises and uphold democratic values above all, she added.

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Meanwhile, in what was perceived as the first acknowledgement of the oppositions win from a government official, Fisheries Minister Mohamed Shainee said the vote signalled a new chapter for him and the country.

This is politics, he said in a post on Twitter.

Ruling party supporters on social media said they were still proud of Yameen and his economic achievements, which also include new airports and dozens of new resort openings.

Isha Afeef reported from Male. Zaheena Rasheed reported and wrote from Colombo.Amit Shahs disturbing and unwanted remark criticised by Bangladesh as well as human rights groups.

The president of Indias ruling party has called Bangladeshi migrants termites, evoking sharp responses from Dhaka as well as leading rights groups.

In remarks he has repeated at least twice in the last three days, Amit Shah, president of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said millions of illegal infiltrators have entered the country like termites and should be uprooted.

Should they be thrown out or not? Millions of infiltrators have entered our country and are eating the country like termites. Should we not uproot them? local media reported Shah as saying at a public meeting in capital New Delhi.

Every time I read abt @BJP4India president Amit Shah calling #Bangladeshi migrants in India 'termites,' I recall how Hutus called Tutsis 'cockroaches' before #Rwandan #Genocide. #justsaying  Amy Kazmin (@AmyKazmin) September 24, 2018

Shah made similar remarks on Friday at an election rally in the western Indian state of Rajasthan.

He said the BJP would deport every single illegal immigrant if it wins re-election early next year  a promise the party also made before the 2014 polls.

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Shahs comments, meanwhile, were termed unwanted by Bangladesh, which responded by saying since he was not a government official, the remarks do not matter.

Amit Shah has made an unwanted remark by describing Bangladeshis as termites. We, in Dhaka, do not give any importance to his statement as it does not carry the gravity of an official statement of India, Bangladeshs Minister of Information Hasanul Haq Inu told Indian newspaper The Hindu.

In a post on Twitter on Monday, human rights group Amnesty India said it was horrified by Shahs remarks and urged him not to dehumanise people.

Even before the NRC (National Register of Citizens) process is over, it is horrific to hear Amit Shah dubbing Bangladeshi migrants as termites. Dear Mr Shah, please STOP dehumanising people, irrespective of them being in the NRC list or not, Amnesty India tweeted.

For the past few months, the NRC, a register of Indian citizens residing in the northeastern state of Assam, has remained a contentious issue for declaring four million of the states residents as foreigners.

Andrew Stroehlein, European media director at the US-based Human Rights Watch, said Shahs statement was disturbing and reminded of a path to genocide.

The president of Indias ruling party crosses a disturbing and well-known line. The path to genocide and other mass atrocity crimes is always first paved by powerful politicians using dehumanising language of termites, cockroaches or vermin, Stroehlein said on Twitter.

The president of India's ruling party crosses a disturbing & well-known line. The path to genocide & other mass atrocity crimes is always 1st paved by powerful politicians using dehumanising language of "termintes", "cockroaches" or "vermin". Always. https://t.co/mKAw56KWHZ pic.twitter.com/aSs4gMyd5p  Andrew Stroehlein (@astroehlein) September 23, 2018

What is the NRC issue?

While the issue of undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants in Assam has remained on the boil since 2014, a controversial NRC draft released in earlier this year turned it into one of the many polarising topics in Indian politics.

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On July 30, following orders from the Supreme Court, the Registrar General of India published a second and final draft register of the states citizens, excluding four million people from the list and sparking fears of mass deportation.

Muslims form one-third of Assams population of nearly 33 million.

Unique to Assam, the NRC was first prepared in 1951 to distinguish Indian citizens from undocumented migrants from East Pakistan, which in 1971 became Bangladesh.

The cutoff date to be eligible for an NRC entry was March 24, 1971, as per the 1985 Assam Accord, signed between the Indian government and anti-foreigners agitators.

After Bangladesh seceded from Pakistan, millions of refugees crossed into Assam, bringing the issue of foreigners into national focus.

The migration resulted in violent anti-foreigners protests in Assam in the 1970s and the 80s, killing thousands. In 1983, nearly 2,000 Muslims, including children, were massacred on a single day in Nellie village.

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The 1985 accord brought consensus on the eligibility criteria for Indian citizenship.

Critics have compared the move to strip millions of people, mostly Muslims, of their citizenship to the situation in Myanmar, which denies rights and protection to its Rohingya minority.

Incidentally, Shahs remarks also came in advance of a two-month process, that starts on Tuesday, allowing people left out in the draft NRC to file their claims and objections before a definitive list is released in December.Aid agencies say they were forced to stop their activities after a rebel attack in Beni on Saturday.

Aid groups say they have been forced to halt Ebola prevention activities due to violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congos (DRC) restive east over the weekend that killed 21 people.

The bloodshed occurred on Saturday in Beni, a flashpoint city in the North Kivu region. The Congolese army has blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a notorious rebel militia.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said it and other aid agencies have been forced to temporarily suspend activities in Beni because of the attack.

This points to an increasingly worrisome security situation across the country, the group said in a statement on Monday, adding that it had to halt activities due to intensifying and frequent clashes in Djugu territory in the northern province of Ituri, and Fizi in South Kivu over the last two weeks.





These suspensions have disrupted aid to thousands of people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, the NRC statement added.

Stephen Lamin, area manager for NRC, said it was a worst-case scenario. The group provides food, household items, education and legal counselling in the region.

The latest Ebola outbreak in the DRCs east has infected at least 118 people, 69 of whom have died, according to Congos health ministry.

Health Minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga claimed that health staff had temporarily suspended field activities requiring home visits and that all pillars of the response remain fully operational.

Despite the unfortunate events of the last few days, the Ministry of Health remains fully committed, he said, adding that health centres, including the Beni Ebola Treatment Center, remained open.

Elections threatened

Witnesses said Saturdays violence began in Beni city centre in the late afternoon when attackers began using guns and machetes against people there.

An initial army estimate put the death toll at 18, including four soldiers, but later raised it to 21.

On Monday morning, many shops, schools and businesses in Beni remained closed in protest, while an opposition legislator called for a rapid assessment of the armys operational effectiveness ahead of the December elections.

The front line is no longer in the Virunga National Park and is now in Beni, which poses a real danger for the holding of safe elections on December 23, said Anselme Mwaka, an opposition MP from the Union for the Congolese Nation.

Since January, Congolese troops have been engaged in a military operation against the ADF, but have not yet managed to stop the bloodshed in and around Beni.

The ADF is one of a number of armed groups that hold territory in the eastern DRC and are battling for control of the regions rich mineral resources.Authorities in the Chinese-ruled city ban the Hong Kong National Party for posing a threat to national security.

Hong Kong has banned a political party promoting independence from China, a first for the autonomous city since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

The citys Secretary for Security John Lee announced the ban on the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) in a statement published on Monday, 10 days after the party submitted arguments against the move.

The statement said the party has been prohibited from operating. Anyone who associates with the party or serves the group could be liable to a fine and a jail term of two to three years.

Lee ordered the ban under the Societies Ordinance, a colonial-era law that requires all social groups and organisations to register with the police.

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The law allows the government to ban groups in the interests of national security, public order or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

In a press briefing on Monday, Lee told reporters that the two-year-old group was prepared to use all methods to forge independence, which ultimately posed a threat to national security.

The Hong Kong National Party has a very clear agenda to achieve its goal of Hong Kong being made an independent republic, Lee said at the briefing.

The party could use force to achieve its goal and had spread hatred and discrimination against Chinese visitors to Hong Kong, he added.

One country, two systems

Lee concluded: I cannot just treat such matters as political slogans and neglect their threats posted to public safety and order.

Hong Kong is governed under a one country, two systems principle which allows the financial hub a high degree of autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed in China, including an independent legal system and freedom of speech and assembly.

Speaking at Hong Kongs Foreign Correspondent Club (FCC) in August, Andy Chan, founder of the HKNP, called for independence in a speech condemned by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

We are a nation that is quickly being annexed and destroyed by China, Chan told a packed room in August.

If Hong Kong were to become truly democratic, Hong Kongs sovereignty must rest with the people of Hong Kong. China is, by its nature, an empire  a threat to all free peoples in the world.

Chan called on the United Kingdom and the United States to help Hong Kong.

He added he was under increased surveillance by groups of people he did not know, who had been following him and knocking at his familys door to take pictures of them in the lead up to his speech.

Chinas foreign ministry in a statement condemned the correspondents club for hosting Chan and said there is a bottom line for freedom of speech. It said any words or actions that attempted to split Hong Kong from China would be punished in accordance with the law and that the FCC was not outside the law.

I will never stop

The HKNP is one of a handful of groups that openly advocate independence for Hong Kong.

Founded in 2016, it drew at least 2,500 people to what was dubbed Hong Kongs first pro-independence rally two years ago.

Most people in the city of 7.3 million do not support independence.

Beijing has repeatedly criticised the movement, fearful of their idea taking hold on the mainland.Security bill dubbed the Salvini decree makes it easier to expel migrants and strip their citizenship.

Rome, Italy  Italys council of ministers adopted on Monday a decree to regulate the governments much-touted crackdown on migration.

Dubbed the Salvini decree after Matteo Salvini, the countrys far-right interior minister who drafted it, the document is an emergency instrument that parliament must convert into law within 60 days, but can also be extended.

Its a step forward to make Italy safer, Salvini wrote just after the meeting, to combat more effectively the mafia and traffickers, to reduce the costs of excessive immigration, to expel more quickly criminals and fake refugees, to revoke citizenship from terrorists, to strengthen police powers.

Controversial parts of the decree include a crackdown on issuing permits for humanitarian reasons that Italy grants to applicants who do not qualify for asylum or subsidiary protection, as well as the planned downsizing of the municipality-led reception system (SPRAR), praised for facilitating integration.

What we see in the new decree is another step in the Italian governments repressive policies, aimed at an indiscriminate stop of flows and at the criminalisation of migration, at sea and on land, Anne Garella, head of Doctors without Borders (known by its French initials, MSF) Italy, said in a statement.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the decree was in line with human rights.

We are revising legislation to make it more effective, he told reporters.

The aim is to reorganise the whole system of recognising international protection to come in line with European standards.

The decree extends the time migrants can be detained in repatriation centres from three to six months, and allows for the revocation of refugee status from those who commit crimes including drug trafficking and mugging. The decree also provides for stricter rules for obtaining citizenship.

Crackdown on asylum applications

The decree promises to end the case-by-case nature of decisions on humanitarian protection permits, the form of international protection most commonly granted in Italy.

Conte said the instrument was not being dismantled, but simply regulated in a way that does not undermine international commitments and the protection of basic rights.

Italy examined 81,000 applications in 2017.

In one on four cases, the applicant was granted humanitarian protection, which comes with a two-year residency permit, while refugee status and subsidiary protection both amounted to about eight percent of the total outcomes. More than 50 percent of applications were rejected.

Salvini had already asked asylum commissions to limit the number of humanitarian permits issued in an official letter last summer.

From now on, Salvini said at the press conference, humanitarian protection will be granted to victims of serious work exploitation, of trafficking, domestic violence, serious natural disasters, to those in need of medical care, and for civil merit.

Concerns remain that the measure will lead to more people finding themselves undocumented and without rights on Italian streets.

According to the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), the number could rise to 60,000 more in the next two years than under the current system.

ISPIs Matteo Villa said the figure was calculated by considering the applications currently pending  about 130,000  as well as the fact that humanitarian permits have to be renewed every two years, and some will expire.

With this measure and without being able to repatriate people, the effect is creating new forms of irregularity, Villa told Al Jazeera.

Repatriations are very difficult to do, and the majority of sub-Saharan states only repatriate less than 10 percent of people who receive a deportation order. Its hard to imagine the feasibility of something as ambitious as going from 5,000 to 7,000 repatriations a year, to 40,000 to 50,000.

Italy currently has repatriation deals with countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria, but it cannot deport asylum seekers coming from Mali or Senegal, for instance.

Migrant rights groups and local authorities have expressed concerns about changes to the system of local reception and integration (SPRAR), which from now on will be aimed exclusively at those who have been granted asylum and at vulnerable cases.

According to Irma Melini, president of the migration commission at ANCI (National Association of Italian Municipalities), the downsizing of the SPRAR system would have a disruptive effect on the ground, making it hard for local administrators to protect citizens, as she stated in a newspaper interview.

It would leave migrant reception at the mercy of the parallel emergency system of reception centres, often privately run, which has made headlines for its dysfunctional nature.

The decree is part of a general crackdown on migration that has caused diplomatic friction in Europe but has earned the interior minister consensus with the Italian electorate, according to recent polls.

On the Mediterranean front, a decision by the Panama Maritime Authority yesterday to revoke registration from the ship Aquarius 2 means there will be no more NGO ships allowed to perform search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean, unless the Aquarius finds a new flag to sail under.

NGOs SOS Mediterranee and MSF, which run the ship, charged the Panamanian authorities were acting under pressure from the Italian government, a claim Salvini denied.

According to UNCHR, while the number of arrivals from Libya has gone down, the percentage of those who do not survive the journey has risen.@alextdaugherty

Theres a Florida connection to the latest reports that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will be out of a jobchanging the U.S. official in charge of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 election.

U.S. solicitor general Noel Francisco, who would be next in line to lead the investigation if Rosenstein leaves his post or is fired, once worked for President George W. Bushs team during the 2000 Florida recount that ultimately resulted in Bush becoming president over then-Vice President Al Gore.

Francisco was confirmed as solicitor general on a 50-47 party line Senate vote in October 2017. The solicitor general, the fourth highest position at the Department of Justice, is in charge of representing the federal government in front of the Supreme Court.

Francisco clerked for former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and worked on the Florida recount with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and dozens of other lawyers before working at the Bush White House in the mid 2000s. He then worked in private practice during the Obama administration.

Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, a former general counsel for Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the executive director for the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, is higher on the Department of Justices organizational succession chart but would not assume oversight of the Mueller investigation because he has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.

Rosenstein is at the White House on Monday amid reports that he may resign or be fired days after the New York Times reported that he talked about invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office and secretly taped the president. Some of Trumps biggest defenders in Congress have tried to impeach Rosenstein in recent weeks, though the effort has not made much progress.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation when he acknowledged that he failed to inform the U.S. Senate during his confirmation hearing that he met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has consistently expressed displeasure with Sessions and Rosenstein on Twitter.

More here.James Ricketson, who was sentenced to six years for spying last year, was granted a pardon from the Cambodian king.

Australian filmmaker James Ricketson has arrived in Sydney days after receiving a royal pardon from Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni.

Ricketson was convicted of espionage and handed a six-year jail sentence last year after flying a drone above a rally organised by the now-dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).

Ill be going back as soon as I can but Ill need to recover, obviously, Ricketson said upon his arrival at Sydney airport.

His arrest happened during a wider government crackdown on freedom of expression under Prime Minister Hun Sen.

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The 69-year-old filmmaker was found guilty in August for spying and collecting information harmful to the nation following a trial that was criticised by rights activists.

Ricketson, who spent more than a year, behind bars, denied the charges and sought a pardon from King Sihamoni. On Friday, he was released from Phnom Penhs Prey Sar prison.

James Ricketson, convicted on spurious espionage charges and then pardoned, is on a flight bound for Sydney. His family are elated, over the moon, overwhelmed and relieved. (Photos obtained from immigration police). pic.twitter.com/F8D7tcnPi0  Erin Handley (@erinahandley) September 23, 2018

Family and friends waiting to greet Ricketson at the airport thanked the king for bringing their nightmare to an end.

Australias foreign ministry also thanked Cambodia for the release of Ricketson who has been visiting Cambodia for more than 20 years.

In a letter to Hun Sen last month, the filmmaker apologised for statements made to the media that were disrespectful to the long-serving prime minister.

In July, Hun Sens Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) claimed victory following a general election in which it ran largely unopposed.

Rights groups argued that the vote was neither free nor fair given the absence of a significant challenger to Hun Sen, who has ruled for 33 years.The death sentences is upheld over a 2013 attack on a police station in Giza in which 13 policemen died.

A court in Cairo has upheld the death sentences for 20 Egyptians convicted of killing 13 policemen during violent unrest after the military overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

The verdict is final and cannot be appealed, a judicial official said on Monday.

The case involves 156 defendants, all of whom had received either death or lengthy imprisonment sentences in the first trial on charges of storming Kerdasa police station in Giza, killing 13 police officers, destroying the station and burning a number of police vehicles in August 2013.

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The same court on Monday sentenced 80 other defendants to 25-year prison terms, another 34 defendants to 15 years, and a minor to 10 years. Twenty-one defendants were acquitted.

The deadly attack on the police station took place shortly after the dispersal operation in Rabaa al-Adawiya by the armed forces on August 14, 2013, following the overthrow of former President and Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi by a military coup.

Earlier this month an Egyptian court upheld death sentences against 75 people in one of the largest mass trials since 2011 peoples uprising forced longtime president Hosni Mubarak to resign.

A year later, former armed forces chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi won the presidency.

Sisi won re-election with 97 percent of the vote in March this year, against a single opponent widely seen as a token challenger.Meet Maria Fernanda Espinosa: UN General Assembly head

A writer, poet and a diplomat, Maria Fernanda Espinosa is the first woman ever from Latin America and the Caribbean to preside over the General Assembly.US President Donald Trump and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the special counsel investigation into Russias role in the 2016 presidential election, will meet on Thursday amid uncertainty about the officials fate.

In a statement on Twitter, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Monday that Rosenstein and Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories.

She added: Because the president is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the president returns to Washington, DC.

The scheduled meeting comes after reports, saying Rosenstein had verbally offered his resignation to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly amid speculation that he would be fired. Several US media outlets, citing individuals familiar with the matter, said Rosenstein had expected to be fired on Monday as he headed to the White House for a national security meeting on opioid abuse. But he left with no action taken.

Last week, the New York Times reported that in 2017 Rosenstein had suggested secretly recording Trump and recruiting Cabinet members to invoke a constitutional amendment to remove him from the office. The newspaper said none of those proposals came to fruition. Rosenstein denied the report as inaccurate and factually incorrect.

As of Sunday, Trump said he had not decided what to do about Rosenstein. He angrily asked confidants, both inside and outside the White House, how to respond. He received mixed messages. Some urged him to fire Rosenstein. Others suggested restraint while seeing if the report was incorrect or if it was planted by some adversary.

Mounting pressure

Trump faces mounting pressure from the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into Russias role in the 2016 presidential election.

Rosenstein assumed supervision of the investigation after his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recused himself because of his own contacts with Russias ambassador to Washington while serving as a Trump campaign adviser became public.

The US president had previously floated the idea firing Rosenstein in April after FBI raids of the office and home of the presidents longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who has since pleaded guilty to several felonies and taken part in interviews with Muellers team.

Congressional Republicans, Democrats and some Trump aides have warned for months that the president should not fire Rosenstein.

The reports about Rosenstein add to the turmoil roiling the administration, just six weeks before midterm elections with control of Congress at stake. In addition to dealing with the Mueller investigation, the White House is also struggling to win confirmation of its Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations.Moscow says ties between Israel and Russia will be affected by last weeks deadly incident.

The Kremlin has accused Israel of premeditated actions over the downing of a Russian plane in Syria last week, warning it will harm relations between the two countries.

According to information of our military experts, the reason [behind the downing] were premeditated actions by Israeli pilots which certainly cannot but harm our relations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday.

Peskovs remarks followed an announcement by Russias Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu that Moscow will be sending an advanced S-300 air defence system to the Syrian military as well as jamming communications of any military planes that attack Syria from over the Mediterranean.

On September 17, a Russian Il-20 plane was hit by a Syrian S-200 air defence missile when it was landing following attacks by Israeli F-16 planes of western Syria. Moscow blamed the friendly fire incident on Israeli pilots using the larger Russian plane as cover.

Peskov said the new measures were decided on to boost the security of its troops in Syria.

Russia, in this case, is acting in its interests only, these actions are not directed against third countries, but towards defending our own military, he said.

The S-300 air defence system will be delivered to Syria within two weeks [File: Ivan Sekretarev/AP]

Al Jazeeras Rory Challands, reporting from Moscow, said the announcement was a reversal of previous agreements with Israel.

The S-300 was a deal that had been signed with Syria in 2013, but Israel put its foot down on negotiation with Russia and Russia decided that it was going to hold off delivering these units, he said.

In the aftermath of the events last week, in which a Russian plane was shot down in the area over the Syrian coast, Russia has obviously decided to go against that agreement with Israel.

He also said that there seemed to be some differences between the Russian Defence Ministry and the Kremlin over the handling of the Israel issue.

The Russian defence ministry is very angry at Israel. The Kremlin seems to be wanting to play the issue down, he said.

Syrias war

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.

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.Moscow bolsters Syrias air defence a week after it blamed Israel for the accidental shooting down of its aircraft.

Moscow will bolster Syrias air defence following the downing of a Russian plane last week by sending a modern S-300 system to the Syrian army within two weeks, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

In a televised statement on Monday, Shoigu said the decision to transfer the modern S-300 air defence system to the Syrian armed forces within two weeks was taken by President Vladimir Putin and is one of the response measures.

On the same day, the Kremlin accused Israeli pilots of premeditated actions over the downing of a Russian plane in Syria last week, warning it will harm relations between the two countries.

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According to information of our military experts, the reason (behind the downing) were premeditated actions by Israeli pilots which certainly cannot but harm our relations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

However, the Kremlin said the installation of S-300 was aimed at increasing safety of Russian military and not directed at any third country.

Russia will also block navigation and satellite systems, as well as communications of warplanes operating in the eastern Mediterranean, according to the defence minister.

Moscow has blamed Israel for the accidental shooting down of the aircraft with 15 people onboard. The Israeli military, however, said that Syrias indiscriminate air defence fire was the cause of the plane crash.

Russian defence ministry says it will send S-300 air defence system to Syrian military within the fortnight. A direct response to Israel for the loss of the IL-20 last week. Israel had previously persuaded Russia not to give Damascus the tech.  Rory Challands (@rorychallands) September 24, 2018

Another interesting move from Russian MoD (alongside s-300s to Syrian mil) is intention to jam sat-nav, radar, and warplane comms systems in eastern Med. Theoretically this will make it much harder for Israeli planes to operate there. And anyone else's.  Rory Challands (@rorychallands) September 24, 2018

Fifteen servicemen on board were killed by Syrian friendly fire in the incident which Moscow blamed on the Israeli air force.

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.

Russian defence officials described manoeuvres by Israeli fighter jets during the incident as hostile and said it had a right to retaliate.

Al Jazeeras Rory Challands, reporting from Moscow, said the announcement on missiles seemed to be linked to the incident with Israel.

The S-300 was a deal that had been signed with Syria in 2013, but Israel put its foot down on negotiation with Russia and Russia decided that it was going to hold off delivering these units, he said.

In the aftermath of the events last week in which a Russian plane was shot down in the area over the Syrian coast, Russia has obviously decided to go against that agreement with Israel.

Elias Farhat, a military analyst and retired Lebanese army general, said the Syrians have already been trained on how to operate the S-300 a few years ago.

There have been leaks that Syrian officers went to Russia in order to train on the usage [of the missile system], he told Al Jazeera from the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

The S-300 is a very effective anti-aircraft missile  Israel is aware of that, Farhat said.

So that will change the situation dramatically, and there will be no more freedom of movement for the Israeli air force in the Syrian airspace.

Friendly fire

Mondays incident 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.

Since intervening in Syrias war, Russia has generally turned a blind eye to Israeli attacks inside the country.

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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.Jailed rights defenders awarded for their courageous efforts to reform totalitarian system in Saudi Arabia.

Three jailed Saudi human rights activists have been named winners of the alternative Nobel prize award, along with two anti-corruption activists, a farmer, and an agricultural scientist.

Abdullah al-Hamid, Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani and Waleed Abu al-Khair were jointly awarded a one million kronor ($113,400) cash award by the Right Livelihood Award Foundation for their visionary and courageous efforts  to reform the totalitarian political system in Saudi Arabia.

Created in 1980, the Right Livelihood Award honours efforts that prize founder Jacob von Uexkull felt were being ignored by the Nobel prizes.

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Previous winners include former NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden, the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), a UK-based NGO working towards the abolition of the international arms trade, and the White Helmets, a Syrian rescue group that helps victims of the countrys brutal civil war.

The three laureates have challenged this authoritarian system through peaceful methods, calling for universal human rights, and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, the jury said.

As a consequence of their courageous struggle for a more pluralistic and democratic society, the three men have been sentenced to between 10 and 15 years imprisonment and all are currently in jail.

Their visionary and inclusive approach to shaping a positive future for their home country has been, and continues to be, a great source of inspiration for many people in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region.

Al-Qahtani and al-Hamid were founding activists of the Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights, known by its Arabic acronym HASEM.

According to CNN, they were sentenced by Saudi authorities to 10 and 11 years for providing inaccurate information to foreign media, founding and operating an unlicensed human rights organisation, as well as other offenses.

Meanwhile, activist and lawyer Abu al-Khair was arrested in 2014 for signing a statement with dozens of others calling for reforms in the kingdom.

He later received a 15-year sentence for disobeying the ruler and harming the reputation of the state by communicating with international organizations, likely over his work as an outspoken activist.

The 2018 honorary award was given to Thelma Aldana of Guatemala and Colombias Ivan Velasquez for their innovative work in exposing abuse of power and prosecuting corruption.

The other two winners were Yacouba Sawadogo, a farmer from Burkina Faso who transformed an almost 40-hectare piece of inhospitable land into forest, and Australian Tony Rinaudo, an agronomist who has taken on the role of combating the Sahel regions extreme deforestation.At least 29 people were killed and some 70 others wounded in Saturdays attack on a military parade.

Thousands of people gathered in Irans southwestern city of Ahvaz at a mass funeral for the victims of an attack on a military parade that killed 25 people.

Mourners flooded the streets of Ahvaz, the capital of oil-rich Khuzestan province, on Monday, waving Iranian flags and holding photographs of the victims aloft.

Among those being mourned was a disabled war veteran and a four-year-old boy, as well as at least 12 members of Irans elite Revolutionary Guard.

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Gunmen dressed in military uniform opened fire on marching soldiers, bystanders and government officials, who had gathered to watch the parade on Saturday.

Almost half of those killed were from Ahvaz, while the others came from elsewhere in Khuzestan.

Just look at the crowd, said Ahvaz resident Ghaseem Farhani. With no fear, people are gathered here to see their soldiers and martyrs off to heaven.

Mourners reportedly shouted death to America and death to Israel.

As relatives lay atop their loved ones flag-draped coffins near Ahvazs Sarallah Mosque, Irans Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavia said many suspects were identified and a majority of them were detained.

We will punish the terrorists, one by one, he said.

A war veteran and a four-year-old boy were among those killed in Saturdays attack [Tasnim News Agency via Reuters]

Iranian officials have blamed the attack, which took place at a military parade to mark the anniversary of the start of the Irans 1980-1988 war with Saddam Husseins Iraq, on an Arab separatist group and its alleged international backers.

The al-Ahvaziya armed group claimed responsibility for the attack. It accused Irans Persian-dominated government of discriminating against the countrys ethnic Arab minority.

President Hassan Rouhani vowed to deliver a crushing response, while Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei linked the attack with the US and its allies in the region.

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The countrys foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said regional terror sponsors were responsible for the attack, adding he held their US masters accountable.

General Hossein Salami, acting commander of the Revolutionary Guard, vowed revenge on the perpetrators and what he called the triangle  or Saudi Arabia, Israel and the US  saying operatives would be harshly punished.

You are responsible for these actions; you will face the repercussions. We warn all of those behind the story, we will take revenge, he said.

Khuzestan province is home to the small minority of Ahvazi Arabs, who are divided over whether they want independence or devolution of power within a democratic, federal Iran.

The province has also been the site of recent protests over a nationwide drought and the economy.

Irans foreign ministry has also summoned Western diplomats and an envoy from the UAE, accusing them of allegedly providing havens for the Arab separatists.

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The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (also known as ISIS or ISIL) also claimed to be behind the shooting, providing images of the attackers, which did not resemble those published by Iranian media in the aftermath of the attack.Trump doubles down on his support for Kavanaugh after Deborah Ramirez accuses nominee of sexual misconduct in 1980s.

US President Donald Trump has double down on his support for his embattled Supreme Court nominee after Brett Kavanaugh was hit by a second accusation of sexual misconduct on Sunday, leaving Republicans scrambling to save a confirmation that until recently had seemed all but certain.

The New Yorker magazine published the account of Deborah Ramirez in which she alleged Kavanaugh exposed himself to her without consent during a drunken party at Yale University in the 1980s.

I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants, she was quoted as saying by the New Yorker.

Kavanaugh denied the story, calling it a smear, plain and simple.

The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so, the conservative judge said in a statement.

The magazine added that Senate Democrats are investigating the allegations.

Trump supports Kavanaugh all the way

Ramirezs account was published just hours after Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both teenagers, agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Kavanaugh also agreed to testify, denying Fords allegations.

Like Ford, Ramirez wants the FBI to investigate the incident and Democratic legislators are backing their demands. Democrats also called for Thursdays hearing to be delayed after the new allegations surfaced.

On Monday, Trump reiterated his support for his Supreme Court nominee, calling the allegations by both Ford and Ramirez totally political and saying he supports Kavanaugh all the way.

Ford agreed to testify after an increasingly ugly week-long standoff that saw her forced to leave her California home as she faced death threats and the president openly attacked her credibility.

The two parties will testify separately  first Ford, followed by Kavanaughs response  the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmed.

According to The New York Times, Kavanaugh has calendars from the summer of 1982 that he plans to share with senators showing he was out of town most of that time with no indication of the party of concern.

We believe survivors

The controversy over Kavanaugh is unfolding just weeks before November 6 congressional elections in which Democrats are trying to take control of Congress from Trumps fellow Republicans, against a backdrop of the #MeToo movement fighting sexual harassment and assault.

Al Jazeeras John Hendren, reporting from Washington, DC, said the latest accusation has put the whole process in turmoil.

If every Democrat voted against Kavanaugh they will only need two Republicans to vote with them and this might be enough to make up that margin. So, the committee has a lot to think about in the coming days.

On Monday morning, hundreds of students and others reportedly held a sit-in at Yale University to protest Kavanaughs nomination.

200+ student Sit-In in Yale Law School protesting the nomination of #BrettKavanaugh 0.2 miles from where Deborah Ramirez was assaulted 35 years ago. pic.twitter.com/fWiw8ujhFG  Matt Post (@mattlpost) September 24, 2018

A national walkout, organised by a number of different rights groups, is scheduled for later in the afternoon to show support for Ford and Ramirez.

We believe Dr Blasey Ford. We believe Deborah Ramirez, the events organisers said in a Facebook page. We believe survivors, it added. And we wont stand for Senate Republicans despicable attempts to strong-arm a sexual assault survivor.UK Labour Party meets to discuss stance on Brexit

Thousands protest against Brexit as Labours Jeremy Corbyn faces intense pressure to support a new vote on withdrawalvia @AP

President Donald Trump on Monday declared himself an "absolute no" on statehood for Puerto Rico as long as critics such as San Juan's mayor remain in office, the latest broadside in his feud with members of the U.S. territory's leadership.

Trump lobbed fresh broadsides at San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, a critic of his administration's response to hurricanes on the island last year, during a radio interview with Fox News' Geraldo Rivera that aired Monday.

"With the mayor of San Juan as bad as she is and as incompetent as she is, Puerto Rico shouldn't be talking about statehood until they get some people that really know what they're doing," Trump said in an interview with Rivera's show on Cleveland's WTAM radio.

Trump said that when "you have good leadership," statehood for Puerto Rico could be "something they talk about. With people like that involved in Puerto Rico, I would be an absolute no."

Cruz responded on Twitter: "Trump is again accusing me of telling the truth. Now he says there will be no statehood because of me."

Jenniffer Gonzalez, Puerto Rico's representative in Congress, tweeted: "Equality 4 Puerto Ricans shouldn't be held up by one bad mayor who's leaving office in 2020 & do not represent the people who voted twice for statehood."

Trump's position on statehood for the island puts him at odds with the Republican Party's 2016 platform during its national convention, in which it declared support for Puerto Rican statehood.

The president's remarks followed his claims earlier this month that the official death toll from last year's devastating storm in Puerto Rico was inflated. Public health experts have estimated that nearly 3,000 people died in 2017 because of the effects of Hurricane Maria.

But Trump falsely accused Democrats of inflating the Puerto Rican death toll to make him "look as bad as possible."

Trump's pronouncements have roiled politics in Florida, which has crucial races for governor and U.S. Senate. The state was already home to more than 1 million Puerto Ricans before Hurricane Maria slammed into the island a year ago. Tens of thousands of residents fled Puerto Rico in the aftermath, with many of them relocating to Florida.

Read more here.Having an office on the ground will allow Starlink to apply for licences it needs to provide broadband in the country.A Tribute to the Israeli Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces are so much more than the picture of raw power perceived in news stories and war-centered history books. The IDF functions on a daily basis employing stealth and deception in the battle against Israel's unremitting enemies. Pre-1967, the state and military were perceived as underdogs fighting the good fight against all odds. The devastating effectiveness and efficiency with which the IDF knocked out and embarrassed Arab armies changed the perception of the IDF and the Jewish people into a conquering military machine. The success was so decisive that it altered the mindset of the Jewish people from ragtag refugees and the world's pinata into a "don't mess with me" poster child. Jews are now tough and invincible.

Centuries-long persecutions of the Jewish people, the Enlightenment culminating in the Holocaust, paved the way for implementing the revolutionary thinking called Zionism. A homeland by legal authority, defended by a Jewish army, morphed into a political ideology, then a state. Yet there is room for those who also believe in diplomacy, democracy, and prayer. Security and safety are the central missions, but the IDF is also the vehicle to assimilate and acculturate refugees, immigrants, and native residents of other races and faiths. The IDF accepts people from disparate cultures arriving from the far corners of the world...white, black, brown, religious and secular, Jew, Bedouin, Arab, Christian, or Druze, educated and illiterate, survivors and sabras. They meet in IDF tents, on IDF training grounds. Their lives literally depend on one another. It's the IDF that is responsible for the Jewish condition today that among the world's 65M refugees, there is not one Jew for the first time in 2,000 years. Yoav Limor and Ziv Koren offer the best examination of the IDF in their new book, Snapshot: The IDF as Never Seen Before. "Either [the IDF] is fighting, or else it is preparing for war." In between battles, "the purpose of this state is to carry out quiet activity to eliminate the enemy's capabilities and prevent an all-out war." Special units travel the world and inside the country to fulfill this mission against unremitting enemies. The 2017 Democracy Index pins the IDF by Israelis as the most trusted institution, vastly exceeding the number of Israel's citizens who declared their trust in any other institution of the state  more than the presidency or the Supreme Court. There are plenty of structural cracks: enormous stress from supporting a high-tech volunteer military, diminishing domestic needs and priorities, costs to morale, and shifting agendas from pressures by decorous political and public relations vagaries. For instance, military commanders worry about why some people serve in the IDF and others are exilic, willing to risk government benefits and jobs in civilian life. Military service, largely accepted as the ultimate contribution to society, is shattered when resistance to military service grows. Without a volunteer army, Israel will be vastly different. Limor and Koren retell a conversation between Brig. Gen. Eran Shani and his daughter: if there was no mandatory service, would she enlist? "Maybe I would contribute to society in another way  science, medicine, or academia." The conversation about eliminating the draft in favor of an all-volunteer military is gaining traction, with one candidate in the next election making this a cornerstone of his campaign. There is barely debate in Israel about the IDF budget for 2019, topping $116B, nor a blink of the eye when the prime minister decides to authorize an additional $8B missile defense plan. Then there are donations from Friends of the IDF in the Diaspora, like the Beverly Hills division that raised $54M and the N.Y. division that raised $35M. Why? Because supporters of Israel realize the omnipresent existential threat, notwithstanding Israel's critics, who perceive the state as invincible and thus immoral. The rule of engagement in the Middle East is that for every action, there is an unintended consequence. Hamas building attack tunnels stimulates new technologies to destroy tunnels. But tunnels were one of the considerable factors contributing to the military collapse in Vietnam. While tunneling terrorists are not an existential threat, they have a powerful demoralizing effect on the population. Moreover, Israelis live with a siege mentality, evidenced by politics shifting more to the right over the decades. It is not uncommon to hear calls for wiping out Hamas kite attacks. Who can say where that will lead? Perhaps political decisions like giving no more quarter to Hamas will push for Israel to take on nuclear Turkey and Iran? Israel requires clear-headed explanations about security and safety, military technology and prowess, and the military's impact on social and political institutions. The IDF is, to paraphrase, a lurching work in progress. While politics may be a poisoned chalice, the IDF is what protects the state, thus the Jewish People, from becoming an endling. Behind every weapon is one of Israel's children, and it is in their hands that we put our faith. A final story. My 20-year-old soldier son once called and said, "I won't be calling you for a few days. We're going somewhere, and we can't take our cell phones. The Arabs track our phones just as we track theirs." Two nights later, he called and whispered, "Hi, Dad." Surprise in my voice, I asked him why he was calling, why we were whispering, and was he in danger? "Yeah, but you know this isn't a real army. They're all kids. My commander is 19, and all of us are calling our moms and girlfriends. Don't worry; I'll be fine." Harold Goldmeier (harold.goldmeier@gmail.com) is a public speaker on business, social, and political issues. He is an award-winning leader, teaching international university students in Tel Aviv. He was a research and teaching fellow at Harvard.Xcel, without directly saying so, gives the public the impression that the closed coal plants are being replaced with wind and solar. That cant happen for the simple reason that coal works when the wind isnt blowing and when the sun isnt shining. Wind and solar are always part-time supplements to the electric grid. They dont replace reliable coal or natural gas plants. All that wind and solar do is to reduce the amount of fuel consumed in the coal or natural gas plants, when those plants are throttled back to accommodate wind or solar electricity.

Xcel Energy is the dominant electric utility in Colorado. In cooperation with various organizations promoting green energy, Xcel released what it calls the Colorado Energy Plan . The plan proposes building nearly two billion dollars of wind and solar energy installations. It also proposes closing two coal-generating plants and building some new natural gas-generating capacity.

What is really happening is that Xcel is replacing older, but perfectly good, coal plants with natural gas plants. The coal plants being replaced are equipped with modern pollution controls and have low operating costs. Dumping the coal plants is necessary to accommodate the proposed wind and solar. Wind and solar have to have backup plants that can inversely follow the ups and downs of erratic wind and solar generation. Natural gas turbines are much better at doing that than is coal-based generation. Dumping the coal plants that emit more CO2 than natural-gas plants also pleases radical environmentalists that worry about global warming.

The company proposes building 1000 megawatts of wind and 700 megawatts of solar. The 1700 megawatts of green energy would only supply an average of about 500 megawatts of power. Solar doesnt work at night or when its cloudy and wind only works according to the strength of the wind. Also proposed is 700 megawatts of new natural gas generation that can replace the closed coal plants totaling 660 megawatts. The company claims that closing working coal plants and building new wind and solar plants will save money. The coal-fired, Comanche Station, in Pueblo, Colorado, consists of three units. The first two units built in the 1970s would be closed. The third, a 750-megawatt unit, built in 2010, would remain open.

Even with the massive federal subsidies for wind and solar, it is doubtful that any money is saved by building wind and solar plants supplementing new natural gas capacity. The cost of coal fuel is surely competitive with natural gas, given that the coal comes from nearby Wyoming.

What is really going on is plant churning. If a utility can replace existing but fully depreciated plants with new plants, it can increase its rate base, the portfolio of assets on which its allowed profit is based. If it can build double the number of plants by building wind and solar along with natural gas backup, so much the better. If the utilities were not restrained by public utility commissions they would be happy to frequently close depreciated plants to allow them to make investment in new plants. Wind and solar, requiring huge new investments, are wonderful for utility bottom lines. Xcel is concerned with its own financial health, not the huge waste of public and private money that takes place when efficient coal plants are replaced with subsidized, green energy schemes.

The forces of green ideology are strong in Colorado. The Sierra Club is known for hating coal, but loving wind and solar. Green political influence has given Colorado a legal requirement to increase the amount of green energy in its electric grid. Xcel and the green environmental groups represent a confluence of special interests that have come together to screw the people of Colorado.

The public is subtly lied to by giving the impression that green energy is replacing coal and that this maneuver saves money. Not everyone is going along with the farce. The Independence Institute, located in Denver, calls the plan snake oil and points out that the existing coal plants are extremely cost efficient.

The Denver Post published a guest commentary by James Taylor, a Senior Fellow of the Heartland Institute, highly critical of the Xcel plan. Taylor pointed out that the Intermountain electric co-op, that serves customers in Colorado, is also strongly critical of the Xcel plan.

Xcel commissioned a poll of Colorado voters that found that 95% agreed with this statement:

The state of Colorado and utilities should work together to achieve the most significant increases in the use of clean renewable energy that can be accomplished while providing reliable and affordable energy.

The public has been bombarded by years of propaganda claiming that renewable energy is a reasonable option. Not surprisingly, much of the public actually believes it.

A sinister alliance between green groups, the government, the renewable energy industry, and utilities have provided a new way to profit at the expense of the public. A technological edifice is created -- renewable energy. The edifice is then misrepresented by propaganda. The actual reality is impenetrable except by technically sophisticated specialists, so the propaganda Kool Aid is drunk by the public and the media. They simply dont know any better. Those who do know better are impelled by political considerations to go along with the farce.

Public utility commissions are supposed to protect the public from this sort of looting. But in states where the green political forces are significant, the public utility commissions, themselves political bodies, tend to go along. Legislatures enact requirements requiring increased use of renewable energy. Most of the legislators are not much better informed than the public and are anxious not to offend the small but vocal part of the population that really believes in global warming and green energy. The media parrot the dubious claims of the green energy forces. This political juggernaut serves the interests of the utilities and the green believers at the expense of the public. Naturally, the manufacturers of wind turbines and solar panels are providing political assistance. The man in the street thinks, wrongly, that money is being spent to improve the climate, to lower the cost of electricity, and to remove pollution from the atmosphere.

Scientific support for global warming is extremely weak. The shenanigans of scientific groups promoting global warming are self-serving and dishonest. Even if one believes in global warming, wind and solar are a very expensive way to reduce CO2 emissions.

Wind and solar are about 70% subsidized in the case of utility scale installations, but residential rooftop solar, is actually subsidized in excess of 90%. These huge subsidies are rooted in the fact that intermittent green energys only real economic contribution is the reduction of fuel consumption in the backup plants required to maintain continuity of supply.

Why should a relatively small number of green fanatics be allowed to have huge influence over the configuration of the national electric grid? Because they scream loudly and put up picket lines around coal generating stations?

Norman Rogers writes often about energy issues. He is the author of the book: Dumb Energy: A Critique of Wind and Solar Energy. Articles he has written are available at ClimateViews.com.The Burning of Brett Kavanaugh

Any thinking person today is hearing alarms going off in all directions over the Kavanaugh accusations. Its obvious that this is all dirty politics; we can see that in the timing, in the fussiness about Ford testifying, in the nasty rhetoric that swirls in poisonous clouds throughout Washington. But the problem is much deeper. In the first place, we have no clearly defined mores for sexual behavior anymore. The sexual revolution has opened a multitude of fearful doors. Our young women find themselves defenseless in compromising situations and we have no guidance to give them. We have no way to counsel them -- or our young men either - about just where the line is. Sex is now allowed, performed, promoted. Women feel they can behave in any way they wish, wear whatever they wish, and men have to hold that line and read feminine signals with no idea of what they mean. This looseness has been trending for decades and suddenly now weve turned puritanical and are horrified at the very thought of sexual advances happening.

We have no clear idea of what, exactly, sexual assault means. From the precious little detail Ford has given, we cant tell whether shes describing teenaged roughhousing or attempted rape. She obviously wants us to picture the latter, but if she had suffered such a violent attack, would she not have been visibly distressed at the time? Wouldnt friends have noticed? If anything happened at all between these two people, how do we know what it was, exactly? A hand brushing across a breast? Some pushing and shoving, playful or otherwise, that got out of hand? At what point do we know that a crime occurred? Assault is a violent, injury-producing attack. At least it used to be. A quick check with a dictionary defines assault as an unlawful threat or attempt to do bodily injury to another. If Kavanaugh had actually committed such an act, wouldnt that have been noticeable to others? Wouldnt all the details be burned into her brain? Youd think so. Secondly, we live in a time in which men, especially white men, are automatically guilty -- of most everything, and in which women are all victims - of everyone male. It is, in part, the vague definitions of sexual faux pas that have made this possible. Almost any advance a man makes can now be interpreted as over the line because no clear line exists. I find this disturbing. Ive been around for a long time, worked with men for decades and have never known any who were sexually threatening, so this intense enmity between the sexes is incomprehensible to me. Thirdly, it seems that evidence is no longer of any importance - for anything. Kirsten Gillibrand kept saying in her recent speech on Fords accusation, I believe her. I believe her. On the basis of what? Guilt or innocence isnt determined by belief but by evidence, but Gillibrand had already made up her mind without meeting Ford, without examining her testimony, without any specifics at all. Even my religious beliefs are based on overwhelming evidence, not on how I feel at the moment. But today, logic and facts garner no respect - every opinion is just based on emotional reaction. How is anyone to get a fair hearing under those circumstances? Fourthly, all this is happening at a time when few seem to understand how things are done, how our government works. Ever since Trump became president Ive been aware of this confusion. The left acts as if they can get rid of Trump - evidently by any means - that Hillary will take over. They dont seem to be aware that losing an election is an actual loss. Even Obama said elections have consequences. It means loss of control over administrative agencies; the whole Russia debacle stems from a failure to recognize this fact. An election loss means loss of control over who gets appointed to the Supreme Court and if you dont have control of the Senate, thats just done. So the leftists feel justified in throwing every hissy-fit they can drum up. Damn the law and ethics and truth. According to the Constitution it is within the purview of the Senate to advise and consent on SCOTUS appointees. The Constitution says nothing about grilling these appointees half to death, about setting land mines made out of vague and ancient fictions. The concern is supposed to be whether or not the candidate has the education, the clarity, the self-discipline to weigh issues brought before him. It is not about changing the world. It is not about getting the jump on the opposing party. It is certainly not about high school antics - if in fact any happened. The left seems to think that a SCOTUS judge can just haul off and change laws, which explains their hysteria, but a little knowledge about the balance of power would calm those fears. SCOTUS cant initiate lawsuits; they can only rule on what is brought before them. We also have forgotten that the FBI doesnt do this kind of inquiry. Ford wants a special favor - an FBI investigation. But each federal agency has its own job, its own territory. The FBI can only do background investigations, investigate possible federal crimes, and teenage fondling doesnt qualify -- unless the activity crosses state lines and involves kidnapping. It is also questionable that the FBI is even capable of objectively investigating anything that connects to Donald Trump and his choice for the Court. In the last two years this agency has demonstrated appalling bias and dishonesty in its dealings with our president; it is no wonder Ford is anxious for their support here. We have also lost track of the concept of innocent until proven guilty -- beyond reasonable doubt. This has been slipping away for quite a while now. The media have become our judge and jury; the more sensational and politically potent an accusation is, the more likely it will be seen as true, and no amount of correction will undo that. What bothers me the most, however, is that weve lost all contact with common sense, with any desire to arrive at the truth. The truth is that Democrats believe they will take Congress in November (The key word here is believe.) and they want to put off the confirmation vote until then. So, Fords accusations have burst onto the scene in a most orchestrated, obvious manner. She wants to raise a fuss, but not be held to account, which says to me that she is unsure about the whole thing. If it were me, Id want to get on with it, get it over with, but her hesitancy feels really off. If she didnt want the attention why write the letter in the first place? And where does she get off wanting Kavanaugh to testify first? Testify to what? This all flies in the face of thousands of years of jurisprudence. Common sense would dictate that we pay attention to policies that have worked for millennia, but common sense is dying. Eventually the dust will clear, and Brett Kavanaugh will be confirmed, and things will calm down -- until the next appointment comes up, until the next overblown accusation is thrown at the next decent man. How many drama-queen explosions can we put up with? How many lies can we absorb? How many crucifixions can one nation stand? Deana Chadwell blogs at www.ASingleWindow.com. She is also an adjunct professor and department head at Pacific Bible College in southern Oregon. She teaches writing and public speaking.Ford and feminism

There's more to Professor Ford's accusation of sexual harassment by Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh than merely an obvious Democratic attack on a Trump appointee. It signals that 50 years of radical feminism's unending attempts to bash men as the "less than" sex have succeeded. The claims of any woman, no matter how maniacal, how berserk, how unbelievable, regarding her treatment at the hands of any man at whom she decides to point an accusatory finger will now be given new "female" credibility. Women cannot lie, and men cannot tell the truth. Hawaiian senator Mazie Hirono told the men of this nation to "shut up!" She got away with it. Neither the New York Times, the

Washington Post, or the Chicago Tribune editorialized on this sexist bashing by one of the most important elected officials in the land. Our own senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, stated, "Forcing her into a sham hearing is silencing her!" So, according to our own brainless congresswoman, just asking for a woman to testify under oath against a man she hazily claims assaulted her over 36 years ago is actually silencing her. Yet Gillibrand, who regrettably represents close to 20 million New York Staters, tells us there is no need to have an accuser render a sworn account of her claims. Well, no...if she's accusing a man of whatever, even if her unfounded charges cause him to lose his job and destroy his future, family, and life. So we're being bashed over the head by our progressive leaders and their media right hands to the effect that "women don't lie about being sexually assaulted." Tell that to the young men on the Duke University lacrosse team who were thrown out of the school, denounced, and debased on false allegations of raping a woman at a party. Years later, she was proven to have lied; they were exonerated and won huge lawsuits against the school. Still, today, "women don't lie" is the watchword for the movement. Just how will this affect our judicial system when female jurors, in a courtroom run by progressive female judges, are told by defense attorneys that to find female defendants guilty based on the testimony of men would be a violation of their human rights as women? What scenes can we imagine taking place in secure jury rooms, where men are attacked by women wearing pussy hats for declaring their intentions of violating women's rights by voting thumbs up to convict women? Sadly, the next generation will have to muddle through this challenge to our democracy. Perhaps it's time for men to seriously start thinking of wearing the pants once again in their families, in their communities, and in Congress...and do so proudly.Fort Trump and the future of Eastern Europe

"Fort Trump," said the Polish president, Andrzej Duda, during a White House press conference last week, would be an appropriate name to call the first American military base in Poland. Whether this Polish dream comes to pass or not is yet to be seen, but the strategic rationale behind it is anything but the joke U.S. pundits took it to be. It is, in fact, an encapsulation of the dilemma facing Eastern Europe and with it, NATO and the United States. Barely concealed behind it is a multitude of challenges that must be addressed without delay if a serious crisis in Europe and the alliance is to be avoided. At the bottom of it is the seemingly unavoidable conflict over Muslim immigration. Virtually all of Eastern Europe refuses to accept any of them and is quite open about it. Politically correct Western Europe, Germany first and foremost, is scandalized and wants to force the Eastern Europeans into repeating Western Europe's own disastrous mistakes. It does not help reminding them the Germans that Muslim integration has failed miserably in their own country, with 64.8% of German Turks voting for Erdogan after 60 years of living in Europe. Nor does telling them that barely a century ago, much of the Balkans was under Ottoman rule, complete with infidel taxes and slave markets. Or that last year, Poland alone issued 235,600 work permits to immigrants and is currently hosting over a million migrants, 40,000 of them from Vietnam.

Secondly, and here is where Fort Trump fits in, Poland and all of Eastern Europe simply do not trust the Western Europeans to defend them if push comes to shove. It is enough to take a look at German military power in 2014 to realize that they are right. In that year, only 42 of 109 German Eurofighter planes were combat ready, as were 39 of 89 Tornado aircraft, while the Bundeswehr's once mighty tank force had shrunk by 90%. With 1.2% of GDP going to defense, it has certainly gotten much worse in the meantime. Is it any wonder that the Poles and all the rest of them, who have not forgotten what Russian domination means, will feel safe only if they have G.I.s stationed on their soil? Whether this is feasible now or in the future is another question, but it is important for Americans to understand why East Europeans feel the way they do and why the gulf between them and Western Europe seems to be widening. Finally, there is an immediate issue that must be resolved if the alliance is not to suffer irreparable damage. It is a German-Russian deal called Nord Stream 2 that is unquestionably directed against the interests of Eastern Europe. Perhaps it is worth recalling that the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to bring gas directly from Russia to Germany was called by the Polish foreign minister at the time "the Molotov-Ribbentrop pipeline." This one deserves that appellation even more. By bypassing all of Eastern Europe, it stands to do great economic damage to Ukraine and other pass-through countries. It is a blatantly political Putin project, and while Merkel continues to pretend it is not, this is hypocrisy pure and simple. It is high time for Trump to say publicly that this project shall not pass. Unfortunately, there is more than just that project. For the past few years, Merkel has ruled Germany together with the social democrats (SPD), a left-wing party that does not hide its pro-Russian sympathies. Its boss prior to Merkel was none other than Gerhard Schroeder, a man who sold out to Putin lock, stock, and barrel. In the meantime, one of Schroeder's proteges and a former German foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, has argued openly that his party must move away from America and closer to Russia. This is, in fact, what Merkel has already done by transforming the CDU from a moderately right-of-center party to a left-leaning one. In the meantime, Poland and several other countries have started an initiative called the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), which aims to facilitate cooperation in the energy sector in the region. All Eastern European countries plus Austria participate, and the focus is on using existing and future LNG terminals in the region, building interconnectors, and reversing flow connections and curtailing dependence on monopolists like Gazprom. Some companies have gone beyond that and are suing Gazprom in European arbitration courts. More than a few have already won large awards. Importantly, one of the announced objectives of the initiative is to enhance transatlantic ties, which eventually means greater emphasis on LNG supplies from the U.S.Donald Trump will pay a visit to New York this week. He will address the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday (where many representatives are expected to sit on their hands or walk out) and then chair a meeting of the Security Council on Wednesday. He is expected to blow up the pretenses about the U.N. held by most people in the world  the most important being that the U.N. actually matters. It doesn't.

It has been obligatory for American presidents to give lip service to the "value" of the United Nations as an organization vital for world peace. U.N. diplomats love to hear that kind of stuff because they think it justifies their massive expense accounts and other perks that come with living high on the hog in New York City.

Trump will refuse to pretend that the U.N. is anything except an anti-American, anti-Israel organization that uses both countries as whipping boys to justify oppressive and aggressive policies. He will also make no bones about putting American vital interests first and foremost on his agenda, and if the U.N. doesn't like it, the U.N. can go hang.

Associated Press:

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters in a preview of Trump's visit, that the president's focus "will be very much on the United States," its role and the relations it wants to build. "He is looking forward to talking about foreign policy successes the United States has had over the past year and where we're going to go from here," she said. "He wants to talk about protecting U.S. sovereignty," while building relationships with nations that "share those values." In his four-day visit to New York, Trump will deliver major speeches and meet with representatives of a world order that he has so often upended in the past year. Like a year ago, North Korea's nuclear threat will hover over the gathering, though its shadow may appear somewhat less ominous.

The American people do not elect a president to stand up for other country's vital interests. We elect a president to stand up for American interests.

the rest of the world (and many liberals here in the U.S.) don't see it that way. Because the U.S. is so big, so powerful, so rich, it is our responsibility to subsume our vital interests in the cause of "world peace" and harmony. Because our economy is so much bigger, we must sign trade deals that put the U.S. at a disadvantage, real or perceived. Because our military is so powerful, we should allow other nations to threaten our interests because it wouldn't be a fair fight if we engaged them as enemies.

Presidents have bought into this to one degree or another for 70 years. Through it all, the U.N. keeps up the pretense that it is an organization dedicated to world peace. I'm sure there are some very nice, very idealistic souls from many countries at the U.N. But they are vastly outnumbered by cynics who use that idealism for their own personal aggrandizement.

We can be sure Trump's "American First" speech will not go over well at the U.N. There will be criticisms here at home that Trump is encouraging the forces of nationalism at the expense of world cooperation and peace-seeking. Perhaps his political opponents should put up a candidate in 2020 who proclaims that it is more important for a president to stand up for the interests of other nations and submerge U.S. interests in the cause of "world peace."

If they do, a Trump landslide will be assured.The most recent witness, Leland Keyser, has no recollection of the party and has never met Kavanaugh.

As of this moment, four of the five people Christine Blasey Ford says were at the party where she claims she was sexually assaulted have denied there ever being such a party. Only Ford herself, also the only person not to speak under oath, says this party occurred, and only she says she was sexually assaulted.

This is compelling in that not only doesn't she have any reason to lie, but she's actually a lifelong friend of Blasey Ford and a staunch liberal who doesn't want Kavanaugh on the court.

Ford's lawyer responded to this bombshell, saying:

It's not surprising that Ms. Keyser has no recollection of the evening as they did not discuss it. It's also unremarkable that Ms. Keyser does not remember attending a specific gathering 30 years ago at which nothing of consequence happened to her[.]

It can be shown that this statement is not in fact logically plausible.

According to Ford, after she managed to escape from Kavanaugh, she fled to a bathroom, where she locked herself in. At some unspecified later time, she left the party.

That means there are three options about how Ford and Keyser interacted after the alleged assault:

Keyser encountered Ford locked in the bathroom and very upset. Keyser encountered a very upset Ford as she left. Keyser discovered that Ford had left after the fact.

Every one of these options involves memorable events, which would give Keyser a strong memory of the party.

In option one, Keyser would find her good friend locked in a bathroom and traumatized. Furthermore, Ford, according to her own account, didn't tell anyone about the assault, which means that when Keyser asked about what the problem was, Ford wouldn't answer.

Given that Keyser was a good friend of Ford, the fact that Ford was distraught enough to lock herself in a bathroom and refuse to share the problem would be a pretty memorable event for Keyser, especially since Ford, according to her account and her lawyer's statement, didn't ever give Keyser an explanation.

The fact that Keyser would have presumably pursued the matter next time she saw her good friend Ford and have been rebuffed would also be a good reason for Keyser to remember the party.

In option two, Keyser would see her good friend rushing out of the house, visibly distraught. But once again, according to Ford's account, Ford would provide no explanation to Keyser.

Here, Keyser would certainly consider a good friend rushing out of a party while being clearly upset and unwilling to talk about it, then or later, a memorable event.

In option three, Keyser would suddenly find herself alone with three boys. Finding out that her good friend left without even talking to her and refused to answer questions about it later would be good reason for Keyser to remember the party.

There is no scenario where Ford's actions, as she describes them, would not have created a memorable situation for her good friend Leland Keyser.

Hence, contrary to the lawyers' claim, there is every reason to believe that if Ford, Kavanaugh, Judge, PJ, and Keyser had been at a party together, Keyser would have remembered it.

You can read more of Tom's rants at his blog, Conversations about the obvious, and feel free to follow him on Twitter.Russian animation of IL-20 incident fails to enlighten

I am no military analyst by any stretch of the imagination, but when matters are explained to me in great detail, even I can understand. The Russian Defense Ministry just put together such an explanation for non-professionals in the form of a one-minute animation clip showing how it happened that the Russian plane was downed by Syrian air defenses over the Mediterranean and why Israelis are to blame.

The timeline is this: the Israelis strike three targets at 21:40, while the Russian plane flies over the Syrian landmass, traversing it due south. The Syrians launch an anti-aircraft missile at 21:51, 11 minutes after the Israeli strike. Meanwhile, the Russian plane does a U-turn and heads toward the sea, over which it is hit at 22:03. Israeli aircraft leave the area at 22:40. This timeline, instead of clarifying matters, left me totally nonplussed. Why such behavior by the Israeli pilots? What were they to gain by staying in the area of danger for a full hour? Why did they incur an obvious risk to themselves and their aircraft of being hit by Syrian anti-aircraft fire? Their targets struck, their mission accomplished, what was the point of not going home immediately after the strike? And this too: Wouldn't the Syrian missile hit Russian aircraft anyway, even if Israelis had left and were not hovering around? I am honestly puzzled. I hope there are real military experts reading the American Thinker. Perhaps they can explain the alleged behavior on the part of Israelis that to a dilettante like myself looks bizarre.Michael-in-Norfolk disclaims any and all responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, completeness, legality, reliability, operability, or availability of information or material displayed on this site and does not claim credit for any images or articles featured on this site, unless otherwise noted. All visual content is copyrighted to it's respectful owners. Information on this site may contain errors or inaccuracies, and Michael-in-Norfolk does not make warranty as to the correctness or reliability of the site's content. If you own rights to any of the images or articles, and do not wish them to appear on this site, please contact Michael-in-Norfolk via e-mail and they will be promptly removed. Michael-in-Norfolk contains links to other Internet sites. These links are provided solely as a convenience and are not endorsements of any products or services in such sites, and no information or content in such site has been endorsed or approved by this blog.Four supposed witnesses identified by Christine Blasey Ford in her accusations against Brett Kavanaugh have all refused to corroborate her account of the events from 36-plus years ago. In letters to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mark Judge, Patrick Smyth, and now Leland Ingham Keyser have all denied any memory of the party Ford describes, much less any sort-of assault.

[W]hoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States knowingly and willfully ... makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation; or makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry; shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years[.]

It seems that somehow, Mrs. Ford may have been made aware of such potential penalties, because we now find out that Ford sent her accusing letter not to Feinstein, but to Rep. Anna G. Eshoo. According to CBS News yesterday:

Eshoo said she met with Ford at her district office "for about an hour and a half" over the summer while Ford described her alleged encounter with Kavanaugh in the early 1980s. She alleges Kavanaugh pinned her down and groped her on a bed at a party while the two were in high school. Kavanaugh has strenuously denied ever doing so and has said he is willing to testify publicly and defend himself. "My impression of her was she was intelligent. She spoke softly. It was wrenching for her, I think, to tell the story because there's a re-experience when the story is told," Eshoo said on "Face the Nation" Sunday. "She went into many details and at the end of our conversation I told her that I believed her and that it was important she tell me if, what she wished me to do with information, if in fact she chose another path. And she did. She wanted me to take it down a different pathway, and of course with anonymity and privacy, that's paramount in sexual abuse allegations or cases because the individuals are terrified." Ford later sent Eshoo a letter detailing the allegations, which was also received by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. The committee is considering Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.

It is interesting that Eshoo got the letter first. As a member of the U.S. House, she has zero jurisdiction over or authority to investigate presidential nominations. So why would Eshoo not make Mrs. Ford aware of this and have her send the letter to a Democrat member of the Senate Judiciary Committee? Perhaps it was because anyone providing false information to a member of the U.S. House would not be covered by 18 USC 1001 and thus not subject to the legal penalties it prescribes.

Thus, Ford may have been trying to avoid the legal consequences of making false statements. Of course, almost certainly, she would not have been aware of such legalese on her own. This raises several questions. For example, did Rep. Eshoo make Mrs. Ford aware of where her information against Judge Kavanaugh must be sent? Did Rep. Eshoo make Mrs. Ford aware of 18 USC 1001? Were any other Democrats involved with informing Mrs. Ford of how to so proceed with her accusations?

If Mrs. Ford is falsely accusing Mr. Kavanaugh  again, no one has corroborated her accusations, and dozens of women have provided contradictory information on Judge Kavanaugh's treatment of women  all these questions carry even more weight. In other words, if Democrats knowingly conspired with a woman making false accusations, there should be severe legal consequences for all involved.

It seems there may need to be an FBI investigation into this unsavory affair after all. However, as in the case with the presidential election and the Russians, the real crimes to be concerned with are not with Republicans, but with Democrats.

UPDATE: Given the delays Democrats have achieved, did anyone not see this coming? The New Yorker is now reporting on a second accusation against Judge Kavanaugh. (He supposedly exposed himself to Deborah Ramirez.) This time it's a year later, when he was 18 and a freshman at Yale. Again, there's no corroboration. Also, as Paul Mirengoff at Power Line notes, Ramirez told The New Yorker she wasn't certain what happened until "after six days of talking with her attorney," a former elected Democrat. As Mirengoff points out, "one can do plenty of brain washing in six days."

From the article:

The New Yorker has not confirmed with other eyewitnesses that Kavanaugh was present at the party. The magazine contacted several dozen classmates of Ramirez and Kavanaugh regarding the incident. Many did not respond to interview requests; others declined to comment, or said they did not attend or remember the party. A friend of Ramirez, who of course refuses to be identified, claims that Ramirez told him of the incident and he is "one hundred per cent sure" that he was told at the time that Kavanaugh was the student who exposed himself to Ramirez. Other Yale students Ramirez identifies as being present when Kavanaugh exposed himself to her refuse to support her account. In a statement, two of those male classmates who Ramirez alleged were involved the incident, the wife of a third male student she said was involved, and three other classmates, Dino Ewing, Louisa Garry, and Dan Murphy, disputed Ramirez's account of events: "We were the people closest to Brett Kavanaugh during his first year at Yale. He was a roommate to some of us, and we spent a great deal of time with him, including in the dorm where this incident allegedly took place. Some of us were also friends with Debbie Ramirez during and after her time at Yale. We can say with confidence that if the incident Debbie alleges ever occurred, we would have seen or heard about it  and we did not. The behavior she describes would be completely out of character for Brett. In addition, some of us knew Debbie long after Yale, and she never described this incident until Brett's Supreme Court nomination was pending. Editors from the New Yorker contacted some of us because we are the people who would know the truth, and we told them that we never saw or heard about this."

The New Yorker continues:

The former friend who was married to the male classmate alleged to be involved, and who signed the statement said of Ramirez, "This is a woman I was best friends with. We shared intimate details of our lives. And I was never told this story by her, or by anyone else. It never came up. I didn't see it; I never heard of it happening." She said she hadn't spoken with Ramirez for about ten years, but that the two women had been close all through college, and Kavanaugh had remained part of what she called their "larger social circle." In an initial conversation with The New Yorker, she suggested that Ramirez may have been politically motivated. Later, she said that she did not know if this was the case.

Interesting question: Was the statement made by Ramirez's classmates made to the Senate Judiciary Committee? If not, will such a statement be made? Again, the interesting scenario of the legal penalties against false statements would carry weight. There's more in the piece, including classmates who are sympathetic to Ramirez and her story.

This is politics at its worst, folks, and remember: it's all about keeping legal across the U.S. the right to kill children in the womb. It takes someone pretty deceived or vicious to stand for such a thing. We should not be surprised at these tactics to defend something so morally indefensible. We need to pray for the truth for all of those involved in these grave matters and for strength and peace for those standing for the truth. We also need to vote for conservatives (or at least against liberals) in November!

Trevor Grant Thomas; At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason.

www.trevorgrantthomas.com

Trevor is the author of the The Miracle and Magnificence of America.

thomas@trevorgrantthomas.comThe Character of Ted Cruz

Democrats launched an initiative attacking Ted Cruz's character for backing Trump because they opposed each other so passionately during the presidential primary. Folks, Cruz's willingness to move beyond the bad blood between himself and the president for the good of America confirms the greatness of Cruz's character. Too many politicians have the attitude that everything is about them, and screw what is best for America. Outrageously, there are GOP politicians working to undermine Trump's America First agenda simply because they do not like Trump. That is the epitome of political narcissism and lack of character.

Cruz is on board with Trump because he realizes that Trump is doing a remarkable job for America. Our Conservative Campaign Committee attended Ted Cruz's rally in Amarillo, Texas. Cruz touted all the great achievements of the Trump administration for We the People. Excitedly, Cruz shared that unemployment for blacks, Hispanics, women, and Asians is at historic lows. Numerous times, the crowd of almost a thousand spontaneously chanted, "Thank you Ted!," "Build the wall!," "Six more years!," and "USA!" When Ted mentioned Hillary, they chanted, "Lock her up!" Among the sea of Ted Cruz signs, caps, and t-shirts, I saw Trump MAGA caps and t-shirts. Numerous people wore t-shirts that read, "God + Guns and Trump." Clearly, the rally attendees were excited about Cruz and Trump working together, keeping Cruz in the Senate to keep Texas red and continue Trump's agenda. Cruz mentioned that he and Trump worked together on Trump's massive tax cut while on Air Force One. These two former passionate opponents working together for the good of their country illustrates the character we should expect in all our politicians but rarely see. Cruz and Trump forgiving each other shows their submission to God's command that Christians forgive and love one another. Evil Democrats seek to spin Cruz's and Trump's biblical behavior of forgiveness into a negative. During his introduction, the rally's emcee praised Cruz for remaining a Texan while in Washington, D.C. while keeping his promise to fight for principles and values Texans and a majority of Americans hold dear. The crowd responded with cheers and applause. Numerous times, we who love freedom and America have worked our butts off to send conservatives to Washington only to be betrayed. Cruz remaining faithful and true to his constituents is another example of his outstanding character. Cruz pounded home the point that this race is about voter turnout. We cannot be complacent. Democrats fueled with hate, rage, and resistance to Trump have out-fundraised Cruz by tens of millions of dollars. Every time Beto O'Rourke announces another extreme left-wing idea he wants to implement, such as separating Texans from their guns, impeaching Trump, or getting rid of ICE, wealthy Hollywood leftists send him big checks. This enables Democrats to flood the airwaves with ads filled with deceptions and lies. Cruz asked the audience to financially support his campaign and get every conservative Texan to vote. During the Q and A after Cruz's speech, an elementary school student asked Ted about the issue of gun violence in our schools. Cruz said he met with students after a school shooting. None of the students thought more gun control is the answer. Their consensus was that disarming good guys does not protect them from bad guys. Have you heard this point of view expressed by students reported in fake news media? No. Cruz shared commonsense solutions he has been pushing for years. Cruz suggested armed officers in schools. He said many teachers are former police officers and military. Why not arm them and other teachers who feel comfortable being armed? Cruz said classrooms should have bulletproof doors. Students were shot and killed while pressing against classroom doors trying to keep out gunmen. He also said schools should have far fewer exits. Cruz reminded the crowd that Beto and his fellow Democrats and leftists are not interested in commonsense solutions to gun violence in our schools. Democrats seek to exploit the issue to repeal our constitutional 2nd Amendment right to bear arms. Hanging out with conservative Texans has been refreshing. They are bold and fearless. They love their state, God, guns, America, barbecue, and freedom. At the Cruz-O'Rourke debate, I met two black female Cruz-supporters. One wore a MAGA cap. I said, "Leftists are physically assaulting people, especially blacks, who wear MAGA attire. Aren't you afraid?" My new black patriot sister, Karen Watson, chuckled and said she is not afraid. Karen said leftists know they had better not attack people wearing MAGA gear here because this is Texas. Lloyd Marcus, The Unhyphenated American

Help Lloyd spread the Truth

http://LloydMarcus.comFrom any high point in Nicosia, the capital and the largest city on the island of Cyprus, one can see a giant flag of Turkey-occupied Northern Cyprus painted on the slopes of Kyrenia Mountains. Beside this flag is another large flag of Turkey and a legendary quote in Turkish made by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. It says "Ne Mutlu Turkum Diyene" which translates to How happy is the one who can say Im a Turk!

Each of these flags is about 450 meters widelarge enough to be seen clearly in satellite images, and impossible to miss from the south side of the divided city. Many Nicosia residents grew up seeing the flag every day of their lives, and as much as they hated it, people eventually became numb to the sight.

The flag of Northern Cyprus as visible from Nicosia. Photo credit: A.Savin/Wikimedia

The Republic of Cyprus, you might recall, is politically and geographically divided since the Turkish invasion of 1974. The northern part of the island was renamed by Turkey as Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprusa status recognized by no other nation, including the Republic of Cyprus itself. They consider the Turkish occupation illegal.

Cypruss strained relationships with Turkey dates all the way back to 1571, since the violent invasion by the Ottoman Empire and the subsequent massacre of the islands many Greek and Armenian inhabitants. For the next three centuries that the Turks ruled over Cyprus, there was widespread poverty among the people. This fueled a strong sense of Greek nationalism among the islands Greek population who viewed the island as historically part of Greece, and there was a longing to unite Cyprus with Greece.

In 1878, after the Turks were defeated by the Russians in the Russo-Turkish War (18771878), the Ottomans handed Cyprus over to the British in exchange for protection against future Russian aggression. However, when the Ottoman Turks joined the German side in the First World War, the British formally annexed Cyprus and made it a part of its Empire.

By then, Cyprus had a healthy population of Turks as well as Greeks, both of which showed a strange loyalty towards their respective countries. The Turkish Cypriots were happy under the British but the Greek Cypriots were still hopeful of what they called enosisthe political union of Cyprus and Greece. The enmity between the two groups were taken full advantage of by the British who adopted their time-tested policy of divide and rule which they successfully used to rule over India. For instance, when the Greek Cypriots rose up in revolt, the British stirred up the Turks to crush the Greek agitation.

In the early 1950s, a guerrilla organization called the Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA), or the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters was born, whose idea was to remove British rule and annex the island with Greece. In alarm, the Turks created their own organization called the Turkish Resistance Organization (TMT), and started waging war on Greek Cypriot rebels.

In 1960, an agreement was reached between Britain, Greece and Turkey, and the Republic of Cyrus was bornan independent nation which was under no foreign power. You might think that it was an amiable decision, but neither the Turkish nor the Greek Cypriots were too happy about it.

In 1974, the EOKA with support from the Greek military junta staged a military coup and overthrew the president. The Turks reacted swiftly by invading the island. More than 150,000 Greek Cypriots were displaced from their homes as Turkish forced occupied the north of the island. The capital Nicosia was divided into Greek and Turkish Cypriot quarters by the so-called Green Line. To this day, Turkey occupies the northern end of the island amounting to about a third of the islands total area.

Sometime in the 1980s, Turkish Cypriots drew a huge map of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus along with the map of Turkey on the southern slopes of Kyrenia Mountains so that its visible from most of Nicosia. On special occasions and national days the flag is lit up by thousand of bulbs at night. Greek Cypriots protest that the flag was made to provoke and taunt them, while Turkish Cypriot maintain its a memorial to the massacre of Turkish men carried out by the Greek Cypriots.

In 2010 the Greek Cypriot side officially complained about the flag to the EU Commission, framing it as an environmental hazard because of toxic paints used to transpose it into the mountain side.

How can it permit the existence of such a flag which, apart from the catastrophic environmental damage it causes, the use of chemical substances and the brutal abuse of the environment, involves an absurd waste of electricity at a time of economic crisis?, Greek Cypriot politician Antigoni Papadopoulou wrote to the European Parliament. Does Turkey show sufficient respect towards the environment to justify its desire to open the relevant chapter of accession negotiations?

The flag of Northern Cyprus visible on Google Maps.

A wall of oil drums mark the Green Line dividing the capital of Nicosia. Photo credit: MatthiasKabel/Wikimedia

A wall of oil drums and sand bags mark the Green Line dividing the capital of Nicosia. Photo credit: Marco Fieber/FlickrIn short: The New York Times launched a lawsuit against the United States Federal Communications Commission, alleging the agency concealed evidence of potential Russian interference with the net neutrality vote, i.e. its process of gauging the public opinion on the thereof. The litigation, initiated last Thursday, consists of five claims, all of which stem from the fact that the FCC repeatedly refused to share details on possible interference when requested to do so under the Freedom of Information Act. The regulator argued it lack the technical capabilities to comply with the request.

Background: The controversial repeal of Title II protections was preceded by a period during which the federal regulator solicited public comments on its Restoring Internet Freedom Act which did away with the 2015 net neutrality rules. Under the terms of FOIA, the NYT asked for records that it claims would have provided more details on any possible interference in the commentary process organized by Russian entities and nationals, whether state-sponsored or not. Many of the comments in support of the repeal posted to the FCCs website were proven as false, having been attributed to people who didnt author them or werent American nationals in the first place, with many others sharing a similar language pattern that suggests they were automatically posted by bots. Some advocates used the revelation as the basis for calling for the repeal to be postponed or abandoned even before the polarizing act went into force this June, albeit to no avail.

Impact: While the newly filed lawsuit will once again cast doubt over the legitimacy of the 24 million comments on the net neutrality repeal the FCC received earlier this year, its unlikely to lead to a reversal of the decision. Capitol Hill is presently debating codifying the rules, albeit in a watered-down state that likely still wouldnt prevent paid prioritization, one of the most concerning practices threatening the neutrality of the World Wide Web, according to numerous activists. The most likely scenario in which the FCC reverses its decision on the matter is one wherein the Democrats win back the White House and regain a majority at the agencys five-person leadership.In short: Google nearly began adjusting search results last year in what would have been a decidedly political move in opposition to the highly controversial travel ban instituted by the Trump administration, based on emails recently reviewed by the WSJ. The correspondence is reported to show Googlers discussing how to implement algorithms that would counter algorithmically biased search results centered around terms such as Islam, Muslim, and Iran or Mexico, Hispanic, and Latino. Whats more, the companys employees discussed ways to highlight facts about immigration via data from the US State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and other information  such as links to help users donate to ACLU. Although several higher-ups at Google are reported to have agreed with the premise, communications with public relations and a statement from the company indicate that it wasnt prepared to politicize its services. While Google executives and Google itself have openly supported various (and often left-leaning) political ideologies in the past, none of the proposed changes were implemented.

Background: Google has been at the center of a raging debate about user privacy, influence, and bias following the 2016 election. Most recently, the controversy has centered around whether or not Google has actively been biased or censored politicians associated with the Republican party or policies. That intolerance has been alleged to extend to the very top, including accusations from President Trump. The President has gone so far as to claim, most notably via Twitter, that Google surfaces a high ratio of anti-Trump material and content deliberately. That partially stems from a video showing Alphabet CEO Sergey Brin commenting on the 2016 election and actively taking part in protests against the immigration ban in question. Fueling that further, the company has actively taken a stance in both its services and in public statements against the spread of misinformation or fake news, although that doesnt seem to be political at all on its surface.

Impact: It doesnt seem likely that Google will take to censoring political agendas or countering them in the near future. However, the discovery that employees were discussing the issue will almost certainly have some implications for ongoing disputes between the company and the US government with regard to alleged bias in its search results. Specifically, the news could exacerbate speculation that Google censors or surfaces content based on political ideology. Conversely, the email exchange also appears to show strong resolve from the company when it comes to bringing politics into its products and services. Many of the changes appear to have centered around providing factual information from official sources alongside unchanged and more typically expected search results, rather than censorship. In spite of that, the company ultimately didnt act on its employees desire to change the algorithms.In short: Googles suspected next-generation Pixelbook tablet, code-named Nocturne, has now had its screen resolution bumped up nearly to 4K in a recently spotted change to the Chromium Gerrit. More directly, the change pushes the resolution to 3,000 x 2,000 at a 3:2 display ratio. The development also removes the possibility that this Chrome OS device will support SD card storage expansion, with a flag for SD card support now being set to false.

Background: Nocturne is currently one of two Google-built Pixel-branded Chromebooks expected to be revealed on October 9 at the companys annual hardware event. The other suspected device, codenamed Atlas, is expected to be a more traditional clamshell design with a 360-degree hinge while Nocturne is expected to be a dedicated tablet. Atlas wont support an SD card either but has a 3,840 x 2,160 panel, according to the commits, which would make it a 4K device set at a ratio of 16:9. So this change does create an additional distinction between those two devices in terms of aspect ratio while bringing the two devices closer together in terms of display resolution. In both cases, the changes build on the current iteration of the Pixelbook and its 2,400 x 1,600 resolution.

The change also puts Nocturne a step ahead of the current incoming wave of premium-level Chromebooks that have been revealed and will likely continue to be revealed going forward. Googles own Chrome OS hardware has historically been comparatively pricey and with other Chromebooks catching up in specs, the new resolution may represent just one way the search giant can maintain a leadership position in the market. In the meantime, the Nocturne Pixel device is also expected to have a display thats much brighter than the standard Chromebook  at previously listed as being suitable for a 90 to 250 lux environment at just 47.62-percent. Thats the average lighting in a very well-lit room and could be just one more way Nocturne sets itself apart since the tablet should perform exceptionally in outdoor environments on even the brightest day.

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Impact: Bearing in mind that any of the speculations about these devices could turn out to be incorrect, if any of it is true then the expectations will certainly help Googles Chrome OS solutions continue to serve as a guideline for other OEMs, especially those interested in making premium products. At the end of the day, one of the main points of Pixel-branded hardware is to act as an example of the best available experience, whether in the form of an Android device or Chrome OS build.In short: Huawei has no plans to spin off its mobile subsidiary Honor into a separate business, the Chinese company confirmed several days back, dispelling recent rumors suggesting an opposite course of action. Over the course of this summer, media in the Far Eastern country has been reporting about a split between the two brands as a realistic possibility due to the immense promise the Honor brand is currently showing, with the subsidiary now even surpassing Xiaomi, the fourth-largest phone vendor in China, in terms of device shipments. Honor President Zhao Ming now explicitly dismissed that notion, asserting the two brands will remain inseparable moving forward.

Background: The new rhetoric from Honor and its parent suggests their previous differentiation strategy may have worked too well. Since establishing the sub-brand in 2013, Huawei wanted Honor to operate as a largely independent entity in terms of branding and product strategy, though without a dedicated R&D unit, meaning it was still reliant on the technology created by its parent. Late last year, Honor described its strategy as that of a B brand, stating its more focused on online sales than Huawei and is also targeting a younger audience with its devices, as evident by their aggressive pricing. Over the last several years, Honor said its next goal was to become a top-five phone vendor in the world, with its recent results suggesting it may hit that milestone in the medium term.

Impact: Honors 2018 commercial performance appears to have surpassed even Huaweis most ambitious expectations, prompting the Chinese tech giant to tone down its efforts to differentiate the two brands as it still has no plans to separate them, or at the very least may not have considered that option as viable until recently. Regardless of its corporate structure, Honor is expected to stick with what it knows moving forward  delivering aggressively priced Android smartphones targeting younger demographics.In short: Huawei and its subsidiary HiSilicon have what appear to be highly unrealistic expectations for the new Kirin 980 chip; during a press brief in Dubai, the Chinese manufacturer told reporters it expects the recently announced module to outperform the A12 Bionic, Apples latest silicon powering the newly released iPhones. The companys representatives did not elaborate on the matter, having only suggested the upcoming Mate 20  the first handset lineup powered by the new system-on-chip  will mark the start of another, massively improved smartphone generation. AndroidHeadlines reached out to Huawei for clarification on the backing behind those ambitious claims but has yet to hear back.

Background: Announced at this years IFA trade show in Berlin, the Kirin 980 debuted as the worlds first chip manufactured on a 7nm process node, as well as the most powerful such silicon on the planet. Apples A12 Bionic still beat it to the market as the new iPhones are already available for purchase as of last week and have set record-high benchmark results, much like virtually every previous generation of the Cupertino-based tech giants chips. The initial synthetic benchmark scores of select HiSilicon chips were also the subject of some controversy earlier this summer after it came to light that both Huawei and Honor manipulated such testing tools. The claim that the Kirin 980 rivals or even outperforms the A12 Bionic may be based on the fact that both contain approximately 6.9 billion transistors, though Apple historically delivered much more optimized chips, which seems to be the case this year as well. HiSilicons offering may have a shout in the artificial intelligence department given how it features two neural processing units dedicated to on-device AI computing, twice as much as the Kirin 970 had.

Impact: Huaweis claim that the Kirin 980 will outpace the A12 Bionic is likely marketing talk referring to some highly specific use case(s) as the performance gap between Apples chips and those used by Android device manufacturers is still sizeable given how the former has the luxury of only having to optimize its silicon for a small number of handsets every year. Huawei may elaborate on the matter on October 16 when the Mate 20 series powered by the newly introduced silicon is scheduled to be officially announced.In short: Samsung is working on a new lineup of truly wireless in-ear headphones set to be advertised as the Samsung Buds, as suggested by a new trademark filing reviewed by AndroidHeadlines. Its presently unclear whether the series is planned to replace the companys Gear IconX family or co-exist with it but the timing of the firms IP application suggests the Samsung Buds may be announced as early as the first quarter of 2019.

Background: Samsung already rebranded one of its wearable lines earlier this summer by debuting the Galaxy Watch whose launch essentially retired the Gear S brand. That move indicates another rebranding may be a possibility, especially as both the Galaxy Watch and Samsung Buds monikers appear to achieve the same thing  allow the company to do a better job at communicating what kind of products are behind those names, whereas the Gear S3 and Gear IconX tags are less straightforward to understand for the average consumer. The last addition to the Gear IconX family launched over a year ago in the form of the Gear IconX (2018)  pictured above  and the South Korean firm has yet to mention a potential successor to that lineup. The previous device was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews from both tech critics and consumers, with its biggest shortcoming being a relatively high price tag.

Impact: With the holiday season now fast-approaching and Samsung failing to announce new wireless earbuds at IFA, its next major opportunity to do so will be the next edition of Las Vegas-based CES in January. Provided the Samsung Buds truly end up being a direct follow-up on the Gear IconX (2018), the device is likely to feature a price tag of approximately $200, as was the case with its predecessor. Built-in Bixby 2.0 support appears to be a given for any new wearable made by Samsung, much like high-capacity local storage, Bluetooth 5.0, and advanced fitness tracking capabilities.In short: After many years of resisting Android Auto and Google, Toyota has announced that it will begin adding Android Auto to its vehicles. The Japanese car maker did not mention when Android Auto would be available, or which model years would get it. All we know is that Toyota is finally going to add Android Auto, which is still a pretty big deal. Toyota has had Apple CarPlay available on its vehicles for a little over a year, but that was after Apple beat the resisting side of Toyota.

Background: Toyota had resisted adding Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to its vehicles because it felt like they were handing the keys over to those companies. And the reason why that was a big deal to Toyota was because both companies were working on self-driving cars, and Toyota saw them as competitors. Now both are still working on self-driving cars  though Google is working more on the software side, and using existing vehicles for the hardware. Toyota likely is making sure that Google can only gather certain information from Android Auto, on its vehicles, as that was Toyotas biggest issue with not allowing Android Auto in the first place.

Impact: This means that those that own a Toyota vehicle will be able to use Android Auto in the near future. Instead of just mounting their phone to use Android Auto on their phone, theyll be able to plug it in and use the screen that is built into the car for Android Auto, which does provide a much better experience than just using your smartphone  because the vehicles typically have a larger display. Hopefully Toyota will soon announce which vehicles will be getting Android Auto support, but it will likely include the Corolla which is one of the companys best-selling vehicles (also one of the best-selling vehicles in the US, across all automakers).Editor-in-chiefManuel Valls has always played hardball, at everything, and this time will be no different. While he has never lacked the attributes of determination and ambition, in the last few years he has become possessed by them to the point of ruining his political career in France and guiding him to Barcelona.

In the last six years Manuel Valls has gone from being everything in French politics to losing everything. Mayor of Evry, member of parliament, Minister of the Interior and Prime Minister under Hollande, when a state of emergency was declared following the jihadist attacks in November 2017. Valls has extraordinary political experience, is an accomplished speaker, and he vehemently argued positions that began in the vicinity of Michel Rocard's non-dogmatic socialist left and have ended up in no-man's land. He even flirted with what the French call LePen-ization of the spirit. That is, bringing the extreme right's issues and outlook on immigration and security into mainstream discourse.

Loves a fight

Politics has always given meaning to his life and Valls loves a fight. In battle he becomes brave, sharpens his teeth, tenses his jaw, and focuses his gaze. Valls is convinced that he is always right and, moreover, that the world owes him recognition for his brilliant and permanent public contribution.

A victim of his temperament, Manuel Valls, the political son of Rocard, got lost definitively at Matignon, the residence of the prime minister, in the blind fight to occupy Hollande's place in the Elysee Palace and was rattled by the presence of Emmanuel Macron, a banker whom he despised and who dared to challenge him in the succession race. Valls called him "le microbe" and "le macaron" and when he was wearing a beard, le jihadiste", as Gaspar Gantzer explains in Politics is a combat sport.

In December 2016 Valls announced he was stepping down to run for president of France, but lost the primary to the left wing of the socialist party. In a gesture that would prove costly, and would turn him in the eyes of French public opinion into an opportunist par excellence, a man without word or loyalty, and a political pariah, he publicly supported Emmanuel Macron once he had lost to Benoit Hamon in the party primary. The gesture was not appreciated by Macron and today Valls is a low-level LRM (La Republique en Marche) MP in the National Assembly, after giving up on the idea of creating an independent group. He is a phantom representative who shows up for only one third of the sessions.

But Valls is always reborn and re-enters the arena. Cold and calculating and with a strong personality, in an interview in Le Monde published a year ago he defined himself as "hermetic" and added: "It's not that I'm a superman. I have learned to sit out these difficult periods. These are moments when you need to be an observer of what is happening. If you experience it as a personal thing, it becomes hell." And after a silence he concluded: "I carry incredible strength within me."

Since in France he is politically alone and it is not a solitude respected for its coherence but an isolation expressed in the crudest way in the political and social framework Valls turned his gaze towards the city where he was born and thanks to which he has a public focus again and can be in the limelight. When he became a French national at age 18 he swore "to give everything for France" and now he will swear by Spain and Barcelona, hand in hand with Ciudadanos and the PP.

The presence of Manuel Valls changes the municipal scenario. He is an intelligent, frightening opponent, but ERC's response will not make things easy for him. The decision by Ernest Maragall [to head the ERC slate], at a time when even Jordi Pujols followers praise the work his brother Pasqual Maragall did as mayor, is important for ERC and a clear gesture that a joint [pro-independence] list is not an option given the state of relations with their partners. It remains to be seen now who the PDECat candidate will be, as neither Neus Munte nor Ferran Mascarell seem to be Carles Puigdemont's choice; equally unknown is the role to be played by another outsider, Jordi Graupera.

Infatuation

The presence of Valls, who has never lived in Barcelona, is inspired and financed by the intensely partisan bourgeoisie who support the unity of Spain, and who are infatuated by the savior come from afar. They receive him in their halls and also in Minorca, where the candidate arrives in his high-end convertible, and they prepare meetings for him in hotel rooms hosted by [unionist group] Societat Civil Catalana (Catalan Civil Society). It is a bourgeoisie with a provincial mentality, unable to understand what Catalonias sovereignty movement is about.

The electoral race for Barcelona city is getting interesting just when the city needs it most. Barcelona has lost its aura and needs medium and long-term policies to bring back its internal energy, creativity, and innovation, to manage the consequences of tourism, and to make it inhabitable and clean. And for local residents to afford the rent of their flat.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 []The event provided an opportunity to introduce Oman Air to the Russian market as well as showcase the unique hospitality and culture of Oman.

Over 200 highly regarded tour operators attended the event, with delegates from Oman Air. In addition to Oman Air, Oman Ministry of Tourism was joined by key hotel partners including Anantara, Kempinski, Shangri-La, and Crowne Plaza Muscat.

The new daily service to Moscow Domodedovo Airport will be operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with an estimated flight time of 5 hours and 55 minutes, offering 12 seats in Business Class and 150 in Economy. Flight WY181 will depart Muscat daily at 14.55, arriving to Moscow at 19.55 local time. And the return flight WY182 will depart Moscow at 00.20, arriving into the award-winning new passenger terminal at Muscat International Airport, at 06.55.The visit provided Al Baker and visiting guests the opportunity to view Boeings 777X, the manufacturers latest-generation aircraft for which Qatar Airways is a global launch customer.

Building on the passenger-preferred and market-leading 777, the Boeing 777X is the largest and most efficient twin-engine jet in the world, incorporating 787 Dreamliner technologies and new advances to redefine the total passenger experience featuring a wider cabin, larger windows and enhanced architecture.

Al Baker, said: Our relationship with Boeing is testament to the fact that Qatar Airways is continuing to grow at a record pace. We are tremendously proud of our relationship with Boeing, and our visit is further evidence of our commitment to expanding our fleet to include the most technologically-advanced and efficient aircraft on the market. We are especially pleased to have had this opportunity to view the Boeing 777X, and are very proud to be a global launch customer for this product.

McAllister, said: Boeing is proud of its long-standing relationship with Qatar Airways and the confidence that the airline has consistently shown in our aircraft. We are honoured to host Qatar Airways at the Everett factory and to have the opportunity to share an up-close look at the 777X, which will be the largest and most efficient twin-engine jet in the world when it enters revenue service in 2020.

On Tuesday, Qatar Airways also took delivery of two Boeing 777 Freighters.9 CEOs Share The Most Impactful Book They've Ever Read

Nine CEOs Share the Most Influential Books They've Ever Read

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

You can't dispute it  especially since science confirms it: reading makes you smarter. Whether you get lost in historical fiction or prefer business books that challenge you to evolve your tactical skills and people management, carving out time in your schedule to flip through a book will not only make you happier, but healthier, too. Not to mention, many books have the power to leave us with a lasting impact that can influence our future thoughts and actions in meaningful ways. This is why many of the worlds top executives stay on top of the latest and greatest reads beyond headlines. To get an edge up in their industries, insight into different perspectives and a source for creative inspiration.

To kick off your spring reading list with a bang we checked in with nine top CEOs to see what books they feel have had the greatest impact on their careers and lives overall. Whether you're a bookworm looking for a new read to devour, or you're looking to get back into the literary game, after a far-too-long post-grad hiatus, these reads are sure to impress.

Venkat Krishnamurthy, President and Co-founder of Alignable.com

The Stars, Like Dust, by Isaac Asimov

When president and co-founder of Alignable.com, Venkat Krishnamurthy first read this book, he was 11 years old. Even so, it has remained one of the most significant page-turners of his life. As a big fan of the author, he had already read many of his books, and though he now admits it wasnt the best novel, it gave him a new perspective of America.

It ended with the revelation that the Declaration of Independence is the most potent weapon against the then forces of repression and tyranny. Yes, that's super duper corny, but you have to realize I was growing up in Delhi, and knew almost nothing about American history and nothing at all about the Declaration of Independence. Zero, he explained. Since this was the 80s in pre-capitalist India, without internet, he made a few trips to the library, eager to learn more. Imagine being 11 and discovering the Declaration of Independence and its history by yourself for the first time. And yes, its probably the reason I immigrated to the U.S. it was a foregone conclusion after that, he adds.

$11.10 at Amazon.com

Zouhair Belkoura, CEO of Keepsafe

Fooled by Randomness, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

When the CEO of Keepsafe, Zouhair Belkoura discovered this book, something in his approach to life and his career shifted. And not just through switching gigs or asking for a different type of job. Ultimately, it made him realize and identify the consumer need for digital privacy, and he thought maybe, he could make a difference in this underserved market.

It taught me to look at lifes opportunities and activities with a mindset of power-laws and probabilities, he adds.

$22.69 at Amazon.com

Yali Saar, Founder of Tailor Brands

Brandwashed, by Martin Lindstrom

While this one is his top pick, founder of Tailor Brands, Yali Saar actually recommends another book from this author: Buyology. Yali explains since Danish author Lindstrom is a former marketer, he gives an insider perspective into what this field is getting it right, and more pointedly, wrong. He writes about the unseen marketing decisions big brands make and how they affect our psyche, hence the title of the book.

Lindstrom gives us the corporate aspect. These two books are the kind that not only helps you understand marketing better but allows you to be a better and more educated consumer, he explains.

$19.12 at Amazon.com

Beau Hodson, CEO of Transparent Mortgage

The Path of No Resistance, by Garrett Kramer

Beau Hodson, the CEO of Transparent Mortgage has all-of-the-vibes about this page-turner. He says it opened his eyes to illuminate a beautiful truth. What reality was that? The importance of listening, acknowledging and accepting our feelings as an instrumental part of our life.

My feelings, especially related to my business, are not predicated on external circumstance, regardless of how much it looks that way. But rather, my feelings are directly related to what is inside, i.e. my perception and the personal thinking I have in the moment, he explained. In future transactions  whether personal or professional  he was able to dabble back to this mindset and make smarter, healthier choices.

$16.82 at Amazon.com

Dimitri Haloulos, CEO of BevMo!

Gate of Fire, by Steven Pressfield

If you want to know what true leadership looks like, take a read off of the CEO of BevMo!, Dimitri Haloulos bookshelf. He explained more than anything else, guiding others through their trajectories requires setting an example, a skill this book highlighted effectively. Is it an advice book? Nope, but rather, a historical fiction book featuring the Battle of Thermopylae, and was recommended to Haloulos when he was in basic officer training. He now reads it once a year to continue to dedicate himself to the responsibility he has a leader to be there for his team, train them and work through adversity together.

$22.60 at Amazon.com

RELATED: Better Man Podcasts

Jim Silver, CEO of TTPM

One Minute Manager, by Kenneth H. Blanchard

Listen to your elementary school teacher and dont judge this book by its cover  or its title. Of course, being someones boss takes more than a minute of your time, but CEO of TTPM, Jim Silver explains this read is all about how to work with, praise and reprimand employees, and also iterates how important employees are to a company. It resonated with him and he believes it is essential for management at any level. As a bonus, its a quick, easy read, or as Silver puts it, the Twitter of management.

"The book also helped me create a work environment that people like and are extremely productive, he explained. It's also not a coincidence that over the last five years our turnover rate is less than two percent and the book has been a big help with insight how to be a good manager.

$22.99 at Amazon.com

Daniel Clark, CEO of Brain.Fm

Good to Great, by Jim Collins

Whether youre taking the entrepreneur route and branching out on your own to take a risk and launch a company, or given the opportunity to lead a group of people, its important to consider your intentions. And what leads you through various decisions, as they impact other people. For the CEO of Brain.Fm, Daniel Clark, this business book's practical advice helped him remember the significance of starting with who and not where.

In the book, the author illustrates how great organizations need to focus on finding the right people first over anything else. As my team grows, I remember that a culture fit is more important than a resume, he added.

$16.59 at Amazon.com

Tony Breeden, Co-founder & CEO of BetterByGiving and OleSmoky

A Course in Miracles, by Dr. Helen Schucman

Tony Breeden, the co-founder and CEO of BetterByGiving and OleSmoky shares that like most entrepreneurs, he tends to overthink situations, and oftentimes feels that someone or something is blocking opportunities. But with this book, he was able to learn how to switch to an attitude toward manifestation.

If I am not seeing the opportunity return, then it is due to my being stuck in a space of blame and negativity which is blocking its path, he continues. Once I truly let go, the opportunity inevitably reintroduces itself in a new way. This book is not so much an instruction manual as it is a reminder and reinforcement of what I have always known to be true.

$24.06 at Amazon.com

Mike Lackman, CEO of Trade Coffee

The Outsiders, by Will Thorndike

Sometimes the way a book reads makes a big difference on how likely you are to, well, finish it. For the CEO of Trade Coffee, Mike Lackman, the flip-ability of coherent and simple language, paired with indisputable math earned this read a prime spot on his go-to library.

Whether you're running a newspaper or building submarines, your job as a CEO is to identify the parts of a business that create the most value, and find a way to put money behind those teams, he explained. Knowing the lay of the land well enough to recognize what a great bet looks like, and betting big when that opportunity comes along: Thorndike identifies this common thread among extraordinarily effective CEOs in a compelling and helpful narrative. Anyone who is internally motivated to build effective teams needs this at their bedside."

$21.33 at Amazon.com

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AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use.Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.The case focused on a contract between Hamersley and Forge with Forge charging its rights to a secured creditor (ANZ).

When Forge went into administration and then liquidation, both Forge and Hamersley had large claims against each other. Hamersley argued that as its claim was larger, it could set off its claims against those of Forge.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2017 against this argument and said that the mutuality of section 553C of the Corporations Act was destroyed when Forges rights were changed in favour of ANZ.

That meant that Hamersley could only make its $200m claim against (the insolvent) Forge while ANZ could pursue a claim against Hamersley through the receivers.

However, the Court of Appeal of Western Australia was unanimous in its decision that section 553C applied and allowed Hamersley's claims to be set off against Forge's claims.

(By bleakstar/Shutterstock.com) (By bleakstar/Shutterstock.com)

A new visa for start-up entrepreneurs seeking to establish a business in South Australia has been launched as part of a new pilot programme.The $400,000 programme aims to boost business growth in the state and investment, as well as increasing job opportunities by attracting entrepreneurs from around the world.This visa will be different from the existing entrepreneurial and business and innovation visas as it will not require any mandatory funding outlay and an applicant only needs to demonstrate vocational English language proficiency.It means that foreign entrepreneurs and investors with an innovative idea and a supporting business plan will be able to apply for a temporary visa to establish their venture in Australia.Their business proposals will be examined by the State or Federal Government and those successfully establishing their business venture in the state will become eligible to apply for permanent residence.The South Australia pilot will run over four years and 30 places allocated in the first year with the number of visas increasing every year from then on.'The new visa will drive entrepreneurialism and innovation in our state, with the future potential to employ South Australians,' said David Ridgway, South Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.The State is also keen to attract more international students. Some years ago South Australia attracted less than 5% of overseas students arriving in Australia. The latest figures show that there were nearly 36,000 international student enrolments in South Australian institutions in 2017, compared to 11,100 enrolments in 2002.Ridgway said that to support growth a new international education strategy for South Australia will be developed that outlines specific measures to increase the state's international student enrolments.'We are committed to growing the international education sector so that we can increase international student enrolments, because we know the huge benefits this brings to our State,' he explained.He added that there will be an increase to $2.5 million in annual funding to StudyAdelaide, to market the city as a centre of education excellence, to entice more international students to live and study in the State.In a release from the Florida Highway Patrol obtained by Tampa Bay Times , the suspect is identified as Dana Byrd, 30. Andoni was driving on I-275 near St. Petersburg when he noticed a car had rotated and stopped in the median.Thinking he could be of some assistance to the driver, he pulled over (he was driving a 2015 Hyundai ) and went over to help. He managed to get the other car started and the man was soon on his way. According to the police, the entire encounter was captured by Andonis dash camera  as was everything else that happened next.As he was walking back to his own car, another came and hit him. Byrd was driving a 1996 Ford F-150 , and he too pulled over, to check on his victim, Andoni. When he realized the young man had died, Byrd left him lying there, took his car and drove off.He then took the Hyundai to a nearby garage, Engineer Sales, where he abandoned it, and went back home.Andonis father located the Hyundai through GPS tracking and, seeing that his son was missing, alerted the police. His body was discovered some hours later, along with Byrds original vehicle, abandoned near the body.When police finally tracked Byrd, he was at home, seemingly without a care in the world. He was arrested and charged with grand theft auto and leaving the scene of a crash involving death. He is now in police custody, with bail set at $100,000.Records leaked to the press show that he has a history of violent offenses, including domestic battery. Hes also been arrested for child neglect, DUI, retail theft and violation of probation  in total, hes been arrested 16 times since 2005.How manny of you knew until this very moment that theres such a thing as a record to beat for the farthest arrow fired and caught in a moving car? Well, there is, and it was set and recognized by Guinness at the beginning of September.At that time, Olympic archer Laurence Baldauff fired an arrow at the Zeltweg air base in Austria, but not before martial artist Markus Haas took off down the runway while sticking out of the sunroof of a Skoda Octavia Combi vRS 245.At exactly 57.5 meters (188 feet) away from the starting/firing line, the man met the arrow while traveling at speeds of 134 mph (216 mph). Thus, a new record was made.The timing of Haas and his driver had to be near perfect, as 70 meters away from where Baldauff fired the arrow stood a wooden target meant to stop the projectile. That gave the martial artist only so many meters and a window of only 0.5 seconds to catch the 68-centimeter long arrow.As per Skoda, the entire stunt was nothing more than a homage to the carmakers logo, which is, you guessed, a winged arrow. Setting it up took no less than four months to prepare, says Skoda.The Czech carmaker is not the only brand of the Volkswagen group pitting human or animal athletes against its cars. In January, a SEAT Leon Cupra went against Olympic javelin champion Barbora Spotakova in a best-of-three system that was just barely won by the four-wheeled machine.Fast forward to June, the same car was unleashed on an obstacle course at Barcelonas Royal Polo Club against a horse named Calgary In the video below you can watch the incredible Skoda meets arrow stunt.Fortunately, this isn't a street race, with the go-fast machines having been brought together by the pedal-happy folks over at Motorsport Magazine, who took the beasts outside public roads.The Woking animal and the Zuffenhausen toy engaged in a race that was long enough to allow them to properly stretch their legs. To be more precise, this was a standing kilometer race.And with the piece of footage documenting the crash also including the maximum velocity numbers of the two, you'll be able to get a clear take on the matter.We have to keep in mind that the British missile dominates its German rival on multiple fronts, since it's more powerful and lighter. And this is a good opportunity to remind you that independent dyno tests have proven that the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 of the 720S actually delivers north of 750 horses, while the Rennsport Neunelfer packs 700 ponies.Both beasts packs dual-clutch transmissions, while sending the power to the rear wheels, so you should pay attention to the starting phase of the race (check out the clip and you'll understand).Then there's the aerodynamic front. The Macca is more slippery than the Porscha, packing active aero. Then again, the 911 GT2 RS is a track special, which means it comes with one hell of a fixed wing.As for the aural side of the brawl, none of the two has a particularly special voice, so judging the decibel fight can prove quite a challenge - keep in mind that the rear-engined toy was used as the camera car for the brawl we have here.Some of the countries in the EU add points to someones driving license, while others subtract them from a set number awarded when the license is issued. Both systems have a typical result if a driver is uncivilized  the right to drive is suspended until the penalty is paid off, and until other sanctions are lifted.This story is not about how Europeans get their license back after it gets taken away for too many offenses. Instead, it is a comparison between multiple countries in Europe and how they treat people that exceed the speed limit by a reasonable margin.Before we get into that, we will divert your focus on an original ticketing system, which is based on something called Day Fine. This is a just solution that makes it tough for rich people to ignore traffic laws because they could easily afford to pay the penalty.Before we get into details, we feel that it would be best if we described the concept. Instead of getting a fixed punishment for a particular driving mistake, like not using your indicators, some countries have legislation that takes a percentage of the persons monthly income as a measurement unit for disposable income, which is then multiplied by a fixed coefficient depending on the severity of the crime.Imagine you earn a fixed sallary each month. In the case of, the fine is calculated after removing social security payments, taxes, and a basic living allowance of 255 per month from the total salary.The remaining sum is split into 60, and the resulting amount is considered a day fine, which cannot amount to less than six euros and is multiplied by the severity of the offense. Having a person in your care deducts 3 per day, per person, from the daily fine.There is a minimum fine in Finland for each offense, and police officers also consider the severity of the action when delivering a financial penalty, which can lead to "expensive situations" if someone does something irresponsible. The Day Fines only apply to some offenses, while others are taxed under a standard system.The best example for Finland is exceeding the speed limit. If you go 20 km/h over the posted limit, you get a regular fine. Once the speed trap gets a vehicle at a velocity that exceeds the maximum allowed on the segment by 21 km/h, the Day Fine system is applied.This leads to terrible differences for just 1 km/h (0,62 miles), but most people forget to consider that we are talking about the difference between 20 (12.4 miles) and 21 km/h (13 miles) on top of the speed limit. It might seem unfair, but it brings revenue to the government, keeps speeders in check, and the roads safer.Finland is not the only country that does this, so keep that in mind before pressing the gas too much while you are on vacation . We did not use a higher speeding offense because of this system that is applied in Finland, which would turn things into a massive equation.To keep everything manageable, we are going to talk about fines regarding the speed limit in the biggest countries in Europe. From there, we are separating the countries with lax fines from those with extreme penalties. The offense we are focusing in this article is going 20 km/h over the listed speed limit.andare among the countries that have relatively small fines for drivers that exceed the posted speed limit by 20 km/h. In the case of Greece, the penalty is close to 50 euros no matter where it happens.Drivers pay a flat rate for exceeding the limit with 20 km/h in German motorways or country roads, but they pay slightly more when it happens in the city.Those that drive in Austria will get a fine of 50 euros if they exceed the speed limit on country roads by 20 km/h, a smaller fine if it happens on the motorway, and an even smaller one if it goes on in the city. Countries like, andalso have legislation that keeps the sentence for this action at around 50 euros., and theare on the list of countries that have what we would call moderate financial penalties for drivers caught over the posted limit by 20 km/h, but nothing more. We used the term moderate because that is the European average when fines for this mistake are concerned.In the United Kingdom, the penalty is consistent no matter if it happens in the city or the motorway, and it is just under 100 euros. Ireland has a smaller penalty, but not close enough to enter the small category.In The Netherlands, the amount of the speeding penalty varies if it happened in the city, country road, or on the motorway, and they range from just over 100 euros to 150 euros.Belgium is stricter than its counterparts from this category, as its standard fines for this action range at about 150 euros no matter where the offense took place. Finland is surprisingly lax, with a fine of 130 euros, without separating city or motorway offenders.France comes just between Finland and Belgium, but its worst offenders can also get a jail sentence. Meanwhile, Spain is placed between Ireland and Finland from this point of view. Italy sits just below strict Belgium when considering the penalty, with a cap of 150 euros for speeding at 20 km/h above the limit.Driving at 20 km/h over the limit incan become extremely expensive, especially in the city, where this will land a 400 euro ticket . Doing the same on the motorway is slightly cheaper, at about 325 euros, while country roads have the smallest punishment for this offense, which is set at 200 euros.has similar legislation, with a 300 euro fine for driving 20 km/h over the limit in the city. Doing the same on country roads or the motorway lands a 200 euro fine.also punishes town speeders with higher amounts, which can reach about 330 for the same speed offense. Driving faster on Swiss country roads will land a 200 euro fine, while doing the same on motorways only costs 150 euros. How affordable, right?The time has come to tell you which is the country where you should never drive faster than the speed limit. Well, do not go 20 km/h over the limit in Norway, or you will get a 500 euro fine if it happened in the city. The offenses that take place on motorways and country roads are situated under 450 euros, but slot at about 430 euros.By the way, driving significantly above the limit in, and(conditionally) will land you a jail sentence. These tend to start at about 36 km/h over the limit, but some countries allow even more before locking up a driver. Do not be that person, drive safe.Shaunisha Danielle Brown was arrested for aggravated assault after she stabbed 2 female passengers she was supposed to be taking home to Grovetown last week. According to police records obtained by the Augusta Chronicle , the driver stabbed the 2 women after one of them got sick and vomited in the car.Thats the story Brown told the police and thats the story shes sticking with. Apparently, the women were drunk and causing mayhem in the car, but Brown had enough when one of them puked inside the vehicle. She pulled over and asked them to get out, which is when the altercation started.Brown ended it by pulling out an X-Acto knife, with which she stabbed the women numerous times, including in the chest, arms and neck. She did not touch the man who had been riding with the 2 supposedly drunk women and who was sitting in the passenger seat.As it turns out, he has a different version of the events. He tells WRDW-TV that Brown became angry when one of the women scolded her for making several wrong turns and eventually getting lost. She pulled over the car and started yelling at them to get out, to which the woman demanded that she be taken home, since she had paid for the ride.Brown took out the small knife and went in on the attack, the man says. Neither of the 2 female victims had aggravated the driver in any way, and he makes no mention of them being drunk  just confused and upset that their driver didnt know which way to go.In a statement to the Augusta Chronicle, Uber says its working with the police on the ongoing investigation. What the police reported is appalling and not tolerated on the Uber app, the company says. This driver no longer has access to the app and we will work with law enforcement to assist with their investigation.Image:MIT

Pilot, mechanic and air traffic controller may be the most high-profile jobs in aviation, but career tracks in engineering and management are also crucial to aviations future. This week, Boeing and the National Science Foundation announced a $21 million investment to accelerate training and diversity in those critical areas. The initiatives will help develop more technical workers and provide research opportunities for women and veterans seeking to join or return to the STEM workforce, saidHeidi Capozzi, a Boeing executive in human resources.

NSF will partner with educational institutions to develop online training in critical skill areas for students and Boeing employees, covering topics such as model-based engineering, systems engineering, mechatronics, robotics, data science and sensor analytics, program management and artificial intelligence. The first project is expected to launch next year. Boeing is donating $10 million to the NSF to develop the programs, and the NSF will donate $10 million in scholarship funding. Boeing also will give$1 millionto an NSF initiative to increase the number of women and veterans in STEM fields.Scattered among accident reports is the occasional hand prop attempt that goes wrong but not many concern high-performance aircraft. The accompanying video illustrates that it is indeed possible to spark up a Cirrus SR22s IO-550 from the front but it needs to be done with an abundance of forethought and caution. Its not clear who shot the video but it was posted by What You Havent Seen.

The NTSB, which is not investigating the incident itself, confirms the unfortunate chain of events occurred on Sept. 8 at Mason City Municipal Airport in Iowa. The plane, a 2005 model, is registered to a crop insurance company in Iowa. It would appear the power was set too high and the aircraft wasnt chocked or otherwise restrained. Also, the prop blast closed the pilot side door, delaying the pilots possibly ill-advised attempt to kill the engine and regain control of the aircraft. After running about 100 yards across a taxiway, with the pilot hanging off the left wing for much of the way, the aircraft crashed into the corner of an open hangar and was heavily damaged. There were no reports of injuries.With her Conservative Party's annual conference looming later this month, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May went to Salzburg this week seeking buy-in from Europe's leaders for her highly controversial Chequers plan. What she got instead was humiliation and disaster.

What's happening: The Chequers plan was always unacceptable to Brexiteers in May's Cabinet: Both her Brexit secretary and her foreign secretary resigned rather than sign on to it. As such, it was always going to be hard to get it through the U.K. Parliament. Now, Europe's leaders have made it abundantly clear that the plan is even less acceptable to the EU.

May took office in 2016 with a single mandate: to deliver a workable Brexit. The message of Salzburg is that she's incapable of delivering on that mandate.

Be smart: The U.K.'s ties to Europe, especially along the Irish border, are far too complex and interconnected to easily disentangle. A successfully negotiated Brexit was always less likely than one of the corner solutions.

A "no deal" hard Brexit would be bad for Europe and disastrous for the U.K., despite May's continued assertions that it would be preferable to a "bad deal."

would be bad for Europe and disastrous for the U.K., despite May's continued assertions that it would be preferable to a "bad deal." A "remain" deal , where the U.K. changes its mind, is still on the table, at least as far as the EU's leaders are concerned. The problem is that May has consistently ruled out a second referendum.

, where the U.K. changes its mind, is still on the table, at least as far as the EU's leaders are concerned. The problem is that May has consistently ruled out a second referendum. The Europeans are past masters at kicking the can down the road, but it's increasingly hard to see how they'll be able to kick this one any further than the March 2019 Brexit deadline.

May's political career has already lasted longer than anybody thought it would, largely thanks to the absence of a credible alternative prime minister. But May has now lost all credibility herself.

The bottom line: We are very close to the worst-case scenario for Brexit negotiations where positions become entrenched, goodwill evaporates and brinkmanship leads inexorably to disaster.

The chances of Britain and the U.K. successfully "muddling through" beyond March 2019 have never been lower.

Go deeper: May's way or the highway for Brexit.Chief executives are still optimistic about the economy, but uncertainty (and in some cases, negative effects) from the trade war are weighing on sentiment, according to the Business Roundtable's most recent economic outlook survey of 141 CEOs.

Why it matters: More than half of the CEOs surveyed said the tariffs and uncertainty about the Trump administration's coming trade actions would negatively impact capital investment decisions. Last month, hundreds of companies warned the administration about the potentially damaging effects of the most recent round of tariffs against China.

Survey details:Addressing climate change isnt just about moving to cleaner forms of energy anymore. Its about literally taking out some of the heat-trapping gases already in our skies.

Why it matters: There is so much buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, scientists say weve reached a point that some needs to be removed to limit Earths temperature rise and avoid the worst impacts of a warmer world. Technology exists to do it, but its costly, zany-sounding and not well known. That's starting to change now.

The big story is you cant get there simply by lowering carbon emissions. I think that window has closed. Thats a pretty revolutionary concept.

 Andrew Steer, World Resources Institute President

Driving the news: A seminal report to be released Oct. 8 by a United Nations scientific body is expected to underscore the need for transformative technologies in order to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius relative to more than a century ago.

The report is expected to include an emphasis on removing carbon dioxide already emitted into the atmosphere, according to multiple people familiar with it. The National Academy of Sciences is also set to release influential reports in this area in the weeks after.

Momentum among foundations, universities and other experts in this space is growing rather suddenly. Thats notable, given that its addressing what is a centuries-long problem.

Among the stakeholders ramping up work in the past several months:

Columbia University

Energy Futures Initiative

University of Michigan

The World Resources Institute, environmental think tank

Rhodium Group, consulting and analysis firm

Bipartisan Policy Center, centrist think tank

Carbon180, a newly rebranded

The Linden Trust, a foundation

ClimateWorks Foundation

If youre not tackling carbon, youre not actually tackling the problem. Everything else weve done so far has been a bank shot. Now is the time to step up.

 Julio Friedmann, former Obama official and lead of Columbia University's new initiative

Removing CO2 from the air can be done a few different ways, including planting trees that naturally soak up carbon dioxide. A leading line of research is backing technology capturing far more CO2 faster than trees ever could. A small handful of companies around the world are pursuing this. Two examples:

Last year, Switzerland-based Climeworks opened its

Canada-based Carbon Engineering, whose investors include Bill Gates, is planning to build its first commercial plant by early next year. Its CEO Steve Oldham told me recently to stay tuned for potential news soon on new partnerships, including possibly with oil and gas companies, though he wouldnt disclose any more details.

Two of the biggest considerations with capturing carbon are the cost to do it, and then what to do with it once youve caught it.

On the capture cost:

The current cost to capture a ton of CO2 anywhere between $600 and $800, according to Climeworks. But estimates by that company and Carbon Engineering project that cost could drop to below $100 for commercial scale projects in the next several years.

On what to do with it:

In theory, captured carbon dioxide can be turned into almost anything, including building material like carbon fiber and cement, shoes, transportation fuel and even beer.

Carbon Engineering is focusing on making fuel, which it says is is currently 25% more expensive to produce than a comparative gallon of diesel.

Climeworks says its CO2 can be adapted for various uses, and its in the process of making beverage-grade CO2 available to sell in the coming months for things like beer.

If only tackling climate change could be as easy as drinking a pint. The problem with putting CO2 to use as a product is that the sheer volume of carbon the world needs to capture far outweighs the worlds appetite for beer--and a lot of other products.

Thats why storing it underground  sometimes after using it to (ironically) extract oil  and even underwater are likely to be necessary parts of the equation.

Whats next: There needs to be a business case for capturing CO2. That means turning what has long been seen as a waste product  carbon dioxide  into a product that can make money.

Putting a price on carbon emissions, such as through a tax, is the simplest way to do that. But absent comprehensive policy on that front either nationally or even globally, a patchwork is emerging. Two things to watch:National

Church acting against protesters in nun rape case, says official

Kottayam (Kerala), Sep 23 (IANS) | Publish Date: 9/23/2018 12:16:53 PM IST

With the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal in the nun rape case, Church authorities have begun to take action against those who supported the 14-day protest by five nuns at Kochi in the matter, a Church official said on Sunday.

I received a letter from higher-ups in my church that I should not participate in such protests and keep away... I am preparing a reply to the supreme head of our Church, the one person with a lot of compassion for the suffering. I am sure he will know what I did was right, Yuhanon Ramban of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church told the media here on Sunday.

Ramban is a post given to a priest of a monastic order, similar to a monk. There are instances in churches wherein a Ramban is elevated to a Bishop.

Sister Lucy Kalapurekal of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church also told the media that when she visited her congregation in Wayanad in the morning, she was told to keep away from her church duties.

Lucy said that when she returned from the protest venue at Kochi, their Mother Superior called for her. She said that she is sad to say that she has been directed to pass on the information to me that from now on, I have been relieved of all the duties in my church. I have been asked to keep away from duties like assisting in the Holy Communion, taking Bible classes for children and such duties, that I was doing till the other day, said Lucy and added that she wished to know what wrong she did to get this punishment.

Lucy is attached to the St Marys Church near Manathavady in Wayanad district but the Parish Vicar K. Stephen denied media reports that Lucy has been proceeded against.

In the past few days, there have been responses by Lucy in the social media and this has come to the notice of several members of our church and they raised objections and it was conveyed to her, said the Vicar.

Reacting to the development, Sister Anupama, one of the five nuns who led the protest at Kochi in support of the victim, said she is least surprised at what has happened.

The 14-day protest witnessed people from all walks of life coming together to express support to the five nuns.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will hold a meeting in New York on Wednesday with senior officials representing 40 countries and international organizations to discuss ways to block or influence the upcoming U.S. Middle East peace plan, Israeli officials and Western diplomats told me.

Why it matters: This is Abbas' most proactive diplomatic step since Trump's Jerusalem embassy announcement, which led him to cut ties with the White House. Since then, Abbas has been campaigning against the Trump administration's policies on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Abbas is trying to rally the international community against Trump and challenge the White House claims that he's undermining a potential peace process.

According to the Israeli officials and Western diplomats, Abbas invited to the meeting all the main countries that have a role or an interest in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Abbas invited to the meeting all the main countries that have a role or an interest in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. All members of the UN Security Council were invited other than the U.S. Israel was also not invited.

were invited other than the U.S. Israel was also not invited. It will take place at the Grand Hyatt hotel, under the theme: "Salvaging the Two-State Solution, Defending the International Rules-Based System."

According to a document I obtained, which was drafted by the Palestinians and circulated among representatives of the countries who were invited, the meeting has three goals:

Discussing steps to defend against the threat posed to the two-state solution by the ongoing and expanding Israeli settlements.

Proactively protecting UN agencies and organizations that deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, like UNRWA.

Launching a credible and effective political process that seeks to achieve the two-state solution while reaffirming the centrality of international law and UN resolutions.

The interesting part in the document is the claim that Trump's shift on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is part of a long series of steps to undermine the world order of the last 70 years.

The Palestinians wrote that preserving the two-state solution is one of the basic principles that should be supported by all those who reject Trump's policies that undermine world order.

Israel doesn't like this meeting at all and has ordered diplomats around the world to lobby governments who were invited to the meeting not to attend or to lower their level of representation as much as possible, according to Israeli officials. The Palestinians think most countries will send senior diplomats but not foreign ministers to the meeting.One week after a Russian plane was accidentally shot down by Syrian missiles launched at Israeli fighter jets, Russia has announced it will supply the Syrian army with sophisticated S-300 surface-to-air missiles.

Why it matters: Israel has asked the Russians for many years to avoid supplying S-300 missiles to Syria because it could limit the Israeli air force's freedom of operation in Syria. The Russian announcement threatens to break the coordination mechanism between the two countries in Syria and unravel what was thought to be a close relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The latest developments:

Israel sent the commander of its air force to Moscow to provide the Russians with information about the incident. The Israelis made clear the Syrians shot down the Russian plane long after Israeli jets left the area.

The Russian investigation concluded that while Israel did not shoot down the plane, it was still responsible for the incident. The Russians claimed the Israelis didn't observe the coordination agreements between the two militaries  and their airstrike in Syria put the Russian plane in danger.

Today, the Russian minister of defense announced a series of new military steps in Syria. In addition to providing the S-300 missiles, Russia will equip the Syrian air defenses with automated control systems to guarantee that all Russian planes are identified by the Syrians. Russia will also provide the technology to jam satellite navigation, airborne radars and communication systems of Israeli fighter jets that conduct airstrikes along the Syrian coast.

Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu said today that Russia agreed in 2013 to an Israeli request not to supply the missiles to Syria, but added that after the incident, "things have changed and it isn't Russia's fault." He stressed that he is convinced the new Russian measures "will cool down the hotheads [in Israel] and prevent ill-considered actions threatening Russian soldiers."

Putin spoke on the phone with Netanyahu today and told him that the Russian decision to supply Syria with the missiles was appropriate in order to protect the security of Russian troops. Putin added that the actions taken by the Israeli Air Force had a central role in the tragedy of the Russian plane.

Putin also told Netanyahu the information supplied by the Israeli Air Force about the downing of the Russian plane doesn't coincide with the conclusions of the Russian Ministry of Defense.

White House national security adviser John Bolton criticized the Russian decision to supply the missiles to Syria and said it was a grave escalation and a mistake by the Russians. Bolton said he hopes the Russians will reconsider.

Netanyahu told Putin that transferring sophisticated weapon systems to irresponsible hands will make the situation in the region more dangerous and that Israel will continue defending its security and upholding its regional interests.

He added he has full confidence in the Israeli Air Force investigation of the incident and added that the responsibility for shooting down the Russian plane is on the Syrian army  and Iran, whose aggression is destabilizing the region.

A senior State Department official told me that the move will only raise the risk of escalation and increase the risk to U.S. and partnered forces conducting anti-ISIS operations in Syria. The State Department official added that "it also reconfirms Russias continued protection of the Assad regime and ultimate responsibility for the regimes actions".

The State Department official also stressed: "Let us be clear, it was Syrian anti-aircraft systems that shot down Russias aircraft. Introducing even more air defenses does not solve the problem of Syrias unprofessional and indiscriminate firing of missiles, or reduce the risk to regional aviation."

What's next: Over the last few years, the Israeli air force has prepared for the possibility of Syria getting S-300s from the Russians. Nevertheless, Israel will have to be calculated and careful when conducting any future airstrikes against Iranian or Hezbollah targets in Syria.President Trump will address the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. A source briefed on his remarks shared one word on his theme: "Sovereignty."

The big picture: "Mutual respect and sovereignty" will be his frame for cooperation with other countries, another source with direct knowledge of his remarks told me. He'll talk about reforming international trade, that source added.

With John Bolton as his national security adviser  a man who has fought for decades against international institutions that he believes infringe on U.S. sovereignty  Trump will have plenty of material for such a speech.

In his speech to last year's UN General Assembly, Trump branded Kim Jong-un "Rocket Man" and said the U.S. may have "no choice but to totally destroy North Korea."

Foreign officials were shocked. They'd never heard such incendiary rhetoric from a U.S. president. And Trump loved the headlines.

"So you'll have to wonder what the target will be this time, who he will vent against," a Washington diplomat mused to me.

On North Korea: According to a source who's spoken with Trump about North Korea this week, Trump feels good about the latest developments and is "very happy" about the latest letter he received from dictator Kim Jong-un.

But hawks worry Trump will concede too much to North Korea before Kim completely and irreversibly denuclearizes the Korean Peninsula.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is close to Trump, told me, "Here's what I'm concerned about: The letters that Kim Jong-un is sending to Trump are good. It's good to keep a dialogue. But the letters and the behaviors do not match up.Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians bloc was on course to score a landslide victory in municipal elections held in Yerevan on Sunday.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) said early on Monday that with three quarters of the ballots cast counted, the My Step bloc garnered over 80 percent of the vote, more than enough to install its top candidate, Hayk Marutian, as mayor of the Armenian capital.

Businessman Gagik Tsarukians Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) came in a distant second with 7 percent, followed by the Luys alliance, which got 5 percent. Both groups have ministerial posts in Pashinians cabinet.

The nine other election contenders fared much worse, according to the initial election results.

Under Armenian law, alliances need to win at least 8 percent of the vote in order to be represented in the city council empowered to elect the mayor. But the law also stipulates that at least three political groups must be represented in the council, meaning that Luys will also hold seats there.

Luyss mayoral candidate, Artak Zeynalian, was quick to visit the My Step headquarters in Yerevan and congratulate Pashinians bloc on its convincing victory.

Pashinian actively participated in the local election campaign, portraying the vote as a referendum on his political future. He said that needs a strong mandate to push for the holding of snap parliamentary elections in Armenia in the coming months.

Citing the election outcome, a close Pashinian associate, First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, said that the premier has received such a mandate. Mirzoyan declined to speculate about possible election dates.

The CEC put voter turnout at about 43.7 percent, up from almost 41 percent that was recorded by it in the previous municipal elections that were held in May 2017 and controversially won by the then ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK). The HHK, which lost power in May 2018 after weeks of mass protests, chose not to join the latest mayoral race in the Armenian capital.

Pashinian twice called for a high turnout during Sundays voting. I hope that my fellow citizens today will very actively participate in the vote and wont stay at home because there is no doubt that you are the ones who will decide [the election outcome,] he said in a live video address aired through Facebook in the morning.

Pashinian made the same appeal late in the afternoon amid signs that Yerevan voters are not turning out in large numbers. He suggested that the turnout is relatively low because voters are no longer bribed and bused to polling stations by any party.

Pashinian also sounded satisfied with the authorities conduct of the elections, saying he hopes they will be exemplary.

The vote was also marked by an unusually small number of irregularities or violent incidents reported by election contenders, local monitors and media. The HHK was accused of vote rigging and buying throughout its leader Serzh Sarkisians decade-long rule.

Armenias Investigative Committee said law-enforcement authorities received 25 complaints about alleged violations such as attempts at multiple voting. It pledged to investigate all of them.Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) leader Gagik Tsarukian on Monday recognized the official results of the weekend municipal elections in Yerevan which gave a landslide victory to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians bloc.

According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), the My Step bloc won as much as 81 percent of the vote, more than enough to install its top candidate, Hayk Marutian, as new mayor of the Armenian capital. Tsarukians Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) came in a distant second with only 7 percent of the vote.

While categorically rejecting the [Pashinian camps] dangerous approach of dividing the society into [political] blacks and whites, the Prosperous Armenia Party accepts the election results and congratulates the My Step bloc, Tsarukian said in a statement posted on Facebook.

I also want to thank my team for its principled, intelligent and correct campaign, added the BHK leader. We hope that all programs promised to the people of Yerevan will be implemented.

A senior BHK parliamentarian, Vahe Enfiajian, would not say whether his party is disappointed with its performance. Instead, he seemed to downplay Pashinians electoral triumph, arguing that the CEC put voter turnout at only 43.7 percent.

I want to understand the reason why the turnout in Yerevan was low despite the revolutionary atmosphere and mood, Enfiajian told RFE/RLs Armenian service (Azatutyun.am). For me, as a Yerevan resident, this is the most concerning fact.

The BHK and Pashinians political team traded bitter recriminations during the election campaign. On September 17, Tsarukians party alleged a smear campaign waged against its mayoral candidate, Naira Zohrabian, through online and social media.

The prime ministers allies strongly denied seeking to discredit Zohrabian. One of them said in that context that the BHK has a long history of cooperation with former President Serzh Sarkisian.

The BHK also cried foul when one of its campaign offices in Yerevan was searched by the police on Saturday on suspicion of handing out vote bribes. Zohrabian claimed afterwards that during the election campaign 300 BHK activists were detained and questioned by the police on the same grounds.

The BHK, which has the second largest faction in the Armenian parliament, supported Pashinian-led mass protests that led to Sarkisians resignation in late April. It received five ministerial posts in the countrys new government formed shortly after Pashinian became prime minister in early May.Citing his blocs landslide victory in the mayoral race in Yerevan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on Monday that fresh parliamentary elections must held in Armenia very soon.

Official results of Sundays municipal elections showed the My Step bloc garnering 81 percent of the vote. Its landslide victory was recognized by its two main challengers.

Pashinian said the outcome of the Yerevan polls gave him the mandate to push for the dissolution of the current Armenian parliament and the conduct of snap general elections. The weekend vote demonstrated that the current National Assembly does not reflect the popular mood in the country, he declared in his latest video address to the nation aired through Facebook.

The political events showed that pre-term elections must be held very soon because political uncertainties hamper new investments in our economy. I think that these elections also showed that in effect the existing parliament does not have a [popular] mandate to operate, Pashinian said, speaking from New York where he arrived on Sunday to address a session of the UN General Assembly.

The premier added that on his return to Yerevan he will meet with representatives of major political forces to discuss time frames for the snap elections sought by him.

The Armenian governments policy program approved by lawmakers in June says that such polls should be held by June 2019.

Meeting with members of the Armenian community in New York later on Sunday, Pashinian said that they must be held earlier than in June and as soon as possible. But he mentioned no specific dates.

Under the Armenian constitution, the parliament can be dissolved only if the prime minister resigns and lawmakers twice fail to choose his or her replacement. Former President Serzh Sarkisians Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) holds the largest number of seats in the current legislature.

We see no grounds, no need for fresh parliamentary elections, the HHKs parliamentary leader, Vahram Baghdasarian, told RFE/RLs Armenian service earlier on Monday. He said that the parliamentary forces need to amend the Electoral Code first.

Baghdasarian said at the same time that the HHK is ready for any discussions with Pashinian.

The Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), the second largest parliamentary force, also expressed readiness to engage in such negotiations. The BHK holds five ministerial posts in Pashinians government.By Rashid Shirinov

Armenian vandals resettled to the Azerbaijani lands, aiming to expel the local Turkic-Muslim population, razed to the ground their religious places of worship, Yagub Mahmudov, Director of the Institute of History of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) said on September 20.

He made the remarks at the presentation of four brochures on the history of the Irevan khanate in Armenian and Persian languages.

The academician noted that the destroyed objects include more than 300 mosques, numerous minarets, as well as tombs, sanctuaries and cemeteries. First of all, the vandals destroyed ancient mosques in Irevan.

Mahmudov further pointed out that many important events reflected in the Kitabi Dede Gorgud epic took place on the territory of the Irevan khanate.

He noted that a Khans Palace was built in 1578 by the Irevan beylerbey of the Azerbaijan state of Safavids Tohmag Khan, and added that the Armenian vandals destroyed the Khans Palace and built a brandy factory in its place.

Today Yerevan officials cannot demonstrate to foreign guests at least one historical monument of over 200 years old belonging to Armenians, Mahmudov said.

The brochures on the history of the Irevan khanate were published by the Azerbaijani Historians Public Association within the project funded by the Council of State Support to NGOs under the President of Azerbaijan. The brochures were previously published in English and Russian, and their publication in Spanish and Arabic is currently being prepared.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 89 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Sept. 24.

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.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Rashid Shirinov

The Department for Education Informatization System of the Azerbaijan Education Ministry provided five schools with educational robots Lego Mindstorms Education EV3, the ministry informed on September 22.

Informatics rooms of the schools are designed in accordance with the educational solutions of Lego Education and are equipped with furniture for equipment. School teachers participate in training conducted by foreign experts, gain knowledge about programming robots, their application and integration in the education system.

The robot kits consist of a Brick controller chip, Lego blocks and block-based software parts. Using the constructor, students assemble the necessary models and program them with the Brick chip so that they can move and perform the programmed tasks. In addition to the basic Mindstorms EV3 kit, the Expansion kit is distributed to schools for specific tasks in various subjects.

This year, it is planned to distribute sets of equipment that will be used in physics and informatics classes. In addition, next school year, 12 schools will also receive LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 robot kits for primary school students.

WeDo 2.0 strengthens students understanding of the eight science and engineering practices, including asking questions and solving problems, modeling, prototyping, investigating, analyzing and interpreting data, computational thinking, creating evidence based arguments, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.

In the new school year, the total number of schoolchildren in Azerbaijan is 1.5 million, of which about 165,780 students started first grade.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Sara Israfilbayova

Important steps are being taken in Azerbaijan to ensure and establish legal regulation in e-commerce.

Deputy Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan Elmir Velizade made the remarks at an e-commerce forum in Baku on September 24.

Velizade noted that one of the important components is to ensure the possibility of bringing local products to international markets, and in this aspect, serious steps are being taken to turn the country into a regional transit center.

The legal and regulatory acts adopted in the country, including the Law on E-commerce, the National Strategy for the Development of the Information Society for 2014-2020, and strategic road maps for the main sectors of the economy, as well as other legal documents create opportunities for implementation of the goals in this area. The initiative to form a digital trade hub in the country is also playing an important role, Velizade said.

The deputy minister said currently a joint project of Azerpoct LLC and SilkWay Group on e-commerce is successfully implemented in the country. The project provides for delivery into the country of the goods ordered through electronic trading platforms in China. The ordered products are processed and forwarded to other countries.

Velizade also stressed the importance of joint activity with international organizations, adding that Azerbaijan is taking an active part in the unification of digital markets in the Eastern Partnership program.

One of the seven directions of this initiative is the full digitization of relations between the Eastern Partnership and the EU in trade, logistics, customs, etc. Jointly with the EU, the ministry has been implementing a project for development of e-services and e-commerce since 2017, he said.

Transformation of the country into a transport and transit center of the region, development of the transport infrastructure at a high level create an excellent opportunity for Azerbaijan to become a logistics center, Velizade mentioned.

In turn, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas emphasized that e-commerce is an important component of Azerbaijans economic diversification.

Talking about cooperation with Azerbaijan in e-commerce, Jankauskas noted that the EU has both multilateral and bilateral programs in this sphere.

We have Digital Europe Program encompassing all Eastern Partnership countries, including Azerbaijan. We work there for the harmonization of the e-trade. But more importantly, we have the bilateral one and were just finishing one of the EU-funded projects called Enhancing Development of E-Services and E-Commerce in Azerbaijan. We have done it for about 16 months, spent around 300,000 euros, he said.

The head of the EU Delegation noted that e-commerce and the whole work done in this sphere is an important component and is going in line and in support of the economic diversification, which is now happening in Azerbaijan.

In that respect the EU is working in all areas. We work on development on small and medium-sized enterprises, export promotion, agricultural sector and so on. We believe this will help to bring EU and Azerbaijan closer. It is also an important component of what Azerbaijan aspires next  creation of transportation hub here, which can only succeed if properly accompanied by variety of the electronic services, he added.

Addressing the event, Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Committee Igbal Babayev stressed that in 2018, about 400,000 manats ($235,200) from e-commerce turnover have been transferred to the state budget of Azerbaijan in the form of duties on the basis of customs declarations.

Babayev noted that such high dynamics of growth in revenues in the field of e-commerce has become evident over the past two years.

In 2016, this figure was just 20,000 manats ($11,700). Worldwide, e-commerce accounts for about 10 percent of total trade turnover. At the same time, the annual growth rate of e-commerce is 10 percent. Speaking in figures, while today the total world e-trade turnover is about $3 trillion, this figure will reach $5 trillion by 2021, Babayev said.

The deputy chairman of the state customs committee noted that the main focus is on the B2B segment.

I would very much like the situation in the field of e-commerce in Azerbaijan to improve. At the same time, I would like to note that this sphere is developing dynamically in the country. Currently, efforts are aimed at ensuring effective legal regulation of the industry. In this regard, work is underway to prepare new bills. The main focus is on statistics, business-customs cooperation and capacity-building. We are developing new data collection technologies. For example, the statistics on e-commerce orders is maintained worldwide. There are countries where the greatest demand is for clothing, toys and other household goods. In Azerbaijan, the vast majority of imports falls on mobile phones and computer parts, Babayev said.

He noted that thanks to the strengthening of the e-commerce regulation, revenues to the state budget in the form of duties from goods imported into the country through e-commerce channels are expected to be at the level of 200 million manats ($117.65 million) for mobile phones alone.

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Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzRep. Mike Carter says mental health cases are driving jail overcrowding across Tennessee.

He told members of the Pachyderm Club on Monday that when the state began cutting back on mental health facilities that it then became the problem of sheriffs across the state.

Rep. Carter said sheriffs are ill-equipped to handle those individuals, whose real need is to see a mental health provider and get on the proper medication.

He told the group, "The state is constantly trying to shift its obligations onto the county. We have gotten far away from taking care of people who can't take care of themselves."

The former General Sessions Court judge said almost half of those at the Hamilton County Jail have some sort of psychiatric issue.

He said Charlotte, N.C., dealt with the problem by buying an old hotel and putting those with mental health issues there - instead of at the jail. He said mental health professionals are present to assess the individuals and get them on the proper medication.

He said it has been a big money saver overall for Charlotte, and he said he and others in the Legislature are working on funding for a similar pilot program in Hamilton County.

Rep. Carter said the Bass Pro Shop in East Ridge was built on land that had long belonged to the state Department of Transportation. He said, "It had been lying there unused and not bringing in any tax money."

He said a move then began to examine all TDOT property not in current use. He said, "Most of it is at interstate interchanges, where it could be used for hotels and motels and bring in tax proceeds."

Rep. Carter said TDOT could keep lands essential for future widenings and other needs, but should make available non-essential land.

The speaker also said he has been trying to find out how the EPA exempted Memphis from emissions control requirement and not Hamilton County and others.

He said he has been promised the reasoning, but has not gotten it yet.Regional

MU crisis deepens as students boycott exams

Correspondent IMPHAL, Sep 23 | Publish Date: 9/23/2018 12:08:52 PM IST

The crisis at Manipur University deepened on Sunday as students resolved to not appear in the ongoing post graduate examinations and demanded unconditional release of the arrested students and teachers.

The decision to boycott the ongoing post graduate exams was taken by students of various departments of the varsity in a meeting held on Sunday, reports said.

The examinations for the 2nd and 4th semesters for Master Degree and PhD commenced from September 20. The students observed that it was not convenient for them to appear the exams amidst the prevailing tension in the campus.

They therefore, demanded that security personnel detailed inside the varsity campus be withdrawn immediately, and also all the students and teachers arrested by the police be released without any conditions.

They also demanded that the MU authority revoke the order suspending six teachers of the varsity.

An order issued by the Pro VC on Saturday placed six teachers under suspension from their services for their alleged misconduct. Among others, the suspended teachers included, Prof W Vishwanath and registrar in-charge Prof Sh Darendrajit Singh.

A student who attended that meeting alleged that they were mentally tortured by the deployment of the large number of security personnel inside the campus.

How can we appear the examinations when there is no normalcy in the campus where armed security personnel are detailed everywhere, he asked while strongly condemning the militarization of the campus.

On the other hand, as police and security force continued to search for leaders of the agitating MUSU, MUTA and MUSA at hostels and teachers quarters. Many students have started leaving their hostels on Sunday. As many as 75 students left the hostel.

Many of them had already left their hostel rooms even earlier, reports said.

Meanwhile, Committee of Political Parties (CPP), a platform of ten opposition political parties in the state alleged that the crisis in the varsity was a manifestation of support for Prof AP Pandey by the Centre and state government.

Addressing a press conference at Imphal Congress Bhavan on Sunday, CPP convener RK Anand claimed that the protracted crisis and the prevailing grim situation in the Manipur University was due to the Centre and state governments effort to save Prof AP Pandey.

It is nothing but a conspiracy to save AP Pandey and to foil the entire proceedings of the independent enquiry committee constituted by the Centre itself, Anand said.

Former minister and CPI leader Dr M Nara who is also one of the co-convener of the Committee of Political Parties said that the raids and subsequent militarization in MU campus was a big issue to be discussed academically.

He demanded that the government convene a special session of the state Assembly to discuss and find a way to resolve the protracted crisis in the University.

Meanwhile, a highly reliable government source said that the state government, in its efforts to find a way to resolve the prevailing crisis, has despatched three mediators to meet all the stakeholders of the MU.

The three mediators are reported to be, Dr. Ranjan, Prof. Joykumar and former MLA, Kh Loken.By Laman Ismayilova

Bright and colorful Eurovillage has been held for the first time in Nakhchivan on September 21-23.

A public event was held at Nakhchivan Gala History-Architecture Museum Complex as part of the Days of Europe.

Addressing the event, Head of the EU delegation in Azerbaijan, envoy Kestutis Jankauskas said that that this year is special in terms of EU-Azerbaijan relations since it marks the centenary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, as well as the 10th anniversary of the EU delegation in Baku. He also thanked the authorities of the Autonomous Republic for assistance in holding of the festival, as well as all residents who visited the Eurovillage.

Jankauskas stressed Azerbaijan and European Union are bound with strong cooperation.

After that each ambassador present in the opening welcomed the Eurovillage guests in his native language.

Eurovillage in Nakhchivan was met with great interest.

During the event, the Nakhchivan residents got familiar with the stands of seventeen EU member-states, learn more about the European Union and its values, long-term cooperation and partnership between EU and Azerbaijan.

Moreover, guests were invited to take part in the virtual tours to the European countries, contests and quizes, educational shows, face art and painting classes for children and others were held as part of the event.

Chairman of the Supreme Majlis of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Vasif Talibov also got familiar with the Eurovillage.

EuroVillage, held since 2013, has become an ideal opportunity to learn more about the European Union (EU) and its values, including the long-term co-operation and partnership relations between the EU and Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and the European Union enjoy fruitful bilateral relations.

European Union's relations with Azerbaijan date back to 1991 and are based on the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) (in force since 1999), which provides for wide-ranging cooperation in the areas of political dialogue trade, investment, economic matters, legislation and culture.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Laman Ismayilova

An exhibition dedicated to the 160th anniversary of the Azerbaijan State Caspian Shipping Company will be held in Baku.

The exhibition will open at Baku Museum Center on October 1 at 18:00.

An art contest among national artists will be held as part of the event.

About 100 works by young Azerbaijani artists, sculptors and graphic artists will be presented to art lovers.

For example, "Steamship-160", "My Caspian Sea", "The Sea Loves Bold" illustrate the complex and specific work of Azerbaijani seamen, the development of the shipping company in Azerbaijan. The art works of the contest participants also reflect the incredible beauty of the Caspian Sea, the international activities of the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company and much more.

The exhibition will last until October 3.

The Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Closed Joint-Stock Company was established by merging country's two largest fleets - the Azerbaijan State Caspian Sea Shipping Company and the Caspian Sea Oil Fleet of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic.

Two companies were merged in order to continue fundamental structural reforms in the economy, increase domestic and international transportation in maritime industry, enhance competitiveness and transit potential of Azerbaijan and get synergies from centralized management of the state owned shipping companies.

The Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping is comprised of the offshore support and merchant fleets and two shipyards.

The "Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping" CJSC plays connecting role in the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA), provides marine transportation of goods and passengers along with Trans-Caspian Sea as well as provides offshore support services for oil and gas operations.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Rashid Shirinov

The Armenian side grossly violated international conventions and documents in relation to the civilian population taken hostage during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories.

This is stated in the final presentation of the project entitled Study of the violated rights of the civilian population (women and children) taken hostage during the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The project was presented by the Public Association for Assistance to Prisoner and Hostages Hesret Yolu with the assistance of the Council of State Support to NGOs under the President of Azerbaijan.

Within the project, a survey was conducted among 100 women and people who were children at the time of hostage-taking, who currently live in Baku, Absheron, villages and settlements of the Aghdam region and in the Ashagi Agjakand village of the Goranboy region.

Referring to the results obtained from the processed information resources and other data, it was established that the Armenian side violated international conventions and documents in relation to the civilian population taken hostage during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories.

Thus, the Armenians grossly violated the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 9th and 17th articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, the requirements of the Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict adopted in 1974, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide adopted in 1948, and the Conventions for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armies in the Field and relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region 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. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Until now, Armenia controls fifth part of Azerbaijans territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, participating in the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly, will meet in New York on September 26, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement on September 24.

The ministry noted that during the meeting the FMs will be accompanied by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the U.S., as well as the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

The negotiation process on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be discussed at the meeting.

The last meeting between Mammadyarov and Mnatsakanyan was held in Brussels on July 11 under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. During the meeting, the ministers exchanged views regarding the situation on the ground and discussed next steps and parameters for re-engaging in substantive negotiations.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's 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.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

The Contact Group of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in connection with the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan will discuss the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict at the next session of the UN General Assembly in New York, OIC tweeted Sept. 24.

During its summit in Istanbul in April 2016, OIC decided to establish a contact group for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which included foreign ministers of the OIC member countries. The decision to establish a contact group was taken at Turkey's initiative.

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.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Laman Ismayilova

World-famous Indian yogi and mystic Sadhguru (Jaggi Vasudev) will give a lecture for the first time at the Heydar Aliyev Center on November 10.

The subject of his presentation is Inner Engineering: Technologies for Wellbeing.

It constitutes a comprehensive system derived from centuries-old yoga studies aiming at profound and sustainable personal transformation

The subject includes techniques to accomplish harmony by bringing together human body, mind, senses, and energy to the culmination. No physical training or knowledge of yoga is required, and the techniques are easily adaptable to any lifestyle.

The presentation elaborating on smart ways to manage human body, emotions, and inner energy will be followed by the Q&A session.

The event will also present Sadhgurus new book with copies signed by the author.

One of Indias 50 most recognized personalities, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic and a bestselling author dedicated to the improvement of human spiritual and physical condition. He was decorated with the Padma Vibhushan Indian National Award for his exceptional services. Insightful and logical presentations won Sadhguru the worldwide recognition as a speaker.

With his precise and clear vision of existing problems on a global level along with specific approaches to improve human wellbeing, he was invited to speak at a number of international forums, including the UN Headquarters. He is a frequent presenter at the World Economic Forum, addressing a broad audience through TED conferences.

Leading educational institutions inviting Sadhguru include Oxford, Stanford, Harvard and Yale Universities, Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other worldwide recognized institutions. In 1992, he founded the Isa International Foundation seeking to improve the global wellbeing.

Tickets for Sadhgurus presentation at the Heydar Aliyev Center are available at the Centers Ticket Office, as well as through iTicket website. The price is 10-20 AZN ($5.8-$11.7), 50-100 AZN ($29-58).

The presentation will be offered in English with simultaneous translation into Azerbaijani and Russian languages.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, by his speech in the parliament, gave Armenia a chance to draw conclusions and take the right path, Azerbaijani MP, Chairman of the countrys Press Council Aflatun Amashov told Trend.

He noted that the speech of Ilham Aliyev at the meeting held on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijani parliament was a detailed description of the chronicle of Azerbaijans development over the past 100 years.

What path did we pass? This story is a real source of pride, Amashov said. The Azerbaijani president in his speech showed the real foundations of Azerbaijans leading position in the region. What Ilham Aliyev said from the rostrum of the highest legislative body at the jubilee meeting held in connection with the 100th anniversary of the Azerbaijani parliament, is a special source of pride, high assessment of the place and role of the Azerbaijani parliament.

"The president said - I cannot say that at that time we could completely overcome international isolation. Some countries didnt take us seriously. We know the history well. Today Azerbaijan is a model of success on the world map. ... Not a single initiative, not a single project can be implemented in the region without Azerbaijan, our strength, political weight, economic potential, military power are gradually increasing, our international positions are being strengthened".

There are more than 5,000 nations in the world, and only about 200 of them have a state, Amashov said. There is no doubt that todays independent Azerbaijan is historical heritage of our people.

If one takes into account that the region where Azerbaijan is located is extremely complex, the past 27 years of independence are indeed heritage, he added.

Amashov noted that 100 years of parliamentarism is an eternal symbol of the modern independent life of Azerbaijan, and the role of the Azerbaijani parliament in writing this story is extremely great.

Azerbaijani parliament is an important institution that preserves our 100-year-old tradition of parliamentarism, he said. The activity of the Azerbaijani parliament, which continues the traditions of our historic parliament, is at the same time a platform for establishing the image of the legal and democratic state of Azerbaijan in the world. In the speech of the head of our state these moments were thoroughly brought to attention, comparisons and parallels were carried out.

Amashov stressed that the speech of the Azerbaijani president from the parliamentary rostrum, on the basis of serious arguments, was an exposure of the adventurist nature of the statements by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in recent days, the lesson of realism for populism, if it is possible to say so.

In what case can Armenia become a part of the regions development? President Ilham Aliyev in his speech pointed out the way of development for the Armenian society, having explained the reason for the collapse of this country, Amashov said.

"The president said - "Today, our policy - I would like to repeat, it is no secret, - is to put Armenia in a completely isolated position and to shatter its economic foundations - although it is hardly possible to call them so".

There has been no development in this country of the South Caucasus for many years, socio-political situation is tense, social and economic situation is deplorable, unbearable, Amashov said. This is while Azerbaijan implements big projects, characteristics of the countrys development are measured by global ratings. I believe that both the Armenian society and the authorities should consider this and seriously think about it.

Amashov noted that in fact, the president of Azerbaijan in his speech in the parliament also gave Armenia a chance to draw conclusions and take the right path.

This path passes through the de-occupation of the Azerbaijani lands, the Azerbaijani MP said. The head of state also stressed that Azerbaijan wont put up with the occupation, Amashov added.

The words voiced by the president of Azerbaijan, who said that independence isnt only state attributes were very simple but fundamental explanation of the philosophy of state independence, Amashov said.

The MP noted that this explanation expressed confidence in the irreversibility of the political course pursued by Azerbaijan.

Amashov said that the following words of the Azerbaijani president were also a message for Armenia, an occupier country: Can you pursue an independent policy or not? Can you do it successfully or not? Does this independent policy benefit you or not? Answering these questions, we can say with confidence that today Azerbaijan, which conducts an absolutely independent policy, fully ensures its national interests. The parliament of Azerbaijan has an important role in these matters.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Naila Huseynli

The Ministry of Defense Industry of Azerbaijan has expanded the sale of weapons to foreign countries, said Deputy Minister of Defense Industry Yahya Musayev at the press conference on September 24.

The sale of small arms has generally been increased. Its main customers are Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries, Musayev said.

The 3rd Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition, ADEX-2018 will be held in Baku on September 25-27, where the country will demonstrate the armored car "Tufan" of domestic production.

"The model of the Tufan armored car is already ready, and it will be shown at the exhibition. After the last tests, its production will begin," said Musayev.

He noted that this exhibition will be the largest defense exhibition in the region. Also, 224 companies will be represented at the exhibition, which will occupy three pavilions and an outdoor area of Baku Expo Centre.

The opening ceremony will be attended by ministers from six countries, heads of companies and committees of 11 countries. The exhibition will demonstrate more than 260 types of military products, said the deputy minister.

Azerbaijan, Belarus, France, Israel, Pakistan, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and other countries are participating in the ADEX 2018 exhibition with their national teams. This year, many countries have expanded the scale of its national exhibition. Thus, Turkeys pavilion is 30 percent larger compared to 2016. The leading companies of defense sector from Bulgaria, China, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands and other countries are among participants.

The pavilion of the Ministry of Defense Industry will be organized in the third hall of the Baku Expo Center, and this pavilion will show the most recent armaments and military equipment of local production.

Here, professionals will be able to get acquainted with the new products of the country's defense industry, as well as the current and growing potentials of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

Moreover, this year, the Azerbaijans scientific-technical company Vitta, the High-Tech Park of ANAS and Service Centre for Armament and Military Equipment of Air Defense will be put on display for the first time at the ADEX-2018 exhibition.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Laman Ismayilova

Changeable cloudy weather is expected in Baku on September on September 24.

Rain is predicted in some places at night and in the morning. North-west wind will blow.

The temperature on the peninsula will be +17-19C at night, +23-25C in afternoon in Absheron peninsula and Baku, the Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry reported.

Atmospheric pressure will be 763mm; relative humidity will be 85-95% at night, 60-70% in the afternoon.

Intermittent rain is expected in country's regions. Torrential rain is expected in some places. West wind will blow. The temperature will be +14-19C at night, +26-31C in daytime, +6-11C in mountains at night, +13-18C.

The Ministry warns that strong north-west wind will blow in Baku and Absheron peninsula on September 26-28.

The temperature will drop gradually by 2-4 degrees from the previous days.

The weather will be unstable, lightning and intermittent rain are expected in the regions of Azerbaijan. Torrential rain and hail are predicted in some places. The west wind will intensify in some places. The temperature will gradually drop by 3-5 degrees from the previous days. Water level in rivers is expected to increase.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Sara Israfilbayova

The fulfillment of obligations under the OPEC+ agreement is not yet 100 percent, but the implementation process can be considered satisfactory.

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov made the remarks at the OPEC meeting in Algiers.

Shahbazov stressed that the obligations of the OPEC+ countries were fulfilled in July by 109 percent, and in August - by 129 percent. These figures are a significant achievement for balancing the market compared to the May figures.

The general opinion of the OPEC+ countries is that the current approach to increasing production volumes will help to maintain the achieved results by the end of the year.

At the 10th meeting of the Joint OPEC-Non-OPEC Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) ministers in Algiers, the Joint Technical Commission for Oil Production was presented in August and the OPEC report on the trends in the development of the world oil market was heard.

Also, the level of implementation and the impact on the market of the decision to increase the daily oil production by one million barrels taken at the 4th meeting of the ministers of the countries that are members and not members of the OPEC was assessed on June 23, 2018.

At the current meeting, the importance of coordinated actions and continuous regulation for the full implementation of commitments under the June agreement was stressed.

OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached an agreement in December 2016 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1.

Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 barrels per day starting from January 1, 2017.

OPEC and its partners decided to extend its production cuts till the end of 2018 in Vienna on November 30, as the oil cartel and its allies step up their attempt to end a three-year supply glut that has savaged crude prices and the global energy industry.By Trend

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Washington would regret choosing to impose new sanctions on Tehran.

We will overcome this situation (sanctions) and America will regret choosing the wrong path, Rouhani said on Sunday before leaving Tehran for New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly,

Stressing that the US is acting like a bully towards the world, he said, Our people will resist and the government is ready to confront America.

The US has a dream to return to Iran through creating chaos and unrest in Iran, the president said, noting that this will never come true.

He was apparently referring to a recent deadly attack in Irans southwestern city of Ahvaz that killed 25 and injured dozens.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

The exclusion of Uzbek cotton from the "black list" of the U.S. will open the way for further cooperation with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Nike and other well-known world brands, Podrobno.uz reported, referring to Akmal Eshniyozov, Chief Officer of the Main Department of Analysis of Global Markets at the Ministry for Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade.

"This decision was achieved thanks to the coordinated joint actions of the government of Uzbekistan, the International Labor Organization and international non-governmental organizations. This fact will have a positive impact on the image of Uzbekistan on the world stage and will open the way for possible cooperation with leading foreign brands in the textile industry such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, H&M, OGGI, Adidas, Nike and others. It will also create new opportunities for increasing exports of textile products to the markets of developed countries, particularly in EU countries, North America and Japan," Eshniyozov said.

The US Department of Labor excluded Uzbek cotton from the so-called "black list" of goods produced using child labor.

The US Department of Labor notes that the solution to the problem has been achieved through the concerted efforts of the government of Uzbekistan, the International Labor Organization (ILO), international non-governmental organizations and the US government.

It is expected that this year Uzbekistan will be attended by the representatives of the Cotton Campaign organization with the aim of monitoring the cotton harvesting campaign.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Kamila Aliyeva

Uzbekistan, which has long been striving to use its solar energy potential, may finally reach its dream and construct a solar power plant.

Currently, Indian company Shapoorji Pallonji is studying the issue of building a solar power plant in Uzbekistan. The company is interested in the implementation of investment projects for the construction of solar power plants in Uzbekistan with a capacity of 50 to 100 MW.

At the moment, the Indian company is exploring the possible locations of the solar power plant, the tax and customs benefits provided in this area, the duration of the contract for the sale of electricity, the terms of granting state or sovereign guarantees with respect to attracted financial resources.

Potential areas for the construction of the solar power plant are the Samarkand, Bukhara and Kashkadarya regions.

Uzbekistan enjoys vast potential in renewable energy, and 98.5 percent is solar energy, 320 sunny days per year. The World Bank estimates that Uzbekistan solar total potential is more than about 51 billion tons of oil energy, which cannot only save a lot of oil resources, but also improve the atmospheric environment.

The country adopted the program on the development of alternative energy sources in 2013. In particular, construction of the several solar power plants with total capacity of more than two gigawatts, creation of the International Institute for Solar Energy and the construction of the facility on the photovoltaic panel production is planned within the framework of the program.

Uzbekistan announced its plans to build five solar photovoltaic stations with a total capacity of 500 MW and a preliminary cost of more than $1.1 billion by 2021.

Previously, it became known that the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, will support construction of a solar power station in Navoi region of Uzbekistan with a capacity of up to 100 megawatts.

In spring 2018, an agreement was signed with the Canadian SkyPower Global for construction of facilities for generation of solar energy with a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts. The company intended to invest $1.3 billion in construction of facilities in Tashkent, Samarkand, Navoi, Jizzakh, Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya regions.

Uzbekistan provided SkyPower Global, its subsidiaries and contractors involved with a wide list of benefits and preferences.

At the same time, although the construction of Central Asia's first solar power plant in the Samarkand region of Uzbekistan was announced back in 2014, it was then suspended.

In 2016, the tender for construction was won by the Chinese Zhuhai Singyes Green Building Technology. The project worth $275.8 million was to be financed through loans from the Asian Development Bank and by the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan and Uzbekenergo.

Later, however, as a result of careful examination of technical and economic documents related to the project, it was found that the project should be revised, resulting in suspension of the construction of a solar power plant in the Samarkand region.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Kamila Aliyeva

About 595 million kilowatt-hours of Tajik electricity was exported to neighboring countries last month, which is 22 million kWh less than in July 2018.

The decrease in the volume of electricity supplies is associated with 35 million kWh lower export volumes sent to Uzbekistan, Asia Plus reported.

In August 2018, Uzbekistan received 382 million kWh of Tajik electricity, the report entitled Monitoring and Early Notification in Tajikistan said. A month earlier, the volume of supplies to this country amounted to 417 million kWh.

In August, electricity was also exported to Kyrgyzstan in the amount of 12.4 million kWh, which was not recorded in July.

Afghanistan, as in the previous months, received slightly more than 200 million kWh of Tajik electricity in August.

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.

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.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzJubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju has allayed fears among some Kenyans saying that China has no colonial experience to take over the country.

The Cabinet Secretary without a portfolio defended Chinas interests in the country saying those criticising the Asian country are only jealous.

China has never had a colony and it has no experience to colonise other countries, Tuju said in a video posted on Chinese media websites.

China does not have a propaganda machine but those who are jealous are having sleepless nights to fight China in Kenya, he said, adding: I cant name those countries which are jealous of China because I am a diplomat. But people know them.

Tuju was speaking at the launch of the Sichuan and Chongqing Chamber of Commerce in Nairobi.

According to Tuju, the dissenting forces were using the media, NGOs to drive propaganda against China.

We know those who are fighting to bring problems between China and Kenya.

Tuju asked the Asian country to expand its activities in the country in order to take on its competitors strongly.

Thank you very much for the investments you bring to this country. You are also our ambassadors and you can tell other investors in your country about us, Tuju said.

China has overtaken the World Bank to become Kenyas single largest creditor, accounting for 72 percent of the total debt owed to foreign lenders.

This has resulted in fear that China might take over strategic public entities, such as airports and ports, to recoup the public debt if Kenya fails to pay.Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 69F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A mostly clear sky. Low near 50F. Winds light and variable.Louis Otienos son, Silas Miami, has come out with details about his relationship with his father.

Miami, who is based in South Africa, disclosed that he doesnt talk to his dad, though their relationship remains cordial.

My mother was technically a single mother. I had no relationship with my father. He was the man we watched on TV. However, we met later on in life when he fell sick and I was helping with the bill. We have a cordial relationship. Although we do not talk, I wish him well and he does the same for me. I got to the point where I realised that parents too are only human and a product of what they have seen in life. I have come to recognise my fathers failures, but also acknowledge his humanity, Miami is quoted.

He added: I mean, our parents made the best decisions with what they had. I had to make the decision to let go and to ask myself, how can I do better? Of course it was not easy, but in letting go, I set myself free not just to be a better son, but a better human being.

Asked if he had forgiven his father, Miami quickly pointed out: I dont think Ive dealt with it completely. Thats going to be a lifelong journey of forgiveness. People imagine that it happens in one go and I dont think thats true. You do not wake up one morning and it isnt as heavy as it was before, but it doesnt magically erase trauma. So, we are not there yet, but we are heading there.

Miami, who doesnt drink or party, is a filmmaker, photographer, musician, and lecturer. He is behind some of the local films such as: Disconnect, Supa Modo and Lusala.Kim Truax, 53, is turning spare space into more than spare change.

After her parents completed Harvey repairs to their own home, they moved out of the one-bedroom, one-bath cabin in Truaxs backyard. Her daughter, for whom the cabin was originally built, is now engaged and no longer needs the place, either.

So Truax joined thousands of her fellow Texans in renting to travelers through Airbnb.

I really just wanted extra income to pay the note, the Beaumont woman said. She added, Its way more than I needed for the note, and with a daughter graduating college and planning a wedding, the extra income is wonderful.

In a time when home security is getting smarter and more advanced, its hard to imagine someone willingly letting a stranger sleep in their home. But Texans in smaller and rural areas made a collective $20.6 million renting rooms and properties through Airbnb over the last 12 months, the company recently announced.

Since we had our first guest July 19, weve been constantly booked, Truax said. Its been wild.

She said she expected a guest or two for a few nights a month.

Weve had people from all over staying for all sorts of reasons, work or family  whatever, Truax said. Someone from Ohio actually just booked it for the whole month of October. Its crazy.

While Truaxs unexpected success with the website took her by surprise, Stacie and David Hearne used Airbnb to turn their hospitality into a full-time business.

What started as renting out a pool cabin behind their house on Airbnbs platform turned into a 5-room bed-and-breakfast and event venue theyve run out of their family home in Lumberton since 2012.

The Book Nook Inn on Cooks Lake Road has hosted everyone from world travelers to musicians to couples looking for a weekend escape. It feels like something out of a story book, with a maze of staircases and a bevy of string lights.

Weve had guests from Australia, Brazil, China, all over, Stacie Hearne said. We get a lot of people stopping here on their way from Austin to New Orleans, or that came to see the Big Thicket.

Much of the traffic comes from Airbnb, she said, especially international.

The Hearnes first started renting the pool house, and it went so well they added a second room inside their home. They dubbed it the Yellow Room. Then came Lindseys Room, which used to belong to their daughter. Finally they opened two more suites above the event space, the Roaring 20s Room, and the Steampunk Room.

The business is doing so well , David Hearne hopes to hang up his hat as a software developer and commit to running the Inn and writing full-time.

Weve made so many friends and met so many great people, Stacie Hearne said. We get repeat customers, and couples bring their babies. Its just great.

When asked what the most difficult part of hosting guests was, David quickly responded, Cleaning the rooms, to which Stacie quipped, How would you know?

Truax agreed that cleaning chores are worth the experiences shes had with the people shes met.

Airbnb culture also encourages her guests to leave the cabin sparkling clean before they check out  and for her to keep sanitizing and vacuuming anyway.

You have these two people looking for a five-star rating, so we want to help each other, Truax said. And we get to see their guest ratings from other hosts before we accept, so you know whos coming before they get here.

Truax and Stacie Hearne both said they were apprehensive about letting someone into their homes, but said the feeling quickly disappeared.

I dont even think about it anymore, Truax said.

Someone asked me once, Well isnt it like online dating? Arent there crazy people on there? David Hearne said. And I said, Yeah, theres crazy people on there, but theres crazy people in bars, too! Weve had nothing but lovely people come through our home.

Haley.Bruyn@BeaumontEnterprise.com

twitter.com/HaleyWrites_BEA tiny island nation caught between India and China has elected an opposition candidate as its next president, a surprise result after years of authoritarian rule.

In the Maldives, a tropical tourist destination southwest of India with around 400,000 people, opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared victory in Sunday's election after years of government suppression and the jailing of political opponents. Now the U.S. and India have congratulated Solih on his triumph -- and urged the Maldives government of President Abdulla Yameen to recognize the election win.

Yameen conceded defeat, according to a post from his spokesman on Twitter later on Monday, ending speculation about whether he would attempt to hold onto power.

Independent news website Mihaaru.com showed Solih with 58.4 percent of the vote compared to Yameen's 41.6 percent. Voter turnout was nearly 90 percent, the website said.

This victory in the Maldives, which has a gross domestic product of just $4.6 billion, could have geopolitical significance. Like Sri Lanka, where a state-owned Chinese firm now owns and operates a sensitive port, the Maldives is strategically located in the Indian Ocean and has served as a battleground for India and China as both seek influence in South Asia.

Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party has taken an anti-China stance. Exiled former Maldives president and party founder Mohamed Nasheed previously told Reuters China has pulled his country into a "debt trap" and that a future opposition-led government would renegotiate Chinese loans. Nasheed said China had provided more than $2.5 billion in loans to the island nation.

In recent years, Yameen -- who declared a state of emergency earlier this year and has jailed both political opponents and judges -- has courted investment from China, as well as Saudi Arabia, since coming to power in 2013. Yet New Delhi, concerned about China's growing economic presence in South Asia, has been unusually vocal as the situation in the Maldives deteriorated. Ahead of the election, one outspoken member of India's ruling party, Subramanian Swamy, even suggested India invade the Maldives if the election was rigged. India's foreign ministry later distanced itself from those comments.

"We heartily congratulate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory and hope that the Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest," India's foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday morning. "This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law."

The U.S., which condemned the state of emergency and criticized Yameen for "democratic backsliding" and jailing opponents, also praised the election and urged the government to respect the vote.

In the longer term, said Constantino Xavier, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution think-tank's India office, the "China balancing game will continue in the Maldives and other countries in the region."Stella Perkins says she remembers sitting on her fathers shoulders, watching American troops return home from World War I in 1918. She was 2 years old.

People were screaming and hollering at the Alabama station, she recalled a century later.

The Beaumont resident sat in her recliner on Friday afternoon, thinking back over her 102 years. She was born on Sept. 24, 1916.

Hey Google, what time is it? she asked the Google Home Mini sitting on her living room table. Perkins said she uses the smart speaker for everything from the time of day, the weather and nearby restaurants.

Youre acting up. Youre being a smartie, she said to the device.

My apologies, the artificial intelligence-powered speaker replied.

Its ironic that I lived long enough to see that, Perkins said.

Perkins said she attributes her long life to not worrying about things as much. She never listened to the news, she said.

A self-taught artist, Perkins said shes enjoyed every minute of painting. Art wasnt a subject in school when she grew up, she said. She started painting four decades ago when she was 60, but had to stop within the past six years because she started losing her eyesight.

Perkins is legally blind but she can see just enough to be dangerous, she quipped.

It was my life, my passion, she said of art. I really miss it.

Her paintings adorn the walls of her room at Beaumonts Pelican Bay Assisted Living residence, where she moved a year ago.

Perkins described herself as an individualist who didnt have any role models. She was a homemaker. She admired many people, she said, but never wanted to be them.

Perkins moved to Beaumont from Tuscumbia, Ala., in the 1950s with her husband, a pipefitter. Together she and Red Perkins had two daughters, one of whom still lives in the area in a house her father built.

Looking back on more than a century of memories, Perkins said she wouldnt change anything because then nothing would be the same.

Phoebe.Suy@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/PhoebeSuyAll signs point to Prime Minister Stefan Lofven losing the first round in his battle to remain in power as Sweden seats its new parliament.

The 349-person legislature reconvenes on Monday two weeks after an election that saw the nationalist Sweden Democrats grab 62 seats and Lofven's coalition hang on to a one-seat lead over the center-right Alliance opposition. First up will be the election of a new speaker and then the premier could face a confidence vote as soon as Tuesday.

Daniel Suhonen, head of the left-wing think-tank Katalys, said he has no doubt that the opposition four-party Alliance is "definitely going to grab" its chance in ending the Social Democrat's dominance.

The determination of the opposition and the nationalists came into full view over the weekend. The Alliance on Friday proposed its own candidate for speaker and the following day received the backing from the Sweden Democrats. The speaker plays the key role in deciding who will get the first try at forming a government and also sets the timing on the confidence vote in Lofven.

The premier has so far refused to resign, pointing to his lead over the Alliance. But that doesn't factor in the large bloc of nationalist lawmakers, who have tended to vote with the center-right. While both sides of the establishment have refused to work with the Sweden Democrats, the situation could become more fluid as talks intensify.

"Lofven knows that in the end it's going to be a right-leaning government, but he's making it more costly for the Alliance parties by not stepping down voluntarily," Suhonen said. "They're going to break their promises to not rule with the support of the Sweden Democrats."

The speaker battle sparked sharp reactions over the weekend. Lofven's coalition partner, Green Party leader Isabella Lovin, said the move indirectly gives the nationalists power over forming the next government, which is what they had "warned against," according to news agency TT. Social Democrat group leader Anders Ygeman told newspaper Dagens Nyheter that the speaker job, normally seen as impartial, was now being "politicized."

The Moderates, the biggest opposition party, said they welcomed the Sweden Democrats' decision. Party leader Ulf Kristersson has excluded outright negotiations with the nationalists but hasn't rejected using their support to take power. That view is largely shared by the Christian Democrats. The other partners in the Alliance, the Liberal and Center parties, have so far signaled that they would be unwilling to form a government that relies on such support.

Liberal leader Jan Bjorklund on Monday reiterated that there won't be an Alliance government that relies on the Sweden Democrats.

"It's not just the PM vote," he said. "It's fully possible that Ulf Kristersson could get a majority in the PM vote. But two months later you have to get a budget through parliament and that isn't possible without negotiating with the Sweden Democrats. That's the problem and that is something that we won't do."

The Liberals instead want to see negotiations between the blocs in order to find support for an Alliance government, Bjorklund said.

That was quickly rebuffed by Ygeman, group leader for the Social Democrats. "Forget it," he said at parliament.

The Social Democrats are eager to lure over the Center Party and Liberals to their side, but have so far come up empty.

Government talks can go four rounds of speaker recommendations, but Sweden has always found a solution in the first attempt. It's likely to go beyond round one this time. The margin is razor thin and the Sweden Democrats have vowed that it will need to have influence to back a government.

The party has already been successful in shifting the Swedish debate and could win further concessions on tightening immigration, according to Ann-Cathrin Jungar, an associate professor at Sodertorn University who specializes in the European far-right.

Ahead of the election, the party also excluded its most extreme members and may now go further in trying to become a "normal" party, she said. But none of the blocs can count on its support, she said.

"They want something in exchange," she said. Party leader "Jimmie Akesson has said that they could support a government that's led by the Moderate party and adopts its migration policy."

The markets have so far taken the political turmoil in stride. The krona has gained almost 1 percent since the Sept. 9 vote.

Experiences from other European countries show that it's possible to do fine without a government for long periods of time, SEB analyst Elisabet Kopelman said in a note.

Fiscal policy is expected to become more expansionary regardless of who prevails since both blocs have pledged increased spending. But if no new government is in place by the budget deadline on November 15, fiscal policy would be more neutral since the current budget would just be extended.

"The interest for a snap election is probably low among all parties, expect perhaps for the Sweden Democrats," she said.Lets start the week by looking at the biggest stories.

The silent Popes: Why Francis and Benedict wont answer the accusations dividing their church For the first time in 600 years, there are two living popes, one retired and one active, whose fates may be intertwined, even as many of their followers are at odds.

Kavanaughs accuser accepts request to speak to Judiciary Committee next week, lawyers say Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of a past sexual assault, accepted the request to speak to the panel next week about the alleged incident, her lawyers told Senate Judiciary Committee staff on Saturday.

Who attacked Irans military parade? Iranian Foreign Minister Javid Zarif had no doubt who was to blame for Saturdays attack on a military parade in Iran that killed at least 25 people.

Duchess of Sussex reveals her something blue The Duchess of Sussex has revealed she hid a romantic memento to the first date she had with Prince Harry as the something blue within her wedding outfit. The new royal shared details from her big day with British broadcaster ITV as part of a new two-part show honoring Queen Elizabeth II.

Centuries-old shipwreck found in Portugal Archeologists have found a centuries-old shipwreck off Portugals coast near Lisbon, a local mayors office said Saturday.

Comcast outbids 21st Century Fox for Sky Comcast lodged a winning bid of $39 billion for Sky following a rare, three round auction managed by UKs Takeover Panel

Needles found in New Zealand strawberries The Australian scare over needles found in strawberries has spread to New Zealand after needles were found in a punnet of the fruit in an Auckland supermarket. The Countdown supermarket chain said it had taken a brand of Australian strawberries off the shelves.

Nigeria pirates kidnap Swiss ships crew Pirates have kidnapped 12 crew members from a Swiss cargo vessel in Nigerian waters. Massoel Shipping said its vessel, MV Glarus, was carrying wheat from Nigerias capital to Port Harcourt when it was attacked on Saturday. The pirate gang boarded the Glarus by means of long ladders and cut the razor wire on deck, the firm told AFP.

Anthony Joshua stops Alexander Povetkin to retain world heavyweight titles Anthony Joshua delivered a stunning finish to stop a game Alexander Povetkin and retain his world heavyweight titles at Wembley Stadium. The IBF, WBO and WBA champion, criticised in some quarters for failing to finalise a deal with the divisions other high-profile names, responded emphatically with a seventh-round stoppage of the Russian, who had never been beaten inside the distance.

British pharmacist who joined IS detained A British man who says he is a pharmacist from Birmingham has been detained in Syria on suspicion of being a member of the Islamic State group. Kurdish forces captured Anwar Miah in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour a month ago.

Everything You Know About Obesity Is Wrong From the 16th century to the 19th, scurvy killed around 2 million sailors, more than warfare, shipwrecks and syphilis combined. It was an ugly, smelly death, too, beginning with rattling teeth and ending with a body so rotted out from the inside that its victims could literally be startled to death by a loud noise.

Climate Change Comes Home To Roost In North Carolina The water inundated homes, many still boarded up from Hurricane Matthew two years earlier. It swallowed farm operations, killing millions of chickens and turkeys and overflowing open pits full of hog feces. It flooded coal ash ponds, sending the toxic byproduct of burning coal into area waterways.

Captain Marvel Comic Writer: She Always Gets Back Up Because F**k You Marvel Comics Carol Danvers character has been through many incarnations over the years, and in the latest shes using her Captain Marvel moniker. Thats the version well see in theaters in March 2019, starring Brie Larson as the superhero, and it owes a lot to writer Kelly Sue DeConnick.

Hillary Clinton Tells Colbert I Never Had To Steal A Treaty Off Obamas Desk Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has worn many hats over the course of her storied career, but one job she never had was babysitting a president. Clinton appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Friday and weighed in on many issues facing the country, from the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to a president potentially being subpoenaed or even indicted.

Americans hate selfies, but cant stop taking them Americans have a love-hate relationship with selfies. A new survey from the research company YouGov shows that over 63 percent of Americans say they take selfies. But that doesnt mean America is all aboard the selfie train.

Google is trying, and failing, to cover its creepy Chinese search engine tracks Google wants the worlds information to be universally accessible, unless that information just so happens to relate to its reported efforts to build a censored Chinese search engine that tracks its users.KOSYAKOVO, Russia - Leon du Toit slowly inhales the late summer breeze off fields belonging to a dairy farm not far from Moscow. "Smells just like home," the 72-year-old South African said.

That's just what one Russian political figure hopes to hear.

He is leading something of a charm offensive in South Africa with a very particular goal: hoping to lure white South Africans to move 8,000 miles away to rural Russia.

The selling points are abundant farmland, relative safety and a country that holds tight to traditional Christian values.

What is not said - but clearly understood - is how this fits neatly into the identity politics of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The West may view Putin largely as a strategic and military adversary. Yet inside Russia, much of his support grows from the idea of Russia as the caretaker for a white, Christian and old-style order - rejecting "so-called tolerance, genderless and infertile," in Putin's own words in 2013.

Such comments have helped elevate Putin's stature among populists and nativist-driven political movements in the West. And, within Russia, they have boosted the efforts of political insiders such as Vladimir Poluboyarenko, a government liaison from the Stavropol region in southern Russia.

Poluboyarenko has taken the lead in organizing trips to Russia for white South Africans considering making a move.

The effort intersects with many issues. There is Russia's declining population and worries about the influence of Islam on Russia's borders. Add to that the unease among some white South African farmers as the country debates possible land redistribution to redress racial imbalances during apartheid.

Poluboyarenko claims he funds the trips for the South Africans with his own savings, but such activity would almost certainly need the Kremlin's blessing.

According to a Pew Research Center report last year, fewer than 10,000 South Africans live in Russia. Last April, Russia scrapped tourist visa requirements for South Africans, meaning all planned visits by South African are reviewed in advance.

"I want them to know that Russia can be their mother country, too," said Poluboyarenko, who assists the human rights ombudsman in the agricultural heartland of Stavropol.

Du Toit, a missionary preacher, is weighing the offer.

He and his 39-year-old son, Johannes du Toit, a former minister, came on a scouting mission.

Whites still own the majority of land in South Africa, despite making up less than 10 percent of the population of 56 million. But du Toit represents the fears among some white farmers that the political trajectory of South Africa, such as the issue of land ownership, is not on their side.

On a hazy afternoon, the du Toit men were led through a meadow thick with alfalfa. Du Toit leaned down to pluck a stem and started chewing its leaves. His Russian hosts looked on, somewhat hesitantly, before clapping in glee at the elder du Toit's appreciation.

Poluboyarenko took his visitors around a swath of Russian countryside over several days, introducing them to local farmers in Russia's breadbasket.

"We understand that our government must listen to the majority of the people," said Johannes du Toit. Landscapes of wheat fields and piles of watermelons became a blur through his car window.

"But we don't want our children to suffer from the roll of the dice."

The purported plight of white South Africans - long a rallying cry of global far-right movements - caught the attention of President Trump last month. After watching a segment about the issue on Fox News, he asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to study the "large-scale killing" of white farmers and the government's land expropriation issue.

The tweet was the president's first, at least while in office, to contain the word "Africa." South Africa's government denounced Trump's remarks.

The Kremlin, which enjoys close ties with the South African government after years of Cold War-era support for the ruling African National Congress party (ANC), had yet to officially comment on the land redistribution proposals.

But the white South Africans are given airtime on state television.

"Global media and Twitter and others - of course those with particular motives - have spread a warped representation of the African National Congress's formal statement of intent with regards to expropriation," said Wandile Sihlobo, a lead researcher at South Africa's Agricultural Business Chamber, referring to the proposals for land redistribution.

"But we also lack clear communication from policymakers," Sihlobo added, "which fuels fear and misinformation."

There are no figures made public on the number of South Africans who have moved to Russia or are considering it. Poluboyarenko, however, is a prominent voice for the outreach. He gained attention earlier this year after helping an 11-member German family, outraged by sex education in Western schools, to settle in Russia.

Addressing the du Toits at his "Motherland" dairy farm in Kosyakovo, about 60 miles southeast of Moscow, general director Mikhail Baranov told the father and son: "You can be sure of one thing. You won't find liberalism here, but family values instead."

Such sentiment could hold appeal for the group of white South Africans who call themselves Boers, meaning "farmer" in Dutch. They are descendants of the Dutch settlers who came to southern Africa in the 17th century and have an identity rooted in the Dutch Reformed Church, the Afrikaans language and a shared history of pioneering.

The elder du Toit recalls his first trip to Russia in 2006, when he visited a church in St. Petersburg. "I just looked at all the kindred people, and I cried," he said.

For South African farmer Adi Schlebusch, Russia's religious rebirth under Putin was a decisive factor in his family's decision to emigrate.

"The return of Christian values is a big motivation for us," Schlebusch said by telephone from his South African cattle farm. "We thought Russian people would be sympathetic."

In October, the 29-year-old Schlebusch, his wife and two young children plan to pack up and move to Moscow, where Schlebusch will teach English.

After returning home from his first Russian visit in July, Schlebusch spoke to other farming families in his native Free State province. He estimates that about 25 families are now seriously considering moving to Russia.

"In Russia I enjoyed the freedom of just driving about, anywhere you want to go, between fields and into forests," said 60-year-old Jan Geldenhuys, who until recently lived in Russia, farming wheat, sunflowers and soy.

Drawn back to South Africa to see his family, he is now of two minds about returning.

If the land reform plans go ahead, Geldenhuys will soon be back in his Russian fields.

---

The Washington Post's Max Bearak in Nairobi contributed to this report.San Antonio police arrested an off-duty Bexar County Sheriff's Office deputy early Saturday morning for DWI, bringing the total number of deputies arrested this year to 20.

Deputy Diana Barrera, 51, was a 12-year veteran of the department who according to a release, had been on unpaid administrative leave since August for an unrelated incident. Barrera had been assigned to the county's Detention Bureau.AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee and Quality  Measures Committee member Chioma Ihunnah Anjou, MD, spoke to U.S. legislators for Advocacy Day Sept. 14.

Here are five insights:

1. The AGA promoted three main issues:

Increase National Institutes of Health funding

Increased transparency around insurance-driven step-therapy protocols

Closing the colonoscopy loophole

2. Dr. Anjou said her experience should serve as an example that advocacy is not difficult. While not everyone needs to go to Capitol Hill, she said, taking the time to click a link, leave a voicemail or sign a petition can make a world of difference.

3. She met with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and with the training AGA gave her, she said she was well prepared.

4. Dr. Anjou is a gastroenterologist at Mansfield-based University of Connecticut Health Center.

5. Dr. Anjou said, "I feel that it is important to stand up for our field and our patients, lest others make decisions for us. We do not have to feel powerless in a changing field. Let your voice be heard."With a packed crowd filling Long Islands Paramount Theater, Kip Moore played a musically jam-packed show on the third stop of his headlining After the Sunburn Tour. While Moore had played in New York City the previous evening, the Long Island crowd was loud, energetic, and ready to party.

The Georgia-native opened the show with the high energy Fast Women before segueing into Sunburn. The crowd went wild for the third song of the night, which may have been the biggest singalong to Beer Money.

During his nearly two hour set, Moore put on a no-nonsense show, barrelling through his hits, his favorite album cuts, and even a few crowd requests. Other highlights of the show included Wild Ones, I Plead the Fifth, Just Another Girl, and Im to Blame.

One notable highlight of the show came during an acoustic set, where Moore accepted shouted requests from the audience including Blonde and Crazy One More Time.

After the fan requests, he asked the crowd of phone-wielding fans to put their cells down and enjoy a special moment. Moore played a beautiful new song that he asked be special for the room, with no posts on social media. Looking out at the crowd with phones down and just enjoying the music was definitely a highlight.

Another huge moment of the night came on one of Moores earliest and biggest hits, Something Bout a Truck, which sent the crowd into a frenzy. With such a jam-packed set of over twenty songs, there were sure to be a few favorites missed, but color me surprised (and a wee bit sad) that Moore skipped over one of his biggest hits to date, Hey Pretty Girl.

When it comes to his music and his live show, Kip Moore is truly one of the most under-celebrated artists in country music. With his signature growl and confident, but somewhat unassuming swagger, he puts on an impassioned and high energy set for his devout fans.

Upcoming Nashville band The Wild Feathers opened the show with a high-energy set that included fantastic harmonies, and a spot-on cover of the Tom Petty classic, I Wont Back Down.Salt Lake City-based University of Utah Health saw a 161 percent increase in emergency room visits involving scooters this year after comparing its statistics with the same three-month period in 2017, The Washington Post reports.

ER physicians treated eight patients injured by scooters between June and September 2017. Most of these injuries likely resulted from patients' personal devices rather than the electric fleet vehicles owned by Bird, Lime and other companies, according to the Post.

During the same period this year, that number rose to 21, University of Utah Health emergency medicine physician Troy Madsen, MD, told the Post.

"Most of the patients with these injuries specifically reported that they were riding an e-scooter or a rental scooter," Dr. Madsen said, adding that patients ranged in age from 20 to 50 years old and were often injured attempting to avoid falling. "Interestingly, more than 80 percent of the injuries this year happened between Aug. 15 and Sept. 15, which would correspond with the increasing popularity and availability of the e-scooters."

The hospital said about half of the injuries this year were fractures and dislocations of ankles, wrists, elbows and shoulders. It also saw several sprains, lacerations and head injuries. Several patients told physicians they were intoxicated when they were injured and were not wearing helmets.

Emergency physicians in a dozen cities told the Post they are seeing an uptick in scooter accidents. Physicians in seven cities said they are regularly seeing "severe" injuries.The Arlington County Board voted unanimously to defer consideration of Arlington-based Virginia Hospital Center's proposed construction, which calls for a seven-story outpatient pavilion, six-story parking garage and new inpatient facilities, according to an ARL Now news report.

The deferral comes as a disappointment to Virginia Hospital officials, who say the hospital is in dire need of more space to serve a growing population.

Approval is needed from the board to start building. The vote has been pushed to the board's December meeting.

The decision to defer came after hours of public testimony. Supporters also say the expansion is needed because more hospital services are shifting to the outpatient setting. New hospital opponents, many homeowners who live near the hospital, voiced concerns that the facility will tower over residential areas.

The board encouraged Virginia Hospital Center to "continue to engage with the surrounding neighborhood on improvements before the proposal comes back to the board for consideration."

Access the full report here.The finance director of Dakota Child and Family Clinic in Burnsville, Minn., is facing felony charges for allegedly stealing nearly $80,000 from the nonprofit clinic since 2016, according to WCCO.

Alia Pranke is charged with three felony counts of theft by swindle after authorities say she used the clinic's funds for personal use, including concert tickets and Amazon purchases. She also allegedly wrote herself unauthorized checks from the clinic's bank account and doubled her salary and hours in the clinic's payroll system, according to the report.

In a written statement to WCCO, Miranda Noll, the clinic's executive director, said: "We are a small organization, and this situation has been personally devastating to us. DCFC's commitment to providing high quality healthcare services continues. We are grateful for the support from our community and look forward to continue providing high quality, cost effective healthcare services to patients and families, regardless of ability to pay. We appreciate the hard work of the Burnsville Police Department and Dakota County Attorney's Office and will continue to work with the authorities to bring this situation to a close."

Ms. Pranke is slated to appear in court Oct. 15.

More articles on healthcare finance:

Sutter Health reports higher operating revenues, income in first half of 2018

Houston hospital appeals loss of federal funding for heart transplants

10 hospital bankruptcies in 2018Paige.AI, a startup that applies artificial intelligence to cancer diagnoses, was founded by three insiders at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City  which subsequently granted the company exclusive rights to its archives, presenting a possible conflict of interest, a joint investigation from ProPublica and The New York Times argues.

Here are six things to know about the potential conflict of interest:

1. MSK and three leaders at the center  a member of the health system's executive board, the chairman of its pathology department and the head of one of its research laboratories  hold equity stake in Paige.AI. Three other board members are investors in the MSK spin-out, as well.

2. Paige.AI has an exclusive deal to use MSK's 25 million patient tissue slides and pathologists' extensive library of past work, which some argue give Paige.AI an advantage over its competitors. Unlike other startups that market an invention, the Paige.AI-MSK deal centers on access to raw materials, according to ProPublica and NYT.

3. In a letter  which was tweeted out by ProPublica editor Charles Ornstein  sent to the health system's staff shortly after the article was published, MSK President and CEO Craig Thompson and COO Kathryn Martin disputed "mischaracterizations included in the [New York Times/Propublica] article." They noted that "no patient tissue, patient slides or protected health information has been  or will be  used by, or shared with, Paige. AI." MSK also posted the statement to its website.

4. Several MSK pathologists expressed concerns over the deal, claiming it is unfair for Paige.AI founders to receive equity stake in a company that relies on their expertise and work. They also questioned whether the deal implicates patient privacy, even if the data used in the project is anonymized.

5. According to experts in nonprofit law and corporate governance that spoke with ProPublica and NYT, MSK may not have complied with federal and state law when it made the deal with Paige.AI, since charitable institutions like MSK must show that they don't provide assets to insiders for less than the fair market value.

"It just seems awfully coincidental that the individuals involved happen to be people in control and influence of that asset, and they ended up with an exclusive use of it," Marcus Owens, a Washington lawyer who ran the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt organizations, told ProPublica and NYT. "It seems to create a cascading series of conflicts for the operation of Sloan Kettering."

6. However, MSK officials said board members invested in the startup only after Paige.AI attempted and failed to drum up outside interest from investors. Officials added they acted properly and appropriately in approving the deal, and in exchange for sharing its database, MSK received about 9 percent stake in the company.

Click here to access the complete ProPublica-NYT article.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on Sept. 26, after MSK reached out to Becker's Hospital Review. MSK said recent news stories included "mischaracterizations" about the deal, including the sharing of patient tissue, patient slides or protected health information with Paige.AI. MSK clarified that the patient slides are stored with and remain in MSK's possession. Becker's updated this article for clarity.Town Hall Ventures, the venture capital fund co-founded by former CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt, raised $115 million in its first funding round.

Mr. Slavitt, group executive vice president of Optum, launched Town Hall Ventures with Oxeon Holdings and Oxeon Ventures CEO Trevor Price and Oxeon Ventures Managing General Partner David Whelan in May.

The New York City- and Minneapolis-based venture fund invests in healthcare companies that serve vulnerable and underserved populations covered by Medicare and Medicaid, such as elderly patients and those with chronic conditions.

Town Hall Ventures said its first-round investors included providers, payers, entrepreneurs and investors, including four of the five largest nonprofit health systems and nonprofit health payers.

"Solving problems for the most complex conditions and populations will require the greatest minds in healthcare to work together to build exceptional companies," Mr. Price said in a news release. "We believe this represents a major turning point in shifting resources and innovation focused on populations that have long been ignored."

Town Hall Ventures also recently invested in three companies, bringing its investment portfolio to seven. The new investments went to Landmark Health, a home-care company focused on chronically ill patients; Bright Health, a technology-enabled health insurance plan; and Strive Health, a chronic kidney disease solutions provider.President Donald Trump on Sept. 20 unveiled his "National Cyber Strategy," a set of actions the White House plans to take to improve cybersecurity preparedness across the U.S.

The National Cyber Strategy is the first "fully articulated cyber strategy" the U.S. has released since 2003, according to a White House statement by Grant Schneider, federal chief information security officer and senior director for cybersecurity policy.

President Trump's National Cyber Strategy outlines how the White House will promote cybersecurity across the nation's networks, systems and data, and it argues that a strong cybersecurity posture will preserve peace in the U.S. by strengthening the country's ability to deter international actors from malicious cyberattacks.

"This administration will not treat cyberspace as a separate arena," Mr. Schneider wrote. "Instead, we are integrating cyber into all elements of national power."

Here are the four guiding pillars of the National Cyber Strategy, along with examples of their associated action items, as written in President Trump's report:

1. Protect the American people, the homeland and the American way of life

Secure federal networks and information

Secure critical infrastructure

Combat cybercrime and improve incident reporting

2. Promote American property

Foster a vibrant and resilient digital economy

Foster and protect U.S. ingenuity

Develop a superior cybersecurity workforce

3. Preserve peace through strength

Enhance cyber stability through norms of responsible state behavior

Attribute and deter unacceptable behavior in cyberspace

4. Advance American influence

Promote an open, interoperable, reliable and secure internet

Build international cyber capacity

President Trump vowed to establish cybersecurity as a core issue throughout the 2016 U.S. presidential election, highlighting the topic as one of his 15 key policy areas and signing a cybersecurity executive order five months after assuming the presidency.

"Protecting America's national security and promoting the prosperity of the American people are my top priorities," President Trump wrote in the National Cyber Strategy. "America created the internet and shared it with the world. Now, we must make sure to secure and preserve cyberspace for future generations."

To read President Trump's cybersecurity strategy, click here.Unionized nurses at Burlington-based University of Vermont Medical Center have voted no confidence in the hospital's governing board and two top administrators, CEO John Brumsted, MD, and President and COO Eileen Whalen, RN, according to a WAMC report.

The vote came from members of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, which represents about 1,800 licensed practical nurses, registered nurses and nurse practitioners at the hospital.

Union lead negotiator Molly Wallner said Sept. 20 that the board "refused to engage" during contract negotiations, the report states. She made the remarks during a board meeting, where the union vice president delivered a petition supporting a vote of no confidence. The petition reportedly had 6,000 signatures and cites issues such as the hospital's rankings, a 48-hour strike in July and executive compensation.

The board meeting occurred one day after UVM Medical Center and union reached a tentative three-year agreement that includes a 16 percent average base salary increase over the life of the contract.

During negotiations, which began about six months ago, nurses sought a 22 percent pay increase, according to the report.

Nurses are expected to vote on the tentative agreement soon.

Editor's note: Becker's Hospital Review reached out to UVM Medical Center and will post additional information when it is available.

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Kaiser Permanente workers oppose proposal to outsource 60 gardeners

Michigan Medicine nurses OK option to strike

Ohio nurses ratify labor deal with StewardFrom a Texas medical clinic's owners found guilty of Medicare fraud to the Illinois Supreme Court weighing in on the constitutionality of property tax exemptions for nonprofit hospitals, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits making headlines.

1. 2 clinic operators, physician found guilty of $17M Medicare fraud scheme

Two clinic owner-operators and a physician in Texas were found guilty of participating in a $17 million Medicare fraud scheme.

2. Illinois Supreme Court: Hospitals' property tax exemption is constitutional

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Sept. 21 that nonprofit hospitals in the state do not have to pay property taxes as long as the value of the charitable services they provide is equal to or greater than the taxes they would have paid.

3. Advocacy group sues Arizona State Hospital over patient record access

The Arizona Center for Disability Law filed a lawsuit against top officials at the Arizona State Hospital, a public psychiatric hospital in Phoenix, on Sept. 12, alleging they refused to provide the group access to the facility, patients and records.

4. UMass Memorial pays $230K to settle data breaches affecting 15K patients

UMass Memorial Health Care in Worcester, Mass., agreed to pay a $230,000 settlement to resolve claims that two separate data breaches exposed the personal and health information of more than 15,000 patients.

5. Physician sentenced to 5 months in prison for obstructing Medicare audit

A Florida physician was sentenced to five months in prison for lying to a Medicare program integrity contractor during an audit.

6. Partners, Massachusetts Eye and Ear settle deceptive billing allegations

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Sept. 12 that Boston-based Partners HealthCare and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary agreed to pay $175,000 to settle allegations they violated Massachusetts' consumer protection law by failing to provide certain billing information to patients.

7. Maryland attorney general sues Trump administration to prevent dismantling of ACA

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh sued the Trump administration over efforts he says are intended to undo the ACA.

8. Texas hospital asks judge to dismiss Aetna's claims in billing suit

North Cypress (Texas) Medical Center requested that a federal judge nix Aetna's claims in a lawsuit stating the health insurer paid too little on thousands of medical claims.

9. 350+ patients settle lawsuit with Pennsylvania hospital over fugitive physician's misdiagnoses

West Chester (Ohio) Hospital recently settled lawsuits with hundreds of patients who were treated by a former physician who has since fled the country.

10. AbbVie hit with lawsuit over alleged $1.2B kickback scheme

AbbVie was sued by the California Department of Insurance for allegedly orchestrating a wide-ranging kickback scheme to illegally boost prescriptions of its best-selling arthritis drug Humira.

11. Patient advocates, healthcare groups sue Trump administration to block short-term health plans

The Trump administration is being sued by patient advocates and other healthcare groups over its decision to expand availability of short-term health plans that do not ensure a full set of health benefits.

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New York regulators to probe $660K payment to former CEO of SUNY Upstate Medical University

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Orlando Health hit with $100M defamation suit by fired physicianUniversity of Kentucky Good Samaritan Hospital was forced to divert emergency room patients and partially evacuate Sept. 24 after a chemical spill, The Lexington Herald Leader reports.

A small amount of phenol, a common chemical in hospitals that is corrosive and toxic, was spilled in the basement pharmacy of the Lexington hospital around 5:40 a.m.

Hospital staff in the basement were evacuated, and the ER diverted patients for several hours.

Five people were in the basement during the spill. Hospital workers in the room were sprayed off, and about a dozen emergency room workers were monitored as a precaution.

The hospital was fully functioning by 9 a.m.Forty-seven Oklahoma hospitals and specialty units completed a challenge issued by the Oklahoma Hospital Association to achieve an employee influenza vaccination rate of 96 percent or more in the 2017-18 flu season, according to Tahlequah Daily Press.

OHA's Council on Quality and Patient Safety started the employee vaccination challenge for hospitals during the 2012-13 flu season. While the goal was to initially vaccinate 90 percent of a hospital's staff members, the goal was raised to 96 percent due to the initiative's success. For the 2016-17 flu season, 43 hospitals met this goal.

The flu has caused 9.2 million to 35.6 million illnesses, 140,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 to 56,000 deaths annually since 2010, according to the CDC estimates.

The American Hospital Association, along with other national professional organizations, endorse mandatory flu vaccination policies for healthcare employees. Many hospitalized patients are vulnerable to flu due to their often compromised immune systems. Vaccinating healthcare employees has shown to prevent illness and death in patients and reduce influenza and absenteeism among Healthcare Providers.

"[T]he risk of complications from influenza is higher among the types of people who are admitted to our hospitals," LaWanna Halstead, vice president of quality and clinical initiatives at the Oklahoma Hospital Association, told Tahlequah Daily Press. "These hospitals have developed policies and processes that ensure their patients are protected. Several of these hospitals actually went above and beyond the challenge and met vaccination rates of 100 percent."

More articles on clinical leadership and infection control:In One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy, Emory historian Carol Anderson asserts that many of the efforts employed to impede black voters in the Jim Crow South are still being used successfully today.

Bringing civil rights history to young adult readers To help bring her scholarship to a wider audience, Anderson has written a new book, We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding Our Racial Divide, also published this month by Bloomsbury. Developed in response to the appeal of teachers seeking a more complete history of black lives and the struggle for civil rights in the United States, We Are Not Yet Equal presents an adaptation of White Rage especially written for Young Adult readers.

While on the national speaking circuit following the release of her award-winning book, White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide, Emory historian and professor Carol Anderson noticed a curious trend.

As she described tactics used throughout the nations history to keep African Americans from voting  including gerrymandering, closing polling stations, purging voter rolls, restricting voting hours and adopting stringent voter ID laws  Anderson often saw stunned looks in her audiences.

Questions typically followed along the lines of, I dont understand. How hard is it to get an ID? We have to make sure that people who arent supposed to be voting shouldnt be voting  ideas that, on their face, may sound reasonable, she acknowledges.

In her new book, One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy, published this month by Bloomsbury and on the longlist for this years National Book Award for nonfiction, Anderson asserts that many of the same efforts employed to impede black voters in the Jim Crow South are still being used successfully today, wrapped in the mythology of widespread voter fraud  overblown allegations that simply havent stood up to scrutiny, she says.

All of those little things that sound fiscally responsible or absolutely necessary to maintain the integrity of the ballot box are not designed to enhance the integrity of democracy, but in fact undermine that integrity, says Anderson, Charles Howard Candler Professor and chair of African American Studies at Emory.

New look at an old problem

Voter suppression in America is as old as Reconstruction and as current as todays headlines, according to Anderson.

From redistricting battles in Wisconsin and North Carolina to early voting cutbacks in Ohio, from a Florida law that prevents ex-felons from voting even after time served to a Texas voter ID law that recognizes a handgun license as an acceptable form of government-issued identification, but not student IDs from state universities, Anderson chronicles tactics that are actively  and effectively  keeping American voters from the polls.

Currently, 77 million eligible Americans arent on the nations voter rolls, Anderson observes  a number that exceeds the total combined population of the largest 100 cities in the country by 16 million people.

Across the U.S., more than 42 percent of Latino residents, 43 percent of Asian residents, and nearly 31 percent of African Americans are not registered to vote, she says. In short, an increasingly diverse America is poised to have an increasingly racially homogenous electorate, Anderson writes. And voter suppression exacerbates the consequences.

Part of the problem can be found in the systematic roadblocks that have arisen following what Anderson calls the evisceration of the 1965 Voting Rights Act by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013.

The 5-4 decision in Shelby County v. Holder essentially allows districts with a demonstrated history of racial discrimination to change voting requirements without approval from the Department of Justice, a move that has opened the doors for states to adopt even more voter suppression laws, Anderson argues.

And thats whats happened, she says. An MIT study found an estimated 16 million people  about 12 percent of all voters  experienced at least one problem voting in 2016. Overall, 14 states had new voting restrictions in place for the first time that year.

The result? During the 2016 presidential race, black voter turnout alone dropped by 7 percent, overall, and less than half of Hispanic and Asian American voters made it to the polls.

Yet the justification for such restrictions just isnt there, Anderson contends.

Citing a study by Loyola Law School professor Justin Levitt, between 2000 and 2014 there have been only 31 cases of voter identification fraud confirmed out of 1 billion ballots cast, she notes.

Policy and racial inequality

Andersons scholarship has long focused on the ways in which policies are made and unmade, and how racial inequality and racism affect that process and outcome. Growing up, she saw that complicated dynamic play out firsthand.

After 20 years of service in the U.S. Army, Andersons father settled his family in Columbus, Ohio. My mother saw a house in Oakland Park that she really liked, but the realtor said, No, thats not where you people live, she recalls, instead directing them to a neighborhood that was on the verge of urban decline.

It was the beginning of an awakening. As neighborhood grocery stores turned into carry-outs that sold cheap booze, and blight took hold, Anderson watched her father struggle to advocate for improvements.

I saw a community fighting for its very humanity, fighting for its dignity and all these structural, systemic forces doing everything they could to undermine it, she recalls.

Early on, Anderson understood the influential role policymakers and activists played in shaping the world around her. In choosing an academic life, she set out to discover how and why, then document the resulting outcomes.

While researching One Person, No Vote, she knew her scholarship on a hot-button topic would be heavily scrutinized. As a result, over a third of her book contains extensively documented chapter notes. Facts matter, she says.

Key to making her work possible, Anderson credits the help of student research assistants and the resources offered through Emorys Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, including a trove of Southern Christian Leadership Conference records.

I have been blessed to be at Emory, she says.

Vote, vote, vote

Amid the ongoing battle over voter suppression laws, Anderson says she is encouraged by a number of states taking steps to expand voter registration efforts.

In Oregon, for example, residents are automatically registered to vote when they register for a drivers license, unless they opt out  a practice that has now been adopted in a dozen states, plus the District of Columbia.

Oregon already had a high voter turnout rate, then their voter turnout rate went up even higher after automatic voter registration, Anderson says. But even more than that, their electorate became more diverse with automatic voter registration.

And that kind of representation is an essential underpinning for a functioning democracy, she contends. When 31 states are vying to develop new and more ruthless ways to disenfranchise their populations, and when the others are searching desperately for ways to bring millions of citizens into the electorate, we have created a nation where democracy is simultaneously atrophying and growing  depending solely on where one lives, Anderson writes.

History makes clear, however, that this is simply not sustainable, she adds.

As for what the average person can do to help affect change, the answer is simple.

Register to vote, and then vote, Anderson says. Democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires engagement, and when we don't engage, what we see is the system running amok.Marine fit-out giant MJM Group is set to get the go ahead to build 200 new homes in Newry (stock picture)

Marine fit-out giant MJM Group is set to get the go ahead to build 200 new homes in Newry.

The group, which recently completed the refurbishment of luxury cruise ship the Azamara Pursuit in Belfast and the acquisition of Co Antrim firm Topglass, has secured the approval of planning officials to launch a major residential project in the Watsons Road/Dorans Hill area of the city.

It includes 61 detached, 126 semi-detached and 13 townhouses. Five years in the making, the planning application has finally been signed off by officials at Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

The local authoritys planning committee is expected to grant it the official seal of approval on Wednesday morning.

It has been a busy year for the MJM Group. In July, the Newry-based firm completed work on Royal Caribbeans Azamara Pursuit, a project thought to be worth around 50m.

The company also announced in July its plan to create 30 new jobs at its headquarters before the end of 2018. It came just weeks after MJM announced the multi-million pound acquisition of Topglass.

The group was founded by Brian McConville, who in 2017 named Businessperson of the Year at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards.

Last year the company reported a 50% jump in pre-tax profits to 7.5m.

MJM said its turnover increased to 62m during 2016, with employee numbers at that stage confirmed at 215.

The new housing project, which is essentially divided by Watsons Road, will also feature major roadworks, including a new roundabout at the junction of Watsons Road and Dorans Hill, with a new distributor road running through the development with side roads branching off into residential estates.

Both Watsons Road and Dorans Hill will also be widened, with a new footpath on Glen Hill.

A protected early Christian period rath on the site will be retained as an open space within a protected zone.

A report due to go before Wednesdays planning committee reveals that there were 209 objections to the plan. Most, it said, were of a pro forma type, raising issues including inadequacy of the local infrastructure, road safety, lack of footpaths, street lighting, green spaces and community facilities.

Planners said all objections had been fully considered and  after assessing all relevant planning policies, as well as the consultations, area plan and site history  the report concludes: It is considered that the proposal complies with all relevant policies and approval is recommended.The shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has warned that a no deal Brexit would be a "gift" for those seeking a return to violence.

Tony Lloyd said that leaving the European Union without a deal would be "disastrous" and "dangerous", and would make the reality of a hard border "almost inescapable".

Should Northern Ireland have special status after Brexit? Click here to take our Facebook poll.

"(That) would see a return to the kind of paraphernalia on the border that we all recognise 20 years ago," he said.

"A return to that, and I quote the Chief Constable of the PSNI, would be something that would be a gift to those who want to return to violence and return to terror. We simply can't accept that."

The MP was referring to a previous warning from George Hamilton, who claimed that Government officials had failed to prepare for the impact Brexit will have on peace and security.

Earlier this month the Chief Constable said some Westminster politicians believed that terrorism was a thing of the past and viewed the region as "peripheral".

"There's a feeling that as regards to the Troubles and the conflict, Northern Ireland is sorted and we don't need to worry about it, when actually we're working flat out 24/7 to keep a lid on it," Mr Hamilton warned.

Mr Lloyd rejected claims made by hardline Brexiteers - including Jacob Rees-Mogg - that the issue of the border had been seized upon by Remainers seeking political leverage.

"It's not scaremongering," he said.

"I genuinely believe that, when you have someone with the gravitas of George Hamilton as the Chief Constable actually warning of the risks, warning that politicians have been sleepwalking into the potential no-deal situation, we've got to take his word seriously.

"He's not a politician. He's not saying that for my benefit." Mr Lloyd, who described the Good Friday Agreement as one of the most "profound" and "precious" changes in our society in decades, said it is "impossible" to envisage custom controls and regulation of goods without physical checks on the border.

"Once you do that, we are into a different terrain," he added.

"It's not a bogus argument."

He also dismissed calls for a second referendum shortly before leader Jeremy Corbyn told delegates attending the party conference that he would be "bound" by the outcome of a vote by Labour members on the issue.

But Mr Corbyn insisted he was not calling for a public vote, and said he believed a general election would be a better way to resolve the political crisis over the nature of the UK's departure from the EU.

Mr Lloyd branded another vote as an "abnegation" and said he would also prefer an election after each party has set out its stall, giving a clear mandate to the next government.

Meanwhile, a poll found 86% of Labour members think voters should have the final say on the outcome of Brexit negotiations, and 90% would now vote to remain.

As Labour's conference officially began in Liverpool yesterday, more than 100 constituency parties have submitted motions calling for the issue to be put to a so-called People's Vote.

Many activists believe that with Mrs May's plans in disarray following the rejection of her Chequers proposals by EU leaders in Salzburg, the time is now right for Labour to call for a fresh ballot.

Mr Corbyn told the Sunday Mirror: "What comes out of conference I will adhere to.

"But I'm not calling for a second referendum. I hope we will agree that the best way of resolving this is a general election.

"But I was elected to empower the members of the party.

"So if conference makes a decision I will not walk away from it and I will act accordingly."

There was a similar message from deputy leader Tom Watson, who told The Observer: "Jeremy and I were elected in 2015 to give the Labour Party back to its members. So if the people's party decide they want the people to have a final say on the deal, we have to respect the view of our members and we will go out and argue for it."

However, speaking to BBC Breakfast, shadow housing and communities minister Andrew Gwynne stopped short of repeating his bosses' support for a People's Vote if it is the wish of party members.

"Of course we're a democratic party, but before we get that we want a general election, because this Government has made a complete fist of Brexit, they haven't been able to negotiate a deal," he said.

"Ultimately we are not in control of this process right now. We want to be in control of that process. We want to negotiate a Labour Brexit."

A YouGov survey of more than 1,000 Labour members for The Observer found 86% support a referendum on the outcome of Brexit talks, against just eight per cent who oppose it.

Even in the North and Midlands, where many Labour constituencies voted Leave in 2016, there was overwhelming support - 86% and 88% respectively - for a second vote.

Some 81% believe their standard of living would get worse after Brexit and 89% said it would be bad for jobs.

Tory chairman Brandon Lewis said: "The last pretence that Labour ever respected the democratic decision of the British people is rapidly disappearing."Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has risked a row with Conservative rebels after saying the idea of a Canada-style trade deal is "off the table".

The cabinet minister said such an approach advocated by some prominent Brexiteers "can't be right" because the European Union would demand unacceptable conditions on Ireland.

Should Northern Ireland have special status after Brexit? Click here to take our Facebook poll.

It comes as Leave rebels are set to publish their alternative plans for Brexit, suggesting a "Canada-plus-plus-plus" free trade arrangement.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show yesterday, Mr Raab also said that an autumn election - which the prime minister's aides were rumoured to have been planning - was "for the birds".

Asked to rule out the possibility of a Canada-style agreement, he said: "We all want a free trade deal. The question is the terms.

"And if what you're referring to is the Ceta-plus or plus-plus arrangement which is being bandied around, I think people need to read the small print, not just of our proposals, but the EU's proposals.

"Because what they're suggesting is not just a free trade but for us to stay locked in or for Northern Ireland specifically to stay locked into the customs union. Now that would be a clear carve-up of the United Kingdom in economic terms."

He continued: "It's off the table in the terms that the EU would even plausibly at this stage would at least accept the nuts and bolts.

"What they are suggesting is that we would stay in a backstop arrangement with Northern Ireland which would be a part of the United Kingdom, subject to a wholly different economic machine. That can't be right."

He said the government would continue negotiating with Brussels on the basis of the prime minister's Chequers proposals, and described the impasse in the negotiations as a "bump in the road".

On Saturday, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt refused to dismiss the possibility of Canada-style trade agreement, but added: "We have been very clear that we are prepared to negotiate on the Chequers proposal but we can't talk to a void - we have to have a counter party that's prepared to sit down and go through the detail."

The deal agreed between Canada and the EU covers free trade but is significantly less comprehensive than the arrangement Britain is seeking with the EU.

A Canada-style deal is favoured by some Brexiteers because it would not keep Britain so closely aligned with the EU.

Mr Raab also revealed the government would publish its third tranche of no-deal documents today, detailing the Brexit department's preparations for various parts of the economy.

Earlier Mrs May issued an appeal to warring Tories to come together to prevent opposition parties derailing the Brexit process.

"Some are now openly advocating a second referendum and extending Article 50 to delay Brexit, sending us right back to square one. Others are talking directly to the EU to actively undermine the UK's negotiating position," the Prime Minister said in a statement.

"But I say, this is the moment to put our country first. This is the moment to set aside our differences and come together in national unity. This is the moment to do what is right for Britain."A key Northern Ireland department is "under-prepared" for Brexit due to delays in recruitment, an Ulster Unionist MLA has claimed.

Mike Nesbitt revealed that the Department of Finance chief has handed back additional money it asked for to prepare for the UK's departure from the European Union due to delays in filling jobs.

In correspondence with Mr Nesbitt, Sue Gray, permanent secretary at the department, said it had applied for 1.65m to help prepare for Brexit.

The requested money was to help cover additional staffing resources identified to carry out EU exit preparation work in 2018/19.

The department received 1.34m, but now expects to spend 1m.

In the correspondence, Ms Gray attributed the underspend to "delays in filling vacancies".

The unspent money will be surrendered for reallocation.

There are currently no ministers running Stormont departments following the suspension of power-sharing in January 2017.

In the absence of ministers, senior civil servants have had to step in to run departments. Mr Nesbitt said he is "very concerned" that six months from when the UK is due to leave the European Union in March 2019, there appears to be a "significant gap between where we are and where the department clearly wanted to be".

"While the Executive Office may be the engine room for ideas in our devolved arrangements, the Department of Finance is the beating heart of money management," he said.

"It has to be assumed therefore that if they bid for 1.65m to deal with exiting the EU, they need 1.65m.

"This additional staffing resource was obviously identified because it is required to best understand and manage our needs as we prepare for the greatest shock to our political system since the Second World War.

"So it is very concerning that six months out from our exit from the European Union there is a significant gap between where we are and where the department clearly wanted to be."

Mr Nesbitt also queried the delays in filling vacancies against the backdrop of the recent civil service voluntary exit scheme (VES), which was brought in before the collapse of Stormont.

"The other key question relates to the fact that the underspend is explained, but not excused, by delays in filling vacancies, thus raising the question of whether the voluntary exit scheme introduced by the last DUP/Sinn Fein coalition created those vacancies in the first place," he said.

The Department of Finance said: "The voluntary exit scheme concluded in May 2016 before the European Union membership referendum on June 23, 2016.

"The preparations for EU exit emerged after the voluntary exit scheme, it is not possible to determine if the VES has had any impact on the number of vacancies."More than 4,000 people in Northern Ireland were brought to court for not paying their TV licence in the past year, it can be revealed.

On average, 16 people are prosecuted here every working day for dodging the 150 fee.

They accounted for one in every nine cases in the Magistrates Court during the 12 months to March this year.

Around a quarter of attempted prosecutions did not result in a conviction.

In July west Belfast grandmother Anne Smith was jailed after not paying a fine imposed for evading the TV licence.

John O'Connell, chief executive of right-wing pressure group the TaxPayers' Alliance, said the TV licence needed to be reviewed.

"The licence fee is a serious hit on ordinary families' finances, and those forced by law to pay the bill deserve to know if they are getting good value for their hard-earned money," he said.

"A new generation of viewers are increasingly switching to streaming platforms, and while the iPlayer does compete in this space, the licence fee is outdated and the BBC should look at longer-term reforms that suit the modern audience."

TUV leader Jim Allister said he was shocked at the high proportion of TV licence cases.

"This does seem a very high number but if people met their civic responsibility and paid for the service which they use, then it wouldn't result in so many cases," he said.

However, Mr Allister said wider questions remained about the merit of the TV licence.

"I suspect we would be better with a system where the BBC had to make its own way, just as ITV has to through commercial engagement," he added. "But as the law stands, the TV licence is there and people have to pay it.

"The numbers coming through the court system do seem very high, though."

The cost of a TV licence fee increased in April to 150.50.

Failing to buy a licence is a criminal offence and can mean a fine of up to 1,000.

The BBC, which uses licence fee revenue to pay for its radio, television and internet services, contracts a body called TV Licensing to administer the system and bring prosecutions.

Court figures obtained by this newspaper show that in the 12 months to March (2017/18), a total of 4,273 people were dealt with in the Magistrates Court here for TV licence evasion.

That is 16 a day, based on the courts' five-day working week. Some 3,270 of these (76%) were convicted.

TV licence evasion cases accounted for 11% - around one in nine - of the 38,850 people brought to the Magistrates Court in the same 12-month period.

The numbers brought to court for not having a TV licence has fallen from 5,660 in 2015/16 to 4,606 in 2016/17 to 4,273 in 2017/18. But the overall number of people in the Magistrates Court has also fallen in this period, meaning the proportion of TV licence cases in the court system remained largely unchanged.

TV Licensing said: "We do everything we can to help people pay and only prosecute as a last resort when all other options are exhausted.

"The majority of first-time offenders are not prosecuted if they buy a licence within a specified time."

The way offenders are dealt with is a matter for the courts, it said, adding: "There are many ways to pay, including weekly cash payments. We work with nearly 500 organisations across the UK, including many in Northern Ireland, to offer advice and support."A Northern Ireland man has told of the devastating consequences of being affected with contaminated blood on both his health and his family.

Nigel Hamilton and his brother will be giving evidence to the public inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal which left at least 2,400 dead and many more with long term ill health.

Read More

The inquiry is investigating the treatment of thousands of people in the 1970s and 1980s who were given blood products infected with hepatitis viruses and HIV, and the impact it had on their families.

Nigel Hamilton, a former DUP politician, underwent an eye operation in 1974 when he was 14, it was not until the 1990s he discovered he was infected with hepatitis C during the procedure. That was despite years of ill health and numerous blood checks because he suffers from hemophilia.

"In my 30s it became evident there was something wrong," he told the BBC.

He said it came as a "hammer blow" to him and his family when he was diagnosed and had to inform his wife and children they too had to be tested for the condition.

"At that stage I was married with four sons .... it devastated my marriage, unfortunately all trust was gone.

"I've lost an awful lot."

Mr Hamilton said at one stage an employer became suspicious he may have had HIV and ended up having to leave the job.

His twin brother too was infected by contaminated blood after a car accident. However, after treatment he was able to make a recovery although Mr Hamilton said he had an increased risk of liver cancer.

He said he had confidence in the inquiry in reaching "justice".

"I want transparency," he added, "stories need to be told, not just of those that suffered but from those families that lost their loved ones.

"This has shamed and destroyed the reputation of the NHS for many.

"I want to see justice... its important recognition is given for those affected and for those that have lost people.

"Compensation is important but the most important thing is that this never happens again and the recommendations of the inquiry are full applied."Dan O'Brien, Chief Economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs.

A leading Irish economist has called for a referendum in Northern Ireland to let people decide what customs arrangements should operate here after Brexit.

Dan O'Brien, chief economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs, writing in the Irish Independent, said a referendum may be the only way to "legitimise" whatever decision is eventually taken.

Should Northern Ireland have special status after Brexit? Click here to take our Facebook poll.

The European Union last November proposed that Northern Ireland remain in the single market in order to prevent a hard border with the Irish Republic.

Prime Minister Theresa May rejected this proposal and last week said any attempt to break up the United Kingdom was "unacceptable" and something "we will never agree to".

However, Mr O'Brien has suggested the only way out of the current deadlock may be a referendum

"Among the few possible ways out could be a referendum in Northern Ireland on which customs territory people north of the Border want to be a part of," he said.

"It might let Leo Varadkar and Theresa May off the potentially career-ending hook that they are both now on."

Mr O'Brien admitted the idea has "obvious and serious downsides" in a polarised society like Northern Ireland.

He added: "But allowing the people of the North to decide the matter could legitimise whatever decision is eventually taken.

"If both the Taoiseach and the prime minister agreed to the holding of a vote, and agreed to be bound by its outcome, it could prevent the worst possible outcome for everyone next March.

Should Northern Ireland have special status after Brexit? Posted by Belfast Telegraph on Monday, September 24, 2018

"To be clear: a referendum in Northern Ireland is not a good idea. But in a dire situation when there are few good options, desperate measures can sometimes be necessary. A referendum may be the least bad option now."

Mr O'Brien suggested that the most likely outcome of the Brexit negotiations at present was the UK crashing out without a deal.

He suggested the blame for this almost entirely lied with the British side.

However, he admitted: "The decision by the Irish and EU side last November to demand of the British that they concede the principle that part of their sovereign territory - Northern Ireland - be removed from their customs territory was a major miscalculation.

"Perhaps it is because Europeans have shared the same customs territory for more than half a century that the significance of the proposal was under-estimated. But under-estimated it was.

"Countries do not cede their customs territory to others on demand."A man has been left with a serious head injury in an assault outside a Northern Ireland hotel.

Police in Strabane are appealing for witnesses after the incident at The Fir Trees Hotel at around 3am on Saturday.

Several people were reported to be involved. The man received multiple stitches to a serious head wound and further treatment to the inside of his mouth, while a woman also suffered a facial injury.

"We are appealing for anyone who was in the area of The Fir Trees at the time and who saw any of this incident to make contact with us by ringing 101 and quoting police reference 196 of 22/09/2018," said police in their appeal.James and Janice Bradley carry the coffin of their son Daniel at St Patricks Church in Maghera

James and Janice Bradley carry the coffin of their son Daniel at St Patricks Church in Maghera

Mourners at the funeral of Daniel Bradley heard the eight-year-old, who was knocked down and killed last week, was a "special child who taught us all that love and care were the most important things in life".

Hundreds of people packed into St Patrick's Church in Maghera yesterday for the Mass of the Angels to celebrate the youngster's life.

Daniel died in the accident on the Glenshane Road last Thursday.

Children from Kilronan Primary School stood in silence as the small white coffin arrived at the church.

Daniel's mother Janice and father James walked behind the hearse with their daughters Lucy, Emily and Katy.

Emily clutched a small teddy bear as her parents carried their son's coffin into the packed rural church.

Mourners spilled out into the car park and stood in driving rain as parish priest Father Patrick Doherty told the congregation that Daniel was a "friend to God" and was now among the saints.

"Daniel was a special child," he said.

"He was a child to whom God was very close.

"He was so young and yet contributed so much to family and community.

"So young, and yet he completed the work that God had for him.

"He is someone today that we know for sure is among the saints. That is Daniel.

"At just eight years of age, he was taken so quickly from us with nobody at fault. It's hard to believe."

Fr Doherty told those gathered that Daniel, who was autistic and had difficulties with communication, knew he was greatly loved.

"Special children possess qualities of welcome, wonderment, spontaneity and directness, and Daniel had all of those in his life," he added.

"Special children are able to touch hearts and call others to unity through their simplicity, innocence and vulnerability.

"They are always a reminder to the world and to us of the essential values of the heart, of what is important in life - love, care, appreciation.

"Daniel always attracted your attention. You had to take notice of him, because he was a prophet. A prophet among us.

"He always called us to think and to stop and reflect on the meaning of life. Because he was untouched by the world.

"Simple and innocent, and he reached out to everyone without exception, he had no labels, he loved all.

"And although he wasn't able to communicate much in words, he sang, he drew, he made signs.

"He expressed love, because love doesn't need words. He loved all. He loved his parents, he loved his sisters, his grandparents and his family and he was able to express that very simply by the heart. He was called affectionately 'Dan the Man'."

Fr Doherty said that eight years ago God visited Daniel's parents James and Janice "with a special gift".

"In many ways it was life-changing, but very precious. And now God's gift is returning back to him," he said.

"He gave that gift for this length of time, that gift that will last forever in your hearts. He was God's friend as well as ours, and friends cannot be kept apart from each other for too long.

"He kept everyone on their toes. He was full-time.

"But we were lifted up by enthusiasm, cheered by his smile, his fun and warmed by his friendship. And we are grateful today for all he has taught us. For he taught us what was important and of the simple things in life."

After communion a poem was read out from the altar that depicted Daniel and Peter Pan flying through Neverland, "hearing his Daddy playing music" and "seeing his Mummy blowing him a kiss".

It told his parents to look to the sky and when they see "a shining star burning bright, know that is Peter Pan and Dan the Man".

It read: "There are no weird sounds here, nothing hurts my ears. I look around and I can tell, I'm going to like it here.

"Peter points across the clouds, you wouldn't believe what I can see. I have my very own forest and one apple tree.

"And in the distance, oh my what could it be. It's the biggest box of Lego I have ever seen."

Daniel's favourite song, Coldplay's Fix You, which he sang with his father in a social media video just weeks ago, was sung as the child's coffin was carried down the church aisle by his parents to be buried in the adjoining cemetery.Snow and ice could cause problems

The road has been closed.

Follow the latest updates from our travel feed below

The Dobbin Road in Armagh has been reopend folowing an earlier crash.

Diversions are in place and traffic is being diverted onto the Vicarage Road, delays are expected.

Our live updates from across Northern Ireland are compiled by @TrafficwatchNI, @BBCNITravel and @PSNITraffic.Norwegian Air is ending flights from Northern Ireland to the US

Airline Norwegian is to pull out of Belfast International Airport.

The airline has confirmed its last flight will be October 27 and had taken the decision due to lack of demand.

It operates flights to Boston and New York.

The budget airline announced routes from Belfast International to the US in February 2017, with flights beginning in July last year from as low as 69 a ticket.

It will also end transatlantic flights from Edinburgh in March 2019 while Dublin services will remain.

A Norwegian spokesperson said: Following a comprehensive review of our services from Belfast in response to customer demand, we have decided to withdraw our routes from Belfast to the New York and Boston areas.

Customers can still book flights between Belfast and the US on our website for travel up to 26 October 2018.

"New York and Boston-Providence remain well served by Norwegian from Dublin, Shannon and Cork with up to 33 weekly departures, giving customers in Northern Ireland an alternative for booking daily affordable flights to the US."

Prior to Norwegian launching its routes from Belfast, United Airlines ran Northern Ireland's only direct link to the US for years before poor financial performance rendered it unsustainable.

A 9million rescue deal agreed by Stormont and United collapsed a few months before the route was halted because the financial package breached EU state rules.

The route between Belfast International Airport and Newark Airport first began in 2005, operated by Continental Airlines.

United took over the operation of the route in 2012 following a merger between the airline and Continental.

A spokeswoman for the airport said it was "extremely disappointed" to lose the service and it was an "unsustainable" situation the Northern Ireland public now had to travel to Dublin for their nearest US flight service. Pointing toward the absence of the Executive, the airport said it was of "greater concern" there was a lack of any economically driven strategy which was creating setbacks.

"The basic fact remains that the flight schedule provided by the airline from Belfast (two flights per week) was neither flexible nor attractive enough to appeal to the local travelling public," she said.

"There is significant  and prospectively increasing  market demand between Northern Ireland and the USA / Canada, particularly focused upon New York and Toronto as gateways."

She added: "The Northern Ireland  North America market remains strong. We will continue to work to ensure that partner airlines are encouraged to serve our market in an appropriate and sustainable manner.The Hillhall Road has been closed between Ballycoan Road and Ballylesson Road after a serious accident. Credit: Google Images

One person has been rushed to hospital after a serious crash between a motorcycle and a car on the Hillhall Road between Lisburn and Belfast.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 2.12pm following reports of a collision.

Two rapid response paramedics, an A&E crew and a doctor were sent to the incident.

Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, one patient has been taken to Royal Victoria Hospital for further treatment.

The Hillhall Road is closed between Ballycoan Road and Ballylesson Road.

Police have advised motorists to avoid the area.

The Belfast Telegraph contacted the Belfast Trust on Monday evening, but was told condition checks could only be given on named individuals.Evidence from former First Minister Arlene Foster to the RHI inquiry has been published online.

The DUP leader is set to give evidence on Tuesday. She appeared before the inquiry in April but it is in this week's hearing at which Mrs Foster's overall actions in the cash-for-ash scandal will be most closely scrutinised in light of the evidence of other witnesses.

Mrs Foster was Minister for the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment when the flawed green energy scheme was signed off in 2014.

She has previously denied any wrongdoing over the RHI scheme and said civil servants withheld information from her about the scheme.

Former DUP special advisors John Robinson (Wednesday), Stephen Brimstone (Wednesday) and Timothy Johnston (Thursday) will also give evidence later this week.

Expand Close Arlene Foster at RHI Inquiry earlier this year Photopress Belfast / Facebook

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The inquiry has previously heard claims Mr Johnston was involved in RHI cost control delays, which he denies. He is now the chief executive of the DUP.

Mr Brimstone was a beneficiary of the RHI scheme. A civil servant told the inquiry in June Mr Brimstone telephoned him to inquire about the possibility of getting a boiler registered.

It was claimed he gave his name to the official, but didn't identify himself as a DUP spad.

Arlene Foster's witness statementSinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald (right) at Belfast City Hall for the installation dinner of Councillor Deirdre Hargey as Lord Mayor of Belfast

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald has asked unionists to open a conversation about "defining a new Ireland" during a speech in Belfast on Saturday.

The party leader delivered a speech during Sinn Fein Lord Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey's installation dinner at Belfast City Hall.

During the wide-ranging speech, the Dublin Central TD told the audience that a united Ireland didn't mean "bolting the north onto the south".

"It is an opportunity to define a new Ireland - an Ireland that is inclusive and equal," she said.

"An Ireland that shares prosperity and offers equal opportunity. It is about taking the best of all parts of our island, north, south, east and west, to create a sum greater than its parts.

"I want to discuss the future and what's best for all our people. So let's have the conversation.

"Let's be open to ideas and discussions and let us plan for the future together."

The Sinn Fein leader also praised Belfast City Council's stance on same-sex marriage and warned that it was only a matter of time before it was introduced.

"I am glad that this council supports Pride and marriage equality, and be in no doubt - we will win marriage equality for all the citizens," she said.

Mrs McDonald said that the immediate challenge facing Ireland was Brexit. She told the audience that the backstop must be retained and that "the position of the British government or the DUP does not represent the views of the majority of people nor the interests of the economy".

"Both the Tory party and the DUP should respect the vote of the majority in the north to remain with the European Union with all that entails."An MLA whose sister died by suicide has said a new strategy to tackle the crisis cannot wait on political agreement.

SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan was speaking after the Chief Medical Officer said the initiative - Protect Life 2 - has been finalised but can't be published without ministerial endorsement. Dr Michael McBride said all options were being explored to progress the issue.

Mr Durkan's sister Gay took her own life in 2011. He said the lack of progress was a consequence of the political impasse.

"It is a damning indictment of politics here that a significant step towards tackling the scourge of suicide cannot be taken due to the deadlock between the DUP and Sinn Fein," he said.

"An important suicide prevention strategy is gathering dust in an empty minister's office while those parties are still squaring up to each rather than stepping up for everyone else.

"The failure to implement this strategy is nothing short of disgraceful. This needs signed off and rolled out.

"The strategy, like a government, is not going to wave a magic wand and let everyone live happily ever after, but it should make a real difference and would save lives."

Dr McBride added: "The new strategy, Protect Life 2, has been finalised but to date we have been unable to publish this without ministerial endorsement.

"The department is currently exploring all options to progress the strategy, and to enable further development of Protect Life services to support those most vulnerable in our society.

"It would be totally wrong and misleading to suggest that support for those who need it is being compromised because of any delay in its publication.

"This strategy remains in place and its budget is protected. The Public Health Agency continues to invest over 8million a year to deliver suicide prevention, and emotional health and wellbeing services."

If you or anyone else is affected by issues in this article, contact the Samaritans free on 11 6123 or Lifeline on 080 8808 8000Damage to door at scene of shooting in Ballymoney. Pic by Peter Morrison

Neighbours of an 18-year-old shot in both arms and legs have expressed their shock at the brutal paramilitary-style attack.

Police are investigating the attack at a house on Moneycannon Road in Ballymoney in the early hours of yesterday.

The injured teen was taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries, which are not thought to be life-threatening.

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PSNI Inspector Vince Redmond said that the victim had been shot four times, once in each arm and leg, at around 3.30am by unknown intruders.

He added: "Our enquiries are at a very early stage into what was a brutal attack on a young man in his home by dangerous and violent individuals, and I would ask anyone with any information which could assist us to apprehend those responsible to contact detectives."

One neighbour, who has lived in the area for 40 years, said he was "totally shocked that the attack was so brutal".

"This is a peaceful farming community," he added.

"Nothing like that has ever happened here.

"I'll have to think about putting in security cameras after this. People in rural areas normally feel a bit safer, you don't expect something like that to happen on your doorstep.

"I hope they are caught. You don't want people like that roaming around."

Another neighbour said: "Everyone is very shocked, especially when you have kids.

"People are very scared."

Between September 2017 and August 2018 there were 19 people injured in paramilitary-style shootings compared with 24 the previous year.

There were 54 people injured in paramilitary-style assaults in the same period, compared with 76 the previous year.

North Antrim TUV MLA Jim Allister said the "vicious attack" in Ballymoney showed "the real and brutal face of paramilitarism".

He added: "Paramilitaries who think and act above the law must be brought to book for such excesses.

"There should be no room in our society for self-appointed enforcers and their weapons of death and destruction.

"I urge anyone with relevant information to provide it to the PSNI."

SDLP MLA John Dallat said it was "time for the authorities to dispel the notion that democracy and paramilitary gangs can coexist".

He added: "They can't, and those who think this is possible are only deluding themselves and doing nobody any favours.

"This latest paramilitary-style shooting involving an 18-year-old in Ballymoney shows once again that proscribed groups are operating in open defiance of law and order.

"All elected representatives should be screaming from the rooftops about this lawlessness and stand up for those who are the real peace builders.

"To me it is a great disappointment that 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement we still have people wearing masks and carrying guns to mutilate people. That cannot go on. I would encourage any individual intimidated or frightened by these so-called 'brigadiers' to go to the police and seek their assistance."

Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson said that "this scourge on our society must be addressed".

He said: "There can be no acceptance for such attacks. Paramilitary assaults and coercive control must always be challenged. Those with knowledge behind this and other similar brutal and vile attacks need to come forward and provide information to the police.

"Far too often, those responsible for such attacks escape justice and there is a sense of impunity to their actions. It is important all stakeholders support the implementation of the Paramilitary Action Plan and the work of the PSNI's Paramilitary Taskforce, and stress the importance of effective policing in the community and the development of a culture of lawfulness."

Sinn Fein MLA Philip McGuigan said there was no justification for the attack, which was "quite clearly carried out by loyalist paramilitaries".

He added: "In fact this is just the latest of many attacks, resulting in death and serious injuries, close to Ballymoney, carried out by loyalists. There needs to be firm action by the PSNI to halt these attacks and bring those responsible to justice."

UUP councillor Darryl Wilson described the incident as "particularly brutal".

"Now is the time to engage with the local community and the PSNI to take a long, hard and honest look at why these attacks are continuing," he said.

"Community activists and civic leaders have a duty to ask questions as to why certain individuals feel the need to take the law into their own hands and what can be done to eradicate anti-social behaviour at its very core.

"I would urge anyone with any information to come forward to the PSNI as soon as possible."

Detectives at Coleraine can be contacted on 101, quoting reference number 324 23/09/18. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.Three men have been charged following a police search in the Creggan area of Londonderry. (stock photo)

Two men have been charged with conspiracy to kidnap and a third charged with firearms and drug-related offences following a police search of a house in Londonderry.

The charges come after a PSNI operation in the Creggan area of the city on Friday September 21 when a quantity of suspected drugs were recovered.

Two men, aged 21 and 22, have been charged with the offence of Conspiracy to Kidnap. A third man, aged 21, has been charged with firearms and drug-related offences including Possession of Class A drug with intent to supply.

The charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.Right: Denis Mulcahy with children he brought over from Northern Ireland to the US

For children growing up in Troubles-torn Northern Ireland, it was undoubtedly the trip of a lifetime.

Thousands of young Catholics and Protestants will surely never forget the time they were whisked across the Atlantic to the United States, where they were hosted by American families as part of an initiative aimed at opening the visitors' eyes to a different world.

Now, decades later, one of the kindly US couples who took part in the Project Children Program have gone in the opposite direction for a poignant reunion with 14 local children they opened the doors of their New Jersey home to for six-week summer breaks between 1985 and 1994.

Jim and Peg O'Donnell's guests were between eight and 11 years old back then, but are now in their late 30s and early 40s with families of their own - and living in more peaceful times.

Through tears, Peg (72) said the reunions meant the world to her and 74-year-old Jim, whose children Paddy (43), Brian (41) and Christine (40) were 11, nine and seven when they became involved in the programme.

"We became involved because we wanted to keep Northern Irish children off the streets so they wouldn't get hurt," she said.

"We wanted them to see what peace was like. That was the whole idea."

Two of those wide-eyed visitors - Paul McCafferty and Joanne McAllister, now aged 43 and 39 respectively - described the trip as "invaluable" and said they wished it was something their children could also experience.

Speaking in the foyer of a Co Antrim hotel the O'Donnells were staying in, taxi driver Paul, who was 11 at the time, recalled "getting the golden ticket" when he was told he had been chosen.

"It was all doom and gloom at home so going to America showed me there was something else out there," he said. "It was fantastic to experience other cultures. Previously, I'd spent a lot of time at Clonard throwing stones for reasons I didn't understand."

Paul, from the Falls area of Belfast, who has four children - Paul (21), Megan (18), Chloe (nine) and Caoimhe (seven) - with partner Moya Sloan (43), said he remembers the digital display on the radio.

"I thought it was a clock so I initially couldn't understand how strange time was recorded in America!" he said.

Nine months ago, the O'Donnells, who had always wondered what had happened to their Northern Irish visitors, decided to find them by searching on social media and the internet.

And now they are executing their carefully organised plan to meet up with each of them individually - after a 24 to 33 year hiatus - during their 10-day trip here.

Bookkeeper Joanne, from the Ardoyne, who has three children - Deaglan (13), Darrach (nine) and Faelan (five) with her partner Michael McGuckian (41) - said the experience changed her outlook on life.

"When you mix with people from both sides of the community you realise that everybody is just the same," she said.

Jim O'Donnell explained: "This all came about because of the efforts of (Cork-born, New York-based brothers) Denis and Pat Mulcahy who started the Project Children Program in 1975. We became involved in 1985, first as host families and then as co-ordinators."

The O'Donnells are also taking advantage of the reunions to give back letters they were sent by the children upon their return to Northern Ireland.

"We have been keeping them all safe in a folder, but we wanted to read them out and return them to each of the kids now that we have the chance to see them face to face," Jim added.

In 40 years, between 1975 and 2015, over 22,000 children participated in Project Children and flew from Belfast to New York for a summer away from the Troubles.

As of the beginning of 1996, children from Belfast, Armagh, Strabane, Enniskillen and Londonderry could be counted among its alumni.

Project Children worked with teachers, clergy and social workers in Northern Ireland to identify youngsters in the 10 to 14 age group who would benefit most.

In the States, over 4,000 American host families, including Jim and Peg O'Donnell, opened their homes to visitors from Northern Ireland, spanning more than 60 communities in 20 states.

Its overriding goal was to give children from neighbourhoods where the Troubles had taken an especially heavy toll a summer they would always remember. It clearly worked.Prison chiefs must provide an explanation for why five notorious killers were allowed to enjoy a hike in the Mourne Mountains followed by a stroll along Newcastle promenade on Thursday, an Ulster Unionist has said.

Doug Beattie MLA, the party's justice spokesman, last night criticised the Prison Service after the inmates from Maghaberry enjoyed a secluded hike in the idyllic Co Down countryside.

Mr Beattie called on the Prison Service to explain itself.

"We need to know what they were trying to achieve by this trip," the Upper Bann MLA said.

"How often does this happen? Is this a pilot scheme, or is this a normal practice?

"We simply don't know."

The inmates - all convicted of cold-blooded slayings - were former policeman Kenneth McConnell; bathtub killer William Mawhinney; academic Gerard O'Kane, who stabbed his wife; Triad hitman Siu Ching Wong, and loyalist assassin Billy Moore.

The group, in their 50s and 60s, were transported to Donard Park by a prison minibus and were accompanied on the walk by two warders in civilian garb.

News of the daytrip was revealed just weeks after child killer John Clifford absconded while on day release.

The Sunday World yesterday revealed that the murderers are frequently enjoying days out together at family-friendly locations and tourist spots.

The killers hiked past the Ice House structure before taking a steeper route up Slieve Donard, where they stopped to enjoy a packed lunch before returning to their minibus.

After ditching their rucksacks at the van, a reporter followed the group to Newcastle promenade where the men had a cup of tea while taking in the sea view.

The group then made their way towards the town centre, passing children on their way home from school.

Leader of the pack was Mawhinney (59), who drowned the mother of his two children in a bath at their Ballymena home in 1995. His victim Lorraine Mills sustained multiple skull fractures.

He was pictured talking to O'Kane, who stabbed his wife to death in a jealous rage.

Close behind was ex-policeman and gambling addict McConnell, who suffocated pensioner Annabella Symington in her south Belfast home in 1989.

He also stole 200 from her purse.

Lagging behind was Triad hit-man Siu Ching Wong, who strangled pregnant waitress Candy Ho in her Belfast apartment in a deranged honour killing.

Bringing up the rear was Moore, the only one in the group not to have had a female victim.

Moore was sentenced to life over the UDA murder of Bangor man Richard Hamill in 2003.

The men have also enjoyed fishing trips and walks along the Lagan Towpath, which were approved by prison management.

"I find it somewhat strange. Prison is a place of rehabilitation, but also of punishment," Mr Beattie added.

"Getting the opportunity to walk the Mournes does not feel a lot like punishment to me.

"I would like to know what the rationale is for these people being allowed out to walk the Mournes.

"And what resources have to be put in place to allow them to walk the Mournes.

"I understand how people who have committed lesser crimes may be helped with their reintegration to society.

"But five people, all brutal murderers, being allowed out as a bloc to do this?

"I can't understand the rationale behind it.

"It leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth."

Mr Beattie said the Prison Service needed to better explain the reasons behind these kind of day release outings.

"I don't think the Prison Service is being open and transparent about the issue," he added.

The Prison Service said: "The NI Prison Service does not comment on individual prisoners.

"However, the Prison Service is responsible for supporting older people in our care, which, following a robust risk assessment, can include short periods of accompanied release.

"This is a part of the progressive work to maintain health in the older population and to assist their rehabilitation and reintegration back into the community."(Left to right) Shanker Singham, Gisela Stuart, David Davis MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg MP and Theresa Villiers MP attend the launch of the Institute of Economic Affairs latest Brexit research paper, in central London.

Theresa May has been urged to grasp a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Canada style trade deal with the European Union by leading Tory Brexiteers.

The call came from Jacob Rees-Mogg at the launch event for a new Brexit blueprint by the free market Institute of Economic Affairs think tank (IEA).

The charity is calling on ministers to seek a basic free trade agreement for goods and pursue regulatory freedom and trade independence.

Mr Rees-Mogg, who leads the powerful Tory backbench European Research Group (ERG), said: So much of what hear about these negotiations has been about managing decline, has been about how you have the least bad Brexit, this is about how you can have a fantastic Brexit that sets us up for the next generation and ensures our prosperity.

This has been offered to us by the Commission, they have offered us the best trade deal they have ever done with any country ever in the world, so if you want to call it Canada plus, or super Canada or supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Canada, that is what is being aimed and its being offered.

Mr Rees-Mogg also hit out at those seeking a second referendum on the UKs membership of the EU, he said: Im afraid the Remainers who want another referendum hold democracy in contempt, they lost and they should grow up.

Expand Close Jacob Rees-Mogg MP arrives at the launch of the Institute of Economic Affairs Brexit research paper, in central London (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Jacob Rees-Mogg MP arrives at the launch of the Institute of Economic Affairs Brexit research paper, in central London (Victoria Jones/PA)

The IEAs launch, which was also attended by former Brexit secretary David Davis, saw proposals for a Plan A+ deal with the EU which would see full reciprocal market access, no tariffs in goods including agriculture and maximum recognition of regulatory standards.

Mr Davis, just hours before Mrs May was due to meet Cabinet colleagues to discuss the Governments Brexit policy, said it was time to reset negotiations.

He said: Were currently, bluntly, in a cul-de-sac, Im afraid Salzburg was all too predictable.

Now what we need to do is to use the original commitments made back on March 7 by both Tusk and Barnier to go for an advanced free trade agreement.

He later added: My last instruction, virtually, to my department was draft the legal text for the free trade plus arrangement so that youve got it to work from.

If youve got that to work from the time spinning, time wasting activity of the European Commission which weve seen lots of over the last two years fail.

Former Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers, who was also on the panel at the IEA launch, said that she believed proposals put forward by the ERG on the Irish border issue can unlock negotiations.

The ERG proposals, released earlier this month, set out that the border issue could be solved using electronic customs declarations, trusted trader status for big business and exemptions for small businesses.

Expand Close (Left to right) David Davis MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg MP and Theresa Villiers MP attend the launch of the Institute of Economic Affairs latest Brexit research paper, in central London. PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp (Left to right) David Davis MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg MP and Theresa Villiers MP attend the launch of the Institute of Economic Affairs latest Brexit research paper, in central London.

Ms Villiers, speaking in support of those proposals, said: The Irish border has been the blockage which has caused progress towards a proper exit free trade agreement to stall, this is the key reason behind the proposal ion the Chequers plan.

So, if we can find a way to maintain the drive through border we have on the island of Ireland, but within the context of a trade deal, we can unlock the negotiations and put them back on track to a Canada plus type arrangement.

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The IEA event came just hours before Mrs May was due to meet senior ministers in a bid to save her Chequers blueprint for Brexit.

There is likely to be a lengthy inquest into what went wrong at last weeks informal EU summit in Salzburg where Mrs May was bluntly told key elements of the Chequers plan would not work.

The Prime Minister insists her proposal, which would see Britain maintain a common rulebook with the EU for trade in goods and agriculture, is the only credible option on the table which would avoid the return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Mrs Mays spokesman ruled out moving towards a Canada style deal, saying: Given a standard free trade agreement could not prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, the EUs position is that their proposed Northern Ireland protocol would come into effect.

So, the FTA would only apply to the Great Britain-EU relationship, with Northern Ireland effectively remaining in parts of the single market and customs union.

The PM has repeatedly set out that we must protect the economic and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom as a whole.

Downing Street said Mrs May told Cabinet to hold its nerve in the wake of Salzburg.

The PM said it was always clear there would come a critical point in the negotiations, adding: Now is the time to hold our nerve.

Mrs May said the Governments White Paper remains the only plan on the table which achieves the goals of frictionless trade and an open border in Ireland.

She said she remained confident of securing a deal with the EU, but the Government would continue to sensibly plan for no deal.

Mrs May said the UK was looking to the EU to match her promise that expat citizens rights will be protected in the case of a no-deal Brexit.A historic referendum could see people in Northern Ireland given the right to vote in the Irish presidential election for the first time.

The Irish Government is drawing up legislation for a referendum that, if successful, would give 1.87 million people here and 1.73m Irish citizens living around the world the franchise, allowing them to vote for the Republic's head of state.

Legislation is expected to be ready early next year so that the referendum can be held in May, alongside local and European polls.

The granting of voting rights to Irish citizens living outside the Republic was first recommended by the country's Constitutional Convention in 2013, which saw politicians discuss major reforms with 66 randomly selected Irish people.

However, it was stopped by Labour, then junior partner in a coalition government, which feared that it might favour Sinn Fein, as extending voting rights could have a significant impact on the outcome of a result.

There are currently 3.6m potential voters residing outside the Republic, compared to 3.2m eligible voters who live in the jurisdiction.

SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone welcomed plans for the referendum.

He said: "It is a welcome step and I look forward to it as a nationalist who has an Irish passport and identifies as an Irish citizen.

"I would like to think that, as an Irish citizen, I should be able to vote; it was inevitably going to happen and I am glad that it is being recognised."

Mr McGlone also pooh-poohed suggestions the move by the Dublin authorities could raise tensions in Northern Ireland.

He added: "I can't see how it would.

"If you want to participate you can. If not, then don't.

"No one will be forced to take part, it is about giving a vote to those who want it."

DUP MP Gregory Campbell was of a similar opinion that the vote wouldn't cause tension.

He said: "I think most people will largely ignore it. It is of no consequence to us. Apart from a few diehard nationalists who I could see voting, it wouldn't make a difference.

"Even if the people here or citizens living in Singapore or wherever vote, the president will be the president of Ireland, it won't have an effect on them.

"I think people internationally will think it is a bit bizarre that there will be more people who don't live in the country helping to decide, rather than those who live there."

The amendment to the constitution was announced in yesterday's Sunday Business Post.

Speaking to the newspaper, Irish Minister for the Diaspora Ciaran Cannon said that other options were being considered, including the option to vote at embassies.

He said: "That might seem practical, but if you are living in Ohio, it's a long drive to the Irish embassy in Washington."

Mr Cannon also stated that it was not possible to have the referendum for the upcoming presidential election on October 26, due to the complexities of organising the vote on a global scale.

He said: "It would require a long lead-in time. There has been an interdepartmental group working on this for over two years. I think the symbolism of it would be quite special.

"The Taoiseach has repeatedly used the phrase 'Global Irish Nation'. You do not have to reside on the island of Ireland to consider yourself truly Irish."Shocking photographs have emerged of a sinkhole in the GAA grounds at Magheracloone, Co Monaghan.

The school has undergone an evacuation and sent an urgent message to parents to collect their children "as soon as possible".

The sinkhole is believed to have occurred following the collapse of the Gypsum Mine, which is located in the community centre area.

Local News landsinking in Magheracloone gaa groups some pictures coming in to us here at BRTV we under stand nobody was on the grounds at the time more to follow pic.twitter.com/H1CN11TDIQ  Border Region TV (@BorderRegionTV) September 24, 2018

Photographs of the scene show substantial damage done to the GAA grounds and building. It is understood nobody was in the grounds at the time of the collapse.

Meanwhile, AA Roadwatch declared a "serious incident" in the area and have appealed to drivers to avoid the Carrickmacross to Kingscourt Road.

Gardai told Independent.ie officer were ar the scene at Macheracloon, Co. Monaghan.

"The Kings Court to Carrickmacross road R179 is currently closed and diversions are in place. A local school has been evacuated as a precaution."

Expand Close Drumgossatt National School urged parents to collect their children. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Drumgossatt National School urged parents to collect their children.

In a statement issued to the parents, a spokesperson for Drumgossatt National School wrote; "Due to the collapse of the Gypsum Mine in the area of the community centre, the school will close immediately. Can parents please collect children as soon as possible. Please spread the word."

And in a statement to the Meath Chronicle, a spokesperson for Kingscourt-based firm Gyproc confirmed there has been an incidence of subsidence in the grounds of Magheracloone GAA Club.

"We are currently assessing the situation with the assistance of geological teams to ascertain both the reason for and the extent of the subsidence," they said.

"We are liaising with local residents and authorities in the area to advise them of the incident and keep them updated.

"Our main priority is the safety of local residents, our employees and ensuring no significant environmental impact."The letter was sent from King Philip IV of France to his agents in Rome (NRS/PA)

A 700-year-old parchment letter which gives a tantalising glimpse into the life of William Wallace is to go on public display.

The letter, one of only two surviving documents with a personal connection to the famous Scot, will be on show at the National Records of Scotland (NRS) in Edinburgh.

The fragile document, which can only be shown under controlled conditions, has not been on public viewing since 2014.

The letter was sent from King Philip IV of France to his agents in Rome, commanding them to ask Pope Boniface VIII to view William Wallace favourably.

The letter proves Wallace played a role in the turbulent politics of medieval EuropeNRS archivist Tristram Clarke

NRS archivist Tristram Clarke said: Written in November 1300, the document offers a tantalising glimpse into a mysterious period of Wallaces career.

The letter proves Wallace played a role in the turbulent politics of medieval Europe, when the Pope was trying to encourage peace between England and France, and to challenge Englands claim to control Scotland.

Wallace was betrayed, captured by the English and executed in London in 1305  with the letter from King Philip discovered in the Tower of London in the 1830s.

Research by expert historians and archivists concluded it was likely to have been in Wallaces possession when he was captured.

The document is currently on loan to the NRS from The National Archives in London.

It will go on show in Edinburgh on Saturday September 29 as part of the citys Doors Open Day event.Barclays is beefing up its corporate banking operations in key EU countries ahead of Brexit as the lender looks for ways to serve clients in Europe.

The British bank has launched a digital corporate banking platform to support multi-country banking in Portugal, Spain, France and Ireland.

Germany is also set to join the platform later this year alongside other countries.

While Brexit was not mentioned as a reason for its roll out and expansion, Barclays said that the platform is aimed at clients domiciled in Europe and at global clients with a presence in Europe.

The bank said that it will give clients the flexibility to structure their banking activity in the way that best suits them, from a location of their choice, and simplifies significantly Barclays offering on the continent.

Barclays added that clients will benefit from a simple, easy to manage corporate banking service, which complements its investment banking and Barclaycard operations.

Were a transatlantic bank, so complementing our strength in the UK and US with a comprehensive European proposition allows us to meet the needs of our global clients more effectivelyDavid Farrow, Barclays

The expansion of its European operations has been led by David Farrow, head of international corporate banking at Barclays, and will be managed by Andres Baltar, the newly appointed head of Europe for the division.

Mr Farrow said: Were a transatlantic bank, so complementing our strength in the UK and US with a comprehensive European proposition allows us to meet the needs of our global clients more effectively.

Many of the companies we work with have a presence in a number of European countries, which is why making sure the new platform is standardised across the continent is so important.

Its already making banking simpler for many of our clients, and this ease of use will grow further as we integrate more countries.

Aside from this latest move, Barclays has chosen Ireland as its main EU hub after Brexit in a move that could potentially double its local employee base by 150 staff.

Other banks  including JP Morgan, Citi, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Nomura, Daiwa and Sumitomo  are preparing for the worst case Brexit scenario, a no deal disorderly withdrawal from the EU in which they lose access to the richest trading bloc in the world.Miles Briggs talks to the media after he is cleared (Jane Barlow/PA)

A Scottish Conservative MSP has been cleared of sexual harassment following a hearing by the partys disciplinary committee.

Miles Briggs faced accusations that he made persistent unwanted advances to a female worker from another party on the evening of a parliamentary social event in February.

The Lothian MSP was cleared of any wrongdoing on Monday when the panel found his account of events to be credible and it dismissed the complaint.

Mr Briggs described the allegations as completely false and said he had been through a living hell.

The complainant said she was gutted by the outcome and hit out at the complaints process.

Expand Close Mr Briggs spoke to the media at the conclusion of the hearing (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said she has confidence in the partys disciplinary procedures.

The private hearing centred around events on February 10 when the MSP and the complainant attended a reception and later a house party in Edinburgh, where Mr Briggs said he and the woman had an argument.

The woman formally lodged a complaint with the Conservatives in July, alleging conduct which she claimed had made her feel extremely intimidated, uncomfortable and humiliated.

The MSP denied the complainants version of events and he was cleared by the disciplinary hearing in Edinburgh.

The report of its findings, later released, said: We found the respondent (Mr Briggs) to be credible in his version of events.

The committee was unanimously of the view that this complaint should be dismissed.

Damage has clearly been done to my character, especially among those who don't know me, and I hope I have the chance to address that in the coming weeks and monthsMiles Briggs

Following the hearing, Mr Briggs said: The last two months have been a living hell for me and my family as I have had to face these false allegations of sexual harassment made against me.

Damage has clearly been done to my character, especially among those who dont know me, and I hope I have the chance to address that in the coming weeks and months.

He said he was made aware of the allegations earlier this year, co-operated with the investigation and kept the matter confidential.

The MSP added that he was grateful to the SNP parliamentary researchers who were among those who supported my case.

He continued: I would like to put it on record that I believe it is vital for women and men to bring forward complaints of harassment, and for those complaints to be considered with care and confidentiality. I believe the party has done that in this case.

The charity Rape Crisis Scotland posted a statement from the woman, which said she was sad and angry that the disciplinary hearing process was so terrible.

Our response to the Miles Briggs judgement pic.twitter.com/l0UameMBFe  Rape Crisis Scotland (@rapecrisisscot) September 24, 2018

The charity said it had significant concerns over how the process was dealt with.

The woman in this case faced a process which was intimidating and inappropriate, it said in a statement on Twitter, adding that it could not advise her to attend the hearing.

In our view the Scottish Conservatives need to urgently change their approach to investigating sexual harassment complaints, the organisation said.

In a statement on Twitter, Ms Davidson said: This has not been an easy process, but the party is committed to ensuring that women and men are able to report allegations of sexual harassment to us, and maintain their anonymity as they do so.

I have confidence in the robustness of the disciplinary process the party has put in place, that those procedures have been followed in this case, and stand by the thoroughness of its impartiality.Jeremy Corbyn was speaking at a fringe event held by Labour Friends of Palestine (David Cheskin/PA)

A Labour government would recognise an independent state of Palestine as soon as we take office, Jeremy Corbyn has said.

The opposition leader threw his support behind a two-state solution to Middle East peace, saying he wanted a secure and viable Palestine alongside Israel.

Addressing the Labour Friends of Palestine conference fringe event he attacked Donald Trump for moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and cutting funding for the UN Refugee Agency.

He also called for a sustainable, just peace with Israel after 51 years of occupation.

But peace cannot be achieved with the existence of settlements, human rights abuses, and a disregard for international law by the current Israeli government, like last Sundays demolition of the Palestinian village of Khan Al Amar, he continued.

The security of one country can never be achieved at the expense of another and Britain has historic responsibility towards Palestinian people.

We will continue to stand up for Palestinians, we will recognise an independent state of Palestine as soon as we take office.

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry echoed the party leader saying an independent Palestine was needed while there is still some Palestine left to recognise.

She also highlighted the toll the conflict was taking on children both in Israel and Palestine.18:34

All classified records pertaining to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's death should be placed before the prime minister and home minister to take call on their declassification, the CIC ruled on Monday.





The directives were issued to the central public information officers of the Prime Minister's Office, External Affairs Ministry and Home Ministry on the plea of an RTI applicant seeking to know if autopsy was done on Shastri who had died on January 11, 1966 in Tashkent in a Soviet dacha.





"The Commission directs... to place all those so-called 'classified papers' before the prime minister and the home minister, who are recommended to consider the fundamental right to know and demand of the people... to declassify (the records) either through an expert committee or by any other process to get the mystery probed and resolved," Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said.





He also expressed surprise that there are no records with the Rajya Sabha pertaining to the Raj Narain Committee to look into Shastri's death initiated during the Janata Party government in late seventies.





"Parliament is known for meticulous maintenance of documents. Every word uttered in Parliament is recorded and kept in public domain, a humongous task the office is perfectly performing. Then how such a significant record disappeared," he said.





Acharyulu recommended that the 'constitutional authorities' in Parliament to probe or make efforts to secure the committee records.





Shastri had died in Tashkent, hours after signing a declaration with Pakistan President Muhammad Ayub Khan post-1965 Indo-Pak war during talks moderated by Soviet Premier Alexei Keynoting.





He reportedly died from a massive heart attack but questions were raised on the circumstances of his death on foreign soil when cold war was at its peak.





The conspiracy theories were further fuelled after the central government started denying documents, under the RTI Act, related to his death calling them secret and disclosure prejudicial to the interests of the country.





"In view of the startling incidents that followed the mysterious death, such as killing of his personal doctor and assistant in two separate 'accidents', disappearance of records of Rajya Sabha Committee's probe, and various significant points raised by journalists... Shastri's wife Lalitha, other family members, the Commission is of opinion that the Union government has a duty to explain the nation why and how Lal Bahadur Shastri died in Tashkent," he said.





Except a medical report, nothing is disclosed, and mystery is being allowed to persist, he noted.





Section 8(1)(a) exempts from disclosure the information which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence.





"People's right to know the 'truth' behind the death of Shastri cannot be brushed aside on the ground of Section 8(1)(a) en bloc. A committee of experts should be constituted to examine the need of declassification of such records," he said.





Acharyulu underlined a home ministry response in the Lok Sabha that classification of documents is not being done under the Officials Secrets Act and is being done by ministry concerned.





He asked the government to answer which ministry has classified documents related to Shastri's death, nature of classifications of these documents -- 'top secret', 'secret' or 'confidential' and the basis of it. Which part of 8(1)(a) of RTI Act is invoked to deny and what is the justification for such invocation, he asked.





Besides period for which classification stands, the period prescribed for classification of Shastri documents, whether any ministry is considering declassification, and why can not documents can be disclosed after severing confidential parts, he asked.





Acharyulu said the present government has taken a historical decision to declassify 33 of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose related files on December 4, 2015, thereafter 37 and 25 files and made 100 files digitally available on January 23, 2016, to meet the long standing public demand to access these files.





"When Pentagon papers in the US and Netaji papers in India could be declassified why not Shastri papers also," he asked. -- PTI

BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE Undated family handout file photo of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. The British woman who is jailed in Iran after being convicted of spying, has been told to expect another conviction after appearing in court over a new invented charge, her husband has said.

Theresa May will make a personal plea for the release of a jailed charity worker in Tehran during talks with Irans president.

The Prime Minister will raise serious concerns about the detention of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and urge Hassan Rouhani to free her on humanitarian grounds.

The British-Iranian mother was sentenced to five years in jail after being accused of spying by Tehrans Islamist regime, a charge she vehemently denies.

Expand Close Charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe says goobye to her young daughter Gabriella as she is forced to return to prison. Press Association Images / Facebook

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Mrs May is expected to meet Mr Rouhani for talks in New York on Tuesday, where she is attending the United Nations General Assembly.

A senior Government official said: The PM will express serious concern at Nazanins on-going detention and call for her to be released upon humanitarian grounds.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who works for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was detained at Imam Khomeini airport in April 2016.

Last month she was granted a three-day release from Evin prison but her request for an extension was denied and she was forced to say goodbye to her four-year-old daughter, Gabriella, and return to jail.

Husband Richard Ratcliffe wrote an open letter to Irans foreign minister Javad Zarif calling the short release a cruel game.

All our thoughts and prayers with Nazanin and her family today. Unbearable suffering to be apart from daughter with her hopes raised then dashed. We must redouble efforts to find a way to get her home #FreeNazanin  Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) August 29, 2018

Jeremy Hunt pledged to do everything possible to secure Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffes release after he became Foreign Secretary.

It followed criticism of predecessor Boris Johnsons handling of attempts to free the mother-of-one.

Director of Amnesty International UK, Kate Allen, said: This is a step in the right direction, and we welcome the news that the Prime Minister will personally address Nazanins plight tomorrow.

Nazanins detention has gone on far too long, and its time for her full and unconditional release.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a prisoner of conscience who should never have been jailed in the first place. She should be freed once and for all and allowed to travel back to the UK to be with her young daughter Gabriella.

US president Donald Trumps decision to pull out of the 2015 deal that relieved sanctions on Tehran in return to an end to Irans military nuclear ambitions is also expected to feature heavily in discussions across the UN.

Britain and its European allies responded with dismay to Washingtons withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).Ministers are considering whether to invite a German head of state to the Cenotaph for remembrance commemorations.

Talks are under way to invite Germanys president Frank-Walter Steinmeie to join veterans and royalty for the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War in London.

The information came to light after an aide was photographed entering Downing Street with a memo which outlined concerns that the invite could result in a negative reaction from veterans.

The memo, from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), read: I am aware advice has previously been submitted to No 10 and a view taken that, on balance, German involvement should be focused to the Westminster Abbey service, given the Cenotaph is about remembering those affected by all wars/conflicts rather than just WW1.

I would welcome a fresh look at this, especially an assessment of the potential concerns from veterans associations and the risk of negative Press coverage.

How are you marking #Armistice100? From talks, to open days, special screenings and services of remembrance - add your event to the #WW1 #Armistice100 map now https://t.co/3XZDzZpuV0 pic.twitter.com/ayCZn2VFJ1  DCMS (@DCMS) September 21, 2018

Ex-Army commander Colonel Richard Kemp, speaking to the Sun, said: This requires careful consideration. The Cenotaph is a sacred place.

However Tory MP Bob Stewart, who is a retired colonel and was British commander of the United Nations forces in Bosnia between 1992 and 1993, welcomed the move.

Mr Stewart, speaking to the Press Association, said: Young German men died the same as young British men, they all fought for their country.

I welcome this, it is right that we commemorate all those young people who died in war.

The Royal British Legion added: This is an especially poignant year as we mark the end of the First World War Centenary.

As a champion of Remembrance, The Royal British Legion promotes the message of reconciliation after conflict and hope for a peaceful future, and we encourage the nation to embrace these core principles.

A DCMS spokesman stated that announcements about attendance would be made in due course.

They said: Remembrance Sunday this year coincides with the centenary of the First World War Armistice.

The Government is considering international representation in London on that day to reflect both its importance and the global nature of the conflict.

Announcements about attendance will be made in due course.An 11-year-old girl who had been missing since Sunday has been found safe and well.

Emma Sutherland failed to return to her home in Edinburghs Oxgangs Row on Sunday evening after being out with a friend.

MISSING GIRL FOUND #Edinburgh

11 year old Emma Sutherland has been found safe and well. Thank you to the public for assisting with this enquiry.  EdinburghPolice (@EdinburghPolice) September 24, 2018

Her disappearance prompted a police appeal for information as concern grew for the youngster.

In an update issued on Monday evening, Police Scotland confirmed the girl has been traced.

The forces message posted on social media said: 11 year old Emma Sutherland has been found safe and well. Thank you to the public for assisting with this enquiry.Police have cut a section labelling anti-fracking campaigners as domestic terrorists from their annual plan.

The 2017/18 plan sparked a row as fracking protesters were included under the heading domestic extremists.

Scottish Green co-convener Patrick Harvie raised the issue at Holyrood, saying the campaigners are heroes and questioning the treatment of peaceful demonstrators.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said peaceful campaigners should not be considered extremists.

Now a senior Police Scotland official has written to the Scottish Parliaments Justice Sub-Committee on Policing to confirm the 2018/19 annual plan has no reference to fracking campaigners under the heading domestic extremists.

Sub-Cttee Convener welcomes Police Scotlands decision not to categorise peaceful protesters as domestic extremists in its 2018-19 Police Plan and that it does not consider any form of lawful and peaceful protest to constitute domestic extremism https://t.co/PQJtAIit2e  Criminal Justice Committee (@SP_Justice) September 24, 2018

Detective Chief Superintendent Gerry Mclean wrote: The Police Scotland Annual Police Plan for 2017/18 did contain the following commentary: There continues to be protests around shale oil and gas extraction and unconventional oil and gas extraction, and unconventional oil and gas extraction, both commonly referred to as fracking.

This paragraph was contained within a wider and diverse section of the annual police plan under the heading of Domestic Extremism.

Police Scotland does not consider any form of lawful and peaceful protest to constitute domestic extremism; however, we accept that from a presentational perspective a misinterpretation of this position may have been given from the way this small section of the annual police plan was worded and presented.

No such reference is contained in the current Annual Police Plan for 2018/19.

Sub-committee convener John Finnie welcomed the confirmation.

He said: The right to lawful and peaceful protest is an integral part of our society.

Law-abiding citizens who wish to protest peacefully should not have to be concerned about the threat  perceived or real  of being labelled a domestic extremist.

Changing the wording in the annual police plan to remove this inference is exactly the right thing to do.Police Scotland said the attack was violent and unprovoked (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Cars were forced to stop as a man and a woman were assaulted in the middle of the road in Glasgow.

Police said the friends were walking along Alexandra Parade near to Meadowpark Street in Dennistoun at around 5.20pm on Sunday when they were approached by two men.

Words were exchanged between the two groups before the suspects began punching and kicking the 57-year-old man, forcing several vehicles to stop.

They then turned on the woman, aged 46, when she intervened, before making off towards Meadowpark Street.

This violent and unprovoked attack took place in broad daylight in a very busy area of GlasgowDetective Constable Graham Clarke

She was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary for treatment for eye and face injuries and later released.

Police said the mans injuries are superficial.

Officers are appealing for witnesses.

Detective Constable Graham Clarke said: This violent and unprovoked attack took place in broad daylight in a very busy area of Glasgow.

I am appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time and witnessed the assaults to get in touch with me as a matter of urgency.

The suspects are both white, in their late twenties and of slim build.

One has red hair and was wearing a blue jacket while his accomplice is dark haired and wore a cream hooded top.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.Mr Kerr was speaking from the stage at Labours national conference in Liverpool (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The SNP has said Andy Kerr should not continue as chairman of Labours ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) following his anti-Catholic comment.

Mr Kerr was speaking from the stage at Labours national conference in Liverpool when he invited a question from a female delegate.

He then appeared to mock her for crossing herself, saying: Did you cross yourself, there? In that case, I might not.

Mr Kerr, a deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, later apologised and said the remark was intended to be light-hearted but was ill-judged and wrong.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard condemned his party colleagues comment.

There is absolutely no room inside the Labour Party for that kind of remarkRichard Leonard, Scottish Labour leader

Asked if it was bigoted, Mr Leonard told BBC Radio Scotlands Good Morning Scotland programme: That might be one way of describing it.

He added: There is absolutely no room inside the Labour Party for that kind of remark, whether its meant as a form of humour or not.

Its completely unacceptable and Andy Kerr has unreservedly apologised for the remark that he made.

There should be no space for it inside the Labour Party and I condemn it.

Now the SNP has said he should not continue in his current position in the party.

A party spokeswoman said: Sectarianism is an extremely serious issue and it is important that Labour treats it as such.

It is untenable for Andy Kerr to continue as chairman of Labours NEC  he should go as a matter of urgency.

Labour are developing a bad habit of trying to brush this kind of behaviour under the rug.

Andy Kerrs comment was appalling. The Catholic community is an integral and valued part of Scottish life. Everyone who stands for a Scotland where bigotry and sectarianism have no place, and where we positively embrace diversity, must unite to condemn - regardless of party. https://t.co/qMuHtjoWTB  Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) September 24, 2018

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called for cross-party condemnation of Mr Kerrs comment.

She tweeted: Andy Kerrs comment was appalling. The Catholic community is an integral and valued part of Scottish life.

Everyone who stands for a Scotland where bigotry and sectarianism have no place, and where we positively embrace diversity, must unite to condemn  regardless of party.A teenager has died after he was shot in east London, sparking a murder investigation.

The 19-year-old was taken to hospital by friends after the incident in Walthamstow at around 11pm on Saturday.

The victim was pronounced dead at 11.38pm, the Metropolitan Police said.

It comes less than 24 hours after a 20-year-old man was killed in a "senseless" stabbing at a house party in north-east London.

Two other people, a 17-year-old boy and a 24-year-old man, were also seriously injured in the shooting, although their injuries were not described as life-threatening.

A local resident, who lives in a flat overlooking the street, said he woke up to find police cars and officers had taped off both ends of Vallentin Road.

The resident of the district, who asked not to be named, told the Press Association: "It is just sad. A shooting is horrible. "I feel saddened for the family but I guess this sort of thing can happen anywhere now these days."

The scene remained cordoned of yesterday.

There have been more than 100 homicides in the capital so far this year.

Detectives are appealing for information over the shooting on Saturday night.

Police said they were called to Vallentin Road shortly after 11pm.

"The victim - a 19-year-old man - was driven by friends to a north-east London hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11.38pm," the force said.

"Officers believe they know his identity, but await formal identification and confirmation that next of kin have been informed.

"A post-mortem examination will be arranged in due course."

No one has been arrested and witnesses are urged to contact police.

The 20-year-old man was stabbed to death in Hackney in the early hours of Saturday.

Police were called at around 12.50am to a fight at a flat in Stamford Hill and the victim was pronounced dead several hours later.

The Independent reported this week on concerns that the youth violence epidemic in London is leading to a mental health crisis among young people in the capital.

Experts warned that a generation of young people had been traumatised by experiencing and witnessing violent deaths within their communities, at a time when youth psychological services have been cut.

Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Wednesday that youth violence must be treated as a public health issue, and announced that 500,000 had been earmarked to establish the capital's new Violence Reduction Unit, modelled on a long-term programme in Glasgow.Britains Prince William, left, presents Namibias Vice President Nangolo Mbumba with a photo of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth with Namibias first president, Sam Nujoma, in Windhoek, Namibia, Monday Sept. 24, 2018. The prince is on a two day visit to the southern African state with the focus being on the illegal wildlife trade as an organized crime, building coalitions and closing down markets for illicit wildlife products. (AP Photo/Dirk Heinrich)

The Duke of Cambridge has met Namibias vice president as part of a trip to the country to promote wildlife conservation.

William met Nangolo Mbumba in Windhoek, Namibias capital, on Monday, and presented Mr Mbumba with an image of the Queen meeting the south-west African nations first president Sam Nujoma.

William, who is a patron of the Royal African Society (RAS), is using a seven-day visit to Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya to highlight issues around the illegal wildlife trade.

Expand Close William is presented with a sculpture of a rhino by vice president Nangolo Mbumba (Dirk Heinrich/AP) AP / Facebook

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Speaking at an RAS event earlier this month, William said he was committed to helping end the terrible global crime of the illegal wildlife trade, adding that he was deeply saddened by the number of elephants, rhinos and pangolins being slaughtered by poachers looking to sell their tusks, horns and scales.

He also highlighted the devastating human impact of the trade, which claims the lives of too many brave rangers who are killed by poachers.

The trip comes ahead of the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference, which will be held in London next month in an effort to encourage greater international co-operation to protect endangered species from the threat of extinction.

The conference will focus on tackling the illegal wildlife trade as an organised crime, building coalitions between countries and shutting down markets for illegal wildlife products.Actor James Woods with Dawn Denoon arrives for the premiere of his new movie John Q in Hollywood, California.

Actor James Woods has been locked out of his Twitter account over a tweet that was found to be in violation of its rules.

Woods posted a tweet in July that included a meme from a hoax campaign that encouraged men not to vote in the midterm elections.

In the tweet, Woods acknowledged the meme was probably not real.

(The tweet) has the potential to be misleading in a way that could impact an electionTwitter

Woods got an email from Twitter on Thursday saying the tweet has the potential to be misleading in a way that could impact an election.

The email says Woods can use his account again if he deletes it.

Expand Close Twitter says Woods can use the account again if he deletes the tweet (Twitter/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook

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Woods has over 1.7 million followers and is known for his conservative political views.

He has said he will not delete the tweet.This photo provided by Indian Navy shows the yacht Thuriya of Indian Abhilash Tomy in the Indian Ocean Monday, (Indian Navy via AP)

A French ship is making an attempt to rescue an Indian sailor who is unable to move with a back injury and alone in the remote southern Indian Ocean.

Abhilash Tomys boat Thuriya lost its mast during a storm as he took part of the round-the-world solo Golden Globe yacht race.

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The race organisers shared messages from him on Twitter where he described his chest burning, vomiting and asking for a rescue ETA.

The fisheries patrol boat Osiris is heading the 740 kilometers (460 miles) to the Indian naval officers aid.

The yacht is in Australias search and rescue zone 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) southwest of the Australian city of Perth and 3,000 kilometers southeast of the French island Reunion.

Abhilash #Tomy (via satellite) 5LUGGED CANS OF ICETEA. HAVING THAT.VOMITTING CONT.CHEST BURNIN / BACS A BILLES DE THE ICED. AYANT QUE VOMISSEMENT CONT.CHEST BURNING https://t.co/oIOKa2le6m  Golden Globe Race 2018 & 2022 (@ggr2018official) September 23, 2018

Phil Gaden, of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority search and rescue, said the recuse could be treacherous.

Its going to be a very difficult situation onboard, Mr Gaden said.

The yacht is severely damaged with gear hanging over the side.

We do know hes got a very severely injured back and we believe that hes very restricted in his ability to maneuver. We also know hes having difficulty keeping fluids down.

Abhilash #Tomy (via satellite) KNOCKDOWN.SPLITMIZZENBOOM. LOSTAIS ANTENNA. /"Couche. Bome de misaine fendu. Perdu l'antenne AIS" https://t.co/oIOKa2le6m  Golden Globe Race 2018 & 2022 (@ggr2018official) September 21, 2018

Conditions were reasonably good for the area with a southwesterly wind blowing at up 46 kph (29 mph) and a 3-metre (10-foot) swell, Mr Gaden said.

Its one of the most remote areas on the planet almost equidistant from any of the search and rescue facilities, Mr Gaden said.

At the moment, our indications are that it is upright and floating high in the water, however at any moment a wave could push one of the damaged masts into the vessel and compromise its integrity, he added.

Commander Tomy, 39, was keeping in contact with rescue authorities through texts, but batteries on his two devices were running low.

The French crew plans to take Commander Tomy to a French research facility on Amsterdam Island 100 kilometers (60 miles) to the north. There is a doctor and small hospital on the island.

An Australian navy frigate HMAS Ballarat had left the Australian port of Fremantle on Saturday and was expected to reach Amsterdam Island on Friday, Gaden said.

The Ballarat would then take the sailor to Fremantle for hospital treatment.

Another sailor in the Golden Globe Race, Irishman Gregor McGuckin, had also lost his mast on Friday near Commander Tomy and would also be rescued.Rep. Ron Travis on Monday recognized three academic institutions in District 31 for earning Reward School status from the Tennessee Department of Education.

The status is the top distinction a school can achieve in Tennessee. Recipients include approximately 318 schools in 85 districts  20 percent of the states schools  who have demonstrated improvement in overall student academic achievement as well as student growth for all students and student groups. These institutions are identified and recognized annually by the Department of Education.



Institutions honored in Bledsoe and Rhea Counties include:



 Cecil B. Rigsby Elementary School



 Pikeville Elementary School

 Spring City Middle School

I am excited that three of our institutions have received this incredible honor from our Department of Education, said Rep. Travis. This achievement is the result of the hard work and dedication of our fine educators, staff, engaged parents, and family members who have prioritized their roles supporting the academic development of our future leaders. I want to congratulate them, as well as our students for achieving Reward School status, and I will continue to prioritize resources for these important groups in the years ahead.President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have signed the first major agreement of Mr Trumps trade agenda.

The leaders signed an update to an existing US-South Korea free-trade agreement in New York.

Both leaders are attending an annual UN gathering.

Expand Close The leaders sign the deal (Evan Vucci/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Mr Trump called it a very big deal and said the new agreement makes significant improvements to reduce the trade deficit between the countries and create new opportunities to export American products to South Korea.

He said US cars, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products will gain better access to Korean markets.

Mr Moon said companies from both countries will be able to do business under more stable conditions.

The South Korean leader also said he hopes the revised agreement with the US will help solidify their cooperation in other areas.President Donald Trump and his embattled deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein have spoke on Monday and will meet on Thursday at the White House amid uncertainty about Mr Rosensteins fate.

Thursday is the same day that Mr Trumps Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, and a woman who has accused him of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, are set to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Statement on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein: pic.twitter.com/yBgAydv9oR  Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) September 24, 2018

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr Trump and Mr Rosenstein had an extended conversation on Monday to discuss the recent news stories at Mr Rosensteins request.

Mr Rosenstein, who oversees special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russia election meddling, had been expecting to be fired on Monday following critical comments he made about Mr Trump.

Expand Close President Donald Trump talks to Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations (Evan Vucci/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Mr Trump is currently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, so the two will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C..

The latest move comes after a New York Times report of Mr Rosensteins comments in 2017.

That report and an unsigned opinion piece by a senior official in the Republican administration played to some of the presidents concerns about a secret Deep State trying to undermine him from within the government.

The administration official, whom Mr Trump has called for a federal investigation to unmask, wrote that there was a group of officials working to safeguard the country from the presidents most dangerous impulses.Aldi Novel Adilang is seen on a wooden fish trap floating in the waters near the island of Guam (Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka via AP)

An Indonesian teenager has survived 49 days adrift at sea after the wooden fish trap he was employed to mind slipped its moorings.

Aldi Novel Adilang said he ran out of food within a week and survived on fish and seawater he strained through his clothing.

The 18-year-old added that he turned on a lamp every time he sighted a ship and cannot remember how many passed by unaware of my ordeal.

He was rescued by a Panamanian-flagged vessel off Guam on August 31, about 1,200 miles from his original location, and returned to Indonesia with officials earlier this month, according to the Indonesian consulate in Osaka, Japan.

I had to soak my clothes in the sea, then I squeezed and drank the waterAldi Novel Adilang

The teenager had been employed since the age of 16 in one of the worlds loneliest jobs: lamp lighter on a rompong  a wooden fishing raft with a hut on top  moored about 78 miles off the coast of North Sulawesi.

The coastline is not visible from the fishing rafts and the numerous rompong are miles apart from one another, said Mr Adilangs mother, Met Kahiking.

Supplies are dropped off to the light keepers about once a week.

I was on the raft for one month and 18 days. My food ran out after the first week, said Mr Adilang.

When it did not rain for days I had to soak my clothes in the sea, then I squeezed and drank the water, he said.

Expand Close Aldi Novel Adilang sits on the deck of the MV Arpeggio after being rescued (Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka via AP) AP / Facebook

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The teenagers father, Alfian Adilang, said the family is overjoyed at his return but angry with his employer.

The rafts are anchored with ropes and Mr Adilang said strong friction caused them to break.

I thought I will never meet my parents again, so I just prayed every day, he said.

The MV Arpeggio, which rescued Mr Adilang off Guam, contacted the Indonesian mission in Osaka when it docked and officials collected him on September 6, the Osaka consulate said in a statement.

He returned to Indonesia on September 8.Opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has declared victory in a contentious Maldives election widely seen as a referendum on the island nations young democracy.

Mr Solihs win, announced at his partys campaign headquarters in the capital city of Male, was unexpected.

The opposition had feared the election would be rigged in favour of strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, whose first term was marked by a crackdown on political rivals, courts and the media.

People were not expecting this result.

Despite the repressive environment, the people have spoken their minds, said Ahmed Tholal, a former member of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives and a project coordinator at the nonprofit watchdog Transparency Maldives.

Expand Close Supporters of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate their victory in Male (Eranga Jayawardena/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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A democracy activist during the Maldives decades of autocratic rule and former Parliament majority leader, Mr Solih, 56, became the Maldivian Democratic Partys presidential candidate by process of elimination, other opposition leaders had been jailed or exiled by Mr Yameens government.

Party leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed, in exile in Sri Lanka, had hoped to run again but was disqualified because of an outstanding prison sentence in the Maldives.

Famed for its sandy white beaches and luxury resorts, the Maldives under Mr Yameen have seen economic growth and longer life expectancy, according to the World Bank.

But Mr Yameens critics, including Mr Solih, said he systematically rolled back democratic freedoms.

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Mr Solih campaigned door to door, promising at rallies to promote human rights and the rule of law, a message that resonated with voters who saw signs the Maldives were slipping back to autocratic rule, just a decade after achieving democracy.

Ibu is totally different from Yameen, because Yameen is a dictator and a brutal person.

Ibu is a very mild person who listens to everyone, said Ahamed Fiasal, a 39-year-old IT business owner, using Mr Solihs nickname.

Still, Mr Fiasal said, the result was surprising because no one thought that Yameen would lose like this.

He had all the power, the judiciary, the police, the security forces under him.

It seemed he might rig the election even at the last minute and would win somehow or the other.

Mr Solihs supporters flooded the streets, hugging one another, waving the Maldivian flag, cheering and honking horns in celebration.

Mr Yameens campaign did not concede the race, and no one from the campaign could immediately be reached for comment.

But Mr Solih had 58.3% of the vote with nearly 97.5% of ballots counted early Monday, according to independent newspaper website mihaaru.com.

A spokesman for Maldives Election Commission said official results would not be announced until September 29, allowing a week for parties to challenge the results in court.

Mr Solih, surrounded by thousands of his supporters, urged calm until the commission had announced the results.

In his victory speech, Mr Solih called the election results a moment of happiness, hope and history, but said that he did not think the election process had been transparent.

Expand Close Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, centre, shakes hands with a supporter as his running mate, Faisal Naseem, right, addresses the gathering (Eranga Jayawardena/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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A police raid on Mr Solihs main campaign office the night before the election was seen by the opposition as a worrying sign that Mr Yameen would muzzle his way to re-election, according to Hamid Abdul Gafoor, an opposition spokesman and former Maldives politician now based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Few foreign media organisations were allowed in to cover the election.

Mr Yameen used his first term to consolidate power, jailing opponents, including his half brother, a former president, and two Supreme Court Justices.

In February, Mr Yameen declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and ordered troops to storm the Supreme Court and arrest judges after they had ordered the release and retrial of those jailed after politically-motivated trials.

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The Supreme Court ordered the release of Mr Nasheed and many other political leaders.

The European Union had said that it was not sending election observers because the Maldives had failed to meet the basic conditions for monitoring.

The US had threatened to sanction Maldivian officials if the elections were not free and fair.

Despite the turmoil, voters flocked to the polls on Sunday, standing in long queues in rain and high temperatures to cast ballots.

More than 260,000 of the Maldives 400,000 people were eligible to vote at about 400 polling stations across the approximately 1,200 islands that comprise the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Voters also stood in long queues in Malaysia, the UK, India and Sri Lanka, where the opposition had encouraged overseas Maldivians to participate.Donald Trump has staunchly defended his embattled Supreme Court nominee against a new allegation of sexual misconduct, calling the accusations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh totally political.

The US president spoke a day after a second allegation emerged against Mr Kavanaugh, a development that further imperilled his nomination to the Supreme Court.

Mr Trump, at the United Nations for his second General Assembly meeting, called the allegations unfair and unsubstantiated, made by accusers who come out of the woodwork.

I am with him all the wayDonald Trump

He also questioned the political motivations of the lawyers representing the women, saying you should look into the lawyers doing the representation.

On Mr Kavanaugh, Mr Trump stressed: I am with him all the way.

The new accusation in a report from The New Yorker came just a few hours after negotiators had reached an agreement to hold an extraordinary public hearing on Thursday for Mr Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford.

Ms Ford accuses Mr Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were teenagers.

He denies the accusation.

Presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway told CBS that the accusations against Mr Kavanaugh sound like a vast left-wing conspiracy, using rhetoric that echoed Hillary Clintons 1998 description of allegations that her husband, President Bill Clinton, had had affairs.

Mr Trump is suggesting the timing of the New Yorker article is further evidence of what he has been saying privately for days: that the Democrats and media are conspiring to undermine his pick.

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The second claim against Mr Kavanaugh dates to the 1983-84 academic year, which was his first at Yale University.

Deborah Ramirez described the alleged incident after being contacted by The New Yorker magazine.

She alleged that Mr Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party.

In a statement provided by the White House, Mr Kavanaugh said the event did not happen and that the allegation was a smear, plain and simple.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, called for the immediate postponement of any further action on Mr Kavanaughs nomination.

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee said they would investigate Ms Ramirezs accusation.

Taylor Foy, a judiciary spokesman, complained that Democrats actively withheld information from the Republicans.

He said they appear more interested in a political takedown than a bipartisan process.

The New Yorker said it contacted Ms Ramirez after learning of a possible incident with Mr Kavanaugh.

It said that the allegation came to the attention of Democratic senators through a civil rights lawyer. The Democrats then began investigating.

Ms Ramirez was reluctant at first to speak publicly partly because her memories contained gaps because she had been drinking at the time of the alleged incident, The New Yorker reported.

After six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney, Ramirez said that she felt confident enough of her recollections to speak publicly, the report said.

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in her legal fight with Mr Trump, claimed to represent a woman with information about high school-era parties attended by Mr Kavanaugh and urged the Senate to investigate.

Mr Avenatti said he will disclose his clients identity in the coming days and that she is prepared to give evidence before the committee, as well as provide names of corroborating witnesses.

A White House official publicly questioned the accusations coming from Mr Avenattis client, saying that the presence of the high-profile lawyer  who has publicly taken on Mr Trump and is weighing a 2020 Democratic presidential bid  makes the proceedings a circus.US deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein is heading to the White House expecting to be fired following reports that he had made comments critical of President Donald Trump, a source said.

The development comes three days after news reports indicating that last year Mr Rosenstein had raised the idea of secretly recording Mr Trump and of invoking the constitution to have his cabinet remove him from office.

Any termination or resignation would have immediate implications for special counsel Robert Muellers investigation of possible collaboration between Russia and the Trump campaign before the 2016 election.

Mr Rosenstein appointed Mr Mueller and oversees his investigation.

Solicitor general Noel Francisco, the highest-ranking Senate confirmed official below Mr Rosenstein in the Justice Department, would take control of the Mueller investigation.

The reports about Mr Rosenstein add to the turmoil in the administration, just six weeks before midterm elections with control of Congress at stake.

Mr Trump is in New York for a meeting of the UN General Assembly.

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In addition to dealing with the Mueller investigation, the White House is also struggling to win confirmation of its Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations.

Mr Trump had previously floated the idea of firing Mr Rosenstein in April after FBI raids of the office and home of the presidents longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who has since pleaded guilty to several felonies and taken part in interviews with Mr Muellers team.

But the latest move comes after a New York Times report of Rosenstein comments in 2017.

That report and an unsigned opinion piece by a senior official in the Republican administration played to some of the presidents concerns about a secret Deep State trying to undermine him from within the government.

The administration official, whom Mr Trump has called for a federal investigation to unmask, wrote that there was a group of officials working to safeguard the country from the presidents most dangerous impulses.

And Mr Trumps behaviour had prompted whispers in the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, a move that was backed away from due to concerns it would precipitate a constitutional crisis, the writer said.

In Mr Rosensteins case, he has said that the Times report was inaccurate and said it was based on biased anonymous sources advancing their own personal agenda.

Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment, Mr Rosenstein said.

The Justice Department also released a statement from a person who said Mr Rosensteins recording comment was meant sarcastically.

If Mr Rosenstein were to resign instead of being fired, it would allow the White House to use the Vacancies Act to fill his role.

The federal provision allows the president to circumvent the existing agency line of succession in most instances.

But experts doubt it can be applied when the president creates the vacancy by firing the officeholder.There was plenty of bile on Twitter the day after the Spotlight interview with Mairia Cahill about the Police Ombudsmans report that validated her account of how  as a victim of rape and revolting abuse by an IRA uncle-by-marriage  she had been failed by the criminal justice system and the republican community into which she had been born.

Fortunately there are also open-minded and well-informed people of goodwill and diverse opinions who find Twitter invaluable for many reasons, including finding things out.

Why are the Left and womens organisations so quiet about the rape and subsequent mistreatment of Mairia Cahill? tweeted Eamonn McCann of People Before Profit. I find this genuinely puzzling.

Ms Cahill responded immediately. Because they are afraid of their funding stream being cut if SF get into power, she wrote.

Or because a child abuse victim isnt validated if she speaks out against something which their own politics allows them to turn a blind eye to.

She exempted the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and Foyle Womens Aid from her strictures, for Ms Cahill does not make accusations lightly, which is why she has in her corner people who are naturally sceptical.

The analysist and commentor Robin Wilson came in straightaway with a telling assessment, tweeting that what Adams and Co slyly achieved was a gradual normalisation of their patriarchal, Stalinist apparatus to the extent of putting forward women to front the organisation. Too many turned blind eyes out of naive belief this was progress to support, he added.

Then came a fascinating contribution from Mick Fealty, the founder and driving force of Slugger OToole, which since 2002 has provided a platform for civilised discussion of major political topics in Ireland and Britain, including, at various times, the Mairia Cahill revelations.

Like many, he had obviously been less than impressed by the response to the report of Mary Lou McDonald.

She apologised not for the IRA interrogation and bullying of Ms Cahill, but for the absence in the past of a proper complaints procedure, and wouldnt say if the alleged abuser Martin Morris  who denies the allegations and was cleared by a court  had been a Sinn Fein member, because of inadequate party record-keeping.

An oddly chilling moment on

@BBCSpotlightNI tonight in historic footage of Mary Lou answering questions on the #MairiaCahill case four years ago, tweeted Mr Fealty.

Towards the end, this former SF Dublin City councillor turns up to stand beside her.

And he attached an article from last April about the jailing of former Sinn Fein Dublin councillor Jonathan Dowdall and his father for torturing someone.

Ms McDonald had used the good old Sinn Fein tools of silence and denial to attempt to remove from history any memory of her association with Dowdall junior.

Her deputy Michelle ONeill is not in Ms McDonalds class when it comes to obfuscation, so when pressed by Mark Davenport to comment on the Cahill revelations she said: Its not for me to say that I believe her.

We have to assume that that decision will have to be taken by the IRA Army Council that may be directing Sinn Fein strategy from the Felons Club. In the Republic, while the Sunday Independent has been right behind Ms Cahill, its telling that though the Irish Times had a tough editorial condemning Ms McDonalds failure to judge republican child abuse as harshly as she did that in the Catholic Church, there has been no coverage of the story since.

Is it simply that they cant bear to criticise the Irish Republics only female party leader and are dazzled by the Sinn Fein production line of shiny-haired, articulate Stepford women who faithfully parrot the party line?

Micheal Martin and Brendan Howlin, leaders of Fianna Fail and Labour, have been supportive, but though so too was Enda Kenny when he was Taoiseach.

There has been silence from Leo Varadkar, who seems to be having a prolonged flirtation with Sinn Fein.

Robin Wilson is probably right in attributing to naivete some of the failures of MeToo enthusiasts to back Ms Cahill.

With that progressive Mr Varadkar, sadly, it looks like cold calculation.Saoirse Ronan - probably the most famous Irish thespian in the world - is due to make an exciting new movie. On an exciting old theme. Saoirse is to take the role of Jo, in a new version of Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig: Louisa May Alcott's immortal story - never out of print since it was first published 150 years ago - for a feminist age.

Little Women has been called the most important novel ever written for American women - and not just Americans. It's sold millions of copies in over 50 languages, the Japanese have done a 76-part TV adaptation of it, and there have been numerous movies, plays, and radio adaptations. According to a recent essay by Joan Acocella in the highbrow New Yorker, the story has influenced female writers from Doris Lessing and Margaret Atwood to Susan Sontag, Simone de Beauvoir, A.S. Byatt and Anne Tyler.

What makes Little Women so compelling? Like so many, I loved it when I first read it (and the sequels) as a youngster, but re-reading it now, it seems rather moralistic, even pious. The four March girls - Meg (16), Jo (15), Beth (13) and 12-year-old Amy - and their mother, the angelic "Marmee", are poor but high-minded, living their lives in an all-female household while their father is away serving as a chaplain in the American Civil War.

They are poor because their father lost his property to some swindler but, never mind, they have each other, and they have The Pilgrim's Progress to guide them. The tone is the pursuit of Protestant virtue - being kind to those who are even poorer, understanding that love casts out fear, struggling with one's own imperfections: both Meg and Amy have great tussles with vanity and envy, for they can't afford any of the pretty things that richer teenagers possess, and even the saintly Marmee reveals that she struggles every day to repress her anger.

The values embedded in Little Women would surely seem outdated to young people today - after all, contemporary novels like Sally Rooney's Normal People depict school students having full sexual relationships. How can this Victorian tale of girls talking about the importance of gloves and boys talking about skates and young people saying prim things like, 'We don't cheat in America', resonate?

Yet it does. And Little Women has been a template for so many novels and stories ever since. Just like the apparently very different Sex and the City, the four characters represent four types, and even four elements, of our own personality. Meg is feminine and responsible; Jo is active and fearless; Beth is altruistic and sweet - always nursing a broken doll or caring for a kitten, and we just know that she is doomed to die young; Amy is pretty, selfish, good-natured and ambitious.

Alcott, who based the story on her family life among four girls, brings out character in every line of dialogue: you always know exactly who is speaking because each character vividly expresses her own personality in speech. And, moreover, even in an age of social media, Little Women is insightful about teenage anxieties - anxiety about not having the right clothes, about being bullied, or humiliated at school - and about the everyday squabbles of family life.

But the story is now, also, being seen by scholars as an early feminist text - Anne Boyde Rioux, an English professor in New Orleans, has just published a comprehensive study of the whole Little Women canon. Jo is Louisa May Alcott's own autobiographical character, and Louisa May was a committed feminist. Jo is depicted, at several reprises, as "the man of the family", and more than once says she wishes she was a boy. Alcott herself wrote something similar: "I am more than half-persuaded that I am a man's soul, put by some freak of nature into a woman's body because I have fallen in love in my life with so many pretty girls and never once the least bit with a man."

Jo is clearly a key study for transgender politics - the authorial voice believing she is a man in a woman's body - and for queer theory academics too: she's fallen in love with women, not men, so she's really gay.

Alcott - who had to publish her early writings under the gender-neutral pseudonym of A.M. Barnard - initially wrote Little Women for money, and she was shrewd enough to know her market: while repelled by marriage herself, the shoals of letters she received from fans begged the author for a suitable match for Jo, and so the cuddly, overweight, older German Professor Bhaer appears, and, actually, seems an entirely plausible choice of spouse.

But you can know too much about the sub-text and the dark hinterland of a great work, and you can spoil an engaging story by over-analysing it (I embarked on an English degree in mid-life and heard far too much academic nonsense about "Jane Eyre as the metaphor of the governess as Marxist proletariat"). The real secret of Little Women is that it is sincere. Louisa May started on it for commercial reasons, but what flowed from her pen was artistically truthful, and the reader "gets" that.

And Saoirse Ronan will surely bring a depth of interpretation to the character of Jo.There is real interest in Britain about what goes on here, insists Prof Shirlow

Tim Shipman, political editor of The Sunday Times, has declared that "most people in Britain don't give a monkey's about Northern Ireland. They think it's a strange sectarian place and feel more at home in Cork, Washington or Paris than Belfast. Theresa May does not share this view but she might have to come around to it to get out of this mess".

To make such a comments in the limited word count of Twitter speaks to the limitations of the all-too-frequent soundbite. As the journalist Maureen Dowd summed social media up - it is "everybody's talking at once in a hypnotic, hyper din: the cocktail party from hell".

With some validity, Northern Ireland does appear as a place apart. The politics of RHI and the past points to a society ill at ease. But there is a confusing perception that we are as furious as we are kind. We are at times viewed like some hard-drinking and unbearable uncle not welcome at the wedding. We are positioned as having a history and a culture that is separate, neither British nor Irish, and not, which we are, the product of two nations and their relationship with us.

The DUP props up the Government because political power in the UK is in chaos. That disorder is part-wrapped in anti-immigrant rhetoric. It was England that voted for the disarray of Brexit not us - what a strange place it must be.

We are not the problem but part of a wider political panic. The Irish border issue that has stymied the Chequers blueprint is also a UK border. It is there because of the principle of consent, so how the PM will "come around" to also not giving "a monkey's" is as perplexing as it is confusing. Is she to tear up the Belfast Agreement to solve the crisis?

We emerged from a pernicious conflict and decided that the constitutional future was to be decided without an Armalite in one hand.

Despite the imperfections, we have sustained a much less violent period.

This place now has more mixed marriages and long-term relationships and a decline in workplace segregation than ever before. Judging us as a "strange sectarian place" is partly true, but as we have become less sectarian, more than a tad unfair.

A friend of mine from southern England recently returned from his first trip to Scotland and remarked that it "didn't really feel like Britain". I asked him: "Where do you think Britain is?" He looked puzzled, like some sophisticated Dubliner who went to Leitrim and yelled: "This is not Ireland!" Of course, where any nation actually is, lies in the realms of imagination.

Nations are complex places usually driven by the 'true home' being some cosmopolitan place, which is itself flawed, that looks down upon the rest. This is an always hazardous judgment that affords the sense that all other places are the antechamber - the small room then is imperfect compared to the main room - a one-sided view that reads our politicians' behaviour as representative of us all. Meaning that we should read Londoners as Boris Johnson.

If we are some hapless little place that few would call home, then why, last year, were there nearly five million trips to Northern Ireland that raised a billion pounds in revenue and led to 17m overnight stays? No harm to Cork, it is a fine city, but I'd bet a week's wages that more people from Britain visited Belfast than went to the Rebel County.

Game Of Thrones, the new hotels and the ever-popular city break would seem to suggest that we are, dare I say, attractive. If Titanic Belfast was voted as the world's best tourist attraction, then we must have shifted from being thought of as strange.

A year ago I brought English students to Belfast. For several weeks I lectured them on history, segregation and the culture of the city. The trip was the most popular choice among five UK - or four UK and one Irish destination, if you wish - destinations.

Sensing that my lectures were inspirational, I asked: "Why did you choose Belfast?" As my ego awaited praise the students merely said that they had heard it was a cool place. I was both deflated and elated.

When they came they saw the walls and all else that is dysfunctional, but they concluded that the history of Belfast was their history too.

The idea that most people in Britain do not give a monkey's is as true as it is false. I am sure most people in Britain never think about Northern Ireland, but they probably never think much about Glasgow or Cardiff either.

One in 10 people living in England has at least one Irish grandparent, and the equivalent of an eighth of the total population living on the island of Ireland, who were born there, live in Britain. I would sense they would have an interest in the affairs of Northern Ireland.

Working at the University of Liverpool, I speak every day to at least three or four people who served in Northern Ireland. They keep up to speed with what happens here. Nearly a third of a million soldiers served in Northern Ireland, and MPs at Westminster tabled motions to pay the cost of abortions for women who travel to England and also marriage equality. There is nowhere I go in England that people do not comment or ask questions about what is happening here.

Merseyside has a population roughly that of here and I'd hazard that the politics of Northern Ireland features in more column inches and media coverage than that of Ireland's 'second city'.

Not to mention the contribution to civic and cultural life that Ulster folk brought and bring to Britain. Seamus Heaney, Van Morrison, Colin Bateman, Ruby Murray and Mary Peters' contribution both nationally and globally prove that we are not a detached antechamber, but at the core of cultural life.

To repeat, whether people give a monkey's or otherwise, it is the principle of consent that will change or maintain our place in the UK. Negatively labelling Northern Ireland is simply unhelpful as it scares the unionist horses and encourages the republican stampede.

To be fair to Tim, he rejoined the emergent hyper-din of responses to say it was just an opinion. Maybe we should all remember that if you tweet peanuts you encourage the misinformed monkeys.U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley (right) is joined by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as she speaks to reporters on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sept. 24, 2018.

The United States on Monday announced more than $185 million in new humanitarian aid for people affected by violence in Myanmars Rakhine State, including $156 million for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and the communities that host them.

The aid announced Monday brings total U.S. assistance in response to the Rakhine state crisis since August 2017 to $389 million, according to a statement Monday by the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

The United States is proud to be the leading donor of life-saving assistance to displaced persons, refugees and host communities in Burma and Bangladesh. Still more needs to be done, so we need other countries to do their part as well, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said, using another name for Myanmar.

We continue to call on the Burmese government to do more to hold those who have engaged in ethnic cleansing accountable for their atrocities, end the violence and allow full humanitarian and free press access. And we greatly appreciate Bangladeshs unwavering generosity in hosting and caring for the refugees, she said.

About 1 million Rohingya refugees are sheltering in camps and settlements in southeastern Bangladesh, including 720,000 who fled a brutal crackdown in Rakhine that started in August 2017.

In March, the United Nations and its partner NGOs said that nearly U.S. $1 billion was needed to meet the urgent needs of refugees and 330,000 locals hosting them in communities along Bangladeshs border with Myanmar. By the end of July, the U.N. had reported raising $284 million.

Myanmars military has been accused of waging a campaign of extrajudicial killings, rape and burning villages of the Rohingyas, who are regarded as illegal immigrants and have long been denied citizenship and basic rights even though some families have lived there for generations.

In late August, investigators from the U.N.s human rights body said Myanmar military leaders should be prosecuted for genocide against the Rohingya and identified six officials as responsible for crimes targeting the ethnic minority.

However, a new U.S. government investigation of the events in Rakhine State stops short of describing violence there as genocide or a crime against humanity, according to Reuters, which said Monday it had seen an advance copy of a State Department report on the probe.

The survey reveals that the recent violence in northern Rakhine State was extreme, large-scale, widespread, and seemingly geared toward both terrorizing the population and driving out the Rohingya residents, Reuters quoted the 20-page report as saying.

The scope and scale of the militarys operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated, it said.

A declaration of genocide by the U.S. government, which has already labeled the crackdown as "ethnic cleansing," could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures against Myanmar, the Reuters report said.Indonesian President Joko Widodo, second left, and his running mate Ma'ruf Amin, left, and his contender Prabowo Subianto, second right, with his running mate Sandiaga Uno, right, release birds during a ceremony marking the kick off of the campaign period for next year's election in Jakarta, Sept. 23, 2018.

Campaigning for next years presidential and parliamentary elections in Indonesia has begun, with analysts saying they expect smear tactics and vote-buying to mar the period leading to the 2019 vote.

The six-month campaign kicked off on Sunday with the two presidential candidates signing a pledge for a peaceful race and releasing white doves.

Incumbent President Joko Jokowi Widodo faces former special forces commander Gen. Prabowo Subianto in the election scheduled for April 17. It is a repeat of 2014 electoral battle, when Jokowi narrowly defeated Prabowo.

God willing, it will be peaceful, Prabowo, 66, told reporters on Monday.

About 187 million Indonesians are eligible to vote in the presidential and parliamentary elections, which will be held simultaneously for the first time.

With many voters undecided, analysts expect contestants and their supporters to employ smear tactics and buy votes.

Money politics, fake news and hoaxes will still happen, especially during the later days of the campaign when they resort to whatever ammunition at their disposal, Wawan Masudi, a political analyst at Gajah Mada University, told BenarNews.

Former Gen. Wiranto, the coordinating minister for politics and security, warned politicians against capitalizing on religious, ethnic and racial prejudices to attack opponents.

We have to avoid such things to maintain our unity as a nation, he said Monday.

A day after the campaign began, pollster Indonesia Survey Circle launched its survey results showing an increase in political intolerance over the past three years.

The national survey, which was carried out in August, involved 1,520 voters and focused on public perception of democracy, corruption and intolerance.

The survey showed 59 percent of Muslims objected to a non-Muslim becoming president. Non-Muslims, on the other hand, were more tolerant to the appointment of Muslim leaders, it said.

Presidential campaign

Jokowi has picked conservative cleric Maruf Amin, 75, as his running mate, while Prabowo is teaming up with former Jakarta deputy governor and wealthy businessman Sandiaga Uno.

Analysts said Jokowis choice of Maruf is intended to fend off accusations by conservative Muslims that he is not Islamic enough. In 2014, he had to deal with a smear campaign accusing him of being an ethnic Chinese communist.

This is a celebration of democracy, Jokowi said last week before the campaign began officially. The most important thing is, we should not let the election divide us. It should not cause neighbors to stop talking to each other or make us feel that we are no longer brothers and sisters.

At least three recent polls show Jokowi favored by 52 percent to 53 percent of voters, while Prabowo was favored by 30 percent to 35 percent.

Parliamentary election

Sixteen political parties are contesting the parliamentary election to fill 575 seats in the House and 136 in the Senate. Almost 8,000 candidates will appear on ballots across the country.

Some analysts said newly established parties, such as the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) and the Working Party (Partai Berkarya), would find it difficult to see their candidates get elected.

The Working Party was founded by Tommy Suharto, the youngest son of former dictator Suharto, who served as president from 1967 to 1998. Tommy Suharto was sentenced to prison in 2002 on charges he ordered the killing of a judge who previously convicted him of corruption. Suharto was released in 2006.

As campaigns heat up, police said they were deploying more than 270,000 personnel backed by the military, to maintain security.

The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) urged people to report any campaign violation they see.

We will take action on any violation, Bawaslu member Rahmat Bagja said.

Ahmad Syamsudin in Jakarta contributed to this report.Rescuers try to clear debris after a massive landslide buried homes at a mining community in the northern Philippine town of Itogon, Sept. 18, 2018.

Rescuers retrieved more bodies from the rubble of two landslides that devastated two towns in the Philippines, raising the death toll to at least 96, with dozens still listed as missing, officials said Monday.

In what is shaping up as the countrys worst disaster for the year, authorities said 51 bodies have been pulled out from the rubble in a landslide that hit a quarry site in central city of Naga, which collapsed on Sept. 20. As many as 40 other people are believed missing.

In the mountainous northern town of Itogon, where a side of the ridge slammed onto an old mining community, rescuers have pulled out 45 bodies so far, officials said.

The two landslides occurred last week after typhoon Mangkhut unleashed heavy rains and barreled through the nation with winds of 170 kph (105 mph) and 260 kph (160 mph) gusts.

Baltazar Tribunalo, Provincial Disaster Management chief in Naga, told reporters a life detector device inserted into the ground indicated that there could be signs of life.

There may be people at least 45 meters down there. Those are the areas, we can find ways for the retrieval forces to enter, Tribunalo said.

We are still hopeful, especially to everyone involved, those from Naga and to the Filipinos. We still hope we can find someone alive tonight or tomorrow, he said.

Last month, the Philippine environment departments mines and geosciences bureau inspected the area and found cracks in the slopes in the Naga quarry site. But officials from the firm blamed for the tragedy said they had not begun quarry operations at the site that collapsed.

I can confirm that we do not have an active quarry site. Last time there was activity there was in 2005, said Chito Maniago, spokesman of Apo Land and Quarry Corp.

Presidential adviser Francis Tolentino said search-and-rescue teams in Itogon were trying to pull victims from the rubble. He said that while the old mine tunnels had all been closed, people were actually living in the area.

In this particular area, they would rather stay at that place. They went there as workers. Not just the gold mine, but looking for alternative source of livelihood and they prefer to stay there, he said.

Most of those who died were miners from out of town, he said.

Tolentino said local officials of Itogon, led by its mayor, Victorio Palangdan, could be held liable for the tragedy.

When it comes to human life, the frontliner is the local chief executive. Even though there may be finger-pointing  the mayor is answerable to them, he said.

Up to 10 associations of small-scale miners had been granted temporary mining contracts in Itogon, where the mines were once controlled by Benguet Corp.

Authorities ordered the revocation of all the temporary contracts in the wake of the disaster and called for an immediate stop to all small-scale mining operations in the northern region.Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 75F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Thunder possible. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.We landed in Athens after entering Europe through Rome. As soon as we landed, we met our tour guide for the week, Matina, and went straight to the Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounio. During the week we held morning sessions with Dr. Cline, a professor on classical studies and religion from Texas Christian University, on Greek history, philosophy and theology. Throughout the day we went sightseeing with our mentors, Matina and Dr. Cline. During the days following Cape Sounio, we went to Eleusis, where the Temple of Demeter is located; Corinth, where we hiked the Acrocorinth; Nafplion, Mycenae, where we visited the tomb of Agammemon; Asklepion, the theater at Epidarus; Olympia, where we walked through where the old Olympic games were carried; Nafpaktos, Delphi, where we visited the Temple of Apollo and the location of the Oracle of Delphi, Loukas Monastery near Delphi; and Athens, where we took a bus to Acropolis to tour the Parthenon and Agora.

Because of what it stood for and what it represented for the Greek people, Delphi was one of my favorite places. Within the Greek culture, Delphi is famous for being the place that became the center of the world after Zeus released two eagles from both ends of the world and they crossed paths on Delphi, where Zeus released an egg-like rock, the omphalos, marking it the center of the world. The temple of Apollo was built around the rock on top of a mountain, and the oracle of Delphi stayed under the temple.

From the temple of Apollo, we were able to see all the way through the mountain into the sea. We could see all the path and pillars that the peregrines walked through in order to reach the Oracle and ask for advice. I kept imagining the ships docking with families, chariots arriving to the bottom of the mountain with offerings and generals from all over Greece meeting before every conflict in order to ask for the oracles approval or advice. Altogether, it not only reminded me of our chapters relation with a chapter counselor but also how every member comes great lengths to arrive to a university to find something meaningful there.Just about everyone wants to know how the sixty-six books got chosen to be in the Bible. Why these sixty-six? Why not a few more (or a few less)? Why these books and not others?

In Persecution in the Early Church Herbert Workman tells the story of a Christian who was brought before the Roman governor of Sicily during the last great persecution of the church. His crime? Possessing a copy of the Gospels.

The governor asked, Where did these come from? Did you bring them from your home?

The believer replied, I have no home, as my Lord Jesus knows.

The governor asked his prisoner to read a portion of the Gospels. He chose a portion of Jesus Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Next he read from Luke: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

At this, the judge ordered the prisoner taken awayto his death.

Under Roman law new religions were illegal. In its first few decades Christianity was seen as a sect within Judaism. Once it was determined that Christianity was a separate religion, it became illegal to identify as a Christian. So, for the first three centuries of what we now call the Christian Era, it was a crime to be Christian. Persecutions sprang up throughout various parts of the empire. Believers were tortured and sometimes martyred for their faith. In 303, Emperor Diocletian ordered the confiscation of Christian property and churches, and the burning of Scriptures, according to this article. Believers and their Book had become so inseparable that the way to eliminate Christianity was to eliminate the Bible.

Who decided what went into the Bible? The short answer to that question is no one. Or maybe a better answer is God did. When scholars talk about how a book qualified to be called Scripture, they list five characteristics called the laws of canonicity. But these characteristics are recognized in hindsight; they werent developed by a particular group at a particular time in history.

After his resurrection Jesus commissioned his followers to go and make disciples, and they did. They devoted themselves to sharing the Christs good news, enfolding people into local churches and teaching them to obey all that Jesus had commanded.

These Jewish believers already had Scripture. Around Palestine the Jewish Scripture is exactly what Protestants today call the Old Testament. Jesus referred to these books when he spoke of the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms ( Luke 24:44 ).

Outside the Holy Land some Jews included twelve to fifteen other books as part of Scripture. The Septuagint, which was translated in Egypt, contains books that we now call the Apocrypha. (Apocrypha means those hidden away.) Early Christians differed over whether these extra books should be considered Scripture or not. Those nearest Palestine tended to exclude them. Those closer to Rome tended to include them.

During the sixteenth-century Reformation, Martin Luther spoke strongly against the Apocrypha. In reaction the Roman Catholic Church convened a council in Trent (now in Italy), where they declared the Apocrypha to be canonical. To this day Catholics and Protestants disagree on this issue. Catholics uphold the Apocrypha. Protestants believe that the Apocrypha is useful but not inspired.

Wherever Christianity spread, Christians gathered for worship and instruction. In keeping with the customs of the Jewish synagogue, a portion of Old Testament Scripture would be read and explained. Meanwhile, the apostles, along with other evangelists and teachers, traveled from place to place to plant churches and encourage believers. When one of these recognized leaders was in town, he was invited to speak during the service.

As need arose, the apostles wrote letters to various churches. When a letter arrived, it was read with great excitement in the worship service. Often the letter would be copied and shared with neighboring churches, who, in turn, would share it with still other churches. Naturally, the more inspiring letters were copied and shared more often.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote, After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea ( Colossians 4:16 ). We still have the letter to the Colossians. The letter to the Laodiceans was not considered inspired or pertinent enough to be preserved.

Around A.D. 150, Justin Martyr described worship this way:

By this early date, the memoirs of the apostles were considered as important to the teaching of the church as the writings of the prophets.

About ten years earlier a wealthy ship owner named Marcion sailed from his home near the Black Sea to the capital city of Rome. Marcion believed that the God of the Old Testament was different than the God of the New Testament. The former was distant and loved justice, while the latter was loving and emphasized grace.

Marcion rejected the Old Testament, along with any writings that might reinforce views other than his own. He developed a list of books he considered acceptable: portions of the Gospel of Luke, ten of Pauls letters, plus a letter purportedly from Paul to the Alexandrians. This list is known as the Marcion Canon.

The church had to respond to this. Though nothing had been officially written down, decided or proclaimed, most Christians had a sense of what was Scripture and what wasnt.

Between A.D. 156 and 172, a second provocateur appeared on the scene. His name was Montanus. Montanus was accompanied by two prophetesses, Prisca and Maximilla. The Three spoke in ecstatic visions and encouraged their followers to fast and pray, calling the church to a higher standard of righteousness and zeal. If that was as far as their teaching went, they would have been an asset. But their message included what they called new prophecy, which pushed Christ and the apostolic message into the background. The age of Jesus was being superseded by the age of the Holy Spirit, and Montanus was its spokesman.

Was Montanus truly bringing a new prophecy with new authority? Prophecy more authoritative than Jesus and the apostles? This question prompted the church to respond a second time.

In A.D. 144, the church of Rome excommunicated Marcion and continued the sifting process on what was Scripture and what wasnt. The Montanus controversy pushed the church to ask further questions of their Scriptures. Specifically, was God bringing further revelation? Could that revelation be true if it contradicted things taught by Jesus and the apostles? Could new truth change or add to the basic teachings the church had been feeding on for the past century? The answer was no. From this the church concluded that the canon of Scripture was closed.

Spurred by these dilemmas the church developed its list of canonical books. The following are guidelines for accepting a book into the New Testament:

1. Was the book written by a prophet of God?

2. Was the writer confirmed by acts of God?

3. Does the message tell the truth about God?

4. Did it come with the power of God?

5. Was it accepted by Gods people?

These are the marks of canonicity. Canon is a Greek word meaning rule or measuring stick. These five questions are used to determine which books measure up to being labeled divinely inspired. They exhibit the marks of canonicity.

Turn to a Bibles table of contents and youll see that each of the books was written by either a prophet or apostle ( Ephesians 2:20 ), or by someone with a direct relationship to one.

Miracles were the means by which God confirmed the authority of his spokesmen. In Exodus 4 , Moses was given miraculous powers to confirm his call. In 2 Corinthians 12:12 , Paul teaches that the mark of an apostle is signs, wonders and miracles.

Truth cannot contradict itself, so agreement with the other books of Scripture was only logical. As was historical accuracy. If the facts of a book were inaccurate, it couldnt have been from God.

The inner witness of the Spirit was equally important. A key question these early Christians asked was, When we read this, is there an inner sense from God that what is written is right and true?

Initial acceptance by people to whom the work was addressed was crucial. What was the original audiences sense? Did they accept the book as an authoritative word from God? Daniel, who lived within a few years of Jeremiah, called Jeremiahs book Scripture in Daniel 9:2 . Paul called the Gospel of Luke Scripture in 1 Timothy 5:18 . Peter affirmed that Pauls letters were Scripture in 2 Peter 3:16 .

Even before Marcion and Montanus, the church was aware of these important criteria. In A.D. 96, Clement of Rome wrote The apostles were made evangelists to us by the Lord Christ; Jesus Christ was sent by God. Thus Christ is from God and the apostles from Christ. . . . The Church is built on them as a foundation (1 Clement 42).

After Marcion and Montanus, lists of New Testament books begin to appear. One of the first was The Muratorian Fragment. It was discovered among the Vaticans sacred documents by historian Ludovico Antonio Muratori in 1740 and dates to about A.D. 190. The fragment is damaged. The portion we possess begins with the third book of the Gospel is that according to Luke. We assume the first and second Gospels to be Matthew and Mark. The fragment lists John, Acts, all of Pauls letters, James, 1-2 John, Jude and the Revelation of John. It also includes the Revelation of Peter, the Wisdom of Solomon and (to be used in private, but not public worship) the Shepherd of Hermas.

By the early third century only a handful of books that we now call our New Testament were in question. In western regions of the empire, the book of Hebrews faced opposition, and in the east Revelation was unpopular. Eusebius, a church historian of the fourth century, records that James, 2 Peter, 2-3 John and Jude were the only books spoken against (though recognized by others).

In 367, Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria, wrote an Easter letter that contained all twenty-seven books of our present New Testament. In 393 the Synod of Hippo affirmed our current New Testament, and in 397 the Council of Carthage published the same list.

Theologians are careful to note that the church didnt develop the canon, God did that by inspiring its writing and superintending each books preservation. The church recognized the canon by experience and mutual agreement.

Read 2 Peter 1:19-21 .

1. What is the prophetic message as something completely reliable?

2. What are we supposed to do with the prophetic message?

3. Where did the prophecies of Scripture come from?

4. What does chapter three of The Bible Questions make you want to do?

Taken from The Bible Questions by Hal Seed. Copyright(c) 2012 by Hal Seed. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515. www.ivpress.com

Photo credit: Unsplash/Aaron BurdenPlus, Bill's Message of the Day, the truth about kids and the COVID-19 vaccine.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesFor Immediate Release, September 24, 2018 Contacts: Nancy Hwa, Humane Society International, (202) 596-0808, nhwa@hsi.org

Tanya Sanerib, Center for Biological Diversity, (206) 379-7363, tsanerib@biologicaldiversity.org U.S. Officials Urged to Reconsider Approval of Black Rhino Trophy Import Billionaire Texas Hunter Seeks to Import Endangered Animal's Entire Body WASHINGTON Conservation and animal-welfare groups today urged Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reconsider a federal decision to allow a Texas billionaire to import a critically endangered black rhino shot during a trophy hunt in Namibia. The Fish and Wildlife Service gave notice Sept. 20 of its intent to issue the permit in 10 days. Black rhinos are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, but the government unlawfully approves trophy imports in a pay-to-play scheme. Todays letter from the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, Humane Society Legislative Fund and Center for Biological Diversity argues that such permits undermine conservation of Africas endangered wildlife, contrary to industry claims. [K]illing a critically endangered rhinoceros and importing the trophy does not benefit the species, the letter states. The approximately 27-year-old western black rhino was shot last year by the Dallas hunter, who has his own museum of trophy kills. The permit application notes the intent to import a life-size mount of the rhino. Approving this permit betrays the core principles of the Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Service is endorsing the import of a hunting trophy of an endangered species under the pretense that killing animals promotes conservation, said Anna Frostic, managing wildlife attorney with the Humane Society of the United States. It is telling that the three endangered species that FWS has authorized trophy imports for  black rhinoceros, bontebok and cape mountain zebra  are highly prized by trophy hunters. Black rhinos are highly imperiled, with roughly only 5,500 existing worldwide by 2015, of which 1,946 are in Namibia. Its disgusting to see federal wildlife officials giving a Texas billionaire a pat on the back for blowing away this incredibly rare rhino, said Tanya Sanerib, international legal director with the Center for Biological Diversity. We shouldnt be sanctioning the death of this majestic animal by allowing this trophy into the United States. The cruelty of trophy hunting simply doesnt comport with efforts to save Africas imperiled wildlife. Poaching of rhinos for their highly coveted horns still threatens to drive the species toward extinction. Official Namibian government figures show that rhino poaching escalated from nearly zero to more than 80 in 2016, and the vast majority of rhinos poached were black rhinos. Due to the poaching crisis, the country is under consideration to join a handful of Priority Countries for Attention at the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which will meet in Russia next week. The agency also approved elephant and lion trophy imports from Zimbabwe and Zambia last fall and has adopted policies favorable to trophy hunters. The administration set up the International Wildlife Conservation Council, an advisory committee packed primarily with trophy hunters, to further advise officials on how to liberalize trophy imports. The council is scheduled to meet later this week. The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, Center for Biological Diversity and Natural Resources Defense Council, represented by Democracy Forward, have a pending lawsuit in New York challenging the various illegalities in the establishment and operation of the IWCC.For Immediate Release, September 24, 2018 Contact: Peter Galvin, (520) 907-1533, pgalvin@biologicaldiversity.org Legal Appeal Challenges U.S. Military Base Construction in Japan, Threat to Rare Okinawa Dugongs SAN FRANCISCO American conservation groups and residents of Okinawa today appealed a court ruling allowing construction of a new U.S. military base on the Japanese island. The base will destroy crucial habitat for the last remaining Okinawa dugongs, a critically endangered relative of the manatee. The appeal argues the district courts August ruling overlooked key procedural and public-participation requirements of the U.S. National Historic Preservation Act. The co-litigants in this appeal are the Japan Environmental Lawyers Foundation, the Save the Dugong Foundation, Anna Shimabukuro, Takuma Higashionna and Yoshikazu Makishi. The Center for Biological Diversity, Turtle Island Restoration Network and the co-plaintiffs are represented in this case by Earthjustice, which filed the appeal. This could be the last chance to save the dugong. The court should compel the U.S. military to follow the law and not wipe out these amazing animals, said Peter Galvin, cofounder of the Center. The Trump administration cant ignore the cultural and environmental harm of building a massive military base in these beautiful coastal waters. The case now returns to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled last year that the issue deserved a full hearing on the environmental merits. The bases destruction of seagrass habitat in Henoko Bay could lead to the extinction of the Okinawa dugong, an important cultural icon and one of the planets most endangered marine mammals. Just a handful of Okinawa dugongs remain in the world. Paving coral reefs for a U.S. military runway in Japan does not make us safer. Promoting habitat destruction and species extinction makes us all less secure, said Todd Steiner, executive director of Turtle Island Restoration Network. The Okinawa dugong, sea turtles, coral reefs, humans and the ocean environment need the U.S. justice system to guard our genuine national security by rejecting this ecologically horrendous project.



The Trump administration has begun construction of a new U.S. airbase that would fill in and pave over 125 acres of rich seagrass and coral habitat in Henoko Bay, although the work has been temporarily suspended. Dugongs have long been revered by native Okinawans and even celebrated as sirens that bring friendly warnings of tsunamis. The dugong is listed as an object of national cultural significance under Japans Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. Under the National Historic Preservation Act and international law, the United States must avoid or mitigate harm to places or things of cultural significance to another country.At the same event, the Prime Minister unveiled plaques to lay the Foundation Stone for medical colleges at Chaibasa and Koderma. He also inaugurated 10 Health and Wellness Centres.

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has launched the health assurance scheme: Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana at Ranchi, Jharkhand.

The Prime Minister visited an exhibition on the scheme, before arriving on the dais to launch PMJAY at a huge public gathering.

At the same event, the Prime Minister unveiled plaques to lay the Foundation Stone for medical colleges at Chaibasa and Koderma. He also inaugurated 10 Health and Wellness Centres.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that this launch has been done with a vision to provide the poorest of the poor, and the underprivileged sections of society, with better healthcare and treatment. He said this scheme, which envisions health assurance of 5 lakh rupees per family per year, will benefit over 50 crore people, and is the world's biggest health assurance scheme. He said the number of beneficiaries of this scheme is roughly equal to the population of the European Union, or the population of America, Canada and Mexico, taken together.

He said the first part of Ayushman Bharat - the health and wellness centres, was launched on BabasahebAmbedkar's birth anniversary, and the second part - the health assurance scheme, is being launched two days before Deendayal Upadhyay's birth anniversary.

Explaining how comprehensive the PMJAY is, the Prime Minister said it would cover 1300 illnesses, including serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. He said private hospitals too would be part of this scheme.

The Prime Minister said that the amount of 5 lakhs would cover all investigations, medicine, pre-hospitalization expenses etc. He said it would also cover pre-existing illnesses. He said that people can learn more about the scheme by dialling 14555, or through their Common Service Centre.

The Prime Minister said that for the States that are a part of PMJAY, people can get the benefit of the scheme in whichever of these States they go to. He said more than 13,000 hospitals across the country have joined the scheme so far.

The Prime Minister also spoke of the 10 health and wellness centres inaugurated today. He said the number of such centres across the country has reached 2300. He said the aim is to have 1.5 lakh such centres in India within four years.

The Prime Minister said that the Union Government is working with a holistic approach to improve the health sector in the country. He said the focus is on both "Affordable Healthcare" and "Preventive Healthcare."

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that through the efforts of all those involved with PMJAY, and the dedication of the doctors, nurses, healthcare providers, ASHAs, ANMs etc, the scheme would become a success.After the launch of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (ABPMJAY) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BioSpectrum presents reactions of some industry professionals on the same.

After the launch of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (ABPMJAY) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BioSpectrum presents reactions of some industry professionals on the same:

The PMJAY is clearly a massive leap towards universal health coverage that could transform the healthcare landscape in India. We believe that digital infrastructure will be key to a seamless and transparent system of transacting the costs of drugs, diagnostics and therapeutic interventions. We are keenly monitoring the operating models to be followed by empanelled hospitals and will continue to serve communities with the highest quality of care and commitment possible. We are happy to state that with the launch of Jan Arogya Yojna, Paras Healthcare has also become the part of the Prime Minister,s vision of making India Healthier, said Dr Dharminder Nagar, MD, Paras Healthcare.

"The announcement of Jan Arogya Abhiyan is a landmark scheme and a much needed boost to India's healthcare system. Till now at least 27% people around the poverty line who could not have afforded healthcare would hit by the high cost of treatment. With a promise of a transparent, IT-enabled system, the initiative promises to benefit 50 crore plus population is indeed laudable. Another aspect that stands out is the integration of the wellness centers, the first pillar, with Ayushman Bharat, the second pillar government healthcare delivery. As a provider of healthcare delivery at a village level through an IT enabled health card system, which includes access to secondary care and tertiary care with a network of service providers , it is interesting for us to note that how close and complimentary Jan Arogya Abhiyan and Gramin Health Care is to each other. Both our models drive cot effective and scalable institutional by providing volumes to private healthcare enterprises and at the same time benefit the masses with affordable healthcare. While our system is supported by private organizations, the Jan Arogya initiative will be funded 60% by the central government. Till now individual private hospitals are becoming a part of the Prime Minister's initiative, as the initiative stabilizes after launch, we expect the growing world of Gramin Health Care will be recognized as an important partner to Government's Ayushman Bharat Initiative, said Ajoy Khandheria, Founder, Gramin Healthcare.

Ayushman Bharat is a very ambitious scheme and would be the largest State sponsored scheme in the world. The success of this scheme would depend upon the effective implementation of this scheme. This scheme would definitely increase awareness among the population and help set in some standards of care especially in rural areas, said Mr. Shreeraj Deshpande, Head-Health Insurance, Future Generali India Insurance on the Ayushman Bharat launch.The findings of the TALENT trial presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics 2018 (TCT) conference in San Diego, USA establishes India's largest stent manufacturer SMTs Supraflex stent clinically at par with Abbotts Xience family, with a numerically better outcome.

Supraflex, a cardiac drug eluting stent designed and manufactured in India has been confirmed to be at par with Abbotts Xience through an investigators-driven study called 'TALENT'. Dr Patrick Serruys a globally renowned cardiology researcher was the chair for the TALENT trial. The findings of the TALENT trial were presented at the 'late breaking trial session' at Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics 2018 (TCT), the largest global conference of cardiologist currently underway in San Diego, USA. This study was conducted in 7 countries - United Kingdom, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria - across 23 renowned centres with a sample size of 1435 patients. Xience is regarded as global standard in safety and efficacy for drug eluting stents.

Over 5,00,000 stents are used in India every year. A cardiac stent is a device used to unblock clogged arteries. Drug eluting stents are coated with medicines that help lower recurrence chances of an artery narrowing after corrective surgery.

Presenting the findings of TALENT trial, Dr Patrick Serruys, said, Safety and efficacy of Supraflex SES with ultra thin struts and biodegradable polymer were compared with Xience EES in all comers-population. Supraflex was found to be non-inferior to the Xience for DOCE (device oriented end points) at 12 months in an all comer-population* with a lower rate of CI-TLR** in the per protocol analysis.

Padma Shri Dr Upendra Kaul, one of the leading cardiologist from India was the co-chair of the TALENT Study. Commenting on the study, Dr Kaul said, "There remained a perception that stents produced outside of India were superior to homegrown devices. There were demands from Indian manufacturers to prove that their devices are comparable to those made elsewhere in robust clinical trials. TALENT is the first such trial to yield positive results and stands out with a far better efficacy compared to the competitors.

Prof. R. de Winter, MD, Academisch Medisch Centrum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and A. Zaman, MD, Cardiac Catheter Laboratories, Royal Freeman, Newcastle, UK, were the Principal Investigators for the TALENT trial.

The TALENT trial included mean patient age of 65 years, and about three-quarters were men, with about 40% of patients presenting with stable angina and 60% with Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS). The rate of a device-oriented composite endpoint of cardiac death, target-vessel MI, and clinically indicated TLR at 12 months was 4.9% with Supraflex and 5.3% with Xience, a difference that met criteria for non-inferiority (P< 0.001).

In a per protocol analysis Supraflex had better efficacy as compared to Xience. The rate of clinically driven re procedure rate was 1.2% vs 3.1% which was also statistically significant. The lower the re procedure rate the better it is.

Supraflex is available in 65 countries across the world and is the largest selling drug eluting stent of SMT (Sahajanand Medical Technologies), Indias largest stent manufacturer. Supraflex has advanced features like biodegradable polymer and ultrathin strut* (60m) thickness compared to 81 m strut thickness and biostable polymer coating of Xience. The TALENT clinical study results matches with the published meta-analysis, highlighting benefits of lower strut thickness.

Mr Ganesh Sabat CEO, SMT said, The result of the TALENT study is significant for the coronary stent industry. The success of this study resonates well with make in India. We are proud to establish India name in such a complicated and high end life-saving technology industry. We now have strong credentials to achieve our dream of becoming a leading global player in coronary stent industry.In his address, Dr Chauhan discussed the scope and potential of Ayurveda in nation building through preventive healthcare.

Dr Partap Chauhan, Director, Jiva Ayurveda was recently invited to address members of the Parliament of Lithuania, heads of Central Health Commission and various health committees during his educational tour of France, Poland and Lithuania.

In his address, Dr Chauhan discussed the scope and potential of Ayurveda in nation building through preventive healthcare. He spoke on how following the principles of Ayurveda can prevent diseases and have a direct impact on reducing health care costs, increase manpower utilization and contribute in propelling the nation forward. Chronic and lifestyle diseases, such as Diabetes, Stress, Obesity and Heart disorders have become a major concern for both developing as well as developed nations around the world, and Ayurveda is the solution the world needs.

Dr Chauhan also informed the distinguished guests on the work done by Jiva Ayurveda in the fields of precision medicine and preventive healthcare over the last 25 years, and invited them to visit India to see Ayurveda in action. He also interacted with the members of the press after the address.Doctors Found A Dead Turtle In A Womans Vagina Pulse oi-Syeda Farah Noor

When people get drunk there are so many things that they end up doing that they do not even have an idea of what they did the previous night and this case is just a perfect example of it.

An unnamed woman went to the hospital in severe pain and only discovered that a dead turtle was residing in her vagina.

Check out the bizarre case where the woman was clueless of a dead turtle found in her vagina.

The Incident Happened In Spain The bizarre incident is believed to have happened in Spain with a British woman who was on a holiday and ended up at the hospital with severe pain in her lower abdomen. Real-life Story Of The Girl Born Without A Vagina Who Created One Using Fish Skin! The Doctors Discovered The Most Unexpected Thing! When the doctors examined, they got a shock of their life when they discovered a dead turtle inside the woman's vagina. According to medics, the turtle had started rotting, and, as a result, it caused infection inside her vagina. Was It A Turtle Or A Tortoise? While many media sources reveal the animal found inside the woman to be a tortoise, few claim it to be a turtle as both the species are called Tortuga' in Spain. WTF! A Cow's Tongue Was Found In A Woman's Vagina!! Question Of It Being Alive Since the woman claims that she has no clue about how the turtle ended up being in there, the question arises whether the poor animal was alive or if it was dead at the time of insertion. The Cops Filed A Case Since the woman was drunk when the tortoise landed in her privates, police started their investigation to find out if the woman was assaulted, but the woman did not wish to take it further and claimed that she wanted to close the matter at that. Whatever the reason may be, it just makes us wonder on how could the poor animal end up getting stuck in such a wrong place and losing its life. What is your take on this? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 22/9/2018 (1146 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Sioux Valleys Petro-Canada was converted to reserve status on Saturday, along with the 80 acres of land from the northwest corner of Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 21 intersection.

The day was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside the station with Carolyn Bennett, federal minister of CrownIndigenous Relations, and Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Chief Vince Tacan both on hand.

Its conversion to reserve status gives the First Nation some benefits under the Indian Act, Tacan said.

"We can impose our own taxation on there if we choose to," he said. "It also gives us greater control in terms of zoning and regulating activity there, and in the long run its less red tape than if you had to set up a business somewhere else."

The goal of their 80-acre land purchase a few years ago was to allow for more desirable location for future businesses, right beside the Trans-Canada Highway, as opposed to a few kilometres north up Highway 21. The lands conversion to reserve status marks the next step in the First Nations economic development plan.

"We feel that our location would be an excellent site for a new business because of where it is," Tacan said. "We have the only service stations in the RM ... We also feel that in the southwest area of Manitoba, we havent got some of the things that other areas have, so we want to focus on that."

Theyre currently in the early stages of looking at what will be going on that site, Tacan said.

"Were focusing on things that are going to generate employment for our young people and create opportunities," he said.

"Were open to any proposals," he said.

Tacan said he was hopeful that in time they will see different businesses set up at the site, which will benefit the community.

"Its going to be organized, and its going to be designed to maximize on the available people that we have here that are looking at the job market," he said.

MELISSA VERGE/THE BRANDON SUN Chief Vince Tacan speaks on Saturday about the three major announcements that Sioux Valley Dakota Nation is hoping will have a positive impact.

The land by the Petro-Canada will be a good opportunity for any business, Tacan said, but also will help the younger generation moving forward.

"We have a chance to get our people working, money-wise," he said. "Its probably better for people to have something to look forward to and a purpose. Thats the goal there, so having that converted to reserve status is great for Sioux Valley."

The businesses will provide employment opportunities, not just for those from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, but for others who live in the area.

A framework agreement was also signed on Saturday, which Tacan said he hopes will lead toward a reconciliation agreement.

The framework agreement was signed by both the federal and provincial governments.

"I think the word that was being thrown around by the minister and others is reconciliation," he said. "They dont want to just talk about it, they want to see some concrete things happening, so were hopeful that sentiment will translate into some positive things in our agreement down the road."

Another effort Tacan joined Bennett in celebrating on Saturday was their shift in family services toward prevention as opposed to apprehension.

This is probably one of the first times that a First Nation has put together a family service agency that is focused on prevention, he said.

The goal behind the effort, he added, is to keep families together and children in the community, as opposed to taking them out.

"Its less costly on society as a whole if our people are arriving at their own solutions," Tacan said. "Finding ways of prevention is cheaper than courts, jail, foster homes, all these other things."

Tacan added that he is happy with how the federal and provincial governments are looking to work more closely with them.

"We want to be doing things in a cost-effective way and doing things that result in positive outcomes not only for our community but our neighbours as well. We work closely with folks all around us and we receive good support from our neighbours, and were just hoping that continues."

 mverge@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @Melverge5Trish Dromey talks to two Limerick brothers whose start-up seeks to change how aircraft lessors do business

LIMERICK start-up CloudCARDS is seeking 1.5m for the global roll-out of an aircraft asset management system designed for use by airlines and aircraft leasing companies.

Launched earlier this year, this is the second software product for the company which was established in 2013, when brothers and co-founders Brian and Barry Fitzgerald saw an opportunity to supply services to Irelands booming airline leasing industry.

We set out revolutionise the aircraft delivery, redelivery, and asset management process, said CloudCARDS chief technology officer Barry Fitzgerald.

Its initial offering CARDS (Civil Aircraft Remote Delivery Systems), designed to manage the delivery and redelivery of leased aircraft, was launched in 2013. We are now selling licenses around the world and our customers include some the worlds top aircraft leasing companies, said Mr Fitzgerald.

CloudCARDS now has even bigger plans for its second product AMS (Asset Management Software) which was released late last year and is designed for use by both leasing companies and airlines to manage the day-to-day technical and financial transactions involved in leasing.

While the companys first product CARDS can be used by leasing companies during the transition which takes place after a lease comes to an end, typically after five or ten years, Mr Fitzgerald says the AMS software is designed for everyday use by airlines and therefore presents CloudCARDS with a much more significant market opportunity.

An aircraft engineer who worked with Lufthansa Shannon for 16 years, CloudCARDS chief operating officer Brian Fitzgerald initially set up a consultancy company in 2006, providing services to aircraft leasing companies. Developing software which was used in-house to manage aircraft redelivery after leasing, he saw an opportunity to develop this as management tool and to set up a new company.

Together with his brother Barry, who has a background in engineering, he set up the company in Shannon in April 2013, raising 1.5m in private funding for the venture.

Winner! 2017 innovative startup of the year award! pic.twitter.com/yPJg8kwwzc  cloudcards (@CloudCARDS) November 17, 2017

Starting out by targeting customers of the consultancy company, CloudCARDS won its first large contract in May 2014 with an Irish-based leasing operator.

Mr Fitzgerald says that the CARDS software platform is unique in using a mobile device which can carry out a physical inspection of the aircraft and in having a banking grade secure desktop version for the aircraft technical records.

The company has since built up sales to customers which include aircraft leasing company BBAM  which provides fleet to 200 airlines globally  as well as SMBC Aviation Capital which, headquartered in Ireland, is one of the worlds largest aircraft leasing companies.

Noting that many of the worlds largest global aircraft leasing companies now have operations in Ireland, and that half of all leased aircraft in the world are now leased out of Ireland, Mr Fitzgerald says the opportunities for CloudCARDS are significant.

In 2015, the company began work on developing its second system, AMS, which was launched last year. During 2017, CloudCARDS received 250,000 in High Potential Start-Up funding from Enterprise Ireland.

Although the marketplace is competitive, Mr Fitzgerald says that CloudCARDs new system is more relevant to current industry processes than others on the market, and that the company is confident of success.

We have already signed a Chinese leasing company with an office in Dublin which is using it for a fleet of planes, as well as an American leasing company based in Ireland. In monetary terms, this translates to assets valued at a total of $875m onboarded since January this year.

By the end of this year, the company aims to have five or six customers for its asset management system. Currently in talks with investors with a view to raising 1.5m, Mr Fitzgerald says this money will primarily be used for the sales and marketing of its products globally.

CloudCARDS, which relocated to an office at Henry Street in Limerick at the start of the year, currently employs a staff of seven. We are in the process of opening an office in Dublin and are scouting key international locations. We also plan to double our headcount in the next 12 months, said Mr Fitzgerald.Businesses are having a problem attracting staff due to the housing crisis.

The latest Bank of Ireland Economic Pulse shows half of firms in Dublin and Munster view housing infrastructure as inadequate.

Bank of Ireland Group Chief Economist Loretta O'Sullivan says there are also concerns over transport infrastructure outside Dublin.

"This month in the research we saw concerns coming through around transport infrastructure, particularly in Munster, where over a third of firms rated it as inadequate. In Connacht/Ulster that number was even higher at one in two.

"Telecommunications also scored poorly in Connacht/Ulster and generally got a lower rating outside of the capital.

"Housing infrastructure, too, comes through as [they want] more across the board to attract staff."

Businesses also remain concerned over the impact of Brexit on the local economy.

78% of firms in Connacht and Ulster and 74% in Munster expect the UK's exit from the EU to negatively impact their region over the next 12 months.

Digital DeskSiros plan to transform Irish broadband internet speeds has excited one industry veteran  Vodafones Liam OBrien  like nothing else previously, writes Padraig Hoare.

HE is a veteran of the telecoms industry for 25 years, but Vodafone Ireland director of external affairs Liam OBrien says he is more excited about his work today than any time in the preceding two

decades.

It is all thanks to the revolutionary innovation that is allowing unheard of internet speeds  1 gigabit or 1,000 megabits per second  into Irish homes that is going to make the country the broadband capital of Europe, with both rural and urban communities dividing the spoils equally.

Mr OBrien is a board member of Siro, the joint venture between Vodafone and the ESB that is investing 450m into transforming Irish connectivity.

Over the last few years, it has become apparent we are on the cusp of a digital transformation in the Irish economy, and in fact in the global economy. It is not just transforming how we live and work today, but is really opening up new ways in how we live and work. Were incredibly well-placed to become a global leader in the digital economy, and companies like Vodafone and Siro are at the forefront of that.

Ive been in this industry for 25 years. Despite that long tenure, Ive not been as excited as I have been the last few years in terms of the investment we are making, through Siro and through Vodafone, and what that enables our customers to do, both in terms of business and consumers.

Were building the best quality network, were innovating like weve never done before. We are connecting things and cities like we have never done before. Seeing

businesses flourishing and growing is really empowering, Mr OBrien said.

Vodafone Ireland has invested over 2bn in the last 10 years, employing over 1,200. Siro is a joint venture of ESB and Vodafone, which is investing 450m in building Irelands first 100% fibre-to-the-building broadband network, connecting over 185,000 premises in over 30 towns.

Last week, Siro announced a 60m investment that will connect 75,000 premises in Cork city and county with lightning-quick broadband, and Nenagh and Roscrea soon followed.

With Skibbereen used as a guinea pig, the concept of lightning-quick broadband was rolled out to see how a town could potentially be transformed. Business leaders in the West Cork town are unanimous as to how Skibbereen has been elevated to world-class connectivity, allowing businesses to thrive where there had been barriers before with poor digital infrastructure.

What is the difference between fibre broadband as we currently know it, and fibre-to-the-home?

Mr OBrien said: Historically, our connectivity has been based on a 100-year-old technology called copper. For the 20, 30, 40 years, weve tried to make the best of what we can do with that copper. Unfortunately, copper just isnt fit for the future. It isnt future-proof, it doesnt give us the speed and the quality we need into the future, and that is where Vodafone saw an opportunity with the ESB a number of years ago to create Siro.

Siro, in itself, is a very innovative business model. Were one of the first companies in the world to bring fibre-optic cable along the ESB network. Every house has electricity so we can get into those houses using the same infrastructure, to bring what we call that gigabit speed to the home.

A lot of firms on the market use the term fibre broadband but most times that isnt connectivity into the house  Siro actually does that. Siro actually brings the fibre-optic cable into your living room, which brings that potential for gigabit speed. Siros model is fundamentally different.

Some people claim to have fibre broadband, but that in the industry is actually what we call fibre-to-the-cabinet. The speed of your connection is only as strong as your weakest link. Unfortunately, that weakest link is the old copper cable that could be there for 50 years outside your door running to the cabinet.

It doesnt matter what fibre you have back to the exchange, if there is copper back into your house, that is the speed you get and is the speed of the copper. That copper is not fit for the future. There is no copper with Siro. Siro is fibre-optic cable, it is like the power of light going through the cable to reach gigabit speed.

It means downloading a high-definition movie in about 30 seconds, a television episode in three to five seconds, or art dealer Morgan ODriscoll in Skibbereen uploading an entire catalogue of works in 30 seconds compared to 90 minutes previously, Mr OBrien said.

It will not be cost prohibitive, according to Mr OBrien, for homeowners or businesses.

Vodafone, at the moment, is offering the 1 gigabit connection at the same price as the copper connection. The prices are very similar. If you went back 10 years ago, it would have been more prohibitive because it was delivered in a more bespoke fashion. But now, our objective is to move people onto these networks, not to put barriers in the way. We are moving customers from the old legacy technology to fibre. Cost isnt an issue. Effectively, we are almost reversing the urban-rural divide.The UK Labour party will vote on whether to have a second Brexit referendum if Theresa May fails to get her plans through parliament.

Jeremy Corbyn says he'd back the move, if that's what the party decides at its annual conference in Liverpool.Historian Catherine Corless is to receive an honorary degree from NUI Galway next month.

In 2014, she revealed that hundreds of babies and toddlers had been buried in unmarked graves at a former mother and baby home in Tuam.

She's also known for her advocacy work on behalf of the survivors, and the children who lost their lives.

Others to get an honorary degree are musician Sharon Shannon, dementia activist Helen Rochford Brennan and biodiversity campaigner Brendan Dunford.

NUI Galway President Professor Ciaran O hOgartaigh said: NUI Galway is fortunate to be associated with many outstanding honorary graduates throughout its history and those being honoured this year form a particularly distinguished group.

In honouring these exceptional individuals, we signal what we value in areas that matter to us and to our society - local history, disability rights, music and environmental sustainability.

Digital DeskLatest: Journalist Gemma ODoherty has failed to secure the required number of county councils to contest the presidential race.

She secured her first nomination on Monday from Laois County Council, but failed to get a nomination from Cork County Council after the majority of members voted against supporting her.

Galway County Council unanimously endorsed the candidacy of Senator Joan Freeman, meaning Ms ODoherty had run out of opportunities with councils as only two were left to vote on Monday.

. @SenJoanFreeman 's nomination, to be a candidate for the upcoming Presidential Election, has just been confirmed by resolution at the #CouncilMeeting here today #Gaillimh #Galway  Galway County Council (@GalwayCoCo) September 24, 2018

Later, Kildare County Council also voted not to nominate a candidate. Mrs O'Doherty got one vote, Sarah Louise Mulligan got two votes and there were 22 in favour of no nomination.

Candidates must have endorsement from four councils to be included in the election.

The only option left for Ms ODoherty to contest the race is to receive backing from Oireachtas members.

Ms ODoherty has said she is in discussions with a group of Independent TDs and Senators, and hopes she can receive their support for a nomination.

Candidates need the backing of at least 20 of the 23 Independent TDs and 14 Independent senators to be nominated.

Ms ODoherty is running on an anti-corruption platform and has been described as a divisive figure in the media.

Recent comments that she believes journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered not by criminals but by the state, angered Ms Guerins family.

Last week she was criticised by a Limerick TD over her comments about a crime epidemic in the county.

Deputy Jan OSullivan said the comments were lazy and ignorant.

There are currently six candidates running for election on October 26.

Current president Michael D Higgins, Sean Gallagher, Joan Freeman, Gavin Duffy, Liadh Ni Riada and Peter Casey are all in the race.

- Press Association

Earlier: Gemma O'Doherty has received her first endorsement for the Presidency after being backed by Laois County Council this morning.

However, the journalist faces an uphill battle to get on the ballot through the councils as she needs the backing of three more local authorities with Donegal, Kildare and Galway left to vote.

However, she failed to get a nomination from Cork County Council to contest the Presidential Election after the majority of its members voted against supporting her candidacy.

Cllr Diarmaid O Cadhla (Ind) proposed her nomination and told colleagues that it didn't matter whether they agreed with her views or not, because it was vital that the electorate had a right to a wide choice of candidates.

He urged any councillors thinking of voting against her to instead abstain because the county council hadn't nominated a candidate to date and should do so.

His motion was seconded by Cllr Kieran McCarthy, also an Independent, who said nominating Ms O'Doherty would add another candidate to the field, thus giving the people more choice.

However, another Independent, Cllr Tim Collins, suggested the council shouldn't nominate anybody.

Ms O'Doherty's nomination was defeated with 28 votes against to five for and six abstentions.

.

So far, six candidates will be running for election on October 26.

They are Michael D Higgins, Sean Gallagher, Joan Freeman, Gavin Duffy, Liadh Ni Riada and Peter Casey.

Reporting by Digital Desk and Sean O'RiordanThe Dublin and Ireland South constituencies at the next European elections will each have an extra seat, a new boundary review published has recommended.

As a result, Dublin will become a four-seater while Ireland South becomes a five-seat constituency.Listowel has been named as Ireland's tidiest town for 2018.

The Kerry town was best of a record number of 883 entries from towns and villages throughout the country in the SuperValu National TidyTowns competition.

Breaking: Listowel in Co Kerry has just been named overall winner of the 2018, with a record 883 entries this year. #TidyTowns pic.twitter.com/OYFLQpjB33  Deborah Naylor (@DebsNaylor) September 24, 2018

Speaking after the awards ceremony, Minister Ring said: This is a fantastic achievement for Listowel who are very deserving winners.

Listowel is one of a small number of centres who have consistently entered the competition since its launch in 1958 and in the intervening years have worked steadfastly on improving their position in the SuperValu TidyTowns competition.

Today, all that dedication and effort has paid off."

Well done listowel. Hard earned pic.twitter.com/AulCB32rOR  Killarney Tidy Towns (@KillarneyTidy) September 24, 2018

Glaslough in Co. Monaghan was named tidiest village and Westport, Co. Mayo was named tidiest large town.

Ballincollig in Cork also received an award for tidiest large urban centre.

Minister Ring added: "I also want to congratulate all of the other prize-winners announced today. The work of all those involved in the TidyTowns effort results in the attractive and welcoming towns and villages we see all over the country.

"The voluntary work that people put in to their communities brings great pride, a great sense of achievement and great camaraderie to those communities. That is why this competition has flourished for 60 years."

Minister Ring also announced a special allocation of 1.4 million to support the work of individual Tidy Towns Committees around the country in order to mark the 60th anniversary of the event.Louise Roseingrave

A 33-year-old delivery driver was crushed by a forklift as he walked through a warehouse waiting to load construction materials, an inquest has heard.

Sergei Piller, who was originally from Estonia but living at Adamstown in Lucan, Co Dublin, suffered catastrophic crush injuries in the incident.

The U Value Insulation employee entered the Knauf warehouse at 87 Broomhill Road in Tallaght to collect construction materials on the morning of March 5, 2014.

Warehouse manager Anthony OHanlon loaded insulation boards and metal studs onto Mr Pillers truck before the accident happened.

He said Mr Piller was walking around the truck, trying to help him load materials, but Mr OHanlon asked him to stay inside the cab of the truck where it was safer.

He said the pair knew each other for a number of years as Mr Piller regularly collected insulation materials.

Around midday, Mr OHanlon placed two pallets of plasterboard onto the forklift to load onto the truck.

Theres a slight incline as you exit the warehouse and I thought I felt something rubbing or dragging under the forks so I lifted the load higher, he said.

I saw Sergeis head by the front wheels of the forklift truck. I was in disbelief as to how he ended up there. I shouted to him, he was conscious but clutching his side, Mr OHanlon said.

An ambulance was called and Mr Piller was rushed to Tallaght Hospital where he died later that day.

A post-mortem found he had suffered extensive crush injuries and bruising to his neck, back and shoulders, scrapes to his upper and lower limbs, rib fractures and a lung laceration. The cause of death was traumatic chest injuries due to a crushing incident.

Dublin Coroners Court heard the incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Authority and by gardai.

Knauf, the construction materials supplier, was convicted of failing to meet obligations under section 12 of the Health and Safety Act, which places an obligation on companies to ensure the safety of non-employees entering a premises.

HSA Inspector Tony OSullivan said safety guidelines include insisting drivers stay inside the cab of a truck or the provision of a designated area for visitors.

Extra people can generate extra risk, especially when interacting with vehicles, Mr OSullivan said.

The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.

Deputy Coroner Dr Crona Gallagher offered sympathies to the man's partner and family.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar hailed the Good Friday Agreement for bringing peace following "decades of bitter violence" during a speech at the United Nations.

Speaking at a US Summit, Mr Varadkar said there is closer co-operation between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the 20 years after the historical 1998 agreement was signed.

He told more than 70 heads of state that it brought co-operation in the powersharing Northern Ireland Assembly "at least, most of the time".

In his address to the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit in New York, the Fine Gael leader said: "The Northern Ireland Peace Process was advanced with the wisdom and assistance of friends from around the world, including you, President Ramaphosa.

"For this we will always be grateful."

During his time at the Summit, Mr Varadkar will meet world leaders in a bid to win a seat on the UN Security Council.

Ireland will be competing for one of two seats available for the 2021-22 term with Canada and Norway.

Mr Varadkar arrived in New York on Sunday for the annual UN General Assembly.

Taoiseach @campaignforleo speaks of the powerful legacy of Nelson Mandela & reaffirms that Ireland will continue to uphold Mandelas commitment to peace, reconciliation & human rights as guiding principles in solving the global challenges of today  #UNGA #IrelandUNSC  pic.twitter.com/xAduPszgET  Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) September 24, 2018

Speaking on Monday, he said: "With each of you today, I reaffirm that Ireland will continue to uphold the ideals of the United Nations and work with the international community to achieve the aims that Mandela himself worked so tirelessly for during his lifetime.

"In Mandela's story, we recognise the struggles and triumphs of one individual, and the challenges and hope for mankind.

"His fight for freedom and dignity for all - irrespective of race, gender, sexuality, colour or creed - spoke to our vision of our common humanity and proved that the seemingly impossible can indeed become reality.

"It was reflected in South Africa's first democratic constitution, written for a rainbow nation. It is a template for new democracies today."

Mr Varadkar reflected on the legacy of Mr Mandela and recalled how he visited the Irish parliament months after he was released from prison in South Africa in 1990.

Speaking at the UN Mandela Peace Summit to honour his legacy. Mandelas is a living legacy, entrusted to us so we can be the torch bearers for peace and reconciliation, for this and future generations. #unga #irelandUNSC pic.twitter.com/9uuy5MvR9B  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) September 24, 2018

He added: "Twenty-eight years ago, just months after being released from prison, an occasion etched in my memory as a young boy, Nelson Mandela was accorded the special honour of being invited to speak before the Irish parliament.

"There he inspired us with his words as he attacked 'the arrogance of racism' and honoured those who 'dared to cry freedom'.

"I believe the legacy of Nelson Mandela points to a deeper truth.

"A voice may be silenced by death, but its message can never be suppressed. It is heard for all time.

"And it finds a home in the hearts and the minds and the values of those who follow afterwards.

"We should look to the words of this Declaration as we face the challenges of the 21st century.

Recognising what has been done in the area of gender discrimination, we must renew our efforts to further advance gender equality around the world.

"And we must give young people a greater say in the decisions that will affect them - the future of our planet.

"War and hatred come in many guises, peace has the same face the world over."

Mr Varakar will hold a series of bilateral discussions with leaders during his time in New York.

PA & Digital DeskTaoiseach Leo Varadkar will attend the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit in New York today.

The Summit, which is being held at UN headquarters, honours the 100th anniversary of Mr Mandela's birth and celebrates his legacy.

It will be attended by up to 100 heads of state and government.

The Taoiseach will address the plenary session and will also hold a number of bilateral meetings, during which he will raise Ireland's campaign for an elected seat at the UN Security Council for the 2021-2022 term.

Digital DeskThe Government is being urged to prioritise the retention and recruitment of doctors.

In its pre-Budget submission, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) says the Government must acknowledge and address the medical doctor retention crisis.

The RCPI says that in 2017, 300 Irish-trained doctors emigrated to Australia at a time when the Irish health system was under severe pressure.

This summer, Dr Niamh Humphries went to Australia to find out why.

"I interviewed 51 Irish-trained doctors about why they emigrated and what might encourage them back to Ireland. So the focus on retention is really in response to those findings," she said.

"They left Ireland in response to the poor working conditions in the Irish health system. What we're interested in doing is finding out what might encourage them back to Ireland and what might encourage doctors to remain in Ireland and not emigrate to countries like Australia."

This is a flavour of what these doctors, who are mostly in their 20s and 30s, told Dr Humphries:

As frustrating as the Irish health system is for patients who experience long waits for treatment, it is also difficult for the doctors who are trying to care for them. Its the constant apologising for the state of the place according to one doctor. Sorry you've been waiting for your appointment. Sorry your CT scan is not going to happen again today. . . Sorry that we can't find a nursing home bed for you.

The [Irish] health service isn't functioning for anyone one doctor explains. It's not functioning for the staff or for the patients. . . That's why people leave said another.

One doctor mentioned the impact of overcrowding on their work environment - pure overcrowding . . it was just dangerous. There's no other way to put it. . . you're there as a junior doctor trying to see all these patients, but then patients are also lined up on trolleys very close to you and you're trying to write your notes and you've got . . . people on trolleys, which is unacceptable.

Within about six months of my job here [in Australia], I think I just started to enjoy it again one doctor explained. The work was different, and the lifestyle . . . the hours were very, very different. I think I just sort of enjoyed it for the first time in years, to be honest, enjoyed medicine and enjoyed my job.

Most mentioned the ease of getting things done in Australia, particularly in relation to access to diagnostics. If I want to scan, scan happens. I don't have to argue with anybody to get it, I don't have to have the patient sitting in the bed for three days waiting for it. It just happens. And then I can get on with treating them one explained.

Just 16 of the 51 doctors interviewed planned to return to work in Ireland.

Dr Humphries added: They say that while the Australian health service is not perfect, the fact that it is better staffed and better resourced means that doctors can focus their time and energy on treating their patients and progressing their careers.

The doctors I spoke to are thriving within a system where overcrowding isnt the norm, where staffing levels are high, collegiality is standard and where work rosters allow for a healthy balance between work and life. But they also care about the Irish health system and are eager to contribute to change and to the development of a health system that will attract and retain Irish trained doctors.

The RCPI's recommendations for the Government to address doctor retention and recruitment include:

Improve working conditions for doctors in the Irish health system, specifically by addressing working hours and medical staffing levels and moving to a consultant delivered service rather than consultant led as recommended in the Hanly report of 2003.

Address the differential salary levels for new entrant consultants and provide transparency in terms of salary levels so that emigrant doctors understand what is on offer in Ireland.

Provide doctors with sufficient resources and support to enable them to do their jobs well. This will involve addressing medical, nursing, allied health professionals staffing levels as well as proving better access to diagnostics.

Provide ample opportunities for flexible working for doctors at all grades/career stages  something which international health systems offer them. Contracts should allow scope to combine patient care with research, teaching and policy work that can also contribute to improvements in the health system.

Digital DeskThe Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has announced its members are to protest at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown tomorrow.

The union says the action is being taken to highlight unsafe staffing levels and overcrowding.By Roisin Burke

UCC staff members are being asked to consider offering up spare rooms for rent as over 40 UCC students remain without accommodation into the second week of the academic year.

The colleges accommodation centre confirmed that 20 first years and over 20 postgraduate students are staying in short-term accommodation such as B&BS and hostels or sleeping on couches while also looking for a more permanent place to live.

All of the students engaging with the UCC accommodation centre are coming from distances deemed too far to commute and most of the postgraduate students are international.

Student Residential Services & Community Relations Officer Gary Mulcahy told the Evening Echo that he sent out an email to all staff, encouraging them to think about housing a student either in the short term or the long term.

Mr Mulcahy said they also encouraged staff members to think about asking family and friends to house a student.

The Student residential services officer said they got a good response to the request. We got a good response, not fantastic, Mr Mulcahy said.

Some people really want to help and dont want that much money, others are looking at it as a long-term rental scheme, looking to offer a place to a student for the full academic year.

UCC Student Union President Alan Hayes said it was heartbreaking to see these students who were ultimately homeless, having nowhere to stay.

It is so hard to settle into college already, this is an added pressure. Mr Hayes said.

Speaking about the ongoing issues with accommodation in Cork, Mr Hayes once again raised the problem of rising rents saying that the market is blowing up and needs to be regulated by the Government.

Mr Hayes said that there are a number of students who have deferred their college place until next year because they cannot find an affordable place to live this year.

The private companies are out to make as much money as possible. It just is not fair. They are charging extortionate prices and making college less accessible.

This story first appeared in the Evening Echo.Cork chairperson Treacy Kennedy has hailed the "incredible gesture" of JP McManus who has donated 100,000 to each of the 32 county boards.

The 100,000 gift to each county is to be divided equally among clubs. The 3.2m gesture comes off the back of Limericks All-Ireland hurling final win, the countys first Liam MacCarthy triumph since 1973.ALGIERS, Algeria-OPEC producers largely agree that oil prices above $80 a barrel would be too high.

On Friday, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters OPEC and its allies led by Russian Federation were considering the possibility of raising crude supplies by a further 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) as US sanctions on OPEC's third-largest producer, Iran, bite into Tehran's exports.

"My information is that the markets are adequately supplied".

Mr Trump called on the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to lower prices.

"In my opinion, President Trump's statement is the biggest insult to US-friendly states and nations in the region", Zanganeh said. "So far, we have chose to stick to our June agreements", Novak said.

Seeking to reverse a downturn in oil prices that began in 2014, OPEC, Russia and other allies decided in late 2016 to reduce supply by some 1.8 million bpd.

In August, OPEC and its allies cut production by 600,000 bpd more than their pact required, mainly as a result of falling output in Iran as customers in Europe and Asia reduced purchases ahead of the USA sanctions deadline.

"They are sacrificing OPEC, they are destroying OPEC and slowly, without directly saying so, they want to gather some names together to create a forum to replace OPEC and manage the market", Zanganeh told Platts.

Iran told OPEC its production had been steady in August at 3.8 million barrels per day.

On Sunday, Kazempour reiterated Iran's production was stable at 3.8 million bpd.

"We agreed to target 100 percent conformity for the next coming two months until we meet again at the next JMMC", Rashidi said.

"OPEC is one of the third world's biggest accomplishments in my view, not just in terms of oil producers, but it's an organization that can be effective in the world's economy and it's a good, strong foundation", he underlined.

Trump however, wants output increased by as much as two million barrels per day, as oil prices continue to rise in the United States amid high consumer demand.

Zanganeh criticized any decision by the committee to allow a rise in output by producers. The OPEC/non-OPEC monitoring committee next meets on November 11 in Abu Dhabi, followed by a full OPEC gathering at its Vienna headquarters on December 6-7. "As a result, the strength of oil prices is now putting oil demand growth at risk", he added.Actress Alyssa Milano added her voice to the chorus that has emerged in support of Christine Blasey Ford, the California professor who has accused US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when she was 15 years old.

Pouncing on the fact that the alleged assault took place more than three decades ago, critics have accused Ford of misrepresenting the truth. Among these critics is President Donald Trump.

"I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents," Trump tweeted on Friday. "I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!"

His tweet brought a maelstrom of criticism on social media as people shared stories of why they did not report their own sexual assaults, mostly using the viral hashtag #WhyIDidntReport. By late Friday, more than 38,000 tweets were posted using that hashtag, according to The Hill.Banh trang tron is a snack that's not often found outside Vietnam. Sold almost exclusively on the street, and delivered to the customer in a plastic bag with a set of chopsticks, the easiest way to describe it is as a rice paper salad.

The thin rice paper discs that are usually moistened and used as a wrap are instead shredded, and tossed with whatever is on hand, generally something sweet and something fishy and lime juice and chilli paste. The rice paper becomes moistened, but not so much as to achieve noodle texture; the ultra-thin shards take on a slightly sticky, almost candied quality that are chewy and shattery all at once.

Banh trang tron (rice paper salad) is a snack not often found outside Vietnam. Credit:Eddie Jim

In Melbourne, you can get banh trang tron at Co Thu Quan in Footscray, along with many other regional Vietnamese dishes you'd never find at your standard pho house. Co Thu Quan was among the 25 businesses lost when the Little Saigon market burned down in 2016. Soon after, they opened in Richmond, and this past June, they relaunched in their own stylish Footscray space, its ceiling festooned with conical paper hats turned upside-down and repurposed as lamps.

Their version of banh trang tron is shot through with beef jerky, dried shredded squid, dried shrimp, fried shallots, herbs and peanuts, and topped with hard-boiled quail eggs and a halved cumquat.Mike Hall and Anna Haslock in 2016. Credit:

It has been an emotional 18 months since Anna Haslock took a fateful call at 5am at her parents' home in Wales.

The partner of champion ultra-endurance cyclist Mike Hall had gone to bed hearing sketchy reports of an incident during the Indian Pacific Wheel Race, but was not worried.

"I was experienced at Mike going off to races  he'd done a fair few while we were together  and I always knew he'd be all right," she says. "I trusted that he'd be able to take care of himself."

But the news in the morning was devastating.Two brothers flouted warnings from authorities to have a once-in-a-lifetime swim with a great white shark south of Sydney.

Visitors at Wattamolla Beach in the Royal National Park were told to stay out of the water after a dead whale floating in the bay increased shark activity in the area.

However, when Kurt and Jai Kiggins heard the 18-metre whale carcass was attracting sharks, they decided they wanted to see the predators up close.

"Its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something Ive dreamt of my whole life," Kurt told Seven News.New red light speed cameras will be installed at 10 high-risk intersections to reduce the number of crashes in Queensland.

The cameras will be in place at Mackenzie, Camira, Yamanto, Edens Landing, Warwick, Gympie and Mt Sheridan.

More red light speed cameras will be installed from Monday at various locations in Queensland. Credit:Kirk Gilmour

Queensland Police Service Assistant Commissioner Mike Keating said the sites were selected by the QPS and Transport and Main Roads based on the number and severity of speed- and red light-related road crashes.

The Queensland government is committed to road safety and the reduction of road trauma on our communities, he said.On Friday, top White House aide Kevin Hasset turned up the temperature on Canada's point person in the trade talks, foreign minister Chrystia Freeland, warning that the U.S. is ready to move ahead with no deal.

White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett addresses reporters during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S. February 22, 2018.

While multiple deadlines have been and gone during the more than year-long negotiations to renew NAFTA, pressure on Canada to agree to a deal is growing, partly to push it through Congress before Mexico's new government takes office on December 1.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland left Washington on Thursday after two days of inconclusive talks with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. The two sides are also at odds over US demands for more access to Canada's dairy market.

"I would call that a pretty good deal", Freeland told Canada's House of Commons.

The uncompromising tone by Trump, who came to power past year threatening to tear up NAFTA unless major changes were made to a pact he blames for the loss of manufacturing jobs, has stoked market fears about the potential damage to three nations' highly integrated economies.

While Canada wants to be included in the latest NAFTA agreement between the USA and Mexico, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he is not afraid to walk away from a bad deal. US business groups and some senior Democrats say NAFTA must be preserved as a trilateral grouping.

"I'm a little surprised that the Canadians haven't signed up yet", Hassett added. "Hopefully at the last minute they come in, but if they don't we'll just move ahead with Mexico and we'll get Canada fixed a little bit later".

Access to Canada's dairy market, trade dispute settlement panels and USA demands for the ability to impose auto tariffs on its northern neighbor remain sticking points.

The two trade leaders are due to be in NY next week for the United Nations General Assembly, but it was unclear if they would meet.A car enthusiasts' meet at a Coburg drive-in cinema has been marred by a hit-run, after a driver doing a low-speed burnout allegedly mowed down a traffic marshal.

Police said one of the shows' organisers was directing traffic at the end of the event off Newlands Road on Saturday when he was injured, despite the meet spruiking a "no skids, no stupidity" policy.

Event organisers for Downshift Melbourne had taken to social media prior to the event to warn patrons to behave at the event which promised "tunes, food, rad cars", and a "chilled afternoon".

"The idea is to have like-minded, respectful, appreciative people there, who can also follow some very basic rules," the group's Facebook page said.The Audi driver has told police he stopped his car at the intersection, looked for other vehicles and saw the motorbike, but decided it was far enough away for him to make a right hand turn. Acting Inspector McArthur said the motorcycle was travelling so fast along the 80km/h stretch of road that he was thrown from his bike and the Audi span out of control when the two vehicles collided. He [the Audi driver] tells us he saw a motorcycle approaching from some distance away and thought hed have plenty of room to move across median strip, but as he started his manoeuvre, the motorcycle has come up on him so fast and its struck with such force its spun his car 180 degrees, Acting Inspector McArthur said. As a result of that, it would have been a horrific scene, and there was a lady nearby that stopped and has made her way to the crash scene. It was at that point another vehicle travelling down Boronia Road has run over that woman and unfortunately she's died at the scene."

Both the woman and male motorcyclist died at the scene. They were both from Wantirna. Acting Inspector McArthur said the man was known to police. "We also found some evidence of drugs on his person," he said. "We found some white powder and an amount of cash on him." The woman's car was found parked on the side of the road a short distance from the scene.

Police are yet to determine where the woman was travelling to prior to the crash. There were reports on Tuesday morning that a street light was out at the time of the incident, but Acting Inspector McArthur said police were still trying to piece together what happened. Police believe it may have been very difficult for the Honda driver to have seen the woman on the road before it was too late. The intersection of Boronia Rd and Amesbury Ave in Wantirna where a motorcyclist died and young mother who came to his aid was also killed. Credit:Justin McManus "I've been advised that visibility would have been an issue, not only due to the [poor] street lighting but the colour of the vehicles involved and clothing worn by the motorcycle rider and the lady involved, and also the position of the vehicles that were involved in the crash, it may have obscured the vision of that other motorist," Inspector McArthur said.

"It was not a clearly apparent scene for any motorist approaching, so certainly sighting issues and lighting are matters we're looking into." Acting Inspector McArthur said this crash was a tragic contrast of those who do the wrong thing on the road and others who try to do the right thing. "We've got a person that was driving in an irresponsible and reckless manner, that's caused a chain of events that's led to his death and the death of a person who was actually trying to help him out," Acting Inspector McArthur said. Police returned to the scene of the crash in Wantirna on Tuesday morning. Credit:Justin McManus While he lauded the woman's actions, he implored people who wanted to help at crash scenes to make sure they were safe before trying to help others.

"I am not criticising the woman's actions by any means, but it just shows how dangerous those scenes can be," he said. The Audi driver, a man aged 50, and his passenger, a 47-year-old woman, both from Wantirna, stopped to help at the scene and spoke to investigators. They were not injured. The Honda driver, a Boronia man, 32, also stopped to help and spoke to police. He was also uninjured. Acting Inspector McArthur said police did not foresee the drivers of the cars would be charged with any offences at this stage.

Boronia Road resident, Jean Craggs, who lives next to the intersection said she heard the sound of police and ambulance sirens racing to the scene just after 10pm. "I heard the sirens outside my bedroom window and then just dead silence," she said. Loading "I had no idea what happened until I woke up this morning. It is just so tragic...so very sad. Nobody should die when all they are doing is trying to help save another person's life." Ms Craggs said there had been numerous crashes at the busy intersection in recent years, including one in which a car ploughed into her garage.

"I don't like crossing the road at the intersection because cars are often speeding and it can be quite dangerous," she said. The crashes happened a few hundred metres away from where a newlywed couple was struck and killed in an alleged hit-run earlier this year. Matt Goland and Bita Zaeim, were killed when a stolen lexus smashed into their Holden Commodore at the intersection of Boronia and Stud roads in Wantirna South in the early hours of April 21. Mr Goland, 38, died at the scene, while Ms Zaeim, 32, died in hospital. The couple, from The Basin, had only been married a year.A French Fisheries patrol vessel has rescued an injured solo sailor who was stranded 3000 kilometres off the WA coast.

The skipper of the Thuriya yacht, Abhilash Tomy, was badly injured and was not responding to messages from rescue crews.

In a statement issued on Monday afternoon by the Indian Golden Globe Race, it was confirmed Tomy had been found and rescued by the French vessel Orisis.

He is conscious and talking, the statement said.The Australian government is being urged to escalate its responses to commercial cyber espionage as a new report finds Chinese hacking of Western trade secrets has rebounded in violation of formal commitments made by President Xi Jinping's regime.

The report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute has concluded that Chinese theft of intellectual property and other sensitive information  an issue at the heart of a spiralling trade dispute between Beijing and Washington  has persisted and become more advanced.

"China has adapted its approach to commercial cyber espionage, and attacks are becoming more targeted and use more sophisticated tradecraft. This improved tradecraft may also be leading to an underestimation of the scale of ongoing activity," the report states.

US President Donald Trump, left, and China's President Xi Jinping have clashed over an increasing trade war. Credit:Bloomberg

The finding has been published three years after Mr Xi inked an agreement with former United States president Barack Obama promising that neither country would "conduct or knowingly support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property". A similar commitment was made in a joint communique from G20 leaders and other countries  including Australia in April last year  have since struck their own agreements with China.Michelle Guthrie received media training from a private consultant for her public appearances at Senate Estimates hearings, where she was under intense pressure - both from a government which made its distaste for the ABC known; and from her own staff, many of whom had lost faith in their bosss ability to champion their work.

Its not unusual for managing directors to receive such training, but Guthrie was seen by many to need it more than most.

Michelle Guthrie was regarded by many as a poor communicator herself, according to multiple sources within the ABC. Credit:AAP

As the head of a public broadcaster that talks to millions of Australians every week, Guthrie was regarded by many as a poor communicator herself, according to multiple sources within the ABC.Managua: A 16-year-old boy has been killed, five others were injured and 10 people were detained during an anti-government protest in Nicaragua.

A woman with her face bloodied after she was pummeled by the police, stands in shock inside a house after a peaceful anti-government march was dissolved violently by government forces, in Managua, Nicaragua. Credit:AP

The protesters, demanding the release of those arrested in previous marches, say they were dispersed by bullets fired by Sandinista supporters in Managua on Sunday.

But police say the victim, identified as Max Andres Romero, died as a result of the "crossfire that they initiated themselves," referring to the people participating in the march.

The boy's death adds to hundreds of others recorded in protests against the administration of president Daniel Ortega since April.Corbyn allowed that if the Labour conference voted for a new referendum he would not walk away from it and I will act accordingly. One poll showed 86 per cent of Labour members wanted another referendum, and 93 per cent would vote to stay in the EU if they had the chance. Watson said he would prefer Brexit to be debated in an election, but if the peoples party decide they want the people to have a final say on the deal, we have to respect the view of our members and we will go out and argue for it. Outside the Labour partys national conference in Liverpool. Credit:Nick Miller Corbyn said Chequers also does not meet Labours tests for an acceptable Brexit: including no lessening of rights, protections and benefits.

Chequers does not meet them, we are not happy with it and we would vote against it, Corbyn told the Sunday Mirror. That could trigger a general election and were ready for it. The government has promised parliament a meaningful vote on a final Brexit deal. Though Labour does not have a majority, hard Brexit Tories could also vote against the deal, which they believe does not give Britain the independence from the EU they had campaigned for. It is not clear what would happen if parliament rejects the deal. Some believe the government would seek to delay Brexit as it goes back to the negotiating table, others that it would call an election to get a mandate to push forward with the deal it has. Others fear the country would drift into the chaos of a no deal Brexit.

On Sunday night a Labour committee hashed out a motion to be put to members for a vote later this week. The so-called 'composite' motion says that, in the case of the government failing to negotiate a Brexit deal, or their deal being voted down by parliament, "the best outcome for the country is an immediate general election to sweep the Tories from power". But if it can't engineer an election "Labour must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote". The motion is likely to be criticised for its vagueness, but if adopted would be the closest Labour has yet come to fully endorsing a new referendum. At a public event at the conference, Labour MP Bridget Phillipson from Sunderland in Englands north said despite almost two-thirds of her electorate voting for Brexit she was campaigning for a Peoples Vote.

Those of us who believe the course the Tories are charting with Brexit will make the lives of working people far harder need to be unafraid to make that argument, she said. She said she was being vilified as undemocratic and unpatriotic but we are in a dangerous place for the country if we cant reassess and reevaluate where we are headed, she said. We need a peoples vote to allow people to look again at whats on offer and decide if it will improve their lives. She believed Labour could persuade former Leavers in the north that Brexit would mean the loss of thousands of jobs in manufacturing, especially the automotive industry which was a big employer in her region. Phillipson said she did not relish the idea of a new referendum  the 2016 campaign was awful, she said, but it was important for the people she represented. Labour MP David Lammy told a rally of about 4000 anti-Brexit Labour members at Liverpool's docks that an option to reverse Brexit entirely should be an option in a new referendum.

The alternative would be to wreck our country and stand with the far right, he said. Lies were told and election laws were broken. (We should) ask the British people if they recognise their future in that (Brexit) deal. But another MP, Stephen Kinnock from Wales, said divisions in Britain were becoming so dangerous its ripping our country apart and a peoples vote on Brexit would do nothing to reverse that. It would drive yet another wedge between city and town, young and old, graduates and non-graduates, he said. Brexit has poisoned the well of our politics for decades. We cant just pretend we can go back to what it was and draw the poison. Im concerned a(nother) referendum would do the opposite. He said Labour should push for a soft Brexit where Britain stays in Europes Customs Union and Single Market.

Chequers was dead in the water, he said, and the no deal option would not be allowed to happen by the government or parliament, while his solution would help bring the country back together. Some in Labour argue the Conservatives should be left with the Brexit mess they created, quoting Napoleons supposed maxim Never interfere with your enemy when he is making a mistake. They believe they will end up with a government without the confidence of the parliament, followed by an election they would be likely to win. But Kinnock said Labour should not be put in the position where it could be accused of putting the party ahead of the country. It was not an acceptable position to be ambiguous about what a Labour Brexit would look like.Dana Thomas Byrd. Credit:Florida Highway Patrol

Washington: The tragedy that unfolded off a Florida highway started with an act of compassion, when Dhimitri Andoni stopped his car on the shoulder of Interstate 275 in St Petersburg about 9pm on Thursday.

The 22-year-old had seen a vehicle swerve and become stranded on the median, and he wanted to help.

Soon afterwards, the stranded vehicle returned to the highway and Andoni walked back to his own car, a four-door 2015 Hyundai, Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Steve Gaskins said.

It was then that a 1996 Ford F-150 pick-up truck came hurtling down the highway and struck Andoni - killing him, authorities said.Washington: Can you say awkward?

Those on social media were left cringing this weekend after an ad released by the Democratic opponent to Republican Congressman Paul Gosar. It showed a batch of voters detailing why Gosar is bad for Arizona.

Representative Paul Gosar Credit:Bloomberg

It wasn't until the end of the one-minute spot, that all six revealed they were Gosar's siblings -- and were supporting his opponent, David Brill.

Gosar, naturally, was not pleased. He sent out several tweets trying to rebuff their criticism, calling them "liberal Democrats who hate President Trump."Washington: China reached into the US heartland in its escalating trade war over President Donald Trump's tariffs, using an advertising supplement in Iowa's largest newspaper to highlight the impact on the state's soybean farmers as "the fruit of a president's folly.''

An American soybean farm. Credit:Bloomberg

The four-page section in Sunday's Des Moines Register, which carried the label "paid for and prepared solely by China Daily, an official publication of the People's Republic of China," featured such articles as one outlining how the trade dispute is forcing Chinese importers to turn to South America instead of the US for soybeans.

The advertising targets a state critical to Trump and Republicans as the trade war between the world's two largest economies intensifies. The US is imposing tariffs on an additional $US200 billion worth of Chinese imports starting Monday, on top of the $US50 billion in goods already hit with tariffs. Meanwhile, $US110 billion of goods from the US will become subject to Chinese retaliatory tariffs around the same time.

"As the largest importer of US soybeans, China is a vital and robust market we cannot afford to lose,'' the supplement quotes Davie Stephens, vice president of the American Soybean Association and a Kentucky soybean grower, saying in a statement.The meeting was meant to discuss how to de-escalate the ongoing trade war between the USA and China, which began in July.

The Untied States already has imposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods, and China has retaliated on an equal amount of US goods.

Chinese officials canceled the planned negotiations after Trump announced he would impose new levies of up to 10 per cent on another $200 billion in Chinese imports, effective Monday. Worries about the confrontation have already rattled financial markets.

China summoned the USA ambassador in Beijing and postponed joint military talks in protest against a US decision to sanction a Chinese military agency and its director for buying Russian fighter jets and a surface-to-air missile system.

China's Ministry of Commerce did not immediately respond Saturday.

Beijing had prepared to send Vice Premier Liu He, the country's top-ranking economic official, to Washington next week, along with a mid-level delegation to prepare for his visit, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The Trump administration has argued tariffs on Chinese goods would force China to trade on more favorable terms with the United States.

China imports far less from the United States, making a dollar-for-dollar match on any new US tariffs impossible. The Trump administration has also called on China to allow US companies greater access to Chinese markets and to cut its USA trade surplus.Ramirez's allegation joins that of Ford, who says Kavanaugh assaulted her at a high school house party when they were teenagers, pinning her on a bed and attempting to take her clothes off. Ford, who has been forced into hiding after receiving death threats, will testify on Thursday before the Senate regarding her accusations. Ramirez's accustions were followed in quick order by claims by lawyer Michael Avenatti that Kavanaugh was involved in house parties that involved the gang rape of women. Avenatti, who came to national recognition by representing porn star Stormy Daniels, generated some scepticism online with his allegations. Ford's agreement to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee came a week after she went public in an interview in The Washington Post with her allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in 1982 when both were high school students in Maryland. Her allegation against the conservative federal appeals court judge has endangered his confirmation by the Republican-led Senate to a lifetime job on the top US court. Kavanaugh, US President Donald Trump's nominee, has also agreed to testify at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing planned for 10am on Thursday.

The potentially explosive hearing, against a backdrop of the #MeToo movement fighting sexual harassment and assault, comes just weeks before November 6 congressional elections in which Democrats are trying to take control of Congress from the Republicans. The New Yorker magazine reported that Senate Democrats are investigating the new allegation against Kavanaugh that dates to the 1983-84 academic year when Kavanaugh was a Yale freshman. Kavanaugh has called Ford's allegation "completely false" and, in a statement provided by the White House on Sunday night, said the incident described by Ramirez "did not happen". "This is a smear, plain and simple," Kavanaugh said.

"I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name - and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building - against these last-minute allegations," Kavanaugh said in the statement. White House spokeswoman Kerri Kupec called the new allegation part of a "co-ordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man". The magazine said it had not confirmed with other witnesses that Kavanaugh was present at the party at issue in Ramirez' account. Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, has said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in 1982 when both were high school students in Maryland. She accused him of attacking her and trying to remove her clothing while he was drunk at a party when he was 17 and she was 15. Regarding Ford's testimony, there are still unresolved procedural and logistical issues, her lawyers said, including whether the Judiciary Committee's Republican senators, who are all male, or staff attorneys would question her. Ford's lawyers said "various senators have been dismissive of her account and should have to shoulder their responsibility to ask her questions".

Ford's lawyers said that, in a Sunday morning call with committee staff members, they agreed to the hearing even though the committee refused to subpoena Mark Judge, a Kavanaugh friend who Ford said witnessed the attack, as well as others she said were present. "Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her," her attorneys Debra Katz, Lisa Banks and Michael Bromwich said in a statement. "She has agreed to move forward with a hearing even though the Committee has refused to subpoena Mark Judge," it said. "They have also refused to invite other witnesses who are essential for a fair hearing that arrives at the truth about the sexual assault." Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, had set several deadlines since Friday for Ford to decide whether and how she would testify before the panel. "Following Dr Ford's testimony, Judge Kavanaugh will appear again before the committee," the committee said in a statement.Dear Reader,

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Digital EditorOrlando Melbourne International Airport shut down on Thursday morning after a 26-year-old student pilot hopped a fence and tried to board an American Airlines plane.

A man identified as Florida Institute of Technology student Nishal Sankat drove to the curb outside Orlando-Melbourne International Airport, left his vehicle running, hopped a fence and boarded an Airbus 321 American Airlines aircraft sitting in a maintenance facility, airport spokeswoman Lori Booker said.

Authorities say that around 2 a.m., part-time aviation management student Nishal Sankat parked his vehicle outside the airport and left it running while he scrambled over the fence near a hangar.

Airport spokeswoman Lori Booker said officials conducted a sweep of the airfield before reopening the airport.

According to CNN, a maintenance supervisor and a technician were aboard the aircraft when one noticed a shadow behind him. "Show me your badge", Booker reported.

Education Minister Anthony Garcia says the incident involving 22-year-old Nishal Sankat is a further wake up call for a better understanding of mental health and wellness in T&T.

United States law enforcement authorities said that Nishal Sankat, had parked his auto about 150 yards from the plane early on Thursday and kept it running before jumping the airport fence.

The Federal Aviation Association told reporters Sankat received his commercial pilot's certification in January to fly multi-engine aircraft and was instrument rated but was not qualified to fly the kind of jet he boarded Thursday. "He was looking around, and I said, 'You're coming with me".

Shortly after, police arrived and took Sankat into custody.

The airport was on lockdown for about five hours, returning to business as usual by 7 a.m., Booker said. Authorities searched the red sedan with a robotic arm before towing it away around 7:30 a.m. Sankat's home also was searched, Gillespie said.

Two flights were delayed at the airport due to the security breach, the airport said on social media. "We're obviously going to review all our security".

The A321 was next scheduled to fly to Miami at noon Thursday.

Sankat was confronted in the cockpit of the American Airlines Airbus and forced off the plane.

The Education Minister, in a statement issued on Saturday said it concerns him that the population is not understanding of the reality of mental health as it should be.Median gross hourly salary fell by roughly 21 per cent over two years to stand at Rs 219.4 per hour in 2017, as against Rs 277.1 per hour in 2015, according to the latest salary index report by Monster.com, one of the leading online career and recruitment solutions providers.

The 'Monster Salary Index' (MSI) said that at Rs 230.9 per hour, manufacturing was the only sector in 2017 among the eight captured by the report to see a rise of nine per cent in median gross hourly salary. Moreover, the median gross salary in the manufacturing sector in 2017 at Rs 230.9 per hour was ...Seven men arrested in connection with a job racket promising employment to youths with the ONGC confessed to having duped at least 20 people of Rs 20 million in last two years, the police said Sunday.

Last week, police arrested the seven, two Ministry of Rural Development employees among them, for allegedly cheating unemployed youths on the pretext of getting them in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation as Assistant Managers.

During interrogation, they told the police that they were running a job racket for last two years and had duped 20 people so far by promising them in ONGC, a senior police officer said.

The accused had collected Rs 1-1.1 million from each of them and so far have earned Rs 20 million, said Bhisham Singh, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime).

With the news of fake job racket being widely publicised, more people are coming forward to register their complaints, police said, adding that three more persons have come to Delhi from Hyderabad to register their complaints as they were also allegedly duped by the accused who had promised to get them

The matter came to light after the two people approached ONGC with their offer letters following which an internal inquiry was ordered by the ONGC, the officer added.

The job interviews were conducted at a high security zone in Krishi Bhawan as two of the accused were employed with the Ministry of Rural Development, police said.

The victims even received interview letters from official email accounts of the ONGC, they added.

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), police said.

Jagdish Raj, an employee in ministry of Rural Development, used to arrange the office of any officer who would be 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, the officer said.

Police said one of the accused was also involved in a previous fake job racket.

Further investigation is underway.Prime Minister will inaugurate Pakyong Airport, Sikkim's first-ever airport, later in the day.

The airport, which is located at Pakyong, is a which will circumvent the need for a five-hour journey through mountainous roads and bring citizens of closer to the state capital.

Located around 60 kms from the Indo-China border, the airport is strategically relevant from a security point of view. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will also find this airport convenient for landing and taking off, Union Minister for Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh, said on Sunday.

Sikkim's dream of having an airport will come true nine years after a foundation stone of the was laid, around 33 km from Gangtok, in 2009.

The airport is spread over 201 acres and is located on top of a hill about two km above Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level, Chief Secretary A K Srivastava said.

The airport was constructed by the Airports Authority of India and at present, the nearest airport from is located 124 km away in Bagdogra in West Bengal, he told PTI.

The airport was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 6.05 billion and is an "engineering marvel" for its soil reinforcement and slope stabilisation techniques keeping in view the altitude it was built at, Srivastava said.

Integrated structures comprising an ATC tower-cum-fire station, two sophisticated CFT, one terminal building for passengers, high-intensity runway lights, parking for over 50 vehicles are some of the features of the airport, the chief secretary said.

The reinforcement wall of the project is 80-metre-high, one of the tallest in the world, Srivastava said.

The is located around 60 km from the

The Indian Air Force (IAF) would be able to land various types of aircraft on the airport's runway with the construction of another 75-metre stretch adjacent to the main runway in the coming days, the chief secretary said.

The airport has a 1.75 km runway with a width of 30 metre. It has a 116-metre-long taxiway connecting it to an apron measuring 106 metre by 76 metre that can simultaneously accommodate two ATR-72 aircraft.

The airport has 3,000 sq metre terminal building and has a capacity to handle 50 in-bound and as many out-bound passengers.

Director R Manjunatha said the land for the airport was carved from the mountain side using massive geo technical 'cut and fill' engineering works.

The first commercial flight from Pakyong would begin from October 4, he said.

SpiceJet will operate 78-seater Bombardier Q400 flights to and fro Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati everyday under the Civil Aviation Ministry's Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme, Manjunatha said.

UDAN aims at enhancing regional connectivity.

Manjunatha said initially the airport would only cater to domestic flights, but later it will also provide international flight services connecting Sikkim with other countries like Paro in Bhutan, Kathmandu in Nepal and Dhaka in Bangladesh.

On March 5, IAF's Dornier-228 aircraft was tested from Pakyong, officials said.

SpiceJet followed it by conducting test runs of the 78-seater Bombardier Q400 from Kolkata to Pakyong on March 10. This led to security clearances for commercial operations, they said.

The Sikkim Police has been entrusted with the security of the Pakyong airport, the officials said.Congress President Monday released a video of a French media portal in connection with the Rafale fighter jet deal and appeared to suggest this is the "sad truth" about Prime Minister Narendra

"The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief," Gandhi said on Twitter, in an apparent attack on and tagged the video along with his tweet.

The video targets the government on the and quoted the editor of Mediapart, a French media house, that published a story Friday quoting former French President Francois Hollande as saying it was the Indian government that "proposed" Reliance Defence as the partner of Dassault Aviation for Rafale offset contracts.



"The key sentence in his reply is 'We did not have a choice'.

"We did not have a word to say about that subject. The Indian government suggested this service provider and Dassault negotiated with Ambani. We did not have a choice. We picked the interlocutor which was selected for us by the Indian government. That's the contract," the Mediapart editor said quoting Hollande.

The video further noted that while the Indian government has stated it did not have "any say in the commercial decision", but Hollande, who had presided over the deal, said this was not true.A teenager has survived seven weeks at sea after a wooden hut he worked on broke free from its moorings.

While out at sea, Aldi wasn't sure if anyone would rescue him, as 10 passing ships failed to spot him.

"Aldi said he had been scared and often cried while adrift", Fajar Firdaus, a diplomat at the Indonesian consulate in Osaka, told the Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Aldi Novel Adilang's harrowing tale began in mid-July when the 18-year-old was working solo on a fishing hut anchored about 125 kilometres (77 miles) off Indonesia's Sulawesi island.

The tank that rescued Aldi was reportedly sailing under a Panama flag, and he was actually rescued near the tiny American territory of Guam, which is about 3,100km away from Sulawesi. Lamps suspended from the rompong help draw the fish in, and Aldi's job was to man the lamps each night.

At that point, the teenager was stranded and only had a limited supply of water, food, gas and fuel.

"After he ran out of cooking gas, he burned the rompong's wooden fences to make fire for cooking".

The Indonesian consul general office in Osaka took this photo of Mr Aldi leaving his rescue ship when it landed him in Japan.

The teenager only had a few days worth of supplies and survived by catching fish, burning wood from his hut to cook them, and sipping seawater through his clothes to minimize his salt intake.

'Every time he saw a large ship, he said, he was hopeful, but more than 10 ships had sailed past him, none of them stopped or saw Aldi'.

He wasn't found until August 31 when he was spotted in waters off Guam by a Panama-registered bulk freighter, MV Arpeggio, which was heading for Japan, the consulate said in a Facebook post.

Mr Adilang arrived in Japan on 6 September and flew back to Indonesia two days later, where he has now been reunited with his family.

One day his rompong was circle by a shark.

"Aldi's story is indeed dramatic, and we are thankful to all - the ship's captain and the Japanese authorities - that have been very helpful in ensuring Aldi's return", said Mr Mirza.This is the first meeting that the government is holding with public sector bankers, following its announcement to merge Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank to create the country's third largest bank after State Bank of India and HDFC Bank. The day-long meeting is set to review the measures taken by PSBs to recover bad loans, financial performance in the present financial year, reform measures and financial ...

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Digital EditorThe sudden increase in rainfall intensity over north and central parts of the country in the last few days could impact final yield of paddy in those fields where 'lodging' has taken place as the rains that came at the fag-end of the southwest monsoon season were also accompanied by strong winds, farm scientists and experts said.

Lodging is the bending over of crops, mainly cereals, near the ground level that makes them difficult to harvest and leads to lower yields. Lodging mainly occurs when rains are accompanied by heavy winds in excess of 25 kilometres per ...Thirty-four-old Samit Ghosh works at a pharmacy of Swasthya Nivas Nursing Home in Singur. Its not the kind of job he had dreamt of 10 years back while training at the Tata Motors plant before it decided to pull out. But on October 3, 2008, Tata Motors pulled the plug on manufacturing the Nano out of Bengal, leaving behind a rubble of dashed hopes.

Ghosh was one of the 267 local residents selected by Tata Motors for training. He did his practical training, first at the Singur plant, and later in Pune. In the last 10 years, Ghosh has made peace with his career. But ...The Centre and the Odisha government are at loggerheads over the issue of land allotment to premier B-school Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur (IIM-S). With both the Centre and the state stubborn on their demand regarding taking ownership of the land, the delay in construction of the permanent campus within the time frame is only inevitable. The state government is owner of the land.

The fees to be charged from the IIM will be a little more than Rs 30,000. All other institutions of national importance like National Institute of Science Education and Research and ...President Trump says his trade war with China will protect Americas dominance and derail Beijings plan for technological and economic supremacy. But as the fight kicks into high gear this week, American tech and telecom companies are warning that the industrys growing reliance on products made and assembled in China means they are more likely to be casualties, not victors, in the skirmish. Mr. Trumps next round of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods goes into effect on Monday, hitting thousands of consumer products from handbags to ...The opposition was awarded victory in the Maldives presidential election on Monday, in a possible setback for China as the new leaders of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation aim to review major projects agreed with the outgoing administration. Incumbent Abdulla Yameen, who had cultivated ties with both Beijing and Saudi Arabia, conceded defeat after the Election Commission said opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had won Sunday's election by a margin of 16.7 per cent. Before the election, the opposition said it would review Chinese investment, partly out of concern over ...At least eight of those killed were Revolutionary Guards personnel.

Nearly half of those killed were from Ahvaz, while the others came from elsewhere in Khuzestan.

Women and children scattered along with once-marching Revolutionary Guard soldiers and bandsmen as heavy gunfire rang out, the chaos captured live on state television.

However, under the Trump administration, these relations have deteriorated further as the American leader pulled the United States out of a nuclear agreement that had been agreed to with Iran and other nations under his predecessor, President Barack Obama, and moved to reimpose sanctions on Tehran.

"Moving the battle to deep inside Iran is an option that has been publicly declared and will increase in the coming phase", Abdulla said.

A spokesman for the al-Ahwaz National Resistance, an umbrella movement for Arab separatist groups fighting for independence for Khuzestan province, has said it carried out the attack.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the USA and its regional allies were responsible for the attack.

"We will destroy them with a strong and guerrilla-style attack, inshallah (God willing)", he adds.

But the organisation said later on its website that the organization and its military wing do not assume responsibility for the attack on the military parade.

Isil's official news agency, Amaq, released a video purporting to show three of the four gunmen shortly before the attack.

He wrote on Twitter: "Terrorists recruited, trained, armed & paid by a foreign regime have attacked Ahvaz".

Caskets of those who died in a terror attack on a military parade in Iran are displayed in Ahvaz, Iran.

"We will punish the terrorists, one by one", he promised the crowd. "We are Muslims, they are kafirs (non-believers)", the man says.

This year's parades had special significance as tensions with the United States have peaked since the USA withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in May and began to re-impose unilateral economic sanctions on Tehran.

Sabah Abiad, a middle-aged bank employee who attended the funeral, said the unity among the region's different groups was self-evident. Economic protests and other demonstrations have spiked across Iran, putting new pressure on Rouhani's government. A photo of his crumpled body out of his wheelchair after the attack shocked the country, as did the death of the four-year-old boy.

At Monday's ceremony, Revolutionary Guard's acting commander Gen. Hossein Salami vowed revenge against the attack's perpetrators and what he called the "triangle" of Saudi Arabia, Israel and the U.S. Arab separatists have claimed the assault, which also wounded 60, including Guard members and soldiers.

Another Ahvaz resident, Ghaseem Farhani, said: "Just look at the crowd, with no fear, people are gathered here to see their soldiers and martyrs off to heaven".Trump administration officials announced Saturday that immigrants who legally use public benefits like food assistance and Section 8 housing vouchers could be denied green cards under new rules aimed at keeping out people the administration deems a drain on the country. The move could force millions of poor immigrants who rely on public assistance for food and shelter to make a difficult choice between accepting financial help and seeking a green card to live and work legally in the United States. Older immigrants, many of whom get low-cost prescription drugs through the ...US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said President Donald was prepared to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again.

"President very much is prepared to meet with Chairman Kim at the right time, and we hope that'll happen in the not-too-distant future," the top US diplomat told NBC on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The White House revealed over a week ago that it has been coordinating a possible second summit between and Kim after Pyongyang sent a letter to Washington in early September requesting another top-level meeting following the first one in June in Singapore.

"We have to build it out, we have to set up the logistics, we've got to set the right conditions," said Pompeo.

Tension on the Korean Peninsula has been further eased as South Korean President Moon Jae-in paid a historic trip to Pyongyang last week, bonding closer ties with Kim and signing the Pyongyang Declaration on further steps towards the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization.

Welcoming the positive steps on inter-Korean relations, Pompeo announced earlier that he has invited his North Korean counterpart to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in the following week.

However, differences remain in current North Korea-US talks, including the scale of denuclearization, US sanctions, and whether to issue a war-ending declaration.

The US State Department said on Thursday the denuclearization of Pyongyang has to come first before the US side gives any corresponding reciprocal measures.

The US so far has largely ignored North Korea's request in the Pyongyang Declaration for "corresponding measures" as the precondition for its further actions on the denuclearization, such as the permanent destruction of its main Yongbyon nuclear facility.Global investment company and realty firm Monday filed its offer document with regulator Sebi to launch the country's first investment trust (REIT) to raise over Rs 50 billion.

Embassy Office Parks, the joint venture firm of and Embassy, has filed the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the regulator to launch REIT, which would be Asia's largest in terms of portfolio size of 33 million sq ft, sources said.

The JV firm proposes to raise over Rs 50 billion through its REIT, with an option to raise further 25 per cent, they said. The issue is likely to hit the capital market this fiscal, depending on the regulatory approvals and market conditions.

(Sebi) had notified REIT's regulations in 2014, allowing setting up and listing of such trusts, which are very popular in some advanced However, not a single REIT has been launched and listed so far.

REIT is an investment tool that owns and operates rent-yielding assets. It allows individual investors to make investment in this platform and earn income.

According to sources, Embassy Office Parks, a leading player in commercial real estate, has put 33 million sq ft of office and hospitality assets under its proposed REIT comprising of 7 business parks and 4 city-centric buildings spread across Mumbai, Bengaluru, and

Out of 33 million sq ft, about 24 million sq ft area is operational at 95 per cent occupancy and yielding rental income of over Rs 2,000 crore annually. Another 3 million sq ft area is under construction and 6 million sq ft area in pipeline.

Embassy Office Parks' rental income is expected to rise by 55 per cent in the next 3 years as it expects to lease area at a higher rent. Presently, its office spaces are leased at 35 per cent lower than the market rental and the same would be be revised while renewing the lease agreements with the clients.

The JV firm has top MNC clients in its commercial projects. More than 50 per cent of the rents come from Fortune 500 companies. Clients such as Microsoft, Google, Wells Fargo, etc have their base in the office parks.

The proposed REIT has an ability to bring in more assets, either inorganic or developed by Embassy to the tune of another 50 million sq ft in the next few years, sources said. The proposed REIT will have first right of refusal to acquire commercial projects developed by and it can buy properties of other developers as well.

had last year registered its REIT with Sebi, sponsored by and Bengaluru-based Property consultant is the valuer of this proposed REIT.

Unlike housing segment, the commercial sector is doing well and attracting huge investments from domestic and global investment firms. The rising demand for co-working space is also fuelling demand for office properties.

Apart from Blackstone-Embassy, India's largest realty firm is a major player in commercial real estate with a portfolio of over 30 million sq ft and a rental income of about Rs 30 billion. Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC has invested Rs 90 billion in December last year in DLF's rental arm.

Brookefield, (CPPIB), and are also investing in commercial real estate.

Many have made plans to create a strong portfolio of commercial real estate. The success of Blackstone-Embassy group's REIT will further strengthen this trend.Friday's sharp share sell-off of several banking and non-banking finance has put the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and stock exchanges on high alert. According to sources, the regulator met the stock exchanges on Monday evening to avert any further damage and ensure that there is ample The move comes close on the heels of the (Sebi) and banking regulator (RBI) issuing a rare joint-statement over the weekend, expressing their readiness to act, if required.

On Friday, the market had seen acute volatility, especially in NBFCs Dewan Housing Finance Corporation slumped as much as 42.6 per cent and showed a sharp decline of 29 per cent. India Bulls Housing also reported a decline of 8.2 per cent. Other major too lost in the range of three per cent to 20 per cent. The market regulator is reportedly monitoring these and other lenders to detect any breach of securities laws or irregularities.

URGENT MEASURES meets stock exchanges on Monday, discusses corrective steps

Will examine the NBFCs, other lenders to check breach of securities norms

Suggests remedies to avert further damage and ensures liquidity

Seeks data of wealthy investors to check their F&O positions

Contemplates additional margin imposition on the stocks, which have seen huge surge

In a meeting on Monday, has directed stock exchanges to prepare a report on open interests in these stocks and keep it informed. Also, exchanges have been asked to go through the list of wealthy investors, including foreign institutional investors, who had taken position in these stocks in the futures and options (F&O) segment. The data was sought to determine whether these trades were made based on some unpublished-price sensitive information.



The regulator also contemplated further tightening of limit monitoring system. In this attempt, it has asked exchanges to consider any additional margin imposition on the stocks, which have seen huge surge in open interest.



Also read: tumbles 34% on RBI's denial to Rana Kapoor's tenure extension

In addition, is also ascertaining the links between the sudden downgrading and rumours about credit default in various financial institutions as this could pose a systemic risk. The regulator is said to have sought details of trades made by DSP MF in the debt papers of last Friday.

Experts believe that the current volatility in the is on account of onslaught in the

The rating of IL&FS, which has defaulted on payment, is the main cause of this sharp fall. This is the incompetence of the rating agencies, which took a lot of time to identify that is at default risk. The regulatory authorities should question these credit rating agencies. The debt market is panicking and therefore fund raising has become difficult. The equity market is thus affected, said Rajesh Baheti, president, (Anmi). IL&FS has asked the government to clear dues worth as much as Rs 160 billion for the work done by the company. On 17 September, rating agency downgraded the credit rating of IL&FS to default.Breaking silence on the results of the presidential elections, Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen on Monday conceded defeat, saying that he accepted people's mandate.

In a hotly-contested election in the island nation, senior opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih surprisingly emerged victorious, garnering 134,616 votes, according to the provincial results announced by the Maldivian Election Commission. Yameen, however, secured 96,132 votes only. Official results are scheduled to be announced before September 30.

In a televised speech to the nation, Yameen was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying, "The citizens of the Maldives had their say and I accept that result." He added that he met Solih at the president's office in Male and congratulated him.

Solih had the backing of a coalition of opposition parties, led by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

The 59-year-old strongman, who came to power in 2013, stated that he has "served the Maldivian public sincerely" to take the country into economic prosperity.

Accepting the people's verdict, Yameen further said, "The result of that service is clear, and I thank the thousands who accepted that and voted for me."

Yameen went on to say that he will continue to be the president till his term ends on November 17.

Around 263,000 Maldivian voters exercised their franchise in the high-stakes elections on Sunday, keenly watched by the West and countries such as India and China. Nearly 90 per cent of voter turnout was recorded.

The island nation has been engulfed in a political upheaval over the past few months with Yameen imposing a state of emergency to annul a Supreme Court ruling that quashed the convictions of nine opposition leaders, including Mohamed Nasheed, Maldives' first democratically-elected president.

The growing incumbency in the Maldives was a result of Yameen's harsh policies, such as the crackdown on media organisations in the last few months, imposing a draconian anti-defamation law and allowing only a handful of them to cover the elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Like any other institute of repute, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, isn't a stranger, when it comes to getting recruitment offers from multinational companies.

Last year saw nearly 540 companies opening their doors to thousands of students, despite the lull in IT sector hiring. IT company giants like Infosys, TCS, Cognizant and Wipro made over three thousand offers cumulatively, on the very 1st day of recruitment program:

-Infosys - 1185

-TCS - 985

-Cognizant - 648

-Wipro - 202

The traditional recruiters like TCS, WIPRO, CTS, L&T and many others started their recruitments from 2nd of September. Under the category of dream jobs TCS Digital has already made offers to 62 students and INFOSYS made 64 offers.

15 Taiwanese companies also participated in a job fair that was held at the campus and was facilitated by TAITRA (Taiwan External Trade Development Council).

Some of the key highlights from Super Dream recruiters who made offers on campus are

-Microsoft recruited a student with 38.5 lakhs pa,

-Amazon picked 15 Software Development Engineers with 28 lakhs pa,

-UDAN.com a Bengaluru based start-up hired 3 students with the offer of 18.5 lakhs pa,

-Nutanix hired 2 System Development Engineers from SRMIST with annual pay of 18.1 lakhs,

-SAP labs appointed 1 M.Tech student with the pay scale of 17 Lakhs pa.

The recruitment program is now open for 10 months where students will be given a choice to opt for their dream job in the campus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has no input on fugitive businessmen Nitin Sandesara's whereabouts, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or Nigeria, confirmed a CBI source.

Sandesara, director of a Gujarat-based pharma company Sterling Biotech, is wanted in a Rs 5,000 crore bank fraud case.

The businessman and his brother Chetan Sandesara fled from the country last year along with family members before the CBI could register an FIR against them, for allegedly defrauding a consortium of state-owned banks.

Following the FIR several movable and immovable properties of the Sandesara brothers were attached under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

During the investigation, the Enforcement Directorate found that several companies promoted by the Sandesara brothers had fraudulently obtained credit facilities of more than Rs 5000 Crores from various banks, which subsequently turned into Non-Performing Assets (NPAs).

The loans were sanctioned by a consortium of banks led by Andhra Bank, UCO Bank, State Bank of India, Allahabad Bank and Bank of India. The probe further revealed that the promoters set up more than 300 shell and benami companies in India and abroad to divert and misuse loan funds, manipulate balance sheets and fudging other documents to inflate turnovers and insider shares trading.

The Sandesaras reportedly controlled these shell and benami companies through dummy directors, who were shown as employees of various companies of the Sterling Group.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has served a notice to Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CGPCC) president Bhupesh Baghel asking him to appear in court on Monday at the time of filing charge-sheet in connection with the state Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Rajesh Munat's alleged sex CD case.

The notice was sent to Baghel by CBI yesterday.

On October 27 last year, senior journalist Vinod Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police from his residence Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad over extortion and blackmailing.

Verma was arrested after an FIR was filed against him by a man over a certain 'vulgar' video that featured his boss.

A day after he was arrested by the Chhattisgarh police, an FIR was lodged against the state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel and Verma in the case.

Verma, who was arrested in connection with extortion and blackmailing case, had said that he has 'a sex CD 'of the Chhattisgarh minister.

"I have a sex CD of Chhattisgarh Minister Rajesh Munat and that is why the state government is not happy with me," he had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Iranian officials have accused US allies in the region of being behind a deadly attack on a military parade in the southwest of the country that left 29 people dead and dozens wounded amid claims of responsibility by two groups - an ethnic Arab separatist group and the extremist group Islamic State (IS).

Tehran says the groups are financed by Saudi Arabia, Iran's Sunni rival in the region.

For years, Iran has held up the elite force, which answers directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as an impenetrable bulwark against external threats.

Neither of them clarified which "regional states" they were referring to.

Israel is also a key U.S. ally opposed to Tehran.

The militant Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the rare assault.

Isis claimed responsibility but provided no evidence.

- February 14, 2007: A auto bomb attack against a bus in Sistan-Baluchistan kills 13 and wounds 29.

Iran has been relatively stable compared with neighbouring Arab countries that have grappled with upheaval since the 2011 uprisings across the Middle East. Women and children scattered along with once-marching Revolutionary Guard soldiers as heavy gunfire rang out in Ahvaz, the chaos captured live on state television.

Armed forces spokesman Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi said the dead included a young girl and a former serviceman in a wheelchair.

Iran also summoned diplomats from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Denmark on Saturday, accusing their countries of harbouring Iranian opposition groups. Some members of the ethnic separatist movements are based in the European countries.

Iran summoned diplomats from Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands early Sunday for allegedly harboring "members of the terrorist group" that launched the attack.

The British charge d'affaires "was told that it is not acceptable that the spokesman for the mercenary Al-Ahwazi group be allowed to claim responsiblity for this terrorist act through a London-based TV network", said the ministry's spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi.

It was one of the worst ever attacks against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp, the sword and shield of Shia clerical rule in Iran since its 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iranian officials say the attack can be traced back to America and its regional allies.

Footage on social media showed soldiers and bystanders scattering as shooting broke out at the parade in Ahvaz marking the 38th anniversary of Iraq's 1980 invasion of Iran. Women and children fled for their lives. Standing in front of the stand, one asked: "Where did they come from?" Another responded: "From behind us".

It specifically mentions "providing assistance" to Khuzestan Arabs - the minority group in Iran that the Ahvazi attack perpetrators claim to represent.

There was no immediate Gulf Arab comment on his remarks. "European soil", Qasemi was quoted as saying.

If the terrorist attack in Ahvaz was part of a larger Saudi and UAE escalation in Iran, their goal is likely to goad Iran to retaliate and then use Tehran's reaction to spark a larger war and force the USA to enter since Riyadh and Abu Dhabi likely can not take on Iran militarily alone (indeed, after spending roughly $6bn a month, they have failed to defeat the Houthi guerillas in Yemen).

On June 7, 2017 in Tehran, 17 people were killed and dozens wounded in simultaneous attacks on the parliament and on the tomb of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini - the first inside Iran claimed by IS.

"They are not from Daesh (Islamic State) or other groups fighting (Iran's) Islamic system. but they are linked to America and (Israel's intelligence agency) Mossad".

Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi, reporting from the capital Tehran, said the "attack for many Iranian communities was very personal".

"The small puppet countries in the region are backed by America, and the United States is provoking them and giving them the necessary capabilities", said Mr Rouhani.

Mr Rouhani is on a collision course with Donald Trump, whose decision to quit the 2015 nuclear deal is, to Mr Rouhani's mind, directly to blame for Iran's financial crisis.

He also said in the clash, the security forces managed to kill two of the terrorists and arrest the other two.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday claimed that the Congress party scrapped the Rafale deal with France as United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's company was not accepted as a 'middleman'.

Union Minister and BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, while addressing a press conference, said that in order to take revenge for the same, the Congress is working hard to jeopardise the deal finalised by the Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

"The Congress intended to make arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari and Robert Vadra's company as a middleman in the Rafale deal. But when this did not happen, they scrapped the deal and now they are trying to take revenge for the same by jeopardising the deal finalised by the NDA," the BJP leader said.

Shekhawat further alleged that the Congress is politicising the Rafale deal and is taking help of foreign forces to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power.

The Rs. 58,000 crore controversial deal was signed by the NDA government in 2016 after scrapping negotiations made by the UPA government earlier.

The UPA's original plan was to buy 18 off-the-shelf jets from France's Dassault Aviation, with 108 others being assembled in India by the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru.

The controversy over the Rafale jet intensified after former French president Francois Hollande, in an interview to a French media house, claimed that the France government had no other option but to choose Reliance Defence as an offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Baloch political and human rights activists have accused Islamabad of allowing Beijing to build the CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) project from Balochistan, the resource-rich province which has been facing decades-long insurgency.

Speaking after a side event during the ongoing 39th Session of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Hatim Baloch of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan said, "CPEC brings more destruction, more army operations. Many villages which were coming in the CPEC route are being razed by the Pakistan Army and it has intensified the situation. It is not for Baloch indigenous people, so they are suffering more. It is not bringing any positive change, and it is making the situation worse".

Expressing his disillusionment over the Imran Khan-led government in Pakistan, Hatim said, "The main issue is the enforced disappearances, the military operations and the killing of our people. Unfortunately, these are the main human rights violations which we have been facing since the Pakistani occupation. The situation is getting worse day by day since 2004-05, and the Chinese investments have made the situation more complex."

The event was addressed by many speakers from Europe, including members of the European Parliament.

Senior expert at Brussels-based Cooperation in Higher Education (Europe-Asia) Brian Toll said the rise of extremism in Pakistan is a cause for concern. "It is very clear that the Army has been supporting extremist elements and it is known that they have been providing support to Taliban in Afghanistan as well. Pakistan is a very conservative society which is very much in favour of the Sunni majority. Hence, it is more difficult for all minorities to exist peacefully and develop their lifestyle, their economies, and to feel secure and safe within a civil society", Toll elucidated.

Recognising the problems spelt out by three representatives from Balochistan at the event, Toll asserted, "I think it is a great tragedy that they feel themselves in this condition in terms of representation in Parliament, the kind of life they lead, enforced killings, extrajudicial actions etc. I think what they need is an ability to develop a kind of regional approach to life as we have seen in other civilised democratic countries where power is gradually developed from the centre towards the regions."

Pointing out that the Army still remains a strong institution in Pakistan and the elected government acts like its puppet, Toll emphasised, "Imran Khan has an incredibly difficult job. He said he wants better relations with the international community, greater freedom within Pakistan, more transparency (in the system), more work towards education and he wants to have an Islamic welfare state. Therefore, we should be supporting such people to move forward.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Suspended paediatrician of Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College Dr Kafeel Khan, along with two others, was arrested by the police on Sunday in connection with an alleged fraud case.

The arrest was made by a team led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinay Singh and Circle Officer Ravi Kumar Rai.

In 2009, Muzaffar Alam, a resident of the city's Shekhhpur area, had registered a case against Kafeel and his brother Adeel under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Rajghat police station. In his complaint, Alam had accused both the brothers of using his photograph and ID to open a fake bank account in State Bank of India (SBI) and using the same to carry out transactions of over Rs 82 lakhs.

At that time, Kafeel was pursuing his medical studies at Manipal University.

This comes a day after Kafeel was released on bail after being arrested for creating ruckus at a hospital here.

He was also arrested in connection with the death of over 70 children at the Baba Raghav Das (B.R.D.) Medical College Hospital in September last year, and was later granted bail by the Allahabad High Court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hours after Congress president Rahul Gandhi offered prayers to Lord Shiva in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra while criticising Rahul Gandhi and Congress claimed that 'their love for Hinduism is a farce to mislead public.'

Intensifying his attack on the Congress president, Patra told ANI, "Today abruptly he is becoming a devotee of Lord Shiva. Nobody can mislead the public. Common people are also observing their fancy dress Hinduism."

He further said, "It is the same Rahul Gandhi who had claimed that there is a greater danger from Hindus than Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group. He is the same Rahul Gandhi who coined the word saffron terrorism."

Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Amethi, was today welcomed by the Congress supporters dressed as Kanwars or devotees of Lord Shiva. The Congress chief was seen wearing a red-coloured scarf and his forehead was smeared with sandalwood paste and a tilak.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hong Kong has joined the Oscar race by officially choosing 'Operation Red Sea' on Monday as its entry for the 'foreign language film' category.

The movie, which is directed by Dante Lam, is a story about a Chinese navy personnel who mobilises to save a Chinese national who is held hostage in an unspecified African country.

It was a hit film during the Chinese New Year back in February in its home ground, by earning a whopping USD 576 million.

The movie was released in North America by WellGo USA in February, where it earned $1.54 million.

With 'Operation Red Sea' it will be the country's 91st entry into the Oscars under the said category. But Hong Kong received nominations back in 1991 for 'Raise the Red Lantern' and in 1993 for 'Farewell My Concubine'.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Telangana Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan, on Monday flagged off the Hyderabad metro line from Ameerpet to L. B. Nagar covering a distance of 16 kilometres.

The stretch is a part of corridor-1 of the Red Line which is from Miyapur to L. B. Nagar and completes the 29-kilometre Red Line comprising 27 stations. With this, the Hyderabad metro will now cover around 46 kilometres of the city, becoming India's second largest metro network after Delhi.

In November 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Hyderabad metro line operations from Miyapur to Ameerpet and from Ameerpet to Nagole which covers a distance of 30 kilometres

K. Taraka Rama Rao, the Municipal Minister of Telangana briefed Governor Narasimhan on the Hyderabad Metro rail project's working through a presentation and thanked the Governor for flagging off the Ameerpet-L. B. Nagar stretch.

"I have travelled in many metros around the world and Hyderabad metro is one of the best metros in the world. I hope that the people will make use of this world-class facility," Governor Narasimhan said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India's Ambassador to the United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin, said that India will focus on reformed multilateralism at the United Nations General Assembly.

"There are threats and challenges facing the multilateral system. We are by tradition and inclination multilateralist and we will be helpful in articulating our positions on how we need to strengthen the multilateral system and move towards a reformed multilateralism," he said while addressing the media here.

"Second, Secretary General feels climate change is perhaps the most serious of threats that we're facing. India has a good story to tell. So climate action will be our second priority," he added.

Speaking on health care and India's focus in the area, Akbaruddin said, "This general assembly will address several issues of global health. Non-communicable diseases, Tuberculosis and later in the assembly, India will focus on deliberations relating to universal health coverage. The Prime Minister launched Ayushman Bharat - our health coverage scheme, which covers 500 million people, and is the most ambitious such schemes in the world, the entire global fraternity is looking towards it."

Akbaruddin further noted that sustainable development would be key to India's approach in international cooperation.

"By and large, India is a developing country. We have areas where we have developed rather fast, but there are other areas we are focused on developing. This year, we are going to have a South-South conference in Buenos Aires. South-South cooperation is emerging as a major area of our activity both in UN and in other areas. Digital cooperation will also be a major issue as we proceed during the course of this session," he added.

On the issue of peace and security, he said, "India is one of the largest troop-contributing countries, a country which has a history of sending our troops to as many as 49 peacekeeping operations."

It was briefed that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, apart from participating in the United Nation General Assembly Debate on September 25, will also attend United States President Donald Trump's event on a call for action against the global drug problem. She will also attend the Nelson Mandela peace conference, and attend meetings of the G4, IBSA, BRICS and SAARC.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday said that the Indian Army was fit to fight previous wars and that the future would necessitate imbibing technology and a reorganisation.

Speaking to ANI, General Rawat said, "We have got an organisation which will help us fight the previous wars. If we are looking at future wars, they will necessitate imbibing technology, technologies of all kinds. Therefore, we have to reorganise ourselves to ensure that technologies and the weaponry and the man behind the weapon are integrated. But it is more important to imbibe the technology and for doing so, you have to carry out some changes in the organisation and you have to ensure that your men understand the need for technology, only then can you move forward."

Speaking on the reorganisation of the Indian Army, General Rawat said, "We have ordered a study on all these issues. I am not saying that everything that has been told will be incorporated. Some of it might not get even recommended by the study. So let await the final framework of what the studies come out with and whatever then I will discuss with the Army Commanders."

"I already had one discussion. We will continue with this and then I hope that by the end of the year, we are able to come out with some kind of a solution, put it across to the government and explain it to the government our reasons for doing so. And then see how best it can be implemented. Let me tell you, it is not likely to be implemented overnight. It will take time. Even the implementation will have to be spread over a few years. But I think a beginning has to be made and that is what we are looking at," the Army chief added.

General Rawat further lauded the Indian government for their support in upgrading the Army's equipment.

"The government support has been very good. We are having regular Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meetings. Almost every fortnight, we have a DAC meet and in fact, we are under pressure because the Raksha Mantri keeps asking us to put up projects to her to see how we can carry on with our new acquisitions," he said.

The Army Chief stated that although it is not easy to continue with acquisitions, "there is a big push from the Government to help us in modernising our Army."

The biggest-ever organisational study to review and transform the Indian Army into a futuristic lethal warfighting machine is expected to be completed by December this year.

The study will review personnel and the organisational structure and explore whether the present practice is sustainable for the Indian Army's future requirements.

The ambit of the fleeting study broadly includes - 1) Reorganisation of the Indian Army; 2) Review of Army Headquarter; 3) Cadre review for officers (being done after the AV Singh Committee report, 2001); and 4) Review of terms of engagement. Each study is being conducted by a team of 25 members which is headed by senior Lieutenant Generals.

A major review of the study will be taking place in October during the Army Commanders Conference.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government of Japan has provided medical equipment to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH).

Under the third-phase assistance, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided physical and medical equipments worth one billion rupees.

At a program organised here today, Japanese Ambassador to Nepal, Masamisi Saigo, and Chief Representative of JICA Nepal, Jun Sakuma, handed over the various types of medical equipments including digital monograph, CM X-ray machine, ventilator and anesthesia machine to Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Girirajmani Pokharel.

JICA had provided support for construction of physical infrastructure and medical equipments to TUTH in 1983 for the first time and in 1992 for second time. All the physical structures including 700-bed TUTH are constructed as per Japanese model.

On the occasion, Minister Pokharel said that Japanese government's support was very import in Nepal's education and health sector while Japanese Ambassador to Nepal, Saigo, said the government of Japan would continue the support in Nepal's economic and social development in days to come.

The Vice-Chancellor of the TUTH, Prof Dr Tirtha Raj Khaniya, Dean at Institute of Medicine Prof Dr Jagadish Agrawal, among others thanked Japanese government for its support to the hospital.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three more terrorists were killed by security forces in Kupwara's Tangdhar sector on Monday, where search operations are underway since yesterday after the forces foiled an infiltration bid.

One security personnel has lost his life during the action.

Five terrorists have been killed so far, out of which one terrorist has been identified as Adnan. He was a member of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.

The infiltration bid was foiled hours after an encounter broke out between security personnel and terrorists in Mir Mohalla Airpal Tral area of Pulwama district on Sunday.

A civilian identified as Manzoor Dar from Tral had also sustained injuries in the cross-fire on Sunday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Turkey and Russian Federation agreed on the borders of a disarmament zone in Syria's Idlib province following a three-day meeting, Turkish Defense Ministry announced on Friday.

Prior to Monday's announcement, the Syrian government, backed by Russian air power, seemed to have geared up to stage an assault on Idlib province, the last bastion held by Syrian opposition forces, as well as home to thousands of hardline militants.

People inspect the damage at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria on February 7, 2017.

"I call on all the parties to implement the (Turkey-Russia) agreement with a strong commitment to the protection of civilians, and to ensure humanitarian access, adhere to global humanitarian law and work urgently for greater progress in the Geneva process", he said, referring to the recent accord on buffer or safe zone in Syria. "This is certainly an intermediate step, because only a demilitarized zone is being created", Lavrov said.

Ankara and Moscow also signed a memorandum of understanding calling for the "stabilisation" of Idlib's de-escalation zone, in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

The disarmament zone will be 15-20 kilometers wide and will be under the joint control of Russian and Turkish patrols in order to prevent new combats.

TRT World's Sara Firth has more on the mood in Idlib.

It is now time to "fully maintain ceasefire and focus on political process", according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Cavusoglu said on September 21 that he would meet with Russian and Iranian counterparts in NY to advance the Syria agenda.India's Ambassador to the United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin, has said that India is confident of handling the situation if Pakistan chooses to be a 'one-trick pony' by raising the Kashmir issue at the high-level UN General Assembly (UNGA) session.

Responding to a question about the possibility of the neighbour country raking up the issue of Kashmir, Akbaruddin stated that UN works best on multilateralism and that 'single act plays have no resonance in such matters.'

"Our contention is that UN works best on multilateralism and multi-lateral platforms work best when you work in partnerships. Single act plays has no resonance in such matters. Of course, anybody can try and be a solo player. However, solo players in a multi-lateral context have neither the past nor a future. It is their call how they spend that time allocator to them. We as India work in partnerships. We are proud that all the issues that I listed for you, we have a great resonance in terms of our position. If somebody else would like to be a 'one trick pony', it is for them to regurgitate and act. We have handled this act many times in the past and are confident we will be able to do it again," he said.

On September 21, India had pulled out of the proposed meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the UNGA, hours after two Special Police Officers and one policeman in Jammu and Kashmir were kidnapped and brutally killed by terrorists.

India's withdrawal also came over Pakistan's move to release stamps glorifying terrorist Burhan Wani, who was killed by the Indian security forces in 2016 in Kashmir.

Akbaruddin, meanwhile, also said that India would focus on reformed multilateralism at the UNGA.

"There are threats and challenges facing the multilateral system. We are by tradition and inclination multilateralist and we will be helpful in articulating our positions on how we need to strengthen the multilateral system and move towards a reformed multilateralism," he said while addressing the media here.

On the issue of peace and security, he said, "India is one of the largest troop-contributing countries, a country which has a history of sending our troops to as many as 49 peacekeeping operations."

The 73rd UNGA debate will begin on September 25 and will be attended by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and a number of other global leaders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is inching closer to victory in the presidential polls, incumbent President Abdulla Yameen's dream of a second term is likely to come to an end.

Yameen, who will probably have to demit the office of the President, came to power in 2013 after defeating Nasheed in what was called a controversial round of polling. The latter, who resigned in 2012 following a political crisis in the island nation, was sentenced to 13 years of prison on account of terrorism charges in 2015.

Progressive Party of the Maldives official, Ahmed Nihan, said that even though it is too early to declare the winner, the party has the courage to accept the choice of the citizens of the country, Al Jazeera reported.

Earlier, Solih, while addressing media in the Maldives, declared his victory in the polls and called on Yameen to respect the will of people and immediately begin a smooth transition of power.

The growing incumbency in the country was a result of Yameen's harsh policies, such as the crackdown on media organisations in the last few months, imposing a draconian anti-defamation law and allowing only a handful of them to cover the elections.

In the run-up to the elections, international monitors had repeatedly urged the Maldivian government to ensure free and fair polls. But, experts and observers already predicted that Yameen was unlikely to pay heed to such demands.

The incumbent President had also put his half-brother and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the chief justice and a judge of the Maldivian top court behind bars. Many international groups and countries, including India, had voiced their concerns over the arrests and called for their release and smooth running of state institutions.

Yameen's defeat was evident in the growing resistance towards him within the people of the island country. Protests against Yameen had intensified in capital Male and other cities, as the joint opposition continued to maintain pressure on the government to implement the Supreme Court ruling of February 1 demanding the release of high-profile prisoners including former president Mohamed Nasheed and former vice president Ahmed Adeeb.

The situation worsened after February 20, when the Maldives Parliament approved the extension of the state of emergency by 30 days, a day after Yameen sought the extension citing threat to national security and the constitutional crisis in the country.

The opposition leaders had boycotted the session and called the extension illegal and unconstitutional.

Around 263,000 Maldivian voters exercised their rights in the high-stakes elections on Sunday, keenly watched by countries such as India, the United States, and China.

Unlike the previous elections, only two candidates were running for the post of the President this time around.

Apart from the Maldives, voters were entitled to exercise their franchise in India, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia, with as many as 472 ballot boxes being placed across the five countries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India on Monday welcomed Maldivian Presidential Election results and congratulated Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for claiming the victory.

"We welcome the successful completion of the third Presidential election process in the Maldives which, according to preliminary information, Mr. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won. We heartily congratulate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory and hope that the Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press statement.

The MEA further said that the Maldivian Presidential Election not only marks the triumph of democratic forces in the South Asian country, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law.

India further asserted that it is looking forward to work closely with the Maldives.

"In keeping with our 'Neighbourhood First' Policy, India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership," the External Affairs Ministry added.

Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih claimed victory in the presidential elections in the wee hours of Monday, based on results tabulated from 90 per cent of the ballot boxes.

Around 263,000 Maldivian voters exercised their rights in the high-stakes elections, keenly watched by countries such as India, the United States and China.

The island nation has been engulfed in a political upheaval in the past few months with Yameen imposing a state of emergency to annul a Maldivian Supreme Court ruling that quashed the convictions of nine opposition leaders, including Mohamed Nasheed, Maldives' first democratically-elected president.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Madhya Pradesh Social Welfare Board Chief Padma Shukla on Monday resigned from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Shukla, who was a BJP member since 1980, also held a state cabinet rank.

In a letter to BJP state president Rakesh Singh, Shukla expressed her disappointment with the party saying, "I have been a primary member of the party since 1980 and have discharged my duties accordingly. I am upset because of the negligence and exploitation of the party workers in Vijayraghavgarh constituency post 2014 by-polls. Thus, I am resigning from the primary membership of the party."

She has also resigned from the post of state Social Welfare Board chief.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Nepal prime minister Jhalanath Khanal asserted that national interest should not be ignored while amending the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Stressing that the law should be amended as per the requirements of the people, Khanal said, "No citizen of Nepal shall be deprived of citizenship and no criteria regarding it shall be violated," Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) reported.

Khanal made the comments at a programme organised by an Agitation Coordination Committee. Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) general secretary CP Mainali underscored that the country's sovereignty and nationality could be compromised if the Act was amended without any considerations.

The Nepal Government recently presented a Bill to amend the country's Citizenship Act- 2006 and the Agitation Coordination Committee has asked the government to grant Nepali citizenship to foreigners after careful consideration.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill states that foreign nationals who meet the criteria may apply for Nepali citizenship under certain categories.

The committee has argued the need for a compulsory work permit for the foreigners, who are coming to Nepal for employment opportunities, in an effort to tackle illegal immigration.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Netherlands is set to witness six events in four cities as part of activities to mark the launch of the two year-long celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

These events include a 'Gandhi March' from the iconic Peace Palace of The Hague to Grote Kerk on September 30 with the participation of people of all nationalities and around twenty ambassadors of different countries. Well-known spiritual guru from India 'Sri M', Deputy Mayor of The Hague, Kavita Parbhudayal, Ambassador of India to the Netherlands, Venu Rajamony and Ambassadors of the United States, Indonesia and Afghanistan will address the marchers, a press release from the Indian embassy in The Hague read.

The Gandhi March will conclude with multinational cultural performances highlighting the message of non-violence, a special exhibition mounted on a Khadi Scroll (curated by Pramod Kapoor of Roli Books, India) and a movie on the life of Mahatma Gandhi.

On October 2, the International Day of Non-Violence, five events will be held in the four cities of The Hague, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Zoetermeer. Gandhi statues in the cities will be garlanded and the public invited to place flowers at the feet of the statue as a mark of respect amidst speeches, singing of favourite songs of Mahatma Gandhi and cultural programmes, the statement added.

Special commemorative stamps issued by the Indian Postal Department will be released in front of the Peace Palace. A meeting will be held within the Peace Palace complex to discuss the relevance and importance of Mahatma Gandhi to the challenges of the modern A 'Gandhi Walk' will also be held in the capital city the same evening.

The Embassy of India in The Hague along with community organisations will conduct during the period of October 1-5, an outreach programme called "Follow the Mahatma", under which over 100 volunteers will fan out to around 20 schools of the Netherlands to spread the message of non-violence and to educate students about the life of Mahatma Gandhi and how India won freedom through a non-violence movement, the statement continued.

A social media campaign with the hashtag #followthemahatma will be conducted during the period inviting people across the Netherlands to post messages reiterating their commitment to the principle of non-violence.

The Netherlands has a special connection to India and Mahatma Gandhi. There are around thirty streets in the country named after Mahatma Gandhi, perhaps the largest after India anywhere in the

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored his government's commitment to increasing connectivity and boosting transport and tourism, while inaugurating the country's 100th and Sikkim's first airport. He also talked of 'boosting transport and tourism as tools of transformation'.

Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and Union Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu were also present at the event. Pakyong airport is located 33 kilometers off the state capital Gangtok and is expected to ease off the air traffic congestion at West Bengal's Bagdogra. The first commercial flight from Pakyong is scheduled to start on October 4.

Terming it as a historic day for Sikkim and a significant moment for the country, Prime Minister Modi while addressing a public gathering at the inaugural function said, "With the inauguration of this airport, we have now 100 operational airports in India. In next one to two week, regular domestic flights from here will start and in coming times there will be international connectivity as well. This Airport, built with a cost of 550 crores, is a proud example of exemplary skills of our construction workers and engineers. Work is progressing at a high pace to strengthen both, infrastructural and emotional connectivity to Sikkim and Northeast. I have been in the Northeast several times to check the progress of developmental work in the region and every other week some of the Union ministers also visit."

He asserted that his government is taking development of Northeast as one of its topmost priority.

"Be it Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland, Assam or Mizoram, in all states of North East, a lot of development work is reaching for the first time since Independence. We are bringing more railway lines, bridges and airports in the region. Our government is working hard to make, east and northeast as the engine of India's growth story," Prime Minister Modi said.

Taking a dig at previous governments, he compared the number of flights and airports that have been operational before his government and after he took office. "Since Independence to the year 2014, in these 67 years India had 65 airports, with an average of one airport for every year and in the last four years, we have started 35 new airports to take this tally to 100. Others would have taken 40 more years to do what we did in four years. In 70 years of Independence, there were around 400 airplanes providing their services in India but in last one-year, different aviation companies have placed orders for about 1,000 new aircraft. Today, India has become the third largest market in terms of domestic flights," Modi said.

He also stressed on the need to promote organic farming and informed about his government's endeavour in the field. "We are working towards encouraging organic farming in the country and to achieve this we are working with traditional agriculture development scheme. In North East, the government has initiated Mission Organic Value Development for North Eastern Region. We have allocated 400 crore rupees for the same", he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)ETechAces Marketing and Consulting Pvt. Ltd. ("Policybazaar Group"), the parent company of India's leading insurtech brand, Policybazaar.com and India's leading lending marketplace, Paisabazaar.com and newly launched healthtechplatform, docprime.com, has now forayed into the UAE market, with the launch of its new venture, Policybazaar.ae, an online financial products marketplace, that would list insurance and lending products on its platform, to begin with.

The international expansion marks a milestone moment in the decade-old journey of Policybazaar Group that has shortlisted Dubai to serve as a hub for the UAE operations. The group has appointed Neeraj Gupta as the CEO for its new venture, Policybazaar.ae, in an elevation from his earlier role at the group of leading the motor insurance for the flagship brand, Policybazaar.com.

The new international set up was initiated in March earlier this year, and has sold over 2,000 policies and underwritten premium worth INR 6 crore (AED 3 million) through its partnership with 10+ insurance partners in the region, during its beta phase.

"We have been at the forefront of initiating the change in the way India consumes financial products, and the foray into the international market is a momentous occasion for us. Our expansion into the UAE market is based on the same philosophy of developing a strong tech-based platform that makes consumers the king in their ability to choose a gamut of financial products," said co-founder and CEO, Policybazaar Group, Yashish Dahiya.

Delighted with the official launch of operations, Neeraj Gupta, CEO, Policybazaar.ae, said, "We are very confident of replicating our success of the India market in this region. The initial numbers have been very encouraging, and above of what our expectations were. We plan to further build on this start of our beta phase, by creating a strong product line for our consumers, as our platform is now fairly stable and evolved."

With Policybazaar.ae, PolicyBazaar Group intends to become a one-stop shop for consumer's personal finance needs in the UAE region. Over the next three years, Policybazaar.ae is looking to build an extensive network of local banking and insurance partners, and underwrite premium worth INR 500 crore (AED 250 million) from the region.

The initial products listed on the platform include motor insurance, travel insurance and soon will have life insurance and lending products added to its product line.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Terming the controversial Rafale fighter jets deal as India's "biggest Defence scam", the Congress on Monday demanded the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) K.V. Chowdary to seize all documents and register an FIR into the alleged corruption.

After meeting the CVC and seeking an independent probe into the case, Congress leader Anand Sharma told reporters, "A delegation of Congress has met with Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), submitted a detailed memorandum on Rafale fighter jet purchase scam. It is the biggest scam in the acquisition history of this country. This was the arbitrary decision of the Prime Minister of India who without any mandate from the Cabinet Committee on Security decided to do-away with three important things of the original tender purchase of 126 planes and more importantly the approved price of Rs 526 crore that went up to Rs 1,670 crore. The government has been lying and hiding. Therefore, we have demanded the CVC to take cognizance, to seize all files and documents and register an FIR."

Meanwhile, another Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "Faced with corruption exposed in Rafale scam, an unnerved, frustrated and worried Prime Minister Narendra Modi government is seeking shelter of Pakistan to deflect attention of the country.Was your love for Pakistan not apparent when you were indulging in saree-shawl diplomacy' while Pakistan was killing our soldiers."

The delegation comprised senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Manish Tewari among others.

The meeting came days after a Congress delegation met the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Rajiv Mehrishi and urged the apex auditor to prepare a report on the alleged irregularities in the deal and present it in Parliament.

The Rafale controversy took a new twist last week after former French president Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence's name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

The Congress has been accusing the Centre of irregularities in the high-profile Defence fighter jets contract, alleging that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The Congress has time and again asked the Prime Minister Modi-led government to reveal the price details of the aircraft and how the rate of each aircraft has shot up. However, the government has refused to share the details, citing a secrecy clause of a 2008 pact between India and France.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Continuing his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over India-France Rafale jets deal, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday termed him as "India's commander in Thief."

The Congress chief shared a video on Twitter, captioned "The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief."

In the video, Edwy Plenel, the Editor of French publication, Mediapart, underscores that the key sentence of former French President Francois Hollande's reply to their questions about the Reliance Group's involvement was, "We did not have a choice."

"We did not have a choice. We did not have a word to say about that subject. The Indian government suggested this service provider and Dassault negotiated with Ambani. We picked the interlocutor which was selected for us by the Indian government," Plenel quoted Hollande as saying in the interview.

The video further goes on to say that the Indian government's stance of not having a say in the commercial decision was contrary to the ex-French President's statement.

"We just noticed it's the contrary of the Indian government. The Indian government says it was the French part who organised the deal with Ambani, but the French part now says, 'no. Mr Ambani was in the deal by the Indian government.' He said, no conflict of interest with Ambani. Why? Because Ambani arrived in this deal and Reliance Group by the Indian government," Plenel argued in the video.

"And that's for you the scandal because you heard during all the last months that the Indian government said, "We had no ink, it was a private affair, what's the Reliance Group?" Oh no, Mr Hollande says, "We did not have a choice." Plenel added.

On September 21, former French President Francois Hollande in an interview to a media house said that Dassault Aviation was given no choice but to partner with Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence for the offset clause in the Rafale fighter jet deal.

However, a statement from Dassault aviation reiterated that Reliance Group was chosen in compliance with the Defence Procurement Procedure 2016 regulations, adding that contracts were signed with companies other than Reliance as well, as part of the offsets contract under the Rafale deal.

Regardless, the Congress has termed the deal as India's "biggest Defence scam," and demanded the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) K.V. Chowdary to seize all documents and register an FIR into the alleged corruption.

The Congress also called on the government to reveal the details about the price of the aircraft, with the government refusing compliance, citing a secrecy clause of a 2008 pact between India and France.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)"Our plan is to meet demand", Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said after meeting with fellow OPEC ministers in Algiers on Sunday, according to reports from Bloomberg.

Crude oil futures have spiked in early Asian trade on Monday, a move unlikely to be welcomed by US President Donald Trump who took to Twitter late last night to express his displeasure at recent price gains.

OPEC leader Saudi Arabia and its biggest oil-producer ally outside the group, Russia, on Sunday ruled out any immediate extra increase in output, effectively rebuffing a call by Trump for action to cool the market.

Earlier today, Brent crude hit its highest since May at $80.62 per barrel, up $1.82 or 2.3 percent, by 0830 GMT.

U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out the United States from the 2015 global Iranian nuclear deal in May. "We will remember. The OPEC monopoly must get prices down now!" he tweeted.

OPEC isn't just grappling with USA sanctions cutting Iranian supply. However, the consensus has now moved to as much as 1.5 million barrels daily as the USA is "incredibly serious" about its measures, he said. The biggest source of new global supply, United States shale, is also experiencing growing pains as pipeline bottlenecks and workforce issues may hamper growth, he said.

Oil leaped after the world's top producers chose to maintain output during a meeting in Algeria at the weekend. However, Saudi Arabia and Russian Federation now say they have no more capacity.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Zanganeh warned that some oil producers are trying to create an alternative suppliers' forum that supports USA policies hostile to the government in Tehran. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects domestic crude oil production will increase over the next five years and then flatten after 2022, staying at about 11 million to 12 million barrels per day through 2050. The global benchmark traded at an US$8.40 premium to West Texas Intermediate for the same month.

"OPEC is struggling to battle through a flawless storm of strong demand and bigger-than-expected supply losses", said Daniel Hynes and Soni Kumari, Commodity Strategists at ANZ Bank last week.

However, the word from traders and refiners at the industry's annual gathering in Singapore this week is that the market starting to look short of necessary barrels, and prices are likely to head higher. That was the highest level since November 12, 2014.

"Were they do so the oil market would be even more uncomfortably tight than we forecast for 2019 as spare capacity is eroded", Mr Bell added.The monsoon rains in India are here for at least one more week and will start withdrawing from Saturday onwards.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) the withdrawal of southwest monsoon is likely to commence from western parts of Rajasthan around 29th September. IMD had earlier predicted that the withdrawal could begin after 17 September. However, the Met Department said on Monday that a change in the wind pattern over west Rajasthan has caused the deferment.

"Prevalence of dry is likely over west Rajasthan from tomorrow. Reduction in the moisture associated with the monsoon flow and a change over in the low-level wind pattern is also likely over this region from 27th September. These are indicative of likely commencement of withdrawal of southwest monsoon from western parts of Rajasthan around 29 September," IMD said.

It added that scattered to fairly widespread rainfall is likely over southern parts of peninsular India, along with the east coast and northeast India. "Isolated to scattered precipitation likely over the western Himalayan region and dry likely over the rest of the country," IMD said.

The monsoons in India usually begin in June and end by September. Interestingly, the withdrawal of monsoon has been delayed by nearly four weeks compared to 2017.

Meanwhile, Capital Delhi, which has received good rain over the last three days, including a strong spell of rainfall throughout Monday, will see rain taking a backseat from Tuesday, Skymet reported.

However, the northern part of India, especially Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is not likely to get any relief from heavy rainfall very soon. The Himachal Pradesh government decided to shut all state-run and private schools in Kinnaur, Kullu, and Kangra districts as a result of heavy rain and snowfall from the last 48 hours. The state also dealt with scores of landslides and mudslides.

According to Skymet weather, the ongoing heavy rainfall over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will continue for at least 24 hours.

"In a span of 24 hours from 08:30 am on Sunday, Manali recorded hefty rains to the tune of 121 mm, followed by Chamba 117 mm, Dharamshala 63 mm, Una 62 mm, Nahan 52 mm, Mukteshwar 48 mm, Haridwar 42 mm, Nainital 35 mm, Mussoorie 31 mm, Dehradun 30 mm, Tehri 29 mm, Kullu 28 mm and Shimla 23 mm," Skymet Weather said.

In Kullu, a nature park on the Highway 3, has reportedly been damaged by the flood waters because of heavy rainfall. Similarly, heavy rain and flood waters have hit a water storage dam of 110 MW in Mandi district's Barot area. The water level has also been increased in the dam.

Besides heavy rainfall, the state of Himachal Pradesh is also witnessing incessant snow in the upper region, as the town of Keylong, which is the administrative centre of the Lahaul Spiti district, has been hit by fresh snow.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh ordered the closure of all schools and colleges due to incessant rains. The decision has been taken after Singh reviewed a flood-like situation that was triggered in the state because of the rainfall. The army has also been asked on alert to help the state, in case the situations go out of hands.

A yellow alert has been issued in Kerala's Palakkad, Idukki, Thrissur and Wayanad districts till September 26, as the state is yet to come to terms from the devastating floods in August. The Met Centre in Thiruvananthapuram has also predicted a heavy rainfall ranging between 64.4 mm to 124.4 mm in these districts.

The State Disaster Management Authority taking a cue from the earlier incident has apprised district authorities to be on their toes and directed them to take necessary precautions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Russia on Monday announced it will supply advanced S-300 Air Defence Systems to Syria within two weeks as an adequate response to Israel's role in the downing of the Russian IL -20 plane last week.

"The Syrian Armed Forces will be supplied with the advanced S-300 air defence missile system within two weeks. It is capable of intercepting air threats at a range of more than 250 kilometres and simultaneously hitting several aerial targets," Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday.

He added that the S-300 will significantly improve the combat capabilities of Syria's air defence forces. Shoigu said Russia halted the delivery of S-300 systems to Syria in 2013 at Israel's request, but the situation around the supplies has now changed through no fault of Russia. He added that the systems were ready to be supplied and the Syrian troops were trained.

"Command posts of the Syrian troops and military air defence units will be equipped with automatic control system, which have been supplied only to the Russian Armed Forces. This will ensure the centralised management of all Syrian air defence forces and facilities, monitoring of the situation in the airspace and prompt target designation. Most importantly, it will ensure identification of all Russian aircraft by the Syrian air defense forces," Shoigu said.

Russia said it will jam satellite navigation, on board radars, combat aviation communication systems in the waters of Mediterranean Sea next to Syria.

Shoigu said the measures taken by Russia after IL-20 crach will cool "hot heads" and prevent ill-considered actions threatening Russian servicemen otherwise Russia will have to respond in line with the current situation.

According to the minister, an Israeli F-16 jet used the Russian IL-20 aircraft as a shield, which resulted in the downing of the plane by Syrian air defence systems. "This forced us to take an adequate response aimed at improving the security of Russian troops performing tasks to combat international terrorism in Syria," Shoigu said.

"Russia's decision to supply Syria with S-300 will prevent uncontrolled attacks on the territory of the country by the Western coalition. Besides, Israel will have to agree with Russia about the targets of their attacks in Syria," Russian upper house lawmaker Igor Morozov said.

The Israeli Embassy in Russia did not comment on the statement made by Shoigu."We do are not commenting on this," the Israeli Embassy spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the meeting of Russia-Israel intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation is scheduled for early October. The Russian side said it is actively engaged in preparations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The establishment of a no-fly zone over the Russian Hmeimim airbase in Syria's Latakia will help avoid tragedies similar to the recent Il-20 incident, a senior Russian lawmaker said on Monday.

"It is necessary to create a no-fly zone and announce publicly that any unauthorized aircraft spotted in the airspace over Hmeimim will be destroyed unconditionally," Chairman of the Russian upper house defence committee, Viktor Bondarev, told reporters in Moscow.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced earlier in the day that Moscow will supply Syria with S-300 Air Defence Systems as well as automated fire-control systems following the downing of a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane off the Syrian coast on September 17 that killed 15 servicemen.

Il-20 was 22 miles off the Syrian coast when it was shot down while returning to the Hmeimim airbase. At the same time, four Israeli F-16 aircraft were bombing Syrian targets in Latakia.

The Russian Defense Ministry said last week that the Israeli military deliberately created a dangerous situation by using the Russian military plane as a shield against Syrian air defense systems.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The issue of possible establishment of a Russian military base in Venezuela has not been considered so far, Venezuelan Ambassador in Russia Carlos Rafael Faria Tortosa told Sputnik in an interview.

"It has not been discussed so far," the ambassador said, when asked if the possibility of setting up a Russian military base in Venezuela was examined in the light of the recent statements by representatives of the United States and the Organization of American States (OAS) on possible foreign military intervention in Venezuela.

In the interview, the ambassador also revealed that the co-chairs of the Russia-Venezuela High-Level Intergovernmental Commission Yury Borisov and Tareck El Aissami might have a bilateral meeting ahead of the commission's holding.

"As part of the joint intergovernmental commission we have new co-chairs in both countries. The Venezuelan side is represented by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policies Tareck El Aissami, while the Russian party is represented by [Russian Deputy Prime Minister] Yury Ivanovich Borisov. The possibility of their meeting ahead of the holding of the high-level intergovernmental commission is being examined," the ambassador indicated.

According to the diplomat, the intergovernmental commission is likely to meet in late October - early November.

"There is no exact date yet; both sides are now working on the possibility of holding it [the commission's meeting] in the second half of October or early November. But there is still no exact date," the ambassador said.

The last meeting of the Russian-Venezuelan intergovernmental commission was held in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas in April.

The Ambassador also hinted at the Moscow visit of Venezuelan oil minister Manuel Quevedo to take part in the Russian Energy Week forum scheduled for October 3-6. While staying in Moscow he might meet with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak.

"We have sent an invitation to our Oil Minister Manuel Quevedo to attend the Russian Energy Week, which will take place in October," the ambassador indicated.

Answering a question about Quevedo's possible meeting with Novak, the ambassador stated that such a meeting was very possible.

"One cannot but use such a wonderful opportunity to meet with the Russian energy minister, with the heads of enterprises, which have strategic cooperation with our government ... The agenda will become more comprehensive when Minister Quevedo's visit is confirmed," the diplomat stressed.

The diplomat added that there were no plans for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's visit to Russia so far, but Caracas hoped it would take place soon.

"The president has not announced whether he would come, and definitely has not named the dates. But we hope that this visit will take place," the ambassador said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Earlier this year, China seemed to be on the ascendancy and its influence abroad seemed inexorable. However, President Xi Jinping and his Communist Party of China (CPC) are finding that things are not going as smoothly as they hoped, as others dig in their heels.

A number of Asian countries - including Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - have recently voted in governments that are not as pro-China as their predecessors. Of course, there are numerous complicating factors involving such elections - Pakistan being a case in point, where the military determined the outcome - but there has been a clear turning against China and its so-called debt trap diplomacy policies.

The latest country that can be added to the above list is the Indian Ocean territory of the Maldives, where voters reacted strongly to the dictatorial Abdulla Yameen by throwing him out in the 23 September election. Yameen's five years in power was tumultuous as he jailed political opponents and judges, controlled the press and embraced China while amassing unsustainable levels of foreign debt.

Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said, "The message is loud and clear: the people of the Maldives want change, peace and justice. I would like to call on President Yameen to accept the will of the people and begin a smooth transition of power as per the constitution."

Even before the national electoral committee announced the election result, India and the USA both applauded Solih's victory, clearly an attempt to pressure Yameen into conceding defeat. China has been carefully currying favor in the Maldives, so this strong reversal will sting.

China has been willing to use its enormous financial clout to influence regional countries, aided by a swaying USA and its irascible president. Number three of the Chinese communist catechism is "mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs", yet China is frequently accused of cultivating political influence in other countries. One "soft" way of doing this is via networks of party-controlled Confucius Institutes, but there are many more nefarious ways of doing so.

For instance, former diplomat Bilahari Kausikan in Singapore warned about Chinese influence operations in the island state. Following up on the release of a report by the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods, he described many Singaporeans as "naive".

Kausikan warned of Beijing's attempts to impose a Chinese identity on the multiracial city: "Chinese influence operations are more dangerous in a fundamental - indeed, existential - way.They appeal to ethnic pride which is all too often only a tiny step away from ethnic chauvinism. This can strain social cohesion in a way Western influence operations do not."

When in Beijing recently, Malaysia's new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced he was canceling two megaprojects because of debt fears. He told Premier Li Keqiang in the Great Hall of the People, "We do not want a situation where there is a new version of colonialism."

Xi has carefully painted himself as an international statesman who is reliable and responsible. He has attempted to challenge American global leadership in a number of areas, enough for the Trump administration to brand China as a "revisionist power" and "strategic competitor".

The economic relationship between China and the USA - arguably the most important in the - took yet another nosedive after President Donald Trump enacted tariffs charged on USD200 billion of imports from China. This is merely his latest gambit in the trade war as he rails against the need for American companies doing business in China to hand over technologies, and the widespread availabilityof state subsidies for Chinese companies.

Now, however, Xi is receiving domestic criticism because of his aggressive push on the stage. They feel China would not be in this awkward position if Xi had been following Deng Xiaoping's dogma of "hiding strength, biding time". Instead, they argue that Xi has gone too far too quickly.

Two of Xi's blue-ribbon projects have been the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative and "Made in China 2025", the latter being an attempt to dominate advanced technologies but one that the CPC has been publicly diminishing in recent weeks.

OBOR has garnered a growing clamor of criticism for creating deep debt, ignoring employment for locals and damaging the environment in host countries. Again, Xi has been facing criticism because he is investing so much money in other countries - often with no or very poor returns - instead of spending it on domestic needs at home.

In a communist country where materialism is ironically rampant, unease and anger will spiral when bank balances and wallets are hit by a trade war. A domestic backlash is thus beginning to gather momentum.

The CPC often trumpets how it has lifted millions out of poverty. However, is the party taking credit for something that the hardworking people themselves have achieved? Indeed, while many have become more prosperous, China now has one of the most unequal wealth distributions in the The Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, has risen 15 points to 50 from 1990-2015. A reading of 0 would mean all have an equal income.

There is also concern about the economic data coming out of China. Official proclamations about elements such as GDP growth, debt and retail sales magically always seem to comply with government objectives, but there are serious question marks about underlying data. An example is the Statistics Bureau reporting industrial profit growth of 16% for 2018. However, calculating the changes month by month instead reveal a profit decline of 8.1%.

Observers should be suspicious of all official data and proclamations from the Chinese government and CPC. The strictly authoritarian state is very good at massaging information to make itself look good, but reality is probably a lot worse than the authorities would allow us to believe. Incidentally, local government debt rose USD2.58 trillion to USD17.66 trillion by the end of August.

There has clearly been a miscalculation in the CPC about how to approach the USA, with analysts and policymakers taken by surprise by Trump. For example, initially most saw Trump's bellicosity as just a bargaining position, with no conception that he would follow through. Of course, this should not be a surprise given Trump's unpredictability.

Last week Trump imposed sanctions against the Equipment Development Department of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) for buying Russian S-400 missiles and Su-35 fighters. Although these sanctions essentially change nothing, they do reflect American frustration at China. In a furious response, Beijing canceled scheduled military-to-military talks as well as further trade talks.

In 2017, the USA imported USD506 billion in goods from China, while the latter imported USD110 billion's worthfrom its competitor. It is easy to see who will be hurt more by the trade war.

Right now, Xi must be very concerned about the impact of the trade war. China's rate of economic growth has been slowing in recent years since it is unsustainable, and this dispute with the USA will surely have a major impact. The CPC is always extremely sensitive to public discontent at home. When the public's pockets begin to suffer, the CPC will be hard-pressed to suppress waves of indignation.

What is remarkable is how quickly Sino-US relations have soured. It must be remembered, however, that the two have implacably opposed values and they do not make natural bedfellows at all.

However, Xi, who manipulated his country's legal ordinances to remain president for life, is likely to still be in power long after Trump has been voted out. Therefore, there is a sense that Xi can simply outlast Trump. Certainly, he will not wish to back down on signature projects such as OBOR, for he has personally invested his reputation on it.

OBOR should not be compared with the post-World War Two Marshall Plan. The latter rebuilt war-torn Europe largely using American largesse, whereas OBOR is all about China gaining overseas influence. It has taken these smaller countries too long to figure out the dangers entailed by OBOR, including ceding control of infrastructure to China as has occurred at Hambantota in Sri Lanka.

Myanmar and Nepal are two other nations wanting to halt construction projects or to renegotiate terms. Former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans described Cambodia and Laos as "wholly owned subsidiaries of China".

China is finally feeling criticism over its secretive pogrom against the Muslims in the far west of the country. Even long-standing ally Pakistan has finally raised its voice over Beijing's horrific treatment of this Uighur population, with an estimated one million people currently incarcerated in political re-education centers. This is part of Beijing's crude but brutal efforts to neutralize Uighur culture and to dilute or nullify Islam.

A State Department official said the USA was "deeply troubled by the Chinese government's worsening crackdown on Uighurs, Kazakhs and other Muslim members of minority groups in Xinjiang. We are working closely with our interagency partners to ensure significant consequences for those who commit serious human rights abuse abroad, including the situation for Muslims in Xinjiang."

There are rumors that the Trump administration is about to launch a government-wide barrage against China in the coming month. This will include revelations about hostile Chinese actions against the USA, its malign activities such as cyberattacks and electoral interference.

As part of its dystopian character, China is rolling out a mass surveillance system, the largest such network in the world. Called Skynet, it already features 170 million cameras, with plans to install another 400 million by 2020, all connected by artificial intelligence technologies such as facial recognition. This year China will buy USD20 billion worth of CCTV cameras, accounting for nearly half the global market.

Ironically, however, China might struggle with its Skynet program because of a trade war. This is because components such as tubes that create a laser beam inside cameras are sourced from Western countries, and some governments in Europe and the USA are stopping shipments to both China and Hong Kong. The South China Morning Post quoted one Chinese researcher as saying, "The national security authorities are deeply concerned. They are taking action."

The CPC remains profoundly paranoid about dissent, and it seeks to suppress it wherever it might appear. Most recently, that was in Hong Kong. On 24 September the territory's government took the unprecedented step of banning a political party, the Hong Kong National Party. This is the first time a political group has ever been banned in Hong Kong, and interestingly the government used the Societies Ordinance from the colonial era to do so.

However, the Hong Kong National Party is a fringe group and has little public support. This action of pulverizing a peanut with a sledgehammer simply shows the communist leadership's paranoia. It also reflects how even the Hong Kong government is able to institute bans at Beijing's behest without feeling any need for justification.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ahead of the 2019 Odisha assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Monday launched a scathing attack on Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik saying that all opposition parties were suffering from "Modi-phobia".

Inaugurating a three-day executive meet of the BJP Mahila Morcha in Puri, Shah said, "This meeting is not just a meeting, it is the death-bed of Naveen babu's government. There are elections in Odisha in 2019. If people in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh work hard, Modi Ji will be the Prime Minister once more. But if mothers and sisters of Odisha work hard, BJP will not only have a Prime Minister at the Centre but a Chief Minister in the state too."

He further said, "The way the Odisha government is functioning, they don't have the right to govern. People in the state, which has ample mineral resources to enrich the entire country, are living in destitute condition. If anyone is responsible for this, it is Naveen babu's government," Shah added.

Shah berated the Opposition by stating that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting "Make in India", they were engrossed in "Break in India." He said, "Including the BJD (Biju Janata Dal), all the opposition parties are trying to break India while Modi Ji is trying to 'make India'. Modi Ji says remove poverty, they say remove Modi. Modi Ji says remove insecurity, they say remove Modi. They are suffering from Modi-phobia," Shah said.

The BJP chief accused the Odisha government of not buying crops from the farmers in the state despite the Centre raising the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of the crops. "The MSP for rice has been raised by Rs 200, the central government will give the Odisha government hundreds of crore rupees. But, they (BJD government) are in cahoots with the rice mill owners, and they don't buy the farmers' crops. Go and see your neighbouring state, Chhattisgarh, not a single kilogram of any farmer's rice is left unsold, the government buys it all," Shah said.

Shah further attacked Patnaik for not introducing the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojna (PMJAY) - Ayushman Bharat in Odisha. "Ten crore families across the country will be given a cover of Rs 5 lakh each per year except those living in Odisha. Naveen babu fears that if he introduces Ayushman Bharat, Modi Ji will become popular and his government will be uprooted. He doesn't care for the people of Odisha, he cares for his position," Shah said.

He also targeted the BJD government over the rampant cases of violence against women in the state, saying, "In offenses against women, Odisha is at the top spot in the country. Odisha is number one in harassment cases, number four in dowry-related offenses, number five in gang rape cases and number six in acid attack cases. Naveen babu, your state is top-ranked for offenses against women, instead of development. Do you even have any concern in this regard?"

Shah's Odisha visit comes days after Prime Minister Modi's visit, wherein he laid the foundation stone of Talcher Fertiliser Plant and inaugurated Jharsuguda Airport.

In his previous visit to the state, Shah expressed confidence that his party will 'sweep' the state assembly polls. Elections for Odisha's 147-seat assembly will be held around the same time as the 2019 general elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With the mudslinging over the Rafale fighter jets deal refusing to die down, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday termed the controversial issue as a perception battle.

Vowing to fight the Rafale deal tussle, Sitharaman said, "This is a perception battle. We'll go to places and state facts on record on Rafale. Congress designs to run a smear campaign against us at an international level. This is an attempt to malign our reputation."

Terming the controversial deal as India's "biggest Defence scam", the Congress demanded the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) KV Chowdary to seize all documents and register an FIR into the alleged corruption.

After meeting the CVC and seeking an independent probe into the case earlier today, Congress leader Anand Sharma told reporters, "A delegation of Congress has met with Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), submitted a detailed memorandum on Rafale fighter jet purchase scam. It is the biggest scam in the acquisition history of this country."

"This was the arbitrary decision of the Prime Minister of India who without any mandate from the Cabinet Committee on Security decided to do away with three important things of the original tender purchase of 126 planes and more importantly the approved price of Rs 526 crore that went up to Rs 1,670 crore. The government has been lying and hiding. Therefore, we have demanded the CVC to take cognizance, to seize all files and documents and register an FIR," he added.

The meeting came days after a Congress delegation met the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Rajiv Mehrishi and urged the apex auditor to prepare a report on the alleged irregularities in the deal and present it in Parliament.

The Rafale controversy took a new twist last week after former French president Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence's name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

The Congress has been accusing the Centre of irregularities in the high-profile Defence fighter jets contract, alleging that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

It has repeatedly asked the Prime Minister Modi-led government to reveal the price details of the aircraft and how the rate of each aircraft has shot up. However, the government has refused to share the details, citing a secrecy clause of a 2008 pact between India and France.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)United States President Donald Trump said that he would dine with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Trump Tower here, adding that he would congratulate Abe on his landslide victory in the recent elections held in Japan.

"Prime Minster @AbeShinzo is coming up to Trump Tower for dinner but, most importantly, he just had a great landslide victory in Japan. I will congratulate him on behalf of the American people!" he tweeted.

Trump, prior to emplaning for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said he would discuss matters related to military and trade with Abe.

"Going to New York. Will be with Prime Minister Abe of Japan tonight, talking Military and Trade. We have done much to help Japan, would like to see more of a reciprocal relationship. It will all work out!" he had tweeted.

The meeting comes in the wake of a possible trade dispute between the US and Japan, with Trump threatening to impose 25 per cent tariffs on import of automobiles from Japan and other nations. Japan, too, has warned the US of retaliation against the tariffs, if imposed, The Hill reported.

Abe won 553 out of 807 votes, beating his only contender, former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba to pave the way to become Japan's premier for three more years. He has been serving as the prime minister of the country for nearly six years and with this victory, he may become Japan's longest-serving premier.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)United States President Donald Trump on Monday opened the high-level meet of the United Nations General Assembly in New York with an event focusing on tackling the drug problem.

Delivering the inaugural address at the event, Trump acknowledged the growing menace and vouched to stand united in fighting the same.

"It is a great honour to address you on an issue that affects every nation across the globe: the drug problem. And a big problem it is. The scourge of drug addiction continues to claim too many lives in the United States and in nations around the Today, we commit to fighting the drug epidemic together," he said.

Furthermore, Trump highlighted a record increase in the production of cocaine and opium and an increase of 60 per cent in deaths resulting from the consumption of drugs.

"As the 2018 World Drug Report highlights, cocaine and opium production have hit record highs - incredibly - and global deaths caused by drug use have increased by 60 per cent from the year 2000 to 2015. So, in 15 years, it has gone up by 60 per cent, which is absolutely terrible," Trump said.

Calling for stern action against increasing drug addiction, Trump said, "As we know, illicit drugs are linked to organised crime, illegal financial flows, corruption, and terrorism. It's vital for public health and national security that we fight drug addiction and stop all forms of trafficking and smuggling that provide the financial lifeblood for vicious transnational cartels. In the United States, we're taking aggressive action, securing our border, supporting law enforcement, devoting record funding to the opioid crisis, and promoting treatment and recovery."

The US President also congratulated newly-elected Columbian President Ivan Duque and praised him for the action taken against drug menace.

"Many nations here today are also taking bold action. Newly elected President Duque, Colombia, campaigned on an anti-drug platform and won a very, very impressive victory. Congratulations. We look forward to partnering with his new administration to eradicate coca production in his country. All of us must work together to dismantle drug production and defeat drug addiction," he added.

Speaking on the US' initiative "Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem," Trump said, "The call is simple: reduce drug demand; cut off the supply of illicit drugs; expand treatment; and strengthen international cooperation. If we take these steps together, we can save the lives of countless people in all corners of the world. And when I say countless, I'm talking about millions and millions of people."

"I'm thrilled that every country in the room today has agreed to answer our call, and I want to thank each and every one of you for your commitment to this important initiative," he added.

The session was attended by leaders from across the world, including India's External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj.

Also present at the event were United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and National Security Advisor John Bolton.

Trump is slated to address the UNGA on Tuesday and is scheduled to chair the world body's Security Council meeting on Wednesday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)United States President Donald Trump said he would like to establish a more "reciprocal relationship" with Japan, ahead of his meeting with the country's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Taking to Twitter, Trump said he would discuss matters related to military and trade with Abe.

"Going to New York. Will be with Prime Minister Abe of Japan tonight, talking Military and Trade. We have done much to help Japan, would like to see more of a reciprocal relationship. It will all work out!" he tweeted.

Earlier, Trump had congratulated "good friend" Abe after the latter's re-election as the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), for the third term on Thursday.

"Congratulations to my good friend Prime Minister @AbeShinzo on his HUGE election victory in Japan. I'm looking forward to many more years of working together. See you in New York next week!" the US President had tweeted.

Abe won 553 out of 807 votes, beating his only contender, former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba to pave the way to become Japan's premier for three more years. He has been serving as the prime minister of the country for nearly six years and with this victory, he may become Japan's longest-serving premier.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Russia warned senior Israeli officials that attacking targets in Syria harmed its interests before the last week's downing of a Russian military plane in Syria, the Haaretz daily has revealed.

On Sunday, military spokesman Igor Konashenkov presented the results of an investigation.

Striking at targets on Syria's Latakia province, where Russia's air forces are based, Syrian air defenses responded against Israeli F-16s. The Russian IL-20 found itself, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence, caught in the crossfire.

Russian Federation also accused Israel of using a hotline set up between the two sides to avoid airborne collisions to mislead Russian Federation about its plans.

The Israeli pilots' actions "either speak of their unprofessionalism or criminal negligence at the very least", Konashenkov said, reiterating the Israeli airforce was fully responsible for the downing of the plane.

The "adventurism" of the Israeli military could have endangered civilian planes which use the same airspace to land at the nearby Hmeimim aerodrome, the officer said.

Israel has claimed the plane was downed while Israeli jets had returned to Israeli territory, posted on Twitter: "When the Syrian Army launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane, IAF jets were already within Israeli airspace".

Russian jets have been conducting air raids against Daesh and other terror outfits inside Syria at the Damascus government's request since September 2015.

But instead Konashenko said: "The Israeli jets saw the Russian Ilyushin Il-20 and used it as a shield against the anti-aircraft missiles, while they carried on maneuvering in the region".

Since the countries reached a cooperation agreement, Russian Federation has sent as many as 310 notifications to the Israeli military while Israel only notified Russian Federation 25 times.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah is also an enemy of Israel, which has carried out strikes in Syria to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to the Shiite group.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said that Washington continues to support the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria, thus disrupting the balance in the region.

"Unfortunately, we see that the extraordinary support that has recently been provided, especially by the United States to the YPG and the PYD forces, continues. Such steps, which damage the balance in the region and the peace between its peoples, must be stopped," Erdogan wrote in an op-ed piece for the Kommersant newspaper, dedicated to the agreement between Russia and Turkey on Syria's Idlib.

Erdogan once again stated that Turkey attaches great importance to the liberation of areas controlled by the PYD and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). He also expressed hope that Russia would support Turkey in the fight against the PYD and the SDF, which are recognized as terrorist groups by Ankara, but not by Moscow.

"We also hope for Russia's support in the struggle of Turkey with such terrorist organizations as the Kurdistan Workers' Party, the PYD and the SDF, and I think our neighboring countries should have a common view of the circumstances threatening each other's security," Erdogan said.

Erdogan further wrote that Turkey and Russia will also jointly determine which radical groups should leave the territory of demilitarized zone in Syria's Idlib province.

"During negotiations on Idlib in Sochi we decided to establish a demilitarized zone between the territories controlled by the opposition and regime. The opposition will remain on the territories which it occupies. We will ensure that radical groups, designated by [Turkey] together with Russia, will not be able to operate in the region," Erdogan wrote in his article for Russia's Kommersant newspaper.

Putin and Erdogan met in the Russian resort city of Sochi and signed an agreement on setting up a 9-12 mile demilitarized zone in Idlib along the contact line of the armed opposition and the government forces by October 15. The two countries' defense ministers signed a memorandum on stabilizing the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone. All heavy weaponry operated by rebel groups must be pulled out of the demilitarized zone by October 10, the agreement stipulates.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Assamese director Rima Das, whose film 'Village Rockstars' has been selected as India's official entry to Oscars 2019 for the Best Foreign Language Film category, said she's hopeful that this feat will motivate other young filmmakers from the northeastern region.

Talking about the achievement, the 36-year-old told ANI, "I was waiting for this day. I used to pray that the film should be nominated for Oscars. It's a huge honour for us and Assam. I hope this inspires other young filmmakers from our region and also gives them confidence that 'yes, we can do it.'"

Out of the 28 movies in contention - including 'Padmaavat', 'Raazi' and 'Love Sonia' among others - the selection committee of the Film Federation of India (FFI) on Saturday had chosen the Rima Das-directorial. The film traces the story of Dhunu, a girl from a village in Assam, who dreams of owning a guitar and forming a rock band.

"Through my movie 'Village Rockstars', I have tried to convey the message that the village people, despite living with poverty and other natural calamities, are still celebrating life. This was my realisation when I visited my village after staying in Mumbai for almost a decade. I am so happy that people are connecting with the film as it talks about dreams, possibilities and emotions," Das said.

She also talked about her next project 'Bulbul Can Sing', which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and said the film is also going to the Busan International Film Festival.

Child actor Bhanita Das, who portrays the character of Dhunu, finds it hard to express her happiness in words.

When asked if they had expected this while they were shooting for the film, Bhanita said, "Not when we had started the shoot. But, when we were shooting for the second half, Rima didi motivated us to do even better, saying we will get a prize if we do that. We are happy that we are being recognised."

The selection announcement was made by Kannada filmmaker Rajendra Singh Babu, the head of the selection committee. "The decision was made unanimously by the jury to send 'Village Rockstars' - the film which also won the National Award for Best Feature Film this year - to represent India at the Academy Awards," he had told ANI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has recovered 1.9 kg of smuggled gold worth Rs. 62 lakh from a passenger at Visakhapatnam Railway Station.

The sleuths from DRI has seized the gold under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and arrested the passenger. Based on specific intelligence, the passenger, who was travelling from Guwahati to Chennai was intercepted at the railway station on September 23. On examination, gold in the form of sheets was found concealed inside his bag, along with a guitar which contained gold biscuits.

The passenger was allegedly entrusted with the job of smuggling the gold from Yangon (Myanmar) to India and handing over the illicit goods to an unknown person in Chennai.

Further investigation is in progress.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal CID has arrested 42 persons in connection with cheating in the state police constable recruitment examination from various centres, a senior officer said on Monday.

Acting on specific information that some candidates were using improvised wireless devices to cheat in Sunday's examination, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted checking at a number of centres and seized credit card shaped receiving devices and wireless headphones from several examinees.

"Some 28 police cases have been lodged and 42 persons have been arrested for resorting to malpractices during the West Bengal Police Constable recruitment examination on Sunday," Deputy Inspector General of West Bengal CID Nishad Parvez said.

"The seized receiving devices, found hidden in the shoes of the candidates, were wirelessly connected to mobile phones which were being operated from outside to supply them with necessary information," he said.

The officer said CID is trying to track the entire racket to arrest the rest of the persons involved in the case.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will undertake an exhaustive study in Uttar Pradesh to add value to mango growing, guava, potato and pulse farming, and submit a report to the state government, an official said on Monday.

This decision was taken at a meeting of an ADB delegation headed by its Country Head Kenichi Yokoyama with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and senior officials of the state government.

Adityanath told the delegates that there was need for diversification in agriculture in the present-day scenario as this would lead to better profits to farmers. He also stressed the need to move beyond the conventional farming in vegetable growing, fruit production, horticulture, pisciculture and dairy development.

The Chief Minister also reiterated the commitment of the state government to realise the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doubling farmers' income by 2022. The state government, he added, was working on an action plan to achieve this target.

Emphasising the need for assimilation of new and modern techniques, Adityanath also called for wider publicity of drip irrigation. He suggested that through MNREGA, many works could be done which would benefit small and medium farmers.

Farmers were benefiting from the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme and the Prime Minister's Agriculture Irrigation Scheme, the Chief Minister pointed out while adding how soil health cards for accurate nature of the soil were benefiting the farmers in a big way.

The Uttar Pradesh government had ensured distribution of two crore soil health cards, which was the highest in the country.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A day after Ganpati Visarjan festivities, Bollywood and television celebrities like Shahid Kapoor, Amit Sadh, Niharica Raizada, Ritwik Sahore and Tanuj Mahashabde took to the Mumbai beaches for a clean-up drive.

Every year on the last day of Ganpati festivities, thousands of idols are immersed with processions that leave the beaches across Mumbai dirty. Several volunteers took to the city beaches on Monday morning, and celebrities turned up to support them and build enthusiasm.

Shahid and Amit were at the Juhu Beach clean-up drive.

Amit, who turned up early morning helping out the volunteers, said: "It's amazing that these kids woke up at 3:30 a.m. and came here to clean the beach but they can't do it everyday. So every individual in our country has to take onus. This is our home and until you have that feeling of ownership and responsibility, we won't be able to clean our country.

"Everyone knows what to do, where to go, only if you would think back to what your teachers taught you in school."

Niharica was at the Aksa beach said it's her first clean-up activity, but she said she will fulfil her duty as a good citizen of the country.

"This was my first experience coming here to clean the beach. I have been to Aksa Beach for shoots many times and I have always thought we have such beautiful beaches. Why don't people keep it clean? If we had started years ago, even we would have had clear blue beaches. The only message I want people to understand is to think about nature as much as they think about their family."

Viacom18, along with 700 student volunteers, associated with the Children's Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA), supported the city civic authorities by organising a clean-up drive across major beach promenades in the city as part of its Chakachak Mumbai initiative.

Joining the young volunteers were popular Nickelodeon toons Motu Patlu and Shiva, who encouraged and motivated them towards environment friendly living and responsible celebrations. Accompanying them was actor Archana Nipankar, who plays Dipika in the popular Colors Marathi show "Radha Prem Rangi Rangali".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a bid to save people from landslides in mountainous regions, Kerala based Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University has set up a wireless sensor network system in Sikkim-Darjeeling belt to predict and signal early warning of landslides to locals.

Speaking on the sidelines of "Amrita's real-time landslide warning system to save lives in Himalayan region" in Gangtok, the university Vice-Chancellor Venkat Rangan told IANS: "This system will give advance warnings of landslides so that people can be safely evacuated before disaster strikes.

"After successfully commissioning India's first such system in Munnar in Kerala, the university has now started a second installation in Sikkim to guard against rainfall-induced landslides in the Sikkim-Darjeeling belt" Rangan said.

The system was deployed in collaboration with the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority funded by the Ministry of Earth Sciences at a cost of Rs 5 crore-initiated with the British Geological Society and the United Kingdom's meteorological department, he said.

Centre for Wireless Networks and Applications Director Maneesha Sudheer said: "The system consists of over 200 sensors that can measure geophysical and hydrological parameters like rainfall, pore pressure and seismic activity."

She said that current system will monitor a densely populated area spanning 150 acres around the Chandmari village in Gangtok district.

Explaining the major triggering factors of landslides, Sudheer said that areas of steep slopes, those having tectonic activity and hilly terrains with heavy rainfall are at great risk.

On September 13, heavy incessant rains in Sikkim's north district activated landslides that destroyed bridges, including the main bridge Rafong Khola between Mangan and Chungthang, and cut off communication links to the rest of the country.

(Sandeep Manohar is in Gangtok on an invitation of Amrita University. He can be contacted at sandeep.m@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amnesty International (AI) in a report on Monday urged the Chinese government to end the "brainwashing" of nearly one million Muslims held in "re-education" camps in the Xinjiang Uighur region.

In the past year, the government has intensified its campaign of mass internment, intrusive surveillance, political indoctrination and forced cultural assimilation against the region's Uighurs, Kazakhs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, according to the report.

The campaign prohibits any display of religious and cultural affiliation, including growing an "abnormal" beard, wearing a veil or head scarf, regular prayer, fasting or avoidance of alcohol, or possessing books or articles about Islam or Uighur culture as Chinese authorities consider them "extremist" behaviour, reports Efe news.

It is estimated that currently nearly one million Muslims are being held by the authorities in re-education camps, without the right to trial, access to lawyers or contact with family members, the report said.

"The mass detention camps are places of brainwashing, torture and punishment. A simple act of messaging your family abroad can get you detained highlights how ludicrous, unjustified and completely arbitrary the Chinese authorities' actions are," said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International's East Asia Director.

The Chinese government justifies these measures as part of its counter-extremism and counter-terrorism efforts and only releases an individual who "has been transformed".

Those who resist or fail to show sufficient progress could face punishments ranging from verbal abuse to food deprivation, solitary confinement or beatings.

"There have been reports of deaths inside the facilities, including suicides of those unable to bear the mistreatment," the human rights organisation said, based on its interviews with former detainees.

Among them was Kairat Samarkan, who was sent to a detention camp in October 2017 after travelling to Kazakhstan and later released in February 2018. The Chinese authority accused him of "betraying his country".

According to AI, Samarkan was hooded, made to wear shackles on his arms and legs and forced to stand in a fixed position for 12 hours.

There were almost 6,000 people held in the same camp as Samarkan, where they were forced to sing political songs such as "Long live Xi Jinping" and study speeches of the Chinese Communist Party, Samarkan recounted.

Travel abroad for work or education, particularly to majority Muslim countries, or contact with people outside China are also major reasons for suspicion, according to AI.

"Families have suffered enough. Hundreds of thousands of families have been torn apart by this massive crackdown. They are desperate to know what has happened to their loved ones and it is time the Chinese authorities give them answers," said Bequelin.

AI called on the government of President Xi Jinping to put an end to this campaign of "systematic repression" against Muslims, a call raised on numerous occasions by many international organisations.

It is estimated that in China there are some 23 million Muslims or approximately 1.7 per cent of the population, among which are ethnic minorities such as Hui or others whose origins are linked to Uighur, Kazakh, Uzbek, Kyrgyz or Tajik people in Central Asia.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Australian documentary filmmaker is back home in Sydney after he was granted a Royal pardon in Cambodia for a espionage conviction, for which he was sentenced to six years in prison.

"I love Cambodia, I've always loved Cambodia (and) I don't love Cambodia any less now as a result of what has happened. In fact if anything I love it more," James Ricketson, 69, filmmaker told the media on his arrival at the airport here on Sunday night.

Ricketson, who denies the accusations, said he looks forward to going back to Cambodia soon, a country with which he has had a relationship for 20 years, and "doing all I can to help poor Cambodian families", reports Efe news.

The documentary maker said the Australian government could have performed better during his 15 months in prison, although he avoided giving more details.

"I do have a good story to tell but now, at the airport, is not the right time to tell it," he said on national broadcaster ABC.

Ricketson was arrested on June 7, 2017, after he was using a drone to film a protest organised by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was later dissolved in November 2017.

A Cambodian court ruled that Ricketson used his work as a documentary maker and humanitarian to gather information that could compromise the security of Cambodia.

Various organisations, including the Human Rights Watch, denounced the court ruling, saying that Ricketson was used by the Cambodian government as a scapegoat to justify the repression against the opposition.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Therefore, the Inspector General.

Instead, the DOJ inspector general will review the materials before any are released.

House Republicans have requested the material, but the Justice Department was leery of releasing the documents because of Mueller's ongoing investigation, which resulted Friday in a guilty plea from Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.

President Donald Trump on Friday backed down from his order to declassify certain documents from the Russian Federation investigation, including text messages exchanged among law enforcement leaders.

"Your agencies' review and any communication with the White House on the substance of the materials, should not proceed further until you have briefed the Gang of Eight in person", the letter read.

"I believe he will move quickly on this (and hopefully other things which he is looking at)".

The president on Monday had called for the declassification of highly sensitive records from the Russia probe, including a portion of a secret warrant application to monitor the communications of Carter Page, a Trump campaign adviser whom the Federal Bureau of Investigation suspected of being a Russian agent.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein made the suggestions in the spring of 2017 after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, the newspaper said, citing its sources as people who were briefed on the events themselves or on memos written by FBI officials including Andrew McCabe, who became acting director when Comey was dismissed.

Trump said he had received phone calls from two unnamed "very good allies" expressing concern over the documents - the first sign in days that he may not follow through on a move he said he had to take for the sake of "transparency".

In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Sen.

President Donald Trump indicated Friday morning that the release of several documents related to the Russian Federation investigation might not happen after all because of pushback from government officials and USA allies.

Ordering the release of the documents was cheered by Trump's most fervent supporters on Capitol Hill and at conservative media outlets, who have for months been claiming that the release of the documents would help prove a liberal plot to undermine Trump. He said: "We do have to respect their wishes".

He did not identify which allies, though the United Kingdom and other global intelligence agencies have provided information on Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election.

David Kris, a former head of the national security division at the Justice Department, said Trump's declassification order is "off the charts" improper because he is seeking public release of information "in a case in which he is a subject".

Information for this article was contributed by Devlin Barrett and Karoun Demirjian of The Washington Post; by Jill Colvin, Eric Tucker and Chad Day of The Associated Press; and by Michael D. Shear and Katie Benner of The New York Times.Beauty brand Lotus Make-up is the new title sponsor of the India Fashion Week (IFW), hosted by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), whose president Sunil Sethi says beauty has now become the "fulcrum" of the extravaganza.

"Beauty has always been a cornerstone of the fashion week. However, now it has become the fulcrum," Sethi told IANS.

"Lotus Make-Up being a very respected name in this space will offer its expertise in all things related to skincare which is now the tour de force. Trends are relevant as they mirror changing times so we will look at beauty through that prism," he added.

Sethi says fashion and beauty are interlinked. So, it makes this collaboration perfect.

"You can expect to see us making revelatory fashion forecasts in the future and creating a new beauty blueprint for the year to come which will serve as a template for edits. I do feel that beauty is not just about trends or how to apply make-up. It is also about self-confidence and the most distinct visual form of communication," he said.

IFW will take place from October 10-13 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here. Now, the event has been rechristened as the Lotus Make-Up India Fashion Week Spring Summer 2019 ( LMIFW SS'19).

He said the core of the gala will always remain the "business of fashion".

"FDCI has and will consistently make efforts to showcase the creativity of our designers by giving them a platform for sales and business. Beauty is a million dollar industry in India and social media has heightened this presence. I think we would like to keep that as a highlight and maybe start a new campaign which will be a conversational piece on how women look at beauty in a time when there is enormous accessibility to both products and techniques," said Sethi.

Nitin Passi, Director of Lotus Herbals Pvt Ltd, is also delighted to be the presenting partner of Lotus Make-Up India Fashion Week organised by FDCI.

"We are looking forward to a great association ahead with a perfect blend of fashion and make-up setting the stage for future consumer trends in the industry," Passi said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Countering the 12-hour strike called by the BJP on Wednesday across the state, the West Bengal government on Monday said its offices would remain open and no leave would be granted to any of its employees on that day.

Following the alleged killing of two youths during a clash between agitating students and the police last week over the recruitment of new teachers at a school at Islampur in the state's North Dinajpur district, the saffron outfit had called the strike claiming the two youths were shot dead by police during the clash and demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

"All the employees will need to report on that date and no casual leave for absence either in the first half or in the second half of the day or for the whole day nor any other leave shall be granted to any employee on the date," said an official statement issued from state Secretariat 1Nabanna.

It also said the employees who are on leave on September 24 will have to report for duty on Tuesday (September 25) and no leave for a day preceding and following the proposed strike day would be allowed.

Absence of employees on those days will be treated as "dies non" and no salary will be admissible unless such is covered under hospitalization, bereavement in the family, severe illness and absence continuing prior September 24 and others, the state government said.

It asked concerned authorities to issue show-cause notice to employees who will remain absent on September 26, it said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is currently on a 12-day tour to Europe, said the state government would not allow any shutdown to take place and accused the BJP and the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh of engineering unrest by murdering people.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Global major is setting up an electronics manufacturing and avionics Assembly facility in this tech hub at an investment of Rs 11.52 billion, said an official on Monday.

"We have allotted 36 acres of land for India to set up the facility in the state-run Park at Devanahalli near the airport in north Bengaluru," a senior official of the state Industry Department told IANS here.

India President Pratyush Kumar met state Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy at the state secretariat to discuss the project.

"As part of Boeing's Engineering and Technology Centre in India, the facility will create about 2,600 direct jobs when set up and commissioned," said the official.

Though the US-based aircraft maker's investment proposal was cleared by the previous Congress government in December 2017, approvals and formalities got delayed due to the state Assembly elections and formation of the new coalition government by the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and the Congress in May.

The facility will be Boeing's second-largest after its engineering and technology centre at Seattle in Washington district on the US west coast.

"The state cabinet approved the Boeing's proposal early this month for land allotment and other statutory clearances," added the official.

Boeing's India arm plans to commence the project work in the next three months and complete first phase by 2019.

Karnataka Udyog Mitra Managing Director B.K. Shivakumar had told IANS earlier that Boeing would also be making aircraft components and subsystems at the new facility for civil and military versions.

The behemoth has presence in this tech hub with a global research and development centre since a decade.Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Monday ridiculed the Narendra Modi government for refusing a probe into the Rafale deal after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley discredited former French President Francois Hollande's revelation on the choice of an offset partner.

"Truth cannot have two versions' says Finance Minister (Jaitley). Absolutely correct. Since, according to the Finance Minister, there are two versions, what is the best way to find out which version is 'true'?

"Either (1) order an inquiry or (2) toss a coin. I suppose the Finance Minister would prefer to toss a coin (preferably with 'head' on both sides).

"It is a pity that the government does not see the inexorable flow of events and refuses to order an inquiry. Who knows what will happen in six months or 12 months," the senior Congress leader said in a series of tweets.

"Truth cannot have two versions," Jaitley on Sunday cited Hollande's initial claim to a French website that "Reliance Defence partnership with Dassault Aviation was entered at the suggestion of the Indian Government" and his subsequent statement to the AFP news agency that "he is not aware if government ever lobbied for Reliance Defence".

Continuing its relentless attack against the Modi government over the "Rafale scam", a delegation of top Congress leaders will meet the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) later on Monday seeking a probe into the alleged regurgitates in the deal announced by the Prime Minister in April 2015.

The party has already submitted a memorandum to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India Rajiv Mehrishi for a special and forensic audit into the intergovernmental deal with France to purcure 36 Rafale jets.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Mounting a multi-pronged attack on the BJP government, the Congress on Monday moved the CVC seeking a FIR and seizure of documents pertaining to the Rafale deal while its President Rahul Gandhi called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "thief".

On a day when a Congress delegation petitioned Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) K.V. Chowdary seeking a probe into the "corruption" in the deal, Gandhi, in his Lok Sabha constituency Amethi, launched a virulent attack on Modi saying the country's "chowkidar" (watchman) had committed "chori" (theft).

"I raised it (Rafale issue) in Parliament and Modi could not make eye-to-eye contact. Why did you purchase the fighter jets at three times the price?

"The country's watchman indulged in theft," said Gandhi, adding the the "watchman" took out out Rs 30,000 crore from the pockets of soldiers and martyrs and gave it to an industrialist.

"Modi can speak about everything but not Rafale. He does not have the guts," he said, questioning Modi's persisted silence on the issue despite repeated charges against him.

Gandhi also posted a video on twitter highlighting French President Francois Hollande's revelation to a French website that a private firm became a partner of Dassault Aviation at the suggestion of the Indian government.

Earlier, a Ghulam Nabi Azad-led Congress delegation met the CVC seeking for a probe into the Rafale deal, saying Modi had escalated its price of about 300 per cent and in violation of the Defence Procurement Policy (DPP).

It urged the CVC to take cognisance and register a FIR and seize all the relevant documents "before they were destroyed".

The party also quoted revelations by Hollande, saying he has "exposed the web of corruption".

"The stench of corruption and cronyism in the Rafale deal is nauseating, requiring urgent intervention," the party said and endorsed former Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) chief T.S. Raju's call for making public the files relating to HAL's work-share contract with Dassault.

The Congress also targeted Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying their insistence on non-disclosure of purchase price of the jets "reeks of a huge scam".

The move to the CVC follows the Congress approaching the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for a special and forensic audit. It also comes amidst an intense political dogfight between the Congress and the BJP-led government over the deal.

Later, in a media conference, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi accused the government of compromising India's friendly ties with France by alleging a "collusion" between Hollande and Gandhi.

It also alleged that the Modi regime was trying to influence the CAG.

"For the BJP, even India-France relations will be a grist to their mill, doesn't matter if they (ties with France) are a causality as long as they try and score ridiculous debating points," said Singhvi.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday suggested a link between a tweet by Gandhi on Rafale and Hollande's subsequent revelation and sought to discredit the former French president by citing conflicting media reports about his claims.

The Congress took strong umbrage to Jaitley's assertions that the "CAG would study the pricing and take a view on whether the NDA government's deal was better than the one UPA was negotiating".

"How can any minister of the Modi government say what the CAG will do? This is a clear direction, a message, an indication, trying to tell the CAG what to do, how much to do and what it should not do," said Singhvi expressing apprehension that the CVC may also be influenced in a similar manner.

--IANS

and/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Opening a new front, the Congress on Monday moved the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) seeking an FIR as part of its multi-pronged attack on the Rafale deal but the BJP hit back by alleging that the previous UPA government had cancelled the fighter jets deal with France as a company linked to Congress President Rahul Gandhis brother-in-law Robert Vadra was not accepted as the "middleman".

While the Congress gave a memorandum to Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) K.V. Chowdary seeking a probe into the "corruption" in the deal, Gandhi, who is in his Lok Sabha constituency Amethi, launched a virulent attack on Modi saying the country's "chowkidar" (watchman) had committed "chori" (theft). In a tweet, he made another veiled attack on Modi, calling him "India's Commander in Thief."

The BJP held two press conferences in the day to respond to Congress allegations and launch a counter-tirade.

Party spokesperson Sambit Patra referred to remarks of some Pakistan leaders to suggest that they wanted the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from office like Gandhi, union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat sought to link the Rafale controversy to Vadra and controversial arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

Gandhi attacked Modi on the Rafale deal and other issues during a speech in Amethi.

"I raised it (Rafale issue) in Parliament and Modi could not make eye-to-eye contact. Why did you purchase the fighter jets at three times the price?

"The country's watchman indulged in theft," said Gandhi, adding the the "watchman" took out Rs 30,000 crore from the pockets of soldiers and martyrs and gave it to an industrialist.

"Modi can speak about everything but not Rafale. He does not have the guts," he said, questioning Modi's persistent silence on the issue despite repeated charges against him.

In his tweet, Gandhi also posted a video on Twitter highlighting French President Francois Hollande's remarks to a French website that a private firm became a partner of Dassault Aviation at the suggestion of the Indian government.

Earlier, a Ghulam Nabi Azad-led Congress delegation met the CVC seeking a probe into the Rafale deal, saying Modi had escalated its price by about 300 per cent and in violation of the Defence Procurement Policy (DPP).

It urged the CVC to take cognisance and register a FIR and seize all the relevant documents "before they were destroyed".

The party also quoted revelations by Hollande, saying he has "exposed the web of corruption".

"The stench of corruption and cronyism in the Rafale deal is nauseating, requiring urgent intervention," the party said and endorsed former Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) chief T.S. Raju's call for making public the files relating to HAL's work-share contract with Dassault.

The Congress also targeted Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying the deal "reeks of a huge scam". The party had last Wednesday petitioned the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on the issue.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi held a press conference in the evening and accused the government of compromising India's friendly ties with France by alleging a "collusion" between Hollande and Gandhi.

He took strong umbrage to Jaitley's assertions that the "CAG would study the pricing and take a view on whether the NDA government's deal was better than the one UPA was negotiating".

It also alleged that the Modi regime was trying to influence the CAG.

Shekhawat told media persons here that Bhandari works as a middleman" in defence deals.

"His name had earlier appeared in how he arranged air tickets for Vadra and how he got his home interior work done," he said. Earlier, it was said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was to meet the media on the issue.

"He (Bhandari) is known to Vadra and he was seen with him in Dubai Defence Expo together," he said.

Targeting the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by the Congress, the BJP leader said "Vadra, the Gandhi family and the then government wanted that the Rafale deal with Dassault Aviation should have been done under Vadra's company Offset India Solutions, which was formed in 2008."

Claiming that Vadra's company acts as a middleman in defence deals, the BJP leader said "They (Vadra and Bhandari) represent themselves as middlemen at many defence expos but they have not got a big breakthrough yet. The then government wanted that the French firm should accept it (Vadra's company) as the middleman. But since it did not materialise, the deal with Dassault was cancelled."

Earlier Patra accused the Congress of fuelling Pakistan's attack on India over the controversial Rafale deal and claimed there was a "design" between the Congress and Pakistan whose aim was to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Continuing its battle against the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale deal, a Congress delegation on Monday met the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) seeking a probe into the alleged corruption in the inter-governmental defence deal to procure 36 fighter jets.

An 11-member delegation led by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, met CVC K.V. Chowdary and submitted a memorandum claiming that the Rafale deal has emerged as India's "biggest defence scam".

"Tracks of corruption are getting unravelled by the day with repeated disclosures getting no answers from the Defence Ministry of the day.

"The stench of corruption and cronyism in the Rafale deal is nauseating, requiring urgent intervention by your good self," the party said in the memorandum.

The Congress move comes days after the party approached the Comptroller and Auditor General of India Rajiv Mehrishi for a special and forensic audit of the Rafale deal.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Lahore High Court on Monday asked former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and a journalist to appear before it in connection with a treason case.

The case, which was filed by civil society member Amina Malik through Advocate Azhar Siddique, seeks action against Sharif on treason charges for allegedly trying to defame state institutions in an interview to Dawn news, as well as action against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for allegedly not honouring his oath of office by disclosing the minutes of a National Security Council (NSC) meeting to Nawaz.

Noting that Dawn news journalist Cyril Almeida had failed to appear in the last three hearings of the case, the three-judge bench told his lawyer that they would issue non-bailable arrest warrants so that he could be taken into custody and presented in court.

The lawyer asked the judges to issue bailable arrest warrants, saying that he was sure Almeida would appear in court at the next hearing.

The court subsequently ordered that Almeida's name be placed on the no-fly list and non-bailable arrest warrants be issued for him, saying he must appear on October 8.

The court also raised questions over Sharif's absence from the proceedings, to which his lawyer said that he was set to appear but was unable to do so because of the mourning period for his late wife Kulsoom Nawaz.

The judges directed that the ousted Prime Minister appear before the court in accordance with the law and summoned him on October 8.

Abbasi however, was present at Monday's hearing.

Earlier in September, the court had issued bailable arrest warrants for Abbasi for not appearing.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Dena Bank board on Monday approved the merger proposal with Bank of Baroda and Vijaya Bank proposed by the government last week.

The government last Monday announced the merger of three state-run banks -- Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank and Bank of Baroda -- that will make it the country's third-largest bank with a combined business of Rs 14.82 lakh crore.

In a stock exchange filing, Dena Bank, the smallest of the three banks proposed to be merged, said the consolidation would enable creation of a bank with business scale comparable to global banks and capable of competing effectively in India and globally.

Dena Bank has a total business size of Rs 1.73 lakh crore and is also under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on account of its high non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, which for the Indian banking system as a whole have crossed the staggering level of Rs 10 lakh crore.

"To be more efficient in the changing environment, the banks in the public sector space need to be bigger to meet the credit needs of a growing economy, absorb shocks and have the capacity to raise resources without depending unduly on the exchequer.

"Consolidation would enable creation of a bank with business scale comparable to global banks and capable of competing effectively in India and globally," the filing said.

"Amalgamation of our Bank with Bank of Baroda and Vijaya Bank would result in a strong amalgamated bank, equipped with financial cushion to deal with post-amalgamation requirements during the stabilisation phase."

While making the merger proposal last week, Finance Minister Arun Jailtey said the consolidated entity's capacity to absorb a weaker bank guided the decision "to propose this merger to the boards".

The government said the amalgamated entity will have a net NPA ratio at 5.71 per cent, which is significantly better than the public sector banks' (PSBs) average of 12.13 per cent, and declining further.

"The combined business of amalgamated entities would make it second-largest PSB of the country," Dena Bank said.

This is the second such exercise in the last 18 months. In the previous mega merger, five associate banks and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank became part of the state-run State Bank of India on April 1, 2017, making the country's largest lender among the world's top 50 banks.

--IANS

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(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.)An Egyptian court on Monday confirmed the death sentence given to 20 members of the Muslim Brotherhood group for storming a police station and killing 14 policemen, the media reported.

The Court of Cassation, Egypt's top court that gives final verdicts, upheld the death verdicts of the 20 militants, mostly loyalists and members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, reported Xinhua news agency.

The defendants stormed the main police station in Kerdasa district, a stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood at that time, in Giza province in mid-August 2013, killing 17 people including 14 policemen.

The assault, known as the "Kerdasa massacre," took place more than a month after Morsi's military removal on July 3, 2013 and shortly after a massive security crackdown on two pro-Morsi sit-ins on August 14, 2013, in Cairo and Giza, which left hundreds dead and thousands under arrest.

The case originally involved 188 defendants including fugitives. In February 2015, the court sentenced 183 of them to death and a minor to 10 years in jail. After appeals in February 2016, the Court of Cassation ordered the retrial of 156 of them.

In April 2017, the criminal court recommended the death penalty for 20 of them and referred their case documents to the Grand Mufti, the country's interpreter of religious law, to get his religious opinion on their execution. He later approved.

They appealed the death sentence later, but the Court of Cassation rejected their appeal on Monday.

Most Brotherhood leaders, members and supporters, including Morsi himself and the Brotherhood spiritual guide Mohamed Badie, are currently jailed. Many of them have received death sentences and life imprisonments over various charges varying from inciting violence and murder to espionage and jailbreak.

Morsi is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for inciting deadly clashes between his supporters and opponents in late 2012 and a 25-year jail term for leaking classified documents to Qatar.

--IANS

ahm/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China said the "provisional" agreement was signed in Beijing by vice foreign minister Wang Chao and a Vatican delegation headed by the under-secretary for relations with states, Antoine Camilleri.

During that meeting, the two representatives signed a Provisional Agreement on the appointment of Bishops.

The preliminary agreement "has been agreed following a long process of careful negotiation and foresees the possibility of periodic reviews of its application", said the Vatican.

China and the Vatican will push to improve bilateral ties after the two sides signed a "provisional" agreement on the appointment of bishops on Saturday, the Chinese foreign ministry said.

For China, this decision by the Vatican is belated. China's Catholics are split between an underground church swearing loyalty to the Vatican, and the state-supervised Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA).

The dispute has lingered since 1951 after China broke diplomatic ties with the Holy See.

Vatican officials always have said that giving up full control over the nomination of bishops would not be what it hopes for, but could be a good first step toward ensuring greater freedom and security for the Catholic community there.

Pope Francis hopes the deal "will allow the wounds of the past to be overcome" and bring about full Catholic unity in China, the Vatican said.

"We believe that the Vatican must have held talks with China based on concern and respect for human rights and freedom of religion", Lee said, stressing that "the most important thing for Taiwan is to continue maintaining a long-lasting and stable relationship with the Vatican".

The pope also included in the list Bishop Anthony Tu Shihua, who, before dying January 4, 2017, "had expressed the desire to be reconciled with the Apostolic See", the Vatican said.

"This is the first time the Chinese government has recognised the status of the Pope within the Chinese church, and the Chinese Catholic Church as part of the universal church", the SCMP quoted her as saying.

Critics have complained that ceding authority on the naming of bishops to a secular authority, and especially to an avowedly atheist regime like the Chinese Communist Party, directly contradicts Catholic teaching and violates common sense.

The CPC which demand that its 90 million members remain atheists, apprehend foreign religions, specially Christianity, to subvert its rule like in the case of Poland where the Church movement was instrumental in overthrowing the Communist rule.

Holy See spokesman Greg Burke said today's agreement was pastoral and not political.

Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington who resigned as a cardinal in July after facing allegations of sexual abuse, has been a regular envoy from the Vatican to Beijing, according to the Catholic News Agency. "This has been about dialogue, patient listening on both sides even when people come from very different standpoints".Fish import from Bangladesh has been stopped for 20 days that created huge crisis in Tripura markets, officials said here on Monday.

"Bangladeshi exporters have stopped exporting fish to Tripura after a damage to 10,000 kg of fish valued at Rs 22 lakh on September 5 due to some 'monetary disputes'. The fish was damaged as these could not be off-loaded timely," a senior Customs official said, but requested not to be named.

He said: "Bangladeshi fish exporters want security during cross border trading. Fish traders of India and Bangladesh are likely to meet here on Wednesday to settle the dispute."

Bangladeshi media quoting the traders across the border said that some people in Agartala-Akhaura border demanded donation from the fish traders causing the disputes among the traders.

On an average 14,000 to 15,000 kg of various fish, excluding delicious hilsa fish, is being imported from Bangladesh to Tripura through the Agartala-Akhaura integrated checkposts, just along the Agartala capital city.

A fish trader said that due to no import from Bangladesh, over 200 loading and unloading labourers and transport workers remained jobless during the past 20 days.

Industry and Commerce Department, Customs and Agartala Land Port Authority officials refused to comment on the "sensitive and disputed issue".

Meanwhile, an official of the Agartala Land Port Authority said that Bangladesh has reportedly lifted a 2012 ban on the export of their national fish hilsa (or Elish), whose key markets include India, to check its smuggling and tap into the growing global demand for the popular but scarce food species.

Bangladesh's Ministry of Commerce had banned the export of hilsa fish on August 1, 2012 due to its low availability.

"Though the Bangladesh government reportedly withdraws the ban on the export of hilsa fish to India, the decision was not executed through the India-Bangladesh border with Tripura," the Agartala Land Port Authority official said.

Tripura imports on an average 32,000 kg fish daily from other states, specially from Andhra Pradesh, to meet its local demands.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Army on Monday said it had foiled a major attempt by terrorists to sneak into Jammu and Kashmir, killing five militants on the LoC and losing a soldier in the operation.

The fighting erupted near the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar sector.

Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that three militants killed on Monday, on top of the two killed on Sunday,

"We foiled a major infiltration bid," he said. "One soldier was martyred in this operation."

The gunfight started on Sunday after a group of heavily armed militants was challenged by the Army in Tangdhar in Kupwara district.

The spokesman said a search operation was on to find out whether any surviving militant was present in the area.

--IANS

sq/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Goa will celebrate its tryst with its former coloniser, Portugal, with an extravaganza involving wine, food, music, photography and films over a several month-long extravaganza, which kicks off later this month as part of the 10th edition of the "Semana da Cultura" Indo-Portuguesa (Goa).

The event, which is held annually to celebrate and appreciate the rich cultural flavours of the two countries, will feature several events, which includes a two-day culinary and music festival featuring Indo-Portuguese cuisine and music, a fado (a traditional Portuguese singing genre) singing competition and concert, a photography exhibition featuring a selection of rare portraits depicting Indo-Portuguese culture and a Portuguese film festival, the organisers said on Monday.

"Goa has assimilated the essence of both regions where people coexist in harmony and joy. Through this event, we would like to share and enjoy the essence of our diverse culture," Francisco Martins, chairman of the event's executive committee, told the media.

The event is being backed by the Portuguese consulate in Goa and several social and cultural organisations located in Goa, several of which are operated by Portuguese nationals.

Literally translated as the "Indo-Portuguese cultural week" the festival, was first started in 2008 to celebrate the unique Goan fusion culture and Goan identity honed over 451 years of Portuguese rule.

Unlike most parts of India which experienced British rule for nearly 200 years, Goa's engagement with its Luso colonisers spread over 451 years making the connect deeper, richer and hence more complex.

Even though the Indian armed forces liberated Goa in 1961, the fusion between the culture of the colonist and coloniser is still evident in Goa's food, music, dance, architecture, laws and even language has persisted through time.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government on Monday dismissed as baseless" Congress President Rahul Gandhi charge that former Special Protection Group (SPG) chief Vivek Srivastava had to quit his job because he refused to accept a list of SPG officers handpicked by the RSS.

"The matter has been verified. The officer in question, Vivek Srivastava, former Director SPG, has specifically averred that he did not have any such conversation with Rahul Gandhi at any point of time," said a statement from the Home Ministry.

"The officer has stated that as part of his professional duties, he interacted with SPG protectees; however, he has categorically stated that during his interaction with Gandhi, there was no talk whatsoever regarding the appointment of a new Director or the reasons for his leaving SPG," said a statement from the Ministry.

It said: "SPG is a professional organisation which takes its task of protecting serving Prime Ministers, former Prime Ministers and their families entrusted to its security very seriously and in the highest professional spirit. The comment reportedly made by Gandhi through the media is baseless, devoid of fact and unfortunate, coming from an SPG protectee."

The government's clarification came after Gandhi on Saturday, while interacting with college and university teachers from nearly 20 states as part of the Congress' outreach, said: "When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, an officer was chosen from Gujarat to head SPG. He came to see me...

"Again he came and said I am leaving. I asked why? He said I have a list of people that RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) wants to be put in SPG. I refused, that's why..."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tall people are more likely to develop varicose veins, characterised by swollen, twisted veins that can be seen just under the surface of the skin, usually in the legs, finds a new study.

Researchers, from the Stanford University in California, showed that while increased height contributed to the development of varicose veins, genes that determine height is also linked to its formation.

The study also identified 30 genes linked to varicose vein disorder and to a strong genetic correlation with deep vein thrombosis.

"Genes that predict a person's height may be at the root of this link between height and varicose veins and may provide clues for treating the condition," said Nicholas Leeper, Associate Professor at Stanford.

"The condition is incredibly prevalent, but shockingly little is known about the biology. There are no medical therapies that can prevent it or reverse it once it is there. Treatment is mainly limited to surgical procedures, such as laser treatment or vein stripping," added Alyssa Flores from the varsity.

Varicose veins can cause moderate pain and has been linked to more serious side effects of deep vein thrombosis, which occurs when a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body.

In the study, published in the journal Circulation, the team analysed varicose vein risk factors among 413,519 people and found that 9,577 had varicose vein disease.

The findings confirmed that age, gender, obesity, pregnancy and history of deep vein thrombosis are the risk factors for varicose veins.

Other risk factors include surgery on the legs, family history, lack of movement, smoking and hormone therapy.

"Ultimately, we hope to test whether those factors can be targeted, and potentially prevent or delay the development of disease in at-risk individuals," Leeper said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Iran's Ministry of Petroleum has confirmed that South Korea has halted oil imports from the Islamic republic.

"It it for three successive months that South Korea has not imported oil from Iran," public relations of the ministry said on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"South Korea was the first country to halt Iran's oil imports following the US sanction threats against the country," Kasra Nouri, the public relation manager of the ministry said.

Prior to the US sanctions threat, Seoul imported 180,000 barrels per day of Iran's crude oil, according to the report.

Despite global outcry, the White House re-imposed sanctions on Iran last month which had been lifted under the Iran nuclear deal.

The first batch of sanctions targeted Tehran's purchase of US banknotes, trade in gold and other precious metals, as well as the use of graphite, aluminium, steel, coal, and software used in industrial processes.

Another round of sanctions, to be reinstalled on November 5, will be on Iran's port, energy, shipping and shipbuilding sectors, petroleum-related transactions, and business deals by foreign financial institutions with the Central Bank of Iran.

US President Donald Trump pulled out the US from the 2015 international Iranian nuclear deal in May.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Israeli military has rejected the findings presented by the Russian Defence Ministry which accused the Jewish state of direct responsibility for downing the Russian plane in Syria.

The Israeli statement on Sunday was issued a few hours after the Russian Defence Ministry presented its latest findings on the accident in Latakia earlier this month, accusing the Israeli military of "criminal negligence", Xinhua news agency reported.

Chief spokesman for the Russian Defence Ministry, Igor Konashenkov, said in a press briefing that Israel provided false information and used the Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft as a "shield" against the Syrian air defense system missiles.

The plane with 15 people on board was mistakenly downed by a Syrian missile, when Israel was conducting an airstrike on Syria's Latakia province at the same time.

"We believe that the Israeli Air Force and those who were making decisions about these actions are fully to blame for the tragedy that happened to the Russian plane," Konashenkov told reporters.

In the Israeli response, issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the military charged that the "IAF (Israel Air Force) did not hide behind any aircraft and the Israeli aircraft were in Israeli airspace at the time of the downing of the Russian plane."

The military said it will not stop its attacks against Iranian targets in Syria. "IDF will continue to operate in accordance with the directives of the Israeli government against Iran's incessant attempts to establish itself in Syria and arm Hezbollah with lethal and accurate weapons," the statement read.

The military also stressed the importance of the continuation of the coordination between the Russian and Israeli armies' moves in Syria.

Israel and Russia have a so-called "deconfliction mechanism" operated over the past years to avoid firing on each other forces in Syria.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rome, Sep 24 (IANS/AKI) Individuals who receive a binding conviction for terrorism will lose their Italian citizenship under a security decree issued on Monday by the populist government.

The measure is the brainchild the grassroots Five-Star Movement - the far-right League party's senior partner in the coalition government - which pushed for its inclusion in the security decree, Adnkronos learned from sources.

The security decree also tightens the rules under which migrants can apply for humanitarian protection and those governing political asylum.

Government decrees enter into immediate effect but must be voted into law by the Italian parliament within 60 days.

--IANS/AKI

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A statue of Nelson Mandela was unveiled at the UN headquarters on Monday to honour the South African President's 100th birth anniversary.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the ceremony that Mandela "embodied the highest values of the United Nations -- peace, forgiveness, compassion and human dignity", Xinhua news agency reported.

His fight against apartheid "marks a landmark in human rights and freedom", he added, thanking the South African government for donating the statue.

A high-level meeting, the Mandala Peace Summit, was scheduled for Monday at the UN for world leaders to renew their commitment to global peace, conflict prevention, peace building, promotion and protection of human rights and long-term development initiatives.

The UN member states decided in December 2017 to hold the meeting to mark the 100th anniversary of Mandela's birth.

Mandela was born in July 1918 and died five years ago due to respiratory infection. He was imprisoned for 27 years for his role in the fight against apartheid and became the first black President of South Africa.

--IANS

ahm/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The overall median wage in the country across eight sectors was Rs 219.4 per hour in 2017, down 32.14 per cent on a year-on-year basis, a monster.com report showed on Monday.

In 2016, the overall median wage was Rs 323.3 per hour, the Monster Salary Index showed.

Among the sectors surveyed, the IT sector in India paid a median wage of Rs 317.6 per hour in 2017, lower by 17.8 per cent on a year-on-year basis, it said.

"IT sector paid median wage at Rs 317.6 per hour, the highest among all monitored sectors, but 17.8 per cent less than the last year," it said, adding that the decrease in salary was one of the reasons of around 51 per cent of the employees in the segment not being satisfied with their jobs.

According to the report, some other aspects contributing to job dissatisfaction were commuting time, work-life balance, and working hours.

Manufacturing sector witnessed a growth in the median salary at Rs 230.9 per hour, up from Rs 211.7 per hour in 2016.

The sectors under review were: construction and technical consultancy; education and research; financial services, banking and insurance; ICT services (information and communications technology); healthcare, caring services and social work; legal, market consultancy and business activities; manufacturing; transport, logistics and communications.

Out of these, ICT or IT services gave the highest median salary of Rs 317.6 per hour.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kate chose Sophie to be one of Princess Charlotte's godmothers and she attended her christening in 2015. The Duchess appeared to be part of the bridal party posing with the couple's family, she has been a close friend of Sophie's since Marlborough.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte are used to getting the attention at weddings, stealing the show earlier this year at Prince Harry's nuptials to Meghan Markle. William, who departed London on Sunday afternoon, will tour Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya during a seven-day tour, in his role as president of umbrella organisation United for Wildlife and conservation body Tusk Trust.

They have known Kate's friend Sophie since she was a schoolgirl.

Ms Tucker, who has a close relationship with the Cambridge family, is on hand to help with Kate's fashionable hair styles at the drop of a hat.

Shortly afterwards the brand, loved by Kate, shared an image of the custom flower girl and page boy outfits hanging up on a shop rail with the caption: "wishing you a lifetime of happiness #flower girl #wedding #special occasion #amaiakid".

She was called into the Lindo Wing shortly after Kate gave birth in order to prepare the Duchess for visitors and the pack of photographers waiting outside the hospital. Most noticeably, Carole was pictured picking her first grandson, Prince George, from school following Prince Louis' birth back in April.Microsoft on Monday launched a new $40-million programme aimed at harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for disaster recovery, helping children, protecting refugees and displaced people and promoting respect for human rights.

The tech giant said it would execute the five-year programme by working deeply with select non-governmental and humanitarian organisations through grants, investment of technology and shared expertise.

Unveiled at the annual "Microsoft Ignite 2018" conference here, the programme called "AI for Humanitarian Action" is part of Microsoft's "AI for Good initiative" that was launched in July last year.

"Today, in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly meeting, we are announcing AI for Humanitarian Action, a new $40-million dollar five-year Microsoft programme," said Microsoft President Brad Smith.

"We believe that technology, like AI combined with Cloud technology, can be a game changer, helping save more lives, alleviate suffering and restore human dignity by changing the way frontline relief organisations anticipate, predict, and better target response efforts," Smith added in a blog post.

At the conference, Microsoft also released an array of security programmes and products.

Among them are "Microsoft Secure Score" -- a dynamic report card that assesses Microsoft 365 customer environments and makes recommendations that can reduce breaches up to 30-fold -- and "Microsoft Authenticator", which helps make secure sign-on easier for workers with features like password-free login.

"In this era of the intelligent Cloud and intelligent edge, businesses in every industry are looking for a trusted partner to help them transform," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in his keynote address.

"We are pushing the bounds in AI, edge computing and IoT (Internet of Things), while providing end-to-end security to empower every organisation to build its own digital capability and thrive in this new era," Nadella added.

Microsoft said its "AI for Humanitarian Action" programme will accelerate the pace of innovation by managing strategic AI projects that demonstrate new applications, delivering reusable solutions and partnering with others to expand and scale initial projects.

AI can address humanitarian causes in myriad ways. For example, AI technologies like machine vision can quickly analyse images of roads damaged or destroyed by an event, making way for a faster and safer response, Smith explained.

"In a new partnership with the World Bank, United Nations, and partners from the tech industry, relief organisations will be better able to predict when and where future famines will occur so aid can arrive earlier, potentially saving more lives," the Microsoft President noted.

AI and Machine Learning (ML) also have the potential to improve the lives of approximately 68 million displaced people in the world, 28 million of whom are refugees.

"AI can help optimise the delivery of aid, supplies, and services to refugees and can scale NGOs' efforts to communicate and understand displaced peoples' needs," Smith explained.

The company said it would collaborate with NGOs and humanitarian organisations to accelerate breakthrough solutions to help monitor, detect and prevent human rights abuses.

"We are hopeful the world will see what a compelling force for good AI can be when it's used well in partnership with innovative NGOs. By ensuring technology fulfils its promise to address the broadest societal needs, we can empower everyone to achieve more," Smith noted.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Microsoft's next-generation of giant conference room displays Surface Hub 2S will start shipping in the second quarter of 2019, the company announced on Monday.

"Current and future Surface Hub customers see the promise of Surface Hub 2 and demand for the device is real, which is why we're so excited to share that we will begin to ship Surface Hub 2S in Q2 2019.

"Surface Hub 2S was built for customers who have told us they still want the original Surface Hub experience that they know and have built for, but in a lighter, thinner, more vibrant design," the tech major said in a statement.

Surface Hub 2 integrates intuitive hardware, software and modes of interaction to help people get in and stay in their flow.

The company had previewed Surface Hub 2 in May.

"Looking forward to 2020, we will release updates to the Surface Hub family to enable users to update to Surface Hub 2X," said Microsoft.

"This includes the ability to tile, rotate, and enable multi user log in. This simple update is enabled by our design of removable processor cartridges, in an easily accessible hardware chassis on the back of the Surface Hub 2," it said.

Users can remove, upgrade and service the processor cartridge on the device. The cartridge is what will enable customers to make the switch to the Microsoft 365 powered Surface Hub 2X in 2020.

According to the company, the device is affordable to fit any workspace or work style.

There is 4K+ 50.5-inch multi-touch display creates an inviting canvas to co-create, harnessing the power of Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Whiteboard, Office 365, Windows 10 and the Cloud, the company added.

Surface Hub 2 also scales and adapts to users' space through tiling up to four screens together in portrait or landscape view.

--IANS

ksc/na/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Ibrahim Mohamed Solih who was elected President of the Maldives following the elections in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and congratulated him on his victory in the Presidential elections held in Maldives yesterday (Sunday)," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

"The Prime Minister also conveyed his good wishes for the strengthening of democracy, peace and prosperity in Maldives under the leadership of Solih," it stated.

"Solih thanked the Prime Minister for his greetings and good wishes."

According to the statement, Modi and Solih "agreed to work closely together to further strengthen the close, friendly and good neighbourly relations between the two countries".

The Election Commission of the Maldives earlier in the day declared Solih the winner with 134,616 or 58.3 per cent of the votes, compared to 96,132 votes or 41.5 per cent secured by incumbent President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, backed by the Progressive Party of Maldives.

Solih will be sworn in on November 17 and his term is expected to continue until 2023.

With a number of prominent opposition figures of the country put behind bars, former President Mohamed Nasheed living in exile, a defunct parliament and a crippled judiciary, there was a big question mark over a free and fair election in the country.

The crisis in the Maldives began in February this year when President Gayoom declared a state of Emergency.

The security forces had stormed the Supreme Court and arrested two of its five sitting judges, sealed parliament house and detained prominent opposition leaders.

India is concerned with the political instability in the Maldives, which is just around 1,200 km away from the Indian mainland, for a variety of reasons.

The country, home to around 22,000 Indians, is of strategic importance to India and its growing proximity with China is a cause of concern for New Delhi.

--IANS

ab/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Marking a new milestone in the country's aviation sector by bringing Sikkim into air network, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked the previous governments accusing them of having neglected the northeast and said in the last four years his government has opened 35 new airports.

"Today, it is not only a historic day for Sikkim but also for the country. After the inauguration of the Pakyong airport here the country has got its 100th airport," he said after dedicating Pakyong Airport to the nation in Sikkim.

Slamming the previous governments, the Prime Minister said that in the last four years his government has dedicated 35 airports to the nation.

"After independence till 2014, we had only 65 airports. That means in 67 years they developed only 65 airports, less than one airport in an year. But in last four years we had dedicated over 35 airports that means about nine airports every year," he said.

Emphasising on the connectivity in the northeastern states, Modi said that with the opening of the new airport in Sikkim, the distance between other parts of the country have been reduced.

Modi also said that in Sikkim and the northeast, work is on to expand both infrastructure and emotional connectivity.

The Pakyong Airport is Sikkim's first airport, located at a height of 4,500 ft above sea level. The airport is expected to give a huge boost to Sikkim's connectivity, especially tourism. As of now, the nearest airport for Sikkim is at a distance of 150-kilometres in West Bengal's Bagdogra.

It is located around 60-kilometres from the India-China border, giving it a huge strategic importance.

Pakyong Airport is part of Modi government's UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme that aims to provide low-cost connectivity to remote areas.

He said that he himself had come to the northeastern states several times to take stock of the development projects. "And due to my initiatives, every week or second a union minister always remain here in the region.

"And due to this, the development in the region is visible everywhere whether it is Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland or Tripura in the northeastern region."

Modi said "aeroplanes have reached here (Sikkim) for the first time, rail connectivity has reached the northeastern states for the first time, electricity at many places has reached for the first time, highways are being broadened in the northeastern region, roads in the villages are being built, big bridges over the rivers are being built, Digital India is being spread across the region".

--IANS

aks/vsc/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)NASA's MAVEN spacecraft released a selfie image of the spacecraft at Mars, celebrating its four years in orbit studying the upper atmosphere of the Red Planet.

MAVEN'S selfie image looks at ultraviolet wavelengths of sunlight reflected off of components of the spacecraft.

The image was obtained with the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument that normally looks at ultraviolet emissions from the Martian upper atmosphere, the US space agency said in a statement.

"MAVEN has been a tremendous success," said Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN principal investigator from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

"The spacecraft and instruments continue to operate as planned, and we're looking forward to further exploration of the Martian upper atmosphere and its influence on climate," Jakosky added.

The IUVS instrument is mounted on a platform at the end of a 1.2-m boom (its own "selfie stick"), and by rotating around the boom can look back at the spacecraft.

The selfie was made from 21 different images, obtained with the IUVS in different orientations, that have been stitched together.

In the selfie image, lines are sketched in to show approximately where components of the spacecraft are that were not able to be imaged due to the limited motion of the instrument around its support boom.

Thrusters can be seen at the lower left and right, the Electra communications antenna at the bottom toward the left, the magnetometer and sun sensor at the end of the solar-panels at the upper left, the tip of the communications antenna at the top middle.

In addition, the shadow of the IUVS and of its support boom can be seen down the middle of the spacecraft body.

MAVEN mission was launched on November 18, 2013, and went into orbit around Mars on September 21, 2014.

Currently, the spacecraft carries out about one relay pass per week with one of the rovers. This number will increase after NASA's InSight mission lands on Mars in November, NASA said.

In 2019, engineers will initiate an aerobraking manoeuvre by skimming the spacecraft through Mars' upper atmosphere to slow it.

This will reduce the highest altitude in MAVEN's orbit to enhance its ability to serve as a communications relay for data from rovers on the surface, NASA noted.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A high level committee headed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra has recommended establishing a Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in Noida or Greater Noida to address the issues of home-buyers in nearby areas including Ghaziabad.

The committee, which was formed by the Uttar Pradesh government in June this year, came out with ten recommendations, one of them being the creation of a stress fund for projects in this part of National Capital Region, an official statement said on Monday.

"Fifth recommendation is related to establishment of one Real Estate Regulatory Authority in Noida or Greater Noida, to redress the issues of home-buyers of Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad and nearby area on a regular basis," it said.

The committee recommended preparation of a panel of lawyers of RERA to assist the home-buyers in pursuing their cases before RERA Authorities at reasonable fees.

Among other recommendations, it also asked the Reserve Bank of India to issue guidelines to enable banks to fund projects where construction has stalled due to lack of money.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Pakistan Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition seeking Prime Minister Imran Khan's disqualification for not being truthful and righteous.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar dismissed the petition on the grounds that it had already been rendered ineffective, reports Dawn .

The court ruled that the petition seeking Khan's disqualification as an MNA (Member of National Assembly) was filed during the term of the previous National Assembly, which has now completed its tenure.

The petition was filed by advocate Danyal Chaudhry in May 2017 soon after the apex court had constituted a six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe allegations of corruption against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and had been pending before the court since then.

Chaudhry sought a special oath for the JIT members to protect them from getting influenced by Khan's speeches.

The petition had requested the apex court to restrain Khan from activities which could influence the minds of the JIT members because his speeches and press releases could prejudice the investigation team.

It alleged that Khan was making speeches to undermine the Panama Papers case judgement and further influence the expected outcome of the JIT investigation.

--IANS

ksk/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A private finance company staffer was shot dead and his bag containing cash looted by unidentified criminals on Monday in Bihar's Vaishali district, police said.

Aman Kumar, 30, a staffer of Ashirvad Micro Finance Company, was shot dead in broad daylight near near Arrai village under Sarai Police Station, said a police officer Raman Kumar.

Some eyewitnesses told the police that when the deceased resisted the bid to snatch bag from his hand, the two motorcycle-borne criminals shot at him and fled with cash-filled bag.

Aman later succumbed to the bullet injuries.

"Aman had collected Rs 33,324 from different women self-help groups and others in the villages and was on way to deposit in his company when the incident took place," said the police officer.

The finance company official's killing comes a day after the broad daylight killing of former Muzaffarpur Mayor Samir Kumar and his driver in Muzaffarpur on Sunday.

Hoewver, depite an apparent rise in crime in Bihar, ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) earlier in the day tried downplaying the killings and claimed there is rule of law in the state.

JD-U chief spokesperson Sanjay Singh told the media on Monday: "Chief minister Nitish Kumar can never compromise with rule of law. The state government policy is of zero-tolerance against crime," Singh told the media here.

Only three days ago, a property dealer was shot dead in the heart of Patna. Tabrej Alam was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne youths near Kotwail Police Station on Friday -- a day when security had been beefed up in view of Muharram.

The Bihar opposition parties have been repeatedly targeting the state government over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

--IANS

ik/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday arrived in his parliamentary constituency of Amethi on a two-day visit.

He was received by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Raj Babbar at the Chowdhary Charan Singh International Airport here.

The Congress President then drove straight to Amethi where he is slated to participate in a series of programmes including laying the foundation stones of development projects that would be implemented using his MPLAD funds.

On Tuesday, he is scheduled to attend a meeting with district officials and discuss the progress of other works undertaken in the constituency.

He will also meet Congress workers, a party leader told IANS.

--IANS

md/ksk/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal, saying the country's "chowkidar" (watchman) had committed "chori" (theft) and spoken on various issues but not on the deal to purchase fighter jets from France.

Addressing a gathering in his constituency here, he also accused Modi of not fulfilling his promises to youth, farmers and other sections and urged people to vote out the BJP-led government.

Gandhi targeted the Modi government over the frauds related to fugitive offenders Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi.

He said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had initially said she would reveal the price of Rafale fighter jet but later declined to do so.

Gandhi recalled his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and said the French leader had said that the price of the fighter jet could be disclosed.

He alleged that the Modi government had purchased Rafale fighter jets at nearly 300 per cent the cost negotiated by the previous UPA government. "The chowkidar is quiet," Gandhi alleged.

He also referred to the remarks of former French President Francois Hollande that India proposed the name of Reliance Defence for the offset contract.

"I raised it (Rafale issue) in Parliament and Modi could not make eye-to-eye contact... Why did you purchase the fighter jets at three times the price. Why was offsets contract taken away from HAL," he asked.

"The watchman of the country indulged in theft," he said adding the the "watchman of the country" took out out Rs 30,000 crore from the pockets of soldiers and martyrs and gave it to an industrialist.

"That's why the watchman of the country can speak about everything but not the Rafale deal. He does not have the guts. He can give speeches but not reply to the questions," Gandhi said.

He said Vijay Mallya had outstanding loans of over Rs 9,000 crore but was allowed to escape by the BJP-led government.

The Congress leader said Mallya had met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley before he left the country but the CBI or ED were not informed.

"If a police constable lets a thief flee, he is put in jail," Gandhi said, and added that "5-10 industrialists" were benefiting in the Modi regime.

Gandhi also attacked the government over demonetisation and accused it of failing to fulfil promises.

"Narendra Modi had promised that two crore youth will get jobs every year and Rs 15 lakh deposited in account of every individual. We have to remove the RSS-BJP government, make the Congress win and bring progress to Uttar Pradesh," he said.

Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to Amethi, said he will fight for the demands of the people and these will be fulfilled once the party comes to power.

Earlier on his arrival, Gandhi was received by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Raj Babbar at the Chowdhary Charan Singh International Airport here.

On Tuesday, he is scheduled to attend a meeting with district officials and discuss the progress of other works undertaken in the constituency.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Iran has accused United States-backed Gulf states of being behind an attack on Saturday that killed at least 25 people and wounded more than 60 in the deadliest terror attack to strike the country in almost a decade.

"America is acting like a bully towards the rest of the world... and thinks it can act based on brute force", said Mr Rouhani, whose country is in the grips of a desperate economic situation brought on by sweeping USA sanctions.

A year after he shocked his counterparts by threatening to "totally destroy" North Korea in his inaugural United Nations address, Trump is expected to outline his confrontation with Iran, global trade and his "America first" view of foreign policy. "We'll overcome this (sanctions) situation and America will regret choosing the wrong path".

It was not immediately clear if this remark referred to the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal or to the Ahvaz attack.

Rouhani made the remarks ahead of a trip this week to NY, where he will attend the UN General Assembly.

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, brushed off the accusations from Tehran, saying of Mr Rouhani: "The thing he has to do is look in the mirror".

"He's got the Iranian people protesting". He has oppressed his people for a long time.

"So I say to the Iranian government, you must truly be afraid of being overthrown", Giuliani said.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia on Rouhani's allegations.

Rouhani said as long as Saddam was alive, the group used to be a mercenary of the former Ba'ath regime, but they switched their fealty to a "southern Persian Gulf state" which has undertaken to provide the terrorists with funds, weapons and political assistance.

"The small puppet countries in the region are backed by the USA and it's the US that provokes them".

The Saudi-backed al-Ahvaziya terror group, which is based in Europe, has claimed responsibility for the assault.

Another group, the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Al-Ahwaz, was also accused of perpetrating the attack, but a spokesman, Yacoub Hor Al-Tustari, told CNN his group was not to blame.

She was responding to Mr Rouhani's fierce criticism of the United States, in which he blamed it for enabling the attack.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blamed regional countries and their "US masters" for funding and arming the separatists.

An Iranian ethnic Arab opposition group called the Ahvaz National Resistance, which seeks a separate state in Khuzestan province, claimed responsibility for the attack without providing any evidence.

For Tehran, though, the key issue appears to be who is funding, arming and otherwise supporting those who donned police uniforms and opened fire on parade participants and onlookers on Saturday.

"Three of the terrorists were killed on the spot and a fourth one who was injured died in hospital", Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, a senior spokesman for Iran's armed forces, told state television.

The attack occurred a day before Iranian President Hassan Rouhani heads to NY to address the annual United Nations General Assembly next week.

Donald Trump's attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, told members of Iran's self-declared government in exile on Saturday that the USA sympathizes with their efforts to overthrow that country's official government.

For Iran's Shiite theocracy, comments like these only fuel fears that America and its Gulf Arab allies are plotting to tear the Islamic Republic apart.

On the same day Arab separatists killed at least 25 people in an attack targeting a military parade in southwestern Iran, President Donald Trump's lawyer mounted a stage in NY to declare that the government would be toppled.

The Iranian moves, as well as promises of revenge by Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard, come as the country already faces turmoil in the wake of the American withdraw from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday made a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal, calling him "Indias Commander-in-thief".

"The sad truth about India's Commander-in-Thief," he said in a tweet in which he also embedded a video clip of a journalist from French website Mediapart, which had interviewed former President Francois Hollande.

In the video clip, the journalist is dwelling on the "contradictions" in the claims made by the Indian government vis-a-vis the offset contract in the Rafale fighter jet deal and the revelation made by Hollande in the interview.

Hollande has said that Indian firm had been suggested by the Indian government for the Rs 30,000 crore offset contract and the French side including Rafale maker Dassault Aviation had "no choice" in it.

The Congress has been accusing Modi of indulging in crony capitalism apart from violating procedures in the Rafale deal.

--IANS

mak-ps/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)V.C. Tomy, father of Indian Naval Commander Abhilash Tomy, on Monday heaved a sigh of relief as he heard about his son being finally rescued by a French vessel from the high seas in the southern Indian Ocean.

"Yes, he has been rescued by a ship and what I can say is he is mentally stable. Now with this news, we are relieved 75 per cent. We all were tense for the past three days...," Tomy, who retired as a Lieutenant Commander in the Indian Navy, the same rank as that of his son, told the media here.

The junior Tomy suffered a serious back injury as he was taking part representing his country in the international solo circumnavigation Golden Globe Race (GGR) 2018.

He was at position in the competition when the tragedy struck after the flag post of the 10-metre-long vessel SV Thuriya fell on his back.

"This is basically an adventure and in such events it's a 50:50 chance and he and we were well aware of this. He will come out of it. What we are told is that he is going to be moved to Amsterdam. Initially it was said he would be taken to Australia. His brother is there in Australia and I have also started to move my papers to go to be with him. We are happy now as the prayers of so many has been answered," said the retired naval Commander.

The 39-year-old Kirti Chakra winner created history when he successfully undertook a solo mission, circumnavigating the globe non-stop on a boat powered by winds, in 2013.

He set sail in his boat, named INSV Mhadei, from Mumbai on November 1 and returned on April 6 next year and became the first Indian and only the second Asian to achieve this feat by going around the globe in the high seas for 150 days.

On his return, he was greeted by the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, then President of India Pranab Mukherjee, in Mumbai, on April 6.

--IANS

sg/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Gujarat government's response on a plea by the wife of dismissed IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, alleging that she is compelled to move the court as her husband is being prevented from doing so.

Describing the allegation by Shweta Bhatt that her husband was not being allowed to sign 'vakalatnama' and other documents necessary for approaching the court as "very serious", the bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Navin Sinha asked the Gujarat government to respond.

"This is something very serious, a person not being allowed to come to the court. His wife is being compelled to come," Justice Gogoi said.

"Before we go into the merits of the case, we would like the State of Gujarat to respond to the allegations," the court ordered.

Shweta Bhatt alleged that her husband had been taken into custody "in the most arbitrary manner" and he had also been taken on Police Custody Remand.

He was not being allowed to execute 'vakalatnama' and other documents required to file the present Special Leave Petition.

Asking senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, representing Gujarat, to respond, the court ordered that the affidavit of Gujarat be filed on or before Friday and Shweta Bhatt ,if required, may respond to it.

The court directed the hearing of the matter on October 4.

Sanjiv Bhatt was arrested by the CID Crime Branch of Gujarat Police on September 5 in connection with a 1996 case allegedly framing a Rajasthan-based lawyer, Sumersingh Rajpurohit, in a narcotics peddling case.

Bhatt was serving as the District Superintendent of Police in Banaskantha district when the lawyer was booked under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The Rajasthan Police claimed that this was done to compel the lawyer to let go a disputed property in Pali district.

The Rajasthan Police also claimed that Rajpurohit was abducted by police from his residence at Pali.

Following this investigation, former Banaskantha Police Inspector I.B. Vyas had moved the Gujarat High Court in 1999 demanding a detailed probe into the incident.

Bhatt was dismissed from service in 2015 for "unauthorized absence" from service.

The Gujarat High Court had on September 11 sent Bhatt and retired police officer I.B. Vyas to 10 days police custody.

--IANS

pk/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.)The Saudi-led coalition involved in a war in Yemen vowed on Monday to continue to target suspicious ships threatening navigation in the Red Sea.

The warning was issued after an Iranian ship with military experts onboard was found using spying devices to monitor ships crossing the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, Turki Al Maliki, the coalition spokesman said, Xinhua news agency reported.

The ship is assisting Houthi militias in threatening the international navigation, he added.

Saudi Arabia has been leading the war against Iran-allied Houthis in support of the exiled Yemeni government in the last three years.

--IANS

ahm/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Monday referred to a Constitution Bench a plea questioning the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) prevalent in the Dawoodi Bohra community.

The issue was referred to the Constitution Bench on the request of Attorney General K.K. Venugopal and senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi appearing for the community.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said that they would frame the question for the consideration of the Constitution Bench.

The earlier hearing by the three-judge bench saw the Centre describing the practice of FGM amongst Dawoodi Bohras, as being violative of bodily integrity which is a part of right to privacy and dignity.

However, the community had defended the practice on the grounds of the freedom of religion and religious practices.

--IANS

pk/in/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Microsoft on Monday announced to expand its personalised "Search" feature for both inside and outside "Microsoft 365" by incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to make organisational search more effective and the results more accurate.

"Microsoft 365" is an integrated bundle of Windows 10, Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility and Security (EMS) solutions by the tech giant, sold on a subscription basis.

The "Microsoft Search" capability is a feature that intelligently helps users find, discover, command and navigate across an organisation's network of data.

"Our vision is a cohesive and coherent search capability, prominent in every experience, providing the way to search across all your organisation's data -- both inside and outside of 'Microsoft 365'," the company said as it kicked off the annual "Ignite 2018" conference here.

As part of the announcement, "Microsoft Search" would now be available on the company's web search engine "Bing", "Office" suite and "SharePoint" mobile app -- a web-based collaborative platform used for integration with "Office" and "Outlook" mobile app.

The tech giant said in the first half of 2019, the "Office" suite-wide "Search" feature would expand in Windows to allow users perform local and organisational searches concerned with people, flie locations and more.

"In 2019, we will build native connectors for popular third-party applications that will surface search results in line with Microsoft data into all the search experiences including Office, Windows, Edge and Bing.com, allowing admins to select the connectors they wish to use for their organisations," said the company.

With this facility, Microsoft plans to give organisations the ability to customise search sources, show search results with custom refiners across verticals and alter the display of information appearances in result pages.

"Using machine reading comprehension technology is just one of the many ways we'll be continuously improving 'Microsoft Search' in the future," the company said.

Microsoft introduced personalized search across Office 365 at "Ignite" last year.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A soldier and three more militants were killed on Monday in a gun battle near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said, taking the number of rebels dead in the operation to five.

The fighting took place in Tangdhar in Kupwara district. The first two militants were killed on Sunday.

"Three more terrorists were killed in this encounter today. One soldier was also killed in this operation," a Defence Ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman said the operation was still going on.

--IANS

sq/mr/ahm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)DMK President M.K. Stalin on Monday demanded action against those who beat to death 15-year-old P. Balasubramani for allegedly stealing a mobile phone.

In a statement issued here, Stalin said the killing of the boy, who belonged to Tamil Nadu's Karur district, is condemnable and not acceptable in a civilised society.

On Saturday night, five persons, on the suspicion that Balasubramani had stolen the cell phone and cash, tied him to a pole and beat him with a log, said police.

The gang untied the boy and left the place. The boy swooned and later died allegedly due to injuries suffered due to the beatings, police said.

Stalin said the accused boys should be brought to book and admitted to reform schools. The law does not permit anybody to kill.

--IANS

vj/mag/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have agreed to continue close coordination on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Trump and Abe, who is in the US to attend the UN General Assembly, spoke at a dinner at the Trump Tower here on Sunday night, reports Efe news.

"Prime Minister @AbeShinzo is coming up to Trump Tower for dinner but, most importantly, he just had a great landslide victory in Japan. I will congratulate him on behalf of the American people!" Trump tweeted earlier Sunday.

Describing his conversation with Trump as "very constructive," Abe said the two spoke about the need to continue coordinating closely for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.

Abe added that Trump and he also had constructive talks on trade relations between Japan and the US.

Later, the Japanese Prime Minister tweeted that his dinner with Trump lasted longer than he expected, and allowed them to have frank and constructive conversations in a relaxed environment.

--IANS

ksk/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Turkish national was on Monday held at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here with 64 kg of a banned contraband drug generally used by militant groups and known as the "Jihad pill or Islamic State drug", said the CISF.

The paramilitary force, mandated to guard over 60 airports across the country, detained Erbil Han around 2.40 p.m. in the check-in area of Terminal-3 of the airport. Han was to travel to Istanbul by Turkish Airlines around 6.15 p.m.

"Our surveillance and intelligence staff noticed the suspicious activities of the Turkish passenger with passport No. U-15683822," said Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Spokesperson Hemendra Singh.

The foreigner's baggage was x-ray screened and on physical checking some 1,30,000 'Tramadol' tablets weighing about 64 kg were found, said the official.

"The matter was informed to senior CISF officers, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Intelligence Bureau officials who confirmed the drug as contraband and banned under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The foreign passenger along with seized contraband items was handed over to NCB officials," said the official.

He added that 'Tramadol' was a pain killer and it was banned in India. "It is generally used by the different terrorist groups and also known as 'Jihad Pill or Islamic State drugs'. The price of the medicine in the Middle East is $5 per pill."

This was the same passenger who was on April 30 apprehended and handed over to Delhi Police for entering the terminal building by using a fake ticket, added the official.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Weather Alert

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THURSDAY TO 6 PM CST FRIDAY... * WHAT...Sustained northwest winds of 25 to 30 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph expected. * WHERE...Portions of east central and northeast Nebraska and west central Iowa. * WHEN...From 10 AM Thursday to 6 PM CST Friday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Cross winds will make travel difficult for high profile vehicles. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects. &&BJP MLAs Milind Naik, a former Power Minister, and Nilesh Cabral were sworn in as cabinet ministers in the BJP-led cabinet in Goa even as ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar dropped two ministers who have been hospitalized for severe ailments.

The two Ministers were administered the oath of secrecy by Governor Mridula Sinha at a formal function at the Raj Bhavan on Monday evening.

While Naik has served as a Power Minister in a previous BJP-led coalition government under then Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, a two-time MLA has been sworn in as Minister for the first time.

Both Ministers said they had been informed by Parrikar by phone on Monday morning that they had been shortlisted for ministership.

When Cabral was asked that two of their colleagues had been sacked to make way for the two cabinet berths, the newly inducted Minister said: "It is not my responsibility that my colleague has been dropped and I have been made Minister. That is the CM's responsibility. Tomorrow they may drop me too... What is the big deal?"

Naik and Cabral have replaced Urban Development Minister Francis D'Souza and Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar.

Reacting to the development, D'Souza, who is being treated for cancer at a New York hospital, told IANS over the phone: "I am happy with the decision. This is the fruit of working for the party for 20 long years. I have been ill for only one month."

Madkaikar is being treated in Mumbai since June when he suffered a brain stroke.

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Sunday had hinted at a ministerial rejig in a tweet, which also said that Parrikar, who is being treated for advanced pancreatic cancer at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences would, however, continue as Chief Minister.

Parrikar has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and now Delhi for the last seven months.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)New York, Sep 24 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have signed an agreement worth $11 million to support the humanitarian response plan in Yemen, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The agreement was signed on Sunday by Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy and Peter Maurer, President of the ICRC, on the sidelines of the 73rd Ordinary Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Under the agreement, the UAE will provide the ICRC with $6 million to support health centres, water and sanitation facilities in Yemen, $1 million for humanitarian efforts in Myanmar, $1 million for the DRC, in addition to $3 million to support general programmes.

Al Hashemy said that the signing of this agreement reflects the UAE's efforts to achieve peace and prosperity in the world through its foreign aid policy and its humanitarian and development projects.

Maurer said: "The ICRC welcomes the UAE's financial contribution to its humanitarian activities. We are thankful for continuous support to the ICRC's mission in contexts of emergencies and protracted crises."

The agreement also includes support to health centres, water and rehabilitation of sanitation structures and meeting basic needs of those affected, as well as assisting disabled persons through the provision of physical rehabilitation services.

--IANS/WAM

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash has rejected accusations by Iran that the US Gulf allies were responsible for the attack in the Islamic republic on Saturday.

"The official incitement against the UAE by Iranian officials is regrettable... it is clear that Tehran's accusations are unfounded," Gargash said on Sunday on his Twitter account, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Saturday, four armed men attacked a military parade marking the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980-1988, in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz.

The attack killed at least 29 people, including two of the militants.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US and its regional allies were responsible for the attack.

Ahvaz National Resistance, an Iranian ethnic Arab opposition movement, and the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Airlines of Britain and the European Union (EU) would automatically lose the right to fly in each others' territories under a no-deal Brexit, according to the latest batch of British government advice published on Monday.

"If the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 with no agreement in place, UK and EU licensed airlines would lose the automatic right to operate air services between the UK and the EU without seeking advance permission," said the latest "technical notice" advising businesses of the possible effect of the UK leaving the EU without a divorce deal, Xinhua news agency reported.

The technical notice covers areas such as taking pets abroad, veterinary medicines, regulating energy, business regulations, labelling products, importing and exporting, farming, vehicle insurance and EU-funded programmes.

"Britain would stick to EU aviation safety technical rules and standards," said the document. "Functions currently performed by the European Aviation Safety Agency would instead be performed by Britain's aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Agency."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has hailed the World Bank/United Nations Famine Action Mechanism (FAM) as an important new tool to help predict and prevent famine.

With the cooperation of humanitarian development organisations, tech companies, academia, the insurance sector and others, this initiative is a successful multi-stakeholder partnership, he told a forum for the launch of the mechanism at UN Headquarters in New York.

"FAM will give a more accurate picture of food security in real time, triggering early action from donors and humanitarian agencies that will save lives and prevent further suffering," he said on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The mechanism will use state-of-the-art technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to detect correlations between different risks, he noted.

Creating and strengthening partnerships will help donors, affected countries and international organisations to bridge funding gaps along the entire humanitarian cycle, from prevention and preparedness to emergency response, said the UN chief.

"With the Famine Action Mechanism, we are renewing our pledge to zero tolerance for famine and acute food insecurity. We are renewing our pledge to feed everyone in our world and to leave no one behind."

"This very basic goal should be within our grasp. With today's advanced technology and knowledge of agriculture, we can surely uphold everyone's fundamental right to food, " he said. "But sadly, harrowing images of parents holding their malnourished children, helpless in the face of tragedy, are not consigned to history."

After years of progress on hunger, the world is losing ground. The number of undernourished people is rising -- to more than 820 million in 2017, he said.

During the IMF-World Bank spring meetings in 2017, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and Guterres committed themselves to zero tolerance for famine.

As a follow-up, the World Bank, the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other global partners began to develop FAM, the first global mechanism dedicated to famine prevention, preparedness and early action.

The mechanism has the support of global technology companies, including Microsoft, Google and Amazon Web Services.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Giving a new twist, the BJP on Monday sought to drag Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law and businessman Robert Vadra into the Rafale controversy by alleging that the previous UPA government had cancelled the fighter jets deal with France as Vadra's company was not accepted as the "middleman".

"You must have heard the name of Sanjay Bhandari, who works as middleman in defence deals. His name had earlier appeared in how he arranged air tickets for Vadra and how he got his home interior work done," Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra singh Shekhawat told a press conference at the party headquarters. Earlier, it was said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was to meet the media on the issue.

"He (Bhandari) is known to Vadra and he was seen with him in Dubai Defence Expo together," he said.

Targeting the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by Congress, the BJP leader said, "Vadra, the Gandhi family and the then government wanted, that the Rafale deal with Dassault Aviation should have been done under Vadra's company Offset India Solutions, which was formed in 2008."

Claiming that Vadra's company acts as middle man in defence deals, the BJP leader, said "They (Vadra and Bhandari) represent themselves as middlemen at many defence expos but they have not got a big breakthrough yet. The then government wanted that the French firm should accept it (Vadra's company) as the middleman. But since it did not materialise, the deal with Dassault was cancelled."

He said that when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asked why Rafale deal was cancelled by the then government, the Congress has remained silent on it. "So I am answering it today that it was cancelled for the commercial interest of Vadra," he said.

He also alleged that the UPA government wanted to use the company of Bhandari and Vadra as the middlemen and when this could not materialise they are conspiring to get the present government-to-government deal of 36 fighter jets to be cancelled to take revenge.

He also alleged that the Congress President was demanding the joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe on the issue to derail the defence preparedness of the country.

"They are demanding JPC. If a JPC investigates the issue, then the things which have been kept secret for national security and national interest would reveal our defence preparedness to other enemy countries and the country can be strategically weakened," he said.

He also said the Congress was trying to sour the relations between India and France by misleading everyone on the Rafale issue.

"They are preparing to strategically weaken the country. How Rahul Gandhi came to know on August 30 that something was going to explode in France over the Rafale issue when he had claimed that a bomb was going to explode in France on the issue?

"How did he (Rahul Gandhi) earlier refer to French President Emmanuel Macron's statement in Parliament after which he (Macron) had to clarify. Then on September 21, former French President Francois Hollande gives the statement over Rafale.

"This conspiracy we need to understand. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in France then issued a statement saying that the remarks of Hollande rendered no service to France.

Shekhawat also refuted the claims of Hollande. Even Hollande is facing a probe in his country. And after coming under fire from the government then he corrects his stand and gives a different statement, he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley has urged Iran to "look in the mirror" for the causes of an attack on a military parade that killed at least 29 people on Saturday.

Haley said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had "oppressed his people for a long time", BBC reported on Sunday.

She was responding to Rouhani's fierce criticism of the US, in which he blamed it for enabling the attack.

Two separate groups have claimed they carried out the shooting, but neither has provided evidence.

Four gunmen opened fire at Revolutionary Guard troops in the south-western city of Ahvaz on Saturday, killing 29 people people including soldiers and civilians watching a commemorative parade.

One of the victims was a four-year-old girl.

An anti-government Arab group -- Ahvaz National Resistance -- and the Islamic State (IS) group both claimed responsibility for the killings.

A video released by the Islamic State group's news agency, Amaq, shows three men in a car who appear to be dressed in Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) uniforms, possibly on their way to carry out the shooting.

The men do not identify themselves as members of IS in the video, but do talk about the importance of jihad.

Rouhani said the "bully" US, along with Gulf states it backed, had enabled the attack.

But the US has denied responsibility and says it condemns "any terrorist attack", while a senior official for the United Arab Emirates - one of the countries Rouhani was thought to be referring to - called the accusations "baseless".

"He's got the Iranian people... protesting, every ounce of money that goes into Iran goes into his military, he has oppressed his people for a long time and he needs to look at his own base to figure out where that's coming from," Haley told CNN.

"He can blame us all he wants. The thing he's got to do is look in the mirror."

Rouhani will face US President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly this week.

Speaking on Sunday, before leaving for the UN in New York, Rouhani vowed that Iran would "not let this crime stand".

"It is absolutely clear to us who committed this crime... and whom they are linked to," he said.

He alleged that a Gulf country had supported the "financial, weaponry and political needs" of the attackers.

He added: "The small puppet countries in the region are backed by America, and the US is provoking them and giving them the necessary capabilities."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The White House and Brett Kavanaugh have denied an allegation made by a second woman accusing President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

According to a report on The New Yorker on Sunday, Deborah Ramirez, 53, attended Yale University with the nominee and said she remembers Kavanaugh exposing himself to her at a dormitory party, CNN reported.

In his response to the allegation, Kavanaugh in a statement on Sunday said: "This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple.

"I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name -- and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building -- against these last-minute allegations."

White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec also called the latest claim "a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man".

"This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh," Kupec added.

Ramirez was initially hesitant to speak publicly, she told The New Yorker, partly because her memory contained gaps because she had been drinking at the time of the alleged incident.

She was unsure of his role in the incident at first, but after six days of carefully assessing memories and consulting with her attorney, Ramirez said she felt confident enough in her recollections to say she remembers it was Kavanaugh who had exposed himself.

Sunday's development comes after Christine Blasey Ford earlier this month publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct more than 30 years ago, CNN said.

Ford on Sunday committed to testifying in an open hearing on Thursday about her allegation.

Kavanaugh has denied this allegation too.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A woman Maoist is suspected to have led the team of rebels which gunned down a ruling TDP MLA and a former legislator in the tribal area of Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

The police on Monday released the names and pictures of three Maoists including two women who took part in the attack near Lipittuputtu village, about 15 km from the Odisha border.

Sarveswara Rao, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA from Araku (Reserved-Scheduled Tribe), and his party colleague and former MLA Siveri Soma were gunned down when they were visiting a village to attend a party programme.

Based on the information gathered from witnesses, the police identified three guerillas who took part in the attack. They include Aruna alias Venkataravi Chaitanya, a Special Zonal Committee Member (SZCM) of the Communist Party of India-Maoist.

Aruna, who heads Nandapur Area Committee on Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB), is suspected to have led a group of 50-60 Maoists who allegedly crossed over to Andhra Pradesh from Odisha.

According to witnesses, a woman Maoist aged about 40 years was heard pulling up the MLA for amassing wealth through mining in agency areas, affecting the interests of tribals.

Aruna, a native of Visakhapatnam district, is wife of Pratapreddy Ramachandra Reddy alias Chalapati, who heads AOB Special Zonal Committee Military Commission.

Swarupa alias Kameshwari and Julumuri Srinibabu alias Sunil also took part in the attack.

Police said they were trying to identify the other Maoists involved. Special police teams have launched a hunt for the guerrillas involved in the attack.

Meanwhile, the slain TDP leaders were cremated on Monday with state honours.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)"Doob: No Bed of Roses", Bangladesh's Oscar entry in the best foreign language film category, would not have been possible without Indian actor Irrfan Khan, says the movie's director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki.

The 2017 bilingual drama stars Irrfan, who has also co-produced it.

Irrfan, who is currently undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour in London, is extremely happy that the Bangladesh Oscar Committee has chosen "Doob" to represent the country at the Academy Awards.

The actor's spokesperson said in a statement on Irrfan's behalf: "It is an honour to be recognised by the jury and he is delighted that his film is getting the much deserved acknowledgement at long last."

Farooki said: "I am happy because 'No Bed of Roses' is representing Bangladesh at the Oscars. I hope the film would find some love from the Academy voters. As for my collaboration with Irrfan, it would have been impossible to make this film without his involvement as an actor and co-producer.

"I share a wonderful relation with him, on and off the set. I call him 'poet' and he jokingly corrects me saying 'I'm a poet with no words'. In this film, he actually expressed so many things with very little help of words and I am glad to have collaborated with one of the finest actors of not just India, but the world."

In the movie, Irrfan plays a successful filmmaker facing a midlife crisis when he has a tryst with his daughter's childhood friend, causing a national scandal.

The film walked on a path full of thorns as it was banned in Bangladesh on the grounds that it might be based on revered real-life author and filmmaker Ahmed, who divorced his wife of 27 years and married an actress 33 years his junior.

The ban was eventually lifted and the film released in October 2017 in Bangladesh, France, India and Australia.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)NEW YORK (AP)  Thanksgiving is Jonatan Mitchell's favorite holiday, usually spent with his wife co-hosting up to 20 loved ones. Hed been looking forward to the gathering this year after calling it off in 2020 due to the pandemic, but one of the most pressing issues of the times got in the The political slugfest over the Rafale issue touched a new low on Monday with the accusing of being involved in a "conspiracy, internationally" to sabotage the fighter aircraft deal and benefit his brother-in-law Robert Vadra, while the Congress chief, in a veiled attack, called Prime Minister "India's commander-in-thief".

alleged that Gandhi is involved in a "conspiracy internationally" and former French president is part of the "nexus" to sabotage the procurement, and claimed that the Congress chief wants it scrapped to help a firm linked to Vadra.

leader and Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat also hinted at Pakistan's role in the conspiracy, saying one of its leaders, former interior minister Rehman Malik, has even tweeted that Gandhi will be the next Indian prime minister.

As allegations flew thick and fast, the Congress released a video showing Dassault CEO Eric Trappier telling a gathering at an event about "responsibility sharing" with HAL on the Rafale contract, indicating that it was almost finalised.



Watch Eric Trappier, Chairman @Dassault_OnAir, on 25/03/15 speak, in the presence of IAF & HAL Chiefs, about responsibility sharing on the Rafale contract. 17 days later PM Modi gave the contract to Reliance.@nsitharaman should resign for lying to the nation. #RafaleModiKaKhel pic.twitter.com/6VoIcFjPlg  Congress (@INCIndia) September 23, 2018

The Congress claimed that the video was of March 2015, barely days ahead of the announcement of the deal.

However, the veracity of the video could not be ascertained.

"What happened in a space of 17 days as Prime Minister announced purchase of 36 Rafale jets on April 10, 2015, in Paris, abandoning Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) from the mega deal," Congress Spokesman Abhishek Singhvi asked.

The party also released another video of then Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar speaking at a press conference on April 8, 2015, that HAL was very much on board.



However, the forcefully rejected Congress' charges of wrongdoing and benefiting Reliance Defence Ltd in the deal.

Shekhawat said there is a conspiracy to get the deal scrapped, defame the country and lower the morale of the Indian Air Force.

Referring to Hollande's reported comments that the Indian government had proposed Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as a partner for Dassault Aviation for the Rafale deal, he said, "How and he are linked as a part of nexus, and are trying to sabotage the deal needs to be understood."



Shekhawat alleged that Gandhi is involved in "conspiracy, internationally".

To a question whether Gandhi's meetings with foreign leaders during his trips abroad was part of this "conspiracy", he said, "Definitely, yes."





Earlier, a delegation of senior Congress leaders met the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and demanded registration of a case in alleged corruption in the multi-billion dollar deal, saying it has now emerged as India's biggest defence scam.

On Twitter, Gandhi posted a video relating to French publication Mediapart which carried a story last week quoting Hollande that Reliance Defence was proposed by the Indian government to partner with Dassault Aviation for the contract.

"The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief," Gandhi said on Twitter, in what appeared to be an attack on the prime minister.



The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief. pic.twitter.com/USrxqlJTWe  (@RahulGandhi) September 24, 2018

Addressing a meeting in his parliamentary constituency of Amethi, Gandhi alleged that the country's "chowkidar" Modi snatched money from the poor martyrs and the jawans, and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about an "international dimension" to Gandhi's attack on the Prime Minister over the deal, and told reporters that Hollande's comments were not a coincidence.

In Jaipur, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar termed Gandhi a "directionless leader" and said the Congress chief and his party have no hope to return to power, therefore, they were trying to create a campaign on the basis of lies and speculations against the BJP government.

The senior BJP leader said Gandhi has no facts and evidence against the government over the

In Lucknow, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said following "clarifications" from Hollande, there is no room for any doubt in the matter. He also accused the Congress of trying to gain political mileage over the issue with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections next year.



ALSO READ: Some questions on Rafale deal

The Rafale controversy took a new turn last week after Hollande, who was French president when the Rs 580-billion deal was announced, was quoted as saying by French publication Mediapart on Friday that France was given "no choice" on selection of the Indian partner for Dassault and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance as offset partner for the French aerospace giant.

Modi had announced the procurement of 36 Rafale fighters after holding talks with Hollande on April 10, 2015, in Paris.

A day later, when asked by AFP whether India had put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Hollande said he was unaware and "only Dassault can comment on this".

Referring to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's statements in Pakistan long back that needs to be removed as the prime minister, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra drew a parallel between the opposition party and Pakistani leaders, saying "both want Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed from Indian politics".



He read out tweets attacking Modi posted by Pakistani leaders, including its Prime Minister Imran Khan and present and former ministers, and said it looked like they have been campaigning for Congress president Rahul Gandhi.Incessant rains triggered flash floods and landslides in hill states of northern India, with at least 11 people killed Monday in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, and a 'red alert' being issued in Punjab.

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) issued an advisory to the Punjab government that it will release "excess" water from the Pong dam in the wake of incessant rains in catchment areas of the Beas river.

Educational institutes have been ordered to remain closed on Tuesday in Punjab. Schools have been closed in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir and in most places of Himachal Pradesh.

Heavy rains led to landslides which blocked the roads to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Yamunotri, affecting the Chardham Yatra, while traffic snarled in the national capital due to waterlogging following heavy rains.

The Punjab government has asked district authorities to maintain vigil to avert any untoward situation due to heavy rains, an official said.

Punjab has been witnessing widespread rainfall for the last two days and the downpour continued Monday, prompting state authorities to review preparations to tackle flood-like situations.

Incessant rains in Punjab and Haryana could cause damage to kharif crops and dip in their yield, farm experts said.

In Haryana's Ambala, a 45-year-old man died when the roof of his house collapsed due to heavy rains, police said.

Five people, including a minor girl, died and as many injured in separate incidents during heavy rains in Kullu, Kangra and Chamba districts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the officials said. A "high alert" has been sounded for Kullu district.

Several houses were also swept away in flash floods as the Beas is flowing at a dangerous level, HP Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur said, cautioning people against going near rivers and nullahs.

An Indian Air Force team had rescued, with the help of a chopper, 21 people stranded due to flash floods at Dobi in Kullu district in the last 48 hours.

BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur said, "So far, 126 roads have been affected by landslides triggered by rains and of the loss of lives are too pouring in from many places."



People residing in the low-lying areas, especially in Kangra, Chamba, Kullu and Mandi districts, are being evacuated, officials said.

In Chamba, the Ravi river is still flowing at a dangerous level and people are being evacuated from low-lying areas by the administration since Sunday, Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru said.

In Uttarakhand, most of the places, including state capital Dehradun, received showers with around 45 rural roads blocked in these districts, the state emergency operation centre said.

In Rajasthan, heavy to moderate rainfall was recorded in various parts of the state in 24 hours, an MeT official said.

Heavy rains lashed several parts of the national capital, causing waterlogging and traffic snarls on major intersections in the city.

In Jammu and Kashmir, five members of a family, including three minors, were killed Monday when their house was buried under debris after a landslide in the Doda district, while 29 people stranded in Kathua district after flash floods were rescued.

Doda and other parts of Jammu region have been lashed by incessant rain for the past two days.

"A total of 29 persons, including six women and 10 children, were rescued from various flood-hit areas of Kathua district during overnight operations," a police officer said.

With improvement in weather, authorities Monday morning opened the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway for traffic.

Multiple landslides and shooting stones from a hillock along the highway between Ramban and Udhampur districts had blocked the arterial road since Sunday morning.

According to the Meterological department, heavy to very heavy rain is expected at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Assam government Monday told the Assembly that 12,750 cases of crime against women were registered in the state in the year 2017-18.

In a written reply to a query by Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said in Assam 1,751 cases of rapes, 539 murders and 10,460 dowry crimes took place across the state in 2017-18.

Replying on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who holds the Home portfolio, Patowary informed that in the previous financial year 1,571 rapes, 490 murders and 9,629 dowry related crimes were registered in the state.

In 2016, the total number of crimes recorded in Assam was 1,07,022, which went up to 1,11,118 in 2017, the minister said.

To a separate question of AGP MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Patowary said the state has witnessed a total of 84,540 crimes related to theft, dacoity, kidnapping, sexual harassment, rape, dowry, accident and superstition till August 2018 from the time alliance government came to power in 2016.

In this period, 56 extremists have been killed, while seven security personnel also lost their lives in addition to injuries to 14 other security persons, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As many as 18 people drowned Sunday in various parts of Maharashtra during the immersion of idols on the last day of the Ganesh festival, officials said Monday.

Three deaths each were reported in Raigad, Jalna and Pune (Rural) districts, two each in Satara and Bhandara, and one each in Pimpri-Chinchwad (on Pune's outskirts), Buldhana, Nanded and Ahmednagar, a Maharashtra Police control room official said.

Besides, one person drowned in a lake in the Kanjurmarg area of Mumbai, a police official said here.

Five people were rescued after their boat tilted in the Arabian Sea near Girgaum Chowpatty in south Mumbai Monday morning during the Ganesh idol immersion ritual, a fire brigade official said.

Devotees carried idols of Lord Ganesh for immersion in rivers and lakes across Maharashtra on Sunday morning, marking the culmination of the 11-day festival.

In big cities such as Pune and Mumbai, processions carrying huge idols of the elephant-headed God on decorated trucks, accompanied by thousands of devotees and troupes of drummers, continued well past midnight.

While public Ganesh mandals preferred to take their idols for immersion to sea shores or rivers, families immersed their smaller idols at homes in buckets of water.

To avoid pollution of natural water bodies, many civic bodies had also set up artificial ponds for immersion.

The festival, which began on Ganesh Chaturthi on September 13, concluded Sunday on 'Anant Chaturdashi'.

Public celebration of Ganesh festival dates back over a century, when it was first encouraged by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in order to promote nationalist sentiment during the colonial rule.

In Mumbai, prime locations for immersion are Girgaum Chowpatty (beach), Juhu, Powai lake and Dadar Chowpatty.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Right Livelihood Award known as the "Alternative Nobel" has been given to three jailed Saudi human rights defenders and two Latin American anti-corruption crusaders.

The prize foundation says Monday that the 1 million kronor (USD 113,400) cash award for 2018 was to be shared by Abdullah al-Hamid, Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani and Waleed Abu al-Khair "for their visionary and courageous efforts, guided by universal human rights principles, to reform the totalitarian political system in Saudi Arabia."



It said the 2018 honorary award was given to Thelma Aldana of Guatemala and Colombia's Ivan Velasquez "for their innovative work in exposing abuse of power and prosecuting corruption."



Created in 1980, the annual Right Livelihood Award honors efforts that the prize founder, Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull, felt were being ignored by the Nobel Prizes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Four people were arrested in connection with the attack on a Hindu outfit's Uttar Pradesh chief in Shernagar here, police said Monday.

They were arrested Sunday after a case was registered against five people on a complaint by the state president of the Hindu Maha Sabha, Yogendra Verma, Station House Officer, New Mandi, Harsharan Sharma said.

He said Verma was allegedly beaten up by some people after a confrontation Sunday.

A search is on for the fifth accused in the case, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration Monday said it has expelled four people out of the district for six months for their alleged involvement in crimes, as it continues its efforts to improve law and order.

Those four have been identified as Pawan, a resident of Dankaur in the district, Ramkishor Singh, Virendra and Koode Singh all three living in Jewar, the administration said.

They have been expelled out of Gautam Buddh Nagar for a period of six months as part of the administration and the police's effort to check crime here, District Magstrate Brajesh Narayan Singh said.

A case under the Uttar Pradesh Control ofGoondasAct, 1970, was going on against them in the District Magistrate's court, which has ordered the expulsion of these persons, according to a statement from the district information office.

"The district administration is committed to ensuring continuous strict action against people of criminal nature. Therefore, similar action will be taken in future against the mafia and criminals under the Gangsters Act and the Goonda Act besides considering their expulsion from the district," Singh said.

The district administration had recently sought public help in tracking anti-social elements who were reportedly staying in Gautam Buddh Nagar, despite being expelled out under law.

Nearly 40 anti-social people are officially under expulsion from Gautam Buddh Nagar at present.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A total of 74,000 Lord Ganesha idols were immersed in Hussain Sagar and other lakes here Sunday and Monday, bringing the curtains down on the 11-day festivities, officials said.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation cleared 5,790 tonnes of puja material and trash on the occasion, an official release said.

GHMC Commissioner Dana Kishore said the civic staff were continuously engaged in the immersion process and clearing the trash.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Taylor Hill/FilmMagicJill Vedder, wife of Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, has joined forces with former first lady Michelle Obama to encourage voting for the upcoming midterm elections.

The two are participating in a campaign called When We All Vote, which is hosting voter registration events across the U.S. now through September 29.

The Vedders have long been supporters of the Obamas; Eddie performed during Barack Obama's farewell address at the end of his presidency in January 2017.

For more info, visit WhenWeAllVote.org.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, one of the most outspoken critics of the ordinance that made instant "triple talaq" a criminal offence, said Monday abortions primarily occur in the Hindu community, remarks the BJP dubbed as "archaic and misogynistic".

Citing the 2001 census, the Hyderabad Lok Sabha member also claimed an "overwhelming" number of married women who commit suicide or are murdered for dowry are also Hindus.

"Abortions are primarily Hindus; that overwhelming number of married women who commit suicide or are brutally murdered for dowry are Hindus; that a majority of those who are deserted and become destitute in India as per the 2001 census report are Hindus," he said on Twitter.

Owaisi posted his comments tweeting a newspaper article titled "Outlawing triple talaq will not help women".

Reacting to the comments of the All India Majlis-e- Ittehad-ul Muslimeen leader, the BJP's Telangana spokesperson Krishna Saagar Raosaid, "Owaisi's mindset has been exposed with these remarks which are archaic and misogynistic."



"Instead of applauding the initiative takenby the BJP government in bringing out triple talaq ordinance, he is indulging in comparative analysis of the plight of women with other religion.

"He seems to blinded by both his own fundamentalist mindset and lack of any basis to compare 84 per cent of population with less than 15 per cent," Rao told PTI.

Rao said Owaisi was feigning ignorance about the fact that almost all crimes committed against Muslim women go unreported.

Owaisi had on Wednesday called the ordinance against instant triple talaq "anti-Muslim women", claiming it would lead to more injustice to them.

He had instead demanded a legislation to protect Hindu women deserted by their husbands.

Owaisi noted that marriage in Islam was a civil contract and bringing penal provisions to tackle the practice of instant triple talaq was "wrong and unnecessary".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amid their continuing bribery barbs at it, the ruling AIADMK has invited arch rival DMK President M K Stalin and ousted leader TTV Dhinakaran for valedictory of party founder and late chief minister M G Ramachandran's birth anniversary celebrations, raising a few eyebrows.

Political rivals sharing a stage in Tamil Nadu is a rare sight, but the AIADMK government has extended invitation to Stalin and Dhinakaran, who has floated his Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and vowed to unseat Chief Minister K Palaniswami led ministry.

Though officially it was being stated that the leaders had been invited as it was a government function, inclusion of Dhinakaran in the list is being seen as an attempt by Palaniswami to extend an olive branch to him.

However, it is anybody's guess whether Stalin and Dhinakaran would accept the invite and share the platform with AIADMK leaders on September 30 at the valedictory. They are also listed among the speakers at the function.

Both have been hitting hard against the Palaniswami government and often predicting its "downfall" over a number of issues including corruption.

A former DMK leader, matinee idol-turned politician Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR, founded the AIADMK in 1972 after parting ways with then party chief late M Karunanidhi.

The two Dravidian arch rivals have since ruled the state alternately, leaving no space for national parties.

Minister for Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture, K Pandiarajan indicated that invitations for the MGR event were extended to them as it was a government function.

"It is a government function. It is the duty to invite (certain persons)... we want them to come," he told reporters here.

The DMK described the government's invitation as "magnanimity," but wanted to see if same attitude continued in other issues.

"Let the magnanimity be there. What remains to be seen is whether the same healthy trend will be followed in other issues," DMK spokesperson KS Radhakrishnan told PTI.

On Dhinakaran's participation, a close aide of the AMMK leader refused to comment on the issue, saying they have not received the government's invitation card so far.

Any decision on Dhinakran attending the event will be taken by himself later this week, he said.

Meanwhile, noted political commentator and veteran journalist Shyam Shaanmugam expressed suprise at Dhinakaran being invited for the event, saying it could be an attempt to 'patch-up' between him and Palaniswami.

When pointed out that other DMK leaders including its Rajya Sabha MP TKS Elangovan and some local MLAs are also slated to speak at the function, he said "MGR played a key role in DMK's growth," prior to his exit.

"MGR played a key role in DMK's growth. Had he been alive, even late DMK chief M Karunanidhi could have been invited," he said.

On Dhinakaran, he expressed suprise that an "independent MLA" from RK Nagar here has been invited but termed it as a "recognition. I suspect that it could be a patch-up," between Palaniswami and Dhinakaran, he added.

With DMK virtually shutting its doors on BJP for any electoral alliance for next year's Lok Sabha polls, he said a "unified AIADMK" was in the interest of the national party if it was looking at it as an ally.

Dhinakaran was last year sidelined from the AIADMK, post the merger of two factions led by Palaniswami and his now deputy O Panneerselvam, who first revolted against then party interim general secretary V K Sasikala, close aide of late party chief Jayalalithaa, and her family.

The unified AIADMK also expelled Sasikala, Dhinakaran's aunt, now serving a jail term in a corruption case in Bengaluru, and annulled all appointments made by her, including making her nephew deputy general secretary, before going to prison in February 2017.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two people, including an employee of Air India SATS, have been arrested by customs officials for allegedly trying to smuggle into the country gold valuing about Rs 17 lakh at Delhi airport, according to an official statement issued Monday.

Air India SATS, which is a 50:50 joint venture between Air India Limited and Singapore-based SATS Limited, offers end-to-end ground handling services such as passenger and baggage handling, aircraft interior cleaning and cargo handling services among others.

A passenger was intercepted by the officials on his arrival from Bangkok on Friday.

"Further, one airport staff working for M/s Air India SATS was also intercepted, who was assisting the said passenger in smuggling," the customs department said in the statement.

A detailed personal baggage search of the passenger and the airport staff resulted in the recovery of two gold rods crudely given shape of kada (bangle), total weighing 600 grams and having total value of Rs 17.18 lakh, it said.

The passenger has also admitted that he was involved in smuggling of gold total weighing 300 grams on previous occasions at Ahmedabad airport, the customs department said.

"The Air India SATS staff has also admitted that he previously assisted some other passengers in smuggling of gold at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, New Delhi," it said.

Both the passenger and the AIR India SATS staff have been arrested and the gold was seized, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A first-time was taken into custody for trying to open the exit door of an aircraft mistaking it for that of the lavatory, triggering panic among flyers on board, police said on Monday.

The passenger, whom police did not name, is a resident of Kankarbagh locality, officials said.

During interrogation, he said he was travelling by air for the first time and he tried to open the plane door mistaking it for the way to the lavatory, they said.

"We took him into custody as we had been informed about the incident by airport authorities who were alerted by crew members. He said he was a bank official posted in Ajmer and he had boarded the from last weekend," Airport police station SHO Mohd Sanowar Khan told reporters here.

"We released him after making him sign a bond since there was no indication that his act was deliberate or carried out with any ulterior motive," he added.In a significant development, the Allahabad High Court has amended a rule whereby bail application could not be heardbefore the lapse of 10 days from giving notice for such a plea, and has reduced the time period to two days now.

The High Court passed a notification amending the provision on September 19.

As per Rule 18(3)(a) of the Allahabad High Court, Rules,"(3) Save in exceptional circumstances: (a) No order granting bail shall be made on an application unless notice thereof has been given to the Government Advocate and not less than ten days have elapsed between the giving of such notice and the hearing of such application."



The High Court has now issued a notification amending the Rule, allowing an order granting bail to be made two days after notice of the bail.

The amended provision of chapter VVVlll Rule 18 (3) now reads, (3) Save in exceptional circumstances:(a) No order granting bail shall be made on an application unless notice thereof has been given to the Government Advocate and not less than two days have elapsed between the giving of such notice and the hearing of such application.

According to lawyers, it will be a major respite for thousands of detainees who had to languish in jail for at least for 10 days before their matter was placed before the court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand is expectedly rested for the opening tie as the fifth seed Indian men take on El Salvador in the 43rd Chess Olympiad here Tuesday.

After a glittering and probably the best ever opening ceremony in any Olympiad that was a mix of performances by the local stars, its time now to set the clock rolling and start the biggest biennial chess event.

Anand, being one of the most respected player in the competition was called for the ceremonial draw of lots that gave top seeded United States and India white colour on the top board in the first round.

Each match will be played over four boards and the team scoring 2.5 points in all will be declared the winner. The points awarded are called Match points which means two points are awarded for every win, one for a drawn 2-2 result and none if a team scores less than two.

Like India, defending champions USA also rested top rated Fabiano Caruana in the first round clash against Panama and as if on cue, Russians gave a day off to their biggest star Vladimir Kramnik.

The biggest absentee in the Olympiad this year is reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen and Norwegians, who finished a creditable sixth last year.

The other notable absence is that of Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria but that is because Bulgarian team is not playing this time.

The first round looks like a walk in the park for the Indian men with over 400 rating points separating each member from their respective opponents.

While the going is expected to get tougher after each round, the real challenge may not come till the fourth round when some relatively big clashes are expected to take place.

Apart from the fancied, United States, Russia, China and Azerbaijan, a young Iranian team might just come knocking on the doors and can trouble the best.

The team is headed by recently crowned world junior champion Parham Maghsoodloo on the top board and has an average age of less than twenty years with all players already attaining the Grandmaster title.

Meanwhile, in the women's section the Indian eves can also fancy for a 4-0 opening round rout against New Zealand.

Out of action for almost two years, Koneru Humpy has been given the chance to get back in competitive mode and the other Indian Grandmaster D Harika has taken a drop instead. Humpy's form will be crucial if Indian women have to win a medal here.

Russian women start as the top seed this time as top Chinese player Yifan Hou is not playing for her team.

Ukraine is seeded second ahead of China and the local favourite Georgia is seeded fourth. While there could be individual upsets on some boards, it is unlikely that any top team will go down in the opening round.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A packed and emotional hall paid a fitting tribute to celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain at the Tribeca screening of his CNN show "Parts Unknown".

The Kenya episode of 12th and final season premiere of the award-winning food and travel show is the last one to feature Bourdain's narration, Variety reported.

"I do my best. I look, I listen. But in the end, I know it's my story. Not Kamau's, not Kenya's. Those stories have yet to be heard," the popular host can be heard saying of his travel around the world.

The screening was also followed by a panel discussion with director Morgan Fallon, co-host W Kamau Bell from "United Shades of America", showrunner Sandy Zweig, and Bourdain's longtime producing partners Chris Collins and Lydia Tenaglia.

Talking about Bourdain's words, that now appear prophetic, Fallon said, "We didn't have any idea what the f**k he was talking about."



But after his death, when the team revisited the tape, "it was almost uncanny".

Bourdain, 61, committed suicide on June 8 at his hotel room in France where he was filming for the latest season of "Parts Unknown".

Tenaglia recalled the food critic's transformation into a "cultural anthropologist".

"He gave us and the audience an opportunity to see the world in a very intimate way. It wasn't just a travel show," she said.

Bell said Bourdain taught them to "be a good guest" through his journey.

Zweig said, "The people he worked with were like family to him.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Andhra Pradesh Police Monday claimed to have identified three main assailants in the killing of two TDP leaders, including an MLA, in the attack by CPI (Maoist) and launched a massive hunt for them.

Police zeroed in on the three based on inputs provided by eyewitness, a day after the daring attack, the first major strike by the Maoists in Andhra Pradesh in several years.

Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former legislator Siveri Soma, both Scheduled Tribes, were shot dead Sunday at Lippitiputta village when they went there to take part in a 'grama darsini' (village visit) programme.

Police identified the three key assailants as Jalamuri Srinu Babu alias Sunil alias Rhino of Addateegala in East Godavari district, Kameswari alias Swarupa alias Sindri Chandri alias Rinki of Bhimavaram town in West Godavari district and Venkata Ravi Chaitanya alias Aruna of Pendurthi mandal in Visakhapatnam district.

"As per the inputs provided by eyewitnesses, we have identified three main Maoists who were involved in the killing of the MLA and the former MLA. We have accordingly launched an extensive combing operation with district police and special forces," Visakhapatnam Rural Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma said in a release here Monday evening.

Aruna was a member of the south zonal committee.

Earlier, a senior police officer, overseeing a joint combing operation by Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police in the border areas to trace the outlaws, said the attackers were led by Aruna, a member of CPI (Maoist) Andhra-Odisha Border Committee.

"We have preliminary information that the attack on the TDP leaders was led by Aruna. She led a team of Maoists to Araku 10 days ahead and conducted a recce before executing the killings," he said.

The execution was suspected to have been plotted by Maoist AOB Committee secretary Ramakrishna and his key aides, the officer said.

Incidentally, Ramakrishna and other key members of the AOB Committee had a narrow escape in the October 24, 2016 encounter in Odisha, in which 27 ultras were gunned down by Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Central police forces in a joint operation.

At least 20 of the 50 Maoist activists who took part in the attack Sunday were women and mostly in the 20-25 age group, the officer said.

Meanwhile the last rites of the two TDP leaders were performed in Visakhapatnam Agency (area dominated by tribals) Monday.

While Sarveswara Rao (45) was cremated in Paderu, Siveri Soma (52) was buried as per Christian tradition in Araku with state honours.

Deputy Chief Minister (Home) N China Rajappa, several other ministers and Visakhapatnam District Collector Pravin Kumar visited Araku and paid homage to the slain leaders.

Rajappa said the situation in the Agency was under control and police have been deployed for security.

Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) A B Venkateswara Rao and ADG (Law and Order) Harish Kumar Gupta visited Araku and Paderu to take stock of the situation.

Visakhapatnam Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Srikanth is also camping in Araku to monitor law and order, a police spokesman said.

The two-day bandh called by tribal associations in protest against the killing of the MLA and ex-MLA was incident-free in Paderu and Araku.

Meanwhile, Visakhapatnam Rural Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma said the high alert continued to be in force in the Agency and Andhra-Odisha border area.

Combing operations were being carried out jointly with Odisha police and special forces were also taking part in it.

He said a thorough investigation was being carried out into the killing to the legislator and the former MLA.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Army has been called to rescue two persons stranded due to flash floods in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district, an official said Monday.

They are stranded at Saurabh Van Vihar, a park, in Palampur. Two scooters and a car were washed away in the flash floods in the area, he said.

Normal life is hit since Saturday due to heavy rains in the mid hills and plains, and snowfall in the upper hills of Himachal Pradesh.

"Two persons are stuck there. Fire brigade and rescue teams are at the spot. They are waiting for the water level to recede.

"However, Monday morning, the Kangra district administration made a requisition to the Army to rescue them," the official said.

On Sunday, as many as 19 people stranded at Dobi in Kullu district after flash floods and heavy rains were rescued by deploying an Indian Air Force chopper.

Schools in most districts were closed Monday as a precautionary measure. People residing in low-lying areas, especially in Kangra, Chamba and Mandi districts, are being evacuated, officials said.

They are also being asked to remain alert due to rising water levels in rivers and streams, they said.

In Chamba, the Ravi river is still flowing at a dangerous level and people are being evacuated from low-lying areas by the administration since Sunday, Superintendent of Police (SP) Monica Bhutunguru said.

Traffic movement is affected in the district and minor rescue operations are underway at various locations, she said, adding that the Sach Pass in Chamba was closed due to heavy snowfall.

The SP said a number of roads including those at Kanddu, Dampu, Udaipur Nullah, Karian, Bhatalwan and Raathghat, Chamba Banikhet and Chamba Tissa, were blocked due to fallen trees.

She said roads at Goli Bally, the Banikhet national highway, the Dalhousie to Subhash Chowk route and the Court Road were also blocked.

The Dudiyar Bangla national highway and several other roads in Chamba are blocked due to heavy rains, the SP said.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar has alerted officials and people residing in low-lying areas that water would be released from the Pandoh reservoir as per a message from his counterpart in Mandi.

Issuing a flood warning, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) said excess water from the Pong Dam would be released due to high-pattern inflows in the Pong reservoir due to heavy rain in catchment areas.

The Met department has predicted heavy rains in middle hills, plains and snowfall in upper hills in the state till Monday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu Monday informed that more than 26,000 government agencies have been incorporated in the Government e Marketplace (GeM).

Launching the nation-wide mission for promotion of GeM here, he said the mission aimed at bringing in more transparency and streamlining the government procurement.

Khandu said the objective of the launch is to accelerate the adoption and use of GeM by state government and its agencies.

He said Arunachal is the sixth state in India to have signed MoUs with GeM, which aims to bring in transparency, efficiency and inclusiveness in public procurement and achieve cashless, contactless and paperless transaction.

The chief minister said the national drive from September 6 to October 15, is aimed at creating awareness about GeM, train the buyers and sellers, get them registered in GeM and increase the procurement through GeM.

Khandu said the state government has adopted zero tolerance towards corruption and the launch of GeM and the recent reforms on recruitment process is aimed at achieving that.

He said government offices in the state are plagued by corruption mainly in recruitment and procurement process, which diverts enormous amount of the department's time and effort from its core activities.

It also took toll on wellness and health condition of the employees, as they have to face immense pressure from powerful lobby for giving away undue advantage to them, he said.

"With adoption of Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board and GeM, the officers and employees of the government departments will be relieved from recruitment and procurement activity taking away excessive work pressure from them," the chief minister said.

"The objective of the reform is to give happy and healthy life to its citizens and several reforms aimed at ensuring efficiency and transparency under digital Arunachal programme such as launch of e-office, CM dashboard, e-ILP, e-cabinet in the last two years has been initiated," Khandu disclosed.

He said the Ministry of Commerce has rolled out state export strategy for creating export infrastructure with 80 per cent subsidy for Northeastern states, which will benefit the farmers in the state.

The chief minister added that to improve digital connectivity in the state the work on Rs 1700 crore project sanctioned by Ministry of Communication is already underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Moroccos Royal Navy and the Royal Gendarmerie have thwarted an illegal migration attempt to Europe from the countrys Northern Martil Beach.

A Navy combat vessel monitoring the Mediterranean coast of the North African Kingdom has chased on Sept.22-23 a very high-speed boat, which was trying to reach the Martil beach to pick up illegal migrants, says a press release issued by the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces.

But the swift intervention and coordination between the Moroccan combat ship and two fast boats of the Royal Gendarmerie forced the smuggling high-speed boat to flee to the high sea, adds the release.

This smuggling operation was disrupted thanks to the vigilance and constant surveillance of the Moroccan coasts by the Navy and security forces.

As Italy closes its ports to illegal migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, more and more are changing route to Spain. So far this year 38,852 migrants reached this European country, twice as many as the same period of 2017. More than 310 have died at sea.

The vast majority come via Morocco, which foiled 54,000 illegal migration attempts so far this year, and prevented 65,000 migrants from crossing to Spain in 2017.Assam Congress general secretary Bobbeeta Sharma urged the state police chief on Monday to conduct an inquiry and take necessary action against a person allegedly calling from the BJP headquarters in Delhi impersonating as a TV journalist.

Last Friday, Sharma got a call from a Delhi number and the person on the line, after introducing himself as Robin from a channel, requested information about the densely-populated areas of the Gauhati East constituency, from where she was a candidate in the 2016 assembly elections.

The person also requested similar information of the neighbouring constituencies like Dispur, Gauhati West, Jalukbari, Palasbari and Hajo for the purpose of exit poll for the 2019 elections, Sharma told reporters here.

''On cross-checking the Delhi numbers from the MTNL directory on the Internet, it was shocking to find that the numbers have been identified as the ones from Bharatiya Janata Party Office in Delhi," she claimed.

It was also later found that such calls were made to Congress Legislature Party leader Debabrata Saikia and party leaders Zoii Nath Sarma, Dulu Ahmed and Bismita Gogoi.

"The APCC apprehend the purpose of such calls could be to record voice samples of Congress leaders to manufacture and fabricate fake and hate news, which is the forte of the Bharatiya Janata Party, to be used later during election time," Sharma alleged.

The senior spokesperson said she had written to Director General of Police (DGP) Kuladhar Saikia about the incident, demanding an inquiry and action.

She, along with Ahmed, told the DGP that they would like to lodge an official complaint on the ''grave-and-unethical call traced to the BJP party office in Delhi''.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police Monday claimed to have obtained vital clues in the killing of two TDP leaders by CPI (Maoists), saying the attackers were led by a woman member of its Andhra-Odisha Border committee.

A senior police officer, overseeing a joint combing operation by Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police in the border areas to trace the outlaws, said the assailants were led by Aruna, a member of the CPI (Maoist) AOB Committee.

"We have preliminary information that the attack on the TDP leaders was led by Aruna. She led a team of Maoists to Araku 10 days ahead and conducted a recce before executing the killings," he said.

The execution was suspected to have been plotted by Maoist AOB Committee secretary Ramakrishna and his key aides, he said.

Incidentally, Ramakrishna and other key members of the AOB Committee had a narrow escape in the October 24, 2016 encounter in Odisha, in which 27 ultras were gunned down by AP, Odisha and Central police forces in a joint operation.

At least 20 of the 50 Maoist activists who took part in the attack were women and mostly in the 20-25 age group, the officer said.

Araku (ST) MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma were shot dead Sunday at Lippitiputta village when they went there to take part in a 'grama darsini' (village visit) programme.

Meanwhile the last rites of the two TDP leaders were performed in Visakhapatnam Agency (area dominated by tribals) Monday.

While Sarveswara Rao (45) was cremated in Paderu, Siveri Soma (52) was buried as per Christian tradition in Araku with state honours.

Deputy Chief Minister (Home) N China Rajappa, several other ministers and Visakhapatnam District Collector Pravin Kumar visited Araku and paid homage to the slain leaders.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the situation in the Agency was under control and police have been deployed for security.

Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) A B Venkateswara Rao and ADG (Law and Order) Harish Kumar Gupta visited Araku and Paderu to take stock of the situation.

Visakhapatnam Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Srikanth is also camping in Araku to monitor law and order, a police spokesman said.

The two-day bandh called by tribal associations in protest against the killing of the MLA and ex-MLA was incident-free in Paderu and Araku.

Meanwhile, Visakhapatnam Rural Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma said the high alert continued to be in force in the Agency and Andhra-Odisha border area.

Combing operations were being carried out jointly with Odisha police and special forces were also taking part in it.

He said a thorough investigation was being carried out into the killing to the legislator and the former MLA.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy, who currently lies injured in his sailing vessel in the south of Indian Ocean, will soon be rescued by Australian and French ships which are now close to his location, a top Navy official said Monday.

"An Australian naval ship and a French fishing ship are closest to Tomy's location. Some civilian and naval aircraft have also been mobilised. He is expected to be rescued soon," Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Western Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, told reporters here.

Australian fisheries vessel Osiris is also heading towards the location for his rescue, Vice Adm Luthra said, at an event held at the Western Naval Command.

The 39-year-old Kirti Chakra awardee's vessel was "rolling excessively" in the South Indian Ocean, a Defence spokesman had said Sunday.

Cdr Tomy, who was participating in the Golden Globe sailing competition, suffered a back injury last Friday after his yacht was hit by a vicious storm with 14-metre-high waves mid-way across south Indian Ocean.

"He is in touch through text messages with the (race) organisers. We will come to know about his exact health condition after we meet him," Vice Adm Luthra said.

The Indian Navy's P8I aircraft, which flew from Mauritius in the early hours Sunday, had located the "mast broken boat rolling excessively", the Defence spokesman had said earlier.

Cdr Tomy's vessel was dismasted in extremely rough weather and sea conditions, with wind speeds of 130 kmph. He was in third position in the race and has sailed over 10,500 nautical miles in the last 84 days, since the race started on July 1.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A bandh was being observed in the Agency area here Monday to protest against the killing of TDP MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and a former legislator even as police teams intensified combing operations to trace the outlawed Maoists.

The sitting MLA Sarveswara Rao and former legislator of ruling Telugu Desam Party Siveri Soma were gunned down by the outlawed CPI (Maoists) Sunday in the Araku area.

The government placed Dumbriguda police Sub-Inspector Y Ammana Rao under suspension for "negligence of duties" in connection with Sunday's Maoist attack.

Post-mortem was completed in Araku in the morning and the bodies were handed over to their families.

Deputy Chief Minister (Home) N China Rajappa visited Araku to pay homage to the slain TDP leaders.

The state Road Transport Corporation suspended its bus services to Araku and Paderu Agency areas as a precautionary measure.

The situation is under control now after the violent incidents Sunday evening in the aftermath of the killings, Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) Harish Gupta said after visiting the area.

The gunning down of Sarveswara Rao and his predecessor Soma, both Scheduled Tribes, in Lippitiputta village triggered violence with their irate relatives and local tribals attacking two police stations, blaming the police for "failure" to ensure protection to the two leaders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Irrfan Khan-starrer "Doob" ("No Bed of Roses") is Bangladesh's official entry for the Oscars next year.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film, directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, that was initially banned in Bangladesh, will be contesting in the Best Foreign Language category at the 91st Academy Awards.

"Doob" courted controversy in the wake of reports that it was loosely based on late Bangladeshi writer and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed.

Farooki denied that it was a biopic and the film later received a No Objection Certificate from the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation. The film released on October 27, 2017.

The movie features Irrfan, who is currently in London undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour, in the lead.

India's Parno Mittra and Nusrat Imrose Tisha and Rokeya Prachy of the neighbouring country are also part of the cast.

Irrfan plays Javed Hasan, a successful director going through midlife crisis when he has a tryst with his daughter's childhood friend whom he also marries, causing a national scandal. Rokeya plays his wife, while Nusrat plays the daughter and Parno plays her childhood friend.

The director said in a statement that he took inspiration from a real-life incident "which shook the very foundation of Bangladesh's judgmental Muslim society" and "how women struggle in our society and find strength in despair".

An India-Bangladesh co-production, "Doob", bagged independent jury award at the 39th Moscow International Film Festival besides being nominated for Golden Goblet Awards in Shanghai International Film Festival just before release.

Farooki's previous films, "Third Person Singular Number" (2009) and "Television" (2012) were also submitted as Oscar entries.

Bangladesh is yet to secure an Academy Award nomination.

Partition-set drama "Khacha" was its last year's entry.

The Oscars award ceremony will be held on February 24.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will soon file a charge sheet under the anti-money laundering law against the Sandesara brothers, wanted in an over Rs 5,000 crore alleged bank loan fraud case, promoters of a Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company, officials said Monday.

The central probe agency will subsequently seek Interpol red corner notices (global arrest warrants) against the brothers and other accused based on this criminal complaint even as their exact locations remains unknown and changing-- from UAE to Nigeria, the officials said.

The charge sheet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is expected to be filed before a special court here within the next fortnight, they said.

The ED has earlier filed few charge sheets, called prosecution complaints, in this case in the past against other accused.

The agency said it had registered a PMLA case against the Sandesara brothers-- Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara and Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara-- and their Vadodara-based company Sterling Biotech Limited and others on October 27 last year, two days after a case of alleged bank fraud of Rs 5,700 crore and corruption was filed against them by the CBI.

"Loans to the tune of Rs 5,700 crore was disbursed by various banks during the years 2004-2012. Look Out Circulars (LOCs) were opened against the accused in August, 2017.

"During the course of investigation, three persons were arrested, one of them Gagan Dhawan, who was close to the power centre when the loans were sanctioned," the ED said in a statement.

It added that the agency has already attached properties worth Rs 4,703 crore and is looking for "more properties and trails for the proceeds of crime" in this case.

The ED and the CBI have booked the company, its directors-- the Sandesara brothers, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Vilas Joshi, chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, former director Andhra Bank Anup Garg and some unidentified persons in connection with the alleged bank fraud case.

It is alleged that the company took loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank which had turned into non-performing assets.

As per the FIR, the total pending dues of the group of companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016. The ED has taken cognisance of this FIR to file its PMLA case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday sent a directive from Italy to the state government to set up a corporation that will keep an eye on the construction, health-review and maintenance of bridges, a senior minister said.

The state has a number of bridges maintained by different departments like the Public Works Department (PWD), Urban Development Department, Irrigation Department as well as different Zilla Parishads, but they do not have much expertise on construction and maintenance of the bridges, Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said at the state secretariat.

"... The state government is planning to come up with a corporation which will look after the construction, health-review and maintenance (of bridges). The state will now form a corporation constituting of experts," Chatterjee told reporters.

"The chief minister, after returning from her Europe tour, will hold a meeting with the officials as well as the engineers regarding the condition of bridges, their maintenance and all other aspects," he added.

Banerjee is on a 12-day tour to Europe to attract investments.

Following the collapse of a portion of the Majerhat bridge last month, over 20 other bridges have been found in "vulnerable" state. Banerjee has barred plying of 20-wheel trucks over bridges in West Bengal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bombay High Court on Monday expressed dissatisfaction with municipal corporations in Maharashtra for failing to take action against illegal pandals erected during Ganesh festival this year.

The HC also sought the names of the civic officials who had failed to perform their duties in this regard, so that they can be issued notice asking why contempt of court action should not be initiated against them.

A division bench of Justices A S Oka and M S Sonak said civic bodies, for two years, have not been implementing orders passed by the court directing strict action against illegal pandals.

"Despite our orders, this year too the number of illegal pandals (during Ganesh festival) is high," Justice Oka said.

According to affidavits filed by Thane Municipal Corporation on Monday, the number of illegal pandals this year there was 46. In Bhiwandi, the number was 113 while in Ulhasnagar, the number of such pandals stood at 37.

"These pandals did not display the permission granted to them and, despite being aware that they were erected illegally, officials of the civic bodies concerned did nothing and let the pandals stand," Justice Oka said.

The court sought the names of the civic officials who failed to take action against the illegal pandals.

"We will issue notice to all the officers as to why contempt action should not taken against them. This will teach them a lesson," Justice Oka said.

The court was hearing a bunch of petitions seeking strict implementation of noise pollution rules.

It had, in the past, issued orders directing the government and civic bodies to take strict action against illegal pandals erected on public roads and streets, and thus disrupting traffic.

The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on September 26.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 28-year-old man was Monday found dead in a ditch on the outskirts of Vadodara after allegedly being abducted by two men whose sister had reportedly eloped with the deceased earlier, police said.

Dilip Vanzara's body was found Monday in a ditch along national highway 8 and his father, Khatubhai, has alleged that brothers Naresh and Pravin Thakre had kidnapped and killed his son, said a Makarpura police station official.

The siblings were arrested late Monday evening, he added.

"The father in his complaint has stated that Vanzara was abducted late Sunday night while he was returning to his home in Danteshwar locality here and later strangled to death by the accused," the official said.

"Apparently the deceased had eloped with the sister of the accused three months ago. The woman later returned to her parents. We are verifiying these details," the official added.

A case has been registered against the accused based on the Khatubhai's complaint and further probe was underway, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Michael Avenatti. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, says he is aware of significant evidence that Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh participated in multiple gang rapes while in high school.

In an email posted to Twitter Sunday night, Avenatti writes that Kavanaugh, his childhood friend Mark Judge, and others would participate in the targeting of women with alcohol/drugs in order to allow a train of men to subsequently gang rape them.

My e-mail of moments ago with Mike Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations for U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. We demand that this process be thorough, open and fair, which is what the American public deserves. It must not be rushed and evidence/witnesses must not be hidden. pic.twitter.com/11XLZJBTtY  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018

Avenatti ended the email, which was sent to the chief counsel for nominations at the Senate Judiciary Committee, by saying that he will be releasing additional evidence of the allegations in the coming days. In an interview with Politico, Avenatti said he represents multiple people who were witnesses to the events described in his email. One of the people hes representing could be described as a victim, he said.

On Twitter, Avenatti wrote that he will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Its unclear if that will happen, but a spokesperson for Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley says the committee will attempt to evaluate the claim.

I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn.  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 23, 2018

He also tweeted a desire to have Kavanaugh explain the meaning behind an entry in his yearbook.

Brett Kavanaugh must also be asked about this entry in his yearbook: "FFFFFFFourth of July." We believe that this stands for: Find them, French them, Feel them, Finger them, F*ck them, Forget them. As well as the term "Devil's Triangle." Perhaps Sen. Grassley can ask him. #Basta  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018

In yet another tweet, Avenatti said that his client is not Deborah Ramirez, the former college classmate of Kavanaughs whose sexual misconduct claim against the judge was published by The New Yorker Sunday night. But there is an anecdote in that story that relates to Avenattis claim. The New Yorker quotes an ex-girlfiend of Judges who said he told her a story that mirrors the allegations Avenatti is making.

There is a gang rape allegation against Mark Judge in the story about the second misconduct allegation against Kavanaugh pic.twitter.com/4jGhy0OATk  Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) September 24, 2018

Prior to his more explicit tweet Sunday, Avenatti teased new dirt on the 53-year-old Kavanaugh. On Saturday, he tweeted that all indications are that Dr. Ford is not alone, a reference to Christine Ford, who says Kavanaugh attempted to rape her at party when they were in high school. He followed that Sunday morning with a tweet that said, What happens at Georgetown Prep does not stay at Georgetown Prep. Kavanagh was a student at the elite private school at the time of the alleged incident with Ford.The Union government will increase its annual allocation for interest-free loans to students and digitalise over 15 lakh classrooms as part of its resolve to ensure quality in the country, said Union Minister Prakash Javdekar Monday.

The annual budget to provide interest-free loans to 10 lakh students would be increased to Rs 2,200 crore in next three years, said Union Minister for Human Resource Development Javdekar, addressing the 2nd Higher Human Resource Conclave here.

Over 15 lakh classrooms from standard 9 to post-graduate levels would be digitalised under 'Operation Digital Board', he told the conclave, organised with an aim "to promote an environment of innovations, employability and entrepreneurship across the country".

Talking of the government's plan to further hike the budgetary allocation for the interest-free loans to students, he said over four to five lakh youths used to get interest-free loans amounting to Rs 800 crore in 2014.

Under the present BJP-led government at the Centre, it has been increased to Rs 1,800 crore to benefit over 8 lakh students, said the minister, addressing the conclave, being attended by ministers of various states, including those from Rajasthan, Manipur and Uttarakhand.

The conclave was also attended by representatives from various universities and colleges along with the HR managers, corporate leaders and employers, start-ups, CSR agencies and venture capitalists from across the country, besides educationists and senior government officials.

AICTE Chairman Anil Sahastrabuddhe attended the conclave as a special guest.

Demonstrating the government's resolve to metamorphosise education in the country, Javdekar said when Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government assumed charges, the country's education was pegged at a mere Rs 63,000 crore, which has now gone up to Rs 1.10 lakh crore.

He said the HRD ministry has allocated Rs 4,000 crore each for the first and second phase of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) while the phase-three scheme was in pipeline.

The Centre has provided over Rs 6,000 crore to Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman, Rajasthana and Bihar under Technical Education Quality Improvement Program for providing quality education, he said.

The 'digital classes' would improve the quality of education and bring about a radical change, said the minister.

The Centre aims at launching Operation Digital Board' in all schools in five years, said an official release earlier, adding the venture would "ensure quality, equity, accessibility and accountability in education by pro-active action and plan".

The novel venture aims at empowering students "with 360 degree information with interesting learning experience and increased teachers' accountability", it had said.

Interacting with college students in various districts of the state via video conferencing, Javdekar said "the digital technology has changed our lives."



I am happy that Hindi and other Indian languages are being used more than English on Google, he said.

The minister also lauded the improvement of educational standard in Rajasthan, saying the state has entered a new era on educational front.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajasthan Education Minister Kiran Maheshwari listed the state's various innovations and reforms in higher education in the last four and a half years.

She said 81 new colleges were set up in the state and 75 others were provided funds to add to their infrastructure.

Manipur Higher Education Minister T Radheshyam Singh urged educationists participating in the conclave "to connect, engage and participate" in his state for upgrading its education system.

He said "people believe the Northeast is limited to Assam and Guwahati, but it is much more beyond that."



He urged people to visit Manipur and participate in its development, and said the state has one Central University, besides a 'cluster university' and 40 colleges under RUSA.

A cluster university is an initiative of the centrally-sponsored RUSA to create new universities by upgrading existing colleges and converting them into a cluster.

Cluster universities have also been set up in Jammu and Srinagar. This helps colleges to introduce new courses and engage in more research work.

Uttarakhand Higher Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat said his state would organsie 'gyankhumb,' an important, two-day conclave on education, in Haridwar from November 3 to 5. The event will be inaugurated by the President Ram Nath Kovind.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of deflecting the country's attention from key issues like "corruption" in the Rafale deal by raising the issue of Pakistan.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala charged that "an unnerved, frustrated and worried Modi government is now seeking shelter of Pakistan to deflect attention of the country" as it was faced with corruption "exposed" in the Rafale scam.

He told reporters that Modi should answer questions raised on corruption in Rafale deal and other issues and not teach lessons to its leaders on nationalism.

The Congress leader charged that every time demonetisation-like "disaster" happens and people suffer, Modi remembers Pakistan.

"Every time a Mehul Choksi or 'chhota Modi' Nirav Modi runs away with India's money, the Modi government remembers Pakistan. Every time a bank scam where government is guilty, the Modi government remembers Pakistan".

"Now that Rafale scam has exposed rampant corruption, the Modi government is again seeking shelter behind Pakistan. Please answer questions of the nation for the nation seeks accountability from you Mr Prime Minister. We want to ask certain questions to the PM," he said.

Surjewala also took a dig at Modi for his "sari-shawl diplomacy" saying it was done when Pakistan was indulging in ceasefire violations.

"Was your love for Pakistan not apparent when you were indulging in sari -shawl diplomacy as Pakistan was doing ceasefire violations and killing our soldiers. Was it not your love for Pakistan Modi ji when you had gone as an uninvited guest to Pakistan as Pakistan attacked our Pathankot airbase," he asked.

"Was it not your love for Pakistan when you invited the dreaded ISI who is the harbinger and protector of terrorists who come to India every day from Pakistan soil, when you invited them to investigate the Pathankot airbase attack and the same ISI went back and accused India of killing its own soldiers, " he queried.

"Was it your love for Pakistan when you formed a government in J&K with PDP and in presence of our Prime Minister, the PDP chief minister thanked not people of India or J&K not Indian army or election commission but they thanked Pakistan and the separatists."



He also asked whether it was his love for Pakistan when a leader, whom the Congress alleged belonged to the BJP IT cell of Madhya Pradesh, was caught spying for the ISI.

"Was it your love for Pakistan when your deputy CM Nirmal Singh in J &K publically said that Burhan Wani the terrorist would not have been killed by security forces had they known that the terrorist was inside. Was it your love for Pakistan when Modi government proceeded to invite Asiya Andrabi as the poster girl for 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'.

"So the connection of terrorists with BJP is well known. Don't preach us lessons on nationalism. We have served this country with our own blood. The history of this country is written with the blood of Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sardar Beant Singh, Nand Kumar Patel and many many others. Answer the questions don't deflect," he told reporters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two pedestrians were mowed down Monday by a car allegedly driven by a 16-year-old cleaner in Gwaltoli area in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, the police said.

The teenager makes a living by washing cars, according to police.

The incident occurred after the car owner handed over the keys of the vehicle to the youth to clean its interiors, said an official from Palasia police station.

"The man handed the keys to the teenager and went inside his house. But instead of cleaning the car, the youth drove it to the main road. However, he soon lost his control over the car which ran over and killed two persons before ramming into a boundary wall of a house," he said.

The deceased are identified as Laxmi (55) and Bablu Malkhan (40), the official said, adding that the teenager has been detained.

The youth was driving the car for the first time when the accident occurred, the official said, adding that they will also take action against the owner of the car.

Police have impounded the vehicle and conducting further investigation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy's mentor and race manager Cdr (retd) Dilip Donde was a relieved man Monday after a French vessel rescued the injured sailor, whose yacht went adrift in the Indian Ocean for three days.

Cdr Tomy was rescued by fishing vessel Osiris, which was diverted from its nearby location after Friday's storm which damaged the Navy officer's boat Thuriya.

"Abhilash is very determined and focused. That he volunteered to do the circumnavigation of the globe a second time itself speaks of his mental strength," Cdr Donde told PTI on phone from Goa, where he is settled after retirement from the Navy.

"Initially, all of us were worried but now we are very relieved," Cdr Donde, who is credited with placing India in the group of countries whose sailors have accomplished solo circumnavigations, said.

In 2010, Cdr Donde became the first Indian to finish circumnavigation of the globe, with five stopovers, while his pupil Cdr Tomy did the same in 2013, without any stopovers.

Cdr Tomy was participating in the Golden Globe Race (GGR), being held to commemorate 50th anniversary of the first non-stop sailing by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, when his 32-feet long yacht dismasted after Friday's storm.

GGR participants are are using 1968-vintage equipment for the daunting voyage.

Cdr Tomy, who was placed third, faced a massive storm and choppy waters with high tides, which toppled his yacht. It later stabilised but the mast broke up, making it drift for three days, Cdr Donde said. Cdr Tomy would have been inside the bunk when the toppling happened, he added.

"None of us have spoken to him yet. But it looks like when he was inside, he suffered an injury to his back, which made him immobile inside the bunk," Cdr Donde said, adding the fate of a satellite phone kept for emergencies is also not known.

Throughout the ordeal, Cdr Tomy was communicating with the race headquarters through satellite-based texting equipment, he said.

According to GGR's Facebook page, Cdr Tomy went without any food as he lay in the drifting boat, over 1800 miles away from Western Australia coast.

Cdr Tomy's short texts described both his state and the surroundings - an injured back, inability to move, rough seas and the need for a stretcher for evacuation.

When asked if Cdr Tomy had taken any mental training ahead of the race, the former Navy officer said, "What more training does one need after having finished the same journey before?"



Ahead of the GGR flag-off from the coast of Les Sables dOlonne in France on July 1, there were survival workshops which Cdr Tomy underwent where the participants were taught about use of life-saving equipment, he said.

Cdr Tomy, a reconnaissance pilot with the Navy, also underwent training as part of his commissioning and on-the-job training which makes him a very strong person, Cdr Donde said.

Indian Navy's reconnaissance aircraft P8I flew over Thuriya Sunday, giving the world a glimpse of Cdr Tomy's ill-fated vessel. The Navy also diverted stealth frigate INS Satpura to help in the rescue.

"Cdr Tomy is now being taken to the Ile Amsterdam island, located about 100 miles away, where he will be administered first aid. Depending on his condition, he will be shifted for further treatment," Cdr Donde said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre on Monday opposed in the Delhi High Court a PIL seeking cancellation of a lease awarding 50 acres of land at Kandla Port in Gujarat to a private firm, on the ground on lack of territorial jurisdiction.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao was told by Additional Solicitor General Sandeep Sethi that the petition was without any merits and the court need not go into the controversy.

After hearing the arguments of the counsel for the petitioner, the Centre and Kandla Port Trust (KPT), now known as Deendayal Port Trust, the court reserved its verdict on the petition filed by the NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL).

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, alleged that KPT overvalued the structures set up at the site by the firm, Friends Salt Works and Allied Industries (FSWAI), when it had leased the land in the past, to ensure that only the firm gets the contract.

The ASG argued that the tender was invited at Gujarat, the property concerned was situated in Gujarat where the bidding cum auction was conducted and no cause of action arose within the jurisdiction of the Delhi High Court.

The Centre, in its affidavit filed in the matter, has said that it adopts the stand taken by the port trust which denied the allegations levelled in the petition.

Senior advocate A S Chandiok, appearing for the port trust, also said the petition was not maintainable on the grounds of lack of territorial jurisdiction.

He said merely because the Union of India has been arrayed as a party respondent, would not confer the right to the petitioner to file the plea here and even no relief has been sought against the Centre.

The port trust, in its affidavit, claimed that the entire process of tender was lawfully conducted in a transparent manner and that it has acted in conformity with relevant land policy and norms such as awarding of contracts by inviting tenders.

The petition has alleged that KPT overvalued the assets, including a liquid storage tank terminal, at Rs 207 crore which a successful bidder for the land had to pay to FSWAI under the new tender issued in 2014.

It said the FSWAI in its balance sheet had valued the structures at Rs 48 crore.

The petition claimed that FSWAI did not have to pay the amount of Rs 207 crore if it was successful in the bid and added that under the earlier lease agreement KPT did not have any contractual obligation to compensate the firm for its assets.

The NGO has sought that if the lease awarded to the firm in April 2015 is not cancelled, then the amount of Rs 207 crore be recovered from it.

"The introduction of said clause in the tender (to compensate FSWAI) is illegal and arbitrary since it was the responsibility of FSWAI to remove the structures before the expiry of the (earlier) lease. The additional burden of Rs 207 crore on other bidders put them at a significant disadvantage and ensured that the said tender would be awarded to FSWAI," the NGO has alleged in its plea.

CPIL had earlier raised the issue in a fresh application moved in a pending petition which claimed that a huge scam had taken place during 1960s and 1970s when plots near Kandla Port were leased out on nomination basis to private parties without a bidding process.

The court, however, had asked the NGO to file a separate petition to challenge the new lease and subsequently it filed the instant PIL.

The earlier PIL had also alleged irregularities in allotment of 16,000 acres of government land which caused a huge loss to the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.): The church Monday withdrew restrictions imposed on a Catholic nunfor participating in the recent protest by nuns in Kochi demanding the arrest of rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

Sister Lucy Kalapura, who returned to her parish here Sunday, was asked to keep away from all church duties, conducting prayers and other activities related to the Syro Malabar catholic church.

The decision to lift the ban on the nun was taken at a meeting of parish at the St Marys Church Karakkamala in the district Monday.

A group of believers also protested in front of the parish hall, demanding withdrawal of action against the nun.

Speaking to reporters,SrLucy Kalapura said that she was happy that the church lifted the ban on her.

"It is a victory of justice", she added.

The nuns had protested for 13 days, demanding the arrest of the Bishop who was accused of repeatedly raping a nun.

Mulakkal, who was subsequently arrested on Saturday after three days of intense grilling by Kerala police, is now in 12 day judicial custody.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)When foreign officials visit the CIA, they sometimes leave with a fine bottle of Kentucky bourbon, newly confirmed CIA Director Gina Haspel said Monday in her first public event in which the former undercover intelligence officer disclosed a few personal details of her life and outlined her priorities for the agency.

Returning to her alma mater at the University of Louisville, Haspel delved into some of the United States' toughest challenges around the world. The spy agency's first female director also lifted the veil behind her life, discussing her affection for Johnny Cash songs, her reading preferences when not poring through CIA briefing books and her most memorable celebrity encounter.

That would be Queen Elizabeth, and yes, the queen knew she was a CIA operative.

"The queen is extremely well-briefed," Haspel told the audience. The 61-year-old native Ashland, Kentucky, also revealed that she promotes one of the bluegrass state's most famous products bourbon when meeting top-ranking foreign officials.

"Among my greatest pleasures as director are my relationships with foreign counterparts who come to visit," Haspel said. "And I made it a tradition that when ... foreign heads of service visit Langley, Virginia, and sit with me in my office, I send them away with a bottle of very fine Kentucky bourbon. And we are moving through a number so far."



She revealed Woodford Reserve was the brand most recently given as a parting gift.

While touting her Kentucky roots, Haspel grew up around the world as the daughter of an Air Force serviceman. She worked in Africa, Europe and classified locations around the globe and was tapped as deputy director of the CIA last year. She worked under former CIA director Mike Pompeo until President Donald Trump moved him to secretary of state.

During a question-and-answer session with political commentator Scott Jennings, she listed London and Istanbul as her favorite overseas cities and confessed to enjoying lighter reading fare during spare time. One of her most recent reads was "Hillbilly Elegy," which she enjoyed despite some initial issues with the title.

The Senate confirmed her in May to lead the spy agency. She told the Louisville audience that one of her top priorities is to invest more heavily in collecting intelligence against nation state adversaries as well as Islamic extremists.

"Our efforts against these difficult intelligence gaps have been overshadowed over the years by the intelligence community's justifiable heavy emphasis on counterterrorism in the wake of 9/11," she said.

"Groups such as the so-called Islamic State and al-Qaida remain squarely in our sights, but we are sharpening our focus on nation state adversaries."



Haspel said she also is working to invest in foreign-language training to make sure CIA officers are attuned to the cultures where they work. Another one of her priorities is to recruit officers of all genders, races and cultures and increase the number of officers stationed overseas. She said the CIA also is working to beef up counter narcotics efforts abroad to address the nation's opioid crisis.

On North Korea, Haspel said she thinks Pyongyang views its nuclear weapons program as leverage and a key to the survival of its government. "I don't think that they want to give it up easily," Haspel said shortly before Trump said that a second summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un was likely to occur "quite soon."



Haspel said, however, that she believes the U.S. is in a better place than during North Korea's unprecedented level of testing last year "because of the dialogue we've established between our two leaders." On China, Haspel said the CIA was monitoring Beijing's global ambitions, including its investments in Africa, Latin America, the Pacific Islands and South Asia.

"They want to be dominant in the Asia-Pacific region, of course, and unfortunately they are working to diminish U.S. influence in order to advance their own goals in the region," she said.

The CIA is concerned about some of the tactics China uses, such as offering poor countries investments and loans that perhaps those countries won't be able to repay. The U.S. wants those countries to be aware of how that might jeopardize their sovereignty, she said.

On Iran, she said the Iranian people are suffering from economic problems because their economy has been mismanaged. She said that as an intelligence officer, she has been surprised at the amount of money Iran is spending to prop up the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, expand its influence in Iraq and equip and train Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are using that equipment to attack U.S. allies, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Haspel's appearance was part of the McConnell Center's speaker series at the University of Louisville. The center is named for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. While introducing her Monday, the Kentucky Republican said Haspel's "unrivaled expertise is helping secure America's position on the world stage." Haspel's appearance drew protests from a small group of students who chanted in the rain while huddled under umbrellas.

They cited her past role supervising a covert detention site in Thailand where terror suspects were waterboarded, an interrogation technique that simulates drowning.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh Monday appealed to students, teachers and employees of Manipur University to work together to bring a solution rather than prolonging the impasse in the Central university.

The chief minister told reporters here that the state government cannot tolerate any breach of law and order and appealed to all to bring a solution to the impasse in Manipur University.

Singh said since the university falls under the jurisdiction of Union HRD Ministry, the state authorities cannot directly intervene but is committed to restore normalcy and peaceful academic atmosphere.

Meanwhile, a student leader told reporters Monday that students of at least 10 departments of Manipur University will not appear for the ongoing second and fourth semester examination till all the teachers and students arrested by police are released "unconditionally".

With large deployment of security forces in the campus, the student leader who contacted the media from an unspecified location claimed the students are not able to concentrate on their studies as their is a "fear psychosis".

Eighty-nine students and six teachers of Manipur University were arrested on September 21 following an agitation on the institute's campus the day before.

Mobile internet services were suspended in the state for the next five days to avoid circulation of "misinformation and rumours" over the incident.

A team of officers raided the university hostel and the residential quarters around 1am and took the students and the teachers into custody based on a complaint filed by newly appointed Acting Vice Chancellor K Yugindro Singh.

Singh, in his complaint, had said he was "gheraoed" by the agitators for trying to assume charges at the central university, where a prolonged battle between former vice chancellor AP Panday and the students and teachers have hampered academic activities for over four months.

President Ram Nath Kovind, in his capacity as Visitor of the Manipur University, recently placed Pandey under suspension as the inquiry into the allegations of irregularities against him was underway.

K Yugindro Singh was appointed as the Acting VC by the Ministry of Human Resources Department, soon after the suspension of Pandey.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court has ordered framing of charges of corruption, cheating and criminal conspiracy against former JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP Anil Kumar Sahani and others in a case of allegedly using fake bills to claim leave travel concession (LTC).

Special Judge Arun Bhardwaj said "prima facie" there was evidence to put the politician on trial.

"In the opinion of this court, Sahani attempted fraudulent withdrawal of TA/DA claim to the tune of



Rs 14.22 lakh by using forged e-tickets and boarding passes as genuine.

"He is also liable to be charged for destroying the TA Claim Form and erasing/deleting the signatures from e-tickets which he had taken back from the office of Rajya Sabha, Secretariat, in the name of verification," the court said.

It said according to the TA/DA bills of December 2012, Sahani tried to get reimbursement for 20 air tickets which were remaining unutilised in continuation of his first aborted attempt in March, 2012.

The court said the politician was liable to be charged under various sections including 120 B (criminal conspiracy), read with 420 (cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

It also ordered to frame charges against N S Nair, then Office Superintendent (Traffic), IGI Airport at New Delhi and Arvind Tiwari, a private person, for the alleged offences of corruption, criminal conspiracy, cheating and others.

"Let charges be framed against the accused accordingly," the court said.

The court had on April 12 last granted bail to Sahani and others after they appeared before it in pursuance to the summons issued against them.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed the charge sheet under various sections dealing with cheating and forgery, and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Goa BJP legislator Francis D'Souza expressed displeasure Monday over his removal from the Manohar Parrikar-led cabinet, wondering if this was the reward given to him by the party for his 20-year-long loyalty.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Monday dropped from his cabinet D'Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar, both ailing and currently admitted at hospitals.

"This is the reward I am getting for my loyalty to the party for the last 20 years," D'Souza, who is currently admitted at a hospital in the US, told PTI on phone.

The MLA, who got elected on the BJP ticket from Mapusa constituency in North Goa district for the past two decades, claimed he was not even taken into confidence before being dropped from the cabinet.

"I had even spoken to the chief minister last evening but he did not give any hint... When I called him today after coming to know that I was being dropped, the chief minister said it was the party high command's decision," said the MLA, who was heading the urban development department.

Besides D'Souza, Parrikar also dropped power minister Madkaikar, who is admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai after he suffered a brain stroke in June.

They would be replaced with BJP legislators Milind Naik and Nilesh Cabral.

D'Souza claimed the party was trying to remove him from the cabinet for the past one year. "Finally, they did it," he said.

"Today they have dropped me from cabinet. Tomorrow they will remove me from the party, if I am useless for them," he said.

D'Souza, one of the senior most ministers in the cabinet, was a contender for the chief minister's post in 2014 when Parrikar was elevated as the defence minister in the central government.

The legislator, however, had lost the chance to party colleague Laxmikant Parsekar, who then became the chief minister.

Parrikar, 62, is undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Trumps imaginary massive crime wave is ebbing. Photo: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

One way in which Donald Trump has brought back the racially divisive rhetoric of a past generation has involved his regular invocation of a massive crime wave engulfing the country. This was a staple of his 2016 presidential campaign, and he continues to warn that a Democratic Congress would generate more crime despite the underlying reality that violent crime rates are about half what they were in 1990. Small but real upticks in certain crimes in 2015 and 2016 gave Trumps crime demagoguery at least a patina of truth. But now the FBIs Uniform Crime Report for 2017 is showing that the longer-term trend of lower crime rates over the last quarter-century has resumed, as The Hill reports:

The number and rate of both property and violent crimes committed across the United States fell in 2017, led by big declines in some cities hit hard in recent years by waves of violence.

Data released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows 382.9 violent crimes per 100,000 U.S. residents in 2017, down from 386.6 per hundred thousand residents in 2016, about a one percent decrease.

Both the number and rate of crimes committed across the country are still slightly above the recent low that was reached in 2014. But the long-term decline in crime that began in the early 1990s is still evident. There were about 200,000 fewer violent crimes committed in 2017 than there were in 1999, even though the countrys population has risen by 50 million people. The number of property crimes has dropped by more than two million in just a decade.

Early estimates for 2018 indicate that the 2017 trend of moderately lower crime rates is continuing, in part because the headline-grabbing spike in homicides in cities like Baltimore and Chicago appears to have ended. But again, the long-term trend is clear and unmistakable. It would take many years of steady increases in crime rates to get the country back to the relative state of peril citizens experienced during and just following the Reagan presidency.

The most immediate question is whether the president and Republicans on the midterm campaign trail will ignore the numbers, deny them, or even try to take credit for the latest trend, as Attorney General Jeff Sessions tried to do today, and as he did earlier this year, when the first signs appeared that crime rates were again declining. This last tack isnt terribly credible:

Thomas Abt, a former federal prosecutor now a senior fellow at Harvard Law School and Kennedy School of Government, noted that the decline came before Trump announced his first wave of U.S. attorneys in June.

Its simply not honest to say that aggressive federal prosecution was responsible for the crime decline when the federal prosecutors that Trump nominated werent even in office at the time, Abt said.

What is more, he said, about 90 percent of criminal prosecutions in the United States are handled by local and state courts, leaving the federal government with a limited role in crime fighting.

The most common rhetorical gambit of Republicans trying to energize the base heading towards the midterms is simply to agitate the air anecdotally about undocumented immigrants accused of especially heinous crimes like the murder of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbets. As has been established repeatedly, there is no evidence whatsoever that tight or loose immigration policies have anything to do with crime rates; indeed, immigrants, legal or illegal, commit crimes less often than native-born citizens. But as a two-fer guaranteed to upset older conservative white voters upset who already fear the country is going to hell in a hand-basket, the idea of an immigrant-fed crime wave is hard to beat.

The question may be whether facts about crime will matter at all."Everybody has taken the law in their own hands," the Supreme Court said Monday while hearing a matter related to sealing of unauthorised constructions in Delhi.

The bench made the observation while hearing a plea filed by the owner of a motel, situated near Chhattarpur area of South Delhi, which has been sealed by the authorities.

"Everybody has taken the law in their own hands," a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta said, adding "why somebody has to say that please obey the law?"



Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the applicant, said that on September 14, the basement of the building was sealed by the authorities and then on September 20, the entire premises of six acres was sealed.

He said due to the wedding season, they had made pandals which was removed by them but still the premises was sealed despite the fact that they had already replied to the show cause notice issue to them by the authorities.

"Your client must be literate. Why literate people have to be told that you have to follow the law? Why do you want to endanger the people," the bench told Rohatgi.

To this, Rohatgi said pandals were used traditionally during wedding ceremonies.

"But what about fire hazard," the bench asked and observed that as per reports, there were around 51,000 houses in Delhi which were being used for commerical purposes.

Responding to the query, the senior counsel said they had the fire clearance to use pandals, which were also used during functions at the apex court.

To this, the bench said, "We have the fire safety clearance".

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the sealing matter, told the bench that the motel had applied for regularisation on September 11. "They (motel owner) had applied for regularisation of basement. That means they also understand that it was not regular," Kumar said.

The bench, after hearing the arguments, said as an interim measure, the seal of the premises would be opened. It, however, made it clear that basement of the motel would remain sealed and no pandals would be made there.

The apex court asked the monitoring committee, which has been mandated to identify and seal illegal constructions in the national capital, to file its report in the matter within 10 days and posted the case for hearing after two weeks.

The top court had earlier ordered restoration of its 2006 monitoring committee to identify and seal the offending structures.

The monitoring committee, comprising K J Rao, former advisor to the Election Commissioner, Bhure Lal, chairman of Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, and Major General (Retd) Som Jhingan, was set up on March 24, 2006, by the court.

The top court is also seized of the issue related to validity of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006 and subsequent legislations which protect illegal construction from being sealed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Dengue cases have spiralled in the city with over 340 people being diagnosed with the vector-borne disease this season, nearly 70 per cent of whom were affected in September alone, a municipal report released on Monday said.

At least 100 fresh cases of dengue have been reported in the last one week.

As many as 256 cases of malaria and 68 of chikungunya have also been reported this season till September 22.

Of the total 343 dengue cases this year, 236 were reported till September 22, 58 in August, 19 in July, eight in June, 10 in May, two in April, one in March, three in February and six cases in January.

Two cases of malaria were reported in February, one each in April and March, 17 in May, 25 in June, 42 in July, 82 in August and 55 till September 15, according to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which tabulates data on vector-borne diseases for the city.

A senior doctor at a government-run facility advised people to take all precautions, like wearing full-sleeves and not allowing the breeding of mosquito larvae inside their homes.

"Water coolers should be dried up when not in use as dengue infection carrying mosquitoes breed there a lot. Mosquito nets should be used at home," the doctor said.

Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between July and November, but the period may stretch to mid-December. No vector-borne disease case was reported till January 13.

The report said domestic breeding checkers found mosquito breeding in 1,71,045 households in the city till September 22. It said 1,43,611 legal notices have been served for various violations and "20,112 prosecutions initiated".

On June 28, Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal had directed local bodies and other agencies to intensify vector control measures.

He had also asked for regular meetings at the level of district magistrates with all stakeholders to review the situation in their respective districts.

According to the SDMC, 10 people died due to dengue in Delhi last year, of whom five were not residents of the national capital.

Overall, the vector-borne disease had affected 9,271 people in the city last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court Monday said the issue relating to desertion of wives by their NRI husbands is of "great concern" and sought the response of various ministries on it.

The court said it would examine a plea seeking framing of guidelines concerning protection of rights and safeguarding of interest of women deserted by Non-Resident Indian (NRI) husbands.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao sought response of ministries of Law and Justice, External Affairs, Home Affairs and Child and Women Development as also the National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women on the petition filed by Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC).

"It requires examination. It is an issue of great concern," the bench said and listed the matter for January 9 for further hearing.

DSGMC, represented by advocate Rajat Taneja, raised the issue of wives being deserted and abandoned by their NRI husbands on various grounds, including dowry. This was shattering their dreams and reducing them to hapless individuals without any fault of theirs, it maintained.

The petition, filed through advocates Jasleen Chahal and Manpreet Kaur, said a woman is entitled to equal enjoyment and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and there is an urgent need to focus on the ever growing complaints where a wife is deserted by her NRI husband.

The plea mentioned the pattern of exploitation which include that the woman learns on reaching the residence of her husband in the other country that he is already married to someone else and continues to live with her.

"Usually they marry Indian women due to pressure from his parents in order to please them or sometimes to use her like a domestic help," it said.

It added that the woman is sent back to India by her husband with a promise of being called her back, but she is left behind without passport, visa and money, thus leaving her without any way to rejoin her spouse.

"In many such instances, the woman would be pregnant when he left and both, she and the child are abandoned. The husband never calls or write and never comes back again. The in-laws who could still be in India would either plead helplessness or flatly refuse to help," the plea said.

It said women who seek the aid of criminal justice system to prosecute her husband and in-laws for dowry demands and cruelty are left handicapped as trial fails to proceed because the offender spouse would not come to India to face the proceedings.

The plea said there is no comprehensive or special law to govern such aspects.

"The Supreme Court has dealt with similar issues on various occasions and has already expressed its distress upon lack of legislative measures in India with respect to exploitation of women by their NRI husbands," it claimed.

The plea sought direction to the authorities to constitute high level committee to frame guidelines concerning protection of rights and safeguarding of interest of women who are deserted by NRI husbands and to strengthen the enforcement of such guidelines by streamlining the law.

It sought direction to make arrangement for deportation of such offenders to India.

It said services of an independent investigating agency be taken to deal with the matters where wives are deserted and constitute a monitoring panel to look into the status of such pending complaints.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A doctor has been booked on the charge of sexually assaulting a minor girl here, police said Monday.

The accused, Karma, was running his clinic in Kathgarh village here, they said.

When the girl was on her way back home after attending a religious function on Saturday night, the accused forcibly took her in his car and sexually assaulted her at a secluded place, police said.

He also threatened the girl with dire consequences, police said.

A case under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) has been registered against the accused, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A drug peddler was arrested and prohibited drugs seized from his possession in lower Assam's Kokrajhar district, a senior police officer said Monday.

Based on specific inputs, a joint team of BSF and police Sunday night nabbed a drug peddler from Bidyapur area, said Kokrajhar, Superintendent of Police, Rajen Sing.

Police seized from the drug peddler's possession 1362 tablets suspected to be prohibited drugs, the SP said.

During another operation on Sunday night at Boseguri village a stolen pick up truck without registration number plate was seized and two persons arrested, Sing added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Donald Trump will meet this week with the deputy attorney general overseeing the probe into the president's alleged collusion with Russia, the White House said Monday after reports that Rod Rosenstein was about to resign or be fired.

Rosenstein's job has looked untenable since last week's bombshell publication of reports that he had discussed ways to remove Trump from office, due to incompetence.

"At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and president Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent stories," the White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, said.

"Because the president is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the president returns to Washington, DC," she said in a statement.

The White House statement neither confirmed nor put to rest mounting rumors that Rosenstein is on the way out.

The departure of Rosenstein -- possibly giving Trump an opportunity to get more of a loyalist as a replacement -- would dramatically rock the probe into whether Russia conspired with Trump's campaign to aid his 2016 shock presidential election victory.

Rosenstein plays a key role in overseeing the high-powered investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which Trump calls a politically motivated "witch hunt." Even prior to last week's hugely embarrassing reports,



Rosenstein had frequently been criticized by Trump. Rosenstein was received Monday for a meeting at the White House by the chief of staff, John Kelly, with US media initially reporting that this might be the moment when he stepped down or was forced aside. A decision on that was then evidently put off to Thursday.

In a highly unusual policy for a US president, Trump regularly attacks the Justice Department and the FBI, claiming that they are biased against him in the Russia probe.

Just last Friday, Trump referred in a speech to supporters to a "lingering stench" at the Justice Department that he would soon eradicate.

Allies of the president say he is angered and frustrated by Mueller's probe, which has resulted in multiple prosecutions and convictions of people close to Trump -- with the prosecutor's targets inching ever higher up the chain.

The rancor between Trump and his own law enforcement bodies took an extraordinary turn with reports last week that in May 2017 Rosenstein suggested secretly recording Trump for evidence of White House dysfunction.

Rosenstein, who denies the reports, was said to have wanted to gather evidence for use in removing Trump from power under a constitutional amendment for cases when a president is not fit for office.

The New York Times and Washington Post reports were based on secret memos by a former FBI director.

Amid ever deepening paranoia and partisan division in Washington, some speculated the notes were leaked as a trap for Trump -- challenging him to oust the official in charge of the Russia probe.

His presidency is already overshadowed by a book by White House chronicler Bob Woodward that depicts Trump as so chaotic and capricious that aides even swipe controversial orders from his desk before they can be signed.

But others speculated that the story about Rosenstein had been planted to undermine both the deputy attorney general and Mueller, thereby giving Trump an excuse to go on the attack.

Democrat opponents and also many from his own Republican Party have warned Trump not to take any action that could be seen as attempting to weaken or even dismantle the Russia probe.

Many have predicted that Rosenstein would have to go as a result of the reports on his supposed plot. But if this were followed by an attempt to get the new deputy attorney general to fire Mueller, that would be a red line for many in Congress.

With November midterm congressional elections rapidly approaching -- and Trump's Republicans fearing a battering -- analysts say there would be considerable risk for the party if the White House is even seen to be trying to interfere in the Russia probe.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The EU on Monday gave Britain two months to recover 2.7 billion euros ($3.3 billion) in lost customs duties or risk referral to the EU's top court after London allegedly ignored a scam by Chinese importers.

The demand, part of a so-called infringement action launched by Brussels, threatens to further inflame tensions amid fraught Brexit negotiations just days after an EU summit in Austria ended in acrimony.

"The United Kingdom now has two months to act; otherwise the Commission may refer the case to the Court of Justice of the EU," said a statement by the commission, the European Union's executive arm.

The case follows an investigation last year by the EU fraud watchdog that found Britain turned a blind eye to the rampant use of fake invoices and customs claims by Chinese importers for textiles and footwear.

The commission believes that "despite having been informed of the risks of fraud", Britain "failed to take effective action to prevent the fraud" -- a failure which in turn short-changed the EU budget.

The affair is especially ill-timed as Britain's proposal for future trade ties with Europe after Brexit centres on an offer that London handle customs checks on behalf of the EU after the split.

Britain's Brexit proposal was flatly dismissed as "unworkable" by EU Council President Donald Tusk, to the frustration of British Prime Minister Theresa May.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court Monday termed as "serious" the allegations made by the wife of arrested former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt that he was not being allowed to sign any document in custody to enable him approach the apex court.

A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha said the Gujarat government should file a reply to the allegations levelled by Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt in her petition, on or before October 4.

"Before we go into the merit of the case, we would like Gujarat government to respond to the allegations. According to us, the issue raised is serious as it pertains to allegation made against the state that it is preventing a citizen to approach us," the bench said.

Advocate Divyesh Pratap Singh, appearing for Shweta Sanjiv Bhatt said they have also challenged the remand of Bhatt, who was arrested by the Gujarat CID on September 5 in connection with a 22-year-old case of alleged planting of drugs to arrest an advocate.

"We are not on remand at present. We are not on individual hardship. If a citizen is not allowed to come to court and his wife has to come before us, then it's a very serious issue," the bench said.

At the outset, the bench asked Bhatt's lawyer to read the averments made in the petition and said it had taken note of it.

Singh said Bhatt was not allowed to sign any documents including Vakalatnama for filing an appeal against the high court order.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Gujarat government, said it will file an affidavit with regard to the averments made in the petition.

The bench then listed the matter for October 4.

Bhatt and seven others, including some former policemen attached with the Banaskantha Police, were initially detained for questioning in the case. Bhatt was the Banaskantha district superintendent of police in 1996.

As per the police, the Banaskantha Police under Bhatt had arrested one Sumersingh Rajpurohit, an advocate, in 1996 on charges of possessing around one kg of drugs. At that time, the Banaskantha Police had claimed that drugs were found in a hotel room occupied by Rajpurohit in the district's Palanpur town.

However, a probe by the Rajasthan Police had concluded that Rajpurohit was allegedly falsely implicated by the Banaskantha Police to compel him to transfer a disputed property at Pali in Rajasthan. It had also claimed to have found that Rajpurohit was allegedly abducted by the Banaskantha Police from his residence at Pali in Rajasthan.

Following the Rajasthan Police's investigation, former police inspector of Banaskantha I B Vyas had moved the Gujarat High Court in 1999 demanding a thorough inquiry into the matter.

In June this year, the high court had handed over the probe in the case to the CID while hearing the petition and asked it to complete the probe in three months.

The Gujarat Cadre IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt was suspended in 2011 on charges of remaining absent from duty without permission and misuse of official vehicles and later sacked in August, 2015.

Bhatt's wife Shweta has unsuccessfully contested assembly election as a Congress party candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad in 2012.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A fire broke out Monday at a factory of plastic bags in Samaipur Badli Industrial area, the Delhi Fire Service said.

A call about the fire was received at 7:20 am and immediately four fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was doused within 40 minutes, a senior officer of Delhi Fire Service said.

No injury or casualties were reported, he said.

The cause of fire is yet to be ascertained.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Five people died and as many were injured in separate incidents as heavy rains lashed Kullu, Kangra and Chamba districts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the officials said.

Four people, including a girl, died in Kullu, while a man died in Kangra district as heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides in many parts of the state Monday.

Schools have been directed to remain closed in Kangra, Kullu and Hamirpur districts on Tuesday as a precautionary measure, they said.

As the water level in rivers and streams increased following the incessant rain, a man was swept away by the swelling Nahad Khad (rivulet) in Kangra, the district administration said.

Tilak Raj, a resident of Luskwara village in Jawali tehsil, was swept away when he was crossing the rivulet Monday morning. His body was recovered in Wuhl Khad with the help of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, the officials said.

The four people who lost their lives in Kullu include Rupa (18), Sultana (15) of Bajaoura, Mohit of Banjar, and Sarang (16) of Manikaran, Superintendent of Police (Kullu) Shalini Agnihotri said.

Newly wedded couple Dalip Singh (21) and his wife Rupa (18) sustained critical injuries in a landslide between Pinni and Tikker in the district, Agnihotri said, adding that the wife was declared brought dead at a regional hospital, whereas Dalip was undergoing treatment.

Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur visited several affected areas of Kullu and met the family members of the deceased to express his grief.

Several houses were also swept away in flash floods as the Beas is flowing at a dangerous level, he said, cautioning people against going near rivers and nullahs.

Indian Air Force personnel rescued two people stranded at Hurla village near Kullu's Bajaoura by airlifting them using a helicopter, the minister said.

Thakur also honoured Indian Air Force Squadron Leader Vipul Goel and his team for rescuing 19 people stranded due to flash floods at Dobi in Kullu district on Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner Yunus has sounded a "high alert" in Kullu district where initial loss of property in recent rains has been estimated at over Rs 20 crores.

All adventurous sport activities, including paragliding, have been banned in Kullu, district Tourism Development Officer BS Negi said.

Meanwhile, Kangra and Kullu deputy commissioners Sandeep Kumar and Yunus, respectively, have ordered closure of all government and private educational institutions for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, officials said.

Hamirpur DC Richa Verma has declared that all government and private schools and anganwaris of the district would remain closed Tuesday. However, colleges in the district would remain open.

Meanwhile, four members of a family, Mukesh, his wife Shikha, their son and daughter sustained injuries in Chamba district, Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru said.

The Ravi river is flowing at a dangerous level, and people are being evacuated from low-lying areas since Sunday, she added.

People residing in low-lying areas, especially in Kangra, Chamba, Kullu and Mandi districts, are being evacuated, officials said.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar has alerted officials and people residing in low-lying areas that water would be released from the Pandoh reservoir as per a message from his counterpart in Mandi.

The water level in the Pong Dam is running above the danger mark which has led to the Bhakra Beas Management Board decision to open the flood gate of the dam, an official said.

Issuing a flood warning, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) said excess 49,000 cusecs water from the Beas Dam would be released on Tuesday at 3 pm. The water level of the dam already has reached 1,385.56 feet, he added.

The Himachal cabinet, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, reviewed the losses and rehabilitation and rescue operations being undertaken in the state.

A number of roads in various districts have been blocked due to landslides, and water and electricity supplies have been adversely affected in several areas, the officials added.

Most parts of Himachal Pradesh witnessed moderate to heavy rains on Monday too, Shimla MeT centre director Manmohan Singh said.

The weatherman further said that light to moderate rainfall would occur at scattered places over the mid and the low hills and at isolated places over the higher reaches of the state on September 25, and thereafter, the weather would almost be dry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)You cant have your robust welfare state and military-industrial complex, too. Photo: Dina Rudick/Boston Globe via Getty Images

In 2018, the United States spent $623 billion on national defense  more than China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India, France, the United Kingdom, and Japan spent on their militaries, combined. Last week, every Senate Democrat (with the arguable exception of Bernie Sanders) ostensibly decided that the Pentagons current budget wasnt quite large enough.

On one level, this was perfectly understandable. In Mitch McConnells Senate, a heaping helping of Pentagon pork is the price Democrats must pay to keep basic public services funded; by voting for a $17 billion increase in defense spending, Democrats secured new appropriations for the departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services.

But its still noteworthy that not a single one of the Democratic senators vying for ownership of the progressive lane in 2020 availed themselves of the opportunity for a protest vote.

For much of the past year, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Elizabeth Warren have been fighting for poll position in a race to the left edge of the possible, aligning themselves with a laundry list of ambitious expansions of the welfare state in the process. Today, the Democratic Partys leading lights are nearly unanimous in their (at least, rhetorical) support for Medicare for All, universal child care, free public college, a massive increase in federal housing subsidies, and a giant expansion in public employment (if not a jobs guarantee). Which is to say: There is now a consensus within the left wing of Chuck Schumers caucus that America should have something akin to a Western Europeanstyle welfare state.

And yet, no one (who is not a registered independent from Vermont) appears prepared to argue that America should so much as move in the direction of Western European levels of military spending.

Even those few left-leaning senators who have put significant thought into foreign policy  and have formulated a progressive critique of the Beltway common-sense on that subject  still dont dare to propose removing any coins from the Pentagons piggy bank. Connecticut senator Chris Murphy has called for shifting Americas geopolitical strategy away from reflexive interventionism and toward an expansion in soft power, while also voicing skepticism about the current U.S.-Saudi alliance. But asked last year whether a progressive, 21st-century U.S. foreign policy would involve cuts to overall defense spending, Murphy insisted that it would not.

I argue that a modern progressive foreign policy celebrates the strength of the U.S. military, the senator told New York, adding the American public supports a very strong military, so I think Democrats would be swimming pretty hard upstream if we were arguing for massive transfers of funding from the Department of Defense to other accounts.

Murphy is likely right about that. But then, Democrats would also be swimming upstream were they to argue for raising taxes on the middle class. Which is to say: If progressives are serious about all the (vitally necessary) new domestic spending theyve been proposing, theyre eventually going to have to do a crawl stroke through choppy waters.

To be sure, Democrats can comfortably finance a portion of their agenda by soaking the rich and growing the deficit. Contrary to D.C.s conventional wisdom, theres little reason to believe that Americas present debt load is a serious problem  and even less cause for thinking that its a bigger problem than, say, an accelerating ecological crisis thats on pace to shave trillions of dollars off of global growth, and, potentially, billions of people off planet Earth. (Making deficit-financed investments in renewable energy and climate preparedness would not be irresponsible; declining to make such investments in the name of fiscal probity would be.)

But just because centrists and conservatives grossly underestimate the states fiscal capacity, doesnt erase the fact that the U.S. has real resource constraints. And if progressives wish to build something-akin to an American social democracy  one replete with universal health care, childcare, top-notch social housing, a generous negative income tax, and similar amenities  theyre eventually going to need to look for new revenues in places other than the one percents pockets.

Ultimately, building a Western European-style welfare state will require progressives to raise middle-class taxes. But the more Democrats can cut subsidies for the international arms trade, the less of a bite theyll need to take out of ordinary Americans paychecks. As the Washington Posts Jeff Stein recently noted, if the U.S. pared back its military spending from 3.5 percent of GDP to the European standard of 2 percent, it would have an extra $3 trillion of revenue over the next decade  enough spare change to (to take just one example) establish universal preschool, debt-free college, and forgive every penny of outstanding student in the U.S.

Considering that an internal Pentagon study recently found that our military spends roughly $125 billion on administrative waste every five years  and that much of the military funding that isnt wasted goes toward endeavors like helping a totalitarian Islamist monarchy bomb school-buses full of Yemeni children  cutting the military-industrial complexs allowance seems preferable to raising taxes on ordinary Americans, as a matter of progressive principle.

And cutting defense is also more politically palatable than soaking the non-rich. It is true that public opinion polls do not typically show strong support for cutting defense spending; that a lot of voters earn their livings off Americas bloated defense sector; and that Democrats have historically struggled to combat a reputation for being soft on defense.

But its also true that the last 17 years of unwinnable wars have soured the American publics appetite for military adventures  while the declining fortunes of Americas working class, and decline in funding for basic public services in many U.S. states) have fostered widespread resentment over the amount of money the American state spends on its imperial ambitions. Earlier this year, Gallup found more than two-thirds of Americans saying that the U.S. spends either enough, or too much, on its military.

Early in the 2016 race, Donald Trump illustrated how the electorates infamous outrage over foreign aid could be redirected toward the Pentagon. While making his case against the Iraq War at a GOP primary debate, Trump proved that a butter not guns argument could be rendered appealing to a Republican audience, so long as it was framed in sufficiently nationalistic terms:

Weve spent $4 trillion trying to topple various people that, frankly, if they were there and if we could have spent that $4 trillion in the United States to fix our roads, our bridges, and all of the other problems  our airports and all the other problems we have  we would have been a lot better off, I can tell you that right nowThe Middle East is totally destabilized, a total and complete mess. I wish we had the 4 trillion dollars or 5 trillion dollars. I wish it were spent right here in the United States on schools, hospitals, roads, airports, and everything else that are all falling apart!

Ultimately, it might be politically wise for Democrats to avoid making this case in 2020. Soaking the rich might not actually be sufficient for sustainably funding the progressive agenda  but cutting waste, fraud, and abuse (and rousting implicitly nonwhite layabouts from their welfare hammocks) isnt sufficient for sustainably funding the GOPs preferred rates of taxation either, and that doesnt stop Republicans from suggesting otherwise on the campaign trail. So long as the GOP is committed to pretending that implementing its priorities do not require painful pay-fors, Democrats would probably be well-advised to do the same.

But someday, when and if the progressive movement is in a position to implement its full domestic agenda, pay-fors will have to be found. And the softer Democrats are willing to get on defense, the less painful that search will be.The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to probe the role of public servants in alleged siphoning off of foodgrains meant for public distribution system.

The court directed that the probe should be conducted by a police officer not below the rank of the Circle Officer with assistance of officials of the District Supply Office and crime branch.

It said that in case Aadhaar identification process is interfered with illegally at the instance of public servants, they should be brought to book.

A bench of Justice Ajai Lamba and Justice Sanjay Harkauli passed the order on a writ petition moved by a fair price shop dealer Chandra Kishore Pandey.

The petitioner has challenged an FIR registered against him accusing that he was involved in interfering with the Aadhaar identification process, whereby ration meant for the poor cardholders was siphoned off.

The FIR was registered with Mill area police station in Rae Bareli.

In his defense, the petitioner pleaded that Aadhaar data is fed in the office of district supply officer and he has no role in it. It also pleaded that interference with Aadhaar cannot be made without involvement of government officials, but they are being shielded and he being a mere dealer, is being made a "scapegoat".

Considering the overall circumstances, the court directed the Superintendent of Police, Rae Bareli, to supervise the probe and file his affidavit.

It further directed the investigating agency not to arrest the petitioner unless incriminating evidence was found against him.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The mortal remains of former Union minister and senior Congress leader Shantaram Potdukhe were consigned to flames with full state honours Monday in Maharashtra's Chandrapur.

Potdukhe (86) died at a hospital in Nagpur Sunday following brief illness.

He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

The four-time MP from Chandrapur in eastern Maharashtra had served as a Union minister of state for finance in the Narasimha Rao-led government.

Potdukhe's funeral procession started from his residence here in afternoon. It passed through the main roads of the city, before reaching the crematorium--Shanti Dham.

His son Bharat Potdukhe lit the funeral pyre, after a 21-gun salute was given in the honour of the departed minister.

People from all walks of life and politicians cutting across various parties, including the Congress and the BJP, attended the last rites.

Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir, Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar (both BJP) were also present.

Earlier in the day, senior Congress leaders, including Maharashtra state party chief Ashok Chavan and Vilas Muttemwar, visited Potdukhe's residence to console the bereaved family members.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two former chairmen of beleaguered firm Usha Martin, which has signed a definitive agreement with Tata Steel to sell its steel business, has sought transparency about the end-use of funds that it would get from the buying company.

In a release issued on Monday, Basant and son Prashant Jhawar, said, "Tatas are an excellent business house and will create value to the shareholders of and sale of the steel business is a positive development."



"But the end-use of funds is opaque. For holding 25 per cent of shareholding in Usha Martin, we are concerned about the capacity of the wire rope business and its capacity to service the same," said Basant.

Prashant was removed from the chairman's post by a SBI-led lenders' consortium on allegations of mismanagement.

How much are the liabilities and how it will be cleared? No details are made available creating doubt over transparency and management accountability, they said in the release.

"Since no details are available, our concern is about diversion of funds. We seek transparency in the end use of funds from board of Usha Martin," it added.

Rajeev Jhawar, Managing Director of Usha Martin and the estranged cousin of Prashant, could not be contacted for comments.

On Saturday, Usha Martin signed an agreement with Tata Steel for selling its steel business for cash consideration between Rs 4,300 crore Rs 4,700 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government is ready for dialogue with "everyone" on Kashmir issue, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday, days after India cancelled a foreign minister-level talks with Pakistan.

Singh, however, asserted that terrorism in Kashmir Valley is "Pakistan-sponsored".

"I think the (Kashmir) matter will be resolved. We are ready to talk to everyone," he told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the Central Zonal Council here.

The home minister said as far as terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination.

"Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored," he said.

India on Friday had called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in New York, barely 24 hours after agreeing to the engagement, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.

The Centre, last year, had appointed former director of the Intelligence Bureau Dineshwar Sharma as its representative to hold talks with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sharma has already held several rounds of dialogue with representatives of different groups, civil society members and individuals.

About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the home minister said out of 22 points, 20 have been resolved, adding in the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues were discussed of which 428 were resolved.

At the meeting, progress of implementation of recommendations made at the last meeting -- on the need to increase density of roads and upgrading existing roads, assistance required to combat Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and modernisation of police forces were discussed, an official release issued here said.

Singh said it has been the objective of the present government to strengthen the institution of zonal councils as well as the inter-state council to promote and maintain a good federal atmosphere of cooperation among states and the Centre.

Besides Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivedra Singh Rawat respectively, the meeting was attended by representatives from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well.

The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The council's meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any.

Five Zonal Councils -- central, western, northern, southern and eastern -- were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A farmer Monday allegedly committed suicide apparently fearing loss of his crop due to a weak monsoon in Gujarat, police said.

Anak Jebalia (35) allegedly consumed poison at his house in Vavdi village in Dahri taluka of Amreli district, about 250 kilometres from here, and died on the way to hospital, said sub-inspector Bharat Borisagar of Chalala police station.

His relatives have told police that Jebalia, who owns a small plot of land, was fearing for his crop following a weak monsoon as he had incurred losses last year as well, an official said.

Borisagar said that police had registered a case of unnatural death and further probe into the incident was underway.

A state government release Thursday had informed that Gujarat was staring at water scarcity as it had received just 73.87 per cent of rainfall this monsoon.

The release had added Kutch had received just 26.51 per cent of average rainfall so far, while north Gujarat got 42.93 per cent, central Gujarat 66.83 per cent, Saurashtra 72.20 per cent and south Gujarat got the highest of 94.79 per cent.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)All the three matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group A to be played Monday in Karnataka, including the Mumbai-Vidarbha clash, were abandoned following rains, leading the teams involved to share points.

"Our match was washed out due to rains," an official, who is with the Mumbai team, said.

Both Vidarbha and Mumbai, which were to clash in Alur near Bengaluru, shared two points each.

Earlier in the 50-over tournament, Mumbai had won all their three games, against Baroda, Karnataka and Railways.

Another Group A match -- Baroda versus Punjab - which was also to be played in Alur, was abandoned.

The two teams got two points each.

The Goa versus Karnataka match, which was to be played in Bengaluru, was abandoned and the two teams shared points.

The next round of the Hazare Trophy Elite Group A matches will be played Wednesday with Baroda taking on Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh clashing with Vidarbha and Maharashtra up against Railways.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a move that is likely to bring relief to home buyers in Noida and Greater Noida, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) has urged the Ministry of Finance to create "Stress Funds" to complete stalled housing projects in these areas.

An official said Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra has written to the Department of Financial Services on the issue.

The idea was mooted by an empowered committee set up by the Uttar Pradesh government, under the chairmanship of Mishra, to resolve the issues of home buyers in Noida and Greater Noida.

As per rough estimates, there are 2.5 lakh affected housing units in Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Express areas.

"Through stress funds, builders will be able to complete the stalled housing projects. A letter has also been written to the Department of Financial Services (DFS) to take a decision on this issue," the official said.

Mishra said the report submitted to the Uttar Pradesh government on stalled projects is aimed at protecting and benefiting home buyers.

The empowered committee has also proposed a number of recommendations, including new Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines which enable banks to bridge the fund gap and complete the stalled projects.

The ministry has also recommended the establishment of a Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in Noida or Greater Noida to readdress the issue of home-buyers of Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad and nearby area, on a regular basis.

"Other recommendation is to permit the affected home buyers to get the title deed registered on stamp duty at the rate prevailing at the time of committed date of the completion of the project by the developer.

"It will give huge monetary benefits to affected home buyers," the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The New Yorker offered a full-throated defense of its work. Photo: Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images

On Sunday night, The New Yorker published a story reporting that Senate Democrats were looking into an incident in which Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh exposed himself to Deborah Ramirez, a Yale classmate in the early 1980s.

Ramirezs account is by no means bulletproof. In her conversations with the magazine, Ramirez wasnt initially certain of Kavanaughs role in the incident. She acknowledges significant gaps in her memory, and says she was drunk when it occurred. The articles authors, Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer, addressed these doubts in reporting and commentary throughout the article, allowing that it was far from certain that Kavanaugh did anything untoward.

Still, many conservatives, some of whom see a coordinated effort to derail Kavanaughs nomination, were incensed, arguing that the story was too factually flimsy for publication in the first place.

And when the New York Times addressed the allegations in a story about Kavanaughs confirmation battle, it didnt exactly allay those concerns with this passage:

The New York Times had interviewed several dozen people over the past week in an attempt to corroborate Ms. Ramirezs story, and could find no one with firsthand knowledge. Ms. Ramirez herself contacted former Yale classmates asking if they recalled the episode and told some of them that she could not be certain Mr. Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself.

Particularly for those already primed to be suspicious of The New Yorker story, the Times account was proof that there was less to it than met the eye.

In comments to Washington Post media reporter Erik Wemple, New Yorker editor-in-chief David Remnick stood by the magazines story, while Dean Baquet, his counterpart at the Times, insisted that he was not trying to knock down Ramirezs account.

Below are comments from NYer editor David Remnick and NYT Executive Editor Dean Baquet regarding NYT's declining to publish the Deborah Ramirez story. pic.twitter.com/9FsSfhNT8V  ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) September 24, 2018

Then, Farrow and Mayer weighed in. Farrow claimed that the reason the Times couldnt corroborate his story is simply that Ramirez had granted him and Mayer exclusive access.

Dean Baquet is a hero of mine and I also respect you immensely, Erikbut it is not accurate to say the Times declined to publish Ramirezs story. Their reporter pursued Ramirez aggressively. She declined to participate because she was talking exclusively to the New Yorker. https://t.co/13r2jSS1Fo  Ronan Farrow (@RonanFarrow) September 24, 2018

Mayer backed him up, contending that the Times would have published the story if it had been privy to the same facts, and had the chance to speak with Ramirez on the record.

Ditto that - the NYT is best paper around, but if Ramirez had talked to them on the record, and they'd found a classmate who heard the identical story at the time, and they knew Congress was investigating, and she wanted FBI to come in, the chance they wouldn't publish is...0. https://t.co/3iNRA6Bl2j  Jane Mayer (@JaneMayerNYer) September 24, 2018

Significantly, Mayer also said on Monday that Ramirez was not the initial source for The New Yorker story. (Its not clear why this highly relevant fact wasnt included in her story.)

This is significant. According to @JaneMayerNYer (who broke the Ramirez story), Ramirez wasn't the original source. Yale graduates knew about the story since it happened. They talked about in writing in July. This wasn't made up in the "11th hour." pic.twitter.com/zVUgw9nuyK  Laura McGann (@lkmcgann) September 24, 2018

Earlier, Farrow said on CNN that Ramirezs story exceeds the evidentiary basis weve used in the past in several cases that were found to be very credible.

Shortly after The New Yorker story appeared, the White House distributed a list of talking points highlighting the articles shortcomings. On Monday, prominent Republicans followed suit. Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell decried a shameful, shameful smear campaign by Democrats, and Senator Orrin Hatch labeled Ramirezs claims as phony accusations.

UPDATE: Later on Monday, in a story that focused on Kavanaughs defiance, the Times clarified its initial position on the New Yorker story:External Affairs Minister and exchanged pleasantries during a high-level event on counter-narcotics hosted by the US President at the United Nations on Monday.

As Trump left the podium at the conclusion of the event, US Ambassador to the UN warmly hugged Swaraj and introduced her to the president.

When Swaraj told the US president that she has brought greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump responded, I love India, give my regards to my friend PM Modi, Indian diplomatic sources told PTI.

Swaraj attended the Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem chaired by Trump as the high-level week of the 73rd Session of the began at the United Nations.US President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Monday said he will "not be intimidated into withdrawing" his nomination after a second woman came forward with a sexual misconduct allegation against him.

Judge Kavanaugh, in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that the series of sexual assault allegations against him is a "coordinated effort" to destroy his good name.

"As I told the Committee during my hearing, a federal judge must be independent, not swayed by public or political pressure. That is the kind of judge I will always be. I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process, Kavanaugh said in the letter.

"The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out. The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. The last minute character assassination will not succeed, Kavanaugh said and refuted a new accusation that he exposed himself to a classmate at Yale University, also in the 1980s.

Justice Kavanaugh already faces a separate allegation of sexual assault made by Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, who claims Kavanaugh attempted to sexually assault her at a drunken high school party in the early 1980s.

Ford and Kavanaugh are set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday to address the allegations after a week of fraught public negotiations between Ford's attorneys and Senate Republicans.

The latest sexual assault allegation dated back to the 1983-84 academic school year, when Justice Kavanaugh was a freshman at Yale University, The New Yorker said, adding that at least two Senate Democrats were investigating the allegation.

Kavanaugh has denied both the allegations. These are smears, pure and simple. And they debase our public discourse. But they are also a threat to any man or woman who wishes to serve our country.

"Such grotesque and obvious character assassinationif allowed to succeedwill dissuade competent and good people of all political persuasions from service, he said in the letter, a copy of which was released by the White House.

Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a new hearing for him and the first accuser. By the time first allegation surfaced, he had testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee for more than 31 hours.

"Only after that exhaustive process was complete did I learn, through the media, about a 36year-old allegation from high school that had been asserted months earlier and withheld from me throughout the hearing process. First it was an anonymous allegation that I categorically and unequivocally denied, he said.

Soon after the accuser was identified, I repeated my denial on the record and made clear that I wished to appear before the Committee. I then repeated my denial to Committee investigatorsunder criminal penalties for false statements, he said.

Kavanaugh said all of the witnesses identified by Ford as being present at the party she describes are on the record to the Committee saying they have no recollection of any such party happening.

"I asked to testify before the Committee again under oath as soon as possible, so that both Dr. Ford and I could both be heard. I thank Chairman Grassley for scheduling that hearing for Thursday, he said.

Last night, another false and uncorroborated accusation from 35 years ago was published. Once again, those alleged to have been witnesses to the event deny it ever happened. There is now a frenzy to come up with somethinganythingthat will block this process and a vote on my confirmation from occurring, Kavanaugh said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ganesh idol immersion procession turned into a tragic event after a tractor driver accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, running over and killing a teenager and injuring four women in northeast Delhi's Nand Nagri, police said Monday.

The accused driver, Gautam (24), was arrested on Monday, they added.

The incident took place barely a kilometre away from the Nand Nagri police station at around 2 pm on Sunday. The deceased, identified as Karan (16), was a resident of Khoda colony, Ghaziabad.

According to Neha, Karan's sister and a witness to the accident, she had gone with Karan to her brother-in-law's home at Sundar Nagari for Ganesh idol immersion.

At around 1.30 pm, they took the Ganesha idol for immersion. Along with other devotees, they were dancing in front of a tractor in which the idol had been placed, they added.

During the celebration, the tractor driver suddenly started dancing. While he was dancing, he lost control of the vehicle and accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of applying the brake, causing injuries to five of the devotees.

Soon after, there was a stampede-like situation on the spot and other devotees ran helter-skelter, Neha said in her complaint.

According to police, the five victims were rushed to GTB hospital where Karan was declared brought dead. The other four had minor injuries and they were discharged after treatment.

Amid the chaos, the driver left the tractor and fled the spot.

The vehicle bearing a Uttar Pradesh registration number was seized and the driver arrested later, police said..

Gautam is a resident of Mandoli and originally belongs to Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), which has defaulted on a series of interest payments, needs to resolve issues on its own, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said.

" is independent of government. It has independent board and shareholders. So, needs to resolve its issues on its own and I think it is capable of doing it," Garg told PTI in an interview.

Although government has no holding in the company, some of the state-owned financial firms including LIC and SBI are shareholders of the non-banking financial company (NBFC).

"It has assets, it has liabilities to take care. There might be some temporary mismatch, so it is IL&FS, which will deal with the problem. The government is not involved directly," Garg said.

Earlier this month, Group defaulted on inter-corporate deposits and commercial papers.

On September 4, it came to light that IL&FS had defaulted on a short-term loan of Rs 10 billion from Sidbi, while a subsidiary has also defaulted on Rs 5 billion dues to the development financial institution, which reportedly forced Sidbi to ask its chief general manager in charge of the risk management department to resign.

State-owned LIC is the largest shareholder with a fourth of the firm's equity, while Orix Corporation of Japan owns 23.5 per cent.

Other shareholders include with 12.5 per cent stake, IL&FS Employees Welfare Trust with 12 per cent, HDFC with 9.02 per cent, Central Bank of India with 7.67 per cent and State Bank of India (SBI) with 6.42 per cent at the March-end 2018.



In a letter to its employees, IL&FS had claimed that if funds worth Rs 160 billion stuck with concession authorities were released on time, it would not have landed in this mess.

"Our monies were used to fund the cost and time overruns caused by concession authority delays in handing over right of way.

"It is our case that if concession authorities released our monies, around Rs 16,000 crore of IL&FS group liquidity and stuck in claims and termination payments, we would not be in the situation that we are in," IL&FS had said in its letter.

IL&FS, which is credited for building the longest tunnel in the country (the Chenani-Nashri tunnel), is sitting on a debt pile of around Rs 910 billion and had been downgraded to junk status by rating agencies following the default. Of this, Rs 570 billion are bank loans alone, most of which are from state-run lenders.

While IL&FS Transport Network, the holding firm of the group's road assets, has nearly Rs 350 billion consolidated debt, IL&FS Financial Services has Rs 170 billion of debt, which sits as standard asset for most banks, according to a Nomura India report.For the first time, India and China will sign an internal security cooperation agreement during the forthcoming visit of China's Minister of Public Security, marking a new beginning in bilateral relations, officials said Monday.

Zhao Kezhi, China's Minister of Public Security, is expected to visit India next month and hold meetings with Home Minister Rajnath Singh during which they will discuss various aspects of security cooperation between the two countries.

During the visit of the Chinese leader, an agreement on internal security cooperation between the two countries will be signed, a home ministry official said.

The proposed pact is expected to cover areas of intelligence sharing, exchange programme, sharing of best practices, cooperation in disaster mitigation besides others, an official said.

The move comes just a year after a two-month-long border stand-off between the India Army and the China's People's Liberation Army at Doklam on the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held an informal summit in Wuhan, China, in April this year which helped repair bilateral ties.

A Chinese delegation met an Indian team on August 28 to hold discussions on the forthcoming visit of the Chinese Minister of Public Security and the proposed pact on security cooperation between the two countries, the official said.

This will be the first such agreement between the authorities of India and China which look after internal security of the respective countries, the official said.

While Singh is the head of eight central armed police forces with a combined strength of about 10 lakh personnel, Zhao is responsible for day-to-day law enforcement in China and commands about 19 lakh personnel.

The forthcoming meeting may lead to a future India-China agreement on exchange of sentenced prisoners, another official said.

Currently, India does not have an extradition treaty with China, nor a pact to exchange each other's sentenced prisoners.

There are at least 10 Indians in Chinese prisons and an equal number of Chinese citizens in Indian prisons.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India has 19 judges per 10 lakh people on an average, according to a Law Ministry data which also states that the judiciary faces a combined shortage of over 6,000 judges, including over 5,000 in the lower courts itself.

According to the data, part of a document prepared in March this year for discussion in Parliament, the judge-population ratio is 19.49 per million (10 lakh) people.

The document states that while the subordinate courts have a shortage of 5748 judicial officers, the 24 high courts face 406 vacancies.

The working strength of the lower judiciary is 16,726 while the approved strength is much higher at 22,474.

In the case of high courts, the approved strength is 1079, the actual strength is 673.

The Supreme Court, with a sanctioned strength of 31 judges, has six vacancies.

Thus, the total number of vacancies in the SC, the HCs and the lower courts come to 6160 judges.

The debate on the judge-population ratio was re-ignited by then Chief Justice of India T S Thakur in April, 2016 when in the presence of the Prime Minister, he had lamented the governments "inaction" in increasing the number of judges from the present 21,000 to 40,000 to handle the "avalanche" of litigations, saying, "You cannot shift the entire burden on the judiciary".

He had said "nothing has moved" since 1987 when the Law Commission had recommended increase in the number of judges from 10 judges per 10 lakh people to 50.

But later the government had pointed out that in the 245th report, the Law Commission had observed that filing of cases per capita varies substantially across geographic units as filings are associated with economic and social conditions of population.

The Commission had, according to the government, found that in the absence of complete and scientific approach to data collection across various high courts, the rate of disposal method to calculate the number of additional judges required to clear the backlog as well as to ensure that the new backlog is not created, is more pragmatic and useful.

Recently, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had urged chief justices of the 24 high courts to speed up recruitment of judicial officers for the lower judiciary as one of the reasons for high pendency is lack of judges.

He had urged the chief justices to hold timely examination and interviews to recruit judges for lower courts.

In his August 14 letter, Prasad pointed out that there were a total of 2,76,74,499 cases pending in the District and Subordinate Courts of the country.

"One of the underlying reasons behind the high pendency is sometimes the inordinate delay in filling up the vacancies of judicial officers," he wrote in the almost identical letters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Indian Navy sailor Abhilash Tomy was rescued from the Indian Ocean near Australia in a multi-nation operation Monday, three days after he suffered a grievous back injury when a powerful storm hit his boat while he was on a solo race around the world, Navy officials said.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the commander is "conscious and doing okay" after his ordeal.

Tomy, 39, who was sailing as part of the Golden Globe Race (GGR) - a solo sailboat race around the world -- drifted in the sea for three days before he was rescued by French fishing vessel Osiris, officials said.

His boat Thuriya was hit by a deadly storm, about 1,900 nautical miles from Perth, Australia, on Friday. The main mast of his boat was ripped off by around 15-metre high waves, they said.

Navy spokesperson Capt D K Sharma said French fishing vessel Osris, assisted by Indian Navy's P8I surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, reached close to Thuriya around 1130 hrs (IST) and carried out a successful rescue operation using a small boat.

"Cdr Tomy was rescued by a boat and rescue team from Osiris. The rescue team shifted Cdr Tomy in a stretcher from Thuriya to Osiris using their Gemini boat. He has been reported to be conscious and has been provided with initial medical care," he said.

Capt Sharma said Osiris proceeded to rescue a second sailor whose boat was also damaged in the storm. Thereafter, the French vessel will move to take shelter at Ile Amsterdam, about 100 nautical miles north of the rescue position. The island has a small hospital.

Indian Naval ship Satpura has been sent to bring the commander, a Kirti Chakra awardee, back to India.

The Australian Rescue Coordination Centre in Canberra coordinated the rescue mission in cooperation with many agencies, including the Australian Defence Department and the Indian Navy.

According to rescue officer Phil Gaden in Australia, Tomy had a severely injured back.

"We believe that he's very severely restricted in his ability to manoeuvre, his mobility is affected, Gaden said.

Tomy was in the third position in the race and sailed over 10,500 nautical miles in the last 84 days, since July 1 when the competition began.

On Sunday, he managed to get in touch with the organisers of the race in France through messages and requested for help as he could not move on his own.

"A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He's conscious and doing okay. The vessel will shift him to a nearby island (I'lle Amsterdam) by evening. INS Satpura will take him to Mauritius for medical attention," Sitharaman tweeted.

Back home in Kerala, Tomy's family heaved a sigh of relief.

"Praise the Lord. I am so happy...," V C Tomy, a retired Naval personnel himself, told mediapersons at his home in Udayamperoor in Thrippunithura near Kochi.

Tomy senior said he was confident his son will make a comeback to adventure sports.

"He may be physically weak but he will be mentally stable. He will come back. I have full confidence in him, he said.

The family is preparing to go to Australia to meet the pilot in the Indian Navy, who has covered 52,000 miles under sail, including a solo non-stop circumnavigation from Mumbai and back in 2012-13.

He also represented India in the 2011 Cape Town to Rio Race, the Spanish Copa del Rey Race in 2014 and the Korea Cup for two years in succession.

He has been awarded the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, the Kirti Chakra for valour and courageous action and Mac Gregor medal.

According to GGR, ahead of commencing his voyage, Tomy had said, "This event recreates in the closest way possible way, the magic of the original race.

"The emphasis is not on technology and its management, but on seamanship and a direct experience of sea. This spartan philosophy is in keeping with my own view that a lot can be achieved with very little," he was quoted as saying.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Indian-origin couple were slashed in a knife-point robbery at their fruit and vegetable shop in Handsworth, in the West Midlands region of England.

Chaman Lal, a local politician, and his wife Vidya Wati were taken to a hospital with minor cuts and injuries on Sunday afternoon after the armed robbery at their shop Uplands Fruits on Sandwell Road.

West Midlands Police said a 45-year-old man and woman aged 33 were arrested on suspicion of the robbery and remain in police custody for questioning.

"We don't underestimate how distressing this would have been for the two victims. We have managed to quickly identify and arrest the suspects who will now be questioned," said Detective Inspector Gemma Currie of West Midlands Police.

Chaman Lal, a Labour Party Councillor for Soho and Jewellery Quarter in Handworth, near the city of Birmingham, runs the fruit and vegetable business with his family. The couple's son, Bal, had released CCTV footage of the attack and offered GBP 1,000 reward to anyone with information about the attackers.

"We are still shocked at the moment. It was a bad experience," Councillor Lal said.

"We have had very good support from our family and the community. We are grateful for all the support we have been getting," he said.

The shop reopened as usual on Monday and attracted a number of well-wishers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A leading Indian-origin trade expert on Monday called on the British government to look at Brexit as more of a global event and make trade talks with countries like India central to the UK's post-Brexit strategy.

Shanker Singham, the Director of the International Trade and Competition Unit at the London-based Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) think tank and author of a new report titled 'Plan A+: Creating a prosperous post-Brexit UK', foresees a post-Brexit UK-India trade deal as time-consuming but "feasible".

"This plan offers a comprehensive approach which shouldn't be considered a Plan B', but rather a Plan A+' for Brexit," said Singham.

"Brexit has been too narrowly thought of as the role of the UK in the EU, whereas the reality is Brexit is a major global event. A G7 country is embracing independent trade and regulatory policy for the first time in 40 years an unprecedented situation. This is where the Brexit Prize lies," he said, in reference to his new report released on Monday.

Singham, a former trade adviser to the US government and now a prominent pro-Brexit voice in the UK, highlights that the European Union (EU) had failed to achieve a free trade agreement (FTA) with India due to hurdles that the UK could overcome in negotiations, which must start now so that a deal can be clinched when Britain was formally free of the economic bloc's regulatory requirements in a few years.

"A trade deal with India stands to be of substantial benefit to the UK. India is one of the fastest-growing big emerging markets in the world," the report notes.

"Negotiations will herald opportunities to discuss helping to modernise areas of India's economy and lower the barriers that limit competition for various Indian sectors," it adds.

According to the IEA analysis, the contours of a post-Brexit trade deal between India and the UK would involve providing better legal and financial services access for the UK, allowing UK law firms to establish and practice law in India, increasing foreign ownership in the insurance sector and lowering tariffs for scotch whiskey.

On the UK side, Indian tech companies would be offered trading conditions that allow its professionals to move more freely to the UK.

"The UK's interest will naturally be in selected numbers of highly skilled workers, and the numbers involved would be very small," the IEA report notes.

It also foresees the UK providing much greater market access to India's agricultural produce by reducing tariffs and lowering regulatory barriers, largely a result of EU laws.

Besides India, the IEA highlights the US, Australia, New Zealand, the Gulf countries, and China, as other countries of focus for a more proactive bilateral trade approach by Britain.

The report comes amid ongoing tensions around Prime Minister Theresa May's so-called Chequers plan, which offered a common rulebook approach to future ties with the EU once Britain had left the economic bloc.

However, the plan was rejected outright as "unworkable" by EU leaders last week, triggering a crisis within UK government ranks already divided over the issue.

"We have looked at Brexit in the wrong way, and in so doing we have hampered our ability to get a good deal with the EU. We must execute an independent trade and regulatory policy in order to capture gains from this process, and also to ensure that we have a better framework for negotiations with the EU," said Singham, who believes the Chequers plan needs to be abandoned.

His analysis lays out unilateral, bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral pillars to maximise the UK's gains and its chances of a good agreement with the EU and argues that now is the time to reset the EU-UK negotiation in a wider global context to advocate an advanced free trade agreement, with maximum regulatory recognition.

The report, co-authored by IEA's research analyst Radomir Tylecote, also makes a series of recommendations about what initial moves the UK could make to realise the benefits of leaving the EU.

It has won the backing of leading pro-Brexit politicians in the UK, including former foreign secretary Boris Johnson and former Brexit minister David Davis both of whom had resigned from the UK Cabinet over May's Brexit plan.

Johnson described the proposals as an "exciting way forward" because it would enable the UK "to do a big free trade agreement with the European Union, but also to do free trade deals around the world".

However, Downing Street criticised the new report as not offering credible solutions to some very sticky issues such as avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland between EU member-state Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is a part of the UK.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Infosys Public Services Monday said it has been awarded a CAD 80.3 million (about Rs 451 crore) contract by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to modernise and automate their procurement processes.

Infosys Public Services Inc (IPS) is working with Ernst & Young LLP (EY) and SAP Canada Inc (SAP) to digitise PSPC procurement system through the implementation and management of a cloud-based electronic procurement solution, the homegrown IT firm said in a statement.

The new solution will provide an intuitive, web-based portal for PSPC and its suppliers to access procurement information and services in both English and French, it added.

The new platform will enable PSPC to purchase various goods and services through a single portal, configure specific requirements, and access data, reporting and analytics information in real-time to support more effective decision-making, the statement said.

"Navigating their programs and services to a digital future requires organisations to not only identify the right technologies to implement, but also to enable them quickly and at-scale," Infosys Public Services Chief Executive Officer Eric Paternoster said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Circling the wagons. Photo: JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Speaking to reporters from the United Nations on Monday morning, President Trump reaffirmed his support for Brett Kavanaugh, whose Supreme Court nomination is facing serious headwinds after The New Yorker published a story Sunday night in which a woman alleges that he exposed himself to her at Yale in the early 1980s.

He is a fine man with an unblemished past and these are highly unsubstantiated statements from people represented by lawyers, Trump said. We should look into the lawyers doing the representation. Judge Kavanaugh is an outstanding person, and I am with him all the way.

Trump went on: Theres a chance that this could be one of the single-most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything but I am with Judge Kavanaugh and I look forward to a vote.

Shortly after The New Yorker story came out, the White House made clear that it would not be abandoning its nominee. It sent out a long list of talking points highlighting weaknesses in the story of Deborah Ramirez, the woman who recounted her story to the magazine.

New: White House just sent out a statement reprinting every line in the @NewYorker that could be seen as weakening Debbie Ramirezs allegation, that Brett Kavanaugh aggressively exposed himself to her at a party during their freshman year at Yale. pic.twitter.com/TP7D2WCSRG  Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) September 24, 2018

This tactic was hardly a surprise, given Trumps strong aversion to backing down or looking weak in the face of attack from political opponents. Of course, the president also a long history of rallying to the defense of men accused of sexual misconduct (unless theyre Democrats). For instance, he urged Alabama voters to cast ballots for Roy Moore last year; defended White House aide Rob Porter even after credible accounts of spousal abuse; and, of course, positioned his own bragging about sexual assault as locker room talk back in 2016.

Ultimately, though, the White House may not be the most important player in the unfolding Supreme Court drama. If Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell decides that Kavanaughs nomination is untenable  or if key senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins announce their opposition  Trumps protestations that the left is trying to take down another innocent man wont matter much.Indian Naval officer Abhilash Tomy, who was badly injured while participating in the Golden Globe Race, will be rescued shortly by a French vessel, a Defence spokesman said Monday.

He said bad weather was creating impediments in reaching Tomy whose vessel was "rolling excessively" in the South Indian Ocean.

The vessel was located by an Indian Navy aircraft Sunday.

"He will be picked up by French vessel Osiris shortly... Weather creating impediments," the spokesman said here.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had tweeted Sunday that Commander Tomy shall be picked up in the next 16 hours by the French vessel.

The minister had also said she had spoken to vice-chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P regarding the condition of the injured navy officer.

"... The rescue mission is being coordinated with the Australian Navy. The injured officer shall be picked up in the next 16 hours by a French vessel Osiris," Sitharaman had said.

Tomy would to be brought on board Australian Naval ship HMAS Ballarat, which has already left Perth to rescue him, the defence spokesman said.

The Indian Naval Defence Attache in Australia has been camping in the regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) monitoring the rescue mission, he said.

The Navy has said all efforts were being made to rescue Commander Tomy who had suffered a back injury Friday after his yacht was hit by a vicious storm with 14-metre-high waves mid-way across south Indian Ocean.

"INS Satpura and INS Jyoti are heading at top speed to reach Tomy," the spokesman said.

However, INS Satpura was expected to reach the location only by Friday.

He said the situation was being monitored at the Naval headquarters in New Delhi, as well as by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre at Melbourne, Australia.

The Indian Navy's P8I aircraft, which flew from Mauritius in the early hours Sunday, has located the "mast broken boat rolling excessively."



The aircraft remained for two hours on the task in the area and landed at Mauritius.

Tomy Sunday managed to get in touch with race organisers in France through messages and had requested for a stretcher as he could not move on his own.

He was representing India in the Golden Globe Race 2018 (GGR) on an indigenously-built sailing vessel 'S V Thuraya'.

Tomy, who became the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe in 2013, is the only Indian participating in the race that involves a gruelling 30,000-mile solo circumnavigation of the globe.

His vessel is in the south Indian Ocean, about 1,900 nautical miles from Perth in Australia.

Tomy's vessel was dismasted in extremely rough weather and sea conditions, with wind speeds of 130 kmph.

He was in the third position in the race and had sailed over 10,500 nautical miles in the last 84 days, since the race started on July 1.

A report from France on Friday night had said 70 knot winds and 14-metre-high waves have left the yachts of Tomy and Ireland's Gregor McGuckin dismasted, and twice knocked down the yacht of second-placed Dutchman Mark Slats.

Both McGuckin and Slats had reported that they are okay, but 39-year old Tomy, making his second solo circumnavigation, has been injured, it had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)INS Kochi, the indigenously built destroyer, was affiliated Monday to the Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment (JAK LI) in a ceremony held onboard the ship at the Naval Dockyard here.

An 'affiliation' between units of sister services is aimed at augmenting the synergy, coordination and 'jointness' between the services to ensure better coordination at the ground level that would aid in meeting the ever changing aspects of present warfare, stated a communication issued by the Indian Navy.

Affiliation between naval and army units is an ongoing process and this is the 31st affiliation of an Indian Naval unit, it said.

The process of affiliation began during Phase 1, when the Charter of Affiliation was signed by the Commandant of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment and the Commanding Officer of INS Kochi at Srinagar on August 20, 2018, in the presence of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command and Colonel of the Jammu and Kashmir Infantry Regiment who is presently also the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman COSC (CISC).

In Phase 2 held Monday, a joint Guard of Honour was presented to the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command Girish Luthra, followed by a joint band performance by the Naval and JAK LI bands.

"This affiliation is a step towards reinforcing the relationship with the JAK LI Regiment and to continue with the tradition of joint and integrated operations in peace so as to reap its benefits in war," the flag officer commanding-in-chief Luthra said.

He also termed the affiliation as another major step towards achieving greater synergy between the services.

"The importance of ground level interactions between units to ensure better coordination and collaboration. Better understanding of each others working conditions, ethos and traditions would result in a higher level of camaraderie and would act as a force multiplier during operations," he said.

Param Vir Chakra awardee Subedar Major and Honorary Captain Bana Singh was also present at the event.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Irrfan Khan-starrer "Doob" ("No Bed of Roses") is Bangladesh's official entry for the Oscars next year and the actor is "extremely happy" with the film's selection, says his spokesperson.

"Irrfan is extremely happy to hear the It is an honour to be recognised by the jury and he is delighted that his film is getting the much deserved acknowledgement at long last," the 51-year-old actor's spokesperson said in a statement.

Irrfan is currently in London undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour.

"Doob", helmed by Bangladeshi director, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, revolves around the life of a renowned filmmaker who creates a scandal in Bangladesh when he leaves his wife to marry his daughter's friend. The film premiered at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2017.

Farooki said it would have been impossible to make the film without Irrfan.

"I am happy because 'No Bed of Roses' is representing Bangladesh at the Oscars. I hope the the film would find some love from the Academy voters.

"As for my collaboration with Irrfan, it would have been impossible to make this film without his involvement as an actor and co-producer! I share a wonderful relation with him, on and off the set. I call him poet and he jokingly corrects me saying "I m a poet with no words" In this film, he actually expressed so many things with very little help of words and I m glad to have collaborated with one of the finest actors of not just India but globally," the director said.

India's Parno Mittra and Bangladesh's Nusrat Imrose Tisha and Rokeya Prachy are also feature in the fllm.

Bangladesh is yet to secure an Academy Award nomination. Partition-set drama "Khacha" was its last year's entry.

The Oscars award ceremony will be held on February 24.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Jammu and Kashmir government Monday discussed with the Centre setting up of Rs 100 crore technology centre in the state.

"Advisor to Governor B B Vyas discussed with Ram Mohan Mishra, Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner, MSME, the establishment of Rs 100 crore technology centre in the state," an official spokesman said.

The spokesman said Mishra discussed a wide range of issues with Vyas pertaining to the growth of industrial sector in J&K.

Mishra assured that the Centre would provide adequate funding under PMEGP-ASPIRE and cluster development projects.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Maldives court released a political prisoner and heard appeals for freedom from several others on Monday, including a former president, just hours after strongman leader Abdulla Yameen conceded a shock election defeat.

Yameen, who jailed or exiled most of his rivals during a turbulent five-year term, was unexpectedly beaten by an opposition candidate who immediately urged the ousted president free those he had incarcerated.

Opposition lawmaker and former police chief Abdulla Riyaz was released by the Criminal Court in Male on Monday. He was being held indefinitely following an alleged plot to impeach Yameen in February that saw dozens detained.

Sources in the Maldives said Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the country's longest-serving leader and estranged half-brother to Yameen, was among a number of political prisoners brought from prison to the capital in order to lodge appeals against their sentences.

It was not immediately clear when the court would rule on all the petitions, although opposition sources said they expected the process to continue into the night.

The family of Gayoom, 80, his legislator son Faris Maumoon, and son-in-law Mohamed Nadheem, said the trio had all filed applications for their freedom.

Gayoom, who ruled the Maldives for 30 straight years before its transition to democracy in 2008, was among those arrested during the February crackdown in the Indian Ocean island nation.

He was sentenced to 19-months prison for obstructing an investigation into the alleged plot to oust Yameen who -- suspecting a plot to impeach him -- declared a state of emergency and arrested top judges and a host of others deemed rivals.

The UN called the February purge an "all-out assault on democracy". Gayoom also faces a separate charge of terrorism, along with Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed. That case is still pending.

Yameen, 59, lost Sunday's election to political lightweight Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who had the backing of a unified opposition but little exposure due to heavy-handed decrees and reporting restrictions. The president-elect garnered more than 58 percent of the popular vote in the archipelago nation of 340,000 Sunni Muslims, a popular tourist haven known for its white-sand beaches and pristine waters.

A deepening political crisis in the Maldives has dented its image as a honeymooners paradise and attracted alarm abroad. The US and EU had threatened financial sanctions if the presidential poll was not free and fair.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Water purifier maker Kent RO Systems Monday inaugurated its second plant in Noida, built with an investment of Rs 150 crore, to double its manufacturing capacity and increase product localisation.

The company, which has expanded to verticals such as kitchen appliances and air purifier, expects 12 per cent growth this fiscal and revenue of around Rs 950 crore.

"With this second manufacturing plant, our production capacity of reverse osmosis (RO) water purifiers will double to 10 lakh units a year. We are eyeing a revenue of Rs 950 crore this financial year as against a revenue of Rs 850 crore reported in the previous fiscal," Kent RO Systems Chairman and Managing Director Mahesh Gupta said.

"With this plant, there will also be an increase in product localisation... it is 80 per cent right now. We will now manufacture more components ourselves. Localisation will be enhanced to 85 per cent," he added.

The company's first plant is at Roorkee in Uttarakhand.

Gupta said the company may look at adding another manufacturing plant adjacent to the Noida plant after three years. It has already bought the land.

Kent RO Systems also aims to double its exports to 10 per cent of its total revenue in next two years as it enters new markets in Asia, Africa and Middle East.

At present, the company exports to neighbouring markets including Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The company said, water purifier segment, which is its mainstay, at present contributes around 85 per cent of its total revenue.

The company also rolled out its new range of 'next gen RO water purifiers'.

The new plant was inaugurated in the presence of actor Hema Malini and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 51-year-old man here got a new lease of life Monday as Kolkata witnessed its second heart transplant surgery at a city hospital.

The organ, harvested at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, was flown to the city in a chartered plane late on Sunday, a senior officer of Kolkata Traffic Police said.

It was brought to Fortis Hospital, Anandapur, in the southern part of the city, from NSCBI airport through a green corridor, covering a distance of 26 km in 16 minutes, he said.

"The corridor was created by Bidhan Nagar and Kolkata Police personnel with help from Swastha Bhawan officials and other stakeholders," the officer added.

The surgery started as soon as the organ arrived in the hospital, a doctor, who was part of the team that performed the operation, said.

"Heart transplant was the only way to save 51-year-old Salt Lake resident, who was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy," he said.

The family members of the 24-year-old accident victim in Andhra Pradesh had to be counseled before they agreed to donate his organs, the doctor said.

"Once the recipient was identified in Kolkata, a team of doctors from Fortis Hospital in Chennai, rushed to Kakinada to retrieve the heart at 7.57pm Sunday. The team then took the heart to Rajmundry and boarded a charted plane at 9.27pm and reached Kolkata at 11.53pm," he explained.

"The heart recipient will be under constant observation for the next 24 to 48 hours. His condition is stable," the doctor added.

The first successful heart transplant in the eastern part of the country was conducted on Dilchand Singh, a resident of Jharkhand, in May this year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A woman and her three daughters were killed in a landslide in northwest Pakistan's tribal Khyber Agency on Monday.

The women were digging out mud for the construction of a house in Mukhtar Khel area of Landikotal tehsil in Khyber Agency when they were trapped in a landslide.

They were trapped under the debris and eventually died, the official said, adding that the deceased included a woman and her three daughters.

The residents of the area pulled out the corpses and shifted them to a hospital in LandiKotal, the official added.

Landikotal is a tehsil in Khyber Agency in the tribal belt that has now been merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The agency is situated close to Peshawar, the main metropolis of the province.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Heads of state and government on Monday kicked off "Climate Week," held every year on the margins of the UN General Assembly, by urging world leaders to act urgently to reduce global warming.

With Poland hosting the COP 24 climate summit in December, UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa called on nations to unite behind limiting global warming to the less than two degrees Celsius enshrined in the 2015 Paris accord.

"Nations are not living up to what they promised," she said, making no mention of the Trump administration's decision in June 2017 to pull out of the Paris agreement.

"What nations have currently pledged under Paris will bring the global temperature up about three degrees by 2100," she said.

Emergency climate talks in Bangkok earlier this month did not make sufficient progress, she said. "We must therefore work harder than ever between now and Cop 24 to complete this work."



Following a recent climate conference in San Francisco, California Governor Jerry Brown, whose state has taken up the lead abandoned by Washington, made a pitch to the private sector.

"The problem with climate change is that it's about transforming the whole economy," said Brown. "The key part is technological investment and we need big company investment to get the technology."



Hilda Heine, president of the Marshall Islands, which face an existential threat from rising sea levels, officially unveiled a national strategic plan to reach zero emissions by 2050.

"If we can do it, so can you," Heine told representatives from dozens of countries. The Marshall Islands was only the 10th country and the first island nation to make the pledge, she said.

Climate Week, organized by The Climate Group in partnership with the United Nations and the city of New York, is in its 10th annual edition.

Around 150 events are scheduled this year, including a "One Planet Summit" on Wednesday led by billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg and French President Emmanuel Macron, and cultural events, including the Global Citizen Festival with Janet Jackson, The Weeknd and Cardi B.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Druk Padma Karpo School here, which shot to fame after it featured in the Aamir Khan-starrer '3 Idiots', has decided to raze the 'Rancho Wall' and ban entry of tourists as the authorities felt it was becoming a distraction for students.

The wall was shot in a scene when one of the characters, Chatur, tries to urinate on it and gets electrocuted by an ingenious invention of school children. The school later painted it as the 'Rancho Wall' which became a picture spot for tourists.

"The movie gave a lot of publicity to the school and it became a must visit for the tourists visiting Ladakh. However, we realised that the purpose of having a school in the area was getting defeated. Not only students were getting distracted by the tourists flocking the school but also every day the campus was being reduced to a litter ground," school principal Stanzin Kunzang told PTI.

"Inspired by the vision of His Holiness the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa, spiritual leader of Ladakh, the school aims to provide modern for Ladakhi children - an grounded in their own culture and which could prepare them to lead happy and productive lives," Kunzang said



Set up in 1998 by the Druk Padma Karpo Society, the school was partially destroyed in the flash floods and landslides that hit the town in 2010, but was renovated thereafter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Photo: Courtesy of the retailers

Its a pretty good time to be a vegan. No longer confined to crunchy health food stores, plant-eaters can now find jazzed up vegetable dishes on the menus of top restaurants, faux leather thats not cheap-looking, even multiple options for gummy bears. Nowhere is this evolution more apparent than in the world of footwear, where designers are using new materials to craft shoes that are typically made from leather or suede. We asked Christina Sewell, manager of clothing campaigns at PETA, along with a vegan nutritionist, two vegan writers, and two personal stylists, to point us toward the most stylish animal-friendly shoes on the market.

Best vegan clogs

Sydney Brown Clog $350 A vegan option for proud members of the clogerati, this pair comes from Sydney Brown, a line thats also committed to using renewable resources and fair labor practices. Sewell admires how the brand finds creative ways of replacing animal products in their shoes. The company uses pressed pineapple and coconut fibers to construct its shoes, and its uppers are composed of fused shaven cork and grains, she says. $350 at Garmentory Buy

Best vegan sneakers

Stella McCartney Eclypse Lace-Up Sneaker $685 When Stella McCartney founded her eponymous line back in 2001, making vegan clothing and accessories was almost unheard of in luxury fashion. And according to Sewell, shes still a pioneer of animal-friendly style. Between the platform sole and the color-block upper, this pair exemplifies the ugly sneaker trend weve been following. $685 at Nordstrom Buy

Best vegan heels

Beyond Skin Lexie Black Faux Leather Vegan Stilettos $119 Also in business since 2001, British brand Beyond Skin is a top pick of Wolframs, who likes that they offer loads of styles. Among them is this stiletto heel, which challenges the notion that ethical shoes are unsexy. $119 at Beyond Skin Buy

Best vegan flats

Native Shoes Audrey Open Sided Flat From $45 As a personal stylist, Vanessa Valiente says she gets constant requests for vegan clothing and shoes from her clients. Among her favorites are these flats from the PETA-approved, beast-free brand Native Shoes. The shape of this shoe is fantastically versatile. It goes from work to play and packs perfectly for a trip, says Valiente. My clients also love that it is waterproof, odor-resistant, and comes in so many colors. From $45 at Nordstrom Buy

Best vegan boots

Sydney Brown High Ankle Boot $385 Like Sewell, Piper is a fan of Sydney Browns minimal aesthetic. Theyre expensive, she says, but the classic black boot with the wooden heel is on my fall  and forever  wish list. $385 at Garmentory Buy

Wills Vegan Shoes Waterproof Hiking Boots $142 If you need a hard-working, waterproof, vegan shoe for outdoor adventures, Piper loves this pair from London-based brand Wills Vegan Shoes. Theres a lot to love about this brand, but I was most impressed with the pair of hiking boots I bought from them recently, she says. Theyre waterproof, hella durable with a Vibram sole, and they didnt break the bank. Because theyre made from vegan leather and suede, theyre naturally weatherproof and dont need extra treatments. $142 at Will's Vegan Shoes Buy

Best vegan sandals

Susi Studio Hey Simone Sandals $150 now 30% off $105 Founded by designer Bianca Moran, Susi Studio has collaborated with PETA on a line of boots, with a portion of the profits going to the organization. Made from faux suede, these burgundy sandals look ready for holiday party season. For a much cheaper, and also vegan version, Lulus  one of Levines favorite brands  makes a very similar sandal. $105 at Garmentory Buy

Melissa + Jason Wu Chrome Flip Flop $79 As if you needed any more evidence that the fashion world has embraced vegan footwear, environmentally-conscious Brazilian brand Melissa has collaborated with designers like Jean-Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, and, for these rose gold sandals, Jason Wu. Piper says these shoes are designed with sustainability and style in perfect harmony, and that their jelly material is completely recyclable. $79 at Nordstrom Buy

Best vegan mules

BC Footwear by Seychelles Look At Me Mules $70 now 20% off $56 Writer (and vegan) Arielle Egozi knows it isnt always easy to find ethical footwear thats also attractive and durable. A lot of times youll get shitty materials that crack and flake, and then you feel sort of silly in your statement of moving away from real leather, she says. But her BC mules have lasted several seasons and, she says, I still get complimented on them all the time. The brand is also PETA-certified. $56 at Zappos Buy

Best mens vegan shoes

Brave Gentleman Laced Shoes $315 now 45% off $173 Brave Gentlemans founder Joshua Katcher is also an activist, an instructor at Parsons School of Design at the New School, and the creator of the first mens vegan lifestyle website, The Discerning Brute. Sewell says Katchers unique designs and way of working with vegan materials have been hugely influential to others. These brogues are made from the brands future leather, a durable, high-tech microfiber. $173 at Yoox Buy

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Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.Maharashtra, Goa and Andhra Pradesh have shown willingness to preserve decommissioned aircraft carrier Viraat, a senior Navy official said Monday.

Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Western Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, told reporters that Maharashtra Government officials have visited the ship.

"Maharashtra government has studied the (ship's final) location and its officials have visited the ship. It will send a report to the Centre. We are expecting a decision soon," he said, after the ceremony of affiliation of INS Kochi with Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment (JAKLI) here.

Goa and Andhra Pradesh have also evinced an interest in preserving the aircraft carrier, which decommissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai in July, the official said.

The event had marked the end of an era of Viraat being the flagship of the Indian Navy. The Centaur-class carrier spent 30 years in the Indian Navy and 27 years in the Royal Navy.

In August, JAKLI was affiliated with INS Kochi and 51 Squadron Air Force, at a ceremony held at the JAKLI Regimental Centre at Rangreth, on the outskirts of Srinagar.

"Such affiliation helps for better inter-operability among the armed forces," Vice Adm Luthra said.

INS Kochi is the second ship of the indigenously designed and constructed Kolkata Class guided missile stealth destroyers built by the Mazagon Dock Ltd at Mumbai.

JAKLI was affiliated to INS Ganga, a Godavari-class guided-missile frigate which was decommissioned in March.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Multi-brand certified used car firm Mahindra First Choice Wheels Monday announced its foray into pre-owned luxury segment with the launch of its new brand 'Edition'.

The company has opened its first multi-brand pre-owned luxury vehicles outlet in Mumbai to sell brands, including Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi and Jaguar, Mahindra First Choice Wheels said in a statement.

Mahindra Group Member of the Group Executive Board, Group President (HR and Corporate Services) and CEO (After Market Sector) Rajeev Dubey said, "Aspirational buyers with rising disposable incomes are increasingly looking to upgrade to premium car brands. 'Edition' offers them a unique opportunity to acquire their favourite car brand at a much more accessible price."



Mahindra First Choice Wheels has over 1,200 outlets across more than 500 cities in India. It offers certified used cars with warranties, making the process of buying and selling used cars more transparent.

Company CEO Ashutosh Pandey said the launch of 'Edition' will help to drive future growth by expanding product portfolio and giving the firm access to an entirely new customer segment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The strongman president of the Maldives on Monday conceded defeat in elections, easing fears of a fresh political crisis in the archipelago at the centre of a battle for influence between India and China.

"The Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results from yesterday," Abdulla Yameen said in a televised address to the Indian Ocean nation a day after the joint opposition candidate unexpectedly triumphed.

"Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him," Yameen said.

There had been concerns at home and abroad that Yameen might not accept the outcome. He had borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars from China for an infrastructure blitz, to the alarm of the Maldives' traditional backer India.

At the last election in 2013, the Supreme Court annulled the result after Yameen trailed former president Mohamed Nasheed, giving Yameen time to forge alliances and win a second round of voting that was postponed twice.

Results from Sunday's election released by the electoral commission showed Yameen on 41.7 per cent of the vote, well behind Solih on 58.3 per cent - the only other name on ballot papers.

The final official result will take up to a week to be published.

The result was a major surprise, with Yameen's main political rivals either in prison or in exile, media coverage of the opposition sparse and monitors and the opposition predicting the vote would be rigged.

Yameen stayed quiet overnight after the outcome became clear. But signs grew Monday that he would throw in the towel, with a foreign ministry statement saying Solih had won and state media showing him claiming victory.

Nearly 90 per cent of the 262,000 electorate turned out to vote, with some waiting in line for more than five hours.

Celebrations broke out across the 1,200-island tropical archipelago popular with wealthy foreign tourists, with opposition supporters waving yellow flags of Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and dancing in the streets.

The US State Department, which had warned of "appropriate measures" if the vote was not free and fair, had called on Yameen to "respect the will of the people".

Regional superpower India, competing with China to retain its influence in the region, was the first to "heartily congratulate" Solih.

"This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law," the foreign ministry said.

Sri Lanka, home to many Maldivian dissidents, also congratulated him but China was yet to comment, with Monday being a public holiday.

Solih had the backing of a united opposition trying to oust Yameen but struggled for visibility. The local media was fearful of falling foul of heavy-handed decrees and reporting restrictions.

In February Yameen imposed a 45-day state of emergency, alarming the international community, in what was seen as an attempt by his opponents in parliament to impeach him.

A crackdown saw former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom - Yameen's half-brother - jailed along with the Chief Justice and another Supreme Court justice amid accusations of an imminent coup.

On the eve of the poll, police raided the campaign headquarters of the MDP and searched the building for several hours in a bid to stop what they called "illegal activities". There were no arrests.

Nasheed told AFP in Colombo the vote would "bring the country back to the democratic path" and Yameen had no option but to concede defeat.

Independent international monitors were barred from the election and only a handful of foreign media were allowed in to cover the poll.

The Asian Network for Free Elections, a foreign monitoring group that was denied access to the Maldives, said the campaign had been heavily tilted in favour of 59-year-old Yameen.

The government had used "vaguely worded laws to silence dissent and to intimidate and imprison critics", some of whom had been assaulted and even murdered, according to Human Rights Watch.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A man posing as a civil judge of a Gurgaon court was arrested here for allegedly duping at least 40 people, police said Monday.

The accused, Kedar Nath Sagar, a B-Tech degree holder from Hyderabad, used to allegedly trick people in the name of providing them cheap residential and commercial properties and jobs in the national capital region.

Police said he used to minutely scan online property and job sites to get details of possible clients and offer them help in allotment of EWS properties and shops.

"The accused introduced himself as 'judge Sagar' to the victims. He would falsely tell them that he was posted in the Gurgaon civil court on probation and living in an upscale rented bungalow in sector 12," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shamsher Singh said.

"The accused mainly targeted women and charged them Rs 3 to 5 lakh for each flat he promised but nothing was ever allotted," the officer said.

The matter came to light last week after a woman, named Gagan Batra, approached police and lodged a complaint about her relative being duped of Rs 4 lakh by the accused on the pretext of allotting a property which turned to be fake, he added.

"We have seized a fake ID-card and other related documents during a raid on his rented accommodation from where he was arrested," ACP added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Mizoram Police has purchased five sniper rifles from Switzerland, a senior police officer said Monday.

The police has purchased five Brugger & Thomet AG sniper rifles each costing Rs 8,10,585, the officer said.

The five sniper rifles were part of the first batch as the state Police was expected to have 80 sniper rifles in accordance with the guidelines of the Bureau of Police Research and Development, (BPRD), Ministry of Home Affairs, he said.

"One company of armed police battalions and each police station are to be equipped with one sniper rifle," he said.

The state police has also recently bought 30 AK-47 assault rifles at the rate of Rs 68,518, the officer added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a mega congregation of BJP workers during his visit here Tuesday, an event which comes just ahead of the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh.

BJP president Amit Shah will also speak at the event, 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' (grand assembly of party workers), being held on the occasion of birth anniversary of Hindutva icon and Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) co-founder Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.

The event, to be held at Jambooree Maidan in the BHEL locality, will be the "world's largest congregation of political workers," state BJP spokesman Sarvesh Tiwari said.

"BJP president Amit Shah will also address party workers on the occasion," he said.

The venue has been named as "Atal Mahakumbh Parisar" in memory of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away in New Delhi in August.

Modi will arrive at the Bhopal airport around noon and will reach the venue in a helicopter along with other BJP leaders to avoid inconvenience to people, party leaders said.

The prime minister will remain in the state capital for nearly three hours, they said.

BJP workers from 65,000 polling booths spread across the 230 Assembly seats in the state will take part in the programme, said Rajnish Agrawal, another state BJP spokesman.

An exhibition hall named after BJP leader and former Union minister, late Anil Madhav Dave, has also been set up at the rally site.

"It will showcase the journey and works of BJP stalwarts, including Vajpayee, Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan," Agrawal said.

In the exhibition, BJP and BJS stalwarts - Upadhyaya, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Vajpayee, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia and Kushabhau Thakre - have been depicted as the five strong pillars of the BJP, he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), established in 1980, is the successor party of the BJS.

The party has booked nine special trains from different parts of the state to bring BJP workers for the event, Agrawal said.

Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the high-profile event and also Modi's visit.

"We have made adequate security arrangements for the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday by deploying nearly 6,000-strong force, including 4,000 personnel from the central and reserve forces," Inspector General (IG) Bhopal Jaideep Prasad told PTI.

Nearly 22 senior IPS officers have been deployed to coordinate security details, he said.

Along with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram will also go to polls by the year-end.

Modi and Shah, two star poll campaigners of the BJP, will be in Bhopal days after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi visited the state capital.

Gandhi held a roadshow and later addressed Congress workers and office-bearers during his September 17 visit.

Both the national parties are in poll campaign mode in the state, where the BJP is in power since 2003.

While the saffron outfit will seek a fourth straight term in office in the year-end elections, the Congress will look to wrest power from the BJP in a state which was once its stronghold.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat on Sunday, where he will inaugurate a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi and address two public gatherings.

Modi will visit Rajkot, Anand and Anjar town in Kutch district during the day-long tour which is packed with a slew of programmes, including the inauguration of an Amul chocolate plant and addressing a gathering of farmers, officials said on Monday.

The museum, named after Mahatma Gandhi, has been built at Rajkot's now-defunct Alfred High School, where the Father of the Nation used to study.

The prime minister, who had last visited his home state on August 23, will then visit Anand and Anjar for the inauguration of various projects.

As per the schedule announced by the authorities, Modi would start his visit by inaugurating the Amul palnt at Mogar village in Anand district on Sunday morning.

After visiting the newly-constructed chocolate-making plant, the PM would address a gathering of farmers near the facility, said Ramsinh Parmar, chairman of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets its products under the Amul brand.

"This plant is having a capacity to produce 1,000 tonnes of chocolate every month. At present, we are producing 20 tonnes of chocolate every day. This state-of-the-art facility was set up at a cost of Rs 190 crore at Mogar," Parmar told PTI.

From Anand, the PM would head to Anjar, where he would dedicate a natural-gas pipeline laid by the Gujarat State Petronet Ltd (GSPL) between the Mundra port and Anjar. The 67-km-long pipeline has been built at a cost of Rs 375 crore, a company official said.

Modi is also scheduled to perform the ground-breaking ceremony of the four-laning work of a highway connecting Varsana, Bhimasar, Anjar and Bhuj towns of Kutch district. He will also address a public gathering at Anjar in the afternoon, officials said.

From Anjar, the PM will travel to Rajkot city in the Saurashtra region in the evening to inaugurate the museum dedicated to the life and times of Mahatma Gandhi. He will later address a gathering in the city, they said.

The Mahatma Gandhi Museum has been built at a cost of Rs 26 crore by the Rajkot civic body in the premises of the Alfred High School, a British-era school where Gandhi had studied.

The 164-year-old school was shut down by the authorities last year due to dwindling number of students and converted into a museum.

The museum has a mini theatre, multiple screens, augmented reality gallery, video arc wall and prayer hall, among other attractions, the officials added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nepal has revived a deal with a Chinese state-owned firm to construct a USD 2.5 billion hydroelectric plant, that had been scrapped by the previous government, officials said.

Prime Minister K P Oli's governemnt last week decided to hand over the Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project, to the China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC), reversing the former Sher Bahadur Deuba government's decision to develop the 1200 MW project with internal resources.

A Nepal Cabinet meeting on Friday directed the Energy Ministry to initiate the process to award the project to the Chinese developer. As per the Cabinet decision, the ministry has been asked to hold talks with the Gezhouba, prepare a proposal, and strike a deal to execute the USD 2.5 billion reservoir project, the Kathmandu Post reported.

Following the government decision, the Energy Ministry will now invite the Chinese company for talks and prepare a draft of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) before signing it, according to multiple sources at the ministry.

"The understanding will be signed to execute the project under the engineering, procurement, construction and financing (EPCF) model," said one senior official.

This is not the first time that the government has roped in the Chinese developer to develop the Budhi Gandaki project. The Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government had, in May 2017, also signed an MoU with the CGGC to execute the project under the EPCF model.

The agreement invited controversy as the project was handed to the Chinese company without initiating a competitive bidding process.

However, the Deuba administration scrapped the deal in November last year citing irregularities. After cancelling the agreement with the Chinese company, the then government had plans to build the project using domestic financial resources via the state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority. Subsequently, a committee was formed to explore financing options to build the power plant.

The committee had suggested that the government develop the project on its own by providing viability gap funding, covering around one-third of the project's development cost. The Cabinet during the Deuba administration approved the committee report and agreed to provide the gap funding.

But the plan never materialised as the government changed before the decision could be implemented. The new administration under Oli, who had publicly criticised Deuba's decision to scrap the deal with the Chinese company, disowned the previous administration's decision.

Landlocked Nepal suffers from massive energy shortages and is compelled to buy power from neighbouring India.

Experts have criticised the Oli government's decision to rehire the Chinese company to develop the project without competitive bidding, saying such a move might make the project expensive.

The Budhi Gandaki project has been touted as a key project to resolve the perennial power crisis in the country.

More than 8,000 households will be affected by the project, according to a new report. It states that the reservoir for the storage project will submerge 3,560 households, which will have to be resettled in an alternative location with due compensation. As many as 4,557 houses will be partially affected by the project.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A senior law enforcement official of a New Jersey



county has resigned after an outcry over the racist remarks he made about America's first Sikh-American Attorney General Gurbir Grewal over his turban.

The furor erupted after several audio clips were posted of Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino's remarks from January 16 discussion following Phil Murphy's inauguration as governor of New Jersey.

Saudino and the four undersheriffs resigned on Friday, a day after the recording which was obtained by the radio station WNYC was published, the New York Times reported.

Saudino, a Democrat who was in his third term, yielded to intense political pressure led by governor Murphy.

In the audio, Saudino is heard saying that Murphy appointed Grewal because of "the turban".

"He didn't do that because of Bergen County; he did that because of the turban," Saudino said of Murphy's selection of Grewal, who at the time was the Bergen County prosecutor.

Grewal called the resignation "an important first step in repairing the relationship between the Bergen County Sheriff's Office and the diverse communities it serves."



"But our work does not stop there. The fact that a top official could make racist comments about the African-American community -- and that no one in the room would challenge or correct him -- raises serious concerns."The comments brought condemnation across the state, but Saudino initially offered only an apology and made no mention of leaving his position.

Following Saudino's resignation, Murphy said he intended to "appoint an interim sheriff who can rebuild the public's trust" in the county of nearly 1 million residents.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nigerian authorities on Monday said they were working to find and free 12 crew members of a Swiss-registered cargo ship who were kidnapped by sea pirates at the weekend.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said it had "commenced search (and) rescue operations" for the abducted crew from the MV Glarus.

The ship was attacked 45 nautical miles southwest of Bonny Island, near the southern city of Port Harcourt, as it travelled from Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, on Saturday.

NIMASA director-general Dakuku Peterside said the agency was working "to ensure that they are found and released unconditionally".

The search and rescue was being conducted with the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies, he told a conference in Lagos.

"The issue of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is a challenge we acknowledge and we are determined to tackle it head-on," he said, vowing "zero-tolerance" of the problem.

Kidnapping for ransom is rife across Nigeria, particularly in the oil-rich south where prominent individuals, members of their family and expatriates have regularly been seized.

Offshore, the Gulf of Guinea has become the world's piracy hotspot. The International Maritime Bureau said in late July that there were six kidnappings of crews around the world in the first half of 2018. All of them were in the Gulf of Guinea.

Out of the 16 incidents in which ships came under gunfire in 2017, seven were in the waters which stretch 5,700 kilometres from Senegal to Angola.

During the first half of 2018, the crews of six ships were kidnapped by pirates, who are usually well-armed. Sometimes ships are held long enough for the cargo to be looted.

The MV Glarus' owners, Massoel Shipping, has said the pirates used long ladders and cut razor wire to get onto the vessel and take over the bridge. Twelve of the 19-strong crew were seized.

The Geneva-based company said it would not divulge the identities or the nationalities of the hostages for safety reasons but added it was in touch with their families.

But the Slovenian foreign ministry said on Monday that one of its nationals was among those taken.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maldives leader Abdulla Yameen conceded defeat on Monday to a candidate who has pledged to reverse the country's slide toward authoritarianism, marking a setback for China, which had forged strong ties with the president in an effort to expand its influence.

"This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law", the MEA said.

Police spokesman Ahmed Shifan told The Associated Press that police raided Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's campaign office late Saturday and that the raid was ongoing.

More than 260,000 of the Maldives' 400,000 people were eligible, and voters also stood in long lines in Malaysia, the U.K., India and Sri Lanka, where the opposition had encouraged overseas Maldivians to participate.

But Mr Solih has said he won Sunday's vote by a 16% margin, with 92% of the votes counted.

"I accept the defeat", Yameen said.

Mr Yameen said at a news conference televised live from the capital, Male: "I know I have to step down now".

"India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership".

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, center, jumps as he walks in a street march with supporters in Male, Maldives.

On Monday the Maldivian government acknowledged that the main opposition candidate Solih had defeated President Yameen in the election.

OPEC, allies agree not to further increase oil production

That equates to an increase of about 1 million bpd, but the latest figures show they are some way from achieving that target. The price rally mainly stemmed from a decline in oil exports from OPEC member Iran due to fresh USA sanctions.

Yameen stayed quiet overnight after the outcome became clear.

China has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on infrastructure projects in the Maldives, which critics, including the political opposition, warn amount to "debt-trap diplomacy" that weighs down the recipient country with loans in order to secure a naval base as repayment.

The US State Department on Monday called on Yameen to "respect the will of the people".

Voting has started in the Maldives in a presidential election that is widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. The local media was fearful of falling foul of heavy-handed decrees and reporting restrictions.

Mr Solih's win was unexpected, and opposition party members had feared Mr Yameen would rig the vote in his own favour.

The country has been in political turmoil since February, when Yameen imposed a state of emergency to annul a Supreme Court ruling that quashed the convictions of nine opposition leaders, including Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected leader and former president.

Yameen's government jailed many of its rivals, including the president's half brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had ruled the country for 30 years.

Only a handful of foreign media were allowed in to cover the poll.

However, there has been no acknowledgement of the results from President Yameen.No children from Tamil Nadu were trafficked abroad from Mumbai, the state government submitted in the Madras High Court Monday, citing a special team's visit to various shelters in Maharashtra's capital city.

The government, filing its status report in connection with a batch of petitions on child trafficking before a division bench, comprising justices M Sathyanarayanan and N Seshasayee, refuted claims in a section of the media that 300 children of Tamil Nadu were trafficked.

Months ago, a boy hailing from a village near Tirutani in Tiruvallur district had gone to Mumbai and he was traced to a children's home in that city and handed over to his parents, the report said.

Subsequently, this month when he came to Mumbai on his own, he was rescued again and handed over to his parents, it added.

Citing a special team's visit to Mumbai with the assistance of the Versova police station personnel, the report said an inquiry revealed that children from Gujarat were trafficked to America.

From Gujarat, in April 2017, one boy and two girls, and in November that year, another boy and a girl were trafficked to California and New York respectively, it said.

However, no children from Tamil Nadu were trafficked abroad, the report said.

Replying to queries raised by the bench in the last hearing, the government submitted that a total of 4,824 accused were arrested for offences under the POCSO Act.

The court questioned Public Prosecutor Emilias whether any investigation was conducted on unregistered child care homes and orphanages in Tamil Nadu.

It impleaded the Social Welfare Department as well as the Director of Social Welfare, Tamil Nadu, as respondents on the batch of petitions related to child trafficking.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the status report, the bench said more information could be accessed by tapping on the search engine Google.

The court posted the matter for further hearing to October 25 after directing the public prosecutor to file a report on unregistered child care homes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Assam government on Monday denied allegations that it was interfering with the NRC update process for excluding people's names, saying no genuine Indians would be left out.

It will be ensured that no foreigner's name is included in the update exercise of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said in the Assembly.

He was speaking on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who holds the home portfolio. Sonowal has categorically said all Indian citizens' names would be included.

Allaying fears of exclusion of people's names from the citizen's register, Patowary termed it "false". The people, whose names did not figure in the NRC final draft, are entitled to file claims and objections as due opportunities are available before publication of the final citizen's register, he said during the Question Hour.

Responding to the allegation by the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Aminul Islam that the government was interfering with the NRC process by referring names to the foreigners' tribunals, the minister said the citizens register was being updated under the Supreme Court's direct supervision and there was no question of any interference.

"Under the MHA's (ministry of home affairs) instruction the Assam government has issued directions to all the SPs and DCs that no action for fresh inquiry or reference to tribunals should be initiated by the administration or police till the final NRC is published."



The tribunals, however, may issue notices regarding the cases referred to it before the publication of the final NRC draft, Patowary said.

He also informed the House that the state government had filed two affidavits in the Supreme Court to accept the earlier-mentioned 15 documents during the claims-and-objection process, instead of new guidelines of 10 documents only.

On the Congress and AIUDF seeking removal of NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela, Patowary expressed helplessness, saying he had been instructed by the apex court not to share any information regarding NRC with the legislators, judiciary and executives.

"Hajela had recently submitted a letter to the SC in a sealed envelope. We do not know what is there. We have requested the Supreme Court to share information with us as law and order is a state subject. It is a very sensitive subject," he added.

The assembly witnessed some noisy scenes during the discussion over alleged harassment of people over proving of their citizenship. The Opposition pointed out a few cases, where some people were harassed by the tribunal authorities, but Patowary termed them "rare".

He informed that 4,55,976 cases of 'D' (doubtful) voters have been referred to the tribunals till December 2017.

From January-April this year, a total of 1,079 cases have been forwarded by the border police and the total number of 'D' voters in the draft electoral roll published on September 15 is 1,19,559, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)To educate investors on how to take risks in the money market, the National StockExchange Limited (NSE) and Indian Institute of Management-Bengaluru (IIM-B) on Monday jointly launched the Platform for Investor Education (PIE).

The PIE has several unique features for investor education and called it an outcome of synergy between them, a press release said.

The educational material of IIM-B would be product-neutral, unlike many offered by the other financial services entities, the release said.

The content would be developed by experienced faculty and the materials would incorporate the latest in animation and data visualisation technology, it said.

The study material would be made available on multiple platforms to actively engage different cohorts of potential investors, the release said.

The IIM-B's Centre for Capital Markets and Risk Management aims to make this initiative much more than just large-scale online education, supplementing the videos with frequently updated web content as well as by conducting periodic investor fora at different locations, it said.

The release quoted MD and CEO of NSE Vikram Limaye as saying that top-notch experts in the field would work in making the offering relevant for entire spectrum of investors from first-time investors to experienced investors.

Chair of the Centre for Capital Markets and Risk Management at IIM-B professor S G Badrinath said, "The PIE at IIM-B will develop, disseminate and continually manage investor education content that is product neutral and demand driven. The material will incorporate the latest in digital technology.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Odisha government Monday decided to procure 55 lakh metric tonne (LMT) of paddy from farmers during kharif marketing season (KMS) 2018-19 beginning October 1.

A proposal in this regard was approved at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here.

"The Cabinet has approved the Food and Procurement Policy for KMS 2018-19. A tentative target of 37 lakh metric tonne in terms of rice has been fixed. In terms of paddy this comes to around 55 lakh metric tonne," chief secretary A P Padhi told reporters.

Padhi, however, said that there is no bar for procurement of any higher quantum if more paddy comes to the mandi from registered farmers.

He said Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister has been authorised to revise this target if the need so arises.

In KMS 2017-18, paddy to the tune of 49.06 LMT was procured (both kharif and rabi). In terms of rice it comes to 33.21 LMT, the chief secretary said.

Padhi said that paddy will be procured from the farmers who are registered in the online portal of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department.

The farmers will have to provide plot details for their registration. The plot details will be verified by integration with the Bhulekh database maintained by the Revenue and Disaster Management department, he said.

The procuring societies PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Society) and Large Area Adivasi Multipurpose Co-operative Society (LAMPCS) shall endeavour to bring more and more small and marginal farmers and actual tillers including sharecroppers into the procurement fold so that they receive the benefit of MSP, he said.

Padhi also said that the Cabinet has decided to waive the past practice of deducting towards personal consumption requirement of three quintals of paddy per member in the family of the farmer for computation of marketable surplus of paddy from KMS 2018-19.

This will facilitate the entry of more small and marginal farmers and actual tillers of soil including sharecroppers into the procurement fold, he said.

The chief secretary said that the paddy will be procured as per the Minimum Support Price (MSP) as announced by the Centre. While the common variety paddy will be procured at Rs 1750 per quintal, the Grade- A variety paddy would be procured at Rs 1770 per quintal.

Padhi said the paddy to be procured must conform to the fair average quality (FAQ) specifications by the Centre. The procuring agencies/district administration shall make wide publicity regarding FAQ quality of paddy. Similarly, rice to be delivered by custom millers must conform to FAQ norm.

"Besides, the purchase of FAQ paddy at prices below MSP shall be punishable under the Essential Commodities Act- 1955, he said, adding that wide publicity will be made for the farmers to bring FAQ paddy to procurement centres.

The paddy will be procured by the Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) from all the districts and if necessary, other state agencies will be deployed in rice-surplus districts only.

The OSCSC and other agencies shall procure paddy through PACS, LAMPCS, Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs) and Pani Panchayats, while emphasis will be given for the opening of the adequate number of Paddy Purchase Centers (Mandis) by the societies on behalf of procuring agencies.

The payment of farmers dues on account of paddy sold to the government shall be transferred directly to their bank accounts through online mode, Padhi said adding that all such payments shall be made within 24 to 72 hours of their sale of paddy.

The Cabinet also approved two more proposals Ama Gaon Ama Bikas scheme and Odisha Agriculture and Food Production Service (method of recruitment and constitution of service) Rules, 2018.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will discuss " of non-violence and harmony" at the meeting it is planning to hold at Sevagram in Wardha district of Maharashtra on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi next month, a senior leader said Monday.

AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot told reporters that the party was mulling over holding the meeting in Sevagram, where Gandhi had once lived, on October 2.

"We are thinking of conducting the CWC meeting at Sevagram," Gehlot told reporters at the Nagpur airport en route to Wardha.

Sevagram, located 8 kms away from Wardha, is the place of Gandhi's ashram and his residence from 1936 to 1948.

Responding to a query whether members of the CWC, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, will attend the meeting, if it is to be held at Sevagram, Gehlot replied in affirmative.

"This year is very important for the country and the world, as it is the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi who championed non-violence which helped India attain freedom," he said.

Gehlot said the Congress leaders would meditate and discuss about how peace, love and harmony can prevail in the country.

"We will also discuss the of non-violence, harmony and peace because the current situation in the country is worrisome. Rahul Gandhi always says that we don't have any personal enmity with anyone," Gehlot said.

He said, "In democracy, it is always a fight between an ideology and principles".

"But the way the NDA government, especially Prime Minister Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, have created the environment of hatred....A of hatred is being pursued and people are being killed," Gehlot said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav Monday alleged that opposition leaders in the country have endorsed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's comments on the Indian leadership.

"Today, when Modi ji's government took a tough decision against atrocities committed in Kashmir by Pakistan... when Imran Khan, who just the other day assumed power with the mercy of the Army, speaks improper things, opposition leaders in India are endorsing it," he said.

He was speaking at a book release function organised by Pragna Bharati, an organisation working on social and political issues.

"We may have 100 differences. You fight with us. You continue lies about Rafale. But when it comes to respecting India's constitutional head of the government, he is the Prime Minister of 125 crore Indians," Madhav said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday said his country's offer of "friendship" to India should not be considered as its weakness and the Indian leadership should shun "arrogance" to hold peace talks.

Khan had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking to re-start bilateral talks on key issues, including on terrorism and Kashmir.

India initially agreed to a meeting between Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this month.

However, New Delhi on Friday called off the meeting, citing the "brutal" killing of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the release of the postal stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.

Ram Madhav said BJP had expressed strong disapproval when former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made 'improper' comments on then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2013.

"As the opposition at that time, we stood up and said we are with Manmohan Singh. We have 100 differences with him. But he is Prime Minister of India. He is Prime Minister for 125 crore Indians, how dare Nawaz Sharif insult him," he said.

Madhav alleged that the present opposition is not able to imbibe Indian values of self-respect, among other things.

In an apparent reference to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, he alleged that "eternally young leaders" are not able to imbibe such Indian values.

"Eternally young leaders are not able to imbibe this Indian value. Young leader when I was spokesperson (for RSS) 10 years ago. 'Yuva Neta'... 'Yuva neta' in 2018 also. Eternally young," he said.

Madhav also alleged that the opposition parties are trying to form a 'Maha gathbandhan' (grand alliance) without any agenda only to prevent the BJP from coming to power.

"Unable to stop this wave of nationalism, not having the courage to face that, those opposed to nationalist forces are trying to stop by forming a group and naming it as 'Mahagathbandhan'... No self-respect. No concern for the nation. No agenda," he said.

The government took hard decisions like demonetization in the national interest to uphold nationalism, Madhav said.

The BJP leader said it was necessary to take strong measures like demonetization to improve the economy and to eradicate terrible corruption and black money.

"Maybe not very popular. But very essential," he said.

"Indians are very intelligent. They saw to it that the entire black money reached banks in some form or the other. But the opposition... said demonetization failed.

What they didn't realize is 30 per cent black money was there, today zero black money in India... Everything is in banks... Everything is in black and white. Everything is accounted for," he said.

He urged the gathering to build a nationalist discourse on the principles of 'Swadesh bhakti' (patriotism and devotion for motherland), 'Swadharma Nishta' (commitment to own culture and belief) and 'Swabhiman' (self-respect).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Pakistani court on Monday granted bail to two accused in the murder case of prominent Sikh community leader and rights activist Charanjeet Singh.

The counsel for the two accused, Tariq and Shehryar, told the court that they were arrested in the case without any evidence or complaint from the Sikh leader's family.

The court accepted the bail application of the two accused and ordered their release on bail.

Singh, 52, was killed on May 29 when a gunman barged into his grocery store on the outskirts of Peshawar and shot him dead.

The Sikh leader, who had shifted to Peshawar with his family nearly two decades ago, was a highly respectable figure in the region and was known for promoting religious harmony and discouraging violence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Lahore High Court Monday summoned Nawaz Sharif on October 8 during the hearing of a petition seeking action against the deposed prime minister for claiming that those involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack belonged to Pakistan.

Sharif, for the first time in May, publicly acknowledged in an interview to Dawn that militant organisations are active in Pakistan and questioned the policy to allow the "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai.

In the exclusive interview, he had also criticised the apparent delay in the conclusion of the Mumbai attack trial.

The Lahore High Court's three-member bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Dawn journalist Cyril Almeida and ordered placing his name on the Exit Control List.

"Justice Naqvi expressed anger over non-appearance of Almeida in the court, directing the Deputy Inspector General of the Police Punjab to present him in the court on next hearing (October 8)," a court official told reporters.

The judge, before summoning Sharif on October 8, also inquired from Sharif's counsel Advocate Naseer Bhutta as why his client did not appear before the court on Monday.

Advocate Bhutta said Sharif would appear in the next hearing as he was mourning the death of his wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz. She died of throat cancer on September 11 in London.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, however, appeared before the court.

Petitioner Amina Malik said Sharif, who was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case in July 2017 and subsequently jailed for 10 years in Avenfield corruption case, in an interview to Dawn made the remarks that those involved in the Mumbai attack case actually belonged to Pakistan, thus he committed treason.

The petitioner said the "anti-state" statement of Sharif a three-time prime minister could be used against Pakistan by its enemies.

She said a meeting of the National Security Council was held to discuss the 'misleading' statement of the disqualified premier and later then prime minister Abbasi met Sharif and conveyed to him the concerns of the military leadership on his statement.

"The act of Abbasi was also a clear violation of his oath as he was bound not to allow his personal interest to influence his official conduct," the petitioner said.

The court adjourned the hearing till October 8.

Sharif, 68, resigned as Pakistan prime minister last year after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against the beleaguered leader and his children over the Panama Papers scandal.

The Avenfield case was among the three corruption cases filed against the ex-premier by the National Accountability Bureau on the Supreme Court's orders in the Panama Papers case.

Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Mohammad Safdar were released last week following the suspension of their sentences by the Islamabad High Court in the Avenfield properties corruption case.

Some 166 people were killed in the attack carried out by 10 LeT terrorists. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was caught and hanged after handed down death sentence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With at least six job rackets busted in the national capital in the last two months by the Delhi Police's crime branch, a senior cop has said it reflects the current "job scenario" in the country and people's propensity to government jobs.

People who are behind these scams are unemployed as well and the ones who get duped also have no employment, the officer with crime branch said. "And they want government job which has job security and pension."



A senior police officer with the Crime Branch said their unit has solved at least six cases of job rackets in the last two months itself.

"The main reason behind such job scams is the rate of unemployment. It can be called a reflection of the current job scenario. There is a large workforce looking for jobs and when an opportunity arises, they just go for it without thinking," the police officer said.

Recently, a job racket was busted by the Crime Branch wherein several youngsters were duped on the pretext of getting them jobs as Assistant Managers in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

A senior police officer posted with the district police said through these rackets candidates are lured in the pretext of getting them jobs in Railways and Army since they hire in bulk and also issue advertisements in newspapers.

"Some of the rackets that we have busted have involved the accused duping the victims on the promise of getting them employed in the Indian Railways. People are get convinced because they see jobs in railways being advertised through online platforms and newspapers", the officer said.

In May this year, the police had busted a fake territorial army recruitment racket with the arrest of three accused who had duped three men after charging them good amount of money.

The Job rackets these days are not merely about duping youngsters in one go but are well organised with an elaborate modus operandi.

For instance, the recent ONGC job racket which was busted (listed above) saw the accused getting the victims access to to the "highly secure" Krishi Bhawan where the candidates underwent interview, the police said.

The racket had connivance of some junior level government employees who facilitated their entry in Krishi Bhawan and even offered them appointment letters.

Police officials said that some of the rackets have also seen the candidates receiving appointment letters and salary for a couple of months and even attending some training workshops before joining the job.

Those who are running job rackets do not have to sweat out in search of their victims, said a crime branch officer.

"Once they find a victim, that victim leads them to his friends and relatives who are also unemployed and in this way, these job rackets thrive because of word-of-mouth advertisement," said the senior crime branch officer.

The accused in most of these rackets are well-educated and have sound knowledge of computer and in some cases, the accused have been found to be former employees of public sector units and defence, said an investigator with the Crime Branch.

"The accused before embarking on their task, conduct a thorough task, which includes a thorough study of the websites, appointment letters which have close resemblance to that of the government letter heads", he added.

In 2013, Narendra Modi had promised to provide one crore jobs to the youth of the country if voted to power at the Centre.

In July this year, Minister of Labour and Unemployment, Santosh Gangwar had told the Rajya Sabha the government is encouraging private sector to generate jobs, fast-tracking various projects involving substantial investment and increasing public expenditure on schemes like Pradhan Mantri Employment Generation Programme (PMEG) and MGREGS among others, he said.

Job opportunities have not come down in the country and even global data shows that unemployment rate in India is lower, he had said the government will come out with unemployment data in the next two months.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The All India Minority Forum moved Monday a PIL before the Calcutta High Court seeking direction to the BJP to withdraw its West Bengal bandh call on Wednesday to protest the killing of two students in North Dinajpur district.

Trinamool Congress MP Idris Ali, a practising lawyer, prayed before a division bench presided by Chief Justice J Bhattacharya for an injunction restraining the BJP from giving effect to the bandh call.

The saffron party has called a 12-hour Bengal bandh to protest the death of two students at a high school in North Dinajpur district's Islampur area in a clash with police during a demonstration for appointment of teachers.

Moving the PIL, Ali urged for an urgent hearing of the matter since the bandh is to be held on Wednesday and submitted that citizens cannot be prevented from attending to their vocation forcibly.

The division bench, also comprising Justice Arijit Banerjee, said that the matter would be listed for hearing on Tuesday.

Submitting for petitioner All India Minority Forum general secretary M A Ali, Idris Ali said the Kerala High Court had held that bandhs are illegal and unconstitutional and that this order was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Trouble had brewed at Daribhit High School in Islampur over the recruitment of Urdu teachers as the protesting students said they needed Science and English teachers instead.

The students and the locals had stopped two newly-recruited teachers from entering the school on Thursday, demanding that all vacant teaching posts be filled, resulting in a clash.

The BJP alleged that ITI student Rajesh Sarkar and third-year college student Tapas Barman were killed in police firing while the police denied the claim.

District Superintendent of Police Sumit Kumar has maintained that police did not resort to firing during the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Israel strongly disputed the assertion and vowed it will continue to act against Iranian targets in neighboring Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday that Moscow would supply its ally with an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, Assad's office said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to seek to move past the incident in spite of strong statements from the Russian military. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Sunday in Moscow in a briefing.

In fact, the Israeli jets were in Latakia, in Syria's west and used the Russian Il-20 as a shield to bypass Syrian government forces' radar systems, the spokesman said.

Israel denied this version of events and its air force commander flew to Moscow following the incident, which Putin called the result of a "chain of tragic accidental circumstances".

The incident was also the worst case of friendly fire between Russian Federation and Syria since Moscow's military intervention in the country in support of President Bashar al-Assad's forces in September 2015.

Russian Federation ordered its plane back to base.

What are the two major issues behind the Brexit 'impasse'?

Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt said she believed that voters "still want a deal but (are) content to go without one". Britain had known about the EU's reservations over the Chequers plan for weeks, he added.

But he also repeated Moscow's accusations that Israel was to blame for the crash: "No doubt that according to our military experts, deliberate action by Israeli pilots was the reason for the tragedy and this can not but harm our (Russia-Israeli) ties".

The Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft with 15 servicemen on board disappeared from radars on September 17 as four Israeli F-16 warplanes were attacking state institutions in Syria's Latakia Province, which is home to Russia-run Hmeimim airbase.

According to the statement, Putin reiterated that Russian Federation holds Israel responsible for the downing of the plane.

"The Russian defence ministry is very angry at Israel". Russian Federation laid the blame on Israel, saying Israeli fighter jets had pushed the plane into Syria's line of fire.

It again offered condolences to Russian Federation.

"The S-300 was a deal that had been signed with Syria in 2013, but Israel put its foot down on negotiation with Russian Federation and Russia decided that it was going to hold off delivering these units", he said.

It has pledged to stop Iran, its main enemy, from entrenching itself militarily in the neighboring country and has carried out dozens of attacks on Iranian targets there. Liability falls on Israel, the ministry said, because warning of the strike came just one minute in advance.Dedicating Sikkim's first airport at Pakyong to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday his government is committed to make the Northeast an "engine of India's growth story" and lamented the "slow pace" of development work in the region under the previous governments.

With the inauguration of the greenfield airport, the country currently has 100 airports, the prime minister noted and said "our efforts were to enable common people who wear hawai-chappals (flip-flops) to travel by 'hawai-jahaz (aeroplane)."



"After Independence the country had only 65 airports till 2014. But in the last four years we have built 35 airports. Earlier the average was one airport every year, now the average is nine airports per year," Modi said at a programme after the inauguration of Pakyong airport.

He said in the last 70 years, the country had 400 aircraft, but in one year 1,000 new aircraft were ordered by various airlines.

All sections of people would be able to use the airport as the fares would be less than Rs 2,500 under the UDAN scheme, he said.

Modi said, "We are committed to make the Northeast an engine for India's growth story. For the first time since Independence, stress has been given on increasing connectivity by both air and rail, providing electricity in remote areas of the North East and building infrastructure."



Reiterating the slogan 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (Support of all, development for all), he said, "In several states of the Northeast, work for connectivity, providing electricity, highways and infrastructure are taking place for the first time.""I myself have visited the Northeast on several occasions, while the Union ministers also visit it to speed up the developmental work," he said.

He said the greenfield airport in Sikkim will not just improve connectivity with the landlocked and border state of Sikkim but also boost tourism and other economic activities in the state.

A greenfield airport is an aviation facility which has been commissioned and constructed from scratch without remodelling or renovating an existing structure.

The prime minister, who began his address in Nepali, said that the people of Sikkim were as beautiful as the natural beauty of the tiny Himalayan state.

He said that he could not resist taking photographs by camera this morning and the cool breeze and the sunrise behind the mountains mesmerize him.

The tourist footfall in Sikkim will increase manifold after this airport starts functioning from October 4, the prime minister said.

"It will lead to creation of more jobs for the youth and greater economic activity as more hotels, home stays, restaurants etc are slated to come up," he stated.

Modi also said initially flights will operate to Kolkata and Guwahati from Pakyong and subsequently it will be connected to other parts of the country.

He said that Sikkim, a landlocked state, faced problems relating to connectivity but the airport would minimise the travel time.

Work is also on to connect Sikkim through railways, he said.

Describing the Pakyong airport as an engineering marvel, he congratulated the engineers who had accomplished the mega task.

Sikkim's dream of having an airport came true nine years after the foundation stone for it was laid here, which is around 33 km from capital Gangtok.

Located around 60 km from the Sino-India border, the airport is spread across over 201 acres and is on the top of a hill about two km above Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level.

Referring to organic farming in the state, Modi said the central government is taking steps to encourage it.

"In the Northeast we have started Mission Organic Value Development for the region. The scheme has been approved with an outlay of Rs 400 crore," he said.

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, who was also present on the occasion, said the dream of the people of Sikkim to have an airport of their own has now come true.

This will help in increasing the number of tourists visiting the state and consequently the income of local people and thereby help in further development of Sikkim, he said.

The prime minister had sought to bring all the state capitals on the railway map, he said.

Work is on to get Sikkim on it and the state has now got its first airport, Prabhu, who earlier had the railway portfolio, said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The police busted a fake call centre racket at Dimapur in Nagaland and arrested 20 people for duping American citizens posing as revenue officers, a senior police officer said Monday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Dimapur Zone-II, Vishal said that based on specific information, police team raided a place and arrested 20 persons including six women.

Sixteen of them have been released on bail while four main accused are still in judicial custody, the DCP said quoting a delayed police report.

While probing the case, Special Investigation Team (SIT) had also arrested two main accused Ajit Kumar Ray and Anirban Gupta from Kolkata on September 15. The duo have been brought to Dimapur and is being kept under judicial remand, he said.

The call centre which started functioning in the month of June 2018 had made a transaction of around Rs 30-35 lakh, the DCP said, adding further investigations are on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At a time the BJP-led Central government is battling the charge of corruption over the Rafale fighter jet deal, Union Coal Minister Piyush Goyal Monday accused the "previous government" of distributing coal blocks to their "favourites" like "revdi".

Addressing a rally at Hardibazaar village in Korba district of Chhattisgarh, the minister said the Narendra Modi government fixed the anomalies in the process of allocating coal blocks after coming to power.

"The previous government had allocated the coal blocks like 'revdi' (a type of sweet) to their favourite people. But after Modi government came to power, it brought a transparent mechanism for the allocation that generated revenue to the tune of crores for the government," said Goyal in an apparent reference to the Congress-led UPA government of the past.

The rally was part of 'Atal Vikaas Yatra' campaign of Chief Minister Raman Singh.

On the occasion, Goyal, who also holds the charge of Railway ministry, and Singh laid foundation stones of four railway line projects worth Rs 9,952 crore in Chhattisgarh, where assembly polls will be held later this year.

A total of 355.5 km length of railway network will be laid under these projects.

These projects will provide better transportation facilities to tribal people living in mineral rich region of the state, Goyal said.

Hailing the development works done in Chhattisgarh, the minister said the state has recorded tremendous growth after Modi government assumed office in 2014.

Under the East-West rail corridor, the foundation stone for Gevra Road-Pendra Road (135.3 km) rail line worth Rs 4,970 crore was laid. Nine railway stations will be built as part of this project.

Similarly, 63 km-long Dharamjaigarh-Korba rail line will be laid with an investment of Rs 1686 crore, which will also have six railway stations en route.

Kharsia-Dharamjaigarh (131 km) rail line and Chirmiri (Koria district)-Nagpur Road halt (17 km) were two other projects for which foundation stones were laid.

The construction of Chirmiri -Nagpur Road halt will ensure trains from Ambikapur to Bilaspur and Durg and Anuppur to Jabalpur to pass thourgh Chirmiri.

The BJP government is fighting the allegations levelled by the Congress of corruption and violation of rules by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal with France.

The Congress has also accused the prime minister, the finance minister and the defence minister of "lying on the issue".

Modi had announced the procurement of 36 Rafale fighters after holding talks with the then French president Francois Hollande on April 10, 2015, in Paris.

The controversy took a turn last week after Hollande claimed that the Indian government had proposed Reliance Defence's name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An employee of a private finance company was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Bihar's Vaishali district Monday, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Aman Kumar (30), a resident of Bishunpurraj Khand of the district, the police said.

The incident occurred near Arri village when Kumar was going to a village to collect money or distribute loan amount.

The miscreants tried to snatch the money Kumar was carrying. When he resisted, the miscreants shot him dead and escaped with the money he was carrying, they said.

The body has been sent to sadar hospital for post mortem, police added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)State-owned construction firm NBCC (India) Monday told the National Green Tribunal that development work of the iconic Purana Qila lake here was being done as per the suggestions of the IIT-Roorkee and rainwater harvesting structures were being built for ground water recharge.

The NBCC, which submitted a 38-page report in pursuance to NGT's order, said that drawings for development works at Purana Qila lake were approved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and it was directed to seek expert advice from a reputed institute such as IIT for laying of the ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM) membrane in the lake and send the same to ASI.

"Accordingly, a detailed study report was sought by NBCC from IIT Roorkee on proposal to lay impermeable membrane beneath the Purana Qila lake. It is stated that Dr Bhanu Prakash Vellanki from the Deaprtment of Civil Engineering, IIT Roorkee submitted a report on the same which was duly forwarded by NBCC to ASI," it said.

The NBCC told the tribunal that IIT Roorkee report states that the benefits of maintaining a perennial source of surface water of good quality over an area of approximately seven acres outweigh minor concerns on ground water recharge and rain water harvesting structures can be built within the area.

"The report states that synthetic liners such as EPDM membrane have been extensively used in the west for creation of artificial ponds for aesthetic purposes, canal lining, swimming pool lining etc and there are no reported cases of water contamination," it said.

The NBCC also informed the green panel that no chlorination is being used in the lake water and the eutrophication of the water body was being done through "ABR technology".

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said it would go through the report and posted the matter for hearing on September 28.

The tribunal had earlier directed the NBCC to submit a report on the question whether plastic lining should be removed or whether alternative options for lake revival should be preferred. It was also asked to respond on the plea against chlorination of the water body.

The direction came on a plea filed by city-resident R K Gupta who contended that NBCC and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have put a plastic sheet on the bed of the lake, preventing groundwater recharge by both treated recycled water and rainwater.

The plea said that the method of concretisation and laying down of the sheets will lead to damage to the lake.

"The ASI and NBCC should have noted that the Old Fort lake in its old form was unlined adding considerably to the groundwater recharge round the year in the area declared as critical by the Central Ground Water Board.

"By their act the two agencies have eliminated recharge through the bed of the lake causing grave environmental damage. The project as conceived and being implemented has adverse impacts on the environment, contrary to the ecosystem of the lakes," the bench said.

The petitioner has sought directions to restore the lake to its natural condition by removing impermeable plastic lining and explore alternative revival techniques for the water body.

The NGT had earlier slammed the ASI over the poor condition of the lake and summoned its senior official to explain why it had not been cleaned despite its direction.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress on Monday intensified its offensive against the Modi government on Rafale issue by petitioning the Central Vigilance Commissioner to register a case of alleged corruption and seize all documents relating to the deal.

The Congress said once corruption in the Rafale deal is established, through a JPC or any other probe, it cannot be allowed to be continued and has to be cancelled or the jets bought at a fresh price.

The opposition party also released videos of Dassault CEO Eric Trappier and India's former Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, both suggesting that the Rafale deal was on with public-sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as its partner, a few days before the deal for 36 fighter jets was finalised on April 10, 2015.

"I strongly believe a contract finalization and signature could come very soon," Abhishek Singhvi said quoting Trappier.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi also fired a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale jet deal, charging that the country's "chowkidar" Narendra Modi snatched money away from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

Gandhi demanded answers from the prime minister on several issues relating to the Rafale jet fighter deal.

"The chowkidar of the country has taken out Rs 20,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, martyrs and the jawans and put it in the pocket of (Anil)Ambani," Gandhi said at a meeting in Jais area of his Lok Sabha constituency Amethi.

"Why was the price not disclosed...how was the contract given to(Anil) Ambani... serious charges have been levelled by former French president Francois Hollande," he said.

He also released a video of a French media portal in connection with the Rafale fighter jet deal.

"The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief," Gandhi said on Twitter, in an apparent attack on Modi and tagged the video along with his tweet.

The video targets the Modi government on the Rafale deal and quoted the editor of Mediapart, a French media house, that published a story Friday quoting Hollande as saying it was the Indian government that "proposed" Reliance Defence as the partner of Dassault Aviation for Rafale offset contracts.

"The key sentence in his reply is 'We did not have a choice'", the Mediapart editor said quoting Hollande.

A delegation of Congress leaders met CVC K V Chowdary and submitted a detailed memorandum, accusing the government of causing loss to the public exchequer and endangering national security by bypassing state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in favour of some businessman "friends" for offset contract.

"Rafale scam has now emerged as India's biggest defence scam. Tracks of corruption are getting unravelled by the day with repeated disclosures getting no answers from the Defence Ministry. The stench of corruption and cronyism in the Rafale deal is nauseating, requiring urgent intervention by your goodself," the Congress said.

The memorandum said the government is bound to disclose the price of 36 aircraft to scrutiny by CVC in light of the serious allegations of corruption and loss of money to public exchequer.

"We, therefore, request the CVC to undertake its statutory duty by examining record threadbare, so that corruption, crony capitalism, violation of law and procedure and loss to public exchequer is brought out as the earliest," it said.

The government has rejected the Congress' allegations.

Congress leader Anand Sharma said, "The Government has been lying and hiding. We have, therefore, demanded the CVC to take cognizance, to seize all files and documents and to register an FIR."



He sought registration of a case and asked the CVC to act immediately as there "were fears that after"this big scam the government will try and destroy all evidence" and this files and documents need to be taken into custody.

Addressing a press conference, Singhvi said while the party is not against the Rafale aircraft as such, but if corruption is found out the deal will either have to be cancelled or the jets bought at a fresh price.

"At least start the work of probing the corruption. How can you allow corruption and still buy at the same price. You will have to either cancel the deal or buy the jets a fresh price. At least, give a notice, give a warning, seize the documents and start the work of probing," he told reporters.

Singhvi said the 'Rafale saga' gets murkier by the minute and "like quicksand, it sucks the government into a quagmire each time the government tries to respond or say something and each time it is exposes the prevarication of the Government more and more".

"How silly can we get is about all that I can say," he said on the charge that the Congress was in "collusion" with former French President, and said it was like "insulting the intelligence" of Indians.

Taking strong objection to the statement of Arun Jaitley that the CAG will look at price and decide on whether the deal will be cancelled, he said "it is highly objectionable".

"There is a clear direction, message, indication in that statement trying to tell the CAG what to do.

"The words of the Minister let the cat out of the bag because they are pre-judgment and pre-decision," Singhvi claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Firing fresh salvo at the prime minister on the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday charged country's "chowkidar" Narendra Modi with snatching away money from the poor and handing it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

He asks the prime minister for answers on why Rafale price was not disclosed and how Ambani got the contract.

"The chowkidar of the country has taken out Rs 20,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, martyrs and the jawans and put it in the pocket of Ambani," he said at a meeting in the Jais area of his constituency.

The Congress chief arrived here on a two-day visit, the first after his Kailash Mansarover pilgrimage, and said the people of the country want to know the amount involved in the Rafale deal.

"Why was the price not disclosed...how was the contract given to Ambani... serious charges have been levelled by former French president Francois Hollande," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Firing a fresh salvo at the prime minister over the Rafale jet deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday charged that the country's "chowkidar" Narendra Modi snatched money away from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

Gandhi also asked the prime minister for answers on several issues relating to the Rafale jet fighter deal and also to clarify as to why the former French president Francois Hollande allegedly called him a "thief".

"The chowkidar of the country has taken out Rs 20,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, martyrs and the jawans and put it in the pocket of (Anil)Ambani," Gandhi said at a meeting in the Jais area of his Lok Sabha constituency.

The Congress chief arrived here on a two-day visit, the first after his Kailash Mansarover pilgrimage, and said the people of the country want to know the amount involved in the Rafale deal.

"Why was the price not disclosed...how was the contract given to(Anil) Ambani... serious charges have been levelled by former French president Francois Hollande," he said.

Recalling that during a debate in Parliament on the Rafale deal, "The prime minister could not look me in the eye. PM gives speeches but no answers... he does not have the courage to give reply."



"Under the BJP government, the farmers and poor are crying...the present government is providing all benefits to a selected five to ten people," he said, alleging people like Anil Ambani, Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi are getting all benefits.

The Reliance Group, in a statement quoting Anil Ambani's letter to Gandhi last month, had said, "Allegations of Reliance benefitting by thousands of crores is a figment of imagination, promoted by vested interests."



French company Dassault, which is supplying the fighter jets, has entered into a joint venture with Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Defence to meet its offset obligations to create business for Indian firms, following the Rafale deal.

Escalating his tirade against the Modi government on the Rafale issue, Rahul said the contract worth thousands of crores of rupees could have provided jobs "to youth of Amethi, to engineers...it could have given employment to thousands of youth...aircract with French technology would have been made in India...the nation would have benefitted from it."



"The deal worth thousands of crores, which could have benefitted the youth and the country, was given to an industrialist," he said.

"Soon after becoming the prime minister, 'chowkidarji' goes straight to France and enters into a deal with the president of that country...," Gandhi said and alleged, "Modiji says leave HAL...the contract has to be given to Anil Ambani."



"The HAL which has been in the business for 70 years, makes aircraft...while Anil Ambani had not made an aircraft in his life and also has an outstanding bank loan of Rs 45,000 crore.

"The company, which got the contract, was floated just ten days before...don't know how Ambani came to know ten days before that he was going to get the contract," he said.

Gandhi further said, "The defence minister of the country says that price of the aircraft will be disclosed but three months later says that under a secret pact with France it cannot be done but that has been denied by their president, I personally asked him."



He also alleged that the Modi government has gone back on election promises like providing employment and sending money in bank accounts of the people.

He also asked mediapersons to show his byte on TV, saying he was aware of pressure on them and asked them not to be afraid of anyone.

"We sought a JPC probe and tweeted to Arun Jaitley also, but Jaitley's boss Narendra Modi will not do this...I asked four questions but not even one has been replied to. You talk of big issues, give speeches, go to Rajasthan and Chattishgarh but there is not a single word about Rafale from Modi...why, because 'chowkidar' has made Anil Ambani commit a theft," he said.

The Congress MP later laid the foundation stone of various works to be undertaken under MPLAD scheme and also met volunteers of Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojna being run by Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust in Nigoha area.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rahul Gandhi is involved in a "conspiracy, internationally" and former French President Francois Hollande is part of the "nexus" to sabotage the Rafale deal, the BJP alleged Monday, claiming that the Congress chief wants it scrapped to help a firm linked to his brother-in-law Robert Vadra.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat dragged the Gandhi family into the intensifying political row over the fighter aircraft deal, alleging that the UPA government had called off the multi-billion USD deal after a private company linked to Vadra was not chosen as a broker.

At a press conference, he named a private firm and claimed its owner had been working with Vadra. These allegations have been denied by Vadra.

He also hinted at Pakistan's role in the conspiracy, saying one of its leaders, former interior minister Rehman Malik, has even tweeted that Gandhi will be the next Indian prime minister.

Referring to Hollande's reported comments that the Indian government had proposed Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as a partner for Dassault Aviation for the Rafale deal, he said, "How Rahul Gandhi and he are linked as a part of nexus, and are trying to sabotage the deal needs to be understood."



There is a conspiracy to get the deal scrapped, defame the country and lower the morale of Indian Air Force, Shekhawat alleged.

Gandhi is doing a "conspiracy, internationally", he alleged.

Separately, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about an "international dimension" to Gandhi's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deal, and told reporters that Hollande's comments were not a coincidence.

Hollande had reported to have said last week that France had no say in an Anil Ambani-led company being chosen as an offset partner by Dassault, which manufactures Rafale, and India had proposed its name. He later clarified that he was not aware if India had put any pressure on France.

In a no-holds-barred attack on the Congress, Shekhawat accused it of compromising national interest to protect Vadra and his friend's commercial interests.

Referring to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's statements in Pakistan long back that Narendra Modi needs to be removed as the prime minister, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra drew a parallel between the opposition party and Pakistani leaders, saying "both want Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed from Indian politics".

He read out tweets attacking Modi posted by Pakistani leaders, including its Prime Minister Imran Khan and present and former ministers, and said it looked like they have been campaigning for Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

"Some people want Gandhi to become a big leader in India. Who are they? They are Pakistani leaders, and also those who stand for corruption, dynasty and of appeasement," Patra told reporters.

The Congress and Pakistan have this commonality that they have "frustration" with Modi, and their "only aim is to remove Modi anyway from Indian polity", he claimed.

One of the tweets he quoted was posted by Rehman Malik, former interior minister of Pakistan, who said Rahul Gandhi would be the next Indian prime minister and Modi is scared of him.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Normal life was thrown out of gear in Punjab due to incessant rains, prompting the state government to issue red alert and order closure of educational institutions on Tuesday even as the Army remains on alert.

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) issued an advisory Monday to the Punjab government that it will release "excess" water from the Pong dam in the wake of incessant rains in catchment area of the Beas river.

While reviewing flood-like situation triggered by continuous rains in the state, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh put the Army on alert to help the state deal with any eventuality,



Fearing damage to kharif crops because of widespread downpour, the state government also ordered a special 'girdawari' to assess crop damage.

Rains are likely to lash isolated places in Punjab and Haryana Tuesday, though it will recede thereafter, an official of the Chandigarh Meteorological Department said.

Punjab has been witnessing widespread rains for the last two days and the downpour continued on Monday as well.

Chandigarh recorded 63.8 mm of rainfall Monday. The maximum temperature settled at 23 degrees Celsius, 10 notches below normal.

Patiala was the wettest in the region with 86 mm of downpour, followed by Ludhiana at 57 mm.

In Haryana, Ambala recorded 53 mm of rainfall. The maximum temperature was 25.2 degrees Celsius.

Train services were also affected due to waterlogging in some districts.

Amritsar-New Delhi, Delhi-Amritsar, New Delhi-Jalandhar, New Delhi-Intercity express were cancelled while Bathinda-Jammutawi and Jammutwa-Bathinda were diverted in the wake of waterlogging in Punjab's Amritsar district, the officials said.

The incessant rains played a havoc in Punjab with several low-lying areas in the state inundating and fields at a few places getting flooded because of breach in canals.

Water-level in rivers and rivulets, including the Ghaggar, rose following rains.

In Amritsar, a large section of Mall Road near municipal corporation's office caved in while a portion of flyover in Patiala collapsed, according to reports.

Roads in several cities, including Patiala, Ludhiana and Amritsar were flooded.

In Haryana's Ambala district, a 45-year-old man died when the roof of his home collapsed in village Jandli, while four people were injured in Punjab's Phagwara when roof of their house caved in due to incessant rains, officials said.

In Chandigarh, floodgate of Sukhna lake was opened and people were asked to avoid travelling from back side of the lake, they said.

The Punjab chief minister held an emergency meeting on Monday to review the arrangements in order to deal with any flood-like situation.

Chairing an emergency meeting here, he asked ministers and MLAs to tour their respective areas extensively to assess the ground situation and tie up with the departments concerned for immediate redressal of hardships faced by the people.

He also directed the Food and Civil Supplies and Animal Husbandry ministers to appoint nodal officers for distribution of food packets to the affected people and dry fodder for the animals in view of the situation.

The chief minister also asked Financial Commissioner Revenue (FCR) to seek assistance from the Army, the BSF and the NDRF and other paramilitary forces, if needed.

The FCR informed the chief minister that a contingency fund to the tune of Rs 7.40 crore has been placed at the disposal of deputy commissioners to get flood protection works executed besides carrying out rescue operations.

On possible outbreak of water-borne diseases, Amarinder Singh asked the Health Department to take preventive measures by organising special medical checkup camps and arranging sufficient stock of medicines in this behalf.

Taking part in the deliberations, BBMB chief D K Sharma apprised the CM the situation at Bhakhra reservoir was in control so far and they were regularly monitoring the water levels at Pong dam.

Earlier, the chief principal secretary to the CM said all deputy commissioners were keeping a close tab over the current situation and disaster control rooms activated.

Farmers in Punjab and Haryana demanded adequate compensation for crop damaged by rains.

Incessant rains in Punjab and Haryana could cause damage to kharif crops and dip in their yield, farm experts said.

"Paddy grown in low-lying areas is vulnerable to damage due to rains as it usually gets submerged in water," Director at Punjab Agriculture Department J S Bains said.

According to farmers, paddy, which is at maturing stage, has got flattened at several areas because of rains.

"We have asked district agriculture officers to assess the damage caused by rains," Bains said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Meanwhile, the Vatican said the "provisional" deal concerning with how bishops are appointed in China was "not political but pastoral".

VATICAN CITY-The Vatican on Saturday announced it had signed a "provisional agreement" with China aimed at defusing tensions over the appointment of bishops, a breakthrough on an issue that stymied diplomatic relations for decades.

The Vatican, in a statement yesterday, said: "Pope Francis hopes that, with these decisions, a new process may begin that will allow the wounds of the past to be overcome, leading to the full communion of all Chinese Catholics".

An eighth bishop, who died a year ago, was also posthumously recognised by the Vatican.

Beijing immediately said it hoped for better relations, while Taiwan said its ties with the Vatican were safe despite the deal with China.

The long-awaited deal with China over bishops has been seen as the first step toward restoring diplomatic relations between the two parties and is the outcome of a series of meetings that began early in the Francis pontificate.

"It concerns the nomination of bishops, a question of great importance for the life of the church, and creates the conditions for greater collaboration", the Vatican said.

Cardinal Joseph Zen, the 76-year-old retired archbishop of Hong Kong, has been one of the rumored agreement's strongest critics.

Meghan Markle takes mom to UK cookbook fundraiser

Needless to say, the event seemed to go seamlessly and Markle demonstrated what a ideal fit she is for her new role as royal. Markle also penned the book's foreword, in which she discussed the importance of the kitchen to the Grenfell community.

The Vatican and Beijing reached an historic agreement over the appointment of bishops in China.

It is thought in future bishops will be proposed by the Chinese authorities and then approved by the Pope, the BBC's James Reynolds reports from Rome. "They're giving the flock into the mouths of the wolves".

"The consequences will be tragic and long lasting, not only for the church in China but for the whole church because it damages the credibility", he added. The names of candidates will be sent to the Vatican and the pope will make a final decision, the sources said.

"This is not the end of a process, this is the beginning", commented the Vatican spokesman, Greg Burke, referring to the fruits of a "patient listening to both sides".

Analysts warn that Beijing could use the accord to further crack down on Catholic faithful in China.

"Many people outside China will say Beijing has not delivered on its promises, and that the Vatican has been cheated, but all bishops in China are in favour of the deal", he said.

Bridging different points of view has characterized much of Francis' five-year papacy, and led to the Vatican helping improve relations between another communist nation, Cuba, and the United States. "Maybe that's why they might keep the agreement secret", Zen said in an interview on Thursday.

The Vatican has been trying for decades to normalise the situation for Catholics in China and re-establish diplomatic ties with Beijing, which were broken off in 1951.The mother of one of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, AG Perarivalan, Monday met Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit seeking her son's release following a cabinet recommendation to him on the matter.

Arputhammal, mother of Perarivalan alias Arivu, said she met Governor Purohit at the Raj Bhavan here and presented a petition with some accompanying material and exuded confidence he will accept her demand.

The material she presented to Purohit included Judge KT Thomas' reported remarks of some "serious flaws" in the CBI investigation into the case and details on her son's behaviour during his earlier parole and its extension, she said.

Thomas had last year reportedly written to then Congress President Sonia Gandhi, wife of Rajiv Gandhi, to show magnanimity towrads her husband's killers and enable remission of their sentences.

Today, Arputhammal said: "Tamil Nadu government had adopted a cabinet resolution (on the seven persons' release) and sent the files here (Raj Bhavan). You all know that their release is waiting for his signature (of approval)," she told reporters.

On September 9, the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu had recommended to Purohit the release of all seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, a move hailed by most political parties in the state barring the Congress.

The cabinet had decided to release the convicts V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthanthiraraja alias Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini, under Article 161 of the Constitution, which relates to the power of the Governor to grant pardons and to suspend, remit and commute sentences in certain cases.

Arputhammal further said the Governor was 'cordial' towards her and went through her petition, and that he even suggested some correction which was done.

"So I am confident he will soon accept the cabinet recommendation and approve my son's release. He will respect the Cabinet, Supreme Court," she added.

The Supreme Court had earlier asked the Governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan seeking remission or pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution, while disposing of the Centre's petition opposing the state's 2014 decision for the convicts' release.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Mining major Vedanta on Monday told a panel here, constituted by the National Green Tribunal, that the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board's refusal to renew consent to operate its Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin was bad in law, according to sources.

The panel, headed by former Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court, Tarun Agrawal, heard the over one-hour-long submission by senior counsel P S Raman for the plant at its sitting here.

Journalists were barred from entering the premises of the NGT's Southern Bench, where the panel held its sitting.

The counsel for the company assailed the April 9 order of the Board and claimed that the reasons given for not renewing consent were either "erroneous" or "false," and thus bad in law, the sources told PTI.

Further, the counsel pleaded that the recommendation of the pollution control board's inspection team was renewal for five years and without even rejecting that report, they refused renewal of consent to operate on April 9, they said.

Amid protests demanding closure of the Sterlite unit, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on April 10 said it has rejected an application seeking renewal of consent to operate for the Sterlite plant.

The Board norms were not "properly fulfilled," by Sterlite, TNPCB had said while rejecting renewal of consent.

A public relations official of Sterlite claimed that "about 45,000 petitions in favour of reopening the plant was submitted by villagers, contractors, workmen, and vendors" to the panel.

Such petitions were "authenticated" with supporting papers like Aadhar card, the official claimed.

"The petitions explain the hardship caused to stakeholders and favour the plant's reopening." Many of them had also sought to be impleaded as intervenors.

S Ganesan, representing a Udangudi (Tuticorin district) based farmers welfare body, S T Ponraj and former panchayat president Thiagarajan,representing a truck owners association, were among those who appeared before the committee favouring Sterlite.

Later, speaking to reporters, they alleged that they were not allowed to meet the panel chief Sunday at Tuticorin and alleged harassment and manhandling by elements opposed to Sterlite. They claimed there are no "health or environmental issues" due to the plant.

MDMK chief Vaiko, one of the respondents in the matter before the NGT and intervenor K S Arjunan, (Communist Party of India (Marxist) Tuticorin district secretary) and Fatima Babu of the Anti-Sterlite People's Movement said the panel chief told them that their submissions against the plant would be heard on October 5 in its sitting here.

Vaikio said he told the panel that "Sterlite is an environmental disaster", following which he was told that he would be given time to make his full submissions on October 5.

The panel was constituted by the NGT on August 20 to look into a plea challenging the plant's closure and connected issues, including environmental compliance and submit its report.

The NGT order said the "committee may, if necessary, visit the site and consider the technical data and take a decision as early as found viable preferably within six weeks after it assumes its working."



On September 10, the Supreme Court asked NGT to decide on the merits and maintainability of the issue raised by the Tamil Nadu government on Vedanta's plea, challenging the closure of its plant.

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.

Thirteen people were killed and several injured on May 22 when police had opened fire on a huge crowd of people protesting against 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.)Taking a serious view of the recent deaths of manual scavengers in the city, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday directed the officials to identify the persons engaged in manual scavenging and rehabilitate them in Civil Defence corps.

Chairing the first meeting of the state monitoring committee on prohibition of manual scavenging, Kejriwal warned that action will be taken against concerned authorities for reporting zero number of manual scavengers in their jurisdiction if any death occurred during cleaning of septic tank or sever, said a government statement.

"It was decided in the meeting that if survey report of a district indicates that there are no manual scavenger in the area, then in case of any death during manual cleaning of septic tank or sewer there, the concerned district magistrate will be held responsible," the statement said.

The Chief Minister directed the district magistrates to induct the manual scavengers in the Civil Defence, it said.

He also asked for special relaxation on case to case basis if identified manual scavengers lack educational eligibility.

The CM also asked them to give skill training to persons identified as manual scavengers.

Three districts- Shahdara, North East and East Delhi- have reported total 45 manual scavengers in their jurisdictional area.

Some districts reported no manual scavengers in their survey but they were directed to redo it seriously, the statement said.

Secretary of the monitoring committee was asked to submit a draft scheme on rehabilitation of the manual scavengers and formulate rules for it.

The concerned additional district magistrates have been directed to use their authority to provide relief and justice to the affected families in the recent deaths of six manual scavengers in the city, and impose penalties on those responsible for such incidents.

The committee also sought a report on the deaths of manual scavengers in last five years from the concerned department.

Apart from the Chief Minister, the meeting was also attended by Social Welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A research scholar who raised anti-BJP slogans in a domestic flight, and her father appeared at a SHRC hearing Monday on their complaint of alleged human rights violations over the incident.

Lois Sofia (28) and her father A A Saamy appeared before the State Human Rights Commission member D Jayachandran at a hearing here.

Sofia had on September 3 raised anti-BJP slogans inside a Tuticorin bound flight in which the party's state unit President Tamilisai Soundararajan was travelling.

The BJP leader and the student were involved in an altercation after landing at the airport, a video of which was aired by TV channels.

Sophia, a student of a Canadian university on a visit to her native Tuticorin, was later arrested in connection with the incident, but a local court granted her bail.

Sophia's father had lodged a police complaint against Soundararajan and her supporters, accusing them of holding out threats.

He also moved the SHRC over the alleged manhandling of his daughter at Tuticorin airport as a fallout of the incident the Commission had summoned them for a hearing Monday.

The SHRC asked police about what action had been taken in Saamy's complaint.

Jayachandran ordered Saamy to appear at the next hearing here on October 26 and also police, before which the complaint was filed, to appear that day before the Commission.

(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Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi's appeal to criminals for giving up anti-social activities during the ongoing "Pitri Paksh" fair at Gaya drew snide remarks from the opposition RJD Monday.

The fortnight-long "Pitri Paksh Mela" to worship ancestor was inaugurated by the Deputy Chief Minister at Gaya on Sunday.

channels Monday ran a footage of Sushil Modi's speech at the inaugural function wherein he was saying "I urge criminals with folded hands to give up their activities at least during the Pitri Paksh".

"You go on doing as you wish at other times and keep the police on their toes, but during these 15-16 days of religious festivities, do not indulge in any activity that tarnishes the image of Bihar, brings a bad name to the holy town of Gaya and gives the visitors a reason to complain", the Deputy CM had said.

Sharing one such item on his twitter handle, RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav trained his guns at the Deputy CM, besides Chief Minister Nitish Kumar whom he did not not mention by name.

"No need to be surprised even if the infamous pair falls at the feet of criminals....after all, criminals have more AK 47 rifles than the Bihar police", Yadav remarked.

The RJD leader's comment was in the backdrop of their claim of spurt in crimes across the state in the recent past and the alleged use of automatic rifles in the murder of an ex-Mayor in Muzaffarpur on Sunday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Russian citizen arrested in Norway on suspicion of spying during a seminar in parliament rejects the claim and says it is a "misunderstanding", his lawyer told AFP on Monday.

Norway's intelligence service PST said Sunday it had arrested a 51-year-old Russian suspected of "illegal intelligence activity".

The man, who has not been named, was on Saturday ordered held in custody for two weeks, the day after his arrest at Oslo airport.

"He says he doesn't understand why he's being accused of this and believes it is a misunderstanding," his lawyer Hege Aakre said.

The man is suspected of spying during an inter-parliamentary seminar which gathered representatives from 34 countries to discuss digitalisation at the Storting, the Norwegian parliament.

The investigation is in "a preliminary phase", with suspicions for the time being based on "observations and his behaviour," PST spokesman Martin Bernsen told AFP.

On Sunday, the Russian ambassador in Norway Teimuraz Ramishvili criticised the detention on the embassy's Facebook page, saying it was based on a "ridiculous pretext".

In April, a Norwegian was arrested in Russia suspected of espionage.

Held in custody pending trial, Frode Berg has admitted helping the Norwegian intelligence service by acting as a courier on several occasions, but says he didn't know what he was delivering.

If the investigation in Norway confirms the espionage allegations against the Russian citizen, Norwegian authorities could try to negotiate an exchange to obtain Berg's return, local media have speculated.

PST refused to comment on those reports.

Norwegian intelligence officials regularly accuse Russia of cyber attacks and espionage, but arrests are extremely rare.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Saina Nehwal and Sameer Verma will look to put their best foot forward when they lead Indian challenge at the USD 600,000 Korea Open World Tour Super 500 tournament beginning here Tuesday.

Saina, who had skipped the Japan Open earlier this month after winning a bronze at 18th Asian Games, will look to get over the disappointment of her first-round exit at China last week when she takes on Korean Kim Hyo Min.

Fifth seeded Saina, ranked 10th in the world, has done well in the major events this year, grabbing a second gold at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and a bronze at the Jakarta Asian Games. But the Indian has been inconsistent in the BWF events.

Saina, who had reached the finals at the USD 350,000 Indonesia Masters in January, was ousted by Korea's Sung Ji Hyun last week at China and will have a tough task at hand as she is likely to face third seed Japanese Nozomi Okuhara in the quarterfinals.

In men's singles, Sameer Verma will carry the Indian flag after Kidambi Srikanth pulled out after playing back-to-back tournaments in Japan and China in the last two weeks.

Sameer has been troubled by injuries but he has done well when he has been fit, winning titles at Swiss Open in February and Hyderabad Open early this month.

The 23-year-old Dhar, who had finished runners-up at 2016 Hong Kong Open, will play Denmark's Anders Antonsen in his opening match.

He had beaten the Danish shuttler at India Open in January this year. If the Indian crosses the opening round, he is expected to meet reigning world champion Kento Momota of Japan.

Young women's shuttler Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka will also compete in the tournament, taking on formidable sixth seed Beiwen Zhang of USA in the opening round.

Among others, Ajay Jayaram will take on China's Zhao Junpeng in the qualifiers. Young Vaidehi Choudhari and Mugdha Agrey will also compete at the women's singles qualifying round.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court Monday warned that incidents of cow vigilantism and mob lynching would invite the "wrath of law" and asked all states and Union Territories to comply with its directions on curbing such acts.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra took note of the fact that eight states including Mizoram, Telangana, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi were yet to file reports indicating their compliance of its July 17 verdict giving a slew of directions to deal with mob violence and cow vigilantism.

The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, asked the remaining states to file their compliance affidavits before it within one week.

"People must realise that mob violence and taking of law into the hands will invite the wrath of law," it said.

"People should realise the gravity of the act. They should realise the effect on law and order situation," it said.

The bench considered the submission of senior advocate Indira Jaising that the direction, asking the Centre and states to run an awareness campaign on television, radio and on electronic and print media on cow vigilantism and mob violence, was not being followed.

It also took note of the submission that there should be a compensation scheme in place for the victims of such violence and asked the Centre and the states to respond on these two aspects within a week.

The bench also considered the submission of Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Rajasthan Government, that a reply to the show cause notice has been filed by the state government into the death of Rakbar Khan in a case of alleged mob lynching.

Congress leader Tehseen Poonawala, in his plea, had said 28-year-old dairy farmer Rakbar Khan was attacked by a group of cow vigilantes in Lalwandi village of Ramgarh district in Rajasthan on July 20, three days after the apex court had delivered a detailed verdict.

The court had then taken note of the plea seeking contempt action against officials of the Rajashtan government officials, including the Chief Secretary and the police chief, for alleged violation of the top court's verdict in the lynching case.

Khan, a resident of Haryana and his friend Aslam, were transporting two cows to Kolgaon through a forest area when a mob had attacked them on alleged grounds that they were taking the animals for slaughter, the plea had said.

While Aslam managed to survive by hiding in the fields, the crowd killed Rakbar, it said, adding that there was a considerable delay in taking the deceased to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

The bench posted the matters for hearing after two weeks.

The Centre had earlier informed the bench that in pursuance of the apex court verdict, an empowered Group of Ministers had been set up to consider framing a law on mob violence.

The apex court had directed the Centre, states and UTs to give wide publicity to its directions given on the verdict on mob violence. It asked them to put the information on measures to curb mob violence on their websites so that people know the recourse available to them.

The top court had on July 17 said that "horrendous acts of mobocracy" cannot be allowed to overrun the law of the land and issued a slew of guidelines to deal with mob lynching and cow vigilantism, besides asking the Centre to consider enacting a new law to sternly deal with such cases.

It had issued a slew of directions to the government to provide "preventive, remedial and punitive measures" to deal with offences like mob violence and cow vigilantism.

It had asked the state governments to designate a senior police officer, not below the rank of Superintendent of Police, as nodal officer in each district to take steps to prevent incidents of mob violence and lynching.

The officers were asked constitute a Special Task Force to procure intelligence and information about those likely to commit such crimes or were involved in spreading hate speeches, provocative statements and fake

The judgement was delivered on a batch of petitions including Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Tushar Gandhi and Congress leader Poonawalla seeking formulation of guidelines to curb incidents of mob violence and lynching in the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Monday referred to a five-judge the plea challenging practice of female genital mutilation among Dawoodi Bohra Muslims.

A bench comprising Chief Justice and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud was hearing a PIL filed by a Delhi-based lawyer challenging the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) of minor girls of the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community.

Female genital mutilation is performed "illegally upon girls (between five years and before she attains puberty)" and is against the "UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, UN Universal Declaration of of which is India is a signatory", the plea said, adding the practice caused "permanent disfiguration to the body of a girl child".

A group of Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community members had earlier told the apex court that the female circumcision is practised by a few sects of Islam, including the Dawoodi Bohra community, and the validity of this be examined, if at all, by a largerThe Supreme Court Monday referred to a five-judge constitution bench a plea challenging the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) among Dawoodi Bohra Muslims.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra considered the submissions of Dawoodi Bohra Women's Association for Religious Freedom (DBWRF) that female circumcision has been practised by Dawoodi Bohra community for centuries and its validity has to be examined by a larger bench to ascertain whether it was an essential religious practice protected under the Constitution.

Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, had earlier reiterated the government's stand that it was opposed to the practice as being violative of fundamental rights and had said this has been banned in many countries like the US, the UK, Australia and around 27 African nations.

He had also referred to Article 25 to highlight that a religious practice can be stopped if it went against "public order, morality and health".

Today however, Venugopal supported the submissions of DBWRF, represented by senior advocate A M Singhvi that the PIL, filed by Delhi-based lawyer Sunita Tiwari against the practice of FGM, be referred to a five-judge bench.

The court considered the written notes of the parties, including the Centre, and said it would pass an order referring the plea to a five-judge constitution bench.

Expressing disappointment over the reference to a larger bench, lawyer Masooma Ranalvi, the founder of NGO 'WeSpeakOut' which has been working for survivors of the FGM and had intervened in the case, said "what is shocking is the clear volte face by the Attorney General K K Venugopal...".

"The referral is an attempt to re-frame the issue from one of FGM being a violation of the Constitutional and human rights, to that of a right to continue this discriminatory practice under the garb of religious freedom.

"It is also clearly aimed at delaying a verdict in this case, in which arguments have already been extensively heard by a three-judge bench before which it is pending," she said.

Earlier, DBWRF, which was supporting the practice, had said that the courts should not decide the constitutionality of a centuries-old religious practice of female circumcision through the PIL route.

"The object of female circumcision (FC) and male circumcision (MC) is a religious practice in Islam and they are related to purity aspect," Singhvi had said, adding that he was representing over 70,000 Dawoodi Bohra Muslim women who were in favour of the practice.

Singhvi had said that no affected Bohra Muslim woman has come to the court challenging the practice and allege that it has harmed them emotionally and physically.

The apex court had said that FGM of minor girls of the community leaves a "permanent emotional and mental scar" on them and the practice may be held as violative of dignity of women as prescribed in the Constitution.

It had also said questioned the FGM of minor girls saying women cannot be "subjugated" to the level where they have to "please" their husbands only.

Ranalvi, a lawyer who herself has been a victim of the FGM, had said the practice of "removal of the clitoral hood" for non-medical purposes of a minor constituted an offence under the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act).

"Something which has been declared illegal and criminal by the law cannot the essential practice of religion. This constituted an offence under the IPC and the POCSO Act," she had said.

The court had on May 8 agreed to examine the issues raised by Tiwari in her PIL by saying that the practice of female genital mutilation was "extremely important and sensitive".

Tiwari, in her PIL, had sought a direction to the Centre and the states to "impose a complete ban on the inhuman practice" of 'khatna' or "female genital mutilation" throughout the country.

Female genital mutilation is performed "illegally upon girls (between five years and before she attains puberty)" and is against the "UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which is India is a signatory", the plea had said, adding that the practice caused "permanent disfiguration to the body of a girl child".

The top court had issued notices and sought replies from four Union ministries, including the Woman and Child Development, besides Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi where Dawoodi Bohras, who are Shia Muslims, predominantly reside.

The plea has sought a direction to make FGM an offence on which the law enforcement agencies can take cognisance on their own. It has also sought to make the offence "non-compoundable and non-bailable" with provision for harsh punishment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court Monday sought response of former Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav on a plea by Nitish Kumar led faction which seeks to place on record the documents related to claim of formation of new party by Yadav.

The top court also restrained the Delhi High Court from proceeding with the case for two weeks.

A bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan issued notice to Yadav on the petition of leader of JD(U) in the Upper House, Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, and sought his reply in two weeks.

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Singh, said the high court should be directed to adjourn the matter till the adjudication of the present petition before the apex court.

The bench said that the high court should not proceed with the case for next two weeks.

Singh had challenged the order of September 11 of the Delhi High Court by which it had dismissed his application seeking permission to place on record, additional documents to demonstrate the post- disqualification conduct of Yadav.

Singh had said in his application before the high court that during the pendency of petition of Yadav, challenging the order of Rajya Sabha chairman disqualifying him as an Member of Parliament, had launched/formed a new party called "Loktantrik Janata Dal" on May 18, 2018.

He wanted to place on record video recordings of the speeches delivered by Yadav, along with his photographs taken at the event.

The high court, while dismissing the application of Singh said that the scope of the petition before it is limited to examining the legality and the validity of the order dated December 4, 2017 passed by the Rajya Sabha Chairperson, disqualifying Yadav from being a member of the Upper House of Parliament.

Yadav had joined hands with the opposition after JD(U) president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar dumped the alliance with the Rastriya Janata Dal and the Congress in Bihar and tied up with the BJP in July last year.

The high court had earlier observed that Yadav may have to refund the salary drawn by him during the pendency of his petition challenging his disqualification as a Rajya Sabha member, if he was not successful in his plea.

The high court on December 15 last year, while refusing to grant an interim stay on Yadav's disqualification, had allowed him to draw his salary, allowances, perks and retain the bungalow.

The same order was later passed by the court on a similar plea moved by Yadav's colleague and MP, Ali Anwar, both of whom were disqualified from the Upper House by the December 4, 2017 by the RS chairman.

Yadav has challenged his disqualification before the high court on several grounds, including that he was not given any chance to present his views by the Rajya Sabha chairman before he passed the order.

On the other hand, Ram Chandra Prasad Singh had sought disqualification of Yadav and Anwar on the ground that they had attended a rally of opposition parties in Patna in violation of party directives.

Yadav was elected to the Rajya Sabha last year and his term is scheduled to end in July 2022. Anwar's term was to expire this year. Both were disqualified under the Anti-Defection Act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce on Tuesday its verdict on a plea seeking to ban lawmakers from practising as advocates in courts across the country.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud had on July 9 reserved the order on the PIL filed by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay seeking to bar lawyer-lawmakers (MPs, MLAs, MLCs) from practising in courts during their tenure in legislature.

The bench had taken note of the Centre's submission that an MP or an MLA is an elected representative and not a full-time employee of the government and hence the plea was not maintainable.

However, senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Upadhyay, had told the court that a lawmaker draws a salary from the public exchequer and a salaried employee is debarred by the Bar Council of India from practising in the courts of law.

To this, the bench had replied that employment postulates a master-servant relationship and the government of India is not the master of a Member of Parliament.

The apex court was hearing the petition which said that while a public servant cannot practice as an advocate, legislators are practising in various courts which was a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution.

The plea said the issue is a matter of concern to both the judiciary and the legislature as most of the lawmaker-advocates are involved in active practice of law, despite receiving salaries and other perquisites drawn on the public exchequer.

The petition also pointed out that the MPs have the power of voting on the impeachment of judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce its verdict Tuesday on a batch of pleas raising a question whether lawmakers facing criminal trial can be disqualified from contesting elections at the stage of framing of charges against them.

Presently, lawmakers are barred under the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act from contesting elections only after their conviction in a criminal case.

A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, had reserved its verdict on August 28 and is slated to pronounce the verdict tomorrow.

The bench, also comprising Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, had earlier indicated that voters have a right to know the antecedents of candidates and the Election Commission could be asked to direct political parties to ensure that persons, facing criminal charges, do not contest on their tickets using their poll symbols.

The Centre has contended that the judiciary should not venture into the legislative arena by creating a pre-condition which would adversely affect the right of the candidates to participate in polls as there was already the RP Act which deals with the issue of disqualification.

The apex court had observed earlier that persons facing criminal charges would be free to contest, but they cannot do so on a party ticket under its election symbol.

Referring to the concept of presumption of innocence until a person is proven guilty, the Centre had argued that depriving a person from contesting elections on a party ticket would amount to denial of the right to vote, which also included the right to contest.

It had said that the courts will have to presume innocence in view of the fact that in 70 per cent cases, accused are being acquitted.

Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for Centre had said that Parliament has made a distinction between an accused and a convict and there has been a provision for disqualification in the Representation of Peoples Act upon conviction of a lawmaker.

The Election Commission of India had taken a view which was apparently opposite to the Centre and said the recommendations for decriminalising politics were made by the poll panel and the Law Commission way back in 1997 and 1998, but no action was taken on them.

It exhorted the court to issue the direction in the matter besides asking Parliament to make the suitable law.

The bench was hearing the PILs filed by NGO 'Public Interest Foundation' and BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Starting this Wednesday, the Noida Authority will begin its "Seeti Bajao" campaign, under the Clean India Mission, to raise awareness as it targets to make the city open defecation-free (ODF) by Gandhi Jayanti, officials said Monday.

The campaign will continue till October 2. During this period, volunteers and officials will monitor those defecating in the open and persuade them to opt for community toilets instead, a senior official said.

"The Noida Authority has roped in NGO Adarsh Seva Samiti whose 135 workers will join the authority in the Seeti Bajao campaign," Officer on Special Duty Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

An one-day workshop for these workers and officials concerned was held Monday, he said.

"During the workshop, they were trained about the use of community-driven complete cleanliness method Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). This method (CLTS) has been effective in changing the behaviour of people towards open defecation," he said.

"The places where open defecation takes place will be monitored by the workers during the mornings and the evenings. The workers will whistle to stop those defecating in the open and urge them to use the community toilets available across the city. They will also motivate them to change their hygiene behaviour. This activity will continue from September 26 to October 2. A work plan has been prepared for this," Singh said.

The officer said a meeting of the Health Department was held Monday in Sector 39 to review the situation in Noida, as the authority is targeting to get the ODF tag for the city by October 2.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A special CBI court here Monday sent Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel in judicial remand for 14 days in connection with a "sex CD" case after he declined to engage a lawyer or apply for bail following filing of a charge-sheet.

The "sex CD", purportedly featuring a state minister, had rocked Chhattisgarh last year and Baghel was named one of the five accused in the matter.

The Congress leader was accused of circulating the CD, which the minister had termed as "fake".

Baghel, charge-sheeted by the central agency in the case, declined to engage a lawyer or move a bail application in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court presided over by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Sumit Kapoor.

Baghel said he was being falsely implicated in the case and announced to sit on 'satyagrah' (a form of agitation) in the jail to protest against the BJP government.

The CBI Monday filed a chargesheet in the special court against Baghel, journalist Vinod Verma, businessman Vijay Bhatia and two other accused, defence lawyer Faizal Rizvi told reporters in the court premises in Raipur.

A CBI lawyer confirmed filing of the charge-sheet.

Rizvi appeared for Verma and Bhatia in the court.

Another accused, Rinku Khanuja, had allegedly committed suicide in June this year, he said.

The CBI had served notices to Baghel, Verma and Bhatia last evening, asking them to appear in the court on September 24, he said.

Earlier in the day, the judge had returned the charge-sheet citing some lacunae in it. The premier agency sought time till 3 pm to complete documentation and later filed it before the court, Rizvi said.

All the accused have been booked under IPC sections 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 67A of the IT Act (whoever publishes or transmits or causes to be published or transmitted in the electronic form any material which contains sexually explicit act), he said.

During the court proceedings, Baghel said he was "innocent" and being "implicated in a false case", according to Rizvi.

While Verma and Bhatia were granted bail after they applied for it, Baghel declined to take legal aid or file a bail plea, he said.

He was remanded in judicial custody till October 8 by the court, the lawyer said.

The Congress leader has been lodged in the Raipur Central Jail.

The two other accused - BJP leader Kailash Murarka and Vijay Pandya - said to be a Mumbai-based man engaged in selling movie CDs - did not appear in the court.

Talking to reporters, Baghel said he had shown black flags to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent tour to the state. Therefore, the chargesheet was submitted in a hurry by the investigative agency under pressure from the BJP government.

Baghel said he was innocent and will protest against the government from the jail.

Meanwhile, reacting to the Congress leader's charges, Chief Minister Raman Singh said it is for the CBI, not the government, to decide when to file a charge-sheet.

"It is a judicial proceeding and the facts will come out. It is for the CBI to decide when to summon or file chargesheet against someone, not the government," he said.

Describing the "sex CD" case as an unfortunate incident, Singh said it was a conspiracy to end the political career of a minister and an insult to a women.

In October last year, a controversy had erupted in the state politics after a "porn video", allegedly featuring Public Works Department Minister Rajesh Munat, surfaced following the arrest of Verma from his residence in Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) by the Raipur police.

Verma was given bail by the CBI court in Raipur in December last year.

According to the Raipur Police, a case of blackmail and extortion was registered at the Pandri police station here based on a complaint by BJP leader Prakash Bajaj who had said he "was being harassed over phone by an unidentified caller who told him that he had a CD of his 'aaka' (master)".

After investigation, a search team was sent to Delhi and Verma was arrested from Ghaziabad on October 27, 2017. The police had then claimed to have recovered 500 CDs and pen drives, among other items, from Verma's residence.

According to the chargesheet, IPC section 384 (extortion) has been dropped against Verma, Rizvi said.

Verma was in jail for two months on extortion charge after his arrest.

The opposition Congress and the ruling BJP targeted each other after the sleaze CD surfaced.

Munat had then lodged a complaint against Baghel and Verma at the Civil Lines police station in Raipur for allegedly tarnishing his image through the "fake CD".

The Chhattisgarh government had then recommended a CBI probe into the case.

Verma, Baghel and some others were questioned by the investigative agency into the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday lauded the exemplary efficiency of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and foresightedness of its leadership for scientific and planned development of the organisation, a statement by the ministry said.

Inaugurating the 37th Coast Guard Commanders' Conference here, Sitharaman said that "admirable" capabilities and relentless surveillance efforts of ICG in the vast and expansive maritime zones of India are unmatched in the Indo-Pacific region.

She also lauded the "exemplary leadership and stellar role" of ICG in protecting the citizens in times of adversity particularly post cyclone Ockhi as well as for the overwhelming response during Kerala floods.

She called up on top Commanders of ICG to deliberate and discuss ways and means to engage fishing communities to adopt technology driven instruments for further enhancing safety and security at sea, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The father of a slain RTI activist approached the Gujarat High Court Monday seeking security cover for a special CBI judge conducting the retrial of his son's murder case.

Amit Jethwa, an RTI activist, was shot dead outside the Gujarat High Court premises on July 20, 2010, allegedly at the behest of former BJP MP Dinu Bogha Solanki, apparently for exposing illegal mining activities through numerous RTI pleas.

In his plea Monday, Jethwa's father, Bhikhabhai (62), alleged that the CBI had taken no action on providing security to special CBI judge K M Dave despite then Principal Sessions Judge A R Patel writing a letter to the agency's director in this regard.

"Special Judge K M Dave is conducting trial of sensitive case of RTI activist Amit Jethwa murder case and therefore adequate security should be provided to the judge's residence by paramilitary force," the petition mentioned, citing Judge A R Patel's letter to CBI in June.

Justice R P Dholaria Monday recused himself from the case when Bhikhabhai's plea came up for hearing. The plea is expected to be allotted a new judge soon.

In the petition, Jethwa questioned the CBI and the Gujarat government for not providing police protection to the judge.

The Gujarat High Court had, in June last year, ordered the retrial in the murder case, observing that the trial conducted by the special CBI court was a "mockery of justice".

The retrial was ordered by Justice J B Pardiwala on a petition filed by Bhikhabhai, who had alleged that 105 out of 195 witnesses in Jethwa's murder case had turned hostile and five others had complained of intimidation by Solanki.

Solanki and some others were charged under sections 302 (murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) as well as other offences of the IPC.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Long-held assumptions that stepfathers are more likely to be responsible for child deaths than genetic parents -- dubbed the 'Cinderella effect' -- may be a myth, scientists say.

Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK suggest that differences in rates of child homicides by stepfathers and genetic fathers are considerably smaller than previously estimated.

These differences are unlikely to be explained by a biological relationship, they said.

The results indicate that the relative ages of fathers implicated in these crimes is more significant than whether they are the biological father of the child.

The researchers reviewed data from the UK Home Office Homicide Index between 2000 and 2015 and compared it with detailed population data from three large surveys for the same period.

Their findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, cast doubt on the so-called 'Cinderella effect', a theory first proposed by psychologists in the 1970s, which suggests there is a direct link between step-relationships and child abuse or homicide.

Those supporting the theory claim stepfathers have no genetic reason to invest parental resources in a child they are not biologically related to and so they are more likely to maltreat, abuse or even kill these children.

However, previous studies into child homicide only considered figures from children aged between 0 and 5 years.

Researchers widened the age range to look at children between birth and 17 years and found only a small difference between stepfathers' and genetic fathers' rates of homicide.

The team also looked at the ages of the fathers implicated in child homicides, an aspect also not considered in previous studies.

They found that most men convicted of these crimes are relatively young, and this was true of both stepfathers and genetically related fathers.

"In general, the data indicates that younger fathers are more likely to abuse or kill their children than older fathers, regardless of whether they are stepfathers," said Gavin Nobes, who led the study.

"Also, the population surveys show that stepfathers are, on average, much younger than genetic fathers. This means that the Cinderella effect can be at least partly explained by stepfathers' relative youth, rather than not being genetically related to their victims," said Nobes.

"There are many possible reasons for the link between parental age and child maltreatment - young parents are more likely to be on low incomes, perhaps less well-educated and possibly less equipped to cope with the stresses of parenthood," he said.

Another reason the Cinderella effect continues to attract attention is that individuals responsible for violence against children are sometimes recorded as a 'stepfather' for convenience, even when they are not.

Many may be short term or casual partners of the mother, with no significant relationship to the child, and not even living with them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration on Monday accused the Students' Union of trying to "misinform and misguide students and creating an ambience of fear and discomfort in the campus".

Violence had erupted on the JNU campus last week after a united front of Left student groups won all four central panel posts in the union defeating the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad by considerable margins.

After the incident, entry of outsiders in hostels was banned. The students' union had been vocal in criticising the administration for imposing curfews and had said various hostels would boycott them.

In a statement, the administration condemned the statements made by the students' union.

"Their harmful campaigns try to suggest that a regime of surveillance is in place and that freedom of students is being restricted. Necessary and lawful steps are being taken to prevent illegal entry of undesirable elements and the bonafide students' cooperation is imperative," the varsity said in a statement.

Instead of extending cooperation for maintenance of peace and prevention of unlawful activities some student leaders appear hellbent on making political capital out of prevailing situation in the campus, the statement added.

"The administration received complaints from residents of various hostels of unauthorised visitors disrupting normal lives and reports about scuffles and attempted violence were also received," the statement said.

The students union is trying to "misinform and misguide the students and creating an ambience of fear and discomfort in the campus", it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)29 Sept Shah Mehmood speech in UN

UNITED NATIONS: When some 146 world leaders gather at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, they are expected to discuss issues of international peace and security as several conflicts from Syria to Yemen rage on, defying any resolution.



The Pakistani delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who arrives in New York, which houses the UN headquarters, from Washington on Sunday night. It will be the new Pakistani governments first senior level interaction with the United Nations.



However, the much-heralded India-Pakistan foreign ministers meeting was called off by New Delhi citing an incident in occupied Kashmir.



According to Pakistani officials, a busy programme awaits the foreign minister who will attend at least 40 events and hold about two dozen bilateral meetings.



The highlight of his visit will, of course, be his speech in the General Assembly on Sept 29 in which he will set out the new governments priorities and its position and policy on key international and regional issues including the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the light of UN Human Rights Councils report which has cited India of violations. New Delhi bristles at the mention of occupied Kashmir and human rights violations there.



Pakistans foreign minister is expected to deliver his speech in Urdu language.



This year, the diplomats here say, the big and daunting challenge that looms over the gathering is actually one of the world leaders: US President Donald Trump.



It is a known fact that US President Trump is not a fan of the UN. In the past, he has criticised the UN calling it a club of sorts. And he has also proposed steep cuts to US funding for the UN that the world body has said would make it impossible for the organisation to maintain its essential operations.



The US is the biggest financial contributor to the UN in the world and its most important player when it comes to decision-making on issues ranging from food aid to peacekeeping to nuclear non-proliferation.



So now all eyes are on President Trump, who will preside over a UN Security Council meeting which is going to focus on the Middle East, and Iran in particular.



The big question baffling the world leaders is: will President Trump behave like past American presidents have and speak in measured tones about the need for global cooperation on various fronts, diplomats here say.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held a series of bilateral meetings with several of her foreign counterparts discussing a host of issues, including trade, investment and capacity building.

Swaraj met Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Morocco's Nasser Bourita, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini and Liechtenstein Foreign Minister Aurelia Frick on the sidelines of the high-level session of the 73rd UN General Assembly that kicked off here Monday.

"Relations characterised by warmth and cordiality! EAM @SushmaSwaraj and Foreign Minister of Colombia, @CarlosHolmesTru met on the sidelines of #UNGA2018. Discussed cooperation on trade & investment, pharma, mining, petroleum and capacity building, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

In another tweet, he said Swaraj and Borrell explored ways to intensify ties in investment, renewable energy, water treatment, tourism and their contribution to our flagship initiatives.

On the meeting with Nepal, he said, Close neighbour and a friend! EAM @SushmaSwaraj and Foreign Minister of Nepal, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali met on the sidelines of the #UNGA2018 and took stock of our bilateral relationship.

Marking 25 years of India's diplomatic relations with Liechtenstein, Kumar said the two ministers exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations in trade & investment, particularly through participation at Indian trade fairs, & tourism.

"Strategic partnership based on common values of democracy, freedom and rule of law, he said in another tweet on Swaraj's bilateral meeting with Mogherini.

The two discussed issues related to trade and investment and exchanged views on the regional and global issues.

A historical relationship since Ibn Batuta days! EAM @SushmaSwaraj & Morocco Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita discussed strengthening cooperation in areas of commerce, pharma, cyber security, defence and culture, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Taraji P Henson opened up about stigma around mental health and said discussing one's well-being in the African-American community is looked upon as a "weakness" and "taboo".

The "Empire" star said the people in her community are "demonised" for sharing their traumatic experiences.

"It was like looking for a unicorn, and the reason that happens is because we don't talk about it in our community; it's taboo, it's looked upon as a weakness or we're demonised for expressing rage for traumas we've been through.

"I have a lot of white friends and that's what got me going. They say, 'You don't talk to anybody? Girl, I'm going to see my shrink every Thursday at 3 o'clock.' So I was like why don't we do that in our community?" Henson told Variety.

The actor was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, her non-profit organisation, on Saturday.

The foundation, named after her father, focuses on erasing the stigma surrounding mental health issues, particularly in the African-American community.

Henson's son struggled with mental health after his father was murdered in 2003 and the actor's father died two years later.

She revealed when she started looking for a psychiatrist for her son, she wanted "someone that he could trust, someone that looks like him and could understand his struggle."



The Golden Globe winner said that she has also sought mental health treatment and sees a psychiatrist herself.

"I'm here to tell you that when they tell cut and the cameras go away, I go home to real problems just like everybody else."



Henson also said social causes need to have a celebrity attached to it to clear the "misconception" about famous people having it in all in control.

"We're (not) perfect. Our kids aren't perfect, we're suffering and struggling just like the regular person and money doesn't help. I thank God I can pay for the psychiatry bill but it doesn't necessarily take away the problems," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Taller people are more likely to develop varicose veins, a condition that causes the blood vessels just under the skin to swell or twist, scientists have found.

Scientists from Stanford University in the US examined the genes of more than 400,000 people in search of clues to what causes this common but little understood condition.

"Genes that predict a person's height may be at the root of this link between height and varicose veins and may provide clues for treating the condition," said Nicholas Leeper, associate professor at Stanford.

The study, published in the journal Circulation, also identified 30 genes linked to varicose vein disorder and to a strong genetic correlation with deep vein thrombosis.

Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that can be seen just under the surface of the skin, usually in the legs.

Although the condition is often dismissed as nothing more than a cosmetic nuisance, it can cause moderate pain and has been linked to the more serious side effects of deep vein thrombosis, which occurs when a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body.

"The condition is incredibly prevalent but shockingly little is known about the biology. There are no medical therapies that can prevent it or reverse it once it's there," said Alyssa Flores, a medical student at Stanford.

Researchers used data from the UK Biobank -- both a long-term study and genetic repository that includes genomic data on about a half-million people -- to look for varicose vein risk factors using machine learning combined with epidemiological methods in 413,519 participants.

They screened for genetic markers using genomewide association studies in 337,536 of the participants, 9,577 of whom had varicose vein disease.

The study confirmed that currently established risk factors -- including being older, female, overweight or pregnant, or having a history of deep vein thrombosis -- are all associated with varicose veins.

"We confirmed that having had deep vein thrombosis in the past puts you at increased risk in the future," Leeper said.

"Recent research suggests that the converse appears to be true as well. Having varicose veins puts you at risk of these blood clots," he said.

The study also confirmed that surgery on the legs, family history, lack of movement, smoking and hormone therapy are risk factors. However, the correlation they found between height and the condition was unexpected, the researchers said.

"We were very surprised to find that height came up from our machine-learning analyses," Flores said.

"We included 2,716 predictors of varicose veins in this machine-learning algorithm. Then we let the algorithms find the strongest predictors of varicose veins," said Erik Ingelsson, a professor at Stanford.

"Our results strongly suggest height is a cause, not just a correlated factor, but an underlying mechanism leading to varicose veins," Ingelsson said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) Monday claimed some vested interests were attempting to tarnish the image of the entire church in the wake of arrest of bishop Franco Mulakkal over rape charges and termed it as an 'injustice'.

The arrest and remanding of Bishop Franco was "painful", and the Church "regrets" the developments that led to the present situation, the KCBC said on a day when the clergyman, arrested on Sept 21 on charges of raping a nun, was remanded to 12 days judicial custody by a court in Kottayam district.

The KCBC assured that the church would surely have a better mechanism to rectify mistakes within it.

A statement issued by KCBC spokesperson Fr Varghese Vallikkat alleged that said some vested interests, a section of media and some disgruntled persons within the church were trying to weaken the Catholic church and put the bishops in bad light under the cover of the nun issue.

KCBC wanted the faithful to identify such forces and be cautious against their effort to "target and humiliate" the entire church in the name of the allegations against an individual.

When a renowned journalist of the country was arrested in a sexual assault case some time ago, all media personnel were not targeted. Similarly, all politicians and ministers were not insulted when a Kerala minister had to resign over a sexual abuse case, it said.

But, the whole church and the bishop community came under attack when allegations against a Catholic bishop surfaced, the KCBC claimed.

The church was of the opinion that it was "injustice" by some vested interests and a section of media to target the church even before the investigation in the case was over, it said.

The statement comes in the backdrop of a month-long agitation, led by a group of nuns in Kochi demanding the arrest of bishop Mulakkal, garnering widespread support from various sections of society.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the government is "ready to talk to everyone" over the Kashmir issue, while asserting that terrorism in the Valley is "Pakistan-sponsored".

After a meeting of the Central Zonal Council here, he told reporters, "I think the matter will be resolved. We are ready to talk to everyone. As far as terrorism is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination."



"Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored," he said.

Barely 24 hours after agreeing to the engagement, the government Friday called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in New York, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.

About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the home minister said out of 22 points, 20 have been resolved, adding in the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues were discussed of which 428 were resolved.

At the meeting, progress of implementation of recommendations made at the last meeting -- on need to increase density of roads and upgrading existing roads, assistance required to combat Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and modernisation of police forces were discussed, an official release issued here said.

Singh said it has been the objective of the present government to strengthen the institution of zonal councils as well as the inter-state council to promote and maintain a good federal atmosphere of cooperation among states and the Centre.

Besides Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivedra Singh Rawat respectively, the meeting was attended by representatives from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well.

The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The council's meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any.

Five Zonal Councils -- central, western, northern, southern and eastern -- were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Thai Airways International aims to operate 100 weekly flights from India by 2021, a senior airline official said.

Thai Airways and low-cost carrier Thai Smile, part of Thai Airways International, has substantial number of flights to India.

A senior official said that Thai Airways has expanded its service to 10 cities in India.

"We are targeting to operate 100 flights from India to Thailand and beyond by year 2021 which depends on approval from the Indian Government for Traffic Rights," General Manager (India) for Thai Airways International ThamanoonKuprasert told PTI.

Currently, it has 86 flights departure a week, including seasonal flights from Varanasi and Gaya.

"Thai Airways is servicing from Delhi/ Mumbai/ Bengaluru/ Chennai/ Kolkata/ Hyderabad and Thai Smile is servicing from Lucknow/ Jaipur/ Mumbai/ Varanasi/ Gaya. We are looking forward to add more service points from India in near future," he said in an e-mail interview.

India is one of the fastest growing domestic aviation markets in the world.

Noting that India is the ninth largest civil aviation market in the world, ThamanoonKuprasert said investments worth USD 6 billion are expected in the country's airport sector in five years.

"Indian government is investing heavily in developing airport infrastructure along with aviation navigation system which is key for airlines to expand or start new services from more domestic points in India," he added.

In April-June period, Thai Airways carried over 1.79 lakh passengers to India and 1.92 lakh passengers from the country, as per provisional data available with aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

During the same period, Thai Smile flew 25,168 people to India and 24,492 people from India, the data showed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hardening its stand against the BJP-sponsored 12-hour bandh in West Bengal on September 26, the Trinamool Congress government on Monday said all steps would be taken to maintain normal life on that day while accusing the saffron party of trying to foment trouble in the state.

The BJP, which has called the band to protest the killing of two students in a clash with police in North Dinajpur district on Thursday, however, claimed that the shutdown would be a complete success as the people of Islampur and the entire state is fed up with the "misrule of the TMC".

TMC secretary general and State Education Minister minister Partha Chatterjee charged the BJP with trying to foment trouble in the state by calling the shutdown, and said all steps will be taken to ensure normal life on the day.

State-run buses will ply and a notification will be issued for state government employees to attend office on the bandh day, he said, adding commercial establishments and private education institutes would be urged to function normally on that day.

Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha accused the TMC government of letting loose "police raj and goonda raj" in the state and claimed the people of West Bengal would make the 12-hour shutdown a grand success.

"The TMC government has completely failed to maintain law and order in the state. There is a complete lawless situation in the state," he alleged.

Reacting to Partha Chatterjee's comments, Sinha said the TMC's reaction only showed that the state government is "nervous" and wants to use the police to ensure that the shutdown did not take place.

"The September 26 shutdown will be a complete success and it will be an expression of people's anger against the anti-people government," he said.

Meanwhile, the All India Minority Forum on Monday moved a PIL before the Calcutta High Court seeking direction to the BJP to withdraw its call for the shutdown.

Trinamool Congress MP Idris Ali, a practising lawyer, prayed before a division bench presided by Chief Justice J Bhattacharya for an injunction restraining the BJP from giving effect to the bandh call.

Two students were killed when a mob clashed with police over entry of newly appointed Urdu teachers in Daribhita School in North Dinajpur's Islampur as the protesting students said they needed science and english teachers.

The BJP and locals have alleged that the two, who were former students of the school, were killed in police firing but the superintendent of police of North Dinajpur, Sumit Kumar, had said the police did not open fire.

The SP had, however, admitted that the students had received bullet injuries and had said the police were investigating who had opened fire.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said his party had no option but to call the bandh and demanded CBI inquiry into the incident.

"We have demanded a CBI probe into the Islampur incident. The chief minister is claiming the police did not resort to firing. Then who killed the two students? The firing happened right in front of the police," he said.

Police on Sunday arrested BJP North Dinajpur district president Shankar Chakraborty from Domohana area here for making provocative comments against security forces.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP's Tamil Nadu unit President Tamilisai Soundararjan Monday said she has 'nominated' Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Nobel Peace Prize for launching the "world's largest" health scheme.

Her husband, Professor Dr P Soundarajan, Head of Department and Senior Consultant in Nephrology at a private university, has also nominated Modi for Nobel, a press release from the state BJP chief's office said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize 2019 for launching the world's largest health care schemePradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana- Ayushman Bharat by Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan..." the release said.

The "path-breaking initiative" of the "visionary" Prime Minister, launched Sunday, will transform the lives of millions of people, especially the underprivileged and vulnerable, it said.

"The last date for Nomination for Nobel Peace Prize 2019 is January 31, 2019. The nomination processes start in September each year. University Professors and Members of Parliament among others can also nominate our Prime Minister," the release added.

Modi rolled out the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)-Ayushman Bharat, and had termed it a "game-changer initiative to serve the poor".

It was the 'biggest' government-sponsored healthcare scheme in the world, he had said, adding "the number of beneficiaries is almost equal to the population of Canada, Mexico and the US taken together.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Confronting the dangers of North Korea's nuclear threat, President Donald Trump arrived at the United Nations on Monday striking a far less ominous tone than a year ago, announcing he likely will hold a second summit with Kim Jong Un "quite soon."



Twelve months after Trump stood at the rostrum of the U.N. General Assembly and derided Kim as "Rocket Man," the push to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula is a work in progress, although fears of war have given way to dreams of rapprochement.

The president's bellicose denunciations of Pyongyang have largely given way to hopeful notes.

"It was a different world," Trump said Monday of his one-time moniker for the North Korean leader. "That was a dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time."



He added that preparations are underway by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for a second presidential meeting with Kim "quite soon."Trump arrived at the UN on Monday morning for a meeting on the global drug trade, ahead of a sit-down with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who comes bearing a personal message to Trump from Kim after their inter-Korean talks last week.

Trump and Moon are expected to sign a new version of the U.S.-South Korean trade agreement, one of Trump's first successes in his effort to renegotiate trade deals on more favorable terms for the U.S. Even so, some U.S. officials worry that South Korea's eagerness to restore relations with the North could reduce sanctions pressure on Kim's government, hampering efforts to negotiate a nuclear accord.

The nuclear threat was on the agenda at Trump's first meeting in New York, a dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Manhattan on Sunday night. Abe stands first among world leaders in cultivating a close relationship with the president through displays of flattery that he has used to advance his efforts to influence the unpredictable American leader.

"We have our eyes wide open," Pompeo told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. "There is a long ways to go to get Chairman Kim to live up to the commitment that he made to President Trump and, indeed, to the demands of the world in the U.N. Security Council resolutions to get him to fully denuclearize."



Trump, redoubling his commitment to "America First" on the most global of stages, will stress his dedication to the primacy of U.S. interests while competing with Western allies for an advantage on trade and shining a spotlight on the threat that he says Iran poses to the Middle East and beyond.

Scores of world leaders, even those representing America's closest friends, remain wary of Trump. In the 12 months since his last visit to the U.N., the Republican president has jolted the global status quo by pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, starting trade conflicts with China and the West and embracing Russia's Vladimir Putin even as the investigation into the U.S. president's ties to Moscow moves closer to the Oval Office.

Long critical of the United Nations, Trump delivered a warning shot ahead of his arrival by declaring that the world body had "not lived up to" its potential.

"It's always been surprising to me that more things aren't resolved," Trump said in a weekend video message, "because you have all of these countries getting together in one location but it doesn't seem to get there. I think it will."



Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters in a preview of Trump's visit that the president's focus "will be very much on the United States," its role and the relations it wants to build.

"He is looking forward to talking about foreign policy successes the United States has had over the past year and where we're going to go from here," she said. "He wants to talk about protecting U.S. sovereignty," while building relationships with nations that "share those values."



In his four-day visit to New York, Trump will deliver major speeches and meet with representatives of a world order that he has so often upended in the past year. On Monday he participated in a Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem and later was to meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and French President Emmanuel Macron, in addition to Moon.

Trump's address to the General Assembly comes Tuesday, and on Wednesday he will for the first time chair the Security Council, with the stated topic of non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The subject initially was to have been Iran, but that could have allowed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to attend, creating a potentially awkward situation for the U.S. leader.

Aides say the president will also use the session to discuss North Korea and other proliferation issues. While Trump is not seeking a meeting with Rouhani, he is open to talking with the Iranian leader if Rouhani requests one, administration officials said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)President Donald Trump says a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is likely to take place "quite soon."



Speaking at the United Nations, Trump says the relationship with the country whose leader he branded last year as "Little Rocket Man" is much improved.

He said Monday: "It was a different world. That was a dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time."



Trump says Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (pahm-PAY'-oh) is working out the details for the second Trump-Kim meeting.

Kim requested a second meeting with Trump in a letter this month, and Trump says, "we will be doing that."



Trump is set to meet with South Korea's Moon Jae-in later Monday to discuss North Korea and trade details. Moon is expected to convey to Trump a personal message from Kim delivered at their inter-Korean talks last week.

President Trump is at the United Nations for his second general assembly meeting with world leaders since taking office and has participated in a counter-narcotics event.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)33 more suspicious accounts uncovered by JIT

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director General Economic Crime Wing Ehsan Sadiq on Monday told the Supreme Court (SC) that a Joint Investigation Team (JIT)  constituted by the apex court in the fake accounts case  has uncovered 33 more suspicious accounts.



An FIA JIT had been investigating a 2015 case regarding fake accounts and fictitious transactions conducted through 29 benami accounts in Summit Bank, Sindh Bank and UBL.



Seven individuals, including PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur, were said to be involved in using those accounts for suspicious transactions. The accounts were allegedly used to channel funds received through kickbacks.



While hearing a suo motu case regarding a delay in the FIA probe into the case, the SC had constituted a JIT to probe into the matter.



Sadiq, who is heading the JIT, submitted a report in court today which revealed that 29 suspicious accounts had been scrutinised again, and during the investigation, 33 more suspicious accounts had been uncovered, which are now being investigated. Additionally, 210 companies were also found with alleged links to the case, the report added.



The report said that 47 of these companies were associated with the Omni Group. The Omni Group also owns 16 sugar mills, the report said, adding that 334 people are allegedly involved in the transactions.



Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar remarked that attempts had been made to show large amounts of stolen money as legally obtained wealth.



The CJP, upon inquiring about the whereabouts of the Omni Group accountant Mr Arif, was informed that he was currently out of the country but the JIT had approached Interpol to bring him and others at large back to the country.



CJP Nisar then turned to the counsel of the Omni Group, Shahid Hamid, and directed him to sell off a house owned by the group to pay for the JIT's expenditures. The lawyer said that all the assets and bank accounts of the group had been frozen.



The lawyer told the chief justice that the group had already filed a plea in a special court seeking liquidation of the assets and accounts. Justice Nisar observed that the apex court could regulate a special court. Subsequently, the SC under Article 184 of the Constitution barred the special court from issuing any order pertaining to the case without informing the apex court.The Bombay High Court Monday told the Maharashtra government to strive towards being the first as far as eradication of malnutrition is concerned rather than boasting about being ranked third among states in this endeavour.

A division bench of Justices A S Oka and M S Sonak said this (malnutrition eradication) was not a competition between states.

The bench was hearing a bunch of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) highlighting the rise in malnutrition deaths and illnesses among those living in Maharashtra's tribal belt, especially Melghat region.

Melghat is a predominantly tribal hilly region in Amravati district of the state.

The court sought to know if the government has, so far, carried out any scientific study to understand the issue and take remedial measures.

"Has any scientific study been carried out to ascertain what are the requirements in the area? What kind of medical specialists are required? What infrastructure is needed?" Justice Oka asked.

Justice Oka asked the government about the infrastructure that had been put in place to address the problem of malnutrition which has existed in this region for the past two decades.

The bench also wanted know from the state how many paediatricians and gynaecologists had been appointed in the tribal regions of the state.

The court directed the principal secretary of Maharashtra Public Health department to appear before it on Tuesday to answer the court's questions.

Different benches of the high court have passed several orders on the issue in the last two years, directing the state government to ensure those living in tribal areas get adequate nutrition, health care, sanitation, and education facilities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Turkish man was apprehended early Monday by the CISF at the Delhi airport for allegedly trying to smuggle over 1.3 lakh Tramadol tablets, a painkiller also known as the 'ISIS drug', a senior official said.

He said the activities of Erbil H, holding a Turkish passport, were found "suspicious" when he arrived at the airport at around 3 am.

He was subsequently subjected to a detailed frisking by the force personnel, he said.

"1,30,000 Tramadol tablets weighing about 64 kg were found in the bag of the Turkish man. He was handed over to anti-narcotics sleuths for further probe," a CISF spokesperson said.

The man was supposed to take a flight to Istanbul from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, he said.

It has been learnt that Tramadol is generally used as a pain killer by different terrorist groups and is also know as jihadi pill, ISIS drugs or fighter drugs and the price of the said medicine in the middle east is about USD 5 per tablet, the spokesperson said.

He added the Turkish man was also nabbed by the Central Industrial Security Force staff at this airport in April this year for using a "fake ticket" to enter the terminal.

The Union government in April had declared the drug as a "psychotropic substance" and brought it under the control of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The synthetic opiate is known to be abused on a wide scale by ISIS terrorists to suppress pain and boost strength during injury and hence, is also known as 'fighter drug' among international anti-narcotics authorities.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), a national agency to coordinate drug law enforcement action by involving various state agencies, police and central departments, had asked the government in July last year to bring this drug under its "regulation and control" so that it could only be used for medicinal purposes and its abuse be checked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Opposition Congress Monday slammed the Uttarakhand government for "shying away" from constituting the Lokayukta despite boasting of zero tolerance to corruption.

"A government which swept to power promising to constitute the Lokayukta within three months of assuming office is dragging its feet on the issue despite being in power for more than a year," Leader of Opposition Indira Hridayesh said during Zero Hour in the stateassembly.

Accusing the BJP-led state government of not being serious on the issue, she said the Lokayukta bill was referred to the standingcommittee of thestateassembly despite the Opposition supporting the legislation last year.

The standing committee has already submitted its report but there has been no further move by the state government on the matter, she said.

"Do not make 'zero tolerance to corruption' justa slogan. Tell the people when willyou constitute the Lokayukta," Hridayesh demanded.

Uttarakhand Congress president and Chakrata MLA Pritam Singh also cornered the state government for not instituting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the NH 74 land compensation scam despite Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat giving an assurance to this effect in the state assembly.

"Why are you now shying away from a CBI probe into the scam? Who are you trying to shield?" Singh said.

Alleging a scam worth Rs 5 crore in the Public Works Department (PWD), the Congress leader said corruption was flourishing in the state.

Other Congress MLAs, including former assembly speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal and Manoj Rawat, also questioned the government over the Lokayukta issue.

In his reply on the issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant said the state government had always been serious on the issue of corruption.

"The standing committee has submitted its report on the Lokayukta and the document now belongs to the state assembly," he said.

Following the minister's comments, Opposition members rose from their seats in protest and rushed towards the Speaker's chair, accusing the state government of shying away from defining a time frame for constituting the anti-corruption body.

As the Opposition leaders refused to resume their seats, Speaker Prem Chand Aggarwal adjourned the House till lunch.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Britain's main opposition Labour Party on Monday called for mass nationalisation and a new scheme to give workers a share of company dividends that was dismissed by big business.

At the party's annual conference, shadow finance minister John McDonnell outlined plans to renationalise water, rail, energy and mail services within five years.

"People have just had enough of being ripped off by privatisation," McDonnell told delegates to thundering applause.

Many Britons are dissatisfied with services provided by privatised companies, including frequent train delays, technical problems and ever-increasing bills for water.

"Public ownership has proved its popularity in opinion poll after opinion poll," he said.

McDonnell also outlined plans for companies in Britain with 250 or more employees to hand over up to 10-percent of their equity for a special fund that would pay out dividends to workers and give them a greater role in shaping company strategy.

The dividends would be capped at pounds 500 per employee, with any additional income going to a national fund for public services and welfare under the proposals announced on Monday.

"Workers, who create the wealth of a company, should share in its ownership and, yes, in the returns that it makes," he said.

"True industrial democracy is coming to this country," he added. But Britain's ruling Conservatives said the proposals were "yet another tax rise" for businesses that could deter companies from hiring staff.

The Confederation of British Industry big business lobby warned that it could drive down investment.

"Their diktat on employee share ownership will only encourage investors to pack their bags and will harm those who can least afford it," CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn said.

"If investment falls, so does productivity and pay," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Britain's main opposition party took a step at its annual conference toward backing a new referendum on Brexit but stopped short of saying the vote should include an option not to leave the European Union at all.

Delegates at the Labour Party conference in the northwestern English city of Liverpool will debate a motion Tuesday saying that if Parliament rejects the government's Brexit deal, "Labour must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote."



The motion, whose wording was argued over during a five-hour meeting late Sunday, does not specify that a new referendum should include an option to remain in the EU, as many party members want.

Most of the party's half-million members voted in 2016 to remain in the EU. But many of its 257 lawmakers represent areas that supported leaving, so Brexit poses an electoral dilemma for the left-of-center party.

With the U.K. and the EU now at an impasse in divorce talks, and just six months to go until Britain officially leaves on March 29, many Labour members think the party should try to force a new referendum that could reverse Britain's decision to quit the 28-nation bloc.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and other party chiefs oppose that idea, saying Labour must honor voters' 2016 decision to leave. They say a better option would be a general election and a Labour government.

Party finance spokesman John McDonnell said Monday that "we argued for 'remain' in the past but we lost that vote so we have to respect that." But Labour lawmaker David Lammy, who backs a second vote, said a referendum offering the choice between "no deal or a bad deal" would be "farcical."



"It absolutely must include the right to stay in the EU," he said. Labour is meeting after a rocky week for divorce negotiations between Britain and the EU.

The Conservative government's blueprint for future trade ties with the bloc was rejected last week by EU leaders at a summit in Salzburg, Austria. That left Prime Minister Theresa May's leadership under siege and Britain at growing risk of crashing out of the EU with no deal in place.

May insists her plan is still on the table. It seeks to keep the U.K. in the EU single market for goods but not for services, in order to ensure free trade with the bloc and an open border between the U.K.'s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.

But EU officials say that amounts to unacceptable "cherry-picking" of elements of membership in the bloc without accepting all the costs and responsibilities.

May met Monday with her divided Cabinet, where some Brexit-supporting ministers are urging her to seek a looser relationship based on a bare-bones free trade agreement that would leave Britain free to strike new deals around the world.

Pro-Brexit Conservative lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg said Britain would prosper under a "Canada Plus" deal a variation on the free trade agreement struck between Canada and the EU after years of negotiations. May's says a "Canada-style" deal would not prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Amid mounting uncertainty, the British government has stepped up preparations for leaving without an agreement though it insists that outcome is unlikely.

On Monday, it published a new batch of documents outlining some disruptions to Britain's economy and daily life that could be caused by a "no deal" Brexit.

The group of "technical notices" to businesses said British digital subscribers could be unable to access services such as Netflix when they travel in Europe, truckers could need special permits to transport goods to the EU, and planes between Britain and the continent could be grounded if there is no Brexit agreement.

The papers noted that airlines "would lose the automatic right to operate air services between the U.K. and the EU without seeking advance permission." "In this scenario the U.K. would envisage granting permission to EU airlines to continue to operate. We would expect EU countries to reciprocate in turn," the document said.

Previous batches of papers said businesses could face red tape, customers could see higher credit card fees and patients could endure delays to medical treatment.

They even said Britain could get less warning of falling space debris from an EU agency if Britain crashes out of the bloc without a deal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An under-construction bridge collapsed in Kakdwip area of West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Monday, a senior official said.

There has been no report of any casualty, District Magistrate Y Ratnakara Rao said.

"A team has been rushed to the spot to look into the incident. The work to clear the debris has started," he said.

The area has been cordoned off to stop people from going near the bridge, Rao said, adding that engineers were trying to ascertain the reason behind the collapse.

This is the third incident of bridge collapse in the state in September.

A portion of a bridge at Majerhat in south Kolkata had collapsed on September 4, killing three persons and injuring more than 24.

On September 7, an old bridge had collapsed near Siliguri in north Bengal, leaving a truck driver injured.

State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, during a press meet at the state secretariat, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will review the condition of bridges and flyovers in the state, including the ones under construction.

"Once she is back from her tour, she will seek opinion of experts on ways to overcome weakness in the structural pattern of the bridges and evaluate the experience of contractors entrusted with the job of building them," he said.

Banerjee is on a 12-day trip to Germany and Italy to attract investments to the state.

Asked about the Kakdwip bridge collapse, Chatterjee told reporters that it was "not a functioning one", without getting into details.

He, however, asserted that the government was taking the issue seriously and the CM had been regularly seeking updates about every development in the state from Italy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi



Adityanath Monday urged people to repose their faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi again in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, saying the country has been ushered by him into a golden era after 2014.

The Chief Minister made the appeal while addressing a large gathering of predominantly backward and Dalit sections of the society, organised by BJP Pichhda Morcha here.

"You are the followers of the Ashoka the Great traditions, in whose regime, India's golden era had started," said Adityanath, adding "a golden era began once again in India after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls with Prime Minister Narendra Modi assuming the power."



"Under the leadeship of Prime Minister Modi, India's pride and honour increased across the globe. The Prime Minister got an unprecedented welcome in foreign countries and India emerged as a sashakt rashtra (empowered nation)," he said.

He urged the people present at the venue to unite all sections of the society and pledge to make Modi the country's Prime Minister again after the upcoming 2019 general elections.

Ruing that "some people are trying to create an atmosphere of instability in the country", the Chief Minister reasoned that "any person or a community will be strengthened only when the country gets strengthened."



"If the country becomes weak, the individual and community both are weakened," cautioned the Chief Minister.

Claiming that "poverty was only a political issue for the previous governments of the SP, BSP and Congress" Adityanath said "these governments never had an agenda for poverty alleviation".

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China was given a befitting reply in Doklam. The country's borders have become safer while strong action has been initiated against Naxalism and terrorism inside the country," said the Chief Minister.

"The Modi government has also initiated a number of welfare measures for the masses," he said, reiterating his appeal to let "the golden era" continue under Modi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Usha Martin founders have sought details from the board regarding utilisation of proceeds from the proposed sale of the company's steel business to Tata Steel.

Tata Steel last week said it had executed definitive agreements for the acquisition of Usha Martin's steel business for Rs 4,300-4,700 crore through a slump sale on a going concern basis.

Usha Martin founder Basant Jhawar and his son Prashant Jhawar in a statement said that there was no clarity on end-use of sale proceeds.

"Since no details are on the table our concern over diversion of funds continues. Therefore we seek complete transparency in the utilisation of sale proceeds and have sought further details from the board of directors of Usha Martin Ltd," the statement said.

The founders, however, welcomed the deal with Tatas, saying the group's involvement in the steel business of Usha Martin will add value to the stakeholders and the transaction is overall a positive development.

Basant Jhawar is at present Founder Director of Usha Martin while his son is one of the directors of the company.

"We are encouraged by Tatas signing a business agreement with the current management of Usha Martin Ltd. But the end use of the funds is opaque," the statement said.

"As 25 percent shareholders, we are concerned about the liabilities which will fall on the residual business and its capacity to service the same. No details are available.

"How much of the term loans, working capital, liabilities to unsecured creditors and other liabilities will be cleared and how much will be carried forward with burden falling on residual business is very opaque. No details are available, creating doubt over transparency and management accountability," the statement added.

Tata Steel had announced last week that it will acquire the steel business of Usha Martin Ltd (UML).

UML, in a stock exchange filing, had said that the sale of steel business to Tata Steel will help the company in "significant reduction" of its debt.

The deal is expected to complete in 6-9 months, it had added.

UML's steel business comprises the specialised one million tonnes per annum (MTPA) alloy based manufacturing capacity in long products segment based in Jamshedpur, a producing iron-ore mine, a coal mine under development and captive power plants, Tata Steel said.

It is amongst the largest wire rope manufacturers in the world and a leading speciality steel producer in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee Monday said the violence in North Dinajpur district in which two students were killed was not the handiwork of school children but "done by outsiders in an organised manner."



Chatterjee talking to reporters here after a meeting with District Inspector(DI) of schools said the government will get everything related to Thursday's violence at the Darivit High School at Islampur probed.

"We want normalcy to be restored. But the way the furniture and equipment inside the Darivisit High school building got smashed on that day, this can't be the handiwork of school children," he said in reply to a question.

"This must have been done by outsiders in an organised manner," Chatterjee said.

Reiterating the death of two students was tragic, the minister said, "We will get everything related to the incident probed and take strict action accordingly. None will be spared."



About the meeting with DIs, Chatterjee said, every District Inspector of schools should immediately inform the concerned District Magistrate and Commissioner of School about any emergent situation in any school under the DI's jurisdiction from now on.

The DIs would also need to mandatorily inform the DM and Officer about any managing committee recommendations regarding recruitment of teachers, Chatterjee said.

"We have also asked the DIs to visit every school in his/her respective area by October 5 and see the infrastructure, number of teacher-students, the required number, everything," he said.

The minister said if any appointment was made for the secondary section in a school, the concerned DI should not make any decision to convert that appointment for the higher secondary section of the same institution which has no legal sanctity.

About the teacher strength in Darivit High School, where the violence had broken out on Thursday, Chatterjee maintained there were 22 sanctioned posts for teachers including five para-teachers going by the report of the district education department, "But may be the students were asking for additional teachers which is within their rights."



Tapas Barman, a 3rd year college student and Rajesh Sarkar, an ITI student, died in the violence which broke out on September 20 at Darivit High School in Islampur area of North Dinajpur district.

Local people alleged that the two students were killed in police firing but DIG Raiganj range Jayanta Paul denied the charge.

The opposition BJP has called a 12-hour shutdown in the state over the issue on September 26.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday exhorted the businessmen of Italy to make investments in the state and assured them of all government support.

Banerjee told a select gathering at Milan in Italy that Bengal served as the gateway to south-east Asia and the north-eastern states of the country.

Her interaction was shown over local TV channels whose journalists are accompanying her.

Banerjee, who is on a 12-day visit Europe since September 16 to attract investment, had earlier been to Germany.

"Bengal is strategically located and an ideal destination for investments. We are number one in MSME and the GSDP is higher than that of India during 2017-18", she said.

The state is taking steps to set up a design centre, she said.

"Bengal can take a lead in industry. We are working for simultaneous growth both in industry and agriculture. We are rich in skilled and talented manpower and we need technology", the chief minister said.

The state has adequately improved the social infrastructure. "Bengal means business. Italy is famous for leather products. We seek investments in the leather sector", she said.

Areas where Italy can invest are petrochemicals, fertilisers, automobile, heavy industries, port and shipping, she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)CJP ordered to shift Omni Group chairman to jail

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Saqib Nisar on Monday ordered to shift Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed to jail after reviewing his medical reports.



Last week, a case was filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) about the medical treatment given to Anwar and his son, Abdul Ghani Majeed which was heard by the court.



A committee was formed for the medical examination of the accused.



The medical reports were submitted by the additional attorney general before the bench today.



Justice Nisar reviewed the reports and found Anwar Majeed to be in good health.



On August 15, Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed and his son, Abdul Ghani, were arrested by FIA in money laundering case.



Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Executive Director Dr Seemi Jamali told the court that members of a medical board set up by the SC had visited the hospital on Muharram 9 and 10. The board had examined a patient, she told the court.



The additional attorney general today submitted a report by a medical committee tasked with examining Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani.



The medical report and recommendations by the committee suggested that both Majeed and Ghani are fit to participate in the investigation.



The court was told that Majeed was suffering from haemorrhoids. The CJP gave Majeed two options  to either opt for surgery or go to jail. Majeed's lawyer sought time to review the medial commitee's report but Justice Nisar ordered that Majeed be shifted to jail.



"There are no issues with Majeed's heart. Shift him to jail, he has been enjoying himself in the hospital for the past month and a half," the CJP said. Subsequently, the Majeed and Ghani were both shifted to jail.



The CJP warned against any external pressure being applied in the case. "Convey my message to the Sindh chief minister as well," he said. "Any pressure in this case will not be tolerated."



He also warned Sindh CM Murad Shah against offering the jail superintendent's room to the suspect.



"Action will be taken if the court comes to know that the accused were offered the jail superintendent's room," he said.



The CJP said he might hand over the issue to the government of Punjab. Concluding the matter, the chief justice directed the JIT head to shift Majeed to the hospital when and if he needs to undergo surgery.



The court directed the Defence Ministry to submit a report on the medical board. The hearing of the case has been adjourned for 10 days.In Egyptian mythology, Osiris is referred to as the God of life, death, the flooding of the Nile and the afterlife.

Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy's mid-ocean rescue by the French fishing vessel 'Osiris' proved just that, giving the sailor a new lease of life.

Cdr Tomy's 32-feet long sailboat Thuriya first braved the wrath of the sea and gusty winds, leading to at least one toppling. The sailor may have been inside when the toppling happened, injuring his back, his mentor and race manager Cdr (retd) Dilip Donde said.

"While the vessel stabilised after the toppling, the solo occupant was far from normal. The injuries made him immobile and request for evacuation through a satellite-based communication gadget," he said.

For the next three days, Cdr Tomy drifted in the boat in the vast Indian Ocean, sans any help. The only contact with the outside world was through sporadic text messages through satellite and a GPS transmitter which gave his location to a race control room in France.

Organisers of the Golden Globe Race (GGR) contacted the Australian rescue authorities, who found out about Osiris' presence in the vicinity. It reached Thuriya two days later and rescued Cdr Tomy, in an act befitting the credentials of mythological figure.

"Osiris" was once a fishing boat from Seychelles, an island country located to the east of Africa. The boat was seized by the French Navy in 2003 and was turned into a patrol boat for France.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A labourer has been arrested after a 26-year-old woman advocate alleged that a man attempted to rape her inside a park in southeast Delhi.

Sharing her ordeal in a series of Facebook posts, the woman said she was walking in the lane of Kailash Hills towards Central Park in Amar Colony last Thursday.

"Suddenly I felt someone holding me and pulling me inside a park. This park is not easy to enter as it has a two fenced door... In a few seconds i was inside the park and this man was holding my waist approaching me for some sexual act. I tried to take his hands off and smacked his face hard," she said in the post.

The advocate said when she tried to catch hold of the accused and hit him, he hit her back and managed to flee by climbing up the wall.

The man was arrested the same day after the woman accompanied a police officer to the park, where the accused was spotted sitting. The accused is a 30-year-old labourer, who resides in the jhuggis nearby.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)By Paulina Duran and Melanie BurtonSYDNEY/MELBOURNE (Reuters) - U.S.-based Coronado Global Resources Inc launched what is set to be Australia's biggest coal mining float in six years with an IPO that seeks to raise up to A$1.3 billion ($946.1 million) and capitalise on Asian demand for the steelmaking commodity.Coronado, which is backed by U.S. private equity firm Energy and Minerals Group (EMG), said in a statement on Monday it filed a prospectus for the IPO that will be priced at between A$4.00 and A$4.80 per share.The IPO will give the company an enterprise value of up to A$4.4 billion, ...By Tom SimsFRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's financial watchdog has ordered Deutsche Bank to do more to prevent money laundering and "terrorist financing," and has appointed a third party to assess progress.BaFin said on Monday this was the first time it had made such an appointment at a bank related to money laundering.European regulators are stepping up their scrutiny of banks' dealings with their customers following a series of scandals.The head of Danske Bank resigned last week after Denmark's biggest bank said an investigation had shown that many of the 200 billion euros ($236 billion) of ...COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The European Commisssion has asked the European Banking Authority (EBA) to investigate what went wrong in the oversight of Danske Bank's Estonian branch, which is at the centre of a major money laundering scandal, it said on Sunday, confirming a report in Financial Times.The Commission has also sent letters, written at the request of justice commissioner Vera Jourova, to the Danish and Estonian governments to ask about the case and its supervision, the spokesman said. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Writing by Teis Jensen; Editing by David Goodman)(This story has not been ...By Aditya KalraNEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has vowed to stand firm on a multi-billion dollar deal to buy warplanes from France's Dassault Aviation, as the opposition Congress party called on Monday for an inquiry into allegations of wrongdoing. Former French President Francois Hollande, who approved the deal when he was in office, triggered a political storm in India after he said the Indian government influenced the choice of a local partner in the deal.New Delhi has denied the allegations, but opposition parties are gunning for Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the 2016 purchase of 36 ...Saudi Arabia and Russia won't add significantly more oil to the market because of a lack of capacity, a top Iranian official said on Monday, predicting prices will probably rise further. On Sunday, ministers and officials from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus Russia and other allies ruled out an immediate oil-output boost, in effect rebuffing U.S. President Donald Trump's calls for action. The move helped push crude prices to a four-year high near $81 a barrel on Monday. Also underpinning the market is the prospect of lower exports from Iran, ...By Henning GloysteinSINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Monday as U.S. markets tightened just weeks ahead of Washington's plan to impose new sanctions against Iran, with U.S. bank J.P. Morgan warning of price spikes abvoe $90 per barrel in coming months.Brent crude futures were at $79.71 per barrel at 0138 GMT, up by 91 cents, or 1.2 percent.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose by 75 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $71.53 a barrel.The market was "increasingly concerned about dwindling (U.S.) inventories," ANZ bank said on Monday.U.S. commercial crude oil inventories are at ...By Jessica Resnick-AultNEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped more than 2 percent to a four-year high on Monday after Saudi Arabia and Russia ruled out any immediate increase in production despite calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for action to raise global supply.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-OPEC states, including top producer Russia, gathered in Algiers on Sunday for a meeting that ended with no formal recommendation for any additional supply boost to counter falling supply from Iran."The market's still being driven by concerns about Iranian and ...DUBAI (Reuters) - United Arab Emirates-based ride-hailing app Careem has acquired Commut, the Hyderabad-based mass transportation app, marking its entry into India, the firm said on Monday.Careem did not disclose the size of the deal, which it said would accelerate Careem's expansion into mass transportation through the addition of bus services across the 100 cities it operates in. (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Writing by Tom Arnold; Editing by Louise Heavens)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Indias decision to opt out of dialogues is disappointing: Shah Mehmood

WASHINGTON: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday said that despite Pakistans commitment to improve relations with India, the country is fully capable of thwarting any sort of aggression.



Indias decision to opt out of dialogues is disappointing and is contrary to diplomatic ethics. The aggressive comments of the Indian army chief and Indian governments backing out is only to distract the world from its internal issues, FM Qureshi said while speaking to a press conference in Washington.



He added that Pakistan is fully capable of responding to any sort of aggression. Scores of Indians are critical of the Indian governments policies in Kashmir. Also, there are concrete evidences of foreign involvement in Balochistan. We are capable of thwarting any sort of aggression and will do so if necessary, he said.



Qureshi said that the United States has always took advantage of its ties with Pakistan. He added that the US wants to make India a strategic partner in the region, but Pakistan will continue to work with both China and the US at the same time.By Sarah YoungLONDON (Reuters) - British holiday company Thomas Cook cut its 2018 profit forecast, blaming a heatwave in northern Europe for hitting demand in the most profitable part of the summer season and hurting winter trading, sending its shares plunging. The stock lost almost 20 percent of its value by 1020 GMT on Monday after the company said profit would be 13 percent lower than expected. In a separate statement, Thomas Cook also said it would replace its chief financial officer after less than a year in the job. The change was described by Morgan Stanley analysts as a surprise. ...NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Private equity firms TPG Capital and Blackstone Group have submitted bids to buy beleaguered Indian carrier Jet Airways' stake in its frequent flyer loyalty programme, television channel CNBC TV18 reported on Monday, citing sources.The airline, partly owned by Etihad Airways, has been facing financial difficulties and said last month it would inject funds and cut costs to turn around the business. It also said it plans to monetise some of its assets, including the JetPrivilege loyalty programme, which has 8.5 million members.The bids are likely to be between $350 million ...By Paulina DuranSYDNEY (Reuters) - U.S.-based Coronado Global Resources Inc kicked off what is set to be Australia's biggest coal mining float in six years with an IPO that seeks to raise up to A$1.3 billion ($946.1 million) and capitalise on Asian demand for the steelmaking commodity.Coronado, which is backed by U.S. private equity firm Energy and Minerals Group (EMG), said in a statement on Monday it filed a prospectus for the IPO that will be priced at between A$4.00 and A$4.80 per share.The IPO will give the company an enterprise value of up to A$4.4 billion, making it the biggest coal ...By David LawderUNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The European Union and the United States are still in exploratory talks about how they can pursue a limited trade agreement, with no real negotiations yet started, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on Monday.Malmstrom told reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly that the two sides are looking at facilitating sales of U.S. liquefied natural gas to Europe and reducing regulatory barriers to trade."We're still in that exploratory phase. We haven't started any negotiations yet. People are talking to each other and we ...By Florence TanSINGAPORE (Reuters) - World oil demand will peak at 104.4 million barrels per day (bpd) in the mid-2030s, up from just below 100 million bpd currently, as new technologies gradually eat into oil use, China's Unipec said on Monday.Improved energy efficiency and technological changes, including the rise of renewables, meant global oil demand growth would slow in coming years before peaking in 2035, Unipec President Chen Bo told the annual Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC).This in turn will slow growth in global oil refining capacity, which is set to hit 5.6 billion tonnes ...Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is gearing up to launch the OnePlus 6T soon. Like previous launches, the key changes that would be part of the upgrade from the current-generation flagship have already been confirmed by the company.

These changes include the use of an in-display fingerprint sensor and the removal of the 3.5mm audio jack. Apart from these changes, several other enhancements are expected from the upcoming smartphone, such as a new screen format, enhanced camera module, bigger battery, etc. Though there has been no official confirmation on these features, the ...WhatsApp has appointed Komal Lahiri as its grievance officer for India amid growing concern over the spread of fake news on social media platforms. In its latest security and privacy update for India, WhatsApp has said that to raise a complaint with the grievance officer in India, one can go to WhatsApp settings and click on 'help', which will lead to 'contact us' option. WhatsApp has said Lahiri will be based in the US, and people can also contact her via post at the company's Menlo Park address in California. The practice of having a grievance officer outside of India is similar to the one adopted by other major US companies. The company, however, has not said anything about tracing of the origins of incendiary messages.

"To contact the Grievance Officer, please send an email with your complaint or concern and sign with an electronic signature. If you're contacting us about a specific account, please include your phone number in full international format, including the country code," the company said in a statement.

Komal Lahiri's Linkedin profile says she is working as Senior Director of Global Customer Operations and Localisation at WhatsApp Inc since March 2018.

Before WhatsApp, she joined Facebook as Director, Product Planning and Operations of Shared Services in August 2014. Later, she was appointed as Senior Director of Community Operations and Head of Community Support at the company for two years and nine months.

Komal has also worked as Senior Director of Financial Risk Platforms at global online payments company, PayPal. During her six-year tenure at PayPal, she held several positions, including Director, Consumer, Business & Credit Products Risk; Director, Global Disputes Policy & Experience; and Director, Product Management. Komal is "recognised as a strong leader with credibility to influence strategy and engage across organisational and geographic boundaries", says her profile on the social media platform. Komal did her BCom from the Pune University and studied Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Institute of Management Development and Research, Pune.

The appointment of Komal comes following WhatsApp CEO Chris Daniels' meeting with IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad last month in which he asked the US firm to find a way to track the origin of fake messages on its platform, appoint a grievance officer to deal with these cases and set up a corporate entity in India, which is the Mark Zuckerberg-led company's largest market with 200 million users. The Supreme Court had also asked the government why WhatsApp has not appointed a grievance officer for India so far. The apex court had sought a reply on the matter within four weeks.

The government has been mounting pressure on WhatsApp to curb the menace of fake news and false information circulated on its app after such messages triggered mob lynchings across the country. It dashed off two notices to WhatsApp, with the second one specifically saying that it would be held abettor in cases of violence triggered by messages on its platform if it did not take necessary steps. While WhatsApp has held that introducing a 'traceability' would violate users' privacy by breaking into the end-to-end encryption feature, the Ministry of Electronics and IT is reportedly drafting a letter - the third since July - asking the Facebook-owned platform to design a technology-led solution to trace the origins of incendiary messages.

(Edited by Manoj Sharma)Nitin Sandesara, the prime accused behind a Rs 5000-crore bank fraud and money laundering case, seems to have given the Indian authorities a slip once again. The owner of Gujarat-based Sterling Biotech, who had reportedly been arrested in Dubai last month, is no longer in the UAE.

Top sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) told The Times of India that Sandesara and his family members, including brother Chetan Sandesara and sister-in-law Diptiben Sandesara, are believed to be hiding in Nigeria. They added that India has not signed any extradition treaty or a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with Nigeria, so bringing them back home would be difficult.

"There were reports that Nitin Sandesara was detained by UAE authorities in Dubai in the second week of August. It was incorrect information. He was never detained in Dubai. He and other family members probably left for Nigeria much before that," an officer told the daily. It is not known if the Sandesaras travelled to Nigeria on Indian passports or that of some other country.

Nonetheless, in a clear attempt to cover all bases, the investigation agencies are reportedly planning to send a request to UAE authorities asking them to "provisionally arrest" the Sandesaras if they are seen there. Meanwhile, efforts are on to get Interpol red corner notices issued against the accused.

The ED had registered a money laundering case against Sterling Biotech and its promoters, the Sandesara brothers, last October, taking cognisance of a CBI FIR on charges of alleged corruption. The family has been absconding ever since. In addition, the investigative agencies booked the Vadodara-based pharmaceutical firm's directors including Dipti, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Vilas Joshi, chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, former Andhra Bank director Anup Garg and some unidentified persons for cheating banks of Rs 5,000 crore.

The probe agencies have alleged that the accused, on the "basis of false and fabricated" documents, had fraudulently obtained credit facilities from various banks, which subsequently turned into non-performing assets (NPAs).

"The loans were sanctioned by a consortium of banks like the Andhra Bank, the UCO Bank, the State Bank of India, the Allahabad Bank and the Bank of India," said the ED, adding, "Till date, the banks have declared as fraud, various outstanding loan accounts..in respect of various companies of Sterling Group including Sterling Biotech Ltd, Sterling Port Ltd, PMT Machines Ltd, Sterling SEZ and Infrastructure Ltd and Sterling Oil Resources Ltd."

The agency further alleged that the siphoned off loan funds were used to purchase a "fleet of luxury cars", jewellery, "buy properties in the names of various companies", purchase shares of Sterling Biotech Ltd and Sterling International Enterprises Ltd to fuel market speculation, and "project a healthy picture of the companies".

In June, the ED attached assets worth over Rs 4,700 crore of the company - the attachment amount was the second highest so far this year after the Nirav Modi-PNB fraud case. The agency has also already arrested Dixit, Garg and Delhi-based businessman Gagan Dhawan, who had allegedly helped the accused directors. However, according to the officials, bringing the Sandesaras back to India to face criminal proceedings was important as they had diverted huge amounts of money abroad.

According to the filed chargesheets, the Sandesaras set up more than 300 shell or benami companies in India and abroad, which were allegedly used to "divert and misutilise loan funds". They controlled their shell firms through dummy directors, who were/are employees of various companies of the Sterling group. Bogus sales and purchases were shown between the benami companies and the Sterling group firms to divert loans and inflate their turnover, which in turn was leveraged to obtain more bank loans.

Officials added that the modus operandi of the Sandesaras involved manipulating balance sheets, inflating turnover and insider shares trading.Last week Infosys, India's second largest IT services firm, lost its long-standing arbitration case over the fat severance contract with its former CFO Rajiv Bansal. And it was a lack of evidence that reportedly caused the firm to lose the battle.

People privy to the proceedings told The Economic Times that Infosys could not provide enough evidence to substantiate that Bansal had deleted data from his company laptop. Data deletion was reportedly one of the reasons cited by the firm to back its decision to withhold a chunk of Bansal's dues. This led to the arbitrator dismissing its claim of breach of agreement.

"Their [Infosys'] main defence was breach of the agreement committed by Rajiv [Bansal] and because the data in his laptop was deleted. The arbitrator has negated all those contentions saying there is no such breach. It has categorically been held that Rajiv has not breached the agreement and there is nothing to show he himself deleted any data. And there cannot be a breach of the severance agreement," said a source. "Infosys also had a counterclaim, [that] they suffered damages because information was not given back to them. That was a laughable defence. It was not pursued very seriously, and got rejected."

Infosys, during the tenure of former CEO Vishal Sikka, had agreed to pay Bansal a severance package of Rs 17.38 crore, or 24 months of salary, at the time of his exit in December 2015. But, in April 2017, the company had suspended payments after handing out Rs 5 crore of the promised amount after the "excessive" contract became a bone of contention in the governance battle that Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy waged against the company's board. While Murthy called it a 'hush money', former board member and the company's Chief Financial Officer TV Mohandas Pai had asked the board to explain the package in detail. In response, Bansal had invoked his rights to take Infosys to arbitration proceedings to contest the halting of the promised payout.

Arbitrator RV Raveendran, a former Supreme Court judge, ordered the Bengaluru-headquartered firm to pay Bansal the remaining severance of Rs 12.17 crore with interest last week. The daily added that Bansal was represented by Indus Law, while Nishit Desai Associates defended Infosys before the arbitrator.

"It is extremely meticulously drafted award looking into all the possible aspects...the arbitrator has looked through the evidence in its entirety, relevant documents and relevant pleadings, contentions of all the parties and whatever defence was taken by Infosys he has considered all of them and negated them by sound reasoning both in terms of law and factual reason," another person aware of the arbitrator's decision told the daily.

Citing legal experts, the report added that in claims of data deletion, lack of evidence usually proves a deal-breaker. "If there is not enough evidence, the claim of data deletion falls flat. And the relief sought in that case are likely to be rejected. From a legal perspective, if data belonging to a company was deleted in an unauthorised way is an issue that comes under the IT Act," Salman Waris, managing partner, TechLegis Advocates and Solicitors, told the daily.

Meanwhile, Bansal is taking no chances in his victory. Last Tuesday, after the arbitral tribunal's award, he filed a caveat in a civil court against Infosys. A representative of Indus Law told PTI that the move was to safeguard Bansal's interest and prevent any ex-parte order without hearing him in any forthcoming suit or proceedings. Infosys reportedly said it would take legal advice for further action on the tribunal's order.

The caveat remains in force for 90 days and if during that duration no case is filed by the opposite party, the caveator has to again file a fresh one.

With PTI inputs

Edited by Sushmita AgarwalNawaz Sharif to appear before court on Oct 8

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif to appear on October 8 in a high treason case.



The bench was headed by Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi who was hearing the case which was filed against Nawaz, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and journalist Cyril Almeida.



During the hearing, Abbasi was present in the court while Nawaz and Almeida did not appear. Moreover, the court also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Almeida.



However, Nawazs Lawyer Naseer Bhutta told the court that former PM was not able to appear as people were visiting him to condole the recent death of his wife Kulsoom Nawaz. He also requested the court to postpone the next hearing until his wifes chaliswan.



Justice Naqvi accepted defence counsels request and postponed the hearing til October 8.Taking the fight over the Rafale deal to the next level, the Congress party on Monday moved the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), seeking registration of a case in the alleged 'corruption' in the defence deal between India and France. Before this, the Congress had requested the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India to prepare a report on the alleged 'irregularity' in the deal. The Congress memorandum alleges a loss to the exchequer, and a national security concern over the selection of 'non-experienced' business group instead of state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as part of the offset agreement. The delegation comprised senior Congress leaders like Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Kapil Sibal.

Former French president Francois Hollande stoked a controversy on September 21 when he told a French journal, Mediapart, that the Reliance Defence was proposed as an offset partner by the Indian government and the French government had no say in it. However, he backtracked soon after, and told AFP news in Canada that he did not know whether Dassault was pressurised by the Indian government to work with Reliance and "only Dassault can comment on this".

Rebuffing the allegations of corruption, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told ANI that the deal is "clean and will not be cancelled". Jaitley said it is for the CAG to examine whether the planes were bought at a higher price or not. He asserted that the Rafale fighter jets are being purchased at a cheaper rate than what has been negotiated by the UPA government and all these facts and figures will be placed before CAG for consideration.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly accused the Modi government of favouring a businessman (Anil Ambani) with "zero" experience in the defence sector. Under the deal between India and France, India would buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, and as part of the offset obligation, the French Dassault Aviation would invest 100 million euros in India to make the components for the fighter jets and Falcon civilian aircraft.

The Congress has also been pressing for the price details of the deal, but the Modi government has refused to divulge them citing confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact. The party has been accusing massive irregularities in the Rafale deal, alleging the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government for the procurement of 126 Rafale jets.

Edited by Manoj SharmaThe Reserve Bank of India has invited interested candidates to apply for a few vacancies announced by the apex bank on its website. Candidates can visit the official website of the bank and refer to the eligibility criteria before filling the application form. The vacancies - all for legal consultants - are available on contract basis.

Successful candidates are eligible to earn up to Rs 2.10 lakh per month. Candidates will have to fill the application form and appear for an interview. Here are the details for the vacancies:

1. Legal Consultant (Grade 'F') on contract basis

The candidate will be required to provide legal opinion on matters as required by the bank, on policy issues, provide support and guidance on any legal matters as asked by the top management. They will also assist the Governor, Deputy Governor and top management whenever they are deposed before various committees of the Parliament. The candidates will also require to provide support for finalising strategies while dealing with court cases of importance. They would need to attend conferences with legal counsels whenever outside opinion is sought. Preparing draft pleading, briefing the bank's advocates, attending proceedings before the court are some of the other responsibilities.

Eligibility criteria to apply for the job is a bachelor's degree in Law, recognised by the Bar Council of India for the purpose of enrolment as an Advocate with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent in the aggregate of all semesters or years. Master's degree or PhD in Law are also welcome. It is essential for the candidate to have at least 15 years of experience as an Advocate or as a Law Officer in the Legal Department of a large bank/financial institution /statutory corporation or in the Legal Department of central/state government or as a partner in a law firm providing legal advice.

Experience in taxation laws, international laws, laws relating to banking, payment systems, forex and cyber/IT laws is an added bonus.

Candidate must not be less than 45 years and not more than 55 years. Selected candidate will be eligible for Rs 3,00,000 per month without housing and Rs 1,75,000 per month for with housing.

2. Legal Consultant (Grade 'C'/'D') on contract basis

The candidate will be required to assist legal advisers generally in carrying out legal research, providing legal opinions, preparation of drafts of show cause notices and speaking orders for consideration of the authority competent to issue the same, as well as handle litigation, and carry out such official tasks as are assigned by the HoD or the legal adviser. They will also need to provide legal opinion on matters as required by the bank, on policy issues, provide support and guidance on any legal matters as asked by the top management. They will need to examine inter-departmental references and provide opinion on legal issues among other responsibilities.

Eligibility criteria are same as Legal Consultant (Grade 'F'). However, the applicant for this post should have 7 years of experience, instead of 15 years and should not be below 30 years and above 45 years of age.

Successful candidates will be eligible for Rs 1,35,000 per month with housing and Rs 2,10,000 per month without housing in the Grade D category. The Legal Consultant in Grade C category will be eligible for Rs 1,25,000 per month with housing and Rs 1,80,000 per month without housing.

(Edited by Anwesha Madhukalya)Actress Shilpa Shetty has accused an Australian airline staff of racism at the Sydney airport. The actress was travelling from Sydney to Melbourne and came across a staff member of Qantas Airways who was curt to Shetty because of her skin colour, she alleges. Shetty took to social media to share the incident. One's tone should not be dictated by preference to skin colour, she wrote in her angry post.

Shetty wrote that while travelling to Melbourne, she came across a staff member at the check-in counter called Mel, who was grumpy. Mel spoke curtly to the actress and her co-travellers because she decided it was okay to do so to brown people. Shetty further says that she had 2 duffle bags that was allowed with her. However, Mel informed her that her "half-empty" duffle bag was oversized and that she needs to check-in at the counter that deals with oversized bags.

Once she reached the other counter, she was met by a very polite staff member who informed her that her bag was not oversized at all and that she should go and get her check-in done from a manual counter. Shetty said that all that was happening while the counter was going to shut in 5 minutes.

She wrote that she tried the manual check-in but couldn't get it done. So, she went back to Mel as her colleague had already clarified that Shetty's bag was not oversized. However, Mel refused again and they had to go back to the oversized baggage counter. When she informed the staff member at the oversized baggage counter that Mel will not let her bag pass as a normal sized one, another colleague reiterated that her bag was not oversized and should have been allowed for check-in.

Shetty said that she wants Qantas to know about the incident and take cognisance of the matter. She added that their staff must be taught to be helpful. "TONE can't change with preference to #COLOUR ."WE" are NOT #pushovers and they MUST know that being #callous and #Rude will NOT BE TOLERATED," she wrote.

She then asked Qantas to say whether the duffle bag on the picture she had posted is oversized.

Qantas replied to her in a tweet and apologised for her experience.

We're sorry to hear that you have had a negative experience with us today Shilpa. We have passed your feedback on to the relevant team and we hope that you have a great experience with us onboard! Khalid - Qantas (@Qantas) September 23, 2018

This is not the first time Shilpa Shetty has come face-to-face with instances of racism. In 2007, Shetty was part of British reality show, Celebrity Big Brother, where she faced racism. She, however, emerged as the winner of the show.

(Edited by Anwesha Madhukalya)On August 21, 2018, Bayer Crop Science, a global crop protection major, kicked off a process to integrate the global seed behemoth Monsanto into its fold across geographies. This integration is some distance away in India and both continue to exist as different listed entities. All eyes are on Liam Condon, president, Bayer Crop Science and a member on Bayer AG board. Condon took time out to speak to E Kumar Sharma of Business Today at Bayer Crop Science headquarters in Monheim, Germany. He discusses where India fits into his global scheme of things, the anticipated challenges in integrating the two major companies with deep presence in India and of handling some of the legacy issues. Edited excerpts:

Bayer and Monsanto have begun the integration globally, but it is still some distance away in India. Where do you see India in the global scheme of things for Bayer?

India for Bayer and particularly for Bayer Crop Science has always been a strategic country. We always have a handful of strategic countries. The reason we call it strategic is not just because of its size, population, ongoing growth or the projected outlook. It gets more important with Monsanto acquisition. Our focus in India is different from that in other countries mainly because there are small holding farmers here. Therefore, practices that we develop in India can be brought to other geographies like Africa or Latin America. We like to test new ideas in India and bring solutions to farmers, but we are also looking to export these ideas to rest of the world. So, India is an important market for us from an innovation point of view. The reason we see India as a strategic country is because we see it as a growth country that will be continuously contributing to global growth of Bayer, going forward.

Can you give us specific examples of this approach of new ideas being tested in India?

This would be particularly around small holders and the classical example would be digital technology. A Bayer subsidiary Climate Corporation is working on a platform called FarmRise, a special digital platform, tailored for small holder needs. It has been piloted in India and the idea is now gradually being rolled out in different parts of the country. After we gain more experience, we shall roll it out in other geographies like Africa, South East Asia and Latin America.

When is the integration with Monsanto expected in India?

It will take some time as we are two different listed entities there. From a legal point of view, it will take a year. Even globally, it will take a couple of years to operate as one seamless company because there is a lot that we need to integrate. We see it as a three-year journey, but for the growers we want to behave quickly as one team even though in the background the IT, HR and other structures may keep integrating.

When integrating with Monsanto in India, how would you handle market perception or what some call legacy issues?

The important point is we clearly say what the new company stands for with its goal to have the biggest impact in innovation and sustainability. Bayer has always been known as a very collaborative company. If there is any issue, we first reach out to those that have an issue, be it a government or a partner, listen to their concerns and together with them try and develop a solution. In these matters, we also feel the Bayer legacy will help since Bayer has had a long presence in India and with that a certain reputation and image that we bring to the table. Ultimately, we need to somehow make sure that innovation gets paid for and we can discuss with government on how much that is. If we give away innovation for free, then it is not sustainable.

What are some emerging pest challenges like the Armyworm, which has already touched down some parts of South India?

This has been a huge problem in Africa. We have insecticides that can deal with this but we need to check and watch this in India.

What is the picture you can give us of Bayer and Monsanto, a year from now in India?

The ideal situation would be that we have completed integration with Monsanto and have been successful in bringing more innovation to India and getting rewarded for it. It may sound a bit overly ambitious to accomplish all of this in one year but it is something we want to work on. India is important, be it for vegetable seeds or for crop protection business, we want to find a way, whereby we can bring innovation and ensure the value can be shared.Utility vehicles major Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is gearing up to launch an electric version of KUV100 by next year, apart from expanding the existing product range currently offered for its entry-level models of KUV100 and TUV300 to cater to different sets of buyers.

The carmaker will drive in multiple versions of KUV100 and TUV300 as it looks at the two brands as 'long term and strategic'. The company is also investing in new technologies, including making the products conform to BS-VI emission norms.

M&M will introduce an updated version of TUV300 next year and launch a diesel version of KUV100, mated with an automated manual transmission (AMT), in the current fiscal.

"We always said that we want to be full range SUV player and both these products (TUV300 and KUV100) are very important for us," M&M Chief of Sales and Marketing (Automotive Division) Veejay Ram Nakra told PTI.

Elaborating on the importance of the two products, he said that besides making them BS-VI compliant, the company is also investing to make them meet all safety regulations which come into force from October 2019.

Commenting on TUV300 range, Nakra said a facelift of the model would be introduced next year.

"We are investing substantially not only on the styling part but there would also be change in terms of technology and engineering to make it a better product," Nakra added.

The company sells around 3,000 units of the model per month and with seven-seater TUV300 Plus coming in, the Mumbai-based company is now eyeing monthly sales of around 4,000, he added.

Commenting on KUV100, Nakra said the company has long-term plans for the model.

"It is just not going to be an entry-level model from us but also going to have an electric version going ahead," Nakra said.

When asked if the company is planning to bring in electric variants for all its SUVs going ahead, he added: "There has to be an economics to the platform for the electric version in terms of range, price for customer."

"The moment you look at larger heavier SUVs it becomes difficult from economics point of view...but for now KUV is the first SUV on electric that we will offer to the market," Nakra said.

With BS-VI norms coming in, the company is also looking at entire strategy for drivetrains for all its products in terms of fuel options, he added.

With PTI inputsNine years after the foundation stone was laid, PM Modi on Monday inaugurated Sikkim's first airport. The Prime Minister arrived on Sunday evening in an MI-8 chopper from Bagdogra and inaugurated the Pakyong Airport, spread across 201 acres. The airport is located approximately 2 km above the Pakyong village.

The first commercial flight at Pakyong Airport will operate on October 4. The first airline to touch Sikkimese ground will be SpiceJet that will operate the Bombardier Dash 8-Q400. SpiceJet will run daily flights between Kolkata and Pakyong. A flight will leave from Kolkata at 9:30 am daily and will return from Pakyong at 11:15 am. There will also be daily flights to Delhi and Guwahati under the Ministry of Civil Aviation's Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme.

It will be a great boost to air connectivity in the Northeastern part of the country as before Pakyong, the nearest airport to the capital city of Gangtok was around 124 km away in Bagdogra.

Perched atop 4,500 ft, Sikkim's Pakyong Airport is nothing short of an engineering marvel. Built at a cost of Rs 605 crore, the Pakyong Airport will be maintained by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). While a 44-km-long Sivok-Rangpo train line has been sanctioned, getting rail connectivity to the hilly terrain of Sikkim has not been an easy feat. Additionally, the airport has been built with soil reinforcement and slope stabilisation method, keeping in mind its altitude.

The airport has a 3,000-sq-m terminal building for passengers, parking for over 50 vehicles, high-intensity runway lights, an ATC tower-cum-fire station and two sophisticated CFT, among other features. Sikkim Chief Secretary A K Srivastava said that at 80-metre height, the reinforcement wall of the project is one of the tallest in the world.

The runway of the Pakyong Airport is 1.75 km long and 30 metre wide. The taxiway is 116-metre-long and connects to an apron measuring 106 metre by 76 metre that can simultaneously accommodate two ATR-72 aircraft. The airport can handle 50 in-bound and as many out-bound passengers.

Another special feature of the airport is its strategic location. Pakyong Airport is located merely 60 km from the Indo-China border and is expected to be a boost to the Indian defence forces. The Indian Air Force will be able to land various types of planes at the airport. A Dornier 228 has already been test-landed.

(Edited by Anwesha Madhukalya)Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said on Thursday Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May told him she would make new proposals on the post-Brexit Irish border but presented nothing in writing.

Speaking after two days of talks among EU leaders in Austria, Varadkar said other states offered him their full support in Brexit talks.

"All of the EU leaders ... gave me their absolute support in standing behind Ireland, saying that an agreement that doesn't work for Ireland, doesn't work for the EU," the Irish premier told reporters.

"There will be no withdrawal agreement without an Irish protocol." (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ieA significant minority of Ryanair shareholders voted against the re-election of the airline's long-serving chairman on Thursday but they overwhelmingly rejected calls by trade unions to oppose Chief Executive Michael O'Leary.

The votes at the company's annual meeting were the first chance for investors to give their verdict on a series of strikes and a year of management mis-steps that have seen the share price fall 17%.

After a number of shareholders in the lead up to the vote publicly called for Chairman David Bonderman, 75, to step down, he was re-elected with 70.5% of votes, a significant fall from the 89% he received last year. Bonderman has chaired the company since 1996.

But they reaffirmed their support for O'Leary, who has pursued a tough line with trade unions, with 98.5% re-electing him to the board, down from 99% last year.

O'Leary, 57, said he would now negotiate a new contract to take him beyond 2019, but was reluctant to get tied into a five-year contract at his age.

"The overwhelming majority of our shareholders are supportive [of chairman David Bonderman] ... and we should be very appreciative," O'Leary, who became chief executive in 1994, told the meeting.

Ryanair has struggled with labour relations in recent months and endured its worst one-day strike last month, disrupting the plans of an estimated 55,000 travelers.

Another one-day strike by cabin crew is planned across five countries on Sept. 28.

Ahead of the meeting a number of institutional investors, including Royal London Asset Management and Britain's Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF), had announced publicly that they would oppose Bonderman's re-election.

"We hope Mr Bonderman and the board will heed the message shareholders have sent today and announce plans for him to step down," said Ian Greenwood, chairman of the LAPFF said after the vote.

"Ryanair should recruit an independent chairman who will strengthen the board to provide greater oversight and challenge to Mr O'Leary," he added.

Speaking to journalists, Bonderman, 75, declined to speculate on when he might leave, but said he thought criticism of the board in recent months had been "way off base."

Bonderman, the founder of private equity firm TPG Capital resigned from the board of Uber in 2017 after an ill-judged joke that more women on the board means "more talking".

Ahead of the meeting, a number of trade unions issued statements calling for shareholders to oppose the re-election of both Bonderman and O'Leary.

"While he (O'Leary) is still there as the embodiment of Ryanair's values, the distrust among many staff is likely to continue and with it the industrial unrest," BALPA pilots' union General Secretary Brian Strutton said in a statement.

"If this opportunity is missed, it is difficult to envisage how Ryanair can move forward."

While O'Leary said he did not expect many strikes over the winter, he declined to speculate when asked more than once if the industrial action could escalate.

After the meeting, he told journalists he had been asked by the company's remuneration committee to extend his contract but that he did not want to commit to a new five-year deal.

Instead, he said would rather move to a rolling 12-month contract at some point in the next few years. He has a stake in the company of just over four percent according to Thomson Reuters Eikon data.

Ryanair had initially banned media from the meeting, prompting some to buy shares and others to stay overnight at the meeting venue north of Dublin. At the last minute management decided to allow journalists to attend. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ieA new study based on an analysis of the Property Price Register shows that the number of sales nationally has increased by 3.6% in the first half of 2018, compared to the same period last year.

The study, which was carried out by leading property website MyHome.ie, shows that there were 24,448 sales nationally in the first half of the year. The value of those transactions also increased substantially, rising from 6.04bn to 7.11bn, an increase of 18%.



While the number of sales rose in sixteen counties, fell in nine and remained unchanged in one, the amount of money spent on property in each county was up in all but three counties - Louth, Monaghan and Clare. While the falls in the number of sales in many counties were low or even marginal, there were sizable falls in Monaghan (21.7%), Kilkenny (9.5%), Cavan (9.2%) and Clare (7.4%).



Dublin, which is responsible for around a third of the property market, led the way in the first six months of the year with 8,187 sales  an increase of 8% on the 7,582 sales recorded for the same period last year. However, the value of sales in the capital rose by a substantial 26% to 3.8bn from 3.01bn. The capital was followed by Cork with 2,532 sales, Kildare 1,250, Galway 1,094 with Meath 1,056 and Limerick 901 making the top six.



According to the PPR there were 335 1m plus sales in Dublin in the first half of the year. While 16 of the top 17 sales were for apartment blocks, the biggest one-off property sale was Inniscorrig, Coliemore Road, Dalkey in May for 7.8m.

There were six 1m plus sales in Kildare and five in Meath. The counties with the lowest number of sales were Monaghan (162), Longford (201), and Leitrim (214).

Overall there were 21 sales of 1m plus in Cork with the largest one-off property sale being San Paula on Orchard Road for 1.9m in January.



Commenting on the report, Managing Director of MyHome.ie, Angela Keegan said, "While the rise in sales in the commuter belt was a big part of the story in the first six months of last year, its interesting to see the counties recording the biggest percentage increase in sales this year include Carlow (18.5%), Roscommon (14.6%), Laois (13.5%), Waterford (11.8%) and Donegal (9%). Not surprisingly some of these counties also feature prominently in the list of counties where the value of sales rose the most."

She added, "This trend probably reflects the fact that the recovery is spreading to other parts of the country while it also indicates some people may be moving out beyond the commuter belt due to affordability issues."

Source: www.businessworld.iePrime Minister Theresa May said Britain would not flinch in an impasse with the European Union about its departure from the bloc, as French and German ministers suggested the next move in the negotiations should come from London.

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday demanded new proposals and respect from European Union leaders, saying after a summit in Austria that talks had hit an impasse and, in a prominent eurosceptic Sunday newspaper, she stuck to her guns.

"This is the moment to do what is right for Britain," May said in the Sunday Express. "Now is the time for cool heads. And it is a time to hold our nerve."

The Sunday Times reported that her aides had begun contingency planning for a November snap election to help save the Brexit talks and her job.

May won plaudits in her party and from the press for standing up to the European Union, ahead of her Conservative party's annual conference, which starts at the end of the month.

Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt had told BBC radio on Saturday that if EU leaders expected the UK to capitulate, then they had "profoundly misjudged the British people," even if that meant leaving the bloc next March without a deal.

"We may be polite, but we have a bottom line," he said. "And so they need to engage with us now in seriousness."

Initial reactions from across the English Channel suggested France and Germany were digging in, too.

EU leaders and May have said they want to get a deal agreed in October, to be finalized in November.

In Paris, Minister for European Affairs Nathalie Loiseau said that while France still believed a good Brexit deal was possible, it also must prepare for a "no deal" outcome. She said on France Info radio that Britain's vote to leave "cannot lead to the EU going bust."

In Berlin, German Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Roth said on Twitter the other 27 EU states were striving to achieve reasonable solutions, and that "the blame game against the EU" was "more than unfair."

In London, the pro-Brexit Daily Telegraph reported May faced the prospect of ministerial resignations next week if she failed to come up with an alternative to the "Chequers" Brexit plan that she presented in Austria. The Sunday Telegraph said party donor Jeremy Hosking was mulling backing a new pro-Brexit party.

But domestically, even some critics of May's plan backed the prime minister in her standoff against the EU.

"I have a serious difference of opinion with our prime minister. But, even so, I have to tell you that I view the behavior of the European Union leaders in Salzburg with contempt," David Davis, the former Brexit minister who resigned in protest at Chequers, said in a speech at a "Leave Means Leave" rally in the northern English town of Bolton.

"Disrespect our prime minister and you disrespect our country."

After May's Friday statement, European Council President Donald Tusk said the results of the EU's analysis of that plan had been known to Britain for many weeks. But Hunt said there was a difference between rhetoric and substance.

"On the substance of the Chequers proposals, we have not had a detailed response," he said, adding that EU proposals for the Irish border would mean that it was impossible "to leave the EU intact as one country."

May has accepted the need for a "backstop" insurance policy on the Irish border but says the EU's version of the proposal would see Northern Ireland carved off from the United Kingdom.

The EU says May's proposal, keeping the province and mainland Britain in the same regulatory space, undermines the single market.

Despite the differences, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told RTE radio an Irish backstop was "doable" by an October summit.

Hunt said Britain wanted a deal but would be able to withstand a no-deal Brexit.

"It would be bumpy, it would be difficult, but we would find a way to survive and prosper as a country," he said. "We've had far bigger challenges in our history."

Should May get a deal, opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would not support it unless it protected jobs and living standards. The Independent reported that Corbyn would try and force a general election within days if lawmakers reject the Brexit deal.

"We will challenge this government on whatever deal it brings back," Corbyn told a rally in Liverpool, northern England, on the eve of Labour's annual conference.

"And if this government can't deliver, then I simply say to Theresa May the best way to settle this is by having a general election." (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie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CAMEROUN :: Cameroon: Shall Traffickers on Trial Appear at Bonanjo Douala Court ?

The case against six traffickers arrested with over 700kg of pangolin scales shall be heard at the Bonanjo Court of First Instance on September 28. This is the second hearing of case that opened last month following the arrestof the traffickers by wildlife officials from the Wouri Divisional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife working in collaboration with officers from the Judicial Police. Three of the six traffickers failed to appear in court during the first hearing.

Shortly before their arrest, one of the traffickers flew in from Bangui where he had collected close to 600kg of giant pangolin scales and sent the illegal cargo by road to Douala. Helater met five others in Doualaand they attempted to sell the pangolin scales. They were arrested in the act, at the Bonaprisoneighbourhood in Douala.

Three of the traffickers were later released on bail and they failed to turn up in court the next day, when the matter was first scheduled for hearing, prompting fears that they have escaped. Two of the three that failed to appear in court are from the Central African Republic where a network of pangolin scales trafficking,bought pangolin scales from smaller traffickers in the country and from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) while exporting to Nigeria via Cameroon. Their illegal activity in the DRC, according to sources close to the matter that requested to speak anonymously, was protected by some members of the ruling elite.

The scales were generally assembled in Nigeria for export. Majority of the scales that were confiscated in Douala were from the giant pangolin which is an animal that is threatened with extinction, The operation that led to the confiscation, was technically assisted by LAGA, a wildlife law enforcement support body that assists government in the application of the wildlife law. Prior investigations showed the traffickers were linked to rhino horn and lion trophies trafficking.

The illegal trade in pangolin scales is prompting a strong response from wildlife officials who are presently stepping up efforts in combatting the trade. Officers from the AkwaGendarmerie Brigade, on September 7, intercepted over 400kg of pangolin scales that was heading to Nigeria. Four people were arrested and the case file was handed over to wildlife officials who, with the technical assistance of LAGA, continued the prosecution proceedings. All four were charged with unlawful possession and circulation of parts of protected species. As in the first case, they were equally released on bail and the never turned up in court during the first hearing, prompting fresh fears that they too had escaped while raising questions as to why traffickers are released without strong enough checks to ensure they appear in court.

In January 2017, two Chinese nationals were arrested with over 5 tons of pangolin scales ready for illegal export and they were sentenced to a jail term of3 months. Many considered this as an extremely weak punishment for people who had been responsible for the killing of thousands of pangolins, destroying the countrys endangered wildlife in the process.These rulings and other decisions at the level of the judiciary is becoming a matter of concern for conservationists because the traffickers are set free to go about their illegal business. On September 28, when the case against the traffickers hold, suspicions raised that the traffickers may have escaped, shall be dispersed or confirmed, depending on whether, indeed, they appear in court.news, latest-news

More than three-quarters of Gungahlin businesses along the light rail route have reported a decrease in revenue and foot traffic due to construction of the transport project. A report tabled in the Legislative Assembly this week into the impact work on the light rail had on nearby businesses found 78 per cent reported a drop in footfall between January and July. In the same time period, 73 per cent reported a drop in revenue. The report found 69 per cent of businesses reported decreased foot traffic between April and December 2017. Thirty-one businesses along the light rail route in the Gungahlin town centre responded to the survey. Despite the figures, many businesses said they were optimistic about a boost in customers once the transport project opened to passengers. "The finished construction activities and opening of the light rail is expected to provide a positive outcome for existing businesses during operation," the report said. "While respondents to the survey indicated very minimal opposition to the project themselves, most respondents had hoped for shorter construction times." Noise, dust and traffic were listed as major concerns from businesses along the route, with some stating they would have closed during construction if they had been given the option. Businesses directly fronting onto affected streets perceived the largest reduction in customers. The report also found the rate of businesses exiting the Gungahlin area reached a three-year high during 2017 at almost 19 per cent, compared to the ACT rate of 12.3 per cent for the same period. The number of businesses setting up shop in Gungahlin last year also fell to their lowest levels since 2014. Despite this, the government report stated other construction projects may also be to blame. "Due to large population growth, the timing of some [commercial] developments have coincided with the construction activities in the Gungahlin town centre," the report stated. "Therefore they are likely to have contributed to a perceived reduction in footfall, given the improved access that smaller [town] centres may offer." Businesses in the area have previously aired concerns due to light rail construction, with some reporting having to wear ear plugs to work due to the noise. Liberal MLA James Milligan said assistance is needed for affected businesses. "They have taken a hit from the government's construction projects and they need a bit of extra help," Mr Milligan said. "They have clearly stated in this report that financial support and compensation for loss of revenue would help reduce the impact of construction works on their businesses." Work on the light rail is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris was contacted for comment.

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/d8641944-7246-4634-a07f-dd31708c02a3/r0_158_5487_3258_w1200_h678_fmax.jpgnews, latest-news

A researcher has called on the ACT government to investigate systemic underperformance in student NAPLAN results, saying the controversial national test remains the best tool to measure any intervention into the problem. Speaking before an ACT inquiry into standardised testing this month, policy analyst and law professor Andrew Macintosh at the Australian National University said the ACT education directorate had known about Canberra's comparatively poor academic performance for more than two years but failed to act. His analysis, published last month with co-author Debra Wilkinson, found Canberra students were up to 16 months behind their peers from similar socioeconomic groups in some categories, with the worse results emerging in high school. Between 50 and 75 per cent of secondary students were at least six months behind those from similar backgrounds in writing and numeracy. In reading, however, ACT students consistently performed better than in other categories, suggesting to Dr Macintosh the problem was not a skewing of the data due to Canberra's transient nature or unique socioeconomic spread as had been suggested previously by the directorate. "If the problem was simply with [the socioeconomic breakdown] you'd expect there to be a consistent pattern," he said. With no data available on the teaching methods being used in ACT schools, Dr Macintosh called on the government to investigate the results and run trials for possible interventions, such as the direct instruction method which he said consistently improved results when used around the world. "We don't know what's going on in our schools," he said. While academic underperformance was not as acute in the non-government sector, Dr Macintosh said the problem was still there. NAPLAN remained a ready-made and cost-effective platform to test the effectiveness of any interventions rolled out, he said. "In [other sectors] we beg for data systems like this [so] when I see something as powerful as this being threatened by people who say they want to get rid of it, it greatly aggrieves me. "[NAPLAN] allows externals...to evaluate school performance and hold people accountable...[schools are] a government service at the end of the day." While he did not support league tables that were not fairly weighted for socio-economic status, Dr Macintosh said abandoning NAPLAN and the publishing of its data could also derail any attempts to lift academic performance. Dr Macintosh said the ANU team had spent two years discussing an earlier 2015 report, which also revealed underperformance in the ACT, with the education directorate, but, three years on, nothing had been done about the problem. Based on early data from this year's NAPLAN, he said the results had not changed for the better. ACT education minister Yvette Berry did not respond directly to the ANU's work when approached for comment, but said the directorate was implementing recommendations from the Auditor-General's report last year, which also found ACT students were falling behind relative to their socioeconomic status. "Much of the work that has been done in the past two years, including [the] Future of Education [strategy], responds to the findings of these reports," she said. "[We] continue to explore and commission work to help our ongoing efforts to continue to improve our schools performance." Writing and numeracy had already been identified as key areas for improvement by the directorate, according to the auditor-general's report. "Performance has improved in some other Australian jurisdictions and the ACT is no longer as far in front as in previous years," Ms Berry said of NAPLAN results. "However, ACT students continue to perform well." President of the ACT Council of Parents & Citizens Associations Kirsty McGovern-Hooley told the inquiry many parents supported a review of NAPLAN, but standardised testing still had a place in schools. She also pointed to an apparent "systemic problem" of inconsistency between schools, compounded now that Canberra's population boom had restricted most families to their local public school. "In the past...you've been able to pick and choose schools...but that's not necessarily possible anymore and that's really starting to impact now." Resources for specialist teachers, such as those skilled in language or art, were particular points of difference, she said. "Only around a quarter of ACT schools have a teacher librarian employed at this point in time." The inquiry continues.

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/795226b1-3bbc-4ba1-888d-30dc7dec5108/r0_132_4144_2473_w1200_h678_fmax.jpgnews, latest-news

Two Queensland rugby mates are the brains behind one of the world's top new travel apps, which has grown to connect more than 350,000 users across 180 countries in less than four years. Travello was launched in early 2015 and designed by Mark Cantoni and Ryan Hanly, who had both done a significant amount of solo travel across the world. Mr Cantoni, from the Atherton Tablelands in far north Queensland, and Mr Hanly, from Mackay, said they found there was no easy way to meet fellow travellers in foreign destinations. They had relied on hearing familiar accents to find fellow Australians or chance meetings in hotels to rendezvous with other travellers. Neither had any start-up experience but both were confident they were on to a winning idea and an encounter with fellow travellers on the Gold Coast in 2014 kick-started their success. "We were sitting in North Burleigh Surf Club and heard a group of backpackers, so we discussed the idea with them. They said they were amazed the idea had not been done already," Mr Hanly said. After the positive feedback, they launched Travello in 2015, creating the name by combining the words travel and hello. It uses your phone's geolocation to create a feed of interesting information, help you find other travellers nearby and show you possible things to do. "We put capital investment into building the app and had nothing left for marketing ... we had to rely on word of mouth," Mr Hanly said. The app reached 40 countries during the first month and was being used in more than 100 countries two months after launching, he said. The app's largest user age group is 18-32, but people over 60 use it as well. "It provides a key point of difference to Facebook and Instagram because it provides a community feel of whos around you," Mr Hanly said. A consortium of private Australian investors has agreed to invest $5 million in Travello, with the money to be used for marketing and partnering with travel companies. This will help us with brand awareness and becoming the largest community of travellers in the world," Mr Hanly said. "We will put it towards a lot of marketing because once users are in, we are certain they will enjoy a good experience." "Mark and I had a strong belief in what we were doing, we jumped in all guns blazing because we believed it could be that big. "We still think there is a long way to go, we're trying to build a global travel brand from Brisbane."

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/873e56cc-9758-49dc-acc3-ef7722caa1e3/r0_387_7360_4545_w1200_h678_fmax.jpgDid you know Katsu is usually eaten by the Japanese before an important exam or match as the word katsu also means to win. The next time you have an important event coming up, why not have some tonkatsu for good luck?



Sink your teeth into crispy golden-brown pork loin cutlets from Imakatsu at The Star Vista and be amazed at how juicy and tender the meat is. Originating from Roppongi, Tokyo, the Michelin Guide-featured tonkatsu speciality restaurant prepares its signature dish by breading high quality meat with panko before deep frying it at varying oil temperatures to achieve the perfect tonkatsu.

Tonkatsu Bistro by Ma Maison at Westgate also serves excellent tonkatsu dishes in an intimate setting. Select from an assortment of mouth-watering katsu such as pork loin, pork fillet, prawns and fish for some deep-fried goodness, and trust us when we say its worth every calorie.

Each katsu set comes with rice, shredded cabbage and miso soup that are all refillable so you get a complete Japanese meal that gives you great value for money!

The Indo Tibetan Border Police has released an employment notification calling out aspirants to apply for the post of Head Constable. The post is available for 73 vacancies in non-gazetted and non-ministerial categories. Candidates can apply online through their official website. Seats are reserved for ex-servicemen and other backward classes. Women and reserved category candidates are exempted from paying the application fee.

Those interested can check out the eligibility, salary scale, how to apply and the complete details of the government job here. Selected candidates can earn up to INR 81000. The last date to apply for this government job is Oct 23, 2018.

CAPF BSF Recruitment 2018 For 224 Sub Inspectors

ITBP Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Head Constable Organisation Indo Tibetan Border Police Educational Qualification Graduate degree in any field Experience Desirable Skills Required Physical fitness Job Location India Salary Scale INR 25500 to INR 81000 Industry Defence Application Start Date September 23, 2018 Application End Date October 23, 2018

Application Fee: INR 100

Official Website: www.recruitment.itbp.nic.in

Also Read: ITBP Recruitment 2018 For Doctors: Earn Up To INR 85000!

How To Apply For ITBP Recruitment 2018

In order to apply for ITBP Recruitment 2018, follow these steps:Railtel Corporation of India has released an employment notification calling out aspirants to apply for the post of Deputy Manager(HR). Those interested can check out the eligibility, salary scale, how to apply and the complete details of the government job here.

It is to be noted that the candidates must be in sound health and no relaxation in health standards will be allowed. The selection will be done on the basis of an interview. Selected candidates can earn up to INR 140000. The last date to apply for this government job is Oct 15, 2018.

Top 15 Railway Jobs 2018 In September: Class 10 Passouts To Engineers Can Apply

Railtel Railway Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Deputy Manager (HR) Organisation Railtel Corporation of India Educational Qualification MBA or PG Diploma in Business Administration Experience At least 2 years Skills Required Managerial and communication skills Job Location Gurugram Salary Scale INR 40000 to INR 140000 Industry Railways Application Start Date September 22, 2018 Application End Date October 15, 2018

Maximum Age Limit: 28 years

Also Read: IRCTC Recruitment 2018 For Director: Apply To Earn Up To INR 75000!

How To Apply For Railway Recruitment 2018

In order to apply for Railway Recruitment 2018, follow these steps:

Step 1 Log on to the Railtel Corporation of India. Step 2 Click on the Careers tab on the home page. Step 3 The Careers page will open. Step 4 Click on the tab that reads, Current Job Openings. Step 5 The list of vacancies will be displayed on the screen. Step 6 Under Recruitment on the Post of Deputy Manager (HR)/REL, select the link that reads, Detailed vacancy notice and application format. Step 7 The detailed advertisement will open. Read the details carefully. Step 8 Scroll down to find the application form. Step 9 Take a printout of the application form.

Step 10: Enter your details in the fields provided and send it to RAILTEL.

Railtel Railway Recruitment 2018 Application Format And Mailing Address

Superscribe on the envelope, "Application for the post of Deputy Manager (HR)" and send it to:

DGM/P&A, RailTel Corporation, Plot No.143, Institutional Area, Sector-44, Gurugram- 122003

Follow the link - https://www.railtelindia.com/images/careers/Vacancy%20Notice-Direct%20Contract.pdf to read the detailed official notification.Tata Motors has confirmed that the 45X Concept based premium hatchback will arrive by the middle of next year.

The 45X based hatchback will be Tatas take on the premium hatchback segment dominated by the Hyundai i20, Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Honda Jazz . It will make use of Tata's new Impact Design 2.0 language which will be first seen on the Harrier. Judging by the concept and test mules spotted already, we can guess that the hatchback will get a modern design with large wheels and prominent wheel arches. There will be the honey-mesh grille up front and we can expect a Tiago-like fascia rather than a Nexon-like one. We expect the 45X to have a good looking design akin to the new crop of Tatas.

The cabin will be spacious and feature loaded. There will be a floating touchscreen scrounged from the Nexon as confirmed by recent spy shots. Similar to the compact crossover, the infotainment screen will also be used as a reverse parking camera and might also be one of the biggest in its class. Most of the other elements inside the cabin will be shared with the upcoming Harrier.

Under the skin, the 45X hatchback will make use of the newly-developed Alpha platform. Powering it will be the same 1.2-litre turbo-petrol or the 1.5-litre turbo-diesel. It will be the same motor that does duty under the hood of the Nexon, sending power to the front wheels with the options of manual as well as automatic gearboxes.

When launched, the 45X-based hatch will be slotted into the demanding B+ segment. It is a highly competitive segment in the country at the moment owing to the recent segment shift. So Tata needs to burn the midnight oil if it wants to corner a large piece of this market. The new hatchback will be produced at carmakers Sanand facility in Gujarat.

Tata | 45X | Tata 45XChina is willing to promote bilateral relations with Suriname into a new phase, said visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday.

Wang made the remarks when meeting with Surinamese Foreign Minister Yldiz Pollack-Beighle.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Surinamese Foreign Minister Yldiz Pollack-Beighle. [Photo: China Plus]

Wang said that Pollack-Beighle has been actively committed to bilateral friendship since taking office, and that he is honored to be the first Chinese foreign minister to visit Suriname.

The friendship between the two countries has a long history, Wang said, adding since the establishment of diplomatic ties 42 years ago, China and Suriname have been good friends who can trust each other and bilateral relations have entered a rapid development track.

The two sides have always respected, understood and supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, he said.

China appreciates the fact that Suriname has always adhered to the one-China policy, Wang said. Strong mutual trust has laid an important foundation for cooperation between the two sides and the cooperation has been expanded in both breadth and depth, he noted.

In May, Suriname and China signed a cooperation document on co-building the Belt and Road, which has opened up a broader prospect for bilateral cooperation.

China is willing to work together with Suriname to enhance cooperation in the fields of infrastructure construction, agriculture, forestry, law enforcement, human resources and public health, and promote bilateral relations into a new stage, said Wang.

Pollack-Beighle said Suriname warmly welcomed Wang's visit, the first visit to Suriname by a Chinese foreign minister.

She said Suriname and China have traditional friendship and the two countries maintain strong political, economic and cultural ties.

Suriname attaches great importance to the development of its ties with China, has long adhered to the one-China principle and is grateful for China's selfless help in the fields of economy, education and human resources training, she said.

Suriname is willing to actively participate in the co-building of the Belt and Road and deepen cooperation with China in various fields such as trade, investment, forestry, agriculture, fishery and cultural exchanges, she said.

Suriname attaches great importance to China's important position and role in the world and is willing to be a reliable partner of China in international affairs. Suriname firmly supports efforts to strengthen the relations between China and the Caribbean Community, she added.

Wang arrived in Suriname Saturday night for a two-day formal visit. During the visit, the Chinese and Surinamese foreign ministers signed an inter-governmental agreement on economic and technological cooperation and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Chinese and Surinamese foreign affairs universities.The Russian Il-20 electronic intelligence plane of the Russian air force with the registration number RF 93610, which was accidentally downed by Syrian forces responding to an Israeli air strike flies near Kubinka airport, outside Moscow, Russia.

Russia announced Monday it will supply Syria's government with more modern, S-300 missile defence systems after last week's downing of a Russian plane by Syria, a friendly fire incident that sent regional tensions over the war-torn country soaring.

The Russian military's reconnaissance Il-20 was shot down by the Syrian government missile defence systems responding to an Israeli airstrike. All 15 people on board were killed. Russia laid the blame on Israel, saying Israeli fighter jets had pushed the plane into Syria's line of fire.

Syria's skies, where regional and international powers back different parties in the conflict, are increasingly crowded.

Shortly before the downing, Israeli strikes had hit targets inside Syria, reportedly preventing an arms shipment to the Iranian-backed militant Hezbollah group.

Russia launched its campaign in Syria to support President Bashar Assad in 2015, and though the involvement turned the tide of war in favour of Syrian government forces, Moscow has tried to play a careful balancing act, maintaining good ties both with Iran and Israel. For its part, Israel is wary of Iran's growing influence in Syria.

President Vladimir Putin initially struck a reconciliatory note, blaming the downing on a "chain of tragic, fatal circumstances." But the Russian military came out on Sunday, renewing the accusations against Israel.

Russian officials said Syria's outdated S-200 systems weren't sophisticated enough to identify the Russian plane as a friendly one.

Monday's statement from Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia will send the S-300 missile defence systems to Damascus within the next two weeks. Earlier in the war, Russia suspended a supply of S-300s, which Israel feared Syria could use against it.It is estimated that 8 million units have been sold since launch, but the numbers would have been higher if...In honor of veterans: Here is how Pueblo honors its military heroesBert and Ernie Not Gay, Sesame Street Clarifies; Writer Says Comments Misinterpreted 23 September, 2018 by Michael Gryboski , |

A writer for the long running television series "Sesame Street" has stated that his earlier comments implying that Bert and Ernie was a same-sex couple were misinterpreted.

In a Sunday interview with the LGBT publication Queerty, Sesame Street writer Mark Saltzman said that he drew from his personal experiences of being in a same-sex relationship when writing for the puppet duo.

"I always felt that without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert & Ernie, they were. I didn't have any other way to contextualize them," said Saltzman to Queerty. "I don't think I'd know how else to write them, but as a loving couple."

However, in an interview with The New York Times published on Wednesday, Saltzman explained that his recent comments were taken out of context.

"As a writer, you just bring what you know into your work," explained Saltzman. "Somehow, in the uproar, that turned into Bert and Ernie being gay ... There is a difference."

In a statement posted to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind the long-running children's television program, explained that the two puppets were not gay, but rather "best friends."

"As we have always said, Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves," stated Sesame Workshop.

"Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics ... they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation."

As of Wednesday morning, the post about Bert and Ernie has gotten more than 31,000 likes and over 9,900 shares, as well as a flurry of comments positive and negative.

According to Snopes, rumors that the two Sesame Street characters are a same-sex couple go back at least as far as the early 1980s, with the nonprofit behind the kids program periodically releasing statements denying the allegations.

Read more about Bert and Ernie on The Christian Post.Pakistan: Christian Girl Thrown Off Roof for Refusing to Marry Muslim, Convert to Islam Christian Post Contributor | 23 September, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov

Debate is swirling in Pakistan over whether a violent attack on a Christian girl who was thrown off a roof for refusing to marry a Muslim man was a crime of jealousy or religious hatred.

Aid to the Church in Need reported that the attack on 18-year-old Binish Paul occurred on Aug. 22. The attacker, Taheer Abbas, was reportedly angry that the girl had refused to marry him and convert to Islam.

Binish Paul's lawyer, Tabassum Yousaf, explained: "For months, Taheer had been putting pressure on Binish to convert to Islam. Over and over again, she refused. This culminated in the violent act, during which the young woman sustained severe fractures to her legs and spine."

The girl's family reported the crime to local police but say that the officers refused to file charges.

Yousaf added that Christians have received serious threats from the perpetrator's family and were told that if they don't close the case they will be accused of blasphemy, which is an offense punishable by the death penalty.

Abbas was arrested two days later, but only after the lawyer filed charges directly with the court.

"When similar attacks happen in our Church community, the main problem is that the Christians in Pakistan often belong to the poorest social groups and are not aware of their rights. For example, hardly anyone knows that you can file charges with the courts," he explained.

"The refusal of the police to open a case, together with threats from the relatives and friends of the perpetrators, ensure that many families do not even report the crimes they have suffered."

Others, however, have argued that the case has more to do with personal jealousy rather than religious hatred. Catholic lawmaker Anthony Naveed told Ucanews.com earlier this week that the case cannot be correctly labeled as religious persecution.

Sabir Michael, an assistant professor at the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, added that treating such cases as religious hatred can create further bad feelings among communities.

Read more about Pakistan: Christian Girl Thrown Off Roof for Refusing to Marry Muslim, Convert to Islam on The Christian Post.Terry Gross's Anti-Christian Crusade Christian Post Reporter | 23 September, 2018 by Timothy Larsen

Terry Gross, the host of NPR's Fresh Air, has been taking advantage of the good weather during the summer months to wage a war on Christianity. We will see whether the assault slows down for winter, but I am writing just days before the official start of autumn and there is no sign of any change of tactics yet. Today (18 September) it was an interview with Linda Kay Klein, the author of Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Women and How I Broke Free.

In truth, however, every time Gross addresses evangelicalism, the theme is: I once was a conservative Christian, realized the movement was sinister and oppressive, and now I'm an ex-evangelical who has broken free. I have a day job and do not listen to Fresh Air regularly, so I am not able to provide an exhaustive list. Highlights, however, include the episodes on The Miseducation of Cameron Post (18 and 25 July) which were about how evangelicalism is sinisterly wrong and oppressive. Michael Arceneaux's I Can't Date Jesus a few days earlier (23 July), on the other hand, was about how conservative Christianity is sinisterly wrong and oppressive. A week and a half before that it was another breaking free story: "An Evangelical Minister's Change of Heart on Abortion" (11 July). To come back closer to the present, 14 August was on Karen Piper's memoir, A Girl's Guide to Missiles. Gross found the escaping-evangelicalism part of her story particularly worth probing.

Imagine if the only people who were ever allowed to discuss living in Iowa on NPR were people who grew up there, found the place stifling and toxic, and left angrily, determined never to return. That is what it is like to listen to Terry Gross on Christianity. Admittedly, the one that got away was an opening skirmish in this summer's campaign: her interview on the film First Reformed with its director, Paul Schrader (12 June). Gross was under the impression that Schrader was an ex-Christian and was excited to settle into a good, old-fashioned, breaking-free-from-religion narrative. Schrader dutifully explained that he had once been a member of a Christian Reformed Church but that he is now a Presbyterian. Let's just say that going from one Calvinist denomination to another was not exactly the tale of liberation the presenter was hoping for.

Part of the compelling nature of Gross's work is her sympathetic style. She talks to people about the phase of their life when they were a drug dealer, or sex worker, or enforcer for the mob, or whatever without the least hint of judgment in her voice. She is just all curiosity and openness blended with a certain urbane knowingness regarding the many ways that people get through life. But Schrader and his co-guest, the star of First Reformed, Ethan Hawke, were just too much. Gross was noticeably uncomfortable with how comfortable they were with their Christianity. She even wonder aloud if asking people what church they go to is too personal a question. This is strange on more than one front. First, when does Terry Gross ever worry about a question being too personal? Second, how could someone not know that going to church is a public act not a secret fact? For all her visceral dislike of evangelicalism, it is not even clear that Gross knows what it is. Today she kept referring to leaving "the Evangelical Church" as if it were an organization rather than movement. Does Gross grasp that, for instance, a local Episcopal or United Methodist congregation might happen to be evangelical?

Read more about Terry Gross's Anti-Christian Crusade on The Christian Post.The Brutal Truth About Persecution of Christians in China Christian Post Contributor | 23 September, 2018 by Michael Brown

In recent months, there have been increasingly disturbing reports about the persecution of Christians in China. Last week, I received some firsthand information from very reliable friends who have lived in China for years. The news is not good at all.

After much research, these friends informed me that there were over 240,000 recorded examples of persecution in China in 2017, up from roughly 48,000 in 2016. This represents a very concerning spike in hostile activity.

According to my friends, "The government wants the world to see that China has reformed since the days of Mao. But there are other aspects of communism that that they do not want us to see. It isn't just about how the economy works."

Specifically, "By 2020, the Communist Party will attempt to monitor its citizens through a massive surveillance system called China Skynet.

"China's Skynet combines mobile phone GPS tracking, text message collection, 170 million security cameras, to make sure everyone is harmonious to make sure no one does anything illegal.

"China also controls the media. There is the state-run media but private networks are censored. So, while China, today, barely resembles the Communist State of the 1950s and 1960s in terms of economic structure, it still retains almost all if the other aspects of Communism.: state control, censorship and mass surveillance."

According to the detailed report sent to me, the government has implemented a three-phase, 14-year plan:

"During the first 2-year phase, 2012-2014, it further eased persecution of the underground church, enticing more of them to surface and be identified." (This would correspond with the time I was in China at the invitation of Franklin Graham. See here for my reflections.)

"During the second 2-year phase, 2014-2016, it invited and then pressured the identified underground churches to register and become Three-Self government churches.

"In the current third, 10-year phase, the gloves have come off as both the remaining underground churches and even Three Self churches are being persecuted using Mao-era brute-force, as well as mass surveillance, artificial intelligence, and big data."

What, exactly, has been taking place? According to the report:

Over 2,000 crosses already have been burned or ripped down from church buildings.

Many churches have been demolished.

Thousands of pastors already have been arrested, beaten, tortured and/or sentenced to years in prison.

By 2020, 600 million CCTV cameras - nearly one for every 2 Chinese citizens - will blanket China. They are being forcibly installed inside church buildings to record 24/7 the entrances, stairwells, offering boxes, and Bible counters to monitor who attends church, buys Bibles, and where those Bibles are taken.

The Chinese government's new "social credit system" has begun to assign social credit scores to its citizens for not loitering, not jaywalking and other compliant behaviors, which eventually will include not attending "illegal" underground churches.

Chinese Christians will only be able to purchase the Communism-friendly version of the Bible that the Communist Party is presently translating.

In February of 2018, the Chinese Communist Party also drastically increased its penalties and restrictions targeted against Christians. The government will also tighten up control over religious activities in schools, religious postings online, and trips overseas for religious training.

Recently, the State Council endorsed the penalties, adding that anybody providing a venue for an "illegal religious event" will face a fine of between 20,000 yuan ($2,900.00 USD) and 200,000 yuan ($29,000.00 USD).

Also, in September of 2017, the Chinese government announced that: "Anyone who organizes an unapproved religious event will be fined 100,000 to 300,000 Yuan ($14,500 USD to $43,500 USD)." And, "Anyone who rents or provides the venue for such an event will be fined 20,000 to 200,000 Yuan ($2,900 to $29,000 USD)."

In addition to this, there are nationwide efforts to exalt the rule of President Xi (this has been reported in the west as well; see here), even in Mao-like terms. Xi has said that religion must be guided by the party to adapt to socialist society, and with that, the government-run churches have announced plans for the "Sinicization of Christianity." Specifically, this refers to "bending Christianity to submit to the will of the Chinese Communist Party."

In light of this ongoing crackdown on religious freedom in China, house church leaders are going back to underground practices and decentralizing their meetings. But the arm of the Chinese government is very strong, as a result of which my friends received this heart-rending letter from some of their Chinese colleagues (I have changed or removed names for obvious reasons):

"Things are getting tighter here now, everywhere is facing persecution now. Brothers and sisters are facing difficulties and suffering for their faith. My sister and her husband along with three others were put in jail for their gathering together with about 30 people and their stuff has been taken way with a few big trucks. They were beaten and shocked by the electronic sticks with head bleeding and arms in painful position. David their son saw what happened and cried and fainted there when it happened.

Read more about The Brutal Truth About Persecution of Christians in China on The Christian Post.The Pagan Logic of Infanticide Christian Post Contributor | 23 September, 2018 by John Stonestreet And Roberto Rivera

Among the pagan practices vanquished by early Christians was infanticide. As Christianity fades in the West, so do our defenses against infanticide in all its grisly forms.

Since its beginning, the pro-life movement has argued that the logic that justified abortion-on-demand could, at some point, be also used to justify infanticide.

And for just as long, defenders of abortion rights have rolled their eyes, literally and figuratively, regarding our concerns about the slippery slope of killing innocents as "kooky" and "alarmist."

But then in 1997, Steven Pinker, one of the leading lights of what's known as "evolutionary psychology," published a piece in the New York Times that argued for the "naturalness" of infanticide. While not denying that under modern conditions, "Killing a baby is an immoral act," it was a kind of triage for our not-so-distant relatives to separate those likely to survive from those unlikely to survive.

More importantly, as Pinker memorably put it, the genes that shaped that behavior are still present within the human race today. "A new mother . . ." he said, "will first coolly assess the infant and her situation and only in the next few days begin to see it as a unique and wonderful individual."

To which the late Michael Kelly, who had previously dismissed any link between abortion and infanticide, replied, "Yes, that was my wife all over: cool as a cucumber as she assessed whether to keep her first-born child or toss him out the window."

While Kelly may have won the battle of wits two decades ago, it may be that Pinker is winning the long-term war of ideas.

Fordham ethicist Charles Camosy recently noted in Commonweal magazine that what was shocking to Kelly two decades ago is becoming normal today. Far from being "alarmist" or "kooky," there's a straight line between our ideas about abortion and our increasing willingness to countenance the idea of infanticide.

As Camosy points out, if "being a living organism of the species Homo sapiens," as a human fetus certainly is, doesn't confer "a moral or legal right to life," what does? The "most reasonable" answer is "self-awareness and the ability to care about one's own life." But since newborn infants, like fetuses, don't meet this criteria, "infanticide does not violate a person's right to life."

Now, Camosy doesn't believe any of this. He's merely explaining "the surprisingly compelling" link between abortion and infanticide.

Just in the past decade, this lethal logic has made its way into government and hospitals. In 2004, the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands adopted a protocol to allow for the killing of infants whose condition was deemed "hopeless." Now such a killing is technically illegal under Dutch law, which reserves euthanasia for those twelve and older, but no physician who follows this protocol has ever been prosecuted.

And consider the recent cases of Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans, whose parents were denied permission to leave Britain in search of further treatment for their ailing sons. As Camosy writes, "Their lives were deemed (by doctors with no special moral training or authority) to be without dignity; their suffering deemed to be pointless."

Camosy's logic and his use of the word "dignity" points to the ultimate source of creeping infanticidethe West's rejection of Christianity. The idea of human dignity is one of Christianity's great gifts to Western civilization.

The Christian vision of humanity is the basis for our ideas about equality and human rights. As Eric Metaxas recently said on BreakPoint, Christianity is why we believe the poor and the weak have intrinsic value, something the ancient Greek and Roman pagans would have scoffed at.

And so do people like Pinker. He calls the idea of human dignity "stupid" In his thinking, "human dignity" should be replaced with "autonomy," and therefore personhood can only be established after birth.

As it turns out, our concerns weren't that kooky after all.

Read more about The Pagan Logic of Infanticide on The Christian Post.DALLAS  The preacher stood wearily on stage, wiping tears from his eyes.

The mayor, working to bring healing to a city of 1.3 million, sought solace on a front pew.

Allison Jean, mourning the fatal shooting of her son Botham Shem Jean by a police officer, wailed as the 250-member, predominantly black congregation sang hymns such as Trouble in My Way.

I know that Jesus  Jesus he will fix it after a while, the church sang.

Television and newspaper cameras captured the emotion  and the heartbreak  as the Dallas West Church of Christ gathered to worship just days after the inexplicable killing of 26-year-old Botham Jean in his own apartment.

The recent Sunday was no ordinary Lords Day for the congregation, which was grieving the sudden loss of a beloved song leader and Bible class teacher  and doing so under an immense media spotlight stretching from Texas all the way to the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia.

Somebody like Bo  why? church member Sherron Rodgers said, uttering the question on everybodys mind. Why did it happen to somebody like him? Im just sad.

He was a special, kind person who would never mess with anybody, she added. Hed take off his jacket and give it to you. Thats the kind of person he was.

According to those who knew him, Botham Jean was a devoted man of faith with a beautiful and powerful singing voice.

He was baptized at age 10 in his native St. Lucia and moved to the U.S. at age 19 to attend Harding University, a Christian liberal arts university in Searcy, Ark. He often led worship at Hardings daily chapel assembly and served for three years as a ministry intern with the nearby College Church of Christ.

Officer Amber Guyger, who lived in the same apartment complex as Botham Jean, was charged Sept. 9 with manslaughter and booked into jail before posting bond.

According to an arrest affidavit filed by Texas Ranger peace officer David L. Armstrong, Guyger worked her shift Sept. 6 and then returned home. At the apartment complexs multi-level garage, she parked on the wrong floor and then mistook Botham Jeans home for her own. After entering through his slightly ajar door, she confused him with a burglar and opened fire.

But for the victims mother, a former top government official in St. Lucia, many perplexing questions remain. The official narrative about how her son died doesnt make sense.

The No. 1 answer I want is: What happened? said Allison Jean, who was joined at a recent news conference by attorneys and Allen Chastanet, the prime minister of St. Lucia, a nation of 178,000 people. I have asked too many questions and been told there are no answers yet.

At the microphone, Allison Jean was flanked by Botham Jeans older sister, Allisa Findley, and his younger brother, Brandt. Noting that Botham Jean was her middle child, the mother said, I stand in the middle to represent Botham.

Botham Jeans death has refocused national attention  and even international attention, given the St. Lucia connection  on police shootings of unarmed black males by white police officers.

This week, a group of Dallas religious leaders, including megachurch pastors Matt Chandler of the Village Church and T.D. Jakes of the Potters House, wrote a letter expressing grief over Bothams death and calling for fair, consistent application of the law in the investigation. Guygers status as a police officer should give her no advantage in the current investigation nor upcoming prosecution.

We demand full transparency, consistency, and integrity in the days ahead as the judicial process progresses, they wrote.

A criminal investigation is ongoing. So far, Guyger has not faced disciplinary action from the Dallas Police Department for the shooting.

An exhaustive and thorough criminal investigation is essential, and as soon as we are assured that conducting an administrative investigation will not impede on the criminal investigation, we will proceed, Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall said in a statement this week.

At the Dallas West Church of Christ, minister Sammie L. Berry said the congregation will work to support the family and make sure justice is served.

Bo was an outstanding young man, Berry said of Botham Jean, who had started preaching occasionally on Sunday nights. You just cant think of how this could happen to him. I mean, all he did was go to work, go to church, help people.

Were going to make sure that his name is lifted up. Were going to make sure that we get answers to what happened, the minister added. We wont allow this to be just brushed to the side and move on to the next case. He meant too much to his family. He meant too much to this congregation, to his college, to the place where he worked.

Allison Jean told the congregation at a prayer vigil that her middle son did everything with a passion, including serving the Lord.

I can never give up because I know that Botham is singing with the angels, and I want to be in that choir, she said. I want to see my son. I want to look upon his face.

When Botham Jean was born in 1991, his mother said, God gave me an angel.

While much of the national conversation focuses on race, she said Botham Jean never saw color. He never saw race. He wanted all of us to unite, to be together.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, who earlier met with Botham Jeans family to express his condolences, stayed for the entire two-hour Sunday service.

At the end of the service, Rawlings told the congregation he came not in an official capacity but as a citizen, wanting to soothe some of my hurt because the city of Dallas is hurting so bad.

To be able to sing with you, to be able to pray with you, to be able to listen to this wonderful sermon was just what I needed because I feel like, as mayor, Im in the perfect storm, he said.

The mayor drew cheers when he agreed with Berry that we all need to be like Bo.

God bless you, Rawlings said as he wrapped up his remarks. Let us pull together. We will be a better city once we know the truth and once we come together and heal.

Tommy Bush, a retired executive minister, works with a small congregation in Romance, Ark., an unincorporated community about 20 miles west of Searcy.

Bush, 70, served as a professional mentor to Botham Jean his senior year in college and helped the accounting graduate land a job with PwC, formerly known as PricewaterhouseCoopers, in Dallas.

The two became close friends and worked together to support missions in St. Lucia and Kenya.

His theology  his philosophy  was to get as good a job as he could and to make money to be able to give, said Bush, who came to worship with the Dallas West church and comfort Botham Jeans family. He had great ideas for serving poor children and orphans in St. Lucia.

Bush said he prays the charged officer knows Jesus.

I just hope that she has the indwelling presence of Christ, Bush said, breaking into tears, because Botham will be the first one in line to give her a hug and welcome her home.

(Bobby Ross Jr. writes for the Christian Chronicle.)

Article originally published by Religion News Service. Used with permission.

Photo courtesy: RNS/Noah Darnell/Harding UniversityAn Iranian military leader has warned the U.S. and Israel that the two countries could face a crushing and devastating response after the two allegedly took part in Saturdays assault.

According to Fox News, militants disguised as soldiers opened fire during an Iranian annual parade over the weekend. Reports said it was the deadliest terrorist attack in the country in about ten years; 25 were killed in the attack.

Iranian officials believe the attack came from Israeli militants who were supported by the U.S.

You have seen our revenge before, said Hossein Salami, deputy head of the Revolutionary Guard. You will see that our response will be crushing and devastating and you will regret what you've done.

Some suspects in the shooting were killed and others have been arrested.

The terrorists themselves have perished, our agents will identify their remnants and supporters to the last man. A major part of them have already been arrested," Intelligence Minister Mahmud Alavi said at a memorial for the dead on Monday.

Meanwhile, the U.S. itself condemned the terrorist attack.

We stand with the Iranian people against the scourge of radical Islamic terrorism and express our sympathy to them at this terrible time, said Heather Nauert, the U.S. State Department spokeswoman.

Arab separatists claimed responsibility for the attack. In a video the Islamic States Amaq agency posted, three men are shown in a car on their way to the parade.

We are Muslims, they are kafirs (non-believers), the man reportedly could be heard saying. He went on: We will destroy them with a strong and guerrilla-style attack, inshallah (God willing).

Photo courtesy: Toa Heftiba/UnsplashYANGON, Burma, September 24, 2018 (Morning Star News)  Ethnic Wa rebels this month shut down churches or destroyed their buildings and temporarily detained several clergymen in eastern Burma (Myanmar), sources said.



On the border with China, soldiers of Myanmars largest ethnic rebel group, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), attacked the churches in the rebels autonomous region in Shan state, according to Christian leaders.



We confirmed that at least 12 churches have been destroyed or closed as of Sept. 20, a Christian leader who has lived in the Wa region for several decades told Morning Star News. The Wa people worship ancestral spirits, and the move by the UWSA was meant to hamper Christian missionary activity, said the leader on condition of anonymity.



Most of the targets were Baptist churches in Panghsang, where Wa soldiers destroyed crosses, the source said. The headquarters of the UWSA is located in Panhsang, on Burmas border with China.



A video showing UWSA soldiers damaging a church building in Mong Maw town on Sept. 19 was widely circulated by Myanmar Facebook users. Local sources said schools built by Christian organizations in Panghsand town also have been shut down.



Not only churches in Panghsang city were shut down, but churches in Mong Maw town were also destroyed, said Ah Kar, a local resident in Mong Maw town. Some religious leaders were arrested, and some people who worship were briefly arrested, and they were head-shaved before release. Some of those who were head-shaved were women.



Local media reported that the UWSA rebels attacked because the church buildings were built without UWSA permission. The rebel soldiers in the past week detained and questioned several Christian leaders in the UWSA controlled region, sources said.



U Nyi Rang, a spokesperson for the UWSA, told the Myanmar Times, a Yangon-based newspaper, described the rebels as controlled by extremist elements and said UWSA officials are looking into whether the arrested religious leaders are allowed to carry out their activities in rebel-controlled territory.



I heard that some churches were demolished that had been built without the permission of the UWSA central committee, U Nyi Rang told the Myanmar Times. We are trying to control the instability in the region caused by extremist, unregistered religious leaders from outside.



Although most of the population in Wa territory worships spirits or Nats, there are also Buddhists as well as Christian communities such as Baptists and Roman Catholics. Many area members of ethnic minority groups, such as the Ahkar, Lahu and Kachin, as well as the Wa, are Christians, sources said.



We live in hills and were isolated, said Tat Nyi Nat, a Christian who lives in Nang Pang in the Wa region. But we got a chance to study and became educated persons because of the Christian missionaries. We were happy. But we are not happy for the future of our children.



Missionary activity among the Wa has long been carried out, but attacks have been growing steadily worse, and some suspect Chinese authorities are behind them, a local Christian leader who is a long-time resident in the Wa region told Morning Star News.



There have been more restrictions on Christian religious organizations for three years, he said on condition of anonymity. It has become worse. We dont criticize other religions and dont force non-Christians to convert into Christian.



Bertil Lintner, a veteran journalist who has written several books on Myanmar ethnic minorities, wrote in Asian Times Online that pressure from Chinese authorities on the border is believed to be behind the restriction on Christian activities in Wa areas.



The Chinese Communist Party see missionaries as tools of Western influence among Myanmars ethnic minorities, including the ethnic Wa who have Christians among them, Lintner writes.



Asia Times Online obtained a Chinese-language, UWSA statement stating that all Wa military officers and administrators are instructed to find out what the Christian missionaries are doing and what are their intensions.



The statement promises to punish local administration officials who support missionary activities, prevents the construction of church buildings and requires that leaders of existing churches be native and not foreign, Asia Times Online reported.



Burma is about 80 percent Buddhist and 9 percent Christian.



The country is ranked 24th on Christian support organization Open Doors 2018 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.

If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews. org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved.



If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/ donate/ ?Throughout history, God has used faithful women in powerful ways for the good of the church and the world. They are women of character and virtue, women who struggled and made mistakes, women who took risks and devoted their lives to answering Gods call. Above all, they are women who deeply loved God. Here, ten contemporary women reflect on the examples of ten women from Christian history who have significantly influenced their own faith in Jesus.

Jo Anne Lyon on Phoebe Palmer: Outward-Looking Holiness

Reading about Phoebe Palmer opened up my imagination about the possibilitiesabout what a woman leader in the church could be, says Jo Anne Lyon, general superintendent emerita of The Wesleyan Church and founder of World Hope International. Known as the mother of the holiness movement, Phoebe Palmer (18071874) encouraged Christians to consecrate their lives to Christ, praying, My all is upon Thine altar.

For Palmer, this total submission to Jesus began with a personal tragedy. In 1836, her daughter was killed in a crib fire and, Lyon explains, She fell on her knees before God and said, Use me in whatever way you want. Palmer began leading a Bible study in her home that grew to involve hundreds of people. Soon she began speaking at highly attended Christian gatherings in the US and abroad that, according to Christian History, sparked a revival which brought nearly a million people into the church.

But what stands out to Lyon is that Palmer embodied holy living that is outreaching, that cares about society, that is justice oriented. Palmer ministered where many dared not go: the notorious Five Points slum in New York City. She founded the Five Points Mission, which provided housing, clothing, food, and education. The character trait that so draws me to her is the idea that justice and evangelism come together to make holy living, says Lyon. Too often, holy living can become simply inward-lookingHow can I be more holy?and we lose sight of the fact that it is about justice. Consider the passage from Amos: Let justice roll down like a river and righteousness like a never-failing stream. You cant have justice without righteousness or righteousness without justice. Holiness is an action.

Christine Caine on Sojourner Truth: Identity in Christ

I feel a deep connection with Sojourner Truth and see her as one of my mentors, says Christine Caine, the founder of A21, a nonprofit organization focused on rescuing victims of human trafficking.

Abolitionist Sojourner Truth (17971883) was born into slavery in New York as Isabella Baumfree. In 1826 she made her escape. In the years that followed, her faith grew as she sensed Gods presence and leading. Jesus loved me! I knowed it, I felt it, she said. Soon God revealed a new name and a new calling: to travel declaring truth.

As her Narrative of Sojourner Truth describes, she focused on testifying of the hope that was in herexhorting the people to embrace Jesus. Truth spoke out against slavery and for womens rights while remaining faithful to a consistent theme: I has just one text to preach from.  My text is, When I found Jesus.

She was fueled in her fight for freedom by love and godly conviction, rather than by rage and bitterness, says Caine, who is the author of several books, including Unexpected. The thing that has impacted me the most is the strength she drew from knowing her identity in Christ. You cannot truly fight for the emancipation of others if you do not have an internal revelation of your own freedom in Christ. True change and transformation happen from the inside out, andgiven that as a slave she was treated as a commodity and not a human beingit is no small thing that she did not see herself as her oppressors saw her. She saw herself as God saw her. When you see yourself as God sees you, you can then see others as God sees them.

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Yvette Santana on Corrie ten Boom: Resilient Hope

Corrie ten Boom (18921983), the first licensed female watchmaker in Holland, worked in her familys shop. When the Nazis invaded, she took on another role: working in the Dutch resistance. Corrie oversaw a network of safe houses (including her own home) that secretly harbored Jews. In 1944, the ten Booms were arrested and imprisoned; Corrie and her sister, Betsy, were sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp, where Betsy eventually died.

Even during her time in the concentration camp, you see a person with great strength and determination, says Yvette Santana, a regional womens ministry coordinator with the Church of God and executive board member of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. Regardless of what she was facing, she exuded hope: hope in Gods ability to work, hope in Gods people, and hope in the future.

That hope in Christ laid the foundation for ten Boom to do what seemed impossible: offer forgiveness to her captors. In The Hiding Place, ten Boom described battling to overcome the coldness clutching my heart and praying Jesus, help me! as she joined hands with one of her former prison guards and, through tears, said, I forgive you, brother! Ten Boom wrote, I had never known Gods love so intensely as I did then. Ten Booms example of forgiveness is particularly compelling to Santana, who says, Forgiveness is something we must practice as leaders in an ongoing fashion. If we dont, well lead broken and burdened.

Ten Boom lived through one of the most unimaginable horrors in human history, yet she modeled how to be full of hope, regardless of what your circumstances are. Our worldmy worldneeds to be more hope-filled, says Santana. I reread The Hiding Place every once in a while to remind me that, whatever Im facing, I have a greater hope.

Vivian Mabuni on Amy Carmichael: Complete Surrender

If there be any reserve in my giving to Him who so loved that He gave His Dearest to me; if there be a secret but in my prayer, anything but that, Lord, then I know nothing of Calvary love, Amy Carmichael wrote in If. When Vivian Mabuni read Carmichaels biography, A Chance to Die, as a new believer, she was struck by Carmichaels total relinquishment of everything to Jesus: I found myself drawn to Amys willingness to invest her life into the lives of others. She responded to Gods call in every season of her life. Mabuni, who has served as a missionary with Cru for 29 years and is the author of Warrior in Pink, says, Amys story helped shape me to invest my life in vocational Christian work.

After hearing Hudson Taylor speak at the Keswick convention, Carmichael (18671951) began praying about missions; within a few years, she sensed God saying, Go ye. Because Carmichael suffered from a painful nerve disorder (neuralgia), she was initially barred from serving as a missionary in China. Eventually, she made her way to India, where she lived for the next 53 years. Through the Dohnavur Fellowship she founded, Carmichael rescued children from the prospect of temple prostitution. So beloved by the children she cared for, Carmichael was known as Amma (Mother).

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Mabuni notes that Carmichael was an early pioneer in rescuing vulnerable children caught in sex trafficking. The modern-day work of International Justice Mission and other organizations is work Amy did as a single woman before these horrific situations came more into the public eye. Mabuni also appreciates Carmichaels choice to honor the local culture by wearing a sariwhich was not common practice among missionaries in that era. Ultimately, says Mabuni, her only aim in life was to please her Lord. She modeled a life surrendered to the lordship of Christ.

Nicole Massie Martin on Jarena Lee: Daring Obedience

On the day when my heart had believed, and my tongue had made confession unto salvation, Jarena Lee wrote, she leapt to her feet in front of the church congregation to tell of the wonders and of the goodness of him who clothed me with salvation. Lees desire to testify about Jesus continued to grow.

A few years later, Lee said, she distinctly heard a voice which said to me, Go preach the gospel! One Sunday, when a speaker couldnt deliver his sermon, Lee (17831864) spontaneously preached in his place. During the exhortation, Lee wrote, God made manifest his power in a manner sufficient to show the world that I was called to labor according to my ability. After hearing Lee, Richard Allenthe founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Churchgave her his blessing to become an itinerant preacher.

Lee wrote an autobiography that serves as a testimony to her own recognition of Gods goodness toward her in life and ministry, says Nicole Massie Martin, a professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the author of Made to Lead. In her autobiography, Lee was candid about struggles with depression. Martin says she is struck by her authenticity in sharing her pain. It would have been easy to paint a picture of success and well-being, but Lee boldly shared about her illness, attempts at suicide, and her dark nights. This reality only strengthens her character and reminds us that challenges do not disqualify us from fulfilling Gods calling.

Despite the danger she faced preaching to racially mixed audiences in the era of slavery, Lee recorded that the Lord gave his handmaiden power to speak for his great name. Martin says, I admire her depth of conviction that drove her past earthly barriers. While she had every reason to see her life through the lens of what she could not do, her deeply rooted sense of her call and the reality of Gods voice allowed her to see beyond that which was designed to hold her back.

Jennie Allen on Henrietta Mears: Committed Faithfulness

The big dream for Henrietta Mears wasnt to build a huge ministry. The big dream for her was faithfulness, says Jennie Allen, founder of IF:Gathering. Henrietta Mears (18901963) served as the director of Christian education at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood for 35 years, overseeing Sunday school programs for children and adults and leading a Bible study in her home. Under her leadership, the Sunday school program grew from a few hundred to several thousand participants. Mears also launched several conferences and began publishing church resources (which eventually became Gospel Light).

Through her teaching, Allen notes, Mears had a profound spiritual influence on future leaders like evangelist Billy Graham, Bill Bright (the founder of Cru), and Dawson Trotman (the founder of The Navigators). She had no idea that the people she taught would go on to change the shape of evangelicalism as we know it, says Allen. She just knew that if you teach the Word of God faithfully and train up others to understand and communicate Gods Word, then the world will change.

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Allen cites a favorite quote about Mears from Donn Moomaw: She never yielded to the fashion of the day in toning down the atoning work of Christ. Allen explains, She kept her eyes completely zeroed in on the gospeland she did not do it in a way that was necessarily fashionable. Allen sees parallels to today's pressure to water down the gospel message. Of course, as Paul makes clear, we do contextualize it, but theres a fine line between that and trying to make the gospel more fashionable. What I love about Henrietta Mears is that she stuck to the basics of the Word of God, Allen says. She taught the Word of God faithfully, and through that, a lot of other people did the same.

Liz Vice on Joan of Arc: Determined Conviction

Musician Liz Vice finds much to ponder in the life of Joan of Arc. For Joan of Arc to be so young and to lose her life for the calling she was so bold and outspoken aboutits amazing, says Vice, whose second album (Save Me) released this summer. She was literally a childprobably around the same age as Mary in the Bibleand she got a call from God to face men who were in authority. This young, zealous, confident woman told people, God gave me a vision and this is how we need to execute it.

At 13, Joan of Arc (14121431) began having mystical visions in which God directed her to help save France from English dominance during the Hundred Years War. Authorities were initially skeptical of Joans claims, but after thorough questioning, religious leaders concluded she was honestand Joan rallied thousands of French troops to drive the English out of Orleans. At 18, Joan was captured by those allied with England. She was charged with heresy, convicted for being a schismatic, and sentenced to execution. As she was burned at the stake, Joans last word was Jesus. Twenty-five years later, the pope appointed a retrial of her case, and she was declared innocent.

If I were to say that God sent me, I shall be condemned, but God really did send me, Joan said during her imprisonment. Vice is struck by Joans conviction as she faced opposition. They were like, Who are you? And I often question myself like thatWho am I to think that God would use me? God has given me a gift to use and I have a platform to talk about Jesus outside of the church, and yet I still question, Who am I? For Vice, Joans willingness to die for her convictions poses questions worth deeply considering in our own seasons of suffering: Are you willing to die to self? Pride-wise, ego-wise, are you willing to not have the last word? And perhaps the question is less about Who am I? and more about remembering who this God is in whom I chose to put my trust.

Patricia Raybon on Mother Teresa: Compassionate Love

As a 12-year-old, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (19101997) sensed God calling her into ministry; at age 18, she became a nun and received the name Teresa. She served in India as a teacher in a girls school for 20 years until she received a call within a calldirection from God to embark on a new ministry. I heard the call to give up all and follow him into the slumsto serve him in the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa wrote in her journal.

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Taking to the streets daily, Mother Teresa nursed the sick and dying, washing the open sores of the diseased, caring for orphans, and feeding the hungry and thirsty, explains Patricia Raybon, award-winning author of many books, including I Told the Mountain to Move and My First White Friend. Raybon notes that though Mother Teresa is not without her critics, she inspired others to see the poor and their poverty, taking a vow of poverty herself and living it. More than anything, she suffered with peopleliving out, in real time, the definition of the word compassion, to suffer with.

While Raybon cites African American women like Harriet Tubman and Jarena Lee as significant ongoing influences in her life, her interest in Mother Teresa was birthed during a personal crisis: Her husband needed emergency brain surgery. My prayers werent moving my mountains, she says. In the midst of my struggle, I stumbled upon a little book of Mother Teresas sayings, only to discover her simple guidance: To pray is to love. This advice changed my lifeand also my husbands.

Born black in America in the Jim Crow era, wed struggled to reconcile the reality of being hated by our government, its citizens, and even those in white churcheswhile trying to love ourselves and each other, Raybon says. To both of us, the concept of being lovedand loving otherswas impossible to understand or navigate. Yet here was Mother Teresa saying to me, first, to love Jesus. Love him for his sacrifice. Love him for his grace. Love him because he first loved us. Then, filled with that love, give some of that love away. And that then is loveand, also, it is prayer.

Jeanette Salguero on Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz: Made in Gods Image

Despite living in a cloistered convent in Mexico City, Sor (Sister) Juana Ines de la Cruz (16511695) was acclaimed in both Mexico and Spain for her prolific writings. Because girls were barred from education, Juanaan avid reader from a young agewas self-educated. As a teenager, she was tested by a panel of scholars on a variety of subjects and the stunning span of her knowledge became known far and wide.

Juana became a nun at 21, continuing her studies and writing poems, plays, and texts for religious services. As Sor Juanas writings drew attention, they also drew criticism, particularly for her engagement with secular topics. But for Sor Juana, faith in God was naturally integrated with studying philosophy, arts, and sciences. She believed women had a God-given right to pursue knowledge and education, writing publicly on this topic in Respuesta a Sor Filotea. When a plague swept through her convent, Sor Juana cared for her sisters until she succumbed to the illness and died.

Sor Juana manifested many admirable virtues: courage as she astutely confronted gender-based marginalization, love as she cared for the sick, justice in her struggle for equality. However, what I admire the most is her understanding of the imago Dei, says Jeanette Salguero, senior vice president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition and associate pastor at Calvario City Church in Orlando. Knowing she was made in Gods image and given abilities by him, Sor Juana understood her calling and she actualized the very unique gift of God in her: her inimitable intellect. It was a way of demonstrating God to the worldit was a sacred participation for her. Sor Juanas deep understanding of who God called her to be touches the depths of my heart.

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Kristyn Getty on Cecil Frances Alexander: Deep Truth

Cecil Frances Alexander (18181895), a prolific Irish hymn writer, began composing poetry as a child. She taught Sunday school in her youth and maintained a passion for teaching children biblical truth throughout her adulthood. As the title of one of her first published collections of verse makes plainHymns for Little ChildrenAlexanders theologically rich lyrics were all initially intended for young worshipers. Influenced by the high-church Oxford Movement within Anglicanism, Alexander used poetry to communicate essential Christian doctrine. Hymns for Little Children, for example, was structured around the Apostles Creed and included some of her best-known hymns today, like All Things Bright and Beautiful and Once in Royal Davids City.

She understood the importance of deepening our understanding of the Lord, says hymn writer Kristyn Getty. So filled with compassion and dismayed by how little the children in the community around her knew, she was creative, practical, and intentional in the use of song-writing. Getty is particularly struck by how hymns shed written for little children many decades ago contain texts that would often be considered too long or complex for adults to sing today. Yet, Getty says, Deep believers sing deep things about God. And songs filled with deep things about God help nurture deep believers.

Getty recalls being impacted by Alexanders songs during her own childhood in Northern Ireland. But of even greater impact, she says, is in our vocation as hymn writers. My husband and I have been challenged by her example: the importance of the church singing togetheracross all age groupsrich Bible truth in beautiful ways.

Kelli B. Trujillo is projects editor at Christianity Today.

Editors Note: This article is part of our CT special issue focused on women raising their voices. In Heard, we explore how women are speaking up, not only in response to scandals or injustice, but also more broadly for the sake of the gospel and the values of Christs kingdom. Click here to download a free digital version of our special issue.China's Catholics welcome Beijing-Vatican deal, but doubts remain

China's official Catholic Church has welcomed a controversial deal struck between the Vatican and the Chinese government on appointing new bishops.

The Catholic Church in China is split between the state-supervised Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA) and an underground church.

The Vatican on Saturday signed a landmark agreement giving it a long-desired say in the appointment of CPA bishops though critics immediately labelled the deal a sellout to the Communist government.

The provisional agreement, signed in Beijing by deputy foreign ministers from both sides, was announced as Pope Francis visited Lithuania on a four-day trip to the Baltic countries.

The CPA said it would 'persevere to walk a path suited to a socialist society, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party'.

It 'deeply loved the motherland' and 'sincerely endorsed' the agreement, hoping relations between China and the Vatican would improve further, it added in comments on its website.

The deal involves Pope Francis recognising seven Chinese bishops who were ordained without Vatican permission. Another bishop, Anthony Tu Shihua, died in January last year but, according to the Vatican press release, 'had expressed the desire to be reconciled with the Apostolic See' before his death and was also recognised.

Vatican sources have said that a few bishops appointed by Rome will cede their places to bishops who had been appointed by Beijing.

In future, new bishops will be proposed by members of local Catholic communities together with Chinese authorities. The names of candidates will be sent to the Vatican and the pope will make a final decision, the sources said.

Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin said that 'today, for the first time all the Bishops in China are in communion with the Bishop of Rome, with the Successor of Peter'.

However, some critics believe the Vatican has ceded too much ground to the Chinese government, which has become increasingly hostile to religion in recent years.

Cardinal Joseph Zen, the 76-year-old former archbishop of Hong Kong who has led the opposition to the deal, said of the Vatican negotiators: 'They're giving the flock into the mouths of the wolves. It's an incredible betrayal.

'The consequences will be tragic and long lasting, not only for the Church in China but for the whole Church because it damages the credibility. Maybe that's why they might keep the agreement secret,' Zen told Reuters in an interview on Thursday.

Vatican sources have said the deal will not be published and can be reviewed and fine-tuned in the future.

Additional reporting by Reuters.Coalition for Marriage 'very disappointed' by plans to introduce no-fault divorces

The Coalition for Marriage has urged the Government to reconsider changes to the law that would allow no-fault divorces.

The Government announced earlier this month that it was launching a consultation into what would be the first major shake-up to divorce laws in England and Wales in half a century.



Announcing the consultation, Justice Secretary David Gauke, said the current system created 'unnecessary antagonism' for couples.

If the changes go ahead, couples seeking a divorce will no longer need to demonstrate that there was adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion or non-consensual separation.

A spouse who does not agree with the divorce will also no longer have the right to contest it.

The consultation will also consider aspects of current divorce law such as the length of time it takes for a divorce to be processed.

Coalition for Marriage campaign director, Thomas Pascoe, said the proposed changes were 'bad policy' and that the Government's impact assessment into no-fault divorces was a 'very flawed' document.

'It doesn't consider the benefits of the current system,' he told The Christian Institute.

'It doesn't analyse any alternative models other than no-fault divorce, which it backs wholeheartedly. And it doesn't include any proposals to help people save their marriages, like counselling.

'This looks like bad policy-making and potentially quite a bad law coming down the path.'

The Christian Institute has voiced similar concerns about no-fault divorces, saying that the law should instead support couples in staying together.

'Given the devastating effects of divorce on adults, children and society, even those who do not hold to a Christian view of divorce should be opposed to measures which make divorce even easier,' it said.

'The statistics clearly show that every time the law on divorce has been liberalised, the number of divorces has increased.'

The Coalition for Marriage's concerns are mentioned in the Government's briefing paper into the changes, as are those of Sir Edward Leigh, who has warned of increased numbers of divorces in countries where no-fault divorces have already been introduced, such as Canada.

Sir Leigh was quoted in the briefing as saying: 'Of course I would like to make the moral case for marriage and for a lifelong commitment to children.'Down's Syndrome test is a 'slippery slope', warns Evangelical Alliance

The Evangelical Alliance UK is urging caution before a new pre-natal Down's Syndrome test is made more widely available.

The Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) is already available in Wales and will be rolled out by the NHS in England next month.

The test will be used by the NHS to establish genetic conditions like Down's syndrome, but parents can also access it via private health care providers to determine their baby's sex.

The BBC reports that NHS doctors in England will not be sharing information concerning the baby's gender when the test is made available.

Jane Fisher, director of Arc Antenatal, a charity that helps parents through antenatal screenings, expressed support for the testing on BBC Radio 4 Today.

She claimed women were 'desperate' to have access to this kind of testing and that delays to rolling out more widely had pushed some women into 'risky testing and potentially risking their baby because they can't access this more accurate form of screening'.

'We have this postcode lottery of women in Wales being able to have it,' she said.

But Abi Jarvis, Public Leadership coordinator at the Evangelical Alliance UK, fears that such testing will increase the number of abortions.

'While the strategist in me would appreciate the opportunity to plan for my family's future, the realist in me believes the statistics indicate that for most people, this plan will take the form of an abortion appointment,' she said.

She warned that with constant advancements in technology, there was a much wider issue than Down's syndrome and disability, and that it could open the door to even more selective abortions.

'In a society that highly values intelligence, will we one day decide that there is an IQ level so low that it would be better for a child to be aborted?' she said.

'What about people who are blind, or even just short-sighted, in a world where visual mediums like TV and WhatsApp messages are taking over from radio and phone calls?

'People have committed suicide because of bullying over their hair colour  could parents decide that their ginger unborn baby should be aborted?'

Last week, Labour called for a ban on NIPT over concerns that it is leading to gender selective abortions.

Shadow women and equalities minister Naz Shah told the BBC that in communities where boys are preferred over girls, some women feel pressured into using NIPT 'to live up to expectations of family members'.

The comments were in response to an investigation by the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, which found thousands of British women using an online forum to discuss the use of NIPT as a way of determining their baby's sex.

CARE chief executive Nola Leach said the call from the Labour party was 'very welcome'.

'Sex-selective abortion is completely discriminatory and should be explicitly outlawed in UK law,' she said.

'We might have made great progress in society in terms of how we treat those with disabilities but it is utterly wrong that so many babies with Down's syndrome end up being terminated.'Kerala bishop charged with raping a nun

A Roman Catholic bishop arrested in the south Indian state of Kerala on Friday on charges of raping a nun has been returned to prison after spending a night in hospital having complained of chest pains.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal of the Diocese of Jalandhar was charged with raping a nun of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation in Kottayam following a campaign publicising the allegations against him.

The Vatican had already accepted his request to step down temporarily from his position.

Mulakkal has been remanded in custody until October 6.

A nun and a priest who supported protests against him calling for his arrest have been disciplined by the Syro-Malabar Church. Sister Lucy Kalappura was told yesterday she would not be allowed to teach the Bible, offer Holy Communion or take part in church activities.

Father Yuhanon Ramban, a senior clergyman, has been told not to take part in any more protests.

The arrest comes at a time when the state's Christian community is reeling from a string of cases  including the arrests of five priests last month on allegations of sexual assault. Their church said it believed the priests were innocent.

Outside India, the Catholic Church is facing sexual abuse scandals in the United States, Chile, Australia, Germany and other countries.

Pope Francis has summoned the heads of national Catholic bishops from around the world to the Vatican to discuss the protection of minors at an extraordinary meeting from February 21-24.Last charity ship rescuing migrants off Libyan coast loses its registration

The Panama Maritime Authority has revoked the registration of search and rescue ship Aquarius 2 in a move that means there will be no charity rescue ships off the Libyan coast in the near future unless the vessel can find a new flag to sail under.

Aquarius 2, the one remaining charity rescue vessel still operating in the Central Mediterranean area, is currently at sea with 58 survivors on board.

The decision by the Panama Authority (PMA) means that once the ship comes into port it will be deflagged and will not be allowed to operate again unless it can find a new flag.

SOS Mediterranee, one of the charities that operates the Aquarius, said in a statement it was reeling from news of the revocation, which it said followed pressure from the Italian government.

"On Saturday ... the Aquarius team was shocked to learn of an official communication from the Panamanian authorities stating that the Italian authorities had urged the PMA to take 'immediate action' against the Aquarius," it said.

Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said the Italian government had applied no pressure on Panama.

A public backlash against the arrival of hundreds of thousands of seaborne newcomers in the past five years helped put Italy's anti-establishment ruling coalition into office.

Salvini has led a popular crackdown against immigration since his League party and the anti-establishment 5 Star Movement took office in June.

Salvini has previously accused SOS Mediterranee and other charities of acting like a Mediterranean "taxi service" for the migrants.

Salvini said on Sunday that Aquarius 2 had hindered the work of the Libyan coast guard, ignoring instructions.

He said that, according to newspapers, Aquarius 2 was about to have its registration revoked by Panama because it was "illegal and does not respect procedures".

"They can change their name and flag another thousand times but Italy's ports will remain shut to these gentlemen," he said.

Italy has previously attacked the European Union for its lack of support on immigration and has threatened to refuse to back the bloc's multi-year budget.

Reporting by Stephen Jewkes; Editing by Edmund Blair and Catherine EvansNigerian Christians murdered in Fulani attacks

At least 27 people have died following recent attacks by Fulani militants on mainly Christian communities in northeast Nigeria, according to World Watch Monitor.

One of them was a pastor, and many of them drowned as they attempted to escape by crossing a river.

The attacks took place between September 13 and 16, in the same area where 3,000 homes were destroyed in December 2017.

A local pastor who wanted to remain anonymous for security reasons told World Watch Monitor that 27 people had been buried following the latest attacks, which targeted communities along the Benue River. He said that on hearing sounds of guns, many villagers fled into the bush or drowned attempting to escape via the river. Ten people are still missing.

'Nobody knows the whereabouts of these people missing. Since their dead bodies are not found, it is too early to declare them dead. We will give them the benefit of doubt; maybe some of them may return home to their families,' he said.

Rev Gerison Ezekiel Killa, 43, of the Boiki Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, was one of those who drowned. He is survived by his wife and six children.

More than 45 others were injured. The assailants also looted and burned down many homes, and stole cattle.

Rahab Solomon, a survivor from Bolki village, said the attackers stormed their community at about 3 pm and began shooting indiscriminately.

'We couldn't go back home because we were told that our house was burnt. So we came to stay in this camp,' she said.

'The next day [September 14] we called my husband's brother and he told us that the Fulani chased our people and killed so many of them. Those who tried to run through the river were shot and many who tried to escape through the river, but could not swim, died as well; those who could swim were able to survive. We heard that over 25 bodies were recovered from the river. The exact number of people who died in the attack is yet to be known as the place is still under attack.

'We were told that the Fulani militants burnt down all our houses, and some women and children who hid in the farms were abducted by the Fulani. We no longer have a place to call home. Right now we are helpless.'

Another survivor, Jidauna Igiya, the head of Gon village, said they had heard gunshots at around 4 pm on Sunday September 16. 'Everybody in the village sought cover and began to run for safety, as the Fulani were shooting and burning houses.

'The Fulani burnt all our houses. No house is standing right now and we cannot go back to our villages.'

He said they had taken the cattle, looted and burnt everything they could not take away.

'Twenty-six people were killed in our village, Gon, while two others were wounded,' he said. 'During the attack, we tried to call security forces but none came to our rescue. We managed to put our families, children, women and old people through the bush and that is how we were able to be saved.'

He said most of those who had tried to escape across the river had drowned.

The state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Bishop Stephen Mamza, blamed government inaction and said innocent Christians were being 'killed by these so-called herdsmen on a daily basis, without security forces responding appropriately to stop them from hurting Christians'.Pope pays tribute to victims of Nazis, Soviets in Lithuania

Pope Francis paid tribute on Sunday to Jews killed by the Nazis and victims of murder and deportation by the Soviet KGB, in twin visits to memorials marking the darkest periods of Lithuania's history.

On the 75th anniversary of the wartime liquidation of the Vilnius ghetto, Francis stopped to pray at a simple stone monument commemorating the 200,000 Lithuanian Jews killed either in the country or in Nazi concentration camps in Europe.

Minutes later, he paid an emotional visit to the nearby Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, a former KGB basement jail where Lithuanians who were considered enemies of the Soviet Union were either executed or tortured before being sent to labour camps in Siberia.

A sombre-looking Francis prayed and lit a candle in a room whose walls were lined with pictures of Catholic priests and bishops either killed or tortured in the jail.

He then entered the execution chamber where, according to the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre, more than 1,000 people were killed during the Soviet period. In at least one case, nearly 50 were killed in just one night.

'Your cry, O Lord, is echoed in the cry of the innocent who, in union with you, cry out to heaven,' Francis said in a prayer to a crowd outside that included several survivors in their 90s.

The jail, Francis said, evoked the 'sorrow and bitterness, of abandonment and powerlessness, of cruelty and meaninglessness' that Lithuanians suffered 'as a result of the unrestrained ambition that hardens and blinds the heart'.

After Lithuania broke from the Soviet Union in 1991, the remains of nearly 800 people executed in the jail were found in a mass grave in Vilnius.

'This was our nation's Golgotha, a trial of our faith,' Bishop Sigitas Tamkevicius, 79, who was imprisoned there in 1983 before spending six years in Soviet labour camps and who accompanied the pope to the jail, told Reuters before the visit.

About 70,000 Lithuanians died at the hands of Soviets.

On Sunday morning in Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city, Francis said society should be vigilant for 'any whiff' of resurgent anti-Semitism, calling for new generations to be taught the horrors of the Holocaust.

'The Jewish people suffered insults and cruel punishments,' Francis told a crowd of about 100,000 at an open-air Mass.

'Let us ... ask the Lord to give us the gift of discernment to detect in time any seed of that pernicious attitude, any whiff of it that can taint the heart of generations that did not experience those times,' he said.

Reports of anti-Semitic acts have increased in Europe, coinciding with the rise of populist, right-wing parties in a number of countries.Protests greet Franklin Graham during visit to Britain for 'Festival of Hope'

LGBT activists and protesters displayed rainbow flags in the city of Blackpool to protest American evangelist Franklin Graham and the three-day "Festival of Hope."

"I'm glad to be in Blackpool, England, to preach the Gospel at the invitation of 200 area churches. This morning I went down to the historic Blackpool Tower where my father Billy Graham stood back in 1982 when he came here to preach," Graham wrote on Facebook Thursday, ahead of the first day of the evangelistic event.

"Will you pray this weekend, that many will turn to Jesus Christ and find the hope and peace that only He can give?" he asked.

Some LGBT and Muslims groups, along with a few Christian churches and local politicians in Blackpool, have spoken out against Graham this past year, arguing that he has preached messages on same-sex marriage and Islam that they find offensive.

The Guardian reported that the Blackpool Tower, mentioned by Graham, will be lit up in rainbow colors and will fly an LGBT flag in opposition to the conservative Christian evangelist.

"The council is a strong supporter of all equalities issues and we use the rainbow flag and its derivatives on a regular basis to demonstrate that support across the whole year," a council spokesperson said.

Some politicians, such as Gordon Marsden, the Labor MP for Blackpool South, had even asked the U.K. home secretary to revoke any visa granted to Graham due to what he said is the latter's "inflammatory views" toward Muslims and LGBT people.

In July, LGBT activists pressured Blackpool Transport to pull bus ads promoting the "Festival of Hope."

Jane Cole, managing director at Blackpool Transport, apologized for ever allowing the ads in the first place.

"Blackpool Transport is a proud ongoing supporter of the Pride and LGBT+ communities and in no way did we intend to cause any distress or upset," Cole said at the time.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, of which Franklin Graham is president, acknowledged the controversy in an article about the "Festival of Hope" on Friday.

It said that no matter the "hostility" that Graham is facing, hope remains that "God will move greatly during the evangelistic event."

"My message will be the simple Gospel message: a timeless message of God's hope, love and redemption for all people," Graham said. "Regardless of the hostility, I plan to preach the Word of God in Blackpool."

The BGEA urged people to pray that there is "no more opposition to the Gospel message and the festival's success," and asked that the negative media attention does not prevent people from coming to the Sept. 2123 events.

This article was originally published in The Christian Post and is re-published here with permissionThe number of new patent infringement complaints brought by businesses and individuals in Texas during the first half of 2018 was the lowest this decade.

Lawsuits alleging patent violations continued to decline during the first six months of this year in East Texas, which only a year ago was the patent litigation capital of the world. South and West Texas also witnessed steep drops in patent infringement activity.

Federal courts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, however, have seen a major increase in the number of newly filed patent cases.

Intellectual property law experts say these trends are the direct result of a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions and federal legislation during the past four years designed to crackdown on bogus patent claims and restrict the court jurisdictions where even legitimate patent disputes can be filed.

The statistics showing a decline in patent litigation in the Eastern District of Texas are not surprising, as it has been happening for a couple years, said Foley Gardere IP Partner Terrell Miller in Houston. But there are early signs the pendulum may be starting to swing back a little to the plaintiffs.

The predicted demise of the Eastern District was premature, as it is still in the top three federal courts in the country for new patent filings according to legal experts.

The Eastern District patent docket is not dead by any means, said Greenberg Traurig counsel Rene Trevino. Despite the decline, it is one of the busiest patent courts in the country and it is still an attractive jurisdiction to litigate patent disputes.

New data provided exclusively by Androvett Legal Media to The Texas Lawbook shows that:

There were 238 new patent infringement cases filed in the Eastern District of Texas, which runs from Beaumont to Marshal and includes Plano, during the first half of 2018 - an 8 percent drop from the second half of 2017 and a 60 percent decline from H1 2017. In fact, it is one-sixth the number of new patent cases filed during the first six months of 2015.

Federal courts in the Southern District of Texas, which is dominated by Houston, reported 24 new patent complaints between January and June 2018 - 35 percent fewer than in H2 2017 but the same number as one year earlier.

The Western District, which includes Austin and El Paso, had 37 patent lawsuits filed in H1 2018 - down 19.5 percent from H2 2017, but still more than periods during the past decade.

The big exception is the Northern District of Texas, which reported 53 new patent infringement cases filed in its federal courts during the first half of 2018 - a 29 percent jump from H2 2017 and nearly 50 percent more than from H1 2017. In fact, it is the second highest number of patent lawsuits ever filed in the Northern District.

The Northern District implemented a pilot program in March 2016 that sends all patent infringement cases to three judges - Chief Judge Barbara Lynn and District judges David Godbey and Ed Kinkeade - and adopted streamlined procedures similar to those in the Eastern District.

The reason for the decline in patent filings in the Eastern District and the reason for increase in the Northern District and somewhat in the Southern District are the same: TC Heartland, said Amir Alavi, a partner at Ahmad Zavitsanos Anaipakos Alavi Mensing in Houston. There is an overall reduction in patent cases being filed, but cases that used to be filed in the Eastern District are now being filed in the Northern and Southern districts.

In TC Heartland v. Kraft Foods, the Supreme Court ruled that patent disputes must be filed in judicial venues where the defendant is incorporated, headquartered or has its place of business. As a result, the patent docket in the courts of Delaware, where many businesses are incorporated, skyrocketed.

The impact has been that there is a huge backlog of cases in Delaware, Alavi said. So, if I have a choice of filing my patent case in Delaware or the Northern District of Texas, Im going to pick the Northern District.

Clients want predictability of costs, judges, procedures and time, he said. The Northern District, because of its pilot project, offers some of the predictability that came in the Eastern District.

Dallas IP legal expert Paul Skiermont of Skiermont Derby agreed.

If Delaware is viewed as a black hole where patent cases languish, lawyers will get creative to avoid the backlog and we will see renewed efforts to expand venue, Skiermont said. I think the judges in the Eastern District are taking a more expansive view of what physical presence means. Some of those views have been reversed and some have been upheld.

Wes Hill, a partner at Ward, Smith & Hill in Tyler, said the decline in the East Texas federal court dockets may end up being good for patent litigation in the district.

The number of patent cases filed this year in the Eastern District is similar to the number filed here in 2010, Hill said. This allows the Eastern District to get back to its roots - allows cases to get to trial more quickly because the bad cases have been weeded out and the courts can focus on the good cases.

Trevino, Alavi and other patent law experts say that the crackdown on so-called on venue or forum shopping is actually having an unanticipated negative impact: the cost of patent litigation is increasing.

TC Heartland has definitely driven up the cost of patent cases, Alavi said. All these cases that would have been in the Eastern District are now being spread out to judges all across the country and it is causing a lot of uncertainty and unpredictability.

Trevino agreed.

Because these patent cases are being transferred to jurisdictions with little or no track record for patent litigation, we know very little about the judges who are now getting these cases or the local rules and procedures in these unknown venues, Trevino said. As a result, clients are having to pay more to their lawyers to do the necessary research on these unknown judges and jurisdictions.Apartment hunters may see a glimmer of relief as asking rates for rentals decline for the first time since Hurricane Harvey.

Ever since the beginning of July, prices have retracted slightly, said Mike Cobb, a market analyst for CoStar Group, which tracks and analyzes multifamily real estate information. According to the company, average asking rent in the Houston area has fallen from $1,095 a unit at the end of June to $1,090 a unit.

While the quarter is not over, Cobb said the dip was noteworthy. If the trend continues, this will be the first quarter in which rents have dipped in the 90-day period since 2016.

Local experts in the rental industry say the increased demand for apartments caused by Harvey has largely passed. I would say 90, 95 percent of people have already moved back, said Swapnil Agarwal, whose company, Nitya Capital, owns Class B and C apartment buildings in the area.

CAUSES: Why apartment rents are so high

But while the bubble in rental prices caused by Harvey has receded, many predict the dip will be short lived.

Houston rents drop January-March 2017: $1,050 April-June 2017: $1,055 July-September: $1,075 October-December: $1,085 January-March 2018: $1,090 April-June 2018: $1,095 July-September 2018: $1,090 See More Collapse

The Houston area added 101,800 jobs between July of 2017 and 2018, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. And while large numbers of people are moving to Houston, developers say not many new apartment units are coming to market this year and next.

For the next couple of years, theres going to be fairly limited new supply delivered, said Luke Phillippi of Alliance Residential, which specializes in multifamily residential development. The impact of Harvey from a leasing perspective is gone, he said. Its the health of the Houston market were seeing now.

Tim Dosch, principal of the Houston-based land brokerage Dosch Marshall Real Estate, agreed. Now you have real market forces, real demand, he said. Youre probably going to have a solid year and a half where theres not a lot of supply, but theres job growth.

BETTER THAN MOST: How Texas high-end apartment rent compares to New York, California

After the floodwaters receded and apartment occupancy rates rose, Dosch said he was surprised by how quickly investors began buying land in the Houston area. All of a sudden, developers were clamoring for sites, he said. Fall of 2017, developers began closing on sites  a process that usually takes months  in a matter of weeks. Now Dosch says investors from Australia, Japan, Canada and Mexico are looking to build apartments in Houston. Everybodys bullish.

Those units will likely hit the market in roughly a year and a half. In the meantime? I think youre going to see a lot of rent growth, Dosch said.

rebecca.schuetz@chron.com

twitter.com/raschuetzMore than 100 family members to slain mothers, fathers, siblings and children lined up, some toting photographs, posters and tissues, to say their loved ones names Sunday night at the Crime Stoppers of Houston headquarters.

Brynne Smiley said she waited 16 years for police to arrest the man who shot and killed her father, Norman Bostic, and dumped his body under a Houston bridge in 1990.

Bostic's killer, William Mansfield Gee, was working as a bus driver when he was apprehended in 2006. He was convicted the following year and sentenced to 50 years behind bars.

ARRESTED IN TAIWAN: 3-D printed gun advocate Cody Wilson bonds out of jail in Houston

Smiley's story was followed by dozens more.

Among them was Dotti Walker, who paid tribute to her only son, Johnny Johnson, who was stabbed to death by his roommate in 1992.

The packed conference room fell silent when James Dreymala held up a photo and tearfully said, This is my son. He identified the 13-year-old boy as Stanton Dreymala, the final victim in the Houston Mass Murders in 1973.

Relatives of more recent killings came forward to speak. The daughter of slain security guard Robert Marquez said her father loved protecting Houston.

He was killed in June. He was on the night shift with a security company, she said, without identifying herself to the audience. Unfortunately, the guys he was looking into got the best of him. But hes right here with me, all the time.

Ahead of the National Day of Remembrance on Tuesday, Smiley implored the families of murder victims, especially those whose cases have gone cold, not to lose hope while waiting for justice. She advocated for Houston Police Department's Cold Case Squad to give her father's case a second look and now tries to keep Gee from obtaining an early release from prison.

You think that hope can be a bad thing and that hope can be painful, Smiley said. But I found in my case, that the reason (Gee) got convicted, the reason he got arrested and the reason hes still in prison is because I had this burning desire to do for my father, what I knew he would do for me.

Hearing the anecdotes of dozens of families who have also lost loved ones certainly strikes a chord, Smiley said.

Youre part of a club you never wanted to join but you feel their pain and regardless of the circumstances of those cases and how similar or different they are, were all going through the same thing, Smiley said.

When Smiley began advocating to law enforcement after her father's death, her older brother, Jeremy Bostic, found h s voice in law enforcement.

That's what steered me toward law enforcement. I became a police officer because I want to be able to help someone avoid what my family went through," said Bostic, now an officer with the Rosenberg Police Department.

The siblings went outside after the two-hour memorial to see their father memorialized in an engraved brick installed outside the Crime Stoppers building on Main Street. For their father, the brick reads: Norman Bostic, the best man, father, brother, son. You are missed.Alex Hinojosa is quite the Renaissance man.

When hes not serving as managing director of San Antonio-based North American Development Bank, Hinojosa might be making wine from the grapes he grows in his vineyard or harvesting olives on his farm in Rio Medina.

Or he might be playing some 70s rock, conjunto or a little country music on his guitar or drums. Or painting a portrait in oil or acrylic.

Or he might even be piloting his Cessna 150. Or he could just be looking after his grandkids.

I have a lot of hobbies, Hinojosa said, adding that its been a way for him to stay connected to his six children.

Occasionally, he combines his passion for flying with his day job by hopping in his plane for a business meeting.

I fly for business maybe about once a quarter, somewhere in Texas thats easier to get to in my own plane rather than driving, he said. Right now, to get to (the Rio Grande) Valley  there are no really direct flights that work for a full day.

Hinojosa has a lot of interest in the U.S.-Mexico border zone. After all, its on both sides of the border that NADBank finances water, sewer, landfill, road, stormwater, renewable energy and other projects. The bank is equally funded by the U.S. and Mexican governments.

The bank was established by legislation that was part of the North American Free Trade Agreement, signed in 1992. Since its formation, the bank has financed 246 projects. It currently has projects in four U.S. states  Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California  and six Mexican states, Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas.

There are many communities that we have helped, he said.

Quick facts on Alex Hinojosa First job where you earned an actual paycheck: Working on a farm - plowing, hauling hay, feeding cattle - near La Coste. If you had to pick a different career in an entirely different industry, what would it be: A career in the arts or managing investment funds. What book are you reading right now: "Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together" by Andrew Selee. What's your favorite movie: "The Quiet Man" Favorite vacation spot: Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico. If you could chose your last meal, what would it be: A ribeye steak and Tempranillo wine he's made from the grapes in his vineyard. See More Collapse

Hinojosa, 62, joined the bank in 2012 as deputy managing director and was promoted to managing director in November. He oversees a staff of 117 and $2 billion in assets. NADBank generated $29.3 million in net income last year, a 51 percent increase from 2016.

Hinojosa recently sat down with the San Antonio Express-News at the banks headquarters in downtown San Antonios International Center. Heres an edited transcript of the conversation.

Q: Did you grow up in San Antonio?

A: I grew up in the Castroville-La Coste area. I went to Medina Valley High School. I came to (San Antonio to attend) St. Marys University and have pretty much stayed here. (He earned a bachelors degree from St. Marys and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio.)

Q: What did your parents do for a living?

A: My dad was a welder, and my mom, when she worked, was a seamstress.

Q: What there something in your youth that set you on your career path?

A: I was working in a welding shop in shipping and receiving during high school. My dad had brought me in. I would see this young man with a coat and a tie, and a brand-new car, coming in regularly. He looked not that much older than me. I asked what he did, and they said, well, thats the auditor. So, thats what changed it for me. Everybody addressed him as mister. I thought, well thats nice.

Q: Talk about your career path.

A: I started off as an auditor, but then I knew that I wanted to get into being in accounting within a big corporation. (His bio says he led investment banking efforts at Cabrera Capital Markets and Frost Bank.) Then I wanted to be a finance director, so I got the opportunity (at San Antonio Water System).

Q: Are most people you meet familiar with NADBank?

A: In the border region or in the border states, yes. Both sides, Mexico and the United States, know us very well. I guess the three federal agencies (that oversee the bank), the Department of Treasury, the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department, and their Mexican counterparts. Outside of that, were a well-kept secret.

Q: What was the reason behind the banks establishment?

A: At the time, there was concern that the growth of industries and companies along the border would damage the environment. So they said, what can be done? Well, we can help the cities and the counties and the municipios be prepared for improvements to their infrastructure. Thats how the bank was created.

Q: Who are the banks customers?

A: We help a lot of cities, public entities and private companies. A lot of them are public-private associations. As an example, we are financing a desalination plant that has a contract with the Ensenada water company. Its a private company but doing a public service.

Q: Whats your typical loan?

A: Our sweet spot can range from $15 million to about $50 million. We have a rigorous review process. Every loan we do has to be approved by our board, so we cant get down to small projects  under $1 million or $2 million, because its expensive. What were really trying to do is work on (big projects, such as) wastewater treatment plants, solar farms and wind generation plants.

Q: You also provide grants for smaller projects, too?

A: We do about $14 million, $15 million in grants for about 10, 12 projects a year. Those are EPA monies that we administer.

During our first 12 years, we were mostly an administrator for grant money from the EPA. That was extremely helpful to the border communities, especially in Mexico. In 94, perhaps 22 percent of the wastewater flows were being treated in border states. Currently, were probably at 89, 90 percent. Its not all NADBank money, of course, because the money we invested had to be matched by the Mexican entities, both federal and local. That high level of wastewater treatment is much, much higher than the rest of the country. So it has worked.

Q: Are there certain projects you dont want to get involved with?

A: There are certain projects that are riskier. Anything that has to do with a lot of land is a bit riskier. There are some projects that I would like to get into, but we dont have a mandate to do.

Q: Like what?

A: Telecommunications.

Q: Building infrastructure so people have internet?

A: Exactly. (But) its not an approved sector for us at this point. Right now, were also looking at natural gas. There are a lot of U.S. companies that have natural gas that are going to sell into Mexico, and there are a lot of Mexican companies that are getting ready to build the pipelines. Wed like to get more into that.

Q: Whats the toughest part of your job?

A: The toughest part of the job is always trying to make sure all of the employees have a good understanding as to how were trying to help a community. As you know, any organization will have different departments with different functions. Ones mitigating risk, while the others trying to get the loan approved. One is looking at the legalities, while the other is looking at the technical aspects. Bringing them all together is important so that we say, OK, heres how were going to help this community.

Q: Have the trade tensions between the U.S. and Mexico had any impact on the bank?

A: No, I dont think they have. Of course, were always keeping our eye on the cost of the exchange rate and the cost of trade, moving equipment, because that does affect the project sponsors.

Q: So is the renegotiation of NAFTA going to have much impact on NADBank?

A: Well, I think that the renegotiation of NAFTA may provide some opportunities. Im assuming that when it gets done they will have certain goals, or certain needs. I have mentioned this to our federal government, we are standing by, ready to help. We are basically a tool for both the Mexican government and the U.S. government to carry out their goals  as it was back in 1994 when they wanted the environment looked at and they gave us the water, and the wastewater, and landfills to work on. In the same manner, we may be called once NAFTA 2.0 is done.

Q: Has President Donald Trumps policies had any impact on the bank?

A: No, we have our mandate. Weve followed it.

Q: Are there any concerns about Mexicos leftist president-elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador?

A: No. He was elected and we are standing by for when the transition team comes in. Im sure that they will have ideas as to things to look at, but were standing by.

pdanner@express-news.netErnst & Young, a longtime tenant at downtown's 5 Houston Center, has renewed and expanded its lease to 120,827 square feet.

The deal with landlord Spear Street Capital represents a relocation within the building at 1401 McKinney next to Discovery Green park, according to commercial real estate firm Transwestern.

San Francisco-based Spear Street Capital has made a number of improvements to 5 Houston Center since acquiring the building early last year.

"The new state-of-the-art fitness center, reimagined lobby complete with a new curated coffee concept and a newly constructed tenant lounge were all integral in the tenant's decision to extend their lease," Transwestern vice president Tyler Garrett said in an announcement.

RELATED: Q&A: In 100 years of business, EY has seen Houston prosper

With the expansion, Ernst & Young occupies about 20 percent of 5 Houston Center, which was built on downtown's southeast side in 2001. The assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services provider employs about 1,700 people in Houston.

Glenn Dyke, Sanford Criner and Jeff Cairns of CBRE represented the tenant.

"We are excited to expand within 5 Houston Center to provide our people even more opportunities to connect, collaborate and grow within our Houston office," Ernst & Young Houston office managing partner Bill Strait said.

RELATED: Real estate transactions

"Reflecting the energy, connectivity and diversity of the Bayou City, the redesign will allow our people to work with more flexibility and teaming throughout the day, providing an enhanced work experience."

5 Houston Center is close to several new restaurants, hotels, apartments, the George R. Brown Convention Center, Toyota Center and Minute Maid Park.

Earlier this year, Jackson Walker, another 5 Houston Center longtime tenant, renewed and expanded its law offices to 77,015 square feet.Houston Chronicle

Dr. Branko Cuglievan at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is the latest to receive a $200,000 grant from the Hyundai Hope on Wheels group.

A total of 38 new doctor-researchers received a combined $14.1 million in grants this year, aimed at supporting innovative research and therapeutic approaches to pediatric cancer.Gasoline prices in Houston and across the country fell last week, but the declines may be short-lived as crude oil prices rise.

The average price of regular unleaded in the Houston area fell 1.9 cents to $2.53 a gallon, while the national average dropped by less than a cent to $2.83 a gallon, according to GasBuddy, which tracks fuel prices nationwide.

RELATED: Major traders are talking about $100 oil again

In Houston, gasoline costs 10.6 cents more than it did at this time last year, when prices spiked after Hurricane Harvey. Nationally, prices have increased by nearly 29 cents during the same period.

The declines, however, are likely temporary. Crude oil prices surged last week ahead of Sunday's OPEC meeting, where the world's largest producers decided not to immediately boost output to keep prices in check.

The outcome of the meeting has driven crude oil prices higher still. On Monday morning, the international benchmark hovered at $80.82 dollars a barrel, while the U.S. benchmark neared $72 a barrel in New York trading.

Oil prices are expected to rise again ahead of November, when the U.S. imposes additional sanctions on Iran. That will further restrict that nation's exports, cutting into global supplies.

RELATED: OPEC, allies agree not to further increase oil production

Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, said those sanctions could have larger-than-anticipated effects on global stockpiles in light of OPEC's decision not to boost output right away.

"Gas prices may not see the typical decline we had been expecting as recently as the last two weeks," he said. "That's not going to be good news for motorists."The rise of U.S. shale oil is set to extend well into the 2020s, stealing market share from OPEC, the group said in its latest World Oil Outlook.

Total supply from outside of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will surge by 8.6 million barrels a day from 2017 to 2023, to 66.1 million barrels a day. This will mainly be driven by increases in U.S. shale oil output, the report said. The estimates from this years report are a slight increase from those of the previous year.

American tight oil production will rise to 16 million barrels a day by the late 2020s, the report said, making up almost 25% of total non-OPEC supply by then.

RELATED: OPEC, allies agree not to further increase oil production

Once U.S. production peaks, demand for OPECs oil should grow again, rising by 10.5 million barrels a day from 2017 to 2040. However, OPEC forecasts that its share of the global crude supply mix will rise just 2 percentage points, to 36%, by 2040.

On the supply side, the key theme is the sustained recovery and significant growth in US tight oil production, OPEC said in the report. The long-term focus for additional liquids remains on OPEC.

Brent has gained about 18 percent so far this year -- at times topping $80 a barrel -- as production cuts from OPEC and its allies, as well as robust demand growth, have supported prices. The U.S. benchmark, West Texas Intermediate, has risen by 17 percent since the start of the year, reaching more than $75 a barrel.

Higher prices have helped to boost investment in crude globally, particularly in U.S. shale projects. Weekly American oil exports reached as much as 3 million barrels a day in June, while production has set several records this year.

MORE RIGS: Texas growth offsets rig count dip elsewhere

Its not just the U.S. thats offering up stiff competition for OPEC. Supplies are also forecast to grow from other producers outside the bloc including Canada, Kazakhstan and Brazil, which will collectively add another 2.6 million barrels a day to markets by 2023.

OPEC said that global oil demand is set to increase by 14.5 million barrels a day by 2040, to 111.7 million barrels a day. Thats up from 97.2 million last year. However, the pace of growth will slow over time. In order to meet global crude demand growth, almost $11 trillion of investment will be needed across the industry to 2040, the producer group said.

The report says that oil is set to retain the highest share in the global energy mix through to 2040. However crudes share will fall to 28 percent by then, down from 32 percent in 2015. OPEC forecasts that despite relatively low demand growth for fossil fuels through 2040, they will remain the dominant component in the global energy mix, with a share of 75% in 2040 -- a drop of 6 percentage points from 2015.

While investments picked up slightly in 2017 compared to the previous two years, and the expectations are for higher levels again in 2018, it is vital that as an industry we ensure there is timely and adequate investment so as not to lead to a supply shortage in the future, OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo said.

OFFSHORE: Shell in talks to sell $1.3 billion in Gulf coast assets

OPEC launched the report on Sunday in Algiers, as its members met there with allies to discuss whether to increase production. OPEC and other producers allies tried in the Algerian capital to reassure the market that more oil is coming but stopped short of committing to the urgent supply boost that some people are looking for -- notably U.S. president Donald Trump. The meeting ended without any member committing to a specific output increase, delegates said.

2018 Bloomberg L.P.LOS ANGELES  A Million Little Things, the new ABC drama, is based on the idea that friendship isnt one big part of our lives but is made up of a multitude of tiny moments. Some are so small they are easy to overlook until a tragedy strikes.

The event that makes a group of male friends take another look at what brought them together is a suicide. The aftermath of that moment has the surviving friends  some of whom have achieved success while others are struggling in their careers and relationships  realizing there is a need to finally start living. And, that process means doing more than sharing seats at a sporting event but learning to talk and listen to each other.

As for the reason why their friend ended his life, thats a question that may or may never be answered. Series creator and executive producer DJ Nash (Growing Up Fisher) lost a friend to suicide and knows from experience some questions never get answered.

Nash explains: Our first season is about saying goodbye to John and looking at the reasons of why it might be. And we might discover what the straw was that broke the camels back, but we dont know what all of the straws are, and well never know which straw it was. And so I think thats really true.

I think, in telling the story about what happened to John and what happens to the rest of these friends because of John, we just want to be true to what would happen in life.

A Million Little Things stars David Giuntoli, Ron Livingston, Romany Malco, Allison Miller, Christina Moses, Christina Ochoa, Grace Park and James Roday.

Rodays character shows the most anger at the death of his friend, partly because hes been in a battle with a not-so-common form of cancer in men for so many years. He has had no problem relating to the friendship elements of the story.

I have some of the most incredible, sensitive, open male friends, Roday says. I think I may be the exception to the rule. I dont know if it is because they are actors or artists or that their constitution is different, but my male friends talk the  out of everything with each other.

A Million Little Things When: 9 p.m. Wednesday Network: ABC See More Collapse

I probably do the least amount, but I certainly listen and I feel like I know them very, very well.

Rodays best known for his eight-year run as Shawn Spencer on the USA comedy Psych. The detective series gave the Texas native a chance to show how he could make people laugh. One of the major reasons he wanted to be part of A Million Little Things is that he will get the chance to show he can play serious roles.

Its also a chance for Roday to get back to acting after spending the majority of time between the end of Psyche and the start of his new drama working as a director. Roday was behind the camera for episodes of Rosewood, The Resident, Battle Creek and Rush Hour.

I really, really enjoy directing, but it is tough to keep calling yourself an actor if you are not going to take a job like this one, Roday says. I really did find myself looking in the mirror and saying, OK, you either do this job and do all the other things or you pass on this job and you just do directing.

The show made me make a life-changing decision, but these are really, really rich human beings. This is a show that everybody can relate to because they have gone through something. The catalyst that launches us into this universe is a suicide, but the show is about picking up pieces and finding who you find yourself leaning on.

His decision to go back to acting is one of the million little things that have gone into forming Rodays life. He also thinks the decision he made to leave the East Coast  where he had studied at New York Universitys Theatre Wing and earned a bachelors degree in fine arts  to move to Hollywood was another of those little things that had a big impact.

Roday always thought he would live a New York life full of theater but in 1999 he was cast in the short-lived series Ryan Caulfield: Year One and moved west. He never went back.

It was 180 degrees different, Roday says. Life became a completely different animal. When you do this for a living, you can have all kinds of mixed feelings about it, but you know you have to get on the train if it comes in. You are not sure where its going to take you but it has been a really good ride.Rescued Pets Movement has helped nearly 30,000 Houston-area homeless cats and dogs find forever families. Around 270 supporters celebrated and raised funds at the Fur Ball Sept. 20 at House of Blues.

Founded in September 2013, Rescued Pets Movement is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that gives second chances to approximately 7,500 homeless animals each year through rescuing them from shelters and rehabilitating and transporting them to other communities across the United States and Canada, where there is a higher demand for pets ready for adoption.

Laura Carlock, RPM co-founder, chairman of the board and new executive director, said the organization started when its five co-founders decided building strong relationships with animal welfare groups in other communities was the best way to keep homeless dogs and cats in Houston from being euthanized. With more than 50 years of related experience between them, the co-founders realized the pet overpopulation situation in Houston required a shift from the normal thinking of taking animals from local shelters and adopting them out to area residents.

Because of Houstons pet overpopulation problem, the adoption market is saturated, and traditional rescues are limited in the number of pets they can save, Carlock said. RPMs supply and demand model has changed that calculus.

RPM has about 20 dedicated staff members that work in different roles such as animal care technicians and foster coordinators that help find foster homes, Carlock said. She said saving so many animals each year takes a large network of people, including approximately 500 volunteers and foster homes.

Without the tireless work of our volunteers, fosters, drivers, staff, vet team, partner veterinarians and partner animal welfare groups, RPM wouldnt be able to save the thousands of animals we save each year, Carlock said.

Cindy Perini, RPM co-founder and board member, attended the Fur Ball and said she was looking forward to raising a lot of money.

Its the biggest fundraiser weve ever had in our five-year history, Perini said. Im so excited to get money to be able to afford the animals that were going to save  we cant do it without the money. It funds our transport, the rehab, everything we do. It pays for the vetting, the clinic, all of that.

The event honored Leslie Alexander, former owner of the Houston Rockets and major benefactor for RPM. Alexander has two mutt dogs named Elton John and Mick Jagger and said he gives to the organization because he cares about homeless animals and because RPM does a great job creating solutions for the pet overpopulation problem in Houston.

If you love animals and their beings, you dont want to see them harmed or hurt. They need homes and loving, and RPM satisfies that, Alexander said.

Rescued Pets Movement is always looking for people willing to foster the pets it saves from death row. Carlock said the organization saves 10 to 50 pets a day. Also, she said RPMs operating costs are more than $2 million annually, and RPM depends on donations. Community members can contribute funds to help the work.

Carlock said the work Rescued Pets Movement does is valuable to the Houston community and to thousands of animal lives spared every year.

If we do not do the work we do, thousands of animals would unnecessarily die each year, she said. RPM strongly feels that giving back to our community is very important. Karma is a major driver, and RPM and their supporters karma buckets are certainly full.

To learn more about Rescued Pets Movement, fostering or donating, visit www.rescuedpetsmovement.org.

tracy.maness@hcnonline.comLocal and state officials are designing and constructing a multi-billion expansion to the Northeast Water Purification Plant expansion, which will help provide sustainable surface water to the region for the forseeable future.

The expanded purification plant will allow local water officials to extract 400 million gallons of safe drinking water per day from Lake Houston when it is completed in six years, officials said.

Ravi Kaleyatodi, project director for the expansion, said the Harris-Galveston and Fort Bend Subsidence Districts has mandated a conversion to surface water from ground water to limit subsidence  the sinking of land that threatens homes and businesses when water is pumped from the ground.

Kaleyatodi said currently only 30 percent of the water supply comes from surface water. By 2025 about 60 percent of the water supply should come from the surface water and the percentage should jump to 80 once the year 2035 arrives.

Why should we get off from ground water? One of the main reasons is because when you take water from the ground, it starts to subside, Kaleyatodi said. Second reason is growth. The region is growing at a rate of 1 million people per decade. We are expecting to see 2 (million) to 3 million more people by year 2040 in this entire region.

This project is funded by the North Harris County Regional Water Authority, Central Harris County Regional Water Authority, West Harris County Regional Water Authority, North Fort Bend Water Authority and the City of Houston.

Kaleyatodi said the City of Houston has approximately 560 million gallons per day of water rights in Lake Houston.

Currently, Kaleyatodi said they are designing and constructing the Northeast Water Purification Plant near Summerwood. It is located on 12550 Water Works Way, Houston. The design of the plant is about 60 percent completed.

A traditional job in Houston is design first and then after its designed we go out for bids. Then we get a contractor in and then start construction. That usually takes almost 7-12 years to complete. We dont have that kind of time on this particular project, Kaleyatodi said. Were going to start design and at the same time were going to start construction. The designer is also responsible for the construction.

Kaleyatodi also said the clearing of the site is done and the design and construction for the intake pump station in Lake Houston is about to begin.

That is the beauty of progressive design-build. The remaining design is still ongoing but the ones that are already designed are already in construction, Kaleyatodi said.

According to a previous article, construction for the Northeast Water Purification Expansion Project began early this year. The water capacity at the existing plant, located near Lake Houston, will grow from 80 million to nearly 400 million gallons a day.

Water will travel through through steel waterlines, and then through canals, to Lake Houston from the Trinity River. The plant will treat the water by ozonation, which disinfects the water and removes tastes, or odors.

Kaleyatodi also mentioned that there will be two set of lines that will distribute the water to the area.

The first line will be 17 miles long and is funded through a partnership with the City of Houston and the North Harris County Regional Water Authority.

The second line will be 35 miles and is a partnership with the West Harris County Regional Water Authority and the Fort Bend Water Authority.

The purification plant expansion is slated to be completed in 2024.

To stay updated on the Northeast Water Purification Plant visit www.greaterhoustonwater.com or visit www.newppexpansion.c

om

kaila.contreras@chron.comThe Texas Czech Genealogical Society invites everyone to attend the Sept. 29, program Celebrating the Centennial of the Founding of Czechoslovakia and the U.S. and Czech Partnership.

For details go to www.txczgs.org.

The program will be held at the Caldwell Civic and Visitor Center, 103 Texas Highway 21 West in Caldwell. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with the program from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Membership in TCGS is not required to attend.

Speaker presentations will center around establishment of Czech National Alliance Branches in Texas and how their Texas ancestors worked to help create a sovereign Czechoslovakia and World War I and the role played by immigrant communities, including Texas Czechs.

Pamatnik Cechoslovaku, originally published in Czech in 1920, is a tribute to Texas Czechs who worked together during the World War I years to form a sovereign Czech country. Carolyn Loydasek Holub, who has worked on translating the book into English, will review this upcoming TCGS publication, which is a history of the Czech National Alliance Branches throughout Texas. Texas Czechs banded together under the Czech National Alliance to raise funds, hold lectures by influential speakers and to publicize the plight of the Czech people living under the Austrian yoke.

Other speakers include Dr. Lila Rakoczy, a noted speaker with the Texas Historical Commission, will present Texas and the Great War: The Impact on Immigrants and Immigrant Communities, Carroll Brincefield, TCGS President and frequent historical conference speaker, will discuss The TCGS World War I Memorial Wall and Display Project with the Czech Heritage Museum and Genealogical Center in Temple, and Dotty Davis, TCGS Vice President, will present a video on Sergeant Stubby, World War I Dog, and his role as the official mascot of the United States 102nd Infantry Regiment.

A silent auction will be held and the TCGS sales table will be laden with authentic Czech items and TCGS publications.

For more information or to register contact Carolyn Holub, 2741 Falcon Way, Midlothian, TX 76065-4713; phone 214-577-0029, cholub1088@gmail.com

You do not have to be a TCGS member to attend. The Texas Czech Genealogical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.Pack 130 opened the new year with its opening troop meeting on Monday, Sept. 18.

Pack 130 is a family centered diverse group with one goal: To teach our sons to have fun while learning something new. A little healthy respect for God and country is thrown in for good measure.

The troop consists of six dens:

Lion - Kindergarten

Tigers - 1st Grade

Wolves - 2nd Grade

Bears - 3rd Grade

Webelos 1 - 4th Grade

Webelos 2/Arrow of Light - 5th Grade

This year, the troop has several activities planned throughout the Bellaire and greater Houston area. Among the planned events are:

Pack 130 Popcorn Sales - Sept. 18 through Oct. 18.

Fall Campout - Bovay Scout Ranch - Oct. 26.

Scouting for Food - Nov. 10, Donation Pick up. (Flyers will be sent out on Nov 3.)

Winter Service Project - Dec. 4 - Jingle Express -Assembling Bags of Food for Needy Families

According to troop leaders, In Troop 130, each Cub Scout learns to respect his family, home, country, and other people. So, if you see one of our scouts in the community, we encourage you to say hello and ask about our motto Do Your Best.

For more information about Boy Scout Troop Pack 130 Bellaire, contact Scout Master David Wu david.wu@crowncastle.com or Committee Chair Sonu Mathew sonulivingcolor@gmail.com.The Menil Collection main building reopened to the public on Saturday, Sept. 22, after seven months of subtle updates and a reimagining of the gallery spaces.

Rebecca Rabinow, director of the Menil Collection, noted that the closure of the Menil originated because the fire detection system needed to be updated.

In doing that update, the staff had to take the art out of the individual galleries. This lead to opportunities to redo the flooring, as well as enhance the light in some galleries.

So all of a sudden the scope of this little project was changing, Rabinow said. This was also a moment to turn to the curators and ask, Is what is on view, should be on view? Lets do a deeper dive into a permanent collection.

According to Rabinow, there were items in the John and Dominique de Menils collection that had never been on display in the museum  until now.

This became a two year, very concentrated effort of reimaging what the Menil galleries could be, Rabinow said.

Rabinow urges visitors to keep coming back to the Menil, because the works in the collection will be rotating over the next 12 months.

A new painting that visitors will see when entering the Menil is Middle Passage, 1970, by Guyana-born British artist Frank Bowling. It was acquired by John and Dominique de Menil in 1970.

This depicts the treacherous middle passage as slaves were taken from Africa and brought over to the Americas, Rabinow explained. We thought that there was no more fitting way than announcing what the Menil is about and how exciting this new installation is, than to put this on view.

Michelle White, senior curator, and Paul Davis, curator of collections, gave a tour of the new galleries, highlighting pieces throughout.

The museums on display collection of modern and contemporary art has been expanded, as well as the surrealist collection.

We cant tell a story about modern art like most museums can, but we can present these pockets that tell us a bit about the de Menils collecting strategies. When they loved and believed in an artist, they collected that artist in depth, White said.

Two new rotating series have been incorporated from the museums collection. These are Collection Close-Up, and Contemporary Focus. Collection Close-Up provides an exploration of lesser-known pieces of the Menil collection. This is starting with Claes Oldenburg and the Geometric Mouse.

Contemporary Focus highlights the de Menils support of living artists. It debuts with American artist Leslie Hewitts large geometric sculptures made of steel, Where Paths Meet, Turn Away, Then Align Again, 2012.

Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko paintings are also on display in a gallery. Locals may recognize Rothko as the artist who is the name sake of the nearby Rothko Chapel, whose paintings were commissioned by the de Menils for the space. Newman is the sculptor of Broken Obelisk, which is outside the chapel.

We have one of the most remarkable collections of Newman. He only produced about 120 paintings in his lifetime, White said.

A machine by Jean Tinguely, Dissecting Machine, 1965, on display at the end of one of the corridors, will be operated every at 12:15 for two minutes. It is artwork made out of motorized cast iron and welded steel machine parts, complete with dissected mannequin parts.

There has also been a new configuration of the Ancient World galleries, as well as a new gallery for the Pacific Islands art.

We wanted to share these works in their utilitarian function, Davis said, citing an example of an archaic kylix, or a Greek cup with a shallow bowl. It is best displayed propped up. It was a wine basin, and this is how you would have drank from it.

African and early modern European art is also on display in The Image of the Black in Western Art project, which includes a portrait of William Ansah Sessarakoo (1736-1770) by British portraitist Gabriel Mathias.

The Menils started this project in 1960. This started as their response to the segregation and racial issues that they were witnessing in the south, Davis said.

The Menil is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.menil.org.

rebecca.hazen@chron.comSept. 15

An officer viewed a one vehicle crash into a utility pole in the 6600 block of Weslayan. After further investigation, the driver (Mark Alexander Cox) was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated.

At 4:03 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 3000 block of Georgetown in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle that had already occurred.

Sept. 16

Officers were dispatched to the 2800 block of Plumb in regard to a trespasser. Upon arrival, it was discovered that the front door to a residence had been damaged and the trespasser was no longer on location. A report for criminal mischief was generated.

At 7:43 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the Memorial Villages Police Department to pick up a prisoner with outstanding warrants with the West University Place Police Department. The prisoner (Rafael Concepcion) was transported to the West University Place Jail for booking without incident.

Sept. 20

An officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby for a report of Identity Theft.

An officer was dispatched to the Harris County Sheriffs Office Jail to pick up an individual with outstanding warrants out of the City of West University Municipal Court. The individual (Julian Galindo) was taken into custody and transported without incident.

At 9:31 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 3600 block of Cason in regards to an in-progress disturbance. The subject was determined to be a danger to themselves and/or others and was taken to the Neuropsychiatric Center for evaluation.Get ready to travel.

The first annual Hispanic Heritage Festival is coming to the Katy area and travelers will have the chance to visit 19 different Spanish-speaking countries.

We have celebrated Hispanic Heritage month for five years at Central Green said Yvonne Arceneaux, Central Green Parks Manager. However, this is our first festival. We are featuring 19 (Spanish)-speaking countries and Puerto Rico.

The free family event is scheduled to take place at Central Green at La Centerra Commercial Center Blvd. on Saturday, Sept. 29 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The kids are going to get a passport and they going to go walk around to each country to learn a little bit about each one, she said.

The festival will feature the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Spain, Uruguay, Argentina and many others.

Hosted by Willow Fork Drainage District, the festival will also feature music, face painting, dances and door prizes.

National Hispanic Heritage Month, with roots that date back to the 1960s, begins each year on Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 15. The month is a celebration of the achievements of Latinos throughout history.

For five years the celebration at Central Green was more like a big party, with bands and music, Arceneaux said. This year, she hopes to educate the community about the diverse culture in the Katy area, she said.

Central Green is wonderful; on any given night, you can walk around, and you hear eight different languages being spoken, she said. We have a majority of Hispanic representation in our community. I felt it was important to give them a taste of home and celebrate their culture.

Fort Bend County, where more than 760,000 people live, is home to about 24.5 percent Hispanic residents and Katy has about 30 percent Hispanic population, according to the United States Census Bureau. Waller County has roughly a 30 percent Hispanic population.

Central Green is a half-acre public park developed by Willow Fork Drainage District to serve as a central gathering space for Katy residents and visitors and is publicly owned and operated by the WWFD, according to information from the WWDD.On Monday, Sept. 24, the Katy City Council will meet to discuss the 2018-19 proposed budget.

According to a notice from the city, This budget will raise more total property taxes than last years budget by $1,089,145 or 9 percent, and of that amount $723,892 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year.

Revenues are expected to be more than $28.4 million, up from $26.1 million in the current budget. Expenditures in the proposed budget are $28.4 million.

Among the highlights of the budget is a proposed 3 percent cost of living increase for city employees. The proposed tax rate of 0.48672 cents per $100 property valuation is unchanged from the previous year. Without exemptions, the tax on a $150,000 home would be $730.08 and on a $200,000 would be $973.44.

The City Council public hearing on the proposed 2018-19 budget will be held as part of the regular City Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 24, at Katy City Hall, 901 Ave. C. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

By law, cities must have their budgets and tax rates adopted by Sept. 29.

Katy ISD meeting

The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees will meet Monday, Sept. 24, in the Education Support Complex Board Room, 6301 South Stadium Lane, Katy, Texas 77494. The closed meeting will begin at 5 p.m. The open meeting will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m.

CDBG disaster funds

The city of Katy will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24, at Katy City Hall, 901 Ave. C, regarding Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery Round 1 Funding (Hurricane Harvey). The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated Harris County $1.115 billion of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds. The city of Katy has been informed of a possible allocation of $3,653,207.

Chamber of commerce

Katy Area Chamber of Commerce will conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, at Tide Dry Cleaners, 2201 S. Mason Road, Suite 100, Katy. The grand opening will be 2-6 p.m. Visit https://katychamber.chambermaster.com/eventregistration/register/19907 to register for the event.

Military sendoff

Texans Embracing Americas Military is organizing a send-off for recruits headed into the military from 2-3:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, at Second Baptist Church-West Campus, 19449 Katy Freeway. Visit www.facebook.com/TEAMKatyTx for information.

rkent@hcnonline.comCollin Roberts is excited about his future. As early as next year, he expects to be a student at Blinn College followed by a four year university where hell study business or mechanical engineering.

Its a far cry from where his life had been recently  filling order bags and carrying out the trash at a local fast-food restaurant. But, opportunities are limited for high school dropouts.

Thanks to a unique partnership of sorts between the Katy Independent School District and the Simon Property Group, the company that owns Katy Mills Mall, Roberts is among almost 50 dropouts from KISD high schools who have the chance to earn not a General Equivalency Diploma  better known as a GED - but their actual high school diploma.

We are recovering students who have dropped out or stopped attending from every one of our high schools, said Heather DeVries, coordinator of the Simon Youth Academy. We take students from wherever they come.

The academy is housed in a former 5,000 square foot storage area at Katy Mills Mall that was leased to the Simon Youth Foundation for $1 per year. The campus is located behind secure doors in an out-of-the-way portion of the mall. There are sections of the tidy but not cramped campus devoted to science and math and others that concentrate on subjects like English and history. They even have a Spanish language program. While there are about a half-dozen certified teachers on hand, most of the learning is done on-line.

Roberts, 19, was in his senior year at Cinco Ranch High School when he finally gave up on the traditional school model.

I had always struggled with going to school. My attendance was always terrible, he said. There were times when I wouldnt go go for two weeks in a row.

He quickly fell behind in his studies. When youre someone who doesnt particularly like going to classes or doing his homework in the first place, catching up to his fast advancing peers at a campus like Cinco Ranch High becomes a lost cause.

Im academically capable of completing high school, Robert said. Its just how they have it - it deters me. I dont fit the system thats in place.

Roberts needed money to pay his bills when he left school so he got a job at a local Sonic restaurant. But even then, the lack of a diploma would have kept him from anything but the most mundane and unskilled positions there.

Even if you wanted to work in the food industry, you still need an education before you can move up, he said. I was making drinks and packing bags. Nobody wants to do that for the rest of their life.

Because many of the students like Roberts at the academy are still working, the classes are divided into three four hour blocks. They can come to the one that works best with their schedules.

Last year we had more students in the afternoon session, DeVries said. We have the flexibility to make sure we can accommodate the students.

In addition to a somewhat slower pace and more personal contact with teachers, the returning students at the Simon Youth Academy generally have fewer social pressures to contend with then those who attend traditional schools.

Its kind of cool to be around people who have had similar struggles or gone through similar things, Roberts said. You dont have to worry about anybody else but you and your lesson.

Although the campus belongs to the Simon Youth Foundation, Katy ISD provides the teachers and the education material. Katy ISD Vice President Bill Lacy has been to the school and even attended a couple of their graduation ceremonies. He said one of the students was living in his car while going to the classes.

He had nowhere to go but he was able to get his diploma so he can further his career, Lacy said. It does your heart well to know these students want to get their high school diplomas.

Roberts works in the afternoon so he attends the morning block of instruction at the academy. Because the class size is smaller, students there have the chance for more one-on-one time with a teacher than in a traditional classroom setting.

If you need extra help, the teachers will sit down and explain exactly what you dont get, Roberts said. You can spend as much time as you need on what you dont get.

For those who may wonder if the Simon Youth Academy is a diploma mill, DeVries their program is completely credible. Even though most of the instruction comes through a computer screen, it has all been vetted by the districts curriculum officials, she said.

We are all about high school diplomas, she said. They get high school diplomas and theyve earned it.In an effort to continue the Montgomery County Veteran Treatment Courts successes going forward, the Texas Veterans Commission recently awarded the court grant funding for the second year.

359th District Court Judge Kathleen Hamilton, who oversees the Veteran Treatment Court, as well as Veteran Treatment Court Coordinator Josie Iracheta, were presented a $100,000 grant check from the commission last week.

We are so thankful for this grant, Hamilton said. This allows for us to pay for the court coordinator position who prepares the docket for each of our veterans which is like a little book containing reports from counselors, medical appointments at the VA and all other information pertaining to their case.

The Montgomery County Veterans Treatment Court Program was designed to serve veterans and active service members who suffer from mental illness, mental disorders and substance use issues due to military service, which was found to be a contributing factor in their misdemeanor or felony criminal offense.

The Montgomery County Veteran Treatment Court Coordinator also prepared the paperwork for this grant as well as appears in court, answer calls and helps veterans through the court process.

This grant is also so important for our court because it will pay for all monitoring devices such as the intoxilyzer in homes or cars that tests for alcohol consumption, the drug patches and office supplies, Hamilton said. This treatment court is a huge benefit for our veterans. They have made sacrifices to serve our country and deserve a second chance.

The court was initially created when County Court-at-Law 2 Judge Claudia Laird proposed its creation in March 2015, allowing for the Montgomery County commissioners, at the time, to vote the court into existence.

According to Hamilton, they welcomed two new participants last week and expect to include two more this week.

This is a growing court, Hamilton said. Thanks to grants from the Texas Veterans Commission, we are able to keep this court alive and help our veterans.

To qualify for the court, the veteran must:

be charged with a criminal offense in Montgomery County

be a United States veteran, on active duty, or in the Reserves, or National Guard or State Guard

be active duty or have an honorable discharge, or general discharge under honorable conditions (if separated or retired)

served in a combat zone or hazardous duty

the charged offense must be the result of a mental illness or disorder, substance abuse disorder or traumatic brain injury suffered due to military service in combat or hazardous duty.

For more information, visit http://www.mctx.org/departments/departments_q_-_z/veterans_treatment_court/index.php.

jennifer.summer@hcnonline.comSienna Plantation has unveiled a new entrance into the community with the extension of Sienna Parkway to FM 521.

The 2.2-mile extension from Waters Lake Boulevard to FM 521 allows Sienna Parkway to stretch from Texas 6 to FM 521. The new intersection is approximately two miles south of Texas 6 and four miles west of Texas 288.One person was killed early Monday when a car collided with an 18-wheeler on U.S. 290 near Hempstead, officials said.

The driver of the car veered into the opposite lane of the Northwest Freeway at Texas 6 about 4:30 a.m. and hit the big rig, officials from Texas Department of Public Safety said.A woman was seriously injured when her sister drove over her in Greenwood Village Sunday night, according to Metro Video.

The sister was trying to pull the family pickup truck into a driveway, at Mohawk and Foy, around 9:15 p.m., Metro Video reported.Season starts with Alice in Wonderland Jr

Sugar Lands national award-winning community theater, Inspiration Stage, will begin its 2018-19 season with performances of Alice In Wonderland Jr Sept. 28-30 at Sugar Land Auditorium at 226 Lakeview Drive. The 2018-19 season includes youth and adult productions, as well as acting and production classes. Tuition assistance is available to qualifying participants. Visit www.

inspirationstage.com for tickets and information.

Job Fair

Missouri City will host the second annual Job Fair & Career Development Forum from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 28 at City Centre, 2880 La Quinta Drive. Visit https://www.missouricity

tx.gov/ for details.

Dancing Under the Stars

Sugar Land Town Square, Texas 6 at U.S. 59, hosts Dancing Under the Stars with Fred Astaire Dance Studio instructors from 7:30-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28.

Fair parade

The 2018 Fort Bend County Fair Parade will officially kick off the 82nd annual Fort Bend County Fair at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 28. The parade will begin at the Fort Bend County Courthouse in Richmond and proceed down U.S. 90A to Jennetta Street in Rosenberg. The theme is County Fair is Our Favorite Time.

Armed Forces

Appreciation Day

Friday, Sept. 28, is the Fort Bend County Fair Armed Forces Appreciation Day. Military veterans and their families receive free admission from noon-6 p.m. with a military or veteran ID. Food will be served from 6-7 p.m. at the Texas Stage to the first 500 people. The fairgrounds are located at 4310 Texas 36 S. in Rosenberg. Call 281-342-6171 or visit fortbendcountyfair.com for information.

County libraries

close on Fair Day

All branches of Fort Bend County Libraries will be closed Friday, Sept. 28, in observance of Fort Bend County Fair Day. Regular library hours will resume on Saturday, Sept. 29.

The online library is always open at www.fortbend.lib.tx.us for searching the catalog, renewing books or placing holds, streaming movies or music, downloading e-books, or using the research databases.

Sept. 29

OutRun Hunger

family walk/run

Harvest Green will host the OutRun Hunger Family 5K Walk and Run on Saturday, Sept. 29. The event will benefit East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry and will take place rain or shine. The Kids Run will start at 8:30 a.m. and the family 5K at 9 a.m. at the Harvest Green Farmhouse, 3400 Harvest Corner Drive, Richmond. Sponsorships are available. Visit https://

www.signmeup.com/

reg/form/126882/regis

tration or https://www.

facebook.com/events/

843724365833956/ to register.

Day Out in Precinct 3

Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers and Fort Bend Precinct 3 Constable Wayne Thompson will present National Day Out from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 29 with Precinct 3 public agencies at the Precinct 3 Annex, 22333 Grand Corner Drive, Katy. The event will include emergency vehicle tours, meeting first responders, pet adoptions, free food, inflatables, face painting and games.

Bollywood Boogie

The Rhythm India Bollywood Dance Co. will perform dances in vibrant Indian costumes as part of the Sept. 29 Bollywood Boogie at Sugar Land Town Square, Texas 6 at U.S. 59. The event is from 7-8:30 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn some dance moves from the instructors. The event will feature booths with henna and face painting and supports East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry.

Indie Routes Band

Stafford Centre, 10505 Cash Road, Stafford, will host Indie Routes Band at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29. The concert is presented by the Indo-American Association Houston in collaboration with Aga Khan Council for Southwestern United States. The eight-member band was founded by Aabhas and Shreyas Joshi and performs sufi, contemporary folk, Bollywood and Indie Pop music. Visit www.iaahouston.com or call 832-231-3086 for information.

Pre-National Night

Out Kick Off

Missouri City again will participate in National Night Out celebrations on Tuesday, Oct. 2. Neighborhoods will host block parties. The kick-off block party will start at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Missouri City Police Mini-Station, 1703-A Texas Parkway. Members of the fire and rescue services and the police department will greet participants and hand out crime-prevention materials. Displays will include a Dalmatian bounce house, tactical equipment and a rescue boat.

Oct. 1

Month-long

tour of homes

The Best Addressed Homes Showcase offers visitors opportunities to see more than 20 featured model homes, dressed up in the latest home decor fashions in Riverstone and Imperial subdivisions. Six-plus models will be open in Imperial. Riverstone will open the doors to 14+. Models are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Visit www.imperialsugar

land.com and www.river

stone.com for more information.

Oct. 3

Create a resume

Individuals creating a resume for the first time or revitalizing an existing resume can get hands-on help at a free, special workshop Get Your Resume in the Hands of the Employer at Fort Bend County Libraries University Branch Library, 14010 University Blvd., Sugar Land, from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 3. Monee Cheney, United Way Thrive Employment Coach with Family Houston, will provide tips on how to create effective resumes and cover letters that will attract the attention of prospective employers. Call 281-633-5100 or 281-633-4734.Local municipal utility districts should remain independent if The Woodlands becomes as a city.

Thats the advice from a consulting group helping The Woodlands Township Boards of Directors weigh the merits of incorporation.

Our recommendation is to leave the current operational model in place. There are 11 MUDs and they work collaboratively together, Matrix Consulting Groups Eric Hall told board members last week during one of the township incorporation study meetings. We did identify some risks and constraints, which would be typical. The MUDs all function independently but do collaborate via residential and commercial agreements.

MUDs manage water, sewage and drainage, mostly in unincorporated areas.

The incorporation studies are being done by three different consulting groups  Matrix has combined forces with a second firm called HR Green and the Novak Consulting Group  at a cost of about $875,000, which is coming out of the townships incorporation reserve fund.

Hall praised officials from all 11 MUDs in The Woodlands, as well as The Woodlands Joint Powers Agency and the San Jacinto River Authority, for their openness and transparency during the consulting firms efforts to gather information for the recommendation. Hall also pointed out that none of the 11 MUDs in the township have any staff, and instead those services are provided by the WJPA, which also helps provide a forum for collaboration between the MUDs.

Hall said the recommendation to keep the current MUD system was based on several factors. Each of the 11 MUDs has differing tax rates, debt and infrastructure. In 2017, Hall said, the 11 MUDs generated $65 million in revenue from user charges and taxes. Combined, the 11 MUDs have $500 million in resources such as land and infrastructure, but they also have a combined $40 million in debt.

Hall said if the township incorporated and did decide to absorb the 11 MUDs, the new city would also assume the debt they all carry and would need to find a way to spread out the varying tax rates across the entire community instead of how it is currently structured in which the MUDs have tax rates varying from very low to quite high.

There are also infrastructure needs. Hall said there are gaps in levels of service each MUD currently provides, non-compatible infrastructure and equipment between the 11 MUDs along with different budgets, revenue streams and goals.

We recommend the (current) system stay in place, Hall said, adding that the vision The Woodlands founder George Mitchell had for the role of MUDs in the growth of The Woodlands has worked out well.

For township board Chairman Gordy Bunch, that debt burden as well as having to redistribute the taxes from each MUD across the entire community were good enough reasons to not absorb the MUDs if the city does incorporate. Bunch noted that during prior explorations of incorporation by past boards, those elected officials shied away from the issue because, the absorbtion of the MUDs creates inequity.

Bunch also said he does not believe taking in the MUDs if the township incorporates is economically feasible in the next few years.

In using the oldest village in the township as an example, Grogans Mill, Bunch said the MUD responsible for that area has a low tax rate because it is built out and the residents have, paid their dues. To absorb all 11 MUDs, then spread the taxes around to the entirety of The Woodlands, he added, would be, an inequity for (residents of Grogans Mill.)

You (would) still have that inequity that as a municipality we have to even out across the board, Bunch said. There is no ability to bifurcate the debt. There would be an inequity to the residents of those districts.

Township board member John McMullan ask Hall and the consulting firms if more time was necessary to examine the issue more thoroughly. Hall agreed that a more in-depth analysis of all 11 MUDs was needed, but also said it is time intensive.

It requires time (for more analysis) and transition time to come up with equitable solutions for the community, Hall said.

Township board member Bruce Rieser said he agreed with the assessment.

As we go through this process, it is an all or nothing. If you do this piecemeal, you set up a double taxation situation, Rieser said. I really think this recommendation is correct. By leaving (the current 11 MUDs) in place, there is no impact (from it) on whether we incorporate or not. This will take planning and consideration.

Future possibilities discussed

After the main portion of the Matrix/HR Green assessment and recommendation on the MUD issue, Bunch took some time to address several other aspects of incorporation, especially when it comes to the fate of the 11 MUDs serving the community.

The incorporation process, Bunch explained, has two steps. The township board of directors would put the issue before voters and voters would decide. If the township voters approve incorporation, The Woodlands would become a general law city, Bunch added. After that, he added, a home rule committee would be formed to examine various issues and make decisions on how the new city might want to proceed on governance.

In that home rule committee process, Bunch advocated for addition of regulations or rules mandating that any possible absorption of the 11 MUDs have to be approved by the voters.

The decision (about absorbing MUDs) should be made by the people, not a board, Bunch said. The home rule charter committee should mandate any MUD absorption be fully approved by a vote of the people.

McMullan echoed Bunchs comments, saying there is no obligation to absorb the MUDs at this time, or even if the township does incorporate.

Some of what we thought we knew at the beginning of this process weve learned isnt true, McMullan added.

James Stinson, general manager of the WJPA, was at the meeting and afterward he said he was pleased with the recommendation that the township not absorb the MUDs if it does eventually incorporate.

It looked to me like it was a thorough and accurate evaluation, and I respect the townships decision. We appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve the community, Stinson said. If you have a MUD thats paid off its debt and its tax rate is less than 10 cents, and you have MUDs that still have outstanding debt and a tax rate somewhere above 20 cents, you can see the disparity there and I do not know how to make that equal.

Stinson said he and other officials were ecstatic at the level of involvement and MUD personnel that showed up at Thursdays meeting.

We had encouraged our directors to come and participate, and we had a great turnout, he added. From our standpoint, we appreciate the oppportunity to continue to serve the community.

Directors cancel one Wednesday meeting

At the end of the meetings on last Thursday, township board members decided to cancel the 4 p.m. incorporation planning session scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 26, because a public forum was scheduled for Tuesday night, Sept. 25, at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott. The three-hour public forum is solely focused on incorporation issues.

The board will still meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 26, for the regular meeting about township business.

jeff.forward@chron.comWASHINGTON - Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called late Sunday for a delay in further consideration of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after a second woman accused him of sexual misconduct.

"I am writing to request an immediate postponement of any further proceedings related to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh," Feinstein wrote in a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley, the committee's GOP chairman.

Her letter came after the New Yorker magazine reported that Debbie Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaugh's at Yale University, said he exposed himself at a party when they were both first-year students.

Ramirez, who told the magazine that they both had been drinking at the time of the incident, acknowledged some gaps in her memory but said she remembered another student shouting Kavanaugh's name.

"I would think an F.B.I. investigation would be warranted," Ramirez said.

In a statement issued by the White House, Kavanaugh denied the accusation and called it "a smear, plain and simple."

"I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name - and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building - against these last-minute allegations," he said in the statement.

The new charge further roiled Kavanaugh's nomination hours after the Senate Judiciary Committee had agreed to allow Christine Blasey Ford to testify Thursday about her claim that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers.

In her letter, Feinstein asked "that the newest allegations of sexual misconduct be referred to the FBI for investigation, and that you join our request for the White House to direct the FBI to investigate the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford as well as these new claims."

Republicans had agreed to delay a committee vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation until after the hearing with Ford took place, but many members of the GOP have said they are eager to move on with the process.

Before Ramirez's allegation was made public, some Republican senators indicated that they were unlikely to waver in their support for Kavanaugh.

"What am I supposed to do, go and ruin this guy's life based on an accusation?" Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on "Fox News Sunday." Ford's allegations that Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party in the early 1980s would be too thin to hold up in court, Graham said. "I don't know when it happened, I don't know where it happened, and everybody named in regard to being there said it didn't happen. I'm just being honest: Unless there's something more, no, I'm not going to ruin Judge Kavanaugh's life over this."

Democrats insisted Sunday that Kavanaugh's denials were not believable, and a public appearance would do little to sway their support for Ford.

"There are so many indications of his own lack of credibility," Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, said of Kavanaugh on CNN's "State of the Union." Her concerns about Kavanaugh's "very ideological agenda" and "inability to be fair," she said, predate Ford's allegations.

The New Yorker reported that at least four Democratic senators were aware of Ramirez's account and at least two had begun investigating it.

The magazine described an incident in which a male student exposed himself to Ramirez during a party. She acknowledged lapses in her memory of the episode, but said she remembered Kavanaugh standing to her right and laughing while he pulled up his pants, according to the magazine.

In a statement, White House spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said the administration "stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh" and described Ramirez's claim as "uncorroborated" and part of a "coordinated smear campaign" by Democrats.

The claim "is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say," she said.

A senior White House official also said the president wants to stick with Kavanaugh and believes people are out to smear him.

Ford's attorneys said Sunday that they agreed to the hearing despite the committee's refusal to let her speak after Kavanaugh's testimony, interview other people she identified as present at the party where the alleged assault took place, or ask the FBI to look into her allegations in advance of her appearance. Senate Democratic leaders sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Sunday urging him to direct the FBI to conduct an investigation into Ford's claims, arguing it would only take a few days.

Ford's lawyers also said they had not been told whether the Republican senators on the committee would themselves ask Ford questions or defer to staff or an independent lawyer to question her. It is customary that senators ask their own questions during public hearings. But there is a potential political risk if the all-male, all-white roster of Republicans on the panel - few of whom have any experience questioning sexual assault victims - grills Ford in a way that reminds viewers of 1991, when Anita Hill told the panel that Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas had repeatedly sexually harassed her. Thomas was confirmed.

"The Anita Hill hearing was a disaster, but they did have an FBI investigation; they did have other witnesses," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," charging that Republican senators had "predetermined the outcome" and set up a "he said, she said" showdown around Ford's allegations.

"The Senate, Congress, failed the test in 1991," Murray continued. "How the Senate handles this, and the Senate Republicans handle this, will be a test of this time, in 2018, in the 'Me Too' movement, can we do better? And I feel we are failing that if we don't do it correctly."

Ford alleges that Kavanaugh pinned her on a bed, drunkenly groped her, tried to take off her clothes and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. Ford said a friend of Kavanaugh, Mark Judge, was in the room - but neither he nor others who she said were at the party have claimed any knowledge or memory of the incident, although at least one said she believes Ford's allegations.

Ford told The Post one person at the party was a boy named "PJ." Patrick J. Smyth, a friend of Kavanaugh who signed a letter of support for his nomination, has told the Judiciary Committee that he has no knowledge of the party and has never witnessed Kavanaugh behave improperly toward women, according to a letter from Smyth's attorney that the committee made public on Sunday. Through his lawyer, Smyth declined to comment Sunday.

Ford said her friend Leland Keyser also was at the party. In an email to the committee, an attorney for Keyser wrote that she "does not know Mr. Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present." In a brief interview with The Washington Post, Keyser said she did not recall the party but believed Ford's account.

Last week, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said that if Democrats gain control of Congress in the midterm elections, they will continue to investigate Ford's allegations. When asked Sunday if she agreed with the idea, Hirono noted that Maryland - the state in which Ford alleges the assault took place - has lifted the statute of limitations on criminal prosecutions of most forms of sexual abuse, adding that "there may be an investigation along those lines."

"This is a situation that is not going to go away," she said.

But Republicans have argued that more FBI scrutiny would be superfluous.

"Their role in this case is not to determine who is telling the truth," Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., said Sunday on "Meet the Press." "I hope that we will get to the truth" during the Judiciary Committee hearing, he added.

President Trump also has backed the hearing, but he has questioned Ford's credibility, suggesting in a tweet last week that if the alleged assault was "as bad as she says," she would have filed charges at the time.

That tweet rankled at least one key swing vote on Kavanaugh's nomination, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who said last week that she was "appalled" by Trump's tweet.

The fate of Kavanaugh's nomination is likely to hinge on Democratic and Republican senators such as Collins whose votes are uncertain.

"If one Republican senator should decide that Dr. Ford's allegations, assertions, are true and that they are serious, it could make a big difference," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos."

Meanwhile, Republicans said they hoped that Trump would not weigh in with any more tweets.

"I would advise the president to let us handle this," Graham said Sunday.

---

The Washington Post's Emma Brown, Seung Min Kim, Tom Hamburger and Beth Reinhard contributed to this report.In an instant, it seemed, Maddox Ritch had disappeared.

The 6-year-old boy, who has autism, was walking with his father and another person Saturday at Rankin Lake Park in Gastonia, near Charlotte, North Carolina, when he took off running, his parents later told police. Gastonia spokeswoman Rachel Bagley told ABC affiliate WSOC that the two adults "started running after him, they lost sight of him, and no one has seen him ever since."

For the third consecutive day Monday, more than two dozen local, state and federal law enforcement personnel - with help from members of the community - continued scouring more than 1,400 acres in and around the park, a popular spot for picnicking, hiking and water sports. The FBI is assisting in the investigation, as search-and-rescue crews and K-9 units comb the grounds, police helicopters search from the sky and divers look in the nearby lake, authorities said.

"We're working around the clock with one goal in mind - and that goal is to find Maddox and to bring him home safely," Gastonia Police Chief Robert Helton said during a news conference over the weekend, according to CBS affiliate WBTV.

Maddox, who is nonverbal, has blond hair, blue eyes and is 4 feet tall, according to a missing person's poster from the FBI. He was last seen wearing an orange T-shirt that read, "I am the man," the poster said.

Helton said law enforcement agencies have been searching "nonstop" since the boy was reported missing Saturday, "checking every area, every trail, every corner."

Then the police chief pleaded with the public for help.

"If you were at Rankin Lake yesterday and saw Maddox or took video or photos of your outing at Rankin Lake Park, we would ask that you call us," Helton said Sunday, according to WBTV. "We know a lot of people were in the park yesterday and we have spoken to many of those people, but we have not spoken to everyone, and we would like to. No piece of information is too small. Something you may think is insignificant could be helpful to our case."

He added: "If you live near the park, we are asking that you search the areas around your homes for any clues to find Maddox. If you have a shed, a barn, a wooded area, please go take a look and call us immediately if you find anything out of the ordinary."

Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Washington Post.

FBI Special Agent Jason Kaplan said during the news conference Sunday that "unfortunately, it's not uncommon for special-needs children, or a boy who has autism or a girl who has autism, to get lost or be missing, so it's something we deal with unfortunately with some frequency."

He told reporters that investigators are considering all possibilities, including abduction, according to WBTV.WASHINGTON - A 74-year-old man who had been trapped for five days in his apartment at a fire-damaged senior housing complex was freed Monday, a chance rescue that came days after District officials announced that all building residents had been accounted for following the blaze.

The man, Raymond Holton, emerged without serious injuries and was evaluated at George Washington University Hospital. Engineers assessing the structural integrity of the building heard him yelling and used a crowbar to pry open the door of his second-floor apartment. They found him sitting on a couch.

"I wasn't scared. I be here by myself anyway," Holton said in a telephone interview from the hospital. "I thought they forgot about me. I didn't know about no fire."

Mayor Muriel Bowser , D, and Fire Chief Gregory Dean blamed the building's management company, which they said provided the city with an inaccurate report that all residents were safe. That report was a crucial factor in the decision last week by fire officials to suspend further searches of the Arthur Capper Senior Public Housing complex after initial chaotic rescues and evacuation.

Officials said they did not want to unnecessarily send firefighters into a building deemed in danger of collapse. "The building was considered unstable and we weren't missing anybody," Dean explained.

Officials at Edgewood Management, based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, did not return calls for comment Monday.

"Right now there are more questions than answers," said D.C. Council member Charles Allen, who chairs the public safety committee and was critical of the management company. "They told us every person was accounted for, but for whatever reason they didn't count everybody."

Noting complaints from residents that smoke detectors and sprinklers failed to fully operate, Allen said, "I remain stunned that we didn't have loss of life."

The city official called for a full internal review. "As with any major event, we need to answer what worked and what didn't," he said.

Fire officials agreed, saying the department would review its search procedures to determine whether their protocols should be changed, and whether they relied too heavily on the accounting by Edgewood. The officials said parts of the roof had begun to collapse and it would have been a significant risk to send firefighters in to check that all 162 apartments and other rooms were clear.

After Holton was found on Monday, firefighters and federal agents with dogs searched the building and said they found no one else inside. Police with cadaver dogs started another search Monday evening.

The fire broke out about 3:20 p.m. Wednesday and burned into the following day, destroying much of the sprawling four-story complex near the Navy Yard. Firefighters rescued residents from the upper floors of the building and Marines from a barracks blocks away joined the effort. Police officers and bystanders also helped with rescues, and firefighters helped some residents down on ladders as flames engulfed the top floor and attic space.

Allyn Kilsheimer, president of K.C.E Structural Engineers, said Monday that his crew discovered Holton as they searched unit by unit and swept the floor to ensure the building was safe for fire investigators. He said the man heard them as they were at his door and called out.

The door was swollen shut and workers used crowbars to open it. Kilsheimer, hired by Edgewood Management, said his crew found the man later identified as Holton and carried him out on a chair. He was in good spirits and wanted to walk out on his own, Kilsheimer told reporters. He said the man joked, "I'm not going anyplace."

Holton said from the hospital that he is "doing all right" and that he had his medication and bottled water during the ordeal. "I'm still hungry," he said with a laugh.

Holton's apartment has a view of an interior courtyard, not of the street that was filled with firetrucks. Holton said he heard someone banging on his door Wednesday - the day of the fire - but his door was stuck. "They were trying to get in but they couldn't get in," he said. He had no idea who it was; several groups were inside the building helping to get residents out. His phone had died. Kilsheimer said the electricity was turned off Saturday night.

But Holton said he never became alarmed.

Allen, the council member, said one of Holton's neighbors told him she called the management company worried after not hearing from Holton. It is unclear whether that report was confirmed and what, if any, action was taken.

In describing their response to the blaze, fire officials said on Monday that they had performed a "primary" search of the building, which was done while firefighters were still pouring water on flames. That consisted of searching areas deemed most dangerous, in this case the upper two floors, and checking as many rooms as possible. Dean described that as a "quick walk-through." Holton lived in an area that was not near the main part of the fire.

Meanwhile, fire and city officials were talking with representatives from Edgewood Management, which had a tenant list. Bowser said the company informed the fire department that Holton "was on a list and he was accounted for."

"We didn't know he was in the building," Bowser told reporters at a news conference on Monday.

Dean said a more extensive secondary search was not completed because of the perilous conditions inside the building. Fire officials said, for instance, that air conditioning units weighing thousands of pounds were dangling from the ceiling.

Mark Treglio, director of strategic campaigns for the International Association of Fire Fighters, said there is "no cookie cutter" checklist for rescuers conducting primary searches in a burning building, as safety of firefighters is paramount. The fire's size, intensity, location and a building's structural integrity in the moment determines how rescuers manage the scene, he said.

"Every search for every fire is going to be dictated by the safety of the people looking for victims," Treglio said. "You can't send more people in there with a roof collapse. Or you just created X amount more people who need to be rescued."

Laura Zeilinger, director of the D.C. Department of Human Services, said that Edgewood representatives told officials after Holton had been found Monday that "they had not laid eyes on him personally."

Bowser implored residents of the building, both those staying in city-provided housing and those staying with relatives, to get in touch with city officials "so we know exactly where you are."WASHINGTON - White House officials said Monday that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will stay in his job for now, following a chaotic morning of speculation that he was about to resign - a development that would have further destabilized a Justice Department already under siege because of the Russia investigation.

Job insecurity has been a regular feature of Rosenstein's life for more than a year, as the president and his allies have publicly attacked him over special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign and whether any Trump associates conspired with those efforts.

But his hold on his job never seemed as tenuous as Monday morning, after reports last week that Rosenstein, the No. 2 official at the Justice Department, had suggested secretly recording the president and mounting an effort within the Cabinet to remove him from office. Rosenstein has disputed the accuracy of those accounts, but his denials left plenty of room for interpretation.

Now, President Donald Trump plans to meet with Rosenstein on Thursday to discuss the situation - and the deputy attorney general's fate remains uncertain.

Multiple officials said that during conversations over the weekend between and among White House and Justice Department officials, Rosenstein indicated that he was considering resigning. During some of those conversations, Rosenstein said his resignation might be warranted to end the controversy, according to people familiar with the discussions, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk about internal deliberations.

Some Trump aides had counseled the president against quickly firing Rosenstein, arguing that such a move could be exploited politically by the Democrats and would be better done after the midterm elections.

Friday night, Rosenstein spoke with White House counsel Donald McGahn, according to a person familiar with the discussions. In that conversation, Rosenstein said he was willing to resign, but McGahn urged him to wait until they could talk further Monday morning, this person said.

By Sunday, some senior Justice Department officials had concluded that Rosenstein was about to be out of his job and began planning for Solicitor General Noel Francisco to take over supervision of the Russia probe. As part of that contingency plan, Matthew Whitaker, chief of staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, was slated to take over the other responsibilities of the deputy attorney general, according to the people familiar with the discussions.

When Rosenstein went to the White House on Monday morning, senior Trump advisers expected him to resign, according to several advisers. A Justice Department official, however, said Rosenstein had no intention of resigning but went there expecting to be fired.

As often happens in government, the two sides heading for a high-stakes confrontation decided instead to hold another meeting.

"At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C."

After Rosenstein met with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, he proceeded to a meeting of senior administration officials, the first indication that, at least for the moment, he was staying on the job.

Rosenstein appointed and has been overseeing Mueller, and ousting the deputy attorney general would probably raise concerns that the president or his allies were kneecapping the Russia investigation.

One Trump adviser said the president has not been pressuring Rosenstein to leave. The person said Rosenstein had expressed to others that he should resign because he "felt very compromised" and the controversy hurt his ability to oversee the Russia inquiry, said a person close to Trump.

Trump's attorney, Rudy Giuliani, said Monday that if Rosenstein is replaced, "they should put a brief hold on the investigation and review it from beginning to end."

Rosenstein has been a target of Trump's public ire and private threats for months, but uncertainty about his future deepened after it was revealed Friday that memos written by Andrew McCabe, then deputy FBI director, said that in May 2017, Rosenstein suggested secretly recording the president and invoking the 25th Amendment to replace him.

McCabe memorialized discussions he had with Rosenstein and other senior officials in the stress-packed days immediately after James Comey's firing as FBI director. At that moment, the FBI was deeply suspicious of Rosenstein's role in the decision, and the Justice Department was worried that it had lost credibility with Congress for giving Trump a memo that said the FBI needed new leadership.

Others involved in those May 2017 discussions said Rosenstein's comments about secretly recording the president were sarcastic and came as McCabe was pressing the Justice Department to investigate the president's firing of Comey as possible obstruction of justice.

In statements Friday, Rosenstein denied that he ever seriously contemplated secretly recording Trump or pursuing the 25th Amendment to replace the president, as was first reported by the New York Times.

"The New York Times's story is inaccurate and factually incorrect," Rosenstein said. "I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the department and are advancing their own personal agenda. But let me be clear about this: Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment."

In a second statement hours later, Rosenstein said: "I never pursued or authorized recording the president and any suggestion that I have ever advocated for the removal of the President is absolutely false."

That second statement was issued after a tense meeting at the White House between Rosenstein and Kelly, according to people familiar with the encounter. Those people said Kelly had urged Rosenstein to issue a more forceful denial, and officials in the White House and the Justice Department said they thought the second statement was in some ways weaker than the first - putting Rosenstein on even thinner ice.

For more than a year, Trump's comments about the Russia investigation have fueled demands on the right that Rosenstein be forced out of his job - countered by alarm on the left that his removal would signal a collapse of the traditional independence of the Justice Department.

Trump congressional allies who have been hammering Rosenstein over access to Justice Department documents, including McCabe's memos, said reports that he might resign or be fired highlight their need to see such documents.

"The latest reports on Rod Rosenstein underscore the desperate need for transparency at the DOJ," Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., wrote in a tweet Monday. "Release the documents. Declassify everything. Stop the games and show Americans the truth about this Russia investigation. If they have nothing to hide, they should act like it."

Meadows and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, have also called for Rosenstein to come back to Capitol Hill to testify this week, as the House is set to break for the campaign season soon.

"We've got to have Rod Rosenstein in front of the Judiciary Committee answering questions," Jordan said in an interview.

There are no indications that leading Republicans have agreed to call Rosenstein to testify, and House Judiciary Committee Democrats said Monday that they had received no notice from panel Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., informing them of an official summons.

That makes it unlikely that Rosenstein will head to Capitol Hill before his expected meeting with Trump on Thursday to discuss his fate.

Democrats said Rosenstein should hang tough. "Under no circumstances should Rod Rosenstein resign," Adam B. Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, wrote in a tweet. "This would place the Mueller investigation in even greater jeopardy. Rosenstein should continue to do his job, protect the independence of the DOJ, and if the President intends to obstruct justice, force Trump to fire him."

Rosenstein, a Republican and career Justice Department official who served under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, came into office on a wave of bipartisan support, but Comey was fired soon afterward, and Rosenstein was immediately drawn into fierce partisan battles surrounding the Russia inquiry.

Rosenstein became deputy attorney general in April 2017 and assumed oversight of Mueller's investigation after Attorney General Jeff Sessions - who did not disclose to Congress that he had met during the 2016 campaign with Russia's ambassador to the United States - recused himself from the inquiry involving the election.

Just days into his job as the No. 2 official at the Justice Department, Rosenstein wrote a memo criticizing Comey's handling of the earlier investigation of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server for government work when she was secretary of state.

The White House used Rosenstein's memo to justify Comey's firing. Days later, Rosenstein appointed Mueller, and the special counsel has since been examining the firing of Comey and whether it was part of a pattern of behavior that amounts to obstruction of justice by the president.

- - -

The Washington Post's Karoun Demirjian, Josh Dawsey, Robert Costa, Sari Horwitz, Matt Zapotosky and Robert Barness contributed to this report.

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Video: Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein has been the target of President Trump's ire for months. Here's a look back at their history.(Jenny Starrs,Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

Embed code:New details have emerged from two Southeast Texas wrecks that took seven lives in less than two weeks.

Failure to control speed was determined to be the cause of a Sept. 9 accident in Hardin County that claimed the lives of three teenagers and sent a fourth to the hospital, the Texas Department of Public Safety said in a report. The deaths and the community reaction to them dominated local news coverage for days.

In that multicar accident, on FM 787 near Saratoga, driver Caringtin Mosley and front passenger Alix Neel were both wearing seatbelts when Mosleys Chrysler 200 rear-ended a van, the DPS report said.

The two 18-year-olds from Batson died at the scene.

Rear passengers Garrett Saulters, 18, and Jaron Benavides, 17, were not wearing seatbelts, the report said. Saulters, of Votaw, was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. Benavides, of Kountze, remains hospitalized.

Immediately following the wreck, Benavides underwent surgery to remove his spleen and gallbladder and to put a rod in his left leg, his mother Heather Yates said at the time. He had a fractured right leg and a partially collapsed lung, she said.

Annie Murphy, a friend of the Benavides family, said Friday that the teen is no longer in the intensive care unit.

On Wednesday, Benavides tweeted that he didnt know how many people are behind me until this all happened. A real eye opener.

He also recalled his friends with the same type of intensity expressed by mourners at volleyball games, funeral home visitations and a public memorial.

They had so much to offer and were all kind hearted, he wrote.

Murphy has planned a Nov. 11 community-wide benefit to help with medical expenses.

Autopsy results for Mosley, Neel and Saulters have not yet been released.

The DPS report found nothing at the scene to indicate drugs or alcohol were contributing factors.

Police are still investigating a Thursday morning wreck that killed a mother and her three children, but Officer Haley Morrow of the Beaumont Police Department said the 18-wheeler rear-ended the vehicle carrying Chelsea Standberry, her children and three other relatives. The driver of the rig has not been charged with anything, Morrow said.

Standberry, 36, Anthony Standberry Jr., 10, Anaiyah Standberry, 8, and Chase Standberry, 6, of Marietta, Ga., were traveling westbound on I-10 near Major Drive.

An eight-vehicle pileup with at least one fire resulted.

Morrow said heavy traffic related to a separate, single-fatality wreck that occurred about two hours earlier on the same stretch of highway might have been a factor in the crash.

In addition to the four deaths, the wreck sent at least 10 others to the hospital.

The injured included Chelsea Standberrys husband of 10 years, Anthony; her 18-year-old stepdaughter; and her mother-in-law, who remains in a coma. Friday night, Anthonys cousin Nicole Jones remembered Chelsea as a loving wife and mother.

She also was an actress, born in Houston and raised in Atlanta, whose stage name was ChelseyRai S. Standberry.

I wouldnt have preferred anyone else to be a wife to my cousin or a role model to these kids from his other marriage, Jones said in a telephone call. She was the perfect role model on how to be a young woman. And thats what I admired about them.

Daughter Anaiyah was already following her mother into acting. Jones said they all were fun-loving and respectful.

They were very pure kids, Jones said.   Heaven has really gained four angels.

A GoFundme account to help with family funeral expenses had raised more than $11,000 by Friday afternoon.

Statewide last year, there were 433 fatal wrecks involving tractor-trailers.

erica.apodaca@beaumontenterprise.com

haley.bruyn@beaumontenterprise.com

phoebe.suy@beaumontenterprise.comWASHINGTON - White House national security adviser John Bolton said Monday that the United States wouldn't be leaving Syria so long as Iranian forces continued to operate there, suggesting the Trump administration had embraced an expanded mission in the embattled country beyond the defeat of the Islamic State.

Bolton made the comments to reporters in New York ahead of President Donald Trump's planned speech Tuesday to the United Nations General Assembly, directly linking any future withdrawal of American troops from Syria to the departure of Iranian forces from the nation. Iran has joined Russia and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to back Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in a war in its eighth year.

"We're not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias," Bolton said, according to the Associated Press.

For years, the Pentagon has said the U.S. military mission in Syria would conclude once U.S.-backed forces defeated the Islamic State and secured the territory the group once occupied. Countering Iranian forces hasn't been part of the U.S. military mission to date. So far, the military hasn't received orders from the White House to alter its operation in the country to counter Iran.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon hours after Bolton's remarks, said the U.S. military mission in Syria remained focused solely on the defeat of the Islamic State.

"Right now our troops inside Syria are there for one purpose, and that's under the U.N. authorization about defeating ISIS," Mattis said. "Our troops are there for that one purpose."

Mattis said both Iran and Russia had contributed to instability in Syria, and added that U.S. forces wouldn't simply be leaving abruptly and exposing people recently freed from Islamic State rule to a resurgence in violence.

The comments from the two top national security officials raised questions about whether the Trump administration had adopted a new policy on Syria. Theoretically, the U.S. military could officially stay in the country on a mission to defeat the Islamic State and prevent its reemergence - but still tie its departure to an agreement by Iran to remove its forces from the nation.

The Pentagon's years-long campaign to empower and assist local Kurdish and Arab militias in their fight against the Islamic State in Syria recently reached its final showdown in southeast Syria's Euphrates River valley, where the Sunni extremist group's remaining holdouts are facing pressure from U.S.-backed fighters and airstrikes.

This year, President Trump demanded an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. He later instructed his national security team to prepare for a withdrawal in the near future once U.S.-backed forces succeeded in finishing off the Islamic State.

But in recent months, that policy has appeared to be changing to support a longer-term U.S. military presence in the country.

In addition to seeking a defeat of the Islamic State, the president agreed to an indefinite effort in the country with the added goal of ensuring the exit of all Iranian military and proxy forces from the war-torn nation, according to James Jeffrey, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's representative for Syria engagement. Jeffrey said this month that American forces would remain in the country to ensure an Iranian departure, a sentiment Bolton seemed to echo Monday.

"That means we are not in a hurry," he said, adding that "I am confident the president is on board with this."

The possible shift in the Trump administration's approach came as Bolton, a long-standing Iran hawk, took over from H.R. McMaster as the president's top national security adviser. Bolton advocated for the administration's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear accord and criticized the Obama administration for crafting a strategy against the Islamic State that risked bolstering the position of Tehran.

"The result is that, today, as the ISIS caliphate disintegrates, Iran has established an arc of control from Iran through Iraq to Assad's regime in Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon," Bolton wrote in October 2017 before joining the White House. "If this disposition of forces persists, Iran will have an invaluable geostrategic position for possible future use against Israel, Jordan or the Arabian Peninsula's oil-producing monarchies."

Now, with Bolton coordinating national security policy, the Trump administration appears intent on using the approximately 2,000 American troops in Syria to blunt that arc of control.

The legal basis the U.S. military relies on to operate in Syria is a 17-year-old law from Congress that authorized the American armed forces to go after the perpetrators of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, namely al-Qaeda and any associated organizations. The military considers the Islamic State, which grew out of al-Qaeda in Iraq, an associated organization. The authorization says nothing about Iran.

When asked at the Pentagon this month about the possibility of extended military presence in Syria, Mattis said the administration remained aligned on its policy but didn't say the military had expanded its mission to include ejecting Iranian troops and militias from the country.

"We're working in Syria," Mattis said. "As you know, right now the authority is to go after ISIS, and that's what we're continuing to do."

Mattis said it was up to the president to decide whether American forces should stay in Syria longer-term as a bulwark against Iran, saying he was prepared to give his views on the matter and suggesting a decision on a longer-term presence hadn't been made.

"I'm ready for a conversation," Mattis said. "But that would be a decision by the president of the United States."Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his British counterpart Jeremy Hunt on Monday vowed to defend the current international system and multilateralism amid a slew of challenges.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with his British counterpart Jeremy Hunt on the margins of the UN General Assembly session on Monday, September 24, 2018. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

During their meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly session, Wang said that China and Britain, both permanent members of UN Security Council, should make their ties a stabilizer in a world fraught with uncertainty.

China insists on its commitment to win-win cooperation and development, and will not take the West's old path that a strong country is bound to seek hegemony, Wang said.

China is one of the founders and guardians of the current international system and world order, Wang said, noting that China is willing to enhance its cooperation with other countries including Britain to defend multilateralism and tackle all kinds of challenges.

Wang also urged Britain to honor its commitment not to take sides regarding the South China Sea issue.

He said China expects Britain to materialize its promise and show true respect for China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China expects Britain to do more things that promote bilateral ties, rather than those that undermine mutual trust, so as to secure a healthy and stable development of China-Britain relations.

For his part, Hunt reiterated Britain's stance that it will not take sides on the South China Sea issue, and is willing to properly handle disputes through dialogue with China.

He added that Britain highly values its ties with China, and is ready to build a Golden Era together with China.

Britain does not see China's rise as a threat, and is willing to commit to safeguard a rules-based international order while strengthening strategic dialogue and deepening exchanges and cooperation in various fields with China, Hunt said.A day after he made bail, Harris County authorities released the booking photo of 3-D printed gun adv0cate Cody Wilson, jailed over the weekend in connection with a sexual assault charge.

The Austin man was jailed in a case out of Travis County. He was arrested at a restaurant in Taipei City on Friday, according to Taiwanese media.

After he was extradited to the U.S. to face prosecution for allegedly paying to have sex with a minor, he was booked into the Harris County jail and released Sunday on $150,000 bail.

"We are glad that Cody is back in Texas again where we can work with him on his case. That's our focus right now, representing our client and preparing his defense," attorney Samy Khalil said in a statement late Sunday.

READ MORE: 3-D printed gun advocate Cody Wilson bonds out of jail in Houston after arrest in Taiwan

The so-called crypto-anarchist and owner of Defense Distributed was wanted on charges of sexual assault of a child after he allegedly exchanged naked pictures with a 16-year-old he met on SugarDaddyMeet.com, then took her to an Austin hotel and paid her $500 for sex.

Afterward, authorities say, he dropped her off at a Whataburger.

Wilson catapulted into the national spotlight in 2013 when he made the first fully 3D-printed gun and posted the blueprints online, downloadable for free. The guns have no serial numbers, can evade some metal detectors and are designed for do-it-yourselfers to make at home.

That move sparked pushback from the U.S. State Department as well as a federal lawsuit and eventually Wilson instead offered to send the plans directly to anyone interested.Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin will each receive $20 million to support the mechanical engineering departments at the universities.

The gifts, announced Monday by the Texas A&M Foundation, are from alumnus J. Mike Walker, the co-founder of Dril-Quip, a Houston-based manufacturer of offshore drilling and production equipment. Walker earned a bachelors degree and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M and a masters degree in mechanical engineering from UT Austin.

Mike Walker has made an extraordinary investment in the future of engineering, not only for the University of Texas, but for our state and our nation, Gregory L. Fenves, president of UT Austin, said in a joint statement with A&M.

This wonderful act on his part will propel an already stellar mechanical engineering program to new heights in our continual pursuit of excellence and mission to develop leaders who serve the world, Michael K. Young, president of Texas A&M University said in the statement.

TOUGHER TIMES: As offshore drilling struggles, Dril-Quip hangs on

Walker co-founded Dril-Quip in 1981. The company, with divisions in Texas, Scotland, Brazil and Singapore, designs and manufactures subsea, surface and offshore rig equipment for use oil and gas companies and drilling contractors across the globe.

My experiences at these two universities certainly helped me grow as an engineer, Walker said. But they also taught me how to be a leader  how to collaborate on big ideas, persevere through tough challenges and bounce back from failure. My education shaped who I am today, and I want to make that same opportunity available to as many students as I can.

Walkers career spanned from work at Exxon Refining, McEvoy and Vetco Offshore, and included a three-year stint teaching engineering mechanics. He retired from Dril-Quip in 2011 after serving as the companys chairman and CEO.

With Walkers gifts, researchers at both universities will be able to develop new technologies and students will benefit from greater access to experiential learning and leadership opportunities, said Dunae Crenwelge, a communications manager with the foundation.

BATTLE FOR SUPREMACY: Texas A&M replaces Texas as most valuable program

Our students and faculty will benefit tremendously, Fenves said. And, because of Mikes generosity, our mechanical engineering department will continue to expand its reputation as one of the best in the country.

The mechanical engineering departments at both universities are being renamed in Walkers honor: the J. Mike Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at UT Austin and the J. Mike Walker 66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M.Jay Maynor was sentenced to 40 years in prison after fatally shooting a man who sexually abused his daughter, Julia Maynor, 24.

Between the ages of 4 and 9, Julia Maynor was abused by her maternal grandfather, Raymond Brooks. Brooks pleaded guilty and served 27 months of a five-year sentence.

"Raymond molested me for either four or five years," Julia Maynor told Alabama News. "I don't remember when it started happening but I know it was for a very long time. It was long enough for me to think it was completely normal and made me to feel that he actually loves me in a different kind of way than my mother and father loves me."

In 2014, Julia Maynor said something to her father which prompted him to drive to Brooks' house and murder him. She says she can't remember what she said that spurred Jay Maynor to drive to Brooks' house that day, but that it had something to do with the abuse she sustained as a child.

On his way to Brooks' home, Jay Maynor also fired shots into a convenience store where he saw a man who'd reportedly been abusive to his stepdaughter.

Monday, Jay Maynor accepted a plea deal at a Cullman County, Alabama court in which he would plead guilty and his daughter would not have to testify in court.

GREENSPOINT MURDER: Mother learns her little girl killed in robbery

"Basically he took it so that I didn't have to relive the molestation and also be on the stand in front of a bunch of people talking about and bringing back memories of the molestation," Julia Maynor told WVTM. "My father was protecting me, like a father should do. He is an amazing father  actually the best. He loves us so much."

Julia Maynor waived her right to anonymity following her father's sentencing. She says that the sentence is unfair.

"I'm going through hell," Julia Maynor told Alabama News. "Everything comes back to me as to why this has happened. I feel like it's my fault. I'm sad but yet mad."

She is currently considering a divorce from her husband.

"Me and my husband are now going through a divorce because of it. I have completely pushed him out of my life," she told the outlet. "I am back in the same mindstate that it is wrong, even though we are married and have three kids, it's wrong. I keep making him miserable with my miserable life."

Julia says that the current circumstances have made her revisit her tormented childhood.

"I can still remember his smell, which is awful to me. I overcame my PTSD, but now I have had to relive it all over again," she said.The following interview was conducted prior to Bayers acquisition of Monsanto. Jim Swanson is now senior vice president/CIO and head of digital transformation at Bayer Crop Science.

There are great CIOs out there who, by changing the way their businesses relate to data, technology and the IT org, are strengthening their companies, boosting the bottom line, and even disrupting their industries. And a very few of those IT leaders are also, literally, aiming to change the world.

We sat down recently with one of the best examples of a world-changing CIO: Monsantos Jim Swanson. Five years into his tenure, he has helped leverage data to change how Monsanto runs its global agriculture business  and now Jim is leading a program to make Monsanto a true digital company, molding a workforce entirely steeped in technology and the unlimited potential of data.

Talking about his innovative Digital Leadership development program, Jim emphasizes the scope of the vision.

This is about enterprises transforming, not IT, he says. Its about the entire employee base and how important it is that every employee in the company is thinking this way. And its about what it takes to get there.

Creating a top-to-bottom digital workforce is an audacious goal, but Monsanto has no shortage of big-picture ambition. By connecting data across the company, breaking it out of its traditional silos and incorporating new data sources, the agricultural biotech giant is changing everything it does, from reducing its carbon footprint to improving seed availability to using climate science to help farmers get better yields. The result, Swanson says, is about more than one companys quarterly performance because when you change the way agribusiness operates, you change the way the world gets fed.

Transformation is sorely needed, he says, noting that as even as global population grows and climate challenges increase, theres only so much arable land for farming, only so much water. Monsanto has a unique opportunity to apply digital technology in this industry and have a substantial impact on the world.

CIO as economist, scientist, venture capitalist

We travel around the country and meet with CIOs regularly, and we ask them, Name one non-tech company thats leading the way on digital transformation. Who do you respect most? Monsanto, by far, is the most often mentioned company. Yet Swansons response to that statement draws out one of his strongest leadership qualities: humility. He is quick to credit other leaders and team members, and Monsantos culture as a whole.

Monsanto Jim Swanson, SVP and CIO

Monsanto was a forward-leaning company to begin with, he says. Theres a culture around advancement thats unique from other companies  a foundation we were able to build on.

In that culture, hes able to promote a vision of fully connected data. But he didnt sell just the idea of various systems being technically capable of sharing data. When you hear Swanson talk, he doesnt sound like an IT guy. He sounds like a combination of economist, scientist, and venture capitalist. He knows how to lead an IT team, but he also knows how to engage and excite business leaders, CFOs, and the line employees hes targeting with the Data Leadership initiative.

Jim is a really intuitive leader, says Swansons human resources partner, Director of HR for Corporate Strategy and Global IT Malvika Jhangiani. And he surrounds himself with complementary skills. He treats you not like youre a functional leader, but like youre a business leader with domain expertise in, in my case, HR. And hes very inspirational.

Its because Swanson has the passion to articulate  and fight for  a big vision that hes able to change the entire conversation, not just around data, but around the business.

Today we sell a bag of seeds, he says. What if tomorrow we sold solutions? Thats a very different business model than what we do today.

Data democratized

Swanson emphasizes that the journey with data and digital transformation has been a learning experience. His teams focus on making data available across the company and applying models to extract new insights is letting the company do things with data that it didnt even envision a few years ago.

For example, if we had not democratized data across the enterprise, we would not be able to do things like reducing our seed safety stock because we needed info out of R&D, supply chain, and commercial to find the right amount of crop supply to produce, he says. Weve got to grow all our products  you cant just turn a factory on.

Similarly, data has allowed Monsanto to cut its carbon footprint; the company has committed to being carbon neutral by 2021, and it is using data to get there.

We removed 350 metric tons of carbon annually, and weve reduced over 2 million miles of truck traffic, and it was done by combining data across multiple environments to create the decision science, algorithms, and logistics with sensors and IoT, to optimize our carbon footprint reduction and optimize how we distribute product and track it, Swanson says.

Similarly, data has transformed how the company grows its seeds, with new levels of efficiency and control.

We now, for example, have a seed processing capability where we plant over a million seeds every season, he says. Every seed is geolocated. Every single seed has a specific mapping to a subset of a field down to fidelity of a meter grid, and we use operational research models to determine what seed, in what field, what density. We couldnt have imagined that two years ago.

'Digital Fluency' becomes Digital Leadership

Earlier this year, a joint IT and HR team at Monsanto rolled out an initiative originally called Digital Fluency. Craig Alexander, the global talent management leader who helped create the initiative with Talent Management Lead Carlos Gomez, sums up the need for the effort in a one-line anecdote: I was sitting behind someone at a presentation on digitization who said, Im all for digitization. I just wish I knew what it meant.

The pilot program brought in 40 middle management leaders from around the company, not just from IT, to engage with a specialized curriculum around digital literacy and leadership. The program takes classes of 30-40 employees at a time through about 24 hours of virtual and in-person sessions over three days, with maybe 10 hours of preliminary work ahead of that. Participants end with hands-on brainstorming sessions in which they spin out their own what if scenarios about the potential of digital transformation  not merely digesting a message of innovation, but putting it into action.

We have to be all-in on digital transformation  it cant be something you just shrug off if you fail."

 Jim Swanson, SVP and CIO

Crucial to the program is that its not focused on IT staff.

If we dont embed IT and data and domain expertise in the core organization, none of this will be successful, Alexander says. Weve got to embed this skill set into every part of the organization.

The program has been strongly embraced, though the name quickly fell flat. The first cohort of graduates gave feedback: Call it Digital Leadership because they saw it as more than being fluent  they saw an opportunity and need to lead. The seemingly subtle distinction was, Swanson says, a huge step change in our thinking about how to embed this program into our core programs, from our Global Executive Leadership program to how we embed it in a job description.

Swanson is quick to say that the point of the program is that Digital Leadership turns everyone into a data scientist, and he credits Gomez, Alexander, and Jhangiani for creating the curriculum and guiding the strategy for rolling out the program across the enterprise.

A digital moonshot

Swanson is not only changing the conversation, but hes enlivening it. Boldly, he likens the challenges of Monsantos digital transformation to the Apollo Program.

Weve got to have the moonshot in front of us that says its worth it, he says. Reaching the moon in 10 years wasnt easy. Yet we learned, moved forward, and did something great.

That kind of audacious thinking is necessary, Jhangiani adds. Companies and industries are quickly transforming, and she says todays leaders need to be able to reject business as usual in favor of startling new ideas. Thats how you get, say, an Airbnb running a hotel business without real estate, and its how Monsanto can go from selling a bag of seeds or a jar of chemistry to providing a complete, data-driven solution to the worlds farmers.

And that vision, from seeds to outcomes? Five years ago, Gomez says, that thought would not roll off anyones tongue here, but today people are talking about how well get to that state.

Thats what the entire leadership team and [Swanson] bring to the table, Malvika says. That ability to look at weird and wonderful ideas.

Swanson is definitely thinking big. For him, its about going all in, about pursuing big bets on transformation, not just incremental projects. He says Bayers $66 billion acquisition of the company is exactly the kind of bold bet that has to drive Monsanto itself.

And when your goal is as ambitious as changing the way the entire world puts food on the table, theres no room for half-measures.

We have to be all-in on digital transformation  it cant be something you just shrug off if you fail, he says. That is the only way to be. Otherwise, youre not transforming anything.

For more on workforce strategy and talent management, check out our blog at Ouellette & Associates, and HR2IT, a new community around supporting the talent needs of IT.In 1970, political demographers Ben Wattenberg and Richard Scammon argued that the countrys median swing voter, the sort of person who decided election outcomes, was the Dayton housewife. Hillary Clintons shocking loss of five Obama-carried Midwestern states in 2016 could send Democrats in search of a candidate who can unite their party while appealing to the contemporary version of the Dayton housewife and her family. If so, they should be looking closely at Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar.

Youve probably never heard of Klobuchar unless youre a constituent or a political geek, but shes quietly gaining attention in Washington as a potential contender in 2020, moving up in unofficial estimations of the likely candidates. She rarely breaks through in early national polls, but thats not a disqualifier. At this stage of the 2016 nomination fight, Bernie Sanders was rarely mentioned in national polls, either.

Klobuchars chance rests on how she differs from most of the other serious nominees. With Democratic energy clearly on the left, contenders like Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Kamala Harris are vying to outdo one another for progressive favor. Even New Jersey senator Cory Booker, once known as a school-choice-friendly mayor, is swinging portside, as with his attention-seeking histrionics during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. But that just means that the progressive lane will be crowded. Klobuchars appeal will lie with the rest of the party.

Here, she faces a more wide-open field. Only former vice president Joe Biden polls well among contenders considered more amenable to the partys moderate wing. Biden will be 77 in early 2020, the oldest man ever to run actively for president. Hes prone to gaffes and has failed to make a mark in two prior runs for the White House. Hes also a man, surely no advantage in a party that is nominating women in record-high numbers. Should Biden run and stumble, theres no obviously strong national figure who could garner moderate Democratic support.

Klobuchars record, demeanor, and background are a model of centrist appeal. She is a former prosecutor who nevertheless has compiled a solidly liberal record on economic and social issues. She is low-key in that Minnesota nice sort of way, an attribute she displayed during the Kavanaugh hearings when she was virtually alone in treating the nominee with respect, while asking serious questions. She voted to confirm half of Trumps cabinet nominees, easily the highest share among potential presidential contenders, but nevertheless voted no on every controversial choice. She voted against Neil Gorsuchs nomination to the Court, and she will surely oppose Kavanaughs, especially with the sexual-assault allegations now made against him.

Klobuchars electoral record also stands out. Minnesota, like the rest of the Midwest, has been moving Republican in recent years. Trump nearly carried the Gopher State, and Republicans control both houses of the state legislature. Yet Klobuchar is set to win easy reelection to her third term this fall. The contenders ranked ahead of her in CNNs survey of the presidential field all hail from deep-blue states: none has ever had to engage seriously with the sorts of swing voters, suburban and rural, that a presidential nominee must reach. Klobuchar has done so, repeatedly and successfully.

Geography gives her another potential advantage. The long road to the nomination starts in the caucuses of Minnesotas southern neighbor, Iowa. She has already visited the state twice, appearing in its two largest citiesDes Moines and Cedar Rapidsas well as at Iowa State University. Iowa was one of the five Midwestern states that Trump took from the Democrats, and party activists will be open to the argument that it will take a local to win them back.

Klobuchar will face obstacles should she decide to run. Progressives are on the march, and they seem to want someone whose devotion to the cause is loud and proud. She has never been a national figure, nor demonstrated that she can raise the tens of millions of dollars that a winning candidate must generate. Her appeal to minority voters, who make up close to half of the Democratic base, has been limited; Minnesota is not a minority-heavy state. Should an African-American like Harris or Booker catch fire on the left, Klobuchar would likely face serious headwinds picking up substantial African-American or Latino support.

She should nevertheless be on the radar screenand she might raise her profile this week. If the planned testimony goes forward in the Senate on Thursday, its a good bet that the former prosecutor will play a key role in examining Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, and she would make herself known to many more Americans. In any case, the kinds of Democrats who preferred Andrew Cuomo over Cynthia Nixon in the recent New York gubernatorial primary will be looking for a plausible candidate in 2020and the earnest, soft-spoken liberal from the Great Plains has as good a chance as anyone of becoming their choice.

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesWith over 9 million people across the UK describing themselves as always or often lonely and with each one of these experiences being different, how do you imagine tackling loneliness? It sounds like an insurmountable task, but the answer may be simpler than you think.

A member of our Connecting Communities team, based in the north east of England, recently described how, for the isolated and lonely in his community, a quick chat can open up somebodys world.

This is not only a useful reminder of the small steps we can all take to tackle loneliness but sits at the heart of our response to tackle loneliness across UK communities.

Our Community Connectors, funded through our partnership with the Co-op, provide person-centred, one-to-one support helping people who are lonely to connect into their community and establish meaningful connections. We always start with a simple conversation, asking people questions like, what would you like to do? and What are you interested in? .

To date the British Red Cross Connecting Communities service has helped more than 3,500 people. Our service operates in almost 40 locations across the UK, from Inverness to Cornwall, via Belfast and Norfolk.

As part of our dedicated team we have nearly 400 registered volunteers  some of whom have experienced chronic, long-term-loneliness themselves.

The individual nature of circumstances leading to someone finding themselves lonely  a bereavement, becoming a parent, a long term health condition - are just as varied as the activities and hobbies our Community Connector service can help them discover. So far our Community Connector teams have helped people become involved in or rediscover their passion for falconry, ballroom dancing, restoration projects, going to the gym and fishing to make new social connections.

And while the other help offered by our Community Connectors - such as going to a supermarket, walking to a nearby park or simply building up the confidence to say hello to neighbours, may seem more mundane  the outcome achieved matters most to all those who we supported.

The diversity of our service users, the circumstances leading to their feelings of isolation and the life experience of our staff and volunteers represent an eternal truth about loneliness: it can and does affect anyone and everyone at some time in their lives.

Share learning

Since starting our work to tackle loneliness in partnership with the Co-op in 2015, we have learned a great deal. We wanted to share this learning and learn from others providing connector-style services. This ambition led to the creation of the shared learning report we launched last week.

To share insight and learn from others working in similar services, we commissioned a UK-wide learning programme that brought together more than 50 connector schemes across four learning events as well as commissioners, funders and government officials.

Connectors from across the UK face similar challenges  reaching those most in need, knowing what interventions are out there, connecting people to appropriate support and activities and measuring outcomes. All of them have found innovative ways to succeed. Tips ranged from linking with healthcare professionals, refuse collectors and taxi drivers, to identifying pockets of money to build community development and community capacity-building approaches into connector schemes, so that when the right club, activity or social event isnt yet available in the area, connectors can just create them!

Other challenges identified require wider action to fully solve. These include: ensuring sustainable funding and addressing increasing complexity, stigma and gaps in community infrastructure. All of the insights provide compelling evidence to funders, commissioners and government officials working across the UK of the importance of connector services.

By sharing our experiences, frustrations, insights and achievements, we can also achieve two other goals: to make loneliness less of a taboo subject, enabling the most isolated to access help; and to encourage more people to start those small conversations which forge important connections that begin to open up someones world.

Norman McKinley is executive director of UK operations at the British Red Cross.Rumors of a New Yorker expose percolated throughout the day. By the 6pm hour, The Drudge Report was running a headline claiming that Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow were on the case. Then, on the eve of a week in which the eyes of the nation were already set to be focused on a Capitol hearing, the story published. A second woman, another allegation, and a new twist in the confirmation battle.

Farrow and Mayer report that Deborah Ramirez, a classmate of Brett Kavanaughs at Yale, remembers Kavanaugh had exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away. They write that Ramirez was at first hesitant to speak publicly, but that after six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney, Ramirez said that she felt confident enough of her recollections.

Senate Democrats Investigate a New Allegation of Sexual Misconduct, from the Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaughs College Years https://t.co/OtxrOWQc8c  Jane Mayer (@JaneMayerNYer) September 23, 2018

Kavanaugh, President Trumps nominee to the Supreme Court, denied the allegation, telling The New Yorker, This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple. But Senate Democrats are investigating the allegation, and Judiciary Committee member Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii, said, This is another serious, credible, and disturbing allegation against Brett Kavanaugh. It should be fully investigated.

The powerhouse dual byline once again paired Farrow, working on one of the most impactful reporting years in memory, with Mayer, one of the most accomplished investigative journalists working today. The duo had previously collaborated on the expose that brought down New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

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RELATED: Christine Blasey Ford, Brett Kavanaugh, and a nomination in limbo

Just before the story broke, Christine Blasey Ford had committed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Ford has accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault when both were high school students in the 1980s. The New York Timess Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Nicholas Fandos report that California Senator Dianne Feinstein wrote to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley requesting an immediate postponement of any further proceedings related to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh after Farrow and Mayers story went live. As of Monday morning, Thursdays hearing is still scheduled to go forward.

Below, more on the Farrow, Mayer, and Kavanaughs uncertain future.

Thomas-Hill redux: The New York Timess Maureen Dowd sees echoes of the Anita Hill allegations in the current moment. We havent forgotten our history, Dowd writes. But we still seem doomed to repeat it.

The New York Timess Maureen Dowd sees echoes of the Anita Hill allegations in the current moment. We havent forgotten our history, Dowd writes. But we still seem doomed to repeat it. 1998 redux: The Timess Maggie Haberman was just one of several observers who noted that the Drudge headline teasing the story was reminiscent of 1998, when the outlet reported that a story was in the works about an affair involving President Clinton.

The Timess Maggie Haberman was just one of several observers who noted that the Drudge headline teasing the story was reminiscent of 1998, when the outlet reported that a story was in the works about an affair involving President Clinton. Crediting Mayer: Farrow has been all over numerous stories of sexual harassment and abuse by powerful men, which has led some to credit Sundays scoop solely to him. But as journalist Tanvi Misra points out, Mayer has her own long track record of work: Not to be annoying bc I love Ronan Farrows workbut the new New Yorker story has two bylines and the other is Jane Mayer, who has a really long investigative track record incl, and this is relevant, co-authoring a whole book on the Clarence Thomas hearing.

Farrow has been all over numerous stories of sexual harassment and abuse by powerful men, which has led some to credit Sundays scoop solely to him. But as journalist Tanvi Misra points out, Mayer has her own long track record of work: Not to be annoying bc I love Ronan Farrows workbut the new New Yorker story has two bylines and the other is Jane Mayer, who has a really long investigative track record incl, and this is relevant, co-authoring a whole book on the Clarence Thomas hearing. A note of caution: CNNs Brian Stelter highlighted this comment from network commentator David Gergen on Sunday evening: I cant tell you how important I think it is for the future of the press in this country, if hes going to be brought downwe dont know that, but if hes going to be brought downthat the press isnt seen as complicit in that effort.

CNNs Brian Stelter highlighted this comment from network commentator David Gergen on Sunday evening: I cant tell you how important I think it is for the future of the press in this country, if hes going to be brought downwe dont know that, but if hes going to be brought downthat the press isnt seen as complicit in that effort. More from Mayer: In the new issue of The New Yorker, Mayer reports on a new book by a professor of communications at the University of Pennsylvania that, in Mayers estimation, may well reignite the question of Trumps electoral legitimacy.

Other notable stories:

Correction: An earlier version of this newsletter erroneously credited Maureen Dowd with co-authoring a book with Jane Mayer on the Clarence Thomas hearings. Mayers co-author was Jill Abramson.

ICYMI: Dallas Morning News reporter reveals staggering amount of stories she filed in one week

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Pete Vernon is a former CJR staff writer. Follow him on Twitter @ByPeteVernon.This article is the first profile in a series focusing on notable forensic journalists for the Tow Center for Digital Journalism.

In the sometimes murky world of national security reporters, few people are wrong less often than Marcy Wheeler.

Wheelers insights, gleaned from tireless, detailed reading of declassified documents, are unique because they rely on public information, rather than access, and because Wheeler takes great pains to show her work. The longtime bloggers site Emptywheel focuses on beats like information warfare and surveillance, traditionally the purview of large institutional newsrooms, where accuracy can sometimes mean the difference between a scoop and a prison sentence.

Wheeler came to prominence as one of the most tenacious reporters writing about the outing of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame by the Bush administration; she covered the trial of Scooter Libby, indicted for leaking Plames name to DC reporter Robert Novak, for Daily Kos and the now-defunct FireDogLake from inside the courtrooma position accorded very few reporters covering the case.

More recently, she has convincingly marshalled the public record to argue that CIA director Gina Haspel likely edited herself out of tapes documenting the prolonged torture of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, and written with precision about the corruption of many in and around the Trump administration by foreign interests, especially Russia. Wheeler herself made news this summer when she told her readers she had revealed one of her sources to the FBI because she believed he was doing serious harm to innocent people.

ICYMI: Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer drop a Kavanaugh bombshell

In person, Wheeler, 50, is friendly and frank, her mannerisms and habits of speech more like an academics (she has a PhD in literature) or an engineers (her entire immediate family works or worked in computers) than a newsroom veterans. She is interested in absolutes, and in details, and over the course of a long lunch at Boqueria in Manhattan, where she had flown in for a hackers conference, she shared her insights about journalism, politics, and the state of technology. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

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You live in Grand Rapids but originally are from New York, right?

Yes. Everywhere theres an IBM, Ive lived there. My mom and dad met there [at IBM]. Mom was a coder in the old days, as was dad.

When I was 11, around the age when I wanted a sister because I had two older brothers, my dad kept talking about this baby and I didnt know what it was. This was during a period where for a while, every couple of weeks, wed get a new personal computer. Wed set it up in the dining room, and wed tell dad what we thought about it. That was the lead-up to the PC. My dad was developing the PC. That was the baby.

One of the ways they convinced [IBM CEO] John Akers that any child could use a computer was to show my brother actually coding on an Apple II.

That sounds like working the system a little bit.

I joke that I am not a coder, but my brothers are, because I didnt go to the IBM nursery school and they did.

So, do you make a living from your blog?

Well, I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan and my mortgage payment is less than Ill pay for my hotel bill this week. I like living in a place where expenses are low, and Im married and have no children. I could not do what I do in New York or DC. I mean, my work covering the Russia thing is something people are a lot more willing to support than the kind of weedy surveillance analysis that I otherwise do, but yes. Its my job.

Why dont you work for an organization like The Washington Post now?

Well, Ive written publicly about why I left The Intercept. Had The Intercept been what it maybe could have been, it would have been the ideal place for me. I think there is still a real difficultypeople still dont know what to call me. Like, even in the coverage in the last couple of weeks people are still, Are you a blogger? Are you a journalist? A lot of people call me an analyst.

I had a former agency flack say to me, Well, I dont think of you as a journalist. I said, You know, I do have sources! Aside from the one that I just brought to the FBI. [laughs] My treatment of sources is different because I dont have a legal department to protect them, so if I have a source on something, I usually try and point to something in a document to validate it, and people dont understand that.

And The Washington Post has Julie Tate, who is the best-kept secret of brilliant journalismshe does so much great work and people dont understand that she touches pretty much all their Pulitzers!but theres not really a place there for what I do.

I couldnt have had the career track as a journalist that I have if it werent for Facebook [where my work can get distributed and read]. And the ACLU, who dont read their own FOIAs [in their entirety]. Some other NGOs are even worse at not reading theirs.

I mean, the ACLU does read their own FOIAs, just not that closely. Like, I think there are five people who have read most of the public documents released from [the Office of the Director of National Intelligence] and thats it. Theres this huge trove of information about surveillance that even the pros who get paid a lot of money in DC arent reading.

I was going to ask you how you parse the public record for so much stuff, but that seems to answer that question.

Well, I have a PhD. So I do close reading in three languages. [Ive also done] documentation consulting, which is the kind of job that a lot of journalists go to after theyve decided to stop being poor. [The company where I worked] charged $800 a day for English majors to write documents that can be delivered on pallets, and really fascinating documents, because they got into the processes of businesses.

How does the work youve done on surveillance inform your work on the Russia story?

I mean, there are interesting aspects of Carter Pages FISA order [a document authorizing the FBI to monitor Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act], which the GOP has chased now for six months, to great effect.

What interests you about the state of these orders?

Well, it is, in fact, the case that [intelligence agencies] use consultants all the time on FISA orders. And a lot of FISA orders are for terrorist suspects. People who defend terrorists in court have long complained about the shoddy level of expertise among certain consultants who are brought in, and then there are a couple of cases that Ive covered where theres reason to believe there was a consultant in a terrorist chat room, and [information provided by that consultant] led to a FISA order on somebody.

Theres a lot of money in law enforcement. Theres a lot of consulting that goes on. It is probably the case that there should be more scrutiny, on what the standards are for consultants in any kind of surveillance affidavit.

Im a big fan of PGP and Signal but there seems to be evidence that even that sort of thing doesnt work if the government wants access to your information badly enough.

It is my very well-educated belief, as somebody who has posted a Signal text that she believes the FBI to have, that she didnt give to them, that they have means of doing that remotely now.

I thought Signal encryption was device to device.

It is, but when in [FISA section] 702, the FISA court does not review the kinds of assistance requested from providers.

So you dont think they broke Signals encryption or received assistance from Signal.

No. As I said, I posted a Signal text that I believe the FBI to have, and I know I did not give the FBI that Signal text. I believe that my phone was the only place that that Signal text existed, so do the math.

Im not happy with how the FBI approached me [by telling me they had Signal messages from my phone after I agreed to speak with them about my source], but I recognize that in my case it was the right application [because of the seriousness of threat].

[Wheeler became convinced that one of her sources had played a significant role in the Russian election attack on the US and, last year, went to the FBI with that information, notably a text from the source demonstrating that he or she was familiar with the Trump administrations willingness to do the bidding of the Russian government in Syria within hours of his election. The text in question, sent very quickly after Trump was elected, reads: Off the record[:] You likely dont want to hear this anymore than I did, I have it on very good intel (A 1 if you know humint ratings) that Flynn is speaking to Team Al-Assad in the next 48 hours. Obviously that in of itself is disconcerting on a number of levels. You can probably figure out a lot more than I can.]

Now, youve revealed the name of this person to the FBI, obviously, but not to your readers.

Nope.

Why not?

Well, I believe it will become public in the future, at some point. When I spoke to Muellers office about doing what I did, I said, I suspect one of this persons roles [in public life] will become public very quickly. I suspect another one might become public because I asked some people about the connection between the two, and so they know that I believe there was a connection between the two. I was probably wrong. I mean, that role hasnt become public. Like, I thought it was a no-brainer, but apparently it takes more than [whats available].

There was nothing to be gained by getting a scoop out of it, at all. We would all be a lot less safe if I had gotten a scoop out of it, and so I do not want to do anything to prevent it from being a law enforcement issue, properly.

And so, it mattered a lot to me for them to say that I was not going to hurt the case [against this person] by doing what I did, but that was based on the understanding that his real ID not become public. Because I think other people in the case would be able to figure out certain things if his real ID became public.

What were you worried about, specifically?

Flight risks and stuff like that.

Obviously I went to Muellers office and I said, This is precisely what Im going to do. I was trying to be really careful, and I keep saying, That text is unbelievable. Again, I thought that journalists would come out with one of the roles that this person played, and then it would become really poisonous, because this person did real damage to the United States, and this person knew precisely what Trump was doing 14 hours and 15 minutes after the polls closed. That is astounding, and what were seeing is whatever it is that Trump and Putin agreed to in that two hours with no minders, including Syria. So, the Syria agreement that Putin and Trump made on Monday is the Syria agreement that Trump was moving to put into place 14 hours after the polls closed.

For whatever reason, [FBI officials] were far more concerned about protecting the sanctity of the investigation than they were about telling these poor agents that my job is to reverse engineer FBIs findings. And so, I feel actually a little bit sorry for them because I literally told them that. Like the first one I was like, this is what I do, you dont know that? Oh boy, its going to be a long day.

No one has gotten close. People are so far afield. Theyre like, Oh, its Glenn Greenwald. Im like, Its not Glenn Greenwald. Like, youre so far afield if youre guessing Glenn Greenwald.

Do you guys get along?

We get along. I know Glenn is getting a little bit off the deep end with his unwillingness to look at the evidence in the Russia case, but I think his voice is important.

I think that Russia absolutely conned the United States thoroughly. I think that Trump personally colluded with Russia. I think that he is Putins plaything at this point, but I also think that people are far too jingoistic. Theyre far too ready to use the term treason against tertiary people. I mean, if you want to use it against Trump, fine, but dont use it against Rand Paul because hes an idiot. Save it. And the way forward is not to start a war against Russia. I think that the US did screw up its policy with Russia in the last two decades, I really do, but

How in particular?

Well, I mean, I actually am sympathetic about NATO expansion. I think people forget that NATO is no longer a European defense organization, and NATO is fighting in Afghanistan. Thats not Europe the last time I checked, so people need to re-figure what NATO is, and whether theres a better means to establish common defense.

A lot of the coercive agreements that the United States made to get people into NATO to extend east I think were problematic. As somebody who has spent a lot of time in Prague, Im very sympathetic to the interest of Czechs to want some protection, but I also think we overstepped.

Russia warned us not to go into Iraq. They were right. And we told Russia clearly that we were not going to engage in regime change in Libya. [Qadafi] was assassinated in terrifically horrible fashion, and I dont think our engagement in Syria has been positive. I think there were other ways to engage in Syria, partly by tracking down the Saudis. I mean, the Saudis have been as toxic as anything in Syria, and have contributed to the bloodshed in Syria, and theyre supposedly our allies. And [theyve been accused of war crimes in] Yemen, right?

I think Russia rightly criticizes those things, and those are some of Putins key issues. He doesnt like regime changes.

How has your public profile changed in the recent past?

There is an endless audience for these Russia story cases, and I know that. Ive been through thatmy finances have improved because Im covering the Russia story. Its a lot sexier than covering [changes to FISA section] 702.

Is that a good thing?

Journalists are far too willing to be the playthings of defense attorney lawyers [like Trumps].

I mean, with Mueller not leaking, theres so little. This is how Trump has fooled the country into believing his primary risk is obstruction. Its not! Its collusion. Its absolutely collusion, and yet because his attorneys over and over and over again say, Well, theres obviously no collusion, and here is how the obstruction case with Jim Comey and blah, blah, blah, and that has gotten a huge number of very good journalists to believe that Trumps only exposure is obstruction, and thats crazy.

Even Maria Butina [the accused Russian spy who allegedly infiltrated the NRA on behalf of Putin confidant Alexandr Torshin] clearly had off-the-record conversations with a number of journalists, some of whom are mainstream, and there should be a real push for them to have to come clean and say, Oh my gosh, I had no idea she deceived me about who she was. But there is going to be a need, or there should be a need for a lot of that in journalism, because Butinas not going to have been the only one [who manipulated the American press], and I dont have a lot of confidence that people are going to have the appetite for that.

What advice you would give to people who want to kind of get into the kind of thing that youre writing about? Because you seem to have done it in a way that is accessible to more of us.

Journalists are very proprietary about their secrets and their stories and scoops, but on big cases like this it really does help to be open. Always link to the actual document. Invite people to read the document, and tell them what youre looking at. Be iterative. That was something that was permitted newly with online press, and I think Josh [Marshall, publisher of Talking Points Memo] did a great job of it, and Id like to think I did a great job of it. We put together tools to help people understand timelines and maps, and the mainstream press is doing that increasingly. I think my hero of 2018, aside from Emma Gonzalez [the Parkland massacre survivor who has advocated for gun control in the wake of the shooting], is Brad Heath, because of the Big Cases Bot [a Twitter bot that tweets out public filings in newsworthy court cases].

One of the things that I care a lot about is directing readers to responsible legal reporting. I mean, Im not a lawyer, but there are lawyers who did it. Popehat is so accessible, and NYCSouthpaw. These are lawyers who are willing to explain, I mean not all lawyers out there are that useful, and some I kind of dismissed, but both of them I recommend to people, and they really help.

Yeah. It was something to see people getting upset that Paul Manafort [Note: who had not yet plea-bargained when this interview was conducted] was in a very gentle version of solitary confinement.

I dont care that an accused Russian spy has to wear an orange jumpsuit, because these are the moments where people understand the really oppressive side of our criminal justice system, and the areas where it works really well. Therefore, I think its a great learning opportunity for people who otherwise would never read a court filing, and so Brads blog I think allows people to read court filings and thats great, too.

Poor Paul Manafort is upset that somebody stole his iPods! Its like, yeah, what, you know? You were witnessed in a meeting with an Apple device.

What if theres nothing on those iPods except the Nickelback discography?

Then he should get the chair.

ICYMI: Editor out of a job after defending heavily criticized essay

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Sam Thielman is the former Tow editor at the Columbia Journalism Review, and a reporter and critic based in New York. He is the creator, with film critic Alissa Wilkinson, of Young Adult Movie Ministry, a podcast about Christianity and movies, and his writing has been featured in The Guardian, Talking Points Memo, and Variety, among others.A federal appeals court says an insurance company must reimburse the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford nearly $1 million for payments the archdiocese made to settle sexual misconduct cases involving priests and minors.

A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling in the archdioceses favor.

Two years ago, Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven ruled in July that Chicago-based Interstate Fire & Casualty breached a contract when it refused to reimburse the archdiocese for more than $1 million in payments made in four abuse cases involving minors.

The archdiocese sued Interstate Fire & Casualty Co. in 2012, claiming the Chicago-based insurer breached its policy by refusing to reimburse the archdiocese for payments made in four settlements from 2010 to 2012 after previously reimbursing payments made in other abuse settlements.

Chicago-based Interstate Fire & Casualty refused to reimburse the archdiocese, citing an assault and battery exemption in the insurance policy. A key issue in the Connecticut case and others is whether insurance companies can deny claims under assault and battery exemptions in liability policies. Many policies dont cover intentional acts, but church officials have argued that they did not know about the alleged assaults.Many policies dont cover intentional acts, but church officials argued they did not know about the alleged assaults and sued the insurer in 2012.

The settlements, one of many paid by the archdiocese in priest abuse cases, involved four claims of sexual misconduct by priests against minors in the 1970s and 1980s.

Associated Press writer Dave Collins contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Hurricane Florence is testing the resolve of farmers in the Carolinas, who could face billions of dollars in agricultural damage while still feeling the sting from Hurricane Matthew almost two years ago.

After last weekends high winds and rain that was measured in feet, followed by this weeks rising rivers and standing water in fields, early farm reports are confirming pre-storm worries about losses to tobacco, cotton and corn crops. North Carolina industry leaders remain anxious about whether sweet potatoes and peanuts  grown beneath the soil and susceptible to flooding  will suffer greatly as well.

Matthew hurt eastern North Carolina farmers in 2016, but that storm arrived in October, after most of field crops had been brought in. With Florence, most major crop harvests were still underway or just getting started.

This hurricane couldnt have come at a worse time, North Carolina Farm Bureau President Larry Wooten said,

North Carolina likely wont have preliminary crop damage estimates until the end of the next week, state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said. Floodwaters and blocked country roads still were making it difficult for agency agronomists to check out farms. Five of North Carolinas top six farming counties are within the hardest-hit areas in the eastern part of the state.

I think its easily going to be in the billions of dollars, Troxler said in an interview Thursday, calling the damage catastrophic and unbelievable.

In South Carolina, meanwhile, crop damage was estimated at $125 million so far, Gov. Henry McMaster wrote Thursday to the states congressional delegation. This week, state Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers visited farmers in damaged areas previously hurt by Matthew and by record flooding in 2015. Weathers said farmers told him that while this years cotton crops had been damaged by high winds and peanuts were rotting in soaking soil, no crop was a total loss.

North Carolina farmers had several days notice of Florence to harvest what they could and move livestock to higher ground or to market, but there was only so much they could do to prepare.

Farmers have just faced several years of (low) commodity prices. Matthew came through  and now were faced with Florence, said Jason Jones, a fifth-generation farmer in Craven County. He said the un-harvested corn on his 1,800-acre (728-hectare) farm is just about completely flat and neighboring farms lost all of their tobacco in the fields. Jones said farmers have crop insurance, but it doesnt cover the total loss.

For eastern North Carolina farmers, were hanging by a thread, Jones said.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said he told President Donald Trump during his visit to the state Wednesday that making farmers whole will take more than just a farm bill.

Were going to have to take a special approach to our farm communities, because they have taken a gut punch, said Cooper, who planned to view agricultural damage Friday.

North Carolina remains the nations largest tobacco producer, with more than 330 million pounds (150 million kilograms) in 2016. Graham Boyd, chief executive of the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina, estimates losses could total as much as 125 million pounds (57 million kilograms) valued at $250 million to $350 million.

About 40 percent of the tobacco crop remained in the field when Florence arrived, Boyd said, with the highest-quality leaves yet to be harvested. Leaves began melting on the stalk  disintegrating when sunny skies followed heavy rains and standing water.

On the 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares) that Craig Wests family farms on near Fremont  about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Raleigh  the biggest moneymaker is the 500 acres (202 hectares) of tobacco. Sixteen inches (41 centimeters) of rain there made it impossible to harvest the leaves still in the fields in time, even if the winds hadnt battered them so that they were about as appealing and saleable as a bunch of bruised bananas, West said.

We havent had a good growing season anyway. We had a pretty severe drought early on and then it started raining. We had too much rain even before the storm, West said Thursday. So we had some disease issues already. Its magnified since the storm.

Wests tobacco loss means the farms nearly $6 million in gross revenues will be diminished by about 30 percent, he said as workers loaded a machine that sorted tobacco picked weeks ago and then packaged the cured leaves into bundles for shipping.

Livestock losses in North Carolina are estimated at 3.4 million poultry and 5,500 hogs so far, the state Agriculture Department said. Both represent small percentages of the 800 million broilers  chickens raised for meat production  and 9 million hogs raised annually. Troxler said chicken and hog house damage would be significant.

Kim Kornegays family farm in Johnston County could lose 40 percent of its cotton crop, farm manager T.J. Sasser said Thursday. Workers there prepared to slog through the mud Friday to try to see what sweet potatoes could be salvaged.

Were optimistic, but were also realistic, Kornegay said.

(Dalesio reported from Fremont, North Carolina. Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.)

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- A little restitution from the city is in the offing for some of those old on-street parking tickets issued and accumulated over the past five years.

Upon further review, city officials announced Friday (Sept. 21) that they will be taking action to refund a $5 overcharge that was wrongly assessed on certain paper tickets dating back to 2013.

A press release stated that the city "recently learned of a clerical error resulting in the issuance of paper tickets for some parking infractions with the additional fee."

City officials also emphasized that parking meter tickets have not been part of the clerical error and are not eligible for any refunds.

How many tickets that may have been is still being investigated, but they include the following infractions:

-- Prohibited zone

-- No permit

-- Overnight parking

-- Fire hydrant or fire lane parking

-- Abandoned vehicles

-- Traffic hazards

-- Parking on a sidewalk, curb or streetlawn

"All efforts will be made to refund the extra $5, with interest, charged for applicable parking violations," said City Manager Tanisha Briley.

At the end of 2012, fines were increased for a number of the city's parking violations, taking effect in January 2013. As a result, new tickets were ordered at that time.

Since that time, anyone who received a parking ticket for the violations listed above was instructed to pay a $20 fine, although the actual penalty approved by City Council was $15.

With the clerical error, city officials explained that certain parking violations are grouped together on parking tickets.

But when the new tickets were ordered, some fines that had not increased were wrongly grouped with some that had.

City officials pointed out that the police officers writing the tickets were unaware of the discrepancy and, after learning of the error, immediate action was taken.

As a result, anyone who paid the inflated rate on those parking tickets since 2013 is eligible for the $5 refund and applicable interest from the city.

"We regret this error occurred and will make every effort to make it right for our residents and visitors," Briley was quoted in the press release.

The city will be sending out postcards to all those affected with instructions for reimbursement, with information also available on its website at

.

In addition, both an email and voicemail account at 216-291-3012 will be set up for anyone else seeking an eligible refund.

"We will act quickly to make restitution to individuals who may have been impacted by this clerical error," Briley added.

City Communications and Public Engagement Director Mary Trupo has put together a "Frequently Asked Questions" sheet, also available on the city's website, to further explain the situation.

As for how it all went undetected for so long, the FAQ states that although the clerical error occurred in 2013, it was only "recently brought to our attention."

Concerning when the refunds might be made, city officials explained that they are "currently collecting information and putting a process in place. And refunds will be made as soon as possible."MAYFIELD, Ohio -- When the City of Eastlake decided to dismantle a skateboard park and later replace it with a new one, it didn't turn to professional design or construction firms.

Instead, the city turned to the students who make up the Excel TECC program, which includes students from 11 area high schools who are learning CADD (computer-aided design and drafting) engineering at Mayfield High School and welding at Willoughby's Northern Career Institute.

"Not at all," said Eastlake Mayor Dennis Morley when asked if he had any qualms about having high school students work on a city project. "All of us want to keep the collaboration we have going with Willoughby-Eastlake Schools.

"We called them and asked, 'Is this feasible?' They said yes, and they began doing their research. (The students) visited skateboard parks before they designed it, and the welders are going to assemble the structures. They're doing an excellent job."

Morley was one of the speakers Friday at Mayfield High School's Innovation Center. The skateboard project, and others that Excel TECC students have worked on, were discussed that day in a series of events.

Making the Eastlake skateboard park more feasible was the fact that the city obtained a federal block grant in the amount of $32,000 to pay for the materials. The structures will be made of metal, rather than the wood that had been deemed unsafe at the Roberts Road park.

A hand-drawn design of the skateboard park.

"Our students started early last (school) year, last October, designing it," said CADD Engineering Technology teacher Craig Shmidt. "We had a team of six CADD engineering students design it."

In all, 50 students from participating schools -- including high schools in the West Geauga, Solon, Aurora, South Euclid-Lyndhurst, Orange and Beachwood districts -- attend Excel TECC CADD engineering classes each day at Mayfield High's Innovation Center. Schmidt teaches them all.

He said that two of his students, Zach Bergeron and Will Maschi -- now graduated, as is the entire team that designed the skateboard park last year as their senior year project -- did as any adult professionals in that situation would do: The students presented their design before Eastlake City Council.

The CADD students, after the design phase, made 3D models of the metal structures -- various types of ramps -- that will be installed at the park. The design team, which also included North High's Alexandra McCullough, won a bronze award this year for their skateboard park design in the SkillsUSA competition for Ohio high school students.

The CADD students have also done designs for a music wall that was installed last October at Gates Mills Elementary School, and are now working on designing an IdeaLab lab for the same school and a dollhouse project for Mayfield Middle School.

The real-world experience gained has led students to continue on with what they've learned at Mayfield High.

"Ninety-seven percent of our students are college bound and go into the fields of engineering or architecture," Schmidt said.

As for the welding side of the project, Deanna Elsing, coordinator of the Northern Career Institute in Willoughby, said her 50 welding students -- like the CADD class made up of 25 juniors and 25 seniors -- will turn the designs into actual structures. Her students include those from participating schools Mayfield High and Brush High School.

"Many of our projects are collaborations with community members and businesses," she said. "They're community partnerships that give students real-life experience.

"Last year, of our 2018 graduates, 85 percent were AWS (American Welding Society)-qualified upon graduation," Elsing said. "Prior to graduating, many of them are working paid internships, which lead to full-time employment after graduation."

The goal is to repave the park's floor and have the structures completed so that Eastlake youngsters can again be skateboarding in the spring.LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- St. Edward High School celebrated the grand opening of its new $5.5 million Lowe Institute of Innovation last week with a visit from nationally renowned innovators.

"Any time you start something new, you're always curious (about) how is this going to be received," St. Edward High School's Strategic Initiatives Vice President K.C. McKenna said. "It was great for students and faculty to really understand the way or the reasons why we're seeking to teach the way we teach.

"The nine speakers who were here, they're creating the future and that's ultimately what we want to empower our students to do," McKenna said.

Located on the west side of the Detroit Avenue campus, the recently completed renovation and expansion enhances the school's science, engineering and entrepreneurship programs.

Students have access to 3D printers, CNC mills, metal casting, embedded electronics systems, laser cutters, engravers and a vinyl printer. There's also a large open-air space, which is safe for welding and firing ceramics.

The guest speakers discussed topics ranging from marketing and medical innovation to jumpstarting startups and building company leaders.

The visitors included Jebbit President and co-founder Jonathan Lacoste, Multiple Inc. Principal and Creative Director Kevin Krueger, Cleveland Clinic Innovations Senior Medical Director Dr. Will Morris, Biolectrics co-founder Bill Leimkuehler, Western Oncolytics Ltd. co-founder Kurt Rote, Virgin Galactic electrical and avionics engineer Keven Lenahan, CONVOY Senior Program Manager on Growth Michael Carroll, Onix President and CEO Tim Needles, and Full Cycle Organics President Jim Riley.

"Eight of the nine are alums and have pretty close affiliation to the school," McKenna said. "Some of them are very recent alums, like Jonathan Lacoste, who graduated in 2011. He has his own great startup in Boston, so we wanted to hear feedback on ways we should be teaching.

"Then, certainly from our more experienced leaders who are alums, Tim Needles falls into that. It was clear he came away feeling really energized by having the opportunity to be around our students."

For Needles, whose company Onix is located just down the street from St. Edward High School in the old Bonnie Bell building, visiting his alma mater was eye-opening and inspirational.

"Frankly, it was a little overwhelming and it blew me away," said North Olmsted resident Needles, who graduated from St. Edward in 1978. "I can't tell you how impressed I was by the Lowe Institute for Innovation.

"My experience there convinces me that St. Eds has a really great advantage for young students. I had multiple students ask about internships. Many of them are interested in cloud computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence. It was really great to see so much interest from young people about the next wave of IT, which is my business," Needles said.

St. Edward High School senior Tom Coury said the recent guests will inspire students regarding the use of the new Lowe Institute.

"Many of the speakers talked about going against the status quo and breaking out of the boxes that typically constrain us," he said. "The Lowe Institute definitely helps us to do that."

While the Lowe Institute of Innovation provides students with the tools for future success, McKenna said the visiting speakers' presence empowered the teenagers.

"Kids love to see pathways for themselves, and the people we had speaking are all doing exceptional things," McKenna said. "For a student to be sitting in the same seat that those alumni were just recently sitting in, for them to see what they're doing, it immediately makes that pathway a reality.

"So it's very much in the wheelhouse of our students to think eight years from now they could be speaking at this same event."BARBERTON, Ohio --The body that was found Sunday night after Barberton Fire Department extinguished a fire alongside a road shows signs of a "homicidal violence," the medical examiner said.

The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office said the body belongs to a woman and evidence from a Monday autopsy "showed homicidal violence pending further investigation and testing," officials said in an brief news release.

Investigators are withholding the woman's identity pending the notification of her family.

Firefighters discovered the woman just before 8:30 p.m. after responding to the report of a fire alongside the road on South Van Buren Avenue, according to Barberton police.

Several news outlets reported the initial call as a "mattress fire," and that officials discovered the body beneath the burning mattress. Barberton police and fire officials would not confirm those reports.

Officials with the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the State of Ohio Fire Marshal's Office and investigators from the Barberton Fire Department responded to the incident.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information should contact the Barberton Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-848-6703.

To comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments page.CLEVELAND, Ohio - The city of Cleveland announced late Monday that it is backing out of plans to move its police headquarters to 1801 Superior Avenue, former home of The Plain Dealer.

In a letter to developer Fred Geis, the city said it no longer wished to work with Geis' company, GLP Superior LTD, to purchase the building.

"At this time the City of Cleveland no longer desires to pursue the purchase of 1801 Superior Avenue property for the Cleveland Division of Police Headquarters with GLP Superior LTD. Thank you for working with the city on this important project."

The letter, although released Monday, is dated Sept. 18 and signed by Matthew L. Spronz, Mayor Frank Jackson's director of capital projects.

A spokesman for Jackson's administration declined comment beyond what was in the letter.

Jackson's interim chief of staff, Sharon Dumas, was copied on the letter, but said Monday said she could not comment at this time.

Public Safety Director Michael McGrath, who favored the site, said he wasn't involved in negotiations and could not speak to what problems cropped up.

Spronz referred questions to Williams.

Jackson was not available for comment and not present Monday at the City Council meeting.

Geis also could not be immediately reached for comment.

Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley said his understanding was that problems cropped up related to the status of tenants in the 1801 building. Those tenants were there under lease with The Plain Dealer Publishing Co.

The building is home to the YMCA of Greater Cleveland and the Council of Economic Opportunities for Greater Cleveland, as well as cleveland.com.

Kelley, who was not involved with the negotiations, said a snag between negotiators with the city and The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. over the handling those tenants apparently couldn't be resolved. But he didn't know specifically what that snag was.

"Something to do with the character of the leases and after that they just couldn't come to a final agreement," Kelley said.

Kelley, too, had supported the site as a new police headquarters. After council approved the deal in July, he said the general feeling among its members was that the city "did a good job and that they made the right choice in giving authority for the move on that building."

Councilman Michael Polensek, during Monday's meeting of City Council, said he wants an explanation from the Jackson administration.

"I sat through all the hearings. I sat through the meetings. I really commended the administration for winding up with The Plain Dealer site," Polensek said.

"I'm looking for some kind of explanation," he said. "What happened here?"

Cleveland announced in June it intended to move its police department into the building after GLP Superior LTD converted the space.

The city selected the Superior Avenue site from among 24 other proposed sites.

The project was a $60 million deal that included the purchase and alteration of the building at 1801 Superior Ave. The package included a $19.5 million purchase agreement for the site, with some negotiating still to come.

The city hired GLP Superior Ltd., led by Fred Geis, to buy and renovate the property.

The target for completing the move to a new headquarters was next spring, police Chief Calvin Williams said.

As late as last week, sources familiar with the deal said that the sale of the building had not been completed, but the expectation was that the move would proceed.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Two men were shot and killed early Sunday morning during a fight at a bar, according to reports.

Authorities identified the victims as Steven Anderson Jr., 28, and Nathaniel Davis, 29. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, WLWT Channel 5 reports.

According to Fox 19, the shooting occurred at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday at Rustic Tavern.

Police say the fight started in the bar but then moved outside. While outside, a suspect pulled out a gun and began firing, killing the two victims.

The shooting suspect has not been arrested, WCPO Channel 9 reports.

WLWT reports the tavern was the site of another fatal shooting last year.

Police say witnesses to the shooting are cooperating with investigators.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A man died Monday after being struck by a tour bus in downtown Cleveland, police said.

A 91-year-old man was hit by a tour bus about 12:40 p.m. on Superior Avenue at East 9th Street, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man's name has not been released.

The 2007 Prevost Le Mirage tour bus was turning onto Superior Avenue from East 9th Street when it hit the man, police said. The man was crossing Superior Avenue at a crosswalk.

The bus driver has not been arrested. He did not show any signs of impairment, police said.

Investigators will review video to determine whether any charges will be filed.

The bus has Montana license plates and is owned by Friedland Venture LLC of Missoula, Montana, police said.

Traffic was blocked after the crash in the right two lanes on East 9th Street southbound and on Superior Avenue westbound. The lanes were reopened when police cleared the scene about 2:45 p.m.

To comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments page.MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Maple Heights police said reports of a shooting at a city school that spread through Twitter are not credible.

Officers were called just before 10:30 a.m. to Maple Heights High School after security guards confronted some juveniles who were trespassing on school property, Maple Heights police said.

One juvenile made threats toward the school before running away, police said. The juveniles were captured and taken to Maple Heights Police Department for questioning.

Investigators said a Twitter user listening to police scanner reported shots were fired and threats were made to the school. Police denied those reports.

Maple Hts ~ Shots Fired - Maple Heights High School area - foot chase of 2 male trespassers on school property threatened to shoot up school, fired shots -BW  NE Ohio Scanner (@NEO_Scan) September 24, 2018

As far as I can tell from the tapes, group of males trespassing, got mouthy with the cops. Made some comment about shooting up the school. Fled from the cops on foot.



I don't believe any shots were fired or any guns recovered. https://t.co/RDmlKKtsxS  NE Ohio Scanner (@NEO_Scan) September 24, 2018

One of the males apprehended was possibly involved in another incident previously that included the discharge of a firearm.



Occurred at 10:30. I don't have the time right now to go through the rest. https://t.co/3QOuVTaEhg  NE Ohio Scanner (@NEO_Scan) September 24, 2018

The incident remains under investigation.

To comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments page.VALPARAISO, Indiana -- Police have arrested a school bus driver after she was accused of allowing students to drive the bus in an incident that was recorded on video.

ABC News reports Joandrea Dehaven McAtee, 27, is charged with felony neglect of a dependent. She was arrested by deputies with the Porter County Sheriff's Department on Friday.

Police say McAtee allowed three students, ages 11, 13 and 17, take turns steering the bus down a street in Valparaiso. Other students were on the bus.

A video posted online of a student driving has gone viral, CBS Chicago reports.

Wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, Boone grove bus driver lets a middle schooler drive, middle schooler drive. pic.twitter.com/IdF4zRkhRG  c a s e y (@_caseyweber) September 21, 2018

McAtee has been fired by First Student, the company that operates buses in the area, and the Porter Township School District, Fox News reports.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.FREEPORT, Texas -- A slippery plot involving bananas has been exposed.

Officials with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice say nearly $18 million in cocaine was found hidden in boxes of bananas that had been donated to the agency.

According to the TDCJ, 45 boxes of bananas on two pallets were offered to the department by the Ports of America in Freeport, located on the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston, because they were unclaimed and were already becoming ripe.

Two sergeants sent to pick up the bananas noticed one of the boxes felt different from the others and decided to check inside. Under the bananas they found a bundle of white powder that tested positive for cocaine.

Customs agents were called in and searched the remaining boxes, finding 540 packages of cocaine with an estimated value of $17.8 million.

"Sometimes, life gives you lemons. Sometimes, it gives you bananas. And sometimes, it gives you something you'd never expect!" the TDCJ says in a news release.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.Rotunda Rumblings

Return to the airwaves: Democratic 12th Congressional District nominee Danny O'Connor's campaign says it's launching its first round of TV ads of the general-election campaign on Tuesday. The roughly $300,000 ad buy includes broadcast in Columbus and Zanesville, as well as cable districtwide. Republican U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson hasn't yet purchased ad time since his special-election victory last month.



Getting the nod: There's an emerging trend among Ohio Democratic congressional candidates' political ads this year -- people nodding along silently as the candidate makes his/her pitch. The liberal blog Plunderbund listed numerous examples on Twitter, including ads by O'Connor, Theresa Gasper in the 10th Congressional District (twice), Aftab Pureval in the 1st Congressional District, and Betsy Rader in the 14th Congressional District.



Union backing: The Ohio Conference of Teamsters has endorsed one Republican for statewide office this year: secretary of state nominee Frank LaRose. Teamster President Pat Darrow said in a statement that LaRose, a state senator from Hudson, is "the only candidate in this race with a record of bipartisan accomplishment." The Ohio Conference of Teamsters usually endorses Democrats, though the union backed Rob Portman for U.S. Senate in 2016.



Rasor burn: A federal judge has ordered House District 37 Republican nominee Mike Rasor and another attorney at the law firm of Cavitch Familo & Durkin to pay sanctions for failing to timely or accurately produce materials in a trademark infringement lawsuit involving two medical device companies, writes Jeremy Nobile of Crain's Cleveland Business. U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson ordered $365,200 in sanctions, though the language of her order isn't clear whether Rasor, his firm, and another attorney must each pay that amount, or if that's the total they must pay combined.



Tested and approved: The Ohio Department of Commerce announced Friday morning that ACT Laboratories Inc. in Toledo, received a private testing lab provisional license for the state's medical marijuana program. Ohio's medical marijuana law requires all cannabis to be tested for quality and potency by an independent lab.



Going global: The state wants more exports of Ohio products to Japan, India and a handful of Southeast Asian countries -- such as Singapore and Indonesia. On Monday, the Ohio Development Services Agency will ask a state board to approve paying $50,000 to three firms to assist in that effort.



Under arrest: The U.S. Marshals Service arrested a Pennsylvania man Friday accused of threatening President Donald Trump and law enforcement in Mifflin Township near Columbus. The authorities were on the hunt for Shawn Richard Christy since June 19, according to the Associated Press.



A 'no': The cleveland.com/Plain Dealer editorial board opposes Issue 1, the amendment that would lessen penalties for some drug crimes and direct offenders to treatment. Among its reasons, the Sunday editorial said the proposition shouldn't be in the Ohio Constitution.



Unchanged: Ohio's unemployment rate from July to August to was unchanged but down from last year, according to the Associated Press.



Auditing the green: Ohio Auditor Dave Yost, who is running for attorney general, released a blistering audit of Ohio's medical marijuana program - after people who didn't win cannabis cultivation licenses had contributed $58,870 to his attorney general campaign, the Dayton Daily News' Laura Bischoff found. The applicants, however, won dispensary licenses.



Deaths keep rising: The number of Ohioans who died of drug overdoses last year reached a record 4,854 -- a 20 percent increase, reports the Columbus Dispatch's Cathy Candisky. Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Richard Cordray in a statement called the opioid epidemic a crisis and blamed Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, his GOP opponent for governor, for not doing more to address the problem.



Resigned: Dominic Paretti, a Columbus school board member and Ohio legislative aide, resigned from both posts Friday, after he allegedly sent lewd texts to female House colleagues. Paretti worked for Rep. Janine Boyd, a Cleveland Heights Democrat, who said she's shocked and will support the women, the Dispatch's Jim Siegel reports.



Full Disclosure



Five things we learned from state Sen. Sandra Williams' April 6 financial disclosure. Williams, a Cleveland Democrat, is running for re-election in Senate District 21.



1. Williams earned $60,584 as senator last year, her only source of income.



2. She serves as vice chairwoman for the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party.



3. During some point in 2017, Williams owed over $1,000 each to eleven companies including the Credit Union of Ohio, Sam's Club, Third Federal Bank, Ann Taylor, Federal Loan Servicing Center, Dillard's, Capital One, Home Shopping Network, Charter One, Wells Fargo and Katzel Dentistry.



4. Williams racked up $13,398.96 in travel expenses last year, including from the state for her travel between Cleveland and Columbus and for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, Women in Government and Urban Agriculture Academy.



5. She reported receiving a plaque from Ohio Jewish Communities, valued at $65.



On the Move



The Ohio Department of Agriculture honored five farming families for their work in conserving soil, water, wildlife and woodland: the Brause Family of Crawford County, Paul and Joanne Mechling of Ashtabula County, Chuck and Diane Hicks of Washington County, the Lohstroh family of Madison and Pickaway counties and T. Wayne Vickers of Pickaway County.



Unice Smith, chief of the Ohio Auditor of State's Local Government Services Section, on Thursday received a lifetime achievement award from the Ohio Government Finance Officers Association for serving with integrity throughout her career.



Straight From The Source



"In 2008 I thought (the Republican Party) was starting to go off the rails a little bit and what it is today, I just don't recognize it," Gasper said on this week's episode of Ohio Matters. "If somebody tried to describe themselves as a compassionate conservative at this point, I'd have to ask why they even feel the need to use that label."



-Democrat Theresa Gasper, running against U.S. Rep. Mike Turner in the 10th Congressional District in Dayton. On the Ohio Matters podcast, Gasper why she left the GOP.

Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free.COLUMBUS, Gov. John Kasich signed an executive order late Monday afternoon requiring Ohio law enforcement to upload certain protection orders and warrants into a database that could prevent people from illegally buying firearms.

The executive order comes with a 39-page report showing gaps in crime reporting to the database, including a survey that found 39 percent of responding agencies didn't report any felony warrants to the system. Just 21 percent of respondents entered all civil protection orders into the system.

The executive order, which goes into effect immediately, includes sanctions to law enforcement agencies that don't comply, including financial penalties and loss of access to the database.

Kasich, a Republican, believes people will support the executive order and other efforts he's making to ensure warrants and protection orders are reported.

"We just had another tragedy in Cincinnati," he said. "Unfortunately, in this area it just goes on and on and on. Any way we can improve this I think is a worthy endeavor."

In March, Kasich proposed six gun policy changes, including efforts to require another branch of government - the courts - to report conviction information to a state database, which eventually gets into the federal database. The policy changes came after Kasich spoke to people on different sides of the gun debate.

Many of Kasich's proposals ended up in House Bill 585 and Senate Bill 288, sponsored by fellow Republicans. But the bills haven't moved beyond committee hearings.

Most Republicans in Ohio General Assembly, where the GOP holds a supermajority, don't want to touch anything that could be interpreted as gun control.

Many law enforcement agencies are not submitting information to the database because they don't have enough staff, don't fully understand how the database prevents people from illegally purchasing guns or lack the technology to upload fingerprints -- one of the requirements for the database, according to the report.

Kasich signed a separate executive order Monday that makes permanent a working group that has been studying how information is sent to the database. The working group compiled the information in the report.

The working group is made up of representatives of the Ohio Supreme Court, various police and sheriff's departments, state agencies, local governments and even Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts Nailah K. Byrd.

Kasich tasked it to take its recommendations -- which range from training and education to reducing duplicative or unclear reporting responsibilities -- and come up with a concrete plan for how they can be implemented.

Kasich said there is some money available to help local law enforcement better report. However, he acknowledged some of the gaps in reporting won't be filled for years -- after he's left office.Kevin Hart, is a wealthy man. He's one of 2018's highest paid celebrities in America, raking in $57 million, according to Forbes. The comedian lives in a mansion in an "opulent gated community" in Tarzana, California. But now, the star of upcoming comedy "Night School" has turned his attention to much tinier houses.

Hart teamed up with Booking.com to create a 268-square-foot custom tiny home in the middle of Manhattan in Herald Square. Booking for the tiny New York City house opens at 12 p.m. EST on Tuesday for one lucky person (first come, first served) to stay overnight in the pop-up abode Thursday. The guest staying in the home will also receive a pair of tickets to Hart's sold-out Irresponsible Tour that evening at Madison Square Garden.

After Friday, the house will move to its permanent location in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, to join Tiny Estates, the world's largest community of tiny homes, where travelers can book a stay in Hart's tiny home in that location. (Pennsylvania is Hart's home state.) It can be rented for $54 a night ($175 a night once it's in Elizabethtown) on Booking.com, a play off Hart's height, 5' 4".

"I spend a lot of my time traveling across the world for work and often get tired of staying in hotels day in and day out," said Hart about curating the unique accommodations for the booking site.

Take a look inside.

The house has an outdoor seating area and windows that offer views of the surrounding park.As the Greeks and the Italians could tell the Japanese, the only way to stop that ominous debt trend is to begin running a primary budget surplus (budget balances before interest charges on public debt) of at least 3 percent of GDP. That's a sort of mission impossible for Japanese authorities whose primary budget deficit last year stood at 3.3 percent.

There, of course, is no chance that Japan can grow out of that debt trap, but steadily increasing demand and output would help to raise government revenues and narrow unsustainably large debts and deficits.

Where could that steady growth come from?

Given Japan's virtually free and abundant credit flows, one would expect that the economy's interest-sensitive components  such as household consumption and residential investments, about 60 percent of GDP  would be the main growth drivers.

But that's not the way the Japanese economy works. In spite of a continuing avalanche of virtually free money, private consumption in the first half of this year grew at an annual rate of 0.1 percent while activity in the housing sector collapsed at an annual rate of 7.1 percent.

Clearly, Abe's reference to the "national crisis"  shrinking population and a long-standing problem of declining family formation  are at the center of all that.

It is also clear that Japan's extraordinary monetary easing over the last six years had more to do with a weak yen, growing exports and cheap government financing than with classic policy prescriptions to end price deflation by stimulating domestic spending.

Exports, therefore, are the key  a starting point in a typically Japanese cyclical upswing.

Here is how that works: Exports in the 12 months to the second quarter of this year grew at an annual rate of 6 percent. Over the same period, that strengthening export demand led to a 3.5 percent increase in private sector investments as businesses moved to expand and modernize production capacities to meet rising overseas sales. That export stimulus was then diffused through the system, the GDP grew 1.5 percent, and the trade surplus contributed one-third of that economic recovery since the spring of last year.

The question now is whether Japan will be able to keep exports growing in its main overseas markets  the U.S., China and the European Union.(L-R) Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, then Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe other law enforcement officials hold a news conference to announce an 'international cybercrime enforcement action' at the Department of Justice July 20, 2017 in Washington, DC.

Andrew McCabe, the former FBI No. 2 ousted earlier this year, said Monday that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's reported departure could imperil special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

Multiple reports Monday said Rosenstein was summoned to the White House and could be on his way out of the Justice Department. Stories conflicted about whether he plans to resign or would force the White House to fire him.

The rumblings about Rosenstein's departure follow explosive reports last week that he discussed President Donald Trump's possible removal via the 25th Amendment following Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey last year. The New York Times first reported the story, citing sources briefed on the events or on memos written by FBI officials including McCabe.

In a statement Monday, McCabe said he "had no role in providing information of any kind to the media stories about events following Director Comey's firing." The director's ouster led to Rosenstein overseeing the probe into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election and the deputy attorney general's appointment of Mueller.

"If the rumors of Deputy AG's Rosenstein's departure are true, I am deeply concerned that it puts that investigation at risk," McCabe said.WASHINGTON  The U.S. Air Force is close to deciding on its replacement for its aging fleet of UH-1N Iroquois helicopters, which are currently tasked with security missions as well as protecting America's nuclear missile arsenal.

Manufactured by Bell, UH-1N, the helicopter affectionately called "Huey," first entered service in 1970 to assist in search and rescue missions. Since then, the Air Force has expanded the Huey's role to include flying above nuclear missile silos and VIP transportation.

The Air Force has been eyeing a replacement for the aging UH-1N fleet for more than a decade. The first manifestation of the service's ambition to procure new helicopters came in December 2016 when the Air Force issued its initial request for proposal.

America's top nuclear commander complained that the procurement process for the new helicopters responsible for securing the sites of America's nuclear missile silos was "taking way too long."

"We are going to get a new helicopter in the missile fields," Air Force Gen. John Hyten said earlier this year during his opening remarks at the 2018 STRATCOM Deterrence Symposium in Omaha, Nebraska. "We are going to get a new helicopter if I have to die trying or if I have to kill somebody to do it."

"It is taking way too long," Hyten said.

The long-awaited Pentagon contract is expected to be awarded by the end of the month with deliveries starting as early as 2020.

Three defense companies are in the running for the lucrative Pentagon contract for 84 aircraft: Sierra Nevada Corp., Boeing partnered with Leonardo, and Sikorsky, a unit of Lockheed Martin.

Both Sierra Nevada and Sikorsky are offering derivatives of the Black Hawk medium lift-utility helicopter and Boeing alongside Leonardo is pitching the MH-139, a militarized version of Leonardo's AW139 commercial aircraft.

"The MH-139 is is an aircraft that the Air Force doesn't have to go and pay to develop because it's already flying," Rick Lemaster, Director of Global Sales and Marketing for Boeing's Vertical Lift and Military Aircraft programs, told CNBC. He added that more than 250 governments already use the civilian version of the helicopter.

"The life cycle of the aircraft is notionally a 30-year life cycle and will be able to save the Air Force about a billion dollars in terms of buying and operating over that time frame. That's real money," he added.Brent crude breached $81 a barrel on Monday  its highest level in nearly four years  on the back of a tightening oil market and OPEC leaders signaling they won't be immediately boosting output. Global benchmark Brent crude rose as high as $81.48 a barrel, its strongest level since Nov. 21, 2014. The contract ended Monday's session up $2.50 a barrel, or 3.2 percent, at $81.20, its best closing prices since Nov. 11, 2014, when it settled at $81.67. Meanwhile, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $1.30, or 1.8 percent, to $72.08, its best settle since July 10. Brent first hit a new four-year high in early morning trade. Oil prices extended gains at midday, and the contract's settle above $80 a barrel positions Brent for a breakout, said John Kilduff, founding partner at energy hedge fund Again Capital. "From there then you could see a greater push higher, really to $83 or $85," he said. "That should engender follow-through buying." J.P. Morgan wrote in its latest market outlook that "a spike to $90 per barrel is likely" in the coming months thanks to U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports, which have fallen dramatically in recent months as importers brace for the impending penalties. The bank forecasts Brent and U.S. benchmark WTI prices to average $85 and $76 per barrel, respectively, in the next six months. A meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC oil ministers in Algiers over the weekend concluded with the 15-nation cartel and its allies refraining from an urgent boost in output, despite President Donald Trump's demands that it work harder to bring down prices. The ministers said they would increase output only in the event that customers wanted more cargoes.

Monday's fresh multiyear high for Brent was always on the cards, said Stephen Brennock, oil analyst at PVM Oil Associates in London. "Price risks remain skewed to the upside in the run-up to looming U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports. This outlook has been cemented by inaction on the part of OPEC+ over the weekend, which has in effect green-lighted a forthcoming supply squeeze," he told CNBC. The analyst sees the current bout of upward buying pressures persisting through to the end of the year, but warned that the outlook for 2019 was a different story. "The oil balance in the early part of 2019 makes very bad reading for oil bulls with a sizable supply surplus penciled in by the leading energy agencies," he said. "This will inevitably take the steam out of the current upswing in oil prices."

Iran sanctions loom

The impact of U.S. sanctions on Iran's oil sector will be deeper than what many have expected, said Peter Kiernan, Lead Energy Analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit. "Should cuts to Iranian oil exports end up being quite severe, OPEC will find it difficult to pick up the tab completely," he told CNBC. "OPEC insists that the market is still 'well supplied,' but the pressure to relax output will heighten if prices continue to rise, adding an interesting dimension to the Trump administration's efforts to try to isolate Iran by denying it crucial oil revenue." The Trump administration has been pressuring its allies to cut their Iranian oil imports down to zero since its decision to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal in May. South Korea has dropped its imports to nearly zero, but Japan and Turkey have had little marked decrease in theirs. India's imports from Iran in August were actually up 56 percent from the same month last year, due to large discounts offered by the Islamic Republic since the sanctions were announced. A number of Asian countries, major customers of Tehran, have asked for waivers from Washington's restrictions. Iran's oil exports averaged 2.1 million barrels per day (bpd) over the last year, and analysts say sanctions will likely take between 500,000 and 1 million bpd off the market. A group of about a dozen oil producers led by OPEC has aimed to keep 1.8 million barrels a day off the market since January 2017 in order to drain a global glut of oil that caused a punishing downturn. In June, the participating countries agreed to restore some production after the group's output fell more than intended. OPEC and Russia have pledged to increase production to meet any shortfall created by an anticipated fall in Iranian crude oil production, but no official decision has been made yet.President Donald Trump (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together at the Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Florida, April 7, 2017.

China accused the United States of engaging in "trade bullyism" and intimidating other countries to submit to its will through measures such as tariffs, hours after the two sides imposed fresh duties on each other's goods.

The official Xinhua news agency said on Monday that Washington was intimidating other countries to submit to its will through measures such as tariffs.

But Beijing also said it was willing to restart trade negotiations with the United States if the talks are "based on mutual respect and equality," Xinhua said, citing a white paper on the trade dispute published by China's State Council.

U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods and retaliatory tariffs by Beijing on $60 billion worth of U.S. products took effect at midday in Asia, though the initial level of the duties was not as high as earlier feared. The two countries have already slapped tariffs on $50 billion worth of each other's goods earlier this year.

Chinese products hit with new U.S. duties include vacuum cleaners to internet-connected devices, while U.S. goods targeted by Beijing include liquefied natural gas and certain types of aircraft.

Though a senior White House official last week said the United States will continue to engage China for a "positive way forward," neither side has signaled willingness to compromise.

The U.S. official said on Friday there was no date set for the next round of talks. The Wall Street Journal reported that China, which has accused Washington of being insincere in trade negotiations, has decided not to send Vice Premier Liu He to Washington this week.

Economists warn that a protracted dispute will eventually stunt growth not just in the U.S. and China but across the broader global economy.

The trade tensions have also cast a pall over broader relations between Beijing and Washington, with the two sides butting heads on a growing number of issues.

China summoned the U.S. ambassador in Beijing and postponed joint military talks in protest against a U.S. decision to sanction a Chinese military agency and its director for buying Russian fighter jets and a surface-to-air missile system.

Trade talks in Washington last month produced no meaningful progress.

Rob Carnell, chief Asia economist at ING, said in a note to clients that in the absence of any incentives Beijing would likely hold off on any further negotiations for now.

"It would look weak both to the U.S. and at home," he said, adding that there is "sufficient stimulus in the pipeline" to limit the damage of the latest tariffs on China's growth.

"The U.S.-China trade war has no clear end in sight."

China may also be waiting for U.S. mid-term elections early next month for any hints of changes in Washington's policy stance, Carnell added.

"With generic polls favouring the Democrats, they may feel that the trade environment will be less hostile after November 6."

The U.S. administration will levy tariffs of 10 percent on the $200 billion of Chinese products, with the tariffs to go up to 25 percent by the end of 2018.

Beijing set its new levies on $60 billion of U.S. goods at 5 and 10 percent and warned it would respond to any rise in U.S. tariffs on Chinese products accordingly.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday reiterated a threat to impose further tariffs on Chinese goods should Beijing retaliate, in line with his previous comments signalling that Washington may move to impose tariffs on virtually all imported Chinese goods if the administration does not get its way.

China imports far less from the United States, making a dollar-for-dollar match on any new U.S. tariffs impossible.

Instead, it has warned of "qualitative" measures to retaliate.

Though Beijing has not revealed what such steps might be, business executives and analysts say China could withhold exports of certain products to the U.S. or create more administrative red tape for American companies.

Some analysts say there is also a risk that China could allow its yuan currency to weaken again to cushion the blow to its exporters.WHEN: Today, Monday, September 24, 2018

WHERE: CNBC's "Squawk Alley"  live from Philadelphia, PA (additional footage will air later on CNBC's "Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer")

The following is the unofficial transcript of a CNBC EXCLUSIVE interview with JPMorgan Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon and CNBC's Jim Cramer on CNBC's "Squawk Alley" (M-F 11AM  12PM) today, Monday, September 24th, as JPMorgan opens its first retail location in Philadelphia. Additional footage from the interview will air tonight on CNBC's "Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer" at 6:00PM ET. The following is a link to video of the interview on CNBC.com: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/09/24/watch-cnbcs-full-interview-with-jp-morgans-jamie-dimon.html.

All references must be sourced to CNBC.

Carl Quintanilla: In the meantime, JPMorgan announcing this morning it plans to open 50 new branches in the Philadelphia area, as part of the company's announcement earlier this year to open 400 branches across the country. Our Jim Cramer is out in Philly with JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon for a CNBC exclusive. Hey again, Jim.

Jim Cramer: Thank you so much, Carl. Yep, we're here with Jamie Dimon. Jamie, this is a quite a commitment to an area that frankly has gone from bank to unbank. Citi just pulled out over the course of the last five years $50 million in net worth. 330 banks have closed in the last ten years. Why? Why now?

Jamie Dimon: Yeah, you know, with regulatory and tax reform, we announced a $20 billion thing, going to many cities. Obviously Philadelphia is the seventh largest market in the United States. That's not including their biggest suburb called New York. And you know, we like to be part of the community. We are already here investment banking, commercial banking and private banking. Retail is a gap. So we're going open 50 branches. 20% will be in LMI neighborhoods, neighborhoods like this. Alright. And when we come in, we bring the full force of JPMorgan, which is philanthropy dollars but to really help people, like the entrepreneurs of color fund, affordable housing units. And we enjoy it, it is good for the company, and overtime we're -- we invest for the long run. We never pull in and out of something.

Cramer: talk about the multiplier effect. When you open a branch, people think, "You know what? We don't need branches any more. Everything is digital." But brick and mortar works.

Dimon: It's amazing. So I think people aren't thinking clearly. A million people visit the branches every day. The type of branch is going to change. The size of the branch is going to change. They're getting smaller, but more advice. So there's a mortage loan office there. There's a small business loan office there. There's a financial adviser, for financial affairs. So that will change. But a million people -- even the average millennial visits something like three times in a quarter. So to me, of course the branch will morph, it will change, but you still need to serve your client the way they want to be served. Not the way I want to serve them. As you know we've rolled out all these new products, too.

Cramer: Right.

Dimon: Like Finn  the online only banking.

Cramer: Well I'm glad you mentioned this, because a lot of people feel that ten years ago one of the problems was the education of the borrower. The borrower did not know enough about what to do. You said there will be someone in there literally to help and to teach. Will that make a difference, versus ten years ago?

Dimon: Yeah. I've told the people here, "When you go to these LMI neighborhoods, try something special." But we're going to roll out a lot of financial investment education tools. We have you invest and we're going to roll out a self-advised group, and we haven't decided on the price of it yet, so that you can advise and think about it. And we already put on the screen, you can get your FICO score, and we're going to teach you ways in which you can improve your FICO, so that you can reduce cost of borrowing and stuff like that. We have to do a better job, not just us but the -- America, educating people in financial matters, from rainy day funds to handling you know, retirement accounting. And, so we're making an effort to do that now. So we have things coming out that hopefully our customers will enjoy.

Cramer: Let's talk about the power of business versus the power of government. The government, legendarily got big settlements from different banks. $13 billion from you. Keith Bliss says that you paid a total of $44 billion. Did that money go into the community, and did that -- was that the way to get things done, versus the targeted way you're doing?

Dimon: Well this actually helps the community. Some of those funds -- we don't actually know how they're disbursed. And I think one day someone should look at that. And  but you know, that's kind of the past. We've moved forward about how we do it. But this is how you build a community. Small business lending, affordable housing, branches that advise people. And we know that that works. Cities  this city of Philadelphia, you're a great hometown, the city is doing better and better but parts of it are not. So we do make a special effort in those parts of the city.

Cramer: Now, there is a sense that lending nationally slowed down. I'm not getting that from your bank. Can you give us a sense of what's going on in places that frankly are unbanked and whether there is a revival that can actually move the needle for you?

Dimon: So, one important thing: these things work when you actually do it with civic society and government.

Cramer: Okay.

Dimon: They don't work when we're at each other. So we have seen all around the world when mayors, not for profits, businesses work together, you can get people jobs, you can get them trained, you can get them employed, and it actually works. But in America, in America the economy is quite strong. And it's grown at 3%. It has been now for a couple of quarters. And it looks like that way, there are no great potholes. So, that may very well continue. And so, lending -- there is a little bit of a reduction of lending in the middle market. We don't exactly know why. Large corporations of course --

Cramer: Too flush. Could clients be too flush?

Dimon: I think -- you know -- we do know there's an effect that with tax reform and corporations earning money, they need to borrow less. It's just hard to -- tease it out to figure out exactly what that means. But you look at employment, growth, people going back to work, it is pretty good.

Cramer: Alright. Now, last week you told CNBC that it is not -- don't call it a trade war, call it a trade skirmish. Previously you had said there could be at times, perhaps, a slow down or at least in the psyche because of the  of any sort of trade war. How are you feeling about that?

Dimon: Yeah, I called it a trade skirmish. $20 billion of tariffs in and of themselves are a little bit of a tax  if it all gets paid -- tax in America. Remember, people do other things. They have other supply lines. But it's a $20 trillion economy. So that is a negative. The real negative isn't that. It's confidence, consistency, if people start reducing investment, if people start moving to supply chains around, that we have seen already moving around the markets a little bit. And so -- and the fear that the skirmish may become a war. So we don't really think it is a great way to go about it. It could easily offset some of the benefits that we've seen from regulatory reform and tax reform.

Cramer: I wanted to talk to you about regulatory reform. You know, Marianne Lake said recently -- your fabulous CFO  that we haven't really seen genuine regulatory reform that would make her happy. But there's been so much. There's been a change of attitude, no?

DIMON: So I think if you -- when i travel around, CEOs of other industries: logistics, steel, manufacturing, pipeline, they've all seen it. Have we seen actual changes in regulation for us? Not really. They have a long list of things they want to do. There has been regulatory change for the smaller banks, which we totally support, to make it a little bit easier for them, to reduce the burden on them. But it doesn't  it didn't have anything to do for the bigger banks. I think -- and the public should know, we're no not asking for the throwing out of Dodd-Frank. We're simply purposefully looking at calibrating, getting rid of duplication, looking at things that hurt the mortgage markets, hurt this kind of market, so you can enhance growth and do it safely. No one is looking at, you know, going back to the good old days. It's just recalibrating. And you know, remember, there were 2,000 rules. It wasn't like one or two. There were a lot of  and they were done in haste. And people should always rationally look at cost benefit, you know, what makes sense, what doesn't, all keeping the system safer. And remember, growth, a stronger economy also makes the financial system safer.

CRAMER: Now you just mentioned no rate potholes. We've got a fed meeting that's coming up this week. The spread that you would get, 2 and 10 to use the hike. You know, the -- the typical logic that people say means that you can't make as much money and then you can't lend as much.

Dimon: So, when I say no potholes, the household in good shape --

Cramer: Okay 

Dimon: People going to work 

Cramer: FICO scores, high --

Dimon: FICO scores are fine. Companies are flush. Tax reform is still a benefit. We don't have the extreme leverage we had in '08. And all of the lending has been pretty good. Prime, good lending. So it's not been bad lending. But absolutely, there's friction out there. There's always friction. You open up the newspaper on any week of any month, there's tons of friction. And it's mounting. Brexit, QE, Turkey, Argentina, and we don't know the full effects of those things. So yeah, we keep our eye on that. But it may not derail the economy. You've got to separate the two.

Cramer: I keep thinking these are all things that should play to your fortress balance sheet strength. We've not seen  we've got European banks that are really  really on the run so to speak. Why isn't JPMorgan making a greater presence given the weakness of the rest of the world?

Dimon: Well, we do. In every country we're in, we're steady, growing. And if we do country by country, adding more bankers, systems, people and all the support  risk, legal, credit, compliance. So our share in Europe has gone up considerably. And we're just doing it by adding people, and adding branches, and you know the basic good old three yards and a cloud of dust.

Cramer: Well, okay, when i hear three yards and a cloud of dust, I think you should get a higher price to earnings multiple, for heaven's sake. You're selling at 12 times net returns. We've been at this game for a long time. If for growth financial with money that's made every day you open the door, why aren't you valued like a typical S&P company?

Dimon: That's a question you're going to have to answer. The banks are under -- still under political regulatory constraints and all that. We just went through the crisis so i think a lot of people's investors are probably always worried. But you're right  we're in very good returns in capital, we're growing. You know, whenever -- when the cycle hits, obviously it's going to effect the bank, but we will manage through the cycle just like we did right through the last one.

Cramer: Okay. When I think about that, I think that you must be in there buying stock every day for the company. You have chosen a path of buying back stock. Shrinking, but I still can't believe how many shares you have. For ten years, your share count has not gone down enough. When will you start getting down to a level where you really are not  where you're sopping up the darn supply?

Dimon: So I don't remember the exact number but our share count is down like 15%.

Cramer: Yeah, but it's still 36 versus ten years ago, at 35 --

Dimon: Yeah  but there's some inhabitation over time  but since I've been there it's been coming down. So  but if you want to look into something, i would prefer to spend that money not buying back stock, doing this. So growing our business is far better for the economy. Right now we don't have a lot of choices, but over time I really would prefer not to buy back stock. You know, companies should do what makes sense. And I also don't buy this argument that it's bad. Buying back stock is simply giving it back to you, an investor, who then redeploys it to a better use. It's redeployment of capital that should redeployed if a company can't use it. But my choice is always to grow our business. Which we're now doing.

Cramer: Okay --

Dimon: -- 500 branches. We're now in all major cities for investment banking, middle market banking, etcetera. We've been growing overseas. But think about any bankers and people, and stuff like that. So that is my preference. P2P. You Invest. You know, building products and services. So you're going to see a lot more of that come in the next 12 months.

Cramer: When I think about this, and i am very proud of what you're doing in my home city, but I do say, okay, but as a pure capitalist  you know, "Listen, Jamie, we're shareholders, we should get that money. I -- there's no real instant payoff here, within two, three years. It's going to take a long time."

Dimon: No, it's not true. Now first of all, accounting, you have to be careful about. But when we build a branch, okay. And we put a million, I don't know if I want to put numbers publicly, we put capital in the branch, but five years later that branch could be earning -- contributing to profit a million dollars a year. So you know, the timetable of that in new cities is a little more complicated than when we open a branch in a city we're already in, but again, we already serve 60 million households. We want to serve 70 million. We want to bring them all the products and services we have. So there is a financial payoff. It is not overnight, but I don't worry about that. I just explain to people like you that's okay. The MPV is very good, and it's going to be negative the first year, you know, maybe break through by the third year and then a plus.

Cramer: How about us who are depositors of JPMorgan? We're not getting the rate that you're gonna get on the two year. When are you going to start paying your CED and your depositors more?

Dimon: When rates came down, it came down like this. As rates came down to zero, banks didn't do it. So when rates started going up, they didn't pass it on. I think now you're gonna see  and obviously people have other options, money market funds, et cetera. But I think now as rates go up the next 25, the next 25, you'll see what we call beta, how much will be passed on. It will go up and up and up.

Cramer: Well, is that going to shrink possibility? Should I be worried?

Dimon: Not -- not really because it's -- we are gaining deposits. And the spread that you're maintaining between your cost of funds and what you're paying will be about the same.

Cramer: Jamie, you're talking about the politicians  just like the politicians did in 1964  you're talking about a war on poverty, that business needs to do a better job. You mention that in big settlements from say 2013, when attorney -- Associate Attorney General Tony West was kind of after the bank, that was you being on the defensive. You're playing the offensive in trying to change poverty in this country. Do you feel you can do it better than the government?

Dimon: No, I think government and business have to do it together. And it works at a local level. We see it in Detroit, we see it in New Orleans, we see it in Chicago, we see it in L.A., you see it in in Philadelphia. With great ideas. And most of the things we talk about, affordable housing, skills, commercial development, entrepreneurship, that's not democrat or republican. But i think business and government together can do it. If business -- you can't do it without business and business can't do it without government. And you know, government is obviously going to play a role in terms of regulation and licensing and stuff like that. And while America is the most prosperous nation on the planet, we really have to focus on these issues about income inequality, infrastructure, opioid crisis, lack of education in inner city schools -- end of up in good jobs.

Cramer: Jamie, you know what you sound like when you say these things? You sound like a politician.

Dimon: Well, I am a patriot.

Cramer: Okay, but if you're a patriot, so was General Eisenhower. We didn't know if he was Democrat or Republican but he ran for President because he was a patriot.

Dimon: He won World War Two.

Cramer: Well  you're --

Dimon: I am a banker first. I am not running. I just  I think it is very important that we have good policy. And that we should focus on good policy and -- all the time, and as you know, I don't mind speaking about good policy, analyzing it, participating in it in a way that JPMorgan can. So if you're in other areas  you know, other companies will be a far better job than we can, because they are far more knowledgeable. But in these kind of areas, we can really help communities.

Cramer: Are good business skills ever really transferrable to government, though?

Dimon: I think some are. Yeah, I mean, administration, management leadership, organization. But that doesn't mean a CEO will translate to a good politician. You know, politicians have a whole different set of skills, and relaying to people, and understanding empathy. But that doesn't mean -- I would never say never that people can or can't. Some have done it. Most have failed.

Cramer: When you say never say never, again, it brings me back to the dialogue.

Dimon: -- I would never say never for someone else. I would not say a CEO cannot be a good president.

Cramer: Do you think it's too soon 

Dimon: And President Trump was a CEO. So --

Cramer: You just met Mayor Kenney here from Philadelphia. That's something that would not -- I don't want to say frowned on, but wouldn't be believable ten years ago, when bankers were considered to be antithetical to democracy even because of President Obama. What -- has it changed enough that now you're welcome in communities that were solid democratic areas that I think really abhor banks?

Dimon: It's nice to be welcomed. But just you know -- we never stopped seeing Mayors, Governors, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Senators -- even people that didn't like us. Because we always said it isn't about whether you like us, it's are we doing a good job? Are there legitimate complaints we should handle? What should we do to make it better for people? And so we never stopped doing it. But it is nice when people do like you.

Cramer: Okay. I want to speak about the country. You have been on record saying we know, "greatest military, greatest educational system." Is there any --

Dimon: Education -- the best and the worst. We are failing inner-city kids. Half of them don't graduate, like in the poor neighborhoods. And a lot of kids aren't getting the skills they need to have a job. And so that is a failing. We should be ringing an alarm bell about that. But we don't. And I don't know why.

Cramer: Well, why don't -- what can you do beyond what you're doing?

Dimon: Well, we're doing tremendous in skills. So what we're doing in skills, we go to local schools  like we're now working with the government in New York  my wife did this, by the way -- to train kids to be tellers. $36,000 a year, 12,000 medical and pension benefits, the kids like the jobs. And that's the first rung. Then they can move up. They can become a banker. A lot of our branch managers were tellers. And a lot of the regional managers were tellers. So we can do it for ourselves, but we also help schools locally, whether it's a high school, whether it's apprenticeships, whether it's a community college with money, but it's not just us. It's all businesses need jobs locally. They need special training. So that really has to be done locally. That should be a national --

Cramer: Alright. $1.5 trillion in student loans. 23% default last year. It's supposed to be 40% by 2023. I know Marianne Lake said, "Look, that's not really an issue for our bank," but how about for our country?

Dimon: It's a huge issue. You know, we've -- this is all government lending by the way. And bad lending is bad. Whether it was the mortgages that you make or businesses. One of the things you have to do is have discipline around capital so you get a return. Bridges to nowhere are bad. Schools that don't work are bad. Lending money to people who can't pay it back, it's a mistake. So that student lending  there was a tremendous amount has been done in seven years. The folks are having a hard time paying it back. It is all owned by the government. So it is the taxpayers who lose  whatever -- hundreds of billions of dollars. But it is not good. Because what we're seeing today is that in other lending: so mortgages, these kids are having a hard time getting a mortgage. Credit card, these kids are having a hard time getting a credit card. So it is effecting the economy. It is not like the mortgage crisis. It's a trillion 3 or a trillion 4, I wouldn't call it systemic -- it is just really highly unfortunate.

Cramer: Okay. Let's go back to international a second. You talked about the idea of the tariffs so far. That you know, you've got a skirmish. But at what point would it be a war and at what point should we be worried that it's really gone overboard?

Dimon: You know, I worry about it, and I just don't know. I think china has been predictable in retaliation. And I think the market kind of expected a tit for tat retaliation. I they're kind of expecting NAFTA to get done. It could get worse from here. And I just  I really don't know and I hope it doesn't. I hope that they sit down and have rational conversations. And we have a both NAFTA, which we should do because Canada and Mexico are good neighbors of ours. I am going to Mexico later this week. And with china. And I don't know what the conversations are behind closed doors anymore, so I really don't know. But I urge -- I think we should try to get -- again, the president raised very, very, very good issues. We're only talking about the process to the conclusion. I hope their process works. I just think it's kind of a riskier way to go about it.

Cramer: How do you -- the president says the problem with banker Jamie Dimon running for president, is he doesn't have the aptitude or the smarts and is a poor public speaker and nervous mess. That doesn't sound like cooperation. How did you patch that up? I mean, I'm sure in the last ten days you patched this up.

Dimon: I have not spoken to the president.

Cramer: You haven't?

Dimon: And -- again, I made a mistake. I shouldn't have yapped like that, which some of you have mentioned on TV. But again, I want to focus on policy. So my view is let's just focus on policy. I shouldn't have been taking shots and having jokes at anyone's expense.

Cramer: Would you think -- would you put this in the case of say the London Whale, where you said it was the stupidest thing  "the stupidest, most embarrassing situation I've ever been a part of"? Is this right up there with the London Whale?

Dimon: I've said a lot of stupid things in my life. The London Whale we lost some real money.

Cramer: Okay  because what i am thinking about is the things you're saying are common sense things that we have not heard from bankers. We heard from bankers on the defensive for decades. You are saying here's how public private partnership make these neighborhoods better, get better -- much better schools and we change our country. Are you changing city by city?

Dimon: We are trying. But again, you have a lot of guests on TV, you ask most of them what they're doing, a lot of companies, they're doing stuff just like this. It's not just JPMorgan but all these companies  they're part of the BRT  we actually put out a booklet of work skills, everyone is doing something. And everyone is doing a lot in diversity and other things --

Cramer: So you don't think we are falling behind other countries? We've seen mortality numbers, we've seen --

Dimon: I can -- in total, we are slipping. I think that bad policy is why we've grown at 2% over the ten five years and not more in the last ten years. The American public should know, 20% growth in ten years is half what it should have been.

Cramer: Is China going to pass us?

Dimon: I doubt it. Okay. We -- this country is blessed with things that are just way beyond, schools, universities  the good part  the universities, land, water, energy, the Atlantic, the Pacific, the best business and innovation, but we have this series of problems. We fix one, uncompetitive tax system for business. That was a bad idea. We have to fix immigration, inner-city schools, opioids, we have to give felons a chance to have a job, we've got to get people back to work skills, we should double the earned income tax credit, and one day we'll have --

Cramer: Tax reform 2.0 is reasonable.

Dimon: -- and we should have a negative income tax of some sort. Make jobs that people have, because jobs give dignity, jobs have better social outcomes, but they need to be a living wage. So I agree with that concept when i hear it from folks, and the earned income tax does that. And if we need to double it, we should double it. And if you have to pay more, so be it.

Cramer: I agree. Painful, but I agree. Now we're going to send it back to New York and then we're going to spend time a little more time talking about "Mad Money" and what you're -- more bigger -- big picture issues. Thank you so much. Carl.

Dimon: Thank you all.

Quintanilla: Jim, we look forward to tonight's show. "Mad Money," 6:00 p.m. Eastern time. More with Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan.

For more information contact:

Jennifer Dauble

CNBC

t: 201.735.4721

m: 201.615.2787

e: jennifer.dauble@nbcuni.com

Emma Martin

CNBC

t: 201.735.4713

m: 551.275.6221

e: emma.martin@nbcuni.commay be to buy European cable operator Sky PLC, but the market is reacting far too harshly to what could be a very lucrative deal for Comcast, CNBC's said Monday. "The textbook example of Wall Street's aversion to long-term thinking is really the stock of Comcast, the parent company of this network, down 6 percent today," the "Mad Money" host said. "Because many investors despise long-term investments, the stock had its ." While he thought the narrative around Comcast's interest in buying Sky had been muddied by unfounded worries around cord-cutting, Cramer could understand why investors were concerned. In Comcast's last two major acquisitions  buying AT&T Broadband in 2001 and buying NBCUniversal, parent to CNBC, in 2009  investors were equally shaky, Cramer said. After each deal, shares of Comcast tanked roughly 7 percent because "the deals were viewed as too expensive and too risky," he said. But since the AT&T deal, Comcast's stock has not only recovered, but built on its gains, giving investors a total return of 392 percent versus the 349 percent gain. Since the NBCUniversal deal, Comcast is up 425 percent versus the S&P index's 220 percent. "On Wall Street, the two most dreaded words in the English language are 'long' and 'term,'" Cramer joked. "When you start talking about long-term earnings, the hedge fund guys will smile, they'll nod and then they'll rush to sell your stock." In the case of Comcast, however, short-term-focused investors have long been proven wrong, the "Mad Money" host said. "I think these bears have got it backwards: long-term thinking is essential; short-term thinking is dead-end," Cramer said. For more of Cramer's analysis on the Comcast-Sky deal, click here.

J.P. Morgan CEO talks policy, running for office

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase Mark Urban | CNBC

In a time when and seem to be exploring presidential bids, Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon told CNBC that he's content with staying on the sidelines. Referencing his that he could beat President in an election, Dimon the comment in a Monday interview with Cramer. "It was on my mind because people mentioned it, but it's not what I want to do," he said in the interview. "I don't think I would be good at it. I'm not a political person, per se." And besides, "I think it's probably too soon for a banker" to run for president, the CEO said. Instead, Dimon, who has run J.P. Morgan for over a decade, said he wanted to turn his focus to "policy that matters," pointing to "seriously policy issues" around infrastructure, taxation, regulation, education, neighborhood development, affordable housing, opioids and income inequality. To watch and read more about Dimon's interview, click here.

Know your IPO: Elanco Animal Health

Jeff Simmons, president and chief executive officer of Elanco Animal Health Inc., center, applauds while ringing the opening bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Cramer has long backed the "humanization of pets" theory  the notion that how much people spend on their pets is continually rising  but the latest animal-focused entrant to the public market did not fit Cramer's bill. Last week, pharmaceutical giant spun off via an . A drug and vaccine developer, Elanco is a leader in medicinal feed additives, with 63 percent of its sales coming from food animals like chicken. And while investors sent shares of Elanco up 50 percent in their first trading day, Cramer wasn't as thrilled about the company's prospects. "As much as I like corporate breakups and the humanization of pets and the rising popularity of chicken and other proteins, I can't recommend Elanco [Animal] Health right here, versus, say, for value or for growth," Cramer said, noting two of his favorite competitors. For Cramer's main points of hesitation on Elanco, click here.

ESPN's Adam Schefter on new book about 9/11

Adam Schefter Scott Mlyn | CNBC

Many know Adam Schefter as one of the nation's leading sports reporters, but the ESPN journalist's recent book "The Man I Never Met" sheds light on a more sobering part of his family's past. The book, an extension of an article Schefter wrote for ESPN commemorating the 15th anniversary of 9/11, takes an inside look at the life of Joe Maio, Schefter's wife's ex-husband who perished during the attack. "I can't imagine that there are very many people who have ever written a book about their spouse's first spouse, certainly not in a flattering way," Schefter told Cramer in an exclusive interview. "This book is a way to honor Joe's memory, to give his son a chance to better know his father, his biological father, and for everybody to get to know the great Joe Maio. And this was a great man, Jim." Schefter added that the book is not only a tribute to his wife and to Joe, but a message "that life does go on, that there is hope after grief [and] that there are heartwarming stories that come out of heartbreak." "It goes to show you that life is not some Instagram post that we see every day where everything is great and joyous and happy all the time. We have a lot of happiness in our life. We all do. But there's some sadness and there's some reality as well," Schefter said. To watch his full interview, click here.

The big misunderstanding with buybacks

Few things get Cramer more riled up than when journalistic reports assume that individual investors "are too dumb to understand the workings of the stock market," the "Mad Money" host said Monday. "That's my take every time I read another story bemoaning the fact that buybacks artificially inflate a company's earnings per share, making them inherently phony," he told viewers. Cramer referenced reports that suggested corporate share buybacks were "manufactured" by companies to boost earnings per share. The key thing they were missing was the fundamental idea that buybacks help taper market demand by "sopping up supply," he argued. "There's only so much supply of stock to go around, and this voracious demand keeps pushing us higher. Layer in the mergers and acquisitions in the S&P 500 and the lack of new equity issuance by companies in that index and the misunderstood buybacks, and you've got the makings of a genuine stock shortage," he said. So, while buybacks can artificially boost a company's earnings-per-share growth, they have the power to boost share prices in a market where index fund buying is drastically reducing the amount of stock available, Cramer argued. Here's how legendary investor Warren Buffett views the long-term power of buybacks.

Lightning round: International Paper and the straw debatePresident Donald Trump will meet with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Thursday amid swirling reports that the No. 2 Justice Department official's departure is imminent.

"At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.

"Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C."

Axios published a bombshell report Monday that Rosenstein is resigning, citing sources with knowledge.

But the report was contradicted by other news outlets, including from NBC News' Pete Williams, who reported that Rosenstein would not resign of his own accord after his off-the-cuff comments about possibly recording and removing Trump were revealed last week.

He will only depart if the White House fired him and will refuse to resign if asked to do so, Williams reported. News of Rosenstein's potential departure was a "huge shock" to the Justice Department, Williams added.

Although Trump has sharply criticized Rosenstein over the Russia probe, his departure could create a big problem for the White House: filling the position six weeks before the crucial midterm elections.

A Justice Department official told The New York Times that if Rosenstein is out, then Solicitor General Noel Francisco would oversee the Russia investigation.

Shortly after the resignation reports, Rosenstein was at the White House for a previously-scheduled principals meeting, a Justice Department official told NBC. Trump arrived in New York City on Sunday for the United Nations General Assembly. He was scheduled to have dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that evening.In less than a month, Canada will become only the second country in the world and the first G-7 nation to bring marijuana prohibition to an end, legalizing cannabis for recreational use.

The move comes at a time when major corporations such as Constellation Brands are deepening investments in the space, cannabis stocks are seeing major volatility, and talk of a bubble is brewing.

Canadian legalization, jump-started by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government some three years ago, also has broad implications not only across the country but for its neighbor the U.S., where the drug remains illegal at the federal level. The Oct.17 deadline brings with it a slew of unknowns, including how large the market for cannabis in Canada will be and whether there will be enough product on store shelves. Estimates have run the gamut from $4 billion to $10 billion in the first few years of implementation.

Some analysts think the move may pressure the United States to accelerate legalization in some capacity, as states continue to take matters into their own hands by legalizing locally.

"We are sitting back now and watching the Canadians take market share with regards to international export opportunity," says Matt Karnes, founder of industry analyst firm GreenWave Advisors. He cited deals such as Constellation Brands' recent increased $4 billion stake in Canopy Growth Corp. and reports of Coca-Cola's interest in CBD, which has pain relief properties but doesn't get users high. "And multinational companies that are stepping in, or potentially want to step in, are all eyeing Canada, whereas I believe the United States clearly has the most robust and compelling opportunity for cannabis."

Right now 30 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized for medicinal use, and nine states and D.C. have legalized for recreational use, with GreenWave projecting a market of nearly $13 billion in the U.S. in 2019. Midterm ballot initiatives to watch include recreational measures in Michigan and North Dakota, Karnes says, and legislative measures expected this year in New Jersey and early next year in New York.General Electric shares fell to a new 9-year low on Monday, dropping to levels not seen since July 13, 2009, as concern about a recent gas turbine failure in Texas hang over the embattled industrial conglomerate.

Shares of GE fell as far as $11.60 a share in trading, breaking past its previous low this year of $11.94 a share.

The stock closed at $11.46 a share on July 22, 2009  a few months after it hits its lowest point during the financial crisis, when it closed $6.66 a share on March 5, 2009.

GE's stock has fallen steadily this year, down 32 percent. The conglomerate's stock has set new lows as investors remain unconvinced by CEO John Flannery's turnaround plan and its stagnant power business has hit new roadblocks, such as the Texas turbine failure and no short-term turnaround in sight.

Several Wall Street analysts slashed GE price targets this month due to the struggling power business. UBS cut its price target to $13 from $16 for GE shares, saying the business will likely "require even more aggressive cost reductions, force GE into a vicious cycle." J.P. Morgan brought its price target all the way down to $10 a share, saying the firm now assumes "weaker results at power and some franchise value impact" for GE.

Flannery said during GE's second-quarter earnings in June that he had "essentially" completed the "target of $20 billion of dispositions" he promised.Arizona health officials threatened on Wednesday to revoke the licenses of 13 federally funded immigrant children shelters, accusing the facilities' operator, Southwest Key, of displaying an "astonishingly flippant attitude" toward complying with the state's child protection laws.

But a day after the state sent its blistering letter to Southwest Key CEO Juan Sanchez, it became clear that any shutdown would create a tumultuous chain of events for federal and state regulators, who lack options for housing tens of thousands of unaccompanied children who cross the border every year.

"Shutting down the shelters would create a crisis for the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is charged with housing children caught at the border," said Maria Cancian, deputy assistant secretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families from 2015 to 2016.

Southwest Key is the country's largest operator of immigrant youth shelters, housing more than 5,000 children in Arizona, Texas and California. As many as 1,600 children currently reside in its Arizona facilities.

The Texas-based nonprofit has become an increasingly critical asset for the federal government as the number of children in its custody has reached record numbers  even as the Trump administration has ended the practice of separating children from their parents. Southwest Key has received more than $1.3 billion in federal grants and contracts for the shelters and other services in the past five years.

Arizona's investigation showing the company has been lax in protecting children in its care highlights the government's fraught reliance on shelter operators  and the power those operators have, even in the face of failures. The federal government desperately needs every shelter as tougher immigration policies have put the system near capacity, housing five times as many children as last summer. Former HHS officials said closing 13 shelters in Arizona at once would throw the system into chaos.

It would create a "humanitarian crisis," said one former official, forcing federal officials to scramble to find safe, licensed housing with trained and vetted staff for 1,600 children.

Arizona launched its investigation of Southwest Key's shelters after news reports raised questions about background checks and other issues. A ProPublica story in August detailed the charges against Levian Pacheco, a former Southwest Key employee who is accused of molesting eight boys at a Mesa shelter over an 11-month period. Pacheco, who is HIV-positive, went without a background check for nearly four months. He was convicted earlier this month of 10 sex offenses connected to the molestation.

In response to media attention and complaints, Arizona health officials reviewed records on background checks at every Southwest Key facility across the state. Of the 13 shelters, the state found two additional facilities also had problems with background checks. In mid-August the company agreed it would verify that all employees had complete background checks by mid-September.

Arizona health officials also found that Southwest Key hadn't vetted all employees by interviewing their previous employers and hadn't ensured all employee files contained proof of tuberculosis testing. At some facilities, officials discovered bedroom and bathroom doors missing and problems with the size of residents' rooms.

In Wednesday's letter, Dr. Cara Christ, the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, told Sanchez that his organization had failed to comply with the mid-August agreement.

"Southwest Key's lack of ability to deliver a simple report on the critical protections these children have against dangerous felons demonstrates an utter disregard for Arizona law," Christ wrote.

Jeff Eller, a Southwest Key spokesman, said the nonprofit has requested a meeting with state health officials to discuss the matter. "We have apologized to DHS for missing the reporting deadline and are serious about ensuring that never happens again," he said in a statement. Eller declined to comment on the substantive issues raised in Arizona's investigation. The state's move to revoke the licenses was first reported by Arizona media outlets.

Gov. Doug Ducey's office said in an email on Thursday he expects licensed facilities to comply with the law or his administration will hold them accountable.

Federal HHS spokesman Kenneth Wolfe said in an email Thursday that the agency was reviewing the letter and working with the shelters and Ducey's office "to get all of the facts regarding the Arizona Department of Health Services audit to determine the next step."

Former federal officials said they anticipate HHS will step in to help negotiate an outcome between Southwest Key and Arizona that will allow the children to remain in the facilities. Even Arizona officials acknowledged that the letter represents the beginning of what would be a long process.

In Texas, which has 16 Southwest Key facilities housing about 3,700 children, state health officials say they are not aware of similar issues with Southwest Key.

The Texas' Health and Human Services Commission said its "monitoring inspections have not produced evidence of a pattern of background check deficiencies within any SWK [Southwest Key] operation, nor any patterns of failure to comply with minimum standard training requirements."

An official with California's Department of Social Services said in June the agency re-inspected all known facilities used by the US Office of Refugee Resettlement  including those operated by Southwest Key  and found no licensing concerns. The dust-up comes as the number of immigrant youth in federal custody has continued to grow. Immigrant advocates and former health officials say the record population doesn't appear to be due to an influx of children at the border, but to the fact that children are staying in the shelters nearly twice as long as in the past.

They attributed that to a Trump administration policy that requires health officials to share information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to vet potential sponsors for children in the shelters. As a result, they said, many parents and relatives who have traditionally served as sponsors worry they'll be turned over to ICE if they come forward.

Matthew Albence, who heads ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations, gave credence to that fear at a Senate hearing on Tuesday when he testified that ICE had arrested 41 people who either came forward as sponsors or lived with them.

"Close to 80 percent of the individuals that are either sponsors or household members of sponsors are here in the country illegally," Albence said. "So we are continuing to pursue those individuals."

Arizona's move against Southwest Key is just the latest in a series of bad headlines for the nonprofit.

In addition to ProPublica's reporting on Pacheco, two other cases involving abuse at other Southwest Key shelters in Arizona surfaced in July. An employee at a Southwest Key facility in Phoenix was arrested on allegations that he sexually abused a 14-year-old girl by kissing her and rubbing her breast and crotch, according to Phoenix news outlets. And The Nation reported in July that a 6-year-old girl, who had been separated from her mother, was allegedly fondled by a boy at a Southwest Key facility in Glendale in June.

At other Southwest Key facilities, police reports and call logs from the last five years detail dozens of runaways, inappropriate relationships with staff, sexual contact among kids, and allegations of molestation by employees, ProPublica found. In one case, a 46-year-old youth care worker in Tucson was convicted of groping a 15-year-old boy who had arrived in the United States five days earlier.

In response to each of these reports, a Southwest Key spokesman said the organization immediately reports any abuse claim to police, that it cooperates fully with all investigations and that it educates children in its care of their right to be free of abuse.

And in August, UnidosUS, formerly known as the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, suspended its affiliation with Southwest Key.

Both UnidosUS and Arizona officials highlighted similar concerns about the Southwest Key officials' attitude toward the scrutiny it is receiving. UnidosUS said the organization "failed to convey that it understands the gravity and magnitude of the situation" and had failed to apologize to the victims in its care.

In response to UnidosUs, Eller told the Austin American-Statesman in August that the company was disappointed in the group's decision and said any insinuation that Southwest Key didn't take allegations seriously was grossly incorrect.

A former HHS official with knowledge of how the refugee resettlement agency operates said the recent developments with Southwest Key raise serious questions about the organization's ability to meet the government's needs.

"It sounds like, based on their inability to respond or even communicate in a timely fashion that they have really significant internal operating challenges and that may or may not be indicative of the quality of care the children are receiving," the former official said.

Nonetheless, other former officials said shuttering the facilities might not be in the best interest of the children. The state might have more effective options, such as increasing unannounced visits to shelters.

Claudia Flores, director of the International Human Rights Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School who has studied the conditions faced by immigrant youth at the border, highlighted the difficult position the federal government and Arizona are in with Southwest Key.

"It's not a response to say we can't shut down the facilities when there are reports of abuse taking place," she said. "It's really not the kids in these facilities that should be suffering."

WATCH: The economic cost of immigration detention"We believe that Saturday's terrorist attack in Iran could prove to be the weekend's more consequential event as it will likely exacerbate the already dangerous Middle East antagonisms," Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, said in a note Sunday evening.

Oil market attention was focused on an OPEC meeting in Algeria this weekend, but it was Saturday's terrorist attack in an oil-rich part of Iran that "could have serious security implications for the world's most important oil production region," according to a closely-watched oil analyst.

Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) march during the annual military parade In Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz before the attack.

Gunmen attacked an annual Iranian military parade in Ahvaz, a city in the oil-rich southwest of the country on Saturday, killing 25 people and wounding 60 others. There is confusion over the identity of the perpetrators of the attack; Islamic State claimed responsibility, but some media reports said the attack was the work of an Arab separatist group.

Publicly blaming U.S. "allies in the region," Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insinuated that Tehran's rivals from the surrounding Gulf states were involved.

Tensions and rivalries have simmered between Saudi Arabia and Iran for decades. Despite their joint membership of OPEC, the oil producers are rivals, with both countries vying for geopolitical and religious influence in the region. Against this backdrop, Croft said that the latest attack in Ahvaz could provoke a wider regional conflict.

"With the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps warning that it will take a 'deadly and unforgettable revenge' against the perpetrators, the risk of the region's cold war becoming a hot one appears to be rising in our view," Croft and her fellow analysts, Christopher Louney and Michael Tran, said in a note.

"We also contend that the risk of such a destabilizing clash will only grow as Iran comes to feel the full effects of economic sanctions that are designed to radically alter the behavior of the ruling regime, if not change it."

In light of Saturday's attack, RBC Capital Markets raised the risk rating for both Iran and Saudi Arabia, regional Shia and Sunni powerhouses, respectively, in its "OPEC Watch List."

The head of Iran's National Security Council adopted a more conciliatory tone on Monday, saying that Iran needs constructive dialogue to avoid tensions with its neighbors, state-run news agency IRNA reported.

Iran is a key mover for oil markets with analysts watching to see what happens to oil prices as U.S. economic sanctions are fully implemented on its oil industry in early November. Oil prices rose 2 percent on Monday as concerns of sanctions and a tightening global supply weighed on markets.

OPEC and Russia have pledged to increase production to meet any shortfall created by an anticipated fall in Iranian crude oil production, but no official decision has been made yet.Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini speaks during a statement after a bilateral meeting prior to the European Union member states' interior and justice ministers conference on July 11, 2018 in Innsbruck, Austria.

The Italian spending plan for 2019 could be a boost for nationalist parties in the upcoming European elections, an analyst told CNBC on Monday.

The 2019 budget that the Italian government is due to present in the coming days has kept investors on their toes. There are wide concerns that the populist government will present a budget that will derail the reduction of Italy's public debt  a critical issue given that Rome holds the second largest pile of debt in Europe.

However, the spending plan could have broader consequences.

"I believe the result from the Italian budget will provide a boost to the nationalists across the bloc heading into next year's parliamentary elections in May," Stephen Gallo, European head of forex strategy at Bank of Montreal, told CNBC via email.

"I am already looking towards 2019 and the European parliamentary elections, and for a persistent political risk discount to remain embedded in the euro," he said. "No matter how the Italian budget negotiations progress from here, my thinking is that Brussels will come out looking worse than it already does."

National budgets are determined by capitals across Europe, but the European Commission analyzes each individually and rules whether it complies with its fiscal rulebook.At a time when share buybacks are hitting record levels, J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said he'd rather put the money to work in other ways.

In an interview Monday with CNBC's on "Squawk Alley," the head of the largest U.S. bank by deposits said the institution's latest foray into Philadelphia is an example of a better way to deploy cash.

"I would prefer to spend that money not buying back stock but doing this," he said during the live talk in the City of Brotherly Love. "Growing our business is far better for the economy. Right now we don't have a lot of choices. But over time I really would prefer not to buy back stock."

The bank has announced it will open 50 new branches around Philadelphia, Delaware and southern New Jersey over the next five years. That's part of a broader agenda aimed at opening 400 new branches across the country, a move made as the total number of branches has declined about 9 percent since the financial crisis.

Bank officials said the program is a way to put to use the windfall from last year's tax cuts that slashed the corporate rate from 35 percent to 21 percent.

A good chunk of that money has been returned to shareholders this year, with S&P 500 companies on track to execute more than $1 trillion in share repurchases by the end of the year.

While Dimon said that's not his main focus, he also said it's wrong to demonize buybacks.

"Companies should do what makes sense," he said. "I also don't buy this argument that it's bad. Buying back stocks is simply giving it back to you as an investor who redeploys it to a better use. It's redeployment of capital that should be redeployed if a company can't use it. My druthers is always to grow our business."

WATCH: CNBC's full interview with JP Morgan's Jamie DimonSupreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Monday lashed out at a report detailing a second allegation of sexual assault against him, calling the accusation "grotesque and obvious character assassination" and vowing not to withdraw his nomination.

In a letter sent to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Kavanaugh said he "will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process."

"The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out. The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. The last-minute character assassination will not succeed," he wrote.

Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's second pick to join the nine-member high court, was first hit with the second allegation in a report from The New Yorker published Sunday night.

The New Yorker and NBC News reported that Kavanaugh is accused of exposing himself to a college classmate, Deborah Ramirez, while they were both at Yale University in the 1980s.

That allegation arrived about a week after reports first surfaced that Christine Blasey Ford, 51, had sent a letter detailing her own accusation of sexual assault against Kavanaugh, 53, that was obtained by Feinstein. The committee's top Democrat said she referred the letter to federal investigators.

Ford alleges that an intoxicated Kavanaugh held her down, covering her mouth and trying to undress her at a gathering when they were both teenagers.

Kavanaugh has categorically denied both the allegations, and said he will testify under oath before the Judiciary Committee in a public hearing on Thursday.

On Sunday, lawyers for Ford appeared to confirm that Ford, too, would testify on Thursday, following days of negotiations with the Judiciary Committee over the date of the hearing, the witnesses present and the cross-examination process.

Read the full text of Kavanaugh's letter:Microsoft on Monday unveiled new hardware that businesses can use in factories and other sites and is designed to efficiently run artificial intelligence computations without requiring customers to install special processors.

The introduction of the Azure Data Box Edge comes as Microsoft seeks to gain share from public cloud market leader Amazon Web Services and fend off smaller challengers like Google.

Amazon pioneered the idea of blending special-purpose hardware with its cloud services in a product called Snowball. With Snowball, Amazon sends highly durable hardware to customers. They fill up the boxes' hard drives with data, then mail them back for long-term storage in cloud data centers.

Amazon introduced Snowball in 2015. The company has since come out with a large-scale version of the Snowball in the form of a truck. It also made it possible for companies to run certain kinds of computations inside Snowballs.

Microsoft came out with its own version of Snowball, called the Azure Data Box, with room for 100 terabytes of data, a year ago.

Now it's coming out with a variant that's tailor-made for AI.

"What we want to be able to do is give people a handful of choices of our custom IP [intellectual property]. We've got things we've proved out in production environments that work really well," Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott told CNBC.

Scott said having this technology available to go to a whole range of places means that customers can comply with regulations, avoid issues when networks fail and receive better performance than what they would get if they were relying exclusively on heavy-duty data crunching in a cloud.

Generally speaking, with a trendy type of AI known as deep learning, people train models using large amounts of data, like photos, and then let the models make inferences about new data based on what the models have learned. The chip in the Azure Data Box Edge can handle the inference stage; training can happen elsewhere.

In July, Google announced an initiative around AI processors for internet-connected devices that could be placed in a wide range of locations, including factories. Those processors are also intended for inference work. But they're not widely available yet.

Google's chips are designed in house. Microsoft's, by contrast, are field-programmable gate arrays, which can be bought and then adjusted to deliver high performance for specific types of computing jobs. Microsoft has previously installed these FPGAs in its own servers, for Azure as well as its Bing search engine. Microsoft has gotten partners Dell and Hewlett Packard Enterprise to come up with servers containing these chips as well.

The new Microsoft-branded boxes work with the company's open-source software, which makes it possible for third-party software developers to build customizations, Microsoft corporate vice president Julia White said.

One early customer of the Azure Data Box Edge, Cree, is using it on a factory floor to process quality control photos for its manufacturing process, White said.

During the preview period for the boxes, Microsoft is working with customers to offer boxes with FPGAs, as well as similar devices that carry more traditional computer chips instead, White said.

Microsoft will announce the cost of the new hardware before the end of the year.Welcome Guest! You Are Here:

Home Regional News EastEstablishing a new trade deal with China could be significantly tougher than it was with Mexico, according to one of President Trump's top advisors.

"The challenge is, they've engaged in so many egregious practices that it's far more difficult to make a deal with China than it would be with Mexico," Peter Navarro, director of the National Trade Council at the White House, said on CNBC's "Closing Bell" Monday.

The former economics professor and author of "The Coming China Wars," has been notoriously hawkish on trade. Navarro said the goal now is structural realignment where all countries the U.S. trades with engage in "free, fair, and reciprocal" agreements.

Stocks were under pressure Monday after the cancellation of U.S.-China trade talks. The Wall Street Journal first reported late last week that China had cancelled talks with the U.S. on trade as both countries impose tariffs on billions of dollars worth of their goods. Representatives were scheduled to meet in an effort to smooth ongoing tensions, but according to the Journal, China rescinded its proposal to send delegations to Washington. Other news outlets matched the Journal's reporting throughout the weekend.Home renovation demand is soaring, and so are the costs to do it, thanks to a new round of tariffs on goods imported from China.

The latest round hits about $10 billion worth of Chinese products exclusive to homebuilding and remodeling, according to the National Association of Home Builders. The tariff starts at 10 percent, but could rise to 25 percent by the end of the year. That would be equivalent to a $2.5 billion tax increase on the industry.

Contractor Justin Sullivan manages home renovation projects in the Washington, D.C., area and says costs are going up so much so fast that he is doing something he has never done in his more than a decade in the remodeling business.

"Clients and contractors are having to set contracts with escalation clauses for projects that are being scheduled for six months from now, largely because we're not sure how far prices are going to go north," he said.

Sullivan said it is a quick education for new clients, who were already fighting to get projects scheduled, given the high demand and labor shortage. Higher home values have given homeowners more ready cash and more incentive to improve their investment. Now his clients have one more worry.

"It makes them want to do the project more quickly, trying to get it done. Then it's looking at ways to save money that will bring down the costs so the overall budget doesn't increase," he said. "It puts a little bit more pressure on everyone to try and be as diligent about the costs as possible."

Tariffs have already increased the costs of Canadian lumber as well as steel and aluminum imports. The new round adds everything from wall and floorboard to light fixtures, cabinets, heating and cooling equipment, and the tile for bathrooms and backsplashes.German conglomerate Siemens is looking to build infrastructure in three months that could generate enough electricity for 300,000 people in Iraq as part of a larger proposal, company President and CEO Joe Kaeser told CNBC on Monday.

The company said Kaeser met over the weekend with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Baghdad to discuss a proposal to help re-power Iraq and support its economic development.

Such plans include improving Iraq's power production  Siemens said it was ready to add 11 gigawatts (GW) of power generation capacity over four years that could provide about 23 million Iraqis around the country with constant electricity. That would boost the country's current generation capacity by almost 50 percent, the company claimed in a news release.

"When I went there yesterday to see the prime minister, and his team of ministers and advisors, I said, 'Look, we're going to help you build electricity,'" Kaeser told CNBC's "Capital Connection" on Monday. "They need about 11,000 megawatts in the next three to five years, to have a stable, reliable and affordable energy provided to their people."

Experts suggest that Iraq has a wide gap between electricity consumption and supply, especially during the summer when demand is at its peak due to people using more air conditioners, according to Reuters.

Kaeser said that in order to show progress to the Iraqi people, the company would undertake short-term actions that would add to the country's power generation capacity. "I said, we're going to build in three monthswe're going to build capacity to help 300,000 people have electricity."

He explained that Siemens was proposing plans that would convert flare gas into fuel power, and turn it into electricity, per the company's expertise. Kaeser also added that Iraq's efficiency rate in burning crude oil to generate electricity was lower than what the modern world is used to  that's where Siemens could boost efficiency, he added.The first A350-900ULR (Ultra Long Range), which has an extended range of up to 9,700 nautical miles, was delivered to launch customer Singapore Airlines in September 2018.

Singapore Airlines has taken delivery of a new plane that will perform the world's longest commercial non-stop service by miles flown.

The Airbus A350-900ULR will travel on October 11 from Singapore to Newark Liberty International Airport, covering 9,000 nautical miles (9,537 miles) in about 19 hours.

It is the first of the seven in the same series on order by Singapore Airlines. Two will be used to travel to and from New Jersey while the remaining five will be used for a Singapore-Los Angeles services commencing on 2 November, 2018.

With the new ULR (ultra long range) flights, Singapore said that total U.S. flight frequency will increase from 40 to 53 per week by December.Solicitor General nominee, Noel Francisco speaks during his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, on May 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. Mark Wilson | Getty Images

All eyes are on Solicitor General Noel Francisco amid reports Monday that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein could be on the chopping block. Rosenstein is expected to meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday to discuss his future with the Justice Department and the administration. If he's ousted or resigns, Francisco is widely expected to succeed Rosenstein as head of the Mueller probe. In that role Francisco would have enormous control over the Russia inquiry, including determining its scope and resources. While Rosenstein has advocated for Mueller's independence  in December, he told a House panel that "it would be very difficult to find anybody better qualified for this job"  Francisco has stayed mum, at least in public, on his views on the inquiry.

A February sighting of Francisco dining with Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the same day that Trump lashed out against Sessions, calling him "disgraceful," was perceived by some as evidence that there was daylight between Francisco and the president. Nonetheless, his expansive views on executive power worry the president's critics who fear that Francisco could limit the inquiry. They have also pointed to Francisco's former employment at Jones Day, the powerhouse law firm that has represented Trump and his allies for years, as a potential conflict of interest. Peter Carr, a spokesperson for Mueller, declined to comment. The Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment. As the solicitor general, Francisco has vigorously defended Trump administration policies and successfully defended the constitutionality of a version of the president's travel ban in front of the court. A stalwart conservative, Francisco has largely kept his head down and avoided the limelight in an administration that has been riven by drama. He's a longtime resident of the Republican legal establishment, getting his start clerking for Antonin Scalia at the Supreme Court. On Friday, he was the keynote speaker at a Washington event hosted by The Federalist Society, an influential conservative legal group. Francisco also worked on the controversial election recount for George W. Bush, and later served in his administration for four years, first as associate counsel to the president and later in the Office of Legal Counsel as deputy assistant attorney general.

Francisco has expressed skepticism of special counsel investigations. In 2007, amid the controversy surrounding Bush's firing of a number of U.S. attorneys, Francisco was asked about the possibility of appointing a special prosecutor. "My own personal belief," Francisco said at the time, "is that when you hand these issues off to the career prosecutors in the public integrity sections in the U.S. attorneys' offices in the Department of Justice, those attorneys are generally better able to assess whether a case should be pursued."

Expansive view of executive powerPopular support had been waning for the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh even before a bombshell allegation of sexual assault appeared late Sunday.

According to several public opinion polls, taken before the latest allegation, public support for Kavanaugh's nomination is now lower than for any Supreme Court nominee since Robert Bork.

On Sunday, in a bombshell report from The New Yorker, one of the judge's Yale University classmates, Deborah Ramirez, said he exposed himself to her at a college party in the early 1980s. Kavanaugh called the allegation a "smear" and said that "this alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen."

Just hours earlier, the Senate Judiciary Committee had announced it had reached an agreement to hold a public hearing Thursday for Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, another accuser who said he sexually assaulted her at a party when they were teenagers.

The Judiciary Committee also contacted Stormy Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti after he claimed on Sunday that a client of his had damaging information about Kavanaugh.

Mike Davis, the chief counsel for nominations for the Senate Judiciary Committee, emailed him requesting the information, according to a message Avenatti publicly shared.

The latest disclosures have widened the partisan divide on Kavanaugh's nomination and intensified pressure on a handful of senators from both major parties who will play a critical role in determining whether Kavanaugh is confirmed.

Even before the latest disclosures, public support had been turning against Kavanaugh's nomination, according to a series of public opinion polls.She called for an FBI investigation into the incident. At least two Senate Democratic offices are investigating the claim, according to The New Yorker.

In a story published Sunday, NBC News reported that Kavanaugh's college classmate Deborah Ramirez says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were at Yale University in the 1980s. The New Yorker wrote on Sunday that she claims "he exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away."

The report comes on the same day the Senate Judiciary Committee said Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were both in high school, will publicly testify on Thursday. He has also denied Ford's allegation. Senate Republicans are pushing to confirm the appellate judge to the top U.S. court quickly, despite the accusations against him.

Multiple classmates of Kavanaugh  two of whom Ramirez alleges were involved in the incident  pushed back on the sexual misconduct claim in a statement to The New Yorker. "We can say with confidence that if the incident Debbie alleges ever occurred, we would have seen or heard about it  and we did not," they said. "The behavior she describes would be completely out of character for Brett."

But two of the classmates who signed that statement, which was provided by Kavanaugh's attorneys, asked to have their names removed on Monday after The New Yorker initially published the story. "I cannot dispute Ramirez's allegations, as I was not present," said one of those classmates, Louisa Garry.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat and ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, called for "an immediate postponement" of Kavanaugh's confirmation process on Sunday. In a letter to committee chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the Democrat wrote that "we must ensure that a thorough and fair investigation is conducted before moving forward." She then called for the cancellation of Thursday's hearing.

Feinstein tweet

It is unclear now whether the allegations will derail Kavanaugh's confirmation. A few Senate Republicans signaled Ford's accusation could sway their vote, though President Donald Trump has publicly defended his Supreme Court choice. If two Senate Republicans vote against Kavanaugh, his nomination will fail.

In a statement, Kavanaugh said that "this alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen."

"The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so," he said. "This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name  and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building  against these last-minute allegations."Over the weekend, Comcast outbid Twenty-First Century Fox by $3.6 billion in a long-running battle between the two companies for British broadcaster, Sky.

The move is the latest in a series of major developments in the media industry this year, following the Walt Disney Company's bid to purchase Fox's assets.

The pharmaceutical industry also saw a merger and acquisition deal of a similar magnitude earlier in the year, as Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical agreed to buy London-listed drug-maker Shire. The $62 billion deal is currently pending regulatory approval from authorities.Elon Musk unveiled prototypes of Tesla's Solar Roof tiles In October 2016. They came in four styles that looked just like normal roofing material but were essentially miniaturized versions of traditional solar panels. The announcement helped Tesla justify its $2.6 billion acquisition of SolarCity one month later and represented Musk's vision for what the businesses could do together. It's been almost two years since then. So where are the tiles? "We now have several hundred homes with the Solar Roof on them, and that's going well. It takes a while to just confirm that the Solar Roof is going to last for 30 years and all the details work out," Musk said on Tesla's Q2 earnings call in August.

Elon Musk reveals prototypes of the Tesla Solar Roof on October 28, 2016 Tesla

As of May, only 12 Tesla tiled roofs were connected to the grid, all in Northern California, according to Reuters. Tesla declined to give an updated figure, but the company later clarified that Musk's "several hundred homes" comment refers to roofs that are scheduled for installation or are partially installed. Tesla has been accepting $1,000 deposits for the roof tiles since May 2017. But at that point, the company wasn't even close to mass producing them. It established a factory in Buffalo, New York to make the tiles, but it's not running at full capacity yet. At the company's most recent annual shareholder meeting, Musk blamed ongoing delays on a need for more testing. "There's only so much accelerated life testing that you do on a roof. So before we can deploy it to a large number of houses we need to make sure that it's that all elements of the roof are going to last for at least three decades," Musk said at the shareholder meeting last June.

A Tesla solar roof Source: Tesla

Solar tiles, like large solar panels, use silicon solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity. But it turns out this tech is difficult to shrink and manufacture. "Making things small actually changes a lot of the way the technology will work. And that's been a big challenge I think for Tesla, but certainly for the whole industry overall  to try and miniaturize it in a way that keeps it cost-effective and also gives it the very reliable performance that solar is known for," said Andrew Beebe, managing director of Obvious Ventures. One of the customers with the tiles already installed is San Jose resident and Tesla Model 3 owner Tri Huynh. He preordered them as soon as possible, and the roof was installed earlier this year. "I was actually extremely surprised I got the call, just because you never know what this stuff, right. I thought there'd be extreme delays, I just didn't know how long it was going to take," said Huynh. While traditional solar panels can be installed in a day, it took a team of 10 to 15 workers two weeks to install this roof. Huynh asked them why his home was chosen. "They said it was kind of proximity to their headquarters, so that they could do quick troubleshooting," Huynh said.

Tri Huynh's house in San Jose, California. Huynh was one of the first Tesla Solar Roof customers to have the tiles installed. Andrew Evers, CNBC

Tesla's customers are paying a premium for the tile's sleek look. Huynh's roof cost him about $100,000, though he did need to replace his roof anyway. "I don't think this will ever pay for itself honestly," he said. For people who don't need a new roof but want to install solar energy, traditional panels are definitely cheaper. But Huynh is excited to be an early adopter and see his energy bill decrease. "Traditionally in the summer my power bill is around $400, $450 in the summer. My last bill was only $40," he said. Ultimately, Tesla's goal is to make the tiles a cost-effective option, partially by ensuring they're more durable than other rooftops. Tesla promises 30 years of solar-power generation. "I would expect these solar roofing tiles, in just a few years, to be quite reasonably priced if they can get the market interest that they're hoping for," said Dan Kammen, an energy professor at University of California, Berkeley. "It's not just a roofing shingle anymore, it's a power plant on your roof." Experts anticipate a wave of new solar installations within three to five years. Tesla says solar roof installations will scale up later this year and into 2019. "It's highly likely that great engineers and incredible technologists  and a lot of those people might be at Tesla  are going to be able to take this very difficult challenge and engineer the heck out of it and get us to that cost parity," Beebe said. "We're not there yet." Correction: When Elon Musk referred to "hundreds" of solar roofs being installed, Tesla later clarified that his number included roofs that were ordered or partly installed. Musk himself did not clarify the statement.

NOW WATCH: This building material can protect homes during natural disasters, and the US is missing out SEE ALSO: This San Francisco start-up is trying to eliminate grocery checkout linesShares of Canadian pot grower Tilray fell sharply on Monday, erasing gains from a wild week that captivated investors everywhere.

The stock tanked 19.1 percent. Last week, Tilray's stock posted a 12.8 percent gain after some sharp moves.

Tilray's stock surged more than 77 percent in the first three trading days of last week but then dropped 47.9 percent to close out the week. The initial jump sent Tilray's market cap to nearly $20 billion before ending the week around $10 billion.

Two catalysts drove Tilray's initial surge last week. First, Tilray announced on Tuesday the Drug Enforcement Administration approved it to import marijuana to the U.S. for medical research. CEO Brendan Kennedy later told CNBC's that global pharmaceuticals must think about partnering with cannabis producers as a "hedge" against the space.

"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," Kennedy said.

Tilray's meteoric rise also bolstered other marijuana stocks. The ETFMG Alternative Harvest ETF (MJ), which tracks marijuana shares, rose more than 10 percent last week. Shares of Toronto-listed Cronos Group, meanwhile, gained 18.3 percent, while Aurora Cannabis jumped 38 percent.

WATCH: Six experts on the cannabis crazePresident Donald Trump attends a meeting on the global drug problem at the United Nations (UN) with UN Ambassador Nikki Haley a day ahead of the official opening of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2018 in New York City.

President Donald Trump is holding firm to his Supreme Court nominee a day after a new allegation of sexual misconduct surfaced, telling reporters Monday that he is "with him all the way."

The president acknowledged the precarious situation in the Senate, where chances for Kavanaugh's confirmation are now uncertain after weeks of appearing all but guaranteed.

"There is a chance this could be one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything," Trump said. "But I am with Judge Kavanaugh and I look forward to a vote."

The confirmation vote was roiled last week after Christine Blasey Ford, a research psychologist in California, came forward alleging that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her while the two were in high school in the early 1980s.

Trump had gone on the attack against Ford last week, writing in a post on Twitter on Friday that if Ford's accusation was "as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed." On Monday, Trump said the new allegation was "totally political" and he was committed to pursuing the matter to a vote.

On Sunday, The New Yorker published an allegation from a former Yale University classmate, Deborah Ramirez, who said that Kavanaugh had drunkenly exposed himself to her at a college party decades ago, and caused her to touch his penis without her consent. A separate classmate, who was not named by the magazine, said that he was "one-hundred-per-cent sure" that he was told at the time that Kavanaugh exposed himself to Ramirez.

Kavanaugh has categorically denied all of the allegations against him. In a statement to The New Yorker, Kavanaugh called Ramirez's accusation a "smear, plain and simple."

In a statement, six of Kavanaugh's former classmates wrote that "the behavior [Ramirez] describes would be completely out of character for Brett." Two of the classmates who wrote the statement are alleged to have been involved in the incident; a third is the wife of a male classmate alleged to have been involved.

Kavanaugh is expected to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee as is Ford.

"I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good nameand the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime buildingagainst these last-minute allegations," Kavanaugh said in a statement.

The top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, called Sunday night for Thursday's hearing  as well as "any further proceedings related to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh"  to be postponed.

In a letter to the committee's chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Feinstein requested that "you join our request for the White House to direct the FBI to investigate the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford as well as these new claims."Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addresses the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit September 24, 2018, one day before the start of General Debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York.

Oi. prices were higher with Brent crude just under $82 per barrel, a four-year high. Oil was boosted by supply concerns following a weekend meeting between OPEC ministers and Russia, where it was decided the current output agreement would remain unchanged for now. The severe decline in Venezuelan oil output has exacerbated global supply, which could be made worse by the coming restrictions on Iranian crude.

Rouhani told NBC News Monday he has no plans to meet with Trump. "There is no such program for a meeting," Rouhani said in an exclusive interview with "NBC Nightly News" anchor Lester Holt. He added conditions were not ripe for talks and said the U.S. has made threats against his country.

Trump and Rouhani appear separately at the UN General Assembly in New York Tuesday, against the backdrop of already rising oil prices. Trump speaks Tuesday morning and also chairs the UN Security Council Wednesday, where he is expected to also speak about Iran.

With oil bubbling higher, the United Nations provide the next catalyst for prices, with both President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani each speaking about U.S. sanctions on Iran.

"I think there's going to be real headline risk. I don't think Trump pulls a North Korea and tries to extend Rouhani any sort of olive branch," said John Kilduff, partner with Again Capital. "It could push oil prices up because Trump's going to be a pointed reminder of the market that Trump administration policy is maximum pressure."

The U.S. pulled out of the Iran nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA], between Iran and six countries that removed economic sanctions in return for Iran's promise to end its nuclear program. However, the Trump administration opposed the agreement as one-sided and said it allowed for Iran to eventually resume its nuclear program. The other parties in the agreement remain in it, along with Iran, but the U.S. has already set plans to sanction Iran's oil business as of early November.

Analysts say about 650,000 barrels of Iranian oil has already been taken off the market. Even if European countries remain in the nuclear agreement, many companies will no longer deal with Iranian crude for fear of being kept from business dealings with the U.S. Estimates of 1 million barrels or more of Iranian crude could be off the market by year end.

"There is an increasing consensus view that supplies are going to get real tight toward the end of the year. It's almost silly season. People are talking about $100 a barrel. People are making comparison to 2007/2008," Kilduff said. "There's no real spare capacity. We're very vulnerable and there's no making up Iranian barrels."

The U.S. has also objected to Iranian meddling in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, in which it supports rebels that are hostile to Saudi Arabia. The U.S. has also charged that Iran supports terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas.

A terrorism attack in Iran on Sunday left more than two dozen dead and 70 injured. Iran blamed U.S. allies in the region for the attack, which was carried out by militants dressed as soldiers at a military parade in Ahvaz. A local Arab separatist group claimed responsibility.

"Trump will take the podium and i think use the same mantra that he has been repeating for the last year and a half, that Iran is the primary instigator of violence in the Middle East and only through a maximum pressure campaign can cause Iran to change its behavior significantly," said Henry Rome, Eurasia Group's Iran analyst. "I think his language will be harsh, and it will be quite a contrast because Rouhani, I think, will use this terrorist attack on the weekend to say Iran is a peaceful country and a victim of terrorism...Trump will come off not only like a broken record but on this issue, could also look quite insensitive in the face of a terrorist attack."

Helima Croft, head of commodities strategy at RBC, said the terrorist attack was one of the worst in Iran in recent history and raises the potential for escalation of hostilities in the region.

"With the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps warning that it will take a "deadly and unforgettable revenge" against the perpetrators, the risk of the region's cold war becoming a hot one appears to be rising in our view. We also contend that the risk of such a destabilizing clash will only grow as Iran comes to feel the full effects of economic sanctions that are designed to radically alter the behavior of the ruling regime, if not change it," said Croft, in a note.

Matthew Reed, vice president at Foreign Report, said the terror attack and Iran's blame of its neighbors should set off alarm bells in the region. "It does not bode well when the Iranians are active across the region. They have proxies everywhere," he said. "They have the resources they can call on to cause more havoc. One thing that's worth repeating...for the first time this year, Iranian leaders started threatening oil choke points beyond the Strait of Hormuz."

He said Iran will lash out at the U.S. at the UN. "That's what's expected of them at home. They can't go there and play nice. They have to defend themselves loudly and unapologetically," Reed said.

Trump chairs the 15-member security council Wednesday, and he has said it will be about Iran, though it is expected to be broader. The four other permanent members  China, France, Russia, Britain  plus Germany were parties to the Iranian nuclear agreement.

Rouhani wrote about the divide between the U.S. and its allies in a Washington Post opinion piece last week.



"The United States expected a hasty Iranian withdrawal so that it could easily forge an international alliance against Iran and automatically revive previous sanctions. Our action, instead, thwarted such a move. The talks with the remaining JCPOA participants, and their reiteration of compliance with the accord, placed the United States in a lonely position. Such a serious chasm between the United States and its European partners on a critical foreign policy matter was unique and unprecedentedwhich, I can say, proved that we were right in our approach to the nuclear deal and our proactive diplomacy."

Rome said Trump will look isolated.

"There's no doubt about it and he's intent on making the security council meeting Wednesday focus on Iran, the agenda of the meeting notwithstanding, and it's going to be an opportunity for the European states, as well as Russia and China to reconfirm their commitment to the deal," he said.SEATTLE  Tourists in Seattle have a new must-see destination: Amazon Go, the cashierless store the company opened near downtown in January.

People who are interested in what is coming next from Amazon, which makes about half of all online retail sales, just need to roam the city. Amazon uses Seattle as a living laboratory, trying out new retail and logistics models.

Some trials never leave the city. But others, like the use of independent contractors to deliver packages, have found their ways to the rest of the country and abroad. The pilots point to a company, with ambitions that at times can seem boundless, investing deeply in figuring out its physical footprint and how to provide convenience at a lower cost.

"Seattle is great for rolling out tests that haven't been completely debugged," said Jeff Shulman, a business professor at the University of Washington who hosts a podcast on the city's culture. In 2015 when Amazon first tested the Treasure Truck, a decorated vehicle that drives around and sells a daily deal like smart watches or plant-based burger patties, it delayed the public debut at least twice before finally going live. The service has since expanded to more than two dozen cities.

As the grunge era in music showed more than two decades ago, "experimentation is embedded in Seattle's DNA," Professor Shulman said, so "you can get early feedback on how people use your product, and they will also be fairly forgiving on the hiccups."

Amazon said it employed more than 45,000 people in the city, and its teams turn to them to test new products and services.

Here's a tour of a few places where Amazon toys with new ideas in its backyard. Even after projects have expanded outside the city, the flagship locations remain a home for tweaks.

A second Amazon Go store opened in August, just a mile south of the original, this time in the heart of downtown. Like the original, it uses sensors and cameras to track what customers take off a shelf, so they don't need to check out. But the store shows how Amazon may adapt the concept to different locations.

At 1,450 square feet, it's smaller than the original, and has a more limited selection, making it feel like a walk-in vending machine selling grab-and-go lunch food and drinks. Unlike the original, it doesn't sell alcohol, which requires employees to manually check IDs.

Starting a technology-heavy experiment like Amazon Go in Seattle makes sense because the culture prizes the avant-garde, Professor Shulman said. But success here can give a false sense of optimism that a product might take off, so Amazon pilots some experiments elsewhere.

Prime Now, the company's one-hour delivery service, for example, started in New York. "You will see them go to other cities when looking to test if the market will like it," and whether it's worth expanding around the globe, Professor Shulman said.

Amazon has big plans for building more Go stores. It opened a third in Seattle, as well as its first in Chicago this month, and has acknowledged plans to expand in New York and San Francisco.

On the northern edge of the city, in the Bitter Lake neighborhood, an Amazon storefront stands in a strip mall on a street lined with car-parts stores and known for prostitution. This is where Amazon opened what amounts to a post office.

In the front of the store, Amazon customers can pick up and return packages. In the back, workers sort boxes for delivery drivers.

Amazon has other pickup locations around the country, usually near college campuses, but most don't have the integration with a sorting depot.

Customers go in, scan a code and then wait for the door on an Amazon locker to quietly pop open and reveal their package, like an automated post office box. The back of the locker is open, providing a glimpse into a small sorting facility used by Amazon Flex, the program piloted in Seattle that pays independent contractors to make deliveries in their own cars.

The storefront offers an alternative to customers who don't want boxes dropped on their doorstep, be it for fear of porch thieves or rain. But it also tests what makes people choose an option that costs Amazon less than having drivers handle the last mile of delivery. Offering reliable, fast delivery has been essential for Amazon's growth, but that door-to-door delivery is also expensive. Shipping costs ate up 22 percent of Amazon's online sales in the second quarter, up from 16.5 percent two years earlier.

The pickup storefront also provides one more place for Amazon to put ads in front of consumers, a growing business for the company. Last week,signs for Red Bull were displayed on a TV screen and a poster by the front desk.

For more than a decade, Amazon tried to break into the grocery business, a mecca for recurring consumer spending also known for brutal profit margins. It started AmazonFresh grocery delivery in Seattle in 2007 and worked out kinks for five years before expanding to other markets. But home delivery of perishable goods is tricky and expensive.

In Ballard, a neighborhood on the north side, is another experiment: one of two Seattle locations that Amazon opened for customers to pick up groceries ordered online. It feels like pulling into a Sonic Drive-In. After a customer parks under an awning, cameras read the license plate, and an Amazon employee brings out the groceries and puts them in the customer's trunk.

Getting customers to pick up their groceries at a central location can be cheaper than home delivery, and pickup is available to all Prime members, not just those who pay $15 a month for AmazonFresh on top of their $119 annual Prime membership.

The pickup locations opened in March 2017, just months before Amazon bought Whole Foods, and are the only stand-alone pickup locations for fresh food straight from Amazon. In August, Whole Foods began rolling out free pickup for Prime members at its locations. Whether the drive-in model takes off remains to be seen. The Ballard location isn't often packed.

Amazon opened its first physical bookstore in 2015, in an upscale shopping mall near the University of Washington, not far from where a Barnes & Noble used to be.

While Amazon has since opened bookstores in at least a dozen other states, the original remains a test site.

The Seattle location was one of two sites where Amazon first tried letting customers return items. On a recent afternoon, more people appeared to be returning items than buying books or devices. Now, all Amazon bookstores accept some returns.

It's part of the company's growing network of return options that don't depend on the mail. For some customers, going to a store is easier than finding a box and packing tape to ship something back, and for Amazon, it's most likely far cheaper.

Drop-off returns cost retailers about 20 to 30 percent less than returns by mail, said Mark Geller, the chief executive of Happy Returns, which runs drop-off locations for other online retailers.

"A big part of the costs is first-mile, last-mile stuff," Mr. Geller said. "It's the law of nature that over time people will take the path of least resistance. If they reduce the friction by making more drop-off locations, and in more kinds of places, that is going to become compelling."The fate of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is reportedly hanging in the balance. It was unclear whether or not Rosenstein, who oversees major parts of the Justice Department, including the special counsel's Russia probe, would keep his job. Amid conflicting press reports Monday, the White House said Rosenstein will remain in his job for the time being, and he will meet with the president one-on-one on Thursday. If Rosenstein were to depart, it was also unclear whether he would be fired, or he would resign. In Rosenstein's case, this could make a big difference as to whom Trump can select to replace him as deputy attorney general. The question of who would oversee the Russia probe is slightly different, however, because Rosenstein has been effectively wearing two hats since Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself last year from any role overseeing Robert Mueller's investigation. One hat is that of deputy attorney general. The other is that of acting attorney general for the Russia probe, because Rosenstein was acting as a stand-in for Sessions.

Deputy U.S. Attorney General nominee Rod Rosenstein waits to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee March 7, 2017 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee | Getty Images

Any replacement of Rosenstein by Trump, therefore, would be a replacement of his deputy attorney general position, not a replacement of the other role, acting attorney general for the Russia probe. That responsibility would go to Solicitor General Noel Francisco, and experts agree that the law gives Trump little control over that aspect of the succession. Still, the question of how much control Trump would have in who replaces Rosenstein could have far-reaching implications. A Rosenstein replacement could take steps to protect the president from investigation, to seal records, withhold funding from Mueller, and otherwise slow the work of the special counsel to a crawl. With that in mind, here's why the "fired" vs. "resigned" question could be very important. The replacement of government appointees is largely governed by the rules set forth in the 1998 Federal Vacancies Reform Act. This law gives the president the authority to temporarily move any one of his Senate-confirmed political appointees into a position that is vacant, provided the person who leaves the positions "dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office." The law specifically does not say "dies, resigns or is fired."

In the case of firings, the federal government has a succession plan, under which temporarily vacant posts are typically filled by a deputy to the person who departs, or by another person who has been confirmed by the Senate within that department. This is in part to make sure that continuity is maintained in agencies with tens of thousands of employees and billion dollar budgets. But it is also in place, experts say, to preserve the Senate's role in the confirmation process and to make sure the president can't simply bypass the Senate and fire someone in order to put whomever he or she wants into that position, even if that person has not been confirmed to work in that particular agency. Trump, however, has challenged this long-held practice. When Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin was ousted earlier this year, Trump quickly named Robert Wilkie, undersecretary for personnel and readiness at the Defense Department, to temporarily fill Shulkin's position. But according to a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration by veterans advocacy groups in April, Trump broke the law by disregarding the order of succession at the Veterans Affairs Department and installing Wilkie, who is not related to this reporter, atop the agency.

The plaintiffs in the case argue that because Shulkin did not resign, or die, or become ill  he says he was fired  Trump did not have the authority to choose whomever he wanted to temporarily fill Shulkin's spot. According to the succession plan of the VA, they argue, Trump was required to name Thomas Bowman, deputy secretary of the VA, as acting secretary until another VA secretary could be fully confirmed by the Senate. In Rosenstein's case, the stakes are much higher, given that Sessions has recused himself from the Russia probe. Trump has effectively gone to war against his own Justice Department, primarily over the Russia probe, which is run by former FBI director Robert Mueller, but also for what the president sees as a failure by the department to pursue his political enemies. If Rosenstein were to resign, then the Vacancies Act would give Trump broad leeway in appointing Rosenstein's temporary successor, and some fear the president would install a political ally willing to cripple the Mueller probe. If, however, Rosenstein is fired, then the argument that Trump must follow the federal order of succession becomes significantly stronger.

WATCH NOW: There would be blowback if Trump fires Rosenstein, says former asst. US attorneyThey wore black and walked out.

At 1 p.m. on Monday, people across the U.S. took to the streets and social media in support of a national walkout organized by anti-sexual harassment group #TimesUp. The event was planned in support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez, women who have both accused Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault. He denies the allegations.

Advocacy groups encouraged supporters to wear black, leave their workplaces and use the hashtag #BelieveSurvivors on social media posts. The Facebook event shared by Tarana Burke, the #MeToo movement founder, had more than 20,000 participants.

Tarana Tweet

Some professors at Yale Law School cancelled classes on Monday to let students protest the Kavanaugh hearing, according to Campus Reform. More than 100 students traveled from the campus in New Haven, Connecticut, to Washington, D.C., to protest at the Capitol building. (Kavanaugh graduated from Yale Law School, and one of the alleged assaults supposedly occurred when he was a student there.)

YLS video

Yale students at senate

Many others showed their support by crowding public squares and government buildings.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that President Donald Trump was prepared to meet the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s top leader Kim Jong Un again, hopefully in the "not-too-distant future."

"President Trump very much is prepared to meet with Chairman Kim at the right time, and we hope that' ll happen in the not-too-distant future," the top U.S. diplomat told NBC in a Sunday interview.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo [File photo: AP/Alex Brandon]

The White House revealed over a week ago that it has been coordinating a possible second summit between Trump and Kim after Pyongyang sent a letter to Washington in early September requesting another top-level meeting following the first one in June in Singapore.

"We have to build it out, we have to set up the logistics, we've got to set the right conditions," said Pompeo.

Tension on the Korean Peninsula has been further eased as South Korean President Moon Jae-in paid a historic trip to Pyongyang last week, bonding closer ties with Kim and signing the Pyongyang Declaration on further steps towards the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization.

Welcoming the positive steps on inter-Korean relations, Pompeo announced earlier that he has invited his DPRK counterpart to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in the following week.

However, differences remain in current DPRK-U.S. talks, including the scale of denuclearization, U.S. sanctions, and whether to issue a war-ending declaration.

The U.S. State Department said on Thursday the denuclearization of Pyongyang has to come first before the U.S. side gives any corresponding reciprocal measures.

The United States so far has largely ignored DPRK's request in the Pyongyang Declaration for "corresponding measures" as the precondition for its further actions on the denuclearization, such as the permanent destruction of its main Yongbyon nuclear facility.Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST

Bazaar Corporate Radar

Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar.Turning the ship before it hits the icebergA Cabinet majority now supports Canada rather than Chequers

A majority of the Cabinet now supports moving towards a Canada-style trade deal with the EU following the outright rejection of Theresa Mays Chequers plan, the Prime Minister will be told today. Mrs May will be urged to rethink her approach to the Brexit negotiations by favouring a free trade agreement that would represent the clean Brexit that Leave supporters voted for. Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, has emerged as a key figure in the Brexiteers fight to convince Mrs May to change tack. A former Remain campaigner, Mr Hunt is now squarely in the Leave camp and has publicly indicated that he is open to the idea of a Canada-style deal Eurosceptics in the Cabinet, which meets on Monday, will tell Mrs May that a free trade agreement is the only form of Brexit deal that could command a majority in Parliament. They believe EU leaders behaved so appallingly towards Britain at last weeks Salzburg summit that Mrs May can now change tack without any need to resign, as long as she stands firm over the need to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland.  Daily Telegraph

>Today: Nicky Morgans column: Chequers is dead. And the only plan that MPs will now vote for is Norway.

Up the ante by opening trade talks now with the US, India and China, new Brexit plan proposes

Britain should put the deadlocked Brexit negotiations with the European Union on the backburner and open trade talks with rest of the world, according to a radical plan backed by Boris Johnson and David Davis. The 140-page plan to be from the Institute of Economic Affairs recommends seeking global trade deals now to force the EU to give Britain a better trade deal after leaving the EU next March. The report  titled Plan A+: Creating a prosperous post-Brexit UK  will offer a way out for Theresa May after her humiliating Salzburg summit where EU leaders said her Chequers deal was unworkable. By opening talks now the UK could accelerate the signing of trade deals after Brexit which could be worth a as much as 7 per cent on Britains gross domestic product by the middle of the 2030s. Bi-lateral talks could be opened primarily with America, and possibly India and China. The IEA has also obtained a legal opinion that says Britain has the right to negotiate  but not implement  new deals before leaving the EU.  Daily Telegraph

Raab says he is open to new proposals and new ideas  The Sun

Brexiteers fear they are being hacked  Daily Telegraph

Tory councillor hits back after receiving death threats and sexist abuse  Daily Mail

Javid suggests 30-month delay in changing the immigration system

May is braced for a backlash  Daily Mail

Raab says no to a snap election  FT

Labour conference 1) The Opposition hammers out a fudge on second referendum policy

In a move that will dismay Brexiteers, Sajid Javid, the home secretary, will propose that EU citizens be waved through the border for 30 months if Britain crashes out of the bloc. Any EU citizen arriving between next March and September 2021 will be allowed to live temporarily in Britain as long as they show their passport and pass a criminal record check. During this period they will have to apply for a visa under a new migration system to stay permanently. The revelation will provoke concerns among Brexiteers who want to take back control quickly in the event of a no-deal exit. Some have demanded that Britain move immediately to a global system under which EU migrants are not given preferential treatment. Mr Javid is understood to have argued that the delay in changing the migration system is needed to protect the economy.  The Times

Senior allies of Jeremy Corbyn have questioned the rationale for a fresh Brexit referendum as delegates to the partys conference in Liverpool agreed a statement committing Labour to keeping the option on the table. After a gruelling five-hour meeting with the shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, more than 100 delegates from trade unions and local parties drafted a two-page motion, which members in Liverpool were expected to pass on Tuesday. The key sentence of the final draft says: If we cannot get a general election Labour must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote. It adds: If the government is confident in negotiating a deal that working people, our economy and communities will benefit from, they should not be afraid to put that deal to the public.  The Guardian

>Yesterday:

Labour conference 2) McDonnell to announce raid on shares and profits

Labour conference 3) Rayner pledges attack on free schools and academies

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell will today unveil plans to snatch 10 per cent of shares in all large firms in an extraordinary raid on business. Under the radical proposals, workers boards would be handed control of the stakes  with dividends shared between employees and the taxman. It is estimated the scheme would lead to a 4billion-a-year grab on company profits by the end of a Labour governments first term.  Daily Mail

Labour would scrap free schools and bring academies under greater local democratic control as part of a plan to unwind Conservative education reforms that it says have created a legacy of fragmentation and privatisation. The new policy will be unveiled by Angela Rayner at the Labour party conference on Monday, the first time that the shadow education secretary has presented her own structural reform plan in her two years in the job. The Tories academy system is simply not fit for purpose, Rayner is expected to say. Labour will end the forced conversion of local schools to academies, scrap the inefficient free school programme and instead focus on delivering what works to get the best results for pupils. Labour said that it would allow local authorities to build schools again and halt the free school programme, a flagship initiative of Michael Gove when he was education secretary under the coalition government.  The Guardian

And more tax on private schools  The Sun

She also wants anonymity banned online  The Sun

Labour conference 4) Berger requires police protection

Labours highest profile Jewish politician Luciana Berger was flanked by police protection at the partys conference in Liverpool. After months of vile trolling by anti-Semites, the Wavertree MP said: We are under attack. There are Jews in this country who do not feel safe. She told fellow MPs at a conference fringe: We expect attacks that come from the far right, we know them. But this year more than ever we have experienced attacks from the left from people who claim to share our party values.  The Sun

>Yesterday: WATCH: Are you an antisemite? Marr asks Corbyn

Falconer proposes legalisation of all drugs to undermine organised crime

A former Labour justice secretary has called for the legalisation of all drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, and an end to the Governments pernicious war on drugs. Ex-Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer said heroin should be available on prescription as he publicly challenged Jeremy Corbyn to live up to his radical image by scrapping Britains tough anti-drugs laws. He claimed the ban on such drugs was responsible for killing tens of thousands of British people and was an attack on the working class. Sparking criticism from anti-drugs campaigners, Lord Falconer said Labour should legalise and regulate the supply of drugs to protect people from the cruel consequences of a wrong policy.  Daily Mail

Allegations juries are age-biased in rape cases  The Guardian

Jury acquitted PC of assault in 20 minutes, but it took the police five years  The Times

Protests over time restrictions on infected blood inquiry

Victims and their families deserve the truth  Daily Telegraph Leader

Evidence will begin after Easter next year  The Times

Charity wants dementia research spending tripled  FT

Iran threatens reprisals after blaming Israel and the US for terror attack on military parade

Hundreds of survivors of the tainted blood scandal of the 1970s and 1980s are being denied a chance to tell their stories at the official inquiry, they claim. Time restrictions during the preliminary hearing of the Infected Blood Inquiry yesterday meant lawyers were allocated as little as five seconds per victim to explain the devastation caused to thousands of patients infected with HIV and hepatitis by transfusions of contaminated blood brought in from overseas. Theresa May announced last year an inquiry would be held after decades of pressure from campaigners and the press, including the Daily Mail, into how British patients were infected and whether there had been an institutional cover-up.  Daily Mail

Iran has warned the US and Israel to expect a devastating response after accusing them of being involved in a deadly attack on a military parade in the country. Funerals are taking place today after gunmen killed 25 people, including 12 members of Irans elite Revolutionary guards, and wounded 60 at a parade in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz. Both ISIS and Ahvaz National Resistance, an Iranian ethnic Arab opposition movement which seeks a separate state in oil-rich Khuzestan province, have claimed responsibility. But Senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have said the Ahvaz attack was carried out by militants trained by Gulf states and Israel, and backed by America.  Daily MailIts a widespread view in Westminster that, of the Leader of the Opposition and the Shadow Chancellor, its the latter who is more dangerous.

The idea seems to have started on the basis that John McDonnell is more extreme than Jeremy Corbyn  praising the bombs and bullets of the IRA, rather than just lending them friendship and political sympathy; calling himself a Marxist and throwing the Little Red Book, rather than bothering to dress up his dogma as mild social democracy; openly demanding a situation where no Tory MPcan travel anywhere in the country or show their face anywhere in public without being challenged by direct action, rather than paying lip-service to kinder, gentler politics.

Thats probably correct, but its only part of the reason to be concerned about him.

As well as his more hardline views, McDonnell is also more intelligent than his friend and leader. Even the Labour Party seems aware that this is visibly the case. When Corbyn is caught out in unwise associations with deeply unpleasant people, Labours official excuse is almost always that he was simply too dim to realise what he was doing. He didnt know who those wreaths were for; he called racist terrorists friends without meaning it; it never occurred to him that the diplomat from a hostile totalitarian state who was extremely keen on chatting to him might be a spy, and so on.

They never try such lines for McDonnell, however  which seems an implicit concession that while blundering might be plausible and forgiven (rightly or not) in their leader, his sidekick does not have the air of a man who does things by accident.

McDonnell has exhibited his wiles in the gradual evolution of Labours economic policy, and his careful adjustment from a firebrand trolling the established order to the possible Chancellor who seeks to destroy it. He has developed a fascinating style, with a tone that simultaneously discusses his ideas as if he was recounting the details of a pretty standard commute, inevitable if intermittently engaging, while dropping in the details and references which communicate clearly to the faithful the true radicalism of what he is suggesting. It was there in his speech to Labour conference today, in which he launched a policy described by The Guardian (albeit approvingly) as a declaration of class war.

We all know the underlying problems of Corbynomics (McDonellomics is too ugly a word to tolerate). They cannot tell us where the money will come from to take over all the industries they want to run. They cannot explain to us how the people who made a loss on their own music festival will be capable of directly controlling large swathes of the economy. They cannot square the circle of raising vastly more through taxation and debt, while supposedly also accelerating growth and wages. They cannot, in short, overcome the problems which these ideas has suffered every time it has been tried in the past.

McDonnell, however, has chosen simply not to get into all that. He waves it all away as costed (which it isnt) and instead chooses to set his own media agenda. The pre-briefing of his speech set up a row with business groups about the deterrence of investors that would be brought on by seizing and giving away shares and profits. The addition into the speech itself of plans to arbitrarily fire and replace the senior managers of all nationalised industries has sparked another such battle which will likely run into tomorrow mornings news.

The critiques of these policies are no doubt reasonable, and the critics concerns are well-founded, but that is to miss the point. The Shadow Chancellor not only doesnt care, he desires the complaints  he disagrees, obviously, but more than that he wants a chance to perform in an exhibition match in which he can beat up people whom his target vote dislike. Destroy investors and purge bosses? Yes please. Who else? Lets throw in a crack at the press for having the temerity to scrutinise his leader, for good measure. His audience lap it up, and his targets oblige by sticking out their chins for him to punch some more. So yes, hes dangerous  all the more so because he is clever.Alex Hedger is a company director and a former council candidate.

Whether you agree with it or not, theres no doubting that Theresa Mays Chequers deal is (maybe; was) an attempt, at its core, to preserve the integrity of United Kingdom from the predations of European Union negotiators  and, in particular, to ensure the constitutional integrity of Northern Ireland. Yet at roughly the same time as Theresas Mays Brexit proposal landed her a bloody nose at the hands of EU leaders, Jeremy Corbyn announced his ease at selling-off Scotland, with virtual impunity.

This is the same Corbyn known for frequently lambasting Conservative Governments (past and present) for having the nepotistic audacity to sell off the family silver, which he inaccurately conflates with privatisation. Whilst hes made some limited mood-music to soothe Labour Unionists, that its not an option he would desire he, none the less, has now made clear his willingness to enable a second Scottish referendum on independence.

There is some logic, if not morality and integrity, behind his announcement. British Election Study data from last years poll suggests that Corbyns core target audience, the millennial voters, may now be failing him. Early headwinds of support from younger votes look to be fading as an increasing blend of racism and neo-communism begin to have a chilling effect on getting the twenty-somethings out to vote. In response, and with an ever-present possibility of further snap elections, a new base needs to be energised, and fast. Labour high command appears to be selecting the demoralised Scottish Nationalists as their next strongest route to Number 10.

Not only do SNP voters offer a more dependable electoral turnout, theyre also pragmatic enough to realise that their prospects of being offered a further Scottish referendum by an EU referendum-bruised Conservative Government which invited, is presiding over over and bears the fallout from Brexit are next to none. As kindred socialist spirits, its no stretch for many SNP voters to lend support to Labour, and its no stretch for Corbyn to dangle a reward in return for the favour. Weve undoubtedly seen peak-SNP so, as the third largest Westminster party, theres a need for Labour to act quickly before their masses gradually dissipate into the wilderness. Or, worse still for the party, into Ruth Davidsons popular and soon-to-be maternal embraces.

The juxtapositions here could not be more perverse or painful for Theresa May. In defending the Union, she is accepting that her legacy both inside and outside her Party will almost certainly be remembered as efforts to preserve and protect as many unions as possible. By contrast, Corbyn apparently continues to ride waves of adulation from fellow socialists as he wealds a butchers knife towards Britains head, in order to buy power.

But there are costs to this Faustian bargain.

Its easy to throw cheap shots at Conservative governments for selling-off public services, but the reality is that there has been no visceral loss to the state or the citizen through any privatisation. There were no gaping chasms in the British landscape when Royal Mail became privately operated. There were no divisive borders erected  separating families, friends and partners when logos changed on electricity bills. There was no fiscal collapse.

On the contrary, within most industries, privatisation has been an overwhelmingly constructive process. Yet, the ultimate Labour sell-off  that of Scotland  would undoubtedly be catastrophically destructive for both nations. Economically, socially, politically and morally. The UK was a member of the European Union for around 40 short years and divorce has, at times, presented bouts of societal indigestion. By comparison, Scottish separation from 300 years of union would be national evisceration.

The remaining United Kingdom would see minimal changes to its living standards: strong financial services and a workforce located overwhelmingly below the border will see to that. Yet forecasts show that Scotland as an independent country would simply not be viable. Nearly half of the population of Scotland would have an undesired independence inflicted upon them as Labour sells them down the river in exchange for five short years of power. And it would only be five years, as the original nationalist vote-lenders would no longer be available to prop up Labours vote again in subsequent elections.

Its often said that the definition of integrity is doing the right thing, even when you receive no praise. A means of assessing it it to weighing the consciences of a leader who would risk destroy the Union in order to gain power, against one who, however Pollyannaish she may be, is seeking to protect and preserve that series of unions, even in the face of heavy personal costs.Mark Lehain is Interim Director of the New Schools Network, and Founder of the Bedford Free School.

At a Labour Party conference fringe event yesterday, Angela Rayner said that she would turn her back on Michael Goves education reforms. While this rhetoric will certainly play well with her partys membership, I want a lot more detail on how she would actually implement changes.

Labours school policy has a number of key themes: no more academies created, either through council-run schools converting or free schools being opened; current freedoms for existing academies reduced or removed; all schools brought under Local Authority oversight and into the planned National Education Service. Lets examine each in turn.

It will be easy enough for a Labour government to halt academisation. Around half of Englands pupils are in academies, and a new government would simply stop issuing academy orders or approving free school applications. Allowing councils to open and run new schools would require legislation  but presumably a Corbyn government would push that through soon enough.

However, there is still a growing pupil population to contend with. We know from experience that councils prefer to expand existing schools rather than create new ones. Its cheaper for them and, funnily enough, Heads dont like upstarts coming along to compete for students. This could lead to a situation where not enough new schools get opened and existing schools just get significantly bigger. Is this really what parents or teachers want?

If nothing else, it seems unnecessary, considering that we have a really effective means of opening new schools at the moment. The free school policy has been running for the best part of a decade, and they are pretty successful so far: they were the top performing type of school at GCSE in 2017, and are more likely to be judged Outstanding by Ofsted. If the programme were to be cut, its only fair to ask what the replacement would look like.

Ironically enough it will be co-operative trust schools, another Blairite invention that was originally used to replace grant maintained schools but maintain some of their advantages. The fact that Blair very quickly abandoned this and opted for the academy trust model speaks volumes. Im not sure why these benefits will be any greater now, and given that councils dont have any school improvement capacity to speak of anymore, one has to wonder how Labour expect new schools to be supported.

Now lets consider the proposed changes to academy freedoms. After all, autonomy for Heads was the reason why governments of all stripes in the last 40 years have increasingly moved control from councils into schools. Rayner has said that shed re-impose national pay scales for staff, a cap on top salaries, and allow councils to determine admissions policies (not individual schools.) Shes also previously said Labour would force academies to follow a government-defined National Curriculum. This really would be turning her back on Goves reforms.

The devil will be in the detail, but my guess is that many academy Heads would find the changes very restricting. There is also the question as to why mandarins in Whitehall are best placed to work out a fair salary for jobs in, say, Whitehaven.

However, many education reformers wouldnt oppose being admissions handed back to local authorities, on the grounds that schools shouldnt be able to sway who applies to them. I can see the attraction but when one considers how passionate families are about being able to have choice of school, and that lots of people could lose out if major changes were made, I think it could actually be pretty controversial in practice. Just look at the furore when Brighton introduced a random ballot for school places a few years back, and families found themselves having to cross the city to get to their allocated place.

Finally  the planned National Education Service. Im fascinated by this idea. Lets be honest, in some ways were not too far from that already; while the Government talks of a school-led system, it is increasingly tempted to interfere and direct schools operationally. The idea of regional accountability, and of bringing all schools under the NESs remit is intriguing  but the details are simply not there yet and the potential for unintended consequences great.

More importantly, Blair and Adonis created academies in such a way as to make it very difficult to renationalise them. Remember, academies are independent charities, in charge of their own articles of association. The contracts they have with government are seven year rolling ones  and can only be altered if both parties agree. What if they dont agree to changes? Lawyers will be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of judicial reviews and the like. Half the countrys kids are now in academies, and the potential chaos and distraction is huge, so its quite likely that they will continue to exist as distinct, albeit more regulated, entities within any such NES.

Overall then, for a party readying itself for power, were still waiting for the all-important details as to how they will actually implement their policies. Families and teachers deserve to have these before they are asked to vote, so I hope Labour can reveal these, sooner rather than later. After all, if Rayner is going to turn her back on Goves reforms, we at least need to know for sure which way she will be looking instead.Five years ago, the TaxPayers Alliance reported that in the last year, five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories.

Since then, the figures have varied, and some Conservative members or supporters have been selected to fill important posts.

Nonetheless, it remains the case that, since it took office in 2010, our Party has punched beneath its weight when it comes to public appointments. One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply dont apply in the same number as Labour supporters.

To help remedy this, every week we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies, so that qualified Conservatives might be aware of the opportunities presented.

         

Royal Armouries  Chair

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is seeking to appoint an outstanding individual as the next chair of the Royal Armouries, to take the Museum forward as this new critical period in its history. The ideal candidate will have a passion for cultural heritage, a commitment to public service, strong commercial acumen and a successful track record in public service, heritage management, or business. This is a very exciting time for the Royal Armouries, having substantially increased its commercial operations, and now in the process of devising a masterplan to transform the museum brand and its offer at the main museum site in Leeds. The successful candidate will be central to taking the Royal Armouries forward and putting it on a long-term sustainable footing, including through playing a key part in raising funds for the museums ambitious plans and programme.

Time: Four days per month approx.

Remuneration: None.

Closes: 17 September

         

Office of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner  Commissioner

The role of the role of Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) was established by the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The IASC has a UK-wide remit to encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of modern slavery offences and the identification of victims. The role was created to spearhead the UKs fight against modern slavery. Key responsibilities: to work closely with key Government delivery partners to drive a strengthened strategic response in their work to tackle modern slavery and the provision of appropriate support for victims; build positive relationships with and amongst the modern slavery leadership community, including Devolved Administrations, business, academia, civil society, international partners (as well as directly with victims of modern slavery) and facilitate the sharing of good practice in tackling modern slavery

Time: Full time.

Remuneration: 108,000-140,000 per annum.

Closes: 26 September

         

Architects Registration Board  Chair

ARB was established in 1997 by the Architects Act and regulates over 40,000 architects. The Act defines the ARBs role, the primary features of which are: prescribing  or recognising  the qualifications needed to become an architect; keeping the UK Register of Architects; ensuring that architects meet our standards for conduct and practice; investigating complaints about an architects conduct or competence; making sure that only people on our Register offer their services as an architect; and acting as the UKs Competent Authority for architects. The Board has developed a Purpose & Objectives document that informs its approach to ARBs work and sets the strategy for ARB. It identifies ARBs primary purpose as delivering the 1997 Architects Act, and from that Act, two key objectives have been formulated to underpin all of ARBs work.

Time: Approx. 20-30 days per annum.

Remuneration: 400 per diem.

Closes: 30 September

         

Geospatial Commission  Chair

The Government is seeking an outstanding leader to Chair the Commission who can appropriately reflect the views of the open data community, business, and the public bodies providing such data. The Chair will lead a Board of eight Commissioners drawn from the private, public, and third sectors to develop an ambitious, sustainable strategy for UK geospatial data, which will drive investment and innovation and boost the whole UK economy. The Commission will be supported by a Geospatial Unit that will act as the secretariat, develop analysis, and help coordinate delivery of the Commissions recommendations. The establishment of the Commission provides many opportunities as well as challenges, and as such we are seeking a Chair with the ability to make effective strategic decisions quickly, and the energy and enthusiasm to see them through.

Time: One day per week.

Remuneration: 28,000 per annum plus appropriate expenses.

Closes: 01 October

         

London & Continental Railways  Non-Executive Chair

Positioned on the cusp of the public-private sector, LCR has gained an enviable track record of working in partnership with the private sector and other public bodies to deliver large scale, world class regeneration projects enabled by rail infrastructure, most notably at Kings Cross and Stratford, and more recently at Mayfield in Manchester. LCR is forging new relationships across the public and private sectors, and building on its considerable experience is now facilitating development at and around transport hubs and other government assets. Through this approach LCR aims to participate in a range of development and regeneration projects, and strategic partnerships, over the next few years. As such, it needs a world class Chair with excellent skills and experience to help support the Executive team in delivering an ambitious business plan.

Time: Four days per month.

Remuneration: 50,000 per annum.

Closes: 05 October

         

Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Board  Chair and Members

The Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Boards (NLFAB) role is to provide advice on and scrutinise the financing plans of decommissioning and waste management for the UKs new nuclear power plants. The NLFAB will play an important role in the deployment of new nuclear development in the UK. The NLFABs responsibilities will be to provide independent advice to the Secretary of State for BEIS on the suitability of the Funding Arrangements Plan (FAP) element of an operators FDP, and provide advice to BEIS at the following times: submission of the final version of the FDP by the Operator  to inform the Secretary of States decision on whether to approve or modify the FDP submitted; quinquennial reviews of an operators approved FDP; where changes have been proposed to an approved FAP, including advice on modifications proposed by the Secretary of State; and as and when requested by BEIS.

Time: <25 days per annum, subject to change.

Remuneration: 750/550 per diem.

Closes: 07 October

         

Social Work England  Non-Executive Board Members

The Department for Education and the Department of Health & Social Care are looking to appoint two additional, high quality, non-executive members to the Board of Social Work England. Do you have expertise and ability in data technology or audit and risk? If so, wed like to hear from you. In addition to having specific skills in one of these areas, you will have a commitment to equality, inclusion and user engagement; the ability to set strategic direction and work collaboratively as part of a team; and previous experience as a non-executive director. You will be required to think strategically and have the ability to positively and constructively influence decisions at senior Board level. You will also be expected to establish consultative relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders including other regulators, professional associations, training providers and employees, as well the social work profession and users of its services.

Time: <15 days per annum.

Remuneration: 350 per diem plus expenses

Closes: 12 October

         

Big Lottery Fund England  Committee Chair

The Big Lottery Fund is established as a non-departmental public body by an Act of Parliament. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is our sponsor department within government and sets policy directions for our funding in England and across the UK. The Board is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the Fund, as set out in its Strategic Framework, People in the Lead. It operate across all four countries of the UK, with the Board delegating oversight for funding in each country to a committee. A fifth funding committee has oversight of its UK funding. Chairs of the country portfolio committees ensure that funding strategy supports the delivery of the Funds Strategic Framework and each portfolio reports annually to the Board on its performance.

Time: ~10 days per annum.

Remuneration: 24,000 per annum plus reasonable expenses.

Closes: 15 OctoberNicky Morgan is Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, a former Education Secretary, and MP for Loughborough.

Who knows what really happened at the Salzburg summit? Did the Government mis-read the signals sent out by the EU before the meeting? Or did Theresa Mays presentation to EU leaders harden their resolve to reject parts of the Chequers proposals more firmly than had been expected?

Whatever the explanation may be, the consequence was that the Prime Minister gave a dramatic televised statement on Friday which, just before our party conference, played to the gallery of the pro-Brexit press. Unfortunately, it also meant that, yet again, she ruled out the most likely eventual deals  the Norway or Canada options. Continuing to do so is unsustainable.

The EU has said, right from the start, that they have no interest in agreeing a bespoke deal. The UK has been trying for 18 months to change their mind. We havent been successful. Compromises to secure both the withdrawal agreement and the outlines of a future trading relationship will be necessary. I do not believe Parliament will approve the former without quite a lot of detail about the latter.

So the question for Downing Street now is how they position themselves after Mays emphatic rejections of the only real alternatives to a no-deal situation.

Today, some European Research Group members will support the Institute of Economic Affairs proposals for a Canada-style free trade agreement. This is often talked about with plus, plus, plus added. No-one is entirely clear what the pluses are, or how they are to be negotiated. No doubt the more pluses there are, the closer this CETA Mark II moves towards a bespoke deal and the longer it takes to agree  if it can be done at all.

My preference, and that of many other MPs, is for the UK to follow the Norway model: to re-join EFTA and, through that pillar, remain in the EEA. There are a number of Leavers who also could accept this model  or would have done had the Prime Ministers red lines not been set down so hard and fast so early on in the Brexit process, leading them to imagine that a clean break from the EU is both possible (it isnt: even on WTO terms we would need to continue to cooperate with the EU on security, aviation, borders, etc) and desirable.

If we make a conscious decision to opt for Norway now we would leave the EU  thus honouring the 2016 referendum result  and, more particularly, leave the EUs political institutions.

As Stephen Hammond made clear over the weekend, EFTA membership would allow the UK to remain in most parts of the Single Market, but be removed from the more controversial parts of EU membership, such as the pursuit of an ever closer union and the common justice and home affairs policies. It would be a return to the common market principles that Margaret Thatcher advocated when the UK led the creation of the Single Market. Saying that EFTA/EEA would make us rule takers ignores the fact that many of our key business sectors will choose to  or have to if they want to do anything outside the UK  follow the EUs rules or international rules (which often mirror EU rules or vice versa) anyway.

But the most important calculation for Downing Street now is the parliamentary arithmetic. There is no majority in the Commons for no deal, there is no majority for CETA Mark II, at the moment there is no majority for a second referendum. But there is a majority for EFTA/EEA. It is time for the Government to work out how they get from Fridays statement to a deal which the Commons will approve. And they dont have long to do it.The Daily Mail is serialising Lord Ashcroft and Isabel Oakeshotts new book about the armed forces: White Flag. Todays extract asks if political correctness is turning them soft. An army cut to ribbons, a Navy struggling to stay afloat and a tank unit so weak its nicknamed Operation Tethered Goat, the paper proclaimed on Saturday, above the opening extract. As Putin flexes his might, a new book claims the British military is at breaking point. Isabel will be interviewing Gavin Williamson on the Monday of Party Conference at 8am in Hall 5 of the Conference Centre. Some of all this just might come up during the proceedings.

We add one point to this dispiriting summary which we have made before. Brexit will force changes in the way we think about defence. Very crudely, much of the debate about its future has been held between what one might call a European Strategy and a Global Strategy. The former emphasises defending our common continent against the Russian security threat, as Putin continues to modernise its forces. The latter stresses our maritime history and Britains global reach, pointing to wider defence challenges  such as Islamist extremism, the external and internal dimensions of which interact. The European strategy school tends to emphasise the army, the Global Strategy tendency the navy. Then there are the new potential threats from non-state as well as state actors.

Leaving the EU should render some of this debate obsolete, because it casts our needs and obligations in a new light. On the one hand, it makes no sense for Global Britain, as Theresa May herself has called it, to abandon a global strategy. On the other, it would be inconsistent for an internationalist, outward-looking, post-Brexit Britain  sitting as it will continue to do on the UN Security Council, meeting the NATO minimum obligation and remaining one of the only two committed military powers on the continent  to muddle leaving the EU with abandoning our part in the defence of Europe. Whatever short-term rows we may have with the EU27 over the terms of Brexit  about which Andrew Murrison wrote a marvellously sardonic piece on this site on Saturday  that commitment will endure in the medium-term.

The difference is drawn between hard power (exemplified, say, by boots on the ground) and soft power (shown, for example, by the work of the British Council). But, if you think about it, the two are not separated altogether, at least outside wartime. Hard power in the form of properly equipped armed forces can be a form of soft power in peacetime. In the case of post-Brexit Europe, this has the potential to further wider UK interests, diplomatically and economically. Thats the point of soft power, after all. However, this will be impossible if the armed forces arent funded adequately.

As big public spending loom for the Government next year, we are where we were before  and where our panel of Conservative Party members is, too. Last summer, two out of three members of it backed Gavin Williamson in his long wrestling-match with the Treasury. We agree, but hitting the two per cent NATO minimum consistently, and indeed upping that percentage, will mean balancing savings elsewhere, which is easier said than done. But raising our defence game is a Brexit consequence. We should have been doing it anyway  but now have new reason to do it during the years ahead.



Guwahati, Sep 24 : The autumn session of the 14th Assam Legislative Assembly began today and the government and oppositions have planned their strategy.





The session will continue till October 5.





While the process of claims and objections for 40 lakh people, who were left out in the complete draft of NRC, will begin from tomorrow in the state, a BJP MLA today showed placard in front of the assembly against the NRC updation process.





BJP MLA from Hojai constituency Shiladitya Dev expressed his dissatisfaction over the NRC updation process after the Supreme Court

directive to drop five documents among the 15 listed documents for the

claims and objections process.





The BJP MLA holding a placard in order to register his protest against the apex court directive.





My Lord, Dont Discriminate Your Own Children. Hindu Born In India, reads the placard of the BJP MLA.





Shiladitya Dev said that, India is a democratic country and we believe in democracy and it is by the people, for the people and the people.





"But here, we find that, people are not taking into consideration, the legislators are not taking into consideration, the government is not tajing into consideration. Only one person Mr Hajela (state NRC Coordinator) is being considered. Is he going to be god of Assam. Will he decide the fate of all Indians. This is discrimination," Shiladitya Dev said.





It is to be mentioned that, the apex court had accepted the proposal of Prateek Hajela, state NRC Coordinator to drop five documents among the 15 listed documents for the claims and objections process.





On the other hand, the autumn session of the Assam assembly began on a stormy as oppositions attacked the government over NRC, detention camp, price hike issues.



Flight attendants want to go as far as banning unruly passengers from all airlines

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has decided that its had enough of unruly passengers on airlines. The agency has asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to step in and handle 37 of the most serious unruly passenger cases it has had to deal with in recent months. The action is part of a new information-sharing protocol that the two agencies will use to review and prosecute incidents more quickly.

Even though the FAA saw a reduction in the number of inst...100%

Website accordedu.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery and Php. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 39734 bytes (38.80 kb uncompressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-10-20, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.100%

Website infoexpres.es uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 126827 bytes (123.85 kb uncompressed) and 18448 bytes (18.02 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-04-21, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.100%

Website stockaudio.ru uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 88219 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 38949 bytes (38.04 kb uncompressed) and 9009 bytes (8.80 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-09-28, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.OTTAWA, Ontario  The parent company of Sobeys, The Empire Company, announced on Monday, Sept. 24 that it intended to acquire Farm Boy for $800 million.

Empire Company Limited (Empire) (TSX: EMP.A) announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire Farm Boy, one of the most exciting, fastest growing and successful food retailers in the country, with 26 locations in Ontario and many more on the way, for a total enterprise value of $800 million, reads a statement on the Empire Company website.

According to Empire, Farm Boy Co-CEO Jeff York and Co-CEO and Founder Jean-Louis Bellmare will remain in their current positions within the company.

There is no word as to whether there will be any job cuts or store closures with this acquisition, but it seems rather that Empire intends to add to the Farm Boy family of stores.

Farm Boy was founded in Cornwall in 1981.The beauty of modern facial skin mapping is its ability to produce a visual representation of the results that most any technology can deliver. For example, in a 2018 launch, DSM explored mapping consumer skin conditions in China and found that Chinese facial skin is generally dehydrated. The visual images that the facial mapping produced enabled researchers to see the complexity of facial skin hydration by measuring skin capacitance on pre-defined sites; interpolating between each measured value; and superimposing the values on digital images.

Seasonal and climate changes also play a role in skin hydration, so it is important to note this research was conducted during spring in urban Beijing and focused on the facial skin of women in their mid-30s in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Based on the results, the companys new saccharide isomeratea technology was developed and reportedly has shown both short and long-term, dose-dependent effects when applied twice daily.

Market Opportunity

China is an aspirational market, set to become the worlds largest cosmetics market in 2018, overtaking the United States for the first time.1 As such, it holds great potential for skin care brands. In relation, new research specific to the Chinese microbiome offers product developers a target to balance skin microflora and boost overall skin health and beautyhydration being one essential aspect.

TCM Ingredient Efficacy

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Although Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners may not have had facial mapping tools or known the specifics of the facial skin microbiome, TCM plants were used for their skin hydration benefits. In fact, several folklore examples of TCM ingredient use are now gaining support from modern science.

Purple gromwell: The dried root of Lithospermum erythrorhizoncommonly called purple gromwell, or zicao () in Chinesehas been valued for various antiviral and biological activities. Recent research has shown that this known TCM herb contains strong antioxidantse.g., shikonin derivatives, b-sitosterol and caffeic acid estersand the plant demonstrates antioxidant and skin-soothing properties.2

Using non-invasive techniques, the moisturizing efficacy and skin barrier repair properties of Lithospermum erythrorhizon were examined in 30 Asian females, ages 2030, with healthy skin. The participants used an emulsion with active ingredients twice daily for a period of 28 days. Results confirmed what the ancient tradition recognized for centuries: the plant extract has barrier protective and moisturizing effects for skin.

Studying how products are used by consumers could help to improve both their evenness of application and efficacy.

Fish mint: Another Chinese plant, Houttuynia cordata, also known as fish mint or Chinese lizard tail, is commonly used as a fresh herbal garnish. In TCM, it has been used to treat dermal sores and abscesses with swollen pain. Modern research implicates its potential to treat chronic skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis.3

Malva nut: Malva nut, or Scaphium scaphigerum, has a long tradition in TCM for removing heat from the lungs, curing sore throats, counteracting toxicity and hydrating the bowels. Malva nut polysaccharides, obtained by macerating malva nuts, also were examined for skin hydrating properties.

In a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, the malva nut polysaccharides demonstrated superior hydrating capacity, compared with the control, without skin irritation. They hold the potential to replace current benchmarkse.g., tamarind and algae polysaccharide gelsin personal care.4

Future Facial Mapping

Additional facial mapping to examine non-invasive parameters in different populations worldwide could be used to identify correlations with clinical signs of aging. These findings, of course, could provide additional targets for product developers that address specific regional needs.

For example, research across Asia has compared the severity of facial wrinkling in 100 Chinese women living in Shanghai with other Asian ethnicities. Facial wrinkles of the forehead, glabella, upper eyelids, crows feet area, lower eyelids, cheeks, nasolabial grooves and mouth corners were evaluated using validated photo-scales. This research revealed Chinese women had significantly more severe wrinkles in the areas around their eyes compared to Japanese women, but less wrinkles on the lower halves of their faces compared to Thai women.5 Whether this is a function of facial structure around the eyes, climate or facial expressions remains to be seen.

Furthermore, the beauty care routines and habits of Chinese women likely contribute to the overall picture.6 Leave-on anti-aging skin care products are popular in China, so studying how these products are used could help to improve their evenness of application and efficacyperhaps by modifying the application method.

Indeed, one survey demonstrated that Chinese women mainly focused on the forehead, malar region, cheek, mouth corners and chin whilst applying products in the mirror, while the mouth corners, corners of the eye area and lateral cheeks were often overlooked. Correcting this could enhance the efficacy of anti-aging cosmetics; it also demonstrates the value of education in skin care.

Conclusions

Skin care adoption and efficacy have many contributing factors, including ethnic skin biology, new and traditional technologies, and sensory and cultural preferences. As such, formulating for a single market poses challenges. However, in terms of a booming market such as China, it could be both a scientifically and commercially sound strategy.

References

All websites accessed on Aug. 6, 2018.

morganstanley.com/ideas/china-beauty-market-consumer-boom link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00403-008-0867-9 tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/03639045.2013.819883?journalCode=iddi20 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28689602 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17499481 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ics.12187The Lester Conrad Award was accepted by Manuel Li, president of the Asociacion Peruana de Quimica Cosmetica.

The Lester Conrad Award was accepted by Manuel Li, president of the Asociacion Peruana de Quimica Cosmetica.

Alexandra Lan (center) accepted the DGK's (German SCC's) 2018 Innovation Golden Award from Hartmut Schmidt-Lewerkuhne (left) and Robert Fischer (right), also of the DGK and SOaut;FW

Alexandra Lan (center) accepted the DGK's (German SCC's) 2018 Innovation Golden Award from Hartmut Schmidt-Lewerkuhne (left) and Robert Fischer (right), also of the DGK and SOFW

Yoshikuni Yamamoto invited IFSCC attendees to plan for the 2020 congress, to be held in Yokohama, Japan.

Yoshikuni Yamamoto invited IFSCC attendees to plan for the 2020 congress, to be held in Yokohama, Japan.

Emanuele Piras, of the Italian Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SICC), invited attendees to return in 2019 to the IFSCC, to be held in Milan.

Emanuele Piras, of the Italian Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SICC), invited attendees to return in 2019 to the IFSCC, to be held in Milan.

Keiko Nagami received the Best Poster Award from members of the DGK and Frederic Leroy

Keiko Nagami received the Best Poster Award from members of the DGK and Frederic Leroy

Juergen Lademann (left), incoming IFSCC president, received the society banner and official presidential gavel from Peter Kang (right), immediate past president

Juergen Lademann (left), incoming IFSCC president, received the society banner and official presidential gavel from Peter Kang (right), immediate past president

Pretzels, mounted on antlers, no less, served as both decor and snack during the IFSCC closing gala.

Pretzels, mounted on antlers, no less, served as both decor and snack during the IFSCC closing gala.

Amy Wyatt, past president, receives the IFSCC's official thanks and recognition from Juergen Lademann, incoming president

Amy Wyatt, past president, receives the IFSCC's official thanks and recognition from Juergen Lademann, incoming president

Attendees to the IFSCC Closing Gala were ushered to a private Oktoberfest by horse-drawn buggies.

Attendees to the IFSCC Closing Gala were ushered to a private Oktoberfest by horse-drawn buggies.

Horse-drawn buggies ushered IFSCC 2018 attendees to a private Oktoberfest celebration, closing out this year's congress. In addition to the changing of the guard, from Peter Kang to Juergen Lademann, and heartfelt thanks to past presidents and supporting officers and members, the evening gala celebrated special achievements in cosmetic science.

3D Visualization of Skin Structures

Ezure Tomonobu, of Shiseido, accepted the Basic Research Award for his group's work demonstrating a 3D technique to visualize the internal structural components of skin. It works by combining scanning electron microscopy with a whole-skin, electron-conductive treatment. The resulting 3D image, designated Digital-3D Skin, is then color-coded via artificial intelligence software to make the skin components easily comparable throughout treatments of interest.

"I think this system should be freely shared amongst cosmetic researchers worldwide," Tomonobu added during his podium presentation.

Using this technique, the Shiseido team identified the skin fibroblast network as a critical anti-aging target, in contrast to conventional anti-aging treatments targeting cells and cell-induced damage. The group showed how reconstructing a damaged network can improve an aged appearance.

Stopping Sweat at the Source

Torsten Ertongur-Fauth (not pictured), of BRAIN AG, received the Applied Research Award for his work on bioactive antiperspirants for cosmetic applications. His group developed a concept for sweat reduction based on directly targeting primary fluid secretion in human sweat glands.

The researchers uncovered a previously unidentified key player in human sweat glands: the ion channel TMEM16A, also known as ANO1. They then generated a cell-based assay to emulate it. The assay was combined with select compound libraries, and via high-throughput screening campaigns, small-molecule modulators of TMEM16A were identified. Various safety and efficacy tests are currently being performed on their sweat-reduction efficacy in vivo.

Predicting Hair's Future Condition

Keiko Nagami, of Milbon Co., received the Best Poster Award for an approach to predict the future of an individual's hair's condition. Her group made a comprehensive study of the hair and scalps of 2,461 Japanese females, ranging in age from 20s-70s. Properties including sebum and moisture content were measured, and image analyses were made of their scalps.

In addition, an expert panel evaluated 20 hair characteristics including elasticity, smoothness and shine. A correlation was found between the microscope-based scalp images and the evaluation results. Key findings included:

Yellowing of the scalp is associated with the progression of age-induced changes; An increase in redness of the scalp is associated with accelerated graying; and The total area of dark hair decreases with age, which could provide a metric for predicting hair loss, thinning and graying.

Based on these measures, a tool was created to calculate hair age and predict future changes in its qualities.

Cooling UV Protection for Asian Skin

Finally, Alexandra Lunan, Ph.D., of Shanghai PECHOIN Daily Chemical Corp., accepted the DGK's (German SCC's) 2018 Innovation Golden Award for an innovative cooling sunscreen to protect Asian skin in the visible and near-infrared spectrum. This approach to skin protection was taken since it is know that damage is caused not only by UV-induced erythema, but also by increased amounts of free radicals formed by solar radiation in both the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum.

According to the company, this is the first sunscreen developed especially for Fitzpatrick types IIIVI. The formulation includes a balanced selection of titanium dioxide pigments, highly efficient antioxidants from traditional Chinese medicine and coolants. Taken together, these ingredients reduce the concentration of free radicals in darker skin types, i.e., Asian and colored skin.

Advancing Cosmetic Science

Also during the closing IFSCC gala, Nelly Dubrulle, of DNA Genesee, accepted the 2018 Henry Maso award; her recognition was previously announced in 2017. Dubrulle won for her paper submission, "DNA Metabarcoding as a Tool to Trace Plants of Interest in Ingredients or Cosmetics."

Mandeep Dutta Joshi, previously of the Nepal Medical College Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, and now of the Far Western Community Hospital in Attariya, won the 2018 Rainer Voegeli Travel Grant, which funded his expenses to attend this year's IFSCC Congress.

Finally, the Lester Conrad Award was accepted by Manuel Li, president of the Asociacion Peruana de Quimica Cosmetica, based in Lima, Peru. The society won the award in 2017, which supports proving eligible societies with local education to advance cosmetic science in the region.



Guwahati : Three patients have been admitted in Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) in Assam under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-Ayushman Bharat (PMJAY-AB) scheme within 10 minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the mega healthcare programme today.





According to the reports, all three kidney disease patients have been admitted at the Nephrology department in the government run hospital.





52-year-old Lakshi Rani Barman hailing from lower Assams Nalbari district suffered in kidney disease problems has admitted in the government run hospital under the mega healthcare programme.





Apart from Renu Barman, two other kidney disease patients named Jyoti Prasad Bordoloi and Premananda Limbo have admitted at GMCH under the worlds largest government funded health care programme today.





The programme aims to make healthcare accessible and affordable, by providing a coverage of Rs 5 lakh to 10 crore economically backward families across the country.





The ambitious scheme, named the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, targets economically backward families from both rural and urban India. Eligible people can avail the benefits in government and listed private hospitals.





The beneficiaries are identified based on four deprivation categories. There is no cap on family size and age in the scheme, ensuring that nobody is left out. In case of hospitalisation, members of the beneficiary families do not need to pay anything under the scheme, provided one goes to a government or an empanelled private hospital.





Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) Superintendent Dr Ramen Talukdar said that, after launching the PMJAY, three patients have been admitted at GMCH and they are suffering kidney diseases.





We have already started treatment of the patients and they will get benefit upto Rs 5 lakh under the programme. We will try our best to provide all facilities to the patients who will come to the hospital. We have also started a separate counter for the patients under PMJAY and a separate team has been engaged for it, Dr Ramen Talukdar said.





On the other hand, Assam Chief Minister Sarbanadna Sonowal today rolled out Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission at a programme held at Khanapra Veterinary Playground in Guwahati.





Around 27 lakh families in Assam will be covered under the mega healthcare programme.



Colombo Telegraph, 21 September 2018

Rains and early gloom harbinger the dying year. Fields are ploughed and sown in readiness for the earthas renewal and the yield of her bounty. It was at such a time that Rajani Thiranagama was killed by the LTTE twenty-nine years ago. Her questions and aphorisms often challenged our assumptions at their core. The following Appeal authored by her in October 1988 appeared in Laying Aside Illusions signed by 50 academics in the common room of the University of Jaffna:

aWe have to examine not only our relations with the Indian and Sri Lankan States, but also ourselves. Our obeisance to terror within the community, our opportunism and lack of principles in the face of many internal killings, have made it easy for external forces to use the same weapons to control us. In the face of our acquiescence to anti-democratic tendencies within the community, our plea for democracy becomes a meaningless exercise. Many individuals and young persons who voiced criticism of the political forces have been victimised, driven away, or killed while we looked on.a

Displayed in that very common room are photographs of our late academics since the inception of the University. The exclusion of Rajanias picture has been commented upon by visitors for many years. The university authorities in 2014 (I think in retrospect it is wrong to single out the Vice Chancellor) blocked the observance of the 25th Anniversary of her murder while in harness. Her conducting examinations to a timetable made it easy for the killers to plan her murder.

A short stroll away from the common room, the 31st Anniversary of the LTTEas Thileepan, whose aGandhiana fast to death under duress, to enable the Leader to snatch a political prize, was, this fall, celebrated as act of martyrdom in a grand ceremony; where the Vice Chancellor gave the lead. A few days later the installation of a monument to the LTTE-inaugurated aTamils Arisea (Pongu Thamil), was likewise graced by senior university officials.

The result is surreal. These proceedings take place under the tolerant eye of the Sri Lankan security forces, the same forces that in 2014 stopped the Medical Students Unionas commemoration of Rajani by issuing a threat to the Dean by phone.

The same university officials, who are prominent at current ceremonies glorifying the brutal extreme of Tamil Nationalism, put on a different face when dealing with the powers that be in Colombo, by whose tolerance the University continues its course of congenial decay. Its keeping out well qualified academics in order to reinforce a closed tradition of mediocrity, is in keeping with Pongu Thamil and its cult of heroism by which the most intimate and poignant aspects of our history have been reduced to gossip. That is one reason why Rajani is anathema.

As a medical doctor in 1982, when hardly anyone else was willing, Rajani readily went in the night to nurse and save the life of Seelan, a favourite of the LTTE leader, who suffered an accidental gunshot injury (see Palmyra Fallen). About two years later in England, she learnt of the internal brutality and intolerance of the movement, and how Seelan was driven to harbour a death-wish, bitterly regretting his actions: In particular his murder of PLOTEas Sundaram (awho was a freedom fighter like mea) at the Leaderas behest. Seelan had remained in a marked camp in Themaratchy despite urgent entreaties to vacate and was ambushed by the Army in July 1983.

The zeal Rajani showed in helping the LTTE was transformed into a determination to go back to Jaffna University in 1986, and to challenge it by her activism: How many of our young went to their deaths, after being broken from within by the Movementas inhuman culture, only to be celebrated as martyrs by our cynical elite? Contempt, and fear, of Rajanias legacy is again to do with the Tamil elitesa love for the mediocrity of decadence. Her life and experience militated against purveying cheap history of an era that played havoc with our lives and emotions.

On education, one of the priorities after the war should have been to improve the outlook for students and staff by strengthening secular traditions and encouraging a free flow of scholars from around the world. But today instead, religious and political sectarianism stares us in the face in several universities, with the deceptively benevolent connivance of the State.

A political settlement has waited seventy years and will perhaps wait another seventy. But the debasement of Jaffna University is fatal to the Tamils remaining a viable community. That in my judgment is the greatest failure of the TNA, which it could easily have corrected. That goes back to the origins of Tamil Nationalism and Rajanias unanswered questions.

The same questions were raised in the young Tamil journalist Jude Ratnamas internationally acclaimed documentary Demons in Paradise. The reactions to it from some well-heeled young Tamils provided by BBC are revealing. Jude cannot be accused of being blind to what the Tamils have suffered from the State, but the main criticism of his work presumes that it is necessary to focus on the brutality of the Sri Lankan Army before any attempt at exploring the brutalisation of Tamil culture and its entrapment in an abyss, not allowing us to open our minds and see what the world and its heritage have to offer.

The state of society may indeed be likened to demon possession. The University is not the hub of this phenomenon. It is supported by a worldwide network of pseudo-scholarship, closely aligned to elite Tamil society.

Rajani held that the brutality of the State is secondary in relation to our internal decay and, importantly, that Tiger brutality and intolerance are fruits of the bankruptcy of the Parliamentary politics of the Tamil elite. This was not something that came to her from discussions and browsing around in comfortable surroundings. It began with the huge sacrifices she made in helping the LTTE.

Tamil Nationalism: Loss of Direction and the Fatal Betrayal

We need not waste time today trying to separate Tamil Nationalist politics from the LTTEas legacy and the glorification of Prabhakaran. After all, politicians of the TNA (Federal Party), TNPF (Tamil Congress), Chief Minister Wigneswaran, miscellaneous academics and the mainstream Tamil media compete for ownership of this legacy. A pseudo-logical argument currently in vogue is that Chelvanayakam who had lost faith in the Sinhalese leadership, blessed the incipient militancy by garlanding Sivakumaranas statue in Urumpirai, and therefore Prabhakaran as saviour. Rajani trashed the basis of such claims in the Broken Palmyra.

Take Sinhalese Nationalism as a political force. Its main authors were Senanayake of the transformed Ceylon National Congress and Bandaranaikeas Sinhala Maha Sabha. From the 1930s they competed tooth and nail with one another, painting apocalyptic scenarios, to deny the vote to the Plantation Tamils. Having by the grace of Governor Caldecott been in power from 1941 without holding elections, by 1946, they rightly discerned that the electoral map had shifted after the slow advance of the Left since the early 1930s. The two rivals thus formed the UNP in order not to split the Sinhalese nationalist vote.

The 1947 Parliamentary elections brought in a minority UNP government which had won 42 of the 95 contested seats and might have not survived, but for divisions in the Left and British support behind the scenes a apart from the tame votes of the 5 appointed MPs, 4 Englishmen and a Burgher. With a view to consolidate its tenuous hold, the first two major Bills after independence in February 1948 were anti-labour, the Trade Unions (Amendment) Bill of June and the Citizenship Bill against the estate labour in August.

Senanayake discerned that the successful execution of these Bills involved getting the Tamil Congress (TC) with seven MPs to support the Government. G.G. Ponnambalam fell for the bait of a proffered cabinet portfolio. The Trade Unions Bill was to be the test run for the larger prize. What it sought to do was to weaken the unions by reversing the process in Britain. The British Act of 1927 placed several restrictions on affiliation and federation of unions of government servants. Ceylonas Act of 1935 followed the British Act. In 1946, the Labour government repealed the 1927 British Act. The Ceylon Government in 1948 moved to tighten the screw further on affiliation and federation in a new Act.

G.G. Ponnambalamas closing words in the debate were, aI shudder to think of the possibilities when, if collective political objectives are granted, they can become a willing or unwilling instrument of totalitarianism in this country.a It was an invocation of the Communist Bogey. The Tamil Congress, including Chelvanayakam, voted with the Government on the Trade Unions Bill. It was Chelvanayakamas first and major political blunder. The two Tamils who actively opposed the Bill were Somasundaram Nadesan and E.M.V. Naganathan, in the Senate.

The cost to the Tamils was enormous, when the Tamil Congress pitted itself against the constellation of the most enlightened and sympathetic Sinhalese MPs of all time. Senanayake gave Ponnambalam his portfolio after testing his obedience in the Citizenship Bill.

The record suggests that in order to save his political skin over the Citizenship Bill (20 Aug.), Ponnambalam improperly secured censorship of the Hansard publishing the list of votes by name. One infers that the arrangement was for Tamil Congress MPs to stay in the sidelines away from the debating chamber. Chelvanayakam, for whom it was a question of the heart, broke ranks and spoke and voted against the Citizenship Bill. Although silent, Ponnambalam felt constrained to accompany Chelvanayakam and to also vote against the Bill. It passed 53 for and 35 against. There would have been 40 against, but for the absence of five Tamil Congress MPs. An enterprising journalist revealed how the MPs had voted in the Times of 21st August. In the Senate, Nadesan and Naganathan voted against the Bill. By 2nd September, Ponnambalam had been made Minister.

The Citizenship Act, the greatest blow to the minorities, could have been either stopped or made costly for the Government to proceed with, had the Tamil Congress shown determined resistance. Having pledged the Plantation Tamils that he would stand up for them, Ponnambalam with his powerful intellect did not utter a word. Had the message been carried loud and clear by the Tamil Congress that the future of the minorities was in jeopardy, the Tamils and Muslims who voted for the Bill, including Ministers Suntheralingam and Sittampalam, would have found it a costly exercise. It was, after all, a weak government selling favours to ensure support for the Bill. The appointed MPs could have been told firmly to keep off.

In this betrayal of the Plantation Tamils, and thereby the minorities, Ponnambalam was urged on by several of the big Tamil names of that time for whom joining the Government was seen as a means of protecting the position of Tamils in government service. Among them were Senators A.B. Rajendra and Chellappah Coomaraswamy. A.J. Wilson in his biography of Chelvanayakam gives several names of prominent Tamils who wanted the Tamil Congress to cooperate with the Government. Among these Tamils were Handy Perinpanayagam and K. Nesiah of the Youth Congress; which appears to have been largely silent on the plight of Plantation Tamils although it was a leading issue during the Donoughmore era.

The greatness of Chelvanayakam lies in his standing by the Plantation Tamils despite the taunts of his own circle of elite Tamils. He would have been terribly isolated if not for Naganathan and the scholarly backing of Nadesan. The relations between the three are an area that remains unexplored. In that phase where the Tamil leadership failed dismally, why Chelvanayakam failed to take the battle into his own hands and move forward, cries for explanation.

The Tamils were thus betrayed by their own elite with its overblown sense of importance. That is hard to swallow and the obsession with finding traitors to blame for our losses has left us with the likeness of demon possession and an ill-disguised satisfaction in the vicarious killing of dissent. The tremendous violations by the Sri Lankan forces, for the sake of the country, require a thorough and credible judicial inquiry; but remember that those who knowingly start a war must bear primary responsibility. All wars in this country from October 1987 were needlessly begun by the LTTE to get control, not over the Sinhalese, but over fellow Tamils, regardless of the accompanying losses in land, human and other assets. Among the poorest, the feeling of loss was compounded by the Governmentas neglect of prompt resettlement.

By the beginning of 2009 it was clear to most Tamils which way the civilians wanted to escape in the face of the Army advance, and that the LTTE was killing Tamil escapees. Yet many leading Tamils and TNA leaders kept blaming the Army exclusively for the suffering of Tamils. How little things had changed over 20 years. Rajani described the Indian Armyas massacre at Jaffna Hospital on 21st October 1987:

aThe Tigers were there: maybe it was a deliberate ploy on the part of the LTTE. They came in two lots. When the doctors had pleaded with them to leave, the Tigers went away only after firing some rounds widely and leaving some weapons inside. The Indian army came an hour or so later, at which time there was no retaliatory fire.a

To start a war is to play with chaos and murder. There is a limit to which you could blame a soldier on the frontline fighting a war not of his choosing. Those who sustain a war by lies and propaganda, and make the lot of their own people insufferable, are the ones most worthy of blame. That is why the accusations of partiality against Jude Ratnamas Demons in Paradise have a sinister ring.

Natesa Iyer, one of the great men we were fortunate to have among us, after witnessing the hapless plight of the Plantation Tamils for nearly 20 years, became convinced of the pointlessness of relying on the British or the Indian Government to settle the issue. He averred that they could only resolve the issue by talking to the Sinhalese. Several Kandyan leaders, including Bernard Aluwihare and Senerat Gunawardana held him in high respect, and even after his death in 1947, his hopes were not disappointed. Several Sinhalese MPs who had the interests of the Kandyan peasantry at heart voted against the Citizenship Bill, which sought to deny citizenship to the Plantation Tamils. They included T.B. Subasinghe, T.B. Ilangaratne, H. Sri Nissanka, N.M. Perera, Robert Gunawardena, Kusuma Gunawardena, R.S. Pelpola and I.M.R.A. Iriyagolla. They had to overcome the legacy of hate spawned by Senanayake and Bandaranaike.

It was the Tamil Nationalists who spurned potential Sinhalese allies and isolated themselves by aligning with the Sinhalese Right over the 1948 Trade Unions Bill. We Tamils have gone to the West, to New Delhi and Geneva in search of a settlement that eludes us. Is it not time to look to the Sinhalese through different eyes? That would be something close to the heart of Rajani.Carnival Cruise Line announced that the Carnival Vista has arrived in her new homeport of Galveston.

The arrival was celebrated with Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy and ship Godmother Deshauna Barber, the first member of the U.S. military to be named Miss USA, before the ship left on its first voyage from Galveston Sunday afternoon.

The first itinerary includes calls at Montego Bay; Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, while the other features visits to Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan); Belize; and Cozumel. Carnival Vista joins Carnival Freedom and Carnival Valor with year-round departures from Galveston. Together, these three ships operate more than 200 sailings each year carrying more than 600,000 passengers annually  the most in cruising, Carnival said, in a statement.

Carnival Vista brings Texas-sized fun to Galveston for guests of all ages and we are thrilled to celebrate the arrival of the ports newest ship and show our appreciation for the local community, said Duffy. Carnival is Texas number one cruise operator and positioning one of our newest ships, Carnival Vista, in Galveston underscores our commitment to our confidence in growing this key market.

The homecoming event was attended by local officials, travel agents and military families supported by Operation Homefront. Galveston Mayor Pro Tem Craig Brown presented Duffy with a key to the city and proclaimed Sept. 23 Choose Fun Day in recognition of Carnivals brand campaign. In support of the local community, Carnival made a $10,000 donation to Houston SPCA and an additional $10,000 to the Houston Food Bank.

After 18 years of cultivating the cruise business in the State of Texas, we are thrilled to welcome Carnivals largest class ship to her new home, said Rees. As one of Carnivals most successful homeports, their decision to re-position their newest ship is a testament of their confidence in the ports continued success as one of the nations top cruise ports. We look forward to continuing our mutually beneficial partnership.

Added Barber: As godmother, Carnival Vista remains very near and dear to my heart and Im proud and honored to be a part of the festivities to bring this spectacular ship to its new homeport of Galveston.You may not need a cautionary tale about opening email attachments, but this story is a reminder that you dont have to be the biggest and most well-known company to become the victim of a targeted ransomware attack. Just look at what happened to a small Scottish brewery.

Arran Brewery in Scotland advertised job vacancies on its site, yet after the company filled the most current vacancy for a credit control and finance assistant, resumes from around the world started pouring in.

The brewerys managing director, Gerald Michaluk, told the BBC, Out of the blue we started getting applicants for the post from all over the country and the world. I assumed one of my colleagues had advertised the post. However, this was not the case. The attackers had taken our website vacancy and posted it on some international jobs site.

Michaluk called the attack very devious as the company was getting three of four emails a day, all with attached CVs. The virus was in amongst the genuine job seekers, and when the CV was opened it took effect.

One of the resumes contained a Dharma Bip ransomware variant, so when the email attachment was opened, the ransomware payload in the PDF started encrypting files. The company was locked out of its computers systems. The attackers demanded a two-bitcoin ransom, which was worth about $13,000.

The attackers had taken our website vacancy and posted it on some international jobs site."  Gerald Michaluk

Michaluk went from vaguely knowing about ransomware to knowing more than he probably wanted to know.

He told Security Media Group: The attack was especially damaging because it first infected the office's Windows domain controller, which is used to authenticate corporate users and provide them with access to resources. It had access to drives on other file servers which it encrypted, without those other machines becoming infected.

In the end, the Scottish brewery opted not to pay the ransom. The ransom demand was beyond the value of the data lost  also paying it would not guarantee restoration of the files  so we restored from backups, Michaluk said.

But the backups did not have the most recent data. Michaluk explained that the ransomware had encrypted all attached file shares, including those that recent online backups had been saved to, so it was only offsite backups which were available, the most recent of which was some three months old.

The company still has the encrypted files, hoping Kaspersky Lab will issue an update for its Dharma decryption tool so it works on this variant.

Although "dont cave to extortion and pay" is the most commonly uttered advice, Barry Shteiman, Exabeams vice president of research and innovation, told The Register, While many security experts warn about paying ransoms or entering into negotiations, the answer in reality comes down to simple economics. If the downtime caused by data being unavailable, or by the backup restoration process, is more expensive than paying the ransom, then organizations should pay.

How old are your offsite backups?

Michaluk told the BBC, I hope if anyone finds themselves in a similar position they can recognize the MO of these bandits and not have the same issues we have had.Sept. 24, 2018  The story of my body is not a story of triumph, wrote New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay in her memoir, Hunger.

This is not a weight loss memoir. There will be no picture of a thin version of me, my slender body emblazoned across the books cover, with me standing on one leg of my former, fatter selfs jeans.

Gay goes on to write that hers is not a success story, but simply a true story. A story that needed to be told.

Gay will share her story Thursday, Oct. 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Salon, for the CSUCI Campus Reading Celebration. CSUCI students, faculty and staff can attend for free and the public is welcome for $10. Non-CSUCI students are $5.

Every year, CSUCI holds a Campus Reading Celebration in which the campus and community are invited to read a book selected by a campus committee after fielding votes and suggestions from the campus community. Then, the author is invited to the campus to speak and sign copies of the book.

Professor of English Joan Peters, Ph.D., co-chair of the Campus Reading Celebration, believes Hunger has a powerful message that will resonate with many types of readers.

This is a book about a woman who is obese because she was gang-raped when she was 12, Peters said. For her, putting on weight was putting on armor. She is able to talk about weight and its impact on one human being, even though you graduate and get a Ph.D. and become a famous columnist, its still inside you.

Gay is the author of The New York Times best-selling essay collection Bad Feminist, as well as the short story collection Ayiti, the novel An Untamed State, the short story collection Difficult Women, and her latest book, Hunger, published in 2016 by HarperCollins.

In her New York Times column, her books and essays, Gay, also an associate professor of English at Purdue University in Indiana, tangles with issues of identity, race, sexual violence, womens issues and body image, to name a few, but the thrust of Hunger is one womans experience as an obese woman, how she was treated by society, and how she felt about herself.

I just thought it was so important a topic because as a nation, we are body-obsessed, said Assistant Professor of English Kim Vose, who also co-chairs the event. The fat shaming is the last horizon of what people think is acceptable to do.

Vose also believes this is a relevant topic for college students, many of whom are in their 20s.

So far it seems to have resonated strongly with our students, Vose said. The younger you are, the more susceptible you are to a negative body image. Many of our students have had similar experiences to Roxane Gays.

In her book, Gay explores how early trauma, such as sexual violence, can be linked to weight gain. The relationship between trauma and weight is important to discuss, Peters said.

We have a lot of students who struggle with weight, Peters said. I see them in class and I read what they write. This is a moment to talk about it. To talk about how society views individuals who are out of the norm.

The evening will begin with Gays talk, followed by a question and answer session and a book-signing event.

Peters and Vose believe there is a kind of magic to a campus and a community reading the same book at the same time, and discussing it together.

I think the whole idea of the Campus Reading Celebration from the very beginning was to bring us all together in this divisive and polarized world, Peters said. To bring us together to talk in the most human way about subjects that are tremendously important in the world we live in.

Reservations are required. To RSVP visit: https://commerce.cashnet.com/crc.Clearview Capital is planning to make its first investment from its new $550 million fund either later this year or in early 2019, according to executives of the Stamford-based private equity firm.

Forty institutional investors provided 95 percent of the capital commitments for Fund IV, while 42 individual investors accounted for the balance of the contributions. The funds size surpasses by about 70 percent the $325 million Fund III that was raised in 2013.

With the fourth fund, Clearview intends to invest in firms with adjusted annual earnings between $4 million and $20 million and equity from $15 million to $75 million.

We feel really good about this new fund, said Clearview Co-Founder and Managing Partner James Andersen. We had an awful lot of demand, but we limited ourselves to $550 million because raising more than that would have meant having to do larger deals than we would like. We had essentially all our investors from Fund III come back for Fund IV, and we brought in five new investors.

To support Fund IV, Clearview also raised a $108 million captive mezzanine fund. Whenever the firm makes a deal that uses mezzanine financing, the mezzanine fund would take 49 percent of that security.

Clearview has acquired or sold several companies in the past year. In July, it bought Brockton, Mass.-based Apothecare, a long-term care pharmacy.

In April, Clearview acquired Scottsdale, Ariz.-based substance-abuse treatment firm Community Medical Services Holdings. In February, the firm acquired Acworth, Ga.-based direct mailing company Mudlick Mail.

Last December, it sold GCR, a New Orleans-based software development and consulting firm focused on the public sector and Xact Data Discovery, a Mission, Kan.-based provider of IT services for the legal field.

Financial terms were not disclosed for any of those recent deals.

Clearview has invested in 30 companies, through which it has made 69 acquisitions. Those firms have been concentrated in business services, health care, manufacturing and specialized distribution.

Today, the firms portfolio comprises 11 businesses.

Clearviews investors include funds of funds, university endowments and public pension funds.

Jim (Andersen) sets the tone for them, and its just a fantastic team that is super talented, Mike Sullivan, the Dartmouth endowments managing director in charge of private equity and venture capital programs, said in an interview earlier this year. Their performance is right at the top of the group. Theyve been consistent year after year and investment after investment. That consistency is what makes them stand out.

Among recent measures, alternative-assets data and intelligence firm Preqin ranked Clearview in 2016 in the top group of consistently high-performing buyout firms.

Clearview launched in 1999 in a room above a garage by Binney Park in the Old Greenwich section of Greenwich. Later, it relocated to offices in downtown Greenwich and then back to Old Greenwich. It moved in July 2016 to its current home on the 11th floor of the office complex at 1010 Washington Blvd, overlooking Mill River Park.

Clearview now employs 20, with plans to hire three more. Many live in the area, including co-founder and managing partner James Andersen, a Wilton resident.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschottNorth Haven police have released a photo of a suspect wanted for questioning in a debit card fraud.

Police: Man crawled under stall in women's bathroom at BJs

Police are looking to identify the suspect for a debit card fraud that occurred at CVS on Sept. 13.

The suspect was described as a thin male with a tan complexion, possibly middle eastern or Hispanic.

Clean shaven with dark brown hair wearing a blue shirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information can contact Officer Millman at (203) 239-5321 ext. 293.1.

Statement released by Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) [India chapter] 22 Sept 2018

o o

2. [ Media report on statement by members of Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) [Pakistan Chapter]

The News, September 24, 2018

Peace activists dismayed by Indiaas stubbornness over bilateral talks

Our Correspondent

Karachi

The Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) has expressed disappointment over the cancellation of a potential meeting between Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in the coming week.

aWe are really disappointed, particularly with the attitude of the Indian government, which called off this meeting, and would urge the [Narendra] Modi government to reconsider its decision,a read a statement issued on Sunday.

Representatives of the forum said the proposed meeting was a major opportunity, as Pakistanas new government seems keen to resume a formal dialogue with India, which would benefit both sides.

aPeople on both sides of the border want their governments to resume the long halted talks, as there is no other way but to have constant dialogue to resolve the pending issues,a read the statement issued and endorsed by representatives of different organisations.

aIt is in the larger interest of the people of both countries to give peace a chance,a they said, adding that a long interval in the dialogue process has already negatively impacted both countries, which are homes to the largest number of the worldas poor, and any further delay in dialogue would jeopardise the efforts for progress and prosperity.

aThe new Pakistani government wants to reduce poverty, and similar are the ambitions of the Indian government. However, this can only happen if both the neighbours maintain peace, not enmity.a

They said that though both the countries have contributed to creating a war-like situation, the Modi governmentas hostilities, such as calling off scheduled meetings, have further escalated the situation.

The PIPFPD representatives also expressed concern over undue delays in holding the official Saarc summit, which was due in Islamabad but cancelled in 2016. Shying away from the summit has almost closed the doors of interaction and dialogue, they regretted.

They said that again the attitude of the Indian government is disappointing, as it keeps boycotting the summit. aIt is ironic that one or two countries have taken the entire regional process hostage over their differences.a

They said that on the one hand the whole world is moving towards regional cooperation, but on the other, South Asia is the only region that is shying away from the process that would widen the gulf between the countries and would not benefit anyone in the region.

They urged both countries to allow their foreign ministers to meet next week and also agree on the dates for the next Saarc summit. They also asked other regional players, especially Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, to play their role in holding the summit at the earliest.

The representatives of the different organisations that issued the statement included Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research Executive Director Karamat Ali, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Sindh Vice-Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt, Awami Workers Party Central Spokesperson Farooq Tariq, South Asia Partnership Pakistan Executive Director Mohammad Tahseen and Tehrik-e-Niswan Karachi President Sheema Kermani.NEW HAVEN - The Rev. Robert Beloin, who led the Catholic community at St. Thomas More Chapel and Center at Yale University for nearly 25 years, died late Saturday night at age 71.

While he had been seriously ill with brain cancer since January and his passing was not unexpected, it still hurts, it still stings, it is still painful, the Rev. Karl Davis, an assistant chaplain, told tearful members of the community at a service Sunday morning. We are, in some sense, never ready.

Davis said Beloin, a priest for 45 years whom everyone addressed as Bob, approached his life as a journey, a journey were all on. He said his focus was always on the laity, on community. ... In that vein, service. Good community that reflected the presence of Christ was one that was filled with service. ... Even in his illness, he was hospitable. He was still serving others.

Beloin, in his long tenure at St. Thomas More Chapel, oversaw the construction of the Golden Center in 2006, which added space to expand programs offered to students and members of the Greater New Haven community who were drawn to his preaching and outreach.

He also introduced the Small Church Community program, a Bible-study format, that invited participation by students, faculty and people outside Yale.

Richard Beloin was able to stay with his brother for the past several months.

I am retired, which made it possible for me to move to New Haven to be with my brother after his diagnosis. I always knew he was respected, but the outpouring of gratitude, love and appreciation for him from the St. Thomas More and Yale community has been extraordinary, his brother said.

For the past nine months, members of the community provided home-cooked meals for Beloin every night and he received more than 800 letters and cards from former students and friends who were part of the larger Catholic community.

Community members Sunday reflected on what Beloin had meant to them.

He addressed his illness and dying the way he lived his life. He didnt ask himself why this was happening to him. He asked himself, 'What does this mean for me? And how can I be more loving?' His response to that much more important question was to live his remaining months with joy, gratitude, faith, humor, love and profound appreciation for all that God intended of his life, Kerry Alys Robinson, a close friend, said.

Davis said everyone felt that Beloin considered them his best friend. He said he always recognized peoples happiness.

He touched everybodys heart. His openness, his welcome. His joy in Catholic Christian life was a pure gift, Gail Bellucci said. You could talk to him about anything and he would listen to you. He just made you feel better.

Stephen Kobasa, a long-time member of the community, said Beloin was of both the old and new worlds. He came out of the old usages and yet he found his way into the grace of the present. He was so clear about the obligation to speak out in the world, his presence on the issue of immigration. There is a cliche about teaching by example. He was that. It was never just words with him.

Beloin and Davis both were arrested at a sit-in outside Immigration Court in Hartford protesting the imminent deportation of an undocumented immigrant.

Beloin opened the demonstration with a prayer, asking God to look down on this nation so that it is a place of welcome for all peoples. Bless those who are struggling with deportation, give them hope and courage and assure them of our support.

Before the demonstration began, Beloin reflected about why he was there.

He said [T]he (Catholic) church is pro-life, pro-family and it is just appalling that families are being broken up  hard-working families who are here trying to have a life together. It is really a disgrace  a moral disgrace, Beloin said.

Kobasa said Beloin was always human, which he acknowledged.

There were times when he could be severe, but always in a good cause, Kobasa said laughing.

Kobasa said the chaplain felt things deeply. He always measured losses in his own heart. Thats rare.

Richard Gard, who runs the music program at the chapel and has known Beloin for 17 years, said he celebrated 2,042 Masses with him.

I never knew what my last time to be with him in that way would be, Gard said, tearing up.

Most priests are not as cognizant of music as he was. It was so wonderful to work with him, he said of their long friendship. He said Beloin was always open to new ideas, one of which led to a concert at Carnegie Hall.

Evelyn Gard, his wife, who sings at the church, said in their last meeting, she sang a hymn she wrote for him.

He said to him what a great team they were and his last words to me were I love you. Evelyn Gard said. It was such a beautiful moment.

He had this amazing intelligent approach to theology and religion, she said.

John Cirello and his wife, Michelle Cirello, would meet with engaged couples as part of a pre-marriage program at the church.

He used to come in and make such a connection with the couples, primarily because he was so used to dealing with 20-year olds. A lot of priests at the other parishes were totally unrelatable, John Cirello said.

Douglas Black, a convert to Catholicism, said Beloin was a great teacher.

He also helped me with the passing of my wife, Marlene, who had known him for decades. He created special relationships with so many people. Everybody talked about his homilies. They had such a way of being intellectual, at the same time really perceptive, Black said.

Pat Morrison said he broke down the barriers between Yale-affiliated members and those outside. There is no town and gown feeling. Everyone is equally welcomed, she said.

Details regarding the wake and funeral were still under discussion Sunday night. A Mass will be said for Beloin Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the St. Thomas More Chapel.

mary.oleary@hearstmedia

ct.com; 203-641-2577In this series, The Gambit, Entrepreneur associate editor Hayden Field explores extraordinary risk, speaking with successful people about how they overcame unusual obstacles to found a company or switched industries entirely in a "career 180."

Mark Greene started his path to the Air Force during a time of peace, but when the 22-year-old graduated, he was sent almost immediately to Afghanistan.

I was the class that graduated right after the towers came down, Greene said. It was a really strange time to start a career as a military pilot.

The new fighter pilot had just completed a training program in Mississippi, and he began his first day as a second lieutenant -- outranking 85 percent of the military. Greene said he remembers 19-year-old Marines being shot by snipers or running from roadside bombs, and from the air, it was Greenes job to listen to what was happening on the ground and then respond accordingly.

Image credit: Alec Lloyd

[There was] really no air battle in these fights -- it was more protecting people on the ground, he said.

Whenever he returned home, Greene would hear news reports mention dead Americans in Mosul and other cities. He could imagine those places. It was difficult to come home, but Greene said it was also tough to go back. By 2008, he was spending as many as 220 days a year overseas.

In the following years, Greene went on to fly about 170 combat missions. However he felt about the war itself, he enjoyed the mission aspect of his job: responding to the needs of struggling U.S. soldiers.

Later, hed apply that same mission-oriented thinking to something else entirely: creating new financial tools for struggling consumers across America.

Image credit: Alec Lloyd

Greene is the director of SafetyNet, an innovation lab thats part of CUNA Mutual Group, a nationwide insurance company. The innovation labs ultimate goal is what sets it apart: Listen to the needs of millions of Americans struggling through financial hardship -- people that banks and credit unions may not view as first-priority customers -- and create entirely new financial tools for them. Heres his story.

The Itch

Greenes family is staggering in number. His father is the youngest of 14 siblings, while his mother is the youngest of five -- yielding hundreds (yes, hundreds) of cousins. Relatives of all ages riddle Greenes childhood memories. His family members future trajectories would vary as much as their personalities -- some found great success, others struggled with personal finance and still others, as he put it, ended up on the wrong side of law.

Greenes parents didnt often discuss money, but he remembers seeing them struggle -- there were hints, he said, that the family wasnt necessarily on secure financial footing. One memory in particular sticks with Greene, and it would go on to shape how he thinks about service and gratitude. When, at age 10 or 11, he had his heart set on the newest pair of Nike shoes, his father presented him with a pair by a brand Greene had never heard of. He recalls that his reaction -- upset and ungrateful -- hurt his father deeply.

Thats something that affected me my whole life, Greene said. He recalled thinking, I have to change this. From that point forward, he had a renewed resolve to help people struggling in any difficult situation.

The Detour

After the financial crisis hit in 2008, the government decided to consolidate military bases, and Greenes squadron was discontinued. He had a choice: Either relocate to Germany or do something else. Greene decided to apply to law school with the goal of eventually prosecuting war crimes -- after all, hed learned about law by studying the laws of war as a pilot. At the same time, one weekend a month, he flew training missions for the Air National Guard.

Greenes first class in law school, Contracts 1, changed his career trajectory. One day in class, he read about a costly dispute that could have been avoided if the defendants had organized their business differently from the get-go. Since Greene had been trained as an engineer, he was naturally interested in how things are built and put together. Because of that, he said, learning about the structure of businesses blew [his] mind.

Image credit: SafetyNet

Studying how a contract is written kind of changes the way you think about how everything is structured, he said. That was the first moment where I saw the power of business.

The class didnt only teach Greene about long-term business structure -- it also taught him that companies could effectively boost their efficiency by listening to direct feedback from consumers. Through his time in the military, Greene had learned that on the government side, that feedback loop -- connecting directly to the people -- was exceedingly convoluted.

The idea of listening to customers to inform a businesss foundation would come into play sooner than Greene realized. Post-graduation, he snagged a job at Merrill Lynch in Madison, Wis., but his affluent client base -- and a report on the states racial disparity -- sparked new resolve in Greene. He felt he could be doing much more to help a larger cross-section of consumers on the ground.

The Leap

One day in 2016, Greene met with Dan Kaiser, an executive at CUNA Mutual Group. Kaiser wanted to talk through ideas about different financial solutions Greene wished existed. Kaiser was helping to develop an innovation lab, he said, to focus on solutions for consumers personal finance issues, and it was being kept largely under wraps. The project was spurred by a Federal Reserve report citing figures that close to half of Americans would be unable to come up with $400 in an emergency -- and that a greater number of individuals than that didnt have $1,000 in savings.

After ordering coffee, the men talked about how insurance could be flipped on its head to help struggling people with immediate cash flow needs or insure their savings accounts. But Greene didnt realize he was interviewing for a job until he received a game-changing phone call that same week. Were building a team, he recalled hearing from an executive on the other end. Greene accepted the offer and joined the innovation lab as soon as it launched.

On Greenes first day as director of SafetyNet, he said he met the team and read the mission statement on the wall: Improve the financial well-being of millions of hard-working people by developing innovative financial solutions that help individuals manage unexpected cash flow, bill payment and savings challenges.

Members of the team were tasked with thinking of creative ways to solve enduring financial problems, and Greene soon discovered he would embark on a nine-month venture to talk with 7,000 consumers in states including Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Illinois about the tools they wished they had to take control of their money. Greene said he didnt believe the statistics that Trunzo had cited in their coffee meeting until his eight-person team began speaking with consumers across the country.

The Breaking Point

On April 11, 2016, Greene sat in a Hilton hotel in Madison, Wis. He was waiting to speak with a woman named Chelsea about her money struggles as part of SafetyNets new venture. Chelsea had called earlier in the day to cancel the interview, but she eventually changed her mind and finally walked into the Hilton around 5:30 p.m.

Greene listened as Chelsea explained how hopeless she felt -- that she avoided almost all contact with her financial institutions, including opening mail, and that managing her money paycheck to paycheck had become almost a traumatic experience. She said the money that she owed family members had driven a rift between them, and though she wished she could take control of her financial life, she didnt know where to begin.

Image credit: SafetyNet

Chelsea shivered as she talked, and as she unloaded more and more of her story, she became more emotional. Her pain was so great that Greene felt like he was speaking with a victim of domestic violence. All he could think to do was offer her a glass of water -- and listen.

I left that conversation with the feeling that that relationship that she had with her finances and financial institution was abusive, he said. When he imagined Chelsea representing millions of people in the U.S., Greene said he knew he had to work to change the way people interact with the financial institutions that should be serving them.

The photos of the consumers Greene and his team spoke with ended up in neat rows on the wall of SafetyNets primary meeting room. Every time the team meets to discuss an issue, theyre under the watchful eye of the people who were honest enough to share their money woes with a company they believed may be able to help them.

The Next Step

After 7,000 conversations with consumers, Greene started brainstorming solutions he and his team could build -- including layoff insurance for people without emergency savings.

This year, Greenes team is building 25 different products to meet the needs of financially strapped Americans, including an employer-match savings account product, a type of insurance aiming to protect people from eviction, a new type of peer-to-peer lending platform and even pet insurance. The conversation Greene had with Chelsea in April 2016 inspired SafetyNet to develop a new type of budgeting app, and Chelsea is currently beta testing it.

By the end of 2017, SafetyNet was growing at a rate of more than 8 percent week over week -- primarily via word of mouth, Greene said, and without using insurance agents. The company now operates in 10 states.

What we want to be, Greene said, "is a company that understands our consumers better than anyone."

Related:

This Military Pilot Pivoted From Fighting Wars to Creating Financial Tools for Struggling Americans

From Totally Broke to Multimillionaire: How Jen Sincero Pivoted from Rock Star to Bestselling Self-Help Author and Success Coach

How the Founder of Pressed Juicery Turned $30,000 Into a Projected $75 Million Company



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reservedThe Connecticut Post recently published a letter (Bad policy on unclaimed assets, Sept. 2, 2018) that contained inaccuracies. The most glaring example: The author of the letter accuses us of collecting unclaimed property without making a good faith effort to return it to rightful owners.

He suggested that the state knows many of the owners, yet it doesnt pay or even notify them. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Since 1999, the Treasury has aggressively worked to notify rightful owners.

This office has an ongoing and comprehensive outreach effort, that includes tapping both print and electronic media to publicize that the Treasury has unclaimed property, participating in community events and fairs across the state, and offering a user-friendly searchable website, www.ctbiglist.com and an 800 number (1-800-833-7318).

The Treasury publishes a special electronic edition of new names of individuals that may have unclaimed property due to them, and advertises that this listing is available in all of Connecticuts major newspapers  including this one.

In the first month after the most recent publication in December 2016, there were 2.1 million hits on the Big List website. And, the office issues press releases, like the one that resulted in a news story in The Post on Aug. 28.

The true measure of the success of these efforts lies in the numbers. During my five terms in office, a total of $716 million in unclaimed property has been returned to nearly 320,000 individuals, businesses, organizations and nonprofits.

During just the past five fiscal years, more than $281 million has been returned to 89,685 rightful owners - the largest amount of money returned during any five year period on record since the program started more than 80 years ago.

Publishing a letter that includes unsubstantiated claims undermines the work of the Treasury to make sure people get the money that is owed to them.

The public should have confidence that their government works for them, as it does when it comes to returning unclaimed property.

Denise L Nappier

The writer is Connecticut state treasurer.Former MI5 Chief Wants Retaliatory Attacks On Russia

One of Britain's most senior former security officials has urged the government to meet Russian "aggression with aggression", by launching retaliatory cyber-attacks against Moscow. Dame Stella Rimington (pictured), who was Director General of MI5 from 1992 to 1996, said that the UK must respond to the growing threat of cyber warfare by meeting aggression with a certain degree of aggression.

The former head of the UKs domestic security service warned a cybersecurity conference in London on Thursday 20th September that the technology which the Russian intelligence services deploy is just as good as ours.

Dame Stella said that the UK should carry out so-called offensive cyber-attacks against Russia, rather than defending itself and not retaliating. Part of our defence is aggression, she said.

In April, the National Cyber Security Centre warned in a joint statement with the FBI and the Department for Homeland Security in the US that Russia has been probing the UKs critical infrastructure in order to carry out reconnaissance ahead of a possible cyber-attack.

The organisations warned that Russian hackers had been probing for weaknesses in government and corporate computer systems in order to lay a foundation for future offensive operations". The UKs security services are reported to have considered the use of offensive cyber-attacks against Russia if the country were to take similar action against the UK.

Dame Stella, MI5s first female chief, also warned that Russia has become very adept at using the Internet for disruption of other countries.

However, she also cautioned that there was evidence of some dysfunction within Russias security services following the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury by agents of its GRU security service.

Why had it not occurred to these people that we have technology in this country and if they come wandering around here, we're going to know, Dame Stella said. We're going to see them on our cameras, which are everywhere.

Telegraph:

You Might Aso Read:

Britain Plots Cyber Revenge On Russia For Novichok Poisonings:Masks in Pa. schools: Court tosses Wolf mandate, but he vows appeal

A state judge Wednesday sided with opponents of Pennsylvania's order to require masks in schools, saying it was not issued properly by the Gov. Tom Wolf's administration in September.I tip my 10-gallon hat to the Texas school board, which just voted to streamline the public-school curriculum in a way that will surely Make America Great Again.

The board, on which Republicans have a two-thirds majority, agreed with recommendations that it is not necessary for students to learn about Hillary Clinton, Helen Keller or the father of modern conservatism, Barry Goldwater.

Eleanor Roosevelt and Betty Friedan also were deemed not necessary by a working group, which undertook an intriguing ranking of historical figures: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln fell short of perfect scores, but local members of the Texas legislature scored a perfect 20 of 20, as did military and first responders.

The board decided to save 40 minutes of third-graders time by sparing them a lesson on how government services are paid for. But it did preserve the one teaching that Arab rejection of the State of Israel has led to ongoing conflict.

My favorite: the decision to strike from the fourth-grade curriculum a lesson about holding public officials to their word. (Killing this topic, deemed not being grade appropriate, should save kids 30 minutes, the board estimates.)

Some will take this as evidence that politicians should not write lesson plans. But I think Texas has done a great service. Indeed, if we are to survive the current era without succumbing to terminal cases of cognitive dissonance, we must eliminate all lessons, at all grade levels, on holding public officials to their word. (For maximum relief, it would also help to strike all lessons involving math or economics.)

Abandoning the obsolete teaching that public officials should be held accountable would make us all feel better about current affairs. Applying the veil of ignorance to our eyes, we would no longer be troubled to discover that:

Despite President Trumps promise that the $1.5 trillion tax cut would not benefit rich people, the rich can now write off 100 percent of their multimillion-dollar corporate jet purchases.

Despite Trumps promise that corporations would devote their vast tax savings to job creation and raises for their workers, executives are instead using the windfall primarily on stock buybacks that benefit themselves and their shareholders.

Despite the Trump administrations promise that not only will this tax plan pay for itself, but it will pay down debt, the Congressional Budget Office reports that the government had a deficit of $895 billion over the past 11 months, up 33 percent from a year earlier.

Despite Trumps assurance a month ago that Paul Manafort happens to be a very good person, the former campaign chairman has admitted that over a decade he laundered more than $30 million, cheated the United States of $15 million in taxes, secretly lobbied for a repressive government in Ukraine and tampered with witnesses.

Now Trump has escalated a trade war with China. Buy his millionaire commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, announced on CNBC that nobodys going to actually notice it. Ross previously held up a can of Campbells soup on TV and said nobody in the world is going to be bothered by increased steel prices.

I wont be bothered, because Ive learned my lesson: Holding public officials to their word is no longer on the books.

Dana Milbank is syndicated by the Washington Post Writers Group.Back in Blair days, Labour conference would start with an exercise in grisly suppression. Apparatchik Margaret Wheeler, cold as uncooked Crispy Cod Fries, would listen impassively while activists complained that Blair, Mandelson and Co had stitched up the agenda. She would then exterminate dissent  Rosa Klebb drowning kittens.

She is now in the House of Lords, naturally.

The Corbyn Labour Party is more fun. No wonder vigorous Lefties have joined in droves. They are given plenty of time to fulminate. Its like Zumba for radicals: A jolly good workout where they can all have a blow and pummel their chests.

Pictured: Jeremy Corbyn at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, September 23

Did they attack the rotten Tories for stealing bread out of puir bairns mouths? Not much. Instead they spent the afternoon denouncing Labour MPs for not being loyal to Jeremy Corbyn and the party. They took too many holidays. They did not turn up to Commons debates. Etc.

A prototype Trot from Blyth Valley castigated those who owned shares in private enterprise. Crikey. Its just as well multi-millionaire Shaun Woodward is no longer an MP. The Blyth Valley lad also referred to Chuka Umunnas recent plea to Mr Corbyn to call off the dogs who were mobilising against Blairite MPs. WE ARE NOT DOGS! shouted this delegate. Thunderous applause.

Back in Blair days, Margaret Wheeler (pictured) would listen impassively while activists complained that Blair, Mandelson and Co had stitched up the agenda

The hall is about five times bigger than last weeks Lib Dem conference. The chairman could have done with some field glasses to help him call people from the seats at the back. That might have looked a bit grouse moor, mind you.

At one point he just waved his hand in a vague way and said: Ill take a delegate from the far right. Dear hearts, I thought my moment had come and was about to stride up to the podium to speak in favour of a no-deal Brexit. Alas, he only meant the far right of the hall.

Delegates deplored the disproportionate clout Labour MPs have when it comes to choosing Labour leaders. This was an affront to democracy! shrieked a sister from Bishop Auckland. Gosh, she was noisy. Many of them were. Was it the sound system turned up too high or is it simply that in Corbyns Labour you need to shout?

Being an MP is not a job for life, said a boy with a double-barrelled name (quite a few of those). This went down well. Odd. I thought the hard Left approved of jobs for life.

Some speakers were quite posh. Hello, Im Samantha from Erewash, began a honey with a Lady Di complexion and a Sloanes husky tones. Poor Samantha was booed. Almost as glamorous was someone by the name of Mick: Long blond tresses like Guinevere, big biceps, tight leggings, high heels, voice as deep as a tuba.

The Corbyn Labour Party is more fun. No wonder vigorous Lefties have joined in droves

The chairman had to call for order  respect!  when an old-fashioned union autocrat tried to voice some TUC menace. John Pickard from Brentwood had not made a conference speech since 1974, and that, too, had been about trying to force MPs to be more accountable to the party. They loved him.

A Unite trade unionist bawled that we stand on the precipice of power. He possibly did not intend to compare the possibility of a Corbyn government to standing on Beachy Head. He said everyone in the room could think of MPs who would be immediately dumped by activists if they had to submit to re-selection before every general election. There is no place for MPs who attack our leader and side with the Tories! More keen applause.

If only such attitudes could be vented at the Conservatives conference. Philip Hammond would have to hoist his socks and that Wollaston woman from Devon would be out before she could say second referendum. Talking of which, Lord (Roger) Liddle, prominent Blairite, was sitting alone in the hall. He was tapping his foot hard. This sort of splendid insurrection could be rat poison to the Centrists.In the autumn of 1985, the leader of the Labour Party gave one of the bravest speeches in modern political history.

For years, Labour had tolerated the spreading virus of far-Left entryism, which saw the Trotskyist sect Militant seize power in local constituencies and councils. But now, at the party conference, Neil Kinnock had decided to fight back.

To howls of rage from the activists, he laid into the dogma of the far-Left: Out-placed, outdated, irrelevant to the real needs.

You end, he said, in the grotesque chaos of a Labour council  a Labour council!  hiring taxis to scuttle round the city handing out redundancy notices to its own workers!

In the autumn of 1985 Neil Kinnock (pictured speaking at the 2010 Labour conference in Manchester) gave one of the bravest speeches in modern political history

Everyone knew what he meant. He was talking about Liverpool, where Militant had won power under the slogan, Better to break the law than to break the poor.

After drawing up an illegal budget, the citys new bosses found themselves staring at bankruptcy. So they sent redundancy notices to 30,000 employees, from dustmen to teachers  a tactic intended to blackmail the Government into bailing out the council. Instead the Government stood firm, while the tactic horrified most ordinary people and proved a total failure.

For more than three decades, Militants experiment has been a byword for the demented excesses of Left-wing extremism. But Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters clearly see it as a dry run for what they want to do to Britain if they ever win power.

That is the only possible conclusion from what happened in Liverpool on Saturday, when the shadow minister for women, Dawn Butler, told the party conference that over 30 years ago the council stood up to Thatcher and said, better to break the law than break the poor.

Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities Dawn Butler MP greets Jeremy Corbyn at Labour's National Women's Conference at the ACC in Liverpool on Saturday

In normal circumstances, it might seem staggering that a senior Labour figure would effectively endorse a revolutionary Trotskyist sect, whose policies drove Liverpool into the ground and saw councillors fined a record 242,000 for refusing to set a proper budget.

But under Mr Corbyn, Miss Butlers tirade is simply par for the course. Indeed, in todays Labour Party, Neil Kinnock is seen as a traitor and a pariah.

Chillingly, this is merely a taste of what the Labour leader and his acolytes really believe. As The Sunday Times reported yesterday, Mr Corbyns senior adviser Andrew Murray dreamed of a Soviet Britain, imbued with a fierce revolutionary spirit  and this not in, say, 1975, but in 1995.

Mr Corbyns press chief Seumas Milne has publicly defended Stalin and Soviet Communism. Even more worryingly, his Chancellor and chief puppet-master, John McDonnell, is a self-described Marxist who has repeatedly called for an insurrection against the Government and called for Tory minister Esther McVey to be lynched (which he dismisses today as a joke).

It might be tempting, even reassuring, to dismiss all this as juvenile student union posturing. But I think they mean every word. And as Liverpools experience in the 1980s shows, when lunatics like these get their hands on power, millions of ordinary people  working-class and middle-class alike  suffer the devastating consequences.

There are so many examples it is hard to know where to start. Labour would, for example, blow a staggering 176 billion renationalising the rail franchises inside the next five years. They would demand that businesses put workers on to their boards  and not just any workers, but puppets approved by Labours paymasters in the trade unions.

Miss Butler told the party conference that over 30 years ago the council stood up to Thatcher and said, better to break the law than break the poor

They would blow tens of billions on extra money for benefits, which would almost mean certainly raising income taxes on the middle classes, even though Mr McDonnell has never had the honesty to admit it.

And with a supreme irony, given that the shambles in Liverpool in the mid-1980s was driven by the councils refusal to stay within the Governments rate cap, they would bring back the hated domestic rates to replace the current council tax.

Under plans drawn up by 36 Left-wing local authorities, a Corbyn government would give councils the power to set their own rates. Based on the model in Northern Ireland, the only part of the UK that still has rates, this would mean householders paying 0.8 per cent of their property value every year.

For millions of families this would mean hefty increases. For example, householders in Band D, right in the middle, would have to pay almost 500 more a year.

And this, remember, would be on top of Mr McDonnells income tax rises, which would have to hit middle earners to raise anything like the money he needs.

This is Labours dirty little secret, which the recent furores over anti-Semitism and Brexit have effectively obscured.

What saddens and appals me, though, is that so many sane, reasonable Labour MPs, including deputy leader Tom Watson (right), are going along with it

In leaked conversations, the Corbyn cult leaders have admitted that their policies  which also include a tax raid on holiday homes  would cause an overnight run on the pound, with investors rushing to abandon a Britain lurching to the far-Left. Some have even suggested imposing capital controls to stop people withdrawing their money from Britain, turning us into the Western worlds version of North Korea.

In effect, Mr Corbyn and his allies want to do to Britain in the 2020s what Militant did to Liverpool in the 1980s. They genuinely think it is worth triggering a run on the pound, soaking the middle classes with taxes, taking our national finances to the brink of bankruptcy and probably throwing millions out of work if the result is, as Andrew Murray puts it, a Soviet Britain.

When you look at the history of Mr Corbyns allies, none of this is a surprise. What saddens and appals me, though, is that so many sane, reasonable Labour MPs, including deputy leader Tom Watson, are going along with it.

Did they really go into politics to re-enact what happened in Liverpool three decades ago? Are there no limits to their appeasement? Do they really have so little moral integrity, that they will stand idly by as Mr Corbyn and his friends reduce Britains economy to ashes?

It took guts for Neil Kinnock to face Militant all these years ago. He fought, he won and he deserves his place in history.

Is there really nobody with the courage to follow his example?One of Labours first policy announcements at its party conference in Liverpool was a pledge by shadow chancellor John McDonnell to renationalise the railways.

Superficially, at least, the change might appeal to long-suffering commuters tired of late-running and cancelled trains which are the most expensive in Europe.

But the commuters whose lives have been made a misery by striking rail workers should not be deluded by Labours protestations of concern for them.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell pledged to renationalise the railways during Labour's annual party conference in Liverpool

Speaking after McDonnell today in the economic debate is the well-heeled barrister John Hendy  whose clients include the RMT, the militant rail union behind the industrial action thats brought our railways to a halt.

Hendy has a long history of working for the unions, having helped Arthur Scargill by acting for the National Union of Mineworkers in all their civil cases during their strike in the Thatcher years. As chairman of the Institute of Employment Rights, Hendy has advocated repealing all trade union laws and allowing secondary picketing.

McDonnell proclaimed earlier this month that Hendys ideas would be a blueprint for Labour policy. Commuters have been warned  renationalised or not, our railways will suffer more union thuggery under Labour.

The joke's on Thornberry

Emily Thornberry, Labours shadow foreign secretary and Islington neighbour of Comrade Corbyn, is earning a reputation as a risque cabaret act, according to the New Statesman.

Her bawdy jokes about foot fetishes and naked men on doorsteps earn racy reviews, it reports.

So tickled was Emily by her own jokes she could barely finish them at a TUC dinner. Ambitious Thornberry is embarking on a nationwide tour of constituency parties. Heres a joke she could kick off with: Heard the one about another Islington MP who wanted to be leader..?

During an anti-semitism rally in Manchester last week, moderate Labour MP Lucy Powell was greeted with a barrage of Corbyn out chants. She responded: You dont need to heckle me. Im on your side 100 per cent. The Corbynista thought police will have something to say about that.

Is Lib Dem Alistair Carmichael a dark horse as candidate for the party leadership? The former Scottish Secretary, who is the partys chief whip, was spotted at their conference last week sporting a new haircut and having shed several stone. Would the 1,400-mile round-trip to Westminster from his Orkney and Shetland constituency be a deterrent? Probably not  Jo Grimond, the partys former leader, represented the same seat.

Comrade Corbyn usually enjoys strong backing from the Communist-supporting Morning Star newspaper, which employs him as a columnist. But it will take a dim view of his talk yesterday of a second EU referendum, judging by an editorial yesterday.

Domestic demands for a second chance, couched in the insulting term peoples vote, as though the 17.4 million voters who backed leaving the EU dont qualify as people, exude an undemocratic attitude, it declared.

Unless democracy is to become a meaningless word, the decision to leave the EU  in substance and not in name only  must be honoured.

SEND TINPOT MACRON TO EXILE

Lord Rees, the Astronomer Royal, was asked by Prospect magazine what he would do with 1 million if he were given it to spend on other people. I would spend it on the worlds most odious rulers, helping to create a maximum-security retirement home  on St Helena, for instance  for despots and dictators.

As Napoleon Bonaparte was on St Helena, would Rees send Frances irritating tinpot version of the emperor, President Macron, there too?As a Labour activist in Jeremy Corbyns own constituency party during the 1980s and 1990s, I had my own insight into his ideological enthusiasms.

During local meetings, as he propounded his gospel of radicalism, he continually denounced the iniquities of the Western economic system.

Our job is not to reform capitalism but to overthrow it, I once heard him proclaim.

Even at the time, I thought his outlook was absurd, and it was a judgment that has only been reinforced by his subsequent political career, where extremism has been mixed with irresponsibility.

Meanwhile, more than a decade ago his Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell was asked in an interview with the ultra Left-wing group Alliance for Workers Liberty: Who has been most significant in terms of your thinking?

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell is the man who now aspires to take charge of our national economy and your finances

He replied: The fundamental Marxist writers: Marx, Lenin and Trotsky.

This is the man who now aspires to take charge of our national economy and your finances.

Thats why Corbyn and McDonnell are the two most dangerous figures to have led a major party in our modern political history.

Their quasi-revolutionary agenda, based on uncompromising socialism, is entirely alien to the pragmatic traditions of British Parliamentary democracy.

Theirs is a programme of undiluted socialism, including confiscatory taxation, massive extensions of trade union power, accelerating nationalisation and profligate expenditure.

Nothing better exemplifies this than McDonnells proposal to force every large British company to hand over 10 per cent of its equity to its staff.

Thats why Corbyn and McDonnell are the two most dangerous figures to have led a major party in our modern political history

Dressed up in the Shadow Chancellors soothing language, this sounds on the surface like a reasonable idea, apparently similar to the employee share ownership schemes run by admired companies like John Lewis and the Co-op.

Indeed, the Conservative Government has been actively encouraging the creation of workforce equity initiatives.

But McDonnells plan is very different. It is a vehicle not for greater employee co-operation, but for more taxation, greater State intrusion and further exploitation of businesses.

Far from enhancing workers rights, it will undermine them by discouraging wealth creation and employment.

Under McDonnells plan, every British company with at least 250 employees will be required by a future Labour Government to set up an Inclusive Ownership Fund

Under McDonnells plan, every British company with at least 250 employees will be required by a future Labour Government to set up an Inclusive Ownership Fund.

Each company will have to transfer at least 1 per cent of its equity every year into this fund, building up to a maximum stake of 10 per cent over a decade.

The shares would be collectively managed by a board made up of elected workers representatives.

Although the staff would not be allowed to buy and sell these shares, they would receive annual flat-rate dividend payouts up to a limit of 500, with anything beyond that threshold taken by the Inland Revenue.

Labour estimates that the funds could bring in 2.1 billion a year for the Government once properly established, and provide dividends to 10.7 million workers.

As presented by McDonnell, all this sounds like innovation both to boost social justice and Treasury coffers.

It is the collective investment that we as a society make that enables entrepreneurs to build and grow their businesses, he declared in Liverpool. But there is nothing fair or dynamic about his scheme.

On the contrary, it represents aggressive, heavy-handed socialism at its worst, denying companies the right to manage their affairs in their own commercial interests.

Business owners will be forced to hand over 10 per cent of their stakes simply by an edict of the State, an authoritarian policy that is the antithesis of the free market.

(And by the way, would every worker enjoy a 500 windfall, including bosses on hundreds of thousands of pounds  or would it be limited to those below a certain salary threshold?)

This is nothing like the John Lewis model, where dividends are not capped, so there is a much greater incentive for staff to improve performance.

Moreover, the John Lewis approach was developed by the company itself in accordance with its own ethos and needs, whereas McDonnells scheme will be universally imposed, a classic example of unnecessary centralisation.

Inclusive Ownership Funds have all the usual faults of socialist doctrine. They will deter enterprise, investment and job creation, with the inevitable result that a future Labour Government will get far less revenue than it expects.

If you have a company with 240 employees, why would you take on another ten staff and lose a tenth of your equity?

Indeed, McDonnells plan provides a huge incentive to break up companies into small parts. Those that have to comply will find it absurdly bureaucratic, from the administration of the funds to the computation of tax liabilities.

Unfortunately, this idea is just one element of wide-ranging Corbynista socialism that will send a shiver down the spine of businesses.

Further economic damage will be created by the return to public ownership of a host of companies, starting with the water utilities and train operators.

There will be more anti-business intervention, not least with the demand that a third of seats on the boards of big companies are reserved for workers.

Equally worrying is McDonnells pledge to introduce a major expansion of trade union power, which is likely to drag us back to the dark days of the 1970s when union muscle held the country to ransom.

That is the catastrophic experiment this blinkered Labour pair now want to inflict on modern Britain.Fashion experts have revealed how Meghan achieves her sleek silhouettes with the help of her secret style weapon - the bodysuit.

The Duchess of Sussex, 37, wore US brand Tuxe's $300 (230) Renegade Cashmere bodysuit with a pleated skirt by designer friend Misha Nonoo for the launch event of her charity cookbook at Kensington Palace on Thursday.

This is not the first time Meghan has worn an all-in-one number, wearing a white blouse bodysuit by the same brand on two occasions since her engagement to Prince Harry.

She wore Tuxe's $280 (214) Boss bodysuit with an Alexander McQueen suit while attending the Endeavour Awards in February, while wearing the same all-in-one piece while on her way to her wedding rehearsal in Windsor in May.

Fashion experts have revealed how Meghan wears bodysuits instead of regular tops to achieve her 'sleek silhouttes'. The Duchess of Sussex wore a turtleneck body at the launch of her charity cookbook on Thursday, which was also attended by mother Doria

Meghan wore Tuxe's $300 (230) Renegade Cashmere bodysuit (above) on Thursday, along with a skirt by her fashion designer friend Misha Nonoo

Meanwhile, Meghan wore Wolford's 160 Colorado Body on her very first official engagement in Nottingham last December, which she paired with a camel skirt by Joseph Lauren.

Fashion experts have explained how wearing the bodysuit stops the Duchess's looks from becoming 'messy', whereas regular tops can easily come untucked.

Stylist and brand consultant Alexandra Fullerton told FEMAIL: 'Meghan is very aware of her own style and as someone who favours sleek, chic silhouettes the bodysuit is the perfect option for her.

'Bodysuits are a very smart way of dressing as they never bunch or ruche under outfits, meaning she can get on with the business of being a Duchess, rather than worrying that her top is untucking itself.'

Meghan has also wore a white blouse bodysuit with an Alexander McQueen suit while attending the Endeavour Awards with Prince Harry in February (above)

The Duchess of Sussex wore Tuxe's $280 (214) Boss bodysuit in ivory (above) at the event, and was also spotted wearing the same piece while on her way to her wedding rehearsal at Windsor in May

Celebrity stylist Rochelle White agreed, explaining: 'I think Meghan chooses to wear a body suits as it is comfortable and offers a much sleeker finished look.

'It saves any tops that she were raising up, becoming untucked or being a bit messy when out on royal visits or engagements.'

She added: 'Bodysuits are perfect for any type of occasion, and they compliment Meghan's body shape and silhouette.'

Following Meghan's appearance on Thursday, the designer behind the Duchess's bodysuit praised her overall look.

Meghan also wore an all-in-one piece paired with a camel skirt for her first official event with Prince Harry in Nottingham last December

Meghan wore Wolford's 160 Colorado Body (pictured above), which features long sleeves and a polo neck

Tuxe founder Tamar Daniel told People: 'She looked fantastic - it was so demure and classy. I will definitely be copying this look myself!'

She added: 'We are an all-woman team, so we love her values and everything she stands for and we are very proud.'

Meghan is such a fan of their bodysuits, that she is understood to own four or five by the label.

Speaking about the effect of the Duchess wearing the brand, she commented: 'Of course, it drives sales and that's cool, but it just feels really good to have someone like [Meghan], who is such a great role model, championing the brand.'

Children are reportedly unable to access the mental health treatment they desperately need until they are 'sick enough' according to BBC Panorama.

During an investigation presenter Sean Fletcher spoke with two mothers who claimed their daughters were only taken seriously by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) once they had attempted suicide.

As revealed in a leaked letter to the programme, staff working for Waltham Forest CAMHS were told in January that they could no longer treat everybody who needed help, apart from the most severe cases, such as children with psychosis, or those who are 'seriously self-harming'.

Currently, CAMHS treats one in four children with mental health problems. The government recently announced an extra 1.4bn funding into the service to try to improve this to one in three.

Despite this rising numbers of children with mental health problems are ending up in A&E.

Jess, 13, told BBC Panorama presenter Sean Fletcher (pictured together) how she would believe the voices in her head and that she 'just wanted to die'. It wasn't until her mother found her trying to take her own life was she taken seriously enough to receive treatment

According to the investigation by Panorama, Britain is in the grip of a child mental health crisis as nearly half a million children are either waiting for treatment or receiving it.

Sean, whose own teenage son Reuben, 15, has been hospitalised with severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, investigated whether care is being rationed in some areas leaving children to deteriorate until they have to be admitted.

And he spoke to children who have been let down by the system and despairing parents who believe their childrens lives have been put at risk.

Panorama also heard from children and families who were only able to access help once they attempted suicide.

Self-harming and suicidal but not 'sick enough'

Jess, 13, started self-harming two years ago and suffered from psychotic episodes and paranoia, where she would hear voices telling her negative things about her.

She believed that all the things that were said were true: And then you start to get voices and just horrible, horrible feelings of more and more worthlessness.'

Her mother Claire went to the GP who twice referred her to CAMHS, but she said they didnt think she was sick enough to treat her.

Presenter Sean Fletcher with his son Reuben, who was treated in a mental health unit after being diagnosed with OCD - obsessive compulsive disorder

Jess was literally pleading for me to help her and she just slowly began to withdraw, she slowly shut down because she had absolutely given up, Claire said.

WHAT IS CAMHS? The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service is provided by the NHS. It works with children and young people who have difficulties with their emotional or behavioural wellbeing. Local areas have a number of different support services available. These might be from the statutory, voluntary or school-based sector, such as an NHS trust, local authority, school or charitable organisation. Currently, CAMHS treats one in four children with mental health problems. The government recently announced an extra 1.4bn funding into the service to try and improve this to one in three. Panorama FOI request revealed that some CAMHS services in England do not offer the 24 hour specialist crisis care to treat children outside hospital. At least 1.5 million children live in areas without round-the-clock support. Advertisement

Jess began drawing disturbing images and Claire recalled how she began sleeping next to her daughter to keep an eye on her and one night woke to find her daughter attempting suicide.

I was woken by Jess saying I love you mummy. And straight away she wasnt lying beside me and straight away I knew that was alarm bells.

I ran out of the bedroom door and she was standing there with a noose around her neck.'

A crisis team finally saw Jess and agreed she needed help  two months after Claire initially took her daughter to request treatment.

However, by this time Jess was regularly suicidal: I had no feelings at all, I just wanted to die. That was it.

Claire, who filmed her daughters' episodes of psychosis, wept as she watched them back: 'We were crying out for help and support for a very long time and she shouldn't have deteriorated to this level if she'd had help when we were asking for it.'

After Jess developed psychosis at 12 she was taken to Chalk Hill, a secure child mental health hospital and was later sectioned and detained under the Mental Health Act once doctors thought her life was no longer at risk.

She has been at home for nine months but is still not well enough to go back to school.

Jess, now 13, began self-harming two years ago and her mother would record her psychotic episodes but when she asked for help according to Claire she was told her daughter wasn't 'sick enough'

Sectioned after mother spent FIVE years trying to help her

Bex, now 17, developed mental health problems aged 12 and her mother Anne-Marie recalled how she begged for five year desperate for help.

The teenager, who didn't want to appear on screen, began self-harming and her health rapidly deteriorated over the next 12 months - including an attempted overdose.

Anne-Marie went to her GP who referred Bex twice to CAHMS but was told there would be an 18-month waiting list, after a private psychiatrist diagnosed her with depression she received a referral.

But according to the distraught mother, despite Bex opening up and asking for help, it didn't go as planned: 'At the end of it we were told that she was a teenager and hormonal and these things happen.

It was revealed in a leaked letter to BBC Panorama, staff working for Waltham Forest CAMHS were told in January that they could no longer treat everybody who needed help, apart from the most severe cases. Pictured: Sean investigating the issue

'And "if we really wanted to see sick people she would take us on to the ward and show us sick people". She said to my daughter and dont throw yourself under a bus to prove a point.'

Bex's health went on to deteriorate so much that she was continually making attempts on her life, it was only after Anne-Marie had a breakdown that a crisis team was sent and she was sectioned at 17.

CAHMS 'not fit for purpose'

The average stay for a child in a mental health bed is 61,000 which is thirty times more than being treated at home - the government has promised more money for child mental health but in the meantime getting help is a postcode lottery.

Some children are waiting up to two years to be seen and others are being sent hundreds of miles away from home for treatment.

Panorama FOI request revealed that some CAMHS services in England do not offer the 24 hour specialist crisis care to treat children outside hospital.

At least 1.5 million children live in areas without round-the-clock support.

Dr Jon Goldin (pictured), Vice Chair of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists said 'services are very stretched, we're not meeting the need so in that sense it's not fit for purpose'

Dr Jon Goldin, Vice Chair of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists spoke exclusively to BBC Panorama about the CAMHS services across England.

'I have colleagues working all over the country who are extremely dedicated, extremely committed doing excellent work.

'The trouble is the services are very stretched, we're not meeting the need so in that sense it's not fit for purpose.'

Shadow Minister for Mental Health Luciana Berger MP told BBC Panorama that, 'In too many cases that money just isn't reaching the frontline.

'Young people's mental health budgets for too long have been raided to pay for other parts of our NHS and we all know the pressures that our NHS is under but I believe urgently we need to see those monies protected and ring fenced.'

Nick Waggett of the Association of Child Psychotherapists says this isn't unusual: 'We do hear stories of children and young people having to have attempted suicide on a number of occasions actually before they are seen within the service.

'The problem is that then they're very ill and it actually becomes increasingly difficult to offer them an effective treatment.'

Panorama: Kids in Crisis airs on BBC One, Monday 24th September at 8.30pmPlus-size model Felicity Hayward has revealed how strangers come up to her in the street to tell her she's fat.

The London-based model, 29, described how people will approach her and say 'You shouldn't be wearing that outfit' when she's out in public.

Felicity - who stars in Simply Be's new #MoreThanOurBodies campaign - also defended Tess Holliday's recent Cosmopolitan cover, which has been criticised for 'celebrating morbid obesity' by Piers Morgan.

She hit back by saying people shouldn't 'judge someone's health on their weight', adding that Tess is a 'huge inspiration to millions of people'.

Plus-size model Felicity Hayward, who stars in Simply Be's new #MoreThanOurBodies campaign (above), has revealed how strangers come up to her in the street to tell her she's fat

Felicity, 29, described how people approach her and say 'You shouldn't be wearing that outfit' when she's out in public

Speaking to FEMAIL, Felicity described how she has been publicly shamed for her weight by complete strangers.

'People who have their own insecurities always put it out on others. Someone will come up to me and call me fat, and say "You shouldn't be wearing that outfit",' she said.

'But I don't let these people get to me. I'm just like if you're doing this, I'm going talk about it, and if I'm talking about it, it helps people.'

It comes after the size 20 model revealed she was mocked for her weight while on holiday in Greece earlier this summer.

Felicity also defended Tess Holliday's recent Cosmopolitan cover (above), which has been criticised for 'celebrating morbid obesity' by Piers Morgan

The model hit back at the couple who were laughing and taking pictures of her, posting a snap of herself in a thong bikini on social media.

She tweeted: '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].'

Speaking about the reaction to the post, Felicity said: 'All the comments I got were people saying they had also been body-shamed on the beach.

It comes after Felicity revealed she was mocked for her weight while on holiday in Greece earlier this summer. She hit back at the couple by posting a photograph of herself wearing a thong bikini on social media (above)

'And they said "I'm going to do the same as you" [in response to the bodyshamers].'

Meanwhile, Felicity defended fellow plus-size model Tess Holliday's Cosmopolitan UK cover, after it was slammed by Piers Morgan.

Piers, 53, had called the cover 'dangerous' as Britain grapples with an ongoing obesity crisis, with an epidemic of overweight people costing the NHS billions each year.

But Felicity said people should not cast judgement on Tess's health, and said that she was a 'huge inspiration'.

Felicity said she doesn't let the abuse she receives both in real life and online get to her, and says it usually comes from people who have their own insecurities

The plus-size model said that people shouldn't judge someone's health on their weight, adding 'Your weight doesn't define you'

'I think you can't judge someone's health on their weight. Everyone is a individual,' she said.

'All of the covers with male plus-size, like American actors, no one's talking about it. No one's talking about their health, or saying it's offensive.'

She continued: 'Just because she's a woman, everyone thinks they have a right to criticise her health.

'Tess is such a huge inspiration to millions of people ,and she provides a confidence to young girls who are maybe of a different size for so many different reasons; medical reasons, mental health reasons.

'Your weight doesn't define you. If they don't see someone like that on the cover, how are they going to feel like they're worthy in society?'Long-haul flights can be exhausting, with many passengers disembarking feeling hungry, restless and sore.

So, to make the experience feel like first class, airline employees have shared some of their top on board 'hacks' for passengers.

Taking to a Quora thread, staff revealed how passengers can score a whole row to themselves, get upgraded and avoid extra baggage fees.

A recent Quora thread asked airline employees to share some 'hacks' that the general public isn't aware of

Get a whole row to yourself

One of the downsides of flying economy is that the seats are quite cramped and when people find out there's a space next to them it's an huge bonus.

But there is one easy way people can have a whole row to themselves.

'If there is an open row, you can ask to be moved there,' Connor Edwards, an airline operations manager said.

'If you expect a whole row, bring your own pillow to put on top of the small pillows.

'The small ones don't stack well and also are not very thick. Lay down and sleep the flight away.'

'If there is an open row, you can ask to be moved there,' Connor Edwards, an airline operations manager said

Receive the best service

When people finally manage to get comfortable on a flight it can be tempting to use the call button when they need something.

But Mr Edwards advised that people avoid doing this if they want top quality service.

'Don't ring the call button, get up and ask. It's just more courteous than summoning somebody and you'll get better service,' he said.

Shaun Rasmussen, a pilot, suggested that people bring a consumable treat on the flight to give to cabin crew.

He suggested things such as chocolate or doughnuts, as that 'could go a long way'.

While this doesn't always lead to an upgrade, flight attendants are likely to prioritise serving them throughout the journey.

When people finally manage to get comfortable on a flight it can be tempting to use the call button when they need something but this should be avoided

Get an upgrade

A former agent for Lufthansa airline revealed that even though the check-in is split into economy, business and first, it doesn't make a difference which one you go through.

'We are literally so busy during a 400-person flight check in that we will not deny you if you are an economy passenger waiting in the first class line, we just want to get everyone cycled through the queue,' they said on OMG Right Place.

'I would check in economy passengers in higher classes occasionally and not even bat an eye.'

Never pay for excess baggage again

If someone has bought more than they intended while overseas there is a sneaky way they can carry it onto the flight without paying any extra fees.

'Go to any airport gift shop or store, and ask any one of the friendly, knowledgeable staff to give you a big shopping bag,' an airline worker also told OMG Right Place.

'You can put all your cr*p in there, and the airline can't tell you it's additional carry on, because it'll look like you bought it from the handsome, charming young man at the shop.'Princess Charlotte was snapped being carried in the arms of someone other than Kate or William on Saturday in a first for the Cambridge family.

Charlotte, three, was a flower girl at the wedding of her godmother, Sophie Carter, in Letheringsett, Norfolk, and was photographed cradled in the arms of the beaming bride as the party emerged from St Andrew's Church following the ceremony.

A royal watcher on Twitter was quick to point out it is the first time the Princess, who is fourth in line to the British throne, has been seen in the arms of someone other than the Duke or Duchess in public.

User @regalfille tweeted of the pictures of Sophie carrying her goddaughter: 'We are seeing something that we have never seen - a Cambridge baby in the arms of someone other than William or Catherine.'

Etiquette expert William Hanson told FEMAIL there is no strict protocol around young royals being carried by non-royals, but added that he 'very much' doubted Kate's friend would have picked up Prince George in the same manner, 'as a future King'.

Sophie, who attended Marlborough College with the Duchess, married Robert Suggs in a traditional church ceremony on Saturday, which was attended by the whole Cambridge family apart from baby Louis, as well as Kate's parents and her brother, James.

Princess Charlotte, who was a flower girl at the wedding of her mother the Duchess of Cambridge's close friend Sophie Carter in Norfolk at the weekend, was snapped being carried out of the church by the bride, her godmother, following the ceremony

Princess Charlotte, seen snuggling into bride Sophie, has only previously been seen being carried by her mother Kate or father Prince William in public

One eagle-eyed royal fan pointed it out on Twitter, posting 'we are seeing something that we have never seen - a Cambridge baby in the arms of someone other than William and Catherine'

William said the pictures of the Princess snuggling into Sophie were a demonstration of how close the ex Marlborough pupil is to Kate and her family.

'There is no strict protocol on non-royalty carrying or cuddling young royalty,' he said.

'Although with adult royalty it is still correct to limit any tactile tendencies. Sophie Carter picking up Princess Charlotte is clearly a sign as to how close they [the couple] are to the Cambridges, but I very much doubt that she would have been allowed to pick up Prince George in the same manner, as a future King.'

Of Kate's nearest and dearest, only baby Prince Louis and her younger sister Pippa were missing from the traditional English wedding on Saturday.

Pippa is heavily pregnant with her first child with husband James Matthews, but Kate's brother James Middleton was at the Norfolk wedding, as were their parents, Michael and Carole.

Princess Charlotte, seen in her mother Kate's arms at the airport in Warsaw, Poland, during the Cambridges' royal tour in July 2017, has previously only been seen being carried by her parents

This sweet snap shows Princess Charlotte in her father the Duke of Cambridge's arms in September 2016 during the family's royal tour of Canada

Kate, who dazzled in blue at the ceremony in Letheringsett, Norfolk, on Saturday, attended Marlborough College with the bride Sophie, and the pair have remained close friend. Sophie is godmother to Princess Charlotte, three

Prince George, five, was a pageboy at the wedding ceremony on Saturday - seen leading his fellow young attendants in a march outside St Andrew's Church

While the bride's special bond with Princess Charlotte was clear for all to see, it was her big brother George who stole the show at the wedding on Saturday.

Dressed in a collarless white shirt, periwinkle blue knickerbockers, white stockings and loafers, the playful pageboy flashed a cheeky smile for photographers, and even led his fellow pint-sized attendants in a playful march outside the church as a clearly amused Kate looked on.

It was far from a first trip up the aisle for the Prince and Princess.

Just four months ago they were attendants to bride Meghan Markle at their uncle Prince Harry's Windsor Castle wedding.

And last spring Prince George was a pageboy and Charlotte a flower girl at the wedding of their aunt, Pippa Middleton, to James Matthews in Englefield, Berkshire.They're both known for their impeccable style and glossy brunette locks and Kate Middleton and Laura Tobin were compared to each other once again on Monday.

Good Morning Britain weatherwoman Laura, 36, appeared on the ITV chat show in a bright yellow jumper, which was the same shade as a dress worn by the Duchess of Cambridge, also 36, this summer.

After the comparison was drawn by Piers Morgan, Laura got up from her seat and did a royal wave for the camera.

Dozens of GMB viewers commented on the 'uncanny' resemblance between the pair, with one saying 'they could be sisters'.

Laura Tobin, 36, was compared to the Duchess of Cambridge on Good Morning Britain on Monday thanks to her bouncy brunette locks and yellow jumper. Pictured: Laura on GMB

The weatherwoman bore a striking resemblance to Kate at her appearance at Wimbledon in July (pictured), for which the royal, 36, wore a yellow dress in the same shade

Laura looked cosy in her thick yellow jumper, black skirt and tights which 'worried' Piers, who said it was a sign that the weather was getting colder.

He said: 'When she does that she looks like the Duchess of Cambridge.'

The combination of the TV presenter's yellow jumper and her bouncy hairstyle made her look strikingly similar to Kate, who donned the summery colour at Wimbledon earlier this year.

Laura pulled a smug look at the camera, before getting to her feet to pretend to be Kate.

Dozens of GMB viewers commented on the 'uncanny' resemblance between the pair on Twitter (pictured), with one saying 'they could be sisters'

She patted the air saying that she was patting the head of small children, before giving a regal wave.

'She looks like me actually!' Laura said.

Good Morning Britain viewers quickly took to Twitter to say they could see the similarities between the two women.

One tweeted: 'OMG & we've NEVER seen Kate Middleton & Laura Tobin in the same place at the same time........ Quick somebody give Kate a weather chart! #jutsaying.'

An amused Laura got up from her seat to impersonate Kate by pretending to pat children's heads and give a royal wave (pictured)

The comparison was made by Piers Morgan (left with Susanna Reid, right), who said he was 'worried' that Laura was wearing a jumper and tights because it was a sign that the weather had got colder

'Separated at birth obviously Laura! #RoyalDoppleganger,' another posted.

A third wrote: 'Yes defiantly the duches double. you do the wave so well.. Don't tell her I said but you are alot more stylish.'

'The likeness is uncanny,' another wrote.

After pulling some poses pretending to be Kate (pictured), Laura said that the royal 'looks like me actually'

Earlier this year Laura was praised by working mothers for presenting the weather on GMB with her baby daughter on her hip.

11-month old Charlotte gurgled away as Laura read the weather, calling her baby her 'special guest'.

Laura was praised by viewers for 'keeping it real' and representing working mums on the morning chat show.The childrenswear brand behind Prince George and Princess Charlotte's adorable wedding outfits has removed a post using the young royals to promote the page boy and flower girl looks.

London-based label Amaia Kids was selected by Sophie Carter, a friend of the Duchess of Cambridge, to dress her young bridal party for her wedding in Norfolk on Saturday.

Shortly afterwards the brand, loved by Kate, shared an image of the custom flower girl and page boy outfits hanging up on a shop rail with the caption: 'wishing you a lifetime of happiness #flower girl #wedding #special occasion #amaiakid'.

London-based label Amaia Kids was selected by Sophie Carter, a friend of the Duchess of Cambridge, to dress her page boys and flower girls for her wedding in Norfolk on Saturday. Pictured, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and the rest of the bridal party in the designs

The brand shared an image of the custom outfits hanging up on a shop rail with the caption: 'wishing you a lifetime of happiness #flower girl #wedding #special occasion #amaiakid'

The post did not refer to the society wedding but eagle-eyed royal fans soon spotted George and Charlotte's names handwritten above two of the outfits, confirming the wearers of the garments. The post was later removed by the brand, although the reason why remains unclear

It did not refer to the society wedding but eagle-eyed royal fans soon spotted George and Charlotte's names handwritten above two of the outfits, confirming the link.

The post was quickly shared on social media, with a number of royal fans crediting the designer with the outfits. It was later removed by the brand.

A spokesperson for Amaia Kids said: 'The picture was removed as it was not for publicity purposes in case it was wrongly used.'

Five-year-old George, one of three page boys, wore a collarless white shirt, sky-blue knickerbockers, white stockings and white loafers.

The Duchess of Cambridge has long been a fan of the brand and chose a sweet blue Amaia Kids bow for an event during the royal visit to Canada in September 2016, pictured

The adorable hair accessory appears to be similar to this 2.50 offering sold by the label

Meanwhile three-year-old flower girl Princess Charlotte, the bride's goddaughter, wore a sweet white dress with blue piping and circlet of flowers.

Both looks appear to have been specially created for the nuptials at St Andrews Church in Letheringsett, Norfolk.

Amaia Kids, founded in Fulham, south-west London in 2004, has long counted the Duchess of Cambridge among its well-heeled clients.

The mother-of-three chose one of the brand's delicate hair bows, which cost between 2.50 and 8, for Princess Charlotte during the royal visit to Canada in 2016.

The Duchess of Cambride also dressed her daughter in a red coat by Amaia for the photo taken to mark her first day of the Willcocks Nursery School in January, pictured

The 140 Razorbil coat, pictured on the brand's website, is made from Austrian boiled wool

She also dressed her daughter in a red coat by Amaia for the photo taken to mark her first day of nursery in January.

Meanwhile Kate, 36, recycled a cornflower blue Catherine Walker dress and matching coat that she had initially worn during her tour of Germany in 2017.

She updated the outfit with a daring custom headband by Juliette Botterill Millinery, the company behind the headpiece she wore to Prince Louis' Christening.

Prince William, 36, looked his dapper best in a coat and tails wearing a dove grey waistcoat and a sky blue shirt to accompany his wife to the wedding.

Kate, 36, recycled a cornflower blue Catherine Walker dress for the nuptials in Norfolk on Saturday. She previously wore the outfit during the royal tour of Germany in 2017

Prince William, 36, looked his dapper best in a coat and tails wearing a dove grey waistcoat and a sky blue shirt to accompany his wife to the weddingA former Home Secretary has revealed the 'glaring' plot hole in an early scene in BBC One's gripping drama Bodyguard.

Alan Johnson, who held the position from 2009 to 2010 under then Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, criticised a scene in the second episode when David Budd (played by Richard Madden) attended a dinner date with Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes) and didn't eat anything himself.

Speaking on This Morning on Monday, following the popular BBC show's gripping finale, Johnson, 68, said this would have made it too obvious that Budd was her bodyguard.

He explained that in reality Budd would have 'blended' into the background and pretended to be a regular diner so he would have looked inconspicuous to any potential dangers.

A scene in BBC One's Bodyguard has been criticised by a real Home Secretary after David Budd watched his boss eat dinner (pictured right, played by Richard Madden) without eating anything himself

Alan Johnson, who held the position from 2009 to 2010 under then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, said that Budd's decision not eat made it obvious that he was a bodyguard. Pictured: Johnson on This Morning on Monday

In the scene Julia was meeting her Special Advisor Rob Macdonald and expected her aides to turn up too, until he admitted he'd subtly tried to arrange a date between the two of them.

As the pair bickered over the situation the pair's bodyguards were sat a few feet away at another table watching their every move and not talking among themselves.

When a waiter came over to offer them a drink Budd declined, which Johnson said just wouldn't happen.

When asked about any mistakes in the show, he said: 'There was one that was glaring very early on David Budd is in the restaurant with somebody else while the Home Secretary is having dinner, a very intimate dinner, and there are the two coppers plonked down at a table not eating or drinking anything.

Alan make the confession on This Morning while speaking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby (left and right), who are big fans of Bodyguard

John said that in reality Budd would have 'blended' into the background and pretended to be a regular diner so he would have looked inconspicuous to any potential dangers. Pictured: Keeley Hawes as Julia Montague in Bodyguard

Viewers were in for a shock when they learned that the mastermind behind the bombs was actually Nadia. She revealed her role in the terrorist attacks blaming Budd for being so easily duped that she was an 'oppressed weak woman'

'That wouldn't happen because big signals are going off saying theyre bodyguards. What they do is blend in with the background.

'Of course when you go for a meal they always come with you but theyre there looking like two other diners, so of course they have to order food.'

Last night viewers watched on the edges of their seats as the final episode of Bodyguard aired on BBC One.

The true identity of the female train bomber from the first episode, Nadia, who he believed he had saved, was revealed as the bombmaker who attempted to murder his own children.

Budd's boss Chief Superintendent Lorraine Craddock had been working with organised crime boss Luke Akins to stop the home secretary from bringing in a bill that would monitor their activity

Fan theories had also been rife that the Home Secretary wasn't actually dead, especially as viewers weren't shown her demise on screen - but they were left disappointed she didn't turn up in the finale

Another bombshell was that Budd's own boss Chief Superintendent Lorraine Craddock, played a key role in Julia Montague's death by leaking her itinerary to the organised crime bosses who would have her killed.

Viewers watched as Craddock had been delivering information to Luke Akins, an organised crime boss against the RIPA-18 bill led by the home secretary, which enabled him to execute the bomb attack in which she perished in the third episode.

Fan theories had also been rife that the Home Secretary wasn't actually dead, especially as viewers weren't shown her demise on screen - but they were left 'fuming' that she had been killed after all.Meghan's mother Doria Ragland is set to get her own place in the UK so she can spend more time with her daughter, sources say.

Doria, 62, made a surprise appearance at Kensington Palace on Thursday to support Meghan, 37, at the launch of her new charity cookbook, and is believed to have made 'several private visits' to the UK since the royal wedding.

The yoga instructor, who is based in LA, is now understood to be considering spending part of the year in England, particularly if 'grandchildren come along'.

She and Meghan are said to 'speak on the phone pretty much every day', in stark contrast to Thomas Markle's strained relationship with his daughter.

Doria Ragland, 62, is set to get her own place in the UK, so she can spend more time with her daughter, sources say. She made a surprise appearance with Meghan at the launch of her daughter's new charity cookbook at Kensington Palace on Thursday (above)

A source told Vanity Fair that Doria has already made a number of trips to the UK, staying with Harry and Meghan both in the Cotswolds and at Nottingham Cottage, the couple's home at Kensington Palace.

'Doria is very close to her daughter, and she has made several secret trips to England,' the insider said.

'They speak on the phone pretty much every day and they are talking about Doria getting a place in the UK so that she can spend part of the year over here.'

Doria currently lives in LA, where Meghan grew up as a child, and is not believed to be considering a permanent move to the UK.

Doria (pictured with Meghan arriving at the Cliveden House Hotel the day before the royal wedding) is considering spending 'part of the year' in England, particularly if 'grandchildren come along'

The source added: 'I think the idea is that Doria will have a pied-a-terre here so that she has her own space. She wants the ability to be here more often, especially if grandchildren come along.'

The Duchess of Sussex's mother was spotted returning to LA on Friday, just a day after appearing at a Kensington Palace reception celebrating the launch of Together: Our Community Cookbook.

Meghan's mother looked chic in an all-camel ensemble as she attended the event with both her daughter and Prince Harry.

She wore a co-ordianting jumper and cropped trousers, which she accessorised with a Pashmina draped around her shoulders and a pair of 340 ($445) Stuart Weitzman heels.

Meghan and Doria (pictured on their way to St George's Chapel in May) enjoy a close relationship and are said to speak on the phone pretty much every day'

At the reception, Doria met with guests from the Hubb Community Kitchen, telling them: 'Hi, I'm Meg's mom'.

She also embraced each of the women with a warm hug, telling them: 'It's amazing. I'm just as excited as you are.'

Speaking of her daughter's experience at the kitchen, she added: 'She felt very much at home.'

The reception on Thursday was the first time that Doria and Meghan have been seen together in public since the royal wedding in May.Advertisement

As the WAGS take their fashion statements to the red carpet at the Brownlow Medal Count, many pulled out all the stops to ensure their looks were nothing short of glamorous.

But sadly for some of the wives and girlfriends, they didn't win the best-dressed awards as they made their way to Melbourne's Crown Casino on Monday night.

And AFL's night of all nights saw plenty of stars miss the fashion mark with their chosen red carpet ensembles.

From frumpy frocks to the awkward splits and over the top trains, FEMAIL spotlights the most daring, bizarre and notable sartorial disasters after some failed to hit the sartorial mark.

Jesinta Campbell failed to compliment her enviable figure after she opted for an awkwardly fitting slip gown

Logan Shine opted for an over the top gown with a giant feathered train on the red carpet at AFL's night of nights

Unfortunately the dress didn't do justice for Jesinta Campbell who failed to compliment her enviable figure after she opted for an awkwardly fitting slip gown.

The wife of Sydney Swans star Lance 'Buddy' Franklin took a fashion risk by wearing a very daring ivory silk number, as she arrived on the red carpet.

Also missing the mark was Logan Shine, the girlfriend of Western Bulldog's star Jason Johannisen.

The 21-year-old opted for an over the top white feathered Con Ilio dress featuring a see-through lace bodice.

Her beautifully chic top was let down by the giant white feathered train that trailed behind her for metres.

Mardi Dangerfield (left) wore an unflattering toga-inspired gown that failed to highlight her enviable figure while Elli Brashaw (right) opted for an ill-fitting floor-length gown with red sequin details

Brooke Cotchin dared to bare in a plunging red dress with a very racy thigh-high split and dramatic train

Mardi Dangerfield, the wife of Geelong's Patrick Dangerfield, wore an unflattering orange ensemble that did little to accentuate her enviable figure.

Following behind her was Elli Brashaw, the long-time girlfriend of Fremantle's Nathan Fyfe, who opted for an ill-fitting sheer gown with red sequin details.

Another WAG to hit the mark was Emma Giles, the fiancee of St Kilda's Jarryn Geary, who made a bold statement in a white plunging frock with a bizarre pleating of fabric from the knee down.

Alexandra Bourne wore an unflattering emerald moss green form-fitting frock with an awkward split as she attended the evening with her Essendon boyfriend Zach Merrett.

The design also featured a plunging neckline which accentuated the brunette's ample bust.

While Brooke Cotchin made a bold fashion move as she took a risk in a very daring cut-out red dress with a plunging neckline.

The wife of Trent Cotchin from the Richmond Tigers seemed to miss the sartorial mark in the floor-length number, which featured a very racy thigh-high split and a dramatic train.

Another WAG to hit the mark was Emma Giles (right) who made a bold statement in a white plunging frock with a bizarre pleating of fabric from the knee down while Alexandra Bourne (left) wore an unflattering emerald moss green form-fitting frock with a very racy thigh-high split

Meanwhile, one of the standout winners on the night was Rebecca Judd who ensured all eyes were on her as she wowed the crowd in an elegant fairytale number with embroidered details.

Staying true to her fashion-forward roots, the wife of AFL legend Chris Judd simply stunned in a lilac strapless gown by her long-time favourite label J'Aton Couture.

The stylish mother-of-four finished her look by accessorising with delicate jewels. She styled her luscious brunette locks in an elegant do, complete with a statement hair clip.

Another WAG to impress the crowd was Jessie Murphy nee Habermann, wife of Marc Murphy, who accentuated her svelte figure in a sheer pink frock by Oglia Loro Couture.

The young mother-of-one showcased her post-pregnancy frame in the strapless number with a racy thigh split to break up the dramatic layering of tulle.Queen Letizia of Spain showcased one of this season's biggest trends when she stepped out on Monday.

The stylish royal donned a pair of heels in a must-have snakeskin print as she attended a World Cancer Research Day event in Madrid.

Letizia, 46, was on hand to support the work of the Spanish Association Against Cancer, which funds research projects and supports patients and their families.

Queen Letizia of Spain showcased one of this season's biggest trends in snakeskin print heels as she arrived for a World Cancer Research Day event in Madrid on Monday, pictured

The popular royal was given a standing ovation at the talk hosted by the Spanish Association Against Cancer, which funds research projects and supports patients and their families

The Spanish queen looked perfectly polished in a soft pink blouse with a highh neck, feminine pleated detailing and quirky puffball cuffs.

She paired the top with a pair of high-waisted navy blue wide-leg trousers which cut off at a flattering point just above her ankle.

The Spanish queen, right, looked perfectly polished in a soft pink blouse with a highh neck, feminine pleated detailing and quirky puffball cuffs as she took her seat at the event

Letizia, who has a busy schedule of royal appearances, looked engaged as she listened to another guest at the talk in Madrid

Letizia finished the look with the animal print shoes and a small black handbag with a chain link strap.

The mother-of-two wore her brunette locks sleek to her shoulders and highlighted her natural beauty with a touch of make-up.

It comes day after Letizia wowed in navy asymmetric gown as she joined husband King Felipe for a night at the opera in Madrid.

Letizia paired the top with a pair of high-waisted navy blue wide-leg trousers which cut off at a flattering point just above her ankle

Letizia accentuated her natural beauty with a touch of make-up and wore her brunette hair straight around her shoulders

Letizia looked stunning as she arrived at the Teatro Real in the midnight floor-length gown, which she paired with co-ordinating heels.

Wearing her brunette locks in an elegant up-do, she finished off the glamorous look with a pair of pear drop earrings.

She and Felipe, 50, were at the theatre to watch a new production of Faust, marking the start of the new 2018/19 season.She may be a society beauty with an extensive designer wardrobe at her disposal - but Lady Amelia Windsor isn't immune to the appeal of the Great British high street.

Lady Amelia jetted into Paris ahead of Fashion Week on Sunday wearing a pair of 39.50 Marks & Spencer trousers teamed with a chunky 35 neon knit from Topshop.

The granddaughter of the Duke of Kent paused to take a bathroom selfie upon arrival in the City of Lights, where just a day later she swapped her affordable separates for a dazzling Dior gown to take her seat on the Frow for designer Maria Grazia Chiuri's SS19 show.

Lady Amelia, the 38th in line to the British throne, teamed her high street outfit with a pair of cowhide print pink boots from the collection she designed in collaboration with Penelope Chilvers.

Loo selfie: Lady Amelia Windsor, 23, jetted into Paris for Fashion Week - dressed head to toe in high street. The society beauty wore a 35 lime green jumper from Topshop, teamed with checked trousers by Marks & Spencer. Her quirky boots are from the collection of accessories she designed for Penelope Chilvers

Just a day later she dazzled in front of the cameras upon arrival to take her seat in the front row at Christian Dior's SS19 show in Paris

Lady Amelia posed for a snap in the nude-colourlayered tulle creation as she waited to take her seat on the frow for designer Maria Grazia Chiuri's show held in Paris

She also offered her followers a closer look at her quirky outfit on her Instagram stories, sharing a snap of herself clutching an eco-coffee cup in her lap on board her flight to Paris.

Lady Amelia isn't the only member of the royal family to shop on the high street.

The LA-born Duchess of Sussex appears to have developed a typically British love of Marks & Spencer since London became home - she wore a black bell sleeve jumper from the department store to visit Brixton with her then fiance Prince Harry, which immediately sold out.

And when she and her new husband Harry attended the wedding of Princess Diana's niece Celia McCorquodale in June, Meghan teamed her 3,922 Oscar de la Renta gown with a 29.50 fascinator by Marks & Sparks.

Amelia appeared fresh-faced with just a touch of pale pink lipstick and a slick of mascara in the gown which featured an exposed boned corset and an oversized belt featuring a pouch

Lady Amelia gave fans a closer look at her Marks & Spencer trousers in a snap from the plane she shared on her Instagram stories

A familiar face on the Frow, Lady Amelia usually favours designer labels, but flew into Paris wearing 39.50 check trousers by M&S (seen left), teamed with a chunky neon knit from Topshop (seen right), that cost 35

The young royal, who is the granddaughter of the Duke of Kent, shared a snap of her view from her luxury Paris hotel, before heading to sit front row at the Dior SS19 show

Meghan Markle joined her then husband-to-be Prince Harry on a visit to Reprezent FM in Brixton in January this year, wearing a simple black jumper from M&S

Lady Amelia has become a firm fixture in fashion circles in recent years, since being named the 'most beautiful royal' by society bible Tatler.

As well as teaming up with Penelope Chilvers - a favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge - on her first collection of accessories, the creative Edinburgh University graduate has also modelled for Dolce & Gabbana and last year appeared on the cover of Vogue Japan.The last episode of the Bodyguard certainly got viewers talking - and one of the unexpected topics to arise was about boilers.

In the opening scenes we see special protection officer David Budd (Richard Madden) unscrewing his boiler where he hides a tablet, and a set of keys before removing a gun.

The scene left many viewers inspired to hide their own stashes in the boiler applauding the 'excellent' hiding place.

But unlike Budd their secret stows were slightly less incriminating.

Following last night's final episode of the Bodyguard viewers have been inspired to hide their secret stashes in their boilers

In the opening scenes we see special protection officer David Budd (Richard Madden) unscrewing his boiler where he hides a tablet, and a set of keys before removing a gun

Taking to Twitter many viewers revealed the items they would now be keeping in the heating device.

Sharing a snap of their Snickers stash one wrote: 'After seeing the technique used so effectively in #Bodyguard, I've started hiding important items behind my boiler so nobody else can find them.'

Another wrote: 'I'm going to be hiding hobnobs in the boiler and dairy milk in the living room light fitting.'

Meanwhile another man was surprised to find a rather unusual hall was already in place in his boiler.

'After #bodyguard tonight just checked what is hidden in my boiler cupboard. Cooking oil, nearly out of date pancake mix and flea stuff!' they tweeted.

One man discovered that somebody was already keeping a rather unusual selection of goods in his boiler cupboard

For many the boiler was deemed the perfect place to hide sweet treats that you don't want to share

Taking to Twitter many fans revealed that they would be using the unusual hiding place in the future

However, one Twitter user pointed out that, thanks to the BBC drama, a boiler is the 'least safe place for hiding anything now.'

Sunday night saw fans watch in horror as it was revealed it was David Budd's own boss Chief Superintendent Lorraine Craddock who played a key role in Julia Montague's death, before the final twist was revealed.

It was a double blow for Budd as the true identity of the female train bomber from the first episode, Nadia, who he believed he had saved, as the bombmaker who attempted to murder his own children, a twist that made one viewer joke they'd 'fainted 15 times' during the big reveal.

However, others weren't in agreement and one cheeky Twitter user even sent a complaint to British Gas

'Omg. Now that's what you call a twist in the story!' one tweeted.

Another wrote: 'What a bombshell! Not one single person could have guessed who the bomber was.'

'I have never been so on edge in my life,' a third posted.

Viewers watched as Craddock had been delivering information to Luke Akins, an organised crime boss against the RIPA-18 bill led by the home secretary, which enabled him to execute the bomb attack in which she perished in the third episode.

Fan theories had also been rife that the Home Secretary wasn't actually dead, especially as viewers weren't shown her demise on screen - but they were left 'fuming' that she had been killed after all.

The entire Bodyguard boxset is available on BBC iPlayer

David Budd finally discovered the truth about the conspiracy to murder Julia Montague during the dramatic conclusion of BBC's Bodyguard

Viewers were in for a shock when they learned that the mastermind behind the bombs was actually Nadia. She revealed her role in the terrorist attacks blaming Budd for being so easily duped that she was an 'oppressed weak woman'If you don't like what someone has to say on Twitter, you don't have to follow them  but some celebrity haters just love to read a star's every word as an excuse to cut them down.

On Sunday, one Kardashian critic did just that, snapping at Kim in her own mentions to accuse her of being self-centered.

And Kim didn't ignore the comment, either: She clapped back, answering with a brilliantly sarcastic quip that earned approval from her fans.

Oh snap! Kim Kardashian had a brilliant clap back for a critic who didn't like her response to a question about her sister's pregnancy

Question: A fan asked what Kim's reaction was to Kylie's pregnancy, and Kim said she was happy they were having babies at the same time

Ew: One critic called Kim out for always making things about herself

Sarcasm: 'Always,' Kim replied. 'Consistency is key'

Things kicked off Sunday evening when a fan name Leslie tweeted directly at Kim to ask her a question.

'@KimKardashian what was your reaction when you found out Kylie was pregnant!?' she wrote.

Kim replied, telling her: 'I was so happy knowing i was having a baby too.'

The 37-year-old was clearly thrilled that she and her little sister Kylie, 21, would be raising their kids together, and that the cousins could be close friends.

But a woman from South Africa, who goes by NonduduzoBMabuza, was put of fby the reply.

'You always find ways to make things about yourself,' she wrote, adding a sleeping emoji to show her boredom.

Bonding! Kim is thrilled that she and Kylie have babies that are the same age and can grow up together

Yas! Fans loved her snappy comeback and commented with laughing emojis

Approval: The tweet has been liked over 52,000 times so far

All for it: Fans love it when Kim brings out the sass

Typical: Kim has clapped back at her haters before  even other celebrities

That's when Kim had her snarky clap back. She wrote, 'Always! Consistency is key,' before adding a little key emoji.

The snappy reply delighted fans, who've liked it over 52,000 times so far and called her 'qween' and 'savage'.

Joker: Kim's latest tweet came just hours after she debuted a new prank show on Facebook

'IM DEADDDDDDDD!!! I love you,' wrote one, with a long string of crying-from-laughing emojis.

Kim has clapped back at her haters before  even other celebrities.

In July, when Tyson Beckford wrote on Instagram that he 'didn't care' for Kim and accused her of having botched plastic surgery, Kim replied.

'Sis we all know why you don't care for it,' she wrote, insinuating that he is gay.

Kim's latest sassy tweet came just hours after she debuted a new show on Facebook, a comedy series called You Kiddin' Me?

The reality start serves as an executive producer on the project, and she recruited sisters Kourtney and Kendall to help her pull a prank on their mother Kris for the very first episode.

The prank, which required 15 hidden cameras, took place at a Los Angeles art gallery and saw Kris forced to repeat everything that her daughters said into an earbud that was hidden in her ear, from confessing she is 'an alcoholic' to showing off her own piece of 'art'.Operation Rescue Stands Behind Judge Kavanaugh in Face of Gutter-Level Attacks

Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-683-6790 ext. 111; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Vice President, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- Despite the new vicious attacks on President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Operation Rescue stands strongly in support of his confirmation.

"President Trump is standing behind Judge Kavanaugh and that is good enough for me," said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. "We must not allow these gutter-level unsubstantiated accusations to derail this nominee. Democrats are desperate to destroy him because they fear he will shift the balance of the court and eventually help overturn Roe v. Wade. Make no mistake - these people are more than willing to resort to lying, cheating, and destroying anyone who gets in the way of abortion on demand."

Kavanaugh was first accused of sexually assaulting Christine Blasey Ford at a party in high school. However, every person she said was at that party had publicly stated that they had no memory of such a party and certainly no memory of the attack.

Remarkably, 65 women who know the nominee came forward almost immediately in support of Kavanaugh and affirming that they have never seen him act inappropriately toward women.

Ford was set to appear at a hearing on Thursday, but with her story now falling apart, a new accusation has surfaced just yesterday.

An attorney, referred to by Fox News host Tucker Carlson as the "Creepy Porn Lawyer," has come forward with claims he represents one or more new accusers. Michael Avenatti, who represented porn star Stormy Daniels, now says he represents a woman "with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge."

Judge was one of the men accused by Ford of having been present during her alleged attack.

A hearing for Ford was set for Thursday but now, breaking news makes that uncertain.

Even now, polls of dubious accuracy are attempting to persuade Americans to give up their support for Judge Kavanaugh.

"We must stand behind Judge Kavanaugh and continue to contact our Senators to urge his confirmation," said Newman. "In America, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. There has been not one iota of proof presented. Pro-abortion Democrats demand that we believe these women and destroy Judge Kavanaugh's life based only on their spurious unsupported accusations. That is not the American way. We refuse to give in to this aggressive bullying by the left and we stand proudly stand with Judge Kavanaugh."

There is concern that if the democrats are successful in forcing Judge Kavanaugh to withdraw, this tactic will be forever used to intimidate, derail and destroy all good people who are willing to serve, not just on the Supreme Court, but anywhere in government.

Operation Rescue urges the following actions:

1. Pray for protection and strength for Judge Kavanaugh and his family.

2. Pray for the Trump Administration and Senator Chuck Grassley, who chairs the Judiciary Committee. They are fighting against this and many other evil schemes and need our prayers, trust and support.

3. Contact your Senators now and urge them to confirm Judge Kavanaugh as the next Supreme Court Justice, where we know he will serve with dignity and distinction. Contact your Senators now and urge them to confirm Judge Kavanaugh as the next Supreme Court Justice, where we know he will serve with dignity and distinction. Contact Senators Here

About Operation RescuePrince William has arrived in Namibia for the first day of his African tour, where he is highlighting conservation efforts.

The Duke of Cambridge, 36, was presented with a rhino statue by Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba during a meeting in the country's capital Windhoek.

The royal is on a two-day tour of Namibia, where the focus will be on the illegal wildlife trade, building coalitions and closing down markets for illicit wildlife products.

He will also visit Tanzania and Kenya, where he proposed to the Duchess of Cambridge.

Prince William looked in high spirits as he arrived in Windhoek, Namibia for the first day of his African tour today

The Duke of Cambridge, 36, was presented with a rhino statue during a meeting with Vice-President Nangolo Mbumba (above)

William looked in high spirits today as he arrived in Namibia, after attending the wedding of Kate's close friend Sophie Carter in Norfolk on Saturday.

He was greeted by Namibia's Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism, Bernadette Jagger and the Minister for Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, right, at the old State House.

The Duke revealed he would be visiting Africa earlier this month, during his first speech as patron of the Royal African Society (RAS).

Speaking at the reception in London, William - who took over the role from the Queen in December 2016 after 64 years, said 'Africa's wildlife is suffering as well as its people.

In return, William presented the Namibian vice-president with a photograph of the Queen with the country's first president, Sam Nujoma (above)

The Duke of Cambridge is known to be passionate about conservation efforts. He is pictured being presented with a rhino statue

'Like so many others, I am deeply saddened by the numbers of elephant, rhino and pangolin who have been illegally slaughtered for their tusks, horns and scales. But the illegal wildlife trade also has a devastating human impact.

'Too many brave rangers are tragically killed each year by poachers. Communities see their tourist livelihoods threatened. And the proceeds of the illegal wildlife trade fund broader criminal networks and threaten security.'

He added: 'This is why I am committed to doing what I can to help end this terrible, global crime.

'This will be a particular focus of my upcoming visit to Africa, and of course the conference on the illegal wildlife trade taking place here in London in October.'

William was greeted by Namibia's Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism, Bernadette Jagger (centre) and the Minister for Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta (far right)As a member of the royal family Crown Princess Victoria is often jetting off to various locations to take part in foreign engagements.

And today the heir to the Swedish throne arrived in New York to deliver a speech at the General Assembly of the United Nations.

The royal, 41, made a colourful appearance in a floral frock as she addressed members of the audience on global sustainable development goals, focusing on keeping the ocean clean and marine resources.

Scroll down for video

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was back to her busy schedule as she made a speech during the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York on Monday

Wearing her hair in a sleek bun, Victoria put on a business-chic display, opting for minimal make-up as she took centre stage.

Victoria's dress featured a floral pattern and high neck collar with bell sleeves and a frilly hem reaching just below her knees.

Teaming it with a pair of nude heels, Victoria flashed a glimpse of her impressive engagement ring as she addressed the room.

The Crown Princess has been an active advocate for ocean substainability, last year describing a clean ocean as 'a necessity not a luxury'.

Speaking during the 2017 conference, she urged: 'Do what you can, do it wisely, and most importantly do it now. A healthy ocean is not a luxury item. It is a necessity for survival. And taking care of the ocean means taking care of ourselves.'

The royal, 41, put on a colourful appearance in a floral frock as she addressed members of the audience on global sustainable development goals, focusing on keeping the ocean clean and marine resources

Wearing her hair in a sleek bun, Victoria put on a business-chic display, opting for minimal make-up and carrying a matching bag to her shoes as she left the venue

It has been a busy couple of weeks for Victoria since returning from her summer break with her daughter Estelle, six, beginning her first day at school last month.

The eldest of three children, Victoria married former personal trainer Daniel Westerling in 2010 after a long-term relationship, and they are now parents to Oscar, two, and Estelle.

And despite her happy family life Victoria recently admitted things haven't always been rosy for the royal.

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway was also present at the high level meeting on oceans during the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, looking dapper in a navy suit

Last year Victoria opened up about the eating disorder she suffered as a 20-year-old model in 1997.

Speaking to People, in a milestone interview ahead of her 40th birthday last July, she said: 'I wanted all the time to do and be so much more than I realistically could do, or could be,' she said.

'I needed time to sort things out and get my balance back again.

'I needed to get to know myself, discover where my limits were, not constantly push myself too much.'Ivanka Trump looked glamorous in a cream Bottega Veneta sweater and skirt as she stepped out of her New York City apartment on Monday ahead of her talk at the 2018 Concordia Annual Summit.

The 36-year-old first daughter donned the label's $1,640 botanical print cashmere cardigan over a matching $1,230 short-sleeved cashmere sweater and a $950 duchesse skirt to speak about the Trump administration's recently-launched Pledge to America's Workers initiative.

Secret Service agents kept a watchful eye as Ivanka left her Upper East Side apartment and made her way to the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Midtown, where the two-day summit is taking place.

Kicking off the week: Ivanka Trump was seen leaving her New York City apartment on Monday

On the go: The 36-year-old was headed to the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Midtown to speak at the 2018 Concordia Annual Summit

Going glam: Ivanka donned a $1,640 botanical print cashmere cardigan by Bottega Veneta over a matching sweater and a $950 duchesse skirt

The senior adviser kept her legs bare and accessorized her Bottega Veneta outfit with a pair of nude heels.

Her long blonde hair was parted down the center and styled in loose girls for the nonpartisan forum, which is taking place during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Although Ivanka traveled to the Big Apple with her husband, Jared Kushner, and their three children, they all left the house separately on Monday morning.

Jared, 37, was seen leaving the apartment in a navy suit with file folders held under his arm as he made his way to the black SUV that was waiting for him at the curb.

Added touch: The senior adviser topped off the look with a pair of nude heels, and she wore her hair in loose curls

Helping hand: Secret Service could be seen blocking of the street to prevent people from walking past as the first daughter made her way to her waiting vehicle

Arrival: Ivanka was seen getting out of her black Secret Service SUV and walking into the hotel

Meanwhile, their children Arabella, seven, Joseph, four, and Theodore, two, headed out with a woman who appeared to be their nanny.

Ivanka was later seen getting out of her black Secret Service SUV and walking into the hotel before she took the stage.

She was joined by Concordia Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Matthew Swift for her talk on the first day of the summit.

As an adviser to the president, Ivanka has been focusing on job creation and economic growth through workforce development.

At the summit, she spoke about the White House's Pledge to America's Workers and the National Council for the American Worker.

Spotlight: Ivanka was all smile as she took the stage on the first day of the summit

Chatting away: She was joined by Concordia Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Matthew Swift

Workforce development: She talked about the Trump administration's recently-launched Pledge to America's Workers and National Council for the American Worker at the event

Positive: Ivanka couldn't have looked happier to be up on stage at the summit

Natural performer: Ivanka sat in a white leather chair with her legs crossed

Both were created to help better equip American workers and students with the skill and training to succeed in the changing economy.

Ivanka sat in a white leather chair with her legs crossed as she animatedly spoke on stage during the talk.

After her talk, she was seen returning to her New York City apartment; it was obviously a busy day for Ivanka, however, who was then pictured heading back out into the city after just a few hours.

The first daughter was still wearing the same pricey ensemble as she left her apartment and climbed back into a waiting SUV.

From there, she joined Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to watch her father's bilateral meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Over the weekend, while Ivanka was in New York, celebrities took to social media to urge Ivanka to support Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.

Separate ways: Ivanka's husband, 37-year-old White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, was also seen leaving their Upper East Side apartment on Monday

All done: Ivanka was later seen returning to her apartment after her summit talk

Back home: The first daughter walked down the street and made her way into her building

Under guard: She was once again under the watchful eye of her Secret Service detail

On the go! Just a few hours later, Ivanka made her way back out of the building and into a waiting SUV

Busy Philipps, Sophia Bush, Chelsea Handler, Alyssa Milano, Debra Messing, and Melanie Griffith are among the stars who used the hashtag #DearIvanka while posting a message asking the first daughter to get the Trump administration to conduct a fair FBI investigation looking into Ford's allegation.

'#DearIvanka, You dont follow me on social media. But as a public servant, you work for me,' the message begins. 'Youve proclaimed yourself a feminist and a champion of womens rights.

'Right now, you have an opportunity to fight for women. Use your access to demand that Professor Fords request for a full, fair, trauma-informed investigation by the FBI be held.'

The online campaign comes just days after Vanity Fair reported that Ivanka told her father, President Donald Trump, to 'cut bait' and drop Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court nominee.

Ford alleges that when she was 15, she was assaulted by then-17-year-old Kavanaugh when he was drunk while egged on by a male friend.

Support: Ivanka then attended her father's bilateral meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, which took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly

Glamorous: The mother-of-three visited South Korea for the Winter Olympics earlier this year

Campaign: Celebrities such as Busy Philipps are asking Ivanka to support Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault

The professor sent a letter to California Senator Dianne Feinstein in July detailing the allegations stemming from the 1982 incident.

Ford will testify before a Senate panel on Thursday about her allegation, her lawyers and the committee said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Deborah Ramirez, 53, has claimed that Kavanaugh 'thrust his penis in her face and caused her to touch it without her consent' during a dorm party at Yale University in the 1980s.

The alleged incident, which is said to have taken place during the 1983-84 academic year, was first reported on Sunday by The New Yorker.

She told the magazine she only came forward now because she had been drinking during the evening and admits there are 'gaps in her memory' when recollecting the story.

Kavanaugh has denied both allegations.Vanessa Trump and her children visited Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's New York City apartment as several members of the Trump family found themselves in the Big Apple again.

The mother of five, 40, was seen with four of her children arriving to Ivanka and Jared's Upper East Side home. Ivanka, 36, returned to her hometown on Monday to speak at the 2018 Concordia Annual Summit.

Vanessa was accompanied by four of her five children with Donald Trump Jr, 40, from whom she split earlier this year: Kai, 11, Tristan, six, Spencer, five, and Chloe, four.

Greetings: Vanessa Trump and four of her children visited Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's New York City apartment on Monday

Family: The mother of five, 40, was seen with four of her children arriving to Ivanka and Jared's Upper East Side apartment

Vanessa was accompanied by four of her five children with Donald Trump Jr, 40, from whom she split earlier this year: Kai (back), 11, Tristan (right), six, Spencer (in front of Kai), five, and Chloe (left, holding Vanessa's hand), four

Vanessa held Chloe's hand as well as Tristan's while Spencer and Kai followed closely behind them.

Her fifth child, Donald Trump III, didn't appear to have joined the outing and wasn't seen on the Upper East Side along with the rest of his siblings.

Vanessa went for a casual look as she visited Ivanka and Jared on their old stomping grounds, donning a pair of jeans tucked into brown ankle boots.

She went for a gray sweater amid the decreasing fall temperatures and kept warm thanks to a dark blue jacket.

The former model finished off her outfit with a green purse on her right shoulder and kept her hair pulled back thanks to a pair of sunglasses, which she didn't need to protect herself against the sun and therefore wore on her head.

It isn't known whether Ivanka and Jared were at the apartment at the time of Vanessa's arrival.

Donald Jr didn't appear to have joined the group, though he seems to have spent some quality time with his family recently.

Group: Vanessa held Chloe's hand as well as Tristan's while Spencer and Kai followed closely behind them

Practical: Vanessa went for a casual look as she visited Ivanka and Jared on their old stomping grounds, donning a pair of jeans tucked into brown ankle boots

Seasonal: She went for a gray sweater amid the decreasing fall temperatures and kept warm thanks to a dark blue jacket

On Sunday, Donald Jr, who is now dating former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, 49, took to Instagram to share photos of Kai and Chloe with their one-year-old cousin Luke, the child of Eric Trump, 34, and Lara Trump, 35.

Luke can be seen in the images, which were taken in Westchester, sitting on a swing and looking  by his father's own admission  'not at all impressed' by the set-up.

Ivanka and Jared found themselves back in New York City on Monday for Ivanka's talk, and the first daughter was seen stepping out of her apartment in the Big Apple in the morning ahead of her address.

She donned a cream $1,640 Bottega Veneta botanical print cashmere cardigan over a matching $1,230 short-sleeved cashmere sweater and a $950 duchesse skirt to speak about the Trump administration's recently-launched Pledge to America's Workers initiative.

Secret Service agents kept a watchful eye as Ivanka left her Upper East Side apartment and made her way to the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Midtown, where the two-day summit is taking place.

The senior adviser kept her legs bare and accessorized her Bottega Veneta outfit with a pair of nude heels.

Her long blonde hair was parted down the center and styled in loose girls for the nonpartisan forum, which was taking place during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Accessory: The former model finished off her outfit with a green purse on her right shoulder

Convenient: She kept her hair pulled back thanks to a pair of sunglasses, which she didn't need to protect herself against the sun and therefore wore on her head

Bringing treats: Spencer was holding a large bag from Dylan's Candy Bar, Dylan Lauren's candy shop, as the family arrived to Ivanka's apartment

Not there: Donald Trump Jr, the father of Vanessa's children from whom she split earlier this year, didn't appear to have joined the group

Quality time: On Sunday, Donald Jr took to Instagram to share photos of Kai and Chloe with their one-year-old cousin Luke, the child of Eric Trump, 34, and Lara Trump, 35

Trio: Luke can be seen sitting on a swing and looking  by his father's own admission  'not at all impressed' by the set-up

Although Ivanka traveled to the Big Apple with her husband Jared and their three children, they all left the house separately on Monday morning.

Jared, 37, was seen leaving the apartment in a navy suit with file folders held under his arm as he made his way to the black SUV that was waiting for him at the curb.

Meanwhile, their children Arabella, seven, Joseph, four, and Theodore, two, headed out with a woman who appeared to be their nanny.

Ivanka was later seen getting out of her black Secret Service SUV and walking into the hotel before she took the stage. She was joined by Concordia Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Matthew Swift for her talk on the first day of the summit.

As an adviser to the president, Ivanka has been focusing on job creation and economic growth through workforce development. At the summit, she spoke about the White House's Pledge to America's Workers and the National Council for the American Worker.

Both were created to help better equip American workers and students with the skill and training to succeed in the changing economy.

After her talk, she was seen returning to her New York City apartment; it was obviously a busy day for Ivanka, however, who was then pictured heading back out into the city after just a few hours.

Kicking off the week: Ivanka, 36, was seen leaving her New York City apartment on Monday

Separate ways: Ivanka's husband, 37-year-old White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, was also seen leaving their Upper East Side apartment on Monday

All done: Ivanka was later seen returning to her apartment after her summit talk

The first daughter was still wearing the same pricey ensemble as she left her apartment and climbed back into a waiting SUV.

From there, she joined Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to watch her father's bilateral meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Over the weekend, while Ivanka was in New York, celebrities took to social media to urge Ivanka to support Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.

Busy Philipps, Sophia Bush, Chelsea Handler, Alyssa Milano, Debra Messing, and Melanie Griffith are among the stars who used the hashtag #DearIvanka while posting a message asking the first daughter to get the Trump administration to conduct a fair FBI investigation looking into Ford's allegation.

'#DearIvanka, You dont follow me on social media. But as a public servant, you work for me,' the message begins. 'Youve proclaimed yourself a feminist and a champion of womens rights.

'Right now, you have an opportunity to fight for women. Use your access to demand that Professor Fords request for a full, fair, trauma-informed investigation by the FBI be held.'

The online campaign comes just days after Vanity Fair reported that Ivanka told her father, President Donald Trump, to 'cut bait' and drop Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court nominee.Attention pizza aficionados! Pizza Hut will be giving away 18,000 free pizzas to customers across all their stores.

The Australian fast food chain is gifting foodies around the country free Super Supremes to celebrate its momentous 60th birthday.

And to get a slice of the tasty freebies, the first 30 people to line up at any of the 292 stores from midday on Wednesday and Thursday will receive one of the iconic pizzas absolutely free.

Pizza Hut is gifting Australian foodies around the country free Super Supreme pizzas this week

The Australian fast food chain is celebrating its momentous 60th birthday with giveaways

Why Super Supreme you ask?

Pizza Hut is famous for their delicious, crunchy deep pan base and the Super Supreme is the world's most iconic pizza featuring a mouth-watering combination of fresh vegetables and tasty meats.

The freebie comes 60 years after brothers Dan and Frank Carney took it upon themselves to open a restaurant serving the then-little known food, pizza in 1958.

With only $600 to invest, the two Wichita State University students named their restaurant 'Pizza Hut' due to the modest premises they were occupying and opened their doors to a sceptical (but hungry) citizenry.

Pizza Hut from the '70s, '80s and '90s: The restaurant holds fond memories for Australians

The famous all-you-can-eat pizza buffets and dessert bars at its dine-in restaurants were a family favourite for many Australians in the 70s and 80s (pictured in Tamworth in 1979)

The all-you-can-eat pizza buffets and dessert bars were a crowd favourite for decades

Just 10 years later in 1968, the chain had expanded to 310 restaurants and with an eye on expansion, the number ballooned to more than 1,000 stores by 1972.

By 1976, Pizza Hut boasted over 2,000 stores including 100 international stores in England, Japan and Australia, whose first store appeared in the Sydney suburb of Belfield in 1970.

The famous all-you-can-eat pizza buffets and dessert bars at its dine-in restaurants were a family favourite for many Australians in the 70s and 80s.

Fast forward to today, Pizza Hut has been in existence for more than 60 years with around 13,000 restaurants in 130 countries.

So head on down to your local store for your taste of history.Obesity will overtake smoking as the leading preventable cause of cancer in women within 25 years, experts warn.

A study predicts one in ten new female cancer cases  around 23,000 a year  will be caused by excess weight by 2035, only 2,000 fewer than by tobacco.

Rising obesity levels combined with falling smoking rates will see the two switch places by 2043, when 26,000 cases will be blamed on bulging waistlines. The shocking rise is because women are prone to more obesity-related cancers than men  including breast and womb cancer.

Study predicts that by 2035 figures are expected to show the number of cases caused by obesity rocketing to 23,000. Stock image of an obese woman

The figures led to calls for official health campaigns to focus as much on the dangers of excess weight as smoking.

Professor Linda Bauld of Cancer Research UK, which carried out the study, said: 'Obesity is a huge public health threat right now, and it will only get worse if nothing is done.

'The decline in smoking is a cause for celebration. It shows how decades of effort to raise awareness about the health risks plus strong political action including taxation, removing tobacco marketing and a ban on smoking in indoor public places, have paid off.

'But just as there is still more to do to support people to quit smoking, we also need to act now to halt the tide of weight-related cancers and ensure this projection never becomes a reality.'

The predictions were made using current statistics on obesity and smoking in UK adults.

Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said obesity is the 'new smoking' and one of the 'greatest public health challenges of our generation'

Smoking now causes 12 per cent of new cancer cases in women  around 22,000  while excess weight is blamed for 7.5 per cent of cases, or 13,200 a year.

By 2035 figures are expected to show the number of cases caused by obesity rocketing to 23,000, while falling rates of smoking will see a smaller rise in cancer-related cases to 25,000.

A quarter of a century from now in 2043, with obesity continuing to rise, the two are expected to switch places. The study's projections for men also show excess weight soaring as a cause for new cancer cases  from 9,600 now to 18,000 by 2043, compared with a smaller rise in smoking-related cases from 32,200 to 34,000.

But while researchers found that more males than females are overweight or obese, women are at particular risk because of its links to particular cancers.

Being overweight increases the risk of 13 types of cancer including bowel, liver and kidney.

But a shocking one in ten breast cancer cases and one in three womb cancer cancers in Britain are now linked to obesity.

Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said: 'Obesity is the new smoking, one of the greatest public health challenges of our generation, placing people at much greater risk of cancers, heart attacks and other killers.

'Expanding waistlines also mean a heavier burden for taxpayers which is why, as we draw up a long-term plan for the NHS, we are exploring all options to help patients to help themselves and help the NHS.'

Two-thirds of British adults are overweight or obese. While smoking rates have been steadily falling, the changing picture in terms of cancer cases will not be seen for some time as it typically takes smokers around 30 years to develop cancer.

Increased risk of MS from cigarettes

Smokers are more likely to develop multiple sclerosis and become disabled, a charity says.

The MS Society has reviewed research into the link between smoking and the incurable condition affecting the brain and spinal cord.

Quitting the habit could delay the onset of untreatable secondary progressive MS by as much as eight years, one study revealed.

Some 89 per cent of MS sufferers do not realise the risk, a recent poll found, despite official guidance advising healthcare professionals to tell patients as soon as they are diagnosed.

Smokers are more likely to develop multiple sclerosis and become disabled, a charity says.

Dr Susan Kohlhaas, from the charity, said: 'It's clear smoking can make MS worse and harder for the brain to fight the condition. It's not just people who have MS who need to be aware of this, though, as people who smoke are more likely to develop MS than people who don't.'

Smoking can cause further damage to the myelin sheath, a protective layer around the nerves, which is affected in MS patients. This affects vision, mobility and cognitive functions.

There are also links between smoking and brain lesions. The increase in damage could explain why MS patients are less able to fight it or suffer worse symptoms at an earlier stage.

Smoking can also affect how effective treatments are, so people suffer more relapses.

Dr Waqar Rashid, from St George's Hospital in south London, said: 'Knowing that continuing to smoke might impact the disease could make a radical difference to some people.'A pastor has spent more than 18 years suffering from the pain and humiliation of a brain tumour which causes his chest to leak milk and has left him unable to have sex.

Pastor Francis Gichuru Gachieki, 52, from Nairobi in Kenya, has been suffering with the unusual problem since shortly after he was married in 2000.

Doctors have laughed at him, he has been judged by family and friends for being unable to have children, and he has spent over 9,000 trying to get help.

Medics were baffled by the preacher's symptoms but he managed to get help after hearing someone discuss the condition on the radio in 2009.

Pastor Gichuru's conditon, known as prolactinoma, is caused by a non-cancerous tumour in the pituitary gland in the brain, which controls hormones.

He has become obese and weak because of the hormonal problem and is trying to raise money for treatment, which is expected to cost another 10,000.

Pastor Francis Gichuru Gachieki, from Nairobi in Kenya, realised something was wrong when his breasts started leaking milk in 2000, shortly after he got married

Pastor Gichuru realised something was wrong when, after his wedding in 2000, he could not perform sexually.

He said he lost his sex drive and became unable to have sex at all  he says and his wife have now not made love for over 10 years.

And he soon noticed an 'unusual liquid' which was sticking to his shirt  which he assumed to be sweat.

But when he got home and told his wife, Merci Muthoni, 48, about the problem, she examined his chest and found milk oozed out of his breasts when she squeezed them.

Pastor Gichuru told local news site The Nairobian: 'The problem began immediately after our wedding in 2000, then I could not perform to the maximum, but we could not figure out the root cause.

'While coming out from a cyber cafe one day, I noticed an unusual liquid sticking on to my shirt but ignored it thinking it to be sweat and proceeded for my home.'

Because of his hormone condition, prolactinoma, Pastor Gichuru has not been able to have sex with his wife Merci Muthoni (pictured left) since they got married 18 years ago  the illness causes erectile dysfunction and a reduced libido

Pastor Gichuru visited a local clinic to try to get to the bottom of the problem, but was then referred to the larger Kenyatta National Hospital for tests.

He had to queue with women for tests on his breasts, and said both patients and staff would laugh at him.

'The female patients would look at me and laugh as I queued with them on the same line,' he said.

WHAT IS PROLACTINOMA? Prolactinoma is a tumour of the pituitary gland and is not cancerous. The disorder interrupts the release of hormones. Prolactinoma's causes are unknown. Symptoms often disrupt a woman's periods. Other signs include low libido, vaginal dryness and ovaries not releasing eggs. Men may experience low libido and impotence. Treatment usually involves medication. Surgery is typically only offered if people suffer drug resistance or side effects. Source: Pituitary Foundation Advertisement

'More than three doctors conducted a test on me, it was then it took a toll on me. They would strip me naked while laughing and teasing me.

'I started having headaches and suffered from poor eyesight apart from other severe conditions.'

Despite various tests, including studying his breast milk, doctors could not work out what was wrong with the religious leader, who is the founder of Christ Ambassadors Church International, in the Mowlem area of Nairobi.

In 2009, Pastor Gichuru heard people talking on the radio about a condition called prolactinoma, and realised that was what was wrong with him.

The condition is caused by a small benign tumour on the pituitary gland and can cause erectile dysfunction, enlarged breasts, infertility and headaches.

Its causes are unknown but are thought to include medications or thyroid problems.

Treatment can include hormone medication to counteract the symptoms, or surgery to remove the tumour.

Pastor Gichuru has faced embarrassment while trying to get treatment, but soon a doctor gave him pills which alleviated his condition for a time.

But by 2014 his condition had worsened and his doctor suggested he go to Singapore, India, the US or Israel for surgery.

Pastor Gichuru has already spent around 1.3 million Kenyan shillings (9,000) trying to get treatment for his condition, and he expects the surgery he needs to cost another 17,000

He said: 'A female doctor described my condition on the radio and that it was treatable.

'The doctors told me that the surgery was very important for me to restore my libido.'

Pastor Gichuru has reportedly spent 1.3 million Kenyan shillings (9,000) and expects his surgery to cost up to another 2.3 million Sh (17,000).

He hopes to raise enough money to pay for corrective surgery and is hopeful God will one day free him of his condition.The number of care job vacancies in England has risen to 110,000, according to a new report that has laid bare the growing crisis.

Training charity Skills for Care claims the rate of unfilled posts has jumped to eight per cent - up from 6.6 per cent in 2017.

Experts today said the figures show social care is 'struggling even more' to get the workers needed to provide vital services.

On the back of the report, the Department of Health and Social Care announced it would soon launch a recruitment campaign.

The social care system in England is in crisis, experts have repeatedly warned, and an estimated 1.2 million frail or older people are not receiving the help they need.

Training charity Skills for Care claims the rate of unfilled posts has jumped to eight per cent - up from 6.6 per cent in 2017

Many are being denied assistance with basic daily tasks and either have to pay out of their own pockets or struggle alone.

The Government's delayed social care green paper is now due to be published in autumn.

Skills for Care conducted a comprehensive analysis of the 1.47 million-strong care workforce in England.

The charity's report this year revealed the majority of vacancies, around 76,000, are for hands-on care workers.

Projections show that the population aged 65 and over in England will increase by around 44 per cent to 14.5 million by 2035.

Skills for Care has warned an extra 650,000 extra jobs will be needed in social care in the next 17 years to cope with the surge.

WHY IS THERE A CRISIS IN SOCIAL CARE? The question of how to fund care for Britain's ageing population has proved politically toxic for years. A failure to provide enough care for the elderly either in their own homes or in care homes means patients get stuck on hospital wards - a major reason the NHS is creaking. The average person needs 20,000 worth of care in their lifetime - but 10 per cent of people need much more, with conditions lasting decades costing over 1million. The state currently only funds people with assets worth less than 23,350, leaving many people dependent on the NHS. Fixing the problem will require billions of pounds but there is no political agreement on what to do. Theresa May was forced into an embarrassing U-turn on the issue during the general election campaign two years ago. The Tory manifesto proposed people should not have to pay bills during their lifetime but then fund them from their estate after death - with a guarantee they could keep at least 100,000 to pass on. But the plan was derided as a 'dementia tax' because there was no cap on what people would have to pay - meaning those with degenerative conditions could face much higher bills than those who only become ill at the end of their lives. Advertisement

In a further breakdown of the workforce, the report showed around 335,000 people employed in the sector were on a zero-hours contract.

The report revealed the average pay for council care employees was 9.80. But in the private sector, it was just 8.12 - less than what supermarket Aldi pays it staff.

The average pay for council care employees was 9.80 an hour, while the average pay per hour in the private sector was 8.12.

The majority of the adult social care workforce were British, eight per cent had an EU nationality and a tenth were from outside of the EU.

A fifth of all workers, approximately 320,000 jobs, were aged over 55. While 31 per cent of carers left or changed jobs in the last calendar year.

Candace Imison, director of policy at the think tank Nuffield Trust, said: 'Today's figures show social care is struggling even more to get the workers needed to provide vital services, with turnover and vacancy rates continuing to rise.

'Meanwhile, the Government is considering proposals to end less skilled migration from the EU.

'Either we address the financial crisis that has pushed social care providers too far into the red to pay decent wages, or we continue to allow migration to fill these gaps after Brexit.

'If the UK Government dodges these decisions in the next few months, it will mean directly endangering some of the most vulnerable people in our country.'

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: 'We want to promote adult social care as a rewarding career of choice and attract and retain staff to the profession.

'We are working to ensure the system is able to meet the demands of our growing ageing population and will soon launch a recruitment campaign to further raise the profile of the sector.

'In the autumn, we'll set out our plans to reform the social care system to make it sustainable for the future.'

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, said: 'The lingering crisis facing social care is one of the biggest and most neglected challenges of our generation.

'Todays report reveals a service that is failing to cope now and faces meltdown in future unless urgent action is taken to deal with the twin challenges of funding and workforce.

'Social care is the scandal that has not dared speak its name, but we have to expose it now before it deteriorates still further.

'The Government has promised an NHS plan for England but that cannot work without an accompanying social care plan which recognises the independence of the two sectors and tackles both funding and workforce.

'Unless we act now, more social care services will close because they do not have the staff  that means abandoning some of our most vulnerable citizens.

'We need a sustainable funding settlement to improve pay and conditions which will make this a more attractive sector in which to work.

'The Prime Minister has promised to correct the mistakes of previous governments by putting an end to "siloed" working and to integrate health and social care. A great ambition - but we now need to see it realised.'

It comes after think tank The King's Fund earlier this year warned England's social care system is 'at the point of crisis'.

Simon Bottery, senior fellow for social care at The King's Fund, said extra funding is just a 'sticking plaster'.Gruesome scans show a man who had a four-inch (10cm) knife stuck in his face for nearly four days after he was stabbed.

The unnamed patient, 25, from South Africa, suffered the stomach-churning injury during a drunken fight with his friend.

Medics revealed the blade, buried underneath his left eye and missing a handle, didn't move around in his face because it had lodged in a bone.

Doctors published details of the unusual tale and an array of jaw-dropping scans in the prestigious British Medical Journal Case Reports.

The unnamed patient, 25, from South Africa, suffered the stomach-churning injury during a drunken fight with his friend

Medics revealed the blade, buried underneath his left eye and missing a handle, didn't move around in his face because it had lodged in a bone

The man was initially taken to a clinic in Germiston, in the east of Johannesburg, but he was referred to a centre on the other side of the city.

He told doctors at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital he only had a headache and that it was painful moving his left eye.

Ophthalmologists - specialists in treating eye injuries and diseases - at the hospital were first consulted over the patient's eye injuries.

Because of the extent of the man's injuries, they requested the help of ear, nose and throat specialists, maxillofacial surgeons and neurosurgeons.

The patient had to wait 24 hours before he was finally given a bed in the hospital, Dr Dairui Dai and his team revealed in the case report.

It took a further two days before the patient was able to have an angiography  a type of X-ray used to check the blood vessels.

No major blood vessels in his skull were torn during the complex procedure, which saw surgeons stitch up his eye to pull out the blade

The man also told his story and revealed the injury occurred when he was 'trying to help a friend'. Further details are unknown

WHAT DID THE PATIENT SAY? Greetings to you, I'd like to share my story with you. I was stabbed in the bottom of my eye when I was trying to help a friend... I can't put blame on him. By sharing my story with you I want to make sure you don't play hero when someone is carrying a knife or a gun. Imagine if that was a bullet that went through my skull, I would have been dead on that same day. After the fight I went home to try and clean up so I can take a nap. My friends showed up. They are the ones who took me to the hospital and we had a little argument because I didn't feel that I was stabbed. The only time I realised was when they did an X-ray at hospital in Germiston. Then the doctor told me he was going to send me to another hospital in Soweto, where I stayed three full days before the operation. I'd like to thank the team which participated in my operation. They have done the most beautiful job. Advertisement

It showed he had suffered no 'neurovascular compromise', thought to mean that no major blood vessels in his skull had burst from the injury.

He was then scheduled in for surgery the next day, where medics gave him anaesthetic and removed the entire knife blade.

No major blood vessels in his skull were torn during the complex procedure, which saw surgeons stitch up his eye to pull out the blade.

The man, who later admitted he felt lucky to be alive, was discharged two days after the operation and was asked to go back for a follow-up a month later.

Writing in the journal, doctors said it is rare that a significant delay in imaging and treatment does not compromise the outcomes of stab victims.

The man also told his story and revealed the injury occurred when he was 'trying to help a friend'. Further details are unknown.

Telling his own story, he said: 'Imagine if that was a bullet that went through my skull, I would have been dead on that same day.'

The man added that he did not realised he had been stabbed until doctors at the first hospital he visited conducted an X-ray.

Dr Dai and colleagues wrote that penetrating knife injuries are common among young black men in South Africa.

They added: 'Removal of foreign bodies should be done as soon as possible to avoid secondary complications such as translocation, bleeding and infection.'A divorced man who tried to get a tattoo of his ex-wife's initials removed from his ring finger has been left with a huge brown blister where her name used to be.

Andrew Milne, 32, now has a grape-sized bubble of pus on his finger as a reminder of his past marriage.

Mr Milne had already had a rose tattooed over the top of his ex-wife's initials but recently decided to get rid of both the artworks.

When he tried to have the tattoo erased with laser removal, he developed an inch-long pus-filled blister on the ring finger on his left hand.

Blisters can form during tattoo removal treatment because the laser damages the skin and the blister is the immune system's way of trying to prevent infection.

The fashion account manager from Corby, Northamptonshire, says his finger isn't painful but admits it 'doesn't look great' and it leaks pus.

Scroll down for video

Andrew Milne, 32, had already had a rose tattooed over his ex-wife's initials but decided he wanted both layers of the ink gone and began laser removal therapy

Mr Milne had the procedure started on a Friday and, by Saturday morning, he was sporting a brown blister which was an inch long and half-an-inch high.

He is convinced the symptom is just a bad reaction and not a reflection of the studio where he's having the removal done.

Mr Milne said: 'It was quite alarming.

'When I went to bed on Friday night the skin was slightly raised, about a couple of millimetres, which is quite normal after the first couple of laser sessions.

'But then I woke up on Saturday morning and it had really come up. It's about an inch long and half an inch high, and it seems to be quite tough.'

After his second session of laser therapy Mr Milne developed a grotesque brown blister on his finger  he says it doesn't hurt but admits it 'doesn't look great' and it leaks pus

Laser tattoo removal works by zapping the ink inside the skin to break it down into smaller fragments which can be absorbed into the bloodstream and disappear.

HOW DOES LASER TATTOO REMOVAL WORK? The body does try to get rid of tattoo ink the same way it would a splint, but the ink particles are larger than the white blood cells, making this process extremely slow. The energy from the laser breaks down the tattoo ink into tiny fragments which can be absorbed into the bloodstream and safely passed out of the body. Different types of ink and colours can take longer to remove. Footage of people getting laser tattoo removal makes it look like the ink instantly disappears, but this is just water in the skin being heated up and temporarily obscuring the tattoo. Private clinics in the UK usually charge around 150 per session for the removal of a small tattoo. Advertisement

The tattoo only fades a small amount each time and it can take numerous sessions to fully get rid of the ink.

It's not uncommon for the skin to become damaged and blister or scab, and the NHS recommends looking after any wounds with aloe vera gel or Vaseline.

Removal can be costly  Mr Milne's has cost him 70 already for two sessions and he's been told he could need up to seven more.

He added: 'It's not too painful but it's very unsightly. It doesn't look great at all. It's lasted two days now and it's still going strong.

'I have mentioned it to the woman who did the laser session and she seemed a bit concerned. She told me to just do my best not to pop it.

'It does leak every now and then.

'I don't think it's anything to do with the place I had it done, I'm fairly sure that I've just had a bad reaction to it.'

But he's having second thoughts about carrying on with the treatment, adding: 'I'm not entirely sure if I will continue with the tattoo removal.

'It's kind of put me off taking it any further.'A 32-year-old mother-of-three has had a 20-pound cyst removed from her abdomen after five years of agonizing pain.

Ashley Walden, of Springfield, Tennessee, was diagnosed with a benign cyst in 2013, but her doctor said there was nothing to be done.

However, her belly soon began to swell, as did her pain. By 2016, she looked pregnant and struggled to walk.

This year, Walden's pain reached such intensity that she went to the emergency room, where stunned doctors told her she needed surgery to get it removed.

Walden was so nervous, she canceled the first surgery, then the next, before finally agreeing to go under the knife last week at NorthCrest Medical Center.

Now, she is speaking out, urging anyone else in a similar situation not to wait as long as she did, losing precious time with her family.

How the cyst grew: Ashley Walden, 32, pictured in 2013 (left) and more recently (right) with her ovarian cyst which swelled to look like the size of an unborn baby

'It's been two years since I have been able to enjoy time with my kids,' Walden told WVLT.

'I want to get back to 100 percent for them.'

Ovarian cysts are fairly common and are usually harmless and relatively painless.

They are usually small sacs filled with fluid, like a pimple. Like a pimple, they will eventually fade away.

However, for a minority of women (around 20 percent of cysts), they can be painful, especially if they grow large or if they manage to twist the follicle.

In rare case, they can develop into cancer or be a sign of another ovarian medical issue such as fibroids or PCOS.

If they rupture, that can be a medical emergency.

Symptoms of an ovarian cyst include bloating, pain during sex, a constant need to pee, and pain in the back or legs.

For Walden, her case was initially reviewed as a typical one.

That turned out not to be the case.

The cyst: This was the cyst after it was removed from Walden's abdomen last week

When she arrived at NorthCrest earlier this year, she met Dr Shana Dowell, who insisted that she should not have feared seeking medical help before it got too severe.

It's a complicated issue for women. Our understanding of the female reproductive system and the illnesses associated with it is still in its infancy.

Many conditions - benign and malignant - present the same symptoms as indigestion or menstrual pain. And studies, including the recent book Invisible, have shown that gynecologists - both men and women - often err on the side of assuming that women may be exaggerating or paranoid about their symptoms.

Dr Dowell maintains that, regardless, putting off treatment doesn't help anyone.

'A good gynecologist will always listen to your concerns, do an exam and run the necessary tests,' Dr Dowell told WVLT.Thousands of men are more confident in spotting the signs of breast cancer than they are prostate, research suggests.

A survey has revealed nearly a third of men (31 per cent) are able to recognise the symptoms of breast cancer.

In comparison, just 27 per cent admit they know the symptoms of prostate cancer, according to the poll.

It comes after official data showed earlier this year that prostate cancer had become a bigger killer than breast for the first time in the UK.

A survey has revealed nearly a third of men (31 per cent) are able to recognise the symptoms of breast cancer. In comparison, just 27 per cent admit they know the symptoms of prostate cancer, according to the poll

More than 11,800 men a year are now killed by the disease in Britain, compared with about 11,400 women dying of breast cancer.

Researchers at the European Association of Urology quizzed 2,500 people about their awareness of urological conditions.

The overall results showed women know more about men's health issues than men.

In another surprising finding, the poll found that more women (28 per cent) know exactly where the prostate is (22 per cent).

And more worryingly, slightly more than half of men (54 per cent) believe women have prostates.

Professor Hein Van Popper, a urologist and adjunct secretary general of the EAU, called for men to be made more aware of symptoms.

He said: 'The results of our latest survey clearly demonstrate that people are ill-informed when it comes to urological conditions.

'Men in particular have less knowledge than women and turn a blind eye to symptoms and early diagnosis.

'Persuading men to take their health seriously presents a serious challenge.

'They need to have a better understanding of the risk and symptoms of their conditions.

'They should be encouraged to seek support from a medical professional if they suspect anything unusual.'

Experts say the low level of awareness is of particular concern because of the ageing population in Europe.

The ageing population is the main reason for the increase in prostate cancer deaths  with older men more likely to get an aggressive form.

The Daily Mail has been campaigning for nearly 20 years to raise the profile of prostate cancer and end needless deaths.

It revealed in February that prostate cancer had overtaken breast as the third biggest cancer killer in the UK, behind only lung and bowel.

The numbers were compiled by Prostate Cancer UK, using official figures for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Despite prostate overtaking breast, it receives less than half the research funding of breast cancer, experts have warned.

And men with prostate cancer wait four times longer for diagnosis than women with breast cancer  and a quarter of men wait 126 days.A father-of-three was given a second chance at life after he received a kidney from his wife's co-worker.

Jason Anderson, 48, of Ogden, Utah, was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease when he was just 30 years old.

But four years ago, doctors told him his disease had progressed to advanced stage, leaving him on dialysis six hours a day.

Jason's condition was deteriorating to such an extent that he was told he would die unless he received a kidney transplant.

'"You're going to die." That's what [the doctor] told me,' he said at a press conference on Thursday.

But a Good Samaritan came in the form of his wife's colleague, Kingslee Teo, who had overheard her talking about her husband's medical struggles.

He underwent six months of testing and was found to be a perfect match for Jason.

Jason Anderson, 48 (left), of Ogden, Utah, was given a second chance at life after he received a kidney from Kingslee Teo (right, his wife's co-worker

Jason (left) was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease when he was just 30 years old and, four years ago, he was put on dialysis. He was told he would die without a kidney transplant. Teo (right) overhead Jason and his wife talking and decided to get tested

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) describes the progressive loss of kidney function.

The kidneys filter excess fluids and waste from your blood, which are excreted through the urine.

As CKD worsens, dangerous levels of these fluids and waste can build up in the body and cause the kidneys to gradually shut down.

The last stage of CKD is end-stage kidney failure, which is fatal without dialysis or a transplant.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 661,000 Americans are suffering from kidney failure.

In January, Teo approached Jason's wife Monica after he overheard her speaking with her husband about recent test results at their workplace, the Intermountain Homecare in Ogden.

'[He] just started asking questions about the whole kidney transplant process,' Monica said at the press conference.

An initial blood test showed that Teo and Jason had the same blood type. After discussing his decision with his wife Brittany, Teo underwent six months of testing.

'It's amazing just that anybody would want to do that, let alone a coworker,' Monica said.

After the donor's and recipient's blood are proven to be compatible, there are two more blood tests, according to Allina Health.

After six months of testing, Teo was found to be a match and decided to donate his kidney. Pictured, left to right: Monica, Jason's wife; Teo; and Jason

On September 5, Jason (pictured) received his new kidney from Teo at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah

The first is tissue-typing, which looks at the number of antigens, or genetic markers, the donor and recipient share.

The second is cross-matching, which is to ensure the recipient will react to the new kidney.

These are followed by a physical exam, a chest X-ray, a CT scan of the abdomen, a follow-up blood test within a week of the scan, and a 24-hour urine collection.

At the end of the six-month period, Teo's kidney was declared to be a match for Jason.

Jason said that despite his initial joy, he was worried about Teo not understanding the implications of kidney donation.

'I knew him, but my concern was: was he aware of what he was getting into? Was he aware what the commitment was?' Jason said.

On September 5, Jason received his new kidney from Teo at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah.

'I called him my personal Jesus. To me, he's my savior,' Jason said.

Teo said he hopes that people feel motivated to donate an organ and pay forward acts of kindness.

'I called him my personal Jesus. To me, he's my savior,' Jason said. Pictured: Jason and Monica with two of their three children

Teo (left, with his wife) said he hopes that people feel motivated to donate an organ and pay forward acts of kindness. Jason (right, with Monica) says since the transplant, he's feeling the best he's felt in 30 years

'In the future if something happened to one of my family members, one of my children, someone would step forward,' Teo said at the press conference.

There are currently more than 114,500 patients are on the national transplant waiting list, 93,000 of them for a kidney transplant.

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, about 20 people die every day waiting for a transplant.

A GoFundMe page has been started by Teo's family to help his wife care for him during recovery.

So far, more than $3,400 has been raised out of a $10,000 goal.

Another GoFundMe page has been started by Monica to help offset her husband's medical cost during recovery.

As of Monday afternoon, more than $2,300 has been raised out of a $5,000 goal.Ian, 53, an HGV driver and builder, lives in Macclesfield, Cheshire, with his wife, Angie, 53, a hospital clerk. They have a son, James, 34, and daughter, Sarah, 29, and three grandchildren.

'As a parent, your greatest fear is your child becoming ill and its a fear Ive had to live with for years.

'Ive lost many relatives to breast cancer. It killed my mother when she was only 50, and I was 24. Her mother and her sister also died from breast cancer, both at the age of 46,' says Ian.

'Then, about 20 years ago, we got the terrible news that my younger brother, Kevin, had been diagnosed with it. He died at just 39.

Surviving: Ian Bentley (R) and daughter Sarah, from Cheshire, both had double mastectomies

'Kevin was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999, after complaining of an itchy left nipple. I was absolutely astonished. I had no idea that he  we  were at risk.

'Kevin was treated with a mastectomy and radiotherapy; it was really difficult having to watch him battle the disease but not be able to help. And it was a terrible blow for his partner, stepchildren and the rest of the family when he died in 2002.

'After the death of my mother and aunt, nine years before Kevins death, wed been advised there might be some kind of family genetic predisposition to breast cancer. My sister, Alison, then in her 20s, began to have regular monitoring at the Family History Clinic at Wythenshawe Hospital.

'By the time Kevin was diagnosed, two specific gene mutations had been discovered  faulty BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes  which could increase breast cancer risk by 50 to 80 per cent.

'Both Alison and Kevin had tests to see if they were carriers. Their results were inconclusive, which is why I decided against being tested. I didnt see the point.

'However, after Kevin passed away, Alison, then 37, decided enough was enough. She had two children of her own and decided to have a double mastectomy.

Back in the day: Ian and Sarah pictured in the early 1990s at their family home

'Frankly, she didnt care there were no definitive test results: she felt that having four close family members whod died was enough.

'But in August 2003, a month before Alison was due to have her operation, she found a lump in her left breast  as well as the mastectomy, she had to start a gruelling round of chemotherapy.

'My sisters diagnosis was a wake-up call  at 36, I was then about the age Kevin had been when he was diagnosed. How long would it be before cancer struck me, too?

'I felt I didnt need to have my genes tested by this stage. And like my brother and sister, I had a partner and children to consider.

'When I discussed a preventative mastectomy with the doctors at Wythenshawe Hospital, they admitted they hadnt done one on a man before. But after Id had counselling, they were happy to give me the go-ahead.

'I had the surgery in August 2004, which involved removing all the tissue and nipples from both my breasts. I was in pain for a couple of days and the movement in my arms was restricted  I couldnt even lift a kettle. Within a few weeks I was feeling much fitter and returned to work. I was checked every year for ten years, but now no longer need it.

'From the start I was very open with my children. My son, James, and daughter, Sarah, were 13 and 18 when Kevin died, and theyd seen what hed been through  I explained how Kevin hadnt had the chance to take pre-emptive action, which was why I was determined to do what I could to stay alive for my family.

'Then, in January last year, I got a call from the Family History Clinic at Wythenshawe Hospital. It turned out that analysis of Alisons blood samples, together with a stored sample theyd held from Kevin, had found a newly discovered defective version of a gene called Chek2, which gives carriers  men and women  a 20 to 25 per cent risk of breast cancer.

Today: The pair were motivated by the early deaths of several relatives at a young age

'Sarah and I were tested, but James decided against it. Both Sarah and I tested positive. It was just the most wretched thing to hear. It was so hard watching Sarah go through her mastectomy, but her approach has been inspirational. She was so practical, and said to me: Look, Dad, I need to be here for my kids.

'Of course, my thoughts are now turning to my three grandchildren. But as they get older, well keep giving them the information for when the time is right for them to make any decision about getting screened.

'I often feel so terribly guilty that I have passed on this gene. But at least my family now have knowledge  and that gives us the ammunition to fight a disease that has already cost us so much.'

Sarah, 29, a marketing executive, lives in Macclesfield, Cheshire, with her partner, Dave, 38, who works in finance, and their sons, Connor, eight, and Jack, three.

'Dad used to call me his little pumpkin  and I could always get what I wanted,' Sarah says.

'But now we have that something extra. We joke about the strange, tickly pins and needles sensations we get in our chest the effect of surgery on the nerve endings.

'We find it funny and bizarre that we share this experience, but also see it as the triumph of survival.

'As I hit my 20s and learned more about our family history, I was introduced to Professor Gareth Evans, a medical geneticist at Wythenshawe Hospital.

Protective: Ian, pictured with a newborn Sarah, underwent the procedure first in 2004

'He explained the possible hereditary risks of breast cancer and the options I might have to consider in the future. Nurses also taught me how to do self-examinations (mammograms arent helpful in your 20s as the breast tissue is too dense for a clear picture).

'It was a bit overwhelming. Having surgery wasnt something I felt I could do until Id had children, especially as I wanted to breastfeed. But once Id had Jack, the idea began to take shape in my mind.

'Things were accelerated after I found out I had the defective Chek2 gene. I was floored. Professor Evans ran my history and blood test results through a special algorithm to calculate my risks of the disease; mine were 40 to 50 per cent. Thats when it finally sank in: I knew I had to have a mastectomy.

'Knowing what it did to my dad, losing his mother so young, how could I do that to my own children? I had counselling, and talked to Dad about it. He was so positive, which further convinced me. I was told that surgeons could use tissue from my stomach to reconstruct the breasts during the same operation.

'I decided to do it: I wanted to emerge from surgery feeling I was still complete. And I wanted it all done in one go, for everyones sake.

'I was in a lot of pain in those early weeks and as weak as a kitten. But five months on, I feel overwhelmed with relief: the fear is gone. I will want my boys  who have between a 10 and 40 per cent chance of having the Chek2 gene  to be monitored from the age of 18. Though, who knows  by then, perhaps there will be an alternative to surgery, or even a cure.

'Im so glad Dad and I did what we did and that we can talk to each other about it. It could have been such a lonely experience. Together weve made it through.'

Ian and Sarah support Prevent, a UK charity that funds research to prevent the disease. See preventbreastcancer.org.ukCritics are demanding that a government trial studying treatments for sepsis on humans be shut down.

In a letter to the federal Office for Human Research Protection, consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen wrote that the CLOVERS study is putting participants at risk of serious harm including organ failure and death.

The study is looking at current guidelines to treat sepsis and seeing whether more of IV fluids or of blood-pressure raising medication is beneficial as opposed to the combination that is currently used.

But Public Citizen says using too much of one form of treatment and not the other could be depriving patients of vital care and compared the study to 'an experiment that would be conducted on laboratory animals'.

Critics are demanding that a government trial studying treatments for sepsis be shut down saying that it is putting patients at risk of organ failure or death (file image)

The CLOVERS, or Crystalloid Liberal or Vasopressors Early Resuscitation in Sepsis, study began in March and is expected to be completed in June 2021.

It seeks to enroll in 2,320 patients from 44 US hospitals including Duke University Medical Center, UNC Chapel Hill and Wake Forest Baptist Health.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the researchers say they want to better understand one of the leading causes of death in American hospitals.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition in which chemicals that the immune system releases into the bloodstream to fight an infection cause inflammation throughout the entire body instead.

Many doctors view sepsis in three stages progressing from sepsis to severe sepsis and finally septic shock, a dramatic drop in blood pressure that stops blood flow to the organs and can result in death.

Symptoms, which can take several days to appear, include fever, lower abdominal pain, chills, pale skin, headache and increased heart rate.

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 1.7 million Americans develop sepsis every year, killing at least 270,000.

The CDC also says that one in three people who die in a hospital have sepsis.

Usual care for sepsis sees doctors increasing doses of IV fluids as well as vasopressors, drugs that constrict blood vessels and raise blood pressure.

However, in this trial, half of the patients will receive mostly IV fluids in the 'liberal fluids' group and the other half mostly blood pressure-raising medications in the 'restrictive fluids' group.

The goal is to see if it's better to limit fluids and start the patients on the vasopressors or to use more fluids and wait to give patients the drugs.

'The guiding principle is patient safety, which takes priority over all else,' Dr Nathan Shapiro, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-chairman of the study's protocol committee, told The New York Times.

Critics of the trial say the participants in the CLOVERS study may be receiving treatment that diverges so much from the typical care that lives are being put at risk.

Even though patients are only enrolled for 24 hours, treating sepsis in its early stages is key.

Those with sepsis but no organ failure have a 15 to 30 percent chance of death while patients who have progressed to severe sepsis or septic shock have a 40 to 60 percent death rate.

The members of Public Citizen say patients in both groups could potentially go vital hours without receiving proper care.

For example, in the 'liberal fluids' group, patients could go without receiving vasopressors for hours, even when blood pressure is very low.

They also argue that participants may not be explained in full the risks of either approach.

'The human subjects of the Clovers trial, as designed and currently conducted, are unwitting guinea pigs in a physiology experiment,' Dr Michael Carome and Dr. Sidney Wolfe wrote in the letter.

'Both vasopressors and fluids are lifesaving, and inadequate or excessive amounts of either one can cause death,' Dr Carome told The New York Times.

This comes on the heels of news from the CDC that sepsis is the twelfth leading cause of death.

This is due to a recent resurgence in the US and evidence that suggests sufferers do not immediately seek medical care.

According to a survey conducted this year by the nonprofit organization Sepsis Alliance, only half of adults are aware that sepsis requires urgent medical care.

Daily Mail Online has reached out to Public Citizen for comment.Just 10 minutes of exercise a day could help your brain to better organize your memories.

Over time, connections between parts of the brain weaken, making it harder to distinguish between similar events in your mind.

When you've lost your keys, for example, it can become increasingly difficult to decipher whether it was this morning or last week that you left them in your pocket.

However, new research from the University of California, Irvine and Japan's University of Tsukaba found that even light exercises like tai chi or yoga can have a transformative impact on the part of the brain responsible for storing and organizing memories.

While it has long been known that exercise is good for the brain, this study shows the very immediate benefits.

Previously, it was not clear that exercise could affect the brain so quickly

The small study involved 36 healthy adults in their early 20s.

In the first part of the study, they were each prescribed 10 minutes of exercise, after which they would be monitored with MRI scans.

In the second part, they repeated the test but without exercise.

According to the study, published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found a clear improvement in the connections in the regions that control detailed memory processing, the hippocampal dentate gyrus and cortical areas.

In turn, that boost in connectivity made them more likely to remember certain things from the day before.

'The hippocampus is critical for the creation of new memories; it's one of the first regions of the brain to deteriorate as we get older - and much more severely in Alzheimer's disease,' said project co-leader Michael Yassa, UCI professor and Chancellor's Fellow of neurobiology & behavior.

'Improving the function of the hippocampus holds much promise for improving memory in everyday settings.'

Previously, it was not clear that exercise could affect the brain so quickly.

We knew that exercise boosted the production of new brain cells, but that takes time.

According to Dr Yassa, director of UCI's Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory and the recently launched UCI Brain Initiative, this study doesn't disprove what we already knew: they are likely separates processes.

'We don't discount the possibility that new cells are being born, but that's a process that takes a bit longer to unfold,' he said.

'What we observed is that these 10-minute periods of exercise showed results immediately afterward.'

'It's encouraging to see more people keeping track of their exercise habits - by monitoring the number of steps they're taking, for example,' he said.

'Even short walking breaks throughout the day may have considerable effects on improving memory and cognition.'

Next, Dr Yassa and his colleagues intend to examine older adults who are at greater risk of age-related mental impairment with long-term interventions to determine what amount of exercise, and how regular, has the strongest impact on the brain.

'Clearly, there is tremendous value to understanding the exercise prescription that best works in the elderly so that we can make recommendations for staving off cognitive decline,' he said.During the first night of the stage show Early Doors, a wonderful, rib-rattling joke about Viagra had the woman sitting behind me in the Lowry in Salford laughing so hard I feared she might be in need of the theatre defibrillator. She was by no means alone. This is a two-hour cascade of comedy, a brilliant laughathon that left the entire audience wearing the broadest of grins.

For Craig Cash, the co-writer and one of the shows stars, such a response is a mighty relief. Make others laugh is all he has ever wanted to do. But after losing the three people who had inspired his comedy, he was not sure he was still capable of raising a smile. Across a traumatic 18-month spell between 2014 and 2016 his father, his father-in-law and his long-term writing partner Caroline Aherne, with whom he had created the television institution The Royle Family, all died. And he was left emotionally shell-shocked.

'It was hard to laugh again for a good while, never mind write anything that would make others laugh,' says Craig Cash about the loss of his Royle Family co-star Caroline Aherne

My dad and my father-in-law had both really informed my writing. My dad was basically Jim Royle, he says. And Caroline was, well, Caroline. It was devastating theyd all gone. It was hard to laugh again for a good while, never mind write anything that would make others laugh. Thats why it feels so good to hear the reaction tonight.

He pauses, his soft, lugubrious voice, so familiar as the narrator of Channel 4s Gogglebox momentarily cracking with emotion.

Shed tell you if she thought something wasnt working. She was never one to hold back. To have heard her laugh would have meant wed got it right.

Cash first met Aherne while working on a Manchester pirate radio station in the late Eighties. She would appear on his show as a variety of unlikely characters. And when her chat-show character Mrs Merton was picked up as a television series in 1993, Aherne asked him to help with the script and their friendship grew.

She was godmum to our kids and shed take them to the pound shop, get a basketload of items, then make them go up with each one in turn and ask how much it was. He chuckles at the memory of Ahernes mischief.

It was the process of watching telly  Cash says Aherne liked nothing more than sitting down in front of Jeremy Kyle  that had sparked The Royle Family, the story of a working-class Manchester family who were permanently glued to the box.

It all began because Caroline loved the stories Id tell about my dad, how tight he was, how he was obsessed by the immersion heater, terrified of someone leaving a light on in the kitchen. She was fascinated with the minutiae of that, the way hed boss the telly, make my mums life a misery. But the thing about Dad was that however miserable he made her, hed always be able to laugh my mum back into liking him again. Which was the same with Jim Royle. God, I miss him.

Not that it was easy to convince others of the ideas value. After being turned down by every TV channel, it needed Aherne to issue threats of not doing another series of The Mrs Merton Show for it to be finally commissioned. Basically she blackmailed them, he smiles.

Cash made his performing debut in the series, playing Ahernes put-upon boyfriend Dave, and despite the broadcasters reticence, the show proved hugely popular. The episode in which Nana (Liz Smith) dies is frequently cited as one of the finest moments of British television comedy. And it was that episode Cash feels best exemplifies his approach to humour.

I do like a minor chord, I kind of enjoy a bit of sadness, he says. When youve had pathos youre ready to laugh. You need to feel peoples pain in order to be happy for them when things go right.

Early Doors first screened in 2003 and is a gentle, kind-hearted character comedy  all distilled from Cashs drinking experience  and love letter to a lost institution: the local

Craig Cash and Phil Mealy in a new stage version of Early Doors. Cash says: 'When I was growing up, the local was a really important community asset'

As Cash embarks on the plays sell-out tour, he wishes there was one laugh audible above all the others: that of Caroline Aherne

I do like a minor chord, I kind of enjoy a bit of sadness, Cash says. When youve had pathos youre ready to laugh'

Only 25 episodes of The Royle Family were made before Aherne left for Australia in search of a new start. While she was gone, Cash pursued an idea with his old mate Phil Mealey about a pub in Manchester and Early Doors was born. It first screened in 2003 and is a gentle, kind-hearted character comedy  all distilled from Cash and Mealeys drinking experience  and love letter to a lost institution: the local. Id love to encourage people to drink more, he says. Well, be more sociable in their drinking. When I was growing up, the local was a really important community asset. And its a brilliant setting for comedy. Its at the heart of every soap  Coronation Street, EastEnders  its where your characters gather.

As he embarks on the plays sell-out tour, he wishes there was one laugh audible above all the others: that of Caroline Aherne.

He says: I comfort myself by thinking of her watching us from heaven with a packet of 20 Bensons and a bottle of champagne, heckling.

Early Doors is on tour until October 7. Tickets available at britishtheatre.comFoxfinder

Ambassadors Theatre, London Until Jan 5, 2hrs

Rating:

These days rural dramas tend to be set in Bleakshire, a theatrical county of death, despair and moody acting.

Earlier this year, I reviewed Gundog, a ghastly rural vision of suicidal hopelessness entirely set on a pile of mud decorated with a decayed animal corpse.

Dawn Kings play offers similarly cold comfort in this raining, post-Brexit dystopia.

Dawn King's Foxfinder is a case of too many telly stars overcooking this dark farming parable. Above: Poldark's Heida Reed, Game Of Thrones' Iwan Rheon and Eastenders' Paul Nicholls

The crops are under water and starvation looms. A farming couple are grieving for their young son who drowned in a puddle.

Things get worse when their failing farm is visited by a foxfinder, a member of a sinister government institute whose job is to sniff out the foxes that are the cause of the countrys woes.

These foxes are not the mangy brutes that hang around our wheelie bins, mind you. They are two-metre-long beasts with big fangs and mythical potency.

The creepy Iwan Rheon plays the foxfinder, a member of a sinister government institute whose job it is to sniff out the foxes that are the cause of the country's woes

No one has seen one. But to not believe in them is heresy, the penalty for which is to be sent to die in a city factory, your kids carted off to an orphanage.

The creepy Iwan Rheon from Game Of Thrones plays this uptight official  a staring, pervy, watchful prig who whips himself at night.

His reluctant farmer host is played by Paul Nicholls (formerly of EastEnders). He spends the evening nursing a shotgun and going nuts.

IT'S A FACT In 2017 Paul Nicholls was stranded for three days in a rock pool on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand, after falling from a waterfall and smashing his leg. Advertisement

His wife Judith is played by Heida Reed, the beautiful Elizabeth from Poldark. She comes across as far too posh for this  which is maybe why she doesnt pull up those leeks that she moans are rotting.

Bryony Hannah, the mousy one from Call The Midwife, is Sarah, a friend and neighbour.

What a mismatch this cast is. Hannah sounds weirdly casual, as if in an Alan Ayckbourn comedy, though it turns out shes a member of the Resistance.

The atmospherics are good, the writing unusual. But the vague promise of the first half simply fizzles out after a misjudged interval.

Too many telly stars overcook this dark parable, which I suspect worked a lot better when first staged on the fringe with a cast of unknowns.

Underscored with annoying music, Rachel ORiordans production seemed a bit off to me.

Already depressed farmers might want to give it a miss.

Touching The Void

Bristol Old Vic Until Oct 6, touring until Mar 16, 2hrs 40mins

Rating:

The opening of this vertiginous show coincides with the opening of the Old Vics soaring new foyer, which reveals the architectural origins of Bristols 1766 gem, the oldest continually running theatre in England.

The inaugural show is playwright David Greigs version of Joe Simpsons memoir about his horrifying adventure in the Andes.

Having crushed his leg to splinters in a fall down a crevasse, his companion had no choice but to cut the rope and leave him to a certain death.

Tom Morris's thrilling adaptation of Joe Simpson's memoir about his horrifying adventure in the Andes stars Josh Williams (above) and reopens the Bristol Old Vic

In an act of unbelievable endurance, Simpson crawled out and dragged his body all the way back to base camp.

Tom Morriss production is big on adrenaline as the actors (Edward Hayter and Josh Williams) swing from what looks like a three-dimensional snowflake of lethal fragility.

A wind-lashed, rope-taut piece of storytelling, I came out thrilled and frostbitten.





Women In Power

NST City, Nuffield Southampton Theatres Until Sat, 1hr 30mins

Rating:

A crack team of seven writers, including poet Wendy Cope, comedian Jenny Eclair and MP Jess Phillips, have adapted Aristophaness comedy where women disguised as men sneak into parliament and institute gender equality, communism and free love.

For Aristophanes, women being in power was a joke. For a modern audience its obviously not.

But where does that leave the rest of the play? Stuck awkwardly between utopia and satire.

Director Blanche McIntyre and a very funny cast do their best but Women In Power, (Aristophanes's comedy adapted by seven women writers) is stuck between utopia and satire

Director Blanche McIntyre and a very funny cast do their best but the scripts a bit of a mess. Theres joy in its sheer silliness, but while it may be zestily crude, its ultimately toothless.

And with swipes this broad  men bad, women good  it makes zero interesting points about inequality today.

Although were in 391BC Athens, were also in contemporary Britain, with jokes about Colin in accounts, the NHS and the FA Cup.

Jasmine Swans plastic, pastel set of surreal columns sets the tone nicely. But the scripts mix of ancient and modern also lends the feel of a smug student revue or over-extended Monty Python sketch.

Holly WilliamsTrakol

Hillgate Quays, Gateshead

NE8 2BH

Rating:

With a name like Trakol, you might expect food with a Scandinavian burr. You know the stuff; a nip of Noma, a fistful of Faviken and a lot of strange weeds picked by the cool light of the late summer Moon. Therell be fermented this and pickled that, big-armed, richly bearded men with lots of ink delivering food to your table, accompanied by an earnest lecture on the inner life of the fjord shrimp. Oh, and something involving a bilberry. Or barberry. Or lingonberry jam.

Yet Trakol, which sits in a rusty shipping container in the shadow of Newcastles Tyne Bridge, has about as much connection to Scandinavia as I do. Theres a microbrewery next door, and an open kitchen that showcases nose-to-tail cooking, with a seasonal open-fire kitchen. Stop me if youve heard this one before. Our concept, they growl, is to bring primitive outdoor cooking indoors. Trakol may be many things, but primitive it aint.

With a name like Trakol, you might expect food with a Scandinavian burr. Yet, Trakol, which sits in a rusty shipping container in the shadow of Newcastles Tyne Bridge, has about as much connection to Scandinavia as I do

Because within moments of arriving, my cynicism evaporates like beef fat on hot coals. The menu skips merrily across the globe, a ceviche here, XO sauce there, a deep-fried Reuben sandwich, oysters with kimchee, a vast Barnsley chop. Im with my mate Mark Taylor, a man who can sniff out good restaurants like a pig searching for truffles. So at the end of a rather arduous day of eating, our appetites are, well, a little frayed. Not so much sated as stuffed. Done. The end.

In fact, Ive hit that wall. The point where even one waafer-theen-meent could turn a horribly distended belly into a ticking time bomb, where the only thing I crave is a fistful of Rennies and a soft bed in a dark room, where I can moan gently and fall into a deep sleep tinged with gout and regret. But we have work to do. And Mark is made of far stronger stuff than me. He grabs the menu manfully and before I know it, the dishes start to arrive.

And, dear God, theyre good. The flavours are big and bold, but never brash, the spicing robust but expertly controlled. Theres an octopus ceviche so sharp with lime that it could wake the dead, with firm green tomatoes and soft, ripe red ones, and mint leaves, slices of radish, fresh peas, and winsome chunks of cephalopod. Its a riot of texture and flavour, crunch, punch and munch, a sort of palate reveille that slaps the taste buds back into shape. One minute Im catatonic, the next, fizzed and fired up and ready for more.

There are surf clams, each topped with a fierce blob of homemade fermented black bean sauce, with the kick of an angry mule. Sweet shellfish, then crash, bang, wallop. Its a Cantonese classic, the sort of thing Ive munched  late night and merry as a judge  in overlit Hong Kong seafood temples. And pork jowl, slow-cooked so that the fat starts to melt and the meat falls apart at the hint of a fork, then deep fried, so the edges are crisp and the surface is burnished, and you just cant stop stuffing it into your gob. It sits upon a lusty tangle of vinegary, XO-infused slaw. This is a dish with balance and balls.

As for the pigs tails, seasoned with mission spice (an homage to the great American chain, Mission Chinese). You dont so much nibble as attack each chunk, which are the size of a babys fist. First, a whack of salt, then a punch of chilli and the slow, numbing delights of the Sichuan pepper. Then more salt, and chilli, and crisp fat, and sweet meat, and chilli, and... well, you get the point. The heat builds slowly, until your lips are plump, first tingling, then throbbing, and the bone is picked clean.

We watch as an entire half pigs head, all puffed, golden ears and sublime crackling, is sent off to nearby tables, along with a kilo of chop and great slabs of black pudding

Back to Europe, via Argentina, for a vast plate of asado-cooked lamb, pink and succulent yet with a smoky crust that would thrill even the most discerning of Kentucky pitmasters. A dozen thick slices sit among beautifully dressed soft lettuce, and bitter chicory, and marinated red onion, and blobs of cooling curd. The balance is perfectly judged, hot and cold, sharp and sweet. And, like everything else here, the generosity  of flavours and portion size  is immense.

We watch as an entire half pigs head, all puffed, golden ears and sublime crackling, is sent off to nearby tables, along with a kilo of chop and great slabs of black pudding. Theres a whole turbot with braised peas, or the Barnsley chop, which Mark ate the night before and said was the best hed ever eaten. The service is as lovely as the view over the Tyne, the atmosphere seasoned with succour and good cheer. And the price? Just over 60, for all this, and a damned good bottle of Rioja too. Take that Hoxton. Gateshead, Newcastle, Tynemouth: I have plenty more tales to tell in the coming weeks. But if you like to eat, then youll love Trakol. Its pure Geordie gold.

What Tom ate last week

Thursday

Dinner of chana masala, tarka dhal and chicken jalfrezi at Indian Zing in west London. Still one of the best in town.

Friday

First grouse of the year at Whites in St Jamess. Beautifully cooked.

Saturday

Down to my fathers for Glenarm roast beef. Cooked perfectly pink. Sunday Sea trout baked in foil with lime, chilli, soy sauce and coriander.

Sunday

Sea trout baked in foil with lime, chilli, soy sauce and coriander.Its probably the most recognisable of all red grapes  theres no mistaking Cabernet Sauvignons blackcurrant taste. It is powerful, deep, rich and prized. It is also used to bolster blends that might otherwise lack presence. From lead role to bit part, Cabernet deserves to take a bow.

A young Cabernet Sauvignon is robust and fruity, but as it ages and matures in-bottle it softens into a more earthy, soft and savoury red. Try Weinert Carrascal Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (14%)at 9.50, a snip from The Wine Society.

Bordeaux famously blends Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot along the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary with famous appellations such as Margaux and Medoc. Its considered a classic style that can command high prices but Ive found a treat from Berry Bros & Rudd that shows great quality for under a tenner.

A successful trick of Cabernet is to pair with powerful co-stars such as spicy Shiraz. Australia has nailed this with iconic examples such as Penfolds Bin 389 2015 (14.5%), which is available via Fraziers Wine Merchants for 60. But Ive found a superb Shiraz-Cabernet blend in Aldi . It arrives in store and online from October 1, so make a note in your diary to buy Lot XI Clare Valley Cabernet Shiraz 2016 (14%) for 10.99  a wine thats beautifully balanced in Cabernets favour.The world-renowned orchestra includes more than 90 talented artists from all over the world under the baton of top conductor Elim Chan. Established in 1094, the oldest of London's symphony orchestras performs over 140 concerts a year, including 70 international performances in all over the world.



The prestigious London Symphony Orchestra will bring a performance filled with musical virtuosity and enthusiasm. The concert will also be broadcast live on large screens installed around Hoan Kiem Lake to reach larger audiences.

The concert is co-organized by the National flagship carrier Vietnam Airlines and Hanois authorities to promote culture and tourism in the capital.





By MAI AN  Translated by Kim KhanhMonkman & Seagulls Genius Guide To Britain

Monday, BBC2

Rating:

Michael Palin In North Korea

Thursday, Channel 5

Rating:

Everything is interesting, said Eric Monkman at the outset of Monkman & Seagulls Genius Guide To Britain although, as we soon saw, this plainly isnt so.

Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull are the University Challenge contestants who captained rival Cambridge teams in 2017 and became firm friends as well as cult heroes. Eric, particularly, with his lightning mind, extraordinary knowledge and dustpan-brush fringe, was a smash hit. It therefore made perfect sense to pair the two on TV. That was a genius idea. But with its overly fruity, spooflike Simon Callow voiceover and skimming-the-surface format, it wasnt so much an insult to our intelligence as to theirs.

Everything is interesting, said Eric Monkman at the outset of Monkman & Seagulls Genius Guide To Britain although, as we soon saw, this plainly isnt so

The show has them travelling across Britain to find out about the history of engineering, and first stop was the funfair in Blackpool to ride on Sir Hiram Maxims Captive Flying Machine while Eric shouted centripigal force!, or thats what it sounded like anyhow. In passing, it was also mentioned that Maxim invented the machine gun. Who was Maxim? What a guy, no? Might you tell us something about this fella? But not a sausage was said. Next it was Southport and the British lawnmower museum, which did house Brian Mays former lawnmower, admittedly, but even Eric looked mightily bored, and then it was on to Emley Moor and the tallest transmitting mast in Britain. Look, I dont want to sound as if Im blowing my own trumpet here, but I think if I were told how far the lift travelled in a minute and then timed how long it took to get to the top, even I could work out its height. Finally, it was Jodrell Bank, where the pair came alive for a minute, but at no point were they actually entertaining.

There were occasional moments of fun. Eric with his biscuits, for instance. But even the relationship between the two went unexplored. Why were they so often left to wrestle with maps in the wind? I think this must, surely, uphold my theory that a strong format can pretty much take any presenting team (see Bake Off) but no presenting team can rescue a weak format (see all the cooking shows the BBC have thrown Mary Berry and Nadiya at since Bake Off). So not everything is interesting. Eric is, of course, rarely wrong, but he was wrong about that.

I was highly sceptical of Michael Palin In North Korea. Its Channel 5, for one  Im guessing John Sweeneys infiltration of the country for Panorama meant it couldnt go to the BBC?  plus it would only be what the North Korean regime wanted us to see. Theyre not going to say: Hey, you wanna see the mass graves of dissidents? Or: Can we tell you about the famine of 1995-98? Yet while this wasnt the whole story, seeing what they did want us to see was telling enough. More than that, it was fascinating. The traffic police and their robotic choreography. I could watch that all day and be satisfied. Palin travelled over the Yellow River to North Korea from China. Halfway across he looked back (high-rises) and then at his destination, a flat and featureless place so strikingly different, and one with no internet, no international phone signal, no advertising billboards. He headed to the capital, Pyongyang, for the first episode (of two) and woke up in his hotel to Dear General, Where Are You?, the music thats piped across the city from 5am. He had two official guides to make sure I stay in line and an entourage of six watching our every move. He was taken to see the 22ft statues of late leaders Kim Ilsung and Kim Jong-il (grandfather and father respectively of current leader, Kim Jong-un). His guide said they are more like fathers than leaders. He asked where she learned that. She said, Its not brainwashing. We learn from our heart they have done great things. He visited a school where a boy said that when he grew up I want to be a teacher respectful to Marshal Kim Jong-un. This offered a spectacular glimpse of mass compliance.

Palin called on a propaganda artist and a factory turning out ping-pong champions, and attended international workers day, where the citizen who placed a laurel wreath on his head was quickly dragged away. Palin was also taken to the state spa, which is luxurious, but the hairdresser there only offers approved styles. Palin was often unnerved, but while he didnt buy the propaganda (I dont think they learn critical thinking in school) he was never disrespectful. Mostly, he was just engaged with everything, I dont know why. Because it wasnt some stupid lawnmower museum?When Joanna Moorheads husband landed his dream job  400 miles from the family home  her initial response was worry. Would their marriage survive the separation? But  now happier than theyve been for years  theyre joining a growing group of British people whore proving that a little distance can be a big advantage

Journalists Joanna and Gary met while on the same university course

Almost three years ago, my husband moved out of our family home in London and resettled 400 miles away in Glasgow. Wed been married for 27 years and have four children. Like most couples who have endured/survived several decades together, our marriage had had its ups and downs. And I can honestly say now that Gary moving out was one of its high points.

Why? Well, not because he was leaving me  although there have been oh-so-many people certain he was doing just that (one member of my family apparently has a running bet with another that well be divorced within five years). No, its because, for us, living apart has turned out to be the ideal way to live in our 50s. We see a lot less of one another, but when we are together we tend to get on better than we have done for years.

This isnt, to be fair, the article I thought Id be writing back in 2015 when Gary, who works in broadcast news, told me hed got his dream job  in Scotland. In fact, I was worried about how we could make it work. It clearly wasnt an option for us all to move to Glasgow at that point: although our two eldest daughters are both grown up and working, our younger girls were then aged 17 and 13, and embroiled in the English exam system, which differs significantly from its Scottish counterpart. Born and raised in London, theyve got all their friends here and  much though we love Scotland, which is where Gary grew up and where we have spent many holidays over the years  they didnt want to change their lives just because their dad was changing his.

Living apart together (LAT-ing) sounds eccentric, but its more common than youd think: sometimes its couples whove got together when theyre older and who simply continue to keep their own bases; but its not unusual, either, for spouses who have invested in a home and family together to LAT part-time. Around one in ten UK couples do it in some form. Some live separately during the week and get together at weekends; others spend two or three nights apart a week, with one partner staying in the place where she or he is working. We needed a more extreme form of LAT-ing, because Garys job involves running a big department and he cant do it remotely: he needs to be in Scotland, immersed in the country and its politics. I knew what this job meant to him, and supported him completely  but it was only human to be worried about what the effects might be on our family. Would I be resentful about having to carry our domestic setup in London single-handed? Would we be able to stay properly in touch if we were both living busy lives, hundreds of miles from one another? Would we simply drift apart, without the anchor of a shared home? So when in January 2016 I dropped him at Gatwick and he headed off to the flat hed rented in Glasgow, I did wonder whether I was saying adieu to my husband or farewell to our marriage.

Looking back, the early months werent encouraging. I was daunted by the prospect of running our London home alone, and it quickly became clear that Gary wouldnt be home very often. When people asked whether he came home every weekend I snorted with laughter: wed see him perhaps every three weeks, or once a fortnight if we were lucky. We kept in touch by phone and email, and he had text chats with the girls and joined in our family WhatsApp group.

Who says coupledom has to be prioritised over self-fulfilment? We are individuals

The make-or-break came on my first trip north. I arrived in Glasgow during a terrible thunderstorm, went to the wrong railway station and had to call him to rescue me. He has no car in Scotland, so we had to trudge up the hill to his flat in driving rain, him shouting at me for being so silly and me weeping at how disastrous everything was.

But walking through the front door into the warmth of his flat I felt the first stab of excitement at what this new arrangement could mean. Hed found a place in a converted former merchants home. I was struck by its high ceilings and huge windows, and impressed with him for finding such a beautiful flat; and the next day, when I went to see where he worked, I was impressed some more. Glasgow is so vibrant, and suddenly I could understand why hed felt such a pull to return. I realised I loved the city of his birth as much as he did.

We discovered other things in those few days, too. For a quarter of a century mealtimes for us had been noisy and chaotic events centred on our children. Over that weekend, we probably had more meals on our own than in all of the five years previously. And on the final evening, over supper at his favourite restaurant, a modern tapas joint down the road, I told him Id come to a rather unexpected conclusion: The thing is, this suits us perfectly. I know, he said. Ive realised the same thing.

As Nietzsche said, its not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages; and Gary and I have always been great friends. Were not the kind of spouses who hanker after constant togetherness, with a shared social network and never a night apart. That arrangement works for some couples, but for us it would have been claustrophobic. Our marriage wasnt an acquisition but it wasnt a merger either  were more like two separate companies that operate under the same parent body. Weve always given one another space: weve both done lots of independent travel, always had separate friends as well as shared ones.

Underpinning our marriage has been a commitment to our careers: we met in our early 20s on the same university course, and we both knew from the start how important our work as journalists was to us. When, 12 years ago, I took on a passion project in Mexico that led to a book about a long-lost cousin, Leonora Carrington, who had moved there to pursue life as a surrealist artist, Gary knew it would be very disruptive, but he never tried to dissuade me from it. For years I travelled to Mexico for up to a month at a time, leaving him as sole carer for four children who were aged between four and 14 when I made my first trip. Gary understood why I cared so much about my Mexican project, and he was behind me all the way. Now Im returning the favour by supporting him in his dream job in Scotland.

Because who said coupledom has to be prioritised over self-fulfilment? At the heart of every marriage are two individuals, and in our case we both have projects we care about. Weve always been honest about what we can and cant be to one another: were good at compromising, and we never bought into the fairy-tale view of marriage that many a partnership founders on. Also, were aware that if youre in it for the long term  and we are  there are going to be many different stages in a marriage. Sometimes youre not very close, and work or raising children occupy much more of your time and thoughts; at other times, your relationship is more central.

One consequence of my many trips to Central America was the joy of rediscovering myself as an individual: the delicious feeling of waking up in my room in Mexico City on a Saturday morning and realising that the entire weekend stretched out with whatever I chose to do in it. Call it selfish, but to me it was the antidote to all those years of looking after four children: it replenished me, reminded me I was more than just Garys wife and our daughters mother.

Gary and I are lucky, and when I tell people our story its envy, not sympathy, I see in their eyes, especially when Im talking to others who are part of a veteran partnership. We are lucky because we have two interesting, exciting cities to spend time in; we are lucky because, 30 years on from our wedding day, were not under one anothers feet. Were lucky because when we do meet up were invariably pleased to be together  theres nothing like absence to make the heart grow fonder. And its surprising how attractive a partner seems when youve been away from them for a fortnight.

We are lucky because we have two interesting, exciting cities to spend time in; we are lucky because, 30 years on from our wedding day, were not under one anothers feet.

Over the past few months weve bought a flat in Glasgow, and this time Ive been fully involved in choosing it, securing the deal and furnishing it. The experience has brought us closer together; its been a bit like going back to the mid-1980s, and the excitement of buying our very first flat. On the day we got the keys we shared a bottle of champagne on the new sofa, which was the only piece of furniture in the place. The sun was beaming through the windows, and it felt like the first moment of a new chapter.

One question Im often asked is: what do the children make of our arrangement? And the answer is: they love it. Partly because it gives them another focus for their lives: our third daughter is now studying in Scotland and sees plenty of her dad while shes there; the others are regular visitors to the flat, and this year we all squeezed in for a family Easter. But also, I hope, its because they get that were people who can think outside the box; were prepared to find a pathway that works for us. I dont think any of my daughters is going to follow the outdated idea that, if a husband gets moved somewhere because of his job, a wife has to dutifully follow.

Our girls know were both committed to our family, but we dont have to match anyone elses idea of what family looks like. Were role-modelling for them, too, showing that being in your mid-50s doesnt mean a career cul-de-sac. Gary loves what he does, hes ambitious and successful. The girls are as proud of him as I am; I hope theyre also proud of me for staying put in a city that suits me and for realising that my own dreams are as important as Garys. I didnt expect him to follow me to Mexico, and he doesnt expect me to go with him to Scotland (I may do that one day, now I love it so much  but only when its right for me).

Lest all this makes me sound as though everything is perfect in my world, let me assure you: it isnt. Family Sunday lunches have to be earlier now so that Gary can get the last flight back to Glasgow; and were both often a bit sad as he heads off alone for another week, leaving me on my own on the sofa in London. Most of the time our house is filled with daughters and their friends, but occasionally Im there on my own, and it feels a little bit lonely. But nothing is perfect, and right now this works for us. Mutual respect, not getting in the way of one anothers fulfilment and making time for fun seem to me to be a pretty good basis for a mature, modern marriage.A 'shockingly low' number of fraud cases are being successfully cleared up as authorities fight a losing battle, according to consumer group Which?

Just four in 100 crimes reported to Action Fraud have a successful outcome, analysis of available figures by Which? shows.

This means a large majority of victims could be left fighting their bank for a refund and potentially taking it to the Financial Ombudsman if they are unsuccessful.

Losing battle: Data from Which? suggest that authorities are struggling to cope with a deluge of financial fraud cases

Some crimes reported to Action Fraud - which acts as a central point of contact for victims of scams - are passed on to a local police force for investigation, typically one where the suspect lives.

Which? submitted Freedom of Information requests to 43 police forces across the UK, asking them to provide data on fraud investigations.

Of those that responded, 29 out of 30 had seen their performance slip between 2014 and 2016, the consumer group said.

As a result, it argues that a 'losing battle' is being fought against this crime.

A Money Mail and This is Money investigation in April 2016 revealed that even though fraud victims are encouraged to contact Action Fraud, the majority of cases are not investigated.

Which? also says it found a 'lack of transparency' around the available statistics for fraud.

It claimed the current process for investigating fraud can be slow, which could in part be due to the need to request data from banks.

Ceri Stanaway, Which? Money editor, said: 'The shockingly low success rate for fraud investigations is leaving many victims deprived of justice and suggests the authorities are fighting a losing battle against this type of crime.

'Unfortunately, investigations are often conducted at a slow pace - with communication between banks and the authorities often dragging on for weeks before police can launch a full inquiry.

'We'd urge consumers to be extremely cautious when dealing with unsolicited contact - as fraud is on the rise.'

Action Fraud is run by the City of London Police and works alongside the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.

A statement from City of London Police said: 'Fraud is the fastest-growing crime in the UK and this means that it is not always possible to enforce our way out of the problem - due to the high volume of cases it is not possible for every report of fraud to result in a judicial outcome.

'For this reason, it is important that law enforcement not only focuses on pursuing suspects, but also works to prevent and protect people from fraud.

'The City of London Police's National Fraud Intelligence Bureau disrupts email addresses, bank accounts and phone lines associated in fraudulent activity. In 2016-17, 170,856 disruption requests were made.'

BEEN A VICTIM? Have you fallen victim to financial fraud? Get in touch: editor@thisismoney.co.uk

The statement said Action Fraud publishes its statistics on its website and it is always working with local forces to improve transparency.

Action Fraud is currently preparing to introduce an upgraded computer system to improve the service for victims.

Last month it was revealed that Action Fraud takes twice as long to answer the phone than the taxman and many calls aren't picked up despite victims needing help quickly.

A spokesman for trade association UK Finance said: 'The finance industry invests millions of pounds in advanced security systems to protect customers and last year prevented 2 in every 3 of attempted unauthorised fraud.

'Intelligence is continuously shared across the industry and with law enforcement to crack down on fraud and the criminals responsible.

'The industry also fully sponsors a police unit dedicated to tackling banking and card fraud, which successfully prevented 25million of losses and disrupted seven organised criminal gangs in the first half of this year alone.

A Home Office spokesman said: 'We remain committed to improving the law enforcement response to fraud.

'Through the Joint Fraud Taskforce, we are working with the City of London Police, the national lead force for fraud, to educate the police, share best practice and establish a consistent and transparent approach to fraud across all forces.'

He added that a thematic inspection of fraud this year 'will provide the catalyst for local forces to increase their awareness of fraud.'Back in 2016, Admiral nearly launched a scheme that would decide the cost of someone's car insurance based on how they posted on social media.

'Firstcarquote' was designed to look for patterns in the posts of Facebook users to look for personality traits linked to safe driving.

For example, once you opted in, writing in short sentences would identify you as well organised, and therefor a better driver, so the cost of your insurance would go down.

This also meant that writing in a way that Admiral thought identified you as more confident  such as using explanation marks more often  would result in a higher premium.

It was a terrible idea, and in an embarrassing twist the insurer was forced to scrap the scheme two hours before launch after Facebook deemed it breached its privacy rules.

It's common practice for insurers to snoop on your social media if they suspect you of fraud

It's harder today to imagine an insurer trying to use social media data to determine how much you pay for insurance, even through an opt in system like Admiral's.

And despite urban legend, it's unlikely an insurer will deny a claim for a loss arising from your use of social media.

For example, if Instagramming holiday photos led to your house being burgled because the burglars knew you weren't home, this would not usually be grounds for an insurer to dismiss your claim.

But that doesn't stop them from snooping on your Facebook page, Twitter, and other social media pages once you've already made a claim.

In fact, if your insurer thinks there's a chance you're not being entirely truthful, this is common practice.

Axa uses Facebook photos to deny claim Last month, champion boxer Conroy Downer was ordered to pay more than 13,000 in legal costs after evidence emerged that he had been fundamentally dishonest in submitting a claim to Axa following a car accident. Investigations by the insurer and law firm DAC Beachcroft uncovered that Downer had not visited his GP despite his injuries and had posted images on Facebook of himself engaged in various exercises. Downer was involved in a low speed collision in Luton in June 2016 and had claimed that the accident had left him with injuries to his neck and back. Tom Wilson, counter fraud manager at Axa UK said: 'The real victims of insurance fraud, especially of this type, are honest policyholders. 'We hope that the court continues to take a strong stance against fraudsters in these cases.'

An Axa spokesman said: 'Like many insurers we use a number of tools and sources, including social media, as a method of detecting fraudulent claims.

'Social media is a useful weapon to help in the fight on fraud and often leads to conviction against unscrupulous policyholders.'

Insurers have good reason to be suspicious - in 2016, the sector detected 125,000 dishonest insurance claims valued at 1.3billion - and the Association of British Insurers estimates that a similar amount of fraud goes undetected each year.

This is why insurers in the UK invest at least 200million each year to identify fraud.

They argue that if a claimant has nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear  but most of us still feel uncomfortable with the idea of our insurance providers snooping on our private lives, even if we've decided in some form to broadcast our private lives online.

So where do insurers draw the line, and how far into your life can they snoop?

Axa has a set of rules for using someone's social media information to deny a claim, as do most insurers. The insurer can only use the information if it is in the public domain, and the insurer cannot be anonymous when using Facebook  Its profile has to say it's from Axa, rather than using a fake profile.

It can also only view or access profiles if they are open and anyone can see the content, and cannot befriend, like or comment on anyone's page.

LV takes a similar approach. Matt Crabtree, LV fraud manager, said: 'We do everything within our power to detect fraud and protect the premiums of our honest customers. One technique we use to find fraudsters is social media research.

'We analyse publically available information across a host of platforms but, for ethical reasons, would never befriend or engage with any suspects we were monitoring.'

Private investigators can be called on when an insurer suspects a claimant of faking an injury

Insurers might not be the only ones watching your social media profiles

But there is another way that insurers can probe claims which they suspect are fraudulent  with the help of third party private investigators.

Private investigators can be called on when an insurer suspects a claimant of fraud, for example faking or exaggerating a road traffic injury.

Not only can they check on your public social media profiles, but can also use them to find your location to carry out on the ground surveillance, sometimes with hidden cameras.

The operatives sometimes then attend court themselves to give evidence against fraudulent claimants.

If all this snooping is done in a public place, it is perfectly legal.

Genuine claimants will most likely never have to worry about being accused of fraud, but that doesn't mean they have to give up their right to privacy.

If you're worried about this, and don't agree with the old line if you've got nothing to hide you've got nothing to worry about, then you should set your Facebook page to private - you can do so in your privacy settings - and set the privacy on your other social media accounts too.Little known fact: this country is very good at manufacturing. The old joke was that British industry was an oxymoron, but not any more: we are far better at advanced manufacturing than is commonly realised.

The public thinks the UK is only the worlds 56th biggest manufacturing nation. We are actually number nine, a position that should be a source of national pride. Its certainly a minor miracle we are punching so far above our weight.

The misperception about manufacturing probably stems from the 1980s, when the old heavy industries began to wane. A leaner, high-tech, highly-skilled sector that could assure our prosperity after Brexit has risen phoenix-like from those ashes.

Success story: The aerospace industry is heading for a production record this year

The aerospace industry is a case in point. It is heading for a production record this year, with aircraft delivered so far worth up to 18billion.

British manufacturing is a remarkable success story that we should be shouting from the rooftops. But instead of capitalising on this success, firms of all sizes feel embattled not only because of Brexit but also the spectre of a Jeremy Corbyn government, with the prospect of re-nationalisations, higher tax and higher spending.

On Brexit, most manufacturing firms dont seem to have received the memo that it will be a glorious release from red tape and an opportunity to forge trade deals in far-flung parts of the world.

Rightly or not, they are deeply pessimistic. So much so that one in six of those questioned in a survey by industry group the EEF say their business would be untenable if the UK reverted to World Trade Organisation rules. Forty-three per cent said they could see no positive opportunities whatsoever from Brexit.

Brexiteer politicians reject warnings from the leaders of Airbus, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover as Remoaner bleating. But the owners of small and medium firms who responded to the EEF are not part of an unrepresentative corporate elite who are in hock to the EU  they are hard-headed business people trying to run companies in places like Newcastle and Birmingham.

There are 150,000 small and medium British firms that only export to the EU.

Manufacturing firms: Forty-three per cent said they could see no positive opportunities whatsoever from Brexit

Blithely waving aside their fears and telling them to sell more to the Koreans and the Chinese could be the answer  but only in the long term, provided of course firms are not strangled for lack of working capital in the meantime.

The situation is equally bad if not worse in the services sector, including financial services, which some very senior figures feel gets less of a hearing from the Government than industry does.

Regardless of how they voted in the referendum, many business people are becoming ever more anxious and frustrated by bickering and back-stabbing politicians.

They fear not only a botched Brexit, but that the self-harming antics in the Conservative Party will usher Corbyn into Number 10.

Brexit is crowding out other important long-term discussions about skills shortages, lack of investment, and too few women in engineering.

The basic duty of government towards business in a well-functioning capitalist society is to provide a stable political and economic backdrop so firms can be confident to plan and to invest.

In the internecine and interminable Brexit battles, the Conservatives, who should be the party of business, are in danger of forgetting that.Thomas Cook shares slumped by almost a quarter today after the travel firm issued another profit warning, blaming the exceptional UK summer for a decline in trips abroad.

The scorching British summer dented Briton's appetites for heading overseas, with the prolonged spell of good weather from May to August meaning the travel agent had to offer bigger discounts to tempt them not to stay at home or holiday in the UK.

Thomas Cook, which already warned on profits in July, said it now expected full-year underlying operating profit of about 280million, down from previous estimates of 323million.

Trips to Egypt have become popular again said Thomas Cook but it had to discount holidays as Britons were put off booking by the good weather at home

Along the update, Thomas Cook also announced that its chief financial officer Bill Scott is to leave the company at the end of November, after the full-year results announcement.

Sten Daugaard, who is currently on the board, will act as interim chief financial officer until a replacement is found.

Thomas Cook shares fell 20.8 per cent to 61.65p in morning trading.

The group said sales were hit by the European heatwave, which caused a fall in demand for last-minute trips abroad, which in turn lead to 'even tougher competition and higher than usual levels of discounting'.

Overall bookings for summer 2018 rose 12 per cent, driven by the return in popularity of holidays to Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Greece.

But average selling prices fell 5 per cent as hot weather at home meant more potential customers chose to stay put, resulting in heavier discounting.

Staying put: Holidaymakers put off overseas getaways to enjoy the heatwave at home

Chief executive Peter Fankhauser admitted the groups recent performance was clearly disappointing.

Summer 2018 has seen a return to popularity of destinations such as Turkey and Tunisia. However, it has also been marked by a prolonged period of hot weather across Europe.

This meant many customers spent June and July enjoying the sunshine at home and put off booking their holidays abroad, leading to even tougher competition and higher than usual levels of discounting in the 'lates' market of August and September.

Analyst Neil Wilson at Markets.com said the share price fall was perhaps an overreaction.

He said: The manner of these large share price moves whenever a company misses its numbers appears increasingly excessive, although we must note that profit warnings rarely come alone.

We really need to wait to see how summer 2019 looks now to get a clear idea of where the company stands. Further improvements in Egypt and Turkey should help with the Spanish market tough.It's a common argument across the land - just how many new builds have shot up in your area in recent times, perhaps causing traffic havoc or putting a strain on local services.

But whereabouts in Britain are the most amount of new build homes really popping up - and is it the South East seeing the biggest surge of homes?

A new report by the Royal Mail has revealed the answer. Topping the list with the highest percentage of new homes going up is Tower Hamlets, according to data from the Royal Mail and the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

It details the fastest growing areas for new build properties in Britain between 2010 and 2017.

Tower Hamlets has the fastest growing housing area in the UK with a 14% increase in new properties being built with Corby coming in second alongside Cambridge with an 11% increase

The London Borough came top in a list of 20 areas that had the highest percentage of new builds, seeing a sizable 14 per cent leap over the last seven years.

The area is the second-most densely populated English district which may explain why there is such a demand for new build properties.

TOP 20 FASTEST GROWING NEW HOUSING AREAS IN THE UK, BY PERCENTAGE, IN 2010 TO 2017 Location Percentage of growth 1 Tower Hamlets 14% 2 Corby 11% 3 Cambridge 11% 4 Uttlesford 11% 5 Dartford 11% 6 Aylesbury Vale 11% 7 South Norfolk 10% 8 Vale of White Horse 10% 9 Test Valley 10% 10 Tewkesbury 10% 11 Newham 10% 12 Bedford UA 9% 13 Milton Keynes 9% 14 Taunton Deane 9% 15 Central Bedforshire UA 9% 16 Chorley 9% 17 North West Leicestershire 9% 18 Telford and Wrekin UA 9% 19 Cotswold 9% 20 Southwark 9% Source: Royal Mail

Tower Hamlets covers much of the East End of London including the Isle of Dogs, Canary Wharf, Whitechapel and Bethnal Green.

Many of the city's tallest buildings are located in Tower Hamlets, including residential tower blocks.

It is also home to the Brownfields Estate, a housing development built in the 1960s, that has been a Grade II listed building since 1996.

Royal Mail compiled the results after recent reports show an 866million investment in Britain's new housing and a 52 per cent rise in construction output in Great Britain in the last five years.

The data uses Centre for Economics and Business research. It calculated figures with different data drawn from the Valuation Office Agency, the Office of National Statistics and information from Royal Mails 'Not Yet Built' database, where new development plans are recorded.

Brownfields Estate is a housing development in Tower Hamlets, based in London's East End

Corby's Cube building that opened in 2010, home to Corby Borough Council offices as well as housing a 450-seat theatre, a public library and other community amenities

Corby came second on the list with a substantial 11 per cent increase in new builds.

The town held the record for the fastest growing population in both Northamptonshire and the whole of England, according to figures released by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy at the start of the decade.

It also underwent a large regeneration process which included the regeneration of Corby railway station, and the creation of Corby International Pool as well as the Corby Cube building which opened in 2010.

With one of the fastest growing populations in the country, it is no surprise that more new builds are being built to accommodate the growing number of people living in the town.

Many of the towns and areas on the list are those that have welcomed new building and expansion, rather than the hotspots that people may want to move to most.

Aerial view: Cambridge University colleges by the River Cam and King's College Chapel

Uttlesford, Essex, was voted as the best place to live in England, in a survey by the Sunday Times in 2001. It has also been polled as the healthiest place

The highly popular city of Cambridge came in third, again with an 11 per cent increase, as it now homes a new generation of people who are looking for a place to live with good transport links to London and other cities.

The famous University city also now has the second highest paying technology jobs in the country, bringing a new influx of people to the city to work - and has also has fast access to the ever growing Stansted Airport.

In the district of Uttlesford, which came fourth, new housing increased by 11 per cent.

Located in North Essex, it contains the market town of Saffron Walden - which was once voted as the best place to live in England, in the annual survey by the Sunday Times.

The Dartford Crossing: A major road crossing the River Thames in Kent to Thurrock in Essex

Aylesbury Vale is a large area of agricultural landscape in the north of Buckinghamshire

Fifth was Dartford, Kent, also with an 11 per cent rise. Situated close to the centre of London and with good transport links, Dartford is a popular choice for commuters.

Aylesbury Vale was sixth with 11 per cent whilst South Norfolk, Vale of White Horse, Test Valley and Tewkesbury make up the bottom four of the list, all with a 10 per cent increase in new builds.

The Royal Mail also revealed the top 20 fastest growing housing areas by number, with Cornwall topping the list with 17,450 new builds.

TOP 20 FASTEST GROWING NEW HOUSING AREAS IN THE UK, BY NUMBER, IN 2010 TO 2017 Location Number of homes increased 1 Cornwall UA 17,450 2 Tower Hamlets 14,500 3 Wiltshire UA 14,230 4 Leeds 14,180 5 Birmingham 11,720 6 Liverpool 10,750 7 Southwark 10,740 8 City of Bristol 10,700 9 Newham 10,180 10 Croydon 10,140 11 Wandsworth 10,030 12 Barnet 9,910 13 Central Bedfordshire UA 9,730 14 Lewisham 9,320 15 Milton Keynes 9,290 16 East Riding of Yorkshire 9,130 17 Manchester 9,030 18 County Durham 8,680 19 Cheshire West 8,560 20 Sheffield 8,400 Source: Royal Mail UA = Unitary authority

The booming tourist industry in the seaside county along with it remaining popular with retirees has helped develop demand for property by the coast.

However, Cornwall is a unitary authority and it covers a much wider area than others in the list - so it is likely these properties are scattered across the entire county, rather than confined to a small space.

Next on the list was the first in the fastest growing by percentage, Tower Hamlets, with 14,500 additional properties being built.

Third was Wiltshire, again a unitary authority, with 14,230 new properties.

Vale of White Horse: The name was given due to the huge figure of a horse etched into the turf

The rest of the list again shows a wide geographical range of new build homes from County Durham to Central Bedfordshire.

Annual construction output for homes has soared by more than 50 per cent in the last five years and trebled in the last twenty, according to figures.

The Royal Mail's 'Not Yet Built' database also shows that both the number of development plans applied for and the number completed in the last year have risen by 10 per cent and five per cent respectively.

How flats now make up nearly a quarter of all homes

The fastest growing type of new housing to be built in recent years is now flats. From 2012 to 2017, the number of flats across England & Wales increased by seven per cent.

It means flats now account for 22 per cent of all British residential properties in 2017.

Unsurprisingly, most of the top 10 local authorities with the highest share of properties as flats are all in Greater London, with the exception of Birmingham.

Tower Hamlets is top of the list again with 12,160 flats built in the past five years.

TOP 10 LOCAL AUTHORITIES WITH ABSOLUTE LARGEST INCREASES OF FLATS FROM 2012 TO 2017 Local authority Number of flats built 1 Tower Hamlets 12,160 2 Hackney 8,440 3 Greenwich 8,060 4 Barnet 7,370 5 Newham 7,130 6 Brent 7,020 7 Southwark 6,640 8 Lewisham 6,550 9 Birmingham 6,490 10 Wandsworth 6,330 Source: Royal Mail

Hackney is next on the list with 8,440 flats being built with Greenwich closely following at third.

An astonishing 98 per cent of residential properties in the City of London are flats.

Other cities do still feature highly, especially towns and cities on the South coast, such as Brighton & Hove and Bournemouth, where half of properties are flats.

Test Valley is a borough in Hampshire, named after the valley of the River Test

Tewkesbury is a historic riverside town in Gloucestershire and is home to Tewkesbury Abbey

The North West, West Midlands, East, London, South East, South West and Yorkshire & the Humber are all areas in which flats were the most common type of residential property to be built in the last five years.

The North East, East Midlands and Wales are the exceptions with detached houses the most common type of property being built in those areas.

Detached houses saw growth of four per cent overall between 2012 and 2017.

The report also revealed the top ten local authorities with the largest percentage increase of flats in the past five years.

TOP 10 LOCAL AUTHORITIES WITH LARGEST PERCENTAGE INCREASE OF FLATS FROM 2012 TO 2017 Local authority Percentage increase 1 Cambridge 23.8% 2 Leicester UA 18.5% 3 Greenwich 16.4% 4 Tonbridge and Malling 16.1% 5 Newham 14.0% 6 Aylesbury Vale 14.0% 7 Reading UA 13.6% 8 South Gloucestershire UA 13.2% 9 Hart 12.9% 10 West Berkshire UA 12.8% Source: Royal Mail UA = Unitary Authority

Cambridge tops the list with a rise of 23.8 per cent, demonstrating the growing demand from the public for new build apartments to be constructed.

Leicester came second with a sizable 18.5 per cent and Greenwich third with 16.4 per cent.

Only two London authorities made the top ten, Greenwich and Newham, showing a marked difference between the percentage increases and the actual number of flats going up.Andrew Nicholson, 65, (pictured) worked on construction sites for Bovis Ltd and Wates Built Homes during the 1970s, and was exposed to asbestos that led to a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma in September 2016

A builder who lost his two brothers to asbestos-linked cancer has won a 260,000 payout after he also fell ill with an incurable form of the disease.

Andrew Nicholson, 65, from Swanley in Kent, worked on construction sites for Bovis Ltd and Wates Built Homes during the 1970s, and was exposed to asbestos that led to a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma in September 2016.

Neither company provided any respiratory protection or trained him about the threat of asbestos dust, which is the most common cause of this form of cancer.

'It's almost beyond belief that as recently as 30 to 40 years ago, large companies were knowingly exposing their employees to lethal chemicals,' Mr Nicholson told MailOnline. They placed ticking time bombs over our heads while burying theirs in the sand.

Mr Nicholson began feeling short of breath early in 2016, and was forced to quit work as a contracts manager for a construction company.

He soon suspected mesothelioma, having watched both his brothers die from the disease  Chris in 2008 and Terry in 2004.

Terry, a musician, came into contact with asbestos at a recording studio. Chris may have been exposed while a long-term resident at Cane Hill Hospital in Croydon following his diagnosis for Aspergers syndrome.

After experiencing symptoms of breathlessness, Mr Nicholson soon suspected mesothelioma, having watched both his brothers die from the disease  Terry (left) in 2004 and Chris in 2008

Mr Nicholson will have any future private medical expenses covered as part of the legal settlement, including expensive immunotherapy not available on the NHS. He is now responding well to an immunotherapy drug trial at Maidstone Hospital.

He started in the construction in 1971 as a site clerk in Croydon, south London, for Wates Built Homes. While in the stores he handled sheets of Asbestolux, an asbestos insulating board, and swept up the dust which came off them.

In 1974, he moved to the now defunct Bovis Ltd, progressing from a junior surveyor to project manager of their Special Works Division in Sidcup. Again, he was exposed to asbestos dust when visiting sites where Asbestolux and Artex were being used.

'From the outset, I knew what mesothelioma involved and what the prognosis would be,' Mr Nicholson said.

What is malignant mesothelioma? It is an incurable form of cancer which stars in cells in the linings of certain organs, including the lungs, and is normally linked to asbestos exposure. In the UK more than 2,600 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. More than 15% of men survive the cancer for more than a year, but only 1% for five years or more. It is estimated that in the UK more than 9 out of 10 men with mesothelioma and more than 8 out of 10 women have been in contact with asbestos. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement

He approached the industrial disease team at London solicitors Hodge Jones & Allen to represent him in a claim against his former employers.

He was seeking a compensation payout to immunotherapy which would improve his quality of life and prolong the time he had.

His claim was initially contested by Wates and Bovis Ltd, now owned by Lendlease Construction Holdings, on the basis that there had been no breach of duty of care as any exposure to asbestos dust had not exceeded 'permitted safe limits'.

However, at a pre-trial meeting between the two parties, Wates and Lendlease tacitly acknowledged their responsibility for causing Mr Nicholsons illness and agreed to pay him compensation for losses, past and future.

The 260,000 lump sum payment was agreed by the insurers of both firms, as well as an indemnity agreement covering Andrew against any future medical and legal bills.

'I am relieved to finally have this legal battle behind me, and peace of mind that the treatment, which I so desperately need, is secured,' he said.

Chris (pictured) may have been exposed while a long-term resident at Cane Hill Hospital in Croydon following his diagnosis for Aspergers syndrome

His solicitor Isobel Lovett, partner and head of industrial disease at Hodge Jones & Allen, said: 'Mesothelioma is only caused by exposure to asbestos.

'Andrew contracted this disease as a result of his employers exposing him to asbestos at work and failing to protect him from this deadly substance.

'When held to account, many companies drag their heels through the process in the hope that the issue will just go away, as survival rates for mesothelioma don't involve long time frames.

According to HSE figures, there were over 3,000 deaths from mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases in 2015. These types of diseases typically take many years to develop.

Widespread use of asbestos, particularly in the post-World War II building industry had led to a large increase in asbestos-related diseases.

Annual deaths have increased steeply over the last 50 years, largely as a result of asbestos exposure prior to 1980, and are expected to continue to current levels for the rest of the decade before declining.

MailOnline has contacted Wates Built Homes and Lendlease for comment.Kat Von D has been slammed by fans for a 'racist' post made on her makeup brand's Instagram account that promoted a product against the backdrop of a cotton field.

The entrepreneur and tattoo artist, who has come under fire in the past for controversial lipstick names, launched her own makeup line Kat Von D Beauty back in 2008.

The brand recently posted an image of a woman holding up a concealer with blooming cotton buds in the background with the caption: 'Let Lock-It Concealer do all the hard work for you with instant one-coat coverage.'

Social media users were quick to point out how the image and accompanying caption were 'tone deaf and insensitive' and seemed to make a slavery reference.

Kat Von D has been slammed by fans for a 'racist' post on her makeup brand's Instagram account promoting a product against the backdrop of a cotton field with the caption 'let [it] do all the hard work for you'

The makeup entrepreneur and tattoo artist, who has come under fire in the past for controversial lipstick names, launched her own makeup line Kat Von D Beauty back in 2008

Shortly after the backlash, the image was swiftly removed but no apology or explanation was given.

An angry consumer told DailyMail.com: 'I'm not a person of color, but I was disgusted by what I saw.

'Given her history, it shouldn't surprise me. What surprises me is how she keeps being involved in serious scandals, yet Sephora continues to carry her makeup.

'I have been boycotting her products ever since her anti-vax stance was made known.'

A spokesperson for Kat Von D Beauty originally said in a statement to DailyMail.com: 'We often repost imagery that our fans create that display artistic composition we love.

'We re-posted the image with the intention of celebrating the artful representation of one of our products.

'Unfortunately, it was paired with text which we now recognize could be misconstrued.

'We have since taken down the post, and apologize for any offense this may have caused.'

An angry consumer told DailyMail.com: 'I'm not a person of color, but I was disgusted by what I saw. Given her history, it shouldn't surprise me. What surprises me is how she keeps being involved in serious scandals, yet Sephora continues to carry her makeup.' Pictured: Kat with her husband Leafar Seyer

Shortly after the backlash, the image was swiftly removed but no apology or explanation was given

An hour later, the spokesperson attempted to walk back on the statement.

This is not the first time 36-year-old Von D, whose real name is Katherine von Drachenberg, has been slammed for tone-deaf product marketing.

In 2015, she was forced to defend a red lipstick shade named 'Underage Red', saying in a lengthy Facebook post: 'I should mention first, that I am the sole creative force behind my brand.

She added: 'I clearly remember wearing a variation of this shade when I was 16 years old. I also remember the feeling of wanting so badly to go see a specific concert at this age, and not being able to get in to the venue because I was underage. Back then... in the eyes of many (including my parents), it may have been inappropriate for me to be wearing lipstick. But I did.

'"Underage Red" is not a girly, pink shade. It is not a sophisticated, deep red either. It is an unapologetic, bold red. To me, "Underage Red" is feminine rebellion.'

In June, Kat sparked outrage after declaring she won't vaccinate her baby because she believes immunization shots are 'not safe'

Kat, 36, and her author, artist and musician husband Leafar Seyer, 43, wore black from head to toe, as he caressed her baby bump on Saturday

Her personal life isn't short on controversies either.

In June, she sparked outrage after declaring she won't vaccinate her baby because she believes immunization shots are 'not safe'.

Kat, who is pregnant with her first child with husband Leafar Seyer, revealed her decision in an Instagram post, dismissing 'unsolicited advice' from fans about parenting.

'If you dont know what its like to have the entire world openly criticize, judge, throw uninformed opinions, and curse you - try being an openly pregnant vegan on Instagram, having a natural, drug-free home birth in water with a midwife and doula, who has the intention of raising a vegan child, without vaccinations,' she wrote.Asia Argento has spoken for the first time since her lover Anthony Bourdain committed suicide  describing her grief and admitting that she cheated on him but saying: 'He cheated on me too.'

She speaks out in an exclusive DailyMailTV interview conducted in her home city of Rome, where no topic was off limits.

It has been three months since Bourdain was found hanging in his hotel room in Kayserberg, France where he was filming an episode of his CNN series, 'Parts Unknown.' The premier of what would prove to be his final season aired Sunday night.

Now, in an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV, the Italian actress, director and MeToo activist, has relived the moment she learned that the man she loved had taken his own life.

She told how trolls have accused her of driving her lover to suicide by cheating on him, and has revealed instead the truth of their 'grown-up' relationship saying: 'He cheated on me too. It wasn't a problem for us.'

Her voice cracking with emotion, she said: 'People say I murdered him. They say I killed him.

'But I understand that the world needs to find a reason. I would like to find a reason too. I don't have it. Maybe I would feel some solace in thinking there was something that happened.'

Breaking her silence: Asia Argento, 43, is speaking for the first time about her relationship with Anthony Bourdain, three months since he took his life in a French hotel room, in an exclusive DailyMailTV interview

Frank: The Italian actress has revealed the truth about their 'grown up' relationship and tells DailyMailTV both were unfaithful to each other but 'it wasn't a problem for us'

Pictures of Argento embracing a male friend and strolling hand in hand in Rome with him emerged just three days before Bourdain, 61, killed himself.

It didn't take long for online trolls to connect the dots in the most brutal fashion.

She was branded a 'murderer' by online groups such as 'Justice for Anthony' - who did not let the fact that they knew neither Argento nor her late love stand in the way of casting their judgment

Argento was slammed for not 'looking like a woman mourning' the man she calls 'my love, my rock, my protector' when she chose to go back to work as a judge on the Italian edition of the X-Factor shortly after Bourdain's death.

In fact, Argento said, the day after Bourdain's death she had a choice: 'To go to work or to never get up again.'

I understand that people wanted to blame me because he was so deeply loved and he entered in the hearts of so many people, into their lives, into their hearts.

To this day she credits her role on X-Factor as having saved her life. She said, 'For the hours that I was on the stage I would just listen to the music, to these artists that were putting their dreams on the stage and I would concentrate on that and not on my broken heart.

'And it worked. It literally saved my life and for that I will always be grateful.'

With remarkable compassion Argento, 43, continued: 'I understand that people wanted to blame me because he was so deeply loved and he entered in the hearts of so many people, into their lives, into their hearts.

'So in a way I understand that they [want to] see me as the negative person, the destroyer.'

But according to Argento, however unthinkable Bourdain's suicide and however much she understands a desire to make sense of it by attributing blame in this fashion, to do so is to misunderstand the nature of their two-year-relationship.

She explained: 'Anthony was a very smart man, one of the smartest people I have met - wise, deep.

'People need to think that he killed himself for something like this? He had cheated on me too. It wasn't a problem for us.

'He was a man who traveled 265 days a year when we saw each other we took really great pleasure in each other's company. But we are not children. We are grown ups.

'Anthony was 62 [his suicide was shortly before his 62nd birthday]. I was 42.

'We had lives, we had wives and husbands, we had children. I cannot think of Anthony as somebody who would do an extreme gesture like this for something like that.'

Argento shared a heartwarming pictured with Bourdain and her nine-year-old son Nicola. She says that among feelings of shock and pain, she also felt angry that Bourdain had 'abandoned' her and her children, who viewed him as their 'best friend.'

Family: Argento, pictured with daughter Anna Lou, 17, and son Nicola, nine, says her family 'still cries' over Bourdain's death 'every day'. He was her son's best friend, she said

Argento broke down the emotional interview and admitted she feels guilty that Bourdain had 'so much pain inside of him and he didn't share it'

Yet though she does not believe Bourdain's death is her 'fault,' Argento - who met the celebrity chef when she was asked to direct an episode of Parts Unknown - admitted that she does struggle with the sense of guilt shared by many who have lost a loved one to suicide.

She explained, 'What I do feel terrible about is that he had so much pain inside of him and he didn't share it.

'I did not see it. And for that I will feel guilty for the rest of my life.'

Argento revealed how close Bourdain was to her two children - her daughter Anna Lou, 17, and son Nicola, nine - and shared pictures of the chef and her son with DailyMailTV.

I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I was alone in my bedroom. I couldn't even cry and then I was on the floor and the maid came in and she told me I was catatonic.

Last October Argento became one of the first Harvey Weinstein accusers to speak up at the very dawn of the MeToo movement.

She alleged that the disgraced producer raped her, forcibly performing oral sex on her in a hotel room in 1997 despite her repeated protestations of 'No.'

In the media furor that followed Bourdain was Argento's most vocal supportive, her defender and champion who spoke fiercely about his desire for Weinstein to suffer a massive stroke and die miserably with the realization that he was utterly alone.

Bourdain was Argento's lover and her warrior. She called him her 'strength and rock.'

She said: 'He defended me against everything and everyone.'

She never imagined that he would leave her so suddenly and so alone.

Her anger towards Bourdain kept her alive, she said, for a while - it gave her a sort of fierce strength, but that feeling has now been 'replaced by loss'

Speaking very softly, Argento remembered that moment she learnt that the unthinkable had happened.

She said: 'It was around 12 o'clock and I was preparing to go and start X-Factor Italy and I received a phone call from his manager and it was very quick.

'He just told me, "Anthony took his life." And I couldn't speak. I couldn't cry at first.

'And then I started screaming. I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I was alone in my bedroom. I couldn't even cry and then I was on the floor and the maid came in and she told me I was catatonic.

'And then I started crying and I couldn't stop. And I couldn't understand.

'I thought I could never get up again after this. It felt like I was in the abyss and there was no light anymore. There would never be light again.'

Tragic ending: Bourdain was found on June 8, hanging in his hotel room in Kayserberg, France where he was filming his show, Parts Unknown

Argento has described Bourdain as her 'strength and rock.' He was one of her most vocal supporters after she spoke publicly about being assaulted by Harvey Weinstein

Ending: CNN showed the premier of the final season of Parts Unknown on Sunday night, with Bourdain traveling to Kenya with CNN's W. Kamau Bell

And after the shock and the pain came anger - anger that Bourdain who was loved by both her 17-year-old daughter and nine-year old son - had 'abandoned' them.

She said, 'I didn't know how to tell him [my son] because for him Anthony was his best friend, my daughter too.

'So the depth of this depression was so great I thought I would never come out and then my reaction was one of anger.

'The anger came because this desperation has no end..and I was angry, yes, with him for abandoning me and my kids.'

That anger kept her alive, she said, for a while - it gave her a sort of fierce strength.

She said: 'But now it's been replaced by loss, this hole that cannot be filled by anything.'

And she knows she will never have an answer to the central question: Why? Why did the man she love kill himself?

Bourdain once said that he had never met anyone who wanted to kill themself as much as he did, until he met Argento. Yet he never shared with her how close to the void he really was.

She said: 'It is unthinkable because there are no answers. There's no reason. I wanted to find a reason [too] - that he would have told me, 'I'm not well. I need help.'

'He only told me once that he had dark thoughts.'

But Argento had no way of knowing how close those thoughts were crowding.

Instead, she said: 'Just two months before [he killed himself] it was our anniversary and he wrote to me, "Two years - a miracle, a gift, the best thing that has ever happened."

'And for me it's the same and nothing, and nobody, will ever take that away from me or him.'

She said: 'When this happened I was in shock. I was paralyzed.I didn't even want to read the details of his death. I was frightened, frightened to know.'

Argento described the painful moment she learned Bourdain had taken in his life and says she felt like 'there would never be light again'

Today Argento is just trying to keep breathing. She is living for her children - her 17-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son - and she is clinging to the one thing of which she is certain in the midst of such inexplicable pain.

It is three months since Argento's world imploded and, she said: 'We still cry about it every day.

I was in shock. I was paralyzed. I didn't even want to read the details of his death. I was frightened, frightened to know

'I feel as if I don't have skin, as if I am raw. Anyone who touches me could hurt me - I could break in a million pieces.'

She said, 'I've started many time but now really, the unthinkable has happened. So now, what to do? I want to heal. I'm doing therapy. I'm in terrible pain and I'm seeking help.

'One thing I know, that he has given me the two happiest years of my life and I've given [that to] him.'

Most of all she longs for Bourdain to be at peace because as long as she is suffering, she believes, he is too.

She said: 'I'm sure that he's suffering and I wish him not. I wish him to find peace for his spirit for his spirit for his soul. Immediately he has to find peace. Immediately he has to go to the light.'

Perhaps hoping that Bourdain might hear her trembling voice just as clearly as Argento is sure that he feels her current pain, Argento said: 'I am not well. But I could be worse.

'I know I will stand up again, I don't know how long it's going to take but I intend to live my life and accept everything.'

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.An X-Men star who vanished in China was embroiled in a legal battle over claims she was the mistress of one of the Communist Partys most powerful men, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Fan Bingbing, 37, has not been seen in public for nearly three months since being accused online of pocketing illegal multi-million pound payments during an investigation into corruption in Chinas movie industry.

Although Chinese officials have remained silent over her whereabouts, a report appeared briefly on a state-run newspaper website saying that the actress had been brought under control and was about to receive legal judgment.

Fan Bingbing (pictured) in her role as Blink in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Fans disappearance has generated huge speculation in China. She is the countrys most famous movie star, with 63 million followers on social media and an estimated 75 million fortune.

In a new twist, publicly available court papers seen by The Mail on Sunday reveal that at the time of her disappearance in June the actress was pursuing a lawsuit in the US over allegations that she had had an affair with Chinas Vice President Wang Qishan.

Wang  labelled Chinas most feared man  is President Xi Jinpings right-hand man and led his anti-corruption campaign, which saw thousands of officials detained and jailed, many of them political rivals of Xi.

The lawsuit, signed by Fan, was filed in respect of online videos posted by exiled billionaire Guo Wengui last year claiming that 70-year-old Wang had a long-term affair with her involving liaisons in a luxury Beijing hotel suite.

In the catalogue of allegations, Guo  who fled China over corruption allegations in 2014 and is seeking political asylum in the US  claimed Fan used her relationship with Wang to pocket bribes in return for getting permission for property deals.

Fans lawsuit against Guo describes his claims as unsupported, wild, and defamatory. It declares: Ms Fan has never had any sexual relationship or adulterous affair with Mr Wang, nor has she ever participated in any bribery scheme.

Wang Qishan (pictured), Vice President of China, is President Xi Jinpings right-hand man

Chinese newspapers have reported that Fan is under investigation for allegedly pocketing an illegal 5.9 million tax-free fee on top of her 1.2 million official salary for just four days work on a movie after the contracts were leaked online.

In a phone call to The Mail on Sunday, Guo dismissed the contract allegations as a smokescreen and said Fans downfall was triggered by Communist Party in-fighting.

Firstly, someone is trying to use Fan Bingbing to get to Wang Qishan, he said. Secondly, somebody wants to shut Fan up.

Guo said Fan was being detained in a hotel adjoining a military airport in Beijing which is used for interrogations. She has been permitted to go home to get her personal stuff and then go back to prison, he said.

Guo, 51, was one of Chinas richest men and has made a string of unverifiable corruption allegations against the countrys leaders since arriving in the US.

Fans LA-based lawyer Andrew Brettler said he had not heard from Fan or her representatives in China since April. Since then Ive just been reading the same rumours as you, he added.Advertisement

Officials, descendants of soldiers and visitors braved strong winds and rain to attend a remembrance ceremony on Sunday afternoon in the Meuse-Argonne cemetery, which is surrounded by green fields and forests in Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, a village in northeastern France.

The Meuse-Argonne offensive of 1918 was America's deadliest battle ever, with 26,000 U.S. soldiers killed, tens of thousands wounded and more ammunition fired than in the whole of the Civil War. It was also a great American victory that helped bringing an end to World War 1.

All day, volunteers read the soldiers' names aloud, to honor those who sacrificed their lives. Covering 52 hectares (130 acres), Meuse-Argonne is the largest American cemetery in Europe.

As part of the ceremony on Sunday afternoon, serving US soldiers gathered in the Meuse-Argonne cemetery in northern France to listen to the names of the troops killed in the fighting being read out. Representatives from the French army were also on show

Serving American soldiers wearing WWI military uniforms were on parade during the remembrance ceremony in the Meuse-Argonne cemetery on Sunday. The cemetery is the largest American military cemetery on the continent, dwarfing many of the World War Two graveyards

Commander of U.S. European Command, Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, delivers a speech during Sunday's commemorations as he flew in from the US to join in the ceremony

Organizers were forced to cancel the planned lighting of 14,000 candles because of the bad weather.

Gerald York, grandson of World War I hero Sgt. Alvin York, praised a 'beautiful commemoration'.

'The weather's a little dreary, but that's the way it was 100 years ago for the battle. So we're kind of getting a view of what they did, what they fought in and the conditions they had to endure,' he said.

His grandfather earned the Medal of Honor for his efforts during the Meuse-Argonne battle. Sgt. York led an attack on a German machine gun nest, killing at least 25 enemy soldiers, and capturing 132 Germans.

'It was the first real modern warfare that the U.S. was in. Machine guns, airplanes, tanks, mustard gas that killed many,' York said.

Two men in the WWI military uniforms of France and the United States pose in the Meuse-Argonne cemetery, northeastern France, during a remembrance ceremony on Sunday as hundreds of volunteers braved inclement weather to turn out for the remembrance service

French and American flags were planted at the tombstones of marked and unmarked soldiers' graves as people from around the world gathered to pay their respects to those who died during the deadly offensive 100 years ago

Commander of U.S. European Command, Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, placing candles on the tombstones of American soldiers in the cemetery as part of the ceremony of remembrance on Sunday afternoon

Secretary of the American Battle Monuments Comission, William Matz, delivers a speech during a remembrance ceremony in the Meuse-Argonne cemetery surrounded by military figures from around the world including several high-ranking generals from France

The cemetery contains eight wide grave sections with long regular rows of crosses stretch between the trees on the gentle slopes of a hill with many of the graves unmarked. Hundreds of bodies of men killed in the fighting were never identified because of the severity of their injuries

Grandson of WWI hero Alvin York, Colonel Gerald York, walks in the Meuse-Argonne cemetery. His grandfather earned the Medal of Honor for his efforts during the battle after leading an offensive against a German position in which 25 of the enemy were killed and over a hundred captured

Around 16,000 of the total number of American dead are buried at the cemetery in northern France with thousands more missing. Along the walls of the chapel area are the tablets of the missing which include the names of those soldiers who fought in the region and in northern Russia, but have no known grave

'In that area was the largest battle and the most casualties because you had men going up against machine guns. And machine guns were just mowing folks down.'

William M. Matz, secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) that maintains the site, believes that this piece of history must be retold to younger generations.

'I think it's important for their teachers, their parents to bring them to these beautiful sites, let them walk through the rows of crosses, let them look at the walls of remembrance, let them go into the cemetery chapels and let them learn the history of what these men did 100 years ago,' he said.

'It's because of their brave deeds, their acts of valor and courage and commitment ... that these young folks are able to live and enjoy the life that they're living,' he added.

As night drew in at the Meuse-Argonne cemetery, candles which had been placed on top of war graves were lit to create a dazzling illumination effect

Row upon row of candles could be seen illuminating the night sky on Sunday as a candle was placed on the headstone of each of the dead American soldiers in the cemetery

A U.S .Army 37-mm gun crew man their position as they fight their way through no-man's land during the World War One Meuse-Argonne Allied offensive in France in September 1918. By the time of the offensive, the deadlocked trench warfare stage of the fighting was just starting to be broken

American artillery spotter checking range of his units shells during the Meuse-Argonne offensive on October 5 1918 as the fighting dragged on for seven weeks. The battlefields were so badly damaged by the fighting that the French Securite Civile agency believes it will take 700 years to recover all the unexploded shells hidden in the soil

American gunners pose near their 14-inch railway gun in northern France as they rest during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The fierce battle eventually led to the complete collapse of the German army in France and the end of the war on November 11 1918

American soldiers passing through the ruins of Varennes during the offensive. Varennes was almost completely destroyed by the brutal artillery campaign and was located in the so-called 'Zone rouge' - an area cleared by the French government after the war

A squadron of American armored troops preparing for an attack on the Argonne Forest near Verdun as they slowly make their way through the forest. American troops made use of effective British tanks as they struggled to break through the German lines

During seven weeks of combat, 1.2 million American troops led by Gen. John J. Pershing fought to advance on the entrenched positions held by about 450,000 Germans in the Verdun region.

The offensive that started on September 26, 1918, was one of several simultaneous Allied attacks that brought the war which started in 1914 to an end, leading the Germans to retreat and sign the armistice on November 11.

Pershing said 'the success stands out as one of the very great achievements in the history of American arms.'

At the cemetery, eight wide grave sections with long regular rows of crosses stretch between the trees on the gentle slopes of a hill. On top is a chapel where the names of 954 missing American soldiers, whose bodies were never found or identified, are engraved.

A section of American Marines move through a shattered wood during the offensive. The main objective of the campaign was to knock out the German railway hub at Sedan which would effectively sever all supply lines to the western front and bring to and end the war

A German plane downed but not destroyed on the battlefield near Verdun. Towards the end of the conflict, aerial superiority became ever more crucial for the opposing sides as aircraft evolved from being used for reconnaissance to dropping armaments

The human cost on the German side of the fighting was also grave as more than 28,000 soldiers lost their lives and around 120,000 were injured in the fighting. Almost 60,000 German soldiers were also taken as POWs by the French and AmericansAdvertisement

Thousands of coastal residents have been told to prepare for evacuation as rivers and waterways continue to swell more than a week after Hurricane Florence made landfall in the Carolinas.

About 6,000 to 8,000 people in Georgetown County, South Carolina, are bracing for record flooding of up to 10 feet in the wake of the storm, which dumped several feet of rain when it crept across the region earlier this month.

Georgetown County spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said flooding is expected to begin Tuesday near parts of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers and that people in potential flood zones should plan to leave their homes Monday.

Most rivers and waterways across the region ravaged by Florence were said to have crested Sunday, but weather officials warn dangerous flood conditions will linger for the next several days as the water slowly recedes.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Thousands of South Carolina residents are preparing for evacuation as rivers and waterways continue to swell more than a week after Hurricane Florence. Pictured: Members of the Coast Guard float down a flooded street in Conway on Sunday

Maura Walbourne sits in a canoe surveying the damage at her flooded home in the storm-ravaged town of Conway on Sunday

The Sherwood Drive area of Conway began to look like a lake on Sunday as homes were submerged record-high floodwaters

Kayakers paddle down Long Avenue in Conway on Sunday as officials warn floodwaters will likely continue to rise this week

The county's emergency management director, Sam Hodge, said in a video message posted online that authorities are closely watching river gauges and law enforcement would be going door to door in any threatened areas.

'From boots on the ground to technology that we have, we are trying to be able to get the message out,' Hodge said in the video feed, advising people they shouldn't await an official order to evacuate should they begin to feel unsafe.

In North Carolina, five river gauges were still at major flood stage and five others were at moderate flood stage, according to National Weather Service.

The Cape Fear River was expected to crest and remain at flood stage through the early part of the week, and parts of Interstate 40 are expected to remain underwater for another week or more.

Parts of Interstate 95 had also been expected to be underwater for days, but North Carolina Gov Roy Cooper announced Sunday night that the major highway has been reopened to all traffic, as floodwaters had withdrawn faster than expected.

Hundreds of dead fish were left stranded on Interstate 40 in North Carolina after floodwaters receded

The fish washed up on the interstate last week when Hurricane Florence pummeled the area and caused widespread flooding

An aerial view shows extensive flooding down South Carolina Highway 22 on Saturday, creating traffic issues across the state

A South Carolina State Highway Patrol officer marks the water level on Highway 22 to compare against previous days

Floodwaters already receding on one stretch of Interstate 40 left thousands of rotting fish on the pavement for firefighters to clean up.

Video showed firefighters blasting the dead fish off the highway with a fire hose in Pender County in eastern North Carolina.

The local fire department posted online: 'We can add 'washing fish off of the interstate' to the long list of interesting things firefighters get to experience.'

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Michael Sprayberry said that eastern counties continue to see major flooding, including areas along the Black, Lumber, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers.

'Florence continues to bring misery to North Carolina,' Cooper said in a statement Sunday evening.

He added that crews conducted about 350 rescues over the weekend and that travel remains treacherous in the southeastern area of his state.

But he said National Guard members would be shifting next to more door-to-door and air search wellness checks on people in still-flooded areas.

The storm has claimed at least 43 lives since slamming into the coast September 14.

Officials help Denise Fulmer from her flooded home on Sunday so she could take shelter at the Conway Recreation Center

John Davis hands out meals at the NC Baptist Men's relief site at First Baptist Activity Center in Wilmington on Sunday

Auxilia Gerard, left, and Lou Anne Liverman help to fill boxes for individual meals at the relief site in Wilmington on Sunday

In Washington, Congress is starting to consider almost $1.7billion in new money to aid recovery efforts from Florence.

Lawmakers already are facing a deadline this week to fund the government before the start of the new budget year on October 1, and members of Congress are expected to try to act on the disaster relief along with separate legislation to fund the government.

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said the money would be available as grants to states to help rebuild housing and public works, as well as assist businesses as they recover from the storm.

GOP Rep Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey called that 'a first round' and said lawmakers are ready to act quickly if the federal disaster relief agency also needs more money.

An economic research firm estimated that Florence has caused around $44billion in damage and lost output, which would make it one of the top 10 costliest US hurricanes. The top disaster, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, cost $192.2billion in today's dollars, while last year's Hurricane Harvey cost $133.5billion.

Brian Terry surveys flooding from the Pee Dee river that surrounded his home in Brittons Neck, South Carolina on Saturday

Most houses in Brittons Neck were completely cut off by flooding from the nearby Pee Dee River over the weekend

Moody's Analytics estimates Florence has caused $40billion in damage and $4billion in lost economic output, though the company stressed that the estimate is preliminary.

In other developments, at least three wild horse herds survived Florence on North Carolina's Outer Banks, but caretakers were still trying to account for one herd living on a hard-hit barrier island, the News & Observer reported Sunday.

Staff members are planning to make trips to the island this week to check on the Shackleford Banks herd.

Elsewhere in North Carolina, state environmental officials also said they're closely monitoring two sites where Florence's floodwaters have inundated coal ash sites .

Hundreds of dead fish floated on the surface of floodwaters from the Cape Fear River in downtown Wilmington on Sunday

Environmental officials have yet to determine what caused the hundreds of fish to die following Hurricane Florence

The Hotel Ballast is reflected in floodwaters from the Cape Fear River along Water St in downtown Wilmington on SundayThe owner of a Texas company that sells plans to make untraceable 3-D printed guns has been released on bail after being arrested in Taiwan last week.

Cody Wilson, 30, posted his $150,000 bond in Houston, Texas, on Sunday within hours of being booked for having sex with a minor.

He was arrested in Taipei, Taiwan on Friday and had been extradited back to Texas to face the charges.

According to police, he met his 16-year-old victim on the website SugarDaddy.com and paid her $500 for sex in an Austin hotel room.

The girl told authorities about their encounter last week but, police say, someone tipped Wilson off and he fled.

Cody Wilson is pictured leaving jail in Houston on Sunday after posting a $150,000 bond for allegedly having sex with an underage girl and paying her $500 for it. He refused to answer journalists' questions and was met by a bodyguard who led him to a car

Cody Wilson took this booking photo before he was released on bail

Cody Wilson, the owner of Defense Distributed, is pictured being led into county jail in Houston, Texas, on Sunday after landing back in the US from Taiwan. He was bailed out hours later

Wilson is shown being led through the airport in Taipei, Taiwan, on Friday with a mask and sunglasses covering his face before being extradited to the US to face charges for paying an underage girl for sex. He was bailed out of county jail in Houston, Texas, on Sunday within hours of being taken into custody

On Friday, he was taken into custody by local police and was extradited back to the US.

Wilson is the owner of the controversial company Defense Distributed, a 3D-gun printing company which has been at loggerheads with the US government in recent years.

According to an arrest affidavit, Wilson met thew girl in a coffee shop in Austin in late August.

They had already exchanged explicit pictures and messages through the website.

He then drove them to a hotel where they had sex. He paid her $500 for it then dropped her off a a Whataburger, according to prosecutors.

Not long after their alleged encounter, she told a counselor at the Center for Child Protection about it and they reported it to police.

KHOU reports that one of the girl's friends then got in touch with Wilson to tell him the police knew about it and were investigating it.

US authorities believe Wilson knew he was about to be arrested and fled to try to evade police

Cody Wilson, center rear, is seen at a police car in Taipei on Friday last week. Authorities in Taiwan arrested Wilson, who is wanted in the U.S. over underage sex accusations

Cody Wilson, with Defense Distributed, holds a 3D-printed gun called the Liberator at his shop, in Austin, Texas

They say he flew to Taipei to evade the authorities.

Surveillance footage from him in Taiwan shows him in the lobby of Your Hotel.

He was arrested on Friday by local police and, as he was paraded through the airport, wore a face mask.

Wilson was due to be sent from Houston to Austin to face the charges this week.

The terms of his bail agreement remain unclear. It is not known if he had to surrender his passport in order to get out.

Prosecutors said on Sunday they were happy to have him back in the US.

'We are glad that Cody is back in Texas again where we can work with him on his case.

' That's our focus right now,' Wilson's attorney, Samy Khalil, said in a statement Sunday night.

Wilson walking through a hotel lobby in Taipei just hours before authorities in Taiwan arrested him

Wilson, pictured at a hotel shop in Taiwan last week, has previously been at the center of a storm over his 3D-printed guns

Wilson is the owner of Austin-based Defense Distributed. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia had sued the Trump administration to dissolve a settlement it reached with the company over allowing it to disseminate its designs for making a 3D-printable gun.

The lawsuit by mostly Democratic state attorneys general argued that such weapons could be used by criminals or terrorists.

A federal court last month barred Wilson from posting the designs online for free. He then began selling them for any amount of money to U.S. customers through his website.

Wilson, a self-described 'crypto-anarchist,' has said 'governments should live in fear of their citizenry.'

Law enforcement officials worry the guns are easy to conceal and are untraceable since there's no requirement for the firearms to have serial numbers. Gun industry experts have said the printed guns are a modern method of legally assembling a firearm at home without serial numbers.President Donald Trump is poised to redouble his commitment to 'America First' on the most global of stages this week.

In the sequel to his stormy U.N. debut on Tuesday, Trump will stress his dedication to the primacy of U.S. interests while competing with Western allies for an advantage on trade and shining a spotlight on the threat that he says Iran poses to the Middle East and beyond.

One year after Trump stood at the rostrum of the U.N. General Assembly and derided North Korea's Kim Jong-un as 'Rocket Man,' the push to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula is a work in progress, although fears of war have given way to hopes for rapprochement.

Scores of world leaders, even those representing America's closest friends, remain wary of Trump.

President Donald Trump is poised to redouble his commitment to 'America First' when he speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Trump is seen during last year's address in September 2017

In the 12 months since his last visit to the U.N., the president has jolted the global status quo by pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, starting trade conflicts with China and the West and embracing Russia's Vladimir Putin even as the investigation into the U.S. president's ties to Moscow moves closer to the Oval Office.

Long critical of the United Nations, Trump delivered a warning shot ahead of his arrival by declaring that the world body had 'not lived up to' its potential.

'It's always been surprising to me that more things aren't resolved,' Trump said in a weekend video message, 'because you have all of these countries getting together in one location but it doesn't seem to get there. I think it will.'

If there is a throughline to the still-evolving Trump doctrine on foreign policy, it is that the president will not subordinate American interests on the world stage, whether for economic, military or political gain.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters in a preview of Trump's visit, that the president's focus 'will be very much on the United States,' its role and the relations it wants to build.

'He is looking forward to talking about foreign policy successes the United States has had over the past year and where we're going to go from here,' she said.

'He wants to talk about protecting U.S. sovereignty,' while building relationships with nations that 'share those values.'

In his four-day visit to New York, Trump will deliver major speeches and meet with representatives of a world order that he has so often upended in the past year.

Like a year ago, North Korea's nuclear threat will hover over the gathering, though its shadow may appear somewhat less ominous.

The nuclear threat was sure to be on the agenda at Trump's first meeting, a dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Manhattan on Sunday night.

Abe stands first among world leaders in cultivating a close relationship with the president through displays of flattery that he has used to advance his efforts to influence the unpredictable American leader.

On Monday afternoon, Trump planned to sit down with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who comes bearing a personal message to Trump from North Korea's Kim after their inter-Korean talks last week.

Trump and Moon were expected to sign a new version of the U.S.-South Korean trade agreement, one of Trump's first successes in his effort to renegotiate trade deals on more favorable terms for the U.S.

Even so, some U.S. officials worry that South Korea's eagerness to restore relations with the North could reduce sanctions pressure on Kim's government, hampering efforts to negotiate a nuclear accord.

'We have our eyes wide open,' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday.

'There is a long ways to go to get Chairman Kim to live up to the commitment that he made to President Trump and, indeed, to the demands of the world in the U.N. Security Council resolutions to get him to fully denuclearize.'

Long critical of the United Nations, Trump delivered a warning shot ahead of his arrival by declaring that the world body had 'not lived up to' its potential. Trump is seen above during last year's address

Trump's address to the General Assembly comes Tuesday, and on Wednesday he will for the first time chair the Security Council, with the stated topic of non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

The subject initially was to have been Iran, but that could have allowed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to attend, creating a potentially awkward situation for the U.S. leader.

Aides say the president will also use the session to discuss North Korea and other proliferation issues.

While Trump is not seeking a meeting with Rouhani, he is open to talking with the Iranian leader if Rouhani requests one, administration officials said.

In meetings with European leaders as well as during the Security Council session, Trump plans to try to make the case that global companies are cutting ties with Iran ahead of the reimposition in five weeks of tough sanctions against Tehran.

The penalties are a result of Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Trump at the time cited Iran's role as a malign force in the region, particularly its support of terrorist groups, but also its involvement in Syria.

U.S. officials say their priority for the region now is removing Iranian forces from Syria.

Trump is also expected to deliver a fresh warning to Syria's Bashar al-Assad that the use of chemical weapons against civilians in the major rebel stronghold of Idlib would have serious repercussions.

Britain and France are actively planning a military response should Assad use chemical weapons again, according to U.S. officials.

'I think he's got a couple major possibilities really to help illuminate for the American people what America's place in the world,' national security adviser John Bolton told Fox News Channel's Sunday Morning Futures, previewing Trump's U.N. appearance.

Bolton, like Pompeo, is part of a far more hawkish national security team than the one that surrounded Trump a year ago.

Meetings on the sidelines of the General Assembly often come in rapid succession, a wearying test for even the most experienced foreign policy team.

Trump has a robust schedule during his stay in New York, including meetings with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, French President Emmanuel Macron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

But while some world leaders are still reeling from Trump's deference to Putin in their summer Helsinki summit, there will not be an encore in New York: The Russian president is not expected to attend the proceedings.A Good Samaritan who took in more than two dozen dogs and cats during Hurricane Florence has been charged with practicing veterinary medicine without a license.

Tammie Hedges, founder of Crazy's Claws N Paws animal rescue, was arrested Friday after 27 dogs and cats were confiscated from a temporary shelter.

Hedges felt she had to help the animals brought to her during the storm, she told the News-Argus of Goldsboro.

Tammie Hedges, founder of Crazy's Claws N Paws animal rescue, was arrested Friday after 27 dogs and cats were confiscated from a temporary shelter

She took in more than two dozen dogs and cats during Hurricane Florence

Hedges said she gave amoxicillin to some sick animals and also used a topical antibiotic ointment

She's also charged with soliciting a donation of tramadol, a prescription painkiller sometimes used for dogs and cats

Hedges said she gave amoxicillin to some sick animals and also used a topical antibiotic ointment.

She's also charged with soliciting a donation of tramadol, a prescription painkiller sometimes used for dogs and cats.

In a statement, Wayne County said animal control officers had 'serious concern regarding the practice of veterinary medicine without a license and the presence of controlled substances.'

Hedges told local media that she was in the process of converting a warehouse space along Route 581 in Rosewood into a shelter.

Hedges told local media that she was in the process of converting a warehouse space along Route 581 in Rosewood into a shelter

She felt she could use that extra space to house pets that were in danger.

'The goal was to make sure they were not out there drowning,' Hedges told WNCN-TV.

'We had an elderly couple, they were evacuating that afternoon, and there was no way they could take 18 animals with them.'

With the storm approaching, Hedges said she raised money through donations which enabled her to buy crates, food, and other supplies.

She was able to bring 27 animals - 17 cats and 10 dogs - into the warehouse, where volunteers stayed with them 24 hours a day as the storm was wreaking havoc on the Carolinas.

With the storm approaching, Hedges said she raised money through donations which enabled her to buy crates, food, and other supplies

She was able to bring 27 animals - 17 cats and 10 dogs - into the warehouse, where volunteers stayed with them 24 hours a day as the storm was wreaking havoc on the Carolinas

Hedges can't figure out what all the fuss is about. 'We were trying to help abandoned animals,' Hedges said

After the storm had passed on Monday, Hedges received a phone call from Frank Sauls, the manager of Wayne County's animal services.

'You can voluntarily hand over the animals, or I can go get a warrant,' Hedges said she was told by Sauls.

County officials confiscated the animals.

'If we didnt feel like anything was being done wrong, we would not have taken (the animals),' Sauls said.

'But that is for the courts to decide.'

When asked how Sauls found out about the warehouse, he said: 'All that will come out, if the case goes to court.

'But at this point, its very early in the investigation.'

Hedges can't figure out what all the fuss is about.

'We were trying to help abandoned animals,' Hedges said.

'We knew North Carolina didnt have any regulations or laws regarding shelters for animals.

'So a group of us got together to do something to help those animals is why we opened our building to them so theyd have a safe dry place to go until their owners returned to get them.

'I had not gone out and gotten any animals, but a couple of independent rescuers had gotten some from flooded areas and brought them to me.'

Kathie Davidson, a volunteer with Crazys Claws N Paws, said the temporary shelter was in the process of receiving the necessary permits to be a permanent shelter.

'Since she had space, Tammy had not opened as a shelter, she just wanted to be able to provide a place for the animals,' Davidson said.

'Each one had its own cage or playpen, its own water, its own food, and cats had their own litter box. There was a kennel set up with pads that dogs could be taken to to use the bathroom.

'All of this was inside, dry as a bone. Someone stayed all night, so the animals were never left alone.'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.Criminals running 'county lines' drug empires across the country are using children's bank accounts to launder their dirty money.

The gangsters use youngsters to hide their profits by paying up to 5,000 per transaction into their personal accounts.

It can then be withdrawn as cash or moved on to other members of the network, hopefully without alerting the authorities.

Gangsters use youngsters to hide their profits by paying up to 5,000 per transaction into their personal accounts. File photo

The deeply troubling trade was revealed in a Government-backed report into the risks facing the nation's town centres.

Up to 50,000 children have become embroiled in county line gangs  so called because they involve criminals crossing county boundaries to expand their empires from big cities to suburbs and small towns.

Over the past week the Daily Mail has highlighted how the menace has grown into a 1.8billion underworld trade.

In the Mail on Friday, Home Secretary Sajid Javid pledged a 'fightback' against the criminals who 'ruin lives and damage society'.

Sajid Javid pledged a 'fightback' against the criminals who 'ruin lives and damage society'

Experts fear scores of young people are being enslaved by gangs to sell, store and move drugs and help them launder the profits.

They have discovered some of the children are even dubbed 'Bics'  because they are considered as disposable as a cheap biro pen.

'Young people's bank accounts are being used for money-laundering purposes,' a report by the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM) concluded.

Schoolboy, 15, recruited to sell class A drugs Crime boss: Billy Neil, 26, persuaded a 15-year-old boy to sell drugs A boy studying for his GCSEs was among vulnerable teenagers recruited by a county lines drug ring run by a failed bouncy castle salesman. The 15-year-old, who cannot be named, was persuaded to sell class A drugs in Cheshire towns in return for a cut of takings of up to 2,000 a day. One of the two men behind the web  which was centred on Ellesmere Port  was even seen sitting on a bench watching one of his young dealers exchanging drugs in a play area while children enjoyed themselves nearby. The ring was run by Billy Neil, 26, who had a failing bouncy castle business, and Anthony Akins, 27, who is paralysed from the waist down after being shot in a drugs operation. Last week the gang were jailed for almost 50 years combined at Liverpool Crown Court, with judge Mary Loram saying the use of a child was an 'aggravating feature'. The boy, now 17, received a 12-month rehabilitation order. Advertisement

The National Crime Agency (NCA) believes there are around 1,000 county line gangs and has more than 200 live operations targeting them.

More than 4,000 suspects linked to their trade in heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis have been arrested in the past two years.

Alarmingly, one in ten were children  some as young as 12  caught ferrying drugs from cities to the suburbs and small towns.

Simon Ford, of the ATCM, told the Sunday People: 'Gangs will get children to open bank accounts or use existing accounts.

'Parents will see as much as 5,000 appear on their statements when the kid is, say, a first-year college student working as a lifeguard.

'It's a way of storing and hiding the money. The problem is we don't actually know the scale of the problem.

'The NCA quotes 1,000 but I'd suggest it's much more. We know it's increasing all over the UK. These gangs will travel miles to set up new bases.'

Experts are concerned that those most at risk of being recruited into gangs are in pupil referral units for those excluded from mainstream education.

They have found youngsters becoming indebted to bosses are acting in a 'more ruthless and desperate' manner to pay off money they owe.

Some county lines gang leaders even continue to operate their networks from behind bars using a 'freely available supply of mobile phones'.

Many forces have held operations targeting networks whose tentacles spread across their turf.

Norfolk Police has mounted the UK's largest  netting 714 suspects since December 2016, including 126 children  while Essex Police has captured 668 suspected drug dealers.

A 3.6million national county lines co-ordination centre opened a few days ago to help forces share information.A former tradesman who lost his leg as he was spearfishing has recalled in harrowing detail how a shark bit into his leg and tore if off - almost killing him.

Glenn Dickson, now 26, was close to death as a three-and-a-half metre beast sunk its teeth into his right leg early last year.

'I was thrown and thrashed around with such immense force,' he told the ABC.

He has offered his morale support to a woman and a 12-year-old girl attacked in Queensland's Whitsundays last week, saying they were now members of the ' bite club'.

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A former tradesman who lost his leg as he was spearfishing has recalled in harrowing detail how a shark bit into his leg and tore if off - almost killing him

The father-of-three almost died six times following the bull shark attack in February last year, off the coast of Mission Beach in far north Queensland, and only survived thanks to his quick-thinking spearfishing friends.

'Immediately the water was filling up with blood,' he said.

He remembered how the faces of his children and his fiancee Jessie-Lee Janssen flashed before him.

'That gave me the strength to survive the five and a half hours from the attack to getting into surgery,' he said.

Glenn Dickson (pictured with his fiancee Jessie-Lee Janssen) almost died as a three-and-a-half metre beast sunk its teeth into his right leg early last year

The father-of-three almost died six times off following the bull shark attack in February last year and only survived thanks to his quick-thinking spearfishing friends

Mr Dickson has spoken about his life-and-death ordeal after Tasmanian woman Justine Barwick, 46, was last week attacked in another part of the Queensland coast, at Cid Harbour, near Hamilton Island.

She was mauled on Thursday, and required 18 hours of intensive surgery to save her leg, only 24 hours after a 12-year-old Melbourne girl Hannah Papps was attacked by another shark in the same area of the Whitsundays in the Great Barrier Reef, leaving her in a critical condition.

Mr Dickson, who is getting married next month, said he hoped the public would rally around Queensland's latest shark attack victims.

'The public support has been amazing and I really hope these women are going to get the same support that I did because it is really amazing,' he said.

The former tradesman, who now wears a prosthetic leg, has since been embroiled in a fight with Centrelink, which refused him a disability pension, even though he is unable to work.

Glenn Dickson was refused a Centrelink disability pension after the shark attack in far north Queensland that tore off his right leg

The former tradesman survived and was released from hospital after only five weeks, but lost his right leg and is unable to work (pictured is Centrelink's letter)

'I think I became a number, a dollar sign that they could save money on,' he told told A Current Affair last year.

'It feels like being kicked in the guts, by your own government.'

Mr Dickson (pictured, left) and his partner Jess (pictured, right) believe it is simply unfair for him to be refused the Disability Support Pension

Despite his severe injury - requiring the father-of-two (pictured) to use a prosthetic limb with a cane or a wheelchair - Centrelink are refusing to give him a disability pension

To make matters worse, his superannuation fund Sunsuper will not pay Mr Dickson a lump sum, giving him his money over six years instead.

Mr Dickson said the company changed their policy only 12 months before the shark attack, otherwise he would be able to collect the lump sum.

The young family have now accepted a pro bono offer from Will Barsby from Shine Lawyers to help him fight Centrelink and Sunsuper.

To make matters worse, his superannuation fund Sunsuper will not pay Mr Dickson (pictured) a lump sum, giving him his money over six years instead

Mr Dickson (pictured) said the company changed their policy only 12 months before the shark attack, otherwise he would be able to collect the lump sum

Although Mr Dickson is getting a Newstart allowance, it amounts to $400 less a fortnight than the disability pension.

Mr Barsby is trying to get Sunsuper to pay Mr Dickson a lump sum so he can buy a new home or a new prosthetic.

The Department of Human Services said in a statement they believe Mr Dickson is getting the correct payment and he has the right to request a review of the decision.

Sunsuper said their research showed members prefer being paid in installments rather than receiving lump sums, and said 'significant consideration' had been given to Mr Dickson's case.Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell will today unveil plans to snatch 10 per cent of shares in all large firms in an extraordinary raid on business.

Under the radical proposals, workers boards would be handed control of the stakes  with dividends shared between employees and the taxman.

It is estimated the scheme would lead to a 4billion-a-year grab on company profits by the end of a Labour governments first term.

Jeremy Corbyn and Tom Watson at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool yesterday

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell (pictured) will unveil plans to grab shares today

Business leaders warned the order would only encourage investors to pack their bags and could actually cause a fall in pay for the poorest workers.

Mr McDonnell will announce the policy in his keynote speech to Labours annual conference in Liverpool as he pledges to make the party manifesto even more radical. The party is also proposing a 560million tax on holiday homes.

Under the share ownership overhaul, legislation would be introduced requiring all private companies with 250 or more employees to hand over a 1 per cent stake of their business each year, up to a maximum of 10 per cent.

The shares would be held in an inclusive ownership fund managed by a board of elected worker representatives.

Dividend payouts would be made at a flat rate to all employees of the firm, but would be capped at 500 each per year. Anything above this would be handed to the taxman.

Labour estimates this would raise 2.1billion a year for the Exchequer after the first five years of the scheme being in place. The CBI business group last night accused the party of seeing companies as a bottomless pit of funding. Its director-general Carolyn Fairbairn said: Rising wages are what everyone wants to see, but Labour is wrong to assert that workers will be helped by these proposals in their current form.

Dawn Butler MP (right), Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, greets Jeremy Corbyn at Labour's National Women's Conference at the ACC in Liverpool on Saturday

Their diktat on employee share ownership will only encourage investors to pack their bags and will harm those who can least afford it. If investment falls, so does productivity and pay.

Business has been resilient in the face of uncertainty, but Labours anti-business positioning is starting to bite.

Its time for pro-enterprise collaboration, not public proposals that set alarm bells ringing in boardrooms at home and across the world.

In his address Mr McDonnell will say that workers who create the wealth of a company should share in its ownership and, yes, in the returns that it makes.

Corbyn praises MP's pro-Militant speech Dawn Butler (left) praised Militant Tendency Jeremy Corbyn yesterday backed one of his shadow ministers after she praised the Militant Tendency for breaking the law in the 1980s. Shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler applauded how Liverpools council had set an illegal budget in defiance of Margaret Thatcher. Hard-Left figures including Derek Hatton brought the local authority close to collapse in 1985 by deliberately proposing to spend more than it had  leading to redundancy notices being served on its entire 30,000-strong workforce. Miss Butlers comments triggered a backlash from within Labour, with Labour peer Baroness Thornton tweeting: Derek Hattons Militant colleagues were misogynistic bullies. We should not be praising them. But Mr Corbyn came to her defence, saying: What she was doing was expressing support for the determination of the people of Liverpool. Advertisement

But he will add that those out of work should also benefit from the share grab.

He will say: We all know its not just the workers of a company that create the profits it generates.

Its the collective investment that we as a society make that enables entrepreneurs to build and grow their businesses, maintaining the roads and investing in the infrastructure we rely upon, educating the workforce, caring for them when theyre sick and investing in the research and development that enables technological innovation.

So we believe its right that we all share in the benefits that investment produces.

Thats why a proportion of revenues generated by the inclusive ownership funds will be transferred back to our public services as a social dividend, mobilising billions that could be spent directly on the social security system which supports those who have retired, are unable to work, or need societys support in other ways.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn supported the proposal last night ahead of its announcement as he suggested he wanted to take Britain back to the 1970s, before Margaret Thatchers reforms rescued Britain from economic decline.

He told a fringe event organised by his Momentum supporters that a Labour government would also require big firms to reserve a third of seats on boards for workers representatives.

He said: The very richest in our society have had tax breaks, giveaways and tax havens. I tell you what  they are on borrowed time because a Labour government is coming.

Mr Corbyn added: What were doing is challenging a neoliberal ideology that took over the world in probably, lets say, 1970s or thereabouts. The whole idea of tax cuts, reduce the size of the state, increase privatisation and trickle-down economics later inherited by Margaret Thatcher.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss called the shares proposal yet another tax rise from a party that already wants to hike taxes to their highest level in peacetime history.

Labour also wants a 560million tax on the owners of holiday homes. Under the plans, second properties in England used for holidays would be subject to an average tax bill of 3,200, double the current council tax rate.



Frank-Walter Steinmeier could join The Queen for the service at Westminster Abbey in November to show reconciliation between the two nations

An Ex-Army commander has warned against inviting the German president to the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday.

The Queen planned to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War alongside Frank-Walter Steinmeier in November to reflect the reconciliation between the two nations.

But Colonel Richard Kemp said the head of state should not be allowed to the attend the commemoration 'if it upsets even a single veteran'.

Plans to have The Queen mark the centenary of the end of the First World War alongside German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier (right) are being debated in Downing Street

But officials fear there could be an outcry among veterans if the German head of state is invited to the Cenotaph

A Number 10 official was seen carrying a memo about inviting the German as they headed into Downing Street on Friday

The former commander of British troops in Afghanistan told The Sun: 'This requires careful consideration. The Cenotaph is a sacred place.

'No doubt some would be very unhappy that the Armistice Day guest of honour is a German government representative. One offended veteran is one too many on this hallowed day.'

A Number 10 official was seen carrying a memo about inviting the German as they headed into Downing Street on Friday.

Among the papers was an email from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that raised fears of an outcry - showing it is being seriously considered in Whitehall.

'I am aware advice has previously been submitted to No 10 and a view taken that, on balance, German involvement should be focused to the Westminster Abbey service, given the Cenotaph is about remembering those affected by all wars/conflicts rather than just WW1,' the memo said.

'I would welcome a fresh look at this, especially an assessment of the potential concerns from veterans associations and the risk of negative Press coverage.'

Ex-Army commander Colonel Richard Kemp, speaking to the Sun, said: 'This requires careful consideration. The Cenotaph is a sacred place.'

Ex-Army commander, Colonel Richard Kemp, thinks Steinmeier's invite would upset former servicemen

The plan is to have Steinmeier join The Queen at the televised commemoration of 100 years since the Armistice.

Oscar-winning movie director Danny Boyle has been called on to film the event. He says he hopes to capture the mood of the nation and 'invite communities across the UK to come together in marking 100 years since the Armistice'.

He was asked by 14-18 Now, a five-year programme of arts projects 'connecting people with the First World War', to help plan the event.

Prince Harry is seen laying a wreath of flowers at the war memorial at Westminster Abbey in 2016

Sources say his idea is to encourage everyone to write a name of a soldier on biodegradable paper and send it into the sea on Armistice Day to symbolise how they were sent across the Channel to end Germany's aggression.

Yet there are apparently some misgivings about the proposal - however 14-18 Now did not respond to requests for comment, the Sunday Times reported.

Hollywood star Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, will also be involved and has been enrolled to 'bring to life' the soldiers experiences.

Outside the Abbey, Oscar-winning film director Danny Boyle (pictured) hopes to capture the mood of the nation and 'invite communities across the UK to come together in marking 100 years since the Armistice'

He has been given access to film footage shot during the war, as well as up to 600 hours of audio interviews, by The Imperial War Museum.

The rest of the world will most likely be watching Paris in November after the French president Emmanuel Macron invited heads of more than 80 states to a peace forum.

It will be to keep the promise made a century ago: 'Never again'. The dignitaries have been asked to come with ideas as the French president said: 'Peace is currently losing ground every day'.

In 2014, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined the German president in Belgium while the Queen led a candle-lit vigil at Westminster Abbey.

And this year a senior royal will attend services taking place in Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow as well as a ceremony in Paris.

A high-level Whitehall source confirmed the plans, saying: 'There have been German representatives involved throughout the commemorations but it is fitting that the current German president should be present at the main commemoration with the Queen in November.'Brett Kavanaugh has denied sexual misconduct allegations made by a second woman.

The Supreme Court nominee rejected claims by Deborah Ramirez, 53, that he 'thrust his penis in her face and caused her to touch it without her consent' during a dorm party at Yale University in the 1980s.

The alleged incident, which is said to have taken place during the 1983-84 academic year, was first reported on Sunday by The New Yorker.

She told the magazine she only came forward now because she had been drinking during the evening and admits there are 'gaps in her memory' when recollecting the story.

Kavanaugh denied the latest allegations against, slammed them as a 'smear' and said he looks forward to be able to clear his 'good name' when he testifies to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

He said in a statement: This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen, the judge wrote in a statement.

Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh (right) leaves his home September 19. Another woman has come forward to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct

Debbie Ramirez (above), a resident of Colorado, has come forward to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. She says the incident took place during their freshman year at Yale University

Deborah Ramirez (seen far left with her mother and her sister, Denise), 53, a resident of Colorado who attended Yale with Kavanaugh, said that the Supreme Court nominee got drunk at a dorm party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent

The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple.

I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name - and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building - against these last-minute allegations.

According to The New Yorker, the offices of at least four Democratic senators received word of the allegations and at least two of them have begun investigating.

Senior Republicans also learned of the new allegations last week.

Republicans renewed calls to accelerate the vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation when they were told about this allegation last week.

'This is another serious, credible, and disturbing allegation against Brett Kavanagh,' said Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii.

'It should be fully investigated.'

President Donald Trump was notified of the allegations before the story went public, according to NBC News.

Trump has not changed his views on Kavanaugh and still supports him.

The White House also released a statement in response to The New Yorker story.

'This 35-year-old, uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man,' said White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec.

'This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say.

'The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh.'

The White House is distributing a set of talking points aimed at discrediting Ramirez, according to political reporter Gabe Fleisher.

The sheet notes that Ramirez acknowledged to The New Yorker that there were significant gaps in her memories of the evening.

The White House also notes that Ramirez was reluctant to characterize Kavanaughs role in the alleged incident with certainty.

It was only after six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney - who the White House noted was provided by the Democrats - did she feel confident enough of her recollections.

Ramirez told The New Yorker that she attended the New Haven, Connecticut-based Ivy League school where she studied studied sociology and psychology.

After graduating from college, she says she worked for an organization aimed at helping victims of domestic violence.

Ramirez acknowledged to The New Yorker that she hesitated to come forward. She said she, too, had been drinking during the alleged incident.

She claims the incident took place during her and Kavanaugh's freshman year at Yale.

Ramirez told The New Yorker that she attended the New Haven, Connecticut-based Ivy League school where she studied studied sociology and psychology. Ramirez is seen left with her sister, Denise

Ramirez said she was invited by a friend on the women's soccer team to a dorm room party.

The party took place in a room at Lawrance Hall, a student residence hall located in Yale's Old Campus.

Ramirez recalls that the students at the party were taking part in a drinking game.

'We were sitting in a circle,' she said. 'People would pick who drank.'

She recalls being picked repeatedly, which meant drinking large amounts of alcohol in a relatively short time.

Ramirez said she got drunk very fast.

She alleges that another male student used a 'gag plastic penis' which was pointed in her direction.

Soon afterward, Ramirez recalls being on the floor and slurring her words.

She then says another male exposed himself to her.

'I remember a penis being in front of my face,' Ramirez said.

'I knew that's not what I wanted, even in that state of mind.'

At that moment, Ramirez said she commented: 'That's not a real penis.'

She said that the other students began laughing at her and taunting her.

One of the students allegedly told her to 'kiss it.'

She said she pushed the person away, forcing her to touch it.

Ramirez said she was unnerved by what happened, particularly given her religious upbringing as a devout Catholic from Connecticut.

'I wasnt going to touch a penis until I was married,' she said.

'I was embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated.'

Ramirez said she remembers Kavanaugh standing to her right and laughing as he pulled up his pants.

'Brett was laughing,' she said.

'I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants.'

Ramirez said she remembers another student talking about the incident.

'Somebody yelled down the hall, "Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbies face",' she said.

'It was his full name. I dont think it was just "Brett."

'And I remember hearing and being mortified that this was out there.'

Ramirez acknowledges that there are 'gaps in her memory,' according to The New Yorker, particularly given the fact that she was intoxicated.

'I remember a penis being in front of my face,' Ramirez said. 'I knew that's not what I wanted, even in that state of mind.' Ramirez is pictured above in the center alongside her sister Denise and brother Mark

But she says she's confident it was Kavanaugh who exposed his genitalia to her that night.

She said: 'Im confident about the pants coming up, and Im confident about Brett being there.'

Ramirez said her most vivid memory from that incident was the laughter from Kavanaugh and the other students at her expense.

'It was kind of a joke,' she recalled. 'And now its clear to me it wasnt a joke.'

Ramirez declined to name the other two males involved in the incident.

One of the male students who was alleged to have been egging Kavanaugh on told The New Yorker that he doesn't remember the judge exposing himself to Ramirez.

'I dont think Brett would flash himself to Debbie, or anyone, for that matter,' he said.

When asked why he thought Ramirez was making the allegation, he said: 'I have no idea.'

When asked if he was egging on Kavanaugh, the classmate said: 'I have zero recollection.'

Meanwhile, a group of Yale classmates alleged to have been involved in the incident have come out with a statement in support of Kavanaugh.

Two of the male classmates involved in the incident who were named by Ramirez released a statement disputing her account.

That statement was supported by the wife of a third male student that Ramirez said was involved as well as three other classmates - Dino Ewing, Louisa Garry, and Dan Murphy.

'We were the people closest to Brett Kavanaugh during his first year at Yale,' the statement read.

'He was a roommate to some of us, and we spent a great deal of time with him, including in the dorm where this incident allegedly took place.

'Some of us were also friends with Debbie Ramirez during and after her time at Yale.

'We can say with confidence that if the incident Debbie alleges ever occurred, we would have seen or heard about it - and we did not.

'The behavior she describes would be completely out of character for Brett.

'In addition, some of us knew Debbie long after Yale, and she never described this incident until Bretts Supreme Court nomination was pending.

'Editors from the New Yorker contacted some of us because we are the people who would know the truth, and we told them that we never saw or heard about this.'

The wife of the third male student named by Ramirez said she and Ramirez were close friends during their days at Yale and that this incident was never mentioned.

The alleged incident took place in a common room at the Lawrance Hall dormitory in the Old Campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Lawrance Hall is seen in the above stock image

'This is a woman I was best friends with,' she said.

'We shared intimate details of our lives. And I was never told this story by her, or by anyone else.

'It never came up. I didnt see it; I never heard of it happening.'

She said she and Ramirez were part of a 'larger social circle' that also included Kavanaugh.

Ramirez is a registered Democrat. The woman speculated that the allegation could be politically motivated, though she later told The New Yorker she was not certain this was the case.

Ramirez denied that her coming forward was motivated by politics.

She said her interests are to work 'toward human rights, social justice, and social change.'

When told about the statement released by students in support of Kavanaugh, Ramirez said she was 'disappointed and betrayed' by those who doubted her allegation 'because I clearly remember people in the room whose names are on this letter.'

The New Yorker reported that it spoke to a classmate of Ramirez, who said he heard about the incident from another student and that he was 'one hundred per cent sure' it was Kavanaugh.

The classmate declined to be identified.

'Ive known this all along,' he said.

'Its been on my mind all these years when his name came up. It was a big deal.'

Ramirez's classmate said he remembered details of the incident because he believed it was extreme behavior, even for alcohol-fueled parties on campus.

The classmate alleged that Kavanaugh and his social circle would often drink to excess.

He said he recalled Kavanaugh as 'relatively shy' when sober, but after a few drinks could become 'aggressive and even belligerent.'

The New Yorker spoke to other members of the same class as Kavanaugh and Ramirez.

Mark Krasberg, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the University of New Mexico, said that Yale alumni had started talking among themselves about Kavanaugh's behavior in college after it became apparent he would be picked for the Supreme Court.

A number of Ramirez's classmates vouched for her integrity and honesty.

'Debbie and I became close friends shortly after we both arrived at Yale,' said James Roche, a classmate who is now the CEO of a software company in San Francisco.

'She stood out as being exceptionally honest and gentle. I cannot imagine her making this up.'

Roche said that while he never witnessed Kavanaugh behave inappropriately toward women, he does recall that the judge was 'frequently, incoherently drunk.'

'Is it believable that she was alone with a wolfy group of guys who thought it was funny to sexually torment a girl like Debbie? Yeah, definitely,' Roche said.

The White House is distributing a set of talking points aimed at discrediting Ramirez, according to political reporter Gabe Fleisher

'Is it believable that Kavanaugh was one of them? Yes.'

Another classmate who knew Ramirez said she also found the allegation credible.

'Debbies always been a very truthful, kind - almost to the point of being selfless - individual,' said Jennifer Klaus.

Another classmate told The New Yorker that while she was not aware of these specific allegations against Kavanaugh, the type of behavior described was not uncommon during on-campus alcohol-fueled parties.

'I believe it could have happened,' the Yale student said.

She said she remembers Ramirez being taunted by Kavanaugh's male friends.

'They were always, like, "Debbies here!," and then theyd get into their "Lord of the Flies" thing,' she said.

She said that during Kavanaugh's time at Yale, he joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

The frat, known as 'Deke', was reportedly notorious for wild parties that some believed went too far with women who attended.

Kavanaugh was also a member of an all-male secret society known as Truth and Courage, which also went by the nickname 'Tit and Clit.'

Ramirez said she did not go public with the story because she blamed herself for drinking.

'It was a story that was known, but it was a story I was embarrassed about,' she said.

'Even if I did drink too much, any person observing it, would they want their daughter, their granddaughter, with a penis in their face, while theyre drinking that much?' she said.

'I can say that at fifty-three, but when I was nineteen or twenty I was vulnerable. I didnt know better.'

Ramirez said that Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court was a key factor in her going public.

She said she also blames those who were at the party and did not intervene.

'Theyre accountable for not stopping this,' she said.

But 'what Brett did is worse.'

She said: 'What does it mean, that this person has a role in defining womens rights in our future?'

Before The New Yorker learned of the allegations, word about Kavanaugh's behavior at Yale reached Senate aides, who then told a lawyer in Denver, Stanley Garnett.

Garnett is a former Democratic district attorney in Boulder.

Ramirez's allegations bear similarity to those of Christine Blasey Ford, the professor who claims that when she was 15, she was assaulted by then-17-year-old Kavanaugh when he was drunk while egged on by a male friend

Ramirez said she wanted to come out publicly when she realized that others would reveal the details first.

'I didnt want any of this,' she said. 'But now I have to speak.'

Ramirez's allegations bear similarity to those of Christine Blasey Ford, the professor who claims that when she was 15, she was assaulted by then-17-year-old Kavanaugh when he was drunk while egged on by a male friend.

Ford sent a letter to California Senator Dianne Feinstein in July detailing the allegations stemming from the 1982 incident.

Ford will testify before a Senate panel on Thursday about her allegation, her lawyers and the committee said on Sunday.

Ramirez and her lawyer, Garnett, are calling for an FBI investigation into her allegations.

'I do believe an FBI investigation of this kind of character-related information would be appropriate, and would be an effective way to relay the information to the committee,' Garnett said.

Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is seeking 'immediate postponement' of any further action on Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court amid The New Yorker report.

Feinstein sent a letter late Sunday to GOP Chairman Chuck Grassley after the report was published.

Michael Avenatti, the attorney for Stormy Daniels, has made shocking claims that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and other men would ply women with alcohol or drugs at house parties and then allow men to 'gang rape' them

'I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge,' the attorney tweeted on Sunday

His announcement came just hours before the New Yorker published the latest sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh by Deborah Ramirez. However, he revealed that she is not his client

Meanwhile, Kavanaugh could be facing another headache.

Michael Avenatti, the attorney for Stormy Daniels, has made shocking claims that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and other men would ply women with alcohol or drugs at house parties and then allow men to 'gang rape' them.

In an email to Mike Davis, the Chief Counsel for Nominations, Avenatti says he has 'significant evidence' of house parties in Washington D.C. during the early 1980s 'during which Kavanaugh, Mark Judge and others would participate in the targeting of women'.

He said they would use 'alcohol' or 'drugs' to allow a 'train' of men to subsequently gang rape them.

Avenatti claims there are 'multiple witnesses that will corroborate these facts and each of them must be called to testify publicly'.

In a tweet with a screenshot of the email, he wrote: 'We demand that this process be thorough, open and fair, which is what the American public deserves. It must not be rushed and evidence/witnesses must not be hidden.'

Neither Kavanaugh or Judge have responded to Avenatti's latest allegations.

Earlier in the evening, the lawyer tweeted: 'I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge.'

'We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify.

'The nomination must be withdrawn.'An ex-soldier posted nude photos of his former girlfriend online in a bizarre attempt to win her back.

The fake dating profiles, created by Joel Landon Greentree, 23, led to five men showing up at his ex-girlfriend's house looking for sex.

The Springfield Lakes man appeared at the Ipswich Magistrates Court, Greentree for charges relating to incidents between August 2016 and March 2017, The Courier Mail reported.

Joel Landon Greentree (pictured) appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court, Greentree

He was severely depressed and drinking heavily when he posted the naked images of his ex-partner online, a psychological report submitted in court said.

He had lost his job in the Army after suffering an injured that required surgery.

His lawyer Matthew Fairclough said it was a 'hopeless attempt to win her back'.

'He was only 21 at the time. He made a clearly catastrophic misjudgement.'

Magistrate David Shepherd said Greentree's behaviour had potential to haunt the woman for a long time.

'This conduct brought significant trauma to the victim.'

He said there was 'potential for real disaster' having uninvited men show up at her home.

He pleaded guilty to using a phone service to menace/harass, unlawful stalking a woman and two counts of contravening a domestic violence protection order that was put in place in Darwin.

He was sentenced to 18 months' probation and six months jail with immediate parole release.This is the adorable moment a terrified koala is released into safe bushland after being attacked by aggressive cattle on a farm.

Filmed near Crows Nest, near Toowoomba in Queensland, the koala can be seen leaping out of a cardboard box and climbing up a eucalyptus tree.

The heartwarming footage was uploaded to Reddit with the caption: 'This poor fella was getting attacked and beat up by our cattle, so we rehomed him to a safer area away from our livestock'.

The adorable koala was being attacked by Texas long horn cattle on a farm in Queensland

The koala was rescued by the farm owners and was released into safe bushland by a wildlife expert

The little koala was being attacked by Texas long horn cattle and its owner knew it was necessary to remove it from danger.

Texas long horn cattle are known for their large horns which can reach 1.8metres tip-to-tip for bulls.

'Our cattle are Texas long horn cattle... so they know a thing or two about how to hurt something should they wish to,' the owner wrote.

'He was being attacked in a large open paddock away from trees or anything that resembled safety.

'Removing him from the situation was necessary.'

'Our cattle are Texas long horn cattle... so they know a thing or two about how to hurt something should they wish to,' the owner wrote (pictured are the cattle)

The footage shows the koala inside a box and wrapped in blankets.

A wildlife carer opens the box and removes the blanket and the adorable koala jumped out and instantly started climbing up the tree.

'We left him in a wooded area with plenty of eucalyptus for him to make a bit of a home in.'

According to the cattle owner there are a few koalas in the area due to the eucalyptus trees.Michael Avenatti, the attorney for Stormy Daniels, has made shocking claims that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and other men would ply women with alcohol or drugs at house parties and then allow men to 'gang rape' them.

In an email to Mike Davis, the Chief Counsel for Nominations, Avenatti says he has 'significant evidence' of house parties in Washington D.C. during the early 1980s 'during which Kavanaugh, Mark Judge and others would participate in the targeting of women'.

He said they would use 'alcohol' or 'drugs' to allow a 'train' of men to subsequently gang rape them.

Avenatti claims there are 'multiple witnesses that will corroborate these facts and each of them must be called to testify publicly'.

In a tweet with a screenshot of the email, he wrote: 'We demand that this process be thorough, open and fair, which is what the American public deserves. It must not be rushed and evidence/witnesses must not be hidden.'

Neither Kavanaugh or Judge have responded to Avenatti's latest allegations. Avenatti also hasnt named any specific witnesses or accusers.

Earlier in the evening, the lawyer tweeted: 'I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge.'

Michael Avenatti, the attorney for Stormy Daniels, has made shocking claims that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and other men would ply women with alcohol or drugs at house parties and then allow men to 'gang rape' them

'I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge,' the attorney tweeted on Sunday

His announcement came just hours before the New Yorker published the latest sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh by Deborah Ramirez. However, he revealed that she is not his client

'We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify.

'The nomination must be withdrawn.'

The claims in the email appeared to draw parallels to a piece published earlier on Sunday evening in the New Yorker with new allegations against Kavanaugh.

The article by Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayor contained a second sexual misconduct allegation against Kavanaugh by Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez.

She claims that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her and 'made her touch his penis without consent' at a Yale dorm party 35 years ago. Avenatti said Ramirez is not his client.

Kavanaugh strongly denies Ramirez's claims. He released a statement on Sunday night saying: 'This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple.

'I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name--and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building--against these last-minute allegations.'

In the article, Elizabeth Rasor told the New Yorker that she dated Judge for three years after meeting at Catholic University and felt 'morally obligated' to challenge his account that 'no horseplay' took place at Georgetown Prep with women.

'I cannot stand by and watch him lie', he said. 'Mark told me a very different story'.

She claims that Judge described an incident that involved him and other boys taking turns having sex with a drunk woman, and Judge seemed to 'regard it as fully consensual'.

Rasor told the New Yorker that Judge did not name other people involved, meaning she had no knowledge the Kavanaugh participated in what Judge described.

The White House also backed their candidate in a statement on Sunday that read: 'This 35-year-old, uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man.

'This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh.'

After Ramirez's allegations were published, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Dianne Feinstein, sought the 'immediate postponement' of any further action in the nomination process.

Judge is the man who went to high school with Kavanaugh.

He is alleged to have witnessed Kavanaugh sexually assault Christine Blasey Ford, a professor from California.

Ford's allegations are threatening to derail Kavanaugh's nomination to the highest court in the land.

Kavanaugh strongly denies Ramirez's claims. He released a statement on Sunday night saying: 'This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple

In an email to Mike Davis, the Chief Counsel for Nominations, Avenatti says he has 'significant evidence' of house parties in Washington D.C. during the early 1980s 'during which Kavanaugh, Mark Judge (above) and others would participate in the targeting of women'

Ramirez told The New Yorker that she attended the New Haven, Connecticut-based Ivy League school where she studied studied sociology and psychology.

After graduating from college, she says she worked for an organization aimed at helping victims of domestic violence.

Ramirez acknowledged to The New Yorker that she hesitated to come forward. She said she, too, had been drinking during the alleged incident.

She claims the incident took place during her and Kavanaugh's freshman year at Yale.

Ramirez said she was invited by a friend on the women's soccer team to a dorm room party.

The party took place in a room at Lawrance Hall, a student residence hall located in Yale's Old Campus.

Ramirez recalls that the students at the party were taking part in a drinking game.

'We were sitting in a circle,' she said. 'People would pick who drank.'

She recalls being picked repeatedly, which meant drinking large amounts of alcohol in a relatively short time.

Ramirez said she got drunk very fast.

She alleges that another male student used a 'gag plastic penis' which was pointed in her direction.

Soon afterward, Ramirez recalls being on the floor and slurring her words.

She then says another male exposed himself to her.

'I remember a penis being in front of my face,' Ramirez said.

'I knew that's not what I wanted, even in that state of mind.'

Deborah Ramirez (seen far left with her mother and her sister, Denise), 53, a resident of Colorado who attended Yale with Kavanaugh, said that the Supreme Court nominee got drunk at a dorm party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent

Ramirez told The New Yorker that she attended the New Haven, Connecticut-based Ivy League school where she studied studied sociology and psychology. Ramirez is seen left with her sister, Denise

At that moment, Ramirez said she commented: 'That's not a real penis.'

She said that the other students began laughing at her and taunting her.

One of the students allegedly told her to 'kiss it.'

She said she pushed the person away, forcing her to touch it.

Ramirez said she was unnerved by what happened, particularly given her religious upbringing as a devout Catholic from Connecticut.

'I wasnt going to touch a penis until I was married,' she said.

'I was embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated.'

Ramirez said she remembers Kavanaugh standing to her right and laughing as he pulled up his pants.

'Brett was laughing,' she said.

'I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants.'

Ramirez said she remembers another student talking about the incident.

'Somebody yelled down the hall, "Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbies face",' she said.

'It was his full name. I dont think it was just "Brett."

'And I remember hearing and being mortified that this was out there.'

Ramirez acknowledges that there are 'gaps in her memory,' according to The New Yorker, particularly given the fact that she was intoxicated.

But she says she's confident it was Kavanaugh who exposed his genitalia to her that night.

She said: 'Im confident about the pants coming up, and Im confident about Brett being there.'

Ramirez said her most vivid memory from that incident was the laughter from Kavanaugh and the other students at her expense.

'It was kind of a joke,' she recalled. 'And now its clear to me it wasnt a joke.'

Ramirez declined to name the other two males involved in the incident.

One of the male students who was alleged to have been egging Kavanaugh on told The New Yorker that he doesn't remember the judge exposing himself to Ramirez.

'I dont think Brett would flash himself to Debbie, or anyone, for that matter,' he said.

A group of Yale classmates alleged to have been involved in the incident have come out with a statement in support of Kavanaugh.

Two of the male classmates involved in the incident who were named by Ramirez released a statement disputing her account.

Ramirez's allegations bear similarity to those of Christine Blasey Ford, the professor who claims that when she was 15, she was assaulted by then-17-year-old Kavanaugh when he was drunk while egged on by a male friend

That statement was supported by the wife of a third male student that Ramirez said was involved as well as three other classmates - Dino Ewing, Louisa Garry, and Dan Murphy.

'We were the people closest to Brett Kavanaugh during his first year at Yale,' the statement read.

'He was a roommate to some of us, and we spent a great deal of time with him, including in the dorm where this incident allegedly took place.

'Some of us were also friends with Debbie Ramirez during and after her time at Yale.

'We can say with confidence that if the incident Debbie alleges ever occurred, we would have seen or heard about it - and we did not.

'The behavior she describes would be completely out of character for Brett.

'In addition, some of us knew Debbie long after Yale, and she never described this incident until Bretts Supreme Court nomination was pending.

'Editors from the New Yorker contacted some of us because we are the people who would know the truth, and we told them that we never saw or heard about this.'

The wife of the third male student named by Ramirez said she and Ramirez were close friends during their days at Yale and that this incident was never mentioned.

'This is a woman I was best friends with,' she said.Hundreds of teenagers have stormed out of class in protest over controversial comments made by their school principal.

Students from Fraser High School, in Hamilton, New Zealand, staged the mass walk-out on Monday morning after being angered by remarks saying truants are likely to become rape victims and develop drug addictions.

Principal Virginia Crawford had made the bold statement when she spoke to students at an assembly last week.

'Every student who walks out of the gate to truant is already a statistic of the worst kind,' she said in her speech, which was secretly recorded and uploaded online.

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Students at Fraser High School in Hamilton, New Zealand walked out of class on Monday morning in protest of their principal

The protest came after principal Virginia Crawford (pictured) gave a controversial speech saying truants are likely to become rape victims

'(Truants are) highly likely to go to prison, to commit domestic violence or be a victim of domestic violence, be illiterate, be a rape victim, be a suicide victim.'

Ms Crawford added truants were also likely to be unemployed, die at an early age and 'have an addiction - drugs, gambling, alcohol or smoking'.

Some parents had joined with students in taking a stand outside the school, with one pupil even sporting a t-shirt scrawled with 'F*** you Ms Crawford'.

Student Cody Barron, 16, told The New Zealand Herald pupils had been upset following the speech and 'it's definitely divided the school'.

He called on Ms Crawford to issue an apology 'to the community and everyone else she's offended really'.

The school has also been tagged with 'F*** you Mrs Crawford', while a fire alarm was kicked-off a wall and property at the site had been destroyed.

But student Carlos Tuimavave said he supported the principal because 'I feel like she had to go to the extreme to be able to get our attention for us to listen'.

'Obviously she got her point across if this is the outcome. Obviously her point got across to every student here,' he said.

Ms Crawford said students who truant were highly likely to go to prison, be a rape victim and a suicide victim. Pictured, Fraser High School, in Hamilton, New Zealand

Ms Crawford had claimed in her speech what she was saying has been backed up with 'economic research' and students had been proving her claims are correct.

She told the students when she sees them at the fish-and-chip shop during school hours, she claims they're 'another group of students without a future'.

'That's another loser. That's another wannabe who will go crying to their parents with some lame, sad story. That's another student who is desperate for friendship. That's another person we've lost,' Ms Crawford said.

Two formal complaints were lodged with the Ministry of Education following the speech, which will be referred to the Board of Trustees, Stuff reported.

In a statement, Board of Trustees chair Jeff Green said: 'We consider that even if just one student reconsiders the path they are taking and takes steps in a more positive direction after this speech then that could have huge impact on their future lives and those of their family and friends and the wider community.'

The Ministry of Education had also thrown their support behind Ms Crawford.

'It's really important that children go to school every day,' Katrina Casey, deputy secretary sector enablement and support, said, Newshub reported.

Ms Crawford (pictured) told the students when she sees them at the fish-and-chip shop during school hours, she claims they're 'another group of students without a future'

The YouTube clip of the recording has been viewed more than 30,000 times.

One mother commented on the video saying she found the speech 'disturbing' and is 'seriously concerned' about her daughter who attends the school.

Some people commented in support of the principal's speech saying 'she's encouraging kids to do their best' and 'sometimes the only way is tough love especially when it's a last resort.'To Joanna Lumleys fans, its an iconic photograph that shows the TV beauty on the cusp of fame in The New Avengers.

But to Miss Lumley herself, the publicity shot that made her a screen siren as Purdey is simply sexist upskirting.

The 72-year-old yesterday revealed the misogyny she endured while playing the high-kicking British spy in the classic 1976 TV series.

Miss Lumley wore tights to the photoshoot set up to announce her role in the show  but she was then told by producers that the event wouldnt be covered by photographers unless she put on stockings instead.

Miss Lumley wore tights to the photoshoot set up to announce her role in the show  but was told she would have to wear stocking for the photo

Speaking yesterday about her experience, she told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show: When we launched it and were about to say, Ladies and gentlemen, the new Avenger girl will be Joanna Lumley it was outside the Dorchester, and wed got a great big Rolls-Royce, theyd got all the accoutrements, an umbrella, theyd got a bowler hat, theyd got all the things that looked a bit Avenger-ish and they said, Joanna, if you could just come up in the Rolls-Royce and hoick up your skirt and show us your stockings, and I said, But Im wearing tights!.

There was a dull roar from the Press gang, and they said, If youre not wearing stockings we wont cover the occasion and we wont take any pictures.

She then had to dash into the famous Mayfair hotel and pay an oldish woman 5 for her stockings. But because the lady was shorter than her, the stockings were too small  and they werent even a pair.

Miss Lumley explained: So one had a huge thing at the top, one had a little thing, and they only came up to just above my knees.

British actress Joanna Lumley joined the cast of The New Avengers to play the role of Purdey (pictured here circa 1977) after appearing in Coronation Street

Speaking about her experience she told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show: 'talk about upskirting'

I stood there and they said, Put a gun in your stocking  I put a gun there. They would only take a picture of me  talk about upskirting  if I had stockings on and a gun in my stocking!

But she added that she enjoyed the role  with the fight scenes being a particular favourite because they gave her the chance to show off her kicks.

The actress played a spy working for British intelligence in the television series, which ran for 26 episodes from 1967 to 1977, alongside Patrick Macnee playing John Steed and Gareth Hunt as Mike Gambit.

The popular show served as her breakthrough role. She chose the characters distinctive hairstyle herself after asking the shows hairdresser to cut it so that she looked like a prep school boy.Theresa May is facing fresh pressure to drop her Chequers plan and back a Canada-style 'clean Brexit' today as she gathers Cabinet.

The PM is meeting ministers in the wake of her humiliation at the hands of EU leaders in Salzburg last week.

The session has been called to consider new post-Brexit migration rules - but some ministers are expected to make clear their unhappiness with Mrs May's approach.

Brexiteer Cabinet ministers have played down claims that they are planning to quit at this stage.

The meeting comes as Eurosceptics published an alternative blueprint for relations with the EU.

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The PM (pictued in Downing Street today) is meeting ministers in the wake of her humiliation at the hands of EU leaders in Salzburg last week

The analysis, by the free market Institute of Economic Affairs think tank (IEA), urges ministers to break the deadlock in negotiations with Brussels by seeking a 'basic' free trade agreement for goods.

At the same time, it says the Government should open simultaneous discussions on securing new long-term free trade deals with countries such as the United States, China and India.

In order to ensure there is no return of a 'hard border' between Northern Ireland and the Republic, the report calls for 'cooperation mechanisms' to enable trade 'formalities' between the two jurisdictions to be completed away from the border.

Former Brexit secretary David Davis, who quit the Government over the Chequers plan, and Jacob Rees-Mogg, chairman of the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group, are among the speakers listed for the report's launch in London this morning.

According to the Telegraph, some ministers will use Cabinet today to urge the Prime Minister to back a free trade agreement that would be the 'clean Brexit' that Leave voters wished for.

They will also suggest she should sack Olly Robbins - who is in charge of Brexit negotiations.

A Cabinet source told the newspaper: 'In a nutshell, we now face a choice between a Norway-type deal and a Canada-type deal.

'More than half the Cabinet now support the idea of a Canada-style option, while maybe half a dozen favour Norway.'

Boris Johnson (pictured left at his Oxfordshire home today) praised the rival Brexit blueprint. Philip Hammond (right) is among the ministers at Cabinet today

Brexiteers have also been urging Theresa May to sack Olly Robbins (pictured) - who is in charge of Brexit negotiations

A key figure in the bid to convince Mrs May to back the Canada-style option is Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has publicly indicated he is open to the idea.

However, he is due to be out of the country today, as are other key Brexiteers.

It comes after Mrs May pleaded with Tories to 'hold your nerve' amid claims No10 aides plotted a snap election following her humiliation by EU leaders.

The Prime Minister warned that failure to stick together in the face of attacks from Brussels and opposition parties could mean Brexit is 'thwarted'.

The extent of the panic caused in Downing Street by EU leaders' brutal knifing of Mrs May's Chequers plan in Salzburg last week has been underlined by suggestions that some advisers 'war gamed' holding an election.

Two powerful aides are said to have argued that the only way to 'make the Commons arithmetic work' could be to ditch Chequers, and please the Brexit wing of the Tory Party by swinging behind the 'Canada model' for a looser free trade agreement.

The plan would then involve Mrs May going to the country in November in a bid to win a majority for the package.

The thinking has been encouraged by the latest polling which indicates a slump in support for Mr Corbyn among those who voted Labour at the 2017 Election.

Mrs May (pictured at church in in her constituency with husband Philip today) is struggling to hold her party together while thrashing out a deal with the EU

Jacob Rees-Mogg (left) and Boris Johnson (right) are among the senior Tories demanding Mrs May ditches her Chequers plan for Brexit

As she attempted to cool tensions yesterday, Mrs May issued a statement saying Conservatives needed to come together in a spirit of national unity and 'do what is right for Britain'.

'Now is the time for cool heads. And it is a time to hold our nerve,' she said.

'I have said many times that these negotiations would be tough, and they were always bound to be toughest in the final straight.

Report urges May to ditch Chequers and get 'real growth' for UK Brexit has the potential to bring 'real growth' if Theresa May's Chequers plan is ditched, according to a new report backed by prominent Tory Brexiteers. The analysis, by the free market Institute of Economic Affairs think tank (IEA), urges ministers to seek a 'basic' free trade agreement for goods and pursue 'regulatory freedom and trade independence'. The report claims that Brexit creates an 'historic opportunity to form trade agreements with partners around the world' and calls for discussions to secure new long-term free trade deals with countries such as the United States, China and India. In order to ensure there is no return of a 'hard border' between Northern Ireland and the Republic, the report calls for 'cooperation mechanisms' to enable trade 'formalities' between the two jurisdictions to be completed away from the border. The report also calls for food and animal health regime in Northern Ireland to be aligned with the EU, with suitable powers devolved to the Government of Northern Ireland to enable local politicians to fully cooperate and coordinate with the Irish authorities, in accordance with the Belfast Agreement. Former Brexit secretary David Davis, who quit the Government over the Chequers plan, and Jacob Rees-Mogg, chairman of the pro-Brexit Tory European Research Group, are among the speakers listed for the report's launch in London. Shanker Singham, who is the director of the IEA's international trade and competition unit and co-author of the report, said: 'Brexit has been too narrowly thought of as the role of the UK in the EU, whereas the reality is Brexit is a major global event. 'A G7 country is embracing independent trade and regulatory policy for the first time in 40 years - an unprecedented situation. This is where the Brexit prize lies.' Advertisement

'But what's also clear is that many in Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP are trying to thwart Brexit at every step and seeking to exploit this moment for political gain.

'Some are now openly advocating a second referendum and extending article 50 to delay Brexit, sending us right back to square one. Others are talking directly to the EU to actively undermine the UK's negotiating position.

'But I say, this is the moment to put our country first. This is the moment to set aside our differences and come together in national unity.

'This is the moment to do what is right for Britain.'

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'It is categorically untrue that No10 is planning a snap election.'

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab also dismissed claims about a snap general election 'for the birds'.

'It's not going to happen,' he told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show.

Mr Raab said the Government would keep negotiating with the EU on the basis of the Chequers proposals.

'This is a bump in the road. We will hold our nerve, we will keep our cool and we will keep negotiating in good faith,' he said.

'What we are not going to do is be dictated to. The UK is one of the biggest economies in Europe, if not in the world.

'We have come up with a serious set of proposals. We are not just going to flit from plan to plan like some sort of diplomatic butterfly. We are going to be resolute about this.'

Pro-EU former Cabinet minister Nicky Morgan said she believed Chequers might well be 'dead' - but warned that a leadership challenge to Mrs May would not be in the interests of the Conservative Party or the country.

'Having a leadership election now would not be in the country's interest. There are particularly a lot of the hard Brexiteers who want to bring the Prime Minister down,' she told Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday.

'This is not a move that would help the country in order to get to the best position after Brexit which does least damage to the economy. That is what we as Conservatives should be focused on.

'Europe has always been a big faultline in our party. But the majority of the parliamentary party and, I think, the membership want us to focus on getting a good deal that supports the economy and then moving on.'

With time running out, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the 'moment of truth' will come at next month's EU summit in Brussels, when it should become clear whether the two sides can reach an agreement.

Mrs May was humiliated by Eu leaders who dismissed her Chequers plan at a summit in Salzburg last week (pictured)More than half of students admitted to 23 universities across the country are from ethnic minorities, figures show.

Nearly three-quarters of the student intake at Aston and Bradford universities are from minority backgrounds, according to the Sunday Times Good University Guide.

The eight other universities in the top 10 are all in London - including City, Middlesex and Brunel which all have 70 per cent.

In stark contrast, Harper Adams, a largely agriculture-based university in Shropshire, has just 0.8per cent ethnic minority students.

Oxford University (pictured) was ranked as the least socially inclusive with only 40 per cent of its students not coming from private or grammar schools (stock image)

The statistics were published in the Good University Guide yesterday in its social inclusion section.

The guide ranked Cambridge as the best university, followed by Oxford in second place.

However, the institutions languish at the bottom of the guides social inclusion table, which is based on six measures including the proportion of working-class, ethnic minority and mature students.

It ranks Oxford as the least socially inclusive with only 40 per cent of its students not coming from private or grammar schools.

Sixteen of the bottom 20 places in the new table are members of the Russell Group of universities that dominate the academic rankings.

Labour MP David Lammy yesterday condemned Britains elite universities as gated communities for the privileged.

Figures shows just how hard it is for students from comprehensives and nonselective state schools to get into the top universities.

Data on admissions from state schools has been published before, but it has included the 164 state grammar schools.

Glyndwr University in Wrexham is the most socially inclusive university, followed by London Metropolitan and London South Bank. However they were are listed at 129, 131 and 107 in the overall academic ranking

Removing grammar schools from the list shows just how few students at top universities are drawn from the schools that teach most children.

Mr Lammy added: Disproportionate exclusion of students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, from the north of England and inner cities, as well as ethnic minorities, is a stain on their reputation.

A spokesman for Oxford said: Last year saw more students than ever before come to Oxford from deprived areas... We know more needs to be done.

Overall, Glyndwr University in Wrexham is the most socially inclusive university, followed by London Metropolitan and London South Bank.

However, these three are listed at 129, 131 and 107 respectively in the overall academic ranking.A 14-year-old teenager got the shock of his life when he reeled in a highly venomous stonefish while fishing.

The six kilogram and 50cm-long beast was pulled to the shore near Military Jetty at Golden Beach on the Sunshine Coast, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported.

The teenager alerted his mother, Rebecca Phillips, who was at a friend's house nearby.

A 14-year-old teenager got the shock of his life when he reeled in a highly venomous and ugly stonefish while fishing (pictured)

She arrived at the beach with the teen's father and was 'shocked' by the monstrous finding.

'It was the biggest stonefish I had ever seen,' she said.

'It was at least 50cm long. I looked at it and just thought, if you stood on that you would be in a world of hurt.'

Stonefish are found in shallow waters in northern parts of Australia and can camouflage themselves among coral.

Swimmers who move away from clean sand ocean floors are more likely to be stung by the venomous fish.

The six kilogram beast was pulled to the shore near Military Jetty at Golden Beach on the Sunshine Coast (pictured)

'They lie in the sand and they literally just look like a rock,' Ms Phillips said.

Ms Phillips said the finding was concerning as the area is popular with children.

She said it served as a reminder for families and urged parents and children to use caution when in the area.

Another large stonefish was also spotted at nearby Caloundra.Fears are growing for the welfare of a 15-year-old girl who went missing on Friday.

Police have released the image of Sienna Barbaro in the hope of locating the teenager who was last seen in Caroline Springs, Melbourne.

Her family has fears for her welfare due to her age, police said.

Sienna Barbaro (pictured) was last seen on Friday in Melbourne. Police are desperately searching for the 15-year-old

She has brown eyes, long brown hair and is 175m tall.

Police are pleading for anyone who sees Sienna to contact Keilor Downs Police Station on 9365 3333.An Australian womans boyfriend has gone missing in the Seminyak area of Bali.

In a Facebook post to a group dedicated to those visiting Bali, Tahlia Evans said that her partner, Billy Vlotman, had gone out the previous night but not returned.

So my partner has gone out last night and has not come back has anyone seen him? the post read.

In a Facebook post to a group dedicated to those visiting Bali, Tahlia Evans said that her partner, Billy Vlotman (pictured), had gone out the previous night but not returned

Miss Evans added that they were staying around the Seminyak area and that she was starting to worry

Ms Evans (pictured) said that they were staying around the Seminyak area and that she was starting to worry

She added that they were staying around the Seminyak area and that she was starting to worry.

Seminyak is a renowned party-town for tourists in southern Bali, near Kuta.

Ms Evans, from Adelaide, also shared an image of Mr Vlotman which shows him wearing black shorts, a black vest with a yellow logo on the front and black and white striped sandals.

According to her Facebook page, Ms Evans and Mr Vlotman have been in a relationship since March 2017.

Daily Mail has contacted Tahlia Evans for more information.Actor James Woods has accused Twitter of pushing the agenda of CEO Jack Dorsey after he was locked out of his account Thursday over a tweet sent months ago found to be in violation of rules.

The tweet was posted July 20 included a hoax meme that said it came from Democrats and encouraged men not to vote in the midterm elections, which led the micro-blogging site to shut him down after it was considered to be material that would suppress votes or deliberately deceive, reports Associated Press.

Woods got an email saying the tweet 'has the potential to be misleading in a way that could impact an election' and allegedly told Woods he could use his account again if he deleted the post.

James Woods has accused Twitter of pushing the agenda of CEO Jack Dorsey after he was locked out of his account Thursday over a tweet sent months ago

The meme said '#LetWomenDecide and #NoMenMidterm' and website knowyourmeme.com determined it to be fake.

At the time Woods acknowledged the meme likely wasn't real, saying: 'Pretty scary that there is a distinct possibility this could be real. Not likely, but in this day and age of absolute liberal insanity, it is at least possible ...'

He told AP he won't delete the tweet.

'Free speech is free speech - it's not Jack Dorsey's version of free speech,' Woods said, referring to Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey.

The social media giants told AP it doesn't comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons and a spokesperson said he had nothing more to share when asked if Dorsey would respond directly to Wood's comments.

'The irony is, Twitter accused me of affecting the political process, when in fact, their banning of me is the truly egregious interference,' Woods said. 'Because now, having your voice smothered is much more disturbing than having your vocal chords slit. If you want to kill my free speech, man up and slit my throat with a knife, don't smother me with a pillow.'

Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey (pictured September 5 at Capitol Hill) was accused of blocking free speech

The thespian said if he deleted the tweet it wouldn't ode well for the future of free speech.

Twitter said in the email Woods would be suspended from the social media platform permanently if there are repeated abuses.

His girlfriend Sara Miller Friday and it had been retweeted at least 12,000 times by Sunday.

However his girlfriend's account wasn't given the same treatment, which he said was proof that he'd been muted because of his large Twitter following.

'This is the tweet @RealJamesWoods was locked for. Wouldnt it be ironic if the Streisand Effect kicked in and it was retweeted 10,000 times?' Miller captioned the image. 'Retweet at your peril. @Jack is watching...'

He noted that his original tweet was reposted by his girlfriend Sara Miller Friday and had been retweeted at least 12,000 times by Sunday

Miller warned Twitter followers that Jack Dorsey was watching in her post Friday

Woods has appeared in motion pictured such as Salvador, Ghosts of Mississippi and Casino and is followed by more than 1.7 million people on Twitter.

He is known for his conservative political views.

His Twitter page still exists but he can't access it but many of his recent tweets - including his views of the stories circulating about Christine Blasey Ford accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her decades ago - remain online.

Dorsey testified before the GOP-led House Energy and Commerce Committee on September 5, as the committee examined whether Twitter has censored conservatives.

He represented Twitter as was on of many social media companies that have come under pressure to get hate speech and posts that could influence elections offline.

AP contacted Woods on Sunday through his girlfriend's Twitter account where he agreed to have a FaceTime conversation to verify his identity.

Many of his recent tweets include his views of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her decades ago

Woods (pictured November 2016) was found to be in violation of Twitter's rules

He noted that it might be pointless to try to appeal Twitter blocking his account.

'Was the American Revolution won by appealing to the oppressor? That's really what this is about. If I appeal and win, what victory is that?' he said.

'I wish this were about an unknown Twitter user so that I could be even more passionate about it.

'This is not about a celebrity being muzzled. This is about an American being silenced - one tweet at a time.'In some cases, the animals would be put down to take them out of their misery

PetSmart is under fire after an investigation found dozens of dogs have died after going to the nation's leading pet retailer for grooming.

A nine-month investigation by NJ Advanced Media discovered that since 2008, at least 47 dogs across 14 states in the US died shortly after going to PetSmart for a routine appointment.

Of those cases, 32 deaths occurred after 2015, the year that PetSmart was bought by BC Partners for $8.7billion.

The pet retailing giant that operates more than 1,600 stores in the US and Canada has denied wrongdoing and in a statement said they 'have the highest grooming safety standards in the industry'.

Heartbroken owners have spoken out about how their beloved animals passed away unexpectedly.

'I'll never forget that last look he gave me,' Nick Pomilio said of his English bulldog Capone who died after a trip to PetSmart in February 2017. 'You don't take the dog to get its nails clipped and it winds up dead as a doornail.'

An investigation found 47 dogs across 14 states died after a routine grooming at PetSmart

14-year-old bichon frise Lulu, pictured with owner Sammi Yezzo, died after a PetSmart visit

Heartbroken families whose pets died either during or shortly after their routine appointments, as well as former and current PetSmart employees, were interviewed during the nine-month investigation.

Many of the dogs were found to suffer internal bleeding, appear lethargic and unable to walk or stand after their appointments, before they passed away.

Over an eight-day period in December 2017 at least two dogs died after being dropped off at the same PetSmart in Flemington, New Jersey. A third dog suffered serious back injuries.

Danielle DiNapoli told the outlet that her dog Scruffles died on December 29, one hour after she dropped the healthy eight-year-old bulldog off for a grooming session.

'I was in shock. You know, you expect to see your dog happy and healthy and groomed, and I got a dead dog,' she told NJ.com on Monday.

Tara Fiet said her dog, Ranger, died on Christmas Eve, two days after his grooming appointment. She told the outlet that dog was lethargic following his session and never recovered.

The store told Fiet that there were no incidents involving her dog the day he was dropped off to them.

In most cases, when a necropsy is conducted the results have been inconclusive and speculative, NJ.com reports.

The necropolises in the PetSmart cases cited potential respiratory distress, internal bleeding and heart disease, but did not pinpoint an exact cause.

Unlike autopsies these these do not list a manner of death or typically suggest fault where an autopsy would typically rule a death as an accident or homicide.

Danielle DiNapoli said her dog Scruffles died on December 29 after she dropped him off for a grooming appointment at Flemington PetSmart in New Jersey

Pet owners reported their dogs being lethargic and suffering internal bleeding after going for a routing grooming, including Capone (left) and Carlita (right)

Marti Fernandez worked as a groomer for 40 years and managed the salon at two New Jersey PetSmart stores for 10 years.

She said she she quit in 2016 after the store was squired by its new owner.

'When the new owners bought it, they demanded six to eight dogs in eight hours. This is in addition to walk-in clients, the phones are ringing off the hook, you're meeting with pet parents, doing paperwork,' she told the news outlet.

'There's always pressure to do more dogs. It was enough to make me quit. I can handle pressure, I can't handle their pressure,' she added.

Of the 47 dog deaths, 20 were English bulldogs or similar breeds with short noses that are known for having breathing difficulties especially in hot areas or stressful environments.

'Nothing is more important than the safety of the pets in our care.,' PetSmart said last week in a statement.

'Any assertion that there is a systemic problem is false and fabricated,' the statement said. 'We extensively investigate any and every incident, no matter how minor. Our independent team of investigators, many of whom have law enforcement backgrounds, is committed to conducting these comprehensive investigations.'Pauline Hanson has slammed Julie Bishop for her complaints about the toxic environment within parliament.

Ms Bishop appeared on 60 Minutes on Sunday, and admitted she was not at all an 'angel' during parliament and said the vicious behaviour does a lot of damage to politics.

'Question time does more damage to the reputation of the political class than any other issue,' the former foreign affairs minister said.

Pauline Hanson has slammed Julie Bishop for her complaints about the toxic environment within parliament

The former foreign affairs minister appeared on 60 Minutes on Sunday, and admitted she was not at all an 'angel' during parliament

'There's far too much throwing of insults, and vicious behaviour, name calling of the like, and the public see that as no better than school childrenin fact not as well as behaved as school children.

'As a minister and as a shadow minister you are judged for your ability to strike a blow against your political opponent.'

On Monday morning, the leader of One Nation appeared on Sunrise and slammed Ms Bishop, who is now a backbench MP.

'I can't believe her comments, it's like the pot calling the kettle black,' Ms Hanson said.

'She's been on the floor of the parliament and involved in all this.'

'She's sour grapes because she didn't get to be leader, she didn't get to be prime minister. Now she's on the backbench. Now she's making all these comments.'

The Australian reported that Ms Bishop's interview 'angered' fellow politicians who are questioning the intentions behind her comments

The Australian reported that Ms Bishop's interview 'angered' fellow politicians who are questioning the intentions behind her comments.

There are fears former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's allies are attempting to 'destabilise' the Coalition.

During the leadership spill, Ms Bishop launched a failed run against Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton to become Australia's next prime minister.

She was knocked out of the first round of voting after receiving only 11 votes.The players won't be only ones in the spotlight on AFL's night of nights.

Monday night's Brownlow Medal is just as much about the wives and girlfriends on the red carpet as it is about their other halves.

Richmond Tigers star Dustin Martin is in the running to win a back to back Brownlow Medal, awarded to the best and fairest player during the home-and-away season.

Marc Murphy's wife Jessie (pictured with son Max) won't be rocking a baby bump like she did at last year's Brownlow Medal

Patrick and Mardi Dangerfield are the proud parents of son George

Mardi Dangerfield, wife of Geelong Cats star Patrick wore a stunning pale pink gown from Melbourne couture designer Georgia Young at the 2017 Brownlow Medal

Melbourne Demons ruckman Max Gawn, Hawthorn Hawks star Tom Mitchell, Carlton Blues midfielder Patrick Cripps and 2016 Brownlow winner Patrick Dangerfield are also believed to be in with a big chance of grabbing the top gong.

It's unknown whether Martin will be accompanied by model Elissa Burns, who he was rumoured to be dating.

Mardi Dangerfield, the wife Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield is sure to turn heads when the pair arrive on the red carpet.

The couple are high school sweethearts who have together for 10 years and married on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula in 2016.

Hannah Davis (pictured) is the partner of Tom Mitchell, who's a hot favourite to win the Brownlow on Monday night

Monique Fontana is the partner of Carlton star Patrick Cripps

Their son George was born in July 2017.

An occupational therapist, Mardi posted a throwback pic from the 2017 Brownlow of her stunning pale pink gown from Melbourne couture designer Georgia Young.

'This year she's giving away EVERY dress she's made for the red carpet. Get onto her page and follow to find out how to get your hands on one of these masterpiece,' she posted to her 30,800 Instagram followers on Sunday.

Ms Todd admitted her partner Max Gawn is a 'good chance'to win the 2018 Brownlow Medal

Jessica Todd is the partner of Melbourne Demons ruckman Max Gawn

Jessica Todd is attending her second Brownlow with Demons bearded ruckman Max Gawn.

'I definitely get a bit nervous on Brownlow night because it not my normal life,' the the blonde physiotherapist, 27, told The Herald Sun.

'I just try to have fun and it's all to support Max  plus you can't really complain about having an excuse to have someone do your hair and makeup.

She admitted Gawn has a has 'a good chance' of winning, but that the night will be about 'celebrating his year whether he wins or not.'

Ms Todd will also be wearing a gown by Georgia Young.

Monique Fontana (pictured in 2016) will once again stand by her man Patrick Cripps on the red carpet

Monique Fontana, the better half of Patrick Cripps also isn't a stranger to the Brownlow red carpet.

Hawks star Tom Mitchell will joined by his better half Hannah Davis, who is attending the Brownlow Medal for the first time.

'I'm not entirely sure what to expect,' she told Seven's Game Day.

She also revealed that Mitchell doesn't have a speech prepared.

Hawthorn star Tom Mitchell, pictured with partner Hannah Davis, is a frontrunner to win the 2018 Brownlow Medal

Monday night will be the Hannah Davis' debut on the Brownlow Medal red carpet

Jessie Murphy (nee Haberman), the glamorous wife of Carlton skipper Marc Murphy has stolen the spotlight at previous Brownlows with her stunning gowns.

She rocked a baby bump on the red carpet last year.

'It was a bit stressful, actually. Once I got there the nerves went, but this year is a lot better,' Ms Murphy told The Herald Sun.

'I don't have to worry if my dress is going to explode; the pressure is off. It's always a great time of year to get dressed up and collaborate with some of Australia's best designers and stylists.'

The mum to eight-month-old Max will be dressed by stylist Lana Wilkinson.

Marc and Jessie Murphy (pictured with son Max) are regulars on the Brownlow Medal red carpet

Jessie Murphy, the wife of Carlton skipper Marc is prolific on social mediaA detention centre guard who fell in love with and later married a detainee is accused of harbouring him while he was on the run from authorities.

Adriana Martinovic, 40, was a guard at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre when she met Aziz Ali Abdulkader, who had arrived from Chad without the correct visa.

Mr Abdulkader was taken to hospital in Toowong, Queensland, on January 21, 2014, after being told his father had died.

Villawood Immigration Detention Centre guard Adriana Martinovic fell in love with Aziz Ali Abdulkader while he was in her custody. He subsequently went on the run from authorities

Adriana Martinovic was employed by Serco at the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre when she gave Aziz Ali Abdulkader her phone number. They are now married with a child

Aziz Ali Abdulkader arrived in Australia from Chad. He escaped from detention while being transferred to hospital and fathered a child (both pictured) to guard Adriana Martinovic

He soon fled and called Martinovic, telling her he had been freed on the advice of a doctor and granted a visa.

Martinovic drove a hire car from Sydney to Queensland, picked up Mr Abdulkader from the hospital and took him back to a friend's house.

She later signed a lease for a home at Greenacre in Sydney's south-west and after several months she fell pregnant with Mr Abdulkader's child.

Martinovic was in hospital to give birth when Mr Abdulkader was arrested and taken into custody on October 29, 2014.

She was eventually charged with harbouring an unlawful non-citizen.

'He told me he had a visa and I believed him,' Martinovic later told police, according to Fairfax Media.

Adriana Martinovic has pleaded not guilty to harbouring an unlawful non-citizen. She was employed by private contractor Serco when she fell in love with Aziz Ali Abdulkader

Barrister Jeffrey Clarke said: 'Human nature means you don't know where you're going to meet the person who you think is Mr Right or Ms Right.' Pictured is Villawood detention centre

Martinovic has been on trial in the Downing Centre District Court where she has pleaded not guilty and a jury began deliberations on Friday.

Her barrister Jeffrey Clarke told the jury last week the case was a 'love story' which began in a place not known for romance.

'In today's climate it's online, it's Tinder,' Mr Clarke said. 'You meet your partners everywhere.

'Human nature means you don't know where you're going to meet the person who you think is Mr Right or Ms Right.'

Crown prosecutor Adrian Williams used the love story angle to suggest Martinovic had a motive for unlawful behaviour.

'It is a love story, if that's what you will,' he said.

'Her hope of a future and having a family with this man led her to do things that she wouldn't have otherwise done.'

A jury has begun deliberating in the trial of Villawood detention centre guard Adriana Martinovic (right) who has pleaded not guilty to harbouring an unlawful non-citizen

Martinovic had given Mr Abdulkader her mobile phone number while he was in custody and it was 'incredible' to think Ms Martinovic believed he had later been legitimately freed.

'The accused was not some ill-informed outsider or naive about such things,' Mr Williams said.

'She didn't give her number to any other detainee. She was so annoyed at contact from other detainees that she reported it.'

Mr Clarke told the jury his client was in love with Mr Abdulkader and would have accepted what he told her.

'The reality is that, when you meet someone new, at the beginning, you are into that person very much, and you do tend to believe, in my suggestion, what people say,' he said.

'Do you remember being excited, ladies and gentlemen, when you first started your relationship? The heart skips a beat.'

Martinovic and Mr Abdulkader married in 2015 and he has obtained a spousal visa to live in Australia.Police are hunting a convicted sex offender who gave a fake address to officers and is now missing.

John Huggins, 42, was jailed for two years in 2006 for committing an indecent act with a child under the age of 16.

He was placed on the sex offenders register for eight years and is now in breach of his reporting obligations for not providing Victoria Police with his current address.

Police are searching for 42-year-old John Huggins who was imprisoned for two years in 2006 for committing an indecent act with a child under the age of 16

Police have now released an image of Huggins and appealed to the public for help.

During a press conference, Superintendent Lauren Callaway told reporters that he was a high risk sex offender.

He hasnt committed any further sexual offences since being placed on the register, however he does have a history of non-compliance with his reporting obligations and thats whats occurring at this moment, she said.

I wouldnt say he was dangerous. The original offence was a person known to him.

Superintendent Lauren Callaway said that Huggins was a high risk sex offender

Ms Callaway said that Huggins was last physically seen by police on August 30, but they believe they had phone contact with him on September 20.

On this date, Police had called the phone number Huggins provided but when they identified themselves the man on the end of the phone hung up.

Police now believe that he has since gotten rid of the phone or given it to someone else.

He doesnt have a permanent fixed place of home, which is not against the law, Ms Callaway said.

Im quite confident hes somewhere between the Fitzroy and St Kilda area, and weve been concentrating our police units on looking for him in those areas.

Police are also searching for the man in Hampton, Brighton and Highton.

Huggins has provided previous addresses to police in NSW, but Ms Callaway said Victoria Police had been in touch with their interstate counterparts and she strongly believes that he is in the Melbourne CBD area.

Although he has not committed any further sex offences since his incarceration, Huggins has prior convictions for dishonesty offences, failing to appear on bail, violence, drugs, weapons and failing to comply with his sex offender reporting obligations, Ms Callaway said.

Im quite confident hes somewhere between the Fitzroy and St Kilda area, and weve been concentrating our police units on looking for him in those areas,' Police said

Its really important that people on the sex offenders register let police know where they are living and what they are doing, she said.

It definitely elevates the risk when people stop engaging with police on a regular level. Huggins falls into that category, thats why were appealing to the public.

Anyone who sights Huggins is urged to call triple zero.An ABC broadcaster has lashed out at his former boss just hours after she was sacked halfway through her five-year term.

Radio host Jon Faine launched an incredible on-air spray at Michelle Guthrie, whose position as the public broadcaster's managing director was terminated on Monday.

Faine, who hosts the morning program on ABC radio in Melbourne, said Ms Guthrie 'wouldn't advocate for us, which is an astonishing fail'.

'Staff morale has never been so low,' Faine said.

ABC Melbourne radio host Jon Faine (pictured) has launched an incredible on-air spray at the public broadcaster's former boss

Michelle Guthrie (pictured) was sacked as the ABC's managing director on Monday, halfway through a five-year term

Faine said he had two conversations with Ms Guthrie 'about why she would not be our champion'

'(She was) given the benefit of the doubt because she was a woman. She was smart and we were excited. But she was only interested in a few parts of the organisation.'

He said Ms Guthrie had 'been all but invisible' and when she was approached, all she would respond with 'was all jargon'.

Faine, who has been with the ABC since 1989, also said he had confronted Ms Guthrie about why she was not the staff's 'champion'.

'I personally had two conversations with Michelle Guthrie about why she would not be our champion, why she would not engage, she said 'it's not my style',' he said.

Faine had been an outspoken critic of Ms Guthrie - who became managing director in May 2016 - during her tenure.

Earlier this year, he said Ms Guthrie 'has been remarkably quiet and reluctant to engage in what she herself previously has described as megaphone campaigning'.

Four Corners executive producer Sally Neighbour tweeted 'Excellent decision' with a link to a news article about Ms Guthrie's departure as the ABC's managing director

ABC News Sydney host Juanita Phillips took to Twitter to weigh in on the sacking of Ms Guthrie

Sally Neighbour, the executive producer of the ABC's flagship 4Corners program, also hit out at Ms Guthrie following her shock dismissal.

Ms Neighbour shared a link to an ABC article report on the decision to dump Ms Guthrie as the public broadcaster's managing director on her Twitter page.

'Excellent decision,' Ms Neighbour wrote.

The host of the ABC's nightly news bulletin in Sydney, Juanita Phillips, also weighed in on the sacking.

'Whoever the next MD is, they need a deep understanding of the history, purpose and importance of an independent public broadcaster, and be ready to fight bare-knuckled to protect it,' Ms Phillips wrote.

The national broadcaster's chairman Justin Milne and seven other board members deposed the ABC's $891,000-a-year managing director, following a clash over its direction and a series of controversial calls.

ABC chairman Justin Milne (left with Ms Guthrie, right) said 'the board's foremost consideration was the long-term interests of our own people'

REACTION TO MS GUTHRIE'S SACKING AS THE ABC BOSS - 'I want to see an ABC that's strong and doing its job and the board does as well.' - Prime Minister Scott Morrison - 'I've got to say, I'm perplexed. I heard the report just before this media conference, I had a look at the statement from the board, I don't think that really clarifies matters.' - Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek - 'What on earth is the government's explanation for Michelle Guthrie's apparent sacking as head of the ABC. The ABC's future is owned by all Australians.' - Former PM Kevin Rudd - 'This seems like a great chance to bring in someone who will help the ABC become more fair and balanced. I nominate @PMOnAir (Sky News presenter Paul Murray).' - One Nation leader Pauline Hanson - 'I am devastated by the board's decision to terminate my employment despite no claim of wrongdoing on my part.' - Michelle Guthrie - 'Whatever happens next, the ABC needs a strong advocate at the helm who will stand up to the relentless attacks from the coalition government and their anti-ABC cronies.' - Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young - 'I am hopeful that the new managing director will ensure that that the Ultimo-centric broadcaster is more in line with the aspirations of Australians including by delivering benefit to the taxpayer, stopping the left-wing bias and bringing an end to the frolics masquerading as news and 'comedy' from some ABC employees.' - Liberal senator Eric Abetz - 'We feel it is time for a new vision and new direction for the ABC to emerge, allowing journalists and content makers to get on with the job of serving audiences with the content they trust.' - Journalists' union MEAA - 'Excellent decision.' - Sally Neighbour, 4Corners executive producer Source: Australian Associated Press Advertisement

'I am devastated by the board's decision to terminate my employment despite no claim of wrongdoing on my part,' Ms Guthrie said in a statement on Monday.

'I believe there is no justification for the board to trigger that termination clause.

'I am considering my legal options.'

She posted a statement two hours after the ABC announced she had been sacked and added that 'at no point have any issues been raised with me' about her staffing changes.

'In resolving to seek fresh leadership, the board's foremost consideration was the long-term interests of our own people and the millions of Australians who engage in ABC content every week,' Mr Milne said.Scott Morrison has slammed Byron Shire Council for changing the date of Australia Day claiming it is 'indulgent self-loathing'.

The Prime Minister took to Facebook on Monday weighing in on the contentious topic.

Mr Morrison described the change as 'indulgent self-loathing' and said it 'does not make us stronger'.

Scott Morrison (pictured) has slammed Byron Bay council for changing the date of Australia Day claiming it is 'indulgent self-loathing'

'We should not rewrite our history. Our modern Australian nation began on January 26, 1788,' Mr Morrison wrote.

'That is the day to reflect on what weve accomplished, what weve become and what we still have to achieve.'

As Australia's 30th Prime Minister, Mr Morrison said he plans to keep the yearly celebration.

'We can do this sensitively, respectfully, proudly and, most importantly, together,' Mr Morrison wrote to his professional page.

The Facebook post soon became a hot-bed of discussion as voters weighed in on the dividing issue.

One user wrote, 'Yeh Byron - love a government body with empathy, who understands our first Australian's and cares for them.'

The Facebook post soon became a hot-bed of discussion as voters weighed in on the dividing issue

Another said, 'Agree totally Mr Prime Minister! Regardless of different states, we are still ONE NATION.'

On Friday, Byron Shire Council, in the far north of New South Wales, voted to hold its citizenship ceremonies and patriotic celebrations a day earlier.

Greens Mayor Simon Richardson described the existing national day, commemorating the arrival of the British First Fleet in 1788, as when 'the cultural decimation and denigration of the first Australians began'.

Councillor Richardson told Daily Mail Australia celebrating Australia Day on January 26 was against the Australian ethos of mateship.

'Is it really being a good mate to do something that causes your mates pain?', he told Daily Mail Australia today.

He described holding the commemoration on January 26 as an affront to indigenous people.The campaign in Massachusetts seeking to repeal a law barring discrimination against transgender people in public accommodations is resorting to old tactics of stoking unfounded fears about male sexual predators being allowed in womens restrooms.

The ad is unveiled as Massachusetts voters are poised to vote in November on Question 3, which will decide whether the state will retain its non-discrimination law against anti-trans discrimination in public accommodations, including restrooms and locker rooms. The law was signed by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker in 2016 and has been on the books for two years, but placed on the ballot as a result of a voter-initiated referendum.

Although similar anti-trans ads have stoked fears about children being molested in public restrooms, the 30-second ad made public Wednesday by the No on 3 campaign, which has dubbed itself Keep MA Safe, features an adult woman entering the locker room as a sinister-looking male predator wearing a hoodie awaits inside a stall.

What does the Question 3 mean to you? asks female voice in the ad. It means any man who says he is a woman can enter a womans locker room, dressing room or bathroom at any time, even convicted sex offenders, and if you see something suspicious and say something to authorities, you could be arrested and fined up $15,000.

As the women is beginning to undo her clothes, the camera pans to her frightened face as the man snaps the stall open and releases a menacing, throaty gasp.

The female voice concludes: Vote No on 3. This bathroom bill puts our privacy and safety at risk. It goes too far.

Opponents have resorted fear-mongering over sexual predators in the restrooms and locker rooms again and again in the efforts to derail transgender non-discrimination measure.

In 2015, a similar ad aired in Houston as the city considered the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance and resulted in the votes rejected the non-discrimination measure  which would have prohibited discrimination on the basis of numerous characteristics, including race, religious, sexual orientation and gender identity  by a large margin at the ballot.

After that loss, transgender advocates started airing their own ads about the personal stories of transgender people in defense of non-discrimination laws. Earlier this year, a similar bathroom ad in Anchorage as voters in the municipality considered was repeal of a transgender non-discrimination ordinance. Despite the fear-mongering, voters decided to retain the measure on the books, marking the first time a transgender non-discrimination was upheld at the ballot.

Its not the first time the anti-trans Massachusetts campaign has resorted to stoking fears about bathroom use, but that ad is no longer available to the public. In May, No on 3 aired an ad the campaign was subsequently forced to edit because it was revealed to have been filmed in a Wegmans store without the consent of the owners and over their objections. The ad has since been removed entirely.

Concerns laws against discrimination enabling sexual predators has proven unfounded based on the lack of problems in jurisdictions with such laws on the books, including 20 states and D.C.

Just last week, the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, made public a study that found after passage of these laws, there were actually fewer incidents of privacy and safety violations than in places without gender-identity inclusive public accommodations laws.

Kasey Suffredini, co-chair for the Yes on 3 campaign, said the new anti-trans ad flies in the face of the indisputable facts that show women  or anyone else for that matter  are absolutely not put at risk by this law.

This law simply protects transgender people from discrimination in public places and that is why law enforcement leaders from across Massachusetts and the leading sexual assault prevention groups support upholding this law, Suffredini said. The no campaign has no data to back up their claims, and yet is attempting to scare voters, which is truly unfortunate.

The Yes on 3 campaign has already made public a 2-minute video featuring transgender people in Massachusetts and their families who feel they would be subject to discrimination and physical danger if the law prohibiting anti-trans discrimination in public accommodations was repealed.

According to the Yes on 3 campaign, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association and the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence have come out favor of the statewide protections.

Although municipalities have previously held votes on transgender non-discrimination protections, Question 3 marks the first time such a vote will be considered at the statewide law. Observers have said a loss would green light further erosion of LGBT rights, but majority support for the law at the ballot would help advance LGBT rights elsewhere.

One poll shows things are looking good for the transgender non-discrimination law. On Wednesday, a Suffolk University Political Research Center/Boston Globe poll found 73 percent voters favoring keeping the law as it is, 17 percent want the law repealed and nine percent are undecided.A man in Thailand was unable to pay for his prostitute so he decided to ask the Australian embassy for assistance - a request they politely denied.

While embassies are designed to assist travellers and those living overseas, one consular official has revealed the bizarre requests the Australian Embassy in Thailand has received.

First Secretary and Consul Anita Downey said most travellers do not understand what the embassy does, The Advertiser reported.

While embassies are designed to assist travellers and those living overseas, one consular official has revealed the bizarre requests the Australian Embassy in Thailand has received (Pictured: Phi Phi Island, Thailand)

First Secretary and Consul Anita Downey (pictured) said most travellers do not understand what the embassy does

Ms Downey relayed some of the standout requests, including the time a prisoner asked for Australian food because they didn't like Thai cuisine.

'Recent questions include the email from a woman asking 'can you check where Marjorie is'  that was it, Marjorie. The woman was worried because she had not heard from her,' she said.

A man who had lived in Thailand for six years asked the embassy to call a taxi for him and another person requested the embassy call and complain about their 'noisy' hotel.

'There was the gentleman who had ordered glasses online and they had not arrived so could we pop out to the glasses shop and see how that was going for him,' Ms Downey said.

One family was worried about their 'missing' dad so they suggested officials look at pubs and bars that show the AFL, as they didn't have a contact for him.

Ms Downey's favourite request was a gentleman who visited the embassy with a lady friend he had spent the previous night with.

A man who had lived in Thailand for six years asked the embassy to call a taxi for him and another person requested the embassy call and complain about their noisy hotel (Pictured: Australian Embassy in Thailand)

The man had run out of money and asked if they would be willing to pay for the service on his behalf.

'I'm sure as Australian taxpayers you will be pleased to learn the answer was 'no'. He had to make his own arrangements,' Ms Downey said.

Ms Downey said the embassy spends most of their time trying to assist families, typically in relation to hospital care.

She said a lot clients don't have money or travel insurance and the main clientele is aged between 65 and 75.

The Australian Embassy in Thailand dealt with 200 hospitalisations, 74 missing persons cases, 100 arrests, 201 deaths and 16 Australians in Thai jails in 2017.

Ms Downey stressed the importance of travel insurance and recommended the Federal Governments website, smartraveller.gov.au.An argument between two women has reportedly led to a violent wedding brawl that led to the riot squad being called and saw three police officers attacked.

The shocking incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday more than an hour after guests had spilled out of the Grand Royale function centre at Granville, in Sydney.

Police were first called after a fight broke-out on the street involving two guests from the nearby wedding.

When they arrived they were allegedly set upon by a teenage girl who reportedly hit a female officer in the face, before a 27-year-old woman allegedly scratched at one officer and kicked another in the leg.

New South Wales Police confirmed the riot squad were called to intervene as officers came under attack.

Scroll down for video

A violent brawl allegedly broke out between guests and police after the wedding of Ivapene Levae (left) and Lemisio Vui (right)

Three police officers were allegedly assaulted during the brawl after the wedding at the Grand Royal function centre (pictured) in Granvile, western Sydney

Video from just hours earlier shows guests in high spirits, whooping and cheering as the young bride Ivapene Levae and her groom Lemisio Vui entered the reception.

Mrs Levae declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.

However a witness claimed the shocking incident had occurred after an argument in the street over a mutual male friend.

'Police were called and then when they got there there was two women fighting on the street,' the witness, who did not want to be named, said.

'A female officer tried to calm one of them down and she got punched and then other officers tried to break it up and they were attacked too.

Initial reports suggested the scuffle had occurred during the wedding inside Grand Royale, but venue manager George Farag denied this.

Mr and Mrs Vui (pictured)celebrate in front of hundreds of guests on Saturday night. Just hours later two women from the wedding were allegedly involved in an altercation with police

He claimed the wedding had been over for more than an hour and the entire venue was empty when the fight broke out further up the street.

The teenage girl allegedly involved in the altercation was arrested and taken away to Auburn Hospital with minor injuries.

She was soon released and a police investigation into her involvement in the incident is now underway.

The 27-year-old woman was charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer and will appear in court at a later date.

It is not suggested anyone pictured was involved in the alleged incident.An Australian womans boyfriend has re-emerged after going missing overnight in the Seminyak area of Bali.

In a Facebook post to a group dedicated to those visiting Bali, Tahlia Evans said this morning that her partner, Billy Vlotman, had gone out the previous night but not returned.

So my partner has gone out last night and has not come back has anyone seen him? the post read.

In a Facebook post to a group dedicated to those visiting Bali, Tahlia Evans said that her partner, Billy Vlotman (pictured), had gone out the previous night but not returned

She said that they were staying around the Seminyak area and that she was starting to worry

She added that they were staying around the Seminyak area and that she was starting to worry.

Many in the Facebook community provided messages of support to Miss Evans, offering suggestions of where to look and what to do.

However, several hours later Miss Evans posted an update: 'He's come back home, thankyou everyone so much, I'm so glad there's so many lovely people out here!'

However, several hours later Miss Evans posted an update: 'He's come back home, thankyou everyone so much, I'm so glad there's so many lovely people out here!'

Many in the Facebook community provided messages of support to Miss Evans (pictured), offering suggestions of where to look and what to do

Amid the many who professed how glad they were that he had made it home safely, a lot of users found the situation hilarious, saying that they wanted to hear the full story.

Miss Evans has since removed her original Facebook post but added another, asking for lip surgery recommendations in Bali.

On it, several users have been asking whether her partner has been found.

Miss Evans has removed her original Facebook post but added another, asking for lip surgery recommendations. On it, several users have been asking whether her partner has been found.

'Omg yes he made friends with some guys and went clubbing and stayed at there's' she replied to one comment.

Another comment jokingly asked if the lip surgery would be a 'I'm sorry present from your partner for his disappearing act'.

Seminyak is a renowned party-town for tourists in southern Bali, near Kuta.

According to her Facebook page, Ms Evans and Mr Vlotman have been in a relationship since March 2017.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Tahlia Evans and Billy Vlotman for more information.President Donald Trump has no plans to withdraw the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court - even after a second woman has come forward with accusations of sexual misconduct.

Trump told associates that the latest allegations against Kavanaugh should be fought by the White House, NBC News is reporting.

The New Yorker magazine is reporting that Senate Democrats are investigating a second woman's accusation of sexual misconduct by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh from his teenage years.

In a story posted Sunday night on its website, The New Yorker reports that the claim dates to the 1983-84 academic year, Kavanaugh's freshman year at Yale University.

President Donald Trump has no plans to withdraw the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court - even after a second woman has come forward with accusations of sexual misconduct

The New Yorker identifies the woman as 53-year-old Deborah Ramirez. The magazine says she described the incident in an interview after being contacted by the magazine

The New Yorker identifies the woman as 53-year-old Deborah Ramirez. The magazine says she described the incident in an interview after being contacted by the magazine.

The magazine says Ramirez remembers that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

In a statement provided by the White House, Kavanaugh denies the event ever happened.

Kavanaugh says the event did not happen and that the allegation is a smear, plain and simple.

A White House spokeswoman adds in a second statement that the allegation is designed to tear down a good man.

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California (above), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is seeking immediate postponement of any further action on Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court amid the latest allegation of sexual misconduct

Kavanaugh is slated to testify Thursday about the first allegation of sexual assault, dating back from a high school party more than 35 years ago.

His accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, is also set to testify.

The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee is seeking immediate postponement of any further action on Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court amid the latest allegation of sexual misconduct.

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California sent a letter late Sunday to GOP Chairman Chuck Grassley after The New Yorker magazine report.

The panel has set a Thursday hearing with Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who earlier accused him of sexual assault when they were teens.

Feinstein also asked Grassley to have the FBI investigate both allegations.

Grassley, for his part, has promised to evaluate the new claims, but he also slammed Senate Democrats for withholding information from the committee about the allegations.

Feinstein sent a letter late Sunday to GOP Chairman Chuck Grassley (above) after The New Yorker magazine report

The New Yorker reported that senior Republican staffers in Congress learned of the allegation last week.

But Grassleys office released a statement late Sunday denying this.

The Iowa senator said it appears that they [Democrats] are more interested in a political takedown than pursuing allegations through a bipartisan and professional investigative process.The survivor of a horrific shark attack has apologised for causing 'so much trouble' in her first words uttered to her husband after spending nearly a week in intensive care.

Justine Barwick, 46, spoke to her husband Craig on Monday - five days after the first of two shark attacks in the space of 24hours at Cid Harbour on the Whitsundays in north Queensland.

Ms Barwick is now in a 'conscious and stable' condition after being rushed to hospital in Brisbane, where she underwent extensive surgery to treat her life-threatening injuries.

Justine Barwick's (pictured) first words to her husband since she suffered a horrific shark bite: 'Sorry I have caused so much trouble'

'In typical Justine fashion her first words to me were: Sorry I have caused so much trouble,' husband Craig said in a statement released on behalf of the family.

She also asked if her friends and family were OK, he says.

Craig says her condition continues to improve after she was mauled on Wednesday.

An avid snorkeller, Justine had been swimming off the shore of Cid Harbour when the shocking attack happened.

But a stroke of good fortune saw an accomplished doctor on a nearby yacht stem the blood loss and save her life.

The RACQ Central Queensland rescue helicopter, which was already in the air, took her to hospital.

Four sharks have been caught and killed in a catch and kill order given by the state government

Eyewitness photos of Justine Barwick's rescue have emerged, showing the rescue helicopter descend on the scene (pictured)

Less than 24-hours after Justine's attack, a 12-year-old girl from Melbourne was bitten in nearby waters.

The Queensland Government has since issued a 'catch and kill' order in Cid Bay, so far resulting in the culling of four tiger sharks.

However it is still unknown exactly what breed of shark was responsible for Justine's attack.

Pictured: Ms Barwick being transported from the yacht to a smaller dingy to be airlifted

Her husband commented on the shark culling operation, saying the issue is 'particularly personal to me and my family'.

'The reaction by the Queensland Government setting drum lines and culling sharks is understandable and in some ways I appreciate it!' he said.

'However we have to understand that while there have been two attacks in rapid succession, shark attacks are rare and sharks play an important role in the ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef.'Have you ever wondered how you and your family can score free flights overseas without spending a cent?

A study conducted by Point Hacks, an Australian independent platform, found there are numerous ways for frequent flyers to boost their point earnings.

They analysed Qantas Frequent Flyer program, Virgin Australia's Velocity Frequent Flyer program, and Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer program and have the tips to help you earn enough points for a family of four free return flights to Fiji, Thailand or Bali.

'The first step to achieving the required points is to set up your strategy,' Daniel Sciberras, Point Hacks' frequent flyer expert said.

'The first step to achieving the required points is to set up your strategy,' Daniel Sciberras, Point Hacks' frequent flyer expert said

They analysed Qantas Frequent Flyer program, Virgin Australia's Velocity Frequent Flyer program, and Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer program

'You should join your chosen rewards program, assess the credit cards that will earn you the most points  keeping in mind the annual fees.

'Fiji, Thailand and Bali are some of the best travel destinations to get awards flights for, as the points requirements are relatively low and flights are generally available.'

For a family of four, return award economy flights from Sydney or Melbourne to these island destinations will set you back from around 145,000 to 225,000 points, depending on the points program and destination.

Mr Sciberras said it is important to get the whole family involved in earning points as it helps boost your earnings when everyone is on board

Mr Sciberras said it is important to get the whole family involved in earning points as it helps boost your earnings when everyone is on board.

'Get your whole household involved in leveraging your normal household spending into point earnings over the next six months. Then use any combination of our hacks to boost your points further.

'Be aware that you can earn the required points in six months, but the transfer of those points into airline rewards may take another month.'Advertisement

A teenager has survived 49 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean after his floating fishing hut was whisked away in strong winds.

Aldi Novel Adilang, 19, was working as a lamp keeper on a floating fish trap anchored 78 miles off the coast of North Sulawesi.

In mid-July, strong winds ripped his anchor from the ocean bed and sent his hut drifting more than 1,676 miles over the course of seven weeks.

Eventually, on August 31, Aldi - who had worked on the hut for three years - was able to send an emergency signal to the MV Arpeggio, a tanker in the water off Guam, and was rescued.

He has now told how he did not think he would survive at times and how he consulted the bible when he was afraid.

Aldi Novel Adilang, 19, is pictured being rescued in late August in Guam after being able to send a radio signal to a tanker. The Indonesian teenager had been surviving off of seawater and hand-caught fish for 49 days

The fishing hut had been attached to the seabed, but strong winds tore the rope, and Aldi Novel Adilang was pushed thousands of kilometers north and out to sea

Aldi Novel is seen, right, after being rescued by the tanker. He said that in his darkest times, he consulted the bible

The small, hut-like fish trap floats on the surface of the sea and is only supported by buoys and attached to the seabed by a long rope.

Aldi has worked on it for three years. His job is to light the lamps which attract fish in the water.

Every month, someone comes to the hut to bring him food and supplies.,

On July 14, high winds tore the worn rope and rendered his buoys useless.

He was sent drifting, with only limited supplies of water, gas and fuel.

According to the Indonesian consul general in Osaka, Japan, Mirza Nurhidaya, the teenager was able to stretch out his weekly supplies for the full seven weeks.

'After he ran out of the cooking gas, he burned the wooden fences to make a fire for cooking.

'He drank by sipping water from his clothes that had been wetted by sea water,' the consul general told the Jakarta Post.

Stranded at sea, the teenager made many attempt to flag down passing ships to be rescued using a tattered cloth.

In a recent interview with Indonesian outlet TribunManado, Aldi said he thought he was going 'to die out there' and was so desperate he considered jumping into the water and giving up.

He was pushed 2,698 km north and out to sea drifting in to Guam waters after seven weeks out at sea. He went missing on July 14 and was rescued in late August

He said that in his darkest moments, he tried to remember his parents advice to pray in times of distress so he consulted his bible.

On August 31, he spotted the Panama-flagged vessel the Arpeggio off the coast of Guam and tried to wave it down but was unsuccessful.

He was then able to fine-tune his radio to a frequency which allowed him to connect with the cargo and send an emergency signal.

The crew pulled the teenager close to the vessel and plucked his weak-body from the Guam waters.

He was brought on board, given medical care and was then taken back to Japan to be handed over to consulate officials who arrived in Tokuyama on 6 September.

He flew home to his parents in Manado on September 8 and is now in goof health.

'Aldi's story is indeed dramatic, and we are thankful to all - the ship's captain and the Japanese authorities - that have been very helpful in ensuring Aldi's return,' Mr Mirza said.A fourth person has been charged in relation to the horrific murder of a teenage boy on Good Friday in 2017.

Brayden Dillon was shot in an 'execution-style' killing while sleeping in his Glenfield home, in Sydney's southwest.

Police were called to the home at 6.10am on April 14 after intruders forced their way into the 15-year-old's room and shot him in the head.

Brayden Dillon (pictured) was shot in an 'execution-style' killing while sleeping in his Glenfield home, in Sydney's southwest

He was treated at the scene before he was rushed to Westmead's Children Hospital in a critical condition, where he later died.

In July last year, Strikeforce Wongala charged Conrad Craig and Sophie Massie in association with the teenager's murder.

Massie pleaded guilty earlier this month to being the getaway driver following the horrific shooting, The Daily Telegraph reported.

A week ago, Craig's sister, Kimberley was charged with similar offences and all three currently remain before the courts.

Police believe she handled money to help provice a false affidavit on behalf of her brother, and passed information about the murder between various people.

Following further investigation into the horrific murder, a 23-year-old man was arrested at Surry Hills Police Station just after 9am on Monday.

Police allege he helped create false affidavits and passed information between other people about the murder.

Police were called to the home at 6.10am on Friday 14 April after intruders forced their way into the 15-year-old's room and shot him in the head

He was treated at the scene before he was rushed to Westmead's Children Hospital in a critical condition, where he later died

He was charged with accessory to murder after the fact, participating in a criminal group and perverting justice.

The Condell Park man has been refused bail to appear at Central Local Court on Monday.

Officers believe the murder was part of a revenge attack after Brayden's brother, Joshua, was allegedly involved in a brawl in June, where an 18-year-old was stabbed.

In the days before his death, Brayden suspected somebody was hunting him after his brother's involvement in the brawl.

'He always told me that he knew people were after him but he always thought that nothing would happen,' one friend said.Jimmy Bennett appeared on an Italian television program where he was ridiculed by the host in front of a live audience who appeared skeptical of the actor's claims that Asia Argento raped him.

In the hour-long interview on Non e l'Arean, which translates to Outside the Arena, famous Italian journalist Massimo Giletti made Bennett visibly uncomfortable in his first television interview since he accused Argento of rape while he was 17.

After Bennett detailed his experience with Argento, the host said: 'It's difficult to believe a woman can rape a man, an act of sex that is complete cannot be rape surely,' he said. This came after the host asked if Bennett ejaculated during the alleged rape.

'I was worried about coming in front of an audience and being accused of not being sincere about the violence against me,' Bennett said about half way through the interview after seemingly realizing he was at the center of criticism. 'After this, that's why I chose the silent route. I was right.'

Jimmy Bennett appeared on an Italian television program in his first TV interview

Bennet opened up about details during his alleged rape by Asia Argento when he was 17

Bennett has accused the #MeToo pioneer of rape when he was 17-years-old. Argento initially denied the allegations but said that she was the victim of an attack launched by the then teenager who had formerly played her son in a film.

It was revealed that Argento's late boyfriend Anthony Bourdain had agreed to pay Bennett $380,000 in hush money to get him to drop a lawsuit against the Italian actress which sought damages for the alleged attack.

'I remember feeling uncomfortable and strange,' Bennett said on the show while describing his relationship with Argento. 'There was always a barrier of culture in how she acted, and maybe I didn't know what to expect.'

'It's hard for me to talk about this in front of strangers and people I don't know, but I do want to get the benefit of the doubt in telling the truth,' he said.

'After the kisses started getting longer and it started with her placing her hands in different ways. Following that was when she pushed me onto the bed and took my pants off and undid my belt,' he added.

The host of the show, famed Italian journalist Massimmo Giletti, appeared skeptical of Bennett

The host found it hard to believe that a woman can rape a man

He told Bennett he did not appear 'traumatized' in a picture the pair took after sex

In Italian translated through a device, the host then asked about the viral photo that showed Argento and Bennett in bed together that was presumably taken after the two had sex.

'She asked me to take a photo,' Bennett said. 'Yes, it was on my phone. Yes, it was after we had sex.'

Giletti responded: 'I'm sorry, but you don't seem upset, you don't seem in this picture to be traumatized. You don't look here like someone who was afraid.'

His attorney then questioned if he was under this scrutiny because he was a man.

At one point Giletti asked: 'Was the rapport complete?' asking if Bennett ejaculated.

'Well, yes,' Bennett responded hesitantly.

Asia Argento breaks her silence in her first TV interview on DailyMailTV Monday.A mother whose daughter was allegedly hung from a tree with a skipping rope noose claims she has now had a restraining order taken out against her by the bully's father.

Belinda Yoon's daughter Amber, 10, was allegedly targeted in a shocking schoolyard attack by a classmate at primary school in Perth, Western Australia, last month.

In the wake of the alleged attack Mrs Yoon spoke out about the heavy toll the shocking incident had taken on her young daughter.

A police investigation into the incident ended without any charges being laid.

Now, in an emotional video posted to Facebook, Mrs Yoon said she has been served with a summons for a restraining order by the parents of the child who hung her daughter.

Belinda Yoon (left) has been left distraught after a restraining order was taken out against her by the parents of a child who allegedly hung her daughter Amber (right) from a tree with a rope

In the emotional video Mrs Yoon claimed that when police had knocked on her door and handed her the summons, she initially had no idea who it was from.

'I have been served with a restraining order summons from the parents of the girl who hung my daughter from a tree at her school,' she tells the camera while crying.

'Apparently I've been driving by their house in an agitated state... I don't even know where they live or know the dad's name.

'Seriously, I'm literally reading this, going "How is this right in any way?".

'They've not said sorry for what their daughter did, I am getting summoned to court for a restraining order how does this get any better for our family?'

Mrs Yoon has previously told how her daughter was lucky to survive the schoolyard attack.

Amber suffers from Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula and Oesophageal Atresia (TOF-OA) meaning she was born with her oesophagus connected to her trachea.

The young girl has had countless surgeries, is extremely susceptible to choking and can only hear from one ear.

In the emotional video Mrs Yoon claimed the restraining order alleged she had been 'driving by their (the bully's parents) house in an agitated state'

Last month her daughter Amber (pictured), who suffers from a severe medical condition, was allegedly hung from a tree in the schoolyard by a skipping rope

Police investigated the alleged incident but did not press charges (Pictured: Amber's neck after the alleged incident)

Last month Amber came home and asked to speak to her mother privately before she burst into tears and told her what happened at the Queen of Apostles school in Riverton.

Mrs Yoon was in shock as her daughter told her what happened, including that a teacher had sternly told her what she was doing was wrong.

She also claimed the school did not initially contact her or her husband.

The mother-of-four told Daily Mail Australia: 'When I say this literally devastated our whole family, it really did.

'I can't even describe to you. There were days, especially last week, when we couldn't sleep. Anytime we opened our mouths we just cried.'

Amber's younger brother, Hunter, 9, is changing schools as a result of what happened to his older sister.

'My daughters are just devastated.'

Amber, who has never complained through countless procedures and wears her scars 'like war wounds' has always been a happy little girl, according to Mrs Yoon.

Despite countless visits to the hospital she has never needed psychological help but last week her mother took her to her first appointment because of what she went through on that Friday.

Belinda Yoon (pictured) was in shock as her daughter told her what happened, including that a teacher had sternly told her what she was doing was wrong.

Amber's younger brother, Hunter, 9, is changing schools as a result of what happened to his older sister (Pictured: Amber and her mother Belinda)

The bullying that Amber was experiencing was first brought to the attention of the school after Mrs Yoon found a 'heartbreaking' diary entry (pictured) from her daughter as she asked why none of her friends would play with her

'As I was reading them a common theme was recurring and it was the frustration and heartache at the lack of a system that does not yet exist', Mrs Yoon posted on Facebook

The bullying that Amber was experiencing was first brought to the attention of the school after Mrs Yoon found a 'heartbreaking' diary entry from her daughter, her mother said.

'I can't get off my mind why won't my 'friends' won't (sic) play with me,' the young girl wrote in a new diary after ripping out her previous entries, revealed by Nine News.

'And haven't been treating me not (sic) very nice.

'Pray for me please.'

She described herself as the 'weird girl' and she wrote that nobody would sit with her.

In a meeting two days before Amber was found hanging from a tree, school officials said that there was evidence her daughter was being excluded.

Mrs Yoon said that her and her husband Dave have almost lost Amber countless times due to her medical condition

Mrs Yoon has opened up about her daughter's ordeal because she felt as though the school was trying to silence her and she was so angry

She told Daily Mail Australia: 'We have to do something. I can't let another family feel this pain. There is no feeling like it.

'We have been scared before - we thought we were going to lose her many times.

'But this was so different because it was completely preventable and it didn't need to happen.'

Mrs Yoon is calling for government change about regulations regarding bullying because of the horrific effects it can have on children.

'Children are killing themselves over this. They're not heard and the families are just heartbroken and they're trying to fight a system that doesn't exist,' she said.

She and Amber have been targeted by people on social media as a result of their claims but Mrs Yoon said she and her daughter have stayed up all night reading positive messages

The Catholic Education Western Australia described the situation as 'complex and sensitive' and said they are working with the families involved and the police

'This is a complex and sensitive issue and it is being managed with due consideration for the confidentiality that is required.

'CEWA is aware the incident has reasonably caused distress within the school and wider community and is treating the matter with compassion and respect for the dignity of all those impacted.

'The safety and welfare of all students remains the highest priority for CEWA and we will continue to work with the families of the individual students involved, the school, WA Police and relevant authorities to ensure their concerns are comprehensively addressed.'Vice President Mike Pence counted on Saturday President Trumps actions in favor of religious freedom  considered by LGBT rights supporters as means to enable anti-LGBT discrimination  as reasons for why conservative voters should turn out in the congressional mid-term elections to back Republican candidates and the Trump administration.

Pence made the remarks before attendees at the Values Voter Summit, an annual D.C. confab for social conservatives hosted by the anti-LGBT Family Research Council.

The vice president counted Trumps actions in favor of religious freedom as reasons why voters should support Republicans in the mid-terms as well as with other factors, including a booming economy, lower taxes, support for immigration enforcement and a tougher stance on Americas adversaries across the globe.

Our administration has also taken action to protect and promote our first freedom, the freedom of religion and religious liberty for every American, Pence said. Last year President Trump chose the National Day of Prayer to announce new policies to protect the religious liberty of every American regardless of their creed. Weve taken action to protect the conscience rights of doctors and nurses.

Although the Trump policies Pence referenced on the National Day of Prayer didnt explicitly contain any language seen to hamper LGBT rights, it directed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to draft further to ensure religious freedom is protected.

Sessions ended up issuing guidance that allows individuals and businesses to act in the name of religious freedom  often used as an exercise for anti-LGBT discrimination  without fear of government reprisal. Nowhere in the guidance is there a limiting principle assuring the right to free exercise of religion should be an excuse to engage in anti-LGBT discrimination.

The second policy Pence referenced is the establishment of the Conscience & Religious Freedom Division at the Department of Health & Human Services, which critics say allows medical practitioners to deny abortion-related services and treatment to LGBT people on religious grounds.

HHS followed up with a proposed rule change that allow medical practitioners to invoke a religious exemption to get out of offering abortion-related services and transition-related care for transgender people, including gender reassignment surgery. Other provisions condoning religious counseling were construed as allowing federal payments for widely discredited ex-gay conversion therapy.

Pence himself is known for taking action in the name of religious freedom to enable anti-LGBT discrimination. As Indiana governor, Pence signed into law a religious freedom measure widely criticized for allowing individuals and businesses to refuse service to LGBT people. After an outcry from LGBT rights supporters and the business community, Pence was forced to sign a fix limiting the ability to discriminate under the law.

The vice president alluded to further actions in favor of religious freedom, predicting Brett Kavanaugh will soon will soon be Justice Brett Kavanaugh upon confirmation by the U.S. Senate and issue rulings in line with social conservative thought.

Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a man of integrity with impeccable credentials and a proven judicial philosophy, Pence said. On the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, he wrote more than 300 opinions that reflect a strong record of support for limited government, religious liberty and our Second Amendment. Hes a conservative who will interpret the Constitution as written, and his record and career deserves the respect of every member of the United States Senate.

The confirmation of Kavanaugh, which is opposed by progressive and LGBT rights groups, is being held up in the U.S. Senate after the emergence of allegations from Christine Blasey Ford he attempted to sexually assault her in 1982.

Alluding to the allegations without enumerating them, Pence said he and Trump are confident that Senate Republicans will manage this confirmation properly with the utmost respect for all concerned.

For these religious freedom actions and other efforts, Pence urged attendees at the Values Voter Summit to come out in support of Trump during the upcoming congressional mid-terms and to tell others weve been fighting for the values that make this nation great.

With 45 days to go, my fellow conservatives, as youd heard at this summit, now is the time for the sake of America to pray, to vote, to stand, Pence said. And I know you will. The other side is mobilized, and some say theyre motivated as never before. But I say we must match  in fact, I say we must surpass  the energy of the American left and their enthusiasm and passion. And if we do, we will win.

Pence faced criticism from LGBT rights supporters by agreeing to attend the Values Voter Summit based on the anti-LGBT policy objectives the Family Research Council and the speakers that appeared on stage before and after him.

David Stacy, government affairs director of the Human Rights Campaign, said speakers at the Values Voter Summit are known for expressing support for conversion therapy and condemned Pence for appearing with them.

The practice of conversion therapy is abuse and can be life-threatening, which is why a growing number of states are banning it, Stacy said. And the denigrating language they direct at LGBTQ people send a dangerous message  particularly to LGBTQ kids  about their equal dignity and worth. Once again, Mike Pence is making clear that he stands with many organizations and leaders who promote hate and fear. We know those are not true American values.An Indian man has pleaded guilty to the stabbing murder of his new wife at her Melbourne home during an argument following Australia Day drinks.

Douglas Derick Eustace, 44, met Mary Freeman, 41, while on holidays and proposed to her within weeks so he could return from India to live in Australia.

But less than four months after the October wedding, Eustace fatally stabbed Ms Freeman at her Hallam home, shortly after midnight on January 27.

Scroll down for video

Mary Freeman stabbed to death by husband following Australia Day drinks

Douglas Derick Eustace turned himself into local authorities

'Guilty,' Eustace pleaded as he was arraigned on a single charge of murder in the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday.

At an earlier court hearing, magistrate John Hardy granted AAP access to court documents, including witness accounts of the events surrounding the killing.

The documents show Eustace turned himself in at a Dandenong police station, lighting a cigarette as a group of people watched him arrive, asking how his night had been.

'The man said, 'Not good. I just killed my wife',' one witness said in a statement.

'He said, 'I was sick of her. I couldn't take it any more ... I just slashed her'.'

Another bystander said the man put out his cigarette and walked casually inside to speak with police, smirking.

'I was totally shocked by how the male was acting and talking,' the witness said.

'It seemed like he was totally calm and happy about what he had done.

'He had a smirk on his face.'

Eustace met Ms Freeman some four months earlier and they were married in October.

A friend of Ms Freeman said she looked 'sad and anxious' on her wedding day and later revealed she was 'fed up' with the relationship.

'She would say that she would only stay in it until (he) got his permanent visa,' the friend told police.

'She was counting the days.'

The stabbing took place after a light-hearted debate between Eustace and Ms Freeman evolved into an argument as they were drinking with friends on Australia Day.

Pleaded guilty at the Victorian Supreme Court

'They were having a discussion about who is superior, the female or the male,' one friend told police, noting the group was laughing at first.

But it escalated and the pair went into a bedroom before the friends heard loud screaming.

They rushed in to find Eustace covered in blood and holding a large knife, court documents allege.

Ms Freeman, with blood on her chest, was gasping and died despite her friends giving first aid and calling paramedics.

Eustace, who is in custody, will return to court for a pre-sentence hearing on December 12.A Sydney school has been evacuated, while another was in lockdown following a bomb scare this afternoon.

Police were called to Ashcroft High School around 2.40pm on Monday after an anonymous call to the school.

A police spokeswoman said police searched Ashcroft High School but nothing was found.

Police were called to Ashcroft High School (pictured) around 2.40pm on Monday after an anonymous call to the school

Acting principal Kylie Landrigan said in a statement the school initiated an evacuation.

'In this instance it is assumed that the call was designed to disrupt the end of the school day.

'As per Departmental procedures the local police were contacted and supported the safe exit of students at the end of the school day.

'School will be open for business as usual tomorrow and we look forward to a positive week as we celebrate Year 12 leaving.'

Bonnyrigg High School was placed in lockdown for an unrelated incident nearby, a police spokeswoman said.

The lockdown ended around 4pm.

Bonnyrigg High School (pictured) was placed in lockdown for an unrelated incident nearby, a police spokeswoman said



A bid by Remainers to force Jeremy Corbyn into backing a second Brexit referendum has been blocked.

Supporters of a so-called 'People's Vote' had hoped to tie the leader's hands by pushing through a motion at Labour conference.

But activists will now only get to debate a fudged text urging 'all options' to be kept on the table - which is Mr Corbyn's existing line.

In a further blow to Europhiles, shadow chancellor John McDonnell has also insisted that even if a referendum is held it should not include an option to stay in the EU - although he was later contradicted by shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer.

The motion was thrashed out in a tense five hour meeting of Labour officials overnight, after a day in which tensions on the Brexit issue threatened to run out of control.

Under intense pressure as Remainers held protests at the gathering in Liverpool yesterday, Mr Corbyn conceded that he was ready to endorse another referendum if members voted for one.

The leader said his preference was to have a general election, but he would 'obviously' comply if party activists demand one.

Some 160 motions on Brexit had been submitted for debate at the conference. However, the texts were watered down in the so-called 'compositing' meeting late last night.

The motion, due to be voted on by delegates tomorrow, will state: 'If we cannot get a general election, Labour must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote.'

Party activists are set to debate a fudged motion that merely calls for 'all options' to be kept on the table - which is Mr Corbyn's (pictured in Liverpool last night) existing line

Anti-Brexit protesters gathered in Liverpool yesterday to demand a 'People's Vote' on any package the government manages to negotiate

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell told GMB today that a 'real People's Vote would be at a general election' after the leadership fended off calls for the Labour leadership to back a second Brexit referendum

Mr Corbyn (left) and Tom Watson took to the stage at Labour conference together yesterday. Relations between the two men have been tense amid clashes over Brexit, the anti-Semitism crisis, and a deselection campaign against moderate MPs

MPs joined anti-Brexit protests at the gathering in Liverpool yesterday, and deputy leader Tom Watson urged a debate on the issue on the conference floor.

Mr McDonnell told ITV's GMB today: 'My understanding is that what's been decided, and I've been arguing for this quite a bit, is a general election.

'A real People's Vote would be at the general election. When Theresa May comes back with a supposed deal from Brussels we will put it against a test, that is mainly whether or not it protects jobs and the economy, and if it fails in those matters then yes, we want a general election but we will keep the option of a people's vote on the table.'

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that even if a referendum were held it should not offer an option to remain in the EU.

'If we are respecting the last referendum it will be a vote on the deal,' he said.

The comments drew anger from Labour MPs including David Lammy, who said it would be 'farcical' to have a vote without the option of remaining in the EU.

Sir Keir later told reporters that the option of ditching EU withdrawal had not been ruled out.

'The meeting last night was very clear that the question of a public vote should be open,' he told reporters.

'We weren't ruling out options and nobody was ruling out remain. There were 300 people in the room and that was absolutely clear.'

But the views of Mr McDonnell echo those of Unite chief Len McCluskey, another key supporter of Mr Corbyn.

Mr McCluskey said the public had already settled the fundamental question of whether Britain should leave the bloc in 2016.

The manoeuvring lays bare the depth of divisions within Labour over how to handle Brexit - and whether it should happen at all.

Mr Corbyn has been under massive pressure from his own MPs to shift position on the referendum issue.

Up to now he has insisted that the idea should be kept 'on the table', but refused to call actively for one to be held.

Mr Corbyn told the BBC's Andrew Marr show yesterday there would be a 'clear vote' at conference on the referendum issue.

'Let's see what comes out of conference. Obviously I am bound by by the democracy of our party.'

A poll published over the weekend found 86 per cent of party members think there should be a vote on the outcome of Brexit negotiations.

It also found that 90 per cent of Labour members would vote to remain in the EU.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Liverpool yesterday as part of the campaign for a so-called 'People's Vote'.

Mr Watson, who has been engaged in a long-running feud with Mr Corbyn's hard-Left allies, pointed out that more than 100 motions had been submitted that could be considered on the conference floor.

'I want a debate on it,' he told Sky News Sophy Ridge programme.

Mr McCluskey inflamed the tensions by insisting staying in the EU should not be on the ballot paper if there is a second referendum.

Mr McDonnell gave his speech to Labour conference today, and was given a rapturous reception by activists

Mr McDonnell (pictured at conference today) also insisted that a referendum would not offer the public an option to stay in the EU

'The people have already decided on that,' he told Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live. 'We very rarely have referendums in this country. The people have decided against my wishes and my Union's wishes but they've decided.'

Mr McCluskey added: 'Here's one of the problems Labour have, there are significant numbers of traditional Labour supporters who are saying we're going to vote Conservative because we don't trust labour to take us out of the European Union despite the fact that Jeremy has said repeatedly, of course we recognise the result of course we respect the result, we're coming out of the European Union.

'For us to now enter some kind of campaign that opens up that issue again I think would be wrong.'

Mr McCluskey found an expected ally in former Ukip leader Nigel Farage.

He told GMB today: 'There were five million people who voted for Brexit in 2016 who then voted labour in 2017.

'What I'm struck by is there is a lot of Labour Leave voters who believe in Brexit so I think they are making a huge mistake. Potentially, it's a gift for Mrs May.

'The most important thing is we deliver Brexit, it's about delivering an independent Britain; it's not about the deal, it's about being self-governing.'An investigation is underway after a man was run over and dramatically carried along the road at an organised car meet.

Captured in horrific video footage, the hit-and-run collision occurred in Coburg North, Melbourne, on Saturday.

The victim, understood to be in his 30s, was lucky to escape with non-life threatening injuries.

Investigation is underway after a man was run over and dramatically carried along the road at an organised car meet in Coburg North, Melbourne, on Saturday

The incident is being investigated by Fawkner Highway Patrol officers who understand the car meet took place at a drive-in on Newlands Road from 11am.

The organisers of the show were marshalling cars out of the venue at the conclusion of the event when one vehicle performed a low-speed burnout, police were told.

The victim confronted the male driver inside the blue sedan at about 4pm.

He was then struck by the vehicle and pushed onto the bonnet of the car where he was carried a short distance.

The vehicle fled the scene and was last seen driving south towards the Murray Road.

Fawkner Highway Patrol Acting Senior Sergeant Dean Pickering said the incident could have been a lot worse and appealed for the driver to hand himself in.

The victim confronted the male driver in the blue sedan who had done a burnout at about 4pm

'It was a very deliberate action and decision for that driver to do what he did  it has gone from a burnout to a serious criminal matter,' Acting Sen-Sgt Pickering said.

'It is only fortunate that the victim did not wind up with more serious injuries, given the circumstances.

'I would appeal for the driver to do the right thing and hand himself in.'

Police are urging anyone with information or anyone who witnessed the incident to contact Crime Stoppers.A champion ballroom dancer allegedly stalked his former performance partner by hounding her with flowers, cards and intimate images after they split up.

Lee Donnelly is accused of harassing 21-year-old Catherine Tonge with WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram messages begging her to stay with him after she moved out following a drunken row on their way home from an awards ceremony.

Over a six-week period, Donnelly is said to have left snaps of the couple around their home and displayed old Valentine's cards so she would see them during subsequent house checks.

The 36-year-old is also said to have left a CD containing images of them being intimate with each other as well as changing the house alarm code so it would be triggered when she entered and setting up a web cam so he could film her reaction.

Donnelly is accused of harassing Miss Tonge (both are pictured) by hounding her with messages and leaving images of them being intimate following a drunken row when they left an awards ceremony

He would also park his car near her grandparents home and turn up unannounced at her work place at the Oldham Coliseum Theatre in Greater Manchester where she was a front-of-house manageress, a court heard.

Miss Tonge - who had been crowned Nationwide Under 21 Lady/Man Latin Champion with Donnelly in 2017 - was said to have been left 'very scared and threatened' and called in police. He denies a charge of stalking without distress.

A court heard the pair had met at a dance school in Oldham, Greater Manchester in 2016 and began their romance six months later after being paired up for dancing events - but there was jealousy due to Donnelly having other female dance partners.

Miss Tonge (pictured, left, outside court) claims that her former partner (pictured, right, leaving court) was slurring his words on the night that they split and was verbally abusive towards her

Miss Tonge told Tameside JPs: 'I was wary of what he was taking on and the more partners he took on the less time he would have for himself and us. He would agree to partner up with people and then he would moan to me.

'One girl at the dance school he was due to partner with could very demanding and I was worried it would friction as she was my friend.

'He was not always kind and respectful. People at the dance school admire him for his talent but knew what he could be like. He has drunken incidents and violence, he can be quite volatile and aggressive.'

The relationship foundered in June 2018 after the couple attended an awards ceremony to accept a trophies for achieving the highest marks at their dance school.

The champion ballroom dancer (pictured with performance partner Catherine Tonge) denies wrongdoing and says that he has tried to be an adult about the split

Miss Tonge says Donnelly started drinking beer while taking a bath ahead of the event and by the end of the evening was 'slurring his words'.

'There had been a presentation that afternoon which we both won prizes at,' she said. 'After that we went to the pub but he had quite a lot to drink which puts me on edge so I was wary - I was against going to the pub.

'A retired policeman we know wanted to buy a round at the end of the night but I was against that because Lee was slurring his words and I was worried he would get into trouble.

'He went outside for a while and I went outside to see if he was okay. He was with a woman who didnt look very happy with him and her partner didnt look happy with him either.

Donnelly (pictured outside court) is accused of leaving images of them being intimate together and changing the house alarm

'I felt uncomfortable and I felt tension in the situation and everyone was encouraging him to leave.

'But he picked up a bottle on the table which was my drink and said "Ill take this and drink it on the walk home".

'On the way home, he changed to a different him. He belittled me, shouted at me, telling me I am a little bitch who is only 21, how dare you tell me what to do".'

Miss Tonge moved in briefly with a neighbour and then temporarily rekindled her relationship with Donnelly after he apologised.

But she then ended the romance for a good a week later and moved in with her grandparents - giving him three weeks to leave their home.

'He is very charismatic but I felt towards the end it was quite emotionally abusive,' she said. 'I felt that I was becoming a different person because I lost all my confidence.

'It was a strain on me as a person. He had a drunken episode where he was very emotionally abusive so that was my way out. When hes nice, hes nice to people but when hes not getting what he wants hes not a nice person.

'He text me trying to beg me to stay with him, that he didnt mean what he said but I thought it was too far gone at this point, I was too damaged by it. I was just trying to get him to move on with his life.

'I wanted him to move on and support himself but the messages were too much. I said "please stop I have made my decision, I need you to leave me alone" - but he did not leave me alone.

'There were text messages and WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram messages. There were missed calls on my phone and he starting turning up at my grandparents address.

'I was sat with my grandparents when I received a text from him saying "goodbye Catherine, I hope you find happiness", with a picture of flowers on the front door step so I knew he had recently been.

The couple split after Donnelly allegedly started drinking in the bath and a row erupted

'His car was on the street and I could see him sitting there. He was outside my place of work at the theatre and he posted a card which had emotional blackmail stuff inside.

'He knew I was checking the house each day for damage. He was leaving pictures of us printed out in the house and Valentines cards to remind me of our relationship.

'He left me a disc with images on it with us having intercourse so I was worried he would distribute them. It has made me feel very scared. Any noise I hear at night I am scared that its him.'

Miss Tonges grandmother Irene Holland said: 'It has affected her greatly. Shes been depressed. All she wanted was to have a smooth break up and didnt want all this and really got her down. I have had to pay for her to have some counselling.'

Prosecutor Lucy Bridge said: 'The defendant has consistently texted, called and WhatsApped her even though she told him to leave her alone on a number of occasions. He gave her flowers and cards and would park down the road and call her.

'He has shown up at her grandparents house. He burnt a CD showing intimate pictures of them - which were taken with consent. He changed the code on the property alarm so the alarms would go off when she entered. He accepts all messages and that he sent flowers but does not think it amounts to harassment.'

Donnelly, of Rochdale denied wrongdoing and told the trial: 'Catherine and I formed a very good bond between us. It was a good relationship and we spent many times at the dance studio.

'We had some tit-for-tats at the dance school which caused small problems at home. Some dance partners had my full attention but it would take its toll on me and there was a little bit of jealousy.

'She wasnt quite happy that I had to split my time. She had me all to herself at the beginning and then we formed a relationship so I think she wanted me away from them and to be her exclusive dance partner. I thought about having a child with her and getting married, happily ever after. This one felt right.'

Recalling the night of the split he added: There was an awards ceremony and we each won awards for the highest marks in the school. I drank alcohol in the bath before we went out and at the ceremony. As the night went on, the bar was on last orders and Catherine said to me that she wanted to go home and didnt feel well. She had just bought a bottle and wasnt going to drink it so I wanted to take it with us.

'But she took the pint off me and said she had enough and we were going home. I was embarrassed that she took the drink off me and I was slurring my words a bit.

'But I didnt like getting orders that we had to go home. I said something along the lines of "you are only f***ing 21 years old". I was annoyed and upset. I was frustrated that I am 36 and an adult and didnt need babysitting - I felt insulted. I dont recall saying the words "little bitch" to her.

'I was distraught with myself with how I spoke to her. I was trying to fight for Catherine. I was not abusive towards her in messages. I was sad. I did everything on reason to show my depth of feeling for her. I just wanted to sort it out and fix things.

'I wanted my life in Oldham with Catherine. My job was here, the dance school was here - we set up a home and planned to stay there. Ive tried to be an adult about this.'

The case was adjourned until October when JPs are expected to return a verdict.These are the harrowing final moments of a woman who was allegedly murdered by her abusive husband in Brazil.

Terrifying footage shows Tatiane Spitzner sprinting away from Luis Manvailer as he chases her through an underground garage.

She runs into a lift where he pummels her with punches and kicks before strangling her to death and throwing her body from their fourth-floor balcony, police allege.

The haunting footage later shows the 32-year-old university biology lecturer bringing his wife's lifeless body up in the elevator and cleaning traces of blood off the walls, prosecutors say.

This is the view from the fourth-floor balcony where Tatiane Spitzner was thrown from, police allege

The 29-year-old lawyer's bloody and broken corpse was found inside the couple's apartment in Guarapuava, south Brazil, on July 22. Pictured: The couple together

Manvailer, who is in custody awaiting trial, claims his wife jumped to end her life after an argument - but forensic experts on Thursday concluded she died from strangulation.

The 29-year-old lawyer's bloody and broken corpse was found inside the couple's apartment in Guarapuava, south Brazil, on July 22.

Forensic experts suggest Ms Spitzner met a violent end and was choked to death while desperately trying to defend herself.

The imprints of a pair of hands were on her throat, and the hyoid bone, at the front of the neck, was fractured.

The lawyer also suffered multiple fractures to the rest of her body consistent with a 40ft fall onto concrete paving.

According to the report, there was no 'evidence of any chemical reactions' such as adrenalin and cortisol traces in her body that would indicate fear and an awareness of plummeting to the ground.

She was already dead by the time she hit the ground, researchers said.

Final moments: The couple can be seen arguing in their car (top left) before they drive into the garage

The man can be seen roughly holding his wife in the garage during the domestic violence incident

This is the moment the woman sprinted away from her husband as she chased him from the garage

Some 15 minutes of alleged brutality inside the couple's apartment was not caught on camera. Pictured: The couple together

Tests also indicated significant blood alcohol levels in the victim's blood 'which suggests she was quite vulnerable', forensic experts said.

CCTV images captured in an underground car park and lift reveals she repeatedly tried to get away.

'Our investigation proves that the victim was killed inside the apartment by asphyxiation and her body was thrown over the balcony of the apartment,' said criminal prosecutor Dunia Rampazzo.

'We believe the accused then took the elevator to the ground floor and collected Tatiane's body, taking it back up to the apartment in the elevator.'

'We suspect that before she was killed, Luis subjected his wife to a prolonged period of violent physical aggression.

'This was not a suicide, but femicide (the killing of a woman by a man on account of her gender). The aggressor then attempted to escape by car.'

Residents in the building, who called police after hearing a woman screaming for help, reported seeing a man picking up the victim's body from the pavement. One witness recounted hearing him shout 'my love, wake up.'

Forensic experts suggest Tatiane met a violent end and was choked to death while desperately trying to defend herself. Pictured: The struggle in the lift

Residents in the building, who called police after hearing a woman screaming for help, reported seeing a man picking up the victim's body from the pavement. Pictured: Luis Manvailer

CCTV images captured in an underground car park and lift reveals she repeatedly tried to get away. Pictured: Tatiane Spitzner

Police claimed Manvailer admitted bringing the body up in the elevator to the flat. Security images show him then fleeing the scene in a car.

He was arrested on suspicion of murder some 185miles from the city after crashing on a motorway and claimed he fled because he was 'too disturbed' by 'images of his wife jumping' to stay.

The death caused national outrage and provoked a country-wide debate on domestic abuse and the vulnerability of women in a country where 1,133 were victims of femicide in 2017.

According to the Brazilian Forum on Public Security, last year, an average of 530 women reported suffering domestic violence per day.

Forensic experts explained the criminal investigation took 'longer than the 30 days expected because it is a complicated case'.

Three simulations examining the dynamics of the lawyer's fall were carried out from the fourth floor flat where the couple lived.

The operation used a doll of the same weight and height of the victim which was dropped from different angles testing various possibilities of how the fall occurred.

A distressing record of the scenes leading up to the lawyer's death gives a graphic insight into the domestic abuse she suffered.

Close friends of the victim claim she revealed in a series of texts, sent many months prior to her death, that she was 'afraid' of her husband who she accused of 'mistreating' her, and she wanted a divorce.

However, the defence lawyer for the husband argued the couple had a 'happy' relationship.

A distressing record of the scenes leading up to the lawyer's death gives a graphic insight into the domestic abuse she suffered. Pictured: Their struggle in the lift

According to reports, the couple were on a night out when they started arguing over images of a woman found on Manvailer's phone.

Security cameras in the city centre condominium where they lived, documented a blow by blow account of the incident that starts with a car pulling up outside the building.

Images show the Jiu-jitsu martial arts specialist apparently slapping his wife several times across the face in the vehicle as she tries to fight him off.

The sickening violence continues in the underground car park with the victim being physically assaulted, kicked, throttled, chased across an underground car park and into the elevator where she is brutally battered, overpowered and restrained as she desperately tries to get away.

Some 15 minutes of alleged brutality inside the couple's apartment was not caught on camera.

Manvailer has been charged with murder (including the qualifiers under Brazilian law of femicide, cruelty, clumsy motive and hindering the victim's defence to further explain what happened), along with incarceration of the victim and procedural fraud.This is the shocking moment a truck showered a car with gallons of beer when it rammed into a toll booth.

CCTV footage captured the truck as it failed to slow down on the approach to the toll plaza in Rajasthan, India.

A white SUV stopped in a lane just moments before - rolling forward to pay as the truck quickly approached behind it.

A white SUV was waiting to pay at a poll plaza in Rajasthan, India when the beer truck swerved from the road behind it

The lorry then swerved into the back of the booth and toppled over, throwing crates of beer from its open back.

The waiting SUV was pushed forward by the force of the collision - appearing to shoot out of the lane in a river of spilled beer.

A second white car then appeared in its place covered in fizzing alcohol, bottles and broken crates.

A toll booth worker was even spotted making a dash out of the way as gallons of beer settled on the surrounding area.

The lorry crashed into barriers at the back of the booth - launching beer from its open back into the surrounding area

It appeared the SUV was pushed forward by the force of the collision - shooting out of the lane in a river of beer

The truck driver, Sandeep Jatav, was injured in the mishap and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

There were cartons of beer all over the road and local villagers rushed in to carry away as many as they could.

Toll officials called police to control the crowd and officers are investigating.A teenage girl has pleaded guilty to drunkenly attacking a paramedic after drinking vodka at a friend's house party.

Zoe Michelle Camilleri, 19, kicked the paramedic in the leg while he was treating her for a 'bad reaction' to vodka, which caused him to fall backwards.

An order of $400 in compensation and a $600 good behaviour bond for 1 year was handed down to Camilleri at Southport Magistrates Court.

Magistrate Mark Howden ordered Camilleri to pay $400 in compensation and a $600 good behaviour bond in 1 year at Southport Magistrates Court (file picture)

'This seems to be out of character for you,' said Magistrate Mark Howden.

Camilleri had been celebrating a birthday party at her friend's house, where she consumed large amounts of vodka.

Joe Wicking, the defence lawyer of Howden Saggers Lawyers, said Camilleri didn't drink alcohol often and had a 'negative reaction' to the vodka.

The vodka-fuelled attack on the paramedic occurred on Orchid Street, Surfers Paradise around 1.35am on July 21.

The vodka-fuelled attack on the paramedic occurred on Orchid Street (pictured), Surfers Paradise around 1.35am on July 21

A study last year by experts at Bangor University and King's College London, revealed the consumption of vodka was linked to feelings of aggression and restlessness.

The research, which involved 30,000 participants from 21 different countries, found that different types of alcohol consumption significantly triggered different emotions.

Camilleri, who cannot remember the drunken incident, has written a letter of apology to the paramedic for her negative behaviour.A woman has used a creative way to hold herself up on a crowded bus by sticking a toilet plunger to the ceiling to keep her upright.

The pint-sized Chinese woman, who is not identified, may have not been able to reach the bus handles and armed herself with her secret weapon to keep her balance while travelling.

The footage starts as the woman boards the congested bus which is packed with commuters sitting in the seats and clutching the grab rails.

The woman is then seen pulling out her toilet plunger and attaching the end to the ceiling so it sticks.

She appears casual as she continues to clutch onto the handle as the bus drives along and other passengers chuckle at her innovative use of the household appliance.

The unique video was posted on Youtube with the title: 'Chinese woman uses plunger as a makeshift handle on bus'.

Life hack: The woman may not have been able to reach the handles so brought the household appliance with her to stop her from stumbling on the congested bus

The footage, which was viewed 922 times, was captioned: 'This is the bizarre and hilarious moment a woman used a toilet plunger as a makeshift handle on a bus, as there were no free handholds available for her.'

One social media user wrote criticised the bus company for not having enough handles.

Clever: Bemused commuters can be seen looking over at her and laughing as the bus drives along. The footage was watched by hundreds after it was posted on youtube

He wrote: 'It's not bizarre. It's smart, practical and send a strong message to those guys and the bus company.

'There are not enough handles in the bus obviously and those guys who are taller should just hold onto the bar and leave the handles to shorter people. Instead they laughed.'Cadbury has made some controversial new changes to its beloved Roses chocolates.

The company announced last month they would be revamping Australia's favourite chocolate box by adding new flavours and changing their wrapping.

Some consumers, however, have been left with a sour taste in their mouth.

Cadbury has made some controversial new changes to its beloved Roses chocolates

Some old firm favourites of the chocolate box selection have undergone a make-over

Strawberry cremes, Hazelnut Whirls, Orange Creme and Classic Fudge have all been thrown out in a controversial move

Some old firm favourites have undergone a make-over. Peppermint Creme has been transformed into something called 'Peppermint Creme Crunch'.

Strawberry cremes, Hazelnut Whirls, Orange Creme and Classic Fudge have all been thrown out in a controversial move. They have been replaced by three brand new flavours, including Vanilla Nougat and Classic Caramel.

White chocolate lovers should not despair as Cadbury have added a white chocolate treat into the mix called 'White Raspberry'.

The new white chocolate will be made with freeze-dried raspberries and could become the new family favourite.

However, consumers can be rest assured that there will be plenty of the often unpopular Turkish Delight left at the bottom of the box.

The Roses trademark twist wrappers have also been given the boot. Cadbury have stated that the updated sealed 'flow wrap' will prevent accidental unwrapping and minimise flavour transfer.

While Roses chocolates have been a firm favourite with Australians since 1948, some customers are unimpressed with the changes.

Admin of the Old Shops Australia Facebook group Chris Ho told Daily Mail Australia that the new revamped Roses 'suck'.

'I'm not alone in thinking the revamped Roses suck,' Mr Ho said.

'It wasn't broke to begin with but they decided to fix it - and now it's broke.'

One upset customer posted on Cadbury's Facebook page; 'Why have you changed the Cadbury roses box? Why change something that is not broken?'

Another disgruntled Facebook user questioned Cadbury's controversial decision to scrap the flavours, saying; 'Surprised to discover Cadbury Roses have been updated. Hazlenut Whirls, Strawberry, Orange and Choc Fudge are gone yet Turkish Delight survives?'

One upset customer posted on Cadbury's Facebook page; 'Why have you changed the Cadbury roses box? Why change something that is not broken?'

Another disgruntled Facebook user questioned Cadbury's controversial decision to scrap the flavours

One consumer lamented the loss of the twist-style wrappers

One customer lamented the loss of the twist-style wrappers, wondering how they would be able to rewrap the chocolate if they took a bite and realised they didn't want to eat it after all.

'We have a problem... the wrappers for the Cadbury roses has changed. Mum called me, devastated. it's been a tough realisation. Now I can't rewrap them if I don't like the flavour.'

The new sweets officially launched in the country in August 2018.

This is not the first time Cadbury's have upset some consumers by making changes to their Roses chocolates. In May 2017, the company pulled the plug on their Cherry Heaven sweet.

The company told Daily Mail Australia that the changes were made based on the complaints they had received from customers.

'The number one complaint we receive from consumers is that they've found an empty wrapper in their box or that the flavour from one piece has transferred into another, and that's why we've adopted the latest, fully sealed packaging design,' Melanie Yates, Senior Marketing Manager for Cadbury Roses told Daily Mail Australia.

'This means the pieces now stay in their individual wrappers, and they'll stay fresher for longer.'



Fresh out of prison two months ago, an ex-con was killed in a police shootout after robbing and raping a man, then pulling an assault weapon on police.

It seemed like a war. It was impressive, an onlooker of the shootout told the Miami Herald. Police cars came down the street along with two helicopters pursuing him. Id say it was about 30 or 40 police cars.

The 40-year-old was pursued by police in Little Havana, Miami after committing the violent hate crime on a security guard after meeting him at an adult store. The two men went to the victims apartment, where the shooter pulled out a gun, made the victim take off his clothes, and forcibly raping him with the barrel of his gun.

According to the reports, the shooter said All gay men should be dead and I should shoot you in the ass, also using a homophobic slur in Spanish.

After, the shooter left the apartment with $500 in cash as well as jewelry worth thousands of dollars. The police report stated The offender told him if he called police he was going to kill him.

The shooter was found at a gas station after the victim reported the crime. Seeing that police had found him, he pulled out his AK-47 assault rifle and opened fire.

After giving chase from multiple police cars and helicopters, the shooter crashed into a truck. He tried again to open fire on police, but according to reports 19 police officers shot back.

As a result, the shooter was killed. There were no civilian injuries.

A detective told the victim, You can go home in peace. Its all over.

The shooter was released from prison on July 1, according to NewNowNext. He served over a decade for kidnappings, aggravated battery, carjacking with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, and aggravated assault on a police officer.The animators behind Christmas classic The Snowman have begun a new project which tells the astonishing true story of a bear that fought the Nazis during the Second World War.

A Bear Named Wojtek is being developed by Iain Harvey, the executive producer on the 1982 television adaption of Raymond Briggs's children's story.

Rescued in the mountains of Iran as a cub in 1942 and adopted by the Twenty-Second Artillery Supply Company of the Polish II Corps, Wojtek, a Syrian Brown Bear whose name means 'smiling warrior', traveled with Polish forces throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

The animators behind Christmas classic The Snowman have begun a new project which tells the astonishing true story of a bear that fought the Nazis during the Second World War

He proved he was more than just a mascot after he raised the alarm when a spy entered their camp, leading him being officially drafted into the Polish Armed Forces with the rank of Private - and he was even given his own paybook and serial number.

Polish servicemen taught Wojtek, who weighed 30 stone and was given double rations, how to salute and to wrestle as well as how to smoke and eat cigarettes and to drink beer.

However, unlike other mascot animals who were not permitted to accompany soldiers into combat, Wojtek made the journey from Egypt to Italy alongside the Polish II Corps and helped to fight the Nazis at the Battle of Monte Cassino.

British servicemen who fought alongside the bear and his comrades described their shock after seeing the six foot tall bear carrying artillery shells to the Allied troops.

Rescued in the mountains of Iran as a cub in 1942 and adopted by the Twenty-Second Artillery Supply Company of the Polish II Corps, Wojtek, a Syrian Brown Bear whose name means 'smiling warrior', traveled with Polish forces throughout the Middle East and North Africa

Wojtek survived the Italian Campaign and the war and joined his unit in Scotland for demobilisation where he retired to Edinburgh Zoo until his death in 1963, aged 21.

He has inspired children's books, several documentaries, an official brand of Wojtek beer as well as a memorial statue in the Polish city of Krakow and another in Edinburgh.

Producers have already secured some Polish funding for the hand-drawn animation and will approach British partners for more.

He has inspired children's books, several documentaries, an official brand of Wojtek beer as well as a memorial statue in the Polish city of Krakow and another in Edinburgh (pictured)

'It's fantastic to have a piece of magic that's real,' Mr Harvey told The Times, admitting that he had assumed the tale was 'pure fantasy' when he first heard about Wojtek.

'He took these soldiers as his parents, effectively, because his mother had been shot,' he added.

The Times reports that it will take a team of up to 30 animators about a year to complete the 30-minute film with each scene hand drawn on a tablet computer. It is being lined up to coincide with the 75th anniversary of VE Day on May 8, 2020.This is the horrifying moment a young holiday couple hit overhead electricity power cables when their 'Batman' parascending adventure went horribly wrong at a Russian beach.

The 21-year-old woman suffered electric shocks and severe scratches in the Black Sea nightmare where the couple were violently tossed around when their kite became entangled in live electricity wires.

Her boyfriend is fighting for his life after sustaining serious multiple fractures and electric shocks.

The couple hit the beach hard as onlookers ran to their aid after the ordeal that saw them narrowly avoid beach-front buildings on their way to hitting the sand.

The kite narrowly avoided beach-front buildings before hitting the sand after losing control

The man offering 52 daredevil beach parascending joyrides - who calls himself 'Alex Batman' - fled soon after the accident, according to Russian reports.

He is being hunted by police.

Pulled by a speedboat, the couple hit the power cables after they flew over beach and land rather than the sea.

After becoming tangled in electricity wires the couple sustained shocks and spun on to beach

Revellers on the crowded Black Sea beach jumped to the aid of the couple when they hit sand

A sunbather at Dzhubga resort filmed the tragic couple as they fight the get free of the high voltage cables.

The boatman pulled the rope to yank them free.

After they are wrenched clear, they spin upwards uncontrollably in the air still attached to the harnesses.

The man is seen dangling as they crash land on the beach smashing into beach umbrellas.

Beach-goers in Russia watch on in horror as the couple's kite spins violently out of control

The boyfriend (bottom in red shorts) is fighting for his life in hospital after sustaining fractures

Sunbathers rush to the scene to help the couple.

They were taken to Tuapse District hospital in Novomikhailovsky settlement.

Onshore winds led 44 year old boat owner 'Alex Batman' to offer clients the chance to overfly the beach - soaring as high as a nine storey building on the the seafront.

But this meant they overflew not only hundreds of sunbathers but also the deadly power cables.

It is believed the wind dropped unexpectedly and they lost height.

Police are hunting the man offering the parascending rides after he fled the scene

Locals claimed the man in charge of the boat was 'drunk' at the time of the accident.

Police are looking for the man and have not confirmed that he was intoxicated in charge of the boat.

The injured man and woman have not been identified.

They were tourists from Oryol region in central Russia.

A criminal case has been launched into the incident.We can't seem to find the page you are looking for.

You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link.The Quebec Regional Fair Circuit held its 2018 Fair Finals at the Hippodrome 3R for the first time on Sunday (Sept. 23) with ten finals.

Perhaps the most interesting of the races was the Young Drivers Final for drivers under the age of 30. The fair circuit is where young drivers get the experience to become professionals, as did Sylvain Filion and Louis-Philippe Roy.

The Race 5 pacing final saw Fortune Fella ($3.80) and driver Samuel Fillion get parked out by My Lucky Bluejeans (driven by Tyler Jones) to the opening quarter mile in :28.2, but once on top, Fillion and Fortune Fella led the rest of the one-mile race, and went on to win by four and one-quarter lengths in 1:59.1.

Samuel Fillion of Mont-Joli is just 20 years old and has been driving on the Quebec Fair Circuit for two years. He now has 17 wins in 80 starts.

My father had racing horses when he was young, Fillion explained, and my grandfather was a blacksmith at that time. After several years without horses, my dad bought a gelding, Classic Mondial. I was 14 when I start taking care of this horse. He performed well and that gave us the taste to continue and to buy others.

Now I also have the opportunity to learn with my father-in-law, Jean-Marc Roy, and my brothers-in-law, Louis-Philippe and Pierre-Luc Roy, and I am very grateful, Fillion added. At this moment I'm waiting to get my pari-mutuel license. I hope it will be by next year.

I love horses, Fillion said. I like the feeling you have when your horse performs after all the time you worked on him. Also, my family and my in-laws also have a passion for racing horses, so I find it great to be able to spend time with them and learn more of this sport.

Once I have my professional licence, Fillion added. Then I hope several trainers will trust me to drive their horses. For the moment, I don't have any specific purpose other than to continue having as much pleasure in practicing this sport. Louis-Philippe Roy is my favourite driver. He started in fairs like me and now he's one of the best drivers in Canada. Also, I like his style on the bike.

With the young amateur drivers on the racetrack, it was also befitting that the race be called by a young person. Track announcer Guy Lafontaine was more than happy to turn over the microphone to 14-year-old Louis Desrocher from Warwick, who not only did a superb job in calling the race, but announced it in both French and English. He is the son of Mathieu Desrocher who owns and drives on the fair circuit.

The Race 10 Handicap Pace Womens Final was no doubt the most exciting of the 12 races Sunday at the Hippodrome 3R.

Loves A Challenge (Carole Dumont) went to the lead with Gutsy Greg (Nancy Auger) first-over and Washington Hanover (Ann Marie Demers) three-wide and they stayed that way through the opening quarter mile, then the half mile and then things changed in the backstretch.

Washington Hanover began to fade, SOS Mach Xtreme (Roxanne Viau) took up the chase first-over as Mistys Delight (Sonia Lafreniere) came second-over and the rest of the field fanning out four and five-wide on the final turn.

Then in the stretch, driver Sonia Lafreniere split horses with Mistys Delight and came on to win by two and one-half lengths in 2:00.4. They went off at odds of 48-1 and paid $98.60 to win. For Sonia Lafreniere, of Sorel-Tracy, it was her first win in five starts this season.

Wild River Swan ($2.80) never even gave her competition a chance in the seventh race final handicap for Older Pacing Mares. Driven by Maxim Gaudreault, Wild River Swan left from post eight and increased her margin on the field at every post, winning in a romp by 20 and a quarter lengths in 1:57. It was her sixth win in 13 starts this year.

The eighth race 1.5 Mile Final for pacers saw another young driver, Tyler Jones, able to take command away from Brussebeach (Maxim Gaudreault with Clever Thing ($8.10) after the half mile marker and go on to win by one length in 2:59.1, just one second off the track and world record of 2:58.1 set by Strokin in 2016.

The 11th race was the Challenge Final Pace for owners of their horses. Hawaiian Five Roll (Mathieu Desrochers) went right to the top with 1-9 race favourite D J Power and driver Jean Marc Roy sitting right on their back. With no challenge, they raced way until the backstretch the final time when Roy pulled from the pocket with D J Power, shot to the lead and won with ease by one length in 1:58.1. Roy, from Mont-Joli, also trains the horse.

In the 12th race three-year-old pace final, driver Simon Delisle came first-over at the half mile with U C Easy ($9.00) and took command entering the backstretch and then pulled away from the field for a 12-length romp in a lifetime mark of 2:00.3.

The ninth race Open Handicap Pace Final saw driver Carole Dumont forced four-wide after the three-quarters with Appleby Hanover ($17.10). The duo was parked out four-wide the entire final turn, but came on in the stretch to win by three quarters of a length in 1:59.1.

The sixth race two-year-old trot final was won by El Bleu ($4.30), who wired the field with ease by four and one-quarter lengths for driver Pierre Luc Roy in a lifetime best 2:03.4.

Blackjack Soliel $3.00) and driver Eric Beausoliel were easy wire-to-wire winners in the fourth race two-year-old open pace final. Beausoliel, of Bertherville, also owns, bred and trains Blackjack Soliel, who won by eight open lengths in a lifetime mark of 2:00.

The third race Handicap Open Trot Final was won by Federal Strike ($2.60) and owner/driver Sylvain Fontaine of St-Edouard-De-Lothiniere. They led from start to finish and won by two and three-quarter lengths in 2:03.3.

The first final, a Handicap Open Pace in the second race, saw horses four-wide around the final turn and victory went to Bettn On Fire ($8.20) with trainer/driver Marie Claude Auger in 2:00.4 by a nose over Ernie Panic (Francis Picard).

Track Notes: The Quebec-Plus Series will be in full force next Sunday at H3R. First race post time is 12:50 pm. For more information, visit quebecjockeyclub.com.

To view the harness racing results for Sunday at H3R, click the following link: Sunday Results  Hippodrome 3R.

(Quebec Jockey Club)Shelly MacMillan doesnt consider herself a horse whisperer. Not in the least. But on the morning of September 17, 2016, as she often does, she leaned in close to a young filly and offered up a few encouraging words.

It was two years ago, on the day of the $436,000 Elegantimage Stakes final, a race for three-year-old trotters at Woodbine Mohawk Park, when MacMillan came to spend time with Royal Charm, a bay daughter of Majestic Son that she co-owns.

I was there Saturday morning and I walked her in from the paddock, MacMillan recalled. I remember saying to her, Charmy, this is the biggest night of your life and you dont even know it.

Eight days earlier, Royal Charm had finished third, at 9-2, in one of two Elegantimage eliminations, timed in 1:54.1.

In the final, she was 32-1.

After having started from Post 6 with veteran driver Paul MacDonell in the sulky, Royal Charm began her journey in eighth, 10-plus lengths behind the leader. By the half-mile mark, the duo had moved up to sixth, and just four lengths off the pacesetter.

She had improved to third by the time track announcer Ken Middleton delivered his stretch call. The Kentucky-bred bay would go on to surge to the front and cross the finish line three quarters of a length in front of her closest rival.

It was surreal, MacMillan recalled. Her caretaker, Jamie Litt, always believed in her ability and we were all overcome with emotion. She raced her heart out. When you own a horse, you dream of a time like this. When youre standing in the winners circle you could never have imagined her being there.

MacMillan would say the same of herself.

Standardbred horse racing became a staple early on in MacMillans life growing up in southwestern Ontario.

My connection with racing comes from as far back as being a kid, going to the races with my dad, said MacMillan, who now calls Waterloo, Ont. home. We used to go to Elmira Raceway, which was closest to where we were when I was growing up. I remember a lot of times  my parents had their own business  on the weekends, we wouldnt have to work there, so my dad and I would go to the races.

When she began dating the man who would become her husband, the couple discovered they had a shared passion.

Bob was the same as me, she said with a laugh. As a kid, hed go to the races all the time. So we both had a common interest in the sport.

They also periodically talked about making the leap from fans to owners.

The only caveat was in the timing.

I just always loved horse racing and we would go there as much as we could, MacMillan noted. As you get older, and you get married and have a family  we would always still go to the races  the whole idea of horse ownership was pretty much out of reach with a young family.

As the kids grew up and they moved out of the house, Bob and I thought it would be a good time to look into something that we both truly enjoyed. Since we both have high-stress jobs, we thought horse ownership would be a great stress-reliever for us.



Shelly MacMillan pictured hugging Mark Steacy at Mohawk in 2016 after Royal Charms victory in the $436,000 Elegantimage Stakes (New Image Media)

After several hours spent seeking the right fit for their foray into the world of horse ownership, the couple settled on LandMark Racing Stable.

A fractional ownership group, LandMark, which began in 2006, offers shares in yearlings that are trained and raced by Ontario trainer Mark Steacy.

We didnt want to go out and jump in with both feet, so we ended up joining LandMark, said MacMillan. We joined just when LandMark 7 was forming, so that was the fall of 2013.

Both of us just loved it. It was a great atmosphere, lots of really nice people. Everybody would come together at the racetrack and wed watch our horse race. Mark had located a satellite barn in Milton and it was only 45 minutes for us to get there. They were very welcoming.

MacMillan was quick to take up any offers of hospitality.

The first thing Marks wife, Kathy, said to us when we joined was, Youre welcome to visit any time. To which my husband said, Be careful you might regret saying that. So, I started going every Saturday. And I still do to this day.

Still invested in LandMark, the MacMillans made the decision four years ago to also co-own horses outside of the ownership group.

One of those horses, Hip No. 224 at the 2014 Lexington Select Sale, was Royal Charm.

In the fall of 2014, Bob and I decided we had found the right trainer, that being Mark Steacy, MacMillan remembered. We felt really comfortable with him. He was very honest and up-front, which was important to us. So we went to the Lexington Yearling Sale and bought Royal Charm, who was our first Grand Circuit purchase.

The same year, we also bought an OSS trotter, because we really love the Ontario Sires Stakes program. So we had a pair of two-year-old filly trotters, Royal Charm and The Muscle Touch. We owned The Muscle Touch (an $11,000 purchase) with another couple that was in LandMark, and Marks son, Shawn. She competed in the whole OSS series.

As for Royal Charm, things didnt get off to a smooth start, literally. In three two-year-old starts in 2015, she was sixth twice and seventh the other time  she finished a combined 66 lengths out of the top spot, and broke stride in a couple of those races.

But it would get better. Much better, in fact.

She didnt do much at two, but at three, we had a horse that people work a whole lifetime to end up with, said MacMillan.

From 41 lifetime starts, Royal Charm won nine times, along with 19 top-three finishes and just shy of $385,000 in earnings.



Royal Charm pictured at the wire in her Elegantimage victory (New Image Media)

Two years ago, she was second, at 44-1, in a division of the Simcoe Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Her final race came on November 3, 2017 at Woodbine, a sixth-place effort with James MacDonald driving.

The day we bought her in Lexington, I told Mark that if John Campbell or Catello Manzi could ever sit behind our horses, it would be a dream come true. In the year that John retired, he drove Royal Charm in the Matron Stakes at Dover Downs. She broke at the gate and it didnt matter to me. I had the photographer from Dover Downs take a million pictures of John driving our filly. We were also fortunate enough to go to the Meadowlands with her, which was on my bucket list.

Royal Charms Elegantimage triumph remains MacMillans most cherished racing memory to date, a moment she was able to share with a host of fellow owners.

The day she won that race, there were about 20 people in the winners circle, she recalled. They were all friends we had met through LandMark.



The winners circle shot after Royal Charms Elegantimage victory (New Image Media)

When I was young, Saturday night at Mohawk was when all the top horses were racing. So when we started realizing that dream with Charm, it was just wonderful for us. You just feel like youve hit the big time even when they are in those races. The trainer believed in her, the driver believed in her and the owners all believed in her and our friends did, too. And she got that Grand Circuit win. Youll remember that forever. To win it, was just beyond whatever you could comprehend. It was so unreal.

MacMillan would love to see other people enjoy that experience.

Everyone has to find the right fit for them. Thats why I think fractional ownership is a good start. People can get into it as much as they want to. Weve owned as little as 12-and-a-half per cent of the horses weve owned and as much as 50 per cent of the ones weve owned. LandMark is a nice fit because you can test the waters to see how much responsibility you want.

We like to go to the yearling sales to pick out something we like the breeding on. My husband is really into the breeding part of it. Its a great learning experience. The horses have a lot of personality and I love that.

Its something shes reminded of whenever shes with her horses.

My favourite thing to do on a Saturday morning is to go to the barn and walk my horse in from the paddock, to have that one-on-one time with them, offered MacMillan. Right now, I have a two-year-old filly and I have a three-year-old colt trotter with Mark at First Line (Training Centre) in Campbellville.

MacMillan still sees  and talks to  Royal Charm.

I went Christmas day this past year to do some chores and see Charm, so that Shawn could go home and spend time with his family, she said. It was going to be my last Christmas with Royal Charm at the barn because we were going to retire her. Now shes in foal to Father Patrick. And all of the original owners still own her.



Royal Charm and Paul MacDonell pictured heading to meet connections after capturing the 2016 Elegantimage Stakes at Mohawk (New Image Media)

Of Royal Charms 41 starts, MacMillan saw all of them live, with the exception of one start when her and Bob travelled to Kentucky to check out the Lexington Sale.

Yet they still found a way to watch Royal Charm compete in an OSS race at Flamboro. MacMillan and others gathered around a TV at The Red Mile to see their horse finish second.

To this day, I still have the most remarkable connection with her, said MacMillan. Shes pregnant now and shes living the best life. I go down to see her once a month. Shes back in Ontario. We bred her in Pennsylvania. She was gone from January to May and that was so tough for me. Now shes at Old Knoll Farms (in Campbellcroft, Ont.) and shes due January 30.

It isnt uncommon for MacMillan to relive Royal Charms biggest victory. In fact, she watched the replay of the race on September 17, on what was the two-year anniversary of the win. She also watched Phaetosive win this years thrilling edition of the Elegantimage.

We have a picture of Charm crossing the line and the winners circle photo with all of our LandMark friends, Mark and Kathy, their family and Paul (MacDonell) who drove her, said MacMillan who sees Royal Charms name listed every year in the program on Elegantimage night. They were all friends we had met through LandMark. Its just wonderful, the bond that horsepeople have with one another and our horses. You still get goose bumps.

And if youre Shelly MacMillan, you still talk the talk with horses.

My husband thinks Im crazy, but I always have a conversation with them. Every time Im with them, I think they know how lucky I feel.

(Ontario Racing)The Atlantic Breeders Crown Host Committee is pleased to announce the four Atlantic Canadian harness racing families that will be honoured for their successes and longstanding contributions to the industry during the upcoming Atlantic Breeders Crown weekend at Red Shores Charlottetown Driving Park on October 6 - 7.

From New Brunswick, the family of the late Cerdic Downey, including sons Mike, Ian and Dave and grandson Dr Mitchell Downey DVM, will be recognized for their many achievements.

From Newfoundland and Labrador, the Hector Williams family will be recognized for its long association with harness horses.

The Getto family of New Waterford, Nova Scotia, will be lauded for its 60 years of involvement.

The Smith family from Pownal, P.E.I., including brothers Don and Ian and Dons son Peter, have been among the most successful owners from Atlantic Canada with top horses over the years such as Sauls Pride, Rumpus Hanover and Pownal Bay Matt, to locally-bred stars including Maple Leaf Robbi, Touch Of Lightning and REs Mary.

Presentations to each of the four families will take place at the Atlantic Breeders Crown banquet sponsored by PEI Standardbred Horse Owners Association at the Top of the Park on Saturday, October 6. Memorabilia from each the four families will be on display in the Memory Lane area in the Trade Centre, adjacent to the Red Shores Charlottetown complex during the weekend.

For banquet tickets contact the Top of the Park at 902-620-4264.

For more information on weekend of events, hotel rates and post times go to redshores.ca

(Atlantic Breeders Crown)It has been announced that OBrien Award winner Marion Marauder, who is fresh off of a 1:52.4 win in the $200,000 Caesars Trotting Classic, will be representing Canada in the 40th edition of Yonkers Raceways International Trot.

On Monday (Sept. 24), Yonkers announced the foreign participants for its International Trot. The million-dollar, mile-and-a-quarter event is scheduled to be contested during the afternoon of Saturday, October 13.

Marion Marauder, the 2016 Trotting Triple Crown winner, continues to be a force on the racetrack for Jean Wellwood (of Stratford, Ont.) and Devin Keeling (Cambridge, Ont.). The five-year-old son of Muscle Hill has been masterfully handled by trainers Mike Keeling and Paula Wellwood, and currently boasts a career slate of 20 wins, 15 second-place finishes and five thirds from 48 career starts. His career earnings currently sit at $3.26 million.

Marion Marauder, who is driven by Canadas Scott Zeron, has been solid again this year as a five-year-old. From 10 starts he has accumulated a record of 6-4-0, trotted victoriously in 1:52.1, and banked over $582,000 in purses. He has tallied stakes scores in the $175,000 Cleveland Trotting Classic, $286,650 John Cashman Memorial, and most recently in the $200,000 Caesars Trotting Classic.

The 2018 installment of the International Trot will be the fourth edition of the stakes since the race was brought back from two decades of dormancy.

The world-class trotters that have been enlisted for the International Trot appear below in alphabetical order.

Arazi Boko (Italy)

Cruzado Dela Noche (Sweden)

Dreammoko (Netherlands)

Lionel (Norway)

Marion Marauder (Canada)

Pastore Bob (Sweden)

Ringostarr Treb (Italy)

Slide So Easy (Denmark)

Up and Quick (France)

Each horses country of representation was determined by ownership and/or sire.

These are some of the best trotters in training and were very happy theyve accepted our invitations, Yonkers race secretary, Steve Starr, said. Im expecting a great race.

As far as the United States entrant, Starr said that should be finalized in the next week or so.

Further informational regarding International Trot Day will be announced in the future.

(With files from Yonkers Raceway)By Delana Isles

GRAND Turk-based attorney Courtenay Barnett has mounted a legal challenge against a decision made by Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale in respect of one of his clients.





The motion was officially filed earlier this month.





Barnett is seeking a determination from another jurist on the legality of a ruling made by the chief justice in a matter involving his alleged mentally incapacitated client Kenrick Forbes who is accused of raping a toddler.





During a hearing in the Grand Turk Supreme Court last month, Barnett argued that his client has the right to also be examined by his own psychiatrist, and not only by a Government appointed physician.





However, the Chief Justice did not agree with this point, prompting Barnett to inform the bench that he would be contesting the legality of the courts decision to deny his client his right under the law.





The 36-year-old Forbes, a resident of Five Cays, was first charged and taken before the Magistrates Court in May this year with the offences of unlawfully having intercourse with and indecently assaulting a female child.





He was granted bail in the sum of $10,000, but remains an inmate at Her Majestys Prison.





Barnett contends that when mentally ill people, the indigent or any other seriously disadvantaged person, stands before the court to face serious charges, then it is imperative, under the system of justice, that they are afforded the tools necessary to adequately answer the charge(s) against them.





In a letter to the Weekly News late last month, the lawyer stated: "The state has a depth of financial resources to pursue prosecution to be equipped with technical professional expert advice and findings.





"By contrast, a person who is legally aided does not have resources to obtain similar technical and informed opinion and advice, hence the principles of justice protect such entitlement under the constitution, affords a right for equality of arms and ultimately aims to achieve through due process, a just result in the case.





He added that denial of such rights is a denial of justice itself as the result will be significantly different if the balance, which the law assures as a right, is not fairly weighed and protected throughout the trial process.





He further stated that failure of an equal and complete assessment of a mentally ill person is a compromise of justice itself.





The lawyer noted that the process he has now set in motion in the form of a constitutional motion will ensure that the rights and wrongs of this "very serious case are fairly and justly addressed.





"Without such process being operative, our justice system would be little more than a sham and pretender of being the guardian of justice, Barnett said.





This is the second such recent motion against a decision made by the chief justice. The other was filed on July 18 by Beryn Duncanson of Duncanson and Co.





In his motion, Duncanson cited the chief justices refusal to sign an order of recusal, despite there being a de facto recusal by her from many of his cases.





In those instances, Judge Shiraz Aziz was assigned as an alternate and has been hearing Duncansons recent applications.





The attorney also alleges that his recent applications have been "peculiarly, extraordinarily delayed by the court in being stamped, filed and returned to him.



Joey Williams to stand trial for murder SUSPECTED killer, 28-year-old Joseph Joey Williams, will soon stand trial for the June murder of a Haitian man.





Through his now former attorney, Lara Maroof-Misick, Williams has been fighting hard to get the video surveillance evidence of him allegedly gunning down the man outside of a bar in the Lower Bight thrown out.





During a sufficiency hearing several weeks ago, Maroof-Misick claimed that the CCTV evidence was inconclusive.





But, earlier this month Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale rejected those arguments after she took the time to examine the CCTV footage for herself.





The judge found that there was sufficient evidence on the books and in the video to commit Williams to a trial before a judge and jury in the Supreme Court.





She also rejected the accuseds application for bail and further remanded him to prison.





Williams has since fired his attorney and retained new legal representation through the law firm of Skippings Law - principal attorneys Noel Skippings and Oliver Smith.





Williams was arrested on suspicion of the crime shortly after committing the act.





Eyewitnesses reported seeing the suspect briefly stop his vehicle just outside the bar and open fire on two men, one of whom survived.





The killing reportedly occurred at about midnight on June 3.





Williams was officially charged with murder, discharging a firearm and discharging ammunition on June 14.





Dominic Swann found guilty of discharging firearm

DOMINIC Swann has finally been convicted by a jury, after aborted attempts to have him stand trial for his crimes delayed the process.





Swann, a native of Grand Turk has been at the centre of legal disputes for several months, with him being the mastermind behind a plot to bribe a witness. His cousin, Omar Harvey was also charged for his involvement in that plot.





However, they were both found not guilty of charges of bribery and attempting to pervert the course of public justice.





The charge for which Swann is now convicted, is that of discharging a firearm at another man in Grand Turk.





His trial had to be moved to Providenciales as there were fears from prosecutors of jury bias.





Swann is reportedly a very popular figure in the island of Grand Turk and the brother of Deputy Governor Anya Williams.





He is expected to be sentenced on September 28.





He faces no less than five years imprisonment for the crime.





Convicted killer seeks freedom as Crown makes up its mind.

There is a possibility that Colin Delancy Jr may be tried a third time for the part he played in the death of Dominican barmaid Santa Suarez Ramirez.





But while that decision is still being made by Jillian Williams, Director of Public Prosecutions, Delancy has applied to the court for his freedom.





Last week, his bail hearing came up for mention in the Supreme Court, but it was adjourned to be heard sometime later this month.





Delancy was prosecuted on a charge of manslaughter for the December 2011 killing. He was convicted by a jury.





He appealed the conviction and sentence, won both, and was tried again. He was again convicted and sentenced by a jury.





He again appealed and late last month the Court of Appeal again upheld his appeal and ordered a new and third trial.





Since that time no indication has come from the Crown about their intentions of conducting a third trial.





Delancy has been represented in his appeals by attorney Noel Skippings.



SCORES of medical professionals gathered at Cheshire Hall Medical Centre recently to learn more about informed patient consent.





The Medical Ethics Symposium was developed to exchange knowledge on the latest best practices, common challenges and pitfalls associated with soliciting informed consent from patients.





Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital hosted the event on September 14 under the theme, Informed Consent - Recommended Best Practices.





Dr Henry Blythe, chairman of the Medical Ethics Committee at TCI Hospital, said informed consent represents one of the major tenets of medical ethics.





"This consent may be in the form of a consent document, verbal or implied, he said, "there are some cases that require written consent such as invasive procedures.





"It is important for our staff to be knowledgeable of the different scenarios where each of these cases apply.





He explained that as part of the facilitys quality improvement they want patients to become more involved in their care.





"It is okay to ask why or disagree with a proposed treatment. It is important to require full disclosure, he said.





"Medical care should no longer be approached in a paternalistic manner and patients have the right to question their care.





Informed consent is based on the moral and legal premise of patient autonomy and their right to make decisions about a particular treatment or test with an understanding of the risks and benefits.





Claire Horner, a clinical ethicist, lawyer and assistant professor at the Centre for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine, gave a keynote presentation.





She stressed that informed consent is a process and not simply a form, a hospital statement on Tuesday (September 18) said.





The process involves several critical elements including disclosure of information, effective documentation, a patients right to refuse treatment and exceptions to the informed consent rule in cases of emergency, incapacity, waiver or therapeutic privilege.





Her presentation provided an overview of the ethics of informed consent, shared decision-making, cognitive biases, decision aids, the difficulties associated with hard cases and what healthcare professionals should avoid.





Other speakers based at the medical facility included general practitioner Dr Henry Blythe, who provided a regional perspective in partnership with anaesthesiologist Dr Dionne Ranglin-Robinson, who evaluated several key findings from a unique study on informed consent.





The event was chaired by TCI Hospital Chief of Medical Services, Dr Denise Braithwaite-Tennant.





Advance healthcare directives, or a living will that pre-documents a patients wishes concerning medical treatments at the end of life or incapacitation, is a growing practice in many jurisdictions.





People are encouraged to make decisions ahead of time so their care is aligned with their preferences or nominate a relative or friend to be their alternate decision maker in cases where informed consent is required.





During the visit to the medical facility, Horner conducted a special continuing medical education session and reviewed the hospitals current policies and standards of practice related to informed consent.





The experts recommendations will be used to further strengthen the hospitals existing framework.





Other areas examined included practices related to do not resuscitate (DNR) orders and the withdrawal of life-sustaining care.





The symposium is held every two years and is extended to healthcare practitioners from across the territory.





It aims to promote standardised practices across community medical facilities to benefit the patients continuum of care.



By Delana Isles

JUST a few days away from what will undoubtedly be a contentious debate in parliament,

Washington Misick has reiterated his lack of support for the PDM Governments new service charge bill.





In an invited comment on Thursday (September 20), the opposition leader spoke with the Weekly News on the issue just four days before the bill is expected to be debated in the House of Assembly.





He stated that Governor John Freeman should also look at possibly vetoing the bill if it is passed.





Misick expressed similar sentiments aired by owners of non-inclusive condo-hotels who have in recent weeks expressed concern that if the service charge bill is passed in its current form, it will negatively affect the economy.





One reason for this, according to hoteliers, is the addition of the five percent facility fee that the Government has included in a bill which calls for the return of the entire 100 percent of service charge to hospitality workers, 40 percent of which they are allowed to keep under the existing law.





The PNP leader and others on his side of the aisle have been staunchly against the return of the full service charge to workers without there being a full investigation of the issue.





He told this publication on Thursday that the Government should instead be focusing its attention on creating an environment that would improve the take home pay of all workers.





"If the intention is to empower Belongers, about 98 percent of the people who work in the hospitality sector are not Belongers, so essentially what is happening is they are basically enriching expat workers at the expense of the economy.





"So, I never did agree with that position of 100 percent service charge to hospitality workers and I still dont agree with it, never have.





He was emphatic that he is speaking on his own behalf in relation this issue.





"I am speaking for myself, I dont agree with it, I think it would damage the industry, I think it is against good governance principles and its against the promises that the Government has made in their manifesto to have a cooperative partnership with the private sector and in particular with the hospitality sector, which is the driver of the economy.





He stated that the Governments action on this issue is a knee-jerk reaction, and not one for which there was proper consultation.





"I believe this is a knee jerk reaction because the premier has painted herself into a corner and now feels like she has to go through with this.





"I think this is now driven by pride and I would like to say that to the extent that the Government has painted themselves into a corner on this issue, they should also climb down because it is not in the best interest of the economy.





Misick again called for a comprehensive review of the cost of living in the Turks and Caicos Islands, followed by reasoned and sound decisions to amend or adjust salaries and wages in the economy.





He said if this is not done, what the new bill will do is create a permanent imbalance in favour of one sector.





"I believe that if the governor chooses to do so, this is something the governor should look at very carefully in terms of whether it would damage the economy and whether it should be vetoed.





The PNP leader said the governor has legislative veto power in the constitution; a power he can utilise with the approval of a secretary of state.





He also strongly believes that the legislation that is already in place is a good one that can be strengthened with penalties being put in place to ensure that workers are getting the 60 percent that they are already owed under the existing law.



By Delana Isles

ON AUGUST 15, the Parole Board met to consider applications for early release of ten inmates serving time at Her Majestys Prison.





On Tuesday (September 18) they delivered their decisions, which saw eight out of the ten inmates being refused.





Granted an early release were Roxanne Lockhart who was convicted of robbery along with her co-defendant Wilkie Arthur in the Jais jewellery store Rolex watches heist in Grace Bay, Providenciales, in the summer of 2010.





Lockhart was released on Wednesday (September 19).





She was tried, convicted and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for her role in the robbery where some six or more people were initially charged.





Only Lockhart and Arthur were convicted in July 2013 while the other four were acquitted.





Lockhart has served just over five years of her 12 year sentence and was scheduled for release without parole in 2021.





Arthur is serving a 15 year sentence as he is said to have been the mastermind of the plot.





The couple made off with over $450,000 worth of stolen watches.





Arthur is scheduled for release in 2023, but is also slated for a parole hearing sometime in the near future.





The other person paroled this past week was William Noel. He was also released on Tuesday.





In 2012, an extended family sharing one home, were all arrested and charged in relation to a drug raid carried out by police acting on information received.





During the raid, over 120 lbs of marijuana was found in the back of a family car owned by Noel and his mother.





Noel was the only person who stood trial for the drug possession. He was convicted by a Grand Turk jury and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.





He has served six years so far, and was initially scheduled to be released sometime in 2020.





Noel was also convicted on another drug charge and was sentenced to seven years, but the sentence and conviction were overturned by the appellate court.





Others who were denied are serial rapist Corderro Williams who was tried and convicted for several rapes and other offences in Grand Turk between 2011 and 2012.





Williams would sneak into the homes of women at night and rape them. He was eventually captured and he pleaded guilty to several offences.





He is serving a 14 year sentence, which comes to an end sometime in 2020 or 2021.





Another repeat sexual offender was also refused release, Elvathan Handfield.





This is Handfields fourth or fifth parole refusal.





He was convicted of rape, buggery and attempted murder of a Dominican woman in 2008.





He was sentenced to life imprisonment, but at his appeal the court reduced the life sentence to 20 years.





The convict stabbed the Dominican woman some 25 times about her body before throwing her into the ocean.





The woman pretended to be dead until her attacker drove off. She then swam to shore and collapsed on the doorstep of a strangers house.





Medical professionals were able to save her life.





The third sexual offender denied parole is South Caicos native David Williams, who raped an elderly woman in front of her grandson sometime in 2013 in South Caicos.





He eventually pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to nine years imprisonment.





He is scheduled for release in 2019 without parole.





Bentley Forbes was denied parole for the murder of his brother 22 years ago. He has been denied parole on several occasions. He is serving a life sentence.





Meanwhile, other denials were for George Munroe convicted of robbery in 2011 and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment.





Also Louis Francis and Joran Rigby for the same robbery and jitney robber Elvis Smith.





The parole board was scheduled to hear four additional applications sometime this week.



Microsoft India and the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) have launched the CyberShikshaa, a 3-year program to create a robust pool of skilled women professionals in the country. Supported by the Ministry of Information Technology (MeitY)s Information Security Education & Awareness (ISEA), CyberShikshaa recognizes the growing potential of cybersecurity as a sunrise segment and the need for a large base of diverse industry ready talent.

As part of CyberShikshaa, 1000 women from underserved communities will be trained in ten locations across the country and offered employment opportunities. CyberShikshaa is open to women science graduates between the age of 20-27 years. The first phase of the program will be rolled out across Noida, Patna, Hyderabad and Mohali starting today.

Inaugurating the program, Shri Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & IT, said, Bridging the skill gap in the niche domain of Cybersecurity is a national imperative. There has been an increased participation from industry, government and academia to develop cybersecurity skills required for India. This program embarked upon by DSCI and Microsoft is aligned with Ministrys ISEA program and will not only provide impetus to bridging the skill gap but will also help draw more women into Cybersecurity domain.

Speaking of the initiative, Mr. Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India, said, As India leapfrogs into the next phase of growth, we see a multi-fold growth of digital assets. This increases the need for an enhanced cybersecurity infrastructure and advanced security solutions. India is also fast emerging as a prime destination for offshore cybersecurity R&D and security operations centers. This will lead to the next wave of jobs  one we must be ready for with a skilled workforce. CyberShikshaa is the first step towards this. We believe this is the beginning of a movement, one that we encourage all stakeholders to join in. CyberShikshaa is significant in more ways than one. It will empower women technologists, ensure a growth driven livelihood for them and increase the participation of women in the industry.

According to NASSCOM, the strength of the women workforce in the IT-ITeS industry currently stands at 34%. CyberShikshaa will develop a comprehensive ecosystem and evangelize women to harness the opportunities of cybersecurity as a career. In addition to establishing a strong training network with competent trainers and infrastructure, it will work to facilitate partnerships amongst government, industry and academia.

Speaking of the association Ms. Rama Vedashree, CEO, Data Security Council of India said, Cybersecurity skills development and enabling growth opportunities to women talent in cybersecurity domain is a key imperative for government and industry. DSCI is pleased to partner with Microsoft in developing industry ready women cybersecurity professionals though the CyberShikshaa program.

The CyberShikshaa curriculum will comprise an interactive, 4-month training course with a combination of theory, case studies and practical hands on projects managed by a group of training partners led by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). It will also include mentoring sessions and workshops with industry leaders; soft skills training and technical sessions by Microsoft employee volunteers. Campus interviews will be organized for students on successful completion of the course.

CyberShikshaa is part of Microsofts commitment to providing the underprivileged with the right skills for sustainable livelihood options in a technology driven world. The companys skill development efforts focus on:

Education and skilling of undeserved youth, children, and women

Coding and computer science skilling for employment

Technology-enabled learning for inclusion of youth with disabilities

Till date, Microsoft has helped skill around 700,000 young people from rural, tribal and migrant communities of whom more than 400,000 have been placed in jobs.

Technuter.com News ServicePanasonic India unveiled its new range of holistic digital signage solution called SignEdge. A platform for companies to showcase their creative advertising and branding campaigns, the integration solution enables the users to achieve their communications goals in an efficient manner. To go with this the company has also introduced a new range of 4K video walls and professional display monitors , which can be seamlessly integrated with the SignEdge solution.

The all new Panasonic series of Professional display monitors and 4k video wall is a fine blend of integrated display solutions, coupled with high quality viewing characteristics. Its highly durable UHD 4K display showcases each and every detail of the display, through the assistance of its unique video technologies. The solution also allows for smooth transition of presenters whenever there is a change in display, alongside facilities such as auto wake up on input and auto detect. The professional display monitors will be available in the range starting from 43 up to 98 inch and 4k video wall from 49 up to 55 inch with 1.8mm to 3.5mm bezel width.

With the advent of multiple promotional platforms the attention span of a consumer is on a constant downhill. Today, how consumers consume information and react to visual based communications has been changing rapidly. It has become imperative to create hard-hitting visual transmissions that enables companies and advertisers to interact with their end customers, in a manner which not only imparts the message but has a lasting impact as well. Our integrated range of digital signage solutions under SignEdge helps consumers achieve that phenomenon, through a range of tools that will help them seamlessly control, manage and analyse the message they will be putting out. The solution is empowered by various technological tools that assist in the creation and maintenance of the visual content. Its advantages include:

Complete Access, Centrally Managed

The system is centrally managed and provides the users with complete access to the tools for the maintenance and creation of content.

Integration Capability

The solution provides a seamless integration capabilities with third-party softwares and applications in customers network

Reports

Furthermore, the technology also enables for the creation and organization of reports on the display status and CMS software, focusing on facets such as display/media player report, assigned content running report and user activity report etc

Cloud Service

The solution also helps the users minimize their hardware setup through the assistance of cloud management services, that reduces hardware based risks through network backups

Services and Management

Apart from the products technological prowess, the consumers will also have access to 236 authorized service centres, to perform activities such as Design, Installation, commissioning and support for the deployed solution and a toll-free number which can support a total of 10 languages.

Commenting on the launch of the product Mr. Vijay Wadhawan, Business Head Systems and Solutions Division, Panasonic India said, At Panasonic India our business practices have always revolved around a solutions-based approach, that focus on holistically imparting technologically laced solutions to our consumers. The SignEdge platform is yet another offering by Panasonic India which aims at enhancing the communications aspect of business, further uplifting the manner in which companies interact with their consumers visually across the nation.

Technuter.com News ServiceA punnet of Australian strawberries with needles has been found in New Zealand in the first reported case of contamination across the Tasman.

The fruit, imported under the Choice branch from Western Australia, had been sold in Auckland, Woolworths-owned Countdown - one of NZ's two major supermarket groups - announced on Sunday evening.

No injuries were reported.

Countdown said the brand had been pulled off its shelves and had not previously been flagged as a concern.

Full refunds have been offered, with NZ residents being advised to cut up strawberries before eating them.

Authorities on both side of the Tasman had been alerted, Countdown said.

It last week announced it had stopped importing Australian strawberries as a precaution following scares across the states, while competitor Foodstuffs halted distribution to its stores.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.Beating back the desert in Burkina Faso, field by field

In Burkina Faso, what was once stony semi-wasteland is now covered in verdant crop fields, rescued from relentless desertification.

Using simple agricultural techniques largely spread by word-of-mouth, this tiny West African state has rejuvenated vast stretches of scrubby soil over the past 30 years, proving they are not doomed and giving hope to other vulnerable areas in the region.

One success story is Rim, a peaceful hamlet of about 3,000 people in the country's north, close to the border with Mali.

A peasant from the village of Selbo in northern Burkina Faso gestures near grass he planted to help stop the advance of the Sahara desert, on October 11, 2009 Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

Below the village as far as the eye can see, tall stalks groan under the weight of fat cobs of "baniga", a white sorghum grown in this part of the country.

"This place was a desert. But the people succeeded in regreening the region," said Amanda Lenhardt, a researcher with Britain's Overseas Development Institute (ODI), who authored a report on farming developments in Burkina Faso.

Called "zai" or "stone contour", the low-cost techniques were devised from some of the region's traditional farming techniques, nudged along with some outside help.

They have gained favour in different parts of the Sahel region -- a semi-arid band that spans the continent with the Sahara Desert to the north and African savannah lands to the south -- but have seen particular success in Burkina Faso.

In Rim, as in other parts of the country's north, farmers now swear by "zai" after again producing food on land considered lost to agriculture -- the occupation of at least 80 percent of the population.

The technique consists of building little stone barriers to trap runoff water and ensure it seeps into the ground, preventing erosion, agronomist Paulin Drabo explained.

Holes for planting are then dug next to the stones and packed with fertiliser, which together with the improved hydration, helps crops sprout up quickly.

"Before, when we planted on bare ground, we harvested nothing. Now, with the technique they showed us, the meal grows well," Sita Rouamba, a female farmer, said happily.

The shift to sustainable techniques has also expanded the supply of arable land.

In the past, farmers scrambled for plots on the banks of rivers, where the soil is most fertile.

Now they can grow food "on any kind of soil, no matter how degraded", said 38-year-old Souleymane Porgo, a hoe slung over his shoulder.

Farm yields are also vastly improved.

- 'Store full of grain' -

"At the moment, my store is full of grain I haven't touched. I also have plenty of beans," Souleymane's father, Saidou, who heads a family of 11 children and several grandchildren, said.

His yields have made him a man of means, with goats, a motorbike and cattle, which can be sold to pay for food if a harvest fails.

"All of this helps me properly care for my family," Saidou said with pride.

Around 30 producers in Rim have converted to "zai" farming, out of around 700,000 nationwide, said Joel Ouedraogo, director of the Federation Nationale des Groupements Naam, a non-governmental organisation that works with farmers.

Between 200,000 and 300,000 hectares (500,000 and 740,000 acres) of barren land -- an area roughly the size of Luxembourg -- have been rehabilitated, he estimated.

In a region threatened by the advancing Sahara sands, the results are impressive, the ODI's Lenhardt said.

Burkina Faso shows it is "possible" to combat climate change, said the Canadian, who credits the rapid adoption of the new techniques to word-of-mouth.

Seen from the sky the change is dramatic.

The parched, ochre-coloured stretches are the areas where "zai" farming has yet to take root. The green tracts in between are the newly fertile zones.

Nutrition is always a concern in Burkina Faso but the bid to beat back the desert goes beyond food security alone.

Like many developing countries the impoverished former French colony is grappling with a rural exodus, which is straining resources in urban centres.

The better the prospects from farming the lesser the lure of city life for young people, who account for 60 per cent of the population of 17 million.

Souleymane Porgo represents a new generation of young villager, who sees his future on the land.

Souleymane left Rim to seek his fortune in neighbouring Ivory Coast seven years ago. Six years after being wooed back by the "zai" revolution, the father of four is home to stay.The two small Horn of Africa nations have been at loggerheads for decades over the disputed border region of Doumeira

Djibouti on Thursday hailed a new era in its relations with rival Eritrea, whose foreign minister paid a surprise visit to the country as part of a regional bid to soothe tensions between the neighbours.

The two small Horn of Africa nations have been at loggerheads for decades over the disputed border region of Doumeira, and clashes erupted in 2008. Qatar brokered a peace deal in 2010 but relations have remained strained.

Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh was visiting to "open a new era in relations between our two countries. Now it is the time for peace".

Echoing the sentiment, Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Meles Alem welcomed the fact that the countries "have agreed to normalise relations and iron out their differences."

Saleh was accompanied by his Somalian counterpart Ahmed Isse Awad and Ethiopia's Workneh Gebeyehu who travelled to Djibouti to "advance dialogue" between the two nations, Ethiopian state media reported.

Their visit came a day after the presidents of Somalia and Eritrea and Workneh met in Asmara.

It is the latest rapprochement in the region after Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a peace pact in July ending two decades of cold war after a two-year border war that broke out in 1998.

"I think it is cooling off, peace and stability that will lead to regional integration," said Youssouf.

- 'Region heading towards peace -

"Today the message that we have for the Djiboutian people, the Eritrean people and all in the region, is that the Horn of Africa is heading towards peace."

Djibouti government spokesman Naguib Ali Taher told AFP bilateral relations have been "interrupted" but that both maintain embassies in each other's countries.

Tensions between the two countries rose last year after mediator Qatar pulled its peacekeepers out of the disputed zone of Doumeira.

This came after both Djibouti and Eritrea sided with Saudi Arabia in the row between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours.

Djibouti then accused Eritrea of briefly moving troops into Doumeira, a piece of land jutting into the Red Sea that the two countries had previously squabbled over in 1996 and 1999.

In April 1996 they almost went to war after a Djibouti official accused Asmara of shelling the town of Ras Doumeira.

In 1999 Eritrea accused Djibouti of siding with Asmara's arch-foe Ethiopia while Djibouti alleged its neighbour was supporting Djiboutian rebels and had designs on the Ras Doumeira region, which Eritrea denied.

The clashes in 2008 came after Djibouti accused Eritrean forces of digging trenches on both sides of the border, moving several hundred metres (yards) into Djiboutian territory -- which Asmara denied.

Eritrea withdrew in 2010 after Doha stepped in to mediate and sealed a deal in which further dialogue would lead to the demarcation of the border -- however this was never done.

Djibouti asked both the African Union and the United Nations to help mediate the dispute after Qatar's withdrawal.

The warming of ties in the Horn of Africa has seen Ethiopia and Eritrea re-open air links, embassies and trade routes.

Eritrea and Somalia meanwhile established diplomatic ties in July after more than ten years of tensions over accusations Asmara backed Islamic militia.Chinese security will be stationed in semi-autonomous Hong Kong for the first time at the West Kowloon rail terminus, as part of a new 'special port area' that is subject to mainland law

A new high-speed rail link between Hong Kong and mainland China will launch Sunday, a multi-billion dollar project that critics say gives away part of the city's territory to an increasingly assertive Beijing.

Chinese security will be stationed in semi-autonomous Hong Kong for the first time at the harbourfront West Kowloon rail terminus, as part of a new "special port area" that is subject to mainland law.

Passengers will cross through immigration and customs checkpoints into the mainland-controlled portion of the station, which includes the platforms and the trains, even though West Kowloon is miles from the border further north.

Under Hong Kong's mini-constitution -- the Basic Law -- China's national laws do not apply to the city apart from in limited areas, including defence.

Hong Kong also enjoys rights unseen on the mainland including freedom of speech, protected by a deal made before the city was handed back to China by Britain in 1997. But there are growing fears those liberties are being eroded.

Officials argue joint checkpoints will make journeys quicker for passengers as they need no further clearance after crossing into the mainland.

The new bullet trains to southern China promise to be far quicker than existing cross-border rail links, and long-haul services will cut journey times to Beijing from 24 hours to nine hours.

But opponents warn giving away control of land in the heart of Hong Kong is a dangerous precedent as Beijing seeks to tighten its grip on the city following mass pro-democracy protests in 2014 and the emergence of an independence movement.

"It's almost like an imperialist attitude on the part of Beijing," pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo told AFP.

"Anything can happen now in Hong Kong at the behest of the Beijing big boss," she added.

There are also questions over how Hong Kong citizens will be required to behave in the zones subject to Chinese law, whether they will be punished for using Facebook and Twitter -- banned on the mainland -- or targeted for wearing clothing with political slogans.

Opponents warn giving away control of land in the heart of Hong Kong is a dangerous precedent as Beijing seeks to tighten its grip on the city following mass pro-democracy protests in 2014

A government information leaflet says the public will still have access to the same content on their phones in the mainland parts of the station, but warns that "passengers' general conduct" will be subject to mainland law in those spaces.

There are concerns too over the sharing of personal information with Chinese authorities, including via a mainland-based wi-fi provider that will operate in the parts of the station under Chinese jurisdiction.

However, pro-establishment lawmaker Regina Ip described the fears as "overblown", emphasising that mainland personnel were restricted to the special port area.

"(The rail link) provides unprecedented convenience of travel ... we can have one-stop clearance, that will greatly enhance our connectivity with the Pearl River Delta," she said.

The special port area was quietly handed over to mainland personnel earlier in September.

The hush-hush ceremony took place at midnight and was not announced by the Hong Kong government until it was over. There was no media access.A vessel "sailing under a Swiss flag along the Nigerian coast" has been attacked, the Swiss foreign ministry said in a statement

A Swiss-operated ship has been attacked off the coast of Nigeria, Switzerland's foreign ministry said late Saturday, amid reports that 12 crew members had been kidnapped by pirates.

The foreign ministry "has been informed of the attack on Glarus, a vessel sailing under a Swiss flag along the Nigerian coast," it said in a statement sent to AFP.

It added that the Swiss Maritime Navigation Office was in contact with the vessel's operator, but provided no further details.

According to Swiss media reports, pirates attacked the merchant vessel as it was transporting wheat between Lagos and Port Harcourt and kidnapped 12 of its 19 crew members.

The Geneva-based shipping company that operates the Glarus, Massoel Shipping, could not be immediately reached for comment.Arizona Representative Paul Gosar, who first entered the US Congress in 2011 with the backing of the populist Tea Party movement and is known for his hardline views on immigration, is odds-on favorite to retain his seat in the conservative state

Six siblings of a Republican congressman from Arizona seeking re-election in November's midterms have publicly endorsed his Democratic opponent -- all but ensuring an awkward Thanksgiving family dinner this year.

Paul Gosar, who first entered Congress in 2011 with the backing of the populist Tea Party movement and is known for his hardline views on immigration, is odds-on favorite to retain his seat in the rural, conservative state when he faces Democrat David Brill this fall.

But that hasn't stopped six of his nine brothers and sisters from featuring in a series of videos released Friday for the Brill campaign, drawing surprised and bemused reactions as the family feud plays out across national media.

In one of the ads, entitled: "Paul Gosar Is Not Working For You," the siblings are introduced by only their first name and profession as they take turns to lay out the case against him.

"If (Arizona voters) care about healthcare, they care about their children's healthcare, they would hold him to account," says physician Grace.

Lawyer David adds: "He's not listening to you, he doesn't have your interests at heart."

Their last names and identities are finally disclosed in a "reveal" toward the end, before candidate Brill closes out the video to say he approved the message.

In a second video, called "A Family Defends Its Honor," the siblings say that speaking up against their brother is personally difficult, but they feel compelled to stand up for what is right.

The congressman hit back on Twitter on Saturday, comparing his siblings to slavish supporters of Soviet despot Joseph Stalin.

- Mom's favorite? -

"My siblings who chose to film ads against me are all liberal Democrats who hate President (Donald) Trump," he wrote.

"These disgruntled Hillary supporters are related by blood to me but like leftists everywhere, they put political ideology before family. Stalin would be proud."

In another tweet, he complained: "We all have crazy aunts and relatives etc and my family is no different," before adding: "To the six angry Democrat Gosars-see you at Mom and Dad's house!"

He also approvingly shared a New York Times report that quoted his 85-year-old mother Bernadette Gosar saying she believes in "the same philosophy and policies that Paul does," leading the congressman to gloat: "I guess I really am Mom's favorite!"

It is not the first time the Gosar family's political disagreements have spilled out in the open.

Last year, seven of the siblings wrote a stinging letter to the Daily Miner, a local Arizona newspaper, after Gosar suggested the white supremacist rally that took place in Charlottesville was orchestrated by George Soros, a liberal billionaire and backer of progressive causes.

Gosar also made headlines earlier this year when he called on police and Attorney General Jeff Sessions to check the immigration status of protesters attending President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in January.

Democrats are hoping for a strong showing in the November 6 vote, when all 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs, along with 35 seats in the 100-member Senate and more than 30 gubernatorial spots.

Republicans currently hold majorities in both the House and the Senate. Democrats are hoping that a "blue wave" will propel them to victory in the House, and the latest polls give them a good chance of doing so.

Gosar, however, can probably rest easy: political forecasting site FiveThirtyEight currently gives his opponent a less than one percent chance of an upset victory.US President Donald Trump has stepped up his attacks on social media platforms for what he sees as "bias" against him

President Donald Trump is weighing an executive order that would open federal antitrust and criminal probes into Google, Facebook and other social media firms, US media said Saturday, though the White House promptly distanced itself from the reports.

Last month, Trump stepped up his attacks on big tech companies, warning them to be "careful," and slamming what he called "rigged" internet search results.

The US president had complained that Google searches for "Trump news" brought up mostly negative stories about him.

Google strongly rejected any bias claims.

The White House's draft executive order focuses on alleged "bias" at the companies.

"Executive departments and agencies with authorities that could be used to enhance competition among online platforms (agencies) shall... use those authorities to promote competition and ensure that no online platform exercises market power in a way that harms consumers, including through the exercise of bias," read a draft of the report circulated by US media.

"Not later than 30 days from the date of this order, agencies shall submit to the Director of the National Economic Council an initial list of (1) actions each agency can potentially take to protect competition among online platforms and address online platform bias."

The text also demands that federal agencies investigation any potential "violation of the antitrust laws" by an online platform.

However, The Washington Post cited three White House aides as saying they did not write the draft order and did not know its origins, while a senior official said the document existed but had yet to go through the formal process controlled by the staff secretary.

"Although the White House is concerned about the conduct of online platforms and their impact on society, this document is not the result of an official White House policymaking process," deputy White House spokeswoman Lindsey Waters was quoted as saying.

Google and other internet firms have long faced complaints about search results, which are based on algorithms that can take into account user browsing history, location and other factors.

But technology and media analysts say there is little evidence to suggest Google skews results for political reasons. And if they did, the president would have little recourse under the constitution's free speech protections.Maldives President Abdulla Yameen has imprisoned or forced into exile all his main rivals

People in the Maldives vote Sunday in elections that international monitors and the opposition fear will be rigged to ensure that China-friendly strongman Abdulla Yameen remains in power.

Yameen has imprisoned or forced into exile all his main rivals.

He has borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars from China to build up infrastructure, alarming the nation's longtime backer India.

The EU is ready to slap travel bans and asset freezes on individuals "if the situation does not improve", while the US has warned it would "consider appropriate measures" against those undermining democracy in the country of 1,200 islands.

Some 260,000 people in the archipelago famed for its white beaches and blue lagoons can vote in an election from which independent international monitors have been barred.

Only a handful of foreign media have been allowed in.

Foreign poll monitoring group the Asian Network for Free Elections said the campaign was heavily tilted in favour of the 59-year-old Yameen, who was seen before his rise to power as an unremarkable civil servant.

The group said it did not expect a fair contest.

"In the absence of any scrutiny (of the elections) or pressure (on the government), sombre events surely loom ahead for the people of Maldives," the monitors said on the eve of the vote.

In February, Yameen alarmed the international community by imposing a state of emergency, suspending the constitution and sending troops to stop members of parliament who were trying to impeach him.

The chief justice and a judge of the Supreme Court were jailed along with Yameen's half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, president for 30 years until 2008 and the man who helped Yameen come to power in 2013.

The UN said the arrest of judges was an "outright assault on democracy."

Mohamed Nasheed, the Maldives' first democratically elected president from 2008-12 but now in exile, called Friday for the international community to reject the election result.

"Mathematically, it is not possible for Yameen to win because all opposition parties are united against him. But the results they will announce will be different to what is actually in the ballot boxes," Nasheed said from Sri Lanka.

- Silence dissent -

Nasheed was forced to withdraw from the presidential race after the Maldives election commission disqualified him because of a 2015 terrorism conviction.

The United Nations said the conviction and 13-year jail sentence were politically motivated. Yameen's government has refused to abide by a UN ruling which ordered restitution and compensation to Nasheed.

A relatively unknown opposition politician, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, 54, is backed by Nasheed to try to beat Yameen. There are no other candidates.

However Solih has struggled for visibility with the electorate because the media is fearful of falling foul of heavy-handed decrees and reporting restrictions.

The government has used "vaguely worded laws to silence dissent and to intimidate and imprison critics", some of whom have been assaulted and even murdered, according to Human Rights Watch.

"The election campaign reporting is severely restricted by the defamation law. This is not fair reporting, but we have no choice," one local journalist told AFP, preferring to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions.

On Saturday police briefly raided the campaign headquarters of the opposition, the opposition said.

"We are very worried about the situation. But we have trust in our people," Solih told reporters in Colombo during a visit to canvass support from the Maldivian community living in Sri Lanka.

Eligible voters in neighbouring Sri Lanka and India along with those in Malaysia are entitled to vote on Sunday. The results are expected by midday Monday.

A candidate must secure 50 percent of the vote to win outright, failing which there would be a run off three days later.Maldives' main opposition leader and presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (C) greets a crowd during a campaign rally in the capital Male

The Maldives -- a country of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean best known for its white beaches and blue lagoons -- will vote Sunday in a presidential election.

The archipelago of 260,000 people has seen political opposition suppressed and press freedom curtailed in recent years under its strongman leader.

Will the poll nudge the Maldives back toward democracy, or further its spiral into autocracy? Here are five things to know:

- Who is the incumbent? -

Abdulla Yameen, a once mild-mannered civil servant turned strongman president, is seeking a second term in office.

The 59-year-old has ruled with an iron fist since 2013. The free press has been cowed, the military used to stave off impeachment, and most opponents -- even Yameen's own half-brother -- have been jailed.

In a power struggle in February, Yameen launched what the UN called an "all-out assault on democracy", declaring a state of emergency.

At its height, he sent soldiers to storm the Supreme Court and arrest judges who had ordered the release of political prisoners. Emergency rule was not lifted for 45 days.

- Who are the opposition? -

The opposition have fielded a joint candidate, the little-known Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, 54. But campaigning has been difficult, with many key figures in exile.

Mohamed Nasheed, an exiled opposition figure and former president, withdrew his candidacy after being barred from running. He was convicted of terrorism in 2015 in a trial widely viewed as politically motivated.

- Do they stand a chance? -

The odds are stacked in Yameen's favour.

Rights groups say his regime has used harsh fines and vague decrees to silence dissent and impose censorship in the lead-up to polling day. Even wearing T-shirts emblazoned with pictures of opposition figures is out of bounds, local journalists say.

Human Rights Watch says new vote-counting rules adopted just days before the poll favour Yameen and may deny Maldivians a right to choose.

The opposition has publicly expressed confidence that voters -- at home and abroad -- will come out against the regime. But it has accused Yameen of laying the groundwork to "steal" this election.

- Why does it matter? -

There are broader geopolitical concerns at play.

The Maldives, like other smaller regional countries once firmly in India's orbit, has drifted closer to China in recent years, which has given hundreds of millions of dollars in loans to the atoll nation.

Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the Indian Ocean -- a so-called "string of pearls" -- to counter the rise of its rival and secure its own economic interests.

The tropical archipelago is also a hugely popular holiday destination, attracting nearly 1.4 million foreigners in 2017.

- What could happen next? -

Election irregularities, or a repeat of February's constitutional hijinks, could see sanctions imposed.

The European Union said in July it was ready to impose travel bans and asset freezes on individuals if the situation did not improve.

The US State Department this month warned it would "consider appropriate measures" if the election was not free and fair.Trade conflict so far have had a mixed effect, with some ports seeing sharp declines, even as others report a surge

America's ports are fearful that they will be big losers as the escalating trade fight between Washington and Beijing bites into business.

The anxiety is that tit-for-tat tariffs between the two economic superpowers will crimp shipments, denting port revenues.

Kurt Nagle, head of the American Association of Port Authorities, called the state of play "concerning," following the latest back-and-forth this week between the United States and China.

"The total amount of tariffs and international retaliation affect 10 percent of the total trade in American ports," or about $160 billion in revenues, Nagle said.

The various trade wars thus far have had a mixed effect, with some ports seeing sharp declines in some products, even as others report a surge in activity intended to beat the new levies.

The mammoth US economy is sustained by about 100 ports around the country that manage the flow of goods inward and outbound at points of embarkation along the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes.

In the first six months of 2018, the port of New Orleans saw a drop of 350,000 tons of steel compared with the year-ago period, a big hit for a flagship product that is used in a petroleum-focused region.

"It represents between three and five million dollars," said Robert Landry, vice president of the Port of New Orleans. "For us it's very big."

Major sources of the steel include Turkey, China and South Korea. All but South Korea were affected by a 25 percent tariff on steel imposed by US President Donald Trump this spring.

The New Orleans port also suffered a 10 percent drop in aluminum imports, which was also included in the same tariff action, while retaliatory Chinese tariffs on poultry have hit those exports.

- Los Angeles surge -

Meanwhile, with new tariffs looming in the US-China standoff, the Port of Los Angeles has seen a surge in some products.

"In May, June and July, cargo owners tried to beat the volumes," said Phillip Sanfield, a spokesman for the port, for which China is a key market, accounting last year for about half its trade in total value.

But the acceleration earlier this year may not last after the United States this week announced tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, a move quickly followed by the Chinese rebuttal to impose levies on $60 billion in US goods.

Trade war fears are also a source of unease for port workers, particularly in areas like southern California where the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach account for one in nine jobs. There are about three million port workers nationwide.

But that angst extends to other regions.

"The East Coast ports in New York, New Jersey, Georgia and Virginia will also be very affected," Sanfield said.

The trade war has also worried the maritime shipping industry, which deals in $4.6 trillion worth of goods annually, employs 23 million people and pays $320 billion in taxes each year, according to the AAPA.

Landry of the New Orleans port said he was "optimistic" of an eventual solution.

"I just don't know how long it's gonna take," he said.

"We can probably take another six months, but at some point it's going to be very hard to face the situation."Around three million people live in Idlib and surrounding rebel territory, including foreigners who have joined the war against the Assad regime

Pointing to a green screen as if presenting a weather forecast, Bilal Abdul Kareem analyses the Turkish-Russian deal over Syria's Idlib, broadcasting in his native English from inside the war-torn country's last rebel stronghold.

The 47-year-old American convert to Islam is a long way from where he grew up near the Bronx, watching reruns of "Rocky" and eating at Italian restaurants.

Dressed in a charcoal suit jacket, the broad-shouldered and bearded Abdul Kareem stares into the camera and insists: "In this deal, this specific deal, nobody can say the rebels were not winners."

For the past six years, he has reported from shrinking rebel territory in Syria's north, filming the aftermath of airstrikes, interviewing hardline fighters, even meeting Al-Qaeda members.

His contacts, including in the jihadist-led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have granted him extensive access at a time when the risk of abduction makes much of Syria too dangerous for journalists from mainstream news outlets.

But it has also prompted allegations that Abdul Kareem is a "jihadist propagandist" and would not have survived in the area had he been an impartial journalist -- particularly given HTS's history of harsh crackdowns against perceived foes.

Speaking to AFP from Idlib over Skype, Whatsapp, and Facebook, Abdul Kareem denied the claims and directed accusations of his own: he is suing the US government for allegedly trying to kill him in Syria.

As the case drags through US courts, the self-described "bald-headed black guy in the middle of Syria" has remained in Idlib despite fears of a looming regime offensive, continuing to file dispatches for his media upstart, On the Ground News.

- CNN to OGN -

Born Darrell Lamont Phelps, Abdul Kareem converted to Islam before moving to the Middle East in 2002. He married and had children in Egypt, but declined to disclose their location for security reasons.

He arrived in Syria in 2012 from Libya, curious about the rebels battling President Bashar al-Assad's forces in a conflict which at that point was just a year old.

Working first with major broadcasters including CNN, he founded OGN in 2015 as editors started to express "doubts" about his political stances, he said.

The channel now publishes on YouTube, Twitter, and a Facebook page with more than 86,000 followers.

Speaking to AFP from Idlib over Skype, Whatsapp, and Facebook, Abdul Kareem denied the claims and directed accusations of his own: he is suing the US government for allegedly trying to kill him in Syria

"I have a good working relationship with every group, which doesn't necessarily mean I agree with everything they do or they agree with everything I do," he said.

A normal day begins with dawn prayers at 4:30 AM, followed by a routine search of his car for bombs. The rest is up to the news cycle.

He could find himself on a motorcycle zipping towards a frontline, lapel mic in hand but without protective gear, or sipping tea with hardcore fighters most Americans would consider unsavoury.

"I remember I had these very, very in-depth conversations with different Al-Qaeda members about America, Americans and the democratic system," Abdul Kareem said.

He offered unsuccessfully to facilitate a dialogue between Western powers and Idlib's militants, whom he insisted don't have "blood dripping from their fangs and want to eat American children".

The US has designated Al-Qaeda and HTS "terrorist organisations".

- 'America is not the same' -

Around three million people live in Idlib and surrounding rebel territory, including foreigners who have joined the war against the Assad regime.

"There are quite a few Americans here. All fighters," Abdul Kareem said.

Asked about his future, he recalled escaping second city Aleppo as it fell to the government in 2016.

If the same fate awaits Idlib, he said, "I would be one of the last people to leave".

A normal day begins with dawn prayers at 4:30 AM, followed by a routine search of his car for bombs. The rest is up to the news cycle

Abdul Kareem's 16-year absence from the US has made him miss simple things: speaking English, sugary cereals.

But he fears the 2016 election of President Donald Trump has changed the country too much.

"It sounds like America is not the same America that I grew up in," he said.

His remaining links are with his sister, and a lawsuit he filed last year against Trump and a coterie of US officials, accusing the government of attempting to kill him five times.

Once was on a reporting trip. "My car was hit with a drone strike. The car flipped up into the air and landed on its side facing the opposite direction," he said.

Abdul Kareem is demanding the government stop targeting him, remove him from any so-called "kill list" and disclose the names of other citizens who may be on it.

In the meantime, OGN's cameras keep rolling.

"I'm not in America because being here in Syria doing the work that I'm doing and covering the things I'm covering, in my estimation, is the right thing to do," Abdul Kareem said.

"People are dying by the droves, and if I can do something to help people see what the real realities are, then what business do I have going back to America right now?"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that under the proposed rule change, being a current or previous receipient of certain public aid would be seen as a "heavily weighed negative factor"

US immigrants who get public benefits like food stamps or housing vouchers could be denied green cards, under a new proposal from President Donald Trump's administration.

Trump came to power pledging to make immigration to the United States more difficult, and reduce the number of people allowed to stay in the country.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Saturday that under the proposed rule change, being a current or previous receipient of certain public aid would be seen as a "heavily weighed negative factor" in considering an application for lawful permanent residency.

"This proposed rule will implement a law passed by Congress intended to promote immigrant self-sufficiency and protect finite resources by ensuring that they are not likely to become burdens on American taxpayers," Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said.

Immigrants applying for green cards are already required to prove they will not become a so-called "public charge," with receipt of cash benefits considered.

But the latest rules set out a wide range of non-cash public benefits that could be disqualifying, including food stamps, housing vouchers and the Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy which helps with prescription costs.

DHS estimated the rule would affect just over 382,200 immigrants applying to adjust their status to lawful permanent residents each year.

The rule would primarily affect legal immigrants or people seeking to come to the US legally, as undocumented immigrants are already ineligible for most means-tested public benefits.

In a June report examining the potential effects -- based on a leaked draft -- the Migration Policy Institute warned many immigrants and their families may forgo benefits and services for which they are eligible "out of fear of real or perceived immigration consequences."

Advocates also expressed fears that immigrant families could find themselves having to choose between a united family and accessing necessities.

"(The rule change) places wealth over family, denying ordinary working families a place in America," said Olivia Golden, executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy.

The proposal will be subject to a 60-day comment period before coming into effect.Not all Zambians are happy about China's presence in the country

"China equals Hitler" said the sign held up in the Zambian capital Lusaka by a protester opposed to Beijing's tightening grip on the economy of the southern African nation.

The demonstrator, James Lukuku, who leads a small political party, was picked up by police and spent several hours in a cell reflecting on his one-man protest.

But he is not alone in opposing China's growing presence in President Edgar Lungu's Zambia and in particular its major programme of loans to Lusaka.

In fact his criticism echoes concerns shared by many across swathes of Africa and beyond, where some fear that China's mega-projects risk leaving already fragile economies in even worse shape.

"I want to bring to the attention of the international community the Chinese influence and corruption in Zambia," said Lukuku who wore a white T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan #sayno2China.

China is the main investor in Zambia as it is in several other African countries and with its offers of "unconditional" aid, most public tenders are awarded to Chinese bidders.

In Lusaka and across the country, China is busy constructing airports, roads, factories and police stations with the building boom largely funded by Chinese loans.

- 'These criminal debts' -

"China is about to take everything from Zambia. They have taken over our economy through these criminal debts. This government is contracting debts from China even without parliamentary approval," said Lukuku.

Zambian public debt is officially around $10.6 billion but suspicions have grown in recent months that the government is hiding its indebtedness -- as happened in neighbouring Mozambique, which in 2016 was forced to admit it had kept secret $2 billion of borrowing.

Fearing that Zambia might be in a similar position, the International Monetary Fund at one point delayed talks over a $1.3 billion loan deal.

The slump in the price of copper, Zambia's leading export, has led to fears that Lusaka might even struggle to service its existing debt.

Lukuku and his supporters believe that the state is on the verge of handing control of the Zesco national electricity company, Lusaka airport and the ZNBC state broadcaster to China.

President Lungu says China is after economic cooperation with Zambia, not colonialism

Stung by the criticism that he was selling out to China, Lungu has hit back at critics.

"I implore you to ignore the misleading headlines that seek to malign our relationship with China by mischaracterising our economic cooperation to mean colonialism," Lungu told lawmakers recently.

- 'The dominance of Chinese' -

Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe has also come out to insist that, in the first half of 2018, $342 million was paid in interest to creditors, of which 53 percent were commercial sector -- and only 30 percent of which were Chinese.

But the country's main opposition party has put China's debt dominance at the forefront of its campaign to unseat the government.

Opposition figure Stephen Katuka warned against the "rate Zambia is entertaining Chinese nationals which are displacing Zambians through big financial offers".

Katuka, who is the secretary general of the United Party for National Development, described the replacement of Zambian workers with Chinese labourers -- as is customary on Chinese-run projects -- as "a time bomb".

"If this situation is allowed to degenerate, it may lead to aggression on foreign nationals," he added.

There have been several high profile incidents of Chinese managers allegedly mistreating their Zambian workers.

"In some instances the Chinese are beating Zambians in places of work for simply failing to follow instructions," said Katuka.

Typically reclusive, China's ambassador to Lusaka Lie Jie was drawn into the growing furore to defend Beijing's intentions.

"I feel strange when I hear we want to colonise Africa," he told journalists recently, categorically denying that China was seeking to buy Zambia's publicly-owned companies.

Economist and head of Zambia's Private Sector Development Association Yosuf Dodia told AFP that Chinese investment should be seen as an opportunity not a burden.

"Zambia has been dominated by the West for 100 years... and we are seeing poverty all over the continent," he said.

"The partnership level is around $10 billion -- and that is good. There is no other country that offers those kinds of opportunities."

The benefit of such vast investment is not always felt on the ground, however.

President Lungu met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on September 1

"I am not happy with the dominance of Chinese contractors. In the first place, the money that they get from these contracts is externalised and all that they return here are meagre wages," said Edgar Syakachoma, himself a contractor.

"Let the government also give us the contracts so that they benefit Zambians."Tomy pictured on his boat Thuriya as he set sail from France on July 1, 2018, at the start of the race

Australia Sunday joined an international mission to rescue an injured Indian sailor stranded in the Indian Ocean while competing in the round-the-world Golden Globe Race.

The mast of Abhilash Tomy's yacht Thuriya broke off when it was rolled in a storm on Friday and the yachtsman suffered what he described as a "severe back injury".

The 39-year-old Indian navy commander was "incapacitated on his bunk inside his boat" some 2,000 miles (3,704 kilometres) off Western Australia state, organisers said.

Two P8 Poseidons -- one from the Royal Australian Air Force and another from the Indian armed forces -- flew over the yacht to inspect it Sunday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.

AMSA, which is coordinating the search, said the crews saw that the yacht was dismasted but did not get further information about Tomy's condition.

"He is injured inside the yacht, so he can't communicate further," an AMSA spokesman told AFP.

Tomy was communicating with organisers via a YB3 texting unit but his main satellite phone was damaged, and his injury meant he was unable to reach a second satellite phone and handheld VHF radio.

The yacht's location is so remote that a French fisheries patrol vessel in the area which has been tasked by AMSA to join the rescue was only likely to reach Tomy on Monday or Tuesday.

The Australian Defence Force said Sunday it would also assist in the rescue, with the frigate HMAS Ballarat sailing from Perth late Saturday towards the yacht.

The Golden Globe Race involves a gruelling 30,000-mile solo circumnavigation of the globe in yachts similar to those used in the first race 50 years ago, with no modern technology allowed except the communications equipment.

Tomy's own yacht is a replica of Robin Knox-Johnston's Suhail, winner of the first Golden Globe Race.A Palestinian protests against the blocking of the road leading to the village of Khan al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank on September 14, 2018

Israeli authorities issued a notice to residents of a Bedouin village in a strategic spot in the occupied West Bank on Sunday informing them they have until the end of the month to leave.

The fate of Khan al-Ahmar has drawn international concern, with European countries calling on Israel not to move ahead with plans to demolish it.

Israel's supreme court on September 5 rejected appeals against demolition, allowing authorities to move ahead.

Israel says the village was built without the proper permits, though it is extremely difficult for Palestinians to receive such permission in that part of the West Bank.

The notice given to the some 200 residents of Khan al-Ahmar on Sunday says they have until the end of the month to demolish the village themselves.

"Pursuant to a supreme court ruling, residents of Khan al-Ahmar received a notice today requiring them to demolish all the structures on the site by October 1st, 2018," a statement from the Israeli defence ministry unit that oversees civilian affairs in the West Bank said.

It did not say what will happen if they refuse to do so. Village residents vowed not to leave despite the notice.

"No one will leave. We will have to be expelled by force," said village spokesman Eid Abu Khamis, adding that a residents' meeting would be held later on the issue.

"If the Israeli army comes to demolish, it will only be by force."

The village is located in a strategic spot east of Jerusalem, near Israeli settlements and along a road leading to the Dead Sea.

There have been warnings that continued settlement building in the area would eventually divide the West Bank in two, dealing a death blow to any remaining hopes of a two-state solution.

Israeli authorities have offered alternative sites for Khan al-Ahmar residents, but villagers say the first was near a rubbish dump and the latest close to a sewage treatment plant.Soldiers and a Muslim cleric take cover during an attack on a military parade in the Iranian city of Ahvaz on September 22, 2018

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday appeared to blame Arab separatists for an attack on a military parade the previous day that left 29 people dead.

"It is absolutely clear to us who has done this, which group it is and to whom they are affiliated," Rouhani said on state television shortly before leaving Tehran for the UN General Assembly in New York.

"Those who have caused this catastrophe ... were Saddam's mercenaries as long as he was alive and then changed masters," he said, referring to late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

"One of the countries in the south of the Persian Gulf took care of their financial, weaponry and political needs," Rouhani added.

"All these little mercenary countries we see in this region are backed by America. It is the Americans who incite them", he said.

Four militants on Saturday attacked the parade commemorating the beginning of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, launched by Baghdad, in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, capital of Khuzestan Province.

Officials and an eyewitness said the gunmen were dressed in Iranian military uniforms and sprayed the crowd with gunfire using weapons they had stashed in a nearby park.

The Islamic State (IS) jihadist group claimed responsibility for the rare assault.

But from the start Iranian officials saw an Arab separatist movement, the Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front (ADPF), also known as Al-Ahwazi, as the main suspect.

On Saturday, the London-based Iran International TV aired an interview with Yaqoub Hor Altostari, presented as a spokesman for ADPF, indirectly claiming responsibility for the attack and calling it "resistance against legitimate targets".

Iran in response summoned diplomats from Denmark, the Netherlands and Britain to complain about them "hosting some members of the terrorist group" and "double standards in fighting terrorism," the foreign affairs ministry said.

The British charge d'affaires "was told that it is not acceptable that the spokesman for the mercenary Al-Ahwazi group be allowed to claim responsiblity for this terrorist act through a London-based TV network," said the ministry's spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi.

"It is expected that (the Danish and Dutch) governments hand over the perpetrators of this attack and anyone related to them to Iran for a fair trial," he added.A Russian IL-20M plane similar to the one shot down on Monday lands at an unknown location on July 23, 2006

Russia's military Sunday blamed "misleading" information from the Israeli airforce for the downing of one of its planes in Syria last week, and denounced the "adventurism" of Israeli pilots.

Israel strongly disputed the assertion and vowed it will continue to act against Iranian targets in neighbouring Syria.

A Syrian air defence missile downed the Russian Ilyushin Il-20 military plane on September 17, killing all 15 soldiers aboard and threatening to damage relations between Russia and Israel, which three years ago set up a hotline to avoid accidental clashes in Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to seek to move past the incident in spite of strong statements from the Russian military.

On Sunday, military spokesman Igor Konashenkov presented the results of an investigation.

Moscow has accused Israel's fighter pilots of using the bigger Ilyushin as cover, causing Syria's Soviet-era S-200 air defence system to interpret the Russian plane as a target.

Israel denied this version of events and its air force commander flew to Moscow following the incident, which Putin called the result of a "chain of tragic accidental circumstances."

It was the deadliest known case of friendly fire between Syria and key backer Russia since Moscow's game-changing 2015 military intervention.

Konashenkov said the Russian military received a call from Israeli command at 1839 GMT on the day of the incident to warn that Israel would be striking "north of Syria", where the Il-20 surveillance aircraft was monitoring the Idlib de-escalation zone.

Russia ordered its plane back to base. Then, "one minute" after Israel's call, its F-16 planes struck targets in Latakia in western Syria, he said.

"The misleading (information) by the Israeli officer regarding the location of the strikes made it impossible to guide the Il-20 to a safe location," said Konashenkov.

As the Il-20 was landing near Latakia, one of the F-16 planes "began manoeuvres" at 1859 GMT "getting closer to the Il-20", which was interpreted as a repeat attack by the Syrian air defence and resulted in it being shot down, he said.

"Monitoring the Il-20, the Israeli fighters used it as cover from the anti-aircraft missiles" and continued to patrol the area long after the Russian plane was shot down, he said.

The Israeli pilots' actions "either speak of their unprofessionalism or criminal negligence at the very least," Konashenkov said, reiterating the Israeli airforce was fully responsible for the downing of the plane.

The "adventurism" of the Israeli military could have endangered civilian planes which use the same airspace to land at the nearby Hmeimim aerodrome, the officer said.

"This is a very ungrateful response to everything Russia has done for Israel".

Israel's military said in a statement its jets "did not hide behind any aircraft and that the Israeli aircraft were in Israeli airspace at the time of the downing of the Russian plane."

It again offered condolences to Russia.

Israel says it was targeting a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were "about to be transferred on behalf of Iran" to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.

It has pledged to stop Iran, its main enemy, from entrenching itself militarily in the neighbouring country and has carried out dozens of attacks on Iranian targets there.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah is also an enemy of Israel, which has carried out strikes in Syria to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to the Shiite group.Kenyan actress Samantha Mugatsia, director Wanuri Kahiu, and actress Sheila Munyiva at the 71st edition of the Cannes Film Festival in southern France.

The lights dim in the packed cinema as the holding music fades. The film title "Rafiki" flashes up on the screen, and some 230 hushed spectators burst out in euphoric applause.

After being banned for months due to a lesbian love theme, the film whose title means "Friend" in Swahili was screened for the first time Sunday in its country of origin, Kenya.

"It is really a victory," said Nairobi resident Daisy Oriri, 24, who attended the historic showing at a movie house near the city centre with a female friend.

"This is the kind of movie that makes it possible for mentalities to evolve. that makes people understand that we have rights and that we are human beings," she told AFP, clearly moved.

"It was a beautiful movie, it tells a part of my life."

Earlier this year, Rafiki became the first Kenyan film ever selected for showing at France's prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

Director Wanuri Kahiu went to court after the Kenya Film Classification Board banned Rafiki for "promoting lesbianism", a decision that rendered it ineligible for the Oscars.

A judge ruled on Friday that the film can be shown to "willing adults only" for a period of seven days -- the minimum requirement for a film to qualify for Oscar consideration.

Sunday's showing happened in a fun, relaxed environment in a country where homophobia is rife, with youngsters taking selfies to capture the memory.

Laughs and boos met the censorship board's logo and announcement that the film is restricted to over-18s.

Theatre manager Celcius Aloo said Sunday: "I expect it to be full every day."

- Good girls become good wives -

In the story, Kena (Samantha Mugatsia) and Ziki (Sheila Munyiva), are students living with their parents.

They meet and fall in love in a place where, according to the moviemakers, "Good Kenyan girls become good Kenyan wives", and homosexuality remains illegal under laws dating to the British colonial era.

The motion picture features no sex scenes, opting to focus instead on the characters' sensual and emotional awakening.

But Kenyan censors nevertheless banned the offering "due to its homosexual theme and clear intent to promote lesbianism in Kenya contrary to the law."

"It is not easy to be a homosexual in Africa," said movie-goer Mike, who declined to give his full name for fear of harassment over his sexual orientation.

"Mentalities are difficult to change, but at least, this movie triggers a debate in this country. I hope the new generation will have a more tolerant approach than the older ones."

"This is the first Kenyan movie in history to get such international recognition. It is crazy to think that it was forbidden in its own country," added Mbithi Masya, 32, a fellow Nairobi resident.

"Every person has the right to love who he or she wants."

For 19-year-old Emily, who also did not wish to give her full name, the classification board's decision reeks of "double standards".

"When you look at the content of certain American movies that are authorised in Kenya, and when you look at the very shy (conservative) making of Rafiki, you really start wondering how they came to the decision to ban the movie," she said at the screening.

"I don't understand all the fuss around that movie, and in general around homosexuality. Aren't there bigger problems than movies or other people's sexuality? Homosexuality is not a disease!"A fighter jet takes off from the deck of France's aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the eastern Mediterranean Sea on December 9, 2016, as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State group

More than 3,000 civilians have been killed in US-led coalition air strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria since they began four years ago, a monitor said on Sunday.

The Washington-led alliance puts the toll at just over 1,000 civilians in both Syria and neighbouring Iraq, and says it does all it can to prevent civilian deaths.

The coalition began bombing IS targets in Iraq in August 2014 after the jihadist group seized swathes of territory straddling the two countries, proclaiming an Islamic "caliphate".

The coalition extended its strikes to Syria on September 23, 2014.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said on Sunday those Syria strikes had since killed 3,331 civilians.

The monitor relies on a network of sources inside Syria and tracks flight patterns, aircraft involved and ammunition used to determine who carries out raids.

"Among those killed are 826 children and 615 women," said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

The coalition says it takes every possible precaution to prevent civilian deaths.

In its latest civilian casualty report published last month, the coalition said its strikes had unintentionally killed 1,061 civilians in both Iraq and Syria up until July 30, 2018.

It is still assessing a further 216 reports of civilian casualties, some of them in strikes dating back to 2014.

Asked if the coalition could specify how many of the confirmed casualties were in Syria, spokesman Sean Ryan said it "does not breakdown strikes by type, platform, munition, region or nation."

"As far any discrepancy in numbers, the coalition is basing the findings on facts and evidence. We are not claiming to provide exact numbers, but saying it is based on the best available evidence," he told AFP.

Ryan said the coalition remained willing to work with anyone to investigate allegations and asked other monitors to share what metrics they were using to determine casualties.

Rights groups have criticised the coalition for not pursuing investigations of civilian casualties rigorously enough.

In June, Amnesty International said the coalition's bombing raids of IS's de facto Syrian capital Raqa last year may amount to "potential war crimes".

"The artificially low number of civilian casualties the coalition acknowledges stems in part from poor investigation procedures that fail even to involve on-the-ground research," it said at the time.

The coalition's operations have largely wound down, with the jihadists ousted from all but tiny bits of territory in Syria.

More than 360,000 people have been killed across Syria since the conflict broke out in 2011, nearly a third of them civilians, according to the Observatory.An electoral officer raises a ballot to count results after the Osun State gubernatorial election, which will go to a runoff in what is seen as a litmus test for President Buhari's popularity as he seeks a second term in February

The governorship election in southwest Nigeria's Osun state ended in a stalemate on Sunday when the nation's electoral body failed to declare a clear winner.

Tensions rose at the INEC's collating centre in Osogbo on Sunday as supporters of the leading parties waited in vain for the official announcement of the results before it was announced a runoff was required.

Although 48 candidates from different political parties contested Saturday's election, the leading candidates were Gboyega Oyetola from President Muhammadu Buhari's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ademola Adeleke of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Olusegun Agbaje, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chief in Osun told reporters the election was inconclusive because "the number of cancelled votes is higher than the margin between the two top candidates."

A run off between Oyetola and Adeleke is expected to be held on September 27.

An unofficial tally had shown the PDP's flagbearer leading his APC counterpart by some 350 votes, while the voided votes were more than 1,000.

Under the country's electoral law, no winner will emerge if the margin of victory is less than cancelled votes.

The winner of Saturday's poll was expected to take over from APC Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who is stepping down after two four-year terms, the legal maximum.

Adeleke who is nicknamed "the dancing senator" because of his penchant for dancing in the public, is an uncle of Afropop star Davido, whose real name is David Adedeji Adeleke.

Davido had joined the political trail to campaign for his uncle, drawing huge crowds as he ditched out some of his popular tunes.

The PDP candidate is a scion of the prominent and wealthy Adeleke political dynasty in Ede, some 20 kilometres from Osogbo, the capital.

Although there were widespread concerns about vote-buying, intimidation and logistics problems, the vote was generally adjudged free, fair and violence-free by local and foreign observers who monitored the exercise.

The governorship election in neighbouring Ekiti in July was characterised by allegations of vote-buying by the leading political parties.

Police, however, said three suspects were arrested for an alleged vote-buying in Osun on Saturday and would be prosecuted at the end of investigation.

The election is the final major electoral test before Nigerians vote for a new president, parliament, governors and state legislatures in February and March next year.

Buhari who came to power in 2015, faces a formidable challenge from an array of opposition candidates from PDP, including former vice president Atiku Abubakar and Senate president Bukola Saraki.

The 75-year-old retired general who headed a military regime in the 1980s is under pressure to step down because of failing health after spending several months in London last year treating an undisclosed ailment.

He has also come under fire over the management of the economy and growing insecurity problems, including Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast, long-running farmer-herder clashes in the centre and militancy and kidnapping in the south.This picture taken on September 21, 2018, in the Gaza Strip near the Israeli border east of Gaza City, shows a smoke plume rising from Israeli bombardment of Hamas observation positions in the Gaza strip, days before more fresh clashes

Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian in fresh clashes on the Gaza border Sunday, the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave said.

Imad Ishtawi, 21, was shot in the head, the ministry said, as Palestinians again gathered along the border east of Gaza City late Sunday in the latest in months of often violent demonstrations.

The strip's Islamist rulers Hamas had been rumoured to be seeking a lasting truce with Israel but the indirect talks have seemingly stalled, with protests subsequently increasing in number.

In recent weeks the demonstrations, which typically involve burning tires and throwing stones, have also taken place at night, though with far smaller numbers than the regular Friday daytime gatherings.

At least 186 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the protests began on March 30.

One Israeli soldier was killed by a Palestinian sniper.

Israel has maintained a crippling blockade of Gaza for more than a decade it says is necessary to isolate Hamas.Returning to New York a year after he assailed Kim Jong Un at the UN General Assembly, President Donald Trump hailed "tremendous progress" to halt Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests

US President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to hold a second summit soon with Kim Jong Un, lauding the North Korean strongman at the United Nations as "terrific" one year after he eviscerated him from the same platform.

Trump used his debut address to the UN General Assembly 12 months ago to threaten to "totally destroy" North Korea and belittled its leader as "rocket man," prompting Kim to respond by calling the US president "mentally deranged."

But returning to New York for this year's gathering, Trump hailed "tremendous progress" to halt Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests and said that a year later it was a "much different time."

"Chairman Kim has been really very open and terrific, frankly, and I think he wants to see something happen," Trump said after meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a dove who recently visited Kim in Pyongyang.

"I think within a fairly short period of time that (summit) will be announced. It will be at a location to be determined but we're both very much looking forward to having it."

US President Donald Trump met in New York with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a dove who recently visited Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang

Trump, who met Kim in Singapore in June in the first-ever summit between the two countries that have never signed a peace treaty, earlier told reporters that he appreciated "a beautiful letter" the young North Korean leader had sent to him.

While relations with Kim have improved dramatically, leaders attending the annual assembly expect this year to hear Trump espouse a hard line on a different US adversary, Iran's Hassan Rouhani.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who has visited Pyongyang three times -- will preside over a Security Council meeting Thursday to explain the administration's imposition of sanctions on North Korea, which has hit Chinese and Russian companies.

Skepticism remains about whether Kim has taken any concrete steps, but that seems unlikely to deter Trump from pushing toward a new summit in what he considers a key foreign policy achievement.

- Focus on sovereignty -

In his 41-minute speech at the General Assembly in 2017, Trump made clear he wanted to turn the clock back on the last half-century's growth of global rules and institutions and to return to the primacy of the nation-state.

His national security adviser, John Bolton, said that Trump would stress defense of US sovereignty in his latest UN address on Tuesday.

The UN's number one financial backer, the United States has moved under Trump to cut funding to the world body, notably to peacekeeping missions that are key to the UN's goal of promoting peace and security.

"The United Nations has tremendous potential and that potential is being met, slowly but surely," Trump told a meeting on combatting drugs attended by UN chief Antonio Guterres.

- Pressure on Iran -

While Trump will dial down the rhetoric against Kim, there seems to be little prospect of him doing likewise with Rouhani.

The United States annoyed many of its allies in Europe by pulling out of a deal they jointly negotiated in 2015 that lifted sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.

US allies in the Middle East, notably Saudi Arabia, have, however, been delighted by Trump's stance.

Bolton said the United States was seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran but not to overthrow the regime -- an idea he supported before taking his job and reiterated recently by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is Trump's personal lawyer.

"As I have said repeatedly, regime change in Iran is not the administration's policy," Bolton told reporters.

Donald Trump is expected at the UN General Assembly to espouse a hard line on Iran's Hassan Rouhani, seen here in New York on September 24, 2018

"We've imposed very stringent sanctions on Iran, more are coming, and what we expect from Iran is massive changes in their behavior," he said.

On Wednesday, Trump will for the first time chair a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation that will focus heavily on Iran, likely triggering a clash with other big powers.

The White House has not closed the door on a Rouhani-Trump meeting. But Rouhani, in an interview with NBC News after arriving in New York, saw such an offer as hypocritical.

"Naturally, if someone is keen on having a meeting and holding dialogue and creating progress in relationships, that person would not use the tool of sanctions and threats (and bring) to bear all of its power against another government and nation," Rouhani said.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday accused US allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of supporting Arab separatists allegedly behind an attack on a military parade last week that killed 24 people.United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres (R) greets Faustin Archange Touadera, President, Central African Republic at the United Nations in New York on September 23, 2018

France's foreign minister said an African Union-led plan was the only viable way to end fighting among rival factions in the Central African Republic, pushing back Monday against an alternative peace process steered by Russia.

"There is no alternative that is either desirable or is likely to succeed," Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters at the United Nations.

His comments came after Russia and Sudan co-hosted talks in Khartoum late last month among some of the Central African Republic's rival militias in a sign of Moscow's growing involvement in the country.

The militias have been battling one another ever since the 2013 overthrow of longtime leader Francois Bozize, a Christian, by majority-Muslim militias in a coalition called the Seleka.

France, the former colonial power, intervened to oust the Seleka and the UN deployed a peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, in 2014.

But President Faustin-Archange Touadera, elected in 2016, controls only a fraction of the country.

Most of the territory is overrun by armed groups, many of which claim to protect Christian or Muslim communities, and which often fight bloodily over resources.

Violence has led to thousands of deaths, while according to the UN, nearly 700,000 people have been internally displaced, 570,000 are refugees abroad and 2.5 million are in need of humanitarian aid.

The AU, supported by the UN and the CAR's main partners, has been striving to set up negotiations among the militias and the government since July 2017 but progress has been scant.

Le Drian, however, said the AU initiative remained the best chance for peace.

"The African Union's initiative is the only credible framework which has the backing of the entire international community for a lasting end to this crisis", Le Drian told reporters.

"This is an initiative that would secure the disarmament of armed groups and the restoration of governmental authority over the entire country," he added, underlining that the security situation "remains worrying."

A high-level ministerial meeting is expected to be held on Thursday on the margins of the UN General Assembly to discuss the situation in the CAR.MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on this week's shooting at a software company in Wisconsin (all times local):

4:05 p.m.

Authorities have identified four officials who shot their weapons at a gunman killed after he opened fire on his co-workers at a Wisconsin software company.

Officials say WTS Paradigm employee Anthony Tong wounded four people at the company's Middleton headquarters Wednesday before he died in the shootout. The Middleton Police Department says two officers shot at Tong: Richard O'Connor and Tyler Loether. O'Connor has worked at the department since 1998, while Loether started in 2012.

The Dane County Sheriff's Office says two of its deputies fired their weapons in the shootout: 21-year veteran David Lambrecht and Matthew Earll, who has served there for 11 years.

The officers and deputies have been put on paid administrative leave until the official investigation is finished and the district attorney issues a ruling.

___

11:33 a.m.

Two people shot by a colleague this week at a Wisconsin software company have been discharged from a Madison hospital.

UW Health spokesman Gian Galassi said Saturday that a third patient remains hospitalized in fair condition. Galassi says the two discharged patients were released Friday.

Authorities say WTS Paradigm employee Anthony Tong wounded four people at the company's Middleton headquarters on Wednesday before police killed him in a shoot-out. One victim was only grazed.

A search warrant made public Friday shows that one of the victims was shot 10 times.

Middleton Police Chief Chuck Foulke has said Tong was not legally allowed to buy a gun. In 2004, Tong had his concealed-carry permit revoked in South Dakota after police said he was acting delusional and paranoid.

Tong's motive remains a mystery.WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers have scuttled a plan to prohibit airlines from charging "unreasonable" fees for changing or canceling tickets.

But U.S. House and Senate leaders say they will direct the Federal Aviation Administration to set minimum dimensions for passenger seats as part of a new spending bill. The bill also prohibits airlines from removing passengers against their will from overbooked flights.

Lawmakers were crafting a compromise bill over the weekend in an effort to meet a Sept. 30 deadline.

Airlines opposed efforts to crack down on changes fees, which are as high as $200 per ticket. Last year, U.S. carriers collected nearly $2.9 billion in change fees.

The Senate supported limiting those fees. But Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts said Saturday the provision was left out after negotiations with House lawmakers.HILO, Hawaii (AP) - The Big Island visitors bureau and Hawaii County have launched a campaign that aims to create a more conscientious tourism industry on the Big Island.

The Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau Executive Director Ross Birch and county Managing Director Will Okabe presented the new "Pono Pledge" at a Thursday event, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported .

The campaign will remind tourists to treat the island and its people with respect.

FILE - In this Aug. 30, 2015, file photo, Keenin Ide, left, of Hilo, Hawaii, and Medea Yankova, of Sofia, Bulgaria, sit near Hilo Bay in Hilo, Hawaii. The Big Island visitors bureau and Hawaii County have launched a campaign that aims to create a more conscientious tourism industry on the Big Island. The Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau Executive Director Ross Birch and county Managing Director Will Okabe presented the new "Pono Pledge" at a Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, event, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported. (AP Photo/Caleb Jones, File)

It includes a nine-line mantra affirming that, while people can appreciate the beauty of the island, they will not do so in a way that disrupts the environment and community or endangers people, Birch said. Campaign materials will be found at tourism-adjacent industries that partner with the program, such as hotels, he said.

Visitors are invited to sign the pledge online and share it via social media, further spreading awareness.

The campaign is modeled after similar programs in Iceland and Palau.

The campaign was originally scheduled to be unveiled in June, but it was delayed because of the Kilauea volcano eruption in lower Puna, Birch said.

A change in tourism on the island was the inspiration for the campaign, he said.

"Ten years ago, there were 1.66 million visitors to the island. There were 1.72 million last year," Birch said. "There hasn't been a big change in the number of visitors, but they're a different kind of visitor."

He thinks the evolution of technology might be causing visitors to be less conscious of the environmental impact their presence has on the island.

"An example I'll use is Waipio Valley," Birch said. "The lookout at Waipio Valley has limited parking spaces and access, but it gets more than 1,000 visitors a day, when in the past it got about 200 a day."

Birch is hoping to get airlines to adopt the campaign.

His goal is for 10,000 people take the pledge within the campaign's first year.

___

Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on a political ad against an Arizona congressman featuring his siblings (all times local):

420 p.m.

A Republican congressman in Arizona is firing back at six of his siblings who have urged voters in a TV ad to oust him from office in November.

Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar on Saturday responded to the unusual ad being aired by his opponent in the race for the seat in northwestern Arizona.

Gosar says in a series of Twitter posts that his brothers and sisters who endorsed Democrat David Brill are disgruntled liberals from out of state who hate President Donald Trump and put ideology before family.

The siblings say Gosar has broken with the family's values. They did not elaborate.

They previously condemned the congressman's false accusation that wealthy Democratic donor George Soros was a Nazi collaborator in World War II.

___

11:40 a.m.

Six siblings of U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar urged voters to cast their ballots against the Arizona Republican in November in an unusual political ad sponsored by the rival candidate.

The television ad from Democrat David Brill combines video interviews with Gosar-family siblings who ask voters to usher Paul Gosar out of office because he has broken with the family's values. They did not elaborate.

The siblings previously condemned the congressman's false accusation in 2017 that wealthy Democratic donor George Soros was a Nazi collaborator in World War II.

Gosar is a fourth-term congressman for a sprawling district in northwestern and central Arizona.

Phone calls Saturday to his offices in Washington and Arizona were not returned.LAUREL, Md. (AP) - Hall of Fame trainer King Leatherbury earned his 6,500th career victory when 16-1 shot Happy Lantern won at Laurel Park.

The 85-year-old trainer reached the milestone on Saturday. He has saddled just 17 horses since his last win July 1 at Laurel and is down to 11 horses in his stable.

Happy Lantern won the $22,000 turf race for fillies and mares by a nose. She paid $34 to win.

Leatherbury ranks fifth all-time in wins among trainers, trailing only Dale Baird (9,445) and fellow active Hall of Famers Steve Asmussen (8,145), Jerry Hollendorfer (7,504) and Jack Van Berg (6,523).

Leatherbury has won 26 training titles each at Laurel and Pimlico, and has topped $1 million in annual purse earnings 32 times.

He says he is still healthy and plans to continue training as long as he can.SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) - Police in Maryland say an 11-year-old girl has become the fourth member of her family to die from a shooting rampage by her father, who also killed himself.

The Washington Post reports that Mina Kim died Thursday after being gravely wounded in the shooting Monday at the family's Montgomery County home.

The girl's death leaves only one survivor, a 22-year-old woman who is still hospitalized.

Police say the woman called 911 just after midnight Monday. They said 57-year-old Yong Mun Kim, shot his wife, Sang Yeon Kim, and their two children, Mina and 10-year-old Andy.

Police said he also shot the 22-year-old woman, his stepdaughter, then used his gun to kill himself.

___

Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.comNEW DELHI (AP) - The Maldives is holding its third multiparty presidential election on Sunday. The Indian Ocean nation of 400,000 has been rife with political turmoil since democracy was introduced just a decade ago.

Famed for its white sand beaches and luxury resorts, the Maldives under President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who is seeking re-election, has seen economic growth and longer life expectancy, according to the World Bank. But Yameen's critics say he has systematically rolled back democratic freedoms, jailing rivals and controlling courts. Like elsewhere in South Asia, China has made fast inroads into the Maldives with aid and investment, challenging India's long-held position as the dominant regional power.

A look at the Maldives, and why the election matters:

A Maldivian man walks past an election campaign office of Maldivian President Yameen Abdul Gayoom and his running mate Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed in Male, Maldives, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Yameen's only contender in Sunday's election is longtime lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, backed by former President Mohamed Nasheed who is now living in exile in neighboring Sri Lanka. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

___

THREATENED BY RISING SEAS

The Maldives is a low-lying archipelago in South Asia formed from a chain of about 1,200 coral islands grouped in 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean, 430 kilometers (265 miles) southwest of India. The reefs, less than a meter (3.2 feet) above the sea, attract scuba divers from around the world, but they're also threatened by rising temperatures and sea levels. Former President Mohamed Nasheed held an underwater Cabinet meeting in 2009 to highlight the threat of climate change.

___

VICIOUS POLITICS

The Maldives was a British protectorate until 1965. The centuries-old sultanate was restored again a year later until 1968. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom came to power in 1978 through a public referendum, ruling with an iron fist until 2008. That year, Mohamed Nasheed became the country's first freely elected president. But Nasheed was forced to resign and later was sentenced to a 13-year prison term. He was later granted asylum in the United Kingdom when he traveled there for medical treatment, and continues to live in exile.

Nasheed was succeeded by his running mate, Mohamed Waheed Hasan. Current President Yameen, Gayoom's half brother, won in 2013. His former vice president, Ahmed Adeeb, Gayoom, two ex-defense ministers, a prosecutor general and opposition lawmakers are among those who have been jailed during Yameen's five-year tenure. All of the trials have been criticized for alleged lack of fairness.

With Nasheed ineligible to run in Sunday's election because of his conviction, the opposition joined forces around longtime lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Yameen's only contender.

___

IMPLICATIONS

The opposition and outside observers have cautioned that because of Yameen's tight control of government institutions, Sunday's election could be rigged. The European Union canceled plans to send observers after determining that the Maldives had not met the conditions for monitoring. The U.S. has threatened to sanction Maldivian officials if the elections are not free and fair.

Nasheed told reporters in neighboring Sri Lanka on Friday that the elections are critical for stability in the Indian Ocean, where he said a "cold war was brewing" between India and China. Gulbin Sultana, a researcher on the Maldives at the Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses based in New Delhi, said that if Yameen is re-elected, the state of democracy is unlikely to improve. "That will probably mean the media, the people opposing the government will have to suffer more," she said.

___

Associated Press writer Krishan Francis in Colombo, Sri Lanka, contributed to this report.

A Maldivian election worker prepares poll material at the election commissioner's office center in Male, Maldives, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. The country will hold its third-ever multiparty presidential election on Sunday. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldivian policemen stand guard in front of the building housing the election office of the opposition presidential candidate in Male, Maldives, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Maldives police say they have raided the main campaign office of opposition presidential candidate on eve of election. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldivian policeman stands guard in front of the building housing the election office of the opposition presidential candidate in Male, Maldives, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Police raided the main campaign office of the opposition presidential candidate on Saturday, the eve of an election viewed as a referendum on whether democracy will survive in the country. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A Maldivian policeman stands guard in front of the building housing the election office of the opposition presidential candidate in Male, Maldives, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Maldives police say they have raided the main campaign office of opposition presidential candidate on eve of election. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, center, jumps as he walks in a street march with supporters in Male, Maldives, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Solih, the only contender in Sunday's election against incumbent President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, is backed by former President Mohamed Nasheed who is now living in exile in neighboring Sri Lanka. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Maldivian president Yameen Abdul Gayoom cheer as they take part in a street parade in Male, Maldives, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. The country will hold its third-ever multiparty presidential election on Sunday. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih walk in a street march in Male, Maldives, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Solih, the only contender in Sunday's election against incumbent President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, is backed by former President Mohamed Nasheed who is now living in exile in neighboring Sri Lanka. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A University of Mississippi donor has asked for his name to be removed from the university's journalism school following a social media post criticized for an "unjustified racial overtone," the journalism school's dean said.

Dean Will Norton Jr. on Saturday said Ed Meek sent him a statement apologizing for his post and requesting to have his name removed from the School of Journalism and New Media.

Meek had written a Facebook post Wednesday with photos of two black women in short dresses, suggesting they exemplify problems that cause real estate values to fall. Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter condemned the racial overtone of the post as "highly offensive." It has since been removed. Faculty members on Friday had urged Meek to voluntarily remove his name from the school.

"It was never my intention to cast the problems our community faces as a racial issue. I do not believe that to be the case," Meek wrote in his statement.

Meek said he particularly wanted to apologize to the women depicted, saying he was "wrong" to post the photos. He said he "loves" the university and the journalism school too much to have it held back by having his name attached to the school.

Meek led Ole Miss public relations for 37 years starting in 1964. The School of Journalism and New Media was named for him after he and his wife donated $5.3 million in 2009.

"My desire then and now is for the School of Journalism to be a global leader in Journalism education," Meek said. "I recognize that the attachment of my name to the School of Journalism is no longer in the best interest of that vision."

Meek's post came following months of debate in Oxford over whether and how to control underage drinking and crowds around the town's iconic downtown square. Aldermen voted earlier this month to require businesses serving alcohol to install cameras and other systems to verify identification. The debate prompted allegations of racism aimed at a concert hall that saw shots fired at a party that welcomed an African-American audience last spring, as well as claims that it was unnecessary surveillance.VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) - Pope Francis warned against historic revisionism and any rebirth of anti-Semitism that fueled the Holocaust as he marked the annual remembrance Sunday for Lithuania's centuries-old Jewish community that was nearly wiped out during World War II.

Francis began his second day in the Baltics in Lithuania's second city, Kaunas, where an estimated 3,000 Jews survived out of a community of 37,000 during the 1941-1944 Nazi occupation. He ended it back in the capital, Vilnius, to pay his respects to Lithuanians who were deported to Siberian gulags or were tortured and killed at home during five decades of Soviet occupation.

Francis honored freedom fighters at the former KGB headquarters where anti-Soviet partisans were detained and executed, solemnly touring the underground chambers that have now been turned into a haunting museum of occupation atrocities.

Pope Francis pays a visit to the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Francis began his second day in the Baltics in Lithuania's second city, Kaunas, where an estimated 3,000 Jews survived out of a community of 37,000 during the 1941-1944 Nazi occupation. (Alessandro Di Meo/Pool Photo via AP)

"In this place of remembrance, Lord, we pray that your cry may keep us alert," he said afterward. "That your cry, Lord, may free us from the spiritual sickness that remains a constant temptation for us as a people: forgetfulness of the experiences and sufferings of those who have gone before us."

Francis paid equal tribute to victims of both Nazi and Soviet atrocities on the 75th anniversary of the final destruction of the ghetto in Vilnius, which had been known for centuries as the "Jerusalem of the North" for its importance to Jewish thought and politics. Each year, the Sept. 23 anniversary is commemorated with readings of the names of Jews who were killed by Nazis or Lithuanian partisans or were deported to concentration camps.

Francis prayed silently in the former ghetto and warned against the temptation "that can dwell in every human heart" to want to be superior or dominant to others again.

He prayed for the gift of discernment "to detect in time any new seeds of that pernicious attitude, any whiff of it that can taint the heart of generations that did not experience those times and can sometimes be taken in by such siren songs."

His warning came as far-right, xenophobic and neo-fascist political movements are making gains across Europe, including in Lithuania, and closer to his home in Italy.

Francis is travelling to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to mark their 100th anniversaries of independence and to encourage the faith in the Baltics, which saw five decades of Soviet-imposed religious repression and state-sponsored atheism. In addition, during the Nazi occupation, Lithuania's centuries-old Jewish community was nearly exterminated.

Lithuania is 80 percent Catholic; Lutherans and Russian Orthodox count more followers in Latvia and Estonia, where Francis visits on Monday and Tuesday.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite joined Francis at the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fighters, where Francis saw the cells where anti-Soviet partisans were detained and more than 1,000 were killed in a bullet-pocked execution room in the basement. One of the underground cells has been turned into an exhibition space to tell the story of the Soviet repression of Catholic priests and bishops, one of whom was executed down the hall.

"In this place that commemorates the many people who suffered as a result of violence and hate, and who sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom and justice, I have prayed that Almighty God may ever bestow his gifts of reconciliation and peace upon the Lithuanian people," Francis wrote in English in the guest book at the museum.

Sitting outside in places of honor were some of the last remaining Lithuanian freedom fighters, including Juozas Jakavonis, alias "Tiger," a 93-year-old partisan fighter in uniform who said he spent three months in the former KGB detention facility during which 59 of his co-inmates were executed. Jakavonis, who is now a partisan hero in Lithuania, said he was "really very touched by the appearance of the pope."

Francis changed his trip schedule three weeks ago to allow him to acknowledge the slaughter of around 90 percent of Lithuania's 250,000 Jews at the hands of Nazi occupiers and complicit Lithuanians. The issue of Lithuanian complicity in Nazi war crimes is sensitive here. Jewish activists accuse some Lithuanians of engaging in historical revisionism by trying to equate the extermination of Jews with the deportations and executions of other Lithuanians during the Soviet occupation.

Many Lithuanians don't make any distinctions between the Soviets who tortured and killed thousands of Lithuanians and the Nazis who did same with Jews.

Until recently, the Vilnius KGB museum was actually called the "Genocide Museum" but changed its name to the "Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights" since it focuses on Soviet atrocities, not Nazi German ones.

___

Liudas Dapkus contributed to this report from Vilnius.

___

A previous version of this story corrected the dateline to Kaunas, not Kounas.

Pope Francis stops for a moment of prayer during his visit to the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Francis began his second day in the Baltics in Lithuania's second city, Kaunas, where an estimated 3,000 Jews survived out of a community of 37,000 during the 1941-1944 Nazi occupation. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis writes on the guestbook during his visit to the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Francis began his second day in the Baltics in Lithuania's second city, Kaunas, where an estimated 3,000 Jews survived out of a community of 37,000 during the 1941-1944 Nazi occupation. (Alessandro Di Meo/Pool Photo via AP)

People wait for the arrival of Pope Francis, outside the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Pope Francis is on a four-day visit to the Baltics amid renewed alarm about Moscow's intentions in the region it has twice occupied. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis pays a visit to the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Francis began his second day in the Baltics in Lithuania's second city, Kaunas, where an estimated 3,000 Jews survived out of a community of 37,000 during the 1941-1944 Nazi occupation. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis spreads incence on the alter during an open-air Mass at Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis is paying tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis greets people as he arrives for a Mass at the Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis is paying tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

A woman prays as they wait for Pope Francis to arrive to celebrate a Mass in Confluence Park in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Pope Francis is on the second of his two-day visit to Lithuania. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Faithful gather to follow Pope Francis' celebrating Holy Mass at the Confluence Park in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Pope Francis is on the second of his two-day visit to Lithuania. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Faithful gather to follow Pope Francis' celebrating Holy Mass at the Confluence Park in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Pope Francis is on the second of his two-day visit to Lithuania. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

People pray as they wait for Pope Francis to arrive to celebrate a Mass in Confluence Park in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Pope Francis is on the second of his two-day visit to Lithuania. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

A woman prays as they wait for Pope Francis to arrive to celebrate a Mass in Confluence Park in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Pope Francis is on the second of his two-day visit to Lithuania. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Pope Francis greets people as he arrives for a Mass at Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis is paying tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Pope Francis greets people as he arrives for a Mass at Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis is paying tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at the Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis is paying tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at the Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis is paying tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis greets people as he arrives for a Mass at Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis is paying tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate mass, at the Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis is paying tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

People wait for the arrival of Pope Francis to celebrate mass, at the Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Faithful wait for the arrival of Pope Francis to celebrate mass, at the Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A woman prays as she waits for the arrival of Pope Francis to celebrate mass, at the Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

A woman holds a Lithuasnian flag as she waits for the arrival of Pope Francis to celebrate mass, at the Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Faithful gather to follow Pope Francis' celebrating Holy Mass at the Confluence Park in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Pope Francis is on the second of his two-day visit to Lithuania. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Pope Francis delivers his message as he celebrates Mass at the Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis paid tribute Sunday to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis, center, celebrates Mass at Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis paid tribute Sunday to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis paid tribute Sunday to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Pope Francis arrives in his pope-mobile to celebrate an open-air Mass at Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis is paying tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis is seen on a giant screen at left, as he celebrates an open-air Mass at Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis is paying tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Pope Francis, right, arrives to celebrate Mass at Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis is paying tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at the Santakos Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Francis is paying tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its centuries-old Jewish community during the Holocaust. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)Bangladesh win nail-biter against Afghanistan to stay alive in Asia Cup

bdnews24.com : Bangladesh have put another horror show by the vaunted middle-order behind them to edge out Afghanistan in a thriller and stay in the hunt for their first Asia Cup glory.

Afghanistan looked set to send the Tigers packing in their second Super Four match in Abu Dhabi on Sunday but for a brilliant last over by Mustafizur Rahman, in which they needed only 8 runs.

Having come into the Super Four unbeaten, they fell short by three runs, and were themselves knocked out of the Asia Cup after their narrow loss to Pakistan in another close match on Saturday.

Back from the brink after two disastrous batting performances on the trot, Bangladesh will take on Pakistan on Wednesday to decide who will face India in the final.

The Indians handed their arch-rivals a nine-wicket drubbing in the other Super Four match of the day.

In Abu Dhabi, the Afghans lost Rashid Khan, who scored a fifty in their huge win over the Tigers on Thursday, in the second delivery of the final over after he took two off the first.

He then tried to pull a short one but chipped it back to Mustafizur.

It was then up to Samiullah Shenwari and Gulbadin Naib to take their team over the line.

But Shenwari managed one leg bye off the third ball. When Mustafizurs offcutter beat Naib and fifth delivery produced another leg bye, Afghanistan needed 4 off the last ball.

Shenwari could only throw his bat at a short one that skidded across and failed to connect, triggering wild celebrations by Bangladesh players.

Before Mustafizs devastating spell, Shakib Al Hasan took out danger man Mohammad Nabi, who made 38 off 28.

Asghar Afghan (39) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (71) tilted the tie greatly towards Afghanistan by stitching an impressive 78-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza  who bled 62 off his 10 overs, the most by a Bangladesh bowler  made amends to remove both batsmen at crucial moments.

Mashrafe was due to bowl the 46th over, but he gave the ball to Mustafizur to squeeze three overs out of him, which would prove decisive in the end.

Shahidi had steadied the ship with a 63-run partnership with opener Mohammad Shahzad (53) after the team lost Ihsanullah (8) and Rahmat Shah (1).

Mahmudullah, who had shone with bat, broke the Shahidi-Shahzad stand by bowling the latter in the 25th over.

Mohammad Nabi (38) and Samiullah Shenwari (23 not out) produced a quick-fire 46 runs for the sixth wicket but that was not enough as they ended with 246 for seven chasing 250.

Debutant spinner Nazmul Islam Apu helped push the required rate higher by bowling a tight line to give away 29 runs off his 8 overs.

Earlier, Mahmudullah and Imrul Kayes resurrected the Bangladesh innings with fighting half-centuries after yet another batting collapse.

Their inspiring 128-run partnership took the team total to 249 for 7 in 50 overs.

Mahmudullah hit three boundaries and two sixes for his 74 off 81 before being caught by Rashid off Aftab Alam in the 47th over.

Kayes, who was flown to Abu Dhabi after the batting failure against India in the first Super Four match on Friday, hit six fours in his calculative, unbeaten 72 off 89.

Kayes played his last One-Day International during the South Africa tour in October last year. He was recalled following consecutive failures of injured Tamim Iqbals replacements.

After deciding to bat first, Bangladesh unravelled again as they kept losing quick wickets early.

At the top, only Liton Das could make his presence felt with a 41-run innings as the Tigers had lost two early wickets again in the powerplay to put the middle order under pressure.

Liton (41) and Mushfiqur Rahim (33) attempted to rebuild the innings with a 63-run stand, but youngster Rashid had Litons back in the 19th over when the opener looked to sweep.

Shakib, who had come in at No 5 to negate Rashids threat, was run out in just his second ball for a duck.

He flicked it on to midwicket, called but Mushfiqur asked him to go back as there was no run. Shakib slipped as he looked to turn and Shenwaris direct hit caught him short.

An over later, Bangladesh suffered a double blow when Mushfiqur went for a suicidal single. Kayes worked the ball in front of square leg and Mushfiqur called for the run.

He was halfway down the track when Kayes sent him back. When Rashid took the bails off from Nabis throw, the batsman was not even in the frame.

The pace trio of Aftab Alam, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Naib had succeeded in keeping them under a tight leash with disciplined line and length.

Opener Shanto (6) and one-down Mohammad Mithun (1) were out in the fifth and sixth over respectively.BASRA, Iraq (AP) - Hajar Youssif was on her daily commute to work, staring at her phone and flicking through her Instagram account when she looked up to find herself in an unusual location. The taxi driver had turned into an alley.

When she questioned the driver, he sped up.

"I started to feel uneasy and knew that something bad was going to happen," said the 24-year-old office administrator, who had taken part in protests over lack of clean water, frequent power cuts and soaring unemployment in her hometown of Basra, Iraq's oil capital and main port.

In this Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 photo, Hajar Youssif, an Iraqi activist and volunteer medic, who was kidnapped, beaten and threatened for attending protests, waits with first aid supplies at a protest, in Basra, Iraq. Activists say powerful Iranian-backed militias that control Iraq's oil capital of Basra have waged a campaign of intimidation and arbitrary arrests to silence protests aimed at poor government services and Tehran's outsized influence in the region. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)

She yelled and tried to open the door, but the driver had locked it. The taxi swerved into a courtyard where three masked men were waiting.

"They immediately told me, 'We'll teach you a lesson. Let it be a warning to other protesters'," Youssif said in an interview several days after the incident.

The men slapped and beat her and pulled off her Islamic headscarf, she said. "At the end, they grabbed me by my hair and warned me not to take part in the protests before blindfolding me and dumping me on the streets," she said, her cheeks still bruised.

Youssif believes the attack was part of what she and other activists describe as a campaign of intimidation and arbitrary detentions by powerful Iranian-backed Shiite militias and political groups that control Basra, a city of more than 2 million people in southern Iraq's Shiite Muslim heartland.

Angry Basra residents have repeatedly taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest failing government services, including water contamination that sent thousands to hospitals.

Earlier this month, protests turned violent when demonstrators attacked and torched government offices, the headquarters of the Iranian-backed militias and Iran's consulate in Basra - in a show of anger over what many residents perceive as Iran's outsized control over local affairs.

The events in Basra reflect the growing influence of the militias, which played a major role in retaking Iraqi territory from Islamic State militants, who are Sunni Muslims.

Shortly after IS militants captured much of northern and western Iraq in 2014, tens of thousands of Shiite men answered a call-to-arms by the top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Many volunteers were members of Iran-backed militias active since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, while others formed new groups. These fighters are credited with helping government forces defeat the extremists. But during the war, the militiamen were also accused by Sunnis and rights groups of abuses against the Sunni community, including killings, torture and destruction of homes.

Buoyed by victory against IS, some of the most feared Shiite militias took part in the May national elections and their list - Fatah - won 48 seats in the 329-seat parliament.

Fatah and other factions formed a wider Iran-backed coalition in parliament earlier this month and will likely be tasked with forming the new government.

In Basra, some alleged the militias were working with local authorities to quell the protests - a charge denied by Bassem al-Khafaji, head of Sayyed al-Shuhada, one of several Basra militias.

He said threats and intimidation of protesters were "individual acts," but not the result of a central directive.

"Our order for all the factions in Basra ... is not to confront the protesters who burned down the offices of the militias," al-Khafaji said, arguing that the militias are trying to prevent more bloodshed.

He accused infiltrators of turning the protests violent and said the alleged saboteurs must be dealt with by the security agencies.

Some militia leaders in Basra accused protesters of colluding with the U.S., which has long worked to curb Iranian influence in Iraq.

A local leader of a prominent militia vowed to retaliate.

"We have pictures of those who burned down our headquarters and they will pay dearly," he said on condition of anonymity in line with his group's rules for speaking to the media. "We will not let them attack us again and if they do we'll open fire. That's what we've agreed on, all of us."

The government has said protesters' demands are legitimate, but claims infiltrators were behind the violence.

A senior official in the Interior Ministry's intelligence service said dozens have been arrested since the protests began. He acknowledged that others may be held by political parties and their militias, but said his office has no way of tracking that. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Activist Naqeeb al-Luaibi said he has been able to track only 30 protesters detained by the security agencies. Of those, 19 were discharged and 11 remain under arrest. Al-Luaibi said he believes dozens of others are still being held but said it was difficult to track them.

Mahdi Salah Hassan, 26, said he was arrested by security forces from a protest tent in early August. He said he was handcuffed, blindfolded and initially held in a room with 33 other protesters.

During three days of violent interrogation, Hassan said he was slapped on the face, hit with a cable on his feet and back and hung by the arms from the ceiling.

Hassan said he was then transferred to two other lockups, each holding several dozen protesters. When they released him after six days, they told him "Don't take part in protests or you won't see the sun," he said. Still, he said he'll continue to protest.

Two other activists, Ahmed al-Wihaili and Sara Talib, both 23, said they were threatened.

Al-Wihaili said an anonymous caller warned him that "you only cost us the price of a bullet."

Talib said she came home one day to find her door open and her belongings strewn across the floor. During one protest, someone approached her and told her to go home because she was putting her life in danger.

Youssif, who wore white scrubs during the protests as a volunteer medic, said the beating left her shaken and that threats continue, but she won't be deterred.

"I'm taking to the streets for the sake of my town Basra, to get public services and to get rid of those militias and political parties," she said. "I'm not afraid of them. These militias will not deter me from going out until we change our life."

__

Associated Press writers Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed.

In this Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 photo, Hajar Youssif, an Iraqi activist and volunteer medic, who was kidnapped, beaten and threatened for attending protests, hands out masks to help protect against tear gas as protesters gather for a demonstration, in Basra, Iraq. Activists say powerful Iranian-backed militias that control Iraq's oil capital of Basra have waged a campaign of intimidation and arbitrary arrests to silence protests aimed at poor government services and Tehran's outsized influence in the region. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)

In this Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 photo, Hajar Youssif, an Iraqi activist and volunteer medic, who was kidnapped, beaten and threatened for attending protests, sits with protesters in Basra, Iraq. Youssif said the beating left her shaken and that threats continue, but she won't be deterred. Activists say powerful Iranian-backed militias that control Iraq's oil capital of Basra have waged a campaign of intimidation and arbitrary arrests to silence protests aimed at poor government services and Tehran's outsized influence in the region. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)

In this Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 photo, Hajar Youssif, an Iraqi activist and volunteer medic, who was kidnapped, beaten and threatened for attending protests, stands by to support protesters, in Basra, Iraq. Activists say powerful Iranian-backed militias that control Iraq's oil capital of Basra have waged a campaign of intimidation and arbitrary arrests to silence protests aimed at poor government services and Tehran's outsized influence in the region. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)JERUSALEM (AP) - A group of American victims of Palestinian violence are asking President Donald Trump to bar Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas from entering the United States for the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting.

The group appealed Sunday for Trump to declare Abbas a "persona non grata" because of the Palestinian Authority's payment of stipends to relatives of their families' killers.

Micah Lakin Avni, whose father Richard Lakin was killed by Palestinians in 2015, called Abbas "the Grand Wizard of incitement to violence and terror."

The group includes the families of 15 other American citizens killed by Palestinians, including Ari Fuld, who was killed last week. Also signed are the parents of Taylor Force, a 28-year-old university student and military veteran who was stabbed to death during a 2016 visit to Israel.BERLIN (AP) - Leaders of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's governing coalition reached a deal Sunday to resolve a standoff over the future of the country's domestic intelligence chief, a dispute that has further dented the image of their fractious six-month-old alliance.

The center-left Social Democrats have insisted that Hans-Georg Maassen be removed as head of the BfV spy agency for appearing to downplay recent violence against migrants, but conservative Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has stood by him.

Last week, coalition leaders agreed to replace Maassen as head of the BfV but give him a new job as a deputy interior minister, a promotion with a hefty pay increase. The move prompted a backlash from furious Social Democrats, prompting party leader Andrea Nahles to call for the deal's renegotiation.

FILE -- In this Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018 photo Hans-Georg Maassen, left, head of the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, and German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, right, shake hands as they arrive for a hearing at the home affairs committee of the German federal parliament, Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany. The leaders of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's governing coalition were trying Sunday to resolve a standoff over the future of the country's domestic intelligence chief and stabilize their six-month-old alliance. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

On Sunday, coalition leaders agreed instead to make Maassen a "special adviser" at the interior ministry with responsibility for "European and international issues," Seehofer said. He will remain at his current pay level.

In addition, a deputy interior minister and expert on construction issues, Social Democrat Gunther Adler, will now keep his job rather than making way for Maassen. Nahles will have to sell the new compromise to her party's leadership on Monday.

"I think it is a very good signal that we took the criticism of our decision on Tuesday evening seriously and were able to correct it," Nahles told reporters. She declared that "overall, the foundation has been laid for us to return to substantive work."

A left-leaning Social Democrat deputy leader, Ralf Stegner, described it as "a good solution."

The dispute has clouded the government's future at a time when the three parties face major challenges in upcoming state elections, in Seehofer's home state of Bavaria on Oct. 14 and in neighboring Hesse on Oct. 28.

The infighting appears to be weighing down their support, which hasn't recovered since a national election a year ago in which all three coalition parties lost ground and the far-right Alternative for Germany entered parliament.

The coalition of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, Seehofer's Bavaria-only Christian Social Union and the Social Democrats took office in March after Nahles' party decided reluctantly to join up.

It has already been through one crisis that threatened its survival, when Merkel and Seehofer - a conservative ally, but a longtime critic of her initially welcoming approach to refugees in 2015 - faced off in June over whether to turn back some migrants at the German-Austrian border.

Responding to violent right-wing protests following the killing of a German man, allegedly by migrants, in the eastern city of Chemnitz, Maassen said his agency had no reliable evidence that foreigners had been "hunted" down in the streets - a term Merkel had used.

A video posted by a left-wing group showed protesters chasing down and attacking a foreigner but Maassen questioned its authenticity.

Seehofer, Maassen's boss, has insisted that Maassen is a "highly competent" employee who hasn't violated any rules and said he won't outright dismiss him. He accused the Social Democrats of running a "campaign" against Maassen.

Seehofer, who leads the CSU, became interior minister after giving up his previous job as Bavarian governor following last year's national election. There is widespread speculation that a poor election performance in Bavaria next month could threaten his political future.JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli military has informed residents of a West Bank hamlet that they have until Oct. 1 to leave before their homes face demolition.

Israel says Khan al-Ahmar, an encampment of corrugated shacks outside an Israeli settlement, was illegally built and has offered to resettle residents a few miles away. But Palestinians and other critics say it's impossible for Palestinians to get building permits and the demolition is aimed at displacing Palestinians in favor of settlement expansion.

The military delivered a leaflet Sunday offering to assist the residents in demolishing the structures. Earlier this month, Israel's Supreme Court rejected a final appeal against the slated demolition.

Israel has come under heavy criticism, with major European countries calling on it to halt demolition plans.NEW YORK (AP) - Donald Trump's attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, told members of Iran's self-declared government in exile on Saturday that the U.S. sympathizes with their efforts to overthrow that country's official government.

The former New York mayor spoke to members and supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the biggest opposition group to Iran's Islamic regime. Two U.S.-based members who joined the gathering have been targeted for assassination by alleged Iranian agents named last month in criminal complaints issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

"So I say to the Iranian government, you must truly be afraid of being overthrown," Giuliani said. "We will not forget that you wanted to commit murder on our soil."

After Saturday's attack on a military parade in Iran that killed more than 20 people, security was tight surrounding more than 1,500 people who came to a midtown Manhattan hotel for the meeting.

Giuliani said the Paris-based opposition organization is the democratic answer to an Iranian regime he called "a group of outlaws and murderers and people who pretend to be religious people and then have so much blood on their hands it's almost unthinkable."

Instead, Giuliani said, "Iran is entitled to freedom and democracy."

Several months ago, Trump withdrew from a nuclear deal with Iran put in place by President Barack Obama and sanctions were reinstated.

The National Council comes to New York annually during the United Nations General Assembly, staging protests outside the world body against Iran's leaders who are in town.

The U.S. government considered the People's Mujahedin of Iran, linked politically to the council, to be a terrorist group the U.S. State Department removed from its list of such organizations in 2012.

Since the beginning of the year, Iranians have kept protesting and marching against the clerical regime, and the national currency has lost about two-thirds of its value, said Maryam Rajavi, leader of the People's Mujahedin of Iran, or MEK, and the declared president-elect in exile of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

Speaking via video, she said: "The regime is surrounded, politically and internationally, and in economic terms it is on the brink of collapse."

The new Iran, she said, would be based on free elections resulting in the separation of religion and state, human rights including equal participation of women in politics and the abolition of the death penalty.UKARA ISLAND, Tanzania (AP) - Relatives wept in grief on Sunday at the mass burial in Tanzania of many of the 224 people who drowned when a ferry in capsized on Lake Victoria.

Colorfully painted coffins were lined up to go into graves on Ukara Island. Grieving family members places wreaths of flowers on the coffins.

The overloaded boat tipped over Thursday as it got to about 50 meters (55 yards) from the island's dock. People carrying their goods from a busy market day prepared to disembark, unbalancing the ferry which turned over. Horrified fishermen and others watched from the shore.

Coffins of some of the victims of the MV Nyerere passenger ferry capsizing are laid into graves during a mass burial ceremony on Ukara Island, Tanzania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Burials started Sunday of the more than 200 people who died when the ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, while the country's Defense Minister said no further survivors were likely to be found and search efforts had ended. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

One survivor said he is still searching for his daughter.

"My child might have been found, but I have not seen her," said Magesa Chibuga, in Swahili. "I am therefore waiting for this ferry to be lifted from the water so that I can see whether she is there or not. But I am feeling very bad. I thank God I have found my wife, but the child is still missing. So God has every plan."

Chibuga described how he survived when the boat capsized.

"I heard people shouting 'Accident, accident!' I was seated with my bag. I put it on my chest, removed my phone and put it in my bag, and then jumped. After I jumped, I found a lifesaver, grabbed it and that's how I escaped."

Identifications have been made for 172 people who died in the boat tragedy, Tanzania's Minister of Works, Transport and Communication Isack Kamwelwe said. The bodies of 37 others have not yet been identified, he told the broadcaster. At least 40 people were rescued, officials said.

Tanzania's Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa led mourners at the funeral service.

"Our country has been hit by a big tragedy. We lost brothers, relatives and friends. Our call is for us to be united during this hard time and understand that our countrymen have been left by beloved parents, brothers, sisters, children and friends in this big tragedy," he said. "So we need to console them instead of feeding them with bad words. Let's leave the government and relevant authorities to do their work."

Adla Bakari said she lost her son and neighbors.

"We are coming for the burial," said Bakari. "This ferry has killed our people. If we tell them not to overload the ferry, they don't listen to us, just like last Thursday. We urge the government to take care of us. Otherwise we will be finished like that."

On Saturday rescuers found a survivor two days after the tragedy. The man was identified as an engineer of the ferry who had locked himself in the engine room. Video footage showed the man, barefoot and head lolling, being carried quickly along a busy street by medical workers and military personnel as a siren wailed. His condition was not immediately known.

No further survivors were likely to be found and search efforts had ended, Defense Minister Venance Mabeyo told reporters at the scene. He said officials would continue working to identify the dead. However, the total number of deaths may never be known as no one is sure how many people were on the overcrowded ferry, which officials said had a capacity of 101.

President John Magufuli has ordered the arrests of those responsible. He said the ferry captain already had been detained after leaving the steering to someone who wasn't properly trained, The Citizen newspaper reported.

"This is a great disaster for our nation," Magufuli told the nation in a televised address, announcing four days of national mourning.

___

AP writer Tom Odula contributed from Nairobi, Kenya.

___

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa

Relatives attend a mass burial ceremony for the victims of the MV Nyerere passenger ferry capsizing, on Ukara Island, Tanzania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Burials started Sunday of the more than 200 people who died when the ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, while the country's Defense Minister said no further survivors were likely to be found and search efforts had ended. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Rescue workers observe the capsized MV Nyerere passenger ferry as it lies upturned near Ukara Island, Tanzania Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Burials started Sunday of the more than 200 people who died when the ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, while the country's Defense Minister said no further survivors were likely to be found and search efforts had ended. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Tanzania's Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, center, pays his respects during a mass burial ceremony for the victims of the MV Nyerere passenger ferry on Ukara Island, Tanzania Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Burials started Sunday of the more than 200 people who died when the ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, while the country's Defense Minister said no further survivors were likely to be found and search efforts had ended. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

A grieving relative cries during a mass burial ceremony for the victims of the MV Nyerere passenger ferry capsizing on Ukara Island, Tanzania Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Burials started Sunday of the more than 200 people who died when the ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, while the country's Defense Minister said no further survivors were likely to be found and search efforts had ended. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

A police officer stands guard by coffins during a mass burial ceremony for the victims of the MV Nyerere passenger ferry capsizing on Ukara Island, Tanzania Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Burials started Sunday of the more than 200 people who died when the ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, while the country's Defense Minister said no further survivors were likely to be found and search efforts had ended. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

The coffin of a victim of the capsized MV Nyerere passenger ferry is laid into a grave during a mass burial ceremony on Ukara Island, Tanzania Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Burials started Sunday of the more than 200 people who died when the ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, while the country's Defense Minister said no further survivors were likely to be found and search efforts had ended. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

A police officer stands guard by coffins during a mass burial ceremony for the victims of the capsized MV Nyerere passenger ferry on Ukara Island, Tanzania Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Burials started Sunday of the more than 200 people who died when the ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, while the country's Defense Minister said no further survivors were likely to be found and search efforts had ended. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

A number marks the grave of a victim at a mass burial ceremony for the victims of the MV Nyerere passenger ferry capsizing on Ukara Island, Tanzania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Burials started Sunday of the more than 200 people who died when the ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, while the country's Defense Minister said no further survivors were likely to be found and search efforts had ended. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Security forces and mortuary workers pay their respects next to the graves during a mass burial ceremony for the victims of the MV Nyerere passenger ferry capsizing, on Ukara Island, Tanzania Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Burials started Sunday of the more than 200 people who died when the ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, while the country's Defense Minister said no further survivors were likely to be found and search efforts had ended. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) - A Pakistani official says gunmen have attacked the base camp of a pro-government militia, killing four of its members.

Assistant Administrator Ali Mohammad says the attack occurred early Sunday in the Dasht-e-Goran area of Baluchistan. The southwestern province is home to a low-level separatist movement and Islamic extremist groups.

Mohammad says the 2,000-strong militia was formed a few years ago to help security forces, and that its posts have been targeted in the past by Baluch separatists.

No one has claimed responsibility for the latest attack.GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) - Schalke midfielder Weston McKennie's injury is not as bad as initially feared but the club says the American will be out for some time with a "severe muscle contusion with bleeding" his lower left leg.

The 20-year-old Texan received an unintentional kick in the leg from James Rodriguez as he won possession from the Colombian star in Schalke's 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich on Saturday. He had to be helped off the pitch.

Schalke says an ultrasound examination and computed tomography showed there was no injury to the bone, but a "muscle contusion with epifascial hematoma."

Kicker magazine says McKennie will likely be out until the next international break in mid-October.

McKennie, who has six appearances for the United States, missed Schalke's defeat to Borussia Moenchengladbach last weekend after returning from international duty with a bruised knee from the Americans' 1-0 win over Mexico in a friendly.

McKennie has made 26 league appearances for Schalke.WASHINGTON (AP) - Farmers across the United States will soon begin receiving government checks as part of a billion-dollar bailout to buoy growers experiencing financial strain from President Donald Trump's trade disputes with China.

But even those poised for big payouts worry it won't be enough. And while support for Trump is near unwavering in the heartland, some growers say that with the November election nearing, such disappointing aid outcomes could potentially affect their vote.

"It's pretty obvious that the rural agriculture communities helped elect this administration, but the way things are going I believe farmers are going to have to vote with their checkbook when it comes time," said Kevin Skunes, a corn and soybean grower from Arthur, North Dakota and president of the National Corn Growers Association.

Jack Maloney poses in front of the grain bins on his Little Ireland Farms in Brownsburg, Ind., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Maloney, who farms about 2,000 acres in Hendricks Count, said the aid for farmers is "a nice gesture" but what farmers really want is free trade, not government handouts. American farmers will soon begin getting checks from the government as part of a billion-dollar bailout to help those experiencing financial strain from President Donald Trump's trade disputes with China(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Corn farmers get the smallest slice of the aid pie. Corn groups estimate a loss of 44 cents per bushel, but they're poised to receive just a single penny per bushel.

"If these issues haven't been resolved, there could be a change in the way farmers vote," Skunes said. "A person has to consider all things."

Farmers are already feeling the impact of Trump's trade tiffs with China and other countries. China has hit back hard, responding with its own set of tariffs on U.S. agricultural products and other goods.

The Trump administration is providing up to $12 billion in emergency relief funds for American farmers, with roughly $6 billion in an initial round. The three-pronged plan includes $4.7 billion in payments to corn, cotton, soybean, dairy, pork and sorghum farmers. The rest is for developing new foreign markets for American-grown commodities and purchasing more than two dozen select products, including certain fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, meat and dairy.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced last month that soybean growers will get the largest checks, at $1.65 per bushel for a total of $3.6 billion. China is the world's leading buyer of American soybeans, purchasing roughly 60 percent of the U.S. crop. But since Beijing imposed a 25 percent tariff on soybean, imports prices have plunged.

The lack of initial detail about how the calculations were made left farmers scratching their heads.

Asked about the confusion, Rob Johansson, the Agriculture Department's chief economist, responded that the USDA took into account a number of factors "including the share of production that is exported and the value of trade directly affected by the retaliatory tariffs."

"The level of damage is not the same for each commodity," he said in a written response to questions submitted by The Associated Press.

He estimated that there would be more than 784,000 applications for relief.

The USDA has since released a detailed analysis of how the department made its calculations.

The breakdown has stunned corn and wheat farmers who say the payments are uneven and won't do much of anything to help keep struggling farms afloat.

A lobbying group that represents wheat growers is challenging the way the administration determined payments for wheat farmers, who are set to receive 14 cents a bushel. Chandler Goule, CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers, said the USDA assumed U.S. wheat would be sold to China this year when it made its calculations. But the assumption was flawed, he said.

China typically makes its requests for American wheat between March and June. U.S. wheat farmers have sold, on average, 20 million bushels of wheat to China over the past three years. But none came this year, Goule said, as Trump escalated his threatening rhetoric on trade with Beijing. He hopes the per-bushel rate for wheat goes up if there's a second round of payments.

"I am very certain that we will not sell any wheat to China this year," Goule said. "The window we sell in has come and gone."

The response among farmers has been mixed. While some are grateful for the help, most are eager for the trade disputes to be quickly resolved.

"Nobody wants to have an aid package. I mean, if you're a farmer you're in the business of producing a crop. We just want a fair price for it," said Joel Schreurs, a soybean and corn producer near Tyler in southwestern Minnesota who sits on the board of both the American Soybean Association and the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association.

His personal operation is about 1,000 acres. He farms an additional 500 acres with his son-in-law and other relatives. He estimates that the tariffs would cost him $40,000 to $50,000 in lost income and that he would get $16,000 to $20,000 in emergency aid.

Schreurs worries that it will be hard for farmers to get back the buyers they'll lose as a result of the trade wars. "And in the short term we have to find another home for those beans, otherwise they're going to pile up and it will keep prices depressed," he said.

In the Midwest, growers typically farm both corn and soybeans. Those farmers would get payments for both under the program, which began sign-ups Sept. 4.

Perdue said checks could start going out as soon as the end of September for crops that have already been harvested; payouts are based on yield.

In a recent C-SPAN interview, Perdue said he understands growers' frustrations.

"Farmers always live in unpredictable times," he said. "They're very resilient, but obviously the longer trade issues go on the longer it bears on them regarding what is the future."

Jack Maloney says corn farmers will be getting so little in bailout aid that for roughly 200,000 bushels of corn a farmer would get only about $2,000 for their losses.

"That's not even beer money," said the Brownsburg, Indiana, corn and soybean grower.

Maloney, 62, began farming full time in 1978 and now has two employees. He said some fellow farmers are angry and upset.

"Agriculture has always been the butt of all the trade wars," he said, adding that this isn't the first time he's seen trade disruptions affect the agricultural markets.

Maloney said he had already cut back on expenses during the past three years and hasn't taken a paycheck from his farm for more than a year because of tough times before the trade war began. He said the recent tumult has dashed hopes for stabilizing agricultural markets anytime soon.

"We were seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel - the markets were improving a little," he said, "and then this tariff thing happened and this trade war."

Daniel Weinand worries the market downturn could be the death knell for his farm. Weinand, 30, grows corn, canola and yellow peas on 900 acres of rented land near Hazen, North Dakota. He said he expects to reap about 30,000 bushels of corn, and to receive about $300 in aid.

"A penny a bushel on corn, it's not that it's entirely worthless. But it almost is," he said. "I don't know how many more years I can weather."

___

Associated Press writers Richard Lardner in Washington, Rick Callahan in Indianapolis and Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to reflect that the payment figure to corn, cotton, soybean, dairy, pork and sorghum farmers is $4.7 billion, not $4.7 million

Jack Maloney poses in front of the grain bins on his Little Ireland Farms in Brownsburg, Ind., Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018. Maloney, who farms about 2,000 acres in Hendricks Count, said the aid for farmers is "a nice gesture" but what farmers really want is free trade, not government handouts. American farmers will soon begin getting checks from the government as part of a billion-dollar bailout to help those experiencing financial strain from President Donald Trump's trade disputes with China(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)LANSING, Mich. (AP) - It's a resume that reads like an ideal springboard to higher office: investigated sexual assaults of Olympic gymnasts, charged government officials responsible for a tainted water crisis, bucked the governor on tax hikes.

With that background and his party controlling all statewide offices, Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette might be on the fast track to winning the Michigan governor's race in November. One reason he's not: President Donald Trump.

Schuette is an outspoken supporter of the president, who narrowly won the state in 2016 but has declined in popularity since.

FILE - In this Aug. 7, 2018 file photo, Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer addresses her supporters in Detroit after winning the primary. Whitmer will face Republican Bill Schuette in November. She is focusing her campaign on cleaning up drinking water across the state, rebuilding roads and maintaining the expansion of Medicaid that provided health coverage to 663,000 lower-income adults. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

"I'm not going to run away from any issue," he said. "I appreciate the support of the president, and I stand by my record of achievement."

As with many races around the country, this year's midterm campaigns for governor are in many ways proxy fights over support or opposition to the Trump administration.

Richard Czuba, a nonpartisan pollster in Michigan, said voters in every age group are more motivated to get to the polls than he's seen in his 35-year career. He said independent voters are leaning toward supporting Democrats this year largely because of their distaste for Trump.

"It's an environment like nothing I've ever seen," said Democratic nominee Gretchen Whitmer, a former legislative leader, who has held an edge in state public opinion surveys.

She has spoken against Trump's policies but said she is much more focused on fixing Michigan problems.

The theme of a Trump-backed Republican and a left-of-center Democrat locked in a close election contest runs through many of the 36 races for governor on the ballot this year.

Trump's relative unpopularity is another challenge for Republicans, who already were bracing for tough governor's races this year after having unprecedented success during former President Barack Obama's tenure.

Republicans have dominated state elections across the country since 2010, the first midterm election after Obama took office. Even after losing in New Jersey last year, Republicans hold a near-record 33 governor's offices compared to 16 for Democrats (Alaska's governor is an independent).

Most of the races expected to be close this year are in states where Republicans currently serve as governor. In addition to Michigan, swing states that include Florida, Maine, Nevada and Ohio have open seats where the current GOP incumbent is termed out. Incumbent Republicans are locked in tough races in Arizona and Wisconsin, drawing millions of dollars in independent expenditures.

The GOP is aiming to pick up governor's seats in Connecticut and Colorado, states with open seats where Democrats now hold the job, and to re-elect incumbents in three other states in New England, a region that overwhelmingly sends Democrats to Congress.

Why does it matter? Aside from holding executive powers and overseeing state agencies, governors in many states can approve or veto the maps drawn once a decade for congressional and state legislative seats. That process determines which party will hold political power for years to come.

The next round of redistricting will happen after the 2020 Census, giving governors who win this year the ability to approve or veto the new maps.

An arcane process typically of interest to political insiders, redistricting has rocketed to national attention in the past two years. Republicans seized control of state legislatures and governor's offices in 2010 and proceeded to draw districts heavily favoring their party in many states, even those where voter registration is about equally split between Democrats and Republicans.

That process, called gerrymandering, has given Republicans outsized influence in Congress and state legislatures, and it's a dynamic Democrats hope to begin reversing by retaking governor's offices.

"People recognized that if we were going to have some bastion of protection for civil rights, it's to have a check on Donald Trump," Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, said in an interview. "And the only way to do that is to stop this gerrymandering."

His group is targeting eight states where governors have a redistricting role. It believes flipping the governor from a Republican to a Democrat would put the party in position to pick up 20 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives with the next maps.

Jon Thompson, a spokesman for the Republican Governors Association, downplays gerrymandering as a motivating issue this year and portrays it as part of the regular push-and-pull of politics.

Redistricting is one of many issues in play in governor's races across the country. Health care is another, and many surveys show it as a top concern for voters.

The Medicaid expansion that was part of Obama's Affordable Care Act is emerging as a key issue in many states. That includes Florida and Georgia, which have open races and where the Democratic candidates are trying to become their state's first black governor.

Protecting older Americans from higher insurance premiums and protecting those with pre-existing medical conditions are other hot-button topics. In Michigan, health care is a dividing line between the candidates.

As attorney general, Schuette joined with other Republican attorneys general in litigation seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Democrats are criticizing him for not fighting a separate lawsuit that threatens protections for patients with pre-existing conditions that Obama's law put in place.

That stance alone threatens to undermine any goodwill Schuette had built up by launching investigations into the lead-tainted water crisis in Flint and into Michigan State University's handling of sexual assaults by Larry Nasser, the former team doctor for USA Gymnastics.

Instead, he's campaigning on a pledge to cut taxes, reduce auto insurance rates and improve student reading scores.

Whitmer is focusing her campaign on cleaning up drinking water across the state, rebuilding roads and maintaining the expansion of Medicaid that she helped developed with current Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican. It provides health coverage to 663,000 lower-income adults.

She voted for the expansion of Medicaid as a lawmaker while Schuette opposed it. He recently suggested that he would not undo the program but said he wants to implement GOP-enacted work requirements that are scheduled to take effect in the state in 2020.

"It is a stark difference," Whitmer said. "I want to keep working to get more people covered, and he wants to take health care away from people."

___

Mulvihill reported from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

___

Follow Eggert at http://www.twitter.com/davideggert00 and Mulvihill at http://www.twitter.com/geoffmulvihill

FILE - This combination of file photos shows Michigan gubernatorial candidates, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, left, and Republican Bill Schuette. President Donald Trump has supported Schuette in his run for governor against Whitmer. That may have helped Schuette in a competitive GOP primary, but it could cost him some support in the general election. (AP Photo/File)The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.Governor's races are on the ballot this November in 36 states. The most competitive races are expected to be in states where Republicans now hold the job. Summaries of each race:

ALABAMA

Republican Kay Ivey is being challenged by the mayor of Tuscaloosa, Democrat Walter Maddox, who is seeking to be the first Democrat elected governor in the state in 20 years. Maddox favors expanding Medicaid and starting a lottery. Ivey became governor last year when Robert Bentley resigned amid a sex scandal. Ivey is running on her conservative credentials on issues such as opposing abortion and supporting gun rights.

ALASKA

Independent Gov. Bill Walker has challenges from the right in Republican former state Sen. Mike Dunleavy and from the left in Mark Begich, a former U.S. senator and mayor of Anchorage. The state has been wrestling with the impact of a crash in oil prices, which has made it harder to balance the state budget. Walker has addressed that by cutting the annual dividend checks that Alaskans receive from the state's oil-wealth fund, a decision Dunleavy says is too important to have been made without public involvement. Some Democrats have called for Begich to leave the race to give Walker a clearer shot at winning against the conservative Dunleavy.

ARKANSAS

Democrat Jared Henderson says his top priority in his run for governor against incumbent Republican Asa Hutchinson is education. Henderson, a former state director for Teach for America, is calling for teacher raises of 10 percent in his first year in office and 25 percent over a decade to attract more teachers. In a Republican-dominated state, Henderson's run is a long-shot. Hutchinson also called for a 13 percent one-year raise for teachers.

ARIZONA

Education is the big issue this year, where Democrat David Garcia is challenging incumbent Republican Doug Ducey. Garcia, a former official in the state Education Department, is trying to capitalize on the energy of educators who walked off the job earlier year to call for more funding. Ducey agreed to a 20 percent raise for teachers over time but did not go as far with additional funding as protesters called for.

CALIFORNIA

Democrat Gavin Newsom, the California lieutenant governor and former mayor of San Francisco, is a heavy favorite to be the next governor of California in an election against Republican businessman John Cox. The next governor of the nation's most populous state will replace Democrat Jerry Brown, who is leaving office because of term limits. A homeless and housing crisis, increasing costs and destruction from wildfires, exploding pension obligations for state workers and teachers, and whether to expand the state's water supply and delivery systems will be among the top issues facing the next governor.

COLORADO

In Colorado, which has been a swing state recently, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Polis is taking on Republican state Treasurer Walker Stapleton. The governor's seat is open this year because Democrat John Hickenlooper is facing term limits. A Polis victory would make him the first openly gay man to be elected governor in the U.S. Polis, an entrepreneur who has started multiple companies, is calling for universal health care in Colorado and full-day preschool and kindergarten. Stapleton, who previously worked at technology startups, led a campaign against a 2016 ballot measure that would have brought the state universal health coverage. The measure lost by a margin of nearly 4 to 1.

CONNECTICUT

Connecticut has become heavily Democratic, but the race between Democrat Ned Lamont and Republican Bob Stefanowski is rated by some experts as a toss-up. Both candidates are wealthy businessmen. Lamont founded a company that provides TV services to colleges, and ran previously for U.S. Senate in 2006 and governor in 2010. He is largely funding his own campaign. Stefanowski has served as an executive at General Electric and UBS Investment Bank. Stefanowski, who has Trump's endorsement, wants to eliminate the state's income tax and has tried to tie Lamont's policies to incumbent Democrat Dannel Malloy, who has a low approval rating. Lamont has criticized Stefanowski as being too much like Trump.

FLORIDA

Florida voters will choose between U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, one of Trump's biggest supporters in Congress, and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who supports universal health care but has not proposed a state-specific plan for it. One day after the August primary, DeSantis said Florida should not "monkey up" the election - language that drew accusations of racism because Gillum is black. Trump also has taken to Twitter to bash Gillum, whose campaign must contend with an FBI probe of a redevelopment deal in Tallahassee involving an ally of Gillum's.

GEORGIA

Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who has made a priority of opposing illegal immigration, is seeking the governorship against Democrat Stacey Abrams, a former state House of Representatives minority leader who is attempting to become the first black woman to be elected governor in the U.S. The state's white majority is overwhelmingly Republican, but elections have been tightening in part due to demographic shifts. Abrams calls for overhauling the criminal justice system, with changes that include eliminating cash bail. Kemp has made a tough-on-crime stance a centerpiece of his campaign.

HAWAII

First-term Gov. David Ige survived a challenge in the Democratic primary and now faces state Rep. Andria Tupola, the House minority leader. Tupola is calling for more affordable housing and giving native Hawaiians the right to use land that was set aside for them. The state has had only two Republican governors in its history.

IDAHO

Republican Lt. Gov. Brad Little could benefit from a heavily GOP state as he runs for governor against Democrat Paulette Jordan. A win by Jordan would make her the first Native American governor of a state. She's running on a liberal platform, calling for Medicaid expansion and raises for public school teachers. Little also said he supports teacher raises and would abide by a ballot measure calling to expand Medicaid if voters support it in November.

ILLINOIS

In a matchup of self-funding wealthy businessmen, incumbent Republican Bruce Rauner is facing J.B. Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune. It's expected to be one of the most expensive gubernatorial races in U.S. history. The state's economy and government finances are at the heart of the race. Illinois has struggled with a growing unfunded pension system for public workers and a sour economy outside the Chicago area.

IOWA

Republican Kim Reynolds was elevated from lieutenant governor to the state's top office after longtime Gov. Terry Branstad left to become ambassador to China. Reynolds is being challenged by Democrat Fred Hubbell, a retired businessman. Hubbell wants to end the privatization of Medicaid in the state; Reynolds says she would keep the system.

KANSAS

Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a nationally known advocate of strict voting requirements, narrowly defeated incumbent Jeff Colyer in the Republican primary. Republicans generally dominate in Kansas, but some high-profile members of the party are supporting Democrat Laura Kelly or independent Greg Orman, a businessman, as they find fault with Kobach's hard lines on cutting taxes, cutting spending and immigration. Kelly is a four-term state senator who has pushed back against deep tax cuts. Some Democrats have tried to have Orman removed from the ballot fearing he'll take enough votes from Kelly to assure a Kobach victory.

MAINE

Health care is a major concern in the Maine race between Democratic Attorney General Janet Mills and Republican businessman Shawn Moody. The two are vying to take the seat now held by Republican Paul LePage, who is not running again due to term limits. Mills says she would enact an expansion of Medicaid that voters approved last year but that LePage has refused to implement. Moody says he also would not implement the expansion.

MARYLAND

Republican Larry Hogan is a popular incumbent in Maryland, a state that's reliably Democratic. He's being challenged by Ben Jealous, the former president of the NAACP seeking to be the state's first black governor. Trump has criticized Jealous' plan to offer free community college tuition for "dreamers," who came to the U.S. illegally as children. Under a law signed by Hogan, who has distanced himself from Trump, community college tuition is to be free starting next year for Maryland residents.

MASSACHUSETTS

Democrat Jay Gonzalez faces an uphill battle running against Republican incumbent Charlie Baker, who has one of the best approval ratings for a governor in the country, even though Massachusetts is a strongly Democratic state. Gonzalez, a top aide to former Gov. Deval Patrick, is campaigning as a champion of the underserved. Baker has a liberal stance on social issues including abortion and LGBT rights.

MICHIGAN

Republican Bill Schuette, currently the state's attorney general, has focused on a "paycheck" agenda that calls for cutting state income taxes and car insurance premiums. Democrat Gretchen Whitmer is campaigning on keeping the Medicaid expansion that brought health coverage to 680,000 adults. Schuette said he does not plan to undo the expansion but has focused on tax cuts. Whitmer also says she would fix more roads and ensure drinking water is safe.

MINNESOTA

U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, a Democrat, is running against Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson, a Republican, in a Minnesota race full of contrasts. The two began having debates days after they each won their primaries in August, airing differences on gun policy, health care and immigration. Johnson, a lawyer, is focused on tax cuts and reducing the size of the state government; Walz, a former teacher, is campaigning on an agenda that includes promoting civil rights and funding schools.

NEBRASKA

Bob Krist, a state senator who has been an independent and a Republican, became a Democrat earlier this year. He's facing incumbent Republican Pete Ricketts in a heavily Republican state. In an early debate, the two sparred over how to reduce property taxes. Krist supports a Medicaid expansion ballot measure; Ricketts said that if it passes, it would require more state spending, taking money away from education or other priorities.

NEVADA

Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt faces Democrat Steve Sisolak, chairman of the local governing body for Clark County, which is home to about two-thirds of the state's population. Sisolak beat a challenger from the left during the primary and has pledged to stand up to President Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association while defending Planned Parenthood. Laxalt wants to repeal a commerce tax. The incumbent, Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, has not made an endorsement in the race. Nevada is a political battleground state where the two major parties split control of the Legislature.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

The incumbent governor, Republican Chris Sununu, is being challenged by Democrat Molly Kelly, a former state senator, for a two-year term. Sununu is the son of a former governor; Kelly emphasizes how she raised three children as a single mom as she put herself through college.

NEW MEXICO

Two members of Congress are vying to replace Republican Susana Martinez as governor. The race pits Democratic Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham against Republican Rep. Steve Pearce. Campaign finance filings show oil and gas interests are supporting Pearce, while Lujan Grisham is receiving help from an environmental group's independent expenditures.

NEW YORK

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is seeking a third term, survived a primary challenge from the left from actress and political newcomer Cynthia Nixon and now faces Republican Marc Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive. Molinaro is running as a moderate in a state where Republicans control the state Senate but have not won statewide office in 16 years. He and Cuomo have released ads accusing each other of corruption.

OHIO

Voters in Ohio, a perpetual political swing state, will choose between Democrat Richard Cordray and Republican Mike DeWine. Cordray is a former state attorney general who was defeated in a 2010 re-election effort by DeWine. Cordray later served as director of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The winner of the election will replace Republican Gov. John Kasich. Both candidates say they're the right one to help the state deal with an opioid addiction and overdose crisis.

OKLAHOMA

Former state Attorney General Drew Edmonson, the Democrat running to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Mary Fallin, met with teachers to encourage them during a walkout earlier this year over pay. His opponent, Republican mortgage company owner Kevin Stitt, says he would not have signed the law to raise taxes to pay for raises for educators.

OREGON

Oregon is considered a Democratic stronghold, but Republicans believe state Rep. Knute Buhler has a chance against Democratic incumbent Gov. Kate Brown. Buhler, a physician who does not embrace President Donald Trump or his policies, favors raising cigarette taxes to fund health care, taxing carbon and supports abortion rights. Brown, a longtime lawmaker and then state secretary of state, is the nation's first openly bisexual governor. She's campaigning on policy accomplishments that include raising the minimum wage and funding full-day kindergarten.

PENNSYLVANIA

Democrat Tom Wolf is looking to keep the governor's seat in a race against Republican state Sen. Scott Wagner. Wagner says he plans to find another $1 billion for education in his first year by ending some tax credit programs and making government more efficient. Wolf's campaign has brushed off those claims.

RHODE ISLAND

For the second election in a row, Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo will face Cranston Mayor Allan Fung. Raimondo has been criticized by public employee unions for a pension overhaul that cut benefits when she was state treasurer, one factor that keeps her from being an overwhelming favorite in a heavily Democratic state. Fung, a Trump supporter, has given few interviews, held no news conferences. His agenda includes cutting sales taxes, rooting out what he says is government fraud and instituting a work requirement for some welfare recipients.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Republican Henry McMaster became governor last year when Nikki Haley left the job to be ambassador to the United Nations. McMaster, who has Trump's endorsement, is being challenged by state lawmaker James Smith, a Democrat. Smith's agenda includes some gun control measures and gender equity.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Republican Kristi Noem, the sole member of the House of Representatives from South Dakota, has received campaign help from Trump in her effort to become governor. She's facing Billie Sutton, a former rodeo star who is running as a "pro-life and pro-Second Amendment" Democrat in a state where no Democrat has been governor in nearly 40 years. The current governor, Dennis Daugaard, cannot run again because of term limits.

TENNESSEE

Democrat Karl Dean, the former mayor of Nashville, is taking on Republican businessman Bill Lee to replace term-limited Republican Bill Haslam. Dean is calling for the state to expand Medicaid to cover more low-income adults, a move Lee has opposed.

TEXAS

In Texas, the nation's most populous Republican stronghold, incumbent Republican Greg Abbott is facing Democrat Lupe Valdez, the former Dallas County sheriff. Valdez, the first openly gay and Latina gubernatorial nominee in Texas, has struggled to raise money and has caught flak from some Democratic activists for cooperating with federal immigration authorities when she was sheriff.

VERMONT

Phil Scott, a popular Republican, is seeking a second two-year term in a state that generally favors Democrats. Democrat Christine Hallquist, former CEO of an electric company, is trying to make history as the first transgender governor. Scott upset some Republicans by signing gun control restrictions this year, but he still won the GOP primary by more than 30 percentage points.

WISCONSIN

Republican Scott Walker is pursuing a third term, this time challenged by Democrat Tony Evers, the state superintendent of public instruction. But it's Walker's fourth time on the ballot, after also surviving a 2012 recall attempt. He says he has kept promises to reduce taxes and spending. Evers says he would fix roads and improve schools that have suffered during Walker's time in office. Outside money is pouring into the state, which was a key in Trump's 2016 victory.

WYOMING

Former state lawmaker and current energy industry lawyer Mary Throne, a Democrat, is taking on state Treasurer Mark Gordon to replace Republican Gov. Matt Mead, who is prevented by term limits from running this year. While the state consistently elects only Republicans to Congress, it has frequently had Democratic governors. Throne is emphasizing working across the aisle in her pitch to voters.

___

Reporting by Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, N.J.BERLIN (AP) - Police in the German city of Dortmund say they will examine whether they were tough enough in handling a pair of far-right demonstrations during which they say an anti-Semitic slogan was chanted.

The protests took place Friday, one attended by about 100 people and the other by 75. Police deployed around 80 officers, and say some of the demonstrators illegally set off fireworks.

In a statement Sunday, police said they filed a criminal complaint regarding the anti-Semitic chant and will work with prosecutors to determine whether any crime was committed. They said they aim to combat far-right extremism "with all the means of the state of law" and a group will follow up whether Friday's deployment did justice to that.

Police say a court had rejected restrictions on the protests.NEW YORK (AP) - For transgender Americans, 2018 has been marked by series of advancements and setbacks.

The steps forward have included numerous legislative actions and court rulings buttressing civil rights and a victory by a transgender candidate in Vermont's Democratic gubernatorial primary.

The steps back have included the Trump administration rolling back protections, and anti-transgender vitriol that caused an Oklahoma town's schools to be closed for two days in August after adults made threatening comments on Facebook about a 12-year-old transgender student's use of a girls' bathroom.

FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017 file photo, pictures of transgender people lost to violence earlier in the year are displayed during a Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Pittsfield, Mass. For transgender Americans, 2018 has been marked by series of advancements and setbacks. (Gillian Jones/The Berkshire Eagle via AP)

And the coming weeks may be even more unsettling, ahead of the first-ever statewide vote on whether anti-discrimination protections should extend to transgender people.

On the Nov. 6 ballot in Massachusetts is a measure drafted by conservative activists that would repeal a 2016 state law - passed with bipartisan support - that provides such protections in public accommodations, including bathrooms and locker rooms.

Though Massachusetts is among the most liberal states, and the first to legalize same-sex marriage, recent polls indicate voters are closely divided on the ballot measure.

Transgender attorney Kasey Suffredeni, co-chair of the campaign seeking to preserve the 2016 law, calls the measure "one of the single biggest threats to equality in recent memory." If the pro-repeal side wins, he predicts, opponents of LGBT rights will try to scale back nondiscrimination protections in other states.

Uncertainty about the outcome in Massachusetts has added to a sense among some transgender Americans that their recent civil rights gains are fragile and their acceptance by fellow citizens is far from universal.

"I just try to focus on the long run," said Jennifer Finney Boylan, a transgender writer and professor. "We're in this less for ourselves than for our children, whom I pray will grow up in a world less cruel than this one."

The progress in 2018 has included several cities and states making it easier for transgender people to change their gender on identification documents. Courts have upheld policies enabling transgender students to use the bathrooms of their choice at school. Connecticut became the first state giving transgender inmates the right to be housed in prisons matching their gender identity.

Among other breakthroughs: A best-foreign-film Oscar for the transgender-themed film, "A Fantastic Woman," and transgender candidate Christine Hallquist's Democratic nomination in the Vermont governor's race.

But Hallquist's triumph had a downside: She says she's been targeted with a stream of death threats and other personal attacks during her candidacy.

In early September, transgender activists got a jolting reminder that even some allies might belittle them.

At the national meeting of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists, a gay emcee, TV weatherman Marshall McPeek of Columbus, Ohio, began the closing ceremony by welcoming "ladies and gentlemen, things and its."

McPeek soon apologized, as did the NLGJA, but many transgender people were outraged. The journalism organization promised to become more diverse and inclusive, and McPeek resigned from the group while promising to learn from his mistakes.

More broadly, transgender-rights activists are angered at moves by President Donald Trump and his administration to undermine gains achieved before his election. Trump is seeking to ban transgender people from military service, although that effort has stalled in court. The administration rescinded an Obama administration guideline advising schools to let transgender students use the bathroom of their choice. And it has asserted that civil rights laws don't protect transgender people from discrimination on the job.

Transgender attorney Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said he remained optimistic about the overall progress, citing favorable court rulings, broad resistance to the military ban, and new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics for how parents and others can support transgender children.

These changes "reflect a growing understanding on the part of families, communities, courts and elected officials that transgender people are part of the fabric of our society," Minter said.

In April, transgender people got some support from voters in Anchorage, Alaska. By a 6-point margin, they defeated a ballot measure that would have repealed a trans-inclusive civil rights ordinance and required transgender people to use public bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender at birth.

For activists, that result was heartening in light of events in Houston in 2015 after its city council adopted an ordinance that included protections for transgender people using restrooms based on gender identity. Opponents of the ordinance gathered enough signatures for a repeal referendum, then campaigned using the slogan "No Men in Women's Bathrooms." By 61-to-39 percent, the anti-bias ordinance was repealed.

Now, the divisive issue is resurfacing in Massachusetts, where the campaign seeking to repeal the 2016 state law is using Houston-style messaging.

"The law puts women, children and vulnerable minorities' safety at risk," says Keep MA Safe. "It allows a person to self-identify as any gender in order to use whatever bathroom, locker room or shower facility they choose - even convicted sex offenders."

Transgender-rights supporters consider this argument malicious. They say 20 states and scores of cities have experienced no significant public safety problems linked to their policies allowing transgender people to use public bathrooms of their choice.

FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 file photo, Vermont Republican incumbent Gov. Phil Scott, right, and Democratic challenger Christine Hallquist, center, walk from a gazebo after a debate at the Tunbridge World's Fair in Tunbridge, Vt. Hallquist, former CEO of an electric company, is trying to make history as the first transgender governor. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

FILE - In this April 9, 2018 file photo, Lillian Lennon poses for a portrait in Anchorage, Alaska. Lennon, a transgender teenager, was a field organizer who helped defeat a bathroom bill before Anchorage voters in April, the first-ever defeat of such a bill by voters in an election. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

FILE - In this March 4, 2018 file photo, Sebastian Lelio, foreground center, and Juan de Dios Larrain, background left, transgender actress Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, and Pablo Larrain accept the award for best foreign language film for "A Fantastic Woman" at the Oscars in Los Angeles. Nick Adams, director of the transgender media program at GLAAD, the LGBT advocacy group, says that victory was significant for the struggle for more prominent trans representation in movies. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)California officials quickly determined an arsonist started last month's huge wildfire southeast of Los Angeles, and that two weeks earlier sparks from a vehicle produced a deadly wildfire in the far northern part of the state.

But causes for many of California's worst blazes of the past decade remain a mystery.

The Associated Press reviewed state data on the 10 largest wildfires and 10 most destructive in terms of homes and buildings burned for each year dating to 2008. Lightning was the most common cause, accounting for about a quarter of those fires, followed by incidents involving power lines.

FILE - In this July 27, 2018, file photo, cars scorched by the Carr Fire rest at a residence in Redding, Calif. While California officials quickly determined an arsonist started the wildfire burning southeast of Los Angeles and that sparks from a vehicle produced the deadly wildfire in the city of Redding, causes for many of the state's worst blazes in the past decade remain a mystery. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

However, investigators could not determine a cause for about a third of those fires. Experts say each is a missed opportunity to learn something new.

"If we don't know what causes a fire, we don't know how to prevent them," said Carrie Bilbao, a spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center who investigated wildfires in Idaho for 26 years.

Finding the trigger aids criminal prosecutions and helps determine liability. It also guides campaigns to change behavior, like avoiding mowing on hot afternoons when fire threat is high. And it leads to safety enhancements, like sleeves on power lines, which came about when it was determined that falling tree branches and birds cause sparks when they hit unprotected electrical wires.

It's estimated human activity - from untended campfires to sparks from vehicles - causes more than 80 percent of all wildfires in the United States, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

So far in 2018, wildfires have scorched more than 2,000 square miles (5,180 square kilometers) in California. More than 2,000 homes and buildings have been destroyed, and at least 11 people killed.

The Mendocino Complex Fire that burned for nearly two months, killing one firefighter and destroying more than 150 homes, is the largest ever recorded in the state at 720 square miles (1,865 square kilometers), an area more than twice the size of New York City. No cause has been determined yet, nor has one been pinpointed for the Ferguson Fire, which prompted the closure of much of Yosemite National Park.

The Holy Fire, southeast of Los Angeles, was quickly determined to be arson. Authorities say the suspect was motivated by a feud with his neighbors in the Cleveland National Forest. The fire prompted evacuation orders for 20,000 people and nearly burned through the community of Lake Elsinore.

Arson was pegged as the cause for only five of California's most destructive or largest fires of the last decade, according to state records, though officials say the true number likely is much higher. That's because for arson to be the cause, no other possibility can exist.

So, for example, even if investigators believe an arsonist was responsible for a fire next to a rail line, they may leave the cause undetermined because they can't rule out a spark from a passing train.

Finding causes that can lead to preventive measures has become more urgent in drought-plagued California. Even as climate change extends the fire season and feeds record-breaking infernos, more homes are being built in rugged areas where fire danger is high.

Three times as much acreage has burned so far this year in California as last year, which produced the Tubbs Fire that was the most destructive in recorded state history and the Thomas Fire that, until this year, was the largest ever.

And the most dangerous months for California wildfires are still to come.

The Carr Fire, the deadliest so far this year with eight fatalities, started in July with a spark from a vehicle. Whipped by winds, the flames exploded into Redding, the largest city in far Northern California. More than 1,000 homes were destroyed.

The driver immediately reported the fire so there was no mystery about how it started. Such quick confirmation is unusual.

"Trying to investigate any kind of fire is almost like trying to investigate a murder - except most of your evidence has been destroyed, and everything around it has been destroyed, by fire," said Lynne Tolmachoff, spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

If lightning maps show no activity in a burn area, the assumption is it was started by humans, and fire investigators immediately head to the spot to cordon it off and protect evidence.

It's a painstaking process, even when fires are small.

Investigators look at how the vegetation is flattened to determine where the flames originated and track it to the ignition point - usually the coldest spot.

But there are challenges, especially if the fire occurred along a road or other heavily trafficked area. Crews fighting fires can inadvertently wipe out key clues, like carbon particles from a car backfiring or pieces of porcelain from an exploded catalytic converter.

Cellphone photos and videos from witnesses help investigators. Drones provide aerial views of a point of ignition, showing burn patterns and strike marks on power lines, which are hard to see from the ground.

But often it comes down to two possible causes, which results in the cause being declared undetermined and the case being closed unless new evidence appears. Tolmachoff can't recall an investigation to determine a cause ever reopening.

Last year's Tubbs and Thomas fires still are under investigation.

Tubbs, in wine country north of San Francisco, destroyed nearly 5,700 structures and killed 22 people. Thomas, in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, killed two people and destroyed more than 1,000 buildings. A month later, heavy rains fell on hills denuded by the fire, unleashing mudslides that killed 21 and left two others missing.

Lawsuits seeking billions in damages have been filed. Concern that California's largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., would go bankrupt if it's found at fault for the Tubbs Fire prompted the Legislature to pass a bill allowing the company to raise utility bills to pay off lawsuits.

FILE - In this Aug. 7, 2018, file photo, firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex Fire, near Ladoga, Calif. While California officials quickly determined an arsonist started the wildfire burning southeast of Los Angeles and that sparks from a vehicle produced the deadly wildfire in the city of Redding, causes for many of the state's worst blazes in the past decade remain a mystery. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 9, 2018, file photo, Loretta Root wipes her eyes while visiting the remains of her home in the Keswick area burned in the Carr Fire in Redding, Calif. While California officials quickly determined an arsonist started the wildfire burning southeast of Los Angeles and that sparks from a vehicle produced the deadly wildfire in the city of Redding, causes for many of the state's worst blazes in the past decade remain a mystery. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

FILE - In this July 28, 2018, file photo, Carla Bledsoe, facing camera, hugs her sister Sherry outside of the sheriff's office after hearing news that Sherry's children James, 4, and Emily 5, and grandmother were killed in a wildfire in Redding, Calif. While California officials quickly determined an arsonist started the wildfire burning southeast of Los Angeles and that sparks from a vehicle produced the deadly wildfire in the city of Redding, causes for many of the state's worst blazes in the past decade remain a mystery. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

FILE - In this July 30, 2018, file photo, an air tanker drops retardant on a wildfire burning near Lakeport, Calif. California is in the midst of another devastating year of wildfires and finding the causes for the worst of them can be critical to identifying better fire-prevention techniques. But often investigators can't figure out a cause. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

FILE - In this July 31, 2018, file photo, a firefighter runs while trying to save a home as a wildfire tears through Lakeport, Calif. While California officials quickly determined an arsonist started the wildfire burning southeast of Los Angeles and that sparks from a vehicle produced the deadly wildfire in the city of Redding, causes for many of the state's worst blazes in the past decade remain a mystery. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - Armed with a new Vermont law that protects student journalists, four high school editors have stood up to censorship and won, prompting their school to revamp its media policy.

The Burlington High School students had posted a story on the school newspaper website that they collectively wrote on a school employee facing unprofessional conduct charges from the state. They had gotten a tip about the investigation and filed a public records request, posting the story the night of Sept. 10.

The next morning, the principal asked the students' adviser to take it down. The students quickly consulted with legal experts about what do to and wrote on the website that their article had been censored.

In this Sept. 20, 2018 photo, BHS Register editors, from left, Julia Shannon-Grillo, Halle Newman, Nataleigh Noble and Jenna Peterson stand outside the Burlington High School in Burlington, Vt. The students stood up to censorship in their student newspaper and won. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

Days later, the principal said the students could repost the story since it had been picked up by local media. Then, Sept 15, the school did another about-face and said it would change its policy on media, based on the New Voices law.

"I think I've learned more in the past week than I have in my entire life. It's been really incredible," senior Halle Newman, 17, said.

The big lesson is she's learned to stand up for herself and what she believes in and for their rights as a student press, she said. They've also witnessed how important journalism is to a community, she said, from the community reaction and support.

"I think on a larger scale we've just learned how important and how vital the first amendment is to just our country, and our society and our government," said senior Nataleigh Noble, 17.

Burlington High School Principal Noel Green didn't return a phone call seeking comment. The school district announced Sept. 15 that "all previously practiced or adopted guidelines regarding publications in the BHS Register are no longer in effect." The school board, and the administration, will develop a written policy consistent with the new law, in a process involving the students, the district said.

"The New Voices law is intended to ensure free speech and free press protections for public school students in order to encourage students to become educated, informed, and responsible members of society," the district said. Thirteen states have passed similar legislation.

"The importance of this case was that it really did provide a good solid example that these laws really are important and do work," said Mike Hiestand, legal consultant for the Washington-based Student Press Law Center, where about 40 percent of the incoming calls are about censorship.

Now at least two of the Vermont students see journalism in their futures.

"We've gotten like such a rush from putting out this important information and helping out community," said Noble. Newman said she'd always wanted to pursue journalism but the experience confirmed it.

"It was obviously overwhelming and hectic but it was also exciting and something I can see myself doing again," she said.BERLIN (AP) - With global temperatures rising, superstorms taking their deadly toll and a year-end deadline to firm up the Paris climate deal, leaders at this year's U.N. General Assembly are feeling a sense of urgency to keep up the momentum on combating climate change.

That's why, in between discussing how to tackle wars, poverty and deadly diseases around the world, leaders will be devoting substantial time in New York this week to the question of global warming and how to rein it in.

There'll be talk of emissions targets and the need to adapt to the inevitable changes already underway when small island states take the floor at the annual gathering. Ministers from major economies, meanwhile, will be meeting behind closed doors to discuss who will pay to help poor countries avoid the worst effects of global warming - and prevent a wave of climate refugees in future.

FILE - In this Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 file photo, a resident stands on the roof of her house amidst flooding brought about by Typhoon Mangkhut which barreled into northeastern Philippines during the weekend and inundated low-lying areas in its 900-kilometer wide cloud band, in Calumpit township, Bulacan province north of Manila, Philippines. With global temperatures rising, superstorms taking their deadly toll and a year-end deadline to firm up the Paris climate deal, leaders at this year's U.N. General Assembly are feeling a sense of urgency to keep up the momentum on combating climate change. Monday, Sept. 17, 2018(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, file)

Outside the confines of the United Nations, campaigners and businesspeople will meet during New York Climate Week, while Wednesday will see the second edition of French President Emmanuel Macron's One Planet Summit.

About the only leader not expected to dwell on climate change is President Donald Trump, who last year announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris accord. He says it represents a bad deal for the American people.

His stance isn't shared by many U.S. governors, mayors and businesspeople who met recently in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit, an event designed to show that parts of America are firmly behind the Paris agreement, with its ambitious goal of limiting the worldwide temperature rise by 2100 to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees C.

"These meetings are incredibly important for building confidence and cooperation," Svenja Schulze, Germany's environment minister, told reporters on a recent conference call from Canada, where she was meeting with her counterparts from other Group of Seven countries.

By December, leaders need to agree on what's known as the Paris rulebook, which sets out how countries will track their climate efforts in a way that is transparent, fair and meaningful, Schulze said. "All the conferences are building blocks leading up to that," she said.

Like many European countries, Germany experienced an unusually dry summer this year, forcing the government to bail out thousands of farmers whose livelihoods were threatened by crop failures. Still, Europe's largest economy keeps burning coal, considered the most harmful of all fossil fuels.

Failure to reach an agreement by the time the annual climate meeting is held in Katowice, Poland, would mark a major setback for the 180 countries that have ratified the Paris accord.

If the combined glamor, wealth and power assembled in New York don't do the trick, the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, being released at the beginning of October might well focus minds.

The report, condensing the findings of the world's top climate scientists, is expected to say that the toughest target set in Paris three years ago - of keeping warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius - will be almost impossible to meet. Average global temperatures have already risen by almost 1 degree Celsius since the start of the industrial age, and the existing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere mean a further rise is inevitable.

Speaking two weeks ago, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world must shift away from fossil fuels by 2020 to prevent what he called "runaway climate change."

The impact that such a planetary change could have was brought home to millions in recent weeks, with the onslaught of Hurricane Florence and Typhoon Mangkhut, which experts say could become the new norm for storms in a warming world.

___

Follow Frank Jordans on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/wirereporter

FILE - In this Tuesday, July 10, 2018 file photo, a woman and a boy walk on the dried up riverbed of the Zayandeh Roud river that no longer runs under the 400-year-old Si-o-seh Pol bridge in Isfahan, Iran. With global temperatures rising, superstorms taking their deadly toll and a year-end deadline to firm up the Paris climate deal, leaders at this year's U.N. General Assembly are feeling a sense of urgency to keep up the momentum on combating climate change. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, file)

FILE - In this Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 file photo, Wind turbines stand in a field near Northwood, Iowa, USA. With global temperatures rising, superstorms taking their deadly toll and a year-end deadline to firm up the Paris climate deal, leaders at this year's U.N. General Assembly are feeling a sense of urgency to keep up the momentum on combating climate change. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, file)PARIS (AP) - The head of the U.N. education agency says schools are ground zero in the fight against anti-Semitism and extremist violence - and she will push world leaders meeting in New York this week to invest more in teaching tolerance.

"No one is born a violent extremist," Azoulay said in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of the U.N. General Assembly, which opens Monday. "Education is the best rampart against discrimination and racism."

Azoulay's own organization - the first U.N. body to admit Palestine as a member - has long been riven by sectarian anger, divisions she has worked to mend since taking the helm last year of the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

FILE - In a Monday April 9, 2018 file photo, UNESCO Director General France's Audrey Azoulay attends the UNESCO executive council in Paris, before delivering her first speech to the executive council since she has been elected as head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Nov. 2017. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

At the U.N., she will co-host a meeting on fighting anti-Semitism and other discrimination through teaching about different religions and cultures.

"It will exhort the member states to mobilize to promote education as a lever of prevention of racism and discrimination, and by extension, violent extremism," she said.

UNESCO has drawn up made-to-measure guides for educators in different countries, notably addressing anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim attitudes. But the U.N. body can't force governments to use them, and it is especially difficult in poor countries to ensure uniform teaching messages.

Diplomats at UNESCO praise Azoulay's efforts to overcome Arab-Israeli tensions within UNESCO, and some say her Moroccan-Jewish heritage helped her earn respect on both sides, though she doesn't bring it up publicly.

She says she's just trying to clear the air so that UNESCO can get more work done. "Since I took office, we have committed to an effort to mediate the political tensions that weighed on the good work of the institution," she said.

The Palestinian membership vote in 2011 gutted UNESCO's finances and led to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to quit.

In some ways, Azoulay is the antithesis of Trump. She courts both Israelis and Palestinians, wants more public spending on education and culture, and says countries should set aside self-interest and work together to solve the world's problems.

The U.N. General Assembly "shows with great strength the relevance of multilateralism. We need more than ever to address the challenges of tomorrow's world together. Multilateralism is an opportunity to build a better world in the face of the challenges that each state, however powerful it is, cannot resolve alone."

Azoulay will also work this week to persuade world leaders to get more girls to go to school and stay there, co-hosting an event with Canada, Britain and France called "Leave No Girls Behind." Some 17 million girls around the world are expected to never enter school, and millions more drop out early.

UNESCO worked with other agencies to publish a guide this year for schools and governments on sexual education, and has worked to fight discrimination against LGBT students.CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) - Authorities say seven riders were rescued from a stuck Ferris wheel at a New Jersey county fair.

Gloucester Township police say they were called to assist the fire department after the malfunction was reported Saturday at the Camden County Fair.

Police say the occupied seats were at various heights, with one at the top "approximately 40 feet (12 meters) off the ground." The Blackwood Fire Company told NJ.com that about six of the riders were children.

Fire crews used a tower ladder to rescue them. Police said all remained calm and were in good spirits. No injuries were reported.

Officials say the ride had been inspected earlier in the day. The owner is now making repair arrangements.

Police earlier tweeted out that the riders "will have a great story to tell later."WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress is starting to consider almost $1.7 billion in new money to aid recovery efforts from Florence.

Lawmakers already are facing a deadline this week to fund the government before the start of the new budget year Oct. 1, and members of Congress will try to act on the disaster relief along with separate legislation to fund the government.

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee says the money would be available as grants to states to help rebuild housing and public works, and assist businesses as they recover from the storm.

Marvin Singleton and Michele Larrimore motor past the Pine Grove Baptist Church on the way to check out Larrimore's home on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Brittons Neck, S.C. The flooding from the Little Pee Dee River is cresting on Saturday, but many residents are concerned that the floodwaters will increase damage to their community. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP)

GOP Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey says it's "a first round" and that lawmakers are ready to act quickly if the federal disaster relief agency also needs more money.JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - An Indonesian teenager who survived 49 days adrift at sea after the wooden fish trap he was employed to mind slipped its moorings says he ran out of food within a week and survived on fish and seawater he squeezed from his clothing.

Aldi Novel Adilang told The Associated Press on Monday that he turned on a lamp every time he sighted another ship and can't remember how many passed by "unaware of my ordeal."

The Indonesian Consulate in Osaka, Japan, said the 18-year-old was rescued by a Panamanian-flagged vessel off Guam on Aug. 31, about 1,200 miles (1,920 kilometers) from his original location, and returned to Indonesia with officials earlier this month.

He was employed since age 16 in the one of the world's loneliest jobs: lamp lighter on a rompong - a wooden raft with a hut on top that's lit at night to attract fish - moored about 125 kilometers (78 miles) off the coast of North Sulawesi.

The coastline is not visible from the fishing rafts and the numerous rompong are miles apart, said Adilang's mother, Net Kahiking. Supplies including food and fuel for a generator are dropped off about once a week. The minders, who earn $130 a month, communicate with fishing boats by hand-held radio.

"I was on the raft for one month and 18 days. My food ran out after the first week," said Adilang. When it didn't rain for days, "I had to soak my clothes in the sea, then I squeezed and drank the water."

In this undated photo released by Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka, 18-year-old Aldi Novel Adilang is seen on a wooden fish trap floating in the waters near the island of Guam. The Indonesian teenager has survived about 7 weeks adrift at sea after the floating wooden fish trap he was employed to mind slipped its moorings. Aldi's parents and the Indonesian Consulate in Osaka, Japan, said he was rescued by a Panamanian-flagged vessel off Guam on Aug. 31 and returned to Indonesia earlier this month. (Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka via AP)

The boy's father, Alfian Adilang, said the family is overjoyed at his return but angry with his employer. It was the third time the teen's raft had drifted. The previous two times it had been rescued by the owner's ship, the boy said.

The rafts are anchored with ropes and Aldi Adilang said strong friction caused them to break.

"I thought I will never meet my parents again, so I just prayed every day," he said.

Adilang's portable radio, known as a handy-talky or HT in Indonesia, would prove to be a lifesaver.

"It was early morning on Aug. 31 when I saw the ship and I lighted up the lamp and shouted 'help' using the HT," he said.

"The ship had passed about one mile but then it turned to me. Might be because I used the English word," he said. "Then they talked on the HT."

The MV Arpeggio, which rescued Adilang off Guam, contacted the Indonesian mission in Japan when it docked in Tokuyama and officials from the Osaka consulate collected him on Sept. 6, the consulate said in a statement. He returned to Indonesia on Sept. 8.

Adilang, who is the youngest son of four siblings, said he no longer wants to work on a rompong.

"My parents agree," he said.

___

This story has been corrected to show that mother's name is Net instead of Met.Richwood, TX (77531)

Today

Thunderstorms in the morning, then partly cloudy late. High near 80F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

A mostly clear sky. Low near 55F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.ROME (AP) - The Latest on Europe's migrant crisis (all times local):

8:30 p.m.

Greece's defense minister is denying newspaper allegations that his ministry mismanaged European Union funds for improving living conditions of migrants trapped in the country.

Panos Kammenos says that the ministry used around 90 million euros ($106 million) of the EU funds, with full transparency.

Three journalists from Greece's Fileleftheros daily were detained by police over the weekend after Kammenos complained that he had been defamed by articles in the paper on how the funds were managed.

They were released Sunday and a prosecutor decided against pressing immediate charges against them.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini attend a press conference in Rome, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Italy's populist government is making it harder for migrants to be approved for humanitarian protection. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini told reporters that the government at a Cabinet meeting Monday approved a decree setting tighter criteria for such protection, which accords a status less than full asylum. (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP)

Greece has been allotted 1.6 billion euros ($1.9 billion) in EU funds to address the immigration crisis. But living conditions for around 20,000 migrants in Aegean Sea island camps remain overcrowded and insanitary, drawing repeated criticism from human rights groups.

___

8 p.m.

France's government spokesman says that the country is seeking a solution with other EU members after humanitarian groups operating a rescue ship with 58 migrants aboard want to be allowed to disembark in the French southern port of Marseille.

Benjamin Griveaux tweeted that the solution will come from "cooperation with our European partners."

He said that "humanity is to make the ship land in the closest and safest port."

The French government has repeatedly said that under international law, rescue ships saving people at sea must dock at the closest port.

The Aquarius 2, operated by SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders, is the last private rescue ship operating in the waters off Libya.

Panama's maritime authority said it has begun procedures to remove the registration of Aquarius 2 after Italy complained that the boat's captain failed to follow orders to return rescued migrants to Libya.

___

6:20 p.m.

Croatian police are searching for a 5-year-old Syrian girl after her father posted an emotional appeal seeking help finding her.

Police say they formally opened an investigation after meeting the 43-year-old man Monday at the Bosnian border.

The case has triggered public attention in the European Union country after the man said he was separated from his daughter some ten days ago when police picked him up in a Croatian village and sent him back to Bosnia. His child stayed behind with other refugees.

Croatian police in the past have faced accusations of pushbacks and violence against migrants, which they have denied.

Police said Monday the man sought asylum in Croatia.

___

4:30 p.m.

Police in Slovenia say they have caught more than 100 migrants trying to illegally enter the European Union country last weekend.

Police said that the migrants were trying to cross into Slovenia from Croatia both in the west and the southeast of the country.

The migrants came from various countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Police said that 26 of them have been sent back to Croatia so far, while several dozen have sought asylum in Slovenia.

Migrants come to Slovenia as they try to reach Western Europe through the Balkans. Hundreds of thousands passed through the country in 2015.

___

3:50 p.m.

The humanitarian groups operating the sole private rescue boat operating near the deadly central Mediterranean human trafficking route are urging European countries to intervene in order to secure its future after Panama moved to cancel the ship's registration.

Medecins Sans Frontieres and SOS Mediterranee described the decision by the Panama Maritime Authority to de-flag the vessel as shameful.

Francis Vallat, the head of SOS Mediterranee France, asked European countries on Monday during a news conference to "find a solution, whatever it is. We can't stop. We don't want to stop. We will only yield to force and constraint."

Panama's maritime authority said over the weekend it has begun procedures to remove the registration of Aquarius 2 after Italy complained that the boat's captain failed to follow orders.

___

3:25 p.m.

Italy's populist government is making it harder for migrants to be approved for humanitarian protection.

Interior Minister Matteo Salvini told reporters that the government at a Cabinet meeting Monday approved a decree setting tighter criteria for such protection, which accords a status less than full asylum.

Humanitarian protection will only be granted for victims of labor exploitation, human trafficking, domestic violence, natural calamities or those needing medical care as well as to those who performed "deeds of particular civic value," an apparent reference to heroism.

He said asylum-request evaluations will be suspended for those deemed "socially dangerous" or convicted of crime, even before court appeals run out. Salvini insisted: "We're not harming any fundamental rights."

The decree also calls for reduced daily pocket money for asylum-seekers.

___

12:20 p.m.

The Open Society Foundations, created by billionaire philanthropist George Soros, says it has filed applications before the European Court of Human Rights and Hungary's Constitutional Court about recent laws in Hungary targeting civic groups working with refugees and asylum-seekers.

James Goldston, director of the Open Society Justice Initiative, the foundations' legal team, told The Associated Press on Monday that the legal action is aimed at countering laws "meant to intimidate and silence independent voices in Hungary."

Legislation dubbed "Stop Soros" passed in June threatens to incarcerate for up to one year people helping asylum-seekers, while in July Hungarian lawmakers approved a 25 percent tax on financial or material support for groups promoting migration.

OSF supports some of the civic groups targeted by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's unyielding anti-immigration policies.

FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2017 file photo, President Emmanuel Macron of France addresses the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters. Macron is expected to be a key voice joining secretary-general Guterres in speaking out against the current trend of rising populism in the world and supporting multilateralism as key to promoting peace. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The latest on the United Nations General Assembly (all times local):

10:30 p.m.

Five world powers have agreed with Iran to establish a financial facility in the European Union to facilitate payments for Iran's exports, including oil, as well as its imports. It is a key move sought by Tehran following the U.S. pullout from the 2015 nuclear deal and its re-imposition of sanctions.

Foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and Iran said in a joint statement late Monday that the so-called "Special Purpose Vehicle" will "assist and reassure economic operators pursuing legitimate business with Iran."

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told reporters after the closed-door ministerial meeting that the financial facility is also aimed at preserving the nuclear agreement that is aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapon.

Mogherini says that "in practical terms, this will mean that EU member states will set up a legal entity to facilitate legitimate financial transactions with Iran, and this will allow European companies to continue to trade with Iran in accordance with European Union law and could be open to other partners in the world."

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is escorted to address the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit in the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

___

6:45 p.m.

The U.N. Security Council is condemning the fusillade that killed 25 people at an Iranian military parade, calling it a "heinous and cowardly terrorist attack."

The council issued a statement Monday emphasizing that perpetrators and sponsors of the assault need to be held accountable.

Militants disguised as soldiers fired on marching troops and onlookers at a parade Saturday in the southern Iranian city of Ahvaz.

Blamed on Arab separatists in the region, the bloodshed marked the deadliest attack in Iran in nearly a decade. It further racheted up tensions across the Persian Gulf ahead of the U.N. General Assembly meeting of world leaders, which began Monday.

Thousands of Iranians attended a mass funeral service Monday for the attack victims.

___

5:30 p.m.

The United States has announced $185 million in new humanitarian assistance for Rohingya Muslims displaced by a military crackdown in Myanmar.

Foreign ministers from more than a dozen countries met behind closed doors Monday to discuss the plight of the Rohingya and a recent U.N. fact finding report into atrocities in Myanmar's Rakhine State that recommended prosecution of military leaders for genocide.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who hosted the meeting, said in a statement that Myanmar's military leaders "must face full accountability for any atrocities committed."

Hunt says if conditions haven't improved for the 1 million people affected in a year's time, "then we have failed as an international community."

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley says the new U.S. aid will go mostly to Rohingya refugees in neighboring Bangladesh. She says it brings total American assistance to $389 million since the crackdown began in August 2017.

___

2:40 p.m.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas says his country wants to use its upcoming term on the U.N. Security Council to address conflicts around the world before they become full-blown crises.

Speaking Monday ahead of his trip to the U.N. General Assembly, he said Germany will emphasize a strong United Nations and "multilateral solutions" - an indirect swipe at the go-it-alone policies of major powers such as the United States.

Germany takes up its two-year, non-permanent seat on the council in 2019.

Maas called climate change the central challenge of the 21st century, citing the destabilizing effect it can have on entire regions. He said the Security Council needs better information about climate change to tackle the issue.

___

1:55 p.m.

The head of NATO will meet in New York this week with Russia's foreign minister amid tensions over alleged Russian meddling abroad and NATO activity near Russia's borders.

The meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will take place on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, according to Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian lower house of parliament's foreign affairs committee.

Slutsky told The Associated Press that the Russian delegation at the U.N. will express concern about Western support for Russia's neighbors, and call for better communication around Syria's war.

NATO has expressed concern about alleged Russian interference to thwart Macedonia's efforts to join the alliance.

Slutsky said the Russian delegation will also meet with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, after the EU extended sanctions this month against senior Russian officials accused of meddling in Ukraine. Slutsky has been targeted by U.S. and EU sanctions.

___

12:35 p.m.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has announced his nation's "ever-more-resolute decision" to fight against all forms of terrorism following a weekend attack targeting a military parade that killed at least 25 people.

Rouhani started his speech to a peace summit at U.N. headquarters in New York honoring the 100th birthday of Nelson Mandela by sending prayers for the souls of those "who were martyred on Saturday during the cowardly terrorist attacks against them in the city of Ahvaz."

Thousands of Iranians attended a mass funeral service in the southwestern city of Ahvaz Monday for the victims. Iranian officials have blamed the U.S. and its regional allies for backing the Arab separatists, who carried out the assault while disguised in military uniforms.

___

11:15 a.m.

U.N. officials and world leaders are looking to Nelson Mandela's legacy of championing peace, human rights and global cooperation as the U.N. General Assembly's annual top-level meeting begins.

At a peace summit Monday honoring Mandela, General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces said the late South African leader "represents a light of hope for a world still torn apart by conflicts and suffering" at a time of doubt about the prospect of international action to address them.

Mandela's widow, Graca Machel, told leaders they have "a moral imperative and the ability to bring the death and destructions we witness on a daily basis to an end."

The Assembly adopted a declaration vowing to redouble "efforts to build a just, peaceful, prosperous, inclusive and fair world" in Mandela's spirit. A statue of him was unveiled at U.N. headquarters.

___

10:35 a.m.

Top Western and Arab diplomats are discussing Libya's latest violence as France tries to salvage a plan for long-awaited Libyan elections in December.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is hosting Monday's meeting in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

He wants Libya to follow through with a plan agreed in Paris in May to hold elections Dec. 10. The U.S., Italy and some other key players think that is too soon.

Speaking to reporters, Le Drian criticized those in Libya "who want to preserve the status quo for their own benefit," notably to profit from today's violence and lawlessness to embezzle oil.

Monday's meeting comes as more than 100 people have been killed in the capital Tripoli in recent weeks in attacks by rival militias.

Libya slid into chaos after a 2011 uprising and NATO intervention that helped oust longtime strongman Moammar Gadhafi.

___

10 a.m.

France's foreign minister wants the U.N. to rally behind a Russian-Turkish accord averting a massive battle for the Syrian rebel stronghold of Idlib.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Monday that the accord is "a good thing" and an "opportunity to seize," despite concerns that it may not work.

Speaking ahead of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Le Drian said France supports a push for a U.N. resolution backing the Idlib accord.

However, he wants to add conditions to link the agreement to a longer term peace process.

Russia and Turkey reached an agreement last week for a buffer zone and cease fire around Idlib. Russia supports Syrian government forces and Turkey has leverage with opposition fighters.

___

9:50 a.m.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the global drug problem is "alarming," with some 31 million people around the world requiring treatment and some 450,000 deaths every year from overdoses or drug-related health issues.

The U.N. chief told a meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump that a global spotlight on "this life-and-death issue" is needed now more than ever.

He said that "failure is, indeed, not an option," and added, "Together we will succeed. We will never give up."

Trump said global drug use has gone up 60 percent from the year 2000 to 2015.

He said he was "thrilled" that some 130 countries have signed on to a U.S. call for action to reduce drug demand, cut off supplies, expand treatment and strengthen international cooperation.

Father of Mohammad Taha Eghadami, a 4-year-old boy who was killed in Saturday's terror attack on a military parade, mourns over his coffin during a mass funeral ceremony for the victims, in southwestern city of Ahvaz, Iran, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Thousands of mourners gathered at the Sarallah Mosque on Ahvaz's Taleghani junction, carrying caskets in the sweltering heat. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017, file photo, a Rohingya Muslim woman, Rukaya Begum, who crossed over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, holds her son Mahbubur Rehman, left and her daughter Rehana Bibi, after the government moved them to newly allocated refugee camp areas, near Kutupalong, Bangladesh. A team of independent investigators examining alleged violence and killings in Myanmar that caused hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee their homes have issued a searing critique of the United Nations' own operations in the country just as bloodshed erupted in August 2017. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File)

FILE - In this Monday, Aug. 6, 2018 file photo released by official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani addresses the nation in a televised speech in Tehran, Iran. As nuclear deal threatened, hard-liners batter Rouhani, sending his popularity plummeting and Iran's politics are increasingly under pressure 40 years after Islamic Revolution. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP, File)

Graca Machel, widow of Nelson Mandela, addresses the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit in the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, left, shakes hands with President Donald Trump during the "Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem" at the United Nations General Assembly, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, at U.N. Headquarters. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela says diplomats from three Latin American may have been involved in an attempt to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro's life.

Communications Minister Officials Jorge Rodriguez said Monday that embassy staff from Colombia, Chile and Mexico working in Caracas either lent support or were willing to assist those carrying out the attack.

Maduro was unhurt on August 4 when two drones loaded with explosives detonated nearby as he spoke at an outdoor military ceremony.

Rodriguez says one suspect's confession implicates the Chilean Embassy and he says several others have confessed to being trained across the border in Colombia.

He urged the governments to investigate any role their diplomats may have had.

Colombia, Chile and Mexico all have rejected the charges.Anthony Joshua clinically stopped Alexander Povetkin in seven rounds to defend his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles and reaffirm his status as the worlds leading heavyweight.

Since adding his third world title with Marchs victory over Joseph Parker, the return of Tyson Fury and frustration over his inability to secure a unification match-up with WBC champion Deontay Wilder has threatened that very reputation.

That an estimated 68,000 were present at Wembley Stadium  significantly fewer than the 90,000-strong crowd that attended last years victory over Wladimir Klitschko  demonstrated that, but he professionally overcame an opponent of ambition and class.

The 39-year-old Povetkin, like Joshua an Olympic gold medallist, had previously lost only to Klitschko and over the distance when the great Ukrainian was at his peak. Joshua capitalised on his aggression in a way that Klitschko could not, dropping him once before stopping him on his feet.

Joshua had spoken in the week of feeling tons of pressure to perform and the confirmation of the December 1 date for the higher-profile fight between Wilder and Fury will not have helped, but if he felt that pressure in the ring it did not show.

With the physical advantages over an opponent who fought Klitschko on the same evening Joshua made his professional debut, it would have proved a significant upset had the champion secured anything other than his latest victory.

Anthony Joshua retained his belts (Nick Potts/PA)

By becoming only the second man to defeat Povetkin  and the first to do so inside the distance  Joshua dismissed questions of his power that came as he went the distance for the first time against Parker and required until the 11th round to stop Carlos Takam before then.

The Briton remained composed having been hurt by a left hook in the opening round that left him bleeding from the nose, but his confidence grew as he began to control the range and pace of the fight and break down his challenger.

It was as soon as the third when Povetkin showed signs of struggling as he repeatedly swung and missed with wild left hooks.

Anthony Joshua started to take control of the fight (Nick Potts/PA)

The champion hurt his challenger with a big right hand towards the end of the fourth having consistently succeeded with his jab and opened a cut by the Russians left eye.

If his pace then slowed throughout the fifth and sixth as Povetkin occasionally landed further lefts, he convincingly rediscovered his intent in the seventh to secure victory.

A powerful right hand sent the Russian backwards, and two lefts and a further right secured the first, heavy knockdown from which he did well to return to his feet.

Alexander Povetkin returned to his feet after the first knock down (Nick Potts/PA)

With Povetkin then unable to defend himself from another hurtful barrage referee Steve Gray intervened to rescue him from further punishment after one minute and 59 seconds, when Povetkins corner were also attempting to withdraw him.

It was through earning the status of the WBAs mandatory challenger that Povetkin, whose reputation had previously been damaged by two failed drug tests, had secured his shot at one of the worlds leading fighters.

At 39 and with demand for fights between Joshua, Wilder and Fury he will likely never again challenge for a world title. Joshuas next title defence had already been scheduled for Wembley on April 13, when it would surprise if his next opponent was not Dillian Whyte.

Anthony Joshua is already looking towards his next defence (Nick Potts/PA)

Joshuas London 2012 team-mate Luke Campbell earlier earned a unanimous decision victory over Frances Yvan Mendy to earn his shot at the WBC lightweight title in his first fight under new trainer Shane McGuigan.

Victory also avenged the first of his two professional defeats, but there was a disappointing defeat for heavyweight David Price, whose third loss from four came when he retired after four rounds against Sergey Kuzmin with a right biceps injury.The parents of Alfie Evans hope to set up a foundation to honour his name and to continue fighting for the value of life.

Alfies father Thomas Evans, watched by his partner Kate James, made the announcement as he was honoured at a forum in Rome organised by a small far-right Italian opposition party.

Alfie, who suffered from a degenerative condition, died at Liverpools Alder Hey Hospital in April aged 23 months.

His family had fought a long legal battle to try to prolong his treatment.

Mr Evans was honoured by Italian politician Giorgia Meloni in recognition of a priceless example in defence of the value of life.

Thomas Evans and Kate James (PA)

The political event was organised by the Brothers of Italy party, whose political roots come from a descendant of a neo-fascist party, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Alfies parents had fought a lengthy legal battle to take him abroad for treatment, but were ultimately prevented from doing so by the courts.

The youngsters plight and the efforts of his parents to try to prolong his treatment attracted worldwide attention, with Pope Francis among those to voice support.

In a speech in which he fought to hold back tears, Mr Evans spoke of his ongoing pride at being Alfies father, the arrival of a new son in August and his gratitude to an organisation called Steadfast which had backed the family campaign and helped make contact with the Pope.

He also said the family were planning to take the case to the European Court of Justice when Alfie died.

Flowers, pictures and messages left outside Evertons Goodison Park as the cortege of Alfie Evans goes past the ground in Liverpool (PA)

Mr Evans said: Soon, we would like to open a foundation to honour his name. This will also be possible thanks to the precious collaboration we have with Steadfast with the aim to continue (to) fight against euthanasia.

It is also in our plans to present a bill to the attention of the British Parliament to try to change the status quo.

We will no longer allow what has happened to us to happen to others. We will help families who will fight for the lives of their loved ones.

I am here today to ask you to not stop fighting for the value of life, in memory of Alfie and in the name of all those who, every day, before and after him, will face those who believe that death is the only best interest. Alfie has shown everyone that this is not the case.

I hope I have made you feel at least a part of the joy and pride I felt, and I still feel, on being Alfies father. Alfie brought only joy into our lives and gave us a little miracle even after his death, the most precious. In fact, on the 6th of August, Kate and I became the parents of Thomas James, Alfies brother. We will always have two children, forever. We love you Alfie. We do.

Mr Evans also said he had a private audience with the Pope on April 18.

He told me that I was bravely fighting for the life of my son and he promised me that he would have done everything in his power to bring Alfie to Bambino Gesu hospital, he said.Negotiators have reached a tentative agreement for the Senate Judiciary Committee to hear testimony on Thursday from Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault from decades ago, according to two people briefed on the matter.

Lawyers for Ms Ford and bipartisan representatives of the committee came to the tentative agreement after a short phone call, said one of the people. The person said Mr Kavanaugh would also appear.

Some details of the hearing, such as the order of their appearance, remained in negotiation. Talks were expected to continue on Sunday.

The tentative accord could bring to a close days of high-stakes brinkmanship that have roiled Washington ahead of midterm elections and threated to jeopardize Kavanaughs confirmation to the court.

Tensions have been running on overdrive since Ms Ford, a 51-year-old college professor in California, went public with her allegation that Mr Kavanaugh assaulted her when they were at a house party in high school.

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Mr Kavanaugh, 53, an appellate court judge, denied the allegation and said he wanted to testify as soon as possible to clear his name.

Ms Ford initially indicated she wanted to tell her story to the committee, but talks dragged on as her lawyers negotiated terms of her appearance.

Republicans grew frustrated as Ms Fords lawyers insisted on a hearing next Thursday rather than Monday or even Wednesday and made other requests, some of which the committee chairman, Senator Chuck Grassley rejected.

Democrats, against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, countered that Ms Ford should be shown respect and given accommodation to tell her story.

As the talks continued, Mr Grassley countered that he would end the stand-off by scheduling a Monday vote on whether to recommend Mr Kavanaughs nomination to the full Senate.

Meanwhile, Republicans viewed Ms Fords requests as a way to delay voting on President Donald Trumps nominee.

Earlier on Saturday, a senior official at the White House said Ms Fords requests amounted to a clever way to push off the vote Monday without committing to appear Wednesday.

In a single tweet on Friday, Mr Trump broke his silence to cast doubt on Fords story in ways Republicans had been carefully trying to avoid.

Ms Fords lawyers Debra Katz and Lisa Banks had said that many aspects of Mr Grassleys latest offer were fundamentally inconsistent with the committees promise of a fair, impartial investigation.

They said they remained disappointed by the bullying that tainted the process.

Earlier on Saturday, vice president Mike Pence called Mr Kavanaugh a man of integrity with impeccable credentials.

He expressed confidence that Republicans will manage this confirmation properly with the utmost respect for all concerned and said he expected Mr Kavanaugh to join the high court soon.

Patience among Republicans was running thin. The GOP has faced enormous pressure from its base of conservative leaders and voters to swiftly approve Mr Kavanaugh, who would become the second of Trumps nominees to sit on the nations highest court.

Mr Grassley had set a Friday night deadline for Ms Ford to agree to the committees latest terms for her appearance.

Mr Grassley said that if she missed that deadline, he would scrap the hearing and his committee would vote on sending Mr Kavanaughs nomination to the full Senate.

Ms Fords lawyers asked for another day. In a tweet aimed at Mr Kavanaugh shortly before midnight, Mr Grassley said he was giving them additional time.

Judge Kavanaugh I just granted another extension to Dr Ford to decide if she wants to proceed w the statement she made last week to testify to the senate She shld decide so we can move on I want to hear her. I hope u understand. Its not my normal approach to b indecisive  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 22, 2018

She shld decide so we can move on. I want to hear her. I hope u understand. Its not my normal approach to b indecisive, Grassley wrote.

In backing away from deadlines and demands, Mr Grassley underscored the sensitivity with which Senate Republicans have tried handling Ms Ford.

Ms Katz had called Mr Grassleys original deadline arbitrary and said its sole purpose is to bully Dr Ford and deprive her of the ability to make a considered decision that has life-altering implications for her and her family.

On Friday, Mr Grassley had rejected concessions Ms Ford wanted if she is tell her story publicly before the committee.

Mr Grassley turned down Ms Fords request that only senators, not lawyers, be allowed to ask questions.

The committees 11 Republicans  all men  have been seeking an outside female attorney to interrogate Ms Ford.

He also rejected her proposal that she testify after Mr Kavanaugh.

Mr Grassleys stance reflected a desire by Mr Trump and Republican leaders to usher Mr Kavanaugh on to the high court by the October 1 start of its new session and before the November elections.A teenager has died after he was shot in east London, sparking a murder probe.

The 19-year-old man was rushed to hospital by friends after the incident in Walthamstow, at around 11pm on Saturday night.

The victim was pronounced dead at 11.38pm, the Metropolitan Police said.

The 19-year-old was shot on a street in Walthamstow (PA)

It comes less than 24 hours after a 20-year-old man was killed in a senseless stabbing at a house party in north-east London.

Two other people, a 17-year-old boy and a 24-year-old man, were also seriously injured in the incident, although their injuries were not life-threatening.

We were called at 2300hrs on Saturday to a shooting in Vallentin Road, E17. A 19-year-old man was taken to hospital, where he sadly died. Investigation underway - witnesses or anyone with info pls call 101 quoting ref 7639sep22 https://t.co/UeJOW9lJxB pic.twitter.com/bPFN59fAfE  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) September 23, 2018

There have been more than 100 homicides in the capital so far this year.

Detectives are appealing for information over the shooting on Saturday night.

Police said they were called to Vallentin Road shortly after 11pm.

The victim  a 19-year-old man  was driven by friends to a north-east London hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11.38pm, the force said.

Officers believe they know his identity, but await formal identification and confirmation that next of kin have been informed.

A post-mortem examination will be arranged in due course.

So far no-one has been arrested and witnesses were urged to contact police.Huge crowds have flocked to closely guarded polling stations to vote in the Maldives third multiparty presidential elections.

Both President Yameen Abdul Gayoom and opposition candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, voted in the capital, Male, shortly after polls opened.

A raid of Mr Solihs main campaign office was carried out the night before polling day.

Maldivian president Yameen Abdul Gayoom casts his vote (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A police warrant obtained by The Associated Press cited police intelligence that Mr Solihs campaign office may have been used to co-ordinate vote-buying. Senior campaign official Ahmed Shahid was named in the warrant as a suspect.

Saturdays raid was the latest sign of a government crackdown against the opposition, raising fears that the election may be rigged to favour Mr Gayooms party.

Mr Gayoom used his first term in office to consolidate power, jailing opponents, including his half brother, a former president, and two supreme court justices, and asserting control over the courts.

The European Union said it was not sending election observers because the Maldives had failed to meet the basic conditions for monitoring.

The countrys British ambassador, James Dauris, tweeted: In view of events in Maldives, its easy to understand why so many people are concerned about what might happen on Election Day.

The polls close at 4pm and results are expected after 10pm, election officials have said.Twelve people have been evacuated as firefighters tackle a blaze in a domestic garage.

Fire crews were called to the scene in the Feus area of Auchterarder, Perthshire at around 2.50am on Sunday.

There were no reports of any injuries.

Firefighters have been tackling the blaze (Jane Barlow/PA)

Police said the road will be closed until the fire is under control.Pope Francis has paid tribute to Lithuanians who suffered and died during Soviet and Nazi occupations on the day the country remembers the near-extermination of its Jewish community during the Holocaust.

Francis began his second day in the Baltics in Lithuanias second city, Kaunas, where an estimated 3,000 Jews survived out of a community of 37,000 during the 1941-1944 Nazi occupation.

During Mass in the lush Santakos Park under a brilliant autumn sun, Francis honoured both Jewish victims of Nazi-era executions and the Lithuanians who were deported to Siberian gulags or were tortured and oppressed at home during five decades of Soviet occupation.

Pope Francis arrives in his pope-mobile (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Earlier generations still bear the scars of the period of the occupation, anguish at those who were deported, uncertainty about those who never returned, shame for those who were informers and traitors, Francis told the crowd.

Kaunas knows about this. Lithuania as a whole can testify to it, still shuddering at the mention of Siberia, or the ghettos of Vilnius and Kaunas, among others.

He denounced those who get caught up in debating who was more virtuous in the past and fail to address the tasks of the present  an apparently veiled reference to historic revisionism that is afflicting much of Eastern Europe as it comes to terms with the Holocaust.

The issue is acute in Lithuania, where ordinary Lithuanians executed Jews alongside the Nazi occupiers, wiping out the Jewish population of the capital of Vilnius that was known for centuries as the the Jerusalem of the North because of its importance to Jewish thought and politics.

Francis is to continue the remembrance with a visit to a museum in Vilnius that is dedicated to Soviet atrocities as well as a prayer in the Vilnius Ghetto, which 75 years ago was finally destroyed and its remaining Jewish residents executed or sent off to concentration camps.

Each year, the September 23 anniversary of the destruction of the Vilnius Ghetto is commemorated with readings of the names of Jews who were executed by Nazis as well as by complicit Lithuanian partisans in the nearby Ponary forest.

Francis is travelling to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to mark their 100th anniversaries of independence and to encourage the faith in the Baltics, which saw five decades of Soviet-imposed religious repression and state-sponsored atheism.

Lithuania is 80% Catholic; Lutherans and Russian Orthodox count more followers in Latvia and Estonia, where Francis visits on Monday and Tuesday.

The Baltic countries declared their independence in 1918 but were annexed into the Soviet Union in 1940 in a secret agreement with Nazi Germany. The Vatican and many Western countries refused to recognise the annexation. Except for the 1941-1944 Nazi occupation, the Baltic countries remained part of the Soviet Union until its collapse in the early 1990s.Irans President Hassan Rouhani has said an unnamed US-allied country in the Persian Gulf was behind an attack on a military parade that killed 25 people and wounded around 70.

Mr Rouhani did not identify those behind Saturdays attack, which was claimed by an Arab separatist group.

He could have been referring to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain  close US military allies that view Iran as a regional menace over its support for militant groups across the Middle East.

Terrorists recruited, trained, armed & paid by a foreign regime have attacked Ahvaz. Children and journos among casualties. Iran holds regional terror sponsors and their US masters accountable for such attacks. Iran will respond swiftly and decisively in defense of Iranian lives. pic.twitter.com/WG1J1wgVD9  Javad Zarif (@JZarif) September 22, 2018

All of those small mercenary countries that we see in this region are backed by America. It is Americans who instigate them and provide them with necessary means to commit these crimes, Mr Rouhani said.

Saturdays attack, in which militants disguised as soldiers opened fire on an annual Iranian military parade in the oil-rich southwest, was the deadliest in the country in nearly a decade. Women and children scattered along with once-marching Revolutionary Guard soldiers as heavy gunfire rang out in Ahvaz.

The regions Arab separatists, once only known for nighttime attacks on unguarded oil pipelines, claimed responsibility for the assault, and Iranian officials appeared to believe the claim.

Iran summoned diplomats from Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands early on Sunday for allegedly harbouring members of the terrorist group that launched the attack.

Revolutionary Guard members carry a wounded comrade after the shooting (AP Photo/ISNA, Shayan Haji Najaf)

Irans Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later said the UAE ambassador would be summoned over partial statements in support of the group behind the attack.

Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had earlier blamed regional countries and their US masters for funding and arming the separatists, issuing a stark warning as regional tensions remain high in the wake of the US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal.

Iran will respond swiftly and decisively in defence of Iranian lives, Mr Zarif wrote on Twitter.

The parade was one of many around the country marking the start of Irans long 1980s war with Iraq, commemorations known as the Sacred Defence Week.

The attack killed at least 25 people and wounded around 70, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

At least eight of the dead served in the Revolutionary Guard, an elite paramilitary unit that answers only to Irans supreme leader, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. State TV hours later reported that all four gunmen had been killed.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the attack as exposing the atrocity and viciousness of the enemies of the Iranian nation.

Their crime is a continuation of the conspiracies by the US-backed regimes in the region which have aimed at creating insecurity in our dear country, he said.Anthony Joshua has an April 13 date to fill at Wembley Stadium for the next defence of his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles after defeating Alexander Povetkin on Saturday.

Here, Press Association Sport examines those in contention to be his next opponent.

1. The winner of Deontay Wilder v Tyson Fury

 SAVE THE DATE 



 WBC Champ v Lineal Champ 



The biggest fight of the year takes place on December 1st live on @btsport Box Office @BronzeBomber v @Tyson_Fury 



CAN. NOT. WAIT #WilderFury https://t.co/ebCDoHpBcB  Frank Warren (@frankwarren_tv) September 22, 2018

Wilder, the WBC champion, next defends his title against former unified champion Fury on December 1 at a US venue that will be confirmed in the coming week. The winner that evening will feel he has established himself as the worlds leading heavyweight, as well as possessing the only title to so far elude Joshua.

Either against Joshua for all four world titles, to establish an undisputed champion, would become the most lucrative fight in the division.

2. The winner of Dillian Whyte v Dereck Chisora

Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora will fight again (Peter Byrne/PA)

Plans exist for a rematch between Whyte and Chisora to take place in London in December, two years after Whyte narrowly won on points in one of the fights of the year. Whyte, who defeated his bitter rival Joshua while both were amateurs, has improved significantly since then, as he most recently demonstrated by defeating Joseph Parker.

On that same July evening Chisora secured perhaps his finest win by stopping Carlos Takam. Whyte will be the favourite for if and when their rematch is made, and would prove a popular opponent having forced an entertaining fight when being knocked out by Joshua in December 2015.

3. Jarrell Miller

The undefeated American must first overcome Tomasz Adamek when they fight on October 6, but he was in contention to challenge Joshua over the summer and has since had a heated, public exchange with the champion. It is also in America where Matchroom hopes to further Joshuas reputation, so he would prove a logical opponent before the pursuit of a higher-profile fight.Jeremy Corbyn has hit out at a former chief rabbi for comparing the Labour leader to Enoch Powell.

Rabbi Lord Sacks compared Mr Corbyns remarks regarding a group of British Zionists with Mr Powells incendiary 1968 Rivers of Blood speech.

The Labour leader said the comparison was offensive and excessive and insisted he was committed to tackling anti-Semitism.

Jeremy Corbyn (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

On BBC1s Andrew Marr Show the Labour leader urged Jewish people considering leaving the country if he entered Number 10 to remain in the UK.

Following a summer dominated by rows over his past conduct and the Labour leaderships response to problems in the party, Mr Corbyn said he was absolutely not an anti-Semite.

I have spent my whole life opposing racism in any form and I will die fighting racism in any form.

One of the incidents that has triggered the row around Mr Corbyn was his apparent defence of a mural by street artist Mear One which was viewed as anti-Semitic.

Mr Corbyn later admitted he had not properly looked at the image before raising concerns about plans to paint over it.

Asked if he now believed it was anti-Semitic, Mr Corbyn said: I think it shouldnt have been put up.

Another row involved footage from 2013 of Mr Corbyn attacking a group of British Zionists who had criticised Palestinian ambassador Manuel Hassassian, claiming they did not understand English irony despite living in the country.

Mr Corbyn said: It was not intended to be anti-Semitic in any way and I have no intention and have absolutely opposition in every way to anti-Semitism because I can see where it leads to.

I can see where it leads to now  in Poland, Hungary, in central Europe  I can see where it led to in the past.

We have to oppose racism in any form and I do.

The English irony comments were condemned by Lord Sacks as divisive, hateful and like Powells speech it undermines the existence of an entire group of British citizens by depicting them as essentially alien.

But Mr Corbyn said: I do find that quite hurtful, quite offensive I say to Rabbi Sacks, with all due respect, that is beyond excessive.

He also defended his presence at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Palestinian Martyrs Cemetery in Tunisia, insisting he was marking the death of civilians and children in an Israeli air raid.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused him of honouring one of the founders of the Black September terror group which carried out the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre.

But Mr Corbyn said: I didnt know they were there at the time Im not a supporter of Black September, of course.

I do think that we should always commemorate those that have been killed by bombing raids and thats what I was doing.

Labour has also been embroiled in a row about the definition of anti-Semitism used in its code of conduct following concerns it could curb the ability to criticise Israel.

Mr Corbyn said: I think its right that people should be able to discuss the establishment of the state of Israel but recognise the existence of the state of Israel and not prevent that kind of debate.

Asked if he would show remorse to Jewish people, Mr Corbyn said: I am an anti-racist and will die an anti-racist. Anti-Semitism is a scourge in any society, I have opposed it all my life and will continue to oppose it all my life.

Under my leadership in this party we have been more specific about the definition, we have set out much better processes for dealing with incidents within the party and we are improving them even further to make sure that any complaints are dealt with quickly.

The party must be and is a safe and welcoming place for all communities.The leaders of German Chancellor Angela Merkels governing coalition are trying to resolve a standoff over the future of the countrys domestic intelligence chief.

The centre-left Social Democrats want Hans-Georg Maassen removed for appearing to downplay recent violence against migrants, but conservative interior minister Horst Seehofer has stood by him.

Last week, coalition leaders agreed to replace Mr Maassen as head of Germanys BfV spy agency but give him a new job as a deputy interior minister  a promotion with a hefty pay rise. The move infuriated many members of the centre-left Social Democrats.

Mr Seehofer leads the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union, the governments third coalition partner.

Hans-Georg Maassen has been supported by Germanys interior minister Horst Seehofer (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)

On Friday, Social Democrat leader Andrea Nahles asked Mrs Merkel and Mr Seehofer to renegotiate the deal. Mrs Merkel said she wanted a solution over the weekend, though she has not said what her own opinion is of Mr Maassen.

Mrs Merkels coalition took office in March after the Social Democrats decided reluctantly to join up.

It has already been through one crisis that threatened its survival, when Mrs Merkel and Mr Seehofer  a conservative ally, but a long-time critic of her initially welcoming approach to refugees in 2015  faced off in June over whether to turn back some migrants at the German-Austrian border.

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 being hunted down in the streets  a term Mrs Merkel had used.

A video posted by a left-wing group showed protesters chasing down and attacking a foreigner but Mr Maassen questioned its authenticity.

Mr Seehofer, Mr Maassens boss, told Sundays Bild am Sonntag newspaper that coalition leaders will have to spend a lot of time in phone calls over the weekend but will only meet when it is clear how a solution could work.

Mr Seehofer said Mr Maassen is a highly competent employee who has not violated any rules and that he will not dismiss him outright. He accused the Social Democrats of running a campaign against Mr Maassen.

The issue is clouding the governments future at a time when the three parties face major challenges in upcoming state elections, in Mr Seehofers home state of Bavaria on October 14 and in neighbouring Hesse on October 28. The infighting appears to be weighing down their support.Labour will include a commitment to opposing a second independence referendum in its next manifesto, Scottish leader Richard Leonard has said.

Mr Leonard will tell delegates at the party conference in Liverpool on Monday that Scotland does not need another vote on independence, but the election of a Labour government.

It comes after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he did not support another referendum but would decide at the time.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Leonard would not confirm whether or not he had discussed his manifesto announcement with Mr Corbyn.

Richard Leonard (right) would not confirm whether he has Jeremy Corbyns agreement on the announcement (Jane Barlow/PA)

Mr Leonard told the BBC Sunday Politics show: We want to be absolutely clear to the people of Scotland that there is no case for a second independence referendum, we just had a referendum in 2014, we think that settled the will of the people of Scotland and I dont think there is any support for a second independence referendum which is why we are going to categorically in our manifesto in the lead up to the general election, which may come as soon as later this year, state our opposition to the holding of a second independence referendum.

Asked whether he has spoken to Mr Corbyn and got his agreement that a future Labour government will not authorise a second independence referendum, he replied: I speak to Jeremy Corbyn on a regular basis.

We will be drawing up our manifesto because there is every prospect of there being an early general election and what Im saying to you is that as somebody who will be a party to the drafting of that manifesto I will stand resolute on the question that there should not be a second independence referendum and I am expecting to get the support of the whole of the Labour party on that question.

The independence referendum in September 2014 was held after the Scottish and UK governments signed the Edinburgh Agreement, allowing the vote to take place and committing both sides to respect the result.

Richard Leonard wrongly states there is no case for independence referendum, completely ignoring that there is a mandate for a referendum from the Scottish people who returned a majority of MSPs to the Scottish Parliament. Time to accept reality & the democratic right of Scotland  Ian Blackford (@Ianblackford_MP) September 23, 2018

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed Mr Leonards announcement as good news for the SNP.

She tweeted: Scottish Labours determination to remain alienated from swathes of its previous support as it attempts to out Tory the Tories on #Indy shows no sign of abating. Which can only be good news for @theSNP.

In his speech to conference Mr Leonard is expected to say: We dont need another independence referendum to change Scotland, as far as I am concerned  weve just had one.

The majority of people do not want one, and as we meet here this week with the prospect of a general election, I can make clear today that the next Labour manifesto will oppose another independence referendum.

Mr Corbyn said in a BBC interview last week that he did not support another referendum but was not ruling out giving consent for a vote if he were to become prime minister.

Asked what he would do if First Minister Nicola Sturgeon were to seek the power to hold another vote, he told the broadcaster: We would obviously decide at the time.

He said: We dont want another referendum, we dont think another referendum is a good idea, and well be very clear on why we dont think its a good idea.

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said: So long as Jeremy Corbyn is Labours candidate for Prime Minister, no-one should believe a word the party says on independence.

Only a few days ago, Corbyn said he wanted to hand the keys to another divisive referendum to the SNP.

Richard Leonard was too scared to stand up to Jeremy Corbyn on anti-Semitism, and hell be far too weak to do so on separation.Jeremy Corbyn and senior union chiefs have come under fire over their response to the anti-Semitism row which has engulfed Labour.

The Labour leader insisted he was absolutely not an anti-Semite and will die fighting racism in any form.

But a series of his MPs hit out at his actions and those of union leaders Len McCluskey and Mark Serwotka in seeking to play down the problem within the partys ranks.

.@wesstreeting at #JLMRally takes aim at Len McCluskey and Mark Serwotka over their comments about Labours anti-Semitism troubles. pic.twitter.com/3t2adm6YMJ  David Hughes (@DavidHughesPA) September 23, 2018

At a packed conference fringe meeting of the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM), senior MP Dame Louise Ellman said the trade union chiefs actions were sinister and playing with fire.

Unite general secretary Mr McLuskey has accused Jewish leaders of showing truculent hostility to Labour and dismissed the anti-Semitism row as mood music.

PCS chief Mr Serwotka has suggested that Israel created the row to mask its own atrocities.

Dame Louise said: For major trade union leaders to not only smear the Jewish community and Jewish people for speaking out against anti-Semitism but then trying to blame them for it, I think we are entering into very dangerous waters.

Labour MP Wes Streeting said comments such as those made by the union chiefs actively create the conditions in which anti-Semitism can be allowed to fester.

Luciana Berger said Mr Serwotkas comments were the worst kind of anti-Jewish conspiracy theory.

Many of the MPs speaking at the rally were prominent critics of Mr Corbyn, but former minister Ian Austin said it was offensive nonsense to suggest the row had been weaponised to undermine the party leader.

But he added: The truth about Jeremy is that he is much angrier with the people complaining about anti-Semitism than he is with the people responsible for it.

Speaking at a Justice for Palestine fringe event, Mr McCluskey said Labour had been sucked into arguing on enemy turf like the Charge of the Light Brigade over the IHRA definition.

He said: The truth is we were, like the Charge of the Light Brigade  cannons to the left, right and in front of us  sucked into a debate on our enemys territory.

But he predicted the time will come when people will say Jeremy Corbyn was right that the definitions were aimed at preventing criticism of the Israeli government.

He went on to attack the MPs  many of them Jewish  who said failure to sign up to the IHRA guidelines in full was anti-Semitic.

Mr McCluskey said: How shameful it was those MPs, quick to run to the right-wing media to have a go at Jeremy Corbyn, never raised one word against the Israeli governments crimes. So, comrades, shame on them. Shame on them.

Mr Serwotka said: It is disappointing that some Labour MPs have repeated things that I have never said or believe.

I am a lifelong anti-racist and I have repeatedly stated there is no place for anti-Semitism in the Labour movement and that it must be rooted out.

I have never said that anti-Semitism was a problem made up by Israel. I have condemned the Israeli state for its treatment of the Palestinians including the massacre of children in the Gaza Strip earlier this year.

This was the context of my speech at the TUC.

Mr Corbyn was challenged on BBC1s Andrew Marr Show to apologise to Jewish people for his role in the anti-Semitism troubles.

He declined to apologise but said: I am an anti-racist and will die an anti-racist.

Anti-Semitism is a scourge in any society. I will oppose it all my life and I will continue to oppose it all my life.

Mr Corbyn also said it was hurtful and offensive to compare his actions to those of Enoch Powell, as former chief rabbi Lord Sacks had done.

One of the incidents that has triggered the row around Mr Corbyn was his apparent defence of a mural by street artist Mear One which was viewed as anti-Semitic.

Mr Corbyn later admitted he had not properly looked at the image before raising concerns about plans to paint over it.

Asked if he now believed it was anti-Semitic, Mr Corbyn said: I think it shouldnt have been put up.

Labour general secretary Jennie Formby speaking at the partys conference in Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)

At the conference in Liverpool, Labour general secretary Jennie Formby insisted members must be free to raise the terrible injustices faced by Palestinians but warned against anti-Semitic language.

She acknowledged headlines on anti-Semitism have made for very hard reading but said Labour has made significant progress in dealing with it.

Jon Lansman, founder of the pro-Corbyn Momentum group, told the JLM rally that the party had been on a journey and called for unity.

As socialists it is difficult for all of us to have to accept that we have a problem with any form of hatred in the party, he said.

I would welcome now a period of calm and reflection, I hope that Jewish communal organisations will now re-engage with the party.A man has been arrested at Buckingham Palace on suspicion of possessing a Taser.

Police were called to the visitors entrance at around 12.45pm on Sunday after the man was detained by security staff.

The 38-year-old was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm, namely a Taser, and was taken into custody at a police station in central London.

The man was held near the visitors entrance (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the incident.

The Queen is currently at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on her summer break.Burials have started of the 224 people who died when a ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, Tanzanias State broadcaster has said.

The bodies of 172 people who died in the boat tragedy have been identified, Tanzanias Minister of Works, Transport and Communication Isack Kamwelwe said.

The bodies of 37 others have not been identified, he told the broadcaster.

Residents and relatives of the victims of the MV Nyerere passenger ferry wait on the shore (Andrew Kasuku/AP)

Tanzanias prime minister Kassim Majaliwa led mourners at the funeral service.

On Saturday rescuers found a survivor two days after the tragedy.

The man was identified as an engineer of the ferry who had locked himself in the engine room.

Video footage showed the man, barefoot and head lolling, being carried quickly along a busy street by medical workers and military personnel as a siren wailed.

His condition was not immediately known.

No further survivors were likely to be found and search efforts had ended, defence minister Venance Mabeyo told reporters at the scene.

Relatives carry coffins (Andrew Kasuku/AP)

He said officials would continue working to identify the dead.

However, the total number of deaths may never be known as no one is sure how many people were on the overcrowded ferry, which officials said had a capacity of 101.

The boat tipped over as people returning from a busy market day with their goods prepared to disembark, while horrified fishermen and others watched.

At least 40 people were rescued, officials said.

President John Magufuli has ordered the arrests of those responsible.

Residents and relatives of the victims (AP)

He said the ferry captain already had been detained after leaving the steering to someone who was not properly trained, The Citizen newspaper reported.

This is a great disaster for our nation, Mr Magufuli told the nation in a televised address, announcing four days of national mourningLeaders of German chancellor Angela Merkels governing coalition have reached a deal to resolve a standoff over the future of the countrys intelligence chief.

The dispute has further dented the image of their fractious six-month-old alliance.

The centre-left Social Democrats have insisted that Hans-Georg Maassen be removed as head of the BfV spy agency for appearing to downplay recent violence against migrants, but conservative Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has stood by him.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Horst Seehofer, Chairman of the German Christian Social Union and Andrea Nahles, chairwoman of the German Social Democrats (Michael Sohn/AP)

Last week, coalition leaders agreed to replace Mr Maassen as head of the BfV but give him a new job as a deputy interior minister, a promotion with a hefty pay increase.

The move prompted a backlash from furious Social Democrats, prompting party leader Andrea Nahles to call for the deals renegotiation.

On Sunday, coalition leaders agreed instead to make Mr Maassen a special adviser at the interior ministry with responsibility for European and international issues, Mr Seehofer said.

He will remain at his current pay level.

In addition, a deputy interior minister and expert on construction issues, Social Democrat Gunther Adler, will now keep his job rather than making way for Mr Maassen.

Ms Nahles will have to sell the new compromise to her partys leadership on Monday.

I think it is a very good signal that we took the criticism of our decision on Tuesday evening seriously and were able to correct it, Ms Nahles told reporters.

She declared that overall, the foundation has been laid for us to return to substantive work.

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (Markus Schreiber/AP)

The dispute has clouded the governments future at a time when the three parties face major challenges in upcoming state elections, in Mr Seehofers home state of Bavaria on October 14 and in neighbouring Hesse on October 28.

The infighting appears to be weighing down their support, which has not recovered since a national election a year ago in which all three coalition parties lost ground and the far-right Alternative for Germany entered parliament.

The coalition of Ms Merkels Christian Democratic Union, Mr Seehofers Bavaria-only Christian Social Union and the Social Democrats took office in March after Ms Nahles party decided reluctantly to join up.

It has already been through one crisis that threatened its survival, when Ms Merkel and Mr Seehofer, a conservative ally, but a longtime critic of her initially welcoming approach to refugees in 2015, faced off in June over whether to turn back some migrants at the German-Austrian border.

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 being hunted down in the streets, a term Ms Merkel had used.

Hans-Georg Maassen has been supported by Germanys interior minister Horst Seehofer (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)

A video posted by a left-wing group showed protesters chasing down and attacking a foreigner but Mr Maassen questioned its authenticity.

Mr Seehofer, Mr Maassens boss, has insisted that Mr Maassen is a highly competent employee who has not violated any rules and said he will not outright dismiss him.

He accused the Social Democrats of running a campaign against Mr Maassen.

Mr Seehofer, who leads the CSU, became interior minister after giving up his previous job as Bavarian governor following last years national election.

There is widespread speculation that a poor election performance in Bavaria next month could threaten his political future.Opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has declared victory in a contentious Maldives election widely seen as a referendum on the island nations young democracy.

Mr Solihs win, announced at his partys campaign headquarters in the capital city of Male, was unexpected.

The opposition had feared the election would be rigged in favour of strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, whose first term was marked by a crackdown on political rivals, courts and the media.

People were not expecting this result.

Despite the repressive environment, the people have spoken their minds, said Ahmed Tholal, a former member of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives and a project coordinator at the nonprofit watchdog Transparency Maldives.

Supporters of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate their victory in Male (Eranga Jayawardena/AP)

A democracy activist during the Maldives decades of autocratic rule and former Parliament majority leader, Mr Solih, 56, became the Maldivian Democratic Partys presidential candidate by process of elimination, other opposition leaders had been jailed or exiled by Mr Yameens government.

Party leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed, in exile in Sri Lanka, had hoped to run again but was disqualified because of an outstanding prison sentence in the Maldives.

Famed for its sandy white beaches and luxury resorts, the Maldives under Mr Yameen have seen economic growth and longer life expectancy, according to the World Bank.

But Mr Yameens critics, including Mr Solih, said he systematically rolled back democratic freedoms.

Maldivian polling workers prepare to count ballots (Eranga Jayawardena/AP)

Mr Solih campaigned door to door, promising at rallies to promote human rights and the rule of law, a message that resonated with voters who saw signs the Maldives were slipping back to autocratic rule, just a decade after achieving democracy.

Ibu is totally different from Yameen, because Yameen is a dictator and a brutal person.

Ibu is a very mild person who listens to everyone, said Ahamed Fiasal, a 39-year-old IT business owner, using Mr Solihs nickname.

Still, Mr Fiasal said, the result was surprising because no one thought that Yameen would lose like this.

He had all the power, the judiciary, the police, the security forces under him.

It seemed he might rig the election even at the last minute and would win somehow or the other.

Mr Solihs supporters flooded the streets, hugging one another, waving the Maldivian flag, cheering and honking horns in celebration.

Mr Yameens campaign did not concede the race, and no one from the campaign could immediately be reached for comment.

But Mr Solih had 58.3% of the vote with nearly 97.5% of ballots counted early Monday, according to independent newspaper website mihaaru.com.

A spokesman for Maldives Election Commission said official results would not be announced until September 29, allowing a week for parties to challenge the results in court.

Mr Solih, surrounded by thousands of his supporters, urged calm until the commission had announced the results.

In his victory speech, Mr Solih called the election results a moment of happiness, hope and history, but said that he did not think the election process had been transparent.

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, centre, shakes hands with a supporter as his running mate, Faisal Naseem, right, addresses the gathering (Eranga Jayawardena/AP)

A police raid on Mr Solihs main campaign office the night before the election was seen by the opposition as a worrying sign that Mr Yameen would muzzle his way to re-election, according to Hamid Abdul Gafoor, an opposition spokesman and former Maldives politician now based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Few foreign media organisations were allowed in to cover the election.

Mr Yameen used his first term to consolidate power, jailing opponents, including his half brother, a former president, and two Supreme Court Justices.

In February, Mr Yameen declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and ordered troops to storm the Supreme Court and arrest judges after they had ordered the release and retrial of those jailed after politically-motivated trials.

Voters display indelible ink on their fingers after casting ballots (Mohamed Sharuhaan/AP)

The Supreme Court ordered the release of Mr Nasheed and many other political leaders.

The European Union had said that it was not sending election observers because the Maldives had failed to meet the basic conditions for monitoring.

The US had threatened to sanction Maldivian officials if the elections were not free and fair.

Despite the turmoil, voters flocked to the polls on Sunday, standing in long queues in rain and high temperatures to cast ballots.

More than 260,000 of the Maldives 400,000 people were eligible to vote at about 400 polling stations across the approximately 1,200 islands that comprise the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Voters also stood in long queues in Malaysia, the UK, India and Sri Lanka, where the opposition had encouraged overseas Maldivians to participate.BJP President Amit Shah has said Bangladeshi migrants are 'termites' who would soon be struck off the electoral rolls.

Speaking at an election rally in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur, Shah credited the BJP government with publishing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and identifying nearly 40 lakh illegal immigrants.

That these people have a recourse to appeal, and get their named added to the NRC, did not find mention in the speech.

Shah gladly painted everyone in the list as 'illegal'.

Shah's statements about carrying out a national exercise to identify illegal immigrants has already been echoed by several BJP leaders in the past. Photo: PTI

On Sunday, speaking at the Purvanchal Mahakumbh organised by the Delhi unit of the party at the Ramlila Ground, Shah said the BJP will ensure all the illegal immigrants living in the country are identified if it comes to power in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

Shah also asked that Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal come clean on the issue and alleged that they care for the illegal migrants for vote bank politics.

Firstly, Assam's NRC was a Supreme Court mandated exercise - when the BJP chief tries taking credit for it at an election rally, he is himself pandering to vote bank politics.

Secondly, while there is nothing wrong in identifying illegal immigrants in the country, the language used by Shah is problematic.

Surrounded by neighbours like Pakistan, with a known penchant of promoting cross-border terrorism and age-old hostility towards India, China, flexing its muscles at several borders areas like Doklam, Bangladesh has shared quite an amicable relationship with the country.

Right from the start of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's term, New Delhi's relationship with the Sheikh Hasina government has been quite warm, with India and Bangladesh signing the historic Land Boundary Agreement in June 2015, fixing the contours of the 4,000 km India-Bangladesh border and putting an end to the 41-year-old border dispute.

Bangladesh has shared quite an amicable relationship with the India. Photo: PTI

With no official sanction to speak on the India-Bangladesh relationship, Shah has risked antagonising a friendly neighbour in one fell swoop.

And, predictably, they are not too pleased with this.

Bangladesh Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has said that Amit Shah has made an unwarranted remark in calling Bangladeshis 'termites'.

He said Shah was not qualified to speak on the matter and Home Minister Rajnath Singh had already assured Dhaka that people excluded from Assam's NRC exercise would not be sent to his country.

So, what was Amit Shah trying to achieve by making a statement that was bound to irk Bangladesh?

Election strategy, not foreign policy, seems to be the most probable answer.

With the Modi government on the backfoot with issues like the Rafale deal, price rise, jobs and economic growth, what better than a dose of jingoism to deflect the attention of the voters towards nationalistic pastures?

With no official sanction to speak on the India-Bangladesh relationship, Shah has risked antagonising a friendly neighbour. Photo: PTI

With the Opposition alleging crony capitalism, PM's chief strategist has chosen to risk India's relationship with Dhaka for another shot at the centre in 2019.

With Rajasthan going to polls by the end of the year, the BJP knows the position of the incumbent CM Vasundhara Raje is not too conducive for another term.

Faced with a resurgent Congress in Rajasthan, under the stewardship of Sachin Pilot, BJP is finding it hard to fight back.

Shah's statements about carrying out a national exercise to identify illegal immigrants has already been echoed by several BJP leaders in the past.

What seems to be lost on these politicians is the utter confusion Assam's NRC has turned out to be, with some people from the same family finding mention and some not appearing in the list. Even some family members of former President Fakruddin Ali Ahmed failed to make the cut.

The logistics required to carry out an exercise of such magnitude would require enormous resources  but who cares about minor details when speeches and slogans are apparently enough to get votes.

Taking pot shots at political opponents is fine, but to allege that all these are illegal immigrants and throw bombs and kill innocent citizens could inadvertently turn out to be a call to violence against some of its own citizens.

Given the abysmally low number of people India has actually deported to Bangladesh in the last few years, the intention of Shah's speech is quite obvious.

With some of its leaders showing a penchant for a foot in mouth predilection, BJP as the ruling party will have to decide what's more important  another term at the centre or lowering the discourse further in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

Also read: Is there a solution to the NRC imbroglio in Assam?The Kerala Police arrested Bishop Franco Mulakkal almost three months after an FIR was registered. They tried to justify their unhurried approach on the matter  but it hasnt washed with anyone.

It seemed the cops were under pressure from their political masters to adopt an easy-going and cautious approach, lest they somehow offend the powerful Christian vote bank in the state. While the Communists have had a history of run-ins with the Catholic Church in times gone by, things stand completely different today. With the emergence of the BJP as a third pole, the Marxists are now engaged in the active pursuit of the Syrian-Christian vote to make up for their shifting vote banks.

Justice deliberately delayed: Kerala Police arrested Bishop Franco Mulakkal almost three months after an FIR was registered. (Photo: Indiatoday.in)

The police did not seem to be in any hurry to even interrogate the Bishop, let alone arrest him or conduct his medical check-up forthwith, as mandated in such cases. Further, they were in violation of the law by dragging the investigation for so long. It took five of the fellow nuns to stage a public protest from September 9, for the police to swing into action and serve a notice to the Bishop.

I spoke with lawyer TB Mini who asked, The criminal law amendment of April 2018 says investigation into rape cases be completed within two months. Why did the police take nearly three months to arrest Bishop Franco when they were convinced about the case prima facie?

Does the CPI(M) stand with the victim  or with the perpetrator?

Adding insult to injury, the CPI(M) State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan attacked the nuns a couple of days ago by calling their protests ill-motivated.

There's an ulterior motive behind the agitation, Kodiyeri said, adding, It was part of a political campaign against the government. Although Balakrishnan has subsequently backpedalled on his statement, following a huge backlash, the Marxist State Secretarys statement betrayed his partys perspective on the nuns protest.

CPI(M) State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan attacked the nuns by calling their protests ill-motivated. (Photo: Indiatoday.in)

Politburo member MA Baby tried to engage in damage control by claiming that the police would have arrested the Bishop even if the nuns hadnt hit the streets. It also needs to be recalled here that the CPI(M) is battling allegations of shielding their own MLA accused of sexual harassment. It took the intervention of Sitaram Yechury and relentless media focus for the party to take cognisance of the complaint against PK Sasi.

Recently, there was another instance of the Marxist party standing with oppressors. On June 29, the CPI(M) State Secretariat released a statement defending the clearly misogynistic Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) following the hullabaloo over actor Dileeps re-induction into the association. Curiously, a part in the CPI(M)s statement went like this: While this controversy has been raging, a campaign from vested groups to try and weaken and divide AMMA cannot be aimed at womens safety.

What is the CPI(M)s vested interest in protecting the unity and integrity of AMMA?

Likewise, why did the party sit on a complaint by their woman comrade against their MLA for three weeks? And now, why is the Marxist party secretary trying to defend the Church, instead of applauding the brave nuns?

Despite their overt claims of progressiveness and gender equality, the CPI(M) is just as patriarchal and regressive as any other party. However, when it comes to sheer hypocrisy and doublespeak, they beat everyone else hands down.

Saving one of its own? CPI(M) leader PK Sasi too has been accused of sexual misconduct. (Photo: The Indian Express)

There is another element to Kodiyeri Balakrishnans statement.

And that is to do with the victimhood complex of the Marxists, often bordering on the absurd. The CPI(M) has always found it convenient to blame the media and everyone else whenever things went wrong.

Of late, their statements speak of anarchists, Maoists and other fringe elements. Balakrishnans statement on the protests getting hijacked reeks of sheer insecurity and low tolerance for any kind of criticism.

Balakrishnan reiterated his stand in the party mouthpiece Deshabhimani in an article titled "Bishop caseum stree suraksha nayavum" (The case of the Bishop and womens safety policy).

While he did not blame the nuns directly here, the conspiracy theory of the protests being hijacked by vested interests to further their vendetta against the Marxist party and the LDF government was repeated. What Balakrishnan fails to understand is that the protests could have been preempted, had the law of the land been upheld by the police in a time-bound manner.

The Church and the State

It has to be noted here that neither the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), nor the BJP expressed solidarity with the nuns. The policy of appeasement and vote-bank politics applies equally to all political parties. Some leaders did turn up at the protest site in their individual capacities, but prominent leaders kept away and even refused to comment on the issue.

Returning to Bishop Franco  why did the Kerala Police give such a long rope to Bishop Franco?

Speaking to me, lawyer Asha Unnithan noted: In rape cases, a 164 statement of the victim and medical report is sufficient to arrest the accused. It is astonishing that the police dithered for almost three months to arrest the accused. It is not as if they have to submit the chargesheet immediately upon the arrest.

By delaying the arrest for close to three months, the police evidently provided Bishop Franco every opportunity to cover his tracks and eliminate vital clues. It provided the accused with an opportunity to try and influence the complainant and the witnesses  in fact, it took the presence of mind of a fellow nun to record a phone conversation she had with a priest offering money and land to bring this to light.

The nuns have declared that they would remain vigilant of any foul play, till the Bishop is held guilty by the Court. (Photo: Indiatoday.in)

Furthermore, it took three days of interrogation for the police to decide on an arrest. Even after the investigation team took a call on the arrest by the third afternoon, they had to wait for another six hours to proceed with it. It is rumoured that they were waiting for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans approval from the US.

On a visit to Vanchi Square at the protest site of the nuns, some of the protestors shared their theory in the delaying of Bishop Francos arrest with me: What if Franco proves he is impotent in the medical test? What if the police delayed the arrest only on account of the fact that they would then be bound to conduct his medical? What if the Bishop was under medication for three months?

Although it might sound like a conspiracy theory, it is certainly in the realm of possibility.

Just as the nuns declared they would remain vigilant till the Bishop is held guilty by the Court, it would require the media and civil society to track the case very closely to ensure there is no foul play.

Also Read: Kerala nun rape case: A moment of reckoning for the Church in IndiaShinzo Abes victory in the ruling Liberal Democratic Partys internal election means that he can expect to head the government till the next election is due in late 2021, when he would have been the countrys longest serving prime minister.

In achieving his victory, Abe has overcome powerful headwinds, which include domestic political scandals, a persistently sluggish economy and an unpredictable Trump in the White House.

New Delhi and Tokyo have a robust relationship. (Photo: Reuters)

Japan is an important economic and political partner of India. Its low-interest loans are invaluable for Indias infrastructure. They are helping connectivity projects across the country and their assistance in urban development schemes is transforming the landscape in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. New Delhi and Tokyo have a robust relationship across the Indo-Pacific and are collaborating on the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor to provide a high-quality alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative in the Indian Ocean Region.

Abe has gone out of his way to work with Trump, but the latter has not quite reciprocated. (Photo: Reuters)

Abes strategies

When Abe took office for the second time in 2012, the stagnant economy was Japans only major problem. He had declared that he had three arrows in his arsenal to fix it  monetary easing, fiscal stimulus and structural reforms.

Since then, in the face of rising problems with the US and China, Abe has achieved a great deal, but he needs to do much, much more to ensure that Japan can meet the economic and political challenges it confronts.

His expansionary economic strategy has brought back a measure of growth in the otherwise stagnant Japanese economy.

It may not be much by global standards, but it is the strongest since the 1990s.

He has used his office to push Japans security perimeter beyond the bounds to which it is confined by the constitution and he has initiated structural reforms aimed at raising the retirement age, scrapping tax rules that encourage women to keep away from the workforce and make the wealthy pay for their own health care.

The arrival of Donald Trump in the White House added a headache that need not have been there. Abe has gone out of his way to work with Trump, but the latter has not quite reciprocated.

In his dealings with North Korea, Trump has often ignored Japanese interests.

The US is extremely important to Japan as a trade partner and security provider. But the US has challenged Japan in both these areas.

Trump famously walked away from the patiently negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which would have been greatly beneficial to Japan. Now, one of the short-term risks to the Japanese economy is the tariffs Trump has threatened to put on imported cars and car parts. Japan may have to make concessions to the US on this score and we may see some action when Trump meets Abe at the sidelines of the UNGA in New York this week.

The Trump factor has encouraged Abe to reach out to China. (Photo: Reuters)

Looking for solutions

Abe needs some skillful footwork in dealing with his problems. On trade, he has joined 11 nations of the Pacific littoral to give life to an alternative to the TPP and, at the same time, has reached out to the EU to create one of the worlds largest liberalised trade zones. The Trump factor has encouraged Abe to reach out to both China and Russia. His October visit to China is expected to normalise ties between the two East Asian neighbours after a decade of tension.

Trump may have dampened the Japan-China tensions, but they are not going to go away so easily. But if Abe is able to successfully fire his third arrow to restructure the Japanese economy, it can have a transformative impact not only in Japan, but the rest of Asia as well.

Among his most difficult problems he still confronts are to find ways of dealing with Japans shrinking workforce. The Japanese are notoriously allergic to immigrants and at the same time, they are reluctant to allow women into their workforce. Yet, with its shrinking population, Japan desperately needs additional hands to power its economy.

Abe must revise the Japanese constitution to make it clear that Japans military is legal. (Photo: Reuters)

A pledge to the Army

Another significant domestic issue is his pledge to revise the Japanese constitution to make it clear that Japans military is legal. Currently, Article 9 of the Constitution bars Japan from maintaining land, sea and air forces, as well as other war potential, though the country maintains de facto Self Defence Forces.

Neither of these two problems will be easy to resolve since there remains significant political resistance to change, especially that in relation to the pacifist Constitution.

(Courtesy of Mail Today)

Also Read: How India and Japan rattled China with Act northeast policyFive infiltrators and a soldier were killed as army foiled a major infiltration bid in Tangdhar sector of north Kashmirs Kupwara district. The prolonged operation continued through Monday as the security forces apprehend presence of more infiltrators in the area.

Defence spokesman said that three infiltrators were killed on Monday during massive search operation in the area. The first contact with the infiltrators had been established late on Sunday when the army shot dead two infiltrators. The more members of the infiltrators group had dispersed in the dense forest.

The spokesman said that search operations were in progress in the difficult mountainous area along Line of Control. During the gunfight a soldier was critically wounded. He was immediately evacuated from the area but succumbed to his injuries later.

Meanwhile, the normal life remained affected on fourth consecutive day in north Kashmirs Bandipora town in response to killing of five terrorists in Shokhbaba village of Sumlar area.

Even as the security forces claimed that the slain terrorists belonged to Lashkar-e-Tayyeba outfit and were foreigners, Hizbul Mujahideen outfit on Monday claimed that they were local cadre of the outfit. The outfit also identified the slain terrorists.

Shops and business establishments remained closed and public transport traffic off the roads.

A shutdown was also observed in Tral town of south Kashmirs Pulwama district against the killing of a Pakistani Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) commander Adnan in a brief gunfight with security forces on Sunday. A soldier was also injured in the counter terrorist operation while three civilian protesters were injured during post gunfight clashes and stone pelting near the gunfight area.India and China will sign an internal security cooperation agreement during the forthcoming visit of Chinas Minister of Public Security. The first such agreement between the two countries will mark a new beginning in bilateral relations, officials said on Monday.

Zhao Kezhi, Chinas Minister of Public Security, is expected to visit India next month and hold meetings with Home Minister Rajnath Singh during which they will discuss various aspects of security cooperation between the two countries. During the visit of the Chinese leader, an agreement on internal security cooperation between the two countries will be signed, a home Ministry official said.

The proposed pact is expected to cover areas of intelligence sharing, exchange programme, sharing of best practices, cooperation in disaster mitigation besides others, an official said.

The move comes just a year after a two-month-long border stand-off between the India Army and the Chinas Peoples Liberation Army at Doklam on the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held an informal summit in Wuhan, China, in April this year which helped repair bilateral ties.

A Chinese delegation met an Indian team on August 28 to hold discussions on the forthcoming visit of the Chinese Minister of Public Security and the proposed pact on security cooperation between the two countries, the official said.

This will be the first such agreement between the authorities of India and China which look after internal security of the respective countries, the official said. While Singh is the head of eight central armed police forces with a combined strength of about 10 lakh personnel, Zhao is responsible for day-to-day law enforcement in China and commands about 19 lakh personnel.

The forthcoming meeting may lead to a future India-China agreement on exchange of sentenced prisoners, another official said.

Currently, India does not have an extradition treaty with China, nor a pact to exchange each others sentenced prisoners.

There are at least 10 Indians in Chinese prisons and an equal number of Chinese citizens in Indian prisons.11 die, 8 in HP; red alert in Punjab as Pong Dam to release excess water

Heavy rain and flash floods in the north India have killed at least 11 people, including eight in Himachal Pradesh, even as the high alert has been sounded in Punjab, which is bracing for inundation as flood gates of Pong Dam in HPs Kangra district may be opened on Monday night as the water level is running above the danger mark.

The situation in Haryana too is grim with rivers overflowing and the Government has issued advisory to the people not to venture near water bodies, rivers or canals.

Schools in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab have been closed for Tuesday fearing more rain in the States. While three people were washed away in Beas near Manali after their vehicle fell into the river, two other people were washed away in Parbati river in Manikaran valley on Sunday midnight. A bus and a truck were washed away in the swelling Beas river in Kullu district. Several houses were also swept away in flash floods as the Beas is flowing at a dangerous level. Later in the day, the Himachal Cabinet reviewed the losses, rehabilitation and rescue operations.

In the Cabinet meeting, held in Shimla under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, it was informed that 120 stranded persons were rescued from Koksar in Lahaul-Spiti, 23 from Marhi and 31 from Rohtang (Kullu). Apart from it, 33 persons stranded at Phojal in Kullu were also rescued. Out of these, 21 persons were rescued by the Air Force and 14 persons were rescued by other means.

As many as 45 vehicles were retrieved from Koksar in Lahaul-Spiti. Similarly, 600 students and teachers were shifted from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyala Chamba and 100 students from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Mehla in Chamba district. In addition to this, three families of Rakh in Chamba district were also shifted to PWD Rest House.

The Cabinet was also apprised that 12 tourists from Sikkim State have been evacuated from Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti to a Hotel at Keylong.

Meanwhile, against the backdrop of incessant rain in the catchment areas of the Beas river, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) issued an advisory to Punjab ahead of releasing excess water from the Pong dam. The BBMB authorities said they have been constantly monitoring the water-level situation.

Heavy rain led to landslides which blocked the roads to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Yamunotri, affecting the Chardham Yatra in Uttarakhand.

Due to high pattern inflow in the Pong reservoir and considering forecast of heavy rain in the Beas catchment area, excess water from the Pong dam can be released. All necessary steps be taken by all concerned to avoid any damage or loss of life and property in the downstream areas, said the BBMB

advisory.

BBMB Chairman DK Sharma apprised Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh about water-level situation in Bhakra and Pong dams on Monday. The Chief Minister on Monday called an emergency meeting to review arrangements in the wake of incessant rain. Capt Amarinder also ordered a special girdawari (survey) to assess possible crop damage. Chairing an emergency meeting to assess the situation arising out of continuous rain, he announced a special girdawari for assessing crop damage due to heavy rain.

He asked the Financial Commissioner Revenue (FCR) to issue detailed guidelines to the Deputy Commissioners for initiating the process of girdawari immediately after the water level recedes.

In Chandigarh, the iconic Sukhna Lakes water level crossed the danger mark of 1,163 feet and Chandigarh Administration opened two floodgates of the man-made waterbody. Before this, it was in the year 2008 when flood gates of the lake were opened after the water level had crossed 1,163 feet.

Till September 22, the water level was 1,162 feet and had witnessed further rise on Monday after heavy rainfall in the past two days. The water will be drained out to seasonal river Sukhna choe, which passes through the industrial area of Chandigarh.

The water gates of Sukhna Lake were opened on Monday after a decade as the water level crossed over the danger mark due to the heavy rain in the catchment area. It is after 10 years that the water level in the reservoir has reached its highest level mark of 1,163 feet, said a spokesperson of UT Administration.Education is the only way not only to eradicate poverty, but also to solve the problems of child right and women empowerment, said Tomasz Kozlowski, Ambassador of European Union to India and Bhutan during his visit to the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) here on Monday.

He also told the students of KISS that through education they can create your bright future and empower your community as well. I will stay hours with you in my next visit to Odisha, added Kozlowski.

He also thanked KIIT and KISS founder Dr Achyuta Samanta for his continuous efforts to bring empowerment through the KISS and assured students all possible support to KISS.

Among others, KIIT and KISS secretary RN Dash, KISS University Vice-Chancellor Prof Harekrushna Satapathy, KISS CEO Dr PK Routray and registrar Julius Lakra were present.This year the industrious farmers of Chhattisgarh will be distributed Rs 2,400 crore paddy bonus by the State Government on Minimum Support Price, said Chief Minister Raman Singh.

He was addressing a public meeting at Government Higher Secondary School ground at village Kotmi of Pendra block in Bilaspur district on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hiked the MSP by Rs 200 while State government is providing Rs 300 per quintal as bonus; so a farmer would get Rs 2050 to Rs 2070 on the paddy per quintal. The paddy procurement would commence from November 1 across the State, he said.

The Chief Minister later carried out dedication and bhoomi pujan of 49 works worth Rs 132 crore out of which Rs 113.44 crore bhoomi pujan was for 26 works and 23 works worth Rs 18.24 crore were dedicated.

He also provided assistance under different welfare schemes to the beneficiaries.

Singh said that farmers are being provided flat rate power connection for irrigation which is being provided to farmers having upto 5 HP pumps and above.

The single point power connection holders numbering around 12 lakh poor families whose per month consumption of power is more than 40 units, then they can avail the facility of flat rate bill payment, he said.

Farmers are being provided zero interest loans from Cooperative banks. Within a month, Rs 750 crore bonus would be disbursed to tendupatta pluckers, Singh said.

I had come before you all to seek your blessings. The Atal Vikas Yatra had started with blessings of Goddess Danteshwari and Goddess Bambleshwari. It is the faith of people. It is also like a pilgrimage and carries the same purity, the Chief Minister said.

Singh also mentioned about food security scheme, Chief Minister Health Security Scheme, Prime Minister Ujjwala Scheme, PM Housing Scheme and other schemes.

He said that Prime Minister had recently launched Ayushman Bharat Scheme in which 37 lakh families would get Rs 5 lakh per year for treatment of critical diseases.

Singh said that for Chhattisgarh, the Prime Minister had provided all assistance. In coming days, in Marwahi area the development works would be expedited.

The Chief Minister also carried out bhoomi pujan of Rs 54.26 crore Pendra bypass route measuring 13 kilometres, 13 km Sivni to Marwahi route widening and strengthening work at cost of Rs 36 crore, 5 km Basantpur to Bhandi upgrading and widening work at cost of Rs 11.56 crore among others.The National Capitals ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has started its planning for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in 2019 as the party is focusing to win at least 25 seats out of the 100 in the election to position itself better in case of a non-BJP Government formation.

In the emerging political scenario, winning 25 Lok Sabha seats will ensure the Aam Aadmi Party is in a comfortable position to strike a bargain with other parties after the general election in 2019,said a senior party leader.

Eyeing on the 100 potential seats, the party is aiming to win the 25 seats especially in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. The party is eyeing 100 potential seats. We will do whatever it takes to win at least 25 seats, particularly in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, where we have a strong presence and effective organisational set up, said the official.

According to the information, the AAP is planning to contest the next Lok Sabha Election in around three states that includes Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat are other states where it plans to contest selected Lok Sabha seats. The AAP currently holds four Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. The state has 13 Lok Sabha seats and the AAP would work to raise its tally as it is an opposition party in Punjab Assembly, said the other party leader said.

AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal recently visited areas in Haryana, where state party head Navin Jaihind has been able to strengthen the organisation in several constituencies, he said.

We will work hard to pose a tough challenge to BJP and Congress on all the 10 seats in Haryana, he said. In the run-up to the elections, the AAP leadership has upped the ante against the Narendra Modi government, with Kejriwal targeting the prime minister on the political controversy around the purchase of 36 Rafale fighters from France.

On Sunday, the two AAP leaders said a mix of local and national issues would be helpful in achieving success in the next Lok Sabha poll.

Other party leaders, including Kejriwal, have been lately saying in their public meetings that if AAP had won Delhis seven seats in 2014, it would have handled issues such as the ongoing drive to seal illegal commercial establishment in a more effective way.

In 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party won all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. The next year, AAP was voted to power in the national capital after winning 67 Assembly seats out of the total 70.Amid trading of charges over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe to get to the truth of what he said was a global issue.

After Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawatis recent shocker over poll alliances in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, the demand for a JPC probe into Rafale deal by Akhilesh is a shot in the arm for Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

So far Rahul Gandhi has been ploughing the lonely furrow and the SP is the first major political party which has come out in support of his campaign against the fighter aircraft deal.

We demand a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Rafale deal. Without a JPC, the truth will not come out... the issue has now become global, Akhilesh said in Lucknow on Monday while addressing party workers who participated in the social justice cycle rally that concluded in Delhi on Sunday.

Rahul has been slamming the Centre, especially the PM, over the Rafale jet deal, saying a JPC probe is the only way to find out the truth in the matter. The Congress campaign against the PM has largely been a solo show but with Akhilesh jumping the bandwagon, the UP ke ladke might be up for a fresh tango ahead of the 2019 general election.

Rahul and Akhilesh were famously referred to as UP ke ladke after their parties forged a pre-poll alliance ahead of the 2017 UP Assembly election.

Hitting out at the health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, Akhilesh said, This scheme will weaken the health infrastructure in public sector and immensely benefit private hospitals and nursing homes.

The SP chief said that the Samajwadi Party government had provided free medical treatment for serious ailments related to heart, liver, kidney and even treatment of cancer.

Claiming that his government had constructed several medical colleges for improving the health infrastructure in UP, Akhilesh said that the present BJP regime had done nothing to expand medical services.Atal Nagar of Chhattisgarh and Amravati of Andhra Pradesh did not fulfil the parameters of 'Ease of Living Index' as they are green-field cities, the Central Government has informed.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri in a workshop held in New Delhi on Monday urged all States and cities to share their inputs on City GDP Framework so as to devise a robust GDP framework for cities.

Notably Andhra Pradesh had topped the charts among States in terms of Ease of Living Index rankings launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). It was followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.

The three States were awarded the three best performing States under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) at the National Dissemination Workshop on Ease of Living Index, 2018, in New Delhi on Monday.

While presenting the awards to the States, the Union Minister of State (I/C)) for Housing and Urban Affairs, Puri said that the Ease of Living Index is a transformative initiative of the Ministry to help the cities assess their liveability vis-a-vis national and global benchmarks.

He exuded confidence that the Ease of Living Index will encourage all cities to move towards an outcome-based approach to urban planning and management and promote healthy competition among cities.

The MoHUA released the first ever Ease of Living Index covering 111 Indian cities on 13 August, 2018, which serves as a litmus test to help assess the progress made in cities through various initiatives. All cities were evaluated out of 100. The 'physical' pillar (infrastructure) was given the highest weightage of 45, while institutional (governance) and social were weighted 25 each. Economy was weighted 5.

Puri pointed out that Ease of Living framework comprised four pillars namely Institutional, Social, Economic and Physical which are further broken down into 78 indicators across 15 categories (governance, identity and culture, education, health, safety and security, economy, affordable housing, land use planning, public open spaces, transportation and mobility, assured water supply, waste-water management, solid waste management, power, and quality of environment). Another highlight of the Ease of Living assessment standards is its close linkage with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Of the 17 SDG goals, 8 goals are directly linked to Indias ease of living assessment framework with SDG 11 he said.Punjab Cabinet Minister for Forests and Wildlife Sadhu Singh Dharamsot on Monday accused the previous Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party Government of making Punjab bankrupt from all aspects saying that the Badal family ruined the State more than even terrorism.

Dharamsot, while addressing the gathering of party workers during the Congress party conference at Chhapar village, said before the SAD-BJP came to power in 2007, it was a common saying that terrorism damaged the State the most. But during the 10 years of SAD-BJP rule, people now say that the previous Government damaged the State more as the State exchequer was looted and innocent people were beaten across the State, he said.

Taking an aim at the Badal family, Dharamsot said that it was during SAD-BJPs tenure that our youth fell prey to vicious circle of drugs, besides the Badal family looted our natural resources as well as every business.

He said SAD played an important role for bringing dark days in the State, but it was former Chief Minister Beant Singh who sacrificed his life for bringing golden days back.

Whenever the State or its residents were in danger, the Badal family proved opportunistic and saved their personal interests first. On the other hand, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has always worked wholeheartedly for safeguarding the interests of Punjab and Punjabis, he said.

Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, during his address, said culprits of desecration of religious Granths as well as of Bargari issue will be sent to jail at every cost. He assured gathering that the Amarinder Government is following up the matter with utmost devotion and seriousness.

The recent massive victory of Congress party in Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections has proved that the party has strengthened at grassroots level, said Bittu, adding that now every Congressman has got an opportunity to serve the State.

At same time, he also warned that if any Congress worker or elected representative would try to indulge in corrupt practices, he will not only be shown the door from the party but will also have to face the law.The CGPCC President Bhupesh Baghel has done a sin to the state and disrespected women through the case, said Bharatiya Janata Party State President Dharamlal Kaushik.

Central Congress party leadership should remove him from the post with immediate effect by showing moral courage, he said. With arrest of the CGPCC President it also confirms that he has been indulging in character assassination to re-establish his own political existence, Kaushik said. The efforts of Congress party to showcase that it is political vendetta, is just a mockery as Congress party itself had sought the CBI probe, he said. Now, after government handed over the case to CBI, Congress calls it political vendetta. Kaushik asked why the Congress leaders are so impatient for the probe in progress.Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat attended the 21st meeting of the Central Zonal Council presided over by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. Rawat requested speeding up of particular road widening works and connecting Hindon airbase to Pithoragarh via regular air service. He also spoke of the need to make amendments in the Bhagirathi eco sensitive zone notification.

A total of 22 issues were discussed in the meeting with 17 of them being resolved and directions being issued in three issues. The remaining two issues will be taken up in the next meeting of the council. Roads, Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, means to tackle left wing extremism, modernisation of police force, MNREGA, infrastructure of airports, food grain storage, minimum support price, national health mission, school police caded and other issues related to schools were the major issues taken up in the meeting.

The Union Home Minister said that the by increasing cooperation between the Centre and States, the zonal councils have an important role to play in resolving important issues related to the public.

He said that all the zonal councils had been made active during the past four years. Speaking at the meeting, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister requested swift completion of the widening of Muzaffarnagar-Haridwar and Haridwar-Dehradun national highway. An air service should be started from Hindon airbase to Pithoragarh.

A regular commercial air service between Dehradun and Pantnagar should also be started. Regardin the Bhagirathi eco sensitive zone, he said that there is a need for making amendments in the notification. He also requested that funds be provided for modernisation of Uttarakhands police force and facilitation of housing for police.

For compensatory afforestation, the State Government and corporations should also be accorded persmission for such afforestation on degraded land as is granted to Government of India enterprises. Uttarakhands chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh and other senior officers were also present in the meeting.

Earlier, the CM met his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath at his residence. Rawat informed him about the notice issued to family members of Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali by UP forest department.

Adityanath assured Rawat of necessary action to provide relief to Garhwalis family members. He also informed Rawat that budgetary provision had been made for pension dues of employees allotted from UP to Uttarakhand.The Kisan Kranti Yatra kicked off from Haridwar by Bhartiya Kisan Union (Tikait group) on Sunday afternoon has evoked a good response among the farmers from Haridwar district. The rally would culminate at Kisan Ghat in Delhi on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Given the enthusiasm shown by the farmers from the district, particularly those from the villagers under Laksar tehsil, the organisers hope that hundreds of farmers from here would participate in the maha Kishan rally In Delhi. As per the programme, the farmers who would gather there would serve a memorandum to the Centre, venting their grievances regarding the alleged apathy of the Narendra Modi Government towards the suffering of the farmers.

Thousands of farmers from across the country gathered in Haridwar on Sunday afternoon and took part in the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Tikait group)-organised Kisan Kranti Yatra.

The farmers who participated in the rally alleged that Modi-led BJP Government had done nothing for the farmers over the past four years.

They said that the Centre working for the industrialists had landed the farmers in grave crisis.

One of them Raj Pal from Laksar said that reeling under mounting debt, the farmers are ending life. Those who are feeding the nation are committing suicide to get relief from the burden of loans taken from banks and others. Yet, the Centre is sitting on our suffering. They have not yet framed any policy to cater to our interests, busy as they are to pander to the interests of the industrialists, he said.

Another farmer Nathu Singh of Bhagwanpur who has the distinction of participating in a number of Kisan movements against the Centre and the State Government organised by the same Tikait group over the years said, Things are really very grim for us. Seeds and cereals are being imported from foreign companies, he said.

He, further, said that the small farmers who constitute nearly two third of the Indian populace are terribly suffering thanks to the nonchalance of the Centre regarding their worsening plight. He said that thousands of peasants from Laksar tehsil and Haridwar district would march to Delhi to participate in the mega rally.

The common refrain among the farmers here is that the compensation due to the sugarcane growers is yet to be cleared and the Centres Kisan Beema Yojna is meant to favour the insurance companies and not the farmers.

Speaking to The Pioneer, gram pradhan Digamber Singh said, We want our loans to be waived off by the Government as it has been done in Uttar Pradesh by the Chief Minister there.

Here, just assurances are being dished out and nothing is being done on the ground. Our demands are very much justified, given the crisis we are in.

Aside from the loan waiver, the farmers must be given free electricity and the Governments policy of putting old tractors out of use must be scrapped. He, further, said that the Kisan Kranti Yatra would prove a milestone as far as the future movements of the agriculturists are concerned.The first convocation of Medi-Caps University was held on Sunday in the university campus.

The convocation was graced by Akhilesh Pandey, chairman Madhya Pradesh Private University Regularity Commission (MPPURC). The ceremony began with an amazing and colourful convocation procession where the chief guest, governing body, board of studies, board of management, parents, students and faculty members of Medi-Caps University Indore walked through the aisle towards the convocation venue.

There was then a group photograph session of chief guest along with all the dignitaries. After the photograph session the chief guest was given a floral welcome by Chancellor RC Mittal.

He congratulated the students for graduating and encouraged them to stay positive for what they have dreamt of. Graduating from Medi-Caps Indore is a responsibility for you to maintain the brand name as you all are the ambassadors of the University now. He advised the students not to focus on rewards but on outcomes. Many CEOs are known for power and achieving financial targets, but not much remembered after they step down. Be a leader who not only excels in work, but also contributes to the society as a whole. Grab the opportunities as they come to you, he said.

He concluded his address advising the students not to be the prisoner of mark sheets. If you scored high, does not mean you will always be success; and if you scored low, doesnt mean you will never achieve success. Look for fountains of knowledge around, and youll always be successful, he concluded.

Vice Chancellor Sunil K Somani and the chief guest distributed the medals to the students who graduated this year. After the distribution conferment of degrees took place. It was done by the Chief guest, Chancellor and Vice Chancellor.

The chief guest appealed the students to follow the Indian culture and urged that knowledge is incompact students can learn by anybody. By taking the example of Ramayana, Geeta, Mahabharat he motivated the students.SIC slaps penalty of Rs 25,000 on PIO

Chandigarh: The State Information Commission (SIC), Punjab during the hearing of a case has imposed fine of Rs 25,000 on the PIO-cum-Naib Tehsildar, Khanouri District Sangrur for not providing information to the applicant under RTI Act. A spokesperson said that an applicant Rajvir Singh, a resident of village Thaska, Sangrur sought information from the Public Information officer under RTI Act. The respondent PIO has malafidely delayed the information to the appellant without any reasonable grounds and also delayed the submission of reply to the show-cause notice issued to him by the Commission and thus has rendered himself liable for punishment as provided under the RTI Act, 2005. The Commission thus imposes a penalty of Rs 25,000 on Vivek Nirmohi, Naib Tehsildar-cum-PIO, Khanouri, which has to be deposited in the government treasury and compensation of Rs 5,000 is awarded to appellant for the loss and detriment suffered by him during this long period.

Transfers only through RTGS in Haryana

Chandigarh: Haryana Government has directed all the administrative secretaries and heads of departments that the disbursement of any kind of compensation to a victim by any State Government departments or authorities or autonomous bodies or Commissions under any Act or Rules or Policies or Guidelines or Court orders or CM announcements, will be made only by direct transfer through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) or any other electronics method into the bank account of victim or his or her parents or his or her legal heirs, said a spokesman.

cops visit YMCA to popularise Durga Shakti

Chandigarh: As a part of ongoing awareness drive of Haryana police to popularise Durga Shakti, a mobile application for womens safety, a team of eight police officials visited JC Bose (erstwhile YMCA) University of Science and Technology, Faridabad and made aware the girl students and female staff of the University about the functioning of app and requested them to download the application, and also get their family members and friends to do the same. Vice Chancellor Prof. Dinesh Kumar urged all girls to download the app in their mobile phones as it was useful in ensuring their safety and security. The police officials interacted with the girl students and apprised them about the initiative being taken by the State Government for womens safety. The app will enable women to seek the help of the police through the women helpline number 1091, in case of an emergency.

Panjabi Swabhiman favours political partnership

Chandigarh: Haryana-based Punjabi diaspora intellect body Haryana Punjabi Swabhiman Sangh has demanded their partnership in State and national polity. Association alleged that present and previous Governments continue to neglect their rights and now they demand for the political partnership on the basis of their population. State President, Hemant Bakshi said ever since the formation of Haryana, Punjabi population are subjected to their ignorance and deprived from their political allocation. Bakshi assured to favour political party which supports Haryana Punjabi Swabhiman Sangh (HPSS) to represent nearly 25 to 30 Vidhan Sabha seats, two Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seats in upcoming elections.

Vallabhbhais birth anniversary to be celebrated

Chandigarh: Haryana Government will celebrate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) on October 31. A spokesman said that on this day, a pledge taking ceremony would be organised and by involving the people of all sections of the society, Run for Unity would also be organised at State or district headquarters to spread the message of national unity in every part of the country and the society . In the evening, a March Past would also be organised by the State Police and other agencies to strengthen the sense of national unity and harmony.NMDC Ltd is expected to produce 2.89 Million Tonnes (MT) per year of finished steel from its Nagarnar Steel Plant in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh when commissioned, officials informed.

The Nagarnar Plant is having the single largest Blast Furnace in India of 4500 Cum, they informed.

Notably, the companys Nagarnar Plant is all set for inaugural heating up of its Coke Oven in Bastar division of Chhattisgarh. The Coke Oven will be inaugurated on September 28.

Union Minister for Steel Chaudhary Birender Singh and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh will light up the Coke Oven on September 28, 2018, officials informed.

Notably, NMDC Ltd will also be generating about 70 MW of captive power using gases from steel making processes in the upcoming 3 MTPA Nagarnar steel plant in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.

The power would be generated from gases released from blast furnace, coke oven and 'LD gases'.

The total power requirement of the steel plant would be around 420 MW in which the mines, pellet plant and the slurry pumping system would require around 120 MW of power, officials stated.

The remaining 350 MW power would be conventional in nature which would be fulfilled by the captive power plant and the Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Ltd (CSPDCL).

The Union Steel & Mines Ministry has plans of doubling installed capacity of NMDC Ltds proposed 3 MTPA integrated steel plant coming up at Nagarnar in Bastar district in Chhattisgarh in due course once the plant is commissioned.

In order to increase the domestic capacity of steel production, a concept of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been introduced, officials stated.

Two MoUs have already been signed by the states of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand for setting up Greenfield steel plants with initial capacity of 3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) each, to be later enhanced to 6 MTPA. More than Rs 70,000 crore will be invested for setting up of these steel plants.In a first of its kind, to take radio to the common people, a Soochana Kendra was run from a panchayat office in Kendrapada.

Chittaranjan Behera, sarpanch of Bhagabatpur gram panchayat, said he is a great listener of radio and he wants that the people of his area get all information from it.

The Soochana Kendra was inaugurated on August 15 by district Collector Dasarathi Satapathy.

Behera has purchased 10 mike sets and transistor unit machines and amplifiers at a cost of Rs 70,000 and installed mikes in the electric poles of eight wards of Bhagabatpur village and also at Balia market.

As many as 6,000 audiences have got the opportunity now to listen to radio in his panchayat everyday, said Behera.

The technician of the control room switches on the radio at 7 am in the morning every day for providing an opportunity to the people to listen to the regional bulletin (anchalika sambad) broadcast on AIR, Cuttack and later, Odia news broadcast at 1.50 pm followed by news bulletins of AIR, Delhi at 2 pm, at 6.45 pm in evening and 7.10 pm.

Meanwhile, Sarpanch Behera plans to set up mike sets in all the villages to cover the whole panchayat under his Soochana Kendra .

Very soon, the second phase work of installing mike sets are going to be made in the remaining villages , Behera said.

One can see groups of people congregating near the electric poles fitted with the public address system to listen to the radio news bulletins and other programmes in radio, said Manoj Kumar Rana, a youth. When the news comes in public address system in our area, ear goes automatically to it, said Bijayalaxmi Behera, a house wife. It is really a good job, she added.In the wake of incessant rain since past four days causing massive damage to the kharif crop, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday ordered special girdawari (survey) to assess possible crop damage.

Capt Amarinder, while chairing an emergency meeting at his official residence to access the situation arising out of continuous rains,

announced a special girdawari for assessing crop damage due to heavy rain.

He asked the Financial Commissioner Revenue (FCR) to issue detailed guidelines to the Deputy Commissioners for initiating the process of girdawari immediately after the water level recedes.

Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has demanded that the Congress Government come out with a comprehensive relief package for farmers whose crops have been damaged by incessant rainfall. At the same time, the party asked why the Chief Minister and his Ministers were missing from action even at this hour of grave crisis.

It is shocking that no relief had been announced by the Congress Government to provide aid to the beleaguered peasantry which is facing an unimaginable crisis with cotton and paddy crops damaged over cast swathes in the State, said the former minister and SAD Kisan wing president Sikander Singh Maluka.

He said, We demand an immediate relief of Rs 15,000 per acre for damage to cotton and paddy crops and Rs 20,000 per acre for paddy and vegetable crops. This is an interim solution only. A more comprehensive relief can be awarded once all assessments are done.

Maluka said that it was condemnable that farmers were suffering since the last two days but neither the Chief Minister nor any Minister or even Congress legislators had found time for them.

The entire Congress party is engaged in celebrating their bogus victories in the panchayat samiti and zila parishad elections which they

won by resorting to blatant goondaism. They are so power hungry that they cannot see the suffering of the anndaata who is facing a tragedy in the making, he said.

Stating that the loss was most in case of cotton which had ripened and even started arriving in mandis, Maluka said that excessive rain had caused moisture in blooming cotton buds which had now blackened.

This will lead to discolouration of the cotton produce and will result in huge loss to cotton farmers in the Malwa belt, he said adding that there were similar widespread reports of paddy being damaged, especially in central Punjab and Malwa belt due to excessive rain.

He said that paddy had been flattened due to combination of strong winds and excessive rain, and this would lead to discolouration of the grains and would also affect the yield adversely.

Maluka said that there were large scale reports of destruction of potato and vegetable crops in Jalandhar and Ludhiana districts. Potato crop had ripened and the incessant rain would result in rotting of the product, he said.

He said that there were reports of vegetable crops being damaged in Mohali and Malerkotla areas. Since input costs were very high in case of potato and vegetables farmers should be compensated appropriately, he demanded.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.On day one of his visit to his parliamentary constituency Amethi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi continued his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Rafale fighter aircraft deal on Monday.

It is unfortunate that the chowkidar of a country has robbed the people to facilitate his industrialist friend. The PM goes to France and awards this private company a contract of crores of rupees. People want to know from the chowkidar why he did so, Gandhi said while addressing a public meeting at Jais in Amethi.

The chowkidar of the country has taken out Rs 20,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, martyrs and jawans and put it in the pocket of Ambani, Gandhi alleged.

Referring to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys statement that the Centre had nothing to hide, Rahul asked, If they have nothing to hide then why are they afraid of announcing a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the matter?

The Congress chief said that the PM delivered long speeches but avoided a word on Rafale or the company which was given the contract.

Former President of France had insulted the Indian PM by terming him as a thief. Modi should hit back but he did not utter a word, he pointed out.

Recalling a debate in Parliament on Rafale deal, Rahul said, The PM could not look me in the eye. Modiji only gives speeches but has no answers. In fact, he does not have the courage to give reply.

Under the BJP government, farmers and poor are crying. The present government is providing all benefits to selected five to ten people. People like Anil Ambani, Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi are getting all benefits, he said.

Earlier, on his arrival at Amethi, Rahul Gandhi was accorded a warm welcome by Congress workers and leaders with slogans of Bam Bhole and recitation of hymns. Gandhi had recently visited Kailash Mansarovar to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva.

Rahul met some kanwariyas and garlanded a photo of Lord Shiva on the dais. With a scarf around his neck, he took part in puja performed amid chanting of mantras.

The entire Amethi town was dotted with banners and hoarding of Rahul Gandhis recent visit to Kailash Mansarovar. Amethi was decorated with flowers and large hoardings were put up to welcome the local MP for his first visit after returning from Mansarovar.

A bhandara and a grand welcome have been organised in Musafirkhana in view of Rahuls visit to Amethi after his pilgrimage. Several hoardings have also been put up on highways and other places welcoming Gandhi as a Shiv Bhakt.

This is Rahuls first visit to Amethi after the arduous 12-day pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, considered the abode of Lord Shiva.

Meanwhile, Gandhi inaugurated the office of Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas project at Nigoha village in Bahadurpur area and later inaugurated mobile power transporters at Jais. He also spoke to gram pradhans at Jamo block and heard their problems.

Rahul will stay at Forest Guest House at Musafirkhana in the night.

On Monday morning, on his way to Amethi from CCS airport at Amausi in Lucknow, Rahul was given a rousing reception at the airport by the UP Congress leaders , including state president Raj Babbar.

On Tuesday, Gandhi will attend the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting and thereafter return to Delhi in the afternoon.The tale of valor and bravery of Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was told through the film Shradhanjali. The movie based on Sekhons life was screened at Shaurya Smarak theatre here on Monday.

Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, PVC was an officer of the Indian Air Force. He was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military decoration, in recognition of his lone defence of Srinagar Air Base against a PAF air raid during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

He is the only member of the Indian Air Force to be so honoured.

The life of Sekhon was showcased through this film. It is to be noted that he was awarded with Param Vir Chakra for Indo-Pak war. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, he was serving with the No.18 Squadron, "The Flying Bullets" of IAF, flying the Folland Gnat fighter aircraft based at Srinagar. On 14 December 1971, Srinagar airfield was attacked by six Pakistan Air Force F-86 jets of 26 Sqn from PAF base Peshawar.

Flying Officer Sekhon was on readiness duty at that time. As soon as the first aircraft attacked, Sekhon rolled for take-off as No 2 in a two-Gnat formation, with Flt Lt Ghumman in lead, just as the first bombs were falling on the runway.A day after the launching of Ayushman Bharat scheme by PM Narendra Modi, the State BJP unit has claimed that Jharkhand Government is moving ahead to make the ambitious scheme a success in the State.

Addressing media persons at the party head quarter in Ranchi on Monday, party spokesperson of State unit Pratul Sahdeo stated that so far 357 nursing homes and hospitals have been registered under the scheme adding 800 golden cards have been distributed among the beneficiaries. He added that 448 arogya mitras have also been appointed.

Sahdeo said that PM has also given his stamp of approval for the States delivery system under the leadership of Chief Minister Raghubar Das. He added Jharkhand was all set make the PM dream regarding the poor a reality in the state.

The BJP spokesman said, September 23 is a Red Letter Day in the Indian history when for the first time a government has liberated the poor people from the troubles of medical treatment.

Sahdeo said though the scheme is above politics, the opposition leaders have termed it as an election stunt. He added that health scheme would mostly cover the scheduled tribe, scheduled caste and backward castes adding that by opposition the scheme the congress and the JMM are reflecting their anti-poor stand.

He mentioned that when Hemant Soren started the Sona Sobhran Dhoti Sari yojna, named after his ancestors, the BJP supported it considering the fact that it was meant for the poor people.

He alleged that congress and the JMM never wants that backward people get the same facilities as the well off persons adding that they have only used them as vote bank.

Spokesman Deenadayal Barnwal said that since September 14 the CM and his ministers are involved in Swacchta Hi Sewa programme every day. He said that one would feel proud to have a beautiful and clean Jharkhand on October 2. Cleanliness would reduce illness and also cut the cost of medical treatment, he said.Did you know which colonial building in Jamshedpur is made of leftover steel from Howrah Bridge? Or which two houses in the city were designed by Tata Sons former chairman Ratan N Tata.

The glorious past of Steel City has many interesting stories to tell, but its buildings equally have much more than that. They have the countless stories of generations of humans along with their own. Those stories teach us the journey of the steel from a small town to a steel hub and also about the history of the world, the nature of humans, and the cycle of life.

Take the example of Bharucha Mansion or Regal Building, which is a distinctive Raj era structure located in the heart of Bistupur. The building has been built using leftover beams from the Howrah Bridge. Yes it's a heritage building built with beams left over from the famous bridge. The building is an iconic structure associated with the very identity of the city.

Built by Khurshed Maneckji Bharucha in 1935, the first Indian chief cashier at Tata Steel, the structure has a unique polygonal architecture and design.

Under the leadership of architects A. Dinshaw, a Parsi, and C.C. Bayigle, a British, the building was constructed. It took three years to complete the task. Moreover, no cement was used in it.

Take this, more than five decades ago, a young architect armed with a degree from Cornell University, New York, came to work in Jamshedpur and gave the city two of its most elegant buildings.

The man was none other than Tata Sons former chairman Ratan N Tata. And, the buildings are two distinctive ones on Road No. 10, Circuit House (East). Not many residents of the city know that the architect of these two American prairie-style buildings is none other than the great visionary Tata.

One of the owners of the building, Dr T Mukherjee, former deputy managing director of Tata Steel, says, Yes it is true that the house where I stay 6A Road # 10, CH Area (East) was actually designed by Ratan Tata. I purchased my portion in 2007. I liked the design as it has open spaces, enough light and place to sit out, he notes.

Recollecting trivia associated with the houses, Mukherjee said that one house belonged to Soli Devitre, then Tata Sons director Jehangir Ghandys brother-in-law, and the other to Tata Steel senior executive Cawas Mehta and his wife Perin C. Mehta, who also set up Jamshedpur Womens College.

Devitres house now has two owners, former Tata Steel deputy managing director Dr Mukherjee and a Sakchi-based hotelier. They have kept the original look and feel of the properties. Ratan Tata designed these houses when he joined as a trainee at Tata Motors soon after he returned from USA.

Mukherjee said that Tata had once told him that he had designed a house for his mother and his own beach bungalow at Alibaug, Mumbai, facing the Arabian Sea.

Hotel owner Ronald DCosta stated, During the II World WAR, American and British troops lived in the top and bottom floor. The bar on the top witnessed fights between the two groups.

The chairs and tables that survived the fights have been used in the hotel and in the attached Brubeck Bakery. Even today, the exposed bricks bear the familys initialsDC.Taking cognisance on the frequent deaths of manual scavengers in the National Capital, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government on Monday issued orders to all the District Magistrates (DMs) to prepare a survey report on scavengers and submit it within a week.

Briefing the media about the cabinet decision, Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam and Delhi Government spokesperson Nagender Sharma announced that a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) on this matter has been forwarded to Urban Development department.

A state level monitoring committee has been formed to monitor loopholes if any to prevent unfortunate loss of lives. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who chaired the meeting also said that whosoever is responsible for the death of these scavengers will be punished hard.

CM Kejriwal has asked officers to take stern action and those found responsible for the death of manual scavengers, should be charged with section 304( culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Gautam said.

It may be noted that, the tragic death of five scavengers in DLF Capital Greens residential colony in Moti Nagar area of West Delhi, had created quite an uproar. Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai had ordered an enquiry by the Additional Labour Commissioner. It was revealed that JLL the company managing the faculty services of the complex was not having requisite license.

Delhi government has decided to provide civil defence jobs, compensation, and training to these people working who clean drains and directions have been given to the monitoring committee to submit reports in every six month.

Earlier, the eligibility criteria was Metric pass, however, today in cabinet it was decided that job will be given irrespective of their qualification, said Gautam .

The nodal agencies are Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and Municipal Corporation because they send the manual scavengers, the minister said, adding, Since the Urban Development department is parent body and will keep track on SoPs and on the report of monitoring committee.With the water level of Chandigarhs Sukhna Lake crossing the danger mark of 1,163 feet, the Chandigarh Administration on Monday opened two floodgates of the man-made water body.

Before this, it was in the year 2008 when flood gates of the lake were opened after the water level had crossed 1163 feet. Till September 22, the water level was 1,162 feet and had witnessed further rise on Monday after heavy rainfall in the past two days.

The water will be drained out to seasonal river Sukhna choe, which passes through the industrial area of Chandigarh.

The water gates of Sukhna Lake were opened on Monday after a decade as the water level crossed over the danger mark due to the heavy rain in the catchment area. It is after 10 years that the water level in the reservoir has reached its highest level mark of 1,163 feet, said a spokesperson of UT Administration.

The Engineering Department is constantly watching the water level and once it decreases, the gates are likely to be closed again on Monday night. The Chandigarh Administration had issued a warning-cum-advisory before opening the gates, the spokesperson said.

The UT Administration also informed the officials of the neighbouring States  Punjab and Haryana  about the water level.

Chandigarh Traffic Police also issued advisory stating that people traveling from Sector 26 backside of Sukhna Lake to Kishangarh side should take alternate route and be careful. The Sukhna Lake was built in 1958 across Sukhna Choe and was conceived as a place of relaxation, seclusion and sport. The rain-fed lake was formed by harnessing Kansal, Ghareri and Nepali choes.

Sukhna Lake, the citys main tourist attraction had witnessed water crisis, two-three years back. Also in 2012, over half of the area of rain-fed Lake had run dry in summer.

Meanwhile, due to incessant rains in the past three days in Chandigarh, the UT Administration has directed the disaster management team to remain on vigil and monitor the situation constantly.

In view of heavy rainfall, Arun Kumar Gupta, UT Home Secretary on Monday held a review meeting to assess the situation. The meeting was attended by the Secretary Education, SSP Chandigarh, SSP Security & Traffic, Chief Engineer, UT Administration Chandigarh and Chief Engineer, Municipal Corporation among others.

It was informed in the meeting that as per the weather forecast by the National Weather Forecasting Centre, there will be a significant reduction in rainfall from Monday onwards in the tricity.

A detailed review was done regarding the precautionary measures taken by various departments to keep track of the situation.

The Engineering Depar-tment of Administration and Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh were given directions to tackle the problem of potholes, water logging and trees that have fallen on urgent basis, the spokesperson said.

The Police Department was instructed to deploy more police personnels to regulate traffic lights and manage high volume of traffic during peak hours and during heavy rains, the spokesperson added.

Earlier in the day on Monday, the Chandigarh Administration had issued an advisory stating that due to heavy rain, parents are advised not to send their children to schools in the afternoon shift.

Traffic jams were seen in Chandigarh at the Hallomajra chowk, Sector 26 transport area road that leads to Manimajra and Zirakpur road. Waterlogging was also reported near Sector 21, 49, 45 and near roundabouts in various sectors of the city.A youth allegedly hacked his wife to death over dowry demands at Chikatnali village under the Tikayatpali police station in the district on Sunday.

Reports said Gandua Oram (20) of Chikatnali and Binita Oram (20) of Kendudihi village under the Lahunipada police station had eloped one and a half year ago after having a love affair.

A few days ago, they had returned to the village with their three-month-old baby. On Sunday afternoon, the duo had a hot exchange of words after Gandua asked Binita to bring some money from her father.

The argument turned fatal as Gandua picked up an axe and hacked Binita with it. She died on the spot. On being informed, police reached the village late in the night and detained the accused for questioning.A 32-year old man was attacked with steel rods by three miscreants including a woman at Dangroli under Berasia police station area late in the evening on Sunday; police have nabbed two accused.

According to the police, a man was attacked by two men and a woman and was rushed to a nearby hospital where his condition is reportedly stable. Police were informed and on the receipt of the information a team reached the spot and after preliminary investigation registered a case against the accused.

The victim was identified as Om Prakash Shakya and the miscreants have been identified as Bal Krishna Kori, Shishupal Kori and Radha Bai.

During the investigation, it was found that the Om Prakash had a fight with Bal Krsihna over cleaning near the boundaries of his house and soon he was joined by Shishupal and Radha Bai and was attacked by iron rods by the accused injuring him in his head.

Based on the complaint police nabbed Bal Krishna and Shishupal while Radha Bai is yet to be detained.

The victim is undergoing treatment at Hamidia hospital where he has kept under observation. The victim lost blood which made the condition worse after the attack.

The police have registered a case under section 294, 307 and 34 of the IPC and have started search for the miscreants.

Victim and accused are neighbours and they had fights in the past but were pacified by the locals but on Sunday the fight turned violent injuring victim severely.Students preparing for civil services are being informed about the various aspects of IAS examinations. A workshop on MPPSC, IAS and UPSC preparation was being organised at SP Students Point here on Monday.

As the preliminary examinations of civil services are near and it is the time for the students to get acquainted with more and more information, further to carry out the preparations well the demo classes will be held at its premises. Notably the demonstration classes along with the mock tests will be held with proper preparation so that the students can check their knowledge as well as how they are preparing for the exam.

Notably, current affairs and its knowledge is one of the vital part of the civil services examinations. Most often students prepare current affairs accordingly and most often prepare them through self study. Moreover, the students sometimes leave the most important and rare topics which can be asked in the examinations. This workshop and demo class will help them to prepare them well on current affairs.

All the doubts regarding subject selection, appropriate selection of books, compilation of PIB and NIOS, proper pattern of creating summary will be resolved in this workshop. Anyone interested to appear for UPSC exams can participate in the workshop and try their IQ knowledge and also can check their preparations.

Notably, the students will also be made acquainted with the exact pattern of UPSC examinations and the question paper format. The students will be benefitted with the workshop.Tiger population in Nepal increases

Kathmandu: Nepals Tiger population has gone up to 235 from 198 in 2013 as the country plans to increase the number of wild cats to 250 by 2022, according to a latest tiger census report unveiled here on Sunday.

Meet with Trump not on table: Erdogan

Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York next week is not currently on the table. If a demand comes from Washington, we will evaluate it, Erdogan said in Istanbul, prior to his departure for New York, Xinhua reported.

Egypt sentences badie to life

Cairo: An Egyptian court on Sunday sentenced the Supreme Guide of Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie to life imprisonment over storming a police station in the Upper Egypts province of Minya in 2013, the media reported. A total of 64 other members of the Islamic group were also handed life sentence, which is 25 years in jail in Egypt.

Schools must fight extremism: UNESCO

Paris: The head of the UN education agency says schools are ground zero in the fight against anti-Semitism and extremist violence  and she will push world leaders meeting in New York this week to invest more in teaching tolerance. No one is born a violent extremist, Azoulay said in an interview.3 hours ago

China's leader Xi warns against 'Cold War' in Asia-Pacific

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Thursday against letting tensions in the Asian-Pacific region cause a relapse into a Cold War mentality. His remarks on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum came weeks after the U.S., Britain and Australia announced a new security alliance in the region which would see Australia build nuclear submarines.

Read ArticleEVRAZ Plc is a holding company, which engages in the production and distribution of steel, vanadium, and coal products. It operates through the following segments: Steel, Steel North America, Coal, and Other Operations. The Steel segment offers steel and related products; vanadium products; extraction of vanadium ore; and iron ore mining. The Steel North America segment produces steel and related products in the US and Canada. The Coal segment covers coal mining and enrichment. The Other Operations segment consists of energy-generating, shipping, and railway transportation firms. The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of ENI: Adriaplin Podjetje za distribucijo, Agenzia Giornalistica Italia SpA, Agip Caspian Sea BV, Agip Energy and Natural, Agip Karachaganak BV, Agip Petroli, Aldro Energy, Banque Eni SA, Burren Energy (Bermuda) Ltd(1), Burren Energy (Egypt) Ltd, Burren Energy Congo Ltd, Burren Energy India Ltd, Burren Energy Plc, Burren Shakti Ltd, D-Service Media Srl, D-Share SpA, D-Share USA Corp., Dhamma Energy Group, Dunastyr Polisztirolgyarto Zartkoruen, Ecofuel SpA, Eni AEP Ltd, Eni Abu Dhabi BV, Eni Abu Dhabi Refining & Trading BV, Eni Abu Dhabi Refining & Trading Services BV, Eni Albania BV, Eni Algeria Exploration BV, Eni Algeria Ltd Sarl, Eni Algeria Production BV, Eni Ambalat Ltd, Eni America Ltd, Eni Angola Exploration BV, Eni Angola Production BV, Eni Angola SpA, Eni Argentina Exploracion, Eni Arguni I Ltd, Eni Australia BV, Eni Australia Ltd, Eni Austria GmbH, Eni BB Petroleum Inc, Eni BTC Ltd, Eni Bahrain BV, Eni Benelux BV, Eni Bukat Ltd, Eni CBM Ltd, Eni Canada Holding Ltd, Eni China BV, Eni Congo SA, Eni Corporate University SpA, Eni Cyprus Ltd, Eni Cote dIvoire Ltd, Eni Denmark BV, Eni Deutschland GmbH, Eni East Ganal Ltd, Eni East Sepinggan Ltd, Eni Ecuador SA, Eni Elgin/Franklin Ltd, Eni Energy Russia BV, Eni Exploration & Production Holding BV, Eni Finance International SA, Eni Finance USA Inc, Eni France Sarl, Eni Fuel SpA, Eni G&P Trading BV, Eni Gabon SA, Eni Ganal Ltd, Eni Gas & Power France SA, Eni Gas & Power LNG Australia BV, Eni Gas Transport Services Srl, Eni Ghana Exploration and Production Ltd, Eni Hewett Ltd, Eni Hydrocarbons Venezuela Ltd, Eni Iberia SLU, Eni India Ltd, Eni Indonesia Ltd, Eni Indonesia Ots 1 Ltd, Eni Insurance DAC, Eni International BV, Eni International NA NV Sarl, Eni International Resources Ltd, Eni Investments Plc, Eni Iran BV, Eni Iraq BV, Eni Ireland BV, Eni Isatay BV, Eni JPDA 03-13 Ltd, Eni JPDA 06-105 Pty Ltd, Eni JPDA 11-106 BV, Eni Kenya BV, Eni Krueng Mane Ltd, Eni LNS Ltd, Eni Lasmo Plc, Eni Lebanon BV, Eni Liberia BV, Eni Liverpool Bay Operating Co Ltd, Eni Lubricants Trading (Shangai) Co Ltd, Eni Marketing Austria GmbH, Eni Marketing Inc, Eni Maroc BV, Eni Mediterranea Idrocarburi SpA, Eni Middle East Ltd, Eni Mineralolhandel GmbH, Eni Montenegro BV, Eni Mozambico SpA, Eni Mozambique Engineering Ltd, Eni Mozambique LNG Holding BV, Eni Muara Bakau BV, Eni Myanmar BV, Eni Mexico S. de RL de CV, Eni Next Llc, Eni North Africa BV, Eni North Ganal Ltd, Eni Oil & Gas Inc, Eni Oil Algeria Ltd, Eni Oil Holdings BV, Eni Oman BV, Eni Pakistan (M) Ltd Sarl, Eni Pakistan Ltd, Eni Petroleum Co Inc, Eni Petroleum US Llc, Eni Portugal BV, Eni RAK BV, Eni RD Congo SA, Eni Rapak Ltd, Eni Rovuma Basin BV, Eni Schmiertechnik GmbH, Eni Sharjah BV, Eni South Africa BV, Eni South China Sea Ltd Sarl, Eni Suisse SA, Eni TNS Ltd, Eni Timor Leste SpA, Eni Trading & Shipping Inc, Eni Trading & Shipping SpA, Eni Transporte y Suministro Mexico , Eni Tunisia BV, Eni Turkmenistan Ltd, Eni UHL Ltd, Eni UK Holding Plc, Eni UK Ltd, Eni UKCS Ltd, Eni ULT Ltd, Eni ULX Ltd, Eni US Operating Co Inc, Eni USA Gas Marketing Llc, Eni USA Inc, Eni USA R&M Co Inc, Eni Ukraine Holdings BV, Eni Ukraine Llc, Eni Ukraine Shallow Waters BV, Eni Venezuela BV, Eni Venezuela E&P Holding SA, Eni Vietnam BV, Eni West Africa SpA, Eni West Ganal Ltd, Eni West Timor Ltd, Eni Yemen Ltd, Eni do Brasil Investimentos em Exploracao e Producao de Petroleo Ltda, Eni gas e luce SpA, EniPower Mantova SpA, EniProgetti Egypt Ltd, EniProgetti SpA, EniServizi SpA, Esacontrol SA, Esain SA, Eurl Eni Algerie, FRI-EL Group, First Calgary Petroleums LP, First Calgary Petroleums Partner Co ULC, First Calgary Petroliums, Floaters SpA, Gas Supply Company Thessaloniki - Thessalia SA, Gazoduc Transtunisien SA - Scogat SA, Ieoc Exploration BV, Ieoc Production BV, Ieoc SpA, LNG Shipping SpA, Lasmo Sanga Sanga Ltd, Liverpool Bay Ltd, Mizamtec Operating Company, Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Nigerian Agip CPFA Ltd, Nigerian Agip Exploration Ltd, Nigerian Agip Oil Co Ltd, OOO Eni Energhia, OOO Eni-Nefto, Oleoduc du Rhone SA, Petroven Srl, Raffineria di Gela SpA, Resources (Nigeria) Ltd, S. de RL de CV, SEA SpA, SeaPad SpA, Serfactoring SpA, Servizi Aerei SpA, Servizi Fondo Bombole Metano SpA, Societa Petrolifera Italiana SpA, Societe de Service du Gazoduc, Societe pour la Construction du, Tecnoesa SA, Trans Tunisian Pipeline Co SpA, Transtunisien SA - Sergaz SA, Versalis Americas Inc, Versalis Congo Sarlu, Versalis Deutschland GmbH, Versalis France SAS, Versalis International SA, Versalis Kimya Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Versalis Mexico S. de R.L. de CV, Versalis Pacific (India) Private Ltd, Versalis Pacific Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, Versalis Singapore Pte Ltd, Versalis SpA, Versalis UK Ltd, Zetah Congo Ltd, Zetah Kouilou Ltd, and zemeljskega plina doo Ljubljana.Magna International Inc. designs, engineers, and manufactures components, assemblies, systems, subsystems, and modules for original equipment manufacturers of vehicles and light trucks worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Body Exteriors & Structures, Power & Vision, Seating Systems, and Complete Vehicles. Its Body Exteriors & Structures segment provides body and chassis systems, as well as engineering and testing services; exterior systems, including fascia and trims, front end modules, front integration panels, liftgate modules, active aerodynamics, engineered glass, running boards, truck bed access products, and side doors; and roof systems, such as modular and textile folding roofs, and hard and soft tops. The company's Power & Vision segment offers dedicated hybrid, dual and e-clutch, and manual transmissions; engine drive plates and accessories; AWD/4WD products, rear drive modules, and hybrid and battery electric drive systems; transmission, engine, and driveline components; advanced driver assistance systems, camera systems, ultrasonic sensors, and electronic controllers; interior and exterior mirrors, actuators, door handles, overhead consoles, and camera monitoring systems; head, tail, and fog lamps; signal and other lighting products; and latching systems, door modules, window systems, power closure systems, hinges and wire forming, and handle assemblies. Its Seating Systems segment provides seat structures, mechanism and hardware solutions, and foam and trim products. The company's Complete Vehicles segment offers vehicle manufacturing and engineering services. It also designs, engineers, and manufactures tooling products. Magna International Inc. was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Aurora, Canada.

Read MoreFranklin Covey Co. engages in consulting and training in the areas of strategy execution, customer loyalty, leadership, and individual effectiveness. It operates through the following three segments: Direct Offices, Education Practice, International Licensees and Corporate and Other. The Direct Offices segment includes sales personnel that serve the United States and Canada; international sales offices located in Japan, China, the United Kingdom, and Australia; governmental sales channel; and public program operations. The Education Practice segment includes domestic and international Education practice operations, which are focused on sales to educational institutions such as elementary schools, high schools, and colleges and universities. The International Licensees segment primarily comprised of royalty revenues received from these licensees. The Corporate and Other segment includes leasing operations, shipping and handling revenues, and certain corporate administrative expenses. The company was founded by Brent L. Bishop, Stephen R. Covey and Hyrum Wayne Smith in 1983 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT.

Read More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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! Shanghai Co. Ltd, ?What If! USA LLC, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD Dialeto Agencia de Publicidade SA, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Beijing) Mobile Technology Co Ltd, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co Ltd, Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. Ltd., Accenture (South Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (South Africa) Pty Limited, Accenture (UK) Ltd, Accenture 2 Business Process Services S.A., Accenture 2 LLC, Accenture A/S, Accenture AB, Accenture AG, Accenture AS, Accenture Africa Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Holding B.V., Accenture Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Azerbaijan Ltd, Accenture BPM Operations Support Services S.A., Accenture BPM S.C.R.L., Accenture BV, Accenture Branch Holdings B.V., Accenture Bulgaria EOOD, Accenture Business Services for Utilities Inc, Accenture Business Services of British Columbia Limited Partnership, Accenture Business and Technology Services LLC, Accenture C.A, Accenture CAS GmbH, Accenture Canada Holdings Inc., Accenture Capital DAC, Accenture Capital Inc, Accenture Central Europe B.V., Accenture Chile Asesorias y Servicios Ltda, Accenture Cloud Services GmbH, Accenture Cloud Software Solutions Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions LLC, Accenture Cloud Solutions Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd., Accenture Communications Infrastructure Solutions Ltd, Accenture Company Ltd, Accenture Consulting Services Ltd Tanzania, Accenture Consultores de Gestao S.A., Accenture Consultoria de Industria e Consumo Ltda, Accenture Consultoria de Recursos Naturais Ltda, Accenture Credit Services LLC, Accenture Customer Services Distribution SAS, Accenture Customer Services Limited, Accenture Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, Accenture Defined Benefit Pension Plan Trustees Ltd, Accenture Defined Contribution Pension Plan Trustees Ltd, Accenture Delivery Poland sp. z o.o., Accenture Dienstleistungen GmbH, Accenture Digital France Holdings SA, Accenture Digital Holdings GmbH, Accenture East Africa Limited, Accenture Ecuador S.A., Accenture Egypt LLC, Accenture Enterprise Development (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Accenture Federal Services LLC, Accenture Finance (Gibraltar) III Ltd, Accenture Finance GmbH, Accenture Finance GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Finance II GmbH, Accenture Finance II GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Finance II Ltd, Accenture Finance Limited, Accenture Finance and Accounting BPO Services S.p.A., Accenture Finance and Accounting Services Srl, Accenture Flex LLC, Accenture GP LLC, Accenture Ghana Limited, Accenture Global Holdings Ltd., Accenture Global Services Ltd, Accenture Global Solutions Ltd, Accenture GmbH, Accenture HR Services Ltd, Accenture HR Services S.p.A., Accenture Healthcare Processing Inc., Accenture Holding GmbH, Accenture Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Accenture Holding GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Holdings (Iberia) S.L., Accenture Holdings B.V., Accenture Holdings France SAS, Accenture Holdings plc, Accenture Hungary Holdings Kft, Accenture Inc, Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company (Accenture Endustriyel Yazylym Cozumleri Limited irketi), Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company (Accenture Endustriyel Yazlm Cozumleri Limited Sirketi), Accenture Industrial Software Solutions Kft, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions SA, Accenture Insurance Services LLC, Accenture Insurance Services SAS, Accenture Insurance Services SpA, Accenture International BV, Accenture International Capital SCA, Accenture International LLC, Accenture International Limited, Accenture International Sarl, Accenture Japan Ltd, Accenture Korea BV, Accenture LLC, Accenture LLP, Accenture Lanka (Private) Ltd, Accenture Limited, Accenture Ltd, Accenture Ltda, Accenture Maghreb S.a.r.l., Accenture Managed Services SRL, Accenture Managed Services SpA, Accenture Management GmbH, Accenture Middle East B.V, Accenture Middle East BV, Accenture Minority I BV, Accenture Minority III Ltd, Accenture Mozambique Limitada, Accenture Mzansi (Pty) Ltd, Accenture NV/SA, Accenture NZ Limited, Accenture Newco LLC, Accenture Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Co., Accenture OOO, Accenture Operations Sp. z o.o., Accenture Outsourcing SRL, Accenture Outsourcing Services, Accenture Outsourcing Services S.A., Accenture Oy, Accenture Panama Inc, Accenture Participations BV, Accenture Participations II Limited, Accenture Peru S.R.L, Accenture Peru S.R.L., Accenture Post Trade Processing SAS, Accenture Post-Trade Processing Limited, Accenture Process Ltd, Accenture Product Lifecycle Services, Accenture Properties, Accenture Pte Ltd, Accenture Puerto Rico LLC, Accenture S.A., Accenture S.C., Accenture S.L., Accenture S.R.L., Accenture SAS, Accenture SG Services Pte Ltd, Accenture SRL, Accenture Saudi Arabia Limited, Accenture Sendirian Berhad, Accenture Service Center SRL, Accenture Services (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Services AB, Accenture Services AG, Accenture Services AS, Accenture Services GmbH, Accenture Services Ltd, Accenture Services Morocco SA, Accenture Services Oy, Accenture Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Services S.r.l., Accenture Services SRL, Accenture Services Sp. z o.o., Accenture Services Sp. z.o.o., Accenture Services and Technology Srl, Accenture Services fur Kreditinstitute GmbH, Accenture Services s.r.o., Accenture Servicos Administrativos Ltda, Accenture Servicos de Suporte de Negocios Ltda, Accenture Solutions Co Ltd, Accenture Solutions Private Limited, Accenture Solutions Pte Ltd, Accenture Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture Sp. z o.o., Accenture Sp. z.o.o., Accenture SpA, Accenture State Healthcare Services LLC, Accenture Sub II Inc., Accenture Sub Inc, Accenture Sub LLC, Accenture Systems Integration Limited, Accenture Sarl, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag KFT, Accenture Technologia, Accenture Technologia Consultoria e Outsourcing S.A., Accenture Technology Infrastructure Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions (Dalian) Co Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions (HK) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas S.A., Accenture Technology Solutions GmbH, Accenture Technology Solutions Oy, Accenture Technology Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions S.A. de C.V., Accenture Technology Solutions SAS, Accenture Technology Solutions SRL, Accenture Technology Solutions Sdn. Bhd., Accenture Technology Solutions Slovakia s.r.o., Accenture Technology Ventures BV, Accenture Technology Ventures S.P.R.L., Accenture Uruguay SRL, Accenture Vietnam Co., Accenture Vietnam Co. LTD, Accenture Zambia Limited, Accenture do Brasil Limitada, Accenture plc, Accenture s.r.o., Acceria, Acquity Customer Insight Limited, Acquity Group, Adaptly LLC, Adaptly UK Limited, AddVal Technology, Adqptly, Advantium Inc., Agave Consultants Limited, Agilex Technologies Inc., Allen International, Allen International Consulting Group Ltd, Alnova Technologies Corporation S.L., AlphaBeta Advisors, Altima, Altima Asia Ltd., Altima SAS, Altitude, Altitude LLC, Analytics 8 LP, Analytics 8 Pty Ltd, Analytics8, Aorui Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Apis, Appaloosa Technology SAS, Arca, Ariba - BPO, Arismore, Aspiro Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Avanade, Avanade (Guangzhou) Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd., Avanade (Thailand) Co Ltd, Avanade Asia Pte Ltd, Avanade Australia Pty Ltd, Avanade Belgium SPRL, Avanade Canada Inc., Avanade Denmark A/S, Avanade Denmark ApS, Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Avanade Europe Holdings Ltd, Avanade Europe Services Ltd, Avanade Federal Services LLC, Avanade Finland Oy, Avanade France SAS, Avanade GZ Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd. (SH), Avanade Guangzhou, Avanade Holdings LLC, Avanade Hong Kong Ltd, Avanade International Corporation, Avanade Ireland Limited, Avanade Italy SRL, Avanade KK, Avanade Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avanade Netherlands BV, Avanade Norway AS, Avanade Poland Sp. z o.o., Avanade Poland Sp. z.o.o., Avanade Schweiz GmbH, Avanade South Africa, Avanade South Africa Pty Ltd, Avanade Spain SL, Avanade Sweden AB, Avanade UK Ltd, Avanade do Brasil Limitada, Avanade Osterreich GmbH, AvantBiz Consulting Limited, Avenai, Axia Ltd., BABCN LLC, BCT Solutions, BCT Solutions Pty Ltd, BPO Servicos Administrativos Ltda, BRIDGE Energy Group, Beacon Consulting Group Inc., Beijing Genesis Interactive Technology Co. Ltd., Benext, Bionic, Blue Horseshoe, Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, Boomerang Pharmaceuticals Communications Ireland Limited, Bow & Arrow, Brand Learning, Brand Learning Group Limited, Brand Learning LLC, Brand Learning Ltd, Brand Learning Partners Limited, Brand Learning Pte Limited, Bridge Energy Group LLC, Brightstep AB, Byte Prophecy, CAS, CRMWaypoint, CadenceQuest Inc., Capable Marketer Limited, Capgemini - North American health practice, Capital Consultancy Services Inc., Certus Solutions Consulting Services Ltd, Certus Solutions Ltd, ChangeTrack Research Pty Ltd., Chaotic Moon Studios, Chengdu Mensa Advertising Co. Ltd., Cimation, Cimation UK Limited, Cirruseo, Cirruseo SAS, Clarity Insights, Clearhead, Clearhead Group, Clearhead Group LLC, ClientHouse GmbH, Cloud Sherpas, Cloud Sherpas (GA) LLC, Cloud Sherpas (SN) (PTE.) Limited, Cloud Sherpas New Zealand Ltd., Cloud Talent Limited, Cloudsherpas, Cloudsherpas Inc., Cloudworks, Codagenic Pty. Ltd., Computer Research and Telecommunications LLC, Concrete Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda., Concrete Solutions, Concrete Solutions Ltda., Context Information Security, Coritel S.A., Corliant Inc., CreativeDrive, CustomerWorks Europe SL, Cutting Edge Solutions Ltd, D5 Global Holdings LLC, DAZ Systems Inc, DAZ Systems LLC, DAZSI Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd., DMA Solutions Limited, Davies Consulting, DayNine Consulting, DayNine Consulting (Australia) PTY LTD, DayNine Consulting (Deutschland) GmbH, DayNine Consulting (New Zealand) Limited, DayNine Consulting France SAS, DayNine Consulting Japan K.K., DayNine Consulting LLC, Declarative Holdings, Declarative Holdings LLC, Defense Point Security, Deja vu Security, Design Strategy and Research de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Designaffairs LLC, Digiplug S.A.S., Digiplug SAS, Digital Consulting & Software Services LLC, Droga5, Droga5 LLC, Droga5 Studios LLC, Droga5 UK Ltd., Duck Creek Technologies, Duck Creek Technologies LLC, Deja Vu Security LLC, ESR Labs, Elcurator SAS, Enaxis Consulting, Enaxis Consulting L.P., End-to-End Analytics, Energuia Web, Energuia Web S.A., Energy Management Brokers Ltd., Energy Quote Private Ltd., EnergyQuote JHA, EnergyQuote JHA Ltd., EnergyQuote Trading Ltd., Enimbos, Enkitec, Enterprise System Partners, Enterprise System Partners B.V. , Enterprise System Partners Bilisim Danismanlik Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Enterprise System Partners Global Corporation, Enterprise System Partners Limited, Enterprise System Partners PR LLC, Enterprise System Partners S.A.S., Entropia, Epylon, Ethica Consulting Group, Evopro Group, Exactside Limited, Exton Consulting, Fairway Technologies Inc, Fairway Technologies LLC, Filmproduction ApS, First Annapolis Consulting, First Annapolis Consulting Inc., First Annapolis Consulting LLC, First Annapolis International, Fjord, Focus Group Europe, Focus Group Europe Limited, Formicary, Formicary Holdings Limited, Formicary Limited, FusionX, FutureMove Automotive, Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Genfour, Genfour Limited, George Group Consulting L.P., Gestalt LLC, Gestion Altima Canada Inc., Gevity, Global Public Firm S.L., GlobalView SAS, GoodFilm GmbH Filmproduktion Stuttgart, H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., HRC Retail Advisory, Hagberg Consulting Group, Hangzhou Aiyunzhe Technology Co. Ltd., Happen, Hjaltelin Stahl, Hjaltelin Stahl K/S, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Hytracc Consulting UK Limited, Hytracc Holding AS, I-Faber S.p.A., IBB Consulting, IMJ Corp, IMJ Corporation, INCAD, INSITUM, IT One Company Limited, ITBS Servicios Bancarios de Tecnologia de la Informacion SL, Icon Integration, Imagine Broadband (USA) Ltd, Imagine Broadband USA LLC, Imaginea Inc, Industrie&Co, Infoman AG, Infoman Schweiz AG, Informatica de Euskadi S.L., Infusion Development Inc., Infusion Development UK Limited, InfusionDev LLC, Innoveer Solutions India Pvt Ltd, Insitum Consultoria Argentina SRL, Insitum Consultoria Brasil LTDA, Insitum Consultoria Colombia SAS, Insitum Consultoria Europa SL, Insitum Consultoria Peru SAC, Insitum Consultoria S.A. de C.V., Intrepid, Intrigo Systems Inc, Intrigo Systems India Pvt. Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Advertisement (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inventor Technology Limited, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, Javelin Group (Bulgaria) EOOD, Javelin Group Limited (UK), Javelin Group SASU, K Comms Group Limited, KCS.net AG, KCS.net AG West, KCS.net Deutschland GmbH, KCS.net Holding AG, KCS.net Osterreich GmbH, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Ltd, Kogentix Singapore Pte. Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kunstmaan NV, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon UKI, Kurt Salmon UKI Ltd., Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LabAnswer, LabAnswer Government, LemonXL Limited, Logistics Market Place Limited (UK), Loud & Clear Creative Pty Ltd, MAXIM Systems Inc., MCG US Holdings LLC, Mackevision CG Technology and Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Mackevision Corporation, Mackevision Japan Co. Ltd., Mackevision Korea Ltd, Mackevision Medien Design, Mackevision Medien Design GmbH, Mackevision Singapore Pte. Ltd., Mackevision UK Ltd, Maglan, Maglan Information Defense Technologies Research Ltd., Maihiro, Matter, Matter Llc, Maud Corp Pty Limited, Maxamine International, Media Audits Ltd., Media Hive, Mediasenz Pty Ltd., Meredith Specialty LLC, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing Corporation, Meridian Informed Purchasing Ltd., Mindtribe, Mindtribe Product Engineering LLC, MobGen, MobGen Technology S.L, Moonrise NV, Mortgage Cadence, Mortgage Cadence an Accenture Company, Most Champion Ltd, Mudano, N3 LLC, NBS Marketing Inc., NYTEC, Nanjing Demeng Advertising Co. Ltd., Nashco Consulting, NaviSys Inc., NellArmonia, Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., Neo Metrics Chile, Neo Metrics Chile S.A., New Content, New Content Chile SpA, New Content Editora e Produtora Ltda., New Energy Aborda, New Energy Associates Ltd, New Energy Group, New Energy S.r.l., NewsPage, NewsPage (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, NewsPage China Ltd., NewsPage Pte Ltd, Nice Agency Limited, Northstream, Northstream AB, Northstream Holding AB, OCTO Technology, OPS Rules Management Consultants, Octagon Research Solutions Inc., Octo Technology LTDA, Octo Technology Pty Ltd, Octo Technology SA, Octo Technology SPRL, Octoman SAS, Odgaard ApS, Olikka, Openmind, Openminded, Operaciones Accenture S.A. de C.V., OpusLine, Orbium, Orbium Consulting Ltd, Orbium GmbH, Orbium Holding AG, Orbium Inc., Orbium International AG, Orbium International sp. z o.o., Orbium Licences AG, Orbium Limited, Orbium Pte. Ltd., Orbium Pty Ltd, Orbium Services sp. z o.o., Orbium Sarl, Origin Digital, PCO Innovation, PCO Innovation Canada Inc., PCO Innovation EURL, PIXO PUNCH Limited, PLM Systems S.r.l, POC Holdings, PRION GmbH, PT Accenture, PT Asta Catur Indra, PT Kogentix Teknologi Indonesia, Pach Invest SARL, Pach Invest SAS, PacificLink Group, PacificLink iMedia Ltd., Paja Finanssipalvelut Oy, Parker Fitzgerald Inc, Parker Fitzgerald Inc., Parker Fitzgerald International Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Limited, Parker Fitzgerald PTY Ltd, Parker Fitzgerald Services Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Solutions Limited, Partners Technology Mexico Holdings BV, Pecaso Ltd., Pegasus Production K/S, Perseroan Terbatas. Accenture, Phase One Consulting Group, Pillar Technology, Pollux, Pragsis Bidoop, Pragsis Bidoop UK Ltd, Pragsis Technologies S.L, PrimeQ, PrimeQ Australia Pty Ltd, PrimeQ Ltd, PrimeQ NZ Pty Ltd, Procurian Germany GmbH, Procurian Inc., Procurian International I LLC, Procurian International II LLC, Procurian LLC, Procurian Singapore Pte. Ltd., Procurian Switzerland GmbH, Procurian USA LLC, Proquire LLC, PureApps Ltd., Qi Jie Beijing Information Technologies Co Ltd, Radiant Services, Radiant Services LLC, Random Walk Computing Inc., Reactive Media Limited, Reactive Media Pty Ltd., Real Protect, Realworld OO Systems Ltd., Redcore, Redcore (Asia) Pte Ltd, Redcore (India) Private Limited (India), Redcore (New Zealand) Limited, Redcore Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Redcore Pty Ltd, Renacentis IT Services, Revolutionary Security, RiskControl, Rothco, Rothco Holdings Designated Activity Company, Rothco Unlimited Company, S.C. EnergyQuote S.r.l., S3 TV Technology Limited, S3 TV Technology Ltd., SEC Servizi, SEC Servizi S.p.A., SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Sagacious Consultants LLC, Salt Solutions, Sanchez Capital Services Pvt Ltd, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Seabury Airline Planning Group, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace (UK) Limited, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace Asia (Hong Kong) Limited, Seabury Aviation Consulting LLC, Seabury Cargo Advisory B.V., Seabury Consulting, Seabury Corporate Advisors LLC, Seabury Human Capital LLC, Seabury Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Seabury Structured Finance LLC, Search Technologies BPO, Search Technologies BPO Inc., Search Technologies GmbH, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LATAM, Search Technologies LATAM S.A., Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Sente Partners LLC, Sentelis, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Shackleton, Shackleton Barcelona S.L., Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton Madrid S.L., Shackleton S.A., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., Silveo, Simian Pty Limited, SinnerSchrader, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Commerce GmbH, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., SinnerSchrader Swipe GmbH, Sistemes Consulting S.L., Solutions IQ, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Storm Digital, Storm Digital B.V., Structure Consulting Group, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Systor AG, TQuila Limited (UK), Tadata Creative Unlimited Company, Tara Insurance DAC, Tara Risk DAC, TargetST8, TargetST8 Consulting LLC, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica Ltd., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Limited, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Total Logistics Supply Chain Consultants Limited, Tquila, Trivadis AG, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Verax Solutions, Verax Solutions Corporation, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong, Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd., Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, Weblinc Pty Ltd, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wire Stone Sarl, Wolox, Workforce Insight, Yesler, Zag, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines, Zenta Global Philippines Inc., Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc., Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. 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.The following companies are subsidiares of American International Group: AGC Life Insurance Company, AIG APAC HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., AIG Advisors S.r.l., AIG Aerospace Insurance Services Inc., AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd., AIG Asset Management (Europe) Limited, AIG Asset Management (U.S.) LLC, AIG Assurance Company, AIG Australia Limited, AIG Brazil Holding I LLC, AIG CIS Investments LLC, AIG Canada Holdings Inc., AIG Capital Corporation, AIG Capital Services Inc., AIG Claims Inc., AIG Egypt Insurance Company S.A.E., AIG Employee Services Inc., AIG Europe (Services) Limited, AIG Europe Holdings S.a.rl., AIG Europe S.A., AIG Federal Savings Bank, AIG Financial Products Corp., AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd., AIG Global Asset Management Holdings Corp., AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp., AIG Global Reinsurance Operations, AIG Holdings Europe Limited, AIG Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, AIG Insurance Company China Limited, AIG Insurance Company JSC, AIG Insurance Company of Canada, AIG Insurance Company-Puerto Rico, AIG Insurance Hong Kong Limited, AIG Insurance Limited, AIG Insurance Management Services Inc., AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited, AIG International Holdings GmbH, AIG Investments UK Limited, AIG Israel Insurance Company Ltd, AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha, AIG Kenya Insurance Company Limited, AIG Korea Inc., AIG Latin America I.I., AIG Latin America Investments S.L., AIG Lebanon SAL, AIG Life Holdings Inc., AIG Life Insurance Company (Switzerland) Ltd, AIG Life Limited, AIG Life South Africa Limited, AIG Life of Bermuda Ltd., AIG MEA Holdings Limited, AIG MEA Limited, AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad, AIG Markets Inc., AIG Matched Funding Corp., AIG PC Global Services Inc., AIG Philippines Insurance Inc., AIG Property Casualty Company, AIG Property Casualty Inc., AIG Property Casualty International LLC, AIG Property Casualty U.S. Inc., AIG Re-Takaful (L) Berhad, AIG Resseguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., AIG Shared Services Corporation, AIG South Africa Limited, AIG Specialty Insurance Company, AIG Technologies Inc., AIG Travel Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., AIG Travel Assist Inc., AIG Travel Assist Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., AIG Travel EMEA Limited, AIG Travel Inc., AIG Uganda Limited, AIG Vietnam Insurance Company Limited, AIG WarrantyGuard Inc., AIG-FP Pinestead Holdings Corp., AIG-Metropolitana Cia. de Seguros y Reaseguros S.A., AIGGRE EOLA LLC, AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund I GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I LP, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund II GP LLC, AIU Insurance Company, AM Holdings LLC, Ageas Protect, AlphaCat Managers Ltd., American General Corporation, American General Life Insurance Company, American Home Assurance Co. Ltd., American Home Assurance Company, American Home Assurance Company Escritorio de Representacao no Brasil Ltda., American International Group Inc., American International Group UK Limited, American International Overseas Association, American International Overseas Limited, American International Realty Corp., American International Reinsurance Company Ltd., American International Underwriters del Ecuador-Holding S.A., American Security Life Insurance Company Limited, Arthur J. Glatfelter Agency Inc., Avondhu Limited, Blackboard Customer Care Insurance Services LLC, Blackboard Insurance Company, Blackboard Services LLC, Blackboard Specialty Insurance Company, Blackboard U.S. Holdings Inc., Chartis Takaful Enaya B.S.C. (c), Commerce and Industry Insurance Company, Crop Risk Services Inc., Eaglestone Reinsurance Company, Ellipse, Fortitude Group Holdings LLC, Fortitude Life & Annuity Solutions Inc., Fortitude Reinsurance Company Ltd., Franklin Life Insurance Company, Fuji Fire and Marine, Glatfelter Insurance Group, Globe and Rutgers Insurance Group, Grand Isle SAC Limited, Granite State Insurance Company, Group Risk Services Limited, Group Risk Technologies Limited, Illinois National Insurance Co., Jefferson Eola Venture LLC, Johannesburg Insurance Holdings (Proprietary) Limited, Laya Healthcare Limited, Lexington Insurance Company, MG Reinsurance Limited, Mt. Mansfield Company Inc., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh Pa., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Vermont, New Hampshire Insurance Company, PT AIG Insurance Indonesia, Pine Street Real Estate Holdings Corp., Private Joint-Stock Company AIG Ukraine Insurance Company, Risk Specialists Companies Insurance Agency Inc., SA Affordable Housing LLC, SAFG Retirement Services Inc., Service Net Warranty LLC, Stratford Insurance Company, SunAmerica Affordable Housing Partners Inc., SunAmerica Asset Management LLC, Talbot Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Ltd., Thai CIT Holding Company Limited, The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania, The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, Travel Guard, Travel Guard Group Canada Inc./Groupe Garde Voyage du Canada Inc., Travel Guard Group Inc., Tudor Insurance Company, VALIC Financial Advisors Inc., Valic Retirement Services Company, Validus Holdings, Validus Holdings (UK) Ltd., Validus Holdings Ltd., Validus Reinsurance (Switzerland) Ltd, Validus Reinsurance Ltd., Validus Ventures Ltd., Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services Inc., Western World Insurance Company, and Western World Insurance Group Inc..The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. 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.By Trend





Turkey will open its first embassy in the Paraguay, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sept. 23.

"Turkey has completed necessary legal procedures to open its embassy in Asuncion and designated Armagan Inci Ersoy as our first ambassador. Paraguay is also expected to finalize necessary procedures soon," the ministry said in a statement.

"In this context, Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu met with his Paraguayan counterpart Luis Alberto Castiglioni in New York on the occasion of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly".

"The mutual political will for promoting relations was confirmed during the meeting," said in a statement.Invesco China Small Cap ETF's stock was trading at $25.13 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, HAO shares have increased by 0.0% and is now trading at $25.13.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.The following companies are subsidiares of Cardinal Health: A+ Secure Packaging LLC, Access Closure, Access Closure Inc., Aero-Med Ltd., Alaris Medical Systems, Allegiance Corporation, Allegiance Healthcare, AssuraMed, AssuraMed Inc., Automatic Liquid Packaging, Bergen Brunswig Corp, Bindley Western Industries, Boron LePore & Associates, Borschow Hospital & Medical Supplies, Cardinal Health 100 Inc., Cardinal Health 104 LP, Cardinal Health 105 Inc., Cardinal Health 107 LLC, Cardinal Health 108 LLC, Cardinal Health 110 LLC, Cardinal Health 112 LLC, Cardinal Health 113 LLC, Cardinal Health 114 Inc., Cardinal Health 115 LLC, Cardinal Health 116 LLC, Cardinal Health 118 LLC, Cardinal Health 119 LLC, Cardinal Health 121 LLC, Cardinal Health 122 LLC, Cardinal Health 123 LLC, Cardinal Health 124 LLC, Cardinal Health 126 LLC, Cardinal Health 127 Inc., Cardinal Health 2 LLC, Cardinal Health 200 LLC, Cardinal Health 201 Inc., Cardinal Health 222 (Thailand) Ltd., Cardinal Health 247 Inc., Cardinal Health 249 LLC, Cardinal Health 3 LLC, Cardinal Health 414 LLC, Cardinal Health 5 LLC, Cardinal Health 6 Inc., Cardinal Health 7 LLC, Cardinal Health Australia 503 Pty. Ltd., Cardinal Health Austria 504 GmbH, Cardinal Health Belgium 505 BVBA, Cardinal Health Canada Holdings Cooperative U.A., Cardinal Health Canada Inc., Cardinal Health Chile Limitada, Cardinal Health Colombia S.A.S., Cardinal Health D.R. 203 II Ltd., Cardinal Health Denmark ApS, Cardinal Health Finland Oy, Cardinal Health Foundation, Cardinal Health France 506 SAS, Cardinal Health Funding LLC, Cardinal Health Germany 507 GmbH, Cardinal Health Germany Manufacturing GmbH, Cardinal Health IPS LLC, Cardinal Health International Philippines Inc., Cardinal Health Ireland 419 Designated Activity Company, Cardinal Health Ireland 508 Limited, Cardinal Health Ireland Unlimited Company, Cardinal Health Italy 509 Srl, Cardinal Health Japan G.K., Cardinal Health Korea Limited, Cardinal Health Malaysia 211 Sdn. Bhd., Cardinal Health Malta 212 Limited, Cardinal Health Managed Care Services LLC, Cardinal Health Medical Equipment Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cardinal Health Medical Products India Private Limited, Cardinal Health Mexico 244 S. de R.L. de C.V., Cardinal Health Mexico 514 S. de R.L. de C.V., Cardinal Health Middle East FZ-LLC, Cardinal Health Netherlands 502 B.V., Cardinal Health Norway AS, Cardinal Health P.R. 120 Inc., Cardinal Health P.R. 218 Inc., Cardinal Health P.R. 220 LLC, Cardinal Health Pharmaceutical Contracting LLC, Cardinal Health Pharmacy Services LLC, Cardinal Health Poland Spolka z ograniczonaa odpowiedzialnossciaa, Cardinal Health Portugal 513 Unipessoal Lda., Cardinal Health Singapore 225 Pte. Ltd., Cardinal Health Spain 511 S.L., Cardinal Health Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Cardinal Health Sweden 512 A.B., Cardinal Health Switzerland 515 GmbH, Cardinal Health Systems Inc., Cardinal Health Technologies LLC, Cardinal Health Technologies Switzerland GmbH, Cardinal Health U.K. 432 Limited, Cardinal Health do Brasil Ltd., CareFusion, Cirpro de Delicias S.A. de C.V., Convertors de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Cordis, Cordis (Shanghai) Medical Devices Co. Ltd., Cordis Cashel Company Unlimited, Cordis Corporation, Cornerstone Partners G.P.O. L.P., Covidien Manufacturing Solutions S.A., Curaspan Health Group Inc., Denver Biomedical, Dik Drug, EPIC Insurance Company, Emerge Medical, Enturia, Especialidades Medicas Kenmex S.A. de C.V., Futuremed Health Care Products, Gala Biotech, Geodax Technology, Griffin Capital LLC, HLS Freight Services, Healthcare Solutions Holding, Innovative Therapies Inc., Instant Diagnostic Systems Inc., KPR Australia Pty. Ltd., KPR Italia S.r.l., KPR Switzerland Sales Gmbh, KPR U.S. LLC, Kendall Patient Recovery BVBA, Kendall-Gammatron Limited, Kinray, Leader Drugstores Inc., Limited Liability Company "Cardinal Health Russia", Ludlow Technical Products Canada Ltd., MCD, Magellan Laboratories, Marin Apothecaries, MedMined, Medicine Shoppe International Inc., Mediquip Sdn. Bhd., Medtronic - Patient Monitoring & Recovery, Mirixa Corporation, NaviHealth, Nippon Covidien Ltd., One Cloverleaf LLC, Outcomes Incorporated, Owen Healthcare, PCI Pharma Services, ParMed Pharmaceuticals, Pinnacle Intellectual Property Services Inc., Pinnacle Intellectual Property Services-International Inc., Post-Acute Care Center for Research LLC, Pyxis Corporation, Quiroproductos de Cuauhtemoc S. de R.L. de C.V., R Cubed Inc., R.P. Scherer Corporation, RGH Enterprises Inc., RainTree GPO LLC, RainTree Oncology Services, Renal Purchasing Group LLC, Rxealtime Inc., Sonexus Health LLC, Syncor International, TelePharm, TelePharm LLC, The Harvard Drug Group, The Harvard Drug Group L.L.C., Tradex International Inc., Viasys Healthcare, WaveMark Inc., Zuellig Pharma China, mscripts, mscripts LLC, and mscripts Systems India Private Limited.Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.The Export Unit Value Index in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi was up to 87.3 per cent during Q2, a growth of 7.6 per cent from 81.2 per cent during the same period in 2017, a media report said.



In the meantime, the Import Unit Value Index likewise increased to 108.7 per cent during the same monitored period from 103.4 per cent as compared to the same period last year, reported Emirates news agency Wam, citing Statistics Centre- Abu Dhabi (SCAD).



The statistics provide an analysis of the results of the calculation Import-Export Unit Value Index (MXUVI) for Q2 with the base year 2014 according to the "Harmonized System" sections and the classification of "broad economic categories".



The United Arab Emirates is one of the developed countries that has established its position on the global trade map. It has maintained its position as the most important market for commodity exports and imports in the region.



It has also strengthened its role in the international trade scene strongly over the past years, with the economic development of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi taking on a great deal of interest in the political leadership and government plans for achieving progress and development and keeping pace with the developed world.



The SCAD is the official body in charge of issuing all official statistics, which in turn fulfil the requirements of Abu Dhabi Plan in providing accurate statistical information and data to support the decision-making process.There is not enough analysis data for El Paso Electric.

3.9 Community Rank

Outperform Votes El Paso Electric has received 256 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes El Paso Electric has received 192 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment El Paso Electric has received 57.14% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about El Paso Electric and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe EE will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe EE will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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NextBahrain-based Investcorp, a leader in alternative investment products, has appointed Sir Michael Fallon, a British Member of Parliament and former Secretary of State for Defence, to its International Advisory Board.



Sir Michael has served as a British Member of Parliament for more than three decades. He has held a number of senior governmental leadership roles, most notably serving as Secretary of State for Defence from 2014-2017.



In this role he had overall responsibility for the British armed forces and managed a 35 billion annual budget. Sir Michael has also served as Schools Minister under both Margaret Thatcher and John Major and Business and Energy Minister under David Cameron.



Mohammed Alardhi, executive chairman of Investcorp, said: As we continue to grow as a global firm, seeking relevant counsel to bring fresh new perspectives to our business is essential. Our International Advisory Board consists of some of the best minds around the world providing us with guidance on emerging business and policy issues globally. We are delighted to add Sir Michael to our International Advisory Board. His business expertise and experience in both the private and public sector will be invaluable to continuing our growth trajectory.



Commenting on the appointment, Sir Michael said: I am pleased to be joining the International Advisory Board at Investcorp. Investcorp has established itself as a leader in the global alternative investment sector, and I believe that its commitment to expanding its global footprint and broadening its product offering will catalyze future growth. I look forward to contributing to the business as it continues to evolve into a bigger, more diversified alternative investment firm.



Sir Michael brings extensive experience in both the private and public sectors to Investcorp. He is currently non-executive chairman of the London property company Avanton Ltd and a consultant to several other privately-owned businesses.



He has served on the boards of several portfolio companies owned by the private equity firms Alchemy Partners (UK) and Industri Kapital (Sweden). He has also held director roles for several other companies including as a main board director of global inter-dealer broker Tullett Prebon PLC for eight years.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe following companies are subsidiares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise: 3Com International Inc., 3PAR Inc., Apogee, Aruba Networks Inc., Aruba Networks International Cayman, Aruba Networks International Limited, BlueData Software, Cloud Cruiser, Cloud Technology Partners, Cloud Technology Partners Inc., Compaq Computer (Mauritius), Compaq Trademark B.V., Cray, Cray Inc., EDS World Corporation (Far East) LLC, EYP Mission Critical Facilities Inc., H3C Holdings Limited, HP Enterprise Services Australia Pty Ltd, HP Financial Services (Australia) Pty Limited, HP Financial Services (Chile) Limitada, HP Financial Services (Japan) K.K., HP Financial Services Arrendamento Mercantil S.A., HP Financial Services Company (Korea), HP Financial Services International Holdings Company, HPE Government LLC, HPFS Global Holdings I LLC, HPFS Global Holdings II LLC, HPFS Rental S.R.L., Hangzhou H3C Technologies Co. Ltd, Hewlett Packard Caribe BV LLC, Hewlett Packard Colombia Ltda., Hewlett Packard Enterprise (China) Co. Ltd., Hewlett Packard Enterprise B.V., Hewlett Packard Enterprise B.V. Amstelveen Meyrin Branch, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Canada Co., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Canada Co. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Canada Cie, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Costa Rica Limitada, Hewlett Packard Enterprise GlobalSoft Private Limited, Hewlett Packard Enterprise India Private Limited, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Ireland Limited, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Luxembourg SCA, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Polska sp. z o.o., Hewlett Packard Pathfinder LLC, Hewlett Packard Taiwan Ltd., Hewlett-Packard (Israel) Ltd., Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn. Bhd., Hewlett-Packard (Nigeria) Limited, Hewlett-Packard (Schweiz) GmbH, Hewlett-Packard (Tanzania) Limited, Hewlett-Packard (Thailand) Limited, Hewlett-Packard ApS, Hewlett-Packard Argentina S.R.L., Hewlett-Packard Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Australia Pty Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Belgium SPRL/BVBA, Hewlett-Packard Bermuda Enterprises LLC, Hewlett-Packard Brasil Ltda., Hewlett-Packard Bulgaria EOOD, Hewlett-Packard Caribe B.V., Hewlett-Packard Caribe Y Andina B.V. LLC, Hewlett-Packard Chile Comercial Limitada, Hewlett-Packard Cyprus Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Hewlett-Packard Egypt Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Financial Services (India) Private Limited, Hewlett-Packard Financial Services Canada Company, Hewlett-Packard Financial Services Company, Hewlett-Packard France SAS, Hewlett-Packard G1 SPV (Cayman) Company, Hewlett-Packard Gesellschaft mbH, Hewlett-Packard Ghana Limited, Hewlett-Packard GmbH, Hewlett-Packard Guatemala Limitada, Hewlett-Packard HK SAR Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Hellas EPE, Hewlett-Packard Holdings Ltd., Hewlett-Packard International Bank Designated Activity Company, Hewlett-Packard International Bank Public Limited Company, Hewlett-Packard International Sarl, Hewlett-Packard Italiana S.r.l., Hewlett-Packard Japan Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Korea Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Leasing Limited, Hewlett-Packard Limited, Hewlett-Packard Luxembourg Enterprises LLC, Hewlett-Packard Macau Limited, Hewlett-Packard Manufacturing Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Marigalante Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Hewlett-Packard Middle East FZ-LLC, Hewlett-Packard Mocambique Limitada - Sociedada em Liquidacao, Hewlett-Packard Nederland B.V., Hewlett-Packard New Zealand, Hewlett-Packard Norge AS, Hewlett-Packard OY, Hewlett-Packard Operations Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Hewlett-Packard Peru S.R.L., Hewlett-Packard Philippines Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Portugal Lda., Hewlett-Packard SARL, Hewlett-Packard SIA, Hewlett-Packard Servicios Espana S.L., Hewlett-Packard Singapore (Sales) Pte. Ltd., Hewlett-Packard South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Hewlett-Packard Sverige AB, Hewlett-Packard Technology Center Inc., Hewlett-Packard Teknoloji Cozumleri Limited Sirketi, Hewlett-Packard The Hague B.V., Hewlett-Packard Venezuela S.R.L., Hewlett-Packard Vision Limited, Hewlett-Packard d.o.o., Hewlett-Packard s.r.o., Limited Liability Company Hewlett Packard Enterprise, MapR Technologies, New H3C Technologies Co. Ltd., Niara Inc., Nimble Storage, Nimble Storage Inc., Nimble Storage Israel Ltd, Nimble Storage Japan GK, Nimble Storage UK Limited, Plexxi, RedPixie, SGI (Silicon Graphics), Sapphire Holding Co, Scytale, Shanghai Hewlett-Packard Co. Ltd., Silver Peak, SimpliVity, Sinope Holding B.V., Trilead, UAB ES Hague Lietuva, and Unis Huashan Technologies Co. Limited.iShares MSCI Mexico ETF's stock was trading at $35.82 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWW stock has increased by 37.6% and is now trading at $49.30.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.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Worldwide Cash Express, a global money transfer company, has announced the opening of its new regional headquarters at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) in the UAE capital.



The company currently has presence in more than 57 countries globally with a network of more than 100,000 pay-out locations through established tie-ups with more than 200 correspondent agents worldwide.



Taking advantage of the innovative and pro-business environment provided by ADGM, Cash Express will harness the state of art technology to achieve unprecedented speed of operations and services, as well as compliance tools that enable the agents to deliver more superior customer service. The use of state-of-the-art system security which boasts sophisticated firewalls, geo-fencing and token verification devices will now ensure the security of its agents against cyber threats.



Cash Express is working towards growing its market share in leading regional and international markets including the Middle East and Africa. According to the World Banks latest Migration and Development Brief, Remittance inflows improved in all regions in 2017 and the top remittance recipients were India with $69 billion, followed by China ($64 billion), the Philippines ($33 billion), Mexico ($31 billion), Nigeria ($22 billion), and Egypt ($20 billion). Globally, remittances are expected to grow 4.6 percent to $642 billion in 2018.



Mohamed Ali Al Ansari, chairman of the Board of Directors at Cash Express, said: The decision to open our new regional headquarters at Abu Dhabi Global Market is in line with our growth strategy for the region. Cash Express is a homegrown business with a global reach and we are proud to establish its headquarters in ADGM. By leveraging the strategic advantages offered by ADGM and by incorporating technological advancements to accelerate business growth, we look forward to exploring emerging opportunities, forging new partnerships and foraying into new markets, while constantly enhancing services for our agents and their customers.



Thomas Hirschi, executive director of Banking and Insurance, FSRA of ADGM said: We congratulate Worldwide Cash Express on their auspicious launch and welcome them to the increasing number of financial institutions in ADGM. We look forward to Worldwide Cash Expresss contribution towards the growth of the international financial centre by establishing its headquarters in ADGM. We are proud to support local entities in their strategic ambitions and global expansion.



The new Cash Express headquarters at ADGM houses a talented team spread across many departments including customer service, agent onboarding process and compliance departments, a statement said.  TradeArabia News ServiceNuveen Georgia Quality Municipal Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc. The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of the Georgia. The fund invests into undervalued municipal securities and other related investments the income from which is exempt from regular federal and Georgia income taxes. It seeks to invest in investment grade securities with an average maturity of around 17 years. The fund employs fundamental analysis with a focus on bottom-up stock picking approach to create its portfolio. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against Standard & Poor's (S&P) Georgia Municipal Bond Index and Standard & Poor's (S&P) National Municipal Bond Index. The fund was formerly known as Nuveen Georgia Dividend Advantage Municipal Fund 2. Nuveen Georgia Quality Municipal Income Fund was formed on October 26, 2001 and is domiciled in the United States.

Read MoreMedtronic Plc is a medical technology company, which engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of device-based medical therapies and services. It operates through the following segments: Cardiac and Vascular Group; Minimally Invasive Technologies Group; Restorative Therapies Group; and Diabetes Group. The Cardiac and Vascular Group segment consists of products for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease. The Minimally Invasive Technologies Group segment focuses on respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, renal system, lungs, pelvic region, kidneys, and obesity diseases. The Restorative Therapies Group segment comprises of neurostimulation therapies and drug delivery systems for the treatment of chronic pain, as well as areas of the spine and brain, along with pelvic health and conditions of the ear, nose, and throat. The Diabetes Group segment offers insulin pumps, coninuous glucose monitoring systems, and insulin pump consumables. The company was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of The Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette Canada Holdings, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Gruppe Deutschland GmbH & Co. oHG, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Nova Scotia Company, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Poland S.A., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay, Giorgio Beverly Hills Inc., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, LLC "Procter & Gamble Novomoskovsk", LLL "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", Laboratorios Vicks, Liberty Street Music Publishing Company, Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', Limited Liability Company with foreign investments Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, New Chapter, New Chapter Canada Inc., Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G Prestige Service GmbH, P&G South African Trading (Pty.) Ltd., PGT Health Care (Zhejiang) Limited, PGT Healthcare LLP, PPI ZAO, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Procter & Gamble (Chengdu) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (East Africa) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Egypt) Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble (Enterprise Fund) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Health & Beauty Care) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Jiangsu) Ltd. China, Procter & Gamble (L&CP) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble (Shanghai) International Trade Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Acquisition GmbH, Procter & Gamble Administration GmbH, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chile , Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Commercial de Cuba S.A., Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent (Beijing) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deuttschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Philippines) Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company (Europe) BVBA, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana, Procter & Gamble Europe SA, Procter & Gamble Export Operations SARL, Procter & Gamble Exportadora e Importadora Ltda., Procter & Gamble Exports, Procter & Gamble Fabricacao e Comercio Ltda., Procter & Gamble Far East, Procter & Gamble Finance (U.K.) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. Sti., Procter & Gamble Seine S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services (Switzerland) SA, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Share Incentive Plan Trustee Ltd., Procter & Gamble South America Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. (Ltd.), Procter & Gamble Sports and Social Club Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology (Beijing) Co., Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Verwaltungs GmbH, Procter & Gamble Vietnam, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil S/A, Procter & Gamble do Brazil, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Redmond Products, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Richardson-Vicks do Brasil Quimica e Farmaceutica Ltda, Riverfront Music Publishing Co., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Scannon S.A.S., Series Acquisition B.V., Shulton, Surfac S.R.L., Sycamore Productions, TAOS - FL, TAOS Retail, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving - FL, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble GBS Company, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon (Shanghai) Academy, Vidal Sassoon Co., WEBA Betriebsrenten-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Walker & Company Brands, and iMFLUX Inc..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.WellCare Health Plans, Inc. provides government-sponsored managed care services. The company operates in three segments: Medicaid Health Plans, Medicare Health Plans, and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs). The Medicaid Health Plans segment offers plans for beneficiaries of temporary assistance for needy families, supplemental security income, and aged blind and disabled residents; and other state-based programs, such as children's health insurance programs and long-term services and supports programs for qualifying families who are not eligible for Medicaid. The Medicare Health Plans segment provides Medicare, a federal program that provides eligible persons aged 65 and over, as well as some disabled persons with a range of hospital, medical, and prescription drug benefits; Medicare Advantage, a Medicare's managed care alternative to the original Medicare program, which offers individuals standard Medicare benefits directly through Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and coordinated care plans that are administered through health maintenance organizations and require members to seek health care services and select a primary care physician from a network of health care providers. The Medicare PDPs segment provides Medicare part D PDP plans to Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. Its PDP plans offer national in-network prescription drug coverage, including a preferred pharmacy network. As of December 31, 2018, the company served approximately 5.5 million members in the United States. WellCare Health Plans, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

Read MoreRiviera Group, a renowned bespoke UAE property developer, has launched mock-up apartments for its key residential development located in the district of Jumeirah Village Circle. The 22-storeyed building offers 144 stylish one- and two-bedroom units apart from two retail units.



Unveiling the show apartment, Riviera Group said the apartment units boast design and interior elements that reflect luxurious apartment living. The 25-ft high grand entrance lobby with convenient car drop-off facility and hotel style elevators add to the luxury lifestyle feel of the residence.



A medical facility, school, public transport, shopping centre and convenience store are all on La Rivieras doorstep, as well as direct access to the main highway for added convenience.



The Emirati developer said La Riviera Apartments are more than an investment - they are perfectly planned homes encouraging a calm and refined way of life.



Expected to be completed soon, the prices of these apartments start from Dh689,000 onwards for one-bedroom and Dh1.09 million for two-bedroom units.



A typical floor contains seven St Tropez one-bedroom apartments and two Nice two-bedroom apartments. Each apartment is designed for elegance and convenience, with fixtures and finishing to the highest standard, it stated.



Managing Director Abdul Raul Razzak said: The La Riviera apartment complex is the perfect location for families or professionals in search of a new luxury home with all the convenience and comfort to enhance their comfort levels as well as work and life balance.



"What better way to spend quality time with your family than relaxing with a barbecue in one of the two specially dedicated areas for al fresco dining, or taking a dip in the swimming pool or kids pool?," remarked Razzak.



"At La Riviera Apartments, you can breeze through the Riviera Retreat Lobby or unwind in the Riviera Retreat lounge for a feeling of absolute peace and calm. Unwind from the stresses of modern living in the state of the art health club, or pop into the separate ladies and gents smart steam room to feel stress simply melt away," he added.



Razzak said as an added incentive, Riviera Group has unveiled a payment plan that is perfect for first time buyers to get on the property ladder and for mortgage buyers. Both one- and two-bedroom show apartments are now ready for viewing by existing and potential buyers, it added.-TradeArabia News ServiceTeekay Offshore Partners L.P. provides marine transportation, oil production, storage, long-distance towing and offshore installation, and maintenance and safety services for the oil industry. It operates in six segments: Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO); Shuttle Tanker; Floating Storage and Off-Take (FSO); Unit for Maintenance and Safety (UMS); Towage and Offshore Installation Vessels; and Conventional Tanker. The company serves customers in offshore oil regions of the North Sea, Brazil, and the East Coast of Canada. As at December 31, 2018, it had a fleet of 35 shuttle tankers, 2 chartered-in vessels, 1 HiLoad dynamic positioning unit, 8 FPSO units, 6 FSO units, 10 long-distance towage and offshore installation vessels, 1 UMS, and 2 chartered-in conventional oil tankers. Teekay Offshore GP L.L.C. serves as the general partner of Teekay Offshore Partners L.P. The company was founded in 2006 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda. Teekay Offshore Partners L.P. is a subsidiary of Brookfield TK TOLP L.P.

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.Wells Fargo & Co. is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance. It firm operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Banking, Wealth & Investment Management, and Other. The Community Banking segment offers complete line of diversified financial products and services for consumers and small businesses including checking and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, and automobile, student, and small business lending. The Wholesale Banking segment provides financial solutions to businesses across the United States and globally. The Wealth and Investment Management segment includes personalized wealth management, investment and retirement products and services to clients across U.S. based businesses. The Other segment refers to the products of WIM customers served through community banking distribution channels. The company was founded by Henry Wells and William G. Fargo on March 18, 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

Read MoreThe 13th edition of Light Middle East, the regions premier exhibition, conference and awards programme for lighting design and technology, opened in Dubai yesterday (September 23) featuring 333 exhibitors from 30 countries.



Inaugurated by Saeed Mohammed Ahmed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the event is nine per cent larger than the previous edition and runs for three days spanning some 13,430-sq-m of space at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, the three-day event.



Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the organiser of Light Middle East, said: Large scale construction activity and considerable investment by regional governments into industrial and commercial infrastructure is expected to sustain long term demand for the latest in lighting technology and innovations.



Research has shown that the region will continue to be a major growth market for LED and smart lighting systems in particular, due to the existence of increasingly environmentally-aware governments and local populations.



Infrastructure developments coupled with comprehensive smart city initiatives are key indicators of the market potential, while the drop in LED costs and increased demand for energy efficient lighting have kept the market in a decidedly upbeat mood.



Valued at $4.4 billion in 2017, the Middle East lighting fixtures market is tipped to grow 10 per cent annually up to 2024, when revenues will top $8.7 billion. Saudi Arabia currently holds the lions share of the regional market, with a 30 per cent stake in 2017 ($1.32 billion), while the UAE holds a 13 per cent share ($572 million), Pauwels added.



All the popular show features return to Light Middle East in 2018, while Messe Frankfurt Middle East has also added a few special highlights, including a dedicated area shining the spotlight on Smart & Connected Lighting in response to fast rising digitisation of light trend.



Trade buyers and industry professionals will attend technical presentations, live demos and workshops from leading global players involved in IoT lighting and building automation technologies.



Light & Design is another new section focusing solely on decorative lighting products, while at the conclusion of the events second day on Monday, the Light Collective will present The Perfect Light, a thought-provoking documentary giving voice to over 20 leading lighting designers with the mission of exploring the development of light and evolution of LED (light Emitting Diode).



Meanwhile, on the show floor, more than 100 global manufacturers were launching new products in the Middle East market, including Italian manufacturer iGuzzini, which unveiled to the Middle East public for the very first time its Digital Light Experience.

Sergio Padula, Technical Director and Lighting Expert at iGuzzini Middle East, explained: The Digital Light Experience is a virtual 3D experience revolutionising the way we interact with luminaires and lighting effects.



Visitors to Light Middle East 2018 will witness the digital transformation at the centre of our world and enjoy a first-hand experience of iGuzzinis light perfection. Our objective is to deepen the knowledge and interact with the light in its most innovative and out of the box ways.



UAE manufacturer Metrix also debuted a range of LED luminaires at Light Middle East 2018. Marketing manager Zeinab Jaffarian hopes to gain a good response from then regional market: Were launching our LEDs in the UAE Market for first time and we hope to reach UAE, GCC, and worldwide customers at Light Middle East 2018.



Weve lined up a range of modern and classic LED downlights; LED converters; LED interior lights and build-in LED lights, which we hope will catch the attention of trade buyers, lighting designers, consultants, architects, engineers, construction companies, hospitality professionals and government officials from around the world.



Light Middle Easts returning popular highlights in 2018 include THINKLIGHT  a three day conference focusing on the key areas of lighting, namely architecture, interior, and landscape design.



The Light Middle East Awards will again bring the curtains down on the annual showpiece event, where more than 700 industry professionals will celebrate outstanding regional and global lighting projects during a gala dinner ceremony at Dubais Habtoor Palace on September 25.



Other returning features include Light.ication, the Middle Easts only competition nurturing the next generation of regional lighting designers, architects, and engineers; and Ready Steady Light Middle East, a live competition during the show where teams are given 90 minutes to design and install a lighting scheme with a range of provided equipment.  TradeArabia News Service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Hyundai Motors design talent was recently recognised with three awards by the judges from the International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2018, one of the worlds three grand international design prizes.



Hyundais mid-size Santa Fe SUV, the Nexo fuel-cell SUV, and Kona subcompact SUV have received silver awards in the automotive and transportation category, said a statement from the company.



The Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA)s prestigious award is one of the three most renowned design awards in the US, along with the iF Design Award and the Red Dot Design Award.



The award selects winners of 20 categories, including automotive and transportation, consumer technology, and service design, based on standards such as design innovation, user experience and social responsibility, it said.



The three silver IDEA Design awards won by Hyundai Motor are the most prestigious global design awards won in Hyundais history for the automotive and transportation category. In 2016, the Elantra received a bronze award, it added.



Luc Donkerwolke, head of Hyundai Design Centre and executive vice president of Hyundai Motor, said: The three representative models that will be responsible for the current and future of Hyundai Motor's SUV lineup proved their competitive edge by achieving the highest-ever company performance in product design.



We expect this recognition will help inspire continuous improvement in design performance for our company, he added.



Hyundais mid-size SUV, Santa Fe, redesigned and launched as the fourth-generation model globally in February and in the Africa and Middle East region in early September, features a wide and stable stance, Hyundais signature Cascading Grille, and a Composite Light design comprised of LED daytime running lights positioned on top of the LED headlights, showcasing grandiose and dynamic exterior design.



The expressive and powerful new Kona, introduced to markets in the region in August, also adopts Hyundai Motors new family identity. The future-oriented composite light design and rugged bumper design Armor together deliver a confident, progressive appearance with a sleek, sharp silhouette. Kona has swept all three worldwide renowned design awards this year.



The next-generation fuel cell vehicle, Nexo, has a future-oriented design that showcases its advanced capabilities, and thoughtful features like a horizon positioning lamp showing its future and current visual boundaries, and hidden rear wiper that fits in with the cars clean image.



Nexo also received the prestigious Red Dot Design Award, earning recognition for its design excellence.



Mike Song, Hyundai head of operations for Africa and the Middle East, said: These awards are perfectly timed for us in our region, as we begin sales for both the Santa Fe and Kona.



We are emphasising design as an important point of difference for the Hyundai brand. Such a strong performance in the IDEA awards is further recognition that we offer something distinctive and unique to our customers, and that our latest SUV models once again set the standard in their segments, he added.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe finalists of this years Seatrade Maritime Awards Middle East, Indian Subcontinent & Africa have now been announced, representing some of the most respected names in the shipping and maritime industry.



The awards recognise the very best of maritime success from across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa and will take place on October 28, at Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, UAE.



The event will attract more than 700 industry leaders and government officials, said a statement from the organsiers.



Celebrating its 15th year, the awards are being held under the patronage of Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and chairman of Dubai Maritime City Authority and as part of UAE Maritime Week, it said.



Vanessa Stephens, Seatrade Global event director and managing director of Seatrade Middle East, said: A big congratulations to our finalists. We have to thank Joe Brincat and his judging panel for the hard work and diligence that has enabled us to produce a list of finalists that reflect the spectrum of industry excellence across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa.



We remain proud of our totally independent judging process and commitment to ensure a fair representation of the efforts of the industry, she said.



For this years event, two new awards have been introduced which include Shipyard of the Year and Maritime Services Award under the Industry category and the Integration of Women in the Maritime Sector Award under the Personality and Community category.



A new category, Regional Focus recognises the best regional performers through the Africa Maritime Award and the Indian Subcontinent Maritime Award, it added.



According to a previous winner, Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Al Khalifa, chairman, Arab Shipbuilding & Repair Yard (ASRY), said: The awards are a benchmark for the industry  there is no question about it.



Ive been attending the event for a number of years and you know when you receive an award from Seatrade, its an acknowledgement that you are up there with the best in the industry, and that you have done something positive for the industry, he added.





The finalists are as follows:



 Offshore Marine Award for Owners & Operators: CS Offshore DMCC; The Shipping Corporation of India.



 Shipyard of the Year: Abu Dhabi Ship Building; Albwardy Damen; Drydocks World Dubai; NICO International.



 Ship Agent Award: GAC Group; Inchcape Shipping Services; Kanoo Shipping; Sharaf Shipping Agency.



 Port & Terminal Operator Award: Abu Dhabi Ports; Basra Gateway Terminal; DP World - UAE Region; Gulftainer; King Abdullah Port.



 Contribution to Development of the Regional Maritime Cluster Award: Basra Gateway Terminal

DNV; Dubai Maritime City; Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST).



 Shipping Company of the Year: Bahri; Maersk; Oman Shipping Company; The Shipping Corporation of India.



 Maritime Logistics Award: Bahri; LogiPoint; Precious Shipping; The Shipping Corporation of India

Yacht International.



 Maritime Services Award: Abu Dhabi Ports; Al Zahra Ship Operations and Management (Zara Maritime); Alphard Group; Fichte & Co; Ince & Co Middle East; Monjasa.  TradeArabia News ServiceGunmen attacked an annual Iranian military parade on Saturday in the country's oil-rich southwest, killing at least 29 people, which included both military personnel and civilians and wounding 53 others, reported Bloomberg, citing local mediapersons.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the assault in Ahvaz, which saw gunfire spray into a crowd of marching Guardsmen, bystanders and government officials watching from a nearby riser.

The state TV reporter said the gunfire came from a park behind a riser. The semi-official Fars news agency, which is close to the Guard, said two gunmen on a motorcycle wearing khaki uniforms carried out the attack.

Videos of the attack published online and by local media outlets show scenes of chaos as soldiers and civilians flee gunfire and attempt to treat the wounded. Some images show bloodied soldiers in military fatigues, and ambulance sirens can be heard wailing in the background, reported The Washington Post.

"Terrorists began shooting from a long distance while inside the park, at the armed forces as well as civilians watching the parade," Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarch, a spokesman for the Iranian armed forces told MEHR, another Iranian news agency. Three of the attackers were gunned down during clashes with the security forces and one other arrested, news agencies reported. The separatist group the Patriotic Arab Democratic Movement in Ahwaz claimed responsibility for this attack, reported CNN. "The terrorists disguised as Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and Basiji (volunteer) forces opened fire to the authority and people from behind the stand during the parade," Governor of Khuzestan Gholam-Reza Shariati said, according to IRNA.

Khuzestan Governor Gholamreza Shariati told state-run IRNA news agency that two gunmen were killed and other two had been arrested. More than 20 people had been wounded, including a woman and a child.

Iran had faced a bloody assault last year from the Islamic State group, while Arab separatists in the region have attacked oil pipelines there in the past, it added.

State television aired footage of the aftermath of the assault on Ahvaz's Quds, or Jerusalem, Boulevard, which like many other places around the country saw an annual parade marking the start of Iran's long 1980s war with Iraq.

The images included paramedics trying to help one person in military fatigues as other armed security personnel shouted at each other. The semi-official ISNA news agency published photographs of the attack's aftermath, with bloodied troops in dress uniforms helping each other walk away.

A local news agency in Khuzestan province, of which Ahvaz is the capital, aired grainy mobile phone footage showing parade goers fleeing as soldiers lay flat on the ground. Gunfire rang out in the background.

"Security forces have restored security in the area but the parade has totally been disrupted," a reporter on the scene for Iranian state television said by phone in a live broadcast. "People have been killed but we have no figures yet."

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Twitter blamed regional countries and their "U.S. masters" for the attack and warned that "Iran will respond swiftly and decisively in defense of Iranian lives." He said children and journalists were casualties in the attack, reported Bloomberg.

Zarif added that the gunmen were "terrorists recruited, trained, armed & paid by a foreign regime." He did not immediately elaborate. However, Arab separatist groups in the region have launched attacks on oil pipelines there in the past, it added.Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) inaugurated the first international retrospective of Emirati artist Abdulqader Al Rais, organised by the authority at the Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute) in Paris from September 25October 21.



The UAE delegation to the French capital was attended by Mohammed Al Murr, chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library, who also officially inaugurated the exhibition; Dr Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State; writer Abdulghaffar Hussain; Ahmed Al Sarkal, chairman of Alserkal Group; and Ali bin Thalith, secretary general of the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award.



Saeed Al Nabouda, acting director general of Dubai Culture, said: We are delighted to launch this unique retrospective by Emirati artist Abdulqader Al Rais which will provide a vantage from which the audience may be exposed to the UAEs thriving art sector and its global skills. The event will contribute to consolidating relations between the UAE and France, and will support the prospects for cooperation between the two countries in various fields, mainly in arts and culture.



The exhibition will provide a comprehensive display of over 50 of the artists works spanning from the 1960s until today. It will cover various periods in the artists career, from his time in Kuwait to his current life in Dubai. Considered one of the pioneers of contemporary art in the Arabian Gulf Region, Abdulqader Al Rais played a pivotal role in enriching the nations arts scene. The artist created a special painting for this exhibition titled An Eternal Spring to celebrate the Year of Zayed 2018 initiative, and, in honour of this unique exhibition, he will present one of his masterpieces from his Serenity Series 2017 - Watercolour on Paper as a gift to the Arab World Institute.



Al Nabouda added: We hope this retrospective will contribute to enhancing the cultural exchange with France, especially when it comes to joint initiatives and activities. We also hope it will further enhance cultural and creative cooperation to make the cultural and arts sectors the main components of the emirates overall economy, supporting the citys status as a thriving cultural capital that attracts talents and visitors from around the world.



In addition to the exhibition, a number of panel discussions will be held in which some of the UAEs arts and culture enthusiasts and VIPs will participate, while Abdulqader Al Rais will organise a panel session and hold a live-drawing session for visitors. On October 14, exhibition visitors will have the opportunity to take part in a panel discussion on Dubai's growing art landscape and available platforms that support artists and artworks from the UAE and abroad.



Founded in 1980 as a collaboration between France and 22 Arab countries, the Arab World Institute was established in Paris to serve as a tool for introducing and disseminating Arab culture, and to develop knowledge of the Arab world, launching an in-depth research into its language, cultural, and spiritual values.



Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubais cultural scene and draw attention to the UAEs rich heritage with a variety of initiatives that take place throughout the year. The authoritys mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures through enriching initiatives that benefit the Emirates citizens, residents, and visitors. The Institute  awarded the title of Cultural Personality of the Year at the twelfth edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award earlier this year  also aims to promote exchange and cooperation between France and the Arab world, especially in the fields of science and technology, to contribute to the development of relations between the Arab world and Europe. - TradeArabia News ServiceThe World Green Economy Summit (WGES) 2018 is set to emphasise the role of young men and women in global efforts to build a green economy when it opens in Dubai in October.



Organizers of WGES made the announcement as the UAE joins the worldwide celebration of the United Nations International Youth Day marked August 12, 2018, in growing recognition of the need to engage the youth in decision-making processes and other activities that affect them.



Organized by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) and World Green Economy Organisation, WGES will highlight this year the Climate Innovations Exchange (Clix) initiative launched by the UAEs Ministry of Climate Change & Environment (MOCCAE) to provide a platform for young international green entrepreneurs to pitch ideas to investors.



This specialized session at WGES will discuss how Clix model has managed to attract hundreds of innovators and discuss the most appealing aspects of the winning ideas.



Clix conducts a global search for breakthrough innovations, attracting hundreds of applications from all over the world ahead of the official launch of the forum. At last years Clix, 27 finalists exhibited their inventions and met with investors, resulting in nearly half the finalists receiving funding pledges from investors, totalling more than $17.5 million.



WGES and Clix offer an opportunity to reinforce our commitment to support youth and underscore their role in achieving comprehensive sustainable development. WGES will also be an interactive platform to communicate with youth and know their opinions and views, build their capacities, unleash their creativity and engage them in building a better future for our country and the world , said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, vice chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Chairman of WGES.



Fahed Al Hammadi, acting assistant undersecretary for Green Development & Climate Change Sector at MOCCAE, said: The forum is an opportunity to interact with young entrepreneurs about clean tech opportunities and innovations in air pollution, clean mobility, and agriculture. It is for this reason that we invited shortlisted applicants to directly pitch their ideas to investors, successful entrepreneurs, and high-level government officials.



WGES through Clix serves as an ideal venue to encourage brilliant minds to come forward with their innovations and accelerate the global movement to a green economy. Inspired by its success this year, Clix has become an annual search. Clix will accept ideas in three new fields for the 2019 edition, namely sustainability in space, the future of energy, and innovation in agriculture and water. We are confident that we will receive a bigger number of entries next year, Al Hammadi added.



Set to take place from October 24 to 25 under the theme Driving Innovation, Leading Change, WGES 2018 will provide opportunities for knowledge sharing focusing on new technologies that drive the growth for a green economy, including improvements in energy efficiency, energy conservation and waste reduction.



WGES 2018 will focus on three main pillars, green capital, digital transformation, and leadership and social engagement. It will gather financial executives, investment professionals, and thought leaders to discuss ways to increase green capital flows into regional and global environment-friendly projects and how to de-risk those investments.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class facelift is more expensive than the outgoing version. Its pricing now lies between Rs 40 lakh (was Rs 39.90 lakh) and Rs 48.5 lakh (was 45.40 lakh) ex-showroom Delhi. The highlight of the updated C-Class has to be its 2.0-litre diesel engine, which can run on BSIV fuel but conforms to BSVI norms. Its also more powerful than the engine it replaces. How does the C-Class facelift compare against its rivals on paper after the update? We find out.

Dimension 2018 Mercedes C-Class Facelift BMW 3 Series Audi A4 Jaguar XE Length (In mm) 4686 4633 4726 4795 Width (In mm) 1810 1811 1842 1850 Height (In mm) 1442 1429 1427 1416 Wheelbase (In mm) 2840 2810 2820 2835

Longest : Jaguar XE

: Jaguar XE Widest : Jaguar XE

: Jaguar XE Tallest : 2018 Mercedes C-Class

: 2018 Mercedes C-Class Longest Wheelbase: 2018 Mercedes C-Class

The size chart reveals that the Jaguar XE will be the most imposing since its the longest and the widest of all cars in this comparison. But its the updated C-Class that takes the cake when it comes to overall height and wheelbase length. Both these dimensions might come together to make the C-Class cabin airier and more spacious than the others.

Diesel Engine

2018 Mercedes C-Class Facelift BMW 3 Series Audi A4 Jaguar XE Engine 2.0-litre 4-cylinder 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder 2.0-litre 4 cylinder 2.0-litre 4 cylinder Power 194PS/ 245PS 190PS 190PS 180PS Torque 400Nm/500Nm 400Nm 400Nm 430Nm Transmission 9-speed GTRONIC 8-speed steptronic 7-speed S tronic 8-speed Auto 0-100 kmph 6.9 secs/5.9 secs 7.2 secs 7.7 secs 7.8 secs

Most powerful: 2018 Mercedes C-Class

2018 Mercedes C-Class Torquiest : 2018 Mercedes C-Class

: 2018 Mercedes C-Class Fastest to a ton: 2018 Mercedes C-Class

The C-Class is available with a diesel engine only for now. The Mercedes has come out tops on all accounts in this test, at least in terms of claimed figures. It is the most powerful and quicker than its competition to reach 100kmph from standstill in both the engine configurations.

Features

Standard Equipment

Safety: These are all compact luxury sedans and their standard equipment list is quite comprehensive. Every car in this comparison is loaded with safety equipment like at least four or more airbags, ABS with EBD, tyre pressure monitoring system, traction control, ISOFIX anchorages, reversing camera and cruise control. While the C-Class gets adaptive brake lights and high beam assist over the others, it misses out on run-flat tyres which are unique to the 3 Series.

Comfort and convenience: Features like LED headlamps, multi-way electrically adjustable seats with memory setting, two to three-zone climate control, leather upholstery, push start/stop button and rain-sensing wipers come as standard on these sedans.

Technology: A touchscreen infotainment is a segment staple here, complemented by an intimate UI and sweet sounding audio unit.

Prices (Diesel)

Model 2018 Mercedes C-Class Facelift BMW 3 Series Audi A4 Jaguar XE Price (ex-showroom Pune) Rs 40 lakh to Rs 48.5 lakh Rs 39.8 lakh to Rs 45.3 lakh Rs 43.37 lakh to Rs 46.94 lakh Rs 40.47 lakh to Rs 46.99 lakh

Check out: Jaguar & Land Rover Cars To Get Made-In-India Engines Soon

Disclaimer: This article has not been edited by Deccan Chronicle and is taken from a syndicated feed. Photos: CarDekho.Helped by lower fuel prices over the past few years and rising travel demand, Indian carriers are now ruling the international skies.

New Delhi: Helped by lower fuel prices over the past few years and rising travel demand, Indian carriers are now ruling the international skies.

Domestic airlines IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air India have wrested the market share of international routes from global rivals in the last four years, steadily improving their standings. Together, they now control 39.1 per cent of business, up from 37 per cent in 2014-15, according to latest DGCA trade numbers (see chart for trends since 2014-15).

Experts predict that the climb would continue with the restrictive 5/20 rule now confined to the bin and new carriers planning maiden launches to new destinations.

Talking about reasons of growing market share of Indian carriers, ClubOne Air CEO and former India head of Qatar Airways Rajan Mehra said low-cost airlines such as SpiceJet and IndiGo have dramatically increased their international traffic rights in the last 3-4 years.

Earlier, foreign airlines used 90 per cent of the available bilateral traffic rights, for example on the Gulf routes, while utilisation from Indian side was only 30 per cent as only Air India flew, he said.

Now, the balance 70 per cent is being picked up by IndiGo, SpiceJet and other airlines. They plan to increase it in future so the graph for Indian carriers will keep on rising, Mehra added.

Expansion by local carriers on short-haul international routes like Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, Colombo and Saudi Arabia have contributed significantly to the rise in their market share on foreign routes. With the restrictive 5/20 rule now gone, Indian carriers share would further go up, said Dhiraj Mathur, partner and leader (aerospace & defence), PwC India.

Growing demand for international travel has aided Indian carriers to spread their wings. While budget carriers that offer attractive ticket fares have used their narrow-body jets like A320 and B737 to cover destinations in the Gulf and Far East they are set to add medium-haul routes in Europe after induction of wide-body airplanes.

Additionally, start-up carriers Vistara and Air Asia India are expected to start their international operations in winter. This would further help Indian carriers together beat their foreign rivals.

In the three-months quarter ending June this year, both foreign and Indian airlines together carried 15.7 million passengers, up 6.8 per cent compared to 14.7 million in the same period of 2017. There are 89 scheduled international carriers, 5 Indian and 84 foreign, that connect India with 56 countries through 325 routes.In an age of ever-increasing cyber frauds and attacks, one of the most sought after jobs is that of cyber security professionals. (Photo: Pixabay)

Chennai: In an age of ever-increasing cyber frauds and attacks, one of the most sought after jobs is that of cyber security professionals.

As the demand for the professionals are increasing from different sectors, supply is able to meet only one-tenth of the demand. The demand for professionals will touch 10 lakh by 2020, whereas the supply remains limited at 1 lakh.

In this age of data, it is imperative that data management and security be amongst the top priorities for large companies. Information is more vulnerable than ever, and stringent protocols, backed by solid defence technologies are being adapted to safeguard the companies from cyber attacks. Most governments are striving for digitalised economy, and this boosts the cyber security sector.

The country has witnessed a 10-15 per cent increase in demand for cyber security professionals across sectors. Demand for security professionals in India will increase in all sectors due to the unprecedented rise in the number of cyber attacks. Demand will be one million skilled people by 2020 and supply is less than one lakh currently, said Rituparna Chakraborty, president, Indian Staffing Federation.

A 2016 skill gap analysis from ISACA estimated a global shortage of 2 million cyber security professionals by 2019. The NASSCOM recently estimated that India alone will need one million cyber security professionals by 2020 to meet the demands of the economy. Despite having the largest information technology talent pool in the world, India is highly unlikely to produce an adequate number of professionals to close the security skills gap, said Shibani Patel, vice-presidentIndia business, Collabera.

Every industry needs an IT security professional, but some industries are in greater need of cyber security than others. Any company that operates online needs security support. As technology evolves, the scope for security breaches increases hand-in-hand as attackers constantly come up with newer ways to work across firewalls and security barriers.

Government offices are a hotspot for cyber security professionals with all the confidential and highly sensitive information they handle on a daily basis, especially in the defence domain. Governments everywhere are becoming extremely mindful of cyber attacks from terrorist groups, foreign entities or any other group looking to hurt the country or the government, or acquire privileged information, said Patel.

Banking and finance is another sector which immediately requires cyber security as the country has moved into digital banking and payments very fast. In case there is a security breach at the bank, not only the money but also the private information could get stolen. In such cases, the banks as well as the customers face the brunt of the breach, making it extremely important to employ as many security measures as one possibly can.

Healthcare and retail too are in the line of sectors that need the help of these professionals.Irrfan Khan is currently in UK for treatment for neuroendocrine tumour.

Washington D.C: Global star Irrfan Khan's 'No Bed of Roses' has entered the Oscars race.

The film has been chosen by Bangladesh as its Academy Awards entry under the foreign language category.

Also read: Not Raazi or Padmaavat, Village Rockstars picked as Indias official entry for Oscars

An India-Bangladesh co-production, the film premiered at the 2017 Shanghai film festival, Moscow film festival, Vancouver film festival, and Busan film festival, confirmed The Hollywood Reporter.

In the film, Khan essays the role of a successful film-maker, Javed Hasan, who faces a midlife crisis when he has a tryst with his daughter's childhood friend, Parno Mittra, causing a national scandal.

Also read: Irrfan Khan pulls out of another project after Sapna Didi, is the actor okay?

Irrfans spokesperson said, Irrfan is extremely happy to hear the news. It is an honour to be recognised by the jury and he is delighted that his film is getting the much deserved acknowledgement at long last.

Also read: After cancer jolt and four rounds of chemo, clarity has come as a lightning: Irrfan

Mostofa Sarwar Farooki said, Obviously I am happy because No Bed of Roses is representing Bangladesh at the Oscars. I hope the the film would find some love from the Academy voters. As for my collaboration with Irrfan, it would have been impossible to make this film without his involvement as an actor and co-producer! I share a wonderful relation with him, on and off the set. I call him poet and he jokingly corrects me saying "I m a poet with no words" In this film, he actually expressed so many things with very little help of words and I m glad to have collaborated with one of the finest actors of not just India but globally !!"

Bangladeshi actor Rokeya Prachi plays the role of his wife while Nusrat Imrose Tisha plays the role of his daughter.

The 91st Academy Awards will be held on February 24, 2019.Southern California Regional Rail Authority(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) -- A suspect has been detained for allegedly stabbing a man in the neck in an unprovoked attack at a Southern California Metrolink station, police said.



The suspect was caught on surveillance video at the time of the broad-daylight assault Sunday morning in Riverside, the Riverside Police Department said.



"After a brief verbal exchange," the knife-wielding suspect stabbed the 69-year-old man, police said. The suspect then fled the scene.



"He said, 'I've been hit. I've been hit.' He was holding his neck and I seen blood coming all down on his clothes," the victim's friend, Katrina, who had just dropped him off at the station, told ABC Los Angeles station KABC-TV.



"He was saying, 'I'm not going to make it... I'm not going to make it.' I said, 'Yes, you are Albert," she told KABC-TV.



The victim was hospitalized "in critical but stable condition," police said.



Riverside Police spokesman Ryan Railsback told ABC News Monday morning that a suspect has been detained. He declined to comment further.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach will be the first Filipino to have a wax figure displayed at the tourist-drawer Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong.

Wurtzbach has gone through measurement process with a team from London. She got a look at the different elements used in most wax figures and even goofed around with eyeballs and different hair colors.

Her wax figure will join those of celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Jackie Chan and Choi Siwon, in the famous museum in 2019.

Madame Tussauds General Manager Jenny You said the decision to add Wurtzbach to their roster of famous personalities was due to the clamor of the Philippine community living and visiting Hong Kong.

"Our Filipino guests have always been very important to us and we've always believed we should have a Filipino wax figure, so we're very pleased to have Ms. Pia Wurtzbach mark this milestone with us... With Pia's sweet, positive and fun personality, we really could not have imagined having anyone but her to represent the Philippines in this way," she said,

"More than being a queen, she has all the makings of an icon and we're proud to be able to house her wax figure." she added.

Since winning the Miss Universe crown in 2015, Wurtzbach has used her the spotlight to bring awareness to HIV/AIDS issues as UNAIDS ambassador.The upcoming edition of Seatrade Maritime Middle East will introduce a whole new session on smart shipping, focusing on unmanned vessels and autonomous logistics operations that are set to transform the way people and goods are being moved.



The motion titled This House believes that the shipping industry is not ready to embrace smart shipping follows the format of a Parliamentary Debate, on the opening day of the event.



The Seatrade Parliament Debate will bring together five leading figures from the regional shipping industry and from around the world to discuss fundamental questions such as what does the industry seek to achieve through capitalizing on new technologies; how real are the efficiencies they offer and what regulatory framework amendments would be needed prior to implementation.



Three debaters will speak for the motion and three against. This will be followed by a floor debate involving members of the audience and, following a summary of the arguments on both sides, a vote will be taken on the motion.



Chris Hayman, chairman of Seatrade, said: Smart technology holds immense potential to accelerate and enhance the future of the maritime industry. However, despite a range of benefits, the application of these technologies to shipping processes poses several challenges. Keeping pace with these developments, the upcoming Seatrade Parliamentary Debate seeks to examine the readiness of the regional shipping sector in incorporating smart technologies, and ways to navigate its associated challenges.



Jasamin Fichte, managing partner, Fichte & Co will chair the Debate and speakers for the motion will include Khalid Hashim, managing director, Precious Shipping; Ali Shehab Ahmad, deputy CEO, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC); and Captain David Stockley, COO, Oman Ship Management Company.



Rene Kofod-Olsen, CEO, Topaz Energy and Marine and Oskar Levander, SVP Concepts and Innovation, Rolls-Royce Marine will be speaking against the motion.



To be held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE, from October 29 to 31Seatrade Maritime Middle East 2018 will feature more than 150 exhibitors from the sector to attract a huge number of visitors including shipowners, ship operators, ship managers, charterers, superintendents, senior management and other industry professionals involved in the procurement of equipment and delivery of services within the maritime, offshore, oil and gas and ports industries to network and to explore new opportunities.  TradeArabia News ServiceIt was a huge leap of faith for American actor Reem Kadem to come to Kerala and play the lead in the bilingual Nawal the Jewel made in Malayalam and English. The film won her international recognition at various film festivals around the world. The icing on the cake was certainly her recent win as the Best Lead Actress in a festival at Amsterdam. She terms it as an accomplishment since it was her first official nomination and win as an actress.

She gushes, The film gained its own life and traction with the English version. It was decided that the English version would be the one we would showcase to the world. It was quite momentous. Being on the billboards was such a thrill. The fringe benefits have been immense too as she elaborates, I have had several filmmakers approach me for conversations on various projects they have going on. The film was nominated at The Gulf of Naples Independent Film Festival. It received four nominations at The Amsterdam International Filmmaker Festival. It was the winner of Best Cinematography at The Web dance Film Festival.

It has gained a lot of buzz in India too, including the Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Film, the Kerala State Film Awards for Best Makeup, the Calcutta International Cult Film Festival. Reem laughs and informs, The only one I attended so far has been the one at Amsterdam, since I was nominated for it. Looking back at the days when Reem shot for the film in both English and Malayalam, she recalls, Its pretty surreal since I spent over 4 months studying Malayalam; it was the hardest challenge of my entire career.

Reem tries to explain why the film has resonated with an international audience, In terms of content, people have been impressed because this is based on the life of Reyhaneh Jabbari, who was sentenced to death in Iran, after defending her life against an officer who tried to rape her. This kind of story is hitting home on a very deep level with people from all walks of life. I saw the reaction myself in the theater in Amsterdam and people were crying and just so touched by the journey of this story. The time is now for a movie like this, especially with the Me Too movement in full swing. If any film represents Me Too, its this one, she staunchly says.

She has been getting offers from Mollywood, but has not signed on the dotted line, There is one in particular film that has piqued my interest, a true story, but I havent confirmed anything She is in love with Kerala and says it is like a second home for her soul. I experienced a rebirth of sorts being there, which was unlike anywhere I had ever been in all my travels.

One aspect of the industry did not escape her notice, I had seen an all-male crew in my film but I hope that more women can be incorporated behind the scenes in Mollywood. Her immediate plans include acting in a Bollywood music video in which she is the only woman. She adds, The director and my co-star is a four-time Emmy nominee. I look forward to trying something I have never done, she ends.Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas, who is currently shooting for his upcoming film directed by Teja in Thailand, recently posted a picture on his social media with him sitting on an elephant.

Sharing the picture, the actor wrote, Shooting in #thailand with natures great masterpiece, an #elephant (sic).

However, what got everyone riled up was the fact that the actor was sitting on the tusks of the elephant. Many were irked not only by his insensitive gesture, but also for then sharing the picture on social media. People started trolling and slamming him for both his act and the picture, terming it as cruelty towards animals.

The untitled film features Kajal Aggarwal as the female lead.

HT04A tapestry woven with gold and silver thread - one of Henry VIII's most treasured items he commissioned in the 16 century was recently discovered in Spain, the Daily Mail reported.

It is almost 20 ft wide and depicts the life of Saint Paul. The Tudor monarch in the 1530s displayed it in the Hampton Court, the king's seat of power.

Its Biblical subject had a strong political narrative, as it was commissioned at the time of the Act of Supremacy, an English act of Parliament that recognised Henry VIII as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Before the act was in place, the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church was recognised as the head of the English Church.

Lost Henry VIII Saint Paul tapestry woven with gold and silver thread is found in Spain https://t.co/vmtOsV235f pic.twitter.com/gSJkS1NDuJ  Siglov Freudivan (@DerangedRadio) September 23, 2018

Experts say the craftsmanship alone is a dead give away that it could only have been a royal commission. Tapestry experts Simon Franses and Thomas P Campbell, say it was one of his most prized possessions.

Henry VIII had a passion for tapestries and had a collection of almost 2,500 of them. Very few have survived over time. In the report, Franses described this particular one as "one of the most sumptuous and important Renaissance tapestries", while Campbell said it is "the Holy Grail of Tudor tapestry".

The Daily Mail quoted Franses as saying: "The tapestry provided Henry VIII with powerful and unequivocal Biblical authority from one of Christ's Apostles for destruction of anything seen as heathen or ungodly.

"This is the period of the sacking of the monasteries with widespread destruction. Around 1530, there were also specifically a series of proclamations on the destruction of 'heretical books'.

"Here he's basically saying 'I've got religious authority to do this'. He is a political figure and needs to justify and provide authority for the less palatable things that he's doing.

The St Paul tapestries were at the Hampton Court at Henry's death in 1547. Then in the 1670s Charles II used them as redecoration of Windsor Castle. They were last recorded in 1770 before vanishing into thin air.

Now, it is revealed that a Spanish dealer bought it in the 1960s and then sold it to a collector in Barcelona. It was sold again to an unnamed Madrid buyer who sent it to Britain to be conserved.

It will be on display for the public in October at S Franses in St James's London.Made in 1932, it comprises 11 sections, with a detachable center of ten diamonds that can be worn as a brooch. (Photo: AP)

Washington DC: Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle looked stunning in her Givenchy wedding gown, but who knew she secretly paid a tribute to her first date with Prince Harry using her 15 feet long veil?

In a sneak peek from the upcoming HBO documentary Queen of the World, Markle revealed the special significance behind a "piece of blue fabric" stitched inside, reported PEOPLE.

She said, "Somewhere in here there's a piece of blue fabric that's stitched inside - it was my something blue. It's fabric from the dress that I wore on our first date."

Designed by Clare Waight Keller from French fashion house Givenchy, Markle had worn a boat-necked, pure white silk gown, with a 15 feet veil embroidered with flowers. The veil was made of silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza.

The embroidery took hundreds of hours to complete, with workers washing their hands every 30 minutes to keep the tulle and the threads pristine.

Markle's veil was held in place by Queen Mary's diamond bandeau tiara, which was loaned to her by Queen Elizabeth II.

Made in 1932, it comprises 11 sections, with a detachable center of ten diamonds that can be worn as a brooch.

Last month, it was reported that Markle is all set to put her wedding gown on display.

The former actor had a 'fairytale' wedding with Prince Harry at the Windsor Castle on May 19, with tens of thousands of people lining the route.The police were informed by the victim's father about the incident. (Representational Image | Pixabay)

New Delhi: A 22-year-old man lost almost half of his tongue after his pregnant wife deliberately bit it off while kissing him, the police said Sunday.

The incident was reported from outer Delhi's Ranhola on Saturday night.

Locals said that the woman was not happy as she felt her husband was not good-looking.

The couple had compatibility issues and had regular fights, the police said, adding the husband is a street artiste.

He had an altercation with his 22-year-old pregnant wife and they later patched up. And the next time she kissed him she bit almost half of his tongue off, they added.

The police were informed by the victim's father about the incident.

The man underwent a surgery at Safdarjung Hospital but doctors said it is difficult to say whether he will be able to talk again, according to the police.

The woman is eight months pregnant and has been detained, they added.

The couple got married on November 20, 2016.Speaking to DC, A.S. Santosh, the president of the Legal Rights Protection Forum who lodged a complaint also alleged that the foreigner, Pardington Israel had also insulted the national flag in his advertisement pamphlets.

Hyderabad: A foreign national from Zimbabwe who was supposed to attend and preach about religious healing at different venues in Hyderabad was booked by the Begumpet police as he was violating a provision that is listed wherein foreigners cannot hold religious events and evangelical meetings.

Speaking to DC, A.S. Santosh, the president of the Legal Rights Protection Forum who lodged a complaint also alleged that the foreigner, Pardington Israel had also insulted the national flag in his advertisement pamphlets. The police cancelled Israels programmes and began an investigation.The second person is a woman identified as Sujatha from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh who also had a fake passport and was attempting to leave for Kuwait. (Representional Image)

Hyderabad: Two persons from Andhra Pradesh were held by immigration officials at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport as they attempted to leave the country on fake visas to seek employment in Muscat and Kuwait.

The RGIA police arrested the two and remanded them to judicial custody. RGIA sub-inspector Venkateshwarlu said Totu Mondal of Visakhapatnam was intercepted by immigration officials when he attempted to leave the country.

He was booked on a flight to Muscat and was in possession of a fake employment visa, which was given to him by an agent.

The second person is a woman identified as Sujatha from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh who also had a fake passport and was attempting to leave for Kuwait. She was detained and handed over to the RGIA police on Sunday.Kerala CMO has also instructed the State Disaster Management Authority and district authorities to be on alert and take necessary precautions. (Photo: File | PTI)

Kochi: Nearly a month since devastating rains and floods wreaked havoc in Kerala, killing 488 people, the Met department has once again predicted heavy rainfall in five districts between September 25 and 26 and has issued a yellow alert.

The office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Met department has issued a yellow alert for Idukki and Wayanad districts for both September 25 and 26 and has predicted heavy rainfall between 64.4mm to 124.4mm.

Yellow alert has been issued for Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Wayanad districts for September 25. In addition, a yellow alert has been issued for Palakkad, Idukki, Thrissur and Wayanad districts for September 26, Kerala CMO said.

Yellow alert for Pathanamthitta, Idukki & Wayanad districts for 25th. In addition, yellow alert has been issued for Palakkad, Idukki, Thrissur and Wayanad districts for 26th. Met Centre has predicted heavy rainfall (64.4mm to 124.4mm) in these districts.  CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) September 23, 2018

Red alert warns of heavy rainfall, while yellow denotes heavy rainfall at isolated places. A green alert is for light to moderate rainfalls.

Additionally, the Kerala CMO has also instructed the State Disaster Management Authority and district authorities to be on alert and take necessary precautions.

The hilly district of Idukki which has the largest arch dam in Asia and whose shutters were opened on August 9 after 26 years bore the brunt of the flood fury with the maximum number of deaths.Araku MLA, Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former Araku MLA, Siveri Soma sail on country boats at a lake near Dumbriguda during their recent visit in Araku Constituency.

Hyderabad: Following the killing of Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Somu by Maoists in Andhra Pradesh, the Telangana state police has put the bordering areas of the Telugu state on high alert and asked the superintendents of police to be vigilant.

With Greyhound teams and Central Reserve Police Force combat-ready in Maoist-affected areas, the top cops of the state held a meeting in the police headquarters, hours after the killing of the politicos in the neigbouring state.

Director General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy held a meeting with Intelligence and Special Information Bureau officials at his office on Sunday and reviewed the situation in the Maoist-affected areas in Telangana state and also in the bordering areas like Khamm-am, Bhadrachalam, Kotha-gudem, Bhupalapally, Ramagundam, especially in the the Kaleshwaram area.

The police claims to have alerted and advised public representatives campaigning in tribal and Maoist-affected areas ahead of the state elections. The incident that took place just 15 km from the Odisha border in AP may have no effect on the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

A senior police official said, We have advised politicos to be alert during campaigns and visit remote areas under police security. So far there is no specific alert in the state from the intelligence, but we have taken all the necessary precautionary measures.

Responding to a query, the official said, We are providing security cover to leaders irrespective of the threat perception. No additional security cover is given to any political leader as adequate measures are already in place. Greyhounds teams and CRPF are all ready to prevent infiltration of the Maoists into the state. There are a few areas in the Northern Telangana region alongside the Godavari, but our combing parties are on the job.

Meanwhile, condemning the AP incident, TS home minister Nayani Narsimha Reddy said Following the incident of attacks on the MLA and ex-MLA in AP, the state police are on high alert. The leaders who are on election campaign in the tribal and remote areas are given security. No leader in the state has a threat from the Maoists.Hassan: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Sunday said that State BJP president and former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa had a grudge against his family andwanted Mr Yeddyurappa to learn lessons from former PM and BJP leader A.B. Vajpayee.

The grudge could be because of the denial of support to Mr Yeddyurappa when it was his turn to become CM of a JDS-BJP coalition government in 2007. Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy became Chief Minister with the support of the BJP in 2006 and as per the arrangement between the two parties, Yeddyurappa was to assume charge as CM afer Kumaraswamy but the JD(S) imposed several conditions for Yeddyurappa to continue as CM which infuriated him and made him resign.The grudge started with this, he explained.

At a function in Hassan, Mr Gowda told the gathering that Mr Yeddyurappa hurriedly took oath as Chief Minister again a few months ago despite having the support of only 104 MLAs clearly falling short of a majority on the floor of the Assembly while the JD(S)-Congress coalition had 118 MLAs after the 2018 elections. When Yeddyurappa failed to prove his majority, his son H D Kumaraswamy became Chief Minister but the grudge continued. Drawing a comparison with a similar scenario faced by Atal Behari Vajpayee in 1996, Gowda recalled that Vajpayee lasted 13 days in office as Prime Minister as he could not prove his majority in the House and had to step down.

I was PM for 10 and a half months and Vajpayee was in the Opposition but he never brought disrepute to the House or came in the way of the running of the government. Mr Yeddyurappa hails from such a party, Mr Gowda said while asking the BJP chief to behave properly and not nurse a grude against the Deve Gowda family just because he could not remain in power.Japan-based Nikon, a leading innovators in camera equipment, recently unveiled its most-awaited full-frame mirrorless Z series.



Perfected for capturing state-of-art images, Nikon Z7 and Z6 with its complete silent operation, is sure to appeal to all photographers, said a statement from the company.



Launched with much fanfare at Zaabeel Studio in Dubai, UAE, the Nikon Z series saw a grand gathering celebrating the finest engineering in the photography landscape, it said.



Narendra Menon, managing director, Nikon Middle East, said: The Z series is a product of great research and thought. We wanted to create a product that would become an ally and work as diligently as our photographers do.



Z series has been designed to give photographers an ease in operation with the finest that Nikon has to offer in camera technology, he said.



The buyers of Z series will have an advantage with Nikon Premier Member program (NPM), getting a chance to explore the excellent optical output facilitated by the entire Z series. Through NPM programme the possessors of mirrorless Z series will be able to explore our finest engineering under the supervision of our companys trained photographers at the photography excursions, he added.



On the launch, Marsel van Oosten, a renowned nature and wildlife photographer, said: The Z7 is exactly what Ive been waiting for. With a beefy grip and Nikons famous ergonomics, the camera feels familiar and well-balanced.



Its compact and lightweight, and the image quality rivals that of my DSLRs - and more: the new S-lenses offer amazing edge to edge sharpness. For all my landscape trips or whenever space and weight come at a premium, the Z7 will be in my camera bag, he added.



Stephen Segal, a celebrated fashion photographer, said: The new additions to the companys already impressive lineup are a true testament to the companys commitment to photographers and the pursuit of innovative relevant technology.



As a traveling fashion and wedding photographer it is imperative to have a camera that is versatile, light weight, portable, durable, fast and has the quality to back it up. This range ticks off all those check boxes. What more could you ask for, he added.



In the opening remarks, Ali Essa, personal photographer of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of Dubai Executive Council and owner of Zaabeel Studio, said: The mirrorless cameras are inherently more convenient owing to their size and weight.



When we factor in Nikons cutting-edge engineering, we have a winner in our hands. The company gets the formula for convenience and quality with these additions. They will no doubt become the medium for great works of art, he added.  TradeArabia News ServiceSurjewala told reporters that Modi should answer questions raised on corruption in Rafale deal and other issues and not teach lessons to its leaders on nationalism. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of deflecting the country's attention from key issues like "corruption" in the Rafale deal by raising the issue of Pakistan.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala charged that "an unnerved, frustrated and worried Modi government is now seeking shelter of Pakistan to deflect attention of the country" as it was faced with corruption "exposed" in the Rafale scam.

He told reporters that Modi should answer questions raised on corruption in Rafale deal and other issues and not teach lessons to its leaders on nationalism.

The Congress leader charged that every time demonetisation-like "disaster" happens and people suffer, Modi remembers Pakistan.

"Every time a Mehul Choksi or 'chhota Modi' Nirav Modi runs away with India's money, the Modi government remembers Pakistan. Every time a bank scam where government is guilty, the Modi government remembers Pakistan".

"Now that Rafale scam has exposed rampant corruption, the Modi government is again seeking shelter behind Pakistan. Please answer questions of the nation for the nation seeks accountability from you Prime Minister. We want to ask certain questions to the PM," he said.

Surjewala also took a dig at Modi for his "sari-shawl diplomacy" saying it was done when Pakistan was indulging in ceasefire violations.

"Was your love for Pakistan not apparent when you were indulging in sari -shawl diplomacy as Pakistan was doing ceasefire violations and killing our soldiers. Was it not your love for Pakistan Modi ji when you had gone as an uninvited guest to Pakistan as Pakistan attacked our Pathankot airbase," he asked.

"Was it not your love for Pakistan when you invited the dreaded ISI who is the harbinger and protector of terrorists who come to India every day from Pakistan soil, when you invited them to investigate the Pathankot airbase attack and the same ISI went back and accused India of killing its own soldiers," he queried.

"Was it your love for Pakistan when you formed a government in J&K with PDP and in presence of our Prime Minister, the PDP chief minister thanked not people of India or J&K not Indian army or election commission but they thanked Pakistan and the separatists."

He also asked whether it was his love for Pakistan when a leader, whom the Congress alleged belonged to the BJP IT cell of Madhya Pradesh, was caught spying for the ISI.

"Was it your love for Pakistan when your deputy CM Nirmal Singh in J&K publicly said that Burhan Wani the terrorist would not have been killed by security forces had they known that the terrorist was inside? Was it your love for Pakistan when Modi government proceeded to invite Asiya Andrabi as the poster girl for 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'. So the connection of terrorists with BJP is well known. Don't preach us lessons on nationalism. We have served this country with our own blood. The history of this country is written with the blood of Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sardar Beant Singh, Nand Kumar Patel and many many others. Answer the questions don't deflect," he told reporters.Five nuns had protested for 13 days near the Kerala High Court in Kochi demanding the arrest of Mulakkal who has been accused of repeatedly raping a nun. Sister Lucy had expressed her solidarity for the protest which garnered support from various quarters. (Photo: ANI)

Wayanad: Church authorities have withdrawn all disciplinary actions against Sister Lucy Kalapura, a nun who had on Sunday alleged that she was expelled from her religious duties in the parish for supporting protest in the case in Ernakulam.

Sister Lucy Kalapura who belongs to the Syro Malabar Catholic Church had on Sunday alleged that she was asked to keep away from church duties owing to her involvement in a protest by nuns in Kochi to demand that rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal be arrested.

Also read: Kerala nun told to stay away from church duties for protests against bishop

Five nuns had protested for 13 days near the Kerala High Court in Kochi demanding the arrest of Mulakkal who has been accused of repeatedly raping a nun. Sister Lucy had expressed her solidarity for the protest which garnered support from various quarters.

The nun said that she was asked verbally by the Mother Superior to keep away from holding catechism classes, conducting prayers and other church-related duties. No explanation was given to her for the decision and the restraint message from the vicar was conveyed to her through the Mother Superior, she added.

According to media reports, the Mananthavady diocese had recommended disciplinary action against Sister Lucy three months ago for allegedly posting some statements against the church on social media, for purchasing a car through a loan and not wearing the nun's attire at a public function.

However, Sister Lucy denied the charges, saying the restraint order against her was only for participating in the protests at Kochi.

Also read: 'Explain my mistake': Kerala nun expelled from duties for protest against bishop

Taking a jibe at the church authorities, the nun asked why no such immediate action was taken to support the nun who was allegedly raped by the former Jalandhar bishop.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal has been accused by a nun of repeatedly raping her between 2014 and 2016. On Monday, he remanded to a 12-day judicial custody by a magistrate court in Kottayam district.

Mulakkal was produced before the court after completing his two-day police custody. The court remanded him to judicial custody till October 6.

(With inputs from Agencies)The choice of Reliance for a highly strategic contract to upgrade India's ageing fleet of fighter jets had surprised all as the group had no previous experience in the aeronautics industry. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: The ongoing Rafale fighter jet deal controversy that has sparked a row among political parties in India has created new ripples internationally as well.

The French government reportedly said on Sunday that it feared damage to its relations with India after former French President Francois Hollande stirred controversy about a Rafale fighter jet deal, news agency AFP reported.

Hollande, who left office in May 2017, had on Friday said that the French government's 2016 deal with India had no say in choosing the Anil Amabani-led Reliance Defence as the offset partner of Dassault Aviation for the manufacture of the Rafale jets.

The Narendra Modi government signed an agreement to buy 36 Rafale jets from Dassault, which later announced that it had decided to partner with Reliance Defence rather than the public defence conglomerate Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL).

The statement by the former French president Francois Hollande that Dassault "did not have a say in it" triggered massive slugfest in India, as it strengthened the opposition claims that the Modi government had intervened to favour Anil Ambani at the cost of HAL.

"I find these remarks made overseas, which concern important international relations between France and India, do not help anyone and above all do not help France," junior foreign minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said in a interview on Radio J on Sunday about Hollande.

"Because one is no longer in office, causing damage to a strategic partnership between India and France by making remarks that clearly cause controversy in India is really not appropriate," Lemoyne said.

Notably, Hollande made the comments to defend himself from accusations of a conflict of interest in the Rafale deal as the Reliance conglomerate had partially financed a film that had been produced by his girlfriend Julie Gayet, in 2016.

The choice of Reliance for a highly strategic contract to upgrade India's ageing fleet of fighter jets had surprised all as the group had no previous experience in the aeronautics industry.

At a press conference, Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked the government over the revelation. "An ex-president of France is calling him (the prime minister of India) a thief. It's a question of the dignity of the office of the prime minister."

As the controversy grew bigger, Dassault Aviation released a statement saying that the company had chosen to partner with Reliance Defence instead of HAL.

On Sunday, Finance Minister Arun Jailtley said that the deal would not be scrapped due to the allegations and said that the statements by Opposition leaders in France and India could perhaps be orchestrated.Hyderabad: Over 17,000 personnel from the Hyderabad police were deployed to oversee the immersion procession and move things along, together with NCC cadets and NSS volunteers on the Hussainsagar stretch on Sunday.

Also, on the ground were 13 units of the anti-Maoist Greyhounds, two units of the terror-buster Octopus on the immersion routes.

Apart from this, emergency teams like Vajra vehicles, gas squad and quick response teams were also stationed at the immersion centres. Bomb disposal squads, sniffer dogs were deployed at some of the more famous Ganesh pandals.

Director General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy and other top officials including Mr Avinash Mohanty and Ms Shikha Goel monitored the procession at the control centre that was receiving feed from CCTV cameras along the entire length of the immersion.

Emergency response teams were stationed at strategic locations. They were deployed based on previous experience of Ganesh bandobast and knowledge of sensitive and hypersensitive areas, an official said. Government, police and civic body officials had held meetings with the Ganesh Utsav Samiti to ensure that the procession moved along swiftly.

The command control at the state police headquarters received CCTV feed from major towns to enable monitoring on a real-time basis. Besides this, the idols were geotagged, said Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar.

The DGP asked people not to believe in social media rumours.Mulakkal was produced before the court after completing his two-day police custody. (Photo: File)

Kottayam: Roman Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal, arrested on charges of repeatedly raping a nun, was on Monday remanded to a 12-day judicial custody by a magistrate court in Kottayam district.

Mulakkal was produced before the court after completing his two-day police custody. The court remanded him to judicial custody till October 6.

The clergyman has been shifted to the sub-jail in Pala after completing his medical examination at a government hospital there.

On Sunday, the bishop was taken to the St Francis Mission Home in Kuravilangad, where he had allegedly raped the nun, to reconstruct the crime scene.

In its remand report submitted in the court, police had said the nun was subjected to rape and unnatural sex 13 times by the accused at the guest house of St Francis Mission Home between 2014 and 2016.

In her complaint to the Kottayam police in June, the nun had alleged that the priest raped her at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May 2014 and later sexually exploited her on several occasions. The nun had said she approached the police as church authorities did not act on her repeated complaints against the clergyman. However, the bishop has denied the charges.Vijayawada: The Congress has claimed that it had adhered to the demand for Special Category Status for AP, and had been agitating for the past four years for the Centre to extend it to the state. The party reiterated that it would extend SCS to AP immediately if it came to power.

Congress Rajya Sabha member K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao addressing a press meet at Vijayawada on Sunday said AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had only recently adopted the slogan for political mileage while the Congress for the past four years had been agitating for the SCS.

Dr Ramachandra Rao asked Mr Naidu to support the Congress towards achieving SCS and fulfilment of bifurcation promises. He also recalled the statement of Mr Naidu about the Congress supporting the SCS demand.

Releasing a letter that he had written to Mr Naidu, Dr Ramachandra Rao alleged that the CM for the past four years had blamed the Congress for alleged unscientific bifurcation of united AP. He had said that there was a chance to amend the AP Reorganization Act or include other benefits and rights to residuary AP but never tried to do that, Dr Ramachandra Rao said. He claimed that Mr Naidu wrote letters on August 18, 2008, January 5, 2011 and on December 27, 2012m demanding formation of Telangana state but was now cheating the Andhra public by hiding facts.

Dr Ramachandra Rao said that the Congress had several times appealed Mr Naidu to support its SCS agitation on the lines of Jallikattu agitation in Tamil Nadu but he and the Telugu Desam leaders had ridiculed the protests. Mr Naidu had now changed his opinion which wsa objectionable, the Congress MP said. He said that he had introduced a private member's Bill for SCS and fulfilment of bifurcation promises in the Rajya Sabha with the support of 14 political parties but the TD had never support his effort.

He said that TD government registered had cases against Congress leaders and activists for staging protests and agitations for SCS. Dr Ramachandra Rao opined that there is no use of SCS protests by TD as Prime Minister Narendra Modi would never accept it, and asked Mr Naidu to support Congress which was capable of giving SCS.Lucknow: Under attack from the Congress on Rafale fighter aircraft deal, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that following "clarifications" from former French president Francois Hollande, there is no room for any doubt in the matter.

He also accused the Congress of trying to gain political mileage over the issue with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections next year. "The opposition does not have any issue left so it is raking up Rafale deal issue," the home minister told reporters after a meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Lucknow.

"After clarifications from Hollande there is no room for any doubt about the deal. The Congress is making it an issue to gain political mileage in 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Singh said.

Hollande, who was French president when the Rs 58,000 crore deal was announced, was quoted as saying by French publication 'Mediapart' that France was given "no choice" on selection of the Indian partner for Dassault and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance as offset partner for the French aerospace giant.

AFP reported that Hollande told it on the sidelines of a meeting in Canada on Friday that France "did not choose Reliance in any way". When asked whether India had put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Hollande said he was unaware and "only Dassault can comment on this".

The Centre on Saturday had asserted that it did not have any role in the selection of Reliance Defence as a partner for Dassault while France said it was in "no manner" involved in the choice of any Indian industrial associate for the contract.

On Kashmir issue, Singh said, "I think the matter will be resolved. The problem is not increasing. We are ready to talk to everyone. As far as terrorism is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination."

"Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored," he said.

About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the home minister said that out of 22 points, 20 have been resolved, adding in the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues were discussed of which 428 were resolved.

Besides Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand chief ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivedra Singh Rawat respectively, the meeting was attended by representatives from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well.

The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The council's meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any.

Five Zonal Councils -- central, western, northern, southern and eastern -- were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.Gajendra Shekhawat dragged the Gandhi family into the intensifying political row over the fighter aircraft deal, alleging that the UPA government had called off the multi-billion USD deal after a private company linked to Vadra was not chosen as a broker. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi is involved in a "conspiracy, internationally" and former French President Francois Hollande is part of the "nexus" to sabotage the Rafale deal, the BJP alleged Monday, claiming that the Congress chief wants it scrapped to help a firm linked to his brother-in-law Robert Vadra.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat dragged the Gandhi family into the intensifying political row over the fighter aircraft deal, alleging that the UPA government had called off the multi-billion USD deal after a private company linked to Vadra was not chosen as a broker.

At a press conference, he named a private firm and claimed its owner had been working with Vadra. These allegations have been denied by Vadra.

He also hinted at Pakistan's role in the conspiracy, saying one of its leaders, former interior minister Rehman Malik, has even tweeted that Gandhi will be the next Indian prime minister. Referring to Hollande's reported comments that the Indian government had proposed Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as a partner for Dassault Aviation for the Rafale deal, he said, "How Rahul Gandhi and he are linked as a part of nexus, and are trying to sabotage the deal needs to be understood."

There is a conspiracy to get the deal scrapped, defame the country and lower the morale of Indian Air Force, Shekhawat alleged. Gandhi is doing a "conspiracy, internationally", he alleged.

Separately, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about an "international dimension" to Gandhi's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deal, and told reporters that Hollande's comments were not a coincidence.

Hollande had reported to have said last week that France had no say in an Anil Ambani-led company being chosen as an offset partner by Dassault, which manufactures Rafale, and India had proposed its name. He later clarified that he was not aware if India had put any pressure on France. In a no-holds-barred attack on the Congress, Shekhawat accused it of compromising national interest to protect Vadra and his friend's commercial interests.

Referring to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's statements in Pakistan long back that Narendra Modi needs to be removed as the prime minister, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra drew a parallel between the opposition party and Pakistani leaders, saying "both want Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed from Indian politics".

He read out tweets attacking Modi posted by Pakistani leaders, including its Prime Minister Imran Khan and present and former ministers, and said it looked like they have been campaigning for Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

"Some people want Gandhi to become a big leader in India. Who are they? They are Pakistani leaders, and also those who stand for corruption, dynasty and politics of appeasement," Patra told reporters.

The Congress and Pakistan have this commonality that they have "frustration" with Modi, and their "only aim is to remove Modi anyway from Indian polity", he claimed.

One of the tweets he quoted was posted by Rehman Malik, former interior minister of Pakistan, who said Rahul Gandhi would be the next Indian prime minister and Modi is scared of him.A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, had reserved its verdict on August 28 and is slated to pronounce the verdict tomorrow. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce its verdict Tuesday on a batch of pleas raising a question whether lawmakers facing criminal trial can be disqualified from contesting elections at the stage of framing of charges against them.

Presently, lawmakers are barred under the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act from contesting elections only after their conviction in a criminal case.

A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, had reserved its verdict on August 28 and is slated to pronounce the verdict tomorrow. The bench, also comprising Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, had earlier indicated that voters have a right to know the antecedents of candidates and the Election Commission could be asked to direct political parties to ensure that persons, facing criminal charges, do not contest on their tickets using their poll symbols.

The Centre has contended that the judiciary should not venture into the legislative arena by creating a pre-condition which would adversely affect the right of the candidates to participate in polls as there was already the RP Act which deals with the issue of disqualification.

The apex court had observed earlier that persons facing criminal charges would be free to contest, but they cannot do so on a party ticket under its election symbol.

Referring to the concept of presumption of innocence until a person is proven guilty, the Centre had argued that depriving a person from contesting elections on a party ticket would amount to denial of the right to vote, which also included the right to contest. It had said that the courts will have to presume innocence in view of the fact that in 70 per cent cases, accused are being acquitted.

Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for Centre had said that Parliament has made a distinction between an accused and a convict and there has been a provision for disqualification in the Representation of Peoples Act upon conviction of a lawmaker. The Election Commission of India had taken a view which was apparently opposite to the Centre and said the recommendations for decriminalising politics were made by the poll panel and the Law Commission way back in 1997 and 1998, but no action was taken on them.

It exhorted the court to issue the direction in the matter besides asking Parliament to make the suitable law. The bench was hearing the PILs filed by NGO 'Public Interest Foundation' and BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.The woman alleged that she and her family have been threatened for protesting against the rape-accused bishop. (Representational Image | Arun Chandrabose)

Kochi: The sister of Kerala nun who has accused Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her has filed a police complaint alleging that she and her family have received life threats.

She said that they have been threatened for protesting against the rape-accused bishop.

In her complaint, the woman named Thomas Chittuparamban and Unni  relatives of the bishop  of threatening her and her family.

Due to hatred, brothers of Franco filed fake complaints against me. Thomas Chittuparamban, a relative of Franco, threatened to cause danger to my son and brother. One of his relative named Unni took a photo of me protesting and later threatened me, the woman was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

She also asked the Kerala police to provide protection for life and property amid the threats.The Waterfront Market, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ithra Dubai and Lulu Group, a leading retail chain in the region, have signed an agreement to open an anchor outlet in Dubai, UAE in January 2019.



The Lulu Hypermarket will be spread across 55,000 sq ft of retail space within the Waterfront Market and provide customers and the Deira community with a wide range of competitive and quality home products.



The Waterfront Market is a world-class purpose-built facility spread over 120,000 sq m. The largest facility for fresh food markets in the region consists of dedicated sections for fish and seafood; fruit and vegetables; meat and poultry; and spice and dry goods markets in addition to an array of F&B and retail offerings.



Located at the intersection of Al Khaleej Road and Abu Hail Street on the Deira Corniche overlooking the Deira Islands, the market provides the ideal location for Lulu Hypermarket to reach its loyal customers, a statement said.



Issam Galadari, CEO of Ithra Dubai, said: Our partnership with Lulu Group is a major new development which serves to position both brands as the ideal family shopping destination. Waterfront Market is keen to continue providing our growing number of shoppers with a range of choices that will complete their home shopping lists under one roof.



The retail sector remains one of the most robust markets in the region and we are strategically positioned to offer product quality and variety at the best market value while improving our visitors shopping experience.



The UAEs consumer goods market consisting of fresh and packaged food, home appliances, and garments, among many others, witnessed 37 per cent growth during Q4, 2017 and market analysts have noted that the trend will remain steady in the coming years. The value of retail sales in the Emirate of Dubai alone is projected to soar up to Dh160.7 billion ($43.7 billion) by 2021 with an average growth of 5.6 per cent from 2018 to 2021.



Lulu Group is one of the regions fastest growing retail chains with more than 150 stores spread across the GCC, Egypt, India, and Far East. Lulu Group has built a reputation for its wide variety of quality brands sourced throughout the world that meet the diverse retail needs of various communities in the UAE and the region. The retail chain has a strong consumer following and is expected to increase the Waterfront Markets footfall significantly.



Yusuff Ali MA, chairman and managing director, Lulu Group International, noted: Lulu Group has been strategically investing in key locations globally where it can best serve its diverse markets. Our partnership with the Waterfront Market serves our loyal customers at the heart of Deira, where we have established one of our earliest shopping centres. Our new hypermarket shares its mission with the Waterfront Market to provide discerning shoppers with quality products.



The new hypermarket makes a wide variety of essential household products easily accessible to Waterfront Market consumers. This will prove to be a welcome addition to its distinctive fresh food offerings, making home shopping easier under one roof. The market has dedicated sections for fish and seafood, fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, and dry goods.



The hypermarkets shoppers will be effectively served by the comfort, convenience and cleanliness that the Waterfront Market provides. This includes ample underground and outdoor parking spaces, fully air-conditioned facilities, world-class hygiene standards and maintenance, as well as essential retail outlets including a pharmacy, money exchange, banks, and a host of cafes and restaurants situated by the promenade facing the sea.  TradeArabia News ServiceHyderabad: Telangana chose not to implement the Centres Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme launched Sunday for the time being citing a state scheme that covered nearly 80 lakh families, drawing flak from opposition BJP.

One of the reasons for not rolling out the scheme now was that Telangana would continue to implement its own Aarogyasri Health Scheme, which covers nearly 80 lakh families in the state, official sources said. We already have Aarogyasri scheme. As of now Telangana state has not participated in the (central governments) scheme, they said.

Asked when the Central scheme would be implemented in Telangana, the official said, As of now Aarogyasri scheme will continue, adding that Telanganas model of health coverage is a robust programme.

However, Dattatreya, in a open letter to Telangana care taker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Sunday described the state government's decision as a unilateral, undemocratic and autocratic one.

It is wrong to look at the scheme in political point of view but consider the benefits the poorer sections in the state might avail with it, the Secunderabad MP said in the letter adding KCR before taking a decision on the matter should have consulted the opposition parties.Stating that police negligence was responsible for the murders, tribals from parts of Dumbriguda mandal reached the police station, damaged the furniture and computers and set it on fire. (Representional Image)

Visakhapatnam: Irate locals ransacked and set fire to the Dumbriguda and Araku Valley police stations in Vizag Agency on Sunday after Maoists gunned down TD legislator Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma.

Sarveswara Rao belongs to the Valmiki section of tribals and Soma to the Kondadora group, both of which are powerful and dominant communities. Stating that police negligence was responsible for the murders, tribals from parts of Dumbriguda mandal reached the police station, damaged the furniture and computers and set it on fire.

Sources said the locals also damaged furniture in the Araku Valley police station, staged a massive protest and tried to attack the police personnel. A senior police officer on condition of anonymity said that the mob set fire to 60 vehicles and smashed furniture at both the police stations.

The police was outnumbered and did not take any action.

A tense situation prevailed in Vizag Agency and the locals demanding that collector Pravin Kumar and police officials explain how the two politicains were killed. The mob pelted stones, resulting in injuries to about five police officers.Hyderabad: Activists of the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad staged a protest in front of revolutionary writer Varavara Raos house in Gandhinagar alleging that he had a role in the killing of Araku MLA and a former MLA at Lipitiputtu in Andhra Pradesh and demanded his arrest.

Raising slogans against Rao, the activists questioned him for not making any comments when people from tribal areas in AP were killed by the Maoists. They said Rao always spoke about the rights of the tribals and human rights, but what happened now was very inhuman.

The activists alleged that Rao and other self-proclaimed intellectuals were the ones who were providing support to the people resorting to undemocratic acts.The matter was taken up in the permanent Lok Adalat recently. Following negotiations, the counsels of the insurer and petitioners agreed on Rs 1.80 crore as compensation for Selvakumars death.

Chennai: Unable to hold back her tears, the mother of an accident victim was overcome with emotion when the Chief Judge, Small Causes court ordered compensation of Rs 1.80 crore for the death of her son under Motor Accident Claim Tribunal.

The Chief Judge R. Selvakumar gave away the order copy to Vinobai, from Germany, on Monday. The mishap occurred when her son L. Selvakumar, 29, also a German citizen who was working in Barclays Banks Frankfurt branch in Germany, came to meet his family members in the State in 2009.

According to V . Rameshvel, counsel for the petitioners, Loganathan, a native of Chennimalai, Erode district, had settled in Germany and has been living there for more than three decades.

His son Selvakumar, born and brought up there, was employed as an executive in Barclays Bank, Frankfurt and was receiving a salary of Rs 3 lakh per month. Selvakumar would occasionally visit relatives in Erode, Tirchy and Dindigul.

He came to meet his relatives in 2009 and on November 21, 2009 he was proceeding to Dindigul from Tiruchy on a two-wheeler. A lorry, which came from behind, was being driven in a rash and negligent manner and rammed against his vehicle near Kamatchipuram cross road at Ottanchathiram.

In the impact, Selvakumar was thrown off the bike and sustained head injuries and died instantly. His body was flown to Germany and cremated there. In the petition, Loganathan and Vinobai sought a compensation of Rs 2 crore from th einsurer of the vehicle, Shriram General Insurance Company for death of their son. The aged couple came from Germany thrice to depose before the Small Causes court in Chennai.

The matter was taken up in the permanent Lok Adalat recently. Following negotiations, the counsels of the insurer and petitioners agreed on Rs 1.80 crore as compensation for Selvakumars death.

On Monday, Chief Judge, Small Causes court, R.Selvakumar issued the order copy to Vinobai and directed the insurance firm to give the amount to the couple within four weeks.

In the petition, Loganathan and Vinobai sought a compensation of Rs 2 crore from the insurer of the vehicle, Shriram General Insurance Company for death of their son. The aged couple came from Germany thrice to depose before the Small Causes court in Chennai.

The matter was taken up in the permanent Lok Adalat recently. Following negotiations, the counsels of the insurer and petitioners agreed on Rs 1.80 crore as compensation for Selvakumars death.

On Monday, Chief Judge, Small Causes court, R.Selvakumar issued the order copy to Vinobai and directed the insurance firm to give the amount to the couple within four weeks.A doctor working at Sterlite unit, Dr Kailasam, informed panel that the employees in plant at Thoothukudi not faced any health related issue due to the operation of the unit.

Chennai: Challenging State Government move to shut down the Sterlite Copper plant at Thoothukudi, the Vedanta group stated that closure order issued against its unit was arbitrary and violated norms.

The group on Monday stated this before the former Meghalaya High Court Chief Justice Tarun Agrawal, head of a three-member committee appointed by National Green Tribunal, New Delhi, to decide Vedantas plea challenging closure of Sterlites copper plant at Thoothukudi by the State Government. Over 45,000 representations from local residents were submitted before the committee in favour of the copper smelter, seeking of the government to reopen the plant.

A day after the committee inspected the Sterlite Copper Smelter plant in Thoothukudi, the panel led by Justice Agrawal conducted a hearing at Kalas Mahal, NGT, Southern Bench in Chennai.

The senior counsel appearing on behalf of the Vedanta Group submitted that the State Government issued a G.O. dated May 28, 2018 directing the TNPCB to seal the unit and close the plant permanently.

The closure order was issued without obtaining opinion of the company and it was arbitrary. The unit has been following all the norms of the TNPCB and other authorities.

It had not caused any pollution in the coastal town and not violated any provisions. After the closure, the government had not even allowed the management to remove the raw material, including sulphuric acid from the plant premises. He said the closure order affected livelihood of several thousand people in the town.

A doctor working at Sterlite unit, Dr Kailasam, informed panel that the employees in plant at Thoothukudi not faced any health related issue due to the operation of the unit. It was wrong to say that the plant was responsible for causing cancer among the local residents. He also submitted similar letters from his two predecessors.

M Esakkiappan, Public Relations Officer for unit, said they were not allowed to submit the representation to the panel when its members visited Thoothukudi on Sunday. Hence the people came to Chennai to submit the representation to the panel in person today. He said following the closure the livelihood of the people was severely affected. Fishing and agricultural activities not affected due to the operation of the plant.

He said we have received more than 45,000 representations from local residents, employees, contract workers, contractors, truckers associations, farmer associations and other stakeholders. All these were compiled and submitted before the panel now. Residents of Kumarettiyapuram, South Veerapandiapuram, Silverpuram, Thoothukudi town sent in letters supporting the plant.

After the hearing took place from 10.30 am to 2.30 pm, the MDMK leader Vaiko, told the media, "The Committee heard what the company had to say. Justice Agarwal may give a chance to the voices of those who have lost family members during the anti-Sterlite protests, farmers, fishermen and traders. Justice Agarwal agreed to hear our voices on October 5. He told the Committee that Sterlite is an environmental disaster.

The committee headed by Justice Agarwal and members - scientists Satish C Garkoti and H D Varalaxmi - had time to listen to Sterlite's arguments. The panel posted the matter to October 5 for further hearing.New Delhi: The controversy over the Rafale jet deal took a new turn on Monday when the ruling BJP dragged in UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhis son-in-law Robert Vadras name, alleging that the latter was keen to get the defence deal to help his arms dealer friend in procuring the deal which did not materialise and now the Congress is trying to take revenge by maligning the NDA government by alleging corruption in the deal.

The government also lashed out at the Congress President Rahul Gandhi, saying that his allegations had an international dimension which the government would expose and former French President Francois Hollande is part of the nexus to sabotage the Rafale deal. However, an unfazed Congress president continued his tirade against the NDA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, charging the countrys chowkidar Narendra Modi with snatching away money from the poor and handing it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

Mr Gandhi also asked the PM for answers on several issues relating to the Rafale jet fighter deal and also to clarify as to why the former French president Francois Hollande allegedly called him a thief. Dragging the Gandhi family into the controversy, Union minister and BJP leader Gajendra Shekhawat alleged that the UPA government had called off the multi-billion USD deal after a private company linked to Mr Vadra was not chosen as a broker.

Naming a private firm, Mr Shekhawat claimed that its owner had been working with Mr Vadra. Referring to Mr Hollandes reported comments that the Indian government had proposed Anil Ambanis Reliance Defence as a partner for Dassault Aviation for the Rafale deal, he said, How Rahul Gandhi and he are linked as a part of nexus, and are trying to sabotage the deal needs to be understood.

He alleged that there is a conspiracy to get the deal scrapped, defame the country and lower the morale of Indian Air Force. Calling the entire issue a perception battle, Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will fight it. This is a perception battle. We will fight this battle. Well go to places and state facts on record on Rafale. Congress designs to run a smear campaign against us at an international level, the minister said.Narsingi inspector, G.V. Ramana Goud, said Nimbavath Suresh, a resident of Ghode ki Khabar in Goshamahal had asked his friend Aindala Venu, 20, to accompany him to immerse the idol in the Musi in Manchirevula village. (Representional Image)

Hyderabad: An intermediate student and a rice mill worker from the city fell into river Musi and drowned when they went for Ganesh idol immersion on Sunday.

Narsingi inspector, G.V. Ramana Goud, said Nimbavath Suresh, a resident of Ghode ki Khabar in Goshamahal had asked his friend Aindala Venu, 20, to accompany him to immerse the idol in the Musi in Manchirevula village. Venu, a resident of Bahadurpura, was studying intermediate second year in a private college while Suresh was working at a rice mill. The duo left on a bike to Manchirevula and performed prayers at the Veerabhadra Swamy temple. They later went to immerse the idol and accidentally fell into the river, the inspector said.

The worried family members started searching for the duo as they did not return till evening. As Suresh has been visiting the same place for immersion for years, his family searched that area and informed the police after they found his bike.

With the help of professional swimmers from the Fire and Disaster Management Department, the bodies were fished out. The bodies were handed over to the respective families after an autopsy at Osmania General Hospital and a case of suspicious death has been registered, said the inspector.Thanneeru Harish Rao, senior leader of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), and one of its earliest members, instrumental in the formation of the party, played a crucial role in the long struggle for a separate state. He is minister for irrigation, marketing & legislative affairs and abounds with infectious energy and palpable optimism over the prospects of the TRS returning to power in the early elections caused by the early dissolution of the Assembly.

A nephew of Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), whom he calls his leader and boss, Mr Harish Rao had earlier served as a minister in the Congress government led by Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, between 2004 and 2005, and represents Siddipet as a legislator. A graduate of Kakatiya University, he is rated one of the best performing ministers in the KCR Cabinet. He has dismissed allegations that he is a rival to IT minister Mr Rama Rao, for the top post.

Speaking exclusively to Deccan Chronicle, Harish Rao, defends the record of his government, promises a house with running water for every inhabitant of the state, denies allegations that he may be sidelined, and declares full faith in the leadership of Mr Chandrasekhar Rao who he says will lead the party to a victory of 100 plus seats (out of 119) in the coming elections.



Why are we having early elections? Why did the TRS feel the need for dissolving the Assembly before it completed its tenure?

Like every decision taken by my leader and boss, KCR garu, this decision too was taken in the interests of the Telangana state and people. We found that opposition parties, especially the Congress, unable to tolerate the sustained popularity of our government, was increasingly trying to block our work by filing false cases in courts. It has been our endeavour since we came to power to run a government without political motivations - we had hoped all parties would support us in the first term after we achieved our own state after such a long agitation. But the hope was belied. Both people and government are very disappointed by the opposition. We wanted to stop this obstructionist agenda by going to the people, the highest authority in a democracy. Why is the opposition upset if their claims that we are a government losing popularity (are true)? They should welcome elections. Why are they afraid of going to the people and seeking a fresh mandate?

Since you have brought up the popularity you perceive your government enjoys, can you tell us how a slew of broken or unfulfilled promises, as the Congress calls them, make your government and Chief Minister popular? You did not make a Dalit a chief minister, nor give three acres of land for every Dalit and Tribal family, nor handed over two-bedroom houses, nor provided drinking water to every house, nor created a job for every family.

Not only has our party fulfilled all promises in the manifesto, but we have delivered over a hundred major additional programmes of welfare and development: Kalyana Lakshmi, Shaadi Mubarak, Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Beema to name a few. Did we promise them, or did anyone even demand we give it? Two-bedroom houses is an ongoing programme and everyone in Telangana knows that as soon as we come to power we shall start delivering. Look at the monies involved, we enhanced it significantly from Rs 3 lakh allocated by the Congress as part of the Rajiv Gruha programme, to now, where we have allocated over Rs 5 lakh in rural and semi urban areas, and over Rs 7 lakh in GHMC limits. Over 25 lakh houses are being constructed and we will start handing it over as soon as they are completed. People know that the TRS government led by KCR garu fulfils all promises. Everyone will in coming times have a house, and every house will have water.

Water has been an emotionally and politically important subject for Telangana state. You have played a crucial role in managing programmes like Mission Kakatiya. But as a government you have failed to deliver water for agriculture or drinking water to homes on par with your promises.

Let us compare the results delivered by the Congress for Telangana over several decades versus what KCR garu has delivered in four years. It is very significant to understand where the motivation comes from: for Congress, water was about elections and contracts. For KCR, as he travelled to every district, every mandal and village during the agitation, it became a cause, a mission in life, to change lives of people of Telangana. None of us thought of coming to power, it was enough to realise the dream of a separate state and live with dignity. We have a vision and commitment to add over one crore acre ayacut of irrigated land; we have so far brought over 14 lakh acres of land under irrigation with various new projects. Nothing has changed in terms of the goal. We have worked quickly and efficiently, even Central Water Commission chairman S. Masood Husain praised the work of our state. In Mission Kakatiya, a minor and small irrigation project, we have revived historic tanks and legacy water storage points so each village and mandal gets self-sufficiency. We restored over 45,000 tanks and lakes.

Why did the Kaleshwaram project run into controversy?

The only reason is the Congress, which wants to create controversy. For seven years under the Congress, since the time Dr YSR laid the foundation of what was then called the Pranahitha-Chevella project, the Kaleshwaram project did not get approval even when they (the Congress) had both State and Central governments. Why? Because their own government felt their design was faulty. We corrected it, got approvals from a Central government we are not part of, and started the work. Over 80 per cent of the work has been completed. You must realise the first year of this government was wasted in sorting out all pending bifurcation issues and setting a changed government approach in place. So we accomplished all this in around three years, despite constant cases by the Congress trying to misuse our honourable courts for their obstructionist agenda. So much of our time and effort was to just get approvals, clear issues in court and get permissions from the National Green Tribunal.

Drinking water for all was a very significant promise. How close is Mission Bhagiratha to bringing drinking water to every household?

It is a promise every citizen of Telangana state knows that KCR garu will deliver soon.

Your past electoral allies, the Congress and the Telugu Desam, are coming together to fight against you. Does that concern you, one, that you lose allies, and two, that they are now together?

We did not seek to only build TRS through various elections. In the past, we got into alliances strategically for building support for our cause of separate statehood. First the Congress, a national party, then the TD, a principal regional opposition party, were allied with us to ensure they gave open support to Telangana statehood. We also got 36 parties across India to support us. Having achieved our goal, since several bifurcation issues are pending, the Congress has made a mistake by becoming a partner of Amaravati boss Chandrababu Naidu. Why is the Congress compromising on interests of Telangana - for electoral gains? Which state will the TD support: Andhra or Telangana? the Congress has also compromised on the issue of dignity. These alliance candidates will lose their deposits.

You have a strange, friendly relationship with the BJP and the MIM at the same time. That contradiction, the opposition argues, is the reason for early elections.

We have friendly relations with the MIM. They supported us in the larger interests of the people and state. We have friendly relationship with the BJP-led Central government as it should be in a multi-party federalism. We need the Centre for various projects and supported them for the state. We have no alliance with the BJP, whom we continue to oppose politically.

Your party supported the One Nation, One Polls call by Narendra Modi. Yet, you are going ahead with an early election, whereas the former NDA ally, Chandrababu Naidu, who opposed it, will go to polls at the same time. Any reflections on the irony of this?

We supported the idea in the larger interest of the nation. Since they have not found it feasible, we are going ahead with early elections in the interest of the state. We are not concerned with what other parties do.

So, no special bond between the TRS and the BJP?

If we had, would they not have given us a single national irrigation project like they gave Polavaram to Andhra? Would we still be waiting for the High Court to be separated?

There are no women in the TRS inaugural Cabinet, which the Congress says exposes the anti-woman worldview of your party.

Factually, your observation is correct but the explanation is horribly wrong. We have the safest metros in India for women. We have made policies supporting women of all ages and sections of society. We have empowered them in all areas. Cabinet representation, though important, did not work out in the current political context and is not an area people bother much about. Telangana produces maximum number of women champions, in education, in sports, in all walks of life. Who drives the Hyderabad Metro?

Is the TRS getting closer to the BJP? Will you join the NDA post-Lok Sabha elections?

Our Chief Minister and party president has made it abundantly clear. We are a secular party. We are fighting the BJP in all elections. It is not my office to decide on alliances, which our party chief will take a call on in the larger interests of the state and people.

What if tomorrow your party chief decides to crown KTR (his son K.T. Rama Rao) as chief minister? Would you find the decision acceptable?

Without a doubt. I am a sincere and loyal TRS party worker. My boss is KCR garu. Whatever decision he takes, I will abide by it in the future as I have always done in the past. He takes decisions keeping the interests of the state, people and party in mind.

If K.T. Rama Rao is made the chief minister?

I will happily work in his Cabinet and gladly accept him as my Chief Minister if that is what KCR garu decides.

As a cabinet colleague how do you rate K.T. Rama Rao?

Excellent. He has not only delivered excellent results as a cabinet minister but has also won great acclaim and support for our cause and state in national and international fora. He is a great speaker and has given the party great leadership during all times.

Does Harish Rao have any personal ambitions?

I am here today because of my boss, KCR, and my commitment to the cause of Telangana. Achieving a separate state was the great personal ambition and I am happy. I am blessed to have such a good leader, who has reposed so much faith in me, and the love I have received from people.

If the Congress offers you a Chief Ministerial post maybe after the elections if the numbers are such..?

I will live my life and die in TRS.

How confident are you that your party will win?

KCR garu is the greatest leader of Telangana state. He will lead us to a victory of over 100 seats.New Delhi: The Central Information Commission on Monday stated that all classified records pertaining to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastris death should be placed before the Prime Minister and home minister to take call on their declassification. The directives were issued to the central public information officers of the Prime Ministers Office, External Affairs Ministry and Home Ministry on the plea of an RTI applicant seeking to know if autopsy was done on Shastri who had died on January 11, 1966 in Tashkent in a Soviet dacha.

The Commission directs... To place all those so-called classified papers before the Prime Minister and the home minister, who are recommended to consider the fundamental right to know and demand of the people... To declassify (the records) either through an expert committee or by any other process to get the mystery probed and resolved, Information commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said.

He also expressed surprise that there are no records with the Rajya Sabha pertaining to the Raj Narain Committee to look into Shastris death initiated during the Janata Party government in late seventies.

Parliament is known for meticulous maintenance of documents. Every word uttered in Parliament is recorded and kept in public domain, a humongous task the office is perfectly performing. Then how such a significant record disappeared, he said. Acharyulu recommended that the constitutional authorities in Parliament to probe or make efforts to secure the committee records. Peoples right to know the truth behind the death of Shastri cannot be brushed aside on the ground of Section 8(1)(a) en bloc. A committee of experts should be constituted to examine the need of declassification of such records, he said.

Shastri had died in Tashkent, hours after signing a declaration with Pakistan President Muhammad Ayub Khan post-1965 Indo-Pak war during talks moderated by Soviet Premier Alexei Keynoting. He reportedly died from a massive heart attack but questions were raised on the circumstances of his death on foreign soil when cold war was at its peak. The conspiracy theories were further fuelled after the central government started denying documents, under the RTI Act, related to his death calling them secret and disclosure prejudicial to the interests of the country.Chennai: The DMK asserted that it is engaged in attempts in preparing the people to dislodge the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and said it would dethrone the AIADMK government at an appropriate time.

Taking strong exception to BJP State president Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, for her remarks that the DMK could hardly shake the BJP government at the Centre when it could do precious little in Tamil Nadu, DMK propaganda secretary and MP Tiruchi Siva said his party had resolved to prevent saffronisation of the country and would achieve it with the support of the people.

We are preparing the people for it. We had said the Modi government is attempting to saffronise the country and did not make any personal reference to any leaders. Corruption is dominating the governance in Tamil Nadu. Our party presidents (MK Stalin) sole aim is to dislodge the AIADMK government and the AIADMK government will be dislodged at an appropriate time, he said. Speaking to reporters here on Sunday he said there was no need for the DMK to capture power through the back door.

Meanwhile, aiming to counter the AIADMK protest agitations targeting the party on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue on Sept.25, the DMK announced on Sunday it would stage state-wide protests against the AIADMK on corruption, on October 3 and 4.

DMK propaganda secretaries Trichy N. Siva and A. Raja said the meetings, titled Commission-Collection-Corruption, will be held on October 3 and 4 to condemn the AIADMK government, led by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami. The AIADMK, they claimed in a statement, was not focusing on public welfare, but was involved in corruption. Senior DMK leaders, including party treasurer Duraimurugan, T. R. Baalu, Siva, Raja and T. K. S. Elangovan, among others, would address meetings at various towns across the state, they added.

The AIADMK had recently announced state-wide agitation on September 25 seeking trial of DMK and Congress for war crimes against Tamils in the 2009 Sri Lankan civil war.Helen Jacobe has been appointed as general manager of Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa, overseeing all commercial and operational aspects of the iconic beachfront property.



Jacobe is a seasoned hotelier with over 30 years of experience, notably in large food and beverage operations and in leading development projects.



Helen joins the resort hotel following her role as cluster general manager of Myanmar, overseeing the openings and operations of Hilton Nay Pyi Taw, Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa and Hilton Mandalay. Her role included establishing Hiltons first presence in Myanmar, including the sales office in Yangon and an award-winning vocational training school for the fledgeling industry in that country.



Originally from Australia, Jacobe has worked in Thailand, Singapore, several locations in Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan in addition to Myanmar and was recently honoured with the 'Women in Leadership' award for all of APAC.



I am excited to be in a new region and particularly in such a well-established property and together with the team and owning company look forward to evolving it further, said Jacobe.



This year Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort and Spa has been nominated for the best renovation project of the year for the Middle East Hospitality Awards. The lifestyle concept, far away from the traditional bed and breakfast accommodation selection, has revitalised the property with the introduction of 151 brand new villa rooms, some with private pools and two brand new outlets, namely Sol Beach Lounge & Bar - with its absolute beachfront and Al Maeda  the slick new contemporary Lebanese restaurant. - TradeArabia News ServiceHyderabad: Dissatisfaction with the election related committees appointed by the Congress has been communicated to party national president Rahul Gandhi.

According to sources, Congress MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy, who expressed his displeasure to AICC leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, has now written to Mr Gandhi to take corrective steps in the interests of the party for the forthcoming Assembly elections.

The sources said Mr Reddy wrote that certain segments have not been accommodated in the committees. Scheduled Tribes, present in large numbers in the state, have not been given even one chairman's post, and the Backward Classes, who form the largest group in the electorate, are also not represented in the committees.

Mr Reddy reminded Mr Gandhi that the Telangana Rashtra Samiti has announced many sops to attract the BC community. The glaring anomaly on the part of the Congress must be corrected by appointing a popular leader of the BC community as chairman of the campaign committee or an equivalent post, he said.

The TPCC president and leader of the opposition in the dissolved Assembly belong to the Reddy community and now one more leader from the same community has been appointed TPCC working president, Mr Sudhakar Reddy said in his letter.

He said it was unfortunate to consider that the Congress chance to win is because of the entry of former Telugu Desam leaders who have joined the party.

He said that it is a fact that the TD has not only lost its credibility but its roots in Telangana have been shattered.

Mr Ponguleti said that the Congress party has to exercise extreme caution and care in allotting constituencies to TD and other allies because if those TD or other parties candidates are defeated in those allotted constituencies, it would be an irreparable loss to the Congress and a gain for the TRS.

He said in this tough situation, losing even one seat because of an error on the part of the party will be a heavy price to pay.Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Chairman Mr N Uttam Kumar Reddy said caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Raos family had attacked Dalits directly. Mr Reddy made the comments at Gandhi Bhavan on Monday during a meeting held to welcome former Maoist Bheem Bharat into the Congress.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Reddy said, I have seen many chief ministers in my life but no one acted like a dictator as Mr Rao did. Not even one Dalit minister is seen in the cabinet of ministers.

He added, The sand mafia is working as per the directions of KCRs family. During illegal transportation, one tribal was killed by a truck. This happened as per the instructions of his son and caretaker minister K.T. Rama Rao in Sirisilla constituency. The police have given third degree to the tribals for protesting against them. The tribals were stripped and tortured with electric shock. Doctors also were sacred of treating them. Meera Kumar, who came from Delhi, burst into tears on seeing their situation. The police also warned the women saying that they would be booked in brothel cases. Though all this happened, no case has been booked against the police or the minister.

He said, SC and STs should question KCR for not appointing a Dalit as Chief Minister, as per his promise. KCR has not left the farmers either. The credit of handling farmers with manacles also goes to KCR. All the soldiers of the party should gear up, as the election notification will be coming on October 2 and the elections on November 1.Chennai: The state government, which is to hold MGR birth centenary function in Chennai on September 30, has included names of DMK president and leader of Opposition M. K Stalin and AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran in the invitation.

The government is holding such functions in all the districts and Chennai will be the last district to have the function, which is to be held at YMCA at Nandhanam in the city. While Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and his deputy O. Panneerselvam and other ministers will participate in the function, names of Stalin, TTV Dhinakaran and DMK MP Kanimozhi have been included in the invitation.

At a time when ruling AIADMK and opposition parties like DMK and AMMK leader Dhinakaran keep trading charges against each other on a host of issues ranging from corruption to administration, such names in the invitation has sparked speculation in the political circle that whether or not such leaders will take part in the function.

TKS Elangovan, spokesperson of DMK, said, When there is a government function in any areas, the elected representatives, irrespective of parties, should be invited under the respective jurisdiction. In that sense, the invitation has our leaders' names. However, we have not yet decided about parti-

cipation in the meeting.

Similarly, Dhinakaran responded, The government has invited all the MLAs elected in Chennai district. So, my name is included. That is it. When such a function was last held at Kanyakumari district, the government had given invitation to DMK and Congress MLAs, as Kanyakumari district had no AIADMK MLA.Chennai: Contending that there was no rationale in demanding a probe into Rs 58,000 crore Rafale jet fighter deal, Union minister of state for finance and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said the opposition Congress and the DMK were merely attempting to gain political mileage.

Flaying the Opposition parties for seeking a probe, he said Union finance minister Arun Jaitley had already made it clear that there were no irregularities in the deal. "It's a clear rebuttal given by my Senior Colleague Cabinet Minister Sh @arunjaitley ji to opposition parties, especially Mr @RahulGandhi who accusing Central Govt and our beloved Hon'ble PM Sh @narendramodi Ji on #RafaelDeal," he tweeted.

The French government has said it was in no manner involved in the choice of Indian industrial partners for the Rafale fighter jet deal, and asserted that French companies have the full frEedom to select Indian firms for the contract.

Meanwhile, former union minister P. Chidambaram ridiculed the Modi government for declining a probe into the Rafale deal, and asked the FM to "either toss a coin or order a probe".

"Truth cannot have two versions, says finance minister (Jaitley). Absolutely correct. Since, according to the finance minister, there are two versions, what is the best way to find out which version is 'true'?" P. Chidambaram asked in a series of tweets. "Either (1) order an inquiry or (2) toss a coin. I suppose the finance minister would prefer to toss a coin (preferably with 'head' on both sides)," he said in a tweet.

"It is a pity that the government does not see the inexorable flow of events and refuses to order an inquiry. Who knows what will happen in six months or 12 months," the senior Congress leader said.Hyderabad: The campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections will be pucca local verses national leaders.

Right now, TRS president and caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is the only mass leader in the state. The other parties, particularly the Congress and the BJP, have no one who can match Mr Rao, and are importing national leaders in a big way for the campaign.

Mr Rao, known for his punch dialogues on the Opposition, will reach out to the people with his trademark use of the Telangana dialect and humour. The BJP has decided to bring a national party leader or a Union minister once a week. BJP chief Amit Shah will address about 10 public meetings and the party wants PM Narendra Modi to campaign.

For the Congress, party president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will participate in the campaign. Mrs Gandhi is expected to address two or three public meetings and Mr Rahul Gandhi about 10. Besides, the state Congress intends to invite AICC leaders who had a role in state bifurcation like Ghulam Nabi Azad and Jairam Ramesh to hype the partys role in giving statehood. Campaigning by top leader will pick up once the election schedule is announced. TRS candidates are campaigning, the BJP has started canvassing though its nominees have not been named.

Congress leaders are awaiting the announcement of candidates by the high command.Predictably, most of the critical and laudatory attention during the governments first month in power has focused on big-ticket issues such as austerity, economic stabilisation and foreign policy directions. In contrast, there is less clarity on its policy agenda in the province of Punjab.

So far, weve heard half-hearted communications about a new budgetary framework, revisions to the Annual Development Plan (ADP), a new local government act that is due to be approved next week, and a broad indication of improving intra-provincial disparity. Worryingly, missing from the conversation in both the campaign period and in the weeks after taking office is a defined vision to manage urbanisation and urban development.

In the absence of other detailed sector strategies, it might be considered reasonable that the government will explicate its urban vision later on, once the settling in process is over. However, I would argue that, given the nature of Punjabs demographic and economic growth, urban development needs to be front and centre for any provincial development strategy.

The fact that urbanisation figures are systematically under-recorded is now widely appreciated. Our census may tell us that only 37 per cent of Punjabs population resides in urban areas, but that is simply a function of how census administrators classify different settlements. Reza Alis estimates from the early 2000s placed the figure closer to the 50 per cent mark if variables like connectivity, livelihoods and general population density were considered.

Between 1998 and 2017, Punjabs Big 5 cities  Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala  posted a population growth rate of over 60 per cent, with Lahore and Gujranwala doubling (or nearly doubling) in size. There is also increasing reason to believe that population growth is skewed in favour of the biggest cities due to their comparatively more vibrant economies, educational opportunities, and higher standard of living. This is precisely why a significant section of big-city population growth in the last two decades has been driven by migration, considering that fertility rates have declined in these centres.

The challenges posed by rampant urbanisation are numerous, and require clarity of recognition and prescription on the governments part. Arguably, the biggest of these is a dysfunctional housing and land market, which limits both social mobility and economic growth.

Put simply, many people want to buy homes and build an asset but the market does not cater to them at their price point. There are several reasons for this, most of all rampant speculation that drives up the exchange value ('investment' advantage) of real estate. Real estate serves as a convenient parking lot for cash and offers returns incomparable to other investments. Concurrently, the private sector builds its schemes with a view to attracting expatriate capital and other investors, rather than meeting the needs of potential home-buyers. To give a scale of the crisis, a house that falls in the 50th percentile of real estate value and liveability in a large city in the US normally costs five to six times that citys median annual income. In Lahore, a house at the same position in the value-ranked distribution would cost at least 10 times (if not more) of the most generous estimate of median annual income.

The land problem is not just one of housing shortage; it also plagues viable commercial and industrial development. Zoning laws are restrictive or bewilderingly obtuse, while many companies regularly complain about the lack of decent office space for service-sector enterprises. One outcome is that firms are less likely to grow, given that the unavailability of space acts as a strong ceiling on size.

Finally, a government committed to improving living standards would also have to look at how a citys infrastructure interacts with its demographic profile. With 60 per cent of the country under the age of 34, are our cities geared for young people? In particular, can they cater to the slow but steady process of joint family fragmentation and migration-based atomisation of households? Will they ever cater to the small but growing number of women in the labour force, who want a more responsive and safer real-estate market, a more considerate public transport system and more welcoming public spaces? The markets filling some of these gaps but they are too few and still too stratified by class.

The government has signalled some intent on a couple of issues, such as opening up government buildings as public spaces and building low-income housing. The problem so far is that these sound as stand-alone interventions, devoid of a larger agenda that addresses crucial structural blockades like the lack of regulation in real estate, the absence of a secure land titling regime, and the continued opaqueness of planning infrastructure. Many of these steps will eventually require battling out entrenched interests - a task, which unfortunately at this point, the government does not seem too willing to undertake.

By arrangement with DawnI wonder if Rashtriya Swayamswevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat was hitting out at subordinates in the parivar like M. Venkaiah Naidu, the vice-president of India, and Rajnath Singh, the Union home minister, when he said the other day in his now famous three-part lecture that the dominance of English is not in day-to-day work, its in our minds. He might have added that the vice-president and the home minister would not have felt it necessary to launch into a diatribe against English if they had not suffered acutely from what is called elsewhere the colonial cringe.

Mr Naidus description of the English language as an illness left behind by the British is another example of the BJPs unfortunate aptitude for spoiling a good case through overkill. It would appear that since he was speaking under the aegis of the home ministry, he took his cue from Mr Singh, who once declared when he was BJP president that English had caused great loss to India.

We are losing our language, our culture, as there are hardly any people who speak Sanskrit now, Mr Singh had appeared to lament on the eve of the 2014 general election. Of course, the dominance of any foreign language must mean some erosion of indigenous ways, but the more astute Mohan Bhagwat knows that English is spoken by less than 10 per cent of Indians. Those 10 per cent certainly havent marginalised Sanskrit. The government has done so by neglecting all language teaching while politicising the subject.

Mr Singh was obviously playing to the gallery for votes. But that didnt justify the retort by Congress leader Manish Tewari about the paradox of the BJP outsourcing its vision document to anglicised policy wonks while ranting against English. There is no paradox in making the fullest use of English for practical purposes while nurturing the nations soul in languages that reflect its culture and traditions.

There is a need for a balance between English and local languages. France and Sweden, China and Japan manage perfectly well by confining English to special niches where it serves the greatest purpose. They can, therefore, live their lives in French and Swedish, Chinese and Japanese. There is no need for Mr Bhagwats equivalent in these countries to lecture anybody on why they should start respecting (their) own mother tongue. They do it as a matter of course.

Here, when it came to an important matter like his partial demonetisation, Narendra Modi must hve felt he would be taken more seriously even in the saffron ranks if the announcement was made in English. But when it came to boasting to the hoi-polloi how chummy he was with the US President of the day, Mr Modi spoke in colloquial Hindi. That guaranteed instant understanding by his dazzled listeners.

It was different with Jawaharlal Nehru. He could afford to give public orations in English. As Singapores Lee Kuan Yew put it, people didnt need to understand what Nehru said. Just to be in his presence, to hear the sound of his speech, was blessing enough.

There will never be another Nehru to mesmerise the multitude with the magic of his voice. Nor will Macaulays stated and oft-quoted objective of creating a genre that is Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect ever be realised. That far-fetched fantasy might arguably have been possible with 100 per cent literacy and a booming economy that converted the entire country into a sparkling urban paradise whose inhabitants were all assured of comfortable white collar employment that enabled them to eat with knives and forks in pukka houses.

Even Macaulay, I suspect, only meant that a small handful - those few whom Indias British rulers trusted  would undergo this cultural transformation. The paddy cultivator and toddy-tapper, the road-mender and the bricklayer would remain ordinary, uneducated and impoverished desis as before. It sometimes seems as if independent Indias ruling parties operate exactly as the colonial regime did.

Indias greatest failure since 1947 lies in not having done more genuinely to empower these depressed sections of society. So-called compulsory employment schemes are like Britains old dole, now renamed benefits. They dont add to self-respect or to a mans ability to stand on his own two feet and earn a decent living. Appealing to primeval passions through linguistic populism doesnt improve their lives either. Its only a distraction that encourages people to believe that safeguarding the nations cultural identity means lynching those who are suspected of eating beef, desecrating churches, and converting Indians of other faiths to Hinduism. That is an ugly and bigoted perversion of true nationalism.

Young Indians need far more education and far less propaganda. It is no part of a universitys legitimate functions to celebrate something called Surgical Strike Day, however important the date and event might be for the government or a ruling party that is going all out to woo voters as the 2019 general election approaches.

Just as the old three-language formula churned out millions of students who were virtually illiterate in English, Hindi and the mother tongue, tirades against English by high functionaries only expose their own gnawing sense of failure. Those few with a mastery of English may still enjoy an edge over those who dont enjoy this advantage. But listening to All India Radios English-language reporters or trying to converse in English with public sector employees is a painfully frustrating business nowadays.

Things can only get worse if Indias 900 or so universities and 38,000 colleges focus even more on celebrating the governments achievements to the neglect of academic work. Its hardly the blueprint for a vigorous Bhavishya Ka Bharat  the theme of Mr Bhagwats three-part lecture series last week  to give language politics precedence over language or try to pass off sectarian propaganda as nationalism.Summers are hot in Beijing; this explains why every year, the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) takes the direction of the beach resort of Beidaihe, north of the Chinese capital. The tradition has existed since the 1950s, when Mao Zedong would alarm aides by swimming far into the soupy waters of the Bohai Sea, commented The Economist.

But the top bosses of the party are not in the resort only to swim and enjoy the privileges of the Communist nomenklatura, hot discussions take place between the politburo members and their colleagues. This year, there were rumours that President Xi Jinping faced severe opposition over his policies; while Mr Xis close ally, Wang Huning, the member of the politburo standing committee responsible for propaganda, was in the hot seat.

The leaders disappeared from the radar of the Chinese (and world) media for two weeks when suddenly Mr Xi and his colleagues reappeared in the limelight.

The President chaired two meetings; the first one with the senior cadres of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), during which Mr Xi asked the generals to comprehensively strengthen the leadership of the party over the defence forces. He made it clear that the party will tighten its control over the Army.

But it was not enough.

China-watcher Bill Bishop, author of the Sinocism newsletter, noted that after reaffirming his control over the Gun, Mr Xi had to show that the Pen was under his wing. For this purpose, Mr Xi chaired a national conference on propaganda and ideological work.

According to Xinhua, the Chinese President underscored that in order to better fulfil Chinas missions in the new era, a solid publicity and ideological work to unite the people to embrace shared ideals, convictions, values, and moral standards was necessary.

He urged the cadres for unity of thinking, holding high the banner of Marxism and socialism with Chinese characteristics; in other words, all behind the party, the party above all.

Bishop concluded that it was indicating that whatever criticism there was about the propaganda strategy [before Beidaihe] and Wang [Huning], has now been completely rejected.

The Emperor won the round. Chinese influence abroad is today pervading all spheres of activities, but it is not the intrusion of the Chinese hackers in Western websites to fish out the latest designs of fighter planes, drones or missiles or the Wests advanced studies in Artificial Intelligence.

The Wilson Centre in Washington D.C. recently published a detailed report entitled A Preliminary Study of PRC Political Influence and Interference Activities in American Higher Education; to quote the author: As the CCP consolidates its control over every aspect of domestic society, it increasingly seeks to shape the world in its image. Mammoth multimedia platforms broadcasting the Voice of China [promote] projects like the Belt and Road Initiative.

The report observed that China promotes global initiatives as public goods, while the Americans believe that these moves are aimed at creating a world antithetical to US values and interests.

In the West, more and more concerns are emerging about Chinas political influence over universities, cultural organisations or ordinary citizens. It has prompted a slew of congressional hearings on the subject. In the American education sector, lawmakers and journalists have focused their attention on the state-sponsored Confucius Institutes, which allegedly promote CCP propaganda and censor campus activities critical of China, said the Wilson Centres report.

In the recent past, Chinese cultural institutions have interfered in American universities, for example, in the choice of speakers invited by universities (the Dalai Lama is one of the principal victims of Chinese pressure). A large number of cases are cited such as inducements offered to the faculty not to write on the dark sides of China or probing faculty and staff for information in a manner consistent with intelligence collection.

The list is long. Propaganda and influence go hand-in-hand. During the National Peoples Congress meeting in March, China had decided to unify its Voice. A document of the state council released on March 21 announced that Beijing had decided to form the worlds largest media group called Voice of China.

It was to combine the existing China Central Television, China National Radio, and China Radio International under one unified umbrella and name with the responsibility to promote the party theory and guidelines, organize major publicity and coverage, guide social hot topics, strengthen international communication capabilities, and publish positive news on China.

Voice of China was to produce the partys propaganda programme, copying the model of stations in foreign countries, using limited amount of advertising. The influence/propaganda policies apply outside China as well as inside.

On September 10, Wang Shitong, a standing committee member of the CCPs Guangzhou municipal committee, proposed that it is necessary to shoulder political responsibilities effectively in order to strengthen the partys buildup in the Internet industry.

Last month, Guangzhous Internet companies had seen the development of 169 CCP organisations, covering 436 companies, of which 83 were newly established this year, an increase of 96.5 per cent over the same period last year. The Guangzhous Internet sector has a total of 7,358 members of the Communist Party, including 3,267 members who are new to the party as of this year, a significant increase of 79.9 per cent over the same period last year. Can you believe it?

While party members are involved in internal propaganda, the external operations are orchestrated by United Front Work Department (UFWD) whose role is to neutralise sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of the CCP.

On August 24, 2018, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission published a report Chinas Overseas United Front Work Background and Implications for the United States explaining that the UFWD, the agency responsible for coordinating these kinds of influence operations  mostly focuses on the management of potential opposition groups inside China, but it also has an important foreign influence mission. The UFWD seeks to co-opt ethnic Chinese individuals and communities living abroad, while a number of other key affiliated organisations guided by Chinas broader United Front strategy conduct influence operations targeting foreign actors and states.

The UFWD plays an increasingly important role in Chinas broader foreign policy, to seek influence through connections that are difficult to publically prove and to gain influence that is interwoven with sensitive issues such as ethnic, political, and national identity, making those who seek to identify the negative effects of such influence vulnerable to accusations of prejudice.

The Trump administration has started a counter-attack, it has ordered two Chinese state-backed organisations to register as foreign agents, a move one US official said went beyond trade to reflect Beijings lack of give on media access, commented the South China Morning Post.

The Wall Street Journal reported that both Xinhua and China Global Television Network (CGTN) have been told to clearly label their affiliation with Beijing and disclose budget and ownership structure information under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. A new war is clearly on.

India does not seem to bother. Is that wise?Krishnas Dwarka and the war between Krishna and Shalwa is described in the Mahabharata. The various weapons used in the war are also detailed including thunderbolts from flying machines in the sky and weapons, resembling nuclear warheads and machines that seem to be like flying saucers.

Till recently, Dwarka was called a myth by modern historians, just like Ram Setu or Mahabharata or Saraswati River. It is anyones guess that most of these historians were from the West or with western education as the basis and were towing the line of Macaulay, who in 1836, was convinced that Indians were economically and culturally very advanced. He felt it that the only way to rule this country was to make Indians believe that their culture was inferior to the British and their knowledge was primitive. Any proof of the supremacy of the east over the west would have hurt the agenda of the colonial British rule.

The discovery of the city of Dwarka off the coast of Gujarat and the discovery of gigantic citadels and colossal foundations which the authorities say could not be made by humans, point towards the existence of Krishna and that the city was built by Vishwakarma... a God. The discovery of River Saraswati by NASA confirms the river was not a myth...same goes for all the other facts also, which are now proven to have existed just as they were described in our scriptures, by the western intellgent scientists and historians.

Michael Cremo and David Childress in their books Forbidden Archeology and Technology of the Gods describe the wars and proofs of human civilization existing here 32000 years back.

Sangam literature says that there was a land mass connecting India with Australia called KumariKandam where a sangam was held by saints 11000 years back; here all the knowledge was collected and shared (Studies in Tamil Literature and History, Vol 5, by Ramachandra Dikshitar). Most of the saints were extraterrestrials and some could be called to have come from different dimensions (lokas). The ancients specified the difference between lokas and planets and galaxies. The former were levels of existences of beings of various kinds while the latter was only a physical plane. (David Childress in Technology of the Gods). In the vedic philosophy, gods and demons live in various lokas or planes of subtler or grosser existences...not physical places.

The vedic scriptures say that gods came from other dimensions and so did various other existences like gandharv, yaksha, rakshas etc...even humans came to this planet.

The modern scientists now also agree that the human race was brought here from some other dimensions and gods looked over it. It is also very interesting to see that this reality has been completely wiped off the minds of the majority of people. The modern day man believes in no gods, he believes in only exploitation of the earths resources for his personal gain at the cost of nearly destroying the environment and nature...the very environment that he has to live in, for he falsely believes that he is not going to come back once he is dead.

The Vedas gave a code of conduct to the humans and also gave ways to communicate with gods (NASA Researcher Rick Briggs, asserted in AI Magazine in 1985, established the application of Sanskrit in artificial intelligence and space communication) and also gave the route back in case if we had lived our full in this dimension and desired to go back home...this route was revealed to the Guru. Interestingly they also clearly warned and told, that man of this time period would destroy everything including himself because of his selfish and atheist nature. There would be very few who would be able to see reality and would try and save mankind. Rishi Markandey clearly describes the events of Kaliyug in the Van Parva of Mahabharat.

Slowly as modern science is discovering scientific facts which were documented thousands of years back by vedic masters, it is coming to conclude that what the Vedas spoke was a reality and not a myth. The only thing which would be left to be discovered would be the route to go back to our home and communication with the gods...as detailed in Sanatan Kriya, this is the subject of Guru-shishya relationship and hence cannot be discussed here...this would forever elude the modern day man as he would desperately try to create the instruments to achieve the given object, but as his ego will look for proof of authenticity of the vedic texts, proof which his instruments can validate, it would not permit him to make a Guru, all his rediscoveries would go to waste...he will rediscover the physical but the essence which is beyond physical would elude him...the reason for Mahapralay or the final doomsday.Wildflower Internationals CEO Kimberly deCastro sees the future of information technology taking off to the skies. (Representational image/ Pixabay photo)

Two New Mexico companies are hoping to use solar-powered, fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles to create a service that gathers data from the sky.

Wildflower Internationals CEO Kimberly deCastro sees the future of information technology taking off to the skies, and the company has partnered with Silent Falcon, which monitors wildfires for the US Forest Service with its solar-powered, fixed-wing UAV to get there, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported earlier this month.

Data is the new oil. Period, she said.

Her company specialises in providing information technology services and hardware for the federal government. The first project the two will work on is a program with Pojoaque Pueblo that gives the Wildflower flight team needed experience. They have wide-open ground where we can start to really understand what we can do, deCastro said.

Their aircraft will fly over areas of the pueblo and find and count bison. They will also help provide emergency services, such as lost hiker searches, and identify archaeological sites. But Pojoaque Pueblo is just a small part what the two companies plan to do, said John Brown, president and CEO of Silent Falcon.

In April, Wildflower will participate in drone aircraft demonstrations in Mississippi. The US Department of Homeland Security is looking for prospective contractors that can provide drones with sensors to patrol the border and enhance law enforcement capabilities there under the Robotic Aircraft Sensor Program  Borders, according to a solicitation for proposals by the department.

They will set up for us real-life situations so they can see how well our aircraft does, deCastro said. Its going to be a turning point for the company, no doubt about it.

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.The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) took part in Seatrade Cruise Med, the cruise industrys leading trade event in the Mediterranean region, which was held in Lisbon, Portugal, on September 19 and 20.



During the exhibition, Bahrain, Dubai and Abu Dhabi showcased their cruise tourism opportunities at the Cruise Arabia stand, presenting diversified travel offerings. Bahrains delegation included various representatives from the BTEA, Gosaibi Travel, Visit Bahrain and Mathias Tourism. The event brought together more than 150 exhibitors across the cruise industry including suppliers, ship builders, tourism authorities, cruise lines and more.



BTEA's participation in this prestigious exhibition comes in line with its strategy to develop the kingdoms tourism sector by promoting its tourism offerings, further strengthening its position as an ideal tourist destination. We also aim to increase the number of visitors coming to the kingdom via cruise ships, further developing the tourism sector and the national economy in line with the Kingdoms 2030 Economic Vision, said the director of Tourism Marketing and Promotions at BTEA, Yousef Al Khan.



The participation in this event comes in line with the BTEAs strategy to develop the kingdoms tourism sector under the slogan of Ours.Yours. and further position Bahrain as an attractive port for cruise ships to stop over. The aim of the tourism strategy is to increase the number of visitors coming into the Kingdom, positioning the tourism sectors strategy that focuses on four main pillars awareness, attraction, access and accommodation,; a key component of this strategy relies on developing the local seaports in order to attract additional cruise ships and yachts to the kingdom, thereby contributing to the national economy as a whole. - TradeArabia News ServiceGoogles Chief Executive Sundar Pichai denied reports of efforts to politically bias the companys internet search results, Axios reported on Friday citing a memo.

The Wall Street Journal citing internal emails reported that the companys staff discussed ways to alter search functions to counter the Trump administrations 2017 travel ban. The Journals report said Google did not go through with the ideas that were brainstormed.

According to Axios, Pichai wrote an email to Googlers saying an internal email to suggest the company would compromise the integrity of its search results for a political end was absolutely false."

Its important to me that our internal culture continues to reinforce our mission to organise the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful. Recent news stories reference an internal email to suggest that we would compromise the integrity of our search results for a political end, Pichai was quoted as saying by Axios. Google was not immediately available for comment.

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.Internet users often fail to distinguish between logging into a particular site and signing into Chrome.

Hyderabad: With the latest update of Chrome, logging onto any Google site by default logs you into the browser too.

Before Chrome 69, users could avoid being logged onto the browser while still making use of sites like Gmail, Google Search, Google Plus or Youtube.

This forced login means Google can purportedly capture your browsing data and associates with your account including political opinions, health concerns and other private information. Internet users often fail to distinguish between logging into a particular site and signing into Chrome.

According to Google, this update was made to prevent the confusion that was created when multiple shared devices were synced. Experts opine that this is an abusive privacy practice and Google does this because the browser can give user data they cannot get from their other sources.

Mr Ranjith Raj of Swecha FSMI said, Chrome is known for collecting so much more user data as compared to other browsers. People dont think privacy as a priority compared to ease of use. Chrome is a default browser in Android which is the most used mobile OS and we can't delete Chrome from it. Many websites are compatible only with Chrome. It has become like what Internet Explorer was about a decade ago where we used to have government websites which specifically asked users to use IE for better view.

He added that there are other browsers like Mozilla Firefox which can be used.

Firefox is better compared to Chrome and performance wise it is now faster than Chrome. This was possible because Firefox changed its core-browser engine from C++ language to Rust Language. Tor is built upon Firefox which offers a lot of security features.

However, Chrome has more add-ons as compared to Firefox. With this update, Google can reportedly control user access to the web as Chrome is a powerful entry point for beginners. This update marks the tenth anniversary of the product and has 40fixes incorporated in it.

A user, Matthew D. Green, pointed out that Chromes mandatory login policy completely made a hash out of its privacy policy. He noted that the privacy document could be summarised as a promise that if you arent logged in, data will only be stored locally, and if you are logged in, all bets are off.

He said on Twitter, Just because there are abusive practices on the web does not justify layering on the mother of all privacy abuses. There is a reason Google works so hard to encourage logins on Android and Chrome. And the obvious reason is that those platforms provide user data they cant get from their other sources.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.The new Panasonic series of professional display monitors and 4k video wall are said to be highly durable UHD 4K displays.

Panasonic unveiled its new range of digital signage solution called SignEdge. It is claimed as an ideal platform for companies to showcase their creative advertising and branding campaigns, the integration solution enables the users to achieve their communications goals in an efficient manner. To go with this the company has also introduced a new range of 4K video walls and professional display monitors, which can be integrated with the SignEdge solution.

The new Panasonic series of professional display monitors and 4k video wall are said to be highly durable UHD 4K displays. The display monitors will be available in the range starting from 43 up to 98-inch and 4k video wall from 49 up to 55-inch with 1.8mm to 3.5mm bezel width.

As told by Panasonic, the solution is empowered by various technological tools that assist in the creation and maintenance of the visual content. The features include:

 The system is centrally managed and provides the users with complete access to the tools for the maintenance and creation of content.

 The solution provides integration capabilities with third-party softwares and applications in customers network,

 Furthermore, the technology also enables for the creation and organisation of reports on the display status and CMS software, focusing on facets such as display/media player report, assigned content running report and user activity report etc.

 The solution also helps the users minimize their hardware setup through the assistance of cloud management services, that reduces hardware based risks through network backups.

 The consumers will also have access to 236 authorised service centres, to perform activities such as design, installation, commissioning and support for the deployed solution and a toll-free number which can support a total of 10 languages.

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.Kim requested a second meeting with Trump in a letter this month, and Trump says, 'we will be doing that.' (Photo: File)

Washington: President Donald Trump says a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is likely to take place quite soon. Speaking at the United Nations, Trump says the relationship with the country whose leader he branded last year as Little Rocket Man is much improved.

He said on Monday, It was a different world. That was a dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time.

Trump says secretary of state Mike Pompeo is working out the details for the second Trump-Kim meeting.

Kim requested a second meeting with Trump in a letter this month, and Trump says, we will be doing that.

Trump is set to meet with South Koreas Moon Jae-in later Monday to discuss North Korea and trade details. Moon is expected to convey to Trump a personal message from Kim delivered at their inter-Korean talks last week.

President Trump is at the United Nations for his second general assembly meeting with world leaders since taking office and has participated in a counter-narcotics event.Justice Kavanaugh already faces a separate allegation of sexual assault made by Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, who claims Kavanaugh attempted to sexually assault her at a drunken high school party in the early 1980s. (Photo: File)

Washington: A second woman has reportedly accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, a charge that can further complicate the confirmation process of US President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee.

Justice Kavanaugh already faces a separate allegation of sexual assault made by Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, who claims Kavanaugh attempted to sexually assault her at a drunken high school party in the early 1980s.

Ford and Kavanaugh are set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday to address the allegations after a week of fraught public negotiations between Ford's attorneys and Senate Republicans.

The latest sexual assault allegation dated back to the 1983-84 academic school year, when Justice Kavanaugh was a freshman at Yale University, The New Yorker said, adding that at least two Senate Democrats were investigating the allegation.

The magazine identified the woman as Deborah Ramirez (53). She attended Yale with Justice Kavanaugh, where she studied sociology and psychology, the magazine said.

Later, she spent years working for an organisation that supports the victims of domestic violence, it added. Kavanaugh deinied the latest allegation.

"This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple," Kavanaugh said in a statement issued through the White House.

"I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name -- and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building -- against these last-minute allegations," the Supreme Court nominee said after The New Yorker magazine published the latest allegation of sexual assault against him.

The White House continued to stand behind Justice Kavanaugh. "This 35-year-old, uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats, designed to tear down a good man," White House Spokesperson Kerri Kupec said.

"This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men, who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college, say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh," she added.

With Kavanaugh's confirmation prospects already hanging the balance, the news of a second set of allegations is likely to alarm Republicans who are hoping to push Kavanaugh's nomination through the Senate, where they hold a slim 51-49 majority. Earlier in the day, the Senate Judiciary Committee announced that it will hear the testimony of Ford on September 27. This will occur as a continuation of the hearing to consider Justice Kavanaugh's nomination to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the US.

"Following Dr Ford's testimony, Judge Kavanaugh will appear again before the committee," a media statement said. As a result, the committee postponed the vote on Justice Kavanaugh's nomination, previously scheduled for Monday.

Meanwhile, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Committee on the Judiciary Ranking member Dianne Feinstein, in a letter, urged President Donald Trump to direct the FBI to immediately and thoroughly investigate Ford's allegations and report to the Senate as soon as possible.

Justice Kavanaugh is the second judge being nominated by Trump on the nine-member US Supreme Court. Trump's first nominee, Judge Gorsuch, was confirmed by the Senate on April 7, 2017.

Unlike India, where Supreme Court judges have a retiring age, the judges to the US Supreme Court are appointed for life. As a result, all the nominations to the apex bench have long-term implications -- mostly generational.

For instance, Judge Clarence Thomas, who was nominated by George H W Bush, has been a Supreme Court judge for nearly 27 years and Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was nominated by the then president Bill Clinton, has served on the bench for over 25 years. Judge Stephen Breyer, also nominated by Clinton, has been a Supreme Court judge for over 24 years now.Celebrations broke out across the tropical archipelago with opposition supporters carrying yellow flags of Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and dancing on the streets. There was no response from Yameen after results were announced. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: New Delhi rejoiced on Monday as its bete noire President Abdulla Yameen was defeated in the Maldives presidential polls. A jubilant India swiftly congratulated victor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and hoped the Election Commission would officially confirm the result quickly. In a parting shot at Mr Yameen, New Delhi called the verdict a triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, adding that it looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership.

The result is being seen as a strategic setback for China as President Yameen was extremely close to Beijing. Mr Yameen was a thorn in Indias flesh and repeatedly defied New Delhi while cosying up to both China and Pakistan.

India said: This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law. In keeping with our Neighbourhood First policy, India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership.New Delhi: New Delhi rejoiced on Monday as its bete noire President Abdulla Yameen was defeated in the Maldivian presidential elections on Monday. A jubilant India swiftly in the morning congratulated the victor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and hoped that the Election Commission would officially confirm the result at the earliest.

In a parting shot to Yameen, New Delhi called the verdict "a triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives", adding that it "looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership". The result is being seen as a strategic setback for China as Yameen was extremely close to Beijing. Yameen was a thorn in India's flesh and defied New Delhi repeatedly, while cosying up to both China and Pakistan. Ties dramatically soured between India and its tiny south-western archipelago nation early this year after Yameen imposed an emergency in his country.

India said, "This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law. In keeping with our 'Neighbourhood First' Policy, India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further.

President Yameen had declared the emergency on February 5 after the Maldivian Supreme Court ordered the release of a group of Opposition leaders, who had been convicted in widely criticised trials.The crack on the Hebbal flyover loop connecting the airport to Hennur has caught the attention of the state government. Chief secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar will conduct a high-level meeting with the heads of all the departments on Tuesday.

"The CS has asked for a detailed report before the meeting on September 25. Considering the increasing traffic volume and the flyover's strategic location, the CS has sought a quick and long term solution. Both the BWSSB and NHAI have been asked to submit a report on the ground status and the action taken," a senior officer requesting anonymity explained to DH.

In an earlier meeting on Saturday he pulled up the officials and said quick action should be taken for repairing the flyover.

Sources in the state government told DH that officials admitted to the CS that since the flyover was built 12 years ago no safety audit has been conducted. They also said that the drains and sewer lines connecting Hebbal Lake with Kommaghatta-Challaghatta Valley are clogged resulting in seepage. The lake is filled to the brim all through the year indicating that the drains around it are clogged not allowing the water to flow and thus leading to seepage. The issue has never been addressed. Motorists are reportedly witnessing discomfort while driving even at the speed of 40-50 kmph.

Officials from Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Urban Development Department were present at the meeting. The BDA and the traffic police officials along with consultants and experts inspected the crack on the loop on September 19.

BDA Engineer Member, Shivakumar B S said that it was a small problem and there was no need to divert traffic. The repair could be undertaken when the traffic is less- at night or during holidays. Since the loop was widened by the NHAI and is being maintained by them it is their job to repair it. If they are unable to do it BDA will complete it.Franco Mulakkal, the rape accused former bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar, was on Monday remanded by the Pala Judicial First Class Magistrate to judicial custody till October 6. Franco was later shifted to the sub-jail in Pala, in Kottayam district.

The 54-year-old former bishop is accused of having raped a Missionaries of Jesus (MJ) nun multiple times, between May 2014 and September 2016.

Franco was arrested by a special investigation team on September 21, after three days of interrogation, on charges of rape, unnatural sex, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation.

On September 22, the magistrate sent him to two days police custody. On Monday, the Kerala High Court adjourned hearing on Francos bail application to September 27.

Police had earlier taken Franco to the convent in Kuravilangad, Kottayam  scene of the alleged crime  and collected evidence for the probe.

Bishops slam conspiracy

The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) on Monday expressed regret over Francos arrest which it said was painful for the Catholic Church. The council also prayed for absolute justice in the case. It, however, slammed attempts from some quarters to target the Church over the incident.

A 14-day protest by five MJ nuns, in Kochi, demanding action against Franco had won massive public support which also hastened the clergymans arrest. The KCBC urged believers to identify the enemies of the Church, media with vested interests and disgruntled elements within the Church who orchestrated a campaign to weaken the Church, using the rape case as a front.

No reason will suffice to explain why some of the priests and nuns staged a roadside protest and gave an opportunity to the enemies to humiliate the Church and its administrators. Their actions were in contrast with Christian values and against interests of the Church, Fr Varghese Vallikkatt, KCBC spokesperson, said in an official statement.Agriculture Minister N H Shivashankar Reddy has said that the government is keen to encourage community farming under the Israel model of cultivation being taken up on a pilot basis in the state.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating 4-day krishi mela at University of Agricultural Sciences here on Sunday,

The input cost in agriculture has increased manifold while the returns have come down drastically. In a bid to address the issue, the government is planning to form small groups of farmers, consisting of 15 to 20 members, and encourage them to take up community farming on 2,000 to 4,000 hectares. The government can help the farmers by providing the latest technology, he added.

The Israel model of farming can be a success only if community farming is adopted, and drip irrigation and micro-irrigation facilities are implemented by the farmers, he added.Banana Island Resort in Qatar has received the distinguished ISO 22000:2005 for food safety management system, making it first among the Minor Hotels (owner of Anantara Brand - operators of the Banana Island Resort) to get this international certification.



The certification is a testimony of the resorts commitment to complying and ensuring guests safety, as food safety and elevated customer service have always been a priority for Banana Island Resort. This award demonstrates the resorts robust food safety management system which ensures the team to deliver guaranteed customer satisfaction.



The ISO 22000:2005 specifies requirements for a food safety management system where an organisation in the food chain needs to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards to ensure that food is safe at the time of human consumption.



To be awarded this certification, all food related steps, from the manufacturing to storage and distribution, are monitored and analysed to ensure they are free of microbiological, physical and chemical hazards. This certificate is highly regarded within the hotel and the food industries and is recognised by Bureau Veritas, the world leader in the field of inspection and verification of certificates.



Thomas Fehlbier, area general manager - Qatar of Minor Hotels Group, owner of Anantara brand the operator of the Banana Island Resort received the awarded ISO certificate during an event held at the resort in the presence of representatives of the International Certification Authority alongside members and the staff of the resort.



Speaking of their new global certification, Fehlbier said: We are delighted to receive this certificate, especially that we are the first to get this prestigious accreditation among the Minor hotels family. This certificate reflects our efforts and commitment to adhere to the highest standards of hygiene and food safety in order to safeguard the health of our guests and visitors. At the core of the philosophy of Banana Island Resort, this comes at the top priority to abide by the highest standards in hospitality and we are honoured to have reached one milestone. - TradeArabia News ServiceUPPER DARBY  A wanted man accused of robbing a Subway restaurant in Upper Darby of hundreds of dollars gave police a nice tip into his identity when he left his wallet at the scene of the crime, authorities said.

Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said 30-year-old James Anthony Dean, of the 100 block of West Berkley Street in Philadelphia, was identified for holding up the restaurant in the 100 block of South 69th Street Friday afternoon when a number of forms of personal identification were found in his wallet, which police recovered in the restaurant.

If this was criminal robbery 101, he would have flunked, said Chitwood Sunday morning about Deans attempt to make a clean-cut robbery.

According to the affidavit of probable cause prepared by Upper Darby Det. Michael Pecko, two female employees of the store reported a black male about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, medium built wearing a grey hoodie and black pants entered the restaurant and demanded money from the register from one of the employees. The suspect said he had a weapon in his waistband.

The man then jumped over the counter and asked the second employee to open the register and was told he couldnt unless they were ringing up a sale.

The male handed the female employee a bag of potato chips and instructed her to complete a sale to access the cash register, reads the affidavit, adding that she was struck in the face several times during the robbery. When the register opened the suspect smashed the currency drawer on the ground and removed money from it, as much as $600, according to Chitwood. The man fled down 69th Street toward Marshall Road.

At some point during the robbery his camouflage wallet was reportedly placed on the counter and later found by responding police officers. Inside was a Pennsylvania Access Card with the name James A. Dean on it. The affidavit says the name was run through the PennDOT database, which revealed a black male that matched the physical description and age of the male that committed the robbery. Dean was later positively identified in a photo array presented to the store employees.

A warrant has been issued for Deans arrest for 13 charges including two counts each of robbery-threats of bodily injury, robbery- inflicts/fear of immediate bodily injury, robbery-physically removes property from another, theft from unlawful taking and harassment.

Upper Darby Police took to Twitter Monday morning asking Dean to turn himself in to answer to the charges.

While youre here please stop by our lost and found department so you can retrieve your wallet that you dropped at the store/crime scene. #gangsta or #pranksta? read the Tweet.The bottom line isnt going to change much for Elizabethtown College students. Their tuition bills will be lower, but their financial aid awards will be cut.

Essentially theyll be paying as much as ever: A net price of about $29,000, according to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Stating this reality is not to dismiss the value of what Elizabethtown is doing. We believe that more of this kind of transparency needs to be injected into college tuition pricing.

Figuring out the actual cost of a particular college requires honors-level mathematical skills. This makes the process of choosing colleges incredibly confusing.

On paper, a state or state-related university likely appears to be the best deal. But public universities tend to give less financial aid.

Meanwhile, private colleges, especially those with large endowments, can dispense sizable aid packages to many incoming students.

Many colleges send financial aid award letters at the same time as acceptance letters. But not all do. So your child  and you  may be in limbo for a while, wondering if the college your child wants to attend is even a realistic possibility.

Its kind of like a game in which nearly everyone is sure to get a prize, but you cant start packing for that trip youve won until you know if its going to be to New Jersey or Europe.

It would be a much more straightforward process if colleges stated  as Elizabethtown intends to do  what their real price tags are.

Even when a college has an easy-to-use net price calculator  an online tool that figures out for a prospective student how much financial aid may be awarded, based on family income and assets (along with a mix of other factors)  thats just an estimate.

And its hard for parents and their kids to make the life-altering  and expensive  choice of which college to attend based on guesses and estimates.

Theres another problem with the high-tuition, high-discount model used by so many private colleges.

Financial aid isnt always stable over four years  not all scholarships and grants are renewable, and some are renewed only if certain criteria (including grade point average) are met.

So while the cost of freshman-year tuition may seem like a relative bargain, your aid may diminish in subsequent years.

New America, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C., and uAspire, a nonprofit focused on college affordability, analyzed more than 11,000 financial aid award letters from colleges. Their findings? Not only was financial aid insufficient to cover the cost of college for many students, the award letters lacked consistency and transparency. As a result, it is exceedingly difficult for students and families to make a financially informed college decision.

The varying ways in which many of these letters missed the mark:

 They contained bewildering jargon and terminology (theres a significant difference, for instance, between a subsidized and unsubsidized loan).

 They omitted complete costs that would have contextualized the financial aid being offered.

 They failed to differentiate types of aid.

 They misleadingly characterized Parent PLUS loans as awards, making the financial aid package appear far more generous than it really was.

 They only vaguely defined work-study.

 They offered inconsistent bottom-line calculations. In our sample, only 40 percent calculated what students would need to pay, and those 194 institutions had 23 different ways of calculating remaining costs, stated the analysis, which was released in June.

These nonprofits want federal policymakers to conduct consumer testing, and then set and require award letter standards via federal mandate.

This seems like a reasonable recommendation to us. Anything to improve transparency would help.

Because the process could not be any murkier than it is now.

Tuition and room and board arent the only costs of college. Textbooks are another major expense, costing an average of $1,250 last year, according to the College Board.

Students can save money by buying used textbooks, seeking e-books when possible, and renting books.

These are all sound suggestions. To them, wed add another, and its aimed at college professors: Think carefully about requiring specific editions of well-known tomes.

If a family has several copies of Shakespeares Macbeth at home, but you require a specific edition, make sure its for a good reason  and explain it on the syllabus. Otherwise, parents may suspect youre in cahoots with a publishing company to jack up book sales.

 LNP, The Associated PressWe live in some scam-filled times.

A new report revealed that about half of all cellphone calls next year will come from scammers.

What it says: The report, done by First Orion, a company that offers caller ID and call-blocking data, projected that there will be an increase in spam calls next year, according to The Washington Post.

The report  called the 2018 Scam Call Trends and Projects Report  said spam calls represented 3.7 percent of calls in 2017. But, in 2018, that number has jumped to 29 percent.

Next year, spam calls will represent 45 percent of all calls, the report said.

Year after year, the scam-call epidemic bombards consumers at record-breaking levels, surpassing the previous year, and scammers increasingly invade our privacy at new extremes, said Charles Morgan, the chief executive and head data scientist of First Orion, in a blog post last week.

Whom they target: The report said scam calls will target immigrant communities. Those calls will take advantage of peoples lack of knowledge of the U.S. legal system, according to Inc.

Why it matters: Robocalls and scam calls have been rather popular in Utah and the U.S. this year.

The Federal Trade Commission released a report in 2018 that found Americans filed 4.5 million complaints about robocalls, which is a jump from the 3.4 million who did the same in 2016.

As I wrote about in March, more than 187 million robocalls were made in Utah area codes in 2017. Thats a jump from the 158 million made in 2016.

About 66,000 of those calls came from Utah alone, according to the FTC.

Solutions: First Orions solution is to sell caller ID and call-blocking technologies to phone companies like T-Mobile, Boost Mobile and others.

The Verge writer Chris Welch offered eight tips for stopping robocalls, including downloading apps such as Nomorobo, RoboKiller and Hiya.SALT LAKE CITY  The statistics are sobering.

While 38 percent of U.S. businesses are owned by women, data reflects only about 2 percent of the $85 billion spent in venture capital funding in 2017 went to businesses with all-women founder/executive teams. And, as dismal as that sounds, it's the largest percentage of annual venture funding that's backed women-led business in over 10 years, according to data assembled by PitchBook Data Inc.

In addition to the gender-based disparity in funding distribution, the size of the deals offered to women's businesses was also dwarfed by deals offered to men. Fortune reported earlier this year that the average deal size for women-led businesses in 2017 was just over $5 million, versus the just shy of $12 million offered to male-led businesses, on average.

None of these numbers comes as a surprise to Sunny Washington, the founder and CEO of Because Learning, a tech learning platform that combines lesson plans with electronics kits to boost science, technology, engineering and math skills for K-12 students.

Washington's Salt Lake City-based company was founded in 2014 and has seen steady growth in clients and revenues since it was launched, currently working with over 400 schools in 30 countries. And while Washington has found some success in securing backing for Because Learning, the time she's spent devoted to fundraising passed a breaking point earlier this year.

"We've been raising money since 2014 and have raise about $2 million," Washington said. "But it took an incredible amount of effort. A mentor told me that it's typical to have about 30 pitch meetings to get to one term sheet. My experience was it took 100 meetings to get to a term sheet.

"When you're building a company, you just can't spend 90 percent of your time raising capital ... it just got to the point where enough was enough."

The ratio of pitches to funded deals is a large one  venture capital firms have told the Deseret News they hear "hundreds" of pitches for every deal they eventually end up funding. But Washington also learned, through watching what deals were getting funded by venture capital firms that took a pass on backing Because Learning, that something deeper than just the law of averages seemed to be afoot.

"People said no to me, but yes to something else," Washington said. "But it was pretty clear that what they funded didn't represent any less risk, so why didn't they do my deal?"

University of Utah professor Lyda Bigelow, from the David Eccles School of Business' Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, has found through her research that Washington may have just run up against a clouded, but significant, prejudice that plays profoundly against women business owners seeking funding for their endeavors.

"There appears to be a deep-seated ... unconcscious bias against seeing women as effective entrepreneurs or risk-takers," Bigelow said.

Bigelow uncovered the anomaly in experiments she conducted for a research project that published in 2012. Part of the work included putting identical business plans for a fictional, but factually accurate, public stock offering in front of various groups including undergraduate students, graduate business school students and active finance professionals. To test what impacts gender had on how those plans were evaluated, Bigelow varied a single aspect of the information, using either an obviously male or obviously female name for the CEOs listed on the plans. Her findings, particularly among the graduate school students, were profound.

"Whenever the IPO was led by a woman, all of the financial evaluations conducted by the group skewed negatively," Bigelow said. "The only explanation was the gender of the CEO."

Data from the undergrad respondents was similar, though data from investment professionals was discounted because most failed to complete the plan reviews as stipulated in the experiment. One aspect of the findings that Bigelow described as unexpected was female respondents showing the same bias as men in the test groups.

"What was really kind of surprising to us was we thought surely women would give us a more fair and balanced equation," Bigelow said. "But, like the males, they didn't believe women would be as effective leaders or able to manage the company through external disruptions."

Bigelow said she and her research team have discussed the findings with numerous members of the venture capital investment realm who overwhelmingly responded that their work was focused on finding and backing the best ideas and management teams, and that gender did not figure into their assessments. Bigelow, whose research work is continuing to explore gender issues as they relate to business finance, said the evidence indicates the forces at work may very well be unknown to the individuals.

"I don't think for a minute that this is a reflection of overt discrimination against women," Bigelow said. "It's deeper and cultural."

A recent piece of research featured in the Harvard Business Review looked at question-and-answer sessions between a group of almost 200 startups of equitable quality and capital needs and 140 established venture capital investors. Researchers tracked the companies, following the venture funding pitches to determine which companies were funded and what, if any, disparities were in evidence. Over time, the male-led startups raised five times as much as female-led ventures.

When the content of the questions asked by potential investors was analyzed, researchers found significant differences in the types of questions asked of female founders versus those asked of male founders. Researchers noted that while investors took a predominantly "promotional" orientation toward male founders, with questions that focused on "hopes, achievements, advancement and ideals," the position most taken with female founders was about "prevention" with questions centered on "safety, responsibility, security and vigilance."

Researchers also highlighted that the tendencies held for both male and female investors.

"Both men and women who evaluate startups appear to display the same bias in their questioning, inadvertently favoring male entrepreneurs over female ones," the researchers wrote.

Rather than accepting defeat, Washington and her team sought out a fundraising workaround to the brick walls they were running into in the world of traditional venture capital.

Through a campaign coordinated by a joint venture of Indiegogo/Microventures called First Democracy VC, Washington launched a crowdfunding campaign that allows small, or micro, investors to back Because Learning in increments as low as $100. As of Friday, the campaign had attracted over 200 investors and raised over $68,000. While the amount is small in a venture capital arena where multi-million dollar deals are common, Washington sees the opportunity as very positive and remains undaunted in her quest to continue to grow her company.

"We launched the campaign and met the minimum funding goal in just six days," Washington said. "To me, it was so eye-opening and exciting to find another way to fundraise as a female founder."

Cydni Tetro, co-founder and president of Women Tech Council, a Utah-based national organization that is "focused on the economic impact of women in driving high growth for the technology sector," said she believes change is afoot in the venture capital community, both in Utah and the broader market.

"Every one of the venture companies in the state are actively thinking about this, and working on it," Tetro said. "I see two great things happening. Utah companies are committed to change ... and a greater number of funds from out of the area are interested in funding Utah companies. More interest focused here just means there's a better chance for everyone to get funded."SALT LAKE CITY  Utah has set new standards for how long offenders should remain on probation and parole, giving them a chance to further cut down their supervision time if they meet certain benchmarks.

"These guidelines give offenders some solid goals to reach. And if they reach those goals, there's some expectation that they can have some control over the length of their probation or their parole," said Marshall Thompson, director of the Utah Sentencing Commission.

The policy, approved by the commission last week in a unanimous vote, provides a shot at early release to those who complete treatment, pose little risk to the public and meet other criteria. It takes effect in January, but does not apply to roughly 18,000 people already on probation and parole in the Beehive State.

The Utah Legislature earlier this year directed the panel to better tailor supervision after prison (parole) or instead of prison and jail time (probation) to a person's progress, part of a larger series of criminal justice reforms in the Beehive State. The Sentencing Commission includes judges, attorneys, lawmakers and others.

"We want to look at, what is an individual's risk or needs? Rather than directly, or solely, the offense they committed," said Dan Blanchard, adult probation and parole director at the Department of Corrections. "That allows us hopefully to put our resources more on those that need it."

The standards expand on an existing program that allows offenders to shrink their supervision terms by up to half if they follow terms imposed by a court or Utah's Board of Pardons and Parole, and follow a case action plan that could focus on job and education goals.

Under the new system, a person may get off even earlier if they complete any ordered treatment, show they pose less of a risk and are more stable  possibly by having a steady job or maintaining a good relationship with their family members  so long as they are complying terms of their supervision and don't have new criminal cases. Judges and Utah's Board of Pardons and Parole can still deny early release under the policy, but must explain why, and offenders can reapply.

"Weve tried to make sure that the guidelines dont radically change much right now, as far as the practical effect," Thompson said. Instead, the policy clarifies how long offenders can expect to stay on paper  giving those who are convicted, and also victims of their crimes, a solid idea of how long the state will supervise them, he said.

In the past, a "rat's nest" of Utah laws prevented those on parole and probation for some crimes from qualifying for early release, Thompson said. But once they hit a three-year time limit embedded in the state code, many offenders automatically timed out. The new guidelines give judges and the parole board more power to continue monitoring those deemed a public safety risk, Thompson said.

Mike Haddon, executive director of the Utah Department of Corrections and a member of the commission, voted in favor of the standards but cautioned they could further tax already-overwhelmed probation and parole agents.

"We're moving from an automatic system to one that has a lot of discretion," he said last week. "If they serve longer periods of time, that could increase our caseloads."

Faye Jenkins, a representative of the Utah Prisoner Advocate Network, urged the panel last week to extend the new standards to those already in the system. She said that when she told people she knows who are in prison about the new guidelines, they shed "tears of gratitude. It makes a huge difference, just giving them the hope."

Third District Judge Vernice Trease voted yes on the new standards, but noted there may be reasons not listed in the guidelines why a judge should not grant a person's release.

"There will be times that there has to be some discretion that may not fit perfectly with the things that we've outlined," she said.

Relying in part on research finding that too much supervision can raise the likelihood of a repeat offense, and that a person is most likely to reoffend within the first two years, the standards stipulate how long at most a person should remain supervised: Two years for a class A misdemeanor and four for a first-degree felony, for example. The lengths rise to 14 years for a murder, and 10 years for first-degree sexual an kidnapping crimes. That's as long as offenders don't violate their probation, pose a serious public safety risk or have a new criminal case.

Defense attorney Richard Mauro, a member of the commission, said he believes some of the supervision lengths are too long.

"In many ways, this is not perfect," he said. "I think this is a good compromise."

As part of the legislative reform earlier this year, lawmakers capped supervision terms to three years for misdemeanor crimes, and not longer than what would have been their full prison term for a felony conviction. After that, a person must go to prison if they pose enough of a risk, or be released, according to the guidelines.SALT LAKE CITY  The latest TV commercial from Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, features a narrator who sounds like former President Bill Clinton thanking Love's Democratic rival, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams, "for all your help."

McAdams is also set to debut his campaign's first negative ad, highlighting recent allegations that Love illegally raised more than $1 million for the race and saying she's "gone Washington" while showing her next to President Donald Trump.

The real takeaway from both commercials, scheduled to start running Tuesday, may be that the already hotly contested race for the 4th Congressional District seat is heating up even more.

"I think we're going to see both campaigns becoming more aggressive," said Jason Perry, head of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics. "Both campaigns appear to be willing to engage in the battle."

Voters usually don't like negative campaigning, Perry said, but because it can have a cumulative effect on how they vote, candidates often end up willing to take the risk.

"When it comes to negative campaigning, you never know what is going to catch fire so candidates start feeling compelled to respond," he said. "There's no going back. But the question is, does it escalate."

Love's new 30-second spot refers to McAdams' internship with the Democratic president as well as his work for Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate and presidential campaigns.

The narrator says, "Ben, you are a great friend to Hillary and me."

Even House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., gets mentioned, with the narrator chuckling as he suggests that if Democrats reclaim control of the House in November, "I know you'll do a great job for her, too."

McAdams commercial begins with the question, "What do Washington politicians do when caught with $1 million in illegal contributions? Mia Love kept the money and is using it to make false attacks against Ben McAdams."

The 30-second commercial squeezes in a defense of McAdams' record on taxes as mayor from Draper Mayor Troy Walker, a Republican, already used in another ad, before returning to Love.

"Mia's changed. She's gone Washington," the commercial concludes, as Love is shown standing next to the president.

Both campaigns defended their own commercials while criticizing what their opponents were telling voters.

McAdams' campaign manager, Andrew Roberts, called Love's new commercial "as phony as Mia Love" and accused the congresswoman of breaking campaign finance laws and ethics rules.

Roberts said, "worst of all, she lets us down in Congress."

He said he wasn't "sure what to call dredging up a two-decades-old college internship other than desperate. Frankly, Love's ads should serve to remind Utahns of how broken and dishonest Washington politicians like Mia Love are."

McAdams said in one of his recent commercials he would not support Pelosi as speaker if he's elected. The longtime House speaker also played prominently in the campaigns for the last Democrat to represent Utah in Congress, Rep. Jim Matheson.

Love's campaign manager, Dave Hansen, said the congresswoman's commercial is intended "to make sure voters understand" McAdams' "background and training" in politics come from the Clintons, who are not popular in Utah.

Bill Clinton came in third in Utah in his successful 1992 run for president and later angered many conservatives in the state by designating the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument.

Hillary Clinton came in second to President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race, after finishing far behind a self-described Democratic socialist, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, in that year's Democratic caucus vote.

"I think obviously, in both elections that Bill Clinton ran in Utah, he got beat. He got beat bad. Hillary got beat," Hansen said. "I don't think Utah voters like the idea of ties very close to the Clintons."

He said the message is also that if Utahns are "voting for McAdams you're voting for Nancy Pelosi for speaker." But Hansen said the ad is not saying anything negative about McAdams personally.

"I think people will like it," he said. "I think they will find it somewhat humorous."

Hansen called McAdams' new commercial "absolutely false," saying there is nothing illegal about the campaign contributions in question, the subject of a Federal Election Commission complaint by the progressive Alliance for a Better Utah.

He said tying Love to Trump is "another falsehood" because the congresswoman has been clear that "she'll support him when she thinks he's right for the district and the country" and oppose him when she thinks he's wrong.

"I think the voters of the 4th District look at it and say, 'That's not the Mia we know,'" Hansen said, describing the McAdams campaign as "just slashing back, hoping to take attention away from the problems that Ben has."

Roberts, however, said McAdams' new ad isn't negative because it "sets the record straight" about his record as mayor and informs voters about what has been reported about Love's campaign contributions.

He said McAdams "hopes that she will return the $1 million she raised in violation of the law, cease with the dishonest negative attacks, and run a campaign focused on the issues."

As for linking the congresswoman to Trump, Roberts said Love votes with the president "nearly 100 percent of the time. The president's agenda is Love's agenda in Congress."

Love launched the first negative ad earlier this month in what's seen as the most contentious racein Utah, going after McAdams' record as mayor. A couple who supports McAdams have said their images were misused in the Love commercial.

The race between Love and McAdams has been rated a toss-up by at least one national entity, RealClearPolitics.com, and has sparked FEC complaints against both candidates.SALT LAKE CITY  Sen. Orrin Hatch slammed Democrats Monday for "partisan games and transparent attempts at character assassination" against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

"No innuendo has been too low, no insinuation too dirty. Everything is an excuse for delay, no matter how unsubstantiated," the Utah Republican said in a statement, calling for a vote on Kavanaugh after he testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday.

The retiring senator, who participated in the confirmations of every member of the high court during his 42 years in office, called the new allegation that has surfaced against Kavanaugh a continuation of "a smear campaign."

The New Yorker reported Sunday that during the 1983-84 academic year, Kavanaugh's first year at Yale University, a female classmate said he exposed himself at a dormitory party.

Hatch, a member of the judiciary committee, said again in his statement "every accuser deserves to be heard. Moreover, a person who has committed sexual assault should not serve on the Supreme Court."

He said the "underhanded tactics" of the Democrats in the confirmation process, which he said included leaking allegations to the media, were not fair to Kavanaugh, "the individuals in the stories" or the public.

The committee should hear as planned on Thursday from Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were teenagers, Hatch said. "Then we should vote."

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is also a member of the judiciary committee.

His spokesman, Conn Carroll, said the New York Times has poked significant holes in The New Yorker story. Sen. Lee looks forward to hearing from Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh Thursday.

Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, said he's "very, very uncomfortable" with the latest accusation against Kavanaugh for a lot of reasons.

"We want to give these individuals a chance to be heard. But I just think the whole thing is sad," Stewart told the Deseret News. "No matter what happens here, someone's life is going to be terribly disrupted."

But Stewart said at this point, Kavanaugh's nomination should go forward.

"We haven't even had a hearing. We don't have any testimony, no witnesses under oath. So you've got to let these individuals and also the judge have a chance to defend himself," the congressman said.

Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, said in a statement that neither this nor future nominations can be allowed "to become so blatantly political that they deter good and qualified people from accepting nominations to our nation's highest court."

Love repeated her belief that "accusations of sexual misconduct are extremely serious" and that she supports "good-faith efforts to discover the truth" from Kavanaugh about the accusations made against him.

"However, such efforts must be fact-based and nonpartisan," she said.

Reps. Rob Bishop and John Curtis both said they had not heard the latest accusation and had no comment. Stewart, Bishop and Curtis were with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Monday on a tour of Zion National Park to address maintenance needs.

Jason Perry, head of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics, said that for the state's congressional delegation, the only appropriate answer to the Kavanaugh accusations is to take them seriously and hear the facts.

While there may be a need later to push through alternatives to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, Perry said that for now, "following the process and understanding is more important than reacting."

Contributing: Dennis Romboy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.Here Is What The Popular Actresses Of Bollywood Have To Say About The Issue Of Pay Gap

When it comes to the portrayal of women in cinema, Bollywood has truly come a long way. Bollywood has always romanticised the heroine but it took a lot of time on the part of Hindi films to see women helming major projects. While films like Kahaani, DirtyPicture, Queen or more recently Raazi have brought a sea change in the way people see female-oriented films, but there is one glass ceiling that the Hindi film actresses are yet to break.

The issue of the pay gap between actor and actresses has become a raging debate of late and rightly so. Many actresses have come out in the open and freely talked about this sexist aspect of Bollywood. Here is what some of the most popular actresses of Bollywood have had to say about the issue of pay gap in Bollywood.

Kajol

Kajol recently had this to say about the issue of pay gap in Bollywood.

Priyanka Chopra

The international revealed that she has faced the same sexism in Hollywood as well.

Kangana Ranaut

The firebrand actress has been one of the strongest voices against sexism in Bollywood, among many many other things.

Anushka Sharma

Anushka's bold and clear statement created a lot of ripples.

Swara Bhaskar

She is yet another actress who is not shy about voicing her opinions.

Kalki Koechlin

Kalki had quite the mic drop moment with this comment.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Aish made some pertinent points.

Sonam Kapoor

Sonam echoed the same concerns as Aishwarya.Indias Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is seeking permission from the Supreme Court to demand new bank guarantees of around INR330 billion ($4.5 billion) from the countrys mobile operators.

Between the licence and spectrum usage fees that Indias operators owe to the government, the DoT argues that huge public money is at stake, according to The Economic Times.

In a filing with the Supreme Court, the DoT argued: even with existing financial guarantees and withholding the performance bank guarantee of the licensee companies, it is not adequate security towards [the governments] outstanding assessed annual licence fee and spectrum usage dues.

Indias mobile market has been embroiled in a price war since Reliance Jio launched in September 2016. A spate of consolidation ensued as operators saw their margins squeezed, and profitability took a hit as they attempted to remain competitive.

The countrys three largest operators  Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio  all have substantial amounts of debt, so boosting their holdings as a bank guarantee will stretch them even thinner.

The DoT has for some time now been trying to recover spectrum usage and licence fees from several Indian operators, and is owed around INR780 billion. This amount could fluctuate as the fees are calculated based on adjusted gross revenue, and the Supreme Court may revise how this term is defined.Malaysian data network provider Celcom Axiata Berhad has signed an agreement with Ericsson to expand and upgrade its LTE network in Malaysia.

As part of this, Ericsson will supply Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment from its Ericsson Radio System portfolio to help Celcom serve the growing demand for data services in Malaysia. Ericssons RAN equipment will also serve as a platform to help Celcom evolve its network to 5G in the coming years.

Mohamad Idham Nawawi, Chief Executive Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad, said: This partnership is strategic as it will not only help us further expand our LTE footprint but create the base for the launch of 5G services. We will continue to drive technology innovations in Malaysia to bring the latest services, and to enable all Malaysians to participate in the digital economy.

Ericsson has recently added new hardware and software products to its Ericsson Radio System portfolio that further enhance the agility and speed with which service providers can roll out their 5G networks. In February 2018, Ericsson also announced that all its radio products within the Ericsson Radio System delivered since 2015 will support Narrowband-Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and 5G New Radio (NR) capabilities with a simple remote software installation.

Network evolution is driven by demand for improved user experience and cost-efficient network operations. With Ericsson Radio System, operators like Celcom can take the first steps with commercial 5G capabilities and new applications, leveraging advanced mobile broadband services. The 5G/IoT radio network software complements Ericssons multi-technology supporting baseband and radios.

Todd Ashton, Head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, said: We have been a long-term partner of Celcom and are pleased to support them in expanding and upgrading their LTE network across Malaysia. It will enable the delivery of enhanced customer experiences for millions of Malaysians while getting their network ready for the evolution to 5G.

In 2017, Ericsson and Celcom performed Malaysia's first ever 5G trial, pioneering the evolution of the nation's telecommunications technology. It was the first 5G trial conducted on the 28 GHz band in South East Asia.The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance and Google have entered into an agreement to build Android-powered infotainment systems for Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi vehicles. According to a press release by the Alliance, vehicles sold by the Alliance members will use Android to provide turn-by-turn navigation, calling and messaging functionalities, media control, and a means to manage vehicle functions. This will happen with the help of Google apps like Google Maps and Google Assistant. Additionally, the infotainment systems will allow users to download automotive apps off Google Play Store. They will also be compatible with devices running other operating systems, like Apple iOS.

This new partnership forms part of the Alliances efforts to equip more of its vehicles with connectivity and cloud-based services as part of its Alliance 2022 mid-term plan. Under this plan, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is targeting increased sales of more than 14 million units a year by the end of 2022. The press release sent out by the Alliance says that the plan also involve the launch of 12 new zero-emission electric vehicles, new autonomous-driving technologies, and the ongoing rollout of the Alliance Intelligent Cloud.

Our partnership with Google will offer owners of our vehicles rich user experiences that are currently available only outside the vehicle or, to a limited extent, by connecting an Android device to supported vehicles. We are building powerful connected and seamless on-board/off-board experiences into our vehicles in addition to the features of Google applications and services that many users are accustomed to, including Google Maps, the Google Assistant and the Google Play Store, commented Hadi Zablit, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi.

RenaultNissanMitsubishi is a strategic partnership formed by Groupe Renault, Nissan Motor, and Mitsubishi Motors in 1999. The Alliance has strategic collaborations with other automotive groups, including Daimler and Dongfeng. The Alliance is particularly proud of the zero-emission vehicles, Nissan LEAF and Renault ZOE. With the Google partnership, it hopes to offer autonomous drive, connectivity features and services on affordable vehicles.Google is facing its users ire after it was reported that the company has failed to inform them about the behavioural change of the Chrome Sync when it released the latest Chrome 69 earlier this month. According to a report, the company has brought in a new structure under which it logs-in the users to Google Chrome if and when they sign-in to any Google-owned service on the newest version of the browser -- that too without letting the users know. So if you sign-in to your Gmail account, you will be logged into the Chrome browser as well.

When we learnt about the development, we checked it and found the log-in claims to be true

ZDNet says that the system, Sync, has been present in Chrome for years and, until now, it has worked independently from the logged-in state of Google accounts. The positive of this was that users could surf the web while logged into a Google account but not upload any Chrome browsing data to Google's servers. It is now being seen that the latest structure will sync a user's browsing history to Googles servers, but Google has outrightly denied the derivation.

Adrienne Porter Felt, Engineer and Manager, Google Chrome took to Twitter and explained the the reason and the working of the new structure. She says that the auto-login operation does not start the process of synchronizing local data to Google's servers and it will require a user click. She says that the mechanism has been added for privacy reasons in the first place.

Hi all, I want to share more info about recent changes to Chrome sign-in. Chrome desktop now tells you that you're "signed in" whenever you're signed in to a Google website. This does NOT mean that Chrome is automatically sending your browsing history to your Google account! 1/  Adrienne Porter Felt (@__apf__) September 24, 2018

Hi all, I want to share more info about recent changes to Chrome sign-in. Chrome desktop now tells you that you're "signed in" whenever you're signed in to a Google website. This does NOT mean that Chrome is automatically sending your browsing history to your Google account! In the new version of Chrome: when you sign in or out of a Google website, Chrome UI shows your sign-in status in the top right corner, she tweeted.

She claims that the company made this change to prevent surprises in a shared device scenario. In the past, people would sometimes sign out of the content area and think that meant they were no longer signed into Chrome, which could cause problems on a shared device. The new UI clearly reminds you whenever you're logged in to a Google account. Plus, you now only need to sign out in one place before you share your computer with someone else, she added while giving links to the updated Chrome Support page and Google Chrome Privacy Whitepaper.The Moto One Power launched today in India. It marks the debut of the Lenovo-owned brand's stock Android series. The line-up was announced at IFA 2018 in Berlin where Moto launched two phones  Moto One and Moto One Power. The latter, and more powerful of the two, is exclusively for the Indian market. With beefed up mid-range hardware and ticking off all the ongoing design trends, the Moto One Power is a clear attempt at filling a gaping hole left by the Moto G6 Plus, a mid-range phone priced at Rs 22,000. With Xiaomi, Honor, Asus and others claiming large shares of the mid-range market, Moto went back to square one. Both the Moto One and Moto One Power are certified under Google's Android One program. The interface is vanilla Android 8.1 Oreo with the latest security patch, and a promise of regular updates for the next two years.



If you trace back the popularity of pure, stock Android among users, the buck could very well stop at Motorola, the G series to be precise. The first generation Moto G that the company launched under the tutelage of Google introduced the world to the simplicity of stock Android. The Nexus phones were there of course, but stock Android on a budget? The credit should go to Moto G. From then to the present day, no frills stock Android has been ubiquitous with Motorola.



As a result, if you flick through the Moto One Power's UI, it won't be much different from any other Moto phones. It's clean with minimal distraction, fluid operations and a seamless, smooth experience. What changed? Over the years, ever since Moto came under the ownership of Lenovo, it wasn't so regular with pushing out updates. The Android Oreo update to the Moto G5 is incidentally rolling out today, more than a year after it's launch. Being Android One certified addresses that problem in the Moto One Power. At least it assures users of regular updates for two years. Furthermore, being under Google's supervision through the programme, adequate firepower under the hood to handle the daily requirements is more or less assured.



The Moto One Power is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 platform. It was introduced back in the beginning of the year by Xiaomi in the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Asus also used it to power their mid-range stock Android phone, the Zenfone Max Pro M1. Both smartphones have been consistent with regular updates and are quite popular among users. The chipset is a step below the Snapdragon 660 that powers the Android One-certified Xiaomi Mi A2, but more than capable of handling the usual smartphone tasks. The Moto One Power is also equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that the company claims provides two days worth of usage. It also supports Moto's proprietary TurboPower fast charging standards.



The big battery also makes the phone quite hefty at 205 grams. The Moto One Power has a smooth metal finish and looks a lot like other Xiaomi and Asus devices in that range. It's perhaps more functional to arrange the dual cameras vertically in the top left corner, but they all look the same now. The fingerprint sensor is a dimple on the body with the Moto Batwing logo etched on it. That's one way to set it apart from the rest. The phone is also splash proof.





Up front, the Moto One Power houses a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display. It's a FullHD+ panel with 19.5:9 aspect ratio, thanks to a notch on top. The notch houses the front camera, earpiece and the proximity sensor and is quite wide, unlike the one on the Nokia 6.1 Plus. At the launch event, Motorola did not shy away from stating that the Moto One Power can stream Netflix in HD, unlike most Xiaomi phones.



On the back is a dual camera unit  A 16MP primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture and 1.12um pixel pitch, and a secondary 5MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture to capture depth information. The LED flash unit paired with the camera houses a colour correction sensor like the Moto G6. Up front is a 12MP sensor with f/2.0 for selfies that can also take portrait shots. The camera is also infused with Google Lens that provides additional information about objects in the viewfinder. The camera also has a manual mode, colour filters and HDR.

The stock Android interface is laced with Moto's proprietary features called Moto Actions. It enables an always-on display along with other gesture-based actions like Chop to turn on the flashlight, twist to launch camera, and the likes.



The Moto One Power surely shapes up to be a device capable of taking a shot at the giants like Xiaomi in the mid-range segment. We're testing the smartphone for an in-depth review, slated for later this week. Stay tuned!Gaming Laptop Deals on Dell Laptops

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AdvertisementsTata Steel to acquire Usha Martin's steel biz for up to Rs4,700 cr

Tata Steel on Saturday will acquire the steel business of Usha Martin Limited (UML) for Rs4,300-4,700 crore.

In a release issued on Saturday, Tata Steel Limited said it has signed of definitive agreements for acquisition of the steel business of Usha Martin Limited through a slump sale on a going concern basis.

It is proposed that the steel business of UML will be acquired subject to transaction closing, for a cash consideration of between Rs 4,300-4,700 crore (subject to various transaction adjustments), the release said.

UML, in a stock exchange filing, said the sale of steel business to Tata Steel will help the company in significant reduction of its debt.

Tata Steel said the closing of the acquisition is subject to fulfilment of various conditions under the agreements and that at the closing, Tata Steel or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates may carry out this acquisition.

The deal is expected to be completed in 6-9 months, it added.

While the two parties jointly work towards fulfilment of conditions precedent, Tat Steel said it is largely regulatory approvals that are required for the transfer of the business undertaking.

Tata Steel will absorb all the employees of UMLs steel business as part of the acquisition.

The steel business undertaking of UML inter-alia comprises a specialized 1 million tonnes per annum alloy based manufacturing capacity in long products segment based in Jamshedpur, a producing iron-ore mine, a coal mine under development and captive power plants.

Tata steel said the acquisition is part of its overall strategy to build capability in long products and expand product offerings, including high-value added products.

Tata Steel Group is among the top global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 27.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) as of 31 March 2018.

Usha Martin is amongst the largest wire rope manufacturers in the world and a leading speciality steel producer in India.

Earlier, in May, Bamnipal Steel Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Steel, completed the acquisition of controlling stake of 72.65 per cent in Bhushan Steel Ltd (BSL).

Tata Steel had won the bid to acquire debt-laden BSL in an insolvency auction.Govt unlikely to accept oppn demand for JPC probe into Rafale deal

The Narendra Modi government is not likely to accept the opposition's demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal, amid an ongoing political slugfest over the India-France defence deal.

Reports quoting official sources said the centre is in no mood to call a JPC probe into the Rafale controversy despite extreme pressure from the Congress-led opposition.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh indicated this when he said there is no room for doubt after former French president Francois Hollande's 'clarification' on the Rafale deal.

"After clarifications from Hollande, there is no room for any doubt about the deal. The Congress is making it an issue to gain political mileage in 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Singh said.

Hollande, who was French president when the Rs58,000 crore deal was announced, was quoted as saying by French publication 'Mediapart' that France was given "no choice" on selection of the Indian partner for Dassault and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance as offset partner for the French aerospace giant.

"The opposition does not have any issue left so it is raking up Rafale deal issue," the home minister told reporters after a meeting of the Central Zonal Council.

Meanwhile, a delegation of senior Congress leaders met the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and demanded registration of a case in alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal.

A Congress delegation had earlier met the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and urged the apex auditor to prepare a report on the alleged irregularities in the deal and present it in Parliament.

The delegation met CVC KV Chowdary and submitted a detailed memorandum, accusing the government of causing loss to the public exchequer and endangering national security by bypassing state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in favour of some businessman "friends" for offset contract.

"Rafale scam has now emerged as India's biggest defence scam. Tracks of corruption are getting unravelled by the day with repeated disclosures getting no answers from the defence ministry of the government of the day. The stench of corruption and cronyism in the Rafale deal is nauseating, requiring urgent intervention by your goodself," the Congress memorandum to the CVC said.

The memorandum said that as per law, the government is bound to provide full information to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), "entire deal, its contours, nature of contract, absence of favouritism, corruption, crony capitalism, violation of law and procedures and the principles of level playing field are part of CVC's domain to examine and to return a finding".

"The government is bound to disclose the price of 36 aircraft to scrutiny by CVC in light of the serious allegations of corruption and loss of money to the public exchequer.

"We, therefore, request the CVC to undertake its statutory duty by examining record threadbare, so that corruption, crony capitalism, violation of law and procedure and loss to public exchequer is brought out as the earliest," it further said.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi later told reporters that there are no answers with the government to various questions raised on the deal and no one is telling why the whole procedure took place in a reverse order.

"Why was a contract of Rs 30,000 crore given to a company that is on the verge of bankruptcy? How can they sideline a company like HAL?" he said.

The Congress has alleged that the fresh deal for Rafale fighter jets was inked by the Narendra Modi dispensation at a cost much higher than what was negotiated by the previous government led by it.India-Pak foreign ministers to meet in New York

India has accepted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans proposal for a meeting between foreign ministers of the two countries on the sidelines of the ongoing annual UN General Assembly session in New York, on a day when Pakistani border guards slit the throat of a BSF jawan.

Following the dastardly killing of the BSF jawan, Pakistan-baked terrorists abducted and killed three policemen, including two Special Police Officers (SPOs) in South Kashmir's Shopian district. A civilian, who was also abducted along with the three personnel, was set free today.

The abductions were made from the houses of the policemen in Kapran village.

Earlier, on 31 August, the militants had abducted 11 relatives of Jammu and Kashmir policemen.

A statement purportedly issued by Hizbul operational commander Riyaz Naikoo, on the social media said that henceforth the militants would follow "an eye for an eye policy".

Yesterday, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar announced that India had agreed to a meeting between foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Pakistan's request. He, however, made it clear that it was only a meeting and should not be seen as the resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue.

Terrorists had also abducted civilians, according to the police. The search operation soon turned into an encounter following the open fire by the terrorists. One terrorist was killed in the operation.

Finance ministers of India and Pakistan will meet at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The move comes after Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi proposing a meeting between the two foreign ministers. EAM will, therefore, erase this issue in her meeting with the Pakistani foreign minister on sidelines of UNGA, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.India calls off meeting with Pak after Shopian killing

The external affairs ministry has called off a meeting of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj with her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines of UN General Assembly meeting in New York following the "brutal" killing of three policemen in Kashmir by Pakistan-backed terrorists and the release of postal stamps glorifying Kashmiri terrorist Burhan Wani.

Announcing the decision, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the recent developments show that any dialogue with Pakistan is meaningless.

"Since yesterday's announcement of meeting of foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, two deeply disturbing developments have taken place. The latest brutal killings of our security personnel by Pakistan-based entities and the recent release of a series of 20 postal stamps by Pakistan glorifying terrorists," the MEA spokesperson said.

Following the incident, opposition parties criticised the government and asked it to explain the rationale behind accepting such a meeting when Pakistan-based terror outfits are killing Indian security personnel along the border in J&K.

Kumar said India's decision to agree to Pakistan's proposal for the meeting was in response to the spirit reflected in separate letters from Khan and Qureshi.

"The letter from the Prime Minister of Pakistan had spoken of, inter alia, bringing a positive change and mutual desire for peace as also readiness to discuss terrorism.

"It's obvious that behind Pakistan's proposal for talks to make a fresh beginning, the evil agenda of Pakistan stands exposed and the true face of new Prime Minister of Pakistan has been revealed to world and that too in the first few months itself."

While India on Thursday agreed to a meeting between external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart after Pakistan's request, earlier today, three policemen were abducted from their homes in south Kashmir's Shopian district and shot dead by the Hizbul Mujahideen.

India had agreed to talks after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking to re-start the bilateral talks on key issues "challenging the relationship."

India had halted all talks with Pakistan after the Pathankot air base terror attack in 2016.

India-Pak ties have nose-dived since then in view of a number of terror strikes by Pakistan-based groups, which India retaliated by carrying out 'surgical strikes' in September 2016 across the LoC. India has been maintaining that terror and talks cannot go together.

The last meeting between the two foreign ministers was held during Swaraj's visit to Islamabad in December 2015 to attend the Heart of Asia Summit, where she had met the then Pakistan foreign minister Sartaj Aziz.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.

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Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349Iran military vows revenge after attack on parade leaves 29 dead

Iran's Revolutionary Guards vowed have vowed to exact "deadly and unforgettable" vengeance for a shooting attack on a military parade that killed 29 people, including 12 of their comrades, with Tehran accusing Gulf Arab states of backing the gunmen.

"Considering (the Guards') full knowledge about the centres of deployment of the criminal terrorists` leaders..., they will face a deadly and unforgettable vengeance in the near future," the Guards said in a statement carried by state media.

Saturday's assault, one of the worst against the elite force of the Islamic Republic, comes at a time when the United States and its Gulf allies are working to isolate Tehran and could act as a trigger for a US war on Iran.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has pointed finger at US-backed Arab separatists for the dastardly attack on a military parade in Irans Ahvaz province the previous day that left 29 people dead.

It is absolutely clear to us who has done this, which group it is and to whom they are affiliated, Rouhani said on state television shortly before leaving Tehran for the UN General Assembly in New York.

Those who have caused this catastrophe  were Saddams mercenaries as long as he was alive and then changed masters, he said, referring to late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

One of the countries in the south of the Persian Gulf took care of their financial, weaponry and political needs, Rouhani added. All these little mercenary countries we see in this region are backed by America. It is the Americans who incite them, he said.

Four militants on Saturday attacked the parade commemorating the beginning of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, launched by Baghdad, in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, capital of Khuzestan Province.

Officials and an eyewitness said the gunmen were dressed in Iranian military uniforms and sprayed the crowd with gunfire using weapons they had stashed in a nearby park.

Ahvaz National Resistance, an Iranian ethnic Arab opposition movement which seeks a separate state in oil-rich Khuzestan province, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Islamic State militants also claimed responsibility. Neither claim provided evidence. All four attackers were killed.

Iranian officials, however, saw an Arab separatist movement, the Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front (ADPF), also known as Al-Ahwazi, as the main suspect.

The London-based Iran International TV had also, on Saturday, beamed an interview with Yaqoub Hor Altostari, who claims to be a spokesman for ADPF, indirectly taking responsibility for the attack and calling it resistance against legitimate targets.

Iran in response summoned diplomats from Denmark, the Netherlands and Britain to complain about them hosting some members of the terrorist group and double standards in fighting terrorism, the foreign affairs ministry said. The British charge daffaires was told that it is not acceptable that the spokesman for the mercenary Al-Ahwazi group be allowed to claim responsiblity for this terrorist act through a London-based TV network, said the ministrys spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi.

It is expected that (the Danish and Dutch) governments hand over the perpetrators of this attack and anyone related to them to Iran for a fair trial, he added.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley rejected Rouhani`s accusations as rhetoric. "He`s got the Iranian people...protesting, every ounce of money that goes into Iran goes into his military, he has oppressed his people for a long time and he needs to look at his own base to figure out where that`s coming from," Haley told CNN.

"He can blame us all he wants. The thing he`s got to do is look in the mirror," she said.

Senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) have said the Ahvaz attack was carried out by militants trained by Gulf states and Israel and backed by America. But it is unlikely the IRGC will strike any of these foes directly.

Rouhani managed to strike Irans 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that ushered in a cautious detente with Washington before tensions flared anew with President Donald Trump`s decision in May to pull out of the accord and reimpose sanctions on Tehran.

The attack on the military parade is likely to give security hardliners like the Guards more political ammunition because they did not endorse the pragmatist Rouhani`s pursuit of the nuclear deal with the West.

Iran has also been hit by sporadic street protests over economic hardship that have taken on anti-government overtones.

Saturday's assault, one of the worst ever against the elite force of the Islamic Republic, struck a blow at its security establishment at a time when the United States and its Gulf allies are working to isolate Tehran.

"Considering (the Guards') full knowledge about the centres of deployment of the criminal terrorists` leaders..., they will face a deadly and unforgettable vengeance in the near future," the Guards said in a statement carried by state media.

Shiite Iran is also at odds with Western-backed Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia for predominance in the Middle East. The regional superpowers support opposing sides in the civil wars in Yemen and Syria as well as rival political groups in Iraq and Lebanon.

Iran`s foreign ministry summoned the United Arab Emirates` charge d`affaires on Sunday over comments made about the bloody fusillade at the military parade, state-run PressTV said.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia on Rouhani`s allegations.

Iran denies Gulf Arab accusations that it seeks to extend its sway via proxies around the Middle East, calling for states in the oil-producing region to guarantee its security without the interference of the United States and other Western powers.Pakistan seeks Saudi role in CPEC to lessen financial burden

Pakistan is trying to rope in Saudi Arabia as the third strategic partner of the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in a bid to lessen the financial burden of Chinas high-cost infrastructure projects on Pakistans economy.

A senior Pakistan minister made an announcement towards this on Thursday, after Prime Minister Imran Khan returned from his first foreign trip to the cash-rich kingdom.

The CPEC is the flagship project of the multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, aimed at enhancing Beijings influence around the world through China-funded infrastructure projects.

An extension of the project to Saudi Arabia will both achieve Chinas need to push into new areas of influence and Pakistans need to find source of finance for the Chinese projects.

It is also important for both Pakistan and China that the project is implemented at any cost as it is essential to take forward bilateral relations.

Addressing a press conference after Imran Khans two-day visit to Saudi Arabia and UAE, minister of information Fawad Chaudhry said Pakistan has invited Riyadh to join the CPEC as the third strategic partner.

Saudi minister of finance and energy will visit Pakistan in the first week of October, The News quoted Chaudhry as saying.

He said Saudi Arabia will decide on investing in the CPEC after the Saudi delegations visit.

CPEC is widely seen as a debt trap that could compromise cash-strapped Pakistans sovereignty, although China has rejected accusations.

CPEC is the flagship project of President Xis global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The CPEC includes the construction and upgradation of the transportation network, energy projects, a deep-water port at Gwadar and special economic zones to eventually support Pakistans industrial development as a manufacturing hub by 2030.

Chaudhry said that Prime Minister Khan has assured Riyadh that Pakistan will stand with Saudi Arabia.

We have also assured the Saudi leadership that we will continue to provide security to their country and provide strategic support wherever needed, he said on the close defence partnership between the close allies.

He also said that a high-level coordination committee has been constituted and it has the complete backing of Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud and Prime Minister Khan.Maldives' President Yameen loses out to Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

Maldivian joint opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won the election defeating President Abdulla Yameen who is known to be close to China, in a big relief to India.

While the final results are yet to be declared, Abdulla Yameen conceded defeat and said he would arrange a smooth transition for president-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

"The Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results from yesterday," Yameen said in a televised address to the nation a day after the joint opposition candidate secured an unexpected win.

"Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him," Yameen said.

India congratulated president elect Solih on his victory and said the election reflected Maldives commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law.

The Election Commission of Maldives has declared opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as the winner of the presidential elections in the country after releasing the preliminary results.

The commission's results released today show Solih scored 134,616 votes and incumbent President Yameen Abdul Gayoom 96,132 votes.

The results show 89.2 per cent voter turnout.

Commission spokesman Ahmed Akram said the final results will be released within the seven-day window parties have to challenge the results in court.

Solih declared victory early today, although his win was unexpected, with opposition members fearing Yameen would rig the vote in his favour.

In a victory speech in Maldives' capital Male, Solih called it "a moment of happiness, hope and history".

"I call on Yameen to respect the will of the people and bring about a peaceful, smooth transfer of power," Solih said on national television shortly after official results showed he had an unassailable 58 per cent of the popular vote.

"The message is loud and clear. People want justice and stability and we will ensure accountability," he added.

Yameen, however, has not conceded the race. Spokesman Hussain Shihab said he is awaiting a briefing by top Yameen administration officials before making a statement.

Since his election in 2013, Yameen has cracked down on political dissent, jailing rivals and judges.

India hoped that the Maldivian Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest.

We welcome the successful completion of the third presidential election process in the Maldives which, according to preliminary information, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said.

We heartily congratulate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory and hope that the Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest, it said.

This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law, the MEA said.

Indias ties with the Maldives have been strained after President Yameen declared Emergency in the country on 5 February, following an order by the countrys Supreme Court to release a group of opposition leaders, who had been convicted in illegitimate trials.

India and several other countries had criticised the Yameen government for the imposition of the Emergency and had urged it to restore the credibility of the electoral and political process by releasing political prisoners.

The Emergency was lifted 45 days later.

In July, India expressed concern over announcement of the presidential election without allowing democratic institutions, including Parliament and the judiciary, to work in a free and transparent manner.

At the last election in 2013, the Supreme Court annulled the result after Yameen trailed former president Mohamed Nasheed, giving Yameen time to forge alliances and win a second round of voting that was postponed twice.

Results from Sunday's election released by the electoral commission showed Yameen on 41.7 per cent of the vote, well behind Solih on 58.3 per cent  the only other name on ballot papers.

The final official result will take up to a week to be published.

The result was a major surprise, with Yameen's main political rivals either in prison or in exile, media coverage of the opposition sparse and monitors and the opposition predicting the vote would be rigged.

Yameen stayed quiet overnight after the outcome became clear. But signs grew Monday that he would throw in the towel, with a foreign ministry statement saying Solih had won and state media showing him claiming victory.

Nearly 90 per cent of the 262,000 electorate turned out to vote, with some waiting in line for more than five hours.

Celebrations broke out across the 1,200-island tropical archipelago popular with wealthy foreign tourists, with opposition supporters waving yellow flags of Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and dancing in the streets.

The US State Department, which had warned of "appropriate measures" if the vote was not free and fair, had called on Yameen to "respect the will of the people".PM launches universal health insurance programme Ayushman Bharat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday officially launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY) under the Ayushman Bharat vision to provide accessible and affordable healthcare to the common man.

Announcing the launch of the universal health insurance programme during a function at Ranchi, Jharkhand, the prime minister said the implementation of vision Ayushman Bharat will ensure that each and every citizen receives his due share of health care.

With Ayushman Bharat  Pradhan Mantri Jan AarogyaYojana - the government is taking healthcare protection to a new aspirational level. This is the worlds largest government funded healthcare program targeting more than 500 million beneficiaries, an official release stated.

Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana (PMJAY) will provide a cover of up to Rs5 lakh per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.

An estimated 107.4 million vulnerable families (approximately 500 million beneficiaries) will be eligible for these benefits.

PMJAY will provide cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service.

PMJAY will help reduce catastrophic expenditure for hospitalisations, which impoverishes people and will help mitigate the financial risk arising out of catastrophic health episodes.

Entitled families will be able to use quality health services they need without facing financial hardships.

When fully implemented, PMJAY will become the worlds largest fully government-financed health protection scheme. It is a visionary step towards advancing the agenda of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Ayushman Bharat is a progression towards promotive, preventive, curative, palliative and rehabilitative aspects of universal healthcare through access to health and wellness centers (HWCs) at the primary level and provision of financial protection for accessing curative care at the secondary and tertiary levels through engagement with both public and private sector.

It adopts a continuum of care approach, comprising two inter-related components - creation of 1,50,000 health and wellness centres which will bring health care closer to the homes of the people.

These centres will provide comprehensive primary health care (CPHC), covering both maternal and child health services and non-communicable diseases, including free essential drugs and diagnostic services. The prime minister launched the first health and wellness centre at Jangla, Bijapur, Chhatisgarh on 14 April 2018.

The second component is the Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana (PMJAY), which provides health protection cover to poor and vulnerable families for secondary and tertiary care.

The health and wellness centres will play a critical role in creating awareness about PMJAY, screening for non-communicable diseases, follow-up of hospitalisation cases among others.

The 71st round of National Sample Survey has found that:

 85.9 per cent of rural households and 82 per cent of urban households have no access to healthcare insurance/assurance;

 More than 17 per cent of Indian population spend at least 10 per cent of household budgets for health services; and

 Catastrophic healthcare related expenditure pushes families into debt, with more than 24 per cent households in rural India and 18 per ent population in urban area have met their healthcare expenses through some sort of borrowings.

PMJAY primarily targets the poor, deprived rural families and identified occupational category of urban workers families as per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data for both rural and urban areas as well as the active families under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY).

Approximately 107.4 million identified families (approximately 500 million beneficiaries) will be entitled to get the benefits. There is no cap on family size and age as well as restriction on pre-existing conditions.

The Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana offers hospitalisation cover - from inpatient care to post hospitalisation care.

The objectives of the Yojana are to reduce out of pocket hospitalisation expenses, fulfil unmet needs and improve access of identified families to quality inpatient care and day care surgeries.

The Yojana will provide a coverage up to Rs5,00,000 per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation through a network of Empanelled Health Care Providers (EHCP).

The EHCP network will provide cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiaries at the both public and private hospitals.

The services will include 1,350 procedures covering pre and post hospitalisation, diagnostics, medicines etc.

The Yojana beneficiaries will be able to move across states and access services throughout the country through the provider network seamlessly.

The scheme has been formulated with stakeholder inputs taken from all states and UTs through the national conclaves, sectoral working groups, intensive field exercises and piloting of key modules.

The scheme is principle-based rather than rule-based, allowing states enough flexibility in terms of packages, procedures, scheme design, entitlements as well as other guidelines while ensuring that key benefits of portability and fraud detection are ensured at a national level.

States have the option to use an existing trust/society or set up a new trust/society to implement the scheme as State Health Agency and will be free to choose the modalities for implementation.

States can implement the scheme through an insurance company or directly through the trust/society/implementation support agency or a mixed approach.

30 states and UTs have signed the MoU and have started working on implementation of the mission.

Pilot launch of the scheme has started. The focus of the pilot launch of the mission is to test and enhance the developed IT systems and streamline the state preparedness for a comprehensive launch.

The pilot been done in around 22 states / UTs (Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Goa, Maharashtra among others).

The pilot launch is taking place in specific hospitals to test the Beneficiary Identification System (BIS) and Transaction Management System (TMS) systems.

The pilot launch involves over 1,280 hospitals.

The scheme is creating a cadre of certified frontline health service professionals called Pradhan Mantri Aarogya Mitras (PMAMs) who will be primary point of facilitation for the beneficiaries to avail treatment at the hospital and thus, act as a support system to streamline health service delivery.

Training has already been conducted in across 20 states and around 3,519 Aarogya Mitras have been trained so far. Training programmes for state, district and PMAMs have been conducted in 27 states.

A total of around 3,936 personnel have been trained at state, district and PMAM levels.

So far 15,686 applications for hospital empanelment have been received.India to tap rupee route to Iran oil to by-pass US sanctions

India hopes to continue buying oil from its long-time partner Iran even after the US sanctions on Iran force the country to cut down on import of crude oil from the Persian Gulf country after the 4 November deadline, but would pay for whatever it would buy in rupees.

India and Iran is reported to have revived a payment mechanism, similar to the one used during the previous sanctions (till 2015), allowing state-run Indian Oil Corp and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL) to make the payments through the Iran Federal Bank branch in Mumbai.

Speaking at an event in New Delhi, shipping, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said the mechanism would be finalised between the two countries in 8-10 days.

The sources said Iran, which has emerged as the third largest supplier of crude to India in recent months, is open to accepting rupee payment for oil and may use the money to pay for equipment and food items it buys from India.

Currently, India makes the payment to Iran in euros using European banking channels.

During the time of the previous last sanctions, Indian firms used to get payments for exports to Iran from oil payments due to that country held in rupee balances at UCO Bank.

For 2018-19, India had planned to import about 25 million tonnes of crude oil from Iran, up from 22.6 million tonne imported in 2017-18. But the actual volumes could turn out to be far less as companies like Reliance Industries have totally stopped buying oil from Iran and others too are scaling it down in hopes of winning a sanction waiver from the US.

However, reduced purchases from Iran would indeed have an impact on Indias crude import bill and trade deficit.

For India, however, it is more lucrative to buy oil from Iran as they get a credit of 60 days compared to around 30 days by other suppliers. Indias oil purchases from Iran, worth around $9 billion accounted for over 80 per cent of its total imports from the Persian Gulf nation in 2017-18.

In a recent report, Congressional Research Service (CRS) said, During 2011-2015, India reduced its purchases of Iranian oil  at some cost to its own development  in order to receive from the US administration exemptions from sanctions. India has increased oil purchases from Iran to nearly pre-2012 levels after sanctions were lifted, and in May 2016, India agreed to transfer to Iran about $6.5 billion that it owed for Iranian oil shipments but which was held up for payment due to sanctions.

India has a goods trade deficit of over $8 billion with Iran (thanks to massive oil imports). Agricultural commodities make up for a half of Indias $2.6 billion in merchandise exports to Iran. In fact, at $900 million, basmati rice alone accounted for over a third of Indias total exports to Iran in 2017-18, payments for which were made mostly in the euros by Iran.

The latest US sanctions follow President Donald Trumps decision in May to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran. Some sanctions took effect from 6 August while those affecting the oil and banking sectors will start from 4 November.Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

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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.SIPTU members who work at the Rapid Action Packaging (RAP) plant on the Gaoth Dobhair industrial estate are on strike this morning.

Sinn Fein Finance Spokesperson Deputy Pearse Doherty has lent his support to the workers who are taking part in the 16 hour work stoppage today.

Its understood that central to the dispute is company managements refusal to recognise the right of workers represented by SIPTU to union representation for the purpose of collective bargaining.

Speaking from the picket line this morning, Deputy Doherty said: As a show of solidarity, I have come out this morning to join these workers whove taken to the picket line here outside the RAP factory premises as part of todays 16 hour work stoppage by employees represented by the SIPTU Trade Union."

The strike action comes following a recent ballot by SIPTU members at the factory who voted decisively in favour of industrial action due to a number of outstanding issues concerning employment and working conditions.

https://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news/home/335644/donegal-firm-facing-strike-actions-says-it-has-not-received-complaints.html

I understand that central to this dispute between management and these workers is managements decision to ignore a recent Labour Court recommendation and its refusing to recognise the right of workers to union representations for collective bargaining purposes. I again want to repeat calls I made last month when I urged both management and officials representing SIPTU workers to come together and discuss these outstanding issues which have resulted in todays planned picket.

Naturally, these striking workers have not taken the decision to partake in todays work stoppage lightly however, its clear that the ongoing refusal by management to fully adhere to this recent recommendation of the Labour Court in this instance has been a major factor in leading to todays strike action," he said.

It is understood that SIPTU has written to management to outline that union representatives are prepared and willing to sit down with them to discuss all outstanding issues in the hope that a resolution can be found.



Likewise, I am again calling on Udaras na Gaeltachta, as a state agency that has provided supports to the company over the years, to also play a role here by encouraging both RAP management and these workers to enter into talks aimed at ending this dispute, he said.

In recent weeks, Deputy Joe McHugh urged all parties to open dialogue.

https://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news/home/336457/minister-calls-for-talks-at-factory-where-strike-action-is-planned.htmlThe price of the average three-bed semi in Donegal rose by 1.3% in the last 12 months, according to a national survey carried out by Real Estate Alliance.

However, Donegal prices remained stable at 95,500 between June and September, the survey found.

This quarter has been relatively quiet, and the supply of houses is still an issue, said Paul McElhinney of REA McElhinney in Milford.

Stock levels are very low in this area, said Michael McElhinney of REA McElhinney, Bundoran.

The REA Average House Price Survey concentrates on the actual sale price of Ireland's typical stock home, the three-bed semi, giving an up-to-date picture of the second-hand property market in towns and cities countrywide to the close of last week.

The average semi-detached house nationally now costs 234,824, the Q3 REA Average House Price Survey has found  a rise of 1% on the Q2 2018 figure of 232,441.

Overall, the average house price across the country rose by 5.8% over the past 12 months  a decrease on the 8% recorded to June and indicating that the market is continuing to steady after an 11.3% overall rise in 2017.

The price of a three-bed semi-detached house in Dublin has increased by just 2.7% in the last 12 months as the Central Banks borrowing rules increasingly define affordability in the housing market.

The rate of increase in second-hand three-bed semi-detached home prices in Dublin citys postcode zones was just 0.1% over the last three months, compared to 4.1% for the same quarter last year.

After rising by 12.5% in 2017, the average price of a second-hand semi-detached house in the capital has increased by just 5,300 so far this year and now stands at 443,333.

Growth in the commuter counties also slowed to 0.9% in the last three months, with the average house now selling for 248,528  a rise of 2,000 on the second three months of the year.

The countrys major cities outside Dublin recorded a combined Q3 rise of 0.8%, with an average three-bed semi costing 249,375.

The highest increases were seen in the rest of the countrys towns, which experienced a 2.1% rise in Q3 to an average of 156,383  up 3,000 in 12 weeks.

These are areas where many buyers can still escape with a 10% deposit, it is still largely not economic to build new homes, and the dwindling supply existing stock at lower rates is disappearing, said REA spokesperson Barry McDonald.The children of 2nd and 3rd class from Scoil Cholmcille in Greencastle were the stars at Fridays special launch of the 2018 Wainfest Programme in the Inishowen Maritime Museum and Planetarium.

Wainfest is Donegals Childrens Arts and Book Festival and is developed each year by the talented and inspirational team in Donegal County Councils Library Service. The festival takes place from 6  14 October and this year promises to be another wild and wonderous adventure for the children of Donegal.

Speaking at the launch, Cultural Services Manager in Donegal County Council Eileen Burgess explained how the festival has developed since its first inception back in 1996 saying Wainfest has grown beyond our own expectations. From meager beginnings in 1996, to 2018 and a festival curated especially for children with 111 schools events and 40 family events. With an investment from Donegal County Council and from the Creative Ireland Programme of just over 30,000, I am proud to say that the Division I manage has developed the festival to what it is today.

Pictured at the launch of Wainfest 2018 in the Inishowen Maritime Museum on Friday is Cllr Seamus ODomhnaill, Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Eileen Burgess, Donegal County Council, Cllr. Martin Farren, Cathaoirleach of Inishowen MD, Denise McCool, Inishowen Development Partnership, Malachy Doyle, Guest Author with Donegal County Library staff and children from 2nd and 3rd Class of Scoil Cholmcille, Greencastle.

Since its inception Wainfest has proved its ability to engage, enlighten and involve children in high quality cultural events in their locality. In the last number of years we have expanded the festival to include a family programme available in the evenings and weekends so that working families can enjoy everything that Wainfest has to offer. Wainfest aims to be inclusive and accessible whether you are in Greencastle, Bundoran or Gaoth Dobhair, connecting and meeting the needs of children.

Cllr Martin Farren, Cathaoirleach of Inishowen MD talked of his delight in having the launch in the beautiful village of Greencastle on the banks of the Foyle saying the theme of Wainfest this year is Wild and Wondrous and what better place to launch this years festival than in the beautiful Inishowen Maritime Museum and Planetarium.

He added what better place to launch a book festival that engages children in creative activities than in the home of many great Donegal Writers. For all we know we might have the next Swan, Cary, Sweeney or Friel in this very room and maybe it could be all because they were inspired by their involvement in Wainfest.

Wainfest has grown in popularity especially in the last number of years. In 2017 audience figures increased by 104% to over 7,000 and it is expected that these audience figures will be exceeded in 2018. Cllr Seamus ODomhnaill who officially launched this years programme said I am overwhelmed by the number of events, over 150, the largest festival to date. Children across Donegal will have an opportunity to meet high profile authors, enjoy lively theatre productions, learn digital skills, be enthralled by wonderful storytellers and learn about our rivers and the sea. There is even an opportunity to board the Hogwarts express!

Pictured at the launch of Wainfest 2018 in the Inishowen Maritime Museum on Friday is Sinead McLaughlin with her beautiful daughter Ribh.

Cllr ODomhnaill also acknowledged the important role played by various partners in the development of this top class festival saying the partnership approach of Wainfest has continued in 2018 with the inclusion of new partners Oakfield Park in Raphoe, the Balor Theatre in Ballybofey and Water Quality Improvement project, CatchmentCARE. It is with this sort of commitment, ingenuity, collaboration and sense of partnership that emphasises the important role local authorities can and do play as providers and enablers of culture and creativity.

The Cathaoirleach had a special word of thanks for Daire Harley and Eve Cavanagh from Scoil Cholmcille. Daire performed the Master of Ceremonies for the launch and Eve Cavanagh recited a beautiful poem. He also thanked author Malachy Doyle for his wonderful inspirational storytelling workshop with the children of Scoil Cholmcille before the launch event.

The launch concluded with the arrival of two infamous pirates who jumped ship just off the coast of Greencastle in search of gold. Apparently rumour had it that there would be some elaborate gold chains on show in the Inishowen Maritime Museum on Friday morning. The Cathaoirleach Cllr. Seamus ODomhnaill and Cllr. Martin Farren made a speedy exit from the building!!!

For more on whats on during Wainfest visit wainfest.ie or pick up a programme from your local library or Council office.Share this blog post with friends









Thank you to Texas Instruments for providing me with products to facilitate my blog review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Last month, I was on my daughters school website looking at the school supply lists. I noticed that both girls were getting to the age/grade where they needed calculators that could do more than simple functions. They didnt need anything really complex but, also needed something with a few more functions than a basic calculator. After much thought, I decided to get them each a graphing calculator. Now you are probably asking yourself- Why? I thought you said they didnt need anything complex. Youre right but, my thoughts were that if I got them graphing calculators at this age, they would become comfortable using them early on, be more relaxed and open to learning functions as they were taught to them, and get more years of use out of the calculators than if I waited until they were in the higher grades.

I decided on two Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus CE color graphing calculators. This multi-function calculator came with a rechargeable battery and charger as well as a USB Cable. Everything we need so no extra attachments to buy.

The TI-84 Plus CE has the ability to complete pre- and algebra functions as well as statistics, geometry, pre- and calculus, biology, chemistry, physics, and business/finance functions. The slimmer/lighter design makes it more manageable for smaller hands and easier to store/carryyet the size of the buttons are large enough that the user doesnt run the risk of pressing more than one at a time.

The high-resolution color screen makes your graphs really pop on the screen and you can have multiple functions working simultaneously.

Not all calculators come with memory but the TI-84 Plus CE does. It has 3 MB of flash memory.

Another plus (no pun intended.well, maybe a little), is that the use of this calculator is permitted during SAT/ACT/AP testing.

The TI-84 Plus CE comes with preloaded apps. For a full list of available apps, go to education.ti.com/84CE/apps.

Although the TI-84 Plus CE is more than the girls need at this time, they are having fun using it to complete math problems.

Buy It: Please visit the Texas Instruments website to see the great selection of products they offer and convenient shopping locations.

Connect: Dont forget to follow Texas Instruments on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest product announcements and special offers.

WIN IT: One winner will receive a Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus CE. This is a US giveaway. The TI-84 Plus CE giveaway is scheduled to end on 10/07/2018. Good luck!

Hello, my name is Laurie. I have been married to my husband for 14 years. We have two young daughters, ages 11 and 13 years old. My family and I live in Oregon so that means we are just minutes from the beach, mountains, and desert. We love it here and try to spend as much time outdoors playing as we can. When we arent outside playing, I enjoy reading, gardening, refinishing furniture, and other crafts. www.emilyreviews.com/category/laurie

Related posts we've written:50million Enterprise Development Scheme - a failure



Enterprise Minister - Laurence Skelly MHK

The 50 million Enterprise Development Scheme had to be dropped due to a changing economy says Laurence Skelly, Minister of the Department for Enterprise.

It was announced last Friday that the department and current fund managers SPARK Impact had reached a mutual agreement to terminate their contract.

Minister Skelly says the scheme failed to meet expectations on both sides, and the needs of the Manx economy have now changed.

The Liverpool-based company will continue to manage the fund until January, whilst the DfE will examine what support it should offer next to boost the economy.

The fund was first created to support growth of new business in the Island, after some companies complained of financing issues.

SPARK were awarded a five year deal in April 2016 to manage the scheme, but faced significant competition due from UK funds such as the Northern Powerhouse.

Investment director at the company Mark Borzomate said SPARK met around two hundred companies over the past two and half years. Despite this only 3 million in loans was ever handed out from the 50 million pot.

Mr Skelly says the decision was made whilst the departments eleven grant schemes were under review, a requirement under the Programme for Government.

He explained to Local Democracy Reporter Ewan Gawne why changes to the Manx economy meant it was time for his department and SPARK to part ways:

Media

Laurence Skelly MHK(CNN)  At least 29 people were killed and 70 others wounded in an attack on a military parade in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz on Saturday, Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported, citing the deputy governor-general of Khouzestan province, Hossein Hosseinzadeh.

The dead and wounded were both military personnel and civilians including a journalist who were watching the parade, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) added.

"Terrorists began shooting from a long distance while inside the park, at the armed forces as well as civilians watching the parade," Brig. Gen. Abolfazl Shekarch, a spokesman for the Iranian armed forces told Mehr, a semi-official Iranian news agency.

Three of the attackers were gunned down during clashes with the security forces and one other was arrested, news agencies reported.

Across the board, from Iran's Supreme Leader on, Iran's government described the attack as a terrorist attack.

"The terrorists disguised as Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and Basiji (volunteer) forces opened fire to the authority and people from behind the stand during the parade," the governor of Khuzestan, Gholam-Reza Shariati, said, according to IRNA.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert also referred to the attack as terrorism. Nauert said on Saturday, "We stand with the Iranian people against the scourge of radical Islamic terrorism and express our sympathy to them at this terrible time."

As for who carried out the attack, there was confusion over the names of groups that either claimed responsibility or were blamed for the attacks.

According to IRNA, the separatist group Patriotic Arab Democratic Movement in Ahwaz claimed responsibility for the attack. The group is supported by "foreign antagonists," including Saudi Arabia, the agency said.

Patriotic Arab Democratic Movement in Ahwaz later rejected IRNA's report that it had claimed responsibility for the attack.

"On behalf of #PADMAZ organization we reject all accusations and we insist that PADMAZ organization is a civil political movement and has nothing to do with what happen today in #IranMilitaryParade attack," the group, using its acronym, said on unconfirmed Twitter and Facebook accounts.

IRGC spokesman Ramezan Sharif said the attackers were affiliated with a terrorist group supported by Saudi Arabia, Iran's state-run Press TV said.

"The individuals who fired at the people and the armed forces during the parade are connected to the al-Ahvaziya group which is fed by Saudi Arabia," Sharif said. Saudi Arabia has yet to respond to the allegations.

ISIS also claimed responsibility for the attack but offered no evidence.

The parade was part of nationwide celebrations in Iran to mark the 30th anniversary of the end of the eight-year war with Iraq that started in September 1980 and ended in August 1988.

The attack happened in a province bordering Iraq that has a large ethnic Arab community, many of them Sunni. It was a major battleground during the war that killed half a million soldiers.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also blamed "a foreign regime" backed by the United States for Saturday's attack that killed at least eight troops and several civilians.

"Terrorists recruited, trained, armed & paid by a foreign regime have attacked Ahvaz," Zarif said in a tweet, adding: "Iran holds regional terror sponsors and their US masters accountable for such attacks."

Earlier, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani used the occasion of the military parades to compare US President Donald Trump to the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, Press TV reported.

Speaking at a military rally in Tehran, he said Trump will fail in the "economic and psychological war" he's launched against Iran, just as Hussein failed in his eight-year war against the Islamic Republic.

"Iran will neither abandon its defensive weapons nor will reduce its defense capabilities," Rouhani said.

"Rather it will increase its defense power day by day. The fact that they are angry at our missiles shows that these are the most influential weapons Iran has."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah, two of Iran's closest allies, issued statements condemning the attack, with Assad referencing outside involvement and Hezbollah echoing allegations of US blame.

"We are with you with all the power we have" to stand against these terrorist acts, Assad said in a cable to Rouhani extending condolences, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported. "We hope that the backers, financers and proponents of terrorism will understand that this danger threatens mankind as a whole."

Hezbollah in a statement said "satanic and malignant hands are behind this terrorist action," and accused the United States and its allies of conducting the attack "directly or by proxy." The attack is intended to undermine Iran's security and stability and as "punishment for ... its rejection of American dependency politics," the statement claimed.

Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of the Netherlands and Denmark, along with a senior British diplomat on Saturday to issue a strong protest of the attack, Iran's state-run media reports.

Bahram Ghasemi, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Iran "re-emphasized" to the diplomats a previous warning about the presence in their respective countries of members of a group that Iran classifies as a terrorist group and wants arrested and prosecuted.

According to IRNA, Ghasemi said "it is unacceptable" that members of a terrorist group be allowed in those countries and not be included on the European Union's terror list only because they have not committed crimes on European soil.

The Iraqi border crossing authority said Saturday that the Iranian side was temporarily closing al-Sheeb and al-Shalamcha border crossings between the two countries after the attack.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "29 killed in attack on Iranian military parade."To coincide with our Insurance & Climate Risk Americas conference, Environmental Finance conducted a Q&A interview with keynote speaker Maurice Tulloch, CEO, international insurance, at Aviva.

Has the 'penny dropped' for most insurers regarding the risks they face from climate change  or just the vanguard such as ClimateWise members?

There is still work to do to raise awareness of the risks that climate change presents and the need to act now. Climate change is a major strategic issue for our business and for the insurance industry, as well as the people and planet beyond.

Insurers have a collective responsibility to collaborate to narrow the protection gap, and we have a role to play in modelling, understanding, communicating and working with others to mitigate and manage risk disaster recovery.

"Climate change is a major strategic issue for our business"

Weather catastrophes, for example, are six times more frequent today than they were in 1950. This makes more assets uninsurable and creates a protection gap for consumers. Insurers should invest in prevention and resilience. We need to actively manage risk, not just avoid it, otherwise we will struggle to narrow down the protection gap.

Is more action on this issue required from insurance industry regulators?

We all have a role to play to address climate change. Regulators can take more action in creating a framework that encourages businesses and consumers to embed climate risk into their strategies. We have three main asks of governments and regulators which we think are key to effecting action:

The first one is for regulators to drive demand for sustainable investments, by clarifying businesses' duties and educating citizens about the role their savings play in funding sustainable companies.

We also ask regulators to improve information about climate and broader sustainability performance by companies around the world, by implementing the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, and considering making all companies comply with these, and by funding independent publicly available league tables showing businesses' performance on climate change and other UN Global Goals.

Finally, we ask regulators to radically reward low-carbon investments, by removing fossil-fuel subsidies that make fossil fuel investments artificially attractive, introducing carbon pricing domestically, regionally and globally, and using capital differentiation to incentivise low-carbon investments over high-carbon investments, reflecting the lower long-term transition risk of low-carbon investments.

Most attention so far has focused on physical risks  should more be happening to deal with transition and liability risks?

Absolutely. As I said before, one of our main asks of regulators is for them to radically incentivise the transition to a low-carbon economy, and this has everything to do with the transition risk.

The transition to a low-carbon economy requires capital. A large proportion of this will need to be directed towards infrastructure. We are also active on this front. For example, this year we financed 187 million ($246 million) in a solar wind farm and invested into a major offshore wind project in the UK, our home market.

What do you see as the priorities in building resilience to climate risks?

Climate change is a strategic issue for the insurance sector. Left unchecked, climate change will continue to affect the actuarial assumptions and therefore the insurance products that our industry provides. It will also render significant proportions of the economy uninsurable.

In 2015 Aviva published its Strategic Response to Climate Change, that sets out our priorities in tackling climate change. A key priority for us is embedding carbon risk in our investment decisions, to make sure it informs our investments policy. As part of this, we committed to invest 2.5 billion over the course of five years in low carbon infrastructure projects.

"Every dollar spent on reducing people's vulnerability to disasters saves approximately seven dollars in economic losses"

Another priority is awareness and education, so that customers are more aware of risks, prevention and protection. Insurance has been cited by Standard & Poor's as a tool to build resilience in country infrastructure. Research has found that increasing insurance penetration by just 1% can reduce the disaster recovery burden by 22%.

Should insurers be doing more to press policymakers to help mitigate and/or adapt to climate change?

Ultimately it is for governments to create the frameworks needed to tackle climate change. We will continue to engage with policymakers to support strong policy action.

Will climate change inevitably lead to a greater role for government-backed insurance schemes like the UK's Flood Re?

Absolutely. Every dollar spent on reducing people's vulnerability to disasters saves approximately seven dollars in economic losses. Public-private partnerships are critical to building capacity, and customers understanding and managing and mitigating risks themselves.

As an example, we have Flood Re, a joint initiative between the UK government and insurers, of which Aviva is part. Flood Re is designed to provide affordable cover for those households at highest risk of flooding and create a 'level playing field' for new entrants and existing insurers in the UK.

Aviva ceded nearly 22,000 policies to Flood Re in 2017 with average premium savings of 500. Aviva has removed any additional flood excesses for new customers and for existing customer's policies as they are renewed, irrespective whether they are ceded to Flood Re. However, this is only in place for personal line customers, and if we want to make sure that economies are resilient to climate change we need to work further with governments to support small businesses and supply chains.

Do you expect to see the withdrawal of private insurance cover from many regions/asset types due to climate change?

That is a risk, yes. We will still be able to price the risk, but weather catastrophes are today six times more frequent than in 1950. This makes some assets uninsurable due to the premiums which would have to be charged. Insurers will struggle to reduce this protection gap if our response is limited to avoiding, rather than managing, society's exposure to climate risk.

Our recommendation is to work with customers to make them more resilient to extreme weather. There will be a need for more and more insurance pools, and other insurance solutions and it is imperative that we learn how we're going to play in them.

On the asset management side, are the TCFD recommendations helpful and feasible?

The TCFD recommendations are an instrumental piece in standardising and harmonising decision-useful climate disclosures globally. In fact, Aviva plc was one of the first signatories committing to implementing the recommendations of the TCFD.

But, while voluntary disclosure is an important first step, it won't get us far enough fast enough to mitigate the worst impacts from climate change.

"We call upon the International Organisation of Securities Commissions to endorse the TCFD recommendations"

To be truly effective, the TCFD's voluntary recommendations need large-scale adoption, with regulators becoming involved, and we call upon the International Organisation of Securities Commissions to endorse the TCFD recommendations as a means for a deeper examination of climate-related disclosures.

Are you convinced that Aviva's policy of engagement with fossil-fuel companies is yielding results?

Yes, absolutely. Our approach as an investor is to engage first and divest if necessary. Engagement helps us to understand the direction of intended travel for a business and so continue our support of coal companies who are moving their focus to low carbon and renewable energies. We don't see divestment as a badge of honour, but rather as a failure of engagement.

We are pleased that we have seen change among some of the companies we have engaged with, with two companies committing to no further capital expenditure on coal and five companies committing to targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to be aligned with the Paris Agreement.

We recognise that engagement takes time. To bring about change in a company's strategy is not something that is done overnight.

Maurice Tulloch is chief executive officer, international insurance, at Aviva. He previously chaired ClimateWise, an insurance industry initiative on climate change risk, facilitated by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.24 September 2018

During his first official visit to Spain last week, EPO President Antonio Campinos met with Ministers to discuss how to further strengthen the patent system and support innovation and economic growth. Meetings on Monday were held with the Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Maria Reyes Maroto Illera, the Undersecretary for Industry, Trade and Tourism and President of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO), Fernando Valdes Verelst, and the Director General of the SPTO, Jose Antonio Gil Celedonio.

EPO delegation meeting with Spanish Patent and Trademark Office

The programme also included a lecture by Mr Campinos to newly recruited patent examiners and lawyers at the SPTO, focusing on the importance of patents and the future challenges of intellectual property.

"Patents are increasingly used by Spanish and other European companies and researchers and are today considered a major economic asset. The continued co-operation between our two patent offices is important to further improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the European patent system - for the benefit of our users and the public alike," Mr Campinos said.

EPO delegation meeting with Spanish Patent and Trademark Office

The EPO and the Spanish patent office are implementing a range of joint activities in areas such as professional training, qualification of professional representatives, strengthening of patent-related services to industry, patent awareness and improvement of patent information tools and services. In 2016, the EPO and SPTO signed a two-year bilateral co-operation plan.

Spain has been a member of the European Patent Organisation since 1 October 1986. In 2017, the EPO received more than 1 600 patent applications from Spanish companies and inventors, an increase of over 7% over the previous year and a new all-time high.

Further informationWASHINGTON--The weird shapes and colors of the tiny Martian moons Phobos and Deimos have inspired a long-standing debate about their origins.

The dark faces of the moons resemble the primitive asteroids of the outer solar system, suggesting the moons might be asteroids caught long ago in Mars' gravitational pull. But the shapes and angles of the moons' orbits do not fit this capture scenario.

A fresh look at 20-year-old data from the Mars Global Surveyor mission lends support to the idea the moons of Mars formed after a large impact on the planet threw a lot of rock into orbit, according to a new study in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, a publication of the American Geophysical Union.

The dataset held unplumbed clues to the stuff Phobos is made of, which may be more similar to the crust of the Red Planet than it appears, according to the study's authors.

"The fun part for me has been taking a poke at some of the ideas out there using an old dataset that's has been underutilized," said Tim Glotch, a geoscientist at Stony Brook University in New York and the lead author of the new study.

Marc Fries, a planetary scientists and curator of cosmic dust at NASA's Johnson Space Center, who was not involved in the new study, said the inability to explain the genesis of two moons around a neighboring planet is a glaring shortcoming in scientists' understanding of moon formation. Clearing it up will help with interpretations of how other moons and planets formed in our solar system and beyond. The new study does not clinch the mystery, but it is a step in the right direction, he said.

"The issue of the origins of Phobos and Deimos is a fun sort of mystery, because we have two competing hypotheses that cannot both be true," Fries said. "I would not consider this to be a final solution to the mystery of the moons' origin, but it will help keep the discussion moving forward."

Dark objects

The debate over the origin of Mars' moons has split scientists for decades, since the early days of planetary science. In visible light, Phobos and Deimos look much darker than Mars, lending weight to the adoption hypothesis.

Scientists study the mineral composition of objects by breaking the light they reflect into component colors with a spectrophotometer, creating distinctive visual "fingerprints." By comparing the spectral fingerprints of planetary surfaces to a library of spectra for known materials, they can infer the composition of these distant objects. Most of the research into the composition of asteroids has examined their spectra in visible light and in near-infrared light, which is just beyond human vision on the red side of the visible spectrum.

In visible and near-infrared light, Phobos and D-class asteroids look much the same--that is, both their spectra are nearly featureless because they are so dark. D-class asteroids are nearly black as coal because, like coal, they contain carbon. This dark aspect of Phobos led to the hypothesis that the moon is a captive asteroid that flew a little too close to Mars.

But scientists looking at the orbits of Mars' moons argued they could not have been captured. These scientists believe the moons must have formed at the same time as Mars, or resulted from a massive impact on the planet during its formative millennia.

"If you talk to the people who are really good at orbital dynamics and figuring out why certain bodies orbit the way they do, they say that, given the inclination and the details of Phobos' orbit, it's almost impossible that it was captured. So you have the spectroscopists saying one thing and the dynamicists saying something else," Glotch said.

Heat fingerprints

Glotch decided to look at the problem in a different light: the mid-infrared, which is in the same range as body temperature. He looked at the heat signature of Phobos captured in 1998 by an instrument he describes as a fancy thermometer carried on the Mars Global Surveyor. The robotic spacecraft spent most of its lifetime looking down at Mars, but took a quick look at Phobos when it passed near the moon before settling into a closer orbit around the planet.

Heat energy, like visible light, can be split into a spectrum of "colors." Even objects that look black in visible light may glow in a distinctive infrared spectrum. Although Phobos is very cold, its heat spectrum has a discernable signature.

Glotch and his students compared the mid-infrared spectra of Phobos glimpsed by the Mars Global Explorer to samples of a meteorite that fell to Earth near Tagish Lake, British Columbia, which some scientists have suggested is a fragment of a D-class asteroid, and other rock types. In the lab, they subjected their samples to Phobos-like conditions of cold vacuum, heating them from above and below to simulate the extreme changes in temperature from the sunny to the shady sides of airless objects in space.

"We found, at these wavelength ranges, the Tagish Lake meteorite doesn't look anything like Phobos, and in fact what matches Phobos most closely, or at least one of the features in the spectrum, is ground-up basalt, which is a common volcanic rock, and it's what most of the Martian crust is made out of," Glotch said. "That leads us to believe that perhaps Phobos might be a remnant of an impact that occurred early on in Martian history."

Planetary crust baked in?

The new study does not argue Phobos is made entirely of material from Mars, but the new results are consistent with the moon containing a portion of the planet's crust, perhaps as an amalgamation of debris from the planet and the remnants of the impacting object.

Fries, the scientist who was not involved in the new study, said the Tagish Lake meteorite is unusual, and perhaps not the best example of a D-class asteroid available for a compelling comparison with Phobos. Fries added the new study was unlikely to be able to produce a definitive answer because Phobos is subject to space weathering, which affects its reflectance spectrum and is difficult to replicate in the lab.

But Fries said he found it interesting that a mix of basalt and carbon-rich material made an appropriate match for Phobos. Another possibility is that carbon-rich space dust in the vicinity of Mars has collected on the close-orbiting moons, darkening their surfaces, he said.

Scientists may get their answer to Phobos' origins in the next couple of years, if the Martian Moon eXploration spacecraft and the OSIRIS-Rex and Hayabusa2 asteroid explorers complete their missions to collect samples and return them to Earth for analysis. Hyabusa2 landed two mini robots on the asteroid known as Ryugu on September 21..

"The really cool thing is that this is a testable hypothesis, because the Japanese are developing a mission called MMX that is going to go to Phobos, collect a sample and bring it back to Earth for us to analyze," Glotch said.

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This paper will be open access until October 31. Journalists and public information officers (PIOs) can download a PDF copy of the article by clicking on this link: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/2018JE005647

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Neither the paper nor this press release is under embargo.

Paper Title: "MGS-TES spectra suggest a basaltic component in the regolith of Phobos"

Authors: Timothy D. Glotch, Katherine A. Shirley, Dylan S. McDougall and Alexander M. Kling: Department of Geological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY

Christopher S. Edwards: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

Mehmet Yesiltas: Kirklareli University, Kirklareli, Turkey

Joshua L. Bandfield: Space Science Institute, Boise, ID, USA

Christopher D. K. Herd: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Contact information for the authors: Timothy Glotch: timothy.glotch@stonybrook.edu, +1 (631) 632-1168Hilo, Hawai'i - The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that the Gemini Observatory is the recipient of a multi-million dollar award to enhance its role in the era of "multi-messenger astronomy" and future facilities like the James Webb Space Telescope. Gemini is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA).

The award carries Gemini forward in two ways. One element funds major software and operational upgrades to improve capabilities at both Gemini telescopes for extremely rapid follow-up studies of transient sources. The other key aspect is a state-of-the-art multi-conjugate adaptive optics (AO) system for wide-field, high-resolution imaging at the 8-meter Gemini North telescope on Maunakea in Hawai'i.

Additionally, the award supports international education and outreach activities focusing on the public understanding of multi-messenger astronomy as well as educational resources and programming for Gemini's host communities in Hawai'i and Chile.

"With this funding Gemini will significantly advance multi-messenger and time-domain, or transient-source, astronomy," said Anne Kinney, Head of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division at NSF. "We've witnessed a surge of astronomical discoveries in areas such as gravitational waves, exotic varieties of stellar explosions, and collisions within our own solar system where a full understanding depends critically upon rapid characterization of the discoveries using ground-based facilities like Gemini," Kinney added.

The term "multi-messenger astronomy" refers to the study of astronomical objects using a combination of electromagnetic radiation, high-energy particles (such as neutrinos), and gravitational waves. The NSF supports efforts to study the Universe using all three of these windows, with the Gemini Observatory focusing on optical and infrared light. The new funding will strengthen Gemini's ability to target a wide range of transient phenomena and study them in exquisite detail, including discoveries made using all types of astronomical "messengers."

Advancing High-resolution Astronomy

The award will fund the development of an advanced multi-conjugate AO system for high-resolution studies in the spatial domain. This system will use a laser to produce a "constellation" of artificial guide stars to help correct for distortions caused by the atmosphere above the Gemini North telescope. By monitoring these laser-produced stars, the system can correct for the effects of atmospheric blurring by rapidly applying complementary distortions using specialized deformable mirrors. The use of multiple artificial stars allows the system to produce exquisitely sharp images at infrared wavelengths over a much wider area than is possible with conventional AO systems that use only a single laser or bright star.

The planned system will be a more advanced version of the innovative Gemini Multi-Conjugate System (or GeMS), already in operation at the Gemini South telescope in Chile. GeMS is capable of producing images with a factor-of-two sharper spatial resolution than Hubble's infrared camera. "We will be able to take the lessons learned from GeMS and apply the latest technology to continue Gemini's leadership in the field of wide-field adaptive optics," said Scot Kleinman, Associate Director for Development at Gemini.

The deployment of this system at Gemini North will enhance the discovery power of future instruments such as the Gemini Infrared Multi-Object Spectrograph (GIRMOS), a $15 million infrared spectrograph now being built by a consortium of Canadian universities. "The new wide-field AO system at Gemini North will create a world-leading capability that takes full advantage of the telescope's performance and the calm skies over Maunakea," said Suresh Sivanandam, an astronomer at the University of Toronto and Principal Investigator of the GIRMOS project. "This observatory upgrade will greatly enhance the output of next generation instrumentation such as GIRMOS by enabling breakthrough science that would otherwise be impossible because of atmospheric blurring."

"Deep all-sky surveys will not only revolutionize the study of transient sources, but also revolutionize our view of what we think of as the 'static universe,' including most galaxies, quasars, and other distant objects that appear unchanging on human time scales," added Gemini's Chief Scientist John Blakeslee. "With a new cutting-edge AO system in the North, and GeMS in the South, Gemini will be the only ground-based observatory capable of obtaining wide-field, high-resolution infrared imaging, with a performance comparable to space-based telescopes, across the entire sky."

Probing the Transient Universe

As recent events demonstrate, Gemini is already well positioned to respond to transient multi-messenger events. "We saw Gemini, and observatories around the world, spring into action when LIGO and VIRGO detected gravitational waves from the merger of two neutron stars," said David Reitze, Executive Director of the NSF-funded Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). "In order to probe the physical processes underlying the cataclysmic event that produced these ripples in spacetime, astronomers dissected the light from across the electromagnetic spectrum to reveal the details of this energetic collision, making it a truly multi-messenger event," he added. "However, there is still a tremendous amount we don't fully understand about such mergers, and that is where Gemini can play a critical role."

The ability to follow-up new discoveries will become even more important early in the next decade when the NSF-funded Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) begins operations on Cerro Pachon, adjacent to the Gemini South telescope in Chile. The LSST is expected to discover over a million new transient sources each night, only a small fraction of which can be targeted for follow-up study. "Because of the two sites in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, Gemini's telescopes can observe the entire sky." said Laura Ferrarese, Interim Director at Gemini. "Additionally, Gemini is quite unique among 8-meter class facilities in its ability to switch very rapidly between different instruments and programs, making it the ideal observatory for time-domain work."

The new NSF funding will be used in part to develop automated systems to trigger follow-up observations within minutes of discovery and quickly deliver science-ready data to astronomers from all of Gemini's partner communities. To enhance the total scientific impact, Gemini will also be able to operate as part of a larger network of telescopes dedicated to rapid follow-up of the most compelling time-domain discoveries.

Rapid response is essential because a variety of cosmic explosions and fast-moving or rotating solar system objects have properties that can change on time scales of minutes or less. The efficient delivery of calibrated data also increases the opportunity for scientific advances by users who may not be proficient in processing data from all of Gemini's instruments. Andy Adamson, Gemini's Associate Director for Operations, adds, "The new automated systems will make Gemini even more efficient and the definitive 'go-to' telescopes for time-critical observations."

###

Contacts:

Peter Michaud

Gemini Observatory

Hilo, Hawai'i

Email: pmichaud"at"gemini.edu

Cell: (808) 936-6643

Desk: (808) 974-2510

Scot Kleinman

Gemini Observatory

Hilo, Hawai'i

Email: skleinman"at"gemini.edu

Desk: (808) 974-2618

John Blakeslee

Gemini Observatory

La Serena, Chile

Email: jblakeslee"at"gemini.edu

Desk: 56 (51) 2205-628

Shari Lifson

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

Baltimore MD

Email: slifson"at"aura-astronomy.org

Cell: (914) 400-7434

Desk: (202) 769-5232

ABOUT THE GEMINI OBSERVATORY

The Gemini Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation (NSF-United States), the National Research Council (NRC-Canada), the Comision Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica y Technologica (CONICYT - Chile), the Ministerio da Ciencia, Tecnologia e Inovacao (MCTI - Brazil), the Ministerio de Ciencia, Technologia e Innovacion Productiva (MCTIP - Argentina), and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI - Republic of Korea), operated under cooperative agreement by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA).

The international Gemini collaboration provides access to two identical 8-meter telescopes. The Frederick C. Gillett Gemini telescope is located on Maunakea, Hawai'i (Gemini North) and the Gemini South telescope is on Cerro Pachon in central Chile; together the twin telescopes provide full coverage over both hemispheres of the sky. The telescopes incorporate technologies that allow large relatively thin mirrors, under active control, to collect and focus both visible and infrared radiation from space. The Observatory provides the astronomical communities in each of the five participating countries with state-of-the-art astronomical facilities that allocate observing time in proportion to each country's contribution. In addition to financial support, each country also contributes significant scientific and technical resources.PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- A new study shows evidence that ancient Mars probably had an ample supply of chemical energy for microbes to thrive underground.

"We showed, based on basic physics and chemistry calculations, that the ancient Martian subsurface likely had enough dissolved hydrogen to power a global subsurface biosphere," said Jesse Tarnas, a graduate student at Brown University and lead author of a study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. "Conditions in this habitable zone would have been similar to places on Earth where underground life exists."

Earth is home to what are known as subsurface lithotrophic microbial ecosystems -- SliMEs for short. Lacking energy from sunlight, these subterranean microbes often get their energy by peeling electrons off of molecules in their surrounding environments. Dissolved molecular hydrogen is a great electron donor and is known to fuel SLiMEs on Earth.

This new study shows that radiolysis, a process through which radiation breaks water molecules into their constituent hydrogen and oxygen parts, would have created plenty of hydrogen in the ancient Martian subsurface. The researchers estimate that hydrogen concentrations in the crust around 4 billion years ago would have been in the range of concentrations that sustain plentiful microbes on Earth today.

The findings don't mean that life definitely existed on ancient Mars, but they do suggest that if life did indeed get started, the Martian subsurface had the key ingredients to support it for hundreds of millions of years. The work also has implications for future Mars exploration, suggesting that areas where the ancient subsurface is exposed might be good places to look for evidence of past life.

Going underground

Since the discovery decades ago of ancient river channels and lake beds on Mars, scientists have been tantalized by the possibility that the Red Planet may once have hosted life. But while evidence of past water activity is unmistakable, it's not clear for how much of Martian history water actually flowed. State-of-the-art climate models for early Mars produce temperatures that rarely peak above freezing, which suggests that the planet's early wet periods may have been fleeting events. That's not the best scenario for sustaining life at the surface over the long term, and it has some scientists thinking that the subsurface might be a better bet for past Martian life.

"The question then becomes: What was the nature of that subsurface life, if it existed, and where did it get its energy?" said Jack Mustard, a professor in Brown's Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences and a study coauthor. "We know that radiolysis helps to provide energy for underground microbes on Earth, so what Jesse did here was to pursue the radiolysis story on Mars."

The researchers looked at data from the gamma ray spectrometer that flies aboard NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. They mapped out abundances of the radioactive elements thorium and potassium in the Martian crust. Based on those abundances, they could infer the abundance of a third radioactive element, uranium. The decay of those three elements provides the radiation that drives the radiolytic breakdown of water. And because the elements decay at constant rates, the researchers could use the modern abundances to calculate the abundances 4 billion years ago. That gave the team an idea of the radiation flux that would have been active to drive radiolysis.

The next step was to estimate how much water would have been available for that radiation to zap. Geological evidence suggests there would have been plenty of groundwater bubbling about in the porous rocks of the ancient Martian crust. The researchers used measurements of the density of the Martian crust to estimate roughly how much pore space would have been available for water to fill.

Finally, the team used geothermal and climate models to determine where the sweet spot for potential life would have been. It can't be so cold that all water is frozen, but it also can't be overcooked by heat from the planet's molten core.

Combining those analyses, the researchers conclude that Mars likely had a global subsurface habitable zone several kilometers in thickness. In that zone, hydrogen production via radiolysis would have generated more than enough chemical energy to support microbial life, based on what's known about such communities on Earth. And that zone would have persisted for hundreds of millions of years, the researchers conclude.

The findings held up even when the researchers modeled a variety of different climate scenarios -- some on the warmer side, others on the colder side. Interestingly, Tarnas says, the amount of subsurface hydrogen available for energy actually goes up under the extremely cold climate scenarios. That's because a thicker layer of ice above the habitable zone serves as a lid that helps to keep hydrogen from escaping the subsurface.

"People have a conception that a cold early Mars climate is bad for life, but what we show is that there's actually more chemical energy for life underground in a cold climate," Tarnas said. "That's something we think could change people's perception of the relationship between climate and past life on Mars."

Exploration implications

Tarnas and Mustard say the findings could be useful in thinking about where to send spacecraft looking for signs of past Martian life.

"One of the most interesting options for exploration is looking at megabreccia blocks -- chunks of rock that were excavated from underground via meteorite impacts," Tarnas said. "Many of them would have come from the depth of this habitable zone, and now they're just sitting, often relatively unaltered, on the surface."

Mustard, who has been active in the process of selecting a landing site for NASA's Mars 2020 rover, says that these kinds of breccia blocks are present in at least two of the sites NASA is considering: Northeast Syrtis Major and Midway.

"The mission of the 2020 rover is to look for the signs of past life," Mustard said. "Areas where you may have remnants of this underground habitable zone -- which may have been the largest habitable zone on the planet -- seem like a good place to target."

###

Other coauthors on the paper were Barbara Sherwood Lollar, Mike Bramble, Kevin Cannon, Ashley Palumbo and Ana-Catalina Plesa. The research was supported by the Mars Data Analysis Program (MDAP) (grant 522723), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (grant 494812) and a Brown University graduate fellowship.BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Older adults at risk for falls are less likely to suffer fall-related hospitalizations when they have a "fall plan of care," according to new research featuring faculty at Binghamton University, State University at New York.

Older adult falls pose a growing burden on the U.S. healthcare system. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Stopping Elderly Accidents Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) initiative was developed as a multifactorial approach to fall prevention that includes screening for fall risk, assessing for modifiable risk factors, and prescribing evidence-based interventions to reduce fall risk. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a STEADI initiative on medically treated falls within a large healthcare system in Upstate New York.

"Fall prevention activities such as raising awareness about fall risk, identifying individual risk for fall, discussing fall risk prevention strategies and providing referrals to fall risk reduction programs in the community for older adults were shown to reduce fall-related hospitalizations," said Yvonne Johnston, research associate professor at the Binghamton University Decker School of Nursing and corresponding author of the paper. "As a result of these interventions, older adults may be more conscious of conditions that contribute to falls, take steps to modify their home environment to reduce fall risk, and participate in falls prevention programs and physical activities that improve strength and balance. These steps, what we called development of a Fall Plan of Care, likely contributed to the observed lower rates of fall-related hospitalizations for older adults who were identified as being at risk for fall."

The researchers classified older adults who were screened for fall risk into three groups: (a) At-risk and no Fall Plan of Care (FPOC), (b) At-risk with a FPOC, and (c) Not-at-risk. The sample consisted of 12,346 adults age 65 or older who had a primary care visit at one of fourteen outpatient clinics between September 11, 2012 and October 30, 2015. A medically-treated fall was defined as a fall-related treat-and-release emergency department visit or hospitalization. The researchers found that older adults at-risk for fall with a FPOC were 0.6 times less likely to have a fall-related hospitalization than those without a FPOC and their post-intervention odds were similar to those who were not-at-risk.

This project demonstrated that healthcare systems can successfully implement fall prevention screening and referral for older adults in the primary care setting, said Johnston.

"The STEADI initiative can be feasibly modified to streamline office workflow, and incorporation of a fall risk screening protocol in the electronic health record can provide a supportive infrastructure for addressing fall risk among older adults," she said. "These system-wide changes--screening for fall risk among older adults in primary care and developing a plan of care for those identified as being at risk for fall--were shown to have a positive impact on reducing hospitalizations. These findings suggest benefit for patient health and well-being and potential reduction in health care costs associated with fall-related hospitalizations."

###

In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Network of Public Health Institutes, the New York State Department of Health, the Broome County Health Department, and United Health Services, Inc., Johnson and her team have continued work in the area of older adult fall prevention by examining ways to improve the referral process and ways to increase patient receptivity to fall prevention recommendations made by healthcare providers.

The paper, "Implementation of the Stopping Elderly Accidents Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) Initiative in Primary Care: And Outcome Evaluation," was published in The Gerontologist.Forty per cent of older adults who leave hospital are discharged to home care or a long-term care facility, which, combined with where they lived before hospitalization, affects their risk of readmission, found a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

These data are important for both health care professionals and policy-makers to improve discharge planning for patients and to reduce readmissions.

"The information from this study will contribute to a better understanding of the extent to which complicated transitions to and from hospital influence readmission among older adults, which is essential for system planning, performance measurement, and the targeting and testing of interventions to improve transitions and reduce readmissions," writes Dr. Andrea Gruneir, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta and ICES, with coauthors.

While most research on readmissions focuses on people who are admitted to hospital from the community and who return to the community, this study considers the large number of older adults with more complex pathways across the system.

The large study of 701,527 hospitalized adults over age 65 in Ontario found that 31.5% of people were discharged to home care and 9.5% to long-term care, with 3% newly admitted to long-term care. More than half (53.5%) were women and 40% had five or more chronic conditions. Almost every patient (98%) had visited a doctor at least once during the year before hospital admission, 331,168 (47%) had visited the emergency department and 72,536 (10%) had been admitted.

The authors state that the study "shows that fundamental shortcomings in the health system's ability to meet older adults' needs, particularly those with dementia, manifest as frequent use of acute care, including readmissions, prolonged hospital stays with extended alternate levels of care periods and 'non-acute' reasons for hospital admission."

People who were discharged with home care were the most likely to be readmitted, and when readmitted, 19% were there for two or more weeks and nearly 20% were designated as alternate level of care (ALC), the longest of any group in the study. Conversely, people who were discharged to long-term care (as a new admission) were the least likely to be readmitted, but their first hospital stay was most often for dementia. More than 80% were in hospital for two or more weeks and were designated as ALC, which means they no longer need acute hospital care but can't be discharged as the appropriate level of care required is not available in another setting.

"By contextualizing hospitalization within these care settings, our findings suggest an approach to understanding readmissions as a signal of the health system's preparedness for the ageing population," the authors conclude.

###

A related review http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.171509, Identification and management of frailty in the primary care setting, provides guidance to physicians on how identify and prevent frailty in older patients.

"Care setting and 30-day hospital readmissions among older adults: a population-based cohort study" is published September 24, 2018.

Visual abstract permanent link: http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1503/cmaj.180290/-/DC2Coral reefs have long faced problems like overfishing, global warming and pollution -- but they're also threatened by how slow they regenerate.

To reproduce, coral release sperm and eggs and form larvae, which then swim around and attach to a surface, where they begin to develop into coral polyps and grow. They face a variety of competitors, and most don't survive. If they do survive, it takes years for the coral to be able to reproduce, and even longer for entire reefs to form.

Researchers at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) at the University of Illinois want to increase the rate of coral regeneration by creating a new home for coral larvae: artificial structures that encourage larvae settlement and discourage the growth of competitor species.

The research will be led by IGB faculty member Amy Wagoner Johnson, a professor of mechanical science and engineering, along with four Co-PIs including IGB faculty Bruce Fouke, Professor of Geology and of Microbiology, Gabriel Juarez, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Forest Rohwer, Professor of Biology at San Diego State University, Kristen Marhaver, and collaborator Mark Vermeij. Marhaver and Vermeij are two leading coral scientists at CARMABI Research Station, a field site on the Caribbean island of Curacao that studies coral reefs, and the site of the fieldwork for this research.

Last year, Wagoner Johnson had the idea to apply her research on bone regeneration to coral research.

"We thought it would be really interesting if we could take some of the things we've learned from tissue engineering - cells interacting with materials and what kinds of factors influence cells . . . and apply that to coral reproduction," she said.

She will use her background in material science to design artificial structures for the coral larvae to settle on, while Juarez will build a water tank to test how the larvae interact with the structures and the flow of the water.

"When you take a closer look, it turns out that these organisms are able to sense things, like chemical gradients and fluid forces," Juarez said. "They have complicated little sensing systems. They haven't been studied much in this way. This work will hopefully allow us to at least get insight into whether they actually are a bit more autonomous than we think."

By testing different materials, they'll learn which materials and surface structures are ideal for larvae settlement.

"Once we understand more about the surface, then we should be able to replicate that surface on something larger that is deployable on a larger scale," Wagoner Johnson said. "The idea is to understand more of the immediate interactions and do it in a very systematic way."

Fouke, who has studied the coral reefs of Curacao for almost 30 years, will provide the overall geobiological context of the ecology and evolution of the reefs. He will also make detailed analyses of the coral skeleton as it grows.

The team is funded by a three-year NSF Growing Convergence Research Grant, which encourages collaboration between scientists who don't typically work together.

As a mix of engineers and biologists, the team will first need to learn more about each other's fields. They'll do this through a series of workshops at the CARMABI Research Station in Curacao, which is home to some of the world's leading experts on culturing coral larvae.

"They'll teach us about larval culture, collecting samples, so we'll have to learn to scuba dive before we go," Wagoner Johnson said. "Then we'll teach them some engineering principles, some fluid mechanics, some materials science, and 3D printing. That way we'll be cross-fertilizing the disciplines in a very targeted way."

In doing so, the team hopes to create a new area of research: coral reef engineering.

"There is not a lot of work that has been done in this area," Wagoner Johnson said. "We really think that the potential is there to make significant impact."

That's good news for coral reefs, which bring food security, biodiversity, and even economic growth from fishing and tourism.

"We see it in the news all the time that coral reefs are endangered, and there are many statistics about how they're dying," Wagoner Johnson said. "Being able to more efficiently regenerate coral can contribute a little bit to resolving the issue of losing the coral reefs."

###Reno, NV (Friday, Sept. 24) - Mountain snowpack and rainfall are the primary sources of water for the arid western United States, and water allocation rules determine how that water gets distributed among competing uses, including agriculture. Historically, agriculture in the West has benefited from predictable snowmelt, but under changing climate conditions, earlier melting of mountain snowpack is altering the timing of runoff, putting additional pressure on water storage and delivery infrastructure to meet the needs of agricultural water rights holders.

To explore solutions for these critical water problems, a research team led by the University of Nevada, Reno and including interdisciplinary experts from the Desert Research Institute, Colorado State University, Northern Arizona University, and Arizona State University has received $4.97 million from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture for a major research effort into snowpack and water resources in the West.

Over the next five years, the research team will investigate: How changes in mountain snowpack affect available water; Which basins in the arid West are most at risk; The effectiveness of existing water allocation laws and regulation in managing these changes, in comparison with proposed modifications, and; How changes in available water, and laws and regulations, affect the economic well-being of various groups in society - including the sustainability of agricultural production in the arid West.

"The impacts of changing mountain snowmelt on water rights holders are profound," said Kim Rollins, University of Nevada, Reno professor and project director for the grant. "Increased risk affects private decisions to sell irrigation water rights, potentially causing permanent losses in the capacity for food production in the arid West. Decision-making can be improved with a better understanding of how changes in water flows influence agriculture producer decision-making and how laws and regulations can exacerbate or relieve constraints imposed by these changes."

DRI's Seshadri Rajagopal, Ph.D., assistant research professor of hydrometeorology, and Greg Pohll, Ph.D., research professor of hydrogeology, will be contributing their expertise in hydrologic modeling to the project. Specifically, Rajagopal and Pohll will be studying three significant watersheds throughout the arid West: the Walker in Nevada, the Verde in Arizona, and the South Platte in Colorado.

"We'll be utilizing the national water model, a hydrologic model that simulates observed and forecasted streamflow over the entire continental United States, and adapting it for the study area to represent physical processes such as snowmelt, infiltration, and soil water storage," explained Rajagopal. "This data will allow economists and policy makers to understand how water supply in these watersheds changes and to study its impact on water allocation and institutions."

This project is one of seven total projects supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) $34 million in grants for research through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Water for Food Production Systems Challenge Area, which is authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

The research team:

Kimberly Rollins, professor, University of Nevada, Reno, College of Business, Department of Economics and Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources

Loretta Singletary, interdisciplinary outreach liaison, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and professor, University of Nevada, Reno, College of Business, Department of Economics

Adrian Harpold, assistant professor in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, and Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Nevada, Reno, College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources; Global Water Center

Michael Taylor, assistant professor, University of Nevada, Reno, College of Business, Department of Economics and state specialist in agricultural and resource, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

Gi-Eu Lee, postdoctoral fellow, University of Nevada, Reno, College of Business, Department of Economics

Seshadri Rajagopal, assistant research professor, Desert Research Institute, Division of Hydrologic Sciences

Greg Pohll, professor, Desert Research Institute, Division of Hydrologic Sciences

Dale Manning, assistant professor, Colorado State University, College of Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural and Resource Economics Department

Christopher Goemans, associate professor, Colorado State University, College of Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural and Resource Economics Department

Abigail York, associate professor, Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change

Benjamin Ruddell, associate professor, Northern Arizona University, School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems

Bryan Leonard, assistant professor, Arizona State University, School of Sustainability

###

Image: Walker Lake, western Nevada.

Nicole Shearer of the University of Nevada, Reno and Aaron Pugh of Arizona State University contributed to this release.

To learn more about the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant recipients, please visit: https://nifa.usda.gov/announcement/nifa-invests-research-solve-critical-water-problems.

To view this release online, please visit: http://www.dri.edu/newsroom/news-releases/5702-interdisciplinary-research-team-to-investigate-impact-of-changing-mountain-snowpack-on-agriculture-in-western-us.

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is a recognized world leader in basic and applied interdisciplinary research. Committed to scientific excellence and integrity, DRI faculty, students, and staff have developed scientific knowledge and innovative technologies in research projects around the globe. Since 1959, DRI's research has advanced scientific knowledge, supported Nevada's diversifying economy, provided science-based educational opportunities, and informed policy makers, business leaders, and community members. With campuses in Reno and Las Vegas, DRI serves as the non-profit research arm of the Nevada System of Higher Education. For more information, please visit http://www.dri.edu.?

Media Contact:

Jaquelyn Davis

Science Communication Specialist, Desert Research Institute

Ph: (775) 673-7375

j.davis@dri.edu

@DRIScienceArnhem (The Netherlands), 24 September 2018 - Public awareness of urological conditions is alarmingly low throughout Europe. Results of a new international survey1 of more than 2,500 responders from 5 countries show that women know more about men's health issues than men do, men have poor knowledge of key urological symptoms and don't take early signs of potentially life-threatening urological conditions seriously.

The low level of awareness indicated by the survey is of particular concern as urological conditions are on a rise due to the ageing European population. Prevention and early diagnosis are crucial to save lives and to control increasing costs.

Fundamental Lack of Knowledge of Urology

Responses showed that urology as a medical speciality still has a long way to go to reach general awareness: 40% of respondents were unable to identify what a urologist does, 10% stated that they had never even heard of a urologist and almost 15% believe that a urologist treats disorders of the skeletal, nervous or circulatory systems.

"The results of our latest survey clearly demonstrate that people are ill-informed when it comes to urological conditions. Men in particular have less knowledge than women and turn a blind eye to symptoms and early diagnosis" comments Prof. Hein Van Poppel, urologist and Adjunct Secretary General of the EAU. "Persuading men to take their health seriously presents a serious challenge. They need to have a better understanding of the risk and symptoms of their conditions. They should be encouraged to seek support from a medical professional if they suspect anything unusual."

The Prostate Remains a Mystery to Many Men

Every year, almost 450,000 men across the continent will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, leading to 92,000 deaths in Europe2. Despite prostate cancer being the most common cancer in males throughout Europe, three quarters of men admitted that they have limited knowledge of its symptoms. Men are, in fact, more confident in recognising the symptoms of breast cancer (31%) than they are of prostate cancer (27%).

In addition to the low awareness of prostate cancer symptoms, just 1 in 4 respondents could correctly identify the location of the prostate and surprisingly, a higher proportion of women (28%) were able to identify the location of the prostate than males (22%). Worryingly, 54% of men believe that women have prostates.

Erectile Dysfunction and Incontinence Still Taboos

Erectile dysfunction (ED) prevalence in Europe is estimated at 50%3 of the sexually active men of 50 years and older. However, the topic remains a taboo leading to misunderstanding and ignorance. 75% of the respondents were not aware of the numbers of men that suffer from erectile dysfunction in their country. Similarly, 85% were unaware of the amount of people in their country that suffer from urinary tract issues.

"Men's health issues involve partners too", says Prof. Van Poppel. "Women are more used to checking their bodies. They should encourage men to do the same and discuss their health more in detail. Women should actively participate in conversations with their male partners and doctors."

International Differences in Testicular Cancer Knowledge

Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer to affect younger men. However, survey results stated that only 18% of male respondents knew that men aged 16 to 44 years have the highest risk. Whilst knowledge was found to be low throughout Europe, there were stark differences; only 10% of the respondents from Spain know the at-risk age group compared to 27% in the UK.

Symptom awareness was also low with 70% of men lacking confidence in recognising the symptoms of testicular cancer, which may include a swelling or lump in one of the testicles and a dull ache or sharp pain in the testicles or scrotum.

Significant Delays in Visiting the Doctor

Symptom awareness is recognised as a leading factor in the early diagnosis of urological conditions. The majority of deaths in male cancers occur because most men do not address their conditions in time. Despite this, they continue to ignore their symptoms and delay seeing their doctors.

The survey reveals that 43% of people would not go to their doctor straight away if they notice blood in their urine; 23% would wait longer than a month if they suffered a frequent urge to urinate; 28% would wait for more than a week if they suffered burning or pain during urination; and only 17% of people surveyed associate pain in their lower abdomen with a serious problem.

Professor of urology and Executive Member for Communications at the EAU, Manfred Wirth adds "Urological diseases are extremely common; they cause a lot of discomfort and at times, can be life-threatening. It's time for Europe to change its attitude towards urology and invest in educational campaigns to increase urological knowledge and to break taboos."

###Birds sing from the heart. While other four-limbed animals like mammals and reptiles make sounds with voiceboxes in their throats, birds' chirps originate in a unique vocal organ called the syrinx, located in their chests. No other animals have a syrinx, and scientists aren't sure how or when it evolved. In a new study in the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Science, an interdisciplinary team of developmental biologists, evolutionary morphologists, and physiologists examined the windpipes of birds, crocodiles, salamanders, mice, and cats to learn more about how syrinxes evolved. Their findings seem to confirm: the syrinx is an evolutionary odd duck. But it might have arisen from a reinforcement at the bottom of the windpipe that we still see in many other animals.

"Birds have a unique organ in their airway to produce sounds--it's like a flute," says Chad Eliason, a postdoctoral researcher at Chicago's Field Museum and co-first author of the study. "We don't know where that organ came from, how and why it evolved. But in this study, when we zoomed out and looked at the windpipes of other animals, we found deep similarities that we didn't expect."

Mammals, birds, and reptiles all have a trachea--a tube connecting the nose and mouth to the lungs. And we all have a larynx--a hollow, muscular organ at the top of that tube that helps air pass through to the lungs and keeps food from falling into the airway. In mammals and reptiles, the larynx has little folds of tissue that vibrate when air passes over them, producing sound. In birds, the larynx can't produce sound--it's only there for breathing and eating. Instead, birds' sounds are produced at the bottom of the trachea, just above where the trachea branches into the lungs. This juncture, made of cartilage, is the syrinx.

"The syrinx is a tiny box of cartilage--in a sparrow, it's about 8 millimeters in diameter, about four times the thickness of a strand of spaghetti," says Eliason. "It reinforces the airway, and when air passes over the folds in it, it produces a sound: birdsong."

Since birds have both a syrinx and a larynx, it's unclear exactly when the syrinx took over sound production duty for the larynx. "Birds' closest living relatives, crocodiles, produce sound in their throats with a larynx. So how did ancestors of birds transition from making sounds with their larynx to making sounds with their syrinx?" asks Eliason. "If we found fossil evidence of a syrinx in dinosaurs, that would be a smoking gun, but we haven't yet. In the meantime, we have to look at other animals for clues."

Eliason and his fellow scientists, including co-first author Evan Kingsley of Harvard Medical School, examined the tracheas of a suite of animals. Cats, mice, and crocs all have a set of fused cartilage rings at the base of the trachea, called the carina, that provides structural support where the trachea branches to the lungs--just like a syrinx does. "Perhaps the syrinx is just a byproduct of reinforcing the airway, like a carina does in other animals," says Eliason.

The existence of structures like the syrinx and the carina aren't new to science--people have known about them for decades. But this study provides a new way of looking at them. "We're deepening our understanding of how these structures are related to each other, and that could help us understand how the syrinx evolved in the first place," says Julia Clarke, professor at University of Texas at Austin and a leading author of the study.

The study also sheds light on birds' ability to produce sounds throughout their evolutionary history. According to Eliason and colleagues, there are two ways it could have gone down. In Scenario A, extinct ancestors of birds made sounds with their larynxes, then lost the ability to make sounds with their larynxes and had a period where they couldn't sing, and then they regained the ability to make sounds with the origin of a syrinx. In Scenario B, bird ancestors made sounds with a larynx, then they developed a syrinx possibly for structural support of the airway, the syrinx became able to produce sound, and after a while, birds only produced sound with their syrinxes and lost the ability to make sounds with their larynxes. This study suggests that Scenario B is more likely. "It seems more intuitive to me that birds' development of the syrinx would have been step-wise, that they'd have maintained their ability to make sounds with both the larynx and the syrinx, and then gradually lost the ability to make sound with the larynx," says Eliason. "The other option would have birds and their dinosaur ancestors experiencing a sort of quiet zone when they couldn't make any sounds. From looking at dinosaurs' skulls, we know they could hear, and it wouldn't make sense for them to be able to hear but not be able to make sounds to communicate." The researchers also note that the presence of a perfectly functional larynx in the closest relatives of birds make Scenario B less likely than the first scenario.

Kingsley says he hopes this study will be useful for all scientists studying how new features evolve. "One of the grand challenges in biology is understanding how novel structures arise, why we see weird traits in some organisms," he says. "This study gives us an idea of how one of those novel structures, the syrinx, might have come about." Eliason also notes that the evolution of the syrinx is inextricably linked to the evolution of birdsong, and thus, of birds themselves. "Birdsong is what they use to communicate, to find mates and warn each other of predators. It's because of the syrinx that birds can produce all these different sounds. There are over ten thousand species of birds, each with a different call--their ability to produce all these sounds could have played a role in generating the bird diversity that we see today."

###

The research was funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Grant 4498).The team from Imperial College London were able to crash caged populations of the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae in only 7-11 generations.

This is the first time experiments have been able to completely block the reproductive capacity of a complex organism in the laboratory using a designer molecular approach.

The technique, called gene drive, was used to selectively target the specific mosquito species An. gambiae that is responsible for malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. There are around 3500 species of mosquito worldwide, of which only 40 related species can carry malaria.

The hope is that mosquitoes carrying a gene drive would be released in the future, spreading female infertility within local malaria-carrying mosquito populations and causing them to collapse.

In 2016, there were around 216 million malaria cases and an estimated 445,000 deaths worldwide, mostly of children under five years old.

Lead researcher Professor Andrea Crisanti, from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial, said: "2016 marked the first time in over two decades that malaria cases did not fall year-on-year despite huge efforts and resources, suggesting we need more tools in the fight."

The team's results, published today in Nature Biotechnology, represent the first time gene drive has been able to completely suppress a population, overcoming resistance issues previous approaches have faced.

Professor Crisanti added: "This breakthrough shows that gene drive can work, providing hope in the fight against a disease that has plagued mankind for centuries. There is still more work to be done, both in terms of testing the technology in larger lab-based studies and working with affected countries to assess the feasibility of such an intervention.

"It will still be at least 5-10 years before we consider testing any mosquitoes with gene drive in the wild, but now we have some encouraging proof that we're on the right path. Gene drive solutions have the potential one day to expedite malaria eradication by overcoming the barriers of logistics in resource-poor countries."

The team targeted a gene in An. gambiae called doublesex, which determines whether an individual mosquito develops as a male or as a female.

The team engineered a gene drive solution designed to selectively alter a region of the doublesex gene that is responsible for female development. Males who carried this modified gene showed no changes, and neither did females with only one copy of the modified gene. However, females with two copies of the modified gene showed both male and female characteristics, failed to bite and did not lay eggs.

Their experiments showed that the gene drive transmitted the genetic modification nearly 100% of the time. After eight generations no females were produced and the populations collapsed because of lack of offspring.

Previous attempts to develop gene drive for population suppression have encountered 'resistance', where targeted genes developed mutations that allowed the gene to carry out its function, but that that were resistant to the drive. These changes would then be passed down to the offspring, halting the gene drive in its tracks.

One of the reasons doublesex was picked for the gene drive target was that it was thought not to tolerate any mutations, overcoming this potential source of resistance. Indeed, in the study no functional mutated copy of the doublesex gene arose and spread in the population.

While this is the first time resistance has been overcome, the team say additional experiments are needed to investigate the efficacy and the stability of the gene drive under confined laboratory settings that mimic tropical environments.

This involves testing the technology on larger populations of mosquitoes confined in more realistic settings, where competition for food and other ecological factors may change the fate of the gene drive.

The doublesex gene targeted in the study is similar across the insect world, although different insects have different exact genetic sequences. This suggests the technology could be used in the future to specifically target other disease-carrying insects.

Recent work from Imperial showed that suppressing An. gambiae populations in local areas is unlikely to affect the local ecosystem.

###

For the study published today, Professor Crisanti received funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Program Target Malaria), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council in the UK, and the Massachusetts General Hospital as part of a team supporting the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in the US (Safe Genes).According to EU legislation, clinical trials must be prospectively registered in the European Union Clinical Trials Register (EUCTR) and the main results must be reported there one year after completion of the trial. This information is thus publicly available. But in fact, results are only reported for half of drug trials (49.5%). According to an analysis recently published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), with a rate of 68.1%, pharmaceutical companies were relatively compliant, but with a rate of 11.0%, the result was very poor for non-commercial research organizations.

Jurgen Windeler, the Director of the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) notes: "The fact that tax-funded universities are not fulfilling their legal obligations is particularly regrettable. But the BMJ article does not surprise us: On several previous occasions, the Institute experienced that clinical trial investigators at universities withheld data."

Transparency is relatively high for drug trials

In general, data transparency is higher for drug trials than for trials of non-drug interventions, in which medical devices are often used. This is because the EU regulation mentioned above has been effective for drugs since 2012. A comparable regulation for medical devices was only concluded in 2017 and will be effective from 2020 onwards.

Moreover, since 2011 in Germany, according to the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG), pharmaceutical companies must provide all relevant data on new drugs, which as a rule can be published. After initial resistance, the companies now accept these transparency requirements. This corresponds to the BMJ finding that 11 large commercial sponsors of trials reported all results in EUCTR within the one-year deadline.

University research groups withhold data

According to the BMJ, compliance is particularly lacking at universities conducting drug trials. These also include German universities such as Berlin (Charite), Heidelberg and Cologne (0%). In contrast, a British university, Dundee, reached the highest rate of registry entries (82%).

IQWiG's negative experiences with university research groups primarily refer to medical device trials. At the end of August 2018, in its preliminary report on negative pressure wound therapy the Institute found that not only the device manufacturer, but also clinical trial investigators at universities answered the Institute's requests only incompletely or not at all.

This was not an exceptional case: The Institute could not draw a conclusion on the benefit or harm of stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma because even more than 10 years after their completion, three large trials had still not been fully published. Two of these trials were under German supervision (universities of Heidelberg and Wurzburg). An Australian research group has shown that things can be handled differently: They provided all individual patient data from a trial to IQWiG. This enabled IQWiG to perform additional analyses that ultimately led to a positive conclusion in the benefit assessment (corneal collagen cross-linking in patients with keratoconus).

Increase pressure on clinical trial investigators

Jurgen Windeler notes: "There are substantial deficits in investigator-initiated trials (IITs) with regard to data transparency - and sanctions are seemingly required to quickly change this." One option could be that research funders impose specific requirements. They should check whether an applicant has completely reported its previously funded project in the EU Register and, if applicable, refuse further funding.

As trials are also conducted without public funding, in addition, ethics committees should also monitor whether legal regulations such as inclusion of a trial in the EU Register are being followed, because these committees know all trials conducted in a certain region or university.

Lack of transparency impairs health care

The fact that clinical trials are not registered and their results are not reported is not a trivial offence. Rather, ethical and scientific standards are being violated, because the benefit and harm of medical interventions can only be correctly assessed on the basis of complete data. Only then can physicians and patients decide on the best-possible alternative.

###New Rochelle, September 24, 2018--We now live largely in a data-driven world, and ethical oversight and constraints are needed to be sure that data ethics can reach an appropriate balance between the risks and benefits of data technology. The goal is to control the risk, but to allow enough risk to make it possible to take advantage of any potential benefits of data technologies now or in the future. A comprehensive perspective on this topic, which focuses on the nature of data, personal data, data ownership, consent and purpose of use, trustworthiness of data and those using the data, and issues related to privacy and confidentiality is published in Big Data, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. Click here to read the full-text article free on the Big Data website.

In the article entitled "Aspects of Data Ethics in a Changing World: Where Are We Now?" David Hand, PhD, Imperial College, London, U.K. discusses how the automation of measurement and data collection procedures, together with the development of vast capacity for inexpensive data storage and the creation of advanced tools for analyzing and processing data, is dramatically changing our world. These data capabilities have the potential to significantly improve the human condition, but they can also be misused. Among the factors that make data ethics in particular so challenging is their complexity and the fact that data and the tools to collect, interpret and use data are present in all aspects of our lives.

"In this article various aspects of principles for resolving ethical dilemmas were discussed, and related ethical codes were analyzed related to the nature of data--including the pervasiveness of data harvesting, the dynamic characteristics of data, interconnectedness of data across platforms and contexts, ability to reveal unexpected information, risk for exceptional intrusiveness, potential for misuse, and ownership issues," says Big Data Editor-in-Chief Zoran Obradovic, PhD, Carnell Professor of Data Analytics, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

###

About the Journal

Big Data, published quarterly online with open access options and in print, facilitates and supports the efforts of researchers, analysts, statisticians, business leaders, and policymakers to improve operations, profitability, and communications within their organizations. Spanning a broad array of disciplines focusing on novel big data technologies, policies, and innovations, the peer-reviewed journal brings together the community to address the challenges and discover new breakthroughs and trends living within this information. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Big Data website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative medical and biomedical peer-reviewed journals, including OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology, Journal of Computational Biology, New Space, and 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's more than 80 journals, newsmagazines, and books is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology used behavioral experiments to show that desert ants are able to quickly learn many different food odors and remember them for the rest of their lives. However, their memory for nest odors seems to differ from their food odor memory: Whereas food odors are learned and kept after a single contact, ants need several trials to memorize nest odors. Moreover, ants forget a nest-associated odor very quickly after it has been removed from the nest. Hence, ants process food and nest odors differently in their brains. (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1809433115, September 2018).

The desert ant Cataglyphis fortis has amazing abilities to trace food and to return to its nest in the North African desert. Its sense of smell has a central function for orientation. The ant is not only a master navigator, it is also a memory artist. Behavioral scientists Markus Knaden from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology has been studying the navigational skills of this ant species for years. Until now, he was particularly interested in how the small insects find their way back to their nest after an extensive search for food in the vast salt pans of the Tunisian Sahara. After all, the nest entrance is only a small inconspicuous hole in the desert surface. He and his team found that - apart from other factors - the specific nest odor plays a crucial role. However, during their experiments, the researchers had noticed that ants learned food odors much faster than nest odors. "Our central question was whether different types of memory exist for food and nest search. The idea to compare both learning processes popped up when we observed that the ants were able to learn food odors so incredibly fast in comparison to nest odors which need to be trained much longer," first author Roman Huber explains.

The scientists developed a simple experiment to test the response of ants to more than 30 different food odors. They held the end of a stick which had been scented with an odor about two meters away from a foraging ant on the ground so that the wind blew the odor to the ant. At first, most odors were ignored by the ants and did not evoke any response. "After we had offered a food crumb to the ants which had been scented with one of these odors, however, the ants were almost always attracted by this odor afterwards," Markus Knaden says. "We were amazed how quickly the ants learned food-associated odors and how long they could remember them. Even ants, that had learned an odor more than 25 days ago, were able to remember it." In nature, most ants have a short life and are usually killed by a predator within six days. Therefore it is particularly astonishing that ants that have reached more than four times the average age could still remember what they had learned.

On the other hand, ants were not able to learn nest-associated odors as quickly as food odors. When the researchers attached a scent to the nest entrance, the ants needed five to ten trials to learn the odor as a nest cue. Only after several trainings did they concentrate their nest search on this odor. When the odor was removed from the nest and after the ants had returned to the nest a few times, they completely stopped responding to the former nest cue. In ants, odors are obviously processed differently in the brain depending on whether they are food or nest cues.

Markus Knaden provides an explanation: "The two different odor memories make sense. During its entire life, an ant encounters many different pieces of food while foraging. Since the insect finds its food mainly through olfactory cues, it is important for an ant to learn the odor of good food in order to specifically search for it later. The nest, in contrast, should always smell the same during an ant's short life. Therefore no extraordinary memory is needed to locate the nest entrance by following olfactory cues. It is sufficient if an ant knows how the nest smelled when it left to search for food, to find it on its way home. It is unlikely that the nest odor changes while an ant is away foraging."

The scientists now want to design lab studies to underpin the results of the behavioral experiments in the natural habitat of the desert ants. Their goal is to employ imaging techniques, like calcium imaging, to locate and visualize the different memories in the ant brain and to compare brain activities during food and nest search. "We already use similar techniques for the visualization of brain activity in flies and moths. It would be great to establish these techniques for ants as well, because ants exhibit a particularly complex behavior," Markus Knaden says.

### Original Publication:

Huber, R., Knaden, M. (2018). Desert ants possess distinct memories for food and nest odors. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1809433115

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1809433115

Further Information:

Dr. Markus Knaden, Tel. +49 3641 57 1421, E-Mail: mknaden@ice.mpg.de, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany

Contact and Media Requests:

Angela Overmeyer M.A., Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoll-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, +49 3641 57-2110, E-Mail overmeyer@ice.mpg.deBasel, September 24, 2018 - Novartis announced the winners of the 2018 eXcellence in Ophthalmology Vision Award (XOVA) for nonprofit eye health initiatives at EURETINA 2018. The 2018 XOVA winners will help create sustainable eye clinics, train healthcare professionals, fight childhood blindness and increase eye health awareness in rural populations.

Novartis will award grants worth a combined total of $270,000 to the winners. Two of the projects, in India and Ethiopia respectively, will happen in areas listed among the top 20 countries with the highest number of people with visual impairment, including nine million people affected by blindness1.

"Recipients of the XOVA have a real opportunity to improve vision care in areas that frequently lack access to adequate care," said Francesco Bandello, M.D., XOVA judge, Professor and Chairman Department of Ophthalmology, University Vita-Salute, Scientific Institute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy. "We trust that these grants will help bring to life truly innovative projects aimed at supporting people with vision impairment or blindness."

This year's XOVA recipients and their winning proposals are as follows:

John Corboy, on behalf of the Hawaiian Eye Foundation, USA, will develop a long-term eye care system in Micronesia, including a self-sustaining eye clinic.

Marcia Zondervan, on behalf of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, will offer retinoblastoma training to prevent vision loss in children in Zimbabwe.

Pradeep Agarwal, on behalf of the C. L. Gupta Eye Institute, Moradabad, India, will introduce teacher training for vision screening of school children in India.

Howaida Alnour Makki Ahmad, on behalf of the University of Kordofan, Sudan, will develop and enact eye care-specific training modules for general health care professionals in rural areas of Sudan.

Helen Dimaras, on behalf of the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration (University of Toronto), Canada, will execute the first pediatric ophthalmology fellowship program in Ethiopia.

"Globally, more than 80 percent of all vision impairment can be prevented or cured2," said Patrice Matchaba, Global Head, Global Health and Corporate Responsibility of Novartis International. "Funding projects to reimagine healthcare solutions, particularly in developing communities, is critical to reducing the burden of blindness and improving access to eye care worldwide."

Call for 2019 entries

XOVA, now in its eighth year, provides funding for nonprofit, sustainable initiatives aimed at addressing significant unmet needs in ophthalmology and optometry. Novartis is now calling for submissions for the 2019 XOVA from eye care specialists, including trainees and specialist nurses, with the endorsement of their institutions. Applications can be submitted through the XOVA website.

###

About Novartis in ophthalmology

For more than 70 years, patients, caregivers and healthcare providers worldwide have looked to Novartis for state-of-the-art treatments in eye diseases. We continue to invest in science as well as in strategic alliances to help ensure patients have access to screening, diagnosis, and our eye medicines. Our commitment to vision extends globally across ages, from premature infants to seniors, from rare diseases to those affecting millions, from eye drops to gene therapies. Our aspiration: reimagining eye care to help everyone see possibilities.

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political and economic conditions; safety, quality or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Novartis

Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 1 billion people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 125 000 people of more than 140 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at http://www.novartis.com.

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References

1. Bourne, R. et. al. International Association for the Prevention of Blindenss, Visoin Atlas. GBVI - Country Estimates of Distance-Vision Loss. Available at: http://atlas.iapb.org/global-burden-vision-impairment/gbvi-country-estimates-distance-vision-loss/#table4 (link is external). Accessed August 2018.

2. World Health Organization. "Blindness and visual impairment." Available at: http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment (link is external). Accessed August 2018.

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Cory Twining +1 212 830 2417The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will receive $30 million over five years to build and operate an Advanced Quantum Testbed (AQT). Researchers will use the testbed to explore superconducting quantum processors and evaluate how these emerging quantum devices can be utilized to advance scientific research. As part of this effort, Berkeley Lab will collaborate with MIT Lincoln Laboratory (MIT LL) to deploy different quantum processor architectures.

According to Irfan Siddiqi, Berkeley Lab scientist and AQT director, one of the goals of this project is to set up a multi-partner scientific collaboration to build a platform where basic outstanding questions about quantum computing can be answered. AQT will operate as an open resource for the community, allowing external researchers to evaluate superconducting architectures developed by testbed staff and collaborators for simulations in chemistry, materials, and other areas of computation. AQT will also help industry researchers by exploring what approaches are most likely to work and which ones do not. Industry can then take the solid ideas developed by the testbed and transform them into finished commercial products.

"With this testbed we will ask and evaluate the basic questions needed to guide the future development of quantum computers," said Siddiqi. "We are the first to commission an instrument to look at this problem end-to-end in an open research collaboration between academia, industry, and the national laboratories. This means that we won't rely on any one entity for all of the answers. Instead, we will use a tried-and-true scientific approach - we will seek out the best ideas, hardware, algorithms, etc. and combine all of that expertise to communally build a quantum testbed."

According to Jonathan Carter, deputy of science for Berkeley Lab's Computing Sciences Area and the AQT's co-principal investigator, Berkeley Lab is uniquely suited to lead this effort because the capabilities of its researchers allow them to attack this problem end-to-end.

Over the past five years, Berkeley Lab researchers developed quantum chemistry and optimization algorithms targeting prototype superconducting quantum processors funded by Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) grants. They proved the viability of their work by running these algorithms on a quantum processor comprising two superconducting transmon qubits developed in Siddiqi's Quantum Nanoelectronics Lab at the University of California Berkeley. The success of their LDRD work eventually paved the way for two DOE-funded projects to explore quantum computing for science.

"AQT is essentially the next phase of our research," said Carter. "Our LDRD project allowed us to make some initial progress on what quantum computing hardware and quantum algorithms would look like. We then got to test the viability of our ideas and create a roadmap for building a quantum testbed with our DOE-funded Pathfinder project. Now with our DOE-funded AQT project, we are actually going to build the testbed and open it up to external scientific researchers."

"Because our team can design and fabricate quantum processors with considerable flexibility, we can tailor the design to meet our scientific needs," Carter said. "We also have team members who are working on the classical control hardware and software needed to operate these chips, as well as the algorithms that will run on them."

According to Carter, the broad expertise of the Berkeley Lab team is critical at this moment because the use of a near-term quantum computer requires experts from many disciplines to optimize all of its components - for example, qubits, quantum control, error mitigation, etc. - simultaneously because quantum computers are currently so resource constrained.

In addition to the collaboration with MIT-LL, AQT will tap resources and expertise of a number of DOE user facilities, including the Molecular Foundry and National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, both located at Berkeley Lab.

Additionally, researchers from Berkeley Lab's Accelerator Technologies and Applied Physics Division will help develop custom quantum control hardware, while the Materials Sciences Division will help with research and materials fabrication and the Computational Research Division will help develop low-level software and custom classical computing architecture.

The Advanced Quantum Testbed is the latest project for Berkeley Quantum, a partnership that harnesses the expertise and facilities of Berkeley Lab and the University of California, Berkeley to advance U.S. quantum capabilities by conducting basic research, fabricating and testing quantum-based devices and technologies, and educating the next generation of researchers.

###

Get more information about quantum information science research at Berkeley Lab and Berkeley Quantum.

The Advanced Quantum Testbed will be funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Science (ASCR).

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov.

DOE's 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 the Office of Science website at science.energy.gov.The National Science Foundation (NSF) and Boeing today announced a new, $21 million partnership through which Boeing will invest $11 million to accelerate training in critical skill areas and increase diversity in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Boeing becomes the first business to contribute at a national level to NSF INCLUDES, which aims to enhance U.S. innovation leadership through a commitment to broadening participation.

"We are grateful to Boeing for investing in the future of the U.S. STEM workforce," said France Cordova, NSF director and leader of the NSF INCLUDES initiative. "These kinds of public-private partnerships can lead to a more technically proficient workforce with the skills needed to expand our national research and development base."

Supported by $10 million in funding from Boeing, NSF will invest in the design, development and deployment of online curricula at the community college, undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. To complement Boeing's investment, NSF's Directorate for Education and Human Resources will invest $10 million in awards focused on reskilling and increasing the skill level of the U.S. STEM workforce.

"This investment demonstrates Boeing's commitment to developing the future workforce and growing the skillset of our current employees," said Heidi Capozzi, Boeing senior vice president of Human Resources. "The initiatives will help develop more technical workers and research opportunities for women, especially veterans, seeking to join or return to the STEM workforce."

An additional $1 million Boeing gift to the NSF INCLUDES "Big Idea" initiative focuses on increasing the number of women in STEM fields. For this funding, NSF will prioritize making awards that address the needs of women returning to the STEM workforce, especially veterans.

According to the latest figures from the National Science Board's Science and Engineeing Indicators, the number of jobs requiring substantial STEM expertise has grown nearly 34 percent over the past decade. However, employers nationwide say they are having trouble filling jobs in occupations that depend on skilled technical workers.

To help address the skills gap, NSF, through its "gold star" Merit Review process, will use the funding from Boeing to solicit and review proposals from world class learning institutions and issue awards. Recipient institutions will use that support to develop online curricula in critical skill areas for students and Boeing employees. The initiative aims to equip participants with personalized learning systems in model-based engineering, model-based systems engineering, mechatronics, robotics, data science and sensor analytics, program management and artificial intelligence. The first project supported through this partnership is anticipated to launch in 2019.

This investment by Boeing delivers on its 2017 pledge to invest $300 million in employees, infrastructure and local communities as a result of U.S. tax reform. From this pledge, $100 million were assigned to employee learning and future workforce development, encompassing the $11 million from the partnership with NSF and future investments that will be announced later this year.

###HOUSTON - (Sept. 24, 2018) - The ability of metallic or semiconducting materials to absorb, reflect and act upon light is of primary importance to scientists developing optoelectronics - electronic devices that interact with light to perform tasks. Rice University scientists have now produced a method to determine the properties of atom-thin materials that promise to refine the modulation and manipulation of light.

Two-dimensional materials have been a hot research topic since graphene, a flat lattice of carbon atoms, was identified in 2001. Since then, scientists have raced to develop, either in theory or in the lab, novel 2D materials with a range of optical, electronic and physical properties.

Until now, they have lacked a comprehensive guide to the optical properties those materials offer as ultrathin reflectors, transmitters or absorbers.

The Rice lab of materials theorist Boris Yakobson took up the challenge. Yakobson and his co-authors, graduate student and lead author Sunny Gupta, postdoctoral researcher Sharmila Shirodkar and research scientist Alex Kutana, used state-of-the-art theoretical methods to compute the maximum optical properties of 55 2D materials.

"The important thing now that we understand the protocol is that we can use it to analyze any 2D material," Gupta said. "This is a big computational effort, but now it's possible to evaluate any material at a deeper quantitative level."

Their work, which appears this month in the American Chemical Society journal ACS Nano, details the monolayers' transmittance, absorbance and reflectance, properties they collectively dubbed TAR. At the nanoscale, light can interact with materials in unique ways, prompting electron-photon interactions or triggering plasmons that absorb light at one frequency and emit it in another.

Manipulating 2D materials lets researchers design ever smaller devices like sensors or light-driven circuits. But first it helps to know how sensitive a material is to a particular wavelength of light, from infrared to visible colors to ultraviolet.

"Generally, the common wisdom is that 2D materials are so thin that they should appear to be essentially transparent, with negligible reflection and absorption," Yakobson said. "Surprisingly, we found that each material has an expressive optical signature, with a large portion of light of a particular color (wavelength) being absorbed or reflected."

The co-authors anticipate photodetecting and modulating devices and polarizing filters are possible applications for 2D materials that have directionally dependent optical properties. "Multilayer coatings could provide good protection from radiation or light, like from lasers," Shirodkar said. "In the latter case, heterostructured (multilayered) films -- coatings of complementary materials -- may be needed. Greater intensities of light could produce nonlinear effects, and accounting for those will certainly require further research."

The researchers modeled 2D stacks as well as single layers. "Stacks can broaden the spectral range or bring about new functionality, like polarizers," Kutana said. "We can think about using stacked heterostructure patterns to store information or even for cryptography."

Among their results, the researchers verified that stacks of graphene and borophene are highly reflective of mid-infrared light. Their most striking discovery was that a material made of more than 100 single-atom layers of boron -- which would still be only about 40 nanometers thick -- would reflect more than 99 percent of light from the infrared to ultraviolet, outperforming doped graphene and bulk silver.

There's a side benefit that fits with Yakobson's artistic sensibility as well. "Now that we know the optical properties of all these materials - the colors they reflect and transmit when hit with light - we can think about making Tiffany-style stained-glass windows on the nanoscale," he said. "That would be fantastic!"

###

Editor's note: A link to a high-resolution image for download appears at the end of this release.

David Ruth 713-348-6327?david@rice.edu

Mike Williams 713-348-6728?mikewilliams@rice.edu

The work was supported by the U.S. Army Research Office and the Robert Welch Foundation. Computing resources were provided by the National Science Foundation-supported DAVinCI cluster at Rice, administered by the Center for Research Computing and procured in partnership with Rice's Ken Kennedy Institute for Information Technology, the Department of Defense High Performance Computing Modernization Program and the Department of Energy Office of Science's National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center.

Read the abstract at https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.8b03754.

This news release can be found online at http://news.rice.edu/2018/09/24/rice-u-study-sheds-light-on-and-through-2d-materials/

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Related materials:

Yakobson Research Group: https://biygroup.blogs.rice.edu

Rice Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering: https://engineering.rice.edu

George R. Brown School of Engineering: https://msne.rice.edu

Image for download:

http://news.rice.edu/files/2018/09/0924_2D-1a-WEB-231u7gy.jpeg

Rice University researchers modeled two-dimensional materials to quantify how they react to light. They calculated how the atom-thick materials in single or stacked layers would transmit, absorb and reflect light. The graphs above measure the maximum absorbance of several of the 55 materials tested. (Credit: Yakobson Research Group/Rice University)

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,970 undergraduates and 2,934 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 2 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to http://tinyurl.com/RiceUniversityoverview.The taller you are, the more likely you are to develop varicose veins, according to a study led by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers that examined the genes of more than 400,000 people in search of clues to what causes this common but little understood condition.

"Genes that predict a person's height may be at the root of this link between height and varicose veins and may provide clues for treating the condition," said Nicholas Leeper, MD, associate professor of surgery and of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford.

The study also identified 30 genes linked to varicose vein disorder and to a strong genetic correlation with deep vein thrombosis. It will be published Sept. 24 in Circulation. Leeper and Erik Ingelsson, MD, PhD, professor of cardiovascular medicine, are the senior authors. Eri Fukaya, MD, PhD, clinical assistant professor of vascular surgery, and medical student Alyssa Flores share lead authorship.

Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that can be seen just under the surface of the skin, usually in the legs. More than 30 million people in the United States have varicose veins. Although the condition is often dismissed as nothing more than a cosmetic nuisance, it can cause moderate pain and has been linked to the more serious side effects of deep vein thrombosis, which occurs when a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body.

'Shockingly little is known'

"The condition is incredibly prevalent but shockingly little is known about the biology," Flores said. "There are no medical therapies that can prevent it or reverse it once it's there." Treatment is mainly limited to surgical procedures, such as laser treatment or vein stripping. "We're hoping that with this new information, we can create new therapies, as our study highlights several genes that may represent new translational targets," she said.

Researchers used data from the UK Biobank -- both a long-term study and genetic repository that includes genomic data on about a half-million people -- to look for varicose vein risk factors using machine learning combined with epidemiological methods in 413,519 participants. Further, they screened for genetic markers using genomewide association studies in 337,536 of the participants, 9,577 of whom had varicose vein disease. The study confirmed that currently established risk factors -- including being older, female, overweight or pregnant, or having a history of deep vein thrombosis -- are all associated with varicose veins.

"We confirmed that having had deep vein thrombosis in the past puts you at increased risk in the future," Leeper said. "Recent research suggests that the converse appears to be true as well. Having varicose veins puts you at risk of these blood clots."

The study also confirmed that surgery on the legs, family history, lack of movement, smoking and hormone therapy are risk factors. But the correlation they found between height and the condition was unexpected, the researchers said.

"We were very surprised to find that height came up from our machine-learning analyses," Flores said.

Turning the algorithm loose

Typically in a large, genetic study like this one, researchers use genomewide association studies to examine DNA variation that may be associated with an increased risk for a particular illness. Using this method, the researchers identified the 30 regions on the genome associated with varicose veins. But the researchers also used another method involving machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence, to cast a giant net to discover any previously unknown risk factors.

"These methods represent new ways of thinking about research," Ingelsson said. "You go in without a hypothesis about a specific biological mechanism and scan for something new. You could say that you turn the machine loose on it. In this case, we included 2,716 predictors of varicose veins in this machine-learning algorithm. Then we let the algorithms find the strongest predictors of varicose veins."

In addition to height, the machine-learning algorithm showed that bioimpedance, a measure of how well the body impedes electric current flow, is a strong predictive marker for varicose veins. This measurement could potentially be used as a diagnostic tool to predict for varicose veins, Leeper said.

When height emerged from the machine-learning analysis as a possible risk factor, the researchers conducted further tests to see if it was an actual cause for the disease using mendelian randomization analyses, a statistical technique to determine causal effects.

"Our results strongly suggest height is a cause, not just a correlated factor, but an underlying mechanism leading to varicose veins," Ingelsson said.

He added, "By conducting the largest genetic study ever performed for varicose vein disease, we now have a much better understanding of the biology that is altered in people at risk for the disease."

###

Daniela Zanetti, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford, also contributed to the study, as did researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden.

The study was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (grant 1R01HL135313) and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

Stanford's Department of Medicine 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: Tracie White at 650-723-7628,traciew@stanford.edu

Broadcast media contact: Margarita Gallardo at 650-723-7897, mjgallardo@stanford.eduUsing newly refined analysis methods, scientists have discovered that a North Korean nuclear bomb test last fall set off aftershocks over a period of eight months. The shocks, which occurred on a previously unmapped nearby fault, are a window into both the physics of nuclear explosions, and how natural earthquakes can be triggered. The findings are described in two papers just published online in the journal Seismological Research Letters.

The September 3, 2017 underground test was North Korea's sixth, and by far largest yet, yielding some 250 kilotons, or about 17 times the size of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. Many experts believe the device was a hydrogen bomb--if true, a significant advance from cruder atomic devices the regime previously exploded. The explosion itself produced a magnitude 6.3 earthquake. This was followed 8.5 minutes later by a magnitude 4 quake, apparently created when an area above the test site on the country's Mt. Mantap collapsed into an underground cavity occupied by the bomb.

The test and collapse were picked up by seismometers around the world and widely reported at the time. But later, without fanfare, seismic stations run by China, South Korea and the United States picked up 10 smaller shocks, all apparently scattered within 5 or 10 kilometers around the test site. The first two came on Sept. 23, 2017; the most recent was April 22, 2018. Scientists assumed the bomb had shaken up the earth, and it was taking a while to settle back down. "It's not likely that there would be so many events in that small area over a small period of time," said the lead author of one of the studies, Won-Young Kim, a seismologist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. "These are probably triggered due to the explosion."

After looking at the series of aftershock reports, Kim's group sifted more closely through the data and spotted three other aftershocks that had not previously been recognized, for a total of 13. The tremors were all modest, all between magnitude 2.1 and 3.4, and almost certainly harmless. In the past they would have been hard to pick out using far-off seismometers, he said. However, under new international cooperation agreements, he and colleagues obtained recordings from relatively nearby instruments including ones in Ussuriysk, Russia, a borehole in South Korea, and Mudanjiang, northeast China.

The group then used a new analysis method developed in part by Lamont seismologist David Schaff that looks at energy waves that are much lower frequency and slower-moving seismic than those used in conventional earthquake analyses. These slow-moving waves allowed Schaff and the rest of the team to pinpoint the locations of the quakes with far greater precision than with conventional recordings. Instead of the random scatter initially seen, the quake locations lined up in a neat 700-meter-long row about 5 kilometers northwest of the blast--indication of a hidden fracture.

Seismometers have long been routinely used to verify nuclear test treaties, and scientists have become increasingly confident that they can detect even small tests and distinguish them from natural earthquakes. But the link between explosions and subsequent quakes is less studied. Seismologists documented a handful of apparent aftershocks near a Nevada test site in the 1970s, and near a Soviet test site in Kazakhstan in 1989. However, they were not able to pinpoint the locations of these quakes with the technology then available. With more instruments and the new analysis method, 'now we can see everything," said Paul Richards, a Lamont seismologist who coauthored the papers. "It's a radical improvement in cataloging even tiny, tiny earthquakes. It shows not just what we can do with natural earthquakes, but that we can monitor what the North Koreans are doing. North Korea can't do anything at all now [in secret] and expect to get away with it."

Richards said the exact location of tiny quakes could also help in the so far largely fruitless quest by some seismologists to predict bigger quakes. Richards did not assert that quakes could eventually be predicted, but said, "If you're ever going to do this, you have to understand locations, and how one earthquake affects its neighbors."

This spring, the North Koreans made a show of blowing up part of the Mt. Mantap site, though it may already have become largely unusable due to the destruction caused by previous explosions. And no nuclear tests have been detected since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. president Donald Trump met in June to discuss ending North Korea's tests. However, despite boasts by Trump that North Korea's program has been neutralized, U.S. diplomats have noted evidence suggesting that the North continues to quietly develop its weapons.

Lamont scientists have studied previous North Korean tests, including ones in 2013 and 2009; they concluded that reports of one in 2010 was a false alarm. The current studies were coauthored by Eunyoung Jo and Yonggyu Ryoo of the Korea Meteorological Administration.

###

'Identification of Seismic Events on and Near the North Korean Test Site After the Underground Nuclear Test Explosion of 3 December 2017' is available from the authors or the Earth Institute press office.

Scientist contacts:

Won-Young Kim wykim@ldeo.columbia.edu | 845-365-8387

Paul Richards richards@ldeo.columbia.edu | 845-365-8389

David Schaff dschaff@ldeo.columbia.edu | 845-365-8826

More information: Kevin Krajick, Senior editor, science news, The Earth Institute/Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

kkrajick@ei.columbia.edu 212-854-9729

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is Columbia University's home for Earth science research. Its scientists develop fundamental knowledge about the origin, evolution and future of the natural world, from the planet's deepest interior to the outer reaches of its atmosphere, on every continent and in every ocean, providing a rational basis for the difficult choices facing humanity. http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu | @LamontEarth

The Earth Institute, Columbia University mobilizes the sciences, education and public policy to achieve a sustainable earth. http://www.earth.columbia.edu.Historically, salt marshes have not only served as ecological nurseries for fish, birds, and other wildlife--they've been stalwart defenses against coastal storms. But recently, coastal development coupled with accelerated sea level rise has threatened wetlands across the globe. Among them are the salt marshes in New York City's Jamaica Bay, an 18,000-acre estuary bordered by Queens and Brooklyn.

Using sediment cores to trace the evolution of Jamaica Bay's wetlands, a team led by researchers within Columbia's Earth Institute finds that urbanization is weakening the shoreline and starving the marshes of vital mineral sediment, causing their gradual but dramatic erosion. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also offers strategies to restore and preserve these important natural systems in Jamaica Bay and elsewhere.

"We knew that these marshes were disappearing, and there were lots of reasons people had proposed as to why," said Dorothy Peteet, lead author and senior research scientist at NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, "but no one had actually looked at the organic and the inorganic part of it to see why the marshes are fragmenting."

The Jamaica Bay wetlands have helped dampen waves and substantially block or slow down winds that accompany storms. The marshes have also been a haven for an estimated 325 species of migratory and resident birds and upwards of 90 types of fish. In recent decades, though, these marshes have been eroding at alarming rates--putting the shores and the animals at peril.

Two sediment cores, which the team drilled from the marsh surfaces, provided a window into the area's past and revealed why the marshes are disappearing. A lack of inorganic sediment--or sand, silt, and clay--is depriving the marshes of mineral sediment that helps to hold the ecosystem together. Without these sediments, the marshes lose their structure and disintegrate.

"The major cause of decline is that we have changed the natural sediment supply--we have destroyed the input for sand, silt, and clay," Peteet explained. Eighteen streams that once emptied into Jamaica Bay filled the estuary with rich amounts of sediment. Now only eight streams remain, and they bring "hardly anything but wastewater," said Peteet. "In the centers, the marshes have kept up because we still have the native grasses here--but at the edges, they're really not sustainable due to fragmentation."

The Jamaica Bay wetlands are also being weakened by sea level rise--perhaps even more so than in other coastal regions of the U.S., since relative increases in sea levels due to climate change are greater in mid-Atlantic states such as New York. As such, regional sea levels are rising at faster rates than the marshes themselves--putting these mineral-depleted wetlands in danger of drowning.

"Now, we're seeing almost five millimeters in sea level rise per year," said Peteet. "If your accretion rate is below that, there is no way the marshes can keep up."

To restore and strengthen the salt marshes, the study recommends filling in Jamaica Bay's dredged areas and spraying sand, silt, and clay onto the remaining marshes. The estuary's craters must be filled in first, Peteet explained, so that the sprayed sediment doesn't leave the marshes and accumulate in the pits. Marshes were successfully restored in Los Angeles' Wax Bay Delta using these tactics.

Collectively, upwards of $130 million has already been spent on tidal marsh restoration in Jamaica Bay over the past two decades, according to Adam Parris, executive director of the Science and Resilience Institute of Jamaica Bay. Government agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the city's Parks Department are working to rebuild damaged marshes on the bay's islands and restore marshes that have been buried by fill.

While these efforts are cause for hope, the rates and magnitude of sea-level rise anticipated for the next half-century remains concerning, Parris noted. "There is definitely no question that clean sediment will be required to help sustain those restoration projects over the long-term," he said.

On a larger scale, manmade development has caused New York State to lose more than half of all its wetlands, and has resulted in the disappearance of marshes worldwide, said Peteet. "It is incumbent on us as people to remedy it."

###

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is Columbia University's home for Earth science research. Its scientists develop fundamental knowledge about the origin, evolution and future of the natural world, from the planet's deepest interior to the outer reaches of its atmosphere, on every continent and in every ocean, providing a rational basis for the difficult choices facing humanity. http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu | @LamontEarth

The Earth Institute, Columbia University mobilizes the sciences, education and public policy to achieve a sustainable earth. http://www.earth.columbia.edu.

Scientist Contact:

Dorothy Peteet 845-642-5702; peteet@ldeo.columbia.eduResearchers in Japan have found a way to create innovative materials by blending metals with precision control. Their approach, based on a concept called atom hybridization[1], opens up an unexplored area of chemistry that could lead to the development of advanced functional materials.

Background

Multimetallic clusters -- typically composed of three or more metals -- are garnering attention as they exhibit properties that cannot be attained by single-metal materials. If a variety of metal elements are freely blended, it is expected that as-yet-unknown substances are discovered and highly-functional materials are developed. So far, no one had reported the multimetallic clusters blended with more than four metal elements so far because of unfavorable separation of different metals. One idea to overcome this difficulty is miniaturization of cluster sizes to one-nanometer scale, which forces the different metals to be blended in a small space. However, there was no way to realize this idea.

Overview

A team, including Takamasa Tsukamoto, Takane Imaoka, Kimihisa Yamamoto and colleagues, has developed an atom hybridization method, which has realized the first-ever synthesis of multimetallic clusters consisting of more than five metal elements with precise control of size and composition. This method employs a dendrimer template[2] that serves as a tiny "scaffold" to enable controlled accumulation of metal salts. After precise uptake of the different metals into the dendrimer, multimetallic clusters are obtained by chemical reduction. In contrast, a conventional method without the dendrimer yields enlargement of cluster sizes and separation of different metals. The team successfully demonstrated the formation of five-element clusters composed of gallium (Ga), indium (In), gold (Au), bismuth (Bi) and tin (Sn), as well as iron (Fe), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), antimony (Sb) and copper (Cu), and a six-element cluster consisting of Ga, In, Au, Bi, Sn and platinum (Pt). Additionally, they hint at the possibility of making clusters composed of eight metals or more.

Future Development

This atom hybridization method using the dendrimer template can synthesize ultrasmall multimetallic clusters with precise control of size and composition. There are more than 90 metals in the periodic table. With infinite combinations of metal elements, atomicity and composition, this method will open up a new field in chemistry on a one-nanometer scale. The current study marks a major step forward in creating such as-yet-unknown innovative materials.

###

Technical terms

[1] Atom hybridization: A method for synthesis of multimetallic clusters on a one-nanometer scale by using a dendrimer2 as a nanosized template. Various metal ions can be taken up into the dendrimer structure with various combinations. Multimetallic clusters are obtained by chemical reduction of these metal ions on the template.

[2] Dendrimer template: A dendrimer is a specific macromolecule having repetitively branched structures. The team utilizes a dendrimer template suitably designed for the assembly of metal atoms in controlling the number of atoms.

Related links

How a tetrahedral substance can be more symmetrical than a spherical atom https://www.titech.ac.jp/english/news/2018/042345.html

A Preparative-Scale Reaction Using Platinum Clusters with a Single-Digit Atomicity Realized https://www.titech.ac.jp/english/news/2017/039128.html

DENDRITIC STRUCTURE HAVING A POTENTIAL GRADIENT: NEW SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF CARBAZOLE DENDRIMERS http://www.res.titech.ac.jp/~inorg/entry/?id=4379351629247336510

Hybrid Materials Unit, Tokyo Institute of Technology (PDF) https://www.titech.ac.jp/news/pdf/news_18806_7_en.pdf

YAMAMOTO-IMAOKA Group http://www.res.titech.ac.jp/~inorg/yamamoto/e/

About Tokyo Institute of Technology

Tokyo Tech stands at the forefront of research and higher education as the leading university for science and technology in Japan. Tokyo Tech researchers excel in fields ranging from materials science to biology, computer science, and physics. Founded in 1881, Tokyo Tech hosts over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students per year, who develop into scientific leaders and some of the most sought-after engineers in industry. Embodying the Japanese philosophy of "monotsukuri," meaning "technical ingenuity and innovation," the Tokyo Tech community strives to contribute to society through high-impact research. http://www.titech.ac.jp/english/

About Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)

Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), an advanced network-based research institute that promotes the state-of-the-art R&D projects, will boldly lead the way for co-creation of innovation for tomorrow's world together with society. http://www.jst.go.jp/EN/

About ERATO

xploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO) is a research funding program of JST, which aims to lead science and technology-based innovations through novel, unique, and transformative basic research. http://www.jst.go.jp/erato/en/index.htmlBUFFALO, N.Y. -- A new study suggests the power industry is underestimating how climate change could affect the long-term demand for electricity in the United States.

The research, published today in the journal Risk Analysis, was led by the University at Buffalo and Purdue University.

It describes the limitations of prediction models used by electricity providers and regulators for medium- and long-term energy forecasting. And it outlines a new model that includes key climate predictors -- mean dew point temperature and extreme maximum temperature -- that researchers say present a more accurate view of how climate change will alter future electricity demands.

"Existing energy demand models haven't kept pace with our increasing knowledge of how the climate is changing," says the study's lead author Sayanti Mukherjee, PhD, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering in UB's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "This is troublesome because it could lead to supply inadequacy risks that cause more power outages, which can affect everything from national security and the digital economy to public health and the environment."

"The availability of public data in the energy sector, combined with advances in algorithmic modeling, has enabled us to go beyond existing approaches that often exhibit poor predictive performance. As a result, we're able to better characterize the nexus between energy demand and climate change, and assess future supply inadequacy risks," says co-author Roshanak Nateghi, PhD, assistant professor of industrial engineering and environmental and ecological engineering at Purdue. The limitations of existing models

The overwhelming majority of climate scientists predict global temperatures will rise throughout 21st century. This is expected to increase the demand for electricity as more people turn to air conditioners to keep cool.

One of the most common energy modeling platforms used to predict future electricity demand -- MARKAL, named after MARKet and ALlocation -- does not consider climate variability.

Another common energy-economic model, the National Energy Modeling System, or NEMS, does consider the climate. However, it's limited to heating and cooling degree days. A heating degree day is defined as a day when the average temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius). A cooling degree day is when the average temperature is below 65 degrees.

While there are different ways to measure heating and cooling degree days, they are most often calculated by adding the day's high temperature to the day's low temperature, and then dividing the sum by two. For example, a high of 76 degrees and a low of 60 degrees results in an average temperature of 68 degrees.

The trouble with this approach, Mukherjee says, is that it doesn't consider time. For example, it could be 76 degrees for 23 hours and 60 degrees for one hour -- yet the average temperature that day would still be recorded as 68 degrees.

"Moreover, choice of the accurate balance point temperature is highly contentious, and there is no consensus from the research community of how to best select it," says Mukherjee. Dew point temperature is the key

To address these limitations, she and Nateghi studied more than a dozen weather measurements. They found that the mean dew point temperature -- the temperature at which air is saturated with water vapor -- is the best predictor of increased energy demand. The next best predictor is the extreme maximum temperature for a month, they say.

The researchers combined these climate predictors with three other categories -- the sector (residential, commercial and industrial) consuming the energy, weather data and socioeconomic data -- to create their model.

They applied the model to the state of Ohio and found that the residential sector is most sensitive to climate variabilities. With a moderate rise in dew point temperature, electricity demand could increase up to 20 percent. The prediction jumps to 40 percent with a severe rise.

By comparison, the Public Utility Commission of Ohio (PUCO), which does not consider climate change in its models, predicts residential demand increases of less than 4 percent up to 2033.

It's similar in the commercial sector, where the researchers say demand could increase to 14 percent. Again, PUCO's projections are lower, 3.2 percent. The industrial sector is less sensitive to temperature variability, however, researchers say the demand could still exceed projections.

During the winter months, variations between the models is less significant. That is due, in part, to the relatively low percentage (22.6 percent) of Ohio residents who heat their homes via electricity.

While the study is limited to Ohio, researchers say the model can be applied to other states. To communicate results, the researchers used heat maps, which provide an immediate visual summary of the data represented by colors. The idea, they say, is to better inform decision makers with accurate and easy to understand information.

###

The research was funded in part by the Purdue Climate Change Research Center and the National Science Foundation.Irvine, Calif., Sept. 24, 2018 -- People who include a little yoga or tai chi in their day may be more likely to remember where they put their keys. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and Japan's University of Tsukuba found that even very light workouts can increase the connectivity between parts of the brain responsible for memory formation and storage.

In a study of 36 healthy young adults, the researchers discovered that a single 10-minute period of mild exertion can yield considerable cognitive benefits. Using high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging, the team examined subjects' brains shortly after exercise sessions and saw better connectivity between the hippocampal dentate gyrus and cortical areas linked to detailed memory processing.

Their results were published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The hippocampus is critical for the creation of new memories; it's one of the first regions of the brain to deteriorate as we get older - and much more severely in Alzheimer's disease," said project co-leader Michael Yassa, UCI professor and Chancellor's Fellow of neurobiology & behavior. "Improving the function of the hippocampus holds much promise for improving memory in everyday settings."

The neuroscientists found that the level of heightened connectivity predicted the degree of recall enhancement.

Yassa, director of UCI's Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory and the recently launched UCI Brain Initiative, said that while prior research has centered on the way exercise promotes the generation of new brain cells in memory regions, this new study demonstrates a more immediate impact: strengthened communication between memory-focused parts of the brain.

"We don't discount the possibility that new cells are being born, but that's a process that takes a bit longer to unfold," he said. "What we observed is that these 10-minute periods of exercise showed results immediately afterward."

A little bit of physical activity can go a long way, Yassa stressed. "It's encouraging to see more people keeping track of their exercise habits - by monitoring the number of steps they're taking, for example," he said. "Even short walking breaks throughout the day may have considerable effects on improving memory and cognition."

Yassa and his colleagues at UCI and at the University of Tsukuba are extending this avenue of research by testing older adults who are at greater risk of age-related mental impairment and by conducting long-term interventions to see if regular, brief, light exercise done daily for several weeks or months can have a positive impact on the brain's structure and function in these subjects.

"Clearly, there is tremendous value to understanding the exercise prescription that best works in the elderly so that we can make recommendations for staving off cognitive decline," he said.

###

Data collection for this project took place in Japan, and the analysis was carried out in both Japan and Irvine. The study was led by Yassa and Hideaki Soya, professor of health and sport sciences at the University of Tsukuba. Joint first authors on the paper are Kazuya Suwabe and Kyeongho Byun of the University of Tsukuba. The work was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.Where would modern life be without the internet as we know it? When the technology became mainstream in the 1990s, demand for high-speed data transmission exploded, and that need was filled with light -- unrivaled for its speed and data capacity. By the end of the 20th century, fiber optic cables and other optical infrastructure had been established around the globe, enabling speed-of-light communications and commerce. Light remains the medium of choice for the next generation of rapid long-distance data transmission.

Among those leading the charge into the era of optical networks was Rod Alferness. With other researchers and colleagues at Bell Labs, he had for years been investigating ways to harness the power of light for telecommunications. Now, as the Richard A. Auhll Professor and Dean of UC Santa Barbara's College of Engineering, Alferness continues to push for the study and development of optics and photonics technologies to usher in future high-performance, energy-efficient devices and telecommunications infrastructure.

For his work, which includes "basic contributions and leadership in the development of integrated optics, high-speed optical modulation and switching, and configurable WDM networks that have provided significant economic and societal impact," Alferness has been awarded The Optical Society's (OSA) highest honor, the 2018 Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Prize.

"We are tremendously proud that Dean Alferness has received the highest award from The Optical Society for his leadership in integrated optics and optical switching technology and architecture," remarked UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry T. Yang. "Recognition by one's peers is especially meaningful and speaks to Rod's reputation within his field. This accolade honors not only him, but also our institution."

"I am humbled and honored to receive the 2018 Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Prize from OSA, the society and community that has been my professional home for nearly 45 years," Alferness said. "My thanks to the OSA Board of Directors, the Awards and Selection Committees, those who supported my nomination and my many collaborators."

World renowned for his work on integrated-optic devices and optical switching technology and architecture, Alferness is perhaps best known in the technology of his field for his efforts in the realm of wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) optical networks, a technology that enables several signals to be carried over a single optical fiber via different wavelengths. His research, according to OSA, led to the "early development of titanium diffused lithium niobate waveguide modulators which are now deployed as the high-speed signal-encoding engine in fiber optic transmission systems around the world."

Alferness is known also for his leadership in the industry of optics and photonics, having spent much of the early part of his professional career heading research efforts at Bell Labs. Among his most significant early accomplishments is his leadership in the five-year, DARPA-funded MONET project -- an experiment that connected six U.S. government agencies in Washington, D.C., via a transparent optical network -- which ultimately proved the practicability of such networks. Alferness would go on to lead even larger groups and more expansive efforts as senior vice president of research at Bell Labs' later incarnations, including parent company Lucent Technologies and at Alcatel-Lucent, eventually becoming chief scientist at Bell Labs/Alcatel-Lucent before joining UC Santa Barbara in 2011.

"Rod is not only smart and knows what to do technically, but he's also likeable and knows how to influence people," said Larry Coldren, emeritus professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC Santa Barbara, and Alferness' contemporary at Bell Labs. "You don't see many people who win major tech awards and also rise to the top of organizations like Bell Labs and Lucent Technologies, and to prominence in professional societies. When you have a lot of irons in the fire like that, it's easy to slack off on one or two of them, but Rod was able to manage all of them well."

At UC Santa Barbara, Alferness continues his work, helping to enable research and development of the next generation of integrated optics and photonics devices, which hold the promise of state-of-the-art performance and improved energy efficiency for an increasingly data-dependent world. His efforts have resulted in the establishment of UC Santa Barbara as a hub for AIM Photonics, a federal and state engineering technology consortium dedicated to advancing the technology and manufacturing of integrated silicon photonics, as well as to the development of the highly skilled workforce necessary to support the emerging industry.

Alferness is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of OSA and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He served as OSA president in 2008 and as a member of the OSA board of directors from 2001 to 2003. He also was president of the IEEE Lasers and Electro-optics Society (now Photonics Society) in 1997. His work and research have earned him numerous awards throughout his career, including the OSA's Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award in 2010, the IEEE Millennium Award and the IEEE Photonics Award.

"Rod's visionary leadership and work in network architecture development has helped bring the internet to every corner of the world, affecting the day-to-day lives of billions of people and having a huge economic and societal impact," said Liz Rogan, CEO of The Optical Society. "He is an active member in the optics and photonics community, and has volunteered his time to serve in leadership positions for research journals, technical conferences and scientific societies, including The Optical Society. He's an outstanding scientist, mentor and collaborator."

###Recently, a team of scientists led by Pablo Jarillo-Herrero at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) created a huge stir in the field of condensed matter physics when they showed that two sheets of graphene twisted at specific angles--dubbed "magic-angle" graphene--display two emergent phases of matter not observed in single sheets of graphene. Graphene is a honeycomb lattice of carbon atoms--it's essentially a one-atom-thick layer of graphite, the dark, flaky material in pencils.

In two articles published online in March 2018 and appearing in the April 5, 2018 issue of the journal Nature, the team reported the twisted bilayer graphene (tBLG) exhibits an unconventional superconducting phase, akin to what is seen in high-temperature superconducting cuprates. This phase is obtained by doping (injecting electrons into) an insulating state, which the MIT group interpreted as an example of Mott insulation. A joint team of scientists at UCSB and Columbia University has reproduces the remarkable MIT results. The discovery holds promise for the eventual development of room-temperature superconductors and a host of other equally groundbreaking applications.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have recently shown that the insulating behavior reported by the MIT team has been misattributed. Professor Philip Phillips, a noted expert in the physics of Mott insulators, says a careful review of the MIT experimental data by his team revealed that the insulating behavior of the "magic-angle" graphene is not Mott insulation, but something even more profound--a Wigner crystal.

"People have been looking for clear examples of Wigner crystals since Wigner first predicted them in the 1930s," Phillips asserts. "I think this is even more exciting than if it were a Mott insulator."

Lead author of the U of I study, graduate student Bikash Padhi, explains, "When one sheet of graphene is twisted on top of another, moire patterns emerge as a result of the offset in the honeycomb structure. By artificially injecting electrons into these sheets, the MIT group obtained novel phases of matter which can be understood by studying these extra electrons on the bed of this moire pattern. By increasing the electron density, the MIT group observed an insulating state when 2 and 3 electrons reside in a moire unit cell. They argued this behavior is an example of Mott physics."

Why can't it be Mott physics?

Phillips explains, "Mott insulators are a class of materials that should be conductive if electronic interactions are not taken into account, but once that's taken into account, are insulating instead. There are two primary reasons why we suspect the tBLG does not form a Mott insulator--the observed metal-insulator transition offers only one characteristic energy scale, whereas conventional Mott insulators are described by two scales. Next, in the MIT report, in contrast to what one expects for a Mott system, there was no insulator when there was only 1 electron per unit cell. This is fundamentally inconsistent with Mottness."

The accompanying figure displays the crystalline states that explain this data.

What is a Wigner crystal?

To understand Wigner crystals, Padhi offers this analogy: "Imagine a group of people each inside a large orb and running around in a closed room. If this orb is small they can move freely but as it grows bigger one may collide more frequently than before and eventually there might be a point when all of them are stuck at their positions since any small movement will be immediately prevented by the next person. This is basically what a crystal is. The people here are electrons, and the orb is a measure of their repulsion."

Phillips credits Padhi with providing the impetus for the study.

These results were pre-published online in the journal Nano Letters in the article, "Doped Twisted Bilayer Graphene near Magic Angles: Proximity to Wigner Crystallization not Mott Insulation," on September 5, 2018, with the final official redaction to be included in the journal's October 2018 issue.

This research was funded by the Center for Emergent Superconductivity, a Department of Energy-funded Energy Frontier Research Center, and by the National Science Foundation. The conclusions presented are those of the researchers and not necessarily those of the funding agencies.

###Researchers from The University of Queensland (UQ) and the University of Munster (WWU) have purified and visualized the 'Cyclic Electron Flow' (CEF) supercomplex, a critical part of the photosynthetic machinery in all plants, in a discovery that could help guide the development of next-generation solar biotechnologies.

The findings, made in collaboration with an international team of scientists from the Universities of Basel, Okayama and New South Wales, have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences and provide new insights into the process of photosynthesis at the molecular level.

"By the year 2050, we will need 50% more fuel, 70% more food, and 50% more clean water. Technologies based on photosynthetic microalgae have the potential to play an important role in meeting these needs," says Professor Ben Hankamer who is based at UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience and directs the Centre for Solar Biotechnology. Solar powered microalgae-based biotechnologies will be advanced through a better understanding of how these organisms capture and store solar energy at the molecular level.

Over three billion years, plants, algae, and blue-green bacteria have evolved elaborate nano-machinery that enables them to perform photosynthesis, in which solar energy is captured and stored in the form of chemical energy.

This chemical energy takes the form of the molecules ATP and NADPH, which are essential for a vast number of cellular processes.

"ATP and NADPH enable photosynthetic organisms to grow, and as they grow, they produce atmospheric oxygen as well as foods and fuels that support life on Earth," says Professor Hippler, based at WWUs Institute for Plant Biology and Biotechnology.

Photosynthesis runs in two modes: linear electron flow (LEF) and cyclic electron flow (CEF). To work efficiently under constantly changing light conditions, a photosynthetic organism must balance the light that it absorbs with the energy, ATP and NADPH that it needs. It does this by continuously fine-tuning the levels of these two modes in relation to one another.

"Biochemical evidence had been reported that a large macromolecular assembly called the cyclic electron flow (CEF) supercomplex plays a critical role in this fine-tuning process. However, due to its dynamic nature it was difficult to purify this supercomplex for structure determination," says Professor Hankamer.

To address this, the team used sophisticated methods to purify and characterise the CEF supercomplex from micro-algae, and then analysed its structure using electron microscopy.

The researchers painstakingly imaged about half a million protein complexes extracted from microalgae in search for the supercomplex. Only about one thousand of these turned out to be the CEF supercomplex.

Structural analysis revealed how the light harvesting complexes, photosystem I and cytochrome b6f components assemble into the CEF supercomplex and how their arrangement enables them to dynamically connect and disconnect to perform different functions that allow the organism to adapt to varying light conditions and energy requirements.

This information, coupled with additional experimental evidence, enabled the researchers to propose a new hypothesis for how the CEF supercomplex works.

"The CEF supercomplex is an excellent example of an evolutionarily highly conserved structure," says Prof Hippler, explaining that it appears to be conserved across many plants and algae and likely hasn't changed significantly in millions of years.

"The work is central to the efforts of the Centre for Solar Biotechnology to develop next generation solar biotechnologies and industries," Prof. Hankamer explains.

The Centre has expanded to include 30 international teams across Europe, Asia, the US, Australia and New Zealand, and is dedicated to developing next generation solar driven biotechnologies based on photosynthetic green algae.

The team aims to optimize green-algae's photosynthetic machinery to produce technologies that help address the world's growing energy, food and water needs, says Professor Hankamer. Summaries of the Centre's programs can be found at https://imb.uq.edu.au/solar#qt-qt_centre_solar-foundation-tabs-1.

"To achieve these aims, we need to understand how the photosynthetic processes work at the molecular level," he says.

This new information will help guide the design of next generation solar capture technologies based on micro-algae and a wide range of solar driven biotechnologies and industries for the production of high value products, food, fuel and clean water. The extraction of CO2 from the atmosphere and its utilisation and storage are also exciting areas as the international community develops solutions to combat climate change.

###Black women are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages of breast cancer partly due to barriers to timely screening mammography. Programs that use patient navigators--individuals who provide guidance to patients to help overcome various barriers to care--may reduce breast cancer disparities, but a study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, indicates that such programs must consider how minority women's views on gender and race/ethnicity may affect how they seek help and support for their health needs.

Sage Kim, PhD, of the University of Illinois at Chicago's School of Public Health and UI Cancer Center, and her colleagues examined the rates at which women in a randomized clinical trial reported barriers to obtaining a screening mammogram. The trial, called the Patient Navigation in Medically Underserved Areas (PNMUA) study, randomly assigned patients to one of two groups; one group received a patient navigation support intervention and the other group served as a control.

Of the 3,754 women who received the patient navigation intervention, only a small proportion of women (14 percent) identified one or more barriers, which led to additional interactions with navigators who helped overcome barriers. Dr. Kim and her colleagues found that black women, women living in poverty, and women who reported high levels of distrust of the health care system were the least likely to report barriers, and therefore were less likely to receive additional support. Comparatively, women who reported barriers were more likely to have additional contact with navigators and obtain a subsequent screening mammogram.

The investigators noted that the ability to recognize barriers may determine women's likelihood of reporting barriers and consequently receiving additional support. For example, medical distrust due to past and current experiences of blacks, as well as social norms and images of women, may influence how black women deal with their own needs and interact with healthcare providers.

"Our findings suggest that black women and women living in poverty, who need patient navigation interventions the most, are in fact less likely to report their barriers to optimal care," said Dr. Kim. "Perhaps women who do not trust the health care system may not feel comfortable telling care providers about their barriers that could potentially affect the ways in which they engage in healthcare."

Dr. Kim noted that although patient navigation is known to be effective, it is important to understand how minority women and women living in difficult life circumstances interact with this intervention and improve services accordingly. She said, "If we don't, providers may have a false sense of security," she said. "They might incorrectly assume that women who do not report barriers are not in need of patient navigator support and are all doing well."

Dr. Kim stressed the need to enhance training of patient navigators and pay close attention to how patient navigator interventions are implemented, so that women are better able to seek out needed assistance. "It is not enough to implement a well-tested intervention, because it might not be equally effective for all groups across race/ethnicity and economic conditions," she said.

###

Additional Information

NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. A free abstract of this article will be available via the Cancer News Room upon online publication. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact:

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Full Citation:

"Gendered and Racialized Social Expectations, Barriers, and Delayed Breast Cancer Diagnosis." Sage Kim, Anne Glassgow, Karriem Watson, Yamile Molina, and Elizabeth Calhoun. CANCER; Published Online: September 24, 2018 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.31636).

URL Upon Publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/cncr.31636

Author Contact: UIC School of Public Health's community relations director, Cherie Weinewuth, at cheriew@uic.edu or +1 312-355-3851.

About the Journal

CANCER is a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society integrating scientific information from worldwide sources for all oncologic specialties. The objective of CANCER is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of information among oncologic disciplines concerned with the etiology, course, and treatment of human cancer. CANCER is published on behalf of the American Cancer Society by Wiley and can be accessed online at http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cancer.

Follow us on Twitter @JournalCancer About Wiley

Wiley is a global leader in education and scholarly research. Our online scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 210 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.While digital democracy is a fascinating idea, it cannot be achieved without multilingual Internet access. The Indian market is yet to arrive at a stage where local languages earn a strong place in the digital space. As of now, English continues to be the dominating language on Internet.



At a panel dialogue organised during an event in New Delhi recently, industry experts discussed about democratising Indias Internet through changing tech policies and few other means. The experts talked about the probable befitting measures to bring about an explosion of Indian languages online so that a business built on a local language is not ignored for one built on English.



Moderating the session was Menaka Doshi, Managing Editor, BloombergQuint, who questioned the panel on whether there was a need for a tech public policy support or the market opportunity was enough to be able to drive innovation, growth and monetisation to democratise Indias Internet.



Responding to this, Manish Dhingra, Co-Founder, Director & CEO, Mediology Software, agreed that the market is huge, as around 500 million new Indian language users would be coming online by 2021 in India. He said, Indian entrepreneurs do need tech public policy but they seldom expect anything coming from the government. We find our own way out at times, as entrepreneurs are known for being good at analysing the potential in the market. But having a public policy will surely speed up the process. Having said that, Dhingra also talked about governments active role in the payment space that worked out well for the public.



Speaking on the need for a public policy, Ankush Sachdeva, Co-founder & CEO, ShareChat, was of the opinion that such policies would always prove to be beneficial for a firm. Sachdeva said, Theres need of a pro-active approach from the governments end to figure out the target audience specific to online platforms and thereby push content accordingly to those platforms. With the support of the government, growth of companies built on regional languages can always be up-scaled easily.



Discussing the specific areas in which government should enable local language Internet, Sourabh Gupta, Co-founder & CEO, Vernacular.ai, said while companies in the private sector are looking to build apps for the public, government should help them have access to the widely decentralised data required for their projects, by collating it on a single platform.



In order to create Indias Internet, Arvind Pani, Co-founder & CEO of Reverie Language Technologies, pitched for governments involvement in resolving issues at the infrastructure level. According to Pani, there is an urgent need for a strong representation body that can define standards for Indian languages. He expects the government to contribute a lot more at the fundamental block building level.



Shifting focus to the level of innovation in private sector firms such as Google & Facebook etc to scale up local language Internet in India, Doshi questioned the panellists if there were any shortcomings that needed to be overcome. Responding to this, Pani pointed out at how the focus on local languages has been quite low so far. With respect to innovation, he said that it could come from both big and small companies. Citing Sharechats example, he mentioned how start-ups were looking at building products keeping in mind India, the multilingual land and not primarily an English-speaking country.



Sharing the challenges that ShareChat had to face, Sachdeva said, It was difficult to attract capital as most investors were not keen on spending on an app that engaged in local content be it Hindi or any other language. However, in such a scenario, Jio was a big enabler that opened up a huge moment for India, following which various big firms endorsed the new Indian Internet users surfing in local languages.



According to Dhingra, the biggest challenge Mediology Software had to face while working with Indian language publishers was monetisation. Despite their user base being large, they struggled with monetisation. He said the needle turned for them when Google increased the number of Indian languages that could be monetised. Contributing to the discussion, Gupta re-iterated the need for a tech public policy that can expedite both online transactions and the process of consuming content.



Apart from discussing the need for a tech public policy, the panel also shared inputs on whether e-commerce was enabled fully in local languages for Indians & if not, was lack of trust in its buying capacity in the market a major reason behind it.



Gupta, meanwhile, pointed out that lack of expertise in the local language domain was one of the major reasons behind the slow growth of local language Internet. He then said how computational linguistics and language experts could help overcome the challenges. Sachdeva from ShareChat was of the view that the government could play a crucial role in incentivising highly experienced people working for big firms abroad to come back to India and help build solutions for growth of Indias Internet.



The session was organised by Quint-Hindi & Google India.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

More people are leaving New Zealand, with the latest official figures showing that annual net migration was down 8,800 to 63,300 in the 12 months to August 2018, the lowest for the month since 2015.Net migration is continuing to ease from the record high of 72,400 in the year ended July 2017 and Augusts figures were the lowest annual rate for the month since 2015, according to the figures from Statistics New Zealand.The number of migrant arrivals in August was only slightly lower than in August 2017, so it was the increase in the number of departures that led to the fall in net migration, said population insights senior manager Brooke Theyers.This is consistent with what weve seen in previous months, with the fall in net migration being driven more by increases in migrant departures than decreases in migrant arrivals, she added.Migrant departures for New Zealand citizens were up 600 for the year ended August 2018, to 34,200. Of these, 20,900 were to Australia. This increase in departures was accompanied by a fall in the number of citizens returning to New Zealand from Australia, which led to a net outflow of 1,200 migrants.New Zealands net migration with Australia is typically negative so dropping below zero is not unusual. Historically, New Zealand citizen departures have been much higher. For example, in 2012 there were 48,700 New Zealand citizens who departed to Australia, which led to a net migrant loss of 40,000, Theyers explained.Both 2016 and 2017 had small positive net migration gains with Australia, due to low numbers of New Zealand citizen departures and record numbers of New Zealand citizens arriving, that is expats returning home.From November 2018, travellers leaving New Zealand will no longer need to complete a passenger departure card. This change means the outcomes based measure of migration, first released in May 2017, will be fully adopted.A separate set of data from Statistics New Zealand shows that visitor numbers for August 2018 were up 5.4% year on year. There were 246,700 visitor arrivals in August 2018, some 12,700 more than for August 2017.The biggest changes were visitors from Australia up 3,100 to 114,400, visitors from China up 2,300 to 31,500 and visitors from Malaysia up 1,200 to 5,600 and overall arrivals from the Asia region increased the most, up 5,100 or 7.6% from August 2017.The data also shows that changes in other regions. Visitors from Oceania were up 5,000 or 4.1%, numbers from the Americas were up 1,700 or 9.7%, from Europe up 600 or 2.8% and from Africa and the Middle East up 200 or 6.7%.For the year ended August 2018, visitor arrivals were up 133,100 or 3.6% to 3.8 million. Visitors arrive in New Zealand from all over the globe, but more come from Australia than anywhere else. Australia accounted for 39% of all visitor arrivals in the August 2018 year.Privacy Settings

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NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.Monday, September 24, 2018

For a number of years I have been familiar with Eckhart Tolle, listening online to his presentations and reading his book The Power of Now. Tolle is a German-born resident and described his childhood as unhappyhis parents fought and eventually separated. In addition he felt alienated from a hostile school environment. When he was thirteen he moved to Spain and lived with his father, who did not insist he attend high school. Instead, Tolle studied literature, astronomy, and various languages at home. When he was fifteen he read several books by Joseph Anton Schneiderrankena German mysticand responded very deeply to those books. Tolle was depressed for much of his life, until he was twenty-nine and experienced an inner transformation."; for several years he wandered in a state of deep bliss.

He has earned frequent recognition:

He published his first book, The Power of Now (1997), which reached The New York Times best-seller list in 2000.

He published A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose in 2005, and by 2009 The Power of Now and A New Earth had sold three million and five million copies, respectively, in North America.

The New York Times has called Tolle the most popular spiritual author in the United States." (2008).

Also in 2008, approximately thirty-five million people watched a series of live webinars with Tolle, hosted by Oprah Winfrey.

In 2009, along with the Dalai Lama and other presenters, Tolle spoke at the Vancouver Peace Summit.

The Watkins Review named him the most spiritually influential person in the world (2011).

He was named in Oprahs SUPER SOUL list of visionaries and influential leaders (2016).

Regarding his teachings, Tolle emphasizes how a teachers role is to help a person remove that which separates the individual from the truth. For example, he says that the primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but rather the thoughts that the individual has about it. According to his official website, At the core of Tolles teachings lies the transformation of consciousness, a spiritual awakening that he sees as the next step in human evolution.."

There are countless numbers of YouTube videos in which Tolle presents his teachings, which are influenced by a combination of wisdom selected from Zen Buddhism, Sufism, Hinduism, and the Bible. He has said, I feel actually that the work I do is a coming together of the teaching stream.." These videos are well worth watchingsomething I do on a regular basis. As I reflect on the information, my understanding of spiritual transformation deepens. I suggest you visit Tolles website. Of note is that he has a delightful sense of humor, which contributes to his charisma.

Have you experienced an awakening of consciousness in your life? Please share your comments about Tolle or other spiritual leaders in your life.Welcome to the News Release Wire Selection Control Panel.

Instant News WireMonday, September 24, 2018

Trump's New Green Card Regs Called Cruel. They're Not

Last week the Trump administration announced new tighter eligibility requirements for foreign nationals to get a Permanent Legal Residency (PLR) permit, the highly coveted so-called "green card". It is the only permit that gives legal vetted immigrants a permanent right-to-stay and to work in the U.S. and eventually to apply for citizenship.

The new regulations would make an applicant ineligible for a green card if they were found likely to use certain long-term government funded benefits such as food stamps, Section 8 housing vouchers and for some, Medicare prescription drug programs. Under the new regulations this would be considered being a "public charge". In days gone by it was called "being on the dole". The administration say the new rules are aimed at keeping out people deemed to be a drain on the country's resources by using programs funded at public expense for low-income Americans.

The new rules could deny green cards to some 400,000 new applicants. They will not apply to millions of immigrants who already have green cards but have not become citizens. Naturalized citizens of course are no longer immigrants.

"Self-sufficiency has been a basic principle of United States immigration law since this country's earliest immigration statutes," the introduction of the new regulations' proposal reads. "It remains United States policy that "the availability of public benefits not constitutes an incentive for immigration to the United States".

In other words, permanent immigrants and potential citizens are not supposed to become public charges. The government has traditionally considered someone who relies on government cash assistance for more than half of his or her income a public charge. The new rules just broaden what is means to constitute a public charge.

But immigrant advocates see the new regs differently. Some call them "heartless" "cynical" "a new level of cruelty" and the "beginning of a caste system" in the U.S. And of course "politically motivated".

"The new rules are intended to stir anti-immigrant hostility before the November election," spokespeople for the Catholic Legal Immigration Network claim,. "It will force families to decide between permanent immigration status or ensuring their families have enough to eat."

"The proposal is clearly intended to deny basic supports like food, health care and housing to lawfully present immigrants and their families, including millions of children and U.S. citizens who pay taxes, work, go to school and contribute to our country's economy," Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington state.

But the President of the United States has the constitutional right to change the rules and regulations governing the execution of immigration laws. In 1986 President Reagan issued an amnesty order to forgive the illegal status of some 1-3 million immigrants as his way of dealing with the unauthorized immigration problem. In 2012, President Obama granted a deferment of deportation  but not legal status  to some 900,000 illegal immigrants who came into the country before the age of 16 and applied successfully for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In 2017, DACA was rescinded by President Trump and awaits probable adjudication by the Supreme Court in 2019.

Obviously over time, immigration rules and regulations change as do the numbers of people to be covered. When the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act was passed by the Great Society Congress  the most liberal in history  it established a cap of 250,000 permanent legal residents a year. Now it's over 1.2 million.

Over the decades, dozens of temporary non-immigration permits were added to the rising number of permanent legal visas. There are now some one million foreign students alone on F and J visas, and hundreds of thousands each of skilled workers (H1B), agricultural workers (H1a), religious, business, investors and dozens of other categories of temporary workers. Presidents continually have changed the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. from between 800,000 to 300,000 in just the past ten years. In addition, hundreds of thousands of tourists, visitors and travelers are allowed into the U.S. every year with very short legal temporary permits  up to six months max.

None of these temporary visas are enforced very well. Indeed, some 50% of the illegal immigrant community of over 11 million are believed to have come into the country legally through our airports, harbors and land ports of entry on temporary permits. Once they overstay, they are now illegally here and become illegal immigrants (many applied to and were accepted on DACA).

It's complicated but one thing is clear. Congress makes and changes our immigration admissions laws regarding both legal and illegal immigration. The President executives the laws, including how much to enforce the number of legal and illegal immigrants allowed to stay and the regulations constituting "public charge". If critiques deem either the laws or the execution of them to be cruel and unconstitutional, then they might have them taken up by the Supreme Court.

# # # # # #The Zika virus is showing promise fighting the most lethal type of brain cancer, according to Galveston-led research in mice that attempts to harness therapeutic benefits from whats been called the infection from hell.

A University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston-led team of scientists reported this week successfully using a harmless version of Zika to target and kill glioblastoma, the common and aggressive cancer that last month killed U.S. Sen. John McCain. The version is a Zika vaccine developed at UTMB.

More work needs to be done, but these findings represent major progress toward developing the Zika vaccine as a safe and effective treatment for human glioblastoma, said Pei-Yong Shi, a UTMB professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and the studys lead investigator. This could be a great example of sciences ability to turn something bad into something useful.

The results of the mouse study conducted by Shi and colleagues in Beijing were published Tuesday in the American Society for Microbiologys journal mBIO.

Experts caution that therapeutic benefits in mice are considered a long way from human treatment. Research that shows great promise in the laboratory fails more often than it succeeds in people.

The research combines two dreaded diseases: glioblastoma, which kills more than 15,000 Americans annually and is considered incurable because it recurs after the standard treatment of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy; and the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which became a major public health threat in recent years after it was shown to cause severe birth defects. Babies born to women infected during pregnancy often suffer from a condition known as microcephaly which is characterized by an abnormally small head and underdeveloped brain.

Shis team exploited Zikas ability to infect developing brain cells to attack glioblastoma stem cells, considered a likely source of the cancers recurrence. Like fetal cells, glial stem cells are self-renewing and multiply quickly, properties that Zika targets.

UTMB researchers developed the Zika vaccine in 2017 as a preventative against the disease, still a major threat in much of Latin America. The team is negotiating with the government of Brazil to conduct vaccine trials with people at highest risk of contracting Zika. The vaccine has previously been shown to be effective in animal research.

Shis team found the vaccine, which is a weakened version of the virus, also works well against mice engineered to have a human version of glioblastoma. The study found glioblastomas developed significantly slower in mice whose brains received an injection of glioblastoma stem cells and the Zika vaccine than those that just received the stem cells. It also found the virus mostly spared healthy brain neurons.

Martyn Sharpe, head of research at Houston Methodists Brain & Pituitary Tumor Treatment Center, said Zika holds a great deal of potential because it targets stem cells, but added that the key question will be complications.

The success of this research will depend on how good the vacccine is in humans at targeting the stem cells versus healthy tissue, said Sharpe. Research often works beautifully in animals, only to fail in humans. You just dont know how the drug will interact with human tissue.

Though the study only showed a benefit from Zikas destruction of glioblastoma stem cells, the team of scientists hope it ultimately will enlist the immune system to attack the brain cancer. The idea, a new frontier of cancer therapy, is that Zikas killing action will release tumor proteins that trigger an immune reaction, a strategy that doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Methodist Hospital and other institutions across the country are using with other viruses against brain cancer.

Shi said much more works need to be done to make Zika a safe and more potent weapon against glioblastoma. But he added that he hopes to soon work with UTMB clinicians to set up a clinical trial testing the vaccine in human patients.

todd.ackerman@chron.com

twitter.com/ChronMedFor five years, dedicated historians and descendants have worked to secure official recognition of one of the last vestiges of an early German settlement in the San Antonio area.

And now their work has paid off: The Gerfers Cemetery, nestled in a suburban neighborhood on the far North Side, has been declared an official Texas historic cemetery.

The small, fenced-in area has 20 confirmed gravesites of Mecke and Gerfers ancestors, with burial dates ranging from 1873 to 1922. Large monuments rise above some of the sites while others have more modest headstones, but all are carefully tended.

The cemeterys historic marker will be installed this week.

There are a bunch of areas that have not been protected that just disappear, intentionally and unintentionally, Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff said. So when we have an opportunity to remember and protect those places, its our responsibility to do so.

At a ceremony Saturday celebrating the arrival of the marker, historian and host David Barkalow talked about the Gerfers family, who moved to Texas from Dusseldorf, Germany in 1848.

They traveled more than 200 miles, from Galveston to New Braunfels, by ox cart, he said. Later, they moved to northern Bexar County, where bandits roamed.

Though it wasnt the utopia they expected, the immigrants flourished, he said. They built a two-story home on the grasslands, established a sheep and cattle ranch and grew or killed the food that they ate.

They chose this land, Barkalow said. Living right where we are today.

When the family sold the land for development, the graveyard was not part of the deal. It would remain a cemetery in perpetuity in the Timberwood Park subdivision.

Barkalow said the historic site serves as a tangible reminder of the immigrant families who proved the power of the American Dream is still possible.

At the ceremony, descendant C.A. Butch Gerfers and historian Scott Baird gave the more than 50 people in attendance a first look at the historic marker.

Gerfers stood beside several community members and historians who helped make it possible and acknowledged their contributions. He made special mention of developer G.G. Gale, who added a wrought iron fence around the cemetery for privacy and protection.

I say thank you, Gerfers said. For what you do and continue to do.

Gerfers is president of the Coker Cemetery Association, which in 2010 secured a historic Texas marker for that family graveyard, which is on East North Loop, between U.S. 281 and West Avenue.

Gathered inside a clubhouse under the threat of rain, guests and the descendants of the Mecke and Gerfers families pored over historical records and photos of the 145-year-old cemetery, laid out on two tables.

To earn the historic designation from the Texas Historical Commission, a cemetery must be at least 50 years old and have historic significance. Family members conducted extensive research before submitting the application for the marker with the commission and the county. Cindy Griffin and Terri Edwards in particular were credited for their roles; Griffin researched the number of graves, photographed each grave site and included maps and deeds with the application.

Baird, chairman of the Bexar County Historical Commissions Cemetery Committee, said he believes more historical cemetery marker requests have come in because of San Antonios tricentennial celebration.

Vincent T. Davis is a reporter in the greater San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | vtdavis@express-news.net | Twitter: @vincentdavisSan Antonios congressional delegation is set to announce Monday that construction on a new federal courthouse is finally nearing a start date, but it comes with a caveat: The Adrian Spears Federal Judicial Training Center wont be on the blueprints.

Progress on the sorely needed courthouse has been stymied  and the size of the building has shrunk  during the contracting process. Austin-based White Construction, the original construction manager, determined that the planned 305,000-square-foot courthouse would cost close to $180 million to build  or about $60 million more than what was budgeted.

As of August, the project was reported as a 230,536-square-foot building. But on Sunday, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who has led the charge to secure funding, said the footprint was now down to 225,127 square feet.

In a round of last-minute calls, he said, he learned that most of that shrinkage was the result of the omission of the judicial training facility. He said it was unclear what would happen to it.

READ ALSO: San Antonio's finally getting a new - but smaller- federal courthouse

The existing training center, named for a former federal judge here who died in 1991, is adjacent to the aging John H. Wood Jr. U.S. Courthouse on Cesar Chavez Boulevard and contains about 30 work stations to train judges, staff and federal law enforcement personnel from the sprawling Western District of Texas and other districts on the federal judiciarys computer system.

It also contains classroom space for continuing education by visiting instructors. The new courthouses training center was envisioned as a national resource that would bring in judges from across the country, said Cuellar, D-Laredo. San Antonio would have been the epicenter of judicial training.

Is it over? No, he said. This is something that Im going to be working on  to get this training center and the appropriations. I will make this my No. 1 project for San Antonio. ... We will do our best to make sure that this training center is not lost to anybody and be kept here.

Cuellar said the total allocation for the project was about $144 million, which has left $117.4 million for construction after paying for site acquisition and design. Its still enough to make the new courthouse a step up, he said.

The John Wood courthouse is a midcentury landmark, built to serve as the Confluence Theatre for HemisFair 68, but has been plagued with problems, including high levels of lead in its drinking water, flea infestations, foundation issues and faulty heating and air conditioning.

READ ALSO: Laredo federal courthouse to be renamed after retired Judge Kazen

According to the U.S. General Services Administrations current status on the project, construction is expected to begin in February, with completion scheduled for the spring of 2022.

The plan calls for a courthouse with inside parking spaces, eight courtrooms and 13 judges chambers. It also will house federal public defender and Justice Department offices.

The current courthouse and training center are being transferred to the city of San Antonio in a swap for what was formerly the city police headquarters on the other side of downtown.

A series of San Antonio Express-News stories on the current courthouses problems in 2015 led to efforts by Cuellar and Will Hurd, R-San Antonio, as well as Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, to secure funding in a 2016 omnibus spending bill. The project received prior funding in 2004 and 2008 totaling $12 million.

San Antonios is one of eight courthouse construction projects being funded under the GSAs $947 million courthouse investment plan.

The federal courthouse is a long time in coming, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said, recounting how he was on a trip with then-Mayor Ivy Taylor when Cuellar and Hurd called to say theyd scored money in the 2016 budget.

READ ALSO: Stories set in stone outside Bexar County Courthouse

It had some bumps along the way, they had to downsize it, some costs came overrun. So its been kind of a long process, he said.

The new facility fits into downtown plans that are coming together pretty nice right now, Wolff said, noting that the second stage of the $175 million San Pedro Creek redevelopment project would likely be completed about the same time. It will also be near a major expansion of the University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown Campus, he said.

Conditions at the current facility had deteriorated to the point of being hazardous, Hurd said.

Anybody whos ever been in the current federal courthouse realizes our judges, our prosecutors are put in a very unsafe situation, he said. As we transition away from the HemisFair Plaza, that gives the opportunity for that area to be used in the HemisFair redevelopment plan, which were making a world-class area.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said he was glad to see that construction was finally getting started, adding, Im looking forward to having a modern courthouse thats safe for the judges and all the visitors and can accommodate the needs of the region.The Bandidos Motorcycle Clubs former second-in-command, a San Antonio man who directed the biker groups violent racketeering enterprise, including drug dealing, extortion, beatings and murder, was sentenced Monday to two consecutive life terms and another 20 years in prison.

Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra handed the sentence to John Xavier Portillo, the former national vice president of the Bandidos. Portillo, 58, a member of the club since the 1980s, rose through the ranks to become the second-in-command for then-national president Jeffrey Fay Pike, 62, of Conroe, who led the organization for more than a decade.

Portillos lawyers, Robbie Ward and Mark Stevens, asked the judge not to grant the prosecutions request for four stacked life sentences.

The judge gave Portillo two consecutive life sentences for racketeering murder, plus 10 years on each of two charges of using or discharging a gun in furtherance of racketeering, and stacked those as well. That sentence will run concurrent with the five years to 20 years for Portillos remaining nine counts that included racketeering conspiracy, murder conspiracy, extortion conspiracy, assault conspiracy, being a felon with a gun and drug charges.

Given an opportunity to speak, Portillo  still reeling from what he feels was a wrongful conviction  said he planned to appeal.

What would you like me to say? Portillo asked the judge.

The judge said he could assert his innocence if hed like.

I think were beyond that, Portillo said. What was done was done. Im not going to apologize.  Only a guilty man apologizes. Im innocent.

Despite Portillos association with the Bandidos, Ezra said he conducted himself appropriately  like a gentleman  at trial. The judge said it was obvious Portillo is not happy with the result of his case, but hes still a bright guy who could take advantage of prison reform programs.

I dont think you should go to a Supermax institution, Ezra said. Im going to be recommending against that strongly. I dont think you are an inherently violent person. I dont think you present an immediate danger to other prisoners. Dont prove me wrong.

Related: Verdict reached in racketeering trial of top ex-Bandidos leaders

Both Portillo and Pike were convicted after a three-month federal trial in San Antonio of ordering and sanctioning a racketeering conspiracy that aimed at keeping the biker clubs stronghold on its home turf of Texas. The trial showed that the Bandidos, once the second-largest biker gang in the world behind the Hells Angels, split off from its international chapters in Europe and Australia because of turmoil in the ranks.

By the time Pike became president in 2005, some law officers estimated the Bandidos had 5,000 members in 210 chapters, located in 22 countries. But by 2016  six years after Pike first sought to break away from most of the international chapters  the Bandidos had dropped to 100-plus chapters and more than 1,000 members mostly in the United States and parts of Latin America.

Despite its smaller numbers, law officers said the Bandidos are still among the countrys largest and most feared biker gangs, whose members proudly wear a patch identifying them as 1 percenters  outlaws.

Texas deadliest biker shootout occurred while Portillo and Pike were at the helm of the Bandidos. Neither Pike nor Portillo were at the May 17, 2015, shootout at Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco that involved other Bandidos, members of the Cossacks Motorcycle Club, some of their support clubs, and police. That incident resulted in nine bikers being killed, 20 injured and nearly 200 being arrested on state charges of engaging in organized crime, but state prosecutions for that incident have yet to result in any convictions.

None of the charges against Pike and Portillo were for the Twin Peaks shootout.

Related: Man found not guilty of 2016 killing

During the federal trial, the two Bandidos leaders challenged the governments contention that they were the bosses of what the feds called the mafia on two wheels. The pair denied ordering, authorizing or sanctioning the criminal activity of their fellow Bandidos, and Pike claimed local Bandidos chapters were autonomous and didnt act on orders of national leaders.

But federal witnesses that included ex-Bandidos and wiretaps of Portillos phone, along with body-wire recordings worn by cooperating witnesses, helped sway jurors to agree with prosecutors.

The federal jury convicted Pike and Portillo of conspiracy to murder and assault of members and associates of the Cossacks. Government witnesses testified that Portillo, with Pikes approval, declared in 2013 or 2014  before the Waco incident  that the Bandidos were at war with the Cossacks. According to that testimony, a number of violent acts  before and after the Waco gunfight  were committed by Bandidos around Texas in furtherance of this war, including in Fort Worth, Gordon, Odessa, Port Aransas and Crystal City.

Among the murders the jury heard about were that of Geoffrey Brady, a supporter of the Cossacks shot by Bandidos members in December 2014 at a Fort Worth bar; street gang member Robert Lara, who was shot by Bandidos in Atascosa County on Jan. 31, 2002; and Anthony Benesh, a purported Hells Angels member who was shot outside an Austin restaurant by other Bandidos on March 18, 2006.

Each of those murders significantly, advanced and promoted the interests of the Bandidos criminal enterprise, lead prosecutor Eric Fuchs told the judge.

Related: At least 6 suspects charged with murder in August in Bexar County

The clashes cited in the federal trial were over the Cossacks wearing patches on their biker vests that said Texas, which is considered the territory, and home base, of the Bandidos. Defense evidence showed Pike, at one point, had approved of Cossacks wearing the Texas bottom rocker, or patch, but at least one government witness testified that relations soured: Some Bandidos were angry that permission was granted for Cossacks to wear the patch, and because the Cossacks Texas patch was larger than the one Bandidos wear.

Pike was national president of the Bandidos from mid-2005 until he stepped down in January 2016 after his arrest. Pike picked Portillo as his national vice president in 2013. Portillo had been in that position until he was arrested, also in January 2016.

Pike, meanwhile, is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday, and also faces life in prison. Pike also plans to appeal.

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The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the man and woman involved in a suspected murder-suicide early Monday at a Southeast Side home.

Gary Harwood, 62, is believed to have fatally shot his wife, Patricia Harwood, 60, in the head at about 4:45 a.m. Monday as she lay on a couch at a home in the 3800 block of Viewsite Drive.Downtown developer GrayStreet Partners has purchased 1.7 acres of property across the street from City Hall where an Austin developer recently canceled plans to build an $83 million apartment and retail tower.

The firm, which is already working on numerous urban redevelopment projects downtown and around The Pearl, is exploring its options for the property at the southwest corner of Flores and Dolorosa streets, spokeswoman Tomoko Iimura Alavi said in an email. Seven historic buildings are on the site, some occupied by retail businesses and others vacant.

GrayStreets purchase could add even more momentum to the surge of new development in store for the Zona Cultural district of west downtown. The city and county have been putting great effort into rehabilitating the district, which is largely dominated by parking lots, vacant storefronts, government offices and law firms, making it dormant after business hours.

Last week, the University of Texas at San Antonio announced plans to build a major downtown expansion on more than 5 acres of land owned by the city and county in the area. The plans include a $57 million School of Data Science that would be next to the property GrayStreet just purchased.

GrayStreets new property is a block east of San Pedro Creek, which the city and county are rehabilitating at a cost of $175 million in the hope that it will bring new life to the area.

Also nearby, Weston Urban is constructing a new 23-story headquarters for Frost Bank, and a new federal courthouse is set to be built. Weston Urban has spent the last few years accumulating properties in the area, including a two-story building across from City Hall earlier this month. Another developer plans to build an 18-story hotel and office tower on Main Plaza, a block away.

Alavi declined to say how much GrayStreet paid for the property, which the Bexar Appraisal District valued at roughly $6.5 million this year.

The land was formerly owned by two local companies, Nueva Corp. and PK Realty. An affiliate of Teeple Partners, the Austin firm that planned to build the $83 million tower, signed a 99-year lease for the property in 2007, according to county property records.

Earlier this year, Teeple Partners nixed its plans for the tower, which would have included 305 upscale apartments and condos, and 45,000 square feet of retail space, after determining that the project was unfeasible. The city had awarded the firm an $8 million incentive package through its Center City Housing Incentive Policy.

Charles Teeple, president of Teeple Partners, didnt respond to a request for comment. GrayStreet doesnt think the incentives are still available for the site, Alavi said.

GrayStreet has a lot on its plate right now. It is rehabilitating the historic San Antonio Light building on Broadway into creative office space, and it recently began work to turn the downtowns Kress building into a food hall. The firm also has plans to build a 20-story hotel and office tower on Broadway next to The Pearl, and it wants to redevelop 23 acres of land it owns in Government Hill into a mixed-use development.

rwebner@express-news.netGREENWICH  Dozens of signs bordered a tree-lined dirt path at Greenwich Point Park Sunday afternoon, promoting nearly every Republican candidate running for federal, statewide and local office.

But there was one candidate who didnt have any signs at the park, which was the site of the at the 87th annual clambake hosted by the Cos Cob Republican Club. That notable exception was Bob Stefanowski, the GOP nominee for governor.

My signs are coming in, Stefanowski said, laughing at the obvious. Its amazing how popular signs are.

The lack of signage was striking considering Stefanowski was the guest of honor  and is arguably the current face of the party considering Democrats hold every Congressional seat  at Sundays clambake. Nearly 200 people showed up to hear him speak, many for the first time.

Maybe thats why he stayed nearly an hour longer than the 30 minutes hed planned to spend at the event. Stefanowski listened to party members, took pictures with them when asked and chatted about their experiences at the DMV. Meanwhile, the young campaign staffer tasked with driving him for the day lingered nearby, waiting to chauffeur him to his next campaign stop in Old Lyme. A red sticker reading, Hi my name is: Bob Stefanowski, clung to his right lapel.

Hes introducing himself to a lot of these people for the first time, said Ed Dadakis, former Greenwich Republican Town Committee chairman. People dont really know him down here.

Greenwich was one of the 38 towns where Stefanowski didnt win in the August primary. He earned just 633 votes there, losing to hedge fund mogul David Stemerman, who lives in town.

But Stefanowski has spent ample time in the town known for its deep pockets lately, attending fundraisers held on his behalf as he works to recover from an expensive five-way primary in which he marketed himself as a self-funding candidate. Several of the fundraisers have been organized by Leora Levy, a Republican National Committeewoman who is also running the finance committee of Stefanowskis campaign.

Stefanowski spoke for about five minutes, talking up his plan to eliminate the state income tax and name-dropping Art Laffer, who has been paid more than $70,000 by Stefanowskis campaign for economic consulting and speaking appearances, campaign finance reports show.

A buddy of mine who Ive known for about 20 years is Art Laffer, Stefanowski said. Art Laffer used to be Ronald Reagans chief economist, and he just did some work on the national tax plan. We are the perfect example of the Laffer curve. We are taxing people to the point where they are leaving the state and it needs to stop.

Stefanowski said hes grateful for the support of the Republican party, and his former competitors whove coalesced around him since the primary win. Westport tech entrepreneur Steve Obsitnik, who ran against Stefanowski in the primary, even made the drive to Greenwich Sunday afternoon. Absent was Stemerman who ran some of the most aggressive ads against Stefanowski in the primary, but is now helping with his campaign for governor.

It was a bruising primary, Stefanowski said. I got tired of seeing those grainy pictures of me that I looked like Frankenstein. But once the primary was over, I sat down with David Stemerman, we met for three hours. What a terrific guy this is, what a terrific job he does on policy. Hes helping me figuring out the state employee pension problem. This party has rallied around me and I cant tell you how happy I am about that ... Im humbled and proud and energized.

State Republican Party Chairman J.R. Romano said the state party has ordered 15,000 Stefanowski signs, which should arrive this week, along with 5,000 signs promoting Stefanowski alongside his running mate, state Sen. Joe Markley, who is the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor.

While Stefanowskis campaign has recently upped its fundraising efforts  going so far as to say the TV ads hes relied so heavily on might have to come off the air  the only person who mentioned fundraising at the clambake was Romano.

Ill be honest with you. Bobs campaign, the state party, we have all the money we need. It just happens to be in your pockets, Romano said.

kkrasselt@scni.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasseltGREENWICH - Weston artist Audrey Klotz spends many a weekend showing her vibrant abstracts at festivals and fairs, but the Bruce Museum Outdoor Arts Festival holds a special place in her heart.

Theyre the coolest artists. Its really unique art, said the Greenwich native, who will be a highlight of the museums 37th annual showcase next month. And its important for the arts in general. Youre getting original art you couldnt get anywhere else.

More than 85 artists from across the country will present their work on the grounds of the Bruce Museum on Saturday, Oct. 6, and Sunday, Oct. 7, a juried gathering recognized as one of the top fine arts festivals in the nation.

Its the highlight of the museums jam-packed fall filled with intriguing exhibitions and workshops and even a first-ever Oktoberfest.

Running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, the arts festival includes a full spectrum of creativity - from paintings on canvas, board and paper to mixed media, drawing and graphics to digital media, sculpture and photography. All works are available for purchase.

This show is truly comprised of the whos who of contemporary fine artists, said longtime Festival Director Sue Brown Gordon, an artist herself who scouts for new talent at festivals all year. My travels take me across the country to seek out the very best to bring to Greenwich.

Anne von Stuelpnagel, the museums director of exhibits, believes another aspect of the festival makes it special for browsers and buyers alike. Hailing from as far as Florida, Texas and Oregon, the artists travel with their work to Greenwich.

The artists have to be there with their work, she said. They can speak for their work.

Klotz cant wait to share her vision with visitors. A fan of the New York School, including Jackson Pollock, Grace Hartigan, Robert Motherwell and Willem de Koonig, she loves playing with texture, color and form.

I try to incorporate a little of everybody in there and, ultimately, it comes out an Audrey Klotz, said the artist, who will join her husband, acclaimed sculptor Drew Klotz, on the Bruces grounds next month.

Festivalgoers  about 3,000 are expected  will enjoy food truck delicacies on site and the museum will host a number of childrens art activities and a drawing contest indoors.

The festival runs rain or shine and most exhibitors come ready to brave the elements in sturdy tents.

Theyre like an art gallery in 100 square feet, von Stuelpnagel said.

On Thursday, Sept. 27, the Bruce will hold its first Oktoberfest celebration, featuring German beer from Paulaner USA and the oompah-and-accordion-laced stylings of Austrian Boys Band.

Paulaner, one of the largest brewers at the world-renowned Oktoberfest in Munich, has been crafting beer in Bavaria since the 1600s. Their offerings at the Bruce should pair well with a light menu of classic German fare from Harlan Haus, a popular beer and wurst hall in Bridgeport with sister restaurants Harlan Social in Stamford and Harlan Publick in Norwalk.

Bruce spokesperson Scott Smith said the museum is always looking for ways to welcome visitors to get out and enjoy a little dancing under the stars, weather permitting. Party-goers can also enjoy an after-hours tour of the galleries.

The goal is to continue to give different groups of people an opportunity to experience the Bruce Museum, Smith said. People really enjoy the chance to get out and about.

Oktoberfest at the Bruce Museum runs 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 27. Tickets are $40, $30 for museum members. For tickets, visit brucemuseum.org and click on Reservations.

On the heels of the arts festival, the Bruce will host a workshop and lecture with artist/author James Gurney, an inspiration to generations of those who dabble in the science, fantasy and imaginative realism sphere.

On Monday, Oct. 8, the artist will preside over the workshop Techniques for Science Illustration with James Gurney, beginning at 6 p.m. On Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 6:30 p.m., he will present the Marianne Smith Memorial Lecture, How I Paint Dinosaurs: Art, Science and Imagination.

For more information or to reserve a space at either event, visit www.brucemuseum.org.

Fall visitors can also enjoy the museums ongoing exhibitions: ReTooled: Highlights from the Hechinger Collection featuring Claes Oldenburg, Fernand Leger, Berenice Abbott and 25 other artists; Expressionism in Print: The Early Works of Richard Haas, 1957-64; A Continuous Thread: Navajo Weaving Traditions; and Wild Bees: Photographs by Paula Sharp and Ross Eatman.

Admission to the Bruce Museum Outdoor Arts Festival is $10, free for Bruce Museum members and children under 5. Admission includes access to the museum galleries.FAIRFIELD  State Rep. Brenda Kupchick, a Republican and the second longest-serving member of Fairfields state delegation, is facing Democratic challenger Caitlin Clarkson Pereira on the November ballot.

Kupchick started her political life on the Representative Town Meeting and the Board of Education before being elected to the General Assembly, and is serving her fourth term. She points to her experience with a record of results as the reason to send her back to Hartford to represent the 132nd District.

Im a third-generation Fairfielder. My husband and I raised our son here, who attended our public schools, Kupchick said. Being on the PTA, running a small business for close to 30 years, my experience serving as an RTM member, on Fairfields Board of Education, Parks and Recreation Commission and as Fairfields state representative has given me a unique and broad perspective that I believe is vital as the Connecticut General Assembly faces this critical point in our states future.

Pereira, who grew up in Fairfield, also cited her experience and her commitment to the community as reasons she is a good fit for the position.

My background is in higher education, and I know the vital need to have an educated workforce to bolster Connecticuts economy, Pereira said. I also know the struggle of working families firsthand, and will be informed by those experiences every step of the way.

She said she doesnt see this as a new career, but said she is invested in the future of the town, the state and country. Our economy will succeed if the people of our state succeed.

To get the states finances back on solid ground, Pereira said the state must ensure everything that can be done to grow the economy is being done.

Short-term solutions and detrimental cuts to critical services prevent Connecticut from competing in the 21st century, she said. Connecticut must attract and retain young people through a variety of incentives to make Connecticut their chosen place of work for the long term, such as sufficient quality housing to rent or buy, an economy that gives rise to new companies with jobs that are both well-paying and innovative and can take advantage of the undoubted talent that is in the local towns and the state as a whole.

Pereira said equal pay for equal work is a necessity, along with help with the cost of child care for working families, and providing self-funded, paid family medical leave so families have the needed resources to take time off for parental care, child bonding or their own medical needs.

Its critical to connect all workers with jobs to expand our economy, through a great transportation infrastructure that makes it easy to get to work and is a pleasant experience so that more people are willing to use it, Pereira said.

Working at a state university, she said she sees graduates choose jobs in Connecticut. When families succeed, the economy succeeds, Pereira said. We have to stop kicking the can down the road and look toward our long-term future if we are to get our fiscal house in order.

Kupchick said the next Legislature will be responsible for solving a $4.2 billion biennial deficit and must focus on both short- and long-term solutions to the states budget deficit, while finding efficiencies and making other common-sense reductions to the budget.

As an example, Kupchick said the process for establishing state budgets needs to change.

Currently, the Appropriations Committee builds a spending plan before the Finance Committee, on which I serve, identifies available revenue, she said. This is a backward approach and should be changed. Borrowing, she said, has skyrocketed since Gov. Dannel P. Malloy took office. However, Kuphick said, GOP proposals to institute a strict bonding and spending cap were passed in the budget during the session which will help put the state on more stable footing.

Kupchick said state agencies must be held accountable. Watchdog groups have reported high levels of fraud in state-funded programs, she said. Addressing these issues and creating a predictable fiscal climate with pro-economic growth policies will attract businesses so Connecticut can replace the jobs weve lost and add new ones.

Gun control issues hit close to home for both candidates.

One of the most significant bills I voted on as a legislator was on gun safety, mental health and school security in 2014 in the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, Kupchick said. During the 2018 legislative session, I co-sponsored Public Act 18-29, which bans bump stocks, and House Bill 5540, a bill on ghost guns that wasnt called for a vote in the House.

Kupchick said she is supportive of legislation to block the sale of 3D-printed guns and other untraceable ghost guns.

I am unequivocally opposed to the production of 3D-printed guns and ghost guns and, if elected, Ill do everything in my power to stop them, Pereira said. She said she would make sure there were no exceptions to any ban on the 3D or ghost guns, noting Republicans tried to extend the deadline for when the bump stock law would go into effect and allow current owners to keep them.

This makes no sense, Pereira said. If we make them illegal because theyre dangerous, they should be illegal for everybody and they should be illegal now.

Should she win election, Pereira said the first bill she wants to introduce is a child and dependent care tax credit. This is more than just a question of fairness, she said, it is vital to helping Connecticuts struggling economy.

Child care costs are one of the largest expenses for working families, she said, and something she has experienced firsthand. My focus throughout the session will be on providing greater opportunities for folks living in Connecticut, regardless of their gender, to fully participate in our economy, Pereira said. That takes the form of paid family medical leave, expanding job training to connect young people with the skilled manufacturing jobs that are expanding in Connecticut, and reducing the burden of health care expenses on our working families.

Getting Connecticuts fiscal house in order, improving our economy and investing in our infrastructure should be top priorities for every legislator, Kupchick said. Fairfield County is the economic engine of our state and is crucial toward growing our economy.

She said Connecticut outspends the national average in road construction by $250,000 per mile due to high administrative costs.

During the last seven years, Connecticut spent $567 million on a new busway from New Britain to Hartford that costs $17.5 million to operate each year, and whose light ridership simply doesnt make sense, Kupchick said. Nor did the $1 billion dollar price tag for the Hartford to Springfield rail line, which will cost $27 million each year to operate.

She said it is frustrating the $155 million the state bonded for the rail line in 2016 would have covered almost all of the costs for needed repairs to the Metro-North New Haven Line. The New Haven line, she said, is the busiest in the country and vital to the states economy.

Unless and until we fix our fiscal crisis, improve our infrastructure and grow our economy, Kupchick said, working on important issues, protecting seniors and our most vulnerable citizens, improving mental health access, investing in education, passing legislation to improve our environment, and animal welfare will be more challenging.

greilly@ctpost.com; 203-842-2585Women across the nation staged protests, Yale Law School students held sit-ins and opposing sides appeared set on a nasty collision course Monday as the fast-moving debate on sexual assault and Brett Kavanaugh picked up even more speed.

President Donald Trump and the Republican leadership seemed intent on pushing ahead and securing Kavanaughs lifetime appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court before the midterm elections in November.

In Washington, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Kavanaugh, 53, was the target of a cynical smear campaign.

The president dismissed the growing accusations, including the recollection of a drunken Yale University dorm party where Kavanaugh, a freshman during 1983-84, allegedly exposed himself to a female classmate, Deborah Ramirez, reported in The New Yorker magazine.

Senate Democrats and their allies are trying to destroy a mans personal and professional life on the basis of decades-old allegations that are unsubstantiated and uncorroborated, McConnell said.

Womens rights advocates charged that Kavanaughs alleged sexual assault and harassment incidents scarred the female victims for decades.

A third woman from Kavanaughs prep school days, represented by Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, the porn star who was allegedly paid off after an affair with Trump, is expected to emerge in coming days. Avenatti told the Associated Press that she is prepared to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Kavanaugh denied all the claims.

I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from the process, Kavanaugh wrote to the Judiciary Committee.

At the United Nations in New York, Trump said he remained in support of his nominee, and questioned the motives of the lawyers representing the accusers whose complaints date back to high school and college.

I am with him all the way, Trump said of his nominee.

Law students speak out

The issue spilled into Connecticut when more than 260 Yale law students staged a sit-in in the lobby of the Sterling Law Building in the heart of the historic New Haven campus.

I think Yale Law School, as an institution and as an administration, has an obligation to speak out on behalf of legal process and the rule of law, said Catherine McCarthy, a third-year student.

Briana Clark, a second-year student, called for a fuller review of Kavanaughs background.

Im sitting in because I oppose the unfair and inexcusable process by which Judge Kavanaughs nomination has been rushed through the Senate, said Briana Clark, a second-year student. I think it shows how imperative it is that we adequately investigate the allegations against him.

Yale has a long tradition of students and faculty engaging in important current events, Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken said.

As dean, I cannot take a position on the nomination, Gerken said. But I am so proud of the work our community is doing to engage with these issues.

The students were joined by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who spoke to the students in the lobby.

There is no way the U.S. Senate can vote on this nomination without a full, fair investigation by the FBI as soon as possible and an opportunity for the sexual assault survivors to be heard, Blumenthal said. "There must also be a hearing where other witnesses and other evidence can be presented.

Later in the day, during an event with 115 Yale Law students in Washington, Blumenthal predicted that Kavanaughs nomination could be dead and that it seems to be unraveling in real time.

Lunchtime protests

Across the nation, women donned black and took to the streets at 1 p.m. Monday to show support for Kavanaughs accusers, many holding signs that read We Believe You and #believesurvivors.

In Stamford, for instance, the staff at the Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education took to Summer Street for the walkout which was co-hosted by a number of organizations, including the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence.

Last week, Christine Blasey Ford said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her during a high school party, a blockbuster charge at a time when Senate Republicans were hoping to schedule a vote on the nominee.

I can't understand why Republicans are pressing ahead, said U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy in Washington. These allegations are serious. I dont see why people would not believe Dr. Ford, given all shes gone through.

Ned Lamont, the Democratic candidate for governor, seized the moment to demand that his Republican opponent, Bob Stefanowski, announce his positions on health and reproductive issues that he has studiously avoided.

During a conference call with reporters, Lamont, joined by officials from CT NOW, NARAL and the Womens March, hypothesized that if asked about the issue my hunch is that Stefanowski would say Its all about the economy, next question.

Stefanowski, in a statement, said that as the father of three daughters, opposing sexual assault is important.

Allegations of sexual assault should be taken seriously, he said. It is important that all parties come forward and I am hopeful that their stories will be heard in the coming days.

Ed Stannard, Dan Freedman, Erin Kayata and the Associated Press contributed to this report.The following companies are subsidiares of Xerox: A B S Digital Limited, Acorn Business Machines (Holmfirth) Limited, Alloy Acquisitions Corp. 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ULC, Xerox Capital (Europe) Limited, Xerox Capital LLC, Xerox Computer Services Limited, Xerox Comercio e Industria Ltda, Xerox Corporation, Xerox DNHC LLC, Xerox Dienstleistungsgesellschaft GmbH, Xerox Distributor Operations Limited, Xerox Egypt S.A.E., Xerox Equipment Limited, Xerox Equipment UK Limited, Xerox Espana S.A.U., Xerox Exports Limited, Xerox Finance AG, Xerox Finance Leasing S.A.E., Xerox Finance Limited, Xerox Financial Services B.V., Xerox Financial Services Belux NV, Xerox Financial Services Canada Ltd., Xerox Financial Services Danmark A/S, Xerox Financial Services Finland Oy, Xerox Financial Services LLC, Xerox Financial Services Norway AS, Xerox Financial Services SAS, Xerox Financial Services Sverige AB, Xerox Foreign Holdings LLC, Xerox Foreign Sales Corporation, Xerox GmbH, Xerox Health Care LLC, Xerox Hellas AEE, Xerox Holding Deutschland GmbH, Xerox Holdings (Ireland) Limited, Xerox Holdings Inc., Xerox Hungary Trading Limited, Xerox IBS Limited, Xerox IBS NI Limited, Xerox India Limited, Xerox International Joint Marketing Inc., Xerox Investments Europe B.V., Xerox Israel Ltd., Xerox Italia Rental Services Srl, Xerox Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Xerox Latinamerican Holdings Inc., Xerox Leasing Deutschland GmbH, Xerox Leasing GmbH, Xerox Limited, Xerox Luxembourg SA, Xerox Mailing Systems Limited, Xerox Manufacturing (Nederland) B.V., Xerox Maroc S.A., Xerox Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Xerox Middle East Investments (Bermuda) Limited, Xerox N.V., Xerox Overseas Holdings Limited, Xerox Overseas Inc., Xerox Oy, Xerox Pensions Limited, Xerox Polska Sp. z o. o, Xerox Portugal Equipamentos de Escritorio Limitada, Xerox Products Limited, Xerox Products UK Limited, Xerox Professional Services Limited, Xerox Realty Corporation, Xerox Renting S.A.U., Xerox Reprographische Services GmbH, Xerox S.A.S., Xerox S.p.A., Xerox Secured Borrowing 2020-1 LLC, Xerox Servicios Compartidos Guatemala y Compani Limitada, Xerox Servicos e Participacoes Ltda, Xerox Shared Services Romania SRL, Xerox Sverige AB, Xerox Technology Services India LLP, Xerox Technology Services SAS, Xerox Telebusiness GmbH, Xerox Trading Enterprises Limited, Xerox Trinidad Limited, Xerox UK Holdings Limited, Xerox XHB Limited, Xerox XIB Limited, Xerox Xf Holdings (Ireland) DAC, Xerox de Chile S.A., Xerox del Ecuador S.A., Xerox del Peru S.A., Zeno Office Solutions, Zeno Office Solutions Inc., Zoom Imaging Solutions Inc., and inVentiv Patient Access Solutions.There is not enough analysis data for BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund.

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NextiShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF's stock was trading at $25.60 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWU shares have increased by 31.1% and is now trading at $33.55.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.Freeport-McMoRan, Inc. engages in the mining of copper, gold and molybdenum. It operates through the following segments: North America Copper Mines, South America Mining; Indonesia Mining, Molybdenum Mines, Rod and Refining, Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining and Corporate, Other and Eliminations. The North America Copper Mines segment operates open-pit copper mines in Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita and Miami in Arizona and Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico. The South America Mining segment includes Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile. The Indonesia Mining segment handles the operations of Grasberg minerals district that produces copper concentrate that contains significant quantities of gold and silver. The Molybdenum Mines segment includes the Henderson underground mine and Climax open-pit mine, both in Colorado. The Rod and Refining segment consists of copper conversion facilities located in North America and includes a refinery, rod mills, and a specialty copper products facility. The Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining segment smelts and refines copper concentrate and markets refined copper and precious metals in slimes. The Corporate, Other and Eliminations segment

Read MoreJPMorgan Chase & Co. is a financial holding company. It provides financial and investment banking services. The firm offers a range of investment banking products and services in all capital markets, including advising on corporate strategy and structure, capital raising in equity and debt markets, risk management, market making in cash securities and derivative instruments, and brokerage and research. It operates through the following segments: Consumer and Community Banking, Corporate and Investment Bank, Commercial Banking, and Asset and Wealth Management. The Consumer and Community Banking segment serves consumers and businesses through personal service at bank branches and through automated teller machine, online, mobile, and telephone banking. The Corporate and Investment Bank segment offers a suite of investment banking, market-making, prime brokerage, and treasury and securities products and services to a global client base of corporations, investors, financial institutions, government and municipal entities. The Commercial Banking segment delivers services to U.S. and its multinational clients, including corporations, municipalities, financial institutions, and non profit

Read MoreHARRISBURG, Pa.  The Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board approved an order Sept. 18 to maintain the over-order premium at 75 cents per hundredweight, effective Oct. 1, 2018.

The premium pricing order, which will remain in effect through March 31, 2019, is assessed on Class I (fluid) milk that is produced, processed and sold entirely within Pennsylvania.

The diesel fuel add-on to the over-order premium will continue unchanged.

Chairman Rob Barley said the board heard from farmers and cooperatives who wanted a higher premium, but understood market conditions do not currently allow for that.

The consequences of setting the premium higher could possibly yield a negative for Pennsylvania farmers, a group the premium is supposed to help, Barley said.

During a hearing before the board earlier this month, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau was one of the groups offering testimony calling for the price to remain unchanged, despite the difficult circumstances faced by many dairy farmers across the state.

The dairy industry is in dire straits and Farm Bureau would like to ask for a higher premium, but we are realistic about the current challenges of moving milk, said Somerset County dairy farmer Glenn Stoltzfus, who is a member of Farm Bureau state board of directors and chairman of its state dairy committee.

Economic driver

Pennsylvanias dairy industry accounted for $28.31 billion of economic impact in 2017.

Of that, Pennsylvania dairy exports accounted for a $788 million economic impact.

A copy of the order is available on the boards website at www.mmb.pa.gov.A community farm which educates school groups and young people is urgently seeking skilled tradesmen to help complete its unique straw bale bunkhouse before winter hits.

Fordhall Farm, near Market Drayton, has issued its own urgent 'DIY SOS' plea for help from experienced carpenters and plasterers.

Time is ticking for the project at the community-owned farm, which will be delayed by months if the roof and external rendering are not completed by the end of October.

We are in desperate need of extra hands over the coming weeks, said Charlotte Hollins, manager of the Fordhall Community Land Initiative.

Carpenters are needed immediately to help complete the roof of the building. This will be critical to getting the building into a position where the walls can be rendered before winter.

Plasterers will then be needed at the beginning of October to ensure the rendering is completed in time.

The traditional lime mortar being used will crack if temperatures drop too low, meaning the whole project will have to be mothballed until the spring if the rendering is not completed before winter.

We have schools and young people coming to use this building next spring and we would hate to turn them away, said Ms Hollins.

Our workers and volunteers have done such an amazing job so far and deserve to hit their target. A few extra hands would make this happen.

'Safe space'

The bunkhouse is being constructed using environmentally sustainable techniques. It has car tyre foundations, a roundwood timber frame construction, and straw bale walls which will be covered in clay and lime plaster with sheeps wool insulation.

The project has been overseen by experts from Huff and Puff Construction and Traditional Building Skills, who have been on site leading workshops for volunteers, teaching those involved how to build the structure.

Once complete, Fordhall Farms bunkhouse will give a safe space all year round for its volunteers, school visits and vulnerable adults from their care farm initiative.

There are also opportunities for volunteers wanting to help with the straw bale building between the 17th and 30th September.

For more information on how you can help please call 01630 638696 or email project@fordhall.comThe Welsh Government has resisted calls to reinstate a badger cull despite farmers saying they have "simply had enough" of the impacts bovine TB has on farming families.

Farmers in Wales have called for the badger cull to be reinstated following the release of figures which show the cull is having positive progress in England.

Defra statistics demonstrate the impact of badger culling on bovine TB levels in the High Risk Area of England.

It shows that the completion of the 4 year badger culls in both Somerset and Gloucestershire have reduced the number of new TB outbreaks by around half.

The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) is now urging the Welsh Government to reinstate the Intensive Action Area (IAA) badger cull programme, which was abolished and replaced with a badger vaccination programme under the then Environment Minister, John Griffiths.

However, the Welsh Government said badgers were not the main cause of new outbreaks, and that an England-style badger cull had been ruled out.

"Evidence shows that most causes of Bovine TB in cattle in Wales results from cattle-to-cattle transmission," a Welsh Government spokesman told BBC News.

"Badgers are only trapped and tested where evidence suggests they are contributing to the persistence of Bovine TB in chronic breakdown herds.

"Targeted interventions are being applied to remove test positive badgers, helping stop transmission and clearing up chronically infected herds, which are costly to the taxpayer and industry," he added.

But Ian Lloyd, Animal Health and Welfare Committee Chairman at the FUW, said farming families have now "simply had enough" of the disease.

"The FUW is now calling on the Welsh Government to properly recognise the impact of this insidious disease on farming families," Mr Lloyd said.

Statistics show that more than 10,000 cattle were culled due to bovine TB in Wales in 2017, representing a 2.3 percent rise on the previous year.

In comparison, just five badgers were culled during 2017 in Wales, costing the taxpayer 383,212.Use of antibiotics in UK livestock falls again, report shows

Last year saw another drop in use of antibiotics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.2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning --

4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS.

We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover.

We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  Bureau of Corrections Chief and senatorial aspirant Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa has a dream team for the Senate.

When asked who he would like to work with, Dela Rosa told CNN Philippines' The Source, "Si Sara [Duterte], si Bong Go, si... Mangudadatu, tsaka si JV Ejercito."

The former National Police chief referred to Davao Mayor and presidential daughter Sara "Inday" Duterte-Carpio, Special Assistant to the President Christopher "Bong" Go, possibly Maguindanao Rep. Zajid "Dong" Mangudadatu and Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito.

Duterte-Carpio said she is only interested in seeking reelection next year. She founded the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, which is endorsing its own set of candidates for the midterm elections.

Meanwhile, specultation regarding a possible Senate run surrounds Go. The presidential assistant has had heightened public appearances, and many have noted his appearance on billboards and his name tagged in donations to victims of calamity.

RELATED: Bong Go: I'm not 'epal'

Dela Rosa could also have been referring to Maguindanao Rep. Mangudadatu, who is part of the ruling party PDP-Laban's senatorial shortlist.

Ejercito, who was also listed in PDP-Laban's initial list, is seeking re-election.

Dela Rosa said he idolizes Senator Ping Lacson, who also served as a Philppine National Police Chief from 1999 to 2001 before moving to politics. The elder senator previously said he was "biased" toward Dela Rosa, because "pinanggalingan ko yung puwesto niya [we come from the same position]."

The Bureau of Corrections chief himself has flip-flopped on whether he would push through with a Senate run, before finally confirming his slot this month. He previously expressed interest in running for Governor of Davao del Sur, but he said the President instructed him to go for a national seat.

'I won't make resource persons cry'

Dela Rosa, who led President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs, also recalled his own time in the Senate hot seat during hearings on possible police abuse.

The then-police chief cried twice, first in September last year when he turned emotional over loss of public confidence in the police. He shed tears again in November, as he claimed that there was no policy to kill drug suspects.

"Hindi ko paiyakin yung aking resource persons. Kung in aid of legislation at wala kang hidden agenda, bakit mo papaiyakin?" said Dela Rosa. "Basta ako I would treat them with full dignity."

[Translation: I will not make my resource persons cry. If it's in aid of legislation and you have no hidden agenda, why would you make them cry? I would treat them with full dignity.]

The BuCor Chief has also vowed to fight for death penalty if he wins a spot in the upper house. On top of this, he wants cell phone sim cards to be traceable.

"Kung hindi kayang maging post-paid na lang lahat para ma-trace yung gumagamit ng cellphone sa krimen, baka puwedeng strictly registered lahat ng prepaid para matumbok talaga kung sinong gumagamit," said Dela Rosa.

[Translation: If everyone cannot be (have) post-paid (plans) so that cell phones can easily be traced in case of crime, maybe we can strictly register prepaid (sims) so we will know who uses them.]

During his time as police chief, government records show about 4,000 died in police operations. However, human rights watchdogs estimate up to 13,000 deaths  including those from vigilante-style killings.

Human Rights Watch in April said that Dela Rosa left behind a police force with a "sordid human rights record unmatched since the Marcos dictatorship," saying that he had to answer to the deaths under his term. Among these high profile killings are the deaths of Korean national Jee Ick Joo, 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos, and jailed Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa.

While Dela Rosa maintains that there was no government directive to kill criminal suspects, he also recently admitted to giving an order to "shoot to maim"  and possibly kill  for attempted smuggling in New Bilibid Prison.From October 5 to October 14, 2018, Moscow will host the 9th International Festival of Puppet Theaters named after Sergey Obraztsov - "Obraztsovfest" - dedicated to the Year of Culture in the Commonwealth of Independent States. Program of the festival includes performances of puppet theaters of the CIS countries, prepared for different age categories. Director of the State Academic Central Puppet Theater named after Obraztsov, Irina Korchevnikova, discussed this festival and theater in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza.

- This festival became a huge brand over the years. What festival's program includes this time?

- This festival is held since 2001. It was initialylly proposed by the world puppet community, because Sergey Vladimirovich Obraztsov is a man who belongs not only to Russia, but to the entire world. A lot of people came from different countries of the world, there was a very interesting discussion, we saw many great performances. But at that time no one imagined that it would be an annual event. After first few years we say that "Obraztsovfest" became a brand and we can hold a festival of a slightly different level under this brand.

This year's festival is dedicated to the puppet theaters of the CIS countries. At first we didn't even know that this year was declared the Year of Cultures of the CIS countries, it was a lucky guess. A lot of talented directors, interesting masters work in our former republics. We brought performances from Azerbaijan, from Kyrgyzstan, from Kazakhstan, from Belarus, from Armenia, from Uzbekistan.

We invited Etcetera theater from Granada with their "Petya and the Wolf" play. Its director Enrique Lanz is a unique puppeteer who performs with real symphony orchestras. His dolls range from three to five meters tall. Spanish Embassy and the Instituto Cervantes supported this cooperation.

The Russian Puppet Theater from Tallinn will show the "Golden Words" play, directed by Rein Agur.

The Donetsk Republican Academic Puppet Theater will show the "Aladdin's Magic Lamp" play, produced by Anatoly Polyak.

The Lugansk Academic Puppet Theater will show the "Ox and Dunkey" play.

The Azerbaijan State Puppet Theater named after Abdullah Shaig will show the "White and Black" play. I have to tell you a little more about this theater. They are very close us, since both theaters were created in 1931. The "White and Black" is a very touching story with beautiful dolls. A boy who was born blind always remembered his mother's parting words: "The world is cruel and ugly, in order to survive, you must find light in your soul, see this world in your imagination." This play tells us that you need to be able to see the light even in the dark, and that in order to see the good, it's not necessary to have eyes. We hope that our audience will love this story.

- Should guests of the festival bring young children to see this play?

- It woulb be better if they were a little older. Because it's a sad story. I think that 6-7 years old kids should see it. But we must bear in mind that each child sees different things in puppet shows, depending on his age.

- Do you need to buy tickets ahead of time or will they be available on the day of the performance?

- Experience of our past shows suggests that festival rarely sells out.

- Does the Obraztsov Theater perform in the CIS countries?

- Over the past two years we have received invitations from the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan. We will visit this country with great pleasure. There's the "Big Tour" project, within the framework of which Russian-language theaters visit the CIS countries. Azerbaijan has Russian-language theater, although it's not a puppet theater, but it doesn't matter. But so far we weren't able to find financial support.

We were in Moldova, now we will visit Uzbekistan, which has Russian-language theater, which is also not a puppet theater. We rarely work in puppet theaters - we hold huge performances, large formats. We work in drama theaters, in philharmonics.Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty was recently subjected to what is being described as racist behaviour by staff members of an international airline at the Sydney airport. According to the actor, the airline staff spoke to Shilpa rudely and she was made to wait unnecessarily, claiming her baggage wasn't meeting the airline requirements. Shilpa immediately took to social media, urging the airline to take action.



She wrote a post about the whole incident in her Instagram account, "This should get your attention! Travelling from Sydney to Melbourne and at the check-in counter met a grumpy #Mel ( that's her name) who decided it was "OK" to speak curtly to "US" (Brown people!!) travelling together, I was flying business and had 2 bags (my allowance) and she insisted and decided my half empty Duffel bag was oversized (to check in!!) So she sent us to check it in at the other counter dealing with "Oversized luggage" ..there a Polite lady (yes this one was) said ..."this ISN'T an oversized bag, pls check this in manually if u can at another counter" ( all this happening while the counter is going to shut in 5 mins) As the manual check in wasn't going thru for 5 mins (we tried) I went upto #Mel and requested her to put the bag thru as her colleague said it wasn't an oversized bag.. She refused again.. Just being adamant especially when I told her this is causing a lot of inconvenience .. We had no time to waste so we ran to the oversized baggage counter and requested her to put the bag through which she did after I told her that #Rude #Mel had issues !!!.... to which another colleague joined in an reiterated my duffle wasn't oversized and could've easily been checked in. The point is .. This piece is only for #quantas airlines to know and take cognisance .. that their staff must be taught to be helpful and TONE can't change with preference to #COLOUR .'WE' are NOT #pushovers and they MUST know that being #callous and #Rude will NOT BE TOLERATED'.Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-CategoryKICK THE DRINKIt was a random telephonic conversation with my father (Mahesh Bhatt), which became the turning point of my life. We began discussing the state of the country and how it's not the India we were born into anymore. He signed off saying, I love you kid. I replied, Love you too Pops! Then I sent him a message saying, You're the only thing in my Universe that's truly worth loving. He texted back, If you love me, love yourself first because I live in you. My father has never told us children what to do and what not to. But in between those linesI heard a plea, Get hold of yourself! I messaged him saying that from that day onwards I'd be the best of myself. However, that evening I went out and drank with my friends.The next day was Christmas Eve, a festival of love. You connect it with a bottle of wine and cheer. But I told myself there was no better occasion to give up drinking. I put my phone on silent. I sat at home with my four cats and brought in Christmas sober. Outside in the by-lanes of Bandra, there was festivity and cheer. My phone showed messages asking, Where are you? I just ignored them. The next morning I felt like I had conquered Mount Everest. In retrospect, it seems like divine intervention. Because from that evening there was no looking back.The decision was life-changing. I realised many people have nothing to do with you once the bottle has been taken away. Everywhere you go, you have to make excuses for not drinking. But listen! I've only given up on drinking, not life. Months after I had turned sober, my friends urged me to have champagne on my birthday. But I refused.I was just one sip away from going back on that path. My friends would argue, But you walk in and walk out of a party on your feet! That didn't mean I didn't have a problem. My capacity to drink was way more than that of others because I'm my father's daughter. I drank the way I live - copiously! I'm not a two-drink-and-stop person. You know in your heart when something becomes a dependency. It could be a man, fame, power or alcohol.Interestingly, after I quit alcohol, people who didn't call me earlier, began calling me. I discovered new people. Life was waiting to embrace me. I wanted to scream about this from the rooftop. I'm no role model. But I thought, if I showed my frailties, which I had turned around into achievement, I could help many others. Sharing your weakness could become someone else's strength.My Dad's daughterI have seen my father in the gutters. I tell my siblings (Rahul, Shaheen and Alia Bhatt) you've only seen dad's glory. But I've seen him down and out. I was the child, who opened the door to my father when he returned home after three days of binge drinking. I've witnessed my parents marriage crumble because of alcoholism. Having seen all that, you believe it won't happen to you because you're aware. But the truth is that if you're a child of an alcoholic/drug addict, you're four times more susceptible to it. That's a medical fact.I sank into the same abyss. Thankfully, like my father, I've been lucky to get out of it. I didn't go to any Alcohol Anonymous though it doesn't mean that those who do are weak. I remember attending the 50th anniversary of Alcoholic Anonymous with dad. There he said, It's been 26 years since I've touched alcohol.The way the crowd cheered him. That moment, I felt so proud of him for the person he has become.Angst & alcoholActually, a sensitive person is seldom happy with the world the way it is. And since you cannot change it, you think might as well numb the anguish. If you're using something to escape reality, then it's something you need to address. I held angst for many reasons. I ended my marriage with Munna (TV host Manish Makhija) five years ago. I didn't allow myself the time to mourn. I thought I was fine. But a relationship ending is like death. That was the time I began drinking the most. And misery finds wonderful company. I tried to deal with the emptiness by mindless partying. I found people, who were only too happy to drink with me. Suddenly, I was the toast of the town.I ended my marriage because I was feeling lonely. Maybe, there's something inside me, which a man can't fulfil. Maybe I needed to find life on my own. My ex-husband continues to be my best friend.When I married Munna, people didn't give our marriage even two months to survive. But we lasted for 12 years. The first 10 were magical. He's a fair man, a wise man. The first man, who was not insecure about the woman I was. Most men love you initially but later want you to tone this down and tone that down. He was unlike them. In our 12 years, Munna and I never cheated on each other. But as a woman I felt I had lost myself. So, before I reached a stage where I felt my happiness could come from someone or something else, I ended it. I didn't want someone else to be the excuse. I wanted to take responsibility of my life and bear the consequences of my decision. I had the balls to act on it. Munna and I had an Arya Samaj marriage, which is not recognised by the court of law. So, to get divorced, we need to get married again in court. If tomorrow he or I meet someone, who needs that piece of paper, we might indulge that person.But in our minds, we're no longer married to each other. Yes, we do travel together, we have the same circle of friends, we have joint responsibilities - we work for Adivasi kids near Kalote. Moreover, I don't believe relationships are made or broken on paper. The living examples are my father and my mother (Kiran Bhatt). They've never felt the need to divorce each other in the conventional sense. If two people have been together since the age of 12 and 14, and still can be there for with each other, it's a relationship goal for me.Fabulous fortiesToday I lead a content life in Bandra with my four cats. I have a farmhouse in Kalote, where I live with my six dogs. I don't have to answer to anyone except my conscience. Women are expected to tick the box on marriage and motherhood. I tried marriage. Do I advocate it? Yes. Marriage is a wonderful institution provided you meet the right person and you be the right person. People ask me about motherhood. I'm already a mother to four cats and six dogs. They wait for me to come home and they'll continue to do so till they drop dead.On December 24, 2016, I weighed 82 kilos. Today I am 68. I walk, I cycle. Earlier I'd pass out. Now, I sleep. Last year, I took off to Bali to celebrate six months of sobriety on a solo vacation. I checked in the best of hotels, dined alone... Initially, it's intimidating but eventually liberating. I don't need validation from a man. I love you baby, Oh you look hot all these statements do nothing for me. My fulfilment is not based on how someone else perceives me. Am I open to love? Of course, I am. But right now I'm enjoying blessed singlehood.I do believe in love, I'm a romantic. But I can't have casual encounters. We live in times where people don't mind having multiple partners but they won't commit to the word. Love is for the brave. You may have shared someone's body but have you shared someone's soul? Sex is important in a relationship. To have good sex you need to be in tune with the person mentally. Sex can't be just two bodies in a room. Magic comes from the heart and the soul.Today, the empty spaces in my life have been enriched. Life is now waiting to embrace me. I'm 46 but I feel more energetic than when I was 26. For someone who was the youngest filmmaker at 21 (produced Tamanna in 1997), I'm looking forward to a lot of things.We're planning Sadak 2 and Jism 3. I want to introduce a sexy 40-plus woman on screen. Where is India's Monica Belluci? India needs a new fantasy and I'm going to provide it.Duniya Vijay is quite a popular name in the Kannada film industry. The dashing actor enjoys as decent fan following thanks to his charming personality, good looks, sincere performances and gripping screen presence. Over the years, he has acted in quite a few films and this has helped him become an integral part of Sandalwood. Now, he is in the news for a shocking reason. According to a leading daily, Duniya Vijay was arrested today (September 24, 2018) in Bengaluru in connection with an assault case.

Maruthi Gowda, who is the nephew of Duniya Vijay's former gym trainer, was reportedly beaten up by 11 people. Commenting on the incident, the victim claimed that Duniya Vijay and his friends beat him up and threatened to 'ruin' his life.

"He said something about my uncle, and I asked why do you want that? Immediately, he came back with around ten people and beat me and took me away. They took me in a car, and an hour later or so, I was in Rajarajeshwari Nagar and they stopped the car. They tried to get me to appear in a video and told me to say that fans assaulted me. There was Mani, Prasad, Duniya Vijay, and they were abusing. It was Duniya Vijay who made me appear in the video. He said that he will ruin my life," he told Bangalore Mirror.

This is a developing situation and one is likely to get more clarity on this case in the days to come.Kriti & Roshmi Agitate Bigg Boss

Captains of the week Kriti and Roshmi decide to have some fun around the pool. In an unseen video of the upcoming episode, Kriti is seen being pushed into the pool by Shivashish with her mic on.

Bigg Boss Calls Them Irresponsible

An intervention is later held by Bigg Boss in all the contestants' presence. Bigg Boss announces that Roshmi and Kriti have been extremely irresponsible as captains, hence their immunity is taken away.

Somi-Saba Are Angry With Kriti-Roshmi

Somi and Saba had lost against Kriti and Roshmi while being chosen as captains. When Kriti and Roshmi's immunity was taken away, Saba and Somi pointed at them, saying they were being highly immature and didn't deserve to be captains.

The Tiff Gets Ugly

The verbal brawl between the Khan sisters and Kriti gets further ugly when the latter talks about 'level'. Kriti refuses to talk to Somi and Saba, saying they are not of her level.

Will The Khan Sisters Replace Kriti-Roshmi?

We can't predict what Bigg Boss has on mind. Now that Roshmi and Kriti have lost the immunity, any little mistake can cause damage to their captaincy. Do you think the Khan sisters will replace the former captains? Stay tuned for more updates!

These Are The Nominated Contestants

Previously, Karanvir Bohra, Nirmal Singh and Romil Chaudhary were nominated for elimination. Dipika Kakar has also now entered the list of nominees. After losing immunity, captains Roshmi Banik and Kriti Verma are directly nominated for eliminations.NBK At His Best!

The legendary Balakrishna looked smart and handsome as he attended the Mirchi Music Awards 2018. His smile and lively expressions gelled quite well with his look and upped its recall value in a big way. NBK is currently working on the NTR biopic, which is slated to hit the screens next year.

The Showstopper!

Tollywood heartthrob Vijay Deverakonda looked dashing as he made his presence felt at the star-studded event. The Arjun Reddy actor's confident body language and cool expressions added a new dimension to his look and added to its recall value big time.

Marvelous!

Vijay Deverakonda's Geetha Govindam co-star and Sandalwood beauty Rashmika Mandanna looked absolutely adorable as she graced the Mirchi Music Awards. Here she can be seen posing for a photo with actress Kavya Thapar.

Graceful!

Lakshmi Manchu too grabbed plenty of attention as she made an appearance at the event. Here is a lovely photo of her at the Mirchi Music Awards 2018. Doesn't she look graceful and beautiful?

What A Beauty!

Here is a priceless photo of Amala Akkineni at the star-studded function. Needless to say, the Siva star looks mesmerising and proves that she's still got it'. We feel that she can still give several Gen Y stars a run for their money.

Ravishing Raashi

Raashi Khanna redefined the meaning of elegant as she made her presence felt at the Mirchi Music Awards 2018. She sure knows how to turn up the heat and make her fans go weak in the knees.Twenty five Russian companies will take part in the Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition "ADEX-2018," will be held in Baku on September 25-27.

The exhibition is held by the initiative and organizational efforts of the Ministry of Defense Industry, the forum is supported by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. The Caspian Event Organizers (CEO) LLC is the organizer of the exhibition.

Some 224 companies representing 29 countries are expected to participate in the upcoming exhibition. The exposition of the exhibition will be accommodated in three pavilions and the outdoor area of Baku Expo Center.

Azerbaijan, Turkey, France, Russia, Israel, Belarus, Pakistan, Serbia, Ukraine and other countries will be represented at the exhibition by national stands. The exhibition will also be attended by leading companies representing the defense industries of Bulgaria, China, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands and other participating countries.

The pavilion of the Ministry of Defense Industry of Azerbaijan will be located in the third hall of Baku Expo Center, and the latest models of weapons and equipment of domestic production will be demonstrated on its stands.

In addition, the exhibition will be attended this year for the first time by the local Scientific-Technical Company "Vitta", the High-Tech Park of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, and the Service Center for Inspection of Weapons and Armored Vehicles of the Azerbaijani Air Force.

The ADEX 2018 exhibition will feature air and missile defense systems, military shipbuilding, manufacturing and modernization of weapons systems, drone systems, robotic systems, small arms, ammunition and combat equipment, demilitarization systems, missile and artillery weapons, multiple launch rocket systems, optic-electronic and laser equipment, armored vehicles, submarines, system for cyber security of the Navy, electronic warfare and command, control and communication systems, computer, network systems of control, communication, intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance (C4ISR), rolling stock and equipment of the military railway forces, technology and equipment for the production, repair and disposal of weapons, etc.Participates in live Ethernet Alliance multi-vendor interoperability demo

Source Photonics will be participating in the Ethernet Alliance interoperability demonstration showcasing live traffic-utilizing 50G and 400G PAM4-based optical transceivers in OEM equipment at ECOC 2018, September 24-26 in Rome, Italy.

The live demonstration at the Ethernet Alliance Booth #618 will consist of multiple 400G and 50G links among participating network and test equipment manufacturers.

Source Photonics will contribute its 400GBASE-LR8 transceivers in QSFP-DD and CFP8 form factor as well as its 50GBASE-LR QSFP28 modules. Live traffic will be passed among the equipment of Ethernet Alliance member companies including Exfo, Huawei, Ixia, Spirent and Viavi.

Ed Ulrichs, Director PLM, commented: "Source Photonics offers advance solutions to support the migration to the next higher networking speed. The demonstration of our latest 50G and 400G optical transceivers attests the readiness of this technology for wide-scale deployment by connecting them to the networking equipment of various OEMs and proving interoperability."

Source Photonics is now accepting sample orders for the high speed 400G QSFP-DD. The company is scheduled to go into production in January 2019. This small form factor module enables the migration to the next higher data rate in a wide field of applications such as datacenter connectivity, optical transport networks and metro networks.

The 50G QSFP28 will be in full production late this year and will support the expansion to converge networks in metro access and 5G applications.

Visit Source Photonics (booth #416) and Ethernet Alliance (booth #618) at ECOC18 in Fiera Roma, Italy, to see these innovative technologies in action. Source Photonics product experts will also be on site for detailed briefings as well as for demonstrating how Source Photonics' products can enable next-generation high-speed connectivity.

About Source Photonics:

Source Photonics is a leading provider of innovative and reliable optical communications technology that enables communications and connectivity in data centers, metro, and access networks. We invent next-generation solutions to provide customers with enabling technologies to support the rapidly increasing demands of cloud infrastructure, wireless communications, routing, and fiber-to-the-premises worldwide. Source Photonics is headquartered in West Hills, California, with manufacturing facilities, R&D, and sales offices worldwide.

For more information about Source Photonics, please visit www.sourcephotonics.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180923005026/en/

Contacts:

Source Photonics

Jasmin Basal, 818-885-4202

Marketing Communications

jasmin.basa@sourcephotonics.comThe Incredible Potential of 5G will need to be matched by a huge investment in Fiber Optic Network Infrastructure: Source answers the call!

There may be a vast number of opportunities for mobile fronthaul and backhaul on the horizon but improvements in protocols, standards and technology will also need to be made.

This was the message given today by Supriyo Dey, Senior Director Product Line Management at Source Photonics, speaking on the opening day of the ECOC 2018 Exhibition, taking place in Rome, Italy.

Dey commented: "While an exciting era of unprecedented opportunity is almost here in the shape of 5G, it comes with a set of challenges for the whole industry. The advent of this technology is undeniably huge, but there's a real challenge for those who are hungry to develop its capabilities to match their expectations in terms of performance. Applications such as 3D video, augmented reality, UHD screens, self-driving cars and smart cities to name a few will need to be supported by mobile front and backhaul.

"With these advances in capabilities come new requirements up to 10Gb/s data rate to support high quality video, ultra-reliable and low latency communication for autonomous vehicles and massive node communications for the Internet of things.

"The current 4G optical fronthaul and backhaul architecture will not be adequate to support these new applications. While several optical fronthaul and backhaul solutions have been proposed, we have yet to see a clear winner."

Dey's observations were delivered at the ECOC18 Exhibition's Market Focus, as part of an agenda that tackled topics ranging from FTTX evolution and next-generation data centers to optics as an enabler for 5G.

Source Photonics is also showcasing some of its latest products at the exhibition in the form of live demos. This includes a demonstration at the Source Photonics booth #416 with equipment testing experts Ixia, of its 400G QSFP-DD LR8 transceiver. In addition, the company will also demonstrate its 25G SFP28 LR Lite which supports CPRI wireless and 25GBASE-LR applications.

Source Photonics is also demonstrating interoperability of its 50G and 400G modules into the Huawei router alongside other participating companies in the Ethernet Alliance interoperability demo at booth #618.

About Source Photonics

Source Photonics is a leading provider of innovative and reliable optical communications technology that enables communications and connectivity in data centers, metro, and access networks. We invent next-generation solutions to provide customers with enabling technologies to support the rapidly increasing demands of cloud infrastructure, wireless communications, routing, and fiber-to-the-premises worldwide. Source Photonics is headquartered in West Hills, California, with manufacturing facilities, R&D, and sales offices worldwide. For more information about Source Photonics, please visit www.sourcephotonics.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180923005036/en/

Contacts:

Source Photonics

Jasmin Basal, 818-885-4202

Marketing Communications

jasmin.basa@sourcephotonics.comDETROIT, Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new market research report on Opportunities and Gaps in the Global Lung Cancer Prognosis Market By Treatment Algorithm in Different Regions, By Therapeutics, By Diagnostics, By Surgery, By Connected Health, By Nutritional Supplement and by Region (North America, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Rest of the World): 2019-2025.

For the first time in market, one report in the healthcare industry exclusively touches upon the demands, gaps and opportunities of the global lung cancer market while covering Lung Cancer Diagnostics, Lung Cancer Therapeutics, Lung Cancer Nutritional supplement, Lung Cancer Surgery and Lung Cancer Connected Health Market. The management of Lung cancer varies with region, by decision makers, by site of treatment, by type of lung cancer, by age, by decision making process, by cost of therapy at each stage and by various other parameters. Why Lung Cancer? Because WHO and other health agencies consider it to be the number One killer across the world.

The Burning Questions This Report Will Answer:

Over 1.5 million people worldwide die from lung cancer per year; why does the disease still has an extremely poor prognosis with all the modern technology? What are the options available for accurate prediction of lung cancer? Which market is more lucrative: pharma, diagnostics or surgery? Which technologies are available currently and how will the future technologies disrupt the market? What is the future of the top 10 best-selling drugs in this segment, will they stay or fade away? Among the class of drugs, will Angiogenesis Inhibitors take a dip in sales by 2025 or will it overtake the sales of drugs in the class Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors? What is the market for BRAF / MEK Inhibitors? Will the differential cost of therapeutics across regions impact the drug sales in North America versus APAC?

Lung Cancer Prognosis Market: Research Highlights

If we consider the lung cancer management market from the stakeholder's perspective, then drugs approved for 'Small Cell Lung Cancer' will not be applicable for 'Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer'. In the Small-Scale Lung Cancer Therapeutics, immunotherapy drugs will play a major role in the next 7 years and may grow at a CAGR of 7.4% globally, however the same class of drugs might grow at a CAGR of 10.6% in the Non-Small-Scale Lung Cancer Therapeutics Market in the same time period. The market had a potential of US$ 17.1 billion alone in 2018 and is likely to grow at a CAGR of 8.3% globally till 2025.

In the lung cancer diagnostics segment, Thermofischer, Roche, Biomerieux are few of the market leaders but are they going to get tougher competitions from the newbies such as Astraeus Technologies, Zebra Medical, Deton, Oncocyte and many more that are entering the specialized diagnostics market. It might be interesting to consider that while 50% of the oncologists decide (decision makers) the type of tests and the frequency of repeat tests, shared decision-making process is equally high among the Lung Cancer Management Market. The opportunity is huge, NSCLC cases accounts for 85% of the recorded lung cancer incidence worldwide, > 60% require diagnosis, medicine for maintenance, pain and other side effects.

Register Here and Ask for a Free Sample of the Report

Considering the complications and limitations in lung cancer surgery (not all patients are eligible), still the market is expected to grow steadily at a CAGR of 6.3%, during the forecast period (2019-2025). The demand for NSCLC surgery is high, thus the market size of 99%. In some cases, surgery is not recommended, when the tumor is found in proximity with the heart, the esophagus - the food pipe, the wind pipe and major blood vessels. The demand for NSCLC surgery is expected to grow rapidly with a CAGR of 6.3% over the course of next seven years.

The study on the lung cancer management market by Stratview also states that Lobectomy (sub segment under Lung Cancer Surgery) results in lowest recurrence rate and higher survival rate as compared to other surgery type. Hence, it is the highly referred type of surgery procedure for NSCLC cases. One of the companies, Auris is most promising in this segment and has a brighter future ahead. This segment also foresees competition from Chinese companies such as IFLYTEK who are strong contenders in the global market.

Among the different segments of global lung cancer management market, connected health or Apps for Lung cancer maintenance or management are few. However, the segment is promising, as researchers believe that App based software can help in treatment adherence, keeping track of medical records (insurance companies, medical centers). Developed markets such as the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Japan, China and Australia are the near-term opportunities for the connected health segment.

Lung cancer patients need nutritional supplements throughout their treatment phase followed by recovery and maintenance phase. The study also looks at the aspects of sales and marketing, buying patterns of end users which can help companies such as Abbott, Danone, Nestle, B Braun and more gauge the market and look at the changing preferences of the market in regions such as Asia Pacific, Europe and North America.

Finally, the report on lung cancer prognosis also focuses on the regional aspects and gives the reader the flexibility to consider between the global market or regions. It is imperative to look at this market as connected, as out of the prevalent cases of lung cancer, are potential candidates of diagnosis and of the diagnosed pool a higher percentage will require medication or surgery, there will be few drop outs and few gaps, more or less all the above will need apps or Healthcare IT products to monitor drug adherence, doctor access, and above all long term nutritional supplement.

Hence, readers may consider these inter-linked markets under the lung cancer management market and consider the opportunities that exist in each segment from 2019 to 2025.

Research Methodology

Our reports offer high-quality insights and are the outcome of detailed research methodology comprising extensive secondary research, rigorous primary interviews with industry stakeholders and validation and triangulation with Stratview Research's internal database and statistical tools. More than 1,000 authenticated secondary sources, such as company annual reports, fact book, press release, journals, investor presentation, white papers, patents, and articles have been leveraged to gather the data. About 20 detailed primary interviews with the market players across the value chain in all four regions and industry experts have been executed to obtain both the qualitative and quantitative insights.

Report Features

This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights into the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:

Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis

Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis

Market trend and forecast analysis

Market segment trend and forecast

Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, Product portfolio, New product launches, etc.

Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities

Emerging trends

Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players

Key success factors

Future outlook

Stratview Research has number of high value market reports in the global healthcare industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports:

Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the Healthcare Industry

Our related premium market report in the healthcare industry:

Opportunities & Gaps in the In Vitro Diagnostic Testing MarketBy Product (Instruments, Reagents), By Technology (Immunoassay, Clinical Chemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Hematology, and Urinalysis, Microbiology), By Application (Diabetes, Infectious diseases, Oncology, Cardiology, Nephrology, and Other Diseases) By Type of Demand for Sample (Urine, Hair, and Oral), By Testing Facility (Hospital Laboratories, Independent Clinical Laboratories and Others), by Region (North America, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Rest of the World).

Opportunities & Gaps in the Sepsis Diagnosis MarketBy Technology (Microbiology, Molecular Diagnostic, Immunoassay, and Biomarkers), By Type of Testing (Blood Culture Media, and Instruments), By Mode of Testing (Automated, Semi-Automated), By Site of Testing (Laboratory Based, Patient Bed Side (POC)), By Type of Sepsis (Pathogen) (Bacterial, Fungal), By Testing Facility (Hospitals, Clinics, and Others), By Region (North America, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Rest of the World).

About Stratview Research

Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas.

We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies.

Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making.

For inquiries,

Contact:

Stratview Research

E-mail: sales@stratviewresearch.com

Direct: +1-313-307-4176Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 23, 2018) - Provenance Gold Corp. (CSE: PAU) (FSE: 3PG) ("Provenance", or the "Company") is pleased to provide the following corporate update.

The Company's current property consists of 192 Yukon quartz mining claims covering 9,156 acres in the Moosehorn Range area of Yukon approximately 133km SSW of Dawson City. Highly prospective new targets are within a broad northeast-trending zone of faulting and shearing that extends for at least six kilometers across the property and hosts the lode gold discoveries. This gold zone is believed to be the source of the region's rich placer systems that have been in continuous successful ongoing production for more than 30 years. In the coming weeks the Company plans to furnish new information and exploration data from Yukon operations.

The Company has been actively working to expand its portfolio of properties and is working to complete an acquisition of a new property that will allow for year-around, easy access work and has the potential to host a large silver and gold system. Further information will be provided on this transaction as it is finalized.

The Company also announces that it will be featured throughout the Follow the Money Investor Group community which will help to increase awareness about the Company and disseminate critical information on a larger scale. Initially the Company will be featured for a period of six (6) months.

The Company also announces that it intends to grant a total of 1,000,000 incentive stock options to directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company. The stock options will have an exercise price of CAD$0.25 per share. 200,000 of the options will be exercisable for a period of one year, and the balance will be exercisable for a period of five years, from the date of grant. The stock options will vest immediately.

Management believes the timing is optimal to now turn a greater attention to increasing awareness of the Company, its activities and the unique and highly prospective opportunities that are being discovered.

For further information, sponsorship or funding enquiries please visit the Company's website at http://www.provenancegold.com or contact Rob Clark @ rclark@provenancegold.com.

Rauno Perttu, P. Geo., a Qualified Person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101) has reviewed and approved the contents of this News Release.

On behalf of the Board,

Provenance Gold Corp.

Rauno Perttu, Chief Executive Officer

Neither the CSE, nor its regulation services provider, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.VANCOUVER, Canada, September 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

New AI Appliance enables customers to keep legacy camera investments while adding state-of-the-art Avigilon Appearance Search and video analytics technology

Avigilon Corporation, a Motorola Solutions company, today announced the launch and pre-order of its new Avigilon Artificial Intelligence Appliance (AI Appliance).

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748516/Avigilon_AI_Appliance.jpg )



The AI Appliance adds patented self-learning video analytics and Avigilon Appearance Search technology to almost any IP camera. When connected to Avigilon Control Center (ACC) software, customers can evolve legacy camera systems into powerful AI solutions - with automatic alerts of potentially critical events and the ability to search for and locate a person or vehicle of interest across an entire site.

"The demand for video analytics is increasing globally and we believe that all security systems will need to utilize this technology to become a proactive and, eventually, preventative solution," said James Henderson, Avigilon's President and Chief Operating Officer. "With the vast majority of legacy camera systems lacking the intelligence of analytics, the AI Appliance will provide more customers with the ability to use our advanced video analytics to dramatically change the way they interact with their systems."

Engineered for high performance, capacity and resiliency, the AI Appliance will be offered in two models and features leading CPU and GPU hardware that simultaneously support Avigilon video analytics and Avigilon Appearance Search technology.

The AI Appliance is now available for pre-order and is expected to ship in the third quarter of this year.

For more information on product availability, please contact Avigilon sales. To learn more about the AI Appliance, please visit avigilon.com/ai-appliance or Stand C10 at the ESSEN Tradeshow at the Messe Essen, in Essen, Germany on 25-28 September.

About Avigilon

Avigilon, a Motorola Solutions company, provides trusted security solutions to the global market. Avigilon designs, develops, and manufactures video analytics, network video management software and hardware, surveillance cameras, and access control solutions. To learn more about Avigilon, visit avigilon.com.

 2018, Avigilon Corporation. All rights reserved. AVIGILON, the AVIGILON logo, AVIGILON APPEARANCE SEARCH, AVIGILON CONTROL CENTER, and ACC are trademarks of Avigilon Corporation.

Stay Connected

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and view Avigilon videos on YouTube.

More Information

Media Enquiries:

Amy Day

Senior Manager, Global Communications

T: +1-604-629-5182 x2625

media@avigilon.com

Barefoot Tofino Used in P4 Implementation for Low Latency Storage Class Memory Access is Presented at the P4 European Workshop

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Sept. 24, 2018and researchers from Western Digital and Universita della Svizzera italiana, with support from Xilinx and STORDIS , will today present a new breakthrough for providing in-network high-performance fault tolerance for Storage Class Memory (SCM) access using the P4 programming language. The demonstration uses a P4 program implementation developed by Western Digital and USI using Barefoot's 6.5Tb/s Tofino switch ASIC.

Programmable forwarding plane technology is enabling network owners to create and deliver value by accelerating application performance. One of the ways this is achieved is by offloading network functions that are run on servers or appliances onto switches. In addition to performing all standard switch and router functionality with higher efficiency and scale, P4-programmable forwarding planes enable Computational Networking use-cases that are not possible with fixed-function switching silicon, giving users the ability to create simple and scalable packet processing pipelines that meet their unique needs.

The richness of the open P4 ecosystem-with a high-performance, networking domain-specific processor, such as Barefoot Tofino-empowers network owners, operators and application developers to create new functions and features at the forwarding plane-level to extract more value out of the network.

"The usage of new, emerging memories, such as persistent memory, offer huge possibilities to address the increasing diversity of Big Data and Fast Data applications and workloads proliferating in our data-centric world," said Dejan Vucinic, Director, R&D Engineering, Non-Volatile Memory Systems Architecture Group at Western Digital. "However, they require purpose-built system architectures to take full advantage of their speeds in the face of their finite endurance. This breakthrough illustrates new potential for independent scaling of compute and main memory well beyond the practical limits of today's prevailing architectures."

"While most people think of Tofino and P4 as being for networking, this project shows an exciting use-case for storage systems," said Robert Soule, Professor, Faculty of Informatics at Universita della Svizzera italiana and Research Scientist at Barefoot Networks. "For 20 years, researchers have been trying to improve the performance of consensus protocols. We have been able to achieve five orders of magnitude improvements in throughput by moving these computations into the network. It opens up a whole new way to think about distributed storage."

"Once again the versatility of Barefoot Tofino and P4 is demonstrated in their ability realize unique functions in the network, this time for distributed storage applications," said Alexander Jeffries, CEO of STORDIS. "Our expertise in open source networking is helping our Tofino-based switches to be the platforms of choice for delivering innovation in networking by both the industry and academia."

"When you create technology that is truly open and end-user programmable without compromise on performance and price, the possibilities are boundless," said Prem Jonnalagadda, Director, Product Management at Barefoot Networks. "The ability to run consensus protocols directly in the switch forwarding plane using P4 and Tofino creates significant benefits to the shared storage environments, delivering the best end-to-end system and application performance."

In a testament to the agility of P4-programmable forwarding planes, the live demonstration shows the use of a Barefoot Tofino-powered switch running a variation of a classic consensus protocol by Attiya, Bar-Noy, and Dolev (ABD), adapted for use with SCM. The project allows users to keep replicated copies of remote, non-volatile memory consistent, while also ensuring low latency access times. This is an important step towards replacing the traditional memory hierarchy with a cost-effective, uniform type of memory/storage that is resistant to failures.

The demo runs on the STORDIS BF6064X, a 64-port 100GB bare-metal switch powered by a 6.5Tb/s capacity Tofino ASIC. To simulate the memory endpoints, the demo uses Xilinx NetFPGA-SUME Development Boards.

The project team consisted of Vucinic, Marjan Radi, and Yang Liu from Western Digital, and Prof. Soule, Prof. Fernando Pedone, and Huynh Tu Dang from the Systems Institute of USI, and Jaco Hofmann from Technische Universitat Darmstadt. They will present the paper at P4EU 2018 on Sept. 24: 1st P4 European Workshop.

For further details on project, visit: New Breakthrough Main Memory Scale-ou t .

The full paper can be found at: Consensus for Non-Volatile Main Memory .

P4EU 2018 is the first P4 Language Consortium event in Europe. It aims to bring together P4 and P4->NetFPGA researchers from Europe and around the world to foster the growth of the P4 Community. P4EU, which will run as a workshop held in conjunction with the 26th IEEE International Conference on Network Protocols, aims to enable researchers to publish early stage work and small scale projects.

About Barefoot Networks

Barefoot Networks launched in 2016 after two years of developing technology that built switch silicon with a forwarding plane that is defined in software while not compromising on performance. Barefoot empowers network owners and their infrastructure partners to design, optimize, and innovate to meet their specific requirements and gain competitive advantage. In combining the P4 programming language with fast programmable switches, Barefoot has also created an ecosystem for compilers, tools, and P4 programs to make P4 accessible to anybody. Backed by Google Inc., Goldman Sachs Principal Strategic Investments, Alibaba, Tencent, and by premier venture capital firms Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Andreessen Horowitz, Barefoot Networks is headquartered in Silicon Valley. For more information, visit https://barefootnetworks.com/ . Follow us on Twitter: @barefootnetwork . Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barefootnetworks . Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/barefoot-networks .

Barefoot Networks, the Foot Logo, Tofino are trademarks of Barefoot Networks. Western Digital, and the Western Digital logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners.



MEDIA CONTACTS:

For Barefoot Networks:

Alison Flood

barefoot@10fold.com

415-317-4089

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5d5bde48-1df8-4ff9-ba52-07e2b205144c.Prosafe has agreed with Equinor UK Limited to extend the Safe Boreas at the Mariner project in the UK sector of the North Sea by eight months from November 2018 until June 2019. In addition, Equinor has up to six months of options available.

Total value of the extension commencing early November 2018 is approximately USD 45 million.

Jesper Kragh Andresen, CEO of Prosafe says: "This contract extension demonstrates the good performance Prosafe and the Safe Boreas has achieved to support the Mariner hook up and commissioning project. The Safe Boreas with its large bed capacity and advanced station keeping will continue providing a high level of service throughout the remainder of the contract."

Prosafe is a leading owner and operator of semi-submersible accommodation vessels. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange with ticker code PRS.

For more information, please refer to www.prosafe.com (http://www.prosafe.com)

Stavanger, 24 September 2018

Prosafe SE

For further information, please contact:

Jesper K. Andresen, CEO

Phone: +47 51 65 24 30 / +47 907 65 155



Stig Harry Christiansen, Deputy CEO and CFO

Phone: +47 51 64 25 17 / +47 478 07 813





This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Prosafe SE via Globenewswire

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, September 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity launches Four Global Maker Challenges in New York

The initiative invites the global community of makers and innovators to solve real world challenges

Challenges address Sustainable Cities, Digital Divide and Digital Literacy, Rural Transformation and Zero Hunger, and Sustainable Energy

The Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity, an initiative of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, has launched four Global Maker Challenges at the 2018 Solve Challenge Finals hosted by MIT Solve in New York.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748549/GMIS_Logo.jpg )



(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748551/GMIS_Badr_Al_Olama.jpg )



With monetary prizes, mentorship, and access to global organisations, worth up to USD $1 million dollars, the Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity brings together a community of 'makers' inspired to solve some of the world's toughest societal challenges that affect over 1 billion people globally. Aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the initiative aims to empower entrepreneurs, innovators and technologists to drive social innovation and advance global prosperity.

The four Global Maker Challenges were identified in partnership with eight UN agencies and NGOs, and were determined through an intense roadshow in Boston, Vienna and Cairo led by MIT Solve - a social enterprise that is associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The challenge design workshops brought together over 300 global experts from governments, global organisations and private corporations, as well as start-up incubators and academic researchers.

A humanitarian champion who has impacted and improved the lives of over 130 million people across 116 countries, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai, has placed great emphasis on the role of innovation to reshape industries, and strengthen economies and societies. The Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity combines the Global Maker Challenge, an online open-innovation platform designed to promote and accelerate global prosperity through product innovation; and the Global Prosperity Award, a prestigious global accolade that recognizes and rewards corporate social responsibility that advances resilience, community, harmony and dignity across the world.

The Global MakerChallenges for 2018 are:

Sustainable Energy:How do the millions of people living in rural and isolated communities gain access to low carbon electricity? Digital Divide and Digital Literacy: How can people in remote areas access and use reliable and affordable internet connectivity? Rural Transformation and Zero Hunger:How can farmers in less developed countries increase food and cash crop yields through advanced methods of sustainable agricultural production and preservation? Sustainable Cities: How can cities leverage technology to reduce the spread of infectious diseases and prevent the next pandemic?

During his keynote speech at the launch, Badr Al Olama, Head of the Organising Committee for the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), said: "The United Arab Emirates has placed innovation at the core of its manufacturing strategy since the father of our nation set out his vision for the country almost 100 years ago. By chartering a global path towards inclusive and sustainable industrial development, we must create an ecosystem that thrives on technology, creativity and community. "Through the Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity, we can tackle key issues such as poverty, hunger, education and environmental sustainability. This is the beginning of a new movement, one where we align the aspirations of millennials with global good, channeling their energy and creativity to bring about opportunities for those that are in need, and in the communities that need it most."

CLICK HERE to view our video

About the Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Global Prosperity:

A gift from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai, to the world - The Mohammed bin Rashid (MBR) Initiative for Global Prosperity is an ambitious and impactful worldwide extension of the UAE's own transformational vision, built on four core values: resilience, community, harmony, and dignity. It combines the MBR Global Maker Challenge - an online open-innovation platform for 'makers' and innovators to solve specific real-world challenges, and the MBR Global Prosperity Award - a prestigious global accolade that recognizes and rewards social innovation brought by manufacturing for the betterment of humanity. The initiative brings together companies, startups and entrepreneurs, governments and NGOs to create an ecosystem designed to enable new businesses to be built, new jobs to be created, and new solutions to be unlocked in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Disclaimer: This message (including any attachments) is confidential and intended solely for the person or organization to whom it is addressed. It may contain privileged and confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it. If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by telephoning or emailing the sender. This footnote also confirms that this email message has been scanned for the presence of computer viruses.

Press Contact:

Nicola Hooper,

Head of Communications,

GMIS

+44-7393-819-619

nicola@gmisummit.com



Almost half (43%) of UK workers look to tech to optimise performance as anxiety increases around AI

Over a third (36%) are willing to have workplace technology monitor their routine to improve productivity

New research from Unum examines the motivations and priorities of UK workers to understand how the nation's workforce will change over the next decade

UK workers are embracing tech in the workplace to maximise their productivity in the wake of developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology, according to a new report from employee benefits specialist Unum and independent researcher The Future Laboratory

The report, "The Future Workforce", predicts a new breed of worker more open to using technology to enhance their minds and bodies, allowing them to excel in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.

This Tech-Enhanced Worker would be interested in seeing tech in the workplace that optimises brain chemistry, such as meditation apps, or headsets that monitor or alter brain activity a view held by 43% of workers. Almost half (49%) would be interested in using tech, such as activity-tracking wearables and time management apps, to improve their performance.

Many believe that AI would benefit their jobs (43%) yet a greater proportion (55%) expressed concerns AI may render their jobs redundant in years to come.

36% of workers stated they would like to see more technology that monitors their daily routines to help optimise their work, and they're also willing to surrender personal data to enable them to be more efficient. Over half (55%) stated they would be happy to accept the associated benefit rewards for participating in their employer's data-optimised workplace.

The report, which focuses on emerging workforce trends in the next five years and how employers need to adapt to ensure they attract and retain top talent, identifies three additional emerging groups of workers:

The Socially-Committed Worker a group that wants its employers to have a powerful social conscience

The research revealed that 61% of workers feel strongly that companies have a duty to make a positive contribution to society, with 59% stating that they want to work for a company with a powerful social conscience. This rises to 69% of those aged between 25-34.

46% of 24-34 year olds feel that companies should be fined if they are not participating in civic and ethical contributions, further defining this type of worker.

The Socially-Committed worker will also expect their employer to give them dedicated time off to pursue charitable initiatives (37% of all workers).

The Obligated Worker a group that requires flexibility in their work life out of necessity

Obligated workers look to manage their numerous work and life commitments to combine financial security and career fulfilment. They include those with dependents and the 'Sandwich Generation' attempting to balance raising children with caring for ageing parents.

56% of workers claimed they will need to work longer out of necessity, and 61% have expectations that their employer will accommodate for their needs based on their life stage (e.g. grandparent leave, and associated benefits, and different hours to suit their lifestyle).

These workers want to build careers that are flexible particularly at different life stages often leading to 'portfolio working' featuring multiple roles and employers.

The Self-Fulfilled Worker a group that tends to have portfolio careers to increase self-fulfilment

In contrast to the Obligated Workers this group also tends to work flexibly, but out of choice rather than necessity. Almost two thirds (65%) of workers expect to work more years in their life because they want to, not because they have to. And 46% of workers said they're likely to have multiple careers over their lifetime as opposed to one structured, lifelong career.

Peter O'Donnell, CEO of Unum UK said: "Today's major societal trends will have a very significant impact on UK business and the needs and expectations of the workforce. Workers of tomorrow are likely to be more willing to share personal data with employers to improve productivity, more conscious of their company's ethos, and more demanding of workplace flexibility to fulfil personal obligations or lifelong learning goals.

"UK businesses will need to think ahead to ensure they attract and retain talent within this new landscape be it through integration of new workplace technologies, clearly laying out their sustainability credentials or increasing role-sharing to enable greater flexibility. We hope the report will give business leaders food for thought, and that it will start a discussion around how to prepare for the workforce of tomorrow, today."

For more information on the findings and how the employers can adapt to the changing needs of the future workforce, please find the full report here: unum.co.uk/future-workforce.

We have also created a short quiz which helps employees find out what workforce futures they most associate with, and employers to discover how prepared their workplace is for the workers of the future: unum.co.uk/future-workforce-quiz.

Methodology

The Future Laboratory used a mixed research approach involving interviews with a range of experts from its Futures100 network. These are experts in various fields. The aim was to build their knowledge and foresight into our analysis of the future of workplaces, employers and employees in Britain. The experts interviewed were:

Sam Moyo, Founder, Morning Gloryville

Florijn Vriend, Neuropsychologist and Founder, Enrichers

Jim Rokos, Founder, Rokos Design

Martin Knapp, Professor of Social Policy and Director of the Personal Social Services Research unit at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Liz Walker, HR Director, Unum UK

The Future Laboratory also conducted an online survey of UK employees to quantify their awareness, involvement and future interest relating to trends in this report, and the likelihood that they would remain with an employer who adopted these trends. It also investigated the key drivers for trend adoption as well as assessing what factors that can lead employees to leave companies.

The online survey was completed by 3,000 workers in:

Media, advertising, marketing and PR

Engineering and automotive

Goods, services, hospitality and recreation

Labour, agriculture and farming

Finance and law

IT and telecommunications

Medical

Some 97% of respondents work full or part-time in companies with up to 5,000 employees, with 3% defining themselves as self-employed. The survey was carried out by Opinium Research in March 2018.

About Unum UK

Unum UK is a leading employee benefits provider offering financial protection through the workplace including: Income Protection, Life insurance, Critical Illness, and Dental cover.

Our Income Protection customers have access to medical and vocational rehabilitation expertise designed to help people stay in work and return to work following illness and injury. Unum LifeWorks, our Employee Assistance Programme, provides help and advice on a range of work/life issues.

Our Critical Illness customers can access our Cancer Support Service, providing personalised support for employees with a cancer diagnosis.

We are committed to workplace wellbeing for both employees and employers, and have a wide range of tools designed to help businesses create or enhance their employee wellbeing strategy.

At the end of 2017, Unum protected over 1.6 million people in the UK and paid claims of 306 million representing in excess of 5.9 million a week in benefits to our customers providing security and peace of mind to individuals and their families.

Unum Group has a financial strength rating of A (Excellent) from A.M. Best with a stable outlook.

Our parent company, Unum Group, is a provider of employee benefits products and services in the United States, including group and individual disability insurance. Premium income for Unum Group and its subsidiaries totalled $8.6 billion in the year ended 31 December 2017, with reported revenues for the group totalling $11.3 billion and total assets of $64 billion. For more information please visit www.unum.co.uk.

Unum Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Unum Dental is a trading name of Unum Limited. Registered in England 983768.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005275/en/

Contacts:

Unum

Danielle Anthony

Danielle.anthony@unum.co.uk

or

Kelly Spencer

kspencer2@unum.comShip Finance International Limited (the "Company") advises that the 2018 Annual General Meeting of the Shareholders of the Company was held on September 21, 2018 at 10:30 ADT at the Hamilton Princess Hotel and Beach Club, 76 Pitts Bay Road, Hamilton HM CX, Bermuda. The audited consolidated financial statements for the Company for the year ended December 31, 2017 were presented to the Meeting.

In addition, the following resolutions were passed:

To re-elect Harald Thorstein as a Director of the Company.

To re-elect Bert M. Bekker as a Director of the Company.

To re-elect Gary Vogel as a Director of the Company.

To elect Keesjan Cordia as a Director of the Company in place of Paul M. Leand, Jr., who is not standing for re-election.

To approve the increase of the Company's authorised share capital from US$1,500,000 divided into 150,000,000 common shares of US$0.01 par value each to US$2,000,000 divided into 200,000,000 common shares of US$0.01 par value each by the authorization of an additional 50,000,000 common shares of US$0.01 par value each.

That Moore Stephens, P.C. be re-appointed as auditors of the Company and that the Directors be authorised to determine their remuneration.

That the remuneration payable to the Company's Board of Directors of a total amount of fees not to exceed US$800,000 be approved for the year ended December 31, 2018.

At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company held today immediately following the Annual General Meeting, James O'Shaughnessy was elected as a new Board member to fill a vacancy on the Board as the Chairperson of the Audit Committee. Mr. O'Shaughnessy is a Bermuda resident and has been an Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller of Axis Capital Holdings Limited since March 26, 2012. More details can be found on the Company's website: www.shipfinance.bm/board-of-directors.

Ship Finance International Limited

Hamilton, Bermuda

September 24, 2018

About Ship Finance

Ship Finance International Limited (NYSE: SFL) has a unique track record in the maritime industry, being consistently profitable and paying dividends every quarter since 2004. The Company's fleet of more than 80 vessels is split between tankers, bulkers, container vessels and offshore assets, and Ship Finance's long term distribution capacity is supported by a portfolio of long term charters and significant growth in the asset base over time. More information can be found on the Company's website: www.shipfinance.bm

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward looking statements. These statements are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including Ship Finance management's examination of historical operating trends. Although Ship Finance believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control, Ship Finance cannot give assurance that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or intentions. Important factors that, in the Company's view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in this presentation include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions including fluctuations in charter hire rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market as a result of changes in OPEC's petroleum production levels and worldwide oil consumption and storage, changes in the Company's operating expenses including bunker prices, dry-docking and insurance costs, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

This announcement is distributed by West Corporation on behalf of West Corporation clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Ship Finance International Limited via Globenewswire

Thousands of people packed the streets of the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz today to mourn the victims of an attack on a military parade that killed at least 29 people.

Iran has declared Monday a national day of mourning. Public offices, banks, schools and universities will be closed in Khuzestan province, Reuters reported.

Gunmen opened fire at Revolutionary Guard troops and officials in the south-western Iranian city of Ahvaz at 09:00 local time (06:30 BST). The attack lasted about 10 minutes, and appeared to involve four gunmen.

The attackers fired at civilians and attempted to attack military officials on the podium. Civilians including women and children, who were watching the military parade, were among those killed, according to reports. At least 29 people were killed, 57 more were injured.With measures to slash greenhouse gas emissions set to miss their mark, businesses should act now and prepare for a changing climate, according to a report by Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich). Published ahead of Climate Week NYC, a gathering of investors, governors and CEOs in New York this week, it recommends a three-step strategy to help companies strengthen their defenses.

The report, 'Managing the impacts of climate change: risk management responses (https://www.zurich.com/en/knowledge/articles/2018/09/managing-the-impacts-of-climate-change-risk-management-responses),' provides risk management tools, and outlines approaches and best practices to help businesses respond to the growing threat of climate change.

"Our analysis suggests that the current level of efforts to keep global temperatures from rising over 2-degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels will likely fail, so businesses should prepare for the physical consequences of a warming planet. Companies must know the magnitude of their climate risk, so that they can prioritize actions based on their particular circumstances," said Alison Martin, Group Chief Risk Officer and Member of the Executive Committee. "It's crucial for businesses to develop a climate resilience adaptation strategy and act on it now."

The report examines two scenarios: one based on the failure to act on climate change, resulting in a steady rise in temperature and rising physical risk; the other assumes that effective measures are taken to reduce carbon emissions, with increasing transition risks to be managed in the shorter term.

It also details three steps companies can follow to develop a climate resilience adaptation strategy:

Identify the broad business and strategic risks;

Develop a granular view of the risks including individual locations;

Develop a mitigation strategy involving insurance and resilience, as well as strategic implications for business models.

Scientists agree that climate change will likely lead to more intense hurricanes with higher rainfall amounts and rising sea levels, which will result in more dangerous storms surges and flooding. As a risk management expert, underwriter and investor, Zurich understands the risks of climate change and supports the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Ms. Martin said: "At Zurich, we encourage building more resilient critical infrastructure, which can help our customers and governments adapt to climate change. We firmly believe in prevention as the best form of protection. Adaptation costs for climate change effects may be significantly lower than damage costs. For example, through our Flood Resilience Program (https://www.zurich.com/en/sustainability/flood-resilience), Zurich has demonstrated that every dollar spent on flood prevention measures on average saves five dollars on recovery efforts should a flood event occur."

Ms. Martin said she hoped the Zurich paper can provide the necessary guidance for businesses to address their exposures to climate change risks.

Further information

The report, 'Managing the impacts of climate change: risk management responses,' is available here (https://www.zurich.com/en/knowledge/articles/2018/09/managing-the-impacts-of-climate-change-risk-management-responses).DUBAI, UAE, September 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Emaar Properties, the global developer of icons including Burj Khalifa, is celebrating the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival on September 24, and the 'Golden Week' observed during the first week of October by offering Chinese investors a never-before value proposition with a 'Golden Month Offer' until October 24, 2018.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748605/Burj_Khalifa_by_Emaar.jpg )



(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748604/Emaar_Mid_Autumn_Festival.jpg )



Chinese buyers of most Emaar residential properties in Dubai will receive 50% off on registration fees and can enjoy a convenient three-year post-handover payment plan. They will be treated to a two-week free stay for them or relatives at Armani Hotel Dubai with the offer valid for a year.

On Mid-Autumn Festival day, a special animation will be displayed on Burj Khalifa from 8.13pm, and mooncakes, a traditional pastry, will be distributed to visitors in most of Emaar's sales centres.

Chinese investors can opt for world-class homes in Emaar's portfolio in Dubai that assure strong long-term returns, with prices at extremely competitive rates compared to global cities. Downtown Dubai is a sought-after destination with icons such as Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall, The Dubai Fountain and Dubai Opera. The Dubai Mall welcomed 80 million visitors for the fourth consecutive year establishing Downtown Dubai as the world's most visited lifestyle destination.

Investors have a winning proposition in Dubai Creek Harbour, a master-planned destination along the historic Dubai Creek in the heart of the city, and anchored by the new global icon, Dubai Creek Tower and the new retail metropolis of the future, Dubai Square. It is only 10 minutes from Downtown Dubai and the Dubai International Airport and next to the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, home to migratory birds including pink flamingos.

Dubai Creek Harbour has 7.3 million sq m of residential space, and 940,000 sq m of retail precincts - including Dubai Square also featuring the region's largest Chinatown. When completed, Dubai Creek Harbour will be home to over 200,000 people, and be a thriving economy that drives the tourism, retail and hospitality sectors of the city.

Emaar had announced it will open three dedicated pavilions in China - Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, all cities served by direct daily flights to Dubai on Emirates Airline.

For details on Emaar's projects, call 800 36227 (UAE) or +9714 3661688 (International); or email: Sales_Enquiry@emaar.ae.The European Investment Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

The European Investment Trust plc ("the Company")

The Company announces that on 24 September 2018 it purchased the following number of its ordinary shares of 25 pence each on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.

Ordinary Shares:

Date of purchase: 24 September 2018 Number of ordinary shares purchased: 20,000 Lowest price per share 901.0p Highest price per share 901.0p

The Company intends to cancel the purchased shares.

Following the above transaction, the Company has 41,326,269 ordinary shares in issue. Each of the Company's shares carries one vote. Accordingly, the total number of voting rights of the Company is 41,326,269.

24 September 2018

LEI: 213800QNN9EHZ4SC1R12

Enquiries:

Kenneth J Greig

Edinburgh Partners AIFM Limited

Tel: 0131 270 3800

The Company's registered office address is:

Beaufort House

51 New North Road

Exeter

EX4 4EPLas Vegas, Nevada--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2018) - Indigenous Roots Corp. (OTC Pink: IRCC) announces that the Company has accepted the resignation of the following directors effective immediately: Robert Louie, Ronald Cannan, Donald Schultz, Darryl Deadmarsh, Kelly Sherman, Isaac Laboucan-Avirom and Robert Kay.

The resignations were mutually agreed on by the Company and the directors.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. There shall not be any offer, solicitation of an offer to buy, or sale of securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offering, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Additional Information:

Statements made in this press release include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding, but not limited to, the amount and use of proceeds the Company expects to receive from the sale of the shares of common stock in the registered direct offering and the warrants and the closing of the transaction described in this press release, which is subject to customary conditions. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "plan," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate, and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and are advised to consider the factors listed above together with the additional factors under the heading "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, dated August 31, 2017 and the most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, dated February 28, 2018. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise.

Investor Contact:

Michael Matvieshen, Director

1.250.681.1010Equipped with knowledge and backed by rich industry experience, British Biologicals, an award-winning global nutraceutical companyhas announced Bharath Reddy, Director of International Business Development and Operations, will lead the company's expansion into the United States for an end-to-end solution for the nutritional supplement industry. The launch of the new 50,000-sq. ft. British Biologicals USA operating facility is set to open in Eastvale, CA in February 2019 and will continue the company's pursuit of high standards and innovative services.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924006032/en/

British Biologicals' USA Leadership Team is Equipped for Launch of NEW California Based Operating Facility (Photo: Business Wire)

"My team's experience in this market will help us continue to raise the bar in nutraceutical services and exceed the expectations of our clients," stated Bharath Reddy, Director of International Business Development and Operations. "Every day, more and more people are opting for a healthier lifestyle and we are proud that British Biologicals is leading the industry in nutrition research and services to support health and wellness."

British Biologicals' new 50,000 sq. ft. operating facility will be stationed in Eastvale, California and has an expected completion date for February 2019. The corporation plans to offer state-of-the-art services to nutritional supplement companies including: ingredient procurement, manufacturing management, third party logistics (3PL), global distribution (specializing in India and the Middle East), and an innovation center to formulate cutting edge products.

Alongside Reddy, British Biologicals' USA expansion team includes Kristen Jones, CEO of British Biologicals USA, and Ryan Condie, COO of British Biologicals USA. Strategically selected, Jones and Condie are a part of a full team assembled to create innovative solutions that improve product quality, manufacturing standards, and cost savings to finished goods companies. British Biologicals' expansion strives to partner with nutraceutical companies and provide product quality consistency, efficient and effective manufacturing, and supply chain savings.

"Our primary commitment as a nutrition company is to contribute to a healthier future for existing generations, and generations to come," stated Reddy. "I'm honored to lead the British Biologicals USA expansion for an end-to-end solution for the nutritional supplement industry."

Currently, British Biologicals exports products to South East Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, and the West Indies, and are now rapidly growing in the European and American markets. British Biologicals is the only Indian corporation exporting nutritional supplements to the United Kingdom, and today is recognized as India's top medical nutrition company. For more information on British Biologicals visit http://www.britishbiologicals.com/.

About British Biologicals:

British Biologicals is an India-based Nutraceutical company, founded in 1988 by Mr. V S Reddy. British Biologicals is headquartered at Bangalore and is popularly known as 'The Protein People'. The company offers wide range of Nutraceutical science-based nutritional supplements that are distinctive, reliable and 100% safe for human consumption. British Biologicals is proud to attain dignified USA quality standards and excellence and currently exports products to South East Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, and the West Indies, and are growing in the European and American markets. With a high-volume production capacity per day, our facility is the largest and the most advanced of its kind in the whole of South East Asia.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924006032/en/

Contacts:

BN Labs

Kristen Jones

k.jones@bn-labs.comVancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2018) - Kappafrik Management DMCC ("KMGT") announces that in connection with the acquisition by Reservoir Capital Corp. (the "Company") of a 60% interest of Kainji Power Holding Limited ("KPHL"), pursuant to a definitive share purchase agreement dated August 27, 2018 with KMGT, resulting in the Company owning an indirect minority (approximately 1.3%) interest in Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, as further described in the Company's press release dated September 21, 2018 (the "Transaction"), KMGT acquired ownership and control of 88,800,000 common shares (the "Shares") of the Company.

In connection with the Transaction, KMGT transferred 600 shares held in KPHL to the Company in exchange for an aggregate of 158,100,000 common shares of the Company, which were distributed among certain accredited investors, including KMGT. Immediately prior the Transaction, KMGT did not own any securities of the Company. Upon closing of the Transaction, KMGT controlled an aggregate of 88,800,000 Shares, which represented approximately 43.05% of the Company's issued and outstanding Shares (based on 206,264,424 Shares outstanding upon the closing of the Transaction) on a non-diluted basis.

The acquisition by KMGT of the Shares was primarily made for investment purposes. KMGT may increase or decrease its investment in the Company from time to time according to market conditions or other relevant factors.

The Shares were acquired under the exemptions set out in section 2.3 of National Instrument 45-106 -Prospectus Exemptions. As a result, the Shares acquired by KMGT will be subject to a statutory four-month and a day hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws.

KGMT is issuing this news release pursuant to the requirements of National Instrument 62-103 - The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues. A copy of the related early warning report (the "Report") will be issued and filed by KMGT on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile.

The Company's head office is located at Suite 501, 543 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 1X8. For further information or to obtain a copy of the Report, contact Kim Casswell, the Corporate Secretary of the Company, at kcasswell@seabordservices.com.In 2018-19, the Corporate Affairs Ministry has identified nearly 2.26 lakh companies for continuously not submitting requisite filings for two or more years.

New Delhi: Amid intensified efforts to curb illicit fund flows, the government expects to deregister this fiscal another 50,000 companies that have not been carrying out business activities for long, according to a senior official.

The names of more than 2.26 lakh companies have already been struck off from official records and almost an equal number has been identified for further action.

In 2018-19, the Corporate Affairs Ministry has identified nearly 2.26 lakh companies for continuously not submitting requisite filings for two or more years.

A senior ministry official said that around 70,000 companies that have not been carrying out business activities for long have been deregistered so far in the current fiscal.

Another 50,000 such entities are expected to be deregistered during this financial year, the official added. The fiscal ends on 31 March, 2019.

Last month, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs PP Chaudhary said Registrars of Companies (RoCs) have identified around 2.26 lakh companies which have not filed their financial statements or annual returns for a continuous period of two or more financial years.

Exclusion of companies from the records would be done by the RoCs as per the rules and that it is a continuous exercise, he had said.

Section 248 of the Companies Act - implemented by the ministry - provides powers to strike off names of companies from the register on various grounds, including for being inactive for long.

There are concerns that shell entities are being used as conduits for illegal fund flows.Currency in circulation increased from Rs 9 trillion in January 2017 to Rs 19.5 trillion as of 14 September this year. But since the beginning of May 2018, the same has been in the range of Rs 19-19.6 trillion, says the SBI Research report.

Mumbai: The currency in circulation (CiC), which increased exponentially after the note ban in November 2016 under which as many as 99.9 percent of them returned to the system, has seen some slowdown in expansion since May this year likely due to higher fuel prices and Reserve Bank's intervention in forex market, says a report.

Currency in circulation increased from Rs 9 trillion in January 2017 to Rs 19.5 trillion as of 14 September this year. But since the beginning of May 2018, the same has been in the range of Rs 19-19.6 trillion, says the report.

"One possible reason can be people may be cutting back discretionary spending with the recent spurt in fuel prices, mostly in rural areas," says SBI Research in a report on Monday.

The other factor could be to the extent RBI selling dollars directly from its foreign exchange reserves to designated dealers/banks thereby withdrawing rupee resources in return, thus reducing currency in circulation, it said.

The report, however, said such intervention, since taking place between banks, should not have major impact on systemic liquidity.

The third reason, though insignificant, could also be RBI replacing soiled notes, it added.

The decline in CiC is a seasonal phenomenon but this time it seems the decline is more than just seasonal and has continued beyond August, it noted.

The Reserve Bank's weekly data for the last 10 years shows a pattern in CiC decline in the last fortnight of every July, which is partly explained by the low cash demand from the agriculture sector.

The demand for currency increases after the monsoons as the harvesting begins in October followed by Rabi sowing, eventually giving rise to cash requirement.

The festive season also brings along its natural demand, which gets accentuated with buying of gold, automobiles, increasing the demand for currency, the report added.Earlier this month, IL&FS Group defaulted on inter-corporate deposits and commercial papers.

New Delhi: Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), which has defaulted on a series of interest payments, needs to resolve issues on its own, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said.

"IL&FS is independent of government. It has independent board and shareholders. So, IL&FS needs to resolve its issues on its own and I think it is capable of doing it," Garg told PTI in an interview.

Although government has no holding in the company, some of the state-owned financial firms including LIC and SBI are shareholders of the non-banking financial company (NBFC).

"It has assets, it has liabilities to take care. There might be some temporary mismatch, so it is IL&FS, which will deal with the problem. The government is not involved directly," Garg said.

Earlier this month, IL&FS Group defaulted on inter-corporate deposits and commercial papers.

On 4 September, it came to light that IL&FS had defaulted on a short-term loan of Rs 1,000 crore from Sidbi, while a subsidiary has also defaulted on Rs 500 crore dues to the development financial institution, which reportedly forced Sidbi to ask its chief general manager in charge of the risk management department to resign.

State-owned LIC is the largest shareholder with a fourth of the firm's equity, while Orix Corporation of Japan owns 23.5 percent.

Other shareholders include Abu Dhabi Investment Authority with 12.5 percent stake, IL&FS Employees Welfare Trust with 12 percent, HDFC with 9.02 percent, Central Bank of India with 7.67 percent and State Bank of India (SBI) with 6.42 percent at the March-end 2018.

In a letter to its employees, IL&FS had claimed that if funds worth Rs 16,000 crore stuck with concession authorities were released on time, it would not have landed in this mess.

"Our monies were used to fund the cost and time overruns caused by concession authority delays in handing over right of way.

"It is our case that if concession authorities released our monies, around Rs 16,000 crore of IL&FS group liquidity and stuck in claims and termination payments, we would not be in the situation that we are in," IL&FS had said in its letter.

IL&FS, which is credited for building the longest tunnel in the country (the Chenani-Nashri tunnel), is sitting on a debt pile of around Rs 91,000 crore and had been downgraded to junk status by rating agencies following the default. Of this, Rs 57,000 crore are bank loans alone, most of which are from state-run lenders.

While IL&FS Transport Network, the holding firm of the group's road assets, has nearly Rs 35,000 crore consolidated debt, IL&FS Financial Services has Rs 17,000 crore of debt, which sits as standard asset for most banks, according to a Nomura India report.The United States will find new options for sanctions against Iran if renewed previous sanctions do not lead to changes inside the country, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said yesterday.

"We think we've disrupted their efforts to impose their will on countries around the region. We think these new sanctions coming in [November] will have a significant economic and political effect inside the country. And that's what we want. We want massive changes in the behavior by the regime in Iran," Bolton told the Fox News broadcaster in an interview.

He added that if they do not undertake that, they will face more consequences because the U.S. will find more sanctions to impose, "another ways to put maximum pressure."

Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, who represents Iran on OPEC's board of governors, however, said that the country intends to continue exporting its oil, despite the pressure from the West, and no American sanctions will prevent it

In May, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision to leave the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the Iran nuclear deal, and reimpose sanctions on Tehran and third states doing business with Iran. The US move was condemned by other signatories to the accord, who have expressed their commitment to preserving the deal.

Sanctions against Iran's energy sector will take effect in early November. Washington stated its goal is to bring oil exports from Iran to zero.

Meanwhile, U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo announced earlier that Trump was ready to engage in a constructive dialogue with Iran's representatives and possibly meet them at the UN General Assembly in New York, saying that Trump "is happy to talk with folks at any time."An initial draft policy set up to formulate a national e-commerce policy has suggested that all e-commerce companies will have to store user data exclusively in India in view of security and privacy concerns.

New Delhi: Making it mandatory for e-commerce players operating in the country to store user data exclusively in India will impact their business, according to industry experts.

An initial draft policy discussed at a meeting of a high-level think-tank set up to formulate a national e-commerce policy has suggested that all e-commerce companies will have to store user data exclusively in India in view of security and privacy concerns.

Pratibha Jain, Partner, Nishit Desai Associates said that data localisation would not help in resolving privacy concerns.

"Whether I keep a copy in India or offshore as long as the service provider signs a confidentiality agreement which is enforceable expeditiously... the only thing that then matters to me is the economics.

"As long as companies agree to provide access to the government, location of storage should not be a concern. On the other hand, enforcing data localisation may increase the cost of business for start-ups," she said.

Jain added that any policy should have three mantras -- job creation, promoting exports and consumer protection.

Another expert from the industry, who did not wish to be named, shared similar views and said that several budding entrepreneurs are venturing into e-commerce field and to help them grow, the government should not make it mandatory to store user data in the country.

However, some experts stated that the government should not allow firms to store data outside the country as there are security-related concerns.

Professor Biswajit Dhar of Jawaharlal Nehru University said that data localisation is important for India and that cannot be shared with anyone.

"User data should be stored in India. The data movement is tracked by multinational firms and from that they are making commercial gains. The government has to take stand on this important issue and framing of the national e-commerce policy would help in taking a strong stand in the issue in the WTO," he added.

Several members, particularly the developed countries in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), are demanding discussions on liberalising e-commerce trade and for that India needs to first formulate a domestic policy for the fast-growing sector.

A high-level committee has been constituted recently by the government to take a look at all the issues concerning this sector, including definition, payment systems and logistics related matters.Ola is also in talks with Singapore's Temasek Holdings Pvt. Ltd and two other funds to raise $1 billion capital

ANI Technologies, which runs cab-hailing major Ola, is reportedly in talks with South Africa-based internet and media group Naspers to get fresh capital, a media report said.

Ola is also in talks with Singapore's Temasek Holdings Pvt Ltd and two other funds to raise $1 billion capital, Mint reported. The cab-hailing major, which is currently valued at about $4 billion will see its valuation go up to $7-8 billion, the newspaper report added.

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.

Last week, Ola 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.

Ola, in an extraordinary general meeting held on 31 August, 2018, approved the proposal to raise $50 million 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 percent stake in Ola (run by ANI Technologies), it added.

The company said it has 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 $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.

ANI Technologies raised multiple rounds of funding in 2017. According to documents filed with regulatory authorities, it raised over Rs 231 crore from Tekne Private Ventures through the issue of preference shares in June that year.

In March 2017, the SoftBank-backed Ola had raised Rs 670 crore ($104.4 million) in funding from investors including UC-RNT Fund, a venture between the University of California and leading industrialist Ratan Tata.

ANI Technologies, which is not a publicly-traded company, counts among its investors names like SoftBank Group, Tiger Global, Sequoia India and Accel Partners US.Sterling Biotech is alleged to have taken loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank which had turned into non-performing assets.

Mumbai: Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, the absconding director of a Gujarat-based pharma company which is being probed in a Rs 5,000 crore fraud case, has reportedly fled to Nigeria and not Dubai as reports mentioned earlier. Sandesaria, his brother Chetan, sister in law, Dipti besides other family members are believed to be in Nigeria, according to media reports.

However, investigating agencies are planning to send a request to authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seeking a provisional request, the TOI report said.

Earlier, there were news reports that Sandesara was arrested by Dubai police based on a non-bailable arrest warrant issued by an Indian court. But he has left UAE, said a report in the Indian Express

"The legal process post the arrest is taking place in Dubai. We are waiting for details. Indian agencies will try to get him deported," a senior official said.

Reportedly, Indian probe agencies had information on Sandesara being in Dubai, following which the authorities alerted the officials in United Arab Emirates.

The company and its directors are being probed. CBI has booked Vadodara-based Sterling Biotech, its directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and Vilas Joshi, chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, former director Andhra Bank Anup Garg and some unidentified persons in connection with the alleged bank fraud case.

Meanwhile many tweeted the news taking potshots at the government. The Assam Congress said, Another Gujarati, one more brank fraud, same modus operandi of fleeing from the country.

Another Gujarati, one more bank fraud, same modus operandi of fleeing from the country. #Chowkidar ji sleeping during his duty! https://t.co/28NudD0Hbq  Assam Congress (@INCAssam) September 24, 2018

Prashant Bhushan, public interest lawyer and activist named the other Indian businessmen who had fled the country in a similar fashion. "After Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, now Gujarat scamster Nitin Sandesara being investigated by the CBI, escapes with more than 2000 crs," he tweeted.

While the chaukidar distracts us with one scheme after another, his scamster escape assist Seva is working overtime. After Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, now Gujarat scamster Nitin Sandesara being investigated by the CBI, escapes with more than 20000 Crs! https://t.co/26BtP6Xw5a  Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) September 24, 2018

Sanjay Nirupam of the Congress in his tweet said, another 'bank chor' had been allowed to escape.

Another #BankChor is allowed to escape.#vijaymallya #MehulChoksi#NiravModi

And now #NitinSandesara who was facing investigation in 5000cr bank fraud has fled to Nigeria.Along with family.

Is it possible without agencies' support?

And who controls these agencies? We all know pic.twitter.com/T4mUUFORpk  Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) September 24, 2018

Case so far

It is alleged that the company took loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank which had turned into non-performing assets.

As per the FIR, the total pending dues of the group of companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016. The ED has taken the FIR into cognisance.

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested few people in this case including Delhi-based businessman Gagan Dhawan, former Andhra Bank director Anup Garg and Sterling Biotech Ltd director Rajbhhushan Dixit.

Multiple prosecution complaints or charge sheets have also been filed by it before a special court here.

It had also attached assets worth over Rs 4,700 crore of the pharmaceutical firm in June this year.Usha Martin is amongst the largest wire rope manufacturers in the world and a leading speciality steel producer in India.

New Delhi: Tata Steel on Saturday announced that it will acquire the steel business of Usha Martin Limited (UML) for Rs 4,300-4,700 crore.

UML, in a stock exchange filing, said the sale of steel business to Tata Steel will help the company in "significant reduction" of its debt. The deal is expected to be completed in 6-9 months, it added.

Tata Steel, in a release, said it has executed definitive agreements for acquisition of the steel business of UML through a slump sale on a going-concern basis.

"It is proposed that the steel business of UML will be acquired subject to transaction closing, for a cash consideration of between Rs 4,300-4,700 crore (subject to various transaction adjustments)," the release said.

The closing of the acquisition is subject to fulfilment of various conditions under the agreements. At the closing, Tata Steel or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates may carry out this acquisition, it added.

UML's steel business comprises the specialised 1 mtpa alloy based manufacturing capacity in long products segment based in Jamshedpur, a producing iron-ore mine, a coal mine under development and captive power plants, Tata Steel said.

The transaction and acquisition structure would be determined shortly, it added.

Tata Steel Group is among the top global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 27.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) as on March 31, 2018.

Usha Martin is amongst the largest wire rope manufacturers in the world and a leading speciality steel producer in India.

In May, Bamnipal Steel Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Steel, completed the acquisition of controlling stake of 72.65 percent in Bhushan Steel Ltd (BSL).

Tata Steel had won the bid to acquire debt-laden BSL in an insolvency auction.In June, the ED moved a court against the liquor baron seeking to declare Mallya a 'fugitive offender' and to confiscate his assets worth Rs 12,500 crore

Mumbai: Embattled businessman Vijay Mallya has submitted his reply on Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea to declare him a fugitive economic offender under the new law, a media report said on Monday.

The Mumbai court will hear the matter at 2.45 pm on Monday, ANI reported.

In June, the ED moved a court against the liquor baron seeking to declare Mallya a 'fugitive offender' and to confiscate his assets worth Rs 12,500 crore.

The agency had filed an application before a Mumbai court under the recently promulgated Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance that empowers it to confiscate all assets of an absconding loan defaulter.

The application sought to immediately confiscate about Rs 12,500 crore assets of Mallya and his companies, both movable and immovable.

The ED had furnished evidence in its two charge sheets, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the past, to make a case for seeking a fugitive offender tag for Mallya from the court.

Mallya is contesting these money laundering charges in London as part of India's efforts to extradite him from there and face the legal system here in connection with an overall alleged loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore of various banks.

As per the existing process of law under the PMLA, the ED can confiscate the assets only after the trial in a case finishes which usually takes many years.

The Narendra Modi government brought the fugitive ordinance as "there have been instances of economic offenders fleeing the jurisdiction of Indian courts, anticipating the commencement, or during the pendency, of criminal proceedings," the government said.

With inputs from agenciesThe metropolitan magistrate KG Paldewar concluded on 4 August, that the article was published after due care and attention, without malice, in good faith for the public good.

Like some places, Vapi, an industrial hub in Gujarat, bordering Maharashtra, is recognisable by its smells and its polluted colourful nallahs full of untreated effluents. Many years ago, it used to be identified by an unmistakable stench and even now as you cross the river Daman Ganga, the air tells you that there is more than water in that river. Most people passed by and held their noses but one photo-journalist did more than that. Shailendra Yashwant reported on the pollution in Vapi in an article, Toxic Wastes Choke Vapis Lifeline, for Sanctuary Features which was published in Newstime on 11 July, 1995.

For that public service, Yashwant and the chief editor of Newstime, Ramoji Rao, its owners and publishers, and Bittu Sahgal, editor of Sanctuary Features who commissioned the article, faced trial for defamation charges which concluded only last month, a good 22 years after the case was filed by United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) in 1996. The company claimed that the defamatory article was published with the common intention of affecting its business and causing it damage as well as tarnishing the reputation of its directors. Besides, it contended that the article contained several false statements, some of which are defamatory per se and others [are] containing defamatory innuendos.

However, metropolitan magistrate KG Paldewar concluded on 4 August, that the article was published after due care and attention, without malice, in good faith for the public good. The said article in good faith conveys for the public good a caution on the adverse environmental impacts by the import of such obsolete technology and its operation in the country. Hence, the publication of [the] article is for public good in the interest of public. He acquitted all the accused in the case and said that the article in question speaks of the truth which has been written by his [the journalists] own study, research and from the material collected.

The judge also pointed out in his order that the case of the complainant relating to financial loss to the company is contrary to the evidence.

Yashwant wrote about the high levels of pollution and poor handling of untreated waste in the chemical industrial units at Vapi and how toxic waste was dumped into the river Daman Ganga. At that time United Phosphorus had imported a second-hand chloralkali plant from Norway, and Greenpeace had done a report on this which was referred to in the article. The plant which made toxic chemicals, was closed in Norway and it was dumped into India, Greenpeace had said.

It was only in 2011 and 2013 that Vapi was notified as a critically polluted area by the ministry of environment and forests and is a toxic hotspot with little regulation. In the course of the trial, the court noted that there was poor law enforcement of environmental rules. The final order pointed out that that it is for the complainant to prove the case beyond all reasonable doubt. After scrutinising the evidence and documents, it is crystal clear, the order said that the article by Yashwant is not defamatory but it is disclosure of [the] true facts of the pollution. Based on the evidence of two witnesses, the order said it was apparently clear that UPL was discharging non-treated toxic effluent through an illegal outlet which finally discharged the effluent in river Daman Ganga. The river is the only river in Vapi and is a lifeline to the residents, since its the only source of the water.

In the current atmosphere where media freedom is sought to be curtailed, the order comes as a boost especially for environmental causes, since it also criticises the bypassing of the law, even as pollution is not controlled by government bodies meant for that purpose. In a statement, Sahgal, said: "This is not a victory for three journalists, it is a victory for democracy and freedom of speech. It is also a clarion call to policy makers to recognise that the implementation of environmental laws amounts to the protection of the life of every Indian citizen, as defined by the sacred Constitution of India."

The order said that it is the function of the press to disseminate news from as many different sources and with as many different facts and colours as possible. A citizen is entirely dependent on the press for the quality, proportion and extension of his news supply. The court said the degradation of the environment is nothing but an inaction and lapse on the part of Governmental agencies 

Despite repeated directions by the Hon'ble Apex Court and by the Hon'ble High Courts, the officers and Government machinery including GPCB (Gujarat Pollution Control Board) and GIDC (Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation) have been negligent in discharge of their statutory duties. This inaction by them is nothing but a connivance with such industrialist for which no other direct evidence is required. One can read between two lines about the involvement of these officers. It is well substantiated by the above evidence and case laws; GPCB. is guilty of total inaction in taking effective steps for protecting or improving the environment. Thus, it is not difficult to get permission from GPCB- [the] same in reflected in the Article as 'Minor Irritant'," the order said.

The article had said that permissions were a minor irritant as they were obtained easily from the authorities.

Besides, the court asked the complainant to revisit its contention that GPCB has not lodged any prosecution and the company has never been prosecuted. However, in the light of documents of GPCB and testimony of witnesses  it is not a matter of honour to the complainant but it is a matter of serious concern to rethink over it.

Many documents produced in the case from the GPCB and evidence of various witnesses indicated that there was extensive pollution in Vapi and effluents were being discharged without being treated. The court noted that the contention of the article was substantiated by the documents of GPCB and testimony of its officials.

The order will come as a major support to journalists increasingly being accused of defamation with companies filing Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suits. In a statement, senior advocate Raj Panjwani, counsel for the accused journalists, said, Justice has prevailed. This case has set a precedent for freedom of Press. In India, both libel and slander are criminal offences under its Penal Code and enables an aggrieved person to file a criminal case against the person accusing him/her. Invariably, corporations abuse this law by filing Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suits such as this case, to intimidate environmental watchdogs and prevent them from standing up courageously to challenge polluting corporations. SLAPP suits are an abuse of judicial process, which need to be thwarted and weeded out at the threshold from the pure stream of justice.Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra is retiring from Supreme Court on 2 October. But since his last day is falling on a national holiday, the apex court won't function on next Tuesday and thus, Misra has only six more days left to clear some landmark judgements.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra is retiring from Supreme Court on 2 October. But since his last day (next Tuesday) falls on a national holiday, the apex court won't function on that day and thus, Misra has only six more days left to clear some landmark judgments. However, as per reports, there is no pronouncement lined up for the bench on Monday.

Aadhaar Case

Among the most awaited verdicts is, the Aadhaar case judgment. The constitutional validity of Aadhaar was questioned and challenged in court on the touchstone of it violating the Right to Privacy. The UIDAI chief also gave a presentation in the court maintaining that Aadhaar was unique due to its pan-India appeal and contended that there was no threat to citizen's privacy through it. The CJI-led bench, however, had observed that citizens must be given a choice of identities to access services. And therefore, the court will now rule on whether it was right of the government to have brought it as a money bill in Lok Sabha, which debarred Rajya Sabha from contesting its fate. The judgment will have a bearing on Speaker's powers to allow bills to be presented as money bills in the Lower House as, Opposition leaders in the Upper House had questioned this move earlier.

Ram Mandir Issue

Another key verdict ahead of Misra is the Ram Mandir issue. While the bench would not decide on the title suit, what is pending for orders is a legal question by Muslim appellants  on whether a mosque is essential for Islam or not. A 1994 Supreme Court judgment had said that Muslims can pray anywhere in the open and this was challenged. The argument is that Islam will collapse without its mosques to congregate and pray. The court on Monday transferred the case to be heard by a three-judge constitutional bench on Friday.

Women's entry in Sabarimala Temple

Misra will also deliver his verdict in the Sabarimala temple case in which, the prohibition on the entry of women  in the age group of 10 to 51 years  in the Sabarimala Temple, is under challenge. So far, going by the observations that the court had orally made during the hearing of the case, it appears that the centuries-old ban may indeed be lifted. The bench had orally observed that a ban on the entry of women inside the Sabarimala Temple is "steeped in patriarchy and chauvinism".

Reservation for SC/ST in promotions

Another important judgment will be on Centre's petition questioning the 2006 judgemnt laying down criteria of quantifiable date demonstrating the inadequacy of SC/ST representation in the higher echelons of administration, coupled with administrative efficiency for grant of reservation in promotion. This is a politically sensitive matter, which has been challenged by the Centre. The government had questioned the conditions for permitting reservation in promotion and had contended before the top court that being SC/ST is a "great stigma" that can't be erased by having the benefit of reservation for two or more generations.

Other cases

One more judgment that may have a deep political bearing would be, deciding that at what stage a person charged with criminal cases can be ousted from the electoral fray. Besides this, the court also will take up the challenge to Gujarat High Court's order on the 2017 election of Congress leader Ahmed Patel as a Rajya Sabha member. Patel had challenged the high court permitting trial on the election petition by defeated candidate Balwantsinh Rajput alleging corrupt practices in the polls.

The court will also hear a challenge to the practice of female genital mutilation among the Dawoodi Bohra community. The case was referred to a five-judge constitutional bench on Monday. Meanwhile, a constitution bench headed by the Chief Justice had reserved its verdict on a challenge to the provision of adultery, during CJI's last month of service where it was argued that the provision under Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code treats a woman as a commodity owned by the husband. Thus, it was stated that the provision violates the constitutional concepts of sensitivity and gender equality. The court will now give out a verdict on the "discriminatory" adultery law that punishes the man alone for being in an extramarital relationship.

In the last week, the CJI-led bench had reserved its verdict in the Bhima Koregaon case, in which the arrests of five activists arrested for Maoist links was challenged. The court may decide on the plea for a SIT probe in the case.

All-in-all, these crucial judgments would have bearings on the right to privacy, politics and social morality in the country and thus, would be keenly watched, as Misra will look to end his tenure on a positive note, having delivered the landmark Section 377 verdict recently.

With inputs from IANSAbhilash Tomy had serious back injury after the main mast of his boat, Thuriya, was ripped off in a storm in the Indian Ocean.

After three days of being stranded in the Southern Indian Ocean, Indian Navy officer Commander Abhilash Tomy was rescued by the French vessel Osiris on Monday. Tomy had serious back injury after the main mast of his boat, Thuriya, was ripped off in a storm.

A multinational rescue effort was launched on Friday when the injured sailor's boat stood disabled. The 39-year-old Naval commander was competing in the 2018 Golden Globe Race  a non-stop, 30,000-mile solo yachting competition, which this year has banned the use of modern technology.

The Australian Rescue Coordination Centre at Canberra was coordinating the rescue mission in cooperation with many agencies, including the Australian Defence Department and the Indian Navy.

The Indian Navy deployed its P-8i surveillance aircraft to as part of the rescue mission, officials said. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Tomy's father said that the officer was conscious but he was tired and dehydrated.

Reacting to the news of Tomy being rescued, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said:

A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He's concious and doing okay. The vessel will shift him to a nearby island (I'lle Amsterdam) by evening. INS Satpura will take him to Mauritius for medical attention. @PIB_India  Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) September 24, 2018

President Ram Nath Kovind also put out a statement on Twitter saying:

Relieved Indian Navy Commander @abhilashtomy has been rescued from his location in the southern Indian Ocean. Appreciate our French and Australian friends for being part of the maritime effort to reach and assist this brave voyager. I wish him a speedy recovery #PresidentKovind  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 24, 2018

Eighty-two days into the race, Tomy's 36-foot boat Thuriya was one of several that was hit by 80-mph winds and 46-foot waves midway across the South Indian Ocean on Friday. The Thuriya's mast had broken off when it rolled in the storm, and Tomy suffered what he called "a severe back injury". The organisers described him as "incapacitated on his bunk inside his boat" and his yacht was 3,704 kilometres off the coast of Perth, Western Australia.

On Saturday, he managed to send a message saying: "Extremely difficult to walk, Might need stretcher, can't walk, thanks safe inside the boat... Sat phone down." The organisers said on the race website: "The Australian Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre is working hard to assess and coordinate all possible options to rescue Abhilas Tomy who is as far from help as you can possibly be."

A reconnaissance pilot in the Indian Navy, Tomy has received top honours like Kirti Chakra and the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for his non-stop solo circumnavigation in 2012-13. Tomy was the second Indian and first Asian to complete it. He is also the only Indian participating in this year's race. Tomy has also been awarded the prestigious McGregor Medal for military reconnaissance.

In his interview with Homegrown in June earlier this year, elemental aspect of the sea resonated in the way he looks at life altogether. "I am convinced of the fact that there is nothing that builds character better than the sea. And if one generation of our country went to sea, for a couple of months, we will be a different nation altogether".

Tomy said that the race is an emphasis on seamanship and a direct experience of sea, especially as this year's Golden Globe Race was to celebrate 50 years since the 1968-69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, to complete an unassisted, solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world via the Great Capes. A key feature of the race is that circumnavigation is being attempted under the same conditions as the original 1968 around-the-world-yacht race  which bars the use of modern technology.

"This Spartan philosophy is in keeping with my own view that a lot can be achieved with very little," Manorama quoted Tomy as saying.

With inputs from agenciesAfter a multinational effort, stranded and injured Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy, whose yacht was incapacitated in the South Indian Ocean for three days, was rescued on Monday, the Indian Navy confirmed.

After a multinational effort, stranded and injured Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy, whose yacht was incapacitated in the South Indian Ocean for three days, was rescued on Monday, the Indian Navy confirmed. A 39-year-old Indian naval commander, Tomy was competing in the 2018 Golden Globe Race (GGR) when his boat hit a storm. French ship Osiris had launched two Zodiac boats to reach Tomy's yacht to administer first aid and give him water before evacuation. Reports said that the weather is still very hostile.

Eighty-two days into the race, Tomy's 36-foot boat Thuriya was one of several that was hit by 80-mph winds and 46-foot waves midway across the South Indian Ocean on Friday. The Thuriya's mast had broken off when it rolled in the storm, and the yachtsman suffered what he called "a severe back injury". The organisers described him as "incapacitated on his bunk inside his boat" and his yacht is 3,704 kilometres off the coast of Perth, Western Australia.

Thank you for your support and concern in these trying times. Abhilash has sustained some serious back injuries, however he says he's safe inside the boat. Indian Navy is doing their best as they always have. His tracker is working. He has activated the EPIRB. Help is on its way.  Abhilash Tommy (@abhilashtomy) September 22, 2018

"The GGR is iconic as it commemorates the 50th year of the 1968 edition of the race and has seasoned sailors from 13 countries with a fantastic line up of sailing crafts. Most importantly, it ups the ante for its participants. It evokes a sense of retro sailing as it comes close to the onboard conditions of the 1968/69 winning boat Suhaili skippered by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. That means no electronic navigational aids that have come to be de rigueur in major sailing regattas."

'...Nothing that builds character better than the sea'

A reconnaissance pilot in the Indian Navy, Tomy has received top honours like Kirti Chakra and the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for his non-stop solo circumnavigation in 2012-13. Tomy was the second Indian and first Asian to complete it. He is also the only Indian participating in this year's race. Tomy has also been awarded the prestigious McGregor Medal for military reconnaissance.

According to Manorama, Sir Robin met with Tomy and the other skippers who sailed into into Les Sables d'Olonne. Speaking to the paper, Tomy said, "When Robin came to my boat Thuriya, he was curious to know how many days I would take to complete the GGR. I looked at him and said 311 days, which is one day less than his voyage."

In his interview with Homegrown in June earlier this year, elemental aspect of the sea resonated in the way he looks at life altogether. "I am convinced of the fact that there is nothing that builds character better than the sea. And if one generation of our country went to sea, for a couple of months, we will be a different nation altogether".

Tomy said that the race is an emphasis on seamanship and a direct experience of sea, especially as this year's Golden Globe Race was to celebrate 50 years since the 1968-69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, to complete an unassisted, solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world via the Great Capes. A key feature of the race is that circumnavigation is being attempted under the same conditions as the original 1968 around-the-world-yacht race  which bars the use of modern technology.

"This Spartan philosophy is in keeping with my own view that a lot can be achieved with very little," Manorama quoted Tomy as saying.

"We wont be allowed to use any new technology that has been developed since then. If it didnt exist in 1968, we cant use it. So that means no GPS, electronic watches, electronic compass, electronic meter. We are permitted to use LED lights, a few solar panels and wind generators," Tomy had said a year ago.

On 20 September during a satellite call, Tomy tells the caller that the sea has started to get windy. The man on the other end of the call tells him that "a system" has started forming on top of him in the sea. "It's an interesting system. It is not coming at you, but it is literally forming over the top of you. It will be strong and it will move really fast.... fingers crossed."

"So, it shouldn't be too bad?" Tomy asks and the man says, "It's gonna be vicious, but it's gonna be short and sweet... if you know what I mean."

'Good boat for very bad seas'

Construction of Tomy's 10-metre-long yacht began in March 2016 and he officially launched it in Goa in August 2017. Tomy's yacht is a replica of Robin Knox-Johnston's Suhaili, winner of the first Golden Globe Race. Incidentally, Suhaili was built in Bombay. Homegrown reported that with its strong record of seaworthiness to make a wood epoxy composite replica of the Suhaili in India from a scratch, was the most feasible option in keeping with requirements of the race. "The boat is a strong one." according to Abhilash, "but the sailing isn't simple as the last time."

Tomy's social media timeline, starting June, has been dotted with updates on Thuriya's genesis. The Indian Navy commander has been invested in its construction starting from the "drawing board to the last rivet on the boat."







The boat which has been taken out for sea trials in Arabian Sea, travelled by road to Kochi before being shipped off to Medemblik in the Netherlands. The rules of the Golden Globe Race allows only classic production boats of between 32 and 62 feet. At least 20 production boats should have been built from the same mould for a boat to be eligible to race. "However, an exception is made if a new boat is a replica of the Suhaili. And, I am the only one who did it," reports have quoted Tomy as saying.

The yacht, based on the designs of William Atkins, is apparently meant to survive in violent short seas. "She is a very good boat for very bad seas," Tomy told Manorama.

Rescue operation

On Saturday, he managed to send a message saying: "Extremely difficult to walk, Might need stretcher, can't walk, thanks safe inside the boat... Sat phone down." The organisers said on the race website: "The Australian Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre is working hard to assess and coordinate all possible options to rescue Abhilas Tomy who is as far from help as you can possibly be."

Tomy was able to communicate using a YB3 texting unit but his primary satellite phone is damaged. He has a second satellite phone and a handheld VHF radio packed in an emergency bag, but organisers said he was unable to reach it for the moment.

The organisers said they had urged him to try to get to the bag because it could be crucial in making contact with a plane from Australia and an Indian air force plane which might be able to fly over the area. Given the distance from land, the planes will not be able to spend long in the area, the organisers added. A French fishing boat was also heading to the scene "but may not arrive for a few days".BJP president Amit Shah will also speak at the event, 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' (grand assembly of party workers), being held on the occasion of birth anniversary of Hindutva icon and Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) co-founder Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. The event, to be held at Jambooree Maidan in the BHEL locality, will be the 'world's largest congregation of political workers,' state BJP spokesman Sarvesh Tiwari said.

Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a mega congregation of BJP workers during his visit here Tuesday, an event which comes just ahead of the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh.

BJP president Amit Shah will also speak at the event, 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' (grand assembly of party workers), being held on the occasion of birth anniversary of Hindutva icon and Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) co-founder Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. The event, to be held at Jambooree Maidan in the BHEL locality, will be the "world's largest congregation of political workers," state BJP spokesman Sarvesh Tiwari said.

"BJP president Amit Shah will also address party workers on the occasion," he said. The venue has been named as "Atal Mahakumbh Parisar" in memory of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away in New Delhi in August. Modi will arrive at the Bhopal airport around noon and will reach the venue in a helicopter along with other BJP leaders to avoid inconvenience to people, party leaders said.

The prime minister will remain in the state capital for nearly three hours, they said. BJP workers from 65,000 polling booths spread across the 230 Assembly seats in the state will take part in the programme, said Rajnish Agrawal, another state BJP spokesman. An exhibition hall named after BJP leader and former Union minister, late Anil Madhav Dave, has also been set up at the rally site.

"It will showcase the journey and works of BJP stalwarts, including Vajpayee, Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan," Agrawal said. In the exhibition, BJP and BJS stalwarts - Upadhyaya, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Vajpayee, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia and Kushabhau Thakre - have been depicted as the five strong pillars of the BJP, he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), established in 1980, is the successor party of the BJS. The party has booked nine special trains from different parts of the state to bring BJP workers for the event, Agrawal said. Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the high-profile event and also Modi's visit.

"We have made adequate security arrangements for the visit of prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday by deploying nearly 6,000-strong force, including 4,000 personnel from the central and reserve forces," Inspector General (IG) Bhopal Jaideep Prasad told PTI. Nearly 22 senior IPS officers have been deployed to coordinate security details, he said.

Along with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram will also go to polls by the year-end. Modi and Shah, two-star poll campaigners of the BJP, will be in Bhopal days after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi visited the state capital. Gandhi held a roadshow and later addressed Congress workers and office-bearers during his 17 September visit.

Both the national parties are in poll campaign mode in the state, where the BJP is in power since 2003. While the saffron outfit will seek a fourth straight term in office in the year-end elections, the Congress will look to wrest power from the BJP in a state which was once its stronghold.Brent crude climbed above $80 a barrel after OPEC and its allies signaled less urgency to boost output despite U.S. pressure to temper prices.

Futures in London rose as much as 1.7%. OPEC and its partners gave a tepid response to U.S. President Donald Trumps demand that rapid action be taken to reduce prices, saying they would boost output only if customers wanted more cargoes. Brent could rise to $100 for the first time since 2014 as the market braces for the loss of Iranian supplies due to U.S. sanctions, according to Mercuria Energy Group Ltd. and Trafigura Group.

Oil has rallied since the lows of August as speculation swirls over whether OPEC and its allies will boost output as the sanctions on the Middle East nations exports nears. Still, a full-blown trade war between the U.S. and China could imperil global economic growth that underpins crude demand as the two countries begin a new round of tariffs on each others goods.

Brent for November settlement rose as much as $1.63 to $80.43 a barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange and traded at $80.32 at 3:21 p.m. in Tokyo. The contract advanced 10 cents to $78.80 on Friday. The global benchmark traded at an $8.29 premium to West Texas Intermediate for the same month.

WTI for November delivery added $1.25 to $72.03 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract climbed 46 cents to $70.78 on Friday. Total volume traded was about 26% above the 100-day average.

Saudi Arabia signaled the kingdom is in no rush to bring oil prices down from current levels. The market is well-supplied, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said after the OPEC meeting in Algeria over the weekend. "The reason Saudi Arabia didnt increase more is because all of our customers are receiving all of the barrels they want," Bloomberg cited him as saying.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said, in turn, at a meeting with his Saudi counterpart Khalid Al-Falih that OPEC+ may offer big projects to oil companies from member states.

"Russia would like the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, which has proved effective, to continue its activities. We are ready to discuss the expansion of the tools it uses to exchange information on the oil market situation. In addition, the committee may help implement big projects involving companies from OPEC+ countries," TASS cited him as saying.

According to him, there is no need for OPEC+ to change oil production quotas. "The situations in countries are different, so we said in June that there was no need to change everyones quotas. We need to discuss common figures," Novak said, when asked if participants in the OPEC+ meeting in Algeria would discuss Irans quota.Attacking Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his party, Amit Shah said the BJD has lost all the rights to rule Odisha following 18 years of misgovernance

Puri: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Amit Shah on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Congress and other Opposition parties including Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), saying that they have developed "Modiphobia".

"While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is engaged in 'Make in India', the Congress and other Opposition parties including the BJD are attempting 'Break in India'. Modiji says garibi hatao (remove poverty), the Opposition says Modi hatao (remove Modi)... It seems the Opposition suffers from Modiphobia," Shah said while addressing a rally of women party workers in Puri.

The BJP President said the Opposition has no agenda.

Attacking Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his party, Shah said the BJD has lost all the rights to rule the state following 18 years of misgovernance. "The way the state government has functioned during its consecutive terms, it has no rights to rule further," said Shah.

He asserted that the BJP would form the next government in Odisha. "With the blessings of the mothers and sisters of Odisha, the BJP will form the government in the state after the 2019 elections. In order to have a chief minister of the state belonging to BJP, I seek the support of the people," he said.

He alleged that the bureaucrats were ruling the state, not the public representatives. "In the last four years, about 4.45 lakh crore has been allocated to the state by the Central government. But, the money did not reach the beneficiaries. The fund has been siphoned off by the officials," said Shah.

Shah also alleged that the state government did not allow implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. "Naveen babu is only worried about his chair and not people of the state," he added.

He also blamed the state government for the death of 14 BJP workers during the last three years.Based on the information gathered from witnesses, the police identified three guerillas who took part in the attack in Andhra Pradesh. They include Aruna alias Venkataravi Chaitanya, a Special Zonal Committee Member of the CPI-Maoist

Visakhapatnam: A woman Maoist is suspected to have led the team of rebels which gunned down a ruling Telegu Desam Party (TDP) MLA and a former legislator in the tribal area of Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

The police on Monday released the names and pictures of three Maoists including two women who took part in the attack near Lipittuputtu village, about 15 km from the Odisha border.

Sarveswara Rao, TDP MLA from Araku (Reserved-Scheduled Tribe), and his party colleague and former MLA Siveri Soma were gunned down when they were visiting a village to attend a party programme.

Based on the information gathered from witnesses, the police identified three guerillas who took part in the attack. They include Aruna alias Venkataravi Chaitanya, a Special Zonal Committee Member (SZCM) of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist).

Aruna, who heads Nandapur Area Committee on Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB), is suspected to have led a group of 50-60 Maoists who allegedly crossed over to Andhra Pradesh from Odisha.

According to witnesses, a woman Maoist aged about 40 years was heard pulling up the MLA for amassing wealth through mining in agency areas, affecting the interests of tribals.

Aruna, a native of Visakhapatnam district, is wife of Pratapreddy Ramachandra Reddy alias Chalapati, who heads AOB Special Zonal Committee Military Commission.

Swarupa alias Kameshwari and Julumuri Srinibabu alias Sunil also took part in the attack.

Police said they were trying to identify the other Maoists involved. Special police teams have launched a hunt for the guerrillas involved in the attack. Meanwhile, the slain TDP leaders were cremated on Monday with state honours.A delegation of top Congress leaders will meet the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Monday to seek an independent probe into the alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jets deal, the party said.

New Delhi: A delegation of top Congress leaders will meet the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Monday to seek an independent probe into the alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jets deal, the party said.

Last week, the Congress had met the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). It had requested the apex auditor to prepare a report on the alleged irregularities in the deal and present it in Parliament.

It will make a similar request to the CVC, besides demanding registration of a case of corruption in the matter, the party said on Sunday.

The Congress has launched an offensive against the BJP government over the Rafale deal alleging corruption and violation of rules by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded answers from him.

It has also accused the prime minister, finance minister and defence minister of "lying on the issue".

The Rafale controversy took a turn last week after former French president Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence's name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

Modi had announced the procurement of 36 Rafale fighters after holding talks with the then French president Hollande on 10 April, 2015, in Paris.

In response, the French government said it was in no manner involved in the choice of Indian industrial partners for the Rafale deal, asserting that French firms have the full freedom to select Indian companies for the contract.

The Reliance group has rejected charges levelled against it by the Congress and said the government was in no way involved in securing its offset contract with Dassault Aviation.Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Sikkim's lone airport today, Kerala priest, nun face action for supporting nuns' protest, Army chief Bipin Rawat backs Centre's decision to call off UNGA talks - here are the day's top stories

Rafale row: Congress leaders to meet CVC today, war of words continue between BJP and Congress

A delegation of top Congress leaders will meet the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Monday to seek an independent probe into the alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jets deal, the party said. The Congress has launched an offensive against the BJP government over the Rafale deal alleging corruption and violation of rules by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded answers from him. Party president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit back at Arun Jaitley on the Rafale issue on Sunday, saying it is time the finance minister and the prime minister "stop lying" and call for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe for an "uncorrupted truth" to come out. He accused Jaitley of having the ability to spin "2 truths or lies" with "fake self-righteousness" and "indignation to defend the indefensible". He also tagged a media report highlighting how former French president Francois Hollande's charges have hit the Modi government on the Rafale issue. The Rafale controversy took a turn last week after former Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence's name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

Kerala priest, nun face action for supporting nuns' protest; police custody of Bishop Franco Mulakkal ends today

A Jacobite priest has been warned of disciplinary action and a Catholic nun restrained from church duties in a fallout of their participation in protests in Kochi demanding the arrest of rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal. Sister Lucy Kalapura, who returned to her parish in Wayand on Sunday morning from Kochi, claimed she was informed orally by the Mother Superior that she should keep away from holding catechism classes, conducting prayers and other activities related to the Syro Malabar catholic church. However, in a statement Father Stephen Kottakkal, vicar of the St Mary's church Karakkamala in Wayanad, said Sister Lucy had been asked to keep away from duties in view of certain concerns expressed by the parishioners. The police custody of the bishop  arrested on Friday after three days of intense grilling by Kerala police  will end on 24 September. The bail application of Mulakkal was been dismissed by the Magistrate Court, Pala on Saturday afternoon.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate Sikkim's first airport today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the state's only airport-the Pakyong Greenfield on Monday. He arrived in Gangtok for a two-day visit to Sikkim on Sunday. During the two-day visit, Modi will inaugurate the Pakyong Greenfield Airport, around 33 kilometres from Gangtok, on Monday. He will also address people at St Xavier's School in Pakyong after inaugurating the airport. The Pakyong airport was approved by the Centre in 2008 and was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 350 crore. The project is being billed as an engineering marvel  it has been built at a height of 4,500 feet in inhospitable terrain.

Army chief Bipin Rawat backs Centre's decision to call off UNGA talks

Reacting on the Indian government's decision to call off the foreign minister-level talks with Pakistan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday said that terrorism and peace talks cannot take place together. In a strong statement, Rawat told reporters that the Indian government's policy is very clear that Pakistan, with their actions, has to prove that they are not promoting terrorism. On 21 September, Ministry of External Affairs said that behind Pakistan's proposal for talks to make a fresh beginning, its evil agenda stands exposed and the true face of the new Pakistan prime minister has been revealed. India, on Friday, pulled out of the proposed meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi, hours after two special police officers and one policeman in Jammu and Kashmir were kidnapped and brutally killed by terrorists.

Rawat also said that Pakistan has intentionally caused trouble in Kashmir Valley by radicalising its youth and also claimed that Pakistan's peace proposal is a farce as long as it refuses to act on terror emanating from its soil. "Pakistan wants these types of trouble (violence) to continue in Kashmir. They want that peace shouldn't return in this area. They're trying to radicalise the youth of Kashmir. Pakistan has decided to bleed India with a thousand cuts," he said during an interview to news agency ANI.

Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar to stay on in office

Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar will continue in his post, BJP president Amit Shah said on Sunday as he announced that a reshuffle of the state's ministers will soon take place. The BJP chief said so in a tweet following a discussion with Bharatiya Janata Party's core group team from Goa. "It has been decided during a discussion with the Goa BJP core team that Manohar Parrikar will continue to lead the Goa government. There will soon be a reshuffle of ministers and their portfolios," he said. Parrikar's poor health has sparked speculation over his continuation as chief minister of Goa, and Shah recently sent a team of central party leaders to the coastal state to speak to allies and take stock of the political situation there.

Petrol prices in Mumbai inch towards 90-mark

Petrol prices in Delhi were increased by 17 paise per litre and diesel were hiked by 10 paise per litre on Sunday. The cost of petrol inched closer to the Rs 90-per litre mark in Mumbai, according to the price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. The price of petrol in Mumbai is the highest on account of highest value added tax (VAT) while fuel rates are cheapest in Delhi because of lower taxes. The revised price of diesel in Delhi stood at Rs 73.97 per litre and in Mumbai diesel was retailed at Rs s.78.53. Fuel prices have been on the rise due to depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar and sharp hike in crude prices.

Irrfan Khan film is Bangladesh's entry to Oscars 2019

Indian actor Irrfan Khan-starrer Doob - No Bed of Roses, which was once banned in Bangladesh, has been chosen as the country's official entry for the Academy Awards 2019. The Bangladesh Oscar Committee chose the movie as the entry for the best foreign language film category. Doob stars Irrfan  also its co-producer  as a successful filmmaker facing a midlife crisis when he has a tryst with his daughter's childhood friend, causing a national scandal.

Motorola One Power to launch today

Motorola One Power was launched at IFA 2018 and was confirmed to arrive exclusively in India. The phone finally comes to India on 24 September. Given we already know the specifications of the phone, it's the price that everyone will be looking out for. Given its competition, the Motorola One Power is expected to be priced in and around the Rs 15,000 mark and directly take on the likes of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and the Nokia 6.1 Plus. Motorola will also have to ensure that it does not cannibalise the market of its existing Moto G6 series. In terms of specifications, the phone is said to feature a 6.2-inch FHD+ display with a notch on top and a 19:9 aspect ratio. Inside, we have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC which was also seen on the Nokia 6.1 Plus. The phone runs on Android Oreo 8.1 and is said to arrive in two storage options  a 3 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage and 4 GB RAM with 64 GB internal storage. The phone may also be equipped with an expandable memory with up to 256 GB. For optics, the One Power sports a 16 MP + 5 MP dual-lens unit on the rear and a 12 MP selfie camera. The phone also rocks a massive 5,000 mAh battery unit.The Kerala church had claimed that Sister Lucy's 'statements on social media and other platforms are not in line with her religious duties', and that her behavior is affecting those who believe in the Church'.

Church authorities in Kerala on Monday withdrew all disciplinary action they took against Sister Lucy Kalapura of St Marys Church in Karakkamala for participating in a protest seeking the arrest of rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal.

The development came after followers of the church in Karakkamala demanded withdrawal of the action taken against Sister Lucy and extended support to her at their meeting with the vicar. The parish council then held a meeting and came to the decision.

Kerala nun rape case: Church authorities have withdrawn all disciplinary actions against Lucy Kalppura, a nun who had yesterday alleged that she was expelled from her religious duties in the parish for supporting protest in the case in Ernakulam.  ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018

On Sunday, she had alleged that she was asked to keep away from Church duties for taking part in the weeks-long demonstration by nuns in Kochi. The church had issued a letter, stating that "her statements on social media and other platforms are not in line with her religious duties", and that her behavior is affecting those who believe in the Church".

Earlier on Monday, Sister Lucy had demanded an explanation for her expulsion from the congregation. Speaking to reporters, she had said: "Before expelling me from my duties, explain what my mistake is. I've been very active till date in fulfilling my responsibilities. So it must be made clear why I am expelled."

Taking a jibe at the Church authorities, Sister Lucy asked why no such immediate action was taken to support the nun who had accused Mulakkal of the Jalandhar diocese of raping her 13 times between 2014 and 2016. "What pained me is that the Church couldn't raise its voice when Mulakkal raped a nun 13 times. I felt I should go and support her. How is it that speedy action is taken against me while everybody was silent on the rape? Maybe it is a team of the church vicars which made the decision," she claimed.

The Kerala Police arrested Mulakkal on Friday, months after the nun filed the complaint of rape against him. On Thursday, the Vatican had temporarily relieved him of his pastoral duties. A court in Kerala's Kottayam on Monday remanded the rape-accused bishop to judicial custody till 6 October.

With inputs from ANIKafeel was arrested for arguing with doctors and 'disturbing' treatment being given to patients at the district hospital in Bahraich and he was later released on orders of the magistrate, said ASP Ajay Pratap.

A day after suspended pediatrician, Dr Kafeel Khan was released on bail after being arrested on charges of creating a ruckus at a district hospital in Bahraich, Kafeel and his brother Adeel Khan were arrested on Sunday in a nine-year-old fraud case. Kafeel is currently out on bail in connection with the death of infants at a state-run hospital in Gorakhpur last year.

"A case was registered against Dr Kafeel and his brother Adeel under various sections of the IPC in 2009 at the Rajghat police station by Muzaffar Alam, a resident of the city's Shekhhpur area. Muzaffar Alam in his complaint had accused both the brothers of using his photograph and ID to open a fake bank account in SBI and using the same to carry out transaction of over Rs 82 lakhs. At that time, Dr Kafeel was pursuing his medical studies at Manipal University," Circle Officer (Cantonment) Prabhat Kumar Rai said.

The arrest was made by a team led by Superintendent of Police (City) Vinay Singh and CO Rai on the orders of Senior Superintendent of Police Shalabh Mathur.

After the arrest, Kafeel and Adeel were produced before a local court which sent them to judicial custody. Police also found a bank draft was prepared from the same bank account to pay medical education fees of Dr Kafeel Khan at Manipal University, Singh told The Indian Express. Since Dr Kafeel was also beneficiary of the account, he was also made an accused and arrested. Alams statement was recorded before the magistrate who also held Dr Kafeel responsible.

On Saturday, Kafeel was arrested for arguing with doctors and "disturbing" treatment being given to patients at the district hospital in Bahraich and he was later released on orders of the magistrate, said ASP Ajay Pratap. His brother, Adeel said he was arrested just before he was going to address reporters on the deaths due to acute encephalitis syndrome in the state.

At least 71 children have died between 1 August and 16 September at a government-run district hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich. The hospital's medical superintendent, DK Singh claimed that six of the children had died of encephalitis.

Singh also stated that people from the nearby villages admit their children to the hospital for treatment, but due to limited facility, the hospital authorities face a lot of problems.

Khan is one of the nine accused in a case involving the deaths of several children due to alleged disruption in the supply of oxygen at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College in August 2017. He was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police in September 2017. The Allahabad High Court had granted him bail in April this year.

Khan, who was initially hailed as a hero for saving the lives of many children, was terminated from his services by the hospital. He faces charges of negligence and financial irregularities. He was also the member of the supplies department that managed stocks and storage of equipment.

With inputs from agenciesThings in the Church have changed for the better marginally as they have been able to consolidate peoples anger through the protest in Kerala of nuns and priests.

Editor's note: This is a multi-part series that investigates sexual abuse in the Church and the institutions that it runs. Articles in the series rely on interviews with victims, abusers, those accused of abuse, church elders, parish members and state officials to examine the role of the three institutions that are critical to the issue: The Church, the community, and the State.

***

I dont think there is any system. I am not aware of anything like that, said Father Francis Kurishankal, when asked whether the church he was posted at has any mechanism to deal with sexual abuse. Appointed recently, Father Kurishankal is in his early thirties and is the parish priest currently in charge of the Lourde Matha Church in Puthenvelikkara in Keralas Ernakulam district.

One of his predecessors, Father Edwin Figarez, was the first Catholic priest in the state to be convicted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The priest, when he was the vicar at the same church, had subjected a 14-year-old to sexual abuse for two months, beginning January 2015, under the guise of teaching her music. When the girl finally told her mother about her ordeal, an FIR was registered at the Puthenvelikara Police Station under Section 376(2)(i) (punishment for sexual assault) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 4, 5(1) read with sections 6, 9 (1), 10, 11(ii)(iii) and 12 of the POCSO Act, which pertain to penetrative sexual assault, punishment for the crime and sexual harassment.

TM Varghese, who is now the Ernakulam Deputy Superintendent of Police (Central Range), was the investigating officer who pursued Father Figarez even after the accused left the country with the help of his brother and members of the church committee.

It was a case involving a minor. We wanted to apprehend the accused at the earliest. We issued a lookout notice and kept track of the movements of Figarezs family, who had taken him to the UAE, Varghese said.

Father Firagez eventually surrendered in April 2015, claiming he was being framed and would be acquitted. But in December 2016, he was convicted for the crime and sentenced with a double life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh.

The Kotturpuram Diocese, which Father Firagez was part of, was accused of supporting him and helping him escape, though it has denied the allegation. An official of the Kottappuram Diocese told Firstpost that Figarez had been temporarily suspended on the basis of a report prepared by a commission appointed by Bishop Joseph Karikkassery in May 2015, which is pending the Vaticans approval. The bishop was unavailable for comment.

Less than two years after this episode of a Kerala clergyman being involved in a case sexual abuse, the state is about to witness another such trial. However, the stark difference in the current case is that the Kerala Police took nearly two months after the complaint was filed to even interrogate the accused.

The Catholic society in Kerala is currently plagued by the case of a nuns allegations against Bishop Franco Mulakkal of the Jalandhar Diocese of raping her 13 times between 2014 and 2016. The Kerala Police arrested him on Friday, months after the nun filed the complaint of rape against him. On Thursday, the Vatican had temporarily relieved him of his pastoral duties.

The problem is not just with the Catholic Church, it is also with the government, said Father Augustine Vattoli, Catholic priest and convener of the Save Our Nuns Action Council, which organised the unprecedented protests at Ernakulams Vanji Circle seeking the arrest of a rape-accused clergyman. It took 90 days for this Left Democratic Front government in Kerala to finally move against Mulakkal. They were afraid of the repercussions. If the sisters hadnt come out in protest, this case would have disappeared like every other case.

Comparing the two cases, Father Vattoli said the clout Mulakkal enjoys played a major role in the way things panned out. In Edwins case, he belonged to the Latin right. There was an attempt to protect him, too, but the law finally took its course, and the Church backed off. But Mulakkals case is different. He also belongs to the Latin right, but is a Syrian Christian. He is powerful within and outside the Church, with strong political connections. He also has connections in the Roman hierarchy. If those involved are aligned with the powerful within the hierarchy, the Church will be even more protective.

Instead of extending support, Church trying to silence protests

The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) have issued statements in support of the rape-accused clergyman from time to time. The KCBC has the moral responsibility to stand with the victim. But instead, it took a stand against the protest (by nuns and priests). These authorities are stubborn because there is a clear concentration of wealth, of power, Father Vattoli alleged.

On Monday, the KCBC blamed some vested interests and sections of the media with a hidden agenda for using an unproved accusation against a bishop to implicate the Church as a whole and make a laughing stock out of the Catholic Church. The council also said that the protest of nuns and priests was not in keeping with Christian values, the rightful interests of the Catholic Church and the statutes of the Catholic congregation, and that such protests give occasion to the enemies of the Church to attack it.

Father Vattoli feels that instead of inculcating the values the movement has brought forth, the Catholic Church is, instead, now attempting to create a fear psychosis among those who took part in the struggle. The movement is far from over, but retaliatory measures have started.

When she returned from the protest, Sister Lucy Kalapura received oral instructions from her superior at St Marys Church in Karakkamala to stay away from the day-to-day activities of the church. On Sunday, the church issued a letter, stating that her statements on social media and other platforms are not in line with her religious duties, and that her behavior is affecting those who believe in the Church.

Sister Lucy said: The church released this letter with allegations against me to the press. They didnt directly talk about the protest, but the attempt is to malign me. This has always been the case. They dont want anybody to come out with facts against them. Every time I do, theyve tried to silence me using such indirect methods. My church has never been appreciative of me. Instead, they indulge in such activities and try to initiate false action against me.

She added that both the bishop and parish priest of her church had tried to meet her parents to complain about her activities. I am not a child. I have my own opinion, and such methods wont stop me from doing what Ive always been doing, Sister Lucy asserted.

A priest in Kerala is also facing action for his participation in the protest. The Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate has issued a letter for Reverend Bar Yuhanon Ramban for taking part in the demonstration seeking action against Mulakkal.

Churchs attempts to cover-up sex crimes runs deep

Father Vattoli, who has long been speaking out against the authority of the Church, was expecting something along these lines. This means that we may perish because of the decay in the institution, but we wont be flexible or even open to change. Look at Father Robins case. He was living with that crime. The bishop of Mananthavady had tried his best to protect him. Both had tried to bribe the father of the minor girl (he was accused of assaulting) and told him to take responsibility for her pregnancy. Of his own daughter!

He was referring to the case related to Father Robin Vadakkumchery, who was the vicar of the Sebastian Church in Kannur districts Kotiyoor. In 2016, he had sexually assaulted and impregnated a minor, who used to attend a computer class run by the church. To cover up the crime, the girl was transferred to a Church-owned institution in Kannur, where she gave birth to the baby. Only when the police interrogated the girls father did they reveal that they were forced to hide Father Vadakkumcherys name due to threats from him and his supporters from the Church.

Nine officials, including five nuns and hospital authorities, were charged with covering up the crime. While a DNA test proved that Father Vadakkumchery was the father of the baby, the minor and her mother said in a statement in a POCSO court in Thalaserry that the girl was willing to marry the clergyman, and that the relationship between them was consensual. The POCSO court had declared both of them hostile witnesses.

Everybody has understood what is happening and who is coercing the victim and her family. Such efforts have been on since we started the investigation. But even if these statements are changed and the witnesses turn hostile, there is strong evidence against the accused. The case will stand just on the basis of this evidence, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Prajeesh Thotatthil, who led the investigation against Father Vadakkumchery.

Churchs structure needs evaluation, despite slow changes

There is a lot to be evaluated. Why do these rapes happen? These sisters have only been slavishly working since they joined the Church. But why do such still incidents happen so regularly? questions Father Vattoli, who believes that the core problem lies in the structure of the system.

The formation of priesthood itself was wrong. There has been no social or cultural analysis of the Catholic Church, of the system, of its hierarchical nature  especially that of the priests  the bishop and the most marginalised in this framework, the nuns, he pointed out, questioning why this has never been done. Many are picked for priesthood at a very young age. I entered the system at an age where I didnt even understand the meaning of celibacy or priesthood. There should be a complete rejuvenation of this system.

However, Father Vattoli acknowledged that when compared to the case of Sister Abhayas murder  she was found dead in a well in St Pius X Convent in Kottayam on 27 March, 1992  things have changed for the better, even if marginally, as they have been able to consolidate peoples anger through the struggle committee spearheaded the protest of nuns and priests.

The most marginalised in the Church hierarchy, the nuns, came out to speak up for one of their own. But when Sister Abhaya died, there were prayers for the accused, and none for the dead sister. We couldnt do anything for years. The state and the police colluded with them (the accused) to bury the case.

The 19-year-old Catholic sisters body was found with abrasions and cuts, despite which the police had ruled that the cause of death was suicide. Only after repeated petitions by the nuns of the convent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was the case reopened in 2007. It was after the CBI conducted narco-analysis tests on those at the convent that Father Jose Puthurukkayil, Father Thomas M Kottur and Sister Sephy confessed to the murder, saying that they had killed Sister Abhaya to silence her as she had found them when they were being sexually intimate. The CBI had also informed the Kerala High Court that most of the evidence was destroyed with the help of the police, especially the investigating officer and Superintendent of Police at the time, KT Michael. The trial in this case is still on.

They dont want us to bring to the fore the real situation inside the Church. They fear that if we do that, the reality will be clear. Be it about how rules are followed or who breaks these rules, they dont want that, said Sister Lucy. Theyve proclaimed from time to time that they want reform, but that is only for the sake of it. People like me who are trying to push for this reform are faced with such backlash.

Recent incidents, such as the land scam in which Cardinal George Alencherry, the archbishop of the Ernakulam Diocese, was involved, only add to the disappointment people have been feeling with the Church.

Father Vattoli said that many have already stopped going to Church, especially youngsters as they can see that the institution that preaches values is compromising on the same. He added that there is nobody to stand up from within the system and say, No, we will not permit this anymore.

He emphasised that the problem was no longer with just sexual abuse of the nun who accused Mulakkal of rape, and that the decay was at the very core. Father Vattoli said that despite Mulakkals arrest, he was certain that the survivor nun wont get justice. But peoples anger has punished the culprit. The court of the people has decided.

In contrast, Sister Lucy is defiant and hopeful. She said that even if her Church tries to silence her by dismissing her from the congregation, she wont stop speaking out when necessary. They need to realise that I am a part of them, though they might try to keep me away. My struggle is to reform the system, something that they should be doing more than me.

With inputs from Rejoice ChembakasseriThe children were soon shifted to the Sainthala Community Health Centre for treatment, from where they were discharged by evening.

Bhubaneswar: The health of 51 students of a government school in Bolangir, Odisha, started deteriorating on Monday after they consumed deworming tablets given by the school in order to prevent them from worm-related infections.

The Gunsar Upper Primary School in Sainthala block of Bolangir district, on the persuasion of the local health workers, administered Albendazole tablets as a prophylactic measure to prevent the children from infections and to boost their immunity to fight diseases. Several kids, however, started feeling the side-effects of the drug soon after consuming it.

While 51 children complained of health issues like nausea and vomiting, at least 25 of them also felt drowsy and almost fainted after consuming the drug, as seen in a video clip of the incident.

The children were soon shifted to the Sainthala Community Health Centre for treatment, from where they were discharged by evening. A total of 51 children came to the CHC with complaints of nausea and vomiting. All of them have now been discharged after medication and treatment, Kshyamanidhi Rana, a health staff from the CHC told Firstpost.

Chief medical officer, Bolangir, Sugyanendra Mishra, said there is nothing much to worry as they had sent a medical team to the spot to check rest of the students as well. There may be some psychological impact on others as about 100 students had complained of illness, he said.

The Odisha health and family welfare department, in an initiative with UNICEF, is set to launch the National Deworming Day campaign starting 26 September with a goal to reach out to 1 crore children.

Director, family welfare department, Lingaraj Mishra, said the deworming drive was to be taken up after a couple of days and that he was not aware of the campaign being active in the said area. Mishra said he would inquire into the matter.

Albendazole is administered to prevent newly-hatched insect larvae (worms) from growing/multiplying in the human body. It is said to be beneficial in tackling infections caused by worms such as tapeworm.

This is not the first instance when students have fallen ill in Odisha after being administered preventive drugs by the state health department. Earlier in 2016, more than 100 children had been hospitalised after deworming pills were given at schools in Khurda and Sonepur districts. In a similar incident reported last month from Mumbai, Maharashtra, one girl had died and over 160 students had to be hospitalised after they were allegedly poisoned by iron-boosting pills given by the school.

Bhubaneshwar-based medicine specialist Chandan Das said the medicine is not to be blamed for such an incident as it is usually prescribed by physicians. If such an incident has happened, there must have been some problems with the batch of the tablets. Those may have expired, or could have had an issue with the production or quality. An investigation could reveal the facts.

With inputs from Manish Kumar

The authors are Bhubaneswar-based freelance writers and members of 101Reporters.com.The death toll of children from diphtheria at a municipal hospital in north-west Delhi has risen to 18, even as the area's mayor has set up a panel to look into it, officials said Sunday.

New Delhi: The death toll of children from diphtheria at a municipal hospital in north-west Delhi has risen to 18, even as the area's mayor has set up a panel to look into it, officials said Sunday. Twelve deaths were reported at the Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital on 20 September and another one at LNJP Hospital.

"A total of 18 children have died at the civic hospital so far, 17 of the patients were from outside Delhi and only one belonged to Delhi," a senior NDMC official said. He quoted the figures from the information obtained from the medical superintendent of the hospital. The hospital in north-west Delhi is governed by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. "From 6-23 September, there have been 147 admissions, out of which 122 belonged to Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Haryana and 14 from Delhi for diphtheria cases. 18 of them have died till date," he said.

Meanwhile, North Delhi Mayor Adesh Gupta has set up a panel to look into the death cases and sought a report, sources said. The report is likely to be submitted to him in three days, they said, adding that the panel is headed by an additional commissioner of the NDMC. Medical superintendent Sunil Kumar Gupta on 20 September had said that the patients belonged to age group of up to 9 years. Gupta had claimed that the hospital had all the required treatment facilities to handle such cases. "The patients admitted at advanced stage could not respond to the treatment and hence could not survive," he had said.The footage of CCTVs installed in the area purportedly showed someone throwing the body in the hotel around 4 am on Sunday, Narkar said. The deceased had left the job at the hotel around three months back and joined another establishment nearby, she said.

Thane: A 28-year-old man was allegedly killed by unidentified persons here in Maharashtra and his body dumped at a hotel where he had worked earlier, police said Monday.

An employee of the hotel, located in Kapurbawdi area, opened the premises on Sunday morning and found the body of Tapas Chanda, who hailed from West Bengal, lying near gas cylinders, Thane police spokesperson Sukhada Narkar said.

The employee informed the police about it. The footage of CCTVs installed in the area purportedly showed someone throwing the body in the hotel around 4 am on Sunday, Narkar said. The deceased had left the job at the hotel around three months back and joined another establishment nearby, she said.

The body was sent for postmortem and a case was registered under IPC section 302 (murder), Narkar said. Efforts were on to nab the killers and police were conducting a probe to ascertain the motive behind the crime, she said.Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and US National Security Adviser John Bolton may meet in Russia in the second half of October, a diplomatic source said.

"Such a meeting may take place in the second half of October," TASS cited the source as saying.

When asked if Russia would host the meeting as it had been planned, he answered in the affirmative.

Patrushev and Bolton held a meeting in Geneva a month ago. The Russian Security Council secretary invited Bolton to meet again in Moscow or another Russian city.

No date for the next meeting was set at the time. However, US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman said on September 21 that a new round of consultations was set to be held in the near future.Incessant rains and snowfall have lashed many parts of north India in the past two days. The downpour has caused several deaths in Himachal Pradesh.

Incessant rains and snowfall have lashed many parts of north India in the past two days, leaving many people dead. The downpour and snowfall caused several landslides and disrupted normal life.

Himachal Pradesh

Hundreds, including school students, remained stranded across Himachal Pradesh after heavy rainfall for the third consecutive day, snapping over 200 road links, officials said.

Visuals on News18 Hindi showed inundated streets and stranded vehicles in Kangra district.

A man and a girl were swept away in Kangra and Kullu districts, respectively, as heavy rains triggered flash floods. Elsewhere, two people were washed away in the Parbati river in the Manikaran valley, while one girl died near Bajaura. Both incidents occurred in Kullu, one of the worst affected districts by flash floods.

A man was drowned in a swollen rivulet near Palampur town in Kangra district, while another was killed when a building was washed away in a rivulet in Una district.

Several houses in Kullu town were swept away in flash floods as the Beas is flowing above the danger mark.

Deputy Commissioner Yunus has issued "high alert" for Kullu district.

Meanwhile, schools in most districts of the state were closed Monday as a precautionary measure due to continuing moderate to heavy rains.

People residing in low-lying areas, especially in Kangra, Chamba, Kullu and Mandi districts, are being evacuated, officials said. They are also being asked to remain alert due to rising water levels in rivers and streams, they said.

In Chamba, the Ravi river is still flowing at a dangerous level and people are being evacuated from low-lying areas by the administration since Sunday, Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru said. The gates of the Chamera dam were opened in Chamba district to release excess water, ANI reported.

The MeT department has predicted heavy rains in middle hills, plains and snowfall in upper hills in the state till Monday.

Most parts of Himachal Pradesh witnessed moderate to heavy rains, Shimla MeT centre director Manmohan Singh said.

Uttarakhand

Incessant rains lashed Uttarakhand on Monday, affecting the 'chardham yatra' with the roads to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Yamunotri shrines blocked by landslide rubble in the hills.

Most of the places in the state including Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Tehri, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar received showers with around 45 rural roads blocked in these districts, the state emergency operation centre said.

The Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway was blocked at Lambagad in Chamoli district while the Rishikesh-Kedarnath Highway was blocked near Doliya Devi temple in Rudraprayag district by boulders falling in landslides, it said.

The Rishikesh-Yamunotri highway was also blocked in Ojri-Dabarkot area of Uttarkashi district.

Apart from these major highways, 45 rural roads remained blocked in different districts.

The MeT department has predicted heavy to very heavy showers in isolated places across Uttarakhand, especially Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts over the next 24 hours.

Jammu and Kashmir

Thirty people, including women and children, were rescued in Jammu and Kashmir during a flash flood in Kathua district, police said on Monday.

These people were marooned in different parts of the district following heavy rains. They were rescued after a night-long operation in Billawar, Nagri, Jakhole and Chabbe Chak among others, a senior police officer said.

Due to the incessant downpour, the gates of Ranjit Sagar Dam were opened to release excess water, ANI reported. Deputy Commissioner Rohit Khajuria said, "We had warned people that gates will be opened and they should stay away."

The rescue was carried out by the state police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams.

Incessant rains led to swollen streams and rivers in the Jammu region, but with the improvement in the weather, authorities expect the water level to recede over the next 24 hours by Tuesday.

All educational institutions in the hilly district of Doda have been closed as a precautionary measure.

Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar highway was restored on Monday after it was suspended due to heavy rains along the Ramban sector on Sunday.

Punjab

Normal life was thrown out of gear in Punjab due to incessant rains, prompting the state government to issue red alert and order closure of educational institutions on Tuesday even as the army remains on alert.

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) issued an advisory on Monday to the Punjab government that it will release "excess" water from the Pong dam in the wake of incessant rains in the catchment area of the Beas river.

While reviewing flood-like situation triggered by continuous rains in the state, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh put the army on alert to help the state deal with any eventuality.

Fearing damage to kharif crops because of the widespread downpour, the state government also ordered a special 'girdawari' to assess crop damage.

Rains are likely to lash isolated places in Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday, though it will recede thereafter, an official of the Chandigarh Meteorological Department said. Punjab has been witnessing widespread rains for the last two days and the downpour continued on Monday as well.

With inputs from agenciesWho are these small men in big offices to who Imran Khan refers with such disdain? Narendra Modi? Arun Jaitley? Rajnath Singh? Sushma Swaraj?

"Disappointed at the arrogant and negative response by India to my call for the resumption of the peace dialogue. However, all my life I have come across small men occupying big offices who do not have the vision to see the bigger picture."

Thus spake brave Imran Khan after New Delhi decided to call off talks. And with damn good reason. If anyone smacks of arrogance, it is this newbie to power (if being a puppet on a military string can truly be given that commendation) and his petulant tweet. This is the man whose government, in the run-up to this summit, released 20 stamps glorifying terrorism and terrorists including Burhan Wani and his two associates.

And if that wasnt exactly conducive to Imrans mature and peace-oriented overtures, the clumsy captions of these postage stamps covered provocative aspects as seen through the hostile prism of Islamabad. "Use of chemical weapons and pellet guns", "mass graves" and "braid chopping". Whereas, the subjects of the stamps include phrases like "over 100,000 Kashmiris martyred", "freedom struggle", "fake encounters" and "bleeding Kashmir, his warm and friendly statements were ostensibly designed to make the Indian contingent feel this was certainly going to be a cordial and congenial one between the two foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

As if this wasnt reason enough to drop the charade and get real  which India did after the kidnapping and cold-blooded killing of three policemen in the Shopian region of Kashmir and the brutal murder of a border guard  clearly indicated that Imran had no intention of doing anything concrete in the matter of addressing terrorism and ending the refuge given to sundry militant groups housed in as many as 42 camps.

What part of it did the Pakistani leader not understand? Besides pushing the envelope to the edge with those gross postage stamps, he assumed for once wrongly, that the Indians would tamely trot up and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj would play nice while Imran enjoyed her discomfort.

Speaking of arrogance, what could be more so than a prime minister who then decides to send out an insult on a tweet like a child whose birthday cake has been ruined. Who are these small men in big offices he refers to with such disdain? Narendra Modi? Arun Jaitley? Rajnath Singh? Swaraj? Really? For a man who has just got into an office that is so far proving too big for him, it is bit rich making such crude observations.

And let us set the record straight. The Opposition has not gone against him to protest his foolishness and immaturity in this slanging effort, but to critique him for deciding so early in his tenure to seek calmer waters with India. Ergo, even the other parties are fine with the stamps, the killings and the Imran slurs; all they are teed off about is the weakness that seeking peace displays in the Pakistani psyche. There is a delicious irony in all this.

Khan plans to score a point by 'charming' India, but his contempt comes to the fore with his indifference to the slain policemen and guard, and he thinks the Indians will swallow the stamps and be there in New York where Foreign Minister Mahmood Hussain Qureshi can have a little bob for an apple fun.

Now that India has said no, the deception is exposed. It was all an exhibition game, like some T20 for charity. Nothing has changed, not with the new prime minister in situ and not with the parties he defeated. They are all on the same page united in being anti-India.In response to India calling off peace talks with Pakistan, Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that his offer of 'friendship' to India should not be considered as weakness and the Indian leadership should shun 'arrogance' to hold peace talks.

In response to India calling off peace talks with Pakistan, Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that his offer of "friendship" to India should not be considered as weakness and the Indian leadership should shun "arrogance" to hold peace talks. Khan, on Thursday, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking to re-start bilateral talks on key issues including terrorism and Kashmir.

India initially agreed to a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September, however, New Delhi on Friday called off the meeting, citing the "brutal" killing of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the release of the postal stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.

Addressing the Punjab bureaucracy in Lahore on Sunday, Khan said, "I hope the Indian leadership will shun arrogance and hold (peace) talks with Pakistan. Our offer of friendship should not be considered as our weakness. The friendship between Pakistan and India will help overcome poverty".

Khan also said Pakistan "should not be threatened as it will not tolerate any act of hostility." The Pakistani prime minister further said, "Friendship (between Pakistan and India) is in the benefit of both the countries. We will not take the pressure of any world power."

Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday echoed Khan's reaction and alleged that "internal pressure" forced New Delhi to make the "unfortunate" move.

Army chief General Bipin Rawat said on Saturday that stern action is needed to avenge the barbarism by terrorists and the Pakistan Army against Indian soldiers without resorting to brutality. "We need to take stern action to avenge the kind of barbarism that terrorists and the Pakistan Army have been carrying out against our soldiers. It is time to give it back to them in the same coin, but not by resorting to similar kind of barbarism. I think the other side must feel the same pain," the army chief said at a press conference in Jaipur.

The frequency of the back-and-forth between the two neighbours has increased since Khan took over the prime minister's office on 18 August. On 20 August, Modi wrote to Khan congratulating him for his party's win at the Pakistan general elections. In his letter, Modi said that New Delhi was looking for constructive and meaningful engagement with Islamabad, and also stressed on a terror-free South Asia in his letter.

In response, Khan had tweeted that the neighbours need to "resolve their conflicts, including Kashmir." He said, "The best way to alleviate poverty and uplift the people of the subcontinent is to resolve our differences through dialogue and start trading."

Imran Khan's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi

On Thursday, Khan had, in his letter to Modi, asked for the two neighbouring countries to resume dialogue and iron out differences. He had also suggested a meeting between Swaraj and Qureshi. Khan had also said that all major issues, including terrorism and Kashmir, should be resolved through dialogue.

India responded positively to the Pakistan prime minister's suggestion, however, the violence against policemen Jammu and Kashmir caused New Delhi to withdraw from the arrangement, as the fresh incidents of terrorism went against its policy that concrete steps against terrorism would pave the way for dialogue between the two countries.

Navjot Singh Sidhu's visit to Pakistan

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu's visit to attend Khan's swearing-in ceremony on 18 August stirred controversy after he hugged Pakistan army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa. Ever since, Sidhu has faced the BJP government's ire. Khan has spoken in Sidhu's defence, calling him an "ambassador of peace". The Pakistan prime minister also said, "To move forward Pakistan and India must dialogue and resolve their conflicts incl Kashmir" and that targeting Sidhu does a disservice to peace.

Sidhu has written to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, urging her to "make every possible effort" on the issue of the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara and saying that Pakistan has shown "positive intent" in providing access to the historic shrine.

Rajnath Singh on Pakistan's new government

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on 17 September expressed the hope that there will be a change in the attitude of the new government in Islamabad towards India. "I don't think that there will be any change in Pakistan's nature. I pray to God that there would be a change and I hope the change will be better than before," he told reporters who asked him whether he expected a change in the attitude with the formation of a new government under Khan.

Meeting over the use of Indus waters

As the first official engagement between the two neighbours after Khan took office, officials from both sides met over 29 to 31 August to discuss the use of River Indus waters. A team of officials travelled to Islamabad for a meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission. Pakistan was expected to reiterate its objections over two water storage and hydropower projects being built by India, said media reports.

However, India rejected Pakistan's objections on its two hydropower projects on the Chenab river at the end of the meeting, as the crucial high-level bilateral talks on the Indus Waters Treaty concluded in Lahore on 30 August. Pakistan's Commissioner for Indus Waters Syed Meher Ali Shah had said that there would be no briefing and statement on the issue.

The Pakistani government was also expected to raise its concerns over the 1000MW Pakal Dul and 48MW Lower Kalnai hydroelectric projects on two different tributaries of River Chenab despite Islamabad's serious objections over their designs.

With inputs from agenciesIn its efforts to rescue Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy, who currently lies injured in his sailing vessel in the south of Indian Ocean, Indian Navy's P-8I aircraft will arrive on the scene to coordinate the final stretch very soon.

In its efforts to rescue Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy, who currently lies injured in his sailing vessel in the south of Indian Ocean, Indian Navy's P-8I aircraft will arrive on the scene to coordinate the final stretch very soon. The French ship, Osiris, which is on its way to rescue Tomy will launch two Zodiac boats to reach him and administer first aid and water before evacuation, India Today reported. Irish sailor Gregor McGuckin is also not far from Tomy but the weather is "hostile" and there are "eight-metre-high waves", the report said.

Meanwhile, Hindustan Times reported that thereafter R/V Australian Naval ship HMAS Ballarat, which had left Perth to reach Tommy will also reach him.

HMAS Ballarat is on its way assist an injured solo yachtsman, approximately 1800 nautical miles off the WA coast. The sailor, an officer in the Indian Navy is understood to have suffered a serious back injury when his ten metre vessel, Thuriya was de-masted in extreme weather. pic.twitter.com/e5zgO6F7bj  RoyalAustralianNavy (@Australian_Navy) September 23, 2018

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had on Sunday said that the officer would be rescued French vessel Osiris within the next 16 hours. Tomy, representing India in the Golden Globe Race 2018 (GGR) on an indigenously built sailing vessel Thuriya, was dismasted and suffered a back injury on Friday. He is in the south Indian Ocean, approximately 1,900 nautical miles from Perth, Australia and about 2700 nautical miles from Cape Comorin.

All out efforts are being made to rescue Tomy and the Australian Rescue Coordination Centre at Canberra is coordinating the rescue mission in conjunction with many agencies including the Australian Defence Department and the Indian Navy, the Navy said in a statement. "Spoke to VCNS VAdm Ajit Kumar P, AVSM, VSM regarding the condition of injured navy officer Abhilash Tomy. The rescue mission is being coordinated in conjunction with the Australian Navy. The injured officer shall be picked up in the next 16 hours by a French vessel Osiris," the defence minister had tweeted.

The Navy said its P-8I aircraft has sighted the SV Thuriya at 7.50 am on Sunday. The Indian Navy sources said the capability of the P8i has been a "humongous force multiplier" who has given it and the Australian MRCC a huge input into the state of Thuriya for planning purposes. An Indian Naval defence attache in Australia is camping in regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), the navy sources said. "Continuous watch over the boat is being maintained by Indian Navy and RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) aircraft till rescue is completed. "Indian Naval stealth frigate, INS Satpura with a Chetak Helicopter and tanker INS Jyoti operating in the Indian Ocean have been dispatched for the rescue mission. The officer in his last text message has indicated that he is safe on the boat; however is immobile due to a back injury," the statement added.

Images of Cdr #AbhilashTomy s vessel Thuriya taken from @indiannavy P8-I. Mast broken hanging on side. Sea state 4-5. 10-12 foot high waves. INS Satpura, INS Jyoti, HMAS Ballarat en route. Be strong. pic.twitter.com/CgMSWQsoD4  Sandeep (@SandeepUnnithan) September 23, 2018

With inputs from PTIAn understanding of how India is (correctly or incorrectly) viewed by its neighbours, tempered with an acceptance of how the neighbourhood views China is imperative in the formation of a pragmatic foreign policy for the region

Energetic and proactive: These were the words used to describe the foreign policy of the Narendra Modi government that came to power in May 2014.

Nearly four years and four months since the swearing-in ceremony that saw leaders of South Asian nations grace the occasion with their presence, the scenario in the region is very different from what the government probably foresaw back then. Said ceremony  that now seems like a lifetime ago  saw extremely warm exchanges between Modi and his South Asian counterparts, coupled with a set of bilateral discussions, and went some way in underlining the BJP manifesto's emphasis on a 'Neighbourhood First' policy.

In the intervening years, it's safe to say that while relations with Afghanistan and Bangladesh have remained solidly positive, ties with the other South Asian countries  that were represented at the 26 May ceremony  have not fared all that well.

Background

The bilateral with Sri Lanka has experienced its own share of ups, downs and intermittent spells of stability, and the latest fly in the ointment is set to be Mahinda Rajapakse's meeting with Modi in New Delhi. It may be recalled that the former president had blamed India for meddling in Colombo's affairs in the lead-up to the 2015 Presidential Election that saw Sri Lanka throw him out of office and elect the less China-friendly Maithripala Sirisena instead. How the Sirisena government responds to New Delhi's increasing cosiness with Rajapakse remains to be seen, but it's likely to have ruffled a few feathers in Colombo.

Between a whole host of agreements with China and demands for India to take back its helicopters, the Maldives has emerged as a major trouble spot for Indian foreign policy. The strategic advantages of the archipelago nation's location in the Indian Ocean falling into Chinese hands coupled with the threat of growing Islamic radicalism within its borders mean establishing warm and cooperative relations with Male are a must. Perhaps the tide will change once Ibrahim Mohamed Solih takes office as President of the Maldives.

Any discussion of trouble spots would be incomplete without a mention of Nepal. It is said in some circles that India  that has spent years balancing the US and Russia, and in recent times, China and the US  is getting a taste of its own medicine with Kathmandu carrying out its own balancing act of New Delhi and Beijing. While it can be argued that Nepal's India policy has indeed been opportunistic  taking New Delhi's assistance when required and then throwing India under the bus when China comes a-knocking, the Modi government hasn't helped matters by switching between warm generosity and moves like the Constitution imbroglio and the 'economic blockade'.

Then there's India's all-weather friend Bhutan. Thimphu's 'temporary' departure from the Bhutan-Bangladesh-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement  a move on which there has been little tangible movement in over a year  and Prime Minister's Tshering Tobgay warm words directed at China in his June address to the nation (ahead of the dissolution of the Assembly in August) show that India cannot afford to take this bilateral for granted anymore.

And Pakistan remains Pakistan. The formula remains unchanged. India responds to a rare moment of cordiality from Pakistan, with a promise of talks. Pakistan goes and does what it can to create disharmony  whether through State or non-State actors. India, amid cantankerous calls by its media to provide 'a fitting response', calls off talks and on the odd occasion, carries out a bit of covert action, which is then tom-tommed across the globe. A freeze sets in. Repeat. The brief love affair with Prime Minister Imran Khan and his intentions is no different.

Blind spots in India's neighbourhood policy

There are three fundamental issues with India's South Asia policy that go some way in explaining the present scenario:

1) The duck theory: If it smells like a duck, sounds like a duck and looks like a duck, there's a damn good chance it is, in fact, a duck. In South Asia, and no matter how much Indian governments over the years have attempted to deny the suggestion, India is viewed as a regional hegemon. Whether as a result of being the largest economic and military power in South Asia, having played a role in its neighbouring countries like the 1971 Liberation of Bangladesh and the Indian Peace Keeping Force's operations to neutralise the LTTE in Sri Lanka (the narrative around foreign intervention can change very swiftly from 'help' to 'invasion', depending on whom you ask), or being willing to provide financial, infrastructural and training-related aid, India has and will be viewed as hegemon in South Asia. And no one likes a bully.

2) You don't stack up to China: Aside from the shared geography, India and its neighbours have a common history, many common traditions and ethnicities, and a rich common heritage, aside from facing very similar issues and problems. Further, India has a great deal to offer its neighbours financially, infrastructurally and so on, as mentioned in the previous point. China, unfortunately, has a whole lot more to contribute financially, technologically and infrastructurally, without any of the squabbles that usually emerge from a common history (see: Tamils issue with Sri Lanka).

3) The flip-flop nature of outreach: The problem with being energetic and proactive is that it often leaves the door open for hasty decisions and even hastier volte faces. In its first couple of years, the Modi government went on a rampage in terms of reaching out to the neighbourhood and trying to strike a new note that would be conducive to harmonious coexistence, particularly since the BJP has always maintained that two successive UPA regimes "failed to establish enduring friendly and cooperative relations with India's neighbours". The groundwork laid during the first phase of outreach was impressive in terms of optics. However, the government appears to have miscalculated that sentiment on the ground would reflect the pleasantness and bonhomie on show in photo-ops. It is this miscalculation that has led to the flip-flop (Kabhi haan, kabhi naa, if you will) nature of India's overtures towards its neighbours  and this is most evident in the on-off nature of ties with Pakistan.

The way forward

An understanding of how India is (correctly or incorrectly) viewed by its neighbours, tempered with an acceptance of how the neighbourhood views China is imperative in the formation of a pragmatic foreign policy for the region. Taking a long-term position and sticking by it until its requirements have been fully met is something that India has failed to do with its neighbours. The most glaring case in point is New Delhi's repeated optimism that "this time will be different" when dealing with Islamabad. If the government says, "Talks and terror cannot go hand-in-hand", then that is the line that must be toed through thick and thin. If the government says, "Nepal is a troublemaker", then that is the line to be toed regardless of what the Nepali prime minister du jour says.

In summation, scripting and sticking to an unshakable long-term foreign policy that keeps in mind ground realities and perceptions is the need of the hour for India in the region.The Pala Judicial Magistrate Court in Kottayam in Kerala on Monday remanded arrested Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting a nun, to judicial custody till 6 October.

The Pala Judicial Magistrate Court in Kottayam in Kerala on Monday remanded Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting a nun, to judicial custody till 6 October.

According to CNN-News18, Mulakkal told the court that the police forcefully took away his clothes. He will now be taken to the Pala sub-jail. Meanwhile, a bail plea has also been filed at the Kerala High Court.

The order as the Kerala High Court posted his bail plea for a Thursday hearing. The high court had rejected his bail application on Saturday and had sent him to a two-day police custody. His lawyers had moved the application seeking relief, submitting that the clergyman was arrested after a three-day long interrogation by the probe team.

On Saturday, the police, opposing the plea, said his three-day custody was required to conduct his potency test and to recover the laptop, mobile phone and the dress used by the accused.

They said his body fluid and DNA samples were required to be collected as part of the probe. Recording the submissions, the magistrate had granted two-day custody of the bishop to the police till 2.30 pm on Monday.

Mulakkal taken for reconstruction of crime scene

Mulakkal was taken to a guest house at nearby Kuravilangadu by police for reconstruction of the crime scene on Sunday.

The police vehicle carrying the bishop reached the St Francis Mission Home at 10.20 am and left the place after completing the procedure at 11.10 am.

In its remand report submitted in the court, police had said the nun was subjected to rape and unnatural sex by the accused at the guest house of St Francis Mission Home 13 times between 2014 and 2016.

The victim and her fellow nuns staying in the home were not present there when Mulakkal was brought.

Official sources said police planned to move an application in the court, seeking permission to subject the bishop to a lie detector as he was still reluctant to make the confessional statement.

Earlier, the bishop was discharged from the Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam, where he was admitted on Friday night following complaints of chest pain. The 54-year-old clergyman had complained of pain in his chest while being taken to Kottayam Police club from the Crime Branch office at Thrippunithura in Ernakulam district on Friday night.

He was under observation in the cardiology section of the hospital for over six hours after his blood pressure shot up, official sources said.

Mulakkal, who headed the Roman Catholic Diocese in Jalandhar, Punjab, was arrested on Friday in Tripunithura after three days of questioning in the case where he has been accused of repeatedly raping the senior nun between 2014 to 2016.

With inputs from agenciesRussian President Vladimir Putin has discussed with Syrias President Bashar Assad the supply of Russias S-300 air defense systems to Syria, the Kremlins press-service said.

"The Russian president informed [Assad] about the decision to take a number of additional measures for maintaining the security of Russian military personnel in Syria and for strengthening that countrys air defenses, including the supply of the advanced air defense systems S-300 to Syria," TASS cited the statement as saying.

"Both sides emphasized the readiness to exert further joint efforts for the sake of achieving lasting normalization in Syria, and restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity on the basis of agreed principles, including the results of the trilateral meeting of guarantors of the Astana process in Tehran and the recent Russian-Turkish summit in Sochi," the Kremlin added.The event had marked the end of an era of INS Viraat being the flagship of the Indian Navy.

Mumbai: Maharashtra, Goa and Andhra Pradesh have shown willingness to preserve decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Viraat, a senior navy official said on Monday.

Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Western Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, told reporters that Maharashtra government officials have visited the ship. "Maharashtra government has studied the (ship's final) location and its officials have visited the ship. It will send a report to the Centre. We are expecting a decision soon," he said, after the ceremony of affiliation of INS Kochi with Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment (JAKLI) in Mumbai.

Goa and Andhra Pradesh have also evinced an interest in preserving the aircraft carrier, which decommissioned at the naval dockyard in Mumbai in July, the official said.

The event had marked the end of an era of INS Viraat being the flagship of the Indian Navy. The Centaur-class carrier spent 30 years in the Indian Navy and 27 years in the Royal Navy. In August, JAKLI was affiliated with INS Kochi and 51 Squadron air force, at a ceremony held at the JAKLI Regimental Centre at Rangreth, on the outskirts of Srinagar.

"Such affiliation helps for better inter-operability among the armed forces," Vice Admiral Luthra said. INS Kochi is the second ship of the indigenously designed and constructed Kolkata Class guided missile stealth destroyers built by the Mazagon Dock Ltd at Mumbai.

JAKLI was affiliated to INS Ganga, a Godavari-class guided-missile frigate which was decommissioned in March.In a statement on Sunday, the Manipur University Students' Union lashed out at Singh, whose complaint led to the arrest of 89 students and six teachers of Manipur University during the raids.

Amid the crisis following the midnight raids on a hostel at Manipur University's campus and the appointment of Kangujam Yugindro Singh (name also spelled as Jugindro Singh) as pro-vice-chancellor (Pro-VC), several student organisations have planned to hold a general strike from the midnight of 26 September.

The student bodies behind the call for strike are All Manipur Students Union (AMSU), Manipuri Students Federation (MSF), Democratic Students Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), Students Union Kangleipak (SUK), Apunba Ireipak-ki Maheiroi Singpang Lup (AIMS) and Kangleipak Students Association (KSA).

In a statement on Sunday, the Manipur University Students' Union lashed out at Singh, whose complaint led to the arrest of 89 students and six teachers of Manipur University during the raids.

The Manipur University has been gripped by unrest for about four months as students and teachers demanded the removal of AP Pandey from the vice-chancellor's post.

President Ram Nath Kovind, in his capacity as visitor of the university, had placed Pandey under suspension as the inquiry into the allegations of irregularities against him was underway. Soon after, Singh was appointed as the acting VC by the Ministry of Human Resources Department.

In his complaint, Singh had stated he was "gheraoed" by the agitators and was prevented from taking charge.

The MUSU, in its statement said that it was the idea of "arbitrarily-appointed" Pro-VC to meet the agitating students inside "a random room" when the students requested for a meeting. "There was no intention of threatening or attempt to murder in the minds of the students when they requested for the said meeting," the union said.

Denying allegations that the agitators had pelted stones at Singh's car, the MUSU said, "The politically-appointed Pro-VC already clarified in the media that it was eggs and not stones that were thrown by the students at his car. Above all, he was with his armed escort and it would be totally absurd to claim that the students attacked him."

The MUSU criticised the appointment of Singh as new VC without any discussion with the faculty or the student community on campus.

"We consider Kangujam Jugindro as a political figure who is appointed with an agenda by the RSS government of India through HRD ministry. We strongly condemn the charges framed by Kangujam Jugindro and we take into consideration professor Wahenbam Vishwanath to be the VC and Professor Dorendrajit to be the Registrar," MUSU said.



The student union further said that the "dictatorial military action" of the N Biren Singh-led government in Manipur on midnight of 20 September should be condemned as "the darkest episode in the history" of the university.

The students and teachers who were arrested on Friday were later presented before the court of the Imphal West chief judicial magistrate, which remanded six teachers and seven students in judicial custody and two more students in police custody. The remaining students were released.

"We, the student community of MU, demand an unconditional release of arrested professors and students immediately. It is the need of the hour for the people of Manipur to collectively stand united against the (governments at the Centre and in Manipur)," the MUSU said.

With inputs from Greeshma Rai and agenciesHe said the greenfield airport in Sikkim will not just improve connectivity between 'landlocked and bordering' Sikkim, but will also boost tourism and other economic activities in the state. A greenfield airport is an aviation facility which has been commissioned and constructed from scratch without remodeling or renovating an existing structure.

Pakyong: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday dedicated Sikkim's first airport at Pakyong to the nation and said previous governments worked in a slow pace for ushering in development. Modi said his government is committed to make the North East an "engine of India's growth story".

With the inauguration of the greenfield airport, the country currently has 100 airports, the prime minister said. "Since Independence, the country had only 65 airports till 2014. But in the last four years, we have built 35 airports. Earlier the average was one airport every year, now the average is nine airports per year," Modi said at a programme after the inauguration of the airport.

He said in the last 70 years, the country had 400 aircraft but in one year 1,000 new aircraft were ordered by various airlines. "Our efforts were to enable common people who wear hawai chappal to travel by hawai jahaj (aeroplane)," he said. Modi said, "We are committed to make the North East as engine for India's growth story. For the first time since independence, stress has been given on increasing connectivity by both air and rail, electricity in remote areas of the North East and building infrastructure."

Reiterating the slogan 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (Support for All, development for all), he said, "In several states of the North East, work for connectivity, providing electricity, highways and infrastructure are taking place for the first time." "I myself visited the North East on several occasions while the Union ministers also visited there to speed up the developmental work," he said.

He said the greenfield airport in Sikkim will not just improve connectivity between "landlocked and bordering" Sikkim, but will also boost tourism and other economic activities in the state. A greenfield airport is an aviation facility which has been commissioned and constructed from scratch without remodeling or renovating an existing structure. The tourist footfall in Sikkim will increase manifold after this airport starts functioning from 4 October, the prime minister said.

"It will lead to creation of more jobs for the youth and greater economic activity as more hotels, home stays, restaurants etc are slated to come up," he stated. Modi also said initially flights will operate to Kolkata and Guwahati from Pakyong and subsequently, it would be connected to other parts of the country.

Sikkim's dream of having an airport came true nine years after the foundation stone for it was laid here, around 33 km from state capital Gangtok, in 2009. Located around 60 km from the Indo-China border, the airport is spread across over 201 acres and is on the top of a hill about two-km above Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level.

On famed organic farming in the state, Modi said the central government is taking steps to encourage organic farming in the state. "In Northeast we have started Mission Organic Value Development for the region. The scheme has been approved with an outlay of Rs 400 crore," he said. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, who was also present on the occasion, said the dream of the people of Sikkim to have an airport of their own has now come true.

This will help in increasing the number of tourists visiting the state and that way increase the income of local people thereby help in further development of Sikkim, he said. The prime minister had sought to bring all the state capitals in the railway map, he said. Work is on to get Sikkim into the map and it has now got its first airport, Prabhu said.Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Pakyong Greenfield Airport, around 33 kilometres from Gangtok, on Monday, which will be Sikkim's lone airport.

Gangtok: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday evening arrived in Gangtok on a two-day visit to Sikkim, during which he will inaugurate the state's lone airport on Monday.

The prime minister reached Gangtok in an MI-8 chopper from Bagdogra and was received by Governor Ganga Prasad, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and others at the Libing Army Helipad. He was given a gun salute by the army on arrival.

During the two-day visit, Modi will inaugurate the Pakyong Greenfield Airport, around 33 kilometres from Gangtok, on Monday. He will also address people at St Xavier's School in Pakyong after inaugurating the airport.

From the army helipad, the prime minister's entourage travelled around 5 kilometres to Raj Bhavan, where he will stay for the night.

A large number of people carrying colourful flags gathered at both sides of the road in rain to get a glimpse of the prime minister, who also waved them back from his vehicle. Later at Raj Bhavan, the prime minister met BJP leaders and representatives of various social organisations.Time and again, India has shown the willingness to engage and every time, Pakistan has sabotaged it, either through its own actions or those of non-state actors.

India and Pakistan are now engaged in a new round of charges and counter-charges after the former cancelled the meeting of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi, after agreeing to it a few days before. The announcement of the meeting between the two ministers on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly session, coming on the heels of a new government led by Imran Khan in Pakistan assuming power, had renewed hopes for peace in both the countries.

Well, not exactly.

It was a trap, set for India, and we willingly walked into it.

If one looks at the recent past, it is clear that Pakistan has a record of treachery and sabotaging talks. Time and again, New Delhi has shown the willingness to engage and every time, Islamabad has sabotaged it, either through its own actions or actions perpetrated by the Pakistan Army sponsored non-state actors. This charade has become so repetitive that its no longer surprising and yet, something which time and again India has fallen for.

Consider the following examples:

The February 1999 Lahore bus diplomacy of prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the bonhomie between the two countries, was quickly met with the sabotage of the Pakistani Army when it occupied positions in Kargil in May 1999. The two back-to-back events have come to define Pakistans treacherous attitude. But there are many.

In 2001, after the failed Agra Summit between India and Pakistan in July of that year, Pakistan-based terrorists first targeted the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in October, followed by the Indian Parliament in December.

In 2014, after the Pakistan prime minister joined the swearing-in ceremony for Narendra Modi, India announced foreign secretary level talks. But weeks before the talks, the Pakistan High Commission held consultations with Kashmiri separatist leaders in Delhi- a clear attempt to sabotage the spirit of talks, which angered India, leading to the cancellation of scheduled talks.

But Modi persisted. In December 2015, he paid an impromptu visit to Lahore to hold informal talks with Nawaz Sharif. But his enthusiasm was met with an embarrassing attack on India's frontline airbase at Pathankot by the Jaish-e-Mohammad a few days later.

In all these cases, India had shown willingness  mixed with somewhat uncalled for enthusiasm  to hold talks with Pakistan, despite absolutely no evidence of a change in the Pakistan Armys thinking and the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

This time too, India fell for the sweet talk of Imran Khan. And this time too, the surging violence in the Kashmir Valley and ISI's attempt to stir trouble, meant that India had to face the ignominy of announcing the cancellation of talks with the usual rhetoric that terror and talks cannot go together. Even though India insisted that the proposed meeting between Swaraj and Qureshi was not the resumption of dialogue, Islamabad claimed it to be so.

The current enthusiasm was even more puzzling because credible media reports had suggested that India had rebuffed Pakistan Army's readiness for talks and that New Delhi had been effectively highlighting Pakistan's dubious record on cross-border terrorism.

This is not to suggest that prospects for India-Pakistan dialogue are always bleak. Rather, a much smarter approach of holding back channel talks, away from the glare of media and terrorist groups, in a third country needs to be pursued, as was done in the NSA-level talks in Bangkok in November 2016 and in December 2017.

But more importantly, if our security establishment has concluded that Pakistans fundamental behaviour to harm India will not change in the foreseeable future, then clearly we need to develop a more meaningful policy of building levers to compel Pakistan to change its behaviour, as has been suggested by some in the strategic community, rather than thinking in binary terms  talks/no talks and emotional outbursts after every terrorist attack.The security agencies have also beefed up combing operation in Bastar and the areas bordering Chhattisgarh with Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

Following the gruesome killing of TDP MLA K Sarveswara Rao and ex-legislator S Soma by Maoists on Sunday at Araku valley in Andhra Pradesh, the poll-bound state Chhattisgarh has been put on a high alert.

Based on a directive from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to provide high security to peoples representatives and political leaders in Chhattisgarh, the state police and Central security forces have stepped up security measures.

According to Chhattisgarh Police, besides issuing alerts, the MPs, MLAs and political leaders have been sensitised about the situation, especially in the Maoist-hotbed Bastar  the most volatile region in the state.

Weve enhanced the security measures in all the seven districts in Bastar and sensitised the political leaders and all those involved in election campaign about the gravity of the situation, Vivekananda, inspector general (Bastar range), Chhattisgarh police told Firstpost.

Similar to the Maoist attack through a blast on the then chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu in 2004, the Naxal attack on political leaders is not new to Chhattisgarh. In May 2013, Maoists attacked a Congress rally Parivartan Yatra at Jhiram Ghati in Bastar and wiped out the partys top leadership in the state. Senior Congress leaders Vidya Charan Shukla, Mahendra Karma and Nand Kumar Patel among others were killed.

Keeping the past incident and the Sunday attack in mind, the state police have deputed nodal officers to monitor the movement VVIP leaders during election campaigning in the state, especially in Bastar. As part of the sensitisation programme, the MPs, MLAs and political leaders have been asked not to visit the interior villages in Bastar without informing the police.

Of all the seven Maoist-infested districts in Bastar -- Sukma, Bijapur, Dantewada and Abujhmad in Narayapur are highly volatile.

Weve deputed nodal officers for monitoring the movements and security measures of VVIPs, said Vivekananda.

The security agencies have also beefed up combing operation in Bastar and the areas bordering Chhattisgarh with Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

Are Chhattisgarh Maoists involved in Araku incident?

According to state intelligence sources, the police have been exploring whether Maoists from Chhattisgarh were also involved in Araku incident.

There is a cross-border movement of Maoists through porous borders of Chhattisgarh neighbouring Telangana, Odisha and Maharashtra. After a series of intense operations in Bastar and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, some of the Maoists from these regions moved to Odisha. Were trying to find out whether any of those from Bastar were involved in the killing of two political leaders on Sunday, a source said.

Sources said that a few members of the Maoist group that killed Rao and Soma belonged to Odisha.

Even in the Jhiram Ghati attack in 2013, there were a large number of Maoists from outside Chhattisgarh. Some of them were from Odisha. For bigger operations, the Maoists get cadre from outside the state as they cant be recognised by local people, a source said.

Maoist warning

Those aware of Naxal insurgency in Bastar know that during elections, CPI (Maoist) issues threats to locals to boycott polling and create disturbances.

In a similar incident, Konta Area Committee of the CPI (Maoist) in Bastar issued a warning by putting up a poster on last Friday, appealing the tribal villagers to boycott the upcoming election in Chhattisgarh. The Naxals have reportedly warned that any MLA or political leader who visits any interior village, would be made to appear at the Jan Adalat.

Jan Adalat or Naxal court of law is organised by the Maoists in tribal villages to settle disputes. They give exemplary punishments using extreme brutality to those found guilty by them especially to those whom they identify as police informers. Its also a way to settle scores and create fear-psychosis among villagers to subjugate the latter.

Both police and security agencies are investigating the Maoist warning.

Every time before elections, Maoists issue threats and also try to grab national attention through blasts. Though police have increased the security measures, a few MLAs belonging to sensitive districts are also worried about the situation here. Theres a palpable tension in the region with the Assembly polls getting closer. Therere possibilities of bigger Naxal incidents in days to come, a Bastar-based journalist told Firstpost on condition not to be named.Francois Hollande, who was French president when the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale deal was announced, was quoted as saying by a French publication that France was given 'no choice' on selection of the Indian partner for Dassault Aviation

Lucknow: Under attack from the Congress on Rafale fighter aircraft deal, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Monday said that following "clarifications" from former French president Francois Hollande, there is no room for any doubt in the matter.

He also accused the Congress of trying to gain political mileage over the issue with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

"The Opposition does not have any issue left so it is raking up Rafale deal," the home minister told reporters after a meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Lucknow.

"After clarifications from Hollande there is no room for any doubt about the deal. The Congress is making it an issue to gain political mileage in 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Singh said.

Hollande, who was French president when the Rs 58,000 crore deal was announced, was quoted as saying by French publication Mediapart that France was given "no choice" on selection of the Indian partner for Dassault Aviation and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance as offset partner for the French aerospace giant.

AFP reported that Hollande told it on the sidelines of a meeting in Canada on Friday that France "did not choose Reliance in any way". When asked whether India had put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Hollande said he was unaware and "only Dassault can comment on this".

The Centre on Saturday had asserted that it did not have any role in the selection of Reliance Defence as a partner for Dassault while France said it was in "no manner" involved in the choice of any Indian industrial associate for the contract.

On Kashmir issue, Singh said, "I think the matter will be resolved. The problem is not increasing. We are ready to talk to everyone. As far as terrorism is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination."

He also said, "Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored."

About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the home minister said that out of 22 points, 20 have been resolved, adding in the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues were discussed of which 428 were resolved.

Besides Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivedra Singh Rawat respectively, the meeting was attended by representatives from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well.

The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The council's meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any.

Five Zonal Councils - central, western, northern, southern and eastern - were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.He was greeted with posters hailing 'Shiv bhakt Rahul Gandhi' on his first visit in Amethi after undertaking the arduous 12-day pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, considered the abode of Lord Shiva. Rahul arrived at Lucknow's Amausi Airport and drove to Amethi, his Lok Sabha constituency.

Amethi: Fresh from his recent Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, Congress president Rahul Gandhi arrived in his parliamentary constituency on Monday to a rousing welcome by 'Shiv bhakts' who also presented him with a portrait of Lord Shiva.

The Congress president was given a warm welcome by saffron-clad Shiva devotees, who are also known as Kanwariyas, at Fursatganj. With a scarf around his neck, he took part in a 'puja' amidst chanting of mantras, party leaders said.

#WATCH Rahul Gandhi offers prayers to Lord Shiva in Amethi. He was also felicitated by 'Kawariyas' pic.twitter.com/XTpP9YEfqq  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 24, 2018

He was greeted with posters hailing 'Shiv bhakt Rahul Gandhi' on his first visit in Amethi after undertaking the arduous 12-day pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, considered the abode of Lord Shiva. Rahul arrived at Lucknow's Amausi Airport and drove to Amethi, his Lok Sabha constituency.

He is on a two-day visit during which he will also take part in the district vigilance and monitoring committee meeting and hold talks with party leaders and workers.

The Congress chief announced his intention to undertake the pilgrimage after a mid-air scare when his plane plunged hundreds of feet during the Karnataka election campaign in April and left for Mount Kailash on 31 August.

The pilgrimage was aimed at seeking the blessing of Lord Shiva for prosperity and success of the country and its people, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had said. In Amethi, the special welcome by Kanwariyas was organised by party's block president Indrapal Mali who is also the president of the 'kanwariya' union of the area.In 2017, Supreme Court judge KT Thomas had reportedly written to the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi, wife of Rajiv Gandhi, requesting her to show magnanimity towards her husband's killers and help in remission of their sentences

Chennai: The mother of one of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case Monday met Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit to seek her son's release following a Supreme Court order and the state cabinet's recommendation.

Arputhammal, the mother AG Perarivalan, said she met Purohit at Raj Bhavan in Chennai and submitted a petition with some related material, and exuded confidence he will accept her demand.

Among the documents she submitted to Purohit was Supreme Court judge KT Thomas' reported remarks about some "serious flaws" in the Cenral Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation in the case and details on her son's conduct during release on parole.

In 2017, Thomas had reportedly written to the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi, wife of Rajiv Gandhi, requesting her to show magnanimity towards her husband's killers and help in remission of their sentences.

"The Tamil Nadu government had adopted a cabinet resolution (on the release of convicts) and sent the file to Raj Bhavan. You all know that their release is pending for his signature (of approval)," she told reporters.

The AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu had on 9 September recommended to Purohit the release of all the seven life convicts in the case, a move hailed by most political parties in the state barring the Congress.

The cabinet had decided to release the convicts V Sriharan alias Murugan, T Suthanthiraraja alias Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Robert Payas, Ravichandran and Nalini, under Article 161 of the Constitution which relates to the power of the governor to grant pardon and to suspend, remit and commute sentences in certain cases.

Arputhammal said the meeting was 'cordial' and the governor went through her petition, and that he even suggested some corrections which were made. "So, I am confident he will soon accept the cabinet recommendation and approve my son's release. He will respect the cabinet, Supreme Court," she added.

Before the state cabinet recommended the release of the convicts, the Supreme Court had asked the governor to consider the mercy petition of Perarivalan seeking remission or pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution while disposing of the Centre's petition opposing the state's 2014 decision for their release.

Perarivalan was a diploma holder in electronics and communication engineering at the time of arrest in June 1991. He completed his bachelors and masters in computer applications from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) while still in jail.

He was convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case for supplying the battery which was used to detonate the bomb that killed Rajiv Gandhi and 15 others, including Dhanu, the suicide bomber, at an election rally at Sriperumbudur near Chennai on 21 May, 1991.

Perarivalan was sentenced to death but the penalty was commuted to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court in 2014.The government called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lucknow: Home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the government is "ready to talk to everyone" over the Kashmir issue, while asserting that terrorism in the Valley is "Pakistan-sponsored".

After a meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Lucknow, he told reporters, "I think the (Kashmir) matter will be resolved. We are ready to talk to everyone. As far as terrorism is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination. Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored."

The government on Friday called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in New York, barely 24 hours after agreeing to the engagement, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.

About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the home minister said out of 22 points, 20 have been resolved, adding in the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues were discussed of which 428 were resolved.

At the meeting, progress of implementation of recommendations made at the last meeting including need to increase density of roads and upgrading existing roads, assistance required to combat Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and modernisation of police forces were discussed, an official release issued said.

Singh said it has been the objective of the present government to strengthen the institution of zonal councils as well as the inter-state council to promote and maintain a good federal atmosphere of cooperation among states and the Centre.

Besides Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand chief ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivedra Singh Rawat, the meeting was attended by representatives from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well. The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The council's meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any.

Five Zonal Councils  central, western, northern, southern and eastern  were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.A large network of suspects have been arrested in connection with Saturdays attack on a military parade in the Iranian city of Ahvaz, Iran's intelligence minister Mahmoud Alavi said on the sideline of the funeral of the victims in Ahvaz.

"We will identify all terrorists linked to this attack ... A large part of this network has already been arrested," the judiciary's news agency Mizan cited Alavi as saying.

The minister did not provide any details about the identity of those arrested or their affiliation, but vowed tough measures against those committing "such crimes," Radio Farda reported.

Gunmen opened fire at Revolutionary Guard troops and officials in Ahvaz at 09:00 local time (06:30 BST). At least 29 people were killed, 57 more were injured.The Chhattisgarh chief minister said his government has been working on a plan to completely eliminate naxalism from the state since 2003 and that the strategy is showing results.

Raipur: Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh on Monday said his government is making efforts through development projects to "soon neutralise" the ideological and financial support Naxalites receive from sympathisers from Raipur to Delhi.

In an interview to PTI, the longest-serving BJP chief minister outlined several development-related activities, including those being undertaken in the state's Naxal-affected Bastar region.

Singh also exuded confidence of a consecutive fourth victory for the BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state.

Polls for the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly are due this year-end.

The chief minister said his government has been working on a plan to completely eliminate Naxalism from the state since 2003 and that the strategy is showing results.

"We have brought development in most (of the Naxal-affected) areas and more than that we have been able to win the people's trust. Naxalites are getting discouraged and Naxal activities are going down," he said.

Referring to Maoists sympathisers, Singh said Naxals have got a very strong support system from Raipur to Delhi.

"I feel the kind of support that is given to Naxals and their ideology is very strong. They make big lawyers who take up their cases. So, they are economically strong too.

"There are people of their (Naxals) ideology who support them, from high courts to the Supreme Court (referring to some providing legal aid to them)," the chief minister said.

He, however, expressed confidence that these sympathisers will soon be "neutralised".

"Like the Naxals are getting weaker, they (sympathisers) will also become weak. This fight (to check Naxalites and their supporters) is of Chhattisgarh and other states.

"We are getting successful (in checking Naxal activities) and this support system will soon be neutralised," Singh said.

He also lamented that some human rights supporters are opposing action against Naxals. "They make noise of human rights violation. They had come to me as well. I asked them whether the human rights are of Naxalites alone or of the common people also. They (Naxals) abduct their children, girls and destroy schools.

"They are the biggest violators of human rights as they keep the whole area (of their influence) captive. Why don't you (sympathisers and human rights defenders) speak then? You only think of them (Naxals) only?" Singh said.

His assertion assumes significance as some human rights defenders were arrested last month from different parts of the country, including one Chhattisgarh-based activist, by state police forces. The Supreme Court is hearing a case on a plea made by a historian challenging the arrests.

Talking about the upcoming Assembly polls in the state, Singh said the BJP is confident of its victory and all set to form government after the elections.

"The experience of the last three elections tells us that we will be in a better position in this poll. BJP chief (Amit Shah) has decided a target of 65 plus seats in the state.

"We all are set to achieve that. Our workers up to the booth level are doing their jobs. We are sure that we will get a big victory this time," the chief minister said.

Singh, who has been the chief minister of the state since December 2003, rejected suggestions that there was anti-incumbency against his administration.

"Sensing, somewhat, a little mood of anti-incumbency in some areas, we started a mass contact programme. We visited different parts of the state and heard the people's grievances, if any, and provided on the spot solution to them.

"So, whatever little concern or problem they had from the administration, we have already provided solutions to them. Hence, no such (anti-incumbency) feeling exist," he said.

The chief minister said the BJP is approaching the people with a promise and vision to make a 'New Chhattisgarh' by 2025.

"When Chhattisgarh turns 25 (in 2025), our GDP will be doubled, farmers' income will be doubled. We will ensure 100 percent literacy in the state.

"We are creating an educational hub in the worst Naxal-affected Bastar region to Sarguja, and providing all possible support to the farmers of the state, Singh said, outlining plans to approach voters ahead of the Assembly polls.The five-judge SC bench had in the course of hearing made it clear that it can neither lay down a law nor ask the Parliament to enact one to bar the politicians with criminal antecedents from contesting elections.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce on Tuesday its verdict on a public interest plea seeking to debar from the electoral arena the politicians with criminal antecedents against whom charges have been framed by trial courts for heinous offences.

The five-judge constitution bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Fali Nariman, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra had in the course of hearing made it clear that it can neither lay down a law nor ask the Parliament to enact one to bar the politicians with criminal antecedents from contesting elections.

"We can't make a law or do something indirectly what we can't do directly. We will only see if we can do anything on disclosure (of criminal antecedents). We will see if we can add to the disclosure so that people make a well-informed choice at polling booth. Let people judge," Chief Justice Misra had said on the conclusion of arguments on 28 August when verdict was reserved.

Accepting that it could not pass directions which are in the nature of law making nor it could, respecting the separation of powers, asking the Parliament to enact law ejecting politicians with criminal antecedents from the electoral field, the Chief Justice taking recourse to the Right to Information, had said: "Right to information (about the criminal antecedents of the candidates) means right to proper information."

This court had said in the wake of strong resistance by the Centre which had told the court that the law making was within the exclusive domain of the legislature and "what court can't do directly (asking legislature to enact law), it can't do indirectly (by asking the Election Commission to frame regulation under the Symbol Rules)".

The court in the course of the hearing had asked whether it could direct the Election Commission (EC) to include in the symbol order a clause that a political party is liable to lose its recognition if it fields candidates accused of heinous crimes.

Recognising its constitutional limitations that it can only interpret the constitution and either read down or uphold a law, the apex court had indicated that it could take recourse to right to information to pass directions about the dissemination of information about the antecedents of a candidate so that voters could make an informed choice at the polling booth.

The EC had told the court that it had made the recommendation to eject a candidate from electoral fray after the framing of the charges in heinous cases way back in 1997, which was reiterated in 1999 and subsequently, but nothing moved.

Seeking the barring of politicians charge-sheeted in heinous crimes from the electoral fray, the PIL petitioner NGO Public Interest Foundation had contended that parliament with 34 percent lawmakers with criminal background will never act to cleanse the electoral politics.On Sunday, CPI (Maoists) shot dead ruling TDP MLA K Sarveswara Rao and former party leader in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam district

Bhubaneswar: A day after a sitting MLA and a former legislator were killed by outlawed CPI(Maoists) in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, security forces have been put on extreme alert in Odisha, a senior police officer said.

"The Special Operation Group (SOG) has been kept fully prepared to handle any kind of situation," Odisha's IG, Operation, RP Koche said.

"The police authorities in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts such as Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada, close to Andhra Pradesh, have been instructed, in particular, to remain on high alert," Director General of Police (DGP) RP Sharma said.

"The place where the two Telegu Desam Party (TDP) leaders were killed on Sunday is barely 15 km from Odisha." said Sharma said adding that he had a discussion with his Andhra Pradesh counterpart on the killing of the two leaders and a joint operation of the Odisha and the Andhra Pradesh police would be launched very soon to track the Maoists in the border areas.

"Personal security officers (PSOs) attached to each MLA have been asked to keep contact with the district police when any law maker is touring Maoist-affected areas," the DGP said.

The Odisha Police has also asked security personnel to ensure proper implementation of standing operating procedures (SOP) during movement of political leaders in LWE-hit areas.

Sharma said the Odisha Police will suggest to the leaders and the local representatives of the people to adhere to SOPs during their visit to Maoist-prone areas.

He said the state police will also apprise the PSOs about the SOPs, which they will have to strictly adhere to while accompanying their leaders to troubled areas.

"As per the provisions of the SOP, any leader and local representative prior to visiting the Maoist-prone areas have to inform the concerned district superintendents of police in advance," the DGP said.

The CPI (Maoists) Sunday shot dead ruling TDP MLA K Sarveswara Rao and former party leader in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam district.A three-judge bench, headed by CJI Dipak Misra, of Supreme Court observed that it would refer the case of female genital mutilation to a five-judge Constitution bench. Sunita Tiwari, the petitioner, had earlier sought a direction to the respondents.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday referred the petition seeking a ban on the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) to a five-judge Constitution bench.

"We are referring the case to a five-judge Constitution bench," a three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra and also comprising Justice AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud observed.

The petitioner, Sunita Tiwari had earlier sought a direction to the respondents to implement the resolutions passed in December 2012, by the United Nations General Assembly banning female genital mutilation or Khatna of minor girls in the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community, in which India is a signatory.

She also sought a direction to put a complete ban on the illegal and inhuman practices of FGM as the same was violating the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 14, 21 and 39 of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) of the Constitution of India.Swaraj, who arrived in New York on Saturday for the General Assembly week, will on Monday attend the high-level event on Counter Narcotics hosted by US president Donald Trump.

New York: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will hold bilateral meetings with several of her foreign counterparts and attend multilateral meetings such as SAARC and BRICS during a busy week at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

Swaraj, who arrived in New York on Saturday for the General Assembly week, will on Monday attend the high-level event on Counter Narcotics hosted by US president Donald Trump.

The event, which kicks off the high-level UNGA week, will be a global call for action on the world drug problem and is expected to see participation from over 120 UN member states.

Requests have been received for about 30 bilateral meetings with Swaraj, Joint Secretary for UN Political in the Ministry of External Affairs Dinesh Patnaik told reporters at India's Permanent Mission to the UN.

She will also attend the Nelson Mandela Peace Conference, a high-level plenary meeting on global peace in the honour of the centenary of the birth of the late South African president, as well as attend a reception hosted on Monday by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.

Over the course of the week, Swaraj will make a statement on climate change and participate in the NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) Ministerial conference on Palestine, besides attending other plurilateral meetings including the G4, IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa), BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), and SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) - a meeting on 27 September that will also be attended by Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Indian diplomats will also be participating in the G77, LDCs (Least Developed Countries), Commonwealth and Heart of Asia meetings to be held on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Health Minister JP Nadda will be attending the high-level meetings on tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases.

Heads of State will participate at the first-ever high-level meeting on tuberculosis (TB) on 26 September to accelerate efforts in ending TB and reach all affected people with prevention and care.

On 27 September, the UNGA will stage the third high-level meeting on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which will undertake a comprehensive review of the global and national progress achieved in putting measures in place that protect people from dying too young from heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes.

Swaraj's early engagements included a meeting on Sunday with World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to discuss global health issues.

She also held discussions with a few members of the Indian diaspora.

On Monday, she will have bilateral meetings with Morocco foreign minister Nasser Bourita, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini, Liechtenstein foreign minister Aurelia Frick, Nepal's foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Spanish foreign minister Josep Borrell, Colombian foreign minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, Ecuador's foreign minister Jose Valencia, Australian foreign minister Marise Payne and Mongolia's foreign minister Tsogtbaatar Damdin.

Asked about the possibility of a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said New Delhi and Washington just completed a successful round of 2+2 dialogue and discussions are being planned with nations with which India has not had an opportunity to hold bilateral talks.Security cover for all public representatives in Andhra Pradesh was stepped up on Sunday after the outlawed CPI (Maoist) ultras gunned down Araku Valley MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma.

Amaravati: Security cover for all public representatives in Andhra Pradesh was stepped up on Sunday after the outlawed CPI (Maoist) ultras gunned down Araku Valley MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma even as Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed shock over the incident.

Soon after landing in New York City on Sunday evening, the chief minister spoke to top government officials in Amaravati and enquired about the incident, a communique from the CMO said.

Terming the killing of the legislator and his predecessor as a "blot on humanity", the chief minister extended sympathies to the bereaved families.

State chief secretary Dinesh Kumar reviewed the situation with top police officials and directed them to ensure adequate security to all public representatives, particularly those taking part in the grama darshini (village visit) programme.

Police surveillance and combing operations have been intensified in the Agency area where Maoists have their presence.

On the other hand, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Harish Kumar Gupta said situation in Araku Valley was under control after the violence that broke out in the evening following the killing of the TDP leaders.

Tribal villagers vandalised the Araku and Dumbriguda police stations in the Agency area blaming the police for the killing of their MLA and ex-MLA.

A thatched roof shed in the Dumbriguda police station was set afire while the furniture was also damaged.

Several seized two-wheelers lying in the police station were also burnt even as the protesters also attacked the police personnel on duty.

A constable was injured in the mob violence, police sources said.

Unable to face the furious mob, police personnel had to run for cover.

Visakhapatnam Rural Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma, who reached Araku late in the evening, faced the villagers' ire.

The villagers demanded that the Dumbriguda police station sub-inspector be placed under suspension for having failed to provide adequate security to the MLA.

Additional police forces were rushed to Araku to restore peace even as arrangements were made in the valley for the post-mortem of the deceased.

Meanwhile, a release from the state police headquarters here said all public representatives have been requested not to visit interior areas without informing the police.

"Public representatives are requested to provide necessary advance information to the respective district Superintendent of Police and take adequate security cover," the release added.Telangana chose not to implement the Centre's Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme launched Sunday for the time being citing a state scheme that covered nearly 80 lakh families, drawing flak from opposition BJP

Hyderabad: Telangana chose not to implement the Centre's Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme launched Sunday for the time being citing a state scheme that covered nearly 80 lakh families, drawing flak from opposition BJP.

One of the reasons for not rolling out the scheme now was that Telangana would continue to implement its own Aarogyasri' Health Scheme, which covers nearly 80 lakh families in the state, official sources said. "We already have Aarogyasri scheme. As of now, Telangana has not participated in the (central government's) scheme," they told PTI.

Asked when the Central scheme would be implemented in Telangana, the sources said "as of now Aarogyasri scheme will continue," adding Telangana's model of health coverage is a robust programme. However, BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya, in an open letter to Telangana caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Sunday described the state government's decision as a "unilateral, undemocratic and autocratic one." "It is wrong to look at the scheme from a political point of view but consider the benefits the poorer sections in the state might avail with it," the Secunderabad MP said in the letter adding KCR before taking a decision on the matter should have consulted the opposition parties.

Under Aarogyasri being implemented in the state, only 949 ailments are covered, but Ayushman Bharat covers 1,350, the BJP leader claimed and added, "it could prove to be beneficial for financially poor as they can avail treatment for diseases like cancer." Therefore, KCR must quit his narrow-minded politics, and abstain from preventing implementation of central schemes in

Telangana, Dattatreya said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-Ayushman Bharat from Ranchi in Jharkhand and termed it a "game-changer initiative to serve the poor.

The Central scheme, which was renamed the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan (PMJAY), aims to provide a coverage of Rs five lakh per family annually, benefiting more than 10 crore poor families. Eligible people can avail of the benefits in the government and listed private hospitals.On Sunday, Bipin Rawat had backed the government's decision to call off dialogue with Pakistan, asserting that talks and terror cannot go together.

New Delhi: In view of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat Monday said he believed there was a need for another surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC).

In response to a question on whether there is a need for one more surgical strike, Rawat responded in affirmative.

"I believe there is a need for one more action (surgical strike). But I would not want to disclose how we want to do it," he said in an interview to India Today news channel that was telecast on Monday.

The Indian Army conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the LoC on 29 September two years ago.

On Sunday, Rawat had backed the government's decision to call off dialogue with Pakistan, asserting that talks and terror cannot go together.

The government on Friday had called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in New York, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad releasing postage stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.

Last week, a Border Security Force (BSF) solider was shot dead and his body was found mutilated.

Rawat had also said infiltration from across the border persists despite the call for a ceasefire by Pakistan, and stressed that this cannot be allowed to continue and appropriate action has to be taken to deter terrorists from disrupting the peace in the Valley.A yellow alert has also been issued in Kerala's Palakkad, Idukki, Thrissur and Wayanad districts for Wednesday.

Kochi (Kerala): A yellow alert has been issued in Kerala's Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Wayanad districts for Tuesday.

In addition to that, a yellow alert has also been issued for Palakkad, Idukki, Thrissur and Wayanad districts for Wednesday. The Meteorological (Met) Centre has predicted heavy rainfall (64.4mm to 124.4mm) in these districts.

Meanwhile, the State Disaster Management Authority has instructed district authorities to remain on alert and directed them to take necessary precautions.

Almost a month ago, Kerala was hit by the worst floods in nearly a century, which claimed lives of more than 400 people and caused damage to the tune of nearly Rs. 20,000 crores.The Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena is expected to announce Dadri lynching accused Rupendra Rana as its candidate from a Noida constituency on Monday evening.

Days after courting controversy by offering a ticket to Shambhulal Regar, the man arrested for burning and lynching a Muslim man in Rajasthan's Rajsamand in December 2017, the Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena has, once again, raised eyebrows by giving a party ticket to one of the main accused in the Dadri lynching case for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Rupendra Rana will contest the polls from the Gautam Budh Nagar constituency in Noida.

Sena chief Amit Jani was quoted as saying by The Times of India that he believes "Rana is the perfect person to protect cows as he has spent 2.5 years in prison for the respect of gaumata".

"Rather than making false promises of doing something for cows, Rana had proven his commitment to cows in 2015," Jani said.

The party president is expected to make a formal announcement on Rana's candidacy on Monday in Bishada, the village in Uttar Pradesh's Dadri district where Rana and 17 others had allegedly attacked Mohammed Akhlaq and his son Danish on 28 September, 2015, on suspicion of eating beef. Akhlaq had succumbed to his injuries on the spot. Of the 18 accused, three were juveniles, who are out on bail. Rana, too, was given bail after spending two and a half years in prison.

When questioned about why the Navnirman Sena was choosing to nominate controversial figures for the Lok Sabha elections, Jani said, according to Firstpost Hindi, that his party was fielding Hindu-leaning candidates as it wanted a "pro-Hindu government" in India. He added that the Sena will hold a Hindu rally on 14 October and a "Dharma Parishad" on 18 November.

After offering a ticket from Agra to hate crime-accused Regar, Jani had said the Navnirman Sena only wants "Hindutva faces to contest elections" on its tickets and "there can be nobody better than him". He had claimed that he had met people in Rajasthan who supported Regar and lauded his efforts to "save Hindutva".

The Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, a lesser-known political outfit in the state, has also decided to field the father of the two brothers, whose lynching allegedly by a Muslim mob is believed to be one of the reasons that triggered the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013. Sachin and Gaurav Singh's father will contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Muzaffarnagar seat, Firstpost Hindi reported.Iran's oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said the United States will not succeed in its plans to halt Iranian crude exports even as he acknowledged that South Korea has stopped buying oil from Tehran, Iranian media reported.

The website of Iran's oil ministry, Shana.ir, quotes the minister as saying the "U.S. dream of getting Iran's oil exports (effectively) to zero won't come true."

Zanganeh said such a plan isn't possible long-term, though Washington seems determined to cut Iran's crude exports, "even if for just a month," CNBC reported.

However, he did say that Seoul hasn't bought any Iranian crude "for three continuous months."

The oil minister also welcomed the outcome of a meeting Sunday between OPEC members and the cartel's allies, which ended without any decision to further increase oil output despite Trump's call for lower prices.

Zangeneh says "no country gave a positive answer to Trump" and that this can be considered a "heavy defeat" for the U.S. president Donald Trump.The political slugfest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition party has been escalating since former French president Francois Hollande indicated that the Indian government pushed Dassault Aviation to partner with Reliance Defence for the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale fighter jet deal.

As election season draws nearer and political parties begin campaigning across the country, allegations and counter-allegations have been flying thick and fast between leaders. For the Congress, its latest weapons to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are the corruption claims against the Narendra Modi government in the Rafale deal.

While the Congress has been consistently calling out the NDA government over its "shoddy" handling of the Rs 58,000-crore fighter jet deal since 2015, it is former French president Francois Hollande's recent statement over the issue that seems to have given more credibility to the party's claims. The party is hoping to translate this into electoral victory in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh and in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as well.

In the latest development in the Rafale controversy, ex-French president Francois Hollande's issued a statement indicating that the Indian government in 2015 pushed Dassault Aviation to partner with the Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Defence, and said the French government had no say in that regard.

Since 2014, the Congress has been losing its foothold across the country, facing successive defeats in Assembly elections in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya etc. Even in Karnataka this year, the party managed to grab a slice of the power pie by stitching a last minute alliance with rival JD(S) and ensuring the party remained in power. With party president Rahul Gandhi attempting to create a united Opposition ahead of the 2019 General Election, the aim is to block the BJP's rise, in any way possible.

Among a host of other issues, the Rafale deal controversy is one of the best weapons the party has at the moment.

While the BJP has faced severe criticism over their intolerance of minorities and statements over love jihad, gau raksha, Hindu rashtra etc, both Modi and his Cabinet of Ministers have successfully kept themselves away from direct involvement in corruption scandals.

As much as the BJP is trying to reject allegations of corruption in the Rafale deal, the Congress party is not going to let go of Hollande's statement any time soon. Mediapart, a French language publication, quoted Hollande as saying, "It was the Indian government that proposed this service group (Reliance Defence), and Dassault who negotiated with Ambani. We had no choice, we took the interlocutor who was given to us." Asked who selected Reliance as a partner and why, Hollande replied, "We had no say in this regard."

What is the Rafale deal and why is it important to Congress?

Rafale is a French twin-engine multi-role fighter jet designed and built by Dassault Aviation. They are considered one of the most potent combat jets globally. The Indian Air Force (IAF), which requires a minimum of 42 fighter squadrons to achieve optimal capability, declined down to 34 squadrons between 2000-2012 due to obsolescence. The original proposal to buy 126 fighter aircraft was first mooted during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government.

However, it was under then-prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2007, that India began the process to buy a fleet of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) after the defence ministry, headed then by Congress leader AK Antony, cleared the proposal from the Indian Air Force.

The contenders for the mega deal were Lockheed Martins F-16s, Eurofighter Typhoon, Russias MiG-35, Swedens Gripen, Boeings F/A-18s and Dassault Aviations Rafale. After a long-drawn process, bids were opened in December 2012 and Dassault Aviation emerged as L-1 (lowest bidder).

In the original proposal, 18 planes were to be manufactured in France and 108 in India in collaboration with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Discussions between Dassault and the UPA began in early 2012 for 126 Rafales. The final negotiations continued till early 2014 but the deal could not go through.

After Modi became the prime minister in 2014, he visited France a year later and announced that India will purchase 36 ready-to-fly Rafale jets in a government-to-government agreement, instead of assembling a majority of the aircraft in India.

A joint statement issued on 10 April, 2015, after talks between Modi and then French president Francois Hollande, said they agreed to conclude an Inter-Governmental Agreement for supply of 36 Rafale jets on terms that would be better than conveyed by Dassault Aviation as part of a separate process underway.

This irked Congress as there were lengthy negotiations between the then-UPA government and Dassault on prices and transfer of technology. After Modi's announcement, questions were raised by the Opposition on how the prime minister finalised the deal without approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security.

The Congress also accused the Centre of massive irregularities in the deal, alleging that the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government. The party has also demanded answers from the government on why state-run aerospace major HAL was not involved in the deal. The Congress has also sought to know price details of the aircraft and how the rate per aircraft has gone up from Rs 526 crore to Rs 1,670 crore. The government has refused to share the details, citing a secrecy clause of a 2008 pact between India and France.

Furthermore, the Congress alleged the NDA government was benefitting the Reliance Defence Limited (RDL) through the Rafale deal as the company has set up a joint venture with Dassault Aviation to execute the offset obligation for the Rs 59,000 crore deal. The party alleged that Reliance Defence was formed just 12 days before the announcement of the Rafale deal by the prime minister on 10 April, 2015. However, RDL has rejected all the charges.

India and France signed an 7.87 billion (Rs 59,000 crore approximately) deal on 23 September, 2016 for 36 Rafale jets. The delivery of the aircraft will begin from September 2019.

On 3 October, 2016, RDL and Dassault Aviation announced a joint venture in the aerospace sector and a year later, foundation stone of a manufacturing facility was laid in Mihan, Nagpur.

War of words over Rafale controversy in recent past

Over the last three years, the Congress has been actively castigating the Modi government and accusing them of corruption, and trying to further the "interests" of a few businessmen. Taking a dig at Reliance Defence and Modi, Gandhi tweeted on 16 November, 2017.

In February this year, when an Urdu daily reported that Gandhi, who met Muslim intellectuals, told them that the Congress was a party of Muslims, the BJP was quick to call the party trying to create a "partition-like situation" in the country. In response, the Congress accused BJP of "creating controversies" to avoid talking about "real issues".

"I request Nirmala Sitharamanji that you have not bothered to answer the nation about the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale deal which is the biggest scam. If you have the courage, in this Monsoon Session, please make a suo moto statement and reply to the nation about how the defence ministry has conducted the biggest scam under your nose," Congress spokesperson Sushmita Dev had said.

On 20 July, during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament, Gandhi launched a blistering attack at the Narendra Modi government in the Lok Sabha and said, "I have no hesitation in saying that... under pressure from the prime minister, Nirmala Sitharaman spoke untruth to the people."

Gandhi said he had asked the French president Emmanuel Macron about the Indian government's claim that it cannot share the price details due to a secrecy pact between India and France. The French leader told him that there was no such pact, he claimed. After his statement, France said a security agreement it concluded with India in 2008 legally binds the two countries to protect the classified information relating to operational capabilities of defence equipment. However, it did not specifically mention whether the classified information included details of the pricing, over which the Congress has made allegations.

Speaking during the no-confidence motion, Modi responded to the Opposition's allegations of irregularities in the Rafale deal and said, "I could not imagine that the truth can be crushed like this and the country can be misled in such a manner. It is unfortunate that both the countries had to issue statements on the issue."

A day later, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit back at Gandhi's remarks on the Rafale deal and wrote the party manufactured fake row over Rafale deal to overcome limitations of its leadership. "It has manufactured the issue of the Rafale deal. The issue is failing to cut much ice. It's a government-to-government agreement with no private group involved. It involves national security and it is the armed forces which have preferred this aircraft for its improved combat ability," he wrote.

The Congress also moved a privilege motion against Modi and Sitharaman for "misleading" Parliament. On 27 July, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala called the multi-crore Rafale jet deal "the biggest example of crony capitalism" and alleged the Modi government "compromised national interest" by helping a private entity to the tune of crores of rupees in violation of rules.

Parliamentary proceedings were often disrupted in the Lok Sabha over demands to probe the Rafale deal, forcing multiple adjournments of the House.

In August, Opposition parties in Lok Sabha clamoured for a probe into the row, with the Congress demanding the setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate it. The demand for a JPC was raised in the Lok Sabha by Congress MP KC Venugopal when he initiated the debate on the Supplementary Demand for Grants for 2018-19 and the demand for excess grants for 2015-16.

He said the House should know about the cost of the Rafale deal and alleged that there was "a major scam".

Objecting to his demand, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey urged Deputy Speaker M Thambi Durai that Venugopal should place the evidence before the House before making any "wild allegation".

Later, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy also said that the Rafale deal was "one of the biggest scandals of independent India". "The country is going to lose Rs 2,500 crore due to Rafale deal," Roy said, while demanding a "full-fledged enquiry" into the fighter jet deal.

The Congress also dubbed the Rafale controversy as "Modi's Bofors" and alleged that the prime minister "dumped" Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and inducted Reliance Defence Limited as Dassault's offset partner. The Bofors scam in the 1980s had tainted the image of the Rajiv Gandhi regime.

More recently, Gandhi also attacked the Modi government over the defence deal while launching upcoming state and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In Chhattisgarh in August, the Congress chief claimed that the price of the Rafale jets "magically" rose from Rs 540 to Rs 1,600 crore per piece. "The UPA government had readied the Rafale contract, according to which the price for each jet was approximately Rs 540 crore. The contract was ready and Modi only had to take a decision," he said.

"But, Modi goes to France and scraps the previous contract and the defence minister and other cabinet ministers do not know about it," Gandhi had said. He spoke along similar lines in Karnataka and Rajasthan as well.

To counter Gandhi's remarks, the BJP said the issue was thoroughly discussed in Parliament and no irregularities were found. ""All wrong deeds happened during the Congress rule. Both UPA-1 and UPA-2 dispensation are known for corruption. They do not want to eliminate corruption," Rajasthan BJP president Madan Lal Saini said in August.

To mock Congress, the BJP also released a video titled "Rafale deal for dummies", featuring television personality Pallavi Joshi, who attempts to explain the agreement by making comparisons with the workings of a housing society.

Rafale deal for dummies... pic.twitter.com/wqk2RwHreh  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 13, 2018

There were several such "Twitter wars" between the BJP and the Opposition where the former accused Gandhi of not knowing the exact cost of the Rafale jets during the UPA regime.BJP leader and Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat dragged the Gandhi family into the intensifying political row over the fighter aircraft deal, alleging that the UPA government had called off the multi-billion dollar deal after a private company linked to Vadra was not chosen as a broker.

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi is involved in a "conspiracy, internationally" and former French president Francois Hollande is part of the "nexus" to sabotage the Rafale deal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged Monday, claiming that the Congress chief wants it scrapped to help a firm linked to his brother-in-law Robert Vadra.

BJP leader and Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat dragged the Gandhi family into the intensifying political row over the fighter aircraft deal, alleging that the UPA government had called off the multi-billion dollar deal after a private company linked to Vadra was not chosen as a broker.

At a press conference, he named a private firm and claimed its owner had been working with Vadra. These allegations have been denied by Vadra.

He also hinted at Pakistan's role in the conspiracy, saying one of its leaders, former interior minister Rehman Malik, has even tweeted that Rahul will be the next Indian prime minister.

Referring to Hollande's reported comments that the Indian government had proposed Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as a partner for Dassault Aviation for the Rafale deal, he said, "How Rahul Gandhi and he are linked as a part of nexus, and are trying to sabotage the deal needs to be understood."

There is a conspiracy to get the deal scrapped, defame the country and lower the morale of Indian Air Force, Shekhawat alleged.

Rahul is doing a "conspiracy, internationally", he alleged.

Separately, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about an "international dimension" to Rahul's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deal, and told reporters that Hollande's comments were not a coincidence.

Hollande had reported to have said last week that France had no say in an Anil Ambani-led company being chosen as an offset partner by Dassault, which manufactures Rafale, and India had proposed its name. He later clarified that he was not aware if India had put any pressure on France.

In a no-holds-barred attack on the Congress, Shekhawat accused it of compromising national interest to protect Vadra and his friend's commercial interests.

Referring to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's statements in Pakistan long back that Narendra Modi needs to be removed as the prime minister, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra drew a parallel between the Opposition party and Pakistani leaders, saying "both want Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed from Indian politics".

He read out tweets attacking Modi posted by Pakistani leaders, including its Prime Minister Imran Khan and present and former ministers, and said it looked like they have been campaigning for the Congress president.

"Some people want Rahul to become a big leader in India. Who are they? They are Pakistani leaders, and also those who stand for corruption, dynasty and politics of appeasement," Patra told reporters.

The Congress and Pakistan have this commonality that they have "frustration" with Modi, and their "only aim is to remove Modi anyway from Indian polity", he claimed.

One of the tweets he quoted was posted by Rehman Malik, former interior minister of Pakistan, who said Rahul Gandhi would be the next Indian prime minister and Modi is scared of him.In the run-up to the 2019 general elections, the Congress has planned a massive people contact and funds collection programme through its booth-level workers from 2 October

Bengaluru: In the run-up to the 2019 general elections, the Congress has planned a massive people contact and funds collection programme through its booth-level workers from 2 October, AICC general secretary and Karnataka in-charge KC Venugopal said. The party will conduct the door-to-door Sampark Abhiyan and fund collection programme between 2 October to 19 October.

Venugopal said Congress workers, joined by booth presidents and leaders in that booth, will go house-to-house and give campaign material and request to them for funds too. "This is a new programme for Karnataka. Our entire Congress leaders should be on the street and remote places for collecting money and to campaign for the parliament election," Venugopal said.

Each booth committee will be expected to collect at least Rs 10,000, said the Congress general secretary, adding that of this amount, 50 percent will go to the AICC. From the balance, 20 percent will go to the block committees and 15 percent each to the district Congress committees and Pradesh Congress Committee. The grand old party also intends to run a special programme called Shakti', said Venugopal.

Shakti aims to put special focus on people in the age group of 18 and 21. The party will also collect relevant data on each voter and donor, which can be synergised with the Shakti programme, Venugopal said. The Shakti programme is aimed to keep a constant connect between the party and the people. This programme will be taken up in a rapid and aggressive manner, he said.

"We are very much confident that we can win the majority of seats from Karnataka in the coming parliament election. Before that, we are equipping our party functionaries from grassroots to top level," said the Congress general secretary. Alleging that corruption is rampant under the BJP rule at the Centre and the Rafale deal was a point in case, Venugopal said the BJP intentionally did not appoint Lokpal as the institution would have exposed the government's "wrongdoings".BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha drew flak from a fellow party parliamentarian who accused him of siding with Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad by questioning Narendra Modi government on the Rafale deal.

Patna: BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha on Monday drew flak from a fellow party parliamentarian who accused him of siding with Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad by questioning Narendra Modi government on the Rafale deal.

Sharing a screenshot of the Patna Sahib MP's remarks quoted in the media in Patna a day ago that there have been irregularities in the Rafale deal and that the Centre should seek "apology" from the people of the country, BJP Rajya Sabha MP RK Sinha asked him to first make his position clear.

"You should first decide where you stand. With Modi or against Modi. The people of the country will settle the account accordingly," RK Sinha said on his Facebook page.

Shatrughan Sinha's comment came close on the heels of relentless attacks on the Modi government, through his Twitter handle, in the aftermath of media reports, quoting former French president Francois Hollande that Reliance Defence was selected as the offset partner by Dassault under pressure from Indian government.

His Twitter handle is replete with retweets of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, who have come up with fierce criticism of the Modi government on the issue.

In his tweets, Shatrughan Sinha has called the controversy surrounding the Rafale deal a serious issue and called for the need for the government to come clean.

RK Sinha also said Shatrughan Sinha has been, these days, singing the same tune as Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad by going to the extent of advising the prime minister to speak the truth.

RK Sinha's attack on Shatrughan Sinha seems to have political significance.

It is widely believed that in the event of the actor-turned-politician not being considered for a third consecutive run in the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, RK Sinha or a member of his family could be considered for Patna Sahib seat.

The 'Bihari babu' has, nevertheless, been putting up a brave front and maintaining that he would be contesting from the same seat even if not given a ticket by the BJP with the cryptic remark situation may be different, location will be the same Patna Sahib.

The actor-turned-politician has been in a sulk for quite some time with sources in the party claiming that he has been upset over not getting a ministerial berth in the current dispensation though he was a member of the Union council of ministers in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

Party sources also claim that he had grown bitter aftebeing ignored by the party leadership during 2015 Bihar Assembly poll, wherein the saffron party did not perform well.

The actor-turned-politician has, in the recent past, been calling the party a one man show two man army an obvious barb aimed at the Prime Minister besides party chief Amit Shah.

He has also been showering praises on opposition leaders like West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and DMK chief MK Stalin besides Lalu, Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi. He has also shared the stage, on more than one occasion, with Sangh Parivar dissidents like Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Pravin Togadia.BJP president Amit Shah Sunday said the Delhi's AAP government's move to stay out of the Ayushman Bharat scheme was a reflection of its 'narrow' mentality.

New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah Sunday said the Delhi's AAP government's move to stay out of the Ayushman Bharat scheme was a reflection of its "narrow" mentality. He said BJP workers in Delhi will go to every household and inform people about the AAP's government's decision to opt out of the scheme.

"Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's move to keep people away from the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana due to political selfishness and hatred is sad and condemnable. Poor people will not be able to take benefit of this due to AAP's narrow mentality. You have to answer people for this kind of politics," Shah tweeted.

Kejriwal claimed that Ayushman Bharat, the healthcare scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, is a public relation exercise which will prove to be another "jumla (rhetoric). The AAP termed the scheme "another white elephant in the making" and alleged that it covers only six lakh out of 50 lakh families in Delhi.In Amethi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi reiterated that Narendra Modi couldn't look him in the eye in Parliament when he asked him about the Rafale deal.

On a two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday continued his attack on the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale fighter jet deal. Reiterating his jibe against Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Rahul asked why details about the agreement with France were not being revealed.

"I asked for the price of the jets to be disclosed in Parliament. Nirmala Sitharaman denied my request, citing a pact between the two nations. I met the then French president (Francois Hollande) and asked him whether there was a secrecy clause, but he denied it, saying that the price (of the deal) can be disclosed," he said while addressing a gather in Jais in Amethi.

Rahul, once again, claimed that Modi could not look him in the eye when he posed questions over the Rafale deal in Parliament. "I asked Modi in Parliament as to why a jet worth Rs 526 crore was purchased for Rs 1,670 crore... I asked him why the contract was snatched from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. He couldn't reply and kept looking away," the Congress chief said.

He also alleged that Modi favoured industrialist Anil Ambani's Reliance Group in the deal by indulging in corrupt practices the group's Reliance Defence to give Rs 30,000 crore to Ambani. "Modi had said that he was not the prime minister but the 'chowkidar' (watchman) of the country. The country's chowkidar has executed a robbery. He went to France and said gave the contract to Anil Ambani. The country wants to know what the chowkidar has done," he said.

The Congress president also asked the gathering whether Modi had fulfilled his poll promises, such as providing employment opportunities to 2 crore youth every year, depositing Rs 15 lakh in each citizen's bank account and improving farmers' income. He asserted that the prime minister had not fulfilled any of these promises. "We have to oust the RSS-BJP government," he emphasised.

On his arrival in Amethi early on Monday, Rahul was greeted by Kanwariyas, or 'Shiv bhakts', who also presented him with a portrait of Lord Shiva. He was welcomed with posters hailing "Shiv bhakt Rahul Gandhi" on his first visit to Amethi after undertaking the 12-day pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar, considered the abode of the Hindu deity.Union minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar termed Rahul Gandhi as a 'directionless leader' and said the Congress president has no facts no evidence against government over the Rafale deal.

Jaipur: Union minister and senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar termed Rahul Gandhi as a "directionless leader" and said the Congress president has no facts no evidence against government over the Rafale deal.

The Congress has been attacking the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale issue, alleging corruption in the deal.

"Rahul Gandhi is a directionless leader. Only allegations cannot make someone corrupt. Gandhi has no facts or evidence (in his allegations)," he told reporters on his arrival to Jaipur on Monday.

The HRD minister said there were evidences and proof when there were allegations (against former UPA government) over coal scam.

The minister also visited Motidungari Ganesh temple with health minister Kalicharan Saraf before attending higher education and human resource conclave.BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra hit out at Rahul Gandhi on Monday over corruption allegations in the Rafale deal against the Narendra Modi-government and said that the Congress chief's comments gave ammunition to Pakistan to act and speak against India.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra hit out at Rahul Gandhi on Monday over his allegations of corruption in the Rafale deal against the Narendra Modi government and said that the Congress chief's comments give ammunition to Pakistan to act and speak against India.

Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Patra referred to Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's recent tweet which indirectly referred to Modi as one of the "small men occupying big offices who do not have the vision to see the larger picture".

"Dynasts want Rahul Gandhi to come to the forefront. His words over the Rafale deal give ammunition to Pakistan," said Patra, while alleged that leaders in the neighbouring country were campaigning for Rahul ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Claiming that both Rahul and Pakistan are similar in that they want to remove Modi at any cost, the saffron party spokesperson said, "This thread of commonality between Pakistan and Rahul Gandhi, can it be called a mere coincidence? If you go by what Congress leaders have tweeted and said in the past, it is not a coincidence."

He then went on to present Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar and Ghulam Nabi Azad as examples of those who spoke positively about Pakistan and against the Indian Army.

In February this year, Aiyar, who was attending the Karachi Literature Festival, triggered a controversy after he said that received "much more hatred in India" than the love he received in Pakistan. He also added that while there has been a change in mindset across the border, India is still caught in a "partially 1947 situation".

Similarly, in June, a day after BJP snapped ties with PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, Azad alleged that anti-terror operations in Kashmir under the BJP government resulted in more civilian deaths than that of militants.

"They take action against four terrorists and also kill 20 civilians. Their action is more against civilians than terrorists. For instance, they killed 13 civilians in Pulwama and just one terrorist," Azad said in an interview. "No civilians were killed during the UPA government."

Taking umbrage to Khan's tweet, Patra on Monday pulled up Rahul over his "silence" on the remarks directed at the prime minister's office. "When Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif had called former prime minister Manmohan Singh a 'dehati aurat' (woman from a village), Modi ji was the prime ministerial candidate at that time and he responded strongly to it," said the BJP spokesperson and showed a video clip from 2013, where Modi could be seen condemning Sharif's words.

"Neither Pakistan nor Congress can remove Modi," asserted Patra.Congress in Telangana Sunday alleged that Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) could misuse official machinery, money and muscle power to conduct large-scale irregularities and influence the outcome of next Assembly polls in the state.

Hyderabad: Congress in Telangana Sunday alleged that Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) could misuse official machinery, money and muscle power to conduct large-scale irregularities and influence the outcome of next Assembly polls in the state.

Addressing party workers during a live interaction on social media platforms, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that Telangana caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao could 'stoop down' to any level to win next elections.

Noting that the next 60 days would be highly crucial for the Congress, Uttam Kumar Reddy asked the party cadre to strive hard to win next elections. "All Congress workers and leaders should be alert and mentally prepared to face any kind of situation. If you are able to reach the masses in the next 60 days and convince them that they were cheated by the KCR-headed government, then the Congress will certainly win next elections," a party release quoted Reddy as saying.

Reddy further noted that Congress workers have two major challenges. They must ensure that the electoral rolls at their polling booth are free from all discrepancies and they should also check the functioning of EVMs from 26 September. Claiming that the election notification was likely to be announced in mid-October and polling could be held in November-end, Reddy said the entire Congress cadre should be geared up to face and win next elections.

The TPCC President reiterated that the next elections would be between 'KCR Family vs People of Telangana'. Listing the poll promises, Reddy said if voted to power, the Congress would construct 2 lakh houses for poor every year. It would also provide Rs 5 lakh to families who want to construct their houses on their own land. He assured that the Public Distribution System (PDS) would be completely revived and all cardholders would be supplied 7 kg of fine rice per individual.

Later, addressing via teleconference, Reddy asked the partymen to stay cautious on various tactics likely to be adopted by TRS leaders in their respective constituencies. "It is a do-or-die election for us. Congress party has granted statehood for Telangana and it is our duty to protect the interests of people of this State even if it costs our lives. Next 60 days are going to decide the future of Telangana and its people. Therefore, prove your loyalty and love for Telangana by ensuring the victory of Congress party by giving a humiliating defeat to TRS," he added.Press Trust of India

State-run telecom firm BSNL has inked a pact with Japan's Softbank and NTT Communications to roll out 5G and internet of things technology in India, a top official has said.

"We have signed agreement with Softbank and NTT Communications to roll out 5G and IoT products and services in India. Under the agreement, we will look at solution specially for the smart cities," BSNL chairman and managing director Anupam Shrivastava told PTI in an interview.

He said most of the BSNL competitors are still looking at monetising their 4G services and hence leading companies have started looking at the state-run firm for 5G services roll out.

"We have benefitted by lead taken by our minister (Manoj Sinha). He has held various meetings at global level on 5G. We capitalised on those opportunities and signed agreement for the next generation technology," Shrivastava said.

Telecom minister Sinha has said that 5G service launch in India will happen at par with other leading nations.

"3G was launch in India after seven years the technology was available in other foreign markets and 4G services after four years lag but 5G will be launched in India in 2020 as soon the standards are freezed by ITU," Shrivastava said.

He said that BSNL is working to finalise test cases where 5G can be used in India.

"We are in advance stages of starting 5G field trials. Government is in agreement to provide us 5G spectrum for trials. We expect to start field trials very soon," Shrivastava said.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recommended auction of about 8,644 MHz of telecom frequencies at an estimated base price of Rs 4.9 trillion. The government is yet to finalise details of allocation of spectrum for 5G services.

Under the agreement with Softbank, BSNL will look at collaborating with the Japanese firm for its satellite constellation which will have around 900 satellites to provide high-speed internet services across the globe.

BSNL has signed an agreement with Nokia and Cisco as well for developing 5G ecosystem.Reuters

China has shut down more than 4,000 websites and online accounts in a three-month campaign against harmful online information, the official Xinhua news agency said on 22 September, citing the countrys illegal publication watchdog.

China keeps the internet under tight control and has been cracking down on a range of illegal online activities including pornography, gambling, religious proselytizing and even spreading rumors.

In a campaign that started in May, the authorities tackled 120 violations and ordered 230 firms to rectify irregularities. More than 147,000 pieces of harmful information were removed by the end of August, according to Chinas National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications.

Xinhua said the campaign targeted content in online fiction that spread improper values, vulgarity and obscenity, as well as content that infringed on copyright.

Authorities announced last week that they had busted a live-streaming pornography platform hosted in Cambodia and said to have more than 3.5 million registered users.tech2 News Staff

Last week the Samsung launched its first smartphone with a triple-camera setup at the back, the Galaxy A7 in South Korea. The device is now coming to India, on 25 September, and is expected to be priced below the Rs 30,000 price point in the country.

Samsung confirmed the launch of the smartphone via Twitter today.

Make your conversations more expressive. Get ready for the new #GalaxyA7 with AR Emoji, coming to India tomorrow! #ThreesAStory

Know more: https://t.co/vWQ65NviJA pic.twitter.com/RfiAsqwOSM  Samsung Mobile India (@SamsungMobileIN) September 24, 2018

We are all set to turn pictures into stories! A few more hours to go before we present to you the new #GalaxyA7, with a trio of rear cameras!  Samsung Mobile India (@SamsungMobileIN) September 24, 2018

Galaxy A7 specifications

The smartphone comes with a 6.0-inch Super AMOLED display and was launched in Korea in three storage variants  4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage, 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage and 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. The storage is further expandable up to 512 GB via a microSD card.

On the inside we have an unnamed octa-core SoC clocked at 2.2 GHz. Samsung does not name Qualcomm chipsets and we don't have a unit with us currently to cross-check, but we are assuming that the Galaxy A7 packs a Snapdragon 660 chipset.

The triple camera system on the rear features a 24 MP primary sensor with an f/1.7 aperture, an 8 MP wide-angle lens with an f/2.4 aperture and finally a 5 MP depth-sensing camera unit.

Running the device is Android Oreo 8.0 coupled with Samsung's Experience UI on top. It comes with a 3,300 mAh battery.

Samsung will also reportedly launch another "Galaxy A" series smartphone with a quadruple rear-camera system device called the Galaxy A9 Pro (2018) in Malaysia on 11 October.

Looks like smartphone companies are in a race these days to launch devices with more and more camera units on the rear. Wonder if that will help increase the camera quality any bit, but for what it's worth, Samsung seems to be on top of this game.tech2 News Staff

Toyota is now into an agreement with Google to bring the infotainment software Android Auto to their vehicles. The company has been known to avoid integrating the software into their vehicles for years, until now.

Apparently, Toyota had earlier raised questions about the amount and kind of information that Googles systems will collect for Android Auto to work in its vehicles, and thats why they resisted the idea. While they claimed to not integrate any such software, but then they did, in fact, bring Apples CarPlay to their cars this year in January.

It looks like all the customers who were upset about Toyota refraining from the software, dont have to be anymore according to a report by Bloomberg.

A spokesperson from the auto manufacturer told the publication that the company acknowledges the fact that there is a demand for Android Auto and that the decision to collaborate would be a fruitful venture.

There is no information about which car will first run Android Auto, but there is a speculation that Google will soon make an official announcement about the same.

The move will help Google further its Android Auto ambitions, but it will not be a bigger venture than the collaborations it already has  Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi already run Android Auto in their cars.The Ideapad 330S is not only a great laptop for its price but also manages to look great while at it.

As an average user, choosing a notebook that ticks all the boxes while managing to keep costs relatively low could be a difficult thing. Lenovo's 15-inch Ideapad 330s aims to do exactly that, balancing style, functionality and portability into a package that begins at a price of Rs 53,999 and caps out Rs 75,899. But it does miss out on a few things which may bother you.

That being said, the Ideapad 330S is perhaps one of the best everyday notebooks for students as well as working professionals. It may not be packed to the gills with features or gaming laptop-level hardware, but given the price, the 330S should be able to meet most of your demands, leaving a cue for all other similarly-price notebooks to pick up on.

Build and Design: 7.5/10

The Ideapad 330S is very simply designed. The unit we had for review was the silver variant and is very unassuming to look at. Even the Lenovo branding is tucked away in the corner in a manner that you often won't notice it. I personally do prefer the bare look, but if you want to grabs a few eyeballs, you might want to slap a skin onto the lid.

Open the lid up and you see the 15.6-display nestled in a frame with surprisingly thin bezels and a thicker chin. The overall look here, in fact, is somewhat reminiscent of Lenovo's premium Thinkpad Carbon X1 notebook, without all that carbon-fibre of course.

The profile of the laptop is angular and reduces in thickness as you move towards the front. They are also bevelled, which adds a bit more finesse to how it looks.

The build of the laptop is quite good with a good mix of polished aluminium and plastic. The body is made of plastic while the lid is made of aluminium. The frame of the display, however, is again made of plastic. The quality of materials used here does feel sturdy, but pressing down on the empty spaces around the trackpad does show a certain amount of flex.

The almost-flat base of the laptop is equally weighted across its sides and the laptop doesnt feel too heavy or too light on any one side. Thin rubber strips on the base of the laptop keep the computer sitting firmly on the lap or a table.

The hinge, on the other hand, is not particularly great but it does swivel 180-degrees, which is convenient when sitting at odd angles. The hinge casing is also of the same plastic material as the rest of the body.

Keyboard and trackpad: 7.5/10

The keyboard was very enjoyable on the 330S. I did find the keys to be a little mushy and low on travel but did get used to them within a couple of days. Another thing which did take getting used to were the directional arrow keys, which have been squished a bit to fit within the rectangular outline of the keyboard.

Despite lacking travel, which I personally prefer, I did not find myself being disappointed with the experience. I did type a lot on the keyboard and never missed a keystroke.

The keyboard on the variant I reviewed is also backlit, the strength of which can be altered by holding the 'Fn' key and pressing the 'Spacebar'.

As for the trackpad, it is made of plastic but is reliable. The trackpad responds smoothly to mouse movement as well as gestures and is rather good. The left and right click zones are distinct, but the two-finger-tap gesture for right click is supported.

Features: 7/10

The variant we received for testing is the maxed out variant of the Ideapad 330S. It features the new 8th gen Intel Core i7-8550U CPU, 8 GB (4 GB DDR4 Soldered and 4 GB DDR4 SODIMM) of DDR4 RAM, an AMD Radeon 540 GPU with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory. Rounding this up is a 1 TB 5,400 RPM HDD. This is quite good for the Rs 75,899 price you pay for it, but I can't help but wish that Lenovo had thrown in at least a 128 GB SSD here, or at least an Intel Optane drive to complement the HDD.

The display is a 15.6-inch unit with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. This is an IPS LED panel with a matte finish. In terms of ports, you get two USB 3.0 ports, one USB Type-C 3.1 port, a 4-in-1 card reader, an HDMI port and a 3.5 mm combo audio jack.

The hinge, as I mentioned in the build section, is one of the major highlights of the Ideapad 330s and can rotate by up to 180 degrees.

In terms of connectivity, you get 1x1 WiFi AC and Bluetooth 4.1 support. You also get two 2W speakers, which take care of the audio output, and a 3-cell Li-Polymer battery underneath.

Display: 7/10

While most laptop makers skimp on the quality of the display, that is certainly not the case with the Ideapad 330S. In fact, the 15.6-inch display turns out to be another of the highlights of the laptop.

Running at a full HD resolution (1920 x 1080) the display really holds up regardless of what you choose to do with it. The fact that it has a matte finish also ensures that the display does not reflect a light source behind you and also reduces glare.

Viewing angles are not too great as brightness levels take a huge hit when viewed at any angle from the side, which means that unless youre looking at the display from a perfectly straight angle, brightness levels will seem abnormally low.

Talking about brightness, the Ideapad 330S has a below average peak brightness, so much so, that even while indoors, I found myself increasing the brightness to full while watching a video. Running our tests, we found out that the peak brightness the laptop could attain was only 200 nits. The colour accuracy was more or less on point but considering the display covers only 57.8 percent of the sRGB colour space, we're not particularly excited. The colour gamut is more than enough for the average consumer and is fine for gaming and movies.

The display fared quite poorly when we measured the white levels, though otherwise, the contrast ratio was quite decent.

We might seem to be bashing the display here, but the fact of the matter is that this is one of the better displays we've seen in a laptop priced around the Rs 60,000 to Rs 80,000 range.

Performance: 7/10

Having spent time with the laptop as my main PC for a good period, I can confidently say that the laptop was able to handle almost everything I threw at it with relative ease. This involved using the laptop mostly for work, which in itself means having at least 25-40 Chrome tabs open at any given time, Microsoft Word and a bunch of image re-touching apps like FastStone and IrfanView. Slack and Telegram were also open at all times.

The omission of an SSD here, however, really hurts the overall experience and I really think Lenovo could have at the least added the option of adding one into the highest specced variant of the notebook. Keeping aside slower boot speeds, even loading programs like Word would take forever. Copying large volumes of files was also a painfully slow experience. All of these are problems an SSD could have easily taken care of.

If you are a gamer, you might want to stay away from this one. I'm personally not a very heavy PC gamer but I did try the two most popular Battle Royale titles out there  PUBG and Fortnite.

Fortnite was playable on medium settings with all the effects turned down to medium. You could lock the framerate down to 30 fps for stutter-free gameplay, but I played a round or two with the fps set to 'unlimited' and the worst the 330S dropped to was 28 fps, which is completely playable, but certainly not ideal. Anything more demanding than Fortnite, however, and you will struggle.

I did try to play PlayerUnknowns Battlegrounds (PUBG) at 720p and the lowest graphics settings, only to return with disappointing frame rates at idle, which turned to unplayable (below 20 fps) when there was a lot of action happening. Ported mobile games like Asphalt 9: Legends ran at full tilt though. In Rise of the Tomb Raider, we saw an average fps of about 35 and a minimum of 20. This is, again, a tolerable frame-rate for light gaming. Gamers will get more powerful laptops in this price range, but they will be larger and heavier.

Compared to other laptops with the same CPU, the IdeaPad 330S performs much worse. It seems to me that the laptop seems to be having some trouble with thermal throttling and that it's unable to sustain a heavy load for long. For the average student and office worker, however, there's more than enough performance on tap.

Temperatures were under check, under regular as well as synthetic load. Though one thing that I did notice is that the area on the left of the trackpad, where your palm would naturally rest, did heat up when under load. It's not enough to get too bothered about, but it did get warm enough to make my hands sweat a fair bit.

Battery Life: 7/10

In our standard PCMark 8 Home Battery Life test, the laptop lasted for 3 hours and 23 minutes, which is just below average, but this can be ascribed to the presence of the discrete GPU. As weak as it is, it does draw more power than Intel's integrated chip.

At a regular day's work, the Ideapad 330S managed about six and a half hours before dying, which is actually very good for a Windows laptop, especially given my usage.

Price and verdict

The IdeaPad is a good laptop for everyday use, and it certainly looks the part, but it's also in need of some tweaks. The Radeon 540 GPU is a bit of a wimp and seems to serve little functional purpose. It's not much use for gaming and consumes a lot more power than an integrated GPU. And while having 1 TB of storage is nice, the lack of an SSD really hurts the user experience.

If you can look past these shortcomings, however, and have never experienced the joys of an SSD, the IdeaPad 330S is a great pick for people who're looking for a portable workhorse for general use. That being said, a prime alternative to consider here is the Dell Inspiron 15 7572, which offers the same configuration as well as an SSD for just Rs 1,000 more.

Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.Indo-Asian News Service

NASA is on the lookout for a partner to conduct a contest among students to name the agency's next rover to the Red Planet  the Mars 2020 mission  in the 2019 academic year.

The Mars 2020 rover mission addresses high-priority science goals for Mars, including key questions about the potential for life on the Red Planet.

Corporations, nonprofits and educational organisations interested in sponsoring the contest can send proposals to NASA.

To be considered, all proposals must be received by 9 October, NASA said in a statement on Friday, 21 September.

"We've been doing naming contests since the very first Mars rover back in 1997," said Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, in Washington.

"Thousands of kids participate, and their enthusiasm for the contest and Mars is infectious," Zurbuchen said.

The selected partner will have an opportunity to be part of a historic mission, NASA said.

Mars 2020 is targeted for launch in July or August 2020 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.Press Trust of India

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft has beamed back a selfie to mark its four years orbiting Mars and studying the upper atmosphere of the red planet.

The image was obtained with the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument that normally looks at ultraviolet emissions from the Martian upper atmosphere.

The instrument is mounted on a platform at the end of a 1.2-metre boom  its own 'selfie stick'  and by rotating around the boom can look back at the spacecraft.

The selfie was made from 21 different images, obtained with the IUVS in different orientations, that have been stitched together, NASA said in a statement.

"The spacecraft and instruments continue to operate as planned, and we're looking forward to further exploration of the Martian upper atmosphere and its influence on climate," said Bruce Jakosky, MAVEN principal investigator from the University of Colorado, Boulder in the US.

The MAVEN mission was launched on 18 November, 2013, and went into orbit around Mars on 21 September, 2014.

During its time at Mars, the spacecraft has acquired compelling evidence that the loss of atmosphere to space has been a major driver of climate change on Mars.

It also discovered two new types of Martian auroras  diffuse aurora and proton aurora. Neither type has a direct connection to the local or global magnetic field or to magnetic cusps, as auroras do on Earth.

MAVEN has demonstrated that the majority of the carbon dioxide (CO2) on the planet has been lost to space and that there is not enough left to terraform the planet by warming it, even if the CO2 could be released and put back into the atmosphere.

Next year, researchers will initiate an aerobraking manoeuvre by skimming the spacecraft through Mars' upper atmosphere to slow it.

This will reduce the highest altitude in MAVEN's orbit to enhance its ability to serve as a communications relay for data from rovers on the surface.

Currently, MAVEN carries out about one relay pass per week with one of the rovers. This number will increase after NASA's InSight mission lands on Mars in November.

MAVEN completed its primary mission in November 2015 and has been operating in an extended mission since that time, continuing its investigation of Mars' upper atmosphere and exploring additional opportunities for science that the new relay orbit will bring.The Associated Press

Russias space agency chief said Saturday that it wouldnt accept a second-tier role in a NASA-led plan to build an outpost near the moon, but Roscosmos spokesman quickly clarified that Russia is still staying in the project.

Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that Russia wouldnt be reduced to a junior partner in the NASA-led project to build the lunar orbital platform called the Gateway in the 2020s.

I believe that Russia cant afford itself to participate in other countries project on second-tier roles, Rogozin said when asked about the Gateway during a meeting with young space engineers, according to Tass.

He noted that Russia was working to develop heavy-lift rockets that would allow it to build its own orbital platform near the moon, possibly in cooperation with some BRICS countries  a grouping that includes Brazil, China, India and South Africa along with Russia.

A few hours later, Roscosmos spokesman Vladimir Ustimenko clarified that Rogozin didnt mean to say Russia was bailing out of the NASA-led project.

Russia hasnt refused to take part in the project of the lunar orbital station together with the United States, Ustimenko was quoted by Tass as saying. He added we stand for equal, partnership-style cooperation.

Earlier this month, Rogozin has raised some consternation by saying that an air leak spotted at the International Space Station was a drill hole that happened during manufacturing or in orbit.

He didnt say if he suspected any of the current crew of three Americans, two Russians and a German aboard the station.

Rogozin, who until May served as a deputy prime minister in charge of military and space, long had been known for his brash style and anti-Western rhetoric.

He has failed to stem a decline of the Russian space industries, which have been dogged by launch failures and other problems.tech2 News Staff

There are many conspiracy theories grounded in space and astronomy  from the Apollo 11 moon landing to lizard-people behind the Freemason and Illuminati movements.

Another popular theory that resurfaced this week after clouds were seen tinted with dramatic shades of orange and red, was the Mayan prophecy that predicted the end of the world in the form of a planetary alignment of Earth, Sun and planet 'Nibiru'  a mythical planet that supposedly orbits the Sun.

The video, which went viral after it was published on 19 September, caught the widespread reddish hues in the sky over Cincinatti in the US at sunset that evening.

The theory about 'Nibiru' has now resurfaced after the video, spurring renewed chatter about the planet and the imminent apocalypse that entails.

The Nibiru 'end-of-the-world' conspiracy

The conspiracy theory makes claims that our planet will end in devastation from a giant space body  Nibiru  which lurks just outside our solar system, according to an International Business Times report. Believers claim that the rogue planet will knock Earth with its full might and cause irreparable devastation.

NASAs response to the last predicted apocalypse in 2012

In anticipation of the world surviving the famous 21 December 2012 call for the world's end, NASA prepared a response well in advance. The space agency released a video on a day later  on 22 December  with all the reasons as to why the claim was a hoax and nothing more.

In the video, NASA acknowledges some of the strengths and accomplishments of the Mayans in the field of astronomy and their grasp of time  which they mapped over billions of years. They were admittedly scientific, well-recorded and highly advanced for a time without the technology available today, the space agency suggested.

In the spirit of dispelling further doom-mongering about Nibiru (which NASA follows as 'Planet X'), NASA set up an open Google Hangout. The discussion was led by six senior NASA researchers, who discussed their research into a possible Planet X and clarified doubts. NASA may have been right about the Mayans' scientific prowess, for there is evidence that Planet X could be a plausible reality.

A hypothetical 'Planet X', and NASA's interest in it

Early this year, NASA said in a press release that researchers from Caltech have found evidence of what could be a "real Planet X deep in the solar system.

It's too early to say with certainty there's a so-called Planet X, Jim Green, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, was quoted in the release. What we're seeing is an early prediction based on modelling from limited observations. It's the start of a process that could lead to an exciting result."

Planet X's existence extends beyond the credibility of Mayan calendar events  it also explains the alignment of objects on the Kuiper Belt, a Caltech report reads. It offers an explanation for the mysterious orbits that two of these objects follow, which have yet to be reasoned.

Does the existence of Planet X mean the prophecy is true?

NASA has made its stand abundantly clear: the conspiracy theory surrounding Nibiru is nothing more than an internet hoax  it would be easily visible to the naked eye if it was real.

The last big impact was 65 million years ago, and that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs, NASA said in a Q&A feature about Nibiru and points to the near-Earth Object study, which monitors objects that will likely fly past Earth at close range and the threat they pose.

Caltech researcher Mike Brown co-discovered Planet Xs existence in the modelling study but is yet to directly observe it. He also played a key role in demoting Plutos status to a dwarf planet.

"All those people who are mad that Pluto is no longer a planet can be thrilled to know that there is a real planet out there still to be found," Brown said to the university press.

"Now we can go and find this planet and make the solar system have nine planets once again."18-year-old Indonesian national Aldi Novel Adilang's harrowing tale began in mid-July when he was working solo on a fishing hut.

An Indonesian teenager survived seven weeks adrift at sea after his tiny fishing trap lost its moorings and ended up some 2,500 kilometres away in waters near the Pacific island of Guam, his family said on Monday.

Aldi Novel Adilang's harrowing tale began in mid-July when the 18-year-old was working solo on a fishing hut anchored about 125 kilometres off Indonesia's Sulawesi island. His job was to keep the vessel's lamps lit to attract fish. Its owner would reportedly come by weekly to drop off food, clean water, fuel and other supplies.

The floating fishing trap, known as a rompong, had no engine and was anchored to the seabed with a long rope, but heavy winds knocked it off its moorings and sent Adilang out to sea, local media said.

Rompongs are a traditional form of trapping fish in Indonesia, but are often unmanned, secured by buoys and ropes. Local media reported that the owner of Adilang's rompong had as many as 50 moored in the surrounding waters. "His boss told my husband that he went missing," Adilang's mother Net Kahiking told AFP from her home in Sulawesi. "So we just surrendered to God and kept praying hard."

The teen, who only had enough food to last some days, survived by catching fish, Mirza Nurhidayat, the Indonesian consul general in Osaka, who oversaw his eventual return, told the Jakarta Post. After he ran out of the cooking gas, he burned the rompongs wooden fences to make a fire for cooking. He drank by sipping water from his clothes that had been wetted by sea water, he said.

About ten ships passed the malnourished teen before a bulk carrier Arpeggio rescued him on 31 August near Guam and brought him to Japan, its original destination. Japanese authorities contacted the Indonesian consulate general and his office immediately tried to find Adilang's family and prepare the necessary documents for his return to Indonesia. We coordinated with the shipping authorities in Japan, the ships captain, the Japanese coast guard and the immigration authorities, Mirza said.

The Arpeggio docked in Japan on 6 September at 3 pm. On 7 September, Adilang got the permission to enter Japan, and on 8 September he flew from Japan to Jakarta.

"I was shocked when his boss told us," he had been rescued, Adilang's mother said. "I was so happy. He is now back at home...we're going to celebrate," his mother said.

With inputs from AFPThe incident took place in a small village in Attock district in Pakistan.

Islamabad: An 18-year-old girl was beheaded along with her 21-year-old boyfriend in Pakistan by her father and uncle in what the police are calling yet another incident of honour killing, the media reported on Monday.

The incident took place in a small village in Attock district when the man arrived at the girl's house to meet her, police was quoted by Dawn News as saying. Soon after, the girl's father and her uncle walked in and, after tying the victims with ropes, beheaded them with a sharp object.

The police have arrested both suspects and recovered the murder weapon as well, sub-inspector of Saddar police station Asif Khan said.

Scores of people in Pakistan, an overwhelming majority of whom are women, are still being murdered by relatives for bringing "shame" on their family. At least 280 such murders were recorded by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan from October 2016 to June 2017 - a figure believed to be understated and incomplete.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  Inmates at New Bilibid Prison caught smuggling items like cell phones and drugs can be shot, and even killed, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director-General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa said on Monday.

Dela Rosa told CNN Philippines' The Source that he instructed the Philippine National Police-Special Action Forces (PNP-SAF) securing the prison to shoot those who toss packages over the compound walls.

"Ngayon, close to zero na yung activity dahil binigyan ko ng instruction ang SAF doon na guwardiya sa mga tower  na pag nakita niyo nagtapon diyan sa loob, barilin ninyo. Putukan ninyo... Shoot to maim. Kung maulo, kill na rin, kung tamaan sa ulo," Dela Rosa said.

[Translation: Now, such activities are close to zero because I gave the instruction to SAF tower guards that if you see someone throwing (items), shoot them... shoot to maim. Or kill, if you hit them on the head.]

The former Police Chief also addressed drug lords whom he said continued the trade from inside the prison.

"Ihinto niyo iyan. Pag malaman ko iyan, managot kayo sa akin," said Dela Rosa. "Sabi ko sa kanila, hindi ko kayo puwede sakalin, pero may mangyayari talaga sa inyo."

[Translation: Stop that. If I find out about it, you will pay... I told them, I can't strangle you, but something will definitely happen to you.]

When asked what would happen to the inmates, he answered, "Secret. Ako na bahala doon [That's up to me]."

When prodded on whether there would be any human rights violations, Dela Rosa responded, "Kung mahuli nila [If they catch it]. What happens inside stays inside."

He further reasoned that these inmates were not afraid of being caught or jailed, because they were already in prison.

Dela Rosa clarified that the SAF has not actually shot anyone yet. "Pero alam nila... na may standing order ako [But they know I have a standing order]," he added.

The retired police chief took up the post in BuCor last May, and is now eyeing a senatorial bid in the 2019 elections.

During his time in the police force, Dela Rosa led President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs. Government numbers show about 4,000 died in police operations in this period, but human rights watchdogs estimate up to 13,000 deaths  including those from vigilante-style killings.

Human Rights Watch in April said that Dela Rosa left behind a police force with a "sordid human rights record unmatched since the Marcos dictatorship," saying that he had to answer to the deaths under his term. Among these high profile killings are the deaths of Korean national Jee Ick Joo, 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos, and jailed Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa.An Italian court released a 322-page document in the AgustaWestland case on 17 September, eight months after it acquitted former CEO of Finmeccanica  Giuseppe Orsi and former CEO of AgustaWestland  Bruno Spagnolini.

An Italian court released a 322-page document in the AgustaWestland case on 17 September, eight months after it acquitted former CEO of Finmeccanica  Giuseppe Orsi and former CEO of AgustaWestland  Bruno Spagnolini for lack of "conclusive" proof of corruption with an Indian official.

Reuters (Milan) quoted the document as noting that there was no conclusive evidence of the "corrective agreement stipulated according to the imputation" with a foreign public official. The document was released months after the 8 January judgment, even though it was supposed to be issued within 90 days after the verdict.

One of the allegations levelled against an Indian official in the case is that against of corruption against former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief SP Tyagi after he allegedly changed the operational ceiling limit for flying the aircraft. However, The Indian Express reported that the court, in its judgment, said that the allegation did not have chronological evidence according to the documents submitted to the court.

The Italian court's conclusions will not weigh on the investigation into the case being conducted in India by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), according to a report by The Hindu.

Orsi had been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail for false accounting and corruption. The case against Orsi and Spagnolini resulted from an investigation launched in 2012 into the sale of 12 luxury helicopters to India.

The two were accused of international corruption and false invoicing in relation to bribes exchanged for the contract with India. Both were cleared on charges of committing international corruption at the first-instance trial in 2014 but convicted of false invoicing and sentenced to two years in prison.

In Italy, criminal sentences are not usually considered definitive until the appeals process has been exhausted. Both appealed against the conviction, while the prosecution appealed against the acquittal on the corruption charge.

With inputs from agenciesChina must come clean about the fate of an estimated one million minority Muslims swept up in a 'massive crackdown' in the far western region of Xinjiang, Amnesty International said in a new report on Monday.

Beijing: China must come clean about the fate of an estimated one million minority Muslims swept up in a "massive crackdown" in the far western region of Xinjiang, Amnesty International said in a new report on Monday.

Beijing has ramped up restrictions on Muslim minorities to combat what it calls Islamic extremism and separatist elements in the far western province. But critics say the drive risks fuelling resentment towards Beijing and further inflaming separatist sentiment.

In a new report, which included testimony from people held in the camps, Amnesty said Beijing had rolled out "an intensifying government campaign of mass internment, intrusive surveillance, political indoctrination and forced cultural assimilation". Uighurs and other Muslim minorities are punished for violating regulations banning beards and burqas, and for the possession of unauthorised Korans, it added.

Up to a million people are detained in internment camps, a United Nations panel on racial discrimination reported last month, with many interned for offences as minor as making contact with family members outside the country or sharing Islamic holiday greetings on social media.

"Hundreds of thousands of families have been torn apart by this massive crackdown," said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International's East Asia director in a statement. "They are desperate to know what has happened to their loved ones and it is time the Chinese authorities give them answers."

Beijing has denied reports of the camps but the evidence is mounting in the form of government documents and escapee testimony. It suggests Chinese authorities are detaining large groups of people in a network of extrajudicial camps for political and cultural indoctrination on a scale unseen since the Maoist era.

Amnesty's report interviewed several former detainees who said they were put in shackles, tortured, and made to sing political songs and learn about the Communist Party. The testimony tallies with similar evidence gathered by foreign reporters and rights groups in the last year.

Amnesty also called on governments around to world to hold Beijing to account for "the nightmare" unfolding in Xinjiang. Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced "awful abuses" of Uighur Muslim detained in re-education camps.

China's top leaders recently called for religious practices to be brought in line with "traditional" Chinese values and culture, sparking concern among rights groups. Earlier this month, draft regulations suggested that Beijing was considering restrictions on religious content online, such as images of people praying or chanting.

State supervision of religion has increased in a bid to "block extremism", and authorities have removed Islamic symbols such as crescents from public spaces in areas with significant Muslim populations.

Christians have also been targeted in crackdowns, with a prominent Beijing "underground" church shuttered by authorities earlier this month, while churches in central Henan province have seen their crosses torn down and followers harassed.HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's new president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, arrived in New York on Sunday for his first trip to the United States, where he will denounce the decades-old U.S.

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's new president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, arrived in New York on Sunday for his first trip to the United States, where he will denounce the decades-old U.S. trade embargo on his country at the U.N. General Assembly, state-run media reported.

Tensions have heightened between the Cold War foes after U.S. President Donald Trump tightened the embargo last year following the resumption of diplomatic relations under his predecessor, Barack Obama. Washington also alleged a series of health attacks had taken place on U.S. diplomats in Havana.

The Cuban government has said no attacks occurred and that the Trump administration was using whatever did occur - if indeed anything did - as a pretext to escalate its hostile stance on the Communist-run island.

Diaz-Canel, who took over the presidency from his mentor, Raul Castro, in April, will address the UNGA Nelson Mandela Peace Summit on Monday and the General Assembly on Wednesday, according to state-run outlet Cubadebate.

At that session, Cuba will present for the 27th year running a resolution calling for the end of the U.S. trade embargo on the island nation.

"We bring the voice of Cuba that above all comes to denounce the abnormal policy of the blockade, a policy that has already failed, that will continue to fail, and that is the longest blockade in the history of humanity," Diaz-Canel said on arrival, according to the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

Diaz-Canel's statements on the United States, as on other political matters, have so far largely echoed those of his predecessor, who remains head of the Communist Party until 2021.

The non-binding U.N. resolution urges the United States to repeal the embargo on Cuba as soon as possible. Only the U.S. Congress can lift the full embargo, put in place more than 50 years ago.

Through the week, Diaz-Canel will meet with other foreign leaders, as well as New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, U.S. supporters of engagement with Cuba and members of the Cuban-American community, Cubadebate said. He will also speak on Wednesday night at New York's historic Riverside Church.

Diaz-Canel made his first trip abroad as president to Cuba's main ally, Venezuela, in May.

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Peter Cooney)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.BERLIN (Reuters) - Leaders of the parties in Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government were believed to be meeting on Sunday to discuss how to end a crisis over the future of Germany's scandal-tainted spymaster that is threatening their six-month-old alliance. Merkel, her Bavarian ally Horst Seehofer and Social Democrat leader Andrea Nahles were all seen entering the chancellery. Seehofer is due to give a statement later on Sunday.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Leaders of the parties in Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government were believed to be meeting on Sunday to discuss how to end a crisis over the future of Germany's scandal-tainted spymaster that is threatening their six-month-old alliance.

Merkel, her Bavarian ally Horst Seehofer and Social Democrat leader Andrea Nahles were all seen entering the chancellery. Seehofer is due to give a statement later on Sunday.

The three party leaders had said on Tuesday that Hans-Georg Maassen would not keep his role as spy chief after he faced accusations of harbouring far-right views. But in a move that prompted public outrage, they also granted him a transfer to a better paid job at the interior ministry.

That compromise came unstuck on Friday when Nahles -- whose centre-left SPD is the junior partner in the conservative-led alliance -- said it was a mistake.

Seehofer, who is also interior minister, told German news agency dpa he thought there was a good chance the party leaders would reach an agreement.

Bild said without citing its sources that a deal was possible and that this would involve transferring Maassen to the interior ministry without raising his pay. Coalition sources did not confirm that.

EU Budget Commissioner Guenther Oettinger, a member of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), had earlier complained that disputes within the coalition were preventing Germany from helping to resolve European issues.

He said Merkel's government was acting like a "wrecking ball for Europe".

"It is getting ever harder to explain to European partners ... why the grand coalition keeps getting entangled in new conflicts which are actually of little significance," he told the Funke newspaper group in an interview published on Sunday.

The dispute over Maassen comes two months after Merkel ended a painful row with her Bavarian CSU allies over immigration, related to her decision in 2015 to open Germany's borders to hundreds of thousands of migrants.

Oettinger said that, a year in Europe had been wasted since Germany's national election last September.

"Here in Brussels we expect the German government to finally deal with European issues," he said.

The dispute over Maassen started when the spy chief questioned the authenticity of video footage showing radicals hounding migrants in the eastern city of Chemnitz.

Wolfgang Kubicki, deputy leader of the opposition Free Democrats, said the saga showed the alliance had deeper problems, and new elections should be called.

CDU general secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer earlier wrote to party members to say it thought the talks should be used to clarify whether the coalition partners "can continue to unite together behind the common mission".

(Reporting by Michelle Martin; additional reporting by Holger Hansen and Andreas Rinke; Editing by Catherine Evans)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Joseph Nasr BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted on Monday she had misjudged her response to allegations of far-right sympathies against Germany's spymaster, after resolving a row over his redeployment that threatened to pull her government apart.

By Joseph Nasr

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted on Monday she had misjudged her response to allegations of far-right sympathies against Germany's spymaster, after resolving a row over his redeployment that threatened to pull her government apart.

BfV intelligence agency head Hans-Georg Maassen's political views came under the microscope this month after he questioned the authenticity of video footage showing radicals hounding migrants in the eastern city of Chemnitz.

Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), their Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) sister party and the third coalition partner - the centre-left Social Democracts (SPD) - agreed last week to transfer Maassen to a senior role in the Interior Ministry.

But that prompted a public blacklash when it emerged that Maassen would also get a pay rise. The coalition rescinded the hike on Sunday, after some members of the SPD called for their party to quit the alliance if it stayed in place.

"I focused too much on functionality and processes in the Interior Ministry and not enough on what moves people, rightly, when they hear of someone's promotion," Merkel told reporters, a year to the day after an inconclusive national election consigned Germany to six months of political limbo.

"I regret very much that that was allowed to happen... It is important that we now solve the problems of the people."

LIMPING ON

The dispute had irritated Germans worried about more immediate issues such as rising real estate prices, prospects for pensions and a diesel emissions scandal, and frustrated authorities in Brussels used to Berlin playing a lead role in major euro zone issues.

It also added to doubts over whether the ruling parties, weakened after all losing ground in last autumn's election, can hold together for a full four-year term.

But Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, general secretary of Merkel's party, rejected suggestions that the row showed that a weakened Merkel was no longer able to run an effective, decision-taking government.

"She said very clearly that the first decision was a mistake, and I think that's a sign of strength," she told ARD public television, adding that the coalition parties would coordinate more closely to avoid similar spectacles in future.

The clumsy compromise over Maassen, who has not commented in public about the allegations against him, unravelled on Friday when SPD leader Andrea Nahles said it was a mistake.

A poll last week showed that 72 percent of voters had less confidence in the government as a result.

Support for all three parties has fallen since the election and there is little appetite among them for another ballot that polls suggest would strengthen the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

The coalition came close to collapsing in June over a dispute over immigration and border controls.

The CSU has toughened its line on the issue before a regional election in Bavaria next month in which it faces a tough challenge from the anti-immigration AfD.

EU Budget Commissioner Guenther Oettinger, a member of Merkel's CDU, complained in an interview on Sunday that a year in Europe had been wasted since Germany's last federal election. He said other EU countries expected the government of its largest economy to finally start tackling European issues.

(Additional reporting by Tassilo Hummel, Riham Alkoussa and Michael Nienaber; Editing by Richard Balmforth)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Rod Rosenstein, the seniormost official in the US Justice Department overseeing the Robert Mueller probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the US 2016 elections is said to have verbally offered his resignation to Donald Trump's chief of staff John Kelly Monday. If Rosenstein goes or is asked to go when he meets Donald Trump this week, who will oversee the Mueller probe and what does that imply in midterm election season?

New York: Rod Rosenstein, the seniormost official in the US Justice Department currently overseeing the Robert Mueller probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the US 2016 elections is said to have verbally offered his resignation to Donald Trump's chief of staff John Kelly Monday. If Rosenstein goes or is asked to go when he meets Donald Trump this week, who will oversee the Mueller probe and what does that imply in midterm election season?

Seventy two hours ago, a A New York Times report said Rosenstein discussed the possibility of secretly recording the president and invoking the Constitution to have the Cabinet remove him from office. This dates back to barely two weeks after former FBI chief James Comey was fired by Trump. Rosenstein denied the report swiftly but his future is hanging in balance from the moment that story broke - the Trump White House does not take kindly to naysayers and Rosenstein has been a target of Trump's attacks for more than a year now.

If Rosenstein is indeed leaving the Justice Department - either by resigning or being fired, who takes over to ensure that the Robert Mueller probe goes on? After Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General, recused himself from the Russia investigation, the responsibility fell to his deputy Rod Rosenstein. If Rosenstein exits, the job would typically fall on the next in line, a Number 3 in the department but the Number 3 slot of Associate Attorney General is not filled yet. So, enter Number 4 - the Solicitor General who at this time happens to be Noel Francisco. Legal experts are saying this person too may have to recuse himself because his former employer still represents the Donald Trump campaign. Francisco, reports CNN, "has a history of defending the authority of the executive branch, including when it comes to the ability to remove certain appointees, which is sure to be scrutinized if he were to take over the closely watched probe that has already brought down allies of the President." Francisco is the highest-ranking Senate confirmed official below Rosenstein in the Justice Department.

Where does all this leave Robert Mueller and the Russia probe which Donald Trump has been railing against?

"The President is in charge of the executive branch, and Mueller, as the special counsel, is a subordinate in that branch of the government. If Trump is determined to fire Mueller, or to constrict his investigation in untoward ways, he and his advisers will figure out a way to do it", says Jeffrey Toobin, writing in The New Yorker.

"Mueller's toast" - that's clearly the dominant sentiment on this story so far.

"Mueller was taking too long. Rosenstein's departure augurs terribly for Mueller", writes Peter Daou, former Clinton and Kerry advisor.

The reports about Rosenstein's wanting to tape Trump add to the turmoil roiling the administration, just six weeks before midterm elections with control of Congress at stake. In addition to dealing with the Mueller investigation, the White House is also struggling to win confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations.

On a radio talk show over the weekend, Trump signaled his unhappiness over the Rosenstein story: "I think it's a very sad story," Trump said. "We're looking into it. It's a very sad state of affairs when something like that can happen. I don't want to comment on it until I've got all the facts. Certainly its being looked at in terms of what took place, if anything took place."

For now, the White House delayed until at least Thursday a decision on the fate of Rosenstein but talk has already begun about his replacement. Trump is in a better place after a potential Rosenstein exit than before it happens. No matter who takes over the probe immediately after a shake-up, Trump could insert a person who could eventually be in charge of directing Mueller.

As Trump mulled Rosenstein's fate and consulted on how to respond, Rosenstein was summoned to the West Wing on Friday evening by White House chief of staff John Kelly. Despite his "You're Fired!" tagline from his "The Apprentice" reality show days, the president has shown himself reluctant to directly fire aides himself.

While his White House has been marked with unprecedented staff turnover, Trump has often left the task to deputies, including Kelly. To that extent, Kelly summoning Rosenstein is ominous.

Associated Press is reporting that Trump is angry and asking confidants, both inside and outside the White House, how to respond. "He received mixed messages. Some urged him to fire Rosenstein. Others suggested restraint while seeing if the report was incorrect or if it was planted by some adversary."

Rosenstein appointed Mueller in May of last year after Sessions, who ordinarily would have overseen the investigation, recused himself because of his close involvement in the Trump campaign.India should take care that bureaucratic norms dont delay getting a firm foot into the archipelago. The Maldives is not known for sustained democratic exercises.

Voters are a smarter lot that most venal politicians think. After a period of emergency, jailing of opposition leaders, and muzzling of a liberal press, the voting public in the Maldives have ousted President Abdulla Yameen with a huge majority. The prevailing hope is that the change to lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will bring some stability into a country that depends so heavily on tourism to keep its home fires burning.

Initial reports suggest a more than 80 percent turn out across the country, indicating the depth of resentment against the sitting president. Messages of congratulations from major countries including the United States and India among others have already begun to pour in preventing Yameen from executing any attempt to roll back the people's verdict. After all, it was only in June that the Election Commission declared former president Mohamed Nasheed ineligible to run for president, despite his winning the primaries with 43,922 of the 44,011 votes cast. In August, the presidential spokesman was attempting to muddy the waters by warning of a plot to unseat the president. And just prior to polling, The Hindu reported a police raid on Opposition headquarters which raised fears that the polls would be rigged. In the event, that raid probably strengthened voters resolve to be out of the sorry mess that the Maldives has been ever since political instability began in 2015, with Nasheed was convicted of terrorism charges in what most saw as a mock-up trial, and dissenting political leaders and Supreme Court judges were thrown into jail.

Even as the country celebrates the win, the fact remains that the victor, Ibrahim Mohammad Solih is a consensus candidate of the joint opposition, which includes the MDP, the Jumhooree Party, the Adhaalat Party and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayooms own faction of the Progressive Party. There were months of bickering and invective between these rather unlikely partners, and the end result was the selection of Solih, a reformer and a close friend of Nasheed for the last four decades. Solih has been known for propagating a multiparty system since 2001. He was a Council member when the MDP (Maldivian Democratic Party) was formed in 2003 and was in the part forefront when the multiparty system was accepted. According to those who know him, Solih is a low key operator and someone who can defuse any crisis with his invariably calm demeanour. Hes going to need that particular quality a lot in the coming days.

The Opposition is, after all, anything but united, though they have stood shoulder to shoulder against president Yameen. But being against someone can only provide so much glue. The fact that leaders are linked to one another in a confusing mix of often competitive relationships only makes matters worse. Yameen, for instance, is the half-brother of Gayoom. That didnt prevent the latter from consigning him to the prison, even though he owed much to the former strongman. Gayooms own son Faris is a presidential hopeful, but without the political base that the MDP leader has. That led to Gayoom cosying up to Nasheed during his years in exile, particularly after he himself was targeted by the enterprising Yameen. Solihs wife is the first cousin to Nasheed which makes him a relative. In other connections, Jumhooree Partys Gasim Ibrahim owes his rise to the patronage of Gayooms brother-in-law.

The agendas of the joint opposition are also likely to clash. Gasim (or Qasim) Ibrahim, head of the Jumhooree Party is Maldives very own log cabin to White House story. Starting his life in dire poverty, he is now known as the richest man in the Maldives. He owns the Villa Group, with schools, colleges and tourist resorts to his name. The party published a manifesto only in July. As the media point out, that manifesto is at odds with that of the MDP. For instance, the MDP wants a parliamentary system of government, while the JP prefers the existing system.

Luckily for Maldives neighbours, the manifesto also promises to Not give up any strategic investment of the state or main gateways of the country in a manner that disrupts Maldivian sovereignty. Such important assets should always remain under the full power of the government. He also promises to re-join the Commonwealth, which Yameen had left in a huff. Then there is the small matter of a reported $40 million which was loaned to the Villa Group when Gasim was the finance minister between 2005-08. Now reports are that his empire is in severe financial straits. He may need bailing out by his comrades in arms. He and others like him which includes such businessmen as Ahmed Sun Siyam, Mohamed Umar Manik and Hussain Afeef, own at least 26 resorts between them -- among other businesses. With the huge staff they quite literally command, they provide voters on demand. Not the best way to start a government that is already in debt.

Then there is the Adhaalat Partys Sheikh Imran Abdullah who was also jailed on charges of terrorism after he made a speech against Yameen. Worse, he was later transferred to a unit that housed murderers and inmates convicted of serious crimes. Yameen certainly didnt hold back his punches. His partys manifesto is strong on religion (12 points) and good governance (9 points). This is the junior party, but will likely have a stronger clout since it may emerge as the swing factor between the larger components of the government.

There is no doubt that the inspiration and influence behind the new government will be Nasheed, who has of late been appealing to India and the US to intervene in his troubled country. He has also accused China of colonising his country, a charge that has some basis given the figures thrown up by different studies. One by the Centre for Global Development and another by Gateway House underlines that massive Maldivian debt to China  estimated at $1.5 billion  is endangering democracy. Certainly, Yameen had become increasingly dictatorial after his cosying up to Beijing.

Having burnt his fingers, Nasheed, however, is likely to want to ease out on Chinese investments. Thats not going to be easy. First, the Chinese firms are already well entrenched in the islands with some 17 projects, with the airport and Friendship Bridge probably being the largest. Second, the country is already in a severe debt crisis that according to the International Monetary Fund is about 120 percent of the GDP. If the Maldives has to give up on its Chinese addiction, someone has to come up with the dibs. It may be time to polish up the GMR nameplate again, even as friends and well-wishers hand out the plate to help the Maldives. As for India, take care that bureaucratic norms dont delay getting a firm foot into the archipelago. The Maldives is not known for sustained democratic exercises. The present favourable situation could change at any time.By Dominique Vidalon PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron's popularity fell further in September, adding to troubles afflicting his administration since the departure of high-profile ministers and a summer scandal over his bodyguard, two polls showed on Sunday. Only 29 percent of those surveyed in September said they were satisfied with Macron, down from 34 percent last month and 39 percent two months ago, according to the Ifop poll for Le Journal du Dimanche

By Dominique Vidalon

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron's popularity fell further in September, adding to troubles afflicting his administration since the departure of high-profile ministers and a summer scandal over his bodyguard, two polls showed on Sunday.

Only 29 percent of those surveyed in September said they were satisfied with Macron, down from 34 percent last month and 39 percent two months ago, according to the Ifop poll for Le Journal du Dimanche.

A separate poll published on Sunday by OpinionWay for LCI showed that only 28 percent of the respondents in September were satisfied with Macron's action, down from 35 percent in July.

The former investment banker won the 2017 election with 66.1 percent of the vote on a reformist project to modernise the euro zone's second largest power. But many voters ranging from conservative pensioners to low-income workers complain that Macron's policies mostly benefit companies and the rich.

The president was criticised last week for telling an unemployed man he could easily get a job if he tried.

Environment Minister Francois de Rugy told BFM-TV: "I take these polls as a spur. They remind us that we must act.

"Each time you want change, some people will oppose it. So you have two solutions - either you stop in hopes of being popular again or continue while listening to the French people."

Macron was damaged this month by the surprise resignation of his environment minister, Nicolas Hulot, a popular former activist and TV presenter. On Sept. 18, Gerard Collomb, the interior minister and one of Macron's closest allies, said he would run for election as mayor of Lyon in 2020.

Commenting on the polls, Francois Bayrou, leader of centrist party MoDem and a key Macron ally, told a meeting of his own party: "The French do not just need to be told of successive reforms, they need the whole picture. You have to know the steps you take but also to know where you are going,"

The Ifop poll was conducted on Sept. 14-22 with a sample of 1,964 people while the OpinionWay poll was carried out on Sept. 19-20 with a sample of 1,061 people.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Additional reporting by Caroline Pailliez; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Edmund Blair)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.India on Monday congratulated Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory in the presidential polls in the Maldives and said the election reflected the country's commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law.

New Delhi: India on Monday congratulated Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory in the presidential polls in the Maldives and said the election reflected the country's commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law.

India also hoped that the Maldivian Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest.

"We welcome the successful completion of the third presidential election process in the Maldives which, according to preliminary information, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

"We heartily congratulate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory and hope that the Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest," it said.

According to reports, Solih won the presidential election, defeating President Abdulla Yameen who is known to be close to China.

"This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law," the MEA said.

India's ties with the Maldives came under strain after President Yameen declared Emergency in the country on 5 February, following an order by the country's Supreme Court to release a group of Opposition leaders, who had been convicted in widely criticised trials.

India had criticised the Yameen government for the imposition of the Emergency and urged it to restore the credibility of the electoral and political process by releasing political prisoners.

The Emergency was lifted 45 days later.

In July, India expressed concern over announcement of the presidential election without allowing democratic institutions, including Parliament and the judiciary, to work in a free and transparent manner.The strongman president of the Maldives, Abdulla Yameen, on Monday conceded defeat in elections, easing fears of a fresh political crisis in the archipelago at the centre of a battle for influence between India and China.

Colombo: The strongman president of the Maldives on Monday conceded defeat in elections, easing fears of a fresh political crisis in the archipelago at the centre of a battle for influence between India and China.

"The Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results from yesterday," Abdulla Yameen said in a televised address to the Indian Ocean nation a day after the joint opposition candidate unexpectedly triumphed.

"I accept the defeat," Yameen said. "I will enable a smooth transition."

"Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him," Yameen said.

There had been concerns at home and abroad that Yameen might not accept the outcome. He had borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars from China for an infrastructure blitz, to the alarm of the Maldives' traditional backer India.

At the last election in 2013, the Supreme Court annulled the result after Yameen trailed former president Mohamed Nasheed, giving Yameen time to forge alliances and win a second round of voting that was postponed twice.

Results from Sunday's election released by the electoral commission showed Yameen on 41.7 percent of the vote, well behind Solih on 58.3 percent - the only other name on ballot papers.

The final official result will take up to a week to be published.

The result was a major surprise, with Yameen's main political rivals either in prison or in exile, media coverage of the opposition sparse and monitors and the opposition predicting the vote would be rigged.

Yameen stayed quiet overnight after the outcome became clear. But signs grew Monday that he would throw in the towel, with a foreign ministry statement saying Solih had won and state media showing him claiming victory.

Nearly 90 percent of the 262,000 electorate turned out to vote, with some waiting in line for more than five hours.

Celebrations broke out across the 1,200-island tropical archipelago popular with wealthy foreign tourists, with opposition supporters waving yellow flags of Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and dancing in the streets.

The US State Department, which had warned of "appropriate measures" if the vote was not free and fair, had called on Yameen to "respect the will of the people".

Regional superpower India, competing with China to retain its influence in the region, was the first to "heartily congratulate" Solih.

"This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law," the foreign ministry said.

Sri Lanka, home to many Maldivian dissidents, also congratulated him but China was yet to comment, with Monday being a public holiday.

Media fearful

Solih had the backing of a united opposition trying to oust Yameen but struggled for visibility. The local media was fearful of falling foul of heavy-handed decrees and reporting restrictions.

In February, Yameen imposed a 45-day state of emergency, alarming the international community, in what was seen as an attempt by his opponents in parliament to impeach him.

A crackdown saw former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom  Yameen's half-brother  jailed along with the chief justice and another Supreme Court justice amid accusations of an imminent coup.

On the eve of the poll, police raided the campaign headquarters of the MDP and searched the building for several hours in a bid to stop what they called "illegal activities". There were no arrests.

Nasheed told AFP in Colombo the vote would "bring the country back to the democratic path" and Yameen had no option but to concede defeat.

Independent international monitors were barred from the election and only a handful of foreign media were allowed in to cover the poll.

The Asian Network for Free Elections, a foreign monitoring group that was denied access to the Maldives, said the campaign had been heavily tilted in favour of 59-year-old Yameen.

The government had used "vaguely worded laws to silence dissent and to intimidate and imprison critics", some of whom had been assaulted and even murdered, according to Human Rights Watch.Maldives Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won Sunday's presidential vote after securing 58.3 percent of the popular vote.

Maldives Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who fought a bitter election campaign against Abdulla Yameen, won Sunday's presidential vote after securing 58.3 percent of the popular vote. The election in the Maldives was being closely watched by India and China, who are jostling to influence the Indian Ocean nations.

Nearly 90 percent of the 262,000 electorates turned out to vote, with some waiting in line for more than five hours as officials encountered technical glitches.

Solih had the backing of a united Opposition trying to oust Yameen but struggled for visibility with the electorate, with the local media fearful of falling afoul of heavy-handed decrees and reporting restrictions.

He was a democracy activist during decades of autocratic rule and a former Parliament majority leader. He became the Maldivian Democratic Party's (MDP) presidential candidate after its other top figures were jailed or exiled by Yameen's government.

Though well known for his reform efforts, Solih has been a lawmaker since 1994. He maintained a low-profile until he began campaigning in the run-up to Sunday's polls, according to The Hindu.

He has been MDP's parliamentary group leader since early 2011 and has also served as the leader of the joint parliamentary group since the Opposition coalition was formed in March 2017, according to The Maldives Independent.

Solih was among the MPs who tried  and were denied the right  to register the country's first independent political party in 2003. He also has a cross-party appeal. "It is crucial to note that as a lawmaker Solih has enjoyed cross-party appeal more than any other," Azim Zahir, a Maldivian researcher based in western Australia, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

After the results, Solih said, "This is a moment of happiness, a moment of hope. This is a journey that has ended at the ballot box because the people willed it." He also urged the incumbent to immediately release scores of political prisoners.

Yameen, who was widely tipped to retain power, had jailed or forced into exile almost all of his main rivals. Before the polls opened, police raided the campaign headquarters of the opposition MDP and searched the building for several hours in a bid to stop what they called "illegal activities". There were no arrests.

India was the first to "heartily congratulate" Solih on his victory. "We heartily congratulate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory and hope that the Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

"This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law," it further said.

Solih, according to the BBC, leans more towards India unlike his predecessor Yameen, who had drifted towards China in recent years. Analysts told the BBC that Beijing fears any change in government that could affect its interests, while India is concerned about Yameen's cosy ties with China.

Despite Yameen's defeat, observers believe that China will be able to work with his successor and its influence will not suddenly diminish. "If President Yameen loses, China will be able to work with the next leader, as it has shown in the case of Sri Lanka after the 2015 election," The New York Times quoted Nilanthi Samaranayake, a South Asia analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses, as saying. For small nations in the region, Chinas appeal as a source of money for development "transcends domestic politics", Samaranayake added.

With inputs from agenciesOpposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the Maldives' presidential election, results showed Monday, a surprise defeat for President Abdulla Yameen, following a campaign observers said was rigged in the strongman's favour.

Colombo: Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the Maldives' presidential election, results showed Monday, a surprise defeat for President Abdulla Yameen, following a campaign observers said was rigged in the strongman's favour.

Results released by the Elections Commission early Monday morning showed Solih had secured 58.3 percent of the popular vote. Celebrations broke out across the tropical archipelago with opposition supporters carrying yellow flags of Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and dancing on the streets. There was no response from Yameen after the results were announced.

Solih had the backing of a united opposition trying to oust Yameen but struggled for visibility with the electorate, with the local media fearful of falling afoul of heavy-handed decrees and reporting restrictions.

There were also no other candidates at Sunday's election held with all key dissidents either in jail or exile.Earlier in the night, Solih had called on Yameen to concede defeat once the tally showed he had an unassailable lead.

"I call on Yameen to respect the will of the people and bring about a peaceful, smooth transfer of power," he said on television. He also urged the incumbent to immediately release scores of political prisoners.

Yameen, who was widely tipped to retain power, had jailed or forced into exile almost all of his main rivals. Before the polls opened, police raided the campaign headquarters of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and searched the building for several hours in a bid to stop what they called "illegal activities". There were no arrests.

Mohamed Nasheed, the head of the MDP, said the vote would "bring the country back to the democratic path".

Yameen would have no option but to concede defeat, said Nasheed, who was elected president of a newly-democratic Maldives in 2008 but currently lives in exile.

"He will not have people around him who will support him to fight on and stay," he told AFP. The polls were closely watched by regional rivals India and China, who are jostling to influence Indian Ocean nations. The European Union and United States, meanwhile, have threatened sanctions if the vote is not free and fair.

Many voters across the Indian Ocean archipelago said they stood in line for over five hours to cast their ballots, while expatriate Maldivians voted in neighbouring Sri Lanka and India.

The Elections Commission said balloting was extended by three hours until 7:00 pm (1400 GMT) because of technical glitches suffered by tablet computers containing electoral rolls, with officials using manual systems to verify voters' identities.

An election official said the deadline was also extended due to a heavy voter turnout, which was later declared at 88 percent.

Yameen voted minutes after the polling booths opened in the capital Male, where opposition campaign efforts had been frustrated by a media crackdown and police harassment.

Some 2,62,000 people in the archipelago  famed for its white beaches and blue lagoons  were eligible to vote in an election from which independent international monitors have been barred.

Only a handful of foreign media were allowed in to cover the poll.

The Asian Network for Free Elections, a foreign monitoring group that was denied access to the Maldives, said the campaign had been heavily tilted in favour of 59-year-old Yameen. The government has used "vaguely worded laws to silence dissent and to intimidate and imprison critics", some of whom have been assaulted and even murdered, according to Human Rights Watch.

Before the election, there were warnings that Yameen could try to hold on to power at all costs.

In February he declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and ordered troops to storm the Supreme Court and arrest the judges and other rivals to stave off impeachment.

Yameen told supporters on the eve of the election that he had overcome "huge obstacles" since controversially winning power in a contested run-off in 2013, but had handled the challenges "with resilience".

The crackdown attracted international censure and fears the Maldives was slipping back into one-man rule just a decade after transitioning to democracy.

India, long influential in Maldives' affairs  it sent troops and warships in 1988 to stop a coup attempt  expressed hopes the election would represent a return to democratic norms.

In recent years Yameen has drifted closer to China, India's chief regional rival, taking hundreds of millions of dollars from Beijing for major infrastructure projects.Pakistan's Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Imran Khan for not being truthful and righteous as required under the Constitution.

Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Imran Khan for not being truthful and righteous as required under the Constitution.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar rejected the petition, filed by barrister Danyal Chaudhry, on the grounds that the plea, filed at a time when Khan had not been elected prime minister, had become infructuous.

"The application has already been rendered ineffective," observed Justice Ijazul Ahsan. The petition was filed in May last year after the apex court constituted a six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe allegations of corruption against then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Besides other grounds, the petitioner had sought disqualification of Khan for not disclosing his alleged love child Tyrian White in his nomination papers for elections.

The court said that the petition was filed when Khan was an MP in the previous National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, which has already expired, and the petition had become "ineffective". The petitioner had also requested the court to restrain Khan from activities which could influence the JIT members. The JIT report has led to the disqualification of Sharif in July 2017.

Sharif, 68, resigned as Pakistan prime minister last year after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against the beleaguered leader and his children over the Panama Papers scandal.

The Avenfield case was among the three corruption cases filed against the ex-premier by the National Accountability Bureau on the Supreme Court's orders in the Panama Papers case.India's reluctance to hold talks with Pakistan will not stop Islamabad from closing doors on its efforts to promote peace in the region, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said, days after New Delhi cancelled the foreign minister-level meeting in New York.

Washington: India's reluctance to hold talks with Pakistan will not stop Islamabad from closing doors on its efforts to promote peace in the region, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said, days after New Delhi cancelled the foreign minister-level meeting in New York.

Addressing a news conference at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington on Sunday, Qureshi said India used incidents that happened in July to cancel peace talks that it agreed to in September.

India on Friday cited the "brutal" killing of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the release of the postal stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani for calling off the meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this month.

"India is reluctant, we will not close our doors," Qureshi said.

"Hiding away from issues will not make them disappear. It will not improve the situation in Kashmir," he was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

The foreign minister said he was unable to understand India's refusal to participate in peace talks with Pakistan.

"Engagement, no-engagement. Coming, not coming. We desired talks as we believe the sensible way is to meet and talk. They agreed, and then disagreed," he said.

Qureshi said India's response to Pakistan's peace offer was harsh and non-diplomatic.

"We did not use a non-diplomatic language in our rejoinder. Our response was matured and measured. They adopted a new approach, and moved back," he said.

The foreign minister also alleged that Swaraj's "language and tone was unbecoming of a foreign minister", the report said.

Asked if tensions between India and Pakistan could lead to a war between the two countries, Qureshi said "Who is talking of war? Not us. We want peace, stability, employment and improving lives. You identify where is the reluctance."

Qureshi said that Pakistan's desire for peace should not be mistaken for a sign of weakness.

"We want peace. It does not mean, we cannot defend ourselves against aggression. We can but we do not have an aggressive mindset," he said.

Qureshi also rejected India's concerns over the release of a postal stamps "glorifying" a slain Kashmiri militant, "hundreds of thousands of people are fighting in Kashmir, not all of them are terrorists".

The foreign minister also reiterated Pakistan's offer to open the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara corridor for allowing Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the historic gurdwara on the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev.

India initially agreed to a meeting between Swaraj and Qureshi, but later said it would would be "meaningless" to hold talks after the "two deeply disturbing" developments.

Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived following a spate of terror attacks on Indian military bases by Pakistan-based terror groups since January 2016.

Following the strikes, India announced it will not engage in talks with Pakistan, saying terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand.The Right Livelihood Award  known as the 'Alternative Nobel'  has been given to three jailed Saudi human rights defenders and two Latin American anti-corruption crusaders.

Copenhagen: The Right Livelihood Award  known as the "Alternative Nobel"  has been given to three jailed Saudi human rights defenders and two Latin American anti-corruption crusaders.

The prize foundation said on Monday that the 1 million kronor ($113,400) cash award for 2018 was to be shared by Abdullah al-Hamid, Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani and Waleed Abu al-Khair "for their visionary and courageous efforts, guided by universal human rights principles, to reform the totalitarian political system in Saudi Arabia."

It said the 2018 honorary award was given to Thelma Aldana of Guatemala and Colombia's Ivan Velasquez "for their innovative work in exposing abuse of power and prosecuting corruption."

Created in 1980, the annual Right Livelihood Award honors efforts that the prize founder, Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull, felt were being ignored by the Nobel Prizes.By Polina Nikolskaya and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it would supply an S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria in two weeks despite strong Israeli objections, a week after Moscow accused Israel of indirectly causing the downing of a Russian military jet in Syria. The White House said it hoped Russia would reconsider the move, which U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton called a 'significant escalation' of Syria's seven-year war

By Polina Nikolskaya and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it would supply an S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria in two weeks despite strong Israeli objections, a week after Moscow accused Israel of indirectly causing the downing of a Russian military jet in Syria.

The White House said it hoped Russia would reconsider the move, which U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton called a "significant escalation" of Syria's seven-year war.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow had in the past obliged Israel by refraining from providing Syria with the S-300. But last week's crash, which killed 15 Russian service members, had forced Russia to take "adequate retaliatory measures" to keep its troops safe.

"A modern S-300 air defence missile system will be transferred to the Syrian armed forces within two weeks," he said. The system will "significantly increase the Syrian army's combat capabilities," he said.

President Vladimir Putin discussed the decision by phone on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Kremlin said.

Russia, which fights in Syria to support the government against rebels and militants, has said Syrian anti-aircraft batteries shot the IL-20 surveillance plane down by mistake shortly after Israeli jets hit a nearby target. Moscow accused Israel of creating dangerous conditions that caused the crash.

Israel, which has carried out air strikes in Syria many times during the war, said after the incident that it would work to improve "deconfliction" of its missions with Russian forces, but would not halt them.

Israel has long lobbied Moscow not to provide the S-300 to Syria, fearing this would hinder its aerial capability to strike build-ups of Iranian and Hezbollah forces in Syria.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Putin on Monday that supplying advanced weapon systems to "irresponsible players" would heighten dangers in the region, according to Netanyahu's office.

"Responsibility for the unfortunate incident lies with the Syrian army, which downed the plane, and Iran, whose aggression destabilises (the region)," Netanyahu's statement said. Iranian forces are in Syria to support the government in the war.

In the phone call, Netanyahu also said he told Putin that Israel would continue to protect its security and interests. The Israeli leader also agreed with Putin on continued coordination between the two countries' armed forces.

Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, tweeted that the Russian accusation Israel was to blame for the Russian plane being shot down was "fake news...meant to assuage diplomatic pressures and cloud the responsibility of Syrian and Russian officers for downing the plane.

"Supplying S-300 increases risk by unprofessional Syrian operators first and foremost to the Russian air force, to Israel, the United States and the coalition as well as to civil aviation," Yadlin said. "Israel has been preparing for this threat for 20 years and will know how to handle it."

ISRAEL HAMPERED

Originally developed by the Soviet military, the S-300 has since been modernised and made available in several versions with different capabilities. It fires missiles from trucks and is designed to shoot down military aircraft and short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Alexander Khramchikhin of the Moscow-based Institute of Military and Political Analysis said the S-300 could "seriously affect Israel's ability to carry out its strikes in Syria". Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center and a former colonel in the Russian army, said the S-300 would make Israel "more careful in the vicinity of Russian assets".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the decision to supply the weapons was not directed at any third country.

"Russia needs to increase safety of its military and it should be clear for everyone," he said. But he also repeated Moscow's accusations that Israel was to blame for the plane's downing: "No doubt that according to our military experts, deliberate action by Israeli pilots was the reason for the tragedy and this cannot but harm our (Russia-Israeli) ties."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's office said: "President Putin held Israel responsible for bringing down the plane and informed President Assad that Russia will develop Syria's air defence systems."

Bolton told reporters in New York: "There shouldnt be any misunderstanding here ... The party responsible for the attacks in Syria and Lebanon and really the party responsible for the shooting down of the Russian plane is Iran," he said.

Bolton said a political process was needed to end Syria's war but that Russia's plans with the S-300 made that difficult.

He said U.S. troops would stay active in Syria as long as Iran was involved. "Were not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders, and that includes Iranian proxies and militias."

(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova, Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Polina Nikolskaya in Moscow, and Ellen Francis in Beirut, Steve Holland in Washington, Jeff Mason in New York and Maayan Luebll in Jerusalem; Writing by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Denis Pinchuk, Editing by Mark Heinrich)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Supply to the global oil market remains 'satisfactory', Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khalid al-Falih said Sunday, after calls by US President Donald Trump for an immediate hike in output to reduce prices.

Algiers: Supply to the global oil market remains "satisfactory", Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khalid al-Falih said Sunday, after calls by US President Donald Trump for an immediate hike in output to reduce prices. But Falih  attending a meeting of oil producers in Algiers  left the way open to a future production hike, as supplies tighten due to the US imposing sanctions on Iranian oil from November 2018.

"While the supply/demand balance remains satisfactory, we continue to watch closely...and we'll respond appropriately and in a timely manner as necessary," said Falih, who chairs a joint committee of OPEC and non-OPEC countries. "It is critical that we continue to foresee and anticipate changing market supply and demand balances and take proactive actions to avoid conditions that could make (oil) consumers uneasy and anxious," he added.

The OPEC cartel in December 2016 concluded an agreement with non-member states  including Russia  to reduce output in order to arrest sliding prices. Sunday's meeting in Algiers brought together OPEC oil ministers and non-OPEC signatories to the 2016 agreement, as they seek to extend their cooperation. Trump has repeatedly called for a hike in production by countries other than Iran to reduce oil prices, which have partially recovered since the December 2016 agreement, to trade close to $80 per barrel in October.

"We protect the countries of the West Asia, they would not be safe for very long without us, and yet they continue to push for higher and higher oil prices!" Trump tweeted on Thursday. "We will remember. The OPEC monopoly must get prices down now!" Russia's energy minister Alexander Novak on Sunday appeared to back a continuation of the partnership between OPEC and non-OPEC member states. "We need to give serious thought to expand our partnership beyond this year to tackle the new challenges that appear ahead of us," he said.

After pulling out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May 2018, the Trump administration has pledged to impose an embargo on Iranian oil from 5 November. Iran's OPEC representative Hossein Kazempour Ardebili on Sunday said his country was continuing to meet its OPEC quota share. "We (Iran) are continuing to produce our share of production," he said. "I expect all countries to exercise their sovereignty and not to abide by the instructions of Trump", he added.

But output from Iran has hit its lowest level since July 2016, according to the International Energy Agency, as top buyers India and China distance themselves from Tehran in anticipation of the US sanctions.(Reuters) - A Texas man running a 3-D printed guns company was booked into a Houston jail on a charge of sexual assault on Sunday after Taiwanese officials sent him back to the United States where he is accused of having sex with an underage girl. Cody Wilson, 30, flew to Taiwan after learning he was under investigation, police said, and was picked up by Taiwanese authorities on Friday after his U.S

(Reuters) - A Texas man running a 3-D printed guns company was booked into a Houston jail on a charge of sexual assault on Sunday after Taiwanese officials sent him back to the United States where he is accused of having sex with an underage girl.

Cody Wilson, 30, flew to Taiwan after learning he was under investigation, police said, and was picked up by Taiwanese authorities on Friday after his U.S. passport was annulled. He was deported to the United States on Saturday.

He was booked into Harris County jail in Houston on Sunday, according to the jail's website.

It was unclear whether Wilson had a criminal defense lawyer.

As the founder of Defense Distributed, Wilson became a notable figure in the U.S. debate over guns after the company posted on the internet the blueprints for plastic guns that can be made with a 3-D printer.

The files could previously be downloaded for free, but a federal judge issued a nationwide injunction last month that blocked the posting of the blueprints online.

Wilson was placed under investigation after a counselor on Aug. 22 told authorities a 16-year-old girl said she was paid $500 to have sex with Wilson at an Austin hotel, police said.

Investigators later interviewed the girl and on Wednesday obtained a warrant for Wilson's arrest, but by then he had caught a flight to Taiwan. Police said at the time that they were aware Wilson traveled often for business, but that it was not clear why he had flown to Taiwan.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.By Ahmed Elumami TRIPOLI (Reuters) - At least 115 people have been killed and 383 injured in month-long clashes between rival factions in Tripoli, Libyas health ministry said on Sunday. The fighting pitted the Seventh Brigade, or Kaniyat, from Tarhouna, a town 65 km (45 miles) southeast of Tripoli, against the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigades (TRB) and the Nawasi, two of the capitals largest armed groups. Tripoli and western Libya are run by a U.N.-backed government mainly supported by armed groups, while Eastern Libya is controlled by a rival administration

By Ahmed Elumami

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - At least 115 people have been killed and 383 injured in month-long clashes between rival factions in Tripoli, Libyas health ministry said on Sunday.

The fighting pitted the Seventh Brigade, or Kaniyat, from Tarhouna, a town 65 km (45 miles) southeast of Tripoli, against the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigades (TRB) and the Nawasi, two of the capitals largest armed groups.

Tripoli and western Libya are run by a U.N.-backed government mainly supported by armed groups, while Eastern Libya is controlled by a rival administration. The country has been riven since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011.

The Kaniyat and other groups from outside Tripoli launched an assault on the capital in late August amid unease over reports of the wealth, power and extravagant lifestyles of some Tripoli militia commanders.

At the Frontline in Tripolis southern residential areas of Wadi Rabea and Fatma Zahra, shelled houses, torched vehicles, destroyed shops and deserted streets attest to the intensity of the clashes.

The death toll could surge because of the critical condition of the injured and the continuing fighting, Wedad Abo Al-Niran, media officer at the health ministry told Reuters.

The armed groups which claim official status through the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli patrol the area in armoured vehicles and pickup trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns.

The fighting has knocked out most power stations in the city and crippled Tripolis main airport.

Although civilian targets continue to be shelled, Hakeem Al-Sheikh, commander of 42 Brigade loyal to GNA, said the situation is under control.

Meanwhile residents in southern Tripoli continue to bear the brunt of the infighting, with many forced to flee their homes.

We are staying with our relatives as we are afraid of looting acts, said Abdulqader al-Ryani, a father of three who left everything behind when he left his house.

So far, calls by the GNA for all sides to uphold a ceasefire agreed on Sept. 4 have fallen on deaf ears.

Adding to the existing tensions, a coalition of armed groups including Misrata military council promised on Saturday to fight alongside Tarhouna's Seventh Brigade saying that they "reject the rule of militias inside Tripoli."

(Reporting by Ahmed Elumami and Hani Amara; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.The defiant response is the army chief's first public reaction since a UN fact-finding mission urged the Security Council to refer Myanmar's top military brass to ICC.

Yangon: Myanmar Army chief said the United Nations (UN) had no right to interfere in the sovereignty of the country a week after a UN probe called for him and other top generals to be prosecuted for "genocide" against the Rohingya minority.

The defiant response is the army chief's first public reaction since a UN fact-finding mission urged the Security Council to refer Myanmar's top military brass to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

No country, organisation or group has the "right to interfere in and make decisions over sovereignty of a country", Senior General Min Aung Hlaing told troops in a speech on Sunday, according to the military-run newspaper Myawady. "Talks to meddle in internal affairs (cause) misunderstanding."

UN investigators went into horrific detail about the atrocities allegedly committed by army troops last year in their "clearance operations" against the Rohingya, which forced more than 7,00,000 of the stateless Muslims to flee over the border into Bangladesh.

Troops, often aided by ethnic Rakhine mobs, committed murder, rape, arson and torture, employing unfathomable levels of violence and with a total disregard for human life, they concluded. The military has denied nearly all wrongdoing, justifying its crackdown as a legitimate means of rooting out Rohingya militants.

Myanmar's civilian government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, had already rejected the report's finding as "one-sided" and "flawed" and dismissed a separate decision at the criminal court that found it had jurisdiction over the crisis.

Suu Kyi's civilian government shares power with the still mighty army, which has retained control over a quarter of parliamentary seats and three key ministries since the nation emerged from direct junta-rule in 2011.

The UN team also criticised the Nobel Laureate's government for "acts and omissions" that had "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes".The White House and Brett Kavanaugh have denied an allegation made by a second woman accusing President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee of inappropriate sexual behaviour

Washington: The White House and Brett Kavanaugh have denied an allegation made by a second woman accusing President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

According to a report in The New Yorker on Sunday, Deborah Ramirez (53) attended Yale University with the nominee and said she remembers Kavanaugh exposing himself to her at a dormitory party, CNN reported.

In his response to the allegation, Kavanaugh in a statement on Sunday said: "This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple.

"I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name  and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building  against these last-minute allegations."

White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec also called the latest claim "a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man".

"This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh," Kupec added.

Ramirez was initially hesitant to speak publicly, she told The New Yorker, partly because her memory contained gaps because she had been drinking at the time of the alleged incident.

She was unsure of his role in the incident at first, but after six days of carefully assessing memories and consulting with her attorney, Ramirez said she felt confident enough in her recollections to say she remembers it was Kavanaugh who had exposed himself.

Sunday's development comes after Christine Blasey Ford earlier this month publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct more than 30 years ago, CNN said.

Ford on Sunday committed to testifying in an open hearing on Thursday about her allegation.

Kavanaugh has denied this allegation too.OPEC spent the better part of the recent oil market downturn working hard to stamp out an emerging rival: the U.S. shale sector. However, instead of crushing this budding industry, the market crash made oil companies focused on drilling America's shale formations even stronger. Because of that, shale appears poised to keep stealing market share from OPEC and other producers over the next decade, according to a recent report by the group of oil-producing nations.

Drilling down into OPEC's latest oil market report

OPEC's latest World Oil Outlook detailed its view on supply and demand over the next decade. The report projects that oil production from non-OPEC nations will rise 8.6 million barrels per day (BPD) by 2023, when it will average 66.1 million BPD, which is slightly higher than its outlook last year. Driving that increase will be the U.S. shale sector. In OPEC's view, "the strongest annual increases are seen in the near term, in which total U.S. tight oil increases by an average of 1.4 million barrels a day" annually through 2020. Overall, OPEC sees America's shale output rising from 7.4 million BPD last year up to 13.4 million BPD by 2023 when growth will slow down until production tops out at around 16 million BPD by the late 2020s, at which time it will account for 25% of all oil produced outside of OPEC.

OPEC eventually expects U.S. shale output to start heading in reverse, as it's projected to decline to an average of 12.1 million BPD by 2040. As that happens, demand for OPEC's oil should rise, as it's estimating that the market will need an additional 10.5 million BPD from OPEC by 2040, boosting its market share by 2% to 36%. However, OPEC's overall conclusion was that "on the supply side, the key theme is the sustained recovery and significant growth in US tight oil production."

These companies are leading America's oil revival

One of the leaders of America's oil revival is EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG). The company was one of the early movers in the Eagle Ford shale, where it's currently the largest producer. In addition, the company has built up large positions in the Bakken shale, Permian Basin, and Power River Basin. Overall, EOG Resources controls enough land to drill another 9,500 highly lucrative and productive wells that could produce as much as 970,00 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) apiece. With returns on those wells more than of 100% at $60 oil, EOG can grow its U.S. oil output at a 25% CAGR at that oil price.

Another important leader of America's oil resurgence has been Continental Resources (NYSE:CLR), which was an early mover in developing the Bakken. Since 2010, the company has grown its production at a 27% CAGR, boosting it from less than 50,000 BOE/D up to a projected 315,000 to 325,000 BOE/D by the end of this year. Continental Resources expects to grow its output another 15% to 20% next year as it continues drilling not only in the Bakken but the STACK/SCOOP plays of Oklahoma, which also hold a bounty of oil and gas resources. Those growth engines position Continental Resources to expand its output rapidly in the coming years while generating a gusher of excess cash flow in the process.

A third shale-focused leader of America's oil revival is Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD), which is the largest producer in the Midland Basin side of the Permian. The company currently has a jaw-dropping 20,000 remaining drilling locations, which can fuel high-return growth in the decade ahead. In Pioneer Natural Resources' view, it can grow its output from this region at a 20% CAGR over the next decade. That puts it on pace to produce an average of 1 million BPD by 2026, including more than 700,000 BPD of crude oil.

While America's oil giants ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) and Chevron (NYSE:CVX) have been late to the shale party, that's beginning to change as both see the Permian as a key growth driver in the future. In Exxon's case, the oil giant expects its production in the Permian to grow fivefold by 2025 when it should average more than 800,000 BPD. Meanwhile, Chevron holds an estimated 11.2 billion BOE of resources in the Permian, which positions it to grow its output in the region from around 200,000 BOE/D up to more than 600,000 BOE/D by 2022.

The golden age of American oil is upon us

America is becoming a dominant force in the oil industry thanks to its abundant shale resources, putting the country on track to expand output quickly over the next decade. That production growth, when combined with improving oil prices, could generate a gusher of profits for American oil companies. That's why investors should seriously consider adding at least one U.S. oil stock to their portfolio so that they, too, may profit as the country's growth engine continues to rev up.Scent of Amazing: Meet Scooters Coffees Director of Coffee Bill Kipper

Kipper Travels the World to Find the Best Coffee Cherries for Scooters Award-Winning Blends

September 24, 2018 // Franchising.com // Omaha, NE - The way Bill Kipper sees it, if you have a drip coffeemaker in your home or office, theres a high probability that youre drinking coffee incorrectly.

Kipper isnt trying to offend you, its simply he knows the ins and outs of the worlds second-most sought-after commodity better than most. The self-described coffee snob gets paid to scrutinize coffee, so his opinion on the subject matter, just like his cup of coffee, will be nothing short of strong.

In my book, you cant beat black coffee, its the best, says Kipper. Flavored coffee disguises the pure taste of coffee.

When it comes to coffee, his resume speaks for itself. Kipper is a husband, father of three children and grandfather to three young granddaughters. Scooters Coffee is a family affair. Bill is the companys Director of Coffee. His wife is a franchisee, his daughter-in-law works in the accounting department, and his oldest son is the manager of the packaging department. If Kippers love is measurable, the top tier is reserved for his family. Ever so slightly below, in tier two, would be his love of coffee.

The more I do, the more I love doing my job, says Kipper, who has been roasting coffee for the last 18 years. I am grateful for coffee. Its allowed my family and myself to live a comfortable life.

That life comes with some perks (no pun intended), including traveling. Kipper recently returned from his first-ever trip to Brazil. He received a first-hand look at the harvest responsible for the countrys heralded coffee and what could be the next source of Scooters Coffees drink of choice.

Kipper is quickly racking up the stamps in his passport book. Besides Brazil, Scooters Coffee tasked Kipper to explore coffee farms in Nicaragua and Guatemala. He has fond memories of his journey to both countries.

I was treated like I was a lifelong family member during my visit to Guatemala, Kipper recalls. I discovered farming is more than a family business, its a legacy. The farm I visited had been in the family for more than 130 years. Kipper says he wasnt the only recipient of the farm owners hospitality. The owner certainly gave back to the workers. He made sure to have doctors and dentists on site. In many instances, that was the lone opportunity for health care for the migrant pickers.

The pickers in Nicaragua gave him a tour of the land that left Kipper nothing short of mesmerized. The quality of the cherries in Nicaragua was the best Ive ever seen, he says. Ive never seen a harvest that red.

A good cup of coffee starts with the bean. Quality in, quality out, says Kipper. There are several steps to making a great product. But if you begin with a substandard product, youre setting yourself up for failure.

Kipper is intent on keeping Scooters Coffee successful through a vigorous and selective process that ensures customers are getting the best and most consistent blends. His willingness to embrace technology is a contributing factor as well. Scooters Coffee is now home to a game-changer within the specialty coffee industry.

We just installed the largest roaster the manufacturer has ever made, says Kipper. Coupled with our previous roaster, we are now operating at five times more capacity than this time last year. The new roaster is automated, allowing us to load 20 to 30 thousand pounds of product at a time in our silos while removing some of the manual labor from the process.

Eighteen years in the business has granted Kipper an insight very few in the world have. Hell be the first to tell you the process of becoming an expert in coffee is challenging, and hes still learning to this day. Hes also imparting his wisdom to future generations. I have an apprentice who is quickly learning the ins and outs of the business. You cant learn the art and the science of roasting unless you get your hands dirty and do it.

Kipper appreciates being the Director of Coffee. Hes also concerned about the future of the business. He says humans pose the biggest threat. Natural phenomena, such as rust in plants and monsoons, are going to occur. However, its the human factor, with the chemicals and the deforestation of the planet, that is destroying areas home to coffee crops. The good news is more people are becoming aware of the importance of the preservation of coffee and the trees responsible for the canopy that allows the beans to thrive.

When it comes to picking beans for Scooters Coffee, Kipper says the profile is simple. We like our coffee smooth and rich and buttery. When you leave our stores, youre leaving with a well-rounded, balanced cup of coffee. In the early days, Kipper would devour Scooters Coffees signature drink, Caramelicious. While thats not the case nowadays, as he prefers his coffee straight black.

For Kipper, there are two regions that stand out above all others when it comes to the worlds best provider of coffee beans. You have to respect Ethiopia, because that is the birthplace of coffee, he says. For me, I feel Guatemala and Sumatra produce the best coffee beans.

When it comes to enjoying coffee at home, Kipper suggests getting your hands on the Scooters Coffee single-serve cups. You can get a quality cup of coffee out of there. I drink that at work when Im not testing samples. As far as the drip coffeemaker, you can achieve a good cup of coffee as long as you use a metal basket. I can tell immediately if a paper filter was used, he says. I dont like that taste one bit. Ninety-nine percent of people wont taste it. The only reason I taste it is because I taste coffee for a living.

Heres his suggestion for achieving the perfect cup of coffee. Grind the beans, but dont grind them too fine. Measure the correct amount of filtered water and use a French press. Of course, the most direct way to get a great cup of coffee is to visit Scooters Coffee. Trust me, I know.

Scooters Coffee, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is a drive-thru franchise that has been serving world-class coffee for 20 years. It roasts only the finest beans, and it makes that first morning sip convenient and rewarding for its customers across the nation. Scooters Coffee is quickly approaching 200 locations in 16states and has over 150 franchise commitments to build new stores. Scooters Coffee specializes in hand-tamped espresso drinks, baked-from-scratch pastries and features its signature drink, the Caramelicious. Scooters Coffee also serves a new line of hot and iced organic teas, single-origin coffee and the original Cold Brew & Cream. This year, one of Scooters Coffees drink innovations includes Red Bull Infusions. To find out why Scooters Coffee is among the best coffee franchises in the nation and to learn more about franchise opportunities, visit our website.

Media Contact:

Scott Curkin

scurkin@919marketing.com

919-459-8165



SOURCE Scooters Coffee

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DisqusRead this interactive Choose Your Own Cloud Adventure with Veeam and AWS E-Book How Blockchain Can Save Our Privacy Before It Disappears This ain't your granddaddy's privacy battle. Times were simpler when postcards were the big privacy invasion scare. Today, our personal privacy is under siege by veiled government surveillance programs and the countless tech company Trojan Horses. Privacy, per Merriam-Webster, is defined as the quality or state of being apart from company or observation, or freedom from unauthorized intrusion. Technical innovations in the past twenty years have blurred the lines of "apart from company" and "unauthorized intrusion," and now our personal privacy is under attack from multiple fronts. Our locations are constantly being tracked on our phones, which are borderline inseparable from our bodies. We are under constant surveillance. Social media platforms know more about us than we should be comfortable with. Our sensitive information is floating around and being exchanged for a myriad of unauthorized purposes. Many personal privacy advocates have taken to blockchain and cryptocurrency entrepreneurship to build solutions that address the concerns of our dwindling right to privacy in the digital world. Technological advancements like blockchain and zero-proof have given the pro-privacy debate a new gust of wind. The beauty of these solutions is that they offer encryption or at least partial obfuscation on a massive scale. Privacy coins such as Monero and Zcash give us the freedom to transact without being tracked, but this could come at the prohibitively high cost of empowering and enabling criminal activity. Blockchain-based browsing and social media platforms like BAT, Steemit, and Sapien offer an escape from a manipulative data-mining browsing and social experience. The following article explores the evolution of privacy in contemporary society, how the digital world has warped the reality of privacy and the rumbling dangers that come with it, and how blockchain and cryptocurrency projects offer a solution. A Contemporary Legal History to Privacy Privacy as we know it is a relatively recent development in human society. Our right to privacy isn't explicitly stated in our Constitution and has been primarily defined by legal precedents, many of which haven't accounted for the rapid societal change ushered in by the digital era. The rise of a private tech oligarchy posed new paradigms in which a slow-moving bulwark of a government is continually playing a game of iron-fisted catch-up. The government is in a precarious position when it comes to dishing out judgments against tech companies. These cases require light but decisive footwork to avoid stepping over and stifling private enterprise, while simultaneously protecting civilians from a very real bogeyman in the dark. The following are a handful of the legal precedents that have helped to dictate where the United States stands on personal privacy today: The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution (1791): " The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects , against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." "The Right to Privacy" (1890): Considered one of the most influential essays in American law, "The Right to Privacy" is one of the first articles advocating for a right to personal privacy, and defined privacy as a "right to be let alone." One of the authors othe essay, Louis Brandeis, would later become an influential Supreme Court Justice.

Considered one of the most influential essays in American law, "The Right to Privacy" is one of the first articles advocating for a right to personal privacy, and defined privacy as a "right to be let alone." One of the authors othe essay, Louis Brandeis, would later become an influential Supreme Court Justice. Smith v. Maryland (1979): A case the solidified the "Third Party Doctrine," Smith v. Maryland affirmed that "a person has no legitimate expectation of privacy in information he voluntarily turns over to third parties." This information could be anything from cell-phone location data, bank records, where you bought your last cup of coffee, credit card records, and technically anything else given to third parties. The government is able to obtain this information easily. Jones v. the United States (2012): Police attached a GPS tracking device to Antoine Jones' Jeep and tracked his movements for weeks, affirming their suspicions of him being a drug dealer. The Supreme Court ruled that the GPS violated Jones' right to privacy, since it was physically placed on his property. The main takeaway here is how there appear to be limitations on the scalability of law enforcement. Louis Menand mentioned in an article titled "Nowhere to Hide" in The New Yorker that the police could have theoretically trailed Jones' Jeep via car or helicopter, or better yet stationed an officer on every street corner, and their evidence would have been admissible in court. The fact that the technology was physically placed on the Jeep matters, but the line starts to blur. Our locations are constantly being tracked on our smartphones and wearables, and we don't really seem to mind. In fact, it's quite the value-add to navigate the world by opening an app, or having your watch let you know how much you didn't exercise today. Here's where it gets real: a small loophole in the judgments of Smith v. Maryland and Jones v. the United States exposes anyone and everyone to mass surveillance. Your autonomy, privacy, and security seem to hang by a thread if the government (or anyone) can gain access to your location history and current location at any moment. If the companies you give your location, thumbprint, and other such information are considered "third parties", then the government technically should be able to access them if warranted. That brings us to the Apple-FBI skirmish following the San Bernadino massacre in 2015, when two terrorists, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, who murdered fourteen people and wounded twenty-two, were killed. When the police retrieved Farook's iPhone things got sticky in digital world yet again, and we saw what CNBC called "one of the highest-profile clashes in the debate over encryption and data privacy between the government and a technology company." The National Security Agency wasn't able to unlock the phone, so the FBI asked Apple to unlock their own device. Apple declined on the basis that the order was "unreasonably burdensome," and that it could lose customers if it allowed third parties to unlock their phones. The case quickly started circulating courts, but the FBI found someone who sold an unlocking device and withdrew the case. This situation is relevant because it shows that while your data may be currently preserved by whichever third party you've entrusted it to, this protection is next on the government chopping block. Situations such as the FBI versus Apple squabble help paint the contest between anonymity and safety. The privacy debate often ends in an unresolved quagmire; a state of stasis that inevitably moves towards the extinction of privacy due to rapid advancements in technology. To avoid complicating the issue, let's use Occam's razor to split the issue of privacy into two simple camps: for (government) power and for (corporate) profit. The government's primary utility for surveillance is for control, whether that be protecting its citizens from harm or becoming some dystopian 1984 Orwellian authority. A corporation's primary utility for surveillance is to harvest and commoditize the information, whether that be facilitating more profitable advertisements/sales or auctioning off consumer information. The evolution of data and privacy protection within both groups is interesting, but the case for government power takes the ethical dilemma cake. The search for company profit pales in comparison to the government's tug of war between their duties of protection and supporting their citizen's rights. Uncle Sam likely doesn't give a *** if you bought a slow cooker on Amazon, nor does he want to upsell you a cookbook based on your browsing behavior. A government has a responsibility to keep its citizens safe, and surveillance and data monitoring have become a critical tool to keep the criminal underworld at bay. The reality is that the world can be a nasty place, and not everyone wants to hold hands and sing Kumbaya. Human trafficking, child pornography, and terrorism are just a few of the unfortunate realities that governments around the world try to stop and are able to do so with moderate success. Without some sort of public surveillance, the government's ability to stop the bad guys is substantially undermined. The guiding question presents itself: how do we keep power (money, resources) away from the bad guys, and simultaneously keep the good guys from infringing on our privacy? According to a 2016 statement by the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing, Daniel Glaser, ISIL (ISIS) raised a whopping $360 million in revenue per year from taxing, extorting, and other activities. This money was being used to fund the day-to-day activities, as well as support ISIS terrorist cells around the world. The majority of this money is likely fiat and can potentially be confiscated or throttled when tracked. The faster the money gets traced, the slower terrorism can spread and lives are potentially saved. However, what if ISIS were to make use of cryptocurrency, an often untraceable monetary asset that can be sent in massive sums from anywhere to anywhere at any time? The ability to send an untraceable amount of money nearly instantly anywhere in the world is an attractive feature of private cryptocurrency but could be catastrophic if utilized by criminals. Privacy projects are decentralized and don't have a central authority to shut down any illicit activity. As you can imagine, this poes an enormous issue for counter-terrorism units. Granting the government the ability to track our transactions in exchange for saving our lives seems like a more than fair deal, but it's a poor hedge against an omnipotent totalitarian regime in the future. One side of the financial tracking debate views privacy coins as dangerous enablers of chaos and disorder, and rightfully so. The other side of the debate views privacy coins as what could potentially be our last beacon for future generations' sovereignty, and rightfully so. The ability to spend our hard-earned income as we please, within reason, is a critical component of our personal autonomy, and limiting it would throttle our existence. The more popular examples hover around transactional privacy and include privacy coins such as Monero, Zcash, Dash, and PIVX. The nucleus of the privacy feature is the use of stealth addresses, encryption, or some other sort of identity masking feature to disguise the identity of the user(s). "Privacy may actually be an anomaly" - Vinton Cerf, Co-creator of the military's early 1970s Internet prototype and Google's Chief Internet Evangelist Today's companies seem to know us better than we know ourselves; like a creepy neighbor that's always trying to make enough small talk to sell you something. There's little we can do, or should do, to stop businesses attempting to make a profit, but the rapid advances in data collection and audience targeting could have scary unintended consequences. Companies like Google or Facebook don't technically sell your data, but they do make it available in ad networks to advertisers that use their ad-buying tools - and generate some meaty profit doing so.

The better data a company has, the more informed sales, marketing, and advertising decisions it can make. Instead of throwing ad spaghetti on a wall and hoping something sticks, advertisers can tailor messages to a specific targeted audience. Since these ads are more relevant to these audiences, they are more likely to purchase the good or service. "Data is used to better serve more relevant ads. I just got an ad for dog toys, which is great because I spoil my dog. If there wasn't any data to use, I could be getting something way less relevant like ads for discount oil changes from a repair shop across the country." - Troy Osinoff, Founder of digital marketing agency JUICE and former Head of Customer Acquisition at Buzzfeed While data will always play an essential role in the consumer economy, social media has increased the ability to collect data and raised the rate of collection to unprecedented levels. Since the transition happened in the wake of the enormous value-add of social media, the average person hasn't really been bothered by how much of their data is constantly being collected. "People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. That social norm is just something that has evolved over time." - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2010. The danger of online companies luring you into new comfort zones and collecting your data is deeper than merely trying to sell you stuff. The peril lies when these large pools of data are mismanaged and fall into the hands of malicious third parties. Let's explore. In May 2018, an Oregon couple was at home talking about hardwood floors. The husband received a phone call from one of his employees in Seattle who said he received an email with the full conversation. The couple's Amazon Echo (Amazon's "smart speaker"), recorded the conversation and sent it over. Amazon's explanation of the situation was as follows: "Echo woke up due to a word in background conversation sounding like Alexa.' Then, the subsequent conversation was heard as a send message' request. At which point, Alexa said out loud To whom?' At which point, the background conversation was interpreted as a name in the customer's contact list. Alexa then asked out loud, [contact name], right?' Alexa then interpreted background conversation as right'. As unlikely as this string of events is, we are evaluating options to make this case even less likely." While this story alone should be unsettling for anyone with a smart device in their home, that's just the tip of the iceberg. All things considered, this could have gone much worse. Once it hears its wake word, Alexa, the Echo activates and starts sending a recording to Amazon's computers. Woe to be named Alex or Alexa and have an Echo. As was revealed in the Snowden leaks, the National Security Agency has been able to secretly hack into the main communication links between Google and Yahoo data centers and potentially collect the data from hundreds of millions of user accounts. What if hackers managed to extract what could be millions of conversations from Amazon's database? Yikes. If this type of coordinated Internet of Things hacking sounds a bit far-fetched, think again. Lappeenranta is a city in eastern Finland and is home to around 60,000 people. In late October 2016, hackers launched a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) and attacked the heating systems, leaving the residents of at least two housing blocks without heat in subzero weather. Now imagine a hack at the scale of millions of IoT devices for intimate conversations/videos, or worse, forcing every smart speaker to play DJ Khaled at the same time. Unless you were living under a rock in 2018 (you may have been better off!), you've probably heard of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal. The scandal revolved around the personally identifiable information of over 87 million Facebook users that was sold to politicians to potentially influence voters' opinions. The majority of the information was harvested through personality quizzes that require users to check a box that gave the page or site access to everything from your profile information to that of your friends. To users fueled by a frantic need or pure boredom, this was a bargain. Lo and behold, millions of profiles ended up in the hands of Cambridge Analytica. The information likely contained the public profile, page likes, and birthdays of users, as well as access to users' news feeds, timelines, and messages. Cambridge Analytica would then create psychographic profiles of the data subjects, which may have been used to create the most effective advertising that could influence a particular individual for a political event. The politicians and campaigns who purchased the information were behind the 2015 and 2016 campaigns of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, as well as the 2016 Brexit vote. An important distinction many people blur is that the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal wasn't a hack. People voluntarily consented to give up their information for something as innocuous as a quiz. However, just a glimpse behind the scenes of the impacts and movements of the data economy is all it takes to unnerve a nation. Even worse, the credit reporting agency Equifax was actually hacked for even more sensitive information (social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, etc.) of 143 million Americans in 2017. So, not only do we not know who potentially has our information, but this information can directly be used to pry open our bank accounts, take out loans, and make purchases in our name. In the boardrooms of any publicly traded company, like Facebook and Google, a major conflict of interest exists between maximizing shareholder value and safeguarding their users' data. With $39.94 billion and $95.38 billion in advertising revenue respectively in 2017 alone, it's not hard to imagine scenarios where Facebook and Google may have tipped the scales towards profit. Although the looming threat of advertisers cashing in on our privacy is concerning, the actual danger still lies in third parties that can and will use this information with bad intentions. Up until now, anyone concerned with their personal privacy has been forced with a dauntingly uncomfortable decision: put up with it and live a normal life, or forego the luxuries afforded by the Internet and social media and go off the grid. Anonymity and data-privacy focused blockchain projects aim to protect your online activity, account information, and browsing behavior from unknowingly falling into the corporate coffers, personal information data markets, or the hands of malicious third parties. One such project, the Basic Attention Token (BAT), helps power and incentivize the use of its anonymity-focused browser. BAT's Brave browser utilizes smart contracts to allow advertisers to send ads with locked payment tokens directly to users. Users can then use their earned BAT on several things like premium articles and products, donations to content creators, data services, or high-resolution pictures. BAT, and many other projects with Facebook and Google in their scopes, have business models that revolve around replacing the third-party intermediary component of ad networks. As a result, platforms can offer a browsing or social experience without collecting or storing extensive personal data. When Data Gets Scary  Remember the precedent set in Jones v. the United States (2012) where the government can't invade your privacy by physically placing a GPS on you or your property, but all public surveillance is okay? Let's extrapolate. It's estimated that there are over 40 million security cameras in the United States, and roughly 245 million professionally installed video surveillance cameras globally. The video surveillance industry is estimated to generate roughly $25 billion worldwide and growing. The current state of video surveillance essentially creates portholes all over the world. While this near omnipresent range of vision illuminates many parts of the world, the footage must still be watched and sifted with human eyes and squishy brains. Advances in facial recognition software, artificial intelligence, and machine learning allow for transcending the limitations of the human condition. What would have to be done manually could be aggregated and analyzed by algorithms, revealing all sorts of data and pattern analysis never before possible at scale. For example, let's say an alert goes out looking for a white male wearing a red shirt who robbed a gas station and left in a Dodge Durango in Austin, Texas. Instead of police manually scanning through footage and watching all cameras until they find someone who matches these details, an AI/ML-backed system would hypothetically be able to pull up all current matches in real time with a high degree of specificity. "We found 640,000 white', 320,000 males', 20,000 with red shirt', 40 with Dodge Durango'. One is within two miles of the alert. Identity is Kyle Joseph Mitchell, height 6'2, age 31, last location Chevron 2710 Bee Caves Rd, Austin, TX 78746, USA. Shall we proceed to monitor and notify all local units?" Granted, we may be a bit far off from this level of effective analysis and output, but things get tricky if or once it gets here. China's capital, Beijing, is currently one hundred percent covered by surveillance cameras, according to the Beijing Public Safety Bureau. Very effective and sure, the short-term effects might be higher levels of security and safety, but in the wrong hands of an authoritarian or corrupt administration or hackers, the future turns dystopian. Data receives its value from pairing and analysis, and according to security expert Bruce Schneier, something like our location data "reveals where we live, where we work, and how we spend our time. If we all have a location tracker like a smartphone, correlating data reveals who we spend our time with-including who we spend the night with." Throw in some behavior analysis and predictions, and the majority of freedoms are immediately disabled. Machine learning relies on a virtuous cycle where the software improves as it collects more data, and advanced computing allows for rapid data analysis across multiple data sets. For example, an advanced state of mass surveillance would be able to track something as specific as when and where you're going to eat before you even know it by analyzing your location, time spent between food transactions, and usual restaurant choices. This information seems innocent, and frankly quite useless other than its commercial potential, but its implications on our psychology and freedom are enormous. In a TED talk by Glenn Greenwald, the journalist best known for his role in publishing a series of reports on government global surveillance programs based on classified documents leaked by Edward Snowden, Greenwald notes, "When we're in a state where we can be monitored, where we can be watched, our behavior changes dramatically. The range of behavioral options that we consider when we think we're being watched severely reduced."

Black Mirror S04 E07: CHYYNA!  Earlier this year, the Chinese government implemented a system of monitoring and grading the behavior of every citizen and assigning them citizen scores. If a citizen does something viewed as unsatisfactory, such as receiving a parking ticket or protesting the government on social media, they'll get a few points docked off their score. If they do something favorable, like a good public deed or helping their family in unusually tough times, they'll receive a few points. The high score all-stars will receive perks like favorable bank loans or discounted heating bills, while their low score dunces will be barred from buying certain things such as high-speed train tickets. The program is currently being rolled out in a few dozen cities and will be put into full gear as a national credit system in 2020. According to foreignpolicy.com, "the national credit system planned for 2020 will be an ecosystem' made up of schemes of various sizes and reaches, run by cities, government ministries, online payment providers, down to neighborhoods, libraries, and businesses, say Chinese researchers who are designing the national scheme. It will all be interconnected by an invisible web of information." China, a country that will be blanketed with nearly 626 million surveillance cameras by 2020, will have an inordinate amount of data on everything its citizens are doing, and essentially thinking. Final Thoughts "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know,maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." - Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt in a 2009 CNBC special "Inside the Mind of Google" This seems to be a common sentiment. If you're not doing anything illegal or wrong, why should you hide? After all, what sort of human being that isn't a murderer or drug dealer would even want to exist without being watched? The life unexamined (by someone else) is not worth living, right? The fact that there are fewer and fewer places to hide brings up the questions of whether we have a right to hide at all. Many cryptocurrency and blockchain advocates share an unwavering support for their rights to privacy. The degrees of this privacy range from a desire for data protection to a firm and resolute mission to forever keep their identity off the grid. Data truly is a toxic asset, where any aggregator like Facebook, Google, Amazon, or even the United States government takes on a huge risk when storing it. Over time, the data deposits become richer and a much more lucrative target for hackers. Mass surveillance throttles our desire for experimentation, creativity, adventure, and dissent. The movement for privacy isn't so much for preventing the Donald Trump campaign from knowing you're a Hufflepuff when you've been telling everyone you're a Gryffindor. It's for protecting your future and that of the next generations from being born in a world that is stifled by transgressions gone unaddressed. If the rapid evolutions in artificial intelligence are any indicator, a future built without a sturdy foundation for personal human privacy is a scary place. Thankfully, many of us live in countries where we still have a say to argue citizen scores and the like. However, many of the freedoms we would be so quick to fight to protect are slowly escaping us under the veil of cool new social platform features and sporadic government-orchestrated data heists. Privacy-focused blockchain projects remove the need for a central authority, as well as the burden of security for data. These solutions can prevent another Equifax hack from happening, which is already an enormous value-add. If there is a demand for greater privacy, competitors will arise to offer it. That is, of course, if that alternative is frictionless to adopt. (*hint* hey blockchain entrepreneurs, spend less time on jargon-infested soap opera whitepapers and more on UI/UX). However, the current state of privacy blockchain innovation is imperfect at best. According to Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin in "Privacy on the Blockchain," "It's much harder to create a holy grail' technology which allows users to do absolutely everything that they can do right now on a blockchain, but with privacy; instead, developers will in many cases be forced to contend with partial solutions, heuristics and mechanisms that are designed to bring privacy to specific classes of applications." For now, the best we can do is monitor and test privacy-focused solutions like little saplings. The more of a demand there is for privacy, the greater the investment in attention and capital there will be to build up a satisfactory alternative. While our right to privacy is consistently being decided by various court cases, we should be asking ourselves the question of whether we really want it. In a world where we're so quick to give up our Facebook profile data for something as meaningless as a Harry Potter character quiz, or our fingerprints to Apple, or even our at-home conversations to Amazon, it's difficult to envision mass adoption of a privacy alternative for our transactions or browsing. We're so easily triggered by the idea of our government overstepping its jurisdiction into our private lives. Mandatory thumb-prints? Nuh uh.

Constant location tracking? No way, Jose.

A speaker in our home that listens to our conversations? Absolutely not. However, for Apple, Facebook, Google, and Amazon, we're quick to volunteer without any additional thoughts. More important than any immediate privacy solution is the firm understanding of why privacy is too important to lose sight of. Keep yourself sharp by following monumental privacy cases as they will inevitably continue to appear, educate yourself on what steps you can take today to encrypt your life, and tell Alexa to share this article. You gotta fight, for your right, to be private. ## Originally published on CoinCentral.

About the Author

Alex Moskov Alex is the Editor-in-Chief of CoinCentral. Alex also advises blockchain startups, enterprise organizations, and ICOs on content strategy, marketing, and business development. He also regrets not buying more Bitcoin back in 2012, just like you. Get This Featured White Paper: Preserve Proven Business Continuity Practices Despite Inevitable Changes in Your Data Storage You may also be interested in this white paper: PowerCLI: An Aspiring Automator's Guide Back to the article

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Calendar < September 2018 > Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 26 27 28 29 30 31 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 1 2 3 4 5 6APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

TO LITHUANIA, LATVIA AND ESTONIA

[22-25 SEPTEMBER 2018]

MEETING WITH THE AUTHORITIES, WITH CIVIL SOCIETY AND WITH THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS

ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER

Square in front of the Presidential Palace (Vilnius, Lithuania)

Saturday, 22 September 2018

Madam President,

Members of Government and of the Diplomatic Corps,

Representatives of Civil Society,

Distinguished Authorities,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a source of joy and hope to begin this pilgrimage to the Baltic countries in Lithuania, which is, in the words of Saint John Paul II, a silent witness of a passionate love for religious freedom (Welcome Ceremony, Vilnius, 4 September 1993).

I thank you, Madam President, for your cordial words of welcome in your own name and that of your people. In addressing you, I wish to greet in the first place the entire Lithuanian people, who today open to me the doors of their homes and of their homeland. To all of you I express my affection and sincere gratitude.

This visit takes place at a particularly important moment in your life as a nation, for you celebrate this year the centenary of your declaration of independence.

It has been a century marked by your bearing numerous trials and sufferings: detentions, deportations, even martyrdom. Celebrating the hundredth anniversary of independence means taking time to stop and revive the memory of all those experiences. In this way, you will be in touch with everything that forged you as a nation, and thus find the key to assessing present challenges and looking to the future in a spirit of dialogue and unity with all those who dwell here, careful to ensure that no one remains excluded. Each generation is challenged to make its own the struggles and achievements of the past, and to honour in the present the memory of all those who have gone before. We do not know what tomorrow bring, yet we do know that each age has the duty to cherish the soul that created it and helped it to turn every situation of sorrow and injustice into opportunity, preserving alive and healthy the roots that nurtured the fruits we enjoy today. Truly, this people has a strong soul that enables it to hold fast and to keep building! This is the prayer voiced in your national hymn: May your sons draw strength and vigour from your past experience, so as to face the present with courage.

May your sons draw strength and vigour from your past experience

Throughout its history, Lithuania was able to shelter, receive and accept peoples of various ethnic groups and religions. All found a place to live in this land  Lithuanians, Tartars, Poles, Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Germans  Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, old believers, Muslims, Jews  lived together in peace until the arrival of totalitarian ideologies that, by sowing violence and lack of trust, undermined its ability to accept and harmonize differences. To draw strength from the past is to recover those roots and keep alive all that continues to be most authentic and distinctive about you, everything that enabled you to grow and not succumb as a nation: tolerance, hospitality, respect and solidarity.

If we look at the world scene in our time, more and more voices are sowing division and confrontation  often by exploiting insecurity or situations of conflict  and proclaiming that the only way possible to guarantee security and the continued existence of a culture is to try to eliminate, cancel or expel others. Here you Lithuanians have a word of your own to contribute: welcoming differences. Through dialogue, openness and understanding, you can become a bridge between Eastern and Western Europe. This is the fruit of a mature history, which you as a people can offer to the international community and to the European Community in particular. You have suffered in the flesh those efforts to impose a single model that would annul differences under the pretence of believing that the privileges of a few are more important than the dignity of others or the common good. As Benedict XVI rightly pointed out: to desire the common good and strive towards it is a requirement of justice and charity  The more we strive to secure a common good corresponding to the real needs of our neighbours, the more effectively we love them (Caritas in Veritate, 7). All conflicts presently emerging will find lasting solutions only if those solutions are grounded in the concrete recognition of [the dignity of] persons, especially the most vulnerable, and in the realization that all of us are challenged to broaden our horizons and see the greater good which will benefit us all (Evangelii Gaudium, 235).

In this sense, to draw strength from the past is to pay attention to the young, who are not only the future but also the present of this nation, if they can remain attached to the roots of the people. A people in which young persons can find room for growth and for employment, will help them feel that they have a leading role to play in building up the social and communitarian fabric. This will make it possible for all to lift their gaze with hope to the future. The Lithuania of which they dream will depend on tireless efforts to promote policies that encourage the active participation of young people in society. Doubtless, this will prove a seed of hope, for it will lead to a dynamic process in which the soul of this people will continue to generate hospitality: hospitality towards the stranger, hospitality towards the young, towards the elderly, who are the living memory, towards the poor, and, ultimately, hospitality towards the future.

I assure you, Madam President, that you can continue to count on the efforts and the cooperation of the Catholic Church, so that this land can fulfil its vocation as land that serves as bridge of communion and hope.By WestKyStar & Mercy Health Staff Sep. 23, 2018 | 11:02 PM | PADUCAH

An AED is a lightweight, portable device that delivers electric shock through the chest to the heart. The shock can stop an irregular heart rhythm and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is an abrupt loss of heart function. If its not treated within minutes, it quickly leads to death.





As part of The Ray & Kay Eckstein Heart & Vascular Institute at Mercy Healths ongoing commitment to the cardiac health of our community, we are pleased to provide St. Rose of Lima Church with this immediate life-saving device, says Jessica Toren, President, Mercy Health Foundation Lourdes. Statistics show that every minute counts when someones heart stops beating and with more AEDs where the public can access them, everyday citizens can become part of the emergency response system, increasing the likelihood that first responders can save a life.

AEDs are designed to walk any rescuer through defibrillation and CPR using voice prompts.





Studies show that defibrillation within three minutes of sudden cardiac arrest increases the chances of survival to 70 percent. Shock within one minute of collapse raises the survival rate to 90 percent.



Mercy Health Foundation Lourdes has donated an automated external defibrillator (AED), to St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, in Metropolis.Sep 24, 2018 | By Thomas

Researchers at an Ontario university have used 3D printing technology to replace the majority of a dogs cancer-ridden skull. The novel cancer treatment procedure is being heralded as a major advancement in veterinary medicine.

3D printed titanium skull cap for dachshund with cancer

Patches, the nine-year-old dachshund from Willamsport, Pa. had a brain tumour the size of an orange that grew through her skull. The brain tumor resulted in deformity in the Dachshunds head and would have been fatal if not treated, said Danielle Dymeck, Patches owner.

We called her our little unicorn because she had this bump on her head, but it would have killed her. Its pretty amazing what they did for my girl.

According to Dymeck, a small bump that Patches had on her head for years began growing aggressively some months ago. Dymecks vet advised her to go to Cornell University and a vet there reached out to Dr. Michelle Oblak, a veterinary surgical oncologist working at the University of Guelphs Ontario Veterinary College, for advice on Patches treatment.

Previous surgeries for dogs like Patches would entail removing the tumour and a part of the skull and replacing it with titanium mesh. It was an imprecise, costly and lengthy procedure, Dr. Oblak said.

A new kind of procedure which used a 3D printer to create custom-made titanium skull cap for the dog, is much better, she said.

Patches needed about 70 per cent of her skull removed and replaced. Veterinarians in Britain have performed a similar surgery, but it was on a significantly smaller scale, Dr. Oblak said.

They felt she could recover from this, Ms. Dymeck said. And to be part of cancer research was a big thing for me  if they can learn something from animals to help humans, thats pretty important.

The new method began with a CT scan of Patches tumour and skull. Using several different software programs, Dr. Oblak and her team digitally cut out the tumour and disease-ridden parts of the dogs skull. They then mapped out where a 3D printed replacement would fit, complete with the location of holes for screws to hold it in place.

Those digital plans were then sent to ADEISS, a medical-grade 3D printing company in London, Ont., which made a customized titanium skull cap for Patches.

Oblak along with several veterinary surgeons, software engineers, and industrial engineers created a cutting guide to follow during surgery.

On March 23, the Dachshund with cancer underwent a four-hour operation to get the 3D-printed titanium skull cap. Within 30 minutes of waking up, the dog was walking outside for a bathroom break, said Dr. Oblak.

Thanks to the 3D printing technology, Patches is now cancer-free.

All images credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS

Her head looks great, other than her crooked ear, said Dymeck of her pets post-operation look.

Dr. Oblak said she believes the procedure is the first of its kind in North America and a substantive leap from one other known case.

Our hope is this is something that could be more widely available on a broad scale, Dr. Oblak said. It went very well.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

Source: CBC

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The trendsetter iPhone X had created revolution, since the day it was launched. With the phone's so many splendid features and high-grade design, it was the Notch display that left most of the OEMs stunned. It is due to the new idea used by the iPhone that many other phone manufacturers have been adopting such concept in their phones.

This is one of the prime reason that smartphone sales have been increasing drastically, though we are likely to see more newer concepts in the future as well. As for now, you can avail some of the best devices in this week also which are credited to acquire the best notch screen respectively.

The key aspect of a notch screen is that it offers the optimal solution for increasing screen area without compromising on the critical hardware at the top, such as the front camera, receiver speaker, RGB sensor and LED indicator.

The notch display is a utility feature which saves the unused space in screen, that means you can get bigger display in the same sized phone with notch. With the notch new innovations are happening in the industry such as use of display as a speaker, "read: screen sound-casting, piezoelectric speaker, " a battery friendly option, under display finger print scanner etc.

While there are some cons too. The notch covers the camera lenses and hand jesture sensors and the speaker. Still there are few OEMs like Google phones, Samsung and Sony which still haven't acknowledge this design due to some issues. According to the manufacturers, apps don't understand the notches, and everyone is changing the layout in different ways.

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Panasonic AI-driven smartphones coming to India on October 4 News oi-Sandeep Sarkar The new smartphones will feature a stainless steel body and will offer other premium features such as wireless charging and more.

Panasonic, the brand which most of us would easily relate to a Home Appliance and Consumer Electronics brand is all set to introduce its new lineup of AI-driven premium smartphones in India. The company has already forayed into the budget and mid-budget segment of smartphones in the country. The popular series of Panasonic smartphones includes Eluga and the P series.

As per some reports from the web, the company will launch its new lineup of premium smartphones in India next month.The company will launch the new smartphones on October 4 to mark the festive season in the country.

As for the specs, the only information available currently is that the new smartphones will feature a stainless steel body and will offer other premium features such as wireless charging and some top-of-the-line features. It is currently unknown what kind of display will the smartphone feature and what kind of camera setup it will offer.

Pankaj Rana, Business Head, Mobility Division, Panasonic India, said in an interview with the IANS that "Distribution is our core strength and currently 80 percent of the business comes from our distribution channel network and 20 percent from the online channel. Going forward, we believe online will grow up to 30 percent".

Panasonic had already launched new smartphones that are powered by the company's in-house AI-based virtual assistant called Arbo. One of the Panasonic devices to feature Arbo is the Panasonic Eluga Ray Max.

Rana further said "With 'Arbo', we began positioning of intelligent phones and, because of this, we were able to spread our wings in the market very quickly".

To recall, the Panasonic Eluga RAY Max features a 5.2-inch IPS LCD with a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. The smartphone gets its power from a 1.4GHz Snapdragon 430 SoC coupled with Adreno 505 GPU. The device comes with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage which is further expandable up to 128GB via microSD card.

We still are waiting for further information on the upcoming AI-driven Panasonic smartphones. We will keep you posted with all the information on the same, so stay tuned with us

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BSNL joined hands with Japan's NTT and Softbank to bring 5G in India News oi-Karan Sharma BSNL one step closer to the 5G rollout plan. The telco has inked an agreement with the Japanese companies, which will help in rolling out 5G in India.

State-owned BSNL has inked a contract with Japan's Softbank and NTT Communications to roll out 5G. Both the companies will help BSNL in launching the 5G and loT services in India.

"We have signed an agreement with Softbank and NTT Communications to roll out 5G and IoT products and services in India. Under the agreement, we will look at solution especially for the smart cities," PTI quoted, Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL, Anupam Shrivastava.

There are still other telecom operators who are still working hard on monetising their 4G capabilities. Several leading firms have tired their hopes with BSNL for taking the charge of rolling out the 5G segment firs in the country.

According to Shrivastava, Manoj Sinha, minister of communication have attended a lot of 5G global meeting proactively. His lead has created an opportunity for the telco to sign agreements to bring next-generation network to the country.

"3G was launch in India after seven years the technology was available in other foreign markets and 4G services after four years lag but 5G will be launched in India in 2020 as soon the standards are freezed by ITU," PTI quoted Shrivastava as saying.

While talking about the 3G network, we all know India received the 3G services after seven years of launched across the foreign shores, and it took 4 years to switch to the 4G. According to Shrivastava India, this time won't take too much time to adopt the next-generation. The 5G mission will be accomplished by 2020 the moment ITU freezes its standards. He also added that the test cases are being finalised by the telco. BSNL has also signed an agreement with Nokia and Cisco for developing the 5G ecosystem.

Meanwhile, TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has proposed an auction of telecom frequencies of around 8,644 MHz for an approximate price of Rs 4.9 lakh crores. However, the government is yet to decide how the 5Gg services spectrum will be allocated.

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

Positive Authier Definitive Feasibility Study

--------------------------------------------------------------------- Category Tonnes (Mt) Grades (% Li2O) Contained Li2O (t) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Proven Reserve 6.10 0.99 60,390 Probable Reserve 6.00 1.02 61,200 Total Reserves 12.10 1.00 121,590 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Brisbane, Sep 24, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Emerging lithium miner Sayona Mining Limited ( ASX:SYA ) ( OTCMKTS:DMNXF ) announced today a positive definitive feasibility study (DFS) for its flagship Authier Lithium Project in Canada, which demonstrates the project's potential to deliver a profitable and sustainable new lithium mine that will provide new jobs, investment and other benefits for all stakeholders.Highlights- Positive definitive feasibility study (DFS) for Authier Lithium Project shows potential for profitable and sustainable new lithium mine, delivering jobs, investment and other economic benefits to local community- Pre-tax net present value (NPV) of C$184.8m (AUD $194.0m), pre-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 33.7% and estimated payback of 2.6 years- Life of mine (LOM) revenue C$1,394m; projected 1.58 million tonnes (Mt) of spodumene concentrate sales over 18 years- Low start-up capital expenditure of C$89.9m, with production scheduled for 2020- Downstream test work underway to produce lithium carbonate and hydroxide from pilot plant concentrate, with results to be used for a Pre-Feasibility StudyThe new mine could create 150 jobs in construction and up to 160 jobs in operation, with the Company giving priority to local employment and suppliers. Sayona is targeting a number of potential markets for its product, which is in increasing demand due to the role of lithium-ion battery technology in the clean energy revolution for cars and electricity.Key findings of the DFS include:- Pre-tax NPV of C$184.8 million and IRR 33.7% (real terms at 8% discount rate);- Annual average concentrate production of 87,400 tonnes at 6% Li2O;- Average annual revenue of C$80 million;- Mine gate cash costs of C$416/t and FOB Port cash costs of C$482/t (US$366/t);- Initial capital expenditure of C$89.9 million;- Updated Ore Reserve of 12.10 Mt @ 1.00% Li2O (Proven Reserve 6.10Mt @ 0.99% Li2O and Probable Reserve 6.00 Mt @ 1.02% Li2O) delivers a mine life of 18 years.The DFS incorporates an increased JORC resource, results from a number of technical optimisation programs and realignment of pricing to reflect more recent industry forecasts. It includes results from the phase 3 drilling program, pilot plant metallurgical testing and further optimisation of the Authier resource and reserve.Welcoming the DFS findings, Sayona's Managing Director, Dan O'Neill, said: "This study confirms the technical and financial viability of constructing a simple, low-strip ratio, opencut mining operation and processing facility producing spodumene concentrate for the lithium-ion battery market."The clean energy revolution is driving demand for new lithium projects such as Authier, providing a positive long-term outlook. We will now step up our engagement with potential partners and investors, while continuing our close consultations with the local community and government to ensure sustainable and beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders."Significantly, the Authier project is located close to the established mining support city of Val d'Or (45 kilometres to the south-east) and the city of Amos (20 km to the north). It will benefit from Quebec's excellent infrastructure including low-cost hydro-electric power, extensive rail and road networks and the region's skilled labour, along with close proximity to US markets including the Tesla Giga factory in Nevada.Authier DFS Key Study Outcomes and AssumptionsThe DFS has been completed to an accuracy of -10/+15% and has contributions from a number of leading industry service providers including BBA, SNC-Lavalin and ASDR. All of the metallurgical testing was undertaken at SGS Canada Inc. at their Lakefield, Ontario facility that has been operating for over 70 years. SGS has considerable experience in testing for Canadian lithium projects. Dr Gustavo Delendatti was the Competent Person for the Mineral Resource estimate.Key outcomes of the DFS include an NPV of C$184.8 million over an initial 18-year mine life, based on the current Proven and Probable Ore Reserve estimate of 12.10 Mt @ 1.00% Li2O at a 0.55% Li2O cut-off grade (Table 1).Table 1- Authier JORC Ore Reserve Estimate (0.55% Li2O cut-off grade)Note: The Ore Reserve estimate is based on the details published in a separate ASX release "Authier JORC Ore Reserve Estimate", 24 September 2018. The Ore Reserve Estimate is inclusive of dilution and ore loss.The pre-tax Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") is estimated at 33.7% and payback on capital is 2.6 years. The LOM cash operating costs are estimated at C$416 per tonne (mine gate basis) or C$482 per tonne FOB Port of Montreal, based on a development capital expenditure of C$89.9 million and a life-of-mine capital cost estimate of C$83.6 million.The Company will continue to pursue opportunities to optimise and enhance the value of the project, including:- Additional definition and expansion drilling to optimise the size of the resource and reserves and extend the project mine life. The drilling will target potential shallow extensions of the resource in the eastern and western sectors which have the potential to reduce the overall waste to ore ratio;- Further metallurgical test work to improve processing metallurgical recoveries. The DFS assumes a metallurgical recovery of 78% and a 6% Li2O concentrate grade however recovery rates of up to 79% and concentrate grades higher than 6% Li2O have been achieved in metallurgical testing; and- Completing a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) to assess the economic and technical viability of producing lithium hydroxide and/or carbonate from Authier spodumene concentrates at a site to be determined. This follows the positive results of the Scoping Study (see ASX release, Lithium Carbonate/Hydroxide Concept Study Demonstrates Positive Technical and Economic Viability, 30 August 2017).The Authier deposit will be mined by open cut methods enhanced by the shallow and thick nature of the mineralisation, allowing spodumene ore to be processed from the commencement of mining. The DFS demonstrated a LOM strip ratio of 6.9:1 (waste to ore) providing a low mining cost.BBA designed a concentrator plant to process 675,500 tpa of ore feed using conventional flotation technology suitable for a pegmatite orebody. The plant will produce a 6% Li2O concentrate suitable for feedstock to downstream lithium conversion plants.The DFS pricing is based on the average price forecasts of three leading lithium industry research groups including BMO, Canaccord Genuity and Macquarie Bank. The DFS assumes that concentrates are delivered FOB to an export ship at the Port of Montreal. The real LOM average price assumption is US$675/tonne for a 6% Li2O concentrate. The modelled price for the DFS is a significant discount to the current market pricing and is considered conservative.The Company is exploring three separate options for the monetisation of the spodumene concentrates, including:1. Exporting concentrates through a Quebec Port and selling to a Chinese lithium carbonate processing facility;2. Selling concentrates into the Quebec domestic market. Two downstream facilities are currently planned within the province and are expected to be in operation by 2019- 2020; and3. Processing and producing a lithium carbonate/hydroxide product through an integrated downstream processing facility at a site to be determined. The Company has completed a Concept Study assessing the economic and technical viability of constructing the downstream plant. The Company is currently undertaking a downstream testwork program at SGS to produce lithium carbonate and hydroxide from spodumene concentrate produced during pilot plant operation. Results will be incorporated into a PFS.The Company plans to move the project forward with a number of work programs, including:- Bridging engineering;- Further flowsheet optimisation- Final engineering and design;- Procurement of long lead items; and- Construction and commissioning.The Company is also progressing its environmental permits and mining lease and believes the approvals can be achieved within the planned development timetable even if some permitting uncertainties still exist.To view the full release with tables and figures, please visit:About Sayona Mining Ltd

Sayona Mining Limited (ASX:SYA) (OTCMKTS:SYAXF) is an Australian, ASX-listed (SYA) company focused on sourcing and developing the raw materials required to construct lithium-ion batteries for use in the rapidly growing new and green technology sectors. The Company has lithium projects in Quebec, Canada and in Western Australia.

Please visit us as at www.sayonamining.com.auTaliban Warns US Against Engaging with 'Fake' Insurgent Envoys

By Ayaz Gul September 23, 2018

The Afghan Taliban has warned the United States against meeting "fake" and "fraudulent" insurgent delegations, saying such contacts could "seriously harm any possible genuine process of dialogue."

The Islamist insurgency issued the warning following media reports of meetings between American and unidentified "high-ranking" Taliban officials in Dubai and Bagram, the largest U.S.-run military base in Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the reports as completely false, and as rumors, saying neither any member of the insurgency nor any delegation visited Bagram or held talks with anyone in Dubai.

In a statement sent to journalists Sunday, Mujahid emphasized again the insurgency operates its "Political Office" out of Qatar for diplomatic activities, and the United States and other countries are able to freely contact and visit them.

"It is entirely possible that some self-interested individuals, for financial and other motives, could have tried to fool the Americans with such actions and posed as representatives of the Islamic Emirate to the Americans who have fallen for similar traps multiple times," Mujahid noted.

The only known contact between the United States and the Taliban in several years took place last July when a senior State Department official for regional diplomacy, Alice Wells, held an "preliminary" round of talks with insurgent negotiators in their Qatar office.

That meeting came after repeated Taliban calls for direct talks with Washington, and not with the Afghan government, to find a solution to the the conflict.

The Taliban had described the Qatar meeting with Wells' delegation as productive.But the rare contact apparently failed to encourage further meetings between the two sides because there have been no signs of an Afghan peace process.

Instead, the Taliban has intensified battlefield attacks attacks against U.S.-backed Afghan security forces, inflicting massive casualties on them and capturing new territory.

While briefing the upper house of parliament or Senate on Sunday, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak disclosed that "daily 30 ANA (Afghan National Army) and police personnel get killed."

Afghan Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami told the Senate session that in the past month 513 ANA soldiers were killed and more than 7,00 injured.

Afghan security forces lost around 14,000 personnel between April 2016 and July 2018, according to the U.S Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Insurgent attacks have since intensified and inflicted more casualties on government forces.

Washington wants a resolution to the war through an intra-Afghan dialogue, but the Taliban is averse to engaging in any peace talks with the Kabul government.

The United States has recently appointed former diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad as its special advisor to Afghanistan to promote a negotiated end to the war.

In a letter to his team last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Khalilzad has been assigned to lead U.S. efforts to try to bring the Afghan government and the Taliban to a reconciliation.

"Given the multitude of domestic and international stakeholders involved advancing a political settlement and the opportunities presented by President Trump's South Asia strategy, the creation of this position reflects the priority the Trump administration places on achieving a peace agreement, " Pompeo noted.

Khalilzad, 67, born and raised in Afghanistan, served as U.S. ambassador to Kabul and Iraq during the administration of President George W. Bush.

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Rebel Leader Machar Declines Offer to Visit Juba, Fears for His Safety

By John Tanza September 23, 2018

South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar turned down an invitation Saturday from President Salva Kiir to visit the South Sudanese capital Juba.

Machar, the leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM IO), told Kiir in a meeting in Khartoum that the environment in South Sudan is not conducive for a visit by a rebel delegation.

"What is the security? I was concerned about that. Truly, if we are going to implement the peace agreement, there is that need for people moving to Juba, outside the areas of [rebel and government control]," Machar said.

"In our phone conversation, I had appealed to you to release the prisoners. First, prisoners of war. Second, political prisoners and detainees. I hope your excellency [President Kiir] has taken action because that builds confidence and trust among people [South Sudanese] when such an action is taken," he added.

Kiir, leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), said his group had released all prisoners of war in their custody by December.

According to the terms of the revitalized peace agreement, the signatories to the deal are supposed to submit names of their representatives who will be part of pre-transitional institutions, such as the revitalized Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, a body charged with monitoring the peace agreement, by Sept. 26.

President Kiir said his government is keen on implementing the Sept. 12 revitalized peace agreement. He said he is ready to work with Machar to start a new chapter in South Sudan.

"We have to chat among[st] ourselves to nominate members of all the communities that are supposed to be formed [to implement the agreement]," Kiir said.

South Sudan army and rebels of the SPLM IO clashed in Yei River state three weeks ago right after signing the peace deal in Addis Ababa. Machar insisted that the a cease-fire agreement has been violated.

"What is important is that there is calm, so there is respect of the permanent cease-fire. Because without the respect of the permanent cease-fire, we will be deceiving ourselves that we are implementing an agreement when it is being violated, " he said.

Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel, Machar's deputy military spokesman, issued a statement Saturday accusing the South Sudan army of attacking rebel positions in Yei River state. VOA could not independently verify his claims.

Chris Trott, the U.K. special representative for Sudan and South Sudan, told VOA last week the parties involved in the conflict in South Sudan have a chance to show their commitment to peace by implementing the revitalized agreement signed on Sept. 12.

The British diplomat said his government was interested in seeing an end to violence and unhindered access to humanitarian agencies operating in South Sudan. He said that if the parties failed to honor their commitments as stipulated in the peace agreement, sanctions would remain an option.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir organized a peace award ceremony in Khartoum over the weekend to reward Kiir and Machar for signing the revitalized peace deal.



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Israel Gives Palestinian Villagers Deadline to Demolish Their Homes

By VOA News September 23, 2018

Israel has put the residents of a West Bank village on notice that they must demolish their homes by October 1.

A statement from the Israeli defense ministry Sunday said "...residents of Khan al-Ahmar received a notice today requiring them to demolish all the structures on the site by October 1st, 2018."

It was not immediately clear what would happen if the Palestinians do not dismantle their homes.

Eid Abu Khamis, a village spokesman said, "No one will leave. We will have to be expelled by force."

Israel says the village was built without proper permits, but it is almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain proper building permits.

The Palestinian village is situated near a Israeli settlement, east of Jerusalem.

Critics say the demolition plans are likely being put in motion in favor of settlement expansion.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court rejected appeals seeking to stop the demolition.

Israel has offered the Palestinians alternative sites for resettlement, but according to the French news agency AFP one site was near a rubbish dump and the other was close to a sewage treatment plant.

Several European countries have called on Israel to halt their demolition plans.

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Maldives Votes in Controversial Presidential Election

By VOA News September 23, 2018

Voters in the Maldives cast their ballots Sunday in a controversial presidential election.

Both President Abdullah Yameen and opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih voted early in Male, the capital.

Yameen is seeking a second five-year term in office. His path to re-election seems assured with his main rivals either in jail or in exile. He imposed a state of emergency earlier this year after refusing to comply with a Supreme Court order to release detained political leaders.

Sunday's election is widely seen as a referendum on whether democracy will survive in the country as Yameen has rolled back many of the democratic freedoms introduced to the nation.

Police conducted a raid on the main opposition's campaign office Saturday, saying that they wanted to stop "illegal activities."

"Mathematically, it is not possible for Yameen to win because all opposition parties are united against him," said Mohamed Nasheed, the Maldives' first democratically elected president. "The results they will announce will be different to what is actually in the ballot boxes."

Nasheed was elected president in the Maldives' first multi-party election in 2008, but he resigned in 2012 amid a military takeover. He lost the 2013 presidential race to Yameen, and was then tried and convicted of terrorism charges in a trial criticized by human rights activists. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison, but later granted medical leave last year to travel to Britain, where he was granted asylum.

Maldives is an archipelago of more than 1,000 islands. More than one-third of its 400,000 citizens live in Male. Tourism dominates the economy, with wealthy foreigners flown directly to ultra-expensive resort islands.

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Taliban Detainee Goes on Killing Spree in Afghan Prison

By Ayaz Gul September 24, 2018

Officials in Afghanistan confirmed Monday a Taliban prisoner has killed at least eight policemen, including three senior officers, after covertly seizing an assault rifle from a guard at the detention facility in southern Zabul province.

The incident happened while security guards were offering evening prayers late Sunday at the Shar-e-Safa district jail, a police officer told VOA. Ghulam Jilani said the assailant sprayed the unarmed group of personnel with bullets. The officer promised to provide more details later in the day.

A security official in Shar-e-Safa, disclosed to VOA on the condition of anonymity that Afghan forces swiftly engaged the armed prisoner and the firefight with him continued into Monday morning.

The official suspected the Taliban detainee had managed to seize weapons from other slain officers, preventing prison guards from ending the siege, though the assailant's fate was still not known.

The latest security forces' casualties came a day after the Afghan ministers of defense and interior acknowledged that Taliban battlefield attacks in recent weeks have inflicted some of the worst casualties on Afghan National Army (ANA) and police forces.

While briefing the upper house of parliament or Senate on Sunday, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak disclosed that "daily, 30 ANA and police personnel get killed."

Afghan Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami told the Senate session that in the last one month alone, the ANA has suffered 1,231 casualties, including 513 fatalities.

Around 14,000 Afghan security forces were killed between April 2016 and July 2018, according to the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Insurgents have since intensified battlefield attacks around Afghanistan, inflicting more losses and capturing new territory.

Meanwhile, security forces raided a Taliban-run detention center in the central-eastern Maidan Wardak province late Sunday and rescued eight prisoners, mostly personnel of the Afghan Special Forces.

General Wais Samimi, the provincial police commander, told VOA the rescue operation also killed 40 insurgents, including their shadow district chief.

Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujuahid, claimed Afghan and U.S. forces jointly conducted the raid and it targeted a civilian compound. He went on to assert that the security action in the Jaghato district killed 14 civilians, including women and children. The Taliban's claims are often inflated.

Afghanistan's Pajhwok news agency quoted villagers as telling it that foreign forces were part of the raid and those killed in it were all civilians.

It was not possible to independently verify the claims.

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Opposition Candidate Declares Surprise Victory in Maldives

By VOA News September 24, 2018

Maldives opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih says he has won the country's controversial presidential election.

His supporters, chanting his nickname "Ibu, Ibu, Ibu," took to the streets early Monday to celebrate his surprise win against incumbent President Abdullah Yameen.

"This is a moment of happiness, a moment of hope," Solih said. "I would like to call on President Yameen to accept the will of the people and begin a smooth transition of power, as per the constitution."

Solih said he had a 16 percent lead with 92 percent of the votes counted.

The Election Commission has acknowledged Solih's win, but says official results will not be released until the end of the month.

Sunday's vote was widely seen as a referendum on whether democracy would survive in the country as Yameen has rolled back many of the democratic freedoms introduced to the nation.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement, "We urge calm and respect for the will of the people as the election process concludes."

Police conducted a raid on the Solih's campaign office Saturday, saying that they wanted to stop "illegal activities."

Hamid Abdul Gafoor, an opposition spokesman and a former Maldives lawmaker, said the raid was seen by many as a troubling omen that Yameen was was about to "muzzle his way" to re-election.

Yameen was seeking a second five-year term in office. His path to re-election seemed assured with his main rivals either in jail or in exile. He imposed a state of emergency earlier this year after refusing to comply with a Supreme Court order to release detained political leaders.

Maldives is an archipelago of more than 1,000 islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean and is known for its sandy white beaches and luxury resorts.

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Quang Remembered as Low-key Functionary, Close to Country's Police Organs

By Ralph Jennings September 24, 2018

The Vietnamese president who died this month will be remembered for heading a tough public security ministry but otherwise as a low-key functionary who followed the will of a more powerful Communist Party general-secretary in stopping dissent, graft and any barriers to economic development.

President Tran Dai Quang died Friday at age 61 after fighting an illness for several months, scholars and state-backed Vietnamese media say. He was half way through a five-year term.

Quang will be remembered for his police background, staunch support for Communist Party General-Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and ceremonial appearances with foreign heads of state, people who follow Vietnamese politics say. Those roles meant endorsing a crackdown against political dissent, busting graft in state-run companies and stumping for stronger trade deals with major countries.

"The office of state president is largely symbolic and carries little substantive power in Vietnam's political system," said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor with the University of New South Wales in Australia. "Quang was the quintessential 'grey man' who blended into the background of Vietnam's collective leadership. There will be no major change in Vietnam's economic strategy or political system as a result of [his] passing."

Frowned on dissent, corruption

Quang was educated in Vietnam and came from a military background that won him two major awards.

He worked from 2011 to 2016 as public security minister and oversaw a phase of Vietnam's dissent crackdown that targeted online commentators. In 2016, for example, a blogger nicknamed Mother Mushroom was arrested on suspicion of propagandizing against the state. She received a 10-year prison sentence last year.

"Quang will probably be best remembered for running the Ministry of Public Security, which in recent years has come down quite hard on democracy activists, bloggers and human rights lawyers, who the government fears are trying to overthrow the Communist regime," said Murray Hiebert, deputy director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

"Quang's proteges and allies in the Ministry of Public Security can be expected to keep a tight lid on protests and clamoring for more democracy," Hiebert said.

Quang was at least an informal backer of a party-driven anti-graft crackdown that became visible last year with the arrests of state-owned company executives. Common Vietnamese were growing angry then about corruption.

In the best-known recent anti-graft case, the former chairman of state-owned gas and oil firm PetroVietnam was sentenced to death, and an official from Vietnam-based OceanBank received life in prison over a multi-million-dollar graft case. In January, 22 other officials from PetroVietnam and its affiliates went on trial.

Toughness aside, many in Vietnam will remember Quang for "empathy to anti-China protests" in June, Thayer said. Protesters gathered in pockets around Vietnam to oppose a draft law that could let Chinese investors sign 99-year leases in three proposed special economic zones. The National Assembly delayed the issue until 2019.

Ceremonial role for foreign trade and investment

As president, Quang appeared in public largely to meet foreign heads of state, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Quang used those meetings to stimulate trade, the lifeblood for Vietnam's economy as it depends largely on export manufacturing. Exports have led economic growth of around 6 percent per year since 2012.

Vietnam hopes to cement an 11-member Trans Pacific Partnership, even without the United States after it withdrew last year, and finalize a free trade deal with the European Union. Vietnam counts the United States as its top single-country export destination and shipped $46.5 billion worth of goods there last year.

Quang had taken a low-key role in decision making over the past half year as he sought medical treatment in Japan, said Trung Nguyen, director of the Center for International Studies at Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Still, the position of president called on Quang to get involved in a bit of everything. "I would assume that he would be involved in all aspects of government policy in some way," said Kevin Snowball, chief executive officer with PXP Vietnam Asset Management in Ho Chi Minh City.

Smooth transition

Quang's worked at times to balance his own power against that of the prime minister, some analysts say. The president is head of state and runs the military. The prime minister is the executive over other government departments.

"In Vietnam's political system, the president doesn't have a lot of power, but [Quang] knows how to share the power between the prime minister and the president," Nguyen said.

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh has already taken over as acting president until the National Assembly officially picks a new one. Several people, including the party chief's "right-hand man," have surfaced as possible long-term successors, Nguyen said.

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Annual Report to Shareholders

Melbourne, Sep 24, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - iSignthis Ltd ( ASX:ISX ) provides the Company's Annual Report to shareholders.Letter from the ChairmanDear Shareholders,It is with great pleasure that I present the iSignthis Annual Report for 2018.The past financial year has seen the Company continue to deliver on its core strategies and objectives in becoming the world leading hybrid Regtech and financial institution, for identity verification and payment services. It has evolved and strengthened its existing merchant relationships by offering a range of transactional banking services to the regulated market and leveraged the unique selling proposition of its patented services to enhance its reputation in the market place and deliver a unique suite of services and new revenue streams.I am particularly pleased to look back on the major milestones that we have been able to announce throughout 2018. These have included;- Significant revenue growth for the financial year (FY18$6.3m versus FY17$1.4m)- Principal Membership in the major card schemes- Additional partnership agreements with Worldline and Payvision- Processing and settling funds as a licensed Electronic Money Institution in the European Economic Area- Building our acquiring book (GPTV) to a contracted value in excess of AUD$600mAs the Company has grown and expanded into new territory in regard to the transactional banking services and products on offer to our merchants, the Board are constantly looking at evaluating the skills and experience required in order to meet regulatory requirements and strengthen the knowledge and strategic insight required as we move in to FY2019 and beyond. I am therefore delighted to welcome Christakis (Takis) Taoushanis to the Board of Directors. Takis brings a wealth of banking and payment industry experience to the Board and I am sure that he will make a valuable contribution in the coming years as we continue to develop in both Australia and Europe.On behalf of the iSignthis Board of Directors, Management Team and dedicated employees, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to our shareholders. We look forward to sharing our success with you as we continue to grow.To view the Annual Report, please visit:About iSignthis Ltd

iSignthis Ltd (ASX:ISX) (FRA:TA8) is a hybrid monetary financial institution and also a RegTech leader in remote identity verification, payment authentication with deposit taking, transactional banking and payment processing capability. iSignthis provides an end-to-end on-boarding service for merchants, with a unified payment, electronic money and identity service via our Paydentity(TM) and ISXPay(R) solutions.

By converging payments and identity, iSignthis delivers regulatory compliance to an enhanced customer due diligence standard, offering global reach to any of the world's 4.2Bn 'bank verified' card or account holders, that can be remotely on-boarded to meet the Customer Due Diligence requirements of AML regulated merchants in as little as 3 to 5 minutes. Paydentity(TM) has now onboarded and verified more than 1.5m persons to an AML KYC standard.

iSignthis Paydentity(TM) service is the trusted back office solution for regulated entities, allowing merchants to stay ahead of the regulatory curve, and focus on growing their core business. iSignthis' subsidiary, iSignthis eMoney Ltd, trades as ISXPay(R), and is an EEA authorised eMoney Monetary Financial Institution, offering card acquiring in the EEA, and Australia.

ISXPay(R) is a principal member of Mastercard Inc, Diners, Discover, (China) Union Pay International and JCB International, an American Express aggregator, and provides merchants with access to payments via alternative methods including SEPA, Poli Payments, Sofort, PRZ24 and others.

Probanx Solutions Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of iSignthis Ltd, provides API based access to CORE Banking solutions, SEPA Core, SEPA Instant and SEPA business scheme, for neobanks, banks, credit unions and emoney institutions, and provides a bridge to the Eurosystem's Central Bank of Lithuania's CENTROLink service.China postpones military talks with US over sanctions

Iran Press TV

Sun Sep 23, 2018 07:22AM

China has postponed joint military talks with the United States in protest against Washington's move to impose sanctions on the Chinese military for buying Russian fighter jets and surface-to-air missile systems.

The Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that it had recalled Navy Chief Commander Shen Jinlong from a visit to the US and postponed talks between Chinese and US military officials in Beijing planned for next week.

The statement added that China's military reserved the right to take further countermeasures against the latest US-imposed sanctions, without giving further details.

Earlier in the day, China's Foreign Ministry had summoned US Ambassador to Beijing Terry Branstad and "lodged solemn representations over US sanctions against (the) Chinese military."

The US State Department imposed the sanctions on Thursday on the Equipment Development Department (EED)  a branch of the Chinese military responsible for weapons procurement for engaging in "significant transactions" with Russia's major weapons exporter Rosoboronexport.

The sanctions are aimed at blocking the EED and its director, Li Shangfu, from the possibility of applying for export licenses and participating in the US financial system.

According to the US State Department, the sanctions on Beijing are linked to its decision to purchase 10 Russian SU-35 fighter jets in 2017 as well as S-400 surface-to-air missile system-related equipment in 2018.

Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Saturday that China's decision to buy fighter jets and missile systems from Russia was a normal act of cooperation between two sovereign countries and Washington had "no right to interfere."

The ministry spokesman also warned that the United States would face "consequences" if it did not immediately revoke the bans.

China's purchases from Russia are viewed by Washington as a breach of a sweeping US sanctions bill enacted in 2017 titled Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA.

The S-400 system, whose full name is the Triumf Mobile Multiple Anti-Aircraft Missile System (AAMS), is an advanced Russian missile system designed to detect, track, and destroy planes, drones, or missiles as far as 402 kilometers away. The defense system is capable of downing US F-35 stealth fighters.

China became the first international buyer of Russia's S-400 Triumf in 2015 as part of a 3-billion-dollar deal and received the first batch of the missile systems in April.

China will reportedly receive a total of two S-400 regiments, and the second regimental set is expected to be delivered by the end of 2018.

China has the world's largest standing army and has been engaged in an ambitious modernization program that reportedly includes investment in technology as well as new equipment such as stealth jet fighters and aircraft carriers.

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Activists Call for Need to Address N. Korean Human Rights Abuses

By Steve Miller September 24, 2018

South Korean President Moon Jae-in claimed success following his three-day summit in North Korea last week, where he was able to secure agreements from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on a variety of inter-Korean projects and revitalize denuclearization talks. However, as the president openly speaks about a new era of peace and prosperity, absent from the discussion has been the North's human rights abuses.

A 2014 United Nations Office of Human Rights' Commission of Inquiry report found "systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations" in North Korea that in many instances constituted crimes against humanity.

"The gravity, scale and nature of these violations reveal a state that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world," it added, calling North Korea a state that "seeks to dominate every aspect of its citizens' lives and terrorizes them from within."

In a statement, South Korea's presidential office said President Moon will relay the outcomes of the third inter-Korean at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and plans to work closely with the international community to develop a new vision of peace and prosperity on the Korean peninsula.

Moon's office added South Korea is ready and willing to assume "key roles on the major issues facing the international society such as peace and security, human rights, development, and humanitarian assistance, and climate change; we would like to increase the cooperation with UN and global society."

Human rights not part of current discussions

But human rights advocate tell VOA that while positive steps toward peace, reconciliation, and eventual reunification of the peninsula are positive, human rights discussions are not part of the agenda.

Despite the agreements reached between the South and North outlined in the April Panmunjom and September Pyongyang Declarations, Executive director Greg Scarlatoiu with the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea said human rights policies aren't involved in Seoul's approach to reconciliation with the North.

"There is absolutely no mention of North Korea's abysmal human rights violations," said Scarlatoiu.

Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, did note one exception, "the important humanitarian reunification between the separated families."

South Korea's Ministry of Unification administers the Council on North Korean Human Rights and "works closely together with other agencies." The ministry said it will "establish the basic plan for the promotion of human rights in North Korea, and its implementation plan, and carry out relevant policies systematically."

In an email to VOA, the unification ministry writes, "The government places emphasis on human rights in the notion of universal value and ethnicity, and strives to continuously improve the quality of life for North Koreans."

"The [Pyongyang] Joint Declaration of September contains numbers of agreements on inter-Korean exchanges and easing military tensions. If the agreements are well carried out, it will contribute to not only the improvement of inter-Korean relations and peace settlement on the Korean peninsula, but also the improvement of human rights of North Korean people," the message said.

Pressure needed

But rights advocates say more needs to be done and suggest increased international pressure is needed to ensure that in future discussions with North Korea, human rights issues are discussed.

Robertson said that in talks with North Korea, "There has to be a larger context."

When you talk about "long-term prosperity and peace getting the North Korea - South Korea issue and Korean reunification right is the key element," but with a history of severe human rights violations on the peninsula, said Robertson, "Human rights can't just be left off the table."

Scarlatoiu added that avoiding such topics at the start of negotiations makes it difficult to raise them later.

"I don't know how president Moon is going to move to a position where he raises human rights concerns, after giving all of these speeches lauding the leader of North Korea for his accomplishments," he said.

While the Ministry of Unification can't identify specific agenda items for future inter-Korean talks, it said "through the [Panmunjom] Declaration, the government (together with the North) has agreed to endeavor to resolve the humanitarian issues that resulted from the division."

The unification ministry said the government will "find practical measures to enhance human rights of North Koreans," although the ministry gave no details on how it plans to achieve that goal.

Robertson asserts there has been a lack of advancement in addressing North Korean human rights issues by the South Korean government.

"The North Korean human rights act was passed by the South Korean Parliament two years ago," said Robertson, "and still two years later, we have no real progress on implementing key aspects of that law."

"The ultimate measure of reconciliation, peace, and unification of the Korean Peninsula is going to be the impact it has on the Korean people living in the South and in the North," said Scarlatiou, adding that those goals should not sacrifice attention to human rights.

Lee Jy-hyun contributed to this report.

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World offers sympathy to Iran over terrorist attack

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 23, IRNA -- Lebanon, Egypt and Bolivia joined other countries to extend condolences to the Iranian people and government over the Saturday terrorist attack in the city of Ahvaz in the Iran's southwestern province of Khuzestan.

Lebanese Foreign Ministry in a statement on Saturday night expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the terrorist attack on the Iranian military parade which also attended by many civilians as spectators.

In addition, the Lebanese Hezbollah and Lebanon Assembly of Muslim Scholars comprising of Shia and Sunni scholars of the country slammed the attack in separate statements.

The Students Islamic Society of the UK also was among parties that condemned the inhumane assault on the Iranian soldiers and civilians participating in the parade, and said that these attacks are conducted in line with internal and external pressures caused by the enemies of Iran.

In another statement, the Egyptian foreign ministry offered sympathy to the families of the victims and stressed the role of international collaboration to fight against terrorism.

The Bolivian government also blamed the bloody attack in the Iranian city of Ahvaz and expressed condolences to the families of the victims and condemned any form of terrorism.

Over 25 countries have condemned the terrorist attack to military parade in Ahvaz.

At least 25 were killed and more than 60 were injured on Saturday in Ahvaz when several unknown terrorists opened fire indiscriminately to the crowd watching a military parade staged on the 38th anniversary of the eight-year Iraqi imposed war against Iran.

The self-proclaimed Saudi-affiliated Al-Ahwaz terrorist group claimed the responsibility for the attack.

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US envoy to UN denies Giuliani's claim that Trump wants 'revolution' in Iran

Iran Press TV

Sun Sep 23, 2018 06:41PM

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley says Washington is not seeking to overthrow Iran's government, denying claims by President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani that the US favored a "revolution" in Iran.

"The United States is not looking to do a regime change in Iran," Haley told CNN on Sunday. "We're not looking to do regime change anywhere."

Giuliani, Trump's attorney and former mayor of New York City, told an anti-Iran event on Saturday that Trump's policy of economic pressure and sanctions against Tehran could spur on a regime change.

"I don't know when we're going to overthrow them," Giuliani said during the so-called Iran Uprising Summit at a hotel in Times Square. "It could be in a few days, months, a couple of years. But it's going to happen."

Giuliani's remarks went against the Trump administration's declared policy of not seeking a change of government in Iran despite imposing strong economic sanctions against the country.

Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May and announced that his administration was going to snap back sanctions on the Islamic Republic, most notably measures that were going to target its oil exports from November 4.

Washington hopes that the economic pressure will force Tehran not only to halt its nuclear program entirely but also change its policies towards various conflicts in the Middle East.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also contrasted Giuliani in an interview aired Sunday, telling NBC News that Trump was ready to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during (UN) General Assembly gathering later this week.

"If there's a constructive dialogue to be had, let's get after it," he said.

Iran has made it clear that direct talks with the US are not an option until Washington drops all of its hostile policies.

This is not the first time that Giuliani is partaking in such events.

Earlier this year, he stole the show at a conference held by notorious MKO terrorists in Paris and made similar calls for regime change in Iran.

"Freedom is right around the corner ... Next year I want to have this convention in Tehran!" he said.

The MKO is listed as a terrorist organization by much of the international community. Its members fled Iran in 1986 for Iraq, where it enjoyed Saddam's backing.

Out of the nearly 17,000 Iranians killed in terrorist assaults since the victory of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, about 12,000 have fallen victim to MKO's acts of terror.

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Iran in compliance with nuclear deal: British PM

Iran Press TV

Sun Sep 23, 2018 06:25PM

British Prime Minister Theresa May says Iran is in compliance with its commitments under a nuclear deal it signed in 2015, stressing that the agreement should be kept alive.

"From what we see, we believe that it is doing that," May told CBS on Sunday.

In excerpts of an interview, that was to air in full on Monday, May said that her country believes that the accord, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), "should stay in place."

The British premier emphasized that other signatories to the deal - repudiated by the United States - "believe that it should stay in place."

However, there are other issues outside the deal, including Iran's missile program and the country's role in the Middle East, that also need to be dealt with.

The British prime minister's interview came as world leaders are gearing up for week-long high-stakes diplomacy at the United Nations General Assembly.

US President Donald Trump announced in May that Washington was pulling out of the JCPOA, which lifted nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on Iran's nuclear program. The deal had been signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.

The US administration reintroduced the previous sanctions while imposing new ones on the Islamic Republic. It also introduced punitive measures  known as secondary sanctions  against third countries doing business with Iran.

A first round of American sanctions took effect in August, targeting Iran's access to the US dollar, metals trading, coal, industrial software, and auto sector. A second round, forthcoming on November 4, will be targeting Iran's oil sales and its Central Bank.

Despite Washington's withdrawal, Iran has not left the deal yet, but stressed that the remaining signatories to the agreement now had to work to offset the negative impacts of the US pullout for Iran if they wanted Tehran to remain in it.

Other parties to the JCPOA have repeatedly announced that the deal is working and should stay in place.

Since the JCPOA Implementation Day on January 16, 2016, the IAEA has been monitoring Iran's compliance with its nuclear-related commitments under the nuclear deal and has consistently verified the Islamic Republic's compliance.

In his opening address to the IAEA's 62nd General Conference, the agency's Director General Yukiya Amano reaffirmed that Iran is in compliance with the nuclear agreement.

"Iran is implementing its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA," Amano added.

In his introductory statement to the IAEA's Board of Governors in Vienna on September 10, Amano said Iran is living up to all its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said on Monday that the United States' withdrawal from the landmark nuclear deal will have serious negative effects on the regional and international peace and security.

"The unilateral US move to withdraw from this agreement will have negative impacts on regional and international peace and security," Salehi said in an address to the 62nd General Conference of the IAEA in Vienna.

In a phone call with the British prime minister in May, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said the European Union's time to preserve the nuclear deal is limited.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is following its own national interests by honoring the JCPOA, unfortunately other parties have not carried out their obligations in a satisfactory manner," Rouhani said.

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US responsible for continuance of terrorism in world: Iran

Iran Press TV

Sun Sep 23, 2018 04:42PM

Iran has rejected the annual reports by US Department of State on terrorism, saying the United States is responsible for the continuance of this scourge in the region and across the world.

"Based on its policy on using terrorism as a meansthe US is responsible for the durability of the ominous phenomenon of terrorism in the world, particularly in the Middle East, and it should be held accountable for violent behavior and measures by these groups," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Sunday.

In its annual Country Reports on Terrorism released on September 19, the State Department claimed that Iran remains the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism and is responsible for intensifying multiple conflicts and undermining US interests in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Bahrain, Afghanistan, and Lebanon.

It also claimed that the threats posed by Iran's support for terrorism are not confined to the Middle East; they are truly global.

Qassemi pointed to a bloody terrorist attack in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz on Saturday, saying that the US made baseless allegations against Iran while the Islamic Republic is one of the main victims of acts of terror by terrorist groups.

He added that some regimes such as the US have been overlooking this clear reality over the past four decades and are still considering support for extremist and terrorist groups as a strategic tool to promote their own goals while chanting anti-terror slogans.

At least 25 people were killed and 60 others injured in the terrorist attack on a military parade in Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, on Saturday.

The al-Ahwaziya terror group, whose recruits are believed to be scattered in several European countries, including in the Netherlands and Denmark, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The terror outfit, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, has a record of carrying out acts of sabotage in Iran's Khuzestan Province, which encompasses Ahvaz and some other dominantly Arab cities.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Saturday the terrorist attack in Ahvaz was the continuation of plots hatched by US stooges in the region to create insecurity in the country, adding that Iran's intelligence services must swiftly find the accomplices of the "criminals" behind the attack and put them on trial.

The Leader said the "tragic and sorrowful" incident in Ahvaz and the killing of people by mercenary terrorists once again exposed the cruelty of the enemies of the Iranian nation.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also said on Saturday that the Islamic Republic would give a "crushing" response to the slightest threat against the country.

In a statement on Sunday, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said the terrorists behind the bloody attack in Ahvaz will definitely face "deadly and unforgettable" revenge in the near future.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian spokesperson emphasized that the policy pursued by different US governments for many years has been based on creating and strengthening terrorist groups with the purpose of advancing Washington's large-scale strategies.

Qassemi added that releasing such annual reports by the US is nothing, but a blame-game move aimed at leveling accusations against others.

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IRGC vows 'unforgettable' revenge for Ahvaz terror attack

Iran Press TV

Sun Sep 23, 2018 01:57PM

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the terrorists behind a bloody attack in the southwestern city of Ahvaz will definitely face "deadly and unforgettable" revenge in the near future.

In a statement on Sunday, the IRGC expressed its sympathy with the bereaved families of the victims of the terrorist attack on a military parade in Ahvaz on Saturday, which killed at least 25 people and injured more than 60 others.

It added that the terrorist crime committed in Ahvaz by the ruthless stooges of the global arrogance and reactionary regimes in the region revealed that the sworn enemies of Iran spare no effort and conspiracy to transfer insecurity into the country after their failure to achieve their ominous goals.

They are even ready to target innocent people, including women and children, with "blind terrorist measures," the IRGC's statement read.

It emphasized that such crimes would fail to undermine the firm determination of the Islamic establishment and the Iranian nation to remain committed to the Islamic Revolution's sublime ideals.

The IRGC said it would spare no effort to hunt for the perpetrators of terrorist measures in the region and beyond and bring them to justice.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Saturday the terrorist attack in Ahvaz was the continuation of plots hatched by US stooges in the region to create insecurity in the country, adding that Iran's intelligence services must swiftly find the accomplices of the "criminals" behind the attack and put them on trial.

The Leader said the "tragic and sorrowful" incident in Ahvaz and the killing of people by mercenary terrorists once again exposed the cruelty of the enemies of the Iranian nation.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also said on Saturday that the Islamic Republic would give a "crushing" response to the slightest threat against the country.

"Those who are providing these terrorists with propaganda and intelligence support must be held accountable," Rouhani said.

Crushing response awaiting Ahvaz attack plotters: Intelligence Minister

In a related development, Iran's Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said on Sunday that the country's security forces would give a "crushing response to the masterminds behind this inhumane measure" in Ahvaz.

He added that the mercenary terrorists carried out the blind attack in Ahvaz and killed innocent people in an effort to make up for repeated failure of their masters in Iraq, Syria and other countries.

Alavi said the terrorist attack, which was backed by foreign powers and their regional puppets in order to create insecurity in Iran, would bear no fruit and would fail to undermine the Iranian nation's power and coherence.

The al-Ahwaziya terror group, whose recruits are believed to be scattered in several European countries, including in the Netherlands and Denmark, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The terror outfit, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, has a record of carrying out acts of sabotage in Iran's Khuzestan Province, which encompasses Ahvaz and some other dominantly Arab cities.

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Rouhani: Iran ready to confront US, 'small mercenary states'

Iran Press TV

Sun Sep 23, 2018 10:35AM

President Hassan Rouhani says the United States wants to cause insecurity in Iran with the help of "small mercenary states" in the region, but that the Islamic Republic is ready to confront them.

Rouhani's remarks in Tehran Sunday before leaving for New York to attend the UN General Assembly came a day after terrorists attacked a military parade in Ahvaz in southwest Iran, killing 25 people.

"Americans want Iran to have no security. They want to create chaos and turmoil and set the conditions so that they can return to the country one day and take charge as they did in the old days, but none of these is possible," the president said.

"These are unattainable dreams and America will never achieve any of these goals," Rouhani added.

He touched on Washington's hostile policies toward Iran, including its withdrawal from an international nuclear deal with Tehran under "delusional excuses," putting a nation under strain.

"Our people will resist and the government has prepared itself for this confrontation," he said, adding that everyone will "join hands to put these difficult times behind us with the grace of God."

"The Americans will regret what they did because they made a very wrong choice", the president added.

Rouhani also said the US is provoking regional states against Iran, citing the terrorist attack in Ahvaz, which also left scores of people, including women and children, injured.

"It is entirely clear to us who did it, who they are and where they are affiliated to," he said.

"The sponsor of all these small mercenary countries in the region is America. Americans are provoking them and providing the right conditions for them to commit these crimes," Rouhani added.

The president said these acts will have no effect on the will and direction of the Iranian nation which "has stood up and resisted much bigger crimes."

Terrorists opened fire on people watching a military parade held to mark the invasion of Iran by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1980s.

The Saudi-backed al-Ahvaziya terror group, which is based in Europe, has claimed responsibility for the assault.

Rouhani said as long as Saddam was alive, the group used to be a mercenary of the former Ba'ath regime, but they switched their fealty to a "southern Persian Gulf state" which has undertaken to provide the terrorists with funds, weapons and political assistance.

Members of the terror group, he said, had lived inside Iraq for years but Iran granted them amnesty after the end of the Iraqi-imposed war in 1988. Nevertheless, "they have never regretted or stopped their crimes," he added.

Rouhani described the Saturday attack, especially in a city which "valiantly withstood eight years" of attacks by Saddam's forces, a "big crime" which will not go unpunished.

"Iran's answer to these crimes will be within the framework of law and the country's national interests," he said as he paid tribute to the residents of Ahvaz.

"In the early months of the war, there were days when cannonballs would smash into the streets of Ahvaz and I saw them, but the residents did not evacuate the city and stayed put and resisted," he recounted.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani hit out at the US for abusing the UN which Trump reportedly plans to use for a series of speeches to push a hard line against Iran.

A year after he shocked his counterparts by threatening to "totally destroy" North Korea in his inaugural UN address, Trump is expected to outline his confrontation with Iran, global trade and his "America first" view of foreign policy.

Trump lawyer calls for 'revolution' in Iran

Speaking in New York on Saturday, his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani claimed that US sanctions were working in Iran and that the coercive measures could lead to a "successful revolution."

"I don't know when we're going to overthrow them," he told a meeting of Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group. "It could be in a few days, months, a couple of years. But it's going to happen."

Giuliani's comments contradicted the Trump administration's pronouncements that it was not seeking a government change in Iran.

Washington has long been supporting the MKO. In 2012, the US State Department removed the group from its list of designated terrorist organizations.

Nevertheless, the anti-Iran grouplet is listed as a terrorist entity by much of the international community. Its members fled Iran in 1986 for Iraq, where it enjoyed the support of the Saddam regime.

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Who Was Behind Deadly Attack In Iran?

Golnaz Esfandiari September 23, 2018

Iranian officials have accused U.S. allies in the region of being behind a deadly attack on a military parade in the southwest of the country that left 29 people dead and dozens wounded amid claims of responsibility by two groups -- an ethnic Arab separatist group and the extremist group Islamic State (IS).

Neither Iranian officials nor the two groups claiming responsibility for the attack presented evidence to back up their claims.

According to domestic media, members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were killed, along with civilians watching the parade, including a 4-year-old child.

"Their crime is a continuation of the plots of the regional states that are puppets of the United States, and whose goal is to create insecurity in our dear country," Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement issued on September 22 a few hours after gunmen attacked a parade in the city of Ahvaz, the capital of the southwestern Khuzestan province, where the majority of Iran's ethnic Arabs live.

Khamenei did not specify which states he was referring to.

Relations between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia -- Washington's main Arab ally in the Middle East -- have been deteriorating, with both sides accusing each other of creating instability in the region. Tehran has claimed in the past that Saudi Arabia provides support to separatists among its ethnic Arab minority.

Scott Lucas, an Iran specialist at Birmingham University in Britain and editor of the EA World View website, tells RFE/RL that Tehran's blaming of regional foes and the United States for domestic unrest is not new, while adding that it is "accentuated now by U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal, imminence of comprehensive sanctions, and worsening of the Iranian economy."

Tensions between Tehran and the United States have been escalating following a May decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimpose tough sanctions on Iran.

"I think Ahvaz --- inevitably, and not at all diminishing the scale of the killing of innocents --- was going to be situated by regime officials within the narrative of a U.S.-Saudi campaign to undermine the Islamic republic," Lucas says.

"The overriding concern right now is the economic crisis and the impact of U.S. sanctions, linked to Iran's regional contest with Riyadh and conflicts such as Syria, Yemen, and Iraq," he adds.

Persian Gulf 'Mercenaries'

On September 23, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the charge d'affaires of the United Arab Emirates, a close Saudi ally, over "irresponsible and disdainful" comments made by a government adviser who reportedly said that attacking a military target cannot be considered a terrorist attack.

For his part, President Hassan Rohani accused the United States of enabling the deadly attack through its support for unnamed Persian Gulf states. Speaking on September 23 shortly before leaving Tehran for the UN General Assembly in New York, Rohani said the perpetrators of the attack and their affiliation were "absolutely clear" to Tehran.

"Those who have caused this catastrophe...were [Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's] mercenaries as long as he was alive and then changed masters," he said. "One of the countries in the south of the Persian Gulf took care of their financial, weaponry and political needs," Rohani added.

"All these little mercenary countries we see in this region are backed by America. It is the Americans who incite them," he said.

Ali Vaez, the director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group (ICG), tells RFE/RL that Tehran appears to have intelligence of renewed activities of separatist groups and their ties to some Persian Gulf countries.

"That there was a deafening silence from Saudi Arabia and its gulf allies in the hours after the assault is for Tehran further evidence of their culpability," Vaez says.

"The fact that senior U.S. officials like John Bolton, before he became national-security adviser, had openly advocated supporting Iran's ethnic and sectarian minorities as means of destabilizing Iran deepens Tehran's suspicions," he adds.

An Iranian ethnic Arab opposition group called the Ahvaz National Resistance, which seeks a separate state in Khuzestan province, claimed responsibility for the attack without providing any evidence.

A spokesman for the group, Yagoub Hor Altasteri told the Persian service of German broadcaster Deutsche Welle that the attack was "a legitimate act" in response to what he described as "the transfer of water", "poverty," and "executions."

Ethnic Arabs in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan have long complained of social, cultural, and political discrimination and injustice. The region was the scene of unrest in 2005 and 2011 that resulted in dozens of arrests, rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, have reported.

Some officials and the official government news agency IRNA confirmed the claim by the Ahvaz National Resistance umbrella group, which was created in 2005. It reportedly includes a military wing as well as political entities, including the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz.

"The individuals who fired at the people and the armed forces during the parade are connected to the Al-Ahvazia group, which is fed by Saudi Arabia," IRGC spokesman Ramezan Sharif was quoted as saying by state media.

IS Claim Rejected

A claim of responsibility by the extremist group Islamic State (IS), which also took responsibility for the 2017 twin attacks on the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Islamic republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was dismissed by a military spokesman.

Abolfazl Shekarchi, a senior spokesman for the Iranian military, said "terrorists" behind the Ahvaz attack were not members of IS or groups opposed to the Islamic establishment.

"They are individuals who entered the country after being trained and organized by two Persian Gulf countries," Shekarchi was quoted as saying by domestic media.

"These individuals affiliated with the United States and Mossad committed [the attack]," he said. In a statement issued on September 23, the powerful IRGC vowed "deadly and unforgettable vengeance in the near future."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/who-was-behind-deadly- attack-in-iran-/29505197.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.

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Iran's Rohani Blames Gulf State, IRGC Vows Revenge For Deadly Attack

RFE/RL September 23, 2018

Iranian officials have accused U.S. allies in the region of being behind a deadly attack on a military parade in the southwest of the country that left 29 people dead and dozens wounded amid claims of responsibility by two groups -- an ethnic Arab separatist group and the extremist group Islamic State (IS).

Neither Iranian officials nor the two groups claiming responsibility for the attack presented evidence to back up their claims.

According to domestic media, members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were killed, along with civilians watching the parade, including a 4-year-old child.

"Their crime is a continuation of the plots of the regional states that are puppets of the United States, and whose goal is to create insecurity in our dear country," Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement issued on September 22 a few hours after gunmen attacked a parade in the city of Ahvaz, the capital of the southwestern Khuzestan province, where the majority of Iran's ethnic Arabs live.

Khamenei did not specify which states he was referring to.

Relations between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia -- Washington's main Arab ally in the Middle East -- have been deteriorating, with both sides accusing each other of creating instability in the region. Tehran has claimed in the past that Saudi Arabia provides support to separatists among its ethnic Arab minority.

Scott Lucas, an Iran specialist at Birmingham University in Britain and editor of the EA World View website, tells RFE/RL that Tehran's blaming of regional foes and the United States for domestic unrest is not new, while adding that it is "accentuated now by U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal, imminence of comprehensive sanctions, and worsening of the Iranian economy."

Tensions between Tehran and the United States have been escalating following a May decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimpose tough sanctions on Iran.

"I think Ahvaz --- inevitably, and not at all diminishing the scale of the killing of innocents --- was going to be situated by regime officials within the narrative of a U.S.-Saudi campaign to undermine the Islamic republic," Lucas says.

"The overriding concern right now is the economic crisis and the impact of U.S. sanctions, linked to Iran's regional contest with Riyadh and conflicts such as Syria, Yemen, and Iraq," he adds.

Persian Gulf 'Mercenaries'

On September 23, Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the charge d'affaires of the United Arab Emirates, a close Saudi ally, over "irresponsible and disdainful" comments made by a government adviser who reportedly said that attacking a military target cannot be considered a terrorist attack.

For his part, President Hassan Rohani accused the United States of enabling the deadly attack through its support for unnamed Persian Gulf states. Speaking on September 23 shortly before leaving Tehran for the UN General Assembly in New York, Rohani said the perpetrators of the attack and their affiliation were "absolutely clear" to Tehran.

"Those who have caused this catastrophe...were [Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's] mercenaries as long as he was alive and then changed masters," he said. "One of the countries in the south of the Persian Gulf took care of their financial, weaponry and political needs," Rohani added.

"All these little mercenary countries we see in this region are backed by America. It is the Americans who incite them," he said.

Ali Vaez, the director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group (ICG), tells RFE/RL that Tehran appears to have intelligence of renewed activities of separatist groups and their ties to some Persian Gulf countries.

"That there was a deafening silence from Saudi Arabia and its gulf allies in the hours after the assault is for Tehran further evidence of their culpability," Vaez says.

"The fact that senior U.S. officials like John Bolton, before he became national-security adviser, had openly advocated supporting Iran's ethnic and sectarian minorities as means of destabilizing Iran deepens Tehran's suspicions," he adds.

An Iranian ethnic Arab opposition group called the Ahvaz National Resistance, which seeks a separate state in Khuzestan province, claimed responsibility for the attack without providing any evidence.

A spokesman for the group, Yagoub Hor Altasteri told the Persian service of German broadcaster Deutsche Welle that the attack was "a legitimate act" in response to what he described as "the transfer of water", "poverty," and "executions."

Ethnic Arabs in the oil-rich province of Khuzestan have long complained of social, cultural, and political discrimination and injustice. The region was the scene of unrest in 2005 and 2011 that resulted in dozens of arrests, rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, have reported.

Some officials and the official government news agency IRNA confirmed the claim by the Ahvaz National Resistance umbrella group, which was created in 2005. It reportedly includes a military wing as well as political entities, including the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz.

"The individuals who fired at the people and the armed forces during the parade are connected to the Al-Ahvazia group, which is fed by Saudi Arabia," IRGC spokesman Ramezan Sharif was quoted as saying by state media.

IS Claim Rejected

A claim of responsibility by the extremist group Islamic State (IS), which also took responsibility for the 2017 twin attacks on the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Islamic republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was dismissed by a military spokesman.

Abolfazl Shekarchi, a senior spokesman for the Iranian military, said "terrorists" behind the Ahvaz attack were not members of IS or groups opposed to the Islamic establishment.

"They are individuals who entered the country after being trained and organized by two Persian Gulf countries," Shekarchi was quoted as saying by domestic media.

"These individuals affiliated with the United States and Mossad committed [the attack]," he said. In a statement issued on September 23, the powerful IRGC vowed "deadly and unforgettable vengeance in the near future."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-rohani-blames-gulf-state- irgc-vows-revenge-for-deadly-attack/29505251.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.

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Financing of Remaining Options

Brisbane, Sep 24, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Argentine-focused lithium exploration and project development company Lake Resources NL ( ASX:LKE ) (Company) is pleased to confirm that the $1 million financing of almost all of the remaining 10c options has now closed.- $1 million financing of remaining 10c options secured.- Options converted at a premium with a New York based investor and current shareholders.New York investor, Long State Investments (Long State), has provided the $1 million finance for the remaining options. Long State is an investment group with a strategic focus on energy, mining and growth sectors and seek to add value by working closely with management. Long State will also assist in introducing LKE and its value proposition to potential offtakers and strategic investors, and these services are fee-based, common in the industry.The conversion of the options at a slight premium to market has been seen as a strong vote of confidence in the Company and the upcoming news flow. Lake Resources wishes to thank current and new shareholders for their support.Lake plans to initiate a three hole drilling campaign at the Cauchari Lithium project which is anticipated to show a likely extension to the high grade lithium brines in adjacent properties include 620mg/L lithium close to the lease boundary (see LKE release 6 Sept 2018). A maiden resource estimate is anticipated over the Kachi Lithium project in late October which should help to advance strategic partner discussions underway in China, Korea and Japan.Managing Director Steve Promnitz said: "Lake is pleased to secure further investor support as the company is about to commence drilling at Cauchari. We are well on track for mobilization and commencement works. We will be drilling approximately 400-500 metres away from nearby high grade results which we aim to repeat."In order to enable the Company to secure additional, non-dilutive funding, the Company has further agreed an equity participation arrangement of $575,000 per quarter with Long State. The potential funding receivable by the Company under this arrangement, based upon the performance of its Shares, has no upper limit. The Company's participation will be determined and payable in 2 settlement tranches payable quarterly as measured against a Benchmark Price of $0.115 per share. If the measured share price exceeds the Benchmark Price, for that quarter, the Company will receive quarterly settlement on a pro rata basis, and vice versa should the measured share price be below the Benchmark Price.On 27 August 2018, LKE announced that approximately $0.8 million had been provided to the Company through the conversion of the LKEO 10c options. The underwriting agreement could not be completed as planned due to the average share price at the time trading under the conversion price.About Lake Resources NL

Lake Resources NL (ASX:LKE) (OTCMKTS:LLKKF) is a clean lithium developer utilising clean, direct extraction technology for the development of sustainable, high purity lithium from its flagship Kachi Project, as well as three other lithium brine projects in Argentina. The projects are in a prime location within the Lithium Triangle, where 40% of the world's lithium is produced at the lowest cost.



This method will enable Lake Resources to be an efficient, responsibly-sourced, environmentally friendly and cost competitive supplier of high-purity lithium, which is readily scalable, and in demand from Tier 1 electric vehicle makers and battery makers.Iran Blames US, Gulf Arab Allies for Attack on Military Parade

By VOA News September 24, 2018

Iran's president is blaming the United States and its Gulf Arab allies for the brazen attack on a military parade in southwestern Iran that killed at least 25 people and wounded nearly 70.

"All of those small mercenary countries that we see in this region are backed by America," Iranian President Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday without identifying any countries. "It is Americans who instigate them and provide them with necessary means to commit these crimes."

Rouhani, speaking before leaving Tehran to attend the U.N. General Assembly, said, "America is acting like a bully towards the rest of the world." The Iranian leader said his country's response to the attack is "forthcoming within the framework of law and our national interests." He said the U.S. would regret its "aggressiveness."

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley condemned the the deadly attack but said the country's rulers need to look at their own base for the reason behind the unrest.

"He [Rouhani] has oppressed his people for a long time and he needs to look at his own base to figure out where that's coming from," she told CNN on Sunday. "I think the Iranian people have had enough and that's where all of this is coming from. He can blame us all he wants. The thing he's got to do is look at the mirror."

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, "We stand with the Iranian people against the scourge of radical Islamic terrorism and express our sympathy to them at this terrible time."

Officials said two gunmen died and two other suspects were arrested after the Saturday attack.

Both Islamic State and a group calling itself the "Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz" claimed responsibility for the shooting in Ahvaz in Khuzestan province.

State television said the assailants targeted a stand where Iranian officials had gathered to watch the annual parade commemorating the launch of the Islamic Republic's 1980 - 1988 war against Iraq. Similar parades were held across the country.

Most of the dead were said to be members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard. Some reports said one of the dead was a journalist.

Reuters, citing Iranian state media, says Iran's government summoned the envoys of the Netherlands, Denmark, and Great Britain Saturday, accusing them of harboring Iranian opposition groups in their country

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the attack was linked to the United States' "allies in the region," and he ordered security forces to bring those responsible to justice.

"This crime is a continuation of the plots of the regional states that are puppets of the United States, and their goal is to create insecurity in our dear country," Khamenei said in a statement published on his website. While he did not specify exactly who the states are, U.S. allies in the region include Iran's main nemesis, Israel, and Arab Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia.

Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif blamed the attack on "regional terror sponsors" and "their U.S. masters."

Zarif said Iran would retaliate "swiftly and decisively" to the attack.

Khuzestan borders Iraq and has a large ethnic Arab community, many of them Sunni, in mainly Shi'ite Iran.

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Iraq not allowing Turkish troops back to Bashiqa: Report

Iran Press TV

Sun Sep 23, 2018 11:17AM

Iraq has refused to allow Turkish troops back into the Arab country following a leave from their bases, a government-affiliated think tank in Baghdad has reported.

According to Al-Nahrain Center for Strategic Studies, the move is in line with the Iraqi government's efforts to put an end to Turkish military presence in the country.

The measure had been adopted over the previous months, withholding visas to the Turkish forces who sought to return to Iraq, Iraqi News website reported on Sunday.

Watheq al-Hashemi, director of the center, said the decision had helped reduce the number of Turkish troops significantly.

"The government's stance of not allowing Turkish soldiers to return will end the Turkish military presence in Bashiqa without any diplomatic or military friction," he said.

The Bashiqa camp, al-Hashemi said, is totally cordoned by Iraqi troops and Turkey cannot carry out any plans without the knowledge of Iraqi troops.

Turkey has been conducting air raids against areas in northern Iraq, which serve as safe havens for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants. The militants have been fighting a deadly separatist war against Ankara.

In 2014, Turkey sent troops to Bashiqa in northern Iraq under the banner of fighting the Daesh terror group which was defeated in the country late last year.

Baghdad has repeatedly called on Ankara to pull out its forces but Turkey says they will stay as long as the PKK threat persists.

Last Sunday, Iraq announced plans to deploy troops along the border with Turkey in an effort to defend the frontier against any "violations" of its territory and airspace.

The decision was made during a meeting of the Iraqi Ministerial Council for National Security chaired by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. The meeting also instructed the Foreign Ministry to "take the necessary measures to document the Turkish violations of Iraqi airspace to the United Nations."

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Analysts: France and Italy's Differences Undermine Efforts Against IS in Libya

By Ibrahim Ahmed September 23, 2018

France and Italy have had differences over how changes should be brought in Libya in the post-Moammar Gaddafi era, but those differences have become public in recent months, raising concerns among some analysts that the ongoing tension between the two sides would derail the more important task of fighting IS-linked militants in the country.

The Islamic State (IS) terror group, which had been severely weakened and deprived of its main stronghold of Sirte in 2016 with the help of U.S. airstrikes, is making a comeback in parts of the country, according to local media reports.

"I think [the French-Italian dispute] will continue to make Libyans disagree amongst each other and this disagreement will open the way for the terror groups like Daesh (the Arabic acronym for Islamic State), al-Qaida, local groups and other fanatics we have here in Libya to gain the momentum again," Moustafa Fetouri, a Tripoli-based analyst, told VOA.

"We saw this manifest itself in the attacks on the (Libyan) National Oil Company, where I happened to be just minutes before the attack," Fetouri added.

Suicide attack

The Islamic State group in Libya claimed responsibility for this month's suicide attack on the heavily guarded headquarters of the Libyan National Oil Company in the capital, Tripoli, which killed two employees and injured several others.

The terror group also claimed responsibility for the May attack against the headquarters of the Libyan Election Commission in Tripoli, which killed at least a dozen people and injured many more.

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a senior fellow with the Washington-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said he believes the ongoing tensions between Italy and France over Libya could potentially undermine Europe's counterterrorism efforts in Libya at a critical time.

"It's possible that this clash [French-Italian] will lead to more disparate European counterterrorism policies toward Libya," Gartenstein-Ross said.

"In the past, there was a relatively unified EU [European Union] front on Libya, even if some EU members would privately grumble about the thrust of these policies," he added.

Karim Mezran, a senior fellow with the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East at the Atlantic Council, said he believes that the differences between France and Italy, both NATO member states, have roots in the France-led NATO intervention in Libya in 2011, which led to the creation of a no-fly zone and eventual ouster of Gaddafi from power.

"There is a strong belief in the Italian establishment that France hijacked Libya from Italy," Mezran said.

"France was very quick in deciding to go and bomb Gaddafi and dragging everybody else along. The Italians perceived it as a slap in the face," he added.

Public criticism

Both countries have taken their dispute to media in recent months, with Italian Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta publicly criticizing France over its actions in Libya.

"It is clearly now undeniable that this country [Libya] finds itself in this situation because someone in 2011 put their own interests ahead of those of the Libyan people and of Europe itself," Trenta was quoted as saying by AFP earlier this month.

She was apparently making a reference to then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who rallied other NATO member countries to intervene in Libya.

France has not officially reacted to Trenta's remarks, but the country has criticized Italy over its approach in Libya.

In May, French President Emmanuel Macron disregarded Italy when he invited Libyan factions to Paris, where they agreed on a French proposal for holding elections in December, a proposition that Italy disagrees with, citing that it is not the right time to hold elections in the country.

Differences over what needs be done in Libya has been a constant issue between France and Italy.

Right after Macron took power in 2017, a senior French official, speaking to the Reuters news agency, expressed frustration with Italian diplomacy in Libya and charged that Italy had been wrong to back a Misrata-based militia.

"We can't say anything to (the) Italians, because they think this is their subject," the official said. "The Italians won't be happy, but we will need to get them in the loop at the end."

Ministries of foreign affairs of both Italy and France did not respond to VOA's requests for comment for this story.

Sphere of influence

Some analysts believe that at the heart of the Italy-France row over Libya lies in the geopolitical interests of Italy, because Libya was once an Italian colony and the country considers the region within its sphere of influence.

"I think the part where that worries Italy at this point is France's move to exert influence on the Libyan situation without Italy's approval," said Matthew Bey, a senior global analyst with Stratfor, a Texas-based think tank.

"For example, when French President Emmanuel Macron held the Libya conference in May  Italy was not happy about being left out of that conversation, or not consulted as much as they wanted to," Bey said.

Elections

One point of contention between the two NATO allies is their disagreement over the timing of holding elections in Libya.

Agnes von der Muhll, a spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters last week that France supports efforts to hold elections this year.

"France will continue with its partners to support the efforts of the Libyan authorities  to ensure the continuation of the political process and, in particular, the conditions for holding elections by the end of the year," von der Muhll said.

Meanwhile, Italy is rejecting the Dec. 10 elections deadline in Libya and is planning on organizing its own conference on the country.

"In agreement with U.S. President (Donald) Trump, I'm going to organize a conference on Libya," Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told reporters at the White House in July, after meeting the U.S. leader.

Conte made an effort to show that Trump supported his move, but the U.S. has not yet officially made any comment on the issue.

Some analysts also suggest Italy and France have conflicting interests in Libya, with the former more focused on preventing the flow of migrants from Libya and the latter more interested in counterterrorism efforts.

"Instead of having the entire Libyan factions united behind the idea of fighting terror, we'll see kind of conflicting interests, not on the fact that terrorism has to be fought at any level, but in the fact of how to fight it," Tripoli-based analyst Fetouri said.

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Pakistan's Khan Denounces India's 'Arrogant' Decision To Cancel Talks

RFE/RL September 23, 2018

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has denounced India's decision to cancel rare talks with Islamabad just one day after New Delhi said they would take place on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly.

Khan on September 22 wrote on Twitter that he was "Disappointed at the arrogant & negative response by India to my call for resumption of the peace dialogue."

"However, all my life I have come across small men occupying big offices who do not have the vision to see the larger picture."

The New York meeting was to take place between Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan's Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

High-level talks between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan are rare. India has long accused Pakistan of arming rebel groups in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. It also blames Pakistan for financing the deadly 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

India on September 20 announced the plans for the talks on the sidelines of the General Assembly meetings after Khan had written to Indian counterpart Narendra Modi seeking to resolve outstanding disputes between the two neighbors.

However, on September 21, India's Foreign Ministry said the talks were called off after what it described as the "latest brutal killings of our security personnel by Pakistan-based entities."

The ministry said the meeting also was being canceled by New Delhi in protest of the release by Pakistan of a series of 20 postage stamps "glorifying a terrorist and terrorism."

The ministry did not provide further details about the killings, but earlier in the week an Indian border guard in Kashmir had been slain and his body mutilated.

Then three policemen were then found dead on September 21 after being abducted in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan insisted it had "nothing to do with" the deaths and accused India of spreading "motivated and malicious propaganda."

Pakistan recently issued postage stamps of Burhan Wani, a popular Kashmiri militant commander killed by Indian troops in July 2016. His killing sparked a wave of violent protests in Kashmir.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-khan-denounces-india -canceled-talks/29504660.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.

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Russia holds Israel responsible for downing IL-20 in Syria

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 23, IRNA -- Russian Ministry of Defense reiterated that "Israel" is fully responsible for downing the Russian IL-20 aircraft off Syrian coast last Monday.

Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a press conference on Sunday that the "Israeli" air force is fully responsible for the crash of Russian IL-20 aircraft in Syria, SANA reported.

Konashenkov indicated that the Israeli warplanes used the Russian IL-20 as a "shield" against Syrian air defenses.

Konashenkov elaborated that an Israeli plane maneuvered toward approaching IL-20 which was considered as another attack by Syrian air defense systems.

He indicated that the behavior of "Israeli" pilots reflect their criminal negligence and their unprofessionalism.

"Thus, the Israeli jets created a direct threat to any passenger or transport aircraft that could have been there at that time and could have become victims of the adventurism of the Israeli military," Konashenkov added.

1396**1396

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Russia says Israel fully responsible for downing of plane in Syria

Iran Press TV

Sun Sep 23, 2018 03:54PM

The Russian Defense Ministry says "misleading" information from the Israeli Air Force Command has in fact downed a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft off a Syrian coast, holding the Israeli regime fully responsible for the tragic event, which killed more than a dozen servicemen.

Major General Igor Konashenkov, the chief spokesman for the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, made the remarks on Sunday, stressing that a minute-by-minute account of the incident showed that Israel was culpable for what happened for the Russian aircraft.

"We believe that the blame for the Russian Il-20 aircraft tragedy lies entirely with the Israeli Air Force," Konashenkov said before giving a detailed account of events leading to the downing of the aircraft on September 17 by Syria's S-200 missile defense system.

The Russian plane with 15 servicemen was circling over Idlib's de-escalation zone on a special reconnaissance mission, when four Israeli F-16 warplanes left the regime's airspace and flew over the neutral Mediterranean waters towards the Syrian coast.

Konashenkov said the Russian military received a call from Israeli command warning that its warplanes were about to strike "north of Syria", where the doomed plane was monitoring. But the Russian aircraft had only less than a minute for any safety maneuvers to return to its base, before Israeli jets dropped their precision-guided glide bombs in Latakia, he added.

"The misleading (information) by the Israeli officer regarding the location of the strikes made it impossible to guide the Il-20 to a safe location," he said.

As the Il-20 was landing near Latakia, one of the Israeli jets "began to maneuver" at 1859 GMT "getting closer to the Il-20", which was interpreted as a repeat attack by the Syrian air defense and resulted in it being shot down, Konashenkov added.

He explained that the intentional close proximity of the Israeli jet to the Russian aircraft practically deceived the Arab country's air defense units and showed the reconnaissance plane as a group of Israeli jets on the Syrian radars, effectively used the big aircraft as a "shield."

Actions by the Israeli pilots "either speak of their unprofessionalism or criminal negligence at the very least," Konashenkov said, adding, "The military leadership of Israel either has no appreciation for the level of relations with Russia, or has no control over individual commands or commanding officers who understood that their actions would lead to tragedy."

He also said "adventurism" of the Israeli military could have even put in danger civilian planes which use the same airspace to land at the nearby Hmeimim airbase, run by the Russian military.

Furthermore, the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv said the actions of the Israeli air force were "irresponsible and unfriendly" and exposed the Il-20 aircraft to danger.

Additionally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad blamed Tel Aviv for the tragic deaths of Russian servicemen, stressing that the "unfortunate incident" was a result of "Israeli arrogance and depravity."

Russian jets have been conducting air raids against Daesh and other terror outfits inside Syria at the Damascus government's request since September 2015.

The strikes have helped Syrian forces advance against anti-Damascus militants, who have been wreaking havoc in the Arab country since 2011.

On the contrary, Israel frequently attacks military targets in Syria in what is considered as an attempt to prop up militant groups that have been suffering heavy defeats against Syrian government forces.

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Turkish-backed militants accept Idlib deal, but reject disarmament

Iran Press TV

Sun Sep 23, 2018 10:53AM

Turkish-backed militants have rejected laying down their arms or surrendering the territory under their control in Syria's Idlib Province after Russia and Turkey said they had agreed to set up a buffer zone in the region.

In a statement released late Saturday, the so-called National Liberation Front (NLF), an alliance of militant factions supported by Ankara, said it would cooperate with Turkey in Idlib, but ruled out disarming.

"We will not abandon our weapons, our land or our revolution" against Syrian government forces, the group said.

Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met in the Black Sea resort of Sochi and announced an agreement on Idlib which is the last major terrorist-held bastion in Syria.

Following the meeting, Putin told a joint news conference with Erdogan that they had agreed to create a demilitarized zone of 15-20 kilometers in Idlib along the contact line between the armed opposition and government troops by October 15.

The agreement involved the withdrawal of "radically-minded" militants, including the al-Nusra Front, from the region, he added.

Erdogan said both Turkey and Russia would carry out coordinated military patrols on the borders of the buffer zone in a bid to detect and prevent "provocation by third parties and violations of the agreement."

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Moscow and Ankara had agreed on borders of the demilitarized zone around Idlib.

The Huras al-Din militant group which includes foreign elements rejected the Idlib buffer zone deal, however.

The terror outfit also advised its members "in this decisive and dangerous phase ... (to) begin military operations against the enemies ... to thwart their plans."

Tahrir al-Sham, the most powerful Takfiri terrorist group in Idlib, has not declared its stance on the Idlib agreement yet.

Idlib hosts several foreign-sponsored militant groups and separating what Turkey describes as moderates from extremists is almost impossible.

In recent weeks, the Syrian army has been preparing for the liberation of Idlib, drawing support from Iran and Russia, but concerns from Turkey which says it would unleash a fresh influx of Syrian refugees.

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Russia to release details on downing of military plane in Syria

Iran Press TV

Sun Sep 23, 2018 05:51AM

Russia is set to publish a report detailing the circumstances that led to the recent accidental downing of an Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft by Syrian air defenses while they were responding to a wave of Israeli airstrikes.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that the report, which will be presented on Sunday, includes radar data on Syria's air situation at the time of the incident and the actions of Israeli aircraft in the area.

"The minute-by-minute timeline of the tragedy will be given with a presentation of objective data from the radars' data handling system about the air situation in Syria on September 17 and actions of Israel's air force in the area of the crash," the statement read.

The Russian plane with 15 servicemen on board disappeared from radars on Monday as four Israeli F-16 warplanes were attacking state institutions in Syria's Latakia Province, which is home to Russia-run Hmeimim airbase.

Russia's Defense Ministry held Israel responsible for the incident, saying the regime's warplanes "created a dangerous situation" that led to the downing of the Russian aircraft by Syria's S-200 missile defense system.

It also noted that Israeli pilots had intentionally used the Russian plane as cover to conduct air raids, effectively putting it in the crosshairs of the Syrian air defenses.

The Russian embassy in Tel Aviv said the actions of the Israeli air force were "irresponsible and unfriendly" and exposed the Il-20 aircraft to danger.

Additionally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad blamed Tel Aviv for the tragic deaths of Russian servicemen, stressing that the "unfortunate incident" was a result of "Israeli arrogance and depravity."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a thorough investigation into the plane crash.

Earlier this week, an Israeli delegation led by Amikam Norkin, the regime's air force commander, visited Moscow to brief Russian officials on Tel Aviv's initial investigation into the incident.

The Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported on Friday that the Russians had not accepted Israel's findings, which considered Damascus responsible for the tragedy, and called on Tel Aviv to launch a new probe into the matter.

Cypriot media outlets reported on Thursday that Russia had closed areas near Cyprus to air, land and sea movement for almost a week for the sake of counter-terrorism military operations. Sources in Israel also confirmed the report.

Russian jets have been conducting air raids against Daesh and other terror outfits inside Syria at the Damascus government's request since September 2015.

The strikes have helped Syrian forces advance against anti-Damascus militants, who have been wreaking havoc in the Arab country since 2011.

On the contrary, Israel frequently attacks military targets in Syria in what is considered as an attempt to prop up militant groups that have been suffering heavy defeats against Syrian government forces.

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Moscow: Israel 'Misled' Russian Military In Syria Plane Downing

RFE/RL's Russian Service September 23, 2018

Russia's Defense Ministry has doubled down on its allegation that Israel is to blame for the downing of a Russian military plane over the eastern Mediterranean Sea nearly a week ago, saying it was caused by "misleading information" provided by the Israeli military.

Syrian government forces mistook the Il-20 reconnaissance plane for an Israeli jet on a bombing mission and shot it down off Syria's northwestern province of Latakia on September 17, killing all 15 servicemen onboard.

The Defense Ministry blamed the plane's loss on Israel, accusing the country's military of using the Russian plane as a cover to dodge Syrian defense systems. The ministry also said that the Israeli warning came less than a minute before the Israeli air strike in Syria.

Israel rejected responsibility for the incident, saying Syrian antiaircraft batteries were to blame. It also insisted it had warned Russian forces of its raid ahead of time in accordance with previous agreements.

On September 23, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said that the Israeli Air Force provided "misleading information" to the Russian military about their F-16 jets' targets.

This "made it impossible to direct the Il-20 aircraft to a safe area," Konashenkov also said, adding that the ministry had a record of the conversation between Russian personnel and an Israeli officer.

The data points "to either lack of professionalism or criminal negligence," the Russian spokesman said.

Russia has given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad crucial support throughout the country's conflict, which began with a government crackdown on protesters in March 2011.

Israel, which has largely maintained friendly relations with Moscow in recent years, is not backing a specific side in the conflict, though it has admitted to conducting air strikes in the country targeting Iran and its allies, including Hizballah.

With reporting by AP, dpa, and TASS

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/moscow-israel-misled-russian -military-in-syria-plane-downing/29505024.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.

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Erdogan: Russia, Turkey to Decide on Radical Groups to Leave Idlib Zone

Sputnik News

22:28 23.09.2018

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Turkey and Russia will jointly determine which radical groups should leave the territory of demilitarized zone in Syria's Idlib province, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an article released on Sunday.

"During negotiations on Idlib in Sochi we decided to establish a demilitarized zone between the territories controlled by the opposition and regime. The opposition will remain on the territories which it occupies. We will ensure that radical groups, designated by [Turkey] together with Russia, will not be able to operate in the region," Erdogan wrote in his article for Russia's Kommersant newspaper.

Turkish President also said that Washington continued to support the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria, thus disrupting the balance in the region.

"Unfortunately, we see that the extraordinary support that has recently been provided, especially by the United States to the YPG and the PYD forces, continues. Such steps, which damage the balance in the region and the peace between its peoples, must be stopped," Erdogan wrote in an op-ed piece for the Kommersant newspaper, dedicated to the agreement between Russia and Turkey on Syria's Idlib.

Erdogan once again stated that Turkey attached great importance to the liberation of areas controlled by the PYD and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). He also expressed hope that Russia would support Turkey in the fight against the PYD and the SDF, which are recognized as terrorist groups by Ankara, but not by Moscow.

"We also hope for Russia's support in the struggle of Turkey with such terrorist organizations as the Kurdistan Workers' Party, the PYD and the SDF, and I think our neighboring countries should have a common view of the circumstances threatening each other's security," Erdogan said.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Erdogan met in the Russian resort city of Sochi and signed an agreement on setting up a 9-12 mile demilitarized zone in Idlib along the contact line of the armed opposition and the government forces by October 15. All heavy weaponry operated by rebel groups must be pulled out of the demilitarized zone by October 10, the agreement stipulates.

 Sputnik

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SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. - California Highway Patrol engaged in a high-speed chase with a possible DUI driver on I-5 after they failed to yield to officers.

At around 4:15 a.m. on Sept. 24, officers attempted to initiate an enforcement stop on I-5 near Flume Creek due to a suspected DUI driver.

The driver, Kassandra Wilson, 38, of Foley, Minnesota, failed to yield to the patrol vehicle's lights and continued southbound on I-5 into Shasta County at speeds around 70-100 miles per hour.

CHP units in Shasta County attempted an unsuccessful spike strip to stop the vehicle, and Wilson continued to flee into Tehama County.

A successful spike strip was deployed on I-5 southbound at Gas Point Road, but Wilson was able to continue southbound on I-5 and exit at Adobe Road.

Wilson continued several blocks in that direction before losing control of the vehicle and hitting the center median on Luther Street.

The vehicle's engine caught fire and Wilson was taken into custody, and also to St. Elizabeth Hospital for a medical assessment.

Wilson was booked for charges of evading police, driving under the influence and unlicensed driving.Syrian Army Cut Off Terrorists' Last Water Supplies

Sputnik News

18:12 23.09.2018

Syrian government troops are on course to mopping up the last of the entrenched Daesh militants in Al-Suwayda Governorate, as they have encircled the northwestern Idlib Governorate, the last remaining stronghold of militant and terror groups in the country.

The terrorists are holed up on extinct volcanos in the Tulul al-Safa area in southwestern Syria, and have been effectively cut off from their supplies of water as Syrian government forces continue their advance on the eastern part of Al-Suwayda Desert, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

Earlier, the army severed Daesh* terrorists supply lines, killing snipers guarding approaches to their hideouts and bombing out their main food and ammunition depots.

Just as President Assad's forces tighten the noose around the besieged jihadists, the terrorists have lost access to the last remaining source of drinking water following days of intense fighting for water reservoirs near Qabar Sheikh Hussein, which are currently under the government forces' control.

Meanwhile, rocky terrain and frozen lava prevent tanks and artillery from approaching the terrorists' positions.

The Syrian Air Force is conducting a series of massive airstrikes clearing the way for the advancing infantry on the ground.

Last month, the Russian General Staff reported that the Syrian government had successfully restored its control over the southern provinces of Al-Suwayda, Daara and Quneitra. International focus has since shifted from south Syria to Idlib province in the country's north.

Idlib is now the last major stronghold for anti-government forces, which is dominated by a motley collection of jihadist militants, including units from the Nusra Front*.

* terrorist groups banned in Russia

 Sputnik

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Russian MoD Has Compelling Evidence to Back Up Account of Il-20's Last Moments

Sputnik News

17:28 23.09.2018(updated 18:43 23.09.2018)

Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry reiterated, during a briefing on circumstance of the Il-20 incident, that blame for the Russian aircraft's crash fully rested with Israel, which put the Il-20 under fire of the Syrian air defense.

The Russian Defense Ministry has additional compelling evidence in support of the materials presented earlier on Sunday at the briefing devoted to the downing of Russia's Il-20 aircraft in Syria, the ministry's spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.

"I would like to address those, who would attempt to misrepresent or refute the presented information. The Russian Defense Ministry also has other compelling data about the September 17 tragedy, proving the materials presented at the briefing," Konashenkov stressed.

The Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman added that the Russian side also used the materials provided by the Israeli side in the briefing's preparation.

"The per-minute chronology of the Il-20 catastrophe and the actions of the Israeli aviation

on September 17 presented at the briefing are based on the data of objective airspace control from various radars in Syria," Konashenkov stated.

Following the Russian Defense Ministry's briefing the Israeli Defense Force said in a statement that an IDF delegation led by the Commander of the Israeli Air Force, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, presented the complete IDF After Action Review (AAR) of the downing of the Russian Il-20 plane by Syrian anti-air fire to senior Russian military officers.

"The result of the downing of the Russian plane by Syrian fire is severe and tragic and we convey our condolences to the bereaved families and the Russian people. The coordination between the IDF and the Russian military has proven its value numerous times over the last years," the IDF statement released on Sunday said.

The Israeli Army continued to insist non-involvement in the Il-20 downing, claiming that the country's military delegation has provided Russia exhaustive and accurate details on the incident.

Responding to the Russian Defense Ministry's statement, the IDF said that the IAF (Israeli Air Force) F-16 jets "did not hide behind any aircraft", adding that the Israeli warplanes were in Israeli airspace at the time of the downing of the Russian Il-20 military plane.

Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry reiterated, during a briefing on circumstance of the Il-20 incident, that blame for the Russian aircraft's crash fully rested with Israel, which put the Il-20 under fire of the Syrian air defense.

According to the Israeli Army's statement, "the safety and well-being of the Russian troops who operate in Syria are a focal component in every approval of any activity by senior officials in the IDF and in Israel." The IDF will continue to take all necessary measures, as it has been doing until this very day, to achieve this goal, the Israeli military assured.

At the same time, the Israeli military will proceed with its operations aimed at countering Iran's military presence in Syria and the Islamic republic's attempts to deliver arms to Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated.

The Russian Il-20 military aircraft, which was 22 miles off the Syrian coast, was shot down on September 17, while returning to the Hmeimim airbase. At the same time, four Israeli F-16 aircraft were bombing Syrian targets in the province of Latakia.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Israel notified Russia of the airstrikes only a minute before their start and provided misleading information concerning the area of the attack and the location of Israeli F-16 jets. The ministry said that the Israeli pilots used the Russian aircraft as a shield against Syrian air defense systems. As a result, the Il-20 military plane was downed by a missile launched by Syria's S-200 air defense system at 10:03 p.m. local time (19:03 GMT). The incident claimed the lives of 15 Russian servicemen.

 Sputnik

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Israel to Continue Military Op in Syria Despite Il-20 Downing  Lieberman

Sputnik News

16:21 23.09.2018(updated 17:58 23.09.2018)

Russia blames Israel for the destruction of the Il-20, which cost the lives of 15 servicemen, after it emerged that around the time if its demise, Israeli fighter jets were in immediate proximity to the Russian plane.

The Russian Ministry of Defense accused the Israeli Air Force of providing misleading information about the area where planned air strikes on Syrian targets were to take place, violating an agreement with Russia, and shortly afterwards Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman stated Israel won't ditch conducting operations in Syria to thwart Iran's military presence there, despite the tragic Il-20 incident.

"We have been operating prudently and responsibly and only in cases where we've had no other choice. So nothing has changed or will change. This is our policy," Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman told the local radio station Kan in an interview published Sunday morning.

"We won't let Syria be turned into a main Iranian military facility against the Israeli state. We continue to act and we have all the necessary means and opportunities to this end," he noted.

Flicker of Hope for Effective Dialogue

According to Lieberman, Israeli military servicemen continue to pin their hopes on good communication, which they established with Russian military units in Syria three years ago to avoid potential conflicts.

"The whole incident is under examination and control. We have an ongoing dialogue. The general picture and facts are all clear, and I think the situation will be resolved," Lieberman said.

Israel has yet to admit guilt in the Il-20 downing. It disputes Moscow's statements over the issue, according to which, Israeli F-16 fighter aircraft used the Il-20 as a shield their latest air attack on Syria and essentially put it in the line of retaliating fire opened by the Syrian air defense.

Tel Aviv, meanwhile, claimed the anti-aircraft shooters fired "chaotically and haphazardly" having failed to make sure there were no Russian aircraft in the fire zone. According to information provided by the Israeli side, by the time the Il-20 was destroyed after being hit by a Syrian S-200 missile, the four F-16s were already well on their way home.

Israel said it has been allegedly targeting Iranian military facilities in Syria, with Iran and Syria flatly denying the claims.

On September 17, a Il-20 military plane disappeared from the Russian radar screens, while on its way back to the Syrian airbase Hmeymim, which lies 35 kilometers away from the Mediterranean shore. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, at around the same time, four Israeli F-16 military jets attacked Syrian targets in Latakia, having informed the Russian side just one minute prior to the attack.

The ministry went on to state that by hiding behind the Russian jet, the Israeli pilots thereby subjected it to an attack by the Syrian air defense units, which left a total of 15 Russian military servicemen killed in the aircraft destruction.

 Sputnik

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Russian MoD: Israel Violated Agreement With Russia to Prevent Incidents in Syria

Sputnik News

11:05 23.09.2018(updated 15:39 23.09.2018)

The Israeli Air Force misled Russia by providing wrong information about the area of the planned air strikes in Syria on September 17, thus preventing the Russian Il-20 from moving to a safe zone, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Sunday.

Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov provided more details on the downing of the Russian Il-20 military aircraft near Syria on September 17.

"Today, we share detailed information about the downing of the Ilyushin IL-20 airplane of the Russian Aerospace Forces near the Syrian coast on September 17. We will present a minute-by-minute account of this tragic incident that was made based on the objective radar readings including those from the Plotto air information display system," he said.

According to Konashenkov, the Israeli Air Force provided Russia with misleading information on the location of its airstrikes on targets in Syria, which prevented the commander of the Il-20 plane from relocating to a safe zone and led to its destruction.

"During the negotiations via the deconfliction channel, the representative of the Israeli Air Force Command reported that the targets assigned to the Israeli aircraft are located in Northern Syria  As you can see on the map, the Israeli jets delivered strikes in Latakia which is a western province of the country  and not in the north of the Syrian Arab Republic. The city of Latakia is located on the western coast. The misleading information provided by the Israeli officer about the area of strikes did not allow the Russian Il-20 airplane to move timely to a safe area," Konashenkov said.

Israel Notified Russia Too Late

Konashenkov told a briefing that the Israeli Air Force had notified Russia of its planned attacks on Syrian targets simultaneously with the beginning of the strikes instead of doing it in advance, thereby violating 2015 bilateral agreements to prevent such incidents in Syrian airspace.

"Israel did not inform the Russian force about its operation in advance  but rather they issued a warning simultaneously with the beginning of the strikes, which constitutes a breach of the agreements. These actions constitute a clear violation of the 2015 Russian-Israeli agreements, which are aimed at preventing clashes between our armed forces, in and over Syria, that were reached by the joint working group," Konashenkov said.

He further added that the IAF has on multiple occasions created potentially dangerous situations for the Russian forces located in Syria, emphasizing that Moscow had warned Tel Aviv about its air force operations in the war-ravaged country 12 times more often.

Audio Recording of Warning

Konashenkov emphasized that the ministry possessed an audio recording proving that the IAF had warned the Russian side in the Russian language about the envisaged airstrike on targets in Syria when Russia's IL-20 was downed.

"The talk was conducted in Russian. The Russian Defense Ministry has a record of the conversation," he stressed.

Israel Either Allowed Criminal Negligence or Lacked Professionalism

According to the fresh released information, the Il-20 crew began emergency descending after it was hit by a missile, with pilots of Israeli F-16 fighter jets using the Russian aircraft as a "shield" against Syrian air defenses.

Konashenkov elaborated that an Israeli plane maneuvered toward the approaching Il-20  which was considered another attack by Syrian air defense systems.

He further debunked claims by the IDF that their jets had already been within Israeli airspace when the Syrian Army launched the missiles that hit the Russian plane, saying that F-16s left the area only 10 minutes after receiving the information on the downing.

"The presented objective data testifies that the actions of the Israeli fighter pilots, which led to the loss of life of 15 Russian servicemen, either lacked professionalism or were an act of criminal negligence to say the least. Therefore, we believe that the blame for the tragedy with the Russian Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft lies entirely with the Israeli air forces and those who made the decision to carry out such actions," Konashenkov stressed.

The ministry spokesman went on to say that Israeli jets may have posed a threat to passenger planes when the Il-20 was shot down, and stressed that Russia has never violated the agreement on flights in Syria with Israel.

"Thus, the Israeli jets created a direct threat to any passenger or transport aircraft that could have been there at that time and could have become victims of the adventurism of the Israeli military," Konashenkov added.

Golan Heights

A sizable number of pro-Iranian forces and 24 multiple launch rocket systems were withdrawn from the Golan Heights with Russian military's assistance, Konashenkov said, adding that this allowed Tel-Aviv to completely exclude the shelling of Israeli territory from within the disputed area.

"Currently, six observation posts of the military police of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are being deployed along the Bravo line, ensuring security for the staff of the UN mission," he said.

His comments came days after Russian troops and personnel from the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria had been deployed to de-escalation zones across Syria to help maintain security and the ceasefire in the Golan Heights between Damascus and Tel Aviv.

Il-20 Downing

The Il-20 vanished from radar screens over the Mediterranean Sea on September 17 after being hit by a Syrian S-200 surface-to-air missile near Hmeymim Airbase, which coincided with airstrikes conducted by Israeli F-16s on Syrian targets in the province of Latakia. Shortly after the incident, the Russian Defense Ministry accused the Israeli Air Force of using the Russian plane as a shield against Syrian air defenses.

While expressing its condolences in connection with the death of the 15 servicemen on board, Israel insisted that Syria was responsible for the tragic incident.

Meanwhile, addressing the incident earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Israel hadn't downed the Russian plane, but that a "chain of tragic accidental circumstances" had led to the destruction.

"Russia's retaliatory measures with regard to the Il-20 downing will be directed primarily at stepping up the security of Russian military officers in Syria and our military facilities in the Syrian Arab Republic. These will be the steps everyone will notice," he stressed.

 Sputnik

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-PEUGEOT Citroen Australia (PCA) has announced a change in leadership, with Ben Farlow appointed managing director following Anouk Poelmann forfeiting the role, citing personal reasons.

-Ms Poelmann, a Dutch native, arrived in Australia in mid-2017 to oversee the French brands which had re-launched Down Under via new distributor Inchcape Australasia.



Click here for full story: New MD for Peugeot Citroen Australia

The Road to Recovery podcast seriesLondon, September 24 2018 - Peloton Minerals Corp. ("Peloton" or the "Company") (CSE Symbol: PMC) updates on exploration underway by Kinross Gold USA Inc. ("Kinross") on the Independence Valley Project in Elko County, Nevada ("Independence Valley" or the "Project"), pursuant to an Exploration Agreement with a joint Venture Option (the "Agreement") on the Project between Kinross and Peloton's wholly owned US subsidiary, Celerity Subsidiary Corp. Under the Agreement, Kinross may earn up to a 75% interest in the Project by spending a total of US$4,000,000 in exploration expenditures within six years of April, 2018.

The exploration activity for this summer and fall involves conducting a number of geological and geophysical programs over the Project with the aim of having all data in hand and fully interpreted by year-end so that a 2019 drill program can be designed and budgeted. These programs include the following:

1.Geologic mapping has been completed on a scale of 1:5,000 to enhance previous Peloton geologic mapping done on a 1:24,000 scale. This data is presently being integrated into GIS (Geographic Information System) applications. 2.A total of 231 gravity stations have been completed over the Project at 200m x 200m intervals with spacing tightened to 200m x 100m over certain structures. (A Gravity survey is an indirect (surface) means of calculating the density property of subsurface materials. The higher the gravity values, the denser the rock beneath.) 3.A total of 219 soil samples were collected for geochemical analysis over the Project and including all exposures of Tertiary volcanic rocks at 200m x 100m intervals. 4.A CSAMT (Controlled Source Audio-frequency Magnetotelluric) Geophysical Survey has been contracted for completion this fall covering a total of 18 line-kilometers (6 lines x 3km) over the Project.

On July 24, 2018, Renaissance Gold Inc. announced drilling had commenced immediately adjacent to the Independence Valley project, pursuant to an earn-in agreement between Renaissance and Kinross on the adjacent property named Spruce East.

Independence Valley comprises a 1,160 acre claim package located in Elko County, Nevada and about 29 miles south of Newmont Mining Corp.'s ("Newmont") Long Canyon Project. Independence Valley is also within the historical Spruce Mountain mining district which hosted many base and precious metals mines since the 1840's. The Spruce Mountain deposits are typically associated with rhyolitic and granitic intrusive rocks which intrude structural feeders. Independence Valley hosts the largest untested rhyolite dome in the Spruce Mountain Mining District.

A geologic map of the area is included with this release showing the claim area, mapped rhyolite and faults, and the proposed CSMAT geophysical lines.

Kinross may first earn a 51% interest in the Project by spending US$2,500,000 in exploration expenditures within four years with a minimum of $200,000 in expenditure during the first year. Kinross may earn a further 24% interest in the Project by spending an additional US$1,500,000 in exploration expenditures over a two year period following the establishment of the first 51% interest, for a total of US$4,000,000 to earn a 75% interest. After Kinross has earned either a 51% or a 75% interest, as the case may be, a mining venture or mining company may be formed with respect to the Project, and Kinross and Peloton will contribute their respective share of further exploration and development expenditures. In the event that either party's interest is diluted to ten percent (10.0%) or less, it shall relinquish its interest to the other party, in return for a royalty agreement that conveys to the diluting party a royalty of two percent (2.0%) of net smelter returns on all minerals thereafter produced and removed from the Property. The non-diluting party may, at any time, buy-down that royalty by one percent (1.0%), so that the total royalty is one percent (1.0%) of net smelter returns, by paying US$1,000,000.00 to the royalty holder.

On other Peloton Nevada projects, Peloton is updating an NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Golden Trail Project, Elko County, Nevada, after increasing the property size from 290 acres to 880 acres following an airborne Hyperspectral Imaging survey the Company flew in northeastern Nevada. That report is expected this fall and will be made public when complete. Golden Trail is located about 50 miles north of Newmont's Long Canyon Project and was featured in a paper published at the 2015 Geologic Society of Nevada Symposium.

On the Texas Canyon Project, located in Elko County about 5 miles west of the Company's Golden Trail Project, an NI 43-101 Technical Report has also been initiated and is expected later in the year.

Richard C. Capps, PhD, is the qualified person responsible for approving the technical information contained within this release.

For further information please contact:

Edward (Ted) Ellwood, MBA

President & CEO

1-519-964-2836

Peloton Minerals Corp. is a reporting issuer in good standing in the Province of Ontario whose common shares are listed on the CSE (Symbol: PMC). There are 75,082,950 common shares issued and outstanding in the capital of the Company.

Peloton owns three gold exploration projects located in Elko County, Nevada, including Independence Valley which is now under option to Kinross. The Company also has projects in Montana and Ontario, Canada.

CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and "forward-looking statements" (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "propose", "project", "outlook", "foresee" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook.

Such statements include, among others, those concerning the Company's plans for exploration activity and to conduct future exploration programs. Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, management's expectations regarding its ability to initiate and complete future exploration work as expected. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, operational risks in the completion of the Company's future exploration work, technical, safety or regulatory issues.

Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Company's securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Company can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by law.



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Copyright (c) 2018 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.Latest Headlines

Tax working group wants help for low-income investors

Incentives are needed to make saving for retirement a compelling option, the Tax Working Group says.

Monday, September 24th 2018, 6:00AM

The group released its interim report last week. A final report is due in February.

It has been asked to come up with guidance for the future of tax policy, including a model for taxing capital gains from profits on shares, property and businesses.

The group identified problems with the New Zealand retirement savings environment.

It said there were few incentives to save, particularly for lower-income people.

"KiwiSaver is targeted at providing greater proportionate benefits to those on lower incomes, but those on the bottom two marginal tax rate do not benefit from the fact that the top PIE rate is 28%."

Taxing interest income on a nominal basis could have significant impact on the accumulation of retirement savings, the group said in its report.

It said it considered a range of of options to help, including increasing the KiwiSaver member tax credit to $1 and changing the often-criticised structure of KiwiSaver taxation.

It said while there was a case to consider additional concessions for retirement saving, it needed to be targeted at those who needed it.

The group recommended removing the employer superannuation contribution tax for people earning up to $48,000 a year and a five percentage point reduction in the lower PIE rates for savings in KiwiSaver accounts.

Chair Michael Cullen said the treatment of retirement savings was interlinked with the treatment of capital income and more thought was needed on the choices and trade-offs in the group's final report.

The Tax Working Group did not make a clear recommendation on how capital gains should be taxed, instead proposing two scenarios:

One in which investors would pay tax on any gain from the sale of their assets at about the marginal income tax rate, and the second through which investors would pay a percentage of the value of their portfolio each year in tax.

Pathfinder chief executive John Berry said that could cause concern.

"Clearly PIE funds at the moment have an advantage for savers in that there is no tax on capital gains - which can be a problem for direct investors. It would disadvantage savers, including those in KiwiSaver, if those rules changed."

Newton Ross AFA Drew Hoffman had lobbied the group to consider changes to the KiwiSaver tax structure, to encourage more saving.

He said its proposals did not go far enough.

"While I feel that it is important that the Tax Working Group made some effort to improve KiwiSaver for lower-income KiwiSaver members, I think they missed an opportunity to eliminate the governments expense of funding the member tax credit while at the same time providing powerful incentive for most members to increase KiwiSaver contributions.

"My suggestion was to drop the member tax credit, which according to the Tax Working Group saves $960 million per annum and replace it with a TEE scheme, that according to the Tax Working Group costs $210m. That is a savings of $750m per year from the current situation. No other combination of alternatives provides such a great savings to the government and still dramatically improves the attractiveness of KiwiSaver. Instead the Tax Working Groups proposal will cost an additional $215m for the government to fund KiwiSaver."

He said incentives to get people putting aside more than 3% of their income would help to offset concerns about the future affordability of NZ Super.

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Sign In to add your commentNBC/WALL STREET JOURNAL - Six weeks before the 2018 midterm elections, Democrats hold a 12-point led in congressional preference among registered voters, with nearly six-in-10 saying theyd like to see significant change in the direction President Donald Trump has been leading the country, according to a new national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

The results suggest a political environment where Democrats have the clear advantage in their pursuit to win back control of Congress in n November.

Americans are hitting the brake in a midterm, and trying to send the signal that theyre not satisfied, said Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted this survey with Democratic pollsters at Hart Research Associates.

The public is clearly saying, once again, they want to shake up the status quo, added Democratic pollster Fred Yang.

Still, the same poll shows that Republican enthusiasm about the upcoming election has increased, drawing nearly even with Democrats; that GOP attacks on immigration and Democrat Nancy Pelosi are potent in individual races; and that nearly 70 percent of voters are satisfied with the economy.

In the survey, which was conducted September 16-19, 52 percent of registered voters say they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, versus 40 percent who want the Republicans in charge.

That 12-point lead for Democrats  their highest of the cycle in the poll  is an increase from August, when they held an 8-point edge, 50 percent to 42 percent, although the change is within the surveys margin of error.

Among the voters who are most likely to vote  the first time the NBC/WSJ poll has measured these voters for the 2018 elections  the Democrats advantage falls to 8 points, 51 percent to 43 percent.

In the larger pool of registered voters, McInturff points to warning signs for Republicans. They trail Democrats among moderates and independents by more than 30 points; theyre losing women ages 50 and older by nearly 20 points; and theyre behind among voters living in competitive congressional districts by 12 points, 53 percent to 41 percent.

Additionally, a combined 59 percent of voters say theyd like to see either a great deal of change or quite a bit of change in the direction Trump has been leading the country.

That includes 61 percent of independents and even a third of Republican respondents.

And by a 42 percent-to-31 percent margin, voters say their message in November will be for more Democrats to serve as a check and balance to Trump and the congressional Republicans, instead of Republicans who will help Trump and the GOP pass their agenda.

President Trumps job rating in the poll stands at 44 percent approve, 52 percent disapprove  essentially unchanged from Augusts poll.

GOP catches up in enthusiasm

The good news for Republicans in the NBC/WSJ poll is that theyve caught up to Democrats on enthusiasm about the upcoming midterm elections.

Sixty-five percent of registered Democrats say theyre very interested in the midterms  registering either a 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale  compared with 61 percent of Republicans who say the same thing.

That narrow 4-point advantage for Democrats is down from their leads of 11 points in August (63 percent to 52 percent) and 16 points in July (65 percent to 49 percent).

The groups will the highest level of interest in the election: seniors (73 percent register either a 9 or 10), Democrats (65 percent), whites (61 percent), Republicans (61 percent) and African Americans (53 percent).

The groups with the lowest level of interest: independents (37 percent) and those ages 18-34 (35 percent).

The most and least popular issue positions in 2018

The NBC/WSJ poll also asked voters positions on key issues in the 2018 campaign. The most popular issues:

58 percent said they are more likely to vote for a congressional candidate who favors allowing young adults who were brought into the country illegally by their parents to stay in the U.S. legally to attend college or to work;

55 percent said they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports cutting the tax rate for businesses and corporations  and cutting taxes for most Americans;

51 percent said they are more likely to vote for a candidate who favors stricter regulations on assault and military-style firearms;

And 47 percent said they are more likely to vote for a candidate who favors Medicare For All  a single-payer health-care system in which all Americans would get their health insurance from one government plan.

The least popular issues:

82 percent said they are less likely to vote for a candidate who favors cutting Social Security and Medicare to help pay for Trumps tax cuts;

55 percent said they are less likely to vote for a candidate who favors increasing funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border;

52 percent said they are less likely to vote for a candidate who supports weakening or eliminating the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare;

48 percent said they are less likely to vote for a candidate who favors abolishing ICE, the agency in charge of immigration and customs enforcement;

And 44 percent said they are less likely to vote for a candidate who supports Nancy Pelosi as the next speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives if Democrats take control of Congress.

69 percent say theyre satisfied with U.S. economy

Finally, the NBC/WSJ poll finds 69 percent of American voters saying theyre either very or somewhat satisfied with the state of the U.S. economy  tied for the highest percentage on this question since 2001.

The all-time high, however, was in September 1998, before President Bill Clinton and Democrats picked up seats that midterm cycle, when a whopping 86 percent of all adults said they were satisfied with the economy.

And when asked if President Trumps policies have helped or hurt the economy, 41 percent said helped and 26 percent said hurt. Thirty percent said they havent made much of a difference.

The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted September 16-19 of 900 voters  nearly half reached by cell phone  and it has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.3 percentage points. The margin of error for the 594 likely voters is plus-minus 4.0 percentage points.Nimshew Fire Update

Cal Fire is battling a 20-acre vegetation fire in Butte Creek Canyon, just below Magalia. They are calling this the "Nimshew Fire." Centerville Road is closed from Honeyrun road to Nimshew road. Cal Fire says there are some homes threatened but no evacuations at this time. There is an evacuation warning along Nimshew Road to Centerville Road.

"NorCal Rapist" Suspect Arrested

Investigators are detailing what led them to the arrest of an accused serial rapist in Northern California. DNA evidence and genealogy websites were used to track down 58-year-old Roy Waller. Investigators say his car was caught on camera outside a victim's home and his masked face captured by an ATM they say DNA from an attack in Chico 1997 was a key piece of evidence.

Chico Police Investigating Chapmantown Shooting



Chico Police are investigating a drive-by shooting in Chapmantown just after 7 p.m. on Sunday night. Police say they found evidence of a shooting between Sunrise Court and Ricky Court. Police have not confirmed if anyone was shot at this time.

Chico Police Arrest Hit-and-Run, DUI Suspect

Chico Police have arrested 29-year-old Karissa Rogers of paradise for hit-and-run and driving under the influence. Police say Rogers hit another car on Cedar Street Sunday night and took off down Highway 99 until her engine caught fire just after the East 20th exit.

Glenn County Traffic Control

Traffic control is underway this morning at the Butte City Bridge on Highway 162 in Glenn County. It was damaged Saturday when a backhoe on a trailer hit a the westbound lane is still open this morning. While north and south detours through Colusa. Ord Ferry Road takes drivers dozens of miles out of the way. If you travel that route, give yourself plenty of extra time.

Chico City Council to Discuss Law Enforcement

On Sept. 24, candidates for Chico City Council will take part in a forum to discuss local law enforcement practices. The event is hosted by the organization Concern Citizens for Justice. The forum is on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Chico Public Library.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  The Palace assured Filipinos that President Rodrigo Duterte is in good health despite his admission he underwent colonoscopy and endoscopy procedures.

"Sinabi naman ng presidente na nagpapaganyan siyang tests regularly. Routine iyan, nothing extraordinary," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a media briefing on Monday.

He said Duterte's candidness to casually mention on September 21 that he had undergone the two tests shows he isn't hiding the true state of his health.

"Kung seryoso po iyan, hindi naman 'yan aaminin ni Presidente," Roque jokes. "It was so routine that he had no qualms about telling the whole world that he had it. It was no big deal kaya it was no big deal to disclose it. The fact that he's willing to share it means it's no reason for alarm."

Roque added that Duterte's usually-full schedule proves that he is healthy enough to perform his duties as President.

"Nakita niyo naman ang schedule ng presidente. Ako nga hindi makasunod sa schedule niya. Karamihan sa inyo hindi makasunod sa schedule niya. Sa tingin ko ang kaniyang hectic schedule ay patunay na wala siyang matinding karamdaman," he said.

He added, "He will not cling on (to his position) if he's dying or gravely ill."

In August, rumors swirled that Duterte's health was deteriorating. Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary Alejano said he received verified information the President is "seriously ill." Communist leader Joma Sison also posted an unverified report that Duterte had gone into coma. Some netizens have also pointed out that Duterte's face has darkened.

The President earlier said he was in good health except for "perpetual pain" due to injuries from a motorcycle accident years ago and a bad case of Barrett's esophagus, a gastrointestinal ailment.Note: Anne Dachel is cataloging thousands of stories that discuss the severe changes in the American student population at her website Loss of Brain Trust. Special Education is growing. Behaviors have become pathological and far exceed anything seen in previous generations. It stands to reason that those a portion of those students who are able to get through college and grad school will also suffer from issues that hinder success. There is environmentally induced brain injury through vaccination, non-stop gaming and screen time, frankenfood, a plastic laden life from cradle days forward. Will the standards for becoming a lawyer be lowered to match the diminished capacity of students? You can't access the story because of a firewall. But you get the jist of the story. Failure at the grad school level is here.

###



Karen Sloan is the Legal Education Editor and Senior Writer at ALM. Contact her at ksloan@alm.com. On Twitter: @KarenSloanNLJ Sign up for Ahead of the Curveher weekly email update on trends and innovation in legal educationhere: https://www.law.com/static/briefings/

Multistate Bar Exam Scores Sink to 34-Year Low, Pass Rates Sag



Upticks in the average MBE scores in July 2017 and 2016 had fueled hopes of a recovery in bar exam pass rates, but the latest figure indicate otherwise. Read more here.

It's still technically summer, yet pumpkin-flavored everything is already all around us.

It seems like not long ago, we would walk the aisles of Trader Joe's and delight in the fall seasonal offerings, snagging a pumpkin item or two while we had the chance.

Now, many of us on the SFGATE team feel like the pumpkin spice trend has gone too far. Not just at Trader Joe's, but everywhere.

It's not just the famous Starbucks pumpkin-spice latte anymore. Grocery store aisles are lined with pumpkin spice yogurt, potato chips and hummus. There's even pumpkin spice pizza now. We wish we were kidding.

We decided to put a selection of Trader Joe's pumpkin-flavored offerings to the test. The taste test, that is.

Click through the slideshow at the top of this story for the results of the SFGATE taste test.

It was actually pretty tough to recruit SFGATE team members who were willing to participate in the tasting.

"This is like a 10-course meal from hell," said one staffer.

In the end, three pumpkin lovers agreed to painstakingly review 11 different Trader Joe's pumpkin products on camera. You can watch their reactions in the video above.

PUMPKIN OVERLOAD: Reporter uses every pumpkin spice product she could find for a week

The rest of our staff picked over the leftovers and worked together to rank everything we tried, from tasty to terrible. Read our unfiltered opinions in the slideshow above.

What's your favorite pumpkin spice product? What's the worst one you've tried? Let us know in the comments.

Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com.

Dave Curran, Susana Guerrero, Alyssa Pereira, Chris Preovolos and many other SFGATE staffers contributed to this story.GREENWICH  When The Willow Project was first formed in 2017 it was to benefit Lynn Gulli, a student at Julian Curtiss School who was diagnosed with Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, and help her family with the costs and emotional toll associated with helping her cope with the disease.

Lynns fight against cancer is ongoing and remains an enormous challenge, but she has improved enough to return to school, and after a prolonged absence is again running around on the playground with her friends and doing the normal things an eight-year-old girl does. Because of that improvement, The Willow Project is looking to help other Greenwich families who are fighting childhood cancer.

The Willow Project is putting together its second annual Indian Summer Childrens Festival, to take place Sunday, Sept. 30, at Audubon Greenwich.

We wanted to do this as an annual fundraiser, said Heather Brown, a friend of the family who is in charge of putting the event together. We want to see this go on and help other families  I dont think people realize what families go through when their child goes to the pediatrician and then all of a sudden the next day theyre up at Yale New Haven or in New York at Sloane Kettering and theyre getting the chemo treatment. It happens that quickly and people have to leave their job and their whole life turns around.

Brown saw the effects illness can have on a family up close as she watched Lynns mother, Cindy Moss, leave her job to care for her daughter, and the family, including Lynns father Rocco and her brother Rocky, move to another house so Lynn could have her own room for health purposes.

We started this to try and help them do all the things they were doing before and now wed like to keep that normalcy for other families, Brown said.

Organizers expected 200 people for last years festival and 700 attended, a number they are hoping to exceed on Sunday, which falls at the end of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Its perfect that they coincide, Moss said. We can raise a lot of awareness for childhood cancer while still having a fun event.

Lynns cancer is in remission and shes back in school. But there is always the fear of what each doctor visit could find. Moss said she and her family want to be able to help families going through the same thing they did.

Lynn must still endure strong chemotherapy treatments for the next 15 months. That means there are constant checks of her white blood cell count to make sure it doesnt get too low. She recently missed a whole week of school because of it.

I think shes starting to realize the impact of cancer and the medications and everything and how it makes her feel and look and shes recently been asking why did it happen to her, why is she different, why cant she be normal again, Moss said. I just try to rationalize it in a way and think that it happened for a reason. Shes always wanted to be a teacher and now she wants to be a pediatric oncology nurse. She loves children and maybe this happened because shes meant to have an impact and help children because she can understand what theyre going through.

Since returning to school in March, Lynn has been able to do many of the things she loves. Her hair is growing back in and she was able to go to summer camp, locally at Camp Seton and at Camp Rising Sun, which is for kids who have had pediatric cancer.

It was magical for her, Moss said. For camp it was amazing. She was going and meeting new friends and no one knows her history. Shes not known, as she says, as the sick kid. She was able to go and just be a normal kid and it was empowering to her. They could talk about it there or they could not but these kids all had a connection that I dont even have with her and a lot of the counselors there have had cancer themselves and went through the camp. She had an amazing summer.

With more than a year left in Lynns treatment, Moss said she tries to take things day by day. And part of that has been focusing on The Willow Projects work and Sundays festival.

From noon to 4 p.m., the day will offer live music, face painting, hip hop dancing a scavenger hunt and other childrens events, plus beer and wine tastings for adults inside the Audubons newly renovated barn. There will be food trucks on hand as well.

This is the perfect place for what we want to do, Lynns mother Cindy Moss said.

The proceeds from the event will go to help local families get through the same kinds of situations that Lynns family has had to face head on throughout her ordeal. Moss said one of the families who will receive help from the festival will be that of of Steven Sudell, a 14-year-old Greenwich resident who is battling cancer.

At the festival, the Sudell family will be given a $5,000 check.

Tickets are on sale for $25 prior to Sunday and will be $30 at the door. Kids three and under will be able to get in free. Tickets can be purchased online at www.thewillowproject.org where people also can find out more about the community fund, which is a subsidiary of the 501(c)3 organization the Innovadores Foundation.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.comCulture wars!

Its plain that the Republican candidate for governor of Connecticut is running a disembodied, two-note campaign for election.

Bob Stefanowskis TV ads are keeping up the drumbeat, though the money he was spurting all spring has dried to a heavy trickle, while two political action committees, which by law are prohibited contact with his campaign, are picking up the slack. Yes, its convenient.

His out-of-state advisers are certainly keeping the candidate on-message, as they say in Virginia and Kansas.

Dan Malloy/Ned Lamont ... Cut taxes, is virtually all Stefanowski says. When questioned further, he says that every other issue is peripheral to the state economy, and thus a waste of time for this corporate executive who thinks government can be run like a business, and that he can pick and choose what he wants to tell the voters.

Since hes never run for office, Stefanowski has virtually no public-service record. After a $2.2 million loan to his campaign, Stefanowski seems reticent to invest more cash, so hes deep into shaking the tree for contributions from Republicans who might be asking themselves how rich this great-GOP-hope actually is.

His public appearances and availability to pesky reporters have been limited to the two debates with Democrat Ned Lamont and a few brief, on-the-fly news conferences. Lamont, a traditional campaigner, does several campaign events a week and actually responds to reporters.

Lamont has experience as a Greenwich selectman, the town finance board and the state pension board.

He was closely vetted by reporters during the 2006 U.S. Senate race, where he beat Americas Scold, U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary before losing in the fall, when the Scold ran as an independent. Lamont was also scrutinized during his 2010 primary run for governor, won by Malloy.

Lamont is regularly in the field with Susan Bysiewicz, his lieutenant governor running mate from Middletown, who has been a member of the state House of Representatives and was secretary of the state.

If they win, shell likely advise Lamont on legislative strategy and procedures.

Bysiewicz can be called a political opportunist. While secretary of the state in 2010, she got into some brief PR trouble after using the email address of businesses owners to dial for campaign dollars, but was found to have not broken the law.

She tried to run for attorney general in 2010, but the state Supreme Court ruled she did not have enough time practicing law. This year she was going to run for governor, but yielded to Lamont and was nominated for lieutenant governor.

If Stefanowski wins, state Sen. Joe Markley will be his number two. And since Stefanowski seems to have no opinions on anything other than the economy, its reasonable to expect that Markley, with an articulate, wicked sense of humor, a deep knowledge of history, and libertarian/ultra-con proclivities, will be Stefanowskis top aide on everything else.

So what if everything else has some kind of effect on the budget and therefore the economy? Even culture wars have economic implications.

And Markley, who did not return several calls this week, has a public record.

Back in 2013, he proposed legislation that would eliminate the state mandate requiring fluoride in the public drinking water. I always think of the Sterling Hayden character of Gen. Jack D. Ripper in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, when I think of this bill.

This year he voted against a ban on rifles with bump stocks, the kind of weapon that was used in the Las Vegas music-festival massacre.

Markley voted against a law this year that protected health benefits for hundreds of thousands of state residents in the Affordable Care Act under a Republican siege in Washington.

Markey was the lone senator to vote against the pay-equity bill, which also became law, to help women finally, maybe, get paid at the same rate as men for the same jobs.

He and four other Republican senators voted against allowing the states Dreamers, those foreign-born brought here illegally as kids, access to the institutional aid at state colleges that is paid for by their own fees. That also became law.

He was one of two in the Senate who voted this year against a plan for climate change resiliency.

He voted against protections for senior citizens who contract for reverse mortgages.

Markley was the lone Senate vote against the so-called affirmative consent rule  the yes-means-yes bill  on campus sex assault, which became law. He voted against a bill, now law, which removes firearms from gun owners who are subject to temporary restraining orders.

There are other issues that voters should be interested in as well. And for those of you who say the lieutenant governor is a mostly symbolic position whose claim to fame is presiding over the Senate, may I present to you former Gov. M. Jodi Rell?

Ken Dixon, political editor and columnist, can be reached at 860-549-4670 or at kdixon@ctpost.com. Visit him at twitter.com/KenDixonCT and on Facebook at kendixonct.hearst.NEW YORK - President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "quite soon," expressing optimism that his efforts to negotiate a denuclearization deal are still on track.

Trump told reporters here at the U.N. General Assembly that the talks are "moving very well" and that the two sides are making "tremendous progress," even though he had abruptly canceled a visit from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Pyongyang earlier this month.

"We have many things in store," Trump said. He noted Kim had sent him a letter requesting a second meeting. "We'll be doing that," he said.

Trump has alternated between optimism and frustration since his historic June summit with Kim in Singapore, where the two sides announced plans to work toward a general goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. But that agreement lacked details, and the Trump administration has grown impatient with the Kim regime's lack of engagement.

U.S. intelligence agencies have said that North Korea, which has not tested a ballistic missile since agreeing to the summit months ago, continues to work on technical advancements in its nuclear arsenal in secret.

But the tone has warmed again since Kim met last week with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who made his first visit to Pyongyang. Moon said Kim pledged to work toward denuclearization by 2021, which would mark the end of Trump's first term.

Trump's remarks marked a sharp shift since a year ago, when he used his maiden speech at the United Nations to warn North Korea over its nuclear program and said Kim was on a "suicide mission."

"Since we got here, it's a different world," Trump said Monday. "This is one year later, a very different time."

Trump is scheduled to meet with Moon on Monday afternoon to discuss security and trade issues.LVIV, Ukraine - When they first arrived in Lviv, a university rector told me, the students who came from Donetsk walked around in packs, speaking loudly in Russian. They didn't want to speak Ukrainian, as most inhabitants of this city do; they didn't want to integrate. Lviv is in western Ukraine, near the Polish border. Donetsk, hundreds of miles to the east, has been occupied by Russian-backed "separatists" since the Russian invasion in 2014. The new students were "internally displaced persons" - refugees in their own country.

But that first year ended, and the second year was different. By the third year, the rector told me, the students from western Ukraine and the students from eastern Ukraine were nearly indistinguishable - and they aren't alone. Four years have now passed since the invasion, and the 1.5 million Ukrainians displaced by the war are coping better than might be expected. Most of those who are of working age have jobs. The majority say they trust their neighbors.

The integration of the Donetsk refugees into schools and communities in the central and western parts of the country is also part of a broader story: the integration of the war into the consciousness of Ukrainians. Although it's no longer on front pages, the Russian-Ukrainian war continues. One of the Russian-backed separatist leaders was killed in a bomb attack in August. Skirmishes take place most days, and soldiers on both sides die most weeks; there have been more than 10,000 casualties since 2014. Some of Lviv's baroque churches have chapels dedicated to the victims.

Slowly, the never-ending conflict is altering attitudes here, leading to what a perceptive Atlantic Council report has called "the geopolitical divorce of the century": the separation of two countries that have been part of the same empire for centuries. Trade between Ukraine and Russia, whose economies have been intertwined since the Middle Ages, has plunged, replaced in Ukraine by trade with Europe and the rest of the world. India, not Russia, is now the largest buyer of Ukrainian food. Ancient religious links between the two countries are dying too: The Ukrainian Orthodox Churchhas now formally split from Moscow. Even personal ties are fading: With travel now limited by bans on direct flights between the two countries, Ukrainians are less likely to live and work in Russia, and more likely to go to Poland instead.

Russian cultural influence, once all-powerful, is also disappearing, partly thanks to official decisions. Ukrainian radio stations - like those in Canada or France - are required to play a certain percentage of Ukrainian-origin songs, and many Russian state television stations are banned on the grounds that they carry war propaganda. Some want to go further: Foolishly, the regional legislature in Lviv last week declared it wanted to ban all Russian books and music, a measure that no one in this profoundly bilingual country will be able to enforce. Russian books were readily available at shops, at street stalls and at the city's annual Book Forum last week. I asked my own Ukrainian-language publisher what she thought of the ban. She texted back a single word: "Crazy."

These petty, discriminatory measures are an expression of frustration with a war that doesn't end. They are also pointless, because a more profound, tectonic shift is already underway. Thanks to the war, and to their anger at its perpetrators, Ukrainians themselves are choosing to speak Ukrainian - more say they do every year. Thanks to the war, the different regions of this vast country are drawing more closely together. Many complain that the war also gives Ukrainian politicians an excuse not to do things, not to make the radical economic and legal reforms that the country still needs. But thanks to the war, more Ukrainians also identify themselves as "European," in opposition to Russia, and more Ukrainians understand that this "Europeanness" means they need to be vocal and organized in their desire for change.

It is ironic that the Russian invasion, originally intended to punish Ukraine's Western-oriented government, has pushed the country in a dramatically different direction. It's also a reminder that the supposed strategic gifts of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, are in fact very limited. His interference in Ukraine has made a once-friendly neighboring country into an enemy. His efforts to unite "Russian-speaking peoples" into a Eurasian bloc persuaded thousands of people to stop speaking Russian. And, of course, his interference in the U.S. election has produced more paranoia about Russia in the United States, and more opposition to Russia, than we've seen in half a century. Ukraine is an excellent reminder of how violence can have unexpected consequences - and of how a short-term victory can lead to a longer-term defeat.GREENWICH  A lawsuit filed by the parents of a Greenwich teenager who died of an overdose, against a drug manufacturer, has been dismissed on procedural grounds.

Laurence and Michelle Allen sued the makers of Suboxone, which had been prescribed for their son to treat a previous addiction to painkillers. The lawsuit against Indivior Inc. was filed in the in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of New York, located in Syracuse.

A judge there ruled recently that the lawsuit was not in the proper venue, and said it should have been filed in Connecticut. Judge Brenda K. Sannes dismissed the suit brought by the Allen family.

Bradley Allen was a college student who began taking painkillers after a car accident in 2010, and he became hooked on pills. Allen was prescribed Suboxone, a common treatment protocol for opioid addiction. When the Suboxone prescription ran out, according to court papers, Allen acquired heroin and died of an overdose in early 2014.

The lawsuit was filed in early 2017. Laurence Allen declined comment on the lawsuit and the recent dismissal, and he has not provided a rationale why the suit was filed in New York.

In dismissing the case, the federal judge stated, The court concludes that venue is not proper in this district.

The judge noted, The complaints only express reference to New York is the allegation that decedent was a successful college student who was in the midst of an investment banking internship ... at a private equity advisement firm located in the State of New York. 

The lawsuit claimed Indivior had demonstrated negligence, liability and a failure to warn patients of the drugs side effects. The suit was dismissed without delving into any of those issues.

The state of Connecticut has a three-year deadline for products liability claims following death or injury, so the statute of limitations could preclude another lawsuit from being filed.

Lawsuits against big pharmaceutical companies who make pain-reducing medications, brought by state governments and individuals, have been increasing in frequency.

Laurence Allen has also worked on other efforts to fight opioid addiction, besides the recent lawsuit. The Allen Research Endowment, a nonprofit organization he founded, is promoting a range of initiatives.

Our mission is to save lives of persons with opioid-related addiction and other complex diseases through a comprehensive approach focused on the development of new medical technologies, faith-based education and public policy, according to the foundation website.

rmarchant@greenwichtime.comHistorian and retired Havre High School history teacher Jim Magera talks Friday in Havre Inn and Suites about Havre at the turn of the 19th century. Magera's presentation, the last in the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum Board Summer Speaker Series, was held during Havre Festival Days after the dedication of Mural Park at the mural depiction of Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump at the hotel. See photos of the mural and dedication at www.havredailynews.com/.

People heard about an entirely different town from 100 years ago during the final presentation of the H. Earl Clack Summer Speaker Series.

Historian and retired Havre High School history teacher Jim Magera regaled attendees with tales of an enormous military fort, homesteaders flooding into eastern Montana, gangs robbing banks, liquor flowing north and south across the Canadian border during prohibition and the local Klu Klux Klan making contributions to society.

The presentation came after the dedication of Mural Park at Havre Inn and Suites. The park includes a mural of Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump crafted by Medicine Hat, Alberta, artist Jim Marshall.

See photos of the park dedication at http://www.havredailynews.com/.

After the dedication, Magera presented "Havre at the Turn of the Century," a description of the history of the area leading up to what was here 100 years ago and a talk about what was happening around 1920.

Magera said he created a local history component for the Havre High students, researching what the stories were in the area. He tied that component into the theme for this year's Festival Days, saying people have to know where they came from.

"When we have our roots, we can spread our branches," Magera said,

He thanked several Havreites, now all deceased, who helped him learn the local history. Magera named Northern Montana College, now Montana State University-Northern professors Harrison Lane and Lou Hagener and Hagener's wife, Antoinette "Toni" Hagener, and local historians Gary Wilson and Robby Lucke, as people who made great contributions to detailing local history.

The railroad, the fort and homesteading

Magera talked about the primary factors leading up to the settlement of the area as the creation of Fort Assinniboine - he talked about different spellings of the word, the U.S. fort, Assinniboine, the name of the tribe for which it is named, Assiniboine, and the name of a Canadian fort, Assinaboine - and James J. Hill bringing the railroad through in 1887.

The fort, which was created at the end of the Indian Wars following the defeat of the Seventh Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the defeat of the Nez Perce at the Battle of the Bear Paws, was enormous, Magera said.

The fort's reservation was originally 1,000 square miles, 740,000 acres, and ran from the Milk River to where Loma now is and east to Cow Island. The federal government soon reduced its size, but it was still enormous at 240,000 acres, Magera said.

He talked about John "Black Jack" Pershing, who was a lieutenant at the fort and later was the commanding general of Allied Forces in World War I. Pershing was at the fort twice, but kept getting pulled back east even when he wanted to be here, Magera said.

When the fort was decommissioned, people wanted to use it for homesteading - the homesteaders had filled most of the non-reservation land - but the government had been looking for a home for the bands of Chippewa and Cree that had been homeless in the state and President Woodrow Wilson offered a deal - the land would be opened to homestading but part of it would be used to create Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation.

That topic led to a question answered by Magera - why is it Rocky Boy's reservation but Stone Child College?

Magera said that was due to a mistranslation of the Chippewa chief's name - his name, Stone Child, a name of honor and significance, was mistranslated to the similar Rocky Boy.

Magera said the homesteading really took off during the early part of the last century, with more than a million people, attracted by incentives from the railroad and a period of good weather, coming to eastern Montana.

World War I also helped in a way - in 1916, wheat was selling for $3.50 a bushel, he said.

Then the war ended, and the weather turned.

Magera said that, of those million homesteaders, 80 percent failed.

He said that at one point, a man brought in 48 black families to settle in Box Elder. Three years later, their farms had failed and they all left.

Homestead versus cowtown

Magera said at that time, it was easy to distinguish what was a homestead town instead of a cowtown - if it had as many churches as it did bars.

"I think we're still trying to keep that even," he added.

He said the local towns had their own skyscrapers - "We call them grain elevators" - and had schools, banks and newspapers along with their stores.

And the area was full of people. While it included what would later be carved off into Liberty County, in 1914 Hill County had 30,000 residents, Magera said. In 2000, it had 18,000.

Crime and the KKK

Havre had always had a reputation of being a tough town, back when it was just Bullhook Bottoms, the location of the Great Northern Railway station where Bullhook flowed into the Milk River.

Magera said prohibition didn't slow that reputation down. In 1915, Saskatchewan went "dry" - prohibited sale and drinking of alcohol - and a major business started sending alcohol north.

Then, Nov. 19, 1916, Montana passed both women's suffrage and prohibition - and alcohol started flowing south.

Magera told one tale of law enforcement breaking into a bar - but all the patrons had fled under the tunnels beneath the streets, going past a still in the process.

Magera added that local law enforcement officers were not fools - the next time they came up through the tunnels.

A major business and distribution system developed in Canada, with sites set up for liquor runners to camp and even be fed - paying the Canadian farmers and ranchers in part of the booze take.

Magera said 12 percent Canadian beer was sent down in barrels, wholesaling for $20. It sold in the United States for $144.

"That's a pretty good markup," he said.

Magera said a carload of beer and whiskey gave about a $2,500 profit - more if the person bringing it in had their own saloon.

Havre Daily News/Tim Leeds

And the area had its own gang, as well.

Magera said The Havre Gang was reputed to have robbed multiple banks - often wrongfully accused, but it did rob banks all over the state.

The only local bank it robbed was in Gildford, he said. That was after the bank owner, a men's Christain temperance political candidate, started campaigning against alcohol.

And Hill County had its own chapter of the Klu Klux Klan, Magera said - primarily evidenced by newspaper stories about the Klan making charitable donations. He said the story is, however, that the Klan used to burn crosses on the hill on the southeast end of town, near where Glo-Ed is now. People all through the town could see the burning crosses, he said.Furthermore, over 2.5 million workers have taken out a payday loan to meet these financial demands, highlighting the growing amount of debt everyday Australians possess.

Millennials are most inclined to seek payday loans, with over a third (37%) taking out a loan, compared to Gen X (26%) and Baby Boomers (10%).

It also found that one million workers look for added benefits that enable them to save money when weighing up a new job, with millennials most likely to be influenced by an employers benefits on offer.

Ben Thompson, founder and CEO for Employment Hero, said Australias wage price index has trended steadily down over the last decade, impacting directly on employees standards of living.

Thompson added that technology has allowed us to spend anytime and anywhere, but it hasnt given us access to our own money any quicker. Instead, Australians have slowly taken on more debt through loans and credit.Greg Lynch was seen at his grandfathers funeral last week

Convicted drugs trafficker Greg Lynch made a rare public appearance to mourn his grandfather Jack last week.

Photos, obtained by the Sunday World, show Lynch looking in better health than ever outside the Augustinian Church on Thomas Street last Thursday morning.

Dressed in a white shirt and black tie, Lynch was in one of the six limousines hired for the funeral, which made its way past his old stomping ground of Oliver Bond flats towards Palmerstown Cemetery.

Lynch, who once ran the Kinahan cartel's operations in the south inner city, still bears the scars from an assassination attempt five years ago which was blamed on Ballymun criminal Derek 'Bottler' Devoy.

Godfather

However, the Sunday World reports that gardai now believe his attempted murder was part of top-secret "dark ops" sanctioned by his one-time friend, mob boss Daniel Kinahan.

Lynch has been lying low and has pulled away from all his old comrades in the gang in the past few years after gardai believe he learned the truth of his brush with death.

Lynch's father Gerard 'Bra' Brady was once a close pal of godfather Christy Kinahan, who lived in the Oliver Bond flats for years, while Greg grew up with Daniel and his brother Christopher Jnr.

Senior gardai believe Lynch was meant to be killed the day he was shot in the face outside a north Dublin pub in October 2013 and that it was a miracle he survived.

As Lynch recovered from his injuries, his cartel associates told him they had established that drug dealer 'Bottler' Devoy was responsible as he was hoping to muscle in on his turf. As a direct result, gardai believe, his brother 'Mad' Mickey Devoy was murdered in January 2015.

For months, associates of Lynch were convinced they had got the right man when they killed Devoy. However, it's understood that after the Regency Hotel attack and the split in the Kinahan gang, Lynch was told that it was his own who had tried to kill him.

He was told that 'Fat' Freddie Thompson, another of his childhood friends, had taken against him for becoming close to a female associate.

He went to Daniel Kinahan and asked for permission to take out Lynch, and it is believed he sanctioned the hit, although it is unclear why he would allow the removal of one of his best dealers.Willian Voelz was one of 14 Brazilians sharing the house

A student who claimed that more than 300 worth of cannabis and ecstasy found under his bed was "planted" there has been found guilty of possession of drugs.

Willian Voelz (21) was one of 14 Brazilians sharing a house that was raided by gardai when the drugs were found.

He was out at the time and insisted someone else must have put them there, but Judge John Lindsay convicted him and fined him 100.

He was acquitted of a related charge of having the drugs for sale or supply after the judge ruled there was no evidence.

Voelz had denied having the drugs at his address at Summerhill in the north inner city.

Dublin District Court heard gardai searched the three-floor building on June 5 last year. Eleven tenants were present, but the accused was not.

Locker

Gda Cathal Feely searched a second-floor room with four beds. In a locker by Voelz's bed he found five tablets and cannabis resin. Under the bed were two storage boxes containing more cannabis.

Gda Wayne Carey agreed with barrister Joseph Mulrean, defending, that gardai had been "looking for someone else" and Voelz was not on their radar.

It was "unfortunately not unusual in present day Ireland that quite a number of people would be living in one house", Mr Mulrean said.

The garda did not accept that someone else in the house could have planted the drugs.

Voelz insisted that when he went out that day there was nothing except his suitcase with souvenirs in it under his bed.

He left no drugs, knew no- thing about them and was not a drug user, he said.

The drugs were "planted", and he did not know who put them there, but someone might have heard the officers knocking and panicked.The wife of a man critically ill in hospital after he was injured by a scrambler bike now fears she could be made homeless as she prays for "a miracle to save my husband".

Anzhela Kotsinian (43) has been holding a bedside vigil for her husband Ilabek Avetian since June after he suffered catastrophic injuries when a scrambler bike landed on his head as the pair sunbathed in Darndale Park, north Dublin.

The Irish public has helped raise more than 36,000 via a GoFundMe page to help Anzhela, originally from Armenia, stay in Ireland to remain at Ilabek's bedside at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

Emergency

However, Anzhela could become homeless, as the temporary accommodation where the couple had been staying will not be available to her for much longer.

She is in the process of appealing for help from Dublin City Council to find a home and to the Department of Social Protection for income support, to allow her to continue visiting her husband.

However, there's grave concern that despite the seriousness of her and Ilabek's situation, there may be no support available other than a hotel or emergency accommodation, due to the homelessness and housing crisis.

"I need a home, somewhere that I can stay without feeling I will have to leave it," Anzhela said. "I have a lot of paperwork to fill out but I am extremely worried I won't get anywhere to live. I know about the homeless situation in Ireland and how hard it is to find a home.

"But I need help to be able to stay here and to visit Ilabek.

"I want to stay in Ireland, to be with my husband - that's all that matters to me."

The former teacher is also clinging to the hope that some of the money raised by the public might one day go toward her husband's treatment if it's possible to transport him to undergo brain surgery abroad.

There is no evidence to suggest any surgery could be a success, as the medical prognosis for Ilabek - who has suffered a severe brain injury and lost his left eye - is bleak, but Anzhela is refusing to give up.

"Nobody can say what will happen because his situation isn't improving," Anzhela said.

"It's a brain injury, he's very weak but I want to meet with a neurologist.

"I have heard of brain operations in the US and Germany but they cost more than 100,000 and I don't have that kind of money, and I don't know if it would work for Ilabek.

"But the way I feel is, I want to try everything to help my husband, I won't just give up on him, I have hope. I want a miracle to save him."

Anzhela, who was lying down on the grass with her husband sunbathing when the bike landed on them, had only moved to Dublin a little over a month before tragedy struck.

Ilabek had been resting his head on her legs when the bike landed on his head as it drove over a hill, causing devastating brain injuries and also breaking Anzhela's pelvis.

He had been the sole breadwinner, working as a roofer in Dublin, before the incident.

She had relied on his income while they made a plan for her to apply for work and gain a long-term visa.

Generosity

In June, shortly after Ilabek was injured, Anzhela said she was asked by a doctor if she would allow for life support to be turned off.

"If I gave up on my husband, I could never forgive myself, because I know he wouldn't want me to give up. He'd want me to try everything first," she said.

Anzhela said she no longer felt "alone" thanks to the generosity of the Irish public, who have donated and written hundreds of touching messages.

"People in Ireland have no idea how much stronger they have made me," she said.

A garda spokesman said: "A juvenile male was arrested on August 8 in relation to the incident and later released. A file is expected to be prepared for the DPP. Investigations are ongoing."

A Dublin City Council spokeswoman said: "We have numerous services and options available for anyone at risk of becoming homeless. If Ms Kotsinian could ring, one of our staff will discuss her options."Former EastEnders star Danniella Westbrook has said she will undergo a hysterectomy as she has been diagnosed with cancer of the womb.

The actress and reality TV star, whose battle with substance abuse issues has been highly publicised over the years, said she does not want to die and that she is determined to get better - but that she took cocaine to cope with the news initially.

Scared

Westbrook (44) said that her thoughts turned to her late friend Jade Goody, who died in 2009 from cervical cancer.

"I've always said I am not scared of dying," she said.

"But when the doctor said, 'You have cancer', straight away my thoughts turned to Jade and that I don't want to die.

"I know I need to fight," she added.

Westbrook said her mother was diagnosed with womb cancer 30 years ago and that she is "still here" thanks to undergoing treatment, and that she will follow suit.

"They are taking me in in three weeks for a full hysterectomy. Before they take it out they won't know to what extent the cancer has grown," she added.

Westbrook said her doctors believe the cancer is "containable, so I'm hopeful".

Westbrook, who rose to fame in the 1990s playing Samantha Mitchell in EastEnders, said the cancer was diagnosed by a doctor in Spain, where she lives, after weeks of heavy bleeding and feeling unwell.

She said she was told by doctors the cancer was "behind the uterus wall and that's why it's not being detected".

She then returned to the UK where she said a doctor in London confirmed the disease.

Numb

Westbrook said that she partied in Spain for two days after hearing the news, where she "used cocaine" because "I wanted to numb everything and get drunk", something she said she now regrets.

In 2016, she relapsed into taking drugs following her successful stint in Celebrity Big Brother due to a bout of ill-health.

Last year, mother-of-two Westbrook said she had suffered a miscarriage, and that it was one of several over the years.Police and emergency services at the scene of the London Bridge terror attack last year

An Irish woman who admits she was radicalised after converting to Islam has claimed that there are up to 150 Islamic extremists living in Ireland.

A Virgin Media One documentary with Paul Williams called Ireland's Jihadis, to be broadcast on Wednesday night, lifts the lid on the presence of Islamic extremism in Ireland and questions whether it poses a threat to national security and to our neighbours in Europe.

The programme focuses on the dramatic claims made by 'Aaliyah' - not her real name - who converted to Islam when she moved to live in the UK, claiming to have been influenced by the 9/11 attacks, before being radicalised there.

Mr Williams also interviews leading Irish and UK experts and survivors of the London Bridge attack, which happened on June 3 last year and claimed the lives of eight innocent people.

During the frenzied Saturday night attack, which left a further 48 people seriously injured, a van ploughed through pedestrians walking on the bridge before three terrorists - Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba - ran through the nearby Borough Market randomly stabbing people out socialising.

The three attackers were shot dead by armed police eight minutes after the incident began.

The programme will tell how the follow-up investigation uncovered evidence which, for the first time, established a direct link between Ireland and IS-inspired terrorism in the UK, when it was discovered that one of the attackers, Rachid Redouane, had been living in Ireland.

Redouane, a Moroccan-born pastry chef, had been denied asylum in the UK multiple times and had been arrested in 2009 boarding a ferry to Belfast using a false passport and name.

Despite his record, Redouane was able to move to Ireland in 2012, where he married his English partner and was granted residency status - which meant he could live in the UK.

The programme will examine how Islamist terrorists are using Ireland as a safe haven where they can hide out, radicalise recruits and raise funds through criminal rackets.

It also suggests Ireland is being used as a back door into the UK and Europe.

The programme hears from a number of international security experts, a former spy and a leading Muslim cleric.

Haven

Irish academic Dr Ed Burke, who specialises in insurgency, terrorism and security at the University of Nottingham, also believes that Ireland is seen as a safe haven for terrorists.

"I think once they get to Dublin there's a sense and awareness among Islamist extremists that the heat is off to some extent," he said.

"The awareness that Ireland isn't a first-class security infrastructure State is known by Islamist extremist networks, that we are stretched and don't have the same type of intelligence capability as other European countries."Nearly 30m was spent on commercial hotels for homeless families in the first half of the year as the crisis continued to spiral.

Dublin City Council (DCC) has said the total spend on emergency accommodation will be even higher than last year.

A total of 29,324,221 was spent up until the end of June this year, and more than 59m was spent last year.

Last year's spend was 12m more than in 2016, despite the then Housing Minister Simon Coveney declaring a deadline for all families to be out of emergency accommodation by July 2017.

The figures show that spending on hotels and B&Bs rose from 13,727,346 in 2014 to nearly 60m in 2017.

While DCC expects the figure for this year to drop slightly, the overall spend on accommodating homeless families is on the rise again as it includes family hubs.

There has also been an increase in the number of homeless families.

"The provision of hubs has reduced reliance on hotels and commercial B&Bs and the cost of same should be lower in 2018 than in 2017," a spokeswoman for DCC said.

"However, the overall cost of emergency accommodation in 2018 (commercial properties, hubs, supported transition accommodation and hostels for singles) will be higher because there has been a continuing increase in demand (new presentations) during this year."

The spokeswoman added that hubs are considered emergency accommodation and are expensive to run.

Independent councillor Christy Burke said the numbers would continue to increase.

The former Lord Mayor called for high-level staff from DCC and the Department of Housing to come under one roof and work together to solve the crisis.

Millionaires

"It's increasing and all we're doing is making millionaires out of hotel and B&B owners," he said.

In June, the Herald revealed that almost 100 different hotels were still being used by the council for emergency accommodation.

A spokesman for the Department of Housing said: "The rate of homeless presentations continues to increase, al- beit at a slower pace compared to 2017 and an increased provision was secured for this purpose.

"Minister Eoghan Murphy has also provided additional accommodation through the provision of hubs and there are additional operational costs for these 500 family units."

The Peter McVerry Trust revealed last week that the homelessness crisis has taken hold outside urban areas and has become a rural issue too.

"I think we're starting to see the housing pressure move outside the cities and into the commuter belt and rural areas," a spokesman said.

"The mortgage arrears problem looks like it will be a bigger issue for rural Ireland. As a percentage of all residential mortgages in arrears, it's the rural counties leading the way."

The charity claimed that rural homelessness has increased by 30pc on last year and now stands at 1,200 people.

It said it was growing at such a pace that it would become a major issue as services did not exist there.Ann Blount runs a 350-acre farm with cows and goats, along with her 25-year-old daughter and 91-year-old mother.

Beyond the farm, Blount was also named the 2018 Woman of the Year in Agriculture. This is the 34th year of the the award, and it will be presented to her at the 2019 Florida State Fair in Tampa, Florida, in February.

Blount, a UF professor of agronomy and plant breeding, said she was shocked to hear she won the award. She said shed always done her work because shes passionate about it.

A lot of people dont know what agronomy is, Blount, 64, said. But, its probably the backbone of agriculture in the United States.

She grew up on farm in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. There, she said, she developed a love for genetic diversity in crops such as tomatoes and papayas.

Spending the majority of her life in agriculture influenced Blount to pursue an education in the field, where she pursued a masters and doctorate degree at UF and would eventually live on a farm of her own, she said.

The island needed an agronomist, so they suggested thats what I studied, Blount said.

Ken Quesenberry, Blounts mentor and a UF agronomy professor, said hes been impressed with Blount since he first met her 30 years ago when she was a UF student pursuing her masters degree.

After she graduated from UF, Quesenberry said she continued to work in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences with him on research programs and assignments for 20 years.

When Quesenberry found out Blount was nominated for the program, he was delighted to see she was selected for the honor.

Shes always been a great mentor for the grad students shes involved in her program, Quesenberry said.

Glen Aiken, the UF IFAS North Florida Research and Education center director and Blounts supervisor, said it wasnt hard to write the letter that formally nominated Blount for the award because he said he only had positive things to say about her.

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Shes passionate about her job. Her friends really appreciate her. Shes got a really good heart, Aiken said.

Even though Blount is the sole winner of the award, she said its important to realize that agriculture is a team effort.

The best part of this job is Ive made lifelong friends with the producers, Blount said. Its great, the agricultural community."

Contact Dana Cassidy at dcassidy@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @danacassidy_

Ann Blount at a trip to northern Argentina.Students can earn free goodies for their civic activism on Tuesday.

In honor of National Voter Registration Day, several organizations are hosting events across town to encourage people to register to vote.

Gators Vote Everywhere has partnered with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, Gators for Underrepresented Voters and the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections to host a campus-wide effort to register students to vote, said Jenna Tingum, a UF statistics junior and team leader for Gators Vote Everywhere.

From 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., organizations will table across campus in places including Pugh Hall, Marston Science Library and Lawrence W. Tyree Library at Santa Fe College. Students can register to vote, request absentee ballots and update registration forms, she said.

There will be prizes to incentivize students to sign up for election reminders and pledge to vote. Prizes include an ENO hammock, tickets to the High Dive, tickets for two shows at the Hippodrome State Theatre, a Sweet Dreams gift certificate and a Satchel's Pizza gift card, Tingum said.

We want students to understand the importance of their vote and their voice in our democracy, the 20-year-old said.

Michelle Stein, a 22-year-old UF political science senior, is already registered to vote in Alachua County, but she plans to attend the on campus event to encourage her friends to register too.

Im very passionate about voting and believe its the easiest way for people to participate in the political process without being elected members of government, she said.

Santa Fe College Student Government is also hosting a candidate forum in the Fine Arts Hall Lobby from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., said 20-year-old Santa Fe Student Body President, Alejandro Puga. Candidates running for Alachua County Commission District 2, Florida State House District 21, and Florida State Senate District 8 will answer questions from voters.

There are two candidates from each district confirmed to come to the forum, Puga said.

This forum will give the chance for students to hopefully take elections seriously and realize that whoever is elected into office will vote and push for policies that will affect us all, he said.

Contact McKenna Beery at mbeery@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @mckennabeery

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Bob Graham Center for Public Service student fellows Priya Amilineni (right) and Dalia Figueredo (center) register a student to vote during the July 19 voter registration event in coordination with the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections.A man wearing a bloody shirt told police he didnt shoot a man bleeding outside his home, Gainesville Police said.

Steven Christopher James, 51, of Gainesville, is accused of shooting a man for lurking around his home and kicking him while he bled, according to an arrest report. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder and possession of a gun as a felon.

After coming home from work, James stepson noticed two men hiding behind the tractor in his driveway early Friday morning and called police. He also called his mother, who was inside the house with James.

The stepson saw James chase and fight one of the men, the report said.

Once the stepson got out of his car, he heard a loud pop, the report said.

The man shot was taken to UF Health Shands Hospital, police said. Hospital staff told police he had gunshot wounds in the head, cheek and shoulder.

James denied leaving the house, the report said.

Police found a bullet near the front door, a blood-stained pair of pants, a blood-stained pair of jean shorts, a bloody tissue and several boxes of ammunition, the report said.

A bloody gun was hidden in a childs pink Timberland boot, police said.

The man shot told police he was on James property with a friend, but denied doing anything wrong.

He said James shot, beat and kicked him, the report said.

James is held in Alachua County Jail without bond.

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Contact Amanda Rosa at arosa@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @AmandaNicRosaAll gave some; some gave all. Here's how to honor veterans this year

localKailey Hart has had to be a little more frugal this semester.

Although she works part-time at PetSmart and has some leftover funds from summer, without her Bright Futures scholarship, its not enough to cover the necessities like rent, food and gas.

Hart, a 20-year-old UF zoology junior, hasnt lost her scholarship, but shes one of hundreds of students who have seen a delay in their financial aid disbursement as UF works to switch over to a new system.

Basically I've done everything right on my end, she said, and I still have to deal with complications, and that sucks.

UFs Office for Student Financial Affairs is converting hundreds of thousands of records and moving delivery of services into a new system called Compass, Campus-wide Modernization Program to Advance Student Services, a UF spokesperson Steve Orlando wrote in an email. In the meantime, the office has provided about 370 students with interim grants, totaling more than $550,000 to help with their expenses while they wait for their full financial aid to disburse.

The staff is working as fast as they can to get students their disbursements, Orlando said.

Not all of the delays were caused by the switch to the new system, some of them were the result of federal aid money arriving late, he said.

This time last year, only about 32 students were given interim grants, totaling $50,000, he said. The grants act as an advance on a students financial aid. When students receive their actual financial aid disbursement, UF will subtract the interim grant from the total.

The old system, ISIS, the Integrated Student Information System, dates back to the 1990s and ran on the UF Mainframe, which is more than 40 years old. UF Mainframe runs on old technology that limits UFs ability to respond to innovative academic offerings and to enhance the student experience, Orlando said. The new system costs $23 million.

The office is focused on responding to the needs of students and the campus community with emphasis on delivering aid to students as quickly as possible, Orlando said.

The staff has been challenged because it is taking time to get used to the new setup, Orlando said. In addition, the staff has to work in two systems at the same time until the implementation is completed, which will be in December.

We have worked hard to reduce the impact on students with the interim grants, Orlando said.

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Contact McKenna Beery at mbeery@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @mckennabeerySix Asian elephants were waving their trunks at an audience of hundreds Saturday for the Seventh Annual Elephant Appreciation Day.

The event, which was hosted Saturday and Sunday at Two Tails Ranch in Williston, Florida, is a fundraiser for the care of for the facilitys animals. Over 2,700 people came out on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., said Patricia Zerbini, the owner of the ranch. It cost $10 per person to get into the event.

Growing up in the circus business, Zerbini, 54, said her passion for elephants began when she was 14 years old when her dad purchased several animals, including elephants.

My familys been working with exotics for nine generations, she said. My dad specialized in big cats, my grandfather in primates and I picked elephants.

For additional costs, visitors fed and rode elephants, which eat between 250-400 pounds of food per day.

There were also other animal enclosures for zebras and tigers. Over a dozen vendors sold food such as fried Oreos, tacos and hot dogs, and sold elephant-themed art and products featuring President Donald Trump.

Ashton Biodiversity Research and Preservation Institute had a newt, tortoise and snake for guests to touch and learn about at Two Tails Ranchs Seventh Annual Elephant Appreciation Day on Sunday.

Two Tails Ranch is an educational elephant care facility. It was founded in 1984, but has been providing up-close elephant encounters by appointment since 2009, according to its website.

For the first time in the events history, Zerbini said she had to hire security from the Levy County Sheriffs Office because animal rights activists threatened her via email, phone and Facebook.

The ranch has cared for over 300 elephants since opening in 1984, but she said it is not a sanctuary or rescue. She said theres a difference between animal welfare and animal rights and places herself in the welfare camp. She said she believes the goal of animal rights groups is to end all human-animal interaction.

Biker and cancer survivor Tim Dyson, 43, performs a freestyle motocross exhibition at Two Tails Ranch in Williston, Florida on Saturday. An 18-year veteran of motocross, Dyson has performed his aerial stunts for audiences in 32 countries.

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She said she doesnt force the animals to do things they dont want to do.

Not every elephant is going to do rides, not every elephant is going to be good with people, she said. Each one is going to have certain characteristics that youre going to pull from and have them do and perform.

Gemma, 4, won a plush pony, despite missing several shots in a balloon-popping carnival game.

Her father, Paul DeKeyser, 39, brought her and her grandparents from Orlando for the opportunity to interact with elephants.

We go to the Animal Kingdom in Orlando, but you just cant interact with the animals like you do at this place, he said.

Patricia Zerbini, 54, the proprietor of Two Tails Ranch, guides several of her elephants to a paddock where she then answered questions about the animals. Elephant Appreciation Days were held at the ranch on Saturday and Sunday in order to raise awareness of elephant welfare efforts, as well as fundraising for their care.The basics

Who are you voting for?

During Fall semesters, students will cast off ballots to elect 50 of the 100 Student Government senators. These seats are based on living areas including on-campus, off-campus and family housing. Those elected will serve a one-year term.

When can you vote?

The times to vote are between 8:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

Where can you vote?

You have to cast your vote in person at any of the following locations: Broward Recreation Room, Hough Hall Room 120, Health Science Center C2-41C, Jennings Hall Library, Levin College of Law BGH Student Commons, the computer labs on the second floor of the Marston Science Library, Murphree Conference Room, Norman Education Library, Reitz Union SG Print Lab, Springs Area Office Room C202 and Southwest Recreation Social Lounge. (See map on page 4)

How can you vote?

Students must have a photo ID to vote and know their UF ID number or have their Gator 1 Card when going to one of the above polling locations during the voting times.

The parties

Impact Party

August 2015 - Impact Party, which currently holds the executive office, was formed in August 2015 by former Access senator Chris Boyett, former Access senator Saneh Ste. Claire, former Swamp Party budget and appropriations chairwoman Susan Webster and former Swamp Party Director of External Affairs Blake Murphy.

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Boyett said the party was created to overcome Senate gridlock. At the time, Access Party held the executive ticket while senate was divided between Access and Swamp Party senators. Conflicts led to six of 13 agency head positions being left vacant for 105 days.

September 2015 - That Fall, Swamp Party didnt slate. The Senates president pro tempore, who was a party member, said some of their members wanted to move to Impact Party.

October 2015 - In the Fall elections, Impact, a then-new party, won 34 out of 50 seats. It was the most contentious election in a few cycles, with the previous elections having Swamp Party win nearly all seats unchallenged.

February 2016 - In the Spring, Impact Party won the executive ticket and 39 out of 50 senate seats.

September 2016- One year after a contentious election, in Fall 2016 Impact Party won 49 out of 50 seats and was unchallenged by another major party. The seat they lost went to an independent candidate. Similarly, in Spring 2017 Impact won the executive ticket and all but two senate seats.

September 2017 - After an unchallenged cycle, in Fall 2017 Impact Party faced up against Inspire Party and won 29 out of 50 senate seats.

January 2018 - The party lost some members of its leadership in the Spring, when Senate President Pro-Tempore Janae Moodie accused the party of tokenizing minorities and left to run for president under her own party, Challenge Party.

January 2018 - The elected treasurer, Revel Lubin, also disaffiliated with the party in Spring and ran with Inspire Party. He accused Impact of tokenizing minorities as well.

February 2018 - Despite the departure of some party members, Impact Party won the executive ticket and 36 of 50 senate seats. The elected executive ticket are the officials currently in place.

Inspire Party

August 2017 - Compared to Impact Party, Inspire Party is a younger group. Benjamin Lima, who was the party president, founded the group in Fall 2017 because he said he was unsatisfied with how the Student Body was being represented.

The party was founded on the pillars of accountability, transparency and inclusivity, Lima said. The party had members from both Access Party and Impact Party.

September 2017 - In that Falls elections, Inspire Party won 20 out of 50 senate seats.

February 2018 - That Spring, Inspire Party also lost a party member when Sen. Branden Pearson disaffiliated. Pearson had said the party prioritized its brand before students and tokenized minorities. In a Letter to the Editor, responding to the accusation, Inspire Party leadership denied the accusations and said the Pearson issue was about an individual.

February 2018 - Come elections, Inspire Party lost the executive ticket and won 14 of the 50 seats up for election. At the time, Lima said it wasnt possible to tell if Challenge Party, a party that had formed that Spring, split the vote.

Voting locations for the Student Government electionsWhen Narendra Modi took over as Indias Prime Minister in 2014, he had a vision of removing all formality and doing away with stiff diplomatic protocol while dealing with neighbours, including Pakistan. His idea was an extension of his successful campaign element chai pe charcha where the PM could take an impromptu flight to Dhaka, Kathmandu, Colombo or Islamabad and drop in to have a cuppa with his counterparts and sort out any irritants -- without diplomatic baggage. While he has been largely successful in pulling down diplomatic walls and promote bilateral ties with Thimpu, Dhaka, Kabul, Kathmandu and Colombo, Islamabad simply snubbed PM Modis December 2015 outreach with a terror attack on Pathankot air base. The piece of paper found in the vehicle carting the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists to Pathankot base clearly showed the attack was planned on December 25, 2016---the day PM Modi bravely dropped in at Lahore while en-route to Delhi from Kabul.

The fact is that, as much as PM Modi and his predecessors have tried to normalise ties with Islamabad, Pakistan remains stuck with its fantastic Kashmir obsession and has yet to come to terms with the 1947 partition. All efforts to normalize relations with it in the past have been shot down by either a brain-washed jihadist or by the K word. Despite having no locus standi in Kashmir, Pakistan covets the Muslim majority valley and believes that it can overthrow legitimate Indian rule through violent means. Pakistans administrators have repeatedly used the dialogue with India to gain domestic brownie points, showing off their extraordinary affection for Kashmiri people and their so-called struggle.

Islamabad earlier had the support of the US and other western countries in its Kashmir venture, but it is now evident to even its die-hard supporters that Pakistan is using jihadists to further its political aims in both Kashmir and Kabul. Hence, for the first time the US State Departments Country Reports on Terrorism 2017 mentions Jammu and Kashmir as a state of India. The report, released Tuesday, states that Islamabad failed to significantly limit Lashkar-e-Tayyebba (LeT) and JeM from openly raising money, recruiting and training in Pakistan. Both jihadist groups are in competition to target India so as to secure donations, with Jaish attacking Pathankot base and Lashkar targeting the Uri base two years ago.

Now that the Modi government has reconsidered its positive response to Pakistans request for a meeting of the two foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UNGA next week, this writer can state the obvious: nothing would have come of the meeting anyway. Islamabad would not have given up its Kashmir obsession. PM Imran Khan would have used the meeting to gain international legitimacy and project himself as a reasonable leader who wants normal ties with India. This would have bought him space  at least till the next terror attack comes in Jammu and Kashmir or the Indian hinterland.

Egged on by South Block mandarins, Indian leaders have tried time and again to make a distinction between the political objectives of a civilian government in Islamabad and Rawalpindi GHQ, the fact is, no such separation exists with the latter holding absolute veto power on any decisions of the former. The role of the Pakistani Army in the present regime is overwhelming; Imran Khan owes his political lifeline to Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa and Rawalpindi sponsored Islamists. While nothing fundamentally has changed in Pakistan in the context of Armys dominance in Islamabad and its stance on the Kashmir issue since the 1990s, India since then has moved into different orbit in terms of its economy and global clout. Today, Pakistans closest allies in the past such as US, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates refuse to hold hands of Islamabad on issue of terrorism and in fact have turned into close strategic partners of India. Islamabad, on its part, is left with its all weather friend China to hold its hand and use its veto in the UNSC to block a US/India proposal to designate Masood Azhar, founder of Jaish-e-Mohammed, as a globally designated terrorist. Thus, there is no global pressure whatsoever on India to initiate a dialogue with Pakistan. The initial move to agree to a Foreign Ministers meeting on the side lines of UNGA was to push Pakistan towards becoming a normal state under PM Imran Khan. But then New Delhi retracted as it released that Pakistans policy of running with hare and hunting with hounds had not changed.

While the causes of Indias rethink on the meeting are clear  the abduction and killing of J&K policemen; the issue of stamps featuring slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wani by Pakistan; and growing public anger over the mutilation and killing of a BSF soldier earlier this week  what isnt clear is why India said yes to the meeting initially. Maybe it was to ensure peace during the forthcoming Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

The use of media by Pakistans deep state in furtherance of its latest move shows that it is all optics without any groundwork. The UNGA meeting was supposed to be a photo-op followed by a press conference with both sides presenting their views and scoring points domestically. The only way for productive bilateral dialogue, though, involves putting any perceived disputes in the freezer and pushing for bilateral trade and development, and increased people to people contacts. And the only real breakthrough will come when Pakistans approach to Kashmir changes. India publicly came to terms with Pakistan when then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee paid homage at Minar-e-Pakistan in 1999. Pakistan is yet to come to terms with India, especially where Kashmir is involved.Delhi Police on Sunday arrested a woman from Punjabi Bagh, who was wanted in cases of human trafficking registered in Jharkhand, and was carrying a reward of Rs 25,000.

The womans husband, who is a co-accused and carries cash reward on his arrest, is still absconding.

Deputy commissioner of police(west) Monika Bharadwaj confirmed the womans arrest and identified her as 42-year-old Prabha Muni.

Her absconding husband was identified as Rohit Muni. According to police officers, in 2013 three girls, aged between 13 to 14 years, were allegedly trafficked to Delhi from Jharkhand by a placement agency on the pretext of getting them jobs with good earnings.

Since they did not contact their families for the next few months, parents and relatives of these girls tracked them down with help of a local NGO in Jharkhand and arrived in Delhi the same year. A case was then registered in Jharkhand on the basis of the girls statement. Prabha Muni and her husband Rohit were identified as main accused, said a police officer.

On Sunday , after receiving a tip off, a Delhi police team raided a house in Punjabi Bagh and arrested Muni. The officer said the woman had trapped the three minor girls. Police said that the couple is known for their social welfare works in Jharkhand and have photographs with some Delhi politicians.

The couple was running the trafficking ring under the garb of social work. They were in touch with placement agencies in Delhi for which they used to transport minor girls from rural areas of Jharkhand. Jharkhand police has been informed and their involvement in other cases is yet to be ascertained. They will be jointly interrogated once the Jharkhand police officials arrive, the officer said.A woman allegedly chewed off her husbands tongue at their house in outer Delhis Ranhola on Saturday night. A case has been registered against the woman, who is reportedly eight months pregnant, police said.

The man had to undergo a surgery on Sunday. Doctors have told police that his condition is stable.

The woman, identified by the police as 22-year-old Kajal Singh, and her husband, Karan Singh, a street performer, live in Vikas Nagar area of Ranhola, police said.

According to the police, the couple reportedly had an altercation over a domestic issue around 11 pm on Saturday.

Neighbours told investigators that the dispute appeared to have been settled by Karans parents, who live with the couple, after which the couple went to their room.

Later around midnight, when the couple was making out in their room, Kajal bit off Karans tongue. The man rushed out of room shouting for help. He was bleeding from his mouth. The family members than called up the police and he was rushed to a hospital where he underwent surgery. The severed part of his tongue could not be reattached, said a police officer, who did not wish to be named.

He was later referred to Safdarjung Hospital.

Deputy commissioner of police (outer) Seju P Kuruvilla said a PCR call was received and a police team was rushed to the spot late on Saturday night.

A written complaint was received from the husband on Sunday. A case under section 326 of the Indian Penal Code, for causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means, has been registered against the woman. Whether the man will be able to speak again or not, is a matter of treatment. His tongue has been operated and he is hospitalised, the DCP said.

The couple was married in November 2016. Police said that Karan is a street artist and performs in street plays.Maldives strongman Abdulla Yameens hopes for a second presidential term have been dashed with the victory of the candidate of the combined opposition, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. According to unofficial results, Mr Solih won more than 58% of the votes, compared to Mr Yameens 41%. This was after opposition parties accused Mr Yameen, who came to power in 2013, of widespread rights abuses and other unconstitutional measures to swing the elections. Hours ahead of the voting on Sunday, police searched Mr Solihs campaign office to investigate acts of bribery, a move described by the opposition as yet another effort to influence the outcome of the polls. The elections were preceded by a months-long and sweeping crackdown on the opposition, as the autocratic Mr Yameen jailed or forced into exile many of his opponents, including former presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and declared a state of emergency early this year.

The elections in the Maldives were closely watched as an indicator of Chinas growing influence in the Indian Ocean region. Many observers believe the intransigent stance adopted by Mr Yameen was largely due to the unstinted support he received from Beijing, which poured billions of dollars into big ticket infrastructure projects and signed a free trade agreement with Male last December. As in Malaysia, where a pro-Beijing regime was ousted in recent elections, Mr Solihs victory is expected to lead to intensified scrutiny of Chinas investments in the Maldives. For India, which has described Mr Solihs win as the triumph of democratic forces, the latest developments provide an opportunity to forge a closer relationship with the new administration and counter Chinas growing influence in the Indian Ocean region. Mr Solih has the backing of former president, Mr Nasheed, an old friend of New Delhi, is perceived as being friendly towards India, and has expressed concerns about Chinese loans creating a debt trap for the Maldives.

Clearly, some deft diplomacy will be required to address a host of pressing issues but India can and should earn goodwill by extending whatever assistance is asked of it as Mr Solih takes on the task of rebuilding the fragile democracy in the Maldives.Residents of Ardee City in Sector 52 of Gurugram held a demonstration against the developer of the colony, Ardee Infrastructure Private Limited, demanding the restoration of electricity connections in several houses in the colony, on Saturday.

The developer had disconnected the electricity supply of 25 odd houses, on Saturday afternoon, without prior notice, much to the annoyance of the affected residents. They gathered in large numbers in an open area in the colony and shouted slogans against the developer. They also informed the police and the district administration about their plight. The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), the distribution company for the area, was informed about the matter as well. It was only after the police intervened, that the matter was settled and electricity was restored around midnight.

Disgruntled residents informed the residents welfare association (RWA) of the colony asking for help. They claimed that they had been paying electricity bills to the developer without fail. As such, there was no reason for the electricity supply to be disconnected.

Anup Singh, an affected resident, said, I realised around 2.30 pm that the electricity supply of my house was disconnected. I was informed that this was done due to non-payment of dues. However, I showed the developer the receipt of the last paid bill. I am disappointed by the behaviour of the developer. I will apply for the DHBVN connection soon.

A senior executive of Ardee Infrastructure Private Limited said, Some residents had not cleared outstanding dues. As such, their electricity supply was discontinued.

The DHBVN took over the supply of electricity in the colony from the developer on September 1, and by that time nearly 2,100, of the total 2,600 houses, had applied for the DHBVN connections.

The affected 25 houses have not yet applied for the DHBVN connections and they are still under the developer. Power supply of our colony from our developer has always been pathetic and that is why, in June this year, we requested DHBVN to provide us with direct connections. Around 2,100 people have applied and rest have not. This is second time after the takeover that the developer has disconnected electricity supply, said Parveen Yadav, RWA president.

Chaitali Mandhotra, RWA member, said, Developer had merged maintenance bills with electricity bills illegally. We residents opposed and stopped paying maintenance for the last two years. But we paid electricity bills without fail. After takeover, the developer has been harassing us. We informed the Gurugram DC Vinay Pratap who resolved the matter on Saturday.

The RWA of the colony has meanwhile appealed to all residents to apply for DHBVN connections.At first the only sound in the room came from the seven fans above the crowd working overtime in the evening summer heat.

Then one voice broke the silence.

Horror.

Then another.

Sadness.

From there, community members let emotions spill out into the air as they stared at photos of various lynchings from around the country and heard detailed testimonies from historians and descendants of the victims.

Guilt. Disappointment. Shame. Ungodly. Responsible.

For the first time, Newberry residents came face-to-face with the ugly past of the city, a reckoning that has been 102 years in the making.

About 60 people gathered at the Newberry Municipal Building Thursday to discuss The Newberry Six, a group of African-Americans who were lynched in Newberry in 1916. The discussion, which was the brainchild of Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe, challenged community members to acknowledge their past and work together to build a better future for Newberry.

Zach Jones, a Newberry resident, eased the tensions in the room by encouraging humility, grace, and most importantly, questions.

Were not here to make anyone pay for the sins of their ancestors, Jones said.

Cathy Atria, a professor of educational practice at UF, spoke on the truth and reconciliation model created by Nelson Mandela for apartheid South Africa and how it could be used as a template of healing for the Newberry community. The commission brought forth racial healing through education about the human rights violations.

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If you look at these emotions youve all shared, Atria said, thats heartwork.

Janis Owens, a novelist, gave a brief history of the lynchings of Jim Dennis, Stella Young, Mary Dennis, Bert Dennis, the Rev. J.J. Baskins and Andrew McHenry.

She described how the bodies were strung up on an oak tree before a crowd of 3,000 people. Children passed the bodies swaying back and forth like swings on a playground, Owens said.

Following Owens presentation, nine people made comments. They expressed amazement at the number of people gathered for the event and others apologized for the sins of their forefathers.

Mayor Marlowe said that this event was only the first in a series meant to promote healing. The community will meet again on Nov. 18 at Lois Forte Park to break bread together following Sunday services.

Angel Hunt, student body vice president at Newberry High School, said though the lynchings occurred only a quarter mile from her home, the topic has felt taboo.

It is almost treated like a forbidden story we cannot tell, she said.

Hunt believes that with knowledge, Newberry can work to ensure a better future.

We are not afraid of the truth, she said.

Novelist Janis Owens describes the events leading up the lynching of The Newberry Six. Newberry community members gathered Thursday to discuss the citys history of racism.Under attack from the Congress over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal, Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that following clarifications from former French president Francois Hollande, there is no room for any doubt in the matter.

He also accused the Congress of trying to gain political mileage over the issue with an eye on Lok Sabha elections next year. The opposition does not have any issue left, so it is raking up the Rafale deal issue, Singh told reporters after a meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Lucknow.

After clarifications from Hollande, there is no room for any doubt about the deal. The Congress is making it an issue to gain political mileage in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Singh said.

Hollande, who was French president when the Rs 58,000 crore deal was announced, was quoted as saying by French publication Mediapart that France was given no choice on selection of the Indian partner for Dassault and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance as offset partner for the French aerospace giant.

AFP reported that Hollande told it on the sidelines of a meeting in Canada on Friday that France did not choose Reliance in any way. When asked whether India had put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Hollande said he was unaware and only Dassault can comment on this.

The Centre on Saturday had asserted that it did not have any role in the selection of Reliance Defence as a partner for Dassault while France said it was in no manner involved in the choice of any Indian industrial associate for the contract.

On Kashmir issue, Singh said, I think the matter will be resolved. The problem is not increasing. We are ready to talk to everyone. As far as terrorism is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination.

Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored, he said.

About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the home minister said that out of 22 points, 20 have been resolved, adding in the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues were discussed of which 428 were resolved.

Besides Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivedra Singh Rawat respectively, the meeting was attended by representatives from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well.

The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The councils meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any.

Five zonal councils  central, western, northern, southern and eastern  were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.Pakyong airport, about 30km from the state capital Gangtok has put Sikkim on Indias aviation map. Until now, Sikkim was the only state in the country which did not have an airport, the nearest one being in West Bengals Bagdogra, 125 km away.

The Pakyong airport, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated on Monday, is spread over 990 acres and is the first greenfield airport to be constructed in the north-east India. The project was approved by the Union Cabinet a decade ago.

At an altitude of more than 4,500 feet, the picturesque airport is considered an engineering marvel because of the terrain where it has been built.

State-of-the-art geotechnical engineering including soil reinforcement and slope stabilisation techniques were used because traditional retaining structures and embankments were ruled as unfeasible in the greenfield project, a government official said.

From next month, you can finally fly straight to Sikkim when the Pakyong airport comes into service. Budget carrier SpiceJet will operate the first flight from Pakyong airport with a flight from Kolkata on 4 October.

Currently, one has to fly to Bagdogra airport in West Bengal to reach Gangtok.

The Pakyong Airport has been included in the central governments ambitious UDAN scheme. This is bound to enhance regional connectivity aiding the development of Sikkims tourism sector, the official said.

On March 5, an Indian Air Force Dornier 228 conducted test flights from the airport. On March 10, SpiceJet conducted test flights of the 78-seater Bombardier Q400 from Kolkata to Pakyong

The Pakyong airport is the 100th functional airport in India.

(With agency inputs)Manju Devi, 42, who works as a domestic help in Ranchi, was the first to receive the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna e-health insurance card from Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Sunday.

Modi launched the flagship scheme in Ranchi that provides an annual cover of Rs 5 lakh per poor and vulnerable family.

Ayushman Bharat is a boon for poor people like us as any health problem in the family takes away our hard earned savings. We underwent an acute financial crisis in 2011 when my husband met with an accident and my daughter was hospitalised with typhoid, Devi said. We had to bear over Rs 1 lakh as hospital cost, as there was no such scheme to support us then.

Devi said they lost all their savings and had to borrow from relatives and neighbours. With Ayushman Bharat, now we are free from the worry of disease and hospital cost, said Devi.

Devis husband runs a cycle repair shop and both of them earn Rs 5,000-Rs 6000 a month. Devis son and daughter study at a Ranchi college. Another recipient, Ruby Rani, 18, said her family had to sell land for her operation, which cost them around Rs 3 lakh. Had there been Ayushman Bharat like scheme, my father, who works as a casual worker in a private firm, would not have sold the property. She said meeting the Prime Minister was like a dream come true and Ayushman Bharat would prove to be a blessing to the poor. Mukesh Kumar, a physically-challenged man, said he had to sell land for treatment of his brother, Manoj Kumar, who met with an accident a few years back.

Doctors are now saying the rod that has been fitted in his leg would have to be taken out. But we do not have enough money for the operation. We thank Modi for introducing Ayushman Bharat.

Over a dozen treated under PMJAY

Over a dozen people were treated under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) at different hospitals of Jharkhand on the very first day of the launch of Ayushman Bharat scheme, officials said. Altogether 12 patients underwent operations at Ranchis Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), while a successful caesarean section was performed at Sadar Hospital, East Singhbhum.

Dr Veena Singh, who performed the caesarean section of one Poonam Mahto, said, Her operation was performed under PMJAY at around 1 pm and she delivered a baby girl.

State health secretary Nidhi Khare said that treatment under PMJAY would pick up from Monday. Despite being Sunday, operations were performed by the doctors in different districts. Majority of the patients who underwent treatment had been enrolled under the scheme today, she said.

Fifty-year-old Bachulal Tiwary said, Ayushman Bharat has come as blessing in disguise to me, as I had only two options for treatment- either sell property or take loan. I would like to thank Modi for such scheme.

Tiwary was admitted to the hospital under PMJAY on Saturday. He was detected with 90% blockage in an artery of the heart on September 15.

Doctor had told him that the operation would cost nearly Rs 75,000, which felt like a financial blow to this private tutor, who earns meager Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 a month.

Tiwary said doctors at RIMS suggested him to try for availing the benefit of Ayushman Bharat. Doctors told me, if I am enrolled under the scheme, my operation would be done free of cost, as I would get health insurance coverage up to ~5 lakh.

I visited the Ayushman Bharat kiosk at RIMS and submitted the required documents and thus got enrolled under the scheme, he said. Cardiologist Dr Prshant Kumar said, The angioplasty procedures of both the patients were done successfully.Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah on Monday said officers belonging to the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service are ruling Odisha and issued a veiled threat to them, saying they may have to pay a heavy price for being sycophants of the ruling party.

They (the bureaucrats) are stalling development and fixing BJD (Biju Janata Dal)s rivals. The officers should remember that no government is permanent. Change is imminent. Unless they shed sycophancy and stop indulging in corrupt activities, they will pay a heavy price when there is a change of guard, he said, in an apparent dig at officials close to chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

Shah said this while addressing the Mahila Samawesh- Mahila Shakti Kendra Sammelan two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Patnaik government of corruption and for ignoring worlds biggest health protection scheme, Ayushman Bharat.

Political analysts said the recent aggression shown by BJP in Odisha is part of its strategy to prevent the Congress from taking the opposition space and to negate its campaign that the BJP and the BJD are allies following the latters support of the NDA candidate for the post of deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.

Despite its poor show in the Bijepur assembly bypoll, the BJP's chances are quite good in Odisha and if they can make the contest bipolar, then the Congress will have little room. The BJP might have sensed rising grassroots discontentment against the BJD and thus wanted to take advantage of the situation before the polls, said political analyst Panchanan Kanungo

Shah also attacked the BJD government for rejecting farmers. He added that he has no doubt that the Biju Janata Dal government will fall in May 2019, when the state goes to the polls along with the Lok Sabha elections.

He pointed at the poor record of the state in dealing with crime against women and in running pro-women Central government programmes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.

Enthused by good attendance of women at the Prime Ministers rallies in Odisha on Saturday, Shah listed the Centres schemes for women empowerment and benefits. He said 55 million women have benefitted from the Ujjwala (subsidised gas cylinder) scheme.

Shah alleged that the Odisha didnt allow implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana as it is scared of the rising popularity of Modi in the state. "He (Naveen Patnaik) does not bother about Odia people. We will form government in 2019 and then implement Ayushman Bharat scheme in Odisha, Shah said.

Of the 147 assembly seats in Odisha assembly, the Biju Janata Dal currently has 118, Congress 16 and the BJP 10. Of the 21 Parliamentary seats in the state, the BJD holds 20, and the BJP one.Omar Abdullah, 48, is very active on social media, where he often demonstrates his understanding of the political mood in volatile Jammu and Kashmir. His National Conference (NC) was the first to opt out of the local bodies and panchayat elections, taking the moral high ground on Article 35A and forcing rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to follow suit. The third-generation leader of the Abdullah family hasnt given up on galvanising his cadre with an eye on the state and Lok Sabha polls . Abdullah spoke to Ramesh Vinayak at his Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar about the states special status, the Modi governments Kashmir policy, being a minority in India today, and Rahul Gandhis attempts to build a national alternative for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Excerpts:

Where do your fears on Article 35A stem from?

They stem from the fact that the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), which rules the country at present, has been inimical to the special status that Jammu and Kashmir enjoys.

But can it tinker with it?

Politically, it cant, which is why the challenge to Articles 35A and 370 is being mounted through the courts. This challenge is being supported, overtly or covertly, by elements of the Sangh Parivar. The fact is that theres a BJP-led government at the helm, so we have our misgivings. On the previous two occasions when Article 35A was challenged in the Supreme Court, the Government of India made itself a party to the defence of this constitutional provision. That hasnt happened this time. Nor has the Centre assured us that there will be no tinkering with the special status, which has already been diluted as far as it could be.

But J&K has a long history of erosion of Article 370 since your grandfather Sheikh Abdullahs time?

It started with Sheikh sahibs arrest in 1953. New Delhi saw his removal from power necessary to whittle down Article 370. As a party that negotiated and brought special status to J&K, the National Conference considers this a sacrosanct article of faith. This is the states heritage, its legacy. Dont forget that J&K acceded to India on certain terms and conditions as represented by Articles 35A and 370. If these are changed or deleted now, you are reopening the very question of accession.

The appointment of a political governor and holding local elections are seen as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Independence Day speech to revive grassroots politics in J&K. Wont your poll boycott negate that?

It is the Centre that forced our hand to opt out of the elections by not making its stand clear on Article 35A... the PDP and the NC, have 43 MLAs in the 87-member assembly. That means half of the states legislative footprint is out of the fray. You can well imagine how representative these polls are. Also, with the country heading for four crucial state assembly elections later this year, followed by the Lok Sabha polls next year, there is no political capital available for a meaningful initiative on Kashmir. Whatever happens in J&K will now happen post the general elections.

In his four-and-a-half years, Modi has done pretty much nothing on Kashmir. His Red Fort speech last year had the same promises on Kashmir which he repeated this year. Nothing has changed on the ground. There is no evidence that the new governor will operate in a political manner.

How do you see the legacy of the PDP-BJP coalition government?

Leave politics aside  see the growth in the number of militants, see the number of youngsters who are leaving well-paying jobs or good education and taking to arms. Look at the fact that the Anantnag parliamentary election is now the most delayed by-election in the country since 1995, and the fact that within hours of panchayat elections being announced, panchayat ghars are being set on fire.

What has led to this slide?

The PDP-BJP coalition squeezed the political space in Kashmir, exactly the way the NC-Congress alliance had in 1987. The constituency that the PDP built for itself was cleverly positioned between the NC and the pro-secession Hurriyat. It was just mainstream enough to fight polls, but just separatist enough to appeal to those who didnt find space in the NCs political landscape of autonomy. The PDP won its 28 seats on one platform: vote for us to keep the BJP out. That constituency felt let down when the PDP rushed to embrace the BJP for power. The alliance proved to be catastrophic for the state.

How do you look at the national political landscape ahead of the Lok Sabha elections?

As a partner of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), we look towards the Congress to play the key role in shaping the opposition to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Obviously, in that Rahul Gandhis role as the leader of the Congress is critical, but even more critical would be Sonia Gandhis role. It will have to be a joint effort between Rahul making sure that the Congress puts up the best fight possible, and Sonia Gandhi making sure that as many opposition parties as possible come together to fight this election. No matter how the state allies perform in their states, the Congress tally will be crucial. Unless the Congress is able to cross triple figures in the Lok Sabha, we will not succeed in the aim of unseating the BJP government. Obviously, Rahuls responsibility is greater than anybody elses.

But who will be the Oppositions counter to Modi?

Why do you need a Modi vs Who? Nobody asked this when the Opposition took on Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2004. It will be Modi versus NC in J&K, Modi versus Congress in Rajasthan, Modi versus AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) in Delhi, and Modi versus Mamata (Banerjee) in West Bengal. If we get a critical mass of seats, then allies together will decide the shape and structure of the next government.

But the BJP is making it a presidential-style Modi versus Who contest.

It cant. This is a parliamentary democracy, not a presidential form of government. It is not compulsory for us to declare our prime ministerial candidate before the election. You cant have a hybrid system. By the same logic, why doesnt the BJP declare its chief ministerial face every time it contests state elections?

Do you sense a growing Hinduisation of Indian polity?

Religion as a part of politics is not new. Did it not play a part when Rajiv Gandhi as then prime minister opened the gates of the Ram Janmabhoomi complex? Successive leaders have either overtly or covertly used religion. Whether we like it or not, religion and politics dont get divorced. It is a part of the political landscape. But, is it more strident now? The answer is yes. Today, lynching can take place and you are not worried about it. Today, the BJP president (Amit Shah) can turn around and brazenly say, Ikhlaq hua tab bhi hum jeete (we won despite the lynching of Ikhlaq).

What do you make of Rahul Gandhi visiting temples?

You cant defeat a party by becoming its B-team or facsimile. If you are going to play the BJPs Hindutva card with soft Hindutva, you will lose. If you play BJPs strident nationalistic line on security with a slightly softer line, you will lose. Therefore, where you need to take on the BJP are on the issues that today are really pinching people. Nobody is going to vote for the Congress because its leader is going to temples. People will vote for the Congress if it raises issues that matter: Price rise, fuel price hike, joblessness, misery in industry and manufacturing, agriculture distress, the demonetisation disaster, and the goods and services tax (GST) mess. To defeat the BJP, the last thing we need to do is to become its B-team.

Do you buy into the perception that there is a sense of unease among minorities?

There is no denying that, if you see the rising graph of attacks against minorities and the way in which incidents of lynchings have taken place. People who have not only been accused but found guilty of incidents like this are garlanded by BJP ministers. How can there not be a sense of unease? You are seeking to rewrite Indias history as if Muslims never existed. The Opposition will need to fight all this without being shy about it.

Do you sense that the BJP may use Kashmir as an electoral card?

Kashmir is the card that the Opposition needs to use because Kashmir has been one of Modis biggest failures.

Modi did reach out to Pakistan.

On the India-Pakistan front, I will be the first person to admit that Modi did make attempts. Those were unsuccessful, but for that Pakistan will have to take the largest share of blame  the fact that Pathankot and then Uri happened. Sadly, the out-of-the-box attempts he made with Pakistan were sorely missing internally, in Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP governments Kashmir policy is for a home-grown solution.

Then what are you talking to Pakistan about? Today, because of the disastrous BJP-PDP coalition and mishandling by the Government of India, the home-grown dimension is a far bigger problem than the external dimension. For the longest time, your defence was that these militants are all coming from across the border; that this is a Pakistan-created problem. Today your militants are home-grown. They dont need Pakistans nudge or push. That push is coming from within. What else explains that 200-plus militants have been recruited in south Kashmir alone. That was PDPs garh (bastion).

Is there still a possibility of the BJP engineering a split in the PDP to prop up a government in J&K?

It wont happen. The critical mass to float an alternative doesnt exist. There were fledgling attempts. The best thing is to dissolve the assembly and, when the conditions are conducive, go for elections.

How difficult is it to be mainstream politicians in todays Kashmir?

That as a whole is difficult. But todays situation makes it worseCongress leader P Chidambaram on Monday criticised the Narendra Modi government for refusing a probe into the Rafale deal after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley revelation former French President Francois Hollandes statement on the choice of an offset partner.

Truth cannot have two versions says Finance Minister (Jaitley). Absolutely correct. Since, according to the Finance Minister, there are two versions, what is the best way to find out which version is true?

Either (1) order an inquiry or (2) toss a coin. I suppose the Finance Minister would prefer to toss a coin (preferably with head on both sides).

It is a pity that the government does not see the inexorable flow of events and refuses to order an inquiry. Who knows what will happen in six months or 12 months, said Chidambaram in a series of tweets.

Truth cannot have two versions, said Jaitley on Sunday, citing Hollandes claim to a French website that Reliance Defence partnership with Dassault Aviation was entered at the suggestion of the Indian Government and his subsequent statement to the AFP news agency that he is not aware if government ever lobbied for Reliance Defence.

A delegation of top Congress leaders met the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Monday and sought a probe into the alleged regurgitates in the Rafale deal announced by the Prime Minister in April 2015.

The party has already submitted a memorandum to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India Rajiv Mehrishi for a special and forensic audit into the inter-governmental deal with France to purcure 36 Rafale jets.Incursion by the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) along the 3,488km Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China has reduced significantly in 2018 as compared to 2017, according to government officials familiar with the matter.

This development  attributed to the Wuhan spirit  is expected to inject positivity into the forthcoming Special Representative talks and a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on the sidelines of East Asia Summit in Singapore this November, the officials say.

Incursion figures available with South Block  where the defence and foreign ministries are housed  show that there have been a total of 137 PLA incursions this year till September 20. This is nearly 20% less than 170 incursions recorded till the same date in 2017. These incursions are mainly attributed to the difference in perception over land boundaries between the two sides.

Officials credit the unprecedented informal summit between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan this April for the dip. They also point out that incursions in 2017 were high even in comparison to 2016, possibly a manifestation of the 73-day-long Doklam standoff between the Indian Army and China.

India and China continue to build on their relationship, which has warmed significantly since the chill of the Doklam face-off, which was resolved in August 2017 when the two sides agreed to withdraw troops from an area under Chinese control but claimed by Bhutan, and Beijing indicated that it had halted work on a road that triggered the row.

Experts say the India-China border has largely been peaceful and tranquil after Wuhan due to the strategic guidance provided by Modi and Xi to their respective commanders of militaries.

The border management this year has been efficient with the two militaries resuming exchanges including meetings at the defence minister level. The two militaries are communicating with each other in a frank and candid manner and strategic communications among military commanders is also taking place, said a senior official who asked not to be named.

The two sides are now working on setting up a hotline between the two defence ministers.

The Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police have noticed that a majority of incursions this year are in the western sector or eastern Ladakh in areas of Daulet Beg Oldi, Trig Heights, Depsang and Pangong Tso, an official said. Another aspect that has come to notice of Indian intelligence, the official added, is infrastructure buildup across the LAC  including barracks for PLA troops and underground tunnels for faster deployment of troops and material.

However, with snow already beginning to fall in the Himalayas, experts expect incursion to dip further.Behind the resumption of hostilities in the countrys top federal investigation agency, between its No 1 and No 2, is the belief of special director Rakesh Asthana that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths came across evidence that could have cleared his name in the Sandesara Group case but chose not to at the behest of director Alok Verma, people familiar with the matter said on the condition of anonymity.

Director Verma, who, other officials say, feels Asthana is not above board in the case, issued a statement last week through the agencys official spokesperson that the special director was under probe in at least half-a-dozen cases being investigation by the agency. The CBI has also termed a complaint against director Verma sent by Asthana to the cabinet secretary on August 24 as frivolous and baseless.

Verma didnt reply to a phone call and a text message seeking his comments. Asthana, too, did not reply to messages.

It was only last August that the CBI took over the Sandesara case. The agency registered an FIR against three Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers on the basis of a diary that was recovered by the Income Tax Department in 2011 from the premises of the Sandesara group of companies of Gujarat.

The diary had details of payments made by the group in January and June 2011 to various people and companies.

The CBI in its FIR, which has been seen by HT, alleged that there were details of regular payments to three IRS officials and many others. The I-T department recommended that the CBI take up the case as these payments amounted to violation of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The diary had entries against Asthanas name too, although these didnt figure in CBIs complaint.

Before joining CBI in April 2016 on deputation, Asthana was serving in the Gujarat cadre. The diary listed a sum of ?40,000 a month being paid to Asthana as rent for an office the group had rented out from him in Gandhi Nagar. HT has seen relevant pages of the diary.

However, one of the people familiar with the matter, a CBI official, said this was above board.

Asthana has a house in Gandhinagar which was rented out to the Sandesara group. But the rent received from the Sandesara group was duly reported by Asthana in his annual property details filed with the government, added this person.

In addition, the diary mentioned entries against a certain RA, RA1, RA2, and RA3, totaling ?3.88 crore. These were seen as referencing payments to Asthana.

The Sandesara groups promoters are now fugitives.

On June 14, 2017, Asthana was promoted to the rank of director general by his parent cadre. He was, therefore, eligible to hold the post of special director (which is a director general-rank post) in CBI. But the promotion required the approval of a panel headed by the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC).

The CBI had already conveyed its approval for the promotion of Asthana as special director.

Last year, when Asthanas name came up before the CVC KV Chowdary-led panel for elevation to the post of special director in the CBI, the diary was mentioned as one of the key evidence against him to stall his promotion, said a second person familiar with the matter, a government official.

The CVC-led panel, of which the CBI director is not a member but to whose meetings he is generally invited to for consultation, met on October 21.

In the meeting, Verma submitted a note to the panel objecting to Asthanas elevation as special director, saying his name was under the scanner in the Sandesara group probe. But the panel didnt find the evidence convincing, added the government official.

Meanwhile, rumours flew thick and fast that the CVC-led panel had rejected Asthanas name. Late on the night of October 22, the appointments committee of the Union Cabinet cleared the name of Asthana for promotion as a special director along with few other appointments.

Four days later, CVC KV Chowdary clarified in a press interaction that the CBI director is not a member of the committee. He is a special invitee. He has to be consulted. He has been consulted. In the consultation whether he supported or opposed (the promotion of Asthana), it would not be appropriate for the committee to disclose. His views have been taken note of. Detailed minutes of the meeting have been recorded and the recommendation has been made.

Chowdary added that the panel was unanimous in its recommendation.

That wasnt the only challenge Asthana faced, though. In November, activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan filed a public interest litigation on behalf of an NGO, Common Cause, challenging his appointment before the Supreme Court, saying there were doubts over his integrity. The apex court on November 28, 2017, dismissed the petition after the Centre said Asthana had an unblemished service record.

The uneasy relationship between Verma and Asthana continued.

On August 24, Asthana wrote to the cabinet secretary that CBI sleuths got information in December 2017 itself that the RA mentioned in the diary of Sandesara Group basically stood for running account and referred to transactions between a company of the Sandesara group, Sterling Biotech, and another company which is based in Pune that provides engineering solutions in the energy and environment sector.

By February this year, CBI sleuths recorded statements of the companys representative confirming the payments, and received a formal letter in this regard. In fact, all these payments took place through banking channels, said the CBI official cited above.

In his letter, Asthana alleged that the evidence was deliberately kept hidden to unfairly target him. He also alleged that director Verma refused to allow him to conduct a raid in a case pertaining to the alleged illegal leasing out of two hotels of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) when Lalu Prasad was the railway minister.

The CVC has asked for all the relevant files to see whether there was any merit in the complaint of Asthana, said the government official cited above.

The CBI statement last week said that, in the IRCTC cases, Lalu Prasad was formally charged and the charge sheet was filed with the approval of the director.A dramatic rescue unfolded in the one of the remotest spots on Earth on Monday, with the crew of French patrol vessel Osiris hauling out a severely injured Commander Abhilash Tomy from his crippled yacht, ending the champion sailors 70-hour ordeal in the southern Indian Ocean.

His wife, who hasnt slept since news of the accident broke, said late on Monday evening that she is dying to hear his voice.

Tomy was conscious and talking, rescue authorities said. He is being taken him to Ile Amsterdam, a 55-sq km island that is part of French territory, where he will be treated at a small medical facility.

Tomy suffered a debilitating back injury on September 21 after the rough seas and powerful winds pummeled his yacht, sending it into a 360-degree spin and dismasting the 10-metre long boat built in Goa. Tomy, a decorated naval officer, was representing India at the Golden Globe Race 2018 (GGR), a punishing 30,000-mile solo circumnavigation of the globe.

The Indian Navy said crew of French fisheries patrol vessel Osiris reached Tomys location on Monday morning (11.30 am, India time) and launched a Zodiac inflatable boat to retrieve him using a stretcher. He was given first aid on the vessel.

Tomy is conscious, talking and on board the Osiris. Australian and Indian long-range P8 reconnaissance aircraft are circling overhead, the GGR website quoted the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, Australia, as saying.

The last 70 hours have been harrowing for Urmimala Nag, Tomys wife. I havent slept for the last 70 hours and I am not able to process information in my head. I am waiting for a phone call from the ship. I need to speak to Tomy. I havent spoken to him in a long time. There was no way to talk to him after the race began, she said.

The two married only a few months ago.

For much of the 70 hours, Tomy was lying incapacitated on a bunk inside Thurayi, with 14-metre high waves and 130kmph winds battering his boat.

Tomys mentor and accomplished sailor Captain Dilip Donde (retd) said, Most people dont see those kind of rough seas in their entire lives. Most cannot even imagine how terrible that patch of the Indian Ocean can be. You have to face natures raw power and struggle to survive.

Tomy was a part of the support crew during 2008-10 for the first Indian solo circumnavigation by Donde. Donde described Tomy as a focused and determined man who will get on with things he has decided to do.

Tomy became the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe on board his boat Mhadei  solo, non-stop and unassisted in 2013 (Dondes effort wasnt non-stop). He was awarded Indias second-highest peace-time gallantry award, Kirti Chakra, for the feat.

The Osiris will also pick up another GGR competitor, Irishman Gregor McGuckin, who is also stranded in the same area before heading to the island, although he isnt injured.

Once the two solo yachtsmen are safely aboard the Osiris, the ship will proceed to Amsterdam Island where the rescued sailors will be given a full medical examination. The hospital is well equipped with X-ray and ultrasound equipment, said an update on the GGR website, calling the weather conditions favourable.

The island is around 100 nautical miles north of Tomys rescue position.

A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. Hes conscious and doing okay. The vessel will shift him to a nearby island (Ille Amsterdam) by evening. INS Satpura will take him to Mauritius for medical attention, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted after the successful rescue.

Stealth frigate INS Satpura with an embarked Chetak Helicopter is expected to reach the island by Friday.

The Indian Navy is truly indebted to all the agencies involved in this rescue operation, especially Royal Australian Navy and Osiris for their timely and proactive help, said Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba.

The exact nature of Tomys injuries will be revealed only after he reaches Amsterdam Island on Tuesday, said Commander Neil Manjooran, who looks after the navys sailing activities and is coordinating with the GGR.

The remote island is 2,490 nautical miles from Chennai, 2,160 from Perth, 1,680 from Port Louis and 1,980 nautical miles of Diego Garcia.

Before the accident, Tomy was in the third position among 11 international participants and had sailed over 10,500 nautical miles since the race began on July 1. This is the 50th year of the race that commemorates Robin Knox-Johnstons feat in 1968, with participants required to operate under the same conditions, using unpowered boats. and navigating using charts and the stars.

Commissioned in the Indian Navy in 2000, Tomy has sailed more than 52,000 miles in his 18-year naval career. He trained the all-woman crew of Indian Navys sailing vessel Tarini that created history by circumnavigating the globe in a gruelling 254-day voyage this year.Suspended BRD Medical College paediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan and his brother Adeel Khan were arrested in Gorakhpur on Sunday in connection with a nine-year-old fraud case in which he (Kafeel) had allegedly used the documents of another person to open a fake bank account and conduct transactions through it while studying medicine at Manipal University in 2009, police said. Dr Kafeels brother Adeel Khan is a co-accused in the case.

Dr Kafeel Khan is also one of the nine accused in a case relating to death of children in Gorakhpur in August last year allegedly due to disruption in oxygen supply following non-payment of bills. He is currently out on bail in that case.

Dr Kafeels arrest comes hours after he was released in Bahraich on Saturday night after having been taken into custody on Saturday afternoon for allegedly disturbing services at the Bahraich district hospital.

A team led by superintendent of police, Gorakhpur City, Vinay Singh and Cantonment circle officer Prabhat Kumar Rai arrested Dr Kafeel Khan and his brother on the direction of Gorakhpur senior superintendent of police Shalabh Mathur.

The action was taken soon after a crime branch team took him to Gorakhpur from Bahraich , where was detained on charges of creating a ruckus in district hospital and was booked under Section 151(unlawful assembly and disruption of peace ) before being released later on bail.

Rai said a case under sections 419 (punishment for cheating), 420 (fraud), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using a fake document) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) was lodged against Kafeel in 2009 at Gorakhpurs Rajghat police station by one Muzaffar Alam, resident of the citys Sheshpur. In his complaint, Alam had accused Dr Kafeel of using his (Alams) photo and ID to open a fake bank account with the State Bank of India and using the same to carry out transactions of over Rs 82 lakh , while studying medicine at Manipal University, Kerala, the circle officer said.

He was wanted in the fraud case and today (he) was arrested with his brother, who is a co-accused, said the CO.

Earlier on Saturday, Dr Kafeel Khan had reached Bahraich district hospital on Saturday along with his driver and another aide. He started questioning the patients admitted at the hospital about the treatment being given to them. He allegedly argued with the doctors and medical staff after which chief medical superintendent Dr DK Singh called the police and he (Dr Kafeel) was taken into custody. His brother Adeel Ahmad Khan said Dr Kafeel had come to Bahraich after he came to know that over six dozen children died of mysterious fever in the past 50 days. According to Dr Kafeel the children died of encephalitis, Adeel Khan said.

Dr Kafeel was going to address media when he was taken into custody, Adeel claimed.

Additional superintendent of police Ajay Pratap said action under section 151of the CrPC was taken against Dr Kafeel Khan and he was released with a warning that stricter action would be taken against him if tried to disrupt peace in the district.

Mohd Shahnawaz, a close associate of Dr Kafeels family said Dr Kafeel was taken to Gorakhpur by Bahraich police and handed over to the cantonment police there.At UF, grocery shopping is often done at one of the many P.O.D. Markets on campus. Many students dont spare a thought about the cost of their shopping sprees, and those who do often write off the obvious overcharging as an acceptable price for convenience. I suspected, however, that the difference could not be so miniscule, and after employing some expert espionage, infiltrating various P.O.D. Markets, I have uncovered the shocking extent of this convenience store con.

Imagine a generic Gator, using his or her parents money to buy sustenance for the week. It is not the typical image of an extortion victim. However, the harsh reality is that this unassuming college student is being swindled out of vast amounts of his or her hereditary creditors cash. Say our student wants to start the day off right with a morning classic, Capn Crunch. How could they go wrong with such a wholesome and nutritious breakfast? Well, they could start by purchasing the cereal at a P.O.D. Market. There, our student would be charged $6.19 for a measly 14 ounces of Capn Crunch, yet Walmart offers a 28-ounce box for $3.98. While Capt. Horatio Magellan Crunchs cereal provides many nutrients, protein is needed in order to complete a balanced breakfast. So, our student naively navigates to the bacon in the back of the P.O.D. Market. Another mistake. The pitiful 5-ounce portion of bacon distributed at P.O.D. Markets will deal our students wallet a heavy blow of $5.79. However, in the Elysian Fields of the local Walmart, a 16-ounce package can be purchased for $4.89. A sizable amount of damage has already been dealt to our student, and yet more still is to come as he or she decides to stock up on a preeminent college snack: Pop-Tarts. As a Gator with taste, our student disregards the brittle brown sugar cinnamon and the sickening strawberry flavors, sifting through the dross to strike gold with the hot fudge sundae flavor. Sadly, our student goes to the P.O.D. Market yet again and is charged a whopping $3.79 for a total of two toasted pastries, a price which gets curb-stomped by Walmarts $1.98 for a box of eight. The P.O.D. Market employs advanced chicanery, wherein they charge you more for less. This could be considered cruel, or just capitalism; either way, our student is losing out on copious amounts of money and Pop-Tarts.

To finish the analysis, lets suppose our student gets thirsty (most college students do) and wants to indulge in a delectable drink. Maybe our student is vegan, I wouldnt judge them, and they decided to go for a glass of almond milk. Lucky for them, the P.O.D. Market carries almond milk by the half-gallon for the low price of $5.79! Too bad there isnt a huge corporate chain of supermarkets that sells the same half-gallon Silk almond milk for just $2.98. Except that there is. Its called Walmart. Perhaps our student is no ordinary vegan, they are a proud vegan member of the great Gator Nation. So, on their parade through the P.O.D. Market, it is not the almond milk but the Gatorade that catches their eye. The 64-ounce bottle will run our student $3.99, but the university-sanctioned P.O.D. Market could not possibly price-gouge on our hallmark commodity, right? Absolutely, unquestionably wrong. In the land of low prices, at the Butler Plaza Walmart, the same 64-ounce bottle costs only $2.19.

I have outlined just a few egregious examples, yet by no means have I covered all of the corruption of the P.O.D. Markets that dot UFs campus. Preying on students without the willpower or horsepower to go off campus for groceries, these little stores serve as a massive financial drain on UFs student body. Students should never shop in the P.O.D. Markets unless they are trying to throw away money, in which case you still shouldnt because I will gladly take your money. Maybe then Id finally be able to afford a box of Capn Crunch at the P.O.D. Market.

Kyle Cunningham is a UF English and history double major. His column appears on Mondays.Franco Mullakal, the former Jalandhar Bishop arrested on charges of raping a nun, has been sent to prison after the Kerala High Court deferred his bail application to Thursday.

Mullakal was arrested last week by the police after questioning him for three days. He was briefly admitted to hospital after he complained of uneasiness and was later questioned by the police for two more days.

Earlier on Monday, a Kottayam court had ordered the former Bishop to jail till October 6.

In June, the 43-year-old nun, also a mother superior, had complained to the police that Mullakkal had raped her 13 times between 2014 and 2016. The nun is a member of the Missionaries of Jesus congregation based in Punjab which also runs three convents in Kerala.

Mullakal has been accused of wrongful confinement, rape, unnatural offence and criminal intimidation.

Prosecutors say the police have taken statements of 81 witnesses in the case and number may go up.

Mullakal had earlier approached the high court for protection against arrest but the court declined to either direct the police to arrest him as demanded by some petitioners or grant him anticipatory bail.

The police initially told the high court that it hadnt made up its mind on arresting him since there were contradictions in statements of many witnesses. It, however, appears to have changed its mind after questioning him for three days last week.

The investigating officer has a reached a reasonable conclusion that there is evidence in this case and we have arrested him, said Kottayam district police chief S Hari Shankar told reporters announcing the decision to arrest Mullakal.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ONFormer Muzaffarpur mayor Samir Kumar was shot dead by motorcycle-borne men, armed allegedly with an AK-47, late on Sunday when he was en route to his home, police officials said.

According to police, at least six unidentified assailants forcibly made Kumars car stop near Banaras Chowk under Town police station late and fired at least 17 rounds. Both Kumar and his driver, Rohit Kumar, died on the spot.

Requesting anonymity, police officials familiar with the matter said they recovered six cartridges of a sophisticated weapon from the scene of the crime.

The areas deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Mukul Kumar said the bodies were sent for post-mortem and a probe was initiated into the killings. Kumar was also a realtor and owned a mall in Muzaffarpur.Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy, who currently lies injured in his sailing vessel in the south of Indian Ocean, will soon be rescued by Australian and French ships which are now close to his location, a top Navy official said Monday. The French vessel Osiris, which is on its way to rescue him, is also facing hostile weather -- strong winds and high waves.

An Australian naval ship and a French fishing ship are closest to Tomys location. Some civilian and naval aircraft have also been mobilised. He is expected to be rescued soon, Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Western Naval Command Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, told reporters in Mumbai.

The 39-year-old Kirti Chakra awardees is immobile after a back injury and is in the cabin of his boat. His rescue communication devices are running out of charge and he is barely responding to text messages, reported NDTV.

Commander Tomys vessel was rolling excessively in the South Indian Ocean, a Defence spokesman had said Sunday.

He is in touch through text messages with the (race) organisers. We will come to know about his exact health condition after we meet him, Vice Adm Luthra said.

The Indian Navys P8I aircraft, which flew from Mauritius in the early hours Sunday, had located the mast broken boat rolling excessively, the Defence spokesman had said earlier.

Commander Tomy, who was participating in the Golden Globe sailing competition, suffered a back injury last Friday after his yacht was hit by a vicious storm with 14-metre-high waves mid-way across south Indian Ocean.

The commanders vessel was dismasted in extremely rough weather and sea conditions, with wind speeds of 130 kmph. He was in third position in the race and has sailed over 10,500 nautical miles in the last 84 days, since the race started on July 1.

(With PTI inputs)India is set to roll out its most integrated programme yet to cut greenhouse gases from agriculture. The project is primarily aimed at protecting the countrys five biggest vulnerable ecological landscapes, according to a two officials familiar with the matter.

The programme will cover Madhya Pradeshs Chambal region, Dampa in Mizoram, Odishas Similipal, Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan besides a national wildlife corridor through Uttarakhand, the officials said.

The programme, involving the agriculture and environment ministries, is part of a global initiative of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a partnership 183 countries, including India.

Each of these critical biodiversity zones  home to over a third of Indias 300 million tribals, precious wildlife and forests  face a specific threat from unsustainable agriculture, including large-scale land degradation.

Climate change and agriculture have a two-way relationship. Farming contributes to and is adversely impacted by climate change, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The goal of the project, with a run period 2018-2025, is to sequestrate 49.9 million tonnes of carbon gasses through improved agro-ecosystems. Carbon sequestration refers to the process of offsetting harmful emissions through mitigation.

The programme will serve like one national platform to integrate various ongoing schemes for sustainable agriculture, said agriculture ministry joint secretary Alka Bhargava.

Agriculture activities are widely known to emit three kinds of harmful gases: carbon dioxide from soil cultivation, methane from livestock and nitrous oxide from fertilizers. Greenhouse emissions are a significant driver of climate change by trapping heat in the Earths atmosphere and causing global warming, according to FAO.

In the Chambal region, an area covering 97,982 hectares, the main threats include expanding ravines, sparse vegetation and pollution from chemical-runoffs from agriculture, an official document states. Mitigation proposals include organic cultivation and sustainable grazing of cattle.

In Mizoram, the project will span the Dampa Tiger Reserve and the Thorangtlang Wildlife Sanctuary, covering 145,670 hectares in the Lunglei and Mamit regions. Jhum cultivation has been a major threat to land degradation in the state. In Odisha, the project will be spread over 556,900 hectares, including the UNESCO recognized Simlipal Biosphere Reserve.

Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan have been picked to create an ecologically sustainable Desert National Park, spanning 316,200 hectares.

In Uttarakhand, the Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Rajaji Tiger Reserve will be covered, spanning 324,696 hectares in Nainital, Pauri Garhwal, Almora, Dehradun and Haridwar districts.

The main idea behind the programme is to integrate environmental concerns with agricultural practices and policies, said Jeffrey Griffin of FAO.

The overall cost of implementing the project is US$ 902 million (65,000 crore approximately), with a GEF grant of US$ 33.5 million. The remaining US$ 868 million will be available through the co-financing route. The GEF, of which India is a leading member nation, works for solutions to the worlds most challenging environmental issues related to biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, chemicals, and international waters. The government has decided to increase Indias share of funding to the GEF by 25%, an official said.There is an international dimension to the Rafale controversy and a certain desperation in the Congress to besmirch the corruption-free image of the Narendra Modi government, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday.

We recognize there is a perception war going on. I will go around the country and counter it. No way are we going to agree to false propaganda. Now you also see an international dimension to it. Rahul Gandhis quote (coming) just a few days before (former French President Francois) Hollandes comment can not be a coincidence. There is certain desperation to blemish the government image when there has not even a whiff of corruption in last four and a half years, she told reporters at the BJP headquarters.

Her comments echo those made earlier by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

On Friday, Hollande told a French website that Reliance Defence was part of the deal (as an offset partner) at the insistence of the government of India.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra drew a parallel between the opposition party and Pakistani leaders, saying both want Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed from Indian politics.

Some people want Gandhi to become a big leader in India. Who are they? They are Pakistani leaders, and also those who stand for corruption, dynasty and politics of appeasement, Patra told reporters.

The Congress and Pakistan have this commonality that they have frustration with Modi, and their only aim is to remove Modi anyway from Indian polity, he said.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, For the last few days, Rahul Gandhi is misleading the country by comparing the cost of an unloaded aircraft with a fully loaded aircraft. The present Rafale deal is almost 20% cheaper than the UPA deal.

Shekhawat alleged the Rafale deal could not see the light of the day during UPA, as Rahuls brother in law Robert Vadras company was not accepted as the middleman. The minister alleged that the government wanted that the Rafale deal with Dassault Aviation should have been done under Vadras company Offset India Solutions, which was formed in 2008.

Another senior leader of the ruling party said the government was ready to answer each and every question of the opposition, but a Joint Parliamentary Committee, as demanded by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, was not required as its only motive is to spread slander.

We have answered each and every question. We are ready to engage with any one. We realize there is a perception battle and we will fight it out, the leader said.

The government strongly refuted Hollandes claim that New Delhi proposed the name of Anil Ambanis company as Dassaults offset partner for Rafale deal. He said New Delhi proposed Ambanis name and gave no choice. If he is to be believed, why is Dassault engaged in negotiations with hundred-odd other potential partners?  the leader added.

Other partnerships have been signed with other companies such as BTSL, DEFSYS, Kinetic, Mahindra, Maini, SAMTEL,... Other negotiations are ongoing with a hundred-odd other potential partners, Dassault said in a statement after Hollandes remarks.

The government claimed it was not aware of the details of the partnership the French company has entered into with its off set partners, and that these would be known only after Dassault submits entire details with regard to offset obligations worth 50% of value of the purchase. New Delhi will receive in September 2019 the first aircraft and the remaining will be delivered in phases by 2022.

On the controversy relating to denial of contract to state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the government leader said Dassault was engaged with negotiation with HAL when the UPA was negotiating the deal before 2014, but the French company did not find the deal with Indian company tenable.

The National Democratic Alliance governments decision to enter the deal 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.

The deal has become controversial with the Opposition, led by the Congress, claiming that the price at which India is buying Rafale aircraft now is Rs 1,670 crore for each, three times the Rs 526 crore, the initial bid by the company when the UPA was trying to buy the aircraft. It has also claimed the previous deal included a technology transfer agreement with Hindustan Aeronatics Limited (HAL).

The deal has also become controversial on account of the fact that one of the offset deals signed by Dassault is with the Reliance Group of Anil Ambani. The Congress claims the earlier deal was scrapped and a new one signed just to provide Ambani this opportunity for an offset deal. Both the government and Reliance have repeatedly denied this.A spell of heavy rainfall that threw traffic out of gear in several areas of the National Capital Region on Monday had a far more devastating impact on other parts of north India, killing at least 11 people in the past 24 hours across three states and triggering flash floods and landslides in the hill states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Five people, including a girl, died and as many were injured in separate rain-related incidents in Kullu, Kangra and Chamba districts in Himachal Pradesh, officials told news agency Press Trust of India (PTI). In Haryanas Ambala, a 45-year-old man died when the roof of his house collapsed due to heavy rains, police told PTI. In Jammu and Kashmir, five members of a family, including three minors, were killed after their house was buried under debris following a landslide in Doda district.

An alert was issued in Punjab, where educational institutes will be closed on Tuesday. Himachal Pradesh, too, announced the closure of educational institutions in Chamba, Kullu, Sirmaur, Kangra and Hamirpur districts till Tuesday.

In Delhi, three days of rain cleaned up the air and brought down the maximum temperature to 27.8 degrees Celsius, which was six degrees below normal on Monday. The weather department said the skies were likely to start clearing up from Tuesday. We are expecting sporadic incidents of very light rain in isolated parts...This was the last monsoon rain in Delhi, said BP Yadav, deputy director general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Traffic snarls and waterlogging were reported in Delhi and neighbouring Gurugram, where a slow drainage system made vehicles crawl in arterial roads.

In a statement, IMD said monsoon rains were likely to start withdrawing from the north-west from Saturday. The monsoon usually starts withdrawing from the region in the first week of September, but this year it was delayed by nearly four weeks, said IMD scientist Charan Singh.

The weather department said this years monsoon rainfall, the lifeblood of Indias farm sector, was 9% lower than normal, but a detailed report was expected in the first week of October. The deficit, and now the heavy rain, raised concerns over the production of Kharif, or summer-sown, crops.

Himachal Pradeshs Kullu, a popular tourist destination, was one of the worst-affected districts in the recent showers. The government in Punjab, which has been facing heavy showers for the past two days, asked all district authorities to remain vigilant.

Punjab and Haryana are likely to be dry by September 28, so will be parts of west Rajasthan, said IMDs Singh.

Weather officials said the region was getting a double dose of rainfall because westerly winds were hooking most winds over central India caused by Cyclone Daye, towards the north.

The IMD forecast also warned of heavy rain at isolated places over Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, which is still reeling from the recent floods, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya between September 25 and September 28.The Hyderabad Metro Rail Limiteds much-awaited 16-km long second phase of Corridor-1, one of the citys high traffic density routes, was inaugurated on Monday.

Governor ESL Narasimhan flagged off the metro train from Ameerpet in the heart of the city to LB Nagar on the eastern suburbs. Metro rail services between Ameerpet and Miyapur in the western suburbs, a total distance of 14 km, have already been in operation since November 29 when prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the project.

The governor, who also travelled in the metro along with state IT Minister K T Rama Rao and other public representatives and officials from Ameerpet to LB Nagar and returned up to Khairatabad, advised the people to make use of the metro rail facility to beat the heat and pollution. It would also cut down the expenses on fuel, he said.

Narasimhan then returned to Raj Bhavan on a bicycle along with the minister.

Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya, who also travelled in the metro rail from Ameerpet, got down midway in protest against the indifferent attitude of the HMRL for not displaying the picture of the prime minister at the inaugural function.

With the commencement of operations between Ameerpet and L B Nagar, the entire 30 km long corridor-1 from L B Nagar to Miyapur, has come into operation now, HMRL managing director NVS Reddy said.

Already, the 16 km long stretch between Nagole and Ameerpet has been in operation. Now, metro rail services cover a total distance of 46 km, which the second largest in the country, next only to Delhi, he added.

Reddy said the 72-km long elevated Hyderabad metro rail was the countrys largest public-private partnership project with a total estimated cost of over Rs 17,000 crore.

The Miyapur-LB Nagar line has, in all, 24 stations and the total travelling distance will be less than an hour. Thus, it would drastically reduce the travelling time between these two areas which would take not less than two hours during the peak hours, he said.

The Ameerpet to Hi-Tec city line will be opened for public from December this year while services between Jubilee Bus Station and MGBS will be launched by mid-2019.External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and United States President Donald Trump exchanged pleasantries during a high-level event on counter-narcotics hosted by the latter at the United Nations on Monday.

As Trump left the podium at the conclusion of the event, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley warmly hugged Swaraj and introduced her to the President.

When Swaraj told the US President that she has brought greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump responded, I love India, give my regards to my friend PM Modi, Indian diplomatic sources told PTI.

Swaraj attended the Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem chaired by Trump as the high-level week of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly began here.India on Monday said the elections in Maldives, where joint opposition candidate (JOC) Ibrahim Mohamed Solih trounced incumbent Abdulla Yameen, reflected the Indian Ocean nations commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law.

The outcome of the election results, after which Yameen conceded defeat, eased fears of another political crisis in the Indian Ocean archipelago - an area of competitive influence among between India, China and the West.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Solih and congratulated him. The Prime Minister also conveyed his good wishes for the strengthening of democracy, peace and prosperity in Maldives under the leadership of Mr Solih, a government release said. Solih thanked Modi, and the leaders agreed to work closely to further strengthen the close, friendly and good neighbourly relations.

We welcome the successful completion of the third presidential election process in the Maldives which, according to preliminary information, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won, the external affairs ministry (MEA) said in a separate statement.

This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law, the MEA said.

Solihs victory could possibly bring to an end the months-long strain in ties between India and Yameen, whose handling of institutions and closeness to Beijing didnt go down well with New Delhi. But the real tipping point was Yameen declaring Emergency in the country this February 5, unwilling to accept an order from the countrys Supreme Court to release a group of opposition leaders.

Though the Emergency was lifted after 45 days, the nationwide crackdown saw former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom -- Yameens half-brother -- jailed along with the Chief Justice and another Supreme Court justice amid accusations of an imminent coup.

Solihs win was unexpected. The 56-year-old became the Maldives Democratic Party presidential candidate after its other top leaders were either jailed or exiled by Yameens government.

Partys main leader and former president Mohamed Nasheed, in exile in Sri Lanka, had hoped to run again but was disqualified because of an outstanding prison sentence .

The European Union had said that it was not sending election observers because Maldives had failed to meet the basic conditions for monitoring.

The rout of Yameen is a setback for China and it is a victory of Indias soft power founded in democratic value over Chinas hard power, strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellany said.An Indian and a South African were among three mine workers kidnapped in a northern part of Burkina Faso which has been repeatedly targeted by jihadists, sources told AFP.

The three men of Indian, South African and Burkinabe nationality were kidnapped by unidentified armed men between the Inata gold mine and the town of Djibo bordering Mali and Niger, a security source told AFP.

The kidnapping was confirmed by a fellow mine worker who said the three men left the site (of the mine) around 8:00 am and by 10:00 am they had no more news of them.

After alerting the defence and security forces, we learned there had been a kidnapping, said the worker, declining to be named.

The kidnappers are probably members of jihadist groups operating in the region, said another security source in the capital Ouagadougou, adding that the assailants headed towards the Mali border, and have likely already crossed it.

It is not the first time that foreign workers have been kidnapped in Burkina Faso.

Romanian Iulian Ghergut was abducted in 2015 by the Al-Mourabitoun group, linked to Al-Qaeda, and he remains in captivity.

In January 2016, another group kidnapped Australian Kenneth Elliot and his wife Jocelyn, both in their eighties, in Djibo.

Jocelyn was released but her husband, who had been working in the country for decades, is still being held.

There have also been incidents in other parts of the troubled Sahel country and an Italian missionary was last week kidnapped in neighbouring Niger.There are telltale signs of the upcoming Student Government elections. Political parties prowl Turlington Plaza for undecided voters. Fliers are distributed. You may have even read about a certain SG sugar daddy or an increase in toilet paper quality.

As the election for 50 Senate seats is upon us, The Alligators editorial board sat down with the leaders of both Inspire and Impact parties to discuss and ask questions on the parties merits and plans for SGs nearly $21 million budget. Before we continue, its important to note that the litany of UFs SG scandals present itself as a wannabe House of Cards, excluding the predatory nature of its lead cast member.

Since its inception, weve seen several parties come up and fizzle out when matched up against Impact Party.

Say a prayer for the parties weve lost: Access, Progress and Challenge. Independent parties have tried their best to go against the majority party, but they were poorly organized in comparison to Impacts hold on the legislative and executive branches.

Its impressive that the party has survived even after its former student body president was arrested for drunkenly knocking down motorcycles in Key West and after party leaders have said they supported online voting but refuse to implement it.

This year, we talked over what each party hopes to accomplish. We came away with a good impression of both parties, but one presented fresher ideas and a more fervent commitment to transparency and accountability: Inspire Party.

It was Inspire that called for the inclusion of a Multicultural & Diversity Affairs liaison into the SG Senate chambers, whereas Impact brushed the idea aside.

Impact has pursued diversity via other avenues, such as reaching out to different multicultural organizations and starting the Bridges minority outreach program. Impact has also lobbied Congress for a clean Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.

But Inspire has called for greater transparency to see what the student lobbyists are truly up to when they travel to Tallahassee or Washington, D.C. Impact provides plenty of platform tracker videos, but none regarding what its up to and the money its spending in the countrys and states capitals. Students are also left without a report on how successful those lobbying efforts were. Inspire strives to change those practices.

Now, neither party was able to give us a clear plan about how theyd secure funding for some of their big-budget items. But, like they seem to be doing, well hope for the best.

On voting rights, Impact and Inspire both say they support online voting. An SG Supreme Court decision has prevented the implementation of online voting for students. Inspire would like to see the Supreme Court decision overturned, but its position as the minority party prevented it from passing a constitutional amendment to do so. Impact, on the other hand, has had control over the Senate but has failed to make online voting possible, despite it being common practice in many other universities.

Further on the topic of voting, Impact, as the majority party, has failed to take a leadership role in actively promoting elections on social media, especially Facebook. The SG Facebook page is nearly devoid of any mention of the upcoming elections. When The Alligator asked the Impact Party leaders about this, they didnt have a reason why, despite controlling a majority of SG.

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Some have criticized Inspire for being smaller with a seemingly more unstable voter base. We are cognizant of Inspires role as the underdog in the upcoming elections, but we have faith in its future. Inspire is building a voter base, canvassing efficiently and working hard to obtain a Senate majority.

Many of the Senates problems stem from a lack of voter turnout, so we hope you, dear readers, head to the polls Tuesday and Wednesday and cast a ballot. Its the only sure way you can make your voice count.A 45-year-old labourer was found dead in Tujjar village near north Kashmirs Sopore town on Monday after being abducted by gunmen two days ago, police said.

Mushtaq Ahmad, a resident of Harwan village, was abducted from his home on Saturday evening. A senior police officer said he was found dead in an orchard.

No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the killing of the labourer.PM Modi concludes speech

Development will reach new heights, and so will Sikkim, says PM Modi, concluding his speech.

A look at the Pakyong airport

Govt making efforts to conserve environment: Modi

The government is making efforts to conserve environment in Sikkim: Prime Minister

We built nine airports in one year: PM

Created 1 airport on average in 1 year, 9 airports in 1 year on average over the past 4 years, says PM Modi attacking previous governments over lack of development in the nation.

Work is progressing at high pace to strengthen both, infrastructural and emotional connectivity to Sikkim and Northeast. Ive been here myself to check the development work in Northeast&Union Miniters regularly visit the region, the Prime Minister says.

Govt is following up on sabka saath sabka vikas: PM Modi

I came here to take the blessings of the people of Northeast. In all of north-eastern states, a lot of development has taken place for the first time -- from air to rail connectivity, to even electricity. Our govt is moving on the route of sabka saath, sabka vikas: Modi

PM Modi says its a century for the country

This is Indias 100th operational airport... its a century for the country, says PM Modi.

The airport will make it easier for common man to travel to and fro Sikkim.

PM Modi addresses a cheering crowd

PM Modi starts addressing a rally at the Pakyong airport, says he dedicates the airport to the people of Sikkim.

Sikkim CM says airport inauguration historic

Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling says the inauguration of the airport is an historic event.

The Prime Minister is not just a PM, but also a great person, says Chamling.

Well build 100 more airports in 10-15 years: Prabhu

In the next 10-15 years, we will build 100 more airports in India, says aviation minister Suresh Prabhu.

Suresh Prabhu addresses rally after airport inauguration

Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu says the airport is a gift from PM Modi to Sikkim. The project will benefit the people of Sikkim. It will increase tourism in the state and boost employment in Sikkim. Its all because of the Prime Minister: Prabhu

PM Modi inaugurates Sikkims first airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the Pakyong Airport, near Gangtok, in Sikkim. Chief minister Pawan Chamling and aviation minister Suresh Prabhu are also present.

Arrangements complete ahead of inauguration

Arrangements to accommodate 8,000 people have been made at the meeting venue, Kapil Meena, district magistrate of East Sikkim district had said earlier.India on Monday congratulated opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory in the presidential polls in the Maldives and said the election reflected the countrys commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law.

India also hoped that the Maldivian Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest.

We welcome the successful completion of the third presidential election process in the Maldives which, according to preliminary information, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

We heartily congratulate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory and hope that the Election Commission will officially confirm the result at the earliest, it said.

According to reports, Solih won the presidential election, defeating President Abdulla Yameen who is known to be close to China.

This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law, the MEA said.

Indias ties with the Maldives came under strain after President Yameen declared Emergency in the country on February 5, following an order by the countrys Supreme Court to release a group of Opposition leaders, who had been convicted in widely criticised trials.

India had criticised the Yameen government for the imposition of the Emergency and urged it to restore the credibility of the electoral and political process by releasing political prisoners.

The Emergency was lifted 45 days later.

In July, India expressed concern over announcement of the presidential election without allowing democratic institutions, including Parliament and the judiciary, to work in a free and transparent manner.All semester examinations of Manipur University have been postponed until further orders following the September 20 midnight police raid at boys hostels based on a complaint reportedly by officiating vice-chancellor K Yugindro.

Controller of examinations (in-charge) A Narayan Singh issued a notice in this regard, sources said on Monday.

The notice issued on Sunday said, Under the prevailing circumstances all the examinations of the University which have been scheduled earlier will be postponed until further order.

The functioning of the university, which has around 5,000 students, has been affected once again despite the appeal of vice chancellor to help in restoring normalcy, as unrest resurfaced in the campus after the midnight police search at boys hostels and subsequent arrest of seven students and six teachers.

Even though the university was in the news following an agitation since June for removal of vice chancellor Prof Adya Prasad Pandey on charges of irregularities, normal activities resumed from August 23 after signing an agreement between the two sides.

But the visit of Prof Yugindro to campus on September 20 reportedly on a Union human resource development ministry order after Prof Pandey handed over the charge to him and subsequent raids created the new crisis.

Meanwhile, demanding unconditional release of the arrested students and teachers and removal of the security forces, Manipur University Working Women Association staged sit-in demonstration inside the university campus on Monday. Police however dispersed them

The girl students also staged similar demonstration in front of their hostels.

Students said they are experiencing a disturbing atmosphere due to the presence of a number of security personnel in the campus at Canchipur near Imphal after the September 20 incident.

Due to the frequent disturbances, we couldnt continue our academic activities. Otherwise we could have completed our MA course four months back, a political science student said.

A girl student said that university students will not to appear in the ongoing examination unless the arrested students and teachers are released without any condition. At this juncture appeal for unconditional release of the arrested students and teachers are pouring in from various sectors.

The universitys senior-most professor W Vishwanath, leaders of the committee of political parties, a platform of the 10 opposition parties in Manipur, the Ethno heritage council, a civil society organisation have demanded immediate release of arrested students and teachers besides revoking suspension order against teachers, for sake of their academic careers.The Maoists who gunned down Telugu Desam Party MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and his party colleague and former legislator S Soma in Andhra Pradeshs Visakhapatnam district on Sunday have been identified, police said.

Andhra Pradesh director general of police RP Thakur on Monday released pictures of Maoists involved in the killing, identifying them as Aruna alias Venkata Ravi Chaitanya from Pendurthi mandal of Visakhapatnam, Koteswari alias Swarupa alias Sindri, and Chandri alias Rinki from Bhimavaram in West Godavari district and Julumuri Srinu Babu alias Sufil of Addatheegala in East Godavari district.

All belonged to the Nandapur committee of the Maoists, police said.

The Maoists were identified from feedback received from the personal assistants of the victims who had witnessed the killings, the first major strike by the Maoists in the state after it was bifurcated in 2014.

Sarveswara Rao, the 48-year-old MLA of Araku, and Siveri Soma, 52, a former legislator of the constituency, were targeted when they were returning from a government-sponsored village visit programme, officials said.A 13-year-old visually challenged girl is in critical condition after she was allegedly raped and dumped in a forest by an unidentified man who had given her and her father a lift on his motorbike in Shahdol district, 592 km east of Bhopal, police said.

The crime was committed on Friday night but it came to light on Sunday. The girl was found by the guard of a paper mill in a jungle on Friday night after her father lodged a complaint with the police. She was rushed to the district hospital Rewa where her condition is stated to be critical, police said.

The victim and her father were waiting for a public transport vehicle on Friday evening at Budhar railway station to go to their village which is about 10 kilometers away when a man on a bike offered a lift to them. The father refused but when he didnt get any vehicle for about an hour or so, he agreed to the mans offer, Budhar police station in-charge Anil Patel said.

After some time, the accused allegedly asked the girls farther to dismount and rode away with the girl.

On way to the village the accused stopped the bike on the highway and asked the girls father to get a bidi for him from a nearby shop. When the man went to buy a bidi, the accused took the girl to a nearby forest area and raped her before fleeing the spot. After failing to trace his daughter and the motorcyclist, the father called the police and we began a search for the girl. Later in the night, we got a call from a guard of a paper mill that a girl was lying in the forest in serious condition. A police team rushed to the jungle with the complainant who identified the girl as his daughter, said Patel.

Patel said an FIR had been lodged against the unidentified man in connection with the rape and a manhunt had been launched to nab the accused.

Madhya Pradeshs rape and molestation statistics are grim. According to the state womens cell records, 1,894 rapes and 4,069 molestation cases were registered in the first five months of 2018 which translates to an average of 13 rapes and 27 instances of molestation every day.

In December 2017, MP became the first state in the country to pass a Bill providing for the rapists of girls aged 12 or below to be hanged till death. The minimum punishment, the Bill stated, would be a 14-year rigorous imprisonment or life term till death. This would go up to 20 years rigorous imprisonment in cases of gang rape of girls aged 12 or less.

Over the last seven months, fast track courts in Madhya Pradesh have pronounced 12 death sentences in rape cases.Commander Abhilash Tomy of the Indian Navy, who was injured and his boat wrecked in a massive storm in the south Indian Ocean while on his second circumnavigation of the globe, was rescued by a French naval vessel on Monday.

Tomy is doing okay and the French vessel will shift him to a nearby island, said Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Twitter.

A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He's concious and doing okay. The vessel will shift him to a nearby island (I'lle Amsterdam) by evening. INS Satpura will take him to Mauritius for medical attention. @PIB_India  Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) September 24, 2018

He is conscious but tired and dehydrated, said the officers father, PC Tomy, in Kochi.

Tomy was representing India during the Golden Globe Race 2018 but his indigenously-built Thurayi boat lost its mast after being caught in the storm that whipped up 14-metre high waves. He also suffered a back injury that left him immobilised.

An Indian Navy P-8I aircraft operating from Mauritius had visually sighted Thuriya, which was rolling excessively in the turbulent sea, on Sunday morning approximately 1,900 nautical miles south-west from Australias Perth and about 2,700 nautical miles from Cape Comorin, the navy had said.

Tomy in his last text message had indicated that he was safe but immobile due to back injury.The 39-year-old navy officer has not had a drop of water since the injury and could not communicate with rescue planes as his marine VHF radio batteries are dead.

Continuous watch over the boat is being maintained by Indian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force aircraft till Tomy is rescued, the navy said.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had on Sunday night said that the rescue mission was being coordinated with the Australian Navy. The injured officer shall be picked up in the next 16 hrs by a French vessel Osiris, she had tweeted.

The Australian Rescue Coordination Centre at Canberra is coordinating the rescue mission in conjunction with several agencies including the Australian defence department, the navy said, adding it has dispatched stealth frigate -- INS Satpura with a Chetak helicopter and tanker INS Jyoti operating in the Indian Ocean -- for the mission.

Tomy became the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe onboard his boat Mhadei - solo, non-stop and unassisted - in 2013. He was awarded Indias second-highest peace-time gallantry award, Kirti Chakra, for the feat.

Among those praying for Tomys rescue was the all-woman crew of Indian Navys sailing vessel Tarini, which created history by circumnavigating the globe in a gruelling 254-day voyage.

He imparted us hands-on training in Mumbai before we started sailing on the MhadeiHe has been an inspiration and hope for millions of Indians who dream big and want to achieve their goals, said Tarini skipper Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi.Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the row over the purchase of the Rafale fighter jets is a perception battle, accusing the Congress of running a smear campaign against the government at an international level.

We will fight this. Well go to places and state facts on record on Rafale, she said, according to news agency ANI. Sitharaman assertion and the BJPs counter-attack came on a day the Congress approached the Central Vigilance Commission to seek a probe into the purchase.

Minutes after Sitharamans assertion, the ruling BJP launched a counter-offensive and hit back at the Congress and party chief Rahul Gandhis family with its own set of allegations. BJP leader and junior minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the campaign against the Rafale deal was part of a conspiracy to get the purchase cancelled, demoralise the Indian Air Force and get back at Dassault Aviation.

A conspiracy is being brewed to cancel the deal, a conspiracy is being brewed to lower the morale of the air force... behind it there is only one reason.. to remove prime minister Modi, he said at a press conference at the Bharatiya Janata Party office.

Congress is seeking the support of global and anti-national forces to remove Modi, he alleged.

The opposition party was only trying to rake up the matter for political gains, he said, adding Gandhi had not even answered some questions posed to him by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on the matter in the past few days.Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Pakyong Airport, Sikkims first-ever airport, on Monday.

The airport, which is located at Pakyong, is a Greenfield airport which will circumvent the need for a five-hour journey through mountainous roads and bring citizens of Sikkim closer to the state capital.

Located around 60 km from the Indo-China border, the airport is strategically relevant from a security point of view. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will also find this airport convenient for landing and taking off, Union Minister for Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh, said on Sunday.

The establishment of the airport is expected to provide major impetus to tourism, with Sikkim being perceived as one of the most popular destinations for tourists all throughout the year. It is also expected to cause a significant reduction in travel time for tourists, who earlier had to board from Bagdogra in West Bengal.

Built at an estimated cost of over Rs 605 crore, the Pakyong airport is a new distinction for Sikkim, which has, in the last three to four years, achieved the distinction of becoming the first Organic State and also the first Open Defecation Free (ODF) state of India.Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who recently visited Kailash Mansarovar, reached his Lok Sabha constituency on Monday to a grand welcome, with supporters greeting him as a Shiv Bhakt, or a devotee of Lord Shiva.

As Gandhis cavalcade reached his Lok Sabha constituency, supporters started shouting Bam Bam Bhole amidst the chanting of mantras and the blowing of conch shells.

Rahul performed prayers and met kanwariyas, pilgrims who walk to Haridwar each year from their respective villages and towns, to fetch holy water from the Ganges. The Congress party also tweeted a short video of the welcome and prayers.

About a hundred saffron-clad kanwariyas assembled for the event as devotional music played out in the background. Posters had been put up in many parts of Amethi to welcome Rahul on his first visit to the constituency after his Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

Earlier, Rahul landed at Amausi airport in Lucknow and drove straight to Amethi via Rae Bareli. Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Raj Babbar and other senior leaders, besides partymen, welcomed him there.

During his visit to Bhopal last week, to launch the partys campaign  Madhya Pradesh goes to the polls later this year  Rahul received a similar welcome from supporters. The BJP alleged that calling Rahul a Shiv bhakt was the part of Congresss soft Hindutva agenda ahead of elections due in November

The Congress chief had announced his intention to undertake the pilgrimage after a mid-air scare when his plane plunged hundreds of feet during the Karnataka election campaign in April and left for Mt Kailash on August 31.

The pilgrimage was aimed at seeking the blessing of Lord Shiva for prosperity and success of the country and its people, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had said.

During his two-day visit to Amethi, Gandhi will also take part in the district vigilance and monitoring committee meeting and hold talks with party leaders and workers.A 28-year-old resident doctor was arrested for allegedly raping his junior colleague at a government medical college in Rajkot, Gujarat, police said Monday.

Sachin Santosh Kumar Singh, studying at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (PDU) Medical College located at the Rajkot Civil Hospital, was arrested on Saturday after the 24-year-old victim lodged a complaint against him, deputy commissioner of police (zone II) Manoharsinh Jadeja said.

The victim, who is also a resident doctor and pursuing her post-graduation course at the medical college, was allegedly raped on August 30 night by Singh after he threatened her with dire consequences, Jadeja said.

The woman initially complained about the incident to the medical colleges dean, who suspended the accused for one term, he said.

The victim was very scared and did not lodge a police complaint. However, she met police commissioner Manoj Agrawal a week back. After the commissioner convinced her, she lodged a complaint against the accused on September 21, he said.

After being suspended, Singh, who originally hails from Madhya Pradeshs Chhindwara district, went to Ahmedabad where his family is now settled, he said.

Based on the victims complaint, the accused was arrested from Ahmedabad by the Rajkot police last Saturday from his familys residence, Jadeja said.

The medical check-up of the victim and the accused has been done, he said, adding that police are waiting for their medical reports.Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is in a cleft stick over the amended Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The states two dominant groups  the upper caste and SC and ST  have opposite stands on the amendment. Chouhan has appeared to appease both.

Upper caste groups have protested against the amendment to overturn a March 2018 Supreme Court judgment that made an inquiry mandatory before booking any person under the law. The SC had called arbitrary the law that provided for automatic registration of a case once a complaint was lodged.

Posters put up at many places said upper caste will vote against the BJP if the amendment was not withdrawn. We will continue our protest till the government withdraws the amendment, said Kedar Singh Tomar, president of Samanya Pichchda Alpsankhyak Adhikari Avam Karamchari Sangh (SAPAKS), the body representing upper castes.

The protests have unnerved the BJP, which is keen to retain its voter traditional base ahead of the assembly elections. This prompted Chouhans announcement last week that no one will be arrested without proper investigation under the amended law. There was no clarification from the government on how the announcement that contradicts the law will be implemented.

The announcement has brought more trouble. SC and ST groups have threatened to disrupt Chouhans Ashirward Yatra being undertaken to galvanise support ahead of the elections. They have questioned how his verbal diktat can overrule the law and can be implemented without any explicit order. We will hold protests at the CMs yatra and ask him how a verbal order can derail a law, said Heeralal Trivedi, who heads an organisation of backward classes and minorities, at a protest rally in Bhopal.

The backward communities see it as another move to appease the upper caste at their cost. It can ruin Chouhans efforts to woo them with a slew of sops like subsidised power, free school education and housing.

The SC and ST account for 38% of the states population while the upper castes are about 12%. The upper castes have been the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s backbone since its formation in the 1980s. The SC and ST have gravitated towards the BJP over the last 15 years that the BJP has been in power in Madhya Pradesh.

An official said the police have got the message that nobody should be booked without detailed investigation. We will handle the situation when it comes, the official responded when asked how they will deal with court cases that the instruction could lead to.

Government spokesman Narottam Mishra said they will ensure that no injustice is done. He refused to comment on whether government will issue any instructions in this regard.

Madhya Pradesh bar council chairman Shivendra Upadhyay said the state has executive powers to say that an inquiry should be conducted before any arrest. The announcement without circular has no meaning, he said.

Meanwhile, Congress media in-charge Shobha Oza, said, The chief ministers arbitrary decision clearly shows that the BJP does not care for constitutional rights of the poor and backward. We want to know what is the legal validity of his (Chouhan)s announcement and how can he overturn a central law without bringing an amendment in the state assembly.Should lawmakers, Member of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) facing criminal charges be disqualified and barred from contesting elections once a court frames charges against them? Or should this happen, as it does now, only after they are convicted?

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court is set to decide and deliver its verdict on a bunch of petitions, seeking to set the bar much higher for people in politics, on Tuesday.

In March, the union government said in an affidavit to the Supreme Court that a total of 1,765 representatives, including MPs and MLAs, a little over a third of all representatives in India, face criminal charges.

Expressing concern over the rising criminalisation of politics, a bunch of petitions were filed in 2011, demanding disqualification of lawmakers facing criminal charges. It was argued that the disqualification should take place once the court frames charges against lawmakers. Politicians and parties have always claimed that at least some of these charges are politically motivated and that it would be unfair to act against them on the basis of unproven allegations.

There is already a judgement of the apex court that debars an elected representative from continuing as a member of a house if he or she is convicted in a criminal case and sentenced to a jail term of three years or more.

Earlier in August, when the court was hearing the matter, it observed that people with criminal antecedents becoming members of Parliament and state assemblies is a problem.

It is the duty of the legislature to respond to the collective cry of the citizens. Today the citizens are saying please dont let such people contest electionsIt cant be ignored by the legislature. Its national thinking, said the five-judge-Bench headed by chief justice of India Dipak Misra.

Petitioners impressed on the court that despite the Law Commission and Election Commission repeatedly asking the government to act on the issue nothing had happened, and that parliamentary democracy is the most important part of the basic structure of the Constitution and needs to be protected by the court.

Opposing the petition, the government submitted to the court that a MP or MLA may be not disqualified on any other grounds other than those specified in the representation of peoples Act.

The Supreme Court judgement will have a decisive impact on the criminalisation of politics, irrespective of the decision. Either the court will eliminate the legal grey zone many elected officials suspected of criminal activity exploit or they will decide to constrain the presumption of innocence. Either way, the judgment will leave a lasting impression, said Milan Vaishnav, author of a book on the intersection of crime and politics in India and Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Last year, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court asked the government to set up 12 special courts across 11 states and Delhi to deal with cases related to elected representatives.The Prime Ministers Office has asked ministries in charge of key infrastructure projects and schemes to not just ensure the completion of these between August and March next year  the next parliamentary elections are due shortly after but also showcase how these have changed lives for the better, according to the minutes of a August review meeting of the projects by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The unprecedented outcome monitoring points to one of the main election plans of the Bharatiya Janata party-led National Democratic Alliance government in next years elections. On August 2, the PM reviewed the status of rural and urban infrastructure projects, and other schemes across ministries  highways, houses for eligible families, railways.

The decision to focus on outcome based monitoring comes amidst frequent criticism from opposition parties that many projects and schemes have failed to deliver on the ground.

According to the minutes, the deadlines set by the PMO come with action steps, which aim to not just assess measurable outcome of schemes, like spending or asset creation, but their impact on beneficiaries life and living standards. For instance, all ministries have been told to carry out a study about the positive impact on the environment of various schemes of different ministries by October 31.

Besides, ministries have been directed to conduct internal workshops about the good governance, innovation and efficiency increase which has been implemented in ministries and the benefits these have brought for improving the life of a common man.

The PMO has also told all ministries to balance the budget in terms of regional coverage and that it should be outcome oriented.

Amitabh Kant, CEO of federal think tank NITI Aayog said such outcome-based monitoring has led to reforms in many key sectors including education and health. Such monitoring helps to check if what is said in review meetings about a scheme is actually getting translated on the ground. This also ensures that the Centre, states and districts works in tandem, he said. Kant was among the about two dozen officers who attended the August 2 meeting chaired by Modi.

Public policy experts, however, are of the view that an outcome based monitoring wont be of much help as long as the government does not address gaps in implementation.

This government is in a hurry to get the various schemes and programs off the ground. It has opened up far too many programs, some of which have episodic impacts. The reason is poorly designed policies and schemes, which makes their implementation problematic, said Sebastian Morris, professor of economics at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He said the real failure is the top down approach of the government where inputs from those with their feet on the ground, stakeholders, civil society are not encouraged.

This is despite the success of the Jyoti Gram Yojna in Gujarat, since the problems at the national level cannot all be projectised but require innovations in design and the right organisations, besides coordination across multiple departments, Morris said. Among the infrastructure ministries, the main focus areas of the government are roads , housing, railways, aviation, and ports.

For instance, the rural development ministry has been directed to expedite provision of land to 3.94 lakh landless eligible beneficiaries by December while the housing ministry has been told to finalise the national urban rental policy and model tenancy act by October.

Rajiv Kumar, NITI Aayogs vice chairman said this kind of outcome-based monitoring helps in improving not only delivery of service but speedy implementation on the ground.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will have a busy week at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, negotiating requests for 30 bilateral meetings and attending sessions as varied as climate change and narcotics.

Swaraj, who arrived in New York on Saturday for the General Assembly week, will on Monday attend a high-level event on countering narcotics hosted by US President Donald Trump.

The event, which kicks off the high-level UNGA week, will be a global call for action on the world drug problem and is expected to see participation from over 120 UN member states.

Requests have been received for about 30 bilateral meetings with Swaraj, Joint Secretary for UN Political in the Ministry of External Affairs Dinesh Patnaik told reporters at Indias Permanent Mission to the UN.

She will also attend the Nelson Mandela Peace Conference, a high-level plenary meeting on global peace in the honour of the centenary of the birth of the late South African President, as well as attend a reception hosted on Monday by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Swaraj, over the course of the week, will make a statement on climate change and participate in the NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) Ministerial conference on Palestine. She will attend meetings of the G4, IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa), BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), and SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation). Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be at the SAARC meeting on September 27.

Indian diplomats will also be participating in the G77, LDCs (Least Developed Countries), Commonwealth and Heart of Asia meetings to be held on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Health Minister JP Nadda will be attending the high-level meetings on tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases.

Heads of State will participate at the first-ever high-level meeting on tuberculosis (TB) on September 26 to accelerate efforts in ending TB and reach all affected people with prevention and care.

On September 27, the UNGA will stage the third high-level meeting on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which will undertake a comprehensive review of the global and national progress achieved in putting measures in place that protect people from dying too young from heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes.

Swarajs early engagements included a meeting Sunday with World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to discuss global health issues.

She also held discussions with a few members of the Indian diaspora.

On Monday, she will have bilateral meetings with Morocco Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini, Liechtenstein Foreign Minister Aurelia Frick, Nepals Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, Ecuadors Foreign Minister Jose Valencia, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Mongolias Foreign Minister Tsogtbaatar Damdin.

Asked about the possibility of a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Indias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said New Delhi and Washington just completed a successful round of 2+2 dialogue and discussions are being planned with nations with which India has not had an opportunity to hold bilateral talks.Goa governor Mridula Sinha Monday inducted two BJP legislators  Milind Naik and Nilesh Cabral  in Manohar Parrikar cabinet during a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan, replacing the ailing ministers Francis DSouza and Pandurang Madkaikar.

DSouza was the minister of urban development and law, while Madkaikar was the minister of power and social welfare.

Nilesh Cabral, a BJP lawmaker from South Goa districts Curchorem seat located in the heart of the mining belt and has been championing the cause of resumption of mining, while Milind Naik represents the districts Mormugao seat.

Chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who is currently receiving treatment at Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences for pancreatic ailment, was looking after the portfolios of his two ailing ministers in addition to his own set of 28 portfolios. The number of ministers unwell had only aggravated the political situation in Goa. While Madkaikar had suffered a stroke in June and has been at a Mumbai hospital, DSouza is at a hospital in the US.

DSouza didnt take kindly to the news of being dropped. I am happy with the decision. This is the fruit of working for the party for 20 long years. I have been ill for only one month, he said.

The reshuffle is aimed at sending out the impression that the government is seeking to revive the administration stalled by three absentee ministers, including the chief minister, because of ailments.

Goa BJP president Vinay Tendulkar said the more important decision about the redistribution of the chief ministers portfolios would be announced in 8 to 10 days. It is the prerogative of the chief minister. He will make his decision known, he said.

The Congress, however, said it was laughable that the ministers were being dropped on the health grounds while the chief minister is being allowed to continue. Its hypocrisy. The CM is himself on the bed and his condition is worse than the two ministers who he dropped, State Congress president Girish Chodankar said.Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has dropped the two ministers in his cabinet as part of the first step to counter criticism from the opposition Congress that the BJP-led coalition government had stopped functioning and brought governance to a halt.

The two ministers, Francis DeSouza and Pandurang Madkaikar, have been ailing for some time.

Power minister Madkaikar had suffered a brain stroke in June and has been at a Mumbai hospital.Urban development minister DeSouza is under treatment at a hospital in the US. This is my reward for my two-decade loyalty to the party, DeSouza said in his first reaction to news of his exit .

The two would be replaced by BJP lawmakers Nilesh Cabral and Milind Naik who will be sworn-in later this evening.

Nilesh Cabral is a BJP lawmaker from South Goa districts Curchorem seat while Milind Naik represents the districts Mormugao seat. Naik was the power minister in the previous Laxmikant Parsekar-led cabinet.

Just yesterday, BJP chief Amit Shah had announced the partys decision to stick with Parrikar in the chief ministers chair but made it clear that there would changes in the cabinet.

The cabinet reshuffle, which will be followed by reallocation of portfolios, is also aimed at mollifying the coalitions allies who have been squabbling over a larger share of the ministries.

One of them, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) even had been dropping hints that its leader should be Goas interim chief minister till Parrikar is back from Delhis All Indias Institute of Medical Science. It helped the BJP that the other alliance partner, the Goa Forward Party (GFP), did not agree,

In between, the BJP also explored the possibility of replacing Parrikar who was admitted to Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences on September 15 but appears to have given up the idea, for now. There were indications that it might be difficult to hold the coalition together in absence of Parrikar in the government.

In 2017, the Congress had emerged as the single largest part with 16 lawmakers in the 40-member house last year. The BJP despite winning only 13 seats in the 40-member Goa assembly last year, stitched together an alliance of parties with disparate interests who made Parrikars leadership conditional to joining the alliance.

In a bid to pressurise the BJP on the issue, the ruling Congress submitted a memorandum before the Goa Governor on Monday staking claim to form the government saying the current BJP-led government was in a minority.The electoral defeat of Abdulla Yameen in Maldives on Monday brought a sigh of relief for India. For, all that could have gone wrong between two countries, had gone wrong under Yameens presidency.

Much before the internal Emergency in February 2018 and crackdown on judges and opposition leaders drove an unassailable wedge between the two countries, Yameens cosying up to Beijing had made New Delhi uncomfortable.

The dictates of geography have always made India concerned about what happens in Maldives.

A South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation member country, Maldives sits just 700km from the Lakshadweep island chain and some 1,200km from the Indian mainland.

It is a strategically important country in the Indian Ocean region, which has more than 40 states and nearly 40% of the worlds population. It touches Australia, South-east Asia, South Asia, West Asia and the eastern sea bend of Africa.

More than 97% of Indias international trade by volume and 75% by value passes through the Indian Ocean.

Beijing could substantially raise its level of engagements under Yameens rule.

Although the Chinese footprint in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region is something New Delhi has learnt to live with despite an understandable unease, the rapid expansion in ties between Male and Beijing has become a larger cause of concern.

Maldives has become a showpiece of mega projects-driven Chinese foreign policy as well as an important player in president Xi Jinpings marquee one-road-one-belt project.

Chinese presence in the island nation has been growing steadily ever since Beijing opened an embassy in Male in 2011, about 37 years after India set up its mission there.

Maldives is the only country after Pakistan that China has a free trade agreement with.

What the Maldives does with China or any other country is its choice. But for us, the trouble began when the administration didnt practice what it has said -- an India first policy. It was conveyed at many levels, including the foreign minister level, that the India first policy is as important a part of taking bilateral ties forward as Indias neighbourhood first policy, explained an Indian official.

The negotiations for the free-trade agreement between China and Maldives took just three years to complete. It was rushed through Parliament, making many opposition MPs express their concerns. Soon enough, China kicked off a stream of mega projects  including the Friendship Bridge and Laamu Atoll Link Road  in Maldives. Reciprocal visits by premiers Xi and Yameen to each others countries further boosted ties, as relations with India nosedived.

Indias consistent urging of listening to the Supreme Court order of releasing the jailed Opposition had fallen on deaf ears under Yameen.Firing fresh salvo at the prime minister on the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday charged countrys chowkidar Narendra Modi with snatching away money from the poor and handing it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

He asked the prime minister for answers on why Rafale price was not disclosed and how Ambani got the contract.

The chowkidar of the country has taken out Rs 20,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, martyrs and the jawans and put it in the pocket of Ambani, Gandhi said at a meeting in the Jais area of his constituency.

The Congress chief arrived in Amethi on a two-day visit, the first after his Kailash Mansarover pilgrimage, and said the people of the country wants to know the amount involved in the Rafale deal.

Why was the price not disclosed...how was the contract given to Ambani... serious charges have been levelled by former French president Francois Hollande, he said.

Recalling that during a debate in Parliament on Rafale deal, The prime minister could not look me in the eye. PM gives speeches but no answers... he does not have the courage to give reply.

Under the BJP government, the farmers and poor are crying... the present government is providing all benefits to a selected five to ten people, he said, adding people like Anil Ambani, Vijay Mallaya and Lalit Modi are getting all benefits.

The Reliance Group, in a statement quoting Ambanis letter to Congress president Rahul Gandhi last month, had said, Allegations of Reliance benefitting by thousands of crores is a figment of imagination, promoted by vested interests.

Simply put, no contract exists with the Government of India.

French company Dassault, which is supplying the fighter jets, has entered into a joint venture with the Reliance Group to meet its offset obligations to create business for Indian firms, following the Rafale deal.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)The state health department has swung into action after the first case of Zika virus was reported at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur.

After getting the information of a patient, Shakuntala Devi (85), resident of Shastri Nagar in Jaipur, found positive for Zika virus infection, the rapid response team visited the affected area on Saturday, said Dr VK Mathur, the director of public health, on Sunday.

He said the team interviewed the patient  who has now recovered from the infection and discharged from the SMS hospital  and found that the patient did not travel anywhere and no one from the affected state or country had visited her place.

Dr Mathur said the team visited 40 houses and found two pregnant women and two others suffering from fever. The samples of these four persons were collected on Sunday morning and sent to SMS hospital for further investigation, he added.

The official said that high density of larvae was found near the patients house during a survey, following which fogging was done in the area. On Sunday, a survey for patients suffering from fever is being done up to 3kms around the patients house, he added.

Dr Mathur said that Devi was suffering from fever for past few days and had complaints of joint pain, redness of eyes, weakness and body ache. The patient also had altered sensorium. She was admitted to the SMS hospital on September 11 after she was diagnosed for neurological disorder.

The samples collected from the patient on September 15 and tests done at the hospital revealed presence of zika virus in the serum and urine, following which the hospital sent the samples to the National Institute of Virology, Indian Council of Medical Research, Pune, for further tests. A letter sent from the NIV on September 21 confirmed presence of zika virus genome in Devis serum, urine and ribonucleic acid (RNA) extract of serum, he said.

Dr Mathur said a meeting is called on Monday, which will be chaired by health minister Kali Charan Saraf and health department additional chief secretary Veenu Gupta. In the meeting, situation of zika virus and other seasonal diseases will be reviewed,, he said, adding that apart from the medical and health department, medical education department, Jaipur Municipal Corporation and animal husbandry department officials will be attending the meeting.

About the virus

Dr Sunil Singh, joint director (rural health) said that biting by infected aedes mosquito transmits zika virus.

Aedes is same mosquito that spread dengue and chikungunya. Malaria causing mosquitoes bite in night, dengue causing mosquitoes bite in morning, but mosquitoes spreading zika virus bite during the day and night.

He said zika virus can infect foetus of pregnant woman and can cause certain birth defects to the baby. Zika infected person can pass the virus through sex to his/her partner.With the BJP-led government at the Centre turning the heat on states to tame fuel prices, Haryana has taken the lead by inviting neighbouring states for fixing a uniform rate for value added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel.

Haryana finance minister Capt Abhimamyu will be hosting his counterparts from neighbouring states of Punjab, Himachal, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi and union territory of Chandigarh here on Tuesday.

A senior official of Haryana excise and taxation department said the states will have to make collective efforts for uniform rate to avoid revenue loss in districts bordering states with lower tax.

Interestingly, opposition Congress in Haryana has been demanding that Abhimanyu slash VAT rates to provide relief to the common man while the Congress government in Punjab has been refusing to do so. Punjab finance minister Manpreet Badal has maintained that the state cannot afford to forego revenue from VAT on petrol, which is highest in north India.

For a uniform rate, Punjab may have to slash tax to bring it at a par with states bordering it as they may not agree to enhance their tax slab on petrol to 36%.

Some states may also have to hike the rate to ensure uniformity. After a similar meeting of FMs of northern states in 2015, the Aam Aadmi Party government at Delhi had hiked VAT rates as they were lower than Punjab and Haryana.

The VAT rates are highest in Maharashtra followed by Andhra Pradesh. In north, Punjab charges the highest VAT of 36% on petrol and 17% on diesel. Himachal charges 26% VAT on petrol and 15% on diesel. Chandigarh charges 19% on petrol and 11% on diesel and Haryana 26% on petrol and 16% on diesel.

The central government, which levies Rs 19.48 a litre of excise duty on petrol and Rs 15.33 on diesel, has been nudging states to cut VAT rates saying they get all of the VAT collection plus 42% of central excise collections.

Punjab has been demanding that the Centre bring fuel prices under the goods and service tax (GST) regime.

Till that happens, states petroleum dealers association has been demanding that Punjab government should lower tax slabs as they were benefitting neighbouring states.Saudi Arabia, and its developers and retailers, are set to cash in on a spending bonanza fueled by the unique position of having a city that every able-bodied Muslim in the world must visit once in their lifetime. Helped by state investment, Mecca is set to see shopping-mall space almost triple by 2025, according to Colliers International.

As part of a government plan to wean the economy off oil, the state aims to boost the number of foreign pilgrims to 30 million per year by 2030 from 7 million last year, realizing the potential of a sector that currently makes up 20 percent of the kingdoms non-oil economy, according to Oxford Business Group.

The holy city is currently under-served by malls due to a shortage of plots and high costs, with many shoppers opting to head to nearby Jeddah, Colliers said in a report last week. But thats expected to change and mall space is set to grow to 804,000 square meters (8.7 million square feet) by 2025. Meccas biggest developers are likely to construct a sizable portion of the future mall supply, it said.

The $9.6 billion Jabal Omar Development Co. is already taking advantage by building homes and malls as well as a project near the Grand Mosque that will include 38 hotels and some of the countrys largest malls. The kingdoms wealth fund has also jumped on the bandwagon with a new company to aid an expansion project that it says will contribute $2.1 billion annually to the national economy. Another company likely to benefit is Makkah Construction and Development Co., which focuses on projects near the mosque.

Spending by pilgrims during the five-day Hajj season alone is set to reach $5.6 billion by 2022, up from $4.2 billion last year, according to a research report cited in Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. The minor Umrah pilgrimage to the city is voluntary and takes place all year around.

Mecca has undergone a transformation as Saudis seek to accommodate an ever-growing number of pilgrims that make up the vast majority of the countrys tourism industry. Some of the worlds biggest hotels have opened up or are under construction in the city, where towers and cranes crowd the horizon outside the worlds biggest Mosque.

A project to expand the capacity of the Grand Mosque to 2.5 million people from 1.5 million has recommenced after it was halted following a crane collapse in 2015 killed more than 100 people. Other projects that stalled after a drop in oil prices hit the economy are also resuming across the country.

Revenue from pilgrims could rival and even exceed the kingdoms vast oil returns in the long term, Jabal Omars Chief Executive Officer Yasser Al-Sharif told a conference in Riyadh last year. Oil is a commodity that can be substituted, he said, pilgrimage is not.The strongman president of the Maldives on Monday conceded defeat in elections, easing fears of a fresh political crisis in the archipelago at the centre of a battle for influence between India and China.

The Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results from yesterday, Abdulla Yameen said in a televised address to the Indian Ocean nation a day after the joint opposition candidate unexpectedly triumphed.

Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him, Yameen said.

There had been concerns at home and abroad that Yameen might not accept the outcome. He had borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars from China for an infrastructure blitz, to the alarm of the Maldives traditional backer India.

At the last election in 2013, the Supreme Court annulled the result after Yameen trailed former president Mohamed Nasheed, giving Yameen time to forge alliances and win a second round of voting that was postponed twice.

Results from Sundays election released by the electoral commission showed Yameen on 41.7 percent of the vote, well behind Solih on 58.3 percent -- the only other name on ballot papers.

The final official result will take up to a week to be published.

The result was a major surprise, with Yameens main political rivals either in prison or in exile, media coverage of the opposition sparse and monitors and the opposition predicting the vote would be rigged.

Yameen stayed quiet overnight after the outcome became clear. But signs grew Monday that he would throw in the towel, with a foreign ministry statement saying Solih had won and state media showing him claiming victory.

Nearly 90 percent of the 262,000 electorate turned out to vote, with some waiting in line for more than five hours.

Celebrations broke out across the 1,200-island tropical archipelago popular with wealthy foreign tourists, with opposition supporters waving yellow flags of Solihs Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and dancing in the streets.

The US State Department, which had warned of appropriate measures if the vote was not free and fair, had called on Yameen to respect the will of the people.

Regional superpower India, competing with China to retain its influence in the region, was the first to heartily congratulate Solih.

This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law, the foreign ministry said.

Sri Lanka, home to many Maldivian dissidents, also congratulated him but China was yet to comment, with Monday being a public holiday.

Media fearful

Solih had the backing of a united opposition trying to oust Yameen but struggled for visibility. The local media was fearful of falling foul of heavy-handed decrees and reporting restrictions.

In February Yameen imposed a 45-day state of emergency, alarming the international community, in what was seen as an attempt by his opponents in parliament to impeach him.

A crackdown saw former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom -- Yameens half-brother -- jailed along with the Chief Justice and another Supreme Court justice amid accusations of an imminent coup.

On the eve of the poll, police raided the campaign headquarters of the MDP and searched the building for several hours in a bid to stop what they called illegal activities. There were no arrests.

Nasheed told AFP in Colombo the vote would bring the country back to the democratic path and Yameen had no option but to concede defeat.

Independent international monitors were barred from the election and only a handful of foreign media were allowed in to cover the poll.

The Asian Network for Free Elections, a foreign monitoring group that was denied access to the Maldives, said the campaign had been heavily tilted in favour of 59-year-old Yameen.

The government had used vaguely worded laws to silence dissent and to intimidate and imprison critics, some of whom had been assaulted and even murdered, according to Human Rights Watch.Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the US Supreme Court is at risk of unraveling after new sexual misconduct allegations emerged, just as the senate judiciary committee prepares to hear testimony from a woman claiming he assaulted her in high school.

The New Yorker magazine reported Sunday that Senate Democrats are investigating an incident that allegedly took place during Kavanaughs college years at Yale University, involving Deborah Ramirez, 53, a former Yale student. Kavanaugh denied the allegation, and the White House issued a statement saying it stands firmly behind his nomination.

Separately, Michael Avenatti, the lawyer best known for representing adult film star Stephanie Clifford, who says she had an affair with Donald Trump before he was elected president, said on Twitter that he represents a woman with credible information regarding judge Kavanaugh. Avenatti, who has said hes considering running for president as a Democrat, said on Twitter his client is not Ramirez.

Kavanaughs nomination was already in a perilous state ahead of a hearing planned for Thursday on an allegation by Christine Blasey Ford that he sexually assaulted her at a high school party three decades ago. Kavanaugh, who has denied that claim, is also scheduled to testify. He has denied being at such a party, according to GOP Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, a strong Kavanaugh backer.

Republicans over the weekend stepped up their attempts to discredit Fords story, and a White House statement on the New Yorker story called the article part of a coordinated attack on the nominee. A second White House statement said the New Yorker hadnt found any other eyewitnesses to say Kavanaugh was at the party involving Ramirez, and that Ramirez acknowledged she had significant gaps in her memories of the evening.

The judiciary panels Republican staff will attempt to evaluate these new claims, Chairman Chuck Grassleys spokesman, Taylor Foy, said in a statement Sunday night. Foy accused Democrats of withholding information, saying the Republican staff learned of Ramirezs allegation from the New Yorker article, which said some Democratic staff were aware of the claim. It also said senior Republican staff learned of the allegation last week.

White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said the allegations are starting to feel like a vast, left-wing conspiracy.

I know theres pent up demand for women to get their day, she said in an interview with CBS on Monday morning. I just dont think one mans shoulders should bear decades of the #metoo movement.

The new allegations raised broader questions about a nominee whose confirmation seemed all but certain two weeks ago. Senate Republicans will now have to decide whether to move ahead with the Thursday hearing, or put Kavanaughs nomination on hold.

Democratic senators Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Ed Markey of Massachusetts, in messages on Twitter Sunday night, called on Kavanaugh to withdraw his nomination.

Seating Kavanaugh on the nations top court -- or not seating him -- could affect the fight for control of Congress in the November 6 election. Republicans are looking for Kavanaugh to cement a conservative majority on the court, while Democrats say he could provide the fifth vote to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion-rights ruling.

Seeking Postponement

The judiciary committees top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein of California, on Sunday night called for postponing any further proceedings relating to Kavanaugh. I also ask that the newest allegations of sexual misconduct be referred to the FBI for investigation, she said.

The claim reported by the New Yorker dates to the 1983-84 academic school year, when Kavanaugh was a freshman at Yale. Ramirez said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a drunken dormitory party.

The New Yorker said Ramirez had hesitated to speak publicly, partly because she had been drinking at the time of the alleged incident and there were gaps in her memory. She decided to come forward after assessing her memories and consulting with her lawyer, the magazine said.

This is a Smear

Kavanaugh said in the statement about the latest claim that this alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple.

White House spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said in a statement that the latest allegation is a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man. She added: This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say.

Ford, the California college professor who accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in high school, has been negotiating details of her appearance before the committee on Thursday.

Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr. Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her, her lawyers said in a statement.

While Ford agreed to Grassleys latest terms to come before the panel, her lawyers faced several setbacks after earlier accusing Republicans of bullying their client.

Grassley Email

The committee determines which witnesses to call, how many witnesses to call, in what order to call them, and who will question them, Grassleys staff counsel said to Fords lawyers and Democratic staff in an email earlier Sunday. These are non-negotiable.

Among the witnesses Fords lawyers want to testify are Mark Judge, a Kavanaugh high school classmate she says was in the room when the assault occurred, but who has said he doesnt recall the party. They also wanted two trauma experts and the polygraph examiner who conducted a lie-detector test on Ford to be called.

Grassley made one concession by agreeing to delay the hearing to Thursday, three days later than Republican leaders wanted and a day later than hed proposed on Friday. The chairman previously agreed to other requests, including regular breaks, security arrangements, limited press access, and equal time for senators asking questions.

On Sunday evening, Avenatti posted on Twitter an email to the Judiciary Committee in which he accused Kavanaugh of participating in parties where women were given drugs or alcohol that allowed multiple men to have sex with them but offered no evidence and did not identify a victim.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a senior member of the judiciary committee, said on Fox News Sunday -- before Ramirezs accusation became public -- that he wouldnt vote against Kavanaugh without additional evidence.

Unless theres something more, no, Im not going to ruin judge Kavanaughs life over this, he said, adding that theres no way Kavanaugh could be prosecuted based on the evidence presented so far.

If the public Judiciary panel hearing happens, it will echo the 1991 event when Anita Hill accused now-Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of sexually harassing her when he was her supervisor at two federal agencies. Thomas was confirmed after a hearing, chaired by future Democratic Vice President Joe Biden, that infuriated many women who believed the all-male committee mistreated Hill.

Congress failed the test in 1991 with Anita Hill, Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington state, said on NBCs Meet the Press. How the Senate handles this, and the Senate Republicans handle this, will be a test of this time -- of 2018.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kevin Whitelaw at kwhitelaw@bloomberg.net, Laurie Asseo, Michael ShepardOpposition candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, won the contentious presidential election in the Maldives on Monday, convincingly defeating incumbent, Abdulla Yameen, in what was widely seen as a referendum on the Indian Ocean archipelagos fragile democracy.

This is a moment of happiness, a moment of hope, Solih told reporters in Male. This is a journey that has ended at the ballot box because the people willed it.

Solih, who was fielded by the combined opposition, including the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), is expected to take charge on November 17, when Yameens five-year term ends.

Yameen, who cultivated ties with China and Saudi Arabia, conceded defeat after the Election Commission said Solih had won Sundays election by a margin of 16.7%. The final official result will take up to a week to be published.

The concession and the results were a surprise to the Maldives opposition, who had feared Yameen would rig the vote in his favour. Since his election in 2013, the strongman cracked down on political dissent, jailing rivals, including his half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the first democratically elected president, and even Supreme Court judges.

But Yameen soothed concerns over a possible messy transfer of power in a televised address to the nation. Maldivian people have decided what they want. I have accepted the results from yesterday. Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who the Maldivian electorate has chosen to be their next president. I have congratulated him, he said.

Solih, 56, has already said he will seek to free all political prisoners, including former president, Gayoom. He also wants to rework or scrap deals not made in the best interests of the Maldives, and restore ties with India, which could strain relations with China.

He must also keep together the opposition coalition that includes two fierce rivals, Gayoom and former president, Mohamed Nasheed.

Sohil was a democracy activist during decades of autocratic rule and a former Parliament majority leader. He became the MDPs presidential candidate after other top figures, including Nasheed, were jailed or exiled by Yameens government.

A close confidant of Nasheed and married to one of his cousins, Solih played a leading role in forming the Maldives Political Reform Movement from 2003 until 2008, which culminated in the adoption of a new Constitution.

He campaigned door to door, speaking at rallies about human rights and the rule of law  a message that resonated with voters, who saw signs the Maldives was slipping back to autocratic rule, just a decade after achieving democracy.

MDP leader, Nasheed, in exile in Sri Lanka, had hoped to run again but was disqualified because of an outstanding prison sentence.

India and the US congratulated Solih  popularly known as Ibu  on his victory even before Yameen conceded.

This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law, Indias foreign ministry said in a statement. India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership.

Solihs win presents an opportunity for India to rebuild the traditionally strong ties between the two countries in order to counter Chinas growing influence in the Indian Ocean region.

The US state department congratulated the people of the Maldives for having a peaceful, democratic vote. A statement from spokeswoman Heather Nauert noted the opposition victory and urged calm and respect for the will of the people as the election process was being concluded.

Both New Delhi and Washington had been concerned by Beijings growing influence in the Maldives and the island nations lurch toward more hardline attitudes on religious issues during Yameens five years in power.

China has poured billions of dollars into infrastructure projects, including an extension to the international airport in the Maldives and a bridge linking it to the capital Male.

Before the election, the opposition said it will review Chinese investments, partly out of concern over the level of debt entailed, with experts warning the government could fall into a debt trap. The Chinese investment is seen as part of its String of Pearls strategy, developing a network of friendly ports in the region from Sri Lanka to Pakistan.

India and Western nations are worried the strategy ultimately aims to help Chinas military extend its reach.Pakistans Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition seeking Prime Minister Imran Khans disqualification for not being sadiq and ameen (truthful and righteous) and for not disclosing his love child with socialite Sita White in his nomination papers.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar rejected the petition on the ground that the plea, filed at a time when Khan had not been elected the premier, had become infructuous.

The court ruled the petition seeking Khans disqualification as a lawmaker was filed during the term of the previous Parliament, which had completed its tenure. The application has already been rendered ineffective, said Justice Ijazul Ahsan.

The counsel for petitioner Danyal Chaudhry informed the judges they had filed a similar application in a high court. The bench informed the counsel Chaudhry has the right to approach any other legal forum with his plea.

Chaudhry had filed the petition in May 2017, after the apex court constituted a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe allegations of corruption against then premier Nawaz Sharif. He had sought a special oath for JIT members to prevent them from being influenced by Khans speeches.

The petition had requested the court to restrain Khan from activities that could influence the JIT members because his speeches could prejudice the investigation. It also stated that if Khan was not stopped from making political statements, it might result in the derailment of democracy.

Besides other things, the petition also sought Khans disqualification for not disclosing his loved child Tyrian White in his nomination papers for the recent general elections.

In 1997, a Los Angeles court ruled Khan was the father of Tyrian though he had refused to cooperate by undergoing a paternity test. Before her death in 2004, White made Khans first wife, Jemima Goldsmith, Tyrians guardian.W hether you want a new Scandi-style sofa, a fresh lick of paint on your walls or simply a browse around a hip concept store, there's a lot going on in the design world this September.

British paint brand Farrow & Ball has just launched nine new shades, including an exotic pink inspired by the Indian festival of colours and a grey-green sure to become a classic. Pick up your favourite for 45 for 2.5 litres of paint.

Over in Kings Cross, the old Coal Drops Yard is preparing to open officially at the end of the month.

If you can't wait till then, the area around Granary Square and Regent's Canal is already up and running, including hipster concept store-cum-cafe, Bonds. Weve got our eye on the Mira chair, 1,600, from interiors shop Caravane, too.

Iconic Danish design brand Carl Hansen and Son is opening its first shop in London this week, selling modern classics at 48a Pimlico Road, while homeware store Cox & Cox is introducing upholstered furniture into its range with four lovely sofas.

Cox & Cox launches sofas: choose from four styles including Scandi, from 1,000

Then there's creative consultant Matilda Goad's first range for Liberty, comprising wooden table lamps inspired by her signature ribbed beeswax candles and scalloped lamp shades trimmed and lined in Liberty Tana lawn fabric.T he shared-ownership concept was introduced to give low-income families and key workers access to the housing market.

Now, with affordability in London stretched to record levels and the average deposit needed for first-time buyers topping 100,000, could it become a well-trodden first rung on the property ladder for pretty much every young professional?

The cost of an average home in the capital is 468,845 according to Lloyds Bank, double that of the UK as a whole, making the 10 per cent deposit required by lenders too large for many wannabe buyers. This is where shared ownership comes in.

Classified as affordable housing, shared ownership lets you buy between 25 and 75 per cent of a property at a time and therefore requires a much smaller deposit.

Its easier if you are saving for a 10 per cent deposit on a 50 per cent share and not the whole thing, explains Lawrence Bowles, analyst at Savills.

On top of a reduced mortgage the part-property owner will pay rent on the remaining share, typically at a lower rate than on the open market, Bowles adds.

Qualifying criteria

Key workers and military personnel are generally prioritised for shared ownership, but the main qualifying criteria is that the buyer does not own a property already and the household income is less than 90,000 in London.

Once on the ladder, the aim is to buy more of the property, increase the share and reduce the amount of rent. This is known as staircasing.

Two thirds of our shared ownership population have grown their stake over time to 100 per cent, says Olivia Moss, of L&Q charitable housing association.

HomeOwners Alliance advice service chief Paula Higginson says shared ownership can be a good stepping stone if you plan to staircase to 100 per cent but warns: Increasing your share in the property can be costly when you consider valuation and mortgage fees and legal costs.

When a buyer wants to increase their stake, the property is revalued and in a rising market this means the new share will be more expensive than the last.Now Open

24 September 2018

Ocean Properties Hotels Resorts & Affiliates announced today the opening of the all-new, all-suite retreat, The Laureate Key West. Located at 3444 North Roosevelt Boulevard on the northeast side of Key West, Florida, the boutique bayfront property is the latest addition to company's signature Opal Collection of award-winning independent hotels and resorts and its second in Key West. Offering spacious suites and an array of in-room amenities, The Laureate Key West is celebrating its grand opening with a special 30 percent discount off stays of two or more nights through December 20.

"Aptly named for the many creative minds who have called Key West home, The Laureate Key West draws inspiration from literary greats while offering a modern coastal design and luxury amenities," said Mark Vose, General Manager at The Laureate Key West. "It was designed to be a traveler's haven, where guests can rest, recoup, and reflect after a sun-filled day exploring colorful Key West."

The new property features 64 modern, coastal chic guest suites with an array of appealing amenities ideal for extended stays in Key West, including beautiful bay views, private balconies, and fully-equipped gourmet kitchenettes with refrigerator, stove top, microwave, and dishwasher. Rooms also feature premium cable channels, complimentary high-speed wireless Internet, coffee maker and a work desk. The property also features a tropical pool surrounded by lush landscaping, and a large cabana available to guests complimentary on a first come, first served basis.

The Laureate Key West joins a strikingly unique ensemble of Florida hotels in the Opal Collection portfolio, including the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Naples, the Zota Beach Resort in Longboat Key, the newly-opened Hutchinson Shores Resort & Spa in Jensen Beach, and Sunset Key Cottages in Key West.Appointment

24 September 2018

Hilton announces that Eric Walters has been named general manager of the 613-room Hilton Denver City Center in Denver, Colorado. The hotel, which is located in the heart of downtown Denver and just three blocks from the Colorado Convention Center, recently completed a $27 million renovation of the entire property and joined the Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand portfolio in December 2017.

With more than 34 years of hospitality experience, Walters returns to Denver, where he has worked twice during his career. Most recently, Walters served as complex general manager of Hilton Portland Downtown and The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel. Walters successfully led the complex through a multi-million dollar renovation and rebranding, which resulted in the largest hotel in the state becoming two separate hotels. Under his leadership, The Duniway was consistently ranked as a top three TripAdvisor hotel in Portland and was only the third Hilton in the world to be welcomed into the American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts program. Prior to Portland, Walters served as general manager of the city-owned Hilton Vancouver Hotel and Convention Center for five years, where he led the property through the recession to record-breaking revenue and profit levels, as well as industry-leading service and TripAdvisor ratings.

Walters has also held the position of hotel manager at Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center, as well as general manager positions at the Bellevue DoubleTree by Hilton (now Hilton Bellevue), DoubleTree by Hilton Yakima Valley in Washington and the Adam's Mark Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition, Walters held the position of assistant general manager at DoubleTree by Hilton Denver Southwest and director of food and beverage at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Denver.

Walters graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in Food Management and Nutrition. He is a Hilton internal award winner for leadership, guest loyalty and continuous improvement.Supplier News

24 September 2018

Cendyn, the leading provider of hotel CRM and hotel sales platforms in the hospitality industry, has been voted as North America's Leading Hotel CRM Technology Provider and North America's Data Driven Marketing Agency for 2018. The prestigious World Travel Awards recognizes companies, organizations and brands that push the boundaries of hospitality industry excellence.



"We are truly honored to have won these awards. Cendyn was founded over 20 years ago in North America, so these awards really resonate with our continued efforts to innovate and evolve with the hospitality industry," says Charles Deyo, CEO & President of Cendyn. "Day-in-day-out, we see hoteliers across the globe now embracing technology systems, such as CRM and data-driven digital marketing, to improve how they engage with, and acquire their guests. It is becoming a 'must-have' as hotels that implement these technologies not only see more direct, higher yielding bookings, but they are also able to watch those guests become returning, loyal guests."



The awards in North America follow Cendyn's win of Leading Hotel CRM Technology Provider in Europe and Leading Data Driven Marketing Agency in Europe and Asia 2018. Cendyn is also in the running for these categories, as well as Events Management and Sales Proposal Platforms, in the Worldwide competition, with winners announced in December at a gala reception in Lisbon, Portugal.



Cendyn's CRM Suite caters to every hotelier from large brand to small boutique properties. Using multiple integrations, Cendyn consolidates numerous data points from disparate data transactions to engage with travelers throughout the guest journey. Business rules-based automation combined with dynamic personalization and upsell opportunities drive revenue through multiple channels and helps hotels acquire new customers.



eInsight CRM provides enterprise marketing automation and guest intelligence for multi-property/multi-brand hotels and Cendyn's Guestfolio CRM provides intuitive marketing automation and guest intelligence for boutique and independent hotels.



Cendyn's unique Data-Driven Digital Marketing Suite enables hoteliers to learn about and target their most valuable guests. By targeting the right guests, at the right time, with the right message, hoteliers cut through the noise of the crowded hospitality industry with personalized multi-channel campaigns that showcase and drive awareness of your brand.



Hotels are continuing to evolve in how they engage with their guests. By using technology and data to drive this engagement, hoteliers are able to revolutionize how they interact with guests, use tools to drive direct bookings, maintain brand presence and stay competitive in their market. Cendyn's integrated Digital Marketing Suite and Hotel CRM Suite enables hoteliers to keep their guests at the forefront of what they do and concentrate on providing exceptional, personalized customer service at all times.Opinion Article

24 September 2018

In this new day in age, the meaning of travel has taken an interesting turn in terms of what is driving consumers away from home. The generation of material pleasantries has come and gone, and what people are really looking for these days are new and engaging experiences. Curiosity is driving interest away from the status quo. While the necessities, like having a great location, providing safety and security while keeping a high standard for quality, will always hold value, consumers are seeking ways to leverage their travel by experiencing and becoming one with the surrounding environment. A new fine line has been created between simply staying somewhere overnight and taking advantage of and enjoying the nuances of the surrounding environment.

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We have seen the hotel industry recognize this and proactively meet these evolving expectations and desires recently. Hotels are beginning to favor local flavors and ingredients for their food and beverage outlets. A big push for brands to separate themselves from the norm is evident, as well. Hotel companies are straying away from the "me too" brands and proving that being successful and consistent doesn't always mean being identical at every location.

Over the last decade, this has led to an outburst of boutique and lifestyle hotels. Marriott's Autograph Collection emphasizes boutique hotels with unique passion, design, and connection with the local area. Hyatt entered the space with its Unbound Collection of "story worthy" properties around the world, featuring exclusive locations, famous architecture, and incredible dining experiences. Tru by Hilton is emphasizing an interactive social environment that seeks to combine business and pleasure altogether. InterContinental Hotels Group's Hotel Indigo is all about the neighborhood that surrounds each property and incorporates these aspects into the fabric of the hotel. The list goes on with brands such as W Hotels, Canopy by Hilton, Kimpton, Aloft, Tribute Collection, Cambria, Moxy, Design Hotels, and more. These major brands incentivize travelers to experience these unique properties while also benefitting from the advantages of a large hotel company, such as service standards, consistency in facilities and amenities, and the plethora of benefits of each company's rewards programs.

Meanwhile, a juggernaut has risen in the lodging space over the last decade. Airbnb has managed to compete successfully with large lodging companies and brands that have been well established in the marketplace. Airbnb has found a way to offer these truly unique experiences at sometimes a fraction of the price of a hotel room. Customers can customize their search to locate accommodations that cater to their specific needs. Location options can be extremely flexible, including every possible neighborhood in a city. By empowering consumers to select, in every aspect, how and where they want to travel, Airbnb has created an extremely successful business model. As an example, an Airbnb experience can range from a studio apartment in Manhattan to a five-bedroom house in Houston, from an Airstream trailer in Malibu to a Treehouse in Atlanta or even a campsite in the Sahara Desert. While some would say that the idea of home sharing has been around for many years through sites like VRBO, HomeAway, and OneFineStay, these unique real-life experiences have not only been made available but are increasingly becoming more common place through the advent of Airbnb.

Where Airbnb has thrived and become more than just a home-sharing website is how it offers its product. To the Millennial generation, Airbnb is cool and tech savvy. The website is fun to use and easy to navigate. Consumers enjoy the process of filtering through what they want and don't want for each property or location. There is something exciting about staying in somebody else's home and experiencing the local culture. The privacy and exclusivity aspect to the guest is also a tremendous benefit. Most of the time, there's no need to check in at a front desk, no room keys to worry about losing, and every amenity offered is available specifically for you, the guest. Additionally, compared to the typical hotel room, on average, Airbnb offers a significant more amount of space per unit, given that travelers are typically renting an entire apartment or house, for similar or lower prices. Lastly, as a company, Airbnb has an advantage that hotel companies do not have, which is to increase or decrease the supply of rooms as needed. Airbnb hosts can remove some of the inventory from the market during periods of low demand and increase the inventory when the market calls for more Airbnb houses or rooms, particularly during peak seasons or special events, whereas a hotel is unable to do so.

With 4.5 million listings as of 2018, Airbnb has proven to be very successful. However, as with any company, there are areas (internal and external) for improvement, and where traditional hotels still hold an advantage. The company has a limited set of guidelines and standards for its product and offerings. While this has been generally helpful in growing its inventory, it is a fact that it is not going unnoticed by guests. In some markets, Airbnb has also been allowed to compete with hotels but has not been held to the same standards as related to the payment of taxes, the provision of life-safety/security measures, the acquisition of permits, and the compliance of ADA regulations. In other instances, Airbnb places somewhat of a burden on its customers, as guests are sometimes on their own for food, toiletries, and general information, as the only real "staff" available is the owner of the unit, who sometimes may not even be in the same city.

Additionally, Airbnb is not able to compete as strongly in attracting business travelers or meeting/group demand generated by in-house meetings, since unlike large hotels, Airbnb units lack conference facilities. Nevertheless, over the last few years, Airbnb has shown that it can attract such demand during special events, large conferences, or periods of peak demand and occupancy in highly saturated markets. To combat some of these issues, Airbnb has implemented standards that allow some units to be designated as "Airbnb plus." To be considered for this designation, the homes must be comfortable, well equipped, well maintained, and thoughtfully designed, passing a 100-point in-person quality inspection. Lastly, although Airbnb has not traditionally offered a customer loyalty program, which may not have incentivized customers to keep using Airbnb, as of 2018, the company launched a pilot program to reward regular and high-rated customers known as "superguests." According to the company, "superguests" will receive benefits such as discounts, airport pickups, flight upgrades, and lounge access. Airbnb is also aggressively pursuing marketing campaigns that show how its product can be ideal and even superior to a hotel room for business travelers and group travelers.

For these reasons and many others, Airbnb can be considered a direct competitor to hotels. However, the opposing train of thought argues that, despite the arrival and growth of Airbnb, national demand and hotel performance has continued to increase since our last recession, with occupancy and ADR levels increasing from a low of 54.5% and $97.50 in 2009 to 66% and $126 in 2017, respectively, with further increases being experienced in 2018. Without a doubt, the lodging market nationwide is operating at the highest RevPAR levels ever recorded. As such, this helps support the reasoning that even with Airbnb and other home-rental services, occupancy and demand levels continue to rise for hotels across the nation. Based on this information, it is easier to see how Airbnb could be considered less of a competitor and a less of a threat to the hotel industry. Many believe that Airbnb has instead done for the hotel industry what Uber has done for the taxi industry, satisfying demand that existed but remained dormant, only becoming noticeable when the new service and product was provided. While Uber affected the taxi industry by taking a portion of market share, much of the demand for Uber consisted of new clients that would have not otherwise taken a taxi. Similarly, it can be assumed that a portion of individuals traveling across the world and now using Airbnb are guests that would have not otherwise made the trip were it not for the availability of lodging provided by a service such as Airbnb.

In the U.S. alone, Airbnb is estimated to have approximately 700,000 listings; ultimately, in a market of five million hotel rooms, it's hard to see how it could possibly not be a direct competitor. Hotel brands are becoming increasingly aware of this threat and the desire for guests to seek unique lodging opportunities and experiences. As noted previously, hotel companies continue to create brands that are increasingly independent in nature, with new brands or collections of unique properties catering to clientele that wants a unique experience. However, in recent years, hotel brands are taking a step further toward becoming somewhat more like home-sharing services, like Airbnb.

As an example, in April 2018, Marriott launched a six-month trial program called Tribute Portfolio Homes, where guests can rent homes and earn Marriott Rewards. The Unbound Collection by Hyatt has also launched a similar program through its acquisition of Oasis, which just like Airbnb, allows homeowners and guests to rent and lease properties, further blurring the lines between hotel companies and Airbnb. However, Airbnb is also changing. While individual units remain the focus of the company, many hosts are realizing the advantages of increasing their unit count to benefit from economies of scale. Some Airbnb hosts are seeking to transform entire apartment buildings and convert them to hotel rooms listed only on Airbnb. For example, in Boston, an owner of a building with as many as eight units rents each unit on Airbnb with labels such as "Airbnb Hotel #1" or "Airbnb Hotel #2."

Airbnb itself has partnered with Niido to develop as many as 14 home-sharing apartment complexes by 2020. The first two of the part-apartment/part-hotel complexes known as "Niido powered by Airbnb" are already in operation in Kissimmee, Florida, and Nashville, Tennessee. In 2017, global real estate behemoth, Brookfield Property Partners LP, announced that it planned to invest as much as $200 million into Niido to support its efforts in converting apartment complexes into Airbnb hotels.

Furthermore, Airbnb is not opposed to working with the existing hotel industry. The Airbnb website clearly states that Airbnb welcomes listings hosted by professional hospitality providers, as long as they offer unique spaces and personal hospitality to the Airbnb community. Some of the qualities Airbnb looks for in these listings include guest rooms that are individually unique or local in design, common spaces that incorporate local influences, and distinctive design characteristics. Airbnb goes as far to say that ideal properties include bed-and-breakfast inns, boutique hotels, nature/eco lodges, timeshares, serviced apartments, and hostels. The platform has also now added search categories so that users can more quickly locate the property type for which they are searching.

The reality is that the lines between hotels, hotel brands, and home-sharing services continue to be blurred. It is becoming more and more evident that while guests continue to seek unique lodging products and experiences, providers, from large hotel corporations to individual hosts, are seeking to cater to this demand. Most noteworthy is that these changes have occurred rapidly over the last decade, leaving us with an industry and lodging products that seem to change by the day. It will be interesting to see how else the industry transforms itself in the upcoming years, as consumers behaviors and demands continue to change.Micro apartments have cropped up in dense cities across the globe, from New York to Beirut. The average unit is between 300-400 square feet, or around the size of an average one-car garage. While it might sound cramped, they have been praised as one way to stem a mounting housing crisis.

With cities now home to over half of the worlds population, space is sparse, costs are high, and finding a suitable place to live has become a real challenge.

One solution, in short, is to go small. Micro apartments have cropped up in dense cities across the globe, from New York to Beirut. The average unit is between 300-400 square feet, or around the size of an average one-car garage. While it might sound cramped, they have been praised as one way to stem a mounting housing crisis.

Micro-units are a viable way to meet a pressing need as long as theyre in walkable neighborhoods with excellent transit options, says David Venance of JLLs Capital Markets Multifamily team in Vancouver, where vacancy in the residential sector is as low as 1 percent. Living in Vancouver, you only need a 300-square-foot home, because you have a three million-square-foot backyard.

Amenities instead of square footage

A desirable live-work-play environment trumps size for many city-dwellers now more than in generations past. While older generations may have dreamed of mansions in the hills with a house staff, many young urbanites prefer a small unit in the heart of the city with laundry delivery, a cleaning service and open-bar rooftop parties.

Young, single professionals arent in it for square footage or privacytheyre in it for location, connectivity and amenities, says Nick Whitten, Director of UK Research at JLL.

Many developers are building units that cater to these changing tastes, with quality-of-life amenities that mimic those of a luxury hotel.

Developer Jonathan Rose Companies and New Yorks Department of Housing Preservation and Development, for example, incorporated micro-units into Caesura, a new mixed-use development in Brooklyn. The building boasts a range of fitness spaces, a game room with a wet bar, and a lending library of items with luxuries you cant store in 300 square-foot units, like a guitar with an amp and an ice cream maker.

Similarly, Washington, D.C.s first micro-unit building, The Belgard, is decked out with a 560-gallon exotic saltwater aquarium, a speakeasy entertaining space and a pet spa.

Micro-units, however, dont have to offer luxury amenities. The bare-bones versions cost less to build and maintain, allowing developers to offer lower rents. They provide one solution to the massive affordability crises sweeping many global cities.

Compact design

New technology and design principles make living in tiny spaces possible. Space-saving solutions include convertible seating that doubles as bedding, elegant Murphy beds that fold into the wall, extendable tables and overhead storage. In one Stockholm micro-apartment, for example, architect Karin Matz designed a bed that sits elegantly atop a creatively designed closet with a carousal clothing rack.

Sliding doors and partitions can create privacy and divide up a room without taking up too much space. And once smart robotic furniture becomes more commercially viable, residents will be able to transform space from a bedroom to a lounge to a working area with a touch of a button.

Micro-units can also seem more expansive than their square footage betrays when they are decked out with features like big windows, vertical storage and sliding doors. In Beirut, a local architect and designer created an illusion of openness in a 161-square-foot studio by painting everything white to better reflect the natural light pouring in through the windows.

Getting creative with space

Micro-units are gaining popularity in many cities, but as urban populations continue to swell, they wont be the only answer to the worlds housing shortages. Developers are also ramping up other creative uses of small space, such as co-living, the latest extension of the sharing economy. In these communal environments, strangers reside together in a house or apartment, sharing a kitchen, bathrooms and other living spaces.

From San Jose to San Juan, co-working operators are offering perks like cleaning services, high-design common areas and community activities to bring people together, for rents that are typically less expensive than those of a one-bedroom apartment.

The nature of the way we live itself is changing, says Whitten. As demographic changes meet affordable housing challenges, expect to see more interesting uses of space, particularly in dense urban communities.

This article originally appeared on JLL Real Views.

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 2021 Hotel News ResourceAs Asia Argento attempts to put out the fire that she started, her victim is speaking out. Argento was one of the first women to speak out against Harvey Weinstein and craft the #MeToo movement. This Summer though, Argento was Me Too'd herself when it was discovered that she had sex with then minor Jimmy Bennett. The convoluted story featured conflicting stories, but a now-viral picture of Argento and Bennett post-coital, and screenshots of text messages where Argento admits to having sex with the minor, put the nail in the coffin.

Bennett has remained relatively quiet since the news broke, but he agreed to do an interview in Argento's home country of Italy. Bennett was interviewed by Massimo Giletti, which would be the equivalent of him being interview by someone like Anderson Cooper in America. The hour-long interview took place on Giletti's Non e lArena show, which translates to Outside The Arena." Giletti spoke in his native tongue, while Bennett and his lawyer Gordon Sattro wore translation headphones to both understand, and speak to the host. The interview was awkward, to say the least, with the Italian audience seemingly positioned against Bennett.

At one point, Giletti asked, Was the rapport complete? Bennett was confused by the question, which essentially meant "Did you ejaculate?" When Bennett finally understood the question, he answered Well, yes. The live audience was displeased with his answer. Its difficult to believe a woman can rape a man, an act of sex that is complete cannot be rape surely, stated the host, arguing that if an orgasm is reached, the act should not be considered rape. When Giletti displayed the post-coital picture of Bennett, the host stated, Im sorry, but you dont seem upset, you dont seem in this picture to be traumatized. You dont look here like someone who was afraid. Bennett, who must have thought he was walking into a less tense interview, began to get defensive.

I was worried about coming in front of an audience and being accused of not being sincere about the violence against me, he stated. After this, thats why I chose the silent route. I was right. Bennett was 17 at the time of the incident, which is still considered statutory rape in California. Meanwhile, in Italy, the age of consent is 14, which may explain the audience's opinions.

(Via)Chief Keef did not enjoy the end of his weekend. The Chicago rapper was the victim of an attempted robbery last night at his San Fernando Valley home but, luckily for him, the police was already aware of the situation as it was happening.

There have been a string of robberies in the area as of late. In Fact, Los Angeles Dodgers star Yasiel Puig has been a target a handful of times. Keef is said to have been home during the ordeal but he allegedly didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. TMZ delivered the report, saying that three burglars were allegedly caught after breaking into the 23-year-old's home, with one of them opening fire after being discovered. So far, nobody is said to have been injured. All of this went down at around 11:15 PM on Sunday and at least one of the would-be robbers was making off with some of Keef's belongings. LAPD officers were already on site, patrolling the area in plain clothes due to the increase in attempted crime and they were able to catch two of the men with a third making a getaway.

The two people captured by police are currently being held on burglary and weapons charges. Cops spoke to Keef after the events and he said he had no clue the burglars were in his home, even though they used a brick to break in. Of course, this is just the latest in a string of attempted burglaries that have taken Los Angeles and the Valley by storm.Daz Dillinger was in the news earlier this year for making threats against Kanye West, "banning" him from California and putting out a National alert for all his fellow Crips to attack him in the streets. All this happened after one of Ye's lyrics in "Ye Vs. The People" ticked the Dogg Pound member off, causing Daz to go on an anti-Kanye run for months. The West Coast artist is still not finished with Yeezy as he decided to take more shots at him and his wife, mostly attacking Kim for her alleged promiscuity.

DJ Akademiks posted a video of the Snoop Dogg affiliate speaking on Kanye after his rant against Drake, Nick Cannon, and Tyson Beckford. This time, the brunt of his anger happened to be Kim Kardashian and considering she's the main reason for Yeezy's recent outbursts, it makes sense. Daz began, "Kanye West: fuck you and your b-tch. That b-tch sucked so much d-ck. She probably ain't sucking your d-ck because you be on one." He proceeds to tease his upcoming record, "FuckKanyeUp," which he announced back in May. Daz continues by encouraging Nick Cannon to beat up Kanye and praising Lil Duval for starting the "Kanye West Challenge."

Daz Dilly claims that Kim has messed around with the entire industry, shooting his shot at Kris Jenner because, in his eyes, since her children have turned out the way they are, she must have taught them her skills. The producer and rapper has been attacking Kanye for months. Watch the full video below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoFxSGoAndi

Nicki Minaj has retired her custom Fendi outfit from Milan Fashion Week and is now showing off a boujee Versace kit. In the video below, the Queen rapper is seen twirling around in matching pants, corset crop top, and a cape all boasting the beloved Versace logo.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoFmbPThp9j



The "Barbie Dreams" rapper is clearly obsessed with her outfit, since another video shows her by the sea late at night, trying to get a good video of her look.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoFlZgChdX-



Nicki's trip to Dubai was accompanied by her rumoured boyfriend Lewis Hamilton. After being by each other's side for all of New York Fashion Week, the duo was spotted together in The City of Gold together and of course, Nicki was wearing her Versace outfit.

In even more clips shared to the Gram, you can see some of the activities Nicki has been keeping busy with like riding ATV's through the sand dunes as the sun sets - dream worthy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoHRALshqHI



https://www.instagram.com/p/BoHRnnahbQZ

Alex Hinojosa is quite the Renaissance man.

When hes not serving as managing director of San Antonio-based North American Development Bank, Hinojosa might be making wine from the grapes he grows in his vineyard or harvesting olives on his farm in Rio Medina.

Or he might be playing some 70s rock, conjunto or a little country music on his guitar or drums. Or painting a portrait in oil or acrylic.

Or he might even be piloting his Cessna 150. Or he could just be looking after his grandkids.

I have a lot of hobbies, Hinojosa said, adding that its been a way for him to stay connected to his six children.

Occasionally, he combines his passion for flying with his day job by hopping in his plane for a business meeting.

I fly for business maybe about once a quarter, somewhere in Texas thats easier to get to in my own plane rather than driving, he said. Right now, to get to (the Rio Grande) Valley  there are no really direct flights that work for a full day.

Hinojosa has a lot of interest in the U.S.-Mexico border zone. After all, its on both sides of the border that NADBank finances water, sewer, landfill, road, stormwater, renewable energy and other projects. The bank is equally funded by the U.S. and Mexican governments.

Quick facts on Alex Hinojosa First job where you earned an actual paycheck: Working on a farm - plowing, hauling hay, feeding cattle - near La Coste. If you had to pick a different career in an entirely different industry, what would it be: A career in the arts or managing investment funds. What book are you reading right now: "Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together" by Andrew Selee. What's your favorite movie: "The Quiet Man" Favorite vacation spot: Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico. If you could chose your last meal, what would it be: A ribeye steak and Tempranillo wine he's made from the grapes in his vineyard. See More Collapse

The bank was established by legislation that was part of the North American Free Trade Agreement, signed in 1992. Since its formation, the bank has financed 246 projects. It currently has projects in four U.S. states  Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California  and six Mexican states, Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas.

There are many communities that we have helped, he said.

Hinojosa, 62, joined the bank in 2012 as deputy managing director and was promoted to managing director in November. He oversees a staff of 117 and $2 billion in assets. NADBank generated $29.3 million in net income last year, a 51 percent increase from 2016.

Hinojosa recently sat down with the San Antonio Express-News at the banks headquarters in downtown San Antonios International Center. Heres an edited transcript of the conversation.

Q: Did you grow up in San Antonio?

A: I grew up in the Castroville-La Coste area. I went to Medina Valley High School. I came to (San Antonio to attend) St. Marys University and have pretty much stayed here. (He earned a bachelors degree from St. Marys and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio.)

Q: What did your parents do for a living?

A: My dad was a welder, and my mom, when she worked, was a seamstress.

Q: What there something in your youth that set you on your career path?

A: I was working in a welding shop in shipping and receiving during high school. My dad had brought me in. I would see this young man with a coat and a tie, and a brand-new car, coming in regularly. He looked not that much older than me. I asked what he did, and they said, well, thats the auditor. So, thats what changed it for me. Everybody addressed him as mister. I thought, well thats nice.

Q: Talk about your career path.

A: I started off as an auditor, but then I knew that I wanted to get into being in accounting within a big corporation. (His bio says he led investment banking efforts at Cabrera Capital Markets and Frost Bank.) Then I wanted to be a finance director, so I got the opportunity (at San Antonio Water System).

Q: Are most people you meet familiar with NADBank?

A: In the border region or in the border states, yes. Both sides, Mexico and the United States, know us very well. I guess the three federal agencies (that oversee the bank), the Department of Treasury, the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department, and their Mexican counterparts. Outside of that, were a well-kept secret.

Q: What was the reason behind the banks establishment?

A: At the time, there was concern that the growth of industries and companies along the border would damage the environment. So they said, what can be done? Well, we can help the cities and the counties and the municipios be prepared for improvements to their infrastructure. Thats how the bank was created.

Q: Who are the banks customers?

A: We help a lot of cities, public entities and private companies. A lot of them are public-private associations. As an example, we are financing a desalination plant that has a contract with the Ensenada water company. Its a private company but doing a public service.

Q: Whats your typical loan?

A: Our sweet spot can range from $15 million to about $50 million. We have a rigorous review process. Every loan we do has to be approved by our board, so we cant get down to small projects  under $1 million or $2 million, because its expensive. What were really trying to do is work on (big projects, such as) wastewater treatment plants, solar farms and wind generation plants.

Q: You also provide grants for smaller projects, too?

A: We do about $14 million, $15 million in grants for about 10, 12 projects a year. Those are EPA monies that we administer.

During our first 12 years, we were mostly an administrator for grant money from the EPA. That was extremely helpful to the border communities, especially in Mexico. In 94, perhaps 22 percent of the wastewater flows were being treated in border states. Currently, were probably at 89, 90 percent. Its not all NADBank money, of course, because the money we invested had to be matched by the Mexican entities, both federal and local. That high level of wastewater treatment is much, much higher than the rest of the country. So it has worked.

Q: Are there certain projects you dont want to get involved with?

A: There are certain projects that are riskier. Anything that has to do with a lot of land is a bit riskier. There are some projects that I would like to get into, but we dont have a mandate to do.

Q: Like what?

A: Telecommunications.

Q: Building infrastructure so people have internet?

A: Exactly. (But) its not an approved sector for us at this point. Right now, were also looking at natural gas. There are a lot of U.S. companies that have natural gas that are going to sell into Mexico, and there are a lot of Mexican companies that are getting ready to build the pipelines. Wed like to get more into that.

Q: Whats the toughest part of your job?

A: The toughest part of the job is always trying to make sure all of the employees have a good understanding as to how were trying to help a community. As you know, any organization will have different departments with different functions. Ones mitigating risk, while the others trying to get the loan approved. One is looking at the legalities, while the other is looking at the technical aspects. Bringing them all together is important so that we say, OK, heres how were going to help this community.

Q: Have the trade tensions between the U.S. and Mexico had any impact on the bank?

A: No, I dont think they have. Of course, were always keeping our eye on the cost of the exchange rate and the cost of trade, moving equipment, because that does affect the project sponsors.

Q: So is the renegotiation of NAFTA going to have much impact on NADBank?

A: Well, I think that the renegotiation of NAFTA may provide some opportunities. Im assuming that when it gets done they will have certain goals, or certain needs. I have mentioned this to our federal government, we are standing by, ready to help. We are basically a tool for both the Mexican government and the U.S. government to carry out their goals  as it was back in 1994 when they wanted the environment looked at and they gave us the water, and the wastewater, and landfills to work on. In the same manner, we may be called once NAFTA 2.0 is done.

Q: Has President Donald Trumps policies had any impact on the bank?

A: No, we have our mandate. Weve followed it.

Q: Are there any concerns about Mexicos leftist president-elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador?

A: No. He was elected and we are standing by for when the transition team comes in. Im sure that they will have ideas as to things to look at, but were standing by.

pdanner@express-news.netWells Fargo said it will cut as many 26,000 jobs over the next three years, citing changing customer preferences as more people bank electronically.

Wells Fargo said it will cut 5 percent to 10 percent of its more than 260,000 employees through layoffs and attrition. The bank declined to detail how many jobs will be lost in Houston.

Wells Fargo is the Houston area's second largest bank by deposits. Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan was in Houston last month and addressed branch closures during a town hall with employees. He said the bank plans to close some 1,000 branches nationwide over the next several years, and employees wanted to know how that would affect Houston.

MORE: Q&A: Wells Fargo CEO says regaining trust doesn't happen immediately

The bank has struggled with its image since September 2016, when Wells Fargo made national headlines for aggressive sales goals that prompted employees to open millions of unauthorized accounts. Then came a seemingly endless stream of allegations.

Earlier this month, for instance, the Wall Street Journal cited people familiar with the matter to report a Justice Department probe on whether employees committed fraud in the bank's wholesale banking unit.

In the news release announcing the workforce reduction, Sloan said that Wells Fargo has "robust programs" to help laid-off employees find other jobs with the bank.

"Wells Fargo takes very seriously any change that involves its team members, and as always, we will be thoughtful and transparent, and treat team members with respect," Sloan said in the news release.

JPMorgan Chase & Co., the largest Houston-area bank in terms of deposits, announced local layoffs last week. It's laying off 102 people in Houston as their tasks are reassigned to employees in other part of the country.

The JPMorgan workers losing their jobs provided support to bank branches in the areas of workforce management as well as fraud and customer protection services, according to documents released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission.A newly expanded climate initiative of the largest energy companies worldwide pledged Monday to reduce its methane emissions by more than 20 percent by 2025.

The announcement comes days after U.S. companies Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Occidental Petroleum joined the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative that was launched four years ago by the biggest European energy firms. At the time, the American companies refused to sign on.

The expanded 13-company initiative said Monday it would cut its emissions of methane - the primary component of natural gas - from 0.32 percent in 2017 to at least 0.25 percent by 2025 with a goal of achieving 0.20 percent.

Several energy supermajors in recent years have begun a pivot away from crude oil and toward more cleaner-burning natural gas.

Natural gas produces far less carbon dioxide than coal and oil and is considered a bridge fuel that the world can rely on until renewable energy sources like wind and solar power become more widespread and affordable. But methane emissions  from gas wells to pipeline leaks  have long been considered the Achilles' heel of natural gas. Methane has 80 times the global warming effects of carbon dioxide, although its impacts don't last as long in the atmosphere.

"Our aim is to work towards near-zero methane emissions from the full gas value chain in support of achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement," the 13 companies stated. "We have worked to make our ambition concrete, actionable and measurable, helping to ensure that natural gas can realize its full potential in a low-emissions future."

Achieving the 0.25 percent goal would reduce global methane emissions by 350,000 metric tons a year.

The initiative pledges to support the recent Paris climate accord and with an aim toward eliminating all routine methane flaring by 2030.

RELATED: Exxon, Chevron, Occidental join European climate group

Just last week, Royal Dutch Shell, one of the founding members of the initiative, said it would achieve the more ambitious 0.20 percent emissions goal by 2025.

The news comes after a study this summer found that annual methane emission rates from energy companies are about 60 percent more than what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports.

The oil and gas sector is the largest source of U.S. methane emissions, according to the Energy Department. Surging gas production from shale drilling and hydraulic fracturing, called fracking, has increased methane emissions through much of the past 10 to 15 years.

Apart from Shell, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Occidental, the other member companies are the United Kingdom's BP, Norway's Equinor, Italy's Eni, France's Total, Spain's Repsol, China's CNPC, Brazil's Petrobras, Mexico's Pemex and Saudi Arabia's Saudi Aramco.Editors note: Anita Jaisinghani was raised on vegetables. As the chef-owner of modern Indian restaurant Pondicheri in Houston, she knows how to cook them, too. So were giving her a cooking column, launching today. Titled Houston Harvest, the weekly column will find Jaisinghani digging into an element of our regions seasonal bounty, offering home-cook-friendly recipes shes tested and tasted. As an introduction, we asked her to share a bit about her history with the subject matter. Her first recipe column follows.

Food is such a wonderful bond and language and the best way to get to know another culture. I am very, very interested in the history of American food as well as Indian. Particularly, how India has evolved from thousands of years of foreign rule and where it is now. While I detest the term, Indian may be the ultimate fusion cuisine since it has been influenced by the Turks, the Greeks, the Persians and the British. And in turn, it has influenced so many cuisines by the spread of spices all over the world.

My parents had migrated to India from Sindh in 1947 during Partition (the only province in pre-Partition India that remained entirely in Pakistan post-Partition). Almost all Hindu Sindhis, like my parents, had to migrate to India; mine landed in Gujarat, an almost entirely vegetarian-eating state.

MORE FROM JAISINGHANI: Chef's Indian stew is perfect for using summer tomatoes

We ate meat about two to three times a month. It was an ordeal  be it chicken or goat (the most common red meat in India), my father had to travel to the other end of town to purchase the meat himself (at that time, women were not allowed in butcher shops). Even though we loved our daily meals filled with fresh vegetables, grains and fresh dairy, we would look forward to the flavors of a goat or chicken curry. I feel like eating it so infrequently made us really appreciate the vegetables and revere the meats, never taking them for granted.

When I was 13, my mother was bedridden because of an illness. I started going into the kitchen to guide our home cook and began to really enjoy it. I cooked off and on for about a year and then went back to it in my later teen years. Cooking was not considered a good career in those days, so my parents urged me to go into science. I became a microbiologist. However, food has always come naturally to me  somehow, I have this fearlessness in the kitchen along with being undaunted by a constant flow of new ideas.

When I came to North America, the astoundingly wide array of vegetables turned me into a grocery-store junkie. I would wander the aisles for hours. I was amazed at how beautiful fruits and vegetables looked  but over time realized that a lot of genetic engineering had gone into making them look the way they did. Produce in India then looked ugly in comparison yet tasted so much better. Organic and local was the only way. These days in North America, weve come full circle, and when I wander the farmers markets on the weekends, its nice to see fruits and vegetables looking less perfect and more realistic.

APPETIZER: 10 standout dishes from my upcoming Top 100 Houston restaurants list

Houstons climate is similar to New Delhis, and our home soil gives us so many wonderful things. Most fruits and vegetables I grew up with are grown around here, and my intent with the Houston Harvest column for the Chronicle is to introduce folks to the idea of incorporating those in their daily meals  either by embellishing meat dishes or by eating vegetarian altogether. Essentially, in my own small way, I want to nudge people into moving meat off the center of their plates. And lets face it, vegetables are our future. Recipes-wise, though they will mostly be focused on the use of spice-driven seasonal vegetable preparations, I will foray into additions of meat, seafood, grains and more. And of course, I will do my best to keep them home cooking friendly.

HOUSTON HARVEST: Tomato Sabzi a multi-purpose dish for end of season tomatoesAnyone who watched HGTVs megahit Fixer Upper knows Clint Harp as the easygoing, fresh-faced man who built furniture for five seasons of Chip and Joanna Gaines home building projects in Waco.

What wasnt always apparent, though, were the doubt and insecurities that dogged the 40-year-old Harp for much of his life. Harp, who this year starred in his own DIY Network show, Wood Work, has written a book, Handcrafted: A Woodworkers Story (Touchstone; $26.99; 244 pp.), an ode to dreaming, hard work and risk-taking.

It publishes Tuesday, and he will be in Katy Oct. 2 for a book signing at the Books-a-Million store.

Harps childhood was marked by poverty and instability as he split his time between his divorced parents in Asheville, N.C., and Atlanta. Living mostly with his mother and stepfather, they were constantly on the move.

Throughout his school years he was the nerd in hand-me-downs who never felt accepted by any group. Always aware of just how poor his family was, Harp learned early on that if he needed something done, hed have to do it himself.

More Information Meet Clint Harp What: Clint Harp, star of DIY Network's "Wood Work" show and a regular guest on HGTV's "Fixer Upper" will sign copies of his memoir, "Handcrafted: A Woodworker's Story." When: 7 p.m. Oct. 2 Where: Books-a-Million, 5000 Katy Mills Circle See More Collapse

ON THE MARKET: Texas house featured in 'Fixer Upper' season 2 listed for sale

He met his wife, Kelly, when they were students at Baylor University, and the couple lived in Houston for a short time while he worked in medical sales. Despite making more money than he ever imagined, he was brutally unhappy in sales. He longed for a life making furniture even though he didnt have tools, a shop or much training.

But the Harps  they now have three kids, ages 11, 8 and 5  took a big leap of faith and moved to Waco, where Kelly could pursue grad school at Baylor University as Clint launched their business, Harp Design Co.

It was sheer coincidence that Harp met Chip Gaines when they were both putting gas in their cars at the same gas station. But the connection was made, and their friendship and business relationship grew together. Later, when the Gaineses signed a contract for Fixer Upper, they told their friend to get ready to be on camera. And the rest, sort of, is history.

NEW ADDITION: Joanna Gaines introduces new collection to furniture line

Q. In your book, you put yourself out there, failures, fears and all. Was that scary?

A. I believe in sharing stories, and I believe in the power of being vulnerable. Time and time again when Im honest and vulnerable, it does powerful things for myself and other people, too. I really wanted to lay it out there because I believe when we do that, we are able to see ourselves in each others stories.

Q. You clearly are a self-made person, responsible for every step forward. Do you think thats missing in a lot of people today who think that fame and fortune is just one viral video away?

A. I came from a background where we had what we needed, but we never had more than that. And by needed it was the absolute basics. Im not ashamed of those days because they made me who I am. I feel like if the world comes to some crazy point where everything is going to hell, you want me on your team. I know how to survive. I look at my own kids life. They have everything they could ever want. I want them to have things, but I also want them to know that we work hard for the things we have.

Q. Tell me about some of the lessons from your childhood.

A. My family moved a bunch of times, and when I was about 9 or 10 I lived in the basement of our house in Asheville. I loved it and had the coolest room with doors like those Western saloon doors. Id walk out of my room like I was the Sundance Kid. But the house all of a sudden was overtaken with mildew in the basement, and my mom converted the dining room upstairs into my bedroom. She hung a sheet over the doorways and said that would be my bedroom.

RELIVE THE SHOW: You can rent these homes featured on HGTV's 'Fixer Upper'

My stepdad was working and mom had back issues and couldnt help. I had a giant chest of drawers and a bed with a headboard and footboard and I got a bedsheet and put everything in it and pulled it up the stairs from the basement all by myself. I moved my whole bedroom myself, and I was this scrawny little kid. I was figuring it out. Its a simple story and not the most incredible achievement, but it was a moment that sticks out. If something needs to be done, Im going to do it and not wait around for someone else to do it for me.

Q. So if you were to choose between believing in chance or believing in destiny, youre a destiny guy, right?

A. I think that theres a destiny for all of us, but in the midst of it all, there are amazing chance encounters  its part of the way the universe works. You enjoy them; theyre little winks from a power we cant control. When you look at my story its like, OK, I went to the park with my family on an absolutely random day and we went to this one gas station and I met this guy (Chip Gaines) who didnt know he would get a show and we would become friends and I would be building stuff for him and his wife. You look at it and go maybe it was destiny. Thats lightning in a bottle.

Q. Theres a huge interest in recycled or salvaged materials and you have an appreciation for that, too. Why is that so important to you?

A. You dont always have to go buy materials, theyre laying around in dumpters or at construction sites. You can use beautiful antique pine salvaged from old houses. The beauty of it for me with salvaged wood is one, it has a story. It comes from a cool house or is connected to family stuff.

The other is, I love the process of creating something from something else. That you have to look at it and flip the whole thing around on its head. Someone else sees an old playset, but I see a table and benches or a headboard or a new door. A new door is made of 2x6s and 1x4s. Its all right there, together in a different way. Thats the power of using reclaimed wood, the creative spirit in me that looks at something with a totally different angle and makes something beautiful.

Q. In your book you write so much about growing up with a lack of confidence that you carried into adulthood. How did you finally get over it?

A. Ive struggled with never feeling cool enough, never feeling good enough. That lasted into my young adult years and even today to some degree. But I know that I dont have to live up to anyone elses standards, I just have to be me. Thats whats important.

Q. Whats your favorite piece of furniture to make?

A. Tables, hands down. I love what they represent, that they are a place for anyone and everyone to sit down. I want to build tables where people will come to and be the only thing they could be  the best and truest versions of themselves.

Q. What do you want people to take away from your book?

A. As I was figuring out my own life and whether I should go for my own dreams, I read books, I watched movies and listened to songs and Ted Talks and podcasts and each one of those helped push me along in my own journey. I hope that as people read my book, Im a part of pushing it forward. We all need that help. My book is what it is: A guy sitting down in the library and typing. Heres what happened when I did it.The possibility of her Jewish descent always intrigued Denise Gabino, but it wasnt until later in life that she had the opportunity to solve the puzzle.

I knew that I had Jewish family history, but it was not talked about, she said. I cant explain it, but I was always drawn to Judaism. I realized its a part of me.

In 2015, after retiring, the Bay Area resident enrolled in Ancestry.com and had her DNA tested. Soon her strong Eastern European and Sephardic Jewish roots came into focus.

Gabino dug deeper and learned about a great-grandfather in the Holocaust and a great aunt who was arrested on Kristallnacht at age 16 and later was liberated from a concentration camp.

Finding out about her relatives and learning more about her own identity was deeply satisfying. I found something Id been looking for all my life, she said. Its a blessing that Im grateful for.

Still, she wanted to find a spiritual home. While she was raised as a Catholic, she was ready to delve into worshiping at a Jewish synagogue, one that would accept her regardless of her upbringing and interfaith marriage, and one that would nourish her curiosity and transformation into Judaism.

Gabino turned to Temple Beth Tikvah, a Reform Jewish congregation serving Clear Lake and the Bay Area.

Rabbi Deborah was very welcoming, Gabino said. She really seemed interested in talking to me. The more I was drawn there, the more I felt a part of the temple.

Temple Beth Tikvah Where: 12411 Park Shadows Trail Information: 281-286-1717, tbthouston.com See More Collapse

Beth Tikvah translates to house of hope, and the temple was built to be inclusive, regardless of age, marital status, sexual orientation or religion. Members are welcome whether they are Jewish by birth or by choice, and interfaith families also are invited to attend.

Rabbi Deborah Schloss explained that embracing individuals of all backgrounds is a key tenant at the temple.

Jews have been discriminated against for so long, she said. We want to make sure that people know theyre welcome here. Thats very important to me. Its important that everyone feels at home when they walk through the doors of Temple Beth Tikvah.

She hopes the synagogue will become a home for anyone in search of an open Jewish community.

The synagogue offers a range of programs and activities for members of all ages. The sanctuary is open for Friday night services for those interested in Jewish prayer. The first Friday night Shabbat of the month includes a potluck dinner. On the second Friday, a musical service is celebrated.

The temple hosts all of the Jewish holidays as well as major life events for its members.

Religious school is offered for kindergarten through seventh grade on Sunday mornings, complete with Hebrew studies. There also are preschool classes once a month, a bar and bat mitzvah program, events for teenagers throughout the year and adult education sessions.

Members also may join the temples sisterhood, mens club and book club.

Schloss is preparing to take members of her congregation on a third trip to Israel. Last year, she led them on a voyage to Central and Eastern Europe.

Its very meaningful to travel with your congregation, she said. Being able to connect with people outside of where you live is interesting. Its a unique experience.

Connecting with neighbors also is essential, Schloss said. For example, the temple has developed a close relationship with the Clear Lake Islamic Center.

Weve had a number of get-togethers over the years, Schloss said. Weve been to their mosque, and theyve been to our synagogue. We support each other as much as we can.

It all circles back to supporting diversity and fostering inclusivity.

When you get to know people one-on-one, you see there are more similarities than differences, Schloss said.

She was drawn to lead a smaller congregation, one where she could form strong connections to each member. She enjoys organizing trips to plays or the Jewish Book and Art Festival at the Jewish Community Center in Houston and getting their feedback on subjects for adult education opportunities.

Im driven by what my congregation wants to learn about and what they want to do, Schloss said.

She is inspired by the temples can-do attitude.

When youre a small community, people realize that each person makes a difference, she said. Theyre all integral to who we are as a community. Our community wouldnt be the same if even one member were not there.

Beth Tikvah will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year.

The temple was conceived by two families  Michele and Clay Moliver and Lisa and Gary Hurwitz  who joined around a kitchen table in 1994 with a shared vision of starting a Clear Lake-area Reform Jewish congregation.

Clay Moliver moved to Clear Lake in 1992. He was raised in Reform Judaism, while his wife was in Conservative Judaism. They had two children, who were 3 and 5 years old at the time and wanted to find a temple with a welcoming vibe.

When they couldnt find one, they decided to create their own. I put an ad in the paper, and probably 30 people showed up in my living room and said Were in, Moliver recalled.

The two couples found a rabbi willing to serve the congregation and a place where they could hold their first services, and they borrowed a Torah from a congregation in Houston. A core group of seven families began holding services in the cafeteria of Brookwood Elementary School.

Within a few years, we had a Hebrew school, we joined the union, and weve been in business ever since, Moliver said.

The first reform temple serving the area between Galveston and Houston was born, with Rabbi Benno Wallach at the helm.

In 1997, Rabbi Martin Levy took the helm, handing over the reins to Rabbi Daniel Plotkin in 2002, followed by Rabbis Seth Stander and Marcy Greene.

From the beginning, Moliver said inclusion was at the temples heart.

There were a lot of mixed marriages, a lot of families who were uncomfortable in a Conservative setting, he said. We did a lot of mitzvah by virtue of opening this temple. As long as they were raising Jewish kids and kept a Jewish home, we thought, the more, the merrier. They didnt have to convert to come.

The dedication of the temples current building was held in May 2001.

Molivers brother in New Jersey found a large stained glass window in an attic of an automotive shop near his home in New Jersey.

We brought it over to La Porte to a lady who had a stained glass studio, Moliver said. When it was all in pieces, Ike hit, and the roof caved in on the shop. Not one piece was hit. Everything was destroyed except our stained glass.

Around the same time, a local woman donated three more stained glass windows that she kept in her attic for 25 years.

She said that it was time they had a home, Moliver recalled. She took them down from the rafters, and they were in perfect condition. In a few weeks, the house was taken out by Ike.

The temple also persevered despite the odds, he said.

People said it couldnt be done, he said. Its a very special place. We like to say its the best little schul in Texas.

Schloss came to Beth Tikvah in 2009. A native of Connecticut, she received her rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1996 and holds a double masters degree in Jewish Communal Service and Public Administration from Hebrew Union College and the University of Southern California.

She attended Brandeis University for her undergraduate degree, majoring in psychology with a minor in legal studies.

Schloss has led congregations across the country. She currently also serves as a clinical chaplain at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.

Stuart Eisen currently serves as president of the congregation. He has lived in Pasadena for 20 years and has served on the temples board for the past 17 years.

He was raised in the Orthodox tradition, while his wife is a Reform Jew. They found Beth Tikvah to be an ideal solution, appealing to both philosophically.

Were small, with about 70 families, Eisen said. A majority of the families are interfaith marriages. That sets us apart. Our non-Jewish members are just as involved as our Jewish members. Everyone is welcome, and everyone pitches in.

Its been that way since the beginning, Eisen added.

Were small enough to still be a family, he said. Its a wonderful place. Everyone is so nice. Were a small Jewish community, in a large metropolitan area. Weve got to stick together when we can.

That spirit of togetherness and camaraderie shines, Gabino said.

The thing that continues to draw me is the people and the sincerity of their faith, she said. Its ordinary people like me. Theyre just trying to make it in the world. And their faith is the way they make it through.

The temple invites her to be herself, to incorporate her traditions into new Jewish rituals.

Its great, Gabino said. The people are so for real. I found the place where I belong.

Lindsay Peyton is a writer in Houston.Sure, Kendra Scott lives in Austin, but she calls Houston home.

Its where the Wisconsin-born jewelry designer moved with her family at age 16. She graduated from Klein High School. Its also where she opened her third Kendra Scott jewelry location.

Thats why she unveiled her new collection of charms here. Scott invited some 200 fashion bloggers and influencers to see the collection at a party at the Dunlavy.

Her late grandmother inspired her to created the charms, Scott said. She would travel to different places and collect charms. She had her birthstones of her grandchildren in charms. It was almost a story of her life in a bracelet. It was such a special thing to me to remember her having that. I think what I was looking for and I couldnt find was something that had that quality, something that I would potentially give to my granddaughter.

Scott is charming her way even deeper into the hearts of fashion lovers with the collection, which features more than 300 charms in six different suites  including stones, symbols, letters and zodiac signs. Theres also philanthropy charms that donate a percentage of the proceeds to causes close to Scotts heart, including Childrens Miracle Network and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Giving back is a big part of the Kendra Scott brand. Since 2010, Kendra Scott has given back more than $25 million to local, national and international causes. In 2017 alone, the company gave $4.7 million dollars in monetary donations, over $10 million dollars in in-kind donations, and over 2,000 volunteer hours to philanthropic organizations, partnering with more than 10,000 philanthropic organizations.

She talked with the Chronicle about her charm designs, motherhood and recently meeting Oprah.

Q. When did you start working on the collection?

A. This has been about two years in the making. It started with a lot of pieces that I had designed from other collections. I had so many of these beautiful designs that were in our vault that we werent doing anything with.

Q. Y ouve been in business 16 years and y ou havent aged a day. Do you still pinch yourself?

A. Bless you. Under-eye concealer is magic. I mean, its unreal to think about where we started  out of my extra bedroom, shipping my first big orders from my dining room. To be in this place now with over 80 stores and all these amazing people that I get to work with, I cannot even get my head around it. Its a dream.

Q. I bet there were haters

A. When I started, a lot of folks said, Well you cant be a real fashion brand out of Texas. Well, one, weve showed them that we can. I opened up my first store in New York City two weeks ago. Were now in London and we opened our first shop-in-shop at Selfridges. Were selling through Nordstrom in Canada . So I think going beyond our borders internationally is an exciting step for our company. Weve launched our home collection last year. Do you smell the tigers eye as were talking? I want it burning all the time.

Q. You also have fine jewelry now.

A. We have fine jewelry now, so you can upgrade to diamonds and gold. It has been really fun to expand that collection. Im a jewelry designer at heart. Im always looking at the business from that perspective. I think weve scratched the surface for our brand. Im really excited for what the future holds.

Q. Do you still live in Austin?

A. Yes, Im a Texas girl. People ask me about living here a lot. I say, If you live in this state, you would understand that Texans are proud. I think this amazing state gave me my wings to fly.

Q. Hows your family?

A. I have three boys. The oldest is 16 and driving the 14-year-old to high school. The first day of school I was in my robe in the driveway in tears like a crazy person taking pictures of them. And then I have a 5-year-old.

Q. Whats that like to have all boys, and run a large company for women?

A. We have 2,000 people that work for Kendra Scott now, and over 95 percent of them are women. They call me Mama K. So I am a mother to thousands of girls. So its almost good that I come home to these boys. It balances me out a little bit. Im around so much girl power all day that I come home and then they put me in my place.

Q. A big part of your company is philanthropy. How do you keep that going?

A. When we started out of my extra bedroom, I decided that if anyone called me, I would always have something to give. If I could make a pair of earrings or a necklace for a silent auction or a charity, I would do it. I wouldnt turn somebody away. We are now 16 years into this, and that is still our policy. Last year we gave over $4.5 million in monetary donations to charities all across the United States and more than $10 million of product donation. For me, success is being able to give back. A lot of people told me that you cant possibly be successful if youre doing that. I think it just goes to show you when you do good things, good things happen.

Q. So what do you do when youre not running the company?

A. Im a mom first with three boys. Its busy. I come home and Im in mom mode. We have two dogs - Duke and Lucy. Lucy is a little mutt, half poodle and a rescue. Shes basically a walking marshmallow. Then I have like a miniature horse named Duke who is an old English sheep dog. Hes massive. I had no idea that he would be as big as he is. Theyre my other babies.

Q. When youre at home, are you in jeans and sneakers or yoga pants?

A. I have these ridiculous fuzzy slippers that I wear and my comfiest sweatpants. I put my hair in a scrunchie. That is how my kids and all their friends know Kendra Scott. She is not the glamorous woman that is sitting in front of you right now. When I am home, I am so in my element. Im just being just calm and happy, snuggled up on the couch. My best nights are just watching a movie, ordering in pizza. Nothing too glamorous or exciting at all. I wish I had something I could tell you thatd be really great, but thats my real life.

Q. Is there a celebrity youve met that you were in awe of?

A. There have been so many celebrities who have worn our jewelry. I just met Oprah last week. Hang on, let me show you the photo. I wouldnt let her go. I kept holding her hand.  She was everything you would want her to be and then five million things more.

Q. What did she say?

A. I just remember her smiling and holding my hand. It was a moment. But you know whats funny is I do vision boards. I put all of the things that I want to see happen. Ive had a picture of Oprah on every vision board since 2009. So it is true. If you put things out in the universe, you never know what can happen.

Q. How do you recharge and pamper yourself?

A. I need to work on that a little bit more. I think date night with my husband is something I really look forward to. Ive got the most amazing husband in the whole world. Hes my prince. When we just get a night to go eat dinner together, even if its an early dinner, we get to sneak away for a couple hours, and its always such a treat. I also love going to the movies and just relaxing. I have a group of best friends.

Theres like six of us and we go on girls trips occasionally together. Were going to Colorado in October. So those are moments I just look forward to. Thats how I recharge my battery  just being around my loved ones and my friends. That gives me life.Posted on: September 24, 2018 9:19 AM

Anglicans in the Episcopal Church of South Sudans Diocese of Kajo-Keji are praying about a return to South Sudan, after operating in exile in Ugandan refugee camps for a number of years. But the Bishop of the Diocese, Emmanuel Murye, says that past experience of failed peace initiatives is creating doubt in the minds of the exiled.

Many South Sudanese in the refugee camps are overwhelmed with the news regarding the long awaited peace, Bishop Emmanuel said. They thank God for the ongoing peace talks and pray to God for final signing of permanent peace so that they can go home.

Others have mixed fillings as to whether what was signed in Khartoum will lead to the permanent peace! These doubts arise due to bad memories of the past. In our pastoral visits we do encourage the refugees to have faith and hope and continue to pray so that we can go and rebuild our nation which has been so damaged by the war.

Writing in the latest edition of Voice of Hope, the Diocesan newsletter, Bishop Emmanuel said: This is a moment of reflection and preparation of our minds and hearts. Though we are a multitribal nation, we are one in Christ. This means justice for all people in South Sudan and using resources equitably.

This can only be done through peace building, reconciling broken hearts through trauma healing sessions, forgiveness and reconciliation.

In an email message, a spokesperson for the diocese said: Above all, at this time, we would ask for your prayers for peace. Echoing earlier words from the Archbishop of South Sudan, Justin Badi Arama, the spokesperson said: It is one thing the paper peace being signed by the big leaders  it is another spreading the words of peace, reconciliation and forgiveness at grass roots level.

There are still occasional incidents, and violence can easily erupt. But more and more people are returning to their homes, cultivating crops and carrying out repairs.

Please pray for the Diocese that wise decisions will be made regarding any plans to return, and for funding to enable the rebuilding of the premises. But more importantly please pray for the rebuilding of peoples lives in South Sudan.

In his message, Bishop Emmanuel thanked people and organisations that had supported the diocese during its exile. Our partners have contributed a lot towards developing the future of South Sudan, he said. It is not easy to spend money on people you have not seen and do not know, but due to the Lords compassion, a good number of partners have supported us in the areas of education, trauma healing workshops, empowerment for drop out school girls, community vocational skill training, vegetable growing, emergency relief to the IDP and returnees in Kajo-Keji, theological education, discipleship, community managed micro- finance (CMMF).

Your resources have contributed to the development of South Sudan as all these skills are going to be utilised in different parts of South Sudan when the beneficiaries return.

At the weekend, South Sudans main opposition leader, Dr Riek Machar, rejected an invitation from President Salva Kiir to visit the capital Juba. The invitation, thought to be a confidence-boosting measure ahead of the implementation of the peace accord, was rejected by Machar on the grounds of security. He said he would return to Juba once a 4,000-strong regional force is deployed in the city, as outlined in the peace agreement.Federal prosecutors have stepped up their investigation of prominent Washington attorney Gregory Craig for work he conducted at his former law firm on behalf of the Ukrainian government in 2012, an effort coordinated by Paul Manafort, according to people familiar with the matter.

Shortly before Manafort pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and obstruction this month, attorneys for Craig received requests for information from prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, who are investigating Craig's activities as an offshoot of the broader probe led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, according to one person with knowledge of the exchange.

Craig's case - and that of two Washington lobbyists who worked with Manafort on Ukrainian matters - were referred last April to New York prosecutors, who appear to be focused on whether the three failed to register as foreign agents while working with Manafort's Ukrainian clients.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office of the Southern District of New York declined to comment. No charges have been filed, and representatives for the three men have expressed confidence that their clients did not violate the law.

Still, the investigation of Craig - a White House counsel for President Barack Obama - along with lobbyists Vin Weber and Tony Podesta, has shaken Washington's lobbying and legal community, which until recently had faced little scrutiny of its representation of foreign clients.

"There is a rising level of concern, particularly from law firms providing services to foreign governments," said Joshua Ian Rosenstein, an expert on foreign lobbying registration compliance at the Sandler Reiff law firm.

Since Manafort's plea deal, Rosenstein said the volume of calls he has received on the topic has spiked.

"New and existing clients are asking very specific questions now" about the rules and regulations governing representation of foreign governments, he said.

The 1938 Foreign Agents Registration Act was passed in the run-up to World War II as an effort to require Nazi agents to disclose efforts to influence policy and public opinion in the United States. The once-obscure statute had been enforced haphazardly, but Mueller has seized on the law as part of his broad investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.

The special counsel charged both Manafort and his longtime deputy, Rick Gates, with failing to file as foreign lobbyists as part of a criminal conspiracy to help their Ukrainian client exert influence in Washington. Mueller also examined former national security adviser Michael Flynn's work for foreign clients before Flynn pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI.

Now Craig - along with Weber, a former Republican congressman, and Podesta, an icon in Democratic lobbying circles - is under scrutiny for work done related to what prosecutors contend wasa Manafort-directed effort to improve the image of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. CNN first reported the intensifying focus by prosecutors on Craig.

According to court filings, companies that match the description of the Podesta Group and Mercury Public Affairs- the company at which Weber is a partner -were paid through a Brussels-based advocacy organization directed by Manafort to promote Yanukovych's agenda in Washington.

The firms, identified in the filings only as Company A and Company B, received more than $1 million each to work on behalf of Ukraine, prosecutors said. But neither firm initially registered as a foreign agent.

Instead, they disclosed their activities on congressional lobbyist disclosure forms, which require less information than foreign agent registrations.

Representativesfor Podesta and Weber have said they have cooperated with prosecutors and believe that their clients acted appropriately at all times.

A partner at Mercury, Michael McKeon, said that his firm waived attorney-client privilege so Mueller's team could see exchanges the firm had with lobbying law experts to show its willingnessto register as a foreign agent, if appropriate.

Craig's former law firm, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, was hired by Yanukovych's Justice Ministry to review the prosecution of one of Yanukovych's leading political rivals, Yulia Tymoshenko. The agreement with the ministryalso included providing advice on improving prosecutions by the ministry, according to court filings.

Attorneys for Craig - who also did notinitially register as a foreign agent for thiswork - said that in the end,the firm did not provide adviceon improving prosecutions.

Skadden did produce a 187-page white paper that offered a mixed review of the trial and imprisonment of Tymoshenko. It states in the executive summary that it was "rendered with total independence," according to a copy obtained by The Washington Post.

Court documents allege that the report was written by a "United States law firm" paid millions of dollars in financing arranged by Manafort and was used as part of a broad lobbying effort for Ukraine that Manafort and his allies failed to disclose.

"Manafort arranged to have the law firm disseminate hard copies of the report to numerous government officials, including senior U.S. executive and legislative branch officials," according to court papers filed this month as part of Manafort's plea.

Skadden was compensated for its work on the report via an offshore Manafort account used to "funnel $4 million to pay the law firm, a fact that Manafort did not disclose to the public," according to filings.

The Ukrainian government reported that the Skadden paper cost $12,000. But Manafort and his allies allegedly hid the true cost because it would "undermine the report's being perceived as an independent assessment" and thus useful as a lobbying tool, according to court papers.

Attorneys for Craig say that although he wrote the report, he played no role in the lobbying campaign. They acknowledge that he consulted with Manafort, but say Manafort did not direct Craig's work. They said they do not believe Craig needed to register as a foreign lobbyist because he did not lobby government officials or engage in public relations activity.

"Mr. Craig never disseminated Skadden's report on the Tymoshenko trial to U.S. government officials, and he did not discuss Skadden's findings with officials in the Executive Branch or the Congress or their staffs," his attorneys, William Taylor and William Murphy, said in a statement. "Moreover, Mr. Craig's few media contacts about the report were not part of an effort to promote the report on behalf of a foreign government. As a result, he was not required to register."

Craig left Skadden in April.

Another former Skadden lawyer, Alex Van der Zwaan, pleaded guilty in February to lying about work he did on behalf of the Ukrainian regime.

---

The Washington Post's Alice Crites and Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report.NEW YORK - As China's rapid rise presented a challenge to the United States, political leaders in Washington were confident that the American model for prosperity would triumph over the path pursued by their communist rival.

While China sought to win global influence through transactional, checkbook diplomacy, the United States offered a fuller package - not just financial investment but also security guarantees and leadership on human rights and the rule of law.

Now, President Donald Trump prepares to face world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly this week in the middle of a fast-escalating, head-on trade war with China. It's one that his critics say is being played on Beijing's terms, as the president has rattled U.S. allies and undermined partners, looked the other way on human rights abuses and cozied up to authoritarian leaders.

The upshot is a growing consensus that the United States under Trump is going it alone - a sharp break from the multilateral approach that leaders of both political parties have pursued since World War II.

Trump believes he is winning the trade dispute with Beijing, contrasting the record U.S. stock market highs with recent sluggishness in China's economy. Economists warn that he could be underestimating the willingness of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has consolidated power, to play the long game.

Beyond that, however, the United States under Trump has surrendered ground in other areas: engaging in trade disputes with Europe, South Korea, Japan, Mexico and Canada; criticizing NATO; and withdrawing from the Paris climate deal, the Iran nuclear accord and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The United States had long sought to manage China's rise by pressuring it to become a more responsible global player and engage in multilateral institutions; now it is the Trump administration that is turning away.

Last week, national security adviser John Bolton eviscerated the International Criminal Court, declaring that the autonomous body founded in 2002 in The Hague is "dead to us." The White House also announced that Trump would skip three regional summits in Southeast Asia in November, the first time since 2013 that an American president has been absent.

In the past, American leaders believed "we could cede an absolute majority of the pie and trade that relative wealth for dramatically increased influence," said Danny Russel, an Asia Society analyst who served as a high-ranking Asia policy official in the Obama administration. "But if we really are reverting to a more primitive barter system, then we lose that. Then we are competing on China's terms - at a moment when China is on the upswing. Very few countries, if any, believe that of the two countries, America's day is dawning."

At the United Nations, aides said, Trump is prepared to amplify the message he foreshadowed on the same stage a year ago: a demand for other nations to respect the "national sovereignty" of the United States and one another. Aides said Trump's presence at the U.N. conference - Xi is not attending - demonstrates his commitment to global partnerships. But the president has consistently sown doubt through his nationalist rhetoric and unilateral actions on trade.

"The forces opposing us in Washington are the same people who squandered trillions of dollars overseas, who sacrificed our sovereignty, who shipped away our jobs, who oversaw the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of the world," Trump said at a campaign rally in Las Vegas on Thursday. "In 2016, the American people voted to reject this corrupt globalism. Hey, I'm the president of the United States - I'm not the president of the globe."

In many ways, Trump's "America First" message is one that Beijing understands. Since taking office in 2012, Xi has aimed to return China to a dominant role in Asia, a strategy he touted as the "Chinese Dream."

In doing so, Xi has sought to elbow the United States and other global powers out of what Beijing considers China's sovereign claims, which its leaders call "core interests." Among them are the South China Sea, a crucial shipping corridor over which China has asserted maritime control, and Taiwan, the target of an intensifying campaign by Beijing to isolate the island diplomatically.

At the same time, China has signaled it would do business with other nations without calling for reforms of their style of governance or pressuring them on human rights.

China unveiled a trade agreement in Southeast Asia called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which lacks the type of labor and environmental protections that marked the TPP, envisioned as a higher-standard, 12-nation agreement, sans China, to reduce tariffs and establish new regulatory structures.

Chinese leaders also launched an ambitious "Belt and Road" foreign investment program aimed at distributing tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure loans to countries, drawing them into Beijing's political sphere.

The other countries "do not necessarily want Chinese influence," said Bonnie Glaser, a China analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "But if there's not an alternative, they will take the risk of longer-term economic dependence and maybe even growing debt in order to get the short-term benefits. I worry about that."

In recent months, nations have wrestled with the consequences of accepting China's economic largesse. Malaysia canceled two giant projects funded with Chinese cash over fears that they would bankrupt the country. By contrast, El Salvador, eager to cash in with Beijing, severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan - drawing a rebuke from the White House.

"Countries seeking to establish or expand relations with China in order to attract state-directed investment . . . may be disappointed over the long run," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. "Around the world, governments are waking up to the fact that China's economic inducements facilitate economic dependency and domination, not partnership."

But analysts said it will be difficult for the administration to pressure other countries into turning away from China.

Several weeks ago, the State Department temporarily recalled three ambassadors from Latin America countries that cut relations with Taiwan. That came as Xi was playing host to the leaders of 53 African nations in Beijing and pledging a new $60 billion investment and loan package for the continent.

"They'll have a hard time pushing countries to make a choice," said Brian Klein, a former State Department official who served in China and India. "China's throwing around a lot of money."

White House allies praised the harder line Trump has taken with Beijing. Daniel Blumenthal, an Asia policy official at the Pentagon in the George W. Bush administration, complimented the administration for strengthening security ties with Japan and confronting the North Korean nuclear threat.

On human rights, however, Blumenthal said Trump had missed an opportunity by failing to condemn the imprisonment of an estimated 1 million Uighur Muslims languishing in "reeducation camps" in western China. The president also has said nothing in public about the persecution of more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, which the United Nations labeled "ethnic cleansing."

"The Chinese want to do a lot of business and diplomacy in Muslim-majority countries, and if you highlight a massive abuse of human rights, China would have to answer to that," said Blumenthal, now a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

For countries assessing how to engage with the two economic behemoths, the uncertainty rests in the open question of whether Trump's trade war is a tactical play to boost U.S. exports or a more strategic effort to punish China and make the American economy less reliant on its rival, said David Dollar, a Brookings Institution scholar.

On Fox News on Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the administration is determined to force China "to behave in a way that if you want to be a power, a global power," the country must respect "the fundamental principles of trade around the world - fairness, reciprocity."

But Dollar, who served as a Treasury Department emissary to China from 2009 to 2013, said: "I don't think the administration knows clearly what it's doing. Other countries are confused. We've launched a lot of trade measures against other countries and sent a signal of withdrawal from the world."Former Furr High School principal Bertie Simmons, who was fired from Houston ISD in June following multiple allegations of misconduct, is fighting her termination through a Texas Education Agency appeal process.

Records obtained from the TEA show Simmons, a long-revered leader within HISD, has requested a ruling from an agency-appointed hearing examiner, who will review evidence against Simmons and issue a recommendation regarding her job status.

Now Playing: Students and others protest the removal of principal Bertie Simmons outside of Furr High School, 520 Mercury Dr., Tuesday, Oct., 17, 2017 in Houston. Video: Houston Chronicle

HISD trustees voted 5-1 to fire Simmons after an outside counsel's investigation found Furr High School administrators broke state law by changing student grades and manipulating education records. Simmons, who is 84 and white, has denied the allegations and is suing HISD for age and racial discrimination. The district disputes Simmons' claims.

The TEA hearing examiner, Houston-based lawyer Peter Thompson, is expected to see evidence against Simmons and hear arguments from lawyers on both sides at a mid-October proceeding. Thompson must issue findings of fact, legal conclusions and recommendations about any relief owed to Simmons by early November.

Thompson's findings and recommendations are non-binding, meaning the HISD Board of Trustees could uphold its decision to terminate Simmons' employment regardless of Thompson's rulings.

EARLIER: HISD principal Bertie Simmons to lose job over misconduct allegations

Simmons and HISD have been locked in an often-contentious battle over her treatment since September 2017, when the once-retired educator was placed on administrative leave amid allegations that she threatened students with a bat and disregarded the district's student dress code. Simmons was admonished for her actions in that case, but a subsequent, months-long investigation ended with HISD administrators recommending Simmons' termination.

Investigators determined Furr administrators changed student grades without informing teachers, instructed educators not to assign grades below 50 percent, improperly altered attendance records and awarded credit to students with excessive unexcused absences. HISD officials have not publicly released underlying evidence to support the findings.

The Houston Chronicle submitted a public records request for the investigative report, but HISD officials said the report was shielded from public disclosure by state law, largely because it constituted attorney-client communications. The Texas Attorney General's Office ruled in mid-August that HISD had legal grounds to deny the Chronicle's public records request.

EARLIER: Furr High School principal claims discrimination after removal

Simmons' lawyer, Scott Newar, said HISD officials have not provided him with a copy or excerpts from the investigative findings.

"They won't disclose to the public the evidence that they say they have," Newar said. "To me, it's essentially an effort by the district to smear these people without really giving them any due process."

HISD trustees voted on Aug. 28 to produce 42 pages of the investigative report to lawyers involved in Simmons' case before the TEA hearing examiner, as well as parties involved an ongoing retaliation lawsuit tied to the Furr High School case.

Simmons came out of retirement in 2000 to lead Furr High School, an east side campus rife with gang activity and academic issues at the time. She long has been credited with turning around the school and restoring order.As Houston ISD trustees kick off their national search for a permanent superintendent, a politically fraught issue figures to complicate their quest.

In the coming months, HISD trustees must decide whether to temporarily surrender control over four chronically low-performing schools, a proposal that drew strong backlash from some community members earlier this year. If trustees do not relinquish control over those campuses, and any one of them fails to meet state academic standards next August, HISD risks a state takeover of the districts locally elected school board in late 2019 or early 2020. Members of a state-appointed replacement board could, in turn, ditch HISDs superintendent and hire their own leader.

For many superintendent candidates, that possibility could be a deal breaker.

Im really hard-pressed to believe that we havent closed the door on potentially good candidates who say, Im not leaving where Im at, Im not relocating my family, when I may be out of a job three months after I get there, HISD Trustee Sue Deigaard said.

Deigaards concern illustrates the conundrum facing the states largest school district on its nascent search for a permanent superintendent: how to attract high-quality candidates when HISD faces annual budget crunches and a poorly perceived school board, as well as the looming threat of a TEA takeover of the school board.

Houston ISD has been without a permanent superintendent since March, when Richard Carranza abruptly left to become chancellor of New York City public schools. The board voted 6-3 on Thursday to begin negotiations with a search firm to find its next leader. It also voted 5-4 to delay consideration of whether to retain Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan through September 2019.

For HISDs oft-divided school board, the debate over governance at its four longest-struggling schools could, in many ways, dictate the districts superintendent search.

Under a state law commonly known as HB 1842, the Texas Education Agency must close campuses or replace the locally elected school board in any district with a campus that receives five consecutive improvement required ratings for poor academic performance. HISD avoided punishment this year when four schools at risk of triggering the sanctions all met state academic standard. However, another four campuses  Highland Heights Elementary School, Henry Middle School and Kashmere and Wheatley high schools  could receive a fifth consecutive improvement required rating in Aug. 2019.

Under another state law known as SB 1882, HISD could stave off sanctions for two years by surrendering control over those four schools to a nonprofit, charter network, higher education institution or governmental entity. Should the district employ the law, superintendent candidates would not have to worry about a state takeover of HISDs school board, giving them a heightened sense of job security.

Such a move, however, faces many complications.

Some community members have loudly opposed relinquishing control over any HISD schools, arguing state lawmakers improperly sought to influence local school boards when they enacted the two school accountability laws. An April school board meeting to discuss surrendering control over 10 campuses to a local charter network erupted after board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones ordered the audience to clear the meeting room. Two people were arrested on misdemeanor charges of trespassing and resisting arrest, which were later dropped. The trustees never voted on the proposal.

Ken Williams, the immediate past president of the Kashmere High School Alumni Association and a member of the schools Shared Decision-Making Committee, said he believes community members on the citys northeast side are open to partnerships, but only under the absolute right circumstances.

The thing about all of this is, theres no clear picture of how all this should go, will go, could go, Williams said. Theres just a lot of gray areas and what-ifs.

HISD also has struggled to find any organizations willing and able to accept responsibility for the districts long-struggling campuses, where many students face deep academic and social challenges. HISD administrators discussed potential partnerships with several groups earlier this year before the April recommendation to give control of 10 campuses to Energized For STEM Academy Inc., a Houston-based charter network with academic and financial concerns.

HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said in mid-August that district administrators have preliminarily discussed public-private partnerships that could be recommended during the 2018-19 school year. District officials did not respond to questions or an interview request regarding an update on those conversations Friday. Members of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turners administration also have been exploring the possible formation of a nonprofit capable of running some HISD schools, but their work remains in its infancy.

The TEA has not set a deadline for districts to approve private partnerships. Agency spokeswoman Lauren Callahan on Thursday said districts should receive guidance from the TEA in early October.

In the meantime, HISD trustees likely will vote on a contract with the superintendent search firm of Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates in the next several weeks. If the contract is approved, trustees and the firm will establish parameters for the search, Skillern-Jones said.

The last one took eight months from inception to getting him on-boarded, so that gives us a relative timeline of what that looks like, Skillern-Jones said. I am hopeful that we do a thorough search, and if it takes longer, we take our time.

jacob.carpenter@chron.com

twitter.com/chronjacobThe Houston Police Department has released 54 booking photos in connection with prostitution arrests during August.

RELATED: 12 charged in north Harris County prostitution sting

The charges ranged from compelling prostitution as a pimp to soliciting prostitution as a "john." The release didn't include where and when the people were arrested from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31.

"We hope by publishing these suspects' photos we will raise awareness of the issue that is human trafficking and put the community on notice that we will no longer tolerate these crimes in our neighborhoods," said the department's Vice Division Captain James Dale.

Click through the above slideshow to see all 54 mugshots.

Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message.

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.comMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  Former Senator Heherson "Sonny" Alvarez is willing to take up former Senate President and Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile's challenge to a debate on martial law under late strongman Ferdinand Marcos

"I accept the challenge. I'd like to point out that martial law is the darkest point in our history that caused the death of many and the suffering of many more," Alvarez said in a video posted on social media.

"Itong debateng ito ay maaaring ganapin kahit sa telebisyon, radyo, kahit saan at kahit kailan."

[Translation: We can have this debate on television, radio, anywhere and anytime.]

Alvarez was responding to Enrile's statements in a video released by former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. The two discussed what prompted the latter's father to declare martial law in 1972.

But the one-on-one is rife with apparent false claims, including statements from Enrile and Marcos denying human rights violations under the Marcos regime. The elder senator challenged the public to name people who were killed and arrested in that period.

Thousands of human rights victims under the Marcos regime won a class action suit in a Hawaii court against the late President's estate for abuses they suffered. A Philippine law has been passed to provide them reparations from a portion of billions of dollars in ill-gotten wealth recovered by the government from the Marcoses and their cronies.

Enrile was defense minister of the elder Marcos, and is often referred to as the architect of martial law. A supposed assassination attempt on him in 1972 was used to justify the declaration, but in 1986 Enrile said in numerous interviews that the ambush was staged. In his 2012 memoir, he retracted that admission.

Alvarez added that the Marcos regime "weakened the economy and improverished our people."

The Marcos family was estimated to have stolen up to $10 billion while in power, plunging the country into debt.

RELATED: Lessons from the boom-bust martial law economy

Alvarez served for two senatorial terms, beginning in 1987 after the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled Marcos. He was also Secretary for the Department of Agrarian Reform and Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

"Kinakailangan pag-usapan natin to," said Alvarez. "Gusto kong harapin si Senator Enrile sa kanyang hamon upang lalo natin liwanagin itong mapait [at] madilim na patayan at nakawan na ginawa ng rehimen ni President Marcos."

[Translation: We have to talk aobut this. I want to face Senator Enrile and take on his challenge so we can shed light on the bitter and dark killings and thievery that happened under President Marcos' regime.]Posted on: September 24, 2018 9:48 AM

[Episcopal News Service, by David Paulsen] A retired southern Illinois priest in the US-based Episcopal Church is facing possible deportation back to his native England after he says he mistakenly voted in 2006 because he wasnt aware at the time that only US citizens could participate in federal elections. That 12-year-old mistake came back to haunt David Boase recently when it was discovered by federal authorities reviewing his application for US citizenship.

Now, instead of taking steps toward becoming an American, he faces an immigration hearing on Friday (28 September) in Kansas City, Missouri, where he plans to ask the judge to allow him to return to England voluntarily in lieu of deportation.

My life is here, Boase, 69, told the St Louis Post-Dispatch. He served for a decade, from 2004 until his retirement in 2014, at the Episcopal Parish of Alton, Illinois. The choice to move back to England is a tough one, but it could allow him more flexibility in the future. He fears a deportation on his record would hurt his chances of returning to his adopted country.

Friends and parishioners have rallied behind Boase, including by setting up a GoFundMe page to help pay for his legal bills and moving costs. They also are asking for lawmakers to join in support of Boases cause.

For 14 years, David has been there for us  at baptisms and funerals and weddings, on Sunday morning and in the middle of the night. Your prayers and your support are what he needs now, the fundraising webpage pleads. By this week, it had topped its goal of raising $5,000 [USD, approximately 3,800 GBP].

The root of Boases dilemma was not an election but a drivers license. News reports and the fundraising page indicate he applied for a license in 2005, and a licensing employee asked if he also wanted to register to vote. Boase said he was surprised but went ahead and signed the voter form. He said he proceeded to vote, just once, in the 2006 election.

After learning of his error from a parishioner, he never voted again, Boase told the Alton Telegraph.

However innocent Boases mistake, he isnt expecting to be allowed to stay in the United States but hopes he is able to leave voluntarily and return someday.

It is going to wreck my life. I am so happy here, in the parish, in the community and the area. It is a mess, he told the Telegraph. I want to come back to America, the land and places I love.

Prior to moving to the US, Boase was Priest-in-Charge of Whorlton with Carlton and Faceby, and Ministerial Development Officer of Cleveland archdeaconry in the Church of Englands Diocese of York.Campus fights about free speech and censorship tend to devolve into rage-filled deadlocks pitting "intolerance" against "political correctness," resolving nothing. One topic, though, has produced a depressing consensus: that it's acceptable to suppress speech advocating economic protests targeting Israel.

The pro-Palestinian movement promoting boycotts, divestment and sanctions to protest Israeli occupation of the West Bank and control of Gaza is being systematically targeted by campus authorities and also by state governments and even Congress.

The administration of President Donald Trump, too, has demonstrated a remarkable double standard on this question.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions declared Monday that "freedom of speech and thought have come most under attack on the college campus," and vowed that the Justice Department would protect this "valued right" from being "attacked or eroded."

Yet almost simultaneously, the new head of civil rights for the Education Department, longtime pro-Israel activist Kenneth L. Marcus, reopened an old investigation into complaints by Jewish students at Rutgers University in New Jersey. The students had claimed that the university failed to protect them from harassment, and that they were discriminated against by being charged entrance fees to a public pro-Palestinian event in 2011. Those allegations were rejected by a 2014 investigation by the Education Department, which closed the case.

Marcus said he was reopening the issue based, in part, on the embrace by the Trump administration of a definition of anti-Semitism that includes "denying the Jewish people the right to self-determination" or holding Israel to a double standard.

The first effectively renders all non- and anti-Zionist perspectives "anti-Semitic" by definition, and the second could be applied to almost any strong criticism of Israeli policy or conduct.

Twenty-four state legislatures have adopted measures punishing advocacy and activism promoting boycotts of Israel, often foisting the same flawed definition of anti-Semitism on public schools and universities.

These efforts range from the sinister to the ridiculous; Dickinson, Texas tried to make victims of Hurricane Harvey pledge not to boycott Israel as a condition for receiving government relief aid.

Worse still, Congress is considering "Anti-Semitism Awareness" and "Israel Anti-Boycott" acts that would expand the effort to suppress and even criminalize criticism of Israel to the national level.

The "Anti-Semitism Awareness Act" embraces the same language about "self-determination" and double standards that could easily be construed as barring all but the most mild criticisms of Israeli policies.

Like many of its state-level precursors, the "Anti-Boycott Act" aims at penalizing participation in, and even advocacy of, anti-Israel boycotts.

These laws not only conflate criticism of Israeli policies with discrimination against Jewish Americans, they also conflate Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories with Israel itself. The "Anti-Boycott Act" would apply uniformly to Israel and to "Israeli-controlled territories," laying out criminal financial penalties for those who engage in boycotting Israel or its settlements in occupied territories.

Such measures, whether at the state or national level, are plainly unconstitutional and ultimately unenforceable. But they contribute to chilling strong criticism of Israel.

The boycott, divestiture and sanctions movement itself is no friend of free speech. Many of its advocates promote academic and cultural boycotts of Israelis, and try to silence pro-Israel speech. Many of its most strident voices advocate a one-state agenda that imagines the Jewish state vanishing as the Palestinian population rises. But they've been singularly ineffective.

What has actually gained traction, particularly in Europe, are efforts to distinguish between Israel and the West Bank Jewish settlements, and to simultaneously promote engagement with Israel and disengagement with settlements.

Settlement activity is banned by international law as a human rights violation against the people whose territory is being taken away from them by an occupying army. The right not to be colonized is central to the system of human rights constructed since World War II.

That's the real target of these state and national laws, not generalized boycotts of Israel, which are marginal and ineffective. Efforts to boycott Israel's settlements and their products, on the other hand, are growing and potentially effective.

Both Israel and its supporters (to stigmatize all boycotts) and the strident BDS movement (to promote itself) conflate them as a single, unified campaign. And even when the call is precisely for a total boycott of all things Israeli, it's inappropriate and unconstitutional for state and federal governments to try to suppress such advocacy.

Yet this issue is rarely raised in the raging debate about free speech, especially on campuses.

As a long-standing critic of one-state rhetoric and strident BDS advocacy, my own campus lectures have been repeatedly disrupted by anti-Israel protesters in recent years. And anti-Semitism is alarmingly extant among my fellow Arabs, and is the purest poison for the Palestinian cause.

Yet calls to boycott Israel in general are usually not anti-Semitic as much as they are quixotic, confused and misguided. What we need is more engagement, not more alienation.

I'm disturbed that campus, state and national authorities are using their power to punish boycott-advocacy as hate-speech, in the process chilling many other valid criticisms of Israel.

People who really care about free speech, on campuses and elsewhere, should be prepared to defend it even for ideas they don't like. There can't be an exception to free speech for strong criticism and even boycotts of Israel.

Ibish is a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.Fischman claims she was overlooked for the top spot. It was alleged that after speaking out against the wrongful discrimination against herself and other female employees, Mitsubishi terminated the senior employee, who earned high marks year after year for her stellar performance.

Fischman said she felt she had to pay the price for having the audacity to speak up on behalf of myself and other women who I felt were being discriminated against.

The lawsuit was filed against Mitsubishi Chemical Holding Corporation (Mitsubishi) and Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings America (MCHA). Mitsubishis parent company is based in Tokyo, Japan and has more than 700 subsidiaries and over 69,000 employees globally.

However, other than one outside member of the board in Japan, there remains only one woman in executive leadership worldwide  despite the corporations global five-figure headcount.

In this day and age these statistics are staggering, Kane said. The lack of female leadership at the upper echelons of this company is astounding and shameful.A day before the memo was released, The Wall Street Journal reported Google staff discussing through email how to tweak search functionality to counter algorithmically biased results that Google staff deemed were islamophobic and prejudiced.

Pichai pointed out: Google itself is and must continue to be non-partisan.

We do not bias our products to favor any political agenda. The trust our users place in us is our greatest asset and we must always protect it. If any Googler ever undermines that trust, we will hold them accountable, said Pichai.

Google isnt a place where we can resolve all of our individual differences. Its a place where we come together in spite of our differences to pursue our mission, the CEO said.

Google has been publicly criticised by US President Donald Trump who alleged the internet search company manipulates its search engine to favour progressive media outlets over conservative ones.Woman Convicted at Trial Following Her Involvement in International Lottery Fraud Scheme

Bismarck, North Dakota - On September 14, a federal jury in North Dakota convicted a Providence, Rhode Island woman after a week-long trial, on all 15 counts for her participation in a Jamaican lottery fraud scheme, which has affected about 100 identified victims with reported losses totaling more than $6.7 million.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Christopher Myers of the District of North Dakota, and Special Agent in Charge Jill Sanborn of FBI Minneapolis Division, made the announcement.

Melinda Bulgin, 28, was convicted on conspiracy and substantive mail fraud and wire fraud charges, as well as one count of money laundering conspiracy. According to the evidence presented at trial, Bulgin worked with members of a Jamaican lottery fraud conspiracy in the United States and Jamaica, and had multiple roles in the scheme. The schemes conspirators located in Jamaica purchased lists containing information about U.S. citizens, and contacted them over the phone. They told victims they had won large cash prizes and cars, but would need to pay taxes and fees in order to receive the prize. The scammers deliberately targeted victims over the age of 55. Victims were first courted with the lure of prizes, and additional scam callers would then also identify themselves as FBI, IRS or other trusted authorities that falsely confirmed that the prize winnings were real. Some victims lost their savings, their life insurance and their homes before running out of money and turning to public or family assistance. Victims lost anywhere from $200 to more than $100,000.

Evidence presented at trial further showed that Bulgin participated in the scheme via several roles - by buying the names of future victims to call, by collecting checks and cash from victims at her home address, and via wire transfers victims sent to her bank accounts. She also sent fraudulent mailings, such as letters and photos of the fake checks, to victims to convince them of their prize. She was caught while carrying $14,800 to Jamaica to share with her conspirators, money from an elderly woman in Arizona, who testified that she wired the money to Bulgin as advance fees for a large prize she had been told she won.

Melinda Bulgin and her coconspirators deliberately targeted senior citizens as part of a lottery fraud scheme that affected dozens of victims, some of whom lost their life savings, life insurance, and even their homes, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. The conviction in this case is the result of the hard work and determination of our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners, along with the prosecutors in the District of North Dakota and Criminal Divisionand it demonstrates our firm commitment to stopping those who exploit senior citizens and other vulnerable populations.

This case involves a unique kind of victimization, said U.S. Attorney Myers. It is an assault of victims trust and dreams, in addition to their pocket books. Victims are targeted because their age or personal circumstances make them particularly vulnerable; the resulting harm is financial, psychological, and physical. Until recently, these scammers operated with impunity. We are helping to find them and hold them accountable for their crimes.

The bedrock of the FBI lies in protecting our most vulnerable, including older Americans who often find themselves on fixed incomes and tight budgets, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanborn. While nothing can fully replace the victimization felt by those who fell prey to this scheme, we hope that this conviction ensures the defendants will never be able to harm anyone again. Im grateful to all of our law enforcement partners who worked beyond borders to ensure the defendants could not hide and that justice was done.

The governments case included testimony by an FBI case agent who traced victim money from around the country to Bulgin, several American and Jamaican cooperators, one of whom was extradited from Jamaica, multiple banks, Fedex, and remitters such as Western Union. A Jamaican law officer who questioned Bulgin when she landed in Jamaica from the United States with $14,800 in cash also testified at trial. In addition, multiple victims testified to the financial devastation, fear and emotional toll caused by the scammers; several victims who testified had sent money directly to Bulgin, via cash, check or wire, totaling over $100,000.

In addition to Bulgin, 14 other defendants from Jamaica and the United States were charged in the same indictment, many of whom have pleaded guilty. The FBI led investigation of Bulgin and others has led to the successful prosecution of more than 30 defendants in related cases and the extradition of 14 Jamaican nationals.

U.S. v. Melinda Bulgin, et al. arises from the investigation of Sanjay Williams, Lavrick Willocks and others who led and operated criminal advance fee lottery telemarketing fraud organizations, with operations in the United States, Jamaica, Canada, United Kingdom, Israel, Costa Rica and elsewhere. The Jamaican lottery fraud scheme is listed in the United States as a Top International Criminal Organization Target (TICOT). Nationwide, the number of Jamaican Lottery Fraud victims is in the millions, with some estimates of annual losses in excess of $1 billion. The lottery scam victims in the United States are not the only victims of Melinda Bulgins crimes. Top Jamaican law enforcement officials emphasize that lottery scamming has directly led to a dramatic increase in violent crime  including murder, shootings, and extortion - in Jamaica, as rival scammers battle one another over the names of potential victims and profits.

The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and a host of state and local authorities throughout the United States, along with foreign enforcement authorities, including Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) and Jamaican Operations Linked to Telemarketing (JOLT) task force, have assisted in the investigation and the extradition of the defendants in the indictment. The Justice Departments Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in the extraditions. Trial Attorney Leila E. Babaeva of the Criminal Division Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clare Hochhalter, James Patrick Thomas, Nick Chase and Jonathan OKonek of the District of North Dakota are prosecuting the case.International Efforts To Implement UN Security Council Resolutions on DPRK's Illicit Shipping Activities

Washington, DC - The United States welcomes coordination on international efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolutions on North Koreas illicit shipping activities, which prohibit ship-to-ship transfers of any goods or items to or from North Korean vessels of any goods or items going to or coming from North Korea.

The United States applauds the recent announcements from Japan, Australia and New Zealand regarding monitoring and surveillance activities to detect UN-prohibited illicit North Korean maritime activities, with a particular focus on detecting and disrupting ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum to North Korean tankers in the East China Sea. We are pleased that this coordinated, multinational initiative includes these countries, along with Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. As part of this effort, we are sharing information and coordinating efforts to ensure that UN Security Council Resolutions are implemented fully and effectively. In support of this initiative, the United States has deployed aircraft and surface vessels to detect and disrupt these activities.

North Korea continues to regularly employ deceptive tactics to evade UN sanctions. Accordingly, UN Member States are required to prohibit persons or entities subject to their jurisdiction from engaging in ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum. In addition, the United States will not hesitate to impose sanctions on any individual, entity, or vessel supporting North Koreas illicit activities, regardless of nationality.

The United States and international partners remain committed to achieving the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea and believe the full enforcement of North Korean-related UN Security Council Resolutions is crucial to a successful outcome. The international community must continue to enforce and implement UN Security Council Resolutions until North Korea denuclearizes.

Additional information for ships, ship owners, and entities involved in ship-to-ship transfers on the risks of working with the DPRK shipping industry is detailed in the February 23 Advisory on Sanctions Risks Related to North Koreas Shipping Practices, which can be found at https://www.state.gov/e/eb/ tfs/spi/northkorea/advisories/ 284053.htm.Secretary of State Pompeo's Call With Chilean Foreign Minister Ampuero

Washington, DC - Secretary Michael R. Pompeo spoke by phone yesterday with Chilean Foreign Minister Roberto Ampuero. They discussed President Sebastian Pineras upcoming visit to the White House on September 28, which will strengthen the long-standing partnership between the United States and Chile. They also discussed Chiles hosting of APEC in 2019 and our mutual goals to increase economic growth and prosperity.

Secretary Pompeo thanked Foreign Minister Ampuero for Chiles leadership in supporting the Venezuelan peoples efforts to restore democracy and prosperity in Venezuela.Walmart seems to be headed on the right track. It just experienced its strongest U.S. growth in more than a decade, and part of reason for that is CEO Doug McMillon's strategy to better empower employees.

And now, Walmart has made a new announcement that seems to build on that strategy.

At least, it did at first glance.

A recent Bloomberg report details how Walmart recently polled employees to discover which perks would be most "meaningful to new hires."

According to Bloomberg, the nation's largest private employer asked hourly workers to rate potential incentives from a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 signifying "This would be awesome!" and 1 signifying "I don't care about this."

The incentives included the following:

Sign-on bonus

Childcare services

Tutoring

Pet care

Gym memberships

Company-provided mobile device

Transportation assistance

Immediate access to an employee discount card

Access to paid time off from day one

Gift cards

Apparel credit

What a great and novel way to figure out what kinds of perks matter to your employees: Ask them!

But as I continued reading the report, a statement from Walmart spokesman Justin Rushing seemed to negate all the goodwill this poll could have created.

"We're always listening to feedback from our associates on how to improve our offering and experience," Rushing said.

And then, the kicker. Wait for it...

"While the results of this poll are insightful, we don't currently have plans to implement anything based on the results," Rushing continued.

Man, oh man.

Where Walmart went wrong

Walmart is definitely on to something. Using real employee feedback to help inform its future hiring and benefits strategies--what's not to like about that?

But the company's follow-up messaging signals a major lack of emotional intelligence.

It comes off sounding like the following:

Hey--we really want to know what would make you guys happy working for us. Just don't expect that we'll actually give you any of those things.

Look, I get that Walmart needs time to figure out what to do with this information, and that it doesn't want to make promises that it can't (or won't) keep. And I have to admit, I kind of admire the company's honesty.

But here's another novel idea:

You've worked hard to hire the right people and get them to buy into your company culture. You've spent time and money trying to solicit feedback from those people--feedback that you admit has already provided valuable insights.

Now, why not actually take those valuable insights and use them to attract more, like-minded employees?There are a lot of ways to build fast-growth companies. Just consider this year's Inc. 5000 list. The annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America includes everything from canned wine producers and freight movers to kayak makers and truck bumper manufacturers.

The six companies below, though, take the cake when it comes to innovative business models. Whether it's reinventing hospital garb or hosting mind-blowing vacations, these startups all have one thing in common: They've tapped into something their customers really wanted.

Here are the most innovative business models of this year's Inc. 5000, in no particular order:

1. Renegade museum tours.

Museum Hack, No. 1,304 on this year's list, is built on a counterintuitive premise: The startup sells "museum tours for people who don't like museums." For one price, customers get museum admission, a several-hour tour, and in some cases, wine. Guides teach them about the displays but with an element of snark: maybe an examination of just how safe that blue whale display really is, or a dive into the artist's weird hobbies. Some tours are family-friendly while others are adults-only. The company pulled in $2.7 million in revenue last year. Tours are available inside New York's Museum of Natural History and the Art Institute of Chicago, among others. "Museums aren't competing with other museums," founder Nick Gray told the The New York Times earlier this year. "They're competing with Netflix, Facebook and iPhones."

2. Comparison shopping for surgeries.

MDSave's website lets you shop for medical procedures the way you'd look for rental cars or hotels. The startup, which bills itself as "the world's first transactional health care marketplace," gives users a way to compare doctors' prices within a designated location. Additional fees, like bloodwork or biopsies, are included in the cost, so customers don't get caught off guard later. Launched in 2013, the startup booked $15.5 million in revenue last year and earned spot No. 152 on this year's list.

3. A makeover for medical uniforms.

Figs co-founders Trina Spear and Heather Hasson took an overlooked item--medical scrubs--and turned it into a lucrative business. One of the first e-commerce companies to sell scrubs directly to consumers, Figs reimagines what hospital garb should look like. Gone are oversize and boxy uniforms: The startup makes slimmer, gender-specific outfits made of smarter materials and with features like pockets for wedding rings. The company caught the attention of Will Smith and former Lululemon CEO Christine Day, both of whom are investors. Figs, which earned $23.1 million in revenue in 2017 and expects to top $100 million this year, ranked No. 22 on this year's list.

4. Like Jurassic Park, but with exotic animals.

After selling his startup HostGator for $220 million, founder Brent Oxley decided to build an 18,000-acre ranch in the heart of Texas. He imported animals--some from zoos, and some endangered--from all over the globe and constructed a 6,000-square-foot lodge, a private runway, cabins, and a high-end restaurant for his business. Visitors to the Ox Ranch can stay among kangaroos, giraffes, elk, and wildebeest. The model isn't without controversy, though: Guests can pay up to $35,000 for the right to hunt certain species. The ranch pulled in $6.2 million in 2017 and finished No. 246 on the Inc. 5000.

5. Brand crowdsourcing.

You've got the business idea. Now you just need a creative and memorable name. SquadHelp blasts out your proposal to its network of thousands of creative and branding types, who then submit their suggestions. The company automatically checks each for URL availability. You choose the winner, and its submitter gets paid. SquadHelp then performs trademark risk assessment, linguistics analysis, and audience testing. A campaign starts at $199, and the company says you'll typically receive dozens or hundreds of responses. SquadHelp reached No. 247 on this year's Inc. 5000, generating $2.5 million in revenue in 2017.

6. Housing help.

Most 19-year-olds don't know much about real estate. Rent College Pads, No. 514 on this year's list, gives college kids a place where they can search for off-campus apartments specifically geared toward students. Landlords can list their properties directly on the site and students can send them questions, making the process more efficient and less expensive by cutting out the middleman. Rent College Pads, which launched in 2015 and is available near universities like Penn State, Cornell, and Texas A&M, hit $2.8 million in revenue last year.

EXPLORE MORE Inc. 5000 COMPANIESIf you want to be a successful leader, and especially if you want to run a successful company, there's one really, really tough question you have to ask yourself often. It's about prioritization, perhaps the most difficult thing for all of us to do, both in business and in life.

It was 2007. Seven years after the dot-com boom and then bust. A year or so before the financial crisis. Yahoo CEO Terry Semel had just resigned, having failed miserably in his attempts to purchase first Google, then Facebook. The Yahoo board appointed co-founder Jerry Yang as CEO.

A who's who of Silicon Valley figures offered to help Yang in his new role. One of them was Steve Jobs, who arrived at Yahoo to deliver a speech to hundreds of its upper managers. The subject of his speech was prioritization.

Jobs described how he'd returned to Apple to lead the company 12 years after being forced out. He returned to find too many products and product lines. So he set his managers to work on prioritization, on focusing on what was more valuable and important for Apple and letting the rest go.

Jeff Weiner was sitting in the audience. At the time, he was a Yahoo executive; within two years he would move to LinkedIn, where he is now CEO. All these years later, Weiner still hasn't forgotten that speech. "Prioritization sounds like such a simple thing," he told The New York Times in 2012. "But true prioritization starts with a very difficult question to answer... If you could only do one thing, what would it be?"

You can't cheat when answering this question, Weiner says--for instance, you can't answer by attaching one thing to another. "I was struck by the clarity and courage of his conviction," Weiner recalls. "He felt it so deeply, and there wasn't a person in the audience that day who did not take that with them as a lasting memory."

How many times have you said "no" today?

Jobs' longtime friend, Jony Ive, chief design officer at Apple, recalls getting a similar lesson from Jobs. "Jony, you have to understand there are measures of focus, and one of them is how often you say 'no,'" Jobs said to him, according to the website Ladders. Jobs himself was so famously committed to focus that he dressed in the same black designer turtleneck, sneakers, and jeans every day, eliminating the need to think about what to wear.

Ive also said Jobs would often ask him how many things he had said "no" that day--a question Ive found patronizing, although he agreed with the principle. "The art of focus is, even if it is something you care passionately about, focus means ignoring it, putting it to the side," he said. "And often, it's at real cost. And [Jobs] was remarkable at that. "It takes so much effort and is exhausting to sustain, but all of the good things we've done have required that sort of focus."Last year the 33rd manifestation of the Turner Prize hit the buffers. By which I mean that it was shown at the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull, and Hull is the last stop on the line before you plunge into the North Sea. Hull did the show proud. The old cobbled streets were bouncing that Saturday night.

The Ferens itself had just been newly refurbished, and the entire institution seemed to pivot about the Turner  it has seldom felt quite so feted at its home base, Tate Britain, to which it has returned this year, even though the Stuckists seem to have lost interest in hating it so much these days.

Could that be because theres too much else thats truly appalling happening in the shrieking rats nest of contemporary art?

Some rather troubling things happened to the Turner last year. The rules were changed in two important respects. For the first time, it was decided that the prize would be awarded, at least in part, on the quality of the final show.

And the upper age limit of 50 (in place since 1991) would be entirely abolished  which means that the younger and the emerging were going to be put at a grievous disadvantage forever more. Why so? Because older artists have their maturity as artists to give them a lift  which can include the support of an established gallery and a long history of exhibition-making.

Last year age triumphed decisively  the winner was a 63-year-old professor of fine art, and the show an anthology of what she regarded as her best work from the 1980s onwards. Could the Turner be batty and youthfully edgy ever again?

There is no denying that most of the really eye-catching prize winners during the Turners best decade  Kapoor, Gormley, McQueen, Hirst  were either 30 or a little over.

This year only one artist is 30 years old, and two are in their forties. The fourth contender is a collective of filmmakers of variable ages called Forensic Architecture, founded by the architect Eyal Weizman, who is the 48-year-old professor of spatial and visual sultures at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Quite a lot has been written about the political nature of the contenders this year. All that really seems to matter to the judges are gender politics, discrimination of various kinds, human rights abuses and other right-on causes of pain to the comfortably settled reader.

Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Naeem Mohaiemen Naeem Mohaiemen, Tripoli Cancelled, 2017, single channel film. Dimitris Parthimos Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Naeem Mohaiemen Portrait of Naeem Mohaiemen Abeer Hoque Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Naeem Mohaiemen Naeem Mohaiemen, Tripoli Cancelled, 2017, single channel film. Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Naeem Mohaiemen Naeem Mohaiemen, Two Meetings and a Funeral, 2017, three-channel installation, Hessisches. Lanesmuseum, Kassel, cocumenta 14. Michael Nast Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Charlotte Prodger Charlotte Prodger. Portrait 2017. Emile Holba Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Charlotte Prodger Charlotte Prodger, a still from BRIDGIT, 2016. Single channel video with sound, 32 minutes. Courtesy of the artist Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Charlotte Prodger Charlotte Prodger, a still from BRIDGIT, 2016. Single channel video with sound, 32 minutes. Courtesy of the artist Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Charlotte Prodger Charlotte Prodger. Stoneymollan Trail, 2015. Single channel video with sound, 43 minutes. Courtesy of the artist Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Forensic Architecture Collage by Forensic Architecture, 2018 Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Forensic Architecture Counter Investigations: Forensic Architecture at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, Installation View. Mark Blower Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Forensic Architecture Saydnaya_4: This corridor in the prison, known to be linear, was experienced by a survivor while he was tortured and the space was distorted by the traumatic conditions at the moment the memory was encoded. Forensic Architecture, 2016 Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Forensic Architecture Saydnaya_1: Saydnaya prison, as reconstructed by Forensic Architecture using architectural and acoustic modelling. Forensic Architecture, 2016 Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Luke Willis Thompson Portrait of Luke Willis Thompson Courtesy of the artist Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Luke Willis Thompson Luke Willis Thompson, autoportrait, 2017. Installation view, Chisenhale Gallery. Commissioned by Chisenhale Gallery and produced in partnership with Create. Andy Keate Turner Prize 2018 shortlist: in pictures Luke Willis Thompson Luke Willis Thompson, autoportrait, 2017. Installation view, Chisenhale Gallery. Commissioned by Chisenhale Gallery and produced in partnership with Create. Andy Keate



What is most intriguing perhaps of all is that everything is film, film, film, film about the Turner this year. Painting doesn't get a look in. Perhaps this means that painting is outmoded all over again. Once upon a time, remember, painting was declared dead, and new media was all the rage  there was enough slow-motion video art going the rounds to die of boredom twice over in the 1990s.

Remember lying on a bean bag and snoring over Douglas Gordons version of Psycho at the Hayward Gallery, slowed down to be shown over 24 hours? This was the newest of the new art back then. Now we remember it better as a very effective way of stabbing a thriller to death in slow motion.

That was back in 2002. Now, at the very moment when figurative painting is enjoying a dramatic rebirth, the Turner has decided to celebrate a genre that perhaps looks a little outmoded these days. Still, its always good for the reputation of any institution such as the Tate to be politically right-on.

The show looks quite different from ever before this year. You enter through a large gallery dominated by a white table, surrounded by grey sofas, across which 43 books are strewn. Is this really an art show? Where is the promise of visual allure?

The staging makes it looks more like a seminar room with four offstage spaces for examples of all youve just been talking about. Those book titles could scarcely be more engage and of-the-moment: Hollow Land  Israels Architecture of Occupation; Back to Black: Retelling Black Radicalism; The Extreme Centre  A Warning, by Tariq Ali.

Luke Willis Thompson, autoportrait (2017), commissioned by Chisenhale Gallery and produced in partnership with Create (Andy Keate)

Then you pop into each artists darkened booth to be taught your lessons in gender politics, identity, alienation, colonial violence. As an aid to punishment, only half of the booths have any seating.

Some of these films are very tedious indeed. And they are often tedious for a reason already cited above. Artists who make films often think it not only appropriate  all part of the artfulness of the art film perhaps  but entirely necessary to linger for a great deal of time over a single shot.

And this is an age when the editing of feature films has never been more skilfully snappy. Why do they test us in this way? Why do they push us to the point of extreme boredom and then beyond? Why, for example, does Luke Willis Thompson insist, in autoportrait, on showing us this dolorous, flickery, soundless image of Diamond Reynolds, the partner of Philando Castile, a black man murdered by police at a traffic stop in July 2016, for so long? And who is this young woman anyway? I ask several people in the room. No one knows. Why so difficult? Because this is one of several films on a loop.

Forensic Architecture is an international research agency that captures scenes of under-reported state violence, sorting state-speak from the truth. Their film here shows us a scene in the Negev desert, shot in January 2017.

The Israeli police have made a dawn raid on a Bedouin village to destroy homes. Its all snatched, hectic stuff  the continuous blare of car horns, feverish shouting, running men, all captured in a mix of moving image, stills, superimpositions.

Charlotte Prodger has spent an entire year making a film shot on a iPhone called Bridgit. It lasts just 33 minutes. The film opens with a shot of a pair of grubby trainers on the end of a pair of legs, and to the accompaniment of a scatter of near inaudible words and a few drum-taps-cum-shuffles, before the narration  readings from her diaries and various queer books  chronicles her coming out in rural Scotland. The whole exercise  made possible by Creative Scotland  is dull and effortlessly self-indulgent in the extreme.

And pretty much the same thing can be said for the 93 long minutes of Naeem Mohaiemens Tripoli Cancelled, which is described as his very first fiction film. A man dressed as a pilot stands on the end of the wing of a plane in an abandoned airport, commiserating with himself. His few passengers are mannequins. Everything is broken, as Bob Dylan once sung  memorably though.

Oh dear. Oh dear. What a miserable, tedious, poker-faced display the Turner is this year! For gods sake bring back the visual allure  and perhaps even some of those colourful objects in two or three dimensions. Cheer us all up for a change. We know that the world and all its misfortunes is too much with us. But it always has been.Al Matthews, best known for playing Gunnery Sergeant Apone in Aliens (1986), has died aged 75.

El Pais reports that the actor was found dead in his home, in Orihuela Costa, in the Spanish Mediterranean province of Alicante, on Sunday, after a neighbour called the emergency services.

Born in Brooklyn in 1942, Matthews had served as a Marine in the Vietnam War. His website states: "I hold thirteen combat awards and decorations, including two purple hearts. I was the first black Marine in the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam to be meritoriously promoted to the rank of sergeant".

Alongside his role in Aliens, Matthews also played the fire chief in Superman III (1983), a workman in Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981), and General Tudor in The Fifth Element (1997). He returned to the role of Sgt Apone nearly 30 years later, when he voiced the character in the video game Aliens: Colonial Marines (2013).

He also had a strong career in the UK, where he appeared on Grange Hill as the father of Benny Green and had his song "Fool" reach number 16 in the UK Singles Chart in 1975. He retired in Spain in 2005, although his last film was this year's The Price of Death, which is currently in post-production.Good Charlotte emerged as pop punk rebels back in 2000 with their self-titled debut album, shooting to fame with sarcastic hits such as "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" and "Girls and Boys".

On their seventh record, Generation Rx, they're reflecting less on the culture of celebrity and more on issues such as America's ongoing opioid epidemic, the struggles of refugees, and self-worth.

They're performing their biggest ever headline show in the UK next year, at London's Alexandra Palace. The Independent caught up with the band's frontmen, twin brothers Joel (vocals, keys) and Benji Madden (guitars, vocals), to talk about the album, critics, and an apparent resurgence in pop punk.

Tell us a bit about making the new record

Benji: We started in January, and the idea with this record was to try not to force anything, to just open up and see what came out. And it just really did naturally kind of feel like we were saying lets just see whats deep down in there, like a stream of consciousness. The songs kept coming.

On Prayers youre heavily critical of the go-to response from America whenever theres a mass shooting or a humanitarian crisis...

Joel: Living in America we get a front row seat to witness tragedy on a daily basis, and that whole thoughts and prayers response made us wonder: Am I a part of the solution or am I in the audience watching the tragedy?

As adults its our responsibility to take care of our kids and as a parent myself, I think about that a lot. Its not my childrens job to feel safe, its my job to make them feel safe and to raise them in a world where they can be safe.

Benji: I think that Prayers is a really interesting one because we wrote it well before the border crisis was happening, and in that first verse I was actually writing about the experience of me and my wifes relationship and finding someone who you feel safe with and you relate to, and can ponder existence with.

On the second verse I had a really clear image in my head that Id seen on TV  this little Syrian refugee girl crying in front of this rubble. But there are so many things since then that Ive seen that apply to the lyrics, and the meaning continues to get deeper and deeper.

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Joel: Whatever religion you identify or subscribe to, I dont think any of their teachings are ones that tell us to just stand by and watch. I think were meant to help each other, were meant to take action, were meant to do things for one another and I question a society of people who identify as religious, who arent taking action for those in need.

You became known for those very sarcastic observations about celebrity culture. Do you feel less jaded now?

Joel: I think we've learned how to understand people. We can articulate things a little more clearly. When we were younger, the sarcasm was kind of a defence mechanism. Now we're OK with not having the answer. Just asking the question is more important.

In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Show all 20 1 /20 In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Alex Turner Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent In pictures - Arctic Monkeys at the Royal Albert Hall Photo by Aaron Parsons The Independent

It feels as though your last record Youth Authority was you starting up again after a four-year hiatus, and Generation RX is really where you got a momentum going?

Benji: I think we captured a moment. Ive started to see records as just a snapshot, a portrait of where you were at, at that time. And if youre comfortable with that, sometimes its like an old high school year book picture  it makes you blush a little bit but you gotta learn to really appreciate each stage of your life and where you're at. I think this record is a really special little portrait of our band and where we have ended up 20 years later.

Joel: I think momentum is the real thing. You take six years off and you have zero momentum. Youve got to get your swing back and I think our last record really was like we were warming up, we were dipping our toes back in the water, swinging the bat a little bit, getting our swing back.

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Benji: I like the story of that record [Youth Authority] though, because we made it, we put it out ourselves. It was a great place to start and feel like a new band again and then this one feels like our second record. It feels like we really get back into our swing and we found our identity.

Do you care much about negative criticism?

Joel: I feel like Im definitely going to read the reviews from this record. I hope theyre good. I wont mind a bad review if its thoughtful. I really do like reading peoples honest opinions.

Benji: I prefer a good review. A bad review that dismisses us I take it with a grain of salt, I go okay they didnt even try.

You picked quite a bold title for the record, how did that come about?

Benji: I think that to us is the most polarising thing about the record, and then you listen to the songs how vulnerable were actually being, and the questions were asking. And that to me is the most important thing about the record  the conversation piece for asking hopefully the right questions.

Its also a criticism of the ongoing opioids crisis in the US

Joel: Yeah, drugs, opioids and why its happening whats the pain, where does it come from?

Benji: Theres not a family in the US that hasnt been affected or touched by that.

Joel: All the issues are intertwined right? Mental health, the opioid crisis, the overpopulation of our prisons. What does it cost us? Again, to me thats the thing, the empathy, the humanity, can we feel each other, can we be together in a room and talk about things we may not all agree on, but I bet you we could all agree on some things.

Were just a rock band, two kids from the middle of nowhere who had nothing. No education, no one was helping us, there were no adults in our lives. Our version of the American dream, were living it. We both got married  I didnt know if that was possible for me when I was young. Youre going to have a wife and a family, youre going to wake up every day and its going to be peaceful and your lifes going to feel safe. And I think about that, and I go okay, I was very fortunate, I was very blessed and I got very lucky.

Its easy for someone anywhere in the world to look at me and go, easy for you to say. You dont know what its like to struggle. Its easy for you to question. And I feel like, absolutely, but Im always going to question if Im doing enough. We wouldnt be here without the people that were rooting for us and the fans who lifted us up. We wouldnt have been on a single magazine cover if it wasnt for the kids who made us important.

Where do Good Charlotte fit into 2018?

Joel: Where the hell do we fit into anything? I know that if Im going to make an effort out here in the world and put something out into the world, I want to make sure Im doing my very best at a time when I feel like theres more fighting and division and pain than ever.

Confusion is a mother***er. Nothing feels better to me when we have clarity. To me, my clarity is my purpose on the planet now, to be a father and a husband, and if I put anything into the world I want it to be for good. I want to peacefully question everything, hopefully in a way that inspires people to have thoughtful conversations.

What was it like making the video for 'Shadowboxer'?

Joel: I love videos, but I got to tell you, I hate making them. Being in front of the camera Im so self-conscious. But I like Shadowboxer. So far, I think each video is getting better on this record so Im very happy with that.

So, in one shot we have a person looking in the mirror in a normal house that looks beautiful, clean, calm, collected. And then, flash to the reverse where youre in a burned out abandoned house, a play on "burn your life down".

What do you make of this pop punk resurgence that seems to be taking place at the moment?

Joel: I wonder if theres something in all of us that needs to go back to our inner child, whatever age that was. I was 15 when I needed that older figure to put their arm around me and told me everything was going to be okay. Thats what our music was to a lot of kids, and its what a lot of our favourite bands were for us.

If this music strikes a chord in that way somehow, thats great. Because what were finding now at our shows is more young people, as well as the older fans. In February were doing the biggest show weve ever done in the UK, and thats amazing to us.

Generation Rx, the new album from Good Charlotte, is out nowThe US will be hit harder than almost any other country by climate change, according to a major new report.

The research is the first time that researchers have developed a reliable set of data that allows each country to know just how much economic damage will be done by carbon dioxide emissions. And the surprising results show that considerable damage could be done to some of the world's greatest powers.

The three countries set to lose the most from climate change are United States, India and Saudi Arabia, according to the new research. The findings rely on measuring the social cost of carbon, in an attempt to understand how much is lost through climate emissions.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

And it also found that the damage being done worldwide by those emissions is significantly higher than in estimates used by authorities including the US government.

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The social cost of carbon is a measure designed to take into account the full price that harmful emissions have to the economy. Often, politicians and companies argue that the cost is relatively minimal  it doesn't hurt the environment in any immediate way, and could initially benefit the economy through increased crop yield in some regions  but SCC aims to take into account the full cost over time.

The measure is used, among other things, as a way to work out the true cost of policy decisions. The US Environmental Protection Agency, for instance, uses it as a way to inform decisions.

For example, policymakers often point to the fact that carbon dioxide causes little immediate harm to the economy as justification for rolling back regulations. But the new study shows that the actual impact of climate change could be much more intense than previously thought.

The Trump administration has been active in scrapping various environmental regulations, including pulling the US out of the landmark Paris climate agreement. The president did so in large part because of claims about the economy, including suggestions that global warming is a hoax created by China to punish the US.

The new study shows that the US economy in fact stands to lose considerably from climate change, despite repeated suggestions from politicians that the opposite is true.

"Our analysis demonstrates that the argument that the primary beneficiaries of reductions in carbon dioxide emissions would be other countries is a total myth," said lead author and University of California San Diego assistant professor Kate Ricke. "We consistently find, through hundreds of uncertainty scenarios, that the US always has one of the highest country-level SCCs.

"It makes a lot of sense because the larger your economy is, the more you have to lose. Still, it's surprising just how consistently the US is one of the biggest losers, even when compared to other large economies."

Previous analysis has largely looked at the global cost of carbon emissions. That is more easy to calculate, because carbon dioxide affects the whole world.

But the new study combines results from a series of studies and models to work out how the increase in carbon would affect individual countries. The results should serve as a warning to those countries most affected that they must do more to act together and mitigate climate change, the authors wrote.

Countries in the European Union, for instance, have been among those keenest and most active in addressing climate change, but are relatively unaffected according to the new study. Those that the study found to be most affected by carbon emissions  including India and China alongside the US  have also been less proactive in promoting new regulations to combat them, the authors noted.Asia Argento has broken down in her first interview since the suicide of her lover Anthony Bourdain, saying: People say I murdered him, they say I killed him.

The TV presenter and chef took his own life in a French hotel room three months ago, days after she was pictured strolling hand-in-hand with another man in Rome.

In an emotional interview with DailyMailTV, she admitted that shed cheated on him, but said: He cheated on me too.

She pointed out that he travelled for 265 days a year, leaving ample opportunity to stray, but said that they took really great pleasure in each others company.

We are not children, we are grown ups, she added.

Bourdain, 61, was best-known for his award-winning series Parts Unknown, a food-based travelogue broadcast on CNN.

His celebrity was such that when Barack Obama went to Hanoi, Vietnam, in May 2016, he met him at a casual restaurant for a $6 meal of noodles and grilled pork.

Since his death, internet trolls have made vile claims towards the Italian actor, 43, blaming her for his decision to take his own life. Some branded her a murderer.

I understand that the world needs to find a reason, she said. I would like to find a reason too. I don't have it. Maybe I would feel some solace in thinking there was something that happened.

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I understand that people wanted to blame me because he was so deeply loved and he entered in the hearts of so many people, into their lives, into their hearts.

So in a way I understand that they see me as the negative person, the destroyer.

She says she doesnt see herself as responsible for his death, but said she feels terrible that he had so much pain inside him and she didnt see it.

Bourdain once said that hed never met anyone who wanted to kill themselves as much as he did - until he met Argento.

But she said: He only told me once that he had dark thoughts.

Asia Argento says she is not to blame for Anthoyn Bourdain's death, saying they both cheated on each other

Just two months before [he died] it was our anniversary and he wrote to me: "Two years - a miracle, a gift, the best thing that has ever happened. And for me it's the same and nothing, and nobody, will ever take that away from me or him.

She described the moment she first received the call that hed been found dead. She was preparing to start her shift in her role as a judge on X Factor in Italy when she was told, causing her to start screaming at the top of my lungs.

I couldn't even cry and then I was on the floor and the maid came in and she told me I was catatonic.

I thought I could never get up again after this. It felt like I was in the abyss and there was no light anymore. There would never be light again.

In October 2017, Argento accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and became one of the leading voices in the #MeToo movement.

Last month, actor Jimmy Bennett claimed that Argento sexually assaulted him in 2013 when he was 17, while they were starring together in The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things. Argento has denied the claims, as well as reports that she paid $380,000 to Bennett to settle them in 2017.Hospitals are not protecting new mothers from high-pressure salesmen who try to take advantage by pushing products hours after the women have given birth, a new report states.

The complaints on behalf of new parents suggest that salesmen aware of this vulnerable time are pushing sales - and jeopardising sensitive family information by making it public to third-parties, The Telegraph reported.

The issue was addressed by care minister Caroline Dinenage, who called upon hospitals to take more steps in keeping intrusive salesmen away from women during this time.

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According to the complaints, salesmen are offering photographs or handing out fliers - which directly impacts the safe and comfortable environment that families should feel in a hospital, said Ms Dinenage.

The care minister also suggested that organisations such as Bounty are guilty of causing new mothers embarrassment and offence with their tactics.

As a potential remedy to the issue, Ms Dinenage suggests hospitals only allow sales representatives into rooms where the parents have given explicit consent, a model already followed by Ipswich Hospital.

At the hospital, which previously had complaints of a similar issue, cards will now be placed at the bedside of new mothers to indicate whether they will allow salesmen.

The tactic of organisations such as Bounty has been a cause for concern before, with a petition five years ago urging the care minister at the time to do something, receiving more than 26,000 signatures.

At the time, steps such as sending out warning notices were taken to ensure the protection of womens privacy and dignity, however, the newspaper reports the Care Quality Commission (CQC) could not provide information on the number of times these notices had been sent.

As the country-wide complaints continue, the care minister urged hospitals to review the current guidelines to safeguard the well-being of all women who have given birth.

 YouTuber Sarah Schmid gives birth on camera

And while Ms Dinenage acknowledges that representatives from organisations such as Bounty can be useful, she said: their approach can sometimes be a little off.

In response to the concerns, a Bounty representative told The Telegraph: We are very sorry if anyone has had an experience with us that is not up to our high standards. Bounty fully supports and acknowledges the need to respect the privacy and dignity of families on the maternity ward.

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Our code of conduct requires that we check with the midwifery team to establish which mums we may or may not visit. Research shows that the vast majority of new mothers enjoy, expect and welcome our services.

We work closely with the NHS to ensure our services are offered on the basis of choice and that they comply with the standards required by our hospital partners.

The spokesperson also denied that information is released without permission - and that a mother can be removed from its database at any time.Today is a big day for East Asian communities with families gathering for dinner, lighting lanterns and eating mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Heres everything you need to know about the celebrations.

What is the Mid-Autumn Festival?

Also known as the Moon Festival and Harvest Moon Festival, the ritual is celebrated mainly in Chinese and Vietnamese communities.

While it has no fixed date on the calendar, it traditionally falls on the 15th day of the eighth month  a full moon day. This year, celebrations start on 24 September.

Where did it come from?

Moon worship has always been an important part of Chinese culture, and there are a number of different myths surrounding the festival's genesis.

One story goes that Chinese emperors in the Zhou dynasty (1045-221 BC) worshipped the moon in autumn to bring a bumper harvest the following year; while another story holds that the moon goddess Chang'e overindulged on an elixir and flew to the moon with her jade rabbit companion.

The festival has been celebrated since the early Tang dynasty (618907).One of the most common ways to celebrate is by eating mooncakes, although they typically have around 800 calories a cake.

Where is it celebrated?

Celebrations for mid-autumn take place across East Asia, in countries including China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

However, families across the world observe the holiday by gathering for dinners.

One of the most common ways to celebrate is by eating mooncakes (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

How is it celebrated?

In general, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a chance for families to spend time together, although there are certain traditions.

One of the most common ways to celebrate is by eating mooncakes (or Banh Trung Thu in Vietnamese)  a dense, sweet pastry thats baked or steamed and typically enjoyed with tea.

Most are filled with lotus paste and salted egg yolk while others contain red bean or date paste, as well as fruit, nuts and seeds. People will also give mooncakes to family members and colleagues.

You can also find mooncakes in flavours like green tea and chocolate. For this year's festival, Guinness even released its own flavour.

Many communities also celebrate by lighting paper lanterns, while some neighbourhoods will take part in lion and dragon dances for luck.

To mark the holiday, Google created an autumnal Doodle featuring tea, mooncakes and the reflection of a full moon.DNA implanted in the dark parts of the human genome by ancient virus infections may help to explain why some people are more susceptible to drug addiction, a study suggests.

Researchers from Oxford University and the University of Athens found changes in parts of the DNA which are thought to have little impact on human functions, could actually affect a suite of addiction-related behaviours.

The culprit is a fragment of viral DNA, dubbed HK2, that appears near to genes which underpin the brains reward system and can increase the risk of addiction by interfering with the neurotransmitter, dopamine, which reinforces pleasure seeking behaviours.

Among the general population between 5 and 10 per cent of people carry the HK2 fragment in this reward centre region, but genetic analysis of two groups of intravenous drug users form the UK and Greece found they were up to 3.6 times more likely to have this change.

The researchers say that combination of DNA fragment and location manipulates the workings of dopamine-driven addiction behaviours and is likely to be responsible for at least some of people's addictive behaviour.

Most people think these ancient viruses are harmless, said Dr Gkikas Magiorkinis, from the University of Athens who led the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) on Monday.

Now we have strong proof that human endogenous retroviruses can be pathogenic [cause disease].

The human genome is littered with fragments of DNA that were inserted by retroviruses, a group of viruses which are able to write their genetic material into a host.

Many of these infections occurred in early humans or close ancestors and are now endogenous and are carried by most or all humans, usually causing little to no effect as they occur in these regions long thought of as junk DNA.

Looking into this 'dark' part of the genome will unlock more genomic secrets, Dr Magiorkinis added.

Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary

Two other diseases are caused by retroviruses, HIV and the Human T-lymphotropic, and most people are infected directly by the virus or inherit it from a parent.

Because these viruses often lead to fatal disease, as in the case of Aids, it makes it less likely that those infected will survive to pass them on.

In HK2 the infections dates back to some of our earliest ancestors and is replicated in many of our genomes without effect, but still with the potential to cause serious harm when added to other factors that can lead to people becoming addicts.

We know of clear biological roles for a small number of human endogenous retroviruses, said Professor Aris Katzourakis, from the University of Oxford, who co-led the study.

However, there has never before been strong evidence in support of a role in human biology of an endogenous retrovirus that is unfixed, in other words not shared by all individuals in the population.

Our study shows for the first time that rare variants of HK2 can affect a complex human trait.A baby girl was delivered by a trio of police officers on a London street, as her mother waited for an ambulance to arrive.

Weihong Yu called both police and the London Ambulance Service after going into labour on the Kentish Town Road in the north of the capital.

Three police officers from the Metropolitan Police's Central North Command Unit reached her at 9.27pm on Sunday night.

Her daughter was born just five minutes later, with the officers' assistance. An ambulance arrived a minute after the baby's birth.

"Response team officers work hard around the clock to keep Londoners safe; they have to be ready for anything," said Inspector Jason Stewart. "Its great that they were able to use their first aid, medical and people skills for such a happy occasion and assist a woman giving birth.

The baby girl was born on Sunday night (Metropolitan Police)

"She called police and London Ambulance Service after going into labour in the street. Our officers were on hand to help and Im very proud of their role in comforting the mother and helping this new baby girl arrive."

The mother and unnamed baby girl are doing well in hospital, police said.Organic milk may not be as animal-friendly as it appears as at least one chemical-free dairy farm has been found giving dead calves to a local hunt to feed hounds.

Coombe Farm in Somerset, which last month was dropped by Waitrose after being exposed for cruelty to animals, has supplied fallen livestock to the Cattistock Hunt in Dorset, paperwork seen by The Independent shows.

Animal welfare campaigners said it was common for standard farms to supply hunt kennels but that this evidence shows that those buying organic milk may inadvertently be supporting hunting.

Knowing that more than 80 per cent of people in Britain are opposed to fox-hunting, I think consumers, especially those buying organic milk, will be appalled to know that they are inadvertently helping hunts to keep operating, said Toni Shephard of Animal Equality, which photographed the paperwork.

People often choose organic milk believing the methods are less cruel but our investigation showed otherwise. In addition to the suffering of cows and their calves, consumers are inadvertently helping to keep hunts in business by enabling a constant supply of carcasses.

In one case, a diary note read Call hunt; another note, headed Cattistock Hunt, listed a bull calf as having been collected and a female Holstein Friesian cow or calf as having been shot.

It was unclear whether the farm or the hunt shot the creature but the hunt would also have taken her carcass for the hounds.

Underneath is notepaper printed with the heading of Fallen Stock Limited, at the address of the Cattistock Kennels. Fallen stock also means animals those that have died of natural causes as well.

Coombe is written in as the customers name.

This is a common way for traditional dairy farms to dispose of male calves that are unwanted in dairy production Dr Toni Shephard

In 2015, the Cattistock Hunt was charged with illegal hunting, but the RSPCA eventually dropped the case. Like other hunts, it insists it practises legal trail-hunting.

A third entry in the diary shows one dead calf or cow, with the note rung hunt.

By law, animals that are too ill or injured to go to the slaughterhouse cannot be used for human food so have to be killed on site.

The evidence was found around the same time as a university report suggested fallen stock were a source of infection of 97 hunting hounds that were infected at the Kimblewick Hunt and had to be put down.

Notes confirming the hunt collected a bull calf and a cow was shot (Animal Equality ) (Animal Equality)

The University of Edinburgh researchers who looked into the 2016 infection said the most likely cause was eating farm carcasses infected with bovine tuberculosis.

Following the report, this week a group of vets called for an end to the practice of feeding dead farm animals to hounds to reduce the risk of bTB being spread across the countryside during hunts.

Arrangements by farmers to supply hunts with fallen livestock are perfectly legal and seen as a benefit on both sides. They save the farms money on removal of the bodies and they save hunts money on dog food.

Animal Equality uncovered the diary notes while filming at Coombe Farm, when distressed calves were filmed being brutally force-fed and hit by a worker.

Cows were also filmed in shackles  a routine way of allowing animals to stand after repeated pregnancies and births have caused pelvic damage that causes their legs to splay apart, leaving them unable to stand properly.

Farming charity and organic certification body The Soil Association refused to suspend the farm. But both Waitrose and the RSPCA did. Waitrose confirmed Coombe remained suspended.

Coombe Farm is a major supplier to Coombe Farm Organic, which delivers meat and meat boxes nationwide.

Ms Shephard said: We have photos of paperwork from inside the farm showing they supply their fallen farm stock to the Cattistock Hunt to feed to their hounds.

"We have long known that this happens with UK farms and hunts, especially with bull calves, but now we have proof. This is a common way for traditional dairy farms to dispose of male calves that are unwanted in dairy production.

Some bull calves in Britain are raised to one year old and sold for beef; others are used for rose veal or exported for veal. But most, about 95,000, are shot on farms each year.

A diary note to call hunt (Animal Equality ) (Animal Equality)

Most people who buy organic are concerned about animal welfare, and it will shock consumers to learn that dairy farms regularly supply hunts with dead animals to feed their hounds, said Ms Shephard.

There is a vicious cycle of cruelty hiding behind every pint of milk  cows and their calves suffer to produce the milk; foxes suffer at the hands of hunts that are propped up by the dairy industry; hunting hounds suffer when they eat infected carcasses provided by dairy farms; and badgers suffer as scapegoats for the spread of bTB across the countryside. Its truly wicked.

Hunts welcome cheap food as many struggle with costs, such as salaries for huntsmen and whippers-in, as well as maintaining kennels and insurance.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) state: If livestock dies on your farm, it must be collected, identified and transported from your farm as soon as is reasonably practical. This includes collection by a knacker, hunt kennel or a maggot farm.

To comply with European Union (EU) regulations on disposing of dead animals, the government set up the National Fallen Stock Company, a not-for-profit company that works with around 100 fallen stock collectors around the UK. Farmers pay for membership by direct debit, and collectors may not refuse any reasonable request to collect stock.

There are 6,600 organic farms in Britain, figures from the environment department (Defra) show. The Soil Association, which endorses just over half of them, could not say, when asked, what proportion invite hunts to take sick or dead livestock.

A spokesman for Coombe Farm said: "We dont and never have routinely shot bull calves. Coombe Farm uses two companies, both legally registered as part of the National Fallen Stock scheme, to either collect dead animals or dispatch animals that are in distress. This is a paid-for service, used as common practice by farms across the UK." He said the hunt was a collector for the scheme.

A Soil Association spokesman said: "Soil Association standards cover all aspects of production but not other things that happen on farms, and it is up to individual farmers to decide what they do with fallen stock within government guidelines."A teenage girl who died after suffering a severe allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette said Daddy, help me, I cant breathe as she collapsed, an inquest has heard.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse fell ill on a British Airways flight from London to Nice on 17 July 2016 after eating an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette bought at a Pret a Manger at Heathrow Airports terminal five.

The 15-year-old was allergic to sesame and did not know that the ingredient was baked into the bread of the baguette.

Sesame was not listed on the packging of the sandwich, according to a statement from Natashas father Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, which was read aloud by the familys lawyer on the first day of the inquest into her death.

Natasha began feeling itchy while on the British Airways flight to Nice and then developed vicious red hives across her body, her father said.

He rushed her to the cabins toilets where he administered an epipen to his daughters upper thigh.

We waited a couple of minutes to see how she reacted, he said in the statement.

She said she couldnt breathe properly and it was getting worse and urged me to get the second epipen right away.

Natasha said that she still couldnt breathe and desperately looked at me, she said Daddy, help me, I cant breathe.

The 15-year-old lost consciousness and suffered a cardiac arrest.

Recommended Pret a Manger adverts claiming it uses natural ingredients banned

Crew members and a junior doctor who was on board performed CPR until the plane landed in France.

Natasha was taken to hospital, where doctors told Mr Ednan-Laperouse that it was unlikely his daughter would survive and he then put a phone to his daughters ear so that her mother and brother could say goodbye.

The pain and agony of the call was beyond anything I have known, the statement said of the moment he had to tell Natashas mother that their child was dying.

How could it be that such a terrible thing could have happened when we were so careful with food?

Natasha was declared dead the same day.

The businessman then called his own mother and asked her to visit a branch of Pret a Manger in London to examine the same sandwich that Natasha had eaten.

His mother found no information on the shelf. She enquired at the till and was handed a folder of allergen information.

My mother looked down the list and found that the baguette dough had sesame seed inside it, the statement said.

I was stunned that a big food company like Pret could mislabel a sandwich and this could cause my daughter to die.

Oliver Campbell QC, representing Pret a Manger, suggested that Natashas father must unfortunately be mistaken about his recollections of the foods packaging, saying they do not typically display ingredients.

However, Mr Ednan-Laperouse responded that, while he never bought food from Pret, he would regularly go inside branches to inspect the food and found some did have such labels, while others did not.

He added: There was no label on the fridge, I have got an eagle eye for such things.

The vigilance levels that me and my wife have are like that of a hawk  if there is some there to be seen, we are going to be seeing it.

The inquest also heard that Natasha was very careful about what she ate and often checked food labelling due to the nature of her allergies.

Sesame is one of 14 allergens that have to be listed on pre-packaged products made off shop premises, according to EU regulations.

Pret a Manger products are made each day on site and so ingredients do not have to be listed on individual products. Brands such as EAT and Itsu follow similar procedures.

We were deeply saddened to hear about Natashas tragic death, and our heartfelt thoughts are with her family and friends, a spokesperson for Pret a Manger said in an earlier statement.

Representatives from the company and from British Airways are expected to speak at the inquest, which is to continue at the West London Coroners Court.

Press Association contributed to this reportScotland is doing better than the rest of the country at tackling climate change, with considerable progress in switching to clean energy.

However, in a new report government advisers have stated that there is no room for complacency as these successes mask failures to clean up other sectors such as transport and agriculture.

The country has been able to make a big impact by investing in renewable energy sources over fossil fuels  action that saw emissions drop by 10 per cent in 2016 alone.

However, following the closure of the countrys last remaining coal-fired plant that same year, the Committee on Climate Change has urged the Scottish government to broaden its scope.

Scotland continues to lead the UK in reducing its emissions and has ambitious targets which aim to go further, said Lord Deben, chair of the committee.

Decarbonisation of Scotlands electricity sector, and reductions in emissions from waste, have seen Scotland outperform the UK overall as emissions continue to fall year-on-year to nearly half of 1990 levels.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

While the government had made some progress in tackling issues raised by the committee last year, Lord Deben said challenges remain.

In May, Scotland released a new climate change bill that commits the country to cutting its emissions by 90 per cent by 2050.

This is more ambitious than the rest of the UK, which is currently aiming for an 80 per cent reduction within the same timeframe.

Achieving a 90 per cent cut in emissions by 2050, as envisaged within the new climate-change bill, means greater effort is now required across other areas of Scotlands economy, said Lord Deben.

This includes policies to drive down emissions in sectors where they are either flat or rising, such as transport, agriculture and energy-efficiency in buildings.

Without real action in these areas, Scotland may fall short of its long-term goals.

Among the actions recommended by the committee were a faster phase-out of diesel and petrol vehicles and renewed focus on tree-planting and peatland restoration  as targets for both have been repeatedly missed.

Some campaigners expressed disappointment when the 90 per cent target was first announced, as it fell short of the net zero target of 100 per cent reductions that many feel is essential if the nation is to meet the targets set by the Paris climate agreement.

The UKs clean growth minister Claire Perry has said the committee will be asked this October to reassess the appropriate level of emissions reductions for the UK, following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes major report.

This has been welcomed by experts who say it opens the possibility of net zero reductions.

The committee says it will also consider how this updated advice affects Scotlands future emissions targets.After a summer heatwave, the UK was hammered by torrential rainfall over the weekend as a result of Storms Ali and Bronagh.

The British Isles will now experience a warm and settled autumn, according to the Met Office, a phenomenon known as an Indian summer.

But what precisely is it and how long might it last?

The phrase has been dated back to the 18th century. It was associated with Native Americans living on America's eastern seaboard, who would rely on the long summers to hunt and gather their crops in time for winter, a process that necessitated sunny, still conditions.

The Met Office Meteorological Glossary (1916) defines an Indian summer as a warm, calm spell of weather occurring in autumn, especially in October and November.

The warmest temperatures recorded in the UK in those months are 29.9C on 1 October 2011 in Gravesend, Kent and 21.7C on 4 November 1946 in Prestatyn, Denbighshire.

A man relaxes in the sunshine in St James's Park, London (Kirsty O'Connor/PA)

The Met Offices latest forecast for this year predicts: A north-south split [will develop] through the middle of the week, becoming cloudier and windy with some rain in the north but remaining settled, dry and mostly sunny in the south.

Through the rest of September the weather should stay largely settled with long spells of sunshine and generally light winds. For October, settled and drier conditions are likely to dominate across many parts of the UK during the beginning of this period.

UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Show all 35 1 /35 UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People on the beach at Croyde Beach in North Devon PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People enjoy the sun at Carsington Water in Derbyshire PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Sophie Todd, aged 7, and her mother Jane Todd playing in one of the Trafalgar Square fountains in London PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A couple play catch with a ball whilst swimming in the River Stour Getty Images UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Children play in the fountains at Granary Square, King's Cross PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A dog under an umbrella at the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park, Gloucestershire PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People sunbath on the clifftop at Woolacombe Beach in North Devon PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A woman stands in a field of sunflowers at Vine House Farm near Spalding, Lincolnshire PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A woman takes a selfie in front of St Paul's Chathedral PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Paddle boarders off the coast at Tynemouth , Tyne & Wear PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People on Woolacombe Beach in North Devon PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A canal boat passes along the Regent's Canal PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People relax in the warm weather on the beach in Brighton PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People enjoying the hot weather and sunshine on the banks of the River Thames in Putney Rex Features UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Spectators enjoy the hot weather during day seven of the Nature Valley International at Devonshire Park PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Hot and sunny day in Hyde Park's Serpentine lake Rex UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People relax in the warm weather on the beach in Eastbourne PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People sunbathe as they enjoy the warm weather on Bournemouth beach PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A person sunbathes on a blow up mattress in the sea off of Bournemouth beach in Dorset PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A couple relax in the sunshine on the beach in Brighton PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People play in water fountains in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Chris Bryant from Basingstoke paddle boards at Boscombe Beach in Dorset PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People shelter from the sun beneath umbrellas as they walk in St James's Park in London AFP/Getty Images UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Arianna Espiritu Kelly, 2, eats an ice-cream in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Victor the Polar Bear enjoys a dip in the water at Yorkshire Wildlife Park PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People on the beach in Brighton PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Woman relax in the sunshine on the beach in Hastings, Sussex PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People enjoy their lunch break in the sunshine near Tower Bridge in London PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Police horses drink from a water fountain during the hot weather in Green Park PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies Anglers fish on New Brighton beach on the Wirral, Merseyside as the sun rises over the Port of Liverpool and the River Mersey PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A family of lemurs enjoy an ice lolly at Yorkshire Wildlife Park PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies People enjoy the sunshine in St James's Park in in London AFP/Getty Images UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A duck swims in the algae covered lake in St James's Park, London PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A couple cycle in the sunshine around Bewl Water in Kent PA UK weather: Temperatures soar as heatwave intensifies A man takes a break in the sun on Southbank, London PA

For the most part, this promises to be beneficial, making for attractive autumn colour and prolonging the summer tourist season for seaside towns and beaches.

But confused plants can burst prematurely into flower, mistakenly believing it to be spring, setting them up for a rude awakening when winter does inevitably snap and cold nights bring frost.Labour's shadow education secretary has called for a ban on anonymous social media accounts after receiving abuse online.

Angela Rayner said firms such as Facebook and Twitter had a responsibility to try to reduce the problem of internet bullying and threats.

One of the first things they should do is stop anonymous accounts, she said at a fringe event at the party conference on Sunday.

Most people who send me abuse do so from anonymous accounts, and would not dream of doing it in their own name

She admitted that forcing users to post under their true identity would not stop online abuse but added: "It would certainly help a little bit."

"I think they should do more  they do have a responsibility for online," she told The Guardian.

Ms Rayner also claimed Facebook had told her fellow MP Stephen Doughty that "they had a higher bar for politicians" when he complained about the abuse and threats he had received.

It is almost as if politicians should accept a certain amount of bullying and abuse online," she said.

The 38 year-old MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, who has been touted as a future party leader, also told how she had received letters complaining about her strong northern accent.

I try my best to stay true to who I am, Ms Rayner said. I dont pronounce all of my words how they do on the BBC at times and that is OK, because I sound like the people I grew up with.

Asked if she viewed herself as leadership material, Ms Rayner replied: "I think anybody can achieve if given the opportunity.

Ms Rayner has also been mentioned as a candidate for a possible new post of co-deputy leader alongside Tom Watson.

Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Show all 24 1 /24 Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses a pre-conference rally at Pier Head in Liverpool on Saturday Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Deputy leader Tom Watson cycles at the party conference as part of the Labour Cycles scheme PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Deputy Leader Tom Watson sit together on stage on Sunday Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell speaks at a fringe event at the party conference on Sunday REUTERS Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Delegates are welcomed to the conference at the Arena and Convention Centre in Liverpool Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell speaks at a fringe event at the party conference Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry attend a vigil in Liverpool for those who are affected by the war in Yemen PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Mayor of London Sadiq Khan arrive at the conference on Sunday EPA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell speaks at a fringe event at the party conference EPA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Delegates at the Arena and Convention Centre in Liverpool, where the conference is being held PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Badges worn by a delegate at the conference on Sunday EPA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott speaks at a fringe event at the party conference EPA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Deputy leader Tom Watson poses for a selfie on Sunday AFP/Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn listens to a speech on Sunday Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures General Secretary of the Labour Party is welcomed to the stage by leader Jeremy Corbyn on Sunday Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures An anti-Brexit protester Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks at a vigil in Liverpool for those who are affected by the war in Yemen PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures An anti-Brexit protester AFP/Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday AFP/Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Deputy Leader Tom Watson sit together on stage on Sunday Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday Reuters

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said his colleague was a "very good contender", adding: "Angela Rayner is great, she's a good friend of mine, a working-class woman, a trade unionist and former care worker."

Ms Rayner made headlines earlier this year after describing Labour's plans to increase public spending as a "shit or bust strategy".

Additional reporting by Press AssociationA key ally of Jeremy Corbyn has risked reigniting the row over antisemitism after accusing the Labour leader's critics of having "lost every shred of decency".

Len McCluskey, the leader of the Unite trade union, said MPs claiming the Labour leader was "racist" had also "lost every sense of moral proportion".

In July, Labour grandee Dame Margaret Hodge faced a disciplinary probe after telling her party leader he was "a racist and an antisemite".

It followed months of criticism over Mr Corbyn's record of controversial statements and his handling of antisemitism in Labour.

During a fiery speech at Labour's annual conference in Liverpool, Mr McCluskey received rapturous applause from delegates as he attacked MPs who criticised Mr Corbyn over antisemitism.

Speaking in the conference hall, he said: "Anyone has a right to disagree and a right to criticise - we are a democratic party - but I am talking about some MPs turning into an echo chamber for whatever line of attack the Tories and the press are deploying against us.

"Anyone with a point of view should be heard, but anyone screaming: 'You are a racist' at Jeremy Corbyn, has lost every sense of moral proportion, and I might add, comrades, that they've lost every shred of decency as well."

He added: "It's time for all of us - each and every one of us - to speak up for our leader: the most decent and principled man in politics today.

"He should not have to face these attacks alone, and while Unite is here and good comrades like you, he never will have to."

Mr McCluskey's comments risk restarting the row over antisemitism that has engulfed the party in recent months.

Protests against Labour antisemitism Show all 14 1 /14 Protests against Labour antisemitism Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters clashed during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism in the Labour Party AFP/Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose antisemitism, in Parliament Square Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during the protest PA Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester blows through a shofar during the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of London's Jewish community protest in support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP John Mann speaks during a protest against antisemitism PA Protests against Labour antisemitism People protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party as Jewish community leaders have launched a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he has sided with antisemites again and again PA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour politicians Stella Creasy and Chuka Umunna leave after attending the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A pro-Jeremy Corbyn protester holds a placard during a counter-protest Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A support of the Labour Party hold up a placard during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Jeremy Corbyn supporters during the demo Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester holds up a sign reading For the many, not the Jew AFP

He also attacked the media, insisting Labour would "not take any lessons from the professional racists of the Daily Mail and The Sun".

And referring to the antisemitism crisis, he claimed "everything possible has been used to attack and undermine our party and our leader".

The union boss suggested Labour continues to hold its poll position "despite the smears from the media and some in our own ranks who should know better" because voters can see through "the venomous attacks for what they are: the last throw of an elite desperate to hang onto its privileges, perks and ill-gotten gains".

Mr McCluskey also had an angry confrontation last night with Jewish protesters outside an event organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. He responded to one demonstrator suggesting Labour was institutionally racist by saying: "If you want to talk about institutional racism, go to the Tories, they're the institutional racism."

The trade union leader has previously provoked anger by describing talk of antisemitism in Labour as "mood music" and attacking "petulant" Jewish community groups.

It comes a day after Labour MPs criticised Mr Corbyn's handling of antisemitism and warned that the issue could cost Labour the next general election.

Wes Streeting, the Ilford North MP, said voters would never elect "a party so indifferent to, or complicit in, racism", while Ian Austin, MP for Dudley North, claimed Mr Corbyn was "much angrier with the people complaining about antisemitism than he is with the people responsible for it".

Later in the conference, delegates will vote on a motion on the topic of "Palestine" after party members decided it should be given greater priority than issues such as the NHS and in-work poverty.Remaining in the EU would not be on the ballot paper in a new Brexit referendum under Labour, John McDonnell has said.

The shadow chancellor said Labour would "go for a people's vote" on leaving the EU if it cannot push the government into calling a general election but any vote would only be on the terms of the deal.

Rows over Brexit have dominated the start of Labour's annual conference where more than 100 constituency parties submitted motions demanding a second referendum and thousands of people joined a march demanding a people's vote on the final deal.

On Sunday, Jeremy Corbyn suggested Labour would shift its Brexit stance towards a vote on the final deal if party members backed it, but insisted that an election was a better way to solve the crisis.

Unite boss Len McCluskey, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, went further, saying Labour could back a referendum on Theresa May's deal or no-deal. However he said offering voters the chance to remain in the EU was "wrong".

Asked to guarantee that Labour would allow staying in the EU on the ballot paper, Mr McDonnell told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "My view at the moment is that parliament will decide what will be on the ballot paper.

"We'll be arguing that it should be a vote on the deal itself, and then enable us to go back and do the negotiations."

Pressed on whether the public should be given the option to stay in the EU, he said: "The issue now is that, if we are going to respect the last referendum, it will be about the deal, it will be a negotiation on the deal.

"That's why I'd rather have a general election because we can have that, we can then not just discuss the deal, we can also discuss the team that will negotiate it."

Mr McDonnell added: "We're respecting the referendum. We want a general election.

"If we can't get that, we'll have a people's vote on the deal itself and whether we can negotiate a better one."

The Independent has launched its Final Say campaign for a public vote on the final Brexit deal, which has been backed by more than 820,000 people.

Labour's conference in Liverpool will vote on a motion on Tuesday, which could force party bosses towards backing a public vote on Brexit if they cannot secure an election.

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 fractious six-hour meeting, which ran late into Sunday night, resulted in a compromise motion that took in dozens of different wordings from party activists.

The key part will say that if the prime minister's Brexit plans collapse but the Tories refuse to call an election, Labour must support all options remaining on the table including a public vote.

Meanwhile, Mr McDonnell will use his conference address to launch a radical plan to require private companies to hand over a 10 per cent share of their equity to workers.

He will say that it could net almost 11 million workers up to 500 a year each.Delegates suspected the meeting to set the motion for Labours critical conference vote on a new Brexit referendum might be long, but not quite this long.

They also expected it to be tough, but nobody going in thought they would end the night having seen a union boss look like he might burst into tears.

The real giveaway that things were going awry was about an hour-and-a-half in, when a disagreement broke out about the very meaning of the word consensus.

Another 90 minutes later at around half nine, delegates were hungry, the room was beginning to smell of coffee-breath and the mood was turning fractious. They needed a break.

One who came up for air told The Independent: We havent even started on the wording of the motion yet. Three hours have gone by, no-ones eaten, and we havent even started.

In hindsight, nobody should be surprised it was so arduous. Labours approach to Brexit has been a delicately sculpted piece of realpolitik, designed to accommodate both wings of the debate.

Leavers were assured Labour respects the decision to quit. Remainers were comforted as Sir Keir Starmer gently softened the Brexit his party is aiming for.

 People's Vote: 'The Brexit Special' starring Richard Wilson

Yet up to now everything still has always ended in Brexit. The Rubicon that the proposed Peoples Vote referendum threatens to cross, is that it calls that outcome into question. The meeting on Sunday was a little taste of just how choppy that crossing might be.

It kicked off around 6pm when some 300 delegates, union and constituency party representatives, Starmer, his team and Jeremy Corbyns lieutenants, all bundled into a room in the conference centre in Liverpool.

At the top table was Usdaws head of research and economics, Fiona Wilson, a member of Labours Conference Arrangements Committee and a calm head to chair the meeting.

Starmer and his staffers were seated nearby and hovering around the top table were a mix of leaders office bodies, policy officers and other staffers.

The room was set up like a theatre, but instead of being a nice broad auditorium, it was long and thin, something that would make the more intense debating difficult later on. At the beginning of the session however, sun promisingly flooded into the room after what had been a rainy day on Merseyside.

Delegates sat around cheerily sipping the hot drinks laid on, tapping out messages to friends they would meet in the Pizza Express nearby for dinner, optimistically chatting about the next episode of the BBC drama Bodyguard to be screened at 9pm.

 John McDonnell: Labour's new Brexit referendum would not offer option to remain in EU

But as the leaderships first draft of the proposed motion emerged  winding through six pages of detailed backstory, citing polls, dates, Tory politicians and EU officials  the sun went down, leaving only the needling electric lamps lighting the event.

Those lights really didnt help the headache situation, a delegate said.

The first draft is a Frankenstein motion  sewn together from a hotchpotch of more than 150 different sections of other motions tabled by constituency parties, unions and other organisations.

On the piece of paper its written on, you can see which specific sentence of it came from which branch or union, meaning everyone can feel their own local motion played some kind of role feeding into the final process.

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

But despite all that material going in, the first draft only dedicated a few lines at the very end to a new referendum, saying that if no election could be secured Labour would decide what happens next, and that all options including a public vote should remain open.

It quickly became clear that for many in the room the wording, reflecting comments made by Corbyn and John McDonnell in recent weeks, did not go far enough.

None less so than burly TSSA union boss Manuel Cortes, a leading voice in the Remain camp, who quickly brought forward an alternative  two pages, clearer, more concise and a third of it dedicated to a new referendum.

Critically, it introduced some of the stronger language that made it into the final version, but also some which did not.

 UKIP leader delivers Brexit speech at party conference

It read: If no general election is called in which the people can have a say on their futures, Labour must support an extension to Article 50 and a public vote on the terms of the Brexit deal.

Starmer and his team were now talking quietly to each other and on their phones in the corner of the room, with some delegates suspecting they were taking soundings from the leaders office.

The frontbench team at this point were still defending the original text, pointing out that it backed up the shadow Brexit secretarys chosen sequencing of events  first Labours six tests, then a Theresa May deal potentially voted down, a push for an election, and then if that did not work out, consideration of a public vote. But other delegates now wanted the Cortes text to be the starting point for negotiations.

Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Show all 24 1 /24 Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses a pre-conference rally at Pier Head in Liverpool on Saturday Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Deputy leader Tom Watson cycles at the party conference as part of the Labour Cycles scheme PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Deputy Leader Tom Watson sit together on stage on Sunday Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell speaks at a fringe event at the party conference on Sunday REUTERS Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Delegates are welcomed to the conference at the Arena and Convention Centre in Liverpool Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell speaks at a fringe event at the party conference Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry attend a vigil in Liverpool for those who are affected by the war in Yemen PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Mayor of London Sadiq Khan arrive at the conference on Sunday EPA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell speaks at a fringe event at the party conference EPA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Delegates at the Arena and Convention Centre in Liverpool, where the conference is being held PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Badges worn by a delegate at the conference on Sunday EPA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott speaks at a fringe event at the party conference EPA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Deputy leader Tom Watson poses for a selfie on Sunday AFP/Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn listens to a speech on Sunday Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures General Secretary of the Labour Party is welcomed to the stage by leader Jeremy Corbyn on Sunday Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures An anti-Brexit protester Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks at a vigil in Liverpool for those who are affected by the war in Yemen PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures An anti-Brexit protester AFP/Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday AFP/Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Deputy Leader Tom Watson sit together on stage on Sunday Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday Reuters

With archaic rules blocking any votes on specific issues, the meetings leaders found it hard to even know if the room agreed on key points, leading to a maddening tangential debate breaking out on what consensus actually means.

Nonetheless, the Cortes text seemed to be taking root, with one speech in favour of a new referendum winning the only standing ovation of the night up to that point. It was then met with a fight-back, with sceptical delegates warning that committing to a Peoples Vote now would play into the Conservatives hands.

One Labour insider said at the time: "The vast majority of people here are from [constituency parties] and clearly have little experience of compositing.

"There have been endless speeches from across the spectrum, which often ramble into personal stories about people's lives."

 Jeremy Corbyn pledges to push for a second EU referendum if Labour members vote for it

It was now three hours in, delegates had cancelled other plans and were beginning to get hungry. There was an adjournment, some dashed out of the room to try and scrape up the dregs of buffets in the surrounding area, others sneaked a cheeky drink to pick themselves up.

As it approached 10pm some began asking Starmer for selfies, while the frontbenchers policy officers rattled out what the former director of public prosecutions hoped would be the final compromise.

The adjournment dragged on while someone went to to get the new motion photocopied and Starmer prepared himself to convince the room it was the way to go. With stomachs rumbling and yawns spreading, delegates began to think progress might now be made, if nothing else because they wanted to go home.

Copies of the new motion arrived and were handed round. Mention of an Article 50 extension had been scratched, a bridge too far, but the word must did appear in the crucial section committing Labour to campaigning for a new referendum if no election takes place.

If we cannot get a general election, Labour must support all options remaining on the table including campaigning for a public vote on the terms of Brexit, it read.

Starmer had also adopted in general the more pithy approach of the Cortes text. The mood in the room was now definitely changing, it was nearing midnight, beds were calling, but it was not over. Those who disliked the idea of a Peoples Vote more broadly began to kick off again.

We dont know whats going to happen between now and November. We dont know exactly what Theresa May is going to do, how the EU might respond Senior Labour source

Among their number was Ian Hodson, national president of BFAWU or the Bakers union, which won its seat on Labours National Executive Committee with the backing of the GMB and Unite. He stood up and began what one onlooker described as a proper, mad rant.

He went ballistic, said the witness.

I thought he was going to burst into tears.

Another source said: He was getting frustrated that he hadnt had a say, and this argument broke out about whether he had been there at the start of the night or not.

 Jeremy Corbyn arrives at Labour party conference in Liverpool

There was discomfort on the other side too, about those words on the end of the new motion  on the terms of Brexit  which appeared to speak to comments by Unite boss Len McCluskey earlier in the day that if there is a new public vote, it must only be one on how Brexit happens, still end in Brexit and shouldnt be about staying in the EU.

Even Starmer, usually a picture of lawyerly professionalism, began to show signs of frustration when five hours into the meeting, someone decided it was time to stand up and bring freedom of movement into the debate.

But the direction of travel was already set and with a few further amendments the motion that had been shaped by Starmer from the Cortes text was eventually approved.

In the final version those constraining words  on the terms of Brexit  were struck off. It was a move that the frontbench team argued allowed the motion to maintain flexibility to respond to a fast changing situation in the coming weeks.

 Tony Blair warns Labour may never be 'taken back' from Corbynites

We dont know whats going to happen between now and November. We dont know exactly what Theresa May is going to do, how the EU might respond, said one senior Labour source.

To tie yourself to a particular position now, reducing your ability to manoeuvre in a very unpredictable situation is not the right way.

But the removal of those words also characterises Labours entire approach to its internal politics, clutching on to that element of ambiguity so vital to efforts to hold the party together.

It means Labour Remainers can claim a victory, pointing to the undoubtedly stronger commitment to a referendum of sorts, and holding out hope that despite McCluskeys words, the way is still open for the position to develop into allowing a vote that would permit staying in the EU.

But it also left room for shadow chancellor John McDonnell to go out the next morning and keep Leave voters happy, saying any referendum should be on Mays deal, not on staying in the EU.

The truth is the decision of whats in any referendum has been deferred, but it will still be unnerving for Remainers that, in the fast moving world of Brexit, it probably wont be settled in a compositing meeting next time, where they can pressure the leadership, but behind the closed doors of the leaders office and shadow cabinet.

That is why the certainty that both McDonnell and McCluskey are at this point opposed to the idea of an option to stay in the EU, shows Labours Remainers still have a long way to go.A Jewish MP at the heart of the row over antisemitism in the Labour Party has hit out at Jeremy Corbyn, accusing the party leader of "insensitive stubbornness" after he refused to apologise to the Jewish community.

Dame Margaret Hodge, who faced a disciplinary probe this summer after calling Mr Corbyn a "racist and antisemite", also attacked the Labour leader's key trade union allies over their comments on the issue.

Writing exclusively for The Independent, she said Mr Corbyn had "created a safe space" for antisemites and "a hostile environment for Jews".

Dame Margaret has been a vocal critic of her party leader and repeatedly said she believes he is antisemitic.

In her latest comments, she accused him of being "unable to express remorse for his own actions and words".

Asked during an interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday whether he wanted to apologise to Jewish people who had been offended by his actions, Mr Corbyn said: "I'll simply say this  I am an anti-racist and will die an anti-racist.

"Antisemitism is a scourge in any society and I will oppose it all my life and I will continue to oppose it all my life."

Criticising his response, Dame Margaret said: "Antisemitism can only be confronted with strong leadership. Labour could deal with the problem if the leader of the party wanted to.

"Yet every time Corbyn has the opportunity to demonstrate leadership, he fails. Even when he was forced to concede the adoption of the internationally accepted IHRA definition of antisemitism, he tried to amend the text by adding a clause stating that describing Israel or the circumstances around its foundation as racist was not antisemitic."

Protests against Labour antisemitism Show all 14 1 /14 Protests against Labour antisemitism Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters clashed during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism in the Labour Party AFP/Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose antisemitism, in Parliament Square Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during the protest PA Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester blows through a shofar during the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of London's Jewish community protest in support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP John Mann speaks during a protest against antisemitism PA Protests against Labour antisemitism People protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party as Jewish community leaders have launched a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he has sided with antisemites again and again PA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour politicians Stella Creasy and Chuka Umunna leave after attending the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A pro-Jeremy Corbyn protester holds a placard during a counter-protest Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A support of the Labour Party hold up a placard during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Jeremy Corbyn supporters during the demo Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester holds up a sign reading For the many, not the Jew AFP

She added: "On the Marr programme, he was unable to express remorse for his own actions and words. When asked about his support for a blatantly antisemitic mural he simply said he had been too hasty in my judgement'. When challenged about his statement that Zionists who had lived in Britain for a very long time dont understand English irony' he replied 'It was not intended to be antisemitic'.

"When asked why a growing number of Jews feel threatened by the prospect of a Labour government led by him, he failed to answer and turned the conversation to the NHS."

Suggesting Mr Corbyn was guilty of "insensitive stubbornness" she added: "All this summers revelations show he personally has crossed the line of legitimate criticism of the Israeli government to illegitimate attacks on Jewish people. He needs to show remorse."

The Labour leader has "created a safe space on the left for those who expound despicable antisemitic attitudes" and "generated a hostile environment for Jews inside the party", she added.

Dame Margaret also condemned trade union leaders Len McCluskey and Mark Serwotka, who are both key allies of Mr Corbyn.

Earlier in the day, Mr McCluskey appeared to attack Dame Margaret, saying MPs who called Mr Corbyn racist "had lost every shred of decency".

Speaking in the conference hall, he said: "Anyone with a point of view should be heard, but anyone screaming 'you are a racist' at Jeremy Corbyn has lost every sense of moral proportion, and I might add, comrades, that they've lost every shred of decency as well."

 Mark Serwotka says Labour antisemitism row was invented by Israel to distract from 'atrocities'

Dame Margaret hit back, saying: "As Len McCluskeys remarks at Labours conference show, the row about antisemitism has not gone away. Its continued presence will infect and harm Labours standing with voters."

She added: "How can the party ignore the outrageous statements of influential trades union leaders like Len McCluskey, who claims that the row over Jew hatred was simply mood music created to undermine Corbyn? Or Mark Serwotka who suggested that Israel created the antisemitism row?"

It came as a new poll revealed voters thought Mr Corbyn had been incompetent and dishonest in his handling of the antisemitism row.

The YouGov survey for the Labour Against Antisemitism group found 52 per cent of voters thought Mr Corbyn had been "an incompetent leader" in his response to antisemitism, compared to just 20 per cent who thought he had been competent.

And more than half (58 per cent) said the leader had not been "honest and transparent" in his response, while 22 per cent thought he had been.

46 per cent of voters said they thought Labour had an antisemitism problem, and more than one in three (34 per cent) said it made them "much less likely" to vote for the party.Shareholders in the privatised water companies will be docked compensation if they have plundered pension funds or asset-stripped, under Labours nationalisation plans.

John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, set out detailed proposals for taking back control of the industry, vowing to end what he called profiteering in dividends and vast executive salaries.

Under the plans, shareholders would be compensated with bonds  cost neutral to the public purse, Labour claimed  but parliament would decide the payout level.

Labours policy document said: Parliament may seek to make deductions for compensation on the basis of: pension fund deficits; asset stripping since privatisation; and state subsidies given to the privatised water companies since privatisation.

An aide could not rule out stripping shareholders of all their compensation, but said: We are not expecting that to be the case.

New regional water authorities would be run by local authorities, but with workers sitting on their boards, along with representatives from trade unions and community and environmental groups.

In his Liverpool conference speech, Mr McDonnell said: We are ending the profiteering in dividends, vast executive salaries and excessive interest payments.

Surpluses will be reinvested in water infrastructure and staff, or used to reduce bills. Real investment will allow the highest environmental standards.

All staff would transfer to the new publicly run authorities except for senior executives and directors, whose posts will be readvertised on dramatically reduced salaries.

Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Show all 24 1 /24 Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses a pre-conference rally at Pier Head in Liverpool on Saturday Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Deputy leader Tom Watson cycles at the party conference as part of the Labour Cycles scheme PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Deputy Leader Tom Watson sit together on stage on Sunday Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell speaks at a fringe event at the party conference on Sunday REUTERS Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Delegates are welcomed to the conference at the Arena and Convention Centre in Liverpool Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell speaks at a fringe event at the party conference Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry attend a vigil in Liverpool for those who are affected by the war in Yemen PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Mayor of London Sadiq Khan arrive at the conference on Sunday EPA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell speaks at a fringe event at the party conference EPA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Delegates at the Arena and Convention Centre in Liverpool, where the conference is being held PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Badges worn by a delegate at the conference on Sunday EPA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott speaks at a fringe event at the party conference EPA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Deputy leader Tom Watson poses for a selfie on Sunday AFP/Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn listens to a speech on Sunday Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures General Secretary of the Labour Party is welcomed to the stage by leader Jeremy Corbyn on Sunday Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures An anti-Brexit protester Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks at a vigil in Liverpool for those who are affected by the war in Yemen PA Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures An anti-Brexit protester AFP/Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday AFP/Getty Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Deputy Leader Tom Watson sit together on stage on Sunday Reuters Labour Party conference 2018: in pictures Anti-Brexit supporters demonstrate outside the conference in Liverpool on Sunday Reuters

However, Mr McDonnell insisted renationalisation would not be a return to the past, because the industry would be in the hands of local councils, workers and customers.

We dont want to take power away from faceless directors only to centralise it all in a Whitehall office, to swap one remote manager for another, he said.

A public and community ownership unit in the Treasury would be set up to deliver the planned return of energy, rail and the Royal Mail  as well as water  to public ownership.

Let me make it absolutely clear that the full weight of the Treasury will be used to take on any vested interests that try to thwart the will of the people, he said. We will drive this policy through.

Mr McDonnell also confirmed plans to give workers dividend payments of up to 500 a year, by forcing all large companies to give their staff shares in their firms.

The package triggered a backlash from the CBI, whose director general Carolyn Fairbairn warned the result of Labours policies would be a drop in living standards for workers and customers.

Labour must meet business halfway or they will crack the foundations of this countrys prosperity, Ms Fairbairn warned.

From renationalisation to dilution of shares, Labour seems determined to impose rules that display a wilful misunderstanding of business.

Their policies would immediately reduce the value of shares owned by ordinary people by over 10 per cent and hobble UK ambitions to compete on a global stage. Thats a double whammy for peoples pensions and savings.

To huge applause, Mr McDonnell also declared that Labour is ready to fight and win a general election, telling the government: Bring it on.John McDonnell has said the next Labour leader must be a woman, after the party's ruling body reignited the debate by backing the creation of a new female deputy leader position.

Labour has never elected a female leader, although senior women MPs Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett have both temporarily held the position.

While Jeremy Corbyn has no plans to resign, The Independent looks at possible runners and riders to be the first female Labour leader.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott (Getty)

Diane Abbott

Diane Abbott has bounced back from a difficult period during last years general election campaign to remain a key player in Jeremy Corbyns top team.

The shadow home secretary was replaced temporarily after a series of gaffes, later saying she suffered from type 2 diabetes which had affected her performance.

However, with her condition back under control, Ms Abbott was quickly reinstated, alongside a Labour leader who has been a key ally since they were both North London councillors in the 1970s.

This year, she has made her mark on the crucial immigration debate, vowing to end Theresa Mays hostile environment immigration policies and close the Yarl's Wood and Brook House detention centres.

Ms Abbott also said Labour would accept more skilled migrants, offering more rights of work, residency and accelerated citizenship to a range of professions, based on the needs of the economy.

She has run for the leadership already  in 2010, losing to Ed Miliband as the only woman in a field of five, securing 7.2 per cent of the votes.

Chances of becoming Labour leader: 2/5

Angela Rayner, Labour's shadow education secretary (Getty)

Angela Rayner

The Ashton-under-Lyne MP has emerged as one of the more assured performers in the shadow cabinet, and her down-to-earth nature has won her plenty of fans.

Ms Rayner rose swiftly through the Labour ranks since being elected in 2015, becoming a shadow pensions minister within months of her arrival then taking on the shadow education brief in 2016.

She is a popular media performer, speaking openly about how becoming a single mum in her teens saved me, on leaving school without any qualifications and the prejudices faced by working-class MPs.

Her background has set her apart in a parliament often accused of being too pale, male and stale - and she is regarded as being refreshingly un-tribal, despite Labour's deep divisions.

The 38-year-old former trade unionist also became parliament's youngest grandmother last year, announcing the news on Twitter using the hashtag #grangela.

Chance of becoming Labour leader: 3/5

Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary (Getty)

Rebecca Long-Bailey

The shadow business secretary is highly regarded by Jeremy Corbyns team and a close ally of John McDonnell, who has described her as part of the next generation of our socialist leadership.

A former solicitor, she is fresh, energetic and seen as completely loyal to Mr Corbyn, having endorsed his leadership bid within weeks of being elected as an MP in 2015.

The Salford and Eccles MP is also highly regarded by key trade unionists, including Unites Len McCluskey. Her leadership prospects will depend heavily on securing their backing and on Team Corbyn using its considerable sway to promote her as the chosen successor to the current leader  if, of course, they decide that is what she should be.

Her problem will be a lack of profile, and experience, compared to other potential candidates such Emily Thornberry and Diane Abbott.

3/5

Shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry (PA)

Emily Thornberry

Emily Thornberry is seen by many as the heir apparent to Jeremy Corbyn. While not a historic Corbynista, the London MP has skilfully manoeuvred herself into a position right behind the leader.

Her faux pas over white van men has been forgotten and she has been embraced as a champion of the new movement.

Her undoubted ability on camera and to sardonically nail her opposite number when standing in for Corbyn at PMQs has also not gone unnoticed.

She was also named by the leader of Unite, Labour's biggest financial backer, as the likely successor to the leader. Oddly enough under the new rules, she may find herself in tougher competition than she expects to win the union backing she needs in a leadership contest, but she still has to be seen as the frontrunner.

4/5

Alison McGovern MP (Getty)

Alison McGovern

The Wirral South MP could be in with an outside chance as a potential successor to Mr Corbyn, as the candidate for the centre left.

The 37-year-old has also carved out a niche for herself as a prominent pro-EU campaigner, leading Labour's campaign for the single market and working with the People's Vote group to fight for a fresh Brexit referendum.

After being elected in 2010, Ms McGovern became a parliamentary aide to Gordon Brown and then held a series of shadow ministerial posts in international development, education and the Treasury.

However as chair of the Blairite group Progress, Ms McGovern is no Corbynista, which would likely count against her if she did harbour leadership ambitions. She left the front bench when Mr Corbyn became leader in 2015, remaining active on the back benches and in the Treasury committee.

Chances of becoming Labour leader: 1/5

Labour MP Laura Pidcock (Getty Images)

Laura Pidcock

The 31-year-old newcomer, Laura Pidcock, has many fans on the left of the Labour Party and despite being elected just over a year ago at the 2017 snap election, Jeremy Corbyn asked her to serve as a shadow minister on his frontbench in January. She is currently away from parliament on maternity leave after giving birth to her son just eight weeks ago.

While it is probably too early for her to take a punt at the leadership - if she has such ambitions - the MP for North West Durham might throw her hat in the ring for the deputy leadership position and will likely be welcomed by the membership of the party.

She first attracted widespread media attention after saying she had no intention of being "cosy" with Conservative MPs, adding: "Whatever type they are, I have absolutely no intention of being friends with any of them."

Asked earlier this year about any leadership ambitions, she told the New Statesman: "If you say 'no', which is my natural instinct... people might criticise you for maybe not being loyal enough - 'if that was asked of you, would you not step up? But I am genuinely not interested."

Chances of becoming Labour leader: 1/5 Close Bill Cosby arrives at court for sentencing

Day one of Bill Cosby's sentencing hearing that will determine how the 81-year-old comedian will be punished for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman more than 14 years ago has been adjourned. A judge is expected to sentence Cosby in the Philadelphia area courthouse on Tuesday.

Cosby was the first celebrity to go to trial in the #MeToo era and could be the first to go to prison, after being convicted in April of violating Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

Cosby walked into the courthouse on the arm of his longtime spokesman as protesters shouted at him.

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Court adjourned in the late afternoon on the first day of the two-day hearing. Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill has reportedly stated in court that prosecutors and defence lawyers have agreed to merge the charges against Cosby. The state guidelines for someone like Cosby, with no prior convictions, call for about one to four years behind bars.

Whatever the sentence, Cosby is likely to be deemed a sexually violent predator and will have to undergo monthly counselling the rest of his life, in prison or out. Neighbours and schools will be warned he is living nearby.

Associated PressSouth Carolina could see record flooding in the wake of the landfall of Hurricane Florence, which hit the US over a week ago and brought major rains.

Thousands are reportedly preparing to evacuate from coastal areas in South Carolina, where waters are swelling rivers and threatening the major flooding.

In Georgetown County, South Carolina, for instance, officials have told over 8,000 people to be prepared to leave in the coming days. Those officials say that they may see up to 10 feet of flooding, an historic amount for the area.

Recommended Woman who rescued 27 animals during Hurricane Florence is arrested

Officials say that there is the potential for life threatening flooding as soon as Tuesday, and hoping that people living in flood zones will heed their warnings and evacuate before flood levels get too high.

Some of the primary areas of concern are along the Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers, where waters from Florence are accumulating.

Sam Hodge, Georgetown County's emergency management director, said in a video posted online that shelters are being opened on Monday to help residents in need of safe refuge from the storm waters.

From boots on the ground to technology that we have, we are trying to be able to get the message out, Mr Hodge said in the video, urging residents to act sooner rather than later to get away from the potentially devastating conditions.

 Hurricane Florence: Trump tells victim 'at least you got a nice boat out of the deal' during North Carolina visit

At least 44 people have been killed in the aftermath of Florence, which hit the Carolinas 10 days ago as a category 1 hurricane before losing speed and traveling into the mainland United States.

North Carolina has seen major flooding since then, with rescue crews working to save lives in areas across the state that saw the rainwater rise up and into homes and businesses.

Florence, when all is said and done, is expected to leave between $38 billion and $50 billion in damage, according to estimates from Moodys Analytics.Investigators exploring the plight of endangered jaguar have uncovered secretive networks of hunters, smugglers and organised gangs involved in multi-million-pound trafficking chains leading to China.

The big cats are being tracked down in South America for their body parts to be illegally sold for a lucrative black market in traditional Asian medicine, with a jaguar carcass considered to be worth around $260 (200).

As the animals natural forest habitat is increasingly destroyed by logging and mining, it becomes more visible and ever more susceptible to being stalked and poached, pushing it nearer to extinction.

A girl grinning beside a carcass (World Animal Protection confidential source)

Working undercover in Suriname for 10 months, investigators for World Animal Protection unearthed evidence of cruel hunts and illegal trading chains, and saw dead jaguars strapped to a tractor and motorbikes.

One photograph showed a girl standing next to a slaughtered jaguar.

Jaguars, the largest of South Americas big cats and known for their spot-like elaborate markings, may be tracked for hours or days, as bait of dead dogs is laid for them, then shot dead. Sometimes multiple gunshots leave them seriously wounded, the investigators found.

In one case, it was reported a jaguar had to be shot seven times before it died, which activists said caused prolonged suffering.

The bodies are boiled down for up to a week until they turn into a dark glue or treacle-like paste that is sold on the thriving black market in tubs in a trade that until now has gone undocumented.

Jaguars already face the challenges of habitat destruction and human animal conflicts Nicholas Bruschi

Buyers, who will pay up to $3,000 for a tub, wrongly believe the paste can treat arthritis pain and improve sexual performance and health.

Smugglers move the big cats bodies between different hiding places to avoid detection, and move premises frequently, the investigators found.

Teeth and claws are sold as ornaments or for jewellery, and a tooth set in gold in a tourist shop was on sale for $1,200.

Some traders place orders for dead jaguar on social media, according to the witnesses, who spoke to rangers, poachers, shopkeepers selling jaguar teeth and jewellery and traders who boil the carcasses down.

The pet trade is also fuelling the animals demise, the investigation found. The charity discovered jaguar cubs were being taken from the wild and sold  often to wealthy businessmen who keep them as status symbols and dont know how to care for them. The animals are fed cows milk or sugar water, which is unsuitable.

Sources said they are kept in cages until they grow too big to look after, when they may be killed for consumption in Suriname, which is South Americas smallest country, bordering Brazil to the south and with a northern coast on the Atlantic Ocean. Jaguar meat may be put in soup and bones are used to make wine.

The poaching, by locals eking out a living, usually happens near the countrys mining and logging sites that are mostly Chinese-owned.

Nicholas Bruschi, investigations adviser at World Animal Protection, said: This investigation has uncovered a shocking underground trade exploiting an iconic animal of the South American rainforests in a barbaric way for unproven traditional Asian medicine.

Jaguars already face the challenges of habitat destruction and human-animal conflicts. They are now cruelly and needlessly killed, left to die agonising deaths.

It is extremely sad news for these incredible big cats whose numbers are already in decline.

"And, while jaguar cubs might seem very cute, they are wild animals and belong in the wild, not in the illegal pet trade.

There are an estimated 173,000 jaguars left in the wild, and they are classed as near-threatened by the IUCN Red list of threatened species, which means hunting the species is illegal. Numbers have dropped by up to a quarter in two decades.

A further threat is from farmers as jaguars are also targeted for taking livestock.

An epidemic of extinctions: Decimation of life on earth Show all 4 1 /4 An epidemic of extinctions: Decimation of life on earth An epidemic of extinctions: Decimation of life on earth 28316.bin Independent Graphics An epidemic of extinctions: Decimation of life on earth 28314.bin Independent Graphics An epidemic of extinctions: Decimation of life on earth 28312.bin Independent Graphics An epidemic of extinctions: Decimation of life on earth 28025.bin AP

Until now little has been known about jaguar poaching for traditional Asian medicine but World Animal Protection says it will work with Surinames rangers and charities to share intelligence to prevent poaching and pressure the countrys government to crack down on the poaching and smuggling.

There are grave concerns that jaguar numbers will fall significantly if their body parts continue to be seen as substitutes to or supplements to tiger body parts, the investigators report said.The university professor who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her will testify before the Senate on Thursday.

Christine Blasey Ford claims the conservative judge attacked her at a party 36 years ago when they were both high school students in Maryland.

Ms Ford went public with her allegation last week, resulting in one of the most contentious Supreme Court nomination processes in decades.

Donald Trump has openly questioned why she did not make a complaint to police at the time and described the federal appeals judge as a "fine man with an impeccable character".

Mr Kavanaugh, who called the allegation "completely false", has also agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the hearing planned for 10am on Thursday.

However the committee has refused to subpoena witnesses including Mark Judge, who is said to have been present at the time of the attack.

"Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her," her lawyers Debra Katz, Lisa Banks and Michael Bromwich said in a statement.

"She has agreed to move forward with a hearing even though the committee has refused to subpoena Mark Judge.

"They have also refused to invite other witnesses who are essential for a fair hearing that arrives at the truth about the sexual assault."

Negotiations continue over whether Ms Ford will be questioned by the committee's Republican senators, who are all male, or by staff attorneys.

"Following Dr Ford's testimony, Judge Kavanaugh will appear again before the committee," said the committee in a statement.

Dr Ford has said that Mr Kavanaugh forced her into a room, drunkenly attempted to rape her and put his hand over her mouth when she started to scream.

The incident ended when a third person in the room toppled into them and she was able to escape, it is claimed.

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

A Democratic committee member, senator Mazie Hirono, said she wanted to hear from Mr Kavanaugh about the drinking and partying environment in high school.

Senator Hirono said Dr Ford had nothing to gain by coming forward. "I believe her," Ms Hirono told CNN. "There's credibility to her story."

The potentially explosive hearing, against a backdrop of the #MeToo movement fighting sexual harassment and assault, comes just weeks before congressional elections in November.

Confirmation of Mr Kavanaugh would strengthen conservative control of the Supreme Court.

ReutersDonald Trump is standing by his nominee for the Supreme Court, claiming the sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh are totally political after a second accuser stepped forward

Speaking on his way into the United Nations where was talking about the crisis of opioid abuse, the president brushed off the accusations levelled at Mr Kavanaugh, and said reporters should investigate the background of the accusers lawyers.

Judge Kavanaugh is an outstanding person. I am with him all the way, said Mr Trump. These are unsubstantiated statements.

For people to come out of the woodwork from 36 years ago, and 30 years ago and never mention it - all of a sudden it happens, In my opinion it's totally political. It's totally political.

The presidents comments came after the New Yorker on Sunday published allegations from a woman, Deborah Ramirez, who alleged the 53-year-old judge had exposed himself to her at a drunken dormitory party at Yale University.

Ms Ramirez, 53, who studied sociology and psychology at the Ivy League college, said Mr Kavanaugh thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away. She believes the FBI should investigate the judges alleged behaviour. I would think an FBI investigation would be warranted, she said.

Mr Kavanugh has denied the accusation, has he has the claim from another woman, Christine Blasey Ford, who said Mr Trumps nominee tried to forcibly remove her clothes at a drunken high school in Maryland three decades ago.

 Five key moments from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's senate hearing

In response to the allegations from Ms Ramirez, he said: This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple.

I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name - and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building - against these last-minute allegations.

He later issued a subsequent statement saying he would not be intimidated by a "grotesque and obvious character assassination".

There is now a frenzy to come up with something - anything - that will block this process and a vote on my confirmation from occurring, Mr Kavanaugh wrote in a letter to the committee.

The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out. The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. The last-minute character assassination will not succeed.

The claims from Ms Ramirez add to the problems of Mr Trump and Republicans who want to ensure Mr Kavanaugh confirmed as quickly as possible and use it as something to campaign on ahead of the midterm elections. They are already facing the prospect of Mr Kavanaughs first accuser, Ms Ford, 51, a university professor from California, testify before members the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Mr Kavanaugh will also appear before the committee, that will then vote on whether to pass his nomination to the full senate for confirmation.

On Monday morning, the White House went into attack mode, emailing reporters what it termed damning reporting in the New York Times it claimed undermined the claims of Ms Ramirez. Raj Shah, the deputy White House press secretary reportedly circulated the Times article stating it had interviewed several dozen people over the past week in an attempt to corroborate Ms Ramirezs story, but could find none firsthand knowledge.

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

It said Ms Ramirez had a hazy recollection about Mr Kavanaughs actions years ago. Ms. Ramirez herself contacted former Yale classmates asking if they recalled the incident and told some of them that she could not be certain Mr Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself, the newspaper reported.

The New Yorker admitted in its article that Ms Ramirez acknowledged there were significant gaps in her memories of the evening. It also quoted a classmate of Ms Ramirezs, who declined to be identified, who said another student told him about the incident either on the night of the party or in the next day or two. The classmate said that he is one-hundred-per-cent sure that he was told at the time that Mr Kavanaugh was the student who exposed himself.

Mark Krasberg, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the University of New Mexico who was also a member of Mr Kavanaugh and Ms Ramirezs class at Yale, said the judges college behaviour had become a topic of discussion among former Yale students soon his nomination for the court.

Meanwhile, on Monday survivors of sexual assault were rallying outside the home district offices of Republican senators Susan Collins, Chuck Grassley, Ted Cruz, Jeff Flake, Dean Heller and Cory Gardner, to share their stories, support Ms Ford and Mr Ramirez, and call for Mr Kavanaugh to withdraw his nomination.

Ramirezs story is yet more proof that Kavanaugh should have already withdrawn his nomination and his wholly disqualified from holding any office in government, let alone one on the highest court in the country, said protest organiser Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of UltraViolet Action, a national womens group.Donald Trump, taking the Miss Universe contest to Moscow, sent a letter to President Vladimir Putin inviting him to the show. Scrawled at the bottom was the enticement lots of beautiful women!. It was during that same trip to the Russian capital in 2013 that the man who is now president of the United States allegedly hired prostitutes to urinate on each other on the same hotel bed the Obamas had once slept in.

The letter and the scandalous claims about the night at the Ritz Carlton are vivid memories for Rob Goldstone who had helped to arrange that trip. The British-born music promoter recalled the note about the women to the Russian president as being in Dons inimitable style. On the sex act alleged in former MI6 officer Christopher Steeles dossier, he says: The report of the pee episode came as a total shock ... I would have expected something as scandalous as prostitutes peeing on each other in Trumps suite to have reached my ears.

I dont know if it happened or not ... anything is possible, but as far as I was aware, on the night in question, Trump should have been getting five or six hours of much-needed sleep in order to be ready for our video shoot early that morning, which would then be followed by an extremely long day.

Recommended Paul Manafort agrees to cooperate with Mueller prosecutors

What took place in Moscow, whether the Kremlin gathered compromising material, or kompromat on businessman Trump, is now a part of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into whether the current US president was the Muscovian candidate in the 2016 election. But it was not a Russian encounter but one in America that propelled Goldstone into the bitterly divisive, incendiary crisis which has overshadowed the Trump White House.

It was Goldstone who had arranged a meeting, which would have huge repercussions, between Trumps son Donald Jr, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, then-campaign manager Paul Manafort and Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer in New York.

What happened there, in the glass-walled boardroom of Trump Tower overlooking Central Park on 9 June 2016, has been of intense interest to investigators. It has resulted in claims of high-level Kremlin collusion and, for Goldstone, testimony in front of a special counsels grand jury and interviews as part of both the Senate and House of Representatives investigations. Goldstone has given evidence for more than nine hours to the Mueller investigation.

Manafort, who was recently convicted of fraud charges over his earnings as a political fixer, is the second person from the Trump Tower meeting to have offered cooperation to Mueller  having agreed to tell the special counsel all he knows as part of a plea deal to avoid a second trial.

While Goldstone digested how a nice Jewish boy from Manchester got himself into such international controversy, the music producer wrote a book, Pop Stars, Pageants & Presidents: How an Email Trumped My Life, which is due to be published this week. It is an autobiography that charts his life growing up on a council estate in the north of England, being a journalist who found himself working with Mohammed Ali and Michael Jackson, and becoming a fixer for wealthy stars and tycoons.

 Trump implies he had dirt on Clinton same day as Trump Jr's Russia meeting

The book is dedicated to HM King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, who may wonder why he is in the saga of US elections and the Kremlin. The reason is that the meeting between Trump and Putin during the Miss Universe pageant did not take place because the Dutch king was late for his own meeting with the Russian president, throwing Putins schedule out of kilter.

Being present at the meeting between Putin and Trump would have made Goldstone even more of a focus of in the investigations that followed, and the dedication was his thanks to King Willem-Alexander for inadvertently sparing him that.

But Goldstone could not avoid Russiagate. I would always be known as the man who sent that email, the man who set up that meeting at the Trump Tower; the man who got drawn into one of the biggest political scandals of our time; there is no denying that, he reflects, talking in New York to The Independent.

It is strange that I of all people I should be drawn into it. I am not at all political, I have never even voted in my life and certainly didnt vote for Donald Trump; the one I personally liked in the race was Bernie Sanders. So to be accused of being part of a secret plot to get Donald Trump to power was quite a shock, as you can imagine, it turned my life upside down, it has changed everything.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

The life-changing experience for Goldstone began when he sent an email to Donald Trump Jr saying that he could arrange a meeting with a lawyer from Moscow who had official documents from the Crown Prosecutor of Russia that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father. Trump Jrs response was: If its what you say it is, I love it.

The message was sent 3 June 2016, when Donald Trump, against all expectations, had won the Republican nomination, and was about to embark on one of the most aggressive and toxic election campaigns in recent American history whipping up his supporters to frenzy at rallies with invectives against Hillary Clinton.

Goldstone had been asked to contact Donald Trump Jr by his main client, Emin Agalarov, a Russian pop star, businessman and the son of an oligarch, Aras, who had an extensive property empire and whose father-in-law was the president of Azarbaijan. The music promoter had worked with Emin to bring the 2013 Miss Universe contest to Moscow with its co-owner, Donald Trump.

The Agalarovs are now persons of interest in Muellers inquiry, Goldstone has concluded from the questioning he underwent from the special counsels team. The belief is based partly on Goldstone discovering later that Trump Jr has, separately, had a telephone conversation with Emin Agalarov. Trump Jr has told a congressional inquiry that he cannot recall such a call. Agalarovs lawyer stated that his client only had a vague recollection that they spoke.

All that was to come in the future. At the time, the call for an introduction to the Trump team for the Russian lawyer surprised Goldstone, but not the fact that he was the conduit. I had always been the contact man between the Agalarovs and the Trumps, so it is natural that I was the one he called. At the time I was uneasy about it, there was a voice in my head saying that no good will come of this and I said this to Emin, Goldstone recalls.

But, nevertheless, he sent an email to Trump Jr asking for the meeting, with the tantalising offer of intelligence which would help his fathers presidential bid.

Listen, I am a publicist, I try to do my best to get attention and I used the terms that would attract Donald Jrs attention, so I built up the Russian lawyer and used terms like crown prosecutors, a term I used because I grew up in England where they are like federal prosecutors in US. I did not mean the chief Russian prosecutor, whom I knew nothing about, Goldstone explains.

He now feels he was not entirely wrong in saying that Moscow wanted to help Mr Trump. Emin had spoken to me about how this woman was well protected, about money from Russians to the Democrats and that could mean Hillary Clinton, so surely that would have been useful to Trump? he had asked himself.

Also, dont forget, I have seen in Moscow how highly the Russians thought of Trump when he was there for Miss Universe, how powerful people had lined up to meet him, he adds. I had seen and heard that Vladimir Putin thought highly of Trump, and I had heard Trump speak of his admiration for Putin, saying he was strong and Obama was weak, so all this made sense.

 Donald Trump Jr defends meeting with Russian lawyer

Goldstone says he did not want to be at the meeting, but stayed at the request of Trump Jr. There were four people who turned up on the Russian side, including a lobbyist who, it was subsequently revealed, was a former member of his countrys secret service.

Trump Jr has admitted that he saw the lawyer expecting to hear secrets about Clinton and that is the reason he had asked Kushner and Manafort to come after copying them into Goldstones emails under the subject Russia  Clinton  private and confidential.

In the fallout after news of the Trump Tower gathering came out, the White House account of events changed several times, and one line of the Mueller inquiry is that Trump helped write one of the versions presented by his son.

But both the Trump team and Goldstone took the line that, after talking briefly about Democrat malpractice, Veselnitskaya had switched to talking about the Magnitsky Act, American sanctions against prominent Russians and the Kremlins retaliation which put restrictions on Americans adopting Russian children.

I felt very embarrassed by what had happened. I did not know anything about the things she was going on about, only found out later on about things like Magnitsky, insists Goldstone.

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In October 2017 The New York Times stated in an article that Veselnitskaya had arrived at the Trump Tower with material on Clinton that she hoped would interest the Republican campaign and that, prior to the meeting, she had discussed points to be raised with Yuri Y Chaika, Russias prosecutor general. The article also referred to Bill Browder, who had campaigned to bring in the punitive measures against Russia which took the name of his murdered colleague Sergei Magnitsky, and the Ziff Brothers being mentioned several times in the conversation.

Goldstone now recalls that the names were indeed brought up at the meeting. Media reports stated that Veselnitskaya had brought a memo alleging that Ziff Brothers Investment, a US-based firm, had made illegal share purchases in a Russian company and evaded huge sums in Russian taxes. Two of three brothers who controlled the company were major donators to Democrat campaigns, including that of Clinton. The Democrats, claimed the Russian lawyer, had benefited from stolen money  information the Trump campaign would, one would have thought, found extremely attractive. Ziff Brothers Investments has not commented on the claims.

Seven months after that, Veselnitskaya appeared on NBC News to declare that although she was privately employed: I am a lawyer and I am an informant ... Since 2013, I have been actively communicating with the office of the Russian prosecutor general.

Goldstone was now beginning to feel that, inadvertently, he was proving to be right. My emails were puffed up, of course, but more and more they were proving to be on the right track. I was quite amazed! The puffery to help a client was in fact getting to the truth without me realising.

 Russian lawyer says Trump Jr 'badly' wanted dirt on Clintons

As the months passed and more details came to light, my puffed-up email would become more and more spot-on. And no one would be more astonished than me. I had hyped my way to helping a client get the meeting he wanted, but now all my hype was turning out to be pretty much true.

And much later, at the Helsinki summit with Trump, Putin brought up the name of Browder as a Clinton funder.

Watching this, I thought now we have the president of the Russian Federation mentioning these names, so again, it took me back to Trump Tower and how it was all related, Goldstone recalls.

After taking legal advice he decided to cooperate with the investigators voluntarily. Preparing for them was a time of great worry, bringing anxiety attacks from his past.

I was told by some people that appearing before a grand jury was full of traps: one could easily incriminate oneself, he says. Even saying something like I was wearing a raincoat that day could be dangerous. They could produce a weather report saying it was in fact a dry, sunny day. But I decided to be as open as possible, I did not say I couldnt remember things; in fact, I could remember things pretty well. I think they believed what I said, I think they understood me, what I went through. Unfortunately, they dont give you something like a school report to mark your performance.

Among those who do not understand him, however, are former friends who firmly believe he was party to Russian collusion. I have been accused of being a traitor, of somehow lumbering America with Trump, they have transferred their hatred of Trump on to me, says Goldstone. It has got quite dangerous at times, I was sitting in a friends car when this man ran up and tried to attack me. I couldnt believe that someone I didnt even know would feel that much anger against me. We had to drive away.

Goldstone does not know what the future will be for him. Because my name is now a bit well known, people answer my calls, he says. But It will be very difficult to go back to the working life I used to have, I am not even sure I want to do that. Maybe I will write another book, something like The hundred emails you wanted to write and you never did  and one you really wish you hadnt.The US has hit China with its largest round of tariffs yet in an escalating trade war, as planned talks between the two nations have reportedly been cancelled.

The Chinese government accused Donald Trumps administration of "trade bullying practices" and "intimidating other countries through economic measures" after the US levied tariffs of 10 per cent on $200bn of Chinese products.

That spurred Chinese President Xi Jinpings government to impose nearly $60bn in taxes on over 5,000 US imports, as well as reportedly axe trade talks that were previously planned between both nations.

Envoys for the two counties last met on 22 August in Washington but reported no progress.

Shares fell in Europe and Asia with the news. The latest round of tariffs arrived after $50bn worth were previously applied by both China and the US on each others products.

The latest Chinese tax increases would levy 10 per cent against products like coffee and liquefied natural gas, with other goods like frozen vegetables, chemical products and cocoa powder facing a 5 per cent levy.

China said the US spurred the "largest trade war in economic history" under Mr Trump, Xinhua news agency reported, as the US president threatened tariffs on all $505bn of Chinese imports.

"Im ready to go to 500," Mr Trump told CNBC in July. "I'm not doing this for politics  Im doing this to do the right thing for our country  We have been ripped off by China for a long time."

These products may become more costly in the trade war Show all 9 1 /9 These products may become more costly in the trade war These products may become more costly in the trade war Orange Juice, which Florida is known for, may soon be subject to import tariffs Getty Images These products may become more costly in the trade war The EU lists 'footwear with outer soles of rubber or of plastics and uppers of plastics' amongst the goods that may soon be subject to import tariffs Getty Images These products may become more costly in the trade war Cosmetic products, such as US brands Maybelline, MAC and Avon, may soon be subject to import tariffs Getty Images for Rebekka Ruetz These products may become more costly in the trade war Jeans, the all-American trousers, are on the EU's list of goods that may be subject to import tariffs Getty Images These products may become more costly in the trade war Bourbon whiskey is on the EU's list of over 100 US products that may be subject to import tariffs Getty These products may become more costly in the trade war US peanut butter products are on the EU's list of goods that may soon be subject to tariffs Getty Images These products may become more costly in the trade war US motorcycles, such as the Harley-Davidson, may soon be subject to import tariffs Getty Images These products may become more costly in the trade war Cranberry products, a major US crop export, may soon become more expensive Getty Images These products may become more costly in the trade war All tobacco products are on the EU's list of US goods that may be subject to import tarifs AFP/Getty Images

Confronting China over its trade practices was a major campaign promise for Mr Trump. But the president has faced scrutiny over his handling of the tit-for-tat tariff increases his administration started, when US Customs and Border Protection began collecting a 25 per cent tariff on $34bn of Chinese products.

The European Union has threatened to take action against the US if it were to levy tariffs against cars made internationally  a move the president has warned he would take while in office.

With no settlement in sight, forecasters say the conflict between the two biggest economies could trim global growth through 2020.

On Monday, the ratings agency Fitch cut its forecasts for next year's Chinese and global economic growth by 0.1 percentage points to 6.1 per cent and 3.1 per cent, respectively.

The trade war is now a reality, said Fitch's chief economist, Brian Coulton, in a report. The downside risks to our global growth forecasts have also increased.

Associated Press contributed to this reportHong Kong has taken the unprecedented step of banning a pro-independence party, invoking a colonial-era "national security" law for the first time since Britain handed over control of the territory to China in 1997.

The Hong Kong National Party was born out of the huge 2014 protest movement against the perceived erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy from Beijing.

Authorities said the party was prepared to use "all methods" to forge independence, and in doing so posed a threat to security and broke the Basic Law, a mini-constitution governing Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" relationship with China.

The ban was announced on Monday in a brief statement in the government's official gazette. Security minister John Lee issued the order under a little-known colonial-era regulation requiring all social groups and organisations to register with the police.

The "Societies Ordinance" law also allows the government to ban groups "in the interests of national security, public order or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others".

Mr Lee told reporters he could not rule out further action against other groups, including those promoting "self determination" as well as full independence.

The National Party "has a clear agenda in making Hong Kong a republic", he said. Mr Lee also said the group had spread "hatred and discrimination against mainland Chinese".

The party was founded in 2016, although its drive for full independence from China showed little sign of gaining mainstream popular support. But the announcement in July that the government was considering a ban propelled its leader, 28-year-old Andy Chan, to prominence.

Chan said in interviews at the time that police had approached him with documents detailing his speeches and activities since the party's formation.

"I will never stop in my pursuit of freedom, human rights, equality and dignity," he said.

Perceptions of growing influence from China have stoked tensions in recent years, sparked in 2014 by the decision by China's ruling Communist party to retain the right to effectively pre-screen candidates for Hong Kong's leadership.

The government has been exploring ways to crack down on the independence movement since a warning last year from President Xi Xinping, during a visit to the city, that any attempt to endanger China's sovereignty would cross a "red line".

Additional reporting by agenciesThe Kremlin has suffered a third weekend of election shocks, with its soldiers unexpectedly losing two gubernatorial races to scarcely credible opposition candidates.

In both Khabarovsk Krai, in the Russian Far East, and Vladimir Oblast, just east of Moscow, handpicked Kremlin candidates lost second-round run-offs to members of Russias Liberal Democratic Party - but despite its name, the party is a decidedly undemocratic, nationalistic party, reportedly linked to the mafia.

In Khabarovsk, the vote difference was a massive ratio of 3:1, with Sergei Furgal polling 67.57 per cent against incumbent Vyacheslav Shports 27.97 per cent. In Vladimir Oblast, Vladimir Sipyagin beat loyalist Svetlana Orlova by a smaller margin  57 per cent to 37.46 per cent.

But in both cases, few had even predicted a second-round. Fewer still that second-round results would tilt so overwhelming against the ruling-party candidate. On early inspection, it appears the opposition candidates benefited from a surge of tactical voting. Mr Furgal registered 2.5 times the number of votes he received in the first round. Mr Sipyagin, just under. On both occasions, the incumbents vote stayed flat.

The results followed a similar story last week when the gubernatorial election in far-east Primorsky Krai was apparently won by a Communist challenger, Andrei Ishchenko. But the victory was snatched at the last, probably by wide-scale election fraud. Mr Ishchenko, incensed, announced a hunger strike the following morning  only to call it off by tea-time following a call from his loyalist leader.

Moscows elections chief Ella Pamfilova eventually ruled that election invalid. But she was largely ridiculed for her insistence that the complaints demonstrated fair and competitive elections.

 Putin offers concessions to controversial pension reform plan

Speaking with journalists on Monday, spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted the Kremlin has been taken aback by the nature of the voting. Less convincingly, he insisted his boss was only interested in seeing an honest and competitive vote. Rigorous analysis was for another day, he insisted.

The Kremlin will not have missed the significance of the votes.

With one exception in 2015, they are the first reverses for the ruling party since direct governor elections returned in 2012. They come at a time that competitive, opposition politics have been eliminated from the country. President Vladimir Putins only obvious challenger, Alexei Navalny, left prison on Monday following 30 days of detention, only to be arrested immediately after his release.

The pension reform changed everything. The message people are giving Putin is simple: either he returns to the old social contract where he protected ordinary people like them. Or they will react Valery Solovei, a professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations

Those opposition parties allowed to compete in Russias election system usually play a specific role. The deal is they offer candidates too outrageous or toxic to ordinary voters. Most of the time that has worked.

This year, however, something changed.

Against the backdrop of the governments highly unpopular pension reform, voters have looked to give the ruling party a bloody nose wherever they can. And they have voted in masses for the candidate who has the most chance of defeating the party candidate even if that means voting for the Liberal Democrat Party or no-less reviled Communists.

 Moscow protests: Russian opposition leader Navalny detained

Both the leadership of the LDPR and Communist Party of Russia are loyal to the Kremlin. As such it is unlikely that any of the new governors will make life difficult for the Kremlin.

Mikhail Vinogradov, chairman of the St. Petersburg Politics Fund, said the results issued a challenge for the Kremlin and propaganda.

The problem is that state propaganda accentuates not so much the positive of government candidates, as much as a thesis that the opposition is worse and weaker, he says. That logic is now broken. People are voting tactically. So what can the government do?

The challenge is made more difficult by a more general protest sentiment returning, says Valery Solovei, a professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. For a while, anger was directed mostly against the ruling party. Now the anger extends to the man at the very top.

The pension reform changed everything. The message people are giving Putin is simple: either he returns to the old social contract where he protected ordinary people like them. Or they will react.

The elections were about more than the victory of LDPR candidates, he says. They described something far deeper  the moral and psychological condition of the nation.

This is about massive consciousness. Yes, this vote is a protest vote against United Russia. But its also a signal for the president. These were his candidates. The Kremlin doesnt quite understand this yet. It will need to.A rescue boat carrying dozens of refugees in the Mediterranean Sea has had its registration revoked by Panamanian authorities following pressure from Italy's right-wing government, two humanitarian groups claim.

SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders, two non-governmental organisations, jointly operate Aquarius 2 under Panama's flag near the region's notorious trafficking route, where 1,600 people have died trying to cross to Europe this year alone.

Both claimed in a statement that Panama had removed the ship's registration "under blatant economic and political pressure from the Italian government".

Recommended UN launches probe into treatment of refugees in Italy and Austria

Panama's maritime authority said in a statement that it has begun procedures to remove Aquarius 2's registration, after Italy complained that the boat's captain failed to follow orders.

The organisation added that although the "principal complaint came from Italian authorities", officials in Gibraltar had also removed the boat's registration and had requested that Panama suspend its operations.

It also said Italy claims the captain defied instructions to return refugees rescued from unsafe vessels back to Libya.

The vessels were initially launched by Libyan traffickers, but the NGOs say that the North African country fails to meet international standards for safe harbour, in order for the rescued refugees to be returned.

Libya is currently gripped by extreme violence amid a surge of fighting between rival militias.

Refugees who are forced to return there are held in detention centres where sexual assault is common and food scarce.

Italy claims that returning rescued refugees to Libya will discourage human trafficking, but international maritime law says that those rescued at sea should be brought to the nearest safe harbour.

Despite this, private rescue boats are unable to dock in Italy, after being banned by Matteo Salvini, the country's anti-refugee deputy prime minister.

Mr Salvini denied that Italy was linked to the decision over the Aquarius 2 in a tweet posted on Sunday night, writing that there was "no pressure at all on Panama for the Aquarius 2. I don't even know Panama's area code".

Aquarius 2 was carrying 58 rescued refugees. As of Sunday night it was unclear where they could be taken.

The boat is the last private rescue vessel working in the central Mediterranean, and the NGOs asked European governments on Sunday to either reassure Panama that Italy's claims are unfounded, or to issue a new flag so it can keep sailing.

Spain's maritime rescue service said on Sunday that it had pulled 447 refugees to safety off of its southern coast.

A recent spike of refugees entering the country has put Spanish authorities under pressure, which has only worsened with Italy's refusal to allow rescue boats to dock.

Associated Press contributed to this reportThe international philanthropic organisation founded by George Soros has said it will take Hungary to the European Court of Human Rights over laws which make it a crime to help asylum-seekers.

However, Budapest has staunchly asserted it will not repeal the laws, no matter what judges decide.

In June, Hungary passed the Stop Soros legislation which threatens anyone who helps refugees who are not entitled to protection apply for asylum, or helps illegal migrants gain status to stay in Hungary, with jail.

Viktor Orbans policy also introduced a 25 per cent special tax on aid groups it says support migration.

How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border Refugees protest as Hungarian riot police fires tear gas and water cannon on the Serbian side of the border, near Roszke How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border A refugee throws a bottle of water towards Hungarian riot police after they used water cannon to push back refugees at the Hungarian border with Serbia near the town of Horgos How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border Refugees protest as Hungarian riot police fires tear gas and water cannon at the border crossing with Serbia in Roszke How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border Hungarian armoured personnel carriers are deployed at the border crossing with Serbia in Roszke How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border Hungarian riot policemen are deployed at the border crossing with Serbia in Roszke How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border Hungarian police spray water cannon on migrants at the "Horgos 2" border crossing into Hungary, Serbia How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border A refugee reacts after Hungarian riot police use water cannon to push back refugees at the Hungarian border with Serbia near the town of Horgos How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border A refugee gestures as Hungarian riot police use water cannon to push back refugees at the Hungarian border with Serbia near the town of Horgos How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border A refugee throws a stone towards Hungarian riot police after they used water cannon and pepper spray to push back refugees at the Hungarian border with Serbia near the town of Horgos How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border Refugees protest as Hungarian riot police fires tear gas and water cannon on the Serbian side of the border, near Roszke How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border Migrants shout slogans as they stand in front of a barrier at the border with Hungary near the village of Horgos, Serbia How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border Hungarian riot policemen run as they are deployed at the border crossing with Serbia in Roszke Reuters How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border Hungarian riot policemen are deployed at the border crossing with Serbia in Roszke Reuters How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border Refugees stand in front of a barrier at the border with Hungary near the village of Horgos, Serbia Reuters How Hungary welcomes its refugees - in pictures Serbia-Hungary border Refugees wait at the Horgos 2 border crossing EPA

Mr Soross group, Open Society Foundations (OSF), said the Stop Soros legislation breaches the guarantees of freedom of expression and association enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights and must be repealed.

The Hungarian government has fabricated a narrative of lies to blind people to the truth: that these laws were designed to intimidate independent civil society groups, in another step towards silencing all dissent, OSF president Patrick Gaspard said in a statement.

OSF said the provisions of the legislation were so broadly written that they will have a far-reaching and chilling effect on the work of civil society far beyond the field of migration.

Budapest, which has accused Mr Soros and the liberal groups he supports of trying to destroy Europes Christian culture by promoting mass migration, responded with defiance.

The government stands by the Stop Soros package of laws ... as the legislation serves the will of the Hungarian people, and the security of Hungary and Europe, a government spokesman said.

The Soros organisation attacks the Stop Soros package with all possible means as the legislation stands in the way of illegal immigration. The aim of George Soros and organisations supported by him is to flood Europe with migrants.

Mr Soros, who was born in Hungary, denies trying to promote mass migration into Europe from the Middle East and elsewhere.

In May, OSF announced it would close its office in Budapest after more than 30 years and move to Berlin.

 Viktor Orban re-elected as Prime Minister of Hungary

Mr Orban, who has been in power since 2010 and won a third consecutive term in April with a large majority, has increased his control over Hungarys media and courts and put allies in control of once independent institutions.

The legislation on asylum seekers has drawn condemnation from the UN refugee agency and the European Union.

It comes as Conservative MEPs received a letter of gratitude for their decision to oppose a vote in the European Parliament against Mr Orbans government.

Mr Orban lost the vote and the council triggered its process to sanction Hungary for flouting EU rules on democracy and civil rights.Isis released a video purporting to show the militants who staged the deadly 22 September attack on a military parade in the Iranian city of Ahvaz, adding to confusion about responsibility for an attack which left 29 people dead and 53 injured.

Iran officials have called for retribution for the attack, as its ramifications reverberated throughout the country and the region. "Revenge Time, blared the headline on the front page of the conservative daily paper, Siyasat-e Ruz.

Irans state television broadcast footage of the victims funerals and declared Monday a nationwide day of mourning.

All people across the country are upset and worried about this attack, Mahdi Khalili, a reformist politician and analyst based in Tehran, told The Independent.

The whole nation is in mourning and condemns this attack.

Irans president, Hassan Rouhani, en route to New York for the UN General Assembly gathering, was quoted as saying the attack was "Americans' work. Other Iranian political and military officials blamed Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Iranian foreign ministry summoned UAE diplomats to berate them over comments by a political scholar that appeared to justify the attack by insisting the target was legitimate. "An attack on a military target is not a terrorist act, wrote Abdul Khaleq Abdullah. Moving the battle to deep inside Iran is an option that has been publicly declared and will increase in the coming phase.

An Arab Iranian separatist group, Ahvaz National Resistance, believed to receive support from Tehrans Persian Gulf rivals, originally claimed to have been behind the attack.

Among the victims were children, a journalist, and at least 10 members of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a parallel branch of the armed forces.

The three men in the Isis video, speaking Arabic and Persian, never mention Isis or make a religiously valid oath loyalty to the group, which terrorism experts consider unusual.

Though the video carried the imprimatur of Isiss Amaq news platform and was distributed through its normal channels on the Telegram messaging app, some Iranians on social media said photos of the corpses did not match the figures on the video.

The attack was the most significant act of terror inside the country since last year, when Isis militants killed 17 people at the parliament and at the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of Irans Islamic system, in Tehran.

Iran's minister of intelligence said Monday a number of individuals tied to the attack had been rounded up, while the perpetrators were dead.

 TV feed shows moment of Iran military parade attack

"The terrorists who carried out the attack were killed, and the rest of them - to the last man - will be identified, he said at a funeral for the victims of the attack, according to the ISNA news agency. "We will punish every single one of the terrorists for their actions."

Iran very likely will not directly retaliate for the attack. But the widespread perception in Iran that the US and its allies were upping support for militant groups along its borders adds to existing pressure on Tehran to challenge Washingtons aims in other venues, including Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.

Iran may now strengthen the Taliban, and consequently the war in Afghanistan will further intensify, military expert Atiqollah Amarkhel, told the Shamsad news channel in Kabul on Sunday.

For now Mr Khalil said the Iranian leadership would pursue diplomatic means of pressure, with Mr Rouhani likely speaking about the attack at the General Assembly this week.

The secretary of Iran's powerful Expediency Council, Mohsen Rezaee, called on Mr Rouhanis government to demand that Denmark, Netherlands and the UK hand over "terrorists within their borders affiliated with the organisation.

The UK hosts a Persian-language Iranian exile satellite television station that broadcast an interview with a leader of the separatist group shortly following the attack.The killing and maiming of civilians, including children, in Yemens Red Sea city of Hodeidah, has soared since June, according to aid workers that warned the fighting was turning into a war on children as thousands have suffered life-changing injuries.

A Gulf coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has been trying to wrestle back control of the strategic port city since June. The Shia Houthi rebels have held the strategic governorate since 2015 when they swept control of the country and ousted Yemens recognised President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

Save the Children said on Monday at least 349 civilians in Hodeidah have been killed over the last three months, making up over half the total deaths in the country.

Thousands of children have also lost their arms and legs, or the ability to speak or walk, due to explosive weapons, air strikes and landmines that have targeted populated towns and cities, markets and schools, it added.

Medics have been unable to cope with the influx of the wounded, as Yemen's health care system has all but collapsed.

In the past few months we've seen a shocking spike in violence from an airstrike that hit a school bus full of children to a bombing near a hospital. Battles are being fought in densely populated urban areas and children end up trapped on the frontline, said Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the charitys CEO, who visited Yemen this week.

Attacks on schools and hospitals are up  safe spaces that should never be targeted. This is a war on children, she added.

The group urged world leaders gathering in New York for the UN General Assembly on Monday to stand up for Yemeni children and broker an immediate ceasefire.

The international community gathered here in New York needs to put pressure on the warring parties in Yemen to come to the negotiating table in good faith ... Ultimately, only a political solution can end this crisis, Ms Thorning-Schmidt added.

Yemen, the Gulfs poorest country, has been torn apart by an increasingly complex civil war since the Iran-backed Houthis ousted the countrys recognised president three years ago. Fearing the encroachment of Iranian influence on their borders Saudi Arabia and the UAE launched a bombing campaign in March 2015, and then a ground invasion a few months later.

The latest offensive on the strategic port city is being led by Emirati-trained Yemeni troops together with the UAE army on the ground and Saudi air support. It was briefly paused in July to allow for peace talks which collapsed. Fighting renewed on 7 September.

The United Nations has warned that up to 250,000 of the citys 600,000 residents are in danger of being killed or maimed. Meanwhile, aid agencies have identified close to 500,000 people that had fled homes in Hodeidah between June and August.

The children wounded in Yemen's war Show all 15 1 /15 The children wounded in Yemen's war The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Save the Children

The devastating three-year conflict in Yemen has sparked the worlds largest humanitarian crisis in terms of numbers, according to the United Nations.

Nearly 23 million people, or two-thirds of the population, rely on humanitarian aid to survive. While more than 8 million people are on the verge of famine.

This week CARE International warned Yemen only had enough food to sustain its population for two to three months if the fighting over Hodeidah seals off the port.

 Malnutrition centre in Mukalla, Yemen provides care for children suffering hunger and famine

Hodeidah's port accounts for more than 70 per cent of all imports to Yemen, offering a vital lifeline of food, fuel and medical supplies. Even before the war, 90 per cent of Yemen's food was imported.

"Once the harbour is blocked we are talking about millions and millions of people who will not have food," Johan Mooij, CAREs Yemen director told The Independent.

On Monday, Save The Children warned that the death toll in Hodeidah has jumped from a monthly average of 44 dead to now 116, an increase of 164 per cent.

It said in July and August alone at least 100 children were killed across Yemen, although the actual civilian death toll is likely to be higher as many deaths go unreported.Thousands of passengers who booked a Cuban Fusion cruise with the cruise line Marella are discovering they will now spend less than a day on the island.

Marella, the cruise operation of TUI, originally promised 31 hours in the Cuban capital, Havana  arriving early in the morning of day four of the week-long cruise, leaving at lunchtime the following day.

But many customers with confirmed bookings have contacted The Independent to say that they have learned via social media that the arrival time has been delayed until 2pm. The total time in Havana is now 22 hours, with no other cruise ports on the island visited.

One passenger, Mary Harwood, said she had discovered the change on Facebook. They have knocked nine hours off our stay in Cuba, she said.

Most people booked just because of the Cuba stay, hence the name Cuban Fusion. Most of us have not been informed and those that have have been given different reasons

We are already at sea for four days, so really unhappy with this.

Cruise passengers will lose 30 per cent of their time in Havana.

The first cruise sets sail on 20 November, for a price of 1,284, with frequent departures for the rest of the winter season.

The voyage aboard Marella Discovery 2 begins and ends in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Apart from Havana, the only ports of call are George Town on Grand Cayman and the Mexican island of Cozumel  for 11 and 12 hours respectively.

Linda Rollinson said: They have waited until people have booked and some have paid in full before publishing the changes.

A spokesperson for Marella said: We would like to apologise to customers following a change to their upcoming Marella cruise.

We have only recently been updated by the port authorities and as a result we are in the process of contacting all affected customers about the timing change in Havana. This is as a result of the Havana Port Authority altering our port timings in order to accommodate more visiting ships.

While we feel customers will still be able to experience the full delights of Havana we will be offering customers a gesture of goodwill.

Earlier this year, a Marella transatlantic cruise from Jamaica to Spain bypassed Cuba completely, because of what the company said was a double booking at Havanas cruise terminal.

Both Royal Caribbean and Marella were selling the same day in Havana, even though the cruise terminal was not big enough for both the firms.

Marella deleted the Cuban capital from the itinerary, along with Nassau and Lisbon.Flight MH370 ended with a fatal spiral that culminated in the jet striking the water in an unsurvivable smash: that is the claim of a new documentary about the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.

The Boeing 777 was on a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on 8 March 2014 with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board when it veered off course and then flew south across the Indian Ocean until it ran out of fuel.

The Malaysian investigators final report into the disappearance, in July 2018, concluded: The Team is unable to determine the real cause for the disappearance of MH370.

They also said: There is insufficient information to determine if the aircraft broke up in the air or during impact with the ocean.

But a new National Geographic documentary, to be shown on Thursday as part of the Drain The Oceans series, claims that the 777 was still intact as it fell in a fatal spiral.

It is believed that the plane was flying on autopilot, and that the right engine would have suffered a flame-out first due to fuel exhaustion.

The autopilot would then automatically correct for the engine failure. When the left engine also stopped, which the programme-makers speculate was two minutes later, the plane would have twisted to the left.

Resting place? How the wreckage of the Boeing 777 may appear on the ocean floor (National Geographic)

The Malaysian investigation concluded the aircraft would roll gently to the left due to residual rudder deflection commanded by the Thrust Asymmetry Compensation (TAC).

Engineers commissioned for the programme predict that the plane then entered a steep, spiral dive. It was at an angle of around 45 degrees to vertical, with the left wing pointing almost vertically downwards. No-one on board could have survived.

Fatal spiral: a new National Geographic documentary speculates on the final moments of MH370 (National Geographic)

Fatal spiral: a new National Geographic documentary speculates on the final moments of MH370 (National Geographic)

While the official report speculates that the plane could have flown for up to 140 miles after running out of fuel, the supposition of the programme-makers is that it would have plunged into the Indian Ocean much sooner.

The documentary contains images of what the sea bed would look like were it to be drained. They show the aircraft largely broken up, resting on the ocean floor.

Despite two large-scale searches of the sea bed, only scattered pieces of debris have been found  all washed up on Indian Ocean beaches. Confirmed fragments of the jet were found on Reunion Island, Mauritius and the coast of Tanzania, with debris almost certain to be from MH370 found in Mozambique, South Africa and Madagascar.

Were the main part of the wreckage to be located, the positions of passengers and crew might help to explain what happened. In addition, the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder may provide valuable evidence.

Meanwhile the cause of the disappearance remains the biggest mystery in aviation, with speculation ranging from a suicide/mass murder mission by the captain to hijacking by a stowaway.

'Drain The Oceans: Malaysia Airlines 370' airs on National Geographic on Thursday 27 September at 8pmThey are one of natures most jaw-dropping sights  a spectacular celestial dance across Arctic skies that features on most, if not all, travellers bucket lists. But what exactly are the ethereal aurora borealis, and whats the best way to spot them? As light-hunting season begins, the Royal Astronomical Societys Ian Ridpath explains everything you need to know about the Northern Lights.

What are they?

Put simply, the Northern Lights are an electrical phenomenon in the Earths upper atmosphere that produces ghostly glowing shapes that move and flow, Ridpath says. The lights  the latin name, aurora borealis, meaning Northern dawn because their appearance low on the horizon gives the impression of a false daybreak  can appear as shifting arcs, vertical rays or long curtains that ripple like drapery blowing in a breeze. And their varying colours are a result of different gases in the upper atmosphere.

Northern Lights across the UK - in pictures Show all 6 1 /6 Northern Lights across the UK - in pictures Northern Lights across the UK - in pictures The beautiful colours of light shining through the Sycamore Gap at Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland PA Northern Lights across the UK - in pictures The sky surrounding St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay, Northumberland PA Northern Lights across the UK - in pictures This shot was taken in Northumberland Graeme Stoker/Twitter Northern Lights across the UK - in pictures The beautiful skies could be spotted across the sea in Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland Caroline Burgess/Twitter Northern Lights across the UK - in pictures The lights seen over Great Park in Newcastle PA Northern Lights across the UK - in pictures A beach in Saltburn, North Yorkshire Darren Saltburn/Twitter

But dont expect them to appear bright green like in photographs, Ridpath warns. To the eye, they are more greyish in colour, almost like a cloud. Thats because the human eye doesnt pick up faint colour well. If the aurora is very bright, however, it can appear greenish or yellowish and some have a beautiful fringe of pink at the bottom. What you see depends on the sensitivity of your eyes, and, of course, everybodys eyes are different.

Why do they occur?

The Northern Lights are caused by atomic particles from the sun being funnelled down the Earths magnetic lines of force into a ring around the poles, Ridpath says. This ring is called the auroral oval, and it passes over Alaska, Canada, southern Greenland, Iceland, northern Scandinavia and Siberia.

In short, their presence is all about wind. Theres a continual flow of gas away from the sun called the solar wind (never say solar winds, plural, as youll betray your inexperience with the terminology), Ridpath says. The force of the solar wind changes all the time, and the size and the brightness of the auroral oval changes with it.

The biggest aurorae, he says, are caused by coronal mass ejections. Theres a long-standing myth that the lights are caused by sunspots and solar flares, but theyre not, he says. This myth should have been well and truly busted over the past few years when we have had fabulous aurorae even though there have been hardly any sunspots.

When can I see them?

You can find forecasts of activity online, but Im sceptical of their usefulness as they are often wrong, Ridpath says. The only way to be sure is to go outside and keep your eyes peeled. Summer, he says, is off-limits, because the northern skies are too light at that time of year. The best times to go are from late September to late March  in other words, between the equinoxes, he advises.

Research has shown that autumn is a particularly fortuitous time because, as well as increasingly dark skies and less cloud cover, the solar storms are stronger at this time of the year and the tilt of the Earth during the equinox drives the strongest solar winds towards the planets poles, leading to gob-smacking Northern Lights displays.

Amazing Northern Lights Brighten Up the Sky Across the UK

The lights can appear at any time of night, Ridpath says. Ive even known them to appear as it starts to get dark in the afternoon. But the most likely time is mid evening and into the early hours of the following morning (about 9pm to 2am). So be sure to have dinner early and get changed in readiness. But theres no point heading out on a hunt if the sky is completely overcast. The biggest enemy is, of course, the weather  if its cloudy you wont see anything, because the lights occur at heights of 60 miles and above, which is way, way above the highest clouds, Ridpath says.

It also helps to pick dates that avoid a full moon and to visit locations well away from the light pollution caused by large settlements. Visit spaceweather.com for useful, up-to-date information about aurorae and solar activity.

Where should I go?

Your best bet is to head due north towards the Arctic  above latitude 60 at least  to the snowy wilds of Alaska and Canada or, a bit closer to home, to Iceland or northern Scandinavia (more commonly known as Lapland). But the lights can occur further south at times.

Northern lights on show in Scotland (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The biggest aurorae of all are caused by much rarer and more energetic events called coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, Ridpath says. These are huge bubbles of gas thrown off by magnetic storms on the sun, and when one of these hits us, the auroral oval expands so much that you can see lights in southern England and right down to the Mediterranean.

But ultimately, this is mother nature, and nature is a fickle beast. I always say that hunting the northern lights is like a big game hunt, Ridpath says. Its beautiful and impressive, but while we can take you to where the prey lives, we cant guarantee that it will show itself.A Ryanair passenger who was denied the extra legroom seat hed paid a 20 fee to book was escorted off his flight by police after refusing to pay his bar bill.

Bob Hamilton, 64, asked cabin crew to waive his 17 drinks tab to make up for the fact that he was not able to sit in his assigned seat.

The 6ft 2in retired oil broker from Peterborough told The Daily Mail he always pays extra for a seat with more legroom because of his height, but when he boarded a recent flight from London Stansted to Malaga he found someone in his seat.

 Ryan to cut their hand luggage allowance by two thirds

Cabin crew told Hamilton the man in his seat was a Ryanair employee who had to remain there for safety reasons, and that he needed to sit elsewhere.

He found a seat towards the back of the plane and ordered two cans of beer and two plastic bottles of wine, costing 17 in total, just after take-off.

Hamilton refused to settle his bar tab, saying he shouldnt have to pay as he wasnt allowed to sit in the seat hed paid extra for.

Recommended Ryanair to train 450 new pilots over next five years

Crew insisted and explained he should claim a refund for the 20 online.

Upon landing at Malaga, two Spanish police officers escorted Hamilton off the plane.

The police officers were very pleasant and were laughing about it, he said. In the end, one of the crew came out to the air bridge with a card machine and I was forced to pay up.

A Ryanair spokesperson described Hamiltons behaviour as disruptive:

This customer (in seat 17F) was asked to move to seat 16A (an over wing exit seat of equivalent value) as there was a minor technical issue with the over wing seat which was occupied by an additional cabin crew staff member in line with procedures. This customer refused and took a different available seat (22A).

 Ryanair kicks off passenger after boarding pass rant makes check in agent cry

He subsequently became disruptive during the flight and refused to follow cabin crew instructions so was met by police on arrival.

They added: Ryanair will not tolerate unruly, disruptive or unlawful behaviour at any time and the safety and comfort of our customers, crew and aircraft is our number one priority. This customer was refunded the cost of his reserved seat.

Hamilton claims he was only refunded his 20 on the third attempt to get his money back.

In 2016, when a doctor aboard an easyJet flight to Athens provided emergency treatment for a fellow passenger and avoided a diversion, cabin crew rewarded him with a complimentary coffee  but insisted he paid for the accompanying KitKat.As the radioactive dust settles on Salzburg, and the strains of the EU Philharmonics stirring recital of Requiem For Chequers fade away, domestic thoughts turn to a general election.

Members of Theresa Mays inner circle of strategists, as the Sunday Times generously dignifies them, have begun planning a jaunt to the booths in November.

This brainwave is inspired, the paper reports, by the latest polling, which indicates a slump in support for Jeremy Corbyn among those who voted Labour last time.

 Labour plan to trigger early election if Theresa Mays Brexit deal is defeated in parliament

This particular brand of opinion poll-related Tory opportunism rings a bell, but its far too faint to identify the precedent.

More overtly keen on an autumnal election is Corbyn himself. Its almost as if his memory, being better than mine, makes him think hed do better than the polls might suggest.

And so on Tuesday, when Labours conference supposedly votes on a second referendum, it probably wont.

The motion is expected to be one of those hybrids known as a composite. Nostalgists will recall a time when the word rang out from conference platforms with the regularity of Big Ben chiming the quarter hour. As Alexei Sayle records in his masterly childhood memoir, Stalin Ate My Homework, composites were generally gibberish bearing little relationship, if any, to the real world outside the hall. This one will be different.

This is not to say that Corbyn and his team arent willing to ignore the members so far as they can. The motion is unlikely to be a demand that the people are given the chance to get us out of this mess. Im not calling for a second referendum, Corbyn tells the Sunday Mirror.

Instead, it is predicted to be a fudge designed to preserve the possibility in the aspic of vagueness, and citing a general election as the ideal way to end this impasse.

The tiny problem with that  and its almost too trivial to be worth typing  is this. How can anyone be confident that this election would be more conclusive than the last, when all current polling has the two parties tied within the margin of error?

What happens if the result is another desperately fragile minority government with no prospect of getting any Brexit through the Commons? Another month will have been wasted on partisan screeching, the deadline will be another month closer, and the quicksand will be deeper even than now.

There is another minor problem. General elections are never about one thing, even when that thing is as monumental as Brexit. Many millions of votes would be steered by it, of course.

Brexit casualties Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit casualties Brexit casualties Andrea Jenkyns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary at the ministry for housing, communities and local government role May 2018 - The Morley and Outwood MP said: We want to see a new relationship with Europe, with a new model not enjoyed by other countries  nothing that leaves us half-in, half-out. And in order to achieve this, we need to leave the customs union. Ms Jenkyns also said she wished to dedicate more of her time to Parliaments influential Exiting the European Union select committee, after a series of unbalanced reports produced by MPs PA Brexit casualties David Davis - Resigned from Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - quit following a major row with May over her plans for post-Brexit relations with the EU. Davis resignation letter said: As you know there have been a significant number of occasions in the last year or so on which I have disagreed with the Number 10 policy line, ranging from accepting the [European] Commissions sequencing of negotiations, through to the language on Northern Ireland in the December Joint Report. At each stage I have accepted collective responsibility because it is part of my task to find workable compromises, and because I considered it was still possible to deliver on the mandate of the referendum, and on our manifesto commitment to leave the Customs Union and the Single Market. I am afraid that I think the current trend of policy and tactics is making that look less and less likely. He went on to argue that the general direction of Ms Mays policies would leave the UK in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one. AFP/Getty Brexit casualties Steve Baker - Resigned from Minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - Mr Baker, a key Tory figure in the Leave campaign, was David Daviss main lieutenant at Dexeu, and was hailed as courageous and principled by other Brexiteer Tories as he also left. Reuters Brexit casualties Boris Johnson - Resigned from Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr Johnson said: "On Friday, I acknowledged that my side of the argument were too few to prevail and congratulated you on at least reaching a Cabinet decision on the way forward. "As I said then, the government now has a song to sing. "The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat." Reuters Brexit casualties Conor Burns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - A Brexit supporter who worked alongside Boris Johnson stated in his resignation letter: I've decided it's time to have greater freedom. I want to see the referendum result respected. And there are other areas of policy I want to speak more openly on. Rex Brexit casualties Chris Green - Resigned from Department for Transport role July 2018 - The Bolton West MP said: "Parliament overwhelmingly decided to give the decision of whether to leave or remain in the European Union to the British people and they made an unambiguous decision that we ought to leave. "I have always understood the idea in 'Brexit means Brexit' is that the final deal should be clear to me and my constituents - that we have, in no uncertain terms, left the European Union. Twitter Ads info and privacy "The direction the negotiations had been taking have suggested that we would not really leave the EU and the conclusion and statements following the Chequers summit confirmed my fears. "I recognise that delivering Brexit is challenging, however I had hoped at tonight's meeting that there would be some certainty that my fears were unfounded but, instead, they have been confirmed. "I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve as Parliamentary Private Secretary and it is with regret that I offer my resignation with immediate effect." PA Brexit casualties Maria Caulfield - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for women role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. Lewes MP warned that the direction of travel did not fully embrace the opportunities that Brexit can provide. Ms Caulfield said in her letter to the PM: The policy may assuage vested interests, but the voters will find out and their representatives will be found out. This policy will be bad for our country and bad for the party. The direct consequences of that will be prime minister Corbyn. PA Brexit casualties Ben Bradley - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for young people role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. The Mansfield MP said: I admit that I voted to Remain in that ballot. What has swayed me over the last two years to fully back the Brexit vision is the immense opportunities that are available from global trade, and for the ability for Britain to be an outward looking nation in control of our own destiny once again. I fear that this agreement at Chequers damages those opportunities; that being tied to EU regulations, and the EU tying our hands when seeking to make new trade agreements, will be the worst of all worlds if we do not deliver Brexit in spirit as well as in name, then we are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to No10. PA Brexit casualties Robert Courts - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. MP Mr Courts said: I have taken a very difficult decision to resign my position as [parliamentary private secretary] to express discontent with the Chequers [plans] in votes tomorrow. I had to think who I wanted to see in the mirror for the rest of my life. I cannot tell the people of Woxon that I support the proposals in their current form. Getty Brexit casualties Scott Mann - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. "I fear elements of the Brexit white paper will inevitably put me in direct conflict with the views expressed by a large section of my constituents. I am not prepared to compromise their wishes to deliver a watered-down Brexit. "The residents of North Cornwall made it very clear that they wish to have control over our fishery, our agricultural policy, our money, our laws and our borders. I will evaluate those principles against the Brexit white paper and ensure that I vote in line with their wishes." Rex

But millions more would be guided (utterly meaningless though any manifesto pledge would be in this miasma of confusion) by tax proposals, housing and social care policy, NHS funding, and a host of other issues. Even a decisive result couldnt possibly be taken as proof of the public will on Brexit.

If you want to decide a single issue with a plebiscite, you have a single-issue plebiscite. Holding a general election as a proxy has every chance of deepening an existential crisis in no urgent need of entrenchment.

If the PM is relieved by the reaction to Fridays statement, the instant gratification of a reactionary press hooked on denunciations of EU knavish tricks since Thatcher wont last longer than Jacob Rees-Moggs delight in her tone. Boadicea, writes Moggy, would have been impressed by Theresa May.

However, cheering the approval of a Celtic tribal queen who fought horrid Europeans almost two millennia ago, Boadiceas uprising was crushed. Rather than getting her strategists to war-game a snap election for the Iceni parliament, she promptly departed the scene, probably by poisoning herself.

May has other plans. How firm they are, about an election or anything else intended to let her cling on, is hard to say. But she gives the impression that she is stumbling blindly about in the fog of war, clinging to the corpse of her dearest friend like Forrest Gump holding Bubba back in Nam.

Now that Mays dream of putting all this hell behind her and joining Chequers in the shrimping business is lost, it seems more than ever that if there is a solution to this nightmare, it lies not with her, but with Corbyn.

Whether through an underestimated gift for patient strategising, or his more widely recognised talent for dithering, or simply his refusal to abandon his preference for leaving, he has held his fire for more than two years.

He has ignored both mounting pressure from Keir Starmer and the bulk of his front and back benches, and the craving to have their futures rescued from the fans who chant his name to Seven Nation Army.

But there comes a time in the life of a political general when any form of resistance against a 27 nation army is too blatantly suicidal to be indulged.

That moment would appear to be now. The polling which points to growing disenchantment among his own base, and to substantial Labour gains if he promised one, may be unreliable. But there is no doubting that a huge majority of Labour members, possibly as high as 80 percent, want that second referendum.

Corbyns often stated commitment to the primacy of party democracy is about to face its definitive test. Does he honestly believe that the memberships collective will is supreme? Or is he parroting his version of the ultras hypocrisy about restoring parliamentary supremacy? The answer to that may pivot the future of us all.According to two recent polls, 86 per cent of Labour members are in favour of a second EU referendum, and 90 per cent are in favour of remaining in the European Union. So when John McDonnell turned up on the BBCs Today program at eight o'clock on Monday morning to announce that the party was now in favour of a second referendum, but it would not offer the option of remaining in the EU, its fair to surmise an equally large percentage of party members might have been a touch baffled.

To the shadow chancellors credit however, by lunchtime hed made sure everything made sense.

The greater the mess we inherit, the more radical we have to be; he said in his speech to party conference to customarily rapturous applause.The greater the need for change, the greater the opportunity we have to create that change, and we will.

Until then, Labours brand new position, to vote down whatever deal Theresa May brings back from Brussels then campaign for a referendum in which they would vote no deal so that everything would be so bad it would bring down the government, had looked a touch deranged.

But Corbyn and McDonnell are certainly not afraid of saying they are prepared to do things radically, and this new idea could certainly not be described in any other way.

Traditionally, in the politics game, successes by one government are claimed by the previous one, because of the favourable economic situation they inherited. And when a government fails to deliver on all the things it promises to do, or, for example, raises tuition fees having publicly signed a very large pledge saying it would never ever do so, it likes to blame the economic mess it was left by the last lot.

. The worse things are, the better well make them. It is the kind of oratory that takes the orator hostage, not least as it makes no sense whatsoever. If you publish a manifesto, win an election, then try and implement your policy aims, quite how the task will be made easier if the country is a basket case when you take it over is not immediately clear.

As a pretext for actively campaigning to make peoples lives worse, in other words a no deal Brexit, so that you can ride in claiming to make it better, well there is some common sense there, though it marks a fresh new low point, in these low times, of wild recklessness, denuded shamelessness, and everything other heinous thing that has come to characterise our politics in what has come to feel like a lifetime in just two and a bit years.

One or two other passages leap out. Naturally, he began his speech by attacking the media, because, you know, anything Trump can do, Labour can do better. The audience stood and cheered at Jeremy Corbyns dignity in the face of relentless attacks from the media, again not realising that even their very cheering undermines their leader's best efforts to deal with an antisemitism crisis he has admitted is real.

He praised the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has recently criticised zero hours contracts. Just a few words of advice though Archbishop, when they get round to calling you a Marxist, Ill give you some tips on how to handle it, McDonnell said, laughing. It is boring but necessary to have to repeat the incident he refers to is when a newspaper published a video of John McDonnell, standing on stage, holding a microphone, saying, Im a Marxist. Textbook Trump.

At one point, McDonnell praised Gordon Brown, and his concern, expressed a few weeks ago, that the ramping up of global tensions would render the world incapable of coming together and sorting out its problems in the event of a global financial crisis.

Who knows if Gordon Brown watches these things on television anymore, but we can only imagine what might have been the mans reaction to the idea that here, standing on stage in Liverpool, was the man to sort all that out. Should the global economic system find itself under threat, there would be John McDonnell to put it right, a chap who lists his hobbies in Whos Who as generally fomenting the overthrow of capitalism, and said the same as recently as July of this year.

Two weeks ago, Jeremy Corbyn spent the tenth anniversary of the global financial crisis releasing videos about the size of bonuses at Morgan Stanley, and at a fringe event yesterday, repeated his warnings that the bankers are right to be scared because we are coming for them.

These are not the people the world will be wanting to sort out its problems. A party that wants its country to break as badly as possible so that it can be rebuild it. Well, the global community will certainly be looking to them  but for laughs, not leadership.Barclays is beefing up its corporate banking operations in key EU countries ahead of Brexit as the lender looks for ways to serve clients in Europe.

The British bank has launched a digital corporate banking platform to support "multi-country banking" in Portugal, Spain, France and Ireland.

Germany is also set to join the platform later this year alongside other countries.

While Brexit was not mentioned as a reason for its roll out and expansion, Barclays said that the platform is aimed at clients domiciled in Europe and at "global clients with a presence in Europe".

The bank said that it will give clients the "flexibility to structure their banking activity in the way that best suits them, from a location of their choice, and simplifies significantly Barclays' offering on the continent".

Barclays added that clients will benefit from a simple, easy to manage corporate banking service, which "complements" its investment banking and Barclaycard operations.

The expansion of its European operations has been led by David Farrow, head of international corporate banking at Barclays, and will be managed by Andres Baltar, the newly appointed head of Europe for the division.

Mr Farrow said: "We're a transatlantic bank, so complementing our strength in the UK and US with a comprehensive European proposition allows us to meet the needs of our global clients more effectively.

"Many of the companies we work with have a presence in a number of European countries, which is why making sure the new platform is standardised across the continent is so important.

"It's already making banking simpler for many of our clients, and this ease of use will grow further as we integrate more countries."

Aside from this latest move, Barclays has chosen Ireland as its main EU hub after Brexit in a move that could potentially double its local employee base by 150 staff.

Other banks - including JP Morgan, Citi, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Nomura, Daiwa and Sumitomo - are preparing for the worst case Brexit scenario, a no deal disorderly withdrawal from the EU in which they lose access to the richest trading bloc in the world.Jeremy Corbyn will be "bound" by any vote at the party's conference in Liverpool to support a second referendum on Brexit.

But the Labour leader made clear he still believes an early general election is the best way to resolve the political crisis over Britain's withdrawal from the EU.

He said his party was ready to "put our case to parliament" for an early poll, in comments likely to fuel speculation that Labour will table a vote of no confidence in Theresa May if talks with Brussels fail. Mr Corbyn was speaking as a poll found 86pc of Labour members think voters should have the final say on the outcome of Brexit negotiations, and 90pc would now vote to remain in the EU.

Pro-EU activists were staging a rally and march in Liverpool as the annual conference got under way, in a bid to pile pressure on the leadership to back a so-called 'People's Vote'.

Many activists believe, with Mrs May's plans in disarray following the rejection of her Chequers proposals by EU leaders in Salzburg, the time is now right for Labour to call for a fresh ballot. Mr Corbyn confirmed there will be a vote on the party's Brexit stance during the four-day conference.

But it remains unclear whether the terms of any motion will enable delegates to commit Labour to a referendum.

Asked whether he would feel obliged to respect a vote by delegates demanding a second referendum, Mr Corbyn told BBC1's 'Andrew Marr Show': "Let's see what comes out of conference. Obviously I'm bound by the democracy of our party.

"There will be a clear vote in the conference. I don't know what's going to come out of all the compositing meetings that are going on."

Mr Corbyn declined to say which way he would vote in any new in-or-out poll, while pointing out he backed Remain in the 2016 referendum.

A YouGov survey of more than 1,000 Labour members for 'The Observer' found 86pc support a referendum on the outcome of Brexit talks, against just 8pc who oppose it.

Meanwhile, the UK's shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland has warned that a no-deal Brexit would give credence to those who wish to return to violence in the North.

Tony Lloyd was speaking on the BBC's 'Sunday Politics'.

He said that if the United Kingdom exited the European Union without an agreement, it would be "disastrous for Northern Ireland" and could see a return to the way borders were operated during the Troubles with armed checkpoints.

When challenged that he was scaremongering, Mr Lloyd pointed to comments from PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton, who said that the Border would be a target for paramilitaries in the event of a hard Brexit.

The veteran Labour MP said it was important that the Good Friday Agreement was protected and progress made during the peace process was not lost.Prime Minister Theresa May speaking in Downing Street in the aftermath of the Salzburg summit, saying that the EU must respect the UK in Brexit talks Credit: Jack Taylor/PA Wire

The UK is unlikely to provide any new legal text on its proposals to avoid a hard Border on the island of Ireland until after the annual Tory Party conference in a week.

It means the October 14 deadline to resolve the Irish 'backstop' will be pushed to the limit.

However, UK Prime Minister Theresa May's ability to pass any agreement on the Border has been cast into doubt following a damaging few days of high drama, say Brexit sources.

The British government said it would deliver on a revised legal text on its plan to avoid a hard Border in Ireland ahead of the next EU summit in October.

In a bi-lateral meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee in Salzburg last Friday, Mrs May said her government would "shortly" propose details of the new so-called 'backstop agreement'.

The backstop is designed to give a legal guarantee that no hard Border would be erected, regardless of the outcome of any future trade relationship between the EU and the UK.

However, sources believe it will be difficult for Mrs May to pass her plans through Westminster following her recent ill-fated trip to Salzburg with her EU counterparts.

"It's hard to know what she can offer, honour and then get through Westminster now," said one source. "Her speech on Friday boxed her in even more."

According to sources familiar with the meeting, the British acknowledged the need for any agreement to be legally binding and to take into account the single market and customs border rules to be enforced once the UK leaves the EU.

However, "there could be a big gap" in what they have acknowledged and what ends up on the page, said the source.

EU leaders in Salzburg openly rejected Mrs May's white paper on the EU-UK future relationship - also known as the Chequers plan - pointing out to her that it breached basic single market rules.

The plan was published in July, and the British government had already been aware that it did not measure up to a credible future agreement because it requested that the UK be allowed to access the EU's single market to trade its goods.

Nonetheless the chorus of disapproval that met Mrs May during her trip has been widely regarded as a public humiliation, and has emboldened hard-line Brexiteers who say it is Brussels' intransigence which is to blame for the Brexit disarray. Upon her return home, Mrs May delivered a speech last Friday hitting back at her counterparts where she demanded the EU "show some respect" to the UK.

She also claimed it was Brussels' responsibility to counter-offer her Chequers plan, and claimed she was not given any explanation why her cabinet's much-maligned Brexit plan was a non-runner.

All eyes are on the Tory Party conference in seven days' time where an embattled Mrs May will have a tough job trying to build consensus among a bitterly disjointed membership.

Dublin doesn't expect to see any formal update on the backstop plan until at least after then.

"The only thing that will be much use is a full legal text, and to be fair they recognise that," said another source who added: "We don't expect anything until after the conference."

The timeframe to meet the October deadline for the Irish backstop, which is included in the withdrawal agreement, after that is razor-thin.

The withdrawal agreement is also known as the 'divorce settlement' between the UK and EU. It contains details of the outstanding obligations the UK has to fulfil, including the money it owes the EU for a variety of EU-related projects it is involved in, and its commitment to maintain the rights of more than 3.5 million EU citizens living and working in the UK.

Crucially, it also contains details of the Irish backstop, as well as a guarantee that UK businesses and citizens will have full access to the EU single market and benefits for a 20-month period from March 2019 when Brexit comes in.

This transition period buys the Irish, UK and EU economies time to adjust to Brexit, while decision-makers finalise how the EU-UK future relationship will work.

In spite of her blistering riposte to her fellow EU leaders in her speech last Friday, Mrs May publicly reconfirmed her intention to publish a backstop in time for the withdrawal agreement deadline.

However, given the rise in tensions over Brexit, the chances of getting a fully functioning backstop that satisfies the Border requirements passed by an increasingly hostile Tory Party and an ever-hostile DUP, who continue to hold the balance of power, remain very slim.Lidl New Ross store manager Edgar Shole, Rory Fanning and Paddy Butler in Lidl New Ross. Rory presented Paddy with a barbecue at the event

While based just outside Bunclody at Clohamon, Slaney Foods is a truly global operation.

Providing quality Irish beef to nearly 25 countries worldwide, the company most recently signed a major deal to export to China, a market which in all likelihood will only grow in importance as they keep one eye on developments concerning Brexit.

"It's come along very nicely," Managing Director Rory Fanning said of the China deal to the Wexford People.

"It takes a little bit of time to get everything in place and deal with new specifications, but we've done a lot of work with the Department of Agriculture to ensure that everything runs smoothly. The other week we had our first three containers ship out to China and three more are planned for next week. It's part of our weekly production here now."

"I do sense further growth in Asia as well," he continued. "While demand in Europe is stable at best, it's growing in the far east.

There's also wealth and perhaps a larger economic growth being seen there, which is required for a growth in the market. Despite Brexit though, Britain and Europe are our main markets."

Expand Close ABPs purchase 50pc of Slaney Foods gave it 28pc of the national beef kill / Facebook

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Whatsapp ABPs purchase 50pc of Slaney Foods gave it 28pc of the national beef kill

Brexit is a newly formed word which is uttered often at the Clohamon plant. Rory and his colleagues, like the rest of us, are left watching the news to see how the political situation surrounding Britain's exit from the EU plays out, however, it has more drastic implications for the company than most.

"Britain is our number one market," he said.

"A hard Brexit could be a very bad thing for our business and the farmers who supply us. We need politicians on the British and European side to sit down and come up with a softer Brexit, but until the political scene sorts itself out, it's something that's very difficult to prepare for. It's a matter of watching the news and seeing what happens."

At any given time, Slaney foods employs 400 to 450 staff and deals with around 3,000 suppliers and farmers of all sizes.

There were huge concerns from both sides after Larry Goodman's ABP Foods took a 50PC share in the company back in 2016, culminating in IFA organised protests at the plant.

However, two years on, Rory is confident that fears from all parties have now been allayed.

Expand Close Wexford farmers protesting at the Slaney Foods meat plant at Clohamon / Facebook

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Whatsapp Wexford farmers protesting at the Slaney Foods meat plant at Clohamon

"Business has continued very steadily, which from the point of view of the employees as well, I suppose is a good thing," he said.

"The deal with ABP puts us within the top three producers in Europe. As well as that, ABP has brought a knowledge and a know-how which is a great help in terms of accessing new markets. It's a very good thing in terms of growth."

While farmers' fears may have been allayed on this issue, the current fodder crisis is dominating their thoughts currently and concerns had been expressed over factories taking advantage of farmers looking to shift stock at the height of drought conditions.

"We would say we're working with the farmers and the important thing is making sure that the animals are finished to the best quality as always," Rory said.

"There were three to four months there where the grass just didn't grow, which is bound to have had a huge impact. We're working with local suppliers to try and get the best return for them from the market. I think farmers are very resourceful and they will find light at the end of the tunnel."

As a Wexford company, Slaney Foods was the ideal poster child for German supermarket giants Lidl's 'Lidl Loves Wexford' campaign.

The company's Hereford Beef range has not only captured the hearts of the Irish public, but has been a success for Lidl right across Europe.

"The thing about Lidl when they came in, is that they were so interested in Irish produce,' Rory explained. 'There is no doubt that Irish beef products are genuinely the best in the world and Lidl decided that the Hereford breed wasn't as well known.

"People were tending to go for the Angus steaks and that type of thing. So they decided to look at another option and Herefords have been a huge part of Irish cattle farming for centuries.

They came to us and within our 3,000 farmers we set up a supply chain, starting out at 50 cattle per week and building up to four or five times that.

"It's something which is predominantly Wexford and South East Farmers as well, so it really was a good fit for the Lidl Loves Wexford campaign."

With Lidl being such an important customer, Rory was delighted to attend their customer appreciation night in New Ross last week where a top of the range Webber barbecue was handed over to one lucky customer as a prize.

As Slaney Foods' global expansion continues with gusto, the lucky winner is not the only one who is cooking with gas!Farmer's along The Sligo Way have lost thousands of euro in Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) funds as the Department of Agriculture is refusing the payment because their lands were burned outside of the permitted timeframes.

In letter sent to the Council this July, the Department of Agriculture pointed out that "where land has been burnt it is not in a state for grazing or cultivation and therefore is not eligible" to receive the BPS.

By law, it is an offence for anyone to slash or burn gorse between 1st March and 31st August.

Thousands of hectares of lands on Killery Mountain were scorched after a gorse fire (which the farmers insist was not started by them) raged out of control for three days at the start of May 2017.

It cost the County Council over 125,000 to bring the fires under control using Fire Services from across the North West.

Sinn Fein Councillor Thomas Healy told The Sligo Champion recently that he was "disappointed with the Minister and the outcome of this."

"It's unfair and unjust. We know of other areas where fires broke out and payment wasn't stopped. Up in Mayo where there were fires, their payment wasn't stopped. It's yet another example of farmers in the North West being treated differently than in the rest of the country," he said.

"The Department of Tourism paid out for the walkway - that was done the following week - if that Department can pay out how come the Department of Agriculture can't?" he said.

The farmers have denied starting the gorse fires and say for them to be penalised is unjust.

However the Department said: "the main issue is that the lands are ineligible for the purpose of BPS irrespective of how the fires started as the lands were burned outside of the permitteed timeframes."

"Lands were identified in some 2017 BPS applications that were illegally burned and would therefore be deemed ineligible for payment," a senior civil servant told the Council.

The Department treats these applications as "over-claims" and have in some cases imposed extra penalties.

Where farmers have been able to provide evidence that they were not involved in the gorse burning, the Department will only waive the penalty but will still not make the payment.

In a number of cases, the penalty has been waived but the burnt land remains ineligible for the BPS payment.

According to Cllr Healy, the farmers are losing out on payments as low as 3,000 and in some cases, as high as 40,000.

The burnt lands should be deemed eligible for payment this year.

This summer, despite being one of the hottest on records, no forest or gorse fires broke out in Sligo.

The Department claims that their BPS payment system is frequently audited by the EU authorities and "any weakness" in the system, such as payment for burnt lands, would incur "tens of millions of Euros" in penalties to Ireland.Gerry Nolan and his son James have been drawing two tankers of water a day from the River Nore to keep their cows hydrated during the heatwave. Photo: Roger Jones

On average it cost 3,000 to 3,500 to build and kit your own well

The Government has announced grant supports totalling 20m for 2018 for water services in rural areas.

Eoghan Murphy, the Minister for the Housing, Planning and Local Government, said the funding will enable development and improvement work to be undertaken on group water schemes and group sewerage schemes in rural areas, and will provide grants for households to upgrade private wells and septic tanks.

The funding is aimed at the improvement of water quality in existing group water schemes and the upgrading and water conservation works in group water scheme distribution networks.

It will support new schemes to enable rural households to have a supply of good quality piped water for the first time. Funding is also being provided towards group sewerage schemes.

The Rural Water Programme is made up of six different measures and funding being announced today is broken down across a series of initiatives.

Under the measures, 3.5m is being committed to funding grants for private wells and septic tanks.

Approximately 11pc of Irish people get their water from private wells. Grants are available under the Rural Water Programme for the provision of or improvements to an individual water supply in a house.

Currently a grant of up to 75pc of the cost, subject to a maximum grant of 2,031.58, is available, subject to certain conditions. These are:

There cannot be an alternative group or public supply available

The house must be more than seven years old and not connected to either a public supply or group scheme

Only one grant per house will be allowed in any seven year period

The proposed work must cost more than 635

Announcing the funding, Minister Murphy said high quality sustainable water services are a fundamental necessity to our lives and do not distinguish between rural or urban areas.

This is why the Government continues to prioritise funding for the group water sector in parallel with the overall funding for water services generally. Throughout the length and breadth of rural Ireland infrastructural investment in water services is needed and is being provided by this Government.Swiss cattle come down from the mountain for their winter grazing, amid plenty of fanfare

Swiss voters decisively rejected more help for farmers in two referendums on Sunday, heeding the government's warnings that the measures would send food prices rocketing and hurt the economy, projections for broadcaster SRF showed.

Opinion polls had shown early widespread support for more farm aid was fading as the vote neared and more details about likely costs emerged.

Economy Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann had called the proposals "dangerous" and said they could trigger tariff increases and other reprisals from trading partners.

One proposal, called the Fair Food initiative, called for all food in Switzerland to come from sustainable sources and for labelling to be more exact. It aimed to improve animal welfare by banning imports of factory-farmed products and ensuring food imports met higher Swiss standards.

Voters were set to reject the measure by a 63-37 percent margin, projections by polling outfit gfs.bern showed. The margin of error was two percentage points.

Supporters such as the Green Party and Social Democrats argued that consumers, animals, the environment and farmers would all benefit.

The other proposal wanted to increase state aid to Swiss farmers, whose numbers have halved since 1985 in a country where three farming businesses close every day.

That was set to fail by a 70-30 percent margin, the projections showed.

Agriculture's contribution to the Swiss economy has fallen from 2 percent in 1985 to under 1 percent.

The referendums were held after farming groups and environmentalists gathered the more than 100,000 signatures needed to trigger a vote under Switzerland's system of direct democracy.

The government said the demands would lead to higher subsidies or fixed prices, a claim campaigners rejected.Irish agriculture could be in line for a major boost as China cuts tariffs for the majority of its trading partners.

The world's second largest economy - is now Ireland's third largest market for agri-food exports.

The value of exports in the sector has seen a five-fold increase in value terms since 2010.

Beijing is planning to cut the average tariff rates on imports from the majority of its trading partners as soon as next month, two people familiar with the matter have said.

That will lower costs for consumers as China's trade war with the US deepens.

Premier Li Keqiang said last week that China would further reduce the tariffs, without elaborating.

The two people who spoke on the new reduction asked not to be named as the matter is not yet public.

Whether Ireland is included in the tariff cuts is unclear at this point.

But a Department of Agriculture spokesman said that any proposal by China to reduce tariff rates would be of benefit to Irish food exporters "if and when implemented".

China is Ireland's second biggest market for dairy produce and pig meat. Agri-food exports worth almost 1bn went there last year.

In April, Ireland became the first European beef exporter in 18 years to secure access to China's fast-growing market.

By cutting duties on goods even as it retaliates against Donald Trump's trade war with higher charges on some US goods, China is following through on long-stated goals to boost imports.

The move comes as the nation is trying to stimulate consumption to support a slowing economy, and follows similar cuts to tariffs on a wide range of consumer goods.

"By further cutting import taxes, China is sending a message that it will keep opening up and reform no matter how the trade war goes," said Tommy Xie, an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp in Singapore.

"It's more like a commitment to both domestic and international audience. It's a gesture," Mr Xie added

The Ministry of Finance did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.

China's most-favoured nation (MFN) average tariff currently stands at 9.8pc. The MFN rule requires all countries to be treated equally unless specific exceptions are agreed.

The US is also covered by MFN status.

China still has a higher average tariff rate than many developed economies.

The US's average applied MFN rate was 3.4pc in 2017, and the Trump administration has previously accused China of being a protectionist economy. (Additional reporting Bloomberg)Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed meets with two Arab buyers at last years Gulfood trade show in Dubai, along with Jens Gloeckner of Ornua and Tara McCarthy, Bord Bias CEO

The Arab world is open for business and the opportunities for Irish companies in this largely untapped market are significant.

Ireland's exports to Arab markets topped 4.3bn in 2016 and are forecast to exceed 9bn in the next 10 years.

The Arab region is therefore an important trading bloc for Irish companies who are serious about growing their businesses and exploiting new opportunities.

Arab business leaders and Irish companies which have experience of the region will share their knowledge when they address the 2018 Arab-Irish Business Forum on October 3 at the Mansion House in Dublin.

The conference will offer a unique insight to businesses looking beyond Europe and the US for growth, covering a wide range of topics including risk, red tape, route to market and cultural norms.

There is no real mystery to the culture. Arab business people like having face-to-face meetings.

You therefore need to be prepared to spend time in the region, commit to the market and establish strong relationships by being on the ground.

It's quite common to be invited to "drop by for a coffee", which can suddenly evolve and become a lucrative business meeting.

For this, you need to have a physical presence in the market, even if that means flying there once a month.

Haggling is a cultural norm so be prepared to negotiate and expect a lot of bargaining.

A tense or confrontational atmosphere in a meeting is not a bad sign and, in fact, can often mean that the deal is on the verge of being signed.

While there are many differences between Irish and Arab cultures, there are as many cultural similarities.

There is a huge emphasis on family - Arabs are very sociable and a meeting extending to lunch or dinner is not uncommon. Humour plays a big part both in business and outside.

Trust is paramount and not only has it to be earned, but it also has to be retained. A personal guarantee is worth its weight in gold to an Arab business person.

Arabs like doing business with the Irish, whom they hold in high regard. In a region of vast and growing populations, there is a constant need for new products and innovations from the western world. But quality is king and it must be matched by value.

Get these two things right and you'll be pushing against an open door.

Link in with Enterprise Ireland, which has specialist teams across the region to specifically support Irish firms in getting established.

Ask them for advice on the different business models that operate out there.

Do your research and avoid wasting time, money and effort surging ahead with a business model that is not right for you - or the market.

Many people make the mistake of not speaking to industry peers trading with the Arab world, but this is a fundamental starting point.

Take advantage of the many expat networking groups for unrivalled insight and first-hand experiences that you are unlikely to find elsewhere.

Finally, don't make the mistake of seeing the Arab world as one region.

There are several different economic landscapes, languages, local laws and political influences that mark out the various countries, so make sure you understand what is relevant to those you are targeting.

Doing business with the Arab states has never been easier, with organisations such as Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia providing support in areas including identifying routes to market, finding distribution partners and identifying potential customers.

Emirates offers a twice-daily service from Dublin to countries across the region via Dubai, carrying up to 50 tons of Irish exports east every day.

Ahmad Younis is the chief executive of the Arab-Irish Chamber of Commerce and will speak to conference delegates on doing business in the Arab World.Not all broadcasters got the pronunciation of fashion designer Orla Kiely's name right when news of her retail business going into administration broke last week. Despite her brand's international recognition, many referred to her as 'Keely'.

It was understandable for Channel 4, but less so in Dublin 4 - growing up, her parents owned the landmark Kiely's pub in Donnybrook. When it was announced last April that the pub, no longer in her family's ownership, would close there was no inkling that the business owned by the next generation of the Kiely family was facing into any difficulty.

Indeed, until very recently, Orla Kiely and her husband Dermott Rowan were speaking at public events about their business, with Rowan warning at an EY entrepreneurs retreat in May that the internet was have a shocking affect on the high street in the UK. "Retail's changing and you've got to adapt with it," he told fellow business founders.

Looking at the company behind the brand, Kiely Rowan, it is clear it has been struggling with change. The most recent accounts are rosy enough: turnover was up almost 16pc to 8.3m although the after-tax profit was a very thin 74,000.

Go back a few years and you can see the pattern has been quite worrying, however.

Although luxury brands were in retreat during the recession, the Orla Kiely brand weathered the first few years well. Reporting accounts in 2011, the directors' ambitions were riding high with revenue growth of 20pc forecast thanks to growing demand in the US and Asia, and a presence in an increasing number of stores.

Their optimism was duly rewarded. Not quite living up to their target, revenue was up 19pc to 9.4m, although gross margins declined. That was the pinnacle of the business's success. The following year, turnover was down 3pc and gross margins declined further from 42pc to 39pc. It blamed a shift away from low margin discounting for falling revenues.

In 2014, sales were down 9.6pc as the business grappled with its growing retail and internet business. Gross margin improved but the company talked about cost reductions and keeping a tight grip on administrative expenses. In 2015, revenues fell a further 3pc and by 11.7pc in 2016.

There was a revenue bounce in 2017, the most recent figures, but the events of last week suggest that bounce came too late.

One strategy which may have given the brand a boost in the last couple of years was a wide range of licensing deals, which included some bizarre partnerships, such as Orla Kiely tents for Halfords in the UK. Her patterns were on everything from tea towels to soap. These deals provided an extra revenue stream, but generally just equate to a few percent of the sale price for the designer. The down side of these arrangements may be far steeper. If they weaken the appeal of a 200 handbag, they are very costly deals indeed.

Musgrave goes shopping

Ten years ago, Dunnes Stores and SuperValu owner Musgrave would have spent little time concerning themselves with the likes of Donnybrook Fair. It would have been seen as niche and elitist and holding an appeal limited to a certain type of customer in south Dublin.

Back in May, it was reported in these pages that Joe Doyle, owner of Donnybrook Fair, was playing down intense speculation that he was about to sell up to Dunnes. But, in fact, he came very close to doing a deal with the Irish chain led by Margaret Heffernan.

However, another Irish business was also chasing the retailer, Musgrave, which announced last Friday it had bought the chain of five Donnybrook Fair shops.

This battle between two of Ireland's biggest grocery retail tells its own story about the market here now.

Dunnes, Musgrave and Tesco each have a share of the market of roughly 22pc, while Aldi and Lidl have close to 12pc each. Those five players have a total share approaching 90pc, making it an extremely competitive market for all five.

Dunnes' old catchphrase - 'better value beats them all' - would get them nowhere now in terms of growing its market share. The value crown is very definitely being worn by the German discounters and no challenger is likely to unseat them.

So while Dunnes continues to offer value, it has noticeably moved into the higher end of the food business, acquiring James Whelan Butchers and having a tilt at Avoca, ultimately bought by Aramark.

But this is the first time Musgrave and Dunnes have gone head to head for an acquisition. What has emerged is two parallel strategies with both appreciating their growth opportunity in this very competitive space will require them attaching themselves to top-notch names.

Retail sources believe Musgrave will maintain the Donnybrook Fair brand and SuperValu around the country will begin to feature DF products in their chilled sections. While the five Donnybrook stores have a value, the real win will be the halo effect Donnybrook Fair gives SuperValu as it climbs up the value chain. Like Dunnes, it will not subsume DF into its own brand but offer it as a draw to its stores.

What was not long ago considered niche and elite is the new battleground for the two biggest Irish-owned grocery retailers.NEWS outlets nationwide are joining forces in a campaign to safeguard the role of the press.

National and local media have rallied to the campaign - led by Newsbrands Ireland - to highlight the important role played by the press in safeguarding democracy.

This week will see national and local news publishers across the country collectively publishing editorials which celebrate the value of an independent press.

Organisers are also calling on the Government to support a number of measures being sought by the news industry to ensure its future.

Independent.ie journalist Conor Feehan said he believes news outlets provide a crucial platform for the voiceless and often have the power to bring about real change.

An example of this, he said, is the homelessness crisis, the biggest social issue in Ireland at the moment.

In a video posted online, Mr Feehan speaks of how he spotted a tent on the grass in front of a five-star hotel.

He said: "We walked across the wet field in the rain and suddenly you're standing looking down at this pitiful sight of a small tent with a hole in the roof covered by a plastic bag.

"A man then came out of that tent and told us everything about himself.

"But once we printed the story, people started to come directly into the field to give him supplies, provisions and advice.

"And he has largely come out the other side of it - all of that happened because we told his story.

"If there's an issue that's affecting society we always try and get to the human side of it. That will often lead to a growing sense of public anger about a situation and that's when you will see authorities like governments suddenly react.

"If we don't do that, their voices remain silent, their problems remain unsolved and if we don't tell their stories who does?"

In a separate video, his colleague Charlie Weston highlighted the importance of breaking the story of the tracker mortgage scandal.

He said he knew something untoward was going on.

"If you have enough evidence that something is wrong, you'll eventually prove your case," he said.

"It may take a lot of time, it may take nine years, but that's what it took.

"An awful lot of people are reaping the benefits of that now."

The #JournalismMatters campaign calls on the Government to use Budget 2019 to deliver on a five-point-plan for the industry:

* Reduce VAT on newspapers and digital products to 5pc in Budget 2019. Ireland currently has one of the highest rates in Europe.

* Reform Ireland's draconian defamation laws to ensure that the stories that need to be told, are told.

* Appoint a Minister for Media - a single member of the Cabinet should have oversight of all aspects of our complex media landscape.

* Establish a News Publishers Media Fund to drive innovation and investment.

* Invest in a training support scheme for all journalists.Slane Castle will be rocked to its foundations next summer as Metallica are set to play the legendary Co Meath venue.

Owner Lord Henry Mountcharles confirmed the news in an announcement at the castle on Monday morning.

"Its a big production, its brash, its real rock n roll," he said.

I said to myself how the hell do we follow Guns N Roses, and Metallica were a very obvious choice," he added.

"I wanted to show Slanes rockn'roll roots are alive and well for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes you get to a juncture where the lyrics of a song like Nothing Else Matters really resonates."

James Hetfield, Robert Trujillo, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett will play on June 8 as part of the WorldWires tour, fulfilling their promise to Irish fans that they would play here in 2019.

Were returning to the UK & Europe next summer for a run of outdoor gigs at stadiums, parks, & even one at a castle! Our friends @thebandGHOST and @Bokassaband will be joining us along the way.



Tickets on sale 9/28 @ 10 AM local time. Fan Club presales begin 9/25. pic.twitter.com/obP19bL0mW  Metallica (@Metallica) September 24, 2018

They previously revealed that they would be staging a European stadium tour from May to August 2019.

Drummer Lars also said they had planned to play Ireland in 2018 but "the arena would not work due to the stage layout and the amounts of pyro we had planned".

"I think it's fair to say [for] Metallica, Slane was always kind of on their bucket list and they haven't played Ireland in ten years," said Lord Mountcharles.

"And I've always thought they were an extraordinary and influential band so it was a matter of whether we could actually do the deal and get them after Guns N' Roses."

Expand Close Announcement at Slane Castle this morning (Photo: Aoife Kelly) / Facebook

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MCD's Denis Desmond revealed that the band only does 50 shows per year and changed dates to make sure they played Slane.

"They actually moved and rescheduled some shows to make they could play Slane because obviously Slane is only on a Saturday," he said. "So it was on their bucket list and it's on Henry's bucket list."

Metallica will be supported by Ghost and Bokassa and two more bands, and as is traditional at Slane, one of those will be an Irish band to open on the day after gates at 1pm.

"I think some of you would have been here when Robbie Williams stole the show and he was third on the bill, and we've had acts that have come up the ranks. Oasis are another example," said Mountcharles.

"The first time I saw Oasis play was in New York in front of 600 people. This has been an exciting part of our lives - the opportunity to bring acts like this to the Irish public is something else."

Slane Castle did not host a concert this summer but last year Guns N Roses proved a massive success  they sold out the 80,000 capacity venue in a day.

However, there had been heavy rain prior to the concert and there were some issues with delays for cars leaving the venue after the concert. Lord Mountcharles recommended concert goers take the bus rather than drive.

"Really the quickest way to go to a gig, and I've had friends of mine say this to me, is to get a bus. There's a great turnaround, you're back in the city in 40 minutes. Yes, if you come in a car the logistics are inevitably that bit more difficult."

Metallica's Slane date is one of 25 newly announced WorldWired shows across 20 countries. Fans have the opportunity to purchase a Wherever I May Roam Black Ticket which will allow floor access to any Metallica show on the 2019 Europe/UK tour. A limited number will be available for 598 from CID Entertainment.

Tickets from 89.50 for Slane go on sale Friday, September 28 at 10am. Fan Club presales begin on September 25. Click HERE for details.Relax, its all over. You can start breathing again. In, out, in, out, slowly and deeply now, right down to the pit of the stomach, thats it.

After five episodes that kept more than 10 million viewers in Britain and who knows how many more in Ireland enthralled on Sunday nights, Bodyguard creator and writer Jed Mercurio had promised to bring things to a satisfying close.

And, boy, did this specially extended 75-minute finale deliver on that promise. It was a big, bold, bravura finish, an outrageous thrill-ride that never took its foot off the suspense pedal for a second.

At the heart of it was a terrifically tense, protracted set-piece featuring our bruised, battered hero David Budd (Richard Madden) waking up to find himself strapped into a suicide vest, his thumb taped into a dead mans trigger: if he released the pressure on the detonation button even slightly, hed blow himself and everyone else around him to smithereens.

Having scattered around enough red herrings to fill the hold of a Norwegian trawler during the previous episodes, Mercurio threw in a few more that kept viewers on edge and guessing almost to the very end.

All the questions that needed to be answered were answered. The biggest one concerned whether hawkish Home Secretary Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes) had really died in the bomb blast. There was speculation that she had survived and was lying low in order to draw out the culprits.

After all, her funeral had a closed casket and we never actually witnessed her death or saw her body. As it turned out, this was just a classic bit of Mercurio misdirection of the kind were familiar with from Line Of Duty.

Big question No 2 was who actually murdered Montague? Viewers already knew that snarky, smarmy Chanel Dyson (Stephanie Hyam), the PR adviser Montague sacked back in episode one, was linked to organised crime boss Luke Aitkens (Matt Stokoe). Budd snapped her climbing into Aitkens car outside a coffee shop.

Aitkens, who had also been glimpsed at the veterans meeting where Budd met disturbed old army buddy Andy Apsted (Tom Brooke)  who later tried to assassinate Montague  had every motive to want Montague dead, since her tough new anti-terror laws would also have cracked down on his criminal operations.

So it didnt come as too much of a surprise to learn that Aitkens, whod strapped Budd into the vest, planted the bomb. But he had collaborators.

Video of the Day

When Budd, having disabled the suicide vest and made a dangerous run to prove his innocence, led the cops to Aitkens, we finally discovered the identity of the inside man.

All along, the finger of suspicion had pointed at various characters: hatchet-faced MI5 boss Stephen Hunter-Dunn (Stuart Bowman); sneaky counter-terrorism minister Mike Travis (Vincent Franklin); and chief whip (and Montagues sniffy ex-husband) Roger Penhaligon (Nicholas Gleaves).

In the end, the inside man turned out to be an inside woman: Budds immediate boss Lorraine Craddock (Pippa Haywood), who was an old-fashioned corrupt copper whod set the unstable Budd up as the perfect fall guy.

Typically, Bodyguard saved the biggest twist for last. In a gripping interrogation scene (and what would a Jed Mercurio drama be without one?), Nadia (Anjli Mohindra), the supposedly terrified naif who had been manipulated by her terrorist husband into almost blowing up a train, revealed herself to be the bomb-maker and mastermind behind the entire operation. It was a brilliant subversion of expectations.

Mercurio left enough loose threads dangling (the identity of Budds estranged wifes unseen boyfriend, for one) and shifty characters standing (Gina McKees untrustworthy Met officer Anna Sampson) to fuel a second season, but theres one question that remains unanswered: what the hell will we do on Sunday nights now?Main: President Michael D Higgins with family members of Big Tom, including his sister Margaret Kavanagh (front right) and his son Thomas (in between the statue and the President) after the unveiling in Castleblayney yesterday. Photo: Brian Lawless

The son of the late country singer Big Tom McBride has praised a new statue of him as a "fitting tribute".

President Michael D Higgins unveiled the monument to Big Tom in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, yesterday.

Big Tom died in April, aged 81, as the statue and a festival in his honour were in the process of being planned.

The entertainer's son, Thomas, described the unveiling of the bronze statue of his father as a celebratory moment, tinged with sadness.

More than 1,000 fans travelled from across Ireland and further afield for the event. There were cheers as Mr Higgins unveiled the statue, before a rush of fans eager to see it up close and get their photo taken with it.

Thomas said his family were devastated his mother Rose, who also died earlier this year, as well as his father were not there to see it.

"This day is a very proud day for the McBride family, celebratory yet tinted with sadness, for they have departed, mum and dad.

"We are devastated that mum and dad aren't here today, I know they would have loved it."

Big Tom and the Mainliners were formed in the 1960s. Henry McMahon, another member of the Mainliners, also described it as a day tinged with sadness.

"It's a wonderful day, tinged with sadness, but it's no less than Big Tom deserves, he was an icon, and still is an icon," he said.

Music fan Myles Kavanagh had travelled from Kilkenny and dressed as Elvis for the occasion. "It's magnificent," he said of the sculpture.

"I may be the king of rock 'n' roll but he was the king of country, we'll always have Big Tom in our memories."The promotion of hundreds of gardai to fill a crisis in numbers at sergeant level has been delayed because of a High Court challenge.

The Herald has learned that more than 400 gardai who were due to be promoted this month will now have to wait an indefinite amount of time.

Gardai have said that the delay is only temporary, and it is understood that a legal challenge being taken by a garda is the cause of the delay.

Despite an urgent need to boost numbers at a mid-ranking level, it is the second time the same competition process has been delayed.

The significant list of gardai to be promoted to sergeant rank was announced in an effort to increase numbers at supervisory level.

Currently the number of recruits graduating from Templemore and being sent to garda districts means there are not enough officers at sergeant rank to supervise them.

A High Court challenge brought in relation to the competitions process has caused a delay in the announcement of successful candidates.

It is understood that the legal challenge has been brought by a member of An Garda Siochana who unsuccessfully applied to be promoted to the rank of sergeant.

A senior source said that the force was seeking legal advice in relation to the matter and that the announcement of the results had been delayed.

Members have been left particularly frustrated as sergeant roles need to be filled, as well as the fact that people initially applied for the interview process in July 2017, a source said.

The need for more gardai at supervisory level has been raised by oversight bodies, as well as former acting garda commissioner Donall O Cualain.

Crisis

In a statement, garda headquarters told the Herald: The release of the results of garda to sergeant competition has been temporarily delayed. An Garda Siochana is aware of a potential High Court action.

Earlier this year, the low number of middle-ranking gardai within the organisation was described as a crisis by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI).

In its report released last week, the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland also called for supervision at sergeant level to be strengthened.

It is the second time that the same competition process has been delayed in recent months.

Earlier this year, a directive was issued to gardai who applied for the rank of sergeant, informing them that the competitions had been postponed indefinitely.

All garda to sergeant interviews from March 1, 2018, are hereby postponed until further notice, it stated.

The announcement of a delay in garda promotions follows the decision by garda management to cut overtime across the country.

Non-discretionary overtime was cut for gardai in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) as well as detectives attached to Special Crime Operations (SCO).

Armed patrols under Operation Hybrid, as well as overtime to fund patrols of Dublin Port, were also axed as a result of the directive issued on behalf of the garda commissioner last week.Willian Voelz was one of 14 people sharing the house

A STUDENT who claimed that more than 300 worth of cannabis and ecstasy found under his bed was planted there has been found guilty of possession of drugs.

Willian Voelz (21) was one of 14 Brazilians sharing a house that was raided by gardai when the drugs were found.

He was out at the time and insisted someone else must have put them there, but Judge John Lindsay convicted him and fined him 100.

He was acquitted of a related charge of having the drugs for sale or supply after the judge ruled there was no evidence.

Voelz had denied having the drugs at his address at Summerhill in the north inner city.

Dublin District Court heard gardai searched the three-floor building on June 5 last year.

Eleven tenants were present, but the accused was not.

LOCKER

Gda Cathal Feely searched a second-floor room with four beds. In a locker by Voelzs bed he found five tablets and cannabis resin. Under the bed were two storage boxes containing more cannabis.

Gda Wayne Carey agreed with barrister Joseph Mulrean, defending, that gardai had been looking for someone else and Voelz was not on their radar.

It was unfortunately not unusual in present day Ireland that quite a number of people would be living in one house, Mr Mulrean said.

The garda did not accept that someone else in the house could have planted the drugs.

Voelz insisted that when he went out that day there was nothing except his suitcase with souvenirs in it under his bed.

He left no drugs, knew nothing about them and was not a drug user, he said.

The drugs were planted, and he did not know who put them there, but someone might have heard the officers knocking and panicked.Two men have been charged with money laundering offences after detectives investigating the activities of organised crime gangs seized 2 million in crime proceeds.

Glenn Power (29) and Bernard Joyce (44) are alleged to have been found with the money in operations by Wexford gardai and detectives from the Gardai National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB).

Judge Gerard Haughton remanded Mr Joyce in custody after he did not apply for bail.

In relation to Mr Power, Judge Haughton refused bail and remanded him in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court this Friday.

Mr Power, of Colepark Road in Ballyfermot, appeared before Wexford District Court charged with two counts of possessing property which is the proceeds of crime.

Mr Joyce, with an address at Newtown, Beauparc, Co Meath, is facing one count of the same charge.

He was allegedly found with 20 bundles of cash, with approximately 50,000 in each bundle, totalling 1 million, after gardai raided a house at Arnestown, Foulksmills, Co Wexford.

Defence solicitor Tim Cummings said Mr Joyce was not applying for bail and there was consent to a remand in custody to Wexford court next Monday.

In relation to Mr Power, Detective Garda Fiona Connaghton said there was an objection to bail.

She alleged that gardai received confidential information there was to be a hand over of money in relation to an organised crime gang involved in the illegal distribution of drugs into the State at a location in Wexford.

On September 22, Gda Connaughton alleged Mr Power was seen in a car park at the rear of an industrial unit in Wexford town about to hand over 505,000 to a third party to be brought out of the State.

In a follow-up search, Gda Connaughton alleged that 500,000 was found in the attic of Mr Power's home in Ballyfermot.

The detective claimed Mr Power was caught "red-handed" and that he represented a flight risk.

Defence solicitor Tracey Horan said Mr Power "did not know the sum of money in the car at the time".

Gda Connaughton responded, saying the "bag was very heavy".

Ms Horan said the accused was willing to abide by any bail conditions. She said he had a long-term partner and was on illness benefit for a serious back injury.

He also had family and strong ties to the country, she added.

Judge Haughton refused bail, saying the allegation involved a "very substantial sum of money".

The men's court appearances followed the seizure of cash in three separate raids in Wexford and Dublin at the weekend.

Five people - four men and one woman - were arrested. The other two men and the woman have since been released without charge and a file will be sent to the DPP.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday confirmed he was previously informed about the hazards in the landslide prone area of Itogon, Benguet.

Roque said a mining company "owner" operating near Benguet Corporation warned him back in January that a dam pipe in the area collapsed, which may have enhanced the land movement.

"Na-record yung parang fountain na bumula doon sa isang dam na nagpapatunay na nagkaroon na ng breach yung (pipe ng) dam," Roque told reporters in a Malacanang media briefing.

"May tubig sa ilalim ng lupa, samahan mo pa ng matinding ulan, ang lupa po ay talagang guguho."

[Translation: It was recorded that there was a fountain-like movement in one dam, which proves that there has been a breach in the dam pipe. There's water underneath the soil, and couple it with intense rains, then the land will really crumble.]

He said he relayed the information to Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu.

"Ang tingin ko po, nagawa ko naman 'yung katungkulan ko dahil pinarating ko 'tong impormasyon kay Secretary Cimatu, at si Secretary Cimatu sa harap ni Presidente, inamin naman niya na nalaman din niya ang impormasyon," he added.

[Translation: I think I've done my part as I have relayed this information to Secretary Cimatu. And even Secretary Cimatu, in front of the president, admitted he learned about the information.]

Roque, however, admitted he may not have been too firm in relaying the information as he was a "new member" of the cabinet back then.

He added he will withhold judgment regarding accountabilities for the landslide, which killed dozens of residents and workers.

"I will withhold judgment, because although Secretary Cimatu acknowledged he received the information, I do not know what action they took," the spokesperson noted.

A landslide hit a makeshift church in Itogon's Barangay Ucab, where residents took refuge at the height of Typhoon Ompong more than a week ago.

At least 56 bodies have been retrieved from the rubble, while 10 other people remain missing, according to the latest report of the Philippine National Police (PNP) incident command center.

CNN Philippines Correspondents Ina Andolong and Triciah Terada, and Digital Producer Alyssa Rola contributed to this report.Cartel: Fat Freddie Thompson beside Daniel Kinahan at the funeral of David Byrne, who was killed at the Regency Hotel in 2016

PRISON officers fear that Fat Freddie Thompson has recruited killer Warren Dumbrell to protect him behind bars.

Independent.ie has learned that the two convicted killers are on the same landing of the A Wing in Portlaoise Prison after Thompson (37) fell out with his associates.

He was last month sentenced to life imprisonment for the feud murder of David Daithi Douglas, but just days after beginning his life sentence Thompson was moved away from his former associates.

MURDER

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This includes Barry Doyle, serving a life sentence for killing innocent Limerick rugby player Shane Geoghegan, and Eamonn Cumberton, who was jailed for the feud murder of Michael Barr.

Sources told Independent.ie that Thompson was confronted by these two killers before being relocated by prison officials.

Following the bust-up he was moved into the same area as Dumbrell, where prison officers believe the two men have been associating, and that Thompson will use Dumbrell to protect him from any threat.

He isnt on protection but he is certainly feeling under threat from his onetime associates.

As a result. it seems he has had no other option but to try and use Warren Dumbrell to protect him  which is a bizarre dynamic given that Dumbrell does not normally associate with other inmates, or anyone, the source said.

This will obviously cause a major headache for prison officials given that both men are absolutely reckless, the source added.

Dumbrell (44) is considered one of the most volatile and dangerous inmates in the prison system and has been kept away from the general prison population for a large amount of his sentence.

He is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of father-of-six Christopher Cawley in October 2006.

Dumbrell, along with his younger brother Jeffrey, chased the 33-year-old and trapped him in a stairwell at Tyrone Place Flats, Inchicore, before stabbing him to death in front of his wife and two of his children.

He had been imprisoned in the Midlands jail until recently, before being moved to Portlaoise Prison. In a recent High Court challenge against his detention conditions, prison authorities argued that Dumbrells behaviour had deteriorated since 2015 as a result of personality changes which have resulted in him becoming more intimidating.

Moving him to the mainstream prison population would negatively impact on his behaviour and give access to contraband and potential altercations with prisoners and staff, it was argued.

During Dumbrells High Court challenge against his detention conditions it was revealed that he had been considered to be a most volatile and dangerous prisoner and had accumulated 51 discipline charges.

Thompson, meanwhile, was moved out of Mountjoy Prison while on remand for the murder of Mr Douglas after causing major issues in the prison.

Authorities believe that Fat Freddie, along with Cumberton, Doyle and another man before the courts, were responsible for increasing tensions in the Dublin jail, and the four were later moved to Portlaoise Prison.

On August 31, the mobster  who had been involved in organised criminality since his late teens  was convicted of the feud murder of Mr Douglas by the Special Criminal Court.

Delivering the verdict, Mr Justice Tony Hunt sympathised with Mr Douglass family, particularly his daughter, who witnessed the shooting.

EXECUTION

He said it was a terrible thing for anyone to see. He further commended the gardai involved, saying the standard of the investigation into his execution was second to none.

During the trial, the non-jury court heard the 55-year-old victim was shot six times shortly after 4pm, as he took a meal break at the counter in his partners shop, Shoestown.

A semi-automatic pistol with its serial number removed was found next to his head.

Judge Hunt said there was no doubt that Mr Douglas was murdered and that this was an execution which involved intricate advanced planning and co-ordination.

He pointed out that the prosecution did not suggest Thompson was the person who fired the shots, but that he was one of the people involved.

As a result of the guilty verdict and incarceration, Thompson became the most senior cartel figure to be sentenced for a feud murder to date.Mission: Chris Morash wants to attract students from the North. Picture: Maxwells

Brexit is threatening Trinity College Dublin's historic mission to be "a university for the whole island of Ireland".

Since it opened 426 years ago, Trinity has been proud of bringing different traditions, north and south, together.

However, the uncertainty caused by Brexit has already taken a big toll on CAO applications from the North this year, which are down 20pc.

And there are fears numbers will fall even further if Britain's departure from the EU goes ahead.

Prof Chris Morash, the vice-provost of Trinity, said the drop was largely attributable to uncertainty regarding fee status and other issues post-Brexit. The university is now redoubling its efforts.

He said: "While political uncertainties play out, we will continue to expand our engagement with alumni, schools and guidance counsellors in Northern Ireland to ensure that students there see Trinity as an attractive and welcoming option for their university education.

"This is central to Trinity's mission to be a university for the whole island of Ireland."

Brexit emerged as Trinity was slowly recovering from a steady dip in demand from Northern Ireland, which was attributed to the entrance criteria for A-level applicants.

In 2013-14, Trinity responded with initiatives including a relaxation of entrance criteria and launched its Northern Ireland Engagement Programme, reconnecting with schools, parents, teachers and alumni across the six counties.

The target was to triple its intake of students from the North to 300 a year - about 8pc of freshers.

Trinity was seeing the benefits of the strategy before the Brexit emerged.

Between 2014 and 2017, cross-Border applications rose from 601 to 958.

But this year saw a 20pc decline in demand, down to 763. There was also an 11pc fall off, down to 552, from Britain.The Irish and British governments are working hard to protect existing arrangements between the two countries in the areas of higher education and research, but much depends on the final Brexit deal.

Earlier this month, UK Secretary of State for Education Damian Hinds visited Dublin to reinforce the close relationship between the two countries.

He met Education Minister Richard Bruton and both reiterated their commitment to maintaining the Common Travel Area, which ensures reciprocal rights to access education at all levels for Irish and British citizens in each other's countries.

They agreed officials would work together to ensure access was maintained and also discussed broader education cooperation.

Irish students in the UK would continue to be treated as domestic, as opposed to international, students.

They would continue to pay standard fees and have access to its student loans system. Similarly, UK students in the Republic would be considered EU students.

There are about 10,000 State students in England, Scotland and Wales, and about 2,000 in Northern Ireland - important outlets for Irish students, many of whom go because they cannot access a preferred course at home.

However, uncertainty around Brexit is blamed for a recent drop in applications, and there has also been a fall in demand from UK students seeking to study here.

While there is optimism about maintaining existing arrangements for students, there is much uncertainty about how Brexit will affect valuable EU-funded research collaborations between Ireland and the UK.

The UK's exit from the EU creates opportunities for Ireland, but the reality is that the State gains from having such a big-hitting neighbour at the EU table.

The UK, with its string of elite universities, is a major beneficiary of EU research funding. It receives back more than it contributes - and Ireland benefits.

Under the 80bn EU Horizon 2020 research programme, the UK is Ireland's largest partner, with currently more than 900 projects between the two countries funded by it.

Mr Hinds also met the British Irish Chamber of Commerce and confirmed the UK's intention to remain part of Horizon, as well as the Erasmus+ student and teacher mobility programme.

But there is no agreement on the future status of the UK relationship with Horizon, on either their level of contribution or level of influence. It would be unacceptable to the UK for the EU to reduce their status to that of third-party, where they would be rule-takers rather than rule-shapers.

Dublin City University vice-president Professor Daire Keogh, who chairs the British Irish Chamber of Commerce Higher Education and Research Committee, said it was something Ireland would want to avoid.

"It is vital they remain in an influential position because of the extent of collaboration between Ireland and the UK," he said.One in six couples in Ireland have difficulties conceiving

A tiny implant could help infertile couples to conceive naturally, scientists believe.

A team at the University of Southampton have developed a device smaller than a 5c coin that monitors oxygen, pH and temperature levels inside the womb.

It could help clinicians compare levels found in women who have conceived naturally with patients from fertility and miscarriage clinics.

The device is implanted in a similar way to a contraceptive coil and sends readings to a data chip attached to the patient's underwear.

Professor Ying Cheong, a consultant in reproductive medicine at University Hospital Southampton, said: "Currently, fertility tests take time and some couples may not receive a diagnosis for their issues straight away and, in some cases, not at all.

"By establishing a 'normal' range of levels which can be compared to those who have difficulties conceiving, there is potential to diagnose issues sooner and inform the development of new treatments."

Around one in six couples in Ireland have difficulties getting pregnant. In a quarter of those cases, doctors are unable to find the cause.

Prof Cheong said the new technology could lead to "big changes" in fertility care worldwide.

"We want to get to the stage where we know what a healthy womb environment looks like and to make measuring levels inside the womb as simple as taking a blood pressure reading," she said.

"If we can prove this device works successfully and is comfortable and safe, then we have the chance to make big changes to fertility care across the NHS and internationally and help to give many more women the best chance of conceiving."

Prof Cheong is leading a world-first study into use of the technology involving 30 patients at Complete Fertility Centre Southampton.The high cost of housing is not having an impact on the flow of overseas investment, the chief executive of the IDA has insisted.

Martin Shanahan also claimed the higher marginal rate of income tax for the top earners was also "not as significant a barrier".

And he also stated that President Donald Trump's corporate tax cuts are having no impact on the "pipeline" of investments by US firms.

In an interview at a Shannon Chamber of Commerce event in Dromoland, Co Clare, he said: "The most recent figures for the first half of this year show that investments grew and grew in Dublin."

On the high costs of residential property in Dublin for workers, Mr Shanahan said: "I consider everything in an international context and if you consider other jurisdictions, many of them are facing exactly the same type of issues that we are facing here.

"If you consider that a lot of our investment is coming from the US and a significant amount from the west coast of the US and you look at the relative costs relative to Ireland, they have much more significant issues."

On the shortage of housing, Mr Shanahan said overseas investors viewed the housing shortage "as a short-term issue where they are planning for the long term".

Mr Shanahan said that the alterations to the American tax regime did make the US relatively more competitive than previously, but the Irish rate and regime remained very attractive in a global context.

However his comments on housing were in contrast with reports over the weekend that there was a growing impression that "Ireland is full" when it came to housing.

The warning was issued in a meeting between Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty and members of the American Chamber of Commerce, according to the 'Sunday Business Post'.

And new research commissioned by specialist regeneration and property developer U+I also suggested that Dublin's housing crisis is seriously hampering efforts by businesses to recruit and retain talent in the city.

Despite a majority of firms saying that well-paid, high-quality jobs were the main attraction to working and living in Dublin, 78pc of respondents said the high cost of accommodation was the single greatest obstacle in attracting talent.

Three-quarters of those surveyed also responded by saying that the limited availability of accommodation was hindering efforts by businesses to recruit new talent, as many young professionals and single middle-income earners have been priced out of the Dublin market.

These findings were even more stark when considered alongside recent Amarach Research which found that the centre of Dublin was at risk of being "hollowed out" and accessible only to high earners.Islamist terrorists are using Ireland as a safe haven and convenient "back door" into the UK and Europe, it has been claimed.

A number of international security experts, as well as a former spy, have warned that jihadists are using the country to radicalise recruits, and to raise funds through crime.

Aimen Dean, a Saudi-born former member of MI5 who spent eight years infiltrating jihadist groups, said Ireland's lack of border security meant it was "highly likely" that London Bridge terror attacker Khuram Butt visited Ireland.

He said: "At the end of the day, we come back to the common travel area ... There would be no passports scanned on the Border in order to confirm if someone came or not. The Border is almost non-existent."

Muslim cleric Shaykh Umar al-Qadri, who heads the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council, believes Ireland is of strategic importance to Isil.

"I strongly believe there are about 150 individuals throughout Ireland that adhere to hate narratives. They are in Dublin, they are in Waterford, they are in Cork and they are in Galway," he said.

However, Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan, the head of the Garda security and intelligence section, said that "no more than 30 individuals" connected to Isil are being actively monitored.

"That depends on their activity and interest to us and the level of threat they pose to the security of the State," he said.

Nottingham University security expert Dr Ed Burke also believes that Ireland is seen as a safe haven for terrorists.

"I think once they get to Dublin there's a sense and awareness among Islamist extremists that the heat is off to some extent," he said.Gardai believe the vacuum-packed cash was to be sent to the continent and on to gang bosses based in Dubai

Detectives found 700,000 in a camper van after chasing a Dublin criminal during a series of raids linked to the Kinahan crime cartel.

The man, who is the chief suspect in a gangland murder, sped away after being spotted near a house which was being searched by gardai.

The 700,000 haul from his camper van was part of a total of more than 1.7m belonging to the cartel which was seized following raids in Dublin and Wexford.

The west Dublin man is considered to be the crime gang's main bagman in Ireland.

The criminal has until recently been known to keep a relatively low profile.

However, he has been under surveillance in recent months after the Kinahan cartel's money launderer Glen Byrne (40) was jailed earlier this year.

The criminal arrested yesterday is the chief suspect in the 2011 murder of Thomas McDonagh (49) in Coolock. He attempted to evade arrest by speeding away from the house at Faugh Mills, Wexford.

Gardai pursued the vehicle and stopped it after a short chase.

The driver was arrested and a search of the vehicle led to the money being recovered.

It followed similar seizures of 500,000 in the Clondalkin area of Dublin and Wexford, bringing the total value of cash seized to 1.7m.

The Wexford operation was carried out when armed gardai swooped on two cars on the Clonard Road shortly before 11am.

Gardai believe that the vacuum-packed cash was to be transported to the continent before making its way to the cartel's senior hierarchy in Dubai.

A Scottish national was also arrested as part of the operation while a third man, who is originally from Dublin but has been living in Wexford, was also detained.

Yesterday morning, a 39-year-old woman, who is in a relationship with one of the men, was arrested and questioned for a number of hours before being released without charge.

Feud

The cash seizure is considered by gardai to be one of their most significant strikes against the Kinahan cartel since the outbreak of the Kinahans' feud with the Hutch crime clan, which has claimed 18 lives.

"The cash is the product of all their efforts - importing drugs, selling, collecting money, laundering money and then exporting it," said a senior source.

"It really is what hits them the hardest and shows how relentless gardai are in their fight against the cartel."

Two men are expected to appear before Wexford District Court this morning charged in relation to the Garda raids and investigation.

Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll, who is head of Special Crime Operations, said: "Depriving organised crime groups of the proceedings of their criminal activity is a particular priority for the Garda Siochana."Khuram Butt (inset) was the leader of the terror attack on London Bridge, which claimed the lives of eight innocent people

AN IRISH woman who admits to having been radicalised after she converted to Islam claims that there are up to 150 Islamic extremists living in Ireland.

The woman has also alleged that on several occasions she was visited in Ireland by Khuram Butt - the leader of the terror attack on London Bridge which claimed the lives of eight innocent people.

AAliyah (not her real name) says that they travelled around the country together meeting other extremists in places like Cavan, Limerick and Clonmel.

The connections between Ireland and Islamist terrorism are investigated in a new documentary, Irelands Jihadis, which will air on Virgin Media One on Wednesday night.

The programme focuses on the dramatic claims made by the Irish woman, who converted to Islam when she moved to live in the UK - claiming to have been influenced by the 9/11 attacks.

Aaliyah claims that she met Butt through her then Muslim boyfriend, a Pakistani-born UK citizen called Raza who is suspected of operating a number of internet fraud rackets targeting Irish companies to raise funds for ISIS.

Last year an Irish Independent investigation revealed that Raza is wanted in connection with an attempt in September 2016 to defraud a Dublin company of 2.8m.

Raza and Aaliyah moved back and forth from the UK and lived at an address in Santry between 2015 and 2016, where he registered a number of bogus front companies for the purpose of the scam and listed her as a director using her Irish name.

It was during this period that she claims Khuram Butt stayed with them on numerous occasions - although the officer in charge of the States counter-terrorism agency tells the programme that gardai are satisfied he never visited the country.

Aaliyah claims that she travelled around the country with Butt, meeting with other extremists: When we went back to Ireland and we would come over and back and he (Butt) would come over to visit us the relationship with him developed. They wouldnt have treated me any different, like as an outsider.

Expand Close Khuram Shazad Butt on left, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba / Facebook

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I would have altogether met Khuram Butt, about thirty or forty times Id say. We went to Limerick. We went to Cavan together as well. We would have went down to Clonmel. He would have wanted to go to visit people.

They would have spoken about their views and stuff like that in places in Limerick, especially in Limerick. They had a close circle of friends there. In Clonmel as well they would have had a close group of friends.

Aaliyah also claims that Butt, Raza and others they met would laugh whilst watching TV news reports of Isis terrorist attacks.

They used to find it funny when they would hear something on the news, or something, that was after happening. They used to find it funny. They used to talk about stuff like it was computer games.

They never made it sound like it was something that really was going to happen. I thought in the beginning that he (Butt) was just someone thats talking you know? He was just an angry person and thats how he was expressing his emotions.

During the frenzied attack on a balmy night in June last year, which left a further 48 people seriously injured, a van ploughed through pedestrians walking on the bridge.

Then Butt and his two accomplices - Rachid Redouane and Yousef Zaghba - then ran through the nearby Borough Market randomly stabbing people out socialising in the local restaurants and bars.

The three attackers were shot dead by armed police eight minutes after the terrifying incident began.

The follow-up investigation uncovered evidence which for the first time established a direct link between Isis-inspired terrorism in the UK and Ireland when it was discovered that one of the attackers Rachid Redouane, had been living in Ireland where he had been granted residency status.

Redouane, a Moroccan-born pastry chef, had been denied asylum in the UK multiple times and had been arrested in 2009 boarding a ferry to Belfast using a false passport and name.

Despite his record Redouane moved to Ireland in 2012 where he married his English partner, and was granted residency status, which meant he could live in the UK.Leo Varadkar, and Paddy Cosgrave, on Centre Stage Stage during day two of MoneyConf 2018 at the RDS Arena in Dublin. (Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave has defended not raising the housing crisis directly with the Taoiseach.

Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland, Paddy Cosgrave said he attended the 'Take Back The City' protest in Dublin on Saturday, but has not directly spoken to the Taoiseach about the issue, despite Mr Varadkar attending his MoneyConf event last June.

Mr Cosgrave said it was "reprehensible" after RTE presenter Audrey Carville asked him six times if he had raised the housing issue directly with Mr Varadkar.

"I find this reprehensible," he said.

"Tens of thousands of people have been raising it. Have I raised it? Yes. I took part in the protest last Saturday.

"Have I tweeted about it? Have I tweeted him directly? Absolutely."

After being asked again if he raised the issue directly with the Taoiseach, Mr Cosgrave questioned RTE on their own coverage of the crisis.

"Have RTE covered the fact that this Government has never said so much as a word about farmers in this country who have occupied farm after farm, halting the forced sale of those farms for years now?

"Have you pointed out the hypocrisy of that? That a group of people believed to be from west Dublin are castigated as 'criminals' and 'disgraceful', why? Because Fine Gael knows they don't vote for them.

"For more than two years I have been raising these issues directly with the Government, with special advisors to a number of ministers. I've met with the Minister for Housing.

"These issues are not just mauling society, they are affecting the entire economy. They're shuttering small businesses, they're forcing multinationals for the first time in almost the history of this state to publicly and openly criticise a sitting Government. It's unprecedented."

Earlier in the interview, Mr Cosgrave told RTE's Morning Ireland that during last Saturday's 'Take Back The City' protest, he walked alongside people from Google, Indeed, Facebook and LinkedIn.

"I grew up on a farm and when my neighbour occupied a building that was in use in Dublin last summer for seven full days with the IFA Grain Committee/Department of Agriculture, it wasn't stormed by heavy police officers dressed in riot gear, they were left peacefully there to protest for seven days.

"Fine Gael never came out and spoke out against members of the IFA and farmers in this country as 'criminals' or as 'disgraceful', words used by ministers over the last week. That tells you something about Fine Gael.

"Fine Gael has essentially decided that they think protesters in the city are of working class backgrounds, that they're of poor, disadvantaged backgrounds and they have decided to caste them as criminals.

"But when farmers occupy farms all over this country, which they have been doing for years now, there is not a word out of Fine Gael and I think that should tell you something about the operating basis of Fine Gael as a party in modern Ireland."

A spokesman for the Taoiseach's Office told Independent.ie: "The Taoiseach's Private Office has confirmed that there has been no written correspondence received from Paddy Cosgrave regarding Housing.

"Under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015, it is the responsibility of the person who makes, manages or directs lobbying activity to register and submit returns."Minister of State Catherine Byrne has told ministerial colleagues she is considering supporting or abstaining on a motion of no confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy.

Ms Byrne has been at war with Mr Murphy over the development of 470 new homes in her constituency.

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During the summer, she took to the stage at the launch of the project to say it was the "worst plan" she had ever seen.

Since the intervention she has continued to campaign against the State's first not-for-profit rental accommodation on the St Michael's House site in Inchicore, Dublin.

Ms Byrne believes the cost rental model is not appropriate for her area as it will not benefit local families and their children. The Minister of States relationship with Mr Murphy has been extremely strained since her public criticism of his plan.

Several high-level Government sources today confirmed Ms Byrne has now privately threatened to support or abstain on the no confidence motion tabled against Mr Murphy by Sinn Fein.

Several source said Ms Byrne told ministerial colleagues she was prepared to take the extraordinary action in response to Mr Murphy's failure to listen to her concerns about the St Michael's House project.

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It is understood she told ministers she would not back her Fine Gael colleague if plans for the site are not dramatically changed.

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She told TDs and ministers she believes Mr Murphy does not understand the impact of the development on her local community.

One Government source said: This is potentially very serious but there is a while to go before the vote on the motion tomorrow night.

"She could have just not turned up in the chamber but she's told so many people now it would have been obvious that she wasn't backing Eoghan, the source added.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is understood to be aware of the threat but has not spoken directly to Ms Byrne about her concerns.

The move would present the Government with serious difficulties ahead of tomorrow's debate on Mr Murphy's handling of the housing crisis.

The Government's small majority means Ms Byrne's vote is essential to ensure Mr Murphy remains in his ministerial portfolio.

Fianna Fail has decided to abstain on the vote but Dail arithmetic means the Taoiseach will need every Government TD in the chamber to ensure the motion is defeated.

Mr Varadkar has already told TDs and ministers to cancel travel plans ahead of the vote.

The St Michaels House project would consist of 470 new homes with 30pc reserved for social housing, 60pc rented to low and middle income earners and the remaining 10pc assigned for affordable housing.

Ms Byrne recently wrote to Dublin City councillors saying anti-social behaviour and crime in her constituency should be addressed before the site is developed.

I believe that the proposal on the table for the former St Michaels Estate site is simply the wrong one if it doesnt include an option for long-term, permanent housing, alongside amenities and services which would benefit the community as a whole, she said.

Ms Byrne did not respond to requests for comment.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he will sack Minister of State Catherine Byrne if she does not support Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy in tomorrows motion of confidence.

The Taoiseach said will hold talks with Ms Byrne tomorrow about the Dail motion and her objection to the development of 470 homes in her constituency.

Independent.ie revealed Ms Byrne told ministerial colleagues she was considering supporting or abstaining on a no confidence motion in Mr Murphy. Relations between the two ministers have been strained since Mr Murphy announced a major housing development in Ms Byrnes constituency.

Speaking after a United Nations meeting in New York, the Taoiseach said he would be forced sack Ms Byrne if she does not support her Government colleague in the Dail tomorrow night

It is of course the case if a minister cant express confidence in their own colleagues then they cant continue as a minister, Mr Varadkar said.

The Taoiseach said Ms Byrne has not directly raised the motion with him but has spoken to him about her objections to the development of hundreds of new homes in her constituency.

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She has come to me with her objections to the building of 500 new homes in her constituency and I have heard what she had to say about that, but we are in a housing crisis and we do need to build new homes and particularly at higher densities and we need a mix of housing as well because everyone deserves a home, he said.

I can absolutely understand that Catherine has objection to the building of new housing in her constituency. Its often the case that politicians will have a difficulty with a particular housing project or a particular bus route for example or electricity project in their constituency, but it is Government policy to build new houses, he added.

The St Michaels House project in Inchicore, Dublin would consist of 470 new homes with 30pc reserved for social housing, 60pc rented to low- and middle-income earners and the remaining 10pc assigned for affordable housing.

Ms Byrne recently wrote to Dublin City councilors saying anti-social behaviour and crime in her constituency should be addressed before the site is developed.

She also said the site should be developed to benefit local people and their families.

Ms Byrne said this evening that she wants "what is best" for her community as she called for more investment in Inchicore.

She said in a statement on Twitter: "As a life long resident of Inchicore, I want what is best for my community.

"The former St Michael's Estate site has a very difficult history and we now have a chance to develop it in a way that will build a sustainable community for the future.

"Of course I want to see this vacant site developed; this city needs more housing, both social and affordable.

"However, I do not believe the proposal for a large-scale, high-density apartment development, which would be a major pilot for the cost-rental model in this country, is the right choice for this ste.

"It will only serve to put huge pressure on our already fractured community."

She continued to highlight the "huge social" problems the community is facing.

"Inchicore is a great community but we are currently battling huge social problems on a daily basis.

"Before any development can begin, we need investment in the area to ensure that we have the services and amenities to support those who already live here, as well as those who want to come here and become part of our community into the future," Ms Byrne said.

The Taoiseach said he does not have the authority to block housing projects but even if he did he would not stop the development in Inchicore.THE Dublin and Ireland South European Parliament constituencies will each get an extra seat under proposals to be considered by the Oireachtas.

A review of the current constituencies was carried out as a result of Ireland being allocated two extra seats due to Brexit.

The European Council decided in June that Ireland's would see the number of MEPs increased from 11 to 13 as part of the redistribution of the UK's seats after it leaves the EU.

The European Parliament Constituency Committee, chaired by Mr Justice Robert Haughton, was established to report to Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail.

It has recommended that Dublin and Ireland South would each gain a seat - up to four and five respectively.

The number of seats in Midlands-North-West would remain the same at four.

Two counties, Offaly and Laois would be moved from Midlands-North-West to Ireland South.

The report is subject to approval by the Dail and the Seanad.

Housing, Planning and Local Government minister Eoghan Murphy will consider the report as he prepares legislation on the proposals to bring to the Oireachtas.

Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly welcomed the committee's report.

He said it's "unfortunate, to say the least" that the UK is leaving the EU but it is "beneficial for Ireland to gain another two voices in the European Parliament".New entrants to the public service are to jump two points on their pay scale in a deal aimed at ending the row over two-tier salaries.

The agreement will kick in from next March, when some staff will bypass two points on their scale in one go, while others will do it in two stages.

Under the deal, points four and eight of public service pay scales will disappear, in recognition of the two extra points added to scales in 2010.

These who suffered the deepest cuts - who were recruited around 2011 will feel the most benefit in the short term. For instance, someone on point 7 of their scale will go to point 10.

Further down the line, staff will jump one point, so, someone currently on point 3 will to straight to point 5, someone on point 4 will go to point 6, and someone on 5 will go to 7. In due course, they will skip point 8.

For teachers, it reduces the length of their 27 point pay scale to 25 points.

Next March, the deal will benefit almost 36,000 public servants , 58pc of those who were affected by the unequal pay scales.

By March 2020, 47,570 - some 78pc of the new entrants since 2011 - will see the benefits.

Government sources said the measure would apply from 1 March 2019 to each eligible new entrant as they reached the relevant scale points - point 4 and point 8 - on their current increment date.

It will have the effect of bypassing the relevant points on the scale and thereby reducing the time spent on the pay scale for progression to the maximum point.

The cost is 27m in 2019, 48m in 2020 and the full cost, based on current data and public service numbers in 2017, will be 190m by 2026.

Public service union negotiators were meeting government officials in Dublin today to finalise the deal.The first presidential debate on RTE is in jeopardy after Sean Gallagher threatened to pull out unless President Michael D Higgins confirms he will take part.

The first debate is due to take place on RTE Radio 1's 'News at One' on Wednesday.

However, Mr Gallagher's team told the Irish Independent he will only take part if all candidates participate.

"There should be full participation. Sean Gallagher will only participate where all candidates are participating," said a spokesman for the Gallagher campaign.

"The electorate are entitled to see all candidates take part in debates and having certain candidates not participating is unequal."

Other campaign teams said they have been told by RTE that the debate will go ahead as planned. If anyone is absent, RTE will request a reason for their absence which will be read out on air.

A spokesman for Gavin Duffy's campaign team said he will be taking part, adding: "As far as I know it's all going ahead, Gavin Duffy will be there anyway. I don't see any reason why Michael D won't show up."

Nobody from Aras an Uachtarain was available for comment.

However, sources say Mr Higgins will formally submit his papers declaring his candidacy on Wednesday.

He will also announce his campaign team on that date, and declare how much he will participate.

Broadcast media including RTE, Newstalk and Virgin are unable to sign off on their debate scheduling, particularly if there is a risk that candidates decline to take part. No one was available to comment on behalf of RTE.

Meanwhile, questions about money are likely to face the candidates as they engage in the campaign proper.

Mr Gallagher said he raised 3,000-4,000 for Fianna Fail while a party activist.

In a statement to the Irish Independent, he said the fundraising was done through sale of "raffle tickets, tickets to the annual social fundraisers and a number of annual church gate collections".

In addition, he said, he had donated in the region of 1,000-1,500, but it would not be possible to calculate the accurate amount throughout his time as a member of the party. He joined its youth wing, Ogra Fianna Fail, in 1981.

Senator Joan Freeman said she was "seeking permission" to name the two businesspeople who have loaned her money for her campaign.

They gave her loans totalling 120,000 and she has put together the rest of the money for her campaign herself.

"She hasn't got permission to release their names yet but is doing so", said her spokesman last night.Presidential campaign hopeful Gemma O'Doherty has been formally endorsed by Laois County Council to contest the upcoming election.

The county council were the first to nominate the investigative journalist.

However, she was defeated in her bid to seek a nomination from Cork County Council for the presidency campaign.

Ms O'Doherty had her bid for a nomination rejected by 28 votes to five with six abstentions.

She did not attend the council meeting.

Ms O'Doherty was proposed by Councillor Diarmaid O'Cadhla and was seconded by Councillor Kieran McCarthy.

Councillor O'Cadhla said he was supporting the nomination in the interests of democracy and to ensure the widest possible ballot paper in October for the Presidential election.

"I would ask people to abstain rather than vote against this nomination. We should use our ability to nominate a candidate," he said.

Councillor O'Cadhla said he believed that opposing such a nomination was "an offence to democracy."

Councillor McCarthy, who is also an Independent member of the council, urged people who didn't support Ms O'Doherty to abstain rather than vote against her nomination.

"If people do not support Gemma O'Doherty they should at least abstain," he said.

The motion went to a full vote of council at the direction of Deputy Cork County Mayor, Councillor Seamas McGrath.

One council member proposed that the authority agree to nominate no one for the Presidential election.

In the vote, Ms O'Doherty secured the support of five councillors, all of whom were Independents.

However, her nomination was opposed by 28 councillors, the majority from Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour.

Six councillors abstained at the meeting.

A total of 16 councillors from the 55-member body were not present for the vote.

The vote came after Cork City Council had voted earlier this month to nominate Senator Joan Freeman, the founder of Pieta House, for the October Presidential election.

In Laois, Ms O'Doherty was one of three people who made a presentation to the council last week, including Sarah Louise Mulligan and Sean Gallagher.

Writing on Facebook after her endorsement, Ms O'Doherty said; "I am really grateful to Cllr Ben Brennan for all of the work he has put into this.

"And to Sinn Feins Aidan Mullins for his backing.

"Your support on this journey has strengthened my resolve daily. I need it in the next two days more than ever, so please get on the phone/email/Twitter/Facebook and let the politicians know what you want.

"Elections are coming. Local and national. We are in a period of huge transition in Ireland.

"But that change must be a force for good where we create a country where government is accountable to the people and the people alone.

"We will create an Ireland we can be proud of and one that sends a message to the rest of the world: that the Irish are taking a stand against corruption in all of its guises for once and for all."

Ms ODoherty still requires the support of three more councils to get on the ticket.

The race so far includes Sean Gallagher, Gavin Duffy, Joan Freeman, Peter Casey, Liadh Ni Riada, with President Michael D Higgins widely expected to throw his name into the ring on Wednesday.Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has acknowledged the fact an intruder managed to gain access to the Aras and confront President Michael D Higgins is "a matter for concern".

Senior gardai are carrying out a review of security at the Aras in the aftermath of the breach.

Over the weekend it emerged that a woman drove through the front gates of the presidential residence in the Phoenix Park and walked through the front door of the Aras.

She is then alleged to have confronted Mr Higgins, but did not assault or attack the President during the incident on Friday, September 14.

Gardai were alerted to the scene and escorted the woman, who is in her 50s, from the residence.

The matter is being investigated by senior gardai. No arrests have yet been made.

Responding to reports of the major security breach, Mr Flanagan said he now expected a security review to be undertaken.

"Well, it's not the practice to comment on long-standing security arrangements for senior office holders," Mr Flanagan told RTE Radio One's 'This Week' yesterday.

"As I understand, no harm was done to the property and no harm was inflicted on any person.

"The reports are a matter for concern. I expect the review of security arrangements will be undertaken in normal course." Gardai have confirmed that a chief superintendent has been tasked with conducting a review of security arrangements for the President.

Meanwhile, another chief superintendent is investigating the incident itself.

Sources have said that the security breach has caused major embarrassment for the Gardai and may lead to internal disciplinary action being taken.

A Garda spokesperson said they "do not comment on the detail of security arrangements for the President".

Uniformed gardai are stationed at the President's residence on protection duty on a 24/7 basis.

Members of the Special Detective Unit also provide armed protection for the President.

The Defence Forces are also involved in security arrangements for the President, and carry out administrative duties which include organising drivers and the aide-de-camp.

The woman who entered the Aras is believed to have found Mr Higgins working in an office near the main lobby.

She is said to have confronted him about the housing crisis, according to the 'Irish Daily Mail'.

It is understood Mr Higgins engaged her in conversation before gardai arrived and removed her from the residence.

There were no arrests made as "the President did not want the matter to be taken further", according to reports.Julie Gleeson of Listowel County Kerry who won the overall SuperValu Tidy Towns competition pictured with Minister Michael Ring Photo: Mark Condren

IT's official - Listowel is the tidiest town in Ireland.

Hard-working volunteers in the Kerry town got the better of stiff competition from around the country to see their town crowned winner overall winner on the 60th anniversary of SuperValu Tidy Towns.

The award was presented by Michael Ring, Minister for Rural and Community Development at The Helix in DCU.

Hundreds of towns has entered competition but west was the best when it came to the judges' views on the cleanest place in Ireland.

This is a fantastic achievement for Listowel who are very deserving winners," the minister said.

"Listowel is one of a small number of centres who have consistently entered the competition since its launch in 1958 and in the intervening years have worked steadfastly on improving their position in the TidyTowns competition.

"Today, all that dedication and effort has paid off."

Scores of towns across the country picked up awards in various categories and the minister congratulated other prize-winners.

The north Kerry town was best of a record number of 883 entries from towns and villages throughout the country.

Listowel, Co. Kerry also claimed the award of Irelands Tidiest Small Town.

Other winners included Glaslough, Co. Monaghan receiving the award for Irelands Tidiest Village.

Westport, Co. Mayo, received the award of Irelands Tidiest Large Town while Ballincollig, Co. Cork was declared as Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre.

Speaking at the event, the minister said; "The work of all those involved in the TidyTowns effort results in the attractive and welcoming towns and villages we see all over the country.

"The voluntary work that people put in to their communities brings great pride, a great sense of achievement and great camaraderie to those communities. That is why this competition has flourished for 60 years.

Minister Ring also announced a special allocation of 1.4 million to support the work of individual Tidy Towns Committees around the country in order to mark the 60th anniversary of the event.

Last year, Birdhill in Co Tipperary won the overall Tidy Towns title for 2017.

It was also named as Ireland's Tidiest Village.

Other winners last year included Clonakilty, Co Cork, which was named Ireland's Tidiest Small Town and Westport, Co Mayo, which was named Ireland's Tidiest Large Town.

Meanwhile Ennis in Co Clare was declared Ireland's Tidiest Large Urban Centre.Parish Priest of St Annes Fr Pat Lombard with parish dog Penny outside one of the damaged doors at St Annes

Thieves entered the doors on the right to the Family Room

Three local priests are reviewing their personal security after thieves broke into a church in Co Sligo.

The thieves damaged three external doors at St Anne's Parish Church shortly before 11pm on Friday, September 15.

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They smashed open the door of the sacristy and rifled the office before stealing some petty cash and the hard drive of the CCTV cameras.

External flood lights and cameras were also broken and interfered with.

St Anne's Parish Priest Fr Pat Lombard, who lives in a bungalow behind the church with Fr Steve Walsh and retired PP Fr Dominick Gillooly, came upon the scene at 11pm, narrowly missing an encounter with the culprits.

"I went over to check the office and discovered, lo and behold the broken doors. There's a sense of relief that nothing sacred was touched, the sacred spaces weren't damaged in any way and no one was hurt," Fr Pat told The Sligo Champion.

"They took the hard drive of the CCTV and some money from the petty cash but not that much. The main damage is to the doors. They were looking for money," he said, adding that the vandals had not been able to break open their safe.

"They must have used sledgehammers because those doors are very strong. It's quiet around here after Aldi closes at 10pm," he said.

Fr Pat alerted the gardai and the area was forensically tested for clues.

One positive aspect has been the public outpouring of support, according to Fr Pat.

"There's been a huge outpouring of good wishes to us. People have phoned and called in to us to see if we're alright and offer support. We're very much at the heart of the community here. We stretch out and reach out to them in all their ups and downs and they want to support us as well," he said.

"They're part of our family. We thank God that it all could have been so much worse and no one was hurt. We appreciate the promptness and professionalism of the Gardai in every way," he said.

"We'll have to look at our own security and that of the church now in light of what's happened," he added.Fears: Greg Miller and his wife Hilari Hinnant from the US in their apartment in Ennis, Co Clare. Photo: Eamon Ward

A retired couple facing a 50pc rent increase fear they will be forced out of their home - and many other pensioners could face the same fate.

Greg Miller (71) and his wife Hilari Hinnant (65) are appealing against the increase on the rent of their home in Ennis, Co Clare.

They are pessimistic about their chances because rents in the area are escalating.

The Irish-American couple moved to Ennis from Pennsylvania in 2016.

They signed a lease for a one-bedroom apartment in October 2016 that set the rent at 400 a month.

However, when the lease came up for renewal this autumn, they were shocked to learn that the landlord intends to increase the rent to 600 a month.

Mr Miller said that because they are not living in a designated Rent Pressure Zone, where annual rent increases are limited to 4pc, they are at the mercy of the market.

"There are no price controls. The landlord can just prove that it's [rent] market value," he told the Irish Independent.

The couple are awaiting the decision of the State's Residential Tenancies Board on their appeal.

But they believe the climate of rocketing rents will not be in their favour.

Mr Miller says that just because landlords can legally hike up the rent in the area, it doesn't make it fair or just - especially for people like pensioners who are living on modest fixed incomes.

"It should be illegal," he said. "How many pensioners are going to be forced out of their homes?"

The couple have spoken out following a weekend of protests by housing activists across the country.

As part of their "nationwide action",'Take Back The City' organised rallies and protests in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Sligo, Wexford, Kildare, Limerick, Sligo, Derry, Belfast, Drogheda, Maynooth and Bray.

The group have hit headlines for occupying vacant properties in recent weeks in Dublin's north inner city.

Speaking on Saturday, protesters Teresa Phelan and Anna Smith, who were present to show their support for the movement, spoke about their personal experiences that brought them out onto the street.

Ive been homeless myself, I have a daughter who was homeless. People are under the misconception that its only students that are taking to the streets for this. It's not, look around, it's families, it's grandmothers, said Ms Phelan, who is from Finglas in Dublin.

There are people all over Dublin living in deplorable conditions. I have a family member and there are eight of them living in a two bedroom squalid house owned by Dublin City Council. Him and his partner have been sleeping on a mattress for the last five years. Theyre forgotten people, she said.

My sister is homeless as well, Ms Smith said. My other sister is in a BnB in Clondalkin with a baby.

All my little niece wants is a back garden with a trampoline to celebrate her birthday and bring her friends. Shes now six years old and hasnt had that. So thats heartbreaking for the children.

Mother of seven Margaret Cash, who made headlines when it was revealed that her children slept at a Garda station in Tallaght overnight, talked about the homelessness she saw on her commute to the Garden, saying nobody cares.

Nobody cares, nobody even stops to ask why these people are there, she said.

You walk through Dublin City, and nearly every second or third doorway is full of homeless people. Theyre not all on drugs and theyre not all alcoholics. But even so, the ones that are, do they not deserve our help? A hand up? Do they not deserve somewhere to go?

Everyone makes mistakes, but do they not deserve somewhere to go where they can reflect and say - what have I done with my life? Ms Cash said.

Eoghan Murphy needs to resign!!! she called to a crowd of cheers, referring to the Housing Minister.There was an obituary in The Telegraph recently of Susan Elliott, "long-suffering" wife of the great character actor Denholm Elliott, who had passed away in 1992.

I put "long-suffering" in inverted commas because, while there was doubtless considerable suffering in the life of a woman whose husband drank heavily and had numerous affairs, mainly with men, they stayed married for 30 years somehow, in this "open" style.

One section of Susan Elliott's obituary in particular was widely shared on social media, and it went like this: "Nearly 10 years into her marriage, Susan knew Denholm was bisexual when he returned from shooting Too Late the Hero (1970) and confessed to having participated in various orgies on location with men as well as women, and suggesting she attend a clap clinic for a protective shot "just to be on the safe side". On visits to London, the couple were regular fixtures at bohemian drinking clubs. On one outing to the Colony Room (in Soho) with the artist Francis Bacon and his boyfriend, John Edwards, Susan Elliott was handcuffed to a barstool by Edwards, who went off home without unlocking her. She made her way back to North London and managed to get into bed beside her husband without disturbing him, concealing the stool by her side of the bed. Denholm Elliott set off for filming the next day, none the wiser

Anyone who has seen Denholm in the movies will find the, eh, lifestyle suggested in that scene strangely believable. He was best at playing these deeply alcoholic characters, with the rueful expression of a man who had taken a wrong turn in life a long time ago, and who had never quite forgiven himself for it.

Yet he played that thing with such a battered dignity, almost a nobility, one could only feel there was some goodness in the character, despite the years of dissipation. And when we read of such episodes from the Colony Room, we realise that he was bringing a great wealth of experience from his life into his art.

We also realise that we find such stories hilarious, for the very good reason that they are hilarious. It is, indeed, one of the oddest things about addiction, this super-thin line between the hilarious and the horrendous; the way it gets people into situations which have this quality of mad surrealism in retrospect; the kind of stuff which simply could not happen without the 'assistance' of mind-altering substances - again, in retrospect. If you ever make it that far.

Still, only a fool could be moralistic at that vision of Susan Elliott handcuffed to a barstool all the way to her marital bed in North London, that tale of drunken sadomasochism gone wrong.

There is even something essentially funny about Denholm's affairs with "Chinese waiters, Moroccan gigolos, Spanish garage attendants, Barbadian shop assistants, even a hunchbacked Haitian dwarf".

It's funny, yet again, in retrospect. If you leave to one side the fact that Denholm died of Aids. His promiscuity, according to Susan, became "almost a psychological disorder".

Now we can only guess the nature of that disorder, but for anyone of an alcoholic disposition, 'being drunk' can quite often be the underlying reason for various atrocities. Sometimes that's the only disorder you need.

There was a happy ending to the night that Susan Elliott got locked in Soho. After Denholm had gone to work, oblivious, we are told "she then hailed another cab to take her to Bacon's studio in Reece Mews, where she was released, and then taken for lunch to Wheeler's, by her captors".

Soup and a sandwich, I expect.The reclaimed seats in the hall are from an old cinema in Belgium. The mirror is from an antique shop and the floor tiles are from toppstiles.co.uk.

The framed butterfly print is a sheet of wrapping paper from rockettstgeorge.co.uk The wardrobes and floor are painted in Railings by Farrow and Ball; the lights are by Sophie Refer at nest.co.uk

The splashback tiles in the kitchen are by Mosaic del Sur. The lights are from Retrouvious (retrouvius.com), reclaimed from an old gym

The chair is a green leather mid-century piece by Swedish brand DeSede which was bought on Ebay. The artwork is by an artist called Aida and was purchased via print shop Nelly Duff (nellyduff.com/artists/aida). The rug is from allthehues.co.uk

The chair is a green leather mid-century piece by Swedish brand DeSede which was bought on Ebay. The artwork is by an artist called Aida and was purchased via print shop Nelly Duff (nellyduff.com/artists/aida). The rug is from allthehues.co.uk

If you think you already recognise the living room, you are probably right. The house belongs to Wendy Aldridge, the Omagh-born woman behind the vintage interiors online store Homeplace, a web emporium that is being hailed in the UK as the 'new Rockett St George'. The living room of her East London house is the backdrop to many of her product shots and has become one of the most shared living rooms on Pinterest.

"I think it is something to do with the fact that if you search 'dark interiors' my home will eventually pop up," laughs Wendy. "The reality is that while I adore dark grey as a backdrop to colour - and it's such a complementary tone for my vintage wares and metallics - I also love light tones and pattern. In fact, I'm working on a new project and I don't think there'll be a dark grey wall in the entire property!"

Spending her childhood growing up in the countryside a few miles from Omagh, Co Tyrone, Wendy was the eldest of five siblings who were all into show-jumping. "All of us competed on Irish pony teams at one time or another," she says. "I have such great memories of entire summers spent travelling the country for shows such as Dublin and Millstreet. I look back fondly as it was something we were all involved in as a family."

After school at the Omagh Academy, Wendy moved to the UK to do a degree in retail marketing in Manchester, before heading up events for the charity War Child, which provides support to those in conflict areas.

When she first met James, now her husband, they lived in East London for five years, during which time they also bought and renovated an apartment in Berlin. And it was in Germany that the interiors bug started to bite.

"During that time we went back and forth to do up and spend time in our flat there. We did a lot of flea markets. I'll admit that I developed a bit of an obsession for West German pottery which I now stock on the website. I am a huge fan of vintage items - you just don't get the same character with shiny new stuff, it never tells the same story."

When the couple sold up in Berlin - due to new laws surrounding holiday lets there - and decided to buy their current house in Walthamstow in East London, they weren't afraid of a big renovation job. (A couple of years later, they also bought another holiday let in Ramsgate on the east coast of England, which they now also run as a holiday let.) At the time, Wendy was pregnant with her second child, Arlie, now aged five, and their first daughter, Ida (now eight), was just turning three.

Over and above a complete reconfiguration of the ground floor space, the project also involved fitting a brand-new kitchen and two bathrooms, as well as replacing all of the interior walls which were lathe and plaster. They then had to decorate.

"All in all it took a bit over six months, which now seems like a miracle amount of time, and was in part down to my father overseeing some of the structural work and our builder Eric who was an absolute gem," says Wendy.

"My dad runs an engineering and plumbing company back at home in Omagh. In the end he project managed all of the structural work and also supplied the stainless-steel worktops and shelves in the kitchen. It's such an incredible material and I love having something which I use every single day that has a family tie. He has only recently handed the reins to my two younger brothers who also now do stainless-steel fabrication."

But it was in the decor that Wendy really developed her design approach.

"I was definitely inspired by the trend for interior designer Abigail Ahern's dark interiors at the time. I loved how she used dark grey as a neutral backdrop, especially as I adore colour and the Farrow and Ball colour 'Down Pipe' is such a complementary tone with which to pair so many colours and metallics."

But while their sitting room, den, master bedroom and downstairs bathroom are all in the same tone of chalky dark grey, the couple kept the kitchen, hall, landing and main bathroom white. "This breaks things up nicely, I think. While I am a big fan of darker colours, I do need to be surrounded in light, too, so having a bit of half-and-half works for us."

She particularly likes the way the space now works for them as a family: "There's plenty of room for the kids to play and also for us to have our own areas for downtime and to entertain. Ironically the sitting room is one of my favourite rooms but the one we use least as a family, as it is where I tend to store stock waiting to be packed up or shot for the site.

She has sound advice for those refurbishing a house: first and foremost, don't rush to buy all your furnishings at once. "It takes time to work out how you will use a space and the elements that are going to be most important to you, so take the time to work that out.

"I also believe lighting is hugely important. I usually go vintage, where possible, as it adds so much character. Where possible have dimmer switches fitted so you can control the ambience in a room.

"Also don't just go by colour charts for choosing paint colours, get sample pots and paint large pieces of paper to stick on the walls so you can get a proper feel for how it looks as the light changes."

The next project on the horizon for Wendy and family is the renovation of a three-bedroom mid-century property in Porto, Portugal, which they hope to have ready as a holiday let by the end of the year.

"I'm really excited about this house which will take me out of my comfort zone, leaving the dark side behind to embrace a lot more colour," says Wendy. "And I'm looking forward to working with what we have there to restore the property sympathetically and yet still put our stamp on it."Joanne Hynes arrives in the foyer of Dunnes Stores' HQ with her four-month-old son Coilin cosily tucked in her arms. Always the best model for her own designs, she is wearing a striking gold metallic jacket over a blue and pink printed dress from her latest collection, with black velvet mary-janes, and lurex ankle socks. She has the delicate, interesting beauty of Margot in The Royal Tenenbaums.

The baby in her arms should look incongruous in this rather corporate setting, but the mother of five is completely relaxed, and her son, who gurgles contentedly throughout our interview, has an almost preternatural calm to him.

She didn't take much time off after his birth. "I could have, but I decided not to," she reflects. Instead, she brought him with her to the office every day to her suite of rooms within Dunnes Stores headquarters. "I ask myself 'was that the right thing to do?' And I can actually say 'it was, for me'. Because I think I had the best of both worlds."

At work, where Joanne is given a degree of total freedom remarkable in a company as large as Dunnes Stores, she wore him in a sling. "For designing he was strapped to me," she smiles. "And I feel incredibly fortunate that I was able to do that."

Expand Close Joanne Hynes models her collection for Dunnes Stores. Photo: Tiberio Ventura - Dresses from 100 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Joanne Hynes models her collection for Dunnes Stores. Photo: Tiberio Ventura - Dresses from 100

This is Joanne's fifth season for Dunnes Stores, and one that seems to reflect the designer's own happiness in life. Without doubt her strongest so far, the line is full of beautifully embellished fabrics, jewelled details, colourful, bespoke prints, and allusions to Elsa Schiaparelli. The theme is A Date with Dali, A Surrealist Love Affair, a reference to Joanne's lifelong interest in surrealist artists. It is joyful, romantic, celebratory. You will want all of it.

The line is, she says, the result of a deep dive into her own past, and at the same time, the fruition of having come full circle personally, to a point of really knowing oneself.

"Everything that inspired this collection has come from my archive," Joanne reveals when we get to her rooms, where we scroll through rails full of signature Hynes themes; the tiger lady, robots, rabbits, prints.

"I've barely looked at the future, or the present. I went back," she explains, revealing she felt a need to reaffirm "what it is I am. For me, designing is very much a matter of what are you about."

This was an approach Joanne first encountered when she studied for an MA under the legendary Louise Wilson at Central Saint Martins art college in London.

"In that environment they are always trying to get you to figure out what is the essence of you," Joanne reflects; "I was 22. I didn't know what it was."

Growing up in Tuam with one brother, she was a very shy child. "Very shy, very sensitive, the whole cliche of the creative person. I was great at English but I struggled with the authority of school. I wasn't a troublemaker but I didn't feel I was in the right place. I wanted to be doing other things."

Her father was in business; her mother ran a boutique for a time. "She was always stylish, still is," the designer says of Josephine, who appears in the shoot for this season with her daughter.

"She was good with colour. She'd say to me 'you know there are different shades of beiges'. So I picked that up quite naturally, organically."

At the Limerick School of Art & Design, she planned to study painting, unaware that fashion was an option. On finding out there was a fashion course, she knew immediately that was the path for her.

In London for her MA, her work began to celebrate traditional Irish craft before that was a fashionable thing to do, working with local crafts people from home on pieces for her collection, combing Spitalfields Market for old chandeliers which she would take apart and use to embellish her designs.

"I knew what I was doing, and I was well prepared in terms of the creative process." Confident about her work, she draws a distinction between personal, and professional confidence. "I think I had bucketloads of one, and maybe not of the other. So I might not have known myself, but I knew what I could do."

As a result, she coped with the gruelling atmosphere of St Martins in terms of the work, but it was challenging on a personal level.

In Limerick, the focus had been purely on the tangible work.

In St Martins, the process was to drill down deep into a person. "'Who are you? What are you? What can you do that nobody else can do?' It was very difficult, but I knew that there was something good in what I was doing." She had been slow to show her creations to her tutor Wilson, a woman described by Vogue in her obituary as 'famously hard to impress'.

"I wasn't 100pc certain if they were any good, but I knew that there was something there," Joanne reveals. The day she did show Wilson the pieces, her reaction was, she recalls with a smile, like something out of The Devil Wears Prada. "She went 'Oh fuck, I'm having a fashion moment'."

With this latest collection, it feels like both professionally and personally, Joanne has, in her own words, come full circle.

"All that DNA; I feel that I've made sense of it. I feel a lot freer. I think there's a confidence that comes with age. And working with Dunnes Stores; it makes sense for me. Because I think I was always the designer to reach different types of women."

Despite her clear sense of her own aesthetic, she finds it impossible to sum up the Joanne Hynes woman, to distil the essence of her work into a specific customer type. "I always struggled with that, the idea of the customer, who is she. And now I don't any more; for some reason it just makes a lot more sense for me," she admits. It's one of the reasons she put her mum in this season's fashion shoot, to underline that there is no definitive Joanne Hynes woman, no target audience. These are clothes for anyone, for everyone.

"I think having children was the point of real change in myself," she reflects. "A very positive change. And fortunately it hasn't compromised anything workwise."

Joanne's eldest, Fainche, is almost six, her youngest Coilin four months. She had her first child when she was 34. There wasn't a plan to have a large family, so to speak, although she admits that it was probably something she had decided, almost unbeknownst to herself. "I think I probably did want it but it never surfaced with me on the outside. Obviously, I did. I probably made the decision without even really realising it."

Having children was of zero interest in her twenties. "I don't know if you can run a label and have time to do other things at the early stages of the company," she muses, acknowledging that 17-hour working days were a regular feature of life back then.

"For me it had to be like that. Because I couldn't half do it.

"I look back and I think 'God, I missed out on a lot of good times that other people had'," she laughs gently. "I didn't party. I was quite serious about it. I didn't go on holidays with the girls, all that kind of stuff."

What was it that was driving her? "I suppose it defined me," she reflects of her work. "And I felt it was the most important part of me. Whereas now it's not. Now, there is balance. But nothing has been compromised. If anything I'm more focused on what it is I'm trying to do, or what it is I'm doing now."

She first met her partner, John Maher, when she was in college, a teenager working with John Rocha on a work experience placement. "I remember thinking 'wow'.

"And then we met again years later. He came up and talked to me. And I remembered him."

He is not involved in her business, working in property management. "He understands it. He is there for me, he has very good business sense. I try to not bring home too much of it. It's always a struggle, because I could of course indulge in needing to talk about it, but he has his own needs and his own life."

On the search for the elusive work/life balance, a notion all working mothers are taunted with, Hynes is resolutely honest, rejecting all notions of perfection, or superwoman-hood.

"It's just a process," she says matter of factly of how she manages. "At the weekends I'm completely focused on the children. I don't do anything else. And then during the week I try to balance it out as much as I can. Coming home early, leaving late."

There is a childminder who is flexible, and a lot of evenings spent working after the kids are in bed.

"At the weekends I'm exhausted. Really physically tired. I started running after he was born," she says, nodding her head at her baby who is now sprawled in a milk coma on her lap.

"I was doing 2km a night. And then I just stopped. He was two months old. I thought 'Jesus, how do some women do this? Tell me, just tell me, how?' I really tried. I started running, and I thought 'I'm great, and I'm here, and I'm in my gear'. And it just all stopped."

For now, in the trenches with five young children and a demanding job, self-care isn't top of her list of priorities.

"I probably do need to lie on the couch for three nights a week. But I don't." There is not a trace of martyrdom in her voice. "The time isn't there now, but it might be in a few years time. I can catch up again on it. I can come back to me."

The knowledge that her kids are OK is sufficient for this moment. "It's enough to get you through. To think 'I've made the right decision, I've prioritised, they're OK'. If they're OK I'm OK."

There may also, she admits, be an element of denial. "Managing stress is very difficult, but I think I have a capacity to turn it off. Not realise that I could be more anxious than I think I am. Or more stressed. But I can kind of park it. I'm doing the best I can really," she concludes.

On living in the house with numerous small children she says she relishes the fact that she can turn off to the chaos, not let it bother her where previously, in one so attuned to an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere, it might have.

Like most creative people, while there are pressures and anxieties associated with her work, it is also a huge source of joy, probably an outlet of self-care in its own way.

It should be a contradiction, but the collaboration with a high street giant has given Joanne, the ultimate individualist, the freedom to be herself.

She speaks of it as an ongoing process, this search for her true essence, but Joanne seems like a person who knows exactly who she is. Mother, creative, business woman.

'A Date with Dali: A Surrealist Love Affair' launches on Wednesday at dunnesstores.com, Grafton Street, and Stephen's Green.In an era when "fake news" has become a catch-all cry for those who often simply don't like what they read, we promise to be a truthful and accurate source of information, to question, to analyse and report the facts without fear or favour.

However, good journalism is under threat, and practical steps must be taken to ensure its future.

As technology continues to change the way we live our daily lives, news organisations have had to find new ways to connect with our readers.

The value of the stories we tell and the need for a trusted source of news remains.

Today marks the start of Journalism Matters Week, a campaign - backed by all the major publishers - that aims to highlight the vital role of a free press in any democracy.

It is also calling on the Government to support a number of measures that will help to ensure its future.

The VAT rate charged on newspapers stands at 9pc. The UK, Norway, Belgium and Denmark have a 0pc VAT rate.

We also need more investment in training and support schemes for young journalists.

As part of the campaign, a video series has been created by NewsBrands Ireland. It featured 15 examples of public interest journalism that have affected real change in society.

Featured here, Conor Feehan highlights how the Herald have given a voice to those affected by the homelessness crisis.

Please take time to watch them. Now, more than ever before, journalism matters.James Woods has been locked out of his Twitter account (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Actor James Woods has been locked out of his Twitter account over a tweet he sent months ago that was found to be in violation of its rules.

The tweet was posted on July 20 and includes a hoax meme that said it came from Democrats and encouraged men not to vote in the midterm elections.

Woods got an email from Twitter on Thursday saying the tweet has the potential to be misleading in a way that could impact an election.

The email says Woods can use his account again if he deletes the tweet.

Free speech is free speech - it's not Jack Dorsey's version of free speechJames Woods in AP interview

In an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, Woods said this means he will be allowed back on Twitter only if he decides to do what Twitter says.

He said he will not do that, and he will not delete the tweet.

Free speech is free speech  its not Jack Dorseys version of free speech, Woods said, referring to Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey.

Twitter said it does not comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons.

A spokesman for the social media platform said by email that he had nothing more to share when asked if Mr Dorsey would respond directly to Woods comments.

The irony is, Twitter accused me of affecting the political process, when in fact, their banning of me is the truly egregious interference, Woods said.

Because now, having your voice smothered is much more disturbing than having your vocal chords slit. If you want to kill my free speech, man up and slit my throat with a knife, dont smother me with a pillow.

Expand Close James Woods said he will not delete the tweet (PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp James Woods said he will not delete the tweet (PA)

Woods said if he deletes the tweet, it would force him to watch his step with everything he says in the future, chilling free speech.

The email Woods received from Twitter said Woods would be suspended from the social media platform permanently if there are repeated abuses.

He noted that his original tweet was reposted by his girlfriend on Friday and had been retweeted thousands of times by Sunday.

His girlfriends account was not locked, which he said was proof that he had been singled out because of his large Twitter following.

Woods, who has more than 100 acting credits to his name and starred in several movies including Salvador, Ghosts Of Mississippi and Casino, has more than 1.7 million Twitter followers and is known for his conservative political views.

His Twitter page is still online, though he cannot access it.

The meme that Woods posted in July said #LetWomenDecide and #NoMenMidterm. It claimed to be from a Democratic group, but it was determined to be a hoax campaign to encourage liberal men not to vote in November, according to the website knowyourmeme.com.

Woods called it a parody.

In his tweet, he acknowledged the meme likely was not real, saying: Pretty scary that there is a distinct possibility this could be real. Not likely, but in this day and age of absolute liberal insanity, it is at least possible 

The tweet is considered to be material that would suppress votes or deliberately deceive, and was found to be in violation of Twitter rules.

Woods said he wants open discourse, and called the situation a dangerous one for free speech.

I wish this were about an unknown Twitter user so that I could be even more passionate about it, Woods said. This is not about a celebrity being muzzled. This is about an American being silenced  one tweet at a time.A British woman jailed in Egypt for taking hundreds of painkillers into the country has lost an appeal against her conviction, it has been reported.

Laura Plummer, 34, was sentenced to three years in prison on December 26 last year after she was found to be carrying 290 Tramadol tablets in her suitcase.

The shop worker had hoped Egypt's appeal court would accept she had no way of knowing the pills were illegal in the country, but judges in Cairo upheld her conviction and jail term, The Sun reported.

Ms Plummer, from Hull, told the paper: "I thought the appeal judges would see sense and realise I couldn't have known the tablets were banned. It's just so absurd."

The Briton was arrested at the airport on October 9 last year when she flew into the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

She claimed she was taking the tablets - which are legal in the UK but banned in Egypt - for her Egyptian partner Omar Caboo, who suffers from severe back pain, and had no idea what she was doing was wrong.

The appeal court ruled ignorance of the law was not a defence and said the original court's decision was correct, The Sun said.

Ms Plummer's mother Roberta Synclair told the paper: "We're disappointed, but not surprised. Each time we come to Egypt we prepare for the worst."Is there anything more agonisingly cute than a sleepy baby orangutan hiccuping?

If youre not sure, todays your lucky day  because little Lily from Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas has been filmed doing exactly that.



Sleepy baby hiccups.  Lily was born Sept. 7 via C-section and she and her mom, Daisy, are doing incredibly well given the unique situation they went through. Stay tuned to our Facebook posts over the next couple of days and well fill you in on all of the emotional details of how Lily came into the world. #SundaysWithLily #SumatranOrangutan Posted by Sedgwick County Zoo on Sunday, September 23, 2018

Nope, theres nothing more adorable, its just not possible.

Lily was born via Caesarean section on September 7, after mum Daisy showed signs of complications, by doctors from College Hill Obstetrics and Gynaecology  who usually treat humans.

The hiccups are one of many example of how orangutans are so very similar to humans, the zoo told the Press Association.

We are both primates, and share many traits.

Since arriving in the world the little one has proved to be a smash hit on the zoos social media channels.

Lily has been cared for by keepers in the first weeks of her life while Daisy recovers from the birth.President Donald Trump walks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island, in Singapore (Evan Vucci/AP)

President Donald Trump has said his second meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will unfold much like their first meeting, except for the location.

Mr Trump says it will happen in the not too distant future but they will not meet in the same place.

He said details will be announced pretty soon.

Expand Close President Donald Trump meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in (Evan Vucci/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp President Donald Trump meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in (Evan Vucci/AP)

The president and Mr Kim met in Singapore in June to discuss denuclearising the Korean Peninsula.

Mr Trump commented in New York during an appearance with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Mr Moon recently met with Mr Kim and brought a message from the North Korean leader for Mr Trump.

Mr Trump also says he is excited to be signing a new trade deal with South Korea.

He said the deal is great for both countries.Evacuation: An Iranian soldier carries away a child at the site of an attack on a military parade in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahva. Photo: Getty Images

Iran's Revolutionary Guard vowed "deadly and unforgettable" vengeance yesterday for the mass shooting at a military parade as Iran's president blamed US-backed insurgents for killing 25 people in a hail of bullets.

President Hassan Rouhani accused the US of inciting an unnamed ally in the Persian Gulf to carry out the attack on Saturday in the south-western city of Ahvaz. Four gunmen disguised in military garb opened fire and killed 12 Revolutionary Guardsmen as well as a number of spectators.

"America is acting like a bully towards the rest of the world... and thinks it can act based on brute force," said Mr Rouhani, whose country is in the grips of a desperate economic situation brought on by sweeping US sanctions.

"But our people will resist and the government is ready to confront America. We will overcome this situation and America will regret choosing the wrong path."

Mr Rouhani is on a collision course with US President Donald Trump, whose decision to quit the 2015 nuclear deal is, to Mr Rouhani's mind, directly to blame for Iran's financial crisis. The two leaders will attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, brushed off the accusations from Tehran, saying of Mr Rouhani: "The thing he has to do is look in the mirror.

Expand Close Men, women, and children seek cover after the attack. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Men, women, and children seek cover after the attack. Photo: Getty Images

"He's got the Iranian people protesting. Every ounce of money goes into his military. He has oppressed his people for a long time. I think the Iranian people have had enough."

Yesterday morning, Iran summoned diplomats from the UK, the Netherlands and Denmark, accusing them of harbouring Iranian opposition groups. Mr Rouhani then took to state television, declaring it "absolutely clear to us who has done this, which group it is and to whom they are affiliated", without naming anyone.

"One of the countries in the south of the Persian Gulf took care of their financial, weaponry and political needs. All these little mercenary countries we see in this region are backed by America. It is the Americans who incite them," he said.

Iran's foreign ministry then summoned the United Arab Emirates charge d'affaires to rebuke him for comments made by an unnamed Emirati official about the bloody fusillade at the parade.

Shia Iran has long been locked in a struggle for regional dominance with US-allied, majority Sunni, Saudi Arabia. The UAE is a Saudi ally, and hosts a significant US military presence.

Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the UK, underscored the vitriol between the two regional powers in a reference to the "destabilising and malign influence of Iran".

"There is still time for a determined international response that stops Iran from spreading its malignant influence to every corner of the region," he said.

Tehran has made no secret of its mounting fury at the US over tightening sanctions, with Javad Zarif, the foreign minister, taking to Twitter on Friday to denounce "the Trump administration's sense of entitlement to destabilise the world along with rogue accomplices in our region".

The four dead gunmen are understood to have been part of a group affiliated with the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz, a separatist group.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]A second allegation of sexual misconduct against US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has fuelled calls from Democrats to postpone further action on his confirmation.

A days-long back and forth over the timing and terms of a hearing with Mr Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing him of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, appeared to end on Sunday with the announcement that they would appear separately on Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Hours later, however, The New Yorker magazine reported online that Senate Democrats were investigating another womans accusation of sexual misconduct by Mr Kavanaugh, this time dating to the 1983-84 academic year, Mr Kavanaughs first at Yale University.

The New Yorker said 53-year-old Deborah Ramirez described the incident in an interview after being contacted by the magazine.

Ms Ramirez recalled that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, the magazine reported.

In a statement provided by the White House, Mr Kavanaugh said the event did not happen and that the allegation was a smear, plain and simple.

A White House spokeswoman added in a second statement that the allegation was designed to tear down a good man.

Expand Close President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (J Scott Applewhite/AP) / Facebook

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Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, called for the immediate postponement of any further action on Mr Kavanaughs nomination.

She also asked the committees chairman, Senator Chuck Grassley, to have the FBI investigate the allegations of both Ms Ford and Ms Ramirez.

The New Yorker said it contacted Ms Ramirez after learning of a possible involvement in an incident with Mr Kavanaugh and that the allegation came to Democratic senators through a civil rights lawyer.

She had been considering speaking to the magazine for at least a week. Meanwhile, Republicans were pressing for a swift hearing and a vote.

The magazine reported that Ms Ramirez was reluctant at first to speak publicly partly because her memories contained gaps because she had been drinking at the time of the alleged incident.

She also acknowledged reluctance to characterise Kavanaughs role in the alleged incident with certainty.

The magazine reported that after six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney, Ramirez said that she felt confident enough of her recollections to recall the incident.

The Associated Press tried reaching Ms Ramirez at her home in Boulder, Colorado. She posted a sign saying she has no comment on her front door.

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee said they found out about the Ramirez allegations from The New Yorker article and blamed Democrats for withholding the information.

Spokesman Taylor Foy said the panel is looking into it.

Judge Kavanaugh I just granted another extension to Dr Ford to decide if she wants to proceed w the statement she made last week to testify to the senate She shld decide so we can move on I want to hear her. I hope u understand. Its not my normal approach to b indecisive  ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 22, 2018

The new information came hours after the Senate committee agreed to a date and time for a hearing after nearly a week of uncertainty over whether Ms Ford would appear to tell her story.

The agreement and the latest accusation set the stage for a dramatic showdown as Mr Kavanaugh and Ms Ford each tell their side of the story.

The developments could also determine the fate of Mr Kavanaughs confirmation, which hangs on the votes of a handful of senators.

Mr Kavanaugh, 53, an appellate court judge, has denied Ms Fords allegation and said he wanted to testify as soon as possible to clear his name.

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in her legal fight with President Donald Trump, inserted himself into the maelstrom on Sunday night when he claimed to represent a woman with information about high school-era parties attended by Mr Kavanaugh and urged the Senate to investigate.

Mr Avenatti told AP that he will disclose his clients identity in the coming days and that she is prepared to testify before the committee, as well as provide names of corroborating witnesses.

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Mr Grassley wrangled with Ms Fords lawyers for the last week over the exact terms of her appearance.

She made several requests, some of which were accommodated  a Thursday hearing, three days later than originally scheduled, and a smaller hearing room with less press access to avoid a media circus, for example.

Mr Grassleys staff also agreed to let Ms Ford testify without Mr Kavanaugh in the room, for there to be only one camera in the room, adequate breaks and a high security presence.

The committee said it would not negotiate on other points, though, including Ms Fords desire for additional witnesses and a request to testify after, not before, Mr Kavanaugh.Christine Blasey Ford will testify in an open hearing on Thursday about what she says was a sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at a party decades ago.

"Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her," the California professor's lawyers said.

The deal with the Senate Judiciary Committee sets up a final showdown in the bitter fight over US President Donald Trump's second high court pick.

The White House in a statement on Saturday continued its support for Mr Kavanaugh, saying he's "eager to testify publicly to defend his integrity and clear his good name".

Among the issues still being ironed out are how long senators will have to ask questions, a source said. Dr Ford's lawyers also added details for other witnesses they would like to be called, including two trauma experts and the polygraph examiner who conducted a test on Dr Ford.

Republicans have so far declined to accommodate any request for additional witnesses. GOP committee staff insisted in an email to Dr Ford's legal team that the committee will determine which witnesses to call, how many witnesses to call, in what order to call them and who will question them.

Republican lawmakers and the White House this weekend have cast doubt on Dr Ford's allegations, citing others she said were at the party in question, saying they have no recollection of it.

Senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said yesterday he wouldn't vote against Mr Kavanaugh without additional evidence.

Mr Graham said there was no way Mr Kavanaugh could be prosecuted based on the evidence presented so far. "You couldn't get a warrant because the three people named by Dr Ford as having been at the party outside of Kavanaugh all say they don't know what she's talking about," he said.

In a statement on Saturday, the White House addressed the specifics of Ms Ford's case: it said the four other people Ms Ford claimed were at the party where the incident allegedly occurred all denied "any knowledge of the incident or having attended such a party".

According to the White House, a fourth denial was sent to the judiciary committee on Saturday by Leland Keyser, whose lawyer said in a statement she "does not know Mr Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present with, or without, Dr Ford".

'The Washington Post' has reported that Ms Keyser said in an interview that she was close friends with Dr Ford and believed her allegation.

Debra Katz, one of Dr Ford's attorneys, noted her client has said she didn't share her story with anyone for years.

"It's not surprising that Ms Keyser has no recollection of the evening as they did not discuss it," Ms Katz said. "It's also unremarkable Ms Keyser does not remember attending a specific gathering 30 years ago at which nothing of consequence happened to her. Dr Ford, of course, will never forget this gathering because of what happened to her there."

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, of Illinois, also a Judiciary Committee member, questioned why Dr Ford would have come forward if the allegation wasn't true.

"It really speaks to her credibility at this moment. What in the hell did she have to gain by doing this?" Mr Durbin said. "These are serious allegations that need to be investigated."The Russian plane which was accidentally downed by Syrian forces (Marina Lystseva/AP)

Russia will supply the Syrian government with more modern missile defence systems following last weeks downing of a Russian plane by Syria.

The Russian military aircraft was downed by Syrian government missile defence systems, killing all 15 people on board, in a friendly fire incident which sent regional tensions over the war-torn country soaring.

Russia laid the blame squarely on Israel, saying Israeli fighter jets had pushed the Russian plane into the line of Syrias fire.

Expand Close A computer simulation purports to show Israeli jets near to the Russian reconnaissance plane shown in red before it was accidentally shot down (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP) / Facebook

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Shortly before the downing, Israeli strikes had hit targets inside Syria, reportedly preventing an arms shipment going to the Iranian-backed militant Hezbollah group.

Russia launched its campaign in Syria to support President Bashar Assad in 2015, and though the involvement turned the tide of war in favour of Syrian government forces, Moscow has since tried to play a careful balancing act, maintaining good ties both with Iran and Israel.

For its part, Israel is wary of Irans growing influence in Syria, which is bringing its archenemy closer to its borders.

Last weeks downing has put Russias relationship with Israel to the test.

President Vladimir Putin initially struck a reconciliatory note, blaming the downing on a chain of tragic, fatal circumstances.

But the Russian military came out on Sunday renewing the accusations against Israel.

Russian officials said Syrias outdated S-200 systems were not sophisticated enough to identify the Russian plane as a friendly one.

Mondays statement from Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia will send the S-300 missile defence systems to Syria within the next two weeks.

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Earlier in the war, Russia suspended a supply of S-300s, which Israel feared Syria could use against it.

Mr Shoigu said Russia is now going to go ahead with the shipment because the situation has changed, and its not our fault.

He also said that Russia would start to electronically jam aircraft flying in to attack targets in Syria.

We are convinced that these measures will calm down some hotheads and keep them from careless actions which pose a threat to our troops, Mr Shoigu said.

Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Russian news agencies that supplying S-300s to Syria is Russias own right and expressed confidence that this would not hurt ties with Israel.

The Kremlin said Russias decision was not targeted against anyone and only serves to protect Russian troops in Syria.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that recent findings by the Russian military showed an Israeli jet deliberately pushed the Russian Il-20 into the line of fire, enabling its downing.

The Trump administration warned Russia that supplying Syria with the advanced missile defence system would be a major mistake and should be reconsidered.

It also said US forces will not leave Syria until Iran leaves.

National security adviser John Bolton said that delivery of the Russian S-300 would be a significant escalation in already high tensions in the region.Donald Trump has staunchly defended his embattled Supreme Court nominee against a new allegation of sexual misconduct, calling the accusations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh totally political.

The US president spoke a day after a second allegation emerged against Mr Kavanaugh, a development that further imperilled his nomination to the Supreme Court.

Mr Trump, at the United Nations for his second General Assembly meeting, called the allegations unfair and unsubstantiated, made by accusers who come out of the woodwork.

I am with him all the wayDonald Trump

He also questioned the political motivations of the lawyers representing the women, saying you should look into the lawyers doing the representation.

On Mr Kavanaugh, Mr Trump stressed: I am with him all the way.

The new accusation in a report from The New Yorker came just a few hours after negotiators had reached an agreement to hold an extraordinary public hearing on Thursday for Mr Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford.

Ms Ford accuses Mr Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were teenagers.

He denies the accusation.

Presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway told CBS that the accusations against Mr Kavanaugh sound like a vast left-wing conspiracy, using rhetoric that echoed Hillary Clintons 1998 description of allegations that her husband, President Bill Clinton, had had affairs.

Mr Trump is suggesting the timing of the New Yorker article is further evidence of what he has been saying privately for days: that the Democrats and media are conspiring to undermine his pick.

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The second claim against Mr Kavanaugh dates to the 1983-84 academic year, which was his first at Yale University.

Deborah Ramirez described the alleged incident after being contacted by The New Yorker magazine.

She alleged that Mr Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party.

In a statement provided by the White House, Mr Kavanaugh said the event did not happen and that the allegation was a smear, plain and simple.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, called for the immediate postponement of any further action on Mr Kavanaughs nomination.

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee said they would investigate Ms Ramirezs accusation.

Taylor Foy, a judiciary spokesman, complained that Democrats actively withheld information from the Republicans.

He said they appear more interested in a political takedown than a bipartisan process.

The New Yorker said it contacted Ms Ramirez after learning of a possible incident with Mr Kavanaugh.

It said that the allegation came to the attention of Democratic senators through a civil rights lawyer. The Democrats then began investigating.

Ms Ramirez was reluctant at first to speak publicly partly because her memories contained gaps because she had been drinking at the time of the alleged incident, The New Yorker reported.

After six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney, Ramirez said that she felt confident enough of her recollections to speak publicly, the report said.

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in her legal fight with Mr Trump, claimed to represent a woman with information about high school-era parties attended by Mr Kavanaugh and urged the Senate to investigate.

Mr Avenatti said he will disclose his clients identity in the coming days and that she is prepared to give evidence before the committee, as well as provide names of corroborating witnesses.

A White House official publicly questioned the accusations coming from Mr Avenattis client, saying that the presence of the high-profile lawyer  who has publicly taken on Mr Trump and is weighing a 2020 Democratic presidential bid  makes the proceedings a circus.US President Donald Trump has said a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is likely to take place quite soon.

Speaking at the United Nations, Mr Trump said the relationship with the country whose leader he last year branded as Little Rocket Man is much improved.

He said: It was a different world. That was a dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time.

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Mr Trump said secretary of state Mike Pompeo is working out the details for the second Trump-Kim meeting.

Mr Kim requested a second meeting with Mr Trump in a letter this month, and Mr Trump said we will be doing that.

The president is set to meet South Koreas Moon Jae-in to discuss North Korea and trade details.

Mr Moon is expected to convey to Mr Trump a personal message from Mr Kim delivered at their inter-Korean talks last week.Actor Adil Hussain has managed to spark a healthy debate after he urged the government to release Rs 5 crore for the promotion of Rima Das' Assamese film. The film will represent India in the Best Foreign Language film category.

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On Saturday, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced the independent film as the chosen one to vie with movies from several other countries to make the cut as a nominee in the highly competitive Academy Awards category.

FFI's selection committee chairman S.V. Rajendra Singh Babu, a veteran film producer, said there is an acute lack of funds to carry out the required promotional processes effectively, which is why many Indian movies haven't made it to the final round, barring three -- Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay! (1988) and Lagaan (2001).

Adil was "flummoxed" with the statement.

"The governments have so much money to promote themselves putting posters all across! After selecting 'Village Rockstars', jury says there's acute lack of funds to promote film at Oscars," tweeted the actor, whose Norwegian film "What Will People Say" is Norway's official entry to the Oscars this year.

Adil drew the attention of the Assam government, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, his office and of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the matter, hoping they "will immediately release Rs 5 crore for the promotion of 'Village Rockstars', since all other countries have already started their campaigns in the US".

Thank you Dost @BajpayeeManoj

Now I hope that @mygovassam and @MIB_India come forward instantly to release at least 5 crore for the promotion of #VillageRockstars for the Oscar Campaign. https://t.co/WnOknwviMk  Adil hussain (@_AdilHussain) September 23, 2018

As Rajendra Singh Babu rightly pointed out, "It is impossible for independent and small producers to promote their film all by themselves. It is important that they receive funds to do so. It is important we follow these processes to reach all the Academy members and critics."

Adil's tweet sparked a healthy debate around it.

Actor Annup Sonii expressed disappointment, and wrote: "For the smallest achievement they have big funds but for this... 'Acute lack of funds'. Eventually, it will come down to the filmmaker asking for favours or donations... Sad... Very sad."

Actress Renuka Shahane questioned: "Why don't we from the film fraternity join hands and create a fundraiser for our Oscar entry? Let's not depend on the government. It is important that we support this gem of a film onwards to the Oscars."

Why don't we from the film fraternity join hands and create a fundraiser for our Oscar entry? Let's not depend on the Govt. It is important that we support this gem of a film onwards to the Oscars. @rimadasFilm https://t.co/Mbc15ejLFB  Renuka Shahane (@renukash) September 23, 2018

When a Twitter user pointed out that "filthy rich, big stars and producers" from the industry "can afford your Oscar thingy", Renuka retorted: "What do you mean 'Your Oscar thingy'?

"It should be a matter of pride for the entire country that a young girl with no background or training in filmmaking makes an incredible film like 'Village Rockstars' that compels the jury to select it for the Oscars. Let's not be myopic."

On Adil's plea to the government, another user commented that the taxpayers' money should not be used for Oscars.

"Is it some kind of national service? Why should we care about an American award? Why can't film industry fund these expenses?" the user questioned.

To that, Adil wrote: "Government can use taxpayers' money to promote India's image as a supporter of high quality art. That's what all civilised governments do! 'Village Rockstars' is an independent film. It's not a mainstream run-of-the-mill film. "Government's responsibility is to support fine art of any discipline."

Govt can Use Taxpayers money to promote India's image as a supporter of High Quality art. That's what all Civilised Governments Do! #VillageRockstars is an Independent film. Its not a mainstream run-of-the-mill film. Govts responsibility is to support fine art of any Discipline. https://t.co/tCExcao6GA  Adil hussain (@_AdilHussain) September 23, 2018

Set in Das' own village of Chhaygaon in Assam, Village Rockstars is the story of "poor but amazing children" who live a fun-filled life.

The film also won the Best Feature film Award at the 65th National Film Awards.As for Das, she is hoping for the best as far as funds are concerned to put her film on the Oscars map.

"'Village Rockstars' is a film about dreams and hope. It has transcended so many barriers right from the time of its inception and I am hopeful this time too it will."Nitin Sandesara, the absconding director of a Gujarat based pharma company being probed in a fraud case of Rs 5,000 crore is likely to have fled to Nigeria from UAE where he was arrested last month.

There were reports that Nitin Sandesara was detained by UAE authorities in Dubai in the second week of August. The information was incorrect. He was never detained in Dubai. He and other family members probably left for Nigeria much before that, an official was quoted as saying by Times of India.

Sandesaras family which includes brother Chetan Sandesara and sister-in-law Diptiben Sandesara are likely to have been hiding in Nigeria.

CBI has booked Vadodara based Sterling Biotech, its directors Chetan Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and Vilas Joshi, CA Hemant Hathi, former director of Andhra Bank, Anup Garg and some unidentified persons in connection of the bank fraud case.

The Sterling Biotech did fraud of Rs 5,000 crore which it took as loans from an Andhra Bank consortium which turned into NPA. The FIR reveals that the total due amount is Rs 5, 383 crore as on December 31, 2016. The ED and CBI are on the look-out for Sandesara and others.Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today inaugurate Sikkims first airport at Pakyong. The airport will improve connectivity, benefiting the people of the state. This is Indias 100th airport. Read more

Here's more top news of the day:





1) Injured & Stranded Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy Rescued Three Days After SOS By French Ship

bccl





Naval officer Commander Abhilash Tomy has been rescued today by a French vessel. Tomy was stranded in the Indian Ocean near Australia after being injured in a sailing race. He is the only Indian to sail around the world non-stop. Read more

2) Heavy Rains & Snowfall Lash Himachal Resulting In Flash Floods; Air Force Rescues Stranded People

Twitter





Himachal Pradesh is witnessing incessant rainfall since Saturday, resulting in flash floods and closure of major highways. Several parts of the state have witnessed landslides and rescue operations to evacuate people in remote locations are on. Read more

3) Man Accused Of Lynching Akhlaq In Dadri Will Contest 2019 Lok Sabha Polls From Noida

toi





After the news of Shambhu Regar, the man who murdered a Muslim man in Rajasthan's Udaipur last year possibly contesting elections in 2019 wasn't surprising enough, here is another one now. Read more

4) Urging People To Cut Noise Pollution, Fadnavis Says Ganesha Doesnt Need DJ-Dolby Systems

Representational Image





Requesting people to work towards cutting noise pollution during the Ganesh Chaturthi processions and immersion ceremony, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Lord Ganesha doesnt need DJ and Dolby. Read more

5) From Sleeping In Fields & Burying Phones, Accused In Rewari Gangrape Case Did Everything To Evade Arrest

After 11 days of thorough search operations across Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi, the prime accused in the Rewari gangrape case have been nabbed. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) tasked with the probe of the case, said that the presence of the all the five people has been established at the crime spot when the woman was raped. Read moreDelhi Police arrested a 42-year-old woman allegedly involved in human trafficking from Punjabi Bagh area on Sunday. She had a reward of Rs 25,000 on her. According to Police, Prabha Muni and her husband Rohit Muni allegedly ran an NGO that lured girls on the pretext of providing a job.

Acting on a tip-off, Prabha Muni was arrested on Saturday, while her husband was still absconding, police said.

During the investigation, it was learnt that the accused used to lure girls to their NGO with false promises of getting them jobs as housemaids in Delhi, a senior police officer said. A case was registered against them in 2013 and the accused were absconding since then, he said, adding that police were trying to trace Rohit Muni.

Human trafficking is a major issue in India and even from Delhi, many girls and children are trafficked into other parts of the country and vice versa.

As per the NCRB data, a total of 8,132 cases of human trafficking recorded in 2016 in India, and among states, West Bengal topped the list with most cases followed by Rajasthan. West Bengal and Rajasthan, together account for 61 per cent of such cases in the country. A total of 3,576 cases were registered from West Bengal and 1,422 cases from Rajasthan. Out of the 75 cases registered in all UTs, 66 alone were registered in Delhi.It is no secret that kids these days spend more time glued to their smartphones than is good for them. Due to this, they're also exposed to dangerous online games like Blue Whale Challenge and Momo Challenge.

But thanks to a new app developed by the Indian government, kids will now be warned against online dangers in a fun, educational manner.

Reuters

ALSO READ: In The First 'Blue Whale' Case Reported In Bengaluru, Two Boys Caught Playing The Challenge

The 'cyber trivia' app being developed by the Indian government will throw multiple choice questions to children, rewarding them with points for correct answers, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights said.

"It is an attempt to teach these children in a fun way what should be done if they are contacted by a stranger on the Internet who might ask for their pictures or ask them to do things," said Yashwant Jain, a member of the NCPCR.

The cyber trivia app game has been developed by the Indian government as a response to the rising number of suicide by children due to dangerous 'blue whale' and 'momo' challenges.

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"The children these days outsmart even their parents. They do not understand the dangers the cyber world poses and teaching them about it would not help them understand the dangers as online games would do. That is the reason we decided to develop this game," Jain told PTI.

According to a child psychologist, Sujatha Sharma, the government's cyber trivia game makes use of classic behaviour modification technique to safeguard children from online hazards.

"The app is based on behaviour modification technique under which we use a system of rewards and punishments to encourage positive behaviour and discourage negative behaviour. It is a standard technique of behaviour modification therapy," she said.

In a technology age where children are often a step ahead of their parents, Cyber Trivia should help to give vulnerable children the right information they need, in the medium they like it most. It would be soon made available on app stores, Jain added.Most of the time, models in fashion shows do not exactly wear clothes one could wear normally at work, a day out with family, or a night out with friends. They are known to wear sometimes flashy, sometimes bizarre clothes that could occasionally have a jaw dropping effect on people outside the fashion world - and not in a good way.

Recently, an Italian brand GCDS upped their bonkers quotient by a really big notch during Milan Fashion Week - by sending models down the runway wearing three breasts!

Ladbible/Shuttershock

A number of models were seen wearing a trio of fake breasts, covered by sports-type-bras and crop tops. The women also wore shorts, leg warmers, harnesses and vinyl dresses which is something really inappropriate for normal working women to wear anywhere!

Ladbible/Getty

The neon signs in the show's background read: 'GCDS Corp is your only God'. And was reportedly a comment on being body positive and inclusive. It's other motive was also to show a glimpse into what the future of people might look like.Dogs are more than just man's best friend. They can be therapeutic and are often trained to be service dogs to help people with serious medical conditions. But have you ever seen a dog who has his own service dog? Well, get ready to melt because this blind dog being led down the steps by his service dog is just too much love and cuteness in one video.

Meet Ginger and Kimchi. Ginger - the golden retriever - takes one step at a time, guiding the blind Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Kimchi. They visit patients in the hospital, stressed students, to provide emotional support to all those who need it.

The person who filmed the dogs, the footage of which was released by newsflare, said that Kimchi was thin, mangy, weak, with flea-infested matted fur, and already blind when found. He was later adopted by a family with a Golden Retriever mix called Ginger, about 13 years old. The two have developed a very close bond now.

Eric and Thea talked to When In Manila about how Ginger developed an instant bond with Kimchi from the moment they first spotted her at the animal rescue shelter. It all happened by accident when at first their owners tied the dogs together just so Kimchi did not wander off. With time Ginger started leading her around, and walking and waiting patiently next to her. Ginger and Kimchi are a rare and special case who have a unique bond that's so heartwarming.Indian actor Irrfan Khan in a still from "Doob - No Bed of Roses," Bangladeshs official entry for the Academy Awards 2019. The films director said the film would not have been possible without Khan. (YouTube screenshot photo)The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin announced its Global Healthcare Summit to run from Dec. 28 through Dec. 31 in Mumbai. AAPI president Dr. Naresh Parikh said the summit is a progressive transformation from the first Indo-U.S. Healthcare Summit launched by AAPI USA in 2007. (photo provided)SAVE Jobs USA, an advocacy organization for several Southern California Edison workers who were laid off and allegedly replaced by H-1B workers, has filed a motion with the DC District Court of Appeals to speed up oral arguments on a case aiming to strip work authorization for the spouses of H-1B workers. Currently, an estimated 100,000 employment authorization documents have been issued, overwhelmingly to women from India. (Getty Images file photo)India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin has said that Pakistans grievances on Kashmir do not find traction at the United Nations General Assembly and has called the nation a one-trick pony. (Syed Akbaruddin Twitter photo)California Avenue Veterans Fight Eviction Notices by Santa Cruz Tenants Association

Monday Sep 24th, 2018 1:26 PM

On Monday, September 24 at 4:00 PM at the California Apartments (526 & 528 California Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95060) Santa Cruz Tenants Association will join with tenants from the California Apartments to denounce landlords Daniel and Lisa Decker for issuing no-cause eviction notices to military veterans.

Many of the tenants received eviction notices that do not comply with the City of Santa Cruz Just Cause Eviction ordinance. Tenant Albert Brett, in his 60s, suffers from conditions caused by Agent Orange exposure Vietnam. He receives medical services from the Veterans Administration. If evicted, he could face homelessness in Santa Cruz. Senior citizen John Doty suffered a stroke a few years ago. His neighbors are friends who help keep him going daily. The tenants have formed a close-knit community with trust based on mutual aid and caring.



The apartments were recently sold by long-time owners. The new owner, Los Gatos landlord/investor Daniel Decker, vowed in 2016 never to buy property in a rent controlled area. He apparently changed his mind and instead paid $2 million 900 thousand for the Santa Cruz complex even though the City is under a strict rent freeze, with a vote on rent control fast approaching.



Contrary to anti-rent control talking points, neither the current rent freeze nor the upcoming rent control election gave him pause from purchasing the complex. Shortly after buying the place, and in violation of the Just Cause ordinance, he issued eviction notices without cause to several tenants.Kerry opens first Russian plant

Kerry has opened its first plant in Russia in the Istra district of Moscow. The new production and warehouse complex occupies a site covering more than 7,000 square meters and employs over 50 people.

Kerry has opened its first plant in Russia in the Istra district of Moscow.

The new production and warehouse complex occupies a site covering more than 7,000 square meters and employs over 50 people. Production begins immediately with ingredients for the meat processing and snacks market. At full capacity, the plant is designed to produce 26,000 tons of products per year to meet increased local demand for products that meet local consumer taste and nutrition preferences.

The facility was officially opened by Minister for Agriculture for the Moscow Region, Andrei Razin and Edmond Scanlon Kerry Group Chief Executive.

Minister Razin said "Kerry has had a presence in Russia since 2006, and I am delighted to be here today to officially open its first production facility. For us it demonstrates the companys commitment to our great country and Kerrys desire to continue to develop and grow its business in Russia. The opening of this modern and sustainably developed production plant will not only contribute to the development of the food industry in our region, but in all of Russia."

Edmond Scanlon said: Kerry has been in business in Russia for over 12 years, we opened our regional development and application centre in 2014, and the building of this state-of-the-art facility was for us the next logical step in the development of our business in the region. Over the years, our business here has gone from strength to strength and as the Russian food industry has developed and expanded, so have we and so has our customer base. This facility means we can now deliver an even better service and get closer to our customers in this part of the world, while offering locally produced goods, using locally sourced raw materials.

Products from this new facility will supply Kerry customers in the Russian market from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, as well as the countries of the Customs Union and the CIS: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan and beyond.

Olivier Picard, Managing Director, Kerry Russia said: "We believe in the development of the Russian market - the volume of retail trade in the country, according to forecasters, will increase by 6.8% by 2020 and we believe we can play a part in this and in the growth of foodservice. Additionally, the Russian Federation is the main gateway to the countries of the customs union and the CIS, areas we also see providing future growth potential.Switch the Market flag

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for targeted data from your country of choice.Ive been working with the APIG committee in Perth for some time now and am really excited about the abundance of opportunity and talent we have locally, said MacMillan.

The committee is excited to engage with local brokers, underwriters and insurance lawyers to develop a strong financial lines network across WA; there is a real appetite for more events and education with tailored content addressing issues unique to the WA market and, importantly, the development of the WA financial lines community.

Jeremy Scott Mackenzie, National APIG President, noted that MacMillans appointment came with a strong backing from the Perth committee, and believes she will add a fresh perspective.

In a short period of time, Claire has established herself as a key player in the local financial lines market, adept at building networks across brokers, loss adjusters and other insurance lawyers, said Mackenzie.

We are thrilled to have a president of her calibre lead the West Australian chapter and wish her every success in her role.

The move marks the latest in a long string of professional association appointments for MacMillan. She has worked with a number of groups that aim to provide support for women in business, and foster relationships with brokers, including The Association for Women in Insurance, Women on Boards, Business Chicks, Women Lawyers of WA, Society of Construction Law Australia and the National Association of Women in Construction.Their exemption from the unfair contract terms laws that apply to every other industry has clearly been a disaster, Susan Quinn, a senior policy officer at the Consumer Action Law Centre, told The Sydney Morning Herald. Theres no onus on insurers to make sure their policies are fair, balanced, and understandable. And weve seen that means people are shocked when their claims are declined or theyre put through the wringer.

Campbell Fuller, Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) spokesman, said extending unfair contract laws would require every insurance contract to be re-written and would be detrimental to consumers.

The general insurance industry and the Insurance Council will continue to work with Treasury, regulators, consumer groups, and other stakeholders on ways to improve consumer outcomes in practical ways, Fuller told the publication.

Alexandra Kelly, principal solicitor at the Financial Rights Legal Centre, noted, however, that Australia is lagging behind other countries, such as the UK, New Zealand, and the European Union generally, when it comes to implementing unfair contract laws in insurance.

Insurers have generally opposed subjecting the sector to the laws, warning that such a move would lead to increased premiums or non-coverage of higher-risk areas, such as those that are prone to natural disasters, including North Queensland.

Another key policy issue that may be raised this week concerns claims-handling, which is currently excluded from financial-services laws.

We think we really need to see more regulation, more fines, more sticks in claims-handling, to improve the culture, Kelly told SMH.

The commissions interim report is set to be submitted to the government on Sunday.Daytona Beach News-Journal reported that one local law firm is responsible for more than half of the small claims cases (and most of the cases involve PIP claims) in both counties: Simoes Davila.

In 2016, Simoes Davila filed 257 small claims cases in Volusia County. The following year, the firm filed 8,404. As of August this year, the firm had been responsible for 3,497 Volusia cases  representing 56% of all the small claims cases filed in the county.

Insurance industry experts warn that the surge is part of a statewide trend driven by lawyers who are looking to make high-volume business out of filing claims involving motorists in personal injury protection (PIP)  a program under Floridas no-fault insurance statute that provides coverage of up to $10,000.

Data from the Florida Justice Reform Institute revealed that PIP lawsuits across the state spiked nearly 50% to a record high of over 60,000 in 2017. Lawyers can earn thousands of dollars in fees in cases over disputes worth just hundreds of dollars, experts cautioned.

In many of the cases, the attorneys were not even working on behalf of the clients, but for medical providers instead. This is due to the much-contested assignment of benefits practice, wherein accident victims can sign over their claim to repayment to their healthcare provider, inviting the risk of medical price gouging.

State law also provides for a system called one-way attorneys fees, which means if an insurance company loses a lawsuit or settles for unfavorable terms, it must pay the medical providers attorneys fees. However, if the medical provider loses, it does not have to pay for the insurance companys fees.

Michael Carlson, the president of the Personal Insurance Federation of Florida, pointed out that all these factors have empowered law firms across the state to sue insurers over even over the smallest of amounts medical providers claim they are owed.

Theres a whole cottage industry of law firms that have sprung up over several decades, Carlson said, whose organization represents insurers such as State Farm, Progressive, Allstate and Farmers. Their whole practice is not representing the consumer who has been hurt in a car accident. They are representing the medical provider who has provided some medical service to the consumer.According to court documents, Nebeker  an agent for Farm Bureau Insurance in St. George at that time  had filed 28 applications for life insurance between July 2017 and December 2017 using stolen identities. He used names, dates of birth, and even social security numbers to pose as his victims.

Nebeker went as far as to forge his victims written and electronic signatures, and gave false bank accounts and addresses as part of his scheme.

Deseret News reported that all of Nebekers victims live in southern Utah.

The charges laid against Nebeker additionally claim that he had filed fraudulent life insurance applications with Mutual of Omaha, Columbian and Americo through an independent broker. Police have pointed out that he was not allowed to do so since he was a captured employee of Farm Bureau.

For each of the falsified applications, Nebeker received an upfront commission. Charges indicated that the policies were later canceled, either by Nebeker or by the insurers, when they defaulted.

His scheme was eventually discovered when his victims were notified of their defaulted policies. The victims then called the companies and said they never applied for or requested for life insurance. Police also said that some victims claimed they had never even met Nebeker to discuss a policy.

Related stories:

California man tries buying auto insurance an hour after crash

Psychologist charged in $80k insurance scamAXIS Reinsurance, the reinsurance business segment of AXIS Capital Holdings, has announced the appointment of William Bennett as senior underwriter for property reinsurance at Lloyds. Bennett will join AXIS in March 2019. In his new role, he will be responsible for underwriting all property reinsurance lines at Lloyds for AXIS Re, with a focus on US regional and mutual property reinsurance.

William is a recognized leader in the property reinsurance market at Lloyds, and has a strong reputation among key brokers in that market, said Rob Smart, AXIS Res interim president of global markets. He is an important addition to our team, and will help us further enhance our client engagement model as we seek to achieve a leadership position in the property reinsurance market at Lloyds.SageSure Insurance Managers, the largest independent residential-property managing general underwriter in the NUS, has announced the appointment of Victor dos Santos (pictured) as president of commercial insurance.

SageSure plans to begin offering commercial lines in the next few years. We are always seeking ways to help our carriers and producers grow their business, said Terrence McLean, president and CEO of SageSure. Victor is highly qualified to lead us into the commercial space and position us to achieve the success we have seen in residential property.The former longtime bookkeeper for an upstate New York tourism agency has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $200,000 from the organization.

Kathryn Price pleaded guilty to grand larceny and criminal tax fraud Wednesday in a Saratoga County court.

The 58-year-old Saratoga Springs resident admitted to forging nearly 200 checks from the bank accounts of the Saratoga Convention and Visitors Bureau between 2015 and last October.

When Saratoga Springs police arrested her last December they said she had stolen around $220,000.

Price has paid restitution and faces up to six months in jail when shes sentenced Oct. 30.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Fraud New YorkNew Jersey state police say the death of a ship worker killed when two steel planks fell on him has been ruled an accident.

Basim Gilliard was hit around 9:15 a.m. Sunday while he was unloading cargo from the hold of the Virtuous Striker, which was docked in the Delaware River at Port of Paulsboro. The 26-year-old Pennsauken, N.J., man was pronounced dead a short time later.

Further details about the accident, including what caused the planks to fall, have not been disclosed. No other injuries were reported.

The accident is under investigation by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics New JerseyAnti-Semitism at the Labour Party conference and Corbyns other Jewish jokes

The tabloids are tucking into the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. Lets take a look at see how theyre treating the issue of rampant Jew hatred in self-styled anti-racist party. Well begin with the Mirror, which mentions zer Jews on page 5, where they feature under Joke of the Day. MP Stella Creasy was at the Jewish Labour Movement meeting. Noting Corbyns comments about British Jews failing to understand English irony'  no, not Zionists but Jews. The Mirror knows who Corbyn meant  Creasy quipped: I was going to say something about how good it us being a Jew in the Labour Party at the moment, but someone told me you guys dont get irony.

On page 4, we hear Jeremy Corbyns response to being accused of being an anti-Semite. Are you an anti-Semite, the BBCs Andrew Marr asked Corbyn. No, absolutely not, he replied. But a fair few of his friends and allies might be.

Jews are all over the Mails cover. Well, one them is. Luciana Berger, the Labour MP routinely attacked for being a Jew, was accompanied by two coppers as she attended an anti-Semitism all in Liverpool, her home city. The story continues on Page 6, where we learn that the coppers were carrying Tasers. Now we hear more from Creasy, and its not all that funny. The Mail finds space to include what the Mirror could not. Says Creasy:

Nazism doesnt turn up fully formed wearing black shiny boots and black shirts and goose-stepping. It builds bit by bit, it gains little by little, it paints itself as the victim  it paints its victims as the enemies, as traitors, the other. It rejects those norms and conventions on anti-Semitism that we have worked so hard to defend. That is the threat that we face if we do not confront this.

And we get to hear from Berger, whose word were ignored by the Mirror. She told the meeting:

There are Jews in this country who do not feel safe. We expect attacks that come from the far Right but this year more than ever we have experienced attacks from the Left Despite a last-minute and what I believe to be utterly shameful attempt to sabotage the IHRA definition and examples [the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism], Labour has at last adopted it, albeit with that unnecessary caveat. What matters now is draining the swamp. We need to see the Labour Party step up the investigations into complaints of anti-Semitism and get a faster, fairer, more transparent system of internal party justice.

Berger says Labour is awash with a tsunami of anti-Semitic hate.

If we have to spend another six months like we have spent the last six months, patiently explaining to new Labour Party members  and some old ones  that Hitler didnt want to help the Jews, or that the Rothschilds dont run the world banking system, or that the Jews didnt finance the slave trade or that me and other Jewish MPs are not Mossad operatives, or that its not cool to desecrate the mass grave of the Warsaw ghetto with woke slogans, we will be no further forward.

More on page 16, where the Mail calls Labour the new nasty party as the party descends into a sewer of anti-Semitism.

In the Sun, its Jews on page 4. Corbyn, we read, refused to apologise to British Jews for hanging out with Jew haters and Jew killers, questioning their Britishness and liking an anti-Semitic mural. We hear Labour MP Rosie Duffield tell the Jewish Labour Moment: I defy anyone who repeats anti-Semitism trope you see the social media arena to go there [Auschwitz] and say and feel the same things. And then we spot an actual Jew. Its Maureen Lipman, the actress, a former Labour party supporter. Lipman, we read, told a rally Corbyn is an anti-Semite. The Sun reports that Lipmans new job on Coronation Street has attracted the attention of Corbyn-backing viewers who want her to be boycotted and sacked. Raus! Nationalise the soap industry!

Lastly, we turn to the Express. In page 5, we read: Leader dodges anti-Semitism apology. Why apologise for what you believe in? The Express says the anti-Semitism dominated the Labour conference  although not what the Mirror saw of it  adding:

At a packed rally on the conference fringe, some of Mr Corbyns harshest critics on the issue voiced their anger, singling out Unite boss Len McCluskey for accusing Jewish leaders of truculent hostility and PCS union chief Mark Serwotka for suggesting Israel fuelled Labours anti-Semitism row to distract attention from its own atrocities. Labour MP Dame Louise Ellman said: For major trade union leaders to not only smear the Jewish community and Jewish people for speaking out against anti-Semitism but then trying to blame them for it, I think we are entering into very dangerous waters They are playing with fire and I call on them to withdraw those appalling statements.

Heres Marr with Corbyn:

Anorak

Posted: 24th, September 2018 | In: Key Posts, Politicians, Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | PermalinkAuthorities say Columbia Gas has agreed to compensate its customers for all losses related to a series of gas explosions and fires in Massachusetts Merrimack Valley.

Town officials in Andover announced Saturday that the utility company will pay claims related to bodily injury, property damage, disruption of business and other inconveniences caused by loss of gas service.

Claims centers have been set up in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover. Residents can also file claims by phone.

Columbia Gas did not immediately provide comment on the agreement.

A statement from Columbia Gas provided by Andover officials says the company will reimburse customers for the cost of switching to alternative fuel sources like electric or oil.

The Sept. 13 disaster killed one person, injured some 25 others and damaged or destroyed dozens of homes and businesses.

Related:

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Profit Loss MassachusettsSwiss Re announced that Andreas Berger, currently chief regions & markets officer and member of the board of management of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE, has been appointed CEO Corporate Solutions and member of the group executive committee with effect from April 1, 2019.

He succeeds Agostino Galvagni, who has decided to step down from Swiss Re at the end of 2018. Galvagni will remain available as adviser to Swiss Re during the transition period.

Berger joins Swiss Re with more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. Most recently as chief regions & markets officer at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, he focused on growing the business in the regions of Germany and Central & Eastern Europe, Mediterranean and Africa. Prior to that role, Berger held various leadership positions at Allianz Group, including chief executive officer, Regional Unit London, from 2009 to 2011, and global head of Market Management & Communication from 2006 to 2009.

Galvagni has worked for Swiss Re for more than 30 years, holding various leadership roles. In 2009, he was appointed chief operating officer and member of the group executive committee. He became CEO Corporate Solutions in October 2010, where he has been instrumental in growing Swiss Res commercial insurance business and expanding its global presence with a network structure now extending to over 80 countries, said Swiss Re in a statement.

We regret Agostino Galvagnis decision to step down, and I would like to thank him on behalf of the Swiss Re board of directors for his substantial contribution to Swiss Re throughout the years, said Swiss Re Chairman Walter B. Kielholz.

Under his leadership, Corporate Solutions has grown significantly and evolved into a fully-fledged commercial insurer with global presence, he added. Thanks to its recent entrance into the primary lead market-segment, Corporate Solutions is also ideally placed for further growth. We will miss Agostinos experience and drive and wish him all the best for the future.

Kielholz continued: With Andreas Bergers appointment, we are pleased to have attracted a very capable candidate with a strong track record in the insurance industry to continue leading our Corporate Solutions business and further improve its international business capabilities.

Source: Swiss Re

Topics Swiss Re AllianzThe head of the federal disaster response agency used government vehicles without proper authorization, but will not lose his job over it, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Friday.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator William Brock Long had been under investigation by the Homeland Security Departments watchdog over possibly misusing government vehicles to travel to his home in Hickory, North Carolina. Word leaked of the investigation just as Hurricane Florence was poised to make landfall earlier this month.

Nielsen said in a statement Friday that there had been a longstanding practice to transport FEMA administrators in government vehicles to ensure they could remain connected during a crisis. But despite this practice, use of government vehicles for home-to-work travel was not officially authorized, and that practice was eliminated in April.

Nielsen said the report by Homeland Securitys Office of Inspector General also found Long used government vehicles for non-official reasons.

She said they spoke about the problems and Long agreed to reimburse the government, though it wasnt clear how much money that might be. She said she directed the department to review policy on home-to-work transportation problems, assess communication requirements at FEMA so officials can be best connected during disasters, and to review of and training regarding proper use of government vehicles.

We had a productive conversation where we discussed my expectations regarding the agencys use of government vehicles going forward, Nielsen said in a statement. The administrator acknowledged that mistakes were made, and he took personal responsibility.

The inspector generals report has not been made public. The House Oversight Committee is also looking into the allegations and has asked Long to turn over to the committee all documents related to the trips by Oct. 1, including whether his staff was put up in hotels paid for by taxpayer dollars.

The inspector generals office has turned the review over to federal prosecutors to determine whether any criminal charges are warranted, according to a person familiar with the probe. Its not uncommon for an inspector general to refer cases so federal prosecutors can determine whether charges are warranted, and it doesnt mean hell be charged with a crime. The person was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter and requested anonymity.

In the days after Florence struck, Long said he was not focused on the investigation, and instead was working to help the region get back on its feet after the devastation. More than 40 have died and rising floodwaters cut off roads and drowned livestock.

In a statement Friday, Long said he accepted full responsibility.

The secretary and I are taking corrective action to prevent such mistakes from happening in the future, he said. I remain committed to the critical mission of FEMA  helping people before, during and after disasters.

He has been head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency since June 2017, presiding over a particularly grueling hurricane season that included Irma, Harvey and Maria, plus wildfires in California. The response to Maria has been heavily criticized and Long has said FEMA learned lessons on how to better prepare for this years storms.

Other Trump administration officials have lost their jobs over ethics issues related to travel, but they involved more outsized allegations. The former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, resigned in July after allegations of massive security spending, first-class flights and a sweetheart condo lease.

Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Auto Talent Pollution FEMATwo major holders of Puerto Rico bonds that opposed a restructuring deal for the bankrupt U.S. commonwealths Sales Tax Financing Corporation (COFINA) revenue bonds are now part of the agreement, the islands federally appointed oversight board announced on Friday.

The board said Aurelius Capital Master Ltd. and Six PRC Investments LLC, an affiliate of Monarch Alternative Capital, have opted to support the deal. Both own significant amounts of COFINA senior and junior bonds, but mostly own Puerto Rico general obligation (GO) bonds.

The move ends opposition from the islands Ad Hoc Group of GO Bondholders to a COFINA debt restructuring plan, according to the board. The three-member group, which includes Aurelius and Monarch, objected to a COFINA settlement framework in bankruptcy court in June, calling parts of it unlawful. GO and COFINA bondholders have long debated the ownership of Puerto Ricos future sales tax revenue.

Claims by Aurelius and Monarch in a lawsuit filed in federal court in 2016 challenging COFINAs constitutionality will also be dropped, under terms of the agreement.

The Amended and Restated Plan Support Agreement represents the restructuring of nearly 24 percent of Puerto Ricos crushing debt, and provides the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico a 32 percent reduction in COFINA debt and more than $17 billion in debt service savings, the oversight board said in a statement.

The deal is expected to be presented to a U.S. judge overseeing Puerto Ricos bankruptcy case next month, the statement added.

Puerto Rico has been in bankruptcy court since May 2017 trying to restructure about $120 billion of debt and pension obligations.

Other parties to the COFINA deal, which would be Puerto Ricos first debt adjustment plan under the bankruptcy to seek court approval, include bond insurance companies, municipal bond funds, and holders of bonds sold exclusively to island residents.

Outside of the bankruptcy case, Puerto Rico has secured overwhelming creditor approval for a plan to restructure its Government Development Bank debt.

(Reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago and Luis Valentin Ortiz in San Juan Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.Veteran insurance executive Michael Mitrovic has joined the Cooper Levenson law firm in its insurance defense litigation practice.

Mitrovics career spans nearly 40 years in the insurance industry. He served as president of Global Claims for Ironshore Inc., where he was responsible for launching the companys U.S. operations and overseeing the development of specialty product lines and requisite regulatory approvals. Prior to joining Ironshore, he served for more than 22 years with American International Group (AIG), most recently in the roles of vice president of Claims and president of AIG Worldwide Financial Lines. He also co-founded and was president and chief operating officer of Axcelera/ Global Specialty Risk.

Cooper Levenson is a full service law with offices in New Jersey, Delaware, Florida and Las Vegas.

Topics AIGHurricane Florence is testing the resolve of farmers in the Carolinas, who could face billions of dollars in agricultural damage while still feeling the sting from Hurricane Matthew almost two years ago.

After last weekends high winds and rain that was measured in feet, followed by this weeks rising rivers and standing water in fields, early farm reports are confirming pre-storm worries about losses to tobacco, cotton and corn crops. North Carolina industry leaders remain anxious about whether sweet potatoes and peanuts  grown beneath the soil and susceptible to flooding  will suffer greatly as well.

Matthew hurt eastern North Carolina farmers in 2016, but that storm arrived in October, after most of field crops had been brought in. With Florence, most major crop harvests were still underway or just getting started.

This hurricane couldnt have come at a worse time, North Carolina Farm Bureau President Larry Wooten said,

North Carolina likely wont have preliminary crop damage estimates until the end of the next week, state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said. Floodwaters and blocked country roads still were making it difficult for agency agronomists to check out farms. Five of North Carolinas top six farming counties are within the hardest-hit areas in the eastern part of the state.

I think its easily going to be in the billions of dollars, Troxler said in an interview Thursday, calling the damage catastrophic and unbelievable.

In South Carolina, meanwhile, crop damage was estimated at $125 million so far, Gov. Henry McMaster wrote Thursday to the states congressional delegation. State Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers visited farmers last week in damaged areas previously hurt by Matthew and by record flooding in 2015. Weathers said farmers told him that while this years cotton crops had been damaged by high winds and peanuts were rotting in soaking soil, no crop was a total loss.

North Carolina farmers had several days notice of Florence to harvest what they could and move livestock to higher ground or to market, but there was only so much they could do to prepare.

Farmers have just faced several years of (low) commodity prices. Matthew came through  and now were faced with Florence, said Jason Jones, a fifth-generation farmer in Craven County. He said the un-harvested corn on his 1,800-acre (728-hectare) farm is just about completely flat and neighboring farms lost all of their tobacco in the fields. Jones said farmers have crop insurance, but it doesnt cover the total loss.

For eastern North Carolina farmers, were hanging by a thread, Jones said.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said he told President Donald Trump during his visit to the state Wednesday that making farmers whole will take more than just a farm bill.

Were going to have to take a special approach to our farm communities, because they have taken a gut punch, said Cooper, who planned to view agricultural damage Friday.

North Carolina remains the nations largest tobacco producer, with more than 330 million pounds (150 million kilograms) in 2016. Graham Boyd, chief executive of the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina, estimates losses could total as much as 125 million pounds (57 million kilograms) valued at $250 million to $350 million.

About 40 percent of the tobacco crop remained in the field when Florence arrived, Boyd said, with the highest-quality leaves yet to be harvested. Leaves began melting on the stalk  disintegrating when sunny skies followed heavy rains and standing water.

On the 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares) that Craig Wests family farms on near Fremont  about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Raleigh  the biggest moneymaker is the 500 acres (202 hectares) of tobacco. Sixteen inches (41 centimeters) of rain there made it impossible to harvest the leaves still in the fields in time, even if the winds hadnt battered them so that they were about as appealing and saleable as a bunch of bruised bananas, West said.

We havent had a good growing season anyway. We had a pretty severe drought early on and then it started raining. We had too much rain even before the storm, West said Thursday. So we had some disease issues already. Its magnified since the storm.

Wests tobacco loss means the farms nearly $6 million in gross revenues will be diminished by about 30 percent, he said as workers loaded a machine that sorted tobacco picked weeks ago and then packaged the cured leaves into bundles for shipping.

Livestock losses in North Carolina are estimated at 3.4 million poultry and 5,500 hogs so far, the state Agriculture Department said. Both represent small percentages of the 800 million broilers  chickens raised for meat production  and 9 million hogs raised annually. Troxler said chicken and hog house damage would be significant.

Kim Kornegays family farm in Johnston County could lose 40 percent of its cotton crop, farm manager T.J. Sasser said Thursday. Workers there prepared to slog through the mud Friday to try to see what sweet potatoes could be salvaged.

Were optimistic, but were also realistic, Kornegay said.

___

Dalesio reported from Fremont, North Carolina. Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Agribusiness North CarolinaGray muck is flowing into the Cape Fear River from the site of a dam breach at a Wilmington power plant where an old coal ash dump had been covered over by Florences floodwaters.

Forecasters predicted the water would continue rising over the weekend at the L.V. Sutton Power Station. Duke Energy spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said the utility doesnt believe the breach poses a significant threat of increased flooding to nearby communities.

Sheehan said the company cant rule out that ash might be escaping the flooded dump and flowing through the lake into the river.

Inspectors with the state Department of Environmental Quality traveled to the plant by boat on Sunday to collect water quality samples. Environmental Secretary Mike Regan said aerial video of the site show potential coal ash flowing into the river.

When the environment is conducive, we will put people on the ground to verify the amount of potential coal ash that could have left and entered those flood waters, Regan said.

Floodwaters breached several points early Friday in the earthen dam at Sutton Lake, the plants 1,100-acre (445-hectare) reservoir. Lake water then flooded one of three large coal ash dumps lining the lakeshore.

The ash left over when coal is burned to generate electricity contains mercury, lead, arsenic and other toxic heavy metals. Duke said Friday the plants inundated basin contains about 400,000 cubic yards (305,820 cubic meters) of ash.

The area received more than 30 inches (75 centimeters) of rain from former Hurricane Florence, with the Cape Fear River still rising and expected to crest Sunday and remain at flood stage through early next week.

Gray material the company characterized as coal combustion byproducts could be seen floating in the lake and river.

Earthjustice, an environmental advocacy group with a boat in the river, provided The Associated Press with images Friday showing wide gray slicks in the water. A team member plucked a turtle from the muck and rinsed it off.

Any big spill like this raises concerns about the impacts on the estuary ecosystem in the lower Cape Fear River, said Pete Harrison, a staff attorney with Earthjustice on the boat. This is Dukes third coal ash spill in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, and it looks like its the biggest yet.

Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator Trey Glenn said Friday his staff was monitoring the situation at Sutton from the state Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of the Sutton plant. He said dozens of EPA staff were scattered throughout the region impacted by Florence, checking on toxic waste sites and oil storage facilities.

He said EPA has offered to help North Carolina officials respond to the Sutton incident.

As of this evening, North Carolina has not requested additional support, he said.

Security personnel for Duke blocked access Friday to Sutton Lake Road, leading to a public dock on the reservoir, a popular boating and fishing site.

Duke denied a request for an Associated Press reporter to cross the barricade, saying the lake situation continues to change and is not safe.

Sutton Lake is the former cooling pond for a coal-fired plant Duke retired in 2013 and replaced with a new generating station running off natural gas. Duke said that power plant was shut down overnight and all employees safely evacuated.

The breach at the Wilmington site is separate from last weekends reported rupture at a nearby coal ash landfill, which spilled enough material to fill 180 dump trucks.

Dukes ash waste management 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 miles 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.

At the separate Duke plant near Goldsboro, three old coal-ash dumps capped with soil and trees were underwater Thursday after the Neuse River flooded.

Staff from the environmental group Waterkeeper Alliance visited the flooded dumps at the H.F. Lee Power Plant by boat Wednesday, took photographs and collected samples of gray sludge washing into the floodwaters.

State environmental regulators visited the site Thursday, but said they could not make a full assessment because of high water levels. The Duke spokeswoman Sheehan said any coal ash release at the Goldsboro site appeared minimal.

Meanwhile, South Carolinas state-owned utility said floodwaters had also entered a coal ash dump at its closed Grainger plant near Conway.

Santee Cooper spokeswoman Mollie Gore said no significant environmental impact is expected because nearly all the ash has been removed from the basin and water pumped in to prevent the dike from breaking.

The company had placed a 2 1/2-foot (72-centimeter) high inflatable berm around the top of a second pond that has more coal ash in it. She estimates 200,000 tons (181 million kilograms) of ash are in a corner of the pond furthest from the rising Waccamaw River.

River forecasts project the Waccamaw will reach a new historic flood level this weekend, eclipsing a record height set by Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

___

Associated Press reporters Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia, contributed to this story.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Flood North Carolina PollutionState transportation officials are urging drivers to be more careful in work zones after six road workers were hit on job sites last week.

WLBT-TV reports three workers were treated for injuries after a produce truck rear-ended a Mississippi Department of Transportation pickup last Monday on U.S. 49 in Florence.

Two contract workers were injured near Hattiesburg and hospitalized Tuesday. A sixth worker was injured in metropolitan Jackson.

Department of Transportation Executive Director Melinda McGrath urges drivers to slow down and move over when work crews are present. The department also urges people to avoid distractions such as cell phones and eating while driving.

The department lists 45 highway workers killed on duty since 1951.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Personal Auto MississippiNewport Beach, Calif.-based Pacific Health Care Organization Inc. today announced the launch of a strategic acquisition search for an insurance company to add to its suite of comprehensive workers comp solutions.

The acquisition strategy in the state of California for PHCO is to ensure its positioned to offer existing clients more comprehensive services, including better coverage, the company said.

We have demonstrated proven success in increasing margins and strengthening balance sheets, Tom Kubota, PHCOs board chairman and CEO, said in a statement. Our plans for a strategic acquisition of an insurance company will help us realize our vision to shape an entirely new workers compensation industry  from insurance coverage and offerings to safety and wellness programs and beyond.

PHCO specializes in workers comp cost containment.

Topics Mergers California Workers' CompensationVANCOUVER - September 24, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Ascent Industries Corp. (CSE: ASNT) ("Ascent" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has been added to the CSE25 Index on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE" or the "Exchange"). Ascent has qualified for the CSE25 Index as one of the twenty-five largest companies in the CSE Composite Index.

About the CSE25 Index

The CSE25 Index is a subgroup of the CSE Composite Index. The CSE Composite Index launched in 2015 and includes almost half of the CSE's listed companies and, according to the CSE, covers over 75% of the trading activity on the Exchange. The CSE25 Index launched in 2017 and includes the top twenty-five securities by market capitalization contained in the CSE Composite Index. According to the CSE, these companies account for over 50% of the weighting in the larger CSE Composite Index, and are typically stocks that attract considerable trading volume.

Philip Campbell, CEO of Ascent, noted "Inclusion into the CSE25 Index is a compliment to our team's efforts and a reflection of the strong support of our shareholders and key stakeholders."

About Ascent Industries Corp.

In Canada, Ascent (through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Agrima Botanicals) is a Licenced Producer under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations of Health Canada, with licences to cultivate cannabis and produce cannabis extracts. In addition, the Company is a Licenced Dealer under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada), with the ability to produce, package, sell, send, transport and distribute medically focused cannabis products in Canada to other licenced entities and internationally in jurisdictions where medical cannabis is legal. In the United States, the Company holds licences in Oregon (for processing and for distribution of cannabis to any licenced entity in the state) and in Nevada (for cultivation and for production, processing and wholesale distribution of cannabis). In Europe, Agrima ApS, a Danish company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Ascent, has submitted licence applications for a Wholesaler Dealers Licence and Controlled Drug Licence in Denmark, and applications for the approval of eight products to the Danish Medical Cannabis Pilot Program.

The Company's operations currently include licenced facilities in British Columbia, Canada, and in Oregon and Nevada in the United States. The Company is increasing its cultivation and production capacity from 50,000 square feet to 710,000 square feet in 2018, from which it expects to produce significantly higher amounts of cannabis and cannabis oil to support its expanding operations.

The Company offers a product suite of more than 40 unique products under several consumer-focused brands, including gel capsules, tinctures, medicinal oils, concentrates, vaporizer pens, pre-rolled joints, various edibles and raw flower. Through careful development of its sophisticated cannabis brands, Ascent is positioned to be a leader in branded, commercialized products in both medical and adult-use markets across North America and internationally.

In addition, the Company conducts cannabis-based research with Simon Fraser University, including in the area of unique cannabinoid formulations that produce targeted physiological outcomes.

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

NEITHER THE CSE OR ITS MARKET REGULATOR (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE CSE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: Ascent's expectations concerning trading volumes. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, Ascent assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Ascent Industries

For further information:

Philip Campbell, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Telephone: 1.604.908.1305, Email: ir@ascentindustries.com

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com

Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.aspMadeleine McCann: Amaral maybes plus Grange possibles equal a fresh appal

More on what the Sun calls the MADDIE FUND CRISIS as missing Madeleine McCanns mum, Kate McCann, calls time on a store set up to raise money to fund the search for her disappeared daughter. Says Kate McCann:

Unfortunately due to many commitments and pressures, I am unable at this time to attend to website orders. We greatly appreciate your support. Thank you to everyone who has kindly donated to Madeleines Fund through our Online Store (donations can still be made via one of the methods below). Your support means a lot to us. Your kindness and generosity is no less appreciated however and continues to buoy us up. Thank you again.

This is seen a fresh blow because someone has claimed that public donations to the Maddie Fund have fallen to virtually zero. Why are they telling us this? Why is it news? And it is news on pretty much every mainstream newspapers website:

An unnamed source tells the Sun: The idea that money is still flooding in is just wrong. Donations dried up a long time ago. At times the story comes into the news a few kind people send in a quid or two but their is nothing of any real value. Who thought money was flooding in to the McCanns fund?

Are we hearing this because, reportedly, the police investigation, Operation Grange, is running low on money? The other part of the recent Maddie news is that if the Met shelves the investigation, the McCanns will use money in the fund to continue the search. The third part of the recent news blast is that Goncalo Amaral, the former Portuguese police detective, could sue the McCanns and take what money there is for himself. Maybe.

So is that about raising awareness for the missing child, assuring readers that the McCanns are not minted and that the innocent child needs the help of a well-funded police force if she is to be found?

Meanwhile, the facts are unchanged: child vanished. No suspects. No arrests. No concrete proof that a crime occurred. But lots of news

Anorak

Posted: 24th, September 2018 | In: Madeleine McCann Comment | TrackBack | PermalinkThursday, September 13, 2018 CNBC's "Fast Money Halftime Report"  Live from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA

September 24, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) CNBC's "Squawk Alley" - live from Philadelphia, PA (additional footage will air later on CNBC's "Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer")

The following is the unofficial transcript of a CNBC EXCLUSIVE interview with JP Morgan Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon and CNBC's Jim Cramer on CNBC's "Squawk Alley" (M-F 11AM - 12PM) today, Monday, September 24h, as JP Morgan opens its first retail location in Philadelphia. Additional footage from the interview will air tonight on CNBC's "Mad Money w/ Jim Cramer" at 6:00PM ET. The following is a link to video of the interview on CNBC.com: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/09/24/watch-cnbcs-full-interview-with-jp-morgans-jamie-dimon.html.

CARL QUINTANILLA: IN THE MEANTIME, JPMORGAN ANNOUNCING THIS MORNING IT PLANS TO OPEN 50 NEW BRANCHES IN THE PHILADELPHIA AREA, AS PART OF THE COMPANY'S ANNOUNCEMENT EARLIER THIS YEAR TO OPEN 400 BRANCHES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. OUR JIM CRAMER IS OUT IN PHILLY WITH JPMORGAN'S JAMIE DIMON FOR A CNBC EXCLUSIVE. HEY AGAIN, JIM.

JIM CRAMER: THANK YOU SO MUCH, CARL. YEP, WE'RE HERE WITH JAMIE DIMON. JAMIE, THIS IS A QUITE A COMMITMENT TO AN AREA THAT FRANKLY HAS GONE FROM BANK TO UNBANK. CITI JUST PULLED OUT OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS $50 MILLION IN NET WORTH. 330 BANKS HAVE CLOSED IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. WHY? WHY NOW?

JAMIE DIMON: YEAH, YOU KNOW, WITH REGULATORY AND TAX REFORM, WE ANNOUNCED A $20 BILLION THING, GOING TO MANY CITIES. OBVIOUSLY PHILADELPHIA IS THE SEVENTH LARGEST MARKET IN THE UNITED STATES. THAT'S NOT INCLUDING THEIR BIGGEST SUBURB CALLED NEW YORK. AND YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY. WE ARE ALREADY HERE INVESTMENT BANKING, COMMERCIAL BANKING AND PRIVATE BANKING. RETAIL IS A GAP. SO WE'RE GOING OPEN 50 BRANCHES. 20% WILL BE IN LMI NEIGHBORHOODS, NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THIS. ALRIGHT. AND WHEN WE COME IN, WE BRING THE FULL FORCE OF JPMORGAN, WHICH IS PHILANTHROPY DOLLARS BUT TO REALLY HELP PEOPLE, LIKE THE ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR FUND, AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS. AND WE ENJOY IT, IT IS GOOD FOR THE COMPANY, AND OVERTIME WE'RE -- WE INVEST FOR THE LONG RUN. WE NEVER PULL IN AND OUT OF SOMETHING.

CRAMER: TALK ABOUT THE MULTIPLIER EFFECT. WHEN YOU OPEN A BRANCH, PEOPLE THINK, "YOU KNOW WHAT? WE DON'T NEED BRANCHES ANY MORE. EVERYTHING IS DIGITAL." BUT BRICK AND MORTAR WORKS.

DIMON: IT'S AMAZING. SO I THINK PEOPLE AREN'T THINKING CLEARLY. A MILLION PEOPLE VISIT THE BRANCHES EVERY DAY. THE TYPE OF BRANCH IS GOING TO CHANGE. THE SIZE OF THE BRANCH IS GOING TO CHANGE. THEY'RE GETTING SMALLER, BUT MORE ADVICE. SO THERE'S A MORTAGE LOAN OFFICE THERE. THERE'S A SMALL BUSINESS LOAN OFFICE THERE. THERE'S A FINANCIAL ADVISER, FOR FINANCIAL AFFAIRS. SO THAT WILL CHANGE. BUT A MILLION PEOPLE -- EVEN THE AVERAGE MILLENNIAL VISITS SOMETHING LIKE THREE TIMES IN A QUARTER. SO TO ME, OF COURSE THE BRANCH WILL MORPH, IT WILL CHANGE, BUT YOU STILL NEED TO SERVE YOUR CLIENT THE WAY THEY WANT TO BE SERVED. NOT THE WAY I WANT TO SERVE THEM. AS YOU KNOW WE'VE ROLLED OUT ALL THESE NEW PRODUCTS, TOO.

CRAMER: RIGHT.

DIMON: LIKE FIN - THE ONLINE ONLY BANKING.

CRAMER: WELL I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THIS, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL THAT TEN YEARS AGO ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WAS THE EDUCATION OF THE BORROWER. THE BORROWER DID NOT KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT TO DO. YOU SAID THERE WILL BE SOMEONE IN THERE LITERALLY TO HELP AND TO TEACH. WILL THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE, VERSUS TEN YEARS AGO?

DIMON: YEAH. I'VE TOLD THE PEOPLE HERE, "WHEN YOU GO TO THESE LMI NEIGHBORHOODS, TRY SOMETHING SPECIAL." BUT WE'RE GOING TO ROLL OUT A LOT OF FINANCIAL INVESTMENT EDUCATION TOOLS. WE HAVE YOU INVEST AND WE'RE GOING TO ROLL OUT A SELF ADVISED GROUP, AND WE HAVEN'T DECIDED ON THE PRICE OF IT YET, SO THAT YOU CAN ADVISE AND THINK ABOUT IT. AND WE ALREADY PUT ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN GET YOUR FICO SCORE, AND WE'RE GOING TO TEACH YOU WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR FICO, SO THAT YOU CAN REDUCE COST OF BORROWING AND STUFF LIKE THAT. WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB, NOT JUST US BUT THE -- AMERICA, EDUCATING PEOPLE IN FINANCIAL MATTERS, FROM RAINY DAY FUNDS TO HANDLING YOU KNOW, RETIREMENT ACCOUNTING. AND, SO WE'RE MAKING AN EFFORT TO DO THAT NOW. SO WE HAVE THINGS COMING OUT THAT HOPEFULLY OUR CUSTOMERS WILL ENJOY.

CRAMER: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE POWER OF BUSINESS VERSUS THE POWER OF GOVERNMENT. THE GOVERNMENT, LEGENDARILY GOT BIG SETTLEMENTS FROM DIFFERENT BANKS. $13 BILLION FROM YOU. KEITH BLISS SAYS THAT YOU PAID A TOTAL OF $44 BILLION. DID THAT MONEY GO INTO THE COMMUNITY, AND DID THAT -- WAS THAT THE WAY TO GET THINGS DONE, VERSUS THE TARGETTED WAY YOU'RE DOING?

DIMON: WELL THIS ACTUALLY HELPS THE COMMUNITY. SOME OF THOSE FUNDS -- WE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW HOW THEY'RE DISBURSED. AND I THINK ONE DAY SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT. AND - BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF THE PAST. WE'VE MOVED FORWARD ABOUT HOW WE DO IT. BUT THIS IS HOW YOU BUILD A COMMUNITY. SMALL BUSINESS LENDING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BRANCHES THAT ADVISE PEOPLE. AND WE KNOW THAT THAT WORKS. CITIES - THIS CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, YOU'RE A GREAT HOMETOWN, THE CITY IS DOING BETTER AND BETTER BUT PARTS OF IT ARE NOT. SO WE DO MAKE A SPECIAL EFFORT IN THOSE PARTS OF THE CITY.

CRAMER: NOW, THERE IS A SENSE THAT LENDING NATIONALLY SLOWED DOWN. I'M NOT GETTING THAT FROM YOUR BANK. CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN PLACES THAT FRANKLY ARE UNBANKED AND WHETHER THERE IS A REVIVAL THAT CAN ACTUALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE FOR YOU?

DIMON: SO, ONE IMPORTANT THING: THESE THINGS WORK WHEN YOU ACTUALLY DO IT WITH CIVIC SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT.

CRAMER: OKAY.

DIMON: THEY DON'T WORK WHEN WE'RE AT EACHOTHER. SO WE HAVE SEEN ALL AROUND THE WORLD WHEN MAYORS, NOT FOR PROFITS, BUSINESSES WORK TOGETHER, YOU CAN GET PEOPLE JOBS, YOU CAN GET THEM TRAINED, YOU CAN GET THEM EMPLOYED, AND IT ACTUALLY WORKS. BUT IN AMERICA, IN AMERICA THE ECONOMY IS QUITE STRONG. AND IT'S GROWN AT 3%. IT HAS BEEN NOW FOR A COUPLE OF QUARTERS. AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT WAY, THERE ARE NO GREAT POTHOLES. SO, THAT MAY VERY WELL CONTINUE. AND SO, LENDING -- THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A REDUCTION OF LENDING IN THE MIDDLE MARKET. WE DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHY. LARGE CORPORATIONS OF COURSE --

CRAMER: TOO FLUSH. COULD CLIENTS BE TOO FLUSH?

DIMON: I THINK -- YOU KNOW -- WE DO KNOW THERE'S AN EFFECT THAT WITH TAX REFORM AND CORPORATIONS EARNING MONEY, THEY NEED TO BORROW LESS. IT'S JUST HARD TO -- TEASE IT OUT TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANS. BUT YOU LOOK AT EMPLOYMENT, GROWTH, PEOPLE GOING BACK TO WORK, IT IS PRETTY GOOD.

CRAMER: ALRIGHT. NOW, LAST WEEK YOU TOLD CNBC THAT IT IS NOT -- DON'T CALL IT A TRADE WAR, CALL IT A TRADE SKIRMISH. PREVIOUSLY YOU HAD SAID THERE COULD BE AT TIMES, PERHAPS, A SLOW DOWN OR AT LEAST IN THE PSYCHE BECAUSE OF THE - OF ANY SORT OF TRADE WAR. HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THAT

DIMON: YEAH, I CALLED IT A TRADE SKIRMISH. $20 BILLION OF TARIFFS IN AND OF THEMSELVES ARE A LITTLE BIT OF A TAX - IF IT ALL GETS PAID -- TAX IN AMERICA. REMEMBER, PEOPLE DO OTHER THINGS. THEY HAVE OTHER SUPPLY LINES. BUT IT'S A $20 TRILLION ECONOMY. SO THAT IS A NEGATIVE. THE REAL NEGATIVE ISN'T THAT. IT'S CONFIDENCE, CONSISTENCY, IF PEOPLE START REDUCING INVESTMENT, IF PEOPLE START MOVING TO SUPPLY CHAINS AROUND, THAT WE HAVE SEEN ALREADY MOVING AROUND THE MARKETS A LITTLE BIT. AND SO -- AND THE FEAR THAT THE SKIRMISH MAY BECOME A WAR. SO WE DON'T REALLY THINK IT IS A GREAT WAY TO GO ABOUT IT. IT COULD EASILY OFFSET SOME OF THE BENEFITS THAT WE'VE SEEN FROM REGULATORY REFORM AND TAX REFORM.

CRAMER: I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT REGULATORY REFORM. YOU KNOW, MARIANNE LAKE SAID RECENTLY -- YOUR FABULOUS CFO - THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN GENUINE REGULATORY REFORM THAT WOULD MAKE HER HAPPY. BUT THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH. THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE, NO?

DIMON: SO I THINK IF YOU -- WHEN I TRAVEL AROUND, CEOs OF OTHER INDUSTRIES: LOGISTICS, STEEL, MANUFACTURING, PIPELINE, THEY'VE ALL SEEN IT. HAVE WE SEEN ACTUAL CHANGES IN REGULATION FOR US? NOT REALLY. THEY HAVE A LONG LIST OF THINGS THEY WANT TO DO. THERE HAS BEEN REGULATORY CHANGE FOR THE SMALLER BANKS, WHICH WE TOTALLY SUPPORT, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR THEM, TO REDUCE THE BURDEN ON THEM. BUT IT DOESN'T - IT DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO FOR THE BIGGER BANKS. I THINK -- AND THE PUBLIC SHOULD KNOW, WE'RE NO NOT ASKING FOR THE THROWING OUT OF DODD-FRANK. WE'RE SIMPLY PURPOSEFULLY LOOKING AT CALIBRATING, GETTING RID OF DUPLICATION, LOOKING AT THINGS THAT HURT THE MORTGAGE MARKETS, HURT THIS KIND OF MARKET, SO YOU CAN ENHANCE GROWTH AND DO IT SAFELY. NO ONE IS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS. IT'S JUST RECALIBRATING. AND YOU KNOW, REMEMBER, THERE WERE 2,000 RULES. IT WASN'T LIKE ONE OR TWO. THERE WERE A LOT OF - AND THEY WERE DONE IN HASTE. AND PEOPLE SHOULD ALWAYS RATIONALLY LOOK AT COST BENEFIT, YOU KNOW, WHAT MAKES SENSE, WHAT DOESN'T, ALL KEEPING THE SYSTEM SAFER. AND REMEMBER, GROWTH, A STRONGER ECONOMY ALSO MAKES THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM SAFER.

CRAMER: NOW YOU JUST MENTIONED NO RATE POTHOLES. WE'VE GOT A FED MEETING THAT'S COMING UP THIS WEEK. THE SPREAD THAT YOU WOULD GET, 2 AND 10 TO USE THE HIKE. YOU KNOW, THE -- THE TYPICAL LOGIC THAT PEOPLE SAY MEANS THAT YOU CAN'T MAKE AS MUCH MONEY AND THEN YOU CAN'T LEND AS MUCH.

DIMON: SO, WHEN I SAY NO POTHOLES, THE HOUSEHOLD IN GOOD SHAPE --

CRAMER: OKAY -

DIMON: PEOPLE GOING TO WORK -

CRAMER: FICO SCORES, HIGH --

DIMON: FICO SCORES ARE FINE. COMPANIES ARE FLUSH. TAX REFORM IS STILL A BENEFIT. WE DON'T HAVE THE EXTREME LEVERAGE WE HAD IN '08. AND ALL OF THE LENDING HAS BEEN PRETTY GOOD. PRIME, GOOD LENDING. SO IT'S NOT BEEN BAD LENDING. BUT ABSOLUTELY, THERE'S FRICTION OUT THERE. THERE'S ALWAYS FRICTION. YOU OPEN UP THE NEWSPAPER ON ANY WEEK OF ANY MONTH, THERE'S TONS OF FRICTION. AND IT'S MOUNTING. BREXIT, QE, TURKEY, ARGENTINA, AND WE DON'T KNOW THE FULL EFFECTS OF THOSE THINGS. SO YEAH, WE KEEP OUR EYE ON THAT. BUT IT MAY NOT DERAIL THE ECONOMY. YOU'VE GOT TO SEPARATE THE TWO.

CRAMER: I KEEP THINKING THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT SHOULD PLAY TO YOUR FORTRESS BALANCE SHEET STRENGTH. WE'VE NOT SEEN - WE'VE GOT EUROPEAN BANKS THAT ARE REALLY - REALLY ON THE RUN SO TO SPEAK. WHY ISN'T JPMORGAN MAKING A GREATER PRESENCE GIVEN THE WEAKNESS OF THE REST OF THE WORLD?

DIMON: WELL, WE DO. IN EVERY COUNTRY WE'RE IN, WE'RE STEADY, GROWING. AND IF WE DO COUNTRY BY COUNTRY, ADDING MORE BANKERS, SYSTEMS, PEOPLE AND ALL THE SUPPORT - RISK, LEGAL, CREDIT, COMPLIANCE. SO OUR SHARE IN EUROPE HAS GONE UP CONSIDERABLY. AND WE'RE JUST DOING IT BY ADDING PEOPLE, AND ADDING BRANCHES, AND YOU KNOW THE BASIC GOOD OLD THREE YARDS AND A CLOUD OF DUST.

CRAMER: WELL, OKAY, WHEN I HEAR THREE YARDS AND A CLOUD OF DUST, I THINK YOU SHOULD GET A HIGHER PRICE TO EARNINGS MULTIPLE, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE. YOU'RE SELLING AT 12 TIMES NET RETURNS. WE'VE BEEN AT THIS GAME FOR A LONG TIME. IF FOR GROWTH FINANCIAL WITH MONEY THAT'S MADE EVERY DAY YOU OPEN THE DOOR, WHY AREN'T YOU VALUED LIKE A TYPICAL S&P COMPANY?

DIMON: THAT'S A QUESTION YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ANSWER. THE BANKS ARE UNDER -- STILL UNDER POLITICAL REGULATORY CONSTRAINTS AND ALL THAT. WE JUST WENT THROUGH THE CRISIS SO I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE'S INVESTORS ARE PROBABLY ALWAYS WORRIED. BUT YOU'RE RIGHT - WE'RE IN VERY GOOD RETURNS IN CAPITAL, WE'RE GROWING. YOU KNOW, WHENEVER -- WHEN THE CYCLE HITS, OBVIOUSLY IT'S GOING TO EFFECT THE BANK, BUT WE WILL MANAGE THROUGH THE CYCLE JUST LIKE WE DID RIGHT THROUGH THE LAST ONE.

CRAMER: OKAY. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT, I THINK THAT YOU MUST BE IN THERE BUYING STOCK EVERY DAY FOR THE COMPANY. YOU HAVE CHOSEN A PATH OF BUYING BACK STOCK. SHRINKING, BUT I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE HOW MANY SHARES YOU HAVE. FOR TEN YEARS, YOUR SHARE COUNT HAS NOT GONE DOWN ENOUGH. WHEN WILL YOU START GETTING DOWN TO A LEVEL WHERE YOU REALLY ARE NOT - WHERE YOU'RE SOPPING UP THE DARN SUPPLY?

DIMON: SO I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER BUT OUR SHARE COUNT IS DOWN LIKE 15%.

CRAMER: YEAH, BUT IT'S STILL 36 VERSUS TEN YEARS AGO, AT 35 --

DIMON: YEAH - BUT THERE'S SOME INHABITATION OVER TIME - BUT SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE IT'S BEEN COMING DOWN. SO - BUT IF YOU WANT TO LOOK INTO SOMETHING, I WOULD PREFER TO SPEND THAT MONEY NOT BUYING BACK STOCK, DOING THIS. SO GROWING OUR BUSINESS IS FAR BETTER FOR THE ECONOMY. RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CHOICES, BUT OVER TIME I REALLY WOULD PREFER NOT TO BUY BACK STOCK. YOU KNOW, COMPANIES SHOULD DO WHAT MAKES SENSE. AND I ALSO DON'T BUY THIS ARGUMENT THAT IT'S BAD. BUYING BACK STOCK IS SIMPLY GIVING IT BACK TO YOU, AN INVESTOR, WHO THEN REDEPLOYS IT TO A BETTER USE. IT'S REDEPLOYMENT OF CAPITAL THAT SHOULD REDEPLOYED IF A COMPANY CAN'T USE IT. BUT MY CHOICE IS ALWAYS TO GROW OUR BUSINESS. WHICH WE'RE NOW DOING.

CRAMER: OKAY --

DIMON: -- 500 BRANCHES. WE'RE NOW IN ALL MAJOR CITIES FOR INVESTMENT BANKING, MIDDLE MARKET BANKING, ETCETERA. WE'VE BEEN GROWING OVERSEAS. BUT THINK ABOUT ANY BANKERS AND PEOPLE, AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO THAT IS MY PREFERENCE. P TO P. YOU INVEST. YOU KNOW, BUILDING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE OF THAT COME IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.

CRAMER: WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS, AND I AM VERY PROUD OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN MY HOME CITY, BUT I DO SAY, OKAY, BUT AS A PURE CAPITALIST - YOU KNOW, "LISTEN, JAMIE, WE'RE SHAREHOLDERS, WE SHOULD GET THAT MONEY. I -- THERE'S NO REAL INSTANT PAYOFF HERE, WITHIN TWO, THREE YEARS. IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME."

DIMON: NO, IT'S NOT TRUE. NOW FIRST OF ALL, ACCOUNTING, YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT. BUT WHEN WE BUILD A BRANCH, OKAY. AND WE PUT A MILLION, I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO PUT NUMBERS PUBLICLY, WE PUT CAPITAL IN THE BRANCH, BUT FIVE YEARS LATER THAT BRANCH COULD BE EARNING -- CONTRIBUTING TO PROFIT A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. SO YOU KNOW, THE TIMETABLE OF THAT IN NEW CITIES IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED THAN WHEN WE OPEN A BRANCH IN A CITY WE'RE ALREADY IN, BUT AGAIN, WE ALREADY SERVE 60 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS. WE WANT TO SERVE 70 MILLION. WE WANT TO BRING THEM ALL THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WE HAVE. SO THERE IS A FINANCIAL PAYOFF. IT IS NOT OVERNIGHT, BUT I DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT. I JUST EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT'S OKAY. THE MPV IS VERY GOOD, AND IT'S GOING TO BE NEGATIVE THE FIRST YEAR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE BREAK THROUGH BY THE THIRD YEAR AND THEN A PLUS.

CRAMER: HOW ABOUT US WHO ARE DEPSITORS OF JPMORGAN? WE'RE NOT GETTING THE RATE THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET ON THE TWO YEAR. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO START PAYING YOUR CED AND YOUR DEPOSITORS MORE?

DIMON: WHEN RATES CAME DOWN, IT CAME DOWN LIKE THIS. AS RATES CAME DOWN TO ZERO, BANKS DIDN'T DO IT. SO WHEN RATES STARTED GOING UP, THEY DIDN'T PASS IT ON. I THINK NOW YOU'RE GONNA SEE - AND OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE HAVE OTHER OPTIONS, MONEY MARKET FUNDS, ET CETERA. BUT I THINK NOW AS RATES GO UP THE NEXT 25, THE NEXT 25, YOU'LL SEE WHAT WE CALL BETA, HOW MUCH WILL BE PASSED ON. IT WILL GO UP AND UP AND UP.

CRAMER: WELL, IS THAT GOING TO SHRINK POSSIBILITY? SHOULD I BE WORRIED?

DIMON: NOT -- NOT REALLY BECAUSE IT'S -- WE ARE GAINING DEPOSITS. AND THE SPREAD THAT YOU'RE MAINTAINING BETWEEN YOUR COST OF FUNDS AND WHAT YOU'RE PAYING WILL BE ABOUT THE SAME.

CRAMER: JAMIE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POLITICIANS - JUST LIKE THE POLITICIANS DID IN 1964 - YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A WAR ON POVERTY, THAT BUSINESS NEEDS TO DO A BETTER JOB. YOU MENTION THAT IN BIG SETTLEMENTS FROM SAY 2013, WHEN ATTORNEY -- ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY GENERAL TONY WEST WAS KIND OF AFTER THE BANK, THAT WAS YOU BEING ON THE DEFENSIVE. YOU'RE PLAYING THE OFFENSIVE IN TRYING TO CHANGE POVERTY IN THIS COUNRTY. DO YOU FEEL YOU CAN DO IT BETTER THAN THE GOVERNMENT?

DIMON: NO, I THINK GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS HAVE TO DO IT TOGETHER. AND IT WORKS AT A LOCAL LEVEL. WE SEE IT IN DETROIT, WE SEE IT IN NEW ORLEANS, WE SEE IT IN CHICAGO, WE SEE IT IN L.A., YOU SEE IT IN IN PHILADELPHIA. WITH GREAT IDEAS. AND MOST OF THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SKILLS, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, THAT'S NOT DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN. BUT I THINK BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT TOGETHER CAN DO IT. IF BUSINESS -- YOU CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT BUSINESS AND BUSINESS CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT GOVERNMENT. AND YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT IS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO PLAY A ROLE IN TERMS OF REGULATION AND LICENSING AND STUFF LIKE THAT. AND WHILE AMERICA IS THE MOST PROSPEROUS NATION ON THE PLANET, WE REALLY HAVE TO FOCUS ON THESE ISSUES ABOUT INCOME INEQUALITY, INFRASTRUCTURE, OPIOID CRISIS, LACK OF EDUCATION IN INNER CITY SCHOOLS -- END OF UP IN GOOD JOBS.

CRAMER: JAMIE, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SOUND LIKE WHEN YOU SAY THESE THINGS? YOU SOUND LIKE A POLITICIAN.

DIMON: WELL, I AM A PATRIOT.

CRAMER: OKAY, BUT IF YOU'RE A PATRIOT, SO WAS GENERAL EISENHOWER. WE DIDN'T KNOW IF HE WAS DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN BUT HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT BECAUSE HE WAS A PATRIOT.

DIMON: HE WON WORLD WAR TWO.

CRAMER: WELL - YOU'RE --

DIMON: I AM A BANKER FIRST. I AM NOT RUNNING. I JUST - I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE GOOD POLICY. AND THAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON GOOD POLICY AND -- ALL THE TIME, AND AS YOU KNOW, I DON'T MIND SPEAKING ABOUT GOOD POLICY, ANALYZING IT, PARTICIPATING IN IT IN A WAY THAT JPMORGAN CAN. SO IF YOU'RE IN OTHER AREAS - YOU KNOW, OTHER COMPANIES WILL BE A FAR BETTER JOB THAN WE CAN, BECAUSE THEY ARE FAR MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE. BUT IN THESE KIND OF AREAS, WE CAN REALLY HELP COMMUNITIES.

CRAMER: ARE GOOD BUSINESS SKILLS EVER REALLY TRANSFERRABLE TO GOVERNMENT, THOUGH?

DIMON: I THINK SOME ARE. YEAH, I MEAN, ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP, ORGANIZATION. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN A CEO WILL TRANSLATE TO A GOOD POLITICIAN. YOU KNOW, POLITICIANS HAVE A WHOLE DIFFERENT SET OF SKILLS, AND RELAYING TO PEOPLE, AND UNDERSTANDING EMPATHY. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN -- I WOULD NEVER SAY NEVER THAT PEOPLE CAN OR CAN'T. SOME HAVE DONE IT. MOST HAVE FAILED.

CRAMER: WHEN YOU SAY NEVER SAY NEVER, AGAIN, IT BRINGS ME BACK TO THE DIALOGUE.

DIMON: -- I WOULD NEVER SAY NEVER FOR SOMEONE ELSE. I WOULD NOT SAY A CEO CANNOT BE A GOOD PRESIDENT.

CRAMER: DO YOU THINK IT'S TOO SOON -

DIMON: AND PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS A CEO. SO --

CRAMER: YOU JUST MET MAYOR KENNEY HERE FROM PHILADELPHIA. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD NOT -- I DON'T WANT TO SAY FROWNED ON, BUT WOULDN'T BE BELIEVABLE TEN YEARS AGO, WHEN BANKERS WERE CONSIDERED TO BE ANTITHETICAL TO DEMOCRACY EVEN BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT OBAMA. WHAT -- HAS IT CHANGED ENOUGH THAT NOW YOU'RE WELCOME IN COMMUNITIES THAT WERE SOLID DEMOCRATIC AREAS THAT I THINK REALLY ABHOR BANKS?

DIMON: IT'S NICE TO BE WELCOMED. BUT JUST YOU KNOW -- WE NEVER STOPPED SEEING MAYORS, GOVERNORS, PRESIDENTS, PRIME MINISTERS, SENATORS -- EVEN PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T LIKE US. BECAUSE WE ALWAYS SAID IT ISN'T ABOUT WHETHER YOU LIKE US, IT'S ARE WE DOING A GOOD JOB? ARE THERE LEGITIMATE COMPLAINTS WE SHOULD HANDLE? WHAT SHOULD WE DO TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR PEOPLE? AND SO WE NEVER STOPPED DOING IT. BUT IT IS NICE WHEN PEOPLE DO LIKE YOU.

CRAMER: OKAY. I WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT THE COUNTRY. YOU HAVE BEEN ON RECORD SAYING WE KNOW, "GREATEST MILITARY, GREATEST EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM." IS THERE ANY --

DIMON: EDUCATION -- THE BEST AND THE WORST. WE ARE FAILING INNER-CITY KIDS. HALF OF THEM DON'T GRADUATE, LIKE IN THE POOR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND A LOT OF KIDS AREN'T GETTING THE SKILLS THEY NEED TO HAVE A JOB. AND SO THAT IS A FAILING. WE SHOULD BE RINGING AN ALARM BELL ABOUT THAT. BUT WE DON'T. AND I DON'T KNOW WHY.

CRAMER: WELL, WHY DON'T -- WHAT CAN YOU DO BEYOND WHAT YOU'RE DOING?

DIMON: WELL, WE'RE DOING TREMENDOUS IN SKILLS. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IN SKILLS, WE GO TO LOCAL SCHOOLS - LIKE WE'RE NOW WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT IN NEW YORK - MY WIFE DID THIS, BY THE WAY -- TO TRAIN KIDS TO BE TELLERS. $36,000 A YEAR, 12,000 MEDICAL AND PENSION BENEFITS, THE KIDS LIKE THE JOBS. AND THAT'S THE FIRST RUNG. THEN THEY CAN MOVE UP. THEY CAN BECOME A BANKER. A LOT OF OUR BRANCH MANAGERS WERE TELLERS. AND A LOT OF THE REGIONAL MANAGERS WERE TELLERS. SO WE CAN DO IT FOR OURSELVES, BUT WE ALSO HELP SCHOOLS LOCALLY, WHETHER IT'S A HIGH SCHOOL, WHETHER IT'S APPRENTICESHIPS, WHETHER IT'S A COMMUNITY COLLEGE WITH MONEY, BUT IT'S NOT JUST US. IT'S ALL BUSINESSES NEED JOBS LOCALLY. THEY NEED SPECIAL TRAINING. SO THAT REALLY HAS TO BE DONE LOCALLY. THAT SHOULD BE A NATIONAL --

CRAMER: ALRIGHT. $1.5 TRILLION IN STUDENT LOANS. 23% DEFAULT LAST YEAR. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE 40% BY 2023. I KNOW MARIANNE LAKE SAID, "LOOK, THAT'S NOT REALLY AN ISSUE FOR OUR BANK," BUT HOW ABOUT FOR OUR COUNTRY?

DIMON: IT'S A HUGE ISSUE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE -- THIS IS ALL GOVERNMENT LENDING BY THE WAY. AND BAD LENDING IS BAD. WHETHER IT WAS THE MORTGAGES THAT YOU MAKE OR BUSINESSES. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO IS HAVE DISCIPLINE AROUND CAPITAL SO YOU GET A RETURN. BRIDGES TO NOWHERE ARE BAD. SCHOOLS THAT DON'T WORK ARE BAD. LENDING MONEY TO PEOPLE WHO CAN'T PAY IT BACK, IT'S A MISTAKE. SO THAT STUDENT LENDING - THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT HAS BEEN DONE IN SEVEN YEARS. THE FOLKS ARE HAVING A HARD TIME PAYING IT BACK. IT IS ALL OWNED BY THE GOVERNMENT. SO IT IS THE TAXPAYERS WHO LOSE - WHATEVER -- HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. BUT IT IS NOT GOOD. BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY IS THAT IN OTHER LENDING: SO MORTAGS, THESE KIDS ARE HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING A MORTGAGE. CREDIT CARD, THESE KIDS ARE HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING A CREDIT CARD. SO IT IS EFFECTING THE ECONOMY. IT IS NOT LIKE THE MORTGAGE CRISIS. IT'S A TRILLION 3 OR A TRILLION 4, I WOULDN'T CALL IT SYSTEMIC -- IT IS JUST REALLY HIGHLY UNFORTUNATE.

CRAMER: OKAY. LET'S GO BACK TO INTERNATIONAL A SECOND. YOU TALKED ABOUT THE IDEA OF THE TARIFFS SO FAR. THAT YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A SKIRMISH. BUT AT WHAT POINT WOULD IT BE A WAR AND AT WHAT POINT SHOULD WE BE WORRIED THAT IT'S REALLY GONE OVERBOARD?

DIMON: YOU KNOW, I WORRY ABOUT IT, AND I JUST DON'T KNOW. I THINK CHINA HAS BEEN PREDICTABLE IN RETALIATION. AND I THINK THE MARKET KIND OF EXPECTED A TIT FOR TAT RETALIATION. I THEY'RE KIND OF EXPECTING NAFTA TO GET DONE. IT COULD GET WORSE FROM HERE. AND I JUST - I REALLY DON'T KNOW AND I HOPE IT DOESN'T. I HOPE THAT THEY SIT DOWN AND HAVE RATIONAL CONVERSATIONS. AND WE HAVE A BOTH NAFTA, WHICH WE SHOULD DO BECAUSE CANADA AND MEXICO ARE GOOD NEIGHBORS OF OURS. I AM GOING TO MEXICO LATER THIS WEEK. AND WITH CHINA. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CONVERSATIONS ARE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS ANY MORE, SO I REALLY DON'T KNOW. BUT I URGE -- I THINK WE SHOULD TRY TO GET -- AGAIN, THE PRESIDENT RAISED VERY, VERY, VERY GOOD ISSUES. WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE PROCESS TO THE CONCLUSION. I HOPE THEIR PROCESS WORKS. I JUST THINK IT'S KIND OF A RISKIER WAY TO GO ABOUT IT.

CRAMER: HOW DO YOU -- THE PRESIDENT SAYS THE PROBLEM WITH BANKER JAMIE DIMON RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, IS HE DOESN'T HAVE THE APTITUDE OR THE SMARTS AND IS A POOR PUBLIC SPEAKER AND NERVOUS MESS. THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE COOPERATION. HOW DID YOU PATCH THAT UP? I MEAN, I'M SURE IN THE LAST TEN DAYS YOU PATCHED THIS UP.

DIMON: I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO THE PRESIDENT.

CRAMER: YOU HAVEN'T?

DIMON: AND -- AGAIN, I MADE A MISTAKE. I SHOULDN'T HAVE YAPPED LIKE THAT, WHICH SOME OF YOU HAVE MENTIONED ON TV. BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO FOCUS ON POLICY. SO MY VIEW IS LET'S JUST FOCUS ON POLICY. I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN TAKING SHOTS AND HAVING JOKES AT ANYONE'S EXPENSE.

CRAMER: WOULD YOU THINK -- WOULD YOU PUT THIS IN THE CASE OF SAY THE LONDON WHALE, WHERE YOU SAID IT WAS THE STUPIDEST THING - "THE STUPIDEST, MOST EMBARRASSING SITUATION I'VE EVER BEEN APART OF"? IS THIS RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE LONDON WHALE?

DIMON: I'VE SAID A LOT OF STUPID THINGS IN MY LIFE. THE LONDON WHALE WE LOST SOME REAL MONEY.

CRAMER: OKAY - BECAUSE WHAT I AM THINKING ABOUT IS THE THINGS YOU'RE SAYING ARE COMMON SENSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM BANKERS. WE HEARD FROM BANKERS ON THE DEFENSIVE FOR DECADES. YOU ARE SAYING HERE'S HOW PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP MAKE THESE NEIGHBORHOODS BETTER, GET BETTER -- MUCH BETTER SCHOOLS AND WE CHANGE OUR COUNTRY. ARE YOU CHANGING CITY BY CITY?

DIMON: WE ARE TRYING. BUT AGAIN, YOU HAVE A LOT OF GUESTS ON TV, YOU ASK MOST OF THEM WHAT THEY'RE DOING, A LOT OF COMPANIES, THEY'RE DOING STUFF JUST LIKE THIS. IT'S NOT JUST JPMORGAN BUT AKK THESE COMPANIES - THEY'RE PART OF THE BRT - WE ACTUALLY PUT OUT A BOOKLET OF WORK SKILLS, EVERYONE IS DOING SOMETHING. AND EVERYONE IS DOING A LOT IN DIVERSITY AND OTHER THINGS --

CRAMER: SO YOU DON'T THINK WE ARE FALLING BEHIND OTHER COUNTRIES? WE'VE SEEN MORTALITY NUMBERS, WE'VE SEEN --

DIMON: I CAN -- IN TOTAL, WE ARE SLIPPING. I THINK THAT BAD POLICY IS WHY WE'VE GROWN AT 2% OVER THE TEN FIVE YEARS AND NOT MORE IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. THE AMERICAN PUBLIC SHOULD KNOW, 20% GROWTH IN TEN YEARS IS HALF WHAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

CRAMER: IS CHINA GOING TO PASS US?

DIMON: I DOUBT IT. OKAY. WE -- THIS COUNTRY IS BLESSED WITH THINGS THAT ARE JUST WAY BEYOND, SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES - THE GOOD PART - THE UNIVERSITIES, LAND, WATER, ENERGY, THE ATLANTIC, THE PACIFIC, THE BEST BUSINESS AND INNOVATION, BUT WE HAVE THIS SERIES OF PROBLEMS. WE FIX ONE, UNCOMPETITIVE TAX SYSTEM FOR BUSINESS. THAT WAS A BAD IDEA. WE HAVE TO FIX IMMIGRATION, INNER-CITY SCHOOLS, OPIOIDS, WE HAVE TO GIVE FELONS A CHANCE TO HAVE A JOB, WE'VE GOT TO GET PEOPLE BACK TO WORK SKILLS, WE SHOULD DOUBLE THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT, AND ONE DAY WE'LL HAVE --

CRAMER: TAX REFORM 2.0 IS REASONABLE.

DIMON: -- AND WE SHOULD HAVE A NEGATIVE INCOME TAX OF SOME SORT. MAKE JOBS THAT PEOPLE HAVE, BECAUSE JOBS GIVE DIGNITY, JOBS HAVE BETTER SOCIAL OUTCOMES, BUT THEY NEED TO BE A LIVING WAGE. SO I AGREE WITH THAT CONCEPT WHEN I HEAR IT FROM FOLKS, AND THE EARNED INCOME TAX DOES THAT. AND IF WE NEED TO DOUBLE IT, WE SHOULD DOUBLE IT. AND IF YOU HAVE TO PAY MORE, SO BE IT.

CRAMER: I AGREE. PAINFUL, BUT I AGREE. NOW WE'RE GOING TO SEND IT BACK TO NEW YORK AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO SPEND TIME A LITTLE MORE TIME TALKING ABOUT "MAD MONEY" AND WHAT YOU'RE -- MORE BIGGER -- BIG PICTURE ISSUES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CARL.

DIMON: THANK YOU ALL.

QUINTANILLA: JIM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO TONIGHT'S SHOW. "MAD MONEY," 6:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME. MORE WITH JAMIE DIMON OF JPMORGAN.

For more information contact:

Jennifer Dauble

CNBC

t: 201.735.4721

m: 201.615.2787

e: jennifer.dauble@nbcuni.com

Emma Martin

CNBC

t: 201.735.4713

m: 551.275.6221

e: emma.martin@nbcuni.com



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Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.aspBy Pardaig Hoare

Irish law firm Matheson has opened an office in Cork to support its continually growing domestic and international client base in the Munster region.

The firm said its new Cork office will increase its physical proximity to its already significant range of multinational and domestic clients located in the Cork and wider Munster region  spanning across the life sciences, healthcare, ICT, biotechnology, agri-food, professional services, cybersecurity and financial services sectors.

Matheson said the new office will actively support the firms strategic objective of

being the Irish law firm of choice for internationally-focused companies and financial institutions located throughout the country.

Mathesons new office will be led by Cork native, Grainne Callanan, a senior lawyer in the firms corporate department specialising in Irish corporate law and corporate governance, and with a particular focus on financial services.

Managing partner of Matheson, Michael Jackson said: It is clear to us from our interaction with clients that Corks growth rate will continue to accelerate, with factors such as the talent pool, Brexit, the continually improving infrastructure and a desire by many companies to have multiple sites in Ireland making it an attractive place in which to locate.

"Matheson acts for over 60% of FDI member companies of the American Chamber of Commerce located in Cork - and our new office will increase our proximity to these businesses. It will also bring us closer to our many large indigenous client companies based in Cork and the wider Munster area."Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy will tomorrow attempt to address concerns by junior health minister Catherine Byrne after a warning that she may abstain or support a Dail motion against him.

Ms Byrne is threatening to ignore an order by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for Fine Gael TDs to rally around the embattled housing minister during a Sinn Fein motion of no confidence tonight.

Instead, the junior minister could abstain or even go as far as to vote against Mr Murphy over a row relating to local housing concerns in her Dublin South Central constituency.

The disagreement centres over Ms Byrnes concerns that the redevelopment of the St Michaels site in Inchicore is too rent-focused and will ignore local family needs for housing.

Sources close to Mr Murphy say he will today attempt to defuse the row and is taking Ms Byrnes concerns seriously. He will speak directly with the fellow Fine Gael TD ahead of the Sinn Fein motion debate tonight.

The suggestion by Ms Byrne is in in direct defiance to an order by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to support Mr Murphy this week. And the Taoiseach went as far as to warn that he would fire her last night.

Both Ms Byrne and Mr Murphy fell out over the issue during the summer, when the junior minister on a stage argued that the plans for St Michaels were the worst ever she had seen.

Sources are stressing that the junior health minister has not threatened to vote no or indeed sought specific demands for her Dail support. Instead, she has privately told colleagues about her position.

Nonetheless, Fine Gael government sources point out that Mr Varadkar has insisted that TDs be in the chamber and support Mr Murphy during the motion.

There isnt much love loss between the two over St Michaels. But she would have to consider an awful lots of things if she votes or abstains. The Taoiseach has made it clear. You could probably take a good guess at what might happen, said a Fine Gael official.

A separate parliamentary party source said: That could be the end of her ministerial career.

One minister said the party was already considering lining up councillor and GP Paddy Smyth for any snap election if Ms Byrne was kicked out of the parliamentary party. Mr Smyth is in the Rathgar-Rathmines area, but this goes into Kimmage under boundary changes.The EUs top court is to rule this week on whether information about the travel expenses, subsistence allowances and other expenses of MEPs should be made publicly available.

The Court of Justice of the European Union is to issue its judgement in a series of related cases taken by journalists seeking the release of such information.

To date, the European Parliament had refused requests for access to information on the 751 MEPs allowances. It is estimated that around 40m of the European Parliaments annual budget goes towards MEPs expenses.

One of the journalists involved in the legal action seeking to annul the European Parliaments refusal to release information about MEPs expenses is Gavin Sheridan, a co-founder of Right to Know, a campaign group advocating for greater transparency and accountability in public life and a former Irish Examiner journalist.

The initiative by a group of journalists from all 28 EU member states is known as The MEPs Project. They had sought four years of copies of spending records of MEPs, under freedom of information legislation.

Specifically, they asked for documents regarding the money MEPs receive on top of their basic salaries, which includes a general allowance, travel allowance, daily subsistence, and funds for staffing.

However, the European Parliament has cited personal data protection and an excessive workload as the basis for refusing the request.

We firmly believe that records regarding MEPs spending of public funds intended exclusively for expenses they incur during the exercise of their official mandates are and must be deemed public information, said Natasa Pirc Musar, a spokesperson for The MEPs Project.

While MEPs should enjoy privacy in their private lives, they are employed by the people and for the people who are entitled to know how public resources are spent, she added.

Ms Pirc Musar claims the European Parliament did not properly interpret personal data protection rules.

The complete absence of monitoring of MEPs allowances, in the amount of almost 40m yearly, raises doubts that other spending by the 751 MEPs is monitored in a transparent, responsible and verifiable manner, Ms Pirc Musar said.

The European Parliament has claimed that all necessary checks and balances are in place.

However, Ms Pirc Musar said: Faced with confirmed cases of spending fraud by MEPs in the past years, spanning from staffing family members to cheating on daily subsistence allowances, and allegations of further frauds, we would like to see evidence of the European Parliaments claims.

The group points out that revelation by the Daily Telegraph in 2009 of the misuse of expenses by UK MPs highlighted the massive abuse which could occur in such schemes.

We would be delighted to discover that MEPs have used their allowances in full compliance with the letter and spirit of the law but we will not accept, as journalists and Europeans, that we are denied the right to see the truth for ourselves, Ms Pirc Musar said.

Details on expenses of some MEPs, if revealed, could prove embarrassing for some members of the European Parliament who are facing election in May.Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has voiced concern over an incident where an intruder entered Aras an Uachtarain and confronted President Michael D Higgins at his desk.

Security arrangements at the Aras are under review as a result of the incident, which is also the subject of an internal Garda inquiry.

Garda headquarters is located in the Phoenix Park a short distance away and members of the force are on duty on the grounds of the official residence round the clock.

It is understood President Higgins asked that the woman who accosted him not be arrested and be allowed to leave in her own car, and that he has not made any complaint to warrant a criminal investigation.

The incident happened on the afternoon of September 14 when the normally closed gates to the Aras grounds were open temporarily during maintenance works.

It is understood the intrusion was opportunist and that when the woman drove past the residence and saw the gates open, she drove through, continued up the driveway and reached the house unimpeded.

She was then able to gain access to the house and wandered around briefly before finding President Higgins at work in an office. She is believed to have remonstrated with him about the homelessness crisis before staff intervened.

Mr Flanagan said the security of senior office- holders was taken very seriously.

The reports are a matter of concern and I expect that the review of security arrangements will be undertaken, he said.

However, he added: I understand from reports that no harm was done to any property, no harm was inflicted on any person.

It is not unusual for demonstrators to stage protests outside the Aras gates, most notably during the water charges dispute when President Higgins came under fire for signing the charges into law on Christmas Day.

At the weekend, protesters gathered to oppose a visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, with no noticeable increase in security. However, with both gardai and members of the Defence Forces assigned to the Aras, the lapses that allowed the September 14 incident to occur are being taken very seriously.President Michael D Higgins has submitted his nomination papers for the upcoming Presidential election.

The papers were submitted at the Custom House in Dublin today by President Higgins' Secretary-General Art OLeary and his election agent Conor Power.

President Higgins will formally launch his campaign in Dublin city centre on Wednesday, September 26.

Speaking ahead of the campaign, President Higgins said:

Since entering office as President in 2011, I have been honoured to serve Ireland and its people. I have dedicated myself to each aspect of the role from the constitutional responsibilities and representation of our nation at home and abroad, to those wider conversations and connections which I have, as President, been able to develop and deepen.

I have sought to honour the many strands of our history, while also articulating a vision of a real Republic where the rights, equality, creativity and the participation of all are valued, encouraged and celebrated.

At this important time for our nation I am once again offering to serve, and I am asking the people of Ireland to place their confidence in me.

"The President of Ireland must have experience, judgement, understanding and empathy, as well as a vision for our nation and its communities.

"In the forthcoming campaign, I will outline my vision for Irelands future, and my proposals for further encouraging participation, promoting equality, and deepening Irelands relationships with our neighbours, near and far, in a challenging international environment.

I am very much looking forward to an active campaign, which I hope will be driven by ideas and values so that citizens can make an informed choice on October 26," he said.

Digital DeskDepartment of the Taoiseach secretary general Martin Fraser has confirmed he will attend a grilling over presidential spending tomorrow  but will refuse to answer key questions after seeking the advice of the attorney general.

The Irish Examiner understands the positions have been outlined to members of the Public Accounts Committee ahead of tomorrows meeting, amid claims the questioning is unconstitutional and politically motivated.

Last Thursday, the PAC agreed to hold an emergency meeting tomorrow to clarify spending levels at the presidential office. The move was raised by committee chairman Sean Fleming, a Fianna Fail TD, last month.

The meeting, which will take place 24 hours before nominations for the presidential race close, has been criticised for its timing, with suggestions it is being used to attack President Michael D Higgins.

Mr Fraser wrote to the PAC last week warning he is opposed to the meeting and that it should not go ahead. However, it is understood he has since confirmed he will accept the invitation.

Sources said Mr Fraser is believed to have sought advice from Seamus Woulfe, the attorney general (pictured), about what he can answer and will refuse to discuss key issues if they are raised.

I understand he is coming on Tuesday, Mr Fleming confirmed to the Irish Examiner when contacted last night.

Any decision by Mr Fraser to limit his answers to the PAC is almost certain to cause a fresh row over presidential spending levels in both the committee and the wider political arena just hours before the presidential election race officially begins.

The situation was underlined when European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee told RTEs The Week in Politics she absolutely would question the timing of the review despite Sinn Fein housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin saying full transparency is needed.

Asked about the situation last night, Labour TD and PAC deputy chair Alan Kelly said he would agree with Mr Fraser limiting his answers and that it would not be unreasonable for him to seek attorney general advice.

Meanwhile, today is effectively deadline day for a series of presidential election candidates to receive enough nominations to formally enter the contest and have their names placed on the ballot paper next month.

To date, five candidates have officially received enough local authority support to contest the presidential race with Mr Higgins. They are: Sean Gallagher, Gavin Duffy, Joan Freeman, Liadh Ni Riada, and Peter Casey.

A number of other contenders have yet to receive any support.

Six councils  Laois, Sligo, Kildare, Cork county, Donegal, and Louth  out of 31 still have to decide who or if they are nominating. However, while Laois, Sligo, Kildare, and Cork county will decide today, it remains unclear if Donegal and Louth will hold any vote at all.

This means that unless one candidate wins all four of the council nominations today, they will be unable to make it into the official presidential race.(ANSA) - Rome, September 24 - Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has denied two migrant-rescue NGOs' claim he leant on Panama to strip their ship Aquarius2 of its flag and thus become a 'pirate' ship.

"It's clear that no country wants to take the responsibility of being identified with a ship that hampers sea rescue operations, refuses coordination with the Libyan coast guard, attacks democratic governments like the Italian one, and expects to distribute clandestine migrants in Europe," he said Sunday night.

SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said earlier they were "shocked" after Panama's marine authority said it had been "forced" to revoke Aquarius2's listing in its naval register "under the evident economic and political pressure of the Italian authorities".

The two NGOs said "this measure condemns hundreds of men, women and children, in desperate search of safety, to drown at sea and inflicts a hard blow to the Aquarius's humanitarian mission. MSF said the Aquarius2 had saved 47 migrants including 17 minors and a pregnant woman of Libya.

Salvini said Sunday the ship would "never" dock in Italy.

On Monday he called the Aquarius2 a "ghost ship".

SOS Mediterranee and MSF have appealed to the European Union to intervene.

The Aquarius2 is just the latest in a string of NGO-operated migrant rescue ships Salvini has turned away from landing at Italian ports - but it is the first whose flag has been stripped by a foreign government.

By Ellie OByrne

Only direct action will now solve a housing crisis that the Government has lost control of. That is the view of protestors who took to the streets on Saturday for a national day of action by the Take Back The City movement.

There may have been a turnout of almost 1,000 people in Dublin, but in Cork only a handful of housing activists braved the rain to make their mark on the housing movements national day of action.

An information stall manned by members of Connolly Youth Movement (CYM), the UCC-based communist youth group, was set up for the afternoon outside Bishop Lucey Park.

There was no protest march, with Cork activists saying they plan on joining the Raise the Roof for Housing rally outside Leinster House on October 3.

Take Back The City, the network of Dublin housing rights campaigners who have been occupying vacant properties in the capital, announced 21 different rallies and events all over the country would take place on Saturday, saying the housing crisis was an islandwide problem.

Ill be on @NewstalkFM with @gavreilly shortly to discuss yesterdays #TakeBackTheCity protest in Dublin that brought the city centre to a standstill for an hour. Do you agree with the protests? #NTFM pic.twitter.com/cKI3Cn2rKB  Barry Whyte (@BarryWhyte85) September 23, 2018

CYM spokesman Ollie McMorrow was keen to highlight that Cork activists have also been occupying buildings as a form of protest.

Members of CYM were themselves evicted by armed gardai from a vacant property they had occupied in Cork City Centre at the end of July, over a week before the first Take Back The City occupation at Summerhill in Dublin. Five members continue to squat another property near UCC, which they have occupied for over a year.

The Dublin protests have been taking place for just six weeks and have garnered a lot more attention, said Mr McMorrow.

Its the capital city: If something happens there everyone knows about it. But a national day of action is positive to see.

He said that CYM was demanding public housing built on public land, for the people of Ireland, with rents set in relation to income.

Were not afraid of breaking the law, said Mr McMorrow. We will not wait for this Government to take action any more. Instead we will take direct action, and we are urging others to do the same.

He slammed the recent actions of the gardai in evictions, including sending members of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) to evict members of CYM in July.

The ERU were set up for gangland crimes, not to evict families from B&Bs and batter young activists who are peacefully protesting, he said.

These events confirm that the State is willing to use all its resources to silence the unrest, in the face of a crisis that they have chosen to allow.

Less than 20 members of the public were present for Mr McMorrows speech, including Kieran Logan, from Cork city. Mr Logan said he wanted to lend his support to the movement because he sees the number of homeless Irish people rising.

I work on Drinan St, next to the homeless service and Im fed up of seeing the growing queues outside waiting for vouchers for emergency accommodation, he said.

Years ago, there might be a couple of homeless people there and often they had addiction issues and the like. Now, Im seeing families queuing up. Mr Logan said he supported the calls for groups to occupy vacant buildings.

I feel its a legitimate statement of civil disobedience at this stage. As far as I know, the activists have been entirely peaceful.

Cork City councillor Fiona Ryan of the Anti-Austerity Alliance also said she fully supported the occupation of derelict properties as a form of direct action in the face of what she said was a national housing emergency.

She said Cork residents, including many students, were being hit by housing issues as hard as people in Dublin.

This turnout isnt necessarily indicative of a lack of support, Ms Ryan said.

There isnt the same level of organisation in Cork that were seeing in Dublin.The Government has urged British prime minister Theresa May to publish a previously secret alternative to last Decembers Brexit backstop legal text in a bid to drag the EU-UK divorce talks back from the brink of disaster.

Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney called on Ms May to release the document as two

Irish

Irish ministers backed British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns commitment to seek a referendum re-run if told to at his partys conference this week.

Speaking after Ms May revealed the existence of the alternative backstop legal text in her speech last Friday, Mr Coveneys spokesperson said time is running out to resolve the dispute.

Urging Ms May to use the weeks before next months EU summit to reveal the still unpublished alternative plan for the North, Mr Coveney said the document must be made public now.

Ms May [in her speech on Friday] said the UK has an alternative legal text for the backstop, said Mr Coveneys spokesperson.

We have been asking for this since March, so we would now ask the UK team to bring it forward to the Barnier task force to negotiate.

In a speech on Friday, Ms May referenced how Britain has alternatives to existing plans in relation to Brexit, a comment that was initially seen as relating to the post-Brexit transition period Chequers plan.

However, senior Irish Government sources said Ms May was in fact referring to an alternative March backstop legal text, the existence of which backroom EU and Irish officials have been aware of months.

The call to publish the previously secret plan came as two ministers backed Mr Corbyns statement that he would be bound to seek a Brexit referendum re-run if his party votes in favour of it at its annual party conference this week in Liverpool.

The policy change would be key to any future British general election, with rumours of a snap November Westminster election being roundly rejected by Downing St and Brexit secretary Dominic Raab yesterday.

The Irish Governments official position is that a potential second Brexit referendum is an internal British matter, a position reiterated by Mr Coveneys spokesperson last night.

However, Disabilities Minister Finian McGrath and junior minister for skills John Halligan told the Irish Examiner they both personally support calls for a referendum re-run and welcome Mr Corbyns potentially crucial policy switch.

Mr McGrath said: Im in favour of a second referendum, as the British public were misled. Brexit is bad for Britain and Ireland. There is nothing wrong with a second referendum.

Mr Halligan added that a second vote will only happen if the EU shows Ms May more respect.

The latest developments will be raised with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Mr Coveney when they attend the Nelson Mandela peace summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York later today.By Niall Murray

Schools must allow teachers paid breastfeeding breaks for up to two years after the birth of a child, under an 18-month extension agreed by the Department of Education.

The rules previously only allowed for breastfeeding breaks of up to an hour a day for up to six months after a child is born, but teacher unions had raised concerns about this over several years.

All working mothers have a legal entitlement to breastfeeding breaks without loss of pay for up to six months after childbirth.

However, a two-year timeframe already exists in the civil service following previous representations by unions representing civil servants.

The changes for teachers have now been adopted in a letter sent by the department to the management of all 4,000 primary and second-level schools on Friday.

They also explicitly allow for breaks to cover lactation, which was not specified previously in the maternity leave clauses of teachers terms and conditions.

It means the two-year rule applies to teaching mothers expressing milk during work time.

As with the previous six-month time allocation, a single one-hour break can be taken, or two or three breaks of 30 or 20 minutes each, respectively, may also be catered for. The pattern of breaks should be discussed and agreed with school management, but the new conditions mean employers are expected to take reasonable measures to facilitate the requested pattern, while also having due regard to pupils welfare and educational needs.

The Department of Education does not provide any resources in the form of paid substitution cover for breastfeeding breaks.

It has told second-level schools that the breaks should be covered through the supervision and substitution scheme, which rosters teachers signed up to the scheme to availability for such duties during approved absences of colleagues.

A teacher who avails of breastfeeding breaks must also notify the school management as soon as possible when she stops breastfeeding.

The new allowance for breastfeeding breaks by teachers has been welcomed by their unions. In 2016, women made up 86% of the countrys primary teachers, who are represented by the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO).

This provision is timely for the many INTO members who wish to continue breastfeeding their children following their return to work, the union said.

At second-level, 70% of teachers are women, and they account for nearly two-thirds of those aged under 30 working in second-level schools.

Demands for longer access to breastfeeding breaks were on the agenda of the INTO annual congress in 2012, and a motion was passed last year by the Teachers Union of Ireland annual conference.

It heard that the World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to six months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.

Education Minister Richard Bruton directed that all schools put the rules into immediate practice following their agreement between his department, teacher unions, and school management bodies at the Teachers Conciliation Council.

The HSE says the law does not currently afford many working mothers and their babies adequate protection and support to continue to breastfeed.

Its Breastfeeding Action Plan 2016-2021 advocates for the extension of breast-feeding and lactation break entitlements at work until a child is one year of age.Two men have appeared in court charged with money laundering offences in Wexford and Dublin.

A large sum of cash was found over the weekend by gardai investigating organised crime.

44-year-old Bernard Joyce from Newtown, Beauparc, in Co Meath appeared in court this afternoon charged with one money laundering offence in relation to the possession of 1m.

The court heard the accused, who is unemployed, made no reply when charged and cautioned yesterday evening.

The judge noted the amount on the charge sheet actually read that he was charged in relation to 1 as opposed to 1m because of where the decimal point had been inserted. It was then corrected.

Mr Joyce didnt apply for bail and was remanded in custody to appear in court again next week.

The court heard the second man, 29-year-old Glenn Power from Cole Park Road in Ballyfermot in Dublin, is charged with two money laundering offences.

Its alleged he was caught handing over 505,000 at a carpark in Wexford town and 500,000 was later allegedly found in the attic of his Dublin home.

His solicitor said he maintains he wasnt aware of how much was in the bag.

Mr Power was refused bail and is due back in court on Friday.

Both men have been remanded in custody to appear in court again at later dates.

Digital DeskThe four female ministers are the most anonymous members of the Cabinet among rural voters, an Irish Examiner poll has revealed.

Tanaiste Simon Coveney is the most-recognised minister and has the highest approval rating. However, there is a lack of awareness of the female ministers, the annual Behaviour and Attitudes survey shows.

Nine out of 10 people surveyed could rate Mr Coveneys performance. Scoring an average of 5.13 out of 10, the Cork South Central TD is rated second only to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

However, just two thirds (68%) could rate the performance of Josepha Madigan, Minister for Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht.

Those questioned as part of the Irish Examiner/ICMSA annual farming poll struggled most when rating female members of the Government.

One in four said they were not able to score Regina Dohertys performance in the Department of Social Protection. Business Minister Heather Humphreys, who previously held the Governments rural portfolio, fared slightly better, with 77% of people able to score her. She got an average of 3.59 out of 10.

Although presiding over a department that has a significant impact on farming families, 22% of those polled could not rate Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone. The Independent TD received an average mark of 3.56.

Ms Madigan, the newest member of Cabinet, after being appointed in the mini shuffle in the wake of Frances Fitzgeralds resignation as justice minister, late last year, scored the worst, with an average mark of 2.91 out of 10.

Political scientist Theresa Reidy said while their numbers in politics and in power have increased, women are often promoted to soft or gender-related portfolios and are, therefore, not as high-profile.

Although we have more women in Cabinet, the numbers are still very low and do not reflect the general population and do not reflect the number of women who are in leadership roles in business and the private sector, she said.

Unlike departments such as health and finance, the Departments of Children, Culture, Business, and Social Protection, which are all occupied by women, are less visible and Dr Reidy said this may be why many were unable to rate them.

It makes the case that we need to promote more women into Cabinet and give women more senior positions in Cabinet, she said.

However, the UCC lecturer said Ms Madigans low rating, and the fact a considerable number were not able to assess her, may be due to the fact she is relatively new in the job.

Given the crisis in housing and growing numbers of homeless people, Eoghan Murphy is, perhaps unsurprisingly, rated second-worst member of Cabinet, gaining an average score of 3.19. This is followed by Transport Minister Shane Ross, who scored an average of 3.25, and Ms Doherty, who averaged 3.31.

At the other end of the scale, Education Minister Richard Bruton had the second highest score, of 4.36 out of 10, followed by Finance Minister Pascal Donohoe, on 4.34.

Health Minister Simon Harris was next best, on 4.43, with Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring in the bottom half of the table, with 3.75.

Although Agriculture Minister Michael Creed came second for awareness, he is just fifth for satisfaction, scoring an average of 4.27. Mr Coveney was viewed as doing a better job, when he was in the Department of Agriculture, than Mr Creed.

In 2013, 9% of the farmers 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 polled farmers gave him a mark between five and eight out of 10.American blogger Meggan VanderMeulen has been running her website, CardiganJezebel.com, from Cork City for almost five years.

The 24-year-old chats about a range of topics online.

I dont really have a single niche, Meggan says. I blog about all things beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and travel.

Meggan says she is thankful to be part of the Irish blogging community.

When you find the right people and groups you can be so lucky. Irish people are such a lovely and supportive bunch and they have your back no matter what.

She is also interested in sharing photography and connecting with her readers online.

Ive been running a monthly photo-a-day challenge since January 2016, she says. Unsurprisingly, Meggan is very active on photo sharing site Instagram as well as Twitter. She has almost 15,000 followers across both social media platforms.

I really love Twitter and Instagram! But, at the end of the day my main platform is my blog. I love being able to find new people and the community around blogging can be incredible.

Meggan said her time spent blogging and building a presence online has led to a number of career opportunities.

Its definitely had a very positive impact on my life. Blogging started as a hobby for me but Ive had so many opportunities because of it. Ive even started a new freelance job because of my blog recently.

She warns that it is easy to become jealous of the lives other people appear to lead through social media and their blogs. One of the hardest parts of blogging has to be comparisons. I try to remind myself that comparison is the thief of joy.

Someone is always going to have better opportunities than you or higher numbers. But, you really have to remind yourself that youre doing this because you love it.

"I had been reading other peoples blogs for years and thought everything had to be perfect straight off the bat. I compared everything I wanted to put up with what others had done already instead of just uploading things I liked.

Once again, comparing your work to other peoples can kill your creativity.

Meggan said it is obvious to readers when someone blogs for the wrong reasons.

I started my blog because I wanted to work on writing and photography and chat about things I like. I think a lot of people start blogging because they want free stuff. First off, that takes a heck of a lot of time. And, its not free.

If you dont enjoy what youre doing or writing about it really shows.Although often dismissed as unscientific, many people are guided by the moon in their professional and personal lives. Caomhan Keane shines a light on how the moon is a guiding light for many.

ITS something that comes up time and again in our manuscripts here in the museum, Claire Doohan, of UCDs Irish Folklore Centre tells me when I ask her about past and present-day instances of people living their personal and professional lives by the big ball of cheese in the sky.

This real belief in the power of the moon, thats spread out over several cultures.

Theres the old Irish belief that falling asleep in the light of the moon was to be avoided as it could seriously impact your mental health. That you shouldnt look at the new moon through glass or it would bring you bad luck. Or if you saw it while out and about, you should turn all the money over in your pocket as it would double in the coming year.

The Roman Emperor Tiberius cut his hair during the waxing moon. Gerty MacDowell in James Joyces Ulysses did too.

But its not just confined to the past.

Weve seen instances of police forces around the world putting on additional men when there is a full moon due to an increase in violence. Informal studies by doctors in the 1960s found that blood was more likely to clot during the waxing moon (the period between the new and full moon). While we met some farmers today who still wouldnt bleed out their animals during a waning moon as it would make the meat tough.

When Jenn Zen was diagnosed with epilepsy, she found that the days leading up to a full moon was the time she was most prone to having a seizure. I started keeping a date of all my attacks when I started having them and I found in the three days leading up to the full moon there was a far higher likelihood of me having a fit than at other times.

The full moon is a time for letting go of stagnated energy and emotions. But if we are not conscious of this fact then these emotions and that energy can feel overpowering and overbearing and can contribute to bringing on anxiety/seizures. 

By being conscious of when the full moon falls, she believes she can take steps to lessen this likelihood.

I try if at all possible, to keep the day of the full moon to myself. I dont do haircuts; I dont meet up with other people. Ill start the day by doing grounding meditation, visualizing roots coming out of the soles of my feet and become aware of the earth beneath me by going outside in my bare feet.

Ill write down any questions that I might be confused about and then, later on, Ill try and answer those questions and I find the answers often start to come more readily than before.

Continuous practice has given her more awareness of herself and her body. It massively impacted the number of seizures I had. I havent had one in a good while now.

She is a hairdresser and this belief in the moons power is integral to her practice as owner of Velvet Moon Soul-filled Hair Artistry. A lot of this stagnant energy is held in the hair. A haircut during its waxing phase (as it gets bigger in the run-up to a full moon) will facilitate a more lustrous growth, as you dont want to hold onto stagnated energy while the moon is waning. Its a good time to start afresh.

Its also a good time to use conditioners or coconut oil if you just put natural products in your hair, as at this time your hair is really soaking up and holding onto its nutrients.

Celine Gien, who moved to Galway 12 years ago, said: As long as I remember, I have been always observing and learning from elderly people. My ancestors use the biodynamic technique without ever naming it. Cutting wood, making wine and beer, planting vegetables and fruits, removing teeth, trimming grass, was all done by the lunar calender.

Through her artisan business AromaCeline, she cuts hair according to the moons cycle, using a cutthroat razor. Roughly 2/3 of her clientele come to her for issues relating to their hair. The other third for emotional traumas, recommended by therapists.

I consider the body like a musical instrument such as a fiddle and my razor like a bow. When hair is cut with a razor blade, it creates a vibration, which resonates through your entire body. This vibration passes through the hair strings stimulating the hair scales, activating the blood circulation and straightening the arrector pili muscles  small muscles attached to hair follicles, which become fully irrigated by blood.

The cranial scalp amplifies vibrations in the brain and the inner ears, travelling the entire body through cerebrospinal fluid and resulting in intense reactions for the client.

It makes people introspective, making them conscious of traumas or memories, good or bad, that may have been suppressed. Ive had people crying, or feeling sadness or anger lifting while sitting in the chair before me. Most people yawn at least once while many feel freer or wilder afterwards.

She says cutting hair by the moon on a specific lunar day will multiply the effects as hair grows 2 to 3 times faster than normal.

It depends on what you want to achieve. During the new moon, the physical energy renews itself much slower, which means hair grows slower but gets stronger and thicker, while when the moon is increasing, the haircut helps the hair to grow faster.

Sleep was significantly affected

AS A teenager, Chloe McHughs sleep was significantly affected. I had extremely vivid dreams and often slept-walked. As I started to pay more attention to my sleep cycle I began noticing the connection between both my menstrual cycle, the cycle of the moon and what was happening to me at those times. And not just on my sleep. I notice significant increases in volatility, sometimes erratic behaviour and emotional outbursts. Similarly, as the moon waned, my energy decreased and I often felt more introverted and introspective.

She currently works as a sound therapy practitioner, through her company Sonas Therapy, using a range of instruments including singing bowls and gongs to help slow the activity of the brain to induce deep relaxation. While she doesnt explicitly state her belief in the moons influence on her clients, she likes to schedule sessions around the times of the new moon and the full moon.

The new moon is believed to be a time to slow down and meditate on what you want to bring more of into your life. The full moon is a time of release and letting go. It a time to reflect on what is not serving you in life, what you have developed attachment to but what may be holding you back. By facilitating a sound bath at this time I can help increase that connection for people.

Gemma McGowan, a polytheist and witch, sings to the full moon.

I will verbally greet the moon and sing her a song. I am simply honouring her presence and all of the gifts that she brings into all of our lives.

Even when not looking for it, she absolutely feels the changes in the moon. If my kids arent sleeping or acting up I peak outside, or check my moon app if its cloudy, and go ah, thats why they are bouncing off the wall.

For anyone who wants to try a moon ceremony and is unsure about how to go about it, Sli An Chroi Shamanism offer solo, community and online rituals each month, which can help the uninitiated among them water or fire ceremonies.

The three-hour ceremonies cost 15, with anything from 5-27 people in the group, and a facilitator to guide you so you discover what it is you want to let go or receive into your life, before burning or casting your intentions into water.A wind turbine in Europe or North America kills, on average, 2.3 birds and 2.9 bats each year, according to a 2012 report by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, writes Richard Collins.

Migrants are particularly vulnerable. Scientists at the University of Exeter, using sniffer dogs to locate carcasses at UK wind-farms, found that bat casualty rates varied from 1 to 64 per month across 29 sites. The overall toll was 194. Common and soprano pipistrelles were the main victims.

Bats fly into rotors. Even if a bat isnt struck, the sudden drop in air pressure passing between the slashing blades, can burst its lungs. The echo-locating princes-of-darkness arent blind as bats; they can see. Studies at Wolf Ridge Wind Farm in Texas suggested that bats mistake turbines for trees, sources of insect food and shelter.

Artificial light tends to be avoided, but clusters of insects swarming around streetlamps can attract these aerial-feeding carnivores. Are they also drawn to the aircraft warning lights mounted on turbine towers? These are usually red. Is the colour significant?

Red light has no effect on bat activity, claimed a Netherlands Institute press release in May 2017.

Artificial light at night can have a disruptive effect on bats, but not if the light is red. Wind turbines should continue to be fitted with synchronised flashing red aviation lights, as this form of lighting does not appear to be one of the potential causes of bat fatalities

A study just published challenges these conclusions. According to the Leibniz Institute in Berlin, the use of red light signals could have fatal consequences for them (bats) as this appears to attract them to operating wind turbines. This conclusion comes from experiments carried out on the Baltic coast, along which huge numbers of bats migrate in late summer.

Latvias Pape Nature Reserve, with its large coastal lagoon, attracts bats. The Berlin researchers attached coloured lights to a pole there and positioned bat detectors near it. Lights of various colours were switched on for ten-minute periods, interspersed with intervals of darkness. The numbers of bats approaching the pole were estimated from echo-location calls.

No increased activity was detected when white lights were on, compared to the situation during periods of darkness. However, when red lights were deployed, bat numbers increased. Common and Nathusiuss pipistrelles, both migrant species, were the main ones recorded.

What can be done to minimise bat mortality at windfarms?

Clearly, its important to identify migration routes and avoid locating farms on them. Turbines could be turned off at night during peak times of bat activity and bird migration, their operators being compensated for doing so. Alternatively, warning lights might remain off, until activated automatically when an approaching aircraft is detected by radar. Do the lights have to be red? The Baltic research might suggest that white ones may be preferable.

We have common and soprano pipistrelles in Ireland, although our ones dont appear to migrate. One Nathusius casualty was recorded in the Exeter survey. Europes most migratory species, a Nathusius tagged in Russia, travelled 1,600km. A Latvian and two Lithuanian migrants have turned up in Britain and a UK-tagged individual visited the Netherlands. The presence of Nathusius in Ireland was confirmed in 1997.

CC Voigt et al. Migratory bats are attracted by red light but not by warm-white light: Implications for the protection of nocturnal migrants. Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  A government-run children's hospital is ramping up efforts to fight dengue after one of its doctors died from the disease.

Dr. Sonia Gonzales, spokesperson of the Philippine Children's Medical Center (PCMC), told CNN Philippines Newsroom Monday that 14 medical employees contracted dengue from May to September.

One of the physicians, a doctor training with the PCMC, died from severe dengue.

"Na-dengue shock siya, talagang very severe yung dengue niya and we found out meron co-morbidity, ibig sabihin meron din siyang other factors that would probably complicate the dengue," she said.

[Translated: The doctor got dengue shock. The dengue was very severe and we found out there was co-morbidity, meaning the doctor had other factors that would probably complicate the dengue.]

Gonzales clarified none of those who contracted the disease were vaccinated with Dengvaxia.

Gonzales gave her assurance that none of the PCMC's patients or their care givers contracted dengue.

"Sa ngayon, normal ang operations ng hospital namin. Tumitingin pa rin kami ng pasyente, wala namang pagbabago, kundi lamang 'yon. We are doing our best to control the dengue vector, that is the mosquito," she said.

[Translation: For now, the hospital's operations are normal. We are still seeing patients. There are no changes except for that. We are doing our best to control the dengue vector, that is the mosquito.]

She said they were investigating why it was only their medical personnel who got ill.

A statement released Monday by the PCMC said it has also intensified its early reporting system for employees who have or show symptoms of having a fever.(ANSA) - Modena, September 24 - An unspecified number of Italians cheered after one of them shot a 27-year-old Pakistani with an air rifle from their car on Saturday night, police said Monday.

The victim was walking down the street with some friends when he was hit.

A probe hass been opened into the incident, which occurred in the centre of Castelfranco Emilia, police said.

Police have tracked down the alleged assailants with the help of a CCTV camera and eye witness accounts, they said.

It appears it was not their intention to hit a non-Italian person, sources said.

For two years, Sean Harris was of the opinion that a wind-farm developer had given him the runaround.

He and his family were experiencing problems with the neighbouring wind farm in Ballyduff, Co Waterford.

There was the noise, incessant at times. There was the siting of at least one of the 11 turbines, which he was convinced was closer to his boundary than stipulated in the planning permission. And there was something about the size of the damn things. The rotating blades just looked too big.

As it was to turn out, Mr Harris and his neighbour, Ronald Krikke, were onto something.

The wind farm was not built as per the specific planning permission granted by An Board Pleanala. However, the developer was not to blame. For it would emerge, at the end of a dragged out process in which the pair felt they were really being given the runarourd, that the local authority had actually given the nod to the developer without reference to An Bord Pleanala or, allegedly, the planning file.

Effectively, Waterford City and County Council gave the go-ahead for the developer to install larger blades than allowed by the planning board. And then, when Mr Harris and Mr Krikke began making complaints, the council played dumb.

Only for the persistence of those who believed they were adversely impacted by the wind farm, the anomalies would never have seen the light of day. Now An Bord Pleanala is examining whether something serious has occurred and if the wind farm should be allowed to continue in business.

Barnafaddock wind farm is located in mountains above Ballyduff Upper, a picturesque village nestled at the foot of the Knockmealdowns in west Waterford.

The initial plan was for 32 turbines but, in 2013, An Bord Pleanala granted permission for 12. In the end, only 11 were constructed.

The wind farm was developed by a company called Barnafaddock Sustainable Electricity Ltd. However, by the time construction began in 2014, it had been sold to Element Power, which specialises in renewable energy.

In February 2014, during the construction phase, Element Power sold Barnafaddock to US giant GE. It completed the construction phase and sold the farm on again last year, this time to Blackrock, a joint venture between a major US fund and Irish business people.

In an environment where subsidies are plentiful, and the landscape changing rapidly, the flipping of wind farms is not uncommon.

Three of the turbines were located on lands owned by An Coillte. These were permitted to have a blade span of 130m.

The eight located on private lands were to have blades spans of 90m. Once the farm became operational in 2015, some locals began to notice the imposition of the noise in particular.

A condition of the planning permission was that a noise monitoring report would have to be conducted within a year of operation commencing.

GE hired reputable engineering consultant Fehily Timoney. The survey was carried out between March and May 2016, and the report found that the noise limits were largely in line with design criteria.

Some of the locals living next to the turbines found this difficult to believe. Roland Krikke, a Dutchman who has been living in Ballyduff Upper for 13 years, began investigating.

He commissioned his own noise report. That found that at a number of different moments the noise level exceeded what is allowable, he says.

I have informed the council but they have done nothing about it.

The work of consultants often differs, but Mr Krikke also made a startling discovery. He found that despite planning permission having been granted for turbines with a 90m diameter for eight of the 11 turbines, there was no mention anywhere of the specific model that was to be used at Ballyduff.

It wasnt even in the environmental impact statement, he told the Irish Examiner. Or the planning permission and I talked to the neighbours and nobody seemed to know what was going on.

Mr Krikke got his hands on the Fehily Timoney report into the noise and saw a reference to the GE 2.85-103 model. Further research led to the discovery that this was a model that, as it says on the tin, includes a blade diameter of 103m.

This is 15% bigger than the 90m allowed for, with the potential to generate a lot more energy. It also has the potential to generate a lot more noise, and is certainly not what the planning authority gave permission for.

Mr Krikke decided to check for himself. Armed with a range finder, which can measure distances, he approached the turbines one evening when they were turned off.

The results, he says, were that the one he measured showed up a diameter of over 100m. The only available model that could answer for that length is the 103m model, previously advertised by GE.

Krikke had already been in correspondence with Waterford City and County Council over what he saw as the noise problem. On September 20, 2016, he received a reply to an email about whether the farm had been built as per planning permission.

There have been no agreements between the wind farm and the council that constitute an aberration from An Bord Pleanala planning conditions, read the mail from the councils planning office.

Now, he informed it of this new discovery. When he received no response initially, he persisted with it.

The shocking main issue here is that the 13m increase (15%) in blade diameter is a big deviation from the planning conditions that has not been signalled by your office, and whereupon no action has been taken, he wrote.

Whatever the reasoning for not doing so, it should be remedied and acted upon immediately by your office. Hence I request that your office will do an immediate check on the compliance regarding the material conditions for blade diameter.

Eventually, Waterford City and County Council said it would investigate. The councils first port of call, it told Mr Krikke, would be to check with the developer.

Much later, Mr Krikke and Mr Harris were to discover there was no need to check with the developer, as the council was well aware of the size of the blades on the turbine. The initial response of the council to the residents  and later, on foot of inquiries, to this newspaper  was to suggest the noise monitoring report had been misinterpreted.

The developer was permitted to construct three turbines with a rotor diameter of 103m and eight turbines at 90m. A noise monitoring survey was conditioned in relation to the three turbines of 103m, the council told this newspaper in a statement September 2017.

This inferred the model referenced in the noise monitoring report was applicable only to three turbines which had been granted permission for 103m diameter blades.

Eventually, earlier this year, nearly a year after first being informed of the problem, the council conducted a physical review of the site.

It found that in relation to the eight turbines, permitted blade diameter 90m; actual blade diameter 103m. The finding confirmed what the residents had alleged. It conceded the siting of one of the turbines was nearer Sean Harriss land as a result of the longer blade size.

Thereafter the council decided to refer the matter to An Bord Pleanala under what is known as a section 5. This is a provision under the Planning and Development Act 2000 that allows anybody to request whether a development is exempted under the meaning of the Act.

The submission from Fehily Timoney was illuminating with regard to what had occurred in Barnafaddock wind farm. The submission states that: The deviations as described have been brought to the attention of the planning authority by the residents in the area over the last two years.

In particular, the issue of the increased blade length has been brought to its attention in the last year.

Fehily Timoney disagreed with this vehemently, saying: The above statement may give the incorrect impression that Waterford City and County Council was not aware of the change in blade length before 2016. We refer to the compliance response of 2013 in which Waterford City and County Council confirmed firstly that they noted the developers intent to install a 103m diameter turbine and secondly that WCCC agreed that same was in compliance with the 2011 permission.

In other words, the council gave the go-ahead for the longer blade. This was in contravention of the permission granted by An Bord Pleanala. The councils position is apparently that the tip height  the total height of the tip at the vertical  is still 125m. This is unclear.

When contacted by An Bord Pleanala to respond to the Fehily Timoney claim, the council said it had no further comment to make on that aspect of the submission.

When contacted by the Irish Examiner, the councils response (see below) was that it would not be commenting ahead of any ruling on the section 5 application.

Questions remain irrespective of An Bord Pleanalas ruling.

Why, when the residents first contacted the council in 2016, were they not informed of the change to blade size?

Why, if it is the case, was the agreement between the council and the developer not recorded on the planning file?

Why were the responses to both the residents and this newspaper last week couched in terms that suggested a misunderstanding was the answer to the discrepancies?

Where does this leave local residents who been adversely and unfairly impacted by the wind farm?

A query to Fehily Timoney about its submission to An Bord Pleanala did not receive any reply.

Council plays the waiting game

The approach of Waterford City and County Council appears to have been a strategy of delay and deflect rather than answering queries that are not just legitimate but imperative to confidence in the operation of wind farms.

On August 25, 2017, this newspaper submitted a number of questions to the council about the residents concerns and what had arisen from investigations. By then, the council had been aware of concerns about the blade diameter since the previous April.

The email sent to the council had the following text:

Allegations have been made from local people that the size of the blades on the wind turbines exceeds that for which planning permission was granted. The blades are alleged to have a span of 103m while permission was granted for eight of the eleven turbines for a span of 90m. Waterford City and County Council has been in possession of this allegation since last April.

What steps has the council taken to determine whether the operator is complying with planning permission in this regard?

What course of action is open to the council if planning permission is not being complied with?

Is the council in receipt of rates or fees from the operator, and if so what is the annual figure?

What system of building inspection for wind farms exists in the local authority?

This is the third bullet

Why has the council not signed off on a noise monitoring report which was required for planning permission and completed over a year ago?

There was no response.

I emailed again on August 28, enquiring as to when a response might be expected. A reply said September 4.

When I questioned the delay, the response read: Im sorry it cant be earlier but the query crosses a number of sections and is complex in nature.

The reader can make up their own mind as to how complex the query was.

Come September 4, I mailed to inquire what time I could expect a response. No reply. A statement, which only partially addressed the query, was issued another week later on September 10.

This year, 12 months and a lot of discovery later, an email was sent to Waterford City and County Council on September 6 with a list of questions about where things are at now, including:

======================

Why was correspondence in which the longer blade diameter of 103m was approved by the executive not included in the planning file?

Why, after the residents began raising issues about the wind farm, were they not informed about this deviation from the planning permission as per the file?

Were the residents specifically told by any council officials that the wind farm was in full compliance with planning permission?

On August 25, 2017, I emailed the council with a series of questions on this issue and received a reply on September 10. Nowhere in that reply was there an acknowledgement the council was aware that the blades which had permission for a 90m diameter were in fact 103m. In fact, the impression from the reply was that the council would check out the matter with the developer. Why was I, as a member of the public and the media, misled in this manner?

The reply, on September 14, nearly two weeks later, was that the council would not be in a position to comment while the section 5 process was ongoing.

One question related to the absence from the planning file of any correspondence in which the council gave the developer go-ahead for the larger blade diameter turbine. This was referenced by Fehily Timoney in its section 5 submission.

According to the council, all correspondence was on the planning file.

Ronald Krikke, the local who uncovered the major discrepancies, disputes this.

We never came across that, he says.

It simply wasnt in the planning file. And if it had been why did the council not reference it when we brought this matter to their attention.

Instead they said they had to check with the developer, but there would have been no need for that if the correspondence was in the file. They would have known that the developer had told them exactly what size turbines they were building.

Waterford City and County Council statement to Irish Examiner, September 2017

The developer was permitted to construct three turbines with a rotor diameter of 103m and eight turbines at 90m. A noise-monitoring survey was conditioned in relation to the three turbines of 103m diameter.

The noise-monitoring survey was carried out. Subsequent to this, we received a complaint about the conditions under which the noise monitoring was undertaken. As a result of which we sought clarification from the noise monitoring consultant, and the council is now satisfied that the noise survey report has been undertaken in accordance with best practice guidelines and is in accordance with the condition of planning permission.

In terms of your general query, where a developer is not in compliance with planning, enforcement action can be taken.

In terms of rates income, the wind farm is currently undergoing a valuation process. Council is not in receipt of rates in respect of the wind farm.

Waterford City and County Council statement to Irish Examiner, September 2018

Correspondence in relation to the blade diameter is on the public planning file.

A meeting was held with local residents on May 10 last where a full and frank discussion took place on all matters of concern for the residents and it was agreed that the best course of action was to seek a section 5 Determination from An Bord Pleanala to determine whether the changes were material to that granted planning permission.

Upon receipt of the determination from the board, the planning authority will review the position and decide on the appropriate action to be taken as necessary.

The planning authority can neither speculate on nor preempt the determination of An Bord Pleanala. So as not to prejudice any further process, the planning authority is constrained in discussing live matters which are currently under review in any greater detail until An Bord Pleanala determination has been issued.

The planning authority will engage further with the community at that stage.Noel Campion says the super thin HP EliteBook x360 1020 G2 has features to please most professional level users.

If youre in the market for a powerful laptop thats easy on the back, packed with powerful security features, then the HP EliteBook x360 1020 G2 is worth a look.

The EliteBook x360 can be considered an ultrabook, but its also a convertible laptop. The version that I received for the purposes of this review came with 16GB of RAM a 256GB SSD, Intel i7-7600U CPU running at 2.8GHz and a 12.5-inch, 1080P display with touch and pen support.

Squarely aimed at professionals, it weighs in at 1.13KG and measures 29 x 20.38 x 1.39 cm (W x D x H).

HP claims this to be the worlds thinnest and lightest business convertible, but with prices starting at 1,299, it has the price to match.

The EliteBook x360 is really small and light making it great to travel with. The design is similar to other HP convertibles with stylish looks, and a thin profile with a chrome HP logo on the lid that adds to the classy look.

The all-aluminium body provides a sturdy feeling of robustness with little flex in the screen or body. The screen has a sturdy double hinge, but you cant open it with one hand like you can with a Macbook and other HP laptops for that matter. Not a big deal though.

The EliteBook x360 is a convertible and so it can be used in various screen modes including tent, tablet and laptop, but the keyboard cant be detached. So, although youve got the power to get a lot of work done, the EliteBook x360 is an excellent device for media consumption whether its a long haul flight, or your daily commute to work, assuming youre not driving!

The speakers are placed on the base and although not very loud, they work well and being tweak by B&O, they sound great for general use, plus, theres a 3.5mm headphone jack.

As a productivity device, the EliteBook x360 is a powerhouse for those who need it for general business purposes.

However, those looking for a laptop for media creation or gaming wont find the Intel HD Graphics 620 GPU or max limit of 16GB enough for more than light games and short editing sessions. You can configure the SSD up to 1TB, which is more than enough for most users.

Key to this being a business-oriented laptop is all the security and system manageability features, some of which you have to configure at time of purchase.

For example, you get HP Sure Click which provides hardware-enforced security for web browsers, protecting your computer from websites infected with malware, ransomware or viruses.

If you want HP Sure View (stops those near the screen from being able to see whats on your screen) youll have to order it when configuring your purchase.

Additional security measures include HP Sure Start Gen3  which is an enterprise-ready BIOS management feature and HP Multi-Factor Authentication.

My review model came with Windows Hello support thanks to two cameras and a fingerprint reader, two tried and tested login options. The computer uses a TPM chip (Trusted Platform Module) to encrypt your biometric data and there is Intel vPro technology for remote management.

To manage all of these security options and features you get HP Client Security application, which makes setup and management easy.

The EliteBook x360 has a small form factor making it great for the road warrior, but this means compromises in other areas.

It does have two Thunderbolt 3/USB Type-C ports, only one of which can be used to charge it, a full-sized HDMI 1.4a port, 720p web camera, and Kensington Lock. You also get 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth 4.2 for wireless connectivity.

HP claim up to 10 hours of battery life, but in the real world, its a lot less, like all other claimed battery endurance ratings.

However, a great feature is the fast charging that can get you to 50% in around 30 minutes, as long as youre in sleep mode or turned off.

Missing are standard USB ports and an SD card reader, which means youll need a dongle that goes from USB Type-C to the standard USB port.

I understand that USB Type-C is the way forward, but when all of your peripherals require a dongle, it can be annoying, especially if you forget to bring one on a trip.

My review unit had the FHD IPS touch-enabled, super bright 700 nits screen. I found it excellent for editing my photos on the go thanks to accurate colours and decent viewing angles left and right. However, I found that up and down viewing changed shades a little more than Id expect from an IPS display.

My device came with the 3M developed SureView technology and it is impressive. By simply pressing F2, anything on the screen becomes almost impossible to see if youre not looking straight at the screen.

Ideal when you need privacy when in public or while sitting in the middle seat on a plane.

I know we all like different things on a keyboard, but I absolutely love the travel and feel on the keys of the EliteBook x360.

It was an absolute joy to speed touch type on and it felt comfortable, even for long periods.

The rather large trackpad also works great and is Microsoft Precision certified. This means it fully supports all the usual Windows 10 gestures.

The HP EliteBook x360 1020 G2 is an impressive laptop that has a compact form factor and is light.

You also get stellar security features that provide confidence and essential options for those who require these options for their business.

The HP EliteBook x360 1020 G2 is available in Ireland through DataPac for 1,898 ex VAT.TP OMahony warns that a papacy that promised Church reform will remain mired in controversy unless Francis ensures accountability for the mishandling of abuse cases.

THE crisis over clerical sex abuse now engulfing the Catholic Church reaches all the way to the threshold of Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican guesthouse where Pope Francis has taken up residence.

His own credibility is now very much on the line, and threatens his legacy as a reforming Pope.

His inaction has caught up with him, and constantly preaching about zero tolerance while failing to put effective structures in place for dealing with bishops and cardinals who have covered up abuse no longer impresses, as he found out in a particularly painful way during his recent Irish visit.

During his two days here  a trip described by one Vatican correspondent as the toughest and most difficult of his pontificate  he was left in no doubt about the extent of the alienation and feelings of betrayal experienced by many in the Irish Church.

He was certainly left in no doubt that he has not done nearly enough to confront the scandal of sex abuse in the Church, here and elsewhere.

It will seem now that his recent decision to summon the presidents of every bishops conference around the world (about 100) to attend a four-day meeting in the Vatican to address global clerical sex abuse in February 2019 is a new and positive response. But where is the urgency in this, given that these men could be in Rome within 48 hours? Why wait until next February?

Nor could Francis go on sticking to the stance he adopted on the flight home to Rome after his two days in Ireland, when he was informed of the exceedingly damaging 11-page letter from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former Papal Nuncio (ambassador) to the United States, who served there while the (now deposed) Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was Archbishop of Washington. It also contained a call for the Popes resignation.

The timing of the release of that letter, and the way the whole thing was orchestrated, has all the hallmarks of a deliberate attempt to discredit Francis and cause maximum embarrassment. That, however, doesnt mean that the very grave allegations made in it can be simply brushed aside.

The Vigano dossier was far too serious for that. An editorial in the international Catholic weekly, The Tablet, went to the nub of the matter: The broad sweep of his testimony is that the government of the Catholic Church has succumbed to a mafia-like conspiracy, organised by a network of homosexual clergy at all levels of seniority. Their assumed purpose is not only to promote themselves and each other to positions of influence, but also to progressively undermine the Churchs traditional teaching on homosexuality.

When confronted with all of this on the plane, the Pope refused to comment directly, instead telling the journalists on board they could look at the allegations (very serious) in the letter and then make up their own minds.

He said he would not say a single word about the allegations, though he left open the possibility of a comment from the Holy See.

That simply wasnt not good enough, and, even though one of the central allegations has been discredited (the claim that Pope Benedict XVI imposed sanctions on McCarrick which Francis later removed), the Popes continuing failure to deal head-on with the other central claim (that he knew for a long time about McCarricks sexual improprieties but did nothing) would have cast an ominous shadow over his papacy. That is, for as long as the claim went unrefuted.

Now we know that the Vatican will issue a response to the Vigano dossier. It will be an institutional, rather than a personal response. A statement from the Popes council of nine cardinals (C9) said it was aware that in the current debate the Holy See is about to issue necessary clarifications. There will be a lot of interest in that response, whenever it comes.

It may well be, as one of the Popes biographers, Austen Ivereigh, told BBC Radio 4, that the Vigano letter is part of a right wing plot against Francis.

This Pope has some very powerful enemies, and it is also the case that no other pope in the modern history of the papacy has come in for such sustained and public criticism as Francis.

Commenting on this, the feminist theologian Tina Beattie, professor of Catholic studies at Roehampton University in London, said: Pope Francis is up against very poisonous forces in the Church.

In recent weeks there has been much talk of an ideological culture war within the Church, between liberals and conservatives, and some scholars have maintained that this culture war is tearing the Church apart, especially in the United States.

According to the Rome correspondent of The Tablet, earlier this year Cardinal Raymond Burke, who was removed from his Vatican post by the Pope and has since become one of his fiercest critics, gave a lecture on the limits of papal authority in a hotel just two miles from the Vatican.

Among the audience was Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano. This is just another aspect of the culture war.

Two recent books  To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism by Ross Douthat, and The Dictator Pope: The Inside Story of the Francis Papacy by Marcantonio

Colonna  bear testimony to the vitriol that is fuelling criticism of Francis.

People in high places in the Church, in Rome and elsewhere, want him out. Seen in this context, the Vigano dossier can be regarded as part of a plot to force a second papal resignation in our time.

Up to recently the observation of Paul Vallely, author of Pope Francis: The Struggle for the Soul of Catholicism, has remained true: Francis is not winning the hidden civil war being waged inside the Curia between the reformers and those who are consistently blocking important remedial action on paedophile priests and episcopal cover-ups.

It was the frustration caused by this that led to the resignation of Marie Collins from the pontifical sex abuse commission. But it is time now for Francis to get tough, and establishing an independent tribunal with powers of dismissal to deal with bishops and religious superiors who cover up the abuse of children  which Marie Collins has been calling for  would be a real sign that this is now happening.

He has said she is fixated on the tribunal idea, but it is hard to understand his failure to take the initiative here, not least because he set the scene himself for such a tribunal when he

issued an apostolic letter entitled As a Loving Mother in June 2016.

This contained provisions for the removal of bishops and religious superiors if found to be negligent in the exercise of their office, particularly in cases of sexual abuse inflicted on minors and vulnerable adults.

There is also now a new focus on the need to involve the laity in any tribunal process. It is no longer good enough to have clerics investigating other clerics. Catherine Pepinster, former editor of The Tablet, told the BBC that the laity must be involved.

This view was also expressed in a recent editorial in The New York Times. It said that Francis will need to look beyond the cardinals, prelates, and priests for solutions. Any credible

effort at eradicating the cancer of sexual abuse will require the full participation of experts, prosecutors, victims, and many others  women as well as men. If that runs against

tradition and practice, so be it.

This echoes a call by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, for a national lay commission to be granted independent authority to investigate, first of all, the McCarrick scandal.

The Pope needs to act on this and not wait until February.

Fr Thomas Reese SJ, who has written extensively about the Vatican, says there is only one way the bishops can regain credibility: That is to give a full and credible account of past abuse. Only when all the information is out will people begin to believe that the Church has got things under control.

In addition to his troubles within the Vatican, where a corrupt old guard are doing all they can to frustrate him, the Popes own record on handling sex abuse allegations against priests when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires is coming under fresh scrutiny. According to Paul Vallely, the Popes mis- handling of the Bishop Barros case in Chile earlier this year carries unhappy echoes of his own performance in Buenos Aires.

According to Vallely, when Jorge Mario Bergoglio was president of the Argentine Bishops Conference, the organisation missed the Vaticans 2010 deadline to create safeguards against new abuses.

Peter Saunders, the other lay person who resigned along with Marie Collins from the papal commission, is highly critical: Francis is now implicated in covering up sex abuse. He seems to be no different from those other senior clerics who prefer to avoid, to cover up, and to hope it will go away. The Church should be leading the way, and not covering up.

The Popes own role in Argentinas most famous case of priestly sex abuse is back in the spotlight. According to Nicole Winfield of the Reuters bureau in Rome, in 2010, when he was still

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Francis commissioned a four-volume, 2,000-plus-page forensic study of the legal case against a convicted priest that concluded he was innocent, that his victims were lying, and that the case should never have gone to trial.

Despite the study, Argentinas Supreme Court in March 2017 upheld the conviction and 15-year prison sentence against Fr Julio Grassi, a celebrity priest who ran homes for street children across Argentina.

Grassis victims have claimed the then-Cardinal Bergoglio backed the accused priest.

The study, and Franciss role in the Grassi case, have taken on new relevance following allegations by a former Vatican ambassador that Francis, and a long line of Vatican officials before him, covered the sexual misconduct of a prominent US cardinal.

In a wider context, a good deal of responsibility for the growth of the culture within which cover-up and evasion of responsibility for clerical sex abuse of minors and seminarians flourished can be laid at the feet of Karol Woltyla, the Polish Pope.

During his long pontificate, he was at best indifferent to a spate of reports about dreadful behaviour, reports emanating initially from the US.

Two of the early whistleblowers were Fr Tom Doyle, a canon lawyer, and Richard Sipe, an ex-priest. His book, A Secret World: Sexuality and the Search for Celibacy, claimed that 6% of priests (later revised to 9%) had had sexual contact with minors and at least a third of clergy were homosexuals.

And thanks to a fine obituary in the Irish Times (Sipe died in August) by their former religious affairs correspondent, John Cooney, we now know that in 2010, Sipe wrote to Pope Benedict informing him that McCarricks sexual misconduct had been widely known for decades.

Nor should we forget that in May 2001, Pope Benedict, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), sent two letters to Catholic bishops all over the world.

One letter instructed bishops to keep both secret; the other instructed them to send all clerical child abuse allegations with a semblance of truth to the Congregation and it would decide whether these be dealt with at diocesan or Vatican level. Those letters would not have been sent without the approval of John Paul II.

Future church historians will provide a proper perspective on the effects of the indifference of Pope John Paul II, but will also take due note of the fact that he shielded Fr Marcial Maciel, the Mexican founder of the Order of the Legionaries of Christ, a notorious serial abuser of seminarians. He also fathered four children by different women.

In his book The Pope in Winter: The Dark Face of John Paul IIs Papacy, John Cornwell says: John Paul allowed the case of Maciel to gather dust within the Vatican for years.

It has not gone unnoticed that both Maciel and McCarrick raised enormous amounts of money for the Vatican.

McCarrick had a reputation as an extraordinary fundraiser, says Christopher Lamb. In 1988, he had helped set up the Papal Foundation, which has raised many millions from wealthy US catholics to support special projects of the Pope.

We also now know  thanks to a newly-released letter  that the Vatican knew of McCarricks predatory behaviour at least from the year 2000. The letter, dated 22 November, 2000, was from Fr Boniface Ramsey, a pastor in New York, complaining of McCarricks relationships with seminarians and the whole business of sleeping with seminarians.

The letter wasnt accusing seminarians of anything; it was accusing McCarrick, said Fr Ramsey. A 2006 letter, from a top official in the Vatican Secretariat of State, obtained by the Catholic News Service, acknowledged the allegations regarding McCarrick made in 2000 by the New York priest.

Fr Ramseys letter was received in 2000 during the pontificate of John Paul II who, a few months later, made McCarrick a cardinal (February 2001). He served as Archbishop of Washington until 2006, under the pontificate of Benedict XVI.

And it was also on Karol Wojtylas watch that the Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law was moved to Rome, where diplomatic immunity was bestowed on him, before he could and should have been made answerable in a US court.

His criminal behaviour over an extended period was exposed by the investigating team of the Boston Globe, and this story was later the basis for the award-winning 2015 film Spotlight, starring Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, and Rachel McAdams.

The effects of the culture that, while it may have predated the pontificate of John Paul II, certainly went unchecked by him, were discernible in the 2010 letter to Irish Catholics following the Murphy Report by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI.

That letter failed to acknowledge Romes culpability for the culture which saw priests, bishops, and popes who, when they learned of abuse, protected each other rather than the victims.

Unless Pope Francis ensures there is real accountability for bishops who mishandle abuse cases by means of an independent tribunal that guarantees transparency, his papacy, which promises so much in terms of Church reform, will remain mired in controversy.

He has a very different vision of the Church and where he wants it to be from his two immediate predecessors, Benedict XVI and John Paul II, both of whom turned their backs on the

reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). Francis believes in collegiality and wants to move to a synodal Church.

He has embarked on what Fr Gerry OHanlon, the Irish Jesuit theologian, has called a quiet revolution, one which envisages a much greater role for the laity in the governance of the Church and less centralisation in Rome.

But there is great opposition to this.The separation of powers is a political doctrine unshakably fixed in the constitutions of all Western democracies, including that of the United States, where, as we are now seeing, in the controversy over President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee, it can be more honoured, when it really matters, in the breach than in the observance.

Republican presidents tend to nominate conservative judges for appointment to the all-powerful Supreme Court, while Democrats look for justices with liberal track records on the big issues: Race, gender equality, abortion, capital punishment.

The current Senate confirmation contest is a product not only of the #MeToo movement, but also of the extent to which the judiciary is vulnerable to partisan politics.

The Senate has been here before, with a remarkably similar script: The 1991 confirmation hearings at which a black woman  also a professor  alleged that shed been harassed sexually by a Supreme Court nominee, a conservative judge, and also, as it happens, black.

Republican senators, determined to protect George Bushs nominee, turned the hearing into a squalid sex trial. They will doubtless attempt the same play this time to see Mr Trumps choice safely home.

Separating the branches of government is a great idea; the US should try it.A pensioner has been charged with the murder of her 75-year-old husband at their home in England.

Packiam Ramathan, 73, is accused of murdering Kanagusabi Ramathan, who was found dead at a property in Burges Road, Newham, east London, on Friday.(ANSA) - Potenza, September 24 - The governor of Basilicata, Marcello Pittella of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), was released from house arrest on Monday.

Pittella had been under house arrest since July 6 in a probe into the southern Italian regions' health sector.

He has been barred from living in the regional capital, Potenza.

Pittella was put under house arrest in relation to a probe into alleged corruption in the southern region's health system.

Pittella was among 30 people put under restrictive measures by finance police in relation to the investigation.

He was under house arrest at his home in Lauria, near Potenza.

Pittella is accused of abuse of office and of making false declarations, friendly sources said, describing his arrest as "surreal".

The probe regards allegations of manipulation of public contract competitions and nepotism in the regional health sector.

The investigation started two years ago following a report by an employee for a service contractor company who had not received his share of money set aside for the TFR severance package.

Prosecutors said Pittella was the "deus ex machina" of "institutional distortion".

He and the others were able to enforce "a total political conditioning of the public health service on the part of private interests and clientist political logic", police said.

From the Archive The Power Behind the Robe

Security forces look over Buddhist monks on a march during the Saffron Revolution in Yangon in 2007. / Khin Maung Win

On the 11th anniversary of the Saffron Revolution, we revisit this cover story that first appeared in the October 2007 print issue of The Irrawaddy magazine, in which the editor explained why Burmas generals fear the influence of the Sangha.

The Lord Buddha shunned worldly affairs, but in his teachings he stressed the need for good governance and good rulers in the practice of politics.

The Buddha said: When the ruler of a country is just and good, the ministers become just and good; when the ministers are just and good, the higher officials become just and good; when the higher officials are just and good, the rank and file become just and good; when the rank and file become just and good, the people become just and good.

If these admonitions are followed by the large community of monksthe Sanghain predominantly Buddhist Burma, the lingering love lost relationship between the countrys military rulers and its monks should be no surprise.

Over the last two decades, Burmas Sangha community, officially estimated to number around 400,000, has had an uneasy relationship with the ruling generals, who have imprisoned several prominent, politically active monks or pongyis. It is estimated that since the present military regime came to power in 1988, about 300 monks have been defrocked and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment.

Monks, considered sons of Buddha, are the biggest institution in Burma after the armed forces, which number more than 400,000 soldiers and police.

In their close contacts with the common people and during their morning alms rounds of local households, the monks witness firsthand the suffering and poverty of ordinary Burmese citizens. They have a very clear picture of the deteriorating situation in Burma.

More importantly, they probably have a better network, connections and influence than politically active students, who are constantly watched, imprisoned or forced into exile.

Who could imagine that these monks, living quietly in monasteries and studying Dhamma, would ever plan to rebel against the repressive regime? Yet history has shown that monks have long played a pivotal role in politics and that they would indeed dare such a bold and dangerous undertaking.

The role of political pongyis is controversial and potentially threatening to the ruling elite, although there has been a continuing debate on whether monks really should involve themselves in politics.

The Early Rebellion

Monks were involved in early outbreaks of resistance against British colonization, joining lay people in taking up arms against the British after seeing King Thibaw sent into exile.

Monks have their resistance martyrsU Ottama, for instance, who led 3,000 rebels in the Salin area a year after the invasion of Mandalay. The rebel monk, also known as Bo Ottama, was captured and hanged by the British in 1889.

Interestingly, historians noted that monks who took up arms voluntarily defrocked themselves first, following the precept forbidding monks to take lives.

Another martyr, Saya San, who was an ex-monk, led a peasant uprising in Tharrawaddy opposing the tax system imposed by the British. Burmas colonial masters sent 10,000 troops to quell the rebellion, capturing Saya San and sending him, too, to the gallows.

One of the top Burmese lawyers who defended Saya San at his trial was Dr Ba Maw, who later became head of state in Burmas Japanese-backed government.

Not all monks advocated armed struggle. Two who preached nonviolent resistance, U Wisara and another monk named U Ottama, spent many years in prison for their opposition to colonialism and their names have joined the list of independence heroes.

U Ottama, a globe-trotting, well-respected monk from Arakan State, was a powerful speaker whose calls for independence were featured in the national newspaper Thuriya. He once famously told the British Governor Sir Reginald Craddock to go home to Britain, in a speech that landed him in prison.

Like U Ottama, U Wisara was imprisoned several times for his public speeches and died in jail in 1929 after 166 days of a hunger strike. His prison sentences included terms of hard labor, and he was also defrocked.

Both monks became an inspiration to activists and students involved in the independence movement.

Scholar Michael Mendelson wrote in his Sangha and State in Burma, that all politically active monks tended to be labeled by the colonial authorities as political agitators in the yellow robes. Interestingly, a similar term is used by Burmas current leaders to describe protesting monks.

Historians wrote that the British authorities were surprised to learn the influential role of the Sangha community, and soon after the invasion of 1885 they abolished the position of Supreme Patriarch, or Thathana-baing.

In former times, Burmese kings appointed Thathana-baing to govern the Sangha community and made them responsible for doctrinal instruction and discipline of all monks. But the position wasnt accepted by the entire Sangha. The progressive Shwegin sect was one group that rejected it. Sectarianism created controversy and bitter rivalry among monks.

During the Kon-Baung period in the 18th century, conflicts arose within the Sangha over how the monastic robes were supposed to be worn, and two conflicting sects arosethe so-called Ton Gaing and Yon Gaing.

The Burmese scholar Tin Maung Maung Than records that the Toun-goo and early Kon-Baung dynasties were drawn into the rivalry by their royal patronage of one party or the other. In 1782, King Bodawphaya intervened in the controversy by siding with Ton Gaing.

One experienced colonial political officer, Col Edward Sladen, conversant with the power of the Sangha, advised British authorities to maintain the Thathana-baingsystem in order to head off conflicts in governing the predominately Buddhist country.

The role of Thathana-baing was undoubtedly a complicated one, involving a direct link between the monarchy and the Sangha. The Thathana-baing wielded influence and could even intervene in state affairs. One respected abbot even persuaded King Mindon to abandon corvee labor for his irrigation projects. Its ironic that the current regime argues that forced labor is a feature of Burmese tradition and a means of making merit.

After independence, however, the influence of Buddhism and the Sangha went into decline, except for a period under the late prime minister U Nu, a devout Buddhist.

U Nu himself was ordained as a monk several times and rarely exploited Buddhism for his own political ends. Under his government, the Sixth Great Buddhist World Council was held in 1954, and he also created the Buddha Sasana Council.

Tin Maung Maung Than noted in his book, Sangha Reforms and Renewal of Sasana in Myanmar: Historical trends and Contemporary Practice: Because of various Gaing and sectarianism U Nu failed to take effective reforms in spite of institutionalization of Buddhism within the state superstructure and notwithstanding the holding of the Sixth Buddhist Synod in 1954.

U Nu also attempted to legalize Buddhism as the state religion in 1961. The attempt was considered to be a misguided policy, and it anyway failed to materialize as U Nu was ousted by Gen Ne Win one year later.

Ne Win regarded monks as a potential opposition and he developed a different strategy to control them. In the mid-1960s, his regime called a Sangha conference to issue monks with identification cards. Young monks and abbots stayed away from the gathering.

It wasnt until 1980 that Ne Win succeeded in containing the monks by establishing a State Sangha Nayaka Committee, after a carefully orchestrated campaign to discredit the Sangha. Part of the campaign was to discredit a famous monk, Thein Phyu Sayadaw, who was accused of romantic involvement with a woman. He was defrocked.

Before the campaign, intelligence officers and informants of the government infiltrated the temples as monks and gathered information about monks and abbots.

Some well-known abbots, including Mahasi Sayadaw, an internationally respected monk who was invited by U Nu in 1947 to teach Vipassana meditation, were also targeted in the campaign.

Anthropologist Gustaaf Houtmann wrote in his paper Mental Culture in Burmese Crisis Politics that the regime had distributed leaflets accusing Mahasi of talking with the nat spirits, and it was claimed that the Tipitaka Mingun Sayadaw, Burmas top Buddhist scholar, had been involved in some unsavory incident two years after entering the monkhood. Both monks were victims of their refusal to cooperate with the regime.

A number of scholars and historians noted, however, that some abbots accused and charged by the government were indeed involved in scandals and had romantic relationship with women or nuns.

The regimes campaign sometimes took bizarre forms. Rumors were circulated, for instance, suggesting that one Rangoon monk, U Laba, was a cannibal. Several famous abbots were implicated in scandals and were either defrocked or fled to neighboring Thailand. Ne Win successfully launched a Sangha reformalso known as Cleaning Up the Sangha.

The government managed to get some recognition from elderly Buddhists by forming the Sangha Committee. But Ne Win did not pretend to be a devout Buddhist. He rarely participated in Sangha meetings and held few religious ceremonies during the 26 years of his rule. Unlike current leaders, he was rarely seen with monks.

During the 1988 uprising, however, his government asked the Sangha Committee to help restore order, and senior monks appeared in live television broadcasts appealing to the public for calm.

In August, 1988, days after the massacre in Rangoon, monks expressed sorrow for the loss of life, butto the surprise of manythey also appealed to the regime to govern in accordance with the 10 duties prescribed for rulers of the people. The appeal failed to calm the public mood, but the message did remind many Burmese of the 10 duties of rulersthe monks were telling Ne Win to be a good ruler.

On August 30, the Working Peoples Daily reported: 1,500 members of the Sangha marched in procession through the Rangoon streets and gathered in front of the Rangoon General Hospital emergency ward, where they recited Metta Sutta in memory of rahans (monks), workers and students who fell in the struggle for democracy. Many young monks were among the demonstrators.

For many Burmese, the struggle for democracy is not yet over and the discord between the Sangha and the ruling generals remains strong.

Unlike Ne Win and U Nu, the generals who came to power in 1988 openly and audaciously schemed to buy off the Sangha community. They have also claimed to be protectors of the Sangha, although their motive is to gain political legitimacy.

Aside from holding numerous merit-making ceremonies, offering hsoon and valuable gifts to monks, the military leaders are launching well-publicized pagoda restoration projects throughout Burma. Nevertheless, confrontations between rebellious monks and the authorities continue.

In Mandalay in 1990, troops fired on the crowds, killing several people, including monks. Angered by the militarys brutality, Mandalay monks began a patta ni kozana kan, refusing to accept alms from members of the armed forces and their families.

The same action has now been taken by monks in several provinces after authorities beat protesting monks in Pakokka, central Burma.

Patta ni kozana kan can be called in response to any one of eight offences, including vilifying or making insidious comparisons between monks, inciting dissension among monks or defaming Buddha, the Dhamma or the Sangha.

A patta ni kozana kan campaign can be called off if the offended monks receive what they accept as a proper apology from the individuals or authorities involved. This procedure involves a ceremony held by at least four monks inside the Buddhist ordination hall, at which the boycott would be canceled.

Some monks in Burma may believe that the patta ni kozana kan of 1990 is still in effect, since they havent yet received any proper apologyonly a harsh crackdown. At that time, monks refused to attend religious ceremonies held by military officials and family members.

In one incident, the Mandalay Division commander at the time, Maj-Gen Tun Kyi, who later became trade minister, invited senior monks and abbots to attend a religious ceremony but no one showed up. Military leaders realized the seriousness of the boycott and decided to launch a crackdown.

In Mandalay alone, more than 130 monasteries were raided and monks were defrocked and imprisoned. As many as 300 monks nationwide were defrocked and arrested.

Former political prisoners recalled that monks who shared prison quarters with them continued to practice their faith despite being forced to wear prison uniforms and being officially stripped of their membership of the Sangha.

Several monks, including the highly respected Thu Mingala, a Buddhist literature laureate, and at least eight other respected senior abbots, were arrested. Thu Mingala was sentenced to eight years imprisonment.

Apart from being stripped of their robes, imprisoned monks in Mandalay were forced to wear white prison uniforms and were taunted with nicknames instead of being addressed with their true titles, according to former political prisoners.

One year later, in 1991, the then head of the military junta, Snr-Gen Saw Maung, suffered a nervous breakdown and retired for health reasons. Buddhist Burmese still say this was punishment for his maltreatment of the monks.

The 1990 crackdown divided the Sangha community. The late Mingun Sayadaw, who was secretary of the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, was ridiculed by young monks for not supporting the boycott campaign. He was at one time called senior general Mingun Sayadaw, and when he visited one temple in Mandalay young monks reportedly saluted him.

Today, while rebellious monks are prepared to go to prison, many senior monks and abbots are allowing themselves to become government tools by accepting gifts and large donations from the generals. By cuddling up to the ruling generals, these elderly abbots can no longer speak for the Sangha community at large, let alone comment on the suffering of the Burmese people. The divisions between abbots and young monks have inevitably widened.

The generals, on the other hand, wont give up easily. In one spectacular bid to win the hearts and minds of the people, they borrowed a Buddha tooth relic from China and toured the country with it and also held a World Buddhist Summit.

In 1999, military leaders renovated Shwedagon Pagoda, after the Htidaw, the sacred umbrella, had been removed amid reports of minor local earthquakes. Local people said the spirits of Shwedagon had been upset with the removal of the Htidaw. Restoration of the pagoda complex did nothing to help the generals image, though.

The generals have also applied divide and rule strategies in dealing with the Sangha community and the opposition.

In 1996, the regime accused the National League for Democracy of infiltrating the Sangha with the aim of committing subversive acts against the authorities. The generals obviously did not want to see opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi developing too close a relationship with the monks.

In an attempt to neutralize the political role of Suu Kyi, the government sent a famous, London-based monk, Dr Rewatta Dhamma, to visit the detained opposition leader in 1995. Claiming to be a peace-broker between Suu Kyi and the generals, the monk shuttled between her and top leaders. But his mission failed and he returned to London. Skeptics believe the generals had merely used U Rewatta in a bid to persuade Suu Kyi to relinquish politics.

Ironically, the regime leaders publicly accused Suu Kyi of being a communist and of sacrilege because she had said in a campaign speech that any human being can become a Buddha in this life.

Soon after her release from her first term of house arrest in 1995, Suu Kyi immediately traveled to Karen State, followed by infuriated intelligence officers. She went there to make an offering to Thamanya Sayadaw.

Traditionally, temples have provided hiding places for activists, and in 1988 monks offered shelter to fugitives from the intelligence authorities.

At one time, the regime even placed restrictions on opposition members, preventing them from ordaining as monks. Like universities and schools, politically active monasteries are under heavy surveillance.

The widely respected abbot Bhaddanta Vinaya, known as Thamanya Sayadaw because he lived on Thamanya Hill, was involved in projects to help villagers in the area, work that was shunned by the generals.

He was revered not only for the mystical powers he was said to possess, but also because of his refusal to kowtow to the regime leaders. He once famously refused to accept the gift of a luxury vehicle from the then powerful intelligence chief Gen Khin Nyunt.

Khin Nyunt could not buy Thamanya.

It may indeed be wrong to assume that Burmas regime leaders are devout Buddhists. The generals and their families seem to place more trust in astrology and numerology than in Buddhist ritual. They treasure white elephants and lucky charms and are constantly seeking advice from astrologers.

Birds of a feather, such as the generals and their chief astrologers, not only flock together but fall together, too. Ne Wins family astrologer, Aung Pwint Khaung, was arrested in 2002 when the former dictator and his family were charged with high treason.

Khin Nyunts chief astrologer, Bodaw Than Hla, was imprisoned after the former Prime Minister and Military Intelligence chief was toppled in 2004.

Many Burmese may find it hard to believe that their military leaders are actually preserving Buddhism. Even when they are building pagodas and erecting Buddha images, the projects are based on astrological predictions and readings.

Who, for instance, advised Ne Win to ride a wooden horse on his aircraft and to ask the pilot to circle his birthplace nine times? Who advised him to issue banknotes in denominations of 45 and 90 kyat?

Who advised Khin Nyunt to dress up in womens clothing, complete with the signature flower that Suu Kyi wears, in order to steal power from the Lady? Who told Than Shwe to move his capital to central Burma?

It certainly wasnt a belief in Buddhist tenets. Nor does Buddhism permit the military to beat, defrock, imprison and kill monks.

The decline of Buddhism and the rise of militarism in Burma are a source of concern for the people of Burma. Thus, it is no surprise to hear social critics and political pongyismaintain that the generals who kneel down before images of Buddha are the real threat to Buddhism and Dhamma.Asia China's Catholic Church Pledges Loyalty to Party After Vatican Deal

The Palm Sunday procession makes its way towards a government-sanctioned church in Youtong Village, Hebei Province, China, on April 3. / ReutersAsia Nepal Restores $2.5B Hydropower Plant Contract to Chinese Firm

A Nepalese man prays on the bank of the Narayani River in Chitwan, southwest of Kathmandu in 2012. / Reuters

KATHMANDUNepals new government has reversed its predecessors decision and has asked China Gezhouba Group Corporation to build the nations biggest hydropower plant, an official said on Sunday, as it seeks to woo Chinese investment in its ailing infrastructure.

The $2.5 billion deal with the Gezhouba Group to build the Budhi Gandaki hydroelectric project was scrapped last year by the previous government, citing lapses in the award process. State-run Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) was to have built it.

But Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, seen as China-friendly, pledged to revert the project to the Chinese company if he was elected to power in last years elections. Oli became prime minister in February after his Nepal Communist Party scored a landslide poll victory.

Yes, the Budhi Gandaki has been given back to the Gezhouba Group, said Roshan Khadka, an aide to Energy Minister Barsa Man Pun. It is  restoring the project to the Chinese company, Khadka told Reuters. He did not give further details of the decision taken by the cabinet on Friday night.

China and India are both jostling for influence in Nepal by providing aid and investment in infrastructure projects.

Officials said a formal construction deal will be signed on the hydropower project after the government had negotiated the project modalities with the Chinese company. No date for this was given.

Nepals rivers, cascading from the snow-capped Himalayas, have vast, untapped potential for hydropower generation, but lack of funds has made Nepal lean on neighbor India to meet an annual power demand of 1,400 megawatts (MW).

The 1,200 MW plant on Budhi Gandaki river, about 50 kilometers (32 miles) west of Kathmandu, is meant to address acute power shortages that have marred economic growth in one of the poorest countries in the world.

Critics say the project should have been open for international bidding instead of being entrusted to the Chinese company.

Officials of the Chinese company were not immediately available for comment.

Nepal wants the Budhi Gandaki project to be part of the Belt and Road initiative (BRI), President Xi Jinpings landmark scheme to connect China to the rest of Asia and beyond, to which it signed up last year.Burma Bangladesh Hopes to Start Moving Rohingya to Island in November

Construction workers stack stones on the island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh, on Feb. 14. / Reuters

DHAKA  The relocation of Rohingya refugees from Coxs Bazar to Bhasanchar Island could start in November if a team of Bangladeshi and UN officials agrees that camps being built on the flood-prone island are habitable, a Bangladeshi official said.

The team visited the island, located in the estuary of the Meghna River where it meets the Bay of Bengal, on Sunday to inspect progress.

We have seen the location physically along with the representatives from the UN agencies and other experts. We are very happy with the progress. The UN officials were also happy, Muhammad Habibul Kabir Chowdhury, head of refugee affairs at the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry, said afterward.

We thought it [Bhasanchar] was located in the sea, but it is not. Huge work is going on there to build the cyclone shelter. Nearly 1,500 workers are working there at the moment, he said. I was in a dilemma, but now its over.

Although the site was protected from cyclones by mangrove forests, he said, a 21-food embankment was also being built.

We do not want to push anyone towards any death trap, Chowdhury said.

According to the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was scheduled to inaugurate the facilities on Oct. 3.

We are not taking Rohingya there on Oct. 3, Chowdhury said. First we will take some of the Majhi [Rohingya community leaders] to the island to show them what has been built for them, and then we will create awareness among them to ensure the relocation process is voluntary.

Mohammed Abul Kalam Azad, Bangladeshs Rohingya relief and repatriation commissioner in Coxs Bazar, said a list of volunteers would be compiled only after the inspection team submits its report and the government issues instructions.

The UN declined to comment on the relocation plan on Sunday.

In August, Mia Seppo, the UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh, told the Irrawaddy that discussions with the government on its concerns of safety, voluntariness and sustainability were ongoing.

Bangladesh formed a 10-member inspection team headed by Muhammad Mohsin, an additional secretary at the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, to decide whether Bhasanchar was suitable for relocation earlier this year. The body comprises five members each from the government and the UN.

CR Abrar, a migration and refugee expert in Bangladesh, said authorities must ensure that all relocations are voluntary and complained that the Rohingya themselves were being left out of the discussion.

Where is the voice of the Rohingya? he said.

In June, a report by the Special Branch of the Bangladesh police force said that only 13 percent of surveyed Rohingya refugees wanted to move from Coxs Bazar to the Bhasanchar. Among their main concerns was the islands isolation, which they worry will limit their access to medicine and other relief supplies, and being separated from relatives.

Muhamed Rafique, a refugee, said he would prefer to return to Myanmar if the government were to grant Rohingya citizenship, something it has been loath to do.

I will not go there [to Bhasanchar], where cyclones can hit us, said Muhammad Ali, a community leader in one of the Coxs Bazar camps. Rohingya who have been living here for some years may be interested in going, but we are not. We are fine here, and we want to return to our land with dignity and rights.

Authorities first proposed resettling Rohingya refugees in Coxs Bazar to the island in 2015 to cope with a recent influx from Myanmar.

Bangladesh asked the UN to help fund the plan after the sudden arrival of another 700,000 refugees in late 2017 pushed the population of the Coxs Bazar camps past 1 million.Burma Colonel Seeks Defamation Suit Against Monk For Posts About Commander-in-Chief

U Thawbita poses for a photograph in this image posted to his Facebook page in November.

MANDALAY  A military officer in Mandalay is asking police to sue a local Buddhist monk for defaming Senior General Min Aung Hlaing online.

Lieutenant Colonel Myo Khaing Win of the militarys Central Command, Mandalay Division, filed the complaint at the Amarapura Township police station on Sunday requesting that legal action be taken against U Thawbita, who heads a local charity called Bawa Alin.

The monk is using social media to accuse and defame the senior general and the military by writing nonsense, the complaint, show to The Irrawaddy by police, says. It asks that U Thawbita be sued under Article 66 (d) of the Telecommunications Act, and references posts on the monks Facebook page.

One of the posts says Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing may have orchestrated a prison break in Karen State on Sept. 16. Other posts over the past week liken the commander-in-chief to a cow and say the military is more destructive than a natural disaster.

The head of the township police station, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to peak with the media, said the police have accepted the complaint but added that the lawsuit could only proceed once U Thawbita is at hand.

The police officer said the monk could not be found at the local monastery where he lives and that he has not answered his phone.

U Thawbita has repeatedly posted messages on Facebook supporting of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party and criticizing the military.

The Irrawaddy could not reach the monk by phone on Monday.

U Thawbitas posts may be harsh to some people, but we think he should be judged only by the law of the State Sangha authority because he is a Buddhist monk, said a monk who knows U Thawbita and asked to remain anonymous for his protection.Burma Govt Opens Office in Thailand to Assist Myanmar Fishing Boat Workers

Migrant fishermen from Myanmar sort their catch after returning to Ban Nam Khem on Thailands Andaman Sea coast in December 2014. / Reuters

Myanmar yesterday opened a one-stop office in southern Thailands Ranong province to facilitate the recruitment of Myanmar migrant workers by Thai fishing companies and to provide any assistance the workers may need, according to migrant labor advocacy groups in Thailand.

The office will handle Thai visa renewals for workers so they dont need to return to Myanmar. Myanmar officials at the office will also cooperate with the Thai Labor Ministry to assess the Myanmar workers skills and monitor the working conditions on board fishing boats.

The office will help to implement a memorandum of understanding (MoU) the Myanmar government signed with Thailand in 2016, in which it agreed to send 42,000 workers to crew fishing boats in Thailand. Some 9,000 workers will be sent in the initial batch.

U Myo Aung, permanent secretary for the Myanmar Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population, told The Irrawaddy that the one-stop service was partly intended to help illegal migrants currently working in Thailand.

It will assist not only fishing-sector workers, but also other Myanmar migrants working in Thailand.

Myanmar signed the MoU with Thailand in 2016 after the National League for Democracy-led government took power. Fishermen already working in Thailand will soon be covered by all of the provisions and protections guaranteed under the MoU, according to U Myo Aung.

We have not had an agreement with Thailand officially providing fisheries workers before. This is the first time, he said.

Ko Min Oo, who heads the Foundation for Education and Development (FED), an organization that helps migrant workers based in southern Thailand, said that before opening the one-stop office, the Myanmar government held a meeting with migrant organizations in Bangkok on Sept. 22 and asked for suggestions on what steps needed to be taken to ensure the migrant workers safety on board Thai fishing boats.

The MoU establishes a monthly wage of 12,000 Thai baht (about USD370) for fishing boat workers and entitles them to a two-year working visa. The work visas for the estimated 11,000 Myanmar fishery workers currently in Thailand will expire at the end of this month. Myanmar migrant workers who experience maltreatment will be able to complain to Myanmar authorities at any time via the Ranong office.

The MoU will protect fishermens rights, Ko Min Oo said. Among its provisions is guaranteed life insurance for all Myanmar fisheries workers in Thailand. The workers are not currently provided with such coverage.

Thailand currently needs 9,000 laborers from Myanmar to work on boats based in three southern provincesPhang Nga, Phuket and Ranong. Thai fishing companies will work with Myanmar labor-recruitment agencies to source migrant workers in the future.

Myanmar does not have many such agencies, according to FED, making it difficult to find skilled fishermen who have experience working on trawlers.

Some 22 Thai provinces have a fishing industry. Thailand has acquired a reputation as a human-trafficking hub, and work conditions for migrant laborers on Thai fishing boats are notoriously harsh. Bangkok hopes the signing of the MoU with the Myanmar government will boost the perception that it is meeting international standards for recruiting fishermen.

Ko Min Oo cautioned, however, that while Myanmar has a large pool of laborers, the country may find it difficult to provide 40,000 experienced fishing boat workers. Working on a fishing boat without acquiring the proper training ahead of time can be very dangerous, he said.

New workers need basic training. If not, they will face many risks working on the boats, Ko Min Oo said.Burma Key Witnesses, CCTV Footage to be Presented in Resumed Comedian Murder Trial

The suspects in the killing of Aung Yell Htwe arrive for a hearing at Thingangyun Township Court in Yangon on Jan. 18. / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  The Yangon Region High Court on Monday decided to press ahead with the murder case against the alleged killers of Facebook comedian Aung Yell Htwe.

On Monday, the High Court annulled a lower courts ruling to drop the case and release of three suspects in the fatal beating. It also ordered for the murder trial to be resumed.

The three suspectsThan Htut Aung (aka Thar Gyi), Pyae Phyo Aung (aka Aung Lay) and Kyaw Zaw Han (aka Kyaw Zaw)were released on July 25 after the Yangon Eastern District Court accepted an appeal from the victims family asking to settle the case.

Daw Nwe Nwe Oo, media and communications officer and deputy director of the High Court, said the trial will resume at Yangon Eastern District Court and the remaining witnesses in the case will testify.

We will refer the case back to the [Eastern District] Court as soon as possible this week, she said.

Right after the case arrives at the district court this week, the suspects will be re-arrested.

The High Courts decision has come following the intervention of state leaders which was prompted by mounting public criticism over the withdrawal of the case.

The lower courts decision has been annulled as the withdrawal of the case disrupts law and order and could encourage similar cases, Daw Nwe Nwe Oo said.

Yangon Regions attorney general and five other officials including a judge, law officers and a police officer have been arrested for taking bribes in exchange for their roles in dropping the case. The Anti-Corruption Commission has opened cases against the officials under two different articles of the Anti-Corruption Law.

Yangon Region Attorney General U Han Htoo was expelled from his post soon after his arrest on Sept. 13.

Before the case was dropped July 25, the Eastern District Court heard from 14 of 22 witnesses for the plaintiff. Lawyers pointed out that the court had yet to call key witnesses in the case including a forensic pathologist and police investigators, while CCTV records were also not produced.Burma Mismanagement of Land Deals Has Cost Yangon Billions, Audit Finds

The old courthouse building in downtown Yangon in 2016. / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  The Yangon Region Auditor Generals Office has found that the governments mismanagement of land leases cost it billions of kyats during the 2016-17 fiscal year, according to the local legislatures Bill and Public Accounts Committee.

At todays session of the Yangon Region Parliament, committee chairman U Tint Lwin said many of the companies that leased land did not pay their rents on time and were not fined for late payments, and that their contracts did not even stipulate that they should be fined.

The committee suggested that future contracts make it clear that laggards must pay a fine.

As an example, U Tint Lwin said a company leasing the old courthouse in downtown Yangon was to pay the regional government 400 million kyats ($250,000) a year but has not paid since October.

He said regional officials also broke rules and regulations in awarding a contract for the development of an industrial zone in East Dagon Township.

The government gave two companies permission to develop the zone in 2016. According to the contract, the companies were to receive land grant certificates to the site after they fulfilled their obligations. However, the committee found that one of the companies received its certificate before the contract was even signed and that the other received it only a week after.

We lost a chance to push them to follow the rules and regulations during the implementation process. The first company paid its rent seven months after the deadline and the second company paid three months late. The government has also not receive late fines because they did not put that in the contract. U Tint Lwin said.

He said the government was also missing out on revenue from a 547-hectare rubber plantation on the outskirts of Yangon because it has yet to be put out to bid.

According to the committee, the audit further revealed that the company that successfully bid for the Yangon Traffic Control Center failed to pay a penalty for not finishing the project. The regional government awarded the 18.9 billion kyats ($11.8 million) contract to build the center to the Myanmar Shwe Ying International Co. Ltd & China Railway 21st Bureau Group Co. Ltd (China) in February 2016. The company was supposed to complete work in six months but has still not finished because of disagreements with authorities on the installation of cables.

U Tint Lwin said the company agreed to pay 100,000 kyats for every day it was late but paid only 21 million kyats for the 2015-16 fiscal year and later stopped paying altogether.

The committee suggested that the government find another company to finish the project.

In Dagon Seikkan Township, the committee added, a residential development company failed to pay its annual lease of more than 3 billion kyats ($1.87 million).

Last week, a Yangon Region Auditor Generals Office report revealed that two bus companies majority owned by the government lost 3.5 billion kyats ($2.19 million) during the 2017-18 fiscal year.Burma New Yangon City CEO Urges Govt to Act Quickly to Secure Chinese Investment

NYDC chief executive Serge Pun speaks during a roundtable technical discussion on the New Yangon City project on Sunday. / NYDC Facebook

YANGONThe CEO of the New Yangon City project said he believed the controversial project on the western bank of the Yangon River will be a success if Myanmar is able to take advantage of trade tensions between the U.S. and China and lure more foreign investors.

I believe we will succeed; now is the right time [to attract investors]. Im only worried that it may be getting too late, Serge Pun said.

The New Yangon City project is currently in the initial stage of development. During a roundtable discussion on the project with local engineers on Sunday, Serge Pun said nine out of every 10 factories in China were thinking about leaving to avoid the impact of U.S tariffs, which impose a 25-percent tax on goods made in the country.

The property mogul described the situation as an opportunity that the government needed to take advantage of before other countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangladesh did. We have to do the same, he said.

New Yangon Development Company (NYDC) has already received the blessing of the Yangon government to proceed with the project, which the company says will generate 2 million jobs. NYDC is currently looking for international investors for the project. The recent socio-economic master plan for the development states that it will include factories producing goods including garments, processed foods and automotive parts.

There will be zero tax on goods made in Myanmar. It will be beneficial for them [the Chinese] if they move in here, said Serge Pun, who also serves as NYDCs vice chairman.

NYDC plans to develop 20,000 acres of land in the first phase of the project. This will include five village townships, two bridges, power plants, water and wastewater treatment plants and a 10-square-kilometer industrial estate. The company says the cost of initial infrastructure work in the first phase is expected to exceed USD1.5 billion.

But the project has been under criticism due to the low-lying topography of the area, which is prone to flooding as it has a maximum elevation of just 5 meters above sea level. The company said it had kick-started a flood-risk assessment (FRA) for the New Yangon City project with Royal HaskoningDHV, a Dutch FRA consultant.

NYDC signed a framework agreement in May with Hong Kong-listed China Communications Construction Co. Ltd (CCCC) to provide infrastructure for the first phase of the development. NYDC said the agreement marked the first stage of the NYDC Challenge Model, an adaptation of the global model of the Swiss Challenge for fair competition and transparency.

Serge Pun said at the time that the framework agreement itself doesnt give CCCC the right to carry out infrastructure work. Rather, the firm agreed to submit a set of Pre-Project Documents (PPDs) including technical specifications, a financial proposal and a business model for NYDC to review, as part of the first stage of a fair competition.

As part of the NYDC Challenge, should a second party challenge with a lower bid, CCCC will be allowed to match the offer or forgo. If CCCC chooses to forgo, the second party will be awarded the contract and will have the obligation to reimburse all costs incurred in connection with the preparation and submission of the PPD. Those costs will be agreed between NYDC and CCCC prior to the initiation of the tender process.

The commercial dealings with CCCC are ongoing, Serge Pun said on Sunday.

But he said the PPD would likely be approved in October, with the NYDC Challenge expected in November while the winner will be decided in December. After the tenders for infrastructure, those for transportation, connectivity and other features of the project will follow.

If so, we hope to have a solution for the bridges, village towns and artery roads in Phase One by the end of 2020 or in early 2021, he said.

U Saw Htwe Zaw, the joint secretary of the Myanmar Engineer Society as well as a member of the Myanmar Earthquake Committee, urged NYDC to consider the project holistically and in a long-term context. He told The Irrawaddy that he was concerned about the cost, as the areas low-lying topography and soft soilboth of which will leave the project vulnerable to flooding and quakeswill demand a huge amount of investment to make the site fit for development.

Even though there are solutions for those issues, it could be extremely costly. I am afraid the project will go nowhere due to the expenditure. I just want to see it turn out as a good project, free of criticism, he said.Burma Rohingyas Return Wont Affect Security, Union Minister Vows

Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr. Win Myat Aye addresses the Rakhine State Parliament on Sept. 21. / Min Aung Khaing / The Irrawaddy

SITTWE, Rakhine StateUnion Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr. Win Myat Aye has told Arakanese lawmakers not to be concerned about security risks associated with the planned resettlement of Rohingya refugees in Rakhine States southern Maungdaw.

The security situation was under control, he said on Friday at a meeting to discuss the governments handling of the Rakhine issue with local lawmakers.

We know you are worried about security in southern [Maungdaw]. But we have taken every step [in the resettlement process] in cooperation with those responsible for security, the Union minister said in response to a question from Myebon Township lawmaker U Aung Win.

So dont worry about the south [of Maungdaw]. We will [resettle the Rohingya] only when security can be guaranteed, the Union minister told the state Parliament.

Lawmaker U Aung Win said, The Rakhine State Parliament has raised objections over their resettlement in southern Maungdaw, and locals arent happy with it either.

According to the Union minister, the government has earmarked 42 places in southern and northern Maungdaw in which to resettle Rohingya.

Some 700,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine for Bangladesh after militant attacks on security outposts in the north of the state in August last year triggered a massive military and police crackdown in the areas Muslim communities.

In November 2017, Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed to start repatriating the refugees in January of this year, but the process has been postponed.

Resettlement will begin in northern Maungdaw, and gradually expand to the southern part of the state, the Union minister said.

U Aung Win also criticized the government for pardoning and resettling a group of Rohingya who returned to Myanmar illegally, after having previously arrested and taken action against illegal immigrants.

Id like to ask the government whether it would grant pardons and resettle them if they entered illegally again, U Aung Win asked.

Lawmakers also asked the Union minister about the killing of Mro ethnic people in Maungdaw, the alleged issuance of national identity cards (or pink cards) to Rohingya, and land grabbing by the military in Rakhine.

Dr. Win Myat Aye said he did not have sufficient information to answer all of the lawmakers questions, but would reply to any unanswered questions later after consulting with the concerned ministers.

Bangladesh will start repatriating some 3,000 refugees, Myanmar Presidents Office spokesman U Zaw Htay said at a press conference earlier this month.(ANSA) - Rome, September 24 - Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has denied two migrant-rescue NGOs' claim he leant on Panama to strip their ship Aquarius2 of its flag and thus become a 'pirate' ship.

"It's clear that no country wants to take the responsibility of being identified with a ship that hampers sea rescue operations, refuses coordination with the Libyan coast guard, attacks democratic governments like the Italian one, and expects to distribute clandestine migrants in Europe," he said Sunday night.

SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said earlier they were "shocked" after Panama's marine authority said it had been "forced" to revoke Aquarius2's listing in its naval register "under the evident economic and political pressure of the Italian authorities".

The two NGOs said "this measure condemns hundreds of men, women and children, in desperate search of safety, to drown at sea and inflicts a hard blow to the Aquarius's humanitarian mission. MSF said the Aquarius2 had saved 47 migrants including 17 minors and a pregnant woman of Libya.

Salvini said Sunday the ship would "never" dock in Italy.

On Monday he called the Aquarius2 a "ghost ship".

SOS Mediterranee and MSF have appealed to the European Union to intervene.

The Aquarius2 is just the latest in a string of NGO-operated migrant rescue ships Salvini has turned away from landing at Italian ports - but it is the first whose flag has been stripped by a foreign government.

The Aquarius2 is heading for Marseille, where SOS Mediterranee has asked authorities to "exceptionally" authorise the disembarkation of the 58 migrants aboard, the NGO said later Monday.

SOS Mediteerranee director operations Frederic Penard told a press conference in Paris that "the port of Marseille is the only one possible from which to set off again".

Italy has barred its ports to the Aquarius2 after Panama removed its flag and turned it into what Interior Minister Matteo salvini called a "ghost ship".

Burma Two NLD Lawmakers Resign from Party

U Pe Chit and U Tin Aung Tun. / Upper House.

NAYPYITAW  The National League for Democracy (NLD) has accepted the resignation of two NLD lawmakers, confirmed spokesperson of the ruling party Dr. Myo Nyunt on Sunday.

The party has accepted the resignation of two Upper House lawmakers, U Pe Chit of Yangon Constituency (9) and U Tin Aung Tun of Magwe Constituency (5), Dr. Myo Nyunt told reporters in Naypyitaw after a party central executive committee meeting.

They said that party rules were too strict and they also were not happy that they had to make cash contributions to the party, said Dr. Myo Nyunt, adding that the two lawmakers had not previously broken any party regulations.

NLD lawmakers have to contribute 25 percent of their monthly salaries250,000 kyats (US$150)to the party.

U Tin Aung Tun said that he submitted his resignation in June. I didnt give any reason in my resignation letter. I just said that I did not want to be a party member anymore, he told The Irrawaddy.

He said that he would explain to the public why he tendered the resignation sometime in the future.

The Irrawaddy was unable to reach U Pe Chit but NLD sources told The Irrawaddy in April that the retired colonel-turned-lawmaker was warned by the party several times.

U Pe Chit stopped cooperating with other NLD lawmakers of his constituency after he submitted his resignation in April, Lower House lawmaker U Aung Win of Hmawbi Township told The Irrawaddy.

Earlier this month, two NLD executive committee membersYangon regional lawmaker U Kyaw Zeya representing Dagon Township (2) and Upper House lawmaker Daw Thet Thet Khine representing Dagon Township were suspended from the party after the two made comments critical of the NLD-led government.

Political analyst Dr. Yan Myo Thein criticized that democracy within the NLD party seemed to be lower than that of political parties in one-party states.

It is time party leaders considered decentralizing the party and reducing control of lawmakers, said Dr. Yan Myo Thein.

The NLD has no plan to review its rules though some lawmakers have criticized it as being too rigid, said Dr. Myo Nyunt.

We have no plan to relax the rules, he said. So far, four lawmakers have resigned from the NLD and the partys disciplinary committee has taken action against more than 40 lawmakers, he said.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.Burma Villagers Fall Ill after Thousands of Dead Mussels Wash Ashore in Kyaukphyu

A pile of mussels that mysteriously died in southern Rakhines Kyaukphyu / U Tun lwin / Facebook

YANGON  Nearly 170 villagers contracted a skin disease after collecting some of the thousands of dead marine mussels that have mysteriously washed up in inlets of the Thanzit River in southern Rakhine States Kyaukphyu Township in recent days.

Five villagers were treated at Kyaukphyu General Hospital on Sunday.

A hospital employee confirmed that five patients from Kyauk Ngu Village arrived at the hospital at 4:20 p.m. on Sunday and were tested by a doctor. Staff were unable to name the specific disease the villagers had or the medication they were given. The employee believed the patients had complained of skin irritation.

We saw bumps on their hands and bodies. Doctors assumed it was a normal skin allergy, the employee said.

The Irrawaddy attempted to contact Kyaukphyu General Hospital superintendent Dr. Nay Lin and other doctors at the hospital on Monday but the phone calls were rejected.

One person on the medical staff said five patients came to the hospital seeking medical treatment.

Ko Myo Lwin, founder of Ann Regional China Pipeline Watch (ARCPW), said the group has documented a total of 167 locals in Kyauk Ngu village who have been infected with a mysterious skin disease after returning from mussel catching sites. The group stumbled upon the first cases in July while making assessments for a separate project in five townships, including Kyaukphyu.

Kyauk Ngu villager Ko Maung Gyi told The Irrawaddy over the phone that five women were going to see a doctor at Kyaukphyu Hospital. According to him, all five patients were women. They hadnt returned to the village as of Monday evening.

Dozens of villagers have the same type of red spots on their skin and some said it was very itchy and we have never experienced this before. This is the very first time, Ko Maung Gyi said.

ARCPW reported the skin disease problem of Kyauk Ngu villagers to Chief Minister U Nyi Pu in the Rakhine capital, Sittwe, on Sept. 17. The group suggested examining the five infected villagers as an initial step. Ko Myo Lwin said state cabinet members told him the state authorities would try their best to get to the bottom of the peculiar outbreak. However, a hospital employee said he had received no such complaint from either local authorities or villagers.

In fact, ARCPW has been observing mussel harvesting sites since July and found a huge site with many dead mussels near Laung Chaung village, more than 25 kilometers from Maday Island, where a pipeline project owned by the Chinese state-run China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) is situated. The company owns a jetty for international oil tankers and normally pumps oil from the vessels to oil tanks on the island. It annually transmits up to 22 million tons of crude oil from Maday Island to Chinas Yunan Province.

Kyaukphyu residents and some activists posted photos of the dead mussels on Facebook over the weekend. The photos quickly drew a lot of public attention. Some netizens speculated the problem was caused by the contamination of seawater as Chinese oil tanker crews dumped oil into the river while cleaning the ship. The state-owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) previously rebutted the accusation without elaborating on laboratory examination results.

Later, the Yangon-based environmental group Ecology and Economic Development Company Limited (ECODEV) announced it had discovered that lead concentration in the Thanzit River was potentially high and urged the government to investigate the root cause.

On Monday, Ko Myo Lwin and some environmentalists traveled by boat to the incident sites in order to identify the cause of the mussel deaths, leaving in the morning and arriving at around 2 p.m. Local authorities could not be reached for comment Monday. It was unclear whether the shellfish were killed by deadly chemicals or because of contaminated seawater, or if it was a sign that their life cycle in the river was ending.

The dead mussels covered nearly 1 acre of low tide river area, Ko Myo Lwin said from the spot on Monday.

Another participant, schoolteacher U Tun Lwin from Kyaukphyu, told The Irrawaddy they took empty mussel shells and water samples from the site to send to a Yangon laboratory for scientific examination.Guest Column Korean Reconciliation: Three Lessons for Myanmars Leaders

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

South Korean president Moon Jae-in landed on North Korean soil on Sept. 18 for a historical meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Moon is the third president to visit North Korea following Kim Dae Jung in 2000 and Roh Moo Hyun in 2007.

Septembers Moon-Kim summit marked the third of its kind and was the fifth inter-Korean summit ever held. Previous meetings between the two current presidents took place earlier this year on April 27 and May 26 at the inter-Korean border.

The concerted efforts of the two leaders are praiseworthy, having met three times in such a short space of time since Moon took office in May 2017.

The most recent meeting, held in Pyongyang, was devoted to discussing denuclearization and the stability of the Korean Peninsula through creating a system of perpetual peace. The summit reached an unprecedented agreement for denuclearization: the permanent dismantling of a missile engine test site at Tongchang-ri.

There are three significant lessons Myanmars leaders should learn from the two Korean leaders.

The first lesson is drawn from their willingness and commitment to denuclearization and peace. Both Moon and Kim appear to have realized that no one is responsible for denuclearization and peace in the Korean Peninsula except themselves, thus they endeavored for these meetings to be held.

The second lesson is drawn from their sending of special envoys from each state to the other in an effort to break the ice. Prior to Moon-Kim summit in Pyongyang, both leaders sent special envoys respectively to establish a rapport and smooth relations for their summit.

The special envoy delegations visit turned out really well. The results were much better than Id expected, said Moon after sending a special delegation to the North in early September.

The third lesson comes from the face-to-face meeting, which took place on North Korean soil. Moon paid a historic visit to his counterparts land as a sign of his commitment to peace. After three rounds of meetings, Kim also spoke about the possibility of a visit to Seoul in the very near future.

Due to concerted efforts on both sides, the North Korean leader, Kim, appears to have intentions for a complete denuclearization within three yearsbefore Trumps four-year presidency ends in January 2021. As well as denuclearization, the two Korean leaders even agreed to seek the rights to co-host the 2032 Olympics.

Myanmars civil waran internal conflict and having more marginal effects than nuclear weaponsshould have been tamed earlier and solved more quickly through efforts by leaders from all parties. Instead, Myanmars peace process has become a prolonged affair and has achieved only deadlock rather than peace.

The recent governments Union Peace Commission (UPC) meeting with members of the Northern Allianceincluding the Arakan Army (AA), the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA)on Sept. 5 in Kunming, China, was a positive step for furthering efforts in ending the ongoing clashes.

Regrettably, a planned meeting on the same day between the UPC and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) was canceled due to weaknesses in preparations for the event. This followed meetings in February and August between a delegation of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) led by Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung and KIO representatives led by Gen. NBan La, at which no results were achieved due to the Tatmadaws coercion and preconditions for further talks.

In order to expedite the peace process in Myanmar, it is essential for leaders from both sidesboth the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed groupsto pursue peace by putting forth a strong commitment to peace, by sending special delegations, by visiting each others areas and by meeting each other without preconditions.

As they can either be instrumental in advancing the peace process or detrimental in sabotaging the entire peace effort, Myanmar leaders, especially leaders from the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed groups, should thus learn lessons from the leaders of North and South Korea.

As Kim said during a press conference proceeding the recent Moon-Kim meeting in Pyongyang: We agreed to make active efforts to turn the Korean peninsula into the land of peace without nuclear weapons or nuclear threats, Myanmars citizens believe that if both the Tatmadaw generals and ethnic leaders have strong commitments to peace, they can surely turn this war zone to a land of peace without any fighting.

Joe Kumbun is the pseudonym of a Kachin State-based analyst.Monday, September 24th, 2018 (12:33 pm) - Score 3,440

Some 640 premises in Chilbolton and Goodworth Clatford can now access Virgin Medias Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based ultrafast broadband and TV network. These are among the first to benefit from a new community driven scheme that is extending the service to cover 12 villages in the Test and Dun Valleys of Hampshire.

As we first reported last year (here), the unique opportunity that local residents have stems from the fact that Virgin Media already owns an old cable duct along the Test Way, which is being used as a springboard to provide a genuine all-fibre network via their latest full fibre style FTTP infrastructure. Note: This still makes use of DOCSIS transmissions thanks to Radio Radio Frequency over Glass (RFoG) technology.

Local residents had previously been campaigning to get Virgin Medias cable ISP into the area for several years (TVNeed4Speed) and happily work to build the new network finally began in March 2018 (here). The operator was able to confirm that the deployment would be commercially viable by ensuring that local residents and businesses were fully committed.

Key Criteria * 30% or more of the residents (1,200 premises) had to register their interest; * More than 1,000 local residents had to commit to take broadband services from Virgin Media. This was achieved with a 38% sign-up average across the valley, with some villages reaching 78%. NOTE: The campaign FAQ suggests that locals have to pay a one-off flat-rate Network Installation fee of 300 per property, which is on top of VMs 20 activation fee and a standard install fee of approximately 0 to 99.

The villages that stand to benefit by completion at the end of 2019 include: Houghton, West Tytherley, Broughton, Wherwell, Winterslow, Firsdown, Michelmersh, Timsbury, Kings Somborne, Goodworth Clatford, Chilbolton and Stockbridge. Overall Virgin Media is expected to fund the bulk of construction costs (estimates suggested it could cost up to 20m) and this is being complemented by support from locals.

Hugh Woolford, Regional Director at Virgin Media, said: We are delighted that local residents and businesses in these villages can now start to benefit from the boost our ultrafast broadband will give them. Theyre the first communities in the Test and Dun Valleys to experience our incredible service and we will continue to rollout our network to more villages in the area as soon as we can.

Cllr Phil North, Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, said: Access to superfast broadband for Hampshire homes and businesses is an important contributor to economic prosperity. The work of the Test Valley community and Virgin Media is very welcome indeed, demonstrating what can be achieved by residents working collaboratively to find effective broadband solutions in hard to reach areas.

Julie Connor, Local Resident, said: As we live in a rural area, we felt left behind by the technological advance happening in more urban areas and was frustrated by the lack of action from some internet providers. Virgin Media has really been on board with us from the very start and I really want to thank them for being so dedicated and approachable.

In terms of the physical deployment, many of the villages should start to be reached this year but Houghton, Broughton, West Tytherley, Winterslow and Firsdown will have to wait until 2019. Luckily thats not too far away now.

Virgin Media has previously spoken about the possibility of extending this sort of community-backed deployment model to other others (i.e. rural parts of the UK), although not all will be so fortunate as to have an existing optical fibre cable running nearby.This week, Im at Microsoft Ignite in Orlando, Florida, along with tens of thousands of folks, many from the West Coast who are likely again surprised at how early 9 a.m. is on the East Coast. Before the keynote, we were treated to a session with Walmart and how that huge operation is working with Microsoft and Azure to better compete with Amazon and its AWS offering. I found this interesting because, in a way, that is a competition between models. Walmart and Microsoft is the more traditional vendor/customer solution while Amazon/AWS is effectively one company. Given that there is often competition for resources when a solution is internalized like it is at Amazon, while the customer/vendor relationship is more formally defined it will be interesting to see, in a few years, which turns out to the more efficient. But what is also clear is that Walmart would likely avoid AWS because it is from a competitor and be attracted to Microsoft instead. As Amazon grows, I wonder how much business AWS will lose simply because other large firms dont want to fund their competition?

This keynote comes at an interesting time for Microsoft. On the one hand, the company appears to have recovered from the last decade, when it seemed to lose its way, and it is doing extremely well again. On the other hand, Jeff Bezos, Amazons CEO, just shot past Bill Gates as the richest guy in the world suggesting that, as well as Microsoft is doing, Amazon is doing better. Though, I often wonder, when you are at the peak like Amazon is, whether folks inside the company tend to get arrogant, feel they can do no wrong, begin to abuse customers, and drop into the cross hairs of government regulation. It may be far less disruptive to be where Microsoft now is, and a powerful competitor can keep a company grounded and focused. These are interesting times. Part of what showcases this is that the warm-up for CEO Satya Nadellas talk was mostly about diversity and inclusion. We live in fascinating times.

Ignite and Envision the Future

Nadella opens talking about the power of computing and how technology is being used to better map solutions to the people who will use them. He argues that every business is a digital technology company because that is what is helping firms focus on what makes them unique. He argues that one of the strongest skills in this new age is picking the right partner to assure a successful future. A partner that not only knows the technology but knows the customer well enough to apply that technology for the greatest positive effect.

He went back into the past and talked about the transition in manufacturing from steam to electricity and how Ford embraced and drove the change and survived and flourished. Many competing car companies failed or were forced to be acquired because they didnt pivot to this then-new technology quickly enough. Nadella is positioning the cloud as equivalent to electricity, providing similar economies of scale, in this case with information, that could define the next wave of massive winners and losers. (I should interject that in a world where boards dont seem to be doing their job, in selecting Nadella, Microsofts board clearly stepped up, as he appears to be the optimal CEO for Microsoft.)

Nadella moved to talk about Royal Dutch Shell and how it is using cameras, computer vision, and Narrow AI to improve quality and safety and optimize production. Then to CBRE, a huge real estate firm that is undergoing massive changes to evolve its business in a service called CBRE 360. It built the service on top of Azure Twin Service. This CBRE service creates a simulation that models the interaction of people and things to optimize the business. Next, he moved to Buhler, a firm that manages food distribution and logistics. It is using computer vision and an industrial-grade blockchain to assure food quality and safety. Jumping again to BMW, a firm that wants to maintain control over the experience it provides its customers. It is building its own digital agent to connect the driver more intimately to the car. Next, H&M, a huge retailer, is using a digital mirror that sees the person standing in front of it, and then connects users to fashion items they may relate to by showing them in concert with the reflected image. Eli Lilly is the next firm showcased, and its need to get its arms around health care costs. The company realized that much of the cost is in the inefficiencies in workloads and it moved to Office 365 aggressively to refine and optimize those workloads and reduce those inefficiencies.

Back to cars, Nadella then began talking about ZF (it makes the transmission on several of my cars), which uses HoloLens to better connect line workers with remote support so that they can more effectively blend assembly and assistance without disruption.

Tech Intensity

Nadella argues that the most important problem firms are dealing with is how they can improve the quality of customer engagement. The CEOs for SAP and Adobe were brought on stage and apparently these three CEOs have been attending each others shows on this theme for some time. Nadella has created a taxonomy of silos that currently contain customer data. These three firms are coming together to create the Open Data Initiative to open up the promise and benefit of real-time customer data for all companies. At the heart of this initiative is the friendship and trust these CEOs attest to have with each other. This is an interesting and powerful comment because, often, firms get up on stage at shows like this and the entire depth of their relationship is the on-stage event; there is little substance under the presentation. This is different; these guys really like each other and appear to want to work together, which is critical to successful sustaining partnership. It strikes me that we, and I mean those of us who are industry watchers, should focus more on trust and collaboration than we do.

This Open Data Initiative is designed to give companies better control and benefit from the data they already collect. While they arent calling out Google, the sense is that this is a strong counterpoint to the Google model, where the data is mined for that firms own benefit, often to the detriment of customers and partner businesses.

The CEOs spoke about the future of businesses and how they are struggling to better connect their solutions, and customer experiences, to their firms and brands and how this initiative is designed to better address this problem. Basically, this effort is designed to unlock the data that already exists, treat it like a renewable resource, and apply it in real time to improve the customer experience and create better sustained customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Security and Trust

Nadella then moves to one of the most important topics in the technology industry today, security and trust. Key to this are three key areas: operations, technology and partnerships. One of the critical partnerships is with government. One of his first examples is Account Guard, and this targeted the lack of security around government email accounts. This came out of a series of successful phishing attacks on political parties and institutes. Microsoft worked with the legal system to create a special master so that once an attempted attack was detected, the response could be almost instant, so the user was protected.

He used the example of 58 businesses that were attacked using email distributed malware to steal banking information. Apparently, Windows Defender was able to use deep learning to quickly identify and mitigate the attack before it could do significant damage, largely because it operated at digital speeds.

The Internet of Things (IoT) represents one of the biggest security exposures we will face this decade. There are currently around nine billion microcomputers that are operating under an IoT umbrella. Azure Sphere was created to assure that this massive new potential exposure could be protected, so this wave of IoT devices doesnt become the next global disaster. E.ON was used as the example because it has significant exposure due to the nature of its power distribution business, and it is protected by Azure Sphere.

Coca-Cola was yet another example of a Microsoft customer that wanted and received a unique multi-factor authentication using Microsoft Authenticator to assure its employees and bottlers are protected and its product is better assured safe.

Equitable Distribution

In an interesting ending, Nadella asked that we all work together to assure this next wave of technology assures equity and equality across the world. Microsoft has created an initiative, Technology For Good, focused on doing good worldwide. Its latest effort, AI For Humanitarian Action, is targeting the use of technology to promote human rights, better disaster response, more efficient humanitarian food distribution, more effective medical care to distressed areas, and overall focus on making the world a far better place to live.

This is yet another example of a company doing well that is also focused on doing good.

Wrapping Up: Microsoft Doing Well and Doing Good

This is what a keynote should be: a balance between vision and products, a heavy focus on customers and applied solutions, and a solid and heartfelt effort to help improve the world we all live in. Nadella hit all the notes with this one and continues to effectively set the bar regarding how these things are done. What struck me the hardest was the ending, showcasing the firms heart, and the only thing I missed was Microsofts traditional sense of humor and making fun of itself. Then again, if I had to choose between that and a focus on making the world a better place, I think I, and you, would prefer the latter. Impressive work.

Rob Enderle is President and Principal Analyst of the Enderle Group, a forward-looking emerging technology advisory firm. With over 30 years experience in emerging technologies, he has provided regional and global companies with guidance in how to better target customer needs; create new business opportunities; anticipate technology changes; select vendors and products; and present their products in the best possible light. Rob covers the technology industry broadly. Before founding the Enderle Group, Rob was the Senior Research Fellow for Forrester Research and the Giga Information Group, and held senior positions at IBM and ROLM. Follow Rob on Twitter @enderle, on Facebook and on Google+(ANSA) - Riga, September 24 - Pope Francis on Monday praised Latvia's ability to promote effective strategies giving priority to family life rather than the economy, addressing political leaders in Riga on the third day of his Baltic pilgrimage.

"At the end of this meeting we will travel to the Freedom Monument, where children, youths and families will be present", the pontiff said after arriving in the country Monday morning from Lithuania.

"They remind us that the 'maternity' of Latvia", an analogy suggested by the motto of his trip to Latvia - Show Thyself a Mother - "is echoed by the ability to promote strategies that are truly effective and focused on the concrete faces of these families, these elderly, children and youths, more that on the supremacy of the economy over life".

The pontiff's four-day Baltic tour is wrapping up Tuesday in Estonia. The pope is visiting the three Baltic countries to mark their 100th anniversary of independence and to encourage faith in the area, which endured half a century of Soviet-imposed religious repression.

During the past two weeks, a clear message has been sent to the Australian Government from all sectors of the national community. The people of Australia want the government to take their unacceptable authoritarian anti-encryption bill and cremate it.

It is, perhaps, predictable that this outrageous piece of legislation was rushed into Parliament by former cop and now Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.

It is also noteworthy that Duttons relatively recently created department stinks of the same smell of authoritarianism as its US namesake, the Department of Homeland Security.

The fact that this bill was tabled literally days after the obligatory call for public consultation ended is testimony to the heights of arrogance this government has reached. There was barely any pretence at genuine public consultation.

Regardless of the uniformly negative sentiments expressed by the considerable number of submissions from interested stakeholders, the government decided it was prudent to ignore all of the protestations and once again simply impose its will on the people.

However, unlike the equally unpopular draconian metadata legislation, which the Abbott Government managed to bulldoze through Parliament in 2014 with the help of the so-called Labor Opposition, this time all sectors of the Australian community, as well as prominent members of the international community, are up in arms.

Whats more, true opposition to this sordid piece of legislation is being spearheaded by the increasingly powerful voices representing the telecommunications and technology sectors.

Here is what the Communications Alliance, which represents the Australian telecommunications industry, including all the important players, had to say:

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.

That appears to be a pretty comprehensive list of reasons why this outrageous piece of legislation should be scrapped.

On top of this even the giant online tech multinationals  Google, Facebook, Amazon and Twitter  have called for the bill to be abandoned through a submission from their representative association, the Digital Industries Group.

And this is what Digital Rights Senator Jordon Steele-John of the Australian Greens had to say:

Contrary to the stated objective of the bill, Australian cyber security will be significantly diminished by undermining the fundamental principles of end-to-end encryption  which is exactly what this legislation proposes.

Creating technology vulnerabilities to expand the surveillance overreach of the five eyes network will ultimately leave all of us more vulnerable to criminal activity. Given some of the biggest data breaches over the last few years have come from government agencies, Im not left feeling any safer by the prospect of this legislation.

This is massive government overreach and something we should all be extremely concerned about. It makes a mockery of our right to privacy, leaves us more vulnerable to cyber espionage and permanently weakens existing protections we all rely on to stay safe and secure online.

Meanwhile, the one party in Australia that has the power to put paid to the governments ambition to foist its pernicious plan to violate the privacy of Australians, the Australian Labor Party Federal Opposition, has yet to voice real opposition to legislation. Instead what they have given us is their usual mealy-mouthed lip service.

The Oppositions shadow communications minister Michelle Rowland, together with shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus, and shadow human services minister Ed Husic, issued a statement that was basically a rap on the knuckles of the government, admonishing them for rushing through the legislation.

We saw what a mess the Liberals made with their half-baked metadata proposal and attempting to rush the encryption Bill in a similar way would be reckless.

Indeed. What the statement did not say, however, was that the Labor Opposition ended up supporting that half-baked metadata proposal and thus was equally culpable in enabling that draconian piece of privacy-destroying legislation to become law.

When pressed about the current bill before Parliament, the Labor Opposition has refused to rule out supporting it, indicating that it intends to once again act as a rubber stamp and thwart the will of the people.

So what we have now is a government hell-bent on pursuing a wildly unpopular policy at the behest of local and foreign spy and law enforcement agencies within the Five Eyes community of the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. And we have a weak-kneed opposition equally beholden to those very same forces.

What the government and opposition seem to have forgotten is that their charter is to enact the will of the Australian people. They are supposed to work for us. They were not vested with power to do the bidding of local and foreign intelligence agencies.

In the case of the Labor Opposition, this is perhaps their last real chance to prove that they are a real opposition force in the Australian Parliament by helping to quash this deeply flawed piece of legislation. However, judging by their past actions, one could be forgiven for not holding out much hope.Victoria's information commissioner Sven Bluemmel has raised the possibility that a one-off hack, created to satisfy a demand by law enforcement that access be provided to a particular device, could well end up being re-used with modifications, resulting in a situation which the draft encryption bill has pledged to avoid - systemic weaknesses.

In a submission to the public consultation on the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018, made on behalf of the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, Bluemmel said to avoid such situations, any solutions developed would have to be destroyed after they were used.

Apple's user privacy manager Erik Neuenschwander had raised similar concerns in a document filed in court during the stoush his employer had with the FBI in 2016 over gaining access to an iPhone 5C that was owned by one of the terrorists involved in an attack in San Bernardino, California in December 2015.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton introduced the draft bill into Parliament on Thursday last week. The Labor Party has advised caution on proceeding with the bill, while the Greens have said that Australian cyber security "will be significantly diminished by undermining the fundamental principles of end-to-end encryption".

The BSA, the software alliance, a group representing dozens of big software companies, apart from Google and Facebook, hasjudicial oversight and a challenge mechanism for the bill.

Bluemmel questioned whether it was correct to include websites in the list of services which the bill would cover, as it could put a dampener on whistle-blowing "where advocates may have a reasonable expectation that their publications or concerns should remain private and secure".

He said he was concerned that the draft bill would undercut protections for those in special circumstances, such as privilege accorded to journalists under Division 1C of the Commonwealth's Evidence Act 1995.

The fact that bill covered IoT devices provided latitude for increased surveillance, he observed. "I am concerned about the introduction of these powers without significant public debate and I would welcome further consideration to the controls in place for law enforcement exercising these powers," he added.

Bluemmel raised the possibility that any digital solution devised to facilitate access to data by creating weaknesses in the system could also end up being used by malicious actors.

While the explanatory notes to the bill said any person issuing a notice for an agency to co-operate would have to take into account the impact on privacy, cyber security and innocent third parties, Bluemmel said this was not mentioned specifically in the bill itself.

He also raised the possibility that a certificate authority or other PKI provider could be issued a notice by law enforcement and said any weakness created in such systems would cause tremendous reputation damage to the provider.

Based on this reasoning, Bluemmel said PKI and certificate authorities should be not be covered by the technical assistance request or notices.If you have a new iPhone Xs, Xs Max, Apple Watch Series 4 or are planning to pick up the iPhone XR in October, then Belkin's newly enhanced wireless charging dock will let you charge two devices wirelessly with a third via USB cable.

The only iPhones that are able to be wirelessly charged are the existing iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X and the new Xs, Xs Max and the forthcoming iPhone XR, while Apple's only other wirelessly chargeable device at time of publication is the Apple Watch, requiring a special charging disc.

While there are a range of wireless chargers out there from a range of vendors, Belkin is a well-known premium brand that has been creating Apple accessories since 1983, so its pedigree is undeniable, and its quality is excellent.

Now comes Belkin's new "BOOSTUP Wireless Charging Dock for iPhone + Apple Watch which allows you to wirelessly charge your iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time, in addition to a third device using the additional USB-A port".

As you'd expect, there have been enhancements to this new model for iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max and Apple Watch Series 4, with "a modern and minimalist aesthetic" and "effortless set up and convenience".

Of course, it also works with the aforementioned wirelessly chargeable iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, along with all Apple Watch models.

Oliver Seil, vice-president of design at Belkin, said: "The BOOSTUP Wireless Charging Dock is highly engineered for function and designed for aesthetic and beauty.

From the outside you see a beautiful piece of hardware, on the inside is a complex charging system that allows you to wirelessly charge your iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time. The beauty of Belkin products is that people dont need to think about the complexity of the technology, the technology simply works and works beautifully.

Available in Australia in time for Christmas, Belkin also tells us it is "updating its PowerHouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone. It has been enhanced for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, and is perfect for customers who prefer to charge their iPhone via Lightning connector. The new PowerHouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone will feature a red dial to raise and lower the Lightning connector".

However, it is very important to note that "the current Belkin Valet Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone and PowerHouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone is compatible only with iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, and previous iPhone with Lightning connector models".

Full Belkin charging dock portfolio:

BOOSTUP Wireless Charging Dock for iPhone + Apple Watch  link and pricing to come

AU and NZ pricing TBC

Compatible with iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X and all Apple Watch models.

Availability: December with select Australian and New Zealand retailers.

PowerHouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone (red dial)  link and pricing to come

AU and NZ pricing TBC

Compatible with iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and all iPhone with Lightning connector models, along with all Apple Watch models.

Availablility: December with select Australian and New Zealand retailers.

Valet Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone

A$189.95 / NZ$199.95

Compatible with iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X and previous iPhone with Lightning connector models only.

Availability: Belkin.com

PowerHouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone

A$149.95 / NZ$159.95.

Compatible with iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X and previous iPhone with Lightning connector models only.

Availability: Belkin.com

BOOSTUP Wireless Charging Dock specs:The segment of the smartphone market designated as "premium" by analyst firm Counterpoint Research  devices that cost more than US$400  was dominated by Apple in the second quarter of the year, with the company capturing 43% share.

This premium segment grew much faster (7%) than the total smartphone segment in the quarter, the firm said, adding that growth was driven by increases in shipments by Chinese brands like OPPO, Vivo, Huawei, OnePlus and Xiaomi.

Counterpoint analyst Tarun Pathak said the premium smartphone segment comprise 20% of the global market in the second quarter, with about 40 OEMs competing. But of these, the top five accounted for 88% of sales.

Following Apple in market share were Samsung (24%), OPPO (10%), Huawei (9%), Xiaomi (3%) and OnePlus (2%).

"Even within the premium segment, the US$400 to US$600 price-band, was the sweet spot as it contributed to 45% of the total premium segment sales by volume," Pathak said.

"Ninety-five percent of premium smartphone OEMs have a presence in the US$400 to US$600 segment. Going forward we expect that competition in the segment will increase as Chinese brands, with their flagship offerings, are planning to expand their presence further."

In the US$400 to US$600 segment, OPPO was joint leader with Apple at 22% share apiece, while Samsung (16%), Huawei (14%), Xiaomi (6%) and OnePlus (5%) followed.

Despite being last in that list, Pathak said OnePlus was among the fastest growing brands in that price range.

"OnePlus sales were driven by India, China and UK," he said. "In India it surpassed Apple and Samsung to become the #1 premium smartphone OEM during the quarter with a strong 40% market share.

"It was also among the top five premium smartphone OEMs in France (#4), Germany (#4), Italy (#5), the Netherlands (#4), Sweden (#3) and UK (#4) due to strong initial sales of the OnePlus 6."

For the more expensive smartphones in this segment, the US$600 to US$800 segment, Apple and Samsung devices comprised 85% of shipments with Huawei way behind.

And in the segment above US$800, Apple towered above the rest with 88% share in the quarter.

"Going forward, we estimate that the premium smartphone segment is likely to be more competitive," Pathak said. "We further expect that vertically integrated companies will leverage their expertise to gain share in the segment.

"With 5G around the corner and players like Apple pushing the price points higher, Chinese OEMs have a good chance of entering new price tiers in the premium segment to drive both increased revenue and profit."

Graphic: courtesy Counterpoint ResearchMore than a week after Linux creator Linus Torvalds said he would be taking a break from leading kernel development, it is still unclear as to what actually led to his decision. But one thing is crystal clear: the social justice warriors, who played a role in what happened, are now targeting another kernel developer, Ted Ts'o, who works for Google.

Was it the article in The New Yorker, as its author claimed, that led to Torvalds stepping down? Or was it pressure from kernel maintainers who were annoyed that Torvalds had bungled his schedules and planned a family vacation at the time when the maintainers summit was supposed to be held?

It is clear from the article in The New Yorker that the whole aim of what was essentially a hit job, and far from the usual standards that this august publication maintains, was to try and draw a connection between Torvalds' habit of abusive emails and the #MeToo movement. Cohen even managed to work the word in: "Many women who contribute to Linux point to another open-source project, Python, as a guide for Linux as its faces its #MeToo moment."

This is the only reason why Cohen could have decided to write a story on this topic; every story has an angle, and there was no angle to this at all in the current climate as Torvalds' email abuse is very old hat. And it was never directed against either sex.

The #MeToo movement has brought down many prominent people who have used their power to indulge in sexual harassment in the past, with a notable example being film producer Harvey Weinstein who, coincidentally, had his past laid bare in the same magazine, albeit by one Ronan Farrow,that gained him a Pulitzer Prize.

But trying to tie Torvalds to sexual harassment is futile; the man has only dated one woman in his entire life, and he married her: Tove, a national karate champion in Finland, is the mother of his three daughters.

Cohen only spoke to a few people all from one side of the story: former kernel developers Valerie Aurora and Sage (formerly Sarah) Sharp, both of whom claim they left the kernel project as they were unable to put up with the harsh correspondence on email lists, and Megan Squire, a computer-science professor at Elon University, who carried out a survey in 2015 to find out the extent of use of profanity on the kernel mailing list. That study, by the way, made me laugh.

He did not bother to even go down to the Linux Foundation, which employs Torvalds, and speak to the chief executive Jim Zemlin. Email inquiries were considered sufficient for a story which could well mean the end of Torvalds' career as leader of the project.

iTWire contacted Cohen to inquire about his reason for writing this story at this time, but he did not bother to reply. Zemlin has, likewise, stayed mum.

Right after the story appeared, Sharp started focusing on Ts'o. Why Ts'o? It goes back a long time, to 2011 in fact, when he participated in a discussion on the mailing list for the Australian national Linux conference that year. Ts'o is a member of the Linux Foundation's technical advisory board.

Comments that he made were later interpreted by Aurora to call him a "rape apologist". That was picked up by Google employee Matthew Garrett and used to whack Ts'o.

The SJWs have been at work for a while, trying to impose so-called codes of conduct for every open-source project. Chief behind this is a woman named Coraline Ada Ehmke; when her efforts are frustrated, as they were when the Ruby project decided against embracing the CoC which she champions, she outdid Torvalds by a square mile in abusing the leader of that project.

Aurora has also taken aim at the Linux Foundation, claiming that "something is rotten" there. It must be remembered she ran a non-profit for a while after leaving kernel work, but was forced to shut it down in September 2015. From advocacy, she wandered into trying to coerce conferences into cancelling talks that she deemed inappropriate.

Whether Torvalds will return to lead the project is unknown. What seems more likely is that the Linux Foundation will create a sinecure for him, if only to avoid any more negative publicity.

But what happens to Ts'o will be more interesting to watch. Google is notorious for yielding to the demands of SJWs; last year it threw out one engineer, James Damore, when he circulated an internal screed about reverse discrimination in hiring practices.

If I were Ts'o, I would start looking for alternative employment right away. It doesn't matter if he is guilty in any way; the SJWs have a way of getting to companies which are looking to conform and be politically correct. Google is at the head of that list.NEXTDCs continued fast-paced revenue growth and the strength of its business strategy has propelled it to the champions quadrant of Frost & Sullivans IQ Matrix, confirming NEXTDCs prominent position among Australias top data centre providers.

The 2018 benchmark demonstrates that NEXTDC is quickly rising up the ranks as a mature contender for overall leadership in the Australian data centre market, even against much larger global rivals. NEXTDC is one of the fastest growing technology companies in the world - over the past 8 years, NEXTDC has designed, built and opened 8 data centres across Australia, and recently announced that it had acquired new sites for a third data centre in Sydney and a second data centre in Perth, with a third site in Melbourne to be announced soon.

Frost & Sullivan says the new facilities in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth will be the largest data centres ever built in Australia, which takes NEXTDCs total future capacity to over 300MW.

Frost & Sullivan recognises best-in-class companies and NEXTDC is a standout in Australias rapidly growing data centre market, said Audrey William, Director and Head of Research of Information and Communication Technology, Frost & Sullivan, Asia-Pacific. Australia is one of the most mature data centre as a service markets in Asia Pacific, and we expect to see massive expansion for NEXTDC as demand for local data centre services increases.

Being classified as a champion in our industry validates our commitment to setting new standards for world class engineering and service delivery said Craig Scroggie, CEO of NEXTDC.

The report highlights NEXTDCs massive expansion of data centre capacity in Australia via its current second generation builds B2 Brisbane and M2 Melbourne data centres, as well as the S2 Sydney data centre, which is on track for completion in the first half of the 2019 financial year.

B2 and M2 are prime examples of how NEXTDC continues to raise the bar for the industry. We're doing this by building and operating data centres certified to the highest standards for reliability, security, operational sustainability and energy efficiency, said Mr Scroggie.



B2 and M2 were the first Australian data centres and the first colocation facilities in the Asia Pacific region to achieve Uptime Institute Tier IV Certification of Design and Constructed Facility.

B2 also received UTI Tier IV Gold Certification of Operational Sustainabilityin August, making it the first data centre in the southern hemisphere to achieve the Tier IV Operational Gold rating. B2, M2 and S2 are additionally designed to support an industry-leading NABERS 5-star rating for energy efficiency.

Were not slowing down our expansion either and will continue set new standards via our third generation of world class Tier IV data centres in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Once completed these will be the largest developments of their kind in Australia, said Mr Scroggie.



As an Australian headquartered company, were very proud to provide leadership in technology, operations and energy efficiency for our industry and we're excited to be the platform for other industries to help build Australias digital economy.

About NEXTDC

NEXTDC is an ASX200-listed technology company enabling business transformation through innovative data centre outsourcing solutions, connectivity services and infrastructure management software.

As Australias leading independently certified data centre operator with a nationwide network of enterprise-grade award winning facilities, NEXTDC provides world-class colocation services to local and international organisations. With a focus on sustainability and renewable energy, we deliver industry leading engineering solutions showcasing energy efficiency and NABERS 4.5 star certification.

Our ecosystem hosts the countrys largest independent network of carriers, cloud and IT service providers, enabling customers to source and connect with cloud platforms, service providers and vendors to build complex multi-cloud networks and scale their IT infrastructure and services.

NEXTDC is where the cloud lives.

To learn more, visit www.nextdc.com

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community.

To learn more, visit www.frost.comThe NBN Co, the company building Australia's national broadband network, has doubled the maximum capacity on its transit network from 9.6Tbps to 19.2Tbps per fibre link.

The transit network links hubs across Australia to the network that connects homes and businesses and also links to the 121 points of interconnect  mostly located at telephone exchanges  which is where ISPs connect their own network to that of the NBN.

In a statement, the company said the high-traffic fibre links between Eastern Creek and Asquith in Sydney, and the 3600km route between Brisbane, Queensland and Darwin would be the first to be upgraded to support these speeds.

Rollout to the remainder of the network would be phased out, the company added. The Darwin to Brisbane link is scheduled to go live in December and will support capacity growth on the Sky Muster satellite network.

The capacity upgrade is due to installation of new optical transmission technology  from network equipment maker Coriants CloudWave Optics  that supports per-wavelength transmission rates of 200Gbps on optical transport backbone networks. It can be upgraded to 400Gbps when needed.

NBN Co will deploy the new technology at PoI sites, large fibre access nodes and highly trafficked routes as demand dictates.

Chief network deployment officer Kathrine Dyer said: Our transit network is the backbone of the NBN Co multi-technology mix that aims to provide Australians with access to fast services.

This upgrade will ensure we can continue to deliver a reliable and high-quality broadband network for our wholesale customers even as high-bandwidth applications and the growth of Internet usage continue to drive demand for network capacity.

We have a clear product roadmap to continually upgrade this network with extra capacity as demand grows.

"With the upgrade to CloudWave Optics technology, we will be able to further increase total capacity on our transit network. Coriant is helping us achieve these upgrades as we scale this build and move towards our goal of connecting eight million homes and businesses by 2020."GAZA STRIP - A 21-year-old Palestinian was killed and 20 were injured last night in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip in clashes with Israeli security forces along the border, according to health sources in the Strip.



The Israeli military said that a drone opened fire on Palestinians who were firing armed kites towards Israel.



Yesterday, Sami Abu Zuhri, a member of the Hamas government in Gaza, said that Hamas had the intention of boosting protests along the border because Egypt-mediated talks between Hamas and Israel had failed.Kibune and Kurama are two small valley towns that are nestled at either side of Mount Kurama in northern Kyoto and are connected by a five-kilometer forested trail around the mountain that is popular with tourists; taking around two and a half to three hours to complete at a leisurely pace. The area has been well-visited for centuries as a place of pilgrimage to its various holy sites, not to mention as a tranquil and fun escape from the bustling urban sprawl of nearby cities Kyoto and Osaka.

Today the area, which can be reached from Osaka in around 90 minutes via the Keihan Railway and the Eizan Railway, boasts many attractions including but not limited to the aforementioned hiking opportunities, a multitude of shrines and temples, impressive natural features and great food. With all this such a short distance from western Japan's largest city, it promised to make for a great day-trip that I was eager to experience for myself.

I started my journey from Kyobashi Station in central Osaka where I boarded a train on the Keihan Main Line to Kyoto's Demachiyanagi Station, and from there transferred to the Eizan Railway which took me on a picturesque journey up into the foothills and to Kibuneguchi Station. Kibune town is a 20-minute walk or 5-minute bus ride from the station. Note that although I started at Kibune and hiked towards Kurama, the journey in the opposite direction is equally enjoyable and very popular.

Before beginning the hike, it was time to explore Kibune, which is very much visit-worthy in its own right. Sauntering along the town's charming main street eventually brought me to the focal point that the town grew up around, Kifune Shrine. The old shrine is dedicated to Tamayori-hime no Mikoto, the Goddess of water, and it is said that many centuries ago she sailed up-river from Osaka Bay and landed at the point where the shrine now stands. Accordingly, the shrine is heavily associated with water.

After ascending the shrine's iconic lantern-lined stone staircase, I arrived in the main courtyard where I got my hands on an omikuji water fortune. This special kind of paper fortune slip requires holders to place it on the surface of the complex's perimeter well. As the slip floats and absorbs water, the fortune is revealed, after which visitors are to tie the paper on a nearby stand to complete the process. After floating and tying my own fortune, I walked further through the picturesque shrine admiring some of its beautiful buildings and soaking up the jovial atmosphere that prevails here.

Kifune Shrine consists of multiple precincts, and next I rejoined the main street and walked ten minutes further along to Okunomiya, the back part of the shrine where the Goddess' boat is said to be buried. Being significantly quieter than the main section of the shrine, Okunomiya had much more of a tranquil feel to it and provided a pleasant contrast with the buzz prevailing further towards the center of town.

Following an exciting exploration of Kifune Shrine it was time to eat before beginning the hike that would eventually lead me to Kurama. I meandered back through the town and arrived at Nakayoshi, a restaurant where I enjoyed what turned out to be a memorable food experience.

Every year from June to September, Nakayoshi and many more of Kibune's restaurants offer kawadoko, in which customers eat on platforms specially erected just centimeters above the Kibunegawa river that flows at the side of the main street. A popular attraction in these parts, the kawadoko experience allows diners to enjoy their meal to the rhythm of the trickling water flowing underneath whilst achieving almost complete relief from the summer heat.

For my meal I was served a delectable kaiseki set of traditional Japanese cuisine including raw and cooked fish and mouth-watering tempura. The food, enjoyed in the most magical of settings, made for a fantastic experience that is a must for those visiting the area during summer.

Energized from the delicious meal, I was now ready to begin the hike from Kibune to Kurama via Mount Kurama. The trail is accessed by walking over a small bridge in the center of Kibune town, and to enter I paid a 300 yen donation fee. The hike starts relatively steep, but the winding trail evens out within 30 minutes towards the small mountain's summit. Along the way visitors come across various temple halls and effigies before arriving at one of the hike's most famous features, Kinonesando.

Literally meaning 'tree root path', this small stretch of the trail is covered in rugged tree roots that protrude from the ground in an eerie yet beautiful display of nature's power. While extra caution is needed not to trip on this part of the hike, it makes for great photo opportunities.

The gradual descent of the mountain now began, and after negotiating more winding paths I arrived at the main precinct of Kurama-dera. This Buddhist temple is known not only for its impressive buildings and the nice views of the surrounding valley that can be enjoyed from its courtyard, but also as a popular spiritual power spot.

After exploring the main grounds of Kurama-dera, I descended the final 30 minutes of the trail to where it eventually reached its conclusion at the majestic Niomon gate in the town of Kurama. Exhilarated from the hike but also in need of some relaxation, I made the short walk from here over to Kurama Onsen.

This onsen boasts an outdoor bath that affords bathers the chance to relax while taking in nice views of the surrounding mountains. I washed off and proceeded to take a long soak in the bath's water, after which I took the free shuttlebus that the onsen coordinates to transport visitors between the complex and Kurama Station.

Tengu are mythical goblin-like creatures with long noses that are said to live on Mount Kurama. They are believed to be generally good but not always, generally alternating between benevolence and mischief.

Whether ultimately good or bad, the little imps are revered in this area, and outside Kurama Station stands a large tengu statue erected in homage to them. Getting up close to the statue (which is especially notable for the length of its protruding nose) allowed me to appreciate some of the mythology surrounding Mount Kurama, and made for an interesting, if brief, final stop before leaving this magical area and heading back towards Osaka.

Access

To Kibune

From central Osaka (e.g. Yodoyabashi or Kyobashi stations), take a limited express on the Keihan Main Line to Demachiyanagi Station (around 50 minutes, 470 yen, frequent departures) and then the Eizan Railway Kurama Line to Kibuneguchi (30 minutes, 420 yen, 3 trains/hour). Frequent buses depart from in front of Kibuneguchi Station to central Kibune. The one way journey takes around five minutes and costs 160 yen.

To Kurama

From Demachiyanagi Station take the Eizan Railway Kurama Line to Kurama (30 minutes, 420 yen, 3 trains/hour).

The Kyoto Osaka Sightseeing Pass (Greater Kurama and Kibune Area) is available only to foreign visitors and offers one day of unlimited travel between central Osaka and the Kurama-Kibune area along the Keihan and Eizan railways, with all the train lines on the map below covered (except the Osaka Loop Line). The pass also offers discounted entry to certain attractions. The pass costs 1500 yen and can be purchased at certain tourist information centers (including at Kansai Airport) and hotels in Osaka and Kyoto, as well as from overseas travel agents.

LinksROME - The migrant-rescue vessel Aquarius "will never arrive in Italy", Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said. "We are working with all required lawyers but I can assure all Italians that this ship will never arrive in Italy. I do not want to be an accomplice of human trafficking", he said.



Salvini spoke after a new controversy on immigration, with the Aquarius vessel that saw its Panama flag revoked. Doctors without Borders, which operates the ship together with Sos Mediterranee, has accused Italy of putting pressure on Panama, an allegation denied by the interior ministry.



Salvini warned the Aquarius, the only vessel connected to an NGO still operating in the Mediterranean. "I will report those helping smugglers for aiding illegal immigration", he said.



Traffickers, Salvini added, have resumed working "in cooperation with some NGOs", including the Aquarius, the interior minister claimed, accusing the vessel of "hindering the work of Libyan coast guards, ignoring their indications". "After enduring the same decision made by Gibraltar, it is now about to be cancelled from Panama's naval vessel register".



The process to take away the flag started on September 21.



The Aquarius thus risks becoming a 'pirate' ship.



However, the NGOs have rejected such claims. Over the last 72 hours, they said, the ship helped two vessels at sea and now has 58 people onboard. The team was "shocked" by Panama's announcement "to be forced to revoke the inscription of the Aquarius from its naval registry under the clear economic and political pressure of Italian authorities". The NGOs are essentially accusing Italy of putting pressure on Panama, citing a passage of the communication they received from Panama's authorities."Its risky when you have ideas that youre passionate about and its risky to allow people to disagree with you. But its worth the risk because you can grow. And ultimately, thats the goal. Darriel Harris (pictured with Sylvia Brown, left)

The Brown Scholarship

For those considering a PhD, a critical question is often: How am I going to pay for this?

For a select group of African-American doctoral students, the answer comes from the C. Sylvia and Eddie C. Brown Community Health Scholarship program. The scholarship provides five years of full PhD funding including tuition, health insurance, an NIH-level stipend and a one-time research award.

Each year, up to three students, nominated by department chairs, are selected as Brown Scholars based on criteria such as their commitment to and potential for leadership in community health and their ability to approach community health in a scholarly way.

Since its inception in 2007, the Scholarship has helped 18 students complete their doctoral work at the Bloomberg Schooland supported research focused on improving the health of African Americans in Baltimore and other urban centers, says Brown Scholars faculty director Terrinieka Williams Powell, PhD.

Brown Scholar Darriel Harriss Extraordinary Idea

A circuitous path led Brown Scholar and Health, Behavior and Society PhD student Darriel Harris to public health.

In the early 2000s, after earning an engineering degree from Morgan State University, Harris worked as a project manager for the federal government and volunteered in at-risk D.C. neighborhoods teaching SAT-prep and math. Working with these struggling students ignited momentum in Harris.

I can teach them math all I want but, at the end of the day, theyre going back to their homes which are often rife with different issues, Harris says. The realization that he wanted to focus more on helping children and families like the ones he met in D.C.and reflecting on his Christian upbringingcalled Harris to become a minister. In 2008, Harris resigned from his engineering job to attend Duke Divinity School.

Dukes divinity program required that students spend their summers conducting service work with faith-based organizations or nonprofits. For two summers, Harris traveled to Africa to work with various faith-based NGOs. When he graduated in 2011, Duke offered him the opportunity to go to South Sudan to lay groundwork for a new health project. Harris eagerly jumped into a feasibility study there, creating a scope of work for health practitioners who would arrive three months later to implement the project.

Six months later, the university still hadnt found practitioners willing or able to go to South Sudan.

Meanwhile, Harris had been working with a local Episcopal church to make inroads with communities to assess disease burdens for the project. He soon realized thatdespite the efforts of several area health NGOssignificant behavioral components contributed to these disease burdens.

For example, Harris noticed families sleeping without NGO-provided mosquito nets, sometimes using them for fishing nets instead. He saw iron-roofed pit latrines dug by well-intentioned NGOs go unused or used for unintended purposes, such as grain storage, while people continued to defecate in bushes near their homes.

Harris tried to understand why community members werent following the NGOs protocols, but they werent really interested in talking about that, he says.

What they were interested in: Harriss extensive knowledge of the Bible.

They wanted to know Bible stories. ... They showed up in huge numbersI would come to a place and the whole village would be there asking questions about the Bible.

Thats when Harris decided to create lessons to tie in health behaviors with the vivid Bible stories community members loved to hear.

Studying best practices from NGOs, Harris developed 10 lessons on maternal health, malaria, pneumonia and other high-burden diseases. He then went community to community, delivering his lessons to spark conversations around health practices using a biblical framework.

Harris began to understand some of the barriers to implementing these tools and practices. A free bed net made for a sturdy fishing net, for example. Reticence to use the pit latrines was understandable when community members explained, The pit latrine has an iron roof! I live in a grass house. Why should I go to the bathroom in a place thats nicer than my home?

But by engaging community members with Bible stories, Harris found that he could explain health concepts, such as how pit latrines prevent the spread of disease. To his delight, people began seeking out some of the lifesaving tools and practices that would lower their chances of illness.

In 2013, Episcopal Relief and Development, a global NGO, offered Harris a job to turn his curriculum into a national program. After he moved back to his hometown of Baltimore to get started on the work, conflict in South Sudan suddenly shuttered the project as funding shifted to disaster relief.

Still, hed learned a lot and had a new direction for service. I really wanted to do work around health and health messaging, he says.

After taking a position as a project manager with the Center for a Livable Futures Baltimore Food and Faith Project, Harris pitched his ideas of fusing health messaging with a religious framework to various community organizations. Ultimately, he realized his approach still had the appearance of being something really churchy and not something valid, he says. I wanted someone to validate the practice and value the approach as a scientifically viable one.

So, once again, Harriss life took a turn.

Shoring Up with a Scholarship at JHSPH

In 2016, Harris applied to the PhD program at the Bloomberg School with a dissertation topic already in mind: a proof-of-concept around using biblical stories to communicate health messages to Christian audiences. He was acceptedand awarded a Brown Scholarship.

The Brown Scholarship program has been monumental, he says, in part because its allowed him to invest more time in his education.

When I first applied, I said How fast can I get through this program? But with fewer worries about saving money, Harris now takes courses beyond his core requirements, such as sociology and writing classes. He has also been able to take on research positions based not on how much they paid, but on what he could learn and the impact he could make.

Harris hopes this training will help him shore up the radical idea that landed him a Brown Scholarshipone that aligns with the scholarships requirements that awardees focus on unique ideas to address health disparities in critical Baltimore communities.

An especially fascinating aspect of Darriels background was not only his ability to apply insights he gained from his Christian ministry work in South Sudan to his current work with Baltimore communities of faith, but his recognition that that these very different places share common values and beliefs that bind their communities together in meaningful ways, says Debra Roter, DrPH, Harriss academic adviser.

The Browns gave Harris something else, too: role models. Eddie Brown was an engineer like me, Harris says. He went to an HBCU like I did, and we both  left engineering at a time when it was risky to do so. I get a lot of inspiration from him and [his wife] Sylvia Brown, also. Shes an incredible person.

Harris hopes to graduate in 2020. His dissertation focuses on investigating whether curricula that intertwine biblical narratives with scientific data are more effective at changing health behaviors among Christian audiences than those that use science messaging alone. At present, a curriculum Harris created in 2013 to increase healthy eating habits in Baltimore faith communities has been used in over 25 area churches.

I didnt covet a PhD, Harris says. Im trying to prove the concept and have it understood as a valid approach to health behavior change. I had an idea I thought was worthy of scrutiny, and I couldnt find another outlet to do that.

This circuitous path from engineering in D.C. to ministry in South Sudan to working with Baltimores faith communities has shown Harris the benefits of being open to new opportunities. If you put yourself out there, he says, crazy things can happen.

Lindsay Smith Rogers

Darriel Harris was awarded a 2018 Center for a Livable Future-Lerner Fellowship.GAZA - The new Qatari-funded Justice Palace ('Qasr al-Adl') complex was recently inaugurated at the entrance to Gaza City.



The 11-million-dollar project consolidates the various courts into one location, including the Justice of the Peace, Courts of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the High Judicial Council.



Qatari Ambassador to Gaza, Mohammed al-Emadi, who also functions as the president of Qatar's National Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, was present at the inauguration, along with Palestinian Public Works Minister, Mufid al-Hasayneh.



Work on the building began one year ago, with the intention of gathering all of the courts of justice in one location, in the Zahra district in southern Gaza.



Previously, the courts were spread across the city and many were overcrowded and located in traffic-heavy areas.

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Moscow (AFP)  Russias military Sunday blamed misleading information from the Israeli airforce for the downing of one of its planes in Syria last week, and denounced the adventurism of Israeli pilots.

Israel strongly disputed the assertion and vowed it will continue to act against Iranian targets in neighbouring Syria.

A Syrian air defence missile downed the Russian Ilyushin Il-20 military plane on September 17, killing all 15 soldiers aboard and threatening to damage relations between Russia and Israel, which three years ago set up a hotline to avoid accidental clashes in Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to seek to move past the incident in spite of strong statements from the Russian military.

On Sunday, military spokesman Igor Konashenkov presented the results of an investigation.

Moscow has accused Israels fighter pilots of using the bigger Ilyushin as cover, causing Syrias Soviet-era S-200 air defence system to interpret the Russian plane as a target.

Israel denied this version of events and its air force commander flew to Moscow following the incident, which Putin called the result of a chain of tragic accidental circumstances.

It was the deadliest known case of friendly fire between Syria and key backer Russia since Moscows game-changing 2015 military intervention.

Konashenkov said the Russian military received a call from Israeli command at 1839 GMT on the day of the incident to warn that Israel would be striking north of Syria, where the Il-20 surveillance aircraft was monitoring the Idlib de-escalation zone.

Russia ordered its plane back to base. Then, one minute after Israels call, its F-16 planes struck targets in Latakia in western Syria, he said.

The misleading (information) by the Israeli officer regarding the location of the strikes made it impossible to guide the Il-20 to a safe location, said Konashenkov.

As the Il-20 was landing near Latakia, one of the F-16 planes began manoeuvres at 1859 GMT getting closer to the Il-20, which was interpreted as a repeat attack by the Syrian air defence and resulted in it being shot down, he said.

Monitoring the Il-20, the Israeli fighters used it as cover from the anti-aircraft missiles and continued to patrol the area long after the Russian plane was shot down, he said.

The Israeli pilots actions either speak of their unprofessionalism or criminal negligence at the very least, Konashenkov said, reiterating the Israeli airforce was fully responsible for the downing of the plane.

The adventurism of the Israeli military could have endangered civilian planes which use the same airspace to land at the nearby Hmeimim aerodrome, the officer said.

This is a very ungrateful response to everything Russia has done for Israel.

Israels military said in a statement its jets did not hide behind any aircraft and that the Israeli aircraft were in Israeli airspace at the time of the downing of the Russian plane.

It again offered condolences to Russia.

Israel says it was targeting a Syrian military facility where weapons manufacturing systems were about to be transferred on behalf of Iran to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.

It has pledged to stop Iran, its main enemy, from entrenching itself militarily in the neighbouring country and has carried out dozens of attacks on Iranian targets there.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah is also an enemy of Israel, which has carried out strikes in Syria to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to the Shiite group.

AFP / Nikita SHCHYUKIN. A Russian IL-20M plane similar to the one shot down on Monday lands at an unknown location on July 23, 2006.Reddit Email 54 Shares

Satire.

(Informed Comment)  In the midst of the current political turmoil, I was both relieved and delighted to read that a Texas education committee had voted to keep Nasty Women such as Hillary Clinton out of the mandatory social studies curriculum. The idea of impressionable children hearing about her pantsuits made me shudder with horror. Not only did she wear practical clothing, but she actually stood on a stagein public view!debating a male opponent who was obviously her superior in every sense. Worse yet, she had the nerve to win the popular vote in 2016 because she was such an attention-seeking diva.

The wise Texans also decided to delete Helen Keller from the curriculum, perhaps because she was another Nasty Woman. It was bad enough that she had advocated for disability rights in the era of hiding cripples in a back room. She also spoke out for the womens right to voteoutrageous! Even worse, she was a socialist. In 1911 she wrote, The few own the many because they possess the means of livelihood of all  The country is governed for the richest, for the corporations, the bankers, the land speculators, and for the exploiters of labor. Exposing young students to ideas such as Kellers would be akin to child abuse.

Since the news reports only mentioned the social studies curriculum, I became concerned about the possibility of other curricula being infiltrated by Nasty Women. For example, I do not know whether the science curriculum includes any mention of fossils because that might lead to the students thinking about evolution. If the textbooks do mention fossils, hopefully they will delete any mention of the fossil hunter Mary Anning because she had revolutionized scientific thought. During the nineteenth century, her meticulous research caused great advances in geology and paleontology, those demonic sciences that dispute the creationist theory. Fortunately, during her lifetime no woman could attend meetings at the Geologic Society of London or enter the doors of the Royal Society. She never received full credit for her work because Victorian society had enough common sense. Imagine that unnatural creature spending days alone on the beach, hunting for fossils. Such behavior made her look like a loose woman, so no child should hear about her discoveries.

Speaking of discoveries, hopefully no schoolchild will ever hear about Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovering pulsars 50 years ago. Only a Nasty Woman could think up the idea of setting up huge radio telescopes in a field to capture sounds from the universe that nobody could explain. I switched on the high speed recorder and it came blip. blip. blip. blip. blip. Clearly the same family, the same sort of stuff and that was great, that was really sweet. It finally scotched the little green men hypothesis because aliens could not be producing these sounds from the opposite sides of the universe. Since she was only a research assistant, her adviser and another male scientist were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1974 instead of her. It was right and proper that a female be cast aside for having made a scientific breakthrough as if she were an attention-seeking diva.

Keeping schoolchildren away from Nasty Women in mathematics might be a greater challenge since the movie and book Hidden Figures features three of the brilliant minds behind the NASA space program in the 1960s. It is nothing but wrong to confuse young minds with the idea that African American women could be so smart.

Moreover, computer science textbooks must never mention Ada Lovelace because only men could have conceived the idea of computers. To credit this Enchantress of Numbers with writing the first computer program in 1843 would disturb too many young minds. Instead, hide the fact that she had created an algorithm because women in those days only had enough brains to do needlework.

All sarcasm aside, the Texas controversy exemplifies how womens accomplishments can vanish from textbooks and other venues. Donna Bahorich, the chair of the Texas State Board of Education, defends the committees action as nonpartisan because Barry Goldwater was also excluded from the mandatory curriculum. Even if the committee had acted in good faith, though, the action perpetuates the problem of remarkable women remaining invisible to both children and adults.

The good news is that the luminescence of Hillary Clinton and other Nasty Women is impossible to extinguish. For example, Burnell has recently received a Special Breakthrough Prize and worldwide recognition. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Notorious RBG, has become a pop idol for being a legal pioneer. Despite the setback of the Texas action, then, Nasty Women will receive their fair due.

Citations

Helen Keller: Rebel Lives, by Helen Keller & John Davis, Ocean Press, 2003

Burnell quote cited in https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jocelyn_Bell_Burnell

-

Bonus video added by Informed Comment:

TX Voted To Remove Hillary Clinton And Helen Keller Out Of Textbooks | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBCReddit Email 177 Shares

JERUSALEM (Maan)  The Israeli Civil Administration ordered on Sunday the Bedouin residents of Khan al-Ahmar village, east of Jerusalem, to demolish their homes and to evacuate the area before the start of October.

According to local sources, staff members of the Israeli Civil Administration under the protection of Israeli forces stormed Khan al-Ahmar and handed evacuation notices to the residents, ordering them to demolish their homes and evacuate the village within the given timeframe.

Sources said that Israeli forces threatened the residents in case of non-implementation of the notices, the Israeli army would demolish the village.

Sources added that large numbers of heavily armed Israeli forces stormed the village and surrounded the open sit-in tent, as well as took photos of the participants.

Earlier this month, the Israeli High Court rejected an appeal against the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and ruled for its evacuation and demolition to take place, under the pretext of building without a difficult-to-obtain Israeli permit.

However, critics say that the displacement of the residents and the demolition of the village is as part of an Israeli plan to expand the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of Kfar Adummim.

The village is inhabited by about 200 Palestinians, 53% of whom are children and 95% of whom are refugees registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

A delegation of European parliamentarians for relations with Palestine visited Khan al-Ahmar earlier this week and warned that The forceful transfer of people under occupation is a serious violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and is considered a war crime.

Although international humanitarian law prohibits the demolition of the village and illegal confiscation of private property, Israeli forces continue their planned expansion by forcing evictions and violating basic human rights of the people.

Israel has been constantly trying to uproot Bedouin communities from the east of Jerusalem area to allow settlement expansion in the area, which would later turn the entire eastern part of the West Bank into a settlement zone.

Report and photo via Maan News Agency

-

Agence France Presse adds:

(AFP)  . . . Village residents vowed not to leave despite the notice.

No one will leave. We will have to be expelled by force, said village spokesman Eid Abu Khamis, adding that a residents meeting would be held later on the issue.

If the Israeli army comes to demolish, it will only be by force.

The village is located in a strategic spot east of Jerusalem, near Israeli settlements and along a road leading to the Dead Sea.

There have been warnings that continued settlement building in the area would eventually divide the West Bank in two, dealing a death blow to any remaining hopes of a two-state solution.

Israeli authorities have offered alternative sites for Khan al-Ahmar residents, but villagers say the first was near a rubbish dump and the latest close to a sewage treatment plant.Reddit Email 84 Shares

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  I would argue that it is no accident that yet another accusation of sexual harassment against Brett Kavanaugh has surfaced, by his Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez. Persons who do these things do them for reasons of power, not sex, and they typically dont just do them once. Kavanaugh is denying this allegation as he did the first one, by Christine Blasey Ford. If they accusations are true, one thing Kavanaughs behavior did was drive more than one woman into the field of psychology so that she could help victims of sexual abuse.

I cannot know the truth of the matter with absolute certainty, though Im inclined to believe the two womenall the more so because there are now two. I think it is worth pointing out that the entire process whereby Trump became a celebrity, was elected president, and put Kavaugh forward was itself deeply entangled with practices of sexual predation toward women. I love and respect reporters, and have been one, so I understand the pressure of the deadline and the focus on the last five minutes. But I havent seen anyone lay out the historical concatenation of sexual abuse that brought us to this dark moment.

It is amazing to me the way some reporters write about Donald Trumps smearing of Christine Blasey Ford, in which he said on Twitter Friday that surely she reported the attempted rape to the police. I have not seen one piece of written or television journalism that points out that Trump is himself a serial sexual predator who has openly admitted to groping strange women, under the impression that they let you get away with it. Except that some dont and then you have to pay them to be quiet. Those who do, dont want the damage to their reputations, or to relive trauma or to risk a billionaire suing them for libel, with a battery of highly paid shysters.

Trump has no credibility to intervene in this matter. Yet just because the Electoral College anointed him despite the popular vote, he is accorded the respect of being taken seriously.

Indeed, what is remarkable about the ugly battle over Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination is how involved sexual predators have been in it.

1. There is Trump himself, who according to the testimony of his victims would try to put his hand up the skirt of random strangers, touching their vagina.

Kristin Anderson is accusing Donald Trump of reaching up her skirt at a New York club

Another victim, Jessica Leeds, was sitting next to him on an airplanes, and admitted she was kind of interested in being spontaneously kissed by the wealthy and good-looking Trump, but his hand up the skirt made her change her airplane seat. In other instances he just locked lips with women in the street, who did not welcome it. Trump has a fair number of accusers, who have been silenced either through threats or pay-offs. And the powerful, intrepid US press lets him get away with attacking Dr. Ford why?

Trump, moreover, nominated Kavanaugh precisely in order to reestablish mens control over womens bodies through the repeal of Roe v. Wade. Trump told Chris Matthews and no one brings this up that there has to be punishment for women who have abortions. Arranging for criminalizing a womans choice and setting women up for jail terms is exactly what the Kavanaugh nomination was about. Not because Trump cares, but because he wants to please his base so as to get a second term, or, perhaps, a dictatorship for life.

2. Mark Burnett, executive producer of The Apprentice at NBC kept renewing Trumps contract, which was in some years very highly rated, even though he must have witnessed Trumps use of sexual innuendo, inappropriate comments, and racial slurs over several years. He created Trump as a national celebrity for his corporations bottom line despite what was almost certainly intimate knowledge of women being mistreated.

Variety reported in May, A former contestant on Donald Trumps reality competition The Apprentice has subpoenaed footage from the show, according to a report. Summer Zervos, who has accused Trump of unwanted groping and kissing, is seeking any footage from the show . . .

Rumors are rife on social media that Ronen Farrow has some Apprentice outtakes of Trump that are damning.

Burnett may be a perfect gentleman in his personal life, and may not have choked Tom Arnold at the Emmys, but you cant wallow with Trump for years on end without coming up smelling like a swine.

3. Trump was given to us in some large part by NBC, CBS, CNN, Fox and the other giant media conglomerates. In Michael Moores excellent new documentary, Fahrenheit 11/9, he shows Les Moonves, the head of CBS, glowing about how good the Trump presidential bid and presidency has been for media corporations like his. He admits it might not be good for the country, but is clearly delighted at the impact on the bottom line. CNN and MSNBC and Fox routinely turned their airwaves over to Trump at 7:30 pm every night in the summer and fall of 2016, something they did not do for Hillary Clinton or indeed for anyone in history.

Les Moonves in particular was probably not bothered by Trumps history of sexual predation, since he had one of his own, exposed by Ronen Farrow and brave women who came forward. So a sexual predator helped give us a sexual predator.

4. Vladimir Putin admitted at Helsinki that he backed Trump, and the St. Petersburg troll farms were ordered by Putin to try to put Trump in by suppressing the Democratic vote (hence the Facebook ad attacks on Hillary Clinton as being responsible for the incarceration of a million African-Americans, being a Muslim Brotherhood asset, etc.)

Putin isnt exactly a feminist, and would not have scrupled to back Trump just because he is a serial sexual predator. When Moshe Katsav, president of Israel 2000-2007, was accused of being a serial rapist (for which he later went to jail), Putin joked about it. Kommersant reported that when Putin met Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert in the wake of the scandal, Putin had been unimpressed by Katsav until then. Putin exclaimed, He turns out to be a really powerful guy! He raped 10 women! He is said to have added, We all envy him.Russia to supply Syria with S-300 missile system Following downing of Russian aircraft

(ANSAmed) - MOSCOW, SEPTEMBER 24 - The Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday that Russia will deliver an S-300 missile system to Syria within the next two weeks.



The delivery was previously suspended at Israel's request, as a response to the downing of the Russian Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft during an Israeli airstrike in Syria.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the provision of the S-300 system to Syria is to "protect Russian soldiers" and is not a hostile act towards "third countries".



Peskov said the downing of the aircraft "undermines relations between Russia and Israel".



"According to our military experts, this tragedy (the downing of the Il-20) was provoked by intentional actions by Israeli pilots, which certainly can't do anything other than damage our relations," Peskov said.



"The most important thing is that it forces us to adopt further measures to ensure the safety of our soldiers in Syria," he said.



Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu said Russia "will block satellite navigation devices, radar, and communications systems used by war aircraft in the areas of the Mediterranean Sea off the Syrian coasts". (ANSAmed).



VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sabina Gold & Silver Corp (SBB.T), (Sabina or the Company) is pleased to announce that the Nunavut Water Board (NWB) has provided a positive decision for the Type A Water License for the 100%-owned Back River Gold Project (Back River or the Project) in Nunavut, Canada.

On August 9, 2018, the Company completed its final public hearing with the NWB and related intervenors. On September 21, 2018, the Company received a copy of the NWBs recommendation to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Northern Affairs and Internal Trade (Minister) that the Projects Type A Water License should be issued with proposed terms and conditions.

Receipt of the Type A Water License represents a key step in the environmental permitting process and will enable activities at site including mine construction and operations and sets the closure bonding amounts for the project moving forward. The Type A Water License includes development of the Umwelt Open Pit and Underground, as well as the Llama and Goose Main Open Pits as envisioned in the current development plans. The Type A Water License also includes the ability to develop the Llama and Goose Main Undergrounds as well as the Echo Open Pit and Underground should we choose to do so in the future.

The Nunavut Waters and Nunavut Surface Rights Tribunal Act provides the Minister with 45 days to review and respond on the NWBs recommendation. If no comment is received from the Minister within this time period, the recommendation is deemed approved and the NWB may then issue the Type A Water License. In the event that the Minister requires additional time to review and respond to the file, a 45 day extension may be requested of the NWB.

This is another major de-risking milestone under our belts, said Bruce McLeod, President & CEO The Type A Water License is a critical permit to enable operations at the Project, yet it also enables us to continue to do the pre-development activities required to advance the proposed Goose Mine. This positive recommendation is the culmination of significant environmental work by our team and we look forward to receiving the license by the end of Q4/2018. In addition, we continue with our exploration efforts at the Project, following up on our recently announced Navuyuk discovery and continue to de-risk the Project with prudent capital allocation.

While the Type A Water License is the final significant License to be received, several other permits and work authorizations are also required including federal land leases and navigation protection approvals which are expected in Q4/2018, a Letter of Authorization from Fisheries and Oceans Canada for the Companys fishery offset program expected in Q2/2019 as well as a Schedule 2 listing under the Metals and Diamond Mines Effluent Regulations for the Companys tailing storage facility, expected in H1/2020.

Sabina Gold & Silver Corp.

Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. is well-financed with approximately C$62.4 million in cash and equivalents and is an emerging precious metals company with district scale, advanced, high grade gold assets in one of the worlds newest, politically stable mining jurisdictions: Nunavut, Canada.

Sabina released a Feasibility Study on its 100% owned Back River Gold Project which presents a project that has been designed on a fit-for purpose basis, with the potential to produce ~200,000 ounces a year for ~11 years with a rapid payback of 2.9 years (see Technical Report for the Initial Project Feasibility Study on the Back River Gold Property, Nunavut, Canada dated October 28, 2015) (the Study). At a US$1,150 gold price and a 0.80 (US$:C$) exchange rate, the Study delivers a potential after tax internal rate of return of approximately 24.2% with an initial CAPEX of $415 million.

The Project received its final Project Certificate on December 19, 2017. The Project is now in the final permitting and licensing phase with a Type A Water License expected by the end of 2018.

In addition to Back River, Sabina also owns a significant silver royalty on Glencores Hackett River Project. The silver royalty on Hackett Rivers silver production is comprised of 22.5% of the first 190 million ounces produced and 12.5% of all silver produced thereafter.

For further information please contact:

Nicole Hoeller, Vice-President, Communications: 1 888 648-4218

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (the forward-looking statements), including our belief as to the extent, results and timing of permitting and licensing outcomes. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the future circumstances, outcomes or results anticipated in or implied by such forward-looking statements will occur or that plans, intentions or expectations upon which the forward-looking statements are based will occur. While we have based these forward-looking statements on our expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee that such future events will occur and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and assumptions include, among others, the effects of general economic conditions, commodity prices, changing foreign exchange rates and actions by government and regulatory authorities and misjudgments in the course of preparing forward-looking statements. In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Known risk factors include risks associated with exploration and project development; the need for additional financing; the calculation of mineral resources and reserves; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in metal prices; title matters; government regulation; obtaining and renewing necessary licenses and permits; environmental liability and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain of our officers or directors; the absence of dividends; currency fluctuations; labour disputes; competition; dilution; the volatility of the our common share price and volume; future sales of shares by existing shareholders; and other risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Back River Project and general risks associated with the mineral exploration and development industry described in our Annual Information Form, financial statements and MD&A for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2017 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We are under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. This news release has been authorized by the undersigned on behalf of Sabina Gold & Silver Corp.HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Contango ORE, Inc. (CORE or the Company) (OTCQB: CTGO) is pleased to announce that Peak Gold, LLC (the Peak Gold Project), a joint venture between the Companys wholly owned subsidiary CORE Alaska, LLC (CORE Alaska) and Royal Alaska, LLC (Royal Alaska), a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Gold Inc, has received its Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of its Main Peak and North Peak resource areas near Tok, Alaska. The PEA presents a robust open pit mining operation with attractive economics at base case gold and silver prices. All results presented herein are on a 100% Peak Gold basis.

PEA Highlights

Highlights of the PEA results, assuming base case metal price parameters of US$ 1,250 per ounce of gold and US$ 17.00 per ounce of silver include:

Pre-tax NPV5% of US$ 393 million and IRR of 37.0%;

After-tax NPV5% of US$ 283 million and IRR of 29.1%;

Mine life of eight years with a 24-month pre-production period;

9.3 million tonnes processed at an average grade of 3.99 g/t gold and 11.7 g/t silver;

Average metallurgical recoveries of 91.6% for gold and 57.0% for silver;

Life of mine recovered gold of 1.093 million ounces and 1.996 million ounces of silver;

Life of mine strip ratio of 3.9 tonnes of waste to tonnes of material processed;

Life of mine total cash cost of US$ 428 per ounce of gold recovered, and US$ 470 per ounce of gold recovered including sustaining capital;

Life of mine capital cost of US$ 340 million, consisting of US$ 294 million of initial development capital, and sustaining capital and closure costs of US$ 46 million; and

After-tax payback period for initial development capital of approximately 2 years.

The PEA was prepared by JDS Energy and Mining Inc. (JDS), of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Brad Juneau, the Companys CEO said, This first PEA pertains only to Peak Golds Main Peak and North Peak resource areas. The robust economic returns are a result of the deposits high grade, low strip ratio, shallow depth of the resource, and access to infrastructure. Establishing an economic project in the Peak area is a great start to realizing the ultimate value of Peak Golds assets which include a large acreage position outside of the Peak area with significant exploration potential. Royal Gold will be making a presentation on the Preliminary Economic Assessment at the Denver Gold Forum on Monday, September 24, 2018, which will be available on the companys website at www.contangoore.com by Tuesday, September 25, 2018.

PEA Overview

The PEA considers a conventional truck and shovel open-pit mining operation covering the North, Main and West Peak deposits, feeding a 3,500 tonne per day processing plant with two-stage crushing, grinding and a carbon in leach (CIL) recovery circuit, with production of gold-silver dore bullion on site. The PEA is based on an update of the mineral resource1 estimate for the Peak and North Peak deposits previously announced by CORE in our June 2, 2017 press release.2

PEA Parameters and Economic Results

The main parameters and results of the PEA are summarized in the following table:

Assumptions Gold price $/ounce $1,250 Silver price $/ounce $17.00 Production Profile Mine life years 8 Total tonnes milled million tonnes 9.3 Diluted gold grade g/t 3.99 Diluted silver grade g/t 11.7 Mill throughput t/day 3,500 Gold recovery % 91.6 Silver recovery % 57.0 Recovered gold million ounces 1.093 Recovered silver million ounces 1.996 Average annual gold production ounces/year 136,700 Average annual silver production ounces/year 249,500 Operating Costs Life of mine average total cash cost $/oz gold 428 Life of mine cash cost + sustaining cost $/oz gold 470 Capital Costs Pre-production capital cost $ million 294 Sustaining capital cost + Closure $ million 46 Project Economics Royalties % of NSR 5.75 Alaska State Tax / Federal Tax % 9.4% / 21% Pre-Tax: NPV5% $ million 393 IRR % 37.0 Payback period years 1.5 Post-Tax: NPV5% $ million 283 IRR % 29.1 Payback period years 2.0

Economic Sensitivities

Sensitivity of the estimated post-tax NPV5% to changes to significant value drivers is shown below:

Parameter

varied: Post-Tax NPV5% ($ million) -20% -10% PEA Base

Case +10% +20% Gold price 129 206 283 358 433 Capital cost 348 315 283 250 217 Operating cost 327 305 283 260 236

Mineral Resource

The PEA is based on the resource estimate prepared by Independent Mining Consultants, Inc. and reported by CORE on June 2, 2017. The resource estimate was updated using operating costs, pit slope estimates and metal recoveries consistent with the PEA parameters in September of 2018, resulting in a revised resource estimate, which is summarized in the table below:

Resource

Classification Tonnes Grade Contained Metal (000) Gold

(g/t) Silver

(g/t) Copper

(%) Gold

(000

ounces) Silver

(000

ounces) Copper

(M lb) Measured (M) 473 6.39 16.71 .148 97.1 254.0 1.5 Indicated (I) 8,728 3.96 14.06 .153 1,110.9 3,944.8 29.5 Total M + I 9,201 4.08 14.19 .153 1,208.1 4,198.8 31.0 Inferred 1,344 2.69 16.06 .151 116.4 694.1 4.5

The estimates of measured and indicated resources assumed metal prices of $1,400 per ounce gold and $20.00 per ounce silver for development of the pit shell. The cutoff grades used to define resources were 0.74 g/t gold equivalent for the Main Peak deposit and 0.66 g/t gold equivalent for the North Peak deposit.

Capital Costs

The PEA is based on a capital cost summary with an estimated accuracy of +/- 30%, which is shown in the table below:

Capital Item Pre-Production

($ million) Sustaining

($ million) Total

($ million) Mining 28.8 9.1 37.9 Site Development 4.9 - 4.9 Crushing and Reclaim 8.5 0.5 9.0 Tailings Management 8.9 20.3 29.2 Processing Plant 54.8 2.5 57.3 Infrastructure 56.3 5.0 61.3 Project Indirects 45.0 0.1 45.1 Engineering and Project Management 16.1 - 16.1 Owners Costs 21.5 - 21.5 Subtotal 244.8 37.4 282.2 Contingency 49.0 - 49.0 Closure - 8.4 8.4 Total Capital 293.8 45.8 339.6

Pre-production capital reflects the required investment to develop the Project through to production. Sustaining capital is for the entire life of mine and includes equipment, spare parts, expansion of the tailings management facility, water management and closure costs.

Mining

The PEA assumes conventional open pit truck and shovel mining, and production designed to achieve a processing rate of 3,500 tonnes per day. The average mining rate assumed by the PEA is 15,000 tonnes per day of total material mined, with a maximum of 22,000 tonnes per day occurring in years 3 through 6.

The mine design assumed by the PEA will consist of two pits, with a mining sequence intended to maximize grade in the early years, reduce stripping requirements and maintain the processing facility at full production capacity. Operations would begin at the North Peak deposit and transition in year three to a single pit comprising the Main and West Peak deposits for the remainder of the mine life.

The primary owner-operated diesel mine fleet is designed to consist of 64 tonne capacity haul trucks, 7.0 m3 front shovels, a 7.0 m3 front end loader and 127 mm diameter drills. The ancillary mine fleet would consist of track dozers, graders, wheel dozers and water trucks.

Processing

The PEA assumes mineralized material would be processed using a two-stage crushing circuit, a two-stage grinding circuit, and a CIL circuit. Run of mine material would be fed to a primary jaw crusher, after which oversize material would be fed to a secondary cone crusher. Fine mill feed would report to a primary rod mill to be mixed with cyanide, cement and milk of lime. The feed mixture would then proceed to a secondary ball mill, after which it would enter a grinding thickener followed by a five-stage leach/adsorption circuit. Gold and silver would be recovered from the leach solution and smelted in an induction furnace to produce dore bullion.

The PEA assumes CIL tailings would be pumped to a tailings thickener to remove process water and recover free cyanide for reuse in the plant. Thickened tailings would be detoxified and then pumped to the tailings management facility (TMF) for storage. The TMF would be lined with a synthetic geomembrane liner and would have foundation and underdrain systems to minimize and control potential seepage. The tailings embankment would be raised continuously over the mine life and would be designed to allow capacity for future expansion, if required.

Project Infrastructure

The PEA assumes general infrastructure for the Project would support operations on a 24 hour per day, seven day per week basis. Major infrastructure items would include:

Site access road connecting to the Tetlin Village road and the Alaska Highway, with upgrades to the existing site access road over a 10-kilometer distance;

Haul roads for waste and mill feed materials sized to accommodate 65 tonne trucks;

Maintenance, warehouse, administration, laboratory, security and first aid buildings;

Plant facilities, including the crushing and grinding circuit, conveying equipment, and refinery;

Ancillary facilities, including a truck shop, explosives storage and fuel storage;

Power line from Delta Junction to a site substation (approximately 160 kilometers) to supply a total connected load of 8 MW;

Camp accommodations in Tok for the portion of the workforce that does not come from Tok, Tetlin and the surrounding areas;

Water supply and management system to minimize water discharge from the site;

Lined TMF, constructed with an initial capacity for two years of tailings, with staged construction in subsequent years to increase storage capacity as required; and

Waste rock storage areas to allow segregation of waste depending on its characteristics.

Operating Costs

The PEA is based on assumed life of mine operating costs by activity area, as shown in the table below.

Operating Costs $/tonne Processed $/ounce Gold Mining 14.91 127 Processing 21.58 184 G&A 7.73 66 Royalties 8.58 73 Refining 1.10 9 By-product Credits (3.64) (31) Total Cash Cost 50.26 428 Sustaining Capital + Closure 4.92 42 Cash Cost + Sustaining Capital 55.18 470

Under the mineral lease for the Project, Peak Gold would pay a production royalty based on net returns of mineral production from the lease area. The production payment rates under the lease for precious metals are currently 2.25% of net returns for the first four years of production, 3.25% of net returns for years five through seven inclusive, and 4.25% of net returns for year eight and any following years. These royalty rates can be increased at the option of the royalty holder to 3.0%, 4.0% and 5.0%, respectively, with the payment of an additional $150,000, $300,000 and $400,000 to Peak Gold for each respective royalty period, before July 15, 2020.

In addition, Peak Gold would pay a royalty to Royal Gold at a rate of 3.0% of net smelter returns on mineral production from the lease area underlying the project considered in the PEA.

Permitting

Peak Gold holds the required permits and approvals to continue exploring the areas comprising the Project. The collection of baseline water quality data, material characterization analysis and wetlands determination has progressed since 2012. A more comprehensive baseline data collection program is being contemplated for 2019.

Project Enhancement Opportunities

Several opportunities have been identified that could enhance the project considered by the PEA, including:

Expansion of the mine through delineation or development of additional mineral resources;

Pit slope steepening to improve the assumed waste to mill feed strip ratio;

Optimization of the assumed mine plan and development schedule; and

Potential recovery of copper.

The results of the PEA are preliminary in nature and are based on various assumptions. These assumptions may be affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, market or other relevant factors, including changes in metal prices. In addition, no decision has been made by Peak Gold to proceed with the mine plan described in the PEA. A decision to proceed with the mine plan would require further economic study. No decision has been made by Peak Gold to proceed with a further economic study. Accordingly, there is no certainty that the results of the PEA would be realized should Peak Gold decide to proceed with the mine plan described in the PEA at any point in the future.

ABOUT PEAK GOLD

Peak Gold is a joint venture between Royal Alaska and CORE Alaska, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CORE. Peak Gold holds a 675,000 acre lease with the Native Village of Tetlin and an additional 175,000 acres of State of Alaska mining claims, all located near Tok, Alaska, on which Peak Gold explores for minerals. CORE Alaska holds a 60% membership interest in Peak Gold and Royal Alaska holds a 40% membership interest in Peak Gold and is the manager of the joint venture. Royal Gold also holds a 13.2% equity interest in CORE, and royalties of 3.0% of net smelter returns on mineral production from the lease and certain State of Alaska mining claims held by Peak Gold and 2.0% of net smelter returns from certain other State of Alaska mining claims held by Peak Gold.

ABOUT CORE

CORE is a Houston-based company that engages in the exploration in Alaska for gold and associated minerals through Peak Gold, its joint venture company with Royal Alaska. Additional information can be found on our web page at www.contangoore.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding CORE that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor forward-looking statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, based on COREs current expectations and includes statements regarding future results of operations, quality and nature of the asset base, the assumptions upon which estimates are based and other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, strategies or statements about future events or performance (often, but not always, using words such as expects, projects, anticipates, plans, estimates, potential, possible, probable, or intends, or stating that certain actions, events or results may, will, should, or could be taken, occur or be achieved). Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those, reflected in the statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: the risks of the exploration and the mining industry (for example, operational risks in exploring for, developing mineral reserves; risks and uncertainties involving geology; the speculative nature of the mining industry; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to future production, costs and expenses; the volatility of natural resources prices, including prices of gold and associated minerals; the existence and extent of commercially exploitable minerals in properties acquired by Peak Gold; potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the interpretation of exploration results and the estimation of mineral resources; the loss of key employees or consultants; health, safety and environmental risks and risks related to weather and other natural disasters); uncertainties as to the availability and cost of financing; inability to realize expected value from acquisitions; inability of our management team to execute its plans to meet its goals; and the possibility that government policies may change or governmental approvals may be delayed or withheld, including the inability to obtain any mining permits. Additional information on these and other factors which could affect Peak Golds exploration program or financial results are included in COREs other reports on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from the projections in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management at the time the statements are made. CORE does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or managements estimates or opinions change.

________________________

1 The PEA was prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). CORE is not subject to regulation by Canadian regulatory authorities and no Canadian regulatory authority has reviewed the PEA or passed upon its accuracy or compliance with NI 43-101. The terms mineral resource, measured mineral resource, indicated mineral resource and inferred mineral resource as used in the resource estimate, the PEA and this press release are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance with NI 43-101; however, these terms are not defined terms under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions (SECs) Industry Guide 7 and are normally not permitted to be used in reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. The estimation of measured resources and indicated resources involves greater uncertainty as to their existence and the legal and economic feasibility of extraction than the estimation of proven and probable reserves. Conversion of mineral resources to proven and probable mineral reserves generally requires a further economic study, such as a preliminary feasibility study. The PEA is not a preliminary feasibility study and does not support an estimate of proven and probable mineral reserves. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists or is economically or legally mineable. Investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. In addition, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute mineral reserves as in-place tonnage of mineralized material and grade without reference to unit amounts of metal.

2 The Main Peak and West Peak deposits were previously referred to as the Peak deposit in the June 2, 2017 resource estimate.Vancouver, BC / TheNewswire / September 24, 2018 - NORTEC MINERALS CORP. (the "Company" or "Nortec") (TSXV: NVT): Further to the press releases dated September 20 and August 9, 2018, Nortec announces a new gold discovery from the company's RAB (rotary air blast) drilling program on the TOM 2 South Target. TOM 2 South is located approximately 4 kilometres southeast of TOM 1 North Target (Figure 1). RAB holes returned highly significant gold values of 39m @ 0.7g/t from 3m from surface including 9m @ 1.1g/t from 27m, 18m @ 0.5g/t from surface, 10m @ 0.6g/t from surface and 6m @ 1.5g/t from surface including 7.42g/t from 0m to 1m (see Figures 2 & 3).

This work also confirms the great potential of the Tomboko Exploration Project to host significant Gold zones.



Figure: Location map, TOM 1 North and TOM 2 South Targets, Tomboko Exploration Project, Guinea

Mohan Vulimiri comments, "This RAB drilling program confirmed the excellent potential of the Tomboko project to host several mineralized zones. The Company will continue detailed exploration to define and delineate TOM 1 and TOM 2 targets, and exploration on other geochemical anomalies. Dr. Serigne Dieng, Ph.D., AusIMM. has determined that the Tomboko Project has all the signatures to host significant gold zones. Dr. Dieng has extensive experience in the study of structural controls and modes of occurrence of gold deposits in West Africa."

Dr. Dieng is a registered qualified professional geoscientist in accordance with NI 43-101 and JORC standards.



Figure 2: RAB Drilling details, TOM 2 South Target (detailed legend in Figure 1)



Figure 3: 1000N Cross Section and Plan View Map, TOM 2 South Target (detailed legend in Figure 1)

Conclusions & Recommendations

The preliminary RAB drilling program carried out as a follow-up of the termite mound geochemical gold anomalies returned very significant results. The mineralization appears to be open along strike to the North and down dip (Figure 3). Systematic RC drilling is required to test the extensions of the gold mineralization along strike and down-dip along with confirmation diamond core drilling to determine the host rocks and structural controls of mineralization.

For quality control, RAB samples were logged in detail, split into 2 kg to 3 kg samples and analysed by SGS Labs. A duplicate, a blank and a standard were inserted every 10th sample for quality control. Samples are processed by Fire Assay with A.A. finish under the SGS FAA505 protocol. The RAB, rock and termite mound samples were analysed by SGS Labs, an accredited laboratory in Bamako, Mali.

Mohan R. Vulimiri, M.Sc., P. Geo, CEO, Director and Michael Collins, B. Sc. (Honours), P. Geo. Director are Qualified Persons as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Vulimiri and Mr. Collins have approved the corporate and technical content contained in this press release.

About Nortec Minerals Corp.

Nortec is a mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Nortec is earning an 80% interest in the Tomboko project located in Northeastern Guinea, West Africa.

The Company also has a 20% interest in the Tammela Lithium and Gold Project in South-West Finland. Sunstone has completed more than 3,000 meters diamond drilling on the Kietyonmaki Lithium prospect and the Satulinmaki and Riukka gold prospects that comprise the Tammela Project.

Detailed information on the Company's projects have been posted on the Company's website www.nortecminerals.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, Nortec Minerals Corp. "Mohan R. Vulimiri" Mohan R. Vulimiri, CEO and Chairman

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept the responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This press release contains certain forward looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, delays and uncertainties not under the Company's control which may cause actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from the results, performances or expectations implied by these forward looking statements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States.Piloting and Bulk Samples On Its Way

MONTREAL, Sept. 24, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - SRG Graphite Inc. (TSXV: SRG) ("SRG" or the "Company") announces today that SGS Canada (Lakefield) ("SGS") was selected for metallurgical testwork, flowsheet validation, piloting testwork, and bulk concentrate production for the Lola Graphite Project in Guinea, West Africa. Metallurgical testwork began a month ago, and bulk concentrate production is set to begin in the coming weeks.

The Lola Project Team putting the 200 tonnes of mineralized material on the truck towards the Conakry port.

The testwork is conducted on a 1.5-tonne representative sample of mineralized material from the deposit, under the supervision of Oliver Peters of Metpro and Volodymyr Liskovych of DRA. This testwork will be completed by the end of Q4 2018, and its results will be key inputs in the process design for the Lola graphite plant.

An additional 200 dry tonnes of mineralized material from the deposit is currently on its way to SGS for concentrate production. Once produced, several tonnes of graphite concentrate will be available to the Company, ready for shipment to prospective clients as part of its sales strategy. Intermediate concentrate will also be produced and sent to suppliers as part of the vendor tests to further increase confidence in the equipment selected in the feasibility study. The 200 dry tonnes of mineralized material departed Guinea, via ship, in early September and is estimated to arrive in Lakefield by late October.

"We are extremely pleased to see that everything is going according to plan," said Raphael Beaudoin, P.Eng., VP Operations, Metallurgy and Process Design. "The testwork is essential to the completion and validation of the process design. Furthermore, successful concentrate production will increase confidence in our flowsheet design. Both activities go towards completing our feasibility study on time."

ABOUT SGS CANADA (LAKEFIELD)

SGS Canada began in 1948 as a specialist provider of services for the agricultural industry. Today, their operations across Canada have rapidly evolved into a highly technical service provision and are known across the world for excellence in exploration and mining.

ABOUT SRG

SRG is a Canadian-based company focused on developing mineral deposits located in the Republic of Guinea, West Africa. SRG is committed to operating in a socially, environmentally, and ethically responsible manner.

For additional information, please visit SRG's website at www.srggraphite.com.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All material contained herein that is not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information, including references to the plans and project of the Company, such as proceeding with production at the Company's Lola Project or proceeding with exploration activities on its permits, including Lola and Gogota. Generally, such forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology and phrases or can state that certain actions, events, or results "expect," "may," "could," "would," or "might." Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is given as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect SRG's operations and financial results are included in reports on file with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com).VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Luminex Resources Corp. (TSXV: LR) (the Company or Luminex) is pleased to announce the signing of a formal earn-in and joint venture agreement (the Earn-In Agreement) with a subsidiary of the Anglo American plc group (Anglo American) relating to Pegasus A, Pegasus B and Luz concessions in Ecuador (the Properties). Anglo American has the right to earn a 60% ownership interest in a joint venture company indirectly holding the Properties if it invests an aggregate amount of US$50 million and makes US$7.3 million of cash payments over a seven year period.

Anglo American will have the right to earn an additional 10% ownership interest in the joint venture company (the Fourth Earn-in) by sole funding all the required work up to a decision to construct a mine at the Properties, taking Anglo Americans aggregate ownership to 70%. Post the completion of the Fourth Earn-in, Luminex will be responsible for funding its 30% pro rata share of any capital required to develop and construct a mine at the Properties (or a 40% pro rata share, if Anglo American does not exercise the right to acquire the additional 10%).

Pursuant to the terms of the Earn-In Agreement, Anglo American will pay US$1.3 million due upon signing the Earn-In Agreement to Lumina Gold Corp. (Lumina), along with the reimbursement of expenses totaling approximately US$0.3 million to Lumina and Luminex. All future cash payments associated with the Earn-in Agreement will be made to Luminex.

These terms and others announced in the March 26, 2018 Lumina press release relating to the non-binding letter of intent remain substantially unchanged from those described therein.

Preparations are underway to continue exploration activities on the Properties with Anglo American acting as manager and operator. Subject to permitting, Anglo American plans on flying an airborne magnetic ZTEM survey over the concessions during the first year of the agreement.

About Luminex Resources

Luminex Resources Corp. is a Vancouver, Canada based precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on gold and copper projects in Ecuador. Luminexs Condor Gold-Copper project is located in Zamora-Chinchipe Province, southeast Ecuador. Luminex also holds a large and highly prospective land package in Ecuador consisting of approximately 100 thousand hectares.

Further details are available on the Companys website at https://luminexresources.com/.

LUMINEX RESOURCES CORP. For further information contact: Signed: Marshall Koval Scott Hicks This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Marshall Koval, CEO and Director T: +1 604 646 1899

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to future payments to be made by Anglo, and plans to conduct an airborne magnetic ZTEM survey. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as will, plans or variations of that word and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results will be taken, occur or be achieved.

With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions, the prices of gold and copper, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.

Although management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the business of the Company; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions (including with respect to the tonnage, grade and recoverability of reserves and resources); risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk and social unrest; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; changes in laws (including regulations respecting mining concessions); and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in the Companys continuous disclosure documents filed with Canadian securities administrators. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Copper Corp. (TSX: NCU) ("Nevada Copper" or the Company) is pleased to announce results from 19 holes in and near the open pit project (the Open Pit Project) which is located 4km from the Companys underground mine, both situated at its 100% owned Pumpkin Hollow copper project (Pumpkin Hollow). All of the 19 holes have hit copper mineralization, with 9 holes hitting high-grade mineralization, including hole NC18-22, located outside of the current pit limits, which intercepted 6.9 meters true thickness averaging 4.12% copper between 175.7m and 187.0m. In total, 26 holes were drilled during the 2018 Open Pit Project expansion work program and the results indicate a new high-grade zone, new lenses of mineralization and the continued success of the waste-to-ore conversion program. None of these holes were included in the recent preliminary economic assessment (PEA) study (see news release dated September 10, 2018). These 26 holes will be included in the upcoming pre-feasibility (PFS) study anticipated Q1, 2019 and have the potential to enhance the size and economics of the Open Pit Project.

Results Highlights

A total of 26 Holes over 9,800 meters have been drilled this year, including 19 New Mineralized Drill Holes: All 26 holes encountered multiple zones of mineralization. Results include: Hole NC18-06 intersected 9.2 meters true thickness averaging 1.09% copper Hole NC18-14 intersected 13.0 meters true thickness averaging 2.42% copper Hole NC18-23 intersected 29.4 meters true thickness averaging 0.71% copper, including 5.7 meters true thickness averaging 2.60% copper.

All 26 holes encountered multiple zones of mineralization. Results include: Demonstrates potential for waste to ore conversion and upgrading of inferred-category ore: The program intersected strong mineralization in the Northern Extension target area outside and within the walls of the Open Pit Project mine plan that have been classified as waste rock. It also targeted areas classified as inferred category ore with the goal of upgrading to indicated category. Converting the waste rock may reduce stripping costs and extend the ore body.

The program intersected strong mineralization in the Northern Extension target area outside and within the walls of the Open Pit Project mine plan that have been classified as waste rock. It also targeted areas classified as inferred category ore with the goal of upgrading to indicated category. Converting the waste rock may reduce stripping costs and extend the ore body. New High-Grade Zone discovered outside of the existing Open Pit Project 1 boundaries : Three of the holes encountered high-grade mineralization outside of the walls of the existing Open Pit Project plan. Drill hole NC18-19 intersected 9.9 meters true thickness averaging 3.48% copper. NC18-09 also targeted down dip expansion and intersected 28.0 meters true thickness averaging 1.97% copper. The mineralization remains open. The Company intends to further delineate this new zone of high-grade mineralization.

: Three of the holes encountered high-grade mineralization outside of the walls of the existing Open Pit Project plan. Drill hole NC18-19 intersected 9.9 meters true thickness averaging 3.48% copper. NC18-09 also targeted down dip expansion and intersected 28.0 meters true thickness averaging 1.97% copper. The mineralization remains open. The Company intends to further delineate this new zone of high-grade mineralization. Enhancing the Scale and Potential Economics of the Open Pit Project: As outlined in the recent PEA study, the Open Pit Project has the potential for robust economics and the option to expand in stages. Following the dissemination of the PEA technical report, the results of the 26 mineralized drill holes will be included in the resource model of the PFS study, expected Q1, 2019 with the potential to improve the grade and size of the resource estimate.

Matt Gili, President and CEO, of Nevada Copper, commented, We are very encouraged by this extensive set of drilling results, which includes the discovery of a new high-grade zone and new lenses of mineralization. We are also pleased to see the continued, strong progression of our waste-to-ore conversion program. Overall, the success of this program has the potential to improve the size and the economics of the open pit development at Pumpkin Hollow and we look forward to the PFS that is planned for Q1, 2019.

* Cu Equivalent using Cu US$3.10/lb, Au US$1300/oz and Ag US$17/oz; recoveries 89.3%, 67.3% and 57.3% respectively.

Hole # From To Azimuth Dip Length True Length Cu Gold Silver CuEq* (m) (m) (deg) (deg) (m) (m) % (g/t) (g/t) % NC15-18 106.7 115.8 0 -90 9.1 8.6 0.29 0.006 0.6 0.30 239.9 310.9 0 -90 71.0 66.7 0.37 0.045 1.7 0.40 352.0 381.0 0 -90 29.0 27.3 0.37 0.037 1.5 0.39 NC18-03 172.5 263.3 0 -90 90.8 78.6 0.36 0.039 1.3 0.38 283.8 297.5 0 -90 13.7 11.7 0.24 0.029 0.7 0.26 335.3 344.7 0 -90 9.4 8.1 0.15 0.034 0.7 0.17 352.3 358.4 0 -90 6.1 5.3 0.17 0.031 1.1 0.19 419.4 439.2 0 -90 19.8 17.1 0.16 0.024 0.9 0.18 453.9 482.8 0 -90 28.9 25.0 0.22 0.020 1.2 0.24 NC18-06 88.4 99.2 180 -75 10.6 9.2 1.09 0.070 2.4 1.13 150.0 160.8 180 -75 10.8 9.4 0.24 0.024 1.4 0.26 255.5 264.9 180 -75 9.4 8.1 0.71 0.045 3.5 0.75 342.6 350.8 180 -75 8.2 7.1 0.22 0.030 0.9 0.24 431.9 444.7 180 -75 12.8 11.1 0.22 0.018 1.5 0.24 457.9 480.6 180 -75 22.7 19.7 0.39 0.024 1.3 0.41 NC18-09 265.2 304.8 180 -75 39.6 28.0 1.97 0.153 1.3 2.05 320.0 324.6 180 -75 4.6 3.3 0.86 0.021 2.1 0.88 NC18-10 319.3 331.3 180 -75 12.0 7.8 0.80 0.026 0.6 0.82 337.5 343.9 180 -75 6.4 4.2 0.33 0.017 0.4 0.34 NC18-11 136.0 149.4 0 -90 13.4 11.6 0.38 0.012 1.6 0.39 NC18-12 243.9 255.4 180 -80 11.5 10.4 0.84 0.027 1.0 0.86 279.1 283.1 180 -80 4.0 3.6 0.41 0.015 0.7 0.42 299.8 309.0 180 -80 9.2 8.3 0.30 0.016 0.5 0.31 NC18-13 89.9 105.2 0 -90 15.3 9.8 0.35 0.007 1.0 0.36 118.9 129.5 0 -90 10.6 6.8 0.25 0.018 0.3 0.26 332.2 355.3 0 -90 23.1 14.8 0.25 0.003 0.4 0.25 420.6 426.7 0 -90 6.1 3.9 0.66 0.018 1.4 0.68 NC18-14 154.6 173.0 180 -80 18.4 13.0 2.42 0.186 6.6 2.54 345.8 349.5 180 -80 3.7 3.6 0.73 0.029 3.0 0.76 NC18-15 89.9 97.5 0 -90 7.6 5.4 0.26 0.012 1.6 0.27 131.2 159.3 0 -90 28.1 19.9 0.72 0.029 2.2 0.74 205.5 214.0 0 -90 8.5 6.0 0.25 0.014 0.3 0.26 NC18-16 153.9 160.6 180 -80 6.7 6.3 1.97 0.091 3.5 2.03 248.4 254.5 180 -80 6.1 5.7 0.19 0.002 0.4 0.19 NC18-17 254.5 260.9 0 -90 6.4 5.3 0.38 0.017 1.5 0.40 NC18-18 283.9 291.5 0 -90 7.6 5.8 0.18 0.009 0.1 0.18 NC18-19 284.4 297.5 0 -90 13.1 9.9 3.48 0.070 4.7 3.54 309.4 314.0 0 -90 4.6 3.5 0.22 0.008 0.5 0.23 NC18-20 137.8 142.3 0 -90 4.5 4.2 0.19 0.012 1.1 0.20 155.1 160.0 0 -90 4.9 4.6 0.22 0.011 1.2 0.23 NC18-21 172.7 178.5 0 -90 5.8 5.5 0.32 0.017 1.4 0.34 196.5 210.9 0 -90 14.4 13.5 0.53 0.023 1.6 0.55 NC18-22 175.7 188.0 0 -90 12.3 6.9 4.12 0.132 5.6 4.19 195.7 204.7 0 -90 9.0 5.0 0.17 0.013 0.2 0.18 210.9 217.0 0 -90 6.1 3.4 0.27 0.011 1.2 0.28 NC18-23 150.0 188.4 0 -90 38.4 29.4 0.71 0.053 1.0 0.74 including 162.7 170.2 0 -90 7.5 5.7 2.60 0.21 3.6 2.72 NC18-24 156.0 161.4 0 -90 5.4 4.1 0.32 0.014 0.8 0.33 167.3 172.4 0 -90 5.10 3.9 0.24 0.022 0.8 0.25

* Cu Equivalent using Cu US$3.10/lb, Au US$1300/oz and Ag US$17/oz; recoveries 89.3%, 67.3% and 57.3% respectively.

The Importance of the Northern Extension Target Area: Located adjacent to and in the North Pit and covering an area of approximately 26 ha, the Northern Extension Zone was not previously drilled due to the now-completed land transfer process. As a result, the Northern Extension Zone was classified as waste rock or inferred material in the Existing Technical Report. Subsequent field work and analysis has shown the Northern Extension to be a highly-prospective area and the 2018 drilling included a waste-to-ore conversion program which has successfully intersected significant mineralization in this high priority target area.

Whats Upcoming: A new drilling program is expected in H1, 2019 as well as exploration to locate the source of the mineralization at Pumpkin Hollow In addition, a new PFS, encompassing the new drill holes and further expanding on the PEA results, is expected Q1, 2019. The underground mine is expected to commence production in Q4, 2019.

Further details on the Open Pit Project drill program, the Open Pit PEA and the underground mine can be found on the Companys website www.nevadacopper.com.

QA/QC Information: The Company has a QA/QC program in place that monitors the chain-of-custody of samples and includes the insertion of blanks, duplicates, and certified reference standards within each batch of samples. Core is logged, photographed and split in half with one-half retained in a secured facility for verification purposes. Sample preparation (crushing and pulverizing) and analysis has been performed at American Assay Laboratories, Reno Nevada an ISO 17025 and NDEP accredited lab.

About Nevada Copper

Nevada Coppers (TSX: NCU) Pumpkin Hollow project is the only major, shovel-ready and fully-permitted copper project in North America. Located in Nevada, USA, Pumpkin Hollow has substantial reserves and resources including copper, gold and silver.



Its two fully-permitted projects include: the high-grade Pumpkin Hollow underground mine which is already under construction with a view to near-term commencement of copper production; and the Pumpkin Hollow open pit, a large-scale copper deposit which is currently undergoing an optimization program to target a reduced-capex, staged-development approach.

Qualified Persons

The technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Gregory French, P.G., Vice-President, Exploration & Project Development and Robert McKnight, P. Eng., Executive Vice-President and CFO of Nevada Copper, all of whom are Non-independent Qualified Persons within the meaning of NI 43-101.

NEVADA COPPER CORP.

Matt Gili, President and CEO

For further information call:

Rich Matthews,

VP Marketing and Investor Relations

Phone 1-877-648-8266

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

1NI 43-101 Technical Report NI43-101 Technical Report: Pumpkin Hollow Development Options - Pre-feasibility Study 5,000tons/day Underground Project; Feasibility Study for a 70,000 tons/day Open Pit/Underground Project, with an effective date of September 15, 2017 and an amended report date of January 3, 2018 (the Existing Technical Report).

We seek safe harbour.Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2018) - Millennial Lithium Corp. (TSXV: ML) (FSE: A3N2) (OTCQX: MLNLF) ("Millennial" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. John Edward (Jack) Scott, P. Eng, MBA as a Director of the Company.

Mr. Scott is currently Executive Vice President, Major Projects of the Alberici Group and Chief Administrative Officer for Alberici Constructors Ltd. Scott is responsible for major project and market partnerships throughout North America for Alberici, a $US 2 billion, privately-held construction contractor. Jack's prior roles include senior executive positions in publicly-traded companies including Allana Potash Corp. where he was instrumental in the advancement of Allana's Danakhil Potash Project and its subsequent acquisition by Israel Chemicals Ltd.; NaiKun Wind Energy Group Inc. and AGRA Inc. (now part of Wood Group plc). Jack has also held executive roles in public-private, public and private organizations including Advanced Applied Physics Solutions Inc. at TRIUMF, Canada's national particle physics lab; Atomic Energy of Canada Limited; and ADCOM Inc., (now part of TELUS Corporation).

Farhad Abasov, the President and CEO of the Company, comments "We are excited to have Jack Scott join Millennial Lithium as we strengthen our Board with mining, construction and development experience. Jack brings a tremendous expertise in large project financing and construction. I look forward to taking our lithium brine projects in Argentina to the next level of development and Jack will complement our Board and strong technical team in Salta Province in Argentina."

The Company has also issued 72,000 stock options at an exercise price of $1.78 to Mr. Scott. The stock options are exercisable for a period of 5 years from today's date.

The Company also wishes to announce the resignation of Andrew Bowering as a Director. Millennial thanks Mr. Bowering for his efforts and contributions to date and wishes him the best in his future endeavors. Mr. Bowering will continue in an advisory role with Millennial.

To find out more about Millennial Lithium Corp, please contact investor relations at (604) 662-8184 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

MILLENNIAL LITHIUM CORP.

"Farhad Abasov"

President and CEO, Director

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, currency risks including the exchange rate of USD$ for Cdn$, fluctuations in the market for lithium, changes in exploration costs and government royalties or taxes in Argentina and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.On around May 5, 2012, forces of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a rebel group that has been active in eastern DRC for more than 20 years, attacked the village of Lumenje, killing 14 people and torching buildings including houses and a primary school. Nine days later they attacked Kamananga, where some 30 people were murdered, houses were looted and burned. Rafiki Ndayambaje Gilbert and Adolphe Kizito Nizeyimana, who say they are major and colonel respectively in the FDLR, were tried for these crimes by a military tribunal in hearings lasting from August 23 to September 6 in Kalehe, a site near the scene of the crimes between Bukavu and Goma.

The verdict was pronounced on September 21 in Bukavu. The two militia leaders were found guilty of murder and torture as crimes against humanity, looting and burning as war crimes. They were sentenced to life in prison and also ordered to pay considerable sums of money to dozens of victims who were civil parties in this case: 25,000 US dollars to each victim of murder, 15,000 for torture, 10,000 for looting and 5,000 for burning.

But the unprecedented thing about this trial is that for the first time in a Congolese court trying mass crimes audiovisual evidence was presented, notably photos and videos taken with the help of a secure application called Eyewitness to Atrocities. This could create an important precedent in the ways and means of gathering and documenting evidence in the DRC, says Daniele Perissi, head of the DRC programme of Swiss NGO TRIAL International, one of the NGOs that supported victims in this trial. Because photos and videos, especially if they are gathered in a professional way through secure applications, are sometimes the only way for judges to have virtual access to the scene of the crime, especially when the crimes were committed far from where the court is sitting.

Responsibility of the Congolese State

While the victims hail the conviction of their torturers, they are however not fully satisfied. During their arguments, the civil parties requested that the perpetrators and the Congolese State be ordered to pay compensation to victims. They argued that the State had failed in its duty to protect civilians and was therefore civilly responsible. However, this argument was rejected by the judges. What disturbs us is that the Congolese State has not been sanctioned, whereas it should be, because the authorities were aware of the situation and still allowed it to happen, Charles Cubaka Cicura, spokesman for the Collective of Civil Parties Lawyers, told JusticeInfo. It is unacceptable that civilians were killed when it is a constitutional obligation of the State to guarantee the security of people and their property. Even more serious is that, according to some indiscretions by the convicts, at one time the Congolese State actually supplied them with arms and food. It is therefore unjust that the responsibility of the State be ignored.

The reparations challenge

The parties can still appeal. But there is also the thorny problem of compensating the victims. Congolese courts regularly order perpetrators to pay compensation to their victims, but such orders are no guarantee that reparations will actually be paid. The cost of the legal procedures is often way beyond the means of victims, who are mostly poor, and they also face the problem of convicts who cannot pay.

Daniele Perissi urges the Congolese State to provide more resources to the judicial system for reparations to victims. Reparations are a right, not a privilege, he told JusticeInfo. The Congolese State needs to greatly improve its practices in this domain, because it unfortunately remains impossible to obtain compensation from the State in cases of mass crimes, even if there has been a final judgment ordering State compensation to victims.Turkey: arrest warrants against 61 soldiers for 'Gulen ties' Operation in Istanbul, additional 21 suspects detained

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, SEPTEMBER 24 - New operations have been carried out in Turkey against the alleged network of exiled imam Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for a failed coup two years ago. Ankara's prosecutor general on Monday issued 61 arrest warrants against soldiers and navy personnel accused of infiltrating the armed forces on behalf of the organization. At least 18 of the military personnel are reportedly still in active service.



Another operation was also carried out in Istanbul, with 21 suspected members of the organization arrested in 24 different districts. The suspects are accused of recruiting members for the organization by using ByLock, the messaging app used by Gulenists to exchange encrypted information, according to prosecutors. (ANSAmed).



Italian cabinet clears decree an security and migrants Asylum seekers will be stripped of status in case of conviction

(ANSAmed) - ROME, SEPTEMBER 24 - Premier Giuseppe Conte's cabinet on Monday approved a decree that brings together previous legislation on the issues of security and migrants. "I'm happy," Interior Minister and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini said via Twitter.



"It is a step forward towards making Italy safer". The leader of the rightwing League party said the package will stop the asylum requests of convicts and dangerous individuals. "Asylum seekers' applications will be stopped in the case in which there is social dangerousness or a conviction at a first-instance trial," Salvini told a news conference, adding that this mechanism was drafted with the help of "mediation and suggestions". He said the part of the decree that foresees the revocation of citizenship for people convicted of terrorism felonies was "absolute good sense". He also said that the government was aiming to "close all Roma camps by the end of the current parliamentary term".



The 'Salvini decree' on migration and security is made up of 42 articles. The first 16 in the draft that went into Monday's cabinet meeting featured measures regarding the granting of residence permits, international protection status and citizenship.



(ANSAmed).



Spencer Platt/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said she has never heard anyone in President Donald Trump's Cabinet talk about the possibility of trying to remove him from office by means of the 25th Amendment.

Haley was responding to a question from ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on This Week Sunday in light of recent reports that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein suggested last year that he could recruit Cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment.

Rosenstein flatly denied the allegation, saying, "Any suggestion that I have ever advocated for the removal of the President is absolutely false.

The 25th Amendment to the Constitution outlines a process by which the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet can declare a president unable to discharge powers and duties of the office.

Stephanopoulos asked Haley if she had ever been part of any discussion on pursuing the 25th Amendment."

Haley responded, I've never heard it. I don't think that's a reality at all among all of the Cabinet members. I've just never heard that. Thats absurd.

"Im telling you I'm [at the White House] almost every other week," she added. "And I can tell you never has anyone talked about the 25th Amendment. Never has anyone even questioned the president's mental stability.

Haley also looked ahead to the United Nations General Assembly meeting this week in New York, at which Trump will speak.

Haley said Trump will talk about U.S. success stories," including the fact that we have almost defeated ISIS; the fact that were looking at North Korea, whos now at the table talking;" and "the movement of the embassy in Jerusalem, or if you look at Syria and the progress thats starting to be made there."

Stephanopoulos asked the U.N. ambassador about U.S. efforts toward getting North Korea to end its nuclear program.

The leaders of North and South Korea appear to both want the U.S. to take certain actions, such as officially declaring an end to the Korean War.

The two Korean leaders... [seem] to be now demanding reciprocal steps of some kind from the United States, Stephanopoulos said. Is the United States prepared to do anything more now based on what we've seen from North Korea?

George, make no mistake, the reason they came to the table is because those sanctions are suffocating them and they want out, Haley said. And so we're not going to do anything to loosen those sanctions until we make sure that there is no more threat from North Korea.

As to whether Trump might meet again with North Korean Chairman Kim Jong Un, Haley said she thinks Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "needs to have a couple more conversations" with North Korea first.

Trump is scheduled to chair a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday on the topic of Iran and the broader issue of nuclear nonproliferation. In remarks Sept. 20 previewing the U.N. meeting, Haley joked that this would be the most-watched Security Council meeting ever.

Stephanopoulos asked on "This Week" about the possibility of Trump meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

If the president's summit with Kim "seemed to bear fruit with North Korea, why not meet with the Iranian president? Stephanopoulos asked.

Haley said Trump isn't opposed to meeting with Rouhani. The Iranian president hasn't asked. If he asked, I think the president would strongly consider it, she said.

But she added that Rouhani "has to stop all of his bad behavior before the presidents going to think hes serious about wanting to talk.

On NBC's Meet the Press Sunday morning, Pompeo said that the possibility of a meeting between Trump and Rouhani at the United Nations session isnt off the table.

Hes happy to talk with folks at any time, Pompeo said. The presidents been pretty clear about that.

Haley said that "a big part" of Trumps message at the U.N. will be changes to the U.S. policy on foreign aid.=

Were looking at aid and were no longer going to give money to countries that say they hate America or work against us," Haley said. "Were going to start really taking care of our -- the countries that have the same values as us, and were going to build on those relationships.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.ROME - The migrant-rescue vessel Aquarius "will never arrive in Italy", Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said. "We are working with all required lawyers but I can assure all Italians that this ship will never arrive in Italy. I do not want to be an accomplice of human trafficking", he said.



Salvini spoke after a new controversy on immigration, with the Aquarius vessel that saw its Panama flag revoked. Doctors without Borders, which operates the ship together with Sos Mediterranee, has accused Italy of putting pressure on Panama, an allegation denied by the interior ministry.



Salvini warned the Aquarius, the only vessel connected to an NGO still operating in the Mediterranean. "I will report those helping smugglers for aiding illegal immigration", he said.



Traffickers, Salvini added, have resumed working "in cooperation with some NGOs", including the Aquarius, the interior minister claimed, accusing the vessel of "hindering the work of Libyan coast guards, ignoring their indications". "After enduring the same decision made by Gibraltar, it is now about to be cancelled from Panama's naval vessel register".



The process to take away the flag started on September 21.



The Aquarius thus risks becoming a 'pirate' ship.



However, the NGOs have rejected such claims. Over the last 72 hours, they said, the ship helped two vessels at sea and now has 58 people onboard. The team was "shocked" by Panama's announcement "to be forced to revoke the inscription of the Aquarius from its naval registry under the clear economic and political pressure of Italian authorities". The NGOs are essentially accusing Italy of putting pressure on Panama, citing a passage of the communication they received from Panama's authorities.

Police in Maryland say an 11-year-old girl has become the fourth member of her family to die from a shooting rampage by her father, who also killed himself.

The Washington Post reports that Mina Kim died Thursday after being gravely wounded in the shooting Monday at the family's Montgomery County home.

The girl's death leaves only one survivor, a 22-year-old woman who is still hospitalized.

Police say the woman called 911 just after midnight Monday. They said 57-year-old Yong Mun Kim, shot his wife, Sang Yeon Kim, and their two children, Mina and 10-year-old Andy.

Police said he also shot the 22-year-old woman, his stepdaughter, then used his gun to kill himself.101 Shares Share

Increasingly, we see functions executed by machines that were formerly performed by living breathing human beings. Examples range from the mundane to the preternatural.

Order food and drink from an iPad. No server needed.

Driverless auto travel. This may lead to a resurgence in prayer.

Pilotless air travel. Hard times ahead for the Airline Pilots Association.

Making precision tools from 3D printers.

Gourmet meals created with a voice-activated command.

Theater and film productions starring faux actors created on keyboards.

Will artificial intelligence invade the medical arena? The question is only how deeply it will invade. The role of the traditional physician is at risk of being marginalized as computer software hits the profession hard. Sure, computers cannot palpate an abdomen or perform a rectal exam  yet. But they can listen to heart sounds with much greater accuracy than a physician with a stethoscope can. Additionally, as most practicing physicians know, the physical examination is much less useful than the patients medical history, although our medical school teachers and mentors always preached how critical the physicians eyes, ears, and hands were. Most doctors know whats going on most of the time after carefully listening to the patients story, the medical history.

I know that sophisticated computer algorithms can synthesize an individuals personal medical data and generate specific diagnoses, many of which might not have been considered by a human physician. Of course, theres a lot more to being a decent physician than spitting out a list of diagnoses, as we doctors know despite when empowered patients bring us lists of diseases they think they have after spending some time in the Google School of Medicine.

Although artificial intelligence is not a real doctor, it offers an incredible tool for the medical profession to serve the public. For example, if a 50-year-old man who has just returned from rural Kenya comes to see me with diarrhea, a 7-pound weight loss, vision change, fever, and a rash, I may not be able to provide an instantaneous diagnosis. If I could plug the patients profile with his symptoms into a computer program, along with various laboratory features and photograph of the rash and the retina, it might alert me to diagnostic possibilities that are beyond my reach.

Lets say that a machine outperforms me on my medical board certification exam. If you could only see one of us, which of us would you choose?

Michael Kirsch is a gastroenterologist who blogs at MD Whistleblower.

Image credit: Shutterstock.comPaddy and Mary Egan of Tullahought TidyTowns Committee, Killkenny, were today highly commended as SuperValu Community Heroes as the SuperValu Tidy Towns Awards celebrated its 60thanniversary.

Paddy and Mary, who were nominated by local retailer Brian Murphy of SuperValu Carrick-on-Suir, were recognised today at the awards ceremony at the Helix, Dublin for their commitment to making their local community a better place to work and live in.

At the awards ceremony in the Helix, Paddy and Mary, along with other Community Heroes from across the country, received a commendation for their work on their local SuperValu TidyTowns committee.

Commenting on the Community Hero awards, Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu, said, This is the 27th year that SuperValu has sponsored TidyTowns and 2018 is another landmark for the competition, as it celebrates its 60th anniversary with a record number of committees participating.

The SuperValu Community Hero Awards are intended to recognise volunteers whose hard work, dedication and passion make their communities better places to work and live in. This year, the quality of the projects beat all expectations and I would like to congratulate all the Community Heroes on their tremendous achievement.

There was a capacity crowd at the Helix with TidyTowns committees from across the country present for the 60thanniversary awards ceremony. Interest in SuperValu TidyTowns reached record levels this year, with 883 committees participating.

The SuperValu TidyTowns competition is organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development and has been sponsored by SuperValu for 27 years, making it one of Irelands longest-running sponsorships.(CNN)  A dozen crew members on a Swiss cargo ship have been taken hostage after the vessel was attacked by pirates off the coast of Nigeria, according to the company that owns the ship.

Massoel Shipping said in a statement Sunday that the ship, the MV Glarus, was attacked early Saturday while sailing from Lagos to Port Harcourt with a shipment of wheat. The pirates reportedly struck about 45 nautical miles south-southwest of Bonny Island.

"It is understood the pirate gang boarded the Glarus by means of long ladders and cut the razor wire on deck to gain access to the vessel and eventually the bridge," Massoel Shipping said.

"Having destroyed much of the vessel's communications equipment the criminal gang departed taking 12 of the 19 crew complement as hostage."

Noemie Charton, a spokeswoman for Switzerland's foreign ministry, told CNN the ministry was aware of the attack. She also said none of the sailors on board were Swiss, but she was unable to confirm their nationalities.

"The Swiss Maritime Navigation Office of the (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) in Basel is in direct contact with the shipowner," Charton said.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Swiss ship attacked by pirates off Nigerian coast"They are closely monitoring recent developments in financial markets and are ready to take appropriate actions.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) are closely monitoring recent developments in financial markets and are ready to take appropriate actions, if necessary.

New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) are closely monitoring recent developments in financial markets and are ready to take appropriate actions, if necessary, RBI's Chief General Manager, Jose J Kattoor, said on Sunday.

The RBI notification comes in the wake of the recent volatility that has been observed in the financial markets.

Over the past weeks, the Indian Rupee has seen value depreciation against the US dollar, which, in turn, has severely impacted financial market operations in the country.

Even though the value of the rupee showed a slight improvement, the ruling government has been on the receiving end of flak from the Opposition and citizens who were hit by the volatility.

On Friday, the BSE's Sensex plunged 279.62 points to close at 36,841.60, while Nifty closed at 11,143.10 points. Furthermore, sectoral indices closed in red for the fourth consecutive day, causing losses worth lakhs to investors.

Meanwhile, the Indian Rupee, which remained bullish, closed 17 paise higher at Rs. 72.20 against one dollar.One of the most spontaneous actors in the industry, talks about learning the ropes of acting on set ahead of new release.

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol are among most-loved Bollywood on-screen couples of all time.

Mumbai: From understanding the craft of acting to the importance of body language and on-screen chemistry, Kajol learnt the basics of her profession one film at a time over her two decade-long career.

In an interview with PTI, ahead of her upcoming film Helicopter Eela, Kajol, one of the most spontaneous actors in the industry, talks about learning the ropes of acting on set.

The actor lists down three films, her 1992 debut Bekhudi, Udhar Ki Zindagi (1994) and Dushman (1998) as her favourites.

While the first two films may not have been blockbusters, but they helped her grow as an artiste.

"All the films are completely different from 'Bekhudi' to Udhar Ki Zindagi' to 'Dushman' to 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'. There was no connect, but that's what drove me to take up these films as I learnt something new every time as an actor," Kajol says.

Bekhudi, directed by Rahul Rawail, marked Kajol's entry in films, and the actor credits the movie for teaching her the basic essentials of filmmaking, from facing the camera to gaining technical knowledge.

"I learnt so much on that film. Rahul uncle was one of the best teachers in that aspect as far as the nuances were concerned.

"It was one of the first films in which I worked with screenwriter and fashion photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha and make-up artiste Mickey Contractor, they were amazing with me."

The film also has a special place in her heart as her real-life mother Tanuja played her on-screen mom.

Talking about Udhar Ki Zindagi, Kajol says the film was so intense that she suffered from a burnout in "a weird way".

"... I remember having a conversation during 'Baazigar' with Shah Rukh Khan and he told me, I should learn how to act and I was like, 'I am doing so fabulously well'. He told me I need to burn out as an actor, I felt, he talks nonsense sometimes.

"But when I was shooting for 'Udhar Ki Zindagi', I was like, 'I can't do films that are so heavy, it sucks so much out of you'. I did not want to do that anymore."

Kajol remembers discussing with Tanuja that she wanted to do lighter films and not be a part of emotionally draining movies.

"... I (told her) that I want to do films with three songs, three scenes, etc. So I signed up films like 'Hulchul' and 'Gundaraj', among others."

But after taking up a series of light-hearted films, Kajol changed her mind and featured in a hard-hitting film like Dushman. The actor says she had initially rejected the project.

"I had said 'no' to it because I did not want to do a film with a rape scene in it. I didn't want to enact that. I felt it would be difficult for me. I am not comfortable with somebody doing that to me on-screen, even for a shot or whatever," Kajol adds.

But director Tanuja Chandra and producer Pooja Bhatt assured her that they will shoot the scene aesthetically and use a body double.

"They told me they just need one close-up shot, and that they will manage it. They lived up to their promise. When you watch the film, you can't make out. They handled it so well. I am glad I did the film."

The 1998 psychological thriller was well-received by critics, and it was the seventh highest-grossing Hindi film of that year.

It was Dushman that helped Kajol master the art of body language, she says.

"There were two sisters, so you have comparisons against yourself. You had to be better than yourself in a weird way. We had to work towards that, but it was a fabulous learning experience.

"There were so many parts in the film where there were no dialogues. There were lengthy scenes, but at the same time, a lot was established without saying too much. Everything was done in a subtle way."

Kajol says with Karan Johar's directorial debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, she realised the importance of chemistry between co-stars.

"What I realised is that when you have fun off-screen, it translates on screen. Your off-screen equation is conveyed on screen. There is some relatability that comes on screen... You don't know what is it that attracts people," the actor, who featured opposite long-time friend Shah Rukh, says.Irrfan, who won most Best Actor awards this year for Hindi Medium, will have a different film going international.

Irrfan Khan, who starred in and co-produced prominent Bangladeshi director, Mostofa Sarwar Farookis 2017 drama, Doob: No Bed of Roses, has a reason to celebrate as his bilingual film is a contender in the foreign film category at the Oscars. Selected by the Bangladesh Oscar Committee as the official selection from the Eastern country, the film revolves around the life of a renowned filmmaker who creates a scandal in Bangladesh when he leaves his wife to marry his daughters friend. The film premiered at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2017 and is now headed to the 91st Academy Awards, in the Best Foreign Film category. Irrfans spokesperson said, Irrfan is extremely happy to hear the news. It is an honour to be recognised by the jury and he is delighted that his film is getting the much deserved acknowledgement at long last.

Mostofa Sarwar Farooki said, Obviously I am happy because No Bed of Roses is representing Bangladesh at the Oscars. I hope the film would find some love from the Academy voters. As for my collaboration with Irrfan, it would have been impossible to make this film without his involvement as an actor and co-producer! I share a wonderful relation with him, on and off the set. I call him poet and he jokingly corrects me saying I m a poet with no words. In this film, he actually expressed so many things with very little help of words and I am glad to have collaborated with one of the finest actors of not just India but globally!!. Despite not being in the country, Irrfan has had two National and one International releases this year which just goes to show that the talented actor is giving back to his audience all their love and affection and will never fail to entertain his fans with his brilliant work.Meanwhile, Kashyap himself has lashed out at the makers for their decision to re-cut portions of the romantic-drama.

In light of the recent Manmarziyaan controversy and scenes being cut from the film without director Anurag Kashyaps consent, Vikramaditya Motwane has come out in support of his friend saying he doesnt understand why the makers felt the need to bow down to protestors.

I understand they made the decision because they were facing a loss in revenue. But is a small loss in revenue equal or more important than the loss of a vision? Tomorrow, the Censor Board may say that no person from Punjab can be shown smoking onscreen. Its a dangerous precedent to set, Motwane says.

The makers of the film have made three cuts following protests and the filing of a complaint by Sikh groups alleging that some scenes in the film offended their religious sentiments.

Motwane says that whats upsetting is that these cuts have been made after the films release, and for no good reason. I am a minor co-producer of the film and I am supporting Anurag. I am displeased that he was not informed of the decision. When the Censor Board has already cleared the film, then why are we bowing down to external forces that are not legal?, he says, adding, Permission (of the Sikh community) was taken when the film was being shot in Punjab, and at that time no ones sentiments were hurt. Why there is a fight about it now?.

Meanwhile, Kashyap himself has lashed out at the makers for their decision to re-cut portions of the romantic-drama.I professori Cacopardo e Iacobello manifestano la loro stanchezza e amarezza nel constatare che i cittadini non si stanno prodigando per arginare i dati in crescita del CovidGoa CM CM Manohar Parrikar on Monday dropped Francis D'Souza, who is currently admitted is US hospital, from state cabinet.

Francis D'Souza claimed the party was trying to remove him from the cabinet for the past one year. (Photo: File | ANI)

Panaji: Goa BJP legislator Francis D'Souza expressed displeasure on Monday over his removal from the Manohar Parrikar-led cabinet, wondering if this was the reward given to him by the party for his 20-year-long loyalty.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday dropped from his cabinet D'Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar, both ailing and currently admitted at hospitals.

"This is the reward I am getting for my loyalty to the party for the last 20 years," D'Souza, who is currently admitted at a hospital in the US, told news agency PTI on phone.

The MLA, who got elected on the BJP ticket from Mapusa constituency in North Goa district for the past two decades, claimed he was not even taken into confidence before being dropped from the cabinet.

"I had even spoken to the chief minister last evening but he did not give any hint... When I called him today after coming to know that I was being dropped, the chief minister said it was the party high command's decision," said the MLA, who was heading the urban development department.

Besides D'Souza, Parrikar also dropped power minister Madkaikar, who is admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai after he suffered a brain stroke in June.

Also Read: 2 ministers dropped from Manohar Parrikar's cabinet in Goa

They would be replaced with BJP legislators Milind Naik and Nilesh Cabral.

D'Souza claimed the party was trying to remove him from the cabinet for the past one year. "Finally, they did it," he said.

"Today they have dropped me from cabinet. Tomorrow they will remove me from the party, if I am useless for them," he said.

D'Souza, one of the senior most ministers in the cabinet, was a contender for the chief minister's post in 2014 when Parrikar was elevated as the defence minister in the central government.

The legislator, however, had lost the chance to party colleague Laxmikant Parsekar, who then became the chief minister.

Parrikar, 62, is undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New DelhiGuatemala City, Sep 24 (AP) Authorities in Guatemala say another indigenous rights activist has been killed in the Central American nation.

Human rights prosecutor Jordan Rodas said Sunday that Juana Ramirez Santiago was shot to death Friday. She is the 21st human rights activist to be slain this year in Guatemala.

Rodas is calling for a full investigation into the killing and for greater government protection for activists.

The 54-year-old Ramirez was also a midwife. She was a member of the Ixiles Womens Network, which provides psychological counselling, social help and birthing assistance to women in the rural areas of Guatemala. (AP) RC

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)The Hague [The Netherlands], Sept 24 (ANI): The Netherlands is set to witness six events in four cities as part of activities to mark the launch of the two year-long celebrations of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

These events include a 'Gandhi March' from the iconic Peace Palace of The Hague to Grote Kerk on September 30 with the participation of people of all nationalities and around twenty ambassadors of different countries. Well-known spiritual guru from India 'Sri M', Deputy Mayor of The Hague, Kavita Parbhudayal, Ambassador of India to the Netherlands, Venu Rajamony and Ambassadors of the United States, Indonesia and Afghanistan will address the marchers, a press release from the Indian embassy in The Hague read.

The Gandhi March will conclude with multinational cultural performances highlighting the message of non-violence, a special exhibition mounted on a Khadi Scroll (curated by Pramod Kapoor of Roli Books, India) and a movie on the life of Mahatma Gandhi.

On October 2, the International Day of Non-Violence, five events will be held in the four cities of The Hague, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Zoetermeer. Gandhi statues in the cities will be garlanded and the public invited to place flowers at the feet of the statue as a mark of respect amidst speeches, singing of favourite songs of Mahatma Gandhi and cultural programmes, the statement added.

Special commemorative stamps issued by the Indian Postal Department will be released in front of the Peace Palace. A meeting will be held within the Peace Palace complex to discuss the relevance and importance of Mahatma Gandhi to the challenges of the modern world. A 'Gandhi Walk' will also be held in the capital city the same evening.

The Embassy of India in The Hague along with community organisations will conduct during the period of October 1-5, an outreach programme called "Follow the Mahatma", under which over 100 volunteers will fan out to around 20 schools of the Netherlands to spread the message of non-violence and to educate students about the life of Mahatma Gandhi and how India won freedom through a non-violence movement, the statement continued.

A social media campaign with the hashtag #followthemahatma will be conducted during the period inviting people across the Netherlands to post messages reiterating their commitment to the principle of non-violence.

The Netherlands has a special connection to India and Mahatma Gandhi. There are around thirty streets in the country named after Mahatma Gandhi, perhaps the largest after India anywhere in the world. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)Lagos, Sep 24 (AFP) Nigerian authorities on Monday said they were working to find and free 12 crew members of a Swiss-registered cargo ship who were kidnapped by sea pirates at the weekend.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said it had "commenced search (and) rescue operations" for the abducted crew from the MV Glarus.

The ship was attacked 45 nautical miles southwest of Bonny Island, near the southern city of Port Harcourt, as it travelled from Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, on Saturday.

NIMASA director-general Dakuku Peterside said the agency was working "to ensure that they are found and released unconditionally".

The search and rescue was being conducted with the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies, he told a news conference in Lagos.

"The issue of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is a challenge we acknowledge and we are determined to tackle it head-on," he said, vowing "zero-tolerance" of the problem.

Kidnapping for ransom is rife across Nigeria, particularly in the oil-rich south where prominent individuals, members of their family and expatriates have regularly been seized.

Offshore, the Gulf of Guinea has become the world's piracy hotspot. The International Maritime Bureau said in late July that there were six kidnappings of crews around the world in the first half of 2018. All of them were in the Gulf of Guinea.

Out of the 16 incidents in which ships came under gunfire in 2017, seven were in the waters which stretch 5,700 kilometres from Senegal to Angola.

During the first half of 2018, the crews of six ships were kidnapped by pirates, who are usually well-armed. Sometimes ships are held long enough for the cargo to be looted.

The MV Glarus' owners, Massoel Shipping, has said the pirates used long ladders and cut razor wire to get onto the vessel and take over the bridge. Twelve of the 19-strong crew were seized.

The Geneva-based company said it would not divulge the identities or the nationalities of the hostages for safety reasons but added it was in touch with their families.

But the Slovenian foreign ministry said on Monday that one of its nationals was among those taken. (AFP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)A New Zealand supermarket chain has withdrawn Australian strawberries from its shelves after needles were found in a box of strawberries sold in an Auckland supermarket.

This incident comes after Australia saw over 100 reports of needles being found in strawberries sold in supermarkets in Australia over the last one week.

The Countdown supermarket chain in New Zealand said the strawberries sold by the brand Australian Choice, was being pulled off the shelves. Customers can return any Choice brand of strawberries they may have at home to Countdown for peace of mind and a full refund, the supermarket said in a statement.

However, the Australian Choice brand has not been recalled in Australia.

Countdown, which owns 181 supermarkets across New Zealand, has urged shoppers to cut up any strawberries already purchased. As an extra precaution and following similar advice from public health authorities in Australia, customers should cut up any Australian strawberries before eating them, it said.

It also said it was in contact with both Australian and New Zealand authorities investigating the matter.

Police in Australia suspect many of the reports of fruit contamination could be fake, or copycat contamination. A man in South Australia was due to face court on Monday as he has been charged with falsely claiming goods had been contaminated after he allegedly reported finding a needle in a strawberry his daughter was eating. Another 62-year-old woman was caught putting a needle into a banana in central Queensland, Australia in what is believed to have been a copycat act.

The BBC reports that Australian strawberry cultivators have had to dump tonnes of unwanted fruit. They fear the scare, which has come during the peak of production, will damage sales in an industry worth about AUS $130 million a year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2018 07:24 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).A missing man who was murdered more than 40 years ago has finally been found after a seed from a fig in his stomach grew into a tree. In 1974, Ahmet Herguner was killed during the conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, but his body wasnt discovered till today. More than 2,000 people  both Greek and Turkish Cypriots went missing in the fighting. One of those was Ahmet who joined the Turkish Resistance Organisation (TMT) but soon the officials came and took him away, as reported by The Sun. The body was only discovered because the tree grew from him was unusual for the area. Skeleton of a 4-Year-Old Missing Boy Found in a Wooden Box After 18 Months.

Ahmet and three other men were thrown into a cave and they died from the force of an explosion. Greek Cypriots who hated the Turkish Cypriots, threw a stick of dynamite into the cave and shut the men inside. While the men died due to the explosion, a side of the cave was blown out in the process. This allowed light to flood into the interiors which in turn allowed the fig tree to grow from Ahmets body. Ahmets 87-year-old sister Munur Herguner said, We used to live in a village with a population of 4,000, half Greek and half Turkish. In 1974, the disturbances began. My brother Ahmet joined the TMT and on June 10, the Greeks took him away. Indonesian Woman Found Alive on the Same Beach Where She Went Missing One & Half Years Ago.

The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) was established in 1981 and had been trying to find out what happened to them and try to find their remains. A researcher for the CMP became curious when they found a fig tree in the town of Paraklisa, a mountainous area where they dont usually grow. He then dug up the area and found three bodies under the tree and took samples for their records. The researchers were able to identify Ahmet by matching blood samples with DNA fragments.

A local media quoted Munur as saying: The fig remnants in my brothers stomach grew into a tree as the sun crept into the cave through the hole created by the explosion. They found my brother thanks to that fig tree. The CMP in Cyprus has been searching for people who disappeared on the Mediterranean island between 1963 and 1974. The research team consisting ten people led by Thomas Antoniou and Sla Murat have identified and returned the remains of 890 people, including Ahmet, over the last 12 years.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2018 11:16 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).Jerusalem, Sep 24: The Israeli military has rejected the findings presented by the Russian Defence Ministry which accused the Jewish state of direct responsibility for downing the Russian plane in Syria. The Israeli statement on Sunday was issued a few hours after the Russian Defence Ministry presented its latest findings on the accident in Latakia earlier this month, accusing the Israeli military of "criminal negligence", Xinhua news agency reported.

Chief spokesman for the Russian Defence Ministry, Igor Konashenkov, said in a press briefing that Israel provided false information and used the Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft as a "shield" against the Syrian air defense system missiles.

The plane with 15 people on board was mistakenly downed by a Syrian missile when Israel was conducting an airstrike on Syria's Latakia province at the same time.

"We believe that the Israeli Air Force and those who were making decisions about these actions are fully to blame for the tragedy that happened to the Russian plane," Konashenkov told reporters.

Russian Airplane with 15 on board Shot Down by Syrian Forces, Putin Calls up Netanyahu

In the Israeli response, issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the military charged that the "IAF (Israel Air Force) did not hide behind any aircraft and the Israeli aircraft were in Israeli airspace at the time of the downing of the Russian plane."

The military said it will not stop its attacks against Iranian targets in Syria. "IDF will continue to operate in accordance with the directives of the Israeli government against Iran's incessant attempts to establish itself in Syria and arm Hezbollah with lethal and accurate weapons," the statement read.

The military also stressed the importance of the continuation of the coordination between the Russian and Israeli armies' moves in Syria. Israel and Russia have a so-called "deconfliction mechanism" operated over the past years to avoid firing on each other forces in Syria.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2018 08:26 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).New York, Sep 24: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have signed an agreement worth $11 million to support the humanitarian response plan in Yemen, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The agreement was signed on Sunday by Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy and Peter Maurer, President of the ICRC, on the sidelines of the 73rd Ordinary Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Under the agreement, the UAE will provide the ICRC with $6 million to support health centers, water and sanitation facilities in Yemen, $1 million for humanitarian efforts in Myanmar, $1 million for the DRC, in addition to $3 million to support general programmes.

Al Hashemy said that the signing of this agreement reflects the UAE's efforts to achieve peace and prosperity in the world through its foreign aid policy and its humanitarian and development projects.

Maurer said: "The ICRC welcomes the UAE's financial contribution to its humanitarian activities. We are thankful for continuous support to the ICRC's mission in contexts of emergencies and protracted crises."

The agreement also includes support to health centres, water, and rehabilitation of sanitation structures and meeting the basic needs of those affected, as well as assisting disabled persons through the provision of physical rehabilitation services.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2018 04:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).Swaraj will attend the high-level event on Counter Narcotics hosted by US President Donald Trump today.

Requests have been received for about 30 bilateral meetings with Swaraj. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi/New York: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will hold bilateral meetings with several of her foreign counterparts and attend multilateral meetings such as SAARC and BRICS during a busy week at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

Swaraj, who arrived here on Saturday for the General Assembly week, will on Monday attend the high-level event on Counter Narcotics hosted by US President Donald Trump. The event, which kicks off the high-level UNGA week, will be a global call for action on the world drug problem and is expected to see participation from over 120 UN member states.

Requests have been received for about 30 bilateral meetings with Swaraj, said the Joint Secretary for UN Political in the Ministry of External Affairs, Dinesh Patnaik, while adressing reporters at India's Permanent Mission to the UN.

She will also attend the Nelson Mandela Peace Conference, a high-level plenary meeting on global peace in the honour of the centenary of the birth of the late South African President, as well as attend a reception hosted on Monday by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Over the course of the week, Swaraj will make a statement on climate change and participate in the NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) Ministerial conference on Palestine, besides attending other plurilateral meetings including the G4, IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa), BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), and SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) - a meeting on September 27 that will also be attended by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Indian diplomats will also be participating in the G77, LDCs (Least Developed Countries), Commonwealth and Heart of Asia meetings to be held on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Health Minister JP Nadda will be attending the high-level meetings on tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases.

Heads of State will participate at the first-ever high-level meeting on tuberculosis (TB) on September 26 to accelerate efforts in ending TB and reach all affected people with prevention and care.

On September 27, the UNGA will stage the third high-level meeting on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which will undertake a comprehensive review of the global and national progress achieved in putting measures in place that protect people from dying too young from heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes.

Swaraj's early engagements included a meeting Sunday with World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to discuss global health issues.

She also held discussions with a few members of the Indian diaspora.

On Monday, she will have bilateral meetings with Morocco Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini, Liechtenstein Foreign Minister Aurelia Frick, Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Jose Valencia, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Mongolia's Foreign Minister Tsogtbaatar Damdin.

Asked about the possibility of a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said New Delhi and Washington just completed a successful round of 2+2 dialogue and discussions are being planned with nations with which India has not had an opportunity to hold bilateral talks.Sep 24, 2018, 5:14am ET

Mercedes-Benz to import GLC from India

The first Indian-built GLCs will arrive in showrooms next month.

Mercedes-Benz will keep up with growing demand for the GLC, its best-selling vehicle in the United States, by importing the crossover from a factory in India.

Industry trade journal Automotive News notes it's more expensive to ship the GLC from India than from Germany, where the American-spec model is currently made, but Mercedes still comes out ahead thanks to lower labor costs across the Pacific. The company isn't currently planning on making the GLC alongside the GLE in its Vance, Alabama, plant and tariffs prevent it from sourcing the model from Beijing, China.

Mercedes hasn't revealed how many GLCs -- or which variants of the model -- will come from India. Spokesman Rob Moran told Automotive News that the first Indian-built examples will arrive in American showrooms in October.

"The GLC is in great demand worldwide. Therefore, Mercedes-Benz uses the capacities of its global production network on four continents. This also includes the Mercedes-Benz plant in Pune," Moran explained.

The GLC won't be the only car sold new in America with a "made in India" label. Ford sources the EcoSport, its entry-level crossover, from a factory in Chennai.Sep 24, 2018, 9:30am ET

Toyota to add Android Auto connectivity

Android users have a new reason to consider a Toyota.

Toyota has reportedly ended its standoff with Alphabet's Google, clearing the way for the automaker's vehicles to offer Android Auto connectivity.

Toyota has been one of the last in the industry to adopt third-party infotainment systems, but it appears as though the walls are finally coming down. In January Toyota announced compatibility with Apple CarPlay, and a source close to the situation has revealed to Bloomberg that the Japanese automaker has struck an accord with Google to allow Android Auto on its vehicles' screens.

Both Toyota and Google declined to comment on the report, but a second source familiar with the plans hinted that an official announcement could be coming as soon as October.

Due to security and privacy concerns, Toyota had been using SmartDeviceLink -- a Ford-developed telematics system -- to link Android-based and Apple phones to its infotainment systems, which limited access to car data. However, SmartDeviceLink also limited the capabilities of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which turned off some buyers.

The adoption of Android Auto could provide Toyota with an uptick in sales. Today's buyers are looking for the latest in connectivity, and about 80 percent of smartphone users are on the Android platform.Sep 24, 2018, 11:27am ET

Trump's new Beast limousines enter service [Video]

The updated presidential limo made its first official appearance in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly.

The Secret Service's new 'Beast' limousine has apparently entered service as President Trump arrives in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly.

The Cadillac-badged armored limo has been under development since 2014, fulfilling a $16 million contract with General Motors to replace the previous model that arrived under Obama's term.

Specific details surrounding the Beast's configuration remain classified, though it is believed to ride on a truck frame with enough armor to protect the president from mines and other explosive devices. The vehicle presumably maintains a controlled interior environment to isolate the passengers from biological, chemical and nuclear threats.

If the Beast's protection systems fail, the limo is said to include a life support system and even blood reserves.Bethlehem police say a man who threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend, who is the mother to his two kids, broke into her house and set her bedroom on fire.

Jose Rosado, 24, is in Northampton County Prison on charges in three separate cases.

Rosado, of the first block of West Fourth Street in Bethlehem, is being held on $325,500 bail total for all three cases.

Police said the problems started earlier in the day on Sept. 14, after Rosado argued with his ex about custody of their two children.

The ex said she was going to file for full custody, when Rosado reportedly said she wouldn't get it, and then threatened to kill her.

The woman hung up, and said Rosado called her again 29 times.

"She was afraid that Jose would kill her, and that Jose has threatened to kill her in the past," police said.

Police were then called at 9:47 p.m. on Sept. 15 for a reported burglary at the ex's home on Ontario Street.

Police said the burglary occurred sometime between Sept. 14 and the night of Sept. 15. The ex's bedroom was the only room damaged, while the rest of the house was untouched, officers said.

Officers found a fire was set on the bed, and a fire investigator ruled it was arson.

A warrant was issued for Rosado, and he was stopped and arrested Sept. 17 on East Fourth Street in the city.

Police said they found marijuana, "numerous" burned joints, a digital scale, and rolling papers in the backpack he was carrying.

Rosado was fingerprinted and his prints matched fingerprints from the second floor window of the ex's home taken after the burglary and fire, police said.

Rosado is charged with making terroristic threats and harassment; burglary and arson; and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.Mr Manjhis demand for maximum seat share in Bihar is being seen as his tactic to put pressure on the RJD.

Patna: After the NDA, it's the RJD-led Grand Secular Alliance in Bihar where uneasiness over seat sharing is brewing. Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi seems to have caused a fresh worry for the RJD by suggesting a 20-20 formula and asserting to contest on 20 of the 40 seats in the 2019 general elections.

Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leaders claimed that the party has a good presence in at least 20 Lok Sabha constituencies and if given tickets Mr Manjhi can guarantee success on a maximum number of seats.

Mr Manjhis demand for maximum seat share in Bihar is being seen as his tactic to put pressure on the RJD.

Playing down reports of uneasiness in the Mahagathbandhan over seat adjustments, Congress leader Prem Chand Mishra said, Trouble over seat sharing is brewing in the NDA, not in the ahagathbandhan. He (Jitan Ram Manjhi) may have given the statement only to motivate his workers. Agenda of this unity is to stop communal forces.

Mr Manjhi who is considered one of the strongest Mahadalit leaders in Bihar is the only MLA from his party. He had floated his own political front in 2015 and became a part of the NDA after he was removed from the JD(U) for revolting against Nitish Kumar

Seat adjustments as per the wishes of Mr Manjhi cannot be an easy task because the RJD and the Congress have been trying to rope in more secular parties into the Mahagathbandhan fold, an RJD leader told this newspaper.

Sources claim that these political parties want honorable number of seats to contest as part of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. According to reports, the Begusarai seat has already been earmarked by the CPI for former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.

Sources familiar with the development said that RJD chief Lalu Yadav has agreed to vacate Begusarai seat for Kanhaiya Kumar but he has decided to make an announcement regarding the issue after seat adjustment is finalised with other coalition partners.

Sources said that as per the earlier plans, the RJD, being the largest party in Bihar Assembly, may keep the largest share of seats for itself, the Congress may get 10, while coalition partners the like HAM and others may get the remaining seats for the 2019 poll.Shawn Christy is apprehended in Mifflin Township, near Columbus, Ohio on Sept. 21, 2018. Christy, a Pennsylvania man accused of threatening President Donald Trump and law enforcement officials, was arrested by marshals and task force members from Ohio and Pennsylvania. (Ohio State Highway Patrol photo via the AP)

While Shawn Christy awaits a hearing Monday in federal court, authorities released details about what it took to catch the man accused of threatening President Donald Trump and others.

Christy is due in court Monday before U.S. Magistrate Kathleen B. Burke in Akron, Ohio, and is facing extradition back to Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Christy did not contact any members of search team about surrendering before he was finally caught on Friday.

Local, state and federal authorities had been looking for Christy since June.

Christy, a Maple Shade, New Jersey, native who last lived in Schuylkill County, has been on the run after threatening Trump and Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli.

On Sept. 16, police said they believed Christy stole a truck in Pennsylvania and then crashed on an Ohio state highway.

More than 200 officers from nearly 20 different local, county, state and federal agencies were involved in the search for Christy in Richland County, authorities said.

Multiple makeshift camps were found and then, on Friday, a fresh camp site was found with items known to belong to Christy.

A perimeter was set up as almost 140 officers began to search.

Authorities said Christy was found hiding by a stream; he had a loaded .380 firearm and a large knife on him.

Christy was wanted for burglary, probation violation and failure to appear for an aggravated assault case.

He also had a federal warrant issued for Facebook threats to Morganelli, saying: "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 Service said.

The FBI is investigating possible federal firearms violations connected to the firearm that was found on Christy.

Morganelli's office prosecuted Christy for threatening to kill an employee at the Berkheimer tax collection office in Bangor in March 2017, and to blow up the building where the woman worked.

On Friday, Morganelli said he didn't remember Christy's case, but that he took the threat seriously.

I want to thank the law enforcement folks who were involved in peacefully resolving the Shawn Christy matter. The US... Posted by John Morganelli on Monday, September 24, 2018

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.John Hann was losing his grip on reality in the weeks leading up to the murder of his cousin, according to Hann's attorney.

"He was slowly melting down," attorney Gary Asteak said Monday. "He was paranoid and he was delusional."

That's why Hann was incapable of planning the fatal shooting of Joseph Mullner, according to Asteak.

Hann, 62, of Bushkill Township, has already admitted he killed Mullner, his cousin. He also admitted he shot Melinda Mullner and the Mullners' dog on Oct. 4, 2017, at their home in Lehigh Township.

But Asteak argued Monday that Hann is only guilty of third-degree murder rather than first-degree murder, which requires premeditation. The latter carries a mandatory life sentence in prison.

But Hann brought two guns to the home and he ordinarily doesn't carry guns, according to Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Kulik. He concealed the guns, she said. His license to carry expired a year before the crime, she said.

It's also hard to argue the murder was committed in the heat of passion when Hann shot Joseph Mullner 18 times, Kulik said. He was shot once in the jaw, twice in the buttocks and 15 times in the chest, she said.

"The Commonwealth will demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant acted with a specific intent to kill that day," she said.

Asteak said Hann was weighed down by his responsibility to care for his sister, Mary Lou. She has Down Syndrome. She was under the care of her parents until they died, then Hann took over caring for her, Asteak said.

Hann brought her with him and she witnessed the shootings, police said.

He "gave up his life" to care for her, Asteak said. He said Hann was bothered by relatives who asked him about their share of a possible inheritance if he died and about whether Hann was providing the best care Mary Lou could receive.

Asteak said Hann kept audio recordings, notebooks and diaries in which he said he was being followed by police. He was paranoid about his family and worried they would take Mary Lou from him, Asteak said.

He said the shootings were "the culmination of this paranoid delusional state," Asteak said.

"He was crazy," Asteak said.

Hann left the Mullners' home and fled to his late parents' home in Bethlehem Township with his sister. Police pulled him over the next morning and he turned himself in after a three-hour standoff, police said. His flight is further proof the murder was premeditated, Kulik said.

Asteak said Hann fled because he was confused.

"He was trying to figure out over that long night how he had come to that point in his life and what was going to happen to Mary Lou," Asteak said.

Asteak called Hann a boy scout, an "A" student and someone who had never committed a crime before Oct. 4.

"We're going to put his life in your hands," Asteak told Northampton County Judge Craig Dally. "We hope that you cut through the smoke of the blood and the gore and the tragedy that happened to both Melinda and Joe that day."

A packed courtroom saw what Lehigh Township police officer Jonathan Roth saw when footage of Roth's body camera was played.

He walked up the driveway to respond to Melinda Mullner's 911 call and saw Joseph Mullner's lifeless body across the driveway and sidewalk leading to the home.

The standing-room-only crowd of about 40 people saw Roth reach down and touch Mullner's body on the video.

"Cold. Cold. Cold to the touch," he said on the video.

Roth and another officer entered the home through the garage. Roth enters a dark kitchen, flips on the light, and immediately viewers see blood spatter across the kitchen floor next to Melinda Mullner.

Melinda Mullner said on the video her husband's cousin shot her.

"Just hold on. Just hold on ma'am," Roth said on the video.

Melinda Mullner testified the shooting of her husband came without warning. She said Hann chased her husband out of the house, then returned.

"He came back in and then I said to him, 'Johnny what are you doing? We love you.' And he just shot me," Mullner testified.

She said she played dead so Hann wouldn't continue to shoot her. She said she was shot five times and spent about five and a half months in the hospital.

"I had to learn how to walk again," she said. She said she needs a kidney transplant now.

The 911 call Melinda Mullner made was played in court. When the dispatcher asked why Hann shot her, she said, "He's crazy."

Later she told the dispatcher, "I think he came here planning on shooting us. I think he planned it."

Prosecutors are expected to continue calling witnesses through Thursday.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.Pennsylvania state Rep. Will Tallman thinks public school teachers should prohibited from discussing current-day politics with students in the classroom. He recently sent a memo to other representatives to see if they'd support a bill to that effect, according to a report in the Morning Call.

"Our K-12 school teachers should not be using their classroom time spent on political or ideological indoctrination," said Tallman, a Republican who is not seeking re-election this year.

Talman's proposal would cover more than just the partisan disagreements that dominate American politics today. He believes court cases, pending bills, government regulations and presidential orders should also be off-limits, and that teachers should not endorse or oppose candidates in the classroom.

Generally, court precedents have given teachers a lot of leeway to discuss politics as part of the curriculum. However, a federal appeals court ruling from 2007, Mayer v. Monroe County Community School, says "the First Amendment does not entitle primary and secondary teachers, when conducting the education of captive audiences, to cover topics, or advocate viewpoints, that depart from the curriculum adopted by the school system."

What do you think? Should public school teachers be prevented from discussing modern-day politics in their classes? Have a say in our informal, unscientific poll, and feel free to elaborate in the comment section.A Celbridge residential site is on the market for over 800,000 an acre.

Coonan Property are in charge of the sale of 5.45 acres at Oldtown, Celbridge, which has a guideprice of 4.4 million.

The infill site, which is for sale by private treaty, was zoned for residential development last year and is ready for a planning application to be submitted.

The 5.45 acres (2.21 hectares), occupies a strategic and accessible location on Oldtown Road, approximately 1km from the centre of Celbridge town. It is further enhanced by being in close proximity to a host of amenities including schools both primary and secondary. There are three within a short walk of 500 metres. Shops, including the Tesco Superstore, Lidl and Aldi are all within a few minutes walk away plus the new Primary Care Centre operated by Centric Health.

Hazelhatch Train Station which has a regular service to and from Dublin is within a short drive.

The site is accessed through the popular residential development known as Oldtown Mill and to the north is the popular residential development of Ballygoran. To the east, just beyond the residential development of Thornhill is St. Mochuas school.

Celbridge town is located approximately 13 miles from Dublin and is accessed via the M4 motorway on the Dublin/Galway route. The site is identified in the Celbridge Local Area Plan 2017  2023 and is zoned with an objective of New Residential. The purpose is to provide new residential developments with a sustainable mix of house types, sizes and tenures to complement the existing residential mix.

Will Coonan comments that this infill site coming to the market is a rare opportunity to purchase serviced residential land in a proven selling location. He is quoting a guide of 4,400,000. For further information please call Will Coonan on 01  6286128 or email at willc@coonan.comHealth campaigners have called a public meeting in Portlaoise where the possible extensive downgrade of Portlaoise hospital and a new national health services campaign will be discussed.

The hospital serves a large portion of the South Kildare population and has a paediatric department, a service which is not provided by Naas Hospital. Many Kildare mothers also access maternity services there as well.

The Still Waiting Ireland Campaign says it has a number of reasons for calling the meeting which has been co-organised by members of the the Portlaoise Hospital Action Committee .

They say they want to inform the public about how the Portlaoise committee is now represented on the national 'Still Waiting Ireland' Health Campaign Committee.

It is hoped the public meeting will help promote Laois involvment in a national demonstration on the health services fixed for Dublin on Saturday, October 6.

Speakers from the Portlaoise Hospital Action Committee will also update the public on the campaign against downgrade.

The organisers say medics will speak about the 'health crisis' and where the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise fits into the big picture.

Members of the Portlaoise campaign are also due to give an update on progress with the report which they have been writing in collaboration with the local medics.

They say they will also clarify for the public how they will be able to contribute to the consultation process.

"We recommend that people arrive early to secure a seat. We look forward to connecting with the passionate people of Laois and beyond in order to move our campaign forward," said a statement.

The meeting will also promote the new website of the Portlaoise campaign www.ourhospitalsmatter.ie

The meeting, scheduled to last an hour, takes place this Friday, September 28 at 7.30pm in the Maryborough Suit of the Midland Park Hotel, Portlaoise.

A plan drawn up by the HSE's Dublin Midlands Hospital Group would see A&E, ICU maternity, paediatrics and most surger withdrawn from the Laois hospital.

The Minister for Health Simon Harris has yet to adopt the plan as policy and has promised further consultation.A young man pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving after he was spotted by Gardai driving the wrong way down a slip road on the N7 near Kill.

Maciej Truskiewicz, 28, with an address listed as 13 The Oaks, Clane, pleaded guilty to the charge, and to having false tax, insurance and NCT discs in his car.

Representing him, Tim Kennelly offered the explanation that his clients car was low in petrol and that he had spotted a petrol station along the N7 just before he exited it, and was attempting to drive back down to it.

If he is making it up, its one of the stupidest things Ive ever heard, Mr Kennelly said.

He remarked that as explanations go, its so outrageous it has to be true.

The incident occured on a Wednesday at 8.05 am, when traffic would have been very heavy.

The defendant has been in Ireland for the past six years. He has a previous conviction for driving with no tax on his car.

This is madness, Judge Desmond Zaidan remarked.

The case was adjourned to next Wednesday when Judge Zaidan has said he may remand the defendant in custody for a week.A woman who was badly injured in a car accident over 10 years ago was disqualified from driving for no insurance in Limerick.

Bridget McLoughlin, aged 36, of Bohergar, Brittas, pleaded guilty to the offence at Main Street, Murroe, on December 22, 2017. Kilmallock Court heard that she has a previous conviction for drink driving.

Sabina Hegerty, solicitor for Ms McLoughlin, said her client was involved in a road traffic accident in 2006.

She broke her back and her legs. She got an adapted car. Her father was the main driver, she was the disabled passenger. Her father died a year and a half ago. She was disqualified for a time. Difficulties arose transferring the insurance from being the disabled passenger to the driver, said Ms Hegerty.

Judge Marian OLeary asked what would have happened if the person in the other car involved in the accident in 2006 didnt have insurance. Judge OLeary said the defendant knew in 2017 that she didnt have insurance.

Ms Hegerty said Ms McLoughlins family have stepped in to bring the children to and fro.

The car is parked up. She has a different solicitors firm to get the insurance sorted, said Ms Hegerty.

Judge OLeary said Ms McLoughlin was well aware of the consequences [of driving without insurance] especially what she has been through.

Ms Hegerty said her client is trying to get her life back on track. Ms McLoughlin was fined 400 and disqualified from driving for two years.Tribal party GGP has presence in at least 20 out of total 52 districts in Madhya Pradesh.

Bhopal: Peeved at the indifference shown towards it by the Congress, the Gandwana Ganatantra Party (GGP), a tribal party having influence in around 50 Assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, is mulling to go it alone in the year-end polls in the state.

The recent decision by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) not to have truck with the Congress and fight the upcoming elections in MP on its own, has prompted the GGP to consider if it should also follow Mayawati and fight the elections independently.

The Congress seems to be lacking seriousness in getting the GGP as its ally in the year-end Assembly elections in MP. Moreover, the way the Congress is dealing with the issue has raised doubts in our minds if the party is at all interested in entering into electoral understanding with us, national general secretary of GGP G.S. Markam told this newspaper.

According to him, the tribal party having presence in at least 20 out of the total 52 districts in MP, has waited for almost two months for a call from Congress to start talks on the issue of seat-sharing between them after MP Congress chief Kamal Nath indicated his keenness to seal alliance with the GGP and the BSP in MP.

Finally, a meeting was held on September 19 between Mr Nath and representative of the GGP in Bhopal. The meeting lasted a few minutes with Mr Nath asking the GGP representative to submit a list of constituencies where the tribal party planned to field candidates, GGP sources disclosed.

The way Mr Nath dismissed the GGP representative in just a few minutes has given rise to suspicion that the Congress lacks seriousness on alliance.

The Congress had announced to go for an alliance with the GGP a couple of months ago without taking the tribal party into confidence, thus, creating confusion in GGP cadres.

Our cadres had started cozying up to local Congress leadership following the declaration by Mr Nath. It appeared to be a game plan by the Congress to woo the local GGP cadres ahead of the Assembly elections. We could smell a rat in the move by the Congress and cleared the confusion among the cadres, the GGP leader said.

Later, the GGP has began preparation for polls earnestly by declaring that it would field candidates in at least 80 seats.

It might be the ploy of the Congress to drag the issue till the last moment, leaving no time for the GGP to prepare for the elections. In such a situation, either the Congress will give a paltry 2-3 seats or ask us to get lost, if we do not toe their line, another GGP leader said, while reasoning out the delay in holding talks by Congress.

Ironically, it is the Congress which needed us badly and not vice versa. We have nothing to lose even if we draw a blank in the upcoming Assembly elections, but the Congress has everything to lose in the polls which may prove its last chance for survival in MP, Mr Markam observed.

Mr Markam dropped hints that the GGP would be content with no less than 25 seats out of the 230 seats as its share if the Congress wants to seal pact with it.

We will lose our election symbol (saw) and thus our identity if we fielded candidates in fewer than 23 Assembly constituencies as per the rule of Election Commission (EC).

Besides, the Congress will eat into our base by wooing our cadres if we support Congress candidates in our areas of influence. Hence, we need a share of at least 23 seats if the Congress wants an alliance with us, he added.

The GGP has consistently been securing around five lakh votes in the last three Assembly elections.

In the 2013 elections, the GGP had fielded candidates on 56 seats and secured 10,000-30,000 votes in 37 constituencies, which cost the Congress at least a dozen seats.

Alliance talks between the GGP and the Congress are going on. The view of our leadership is that the Congress will gain in at least 15 seats if the party leaves 3-4 seats to the GGP, a Congress leader said.

He, however, failed to explain the delay in holding talks with the GGP to finalise the seat-sharing agreement.TROY Studios in Limerick has unveiled massive plans which could see up to 800 staff working at the facility in Plassey's National Technology Park.



Up to 150 construction jobs could be created initially as part of the multi-million euro blueprint, which will see the studio - which hosted the production on the Netflix-bound sci-fi thriller Nightflyers - add a fourth sound stage to its offering.



The move will see its sound stage space 100,000 square feet, as well as doubling the studio footprint.



Troy Studios chief executive Siun Ni Raghallaigh said she hopes the first productions at the extended facility will roll in early 2020.



The move, Joe Devine, Troy's chairman said, will see the facility become "the largest international standard film and tv studio on the island".



"Quite critically, the additional space will enable us to host more than one significant production at a time, thereby ensuring maximum occupancy and employment. It will generate multiples of what was generated by Nightflyers," he said at an event this Monday.



During filming, Nightflyers, from the mind of Game of Thrones author George RR Martin - a psychological thriller described as 'Psycho in space' and set to air this autumn - provided employment to 325 people.



It's anticipated 100m of local value will be created with the additional studio space, and up to 800 people could be working in the studios at any one time on a number of productions.



"Today's announcement is another step to place Limerick and Ireland on the global film and television map," Mr Devine added.

Ossie Kilkenny, the director of Troy Studios, thanked those without whose help the facility would never have happened.



These included council chief executive Conn Murray, who he jokingly said should have a statue erected in his honour in Limerick city.



Ms Ni Raghallaigh added: "This move is significant as it means we can now pitch for twice the amount of work. We can double up on Nightflyers, and look at much bigger movie projects. It opens up our market. For me the ambition is we have a continuum of production.

"It's all about the pipeline of productions coming in. We are working very hard on that. What you see here is a physical manifestation of what we are trying to do in terms of encouraging that large scale production coming into the Mid-West."



So far, Troy Studios has invested 6.5m in the Limerick facility.

Very proud moment for @troy_studios with expansion announcement today. Great day for @Limerick. As well as announcement of an MBA extension in collaboration with @UL with a focus on film production (a European 1st)! Congrats @SiunNi and team https://t.co/i0ex55xzW3  Trish Long (@Islandfielder) September 24, 2018

With the completion of the new 4th stage Troy Studios will be the largest sound studio space under one roof on the island. A short clip from this mornings launch. https://t.co/Qk0XBRLVto September 24, 2018

On Friday, Limerick City and County Council cleared the way for the firm's latest plans by granting the planning application for its expansion.A CHINESE TV stars visit to County Limerick could reach over 800 million people on social media in his native country, it has been claimed.

Ren Zhong visited Adare over the weekend as part of a new Tourism Ireland campaign in China.

The Tourism Ireland campaign in China is a partnership with vivo  one of the biggest mobile phone brands in China and National Geographic China edition magazine.

Timed to coincide with the launch of a new vivo mobile phone, Ren Zhong and his crew are capturing footage along the Wild Atlantic Way  using the new phone to create a video all about Ireland.

The resulting film, called Be Wild, will go live in early November and will reach at least 30 million Chinese on social media and on one of Chinas most influential video platforms, Youku  similar to Youtube.

Mr Zhongs itinerary was designed by Failte Ireland and includes Adare, the Rock of Cashel and Dublin and is part of the fifth annual Images in Cities campaign, run by vivo and National Geographic.

A separate group of Chinese journalists and National Geographic photographers visiting other locations around Ireland and all of the content will be shared with as estimated 800 million followers on social media.

Were really excited about our partnership with vivo and National Geographic  which will bring wonderful photos and footage of Adare and Ireland to an estimated 800 million people around China, said James Kenny, Tourism Irelands Manager China.

Last year, we welcomed an estimated 90,000 Chinese visitors to the island of Ireland. Tourism Ireland aims to grow Chinese visitor numbers to 175,000 per year by 2025. There are now two direct flights to Dublin  from Beijing with Hainan Airlines and from Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific. Given that theres a proven direct correlation between access and growth in visitor numbers, we believe these new flights will be a major game-changer in growing visitor numbers from China.IRELAND South, the vast European Parliament constituency which includes Limerick, could be set to get even bigger at next years election.

But voters in Limerick could be asked to return five MEPs, as opposed to the four at present, a move welcomed by sitting Fine Gael member Sean Kelly.

Under proposals unveiled by the European Parliaments constituency committee this Monday, Laois and Offaly would be added to the already sprawling constituency which covers Limerick, Cork, Carlow, Clare, Kilkenny, Kerry, Tipperary, Wexford, Waterford and Wicklow.

Mr Kelly, who leads Fine Gael in the European Parliament, said the recommendations  which must be approved by the Oireachtas  represent: good news for the citizens of the South constituency who will gain an extra member of the European Parliament to represent them.

I am also delighted that I may be able to welcome counties Laois and Offaly to a newly enlarged 12-county South constituency if agreed. It would be a challenge to cover 12 counties but if anyone has the energy and enthusiasm to do so  that's me, he added.

The report also suggests Dublin should increase its representation, going from a three to a four seater, while no change is proposed for the Midlands North West, according to the report which was submitted to the Dail this afternoon.

The report comes ahead of the European Elections in May of next year, after Britains planned exit from the EU which will resulting in see some seats from there redistributed.

Fine Gael tolds two seats in Ireland South in the shape or Mr Kelly and Deirdre Clune. Perennial polltopper Brian Crowley, Fianna Fail, holds one seat, with Sinn Fein presidential candidate Liadh Ni Riada also representing the area.

The European election is set to take place on the same day as the local council elections - Friday, May 24, 2019.May 1, 2021, 5 PM

Four portraits of Santa Claus derived from four paintings commissioned by Coca-Cola for its holiday advertising are featured on the new Sparkling Holidays stamps that will be issued Oct. 11 in a double-sided pane of 20.

A single-stamp souvenir sheet in the Sparkling Holidays stamp set shows Santa reading a note left for him on Christmas Eve. The note is held in place on the fireplace mantel by a full glass bottle of Coca-Cola.

By Michael Baadke

The United States contemporary Christmas stamp set for 2018 pays tribute to the image of Santa Claus as refined and promoted since 1931 by the company that produces Coca-Cola beverages.

The nondenominated (50) Sparkling Holidays forever stamps will be issued Oct. 11 and offered as a set of four on a double-sided pane of 20 (which the Postal Service identifies as a booklet).

A fifth forever stamp will be featured in a souvenir sheet that includes an extended illustration of Santa admiring a note from a youngster as well as the glass bottle of Coca-Cola left for him on the fireplace mantel.

The die-cut edges of the single stamp in the souvenir sheet crop the scene to show Santas face and hands. He is adjusting his eyeglasses with his left hand, while holding an open green book with the title Good Boys & Girls in his right hand.

The designs of the stamps and the souvenir sheet are each derived from archived artwork produced by Haddon Sundblom for the Coca-Cola Co. from the 1940s through the early 1960s.

The souvenir sheet artwork specifically is from 1963.

Other than the Coke bottle shown on the souvenir sheet selvage, there is no direct placement of Coca-Cola product on the stamps themselves.

A first-day ceremony for the Sparkling Holidays stamps will take place at 11:15 a.m. CDT Thursday at the Inn at Christmas Place, 119 Christmas Tree Lane, in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

The double-sided pane has been available for pre-order from the U.S. Postal Service since Sept. 14, but an earlier USPS announcement that the souvenir sheet also would be available for early ordering was incorrect. The souvenir sheet will be available for ordering on the issue date.

Although the double-sided pane will be sold in U.S. post offices, the Postal Service will sell the souvenir sheet only through its mail-order Stamp Fulfillment Services division and online retail site at https://store.usps.com/store.

The Postal Service describes the four stamps in the double-sided pane as featuring classic images of Santa Claus painted by famed commercial artist Haddon Sundblom.

Each of the four images portraying a close-up of Santas face are details from larger paintings created by Sundblom and originally published in ads for The Coca-Cola Company from the 1940s through the early 1960s. Sundblom is the man credited with refining the modern image of Santa Claus. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps.

According to a brief history of Sundbloms work published by Coca-Cola, an advertising agency working with the Coca-Cola company in 1931 wanted a Christmas advertising campaign showing a wholesome Santa who was both realistic and symbolic.

With Clement Clark Moores 1822 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas as inspiration, Sundblom developed his image of the warm and friendly Santa that has been adopted internationally.

According to the Coca-Cola history: From 1931 to 1964, Coca-Cola advertising showed Santa delivering toys (and playing with them!), pausing to read a letter and enjoy a Coke, visiting with the children who stayed up to greet him, and raiding the refrigerators at a number of homes.

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The original oil paintings Sundblom created were adapted for Coca-Cola advertising in magazines and on store displays, billboards, posters, calendars and plush dolls. Many of those items today are popular collectibles.

Sundbloms original oil paintings are described by Coca-Cola as some of the most prized pieces in the art collection in the company archives. They have been exhibited in the Louvre in Paris and in other prominent museums around the world, and some of the paintings are displayed at the World of Coca-Cola, a multimedia attraction and exhibition in Atlanta, Ga.

The design of one of the four stamps in the double-sided pane is from the painting shown cropped on the souvenir sheet. While that stamp vignette, or central design, is similar to the souvenir sheet stamp, the USA and Forever inscriptions on the two stamps are in different positions.

The souvenir sheet stamp is semijumbo size, so it is slightly larger than the standard definitive size of the stamps on the double-sided pane.

Using offset-lithography, Postal Service contract printer Ashton Potter USA has printed 1 million of the single-stamp souvenir sheets, and 1 billion stamps in the 20-stamp double-sided pane.

The Postal Service has prepared two first-day cancels, one in black and the other in color, with the words Sparkling Holidays featured prominently and surrounded with ornaments or holiday decor.'Work is progressing at high pace to strengthen both, infrastructural and emotional connectivity to Sikkim and the Northeast,' the PM said.

PM Modi was accompanied by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and Union Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu as he unveiled the plaque, formally inaugurating the aero facility. (Photo: Twitter | @ANI)

Pakyong (Sikkim): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the first ever aerodrome of Sikkim at Paykong.

PM Modi was accompanied by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and Union Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu as he unveiled the plaque, formally inaugurating the aero facility.

"Work is progressing at high pace to strengthen both, infrastructural and emotional connectivity to Sikkim and the Northeast. I've been here myself to check the development work in Northeast and Union Ministers regularly visit the region," PM Modi said.

(Photo: Twitter | @PIB_India)

Sikkim's dream of having an airport came true nine years after a foundation stone for it was laid in 2009. With Sikkim perceived as one of the major tourist destinations, the airport is expected to provide a much-needed impetus to the tourism industry in the state.

The first commercial flight from Pakyong would begin from October 4.

Located 33 kilometres off the state capital Gangtok, it will circumvent the need for a five-hour journey through mountainous roads and is expected to ease off the air traffic congestion at West Bengal's Bagdogra. Strategically, the airport holds relevance as it's 60 kilometres from the India-China border. It will also provide the Indian Air force (IAF) with a convenient landing and takeoff facility.

Pakyong airport is the 100th airport of the country. Located on the top of a hill about 2 km above Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level, the airport is spread over 201 acres. Built at an estimated cost of over Rs 605 crores, the Airport is another feature added to the profile of Sikkim, which has, in the last three to four years, achieved the distinction of becoming the first "Organic State" and also the first "Open Defecation Free" (ODF) state of India.

(Photo: Twitter | @sureshpprabhu)

Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, congratulated the Prime Minister for "taking effective measures to bridge the gap between the NorthEast and rest of India".

"The inauguration of Sikkim's first-ever commercial Airport at Pakyong in spite of geographic challenges is all set to mark a new beginning," he wrote in a tweet.

(Photo: Twitter | @sureshpprabhu)

The airport is an example of one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet projects- the UDAN. The programme, started in 2016, is a regional airport development and "Regional Connectivity Scheme" for the common citizen of the country. The UDAN aims to make air travel affordable and widespread, boosting the economy and infrastructural development of otherwise neglected regions of India.

(With inputs from Agencies)The erstwhile government did not realise that the poor have self-respect and dignity, Mr Modi claimed.

Ranchi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday rolled out the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)-Ayushman Bharat, deemed as the worlds largest government-funded healthcare programme covering over 50 crore beneficiaries and termed it a game-changer initiative to serve the poor.

PMJAY-Ayushman Bharat is the biggest government-sponsored healthcare scheme in the world. The number of beneficiaries is almost equal to the population of Canada, Mexico and the US taken together, Mr Modi said at the schemes launch event at Ranchis Prabhat Tara ground.

In an apparent reference to the Congress, he said the previous governments indulged in vote-bank politics without empowering the poor.

We have been listening to the garibi hatao (get rid of poverty) slogan, but it was just an attempt to hoodwink the poor. If the (welfare) schemes were implemented, as promised, the poor in the country would have been better off today, the Prime Minister said.

Dedicating the scheme to the service of the daridranayaran (service of the poor equivalent to worshipping God), Mr Modi said that the policymakers in the past never tried to empower the poor, but only paid lip service to their cause hoping to get votes.

The erstwhile government did not realise that the poor have self-respect and dignity, Mr Modi claimed.

I have seen and lived the life of a poor man, so I know the importance of self-respect and dignity in their lives. I am trying my best to fulfil their dreams and protect their dignity. It is the BJP government that is focused on empowering them, he said.

I hope and pray that the poor dont have to visit hospitals, but if they do, the Ayushman cover will be at their service. The poor of my country must get all facilities that the rich enjoy, he said.

The ambitious Ayushman Bharat scheme aims to provide annual coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family, with an average size of five members, benefiting more than 50 crore people for secondary and tertiary care and hospitalisation through a network of empanelled health care providers. Aadhaar card is not mandatory for availing the benefits of the scheme that promises cashless hospitalisation, surgical procedures at 13,000 government and private hospitals.

The entitlement of each family will be decided on the basis of deprivation criteria in the Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011.

Some non-BJP ruled states have not joined the scheme. These include Telangana, Odisha, Delhi, Kerala and Punjab. Some claim they already have a similar health scheme or do not expect major benefit for their people from the scheme. Kerala questioned PMJAY schemes feasibility and called it a big hoax. Telangana complained that Prime Ministers photograph on the Ayushman Bharat card will result in the BJP getting undue publicity in the run-up to the parliamentary elections.

The Prime Minister said that the magnitude of the scheme can be gauged from the fact that more than 1,300 ailments are covered under it, including heart diseases, kidney and liver disorders and diabetes.

People are calling the scheme Modicare and by other names, but for me it is an opportunity to serve the poor. Even the ones living in the lowest strata of the society will benefit from the scheme, he said.

Reiterating the slogan Sabka saath, sabka vikas, Mr Modi said that the health cover does not discriminate on communal or caste lines.

The programme will not differentiate between people based on religion, caste, location. Every eligible person will be able to avail its benefits, he asserted.

Under the scheme, individual letters written by Mr Modi will be given to every beneficiary and he can approach a hospital with this letter and a valid ID document. There the beneficiaries can meet Arogya Mitra who will help him generate a golden card, following which the person would be admitted to the hospital.

A toll-free number 14555 will also be operational, to respond to all questions about the scheme. The schemes website is mera.pmjay.gov.in.

Mr Modi said that 2,500 modern hospitals would come up in tier-II and tier-III cities and that these will generate employment opportunities.

He also said that the Central government has given approval for 15 new AIIMS in the country.

The government is working on a scheme to train one lakh new doctors in the next four to five years and build at least one AIIMS in each state, he claimed.

In a related development, Niti Aayog member V.K. Paul said in Delhi that the government is also working on a proposal to launch a health television channel with a view to promoting health and nutrition.

The health TV channel, which is under active consideration of the government, will supplement the ambitious healthcare scheme PMJAY, he said.SC also granted a weeks time to 8 states and UTs to comply with its directions on curbing cow vigilantism and mob lynching.

Senior counsel Indira Jaising informed the Supreme Court bench that Rajasthan government had not taken action against the police over the Alwar lynching incident. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre, all states and Union Territories to give wide publicity to the directions given in July this year to curb cow vigilantism as people must realise that mob violence and taking the law into their hands will invite wrath of law.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud gave this direction on petitions filed by Tehseen Poonawala and others dealing with cow vigilantism.

The top court also granted a weeks time to eight states and Union Territories to comply with its directions on curbing cow vigilantism and mob lynching.

The bench took note of the fact that eight states, including Mizoram, Telangana, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi, are yet to file reports indicating the compliance of its July 17 verdict within three days and directing listing of the petitions after two weeks. It asked them to put the information on measures to curb the mob violence on their websites so that people know the recourse available to them.

When senior counsel Indira Jaising submitted that one of the directions given to the Centre and states with regard to giving wide publicity in television and radio had not been complied with, Attorney General KK Venugopal informed the court that steps would be taken for giving publicity within a week.

In the last hearing, the attorney general had informed the bench that in pursuance of the apex court verdict, an empowered group of ministers has been set up to consider framing a law on mob violence.

Acting on a petition filed by Tehseen S Poonawalla and others, the court in July suggested the Parliament enact a law making lynching a separate offence including the provision for compensation to victims. The court had then made it clear that mobocracy could not take law into their hands and resort to lynching.

The order had said there can be no shadow of doubt that the authorities which are conferred with the responsibility to maintain law and order in the states have the principal obligation to see that vigilantism, be it cow vigilantism or any other vigilantism of any perception, does not take place.

Giving a series of directions, the court had said the states shall designate, a senior police officer, not below the rank of superintendent of police, as nodal officer in each district for taking measures to prevent incidents of mob violence and lynching. They shall constitute a special task force so as to procure intelligence reports about the people who are likely to commit such crimes or who are involved in spreading hate speeches, provocative statements and fake news.

Senior counsel Indira Jaising informed the bench that Rajasthan government had not taken action against the police over the Alwar lynching incident, which happened three days after the verdict.

The petitioner said that on July 20, Akbar alias Rakbar was lynched by a mob on suspicion of being a cow smuggler in Alwar. His associate Aslam who was transporting cows on foot along with him managed to escape.

The state police had stated that Aslam managed to escape and unknown locals beat the victim Akbar up with sticks, which led to serious injuries on his arms, legs and all over his body. He then collapsed, the police said.

Counsel questioned as to why no departmental action except a transfer was taken against three of the police officers who had prioritised bringing the cows to the nearest gaushala over taking the victim to the hospital, by reason of which he had succumbed to his injuries. She also contended that the chargesheet in connection with the event has not been produced so far.

ASG Tushar Mehta for Rajasthan informed the bench that a compliance report had been filed on September 20 explaining the action including the suspension of the SHO in contemplation of disciplinary proceedings while the constables have been transferred.

Further, he submitted that three out of the four accused have been arrested and an investigation is underway in respect of the fourth who is absconding. He said the chargesheet under section 302 of the IPC had been filed.The long-lost letter from Galileo Galilei, dated Dec. 21, 1613, addressed to Padre Benedetto Castelli. The letter was found in the Royal Society archives.

Did Galileo Galilei really say all those terrible things that the Vatican said he did in his famous 1613 letter about a sun-centered solar system  and in saying so, violate church doctrine? Or did the Catholic Church alter his words to make him look bad, so they could more easily declare him a heretic? A long-lost letter that recently emerged from a library archive in the United Kingdom may finally put this question to rest.

The discovery sheds light on claims that Galileo made when he came under fire for suggesting that the church stick to religion and stay out of science, the journal Nature recently reported.

According to Galileo, when Inquisition officials presented a copy of his letter as evidence of heresy, the words had been changed to make them seem more inflammatory. Galileo even produced another copy of the letter with much less incendiary language, to prove that he was being railroaded. [Science and the Catholic Church: A Turbulent History]

But the newly discovered document tells a different story.

Discovered in the Royal Society library by a visiting historian from Italy in August, the newfound letter had languished for centuries after being filed under the wrong date, according to Nature. It appears to be an original draft of the letter, which Galileo originally sent to his friend Benedetto Castelli in 1613, and it's signed with "G.G."  Galileo's initials.

In the letter, Galileo condemned the Catholic Church's interpretations of astronomy; those arguments were used against him when the Inquisition brought him to trial  and convicted him  in 1633.

The second page of the 1613 Galileo letter. (Image credit: Copyright the Royal Society)

The new document contains numerous corrections in an attempt to take the edge off language that might be considered heretical, Nature reported. Words that Galileo first put to paper that were harshly critical of the church were later crossed out and corrected, suggesting that he self-edited to make his pronouncements less offensive to the church's eyes, according to Nature.

For example, one passage referred to certain biblical claims as "false"; the description was later crossed out and amended to read "look different from the truth."

If the document is what it appears to be, Galileo's original word choices were far more objectionable than the version that was sent to the Vatican. Nevertheless, Galileo asserted that the letter used by the Inquisition only sounded as critical as it did because church officials changed his words; he claimed that their document was a "fraud" circulated "under the cloak of zeal and charity," in a 1615 letter to a friend and cleric named Piero Dini.

A description and interpretation of the letter will be published in the Royal Society journal Notes and Records, Nature reported.

Original article on Live Science.SC was hearing a PIL filed by Delhi-based lawyer challenging female genital mutilation of minor girls of Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community.

A group of Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community members had earlier told Supreme Court that validity of female circumcision be examined, if at all, by larger constitution bench. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday referred to a five-judge constitution bench the plea challenging practice of female genital mutilation among Dawoodi Bohra Muslims.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud was hearing a PIL filed by a Delhi-based lawyer challenging the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) of minor girls of the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community.

Female genital mutilation is performed "illegally upon girls (between five years and before she attains puberty)" and is against the "UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which is India is a signatory", the plea said, adding the practice caused "permanent disfiguration to the body of a girl child".

A group of Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community members had earlier told the Supreme Court that the female circumcision is practised by a few sects of Islam, including the Dawoodi Bohra community, and the validity of this be examined, if at all, by a larger constitution bench.Humans are responsible for some of the wobble in Earth's spin.

Since 1899, the Earth's axis of spin has shifted about 34 feet (10.5 meters). Now, research quantifies the reasons why and finds that a third is due to melting ice and rising sea levels, particularly in Greenland  placing the blame on the doorstep of anthropogenic climate change.

Another third of the wobble is due to land masses expanding upward as the glaciers retreat and lighten their load. The final portion is the fault of the slow churn of the mantle, the viscous middle layer of the planet.

"We have provided evidence for more than one single process that is the key driver" for altering the Earth's axis, said Surendra Adhikari, an Earth system scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and a lead researcher on the new study. [Why Does the Earth Rotate?]

Wobbly Earth

Scientists have long known that the distribution of mass around the Earth determines its spin, much like how the shape and weight distribution of a spinning top determines how it moves. Also, Earth's spin isn't perfectly even, as scientists know thanks to slight wiggles in the movements of the stars across the night sky that have been recorded for thousands of years, said Erik Ivins, a study co-author and a senior research scientist at JPL. Since the 1990s, space-based measurements have also confirmed that the Earth's axis of rotation drifts by a few centimeters a year, generally toward Hudson Bay in northeastern Canada.

Researchers knew that a proportion of this wobble was caused by glacial isostatic adjustment, an ongoing process since the end of the last ice age 16,000 years ago. As the glaciers retreat, they relieve the land underneath of their mass. Gradually, over thousands of years, the land responds to this relief by rising like bread dough. (In some places on the edges of the ancient ice sheets, the land might also collapse because the ice had forced it to bulge upward.)

Three factors are causing Earth's spin to wobble: Greenland ice loss (blue dotted line), rebound as glaciers melt (orange-yellow dotted line), and convection in the mantle layer (red dotted line). (Image credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech)

But in the new research, published in the November issue of the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Adhikari and his colleagues found that glacial isostatic adjustment was only responsible for about 1.3 inches (3.5 centimeters) of axis wobble per year. That was only about a third of the wobble  4 inches (10.5 cm)  observed each year over the 20th century.

To fill in the gap, the research team built a computer model of the physics of Earth's spin, feeding in data about changes in the balance of land-based ice and ocean waters over the 20th century. The researchers also accounted for other shifts in land and water, such as groundwater depletion and the building of artificial reservoirs, all part of humanity's terraforming of the planet. [What in the World Would Happen If Earth Were to Spin Backward?]

The results revealed that these environmental processes cause another 1.7 inches (4.3 cm) of wobble each year. The melting of the Greenland ice sheet was a particularly important contributor, the researchers found. That's because Greenland has released a large amount of water that was once locked up on land into the oceans, where its mass has been redistributed, Ivins told Live Science. Mountain glaciers and small ice caps elsewhere have also contributed to sea-level rise, he said; but they aren't as concentrated, and their effects on the Earth's rotation often cancel each other out.

Core considerations

The glaciers and the ice melt still left a third of the wobble unaccounted for, so Adhikari and his team looked inward. The Earth's mantle is not static, he said, but moves by the process of convection: Hotter material from closer to the core rises and cooler material sinks in a cycle of vertical motion. By including convection in the model of Earth's wobble, the researchers had accounted for the last third of the changes in the spin over the 20th century.

It's important to realize that this wobble isn't the prelude to any sort of environmental calamity, Ivins and Adhikari said. It doesn't affect agriculture or climate in and of itself, and any small impact on navigational equipment is easy to correct for.

"The amount [of drift] is not a huge amount," Adhikari said.

But it does give scientists a way to figure out where Earth's mass is and where it's going. For example, Adhikari said, Greenland's melt has become an increasingly large contributor to changing the axis location in the past 15 years, which is pushing the drift eastward.

"That fact is important for climate scientists," Ivins said, "because they can understand, in a global sense, which are the most important mass transports that are going on today."

The JPL website hosts a simulation of the polar wobble and its contributing factors.

Original article on Live Science.After a remarkable month-long cooperative effort to save a young, ailing orca (Orcinus orca) named Scarlet, or J50, authorities now presume the animal is dead because she hasn't been spotted in more than two weeks, King 5 News reported.

Scarlet's death means the subpopulation of endangered southern resident killer whales now includes only 74 individuals, down from 98 individuals in 1995, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Scarlet was a 3-year-old female who was part of the J pod, one of three small groups of orcas (also called killer whales) within the southern resident killer whale subpopulation. [In Photos: Response Teams Try to Save Starving Killer Whale]

The J pod also includes J35, or Tahlequah, a female whose calf died a half-hour after it was born on July 24. Biologists watched the grieving mother carry her dead calf around for hundreds of miles and an unprecedented 17 days.

Since early August, teams of biologists and veterinarians in Washington and Canada have worked together to closely monitor Scarlet's health. When weather conditions allowed, the teams collected breath and fecal samples from Scarlet and administered antibiotics through a dart.

As part of the rescue effort, fishermen with the Lummi Nation, a Native American tribe in western Washington, attempted to feed Scarlet fresh salmon by delivering the live fish through a tube placed in the water and pointed in her general direction. They're not sure if Scarlet chowed down on the easy prey, but even if she did, her health continued to decline.

On Sept. 12, NOAA announced that it was formulating a plan to capture Scarlet and bring her into captivity for rehabilitation. But Scarlet disappeared before the capture could be executed.

NOAA initiated an intense search using resources from air, land and sea with help from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Center for Whale Research and the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network, among others. But now, after more than two weeks of thorough searching, Scarlet hasn't been found, NOAA reported.

Experts now have little choice but to assume the young orca is dead. And because she had become so thin and had very little blubber, her body likely sank to the seafloor, Lynne Barre, a biologist with NOAA, told Kiro 7.

Scarlet's death has inspired renewed efforts to conserve this dwindling population of orcas. Dr. Joe Gaydos, a veterinarian with the University of California, Davis, Wildlife Health Center, who was part of Scarlet's rescue team, is now compiling an electronic medical health database for members of Scarlet's family, with hopes that it could help diagnose future ailments, reported King 5 News.

The orca deaths have also reinvigorated petitions to remove dams in an effort to revive salmon populations and replenish the orcas' main food source, The Seattle Times reported. And at the end of last week, American and Canadian negotiators agreed to renew the Pacific Salmon Treaty, which governs salmon harvest and research throughout the Pacific Northwest region, National Fisherman reported.

Several nonprofit wildlife and environmental groups in the northwest Washington area organized a memorial service that was held last Friday (Sept. 21) in honor of both Scarlet and Tahlequah's calf. The invitation led with the message, "First, we mourn, then, we organize."

Original article on Live Science.There's a magnet in a secure room in central Tokyo. It's an electromagnet, the kind that generates a magnetic field when electrical current flows through it. The last time the scientists who operate it switched it on, it blew open the heavy doors designed to keep it contained. Already, it has created one of the most intense magnetic fields ever generated on Earth. And it keeps getting more powerful.

The magnetic field, which recently reached a strength of 1,200 teslas  a unit of magnetic intensity  was described in a paper published Sept. 17 in the journal Review of Scientific Instruments.

Twelve hundred teslas is an enormous measurement. The most powerful magnet most people have any chance of encountering in their lifetime is inside an MRI machine  and the most advanced, powerful, sometimes dangerous MRIs in the world clock in at just 3 teslas. In 2004, Popular Mechanics magazine described a machine billed as "the world's most powerful magnet"  meaning the most powerful magnet that doesn't tear itself to bits whenever it's turned on  and it emitted just 45 teslas. That's less than 4 percent of the power emitted by the magnet created by lead author Shojiro Takeyama and his colleagues.

And crossing the 1,000-tesla mark is a major milestone in an engineering effort that Takeyama said dated back to the 1970s, and which he has led for the last two decades.

To achieve that intensity, Takeyama and his team pump megajoules of energy into a small, precisely engineered electromagnetic coil, the inner lining of which then collapses on itself at Mach 15  that's more than 3 miles per second (5 kilometers per second). As it collapses, the magnetic field inside gets squeezed into a tighter and tighter space, until its force peaks at a tesla reading unimaginable in conventional magnets. Fragments of a second later, the coil collapses entirely, destroying itself. [Mad Geniuses: 10 Odd Tales About Famous Scientists]

The 1,200-tesla experiment required 3.2 megajoules of energy. But Takeyama, a physicist at the University of Tokyo, told Live Science that he believes his device can reach 1,800 teslas if he and his team apply 5 megajoules to it. (They're taking their time getting to that point, he said, partly due to safety concerns.)

"The most similar magnetic-field generation is by chemical explosives," Takeyama said, referring to experiments beginning in the 1960s and continuing until 2001, in which Russian and American researchers detonated explosives around electromagnets in order to squish them, briefly creating very powerful magnetic fields  up to 2,800 teslas.

"They cannot conduct these experiments in indoor laboratories, so they usually conduct everything in the outdoors, like Siberia in a field or somewhere in a very wide place at Los Alamos [New Mexico]," he said. "And they try to make a scientific measurement, but because of these conditions it's very hard to make precise measurements."

Other forms of superstrong magnetic fields require lasers, but Takeyama said that the laser-generated fields are tiny and supershort-lived, even by physics standards, making them similarly problematic for the sorts of experiments in which he and his laboratory colleagues at the University of Tokyo are interested.

The point of building a magnet in the 1,000-plus tesla range, Takeyama said, is to study hidden physical properties of electrons that are invisible under normal circumstances. He and his team will put different materials inside their magnet to study how their electrons behave.

Under those extreme conditions, he said, conventional models of electrons break down. Takeyama doesn't know exactly what happens to electrons in such extreme situations, but said that studying them in the moments before the coil's self-destruction should reveal properties of electrons normally invisible to science. Extremely powerful magnetic fields also have possible applications in fusion engineering, to keep the hot plasmas of a fusion reaction contained and far from their container walls.

The problem with building magnetic fields that powerful is that, as in the case of Takeyama's magnet, they almost, by definition, destroy themselves within moments of their creation. The field  and the process of creating it  inevitably exerts so much energy on the device generating it that at least some element of the device burns out or collapses on itself. Takeyama said that the advantage of his magnetic field is that it's relatively robust compared with fields generated by lasers or explosive devices. It's large enough to contain a substantial amount of material, requires no explosives and has a life span of a few dozen microseconds (millionths of a second). That's short in human terms, but it lasts several times longer than those laser-generated fields. [Top 10 Greatest Explosions Ever]

Also, while the coil itself is destroyed, the surrounding machine survives the process largely intact.

Here's what happened when it was powered up to 3.2 megajoules for the experiment that produced the 1,200-tesla field:

The device is contained and nondestructive compared with those explosive experiments in Siberia and Los Alamos. But still, every time the magnet is used, Takeyama and his team must enter the room and begin the long, laborious process of cleanup and repairs, he said. His research team must fabricate a new magnetic coil to exquisitely precise dimensions for each use. The typical wait time between experiments, he said, is about two to five months.

Outside researchers interested in elusive fusion-power generators have expressed interest in Takeyama's research as possibly useful for their large, magnetic plasma containment systems, he said. However, he said he's not certain how useful his fields might be in that context, nor is that his primary goal.

Down the road, he said, he expects to amp up the power on his machine, eventually maxing it out at the 5-megajoule, 1,800-tesla mark. But he's in no rush to get to that point, he said. First, he and his team want to explore as much as possible what they can learn at the 3.2-megajoule, 1,200-tesla range. And there remains the problem of safety as the energies involved increase.

For now, he said, his team has added some stronger doors to his lab.

Originally published on Live Science.Some claimants are taking matters into their own hands over what is expected to be the largest general average claim in history.

Maersk has confirmed that a small feedership has been held in Tunisia in connection with claims on Maersk Honam, the containership that was badly damaged by fire in earlier this year, along with much of its cargo.

We can confirm that on 10 September, the vessel Alexander Maersk was detained in the Port of Sfax, Tunisia, a Maersk spokesman told Lloyds List.

This is related to different claims cases which we are looking into and have informed our insurance company about. We will co-operate with all relevant authorities to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

The statement said some of the claims were related to Maersk Honam, the 15,226 teu containership that was struck by an explosion and fire in March and which is currently undergoing repairs.

Maersk declared general average  an insurance term for when the loss is covered by both the shipper and the shipowner  following the fire. The vessel was carrying 7,860 containers at the time of the fire, according to Lloyds List Intelligence.

The casualty is expected to be the largest general average claim in history.

The British International Freight Association warned that insured losses are likely to total hundreds of millions of dollars.

The 1998-built, 1,098 teu Alexander Maersk has been trading between Algeria, Malta and Tunisia, according to data from Lloyds List Intelligence.

Maersk said it expected the vessel would be released some time this week.Next week, San Antonio will become the first city in Texas to raise the tobacco-buying age from 18 to 21.

The ordinance goes beyond current state law, which only bans sales of tobacco products to minors and penalizes them for using and possessing cigarettes, chewing tobacco and other products.

Retailers and merchants face a maximum fine of $500 if they violate the San Antonio ordinance. Unlike state law, local law wont penalize young adults caught buying or using tobacco.

Were hoping to get the message across to teens and young adults that tobacco is bad for your health, said Mario Martinez, assistant director of San Antonio Metropolitan Health Districts environmental health & safety division.

RELATED: Here's which parts of San Antonio have the highest and lowest life expectancy rates

San Antonio joined 280 U.S. municipalities that have enacted similar laws when City Council voted 9-2 in January to raise the tobacco buying age from 18 to 21.

Initially, the ordinance was slated to go into effect in August. But City Council members voted to push the rollout date to Oct. 1 to give neighboring municipalities time to pass similar ordinances of their own.

So far, no other municipalities in the San Antonio area have enacted their own ordinances raising the tobacco-buying age to 21, Martinez said. But he anticipates state lawmakers will take up legislation to raise the age statewide when the Texas Legislature convenes next year.

Opponents have already vowed to push state lawmakers to override the San Antonio ordinance with new legislation.

RELATED: San Antonio wins national 'culture of health' prize

Under the new law, tobacco sellers must display current state signage about the tobacco-buying age alongside city-provided signage updating the age to 21; have employees sign a form showing they understand the ordinance; and continue checking customers IDs if they look like theyre younger than 27.

Inspectors with Metro Health have been visiting with the citys 1,100 tobacco retailers ahead of the Oct. 1 rollout, Martinez said, informing them about the new ordinance and what they must do to comply.

Tobacco sellers will have a bit of a grace period. But starting in January, city health inspectors will conduct unannounced decoy visits to randomly selected retailers to make sure they are complying with the law.

City officials have previously said they plan to issue a six-month report to track the ordinances effectiveness.

Joshua Fechter is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering retail and tourism. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jfechter@express-news.net | Twitter: @JFreportsGood and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger

By Rebecca Traister

Simon & Schuster. 284 pp. $27

---

Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger

By Soraya Chemaly

Atria Books. 392 pp. $27

---

My wife looked at me with arched eyebrows as I read aloud several passages from the two books late one night. "You didn't know that?" she asked quietly.

No, I didn't.

Even now, a year since the Harvey Weinstein revelations and nearly two years since the "Access Hollywood" video, after hearing so many #MeToo stories and reading books on the structures of misogyny, there was still so much I didn't know about the depths of anger that these accounts draw from - so much, I suppose, I had the luxury of not knowing.

I didn't know that, by the time they are preschoolers, children learn that boys can express their anger but that girls must suppress theirs. I didn't know how much physical pain women endure in their lives, simply because they are women, and how frequently that pain is discounted, deemed "emotional." I didn't fully grasp how throughout our political history, principled rage has been lionized when emanating from men, but pathologized when coming from women, acceptable when it upholds women's roles as nurturers, not when it serves their personal ambitions or collective aspirations.

And I didn't quite realize that the #MeToo movement is not solely about revealing the pervasiveness of rape, assault and harassment, though it is accomplishing that. It's also, as Rebecca Traister writes in her new book, a broader insurrection against gender inequality driven by "the righteous fury of the unrepresented" and, as Soraya Chemaly writes, an attack on "the injustice of having one's social experience denied and hidden from communal understanding."

Traister's "Good and Mad" and Chemaly's "Rage Becomes Her" are two urgent, enlightening books that I hope will be read together, works that are well timed for this moment even as they transcend it, the kind of accounts often reviewed and discussed by women but that should certainly be read by men. Traister, whose columns on gender and power earned her a National Magazine Award this year, focuses on the political history of female anger. She spans the suffrage movement to the 2016 election to, of course, the #MeToo wrath now upending the casting couch, the anchor chair, the editor's desk and possibly even the highest bench in the land. Chemaly, an activist with the Women's Media Center, emphasizes the psychology and culture of female anger, mixing personal experience with reporting and academic research to show how that anger is deemed a transgression of gender norms, and how the pressure to dial it back - and not be labeled shrill or scolding or imperious or just plain crazy - only pisses women off further.

But more than anything, these two writers have come to praise female anger, as an emotion and a tool. Anger is a catalytic force for activism and organizing, they argue, a demand for accountability, a statement of rights and assertion of worth. It is also a vital form of communication, Traister explains, a way for women to find one another and realize that their frustrations are shared. "The expression of primal, agonizing anger that followed Trump's election meant that for the first time, some women - even those who'd been living in proximity to one another for years - could hear one another." Or as Chemaly puts it, "Anger isn't what gets in our way - it (BEGIN ITAL)is(END ITAL) our way."

With "Rage Becomes Her," Chemaly offers a relentless catalog of the sources of female anger and the efforts to repress it. "As girls, we are not taught to acknowledge or manage our anger so much as fear, ignore, hide, and transform it," she writes, and that lesson promotes accommodation and deference. Structural burdens such as the "caring mandate" - women's enduring responsibilities for household chores, child care and elder care, regardless of whether they also work for pay - are "stressing us out and making us angry, sick and tired." The daily risks women navigate are just a cost of living while female. "Sexual harassment and violence are so normalized among girls and women," Chemaly writes, "that they don't often consciously register them as abusive behaviors."

Until, of course, they do. Traister recalls a public run-in she had in 2000 with Harvey Weinstein when, as a young reporter, she sought to interview him at a party and the producer jabbed his finger into her shoulder, called her a "c---" and, after her male colleague asked him to apologize, wrangled him into a headlock. Weinstein suffered no consequences, and press accounts of the episode minimized his offenses. Soon thereafter, Traister began hearing rumors about his behavior with women. "Among the reasons that I never really entertained the idea of reporting the story myself was that I had been shown so (BEGIN ITAL)clearly(END ITAL) that I could not have won against that kind of power," she writes. Only years later, with the New York Times and New Yorker coverage of Weinstein's pattern of predation and violence, "a Harvey-sized hole was blown in the American news cycle, and there was suddenly space and air for women to talk - to yell and scream and rage."

That rage, both authors argue, is not only healthy but rational and productive. "We envision our emotions battling our reason because, after all, that's what we are usually taught," Chemaly writes. "The entire setup makes it easier for what you say to be portrayed as unreasonable." One of Traister's heroes is the late Florynce Kennedy, the lawyer, civil rights advocate and second-wave feminist who laced her activism with anger ("The next son of a bitch that touches a woman is gonna get kicked in the balls," she warned male journalists at the 1972 Democratic National Convention) as well as biting humor ("Are you my alternative?" she would retort when men asked if she was a lesbian). Traister sees echoes of that attitude in today's uprising, in her view a welcome evolution from the glossy, nonconfrontational, celebrity-driven, cool-girl feminism of the early 21st century, one in which Traister acknowledges her own stylistic complicity. "I'd absorbed the message that open anger was needlessly overdramatic and unattractive - that it would be (BEGIN ITAL)too much(END ITAL), really - and I had worked to accommodate these assumptions, tempering my fury in my writing," she writes. "So I was funny! And playful, cheeky, ironic, knowing!"

"Good and Mad" is neither cheeky nor playful. It is angry; the book embodies its own argument. Traister remains outraged by the "brutal masculinity" that prevailed in the 2016 election. She decries the "shrugging condescension" with which many dismissed the women's marches following President Trump's inauguration. She dwells on the "performative dickishness" that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell displayed when attempting to silence Sen. Elizabeth Warren's criticisms of Jeff Sessions' civil rights record. (Nevertheless, you may recall, she persisted.) And though her book was completed too early to discuss Christine Blasey Ford's accusation of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Traister is incensed at the late senator Ted Kennedy for staying quiet during the 1991 confirmation hearing of Clarence Thomas - when an all-male Senate Judiciary Committee heard Anita Hill's testimony - in part because of Kennedy's own history with women.

In her insightful 2017 book, "Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny," Cornell philosopher Kate Manne explores the notion of "himpathy," the impulse to extend excessive sympathy to male wrongdoers over their female victims. Traister is especially harsh toward any women of the #MeToo era who dare stand up for powerful men accused of misconduct. "Women who are willing to defend white patriarchy and its abuses - usually women with proximity to powerful men and the chance to gain from it, and who are therefore themselves often white - have historically found reward from those powerful men, in the form of sexual or romantic attention, marital alliances, as well as jobs and stature, in exchange for their defense," she writes, wielding a rather broad brush.

Elsewhere in her book, however, Traister is more understanding of women with differing views, arguing that any movement that campaigns for half the population is necessarily "an unwieldy enterprise, one that tries to represent fundamentally conflicting interests, divergent perspectives, and people from varied backgrounds who have lots of good reasons to distrust, resent, and disagree with one another." It's a more realistic and compelling vision, and doesn't rely on large-scale questioning of motives.

Indeed, Traister eloquently highlights the challenge of blaming not just forces and systems, but individuals. "We must confront the fact that the bad guys are, in many cases, also our good guys: the men in our beds, our hearts, our families," Traister writes. "They are our brothers and fathers and uncles and friends and lovers and husbands and roommates and sons." She is tired of male acquaintances and colleagues coming to her for "feminist absolution" and describes others, including her husband, who had just never realized things were this bad. One night during the peak of the #MeToo onslaught, he asked her, "How can you even want to have sex with me at this point?"

I've not posed that question to my wife, at least not yet. After my enthusiasm for these books betrayed ignorance about various aspects of female life, she assured me that she didn't think I was an idiot, resignation and sympathy mingling on her face.

If there was anger there, too, she knew how to hide it.President Donald Trump's infamous border wall rhetoric has been rendered suddenly real for Laredo City Council, concerning a city-owned piece of property in the Rio Grande Valley.

The City of Laredo owns 934 acres in La Grulla, Starr County, for its water rights. The city collects water based on their ownership of water rights. In order for the city to expand their water collection, they purchased these rights in the Valley and had to buy the land that came with it, Assistant City Attorney Juan Caballero told LMT.

In 2008, the federal government built 54 miles of fencing in the Valley. This year, Congress budgeted enough money to build 37 miles of fencing in Hidalgo and Starr counties, including through the city's La Grulla property.

John Smith, deputy civil chief for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, came to council asking for the right of entry to the city's property in order to conduct surveys and core testing for a future wall.

READ ALSO: With border wall, property rights are cast aside

Councilman Roberto Balli asked what would happen if they didn't allow the government access to the land.

"If you don't let me in, then I will file a declaration of taking lawsuit against the city to get the right of entry to come in and do the surveys. I don't mean to come across as being harsh or rash, that's just my next steps," Smith said.

What's the incentive for the city to allow them to come onto their property? Councilman George Altgelt asked.

"I guess the incentive is not to have to go through a court proceeding," Smith said.

Councilman Alex Perez made a motion to deny them access, which Councilmen Vidal Rodriguez and Altgelt supported. Councilwoman Nelly Vielma voted against, and Mayor Pete Saenz did not vote. Council members Balli, Alberto Torres and Rudy Gonzalez were not present.

Since not enough votes were garnered either way, Saenz said they will bring this item back at their next meeting. Smith said if they don't hear anything in the next week or two, they'll file the declaration of taking "just to get things moving."

Allowing the government onto this city land would not mean allowing them to build the wall.

And City Attorney Kristina Hale said at this point the city doesn't have many options.

"I think we should wait and reserve any objections we have to when they do the actual taking, if that in fact takes place," she said.

The neighbors on either side of the city's property had already consented to the license agreement, Smith said, and so far his office has only had to file one declaration of taking for the right of entry.

"The time to pick your fight is probably not right now on right of entry. The time to pick your fight is if they decide to build on your property ... and do an actual taking of your property. That's where you get bang for your buck if you're going to defend for it, because that's dollars in your pocket," Smith said.

The declaration of taking lawsuit will result in compensation to the landowner for property taken, Smith said. He said new border wall construction in the Valley, not necessarily in La Grulla, will begin as early as next spring.

The fence will be 18 to 21 feet tall, Smith said. A farmer is currently leasing the city's land in La Grulla to grow crops such as onions. And since the fence will bisect the property north of the river, a large gate with a keycode will be built so the tenant and his employees can still farm on the other side, Smith said.

Mayor Saenz asked if the Department of Justice is treating the cities and school districts who own land along the Rio Grande the same as private owners.

"It's the exact same process. We try to treat every landowner exactly the same, whether it's the right of entry phase or whether it's the compensation phase," Smith said.

They are dealing with about 250 properties this time, he said.

When the federal government underwent this process for the first time in Texas 10 years ago, Homeland Security circumvented laws designed to help landowners receive fair compensation, the Texas Tribune and ProPublica reported. The agency did not conduct formal appraisals of targeted parcels. Instead, it issued low-ball offers based on substandard estimates of property values.

Larger, wealthier property owners who could afford lawyers negotiated deals that, on average, tripled the opening bids from Homeland Security. Smaller and poorer landholders took whatever the government offered  or wrung out small increases in settlements. The government conceded publicly that landowners without lawyers might wind up shortchanged, but did little to protect their interests.

RELATED: What about for a virtual border wall?

Nearly a decade later, scores of landowners remain tangled in lawsuits. The government has already taken their land and built the border fence. But it has not resolved claims for its value.

Last week, the ACLU Border Rights Center released a report examining the myraid consequences of Trump's border wall proposal, called, "Death, Damage, and Failure: Past, Present, and Future Impacts of Walls on the U.S.-Mexico Border."

The authors write that if the Lower Rio Grande Valley sector is completely walled off, a portion of its cross-border traffic will likely be displaced into the Laredo sector.

"While its apprehension numbers are currently low ... the Laredo Sector has the highest rate of deaths to apprehensions of any sector on the southern border. Pushing more crossings through the border's most dangerous sector is likely to cause more people who might have otherwise survived their journey to die agonizing deaths. If the House bill passes and the Laredo Sector is largely walled off, crossings will be pushed into still more remote and perilous places. It is important to accept the fact that the number of people who died crossing into the United States before border walls went up and the Prevention through Deterrence strategy was implemented was relatively small. Now hundreds die every year. Border walls have contributed to the deaths of thousands of men, women, and children, and the erection of new walls will contribute to the deaths of still more," the authors report.

The Texas Tribune contributed to this report. Julia Wallace may be reached at jwallace@lmtonline.comQ: Did I really just see a pink CDTA bus?

Are they raising money for breast cancer?

That's one way to get your message out.

 Connie Davis, Albany

A: The Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) is "going pink" through October to support the American Cancer Society's Real Men Wear Pink campaign.

For the third year, CDTA is teaming up with the nonprofit American Cancer Society. As part of the initiative, pink buses are rolling on Capital Region streets to raise awareness and support the campaign.

NAPA Auto Parts and Lamar Advertising donated materials and decals to transform the city buses, which are hard to miss.

Last year, CDTA employees helped raise close to $16,000 for Real Men Wear Pink.

Overall, the 2017 Capital Region Real Men Wear Pink campaign raised more than $146,000, ranking fourth in the nation after Atlanta, Boston and Pittsburgh.

The campaign encourages participants to raise awareness and money to fight breast cancer, because the disease affects everyone  women and men.

More Information Hot spots What to watch for this week: The Northway (I-87), between Malta and Saratoga Springs: The Crescent Avenue and East High street bridges are now open, but be on alert for off-peak lane closures underneath the bridges between Exit 12 (Malta) and Exit 14 (Saratoga Springs) as final bridge construction work continues. Hamburg Street, Rotterdam: Traffic open in both directions. Watch for flaggers and alternating traffic during continuing roadwork eastbound (Route 146). Michigan Avenue bridge, Schenectady: Left turns prohibited onto I-890. Detour by turning right onto eastbound or westbound I-890, then loop around at next exit. Columbia Street (routes 9 and 20) over South Street and railroad tracks, Rensselaer and East Greenbush: Reduced to two lanes through the fall for a rehabilitation project. Watch for lane shifts. Detour for tractor-trailers arriving from Route 9J over the Dunn Memorial Bridge to I-787 northbound, then I-90 eastbound to Exit 9, south on Route 4, and back to routes 9 and 20. Route 7, Brunswick: Watch for lane shifts, flaggers and workers between Leonard Avenue in Sycaway and Route 278 in Brunswick Center for work on ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps. County Route 9, West Berne: Bridge construction and rehabilitation will close the intersection of Dutch Settlement Road and County Route 9 through Thanksgiving. While repairs are made to the approach of the bridge over Fox Creek, a detour will run 16 miles along Rickard Hill Road and state routes 30 and 443. Thacher Park Road (Route 157): Closed through Nov. 27 to replace two culverts near the Thacher Park Visitors Center and Paint Mine Picnic Area. Posted detour to accommodate large trucks includes routes 157, 85 and 85A through Voorheesville, Route 156 through Altamont and then back to Route 157. I-87, from Route 378 in Menands to Tibbits Avenue in Green Island: Night paving work from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly through the end of October. Motorists should watch for single lane closures and ramp closures with signed detours. Route 67, Ballston Spa and Malta: Night paving work from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. between State Farm Boulevard in Malta and Route 50 in Ballston Spa. Traffic will be reduced to a single alternating lane controlled by flaggers through early October. See More Collapse

CDTA will provide transportation on Oct. 21 for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Albany's Washington Park. A pink CDTA bus will also be part of the event.

More than 15,000 people are expected to participate in the annual fundraiser.

Do you have a question about transportation? Email gettingthere@timesunion.com. Please include your name, town and telephone number.U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Courtesy Of U.S. Customs And Border Protection

Courtesy Of U.S. Customs And Border Protection

Courtesy Of U.S. Customs And Border Protection

Courtesy Of U.S. Customs And Border Protection

Fifteen undocumented immigrants were discovered in a box truck at Border Patrol's checkpoint on Interstate 35.

The smuggling attempt was intercepted Thursday after the driver of the box truck consented to a non-intrusive scan utilizing an X-ray machine at the checkpoint. During the non-intrusive scan, a Border Patrol agent saw anomalies within the cargo area of the box truck.

READ ALSO: Alleged gang member attempting to evade checkpoint apprehended by Border Patrol

Upon further inspection, agents discovered 15 individuals under a plastic cover.

The male undocumented immigrants were found in good health and determined to be illegally present in the United States. The individuals were from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Brazil.

The driver, a U.S. citizen, and 15 immigrants were arrested.Nirmala Sitharaman accused Congress of running a smear campaign against the Centre at a global level.

Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said she would run a nationwide campaign to fight the battle. (Photo: File | ANI)

New Delhi: As controversy over Rafale deal continues to intensify with Congress upping its ante against the Modi government, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the row over the deal is a perception battle.

The defence minister added that she would run a nationwide campaign to fight the battle. She further accused the Congress party of running a smear campaign against the Centre at a global level.

This is a perception battle. We will fight this battle. We'll go to places and state facts on record on Rafale. Congress designs to run a smear campaign against us at an international level, Nirmala Sitharaman was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

The Congress has escalated attacks against the Modi government after former French president Francois Hollande stated last week that France had been given no choice about picking Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as Dassault's offset partner in 2016.

However, AFP reported that Hollande told it on the sidelines of a meeting in Canada on Friday that France "did not choose Reliance in any way". When asked whether India had put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Hollande said he was unaware and "only Dassault can comment on this".

Earlier on Monday, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar also alleged that Congress president Rahul Gandhi has no facts and evidence against the government over the Rafale deal and termed him as a "directionless leader".

Firing fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul on Monday accused the prime minister of snatching away money from the poor and handing it over to industrialist Anil Ambani. He also asked the prime minister for answers on why Rafale price was not disclosed and how Ambani got the contract.

"The chowkidar of the country has taken out Rs 20,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, martyrs and the jawans and put it in the pocket of Ambani," Gandhi said at a meeting in Amethi.A Columbus Independent School District student has been taken into custody after a threat made on Snapchat caused the closure of all district campuses Monday, police said.

The student, a juvenile, gave a full confession, Columbus Police Chief Skip Edman said. The student will be charged with terroristic threat, a third-degree felony, the chief said in a news release.

The district got word about the threat just before midnight Sunday, school authorities said in a message on the district's website. Some students let parents their parents know about the threat, and the parents contacted the district.

"The Columbus Police Department wants the public to know that we take threats against our community and schools seriously and we will not rest until these types of situations have been fully resolved," the chief said in the statement.

THINK BEFORE YOU POST: FBI warns of posting hoax threats to schools

The threat was posted on Snapchat, named a student and mentioned an AK-47, said Superintendent Brian Morris.

Investigators responded to an address in the 1000 block of Old McDonald Lane, outside of Columbus city limits, around 10:27 p.m. Sunday.

Officers and deputies were notified of the post on social media, in which the suspect said they intended to physically assault the student at school in the morning, and that they had a firearm, Edman said.

"Columbus ISD takes the safety of our students and employees very seriously and it is our top priority," authorities said in a message Monday morning. "This situation has been turned over to the local law enforcement authorities, and Columbus ISD will continue to cooperate with our local authorities. It is the hope of the Columbus Independent School District, that the person who made the threat is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

CONFRONTING CRUZ: Mother of slain Santa Fe student speaks out at campaign rally

Morris originally said that the name of the user who posted the threat didn't match anyone at Columbus ISD. It's not clear whether the person used a false name.

"It felt like it was a situation where wed rather be safe than sorry," Morris said. "We felt like it was credible enough."

Columbus police and the Colorado County Sheriff's Office investigated the threat, Edman said. The Bryan/College Station FBI office contacted the police department about the threat and also assisted.

All five of the district's campuses were closed Monday because it was in parents' and students' best interest, Morris said. All sports practices were canceled, and the junior high volleyball match was moved to Thursday night in Columbus, according to administrators.

Classes will resume as usual on Tuesday. All visitors have to show photo identification to visit any campuses, and police presence will be increased, according to a post on the district's website.

"Were going to do everything we can to have a much more vigilant police presence around our campuses," Morris said.

This appears to be the first school closure in the Houston area following a threat this year. However, police have investigated several threats against schools, with several ending in the arrests of a number of teens.

In late August, a Morton Ranch High School student was jailed on charges of making a terroristic threat. He was released from jail on bond.

SCHOOL SECURITY UPGRADES: What northwest Houston schools are doing in the wake of mass shootings

Two Galveston County teens are also facing criminal charges after one allegedly posted threatening social media messages while the other allegedly brought an unloaded gun to school, officials said.

Galveston Independent School District police placed Ball High School under a precautionary lockdown at 9:15 a.m. after a concerned student reported knowledge of a weapon on campus.

And Santa Fe High School, where a gunman opened fire in May and killed 10, was hit with another threat against a group of students on social media on Sept. 6. No one was charged.

The threat in Columbus ISD also comes a week after the FBI Houston Division launched a public awareness campaign about the consequences of using social media to post hoax threats. The campaign, #ThinkBeforeYouPost, began after local schools received a wave of phony threats in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, which killed 17 students and adults.

Columbus ISD is west of Houston, located off Interstate 10 and Highway 71. It covers a population of 8,300 people in Colorado County and a small part of Austin County, according to the district.

Anyone with information on the latest threat is asked to contact Columbus police at 979-732-3351 or the Colorado County Sheriff's Office at 979-732-2388.Turmoil has been the state of things from the day President Donald Trump was sworn into office, but rarely has the chaos felt as acute as on the opening day of what could be a fateful week. A confluence of events has produced a moment of instability whose waves will affect the coming midterm elections and potentially the future of the Trump presidency.

All this comes as world leaders have gathered for their annual meeting at the United Nations, providing other government leaders a front-row seat to the political warfare that has only intensified since the 2016 election. If the United States once was seen as the world's most effective and enduring democracy, the latest events tell a far different story, that of a country at war internally and with its institutions under assault.

All branches of government are caught up in the controversies of the moment. In the executive branch, Trump's long-running war with the Justice Department could be headed for a flash point Thursday when the president meets with embattled Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein at a moment when Rosenstein's tenure has appeared in doubt.

Whether Rosenstein departs after his meeting with the president, the Justice Department could face a broader purge to include Attorney General Jeff Sessions after the midterm elections, changes that would throw into question the future of the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 election, possible involvement by associates of the Trump campaign and other matters.

Meanwhile, Congress is inflamed over the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, in a fight that has merged the rawest of partisan politics with the power of the #MeToo movement. A showdown over an accusation of sexual assault against Kavanaugh is schedule for a Thursday hearing on Capitol Hill. The outcome will leave scars that could roil the high court for many months if not more.

At this point, the circuits of government and politics are overloaded. There is too much happening all at once. Everyone is at battle stations awaiting the latest development, the latest accusation, the latest meeting, the latest tweet, the latest counter offensive - ready to pounce and often to reach premature conclusions.

Monday morning produced hours of high drama over Rosenstein, as cable channels and news organization tried to sort out conflicting descriptions from the White House and Justice of Rosenstein's visit to the White House. In newsrooms, reporters watched their Twitter feeds as they plumbed sources for reliable information. Was Rosenstein ready to resign because of reports that he had talked about secretly taping the president and seeking to have the 25th Amendment invoked to declare Trump unfit for office? Was he about to be fired because of those reports? Or was it neither?

No one knew what was happening until a statement was issued by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying that Rosenstein and the president would have their meeting Thursday. Trump has been urged by allies, including his friend Sean Hannity of Fox News, not to fire anyone over the reports about Rosenstein. For now, Rosenstein continues in his job, however much he is in limbo.

Rosenstein's fate appeared extremely tenuous late Monday morning. By afternoon, after a public handshake between Rosenstein and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly at their meeting, and a benign comment by Trump during a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the situation was calmer, if still cloudy.

Trump faces an obvious dilemma. Allowing Rosenstein to remain in place provides a shield for Mueller to keep his investigation on track, an investigation that continues to cause Trump heartburn. Firing Rosenstein would produce a backlash that could cost Republicans more seats in November, and thus potentially put Trump under investigation by a Democratic-controlled House.

The Kavanaugh confirmation fight is as fraught as any in recent memory. For a week, Kavanaugh has faced an accusation, which he denies, that he sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford when the two were teenagers in the Washington suburbs. A new allegation came late Sunday, when the New Yorker's Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer reported that Deborah Ramirez recalled Kavanaugh exposing himself to her during a drunken party, when the two were at Yale University three decades ago. The story fully described the holes in and questions about her account.

With Republicans determined to push through Kavanaugh's nomination in time for the opening of the court's new session early next month and with Democrats demanding additional delays as a result of the second allegation, the confirmation battle descended further into completing claims and angry rhetoric.

On the Senate floor Monday afternoon, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky., called it "a shameful smear campaign." Republicans accused Democrats of attempted character assassination based on unprovable claims, and accused those in the other party of siding with Ford without hearing her out.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called for a delay in Thursday's testimony by Ford and Kavanaugh and an investigation into the allegation by Ramirez. Democrats charged that Republicans, while claiming they wanted to hear Ford's testimony, were dismissive of the California professor, insensitive to her situation and had already judged her as not telling the truth. Some called for Kavanaugh to withdraw. He reiterated his determination not to do so.

These conflicts have produced seemingly irreconcilable positions. The confirmation process for Supreme Court justices is now badly broken. Both sides concede that retribution and payback are now interwoven into the selection and confirmation of those on the high court. Perhaps it will be different if future vacancies won't affect the ideological balance of the court, but the expectation of a fair process is now doubted by whatever side is not in power.

The president's attacks on the Justice Department and the rule of law have produced two camps that are deeply split over the conduct of department leaders and of the FBI. Parallel and opposing forces seek - demand - investigations. One calls for the unimpeded completion of the investigation of the president and his associates, wherever the evidence might lead. The other calls for an investigation of those who are investigating the president, or who helped to launch the probe before Mueller came on the scene.

As if all this weren't enough for one week, one more piece of drama could be in the offing. By this weekend, Congress must approve a spending bill to keep the government running. The president has threatened a shutdown if he doesn't get money for his border wall. The prospect of a government shutdown used to be treated as a crisis in the making. With everything else going on, it's just one more log on the raging fire.The evening after Christmas 2004 was a night to remember for more than 50 U.S. Navy officers from the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group. During a port visit to Hong Kong, they were invited to a free feast on the 56th floor of a luxury hotel, where they savored cocktails, cigars and courses of Oscietra caviar, black truffles and lobster thermidor.

Mingling with the guests were attractive young women dressed as Santa's little helpers, wearing red hats, black boots and skimpy yuletide costumes. Smiling at the center of the party was the host, Leonard Glenn Francis, a defense contractor who has since confessed to bribing scores of Navy officers in the worst corruption scandal in Navy history.

Among those in attendance, records show, was Craig Faller, a Navy officer who has climbed the ranks at the Pentagon to become a vice admiral and the senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

Last month, the White House nominated Faller for a fourth star and to lead the U.S. Southern Command, responsible for military operations in Central and South America. His confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled for Tuesday.

The Pentagon has never publicly disclosed that Faller was under investigation for more than three years by the Justice Department and the Navy for his interactions with Francis, a Singapore-based maritime tycoon known as Fat Leonard. The admiral was ultimately cleared of wrongdoing.

Francis, who has pleaded guilty to fraud and bribery charges and is cooperating with the Justice Department, told investigators he paid for a prostitute to entertain Faller after the Christmas 2004 party in Hong Kong, according to internal Navy documents obtained by The Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act and individuals familiar with the case.

The Navy redacted Faller's name from the documents, but other details in the records match his military service history. Pentagon officials speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed that Faller was the subject of the investigation.

Francis also told federal authorities that he gave Faller an ornamental Malaysian sword and another gift, and bought him two dinners in Kuala Lumpur in 2011, the documents show.

Last year, the Justice Department decided not to prosecute Faller but passed the case to the Navy to determine if the admiral had violated military law or ethics rules, according to documents and Navy officials familiar with the case. A spokeswoman for the Justice Department declined to comment.

In March, the Navy concluded that Faller had not committed misconduct, the documents show. Although Navy officials confirmed Faller had accepted three dinners from Francis, they excused his actions. A full explanation for the decision was redacted from the documents.

The Navy also found "insufficient evidence" that Faller had patronized a prostitute or accepted the sword, the documents show.

With the investigations complete, the Pentagon put Faller on a fast track for advancement. In April, he was picked to become a three-star admiral. In August, he was selected for promotion again and nominated to receive a fourth star.

Faller did not respond to a list of detailed questions. In a statement, Dana White, the Pentagon's chief spokeswoman, said Faller "never solicited a gift, dinner, service or item from [Francis's company] and never attended an event without clearance from an ethics counselor."

Mattis chose Faller as his senior military assistant when he became defense secretary in January 2017. Faller also worked for Mattis, a retired Marine general, from 2012 to 2014 when Mattis served as head of U.S. Central Command and Faller was chief operations officer, overseeing wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

In a statement to The Post, Mattis called Faller "an exceptional naval officer and respected military leader. I have selected him twice to serve alongside me. . . . Over many decades he has served with distinction. I recommended him to the President for this promotion because he has my full faith and confidence and is the right person for this position of trust. I firmly and resolutely support his nomination."

Faller is one of about 60 admirals who have come under investigation for their ties to Francis. His firm, Glenn Defense Marine Asia, held contracts worth $250 million to resupply Navy vessels in Asia before he was arrested in 2013.

Francis has told federal authorities that he wined and dined hundreds of Navy officers over two decades and supplied many of them with prostitutes.

Faller is one of three admirals who attended the Hong Kong dinner in 2004, according to photographs and people who were present.

Billed as a "Christmas Cheer" celebration, the seven-course meal was served at Petrus, a swanky French restaurant in the Shangri-La Hotel with panoramic views of Victoria Harbor, according to copies of the dinner menu and official invitation obtained by The Post.

Ethics rules prohibit military personnel from accepting gifts worth more than $20 from contractors. Although it is unknown how much Francis paid for the event, records from other cases show he often spent more than $1,000 per person to entertain U.S. officers at Michelin-starred restaurants

David Meyers, a retired Navy captain who served as the supply officer of the Abraham Lincoln, said he strongly advised his superiors to avoid the 2004 dinner.

In an interview, Meyers said he warned the Abraham Lincoln's commanding officer, then-Capt. Kendall Card, and its executive officer, Capt. David Lausman, that it would be a conflict of interest. As head of the supply department, Meyers was responsible for paying Francis's firm to refuel and service the ship while it was in port.

"I said, 'all his profits are coming from overcharging us for services,' " recalled Meyers, who refused to attend the dinner and also barred the supply staff from going.

"My personal reaction was they were setting themselves up for potential trouble," Meyers added, referring to the ship's commanders. "When they said they were going to go, I'm thinking, 'You're the captain of this ship and you've had more ethical training to me, but this seems like a no-brainer.' "

Card retired from the Navy in 2013 as a three-star admiral. He did not respond to several messages seeking comment.

Lausman was indicted last year on charges of taking bribes from Francis. He has pleaded not guilty. His attorney declined to comment. An attorney for Francis also declined to comment.

The third admiral to attend the Christmas Cheer celebration was W. Douglas Crowder, the Abraham Lincoln strike group commander.

Now retired, Crowder said he asked Navy lawyers to review the invitation beforehand "to see if it passed the smell test" and was told it was permissible to attend. As a result, Crowder said he gave the green light to his officers to go. He said nothing untoward happened during the dinner.

"I had an official ethics finding," he said. "No one in my strike group went except for the fact that their boss said it was OK. . . . The only reason Craig Faller went to that event is because I said it was OK."

At the time, Faller was a captain and commanding officer of the USS Shiloh, a guided-missile cruiser that was part of the strike group. Crowder recalled leaving the dinner with Faller and a few other officers. "He walked out with me," Crowder said.Hong Kong's government issued an unprecedented ban against a pro-independence political party that it has called a risk to national security, raising concerns over tolerance of dissent in the Asian financial hub.

"The Hong Kong National Party has a very clear agenda to achieve its goal of Hong Kong being made an independent republic," John Lee, the city's security secretary, said at a briefing on Monday. The party could use force to achieve its goal and had spread "hatred and discrimination" against Chinese visitors to Hong Kong, he said.

The decision risks fanning fears the city's administration wants to set a precedent for clamping down on other opposition groups, eroding Hong Kong's autonomy under the "one country, two systems" framework in place since Chinese rule began in 1997. It may also lay the groundwork to revive a shelved national security law prohibiting secession and subversion.

The ban represents the latest attempt to squelch the small movement that sprung up after mass "Occupy Central" protests in 2014 failed to win any democratic reforms. In 2016, the Chinese government reinterpreted local law to ban such activists from public office. Local officials this year barred a legislative candidate because she supported "self-determination."

"The decision could have a chilling effect that stifles democratic debate on a topic that is not an illegal act per se under current legislation," said Chris Ng, a convener of the Progressive Lawyers' Group, which promotes democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong.

The government's actions may be unconstitutional and could be challenged for violating Hong Kong's right to freedom of association under the city's laws, Ng said. Local journalists were calling him to ask if it would be illegal to publish an article by Chan, Ng said, adding that he told them it would be legal as long as Chan said he wasn't acting as a member of the National Party.

The ban came ten days after the National Party submitted a case to the government arguing why it shouldn't be suppressed. "I can't comment at the moment," Chan said Monday in a text message.

It was unclear whether Chan would take legal action to oppose the ban. Earlier this month, he dropped an appeal against a previous government decision to stop him from running in 2016 legislative council elections because he couldn't afford to fight on, the South China Morning Post reported.

Hong Kong police had threatened to ban the National Party in July, accusing it of taking concrete steps toward realizing the city's independence. China later warned the Foreign Correspondents' Club that it risked repercussions for hosting Chan to speak about the potential ban. The club's members include journalists from Bloomberg and other news organizations.

The FCC invitation prompted pro-Beijing protesters to gather outside the club's premises, and criticism from Hong Kong's former leader. China's foreign ministry accused the FCC of abusing the former British colony's right to free speech by giving Chan a platform.

At the lunch, Chan denounced China as a "colonial master," and compared the administration's effort to ban his party to campaigns to suppress political opposition in democratically run Taiwan and China's regions of Tibet and Xinjiang.

Chan wrote to the U.S. State Department in September, calling on Washington to suspend the differential treatment on trade between Hong Kong and mainland China under the U.S.-Hong Kong Policy Act. Chan said such a move would be warranted due to the erosion of the city's autonomy and freedom under Chinese rule.

Kurt Tong, the U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong, dismissed Chan's call and reaffirmed the "very good relationship" between Washington and the city's government, the South China Morning Post reported.During a visit to Hong Kong last year, President Xi Jinping warned that any challenge to China's rule was "an act that crosses the red line, and is absolutely impermissible."

China's central government firmly supports Hong Kong's right to punish any crimes that endanger national security, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Monday, citing a spokesman from China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in Beijing.

- - -

Bloomberg's Jasmine Wang and Dominic Lau contributed.Tral township and its neighbourhood observed a spontaneous shutdown on Monday to mourn the killing of the militant commander Adnan.

One Army jawan was injured in the incident, which triggered protests and clashes along the streets of Tral on Sunday, leaving three civilians injured. (Photo: PTI)

Srinagar: The Army on Monday said that it foiled a major infiltration bid after killing five militants in a fire fight raging in Tangdhar area, close to the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Kupwara district, since Sunday morning. One Army jawan died in the clash, it added.

Defence spokesperson Col. Rajesh Kalia said that the slain men were part of a large group of militants who had earlier sneaked into Jammu and Kashmir after breaching the LoC. With the killing of these terrorists, our troops defending the LoC have foiled yet another infiltration bid from across the border, he said.

Officials said that a top commander of Jaish-e-Muhammad was also killed in a separate gun battle in Tral area of Kashmirs southern Pulwama district.

One Army jawan was injured in the incident, which triggered protests and clashes along the streets of Tral on Sunday, leaving three civilians injured.

Tral township and its neighbourhood observed a spontaneous shutdown on Monday to mourn the killing of the militant commander Adnan.BEIJING - The commercial battle between the United States and China heated up Monday as the economic powerhouses slapped each other with the largest rounds of tariffs yet, unleashing punitive duties now on roughly half of their traded goods.

President Donald Trump imposed fresh levies on $200 billion in Chinese imports, prompting Beijing to respond with tariffs on $60 billion in American goods, approaching the point of running out of U.S. products to target.

Neither of the world's two largest economies showed signs of backing down, and there are no further trade talks scheduled to resolve the dispute.

As the new tariffs hit, the Chinese government released a report accusing the Trump administration of a foreign policy based on "trade bullying" and "attempting to impose its own interests on China through extreme pressure," according to state media.

"It has brazenly preached unilateralism, protectionism and economic hegemony, making false accusations against many countries and regions, particularly China," the paper said.

Thousands of goods now face border taxes of up to 10 percent, including grocery store staples, household objects and industrial equipment. Economists expect the cost of food, clothing, furniture, toys and cars to swell, triggering layoffs across industries in both countries.

Trump warned this month that retaliation from Beijing would spark another set of tariffs on $267 billion in Chinese goods, erecting financial barriers on virtually everything the United States buys from the nation. (In 2017, that order reached $505 billion.)

Beijing cannot match Washington dollar for dollar in a full-blown trade war - the Asian nation imported $130 billion in U.S. goods last year - but officials have said China will keep fighting back with "qualitative" measures. American business groups have taken that to mean an array of regulatory headaches: stalled visas, delayed licenses and spikes in port inspections.

The latest levies from Beijing affect more than 5,200 kinds of American imports, including chemicals, industrial wares and medical instruments.

The United States started imposing levies in July on $50 billion in Chinese industrial imports as Trump sought to confront trade practices he deems unfair. The White House has accused Beijing of stealing American intellectual property and propping up Chinese firms with subsidies that disadvantage manufacturers on U.S. soil.

"We've taxed them $50 billion - that's on technology," the president recently told reporters on Air Force One. "Now we've added another $200 billion. And I hate to say that, but behind that, there's another $267 billion ready to go on short notice if I want. That totally changes the equation."

China has refused to cave amid Trump's escalating threats. Officials on Friday canceled trade negotiations that were scheduled this week in Washington and then scrapped military talks with the United States that were supposed to start in Beijing on Tuesday. (Beijing abandoned the defense-related conversations in response to American sanctions imposed last week on Chinese military personnel for buying combat aircraft and missile supplies from Russia.)

Analysts say Chinese President Xi Jinping is trying to show strength on the world stage as the Chinese public, whose respect is crucial to his sustained power, increasingly bash Trump online for picking on China.

Beijing has launched efforts to influence the conversation in the Midwest, as well.

State media purchased a four-page advertisement in Iowa's largest newspaper this week warning American soybean farmers that Trump's trade war would shift business to South America.

"As the largest importer of U.S. soybeans, China is a vital and robust market we cannot afford to lose," the advertisement in the Des Moines Register said, quoting Davie Stephens, vice president of the American Soybean Association.

A coalition of more than 80 industry and agricultural groups in the United States, meanwhile, also protested on Monday the intensifying economic conflict.

"Americans are waking up today to a tax increase on the things they rely on to provide for their families," Brian Kuehl, spokesman for Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, said in a statement. "From furniture to pet food, lightbulbs to baby cribs, even groceries and toilet paper will be taxed by these tariffs."

Chinese officials have acknowledged the trade war could hinder their country's economic progress. Heftier price tags on household goods is an especially precarious forecast in a country where consumer spending drives the bulk of growth. (Shopping is already waning, China watchers say.)

China's central bank has let its currency slide about 5 percent this year, boosting Chinese exports in overseas markets while making imports more expensive.

And the months-long storm of tariffs has apparently rattled investors: The Shanghai Composite Index, the country's main stock gauge, has dropped more than 20 percent since January.

Still, extracting concessions from Xi probably won't happen any time soon, said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing.

"I personally believe that the Chinese government will refuse to bend to Trump in spite of the sure damages to China's economy," he said.

More likely on the horizon are tax cuts to boost Chinese businesses, he said, and a sense of urgency in building new trade alliances with other countries.

Some academics painted the rift Monday as an opportunity.

China must "turn America's pressure to impetus," said Shen Dingli, professor of international relations at Fudan University in Shanghai, and focus on improving public education and the development of domestic technology.

- - -

The Washington Post's Yang Liu contributed to this report.Police arrested a Silsbee area woman after she led officials on a high speed chase reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour, information from the Liberty County Sheriff's Office said.

Amber Lynn Lester, 31, was arrested Friday after allegedly fleeing from several law enforcement agencies.The result is being seen as a strategic setback for China as President Yameen was extremely close to Beijing.

New Delhi: New Delhi rejoiced on Monday as its bete noire President Abdulla Yameen was defeated in the Maldives presidential polls. A jubilant India swiftly congratulated victor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and hoped the Election Commission would officially confirm the result quickly. In a parting shot at Mr Yameen, New Delhi called the verdict a triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, adding that it looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called up Mr Solih and congratulated him following which both leaders agreed to strengthen ties between the two nations and "work closely"in this regard. PM Modi also hoped for strengthening of democracy and peace in the Maldives under the leadership of Mr Solih. Incidentally, the Maldives is the only south Asian country not visited by PM Modi due to the frosty ties under President Abdulla Yameen who was defeated in the elections on Monday.

The result is being seen as a strategic setback for China as President Yameen was extremely close to Beijing. Mr Yameen was a thorn in Indias flesh and repeatedly defied New Delhi while cosying up to both China and Pakistan. Ties dramatically soured between India and the tiny southwestern archipelago nation early this year after President Yameen imposed an emergency in his country.

India said: This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law. In keeping with our Neighbourhood First policy, India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership.

President Yameen declared the emergency on February 5 after the Maldivian Supreme Court ordered the release of a group of Opposition leaders who had been convicted in widely-criticised trials. Among them was exiled former President Mohammed Nasheed. India was disturbed at the Maldivian governments refusal to abide by the order of its own Supreme Court on the release of Opposition leaders as well as the suspension of constitutional rights. India had also said it was concerned over the arrest of the Supreme Court Chief Justice and political figures. New Delhi also later reacted with dismay to reports that former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was sentenced to 19 months in prison on charges of obstructing an investigation into an alleged plot to oust President Abdulla Yameen.

But President Yameen dug his heels in and refused to obey the court order, claiming it leads to encroachment on the regulatory powers of the State, the disruption of the functions mandated to State institutions under the Constitution, and the infringement of national security and the public interest, adding that if implemented, would potentially lead to an undermining of the supremacy of the Constitution of the Maldives.

Mr Yameen had despatched special envoys in February to three friendly countries  China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with India rejecting his request to send a special envoy to New Delhi.

India had also sharpened its criticism on the Maldives government, urging the archipelago nation to return to the path of democracy, and saying the Majlis (Parliament) and the judiciary are not allowed to function in a free and transparent manner.The friends and family of Sonny Vidales, the 15-year-old who was shot to death at home early Saturday, gathered later that night to remember the teenager  how he would play pranks on his younger sisters, or leave sodas in the freezer that would explode.

His mother, Christine Vidales, and aunt, Christina Vidales, said in interviews Sunday that Sonny was a loving and protective brother who was taken too soon, a young man with a gregarious personality and an appetite befitting his 6-foot-2-inch stature.

"My son, he had a big heart," his mother said. "He loved his siblings."

"He was funny," his aunt added. "He would make you laugh no matter what the situation was, you know? He was a character."

RELATED: SAPD investigating mysterious shooting death of a teenage boy

San Antonio police initially said that Sonny Vidales was shot outside the home on Adolph Street on the South Side just before 2 a.m. Saturday and burst into the house afterward, but the family said he was inside and was shot through a window.

Officer Carlos Roberto Ortiz said the shooting remains under investigation but declined to give more details. No arrests have been made.

The victims mother said she believes her son was targeted by someone who approached his bedroom window on the side of the house. Sonny came out of his room and collapsed in front of his 3-year-old sister, she said.

Emergency medical personnel were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Whoever did this, they wanted to hurt him, Christine Vidales said.

Sonny had two pitbulls, and his young siblings were often in his room with him, playing video games or hanging out. Whoever killed him was not thinking about the safety of other people in the house, his mother said.

She hopes the shooter  or those with information about the shooter  will come forward and do the right thing.

I dont have hate in my heart for whoever did this, Christine Vidales said. Whats dark will come to light.

Joan Torres, the familys next-door neighbor, said the shooting caught everybody by surprise in the mostly quiet neighborhood.

This doesnt happen here at all, Torres said. It has come as a shock to them because he was such a good kid.

Sonny Vidales was not attending school and lived for his younger siblings, his family said. He had three younger brothers and two younger sisters. He had a tattoo on his arm that said My Brothers Keeper for his 5-year-old brother, Jojo, who is hard of hearing and spent a lot of time with Sonny.

RELATED: Two men shot outside popular Southtown bar

Christine Vidales said after the shooting, Jojo asked her whether Sonny would keep picking him up from school.

Theyre broken by this, she said. The situation is devastating but Im just grateful that my kids werent in the room with him.

Sonnys aunt remembered how Sonny would always ask visitors if they brought something to eat, and he would hover by the fridge in the kitchen.

Last night, with all the food that everyone donated, he would have been like... Christina Vidales said, laughing and trailing off.

Now were not going to have that, she continued. His little sister picking on him when he comes in the house, were not going to hear that no more.

Funeral arrangements are pending, family members said. They have set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses.

Dylan McGuinness covers local politics and the Bexar County government for the Express-News. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dylan.mcguinness@express-news.net | Twitter: @DylMcGuinnessStaff file photo

The University of the Incarnate Word is hosting a photo exhibit, The Word Lived in the Past: A Promise for the Future, that looks back at the history of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. Its on exhibit weekdays in the Kelso Art Center on campus.

In conjunction with that show, historian Gilberto M. Hinojosa will speak at 3 p.m. Thursday in the Mabee Library Auditorium on For the Good of Others: A Brief History of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.He added that single act plays have no resonance on multi-lateral platforms like the United Nations.

New York: Ahead of the UN General Assembly session in New York which began Monday, India and Pakistan struck implacable, opposing poses. While India, expecting Pakistan to rake up the Kashmir issue, upped the hostile rhetoric by calling it a one-trick pony, Pakistan, which had last week made the first move to restart bilateral talks stalled since 2015, stuck a more diplomatic stance by saying that it will not close its doors to talks.

Talking to reporters here, Indias permanent representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin told reporters, If somebody else would like to be a one-trick pony, it is for them to regurgitate and act. We have handled this act many times in the past and are confident that we will do so again.

He added that single act plays have no resonance on multi-lateral platforms like the United Nations.

Pakistans foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, addressing a news conference at the Pakistan embassy in Washington on Sunday said Indias reluctance to hold talks with Pakistan will not stop Islamabad from closing doors on its efforts to promote peace in the region.

Mr Qureshi said India used incidents that happened in July to cancel peace talks that it agreed to in September. India is reluctant, we will not close our doors. Hiding away from issues will not make them disappear. It will not improve the situation in Kashmir, he was quoted as saying.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and Mr Qureshi are to speak on Saturday as part of the UN General Assembly debate. Ms Swaraj will address the 73rd UN General Assembly before Mr Qureshi and is likely mention calling off talks with Pakistan after the kidnapping and killing of three policemen.

India could also respond to the UN report that slammed India on the human rights situation in Kashmir. The UN report had said human rights violations and abuses on both sides of the LoC had taken place.

Last year, Pakistans Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had spoken before Ms Swaraj as heads of states speak before ministers. This year, India will address the UNGA before Pakistan, but just a few hours apart. So Pakistans address to the UNGA will in some part likely be a response to what India says.

In 2017, it took Pakistans PM all of three minutes to first mention Jammu & Kashmir in his address. In her response, Ms Swaraj attacked Pakistan saying, We set up IITs, IIMs. Pak created Lashkar, Jaish-e-Mohammed.

About 95 heads of state, four vice presidents, 42 heads of governments, three deputy prime ministers and 48 ministers will be present at the UNGA.

Pakistan has consistently used the UNGA to rake up the Kashmir issue, seeking to internationalise it, but has found no resonance with the international community.Recent Failte Ireland figures indicate that Longford is, along with our neighbours, Roscommon, the joint least visited county by domestic travellers.

Yet every week we hear of some pie in the sky announcement telling us that the Longford region has been promisedhuge funding of this or that figure.

No sign as yet, that we can see.

Promises, promises, promises.

Why not wait until it is reasonably assured before starting to pronounce the alleged fact.

Meanwhile, we wait mostly in vain for decent roads. Not highway standard, were not asking for that, but decent roads where work that is been done is properly made good.

Its hardly too much to ask, that channels cut into previously perfectly good roads are not left with half an inch above the surface for want of attending to it properly, or even worse still occasionally half an inch below where it is supposed to be, causing an unmerciful bump. Wreck a car.

It only calls for a few minutes work to get the tarmac even, without causing a bump.

Surely the council carries enough tools to ensure that channels are filled in with care, whether they be caused by Irish Water, or some other state organ.

Meanwhile, in Ballinalee we are waiting almost seven years for a footpath to be worked on, following an appeal by Tom ONeill, almost seven years ago, on behalf of himself and his wife, both blind people.

Its soon to be started again, and finished this time, and our thanks to all who helped make this a reality, not least our hardworking Councillor Micheal Carrigy. But even that job had to be abandoned at the end of last year as money had been spent elsewhere...Im told!

Without something radical being done, Longford is destined to languish amongst the few neglected counties of Ireland simply because we are too tolerant of mediocrity.

We think, in mediocre terms.

We act, mostly, in mediocre terms.

Sometimes indeed, the county council makes a brave fist of it, but they too are infected by the disease of mediocrity swimming through their veins.

Its inevitable in some ways. When a wave of mediocrity is allowed grow and festers in an area, it becomes tolerable, to those in charge.

Except that it's not.

Read Also: Longford's Mattie Fox: Sense of peaceHe alleged that there is a conspiracy to get the deal scrapped, defame the country and lower the morale of the Indian Air Force.

New Delhi: The controversy over the Rafale jet deal took a new turn on Monday with the BJP dragging in UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhis son-in-law Robert Vadras name. The BJP alleged that Mr Vadra was keen on getting the defence deal to help an arms dealer friend, but since he didnt get it, the Congress is now trying to take revenge by maligning the NDA government.

Addressing reporters here on Monday, minister of state for agriculture Gajendra Shekhawat said, Vadra, the Gandhi family and the then UPA government wanted that the Rafale deal with Dassault Aviation should have been done under Vadras company, Offset India Solutions, which was formed in 2008.

But as Mr Vadras company was not accepted as the middleman, the UPA government cancelled the deal with France, he alleged.

You must have heard the name of Sanjay Bhandari, who works as a middleman in defence deals. His name had earlier appeared in how he arranged air tickets for Vadra and how he got his home interior work done, Mr Shekhawat said.

Claiming that Mr Vadra and Mr Bhandari represent themselves as middlemen at many defence expos, and that Mr Vadra was seen with Mr Bhandari at the Dubai Defence Expo, he said that when finance minister Arun Jaitley asked why Rafale deal was cancelled by the UPA government, the Congress remained silent. So I am answering it today, that it was cancelled for the commercial interest of Vadra, Mr Shekhawat said.

Mr Vadra has denied the allegations. Mr Shekhawat also lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying that his allegations on Rafale had an international dimension which the government will expose and that former French President Francois Hollande is part of the nexus to sabotage the Rafale deal.

He alleged that there is a conspiracy to get the deal scrapped, defame the country and lower the morale of the Indian Air Force.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman also attacked the Congress, calling the entire issue a perception battle.

We will fight this battle. Well go to places and state facts on record on Rafale. Congress designs to run a smear campaign against us at an international level, the minister was quoted by a news agency.

She also lashed out at the Congress president, saying that his allegations had an international dimension which the government will expose.

However, an unfazed Congress president continued his tirade against the NDA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

On a day when the Congress moved the CVC seeking a probe into the Rafale deal, Mr Gandhi charged the countrys chowkidar (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) with snatching away money from the poor and handing it over to industrialist Anil Ambani, who heads Reliance Defence which has joined hands with Rafale jet maker Dassault Aviation.

The Congress president, during a visit to Amethi, posed questions to the Prime Minister on several issues relating to the Rafale deal and demanded clarification on why Mr Hollande has called him a thief.

Mr Gandhi also asked the Prime Minister why the Rafale jet price was not disclosed and how Mr Ambani got the contract.

The chowkidar of the country has taken out Rs 20,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, martyrs and the jawans and put it in the pocket of Ambani, Mr Gandhi said.When you read the posts of top US adventure and travel bloggers, you don't expect to see Longford on their list of places to travel.

But, with Center Parcs less than a year away from opening, and with Longford really upping its tourism game, it comes as no surprise that the county is starting to attract the right kind of attention.

Enter Marissa Pedersen, an outdoor enthusiast from Seattle with a passion for travelling. She's also a photographer and travel blogger.

This September, Marissa spent some time visiting the west and north of Ireland, and, while spending some time on the Emerald Isle, she decided to take in some of the Midlands, adding a stay at Viewmount House in County Longford to her itinerary.

Marissa is the creator and owner of the blog 'Postcards to ', in which she writes of her experiences travelling around the world, and advises on the best places to visit, where to stay and what to see and do in each location.

She also has a combined social media following of 982,056.

The blogging enthusiast's trip included overnight stays in Viewmount House, as well as Enniscoe House in County Mayo, Rathmullan House and Castle Grove House in County Donegal, Castle Leslie Estate in County Monaghan, and Newforge House in County Armagh.

Readers of her blog will be treated to detailed descriptions of her experiences in these historic hotels as well as advice on things to do and see in the local areas.

I loved the warm welcome I got as soon as I checked into Viewmount House, Marissa told the Longford Leader last week.

The sitting room provided a great place to unwind after a long journey from Seattle, and every staff member I talked to was incredibly friendly.

I had a delicious dinner in the restaurant, where I experienced the best of the local fish and vegetables."

The six hotels visited by Ms Pedersen are members of Irelands Blue Book  a collection of country house hotels, manor houses, castles and restaurants around the island of Ireland.

Visitors from North America to the island of Ireland amounted to 1.83 million in 2017.

Irish Tourism organisation - Tourism Ireland - has predicted a growth of 5% for 2018, that should be aided in part, by the new Aer Lingus service between Seattle and Dublin, which has added four weekly direct flights to and from Seattle since its launch in May 2018.

Ms Pedersens itinerary was coordinated by Irelands Blue Book with the objective of encouraging more overseas visitors to Ireland as well as encouraging visitors to explore the lesser-seen parts of the country outside of the main cities and tourist-hubs.Dillons butchers which closed in Longford shopping centre very unexpectedly a couple of months ago is all set to reopen this Thursday under new ownership.

Seans Butchers Longford will operate from the facility and three of the previous staff members will be coming back on board to provide the people of Longford with all the very best in local produce.

Amy Sheridan who is one of the staff returning said she was delighted to see the butchers opening again and pointed out that she was looking forward to seeing all the customers when the store is up and running.

Sean Dunne has taken over and he has a butchers in Mullingar and one in Newbridge, she added, before pointing out that he was also the meat supplier to the previous owners of the store.

Myself and another staff member will be back on Thursday and one of the butchers who started with us at the beginning and who stayed for three years headed off to Australia, but he is back now and he too will be working with us again from Thursday.

Meanwhile, the closure of the butchers at the beginning of the summer was met with shock across the town and county.

Amy said the staff were also left in a similar state.

She was on annual leave at the time and received a phonecall from her employer on the day the butchers closed.

We were all told on the Friday evening that the store was closing and that was it, she said.

We are all delighted now that it is reopening under new ownership; because Sean Dunne was our supplier before, all our meat will be the same as it was before, so we are looking forward to seeing everyone again on Thursday.

Read Also: Shock as well established Longford butcher shuts doors for final time

A woman who appeared before Longford District Court last week charged under the Litter Pollution Act was convicted and fined 1,000 following a hearing into the matter.

Sara OHanlon, 5 Beechwood Avenue, Marleys Lane, Drogheda, Co Louth appeared before Judge Seamus Hughes charged with depositing domestic refuse to create litter at Granada Retail park, Granard, Co Longford on January 15, 2018.

Outlining the evidence to the court, Litter Warden Declan Murtagh said that on the date in question he was patrolling the area in the north Longford town of Granard when he came upon a large quantity of waste deposited in the Retail Park.

Mr Murtagh said that he sifted through the waste and subsequently discovered documentation within the contents pertaining to the defendant.

She was notified about the matter on several occasions, but we have had no response from her, he added, before pointing out that he also contacted the Department of Social Protection and secured her new address in Co Louth.

We wrote to her again; I even spoke to her on the phone about the matter and she agreed to cooperate.

However we have not heard anything from her since.

The local litter warden then submitted photographic evidence in respect of the dumped rubbish to the court.

Solicitor for Longford Co Council, Frank Gearty said the quantity of waste deposited in Granard had been substantial and there was costs of over 500 to the local authority for its removal.

Judge Hughes subsequently convicted the defendant and fined her accordingly. The Judge also awarded costs of 500 against Ms OHanlon.Pets & Animal, Local News, Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: September 24 2018

Charity Dixon, 43, is accused of failing to provide necessary veterinary care for Precious, her Maltese Yorkie, cops say.

Copiague, NY - Sept. 24, 2018 - Detectives with the Suffolk County SPCA charged a Detectives with the Suffolk County SPCA charged a Copiague woman with animal cruelty on Wednesday, September 19th, 2018.

Charity Dixon, 43, was charged with neglecting Precious, her 9 year old Maltese Yorkie by failing to provide necessary veterinary care.

The dog is at the Town of Babylon Animal Shelter. Dixon, is scheduled to appear in court on 11/28/2018

Chief Gross said that animal cruelty will not be tolerated in Suffolk County. If you witness any incident of animal cruelty or neglect in Suffolk County please contact the Suffolk County SPCA at (631) 382-7722. All calls will be kept confidential.

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless provenThe cerebellum as a potentially fruitful research subject for understanding these conditions.

Washington: Turns out, a protein that lingers too long on the membrane may compromise the connections, or synapses, between cells in the brain.

In a new study, Rockefeller scientist Mary E. Hatten and research associate Hourinaz Behesti demonstrated that the protein ASTN2 helps move proteins away from the membrane in a timely fashion. The researchers also propose a mechanism by which ASTN2 defects lead to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and intellectual disabilities.

Hatten, the Frederick P. Rose Professor, has demonstrated that the protein ASTN2 acts as such a trafficker during cell migration in early development.

Specifically, the protein appears to be disproportionally expressed in the cerebellum- a brain region that some researchers suspect may govern complex aspects of cognition, in addition to its more-established role in regulating movement.

The researchers used a special microscopy technique to determine where ASTN2 is expressed in the mouse cerebellum. They found that it appears primarily in components of neurons responsible for moving proteins around, and they identified a collection of molecules that attach to ASTN2. These "binding partners" included proteins involved in synapse formation and protein trafficking.

"Our data suggest that people who have mutations in ASTN2 make less of the protein, which leads to slower or weaker synapses," says Behesti. The researchers propose that without sufficient ASTN2, proteins accumulate on the cell surface, which hinders neuronal connections and communication.

This research supports a broader view that the disruption of surface protein composition may underlie a number of neurodevelopmental disorders. It also points to the cerebellum as a potentially fruitful research subject for understanding these conditions.

The full findings are present in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.When Clinton Township voters went to the polls in August, Robert Cannons name was nowhere on the ballot.

You wouldnt have known it in advance if you lived in one of the thousands of homes that received pre-election campaign mailings.

A series of three four-page flyers were all critical of Clinton Twp. Supervisor Big Tax Bob Cannon.

There were obviously photo-shopped cartoons of Cannon pickpocketing a wallet from a womens purse, accepting a bag of money from a meant-to-be taxpayer as dollar bills were falling from Cannons pockets, another photo of him stuffing money into a suit coat pocket and still another of Bob heisting a wallet from a stunned man.

Bob Cannon, a hard-working and highly respected public servant, was portrayed as an elected official playing games with your money.

And it came at a time when many Macomb County officials have been indicted for accepting bribes or other illegal activities.

Certainly, Robert Bob Cannon isnt among the crooks.

It was the worst, misleading, false and defamatory campaign material Ive ever received, said one voter who has lived in Clinton Township for more than four decades.

The flyers were the work of the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance, a group whose membership remains mostly unknown but is headed by Leon Drolet, 51, a Republican currently serving as a Macomb County Commissioner and a former state representative.

The group says it is dedicated to education about, and protecting citizens from excessive and/or unjust taxation.

It seems the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance opposes any tax proposal, no matter how the funds are to be used.

In the August election in Clinton Township, the group opposed funding for the police department, the fire department and a proposition to fund road improvements.

It also campaigned against funds for the tri-county SMART bus service, which was approved in Macomb County by a slim 39-vote margin.

That fortunate SMART victory means an estimated 70,000 Macomb residents will continue to weekly use buses to get to work, school, shopping and medical appointments.

While the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance somehow thought it would be cheaper to provide taxi or Uber rides, it was its campaign in Clinton Township that found ways to bend the truth.

One flyer, featuring Big Tax Bob, claimed combined, these tax hike will cost you $3,310 for every $100,000 of your homes taxable value.

In fact, the police and fire millages, while technically increases, included previously approved tax amounts.

Said Supervisor Cannon, when asked about the flyers: They were deliberately misleading and meant to be sensationalshameless tactics.

And while Cannon was pleased the police and fire proposals were approved, he was equally disappointed that the road funding issue was rejected.

Despite the loss, he still maintains it is a mistake to wait  hopelessly most think  for state lawmakers to change the road funding process and allocate enough money to repair our terrible roadways.

Our roads are not going to fix themselves unless we cooperate with the county. That is the reason I worked with Mark Hackel to have both of us participate, which benefits our residents and helps (Macomb County) Executive Hackel complete road projects that would not be done otherwise, Cannon told me.

Also drawing Cannons ire was a flyer tagged Clinton Township Taxopoly. It used a Monopoly-like board featuring two photo-shopped cartoons of Cannon, along with a list of township taxes and fees around the outside.

He stole images from Hasbro which shows a lack of integrity  if you steal artwork how can anyone trust the content? Cannon said.

I havent gotten a response from an email I sent to Hasbro, the owners of the Monopoly game, asking if any action will be taken against the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance.

But one thing is clear. Drolets attacks on Cannon were unjustified.

Cannon, a Republican, is in his fourth four-year term as supervisor in Clinton Township and plans to seek a fifth term. He oversees an $82 million budget and 330 employees. The former high school teacher is a past chairman of SEMCOG, the regional planning agency, and has been honored by the Macomb County Ministerial Alliance for his commitment to diversity and Housing Opportunities for Macomb.

His community service includes the Mount Clemens Rotary Club, Clinton Township Area Optimists, Clinton Township Goodfellows and the Selfridge Base Community Council.

Compare that with Leon Drolet, whose single claim to fame  some would say shame  is battling taxes, no matter what the purpose.

Ken Kish, a retired Macomb Daily editor and contributing columnist, may be reached at Kennethkish12@gmail.com.Apple formally announced that it has completed its acquisition of Shazam, the song-identifying app that has become so synonymous with identifying songs that it has its own game show on a major network. Apple first announced it would acquire the company back in December 2017 for an undisclosed price (rumored to be around $400 million).

Oliver Schusser, Apples vice president of Apple Music, had the following to say:

Apple and Shazam have a long history together. Shazam was one of the first apps available when we launched the App Store and has become a favorite app for music fans everywhere. With a shared love of music and innovation, we are thrilled to bring our teams together to provide users even more great ways to discover, experience and enjoy music.

Its not yet clear what Apple plans to do with the Shazam app or its underlying technology. Apple has only said, The app will soon offer its experience ad-free for all users so everyone can enjoy the best of Shazam without interruption.

Thats good news for the short term. In the long term, its hard to know what this buyout means. Will the Shazam app go away? Will the Android version disappear? Will it going to continue to offer Spotify integration?

The best that Shazam app fans could hope for is for Apple to leave the app alone, with Android support and Spotify integration intact, while building its technology into Apples own products. One can easily imagine a listen icon in Apple Music to identify a song and take you directly to the Apple Music page for it.

Shazam is already integrated into Siri: try asking Siri to name that tune or what song is currently playing and it will listen and provide a Shazam-powered response with a link to Apple Music. Perhaps iOS 13 will feature an always-listening song ID feature like that on the Pixel 2. Theres probably more Apple could do with Shazam and HomePod, too. At the very least, we can hope that the Shazam app quickly gets an update to add support for Siri Shortcuts and the Siri watch face on watchOS 5.The British Labour Party is currently holding its annual conference in Liverpool, UK. Members and supporters of Socialist Appeal (British section of the IMT) have been intervening, raising our slogans of nationalisation, reinstating Clause IV (committing Labour to socialism) and kicking out the Blairites. The comrades provide this report on the conference thus far, which has already seen a stitch up to keep discussion of mandatory reselection of MPs off the table.

One of the most controversial aspects of this Labour Party conference so far has been the debate on mandatory reselection, or open selection.

The partys governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), decided on Tuesday not to support open selection (a decision they confirmed on Saturday night). Instead they proposed a reform to the existing trigger ballot.

The Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC) furthermore ruled that if the NEC proposals were to pass, then all rule change proposals that covered the same areas would automatically fall, and not even get discussed. It was obvious that the campaign to get rid of the trigger ballot was facing a stitch-up.

On the show of hands in the conference hall, it became clear that the overwhelming majority of local Labour Party delegates rejected the CAC report. However, the trade unions voted overwhelmingly in favour.

TU tops block the grassroots

The votes for the CAC report (to push mandatory reselection off the agenda) included delegates from Unite, the largest trade union in Britain. This is despite the union voting to support mandatory reselection at its own policy conference back in 2016. In this respect, Unite delegates at Labour conference have gone against the democratic decisions of their own members.

After weighing the 1,500 constituency delegates against the more than 300 trade union delegates, the votes were 53.67 percent in favour of the CAC report and 46.37 percent against. This was a narrow victory for the opponents of open selection. After the announcement, delegates shouted shame.

Embed from Getty Images

But this was a moral victory for the campaign for open selection. Clearly if it were up to rank-and-file party members, the opportunity to debate and vote for open selection would have passed.

The same would also be true if rank-and-file trade union members had had their say. If Unite delegates had voted along with their conference decisions, it would also have passed. However, the Unite leadership didnt want to put open selection to the vote, and thus manoeuvered to keep it off the agenda.

The reason, most likely, is that the union tops (and party leaders) dont want to rock the boat. Open selection would have been like a red rag to a bull for the Parliamentary Labour Party. It would have been a clear warning to all the plotters and schemers on the right wing of the party that have been undermining Corbyn and attempting to overturn the will of the members of the party. It would also have put a serious question mark over MPs right to sit for life.

In the subsequent debate, delegate after delegate went up and argued that MPs are not members for life and that MPs should earn the respect of the members: if they do so, they will remain as MPs; but if they dont, they should expect to be challenged.

The debate over mandatory reselection is far from over, and will continue in both the CLPs and the unions. To rapturous applause, delegates asked for the CAC report to be rejected in order to debate all the constitutional amendments at once. Delegates were clearly indignant that the CAC had stopped a debate on mandatory reselection.

In this debate, Marxists will argue for open selection, and for deselection of all those that have been plotting to undermine Corbyns leadership over the past few years.

Radical mood in packed meeting on open selection

Despite the eventual stitch-up, the Labour International (Labour Party members abroad) has previosuly organised a packed meeting on open selection on the Saturday afternoon leading up to Labour conference, showing the eagerness of ordinary members to evict the right-wing saboteurs.

Around 120-140 people were present, many of them sitting on the floor or standing up. Five speakers were on the platform: Matt Wrack from the FBU; Emma Dent Coad MP; Huda Elmi, who was just elected onto the Labour Party National Executive Committee (NEC); Rachel Godfrey Wood from Momentum; Paul Mason; and Chris Williamson MP.

The speeches struck a defiant tone. Matt Wrack made it very clear that he thought that open selection was a matter for conference to decide. He also said that it was because of Corbyn that the FBU had re-affiliated to Labour, and were proud to do so.

At a packed fringe meeting on 'open selection', left-wing MP, Chris Williamson advocated for greater party democracy. He pointed out that, if Labour had listened to its members, it wouldnt have gone to war in Iraq, introduced PFI or attacked people on benefits / Image: Socialist Appeal

Matt made the point that lawyers, political advisors etc. are very well represented among Labour MPs, but that McDonalds workers and others in precarious work are not. Open selection would help change this.

This was a point that Chris Williamson returned to later on, pointing out that open selection will not shut out trade unions, it will allow many more working-class [Labour] members to stand for Parliament.

Some noise has been made over the summer about how abolishing the trigger ballot would cut the unions out of the process. But this is clearly nonsense. It would, however, severely restrict the ability of union bureaucracies to guarantee MPs reselection.

Anecdotally, the GMB has been busy mass-affiliating branches to CLPs, as each branch would get a vote in the trigger ballot, even if that branch only has one member. In some CLPs, the GMB now controls around 40 percent of the votes in the trigger ballots, meaning this one union could virtually guarantee an MPs reselection if they so wished.

Several of the speakers addressed the point that MPs feel entitled to their job. Emma Dent Coad in particular said that if she wasnt doing her job, she shouldnt be an MP. She also pointed out that people are sick and tired of entitled politicians. Huda Elmi, who will take her seat on the NEC after the conference, said that representing the members is one of the fundamental aspects of being an MP.

Chris Williamson added that if Labour had listened to its members, it wouldnt have gone to war in Iraq, introduced PFI, attacked people on benefits etc. He also added that, although many claim that Corbyn had rebelled in parliament, he had not been rebelling against the Labour Party, but only against the leadership of the party. In fact, hed been voting with Labour Party members.

The meeting ended with a practical discussion on how to deal with the proposal of the Conference Arrangement Committee. It was agreed to move rejection of the CAC report; although as stated, it was eventually approved by conference.

Despite the setback, this is not the end of the story, and the Marxists will continue to advocate for mandatory reselection and the deselection of Blairite wreckers, to ensure that the leadership of the Labour Party reflects the left-wing character of its grassroots.The insulin works because it activates a gene inside the bowel cells has an antioxidant effect.

Washington: Not just diabetes, even chronic bowel inflammation can be treated effectively by injecting insulin into the rectum.

In a new study between departments at the University of Copenhagen and Roskilde University, researchers examined the effect of the treatment in a series of tests on mice with chronic colitis of the type Colitis Ulcerosa, among others.

The cause of these bowel disorders is unknown, but they cause patients great discomfort and can cause bloody diarrhea, anaemia, stomach ache, and weight loss.

Co-inventor of the treatment, Jrgen Olsen said, "Our new treatment with insulin on mice shows great potential against chronic bowel inflammation in humans like Colitis Ulcerosa, which causes a lot of people great discomfort. Existing treatments attack the bowel's immune system, dampening it; instead, our method strengthens the bowel cells' own defence. It appears to work equally well, and it can probably be used in combination with existing treatments."

The researchers have studied the effect of insulin treatment in various ways. First, they have shown that the amount of inflammation, expressed as the level of the marker Cox2, drops by 50 per cent compared to the saltwater control treatment.

Second, the researchers have measured the body weight of the mice - we know that people suffering from colitis typically lose a lot of weight because they do not eat much. As this marker is relatively crude, some studies of the existing treatment have shown no effect at all.

The insulin works because it activates a gene inside the bowel cells, which, according to other studies, has an antioxidant effect and thus may be able to protect the bowel cells from inflammation. This makes the new treatment different from existing medication, which instead of strengthening the bowel's defence weakens the immune system's attack on the bowel. And therefore the researchers hope the new treatment can be combined with the existing.

The full findings are present in the Journal of Crohn's and Colitis.CANTON - Marcus Morris isn't taking the bait. Morris will trash talk with the best of them, but the Celtics forward doesn't want to start a war of words with this particular Washington Wizards antagonist.

"Boston has never been better than us," said Markieff Morris, who doubles as a forward in D.C. and Marcus' twin brother, at Wizards media day.

Morris: "I think we the number one team. Raptors are going through a little bit, they changed up DeMar DeRozan. Other than that, Boston has never been better than us. Internally we don't think they were better than us last year. But we just got to play up to our ability."  Hoop District (@HoopDistrictDC) September 24, 2018

Marcus Morris shook his head when asked about it.

"No comment. If it wasn't my brother I'd have a reaction," he said. "But no comment, if that's how he feels."

Boston is at Washington on Dec. 12.MGM Springfield is bringing Felipe Esparza to the city to share his signature style of comedy and storytelling with audiences.

Esparza - whose signature style of comedy and storytelling speaks to his childhood and family growing up in the projects of Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles, California - will bring his Bad Decisions Tour to Symphony Hall on Saturday at 8 p.m.

The popular Latino comedian, who was the 2010 winner on NBC's "Last Comic Standing," said he will be talking about "everything" at his Springfield engagement.

"My routine includes everything from divorce to marriage to drug addiction....anything people might go through in their own lives. I'm pretty much an everyday guy. I love life. But, I don't do political comedy. I think everybody is getting tired of it now and it's time to move on. People want to laugh and smile more than ever," Esparza said.

And drugs are something Esparza knows only too well about after struggling with his own addiction in his early 20s.

It was during a stint in rehab that Esparza, now 50, realized he wanted to be a comedian. He was asked by a guest speaker to make a list of five goals he wanted to achieve. Among the items on that list were "to be happy" and "be a stand-up comedian."

"I had the comedy in me, but no technique to construct jokes that came out of my mouth naturally. So, I went to the public library because there was no Internet that I could go to 30 years ago. I asked the librarian to look up comedy writing books for me, then checked all of them out of the library and also rented video tapes to watch and learn. And in six months I taught myself how to write jokes," Esparza said.

During his early years as a comedian, Esparza was part of the successful stand-up comedy television show, "Que Locos," on Galavision, the only English-speaking show on Spanish television. That show and the resulting tour helped launch the careers of several other Latino comedians such as George Lopez, Gabriel Iglesias and Willie Barcena.

Things really started happening for Esparza after winning "Last Comic Standing." He went on to produce his first hour-long, stand-up comedy special, "They're Not Gonna Laugh at You" now seen on Netflix. He has also made several television appearances, including recurring roles on "The Eric Andre Show" and NBC's "Superstore," TruTV's "World's Dumbest" and "Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up at the El Rey." He was also the spokesman for a national Honda campaign and a national Target Mobile campaign.

In addition to his live stand-up touring, Esparza hosts a weekly podcast on the All Things Comedy Network called "What's Up Fool?" that focuses on interesting stories from just about anybody - from renowned author and humanitarian Father Greg Boyle from Homeboy Industries who helped Esparza get his life back in order, to actor Damian Chapa, to the lead detective on the Night Stalker serial killer case, to actor Emilio Rivera to even the "Incredible Hulk" who takes photos with tourists on Hollywood Blvd.

Esparza is big on using the greeting "What's Up Fool?" But, he can't lay claim to its ownership.

"I was dating a woman on the fast side of the neighborhood, and when I called her home one day her dad answered saying, 'What's Up Fool?' I laughed and told him, 'I want to speak to your daughter, fool.' And from that day on I took 'What's Up Fool?' with me," he said.

Last year, Esparza produced his second hour-long stand-up special with his wife Lesa, entitled "Translate This," which premiered on HBO. When it comes to business, and marriage, the comedian said he and his wife are a team.

"She manages things. I do the easy part and she does the hard part so I can focus on my comedy. We're working on a third comedy special right now, and we just pitched a sitcom to Universal Studios who said 'yes.' So, now Lesa and I have to find a home for it on a television network," Esparza said.

The Mexican-American comedian said they also just pitched another show to TruTV about doing stand-up comedy "on the border."

Does Esparza prefer stand-up or acting?

"I would have to say that I absolutely prefer stand-up. I'm already good at it and getting better. Acting is a challenge and I've been taking acting classes for the past three years. I do like acting because it helps my comedy and people see me on television and it helps me to sell more tickets," Esparza said.

"But acting is my part-time job," he added.Fifty years ago, this week, the Johnson White House came to the aid of Miss Mary Buxton, 69, of Silver Springs, Maryland whose home-based baking business was put in jeopardy by a Health Department regulation. Buxton had been baking for Washington, DC VIP's for 38 years including for Presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower. Her home was reinspected by the Health Dept., given the OK, and she was granted a waiver to continue her business after Silver Springs Mayor Walter Washington received a telephone call from the White House.

From the September 27, 1968 edition of The Springfield Union

Later in the week, a NASA official predicted that the U.S. would land a man on the moon before the Soviet Union would. The prediction was made during a tenth anniversary of NASA ceremony. NASA had previously deleted nearly all planed scientific experiments from their flight plans in order to focus all their resources on the lunar landing mission.

The first Apollo mission was planned for October, and if all goes well, the second mission would include ten orbits around the moon. The second Apollo mission was planned to fly around Christmas.

NASA said that the Soviet Union had the capability to fly cosmonauts around the moon, but they had not yet been able to land a craft 'softly' on the moon.

From the September 29, 1968 edition of The Springfield Union

Ten years later, The Big E in West Springfield crossed over the elusive goal of 1 million visitors during the Exposition's 14-day run. The total number of visitors for 1978 was 1,006,863. Seven-year-old Chad Yergeau of Monson was the 1 millionth visitor and was presented a golden lifetime pass to the fair.

From the September 25, 1978 edition of The Morning Union

These are some of the headlines you'll see from Page 1 of The Republican and its predecessors over the past fifty years for the week of September 23 - September 29. Each week I'll put together a slideshow of Page 1 images from selected years over the course of that week. We're starting with a look back at one, five, thirty, forty and fifty years ago, with Page 1s from each day of the week for those years.

The slideshow for September 23 - September 29 is embedded at the top of this article.

We'll also find some humor printed out on page one over the years. In 1968 'Dennis The Menace' could be found on the bottom of page one six days a week.

From the September 26, 1968 edition of The Springfield Union

Last year, the House Ways and Means committee, including Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, met with president Trump in the White House to discuss upcoming tax reform legislation.

From the September 27, 2017 edition of The Republican

And from 1978, a photograph of Bob Dylan singing to 9,000 fans at the Civic Center in downtown Springfield.

From the September 27, 1978 edition of The Morning Union

As you'll find with looking through the slideshow, that while many stories come and go, many of the issues and topics that affected lives in the past, continue to have an impact on our lives today.

Copies of these and other stories can be found in the online archives. The Historic Archive includes stories from 1824 to 1989, and the Newsbank Archive covers 1988 through the present day.The Boston Police is launching a new bureau of community engagement, Commissioner William Gross said Monday.

The bureau is meant to build on the department's community policing efforts.

"We want to keep going, not going to rest on our laurels," Gross said at a press conference with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.

Gross also announced that Nora Baston, a deputy superintendent and 22-year veteran of the Boston police, is being elevated to superintendent. Gross held the jobs chief of police and superintendent before Walsh tapped him to replace Commissioner William Evans.

She is the highest-ranking woman in the police department.

"This is a day I always dreamed of," Baston told the crowd assembled for the announcement at the Boston Police headquarters, her family standing behind her.

Baston, who started with the Boston Police Department in 1996, will be in charge of working with the captains in the 11 districts, as well as the new community engagement bureau.

"We want uniformity," Gross said. "We want to make sure every district is on the same page. She'll be the guidance."

Walsh said Baston is a Boston Public Schools graduate with "community-based safety" as her passion.

"She's everywhere, always smiling and positive," Walsh said. "Always supportive, an incredible role model and mentor."

Walsh added that the focus is "not about locking people up, it's about lifting people up."

"You can't lock everyone up," Walsh told reporters afterwards.

"What we have to do is more work of trying to reach out to people," he said. "I mean, what we ought to be talking about is prevention of violent crimes, prevention of violence, instead of always trying to play catch-up."

This post was updated with additional information. This post was updated to correct the previous jobs Commissioner Gross held before his current position.A Boston police officer was shot in Boston's South end Sunday afternoon, but authorities say the wound is non-life-threatening.

Few details were available Sunday. A spokesman said police were called to the area of 89 West Springfield St. for a call to investigate the location.

The circumstances that led to the shooting of the officer remain under investigation.

The officer was taken to an area hospital for treatment.Two men have been arrested in connection to a non-fatal shooting of a Boston police officer in the city's South End Sunday.

The Boston Police Department said officers were placing two men under arrest for an incident that occurred Sunday afternoon when an officer assigned to the Youth Violence Strike Force was shot in the leg. The officer, who was not named by the department, suffered non-life threatening injuries and is expected to recover.

Raquon Martin, 21, of Boston and Antoine Mack, 35, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, were placed under arrest in connection to the shooting.

They are both charged with armed assault to murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, unlawful possession of ammunition and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

The Boston Police Department said it is reviewing the incident.

The pair are to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court.The Boston Police officer who was shot in the leg on Sunday is now home and resting as the two men accused of firing at him in the city's South End neighborhood appeared in court.

"He's doing well, he's home, he's resting," Police Commissioner William Gross told reporters.

The officer's name has not been publicly released.

"We know he's physically well, we're going to make sure he takes his time so he's mentally well," Gross said. "No one should have to go through that trauma of being shot, or shot at."

Judge James Stanton held 21-year-old Requon Martin of Boston and 35-year-old Antoine Mack of Pawtucket without bail at an arraignment on assault charges. A dangerousness hearing was scheduled for Wednesday.

According to the police report released to the media, members of the Boston Police Department's youth violence strike force were on patrol in the West Springfield Street area and saw three men standing near the door of one of the homes. As the officers pulled their car behind a double-parked Mercedes, two of the three men stood "and both were noted to grab onto their respective waists as if securing something, and then turned and entered the foyer area" of the home.

The officers followed them into the building, and the two men entered a first-floor apartment, the police report said. The officers reached the door and one of the officers put his left food between the door and door jamb to prevent it from shutting, as they yelled "Police!"

"At one point, the door opened enough for the officers to see inside the apartment, which was extremely dark, having no lights on," the report says. "At that point, the officers observed a muzzle flash from the interior staircase and also heard a shot as it happened. Officer [REDACTED] felt a stinging sensation to his left leg."

The report says the officers backed away, radioed for assistance, and one man, allegedly Mack, later left the building and came into custody.

Martin allegedly refused to leave, and police set up a perimeter with SWAT officers. He was also later taken into custody without incident.A shirtless man in red shorts spat in the face of pregnant woman in the Andrew Square MBTA station when she ignored his demands to pay his subway fare earlier, MBTA transit police said Monday.

Police are asking for help identifying the man, who was caught on a security camera wheeling a bicycle in the station. The alleged assault took place around 9:15 p.m. on September 3.

"[The suspect] began to shout at and intimidate the pregnant victim attempting to persuade her into paying his fare," police said. "The victim ignored the lout and proceeded through the fare gates. The assailant then evaded his fare aggressively approached the victim and spat into her face."

The victim is 32 years old, police said.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the MBTA Transit Police Criminal Investigations Unit at (617) 222 1050. Anonymous tips can also be texted to 873873 or submitted through the department's See Say app.Naiquan Hamilton, an 18-year-old Stoughton man, pleaded not guilty to charges that he was driving recklessly while high on marijuana before he crashed into a tree and killed four teens who were his passengers.

Appearing in Brockton Juvenile Court on Monday, Hamilton pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter by motor vehicle, operating under the influence, and motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation.

He was released on personal recognizance, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz's office said. The conditions he was released on include not using drugs or alcohol, and no driving. He also had to give up his passport and keep away from the victims' families.

At the scene of the crash, police discovered 10 bags of marijuana, according to prosecutors. There were also marijuana edibles.

According to Plymouth County prosecutors, East Bridgewater police on May 19 responded to 911 calls for a car that had slammed into a tree on Route 106.

The car had five people inside: Three were declared dead at the scene, and a fourth, 17-year-old David Bell of Stoughton, died at Brockton Hospital.

The others were identified as 17-year-old Christopher Desir of Brockton, 17-year-old Eryck Sablah of Stoughton and 16-year-old Nicholas Joyce of Stoughton.

Hamilton, who was 17 years old at the time and taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton and then Boston Medical Center, was first indicted on the charges in August. His next court date is Oct. 29.AMHERST -- Companies with experience in the marijuana field will hold community outreach meetings on plans for new recreational pot businesses Wednesday, Oct. 1 and Oct. 2.

Such meetings in which company representatives present plans and address the public's questions are required under the Massachusetts laws that legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use.

365 Recreational Cannabis will hold a meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Hangar Pub and Grill, 10 University Drive, on a proposal for a recreational marijuana retail establishment at 37-39 Boltwood Walk.

RISE Holdings Inc. will hold a meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 1 at Bistro 63/The Monkey Bar, 63 North Pleasant St., to discuss a proposed recreational marijuana retail establishment at 169 Meadow St.

Mass Alternative Care Inc. will hold a meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Hangar Pub and Grill to discuss a proposed recreational marijuana retail establishment at 55 University Drive.

Questions that company representatives are asked to address at such meetings include:

security plans for such facilities, such as whether they will have surveillance cameras and on-site guards and authorized-entry requirements

number of employees, pay rates and preferences for hiring locally

projected revenue from sales

details of planned host community agreements, another step required by state law, in which companies guarantee annual payments and other benefits to mitigate the presence of the facility in the city or town.

365 Recreational Cannabis operates marijuana businesses in Washington state, in the cities of Shoreline and Dayton and was founded by Sean Tam. Built into its name is the business plan to be open every day of the year.

RISE runs a medical marijuana business at the same site as its proposed recreational marijuana location.

RISE Holdings Inc. (formerly GTI Massachusetts NP Corp.) also operates a medical marijuana facility at 28 Appleton St. in Holyoke. The company recently received approval to add cultivation of plants for recreational marijuana sales at 28 Appleton St. and has proposed to open a recreational pot dispensary at 130 Race St.

Officials in charge of Rise are Benjamin Kover, who is president, secretary, treasurer and a director and directors Peter Kadens, Anthony Georgiadis, Andy Grossman and Eugene Monroe. The address listed for all the officials is the corporate office in Chicago, Illinois, according to the online Massachusetts secretary of state corporate data base.

Mass Alternative Care held a grand opening Friday for its medical marijuana facility at 1247 East Main St. in Chicopee.

Officials in charge of Mass Alternative Care are Kevin Collins Sr. of Springfield, president and a director; David C. Spannaus, of Brookfield, Connecticut, treasurer and a director; Heather Andresen, of Longmeadow, secretary and a director; Ronald Paasch, of Northampton, and Nicholas Tamborrino, of Fairfield, Connecticut, directors, according to the online Massachusetts secretary of state corporate data base.Mr Kejriwal was responding to certain claims/allegations made by Mr Shah in a political public meeting earlier in the day.

New Delhi: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday challenged BJP national president Amit Shah for a public debate on the performance of Narendra Modi government versus the Delhi government at Ramlila Maidan.

Mr Kejriwal was responding to certain claims/allegations made by Mr Shah in a political public meeting earlier in the day.

Amit Shah ji, our Delhi government has done 10 times more work than what Modi ji has done during the last four years. On the other hand, look at Modi jis anti-people and wrong deeds. We have not indulged in even a single act of that kind. I challenge you; come let us have a public debate at the Ramlila Maidan in front of the people of Delhi, Mr Kejriwal said.

In a statement, Mr Shah said that the Modi government had allocated three times more money to the Poorvanchal areas of India in the 14th Finance Commission as compared to what the Congress-led government had done in the 13th Finance Commission.

The BJP chief said the Modi government has released `13.80 lakh crore in the past 4.5 years, ensuring development through expressways, hospitals and industries in the area. In response, Mr Kejriwal said, Amit Shah ji, how much money did your government provide to Delhi in the 14th Finance Commission? Merely `325 crore? People of Poorvanchal reside in Delhi also. Why did your government not provide money for their development? Why this discrimination against Poorva-nchalis living in Delhi?

The CM added, People of Delhi had given you merely two works  policing and sanitation. Your party has proved to be a disaster in both. Neither have you been able to keep Delhi clean, nor have you been able to perform policing functions properly. We were given the responsibility of electricity, water, education, and health by the people of Delhi and our performance in these sectors is being lauded the world over.The Massachusetts State Police is hiring consulting firm Ernst & Young as it climbs out of a scandal that has led to investigations of 46 current and former troopers for alleged overtime abuse.

The contract announced Monday comes with a maximum compensation of $275,000 for Ernst & Young.

The company is tasked with auditing and assessing the State Police's policies, protocols and record management systems.

"Among the areas that will be assessed are the Department's systems for managing and monitoring all types of pay, including regular, overtime, and detail earnings, as well as for employee leave and other forms of compensation and benefits," the State Police said in a release.

"In its review, Ernst & Young will evaluate the Department's existing internal controls and recommend measures to bring the Department's systems and policies into line with best practices in similar organizations," the State Police added.

The hiring of Ernst & Young is part of a series of reforms undertaken by Col. Kerry Gilpin, who was installed as superintendent by Gov. Charlie Baker to clean up the department after a series of scandals.

Gilpin said there is an estimated reduction of 29 percent in Troop F, which patrols Boston's Seaport neighborhood and airports.

Troop E, which patrolled the Turnpike and had within it the 46 troopers under investigation, was disbanded and the remaining troopers were dispersed to other troops.

"We are substantively increasing the operational and fiscal oversight of this agency to increase efficiency and accountability to the public," Gilpin said in a statement. "At the same time, the more than 2,000 troopers who embody the values and character we demand of our personnel continue to fulfill their important mission to protect the safety of our citizens."BOSTON -- A Boston police officer is recovering from a gunshot wound to the leg, after being injured on duty in the city's South End, Sunday afternoon.

The officer was shot in the calf and taken to an area hospital with a non-life threatening injury, Boston Police Officer James Moccia said.

Police identified the suspect quickly and he and two other men were taken into custody at the scene. No one was injured in the arrest, Moccia said.

Moccia did not immediately release the name of the officer or the three arrested in connection with the shooting.

The officer and several other police were near 89 West Springfield St. just before 2 p.m. when they noticed a group of men who were holding their waists as if they were concealing guns, said WBTS TV 10.

The men quickly entered a building when an officer approached and then blocked the door. When the officer attempted to force his way in through the front door, the suspect shot him, according to the TV station.

The suspected shooter locked himself into an apartment in that building but surrendered after the department's SWAT team and negotiators arrived at the scene, said WBTS TV 10.

The crime remains under investigation, Moccia said.NORTHBOROUGH - A Stow man was killed after his car collided with a pickup truck on Interstate-290, Sunday.

The 38-year-old victim was brought to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester in cardiac arrest after the crash. He died later at the hospital, Massachusetts State Police said.

"Preliminary investigation revealed that the man had a medical issue which caused the crash," police said.

The crash occurred at about 8:20 p.m. when a 2016 Ford Ranger, driven by the 38-year-old man, collided with a 2000 Ford pickup. The driver of the pickup, a 30-year-old Johnston, Rhode Island resident, suffered minor injuries, police said.

The right lane of the highway was closed for about an hour while police cleared the scene and investigated the crash, police said.

The collision remains under investigation. The name of the victim is expected to be released Monday after family members are notified, police said.

The right lane of Interstate-290 was closed during the incident. The scene was cleared at approximately 9:24 p.m.

Northborough Emergency Medical services assisted at the scene and rushed the victim to the hospital, police said.The future of a closed nuclear power plant located just north of Massachusetts hangs in the balance as owner Energy tries to sell Vermont Yankee to the New York-based Northstar Group Services.

Northstar proposes an accelerated cleanup of the site that could be finished by 2030, as opposed to a 60-year decommissioning approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The sale from Entergy to Northstar will require state and federal approval.

While economic development boosters are hopeful, critics are keeping an eye on safety, financial, and environmental concerns. The 600-megawatt nuke stopped producing power in 2014.

A meeting Thursday will provide the latest decommissioning updates when the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel convenes in Brattleboro. Presentations are expected from Entergy and from state officials, according to an agenda.

Over the summer, Entergy completed a major task by moving all spent fuel rods from the reactor to "dry cask storage" on concrete pads. Residents at the time expressed concern over the potential for accidents, although the process was completed safely. Controversy remains over the final resting place of the nation's high-level nuclear waste.

The plant, located in the town of Vernon on the Connecticut River, employed around 550 people when it shut down nearly four years ago. Now only a fraction of the workers remain. Entergy also recently gained regulatory approval to shrink the size of its security perimeter.

Regulators had previously agreed to a so-called SAFSTOR plan that would mothball the plant until 2068, with site restoration complete by 2075.

If you go:

What: Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel

Where: Vermont Agricultural Business Education Center, Brattleboro

When: Sept. 27, 6 p.m.A Maine woman accused of abandoning her 17-month-old son in a Massachusetts parking lot on Saturday will face a charge in court.

Easton Police Chief Gary Sullivan said police charged the 27-year-old woman from Acton, Maine with abandonment/endangerment of a child.

Police, at first, did not release the woman's name, citing the need to protect the child in the case.

The woman, identified later as Taylor Perdue, will be arraigned in Taunton District Court at a later date.

Officers were called to the Target on Robert Drive in Easton on Saturday after receiving a call about a toddler found in the store parking lot by himself.

The person who called police, a customer at the store, stayed with the boy until officers arrived.

"The child did not appear to be injured and was evaluated by members of the Easton Fire Department before being transported by ambulance to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton for an evaluation," police said.

Police received a call around 2 p.m. from a man reporting the child was left behind accidentally.

"The caller was with the child's mother in Plymouth and said they were going to head back to Easton," police said. "In subsequently speaking with detectives, the child's mother said that after leaving Target she returned to her vehicle, along with three friends, and believed that one of her friends had secured her son in his rear-facing car seat."

Perdue then drove to Plymouth in her car, while her friends were in another vehicle. The mother, according to police, then realized her son was not in the car seat.

Police notified the state Department of Children and Families and, in coordination with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, DCF granted custody of the child to the mother later that evening.PITTSFIELD - A man accused of setting his own home and three others on fire and then trying to flee to Canada is being held on $25,000 bail in Vermont.

Phillip J. Jordan, 58, was arraigned on a fugitive of justice charge in a Vermont court Monday. Not guilty pleas were entered and a judge continued the case until he could be examined to determine his mental competency to participate in court hearings, said Frederick Lantz, spokesman for Berkshire District Attorney Paul J. Caccaviello.

A warrant for Jordan's arrest was issued over the weekend after he allegedly set fire to his own home on 112 Appleton Ave. at about 6:45 p.m. Saturday. Shortly after he also allegedly set fires at 47 Fort Hill Ave., 85 Ridge Ave. and 42-44 Brown St., Lantz said.

He is facing three counts of burning a dwelling house in connection with the fires on Appleton, Ridge and Fort Hill avenues, he said.

The fire on Appleton Avenue was started in the basement and spread to the second floor, causing serious damage. The other three fires caused minimal damage to the exteriors of the homes, fire department officials said.

It took firefighters more than two hours to extinguish the flames on Appleton Avenue. Multiple area fire departments responded to assist Pittsfield firefighters at the four fires, officials said.

He fled the area prompting police to put out a warning saying he was wanted and was believed to be armed and dangerous.

Jordan was apprehended Sunday by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents in Highgate Springs, Vermont, as he attempted to cross into Canada. He was charged with being a fugitive from justice, Pittsfield Police Lt. Jeffrey Bradford said.

It is unclear when he will be extradited to Massachusetts.Robert Simone has been promoted to vice president and general manager of WWLP-TV (NBC), EWLP (CW) and its associated digital services.

Simone succeeds recently retired longtime WWLP general manager William Pepin.

Simone will assume his new responsibilities immediately and report to Doug Davis, senior vice president and regional manager of WWLp's parent company, Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc., according to a statement released Monday by the media company.

"Bob Simone is a valued member of the Nexstar organization who has extensive experience managing broadcast television operations across a diverse range of markets," Davis said in a statement. "A well-respected leader with Western Massachusetts roots, he brings to his new role a deep understanding of Nexstar's critical business functions and a solid reputation as a trusted business partner who is committed to the growth and economic success of our clients."

Simone, a graduate of West Springfield High School, earned his bachelor of arts degree from Western New England University in Springfield. He and his wife of more than 30 years, Sarah, have two grown sons and one grandson.

A Springfield native, Simone began his broadcasting career over three decades ago. He an extensive background in station general management, content development and directing market-leading local television and digital operations.

From 2012 to 2018, Simone served as vice president and general manager of WLNS-TV, the Nexstar-owned CBS affiliate serving Lansing, Michigan.

WLNS News 6 garnered several regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for outstanding news coverage and service under his leadership.

Before joining WLNS, Simone served as vice president and general manager of KMSB-TV (FOX) and KTTU-TV (MyNetworkTV) in Tucson, Arizona. Earlier in his career, Simone served as vice president and general manager of two Fox owned-and-operated stations over a 10-year period, including WTXF-TV in Philadelphia, and KDVR-TV in Denver.

"I want to express my sincere gratitude to our outstanding teams at WLNS, WLAJ and CW-5 in Lansing, as well as the local clients and organizations I've proudly served over the past six years," Simone said in a statement. "This promotion is an exciting opportunity to extend my record of service at Nexstar."

Nexstar owns, operates, programs or provides sales and other services to 171 television stations and related digital multicast signals reaching 100 markets or approximately 39 percent of all U.S. television householdsWEST SPRINGFIELD -- Automotive gurus Mike Brewer and Wayne Carini revved up the excitement at Collector Car Live at The Big E on Sunday.

Car enthusiasts of all ages filled the Xfinity Arena as the two Velocity Channel stars introduced a host of first-class, hand-selected cars, dating from the early 1900s to today's exotics.

With a General Motors Futurliner owned by Peter Pan Bus as a backdrop, the TV stars discussed each vehicles' features, uncovering the lesser-known histories behind the rare or one-of-a-kind vehicles.

Carini also showed off his 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, which he said is the world's fastest production car with more than 800 horsepower.

After the show, fans lined to get autographs from and pictures with Brewer and Carini. Visitors also got to take in a static display of collector cars, highlighted by several unique, Brass Era touring cars.

Brewer, host of "Wheeler Dealers," works with car designer Ant Anstead to give new life to run-down, classic automobiles, which they resell at a profit.

Carini is owner of F40 Motorsports in Portland, Connecticut, who buys, sells, consigns, trades, services and restores, classic and late model automobiles. As host of "Chasing Classic Cars," he scours the countryside in search of classic automobiles that have been hidden away in barns and shacks for 60 or more years.

"Wheeler Dealers," in its 16th seaon, is the most widely-watched show on the Discovery Channel network, Brewer told he audience. And Discovery just ordered 27 more episodes, he said.

"Chasing Classic Cars," in its 12th season, is Discovery's third-most popular show, Carini said. The show just signed a new three-year contract with Discovery, he added, and it will change from a half-hour to full-hour show.SIMSBURY, Conn. -- A registered sex offender has reportedly been charged with the 2014 stabbing death of Melissa Millan, a senior vice president at MassMutual Financial Group.

The Hartford Courant reported William Winters Leverett, 27, of 11 Seymour Road, Unit 11A, Windsor Locks, walked into Simsbury police headquarters Wednesday night and confessed to killing Millan.

The 54-year-old mother of two was running along a popular bike trail through the town on Nov. 20, 2014, when she was stabbed in the chest.

The Courant, citing police records, reported Leverett was arrested in Colorado in 2009 and charged with sexual assault of a child.

Leverett is slated to be arraigned Monday in Enfield Superior Court.

The Courant reported Leverett was accompanied by members of a religious institution when he went to Simsbury police Wednesday night.William W. Leverett, suspect in the 2014 slaying of Melissa Millan in Simsbury, Connecticut, told police he "went into a frenzy" and stabbed her in the chest with a knife after spotting her jogging along a bike trail.

The 27-year-old Leverett was held in lieu of $2 million bail during his arraignment Monday on a single charge of murder in Enfield Superior Court.

The random attack on the 54-year-old Millan, a senior vice president at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., yielded no suspects until last Wednesday night when Leverett, a registered sex offender, walked into the Simsbury Police Department and confessed, police said.

DNA, since extracted from a glove that Leverett hid after the attack inside a barn at a Simsbury property where he then lived, further ties him to the brutal slaying, according to an arrest warrant application filed by Simsbury police.

The Windsor Locks resident told Simsbury police that he had attended a sex offender's therapy group in Hartford on the night of the slaying and then went to the bike trail near Iron Horse Boulevard "in hopes of finding someone to talk with," according to the warrant application.

Leverett told police that a friend, a female who accompanied him to the police station last Wednesday, did not know that he was on probation for a sex offense in Colorado.

The suspect told police he was worried that the female would reject him as a friend if she found out.

"Mr. Leverett continued by saying 'he was embarrassed and scared and figured that if I just killed somebody it would make it all go away and I wouldn't have to explain myself,'" Simsbury Police Sgt. Scott Sagan wrote in his affidavit. "Mr. Leverett stated that 'something compelled him that he couldn't explain' and that he was 'acting beyond his control.'"

Leverett stated he saw Millan run past him on the bike trail and that he got into his vehicle and drove further down the boulevard so he could walk back onto the bike trail "to be next to her," Sagan wrote.

"Mr. Leverett claimed that he only wanted a chance to speak with her 'but that something happened' and the next thing he knew he had stabbed her in the chest with a knife he was carrying."

Leverett said that Millan pushed him away with both her hands, causing the knife to be pulled from her chest while he was still holding it, according to the affidavit. She then fell backwards, over the guardrail and onto the roadway.

Leverett, according to the affidavit, said he heard Millan say, "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," before falling silent.

Leverett fled the area with the knife and later discarded it by throwing it out his vehicle window on a side street in Simsbury. He stated he retrieved it a few days later and discarded it in a trash compactor at his workplace.

Leverett told Sagan that on the night of the homicide he wrote confession letters to friends and family members stating what he did. Leverett never presented them, however, and said they were still in his possession.

Police found two handwritten letters the next day, last Thursday, during a search of Leverett's Windsor Locks apartment. The letters mentioned a "serious crime," but not the homicide itself, according to the affidavit.

Later that Thursday, police met Leverett at his home and he agreed to accompany them to police headquarters to further clarify information he had provided to them.

While on the way, Leverett agreed to go to the scene of the homicide and recreate his actions and movements from that night.

Leverett also told Sagan he was wearing gloves at the time of the homicide. He said he attempted to dispose of the gloves by going into a barn on the property where he lived at the time and trying to throw them both onto the rafters.

Leverett said one glove fell back down and he hid it in a trash can. The other fell into a crevasse behind a cabinet and he could not reach it.

Leverett, last Thursday night, led police to that particular spot in the barn. The glove was recovered and sent to the state of Connecticut Division of Scientific Services laboratory for analysis the following day.

The female and two others that accompanied Leverett to Simsbury police headquarters Wednesday night are members of Open Gate Ministries.

The two co-pastors of that church, Michael and Colette Trazinski, attended Leverett's arraignment and spoke to the media afterwards.

Leverett, they said, joined the church about four months after the homicide.

Michael Trazinski said Leverett was a "faithful member" of the church but it wasn't until last Wednesday night that he told members that he had killed somebody.

"He came to us on Wednesday night, last week, and confessed to the homicide. We immediately told him you know what you have to do and he said, 'Yes, I have to turn myself in.'" Michael Trazinski said.

At that point, Trazinski said he and two other church members accompanied Leverett to Simsbury police headquarters.

Michael and Colette Trazinski said they and other church members were stunned when Leverett spoke of what he had done because it seemed so out of character for him.

"Nobody said anything for maybe a minute or longer, we were just trying to wrap our heads around this thing," said Michael Trazinski. "It was pretty shocking, but we knew what he had to do. Justice needed to be done."

Colette Trazinski said that as Leverett left the group Wednesday night, he spoke of a demon that "wouldn't be able to bother him any longer."

She also said that Leverett wants to apologize to Millan's family. "He was broken, he was really broken," she said. "If you saw him, he was very sincere in his remorse and in his repentance."

Colette Trazinski described Leverett as being "childlike" and Michael Trazinski said "he was gracious, inquisitive about things and very intelligent."

Michael Trazinski expressed condolences to Millan's family and said members of the church are praying for them.

Open Gate Ministries, they said, is a nondenominational church that has been in existence for about 20 years and has about 50 members in northern Connecticut and Western Massachusetts.

They described Open Gates Ministries as a "house church" and said that it meets in the homes of members.

Leverett, according to the Connecticut Sex Offenders Registry, was convicted of sexual assault on a child in Colorado on May 23, 2011. According to the registry, he is 6 feet 2 inches tall and 185 pounds.BJP chief accuses Congress and AAP of caring for illegal infiltrators due to focus on vote bank politics.

BJP president Amit Shah, along with partys Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari and other leaders, enjoys a moment with a boy dressed as Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Purvanchal Mahakumbh at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Sunday. (Photo: Pritam Bandyopadhyay)

New Delhi: BJP chief Amit Shah said on Sunday that his party will seek to identify illegal immigrants living in the country if it comes to power after the Lok Sabha polls. He alleged that Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal care for them for the sake of vote bank politics.

Addressing a rally at Ramlila Maidan to woo the Poorvanchal voters, he said illegal infiltrators were causing trouble in the national capital and action against them should not worry any patriot. He claimed that Oppositions grand alliance stood no chance against Prime Minister Narendra Modis NDA in the next general elections.

Terming illegal infiltrators as termites, he said that BJP will undertake identification of such people across the country after winning the elections in 2019.

The illegal infiltrators are acting like termites in this country. They are also causing problems in Delhi. Action against them should not worry any patriot. But whenever we take action Rahul Baba and Kejriwal start complaining. They care for illegal infiltrators because of vote bank politics, Mr Shah said at the Poorvanchal Mahakumbh organised by the Delhi unit of the party at the Ramlila Maidan.

The BJP chief challenged Mr Gandhi and Mr Kejriwal to clear the stand of their respective parties on the issue of illegal immigrants living in the country. Sharpening his attack on Mr Kejriwal, Mr Shah charged the AAP leader of preventing development of Delhi in his 3.5 year rule.

Attacking the efforts of the opposition parties to forge a Mahagath-banhan against the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP, Mr Shah said that his party was ready to take the challenge.

This Mahagathbandhan has no policy or leader. Rahul wants to lead the bandwagon but leaders like Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, and Akhilesh Yadav are against it, he said.

Lauding Poorvanchalis for their contribution in the development of the country in the past 4.5 years of Modi government, the BJP chief said his party will not rest till the eastern part of the country was as developed as the western part.

Accusing Congress of doing injustice to the eastern region  including part of UP, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand  Mr Shah said that Modi government released 13.80 lakh crore in the past 4.5 years and ensured development through expressways, hospitals, and industries in the area. The Poorvanchal Mahagathbandhan is the first in a series of four mega rallies planned by BJP in Delhi in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, said Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari.The Northborough businessman who owned the Blackstone Tap in Worcester before selling it to a restauranteur who was sentenced for drug- and money laundering-related crimes has regained ownership of the building.

The United States government recently released the property at 81 Water St. to Jefferson Mararian, who originally bought the building in 2004.

Mararian sold the Blackstone Tap to convicted felon Kevin A. Perry Jr. in 2016. Perry was sentenced to 14 years in prison earlier this year after admitting to financing the Blackstone Tap and other restaurants with drug money.

Perry took out two mortgages on the property within two days of purchasing the Blackstone Tap: the first through Bay State Savings Bank for $315,000, and the other through the property seller, Jefferson Mararian, for $200,000. The property was purchased for $420,000.

Mararian has been granted ownership of the building by the U.S. government, provided he pay $9,000, according to Massachusetts Land Records. He must also pick up the existing mortgage with Bay State Savings Bank.

Mararian told the Worcester Business Journal that he hopes to renovate the building and open a new business there.Correction: A previous version said National Grid would meet with the workers. The Department of Public Utilities is the entity that agreed to the meeting.

Three months into a gas worker lockout, The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has arranged a meeting with United Steel Workers Local 12012 to discuss allegations that non-union replacement workers are playing fast and loose with pipeline safety standards.

The DPU agreed to meet on Wednesday, said John Buonopane, president of the bargaining unit. The workers have compiled a running list of alleged job site violations, and say they have photographic and video evidence.

"If they just give us lip service, we're not going to be happy," said Buonopane in a phone interview. "They've got inexperienced workers in the field, and it's not safe."

The non-union and third-party contractors have dealt improperly with high-pressure gas leaks; failed to mark underground utilities; conducted operations with inadequate precautions; caused damage to pipes; and excavated and backfilled near gas mains without National Grid oversight, according to the list of allegations.

Dozens of complaints, running from June 28 to Sept. 19, reference job sites in Lowell, Malden, Dracut, Winchester, Haverhill, Charlestown, Chelsea, Billerica, and Medford.



Last week the DPU rebuffed a request from Attorney General Maura Healey to open a public investigation into National Grid's compliance with pipeline safety protocols since the lockout. Buonopane said Friday Gov. Charlie Baker should get involved.

"Baker should support the AG's effort to have an open, public investigation," Buonopane said. "And not just into safety, but level of service. They've spent millions to lock up out."

The labor dispute in the Boston area comes as efforts to rebuild natural gas infrastructure in the nearby Merrimack Valley shift into gear.

On Sept. 13, fires and explosions linked to Columbia Gas of Massachusetts destroyed homes, forced thousands to evacuate the region, killed a young man, and injured dozens in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover.

Baker declared a state of emergency, and at a Friday press conference promised "qualified, certified, and credentialed people" on the ground, and enough state inspectors to ensure safety in the Merrimack Valley for the infrastructure rebuild.

Buonopane said Baker is rightly concerned with pipeline safety in the Lawrence area, but should be equally concerned about the Boston area.

As for Wednesday's meeting, Buonopane said the DPU "only agreed to meet with us after what happened in the Merrimack Valley."

Last week, following the Merrimack Valley explosions and the National Grid lockout, the Boston City Council called for a hearing on natural gas safety issues as workers from USW Local 12012 and Local 12003 rallied outside.

The June 25 lockout was part of a protracted labor dispute.

"In the absence of a tentative agreement on all outstanding issues, which would include a no-strike promise, the company made the difficult decision to implement its work continuation plan," a National Grid spokesperson previously told MassLive.

USW Local 12012 safety allegations re National Grid replacement workers by Mary Serreze on ScribdThe Indian Cormorant escaped a narrow brush with death after collapsing on the Metro tracks.

The Metro services on the line (part of the Delhi Metro Phase 3) were temporarily halted while two rescuers went down to the tracks to carry out the rescue operation. They shifted the distressed bird to a transport container and rushed it to their recovery facility.

New Delhi: Metro services on the Magenta Line were temporarily halted on Sunday when an Indian Cormorant collapsed on the Metro tracks at the Kalindi Kunj Metro station.

The Indian Cormorant escaped a narrow brush with death after collapsing on the Metro tracks. One of the train operators saw the bird on the tracks, which was reportedly struggling to fly, and called NGO Wildlife SOS for its rescue.

The Metro services on the line (part of the Delhi Metro Phase 3) were temporarily halted while two rescuers went down to the tracks to carry out the rescue operation. They shifted the distressed bird to a transport container and rushed it to their recovery facility.

The Indian Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis) is found mainly along the inland waters of the Indian subcontinent and extending to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. They inhabit ponds, lakes, streams, mangroves, and wetlands and feed mainly on fish. They make short dives into the water to catch fish and often forage in groups. Kartick Satyanarayan, the co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, said: We are grateful to the DMRC authorities for their cooperation. This indicates a high level of compassion on their part and sets an example for many others to follow. We believe the cormorant had wandered out of the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, which is located close by.

The cormorant is under observation to ensure it recuperates safely from the ordeal. Over the years, Wildlife SOS has carried out several wildlife rescues from various Metro stations across Delhi-NCR. In August, we rescued a red sand boa from the Shahdara Metro station, said Wasim Akram, the manager of Wildlife SOS Special Projects.Agnosia is a rare neurological condition in which an individual may face difficulty to process sensory information like recognizing a familiar person, sound or object. It is due to occurrence of lesions in the brain. Medical conditions such as dementia, stroke, head injury or any other neurological condition may lead to development of agnosia. Moreover, there are several conditions that may cause brain lesions and are associated with agnosia.

People suffering from agnosia can still interact with others normally. As such agnosia affects a single pathway when brain suffers a certain damage. The pathway might connect primary sensory areas that store information and knowledge. The primary sensory regions mainly include visual or auditory cortices. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, neurological disorders are responsible for 4.5%-11% of all illnesses including low or high income economies.

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Brain imaging techniques such as CT or MRI with or without angiographic protocols is required to characterize a central lesion such as hemorrhage, infarct or mass and also might check medical history of the patient and atrophy suggesting a degenerative disorder.

Many individuals suffering from agnosia can still retain their cognitive abilities, such as reading and basic math. The condition affects everyone differently but it can significantly impact the quality of life.

The cause of this disorders may precede the development of primary visual agnosia. Some causes of agnosia include diseases such as Alzheimers, Picks disease, Balints syndrome. Alzheimers is a common, progressive, degenerative brain disorder affecting memory, thought, and language. Picks disease is also a degenerative neurological disorder that closely resemble the symptoms of Alzheimers disease. Balints syndrome is a rare neurological disorder characterized by the inability to voluntarily look at objects to the side. Individuals often cannot read, grasp or view ones surroundings as a whole (simultanagnosia).

Some of the most probable causes of this disease are dementia, carbon monoxide poisoning, encephalitis, traumatic brain injuries and strokes. Physical examination is performed to detect any primary deficits in individual related to senses or inability to infer any test for agnosia. According to WHO, the total number of people with dementia worldwide is projected to nearly double every 20 years, to 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050. The total number of new cases of dementia each year is nearly 7.7 million worldwide, implying one new case every four seconds.

There is no specific treatment for agnosia. If doctors are able to identify the cause, the treatment will be tailored to the specific problem. For example, if an abscess is causing agnosia, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics and refer for a surgery to drain the abscess. Rehabilitation with speech or occupational therapists can help patients learn to compensate for their deficits.

Organizations such as the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) collects and disseminates research information related to neurological disorders. Furthermore, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.

The global market of agnosia treatment is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 7.2% during the forecast period 2017-2023.

Segmentation

The agnosia treatment market is segmented on the basis of is segmented on the basis of diagnosis, causes, type, and treatment.

On the basis of diagnosis it is segmented into Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and others.

On the basis of causes it is segmented into Alzheimers disease, Picks disease, MELAS, Balints syndrome.

On the basis of the type, it is segmented into auditory agnosia, gustatory agnosia, olfactory agnosia, tactile agnosia, visual agnosia, and others. Others is further segmented into prosopagnosia and anosognosia

On the basis of treatment, it is segmented into surgery, antibiotics for cerebral absess and radiation of brain tumor. Antibiotics for cerebral absess is further segmented into Ceftriaxone and Cefotaxime+metronidazole

Regional Analysis

The global agnosia treatment market consists of countries namely America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa.

North America dominated the global agnosia treatment market owing to the increasing healthcare expenditure. The increasing incidence of accidents and brain injury is leading to development of new treatment methods are some of the driving factors responsible for the growth of the global agnosia treatment market.

Europe holds the second position in the global agnosia treatment owing to the government support for research & development and availability of funds for research. People with agnosia can benefit from speech and occupational therapy provided by the various European medical organisations such as Alzheimer Europe, and the European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP) to learn how to deal with this impairment in their daily life.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing agnosia treatment owing to the presence of rapidly developing healthcare technology, increasing stressful life, and high healthcare expenditure. Furthermore in the Middle East & Africa the spending for healthcare was also increased. The Middle East & Africa holds the least share of the market owing to less availability of funds, limited medical facilities, and deprived political conditions in Africa.

Key Players

Some of key the players in the global agnosia treatment market are B. Braun Melsungen (Germany), Pfizer Inc. (U.S.), Lupin ltd. (India), Fujifilm Holdings (Japan), GE Healthcare (U.S.), Siemens Healthcare(U.S.), Philips Healthcare (U.S.), F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Switzerland) , Aurobindo Pharma Ltd (India), Sandoz GmBH (Austria), Stellar- Bio Labs (India), Fresenius Kabi Ipsum SRL (Italy), Zhuhai United Laboratories Co Ltd (China), Cspc Zhongnuo Pharmaceutical Shijiazhuang Co Ltd (China), IPCA Labs ltd. (India) and others.

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Detailed Table of Contents:

1. Report Prologue

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

3. Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Primary Research

3.3 Secondary Research

3.4 Market Size Estimation

4. Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.2 Restrains

4.3 Opportunities

4.4 Challenges

4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators

4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment

Continued

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Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comThis growth can be attributed to continuous investment by pharmaceutical sponsors in R&D and outsourcing a more considerable portion of R&D to independent service providers. Moreover, it is believed that CROs possess greater ability and expertise to perform the needed services than pharmaceutical or biotechnology could perform internally. Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are increasingly applying for regulatory approvals in different countries, and the CRO market is expected to benefit from this trend. Moreover, M&A activities in the business landscape also provide growth opportunities to CRO market.

Pharmaceutical companies generally aim to reduce costs through M&A and in a bid to manage their processes, they outsource R&D activities to CROs. Regulatory norms towards standardization throughout the world have also supported the growth of the market. Companies are increasingly outsourcing to CROs to capitalize on the expertise and capabilities which they offer. Rising costs of drug development have raised reliance on CROs. Many companies lack the capital, equipment, and resources to conduct internal clinical trials and thus choose to outsource to CROs which not only eliminates the need to expand infrastructure but also offers a reduction in costs and drug development cycle.

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Additionally, expansion of service offerings by CROs coupled with technological advancements such as wearable technologies and big data is augmenting the growth of the market. However, number of CROs have not been able to keep pace with the growth in consumer base of CROs and existing CROs find difficulty in managing operations and acquiring funds to sustain capacity development. Other restraining factors include the high cost of labor, escalating complexities of clinical trials, volatility in exchange rates and freight charges.

Competitive Landscape

The Global CRO Market is highly competitive and fragmented with the presence of many small specialty providers. Large CROs are indulging in M&A to gain a competitive edge over the market. The key players operating in the market include Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings. (U.S.), PAREXEL International Corporation. (U.S.), INC Research LLC (U.S.), ICON plc. (Europe), QuintilesIMS (U.S.), Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC. (U.S.), PRA Health Sciences, Inc. (U.S.) and others.

Segmentation

The Global contract research organization has been segmented based on segment, clinical trial phase, and end-users. By segment, the market has been segmented into drug discovery, clinical development, post-marketing services, and others. By clinical trial phase, the market has been segmented into preclinical trials, phase I, phase II, phase III, phase IV, and others. By end-users, the market has been segmented into pharmaceutical/ biotechnology companies, medical devices companies, academic institutes and others.

Regional Analysis

The key markets of the Global Contract Research Organization Market include the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa. The America market is consolidated due to the concentration of market activity owing to favorable conditions and the presence of a robust drug market in the region. The Americas is closely followed by Europe due to the availability of funds for research, and a well-developed healthcare sector in the region. Asia-Pacific market is expected to emerge as a growing market due to increase in clinical research activities in the region, especially in China and India. The Middle East & Africa holds a comparatively smaller share of the market but holds potential growth opportunities as the region facilitates conduction of clinical trials at a fraction of costs as compared to the US and Europe.

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Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comThe hammertoe market is growing with the rapid pace; mainly due to the rising incidence of arthritis. According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, The hammertoe market is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period. The market is forecasted to demonstrate a spectacular growth by 2023, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a striking CAGR during the anticipated period (2017  2023).

Hammertoe is a foot deformity due to imbalance in the muscles, tendons or ligaments which normally hold the toe straight. A hammertoe has an abnormal bend in the middle joint of a toe and usually occur in the second, third and fourth toes. Hammertoe can be caused because of wearing wrong type of shoes such as high heels or shoes that are too short or narrow that force the toe into a bent position.

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Notably, rising incidence of arthritis, and increasing R&D expenditure in the Pharmaceutical Industry are the key factors driving the companion diagnostics Market. In the year of 2016, the R&D expenditure in the Pharmaceutical Industry was EUR 35000 million, suggested by European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Association. Other factor such as, and improvement in regulatory policies, and reimbursement scenario are also fuelling the growth of the market.

Despite these significant driving factors, lack of awareness, and problems associated with surgery such as risk of infection, associated pain and hospital stay are expected to decline the market growth.

Segments:

The global Hammertoe market has been segmented on the basis of type, diagnosis, treatment and end users.

Based on type, the market has been segmented as flexible hammer toes and rigid hammer toes.

Based on the diagnosis, the market has been segmented into physical exam, X-rays and others.

Based on the treatment, the market has been segmented into drugs, orthotic devices, surgery and others.

Based on the end users, the market has been segmented as hospitals & clinics, physiotherapy and orthopedic centers and others.

Regional analysis:

The Americas account for a significant market share owing to extensive use of medications and high expenditure on the health care. Additionally, the fastest uptake of new technology in the US drives the global Hammertoe market. Also, concentration of major research companies and cancer research sector in the developed countries of this region is adding fuel to the market growth.

Europe is the second largest market in the world due to high income and healthcare penetration.

Asia Pacific region is expected to grow rapidly and China and India are likely to lead this market due to fast growing industrial sector during the forecast period.

Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are estimated to drive the Middle East & African market. The African region is expected to witness a moderate growth owing to poor economic and political conditions and poor healthcare development.

Key Players

Some of key players profiled in the report are BioPro, Instratek, Stryker, Extremity Medical LLC, Arrowhead Medical Device Technologies, LLC, Wright Medical Group N.V., Nextremity Solutions, Inc., Smith & Nephew plc., Biomet, Inc., Acumed and others.

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Detailed Table of Contents:

1. Introduction

1.1 Definition

1.2 Scope Of Study

1.2.1 Research Objective

1.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations

1.2.2.1 Assumptions

1.2.2.2 Limitations

1.3 Market Structure

2. Research Methodology

2.1 Research Process

2.2 Primary Research

2.3 Secondary Research

3. Market Dynamics

3.1 Drivers

3.2 Restraints

3.3 Opportunities

3.4 Macroeconomic Indicators

4. Market Factor Analysis

4.1 Porters Five Forces Model

4.2 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers

4.3 Bargaining Power Of Buyers

4.4 Threat Of New Entrants

4.5 Threat Of Substitutes

4.6 Intensity Of Rivalry

5. Global Hammertoe Market, By Type

5.1 Flexible Hammer Toes

5.2 Rigid Hammer Toes

Continued

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Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comMedical Imaging has become the core of modern medical diagnostics. The advanced imaging technologies that are available today have certainly improved the efficiency of diagnostic systems to a significant level. In recent years, the number of people undergoing diagnostic procedures has increased substantially with the rise in prevalence of acute and chronic diseases. Consequently, the demand for effective and more accurate diagnostic technologies has also gone up. Factors as such have reflected favorably on the Global Market for Medical Imaging. A recent study conducted by Market Research Future (MRFR) claims that over the next four years the market will witness a healthy growth.

The Global Medical Imaging Market is expected to gain prominence over the forecast period (20182023). It is estimated that the global medical imaging market is expected to grow at a CAGR ~6.5 % during the forecast period of 20182023. Currently, there are multiple medical imaging systems available to show focal and diffuse pathologies in various organs.

The level of awareness about the advantages of early stage diagnosis has increased, which has resulted in a higher number of diagnostic procedures. This is considered as an important growth enabler for the global medical imaging market. In addition, factors such as rising geriatric population and arrival of cost-effective medical imaging systems are also making a positive impact on the market. In all of this, technology is playing an important role, as it is central to the particular healthcare vertical. Hence, market players are consistently making efforts to innovate and development more efficient medical imaging devices.

Latest Industry Trends and News

Leading technology Nvidia has reportedly expressed its intentions of introducing a new AI platform Clara in the recently held GPU Technology Conference. The AI will be mainly used for creating virtual medical imaging platform. With this move, the tech firm will set its foot in the healthcare sector.

TriHealth, a healthcare provider based in Cincinnati is reportedly set to invest $10 Mn to integrate a part of IBM Watson Health Enterprise Imaging solution. The move will allow TriHealth to bolster its picture archiving and communication system infrastructure as well as engage AI capabilities for medical imaging.

Global Medical Imaging Market  Key Players

Major participants of this market are

Carestream Health, Inc.

Esaote SpA

Fonar Corporation

Fujifilm Holdings Corporation

GE Healthcare

Hitachi Medical Corporation

Hologic, Inc.

Narang Medical Limited

Philips Healthcare

Samsung Medison Co. Ltd

Shimadzu Corporation

Siemens Healthcare

Toshiba Corporation

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Global Medical Imaging Market  Segmentation

The Medical Imaging Market has been segmented on the basis of modality which includes ultrasound, computed tomography, x-ray, radiography, MRI, nuclear imaging, tactile imaging, echocardiography, thermography and more. On the basis of end user, market is further segmented into hospital/clinics, diagnostic centers, laboratories, and others.

Global Medical Imaging Market  Regional Analysis

The American region holds the major share of the global medical imaging market, owing to the existing well-established healthcare system, technological advancements, and the geriatric population. Due to the increasing acceptance of advanced imaging equipment multitude of products have been introduced by leading players. For instance, Vantage Galan 3.0T XGO Edition MRI by Canon Medical Systems USA, Inc. received approval from Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Galan 3T XGO Edition offers the ability to conduct high-quality neuroimaging exams, and higher-resolution images.

Europe holds the second position in the global medical imaging market. It is expected that the government support towards research & development expenditure.

The Asia-Pacific medical imaging market consists of countries namely China, Japan, Republic of Korea, India, Australia and the Rest of Asia-Pacific. The rising prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is propelling the growth of the market. According to a study published in the Circulation Journal in 2017, 80% of CVD deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries.

The Middle East and Africa holds the lowest share of the global market due to low development, lack of technical knowledge, and poor medical facilities.

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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.

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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.

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Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.comby Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, September 24, 2018

The world of single parenting gets the Modern Family treatment in this new generically titled sitcom called Single Parents.

Premiering Wednesday night on ABC, it is a network-TV interpretation of what it is like to raise small children today, especially when one has no spouse or partner in parenting.

The principal message seems to be: Raising a kid on one's own is tiring -- which should come as no surprise to anyone.

Also, the full-time attention that seems to be required for contemporary child management, which in this show seems to consist chiefly of thanklessly chauffeuring children from place to place, robs these grown-ups of any opportunity to behave and live like adults.

This sitcom seems destined to appeal primarily to single parents (and possibly couple-parents) of young school-aged children like the ones in the show.

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But before the nation's legions of young parents can warm up to Single Parents, the show needs to shed or otherwise improve upon some weaknesses in the premiere that are common to network television sitcom pilots.

In the pilot for Single Parents, these miscues include characters who are not yet fully formed, kid characters who are too obnoxious to be believed (well, at least one of them -- the wiseacre specimen pictured above) and the occasional testicle joke.

In the premiere of Single Parents, the first (and only) testicle joke on the show is uttered by Brad Garrett at right around the four-minute mark of this 22-minute show. Garrett's character is also one of the ones that needs improvement.

He plays a single dad of two twin girls. He is a dermatologist, but he plays the role like he's a mafioso from a mob movie as he constantly seeks to slip 20-dollar bills into other people's palms and shirt pockets. Hopefully, Garrett can be directed to play this role less thuggishly and more likably.

The character that needs the most work is the nebbish single dad played by former SNL-er Taran Killam. His character is the one that comes closest to being the central figure in this ensemble comedy, which is unfortunate because he is the weakest of the single parents.

By the end of the premiere episode, there are glimmers of hope that this character could also evolve into something better.

The rest of the parents in Single Parents are rounded out by Leighton Meester, who is very grown up from her days on Gossip Girl, Kimrie Lewis and Jake Choi as an Asian-American single dad.

Single Parents also contains a character that is becoming increasingly common in situation comedies -- the small child who is already identified by his or her actions as gay. In this show, it's a young African-American boy who counsels everybody he meets on how they should dress.

This is not a flaw, but just an attempt to point out how network sitcoms reflect the world in which they have been created and produced.

By the time the first episode of Single Parents was over, I was admitting in my notes that I liked the show, despite its many flaws and pilot-episode miscues.

In the end, I typed in my notes, [it is] a likable show that will harm no one. And thats not bad for a new network sitcom.

Single Parents premieres Wednesday (September 26) at 9:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC.by Melynda Fuller , September 24, 2018

Earlier this month, the American Society of News Editors extended the deadline for its 2018 Newsroom Employment Diversity Survey. The survey, first conducted in 1978, was relaunched this year as a reaction to the mounting need to have more diverse voices fill newsrooms nationwide.

The reason for the extension: only 234 out of nearly 1,700 newspapers and digital media outlets responded to the survey.

A statement from the group reads: "A healthy, diverse democracy requires a robust, free, and diverse Fourth Estate. The work of diversity is the work of journalism today. We believe the ASNE survey is a critical tool in creating a more responsive and representative public square, and we call on the industry to respond with the urgency this moment demands.

The goal of the survey is to record the current percentage of people of color working in newsrooms with the intention of elevating that number to reflect the nation's population by the year 2025.

Outlets now have until October 12 to respond. Going forward the ASNE will require the surveys completion for those receiving journalism grants from the organization.

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The lack of interest in the survey displayed by the publishing world echoes recent comments from the former managing editor of Harpers Magazine.

Commenting on the controversial pieces by Katie Roiphe and David Hockenberry published by Harper's this year, Hasan Altaf, who left the magazine last month to join The Paris Review, told The Huffington Post the staff was sidelined and dismissed as the stories were developed under publisher John MacArthur.

Roiphes piece was widely maligned as being out of touch as she decried the state of Twitter feminism, revealing in the process she understands very little about feminism in 2018. Hockenberrys piece was a sprawling 7,000 word essay exploring his attempt to find a road to redemption  after being outed as a serial sexual harasser at NPR.

Former Harpers editor James Marcus made a similar statement about the Roiphe piece in The New York Times, following his firing for taking a principled stand against the story.

In a counter statement to The Huffington Post, Giulia Melucci, Harper's vice president of communications, who contacted Roiphe to write the piece, said: Youre telling me that Hasan told you that the staff was against the story, so there you go. I cant confirm Hasans feelings. I dont know what Hasan felt. We dont run like North Korean publications, so people have different opinions here about stories, and we allow them to be free with their feelings. But we also believe in free speech, so we publish things that are controversial. Thats the statement.

The New York Review of Books found itself in similar territory just this month when it published a piece from Jian Ghomeshi, a Canadian radio broadcaster accused of sexually assaulting women. He was later acquitted of charges. The essay recounted his experience following the accusations, downplaying the experiences of his accusers.

NYRBs editor Ian Buruma found himself in the midst of controversy following the pieces publication. He gave an interview showing little regard for the accusations against Ghomeshi. Buruma was fired last week.

The unwillingness or inability to consider how pieces like these provide a platform to harassers only works to normalize the behavior. Publishing a tone-deaf piece splintered a staffs trust in its management  and reveals the lack of diverse experiences among those at the top.

With data culled from the Newsroom Employment Diversity Survey, the industry would know who is dictating what enters the news cycle and how it might pursue a future that includes people from many backgrounds. Different voices can enrich, as well as inform the editorial process through lived experience.

The ASNE statement continued: As foundations committed to furthering diversity, equity and inclusion in journalism, we stand together today to call on newsroom leaders to take seriously the work of building newsrooms that truly represent the diversity of our nation.Separate desk set up to register complaints as complainants thronged cop station.

The police said that the alleged crimes, mostly mobile phone thefts, took place when the immersion procession began.

Mumbai: The Kalachowki Police had to put in more man-hours and pump in police station staff to cater to the mob of complainants that thronged to report thefts while worshipping the Lalbaugcha Raja.

The police said that the alleged crimes, mostly mobile phone thefts, took place when the immersion procession began. Police had set up multiple complaint desks after few hundreds of the worshippers approached them with complaints.

The officials said that at least 165 complaints of phone thefts were received from those who visited the Lalbaug Ganesh pandal. The complainants stated that the phones were lost in the crowd while seeing off the Ganesha from the narrow Chivda Lane in Kalachowki area. The police have registered theft case in connection with the incidents.

We have received complaints and are probing into the incidents. The Closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage will be looked into to identify the accused, said a police officer.

The officials said that similar incidents of several thefts took place at the same pandal in 2016 in which involvement of groups from Gujarat was found. The investigators are now trying to ascertain if the same persons are involved in this case.

The police meanwhile registered 202 cases related to violation of noise pollution based on the directions of the Bombay high court. The cases were registered in the 10 days period of Ganesh festival, officials said. Most of these complaints were received on the Mumbai police helpline number.

The police had specially appealed to the people to lodge complaints via tweets or helpline number if they witness violation or noise during restricted hours.

We have registered cases based on the courts directions and the concerned police stations will investigate them further, said Manjunath Singe, deputy commissioner and Mumbai police spokesperson.by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, September 24, 2018

According to a new Pew Research Center survey, reported by Richard Wike director of global attitudes research at Pew Research Center, trade disputes have dominated relations between the worlds two biggest economies in recent weeks, as Washington and Beijing have slapped tariffs on goods from their respective countries. American attitudes toward China have become somewhat less positive over the past year, concludes the report.

Overall, 38% of Americans have a favorable opinion of China, down slightly from 44% in 2017. Attitudes toward China have fluctuated to some extent in recent years, becoming more negative during the 2012 election cycle, but more positive in 2017, before this years decline.

When asked whether they are more concerned about Chinas military or economic strength, a growing number of Americans choose the latter. Economic issues also feature prominently in the list of concerns Americans have about China.

Overall, specific concerns about China have remained stable over the past year. Worries about job losses, debt and the trade deficit are actually less common today than in 2012, when the economic mood in the U.S. was generally more negative. Over the same time period, however, Americans have become more concerned about the threat of cyber attacks from China.

There are also notable differences along partisan lines. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are especially worried about economic issues, such as debt, job losses and the trade deficit, in the U.S.-China relationship, while Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are particularly worried about the impact of Chinas growth on the global environment.

Most Americans say they are more concerned about Chinas economic strength than its military capabilities. 58% of Americans believe Chinas economic power is the greater threat, a 6-percentage point increase from 2017. The share of the public saying Chinas military power is the bigger worry has declined 7 points over the past year, says the report. Concerns about Chinas military had been on the rise in recent years, but the balance of opinion on this question now echoes that of 2012, when Pew Research Center first asked this question. Younger Americans (ages 18 to 29) are more likely than those ages 50 and older to identify Chinas economic strength as the bigger threat of the two (65% vs. 52%).

Concern of Chinas growth (% of Respondents): Year measured Economic Strength Military Strength 2016 50 37 2017 37 36 2018 58 29 Source: Pew Research Center, 2018, Global Attitude Survey

When asked about eight specific issues affecting the U.S.-China relationship, majorities of Americans rank all eight as at least a somewhat serious problem, with roughly six-in-ten citing the large amount of U.S. debt held by China and cyberattacks as very serious problems. Territorial disputes between China and its neighbors (34% very serious) and tensions between China and Taiwan (22%) generate fewer concerns than the other issues tested.

Worries about economic problems are less common now than in 2012, when these questions were originally asked. Concerns about cyberattacks have continued to increase modestly over the past six years.

There are also notable differences along partisan lines. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are especially worried about economic issues, such as debt, job losses and the trade deficit, in the U.S.-China relationship, while Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are particularly worried about the impact of Chinas growth on the global environment.

Republicans are somewhat more likely than Democrats to say economic tensions between the U.S. and China are very serious problems. The partisan gap is especially notable when discussing U.S. jobs moving overseas to China, Chinese-held American debt and the bilateral trade deficit. Only when asked about Chinas environmental impact do significantly more Democrats voice anxiety.

Republicans More Concerned About Economic Issues (% is a very serious problem for the US.) The Issue % Democrat/Lean Dem % Republican/Lean Rep Loss of jobs to China 48% 57% Large debt held by China 58 66 US Trade deficit 43 50 Cyber attacks w/China 55 60 Territorial disputes w/neighboring countries 32 33 Human rights 49 50 China/Taiwan tension 20 23 Impact on global environment 44 55 Source: Pew Research Center, Spring 2018

Since 2012, worries about economic issues in the U.S.-China relationship have diminished among both Republicans and Democrats, though a partisan gap still remains, says the report. For example, concerns about the Chinese government holding large amounts of U.S. debt, the most serious issue for both parties, has decreased 19 percentage points for Republicans and 17 points for Democrats over the past six years.by Sean Hargrave , Staff Writer, September 24, 2018

There is only one story in town this morning. It's not too surprising to hear that Comcast has won the right to be Sky's new owner for a cool GBP30bn price tag.

The American cable giant, which also owns NBC Universal and NBC, will concede it is a high price to pay, but then Sky is Europe's leading satellite broadcaster (and UK telco) which it claims will save it GBP500m a year through sharing of joint programming costs.

Ultimately, however, the interesting part in all this has very little to do with Rupert Murdoch. To get the full picture of what was going on behind the scenes The Guardian offers a glimpse in the view from the Murdoch camp, while The Times has excellent coverage from Comcast's point of view.

It had famously tried to buy Disney in 2004 and was then more recently outbid by Disney to take control of 21st Century Fox, including the company's 39% share of Sky. The Times is clear that this represents a major coup for Comcast boss, Brian Roberts, who has finally landed a deal from under Disney's nose.

According to The Guardian, the truly interesting aspect is analysts suggesting Rupert Murdoch had no part in the Fox bid for Sky. Fox's soon-to-be new owner, Disney, was apparently calling the shots on whether to trump Comcast or push the price up.

For Disney, via Fox, it was the ultimate win-win. On the one hand, it could control Europe's leading satellite broadcaster and on the other, it could ensure a rival paid top dollar for the company which it owns a 39% stake in. That shareholding is now valued at GBP12bn -- which, let's face it -- is a rather nice payday for Fox's new owner should it sell up. In fact, it is worth pointing out that the same amount of money could feasibly have bought Sky out entirely during the first half of the current decade.

Talk is already turning to whether Disney may swap its 39% stake in Sky for Comcast's 30% share in Hulu. Or maybe Disney would fund its own streaming service with the GBP12bn due from its Sky shares? It could, of course, keep them if it wanted to prove a point to Comcast. Three options, with the first two presenting very agreeable business outcomes. It's not a bad problem to have. And Comcast has the company it wanted to buy, so feasibly, everyone should be happy?

Whatever the outcome, observers need to avoid the temptation to see this as Rupert Murdoch being given a bloodied nose. He was barely involved in a process that is about him switching much of his media assets into a sizeable chunk of Disney stock.

The interesting part of the story was always the battle between old adversaries Disney and Comcast. We have yet to see the final chapter played out as Disney decides what to do with its GBP12bn Sky stake. That will be as interesting as the takeover battle itself.Particles, microbes, and chemicals bombard us every second of every day. For the first time, scientists have taken an in-depth look at the swarm of activity that follows us wherever we go.



Is the exposome the next medical frontier?

We are familiar with the genome (the sum of our genetic material) and microbiome (the totality of microbial guests that reside in us and on us).

The exposome, however, comprises the range of bacteria, chemicals, viruses, plant particles, fungi, and microscopic animals that make contact with us during our daily lives.

Scientists have not studied the exposome in much detail; its inherent complexity and the huge variability among people are just two hurdles currently facing researchers.

Recently, a team from Stanford University School of Medicine in California has made a valiant attempt to make inroads into this murky topic.

Prof. Michael Snyder, Ph.D., led the study. He explains why the exposome is exciting and why it is important, saying, Human health is influenced by two things: your DNA and the environment.

People have measured things like air pollution on a broad scale, but no one has really measured biological and chemical exposures at a personal level.

No one really knows, he says, how vast the human exposome is or what kinds of things are in there.

Aside from the fascinating insights that this type of work could produce, there is a variety of ways that it could enhance our knowledge of certain conditions and their causal factors.

For instance, if people with seasonal allergies monitor their exposome throughout the year, they could pin down exactly what they are allergic to; this could, potentially, help them avoid that particular allergen in the future.Why does desire to keep eating overpower the signal that says we are full? New research discovers that it involves a struggle between two neighboring groups of brain cells in which the brains opioid system also has a role. Share on Pinterest Why do we continue to eat when we are already full? It also found that the drug naloxone, by blocking the opioid system, halted overeating. The study, which features in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was carried out on mice, but the scientists believe that the findings will help us better understand similar mechanisms in humans. Our work, explains senior study author Prof. Huda Akil, a neuroscientist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute in Ann Arbor, shows that the signals of satiety  of having had enough food  are not powerful enough to work against the strong drive to eat, which has strong evolutionary value. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of developing several long-lasting conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, as well as cancer. Carrying too much weight is a worldwide public health problem, affecting low- and middle-income countries as well as high-income ones. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates from 2016 suggest that 39 percent of adults globally are overweight and 13 percent are obese.

Need to understand brain mechanisms The pressure to better understand drivers of obesity  such as the brains role in regulating eating  has never been greater. Among these, note the study authors, are the mechanisms that modulate both the initiation and the cessation of feeding. Prof. Akil and her colleagues focused on two small groups of adjacent nerve cells, or neurons, in the hypothalamus, which is a small brain region that is involved in several functions, such as the control of motivated behaviors. The two cell groups are called pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP) cells. They reside in a region of the hypothalamus known as the arcuate nucleus (Arc). Scientists already knew that the two groups and the Arc were somehow involved in the control of feeding. Indeed, in previous work, some of the team had already revealed that on receipt of certain signals, POMC neurons act like a brake on eating and AgRP neurons act like the gas pedal  especially when a lot of time has elapsed since the last feed.

Applying the gas and brake pedals together What remained unclear, however, was how these two groups interacted. A tool called optogenetics helped the investigators map the mechanisms signals by using laser light to activate and deactivate selected cells in mice that were overeating. They revealed that when they activated POMC cells, this also activated nearby AgRP cells. This meant that the gas pedal and the brake on feeding were engaged at the same time, and the result was that the gas pedal won. When both are stimulated at once, AgRP steals the show, Prof. Akil explains. With a different optogenetic method, the scientists saw that they could trigger POMC cells without activating nearby AgRP cells. This led to a rapid and significant decrease in the mices eating. Using a visualization tool, they also made detailed maps of the pathways involved. They produced a 3-D map of pathways that begin in POMC and AgRP. Once active, these signaling routes trigger either the feeling of fullness or an urge to eat. In further tests, the investigators explored the signals that are downstream of POMC and AgRP cell activation, revealing that their influence extends widely in the brain, encompassing even regions in the cortex that control perception, memory, and attention.Today, 19 September, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Markos Bolaris, received US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt within the context of a courtesy meeting.

Talks revolved around current issues of mutual interest to Greece and the US, and emphasised the positive momentum of bilateral relations, the consensus on a series of issues related to the Church, and the prospects for further strengthening the cooperation of the two countries in the fields of politics and commerce.

The US Ambassador expressed the interest on the part of the US for high-level strategic dialogue to continue, emphasised the success of this year's Thessaloniki International Fair with the US as its honoured guest country, and expressed the readiness of the Embassy and the US Consulate in Thessaloniki to respond to proposals for collaboration with the MFA and the regional Authorities of Northern Greece in the areas of religious and cultural diplomacy, stressing Greece's key role in intercultural and interfaith dialogue.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of communicating the positive messages resulting from the cooperation between Greece and the US to the business community and the general public, as was the case with the Thessaloniki International Fair, which was a great success. He also broached issues of special Greek interest which are interwoven with Greek history and culture, the Orthodox Church, Democracy, and Greek culture historically, such as the reopening of the Theological School of Halki, the security risks in the Sinai Peninsula, and the importance of protecting Saint Catherines Monastery and the internationally recognised unique nature of Mount Athos.Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Terens Quick, received today Stephane Dion, Canadian Ambassador to Germany, Special Envoy of his country to the European Union, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs during the first year of Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus term.



The main pillars of the very positive bilateral relations between Greece and Canada, including the strong presence of the Greek Community which Mr. Dion characterized as valuable to Canada throughout the country, and the common concern of both countries related to the increasing far-right trend in the bowels of the European Union centred mainly around issues of immigration, were discussed.



They also touched upon climate change. Mr. Dion, who has presided over the United Nations 11th Conference on this issue, expressed his condolences with regard to the national tragedy at Mati, making the reminder that Canada, with its own expertise on issues of wildfires, is prepared to provide any assistance to Greece.



Mr. Stephane Dion is visiting Greece for the first time, having been invited as a speaker at the Forum on Democracy which is being held in Athens, an initiative of the New York Times. The President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, opened the Forum's proceedings.Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Terens Quick today received the President of the Aristotle - Cultural Bridge Bulgarian-Greek Society, Mr. Ioannis Liolios, at his office.



The Association is headquartered in Sofia, with distinguished Greeks and Bulgarians from the fields of science, the arts, diplomacy, academia, and Greek business in Bulgaria as its founding members, as is mentioned in a relevant letter addressed to the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad.



Mr. Liolios outlined his thoughts to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs on uniting Greek organizations under one umbrella, one Federation.



For the first time in the history of the Greek community in Bulgaria, a joint gathering will be held in Sofia, on Saturday, 29 September, by the following groups: the Greeks of the Black Sea with a rich history since the 4th Century BC, with Sozopol as their centre, the Greeks who were displaced to Bulgaria after the civil war, the Sarakatsani Associations, the Greeks that have established a presence in Bulgaria over the past 20-30 years with significant business activity, who exceed 1,000 in number, and the Associations which deal with Culture, the Greek language etc.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs assured his interlocutor that these collective efforts and actions will enjoy the full support of the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and that, as a first step in planning for 2019, an invitation will be included for children of the Greek community there, as well as pensioners, to have a summer holiday in Greece, with educational Programs, within the framework of the new Programs of the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad for elderly Greeks abroad.Contestants beat hundreds of others from across India to land a place among the 20 finalists.

(From Left to Right: Aditi Nanavaty, Karan Parmar and Ekta Sachdeva) PETA India will ultimately crown two winners  one man and one woman.

Mumbai: As People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India's 2018 Cutest Vegetarian Next Door contest heats up, Ekta Sachdeva, Aditi Nanavaty, and Karan Parmar of Mumbai are in the running to take home the title.

They've beaten out hundreds of other contestants from across India to land a place among the 20 finalists.

PETA India will ultimately crown two winners  one man and one woman  and members of the public can help the group choose by voting for their favourite finalists on its website.

"On average, vegetarians are slimmer and healthier than meat-eaters are  and over their lifetime, they spare many animals the horrors of factory farms, slaughterhouses, and fishing nets," says PETA India CEO Dr Manilal Valliyate, adding, "One look at our radiant finalists confirms that there's nothing more attractive than compassion.

"I don't wear leather, mink, or mohair or any fabric that's made from animal skin," says Sachdeva, adding, "I have been a vegetarian for over six years, and I never want to harm animals."

"I've been vegan since January 2017," says Nanavaty. "Giving up the use of silk, leather, and wool and buying cruelty-free products was easy, but giving up dairy wasn't until I watched a whole bunch of PETA videos as well as documentaries like Cowspiracy and What the Health. I started an Instagram account, @adiventurousvegan, to showcase how easy and amazing it is to be vegan in India and abroad. My aim is to show everyone that we have the power to choose consciously every single day and that every choice affects another being's life, she further adds.

"I turned vegan after discovering the dairy industry's cruelty to animals and impact on the environment through documentaries like Earthlings, Cowspiracy, and Forks Over Knives," says Parmar. "Being vegan makes me feel fresh, healthy, energetic, and content."

In addition to causing animals to suffer on a massive scale, eating meat has been conclusively linked to an increased risk of suffering from heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Also, a United Nations report concluded that factory farming is one of the biggest contributors to the most serious environmental problems at every level  from local to global.

Voting will be open to the public until 29 September, and the winners will be announced on 3 October.While India alleged that it only now saw Imran Khans real face, he retorted with the barb that small men occupying big offices lacked vision.

Imran Khan became Prime Minister of Pakistan with the slogan of Naya Pakistan, or New Pakistan. In India, his victory was seen as enabled by the blessings of the Pakistan Army. Only the naive believed that there would be anything naya about his India policy in the short run. But the Narendra Modi government inexplicably gambled otherwise, leading to another flip-flop and a regression in relations. While India alleged that it only now saw Imran Khans real face, he retorted with the barb that small men occupying big offices lacked vision.

What has led to this new impasse? With Central rule imposed on Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Satyapal Malik appointed as the new governor, and an apparent free run given to the security forces; and the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party boycotting in advance the planned local elections, the environment was hardly propitious for an India-Pakistan engagement. In September, when the UN General Assembly convenes for its annual high-level segment, Pakistan invariably ratchets up tension across the Line of Control by ceasefire violations, atrocities against the Indian security forces or by encouraging militancy and infiltration. Thus the announcement by the external affairs ministry spokesman on September 20  that the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, representing their nations this year in lieu of the Prime Ministers, would meet on the sidelines of the UNGA  was surprising. Some, including this columnist, welcomed the move as the zero tolerance of terror policy was unrealistic and cornered India into perennial hostility. Even the United States has not been able to wean Pakistan away from a similar demand by them on Pakistans western (Afghanistan) front. India should definitely react when a terror attack is of the magnitude and planning that betrays the Pakistani agencies hand. But attacks by lone wolves cannot be allowed to scupper bilateral relations, as otherwise each and every single jihadi gets a veto on India-Pakistan relations.

The decision to meet was taken on receipt of Prime Minister Imran Khans reply to Prime Minister Narendra Modis congratulatory message, in which the former accepted the Indian suggestion for constructive engagement and proposed the ministerial meeting. The letter, dated September 14, should normally have reached Mr Modi the same day or the following day. Which means the Indian government mulled over it for a few days before announcing its acceptance on September 20. Meanwhile, Pakistans Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa was in Beijing on a three-day visit that ended on September 19. He would no doubt have been kept informed by the Imran Khan government. In China, he got a reception befitting a high political emissary, including a call on President Xi Jinping. Mutual vows of perennial alliance were exchanged as Gen. Bajwa allayed Chinese fears that the Imran Khan government, like the new Malaysian government headed by Mahathir Mohamed, may restrict the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Gen. Bajwa had earlier shrewdly collared Punjab minister Navtej Singh Sidhu, visiting Pakistan as a special invitee of PM-elect Imran Khan, and resurrected the corridor to Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak had stayed and proselytised for the last two decades of his earthly journey. On the right bank of the river Ravi, Kartarpur is near the international border and on a clear day the Gurdwara Sahib is visible from India. Why Sir Cyril Radcliffe left it in Pakistan, when in that region the border follows the river, escapes explanation as for Sikhs its significance equals if not exceeds other Sikh takhts. Gen. Bajwa calculated that with Guru Nanaks 550th birth anniversary next year, it would please Sikhs and have them lobby with New Delhi to engage Pakistan. But Delhis red lines seek Pakistani action first against past terror perpetrators and implementation of President Pervez Musharrafs 2004 public commitment on preventing the use of Pakistani territory for aiding and abetting terror. The Indian agencies had already been alleging an ISI hand in supporting #Referendum 2020, an Internet-based vote on Khalistan.

Thus, while Imran Khan extended the hand of friendship, the Pakistan Army set forth to undermine the zero toerance terror doctrine of the Modi government. The killing of kidnapped soldiers and policemen by terrorists had been episodically occurring in the Kashmir Valley. The BSF, completely unmindful of these disparate but interrelated events, dispatched a party beyond the international border fencing, but in Indian territory, to cut elephant grass which obstructs its line of sight. Was the BSF alerted by the Intelligence Bureau or R&AW about the Pakistan Armys proclivity to undermine peace efforts or simply put pressure on India before it sat down for what South Block called a chat, and not resumption of dialogue? Did national security adviser Ajit Doval convene a meeting to assess likely rogue actions by the Pakistan Army as India prepared to re-engage Pakistan? These are questions which in mature democracies the Opposition and the media get the government to answer.

The Indian pirouette and rude remarks about Imran Khan were due to, as the MEA spokesman dourly argued, that mornings kidnapping and killing of policemen in the Valley and stamps issued to commemorate militants, including Burhan Wani. The killings were not a new development. BSF head constable Narender Singh had already been killed and his body mutilated on September 18, and the stamps had been issued before Imran Khan took over. The unseemly flip-flop seemed more engendered by the social media and political uproar amongst Modi bhakts, core jingoistic supporters and even ordinary Indians looking for a reasoned explanation.

Consequently, hasty decision-making and reliance on a small coterie of doting adviers have ensured that Imran Khan, a possible factor of goodwill and change, has been alienated. Wagons were quickly circled to ensure that the blame, if any, is passed to South Block and did not linger at the PMs doorstep. But the world and the UN will be the losers as the two countries ministers now prepare for a public spectacle in New York, of vituperative and ugly mutual finger-pointing.Known as MINERVA-II1, the rovers are collectively world's first mobile exploration robot to land on the surface of an asteroid.

JAXA, in a statement, claimed that a kilometer-wide diamond-shaped space rock is rich in water and organic materials. (Photo: ANI)

Japanese space agency JAXA has claimed that it created history on Saturday by successfully landing two unmanned rovers on an asteroid.

After the rovers separated from the Hayabusa2 spacecraft and landed on the asteroid Ryugu, JAXA, in a statement, said that the two rovers are in good condition and are transmitting images and data, CNN reported.

Known as MINERVA-II1, the rovers are collectively world's first mobile exploration robot to land on the surface of an asteroid.

Expressing his joy over the success of the project, Takashi Kubota, a spokesman for the space agency, said that he felt awed by the achievement and that it is a real charm of deep space exploration.

Asteroids are believed to have rich information about the formation of the solar system billions of years ago.

JAXA, in a statement, claimed that a kilometer-wide diamond-shaped space rock is rich in water and organic materials that would allow scientists to clarify interactions between the building blocks of Earth and the evolution of its oceans and life, thereby developing solar system science.

The rovers are fitted with seven cameras and will take stereo images of the asteroid's surface and are also equipped with temperature gauges, optical sensors, an accelerometer and a set of gyroscopes.

(Source)TVs today need to reproduce picture and sound in a movie, exactly the way the director created them.

When creative geniuses make a masterpiece movie or a documentary, they pay attention to detail, from the roaring sound of the volcano, to the colour combo of brown and red of the lava... to the sound of the lava, perfectly mastered to make you imagine it's flowing into your own living room. These may impress on the big screen -- but a lot of the detail gets lost when seen on a television set, which today is the final frontier, to broadcast cinematic content. But small screen viewers have become more demanding and TV manufacturers are having to take a picture and sound fidelity seriously. Just claiming 4K resolution is not enough.

The recently launched Sony Bravia A9F OLED TV addresses this challenge with technology. The TV features Sony's X1 Ultimate 4K HDR processor which detects each tiny element in an image, analyzes it in real-time to provide detail and accurate colour. To put it in dummies terms, instead of processing the image of a bunch of grapes for colour, the X1 Ultimate processes each grape in the bunch separately, for sharper detail.

On the sound front, the A9F supplements the conventional sound system with an additional actuator right behind the middle of the screen. In total, the TV pumps out audio from 3 actuators and 2 sub-woofers, to create an immersive viewing experience. They call it the Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology.

When you are watching the 9 o'clock new channels with half a dozen people shouting simultaneously, all this up-scaling may seem wasted. But if your viewing choice includes that rare combo of great audiovisual content, that Oscar-quality movie, the roar of the lion as it seems to jump out of the screen, will come straight from the jaws and not some obscure corner of your TV!

The A9F offers the TV version of Android 8.0 Oreo OS, with hands-free voice search. You can also get into Netflix with a single button. The 55-inch Sony Bravia A9F is priced at Rs 3,99,990 while the 65 -inch variant comes at Rs 5,59,990, and they are early premium products for the upcoming festive season.

--IndiaTechOnline

(Source)Richard Liu, the founder of Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com Inc, was arrested on suspicion of rape, according to a report.

Liu was released without being charged and has denied any wrongdoing through a lawyer. (Photo :AP)

Minneapolis/New York: With the Chinese billionaire Richard Liu at her Minneapolis area apartment, a 21-year-old University of Minnesota student sent a WeChat message to a friend in the middle of the night. She wrote that Liu had forced her to have sex with him.

"I was not willing," she wrote in Chinese on the messaging application around 2 am on August 31. "Tomorrow I will think of a way to escape," she wrote, as she begged the friend not to call police.

"He will suppress it," she wrote, referring to Liu. "You underestimate his power."

This WeChat exchange and another one reviewed by Reuters have not been previously reported. One of the woman's lawyers, Wil Florin, verified that the text messages came from her.

Liu, the founder of Chinese ecommerce giant JD.com Inc, was arrested later that day on suspicion of rape, according to a police report. He was released without being charged and has denied any wrongdoing through a lawyer. He has since returned to China and has pledged to cooperate with Minneapolis police.

Jill Brisbois, a lawyer for Liu, said he maintains his innocence and has cooperated fully with the investigation.

"These allegations are inconsistent with evidence that we hope will be disclosed to the public once the case is closed," Brisbois wrote in an email response to detailed questions from Reuters.

Loretta Chao, a spokeswoman for JD.com, said that when more information becomes available, "it will become apparent that the information in this note doesn't tell the full story." She was responding to detailed questions from Reuters laying out the allegations in the woman's WeChat messages and other findings.

Florin Roebig and Hang & Associates, the law firms representing the woman, said in an email that their client had "fully cooperated" with police and was also prepared to assist prosecutors. Florin, asked if his client planned to file a civil suit against Liu, said, "Our legal intentions with regard to Liu and others will be revealed at the appropriate time."

Representatives for both Liu and the student declined requests from Reuters to interview their clients.

The police department has turned over the findings of its initial investigation into the matter to local prosecutors for a decision on whether to bring charges against Liu. There is no deadline for making that decision, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.

The Minneapolis police and the county attorney declined to comment on detailed questions from Reuters.

Reuters has not been able to determine the identity of the woman, which has not been made public. But her WeChat messages to two friends, and interviews with half a dozen people with knowledge of the events that unfolded over a two-day period provide new information about the interactions between Liu and the woman, a student from China attending the University.

The case has drawn intense scrutiny globally and in China, where the tycoon, also known as Liu Qiangdong, is celebrated for his rags-to-riches story. Liu, 45, is married to Zhang Zetian, described by Chinese media as 24-years old, who has become a celebrity in China and works to promote JD.com.

As the second-largest ecommerce website in the country after Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, the company has attracted investors such as Walmart Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google and China's Tencent Holdings.

Liu holds nearly 80 per cent of the voting rights in JD.com. Shares in the company have fallen about 15 per cent since Liu's arrest and are down about 36 per cent for the year.

"It was a trap"

Liu was in Minneapolis briefly to attend a business doctoral program run jointly by the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and China's elite Tsinghua University, according to the University of Minnesota. The doctoral program is "directed at high-level executives" from China.

Liu threw a dinner party on August 30 for about two dozen people, including around 20 men, at Origami Uptown, a Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis where wine, sake and beer flowed freely, according to restaurant staff and closed circuit video footage reviewed by Reuters.

Liu, who Forbes estimates is worth about USD 6.7 billion, ordered sashimi by pointing his finger at the first item on the menu and sweeping it all the way down to indicate he wanted everything, one restaurant employee said. The group brought in at least one case of wine from an outside liquor store to drink along with the dinner, according to the restaurant staff.

Security video footage from the restaurant shows the group toasted each other throughout the night.

Later the woman told a second friend in one of the messages that she felt pressured to drink that evening.

"It was a trap," she wrote, later adding "I was really drunk."

The party ended around 9:30 pm; the tab: USD 2,200, the receipt shows. One inebriated guest was helped out of the restaurant by three of his associates, according to the restaurant security video footage.

Liu and the woman then headed to a house in Minneapolis, according to one person familiar with the matter. Another source said that the house had been rented by one of Liu's classmates in the academic program to give the class a place to network, smoke, drink whiskey and have Chinese food every night.

But they did not go in. Liu and the student were seen outside the house before Liu pulled her into his hired car, a person with knowledge of the incident said.

In the WeChat message to one of her friends sent hours later, the student said Liu "started to touch me in the car."

"Then I begged him not to... but he did not listen," she wrote.

They ended up back at her apartment, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

Reuters could not determine what happened over the next two hours. According to the police report, the alleged rape occurred at around 1 am.

The woman subsequently reached a fellow University of Minnesota student who notified the police, according to two sources and her WeChat messages.

Minneapolis police came to her apartment early that morning while Liu was there, but made no arrests, another source familiar with the situation said. Reuters could not determine exactly what occurred during the police visit, but the source said the woman declined to press charges in Liu's presence.

In a WeChat message with one of her friends, she asked her friend why the billionaire would be interested in "an ordinary girl" like her.

"If it was just me, I could commit suicide immediately," she wrote. "But I'm afraid that my parents will suffer."

By Friday morning, she also wrote to one of her two friends that she had told several people about what had happened, including the police, a few friends and at least one teacher. She wrote that she would keep her bed sheets. "Evidence cannot be thrown away," she wrote.

On Friday afternoon, the student went to a hospital to have a sexual assault forensic test, the source said.

Police officers arrived at a University of Minnesota office shortly after an emergency call around 9 pm that night. The student was present at the office, alongside school representatives, and accused Liu of rape, the source said.

Representatives for the University of Minnesota declined to comment on detailed questions from Reuters.

Liu came to the university office around 11 pm while police were there, according to the person familiar with the matter. As an officer handcuffed him, Liu showed no emotion. "I need an interpreter," he said, according to the source.

Liu was released about 17 hours later. Minneapolis police have said previously that they can only hold a person without charges for 36 hours.

Within days, Liu was back in China, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.

"Liu has returned to work in Beijing and he continues to lead the company. There is no interruption to JD.com's day-to-day business operations," Loretta Chao, the JD.com spokeswoman, told Reuters.by Bernardo Cervellera

For the optimists the provisional agreement is "historic"; for the pessimists it is the beginning of the total sell out of the Church to the Party. The Pope is involved in naming bishops. But we know nothing of a right of veto. The lifting of excommunications is good, but the faithful expect a public request for forgiveness. China has not asked for a break with Taiwan as a prior condition. Praise for Lithuanian martyrs, amid silence on the Chinese ones.

Rome (AsiaNews) - Two days after what so many have called a "historic agreement" between China and the Holy See on the appointment of bishops, attempts to understand and evaluate its scope continue. The sober announcement of the Vatican Press Office - while all the journalists were busy elsewhere, on Pope Francis' journey to Lithuania - was greeted with a mix of optimism and dark pessimism.

Among the optimists, the adjective "historic" abounded, forgetting that the agreement has been labelled "provisional", subject to "periodic evaluations", and that the Holy See Press Office director spoke of the "beginning" of "a process" and not of its "end".

For the pessimists, it is "the beginning" of a total sell out of the Chinese Church to the State which, as is already the case, will do what it wants, that is, transform it into a Party instrument. They also point out the silent suffering that Catholics official and unofficial have had to bear for almost 70 years.

We have already stated on many prior occasions that we at AsiaNews are neither optimists nor pessimists, but realists. What this realism does, is allow us to see the positive and the negative present in this fragile and "provisional" agreement.

The Pope and naming bishops

The agreement contains a novelty: in some way  which we are not a part to, because the text of the agreement has not been made public, nor will it ever be - the Holy See will be involved in the naming of bishops. This, at least on paper, means the end of the "independent" Church, greatly heralded in all these years, and the recognition that the bond with the Pope is also necessary for a Chinese bishop to exercise his ministry. According to the agreement it will no longer be possible to appoint and ordain a bishop without papal mandate, even if the government, or the patriotic association, or the council of bishops can propose their candidate. This is the optimistic part.

But there is also a pessimistic side: what will happen if the candidate proposed by China is rejected by the Pope? Until now there was talk of a temporary power of veto of the pontiff: the Pope would be able to give the reasons for his refusal within three months, but if the government found the papal motivations inconsistent, it would continue with the appointment and the ordination the chosen candidate. Not having the text of the agreement, we do not know if this clause has been maintained, if indeed the pontiff will have the last word on the appointments and ordinations, or if instead his authority is only formally recognized.

A canonist friend of mine is "certain" that the Pope will have a permanent power over the final word on candidates "because the Church cannot do otherwise". In any case, this is one of the points that - in the absence of the text on the agreement - we will have to verify in the coming months, with the possible appointments and ordinations that have been stalled for years.

The lifting of excommunications

Another positive element is the lifting of the excommunication from seven bishops, ordained without papal mandate between 2000 and 2012. It is a positive fact because at least in principle it will help Chinese Catholics towards greater unity. These excommunicated bishops were used by the Patriotic Association to divide the Church, with police forcing them to preside over ceremonies and episcopal ordinations. It must also be said that many of them have made a journey of repentance and have been asking for years to be reconciled with Rome. The lifting of excommunication is not part of the "package" of the agreement, but it is an internal gesture within the Church, although - perhaps with a somewhat naive attempt at political strategy - the announcement of reconciliation was announced on the same day as the news of the agreement.

But among the Chinese faithful - part of that "holy faithful people of God" whom the Pope asks us to listen to - there is disillusionment and sadness because some of these reconciled bishops are known to have lovers and children and to be "collaborators". Many others wonder if the reconciled bishops will express a public request for forgiveness before the people they have scandalized with their "independent" action. In fact Card. Pietro Parolin, in his commentary on the agreement, called for "concrete actions that help overcome the misunderstandings of the past, even of the recent past".

A "pastoral" and "non-political" agreement

Another positive element of the agreement is its "pastoral" and "non-political" character. And indeed the agreement was signed without China demanding the breaking of diplomatic relations with Taiwan as a precondition. For decades and even in the last years of dialogue at the time of Pope Francis, China's refrain was that if the Vatican wanted to improve relations with Beijing, it would first have to interrupt relations with Taiwan and not meddle in China's internal affairs. With the "pastoral" agreement these two conditions are skipped: the Vatican is introduced into the bishops' appointments and there is no break with Taiwan, with much appreciation of the island's foreign ministry and the ambassador to the Holy See .

The unspoken persecution

However, there is another element that is overwhelmingly negative: neither in the news of the agreement nor in its explanations is there even the slightest reference to the persecution that Catholics and all Christians are sustaining in present times.

As our news agency has borne witness to many times on recent occasions, in the name of "sinicization", crosses are burned and destroyed, churches demolished, faithful arrested and young people under 18 years banned from worship and religious education in China.

In addition there are bishops and priests who have disappeared in police custody; bishops under house arrest; unofficial bishops considered as criminals; checks of all kinds in community life. Added to all of this is the persecutions to which other religious communities are subject (Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, ...), which show the negative view that China has of religions, and its plan to assimilate or destroy them.

This makes the provisional agreement look like a strange result, a little unexpected and temporary, without a future, because it casts a shadow of suspicion on the interlocutor with whom the Holy See has decided to dialogue. Comments from China express satisfaction with the agreement, but also sadness because the Chinese do not trust their political authorities.

In this regard, months ago in an interview, Pope Francis said that "dialogue is a risk, but I prefer the uncertain risk to the defeat of not talking". It is therefore better to start a dialogue with an unreliable interlocutor, than to remain still. From this point of view, the agreement, even if temporary, is certainly a new page.

The Lithuanian and Chinese martyrs

The fact of silence on persecution remains. In all these years the Holy See has been silent about any persecutions: the killing of priests; the destroyed churches; the arrested bishops ... This gave many the impression that the dialogue was more "political" than "pastoral". Just yesterday Pope Francis, in Vilnius, recalling the victims of the Nazi and communist genocide, expressed a prayer in which he asks the Lord that we do not become "deaf to the cry of all those who today continue to raise their voices in heaven". And that's exactly what Chinese Catholics are asking for.

I wondered why the Holy See wanted to communicate the signing of the agreement just as Pope Francis in Vilnius remembered the great witness of Lithuanian Catholics under Communism, their resistance and faith under torture, their being the seed of a freer and more welcoming society. Even then the Catholics discussed and were divided between denunciation and resistance and the Vatican Ostpolitik. If you look at the agreement only as a bad thing, then the memory of the Lithuanian martyrs could give rise to an interpretation of the "two weights and two measures" that diplomacy often implements and the celebration of the martyrs in Vilnius would be a mockery of the suffering of Chinese Christians.

But if in the agreement, although provisional, we can see even a glimmer of positivity, then the Lithuanian celebrations are a sign of hope: communism, "the delirium of omnipotence of those who claimed to control everything", did not win. And this also gives us hope for China.REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- One soldier is proving childhood dreams can come true as she prepares to launch into space for her first time.

Army Astronaut Lt. Col. Anne C. McClain, and her crewmates, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency and Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos, are scheduled to launch Dec. 20 aboard the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a six-month rotation on the International Space Station.

"When you look over the history of human space flight during the past 50 years, it is a relatively short time," McClain said. "Every vehicle that has been built and every flight that has been taken is an accomplishment in and of itself. We have been flying to the space station for about 18 years and the thing we are always doing at all of our agencies is [asking], 'What's next? What is the next step we can take where mankind has never been before?' For us, that is deep space.

"At the crew level we are fortunate," she continued. "We have been training together more than a year for this flight. It is actually very easy to forget we are from three different countries and three different places because we are doing the same things together every day. We have the same concerns and the same issues in dealing with our families and we just connect as human beings."

'We Are All In It Together'

"At the end of the day, the Earth is a small place and we are all in it together, McClain said. "The decisions we make affect one another. From our perspectives, rather than taking politics and letting them inform our friendships, we actually take our friendships and let them inform our view of how politics should be and how our world could be.

"The peaceful exploration of space is absolutely a unifying aspect," she added. "Working with this crew is an incredible opportunity, but it is also an example of what humans can do when we put aside our differences and really focus on what motivates us."

McClain is a native of Spokane, Washington, and earned her undergraduate degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. Additionally, she earned two master's degrees while studying in England. She was a member of the USA Rugby Women's National Team and said her experiences have played an integral role in helping her work with the international members of her NASA team.

"We are not just going to the International Space Station to visit, we are going there to live. It will be our home, and we are going to adapt to it," McClain said. "When I go to Russia, it is absolutely a second home for me right now. I always tell people it is amazing the perspective you get when you get out of your comfort zone long enough to make it your comfort zone.

"It is amazing to see how people on the other side of the world approach the exact same problems yet come up with different solutions," she added. "Getting comfortable in another culture really helps you understand perspectives and that we are not that different from one another."

'Humbling' Experience

As a soldier, McClain earned her wings as an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout/attack helicopter pilot. She has more than 2,000 flight hours and served at every level of Army aviation units at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, and at Fort Rucker, Alabama; as well as in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"The Army has given me everything I have as an adult," she said. "It gave me my undergraduate college education and two master's degrees. It gave me flight school and test pilot school. But I think, most importantly, the Army gave me really humbling, selfless leadership experience."

"I went into the Army probably a little overconfident in some of my abilities, and I came out very humbled and very in awe of the people I serve with and with a recognition that I could never accomplish remotely what others can when given the right tools," McClain said. "My biggest role as a leader or as a member of the team is to enable other people around me to perform at their optimal best."

"I try to be the leader who synergizes the team and tries to recognize barriers to the team around me and knock those barriers down," she continued. "Our soldiers in our military are some of the most innovative, smart, dedicated, selfless people who I have ever worked with in my life. I am humbled every day just to be in their ranks. I learned from them to trust the people around me.

"Here at NASA our lives depend on each other every day," McClain added. "I was in a vacuum chamber last week that can be a real threat to your body. These guys put on my gloves and pants while doing a leak check to make sure everything was good. My life was in their hands last week and it will be again in the future. I learned to have that trust in the Army."

Selection, Training

In 2013, McClain attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School where she was selected as one of eight members of NASA's 21st astronaut class. Her astronaut candidate training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in ISS systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training and water and wilderness survival training. She completed astronaut training in 2015.

"If you do the thing everybody else does, you are going to get what everybody else does," McClain said. "If you want to do something amazing and something great, you need to start being different today and stay dedicated to that. There is nothing you are doing that is not important so you must excel in everything you do."

During the upcoming mission, McClain and her team will facilitate about 250 research investigations and technology demonstrations. She explained that science experiments conducted in space yield benefits and technology advancements for all humanity and looks forward to achieving more scientific progress.

"The benefit of science experiments in micro-gravity and low-earth orbit are too numerous to just leave and move onto the next thing," McClain said. "I am overwhelmed at the quantity of tasks we have, in a good way. One of the really neat things about going to the space station for six months is that we don't specialize."

"One of the things I really like is getting into academic areas I had no experience with before," she continued. "I am an aerospace engineer by training and I was a test pilot in the Army. One of my favorite things now is biology and learning about the human body. To me this is really fascinating, and I could have had a totally different career and loved it also.

"What I am most excited about is space walks. We have some 'penciled in' for our mission," McClain added. "It is what I dreamed of when I was a little 5-year-old girl and it is pretty neat to think that maybe in the next six months it could be happening."A former staff sergeant who used his position as a Toys for Tots program coordinator to make payments to himself and who defrauded the Marine Corps to the tune of more than half a million dollars will serve 33 months in prison, the Department of Justice announced this month.

Christopher Aragon, 32, of Mobile, Alabama, will also have to pay restitution of $534,044.08 to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and another $20,044.70 to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, according to a Sept. 21 DOJ release. After his prison sentence, Aragon must undergo three years of supervised release, receive court-ordered mental health treatment, and undergo credit restrictions, according to the release. He'll also lose a residence "traceable to criminal proceeds," officials said.

Aragon, who served as a supply chief for 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company, a Marine Corps Reserve unit in Mobile, was also in charge of coordinating the unit's Toys for Tots program. It's not clear from releases when Aragon was discharged from the Marine Corps.

Toys for Tots is a program managed by the Marine Corps Reserve that collects and distributes toys to needy children for Christmas.

Between December 2013 and December 2014, according to the release, Aragon and his wife, Teneshia Aragon, conspired to defraud the program by using an issued credit card to make unauthorized payments to himself. He also forged documents, including invoices, and submitted them to the Toys for Tots foundation. Ultimately, he bilked the charity program for about $23,044.70, officials said. The couple has paid back only $3,000 to date.

For an overlapping period, between October 2014 and August 2016, Aragon also conspired to defraud the Marine Corps as a whole out of a much larger sum of money. According to the Department of Justice, he teamed up with his wife and Dana Davis, the owner of a Mobile restaurant called the Runway Cafe, to commit credit card fraud. Using his unit-issued travel card, he used his position as authorizing official to approve fake charges from the cafe.

But, according to the release, his greed ended up getting him caught.

"[Aragon] prepared false documents, such as invoices and personnel rosters, and submitted them to the Marine Corps, which later conducted an audit and noticed excessive discrepancies in food expenditures," it states. "For example, the Marine Corps noticed that, one, many Runway Cafe invoices did not match official 3d Force Recon activities and, therefore, did not support a legitimate need for food services [and, two], Runway Cafe's invoices were for more meals than could be consumed by the number of Marines assigned to 3d Force Recon."

Aragon's total haul from the Marine Corps added up to $554,044.08, of which Runway Cafe has refunded only $20,000.

Investigators found personnel rosters submitted for reimbursement contained made-up names of 3rd Force Recon Marines, and unauthorized service fees were tacked on to invoices.

An investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Defense Criminal Investigative Service ultimately resulted in Aragon's prosecution.

He was charged in March, along with his wife, with two counts of conspiracy for seeking to defraud the Marine Corps and Toys for Tots. The couple and Davis pleaded guilty in May.

Davis and Teneshia Aragon have already received sentences. According to a release, Davis received six months in prison in August and was ordered to make full restitution. Teneshia Aragon was sentenced earlier this month to five years of probation, the first six months of which will be spent on house arrest. She was also ordered to make full restitution.

Aragon received the steepest sentence by far for his role in the wrongdoing.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.The U.S. Air Force is holding steady in its refueling mission over the Horn of Africa, including refueling Saudi coalition aircraft striking Houthi targets in Yemen, as lawmakers once again prepare to debate a resolution to halt U.S. aerial assistance for those strikes.

As of Aug. 31, Air Force tankers had conducted 2,919 sorties and offloaded 92.3 million pounds of fuel to coalition fighters in the area of operations since the onset of the Yemen crisis in 2015, according to recent statistics provided to Military.com.

KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-10 Extenders have participated in 12,102 refueling operations, or what officials describe as "refueling events," since April 2015, U.S. Central Command officials said.

According to the previous update provided by Air Forces Central Command spokeswoman Capt. AnnMarie Annicelli in March, the service had conducted more than 2,800 refueling operations over the Horn of Africa as of Jan. 1, 2018, offloading "88 million pounds of fuel in support of U.S. missions and Saudi and Emirate operations against threats throughout the Horn of Africa, to include Yemen."

Refueling events were not provided to Military.com at the time.

From the start of the conflict in April 2015 until October 2017, Air Force tankers participated in 2,363 sorties in the Horn of Africa region, with more than 10,400 refueling events, offloading nearly 80 million pounds of fuel.

The latest data "provided does not break down the origin of the individual receivers," Army Maj. Josh Jacques, a CENTCOM spokesman, said in a statement earlier this month.

Related content:

Prior to last year, AFCENT, the subordinate, major command to CENTCOM that for years provided statistics to this Military.com, routinely produced the refueling statistics and said the data were specific to jets refueling for operations in Yemen. But last fall, officials said they had erred in the way they previously provided statistics because they had no way of tracking refueling missions specific to Yemen or to individual jets and aircraft receiving fuel.

Refueling numbers are tracked by the command but, unlike statistics on strikes and sorties against the Islamic State and the Taliban, aren't publicly released via the command's airpower summary factsheets.

However, the liaison program between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia that keeps U.S. intelligence personnel embedded with the Royal Saudi Air Force is ongoing, Jacques said.

"We deployed liaisons to Saudi Arabia in part to share best practices with the Royal Saudi Air Force [RSAF] and advise them on how to avoid civilian casualties," he said. "Consistent with U.S. law, existing agreements and regulations, the liaisons also can respond to RSAF requests for information about threats to Saudi border security and associated threat networks."

Jacques stressed, "Liaisons advise on best practices for aerial targeting processes. But liaisons are not involved in the specific selection of targets or prioritizing and matching responses for combat missions."

Whether the U.S. should be so intimately involved in Yemen has received more attention under the Trump administration, especially in recent weeks following a Saudi-led airstrike that mistakenly hit a bus filled with children.

CNN last month published a report on each of the bomb types used in Yemen strikes, pointing to U.S.-made bombs from defense companies such as Lockheed Martin. It is believed that the strike on the school bus, which killed 40 children Aug. 9, was made using a Lockheed MK 82, the CNN investigation said.

When asked whether Lockheed has seen pushback from lawmakers on Capitol Hill or other leadership over the incident, the company referred Military.com to the Defense Department.

However, Frank St. John, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said in an interview at the annual Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber conference last week, "Our focus is always on supporting our DoD customers. We just support them, and that hasn't changed."

Then-President Barack Obama halted precision-strike weapons sales to Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of a 2016 airstrike that killed more than 150 civilians attending a funeral in Sana'a. The Trump administration lifted the sales ban in 2017.

Lawmakers recently announced another attempt to invoke the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which would force the U.S. to end its involvement in the Saudi-led conflict within 30 days of passage, unless voted upon otherwise.

Similar provisions in Congress have not passed.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.When Hurricane Florence came sweeping over the U.S. East Coast early this month, some base commanders ordered evacuations, while Defense Department facility managers prepared for the worst.

With the storm over, floodwaters starting to recede and bases assessing the damage, Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) officials have reopened the four stores that closed, they said.

Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Marine Corps Air Station New River, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina, reopened between Sept. 19 and Sept. 20, officials said, adding that all four stores sustained damage.

At Lejeune, the roof and sales floor both experienced heavy water damage, and the HVAC and refrigeration system needed to be restored.

At New River, a lot of inventory was lost thanks to roof water damage, and the HVAC and refrigeration systems were damaged so badly that a temporary refrigerated trailer for perishable products and plug-in coolers for milk are now in use.

Marines help salvage products at the Camp Lejeune, North Carolina commissary after Hurricane Florence. (Marine Corps/Brian Ehrlich)

At Cherry Point, water damage had to be addressed and the HVAC and refrigeration systems had to be restored before the store could reopen.

And at Fort Bragg, the HVAC, refrigeration and network systems all took major hits.

But the stores' problems weren't limited to roofs or structure, officials said. The commissary is only as useful as the items it is able to sell and, thanks to the hurricane and associated flooding, restocking and even getting staff to stores were also serious problems.

Shoppers can expect those stores to be in recovery mode for a while as they continue to make repairs and try to restock items, commissary officials said in a release.

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com.Hunger is a real problem for military families. According to a recent report, about 15 percent of military and veteran family respondents face "food insecurity," the policy language used to describe people who worry about how they are going to feed their families or afford food.

That's a lot of military and veteran families.

But it's also a political hot potato. The food stamp program, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, is the government's primary food help effort but is notoriously difficult to change, in part because it's handled as part of the controversial Farm Bill. And addressing military food problems alone doesn't work well either because it involves larger topics such as pay and allowances.

And that, officials with the Military Family Advocacy Network (MFAN) said, is where they hope to help. Formed to address problems through partnerships, MFAN is tackling military family food insecurity as one of its primary missions this year. And now it has partnered with a number of civilian community-based experts to make it happen.

"We brought the people in the room who are excellent at handling food insecurity. We came together, sharing knowledge and information, trying to find a path forward," said Shelley Kimball, MFAN's director of research.

MFAN plans to work with Feeding America, the Food Research & Action Center, National WIC Association, and United Way to tackle the subject within the military community.

As part of that effort, MFAN and its partners will take a three-pronged approach, Kimball said. They want to find the best ways to help families access services, while increasing education on the assistance that's already available. And they want to reduce the shame of asking for help.

"We want to make it a health issue as opposed to not having enough," she said. "There are people ready and willing to give you help. Let us connect you."

While the plan for just how they are going to do that is still being developed, Kimball knows what it will avoid: politics and policy.

She said MFAN plans to leave policy advocacy to other military family organizations that are already taking that on. "There are other military family groups that do that exceptionally well. We are going to use our strengths on this [issue]."

At the end of the day, Kimball said, feeding hungry families and the value of empowering them to ask for and get help is something on which everyone can agree.

"We all care about this, and we all want this to go away," she said. "If we can find a way to take care of this once and for all, it would spectacular."

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com.Select Mineral List Type Standard Detailed Strunz Dana Chemical Elements

Commodity List This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.

 Gold  Molybdenum



Mineral List  Gold  Quartz

2 valid minerals. 2 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:  Gold Formula: Au Reference: U.S. Geological Survey (2005) Mineral Resources Data System: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.  'commodity:Gold' Formula: Au Reference:  'commodity:Molybdenum' Formula: Mo Reference:  Quartz Formula: SiO 2 Reference: U.S. Geological Survey (2005) Mineral Resources Data System: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification Group 1 - Elements  'Gold' 1.AA.05 Au Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides  'Quartz' 4.DA.05 SiO 2

List of minerals arranged by Dana 8th Edition classification Group 1 - NATIVE ELEMENTS AND ALLOYS Metals, other than the Platinum Group  Gold 1.1.1.1 Au Group 75 - TECTOSILICATES Si Tetrahedral Frameworks Si Tetrahedral Frameworks - SiO 2 with [4] coordinated Si  Quartz 75.1.3.1 SiO 2

List of minerals for each chemical element O Oxygen O  Quartz SiO 2 Si Silicon Si  Quartz SiO 2 Au Gold Au  Gold Au

Regional Geology

Ore Materials: native gold; Gangue Materials: quartz, manganese oxideGoldPorphyry Mo, low-FGold Summit Corp. reports that the Monte Cristo Property covers a widespread area of vein mineralization with bonanza gold grades at the surface in altered Tertiary volcanic rocks within the historic Gilbert Mining District.The McLean pit at Monte Cristo produced 300,000 tons of ore grading 2.4 g/t gold. Drill holes beneath the existing pit show intervals of 1.5 meters assaying 4 g/t gold or higher. Notable high grade gold intercepts include: 3.04 m of 10.53 g/t, 1.54 m of 13.72 g/t, 3.04 m of 14.4 g/t, 1.53 m of 17.59 g/t, 3.04 m of 25.38 g/t, and 3.04 m of 28.54 g/t.Gold Summit plans to drill a potentially mineable, high-grade resource beneath the existing McLean pit with a view to be starting production in a relatively short time period with low capital costs.In April 2006, Gold Summit Corporation (GSM) announced that it had signed an option agreement with Pacific Intermountain Gold Corporation to acquire an interest in 102 lode claims (South Gilbert) that adjoin Gold Summit's Monte Cristo property in the Walker Lane trend in Nevada. The agreement gives GSM the option to earn a 60% interest in the property by issuing a total of 750,000 shares and completing work expenditures of $1.2 million over a five year period. GSM further has the option to acquire a 70% interest by completing a feasibility study and an additional 10%, for a total of 80%, by placing a mine into commercial production.The South Gilbert Claims cover the southern extension of the large structure that hosts the McLean Lode, the subject of a recently filed 43-101 compliant technical report. South Gilbert contains areas of prominent quartz-alunite alteration and banded epithermal vein material containing anomalous to ore-grade gold and silver.Drilling by previous explorers shows a number of drill holes also containing gold and silver mineralization. The previous exploration was directed towards discovery of large, open pit "Round Mountain" style mineralization, ignoring the high potential for steeply dipping, bonanza veins.Drilling by Inmet in the 1990's intersected gold mineralization in 4 holes, ranging from 1.0 to 2.3 g/t gold over 1.5 metres.Platte River drilling in 2005 intersected two 1.5 metres intervals of 2.3 and 2.4 g/t gold in 2 separate drill holes and over 20 metres of anomalous silver.The acquisition gives GSM control of a mineralized trend extending 9 km along strike from the McLean Lode. There are at least 8 separate drill targets along this trend besides the McLean Lode where core drilling continues.Two holes completed north of the McLean Pit both failed to intersect the lode there, indicating a larger displacement than predicted. No further drilling is planned to the north at present.Gold Summit has submitted a Plan of Operations (POO) to the BLM for Monte Cristo to allow drilling of new targets outside of the McLean Lode. These targets, recently compiled in the 43-101 report process, include zones of alteration in favourable structural settings as well as mineralized holes drilled by previous companies. The zones of alteration, 8 targets in number, occur both north and south of the McLean Lode along a NNE trend 9 km in length. Zones of alteration vary in size from 0.1 to 0.5 sq km. Targets developed from Anaconda drilling from the 1980's include intercepts between 1 to 5 g/t Au over 0.5 to 7.5 m and 1.5 m of 1034 g/t silver.In June 2006, Gold Summit Corporation ('GSM') staked an additional 65 claims to extend its existing, optioned claim block at its Gold Springs property in the Eagle Valley Mining District, Lincoln County, Nevada. The southern extension of the block covers the south-west strike extension of the Tempa Vein, including the Helen Mine, where surface sampling in trenches and bulldozer cuts by Energex in 1981 reported an average of 301 g/t Ag over the 13m sample (along strike) of the vein.The exposed vein ranges between 1.4 and 3.65 m in true width, according to a 1984 report by a company consultant. Five shallow core holes tested the vein down to 30 m below surface and intersected intervals of vein assaying between 17 g/t and 106 g/t Ag at the same location.The same report describes 2 trenches located 100m north of the bulldozer cut that assayed 1.0 g/t Au and 240 g/t Ag over 1.5m true width and 81 g/t Au and 198 g/t Ag over 1.8 m true width. Thinning of the vein between the two locations is also noted.The assays reported by Energex have not been verified by GSM.To the north, the claim extension covers the northeast-striking trace of the Tempa vein on to the flank of Lookout Mountain. In total, approximately 3.5 km strike length of the Tempa-Helen system is now controlled by Gold Summit. GSM mapping and sampling has traced the Tempa portion of the vein along 1.6 km of strike. True widths of the vein vary between 2m and 10m and precious metals assay between 2.5 and 517 g/t Ag and 0.1 and 4.2 g/t Au. Apart from a shallow wagon drilling program by Cerro Corp in 1959 to 20m vertically, the Tempa sector has not been drilled. Two additional vein systems lie east of the Tempa vein, within the GSM option block. Channel sampling by Energex on one, the President's Pit location, yielded 1.5m of 0.7 g/t Au, 0.9m of 40.1 g/t Au and 0.9m of 9 g/t Au in separate samples. Widths are approximately true widths. GSM collected a total of 15 channel and chip samples from the same locality that assayed between 0.3 g/t and 53 g/t Au and 0.4 and 1225 g/t Ag.At least three high grade underground, gold/silver targets are now ready for drilling on the enlarged Gold Springs property. Meanwhile, in Nevada, the company has a stable of gold properties that are prospective for high grade, underground deposits. The most advanced is the Monte Cristo property that hosts an inferred resource of 365,000 tons grading 0.19 ozs/tonne gold at the Maclean Pit. New target area will be drill tested either late this year or early in 2007. The results from three holes punched into its National property in the northern part of the state yielded up to 20 metres of clay and pyrite with very fine-grained quartz with assays expected shortly.

This geological map and associated information on rock units at or nearby to the coordinates given for this locality is based on relatively small scale geological maps provided by various national Geological Surveys. This does not necessarily represent the complete geology at this locality but it gives a background for the region in which it is found.

Click on geological units on the map for more information. Click here to view full-screen map on Macrostrat.org

Cenozoic volcanic rocks Age: Neogene (2.588 - 23.03 Ma) Stratigraphic Name: Columbia River Basalt Comments: Columbia Plateau Lithology: Flood basalt(s); mafic volcanic rocks; basalt Reference: Chorlton, L.B. Generalized geology of the world: bedrock domains and major faults in GIS format: a small-scale world geology map with an extended geological attribute database. doi: 10.4095/223767. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5529. [154] Intermediate rhyolitic flows and shallow intrusive rocks Age: Cenozoic (15.97 - 33.9 Ma) Stratigraphic Name: Sandstorm Formation Description: Includes rocks mapped as the rhyolite of Big Sand Springs Valley on the Nye North map, the Sandstorm Formation in Esmeralda County, rhyolite flow domes in the Sheep Creek Range in Lander County, and other units. It corresponds to unit Tr2 on the 1978 State map. It is present in Nye, Lincoln, Churchill, Esmeralda, Eureka, Mineral, Elko, Humboldt, and Lander Counties. Comments: Original map source: Crafford, A.E.J., 2007, Geologic Map of Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 249, 1 CD-ROM, 46 p., 1 plate; Scale 1:250,000. Lithology: Major:{rhyolite,hypabyssal rhyolite} Reference: Horton, J.D., C.A. San Juan, and D.B. Stoeser. The State Geologic Map Compilation (SGMC) geodatabase of the conterminous United States. doi: 10.3133/ds1052. U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 1052. [133]

Data and map coding provided by Macrostrat.org, used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

References

Sort by Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A)

Ferguson, H.G. (1927) The Gilbert district, Nevada: Chapter F (pp. 125-145) in Loughlin, G.F. and Mansfield, G.R. (1927) Contributions to economic geology (short papers and preliminary reports), 1927: Part I - Metals and nonmetals except fuels. United States Geological Survey Bulletin 795. Long, K.R., DeYoung, J.H., Jr., and Ludington, S.D. (1998) Database of significant deposits of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc in the United States; Part A, Database description and analysis; part B, Digital database. United States Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-206, 33 pp., one 3.5 inch diskette. Sonnevil, Ron A. (1979) Evolution of skarn at Monte Cristo, Nevada. M.S. Thesis, Stanford, CA.

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Summary of all keyboard shortcutsChinese faithful, official and underground communities, express their feelings about the present and the future of the Sino-Vatican provisional agreement. Many ask for the publication of the agreement document; others that bishops held in prison are freed and that the unofficial bishops are recognized by the government. The fear that China will belittle the Vatican. Fidelity to the Pope and to the unity of the Church, but concern for the rise in "collaborator" bishops.

Rome (AsiaNews) - There is hope and concern, sadness and uneasiness among Chinese Catholics at the news of the provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops signed between China and the Holy See. There are criticisms of illicit bishops who have been excommunicated because they "have lovers and children" and are "loyal collaborators of the regime against the Lord", together with requests to be able to see and know of the text of the agreement.

There are also those who present a whole series of questions regarding the agreement which needs answers, perhaps in the near future; those who remembers the imprisoned bishops and ask for their release. Msgr. Guo Xijin, bishop of Mindong, who should become an auxiliary of Msgr. Vincenzo Zhan Silu, barely re-admitted to Catholic communion (he was one of the excommunicated bishops), prefers to remain silent. Another, who should be replaced - or share the responsibility of the diocese - with one of the former excommunicated bishops - says he knows nothing of his future destiny. Some say that the interim agreement will bring even more confusion to the Church and China. The names of the people have been changed or omitted for security reasons.

We know nothing about the agreement, and therefore we cannot say anything. I see the positive comments of Card. Parolin, and the negative ones of Card. Zen. There is no trust in the Party, and we are worried about the Vaticans scant knowledge regarding the Chinese Communist Party. The United States has understood it after 40 years of commercial experience.

Many faithful are disappointed, but as a pastor I must encourage the people of God to maintain authentic Catholic faith and communion with the Holy Father. There is nothing but to wait and face what will happen as a consequence of this agreement. Moreover, I do not know if tomorrow the Holy See will ask for my resignation. I very much agree with the article by Fr. Sergio Ticozzi. Thank you for your prophetic work.

A bishop

Bishop Guo Xijin does not want to say anything.

A faithful of Mindong

I feel a little joyful but also a little worried. Joy because it is the beginning of something; concern because we do not know how much the government will really respect this agreement. Then, I also hope that these bishops who are no longer excommunicated will have at heart to regain the respect of their people. And I also hope that the government will soon free the imprisoned bishops and recognize the unofficial ones. Another hope is that the Holy See will soon appoint bishops for all the vacant dioceses.

Mario, Shaanxi

There are optimists and pessimists among the faithful of Henan. The optimists are happy because finally there is an agreement; the pessimists are not happy because they see no benefit for the Chinese Church, since religious freedom has deteriorated more and more. It is up to us to obey with faith.

Joseph, Henan

Most of my Catholic friends are sad and uneasy. I really do not know how to comfort them. After this agreement they see no hope or future. For them it is so sad because they feel betrayed.

Teresa, Zhejiang

I want to say immediately that in my opinion, the Vatican should make the agreement public to avoid manipulation and misunderstanding. In any case, after this agreement many questions remain and need answers: will the seven reconciled bishops be ordinary bishops of their dioceses or will they be auxiliaries, subject to other faithful bishops? And what fate will the unofficial bishops have, who are recognized by the Vatican, but not by the Chinese government? How will the Pope be the head of the Catholic Church, if many bishops still declare for an "independent" Church under the leadership of the Communist Party? And when will something be known of the bishops imprisoned or who disappeared police custody? Without forgetting the fate of the bishop of Shanghai, Msgr. Taddeo Ma Daqin. Without working on and answering these questions, the Vatican seriously risks losing its credibility among the faithful in China.

Gloria, Shanghai

The worst thing about this agreement in my opinion, is the recognition of the seven excommunicated bishops. They were chosen by the atheist regime against the will of Peter's successor; some of them have lovers and children; some of them are loyal collaborators of the regime against the Lord. Since there are so many secret informers of the Party in the Church, we fear that some of these bishops are informers. I fear that this situation which is so real, concrete and sad is a prelude to the way bishops will be chosen in the future, even with the approval of the Pope.

Paul, Taiyuan

I do not know much about this agreement, but it seems to me that it is the beginning of an avalanche of divisions, conflicts and problems. In any case, I am in favor because it is a first step. If we move only when everything is perfect, nothing will ever happen. I trust Pope Francis and his collaborators: the Holy Spirit will guide them.

Joseph, GuangzhouDETROIT -- For two straight weeks, the Lions have been accused of tipping plays before the snap, but they've denied it each time.

But NBC caught a moment in Sunday night's game against the Patriots that spells out some of that predictability, plain as day. The Lions lined up for an offensive snap in the first quarter and Matthew Stafford called for an audible. A New England defender can be heard audibly calling out, "It's a toss," before the ball snapped and it was indeed a toss -- and the Patriots blew it up.

Patriots defense audibly yells out the play before it happens. pic.twitter.com/BkPYKNlM92  Jordan Dajani (@JDnumba3) September 24, 2018

Granted, it was one of the few plays Detroit's offense ran in the first quarter that did seem easy for New England to stop. It finished with 126 yards on 18 plays.

But the moment adds to the Jets players' claims that they spotted play calls in alignments and hand signals and FOX color commentator and former Lions linebacker Chris Spielman's claim that Taylor Decker was tipping run and pass plays with his eyes. It's certainly something for Detroit to monitor in its self scouting moving forward.LANSING, MI - The Diocese of Lansing says it welcomes an investigation from the Michigan Attorney General's Office into alleged Roman Catholic clergy sexual abuse spanning more than a half-century.

The message came in response to news that the AG's office is joining several other states in investigating the alleged sexual abuse and assault of children and others by Catholic priests from 1950 to the present for all seven Michigan Catholic dioceses. The Michigan AG's Office investigation began in August.

"The Diocese of Lansing welcomes a review of our handling of abuse cases by Michigan's Attorney General," the statement from the Diocese of Lansing reads. "We are confident in our processes. We have and will continue to reach out to law enforcement with these matters."

The diocese's response came more than a week after Bishop Earl Boyea announced that it would conduct an external review to determine if it has handled claims of sexual abuse of minors appropriately.

Boyea shared the plans on the Diocese of Lansing website, noting intentions to publish the names of any clerics who sexually abused children.

The review will investigate how allegations of abuse were handled in the Diocese of Lansing's territory, which consists of Washtenaw, Livingston, Lenawee, Hillsdale, Jackson, Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Shiawassee and Genesee counties, said diocese spokesman Michael Diebold.

The Diocese of Lansing consists of 71 churches, system-wide.

The decision to conduct the review came in light of recent news detailing allegations of widespread predatory behavior by more than 300 priests against more than 1,000 children under the watch of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington.

Boyea provided an overview of the steps the Diocese of Lansing has taken to prevent abuse from occurring, noting that it adopted a charter for the protection of children and young people in 2002. He noted the church knows of no one active in ministry in the diocese who has abused a child, with the last known event of abuse of a minor occurring prior to 2002.

Several measures have been implemented, Boyea said, including a zero-tolerance policy toward abuse of children, the creation of a review board and the employment of a victim assistance coordinator to assist victims.

Attorney General Bill Schuette said on his office's website he had determined that a full and complete investigation of what happened is required.

"This investigation is and will continue to be independent, thorough, transparent, and prompt. My department and this investigation will find out who knew what, and when," the statement reads.

The Diocese of Lansing encourages anyone who suspects abuse connected to the church to contact Victim Assistance Coordinator Cheryl Hecksel-Williams at 888-308-6252 or via email.ANN ARBOR, MI - Nearly 60 religious, civil rights and education advocacy organizations are calling on the University of Michigan and President Mark Schlissel to sanction associate professor John Cheney-Lippold, who last week rescinded an offer of a recommendation letter for a student to study in Israel.

The 58 organizations demanded that the university also sanction any other professors at UM who participate in the same practices, affirm that no UM student be impeded from studying about or in Israel and detail steps to ensure that faculty do not implement an academic boycott of Israel on campus.

The letter was submitted by the AMCHA Initiative, a group claiming to document anti-Semitic activity on college campuses.

Cheney-Lippold, an associate professor of American culture at UM, told the student in an email he was taking part in an academic boycott against Israel, and could no longer provide the recommendation.

After looking over the student's request, Cheney-Lippold said he needed to rescind his initial support, noting at the time that "many university departments have pledged an academic boycott against Israel in support of Palestinians living in Palestine."

He later clarified in an email to The Ann Arbor News that he should have said "many university professors have pledged an academic boycott against Israel," rather than university departments.

"Impeding a student's ability to participate in a university-approved educational program in order to carry out political activism is reprehensible," the statement submitted by AMCHA reads.

"Individual faculty members have the right to express public support for an academic boycott of Israel. But when faculty like Prof. Cheney-Lippold go as far as implementing the boycott's guidelines by taking action to suppress students' ability to travel to or study about Israel, they have abrogated the most basic professorial responsibility of promoting the academic welfare of their students. Such discriminatory behavior that impedes the rights of students must be sanctioned to the fullest extent of university policy."

After the university reiterated its position in opposition to any boycott of Israeli institutions of higher education early last week, both Schlissel and members of the UM Board of Regents took time to address their displeasure with the remarks during the Sept. 20 regents meeting.

Personal views and politics should never interfere with support of students, Schlissel said.

"We are a large and diverse public university, and the individual opinions of our community range widely on many issues," Schlissel said during the meeting. "But personal views and politics should never interfere with our support of students. It is counter to our values and expectations as an institution.

"I will state again - the University of Michigan strongly opposes a boycott of Israeli academic institutions. The academic aspirations of our students and their academic freedom are fundamental to the University of Michigan and our teaching and research missions."

Regent Denise Ilitch took it a step further, calling Cheney-Lippold's remarks "anti-Semitic," and completely against UM's values.

"It impairs and it interferes with our student's ability to reach her educational aspirations and further, this professor was the beneficiary of recommendations during his ascent to a tenured position at our university," Ilitch said.

"Imagine replacing the phrase that was used in this letter -- academic boycott against Israel and students planning to study there -- with your ethnicity, your race or your gender, just to name a few. This is not who the University of Michigan is."

He, the regents and other executive officers have engaged in addressing Cheney-Lippold's actions and the questions it has raised, Schlissel said.

Cheney-Lippold said he has been in contact with the UM administration only to address the correction of his initial assertion that "university departments" were pledging an academic boycott, and his corrected view of "university professors" supporting the boycott.

The Boycott, Divestments, Sanctions movement is meant to put pressure on an Israeli government that, he argues, perpetuates "violence and dehumanization," Cheney-Lippold said.

"For me, I see the boycott as a non-violent response to Palestinian (and also Israeli and other Jewish) activists and civil society who have called for international solidarity measures that pressure the Israeli state to move towards democratic rule, equal rights, and an end to the occupation of Palestine," Cheney-Lippold wrote.Detroit has made its way out of the top spot on the list of the nation's most violent cities, according to the most recently released 2017 FBI crime data.

According to the statistics reported to the FBI by police agencies across the nation, St. Louis is now the most violent city, per capita, with more than 50,000 residents in the U.S. Flint ranked sixth, based on 2017 data.

2017 FBI crime statistics

Rounding out the top five are Baltimore, Memphis and Camden, New Jersey, respectively.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said, while he'd like to see crime stats decline at a quicker pace, they continue to trend downward in the city.

He pounces to 10 fewer homicides and 74 fewer nonfatal shootings as of Sept. 24, compared to the totals at the same time last year.

Detroit ranked seventh in the nation when it comes to reported property crimes, per capita, in cities with more than 50,000 people.Detroit police are looking for a man they believe committed a triple shooting that left a 64-year-old woman dead and two others seriously injured about 3 a.m. Monday.

Detroit police identified the suspect as 32-year-old Cornelius Dennis, described as a 5-foot-9 black man weighing nearly 160 pounds. He was last seen driving a black 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 4x4 pickup with an extended cab, a Tonneau bed cover and Michigan license plate no. "DSL1817."

Police say the suspect entered a home in the 5200 block of Kensington, walked upstairs and fatally shot the 64-year-old woman. He then proceeded to shoot a 29-year-old woman and 33-year-old man who were also on the home and are expected to survive.

The Detroit News reports that the 29-year-old woman previously dated Dennis; the 33-year-old man is her new boyfriend and the 64-year-old woman was her mother.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said there is a history of domestic violence involving the suspect and his former girlfriend.

Detroit police say Dennis may be armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detroit police, 313-596-2260, or CrimeStoppers, 800-SPEAK-UP. Tipsters may remain anonymous.FLINT, MI - The leaders of the fake police group that was patrolling Flint and Genesee County for years avoided jail time when they were sentenced on Monday.

Willie Strong II and Auston Rose were both sentenced to five years of probation on Sept. 24 by Genesee Circuit Judge Celeste Bell. They also were ordered to turn over all equipment used while posing as fake police as part of the Genesee County Fire and EMS Media-Genesee County Task Force Blight Agency.

Strong and Rose started the group in 2011 and acted as police at locations that include county parks, house fires, vehicle crashes and crime scenes.

The probation sentence for the pair comes as part of an agreement with Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. All five people charged in the investigation pleaded guilty of impersonating a police officer while committing a crime.

"He was attempting to do the right thing," said Strong's attorney, Maurice Davis. "He wishes he would've done things differently."

Strong lives with his parents and is working two jobs, Davis told the court.

"I'm just sorry for my actions," Strong told Bell during his sentencing.

Strong, Rose and others posed 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.

Bell said she'd go along with the agreement.

"I'm going to accept that you just took a wrong turn trying to do the right thing for your community," Bell told Strong.

Rose also was sentenced to five years probation.

"I think Mr. Rose understands his behavior was wrong," said his attorney, Douglas Theodoroff. "I think the probation term is appropriate."

Bell also ordered Rose to turn over any vehicles or equipment he used while impersonating police.

"I never want to be in this room again for anything like this," Rose told Bell. "I'm terribly sorry that this occurred."

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.

Rose, along with Emily Burrison and Jeffrey L. Jones, 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.

Strong, Rose and Burrison also were 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.

Jeffrey L. Jones, 29, of Flint, was sentenced to five years of probation on Monday, Sept. 17 by Bell.

Burrison and Erwin are still awaiting sentencing.FLINT, MI -- Special Flint water prosecutors can still charge former emergency manager Darnell Earley and former Department of Public Works Director Howard Croft with involuntary manslaughter -- even though they haven't identified the alleged victims yet.

Genesee District Judge Nathaniel Perry denied a motion from both men at a hearing Monday, Sept. 24, after their attorneys argued that not providing that basic information by now is a violation of state law.

Special prosecutor Todd Flood told Earley and Croft he planned to pursue charges of involuntary manslaughter against each of them in November 2017.

But unlike other water crisis prosecutions, preliminary examinations for the two men haven't started yet and details of the charges haven't unfolded.

In the cases of two top executives with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, for example, specific victims were identified and prosecutors called witnesses and presented evidence tied to the involuntary manslaughter charges.

The joint motion from Earley and Croft say their attorneys haven't received any information about the alleged victims or potential witnesses against them even though their preliminary exams are scheduled to begin Oct. 15.

"Simply telling the defense that it intends to seek a bindover on a charge not supported in the complaint and warrant would not only violate the Code of Criminal Procedure but Mr. Earley and Mr. Croft's rights to a preliminary examination," the joint motion says.

Flood and defense attorneys argued the motions before Perry on Monday, and the judge denied the requests at the same hearing, according to a court official.

In addition to the pending manslaughter charges, Earley, 66, and Croft, 53, are each charged with false pretenses and conspiracy to commit false pretenses.

Earley is also charged with willful neglect of duty and misconduct in office.

Both men were in key leadership positions in Flint as the city, lead by Earley, embarked on a plan to temporarily use the Flint River as the city's water source in a cost-saving move.

The change in water source -- from Lake Huron to the river, and the city's inability to treat the water properly -- triggered the Flint water crisis.FLINT, MI -- A Genesee Circuit judge is considering whether to hear a lawsuit, brought by innocent bystanders who were injured in high-speed chases involving the Michigan State Police.

Mary Saunders, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, hopes Judge David Newblatt remembers her 9-year-old daughter as well as the arguments made Monday, Sept. 24, by attorneys for her and the state.

"She can walk and talk. She went through a lot though," Saunders said of her daughter, Malaysia Stover, who was 6 years old when a vehicle being chased by state troopers at more than 100 miles per hour slammed into the vehicle driven by Saunders.

"I had a cracked rib and I didn't even know that because I refused to be seen ...," Saunders said after a hearing on the state's motion to have the case dismissed. "The next time I see her, she's on a stretcher with these things on her head. They had to cut her skull open, and after that, I saw all her hair was cut off and her head was so swollen. Those images I can't get off my head."

Saunders and other plaintiffs are seeking to have declared unconstitutional the former pursuit policy of MSP, which allowed police chases for minor violations but told officers to take various factors into account first, including the nature of the violation, the presence of pedestrians and traffic conditions.

MSP changed its pursuit policy one year ago, limiting chases to situations in which troopers have a reasonable belief that a felony has been committed.

In Saunders' case, the driver was being chased after failing to signal before turning at an intersection.

In addition to the declaring the pursuit policy unconstitutional, the lawsuit asks for a judgment that the state's Secure Cities Partnership, in which troopers are stationed in higher numbers within cities like Flint, is unlawful and also asks for unspecified monetary damages.

John Sedynsky, an attorney representing MSP, told Newblatt that governmental immunity shields the state from the lawsuit and the court lacks jurisdiction to allow the case to move forward.

"These are not civil rights claims. These are ordinary run-of-the-mill tort liability claims ...," Sedynsky argued. "They are in the wrong court for this type of thing."

Michael Pitt, an attorney for Saunders, said the lawsuit should be heard because the state constitution provides equal protection to all Michigan residents -- something that wasn't afforded to residents in Flint and elsewhere because MSP made streets more dangerous for innocent bystanders.

"When they are in less affluent areas, (troopers) are inclined to take greater risks," Pitt said after the hearing.

A Trinity University study cited by Pitt claims state police are two to three times more likely to start vehicle pursuits that result in death or injury in majority-black cities where extra troopers have been assigned.

The lawsuit claims cities like Detroit, Flint, Saginaw and Pontiac saw an 80 percent higher rate of pursuit crashes, deaths, injuries and property damage since additional troopers were assigned there.

In three other cities where additional MSP officers were added in a second wave of the SCP --Benton Harbor, Inkster and Muskegon Heights -- the same type of vehicle pursuits resulted in death and injuries at a rate 300 percent higher than in cities without additional troopers, the study by professor David Macpherson claims.

Newblatt took the motion into consideration. There was no immediate word on when he would issue his decision.UPDATE: According to the Michigan Education Association, the results of the Ferris State faculty voting Sept. 26, on a resolution of no confidence in President David Eisler will be released at a later date as bargaining resumes in October.

BIG RAPIDS, MI - The Ferris Faculty Association (FFA) has scheduled a vote of "No Confidence'' in university President David Eisler for Tuesday, Sept. 25 and Wednesday, Sept. 26, officials announced Monday.

In a press release from the Michigan Education Association, the union said the 450 tenure-track Ferris State University faculty begin their fourth week of teaching without a contract.

The faculty went on strike Aug. 27, but a Mecosta County judge ordered them to return to work. Officials said the sticking points included compensation, the length of the contract, and health insurance.

"The resolution of No Confidence cites Eisler's continued lack of leadership, including his poor handling of negotiations between FFA and the university, which has 'created months of turmoil in the university and community, and resulted in a faculty strike,'" according to the press release.

The MEA release also cites the no confidence resolution as being critical of Eisler's alleged use of an outside attorney to handle negotiations.

"The university's decision to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars from student tuition and state tax dollars to this attorney has done nothing to get us to a settlement,'' said Charles Bacon, president of the Ferris Faculty Association.

Bacon was not immediately available for comment Monday to discuss the resolution, allegation, or the details of their most recent contract proposal to the university.

A state appointed mediator became involved prior to the start of fall semester.

In his response to the university community, Eisler said the use of a vote of no confidence is embedded throughout the history of relationships between the faculty association and presidents of the university.

He cited votes of no confidence for three previous presidents and one against him in 2007. He has served as president for 15 years.

"Often times, it is employed in negotiations to pressure presidents to yield to their demands,'' Eisler said, in his post on the FSU website.

In the past weeks, Eisler said he's read every comment and response received on the university's communications regarding negotiations.

He said there are some people who are angry, and tensions are high. He also said there were messages of support and reassurance, as well as those that reflect misinformation about negotiations.

"As president, balancing the needs of our employees with the finances available result in difficult decisions and positions that can be unpopular,'' Eisler said.

He said the delay since the last negotiating session has been far too long and sessions are now scheduled for Oct. 2 and Oct. 5.

"Our team will continue to press to schedule additional sessions so that a contract agreement can be reached. That is and should be the purpose here - I want faculty to receive the financial benefits of the next contract. For this to happen, a tentative agreement needs to be reached, and the contract ratified and approved,'' Eisler said, in his online statement.

According to Ferris, the administration's most recent offer was Aug. 29. The five-year contract included:

A 2.25 percent salary increase per year for the first three years.

A 2.5 percent salary increase per year for the last two years.

The offer does not include a supplemental market adjustment,but seeks to give all faculty represented by the union a higher annual increase, according to university documents.

The five-year cost of the current offer to the union reportedly will require increased funding in excess of $28 million.

Results from the vote of no confidence will be tabulated following voting on Wednesday evening, according to the MEA release.

Eisler has encouraged people to email him at eislerd@ferris.edu or call him at 231-591-2500. Also, embedded in his remarks are links to information related to the ongoing negotiations:KENT COUNTY, MI - A man shot and killed his estranged wife's mother and her boyfriend after his wife sought refuge with the couple to escape domestic violence, police said.

Lisa Bradley, 58, and her long-time boyfriend, James Cole, 54, died of gunshot wounds in their house at 10036 Rooksby Street NE in Spencer Township.

Her daughter, Samantha Lynn Huntley, 33, had taken the couple's two children - a boy, 4 and girl, 2 - to stay with her mother after Bruce Huntley, 33, was arrested last week for domestic violence.

He was released from jail after posting 10 percent of a $10,000 bond, records said.

Early Saturday, Sept. 22, Bruce Huntley forced his way into the older couple's home and shot and killed them. He then kidnapped his wife and two children and brought them back to their home at Ramblewood Apartments at 4222 Stoneridge Road SW in Wyoming.

Kent County sheriff's deputies found the couple dead while conducting a welfare check after an acquaintance was concerned that no one answered the door at their home.

When investigators realized the wife and children were gone, they contacted Wyoming police, who responded to the apartment complex. Police spotted Lisa Bradley's car in the parking lot.

A Wyoming police tactical team responded to the apartment complex. Police were able to contact Samantha Huntley, who confirmed she and her children were being held hostage by her husband.

Negotiators convinced Huntley to release his wife and children.

Huntley refused to come out and threatened to kill himself. After several hours, the tactical team entered the apartment and found Huntley dead of a self-inflicted gunshot, police said.

On Monday, the Kent County Medical Examiner's Office determine that Lisa Bradley and James Cole were victims of homicide while Huntley's death was determined to be suicide.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Samantha Huntley and her children. It says, "Samantha has recently endured the tragic deaths of both her mother and husband. As you can imagine this is not only a huge emotional burden but also a financial burden. Please consider donating to support Sam and her two children with funeral costs and everyday expenses as she moves forward into this next phase of her life."

The killings happened less than a month after another couple was found dead in their home in Kent County, allegedly at the hands of their son-in-law.

Nathan Board, 33, is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation after he allegedly bludgeoned Patty and Theodore Syrek, after their daughter, Sarah, left him.

Board allegedly sneaked into the couple's Caledonia-area home while they slept then beat them with a blunt instrument, police say.The event is South Koreas most important festival: meeting with families to give thanks for the harvest and remember ones ancestors. For families separated by war, it is a time of sadness and hope. I pray that on this occasion everyone can rediscover the correct meaning of family, dialogue, mutual love, brotherhood, said Archbishop You.

Seoul (AsiaNews)  Millions of South Koreans have travelled to their hometowns to be with relatives to mark the arrival of autumn and give thanks for the annual harvest.

Chuseok or autumn eve is the countrys most important traditional celebration, which this year runs from 23 to 25 September.

For thousands of people, the occasion is also a sad reminder of another year spent away from family members in the North. However, this year there is hope that next year might be different.

For Mgr Lazarus You, archbishop of Daejon, "It is a time to thank God for the harvest and the abundance received, and to remember our ancestors. This is why families get together.

Every year, for those who have been separated for almost 70 years, this celebration is very difficult. But this year there is new hope, that next year the situation will be different, that there will be more contacts."

Chuseok, which is celebrated today, falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar.

With the holiday, not only roads will be jammed. Heavy traffic blocked highways yesterday.

The authorities expect some 36.6 million South Koreans to head home to see loved ones, crowding roads but also railway stations and airports.

For South Koreans, the autumn festival would be unthinkable without songpyeon, the crescent moon-shaped rice cakes, a symbol of luck in Korean tradition.

What makes this sweet special is the flour used, which is made with freshly harvested rice. There are also significant regional variations in filling and size.

South Korean Minister of Unification Cho Myung-gyon celebrated Chuseok today with a group of divided families, at Imjingak Park in Paju, south of the demilitarised zone that separates the two Koreas.

On this occasion, Cho reiterated his governments intention to push for more meetings between separated families, and for South Koreans to visit their hometowns and the graves of their ancestors in the North.

Still, this year, separate families have had to settle for another gift, said Archbishop You. "Kim Jong-un gave president Moon Jae-in two tonnes of prised songyi mushrooms, said the prelate.

Moon divided them among the families who could not meet their loved ones, giving 500 grams to 4,000 families."

Finally, Mgr You said that, at a time when "Korean families are in difficulty, I pray that on this occasion everyone can rediscover the correct meaning of family, dialogue, mutual love, brotherhood.OTTAWA COUNTY, MI - A Zeeland man was airlifted from the scene of crash at Van Buren Street and 96th Avenue, sheriff's deputies said.

Richard Baker, 59, suffered serious injuries in the 6:15 a.m. crash, police asaid.

Police said Jordan Haan, 34, of Muskegon, was driving north on 96th Avenue when he saw a vehicle ahead with its turn signal on. He told police that he then felt something crawl on his leg. He looked down, then looked up before his vehicle crashed into other vehicle, which was stopped to turn left.

Upon impact, the other vehicle, driven by Prasert Wongvilart, 52, of Zeeland, was pushed into the oncoming late, hitting Baker's southbound car. Baker was pinned in his car before he was flown to the hospital by Aero Med helicopter.

Haan declined treatment at the scene. Wongvilart was not hurt. All of the drivers used seat belts, police said.UPDATE: Man killed estranged wife's mother, mother's boyfriend, police say.

KENT COUNTY, MI - Police identified the couple who were found dead in their northern Kent County home as James Cole and Lisa Bradley.

The man suspected of killing them, Bruce Huntley, was found dead early Sunday, Sept. 23, after a nine-hour standoff at Ramblewood Apartments in Wyoming, police said.

Huntley held his wife and two children, ages 4 and 2, hostage before releasing them during the course of the standoff, police said.

He was considered the primary suspect after sheriff's detectives began investigating the couple's deaths in their home in the 10000 block of Rooksby Street in Spencer Township, east of Sand Lake.

Police found the couple around 11:40 a.m. Saturday. An acquaintance called police to check on the couple after no one answered the door, police said. The standoff began about three hours later at an apartment on Stonebridge Avenue SW.

The hostages were released after 6 p.m. but the man refused to come out. Police had to evacuate residents near the scene as they tried to negotiate with Huntley, police said.

He was found dead inside the apartment around 12:15 a.m. Sunday.Contamination in an Oakland County creek that feeds into the Huron River and its chain of lakes is setting a new state record for PFAS present today in Michigan surface water.

PFAS foam on Huron River in Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Township 30 Gallery: PFAS foam on Huron River in Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Township

Contamination in an Oakland County creek that feeds into the Huron River and its chain of lakes is setting a new state record for PFAS present today in Michigan surface water.

Now the source of the pollution is under orders to outline steps it will take to reduce how much of the chemical it's sending into the waterway by October 19.

Testing at Norton Creek by the state on July 24 showed a reading of 5,500 parts per trillion (ppt) of PFOS, an individual compound in the PFAS family of poly- and per-fluorinated "forever chemicals" linked to cancer and other health conditions, according to state environmental officials.

That level is more than 450 times what the state allows in surface waters and 78 times the lifetime health advisory for human consumption.

The PFOS concentration also exceeds most reported readings at Clark's Marsh near the closed Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda. Testing for PFAS chemicals since 2011 placed that location at the top of the state's measurable PFOS pollution by several thousand parts per trillion before filtration systems were installed.

"The numbers for Norton Creek are astronomical," said Laura Rubin, executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council. "They are really alarming."

The test results were shared Thursday, Sept. 20, with regional officials on an online seminar organized by the Department of Environmental Quality, one day after the city of Wixom issued an administrative order to Tribar Manufacturing to reduce or eliminate the PFAS it is sending into the city's wastewater treatment plant.

The Huron River and its tributaries have been the focus of increased attention by the DEQ and other state agencies as Michigan continues to test and define the extent of contamination. PFAS has been found since 2014 in the drinking water for the city of Ann Arbor, which uses the river for 85 percent of the water sent to water customers.

Testing accellerated this summer after disclosure by Wixom that its wastewater treatment plant has been discharging treated water containing PFAS into Norton Creek. The city discovered that in mid-June, as it followed through on mandatory testing initiated by state officials targeting PFAS.

Since then, the Huron River has been a target of an escalating series of public health warnings. By Labor Day weekend, all fish in the five-county watershed from north Oakland County to Lake Erie were called unsafe to eat due to levels of PFAS.

DEQ officials on Sept. 20 confirmed that a single industrial wastewater customer in Wixom -- identified through documents obtained by MLive.com as Adept Plating and Plastics, now operating as Tribar Manufacturing Inc. -- is the only identified source of the enforceable PFOS contamination.

The company's influent -- or water going into the Wixom wastewater treatment plant - reached 28,000 ppt of PFOS, one chemical in the PFAS family. The state is now looking to the city to reduce the amount flowing into Norton Creek in the treated water, which measures 290 ppt. State laws allow up to 12 ppt of PFOS to be discharged into surface water.

"This is very elevated from what we'd like them to be at," said Stephanie Kammer of the DEQ's water quality unit.

The city is now working with the company to reduce the PFOS, Kammer said, noting that it's an emerging issue with evolving timelines and technology.

"It's not something they can just turn a switch overnight," Kammer said.

However, the company now faces a deadline: By October 19, it has to tell Wixom how the "violations occurred and how future violations will be prevented." It also has to provide a detailed work plan on how it will prevent pass-through contamination while it works on a solution, as well as pay for the city's ongoing testing.

State officials informed the manager of Wixom's wastewater treatment plant in a letter sent Aug. 6 that the city was expected to do monthly tests of its effluent and "work cooperatively" with the confirmed source of PFOS.

Steve Brown, Wixom's city manager, said the is waiting for results of the latest test in late August. Beyond that, he said, both the city and DEQ have been in contact with Tribar.

"We understand people are concerned," Brown said. He added that the city is navigating an emerging situation without a roadmap for a solution.

A statement from Adept/Tribar said the automotive supplier that produces chrome-plated plastic components has been doing pilot testing of emerging technology since May. That effort, it said, "may be able to address this condition in its waste stream and is aggressively working towards a comprehensive solution."

DEQ spokesman Scott Dean said the company has hired a contractor to set up a granular activated carbon filter for the water it sends to the city's treatment plant.

"The facility has been cooperative and responsive to any requests and inspections," Dean said in an email.

State officials said that they continue to seek any other polluters on the chain of lakes, but so far there is no other identified source. Additional PFOS readings beyond the Norton Creek location, which is in the Proud Lake State Recreation Area, total 1,400 ppt just northwest of the creek as it moves toward the Huron River; 2.4 ppt to the east; 15 ppt at Strawberry Lake in Livingston County; 11 ppt and 9 ppt north of and in Dexter, respectively; and 26 ppt in Willow Run Creek, east of Ypsilanti.

That additional testing is helping state officials hone in on the source problem, they said.

The ability to narrow down the source of the extensive contamination should be a tool for reducing it, Rubin said.

"I think there's a couple of things that could come quickly," she said, "like regulatory enforcement."

She continued: "This is one factory, and we have the technologies out there.... I'd like to see a focus on getting this site cleaned up."

Meanwhile, testing details continue to show how the contamination is affecting the entire watershed -- and, potentially, public health. Results showed that fish taken from Kent Lake near Milford and Argo Pond in Ann Arbor exceeded safety levels, while fish from Base Line Lake in Livingston County was close to the borderline.

Additional fish sampling is taking place, according Jennifer Gray of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Results are pending from Portage Lake on the Livingston-Washtenaw County border. More samples will be taken from Barton Pond and Argo in Ann Arbor, and testing will soon be underway on new samples from Belleville Lake and Flat Rock.

The DEQ did not test foam on the Huron River in Ann Arbor, but city officials did as they elevate their focus on PFAS beyond drinking water. The city operates four dams on the Huron River as part of its drinking water program, and foam at each dam was tested.

Results showed reading of total PFAS up to 58,868 ppt. That data was sent to the state, though officials told MLive.com that they used other indicators to set a rare "do not eat" foam advisory on Sept. 18.

Three other communities in the state are under foam advisories: Van Etten Lake in Oscoda, also near Clark's Marsh and the closed Wurtsmith base; the Rogue River near the Rockford Dam and contamination traced to Wolverine World Wide; and the Thornapple River, downstream of contamination at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport near Grand Rapids.

Ranges in the other foam advisories range from 319 total PFAS in the Thornapple River to 296,584 ppt in Rockford.

While the city was not mandated by the state to test the foam, "we took the initiative," said Brian Steglitz, water treatment manager for Ann Arbor. "We wanted to be proactive to find out what the foam concentrations were for our own knowledge and for the benefit of people who use the river in the community."

That river use now means that people should release any fish caught, and avoid letting pets drinking from the river or its lakes and streams. While the state suggests that skin absorption of PFAS isn't a health issue, people also are advised to avoid situations where the foam could be ingested - such as through splashing.

Here are the full results of Ann Arbor's foam testing:

Downstream of Barton Dam: PFOA and PFOS was 15,065 ppt; total PFAS reached 18,200 ppt.

Downstream of Argo Dam: PFOA and PFOS was 11,390 ppt; total PFAS reached 13,386 ppt.

Downstream of Geddes Dam: PFOA and PFOS reached 40,086 ppt; total PFAS reached 56,868 ppt.

Downstream of Superior Dam: PFOA and PFOS reached 4,972 ppf; total PFAS reached 25,223 ppt.

Rubin joined other officials in hoping that testing efforts soon turn to cleanup. State Reps. Ronnie Peterson, D-Ypsilanti Township, and Donna Lasinski, D-Scio Township, both issued statements raising concerns as warning about the river extended to the PFAS foam.

Lasinski called again for the state Legislature to address a proposed bill to strengthen drinking water standards.

"I'm encouraged to see the DEQ following up" to see if there are additional polluters in the Huron River, Rubin said.

Yet, she added, she also wants to be able to answer calls from people who wonder how long PFAS will remain in the watershed. The lack of clarity on an answer is frustrating.

It sounds like it would be a two- to five-year process, she said, but they really dont know.JACKSON, MI - Six candidates, five of whom are Republicans, have been endorsed by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber officials sent questionnaires to candidates in all contested Jackson County Board of Commissioners races and the county's two state House of Representatives races.

Those who submitted responses were interviewed by the Jackson County Chamber Political Action Committee, according to a news release.

The following candidates have the non-partisan committee's "full and confident endorsement."

Julie Alexander (R), Michigan House of Representatives, 64th District

Sarah Lightner (R), Michigan House of Representatives, 65th District

Corey Kennedy (R), Jackson County Board of Commissioners, District 3

Darius Williams (D), Jackson County Board of Commissioners, District 8

Mike Shirkey (R), Michigan Senate, 16th District

Tim Walberg (R), U.S. House of Representatives, 7th District

The general election is Nov. 6.

The chamber is not endorsing candidates in other races, including the contest for governor. In some contested county races, the chamber declined to endorse either candidate.

"The types of issues that have to be addressed in Jackson require leadership that is willing to collaborate with business, government and other community leaders throughout the region," said Jackson Chamber PAC Chairman Bob Michaels. "These candidates have demonstrated a desire to work with those of us who are committed to building a better community."BLACKMAN TWP., MI - The door to cell 34 in Jackson's Cell Block 7 was ripped off by a group of people in May 2017.

The altercation wasn't an attempted escape from the former State Prison of Southern Michigan on Cooper Street, but rather part of a movie about one of the most notorious escape artists of the 20th century.

"The Old Man & the Gun" is the story of Forrest Tucker, who broke out of prison 18 times successfully and 12 times unsuccessfully, by his account. Partially filmed in what's now the Cell Block 7 Museum, Robert Redford plays Tucker in the movie.

Film crews came to the museum for four days last spring, filming scenes with Redford and Sissy Spacek, Museum Manager Brad Collins said. Casey Affleck and Danny Glover also star in the film.

The movie debuts in theaters Friday, Sept. 28. Collins is working with Jackson-area venues to coordinate a showing of the film.

It hasn't been determined yet by their schedules if or when the movie will be shown at Jackson's movie theaters - GQT Jackson 10 and AMC Classic Plaza 8.

One of Tucker's greatest escapes was from California's San Quentin State Prison. As a 59-year-old, it took Tucker less than a year to scheme his way out. He built a kayak and painted and stenciled one side of it to look like it was from the local yacht club.

Tucker and two other escapees waved at the unassuming guard as they paddled away.

Tucker's other art was robbing banks. Still committing robberies for the thrill of it in his 70s, Tucker's elusive group was dubbed the Over-the-Hill Gang.

"I think it's going to be a very exciting movie," Collins said. "(It) portrays a really interesting character, in terms of the guy finding somebody that he loves, but he loves robbing banks and pulling heists more - kind of that tear between the two loves."

Collins was consulted by the film crew, regarding what props would have been in a late '70s, early '80s prison like San Quentin.

He convinced the crew to leave behind many of the props - like books, a guitar, a chess set, TVs, coffee mugs and postcards. They're now part of the museum exhibit.

"It was really exciting to have those big names out here," Collins said. "When you tell people that Robert Redford filmed out here, a lot of people's eyes just light right up."

Cell 34 was designated as Redford's in the movie. The barred door was replaced with a fake door made of wood that split in the middle, allowing the camera to pan in on Redford, Collins said.

There was also a scene filmed outside of Cell Block 7, with Tucker being released from prison.

Roughly four or five scenes were shot at the museum, Collins said. About 50 to 100 people came to the Jackson area to produce what he described as "movie magic." The one day of actual filming was a long one, Collins said, going from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Cell Block 7 opened in 1934, Collins said, and closed in 2007.

"It still looks pretty recent, yet it still has the old-school vibe - because these were built in the '20s and '30s. So we can cover a lot of different time frames, a lot of different eras," Collins said. "That's a definite draw for us as a potential filming location."

Other movies with scenes filmed at Cell Block 7 include "Stone," with Robert De Niro in 2010 and "Conviction" with Hilary Swank.

The movies Stone and Convicted were both filmed at Cell Block 7 Museum. (Claire Abendroth | Mlive.com) Claire Abendroth

Redford said in August "The Old Man & the Gun" would be his last as an actor, but has since said he may have spoken too soon.

The 82-year-old actor has starred in movies including "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid," "The Sting," "The Natural," "The Way We Were" and "All the President's Men."GRASS LAKE, MI - Honoring a sanitation worker who was killed on the job -- and to create awareness for the safety of roadside workers -- several trucks participated in a funeral procession Sunday in Grass Lake.

Led by Modern Waste Systems, dozens of trucks from several companies lined the streets of E. Michigan Avenue on Sept. 23 to pay tribute to Justin Pratt, a sanitation worker who died from injuries suffered in a crash Sept. 18 on Riverside Road in Columbia Township.

"He was a good person, a good employee, good family guy," said Modern Waste Systems President Phil Duckham.

Pratt's funeral took place Sunday at Federated Church of Grass Lake, 519 E. Michigan Ave.

There were about 30 trucks participating in the procession, Duckham said, with about half from his company.

In addition to Modern Waste, area companies that participated in Sunday's funeral procession were:

Emmons Service Inc.

Phelps Towing Inc.

Granger

Lester Brothers Inc.

Jimmie's Towing and Auto Repair

Ralph's Towing

"It made me proud," Duckham said of the turnout.

Dozens of trucks from a funeral procession to honor a Modern Waste Systems employee, who was killed on the job last week. Posted by Jackson Citizen Patriot on Sunday, September 23, 2018

Duckham and other companies want to raise awareness and work with state lawmakers to create roadside worker safety laws, he said.

"We've got 85 people working right now for us at Modern Waste and we've been in business for 23 years," Duckham said. "This is the first time something like this has happened to us. We want to make it the last.

"Tough deal. We're all family here."KALAMAZOO, MI -- A property transfer between the Kalamazoo County treasurer and a nonprofit closely connected to the chair of the county board is being highlighted for potential investigation by state police.

Emails provided to MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette by Commissioner Mike Quinn show Kalamazoo Corporate Counsel Elizabeth White is raising questions about the treasurer's office investing tens of thousands of dollars into properties before transferring them to private owners. The county's legal representative told commissioners that she asked the Michigan State Police to investigate a deal with a nonprofit that contracts work for Chair Stephanie Moore and is run by her mother.

White declined to comment on the situation.

Kalamazoo County Treasurer Mary Balkema said it is not uncommon for her office to rehabilitate homes in distressed areas. Moore called the MSP investigation a "witch hunt," spurred by an ongoing feud with White.

"There is an extreme amount of infighting in Kalamazoo County," Moore said. "The toxicity within the administration is horrid."

Balkema transferred 603 Ada St. to Mothers of Hope in February after investing more than $45,000 to rehabilitate the home. Mothers of Hope paid $7,500 to the county's tax reversion fund one month after it acquired the property, according to board member Dorphine Payne and Balkema.

In a Sept. 10 memo sent to commissioners, White said it's not clear if that payment had anything to do with the Ada Street transfer. Records kept by the city of Kalamazoo show the house was transferred to Mothers of Hope for free.

"(White) saw some things that raise some eyebrows and more questions," said Commissioner Kevin Wordelman. "That's what needs to happen. I don't know if anything illegal happened or if there is any quid pro quo or corruption. All we can do is ask those questions and expose it to the light of day."

White said the county should not grant property to anyone without compensation, according to memo. The Ada Street property, which was associated with drug activity, was obtained by the treasurer in 2016 through a tax foreclosure.

It was previously owned by an African-American man who sued Balkema, Kalamazoo County and the Kalamazoo County Land Bank for housing discrimination. He was awarded a $2,500 payment from Kalamazoo County after settling the lawsuit in 2017.

The property owner damaged the home after the settlement, according to a Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety incident report.

Holes were kicked through most walls; sinks, counters and cabinets ripped out and windows were broken. Additional work was needed to repair the roof, install new appliances and make the home safe for occupation.

The county paid for repairs with $12,500 from an insurance settlement and $7,500 from Mothers of Hope. Around $25,000 in rehabilitation work was paid through its tax reversion fund.

Without that investment, Balkema said, the home would have been demolished or become a public safety hazard. The treasurer said Ada Street has a high rate of foreclosure and crime.

Mothers of Hope provides recovery services to families suffering from substance abuse. Payne said the organization was initially skeptical about taking the property, but agreed after several months of discussion.

"When you leave (properties) abandoned, drug pushers and abusers move in," Payne said. "It creates a lot of problems in the neighborhood."

Quinn said White indicated she is looking at two additional properties rehabilitated by the treasurer before being transferred to another entity.

Quinn said he and other Democrats are concerned about potential conflicts of interest due to Moore's association with Mothers of Hope.

Gwen Lanier, Moore's mother, founded Mothers of Hope in 1999. State Rep. Jon Hoadley and City Commissioner Don Cooney serve on its board.

Public tax records show the organization earned $136,600 from contributions, gifts, grants and fundraising events in 2016. A quarter of that revenue went to pay Moore for consulting work.

Moore was paid $34,326 as a program coordinator and consultant in 2016, all of which came from grants, she said. Records show Moore devoted an average of 15-20 hours per week to her position with Mothers of Hope, as much as Lanier and other organization directors.

Payne said Moore was not involved in any discussions regarding the Ada Street property.

"In my opinion there is absolutely no conflict there," Moore said.

Moore has performed consulting work since 2009, according to her LinkedIn profile. She said she does not make decisions on behalf of Mothers of Hope.

Moore said White has had it out for her since she spoke out against the firing of Kalamazoo County assistant corporation counsel Amber Beebe.

A grievance alleging Beebe was terminated illegally was filed with the county board chair on April 1. Moore refused to sign a document stating the county denied allegations in the grievance, criticizing county administrators for being biased against African-American women like Beebe.

Moore has since called for the Board of Commissioners to review White's performance evaluation process.

Balkema objected to the MSP investigation in a Sept. 19 email to commissioners, the same day WMUK published a story about the property transfer. Balkema said she was not contacted by White and criticized Quinn for leaking the Sept. 10 memo to the media.

"I believe I an entitled to due process on this issue," Balkema said in the email. "Forwarding confidential memo's to the press further erodes confidence in this governing board and compromises a police investigation. Having the state police called on a county wide elected official without any notice by the corporate counsel is unprofessional and disrespectful."

Moore requested an independent investigation into Quinn for forwarding emails to the press.

Wordelman said his colleagues should have questions about the transaction.

"We had corporate counsel bring some issues to light, and rightly so, and a commissioner takes it to a reporter because he felt like this issue needed to be subject to public transparency, but then the response is just pure anger and personal attacks," Wordelman said. "People are afraid to speak up and tell truth. When the board is distracted with personal issues and commissioners attacking each other, we're not doing the public's business and we're not focusing on the jobs we were elected to do."

"It seems plausible" that the property transfer could be a payoff for a vote in 2017, Quinn said, though he admitted his suspicions lack hard evidence.

Moore became board chair two months before the Ada Street property was transferred to Mothers of Hope. The Democrat became the first African-American to become chair without a single vote of support from her own party.

Moore gave the deciding vote to make Dale Shugars chair in 2017. In exchange, she was made vice chair that year and became chair with votes from GOP commissioners in 2018.

Balkema is also a Republican.

Moore flatly denied that the Ada Street property deal had anything to do with her support of Shugars in 2017.

"I believe that is the most hateful and untrue and just completely biased statement that Quinn and any other so-called progressive could make," she said.PORTAGE, MI - Police investigated a report of a threat on social media that a Portage Central High student planned to bring a gun to school.

Police said the threat was not substantiated.

Classes will be held Monday, Sept. 24, as planned, police said.

Police were called at 6:27 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, about threats that a student would bring a gun to school to confront another student. Police investigated and talked to all of the students involved.

"The investigation showed that the threats were unsubstantiated," police said in a statement.

"The school will be open and operating on its normal schedule."

Police asked anyone with further information to call Portage Public Safety at 329-4567 or Silent Observer at 343-2100, www.kalamazoosilentobserver.comKALAMAZOO, MI - Three suspects wanted in a shooting Sunday, Sept. 23, were arrested after a crash during a police chase.

Two of the suspects fled on foot after the crash but were later arrested.

Police responded to a 9:52 p.m. report of shots fired in the 800 block of Riverview Drive. An 18-year-old Kalamazoo man suffered a gunshot to the leg while a 17-year-old was grazed by a bullet.

The suspects were driving a stolen Nissan Altima with an Illinois license plate.

Later that night, police spotted the vehicle and gave chase. The pursuit ended when the suspects' car crashed at Davis Street and Wheaton Avenue. Police arrested one of the suspects at the scene but the others fled on foot.

Police were concerned that the two who fled could be armed with handguns. Kalamazoo police, along with state police, Kent County sheriff's deputies and Western Michigan University police, had a strong presence in the area.

Police later said that the other two were arrested.BATTLE CREEK, MI -- The Battle Creek VA Medical Center will soon have a new director overseeing healthcare provided to veterans in the Battle Creek area.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced the appointment of James Doelling to the director position at the facility Monday, Sept. 19.

Doelling will begin serving in the new role on Oct. 16. His duties as director include ensuring the delivery of healthcare to approximately 45,000 veterans per year and will oversee an operating budget of more than $280 million, according to a Battle Creek VA Medical Center press release.

Doelling has 30 years of nursing and leadership experience in a range of medical fields including primary care, mental health, inpatient surgery, acute medicine, telemetry, hospice, intensive care, critical care and oncology, according to the release.

Prior to his appointment to the Battle Creek director position, Doelling served as associate director and patient care services/nurse executive of the the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System since 2015. In 2017, Doelling was nominated for the VA Secretary Award, Nurse Executive of the Year.

Doelling began his nursing career in Connecticut in 1988. He joined the VA in 2001, serving as the nurse manager in the intensive care unit at the VAMC in Providence, Rhode Island. He also held a series of nursing leadership positions in Massachusetts and Illinois.

Veterans Integrated Service Network 10 Director, Robert McDivitt, expressed excitement over the appointment of Doelling. VISN 10 consists of 10 VA medical centers located in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

"His decades of hands-on experience across a multitude of medical fields and proven leadership abilities will be valuable assets for the facility, the employees and volunteers, and -- most importantly -- for the Veterans we are honored to serve," McDivitt said.by Nirmala Carvalho

The prelate must appear before the court of first instance. The police also took him to the place where the rape allegedly took place. A sister in the Missionaries of Jesus who protested against the bishop complains that she has been removed from all positions.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - In Kerala investigations continue into the bishop accused of rape. Today, Msgr. Franco Mulakkal, until recently ordinary of the diocese of Jalandhar (in Punjab) and accused of sexual violence against a sister of the Missionaries of Jesus, will appear before the judge in the Court of First Instance of Pala.

Bishop Mulakkal has been in the custody of the Kottayam police, who are leading the investigation, for two days. On September 21st he was arrested on charges of perpetrating sexual abuse against the nun for two years, from 2014 to 2016. After the arrest, the bishop fell ill and was admitted to Kottayam Medical Hospital.

Yesterday, the officers led the accused to the place where the violence took place. This is the room n. 20 of the Kuravilangad monastery, owned by the Church. The day before in the hospital he was subjected to the sexual potency test.

The bishop's case has occupied the pages of Indian newspapers for days. The episode came to the fore following a demonstration organized by five sisters of the religious who reported the rape. Now one of them, Sr. Lucy Kalappura of the diocese of Mananthavady, in the district of Wayanad, complains that she has been removed from her duties, including teaching catechism to the children of the 10th class.

The sister claims that the hierarchies of the parish in which she works, St. Mary's Church, together with the superior mother of the congregation, have decided to suspend all her pastoral activities, including the distribution of the Eucharist, the teaching of the Bible and the participation in prayers.

According to sr. Lucy, this is a retaliation for participating in protests against the bishop. The parish instead declares that the nun was removed following the complaints of the faithful, "who disapprove of her recent criticism of the Church on social media and have informed the parish priest, Fr. Stephen Kottakkal. The faithful also had problems with the way she teaches faith and is involved in baptism activities. Sister Lucy was only informed by her superior of the people's sentiment. No restrictions have been imposed on her, either as a Catholic or as a nun ".KALAMAZOO, MI -- Gov. Rick Snyder said President Donald Trump's response to the accusations against a Supreme Court nominee "creates a challenge" for the work he and his wife are doing in Michigan.

Backlash against Brett Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, is "not appropriate," Snyder said Monday, Sept. 24, during the Let's End Campus Sexual Assault seminar hosted at Western Michigan University.

The governor's comments came after opening remarks from First Lady Sue Snyder on best practices to respond to sexual assault.

A message of "start by believing" was the focus of Monday's event, where Michigan's first family gathered with community members, college officials, students and law enforcement personnel to "inform, empower and prevent" sexual assault.

Ending sexual assault is "critically important," Snyder said.

"I do have some degree of concern about people viewing the current situation on the Supreme Court nominee," Snyder said. "I hope it doesn't discourage or scare people off. We want people to speak up.

"I hope it doesn't create a fear in people's minds that want to come forward" that their situation will mirror what is going on with the Supreme Court situation, Snyder said.

Believing survivors hasn't been the practice in the past, First Lady Sue Snyder said.

"We have to believe," she said. "I think in the past it hasn't been that way. I think now we are believing them. We are listening."

The governor's daughter, Kelsey Snyder, served as the emcee for Monday's event. In response to questions about the national conversation on sexual assault, she said what is being done in Michigan should be a teaching tool for the rest of the country.

"I challenge the administration to look at what we are doing here in Michigan and take everything our panelists are saying, believe them, do the best practices to make sure people don't feel alone, that they don't feel intimidated, which is exactly what Ms. Ford is going through," said Snyder, a recent graduate of the University of Michigan.

I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2018

"It's definitely harmful, especially to her story," the governor's daughter said about Trump's tweets against Kavanaugh's accusers, "because you never want to question anything they're going through. That's very detrimental to her emotional health."

The governor said he is proud of what has been done in Michigan to address the issue. He highlighted grants given to colleges and universities, a hotline, best practices guidelines and four years of seminars aimed specifically at the cause.

"We can be a role model to the rest of the country, and I think Michigan is on ending campus sexual assault," Snyder said.

"We can be role-models to the rest of the country," he said, "and I hope including the federal government."KALAMAZOO, MI -- Michigan's latest tool in the fight against sexual assault and abuse is a resource website for survivors, the First Lady announced Monday.

Sue Snyder announced a new website Monday, Sept. 24, during the 4th annual Let's End Campus Sexual Assault summit hosted at Western Michigan University.

The website, michigan.gov/voices4, includes educational information on sexual, domestic, child and elder abuse, health and legal options and information on helping a survivor.

"I'm very proud of the people, students, institutions and organizations that have stepped up to help make Michigan become a national leader in combating campus sexual assault," Snyder said.

Snyder announced an anonymous hotline for survivors of sexual assault in August. Crisis counselors are at the other end of the phone line, monitoring 24 hours a day every day, she said.

The hotline can be reached at 1-855-VOICES4.

The summit on ending sexual assault brought community members, college officials, students, politicians and law enforcement officials together at WMU for discussion and education on preventing and responding to sexual assaults both on and off campus.

The over 600 attendees heard lessons on topics like informed consent, intersectionality, survivor-centered strategies for healing and the best practices for responding to sexual assault reports.

Gov. Rick Snyder, the First Lady and their daughter Kelsey Snyder spoke about the importance of ending campus assaults. Because reports of sexual assault and violence are front-page news and the topic of conservation across the country, the governor said now is the time to get involved and "change the culture."

First Lady Sue Snyder said the practice of non-belief must end. A common mantra from Monday's summit was "start by believing."

The issue of sexual assault reaches local, state and national arenas. Former doctor Larry Nassar and the accusations against the nominee for the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh, among other instances that inspired the #MeToo movement, are putting the issue at the forefront, and now is the time to act, she said.

"You're tired of just talking about it," she said. "You're ready to be a part of the solution."Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System Superintendent Rane Garcia (courtesy of Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System)

MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI - Proper accounting procedures were not followed when gift cards were purchased for staff members by the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System, according to an independent investigation.

Public funds were used to purchase $25,000 in gift cards during December 2017 and June 2018 at the direction of Superintendent Rane Garcia as part of a program to retain teachers and support staff who are employed by contractors.

At the request of the Michigan Department of Education, Thrun Law Firm was hired by the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District to investigate the gift card purchases, some of which were made by an MAISD employee. The academy pays the MAISD for financial services.

MLive/Muskegon Chronicle received a copy of the investigative report on Wednesday, Sept. 19, via a Freedom of Information Act request.

The investigation determined the purchases were a "technical infraction" of the Michigan School Code, which is state law. MDE is asking the academy to develop policies and procedures to prevent similar infractions in the future, according to an MDE spokesman.

However, a news release from the academy, issued on Monday, Sept. 24, said that the gift card distribution "did not violate the law."

"These findings completely support Superintendent Garcia's actions as lawful and within the educational mission of the academy," Garland Kilgore, board president, said in the statement.

When asked to explain why the academy said the purchases didn't violate state law, Garcia said, "The report clearly states there was no criminal intent, simply a technical infraction."

The report reveals that two financial service contractors - one of whom was working for the MAISD at the time - did not follow "regular accounting protocol" when purchasing the gift cards. In both instances, written purchase orders were not processed, which would have been the typical procedure, according to the report.

"The gift cards were purchased directly from the bank as an efficient and accountable means of purchase," Garcia said in an email response regarding the investigative report.

The academy's purchase orders are reviewed by MAISD Associate Superintendent for Administrative Services Mike Schluentz, according to the report. Since there were no purchase orders, the MAISD was unaware of the gift card purchases.

"We provide accounting services, not financial oversight," MAISD Superintendent John Severson said when asked to comment about the investigative findings. "The staff member who did that did not connect with us in the central office. We will be following up with that staff member to make sure it doesn't happen again."

It is believed that the employees purchased the gift cards "at the direction of the Superintendent Garcia," according to the report.

In December 2017, the gift card purchase was carried out by an independent contractor not employed by the MAISD, according to the report.

The contractor sent an email to the academy's bank in December requesting gift cards totaling $18,900 plus fees, according to the report. There were 90 cards of $200 each, 15 cards of $30 each and 20 cards of $20 each. Names were embossed onto the cards.

In June, an MAISD employee made a gift card purchase for the academy in a similar manner, according to the report. The employee went to the academy's bank and made a "miscellaneous" withdrawal to purchase 42 gift cards totaling $6,300: 21 for $200 and 21 for $100.

All gift cards were distributed to staff employed by third-party contractors, except for $300 worth of cards that contracted employees did not pick up in December and $1,400 worth not picked up in June, according to an audit by Schluentz that was included in the report.

There was "no evidence of theft or other misappropriation," according to the report.

The MAISD Board of Education reviewed the investigative report findings in closed session on Monday, Sept. 17.

On Tuesday, Sept. 18, the MDE issued a news release on the matter that noted that no local policies were violated in the gift card purchases.

Two academy policies - on "student fundraising" and "membership" - were provided to the firm for review. Garcia was not interviewed, according to the report. The firm reviewed all MAISD policies and "relevant contracts and communications" provided by the MAISD.

The MDE has asked the academy to submit an action plan to address the investigation's findings.

"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," David Head, communications representative for MDE, said in an email response to MLive/Muskegon Chronicle on Tuesday, Sept. 18.

Schluentz's gift card audit included suggestions to make the process more reliable:

Gift cards should be handled through the academy's normal purchasing process with a purchase order, administrative approvals and a check or card transaction. There should also be a detailed invoice and an inventory of each card issued.

Each staff person should sign a statement verifying they received the card, its dollar value and the card number.

The academy board should approve each transaction with a board action.

All unused cards should be returned to the processor and cash should be redeposited into the academy's bank account as soon as possible.

The academy board will develop a "plan of action" to address the report, Kilgore said in a statement.SAGINAW, MI - The Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is pledging its cooperation in an investigation of all Michigan dioceses by the Attorney General's Office into allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy.

Saginaw Bishop Joseph Cistone released a statement on the diocese's website on Sunday, Sept. 23.

"The Diocese of Saginaw stands ready to fully cooperate with the Michigan Attorney General's investigation of the seven Catholic dioceses in Michigan," the statement reads.

The statement also reads the Diocese is confident in the policies and procedures it has put into place and followed for over 15 years.

Other dioceses in Michigan posted similar announcements on their web pages.

The Diocese of Grand Rapids said it "welcomes and will fully cooperate with the Department of the Attorney General. We welcome them to join us in our efforts of inviting survivors to come forward, a practice that has been in place since 2002. We believe this investigation will help to restore the trust of Catholics throughout our 11 counties."

Diocese of Gaylord Bishop Steven J. Raica issued a statement that reads, in part: "In 2002, the Diocese of Gaylord completed a review of all of our priest's files dating back to the establishment of the diocese in 1971. The results of that effort were then reported to the prosecutors in each of our 21 counties. We pledged then to report any future allegations of sexual abuse of a minor involving clergy of our diocese to them, regardless of when the incident was alleged to have occurred. This has been, and will remain, our practice."

The attorney general's investigation announcement makes Michigan the ninth state to do so after Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, New Mexico, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and Florida also opened investigations into their Catholic dioceses.

On the Saginaw Diocese website, Cistone also apologized for the "failures" in the Church leadership and said "without doubt, these have been very devastating and humbling days for us as a Diocese and the Church universally."

Cistone's announcement comes weeks after a Saginaw Diocesan priest pleaded no contest on Sept. 4 to seven criminal charges in the sexual assault of three young men.

The attorney general's announcement of a new statewide investigation was praised by Saginaw County prosecutors who are investigating the Saginaw diocese specifically. Mark J. Gaertner, assistant Saginaw County prosecutor, said he hopes it will be a sincere effort to address the issue.Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party won 58.3% of the votes. The outgoing president Abdulla Yameen, a friend of China, was the favorite on the eve. Messages of appreciation from Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Male (AsiaNews / Agencies) - With a result that has surprised everyone, the presidential elections in the Maldives were won by the opposition parties candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The newly elected member of the Maldivian Democratic Party (Mdp) is unknown to the general public. With 58.3% of the votes, he defeated his rival, the outgoing president Abdulla Yameen, a close friend of China who all gave for a certain win on the eve of the election which took place yesterday.

The results were released this morning by the Election Commission. Out of a total of 262 thousand voters, more than 88% went to the polls. Solih, with the nickname of "Ibu", is one of the closest collaborators of Mohamed Nasheed, leader of the MDP and first president democratically elected in 2008, forced into exile in 2012 by a coup d'etat.

From Sri Lanka, where he is a refugee, he tweeted: "Congratulations to the president-elect @busolin. You have rendered an extraordinary service not only to the people of the Maldives, but to all those who love freedom. Democracy is historical inevitability ".

The vote took many by surprise. For the analysts Yameen's victory was almost obvious, especially after the constitutional crisis,this year, thanks to which he managed to silence the opposition. In February, the Supreme Court ruled the release of opponents belonging to the MDP and the reopening of their trials, including that for terrorism against Mohamed Nasheed.

Fearing that Parliament could vote impeachment against him, Yameen suspended constitutional rights and declared a state of emergency. Then he arrested by Supreme Court President Abdulla Saeed and judge Ali Hameed and his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (former dictator for 30 years until 2008). The highest judicial body, left without leadership, then withdrew its decision to release MP Opponents.

The victory of "Ibu" was immediately welcomed by India, which competes with China to impose its commercial influence on the archipelago. At the news, the Indian foreign ministry issued a note of appreciation. "This election  it reads - marks not only triumph of democratic forces in Maldives, but also reflects firm commitment to democracy and rule of law. In keeping with our 'Neighborhood First' Policy, India looks forward to working closely with Maldives in further deepening our partnership."The presidential session will take place on 23 September. The opposition presents an unknown candidate. China continues to expand its commercial influence.

Male (AsiaNews / Agencies)  The consolidation of an, authoritarian regime that oppresses religious and civil liberties, with an ever more decisive approach to China: this is the path towards which the Maldives is headed on the eve of the presidential elections, Sunday 23 September.

The re-election of the current head of state Abdulla Yameen Gayoom, a close friend of Beijing with whom he has signed a series of commercial agreements in the "Belt and Road" plan (the new Chinese Silk Road), seems increasingly obvious.

The election will take place amid an almost total lack of opposition, thanks to a series of arrests made in recent months during a constitutional crisis, when Yameen declared a state of emergency and silenced the dissent of the judiciary deemed hostile and of political opponents close to the former president.

The challenger Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is backed by a coalition of opposition parties, but he is a semi-unknown candidate in politics and has never held important positions. Many believe that it is more than anything else a puppet in the hands of exiled ex-president Mohamed Nasheed, the first and only democratically elected president of the tourist paradise in 2008, removed from a coup d'etat in 2012.

Several international observers and foreign journalists have not received a visa to enter the country, although their names appear on the list of those accredited by the Electoral Commission. Among the excluded, the envoys of Le Figaro, AFP, New York Times and Devirupa Mitra, Deputy Director and India correspondent of The Wire, who laments on Twitter that no Indian journalist will cover the event.

India is precisely the most interested spectator of the presidential round, given its ambition to challenge Chinese hegemony in the Indian Ocean and the traditional support it has given Nasheed. Meanwhile, China continues with the granting of loans and the construction of large infrastructures supporting the new Silk Road. On September 18, a new 3.5 kilometer "track" was inaugurated, connecting Velana International Airport to the Male capital (see photo 2). Called the "bridge of Sino-Maldivian friendship", Beijing spent 200 million dollars for its construction.

International observers highlight the lack of civil and democratic freedoms, which with a re-election of Yameen could be denied even more. Also in the archipelago there is no room for religious freedom: on the atolls there is sharia (Islamic law) and Sunni Islam is the state religion.by Purushottam Nayak

Sr Deepika Nayak is originally from Tiangia, a village that saw some of the most vicious violence by Hindu radicals. In 2008 she survived by escaping into the forest. "The executioners may kill my body, but not my soul. Death is not the end but the beginning of eternal life."

Tiangia, a Catholic village in Kandhamal District (Odisha), one of the one most affected by the anti-Christian persecution in 2008, has a new nun, Sr Deepika Nayak, 22.

In August 2008, she was a witness to the massacres and survived by fleeing into the forest. Now she is being sent to the Delhi province.

"I saw my people brutally killed for their faith in Christ, she said, but persecution in Kandhamal did not deter me. On the contrary, it pushed me to accept God's calling."

On 15 September the village organised a ceremony in her honour. In his homily, Fr Vijay Nayak said: "We thank the Lord for the constant love and compassion that the people of Kandhamal experience every day.

God calls us to his Kingdom not because we are worthy, but because he makes us worthy. The Lord has called Sr Deepika to be a missionary like the disciples of Christ. Kandhamal is like a tree that gives good fruits like the priests and nuns who have a great mission to fulfil."

About 3,000 faithful, 23 priests and 15 nuns took part in the celebration in Tiangia, the small village that gave the Indian Church the martyr in faith Fr Bernard Digal, who was killed by Hindu radicals in 2008.

Sr Deepika, the second of seven children, was born in the village on 2 May 1996. She began her education at the local school. From 2009 to 2011 she studied at the Pravati Tara Girl's High School in Bamunigam, then in 2011 she entered the training school at Sanipath, in Hariyana.

Afterwards, she spent a year of discernment in the community of Delhi before starting her novitiate in 2016. On 8 September she made her first profession of faith, thus joining the Sisters of Charity of the Saints Bartolomea Capitanio and Vincenza Gerosa, also known as nuns of Maria Bambina (Holy Child Mary).

The sisters of the Institute are involved with sick and disabled children, performing works of charity towards the poor, the needy and the oppressed.

Sr Deepika took her vows together with Sisters Delsi Debis and Jini Thomas, both from Kerala.

On 15 September, the three nuns paid tribute to the Christian victims and prayed at the memorial dedicated to the martyrs.

"The executioners may kill my body, but not my soul, said Sr Deepika. Death is not the end but the beginning of eternal life.In celebrating Mass at the Mother of God shrine in Aglona, Francis calls on people to welcome others. Sometimes we see a return to ways of thinking that would have us be suspicious of others, or would show us with statistics that we would be better off, more prosperous and more secure just by ourselves.

Riga (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis celebrated Mass this afternoon at the Mother of God Shrine in Aglona, Latvia, a country the pontiff praised this morning for the capacity of its people to live together.

In his homily, the Holy Father called for welcoming others without discrimination, to care for them, in a spirit of universal fraternity even if Sometimes we see a return to ways of thinking that would have us be suspicious of others, or would show us with statistics that we would be better off, more prosperous and more secure just by ourselves.

Thousands of people (pictured), many young people in traditional clothes, stood under a rainy sky, many singing melancholic tunes from countries that have not forgotten decades of oppression.

The Pope referred to this when he mentioned Mgr Boleslavs Sloskans, a Latvian bishop who was arrested by the Gestapo as well as, on several occasions, by Soviet authorities. Francis noted that the bishop, who is buried in Aglona, said, do not let vengeance or exasperation find a way into your hearts.

Likewise, Francis reminded those present that Mary and the disciples of these lands invite us to receive our brothers and sisters. [. . .] Mary shows herself  she stands near those who suffer, those from whom the world flees, including those who have been put on trial, condemned by all, deported. Nor is it that they are simply oppressed or exploited; they are completely outside the system, on the very fringes of society (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 53). The Mother also stands close by them, steadfast beneath their cross of incomprehension and suffering.

Mary also shows us how to stand near these situations; it demands more than simply passing by or making a quick visit, engaging in a kind of tourism of solidarity. Rather, it means that those in painful situations should feel us standing firmly at their side and on their side. All those discarded by society can experience the Mother who remains discreetly near them, for in their sufferings she sees the open wounds of her Son Jesus. She learned this at the foot of the cross. We too are called to touch the sufferings of others. Let us go out to meet our people, to console them and accompany them. Let us not be afraid to experience the power of tenderness, to get involved and let our lives become complicated for the sake of others (cf. ibid, 270).

Certainly, when we open ourselves to others, we can get badly hurt. In political life, too, past conflicts between peoples can painfully come to the fore. Mary shows herself to be a woman open to forgiveness, to setting aside resentment and suspicion.

Harmony is always difficult when we are different, when our differences of age, life experiences and circumstances lead us to feel, think and act in ways that, at first sight, seem opposed. When, in faith, we listen to the command to receive and be received, it becomes possible to build unity in diversity, for differences neither restrain nor divide us, but allow us to look more deeply and to see others in their most profound dignity, as sons and daughters of the same Father (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 228).

In this Eucharist, as in every Eucharist, we recall the day of Golgotha. From the foot of the cross, Mary invites us to rejoice that we have been received as her sons and daughters, even as her Son Jesus invites us to receive her into our own homes and to make her a part of our lives. Mary wants to give us her courage, so that we too can remain steadfast, and her humility, so that, like her, we can adapt to whatever life brings. In this, her Shrine, she begs that all of us may recommit ourselves to welcoming one another without discrimination. In this way, all in Latvia may know that we are willing to show preference to the poor, to raise up those who have fallen, and to receive others just as they come, just as they are.

At the end of the ceremony, the Pope offered a special rosary crown to the image of the Virgin before travelling to the heliport of Aglona to fly back to Vilnius, Lithuania.live bse live

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Apollo Tyres Monday said it has started commercial production of its Apollo brand of truck tyres at its Hungarian facility. Last year in April, the company had started rolling out passenger car tyres under Apollo and Vredestein from the plant which has been set up with a total investment of EUR 475 million.

The first lot of truck tyres from the plant are now being used by Piessens and Zonen from Londerzeel, Belgium, a company specialising in transportation of construction materials, Apollo Tyres said in a statement.

The company said Belgium being the first country in Europe where Apollo truck tyres were first introduced last year, the country was the obvious choice to start the delivery from the company's Hungarian plant.

"With over 2 per cent market share already, the country has become an important market for the brand," it added.

Apollo Tyres started supplying Apollo brand of truck tyres in Europe in 2017. The Hungarian unit in Gyongyoshalasz region is Apollo Tyres' second production facility in Europe, and sixth worldwide.

In the phase I, the facility will have an installed capacity of producing 14,000 passenger car tyres a day and 1,200 truck tyres daily.live bse live

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will soon file a charge sheet under the anti-money laundering law against the Sandesara brothers, wanted in an over Rs 5,000 crore alleged bank loan fraud case, promoters of a Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company, officials said.

The central probe agency will subsequently seek Interpol red corner notices (global arrest warrants) against the brothers and other accused based on this criminal complaint even as their exact locations remains unknown and changing-- from UAE to Nigeria, the officials said.

The charge sheet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is expected to be filed before a special court here within the next fortnight, they said.

The ED has earlier filed few charge sheets, called prosecution complaints, in this case in the past against other accused.

The agency said it had registered a PMLA case against the Sandesara brothers-- Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara and Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara-- and their Vadodara-based company Sterling Biotech and others on October 27 last year, two days after a case of alleged bank fraud of Rs 5,700 crore and corruption was filed against them by the CBI.

"Loans to the tune of Rs 5,700 crore was disbursed by various banks during the years 2004-2012. Look Out Circulars (LOCs) were opened against the accused in August, 2017.

"During the course of investigation, three persons were arrested, one of them Gagan Dhawan, who was close to the power centre when the loans were sanctioned," the ED said in a statement.

It added that the agency has already attached properties worth Rs 4,703 crore and is looking for "more properties and trails for the proceeds of crime" in this case.

The ED and the CBI have booked the company, its directors-- the Sandesara brothers, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Vilas Joshi, chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, former director Andhra Bank Anup Garg and some unidentified persons in connection with the alleged bank fraud case.

It is alleged that the company took loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank which had turned into non-performing assets.live bse live

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Lenders and shareholders may consider rescuing Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) to avoid a contagion effect on the entire financial market in India. The saving grace may come with a caveat that the infrastructure lender will have to create a tangible plan to monetise its assets.

A rescue package will be discussed in the meeting IL&FS has with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and shareholders on September 28, a day ahead of the its board meet. A banker, part of one of the large shareholders of IL&FS said: "We had plans to sell stake in it as part of our non-core asset sale. So, we will definitely not lend more, but will have to wait and watch what the RBI says on Friday."

The government along with the banking and markets regulator RBI and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) have assured intervention and appropriate action, if necessary.

HDFC (Housing Development and Finance Corporation), one of its largest shareholders with 9.02 percent stake in IL&FS, will not attend the meeting. Earlier, it had refused to extend loans to IL&FS.

The recent defaults by IL&FS on its interest payments to its bondholders have triggered concerns in the debt market about a cash crisis arising out of increase in non-performing assets (NPAs) in non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), especially Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL) and Indiabulls Housing Finance. This caused ripple effects in equity stock markets, which crashed to nearly 1,500 points on September 22.

The crash followed DSP mutual fund selling its bond holdings of DHFL, which caused fears among investors of further defaults after the IL&FS, where the first signs of trouble emerged in June.

Liquidity infusion

The only way the situation can be salvaged is if LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India) and other lenders come in with Rs 4,000 - 5,000 crore worth of liquidity infusion. This will give reassurance to the market that large institutions will come forward to bail them out, a senior banker said.

On September 14, sources told Moneycontrol that LIC could infuse about Rs 800 crore as part of the Rs 3,000 crore-fund raising proposal.

We will look at what assets could fetch money in the shortest time possible, else some lenders are threatening legal action (going to the insolvency courts). Although, we need to look what IL&FS has to offer and what kind of hair-cuts (losses) we will have to take, another lender said.

Given the large shareholding by government-backed institutions  LIC with 25.34 percent stake, Central Bank of India (7.67 percent) and State Bank of India (SBI, 6.42 percent)  the government could facilitate the sale of its assets to avoid a financial crisis at IL&FS and its consequent impact on other financial institutions.

IL&FS had defaulted on inter-corporate deposits and commercial papers (borrowings) worth about Rs 450 crore. In September, it defaulted on two of its bond maturities. Over the past two to three months, at least three rating agencies downgraded its long-term ratings.

As a result, the infrastructure giant, which is credited for building the longest tunnel in the country (the Chennai-Nashri tunnel), no longer carries an investment grade rating. This has made it difficult for the company to raise money from the market from here on.

Also Read: Debt and defaults: What happened to IL&FS?

If the investors in debt funds start panicking, there could be a further contagion effect. Some of the NBFCs have very high leverage, the debt-to-equity ratio of some NBFCs is 11 or 12 times. That is a cause of concern particularly if there is an ALM (asset liability management) mismatch, according to one of the bankers quoted above.

An ALM mismatch happens when you have funded long-term assets with the help of short-term liabilities. This means your repayment is due much before you get the cash from the assets, the banker explained.

A senior analyst said, Fundamentally, IL&FS is strong but they have temporary pain. They had plans to monetise assets and raise sizeable equity but now that getting delayed, they have some money stuck with the government as well. So, if they manage to get a good price for their assets, they can assure the investors who can bring in money at this moment.

As per IL&FS, it is due to receive Rs 16,000 crore from concession-granting authorities, which, if cleared, would help solve its liquidity problems. However, the government maintains the dues are much lower.

As on March end 2018, IL&FSs total outstanding debt was Rs 91,091.31 crore at the group level, with most of the operating assets with its subsidiaries. Around Rs 5,756 crore worth of debt is due for repayment in the next one year.

However, with the resignation of top officials in IL&FS and its subsidiaries, it remains to be seen if the regulators and government can rescue the debt-strapped firm and contain the epidemic of default that could spread to other financial institutions. Or whether they will let IL&FS find its own destiny through the market.live bse live

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A day before its board meeting, Yes Bank reassured investors of the banks commitment to its stakeholders along with its strong financial position.

At the outset, the Bank would like to inform its stakeholders that the Bank and its MD & CEO (managing director and chief executive officer) will be fully guided by its Board of Directors (meeting scheduled on September 25, 2018), the Reserve Bank of India and other relevant stakeholders. The Bank's management remains committed to protecting the interests of all of its stakeholders, Yes Bank said in a statement to the stock exchanges.

On September 19, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had cut short Rana Kapoor's tenure to five months allowing him to serve as the bank's chief only up to January 31, 2019.

The board is set to meet on September 25 to decide on the action plan after the RBI directive.

Also Read: Yes Bank's hunt for Rana Kapoor's successor could run into legal, boardroom battles

In the statement, Yes Bank stated, The Bank has a demonstrated track record of consistent delivery of business & financial outcomes over the last 14 years, since the commencement of its operations in mid-2004, across all critical parameters such as capital adequacy, credit risk, profitability, operating efficiency, growth, etc.

The bank also reiterated the credit cost guidance for FY19 at 50-70 basis points (bps) as shared by the management in the FY18 / Q4FY18 results, it added.

Apart from listing out the strong ratings by different agencies, Yes Bank also pointed out its capital strength, brand value and other positives.

This comes amid rising uncertainty on the bank's future leadership, which is also compounded by a Bombay High Court order of June 4, 2015, which makes it difficult to appoint a suitable candidate for the CEO's post or even appoint a whole-time (executive) director. The High Court order reiterates that as per the Articles of Association of the Banking Regulation Act, both the promoters can only appoint a director jointly.

Given the dispute between the two promoters (Rana Kapoor and Madhu Kapur) of Yes Bank, they have been unable to come to an understanding on jointly recommending whole-time directors or settle any major issue in the management of the bank.29 people died in the attack, at least 57 injured. Claimed by ISIS and the Al-Ahwazi group. Rouhani: "Saddam's mercenaries who changed masters and enjoy Washington's support." US Ambassador to the UN: Iran must "look in the mirror".

Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has accused Arab separatists of being the perpetrators of the attack on a military parade on 22 September in Ahvaz, in the southwest of the country, where 29 people died and about 60 were injured.

The head of state believes the attack - claimed by the Islamic State (IS, ex Isis) and a separatist Arab movement  was instigated by an unspecified Gulf nation that enjoys the support of the United States.

The attack took place in the context of the celebrations for the anniversary of the Iraq invasion, which began the war between Tehran and Baghdad in the 1980s. In response, the Iranian government summoned the ambassadors of Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, who would host members belonging to the group "suspected" of having hit the parade.

Official sources and local witnesses claim that the assailants (four in total) wore Iranian army uniforms; they would open fire using weapons they had previously hidden in a nearby park.

In the aftermath of the attack, Islamic State issued an official claim on the Amaq channel; in the video three men are seen wearing the uniforms of the Revolutionary Guardians, as they head towards the scene of the attack. However, claims also came from the Arab separatist group Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front (Adpf, Al-Ahwazi).

Ahvaz is the capital of the Khuzestan province, an oil-rich frontier area inhabited by a strong Arab community of more than three million people, mostly Sunni. For a long time they have accused the Shiite central authorities of discrimination; in recent years there have been several attacks by separatist groups against oil structures.

Previously, violent riots occurred in the area between 2005 and 2006, followed by bomb attacks attributed to separate Arab groups, which caused 28 deaths and 225 wounded. It was from that area that Saddam Hussein attempted to invade an Iran still reeling from the Ayatollah Revolution, taking advantage of the alleged support of Arab tribes.

Speaking on state television on the eve of his departure for New York, where he will participate in the UN General Assembly, Rouhani declared that it is "very clear who did this". "Those who perpetrated this catastrophe - he adds - were Saddam's mercenaries while he was alive, and now they have changed their masters". And one of the states south of the Persian Gulf "took the trouble to meet thier financial, political and military needs". "They are mercenary nations - concludes Rouhani - supported by America".

The US response was immediate and issued by the diplomatic representative at the UN. According to Nikki Haley, among the Trump administration's anti-Tehran hawks, Iran must "look in the mirror" when looking for the causes of the military parade attack. President Rouhani, added the US head of mission to the United Nations, has been "oppressing his people" for too long.live bse live

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The board of state-run Dena Bank on September 24 approved its merger with Bank of Baroda along with another state-run lender Vijaya Bank.

Last week, government had announced merger of Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank to create the country's second largest lender by assets and branches.

"The board meeting has decided to recommend for amalgamation of our bank with Bank of Baroda and Vijaya Bank," Dena Bank said in a filing to exchanges.

Consolidation would enable creation of a bank with business scale comparable to global banks and capable of competing effectively in the country and globally, it said.

"Amalgamation of our bank with BoB and Vijaya Bank would result in a strong amalgamated bank, equipped with financial cushion to deal with post-amalgamation requirements during the stabilisation phase," the city-based bank said.

Consolidation would also provide impetus for building banks with scale, ramping up credit growth, adoption of best practices across amalgamating entities for cost efficiency and improved risk management and financial inclusion through wider reach, it said.

The combined business of amalgamated entities would make it second largest state-run bank, after State Bank of India. As of June 2018, the combined business mix of these three lenders stood at Rs 14.82 trillion.

While announcing the merger last week, financial services secretary Rajiv Kumar had said the merged entity would have better financial strength.

Dena Bank's net NPA ratio will be at 5.71 percent, significantly better than public sector banks' average of 12.13 percent, he had said, adding so would be the provision coverage ratio at 67.5 percent against average of 63.7 percent and cost to income ratio of the combined entity would come down to 48.94 percent as compared to average of 53.92 percent.

The amalgamation of the three banks would be through share swap which will be the part of scheme of merger.

In April 2017, State Bank had merged with itself five of its subsidiary banks and taking over Bharatiya Mahila Bank, catapulting it to be among top 50 global lenders with over $550 billion in combined assets.

Post-merger of BoB, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, the number of PSU banks will come down to 19.Moneycontrol News

Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL) has said that it has not defaulted on or delayed repayment of any of its financial obligations, including any outstanding debt.

The government has said it will take measures to provide liquidity to non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and maintain the liquidity situation.

"On September 21, 2018, DHFL fulfilled its commitment of repaying commercial papers worth INR 575 crore and as per schedule and terms, is repaying INR 400 crore on September 24, 2018," the company said in a statement.

Also read: Friday's carnage in NBFCs, midcaps underscores vulnerability of F&O positions

Shares of DHFL recovered after posting massive losses on Friday.

DHFL added that it received affirmation of its rating from ICRA and CARE.

"The credit rating for DHFLs short and long term borrowings including Fixed Deposits has been reaffirmed as CARE AAA (Outlook: Stable) and CARE AAA (FD); Stable (Triple AAA, Outlook: Stable) and ICRA A1+," the NBFC said in a statement.

DHFL also gave assurances about its cash situation.

"DHFL's CP(commercial papers) shall be ~6 percent of our total borrowings and the total assets and liability book is over INR 1 Lakh crore. The company remains cash surplus even after considering repayment of all liabilities on account of CP, NCD, interest payment, bank dues, etc. till March 2019," the company said.

Shares of most NBFCs slid on September 24 due to fears of a liquidity crisis.

Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) defaulting on a payment to IDBI sparked rumours of a debt crisis in the NBFC sector.The department of heavy industries (DHI) is likely to extend the first phase of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric vehicles (FAME) scheme by another six months with the government beginning to revamp the second phase of the scheme.

With the deadline expiring on September 30, FAME-I is being extended till March, 2019 as the proposed second phase of FAME could not be sent to the cabinet, said an official source.

The period of the FAME India scheme is further extended for a period of six months i.e. up to September 30, 2018 or till date of launching of phase-II of FAME-India scheme, whichever is earlier, DHI had said in a statement.

According to sources, officials at DHI have started modifying the proposed phase-II of the scheme after Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, raised questions on the subsidy framework.

Moneycontrol reported on September 11 that the PM dodged disclosing FAME-II at a global mobility summit, Move, as he was not convinced with the idea of subsidising electric vehicles. He, instead, asked officials to focus on reducing the cost of batteries which makes the vehicles expensive.

Also read: PM Modi asks officials to focus on cheaper batteries to promote electric mobility in India

Sources said that the PMO was informed about modified special incentive package scheme (M-SIPS) by ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) which provides 20 (or 25 percent) percent capital subsidy on new and/or expansion of electronic-product manufacturing projects located in special economic zones (or non SEZs).

The officials told the PM that M-SIPs is difficult to implement, so he asked officials to bring out strategies that would reduce cost of batteries, sources said.

The officials, however, say that the proposal by PMO is difficult in execution as raw materials like lithium ion and magnet strips are not available in the country.

Presently, lithium ion batteries, used in electric cars, are supplied by countries like China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the United States and Japan.

According to sources, DHI is contemplating charging green cess on petrol and diesel vehicles to raise the amount required to subsidise electric cars.

Also read: Electric vehicles: Government raises incentives under FAME-II to Rs 5,500 crore

A green cess on conventional fuel-run vehicles could fetch close to Rs 3,000 crore. This amount from the market can be used to subsidise electric vehicles without the government having to shed a single penny, people privy to the development said.

FAME India scheme was launched by DHI in 2015 to subsidise the purchase of electric vehicles. It offers subsidy up to Rs 22,000 on two wheelers, Rs 61,000 on three wheelers and Rs 1,87,000 on light commercial vehicles.

Under the second phase, a package of Rs 5,500 crore was approved by the finance ministry. Of this, Rs 1,000 crore was to be used for setting up charging infrastructure. Electric two/three/four wheelers were to receive subsidy of Rs 10,000 per kilowatt hour and buses were eligible for a subsidy of Rs 20,000 per kWh under the scheme.

The scheme was launched under National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2013. FAME-I was introduced for two years, to be concluded in March 2017. It, however, received two extensions  till March 2018 and later till September 2018 -- owing to lack of consensus among National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and various involved ministries.shopping_bag_93631531

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Appliance makers expect a 50 percent year-on-year (YoY) jump in sales at Rs 10,000 crore during the ongoing festive season, that began with Onam in August and continues till the year-end.

During the festive period lasting nearly four months, companies offer discounted products and attractive financing options for customers.

However, rising fuel costs and rupee depreciation may keep discounts low between 5-10 percent this year. Since a majority of raw materials for white goods are imported, a dip in the rupee impacts manufacturing costs.

Last year, the introduction of goods and services tax (GST) had played spoilsport. The rate of taxation on finished goods increased by almost 5 percent causing a crash in sales. Consumers either already bought the products at a lower rate in anticipation of GST or postponed their buying decisions to await a price cut. As a result, festive sales dropped almost 20 percent to approximately Rs 6,000 crore in FY18.

Kamal Nandi, Business Head and EVP, Godrej Appliances said the company is targeting a 30 percent growth in sales as compared to the same period last year. He said the pre-GST sales had wiped off the Diwali gleam last year.

We are upbeat about the forthcoming festive season with the launch of 40 new models across categories. As the brand marks 60 years, we are also offering a unique opportunity for our consumers to take home our premium product range under very attractive finance schemes, he added.

Kerala floods

Heavy rainfall and floods that lashed Kerala in July and August led to heavy loss of life and property hitting the sales of durables.

But Nandi said pent-up demand will work in their favour, despite high fuel prices pinching pockets and depreciating rupee creating pricing pressure for appliance makers.

Onam sales are estimated at Rs 1,000 crore every year but this year sales were minimal since people had to spend on rebuilding their homes.

Dealers told Moneycontrol that both Kerala and Karnataka are seeing a bounce back in appliance sales.

"There is a cash crunch that is clearly visible. But several companies have tied-up with non-banking financial companies to offer personal loans as well as products on EMI," said the Southern region head of a large appliances store.

GST reduction

After a series of discussions, the GST Council on July 21 decided to slash rates of several products in the white goods category. This came as a surprise for consumers ahead of the festive season.

GST was reduced on products like televisions (up to 27 inches), refrigerators, food processors and washing machines from 28 percent to 18 percent.

Sunil Shankar, Business Head, AC and LED Panels, Onida (Mirc Electronics) said the reduction in GST rates from 28 percent to 18 percent on washing machines and televisions (up to 27 inches) would also help to increase the demand for televisions and washing machines.

The base effect will also play a role in the festive sales growth in FY19. Shankar added the GST-migration effect of last year will play out in their sales growth this year.

Price increase

Electronic goods companies have been forced to raise prices due to the fuel price jump and rupee depreciation. Nandi said prices were up 3.5-4 percent.

However, the price increase was offset by a reduction in the prices of goods after the GST cut. So, in reality, the final price increase is still lower than the earlier rates applicable.

During the last 10 years, the Indian domestic appliances market grew by nearly 9 percent (CAGR), surpassing the overall 3 percent growth of global white goods market.

New products, discounts on offer

Air-conditioner segment major Voltas and Turkey-based Arcelik have launched a consumer durables brand, Voltas Beko. The new company, Voltbek Home Appliances has introduced a wide range of home appliances which include refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves, and dishwashers in time for the festive season.

Voltbek plans to launch over 100 products over the next three months including 44 units of refrigerators, 40 units of washing machines, 12 units of microwaves/ovens and seven units of dishwashers.

Similarly, Godrej Appliances is launching 40 new models across categories, the bulk of which belong to the premium frost-free and fully automatic segments.

A lot of gifts and discounts are also on offer. Onida consumers will get an assured gift or a 30 percent discount on their next purchase. Shankar said the total worth of the gifts and offers during the festive season would be Rs 50 crore.The September 21 crash in shares of non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) like Dewan Housing Finance (DHFL) and Indiabulls Housing Finance and a host of midcaps yet again underlines the markets vulnerability to huge positions in stock futures.

Stocks eligible for derivatives trading on both exchanges are not subject to intra-day circuit filters. This means that stock prices could rise or fall to any level. For stocks not in the derivatives segment there is a 20 percent intra-day circuit filter, which means that prices cannot rise or fall more than 20 percent over the previous days closing price.

The charm of trading in stock futures is that investors need to pay only 25 percent of the value of their position, also called margin money.

Much of the damage during the 2008 meltdown was caused by reckless build-up of positions in the futures market  stock as well as index  by high networth individuals and retail investors. Brokerages goaded their clients into derivatives trading, well aware that most of them had little or no understanding of equity derivatives.

During FY08  at the peak of the bull market  average daily turnover in single stock futures climbed to around Rs 30,000 crore, double of what it was in the previous fiscal. After the market crash, retail investor interest in single stock futures dwindled to less that Rs 17,000 crore by FY13.

Other factors contributed to the decline. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) tightened eligibility norms for securities which could qualify for derivatives trading and increased average ticket size of trades to keep smaller investors out.

With their stocks battered in the downtrend, promoters of many midcap companies approached the National Stock Exchange (NSE) to have their securities excluded from this derivatives trading list. Many of these promoters were the same people who had joined hands with market operators to manipulate their stock price to meet the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the derivatives list.

For a while, it appeared that everybody had learned their lessons and become wiser. But as the market entered a bull phase from FY15, old habits and practices resumed. The list of securities eligible for derivatives trading began to expand. There were eligibility rules, but crafty promoters would ensure those were met by getting market operators to increase trading volumes in their stock.

Most promoters like their stocks to be part of the derivatives list as it offers them an additional handle to control the price of the stock. Brokers again started egging their clients to trade in futures. Between FY16-18, daily average turnover in single stock futures doubled from around Rs 32,000 crore to around Rs 64,000 crore. In FY19 so far, the daily average has further climbed to around Rs 68,000 crore.

The market regulator is doing its bit. It implemented physical settlement in derivatives in a phased manner, further tightened eligibility norms for inclusion of securities in the derivatives list, and proposed linking a clients market exposure to his/her networth.

Despite all these measures, it is still not hard to game the system. In many stock futures, the outstanding positions are of brokers trading on behalf of the companys promoters.

In some cases, promoters have arrangements with fund managers overseeing arbitrage funds, which have offsetting positions in the cash and futures market. They may buy a stock and sell the same quantity of futures, or sell a stock and buy the same quantity of futures.

So, a promoter seeking cash may sell shares held in benami (fake ownership) accounts to the mutual fund and receive the full value of the shares. The promoter will then buy the same quantity in the futures market by paying only 25 percent of the value. On the other side of the futures trade will be the same mutual fund that has purchased the shares from the promoters. At the end of the settlement cycle, the positions are reversed or carried forward, depending on the promoters need for liquidity.

Payment systems have become far more efficient over the last decade. One of the main reasons for the sell-off in the futures market in 2008 was that clients could not transfer margin money to their brokers in time.

But an efficient payment system is no shield against a panic wave in the market, whenever it occurs. When stock prices start to fall, many traders prefer to cut their losses than holding on their positions by paying additional margin (the difference between the purchase/sale price and the current market price).

There is a general view among market participants that a steep fall in stock prices like in 2004 or 2008 is highly unlikely. Back then, most retail investors had direct exposure to equities, unlike today when an outsized flow of retail money into equities is through mutual funds.

In theory, that may well be the case. But in reality, things dont pan out that way. Operators have positions in multiple stocks and futures. When they lose heavily in one stock or its future, they try to make up for it by exiting other positions. This causes a domino effect and other stocks too start tumbling despite there being nothing wrong with their fundamentals. As much as fund managers may preach the virtues of long term investment, they are known to sell-out in panic to avoid a hit on their net asset value.



In 2000, the Sensex crashed 18 percent from its high of 6,033 to a low of 4,943 in just three weeks (mid-February to early March) as sentiment for technology stocks soured

In May 2004, the Sensex lost 23 percent from a high of 5,487 to a low of 4,225 points in just three trading sessions. Exchanges had increased margin money and stock prices that were already under pressure fell as many traders began trimming their positions. A tactless remark on divestment by a senior Communist leader immediately after results of the general elections were announced yanked the floor below stock prices

In 2006, the index crashed 25 percent from a high of 12,217 to a low of 9,200 in less than three weeks (mid-May to early June) as the outlook on emerging markets turned negative

In January 2008, the index nosedived 24 percent in just a week from a high of 19,868 to a low of 15,332 as the sub-prime loan crisis started to unravel in the US



All the above crashes still pale in comparison to the carnage seen during October 2008, when the Sensex crashed 41 percent from a high of 13,203 to a low of 7,697 - as the yen strengthened. This caused largescale unwinding of carry trades in which global investors had borrowed in a cheaper yen and ploughed that money into emerging market equities.

As veteran brokers will tell you, nothing new happens in the market. The same script plays out every few years, but with a different cast.live bse live

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After a brutal Friday in the equity market and a near-no-trade Friday in the debt market, there was more bad news over the weekend. IL&FS, the company whose sudden downgrade has led the debt market into fear and illiquidity, announced that it has defaulted on an LC (letter of credit) payment to IDBI.

Further, its financial services subsidiary announced the resignation of its MD, a director and 3 independent directors. The illiquidity in the debt market led the equity markets to hammer shares of two housing finance companies in particular and NBFCs in general.

The week to come will be a tense one. But let us take note of a few positives: First, IL&FS itself has only Rs 35 billion-odd of Commercial paper in a 16 trillion rupees fixed income mutual fund AUM(assets under management).

Second, while there has been general celebration that Indias mutual fund kitty has risen to Rs 25 trillion from Rs 10 trillion in 2014, this year itself debt funds saw a fall of one trillion rupees. So debt markets and NBFCs arent so unprepared for the illiquidity. Many saw it coming and have a decent amount of liquidity or cash equivalents.

Third, with Sept 30 drawing near and an expected rate hike in the Oct 6 monetary policy many debt funds had already gone into cash..

Fourth, over the weekend, a source at one of the shareholders of IL&FS confirmed that RBI has called a meeting of the IL&FS shareholders . This will be a source of comfort that the lender of the last resort is taking control.

Fifth, and most important RBI released a statement on Sunday that it is closely monitoring recent developments in financial markets and is ready to take appropriate action. The SBI chairman too has put out a statement that banks wont be averse to lending to NBFCs.

While all these will help, the equity and debt markets will want to see the money on the table. Firstly, will LIC, Orix of Japan, ADIA(Abu Dhabi Investment Authority), HDFC and SBI be willing to put money? The planned rights issue of 3,500 cr will hardly suffice. It may have to be doubled or trebled or new investors roped in. That takes time.

Secondly, with the string of defaults by IL&FS, the chances of existing loans becoming NPA is very high. So fresh loans for IL&FS look tough. SBI Caps has been retained for monetizing some assets of subsidiary ITNL, but thats for the longer term. Immediately, a resolution plan is needed between the shareholders, board, management and creditors of IL&FS to restructure loans, lengthen maturities and settle shorter term paper at a haircut.

The sooner the announcement of a final resolution plan is announced, the better though the track record of bankers agreeing to haircuts has been discouraging so far.

Thirdly, for the near term, it may be tough to see mutual funds agreeing to refinance some of the NBFCs. So while most of these NBFCs may have enough liquidity to redeem their maturing CPs, they may not get new money or get it only at higher rates.

So the growth of these NBFCs will likely be marked down and hence price-to-book value will be marked down from the3 times to 5 times book to a drastic 1 time before investors start bottom fishing. But that is a problem of lower share prices, not a disaster.

A financial stability problem may arise if all corporate investors rush to their debt funds and seek redemptions. One should know that by the first half of Monday.If that were to happen, debt fund CIOs need to aggressively write down the price of their securities. One hears that some funds have already written down their IL&FS paper by 50% or more. But not all have. Much less is known about valuation of other corporate debt securities.

If there is a rush of redemptions, the lender of the last resort can always provide a line of credit. SEBIs mutual funds ED is the experienced Mr Mahalingam, who has seen the Lehman crisis from the RBI end in 2008. The line of credit provided by RBI at that time was never used, but its very announcement cooled the debt market.

IL&FS has been called Indias Lehman, but it may be more Indias Fannie Mae what with its public sector shareholders. The fact is IL&FS has always behaved like a private company in terms of recruitment , pay scales and decision making but as a public sector when it comes to rating of its bonds. Most pension funds in the country would be holding IL&FS bonds, though not shares of Reliance and TCS. The pain of haircuts is therefore going to be borne by a broad mass of investors and savers.

If the NPAs at PSU banks have been blamed on politicians, the losses at IL&FS have to be pinned on the professionals who ran the company. RBI, as the NBFC regulator, needs to order a forensic audit of the company and all its subsidiaries to check for malfeasance and/or conflict.

If yet again depositors at public sector banks and policy holders at LIC and pensioners in various companies have to provide the cash and take the haircuts, the professionals who ran IL&FS should also be cross examined and penalized if found guilty.The Nifty is likely to open on a flat-to-negative note on Monday following mixed trend seen in other Asian markets. The index closed 91 points lower at 11,143 on Friday.

Trends on SGX Nifty indicate a negative opening for the broader index in India, a fall of 22 points or 0.2 percent. Nifty futures were trading around 11,149-level on the Singaporean Exchange.

The S&P 500 and Dow reached record highs on Friday ahead of Monday's major sector reshuffle, capping a week that largely shrugged off trade worries.

Asia shares eased in holiday-thinned trading on Monday and the safe haven yen gained as China canceled upcoming tariff talks with the United States, while oil prices jumped after top producers including Russia ruled out boosting crude output.

Overseas investors have pulled out a massive Rs 15,365 crore ($2.1 billion) from the capital markets so far in September, after putting in funds during the previous two months, on widening current account deficit coupled with global trade tensions.

Stocks in news:

Tata Steel and Usha Martin: Usha Martin sold steel business to Tata Steel through a slump sale for Rs 4,300-4,700 crore.

Cipla: Company receives final approval for generic version of Impax Laboratories' Albenza (Albendazole tablets 200mg). It is an anthelmintic drug indicated for use in Treatment of parenchymal neurocysticercosis.

Infosys: Company partners with Google Cloud to develop data native intelligent enterprise.

DHFL: ICRA re-affirmed its credit ratings on company's commercial paper programme of Rs 15,000 crore as A1+; non-convertible debentures of Rs 17,655.12 crore as AAA/Stable; non-convertible debentures (public issue) of Rs 29,000 crore as AAA/Stable; Fixed Deposit Programme of Rs 20,000 crore as AAA/Stable and long term bank facilities of Rs 42,713.80 crore as AAA/Stable.

ICICI Bank: The bank proposed to acquire 8.85 percent stake in Avenues Payment India.

Biocon: Company's drug substance facility in Bangalore completed US FDA inspection with no observations.

Technical Recommendations:

We spoke to Choice Broking and heres what they have to recommend:

Bharti Infratel Ltd: LTP: Rs 279.90| Buy @ 281.20| Stop Loss: Rs 263.20| Target: Rs 320| Return 14%

BPCL: LTP: Rs 375| Buy: 376.50| Stop Loss: Rs 348| Target: Rs 390-403| Return 7%

OIL: LTP: Rs 218| Buy at Rs 218.65-216.50| Stop Loss: Rs 209| Target: Rs 235| Return 8%

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.Shares of pharmaceutical company Sterling Biotech dropped 3.95 percent on reports that founder Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, accused in a bank loan fraud, has left the UAE.

Shares of the company touched a 52-week low of Rs 0.73.

Media reports suggest that Sansdesara, who was detained by UAE authorities last month, could have fled to Nigeria.

What we have learnt is that he had been detained by authorities in the UAE for an offence related to local issues. The detention was not related to our case. He is not in the UAE anymore. We do not exactly know where he is. He has investments and companies from the United Kingdom to Nigeria. He could be anywhere, an official involved with the investigation told The Indian Express.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) are investigating the Rs 5,300 crore bank loan fgraid case.live bse live

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Sumeet Bagadia

After forming a Shooting Star candlestick followed by Long Bearish candle with Open High at the same level indicates a bearish signal and we have witnessed the same during the last two weeks as well.

However, the Nifty has strong support placed around 10,800-level which is at the lower band of the upward rising channel formation in which the Nifty has been trading since many weeks.

Besides this, the Nifty has been trading with a strong support placed at 50-weeks moving average at 10,690 level and 21-weeks moving average support which is there at 11,060 level suggesting positive trend for the time being.

After giving a breakdown of its lower band of the upward rising channel formation on the daily chart, the Nifty plunged more than 750 points as well as has given a close below its 50-days moving average which was placed at 11,342 level which normally indicates a downside movement on a smaller time frame.

We can see a strong support placed at 10,748 level which is a Great Wall of China and the Nifty has been respecting this wall since last two years.

Weekly RSIs reading is at 53.89 level with a negative crossover, though it has a strong support of its upward rising trend line which points out for a bounce back move.

Based on the above structure, we can say that the Nifty has a downside room but with respect to ratio, the Nifty has more room for an upside rally.

But, long-term trend will depend on a monthly closing basis as it seems that the Nifty is forming an Opening Black Marubozu Candlestick which is a bearish reversal indication. If that happens then we may witness a healthy correction.

Here is a list of top three stocks which could give 7-14% return in the next one month:

Oil India: LTP: Rs 218| Buy at Rs 218.65-216.50| Stop Loss: Rs 209| Target: Rs 235| Return 8%

On the daily chart, the stock has given a breakout of its Symmetrical Triangle formation with above-average volume which indicates a robust upside movement in the counter.

Moreover, the stock has managed to close above its 21 & 50-days moving average which shows a positive trend in the stock.

On the weekly chart as well, the stock has sustained above its 200-weeks moving average placed at Rs 214.50 level which suggests an upside movement.

A daily momentum indicator RSI reading is at 65.49 level with a positive crossover. The RSI has also given a breakout of its downward falling trend line which points out for a positive breath in the stock.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation: LTP: Rs 375| Buy: Rs 376.50| Stop Loss: Rs 348| Target: Rs 390-403| Return: 7%

On the daily chart, the stock has given a breakout of its inverse H&S pattern which suggests positive momentum can be seen in the near future.

Moreover, on the daily chart, the stock is trading above its 20 and 50-days moving averages which shows the dominance of the stock.

The momentum indicator RSI reading is at 58.09 with positive biases as well as positive divergence has been observed which is a signal of optimism.

Bharti Infratel: LTP: Rs 279.90| Buy at Rs 281.20| Stop Loss: Rs 263.20| Target: Rs 320| Return: 14%

On the daily chart, the stock has given a breakout of its rounding bottom which suggests positive momentum can be seen in the near future.

Moreover, on the daily chart, the stock is trading above its 20-days moving average which shows the dominance of the stock. The momentum indicator MACD, Signal line has given breakout above MACD which suggest a signal of optimism.

: The author is Associate Director at Choice Broking. 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

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In the near term, charts structure surely look weak. Any pullbacks should be utilized by the trader to go short on the index and 11,300 zone is likely to act as a stiff resistance, Amit Shah, Senior Analyst, Technical Research, Indiabulls Ventures, said in an interview with Moneycontrols Kshitij Anand.

The Nifty50 seems to be in the bear grip. It is also the third week of decline on weekly basis. Is it time to go short on the index?

It is true that market is quite weak in the near term and has lost its upward momentum for some time now. We did mention in one of earlier articles about rupee heading towards 73/$ when it was near 69/$ levels.

The rupee is likely to consolidate for some time before it starts depreciating further and crosses 73/$. Essentially, the market is correcting the gains of the previous major move from the lows of 9,950 to 11,760.

The index is also likely to head towards 10,700-zone in the near term. However, 10,700-zone may act as a very strong support zone in spite of all the noise around and could mark as the lower-end of the range. The index is likely to get into a range of 10,700 to 11,300.

How are markets looking on technical charts? Supertrend indicator has given a sell on weekly charts and MACD is also on the verge of giving bearish crossover. What are the other parameters which investors should watch out for this week which is an expiry week?

In the near term, chart structure surely looks weak. Any pullback should be utilised by the traders to go short on the index and 11,300 zone is likely to act as a stiff resistance.

As far as investors are concerned, they should look to buy quality stocks near 10,700 zone. Broadly, we still remain in a "Bull" market correction.

What is your view on small & midcap stocks?

The mid & smallcaps, broadly as a sector, had their best time till 2017. Investors in this space are habituated for quick sizable returns which is unlikely to happen in the near term.

They are now likely to go through a long period of time-wise consolidation. A very few selected stocks within the space will do well while majority of the stocks within the space consolidate for a long time.

Top three stocks which investors can look at for a minimum holding period of 1 month?

We have been bullish on steel stocks for a while now. The steel sector has been resilient and has completed its phase of correction and in the near-term showing early signs of large move unfolding. Here is a list of top three stocks which could be bough on declines.

Tata Steel: Buy| Target: Rs 700

Suven Life: Buy| Target: Rs 335

Bata India Ltd: Buy| Target: Rs 1,060

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.by Sumon Corraya

The local bishop, Mgr Gervas Rozario, remembered the work of Fr Francesco Rocca and other PIME missionaries. Tribal leaders, 20 priests and about 250 believers from the dioceses of Rajshahi and Dinnajpur took part in the anniversary ceremony titled Thanks, praise and joy.

Rajshahi (AsiaNews)  The Catholic community in Mundumala, Diocese of Rajshahi (northern Bangladesh), is celebrating the first conversions to Christianity among Mahali tribal people one hundred years ago.

More than a century ago, Fr Francesco Rocca, a missionary with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), arrived in the village of Chokjodu, located in a remote part of what was then northern India (now Bangaldesh) where he undertook the mission of evangelising the region.

To remember the work of Fr Rocca and other PIME missionaries, the local bishop, Mgr Gervas Rozario, led a ceremony three days. Local tribal leaders, 20 priests and about 250 believers from the dioceses of Rajshahi and Dinnajpur joined him in the service.

During the commemorative event, which was titled Thank you, praise and joy, the prelate honoured 75 catechists and prayer leaders for their contribution to the Church. Believers, priests and all the other participants lit 100 candles.

"If Fr Francesco Rocca had not planted the seeds of Christ here, we tribals today would not be such good and well-prepared professionals. We are grateful to the PIME missionaries," said Cornelius Tudu, one of the Mahali leaders from the Diocese of Rajshahi, who spoke to AsiaNews.

Tudu, who is country director for SIL International, a US-based NGO, Tudu said that "before knowing Christ, Mahalis worshiped a god and a goddess and used to work bamboo.

"Evangelisation enabled us to progress and successfully perform in other professions, he explained. At present, 55 per cent of the Mahali are still working with bamboo."

The Mahalis in Bangladesh number around 30,000, 96 per cent converts to Christianity.

Tudu notes that Church authorities have helped the once inward-looking community to open up. The tribal community now includes NGO directors, university professors, government officials and professionals.

In his homily during the Jubilee Mass, Mgr Rozario thanked "PIME missionaries, who first introduced Jesus Christ into the lives of Mahalis.

"I also thank the community because It has been able to keep Jesus Christ in its heart, bearing witness to him, and following him for the good of the Church and the country."

"By welcoming Jesus Christ, we have obtained salvation and our people have known socio-economic development, said Fr Fabian Mrandy, an ethnic Mahali priest. In turn, we are now contributing to the Church through vocations."

At present, the tribal community has produced 10 priests and 20 nuns. "Thanks to the support of PIME missionaries, thousands of children and young Mahalis have been able to receive a good education in boarding schools and hostels run by the Church," Fr Mrandy added.South African internet giant Naspers is in talks with Olas parent company ANI Technologies at a valuation of $7-8 billion, according to a report by Mint.

The ride-hailing company is also in talks with Singapores Temasek Holdings and two other funds to raise $1 billion in fresh capital, the report said.

While talks have not reached the final stages, Olas valuation may nearly double from the current valuation of $4 billion, if the proposed round of funding goes through, the report added.

In October last year, Ola had announced it would raise an additional $1 billion after it raised $1.1 billion from Masayoshi Son-led SoftBank Group and Chinas Tencent Holdings and others.

However, the proposed round of funding may face hurdles because of a boardroom tussle between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bhavish Aggarwal and SoftBank and Tiger Global, the report added.

As per the report, Aggarwal had blocked a proposed sale of shares by Tiger Global to SoftBank last year in a bid to stop the Son-led Japanese company from raising its stake. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

The funding is being sought at a time when the ride-hailing firm is not only trying to beef up its core business in the country against rival Uber, but also build food-tech operations and compete with other Indian start-ups such as Zomato and Swiggy.

In December last year, Ola had bought the Indian arm of Foodpanda from its German parent company Delivery Hero to compete in the online food delivery space. Ola had said it would invest $200 million into the food-delivery company in a bid to expand its operations.Team RenewBuy: (from left to right) Harman Preet Singh (Sales Head), Indraneel Chatterjee (COO), Balachander Sekhar (CEO), Sandeep Nanda (CTO), Devesh Joshi (CMO)

Gurugram-based online insurance comparison platform RenewBuys website boasts of a strong backend technology integration with leading insurance companies. But talk to its Chief Executive Officer Balachander Sekhar and the importance of distribution and the role of the agent come out as equal heroes in the companys script.

It is not brand but distribution that is important to reach remote areas. It is also not possible through branches but technology. We need 1 crore agents, Sekhar, an IIT Bombay and IIM Calcutta alumnus, told Moneycontrol.

The company is now present in almost 30 cities with its network of 13,500 agents spread to 200 towns. It has more than 500,000 policyholders. The company has set ambitious targets for itself as it adds 1,000 new agents on its platform every month, RenewBuy hopes to have 20,000 agents by March 2019 and 50,000 by 2020.

Launched in October 2015 and led by a team of five promoters, the company has 600 staff with regional offices in Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai.

The whole idea is to take insurance to the last Indian. The agent benefited the most in our architecture. They are helped once they secure the licence of the company and come on board. We aim to provide livelihood to 150,000 agents by 2022, he said.

Not just the process of providing insurance to the customer but the exercise of bringing the agent on-board is also online and app-driven. The training provided to the agent comes in handy here.

RenewBuy Smart Digital agent can offer policies from 8-10 different companies as compared to the tied agents who offer the policy from one particular company. These agents can offer instant quotes from different companies through RenewBuy Partner app. The RenewBuy agents have the option of issuing the policy on the spot which gets delivered to the customers email ID even in case of scenarios like lapsed motor insurance policy, Sekhar said.

He blames the multinational companies and their complicated products for the slow growth of the industry. A villager isnt concerned with a diabetes policy. He wants a simple product, he said.

The company clocked Rs 100 crore as revenues (premium) in FY18 and looks to end the ongoing year with Rs 350 crore and has a target of hitting the Rs 1,000-crore mark in FY20.

By 2022, we are targeting Rs 5,000 crore in premium and an initial public offering, Sekhar, accompanied by Chief Marketing Officer Devesh Joshi, said. The company is looking to raise Rs 200 crore in next round of funding, having raised Rs 55 crore in Series B from private equity company Amicus Capital.

Sekhar is confident of his offerings of convenience, trust and pricing to insure all those targets.IMA Ponzi scheme case: A multi-crore scheme run by Karnataka-based I-Monetary Advisory (IMA) and its group entities allegedly duped lakhs of people by promising higher returns using Islamic ways of investment. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently investigating the case and has filed at least three FIRs. (File image of the CBI headquarters)

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Nitin Sandesara, absconding director of a Gujarat-based pharmaceuticals firm Sterling Biotech, which is being probed in a Rs 5,000 crore fraud case, may have fled to Nigeria, according to a report by The Times of India.

Sandesara was arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in August, based on a non-bailable arrest warrant issued by an Indian court. However, according to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), he is not in there and may have fled, the report states.

There were reports that Nitin Sandesara was detained by UAE authorities in Dubai in the second week of August. The information was incorrect. He was never detained in Dubai. He and other family members probably left for Nigeria much before that, an official told the newspaper.

Sandesaras brother Chetan Sandesara and sister-in-law Dipti Sandesara are also believed to be hiding in Nigeria, the report adds.

CBI had booked Vadodara-based Sterling Biotech, its directors Chetan Sandesara, Dipti Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and former Andhra Bank director Anup Garg and a few others in connection with an alleged Rs 5,000-crore bank fraud case.

It is alleged that the company took loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank which had turned into non-performing assets.

As per the FIR, the total pending dues of the group of companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016. The ED has taken the FIR into cognisance. Multiple prosecution complaints or charge sheets have also been filed by it before a special court.

It had also attached assets worth over Rs 4,700 crore of the pharmaceutical firm in June.

(With PTI inputs)live bse live

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ICICI Direct's research report on Yes Bank

Putting an end to the ambiguity around extension of Rana Kapoor, MD & CEO of the bank, RBI has curtailed his tenor that will now expire on January 31, 2019. The board is scheduled to meet on September 25, 2018 to decide the future course of action. The term of Rana Kapoor, was ending on August 31, 2018. The board and shareholders had approved Kapoors extension for a period of three years while RBIs approval was awaited.

Outlook

Therefore, we revise our FY20E P/ABV multiple downwards to 1.7x and consequently downgrade our target price to Rs 230 per share (earlier Rs 375). Amid the recent correction in the stock price, we maintain our HOLD rating on the stock.

For all recommendations report, click here



Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

Read MoreThai Airways International aims to operate 100 weekly flights from India by 2021, a senior airline official said.

Thai Airways and low-cost carrier Thai Smile, part of Thai Airways International, has substantial number of flights to India. A senior official said that Thai Airways has expanded its service to 10 cities in India.

"We are targeting to operate 100 flights from India to Thailand and beyond by year 2021 which depends on approval from the Indian Government for Traffic Rights," General Manager (India) for Thai Airways International Thamanoon Kuprasert said.

Currently, it has 86 flights departure a week, including seasonal flights from Varanasi and Gaya.

"Thai Airways is servicing from Delhi/ Mumbai/ Bengaluru/ Chennai/ Kolkata/ Hyderabad and Thai Smile is servicing from Lucknow/ Jaipur/ Mumbai/ Varanasi/ Gaya. We are looking forward to add more service points from India in near future," he said in an e-mail interview.

India is one of the fastest growing domestic aviation markets in the world.

Noting that India is the ninth largest civil aviation market in the world, ThamanoonKuprasert said investments worth $6 billion are expected in the country's airport sector in five years.

"Indian government is investing heavily in developing airport infrastructure along with aviation navigation system which is key for airlines to expand or start new services from more domestic points in India," he added.

In April-June period, Thai Airways carried over 1.79 lakh passengers to India and 1.92 lakh passengers from the country, as per provisional data available with aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

During the same period, Thai Smile flew 25,168 people to India and 24,492 people from India, the data showed.TPG Capital and Blackstone have submitted bids for Jet Airways loyalty programme -- Jet Privilege, sources told CNBC-TV18, adding, Indigo Partners and Singapores GIC are likely to put in their bids later this week.

Sources said TPG and Blackstone have bid between $350 million (Rs 2,540 crore) and $400 million (Rs 2,903 crore) for Jet Airways' 49 percent stake in Jet Privilege. The airline was expecting at least $100 million (Rs 725 crore) more.

Interestingly, Jet Airways current market capitalisation stands at Rs 2,476 crore making its loyalty programme alone more valuable than the airline itself.

Global consulting firm On Point has valued Jet Privilege at $1.13 billion (Rs 8,202 crore) and ranked it at the 31st position among the worlds top frequent flyer programmes. It is based on this report that Jet Airways was expecting at least $500 million (Rs 3,629 crore) bids for its 49 percent stake in Jet Privilege.

Why the interest in a beleaguered airlines loyalty programme?

In 2014, Etihad paid Jet Airways $150 million for a 50.1 percent stake in the loyalty programme. However, since then, Jet Privilege has seen a threefold increase in its membership which currently stands at 85 lakh. It is this data that the private equity funds are after.

Airlines sell air-miles in bulk to commercial partners, which use the credits to attract customers and mine valuable data on their spending habits. Members then use the miles to buy anything from seat upgrades to vouchers for retail stores. An airline's loyalty program typically has several thousands of members and includes a raft of partners ranging from credit card companies, retail stores, hotels and travel industry brands.

To put this in context, Jet Airways carried 129 lakh passengers between January and August this year and commanded market-share of 14.1 percent making it the second largest airline in India after IndiGo that flew nearly 41 percent of all passengers, government data shows.

Jet Airways is going through an air-pocket and is in dire need of funding to tide over its current financial woes. The airline reported two consecutive net losses in its past two quarterly results and ended the financial year ended March 31, 2018, with a net loss of Rs 767.62 crore.

Jet Airways net loss for the quarter ended June 2018 stood at Rs 1,323 crore, worse than March quarters net loss of Rs 1,036 crore.

This is not all. The Income Tax Department, too, is inspecting Jet Airways books for alleged falsification of accounts and suspicious transactions. The full-service carrier is also already under the scanner of markets regulator SEBI and the Corporate Affairs Ministry for various alleged lapses.

"It's evident that Jet Airways has lesser leveraging power which would explain why the bids have come in lesser than what jet airways expected," an investment banker told CNBC-TV18.

In August this year, Jet Airways allegedly told its employees that the airline has enough cash to operate for only 60 days. The airline had also asked its staff to take pay-cuts going up to a fourth of their salaries resulting in protests from its pilots. This was followed by setting up of a board-appointed executive committee to explore options to sell Jet Airways stake in Jet Privilege.

Although Jet Airways is not the only airline in India feeling the brunt of rising oil prices, the magnitude of its problems, however, are not shared across the airline industry in India. IndiGo Airlines too reported a 91 percent drop in its profits for the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

On September 3, 2018, media reports suggested that the government was planning a relief package for the airline sector in India. Rajiv Nayan Choubey, secretary for civil aviation, had said that help to cut airline costs was on the way along but did not give any details of the planned relief package.

Industry body CAPA has forecast a hefty $1.9 billion (Rs 13,775 crore) loss for the airline sector in India because of rising oil coupled with falling rupee.

According to CAPA, airlines in India, including Air India, need an additional $3 billion (Rs 21,750 crore) of capital in the near term to shore up their balance sheets.

(One US dollar is trading at Rs 72.59)

(With inputs from Reuters)live bse live

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TVS Motor Company Monday launched a new variant of its commuter motorcycle brand TVS StaR City+ for the festive season, priced at Rs 52,907 (ex-showroom Delhi). The 110cc motorcycle comes with synchronised braking technology (SBT) and dual tone mirrors.

SBT is a joint braking system that activates the front and rear brake simultaneously, thus providing superior braking control and minimising skidding to ensure safety of the rider.

TVS Motor Company is the only manufacturer to offer this technology in the 110cc motorcycle segment.Yes Bank

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) asked Yes Bank to cut short the tenure of its chief executive officer Rana Kapoor, who has been heading the bank since 2004. Now, the lender has to start looking for a new person for the job. The banks board will meet on September 25 to discuss the way forward.

The banks warring promoters Rana Kapoor and Madhu Kapur, and the articles of association (AoA) they signed may come in the way of finding a new CEO.

The bank will set up an independent search committee, which will make a list of prospective CEOs to lead the bank before Kapoor leaves on January 31, sources told Livemint. They added that the bank will ask for more details from RBI regarding the decision of Kapoors tenure.

"The problem is that the promoters (Rana Kapoor and Madhu Kapur) have been unable to come to an understanding on jointly recommending whole-time directors or on any major issue in the management of the bank, and hence it is extremely unlikely that in future they can jointly recommend a whole-time director," analyst Hemendra Hazari told Moneycontrol last week.

Even though RBI as the regulator has the power to approve or disapprove any bank CEOs appointment, the banks board will seek satisfactory answers from RBI and the reason behind the regulators sudden change in stance, sources told the paper.

Also read: Yes Bank's hunt for Rana Kapoor's successor could run into legal, boardroom battles

What is an AoA and how is it important in Yes Banks case?

A companys articles of association is a document which defines the responsibilities of a director, the kind of business that has to be undertaken and the means by which shareholders exert control over the board of directors.

Yes Banks AoA was agreed upon by the banks promoters in 2005 and amended in September 2017. According to the document, the MD and CEO will not be subject to retirement by rotation, but to the provision of the contracts between them and the company. Anyone in the position of Yes Banks CEO (Kapoor, as of now) is protected from automatic retirement by this document.

Retirement by rotation is the process by which one-third of a companys directors have to quit at each annual general meeting and seek re-election.

Under Section 127 (A), the board has to follow the recommendations of the promoters to seek a whole-time director or CEO.

After Yes Bank co-founder Ashok Kapur was killed in 2008 terrorist attacks, his wife Madhu Kapur and daughter Shagun Gogia approached the Bombay high court demanding more authority in appointing and nominating directors. A single bench of the HC ruled that the promoters have to follow AoA.

Gogia told Livemint that the board can look for a successor without the approval of promoters. It will, however, need an approval from the RBI.

Rana Kapoor owned 10.7 percent in Yes Bank along with other family entities, while Madhu Kapur (Ashok Kapur's wife) owned 7.6 percent, as on June 30, 2018.

The High Court judgment was appealed in the Supreme Court, where it is still sub-judice. According to sources, Madhu Kapur is likely to pitch for fast-tracking the case. So far, Madhu Kapur hasn't received any communication from the bank's management about the matter.

"The ageing composition of Yes Bank's board of directors and the complete absence of whole-time directors apart from Rana Kapoor exposes the bank to leadership risk," Hazari said.

For now, the Yes Bank board can appoint non-whole-time directors, who can be appointed without the recommendation and approval of the promoters.

Lawyers, however, have a different opinion. "Considering the Bombay HC and the clauses of AoA, the banks board has no option but to compulsorily take both the promoters consent before appointing a new CEO, irrespective of how the CEO is appointed. The bank will, otherwise, be in violation of the High Courts ruling," Mona Bhide, partner at a law firm, told Mint.

Another lawyer, Sandeep Parekh, said that disagreement on the name between any of the two promoters may mean that the whole process will have to be restarted.

Yes Bank had said in a filing that the RBI has approved Kapoors re-appointment till further notice. His tenure was going to end on September 1, 2018.Rod Rosenstein, Donald Trump's deputy attorney general who oversees the Russia investigation, was headed to the White House with the expectation of being fired on September 24, US media reported.

Several media including The New York Times and The Washington Post reported that Rosenstein was preparing to be dismissed, following the publication of reports that he had discussed ways to remove Trump over incompetence.

It was not immediately clear whether he would be sacked, or would resign first.

Rosenstein plays a key role in overseeing the probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left social media in spilt with his comment about making tea from gutter fumes. At an event to mark World Biofuel Day, the PM claimed that he had once read about a tea seller in a small town who tapped into gas emanating from a gutter to make the beverage. Loosing on the fact, the PM unintentionally ended up inventing a new laughing gas for netizens.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23 launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)-Ayushman Bharat and termed it a "game-changer initiative to serve the poor".

However, the scheme, which aims to provide a coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually, will not cover five states -- Delhi, Kerala, Odisha, Punjab and Telangana. These states have opted out of the scheme.

Here's a look at why these five states have decided to opt out of the healthcare scheme:

Delhi

Delhi is not among the states and union territories that have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre to implement the healthcare programme.



Pl read - why Ayushman Bharat is another PR exercise and will prove another jumla https://t.co/amoXwoBLco

 Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 23, 2018

Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener Arvind Kejriwal has claimed the scheme is a public relations exercise which will prove to be another jumla (rhetoric).

On September 23, AAP termed the scheme "another white elephant in the making" and alleged that it covers only six lakh out of 50 lakh families in Delhi.

It further claimed that the Delhi model of healthcare is better than the Centres PMJAY.

Telangana

Telangana has also chosen not to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme for the time being, citing a state scheme that covers around 80 lakh families.

"We already have the Aarogyasri scheme. As of now Telangana is not participating in the (central government's) scheme," official sources told news agency PTI.

Odisha

The Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government has not joined Centre's healthcare scheme and has instead gone for the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana.

When asked about the reason for the state opting out of PM Modi's ambitious scheme, Patnaik said that Odisha's scheme is better than the Centre's as it covers an extra 50 lakh people and provides Rs 7 lakh to women as against Rs 5 lakh by the central programme.

Kerala

The CM Pinarayi Vijayan-led state has been particularly scathing in its criticism of Ayushman Bharat.

Kerala's Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, in a series of tweets, raised questions over the effective implementation of the scheme.



A prize for anyone who solves the riddle of Ayushmann Bharat! Subsidy ceiling for current RSBY scheme of 30000 benefit is 1250 . The subsidy for Modi scheme with benefit of 5 lak is https://t.co/fDMCwhwvr7 is it possible to have such a jump in benefits for lower premium?  Thomas Isaac (@drthomasisaac) September 18, 2018





Total claims under RSBY so far is 120 lakhs.Kerala accounts for 53 lakhs. Kerala with a population share of 3 per cent accounts for 42 per cent of the claims - a sad commentary on implementation . Ayushmann Bharat also is on the same track. Just for information Kerala baiters

 Thomas Isaac (@drthomasisaac) September 21, 2018

Punjab

The Amarinder Singh-led state government has also backed out from PMJAY citing some "reservations".

The Congress-governed state said that it was already running health insurance schemes and that they also had an issue with the 60:40 ratio of funding by the Centre.

According to a report in The Statesman, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister, Brahm Mohindra had said, "Punjab government is running some health insurance schemes. We are yet to study the convergence of existing schemes with this one. We also have issues about 60:40 ratio of funding by Centre."A delegation of senior Congress leaders met the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) on Monday and demanded registration of a case in alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal.

The meeting comes days after a Congress delegation met the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and urged the apex auditor to prepare a report on the alleged irregularities in the deal and present it in Parliament.

The delegation met CVC K V Chowdary and submitted a detailed memorandum, accusing the government of causing loss to the public exchequer and endangering national security by bypassing state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in favour of some businessman "friends" for offset contract.

The delegation comprised senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Manish Tewari, Vivek Tankha, Parmod Tiwari and Pranav Jha.

The Congress has launched an offensive against the BJP government over the Rafale deal, alleging corruption and violation of rules by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded answers from him.

It has also accused the prime minister, the finance minister and the defence minister of "lying on the issue".

The Rafale controversy took a turn last week after former French president Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence's name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.After a 70-year wait, Sikkim is finally getting its first airport in Pakyong near state capital Gangtok. Visiting the state was a task earlier as one had to land at Bagdogra in West Bengal and then travel 124 km by road for over four hours. (Image: Airport Authority of India)

The foundation stone for the greenfield airport was laid in Pakyong, which is around 33 km from Gangtok, in 2009. (Image: Airports Authority of India)

The runway is 1.75 km long and is 30 metres wide. It has a 116-metre taxiway connecting the runway to an apron measuring 106 metre by 76 metre. The apron can accommodate two ATR-72 aircraft. (Image: Airports Authority of India)

The airport is spread over 201 acres. It is located on top of a hill about two km above Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level. (Image: Airports Authority of India)

The airport is seen as an engineering marvel for its soil reinforcement and slope stabilisation techniques, keeping in view the altitude it was built at. (Image: Airports Authority of India)

Integrated structures of the airport comprise of an ATC tower-cum-fire station, a terminal building for passengers, high-intensity runway lights, parking for over 50 vehicles. (Image: Airports Authority of India)

There is also plan to construct another 75-metre stretch adjacent to the main runway in the coming days, which would allow the Indian Air Force (IAF) to land various types of aircraft on the airport's runway. (Image: Airports Authority of India)

An airport in the Himalayas lends a strategic advantage to India as Pakyong is just 60 km from China. (Image: Airports Authority of India)

With this airport - the 100th commercial one in the country - all of Indias states will have at least one airport. (Image: Airports Authority of India)L&T Technology Services (LTTS) Monday said it has bagged a deal worth $40 million (about Rs 290 crore) to provide digital content management services to a technology company's industrial products segment.

LTTS, without disclosing the client's name, said the deal is expected to run for a period of five years with an aggregate revenue potential of $40 million, covering engineering content management (ECM) programmes in the US and European regions.

The engineering and R&D services company will leverage centres in Europe, US and India while assuming complete ownership and talent to manage content for all current and future product suites for the customer, it said in a statement.

"This would include technical design specifications, diagnostic solutions for service engineers and product training for customers and engineers, thereby supporting the entire ECM cycle from product conceptualisation to developing digital content platforms," it added.

LTTS CEO and Managing Director Keshab Panda said the deal win highlights the company's consulting capabilities to key customers in the US and European markets.Bollywood actor-turned-politician and candidate of the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Shatrughan Sinha salutes during an election campaign rally in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh May 11, 2009. India is holding a general election between April 16 and May 13. REUTERS/Ajay Verma (INDIA POLITICS ELECTIONS) - GM1E55B1OBR01

BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha Monday drew flak from a fellow party parliamentarian who accused him of siding with opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad by questioning Narendra Modi government on the Rafale deal.

Sharing a screenshot of the Patna Sahib MP remarks quoted in the media here a day ago that there have been irregularities in the Rafale deal and that the Centre should seek "apology" from the people of the country, BJP Rajya Sabha MP R K Sinha asked him to first make his position clear.

"You should first decide where you stand. With Modi or against Modi. The people of the country will settle the account accordingly," R K Sinha said on his facebook page.

Shatrughan Sinha's comment came close on the heels of relentless attacks on the Modi government, through his twitter handle, in the aftermath of media reports, quoting former French President Francois Hollande that Reliance was selected as the offset partner by Dassault under pressure from Indian government.

His twitter handle is replete with retweets of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, who have come up with fierce criticism of the Modi government on the issue.

In his own tweets, Shatrughan Sinha has called the controversy surrounding the Rafale deal a serious issue and called for the need for the government to come clean.

R K Sinha also said Shatrughan Sinha has been, these days, singing the same tune as Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad..he has gone to the extent of advising Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak the truth. It is the height of audacity.

R K Sinha's attack on Shatrughan Sinha seems to have political significance. It is widely believed that in the event of the actor-turned-politician not being considered for a third consecutive run in the Lok Sabha polls next year, R K Sinha or a member of his family could be considered for Patna Sahib seat.

The Bihari Babu has, nevertheless, been putting up a brave front and maintaining that he would be contesting from the same seat even if not given a ticket by the BJP with the cryptic remark situation may be different, location will be the same Patna Sahib.

The actor-turned-politician has been in a sulk for quite some time with sources in the party claiming that he has been upset over not getting a ministerial berth in the current dispensation though he was a member of the Union council of ministers in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

Party sources also claim that he had grown bitter after being ignored by the party leadership during 2015 Bihar assembly poll, wherein the saffron party did not perform well.

The actor-turned-politician has, in the recent past, been calling the party a one-man show two-man army an obvious barb aimed at the Prime Minister besides party chief Amit Shah.

He has also been showering praises on opposition leaders like West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and DMK chief M K Stalin besides Lalu, Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi.

He has also shared the stage, on more than one occasion, with Sangh Parivar dissidents like Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Pravin Togadia.Home Minister Rajnath Singh has met all paramilitary DGs. Singh was briefed about the border situation. He gave specific instructions to all DGs for complete preparedness at the border and full strength deployment. Instructions were also given for safeguarding civilians and following standard operating procedures (SOPs) in case of any emergency. (Image: Moneycontrol)

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on September 24 said the government is "ready to talk to everyone" over the Kashmir issue, while asserting that terrorism in the Valley is "Pakistan-sponsored".

After a meeting of the Central Zonal Council, Singh told reporters, "I think the matter will be resolved. We are ready to talk to everyone. As far as terrorism is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination."

"Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored," he said.

Barely 24 hours after agreeing to the engagement, the government on September 21 called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in New York, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.

About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the home minister said out of 22 points, 20 have been resolved, adding in the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues were discussed of which 428 were resolved.

At the meeting, progress of implementation of recommendations made at the last meeting on need to increase density of roads and upgrading existing roads, assistance required to combat Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and modernisation of police forces were discussed, an official release issued said.

Singh said it has been the objective of the present government to strengthen the institution of zonal councils as well as the inter-state council to promote and maintain a good federal atmosphere of cooperation among states and the Centre.

Besides Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivedra Singh Rawat respectively, the meeting was attended by representatives from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well.

The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The council's meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any.

Five Zonal Councils central, western, northern, southern and eastern were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a mega congregation of BJP workers during his visit here Tuesday, an event which comes just ahead of the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh.

BJP president Amit Shah will also speak at the event, 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' (grand assembly of party workers), being held on the occasion of birth anniversary of Hindutva icon and Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) co-founder Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.

The event, to be held at Jambooree Maidan in the BHEL locality, will be the "world's largest congregation of political workers," state BJP spokesman Sarvesh Tiwari said.

"BJP president Amit Shah will also address party workers on the occasion," he said.

The venue has been named as "Atal Mahakumbh Parisar" in memory of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away in New Delhi in August.

Modi will arrive at the Bhopal airport around noon and will reach the venue in a helicopter along with other BJP leaders to avoid inconvenience to people, party leaders said.

The prime minister will remain in the state capital for nearly three hours, they said.

BJP workers from 65,000 polling booths spread across the 230 Assembly seats in the state will take part in the programme, said Rajnish Agrawal, another state BJP spokesman.

An exhibition hall named after BJP leader and former Union minister, late Anil Madhav Dave, has also been set up at the rally site.

"It will showcase the journey and works of BJP stalwarts, including Vajpayee, Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan," Agrawal said.

In the exhibition, BJP and BJS stalwarts - Upadhyaya, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Vajpayee, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia and Kushabhau Thakre - have been depicted as the five strong pillars of the BJP, he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), established in 1980, is the successor party of the BJS.

The party has booked nine special trains from different parts of the state to bring BJP workers for the event, Agrawal said. Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the high-profile event and also Modi's visit.

"We have made adequate security arrangements for the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday by deploying nearly 6,000-strong force, including 4,000 personnel from the central and reserve forces," Inspector General (IG) Bhopal Jaideep Prasad said.

Nearly 22 senior IPS officers have been deployed to coordinate security details, he said. Along with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram will also go to polls by the year-end.

Modi and Shah, two star poll campaigners of the BJP, will be in Bhopal days after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi visited the state capital.

Gandhi held a roadshow and later addressed Congress workers and office-bearers during his September 17 visit. Both the national parties are in poll campaign mode in the state, where the BJP is in power since 2003.

While the saffron outfit will seek a fourth straight term in office in the year-end elections, the Congress will look to wrest power from the BJP in a state which was once its stronghold.Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), an ally of the NDA government and led by Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, has rejected BJP chief Amit Shahs proposal of seat sharing in Bihar,a s per a report by CNN-News18.

The report said that Shah had proposed a seat-sharing formula in Bihar ahead of the Lok Sabha elections  12 seats to JD(U), 6 to LJP, and 2 to RLSP  and the remaining 20 of the total 40 seats for the BJP. Kushwaha has outright rejected Shahs formula for seat sharing.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar constitutes the Janata Dal (United) led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, BJP, Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party and the RLSP.

RLSP's response comes in the wake of a reports of a meeting between Amit Shah and Nitish Kumar in New Delhi related to seat sharing in Bihar.

The party had earlier blamed Nitish for "creating confusion" over the prospective political posturing in the eastern state.

"The confusion arose ever since Kumar returned to the BJP-led coalition last year. It is his party which keeps coming up with claims of being a big brother in the alliance and the chief minister being the face of the coalition in the Lok Sabha polls," RLSP national general secretary and spokesman Madhaw Anand had told the media.

Nagmani, one of the founding members of the RSLP, had earlier told the press: "It is unfortunate that the BJP is pampering the JD(U) which is left with no public support, while we are being belittled. We wonder if we are being indirectly told to quit the NDA and rush into the arms of the opposition Mahagathbandhan." He has been pitching that Kushwaha be made the face of the NDA in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Kushwaha, an erstwhile confidant of Nitish Kumar, had floated the RLSP after quitting JD(U) in 2013. During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the RSLP had contested for three seats and emerged victorious all of them. However, the party fared dismally in the Assembly polls a year later as it returned with a tally of two in a 243-seat Vidhan Sabha.BJP national president Amit Shah

BJP President Amit Shah criticised the opposition parties, including the Congress, on Monday saying they suffered from "Modi phobia" and did not have any agenda for the country's development.

All partners of the BJP in the NDA on the other hand are united and serious about transforming India as the number one country in the world, Shah said.

Hitting out at the Naveen Patnaik's BJD government in Odisha, he said it is responsible for backwardness and poverty in the mineral-rich state. Its ouster from power is certain in the 2019 election, he told a women's meeting here.

"I want to tell the people that the Congress and all opposition parties are working together for breaking India while (prime minister Narendra) Modi-ji is busy in making India," he said.

The prime minister is seeking to eradicate poverty, but the opposition wants "Modi hatao (defeat)", the BJP president said.

Modi wants to eliminate unemployment, while opposition calls for his removal.

"We (BJP) say put an end to insecurity among people, but they (opposition) want removal of Modi. The opposition has no specific agenda, no neta (leader) and no neeti (policy). Their only programme is removal of Modi as they are suffering from Modi phobia," the BJP President said.

Hitting out at the BJD government in Odisha, which has been in power in the state since 2000, he said, "The Naveen Patnaik government has lost all rights to continue in power in Odisha even for a second as the state remains backward despite abundant mineral resources."

Slamming the Naveen Patnaik government for rejecting the Centre's flagship health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat, Shah said if the BJP comes to power in the state it would immediately join the programme for the benefit of lakhs of poor people.Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya Monday said the people want a "mazboot" (strong) and not a "majboor" (helpless) government at the Centre.

He also asserted that a grand alliance between the SP, the BSP and the Congress will have no impact on the BJP's electoral prospects in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"The victory of the BJP in Yadav-dominated polling booths in 2014 and 2017 is an indicator that members of the community in Uttar Pradesh are not with 'avsarwaad' (opportunists), but with 'rashtrawaad (nationalists) and 'vikaswaad' (development oriented people)," he said.

Maurya's remark came after the Samajwadi Party (SP) said it was keen on cobbling together an alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to checkmate the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

The state sends the highest number of 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

Claiming that the BJP had "full support" of the backward communities, Maurya said, "With (prime minister) Narendra Modi at the helm of affairs, backward communities are feeling proud and encouraged."

"I think, this time in 2019, we will get better response from them than we got in 2014 and 2017," he said

"Their (SP-BSP-Congress) alliance, if it at all materialises, will not have any impact on the poll prospects of the BJP as the people of the state know their 'leela' (deeds)," the deputy chief minister said.

The BJP is going to win 73 plus seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh and the party is not concerned about the opposition's strategy, he said in a telephonic interview.

"The SP and the BSP want 'majboor sarkar' (helpless government), but the country wants a 'majboot' (strong) government. A 'majboor sarkar' can be formed in the leadership of the Congress, but a 'mazboot sarkar' can only be given by Narendra Modi, whom the country trusts," Maurya said.

On SP legislator Shivpal Yadav constituting the Samajwadi Secular Morcha and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav sharing stage with son Akhilesh Yadav, he said, "Such developments will continue to take place and it will not have any effect on the BJP. We will win with the help of our workers."

"The opposition's main objective is to stop Modi in 2019 as the entire opposition is demoralised and dejected as its efforts are not yielding desired results. There is no alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Maurya said.

On the BJP holding a OBC conference in Lucknow and the opposition's allegation that it was dabbling in caste politics, he said, "Those who rose with casteist politics should not preach the BJP."

Irrespective of caste, it is the priority of the party to connect with everyone and hear their grievances, try to solve them and ensure due honour to them, the BJP leader said.

"We have organised successful conferences due to which the opposition is worried as backward communities are slipping out of their grip," he said.

The BJP has held conferences with members of 20 castes from September 7 to 24 in which representatives from all over the state gathered and vowed full support to the BJP, Maurya claimed.

Conferences were held with members of backward communities like Prajapapti, Rajbhar, Nai, Vishwakarma, Pal-Baghel, Sahu-Rathore, Lodhi, Bhurgi, Chaurasia, Halwai, Yadav, Jaiswal, Jaat, Gurjar, Maurya and Kushwaha, on different days.

Claiming that the BJP had "full support" of these communities, Maurya said, "with Modi at the helm of affairs, our performance will be far better this time."Home Minister Rajnath Singh has met all paramilitary DGs. Singh was briefed about the border situation. He gave specific instructions to all DGs for complete preparedness at the border and full strength deployment. Instructions were also given for safeguarding civilians and following standard operating procedures (SOPs) in case of any emergency. (Image: Moneycontrol)

Under attack from the Congress on Rafale fighter aircraft deal, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Monday said that following "clarifications" from former French president Francois Hollande, there is no room for any doubt in the matter.

He also accused the Congress of trying to gain political mileage over the issue with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections next year.

"The opposition does not have any issue left so it is raking up Rafale deal issue," the home minister told reporters after a meeting of the Central Zonal Council here.

"After clarifications from Hollande there is no room for any doubt about the deal. The Congress is making it an issue to gain political mileage in 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Singh said.

Hollande, who was French president when the Rs 58,000 crore deal was announced, was quoted as saying by French publication 'Mediapart' that France was given "no choice" on selection of the Indian partner for Dassault and the Indian government proposed the name of Reliance as offset partner for the French aerospace giant.

AFP reported that Hollande told it on the sidelines of a meeting in Canada on Friday that France "did not choose Reliance in any way". When asked whether India had put pressure on Reliance and Dassault to work together, Hollande said he was unaware and "only Dassault can comment on this".

The Centre on Saturday had asserted that it did not have any role in the selection of Reliance Defence as a partner for Dassault while France said it was in "no manner" involved in the choice of any Indian industrial associate for the contract.

On Kashmir issue, Singh said, "I think the matter will be resolved. The problem is not increasing. We are ready to talk to everyone. As far as terrorism is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination."

"Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored," he said.

About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the home minister said that out of 22 points, 20 have been resolved, adding in the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues were discussed of which 428 were resolved.

Besides Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivedra Singh Rawat respectively, the meeting was attended by representatives from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well.

The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The council's meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any.

Five Zonal Councils central, western, northern, southern and eastern were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.Congress President Rahul Gandhi is on a two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. Gandhi has held the Amethi Lok Sabha seat in eastern Uttar Pradesh since 2004. The seat was held by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi between 1999 and 2004.

He will be participate in the district vigilance and monitoring committee meeting at the collectorate in Gauriganj, before meeting party workers. The Amethi MP will also interact with locals.

On Monday, Gandhi will travel to Nigoha near Fursatganj and address a gathering of women on the Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana. The parliamentarian will inaugurate projects at Jais, in the Tiloi assembly segment build under the MP-LAD fund, later in the day.

Gandhi is also expected to meet farmers in the evening at the district headquarter.

The Congress president is likely to stay at Musafirkhana overnight, where he will discuss political developments in the region with party activists and delegates.

On September 25, Gandhi will chair a District Development and Monitoring Committee meeting in Gauriganj.

What makes the visit important

The Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP), Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Ajit Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) have decided to tie up for the 2019 general election held consolidate the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) votes. Congress is likely to be a part of this grand opposition alliance.

These parties are already in advanced talks on seat sharing and are likely to finalise it within the coming months. While the seat sharing formula is not clear yet, reports have suggested that the Congress may be able to contest on just around 4-5 seats in Indias most populous state.

According to a News18 report earlier, SP was only willing to give Amethi and Rae Bareli seats to the Congress. The Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat is held by Sonia Gandhi.

With assembly elections scheduled to happen in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and possibly Telangana, later this year, the two-day visit could be the last opportunity to connect with the people of his constituency.

The campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls is also expected to begin early.

The 2014 scare

Amethi has historically been a Congress bastion. However, Gandhi faced stiff challenge from BJP leader and now Union Minister Smriti Irani in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

While Gandhi had won by over 1 lakh votes, there was a 26 percent voter swing away from Congress.

Irani had won over 3 lakh, and had finished behind Gandhi with 4.08 lakh. BSPs Dharmendra Pratap Singh had finished third with 57,716 votes while Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)s Kumar Vishvas won 25,527 votes in the constituency. SP had not fielded a candidate.

Gandhis vote share was down to 46.71 percent, much lower than what was 71.78 percent in 2009.

Mounting pressure

In 2017, Congress lost all four Assembly seats in the district. The BJP had won three of them.

Sitting Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Rakesh Pratap Singh from SP had retained the fourth Gauriganj seat, defeating Congress nominee Mohammad Naeem by more than 26,000 votes.

While SP and Congress had formed an alliance for the polls, their candidates had contested against each other in some of the seats, including Amethi.

In 2012, BJP had won none of the four seats. Congress had won two out of the four seats.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya announced 119 projects costing Rs 140 crore for Amethi and adjoining districts. Congress workers in Amethi have been up in arms as Gandhi's name has been missing from the plaque put up on the foundation stone of these development projects.

Congress has also faced defection in Amethi. In 2017, the partys local leader Jang Bahadur Singh had joined the BJP, a day ahead of BJP National President Amit Shah's visit.

"I have decided to join the BJP. The projects which were started earlier have virtually slowed down significantly, thereby generating a sense of agony. However, with the advent of Smriti Irani (Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Textiles), there has been a visible shift," Singh had said.

Irani has been leading the saffron party's charge in Amethi. She has repeatedly criticised Gandhi and alleged that the Congress president has neglected his own Lok Sabha constituency.

Irani had made multiple trips to the region. Her latest visit was in the first week of September.

During her visit, Irani inaugurated a digital village at Pindara Thakur village. In May, she had claimed that Gandhi would lose the Amethi seat.

In Amethi, he (Rahul) lost every Assembly seat, every local election in the past four years. What could be his chances of coming to power at the Centre when he is guaranteed to lose election in his own constituency, Irani had said.Facebook India said on Monday that it has appointed Ajit Mohan as its Managing Director and Vice-President.

Mohan joins Facebook India from Star India's OTT platform Hotstar, where he served as CEO. This is a newly created role of Managing Director for India, a VP-level role, and he will report into Menlo Park (Facebook's headquarters) instead of Asia Pacific.

He will join Facebook early next year, the company said in a statement.

Prior to Hotstar, Mohan also served as executive VP and Senior Vice President, Corporate, at Star TV Network.

As part of his responsibilities, Mohan will be aligning teams and driving Facebooks overall strategy in India. He will also drive the company's continued investment in India.

"India is one of the largest and most strategically important countries for Facebook. As we think about what it will take to achieve our mission of bringing people together and building community, we know that investment in India is critical. Ajits depth of experience will help us to continue to have a positive impact in India across communities, organizations, businesses and with policy makers," said David Fischer, Vice-President of Business and Marketing Partnerships, Facebook Inc.

Facebook has been going through troubled times in India, after the Cambridge Analytica controversy about harvesting user profiles for influencing elections made headlines.

Its chat and messaging service WhatsApp has also been in the eye of a storm over the issue of the spread of fake news and its upcoming payments service.

The position of MD at Facebook has been lying vacant at Facebook since October last year, when Umang Bedi quit after a stint which lasted only 15 months.

"I am delighted to take on the mantle of shaping Facebooks charter in India. It is a unique opportunity to shape the agenda of a company that has brought the world closer together in one of the most exciting markets in the world. I look forward to championing India in Facebook and working with stakeholders across the spectrum to help build deep and meaningful communities across the country," said Mohan.

Mohan will lead a "senior leadership team in India that will strengthen Facebook's relationships with people, businesses, and government and intensify the company's efforts to help people in India connect with the people and things they care about most," Facebook India said in a statement.

Mohan is an alumnus of McKinsey and Companys New York office where he worked with media companies around the globe as well as served as a Fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute. He is a graduate of the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.All telecom equipment used by operators will have to undergo mandatory testing and get certified by authorised agencies in accordance with specified norms from October 1, Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan has said.

She said this when asked whether the Indian government was contemplating a cautious approach with regard to procurement of equipment from Chinese companies, as has been done by countries like US and Australia.

"From October 1, every piece of equipment used by operators that comes into India must be mandatorily tested under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017," she said in an interview.

Sundararajan had on September 14 said that the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) may go with Huawei, a Chinese telecom company, after examining their proposal.

Replying to a query, Sundararajan said the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, which was notified by the Indian government last September, mandates equipment-makers to get their products tested and certified from the agency or body authorised by DoT before selling or importing them into India.

The Rules mandates DoT to take punitive action under the licence norms and also seize the equipment, if a telecom operator fails to adhere to them, she added. Also, it bars telecom operators from using untested and uncertified equipment.

The industry, however, is saying that the move for mandatory local testing would delay network deployments and expansion.

In a letter dated May 29 to Sundararajan, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) had asked DoT to postpone the deadline to at least October 1, 2019.

It also claims that the mandatory testing would cripple the telecom ecosystem. COAI represents Indian service providers and network vendors such as Huawei, Ericsson and ZTE.05:20 PM IST

JUST IN | Mallya has submitted himself to the legal process in the UK courts. He has also stated that petition filed in Karnataka Court and PMLA Tribunal are whimsical, and that most of his assets are with Official Liquidator and there was no need to override the current legal status.

Anshul Prakash and Kruthi N Murthy

The Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (EPF Act) is a welfare legislation enacted to provide social security to the employees in the form of retirement or old age benefits. Accordingly, the Government of India framed the Employee Provident Fund Scheme, 1952 (EPF Scheme) and Employees Pension Fund Scheme, 1995.

An employees provident fund was set up to which the employer and employee had to contribute a certain sum.

The EPF Act is applicable to establishments who employ a minimum of 20 employees and notified by the Central Government. However, apart from the employees working in India, the EPF Act and the EPF Scheme also cover International Workers (IW) within its ambit.



a foreign national working in India for an employer registered with the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO);



an Indian employee working abroad in a country with which India has a reciprocal Social Security Agreement (SSA). He/she is also eligible to obtain the benefits under the social security programme of that country under the SSA.



An IW is:

Therefore, an Indian employee sent on posting to a country with which India has an SSA, or an employee coming to India to work from such a country, becomes an IW. Currently, India has operational SSAs with 18 countries and a bilateral comprehensive economic agreement with Singapore.

EPF contribution by Indian employees abroad

Indian employees qualifying as IWs, working in a foreign country are exempted from contributing towards social security schemes in such foreign country, if they satisfy the following two conditions:

India has an SSA with such foreign country; and if the IW obtains a Certificate of Coverage (CoC) from the EPFO.

After obtaining the CoC, Indian IWs are exempted from contributing to the social security system of the foreign country and are ineligible to avail the benefits under the social security schemes of that foreign country. However if an Indian employee is directly employed by a local employer in the foreign country, such an employee is covered by the foreign countrys legislation.

In the absence of an SSA with a foreign country, Indian employees who work in such foreign countries are required to make contributions to PF in India as well as of the foreign country. Similarly, Indian employees who do not obtain a CoC from the EPFO are also required to make contributions to Provident Fund in India as well as of the foreign country.

However, an Indian employee qualifying as an IW, for reasons of working/ having worked in a country with which India has an SSA, will reacquire the status of Indian employee upon repatriation to India after completion of an assignment in the foreign country. Accordingly, such employee will not be subject to the special provisions applicable to IW after returning to India.

EPF contribution of foreign nationals in India

An IW contributing to the social security programme of the foreign country in terms of the SSA signed between that country and India is exempt from making any contribution to PF.

Such an IW not making a contribution to PF is considered as a detached worker for the purpose of compliance under the EPF Act and EPF Scheme.

Foreign employees who belong to countries with which India does not have an SSA and are engaged by an Indian establishment under an employment visa, will be deemed IW. They will also be required to make contributions to the PF.

Conclusion

Social security laws are an important consideration for corporations with a global presence. The SSAs ensures avoidance of contribution to social security schemes of both home and host countries, and aid in the withdrawal of accumulated EPF contributions.

However, there is still a grey area in law with regard to the determination of what constitutes salary for the purposes of EPF contribution as far as IWs (more importantly foreign employees) are concerned.

As per the provisions of the EPF Act, contribution needs to be made on the basic wage, dearness allowance, retainership allowance and cash value of food concessions (if any) paid to the employee.

Contribution to the Provident Fund by Indian employees can be capped at 12 percent of Rs 15,000 a month. There exists no such cap for foreign IWs, and they are required to make contributions on their entire salary. This is an additional burden on the employer as well as the foreign IW.

Clarity in respect of such differential treatment of Indian employees and foreign IWs is awaited from the concerned authorities. Also, withdrawal of accumulated contributions in the absence of a notified SSA is another significant area that needs clarification. This is due to the embargo the law imposes on a foreign IW against PF withdrawal until he attains the age of superannuation.

Prakash is partner and Murthy is associate at Khaitan & Co.

The views of the authors in this article are personal and do not constitute legal/professional advice of Khaitan & Co.Deutsche Bank said India's GDP growth will collapse in April-June and may be a negative print of 5 percent year-on-year or even more. There was a possibility that the July-September real GDP, too, would be negative. (Image: Reuters)

Germany's financial watchdog has ordered Deutsche Bank to do more to prevent money laundering and "terrorist financing," and has appointed a third party to assess progress.

BaFin said this was the first time it had made such an appointment at a bank related to money laundering.

European regulators are stepping up their scrutiny of banks' dealings with their customers following a series of scandals.

The head of Danske Bank resigned last week after Denmark's biggest bank said an investigation had shown that many of the 200 billion euros ($236 billion) of payments through its small Estonian branch were suspicious.

Last year, Deutsche Bank was fined nearly $700 million for allowing money laundering.

Germany's biggest bank said in a statement it agreed with BaFin that it needed to improve its processes to properly identify clients.

"We have the strong commitment to operate within regulatory compliant practices for the identification of our clients," Deutsche Bank said.

Neither BaFin nor Deutsche Bank gave details of the new measures the bank would adopt. No new scandal or case triggered BaFin's move, two people with knowledge of the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In August, Reuters reported that Deutsche Bank had uncovered further shortcomings in its ability to fully identify clients and the source of their wealth.

BaFin said it had appointed KPMG as its special representative for a three year period to assess Deutsche Bank's progress. The intervention is another blow to the bank's reputation.

Deutsche Bank has made management changes and announced a strategic overhaul that includes thousands of job cuts and scaling back its global investment bank as it battles to recover from three consecutive years of losses.

In January 2017, Deutsche Bank agreed to pay US and British regulators $630 million in fines over artificial trades between Moscow, London and New York that authorities said were used to launder $10 billion out of Russia.

The US Federal Reserve fined the bank an additional $41 million in May 2017 for failing to ensure its systems would detect money laundering.

($1 = 0.8480 euros)Maldivian joint opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih speaks to the media at the end of the presidential election day in Male, Maldives September 23, 2018. REUTERS/Ashwa Faheem - RC14025C9BF0

Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the Maldives' presidential election, results showed Monday, a surprise defeat for President Abdulla Yameen, following a campaign observers said was rigged in the strongman's favour.

Results released by the Elections Commission early Monday morning showed Solih had secured 58.3 percent of the popular vote.

Celebrations broke out across the tropical archipelago with opposition supporters carrying yellow flags of Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and dancing on the streets. There was no response from Yameen after the results were announced.

Solih had the backing of a united opposition trying to oust Yameen but struggled for visibility with the electorate, with the local media fearful of falling afoul of heavy-handed decrees and reporting restrictions.

There were also no other candidates at Sunday's election held with all key dissidents either in jail or exile.

Earlier in the night, Solih had called on Yameen to concede defeat once the tally showed he had an unassailable lead.

"I call on Yameen to respect the will of the people and bring about a peaceful, smooth transfer of power," he said on television.

He also urged the incumbent to immediately release scores of political prisoners.

Yameen, who was widely tipped to retain power, had jailed or forced into exile almost all of his main rivals.

Before the polls opened, police raided the campaign headquarters of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and searched the building for several hours in a bid to stop what they called "illegal activities". There were no arrests.

Mohamed Nasheed, the head of the MDP, said the vote would "bring the country back to the democratic path".

Yameen would have no option but to concede defeat, said Nasheed, who was elected president of a newly-democratic Maldives in 2008 but currently lives in exile.

"He will not have people around him who will support him to fight on and stay," he told AFP.

The polls were closely watched by regional rivals India and China, who are jostling to influence Indian Ocean nations. The European Union and United States, meanwhile, have threatened sanctions if the vote is not free and fair.

Many voters across the Indian Ocean archipelago said they stood in line for over five hours to cast their ballots, while expatriate Maldivians voted in neighbouring Sri Lanka and India.

The Elections Commission said balloting was extended by three hours until 7:00 pm (1400 GMT) because of technical glitches suffered by tablet computers containing electoral rolls, with officials using manual systems to verify voters' identities.

An election official said the deadline was also extended due to a heavy voter turnout, which was later declared at 88 per cent.

Yameen voted minutes after the polling booths opened in the capital Male, where opposition campaign efforts had been frustrated by a media crackdown and police harassment.

Some 2,62,000 people in the archipelago -- famed for its white beaches and blue lagoons -- were eligible to vote in an election from which independent international monitors have been barred.

Only a handful of foreign media were allowed in to cover the poll.

The Asian Network for Free Elections, a foreign monitoring group that was denied access to the Maldives, said the campaign had been heavily tilted in favour of 59-year-old Yameen.

The government has used "vaguely worded laws to silence dissent and to intimidate and imprison critics", some of whom have been assaulted and even murdered, according to Human Rights Watch.

Before the election, there were warnings that Yameen could try to hold on to power at all costs.

In February he declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and ordered troops to storm the Supreme Court and arrest the judges and other rivals to stave off impeachment.

Yameen told supporters on the eve of the election that he had overcome "huge obstacles" since controversially winning power in a contested run-off in 2013, but had handled the challenges "with resilience".

The crackdown attracted international censure and fears the Maldives was slipping back into one-man rule just a decade after transitioning to democracy.

India, long influential in Maldives' affairs -- it sent troops and warships in 1988 to stop a coup attempt -- expressed hopes the election would represent a return to democratic norms.Hindu devotees perform 'Tarpan', a ritual to pay obeisance to one's forefather during 'Pitra Paksha', on the banks of Upper Lake in Bhopal. (Image: PTI)

Supporters of Maldivian joint-opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate on a street at the end of the presidential election day in Male, Maldives. (Image: Reuters)

A man carries a child on his back as he walks in rain, in New Delhi. (Image: PTI)

A woman walks on a flooded street in Bangkok, Thailand. (Image: Reuters)

Commuters lean out of an overcrowded local train on the day of Railway Recruitment Board Examination (RRB), in Patna, Bihar. (Image: PTI)

Pope Francis attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Freedom Monument in Riga, Latvia. (Image: Reuters)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the New Greenfield Airport at Pakyong, in Gangtok, Sikkim. (Image: PTI)

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro shakes hands with Bolivia's President Evo Morales as they meet in Caracas, Venezuela. (Image: Reuters)

A United States Marines V-22 Osprey helicopter carrying members of the press following President Donald Trump is seen as Trump travelled from New Jersey to Manhattan in New York, US. (Image: Reuters)The Lahore High Court Monday summoned Nawaz Sharif on October 8 during the hearing of a petition seeking action against the deposed prime minister for claiming that those involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack belonged to Pakistan.

Sharif, for the first time in May, publicly acknowledged in an interview to Dawn that militant organisations are active in Pakistan and questioned the policy to allow the "non-state actors" to cross the border and "kill" people in Mumbai.

In the exclusive interview, he had also criticised the apparent delay in the conclusion of the Mumbai attack trial.

The Lahore High Court's three-member bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Dawn journalist Cyril Almeida and ordered placing his name on the Exit Control List.

"Justice Naqvi expressed anger over non-appearance of Almeida in the court, directing the Deputy Inspector General of the Police Punjab to present him in the court on next hearing (October 8)," a court official told reporters.

The judge, before summoning Sharif on October 8, also inquired from Sharif's counsel Advocate Naseer Bhutta as why his client did not appear before the court on Monday.

Advocate Bhutta said Sharif would appear in the next hearing as he was mourning the death of his wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz. She died of throat cancer on September 11 in London.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, however, appeared before the court.

Petitioner Amina Malik said Sharif, who was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case in July 2017 and subsequently jailed for 10 years in Avenfield corruption case, in an interview to Dawn made the remarks that those involved in the Mumbai attack case actually belonged to Pakistan, thus he committed treason.

The petitioner said the "anti-state" statement of Sharif  a three-time prime minister  could be used against Pakistan by its enemies.

She said a meeting of the National Security Council was held to discuss the 'misleading' statement of the disqualified premier and later then prime minister Abbasi met Sharif and conveyed to him the concerns of the military leadership on his statement.

"The act of Abbasi was also a clear violation of his oath as he was bound not to allow his personal interest to influence his official conduct," the petitioner said.

The court adjourned the hearing till October 8.

Sharif, 68, resigned as Pakistan prime minister last year after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against the beleaguered leader and his children over the Panama Papers scandal.

The Avenfield case was among the three corruption cases filed against the ex-premier by the National Accountability Bureau on the Supreme Court's orders in the Panama Papers case.

Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Mohammad Safdar were released last week following the suspension of their sentences by the Islamabad High Court in the Avenfield properties corruption case.What's next? PM Imran Khan reportedly held an emergency meeting at 11 am (PST). Pakistan's top brass will assemble at the Foreign Office in Islamabad to discuss the emerging situation in the wake of Indian Air Force's (IAF) violation of the Line of Control

Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday rejected a petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Imran Khan for not being truthful and righteous as required under the Constitution.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar rejected the petition, filed by barrister Danyal Chaudhry, on the grounds that the plea, filed at a time when Khan had not been elected prime minister, had become infructuous.

"The application has already been rendered ineffective," observed Justice Ijazul Ahsan.

The petition was filed in May last year after the apex court constituted a six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe allegations of corruption against then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Besides other grounds, the petitioner had sought disqualification of Khan for not disclosing his alleged love child Tyrian White in his nomination papers for elections.

The court said that the petition was filed when Khan was an MP in the previous National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, which has already expired, and the petition had become "ineffective".

The petitioner had also requested the court to restrain Khan from activities which could influence the JIT members.

The JIT report has led to the disqualification of Sharif in July 2017.

Sharif, 68, resigned as Pakistan prime minister last year after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against the beleaguered leader and his children over the Panama Papers scandal.Saudi Arabia, the second largest producer of crude oil to world, faced an attack on its oil infrastructure facilities on September 14, which caused a sharp increase in fuel prices. Do you know where petrol prices were the highest? Here's a list of the countries where petrol is the cheapest and most expensive. (Note: All price comparisons are on rupee terms only. Global rates as of September, 16 2019 - Image: Reuters)

Supply to the global oil market remains "satisfactory", Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khalid al-Falih said Sunday, after calls by US President Donald Trump for an immediate hike in output to reduce prices. But Falih -- attending a meeting of oil producers in Algiers -- left the way open to a future production hike, as supplies tighten due to the US imposing sanctions on Iranian oil from November this year.

"While the supply/demand balance remains satisfactory, we continue to watch closely...and we'll respond appropriately and in a timely manner as necessary," said Falih, who chairs a joint committee of OPEC and non-OPEC countries.

"It is critical that we continue to foresee and anticipate changing market supply and demand balances and take proactive actions to avoid conditions that could make (oil) consumers uneasy and anxious," he added.

The OPEC cartel in December 2016 concluded an agreement with non-member states -- including Russia -- to reduce output in order to arrest sliding prices.

Sunday's meeting in Algiers brought together OPEC oil ministers and non-OPEC signatories to the 2016 agreement, as they seek to extend their cooperation.

Trump has repeatedly called for a hike in production by countries other than Iran to reduce oil prices, which have partially recovered since the December 2016 agreement, to trade close to USD 80 per barrel this month.

"We protect the countries of the Middle East, they would not be safe for very long without us, and yet they continue to push for higher and higher oil prices!" Trump tweeted on Thursday.

"We will remember. The OPEC monopoly must get prices down now!"

Russia's energy minister Alexander Novak on Sunday appeared to back a continuation of the partnership between OPEC and non-OPEC member states.

"We need to give serious thought to expand our partnership beyond this year to tackle the new challenges that appear ahead of us," he said.

After pulling out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May this year, the Trump administration has pledged to impose an embargo on Iranian oil from November 5.

Iran's OPEC representative Hossein Kazempour Ardebili on Sunday said his country was continuing to meet its OPEC quota share.

"We (Iran) are continuing to produce our share of production," he said.

"I expect all countries to exercise their sovereignty and not to abide by the instructions of Trump", he added.Turkey will take action east of the Euphrates river in Syria and impose secure zones as it has done in the northwest of the country, President Tayyip Erdogan said in comments broadcast on Turkish media on Monday.

Earlier this year, Turkey carried out a military operation to seize control of Syria's Afrin region from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara considers a terrorist organisation. The YPG also controls the Syrian region east of the Euphrates.

"God willing, in the period ahead we will increase the number of secure zones in Syria, encompassing the east of the Euphrates," Erdogan said in a speech during a visit to New York.

Before the Afrin operation, Turkey also carried out a cross-border operation dubbed "Euphrates Shield", which targeted both the YPG and Islamic State fighters east of Afrin.

After the completion of Euphrates Shield in early 2017, Turkey set up local systems of governance in the swathe of land under its control and protected by Turkish forces. It has done the same in Afrin.

Erdogan has in the past warned of new military operations against the YPG along the Syrian border and if necessary into northern Iraq.

Expanding Turkey's military campaign into the much larger Kurdish-held territory east of the Euphrates would risk confronting troops of NATO ally the United States, that are deployed alongside a YPG-dominated force there.

The YPG has been Washington's main ally against Islamic State in Syria, infuriating Ankara which sees the Kurdish force as an extension of a militant group waging a decades-long insurgency in southeast Turkey.

Erdogan's comments come a week after he and Russia's Vladimir Putin announced a deal under which Russian and Turkish troops will enforce a demilitarised zone in northwest Syria's Idlib region.Think of it as the smallest, most prestigious fiction writers group in America: Every year, the National Book Foundation announces the winners of its 5 Under 35 award. Writers can't be nominated; they don't even know if they're being considered until the call comes. Each of them is chosen by a former National Book Award winner or finalist.

This year's 5 Under 35 honorees, all born after Nov. 30, 1982, are a testament to the remarkable talent in the United States. With a rich variety of styles, these young writers demonstrate the breadth of contemporary novels and short stories. In accordance with NBF rules, each of them has published just one book, but those books - the beginnings of great careers - make it easy to be optimistic about the ambition, the artistry and the continued survival of American fiction.

I spoke with each of them by phone about their lives and work.

---

Hannah Lillith Assadi, chosen by Claire Vaye Watkins

(BEGIN ITAL)Assadi, 32, was born in New York, grew up in Scottsdale, Ariz., and then moved back to New York to attend Columbia University. Her novel, "Sonora" (Soho, 2017), is about two young women, Ahlam and Laura, who leave the Phoenix area and go to New York. (END ITAL)

The first time I read Faulkner, when I was a junior in high school, I read "The Sound and the Fury." His sense of poetry imbued with the heaviness of history, that was the first time that I ever was just really knocked down on a prose level. [In "Sonora"] I was looking at characters who inherited this sense of persistent exile. I wanted Ahlam to be the daughter of her parents coming to a new place and seeking out the desert in such an opposite location - always looking for the past in the present, much like her parents do. So in this city, she finds these deserted places that can evoke the desert, even if so entirely oppositely. The Gowanus Canal, which is very polluted and in a very industrial zone, is a reflection of this canal that weaves through the desert in her childhood. I knew these two landscapes intimately.

---

Akwaeke Emezi, chosen by Carmen Maria Machado

(BEGIN ITAL)As a child in Nigeria, Emezi started writing stories to get the wonderful stationery the teacher kept supplying. Now 31, Emezi is a full-time video artist and writer in Brooklyn. The autobiographical novel "Freshwater" (Grove, 2018) tells the harrowing tale of a Nigerian girl who contains several separate selves, identities who assert themselves even more powerfully when she moves to America and is raped.(END ITAL)

Sometimes I get asked, "Why did you write in this format?" And I say, "I didn't make it up. That's just what happens inside my head." The conversations between the selves are literal journal entries from about 10 years ago. I kept running into people who had been living in these kinds of alternate realities, and they weren't talking to anyone about it because mainly there were just two options: Either you're mentally ill, or you're - in religious terms - possessed by a demon. Most of them were suicidal or had been suicidal at some points from the effects of that isolation. And I realized that my book was going to be an outlet or just be someone else speaking up and saying, "Hey, my brain works like this. I don't consider it a mental illness. I consider it real."

---

Lydia Kiesling, chosen by Samantha Hunt

(BEGIN ITAL)At 34, Kiesling, the editor of the Millions, is the oldest of this year's 5 Under 35 authors. "I really squeaked in under the wire," she says. Her novel, "The Golden State" (MCD, 2018), is about a woman in San Francisco whose Turkish husband is having trouble returning to the United States. Desperate for respite, she flees with her 16-month-old daughter to an old mobile home in the desert. (END ITAL)

My mother is from the very far northeastern corner of California, and I grew up visiting there. The past few times I've gone, I've been struck by the feeling of melancholy I have about it. It just seems like a changed place. And then I started learning about the State of Jefferson effort, which is an effort to create a 51st state out of Northern California and Southern Oregon. I don't have a sense that it's destined to be successful, but some of the concerns mirror the rhetoric that we have on the national stage about government interference and liberty. And I had friends who had had their own immigration challenges, and I'd heard all of the kinds of horror stories that have been going on for a very long time and that certainly predate the current trend of horrible violence in our immigration system. That's just the time we live in.

---

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, chosen by Colson Whitehead

(BEGIN ITAL)As a teenager, Adjei-Brenyah spun stories with his friends "to fill the time." Now 27, he's a professor at Syracuse University whose work is praised by masters of the form like George Saunders. His story collection, "Friday Black" (Mariner, forthcoming in October), offers surreal tales and dystopian satire about American consumerism and race.(END ITAL)

I worked [in shopping malls] for a long time. It's harsh because there's an aspect of - if you're on the sales force, especially - projecting this sincerity, projecting this interest when you would rather be doing anything else and also not being paid well for that work. There's also at certain points maybe the fear that this is what the rest of my life will look like. But you do find little moments of joy inside it when you can. Sometimes - as I tried to talk about in the story, in retail you do feel like you're really helping someone. I remember people would come in, and they'd want certain kinds of clothes with no color and no tags, and I'd be able to get the right ones for them. And they could maybe get those clothes to somebody in prison because there are a lot of very strict codes about what you can wear when you're incarcerated. So, it was dispiriting, but you make the best of it, and it gave me a lot, obviously, of things to write about.

---

Moriel Rothman-Zecher, chosen by Bill Clegg

(BEGIN ITAL)Born in Jerusalem but raised mostly in Ohio, Rothman-Zecher, 29, spent the last part of high school back in Israel and felt excited about one day enlisting in the Israeli Army. Over the next few years, though, his attitude changed, and he eventually refused to serve. That experience inspired the plot of "Sadness Is a White Bird" (Atria, 2018), about the friendship between twin Palestinians and a young Israeli soldier named Jonathan. (END ITAL)

I wrote the first draft in a few months, and it wasn't a very good draft, but it was something for my agent and me to work back and forth for almost an entire year, and that included a lot of de-polemicizing. There were times when my brother, who's my best friend and one of my closest readers, or my wife, Kayla, would be reading a draft and they would say to me, "Look, you know this part, Jonathan speaking here, it doesn't sound like Jonathan. It sounds like Moriel has inserted a political monologue into Jonathan's mouth." And I would say, "Thank you!" So the process of revising was a lot of extracting those political monologues and those op-eds squished into dialogue because that's not what novels are supposed to be. Fiction is not supposed to be an op-ed disguised as a fictional story. For me, fiction is the anti op-ed.Economy is on its knees at ...Labor markets in Midland and Odessa were little changed in August, according to data released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission.

Unemployment in the commissions Midland metropolitan statistical area remained at 2.2 percent, unchanged from July and down from 3 percent in August 2017.

Odessa, likewise, remained unchanged at 2.9 percent in August and down from 3.9 percent a year ago. Midland continued to record the states lowest unemployment, followed by Amarillo, while Odessa recorded the third lowest unemployment rate.

As we go into the final quarter, everything is looking stable, said Willie Taylor, chief executive officer of the commissions Workforce Solutions Permian Basin.

He said unemployment insurance claims in the 17 counties he oversees has fallen to about 600 from approximately 1,000 last year. If you have any skills, you can go to work in the Permian Basin, he said.

With not only Midland-Odessa but Texas and the nation at full employment, Taylor said it is becoming more difficult to bring new workers into the area. Everything, from the oil and gas industry to medicine to education are more competitive, he said.

Thats why our board is focusing on growing our own workforce through education, training and youth expositions, he said.

We need to ensure our graduates, and those who want to re-enter the workforce, take advantage of training opportunities. We are so blessed to have good training opportunities through the colleges and the university, he said.

Taylor said his office receives calls weekly from people wanting to move into the region for work. But the first question they ask is about housing, he said.

Midland added 500 nonfarm jobs from July to August, bringing the total to 104,000. The mining, logging and construction sector  which includes Midlands dominant sector, oil and gas  added 400 jobs, followed by the education and health services sector with 200 jobs and the trade, transportation and utilities sector with 100 jobs. The other services sector and the government sector each lost 100 jobs for the month.

The civilian labor force  those who live in the Midland MSA  fell by about 500 to 100,244, while the number of employed Midlanders dipped a similar 500, and the number of unemployed was down by about 10.

From August 2017 to August 2018, Midland added 8,800 jobs for a growth rate of 9.2 percent. The mining, logging and construction sector added 7000 jobs, followed by the leisure and hospitality sector with 600 jobs. The trade, transportation and utilities sector added 400 jobs, followed by the professional and business services sector with 300 jobs. The manufacturing sector, information sector, education and health services sector, other services sector and government sector each added 100 jobs during those 12 months.

Weve had so much growth, with new companies coming into the region needing skilled workers, said Taylor. Im positive the city, Midland Development Corp. and Chamber of Commerce, with their can-do attitude, can address the challenges.

Statewide, the unemployment rate dipped to 3.9 percent from 4 percent in July. The Workforce Commission said 32,000 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs were added in August, the 26th consecutive month of employment growth. Over the last 12 months, the state has added 394,500 jobs.

While Midland had the lowest unemployment rate, the highest was in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission at 6.6 percent.

Midland unemployment

January 2018 2.4 percent

January 2017 4 percent

February 2018 2.5 percent

February 2017 3.8 percent

March 2018 2.4 percent

March 2017 3.5 percent

April 2018 2.1 percent

April 2017 3 percent

May 2018 2.1 percent

May 2017 3 percent

June 2018 2.4 percent

June 2017 3.2 percent

July 2018 2.2 percent

July 2017 3 percent

August 2018 2.2 percent

August 2017 3 percent

Preliminary numbers for August with July numbers in parentheses:

Midland 2.2 (2.2)

Amarillo 2.8 (2.9)

Odessa 2.9 (2.9)

Austin-Round Rock 3.0 (3.1)

Lubbock 3.2 (3.4)

Sherman-Denison 3.2 (3.3)

College Station-Bryan 3.3 (3.3)

San Angelo 3.3 (3.4)

Wichita Falls 3.4 (3.7)

Abilene 3.5 (3.5)

Dallas-Plano-Irving 3.5 (3.6)

San Antonio-New Braunfels 3.5 (3.5)

Fort Worth-Arlington 3.6 (3.7)

Tyler 3.7 (3.7)

Waco 3.7 (3.9)

Laredo 3.8 (4.0)

Victoria 4.0 (4.1)

Killeen-Temple 4.1 (4.2)

Longview 4.2 (4.3)

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 4.3 (4.4)

El Paso 4.4 (4.4)

Corpus Christi 5.0 (5.2)

Texarkana 5.0 (5.3)

Brownsville-Harlingen 6.2. (6.5)

Beaumont-Port Arthur 6.3 (6.3)

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 6.6 (7.0)When it comes to mental illness, this community has looked the other way for far too long.

However, we are pleased that we have seen steps recently that our community recognizes it can do better.

In June, the Reporter-Telegram brought you and then celebrated the news that the Midland Development Corp. approved an $8.4 million economic development incentive for the creation of an outpatient child and adolescent psychiatric fellowship program at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Anything less would be disappointing. TTUHSC, in a press release, said the program will see a minimum of 9,000 patients a year to be served by four fellows and up to 16 medical residents.

The Scharbauer Foundation also played a key role in this deal, and to all involved, we say thank you for helping make Midland a better place.

In August, the Midland County Commissioners Court announced $2.5 million for Midland Memorial Hospital to help advance the cause of bringing greater mental health to all the people of Midland County. It also was a decision worth celebrating.

On Monday, the Midland Behavioral Health Initiative will launch its campaign  Okay to Say  that we hope brings attention to the communitys mental health issues. The campaign is focused on assessing and addressing the gaps in the community, providing resources for treatment for a long and healthy life, and eliminating the stigma that comes with mental illness.

How big is that problem?

Officials with the Midland Behavioral Health Initiative report that 1 in 5 adults in Midland County have a mental health condition. That is about 33,000 residents in Midland alone. That isnt insignificant. It is a number that should grab everyones attention and show that mental illness isnt an issue the community can ignore.

We recently stumbled across a social media post that urged people to take time to understand the issues related to mental illness, including suicide. It perfectly sums up what should become our communitys mantra: The days of it not being talked about or being taboo should be over.

The Midland Behavioral Health Initiative will provide information about where Midlanders can get help in the Permian Basin. Thats another reason people behind the Midland Behavioral Health Initiative will launch their campaign. Officials will discuss the mental health expansion to 68-NURSE -- the free telephone service that allows residents to talk to medical professionals about health concerns -- the importance of mental health among adolescents and about the mental health impact on the judicial system.

The campaign launch also will include information about Midland BHIs upcoming Okay to Say event planned for Oct. 9 at Midland Community Theatre. The event is free to the public. To reserve a ticket, go to www.eventbrite.com. The keynote speaker is Kevin Hines, an award-winning speaker, best-selling author, documentary filmmaker and suicide prevention and mental health advocate.

Midland, lets pack the house on Oct. 9. Lets send the message we are ready to take more steps to make mental health a priority.

The days of it not being talked about or being taboo should be over.Alex Hinojosa is quite the Renaissance man.

When hes not serving as managing director of San Antonio-based North American Development Bank, Hinojosa might be making wine from the grapes he grows in his vineyard or harvesting olives on his farm in Rio Medina.

Or he might be playing some 70s rock, conjunto or a little country music on his guitar or drums. Or painting a portrait in oil or acrylic.

Or he might even be piloting his Cessna 150. Or he could just be looking after his grandkids.

I have a lot of hobbies, Hinojosa said, adding that its been a way for him to stay connected to his six children.

Occasionally, he combines his passion for flying with his day job by hopping in his plane for a business meeting.

I fly for business maybe about once a quarter, somewhere in Texas thats easier to get to in my own plane rather than driving, he said. Right now, to get to (the Rio Grande) Valley  there are no really direct flights that work for a full day.

Quick facts on Alex Hinojosa First job where you earned an actual paycheck: Working on a farm - plowing, hauling hay, feeding cattle - near La Coste. If you had to pick a different career in an entirely different industry, what would it be: A career in the arts or managing investment funds. What book are you reading right now: "Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together" by Andrew Selee. What's your favorite movie: "The Quiet Man" Favorite vacation spot: Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico. If you could chose your last meal, what would it be: A ribeye steak and Tempranillo wine he's made from the grapes in his vineyard. See More Collapse

Hinojosa has a lot of interest in the U.S.-Mexico border zone. After all, its on both sides of the border that NADBank finances water, sewer, landfill, road, stormwater, renewable energy and other projects. The bank is equally funded by the U.S. and Mexican governments.

The bank was established by legislation that was part of the North American Free Trade Agreement, signed in 1992. Since its formation, the bank has financed 246 projects. It currently has projects in four U.S. states  Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California  and six Mexican states, Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas.

There are many communities that we have helped, he said.

Hinojosa, 62, joined the bank in 2012 as deputy managing director and was promoted to managing director in November. He oversees a staff of 117 and $2 billion in assets. NADBank generated $29.3 million in net income last year, a 51 percent increase from 2016.

Hinojosa recently sat down with the San Antonio Express-News at the banks headquarters in downtown San Antonios International Center. Heres an edited transcript of the conversation.

Q: Did you grow up in San Antonio?

A: I grew up in the Castroville-La Coste area. I went to Medina Valley High School. I came to (San Antonio to attend) St. Marys University and have pretty much stayed here. (He earned a bachelors degree from St. Marys and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio.)

Q: What did your parents do for a living?

A: My dad was a welder, and my mom, when she worked, was a seamstress.

Q: What there something in your youth that set you on your career path?

A: I was working in a welding shop in shipping and receiving during high school. My dad had brought me in. I would see this young man with a coat and a tie, and a brand-new car, coming in regularly. He looked not that much older than me. I asked what he did, and they said, well, thats the auditor. So, thats what changed it for me. Everybody addressed him as mister. I thought, well thats nice.

Q: Talk about your career path.

A: I started off as an auditor, but then I knew that I wanted to get into being in accounting within a big corporation. (His bio says he led investment banking efforts at Cabrera Capital Markets and Frost Bank.) Then I wanted to be a finance director, so I got the opportunity (at San Antonio Water System).

Q: Are most people you meet familiar with NADBank?

A: In the border region or in the border states, yes. Both sides, Mexico and the United States, know us very well. I guess the three federal agencies (that oversee the bank), the Department of Treasury, the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department, and their Mexican counterparts. Outside of that, were a well-kept secret.

Q: What was the reason behind the banks establishment?

A: At the time, there was concern that the growth of industries and companies along the border would damage the environment. So they said, what can be done? Well, we can help the cities and the counties and the municipios be prepared for improvements to their infrastructure. Thats how the bank was created.

Q: Who are the banks customers?

A: We help a lot of cities, public entities and private companies. A lot of them are public-private associations. As an example, we are financing a desalination plant that has a contract with the Ensenada water company. Its a private company but doing a public service.

Q: Whats your typical loan?

A: Our sweet spot can range from $15 million to about $50 million. We have a rigorous review process. Every loan we do has to be approved by our board, so we cant get down to small projects  under $1 million or $2 million, because its expensive. What were really trying to do is work on (big projects, such as) wastewater treatment plants, solar farms and wind generation plants.

Q: You also provide grants for smaller projects, too?

A: We do about $14 million, $15 million in grants for about 10, 12 projects a year. Those are EPA monies that we administer.

During our first 12 years, we were mostly an administrator for grant money from the EPA. That was extremely helpful to the border communities, especially in Mexico. In 94, perhaps 22 percent of the wastewater flows were being treated in border states. Currently, were probably at 89, 90 percent. Its not all NADBank money, of course, because the money we invested had to be matched by the Mexican entities, both federal and local. That high level of wastewater treatment is much, much higher than the rest of the country. So it has worked.

Q: Are there certain projects you dont want to get involved with?

A: There are certain projects that are riskier. Anything that has to do with a lot of land is a bit riskier. There are some projects that I would like to get into, but we dont have a mandate to do.

Q: Like what?

A: Telecommunications.

Q: Building infrastructure so people have internet?

A: Exactly. (But) its not an approved sector for us at this point. Right now, were also looking at natural gas. There are a lot of U.S. companies that have natural gas that are going to sell into Mexico, and there are a lot of Mexican companies that are getting ready to build the pipelines. Wed like to get more into that.

Q: Whats the toughest part of your job?

A: The toughest part of the job is always trying to make sure all of the employees have a good understanding as to how were trying to help a community. As you know, any organization will have different departments with different functions. Ones mitigating risk, while the others trying to get the loan approved. One is looking at the legalities, while the other is looking at the technical aspects. Bringing them all together is important so that we say, OK, heres how were going to help this community.

Q: Have the trade tensions between the U.S. and Mexico had any impact on the bank?

A: No, I dont think they have. Of course, were always keeping our eye on the cost of the exchange rate and the cost of trade, moving equipment, because that does affect the project sponsors.

Q: So is the renegotiation of NAFTA going to have much impact on NADBank?

A: Well, I think that the renegotiation of NAFTA may provide some opportunities. Im assuming that when it gets done they will have certain goals, or certain needs. I have mentioned this to our federal government, we are standing by, ready to help. We are basically a tool for both the Mexican government and the U.S. government to carry out their goals  as it was back in 1994 when they wanted the environment looked at and they gave us the water, and the wastewater, and landfills to work on. In the same manner, we may be called once NAFTA 2.0 is done.

Q: Has President Donald Trumps policies had any impact on the bank?

A: No, we have our mandate. Weve followed it.

Q: Are there any concerns about Mexicos leftist president-elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador?

A: No. He was elected and we are standing by for when the transition team comes in. Im sure that they will have ideas as to things to look at, but were standing by.

pdanner@express-news.net(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump is disappointed with Justice Department actions, including some related to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and those will be discussed by the two on Thursday along with Rosensteins fate, according to a White House spokeswoman.

The president has been disappointed by a number of actions that have taken place at the Department of Justice and he wants answers to some of the questions that he has, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told Fox News Tuesday.

"Some of them have to do with Rod Rosenstein and some of them have nothing to do with him, but it is the Department of Justice and it should work to actually fix and hold up law and order not complicate or undermine law and order," she added.

The two men are scheduled to meet face-to-face Thursday to discuss Rosensteins future, after a person familiar with the matter said Rosenstein told White House Chief of Staff John Kelly that he was resigning. Rosensteins current status and future intentions were mired in confusion Monday in the aftermath of reports that hed suggested to colleagues last year that he would secretly record conversations with Trump.

Sanders declined to say whether Rosenstein would be fired or whether his resignation would be accepted, if offered. "Im not going to get ahead of the presidents decision-making," she said in a separate interview with ABC Tuesday. "The president wants to make sure theyre focused on what they should be."

Trump on Monday didnt answer a question about what may happen to Rosenstein.

I spoke with Rod today and were going to have a meeting on Thursday when I get back to the White House, he said.

Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia probe run by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, visited the White House Monday for a previously scheduled meeting. Other media reports said that the deputy attorney general expected to be fired.

The dispute concerning details of what Rosenstein discussed with his colleagues last year about covertly taping the president set off a firestorm in Washington.

A person who was present at that meeting said he was joking, but the New York Times, which first reported the incident on Friday, cited secondhand accounts indicating Rosenstein was serious about the proposal. The Times said Rosenstein also discussed identifying cabinet members willing to invoke the 25th Amendment, which provides for the removal of a president whos unfit for office.

The departure of Rosenstein, who named Mueller to be special counsel in May 2017, has enormous implications for the Russia investigation and for the president. A successor to Rosenstein would have the power to fire Mueller or rein in his investigation. Rosensteins resignation was reported earlier Monday by Axios.

Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said Muellers probe into Russias interference in the 2016 election -- including whether anyone close to Trump colluded in it and whether Trump sought to obstruct the inquiry -- needs additional protection in light of Rosensteins expected departure.

Protecting Mueller

The Senate must step up to protect the Special Counsel immediately, she said in a tweet. We must pass the bipartisan bill to protect the Mueller investigation. The American people deserve answers about Russian interference in our democracy.

Current and former government officials, including lawmakers, had long warned Trump against firing or pushing out Rosenstein. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer warned Trump against seizing on the report that Rosenstein suggested covertly taping him.

This story must not be used as a pretext for the corrupt purpose of firing Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein in order install an official who will allow the president to interfere with the Special Counsels investigation, Schumer said. He added that many White House and cabinet officials have been reported to say critical things of the president without being fired.

A number of Republicans also voiced support for Rosenstein.

John Cornyn, the second-ranking Senate Republican, said Rosenstein has done a good job in a tough position. But its not my call. He added, though, that it would be problematic for Trump to win Senate confirmation of a successor as deputy attorney general.

Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said,I like Rosenstein, and I think the president does too.

Witch Hunt

Mueller has charged 25 Russian people and companies for election interference. He also has won guilty pleas and cooperation agreements from people around Trump, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Trump has often dismissed as a witch hunt the inquiry into possible collusion with Russia and whether Trump conspired to obstruct justice.

Rosenstein made the decision to name a special counsel days after he took charge of the Russia probe, which he inherited when Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the matter. Trump has mocked and criticized Sessions for doing so.

Naming Replacement

Trump can install a temporary replacement as deputy attorney general until he nominates a successor to Rosenstein who would have to be confirmed by the Senate.

However, the Justice Department has a line of succession that could let Solicitor General Noel Francisco assume control of the investigation. One question is whether that would be considered inappropriate given that Francisco is a former partner of the Jones Day law firm, which has represented Trump for years.

As solicitor general, Francisco has staunchly defended Trump administration policies while pursuing long-held conservative legal goals.

He successfully defended Trumps travel ban, drawing criticism for saying at argument that the president had made crystal clear he wasnt trying to impose barring Muslims. Francisco later sent the court a letter saying he had misstated the date on which Trump supposedly made those comments.

He reversed what had been the Obama administrations position on a number of high-profile issues in the courts last term.

Earlier this year, Francisco was photographed having dinner in downtown Washington with Sessions and Rosenstein in what some viewed as a show of support for an attorney general who was being sharply criticized by the president.

Francisco has been studiously silent about the Mueller probe, at least in public.

Rosenstein, 53, was chosen by Trump to be the No. 2 official at the Justice Department last year. He previously served for 12 years as U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland during the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Rosenstein joined the Justice Department in 1990 and has been viewed as a respected public servant, credited with helping reshape the departments priorities.

Republican Critics

In May, he stood up against Republican lawmakers who drafted articles of impeachment against him for refusing to turn over internal Justice Department documents that they said would reveal the questionable origins of the Russia probe.

There are people who have been making threats, privately and publicly, against me for quite some time, Rosenstein said at a Law Day event in Washington. I think they should understand by now the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted. Were going to do whats required by the rule of law.

Republican Representative Jim Jordan, a House Judiciary member who has been among the lawmakers most critical of Rosenstein and the Russia probe, said on Twitter Monday that the deputy attorney general needs to appear before the panel regardless of whether he keeps his job.

You cant have the head of the Justice Department (even if its sarcasm) talking to subordinates about recording the Commander in Chief, Jordan said. He needs to answer our questions.

But Rosenstein also riled some of Trumps critics in 2017, when he wrote a controversial letter outlining the case for firing then-FBI Director James Comey, saying he made serious mistakes in his handling of the probe into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server. Trump cited Rosensteins letter in firing Comey, although he later said it was because of the Russia investigation.

Trump grew increasingly angry at Muellers investigation, and at Rosensteins supervision of it. He discussed dismissing Rosenstein with aides at the White House in April, a person familiar with the matter said.

Trump and some Republican lawmakers have pressed the argument that Muellers inquiry should be shut down because it was irreversibly tainted by improper actions early in the inquiry, well before Mueller was appointed.

Rosenstein named Mueller as special counsel after Trump fired Comey, who had been overseeing the investigation. Rosenstein took control of the inquiry because Attorney General Sessions, an early Trump campaign supporter, recused himself from any matters related to the 2016 election, a move the president has openly derided.

I dont have an attorney general. Its very sad, Trump said in an interview with Hill.TV, the Capitol Hill newspapers online TV channel, that aired on Sept. 19.

--With assistance from Jennifer Epstein, Sahil Kapur and Greg Stohr.

To contact the reporters on this story: Chris Strohm in Washington at cstrohm1@bloomberg.net;Terrence Dopp in Washington at tdopp@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kevin Whitelaw at kwhitelaw@bloomberg.net, Larry Liebert

2018 Bloomberg L.P.U.S. crude oil exports of nearly 1.8 million barrels a were the top petroleum product export in the first half of 2018.

Crude oil exports surpassed hydrocarbon gas liquids or HGL exports of 1.6 million barrels a day, according to a report by the Department of Energy. HGLs are defined as natural gas liquids like ethane, propane and olefins like ethylene, and propylene used in plastics manufacturing.WASHINGTON  Connecticuts Democratic senators said the possible firing of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein  the overseer of special counsel Robert Muellers Trump-Russia probe  is a grave threat to democracy and the rule of law.

If Rosenstein is fired, which he might be, it will be a break-the-glass moment, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who stood with a group of 115 Yale law students at a news conference called to address the other political drama that continued to unfold in Washington, The confirmation battle of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Rosenstein is the Justice Departments No. 2 behind Attorney General Jeff Sessions. When Sessions recused himself last year from supervision of the Mueller investigation  which President Donald Trump has repeatedly labeled a hoax  Rosenstein took it over.

A career federal prosecutor who formerly was U.S. attorney in Maryland, Rosenstein has defended the integrity and independence of the Mueller probe. Trumps wrath has been trained less on Rosenstein than on Sessions for recusing himself in the first place.

(Sessions did so because of questions raised last year over his own interactions with Russians  a potential conflict in supervising a probe into Russian intelligence efforts to swing the 2016 election to Trump.)

According to various media accounts, Rosenstein spoke to White House officials about resigning in the wake of a New York Times story that said he had discussed invoking the 25th Amendment, which provides an avenue for removing presidents unable to carry out their duties because of illness or other incapacity.

Rosenstein also allegedly discussed secretly recording the president, presumably to facilitate the removal process.

The story reportedly outraged Trump. Rosenstein vigorously denied the charges but discussed his possible resignation with the White House over the weekend, according to reports from AP and other news outlets.

Rosenstein met Monday with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and also spoke to Trump by phone. Trump, who is in New York at the United Nations General Assembly meeting, said the two would meet Thursday when he is back in Washington.

"We will be determining what to do," Trump told reporters in New York on Monday. I spoke with Rod today and well see what happens."

Blumenthal and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., both have advocated legislation that would insulate the Mueller probe from any effort by Trump to derail it. The legislation has drawn little interest from Republican congressional leaders.

My hope is Republican colleagues will rise to the challenge and will hold true to their promise that there would be a firestorm if he is fired, Blumenthal said.

Trump has been pretty unapologetic in his telegraphing of dismay over the Mueller investigation and his desire to cut it short, Murphy said.

The way Rosenstein is being treated underscores why its so important for Democrats to win in November, said Murphy, who faces Republican opponent Matthew Corey on Election Day. The only check on (presidential) power is a Democratic Congress. We need the people to put a different party in charge of Congress.

Though behind in the polls, Corey has displayed a showmans sense of political combat by challenging Murphy to spend a day washing windows in Hartford to learn what it is like to earn a days wages.

dan@hearstdc.comOne family caught him live streaming masturbation with their child.

Another family caught him asking their child for a photograph.

And a third victim claimed he was sent child pornography by him.

All this led to Travis W. McCoy, 24, of Houston, Texas, who attended Mitchell College in New London, being sentenced to 13 years in prison for enticing minors to engage in sexual activity over the internet. He was been detained without bond since June 28, 2017.

In addition to the prison time, McCoy was sentenced to a lifetime of U.S. Probation Department supervision by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea Monday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Gifford told Shea that between August, 2015 and March, 2017 McCoy used internet services like Kik and Google Hangouts as well as Xbox Live to entire four minor boys whose ages ranged from 9 to 14 years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct over video-chatting services such as Skype. In some cases he exchanged sexually explicit images and videos of himself and requested the same from them.

One of the victims met McCoy, who worked as a counselor at a summer camp in Texas.

Investigators also determined McCoy mainted three Dropbox accounts which contained 684 images and 89 hours of child pornographic videos. There is no evidence that McCoy distributed any of the images or videos he received from the four minor victims.

Travis McCoy is an intellectually disabled, cognitively impaired, emotionally stunted effeminate young man on the autism spectrum whose parents, until sending him off to college in Connecticut, controlled most facets of his life, Jeremiah Donovan, McCoys defense lawyer told the judge.

Donovan said the parents arranged tutoring, counseling and therapy in a vain effort to normalize him.

The case was investigated by the Houston and New London Police Departments and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.BEIJING - The trade war is not about trade. The trade war is about the United States trying to contain China and undercut its rise.

That's the increasingly common theory percolating in Beijing these days after President Donald Trump slapped another, even bigger, round of tariffs on Chinese goods - and prompted China to retaliate with its own levies on U.S. imports.

Washington might see this as attempts at straightforward economic rebalancing.

But many in Beijing's leadership look at it in through a wider lens of Chinese acendance and U.S. anxieties of shifting power balances.

The elements they see include Trump's relative friendliness toward Taiwan, the prospect of U.S. sanctions over China's treatment of Uighur Muslims, and the American decision to exclude China from Pacific Rim military exercises this year.

Taken together, there is a strong whiff of conspiracy from China's perspective. That could add another layer of complications to the already deepening trade battles.

"There's a raging debate in Beijing about whether Trump wants a trade deal or whether he wants to thwart China's rise," said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Those who think Trump wants to contain China are opposed to making concessions."

In public commentaries and in private conversations, the containment theory increasingly comes up.

"The United States' intention to disrupt China's development process has been thoroughly exposed," the People's Daily reported in the lead-up to Trump's decision Monday to slap tariffs on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.

The fact that the sanctions were imposed on the anniversary of Japan's invasion of northern China in 1931 - a day that many Chinese see as an unofficial day of national humiliation - just rubbed salt into the wound.

A commentary in Qiushi, the publication of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and one of the best reflections of the cadres' thinking, said those who were attacking China's style of state-directed capitalism were doing so "to create public opinion to curb the development of emerging countries, especially China's development."

By trying to "distort, smear and slander China's socialist market economic system," these critics were trying to shake public confidence in it "and ultimately thwart China's development," said the commentary, published earlier this month.

These assertions in state media are a reflection of an increasingly common sentiment in the Chinese capital, where President Xi Jinping's government has been trying to figure out what, exactly, Trump is playing at.

Trump's actions with tariffs were "threatening China's economic interests and security," the Commerce Ministry said Tuesday night, hinting at the theory that this was about more than trade deficits.

Although China's once-booming growth rates have slowed markedly in recent years, it is still on track to overtake the United States as the world's largest economy around 2030, according to respected researchers.

But China stands accused of using unfair trading practices, such as dumping, industrial subsidies and forced technology transfer, to help get to No. 1.

When Trump became president and started attacking China for enjoying a trade surplus with the United States that hit $375 billion last year, Beijing didn't think he was serious, said Paul Haenle, a former China adviser on the Bush and Obama national security councils and now director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center in Beijing.

"Early on, the Chinese had a very simple narrative that all this trade stuff was about Trump's short-term political objectives, about getting a tweetable victory," he said. "Now, they're at the other end of the spectrum. Now it's all about the U.S. trying to block China's rise."

"It's all," he added, "about China as victim."

To sustain this theory, Beijing points to evidence such as the United States' exclusion of China earlier this year from the Hawaii-based Rim of the Pacific exercises, the world's largest set of international maritime war games. Many Chinese believe the snub was punishment for its expansion in the South China Sea, which China views as part of its territory but is strongly opposed by the United States and its regional allies.

Beijing also has criticized the revival of the "Quad" strategic dialogue involving the United States, Japan, Australia and India as a way of trying to contain it.

Then there is the Taiwan Travel Act that Trump signed in March, encouraging more interactions between American and Taiwanese officials. Beijing views Taiwan as a renegade breakaway province that should be brought back into China.

Also, American officials have raised the prospect of imposing sanctions on Chinese senior officials and companies linked to allegations of human rights abuses against Muslims in western China.

Now come reports that the Justice Department has ordered the state-run Xinhua News Agency and China Global Television to register in the United States as foreign agents.

"This is giving them a sense that the Americans are out to get them," said Michael Kovrig, China analyst for the Crisis Group. "For China, the economic and security are inextricably linked."

It was a refrain that Abigail Grace, who served as a China specialist on Trump's National Security Council until earlier this year, heard nonstop on a visit to Beijing this month.

"Everyone I met with said that because the trade dispute was not a one-off quick win, then it must be part of a larger strategy," said Grace, who is now at the Center for a New American Security in Washington.

Earlier this year at the Boao Forum, sometimes called China's Davos, Xi presented himself as a champion of the global economy.

"Ours is a nation that has courageously engaged in self-revolution and self-reform . . . and kept overcoming systematic obstacles," he said. China would lower tariffs on cars and safeguard the intellectual property of foreign companies, he said.

But it has made precious little progress on any of these goals. Trump might just help Beijing focus its mind.

"Now Trump has gotten China's attention," said Haenle, of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center. "The administration is talking more and more about structural issues, and I think there is a huge amount of support within the U.S. and around the world for pressuring China on these issues, and even China knows it needs to change."

But for now, China is standing firm and refusing to be cowed by Trump, even as it runs out of options for responding - a direct consequence of importing from the United States much less than it exports.

China would continue to thrive, the state People's Daily said in the recent commentary. With "Comrade Xi Jinping" and "the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era," the country would have the confidence "to overcome all difficulties and obstacles."EDWARDSVILLE - This has been a busy year so far for Contegra Construction.

The company, which has offices at the Gateway Commerce Center in Edwardsville, has had its hands in several local construction projects recently including a retail center that houses a Japanese restaurant, a multi-use housing project down the road from it and a massive expansion at the Gateway Commerce Center.

Weve had a lot of great opportunities, Contegra Project Executive Jim Mundy said. Weve been fortunate. Weve had a lot of things going on. Were happy to be a part of Edwardsvilles growth.

The most visible Contergra project, though, may be the Ironworks development at the south end of town, where Strange Donuts, Sugarfire Smoke House, and Global Brew plan to set up shop early next year. But other projects are moving ahead as well. In March, Contegra started construction on Timberlake Village, and last week one the tenants, Kyoto Sushi Steakhouse, opened for business at 441 Illinois 157.

Kyoto takes up about 7,000 square feet of space at Timberlake and Mundy said the developer has been working with a chiropractor who has shown an interest in moving in to the remaining 3,000 square feet.

On New Poag Road, workers are still working to build the Reserve student housing complex. The complex, Mundy said, will have nine apartment buildings, a clubhouse and a swimming area. We just opened the clubhouse this (last) week, he said. They have a temporary certificate of occupancy, so they could begin to set up a leasing office. The complex abuts the Bohm Nature Preserve.

The city of Edwardsville has purchased 71 acres of land adjacent to the property and intends to create the William C. Drda Nature Preserve.

Developers hope to have the Reserve filled with students by August of 2019.

Just down the road from the Reserve, Contegra is working on a major expansion for World Wide Technology. Earlier in the year the company signed a lease to occupy more than 2 million square feet of industrial space. The plan is to have the building ready for WWT to move in by spring of 2019.Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will launch the third million-dollar ad buy of his reelection campaign Monday with a family-centered spot highlighting his record on issues important to women.

The ad features one of the most effective surrogates from Hogan's upset win four years ago - his wife's daughter, Jaymi Sterling.

Hogan, R, used Sterling in 2014 to combat ads that he said falsely portrayed him as "anti-woman." Starting Monday, Sterling and her baby daughter, Nora, will appear in a spot highlighting two bills signed by Hogan that were championed by women's groups. One bill strengthens Maryland's pay-equity laws, and the other removes co-payments for birth control.

Sterling, a 37-year-old prosecutor whose mother, Yumi, married Hogan 14 years ago, tells viewers that "when Nora gets older, I'll make sure she knows that my dad, her pop-pop, stood up for her and every other woman."

On Friday, Democratic challenger Ben Jealous criticized the governor for having six women in his 23-member Cabinet, pledging that, if elected, his would be at least 50 percent female.

The Jaymi Sterling spot is part of a seven-figure ad buy, Hogan campaign spokesman Doug Mayer said. The campaign has used $3.5 million for television advertising since the June 26 primary, more than 30 times what the cash-strapped Jealous campaign has spent.

Additionally, the Republican Governors Association has bought more than $1 million in attack ads on Hogan's behalf.

Jealous, a former president of the NAACP, trailed Hogan by double digits in a recent Goucher poll and has raised $9 million less than the incumbent governor.

He says he is running a nontraditional campaign that relies heavily on grass-roots activism and turning out many Democrats who normally vote sporadically. Democrats outnumber Republicans by 2 to 1 in Maryland.

The Jealous campaign announced Sunday that it purchased its first television time in the more vote-rich and costly market reaching the Washington, D.C., suburbs. The campaign put $50,000 behind the advertisement, which describes Jealous' tenure at the NAACP and later as a venture capitalist.In a large lecture course about evidence - how to properly assess it, and the rules for applying it - a student at the University of Wisconsin Law School in the early 1980s stood out to professor Frank Tuerkheimer.

What she possessed, the law professor said, was not simply "book smarts" but also keen judgment, as well as a wry sense of humor. He asked her to assist him in his work representing the state board monitoring attorney misconduct, and even with 18 years of litigation experience behind him, he came to see the student as an equal. "We were on the same wavelength. She knew what mattered and what didn't. She was able to separate the wheat from the chaff," he said.

Now, Tuerkheimer is watching as his former student, Debra Katz, strives to air evidence against Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, in a contest roiling the nation. Katz represents Christine Blasey Ford, the research psychologist who claims that Kavanaugh, then 17, pinned her down when she was just 15, covered her mouth with his hand and grinded against her - an allegation that the nominee denies.

Katz, in other words, is the woman working mostly behind the scenes to allow Kavanaugh's accuser to tell her story, and to protect her from the threats that have already driven her from her home. Those who know and have worked with Katz describe her as a meticulous and battle-tested attorney, as someone who vets her clients carefully and doesn't take on cases merely because she sympathizes with victims of exploitation and abuse.

Yet she's no political neutral. By her own words, she is part of the resistance against the 45th president.

"This administration's explicit agenda is to wage an assault on our most basic rights - from reproductive rights to our rights to fair pay," she said last year in an interview with the National Women's Law Center. " . . . [W]e are determined to resist - fiercely and strategically."

Her own views test a line between legal advocacy and political activism at a moment when sexual harassment and gender discrimination have become the terrain on which American political warfare is being waged.

"I have immense gratitude for the advocacy and intelligent counsel provided by Debra Katz and Lisa Banks during these very challenging weeks," Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, said in a statement Sunday to The Washington Post.

Katz and Banks are partners at Katz, Marshall & Banks, a firm founded in 2006 to represent plaintiffs in the areas of whistleblower law, civil rights, employment discrimination and sexual harassment. Katz has won recognition for her work, including as one of the "Top 10 Plaintiff's Attorneys to Fear Most" and as D.C.'s "Civil Rights Lawyer of the Year."

Among her clients are Irwin Reiter, a longtime Weinstein Company executive who reportedly attempted to console a temporary front-desk assistant who claims to have been harassed, and Chloe Caras, a former manager in Mike Isabella's restaurant empire accusing Isabella and his business partners of "extraordinary sex-based hostility and abuse." In a statement to The Post, Reiter praised Katz's "utmost professionalism and concern for me and all of the survivors who have been impacted by Harvey Weinstein."

In many ways, Katz is the consummate lawyer for the #MeToo movement. In an article written for Ms. Magazine, titled "Not Okay," she dismissed Trump's defense of his degrading language as "locker-room talk" and offered a withering judgment of Trump, whose "demeaning and sexually aggressive statements," she wrote, constituted "unlawful sex discrimination." A profile in the Wisconsin Law School alumni magazine labeled her a "#MeToo Advocate," a forerunner of the social movement to root out sexual violence and gender discrimination.

"While this movement has amplified her career-long efforts, Katz has been steadily working toward change for decades," the magazine noted.

But this portrait of the lawyer as a passionate activist is also fueling a right-wing crusade against Katz, who in recent days has conducted high-wire negotiations with Senate Republicans over the timing and terms of Ford's testimony before the Judiciary Committee, which is currently expected Thursday. The criticism echoes the dismissal of Ford as a Democratic loyalist with an ulterior motive - a notion that Katz denied last week on NBC's "Today" show by arguing that "no one in their right mind, regardless of their motive, would want to inject themselves into this process and face the kind of annihilation that she will be subjected to by those who want this nominee to go through." Katz also pointed out that Ford initially "was quite reluctant to come forward." Still, her story leaked.

The Daily Caller dug up video of Katz from what appears to be a protest against the confirmation of Jeff Sessions as attorney general in which the lawyer says, "We're gonna fight back. We are going to resist. We will not be silent." In the clip, she is identified as a "protestor" by ABC's "Good Morning America." She has donated to numerous Democratic candidates, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Katz and Banks, her legal partner, recently canceled a fundraiser for Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., originally scheduled for October, CNN reported. "We're going to be focused on the issues involving the Kavanaugh confirmation process," Katz told the network. In the interview with the alumni magazine, she touched on a range of volatile issues, from immigration to gun control. "When I go to a march on behalf of Dreamers, I hear young people making connections between DACA and Islamophobia," she said. "I hope that energy continues, to retake our democracy that is truly at risk now."

And last week, Megyn Kelly, the NBC host, described Katz as a "Democratic activist," saying it was hypocritical of the attorney to have been "defensive of Bill Clinton" when Paula Jones accused the Democratic president of misconduct. Commenting in 1998 on those accusations, Katz said that if she were approached with the same facts - someone "propositioned her but only once and she suffered no tangible job detriment" - she would tell the complainant, "sorry, it's unfair, but you don't have a case."

"If it's one time, it has to be severe, almost a sexual assault, not just a touching of somebody's breast or buttocks or even forceful kissing," Katz said.

The evidence in the two cases is "qualitatively different," said Joseph Sellers, a civil rights and employment lawyer with Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll. "It's not a double-standard."

Sellers, a longtime colleague of Katz's, said she "has nerves of steel."

"She pursues things that other people would think - they don't want to go there - and she tends to do it in a way that is very skillful, and I would say classy," Sellers said. "She is somebody who does not have hidden agendas. She says what she means, and she acts on what she says."

Katz is not especially accustomed to dealing with Congress. But her skills as a litigator carry over to "what's needed in representing a client before Congress," namely careful preparation and deft negotiation, said Carolyn Lerner, the former head of the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates whistleblower complaints.

Lerner said Katz represented clients "from across the political spectrum" before the federal agency. She developed a reputation for bringing credible cases, Lerner said, in large part because of the research that she put into them. Whereas many lawyers send one or two-page demand letters formally stating a legal claim, Lerner said, "I've seen demand letters from Debbie that are probably 15 pages long."

"Opposing counsel know that when someone is represented by Debbie, they should be taken seriously," she said.

In addition to whistleblowers - former congressmen, aerospace executives, pharmaceutical sales representatives - Katz's clients include many women, as well as students. She has taken on universities, the National Institutes of Health,media organizations and State Department contractors. In 2004, she represented Roger L. Barnes, a former accountant at Fannie Mae, the mortgage financing giant, who said he was threatened for raising concerns about the company's accounting, in a case that led to one of the largest restatement of earnings to date.

Not all of her efforts have been successful. Last year, a federal judge in Virginia dismissed a lawsuit she had filed on behalf of five former University of Mary Washington students alleging that the university had fostered a hostile sexual environment by failing to protect members of a feminist group from threats made on the social media platform known as Yik Yak.

Katz is guided by the interests of her clients, not her own political sympathies, said Marcia Greenberger, the co-founder and former president of the National Women's Law Center, who first met Katz when the young lawyer was participating in Georgetown's Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship Program in the 1980s. She dismissed the idea that Katz is out to do battle with the Trump administration.

"I've seen her be as publicly strong and assertive as it's possible to be, and I've seen her also behind the scenes be supportive of those clients who have decided that they don't want that kind of public profile, that they just don't want to come forward because the price is too high," Greenberger said.

Though she is at the center of the #MeToo movement, Katz also has a longer-term perspective, Greenberger said. She was a young lawyer when the all-male members of the Senate Judiciary Committee questioned the credibility of Anita Hill and quibbled with her about the lurid details of her accusations against Judge Clarence Thomas.

Greenberger said she had despaired at the time that "women may never come forward after seeing what happened to Anita Hill."

"One of the things that gave me hope was seeing lawyers like Debbie come forward and be trained and committed to putting their skills to work to represent such women," she said. "I think she is steeped in understanding of the ways in which women are demeaned under these circumstances and the ways in which their harassers and assaulters use all kinds of strategies to try to shut them down."

Tuerkheimer, her former professor, noted that Katz was in law school at the time that Ford alleges the assault took place at a house party in the Washington suburbs. He couldn't recall his student speaking about issues of sexual misconduct or workplace harassment. "It was the early '80s," he said. "It was a different time." Her interest in public service was clear, Tuerkheimer said, but he couldn't have predicted then that gender equity would become one of her causes.

Katz grew up in a Jewish household on Long Island, where the horrors of the Holocaust were invoked as a call to seek justice, she told the Washingtonian magazine in June.

"My father says that I was born arguing about fairness and social justice issues, and that attending law school was just a formality," she says in a quote on her firm's website.

She attended Union College in Schenectady, New York, and went on to law school in Madison, where she played softball and served as a member of the Wisconsin Law Review and as an editor of the Wisconsin Women's Law Journal.

By her own account, she was hardly blind to racial and gender inequities, even at a time when such issues were easier to overlook. She told the alumni magazine that she grew troubled by the lack of diversity among the law review's ranks.

"There was lip service given to valuing diversity, but in practice, students of color were excluded from participating," Katz said. "After arguing unsuccessfully for the need to revamp selection criteria to be more inclusive, I resigned and co-founded the Women's Law Journal."MOSCOW - Russia said Monday it would equip Syria with sophisticated air-defense systems - a move that could worsen a rift with Israel by limiting its ability to bomb across its northern border.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow would send Russia's powerful S-300 ground-to-air missile systems to Syria, a longtime ally, in the next two weeks. Israel, which has repeatedly bombed Iranian targets in Syria, had long opposed such deliveries, and Russia has in the past abided by Israel's request.

But the downing last week of a Russian reconnaissance plane with 15 service members aboard changed the dynamic. The plane was shot down by a Syrian missile, but Russia faulted Israel for the crash because an Israeli fighter jet allegedly had used the Russian plane as a screen against Syria's air defenses.

Israel, by contrast, said its air force had not violated any agreements with Russia and that Israeli jets had already returned to Israeli airspace when the missiles were launched. The crash was one of the deadliest incidents for regular Russian service members in the Syrian war.

"Today, the situation has changed, for no fault of ours," Shoigu said in a televised statement Monday announcing the S-300 deliveries.

Shoigu said Russia will also jam military aircraft communications in the airspace next to Syria over the Mediterranean Sea, while upgrading Syria's air-defense command systems.

Russian officials did not, however, signal a desire to fundamentally alter the relationship with Israel - a key element of the Kremlin's push to build its influence in the Middle East.

The flare-up in tensions between Russia and Israel marks a turnabout after months of personal diplomacy between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which the two leaders forged a close personal relationship. A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman described Israel's actions leading to the shoot-down last week as "ungrateful," given what he said were Russian accommodations to Israeli requests, including relocating Iranian troops from the border of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and providing Russian patrols in the area.

"You know that Israel and the Russian Federation have quite advanced relations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday. "Everything had worked right up until the tragedy that occurred recently."

Putin informed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad about the missile delivery in a phone call on Monday, according to a statement issued by Syria's presidency. Although Putin had sought last week to tamp down tensions over the downing of the plane, calling the incident an "accident," he told Assad he "held Israel responsible" for the deaths of the 15 Russian service members, the statement said.

If delivered, the S-300s would further shift the military balance in Syria in favor of Assad as well as Iran and its allied militia Hezbollah, which have vowed to maintain a presence in Syria even though the war is winding down, over Israel's objections.

Although Russia suggested its immediate goal in supplying the missiles would be to protect Russian aircraft from accidental shoot-downs, the S-300s will also give Syria enhanced capacity to take on any of the other countries flying sorties in its crowded skies, including the United States and its allies in the coalition against the Islamic State.

Israel has fiercely lobbied against Russia providing Syria with S-300 air defense systems. Israel flies missions with relative ease over Syria, given the latter's largely antiquated air defenses, and Israeli officials recently admitted to carrying out more than 200 bombing raids inside Syria over the past two years.

Israel says it is determined to stop Iran - a longtime foe that has sent forces to back Assad - from becoming entrenched near Israel's northern border, and to prevent the transfer of advanced missile systems to Iranian proxies, including Hezbollah.

A flurry of shuttle diplomacy by Israeli officials to Russia appeared to be paying off in May, when Russian officials said just days after a visit by Netanyahu that they were not planning on selling the system to Syria. More broadly, Israel also sees Russia as key to protecting its interests in Syria by preventing a buildup of Iranian-linked bases and infrastructure.

The deterioration in relations between Russia and Israel, along with a transfer of the S-300 system, complicates Israel's efforts to contain Iranian influence.

"For Israel, it may have to balance more carefully the desire to limit the production of advanced missiles and prevent their transfer, with essentially direct confrontation with Syria," said Ofer Zalzberg, a Jerusalem-based analyst with International Crisis Group. "This high-precision campaign it has been carrying out will become more difficult."

The transfer may lead to Israel being more cautious in the short term, Zalzberg said. "I think they will become more risk-averse, though, at the same time, try and signal the opposite," he said. "Israel will try and preserve its ability to act in Syria, which means maintaining relations with Moscow."

- - -

Morris reported from Jerusalem. Sly reported from Beirut.President Donald Trump said in a radio interview broadcast Monday that he is an "absolute no" on statehood for Puerto Rico, citing his running feud with San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, a critic of the federal response to Hurricane Maria.

"With the mayor of San Juan as bad as she is and as incompetent as she is, Puerto Rico shouldn't be talking about statehood until they get some people that really know what they're doing," Trump told host Geraldo Rivera in an interview conducted Sunday with WTAM Radio in Cleveland, later calling Cruz "a horror show."

Trump's assessment brought a rebuke from Ricardo Rossello, the governor of the commonwealth, who has been making a stepped-up effort to persuade Trump and Congress to support statehood in the wake of the first anniversary of the storm.

"This is an insensitive, disrespectful comment to over 3 million Americans who live in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico," Rossello said in as statement in which he also lamented "the unequal and colonial relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico."

In the aftermath of Maria, Cruz made repeated public pleas for more immediate aid from the federal government, which angered Trump.

The two have continued to spar.

Earlier this month, when Trump characterized the federal response to Maria as an "incredible, unsung success," Cruz pushed back on Twitter, writing: "If he thinks the death of 3,000 people [is] a success God help us all."

Speaking of Cruz on Monday, Trump said that "with people like that involved in Puerto Rico, I would be an absolute no" on statehood.

"If you had people like the mayor of San Juan, whatever her name may be, she is a horror show," Trump said. "She was so bad and so disrespectful to our military, to our first responders, and to our great FEMA people who did a phenomenal job," he added, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll released this month found that a 48 percent plurality of Puerto Ricans think the territory should be admitted to the United States as the 51st state. Twenty-six percent said it should remain a territory, and 10 percent said it should become an independent nation. Meanwhile, 61 percent said the federal government's hurricane response in Puerto Rico would have been better if it were a state.

In a letter to Trump and in television interviews last week, Rossello argued that disparate federal responses to Puerto Rico and other states affected by hurricanes underscore the need to alter the U.S. territory's status.

Puerto Ricans can vote in presidential primaries but not in general elections.

Puerto Rico's nonvoting representative in the House, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, R, introduced legislation in June that would make the territory a state, with full-fledged voting rights, no later than January 2021.

In a referendum last year, 97 percent of those in Puerto Rico who voted chose statehood, but just 23 percent of registered voters cast ballots. The vote was viewed as flawed, and opposition parties boycotted it.

It was the fifth referendum held on statehood since Puerto Rico was acquired in the Spanish-American War of 1898 and designated a commonwealth half a century later.Republicans launched a full-scale campaign Monday to install Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, dismissing new allegations of sexual misconduct as Democratic smears while the embattled nominee asserted he has no intention of bowing out.

President Donald Trump vowed to support his choice "all the way," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., guaranteed that Kavanaugh will receive a vote "in the near future," and the nominee coupled a letter to the Senate railing against "grotesque and obvious character assassination" with an emotional television interview, an unusual step for a judicial pick.

"I'm not going anywhere," Kavanaugh said in an interview with Fox News Channel, his wife, Ashley, by his side. He said he has "never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise."

In a tweet late Monday evening, the president wrote: "The Democrats are working hard to destroy a wonderful man, and a man who has the potential to be one of our greatest Supreme Court Justices ever, with an array of False Accusations the likes of which have never been seen before!

The GOP defiance and accusations of a Democratic and media effort to sink Kavanaugh underscored the urgency in the Republican Party to confirm the judge as the court begins its new term next week, and GOP leaders brace for the midterm elections.

Conservatives have elevated this Supreme Court nomination fight to a political litmus test, demanding that the GOP deliver Kavanaugh's confirmation or face a backlash at the polls, in which Republican congressional majorities are at stake.

Top Republican senators signaled an openness to the Senate Judiciary Committee voting on the nomination by the end of the week, reflecting the speed at which they want to confirm Kavanaugh, although it was unclear whether they had the votes.

"Friday would be possible," said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, although he said he would defer to the committee's chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

The nationally televised Fox interview marked a new tactic for Kavanaugh, who has mostly hunkered down and avoided media attention since California professor Christine Blasey Ford accused him this month of sexually assaulting her when they were high school students.

In one extraordinary exchange with interviewer Martha MacCallum, Kavanaugh said he was sexually inexperienced as a teenager.

"So you're saying through all these years that are in question that you were a virgin?" she asked.

"That's correct," he answered.

"And through what years in college, since we're probing into your personal life here?" MacCallum asked.

"Many years after - I'll leave it at that," Kavanaugh said. "Many years after."

Neither of Kavanaugh's accusers have said there was sexual intercourse in their interactions.

The firestorm over Kavanaugh's nomination dominated Congress, as protesters flocked to the U.S. Capitol complex and Democrats called for Republicans to slow down and enlist federal law enforcement to take a closer look at Kavanaugh's past before voting on a lifetime appointment to the nation's highest court.

"If you really believed these allegations are part of a despicable smear job, Leader McConnell, why don't you call for an FBI investigation?" asked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "What are you afraid of? What are you hiding? What is Judge Kavanaugh hiding?"

On Sunday, the New Yorker magazine reported that Deborah Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaugh's at Yale University, said he exposed himself at a party when they were both first-year students.

In the Fox interview, Kavanaugh denied Ramirez's and Ford's allegations. "I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process," he said. Kavanaugh also sent a defiant letter to leaders of the Judiciary Committee.

"I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process," said the 53-year-old jurist. "The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out. The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. The last-minute character assassination will not succeed."

In his first comments to reporters on the nomination since the Sunday night news report about the second allegation of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh, Trump called him "a man with an unblemished past" and characterized the allegations swirling around him as "totally political."

"There's a chance that this could be one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen for a candidate for anything," the president said as he entered the United Nations headquarters in New York.

The Judiciary Committee has scheduled a Thursday hearing at which Ford and Kavanaugh have agreed to testify. On Saturday, Ford sent a personal letter to Grassley in which she asked for "fair and respectful treatment" and said she had "one motivation in coming forward - to tell the truth about what Mr. Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge did to me."

"Mr. Kavanaugh's actions, while many years ago, were serious and have had a lasting impact on my life," she wrote in the letter, released to news organizations Monday. "I thought that knowledge of his actions could be useful for you and those in charge of choosing among the various candidates." Ford also wrote that she has hired security and has spent a "considerable time managing death threats."

Judge has told the committee he has no memory of the alleged incident and does not want to speak publicly.

A Washington Post reporter found Judge holed up Monday in a house in Bethany Beach, Del. "How'd you find me," he asked. He declined to comment further.

Barbara "Biz" Van Gelder, Judge's attorney, said her client left town at her instruction because of an onslaught of criticism and press questions.

"I told him to leave town. He is being hounded. He is a recovering alcoholic and is under unbelievable stress," she said. "He needed for his own health to get out of this toxic environment and take care of himself."

Van Gelder said Judge waited to leave town until after the hearing date and witnesses were announced, and was not avoiding a subpoena.

George Hartmann, a spokesman for the Judiciary Committee, said Monday it had resolved all issues for Ford's testimony Thursday, including the Republicans' insistence that female staff attorneys be allowed to question Kavanaugh and Ford at the hearing.

But a letter sent later Monday by Ford's legal team indicated that not all the sticking points appear to have been settled. Her attorney complained about McConnell's blistering afternoon speech, calling it "inconsistent" with the approach that Grassley and his staff have tried to take. The lawyer also pushed back on the apparent hire of an "experienced sex crimes prosecutor" - as a top Grassley staffer appeared to mention in an earlier email - to question Kavanaugh and Ford on behalf of Republicans.

"This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate," lawyer Michael Bromwich wrote. "Neither Dr. Blasey Ford nor Judge Kavanaugh is on trial."

As the day wore on Monday, it became increasingly clear that Senate Republicans and Democrats were moving in opposite directions over how to proceed with Kavanaugh's nomination.

McConnell, R-Ky., lashed out at Democrats, accusing them of throwing "all the mud they could manufacture."

"Democrats wouldn't let a few inconvenient things - like a complete lack of evidence or an accuser's request for confidentiality - get between them and a good smear. It's despicable," McConnell said.

Kavanaugh's fate rests with a handful of Republican senators who are awaiting Thursday's hearing before announcing how they will vote. Among them are Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Bob Corker of Tennesseee.

Collins said Ramirez should be questioned under oath by the committee, and stressed again that she has not made up her mind on whether she will support Kavanaugh.

Ford has alleged that Kavanaugh drunkenly pinned her to a bed, groped her and put his hand over her mouth to stifle her screams as he tried to take off her clothes at a house party in the early 1980s. Kavanaugh has firmly denied the accusation. "I was never at any such party," he said in the Fox News interview.

Some Republican senators pressed for a quick vote after the hearing.

"What we are witnessing is the total collapse of the traditional confirmation process for a Supreme Court nominee," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a string of tweets. "It is being replaced by a game of delay, deception, and wholesale character assassination."

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a member of the Judiciary Committee, referred to Ramirez's allegation as "phony," and when pressed on why he characterized it that way, Hatch responded: "Because I know it is. That's why."

"I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be," Hatch said of Kavanaugh being confirmed.

Besides the new allegation from Kavanaugh's college years, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, has claimed to be representing another accuser from the judge's high school years.

"This is starting to feel like a vast left-wing conspiracy," White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Monday on "CBS This Morning" as part of a coordinated effort to play down the accusations.

The White House distributed talking points for its supporters in an attempt to discredit the New Yorker story, saying that Democrats had embraced a "new standard of guilty until proven innocent."

At the Russell Senate Office Building on Monday, scores of anti-Kavanaugh protesters - mostly women - wearing Yale and "Believe Women" shirts, gathered in the building's rotunda. The group loudly chanted, "We believe the women." U.S. Capitol Police arrested several who refused to leave the premises.

Trump also praised Kavanaugh's character and intellect in a radio interview that aired Monday morning, calling him "a fantastic, fantastic man" and again casting doubt on the credibility of the first woman who accused him of sexual misconduct.

"I think he's got an outstanding record, very smart, top-of-the-line education, the best student no matter where he went and honestly the best character, unless she can prove otherwise, and we're going to give her a chance to do that," Trump told host Geraldo Rivera in an interview conducted Sunday.

The interview, which was broadcast on the debut of Rivera's new show on WTAM radio in Cleveland, took place before the New Yorker report was published.

In the interview, Rivera asked Trump whether Kavanaugh should still be confirmed if people come to believe the allegations made by Ford.

"Number one, I don't think that will happen, and number two, I want her to have her voice," Trump said. "Let her have her voice. Let her say whatever she has to say. Let him say what he has to say. And at the end, the senators will make a choice."

In a tweet Friday, Trump had directly attacked Ford's credibility, writing: "I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents." Aides to several Senate Republicans working closely on the Kavanaugh nomination said they were caught off guard by the allegation detailed in the New Yorker. A spokesman for McConnell said that his office was not aware of the allegations before Sunday evening - and that specifically, Senate Democrats did not inform Republicans about the accusation.

Spokesmen for Grassley and several other committee Republicans, including Cornyn, Graham, Hatch and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., also said they were unaware of the allegations before the New Yorker story was published. There are also questions as to how wide the reports of the potential new allegation were spread among Senate Democrats.

---

The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis, Robert Barnes and Emma Brown, and Gabriel Pogrund in Bethany Beach, Del., contributed to this report.A 15-year-old was arrested after four people broke into a north Houston cell phone store Monday morning, police said.

Houston police were called to a Metro PCS store in the 4900 block of Irvington, just north of Near Northside, around 3 a.m.

An alarm company could tell that four people were inside the store, but all of them were gone by the time police arrived, said Lt. Larry Crowson of the Houston Police Department.

The four busted through a glass door. It isnt believed that anything was taken, Crowson said.

Officers caught one possible suspect after a neighbor called and said she saw men jumping a fence nearby.

The suspect, who is 15, was arrested. The other three havent been caught.With time served in the military and as CIA director, retired U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus built up a resume of leadership experiences and international work. Petraeus is expected to share advice with students who are pursuing their own careers when he speaks Tuesday at Midland College.

Petraeus was chosen to deliver his message at the college as a part of the Davidson Distinguished Lecture Series, which gives students and residents the opportunity to learn from accomplished speakers. This semesters free, public event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Chaparral Center.

The Midland Reporter-Telegram caught up with Petraeus via email to find out the nature of his upcoming speech and his connection to a famous Midlander.

MRT: What message will you share with the West Texas audience?

Petraeus: Keeping in mind that the audience will include a sizable number of students completing their education before embarking on their chosen professions, I will seek to convey several messages to them:

First, that life is a competitive endeavor; just showing up is important, to be sure, but hard work, focus, continued professional development and study, inter-personal skills, and discipline all matter enormously.

Second, that while luck and timing are important, without question, I agree with the Roman philosopher Seneca, who observed that, Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

Third, that while winners do, indeed, win stuff, they sometimes need to compete to be the best team player, not just the best individual in every pursuit.

Fourth, that life is not without setbacks, and the measure of the man is often not just determined by how high he jumped, but by how high he jumped back after a misstep, setback, or mistake.

And, fifth, that they should seek what might be termed out of ones intellectual comfort zone experiences. (For me, these included doing grad school at Princeton and a fellowship at Georgetown, as well as spending a summer in Central America and later serving as the Chief of Operations of the UN Force in Haiti. Each was off the normal path that military officers followed, but each was enormously instructive and valuable later in my career when dealing with unexpected situations in Iraq and Afghanistan and other countries in which I served. (In the case of Princeton, I was warned that going there rather than to another infantry unit would be an act of professional suicide. Needless to say, that did not prove to be the case.)

MRT: How does it feel to be among those selected as speakers in the Davidson Distinguished Lecture Series?

Petraeus: It is a tremendous honor to have been invited to be part of the Davidson Lecture Series and to follow in the footsteps of previous speakers such as David McCullough, Sandra Day OConnor, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Dr. Jane Goodall, among many other previous speakers for whom I have long had enormous admiration.

MRT: You recently paid tribute to the late U.S. Sen. John McCain. What can the country learn from his legacy?

Petraeus: Senator McCain was a true American hero who demonstrated extraordinary physical and moral courage, who always put country first, and who never wavered in seeking to uphold the freedoms and principles that have made our country great. As I noted in my eulogy for him at the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel, No one had the backs of our men and women in uniform more than he did. And no one did more to ensure that we had what was needed to prevail on the battlefields of the post-9/11 wars. Beyond that, though, we should also learn from his willingness to reach across the aisle from time to time, giving a little in an effort to get a lot. Those in Washington who seem engaged in hyper-partisan trench warfare should reflect on that as they try to deal with the legislative, policy, and regulatory headwinds that prevent the U.S. from capitalizing fully on the opportunities presented by the four great revolutions we are leading, or in which we are among the leaders: the energy revolution, the IT revolution, the life sciences revolution, and the manufacturing revolution.

MRT: Your resignation as CIA director garnered public attention. How have you moved forward from that situation?

Petraeus: As I noted earlier, life is not without setbacks, missteps, and mistakes  some, as in my case, self-inflicted. In such cases, I think it is vital to acknowledge what happened, to take ownership of it, to apologize for damage done, to seek to learn from the experience, and then to put the rucksack back on and strive to drive on. This is what we did when operations did not go as planned on the battlefield or in intelligence operations during my time in uniform and at the CIA. And that is what I believe one should do  and what I sought to do. Frankly, some 5 1/2 years since leaving government, I am very fortunate to have been able to build a wonderful portfolio of stimulating, enjoyable, and rewarding business, academic, and veterans-support endeavors. And though they entail a great deal of international and domestic travel, I generally manage to get home on the weekends, and then enjoy various family activities, which now include our first grandchild, a 9-month-old baby girl.

MRT: Retired U.S. Army Gen. Tommy Franks has ties to Midland. Have you had a chance to know him personally?

Petraeus: Yes, indeed. In fact, I watched General Franks from afar with considerable admiration during my first 20 or so years in the Army, and I then got to know him well as a commander for a stint in Kuwait under him when he was a three-star general and I was a one-star. Then, most significantly, I was the commander of the great 101st Airborne Division during the fight to Baghdad and the first year in Iraq when he was the four-star commander of U.S. Central Command (a position I held some 5 1/2 years later). He was, frankly, a larger than life figure for our soldiers and those of my generation. He had a great way with our men and women in uniform, and he obviously oversaw some exceedingly important operations in Afghanistan and Iraq in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.The young Kerrville mother accused of leaving her two infant daughters in a hot SUV for several hours, which led to their death, pleaded guilty Monday to four felony charges, according to Hill Country Breaking News.

Amanda Hawkins, 20, will be sentenced in December on two charges of endangering a child and two charges of injury to a child. District Attorney Lucy Wilke told Hill Country Breaking News that Hawkins faces up to 40 years in prison.

RELATED: Kerr Jailer courting inmate accused in deaths of her 2 kids fired, arrested and arrested again

She's accused of leaving her infant girls, 1-year-old Brynn Hawkins and 2-year-old Addyson Overgard-Eddy, in her SUV overnight from 9 p.m. June 6 to noon the following day.

That night, Hawkins left the girls in the car while she stayed inside her home with several friends. According to officials, Hawkins' friends encouraged her to bring the kids in, but she rebuffed them, saying "They'll cry themselves to sleep."

One of Hawkins' friends, 18-year-old Kevin Franke, allegedly slept inside the SUV with the children that night because there was not enough room to sleep inside.

The following morning, he rolled up the car's windows and turned off the engine before going back inside at 8 a.m., according to court records. He claims he didn't know the girls were in the car.

RELATED: Kerr grand jury indicts mom whose kids were left in SUV

They were discovered unconscious a few hours later. At the time, they were still alive, and Hawkins rushed them to a nearby hospital, claiming they had collapsed during an outing to a local park, authorities said.

The girls died the following day, June 8, at a hospital in San Antonio.

She and Franke were later arrested. Hawkins will be sentenced on Dec. 12. Franke pleaded not guilty in April to two counts of manslaughter, two counts of injury to a child and two counts of child endangerment. His trial is scheduled for January.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdownsToday, the Texas uranium mining industry is virtually silent. Indeed, across the U.S., this once-thriving industry now supplies only a small fraction of our domestic nuclear energy and defense requirements, threatening our energy independence and national security.

Along with many others, the U.S. Department of Commerce, or DOC, is now asking, why?

As the worlds largest consumer of uranium, the U.S. now produces only 5 percent of the uranium needed to supply 20 percent of our nations electricity, representing nearly 60 percent of our clean, zero-carbon electricity. As recently as 1987, almost 50 percent of our nuclear fuel consumption came from domestically produced sources.

Earlier this year, Energy Fuels Resources (USA) and Ur-Energy USA Inc. petitioned the DOC to investigate the adverse effects of uranium imports on national security under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The DOC began its investigation in July, taking a major step toward safeguarding our national security and ensuring that no nation gains the power to hold the U.S. hostage to its geopolitical goals.

Here in Texas, we have a proud 60-year history of mining more than 78 million pounds of uranium. When uranium mining was active (as recently as 2011), the industry contributed enormously to the state economy, creating $311 million in annual economic output, while supporting more than 1,100 jobs  mostly in poorer, rural communities  and contributing more than $78 million in wages, salaries and benefits, according to a Center for Economic Development and Research study conducted by the University of North Texas.

Today, state-owned enterprises in Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are flooding the U.S. with government-subsidized, cheap uranium and nuclear fuel, currently supplying about one-third of U.S. demand. That percentage is expected to increase as our close allies in countries such as Australia and Canada significantly reduce their production in response to market pressure from Russia and its allies. Additionally, our markets are being targeted by state-owned enterprises in China.

Considering that international law mandates that uranium for military and defense purposes be domestically sourced, our over-reliance on imported uranium places our country in an increasingly perilous position. Not surprisingly, the Department of Energy reported to Congress in 2015 that key government and military programs may run out of uranium as soon as the mid-2020s.

We encourage the DOC to determine why the United States has ceded so much control of this vital resource to foreign entities and to share its findings with the American public.

We look forward to working with state and federal officials to protect our energy independence and national security, and have proposed sensible solutions to these challenges. We recommend a quota that would, in effect, reserve 25 percent of the U.S. market for domestic uranium while implementing a Buy American policy for government agencies that use uranium. These are among the least onerous solutions and would help us to begin to resolve a looming national crisis with negligible cost. The benefits to our national and energy security are incalculable.

We applaud the DOC for its investigation, as domestically-produced uranium is one of our greatest sources of carbon-free electricity and a key component of our national defense. We encourage the public to submit comments using the link https://tinyurl.com/yclye83g to the DOC by today on an issue that is so vital to Americas energy independence and national security.

Paul Goranson is chief operating officer of EFR Alta Mesa LLC (an Energy Fuels company).Why does it matter whether a then-17-year-old Brett M. Kavanaugh drunkenly tried to rape a 15-year-old, at a house party, 36 years ago?

That question is implicit in all of the Republican defenses of the Supreme Court nominee.

The accusation amounts to a little hiccup, says Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev.; a drive-by shooting, says Sen. Lindsey O. Graham, R-S.C.; and, generally speaking, a cheap smear, according to many other Kavanaugh enthusiasts.

The accusation is a distraction, such comments suggest, designed to draw attention away from Kavanaughs brilliant mind and impeccable legal credentials. Its not just unreliable; its also irrelevant.

Because it is apparently not obvious to everyone, lets examine why, in fact, it does matter whether Kavanaugh assaulted someone as an inebriated adolescent, why it does matter whether his denials are credible now  and why we should absolutely want an independent, nonpartisan investigation, perhaps led by the FBI, to ferret out the truth as fully as possible (another accusation surfaced on Sunday).

Some have argued that the accusation matters because confirming Kavanaugh without resolving it would sully the reputation of the Supreme Court. Or it matters because it serves to deepen the impression that the Republican Party sees victims of sexual violence as disposable. But in my view, the accusation matters most because of what it implies about Kavanaughs general qualities  what he might do as a judge.

Teenagers, particularly drunken teenagers, sometimes commit awful, cruel, even criminal acts  acts that can wound victims for decades. When possible, they should be held appropriately accountable. However, what provides more insight into a persons moral rectitude is, arguably, not what he did as a minor but how he handles such sins once he has developed into a mature adult. Specifically, whether he takes responsibility and expresses contrition.

And if Kavanaugh is continuing  today, as a 53-year-old man  to deny a crime he in fact did commit as a drunken teenager, that casts doubt not only upon his character as a teen but also on his trustworthiness in other high-stakes matters today.

At present, there are reasons to doubt his credibility on this particular matter. Among them, somewhat ironically, is the improbable extensiveness of his denial, at least as relayed by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.

Kavanaughs public statement thus far has been brief: I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time. But Hatch has added another layer of comprehensiveness to Kavanaughs denial, saying through a spokesman that Kavanaugh personally told the senator he was not at a party like the one (accuser Christine Blasey Ford) describes.

Assuming Hatch is faithfully repeating this conversation, the assertion that Kavanaugh wasnt at a party like the one described is at best fishy. After all, Fords own recollection of the alleged incident is hazy and offers few details beyond the fact that it was a house with no parents present, where just a few teens were drinking and Kavanaughs close friend was present, probably in 1982. Sometimes Kavanaughs defenders cite this lack of detail to cast doubt on her credibility, but his denial, given the lack of detail, would seem at least somewhat discrediting of him.

More significantly, his evasiveness in other exchanges with senators  about, for example, receiving stolen information while working in the George W. Bush White House  have likewise called his candor into question.

The big possible lie we should worry about, in any case  and the one that seems more plausible in light of these other statements  would be his promise to be a neutral and impartial arbiter who favors no litigant or policy, who follows the Constitution faithfully and respects precedent.

If Kavanaugh lied to senators about not remembering parties or stolen memos or anything else, why would we believe he isnt lying about his commitment to impartiality and precedent? Why would we believe him when he told Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, that he believes Roe v. Wade is settled law?

Senate Republicans refused to order an FBI investigation before Ford testifies, or even to subpoena a witness Ford named. Perhaps one reason is that they dont want to find out what evidence might turn up. And what dots the public might connect as a result.

crampell@washpost.comRe: Tell the Alamo story, and let the kids figures it out, Other Views, Maria Anglin, Sept. 16:

In determining whether the defenders of the Alamo should be described in Texas history courses as heroic, Ms. Anglin states, What this issue is really about centers around the word hero and what it means. She is correct, but her definition of hero is incomplete.

The word heroic embodies two factors: (1) a courageous act undertaken for the purpose of achieving (2) a laudable purpose. Without the second factor, those who flew planes into the Twin Trade Towers on 9-11 could be deemed heroic. Because most Americans do not believe that their purpose was praiseworthy, however, they are identified as terrorists, rather than heroes.

Evaluating the purpose of courageous conduct requires a sense of values.

Whether the Battle of the Alamo involved the Texian defenders fighting for independence or the Mexican armys suppressing an insurrection, Ms. Anglin asks, Wasnt it all a matter of perspective? The answer is yes, but perspective is influenced by values. Further, she suggests that to resolve the issue, Just tell the story and let the kids figure it out.

How the story is told depends on the perspective, as influenced by the values, of the story teller, and students cannot acquire a perspective from the story without having a sense of values, such as, whether democracy is preferable to dictatorship and freedom is preferable to oppression.

The story of the Alamo, like the story of Bunker Hill, should expose students to civic and cultural values by which heroism can be identified and appreciated.

Bob Barton, Kerrville

Artistic coup

Kudos to McNay Contemporary Collectors Forum on the acquisition of Adrian Esparzas Through and Through, which premiered at Art Basel in Miami Beach, todays hot spot for contemporary art!

Paul Barilleaux, head of curatorial affairs at McNay, clarifies the importance of featuring contemporary art in todays diverse, technological society.

Pamela Rayfield, Schertz

Vegans on the rise

As The Big Bang Theory CBS juggernaut rolled into a 12th season, most of the gang exploring mysteries of the universe have gone vegan, opting for plant-based eating. Leading actress Kaley Cuoco (Penny) also campaigns against Canadian slaughter of baby seals. Mayim Bialik (Amy) and Kunal Ayyar (Raj) are asking the U.S. to join European Union in ending cruel cosmetic testing on animals. Johnny Galecki (Leonard) did it for personal health.

Dozens of other celebrity entertainers have gone vegan in recent years. They include Casey Affleck, Pamela Anderson, Alec Baldwin, Bob Barker, Beyonce, James Cameron, Jessica Chastain, Miley Cyrus, Ellen DeGeneres, Emily Deschanel, Peter Dinklage, Sara Gilbert, Ariana Grande, Daryl Hannah, Woody Harrelson, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Tobey Maguire, Demi Moore, Michelle Pfeiffer, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, Alicia Silverstone, Stevie Wonder.

Most seek to avoid oppressing and killing animals. Some look to reduce their risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Still others care about the devastating impacts of animal agriculture on climate change, water quality, and wildlife habitats. Compelling reasons for every one of us, as we get ready for The Big Bang Theory #12!

Holden Clark

Turn back the clock

When the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke I was incensed. Republicans had for years worked diligently at disparaging the Clinton presidency, but in this case, I didnt believe Clinton. He dashed the hopes of millions. I was infuriated that he had ruined the chances for an Al Gore presidency. The country was headed into a climate crisis and Gore seemed to be the only man who took it seriously. In 2000, the Supreme Court discounted our votes and appointed George W. Bush.

Thank you, SCOTUS. Thank you for appointing a man that led us into costly never-ending wars searching for imaginary weapons of mass destruction, sent unemployment numbers rocketing, was in office for the worst financial crisis since the depression, spent over 700 billion dollars bailing out failed banks, and never captured Osama bin Laden.

In 2016, the Electoral College discounted our vote and appointed a man who boasted on video of his escapades, sent the deficit into another galaxy, removed regulations intended to preserve our health and our future, deprived millions of healthcare, filled the swamp with Lake Placid-sized alligators, condones Nazis, and seems beholden to a Russian dictator. The hell with making America great again. Id settle for putting the country back to where it was before Trump took office.

Joe M. Velasquez

Steele wearing thin

Re: Fire union leaders garb an alternative of official uniform, Metro, Friday:

Can someone please explain to me why the taxpayers pay Chris Steele an annual salary of $184,000 per year (in 2016) when he hasnt worked an actual shift since January 2004? It has also been reported by the Express News that his EMT and paramedic certifications have expired.

Again, why do we pay him to antagonize this city with his ridiculous referendums, his fake-uniform-wearing fraudulent representation, lying, public grandstanding (no shows, running away and never answering questions), power to the people socialist movement approach to government all because of his personal vendetta against the city manager?

The people should expect more and want more from a paid city employee  or is there something in the firefighters out-of-whack union contract that makes us want to pay his union president salary? If so, eliminating that provision along with limiting the amount of time an active/credentialed firefighter can spend on union issue to 10 percent of each duty day should be the real referendum considered by the taxpayers.

Bill BruetschGREENWICH  A Stamford man is due in court Oct. 25 to face charges of assault and strangulation in connection with an incident in Old Greenwich.

Police were called to Arcadia Road last Thursday afternoon on a 911 hang-up. According to the arrest report, Steven Pyle, 40, of Maple Ave., used his hands to choke another person. He was also charged with disorderly conduct.Volkswagen has announced a recall for 9,685 of its 2018 Atlas SUVs over a potential airbag issue.

Details of the Volkswagen Airbag Recall

According to the automaker, a leak from an air conditioning tube may trigger airbags to deploy unintentionally. The issue is caused by an improperly installed air-conditioning drain tube that can leak excess condensation from the air conditioning system onto an airbag control module, which is the computer chip that determines when airbags should be deployed, instead of draining outside the vehicle. Volkswagen says that if the airbag control module gets wet, the vehicles airbags could deploy unintentionally.

According to Volkswagen, it has received one report of curtain airbags deploying without cause on June 14, 2018.

The twisted tube may also leak water into the passenger compartment, and drivers of affected vehicles may notice warning signs such as a foul odor or a wet carpet inside the vehicle. Warning lights, including those for the airbags, may be illuminated on the dashboard, Volkswagen said.

The Atlas has had seven other recalls, and it is in its first model year. Other recalls address concerns with the airbags, brakes, car seat anchors, and fuel tank.

Volkswagen chose not to respond to a request for comments.

VW dealers will inspect the drain tube. If it is twisted, dealers will replace both the hose and the airbag control module at no charge to owners. Owners affected by the recall can contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 87F9.

Vehicles Included in the Volkswagen Airbag Recall

Make: Model: Year: Volkswagen Atlas 2018

Contact an Experienced Vehicle Defect Attorney

Drivers have enough to worry about while traversing the roadways on a daily basis. When a person gets behind the wheel of a car, there is a reasonable expectation that the car is going to perform in a matter that would not put the operator's life in jeopardy. Unfortunately there are hundreds of vehicle recalls each year due to manufacturer defects, from the tires to the ignition switches, that can cause catastrophic injuries and in some cases death. If you or a loved one have been injured due to a defective part in a vehicle, contact Thomas J. Henry.

Our experienced defective vehicle lawyers have handled a multitude of injury claims caused by recalled vehicles. We continue to handle cases involving faulty and dangerous GM ignition switches and Takata airbags. Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free legal consultation  our attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends.

Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com.Nearly two months since Zimbabwe held its first post-Robert Mugabe elections, the outcome of the polls is still being disputed by the countrys biggest opposition party, the MDC Alliance.

MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa accuses President Emmerson Mnangagwa of rigging the elections with help from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and has refused to concede defeat.

Zec chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba was thrust into the centre of the dispute as she was accused of favouring Mnangagwa.

However, the Constitutional Court last month dismissed Chamisas petition challenging the results.

Chigumba (PC), who has since gone on leave until November, told our senior reporter Xolisani Ncube (XN) in an exclusive interview yesterday that her conscience was clear and believes that Zec ran a transparent election.

She said she was unfairly targeted by sore losers and advised the winning MPs to use their terms to push for electoral reforms if they were not happy with the current legislation.

Below are excerpts from the interview.

XN: The election period is over. What is your assessment of the 2018 elections?

PC: The 2018 elections went on well according to the commissions roadmap and the laws of the country. This was also confirmed by the majority of observer groups in their initial reports.

XN: What is your reaction to the incident in Parliament two weeks ago where you were booed by opposition MPs that accused you of being a thief?

PC: People are entitled to their opinions and are free to demonstrate as the constitution allows for freedom of expression.

However, it is worrying to observe that some people still believe that their partys victory was stolen by the commission despite due process being followed.

The commission is convinced that it had strongly rebuffed evidence to the allegations raised by the applicant, who unfortunately, could not back up his claim to the satisfaction of the Constitutional Court.

XN: Do you think the behaviour of the opposition MPs was justified given the way the election was conducted?

PC: It was not justified and I am convinced that they know the truth and are aware that the elections were professionally conducted in accordance with the laws of the country.

Their behaviour can best be explained as political posturing meant to ingratiate themselves with their supporters for reasons best known to them.

Our conscience is clear. As I said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and expression.

However, I think it is grossly unfair to hurl unsubstantiated accusations at someone under the guise of exercising freedom of expression.

XN: Do you have any regrets about how the election was run given the court challenges that have characterised the post-election period?

PC: I have no regrets at all since the elections were conducted in terms of our law and international best practice.

XN: According to the joint International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission (ZIEOM), false information circulated to undermine confidence in the secrecy of the vote, under-registration of urban voters, and failure to provide the preliminary voters roll in electronic format undermined the July 30 elections. Do you agree with that assessment?

PC: Definitely we do not agree, but they are entitled to their own view. That is the essence of democracy.

As far as we are concerned, the commission conducted the elections guided by the laws of the country.

The voters roll was made available in searchable and analysable electronic format as stipulated by the law.

The commission also made efforts to provide essential information to stakeholders at any given turn.

It is unfortunate if the two observer missions concluded their observations with such an assertion.

XN: The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission said you had not done enough to earn the confidence of the contesting parties that you were independent. What is your comment on that?

PC: That is their view. However, the commission is independent as stipulated by law and so am I.

The commission ensured that it continuously engaged stakeholders in its preparations for the elections and will continue to do so in the forthcoming elections.

Hopefully, stakeholder confidence in the commission will grow as time goes on.

XN: Other concerns included the high number of assisted voters and confusion around sub-polling stations. Were these issues of any concern to Zec?

PC: There is a tendency by some stakeholders to generalise issues without providing statistics to back up allegations being made.

For instance, on the issue of assisted voters, the commission is still to ascertain and analyse data from polling protocol registers to see how many voters were assisted to vote.

However, we are surprised that there are already people speaking authoritatively as if a national survey on assisted voters was conducted.

Furthermore, the commission noted that the so-called confusion at sub-polling stations did not affect voting as this was quickly addressed by polling officers.

The created sub-polling stations actually facilitated the speedy processing of voters since no polling station handled more than 1 000 voters.

XN: The MDC Alliance petition challenging the presidential election raised a number of issues, which the party said undermined the elections. Are there any lessons that Zec learnt from the legal process?

PC: The commission learnt that it is important to safeguard the identity of its documents and for stakeholders to authenticate them through appendage of signatures among other measures.

It would have been difficult for the commission to rebut the allegations made against it if it did not have documents signed by party agents to signify that they were in agreement with what had transpired at their places of deployment.

If the commission had failed to follow the dictates of the law, it would have been found wanting resulting in it losing court cases that arose before and after the elections.

XN: What can be done to ensure Zec is widely perceived to be an independent election management body capable of administering credible elections as recommended by the NDI and IRI in their post-election reports?

PC: There is need to manage perceptions through continuous stakeholder engagement and information dissemination through various modern platforms.

There is also need for stakeholders to play their part through dissemination of correct and objective information on the countrys institutions in order for the electorate to have trust in their institutions.

XN: The issue of traditional leaders actively participating in ruling party activities ahead of the elections was raised by the NDI and IRI as well as the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission as another problem that undermined the elections. Is there anything Zec could have done about it?

PC: Zec played its part through stakeholder engagements and by discouraging any conduct that violated the law.

In some instances, legal action was taken and the court made decisions, which stakeholders should follow.

Zec met with the relevant authorities and reminded them of provisions of the law.

Furthermore, the commission also communicated these publicly in press statements and in the electronic media.

XN: Have you at any time during the election period felt your security was under threat or your privacy had been invaded?

PC: Every public official will inevitably be subjected to scrutiny about the manner in which they discharge their duties.

To a certain extent, public officials conduct must be beyond reproach.

However, I hold the considered view that there is an invisible line which must never be crossed.

Unfortunately, it was crossed not for purposes of achieving any positive outcome, but purely to feed misogynistic prejudices and to maliciously distort a well-managed process and its outcome by sore losers.

The social media was used to peddle falsehoods, hatred and threats on a fellow commissioner and on my person. However, I was not physically harmed by anyone.

XN: Since the harmonised elections are over, what major activities will Zec be engaged in other than by-elections that might arise?

PC: Elections are not a one-time event, but happen in a cycle. The commission is currently preparing for the forthcoming constituency delimitation exercise.

Voter registration and voter education is also continuous while by-elections will be held in those areas where vacancies may arise.

The commission will review its processes to see if there is need to amend the law or improve any of its administrative functions.

The commission will also participate in other election observer missions to learn more from them.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission would like to urge all those representatives of the people who were duly elected to both houses as well as all Zimbabwean citizens to use the time between now and 2023 to draft and promulgate the electoral law that they want.

It is not incumbent on the commission to make electoral law or to use disingenuous tools of interpreting it to fill in any gaps or ambiguities.

Come 2023, the Zec will apply and implement the provisions of the Electoral Act, its regulations and the constitution without fear, favour or bias.

The current Zec chairperson, commissioners and secretariat are confident that they discharged their duties to the best of their abilities and within the confines of the law.

Those who are unhappy with the current law are encouraged to work towards changing it now so that it accurately reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people and so that the electoral law will never again be the root cause of polarisation in our electoral processes.

 The Standard

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsMotorists in Zimbabwe queued for hours yesterday to try to buy petrol as filling stations ran dry due to a crisis that the government blamed on panic buying.

Several petrol stations visited by the Daily News on Sunday teams around the country had run out of petrol while motorists waited in long queues at the few stations that were still open.

At some service stations, attendants are demanding payment in cash only.

In a statement yesterday, Energy minister Joram Gumbo appealed to motorists to stop hoarding fuel while insisting the situation will be normalised soon.

Fuel operators received their weekly allocation of forex for fuel on Thursday, September 20, 2018.

Since then, all fuel operators have been picking their fuel allocation from Msasa and Feruka and distributing it countrywide.

However, due to logistical challenges, some parts of the country, especially the southern provinces may experience delays in receiving fuel as it is in transit but be assured that by end of this weekend, every part will be adequately supplied, Gumbo said.

Gloria Magombo, the new secretary for Energy and Power Development ministry, blamed strong demand and logistical challenges for the shortage.

Consumers should stop panic buying. The country has enough fuel, she told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday.

In fact, fuel is part of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)s forex priority list. There has been an increased demand for fuel lately.

The nation needs to buy almost everything from abroad including basic food items and fuel.

The shortages have pushed up a litre of petrol to up to $2,50/litre.

This comes as commuter operators in Bulawayo hiked their fares to $1, citing an increase in the operational costs.

Long winding queues were also reported in Gweru on Friday night, with motorists spending hours in queues for fuel.

In Beitbridge, the fuel black market is reportedly thriving, with petrol being sold between $2 and $2,50 per litre, while in Chegutu dealers were selling fuel for $2.

Times are hard; I spent three hours queuing for petrol at a service station last evening (Friday).

When I drove into Chegutu on my way to Harare, I was shocked when I saw fuel dealers selling a litre of petrol for $2 compared to the normal $1,39 per litre, said a motorist who preferred anonymity.

By noon yesterday, there was no fuel in Beitbridge filling stations, with some crossing the border to buy in neighbouring South Africa.

The black market in the border was said to be thriving, selling 2-litre bottles for $4 to $5.

 DailyNews

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsHaving long written off Zimbabwe as one of the worlds least appealing economies, international investors are beginning to show signs of interest in Zimbabwe, newly appointed Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has said.

Zimbabwean officials met with investors in New York in search of cash that would clear about $1,8 billion in arrears with the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Repayment would unlock more cash from the AfDB and is necessary to tap into other sources of development financing.

Some 100 international investors and institutions attended the meeting led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and held on the side-lines of the United Nations General Assembly in the Big Apple.

Ncube is also accompanied by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya.

Ncube, a former banker, said in a social media post after the investor conference in New York on Friday that investors interest in Zimbabwe is overwhelming as quite a number of them expressed an interest.

At the oversubscribed Zimbabwe Investor Forum, over 100 American investors including Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Merill Lynch, JP Morgan showed interest in bringing capital to the newly-reformed Zimbabwe, Ncube said.

His Excellency  Mnangagwa assured the American investors that their investments will be safe in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe will never be the same again.

Zimbabwe became a pariah in the West after former leader Robert Mugabes government was accused of rigging elections and abusing human rights, and over the years it has turned to China for investment to help an economy desperate for new infrastructure.

The new president has declared that Zimbabwe is now open for business and said his government will create an environment where capital feels safe and business can thrive and create jobs for Zimbabweans, with an improved standard of life for all.

 DailyNews

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsPresident Emmerson Mnangagwa says he will chart a different path from that of his much-criticised predecessor  former leader Robert Mugabe  adding that he will only serve the two terms permitted by the countrys new Constitution if Zimbabweans re-elect him into power in five years time.

Zanu PF insiders who spoke to the Daily News on Sunday yesterday said if Mnangagwa goes on to serve two full terms, as he indicated in interviews with international media in New York on Friday, this would dash the hopes of some of his ambitious lieutenants who are apparently champing at the bit to succeed him in 2023.

Speaking in the same interviews, the 76-year-old Zanu PF head honcho also reached out to disgruntled opposition leader Nelson Chamisa  revealing that he planned to hand his youthful rival an official role, as practiced by many Commonwealth countries.

This comes after Mnangagwa narrowly defeated Chamisa in the hotly-disputed July 30 election to earn the substantive right to lead Zimbabwe for the next five years after he was initially catapulted into power by a military intervention which led to Mugabes ouster last November.

Speaking to the American cable television network CNN on Friday, Mnangagwa said emphatically that he would not cling on to power like Mugabe had done, but would still want to serve his permitted two term if he was re-elected in 2023.

We have now limited the terms of the president just to two terms  I will abide by that without any iota of resistance at all. Even if the people love me to be there, I will go because I believe in constitutionalism.

You must give your people a chance to have other leaders. In my view, 10 years is not a short period, Mnangagwa asserted.

Zimbabwe replaced its old Lancaster House constitution in 2013  which had been in use since the country gained its independence from Britain in 1980, and which did not prescribe presidential terms.

The countrys current Constitution limits the presidents tenure in office to two five-year terms  with the old constitution partly blamed for having helped to entrench Mugabes ruinous rule, which saw him lead Zimbabwe for nearly four decades.

The 94-year-old did not only rule with an iron fist, he also clung onto power and resolutely refused to facilitate his succession, with ruling Zanu PF insiders saying he wanted to die in office as a life president.

All this ultimately led to his dramatic exit from power late last year, when he was replaced by Mnangagwa on the back of a military intervention code-named Operation Restore Legacy.

Mnangagwa who is in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly, told another American broadcaster  Bloomberg  that he was planning to adopt the Commonwealth practice of establishing an office of the opposition leader in Parliament.

We are going to introduce the office of the leader of the opposition in Parliament. This is what we are going to do ourselves  Under the former administration there was no formal recognition of the leader of the opposition.

Under my administration, we are embracing the Commonwealth approach where we recognise the leader of the opposition, he said.

The system envisages that Chamisa leads an official opposition or shadow Cabinet  which will scrutinise the actions of Mnangagwas Cabinet, as well as offer alternative policies.

Under the system, the leader of the opposition would also be entitled to a salary and be recognised as a Member of Parliament.

However, Chamisa  speaking through his spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda  has appeared to pooh-pooh the idea, instead calling for dialogue.

Given the crisis in the country, we believe in all-inclusive national dialogue as the gateway to a lasting solution to our challenges.

Such national dialogue must not be anchored on positions but on the respect of the true outcome of this election and holding of truly free, fair and credible future elections  a return to legitimacy and normalcy, resolving the national economic question, national healing and nation building, political, constitutional and institutional reform, Sibanda said.

He also said Chamisa had never entertained the thought that the elections were about him.

They were about the aspirations of the people of this country. They are about the peoples hopes for development and stability, he added.

Chamisa has accused Mnangagwa of ballot fraud and despite the Constitutional Court ruling which upheld his rivals victory, the opposition leader still insists that he won the July 30 plebiscite.

Millions of Zimbabweans cast their vote in the historic elections to choose both a new Parliament and president  following the dramatic fall from power of Mugabe in November last year.

The elections were the first since 1980 to be held in the country without Mugabes participation.

The elections also marked the first time that the main opposition MDC was not represented by its founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who lost his brave battle with cancer of the colon on Valentines Day this year.

Zanu PF retained its two thirds parliamentary majority in the elections, with Mnangagwa winning a tightly contested race by a revised 50,6 percentage points.

But the historic elections were marred by ugly violence which broke out in Harare on August 1 which resulted in the deaths of at least six people when the military used live ammunition to break demonstrations.

Following the deaths, the opposition also asserted that suspected security agents had targeted senior MDC Alliance officials and polling agents in a violent programme following the insistence by Chamisa that he had won the presidential election.

All this was seen by observers as harming Mnangagwas quest to mend years of Zimbabwes political and economic isolation by Western governments.

Prior to this, analysts had said the Zanu PF leader had done enough to project himself and his administration as being significantly different from Mugabe  who was accused of despotism and running Zimbabwe into the ground.

Mnangagwa has since sworn in a commission of inquiry to probe the August 1 violence and the subsequent army killings.

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsThe Nigeria Civil Society (NCS), on Sunday, September 23, revealed that from its assessment of the situation, incidents of vote buying during the governorship election in Osun state was minimal.

The coordinator of the group, Clement Nwanko, said this in Osogbo while addressing journalists on its findings and observations during the poll.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Nwanko said announcement by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and law enforcement officials to arrest vote buyer suspects and charge them to court helped significantly in reducing the malpractice.

READ ALSO: Davido claims he has Oshogbo official results even as counting is ongoing in Osun governorship election

As with recent INEC conducted governorship elections, incidents of vote buying reoccurred in the Osun state elections, even if at a reduced and less brazen manner.

Incidents now seem subtler with the announcement by INEC and law enforcement officials that suspects would be arrested and charged to court, and the actual deployment of security personnel to enforce this, helped significantly, he said.

The coordinator commended the residents of Osun state and political parties for conducting themselves peacefully during the poll.

He, however, called on INEC to intensify training of its different cadre of staff to enhance their understanding of their election duties and increase their confidence and ability to respond to election challenges.

He said it was observed during the election that some INEC staff and officials were not being sure of their responses to voters concerns or voting procedures, which he said created delay.

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Nwanko also called on the electoral body to look into the process of results collation, which he said was usually done at night when political parties, candidates, observers and other election stakeholders may have been depleted.

The NCS recommended that INEC should ensure that its announcement of the introduction of Braille for voting was made operational across the country and that all people living with disabilities were able to vote during elections.

Legit.ng earlier reported that an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officer, Alao Mutiu Kolawole, who tore election results, confessed to the crime. Kolawole has been arrested by security personnel.

INEC Officer who tore election results confesses, says his Electoral Officer sent him | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- Afribank stakeholders have dragged an APC senatorial aspirant, Jubril Isah Echocho, to court

- He has been accused of defraudin Afribank, now defunct

- The plaintiff has asked the court to restrain the APC from accepting Echocho as a candidate for any office for the 2019 general election and any other elections

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has been asked to order the arrest and prosecution of Jubril Isah Echocho, a former governorship candidate in Kogi state.

Echocho is aspiring to contest for a seat in the Senate under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kogi state.

In the suit file by Afribank stakeholders, led by Ahmed AbdulRasaq, the plaintiff asked the court to order the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate arrest and prosecute Echocho over allegation of fraud. In the suit, he was said to have defrauded Afribank, now defunct.

READ ALSO: You have caused us serious embarrassment - APC queries chieftain for attending PDP rally

The plaintiff also prayed the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), from accepting the nomination of Echocho as candidate of the party in the election.

The stakeholders, through their counsel, Oghene Otemu, prayed the court for the following declaration: "A declaration that the first respondent has a statutory duty to investigate, identify and prosecute all persons suspected of being involved in the economic and financial crimes reported to the first respondent."

An order mandating the first respondent to prosecute Jubrin Isah for his involvement in the embezzlement, financial malpractices, financial misappropriation and financial mismanagement of monies belonging to Afribank Nigeria Plc.

The shareholders also called for an order of the court to, "restrain the 2nd Respondent from accepting Jubrin Isah as a candidate for any office for the 2019 general election and any other elections."

READ ALSO: Osun 2018: PDP leaders move to strike deal with Omisore, others

In the affidavit in support of the originating summons, deposed to by Ahmed, the plaintiff said while Echocho was a director of the bank, he was indicted by the EFCC of defrauding the bank of billions of naira.

The affidavit added: "That despite the indictment, the 1st respondent, EFCC, has refused to prosecute Jubrin Isah."

It said that Jubrin Isah has indicated his interest to contest for the office of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"That it will be very disastrous to allow indicted element like Jubrin Isah to contest and win elections in Nigeria and hold an elective position.

"That allowing indicted elements like Jubrin Isah to context and win in Nigeria and hold any elective or appointive position will bring much embarrassment to Nigeria as the internet is a wash with of fraudulent activities.

"That the said Jubrin Isah has been thoroughly investigated and indicted by the first respondent."

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter.

A petition was also written against Echocho on the alleged fraud.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that an officer of INEC, Alao Mutiu Kolawole, who tore election results in Osun state has confessed to the crime.

Kolawole has been arrested by security personnel. When quizzed by newsmen, Kolawole said: My EO simply called me to tear the election results, she didnt tell me why.

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Meanwhile, there is serious tensions in Osogbo, capital of Osun state, as party supporters and officials of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are crying foul and accusing INEC of vote tampering on account of the declared results from Ayedaade local government area.

INEC Officer who tore election results confesses, says his Electoral Officer sent him | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- The All Progressives Congress issued a query to Yahaya Kwande

- The party accused him of anti-party activities over his visit to a rally organised by the PDP

- The party also accused him of supporting a PDP presidential candidate

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a query to Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, an elder statesman and Board of Trustee (BOT) member of the party.

Letep Dabang, Plateau APC chairman, who signed the query said that Kwande, a former ambassador to Switzerland attended and spoke at a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) function in Jos.

Dabang requested Kwande to reply the party through him in the next 24 hours or face disciplinary actions.

As if it was not bad enough as member of APC that you attended a rally of PDP, you also spoke at the event.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: PDP rejects INEC declaration of Osun Guber as inconclusive

As if that is not enough you also told the people that they should not be surprised if you bring the executive governor of Plateau to the PDP.

You know that the governor is the leader of APC in Plateau and your action constitute anti-party and has caused serious embarrasment to the APC, the query read.

Dabang said that failure to respond to query in 24 hours would lead to his suspension and then constitution of a committee to look into the matter.

He said that the party would not shy away from expelling him from the party if the committee recommends such.

The chairman, who spoke about the query at an APC stakeholders meeting in Pankshin, said that the party would deal decisively with any member that indulges in such.

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You are either working for APC or not. Anybody who does otherwise will be shown the exit door.

Plateau APC has adopted President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term, there is no reason whatsoever for any member of APC to be going about or support presidential aspirant from another party," he stressed.

Recall that Legit.ng earlier reported that Kwande, a former ambassador to Switzerland, declared unwavering support for the Peoples Democratic Party presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar.

Kwande said this on Tuesday, September 18, at a PDP rally organised for Atiku's campaign in Jos, Plateau state.

Nigeria Latest News: Atiku Abubakar - Exclusive Comments About The Elections on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- Reactions continue to trail the just concluded Osun governorship election

- Governor Samuel Ortom said the election reflects the resolve of many Nigerians to give their mandate to the PDP in 2019

- He urged the people of the state to sustain their support for the PDP

Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, has commended the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun state for taking the lead in the governorship election which was later declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a statement sent to Legit.ng by his spokesman, Terver Akase, Governor Ortom said the conduct of the Osun election reflects the resolve of many Nigerians to reject impunity and give their mandate to PDP in the 2019 elections.

He also commended the people of Osun state for the peaceful manner they conducted themselves during the polls.

READ ALSO: PDP rejects INEC declaration of Osun guber as inconclusive

The governor urged the people of the state to sustain their support for PDP and complete the good work they have started when the re-run election is held.

Meanwhile, INEC has announced that the new date for the Osun state gubernatorial election rerun will be conducted on Thursday, September 27.

The returning officer for INEC, Adeola Fuwap, said that the election was declared inconclusive because while the difference between the two leading parties is 353, the number of cancelled votes is higher than the margin between the top candidates.

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According to Fuwap, a candidate will not be returned if the leading margin is less than the canceled vote.

He said the Osun gubernatorial election had a total of 3,498 eligible voters where elections were canceled.

Osun 2018: I have evidence that they added to APCs votes - PDP Chairman on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- A Nigerian simply identified as Jonathan has donated his car to Atiku Abubakar's presidential campaign

- The car is said to be Jonathan's most priced asset and his only car

- Atiku made this disclosure on his official Twitter page

As the 2019 general elections draw nearer, a Nigerian simply identified as Jonathan has shown his support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant and ex-vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar.

Legit.ng gathers that Jonathan invested in Atiku's campaign by donating his only car. This was disclosed by the ex-vice president, who took to Twitter to make the announcement on Saturday, September 22.

READ ALSO: APC queries chieftain for attending PDP rally

According to him, Jonathans belief in him will not be in vain, as he is committed to providing the needed leadership to get Nigeria working again. He thanked Jonathan for the car and for believing in him.

See tweet below:

This show of support, however, generated reactions from Nigerians on Twitter, as some of them condemned Jonathan's gesture.

Olufunke Ogunseinde believes Atiku does not need the vehicle, adding that Jonathan would refuse to sow the car as a gift if a man of God asks him to do so.

Nafisa Yammama says it is better for Atiku to have no supporter than to be supported by Jonathan.

Susan believes Jonathan is on a bridge to nowhere.

Dr Olawale Princewill believes that the reported gesture is false, saying Jonathan's social media handles should have been provided.

Jonathan was, however, praised by some Twitter users, who were also vocal in their support for Atiku.

Martha George believes Jonathan is wise. She advised others to be wise like Jonathan.

The handle @YouthsForAtiku thanked Jonathan for the kind gesture, saying Jonathan's support has proved that the youths want Atiku.

Chuck Obidinmma believes the presidential aspirant will never fail the people if given the chance at the presidency.

Grace Okagbare also thanked Jonathan for his kind gesture, saying the 2019 general elections will not be about political parties, but the content of character of individuals.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported Nigeria's former vice president Atiku Abubakar vowed to stay for only one term in office if he wins the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket and is elected president in the forthcoming 2019 election.

He said to ensure he keeps his word, he would enter into and sign an agreement to vacate office after just a singular term of 4 years.

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Atiku said: If I am elected as the president in 2019, I give an undertaking that I would only do one term. Having said that let me remind Nigerians that Buhari also gave such an undertaking in 2011, but he is not living up to it today. My own case will be different. I am prepared to sign an undertaking to do only one term.

2019 Presidency - 'Why Nigerians Must Vote For Atiku' | on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ngEducation is key and it has always been the key to success. These days getting educated isn't just about going to school and learning math and English anymore, now you can be educated in a particular field or business industry to achieve success.

Even with this innovation in the step of education, there are individuals who have dreams of going to school to learn no matter what.

At times due to financial instability or unforeseen circumstances, some people are unable to further their school education. However, some of these people go back to school to learn once they have the opportunity to do so.

The same is the case of a woman, Precious Chioma Ugwoke, in Enugu state. Legit.ng came across her story after her proud husband shared her story to show her off to the world.

Nigerian soldier shows off his wife who went back to school after childbearing in Enugu Photo: Facebook Source: Ugwoke Oloto Odobo

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Genius young man constructs a helicopter for Nigerian Army (photos)

Ugwoke Oloto Odobo, a Nigerian soldier has taken to social media to show off his beautiful wife as she rocks her school uniform. The proud soldier revealed that his wife had gone back to secondary school after bearing their children.

According to the soldier, his wife is currently a Junior Secondary School student in her third year at Andrew Secondary School in Ibagwa-Ani.

He explained that they both made the decision for her to go back to school after they closed the chapter of childbearing.

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The soldier wrote: "We took an epochal decision for her to return to school after closing the chapter on child bearing. This is my wife, Precious Chioma Ugwoke returning from her school, St. Andrew's Secondary School, Ibagwa-Ani. She's in JSS3."

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that a 65-year-old man had graduated after going back to school. The man had quit school at the age of 8 and he even got arrested at 16, but finally achieved his dreams and graduated college at 65.

Nigerian Air Force Day Celebration 2018 (54th Anniversary) | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- President Buhari has indicated his willingness to pardon late Professor Ambrose Alli, the former governor of old Bendel state

- The president has instructed the attorney-general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, to begin the process

- Alli was arrested and sentenced to 100 years in prison by a military tribunal for allegedly misappropriating N983,000

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed willingness to grant presidential pardon to late Professor Ambrose Alli, former governor of Bendel state (now Edo and Delta states), according to Edo governor, Godwin Obaseki.

Obaseki made the disclosure at a memorial service held in honour of the former governor, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Emaudo, Ekpoma, on Sunday, September 23, NAN reports.

I had an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari while in China and discussed the issue of a presidential pardon for late Prof Alli. The president asked me to meet with the attorney-general of the federation. This I have done and I have also written to him.

The president has subsequently instructed the attorney-general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, to begin the process," he said.

READ ALSO: APC aspirants screening ends in Abuja, yet to kick off in states

The governor said he was optimistic that at the next meeting of the Council on Prerogative of Mercy, the president would officially grant the pardon.

Obaseki also gave the assurance that he was working with his Delta counterpart to ensure that pension due to late Alli was paid to his widow and the family.

The governor lauded the former governors development strides in defunct Bendel, noting that the feats were intimidating and accomplished in just one term.

On his part, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta said the state would continue to remember Alli for developing it, adding that the people had a lot to thank him for.

We are grateful, as his developmental strides can still be seen years after his death," he said.

Eldest son to the former governor, Andrew Alli, the Ezomo of Ekpoma, regretted that his father was still termed a criminal despite his contributions to the development of Delta, Edo and Nigeria.

According to Wikipedia, Alli was arrested and sentenced to 100 years in prison by a military tribunal for allegedly misappropriating N983,000 meant for a road project when the military government of Major General Muhammadu Buhari took power in 1983. He was allegedly later freed when the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, paid a fine to the government.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the former national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed that the presidential pardon granted to former Bayelsa governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, turned the international community against the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan.

Alamieyeseigha, who was the governor of Bayelsa state from 1999-2005, was arrested in London in 2005 on suspicion of money laundering.

President Buhari's return will teach Nigerians sense - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng- Former speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has urged Epe indigenes to pray for the success of Gov Ambodes second term bid

- The states governors Advisory Council has resolved that the APC Lagos chapter must hold a primary election to determine its governorship candidate

- A source says the council wants to give equal opportunity to all contenders for the governorship position to sell themselves to members who will then make their decision

Governor Akinwunmi Ambodes kinsmen have resolved to take the battle to God in prayers as opposition to his second term bid mounts.

An indication to this effect came from Adeyemi Ikuforiji, a former speaker, Lagos state House of Assembly, as he urged Epe indigenes to pray that Ambode successfully clinches the All Progressives Congress ticket at the governorship direct primary scheduled for September 29, NAN reports.

Legit.ng gathers that Ikuforiji made the appeal at the grand finale of the Kayokayo festival in Epe, which is Ambodes hometown, on Saturday night, September 22.

The states governors Advisory Council, the highest decision-making body of the APC in Lagos, met on Saturday night where it resolved that the chapter must hold a primary election to determine its governorship candidate.

READ ALSO: Buhari indicates willingness to pardon late Ambrose Alli

The decision may have removed the hopes that the party would clear the coast for Ambodes bid by asking his challengers to step down for him.

Among his challengers are Jide Sanwo-Olu, a former commissioner for training and establishment, believed to have the backing of APC national leader, Bola Tinubu, and Dr Obafemi Hamzat, also a former commissioner in the state.

A source with knowledge of the outcome of the GAC meeting which held at Tinubus Ikoyi residence reportedly disclosed that the party insisted that Ambode must go through the primary election with others.

We met and deliberated extensively on the governors second term bid and our forthcoming primary. After the deliberations, we resolved that the party should hold the primary to pick its candidate because that is just the right thing to do.

We are a democratic party that believes so much in internal democracy, so we think we should allow everyone to sell themselves to members who will eventually determine their choices," the source who attended the meeting said.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, allegedly asked Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to drop his second term bid and endorse Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The Mandate Movement in the Lagos APC which is controlled by the partys national leader, is backing Sanwo-Olu.

Can Ambode get a second term without Tinubu's approval? - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng News- A chieftain of the PDP in Borno state has defected to the APC

- Lawan who was PDP guber candidate said he decided to join the ruling party to actualise his dream of governing the state

- He added that he joined the party because he believed in President Buharis leadership

The 2015 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Borno state, Gambo Lawan, has reportedly dumped his party for the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) where he now seeks the partys top ticket in the state for 2019.

Lawan, a former chairman of Warri Refineries, was defeated by incumbent Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, during the 2015 elections.

Few months to the 2019 general elections, Lawan said he chose to join the APC where he would be able to actualise his dream of becoming the next governor, Premium Times reports.

Speaking with journalists shortly after submitting his nomination form at the APC state secretariat, Lawan said his quest to become the governor of Borno state is all about giving back to the society and people that have made him.

READ ALSO: You have caused us serious embarrassment - APC queries chieftain for attending PDP rally

I am responding to the call of the people of Borno who believe I have better ideas on how to make things work again in Borno state, he said.

It is time to rescue Borno from imminent collapse; because our state is in dire need of help, and I am going to do that when elected by bringing more unity, tackling insecurity which has made our people poorer than they were. Our economic activities have gone to ground zero, the borders that feed our commerce have been closed for many years, youth are out of school, out of jobs and substance addiction is now on the high scale.

Our people no longer farm the lands because everywhere is not safe; hence they depend chiefly on handouts from humanitarian and international donor agencies, he said.

By the grace of God, I am the oldest and the most experienced politician giving my 40 years experience from 1978 to date, and up till now, my achievements, especially the infrastructural development, as the elected chairman of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) are still visible and are still a reference point.

Now, having garnered even more experience in leadership and governance; having traveled to all continents of the world and seen how people and communities tackle their societal problems through good governance, I have no iota of doubts that if voted to get the APC ticket and eventually become the governor, I have no challenges in fixing the state.

He also said he joined the APC because of President Muhammadu Buharis stance as an honest man who always stand for justice.

I am in this race because I know for once, Nigeria has had a good leader, who is just and honest; whom I believe as the president would not interfere with how the party in states choose their candidates. I also would want all Nigerians to vote for Buhari because he still remains the best candidate that can fix Nigeria for now.

Lawan said he is not worried about the fact that the indirect delegate system that Borno APC opted to use in the coming primaries may not favour him.

I am a product of direct primaries, otherwise known as Option-A4 which brought me to power as the chairman of the largest local government area in Borno state in 1991, he recalled.

But even though the APC here in my state insist on indirect primaries, I am not still bothered because I know we have more than 3000 delegates that would partake in the primaries, and I have directed my core supporters to embark on door to door campaign to the delegates and warned them against selling their votes to the wrong candidate who would at the end of the day loot our treasury.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the All Progressives Congress issued a query to Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, an elder statesman and Board of Trustee (BOT) member of the party.

Letep Dabang, Plateau APC chairman, who signed the query said that Kwande, a former ambassador to Switzerland attended and spoke at a PDP function in Jos.

Dabang requested Kwande to reply the party through him in the next 24 hours or face disciplinary actions.

Nigeria Latest News: Atiku Abubakar - Exclusive Comments About The Elections on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- The reason behind the power outage in some north-east states have been revealed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN)

- The public affairs boss of the TCN, Ndidi Mbah, said that the incident occurred due to a fault in the Jos-Gombe 330kv transmission line

- Mbah, however, said that efforts to rectify the issue in order to energise the 330kv transmission line were underway

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has said that the current power outage in some north east states was due to a tripping caused by a fault on the Jos-Gombe 330kv transmission line.

READ ALSO: 2019: PDP clears Governor Ishaku as partys candidate

TCN's general manager, public affairs, Ndidi Mbah, stated this in a statement on Monday, September 24, in Abuja, adding that the problem occurred shortly after the annual scheduled maintenance on the transmission line, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

According to her, the line tripping occurred at 19:09, on Saturday, September 22, shortly after it was re-energised.

She said efforts were being made by TCN line engineering crew to resolve the problem and restore the transmission line accordingly.

TCN shot down on September 22, to undertake the annual scheduled maintenance on the 330 kv transmission line from Jos to Gombe.

After the maintenance work had been completed by combined engineering maintenance crew from Gombe and Jos transmission substations, the transmission line was reclosed and energised at about 15:09 hours on the same day at 19:09 hours.

However, the line tripped due to a fault on the line and TCN quickly initiated the patrol of the transmission line to detect and rectify the fault, Mbah said.

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She said efforts were ongoing to rectify the problem so as to reclose and energise the 330kv transmission line.

NAN reports that states affected by the outage include Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and Taraba.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that owners of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) under the aegis of Sura Association in Lagos state had lamented the lack of electricity in the business community and staged a protest to register their grievances.

The headquarters of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKDC) in Marina, Lagos, was besieged by members of the association.

INEC Officer who tore election results confesses, says his Electoral Officer sent him | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- Jimoh Ibrahim has predicted world economic recession before the end of December this year

- Ibrahim said that all indicators point to a likely inevitable global recession, adding that most world economic powers like America and China are currently witnessing challenges

- He added that it is time President Muhammadu Buhari took his anti-corruption fight to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)

Jimoh Ibrahim, chairman and chief executive officer of Global Fleet Group has predicted that there would be an economic recession in the world. He consequently urged the federal government to put adequate measures in place to cushion its effects.

Ibrahim who said the recession will occur before December 218 argued that the balance sheet of the leading economy in the world, America is "having a deficit of about a trillion dollars in import while China is coming to Africa with money for investment".

The billionaire business man who disclosed this in Abuja said it is time President Muhammadu Buhari took his anti-corruption fight to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

We dont have to be prepared for it or not, it is something that will break out anytime from now and you have to get ready and it is good that we are predicting it now before it happens and not many people know and maybe the Federal Government may not know that another world recession is coming, but it is going to happen before the end of December. This recession has a very interesting phase; the phase of massive failure of government as opposed to company failure.

The last recession in 2008 companies went down, G-Electric, Fourth Foundation, Lehman Brothers and so on, but this time round it is going to be both government and companies that will collapse.

So, the recession is coming, it is unavoidable. Americas balance sheet is having a deficit of about a trillion dollars in import and China is growing heavily and coming to Africa with money, he said.

Speaking on the need for preparation against the possible recession, he said: Preparation in Nigeria depends on the system, which is not just about the President. We have been having corruption fight but we have to take the fight to the Ministries because a lot of corruption goes on in these areas.

EFCC is doing a very good job but maybe they will have to divide themselves into two sectors; public model corruption and systemic model corruption whereby no matter the small amount of corrupt you do, the EFCC will investigate and invite you the way we invite the big guns, which means silencing corruption in the system and the upper ones will sustain themselves in a standard that is acceptable and by the end of the day you get a level.

When you clean up corruption at the upper level and the system is still eroded in corruption, then you might have to come back to fight the system again and before you finish that, the upper one cleaned might have graduated again, he said.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that South Africa's economy took a deep dive into recession.

It was gathered that the economy which contracted by 0.7% in the second quarter pushed the country into recession.

This followed a revised 2.6% contraction in the first quarter, a South African statistics data has shown.

Has President Buhari truly taken Nigeria out of recession? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- There was a protest by Nigerian businessmen at the ECOWAS building in Abuja on Monday, September 24

- The protesters on the platform of the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANT) were kicking against the closure of their businesses in Ghana

- NANT's president, Ken Ukaoha, gave the commission one week to intervene or else members of the association will deploy more members to occupy the entire building

The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANT) on Monday, September 24, stormed the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) secretariat in Abuja to protest the alleged closure of shops belonging to Nigerians resident in Ghana.

READ ALSO: Osun decides 2018: APC commends electorate, INEC on conduct of election

The protest which took place in the morning of Monday partly shut down activities at the secretariat, Punch reports.

The protesters marched through the streets of Yakubu Gowon way in Asokoro, causing gridlock along the Asokoro axis.

The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions such like We need ECOWAS intervention, Ghana re-open Nigerias shops now, ECOWAS, the situation in Ghana is totally unacceptable, Ghana wants AFCTA secretariat but clamps on African traders .

Concerning the development, NANT's president, Barrister Ken Ukaoha, said that the association is protesting the alleged victimisation of Nigerian businessmen in the neighbouring nation.

Ukaoha revealed that recently a law was enacted by the Ghanaian parliament to make the business environment hostile to foreign investors.

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He further said that since Ghana is a signatory to the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of goods and services, there is a need for the commission to call the Ghanaian government to order.

NANT's boss further said that the association is giving the commission nothing more than one week ultimatum to intervene in the matter, stating that if nothing was done, the association would deploy all its members to occupy the secretariat.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) was to deport a total of 73 foreign nationals over their illegal stay in the country. The deportees, made up of all women, includes 72 Nigerians and another from Togo.

While most of them are being deported for staying in the country illegally, others are also reported to have engaged in prostitution.

INEC Officer who tore election results confesses, says his Electoral Officer sent him | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- Rescue team of the Nigerian Army has vowed to find the missing body of a Major General who was declared missing

- Major General Muhammad Idris Alkali was declared missing on Monday, September 3, 2018

- A source said Major General Alkali may have been killed together with the 11 people who were murdered on September 2, 2018, by unknown gunmen

The Nigerian Army has promised that its search and rescue team will find the body of missing Major General Muhammad Idris Alkali, who was declared missing on Monday, September 3, 2018.

The Guardian reports that the Nigerian Army made the vow after commander of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Major General Augustine Agundu, visited the pond where Major General Alkali's body and car may have been dumped.

Legit.ng notes that the spokesman for the Special Task Force (STF), Major Adam Umar, said: On Sunday, September 2, 2018 youth in the area protested the killing of their kinsmen and possibly the missing general could have been among the victims and we suspect that his body could be in the water.

READ ALSO: 2019: Senator Ndume renews call for power shift in Borno

Although we are not sure where his body could have been dumped, we strongly suspect that he could be one of those thrown inside the pond. But as I speak, the draining of the water is still ongoing."

According to a source, Alkali may have been killed together with the 11 people who were murdered on September 2, 2018, by unknown gunmen.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian Army was evacuating water from a mining pond at Dura, Du District, Jos South local government area of Plateau, in search of Idris Alkali, a missing retired major general.

Alkali, immediate past chief of administration, Army Headquarters, Abuja, was declared missing on Monday, September 3. He was on his way to Bauchi after leaving Abuja in the morning.

Brig Gen Ibrahim Mohammed, garrison commander, 3 Division Garrison, Nigeria Army, Rukuba, Jos, addressed newsmen on Thursday, September 20, shortly after the commencement of the evacuation.

He said: In carrying out a directive from the Army headquarters, a thorough search was conducted, hospitals were visited, we searched everywhere. Based on credible intelligence, we had to come to this place and we have been here for the last one week."

Nigerian Air Force Operations Against Boko Haram | on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji, says the internal problem bedeviling the Borno APC prompted his decision to leave the party

- He says governors of the APC have become so powerful to the extent of making the state party chairmen to do their bidding

- APC queries chieftain for attending PDP rally

A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji, has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over what he called the imposition of indirect primaries on the party in the state.

This Day reports that Abba-Aji is now contesting the Borno central senatorial seat on the platform of the PDP.

READ ALSO: APC queries chieftain for attending PDP rally

The politician said the the internal problems bedeviling the APC in the state prompted his decision to leave the party.

Abba-Aji said the governors of the APC have become so powerful to the extent of making the state party chairmen to do their bidding.

He faulted the adoption of indirect primaries by Borno state chapter of the party, saying it was contrary to the resolution of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the APC.

What the governors are doing showed fear and distrust to people who have sticked out their necks to become members of APC . Stakeholders held meeting without the presence of any governorship aspirant, which is an injustice," Abba-Aji said.

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My coming out to represent my people again at the National Assembly is to consolidate on what I had achieved while I was there , and by the grace of God, I am the candidate to beat. Whoever APC presents for the Borno Central senatorial race will suffer defeat from me. I will defeat their candidate because of my long term experience in the legislative business."

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a query to Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, an elder statesman and Board of Trustee (BOT) member of the party.

Letep Dabang, Plateau APC chairman, who signed the query said that Kwande, a former ambassador to Switzerland attended and spoke at a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) function in Jos.

Dabang requested Kwande to reply the party through him in the next 24 hours or face disciplinary actions.

Osun 2018: I have evidence that they added to APCs votes - PDP Chairman | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- President Muhammadu Buhari's proclamation of IPOB as a terrorist group has been justified by a group identified as G23 Foundation

- The group, which exonerated the president, said Buhari was asked by southeast governors to proscribe IPOB

- G23 Foundation says President Buhari should not be blamed for the proscription

A group identified as G23 Foundation has said President Muhamamdu Buhari was asked by southeast governors to proscribe the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Punch reports that the leader of the group, Johnbosco Onunkwo, said what Buhari did in the circumstance was to endorse a request by the southeast governors to proscribe the group.

Legit.ng gathers that the group, which exonerated the president over the proscription, said no sane and responsive leader could ignore a security report of that magnitude.

READ ALSO: Army vows to find body of missing General Alkali

They said: The activities of IPOB in the southeast have denied us of foreign investments and it is very important that our people should understand that and should know that.

There are things you do that you have control over and so you work on things you have control over and leave the rest that you dont have control over.

Nobody wants to come to a place that is under tension thats why we want to keep pressing for peace.

"Have you seen any of the southeast governors speak against the proscription? They were the people that told Buhari to proscribe IPOB as chief security officers of their states, and no sane and responsive president would reject to act on such a report. So blame your governors and not Buhari on that issue.

Federal government acted in consonance with the stance and position of the southeast governors who initiated the process of proscription of the IPOB as the chief security officers of their respective states."

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The group, which endorsed President Buhari for re-election, said its decision to endorse the president was to enable him to consolidate on the achievements he had recorded within four years.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that as controversy trailed the Nigerian Army's declaration of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist group and the proscription of the group by southeast governors, President Muhammadu Buhari reportedly signed a proclamation proscribing the group.

In a bid to take the heat off the Nigerian Army, the president signed the presidential proclamation before leaving for the US to attend the 72nd session of United Nations General Assembly.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo delivers a speech on the Biafra war - on Legit.ng TV

Source: LegitThe residence of a former governor of Kano state, Ibrahim Shekarau, was razed by fire according to an aide of the former governor, Malam Sule Yau Sule.

According to reports, the fire incident which occurred at about 4pm and affected two rooms out of the whole building was caused by an electrical spark.

READ ALSO: APC queries chieftain for attending PDP rally

Shekaraus house was said to have been built by the Kano state government immediately he left office in 2011 as part of retirement package.The fire was said to have been put off shortly after.

Malam Ibrahim Shekarau recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party.

Legit.ng had reported that the former governor blamed alleged injustice committed by the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the reason why he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Shekarau made the statement at a defection meeting with thousands of his supporters from 44 local government areas of the Kano state at his Mundubawa avenue residence on Saturday, September 8.

The ex-governor accused the PDP national leadership of meting out injustice against the Kano chapter of the party.

The politician said his main reason for defecting was because of the concession of 51% of the partys leadership structure from state to ward level to a presidential aspirant, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who recently decamped to the party.

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In a related development, the APC has offered former governor of Kano state, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, the senatorial ticket for Kano central district in next years general elections.

Nigeria Latest News: Buhari Reacts To APC Senators Betrayal | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- The suit instituted by Chief Raymond Dokpesi against the minister of information and culture and attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice has been adjourned

- Dokpesi alleged that information minister Lai Mohammed and the attorney-general, Abubakar Malami (SAN), defamed his character

- He said his name was wrongfully included of on the treasury looters list

FCT high court, Apo, on Monday, September 24, adjourned until Oct.23, the alleged N5billion defamation suit, instituted by Chief Raymond Dokpesi against the minister of Information and Culture and attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice.

Dokpesi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and chairman emeritus of DAAR Communications Plc, filed the suit on April 30, seeking N5 billion damages from the defendants for alleged defamation.

READ ALSO: APC queries chieftain for attending PDP rally

He alleged that Information Minister, Lai Mohammed and the attorney-general, Abubakar Malami (SAN), defamed his character by the inclusion of his name on the treasury looters list.

The plaintiff had told the court that the information minister had on March 30, during a press conference, portrayed him as a corrupt and crooked person, a dishonest man and a thief.

Dokpesi through his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), told the court that the ministers action negatively affected his reputation and that his image had been seriously injured.

The plaintiff said he had suffered considerable distress, odium, obloquy, ridicule in political analysis in the media.

Dokpesi besides the N5 billion damages, is also asking the court to order the defendants to publish a full retraction of the said publication.

He further asked the court to order the defendants to tender an unreserved apology to him in all the major electronic and print media outlets in the country.

He further urged the court to grant a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their servants, agents, partners, representatives, from further writing, publishing defamatory words about the plaintiff.

At the resumed hearing on Monday, the plaintiffs counsel, Ennaemeka Adasu, holding brief for Ozekhome, informed the court that the matter was slated for hearing and all the five plaintiffs witnesses were in court.

He, however, told the court that the defendants counsel only this morning in court, served the plaintiff with a notice of preliminary objection on the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit.

Adasu , who argued that the service on his client in court this morning was done in bad faith and in the circumstance, requested for an adjournment to enable him respond to the objection.

Justice Adegboyega Adeniyi, upheld the plaintiff counsels submission and adjourned the case until Oct. 23 for hearing of the preliminary objection.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Friday, June 8, said President Muhammadu Buhari demonstrated uncommon courage by declaring June 12 as Democracy Day.

The minister said this while speaking with newsmen after a condolence visit to the office of Punch Newspapers over the death of its Chairman, Gbadebowale Aboderin.

Nigeria Latest News: Atiku Abubakar - Exclusive Comments About The Elections on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- Senator Abdul-Azeez Nyako has emerged the gubernatorial candidate of ADC for the 2019 elections in Adamawa

- Nyako was endorsed by the 2,235 delegates that voted in the primary election

- In his acceptance speech, Nyako thanked the party and promised not to disappoint

Senator Abdul-Azeez Nyako, representing Adamawa Central senatorial district, has emerged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) gubernatorial candidate for 2019 general elections in Adamawa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nyako recently defected from All Progressives Congress (APC) to ADC.

Announcing the emergence of Nyako at the conclusion of the party governorship primaries on Monday, September 24, in Yola, the chairman of the Primaries Committee who is also the national secretary of the party, Alhaji Baba Abdullahi, said Nyako who is the only aspirant for the seat, was endorsed by the 2,235 delegates that voted in the election.

READ ALSO: Osun election: Saraki meets Omisore (photos)

Abdullahi said that 2,274 delegates were accredited and cast their votes out of which 39 votes were invalid.

Also, the Adamawa ADC chairman, Alhaji Yahaya Hammanjulde, lauded the delegates for their matured conduct and called for a more united ADC ahead of 2019.

Hammanjulde, who said there are 90 aspirants hoping to get the party tickets for 2019, assured that it would ensure level playing field for all.

In his acceptance speech, Nyako thanked the party and delegates for the confidence reposed in him and promised not to disappoint them.

This is a very important day in my life. I am humbled and grateful to God. We have a big job ahead of us as the people of Adamawa are now highly distressed and need to be rescued," Nyako said.

While promising to carry everyone along, Nyako said his priority when elected would be education, agriculture, health, youth empowerment and security which included farmers/herders crisis and drug abuse among youths.

He said that with about 300,000 card carrying members of the party so far registered in the state, the party was ready to face any political party at the poll.

We are eager to go even now. We are waiting for INEC to blow the whistle, Nyako said.

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Legit.ng previously reported that former EFCC boss, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, formally declared his intention to challenge incumbent Governor Muhamadu Bindow for the 2019 Adamawa state governorship ticket under the All Progressives Congress.

Addressing party official at the state secretariat on Saturday, September 22 in Yola, Ribadu said Governor Bindow has performed below expectation, as such the APC needs a new face to make a difference, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Ribadu said: Give me the chance and opportunity to make the difference. Our dear state is facing a number of developmental challenges that require urgent, holistic and strategic handling."

Osun Election 2018: How Much is Enough to Vote for a Politician? Osun Residents Speak | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ngHonourable Pally Iriase, the deputy chief whip of the House of Representatives, was, on Monday, September 24, expelled from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for alleged anti-party activities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lawmaker, who represents Owan federal constituency, was expelled by his ward and ratified by the local government.

The expulsion letter, according to the report, was signed by Zuberu Shabah and Theophilus Aigboje, chairman and secretary respectively of Owan East local government and made available to newsmen in Benin, Edo state.

READ ALSO: Osun 2018: PDP leaders move to strike deal with Omisore, others

Legit.ng understands that the allegations leveled against Iriase included defection of ward eight and nine APC executives to the PDP on his orders, presenting his personal assistant, Hilary Ozogo, to contest under the PDP platform and refusal to attend APC meetings.

In the letter addressed to the national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, through the head of the Edo chapter of the party, Anselm Ojezua, the Owan East branch of the political organisation said it ratified the decision of APC members of Ward nine to expel Iriase.

The letter said all laid down rules and procedures as enshrined in article 21 of the APCs constitution were followed in reaching the conclusion to expel Iriase.

It said the APC in Owan East had since moved on without Iriase and the evidence would show in the forth coming elections.

I humbly invite Mr Chairman to kindly note the decision of the Owan East chapter of the APC and grant it the very urgent attention it requires.

The APC leadership and members in Owan East have already moved forward without Pally Iriase as we are growing in numbers everyday. This will be evident in the results we post in the forthcoming elections.

Iriase refused to officially inform the APC of his defection because he wants to continue to enjoy the benefit of the office of the deputy chief whip, the letter read.

The report said attempts made to get the lawmakers reaction on his expulsion were unsuccessful as his two mobile numbers were switched off.

However, it was reported that Iriase had recently confirmed that there was intense pressure on him to move to PDP, and added that he remained focus and committed to the APC.

I have made my direction politically very clear, am not contesting the 2019 general election.

Am a member of APC, people who do not want to be in APC anymore have defected. It is a personal thing; you dont do it by surrogate

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Any politician of note that is considered to have electoral value is likely, under the kind of circumstances we find ourselves in Edo state, to be under severe pressure from poachers.

But what you make of that pressure is the real issue, am calm. From rumour flying around, I remain who I am, he had said.

Legit.ng earlier reported that a governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over what he called the imposition of indirect primaries on the party in the state.

Osun Election 2018: Electorate accuses INEC ad hoc staff of taking bribe | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- Babajide Sanwo-Olu denies stepping down his governorship ambition in Lagos ahead of the primaries of the APC

- Toyin Ayinde says the rumour of Sanwo-Olu's defection is peddled by jittery members of the opposition to his ambition

- The campaign organisation of Sanwo-Olu says the aspirant remains committed to his campaign

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, a frontline aspirant for the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for Lagos in 2019, on Monday, September 24, denied dumping his ambition ahead of the primary election of the party.

Toyin Ayinde, the director general of the Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu Campaign Organisation (BOSCO), said in a statement that his principal was still in the race.

He described earlier reports claiming Sanwo-Olu had stepped down from the race as false and misleading.

READ ALSO: Osun 2018: PDP leaders move to strike deal with Omisore, others

Legit.ng understands that a press statement purportedly attributed to Sanwo-Olu claimed that he had decided to dump his ambition ahead of the primaries for Saturday, September 29, 2018.

"We hereby state unequivocally that the purported press statement did not emanate from our principal, Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu, rather it is the handiwork of jittery members of the opposition to malign our principal and mislead members of the public.

"For the umpteenth time, Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu has not and will not withdraw from this race and he is ready for the party primaries slated for Saturday, 29th of September, 2018.

"BOSCO is not oblivious of the fact that these cheap attempts to mislead and hoodwink members of our party and the general public will be made by these disgruntled elements but we will continue to repeal their falsehood with facts.

"Our principal remains committed to his campaign while still consulting with party leaders and members and would not be distracted by cheap blackmails like this.

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"We want to use this opportunity to urge our teeming party faithfuls to troop out enmasse on Saturday, 29th September of 2018 to cast their votes for Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu to be the flagbearer of our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC), in the forthcoming general elections in 2019," the statement said.

Legit.ng earlier reported that the aspiration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu to govern Lagos state received a major boost on Tuesday, September 18 as he was endorsed by the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, Lagos state chapter.

Sanwo-Olu who is the managing director of Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC), is set to challenge Governor Akinwunmi Ambode's aspiration at the APC primary election scheduled for Tuesday, September 25.

I have evidence that they added to APCs votes| Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ngBy Don Quijones of Spain, the UK, and Mexico, and editor at Wolf Street. Originally published at Wolf Street

Internet banking has become a crisis-prone business in the UK, as the online platforms of big banks suffer regular outages and other forms of IT disruption.

Friday morning, the online systems of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank and Natwest  all part of the RBS Banking Group  crashed in unison, leaving millions of customers unable to pay bills or view their balance on their online and mobile accounts. The group has 19 million customers in the UK and Republic of Ireland and 5.5 million active mobile app users.

After around five hours of chaos, the RBS Group announced that the problems had been resolved. The failure had apparently been caused by a technical glitch  a word that is being used with increasing frequency by high-street lenders  in a regular update to their firewall. The bank emphasized that it was an access issue and there is no evidence that customer data was compromised. But then, it would say that!

On Thursday, it was the turn of the UKs largest bank, Barclays, whose website and telephone banking service crashed for around seven hours, leaving frustrated customers locked out of their online accounts.

Fed-up customers took to social media to vent their anger, with some complaining that they were unable to access their accounts not only through the Internet platform but also ATMs. Barclays has around 24 million UK customers, though its not clear how many of them were affected by the outage.

The bank told customers that they should still be able to make payments to existing payees through mobile banking, though new payees werent possible due to the incident. It also claimed that payments into accounts were unaffected by the issues.

One alarmed customer begged to differ, complaining to the BBC that a payment due into his account had gone missing, while another customer reported the systems inside branches being down, preventing customers from carrying out transactions even in the old fashioned, pre-digital way. By mid-afternoon, the IT glitch  that word again!  had been resolved, though no explanation has yet been given as to what caused it.

A few days earlier an outage at online challenger bank Cashplus, which targets people with poor credit histories, left customers unable to access their accounts, make cash withdrawals, or make or receive payments. The problems prompted Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury Committee, to ask Richard Wagner, chief executive officer of Cashplus, for an explanation of what happened and how victims of the outage will be compensated.

In other words, over the last two days, dozens of millions of UK bank customers have been locked out of their online accounts at different banks.

In terms of RBS, this is not the first time this year its subsidiary Natwest has suffered an outage. Its banking app went down briefly in April and in July a glitch with its card payments left customers unable to use their cards in shops or online.

RBS, the largely state-owned lender that has cost British taxpayers almost a hundred billion pounds in bailouts, losses, fines and legal fees, also has a rich history of outages, including a major blackout in 2012 that lasted for over a week, disrupting customers wages, payments and other transactions. The outage was allegedly caused by an inexperienced RBS tech operatives blunder. For the duration of the blackout, the only means many customers had of accessing basic banking services was to visit the local branch.

That, however, didnt stop RBS from embarking on a branch closure rampage, blaming the growth of internet banking for its decision to close one in four of its branches. Now, it cant manage to keep those web-based services up and running, leaving customers even worse off. Even as the lender has increasingly digitized its services, it has consistently downsized its IT services team. In 2017 it revealed that it planned to axe 900 IT jobs by 2020 and is doubling down on its outsourcing of IT roles to India to reduce costs.

This underscores one of the major problems high-street lenders have with technology. They never treat it as a mission-critical aspect of their business, even as that business becomes increasingly dependent on technological solutions to stay competitive.

Bottom line-obsessed bank executives are always looking for cheap, short-term shortcuts to IT issues, with the result that lenders  particularly, but not only, in the UK  have for decades under-invested in their sprawling, creaking, accident-prone legacy systems dating back to the primeval age of COBOL and mainframe technology. And if some banks had been thinking about trying to finally move off their legacy systems and drag their IT platforms into the 21st century, the recent botched IT migration at mid-sized TSB, which continues to sow chaos 23 weeks after it was supposed to be ready, will not encourage them to do so.

Time is running out. March 29 is the deadline. Urgent action is needed. But its not happening. Read Disorderly Brexit Would Trigger Mayhem in Derivatives MarketBy Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans.

Trump will return to Manhattan this week, to share his own special diplomatic charisma with lucky audiences at the United Nations (UN). Hell address the General Assembly on Tuesday, and then chair a special session of the Security Council on Wednesday (for an overview of this weeks UN agenda, see this WaPo summary, Trump renews his battle with UN).

Meanwhile, the first of four planned sets of UN negotiations to achieve a high seas treaty by 2020 concluded last week, also in New York. I first laid out the background and purpose of these talks in this post from earlier this month, UN to Launch Talks on Treaty to Regulate High Seas.

Reporting on the the outcome of the first in this series of talks was thin, and what I saw sent mixed messages. On the one hand, this account, First Intergovernmental Conference Comes to a Close, posted on the website of the High Seas Alliance, comprising more than forty NGOs that promote conservation of the high seas, spun the two weeks of negotiations as a success:

The main business of the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) concluded with applause on Friday, September 14 and closing remarks by the President of the Conference Ambassador Rena Lee of Singapore. There was a palpable sense of optimism in the room, as it was evident that there is a clear path towards a treaty to protect the high seas.

By contrast, this report from Inter Press Services, First Steps Towards a Global Agreement on the High Seas highlighted that discussions concluded without at anytime achieving an expected milestone presentation of a draft treaty for consideration:

The worlds first efforts to develop a way to govern the high seas  international waters beyond the 200 nautical mile national boundary  is truly underway. The initial round of negotiations at the United Nations has just ended after two weeks of talks. On the face of it, given the importance and scale of the task, some may feel there has not been much progress. But it is significant that despite the range of views and interests in the room, all the member states of the UN engaging in this intergovernmental conference to formulate a legally binding treaty to govern the conservation and use of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) remain committed to the process and the goal. Although member states and civil society had expected a draft treaty to be presented for consideration, it wasnt, and therefore the discussions were similar to previous preparatory committee meeting phases.

There are numerous obstacles that must be surmounted. First, I should mention, that the United States never ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) a policy decision that dates to the Reagan Administration. The Trump administration shows little desire to extend UN scope and authority, and I doubt has any interest in revisiting this issue (see this post for further details Ocean Wilderness Vanishing).

Russia has been less than enthusiastic about a comprehensive new agreement, and traditional whaling countries Iceland, Japan, and Norway are skeptical, as they oppose tight fishing restrictions, according to this account in The Hindu, UN begins talks on treaty to protect imperilled high seas. The Inter Press Services piece further mentions that Russia, Iceland, and Japan, believe that existing regional initiatives are sufficient to provide sufficient governance mechanisms to address new priorities..

Unfortunately, such a patchwork framework excludes the high seas the part of the ocean covering half of the planet and according to Inter Press Services:

There is a clear risk that lack of effective governance will play to the interests of richer countries that have the resources to exploit the biodiversity of the high seas and can proceed without benefit to the bulk of the worlds population. Limiting high seas governance to regional initiatives would mean nothing more than maintaining the status quo. We need to end this fragmentation of high seas governance and work towards establishing a fair and inclusive global instrument. Its about sharing half of the planet with all of the worlds people. All member states are keen to see a draft treaty text in the next BBNJ intergovernmental meeting that can be a focus for negotiations. There must also be more time to discuss cross-cutting issues, including financing, institutional arrangements and clarifying decision-making processes.

The Time Is Now

Time to address these problems may be running out, as this Guardian account, Fish populations could rise in warming climate with better management  which I also quoted in my post earlier this monthmakes clear

Prof Alex Rogers of Oxford University told the Guardian that international action and a global treaty must be brought in as soon as possible, before the current damage turns into a catastrophe. The situation is very urgent. We need to bring our activities at sea to a sustainable level, he said. The status quo cannot be allowed to continue, if we want to preserve ocean health and have fish for tomorrow. The threats to ocean life include not only climate change, acidification and overfishing, but the pollution, including plastics and agricultural chemicals that we pour into the sea, and our industrial exploitation of the seabed, for instance for oil and gas exploration and mining. These activities have been enabled by new technology, which is not taken into account in current sea governance, which dates back to the 16th century, according to Rogers. The governance of the high seas, which cover most of the oceans beyond national jurisdictions, had failed to keep up with this pace of change, he added: These new activities can ramp up very quickly, and do tremendous damage in a very short time.

There is some grounds for optimism that its not too late to address the overfishing problem, according to this account, High seas need to get fishy again in The Pioneer:

The treatys main achievement, if it succeeds, will be to create and supervise marine protected areas (MPAs) on the high seas in which no fishing whatever is permitted. They need to be very large  advocates talk in terms of MPAs adding up to at least one-third of the entire high seas area  in order to allow entire ocean ecosystems to recover, from corals and sponges up to tuna, sharks and turtles. Policing these MPAs once they are created would be a lot simpler than enforcing the rules closer to shore, because the high seas fishing fleets are big ships operating in relatively uncrowded waters. Satellites would quickly spot one fishing in the wrong area, and the fines would build up quickly. Meanwhile, smaller vessels fishing in the EEZs might find that they were catching more fish. Rashid Sumaila, director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at the University of British Columbia, estimates that closing all the high seas to commercial fishing would turn them into a fish bank that produced more and more fish, many of which then migrated to the EEZs and boosted the catch there by 18 per cent. Its late in the day, and the oceans are already badly damaged. A new treaty cannot stop warming and acidification from making them an increasingly difficult environment for life. It probably wont even address the plastic plague. But it will provide a large safe haven where fish populations can recover, at least for a while.

Too optimistic? Perhaps. But the alternative is to ignore the problem, and that mean it would only get worse.

National Efforts to Curtail Illegal Fishing

While efforts are underway to negotiate a high seas framework, Indonesia has independently taken drastic steps to curtail illegal fishing in its territorial waters, as the AP reported last month in Indonesia sinks 125 mostly foreign illegal fishing vessels:

Indonesia has sunk 125 mostly foreign vessels involved in illegal fishing as it ramps up efforts to exert greater control over its vast maritime territory, an official said Wednesday. The sinkings at 11 locations across Indonesia were carried out simultaneously on Monday. Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry spokeswoman Lily Pregiwati said Wednesday the operation wasnt announced in advance to avoid straining relations with neighboring countries. Indonesia says it has sunk 488 illegal fishing vessels since October 2014, usually with explosives. The government says the illegal boats are a threat to the local fishing industry. Their operators are frequently perpetrators of modern day slavery, using workers trafficked from Southeast Asian nations. The vessels sunk on Monday included 86 Vietnamese-flagged ships, 20 Malaysian and 14 from the Philippines.

Indonesia has targeted smaller, mainly foreign vessels, and not the large ones that currently fish the high seas. I notice the absence of China in the list of the flags flown by the most recently sunk ships, even though due to the extent of the exclusive economic zone Indonesia claims, the AP notes:

Its northerly reaches are regarded by China as its traditional fishing grounds despite their distance from the Chinese mainland.

Needless to say, blowing up errant foreign fishing vessels in the claimed territorial waters of one country is an insufficient response to the global overfishing problem. Perhaps the next set of high seas negotiations tentatively set to occur as early as March 2019 will achieve some broader progress.The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will travel to New York from Monday 24 September through Wednesday 26 September 2018 to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

The Secretary General will attend the opening of the General Debate on Tuesday 25 September. He will also meet with several world leaders and high-level officials.

On Wednesday, 26 September, the Secretary General will deliver a speech on NATOs role in the fight against terrorism at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Still and video images will be available on the NATO website during and after the visit.

Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress @dylanpwhite and @jensstoltenberg ).(Natural News) The insane Democratic Lefts main opposition to POTUS Donald Trumps second Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, is that he may wind up someday being the deciding vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 SCOTUS ruling that legalized abortion in all 50 states and enshrined it as a right for women.

Thats one reason why Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee put on a clown show in an effort to derail his confirmation hearings, and why they enlisted deranged Leftist supporters to crash the hearings with screaming outbursts.

And its why Democrats have likely helped engineer a last-ditch effort involving dubious allegations of sexual abuse against Kavanaugh stemming from an incident 36 years ago during some party, somewhere, at some point.

As to the abortion angle, its worth pointing out that Kavanaughs accuser, Palo Alto professor Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, just happened to be involved in no fewer than eight studies involving the morning after abortion pill mifepristone, otherwise known as RU-486, which is advertised to be 95 percent effective during the first 50 days of pregnancy, according to medical information posted online by the drugmaker, Corcept Therapies, Inc.

As further reported by Natural News founder/editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger:

Corcept Therapeutics, Inc., a $166 billion market cap company (stock symbol CORT) reportedly has current annual sales of $216 million. The company offers just one drug, mifepristone, which is widely known as an abortion pill or RU-486. Many drugs have multiple uses, and mifepristone  brand name Korlym at Corcept  is currently marketed by the company for the treatment of Cushings syndrome. (h/t to The Gateway Pundit for initial work on this breaking story.)

Its worth noting that Ford  while working at Stanford University from 2006-2011, was affiliated with the pharmaceutical company and is listed on her new Wikipedia page as director of biostatics at Corcept, Adams noted, adding that she participated in publishing no fewer than eight papers promoting the drug.

Adams noted further:

Like all FDA-approved drugs, mifepristone is frequently prescribed off-label, meaning doctors prescribe it for conditions that it has never been approved to treat. It is well known throughout the medical industry that doctors routinely prescribe this drug to terminate unwanted pregnancies. It is a covert abortion drug, in other words.

Is this just coincidental?

According to Philly.com, the company was co-founded by Alan Schatzberg, a Stanford University psychiatrist and scientist, in 1998 to research whether mifepristone could treat depression. He said he left the company in 2007 when the company went in a different direction.

But research on psychiatric uses for the drug continued. And while there hasnt been much progress in that field of research, the drug maker nevertheless discovered that it was a very expensive but effective treatment for Cushings syndrome, a rare disease that causes unusually high levels of the hormone cortisol to build up in the body and cause problems. It can even be deadly.

As for Ford, her Left-wing activism is becoming more widely known. The fact that she worked on studies involving an abortion pill  and Democrats biggest objection to Kavanaugh is that he represents a threat to abortion rights  cant be a coincidence. Political machinations undertaken by the swamp creatures in D.C. and throughout the Democratic Party arent accidents, theyre carefully planned operations. And each one has the same objective: Regain and retain power. (Related: Kavanaugh accuser Blasey Ford scrubbed her social media profiles BEFORE she went public with baseless allegations.)

As to her accusations, Democrats and the uber-Hollywood Left are all piling on claiming that they are enough to derail the confirmation of a man who is imminently qualified to be a Supreme Court justice. But the problem is, her story is falling apart.

One of her former classmates, Cristina King Miranda, told National Public Radio that she has no idea whether the sexual assault happened or not.

Thats a turnabout from what Miranda wrote earlier this week on her Facebook page in which she claimed, The incident DID happen, many of us heard about it in school.

https://twitter.com/jaybookmanajc/status/1042386834284789760

In my [Facebook] post, I was empowered and I was sure it probably did [happen], Miranda told NPR. I had no idea that I would now have to go to the specifics and defend it before 50 cable channels and have my face spread all over MSNBC news and Twitter.

Read more about this massive hoax committed against Brett Kavanaugh at Hoax.news.

Sources include:

NPR.org

NaturalNews.com

TheNationalSentinel.com(Natural News) It has come to our attention here at Natural News that Google is now marching in lockstep with the authoritarian Chinese government and its communist agenda of total censorship and population control.

According to new reports, Google is right now in the process of developing a completely redesigned search engine platform for China that meets all of the totalitarian regimes communist guidelines for permissible content.

Chinese dictator-for-life Xi Jinping reportedly partnered up with Google to design a brand new platform controlling everything that Chinas 1.3 billion citizens are allowed to see online. In other words, only government-approved content will be allowed to show up on Googles new and improved search engine in China.

Meanwhile, Google is now actively censoring conservative content here in the United States, as well as manipulating search results to favor Democratic political candidates like Hillary Clinton.

We can only imagine what such a search engine might look like: Looking for information about Tibet, the Dalai Lama, and its Buddhist population? writes David Unsworth for PanAm Post.

Tibet has always been part of China, the Dalai Lama is a fraud and a counter-revolutionary, and Buddhists are not good Communists. Want to find out about Chinas mass concentration camps for political prisoners? They dont exist. The Tiananmen Square massacre? It didnt happen, he adds about the types of politically-correct content thats sure to show up on Google China Edition.

Google is anti-American, and its executive are treasonous TRAITORS

Revisionist history will be rampant on Chinas Google, in other words, and the general population will be none the wiser because thats what will be presented to them as fact. And its exactly what Google and other tech platforms here in the States are doing in the name of combating fake news and Russian propaganda.

To many leftists, this online book burning by Google is a necessary step to preserve democracy. But American patriots will immediately recognize Googles censorship agenda as an evil plot to abolish freedom of speech all around the world  not to mention the U.S. Constitution itself.

Google is doing its part to turn America into communist China

Censoring people like Alex Jones, whom the establishment claims is spreading wild conspiracy theories and hate speech, represents the first step in a total information takeover by Big Tech. Its an unabashedly pro-communist agenda thats now in plain view for the entire world to see.

Liberals are, of course, cheering it all on because the current target happens to be conservatives. But what these useful idiots on the left fail to realize is that their day will eventually come, too. All free speech will one day be abolished if multinational corporations like Google arent stopped.

Google is led and staffed by the far-left, says Unsworth. Peruse their campaign contributions  which go almost entirely to the Democratic Party. Take a look at the way they inject far left-wing bias into search results.

Google isnt even being honest about what the corrupt left is doing to other people on the left, perhaps most notably Hillary Clintons theft of the Democratic nomination for president from who should have been the rightful recipient, Bernie Sanders.

When it comes to our democracy  its very foundation is freedom of speech, concludes Unsworth. Freedom of speech is under attack from our nations own big tech. And that should be a major cause of concern for us all.

More news on the lefts continued attempts to eliminate freedom of speech in America with the help of Big Tech, is available at LiberalMob.com.

Also, be sure to check out Brighteon.com for uncensored truth videos that you wont find at Google-owned YouTube.

Sources for this article include:

PanAmPost.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com(Natural News) Fed up with unfair censorship, and in response to calls from Republican lawmakers to look into potential violations of law, the White House has drafted an executive order for POTUS Donald Trump which would require federal antitrust and other law enforcement agencies to begin investigating the content management practices of Facebook, Google, YouTube, and other social media behemoths.

As reported by Bloomberg, the order is in the beginning stages of being drafted and still has to be vetted by additional government agencies. However, judging by the presidents regular criticisms of the Big Tech firms bans and censoring of pro-Trump media and other voices, its highly likely hell sign the order.

According to Bloomberg, the order instructs federal antitrust officials to thoroughly investigate whether any online platform has acted in violation of antitrust laws.

In addition, the order requires federal antitrust authorities to make recommendations within a month of signing that protect competition among online platforms and address online platform bias.

The draft EO does not name specific social media platforms. However, there have been several reports, mostly in conservative media, of how Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, and others have been banning most pro-GOP, pro-Trump voices or dramatically reducing referral traffic to their websites via changes to platform algorithms.

The order also represents a shift by POTUS Trump from simply criticizing the platforms to taking action against them.

In addition, the order informs federal agencies that any action they take must be consistent with other laws, indicating that there are concerns within the administration to take care not to violate the First Amendment, which prohibits government control over the media and over political thought and opinion.

Because of their critical role in American society, it is essential that American citizens are protected from anticompetitive acts by dominant online platforms, the order states, according to Bloomberg.

The order also specifies that harm to consumers, which is a principal measure in an antitrust investigation, could occur through the exercise of bias  especially if conservative media have spent money advertising their sites, as many have, only to see their referral traffic crater.

Social media censorship is no myth, its real

In July, POTUS Trump and Republicans really ramped up their criticism of social media censorship, with the president pledging to investigate.

Twitter SHADOW BANNING prominent Republicans. Not good. We will look into this discriminatory and illegal practice at once! Many complaints, he tweeted.

Twitter SHADOW BANNING prominent Republicans. Not good. We will look into this discriminatory and illegal practice at once! Many complaints.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2018

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., also promised a congressional effort to investigate Silicon Valley censorship.

Social media is being rigged to censor conservatives. Its time to rise up and demand accountability from Big Tech, he wrote (on Twitter!). WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED.

Social media is being rigged to censor conservatives. Its time to rise up and demand accountability from Big Tech. WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED. #StopTheBias https://t.co/DEPZGsbJT0  Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) July 26, 2018

Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices, POTUS wrote on Twitter last month. 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.

There is additional evidence that the social media behemoths have been purposely censoring or banning conservative, pro-Trump voices.

NewsTarget reported earlier this month that Google officials conspired ahead of the 2016 election to help Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, according to an uncovered chain of emails.

Also, a Democratic senator, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, declared on Twitter in August that the only way to protect our democracy is for the social media giants to engage in more censorship and banning of conservative voices.

Several right-leaning websites have been severely impacted, financially, from Facebook, Twitter, and Google censorship. The data prove it. There have been enough studies now to validate the allegations.

Its high time the federal government took some sort of action to prevent Big Tech from selectively choosing which views and opinions Americans are allowed to see. Thanks to POTUS Trump, that time will soon come.

Read more about the social media giants blatant censorship at Censorship.news.

Sources include:

NewsTarget.com

TheNationalSentinel.com

BloombertQuint.com(Natural News) If youre a white person living in the U.S., then you had better check your privilege  otherwise, the president of Seattle University in Washington may not like you very much.

In an incredibly divisive and ludicrous opinion piece titled, White Privilege Diminishes Our Humanity: 10 Commitments for Meaningful Change, Seattle University president Stephen V. Sundborg urged not only white students attending the school, but all white people in the country, to acknowledge their privilege.

In order to make this argument, Sundborg, who is a Jesuit Priest, uses the typical unsubstantiated talking points we hear all the time from the Left: More than half of all Americans who apply for jobs get them not only because of their qualifications but also because of who they know and their networks, he writes, adding, Whites must go out of their way not just for nondiscriminating hiring practices, but to be those persons in companies and part of that network that give blacks in practice equal access to jobs.

Sundborg goes on to say, All whites must ask themselves, how many black friends do I have? How many times have I been in their homes, enjoyed and relaxed with their families and lives, included them in my life? Friendship is the most essential fulcrum for prying loose white privilege.

What exactly is white privilege, anyway? To the social justice warriors and the progressive Left, it seems to be a phenomenon whereby white people are given special advantages over minorities simply because they are white. In reality, however, white privilege is nothing but a false, manufactured concept designed to silence or shame anyone that is not of color. Its a concept that essentially accuses white people of being inherently racist just for the sheer fact that they have white skin, which is not only absurd, but also racist in and of itself.

Sadly, this war on whiteness is making its way into the classroom, and as a result, students across the country are now being indoctrinated with this same sort of anti-white propaganda. Campus Reform reported that some students at the University of Texas were planning on publishing a No Whites Allowed magazine. According to a Facebook page that was created for an event titled, Zine Release, the magazine will be revealed at a local vegan restaurant. (Related: Lunatic liberal college professor has claimed that meritocracy is rooted in white racism.)

This zine specifically features and promotes black and brown lgbtqa creatives, the description for the magazine launch party reads, adding that they hope to be able to create a space for minorities and members of the lgbt community to be heard. Even though whites are not necessarily banned from the event, the Facebook page description notes that it is really meant for the people that society routinely ignores and rejects.

In many ways, white people in this country are under attack. They are being encouraged to check their privilege by the social justice warriors and the progressive Left, who seem to be hellbent on making whites feel ashamed for the color of their skin. They are being vilified and made to feel as though they are the bad guys and the oppressors. This is a shame, and our country has got to have a conversation on this issue before it gets any worse. (Related: A student at Texas University has penned a white death article urging the genocide of all whites to achieve liberation for all.)

The truth is, skin color should be treated the same way as the air that we breathe  we come into contact with it each and every day, yet we dont pay any attention to it. Everyone should be treated as human beings, not as people with white skin and privilege or people with black skin suffering from oppression.

Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, something has to be done to correct the ongoing misconception that all white people, regardless of their background or where they come from, are somehow big, bad, evil rich guys that are looking to oppress those that are less fortunate. Just over 100 years ago, white people came to America from all corners of the globe, from Italy, to Ireland, to Russia, and so on and so forth. These were hard working people who came here for a better life, which they sought to achieve through hard work, persistency and sacrifice. They werent looking to oppress anyone, and white people today arent looking to oppress anyone either.

Sources include:

LifeZette.com

CampusReform.org(Natural News) In March 2011, the province of Fukushima, Japan, was struck by a series of devastating events that culminated in one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. First, the area experienced a magnitude 9.0 earthquake; that, in turn, caused a 15-metre (50-foot) tsunami; and finally, the tsunami disabled the power supply and cooling functions at the Daiichi nuclear power plant, causing a nuclear accident on the 11th of March which was rated a 7 on the INES scale. Four nuclear reactors were destroyed, and clean-up work has been ongoing ever since.

Experts estimate that it will take at least 40 years to finalize this clean-up, and in the meantime, 300 tons of radioactive water continue to be pumped into the Pacific Ocean each day. The BBC reported in 2013 that the true levels of radiation around Fukushima were about 18 times higher than originally thought. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) estimated in that same year that between 20 and 40 trillion becquerels of radioactive strontium had already been released into the Pacific Ocean since the disaster in 2011. It is logical to assume that this number must now have increased exponentially.

This leads to the logical question: Is Fukushima radiation affecting the west coast of the United States?

Global Research, a globalization watchdog organization, believes that there are at least 28 lines of evidence that prove that this radiation is, indeed, causing destruction, including:

Several types of animals, including walruses, seals and polar bears, have been found with open wounds and fur loss. The U.S. Geological Survey released a statement about the phenomenon, labeling it alopecia, or loss of fur, and other skin lesions.

Huge numbers of sea lions have inexplicably died, with 45 percent of the pups born in June 2013 not surviving. NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) called this an unusual mortality event.

Populations of sockeye salmon are at an all-time low along the coastline in both Canada and Alaska.

Fish along the west coast of Canada have been found bleeding from their gills, eyes and bellies, and nobody knows why.

A field of radioactive debris the size of California was released from Fukushima, crossed the Pacific Ocean, and reached the west coast. (Related: Media blackout over unimaginable radiation levels detected at Fukushima.)

Scientists have discovered very high levels of cesium-137 in plankton in the Pacific close to Hawaii and the west coast.

In a test performed in California, all 15 bluefin tuna examined were found to be contaminated with radiation.

Canadian scientists have discovered extremely high levels of nuclear radiation in several samples taken from a variety of fish. One sea bass tested, for example, was found to have 1,000 becquerels of cesium per kilogram.

A researcher with the Japan Meteorological Agencys Meteorological Research Institute found that 30 billion becquerels of radioactive cesium and 30 billion becquerels of radioactive strontium are released into the Pacific Ocean from Fukushima each day.

Alarmingly, scientists believe that about 100 times more radiation has been released into the ocean from the Fukushima disaster than the total amount released in the Chernobyl disaster.

Experts predict a steep rise in the number of people diagnosed with cancer after eating fish contaminated with radiation. Daniel Hirsch, a nuclear policy professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, noted, Look at whats going on now: Theyre dumping huge amounts of radioactivity into the ocean  no one expected that in 2011. We could have large numbers of cancer from ingestion of fish.

Despite all this evidence, the mainstream media remains virtually silent about the potential for great harm to U.S. citizens. Fortunately, organizations like Global Research and Natural News can be relied upon to spread the truth.

Stay in the loop on Fukushima and nuclear disasters at Fukushima.news.

Sources for this article include:

World-Nuclear.org

GlobalResearch.ca

ZeroHedge.com(Natural News) Researchers from West Virginia have come across a connection between the sense of smell and the chances of developing brain disorders. In their recently published study, they found that movement of the wings of moths affected the animals olfactory sense, which in turn affected their brains, an article in News Wise stated.

This discovery could shed light on the root cause of human neurological disorders like schizophrenia and Parkinsons disease.

The West Virginia University (WVU) researchers explained that the nervous system dispatches two messages whenever it wants the muscles to do something. The first is the actual command, which it sends to the muscles.

The other is a corollary discharge, an exact copy of that command that is sent to the part of the brain that interprets the data provided by the senses. The brain uses this corollary discharge to distinguish which sensation is coming from the bodys movement and which one is produced by other sources.

Earlier studies have examined the function of a corollary discharge for the senses of sight and hearing. However, there is a sparseness of scientific literature regarding the olfactory senses. (Related: You could lose your sense of smell: It is just another side effect of eating high-fat foods.)

Human and insect olfactory systems are surprisingly alike

WVU doctorate candidate Phil Chapman and his fellow researchers studied the role that corollary discharges fulfilled for the sense of smell. They reported how the motor control center uses those discharges to keep the olfactory system appraised about the movement of the moths wings. The movement would be directly affecting or even disrupting the sense of smell by disturbing the air that carries the scent.

Based on their findings, Chapman explained that many neurological disorders are implied to be linked to the failure of corollary discharges. Furthermore, there are more than one type of corollary discharge connected to the sense of smell. The WVU team is determining the identity and specific function of each type of discharge.

The WVU researchers reported that failed corollary discharges do not filter out the movements of the insect. Instead, they increase the ability of the olfactory system to encode data.

Interestingly, the olfactory system is organized along similar lines in both vertebrates and invertebrates. This is most evident when comparing the olfactory system of insects to that of humans. The strong analogy makes an insects olfactory system a good substitute for its human equivalent.

Chapman related how movement and other physical actions can very well change the perception of ones environment. The nervous system has evolved to ensure the stability of that perception.

Still, he acknowledged that there is a lot to learn about the way humans perceive their surroundings, especially with regards to the movements they are making.

This study pushes the field of neuroscience forward by understanding that when we ask questions about how sensory systems function, said Chapman. We must also think about how animals move throughout their environment and actually experience it.

Air Force grant supports study on olfactory system of moths

Chapman is working alongside WVU researchers Kevin Daly and Andrew Dacks, who acted as the co-authors of the research paper. Their study is supported by a grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

This publication is the culmination of several years of coordinated effort across two labs and several students, explained Daly, who served as an adviser to Chapman for the study. Our research highlights how fundamental insights about how the brain works can be made by the study of animals like insects, which use relatively simplified nervous systems to tackle many of the same real word problems that our own brains must solve.

Read more studies and stories on human neurological disorders at Brain.news.

Sources include:

NewsWise.com

Eberly.WVU.edu(Natural News) Researchers continue to search for natural antimicrobial agents as the increasing number of drug-resistant pathogens continues to become a problem for infectious diseases globally. In a study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, it was revealed that cinnamon bark oil can be used to fight against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.

For the study, researchers at Mahidol University in Thailand examined a variety of essential oils that could possibly work against the multidrug-resistant bacterium called P. aeruginosa .

in Thailand examined a variety of essential oils that could possibly work against the multidrug-resistant bacterium called . P. aeruginosa is a gram-negative non-fermenting bacterium and is one of the most common drug-resistant organisms to cause severe infection.

is a gram-negative non-fermenting bacterium and is one of the most common drug-resistant organisms to cause severe infection. Essential oils used in the study include betel vine oil, cinnamon bark oil, citronella oil, clove oil, galangal oil, guava leaf oil, hairy basil oil, holy basil oil, kaffir lime oil, lemongrass oil, finger root oil, plai oil, sweet basil oil, and turmeric oil.

Among the essential oils used in the study, cinnamon bark oil was reported to possess high bactericidal activity against all P. aeruginosa strains.

strains. Bioautographic results also showed that cinnamaldehyde and eugenol were the active components of cinnamon bark oil that showed a strong inhibitory effect against P. aeruginosa .

. However, cinnamaldehyde showed stronger antimicrobial activity than eugenol.

Based on the findings of the study, cinnamon bark oil and its active compound cinnamaldehyde could be used as an alternative treatment for multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa infection.

Read the full text of the study at this link.

To read more stories on the benefits of essential oils, visit EssentialOils.news today.

Journal Reference:

Utchariyakiat I, Surassmo S, Jaturanpinyo M, Khuntayaporn P, Chomnawang MT. EFFICACY OF CINNAMON BARK OIL AND CINNAMALDEHYDE ON ANTI-MULTIDRUG RESISTANT PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA AND THE SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 1 June 2016; 16(158). DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1134-9Firefighters on Sunday are battling a vegetation fire burning in San Ramon, according to police.

The blaze is burning near Crow Canyon and Bollinger Canyon roads, police reported.

Residents along Estancia Court have been evacuated as a precaution, police tweeted.

Further information was not available.Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz had a chance to show off his often praised debating skills Friday in his first match-up against Democratic challenger Beto ORourke, the El Paso congressman running a competitive campaign against him.

Cruz is trying to win a second term in the U.S. Senate in a race that the Cook Political Report on Friday rated a toss-up. New polls show the competition tightening with a Reuters-Ipsos poll on Wednesday giving ORourke a two-point lead in a typically reliable red state. Countering those indications is a Quinnipiac poll that had Cruz ahead by nine points.

U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke and Sen. Ted Cruz faced each other in the first of three planned debates Friday in what has become a neck and neck race for the Texas senate seat.

ORourke is a three-term congressman. He has raised more money than Cruz, a presidential hopeful in 2016 against now President Donald J. Trump, drawing national attention to the race.

ORourke, who became an El Paso city councilman in 2005, is hoping to become the first Texan elected to the Senate since 1988.

Friday's hourlong debate was the first of three the men are scheduled to participate in. Here were some of the evenings highlights:

Strong winds were expected to continue throughout SoCal, with advisories expected to expire around Noon in LA County and tomorrow for inland and valley areas. Shanna Mendiola has the forecast for Friday, April 15, 2016.

This is why people do not like Washington, D.C.

A particularly sharp exchange between the two contenders came as they addressed police shootings of unarmed black men, one of which occurred about two weeks ago when a white off-duty Dallas police officer shot her black neighbor, Botham Jean, to death in his own apartment. Police Officer Amber Guyger, who has been charged with manslaughter, has told investigators that she mistook his apartment for hers.

Cruz accused ORourke of calling police officers modern-day Jim Crow, a reference to local laws that enforced racial segregation in the South, and deemed the description offensive.

That is not Texas, he concluded.

What Senator Cruz said is simply untrue, ORourke responded. I did not call police officers modern-day Jim Crow.

Video of ORourkes town hall on Wednesday at Prairie View A&M University, a historically black college in Prairie View, Texas, shows him talking about a system that he said suspects a person based solely on the color of their skin, that searches, stops or shoots someone based on the color of their skin.

It is why some have called this, and I think it is an apt description, the new Jim Crow, he said.

Cruz, when asked whether he thought the police shootings a problem, said that everyones rights should be protected, but blamed irresponsible and hateful rhetoric for shootings of police officers  among them the killing of five Dallas police officers in 2016. He accused ORourke of repeating things he knew were not true, including accusing white police officers of shooting unarmed African American children, and said that The Washington Post had fact checked the claim and found it to be untrue.

The contest for who will become the next head of the Federal Reserve appears to be coming down to Kevin Warsh and Jerome "Jay" Powell.

This is why people do not like Washington, D.C., ORourke said. You just said something that I did not say and attributed it to me.

What did you not say? Cruz asked.

Im not going to repeat the slander and mischaracterization, ORourke said.

Youre not going to say what you did say? Cruz asked.

This is your trick in the trade, to confuse and to incite based on fear and not to speak the truth, ORourke said. "This is a very serious issue."

The Washington Post did examine a quote from ORourke but did not rate it given varying interpretations that were possible. The quote: Black men, unarmed, black teenagers, unarmed, and black children, unarmed, are being killed at a frightening level right now, including by members of law enforcement without accountability and without justice.

Cruz's dignity and President Trump

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump attacked Cruz viciously, suggesting that Cruzs father had been involved in the assassination of President John Kennedy and tweeting an unflattering photograph of Cruzs wife, Heidi, and threatening to spill the beans on her.

How did Cruz, who later endorsed Trump and praised him, respond to critics who said he had lost his dignity?

Cruz called his father his hero and his wife his best friend and the most beautiful woman on the planet.

After the election, he faced a choice and decided to work with the president on cutting taxes and regulations and creating new jobs, he said.

So yes, I could have chosen to make it about myself, to be selfish and say, You know what, my feelings are hurt so Im going to take my marbles and go home. But I think that would have been not doing the job I was elected to do.

ORourke said that how Cruz responded when the president attacked him personally was his business. But the congressman also raised allegations that Trump had colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election and said he had attacked the countrys institutions.

We need a U.S. senator who will stand up to this president,  ORourke said.

Ted Cruz probably wishes he missed the phone call. Jimmy Fallon brought back his amazing Donald Trump impression Thursday night on "The Tonight Show" and decided to give his opponent, Cruz, a little bit of help ahead of the Canadian-born politician's visit to the late night series.

True to Form

When the men were asked in the final moments of the debate what they admired about their opponent, ORourke said he knew how hard Cruz worked, the time he had spent away from his children and the sacrifices he had made. He said he had no question that despite their differences, Cruz wanted to do the best for America.

So I thank you Sen. Cruz for your public service, ORourke said.

Cruz agreed that the time away from their children was a sacrifice for both men and that ORourke was passionate, energetic and believed in what he was fighting for. Then Cruz compared ORourke to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who he said advocated socialism, higher taxes and expanding government.

Youre fighting for the principles you believe in and I respect that, Cruz said.

True to form, ORourke responded.

Thoughts and prayers

The men clashed over how to protect students from shootings in school, both referring to the killings at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, in May.

Cruz called for more armed police officers in school, and rejected any new gun control measures.

There is something deeply wrong that we have these shootings. There are a lot of things behind it that have nothing to do with government. They have things to do with things like removing God from the public square, like losing the moral foundation of much of our society, like losing the binds of community and family.

ORourke argued that bringing a firearm into a classroom would not make students safer.

Thoughts and prayers, Sen. Cruz, are just not going to cut it anymore, he said. The people of Texas, the children of Texas, deserve action.

More armed police officers in our schools is not thoughts and prayers, Cruz answered. Im sorry you dont like thoughts and prayers. I will pray for anyone in harms way but I also will do something about it.

Differing Views on Drugs

On drugs, Cruz said that ORourke, while on the El Paso City Council, had called for a national debate on legalizing all narcotics, including heroin and cocaine.

There is consistent pattern when it comes to drug use that in almost every single instance Congressman ORourke supports more of it, Cruz said.

Cruz said that the issue was personal; his older sister died of a drug overdoes.

ORourke, who was arrested for drunken driving in 1998, said that he wanted to end the war on drugs and to end the prohibition on marijuana.

To be clear, I dont want to legalize heroin and cocaine and fentanyl, he said.What to Know Two men were arrested Sunday in connection to a shooting that injured a Boston Police Department officer.

The officer was shot in the calf after police attempted to approach a group of suspects believed to be armed.

The two suspects were ordered to be held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing during their arraignment on Monday.

Two men charged in connection with the non-fatal shooting of a Boston police officer over the weekend were held without bail Monday pending a hearing to determine whether they are a danger to society.

Requon Martin, 21, of Boston, and Antoine Mack, 35, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, both tried to keep their faces hidden at the arraignment. Not guilty pleas to charges from armed assault to murder were entered on their behalf.

The officer was struck in the calf Sunday afternoon but has been released from the hospital and is resting at home, Police Commissioner William Gross said."

We know he is physically well. We are going to make sure he takes the time so that he is mentally well," Gross said.

Mack's attorney, William Keefe, said his client was "not involved in this in any way, shape or form."

Martin's attorney indicated that his client wants to testify in his own defense at the dangerousness hearing scheduled for Wednesday.

Gross said members of the Youth Violence Strike Force came across a vehicle double-parked, with blaring music, when they noticed three men sitting on the steps of an apartment building. After making eye contact with the officers, Gross said the men stood up and clutched something at their waists, which he said were the "characteristics of an armed gunman."

Martin lives at the address where they were spotted.

The men then went into the apartment building and tried to hold the door closed to prevent the officers from entering, Gross said. After eventually gaining access to a common hallway, the shooting occurred.

Only two men were charged.

Police have not said which suspect they believe fired the gun.

Sunday's shooting was an example of how there are too many guns on Boston's streets, Gross said.

"It's heart-wrenching," he said. "Folks are doing their job protecting the city. That's the attitude these days ... imagine one of your family members getting hurt. How would you feel about that?"

Residents living in the neighborhood told NBC10 Boston they were shocked to see the scene unfold.

"This is a very safe neighborhood, obviously, and just to kind of see this happening in our neighborhood, it's pretty crazy," one neighbor said.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.Three Illinois men are dead after their sport utility vehicle collided with a pickup near Wisconsin Dells.

Columbia County sheriff's authorities say the men were in a Toyota 4Runner that collided with a Chevrolet Silverado at an intersection on State Highway 127 on Saturday.

Authorities say the Toyota SUV apparently failed to yield the right of way at a stop sign. The three men died at the scene. Authorities say they apparently were not wearing seat belts.

The 33-year-old woman who was driving the pickup was flown to UW Hospital. Her passenger, a 33-year-old man, was taken to another hospital.

Names and hometowns of the victims were not released.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

Follow along live from court above and below. (NOTE: Not all witness testimony will be streamed live above. You may notice intermittent bars and pauses.)

After more than four years, Jason Van Dyke and his attorneys are telling their version of what happened the night Chicago teen Laquan McDonald was killed.

The defense began their case Monday in the highly-publicized trial of the Chicago police officer charged with murder in the shooting that shook the city and the nation. And they're offering a new theory on what happened.

Special prosecutors rested their case against Van Dyke Thursday after calling 24 witnesses over three and a half days.

Van Dyke is charged with murder after he shot McDonald 16 times the night of Oct. 20, 2014, on the city's Southwest Side.

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.

Among the first witnesses called Monday were other law enforcement officers who testified they had violent encounters with McDonald when he was a juvenile.

"He came at me... he swung at me," said Miguel Dejesus with the Cook County Youth Detention Center. "I was able to pick him up and pin him against a glass partition."

The defense also challenged the prosecution's autopsy analysis, alleging McDonald died shortly after one, maybe two, of the 16 shots fired. Previous reports indicated the teen died on his way to the hospital.

"If it was the pulmonary artery, [his death] would have been minutes, maybe up to five minutes," testified pathologist Dr. Shaku Teas.

Jurors have previously seen dashcam video showing the fatal shooting in which Van Dyke fired 16 shots at McDonald. But the defense plans to challenge the perspective of the video and show jurors a new recreation of the scene from Van Dyke's point of view.

So far in the trial, the jury saw graphic autopsy images showing the more than a dozen gunshot wounds on the body of 17-year-old McDonald as a forensic pathologist detailed how each bullet affected the teen's body.

They have heard testimony from several Chicago police officers and witnesses at the scene, seen the weapon Van Dyke used, and watched as FBI specialists demonstrated the shooting.

Van Dyke has claimed he opened fire that night to protect himself and other officers.

With the end of the trial still more than a week away, both the McDonald family and the Van Dyke family are praying for justice.

"Justice is trying to figure out whether there was a murder," said Father Ed Cronin with St. Jane De Chantel Church.

4:08 p.m.: As trial of Jason Van Dyke enters the defense phase, his Parish Priest calls for peace. For. Ed Cronin says, We are deeply troubled by the kinds of protests we see. This city needs to be a peace. This case cannot tear is apart again.

12:01 p.m.: Defense pathologist says Laquan McDonald likely died from a gunshot that went through his lungs. She says he died from blood loss.

How fast did he die?"

"If it was the pulmonary artery, it would have been minutes...maybe up to five minutes.

11:28 a.m.: Pathologist says Laquan McDonald died as the result of only a few of his wounds. When asked: Are you saying he died before some of those other wounds had a chance to bleed?" Dr. Shaku Teas answered, Probably. He had bad circulation

10:19 a.m.: Protests outside 26th and California as defense begins its case in the trial of Jason Van Dyke. First witness, a forensic pathologist re-examining autopsy of Laquan McDonald.Michelle Obama returned to Chicago over the weekend to perform a special task - officiating a wedding along the lakefront.

The former first lady reportedly made a quick stop in her hometown on Saturday to participate in the wedding ceremony of Stephanie Rivkin and Joel Sircus.

The wedding took place at the Theater on the Lake on the city's North Side, according to the couple's wedding announcement in The New York Times, which made no mention of Obama's appearance. [[381009371, C]]

One attendee posted a video on Instagram, according to TMZ, that shows Obama guiding Rivkin through a portion of her vows.

"I promise to stand next to you and support you," Obama appears to read, before pointing the microphone at the bride to repeat the phrase, followed by "through all of life's trials and trails."

The video, captioned, "Holy Moly" with a heart emoji, and "That moment when Michelle Obama officiated at your couain's [sic] wedding," was later deleted, according to multiple reports.

So how might the couple know the former first lady? Rivkin's father is the deputy mayor of Chicago, their wedding announcement says, and her mother is the president of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, the charity of Penny Pritzker, who was commerce secretary in the Obama administration. [[427533613, C]]

It was a short trip home for Obama, who then jetted off to Las Vegas on Sunday to hold a campaign-style rally to encourage voter registration.

She will be back in Chicago soon though, as she kicks off her 10-city tour to promote her upcoming book "Becoming" at the United Center on Nov. 13.Romania does not endorse a separate budget for Eurozone and rejects the idea of taxing financial transactions, Minister of Public Finance Eugen Teodorovici said after a meeting with his peers from the European Socialists Party (PES) held in Berlin on Wednesday.

The Finance Minister said the European Union needs unity in a context in which it faces pressing problems, such as the shortage of employees.

We do not support a separate budget for the Eurozone, especially now that the European Union is facing various challenges and needs unity, more than ever. That is why EU member states need to promote a bottom-up approach through which policies reflect real citizens agenda, such as the workforce shortages in Central and Eastern European countries, Teodorovici said.

The separate budget for the Eurozone countries is part of the EUs profound reform plan proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron. German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined this idea in the summer, following a summit of the European heads of states. The two advocate for the establishment of the separate budget for the Eurozone by 2021, whose funding to be provided by national contributions of member states, by European resources and the introduction of a tax on financial transactions.

The tax idea came as a result of the crisis, in the context of several member states having to take fiscal consolidation measures to support, among other things, the financial rescue packages for some banks. Another reason would be to discourage risky financial transactions that would destabilize the financial sector.

Such a tax would have discouraged, though, the evolution of the local financial market, Teodorovici argues, given that the assets of the Romanian banking system are the lowest in the EU, the credit as share in GDP is also very low, and the local stock exchange is among the least liquid in the EU.

At the meeting of PES finance ministers I have sustained the protection of the financial market in Romania, a market that is in the process of consolidation, by rejecting the idea of joining the enhanced cooperation procedure in the area of taxing the financial transactions. We shall ensure the procedure will not affect the financial sector of the member states that are not willing to apply the tax, neither will it have an impact on the capital market, the Finance Minister said.



Aboneaza-te la newsletter aici. Iti multumim ca citesti cursdeguvernare.

Finance Ministers who are PES members meet monthly to coordinate their positions on topics of European interest and crystallize a unitary and coherent policy at the EU level, for protecting the citizens interests.

The meeting was held at the invitation of German finance minister, Olaf Scholz. The meeting was also attended by Mario Centeno, Eurogroup President and Finance Minister in Portugal, Pierre Moscovici, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Finance Ministers from Malta, Spain, Sweden, Slovakia, Greece, as well as Maria Joao Rodrigues, Robert Gualtieri and Pervenche Beres, representatives of the European Parliament.Nelson Mandela's widow challenged world leaders celebrating his life on Monday to put their egos and partisan politics aside and honor his legacy by ending the "senseless violence" plaguing too much of the world.

"History will judge you should you stagnate too long in inaction," Graca Machel told a U.N. "peace summit" commemorating the 100th anniversary of Mandela's birth. "Humankind will hold you accountable should you allow suffering to continue on your watch."

With peace a scarce commodity, Machel's challenge was echoed by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other leaders who acknowledged the world is far from achieving Mandela's ideals which also include human rights and global cooperation.

"Today, with human rights under growing pressure around the world, we would be well served by reflecting on the example of this outstanding man," Guterres said. "We need to face the forces that threaten us with the wisdom, courage and fortitude that Nelson Mandela embodied."

The tributes to Mandela began with a rare U.N. honor  the unveiling of a $1.8 million statue of the South African anti-apartheid campaigner who became the world's most famous political prisoner, played a key role in ending white-minority rule, and became president in the country's first democratic election. The statue is a gift to the United Nations from South Africa.

Mandela's arms are outstretched in the statue, as if to embrace people everywhere. But after the cover was pulled off, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, with help from Guterres, placed a small South African flag in his lapel.

The day-long summit, with nearly 160 scheduled speakers, set the stage for Tuesday's opening of the General Assembly's annual meeting of world leaders, where conflicts from Syria to South Sudan, rising unilateralism, and tackling a warming planet and growing inequality are among issues expected to be in the spotlight.

With a bang of the gavel by General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, the leaders on Monday adopted a political declaration resolving "to move beyond words" to promote peace and prevent, contain and end conflicts. "Dialogue is key, and courage is needed to take the first steps to build trust and gain momentum," it said.

Garces said Mandela "represents a light of hope for a world still torn apart by conflicts and suffering."

Like others, she warned of the rise of populism and unilateralism and its threat to the 193-member United Nations.

"Drifting away from multilateralism means jeopardizing the future of our species and our planet," Garces said. "The world needs a social contract based on shared responsibility, and the only forum that we have to achieve this global compact is the United Nations."

The appeal for collective action to tackle the world's many conflicts, hotspots and challenges is being tested by the "America First" agenda of U.S. President Donald Trump and populist governments in Italy, Hungary, Austria and elsewhere as well as Britain's impending divorce from the European Union.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned that "unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise" and urged the international community to "stand united under the umbrella of multilateralism."

The Trump administration and China have been engaged in a trade war in recent months, with the two sides imposing higher tariffs on imports from each other.

Wang said "the U.N. is the symbol of multilateralism" and "an important guardian of world peace." During Mandela's time, he said, it was the "strong moral pressure" of the U.N. and the international community "that accelerated the disintegration of apartheid."

"The international community must stand united under the umbrella of multilateralism, uphold the central role of the U.N. in international affairs and provide more predictability and stability in this turbulent world," Wang said.

Addressing the Mandela event, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani never mentioned the United States  which has accused Tehran of promoting international terrorism, a charge it vehemently denies.

But Rouhani appeared to be taking aim at Trump and his pledge to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border when he said Mandela was a model for the "historical reality that great statesmen tend to build bridges instead of walls."

Alluding to the Trump administration, Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez said recent announcements about military expenditures are "alarming" and are pushing the world into a new arms race "to the detriment of the enormous resources that are needed to build a world of peace."

South Africa's Ramaphosa said his country's "deepest hope" is that the summit, "in the name of one of our greatest exemplars of humanity, serves as a new dawn for the United Nations."

"We hope we will rediscover the strength of will to save successive generations from war, and to overcome the hatred of our past and the narrow interests that blind us to the vision of a common future that is peaceful and prosperous," he said. "We hope we will prove ourselves worthy as the bearers of the legacy of Nelson Mandela."April Freeman, a U.S. House of Representatives candidate for Florida's 17th district, died unexpectedly at the age of 54 on Sunday, according to her family.

Freeman's husband, David, shared the news on her personal Facebook page on Monday.

"Its with great sadness that I feel I must inform all of you that my beloved wife April passed away suddenly last night. To all of her family and friends here on Facebook, my heart aches with you," the Facebook post reads.

Freeman, the Democratic candidate who won the nomination on Aug. 28, was running against GOP candidate Greg Steube for outgoing Republican Tom Rooney's district seat.

Florida's 17th congressional district is located in south-central Florida and covers parts of eastern Tampa Bay, the oceanside city of Venice and western portions of Lake Okeechobee.

"Wow... I just found out that my friend and Democratic candidate for Congress April Freeman has passed away. My heart goes out to her family," Roy David Walker, candidate for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, wrote on Facebook.

A Florida statute determines that in the event of a death, resignation, withdrawal or removal of a nominated candidate for a statewide office, the party chair of the state must call a meeting of the executive board to designate a nominee to fill the vacancy.The Archdiocese of Hartford is again addressing the ongoing sexual abuse scandal shaking the Catholic church.

In a letter to parishioners released Sunday, Archbishop Leonard Blair acknowledged past sexual abuse cases within the diocese, stating that two priests have been credibly accused of sexually assaulting a minor over the last 20 years, and both faced criminal charges and prosecution.

He went on to say that the abuse has not been occurring widely in the Archdiocese of Hartford for at least 20 years, and there has been a zero-tolerance policy in place since 2002.

Blair said there are no credible claims against any current priests.

He also used the letter to ask for forgiveness from any victims of child abuse and their families.

To those who have been victims of child sexual abuse by clergy, and to the parents, siblings, and friends of those who were abused  I ask, the Church asks  for forgiveness. Healing and reconciliation continue to be an essential but not easy goal, given the terrible effects that these sins and crimes can cause in the lives of victims, to whom the Church owes the deepest expression of sorrow and apology, he wrote.

Blair said the archdiocese has taken steps to protect children from sexual abuse, including a variety of policy reforms since 2002.

The protection of children and vulnerable adults and keeping them safe is our highest priority. I hope that this information provides reassurance that the Archdiocese of Hartford has taken and will continue to take these matters very seriously, the letter read.

See the full letter below:Court documents released Monday detail the killing of insurance executive Melissa Millan along a jogging path in Simsbury in 2014.

Police arrested William Winters Leverett on Sunday, four days after he walked into the Simsbury Police Department and confessed to the crime, according to the arrest warrant application.

Leverett, 27, of Windsor Locks, who is a registered sex offender, was charged with one count of murder.

Millan was found dead along Iron Horse Boulevard in Simsbury, about 11 miles northwest of Hartford, on Nov. 20, 2014. She had gone out for a run.

Millan was stabbed once in the chest.

According to the arrest warrant application, Leverett told police that on the night of Millan's death, he returned home from a sex offenders therapy group and felt lonely. He went to walk along the path near Iron Horse Boulevard in hopes of finding someone to talk with. Leverett saw Millan on the running path and said he was immediately attracted to her physical features.

Leverett told police he did not know Millan and had never seen her prior to the moment she jogged by him.

After seeing her run past him, Leverett got into his vehicle and drove further down the boulevard with the intention of parking his vehicle so he could walk onto the running path to be next to her. He said when he began thinking about a possible interaction with her, he became anxious and realized, "I (Leverett) can't have her" and "she's way out of my league," according to the court documents.

Leverett told police that he "was angry" and that his "anger escalated rapidly" then he "went into a frenzy." He said it was at that moment that he decided to confront and attack Millan with the knife he had in his vehicle.

After he drove from Iron Horse Boulevard, Leverett told officers that he parked in an adjacent business lot, grabbed the knife and ran eastbound across the street to the running path.

As he saw Millan approaching, Leverett said he intentionally ran into her and caused her to stop. He said he immediately stabbed her once in the chest, according to the arrest warrant application. When Millan pushed him away, she caused the knife to be pulled from her chest while he was still holding it. During the push, she fell backward, over the guardrail and onto the road, the documents said.

After she fell into the roadway, Leverett told officers that he ran across the street back to his vehicle and turned around to look at her. He said he could hear her say, "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," before she went silent. Leverett told police that he thought, "Oh my God, what have I done?" and then said he was "shaking and crying." He told police he had assumed she died but did not know for sure until he saw the news the following day.

According to police documents, Leverett fled the area with the knife and later threw it out of his car window onto a side street in Simsbury. Leverett told police that he retrieved the knife a few days later and discarded it in a trash compactor at his job.

Among evidence collected by police were alleged confession letters that Leverett told police he wrote on the night of the crime.

They also retrieved a glove from a barn that Leverett told detectives he was wearing when he allegedly committed the crime, the court documents show. He told them it fell in a crevice in the barn and he left it there.

DNA testing of the glove showed DNA that likely came from Millan, Leverett and a third unknown person, according to the police arrest warrant application.

Millan, who was 54 when she died, was an executive with the MassMutual insurance company in Hartford. The company released the following statement on Friday:

"Melissa Millan was an incredible person and outstanding leader, and we were fortunate to have her as a part of our MassMutual family for more than a decade. We are encouraged to learn that there are developments in her case, and continue to keep Melissa and her family in our thoughts."

Leverett appeared in Enfield Superior Court on Monday but did not enter a plea. He was held on $2 million bond. The public defender asked that Leverett be put on a mental health watch.

Millan's family released the following statement in response to the arrest:

"The family, friends and coworkers of Melissa Millan are thankful for the outpouring of love and support weve received since Melissas death in November 2014. Melissa was a loving mother, a devoted daughter, a witty and compassionate sister, a loyal friend, an intelligent, successful businesswoman and mentor to many. The arrest and arraignment of the suspect brings renewed grief, heartache and the knowledge that justice can never be served for the senseless act that robbed us of Melissas beautiful presence.

"We extend our gratitude to the Simsbury Police Department and other participating law enforcement agencies for all of their work. Now as we confront our individual and collective grief and sorrow, we humbly request respect for our privacy during this difficult and emotional time."

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the date Millan was found. She was found on Nov. 20, 2014.Update: After this story was published Jeffrey Cubeta returned Lancias $600 deposit.

Cromwell resident Lucille Lancia wanted to spruce up her home with a little color, so the 85-year-old called on a local painter to do the work.

Our redesigned local news and weather app is live! Download it for iOS or Android  and sign up for alerts.

But she said that while Jeffrey Cubeta, owner of Cubeta Painting, LLC in South Glastonbury, painted a rosy picture of what he could do for her home, he didnt complete the work after spending one day getting the project started.

Its unbelievable, you know, said Lucille Lancia.

In June, Lancia said she paid Cubeta $600 dollar for the deposit and then gave him an additional $250 to buy the paint She says the total cost of the job was $1300. Lancia said she never paid him the rest. She admitted that she didnt sign a contract but instead used her canceled checks as proof of payment

She said Cubeta began the job by painting the door trim and priming the walls, but then left without finishing the job.

I said, gee something doesnt sound right there, said Lancia.

She said Cubeta never indicated when he would come back to complete the job, despite Lancias repeated phone calls.

Lancia said it wasnt until August when she finally reached him and the two agreed that Cubeta would reimburse her $600 for the unfinished work. Lancia said another week went by and she heard nothing further from Cubeta, nor did she receive her refund.

After Lancia reached out to NBC Connecticut Responds, we reached John Cubeta by phone. He declined to speak with us on camera, but he insisted he would refund Lancia $600. After our phone conversation, Cubeta sent NBC Connecticut Responds the following text message:

Good evening. I was working when you contacted me about Lucille. I always write proposals. As far as this particular job, I didn't get to it right away. Lucille will definitely get money from me, not however the full $850. Wouldn't be fair to me. Also as far as being on camera, I'm not doing that and it's unnecessary. I worked a day there so I can give her back $600 or deduction of paint would bring it to $400. I have been in business for 15 years and have established myself. I will however work it out and make it fair for both of us.

Monday, Cubeta texted Responds again saying he has tried calling Lucille Lancia to work out something. But Lancia said she has not heard from him. Still, she is relieved that Responds is helping her get closer to a resolution.

Its good that you people are there for us. I mean it.Authorities are marking the 20-year anniversary of a Farmington cold case killing with a news conference renewing a call for information Monday.

On Sept. 24, 1998, 26-year-old Agnieszka Ziemlewski was found shot to death on a trail at the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) Reservoir off Old Mountain Road near the West Hartford-Farmington line. Police said she was shot at close range, and investigators do not believe it was random.

Ziemlewski had emigrated from Poland with her family in the 1980s. She was living in an apartment in West Hartford and working at United Health Care in Hartford at the time of her death.

Police conducted hundreds of interviews over the years and the State of Connecticut offered a reward of up to $50,000 in the case, but no arrest was ever made. Police said they believe the person remains in the community.

The Farmington Police Department, Cold Case Unit at the Office of the Chief State's Attorney and other law enforcement agencies continue to investigate.

Anyone with information that may be relevant to the case can contact the tip line at 860-673-8266 or email justice4agnes@farmington-ct.org.Officials are investigating after a vehicle fire spread to a second vehicle and a house in Glastonbury on Monday morning.

Firefighters said they were called to a house on Naubuc Avenue around 3:44 a.m. after getting a report of a fire.

When they arrived, firefighters found two vehicles on fire in the driveway in a vehicle and that the fire was spreading to the house. The residents of the house were able to escape without injury.

They also found a live power line down in the driveway near the fire and that the flames were being fed by natural gas piping, according to fire officials.

Mutual aid from Bolton, Hebron, Marlborough and Wethersfield were called in to help fight the fires.

The Glastonbury fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.Yale Law School students are protesting the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court and demanding an investigation of sexual misconduct allegations against him.

Dozens of students wearing black staged a sit-in at the law school Monday. Yale officials canceled classes to accommodate the demonstration. Some Yale students traveled to Washington to protest the nomination.

WATCH: Dozens of students sit in silence, wearing black demanding thorough look into accusations against Yale alumnus and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. 31 law school classes have been cancelled today in light of protest. #nbcct pic.twitter.com/yCthpadhuj  Shannon Miller (@_ShannonMiller) September 24, 2018

The protest came the morning after The New Yorker published the account of a woman who says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were students at Yale in the 1983-84 academic year. Another woman has accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her in high school.

Kavanaugh denies the allegations.

Were having an ongoing conversation at the school about what it means to be a Yale Law School graduate and how we go into the world as Yale Law School graduates  what we do with the power that we have," said Yale Law School student Sam Peltz.

We cant really begrudge the timing because this is when they felt like it was appropriate and come forward and talk about such a sensitive issue," said Alyssa Peterson, who is one of more than 100 Yale Law students also protesting in D.C.

Fifty Yale faculty members have signed a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee urging the Senate to conduct "a fair and deliberate confirmation process."

Law school faculty canceled 31 classes in light of the protests.

In D.C., Capitol police charged 128 individuals with unlawfully demonstrating in the Senate office buildings. A student representative told NBC Connecticut two of those were charged are current Yale Law students.Gov. Dannel Malloy says his efforts to reduce crime, arrests, and Connecticuts prison population will be a reward for whoever emerges in November as the next governor.

"Listen, Malloy told a room of reporters. Some other governor is going to enjoy all the work we did because crime is going to continue to fall."

According to state and FBI records, violent and property crime in Connecticut have decreased by 25 percent during the period 2009 to 2017.

Connecticut had 71,883 crimes reported in 2017, a level not seen since 1967, and from 2009 to 2017 the number of statewide arrests dropped from 138,719 to 81,408.

Malloy said of the drop, "The reality is we are enjoying the safest period of our existence in 50 years."

At different points in the campaign for governor, the issue of crime and criminal justice has been brought up. On the Republican side, the issue has mainly focused on how Malloy was weak on crime, and that he downplayed poor crime statistics.

Republican Tim Herbst, who failed to win the partys nomination, and later became party nominee Bob Stefanowskis debate partner, remarked during debates that he would bring back, law and order, to Connecticut.

Malloy said any assertion that crime was in any way rampant, was a falsehood.

"I think anyone who says that quite frankly, clearly is intentionally misleading the public. They're lying and you know, the FBI doesn't lie. Facts are facts."

A spokesman for Stefanowski said of the crime report, "While on its face this seems like good news, the real story on recidivism is not quite as rosy.

Campaign spokesman Kendall Marr told NBC Connecticut that recidivism rates still show more than half of all of those who qualified for early release were rearrested, but overall the number has been going down.

The state tracks inmates released in three-year cycles, and in 2014, the number of prisoners released who returned to prison was lower than in 2011.

Ned Lamont, the Democrat vying to become the next governor, told NBC Connecticut, "Connecticut has become a leader on criminal justice because it is a moral issue and an economic one. As Governor, I will continue to invest in education, job training, and equal opportunity so that everyone has a chance to build a future.

He added that if Stefanowskis income tax elimination plan comes to fruition, then that would, deal a devastating blow to education, crime prevention, and second-chance efforts that are working, which would take Connecticut backwards.On the same day Arab separatists killed at least 25 people in an attack targeting a military parade in southwestern Iran, President Donald Trump's lawyer mounted a stage in New York to declare that the government would be toppled.

"I don't know when we're going to overthrow them. It could be in a few days, months or a couple of years, but it's going to happen," former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Saturday. "They are going to be overthrown. The people of Iran obviously have had enough."

For Iran's Shiite theocracy, comments like these only fuel fears that America and its Gulf Arab allies are plotting to tear the Islamic Republic apart.

Those threats so far haven't led to a military confrontation or violence, but the risk is rising.

"Undoubtedly the Islamic Republic of Iran will not ignore this crime. It is absolutely clear for us who did that, what group they are and with whom they are affiliated," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned before leaving for New York for the United Nations General Assembly. "All of those small mercenary countries that we see in this region are backed by America. It is Americans who instigate them and provide them with necessary means to commit these crimes."

Rouhani is a relative moderate who was elected twice on promises to improve relations with West, and who signed the 2015 nuclear agreement. At the U.N. General Assembly that year, he declared that "a new chapter had started in Iran's relations with the world."

"For the first time, two sides rather than negotiating peace after war, engaged in dialogue and understanding before the eruption of conflict."

An eruption now seems more likely. What changed in the meantime seems to be the politics of the region and the U.S. While America's Sunni Gulf Arab allies in the region criticized the nuclear deal, many later acknowledged that it did what it was designed to do.

Iran limited its enrichment of uranium, making it virtually impossible for it to quickly develop nuclear weapons, something the government insists it has never sought. In exchange, some international sanctions were lifted, allowing Iran to rejoin the global financial system and sell its crude oil to American allies.

Over time, however, Gulf states adopted an increasingly harder tone with Iran. Officials in Tehran point to comments by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, now next in line to the throne in Iran's Mideast archrival.

"We know we are a main target of Iran," Prince Mohammed said in a 2017 interview, shortly before becoming crown prince. "We are not waiting until there becomes a battle in Saudi Arabia, so we will work so that it becomes a battle for them in Iran and not in Saudi Arabia."

He did not elaborate, though the kingdom and its allies were mired then as they are now  in a war in Yemen against Iran-aligned Shiite rebels. While Iran denies arming the rebels, known as Houthis, U.N. investigators, analysts and Western nations all say Tehran supplies weapons ranging from assault rifles to the ballistic missiles, which have been fired deep into Saudi territory.

After Prince Mohammed's comments last year, Saudi-aligned satellite news channels began playing up stories about Iranian opposition and exile groups. They also began publicizing the nighttime pipeline attacks by Arab separatists in Khuzestan, Iran's oil-rich southwestern province, which Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein tried to seize in his 1980s war with Iran.

Those separatists claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack in Ahvaz, Khuzestan's capital, which struck one of many parades in the country marking the start of the 1980s war. Iranian officials, who blame the separatists for the attack, say the militants wore military uniforms and hid their weapons along the parade route ahead of time  showing a level of sophistication previously unseen by the separatists.

There has been no direct evidence linking the separatists to Saudi Arabia. However, Iranian officials have seized on the fact the separatists immediately made their claim of responsibility on a Saudi-linked, Farsi-language satellite news channel based in Britain.

The United States has meanwhile been ramping up pressure on Iran since Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement in May, restoring crippling sanctions and voicing support for anti-government protests fueled by economic woes.

The Trump administration has said its actions aren't aimed at toppling Iran's government. But in the meantime, Giuliani has continued speaking before meetings of an exiled Iranian opposition group. Before being appointed national security adviser earlier this year, John Bolton gave impassioned speeches calling for regime change.

"The declared policy of the United States of America should be the overthrow of the mullahs' regime in Tehran," Bolton told Iranian exiles in July 2017. "The behavior and the objectives of the regime are not going to change, and therefore, the only solution is to change the regime itself.

He added, to cheers: "And that's why before 2019, we here will celebrate in Tehran."Amber Guyger, the Dallas police officer accused of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of her neighbor Botham Jean earlier this month, has been fired by the Dallas Police Department.

The department announced on Twitter that Guyger was "terminated for her actions" by Chief U. Renee Hall during a hearing Monday morning.

Amber Guyger, the Dallas police officer accused of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of her neighbor Botham Jean, has been fired.

"An Internal Affairs investigation concluded that on September 9, 2018, Officer Guyger engaged in adverse conduct when she was arrested for Manslaughter," the department said.

Amber Guyger, the Dallas police officer accused of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of her neighbor earlier this month, has been fired by the Dallas Police Department.

"As a police chief, my job is to ensure the integrity of the highest level," said Hall. "That is what I did, and I waited until the critical portion of this investigation was complete."

Hall said that happened over the weekend. Guyger had a hearing at police headquarters Monday morning, which was followed by her firing.

Guyger, 30, told investigators she returned home at the end of her shift Sept. 6 and found the door ajar to what she believed to be her apartment.

In an arrest warrant affidavit, investigators have said Guyger described seeing a "large silhouette" in the apartment and that she gave "verbal commands that were ignored" prior to firing the shots that killed the 26-year-old Jean, her upstairs neighbor. Guyger told investigators she mistakenly believed the apartment was her own and that Jean was a burglar.

Jean's family and their attorneys dispute those accounts and said information they gathered from witnesses will contradict Guyger's statements.

"We're not sure why it took so long, but we're glad the chief of police made the decision to fire this officer," said Jean family attorney Daryl Washington.

On Monday night, Guyger's attorney released a statement saying "What happened on September 6th was a tragic mistake and words can never express our sorrow for the pain being suffered by those who knew and loved Botham Jean. Amber Guyger is completely devastated by what happened. Unfortunately, today Chief Hall bowed to pressure from anti-police groups and took action before all of the facts had been gathered and due process was afforded. Thats not the way our system of justice should work. It is important for all parties and the integrity of the justice system that a full and fair investigation be allowed to reach its conclusion before decisions such as this are made."

When asked last week why Guyger hadn't been terminated, Hall said she wasn't able to terminate the officer. She elaborated Thursday with the following statement:

"There is one overriding reason that I have not taken any administrative or employment action against Officer Amber Guyger. I don't want to interfere with the on-going criminal investigation into her actions. Here's why. As an employer, DPD can compel Officer Guyger to provide a statement during a DPD administrative investigation and those statements given to DPD could potentially compromise the criminal investigation. That is not a risk I am willing to take. We cannot let the criminal case be determined on a 'technicality' rather than the facts. An exhaustive and thorough criminal investigation is essential, and as soon as we are assured that conducting an administrative investigation will not impede on the criminal investigation, we will proceed."

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said in a statement Monday that firing Guyger was the right move.

"I have heard the calls for this action from many, including the Jean family, and I agree that this is right decision in the interest of justice for Botham Jean and the citizens of Dallas. The swift termination of any officer who engages in misconduct that leads to the loss of innocent life is essential if the Dallas Police Department is to gain and maintain the public trust. I know Chief Hall agrees with me on that and I appreciate her leadership. Once again, shes made the right call," Rawlings said.

Washington, one of the three attorneys representing Jean's family, commented on Guyger's firing Monday morning while at an unrelated "use of force" trial in Dallas County.



"The Dallas Police Department has now stepped in and made a decision which is contrary to the decision Chief Hall said was going to be made just a few days ago," Washington said. "Obviously there has been enough information presented to the Dallas Police Department that would justify termination, so we're hoping that now that this has happened, it's our belief that perhaps the district attorney's office should have enough information to move forward with an indictment."

#BothamJean family attorney Daryl Washington at *another officers trial for use of force in Dallas County when he found out #AmberGuyger was fired by Dallas PD for shooting/killing #BothamJean. https://t.co/ZKVfTW9ldy

Part of his reax: pic.twitter.com/3VdrQffKCK  Maria Guerrero (@Maria_NBC5) September 24, 2018

Attorney Lee Merritt said the chief called the attorneys and Jean's parents last night and explained she intended to fire Guyger.



"She had to answer some tough questions from the family, specifically about why it took so long and she tried to explain the employment process could, in fact, impact the criminal investigation. In other words, if she's faced to give a statement in protection of her job, that can infringe on her Fifth Amendment right and can affect the criminal investigation. It's a complicated question," Merritt said.

Merritt said the family sees Guyger's termination as a victory -- especially on Monday, the same day Jean is being buried in St. Lucia. A memorial was held for Jean Sept. 13 in Dallas before his remains were flown to his native St. Lucia.

"The nation of St. Lucia, has turned its attention to that burial service. This comes as a welcome relief, however there's still a long way to go," Merritt said.

JUST IN: #BothamJean family attorney @MeritLaw welcomes news of #AmberGuyer firing by @DallasPD. Understands why it took this long.

Shes charged w/manslaughter for killing #BothamJean.

He thinks it should be murder. Grand jury will ultimately decide. https://t.co/ZKVfTW9ldy pic.twitter.com/w7Fn0cvkRB  Maria Guerrero (@Maria_NBC5) September 24, 2018

During a meeting with the Dallas City Council's Public Safety Committee Monday morning, Hall recommended suspending the department's 72-hour cooling off period following an officer-involved shooting. The current cooling-off period gives the officer three days before being compelled to make an official statement on the shooting.



Hall's proposal said those statements should immediately follow an incident and that they should include mandatory drug testing. She also said she wanted to make sure there was communication with the community within five days of an incident and to expand citizen review power.



Lastly, Hall said she wants to expand the department's fairness and bias training to include every officer and not just sergeants and new recruits.

.@ChiefHallDPD at @CityOfDallas Public Safety Committee meeting after firing Officer Amber Guyger for killing Botham Jean. A reform plan for serious incidents to be discussed at this meeting. @NBCDFW #NBCDFWNow pic.twitter.com/aDHNarWkbX  Ken Kalthoff (@KenKalthoffNBC5) September 24, 2018

The Dallas Police Association offered no statement on Guyger's termination and said they will withhold comment until the ongoing investigation is complete.

Guyger was arrested and faces a manslaughter charge, though Dallas County prosecutors have said they will conduct their own review to determine if a murder charge or other charges are more appropriate.

Online -- Public Safety and Criminal Justice

NBC 5's Noelle Walker, Maria Guerrero, Ken Kalthoff, Scott Friedman and Cody Lillich contributed to this report.A series of reforms proposed by Dallas Police Chief U.Rene Hall aimed at boosting trust with the community received strong support from Dallas City Council Members Monday.

I agree with you, theres been an outpour of support for most of these, said Councilman Adam Medrano.

These are things that I intend to push forward and its not without the officers input, Hall said.

Hall presented a briefing on the reforms to the Dallas City Council Public Safety Committee Monday, just hours after she fired former Officer Amber Guyger for the September 6 shooting death of Botham Jean in the mans apartment.

Guyger has told officers that she thought she was in her apartment and mistook Jean for a burglar.

The mans death accelerated calls for reform from Dallas Police critics.

The reforms include expanded power for the Dallas Civilian Police Review Board which currently looks only at results of discipline already investigated by police.

Hall came from Detroit where a civilian police oversight board has power to order testimony from witnesses, investigate and impose discipline on officers.

I grew up in an organization that had an oversight board since the 70s. It is what built trust and legitimacy in our police department. I am a huge proponent of that for the City of Dallas, Hall said. This community, these officers are of the utmost importance to me, and we have to work together collectively in order to build our trust in this community.

Hall also plans to suspend the department's 72-hour cooling off period that gives officers three days before being compelled to make an official statement about alleged misconduct. She said statements should be taken immediately after an incident and mandatory drug testing should also be required of officers in the wake of critical incidents.

Other parts of Halls seven point plan include communication by the Chief with the community within five days of an incident, officer wellness programs and a management awareness program for early warning about problem officers.

I think that this is definitely the time to move forward. The community has to have a sense of trust, said Councilman Casey Thomas, a former NAACP leader.

Activist Dominique Alexander with the Next Generation Action Network, led a September 12 protest that interrupted a City Council meeting just days after Jeans death. That day he said he will keep coming back until civilian oversight is on the City Council Agenda.

Alexander said he was pleased that it was on the Committee agenda Monday, but changes still need to be made that include necessary funding.

And what were asking is to make sure that this board has subpoena power, investigative power, and has the sustaining budget in order for it to do the work, Alexander said.

Hall also proposed expanding to all Dallas Police officers the bias training that police Sergeants and recent recruits have been receiving.

We have to change the paradigm of the way weve been doing business over the last 30 or 40 years, Councilman Kevin Felder said. Something has to change. There are some problems here that need to be addressed.

Mike Mata, President of the Dallas Police Association, said he has serious concerns about some of the proposals, especially expanded civilian oversight and removing the 72 hour grace period. Mata said he was talking with lawyers about the issues Monday and declined to comment further.Federal authorities say a former Peruvian Army sergeant has been apprehended in Texas on human rights violations for his alleged involvement in the 1991 killing of 15 villagers in the South American country.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement Friday that agents arrested 48-year-old Dennis Wilfredo Pacheco-Zambrano in the West Texas city of San Angelo.

A division of ICE that tracks human rights violators and war criminals provided a tip that led agents to begin searching for Pacheco-Zambrano in the San Angelo area. He was taken into custody Monday.

ICE officials say Pacheco-Zambrano is wanted for participating in a military operation in Santa Barbara, Peru, that involved the torture, rape and killing of villagers there. ICE says the incident became known as the Santa Barbara Massacre.Inmates without teeth in Texas are routinely denied dentures because state prison policy says chewing isn't a medical necessity because they can eat blended food.

Texas prisons' medical providers approved 71 dentures to a state inmate population of more than 149,000 in 2016, the Houston Chronicle reported. It's a sharp decline from 15 years ago, when more than 1,000 dental prosthetics were approved.

California, the next-largest prison population, has given nearly six times as many dentures as Texas in the past decade, despite the Lone Star State having nearly 19,000 more inmates than the Golden State. California's prison system provided more than 4,800 dental prosthetics in 2016, according to the state's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation data.

Many Texas inmates are in need because they're elderly, have a history of drug use or came from impoverished backgrounds with subpar dental care.

But state policy has strict guidelines saying that inmates can't get dentures unless they're underweight or suffering from other medical complications. The policy recommends that inmates with fewer than seven teeth undergo reviews for dentures, but there usually needs to be additional health issues to merit serious consideration for the few dental prosthetics doled out each year.

"Ultimately, it is a medical decision," said Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jeremy Desel.

Death row inmate Paul Devoe soaks crackers in coffee to eat them with his three remaining teeth. Devoe and other inmates have complained about bleeding gums, sore mouths, choking and being unable to eat. Many have reported that their teeth were pulled with the promise of receiving dentures, only to find out that wasn't the case.

The Texas prison system doesn't have any plans to change its denture policy.

"The current dental prosthetic policy was last reviewed in April of last year, and there are no plans for it to be reviewed again in the future," Desel said earlier this year.

Fred Cohen, a retired law professor who authored a book on Correctional Managed Health Care and the Law, said that a class-action lawsuit is the only way inmates will be able to see reform.

Sen. John Whitmire said, "Unfortunately, too many people don't care."What to Know President Donald Trump will spend four days in New York this week for the UN General Assembly

Trump is expected to address the dangers posed by North Korea's nuclear threat as he did last year, though it may appear less ominous

He plans to sit down with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who comes bearing a personal message from North Korea's Kim

President Donald Trump raised hopes at the United Nations on Monday that a second meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un could occur "quite soon," striking a conciliatory tone one year after he used his debut at the U.N. to deride the autocrat as "Little Rocket Man" and threaten to "totally destroy North Korea."

Trump praised Kim as "very open" and "terrific," despite the glacial pace of progress toward denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. officials defended Trump's strategy of engagement with the erstwhile pariah state as the president embarked on a week of meetings with world leaders. The softer tone toward North Korea  once threatened with "fire and fury"  has been replaced by rosy optimism, with Trump reserving tough rhetoric for another potential nuclear aspirant and strategic foe: Iran.

"It was a different world," Trump said Monday of his one-time moniker for the North Korean leader. "That was a dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time."

Trump began his second visit to the U.N. with a brief meeting on the global drug trade before sitting down with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who delivered a personal message to Trump from Kim after their inter-Korean talks last week in Pyongyang.

"You are the only person who can solve this problem," Moon said to Trump, relaying Kim's words.

Trump, for his part, said: "We are in no rush. We are in no hurry" to bring about a nuclear agreement. U.S. officials are insisting that economic sanctions remain in place against the North until it eliminates its nuclear program.

Trump said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been tasked with bringing about the second summit, despite an assessment by U.S. officials that the North has not followed through on its commitments to take steps toward denuclearization. Pompeo defended Trump's decision to seek another meeting despite the slow progress.

"We've been at this the other way an awfully long time and failed," he said, adding: "We tried to do details. We tried to do step for step. We tried to do trade for trade. Each of those failed."

"We're bringing the two senior leaders, the individuals who can actually make the decisions that will move this process forward," in hopes they can make a breakthrough, he said.

Trump said the location for the second summit is still to be determined, but officials have said the U.S. leader is holding out hope it could take place on American soil. Such a move would itself present a complex political and logistical challenge for the North Korean leader. His trip to Singapore in June for the inaugural summit was anything but trivial.

Trump has often fondly invoked the Singapore summit, a made-for-TV event that attracted the world's media attention and largely received positive marks from cable pundits  reviews that were not repeated for his summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Helsinki the following month.

Trump and Moon on Monday signed a new version of the U.S.-South Korean trade agreement, marking one of Trump's first successes in his effort to renegotiate economic deals on more favorable terms for the U.S. Trump labeled it a "very big deal" and says the new agreement makes significant improvements to reduce the trade deficit between the countries and create new opportunities to export American products to South Korea. He says U.S. automobiles, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products will gain better access to Korean markets.

Even so, some U.S. officials worry that South Korea's eagerness to restore relations with the North  known as its "sunshine policy"  could reduce sanctions pressure on Kim's government, hampering efforts to negotiate a nuclear accord.

The nuclear threat also was on the agenda at Trump's first meeting in New York, a dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday night. Abe stands first among world leaders in cultivating a close relationship with the president through displays of flattery that he has used to advance his efforts to influence the unpredictable American leader.

Trump is set to address the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday morning and will chair a meeting of the Security Council Wednesday on counter-proliferation. In both venues, U.S. officials say, he is expected to offer a contrast between the path of negotiation chosen by North Korea and that of Iran.

Trump earlier this year bucked allies and removed the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, citing Iran's malign influence in the region and support for terrorist groups like Hezbollah. The next round of tough sanctions on Iran is set to go into effect in November.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is in New York to attend U.N. meetings. U.S. officials said Trump is not seeking a meeting with the Iranian leader, but is not opposed to talking if Iran requests a session.

Rouhani, appearing on NBC on Monday, cited the threat of more U.S. sanctions in stating, "There is no such program for a meeting."

In keeping with his "America First" pronouncements, Trump's return tour to the annual diplomatic summit was eclipsed before it began by domestic political crises. The fate of Trump's second Supreme Court nominee was cast into doubt over the weekend amid new allegations of sexual misconduct. Drama also swirled Monday around the status of his deputy attorney general.

Rod Rosenstein was revealed last week to have floated the idea of secretly recording Trump last year and to have raised the idea of using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. Rosenstein has denied the reports. Trump said he will meet with Rosenstein on Thursday upon his return to Washington.The first and only scheduled gubernatorial debate between Texas incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and challenger Lupe Valdez (D) was held Friday in Austin.

Friday's gubernatorial debate, which was held at the LBJ Presidential Library on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, is the only one scheduled before Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Questions from the debate, with videos from each question and answer session, are posted below.

The first question asked to both candidates was whether to arm teachers in classrooms.

"In the aftermath of the three days of round-tables, we had multiple solutions, one of which was to give the choice to schools to arm people on the school, not necessarily teachers, but it could be a coach, it could be an administrator, it could be a staff member. It does not have to be a teacher which is very very important. It is not the state mandating that teachers be armed, but allowing schools at their choice." said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

"Teachers should be teaching, not being armed and being the defense. I do believe that there should be some defense there, but teachers are not the ones. If they wanted to be armed, they should have gone to the military." said Lupe Valdez (D).

Incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic candidate Lupe Valdez discuss whether they support arming teachers.

As a follow-up question to the discussion of arming teachers in the classroom, the candidates were asked their views on the state's red flag laws.

"I would not support a red flag law that would take guns away from people without due process," said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

"I believe that if you're saying, 'We're not going to do the red flag laws,' then we're OK with people doing harm to themselves and others," Valdez (D) said.

Incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic candidate Lupe Valdez discuss whether they support expanding the red flag law to identify persons who are a danger to themselves or others.

Third, the moderators asked Abbott and Valdez for their views on the Texas DREAM Act.

"The important thing that we do in the state of Texas is our job first is to make sure we educate Texas students," Abbott said.

"We're blaming the students because they can't go through a decent immigration system," Valdez said.

Incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic candidate Lupe Valdez discuss whether they support the Texas Dream Act.

The next topic ask about rising property taxes across the state.

"We need to reform this in a way that will allow voter approval before taxes are increased, so my property tax plan, which you can find at gregabbott.com is very clear. It limits governments ability to raise your taxes and it gives you, the homeowner, the authority to fire your tax appraiser by adding an election process for tax appraisers," said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

"The two most expensive things for property taxes are public education and healthcare. If you keep putting less money into this, they have to do something. They don't want to ignore their folks. They have to do something. So you are pushing the load on them and therefore bringing up the property taxes. The state needs to pay it's fair share and quit dumping on the local community," said Lupe Valdez (D).

Incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic candidate Lupe Valdez discuss what they would do to lower the property tax burden.

Moderators then asked the candidates about tapping Texas' rainy day fund to help pay for disaster relief for victims of Hurricane Harvey.

"He calls a special sessions for bathrooms, but does not call a special session when people are dying. The rainy day fund is the biggest savings account in the United States. Governor, it rained," Valdez said.

"We've already spent money from the state budget that will be required to be drawn down from the rainy day fund. In a time of disaster, the governor has the authority to advance spend that money," responded Abbott.

Incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic candidate Lupe Valdez discuss how to help Hurricane Harvey victims and if the rainy day fund should be tapped.

Both candidates were ask about a confederate plaque that is currently inside the Texas State Capitol and if they would take it down.

"Should they take it down because of the factual inaccuracy, absolutely, and I'll be working with the legislature on that issue this next session, but because the legislature was the body that put it up, it's the legislatures responsibility to take it down," said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

"If that plaque is doing harm to someone then we should come to the table and do something about it, whether it's the legislature or somebody that puts up stuff in the building or whatever, we just need to take care of it and get it done," said Lupe Valdez (D).

Incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic candidate Lupe Valdez discuss whether the Confederate plaque at the Texas State Capitol should be removed.

When it came to Texas' border with Mexico, the candidates were asked their views on using state money to pay for National Guard troops along the border.

"If we're talking about a crisis, then we should take that money and put it into a genuine Texas crisis. Public education, healthcare is things that will touch both parties, rural and urban areas and all around. We need to put our money in Texas. Texas needs to use their money for things that will improve Texas, not things that the national government is supposed to be taking care of," Valdez said.

"The reason why I'm working to make sure that we do secure the border is because I want to go after the human traffickers, the sex traffickers, the cartel members, those who threaten us, like gang members -- the rise of MS13 gang members in the state of Texas -- I want to do something to put a stop to that," Abbott said.

Democratic candidate Lupe Valdez and Incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott discuss whether the Texans should pay for National Guard troops at the border.

Both candidates were ask how they would pay for new roads across the state.

"I made a commitment to voters four years ago that we would build roads without raising taxes, fees tolls or debt and what we've done through special allocations that we have made, we have been able to dedicate $7.5 billion a year, for 10 years, that's $7.5 billion to build roads in this state, without raising taxes, fees, tolls or debt. Texas now has the largest road building fund that's every existed, that I know of by any state in the United States of America without having to use taxes, fees, tolls or debt to build roads," said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

"We need to use the taxes that we are collecting right now for those purposes. The gasoline tax, the license tax, all of these that we have agreed to use for roads and other things, yet that's not what they are being used for," said Lupe Valdez (D).

[[494666271, C]]

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the candidates were asked what they would do about rates from the Texas Wind Insurance Association.

"We need to appoint people who will actually have the people's and the business' aspect in mind, not just one side. We need to stop appointing people that donate to us, that take care of us, our friends and family -- we need to appoint people to these boards that actually work in that area," said Lupe Valdez (D).

"Small business owners up and down the Coastal Bend, they cannot afford an increase in the TWIA insurance rates, and as governor I'm working to make that TWIA insurance will not be increased," said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

[[494678601, C]]

Valdez was also asked about her overdue property taxes, reported in May, while Abbott chose to address his record as governor.

"I did what the average Texan does. Never was delinquent, but I made it in payments. I made decisions, as all Texans have to do -- 'Do I pay this bill, that bill or do I just extend the payments?' That's exactly what I did, I extended the payments," Valdez said.

"I've always paid my property taxes on time. As a governor, I've ensured the state of Texas pays its bills on time. I've balanced a very conservative budget to make sure that we live within our means, so that Texas will retain the high triple-A rating that we have," Abbott said.

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Both candidates were ask about a potential "bathroom bill" that may come up in the next legislative session and if they would sign it.

"All Texans want to make sure that they and their families are safe. One reason I talk about safety tonight is because I talk about safety everyday. That's the reason that law enforcement agencies across the state have endorsed me, that's because the law enforcement officials know that I am the governor that will work with law enforcement to keep Texans safe," said Abbott.

"We need to stop the fear-mongering in our laws and get down to what really matters to all Texans. To have an equality life, to have an equal and fair opportunity in this state instead of just dealing with people you don't agree with," said Valdez. [[494678571, C]] Both candidates also responded to questions about health insurance across the state and the number of uninsured people.

"Over the past four years the uninsured rate among Texans has dropped 22 percent. The uninsured rate among Texas children has dropped 23 percent," said Abbott.

"We need to accept the Medicaid expansion and we need to invest in rural communities that have become a medical desert," said Valdez.

[[494679011, C]]

The candidates also addressed their stances on the legalization of marijuana.

"Alcohol has no medical benefits, yet it's taxed and fined. We know that medical marijuana has some health benefits. Why can't we tax and fine those also? And as far as recreational marijuana, I think it's up to the people. The people need to decide whether that's going to be in Texas or not," Valdez said.

"I'm still not convinced yet. However, one thing I don't want to see is jails stockpiled with people who have possession of a small amount of marijuana. What I would be open to talking to the legislature about would be reducing the penalty for possession of two ounces or less from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class C misdemeanor," Abbott said.

[[494678581, C]]

Both candidates were also ask about immigration and specifically about the children that were separated from their parents at the border.British-born music publicist Rob Goldstone now believes the infamous meeting he helped arrange between senior Trump campaign officials and a Russian lawyer who promised dirt on Democrats may have been a Russian intelligence set-up, he told NBC News exclusively.

He also agreed that he conveyed a "dirty offer" to the Trump team, and while the dirt "didn't materialize," he believes that's what drew the scrutiny of congressional investigators and special counsel Robert Mueller.

Goldstone had promised Donald Trump Jr. that the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, had information that "would incriminate Hillary [Clinton] and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father." He also emailed that it was "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump."

Goldstone hopes his new book, "Pop Stars, Pageants & Presidents: How an Email Trumped My Life," will provide context for his role in the episode.Months of protests finally paid off Sunday for Disneyland Resort hotel workers.

Disneyland Resort, which includes Disneyland and Disneyland California Adventure theme parks, three hotels and the Downtown Disney District, announced an agreement that will provide a minimum wage increase of 40 percent over the next two years for 2,700 Disneyland Resort hotel workers from Unite Here! 11.

The new minimum wage increase to $15 will take effect in Jan. 2019, as Unite Here! 11 members ratified a new five-year agreement with Disneyland Resort, which the company described as a 40 percent increase over the next two years.

Housekeepers' wages will move to $15.80 immediately, according to Disneyland Resort.

In July, nearly 10,000 workers from Master Services Council separately agreed to a three-year agreement that established a $15 minimum wage, which was also set to take effect in January of 2018.

In addition, Disneyland Resort said that it was undertaking what it described as "major initiatives" to provide employees comprehensive and affordable health care options and free employee skills training and education. The company said it will roll out employee healthcare coverage that offers affordable options for workers, their families and eligible dependents in October.

In addition, Disneyland Resort said that it is also paying increased minimum rates to thousands of hourly non-union workers, though it did not detail the amount of the rate increase for that segment of workers.

"The strides we have made to implement $15 an hour minimum wages will have an immediate and lasting impact on the quality of life of our cast members and their families," Josh D'Amaro, president of the Disneyland Resort, said in a statement. "Additionally, we are very proud to offer our cast peace of mind through affordable healthcare options and free educational opportunities with our groundbreaking new program called Disney Aspire."

"Over the last several months, Disney has found common ground on significant labor contracts, increased wages for union and non-union workers and introduced a comprehensive no-cost education program for hourly cast members that's unlike any we've ever seen," Orange County Business Council President and CEO Lucy Dunn said in the Disneyland Resort statement. "This is not only good for Disney and its cast members, it sets the bar for our entire Orange County community and we applaud their efforts."

The company claims that Disneyland Resort has increased employment numbers by nearly 50 percent over the past decade, adding 10,000 new jobs and bringing its staff total to 30,000 people, which the company describes as "cast members."For Yolanda Gonzalez, creating art is especially personal while painting portraits. She uses her art and talent to connect across cultures and generations.

"It taps into a part of our soul that is sacred and that is very personal," she says.

The daughter of Mexican-American parents, Gonzalez grew up in Southern California and attended San Gabriel Mission High School. It was an art teacher there who recognized Gonzalez's talent and potential. The teacher entered her art into a contest where Gonzalez won first place.

"I was so excited because I don't think I'd ever gotten recognition for anything in my whole life," she said.

It was the first of many honors.

Her art has been exhibited all over the world, and it is sought after by some of the top collectors of Chicano art, including actor Cheech Marin, whose wife Natasha is depicted in the ceramics.

Notably, Gonzalez's portraits of women exude confidence. She also believes people to be powerful, strong and beautiful.

Gonzales also likes to share her creativity and knowledge. She volunteers at the AltaMed Senior Center in Downtown Los Angeles, where she teaches art to a diverse class of senior citizens.

"It's like I'm in another place," art student Josefa Rayrucker says. "It relaxes me a lot."

For Gonzalez, though, the experience is more than simply teaching these seniors about art.

"Not only am I giving them the ability to create and to paint and to express themselves; I feel like I'm also feeding a part of them that needs to be nurtured, loved and cared for," she says.

She says, for her, teaching art is a form of mediation, a way of feeding "the whole energy of creativity" that siphons good feelings into the universe.An Indonesian teenager who survived 49 days adrift at sea after the wooden fish trap he was employed to mind slipped its moorings says he ran out of food within a week and survived on fish and seawater he strained through his clothing.

Aldi Novel Adilang told The Associated Press on Monday that he turned on a lamp every time he sighted another ship and can't remember how many passed by "unaware of my ordeal."

The Indonesian Consulate in Osaka, Japan, says the 18-year-old was rescued by a Panamanian-flagged vessel off Guam on Aug. 31, about 1,200 miles from his original location, and returned to Indonesia with officials earlier this month.

He was employed since age 16 in the one of the world's loneliest jobs: lamp lighter on a rompong  a wooden fishing raft with a hut on top  moored about 125 kilometers (78 miles) off the coast of North Sulawesi.

The coastline is not visible from the fishing rafts and the numerous rompong are miles apart from one another, said Adilang's mother, Met Kahiking. Supplies are dropped off to the light keepers about once a week.

"I was on the raft for one month and 18 days. My food ran out after the first week," said Adilang. When it didn't rain for days, "I had to soak my clothes in the sea, then I squeezed and drank the water."

The teen's father, Alfian Adilang, said the family is overjoyed at his return but angry with his employer.

The rafts are anchored with ropes and Adilang said strong friction caused them to break.

"I thought I will never meet my parents again, so I just prayed every day," he said.

The MV Arpeggio, which rescued Adilang off Guam, contacted the Indonesian mission in Osaka when it docked and officials collected him on Sept. 6, the Osaka consulate said in a statement. He returned to Indonesia on Sept. 8.What to Know The shooting happened at a subdivision in the Pasco County city of Land OLakes, located just north of Tampa.

Kirk Keithley, a deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office, was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The 39-year-old is accused of killing his wife, 33-year-old Samantha Keithley, in an apparent murder-suicide.

A Florida sheriff's deputy fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself while their four children were inside the home, NBC affiliate WFLA-TV reported.

The shooting happened at a subdivision in the Pasco County city of Land OLakes, located just north of Tampa.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said deputies responded to the home around midnight Monday after a teen called 911 to report a shooting.

Once inside, deputies found the body of 33-year-old Samantha Keithley on a couch downstairs. Kirk Keithley, 39, a deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office, was found dead upstairs with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Pasco County Sheriff's office said.

According to WFLA, deputies said the couple had two children together and one child each from a previous relationship. The children were inside the home at the time of the shooting, but Nocco said they did not appear to witness it.

The children's ages were not immediately clear, but Nocco said the oldest child is 14 years old.

Nocco said the deputy did not use his service weapon in the shooting and added that there had been no previous 911 calls to the home.

"Domestic violence is a horrendous act that goes on in every community," Nocco said at an early morning news conference. "The moment that any individual goes from protecting people to harming people loses the right, no matter what agency they're with, to call themselves a law enforcement officer."

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HELP: The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or 800-787-3224 (TTY) provides people in distress, or those around them, with 24-hour support.The Davie Police Department said it helped catch a 10-foot alligator that was being sought.

The alligator was caught Saturday night in the area of Flamingo Road and Orange Drive by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission with the help of the DPD.

Police did not detail why they were looking for the alligator.

Alligator sightings and attacks are not rare. In fact, they're on the rise.

The American alligator, one of the Sunshine State's most ubiquitous reptiles, wasn't always so. At one point, they were hunted to near extinction and placed on the endangered species list until it was taken off in 1987.

Since then, scientists say, gator attacks have been on the rise in Florida  and humans may be to blame, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

According to Inside Science, a science news publication, gator bites in Florida "have been on the rise, increasing from an average of just one every three years between 1988 and 1999 to about seven per year between 2000 and 2016."Maldives strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom conceded that he lost Sunday's election to his challenger, longtime lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, in a speech broadcast live on television Monday.

Speaking in the Maldives' native language, Dhivehi, Gayoom congratulated Solih and said, "I know I have to step down now."

The concession and the results were a surprise to Maldives' opposition, who had feared Yameen would rig the vote in his favor. Since getting elected in 2013, Yameen had cracked down on political dissent, jailing rivals  including his half brother and the Maldives' first democratically elected president  and Supreme Court justices.

The election commission released provisional results earlier Monday showing Solih had won the South Asian island nation's third-ever multiparty presidential election with 58.3 percent of the vote. The commission said voter turnout in the country of 400,000 people was 89.2 percent.

After Solih claimed victory just after midnight on Monday, his supporters flooded the streets, hugging one another, waving the Maldivian flag, cheering and honking horns in celebration.

Solih, 56, was a democracy activist during decades of autocratic rule and a former Parliament majority leader. He became the Maldivian Democratic Party's presidential candidate after its other top figures were jailed or exiled by Yameen's government.

Party leader and former President Mohamed Nasheed, in exile in Sri Lanka, had hoped to run again but was disqualified because of an outstanding prison sentence in the Maldives.

India and China, jostling for influence in the Indian Ocean, had been watching the election closely.

India's foreign ministry issued a statement Monday saying it looked forward to working with Solih's new government "in further deepening our relationship."

The Maldives' economy, historically tied to its famed luxury tourism sector, grew under Yameen, in part due to aid and investment from China. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday, a public holiday.

Solih campaigned door to door, speaking at rallies about human rights and the rule of law, a message that resonated with voters who saw signs the Maldives was slipping back to autocratic rule, just a decade after achieving democracy.

Ahamed Fiasal, a 39-year-old IT business owner who voted for Solih, said the election result was surprising because "no one thought that Yameen would lose like this. He had all the power  the judiciary, the police, the security forces under him. It seemed he might rig the election even at the last minute and would win somehow or the other."

In his victory speech, Solih called the election results "a moment of happiness, hope and history," but said he did not think the election process had been transparent.

A police raid on Solih's main campaign office the night before the election was seen as a worrying sign that Yameen would attempt to "muzzle his way" to re-election, according to Hamid Abdul Gafoor, an opposition spokesman and former Maldives lawmaker now based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The European Union had said that it was not sending election observers because the Maldives had failed to meet the basic conditions for monitoring. The U.S. had threatened to sanction Maldivian officials if the elections were not free and fair.

The State Department congratulated the people of the Maldives for having a peaceful, democratic vote. A statement from spokeswoman Heather Nauert noted the reported opposition victory and urged "calm and respect for the will of the people" as the election process was being concluded.China imposed new tariff hikes on U.S. goods on Monday and accused Washington of bullying, giving no sign of compromise in an intensifying battle over technology that is weighing on global economic growth.

The General Administration of Customs said it started collecting additional taxes of 5 and 10 percent on a $60 billion list of 5,207 American goods from honey to industrial chemicals at noon. That coincided with the time for President Donald Trump's planned tariff hike on $200 billion of Chinese imports to take effect, though there was no immediate U.S. government confirmation it was collecting the higher charges.

The conflict stems from U.S. complaints Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.

American officials say Chinese plans for state-led development of global competitors in robotics and other technologies violate its market-opening obligations and might erode U.S. industrial leadership.

Communist leaders offered to narrow their politically sensitive, multibillion-dollar trade surplus with the United States by purchasing more natural gas and other American exports. But they have rejected pressure to change industry plans they see as a path to prosperity and global influence.

Monday's tariff hike follows a report by The Wall Street Journal that Chinese officials pulled out of a meeting to discuss possible talks proposed by Washington. The Chinese government had given no public indication whether it would accept the invitation.

Envoys last met Aug. 22 in Washington but reported no progress.

With no settlement in sight, forecasters say the conflict between the two biggest economies could trim global economic growth through 2020.

On Monday, the ratings agency Fitch cut its forecasts for next year's Chinese and global economic growth by 0.1 percentage points to 6.1 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively.

"The trade war is now a reality," said Fitch's chief economist, Brian Coulton, in a report. "The downside risks to our global growth forecasts have also increased."

Earlier, the two sides imposed 25 percent penalties on $34 billion of each other's goods in July and another $16 billion in August. Business groups say American companies also report Chinese regulators are starting to disrupt their operations through slower customs clearance and more environmental and other inspections.

The first round of American tariffs targeted goods Washington said benefit from improper Chinese industrial policies. American regulators tried to limit the impact on the public by focusing on industrial machinery and components, but the latest $200 billion list of imports includes bicycles, wooden furniture and other consumer goods.

Chinese regulators have tried to cushion the blow on their own economy by targeting American goods such as soybeans, natural gas, fruit, whisky and automobiles that are available from Europe, Latin America and other Asian countries.

Trump threatened last week to add an additional $267 billion in Chinese imports to the target list if Beijing retaliated for the latest U.S. taxes. That would cover nearly everything China sells to the United States.

Also Monday, the Chinese government accused the Trump administration in a report of "trade bullyism" and of preaching "economic hegemony."

The toughly worded report said Beijing wants a "reasonable solution" but gave no indication of possible concessions.

It affirmed China's stance that it is a developing country, a claim that rankles Washington, Europe and other trading partners.

They point to China's status as a major manufacturer and a growing competitor in smartphones and other technology. They say Beijing is no longer entitled to concessions it was granted when it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, such as the right to limit access to its finance, energy and other markets.

Chinese leaders have tried without success to recruit German, France, South Korea and other trading partners as allies against Washington. They criticize Trump's tactics but echo U.S. complaints about Chinese market barriers and industry plans.

The Trump administration has "has brazenly preached unilateralism, protectionism and economic hegemony, making false accusations against many countries and regions, particularly China, intimidating other countries through economic measures such as imposing tariffs, and attempting to impose its own interests on China through extreme pressure," said the official Xinhua News Agency.

The American Chamber of Commerce in China warned last week Washington was underestimating Beijing's determination. It said a "downward spiral" seemed certain.

Chinese leaders have announced changes this year including tariff cuts and plans to end ownership limits in their auto industry. But businesspeople who have met senior planners say they express no willingness even to discuss changes to technology development plans.

As the fight intensifies, China is running out of U.S. imports for retaliation.

Imports of American goods last year totaled $153.9 billion while the United States bought Chinese goods worth $429.8 billion, according to Chinese customs data. Monday's increase leaves Beijing with about $40 billion of goods for penalties while the Washington has almost $200 billion.What to Know The former president of SUNY Upstate Medical University pleaded guilty to abusing his position by illegally increasing his pay

NY Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced Monday that David R. Smith entered a guilty plea to three counts of official misconduct

Smith faces three years probation and must pay more than $250,000 in restitution and fines

The former president of SUNY Upstate Medical University pleaded guilty to abusing his position by using several methods to illegally increase his pay.

New York Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood announced Monday that David R. Smith entered a guilty plea to three counts of official misconduct and must pay more than $250,000 in restitution and fines.

David Smith brazenly abused his position and exploited those he served in order to line his own pockets  and now hes facing the consequences, Underwood said.

According to prosecutors, a joint investigation by the attorney generals office and inspector generals office revealed that Smiths initial salary was negotiated by the then SUNY Chancellor and was subsequently approved by the SUNY Board of Trustees. Allegedly, Smith knew he had to obtain approval from the SUNY Chancellor before receiving raises or increases in his compensation.

Prosecutors say that Smith abused his authority as president of SUNY Upstate to increase his pay without authorization, using several methods, including directing a subordinate to approve an unauthorized raise in the amount of about $28,450 in 2007.

Smith allegedly received the proceeds from that raise through the date of his resignation, totaling approximately $189,412 in additional salary he would not have otherwise earned.

Smith also submitted, approved, collected and received unauthorized reimbursements for housing expenses that exceeded his authorized $5,000 per month housing allowance by submitting receipts and credit card statements for reimbursements he was not entitled to, prosecutors say.

Additionally, Smith allegedly directed and oversaw the creation of an unauthorized deferred compensation plan to benefit himself and others without the authorization or knowledge of the SUNY Chancellor.

Once a top executive at a premier medical school and now a convicted criminal, this defendant shamelessly corrupted his position of trust and exploited the universitys lax oversight for an extraordinary theft. Dr. Smith improperly manipulated and siphoned from numerous funding streams under his control, Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott said.

As part of his plea deal, Smith must pay $247,419.95 in restitution and $3,000 in fines. Smith will also be sentenced to three years probation on Dec. 10.

According to prosecutors, if Smith fails to adhere to the terms of his plea deal, he could face up to three years in prison.More than a week ago, pastor Willie Lowrimore and some of his congregants stacked sandbags around their South Carolina church to protect it from the fury of Hurricane Florence.

They moved the pews to higher ground and watched anxiously for days as the nearly black, reeking water from the swollen Waccamaw River rose, even though the hurricane was long gone. Finally, before dawn Monday, the water seeped around and over the sandbags, flooding the sanctuary.

"I'm going to go one day at a time," Lowrimore said as he sat in a rocking chair listening to the river rush by, ruining the church he built almost 20 years ago. "Put it in the Lord's hands. My hands aren't big enough."

Ten days after Florence came ashore, the storm caused fresh chaos Monday in Yauhannah and elsewhere across South Carolina, where rivers kept rising and thousands more people were told to be ready to evacuate.

Authorities urged up to 8,000 people in Georgetown County, on the South Carolina coast, to be prepared to flee from potential flood zones. A "record event" of up to 10 feet (3 meters) of flooding was expected to begin Tuesday near parts of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers, county spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

Places along the waterfront in Georgetown were predicted to flood for the first time since record keeping began before the American Revolution.

"We are still getting phone calls from people who don't know what is going on," said Georgetown County Emergency Management Director Sam Hodge.

In North Carolina, where Florence made landfall, Gov. Roy Cooper said the state was moving from an emergency response mode to full-time recovery from the storm.

"Florence is gone, but the storm's devastation is still with us," Cooper said at a news conference.

About 400 roads across the state remained closed due to the storm that has claimed at least 46 lives since slamming into the coast Sept. 14.

But there was some good news: Interstate 95 was reopened to all traffic Sunday night for the first time since the floods, and Cooper announced Monday that a previously closed portion of Interstate 40 had reopened sooner than expected.

Power outages and the number of people in shelters were also declining. Around 5,000 people were without power, down from a peak of about 800,000. About 2,200 people were in shelters, compared with a high of around 20,000, the governor said.

On Monday, Republican education leaders in North Carolina announced planned legislation to assure teachers at still-shuttered schools they will get paid without using vacation time. The proposal was part of broader disaster funding that the General Assembly will consider in an anticipated special session.

The full impact of Hurricane Florence on North Carolina's public high schools and grade schools was still unclear.

North Carolina Public Schools spokesman Drew Elliot said the unofficial estimate was that 1.2 million of more than 1.5 million public school students in the state missed classes because of the storm. Officials sent a survey to schools to get a better sense of Florence's full effect and hope to have better data by the end of the week, Elliot said.

In Washington, lawmakers considered almost $1.7 billion in new money for disaster relief and recovery, even as they face a deadline this week to fund the government before the Oct. 1 start of the new budget year.

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said the money would be available as grants to states to help rebuild housing and public works and to assist businesses. GOP Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey called it "a first round" and said lawmakers were ready to act quickly if the federal disaster relief agency also needs more money.

The economic research firm Moody's Analytics estimated that Florence has caused around $44 billion in damage and lost output, which would make it one of the 10 costliest U.S. hurricanes. The worst disaster, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, cost $192.2 billion in today's dollars. Last year's Hurricane Harvey cost $133.5 billion.

Associated Press writers Gary D. Robertson, Alex Derosier, Meg Kinnard, Sarah Rankin and Sarah Brumfield contributed to this report.What to Know NBC News worked to confirm multiple reports that Rosenstein was being fired or resigning, but sources provided contradictory claims

In a radio interview that aired Monday morning, Trump appeared to be mulling Rosenstein's future, but wouldn't comment on it

Rosenstein has prepared for being fired before: he told at least one confidant in April that he was ready, NBC News reported at the time

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will meet on Thursday with President Donald Trump, the White House said Monday, amid conflicting reports about Rosenstein's fate in the administration.

Trump has been weighing whether to fire him, and a report that Rosenstein, who has been overseeing the special counsel's Russia investigation, was resigning set off hours of speculation in media reports. But press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders' statement on the Thursday meeting appeared to demonstrate that Rosenstein would remain secure in his role for at least a few days.

Sanders indicated that Rosenstein, who was at the White House for hours Monday, talked to Trump Monday. The president is in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly.

"At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories," Sanders said. "Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C."

NBC News worked to confirm multiple reports that Rosenstein was being fired or resigning. Sources close to Rosenstein and the president offered contradictory claims about the deputy attorney general's position in the administration.

After being at the White House for several hours, Rosenstein joined a previously scheduled meeting with high-level White House officials, a Justice Department official told NBC News. As Rosenstein departed the White House, chief of staff John Kelly was seen shaking his hand.

Later, Trump addressed the Thursday meeting, saying: Well be determining whats going on. We want to have transparency, we want to have openness.

It remains unclear if Rosenstein ever intended to resign, or if the White House contemplated firing him. He discussed his future in the administration with the top White House lawyer over the weekend, sources said. Several people familiar with the discussion told NBC News that Rosenstein contemplated resigning but others were determined to stay in the job unless Trump fired him directly.

The reports of Rosenstein's departure brought uproar from some Democrats in Washington.

"This looks to me like a slow-moving Saturday night massacre," Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said on MSNBC, referring to the Saturday in 1973 when President Richard Nixon's deputy attorney general quit rather than fire the Watergate special prosecutor.

Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said that Rosenstein "should under no circumstances resign."

In a radio interview that aired Monday morning, Trump was asked about Rosenstein's future in light of a recent report that Rosenstein had talked about a way to remove Trump from office. Trump said that he didn't want to comment on it until he got more facts.

"But certainly it's being looked at in terms of what took place, if anything took place," Trump told Geraldo Rivera in an interview taped over the weekend.

But multiple sources told NBC News that Trump decided over the weekend not to fire Rosenstein after consulting with staff and outside allies, including Fox News host Sean Hannity and influential Republican Rep. Mark Meadows.

Meadows wants Rosenstein to testify under oath about whether or not he ever thought about wearing a wire durign meetings with Trump or invoking the 25th Amendment, which provides a process for replacing the president if he or she is unable to fulfill their duties, as The New York Times reported last week. A Justice Department official and a source in the room countered the Times report to NBC News, saying that Rosenstein's discussion about wearing a wire was sarcastic.

The situation among Trump's allies is "chaos," according to an NBC News source who is close to the White House.

Rosenstein's ouster would throw the future of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election into doubt. Special counsel Robert Mueller has reported to Rosenstein because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation.

The Times reported that Rosenstein made the suggestions to record Trump and invoke the 25th Amendment in the spring of 2017, after the president had fired James Comey, the FBI director. The suggestions also reportedly came after it was revealed the president had asked Comey to end an investigation into Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security advisor, the Times reported.

Rosenstein had written a memo that was used to justify the president's firing of Comey by criticizing his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. Rosenstein was afraid he had been used, according to the Times. That report cited people briefed on meetings and conversations or on memos documenting Rosenstein's actions written by FBI officials, including Andrew McCabe, the former acting FBI chief who also was fired, nearly a year after Comey.

McCabe said in a statement Monday that he "had no role" in providing information to media organizations about the aftermath of Comey's firing. He also said he personally made sacrifices to protect Mueller's investigation.

"If the rumors of Deputy AG's Rosenstein's departure are true, I am deeply concerned that it puts that investigation at risk," McCabe said.

Trump has long mulled firing Rosenstein, angry that the deputy attorney general appointed Mueller, whose probe Trump frequently calls a "witch hunt." Rosenstein took over the probe after Sessions recused himself in March 2017 over his earlier interactions with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

It's not clear who would take over the Russia probe if Rosenstein resigned or were fired. The next Justice Department official in line to perform the duties of the attorney general is Noel Francisco, the solicitor general.

Rosenstein told at least one confidant in April that he was prepared to be fired then and confident that he had done his job with integrity, NBC News reported at the time. Trump had been criticizing him publicly and was considering terminating him.

In private conversations, Rosenstein repeated the phrase, "Here I stand," referring to Christian reformer Martin Luther's quote, "Here I stand, I can do no other," sources who spoke to Rosenstein told NBC News.

In May, Rosenstein fired back against news reports that articles of impeachment against him were reportedly being drafted by Republican members of the House in a dispute over documents in the Russia probe.

"I can tell you there have been people who have been making threats privately and publicly against me for quite some time, and I think they should understand by now, the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted," he said in response to a question.What to Know A man sentenced for an armed robbery at a local CVS is now charged with robbing and assaulting women outside Delaware apartment buildings.

Kwesi Hudson, 47, of Wilmington, Delaware, was sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison after robbing a CVS store in Media.

He's now charged in connection to at least three incidents in which he allegedly kidnapped and assaulted women outside apartments.

A man currently serving jail time for robbing a Delaware County CVS store and barricading himself inside is now accused of kidnapping, robbing and sexually assaulting victims at apartment complexes in Delaware last year.

Kwesi Hudson, 47, of Wilmington, Delaware, was arrested back on May 24, 2017, after he tried to rob a CVS store on East Baltimore Pike in Media, Pennsylvania.

After holding two employees at gunpoint and stealing an undisclosed amount of money, Hudson fled into a storage room near the rear of the store. After a standoff, Hudson surrendered to police and was taken into custody.

In August, Hudson was sentenced to a minimum of 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to robbery and false imprisonment.

On Monday, police announced Hudson was also charged in connection to a series of armed kidnappings, robberies and a sexual assault at apartment complexes in Delaware.

Police say Hudson approached a woman at gunpoint outside Arundel Apartments in Wilmington back on Feb. 19, 2017.

Hudson allegedly forced the woman into her apartment where he demanded money and physically and sexually assaulted her.

Hudson then forced the woman outside and into her vehicle where he drove her to several ATMS in the Pike Creek area, police said. He then forced her to withdraw an undisclosed amount of money from the ATMS before the woman escaped, according to investigators.

Hudson also allegedly kidnapped and assaulted another woman at the Top of the Hill Apartments community in Wilmington on Feb. 13, 2017.

Hudson targeted a third woman at Bluffs Apartments in Newark, Delaware, back on March 6, 2017, police said. Hudson allegedly approached the woman at gunpoint, demanded money and forced her to her apartment. He then fled after the woman hit her door buzzer with her elbow and her boyfriend answered, investigators said.

Hudson was living at his mothers apartment in Claymont, Delaware, at the time of the incidents.

Police did not reveal how they linked Hudson to the earlier crimes. Hell eventually go to trial on the new charges from Delaware.What to Know A shooting outside Philadelphia's Central High School Monday morning left a 17-year-old girl with a gunshot wound to her shoulder.

Central High, Girls' High and Widener Memorial School were temporarily placed on lockdown, police said.

Police say the girl was not the target, but caught in the crossfire of at least two shooters.

A teenage student on her way to school darted inside Philadelphias iconic Central High School after being caught in the crossfire of a nearby shooting Monday morning.

The 17-year-old girl ducked into Central High after the shooting at Kemble Park, which is across the street from the school on the 1600 block of West Olney Avenue, around 8:15 a.m., Philadelphia police said.

The girl, who attends Central, was rushed to nearby Einstein Medical Center in stable condition to be treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to her right shoulder, police said.

She appeared to have been caught in the crossfire when two people fired at least five shots at each other or another person in the nearby park, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said.

Central and nearby Philadelphia High School for Girls and Widener Memorial School were placed on lockdown after the shooting. The lockdowns were lifted around 9:15 a.m.

"It's a horrible thing when a student can't even walk to school without sustaining a gunshot wound, it's one of the worst nightmares," Ross said. "Thankfully she's going to be OK, save for the fact that, obviously, she's traumatized."

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross says a girl was shot after being caught in the crossfire of a gun battle as she headed to Central High School Monday morning. She is expected to be OK physically, but Ross questions what being shot could do the her mentally.

Central's principal heard the gunshots, Ross said. Some bullets struck homes across the street from the park.

A robo call was sent out to parents to alert them to the incident and a letter would be sent home with Central students, the school district said.

Police continued to search for clues in the gun battle through Monday morning.

An extra police presence greeted students outside the school Tuesday.

A 17-year-old Central High School student was struck by a stray bullet while walking to school Monday. On Tuesday, more police could be seen in the area of the Philadelphia school as they looked to keep students safe from violence in the surrounding neighborhood.Minnesota state Rep. Jim Knoblach abruptly ended his re-election campaign Friday amid allegations of inappropriate touching from his adult daughter.

Minnesota Public Radio reported the announcement came hours after the St. Cloud Republican's attorney, Susan Gaertner, denied the allegations in an interview with the station. She said the veteran lawmaker "does not want to drag his family through six weeks of hell."

Knoblach's 23-year-old daughter, Laura, told MPR that he inappropriately touched her for most of her life, with her first memories starting when she was 9 years old and continuing until she was 21. She said the activity included kissing, licking and biting her ears. She said she confided in close friends, family and authority figures at her school and church about his actions for more than a decade.

In a written statement, Jim Knoblach called the allegations "indescribably hurtful" and said he felt he had no other choice but to drop out of the race so he could work toward healing his family.

"I love my children more than anything, and would never do anything to hurt them. Her allegations are false," Knoblach wrote. "I and other family members have made repeated attempts to reconcile with her in recent years, but she has refused."

Knoblach, 60, is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over budget matters. The timing of his exit could make his seat, already a top target for Democrats, difficult for Republicans to hold absent some kind of court intervention or a write-in campaign by a substitute candidate. Dan Wolgamott of St. Cloud is the Democratic candidate.

House Speaker Kurt Daudt, who's trying to preserve what he can of the GOP's current 21-seat majority in the House, said in a statement that he supported Knoblach's decision.

The St. Cloud Police Department and Sherburne County sheriff's office began an investigation last year but declined to file charges. After exhausting other means, Laura Knoblach made the allegations to MPR on the record and supplied extensive documentation about her attempts to get help. The documentation included a letter from the Sherburne County attorney's office saying there was "insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Jim Knoblach had committed a crime."

Laura Knoblach told MPR she first remembers her father coming into her room after she'd gone to bed. She said he climbed in and laid down behind her.

"He would put his arm around me and not let me get up or get away and he would lick my neck or bite my ear," she told the station.

These visits to her room, or similar kissing across her arms and neck and biting her ears while they watched movies on the couch, happened so often throughout her childhood and teenage years it became a defining part of their relationship, she said.

Other routine behaviors, she said, including more than 30 instances where her father approached her from behind and pressed his body against hers in the kitchen, pinning her against the refrigerator or dishwasher and using his weight and strength to keep her from getting away.

Jim Knoblach said in his statement that he wasn't willing to spend six weeks fighting with his daughter in the media.

"Our daughter has been estranged from our family for some time," he said. "In late 2016 she made some extremely hurtful and untrue accusations on a Facebook post, which was briefly put up and then taken down. These accusations were fully investigated by Sherburne County, dismissed, and the case closed in April 2017."A San Diego woman learned heartbreaking news while living abroad that left her stranded, and now her family is trying to raise enough money to bring her home.

Five tumors were found on Kristen Dineens brain during a chance CT scan on September 19, according to her family.

Kristen was living in Bali, a province of Indonesia, and her oncologist said it would be best for her to return home.

The largest mass was nearly two inches in length, and it was pressing onto the front of her skull, the family said.

However, because of her brain tumors, she wasnt allowed to take a commercial flight back to America due to the pressure of the masses, according to the family.

In order to fly home safely, Kristen would need a private medical evacuation.

Due to complications, Kristen was airlifted from Bali to Singapore on the Saturday after her diagnosis. This added significant cost and delay to her familys plan to bring her home.

A representative from AeroCare, an air ambulance service, spoke with NBC 7 about these evacuations and what would be needed for a trip like Kristens.

A basic flight from Bali to America was estimated to cost $180,000. With AeroCares largest plane, Gulf Stream IV, the trip would cost more than $350,000, the representative said.

The medical aircrafts can only travel a few thousand miles at a time, according to AeroCare's website. The distance from Bali to San Diego is almost 9,000 miles.

Kristens trip would include a few stops and international fees. Each takeoff and landing can negatively affect a patient, so crews try to limit as many as possible, AeroCare said.

The medical planes are pressurized to be around sea level inside the cabin.

They would also only fly at around 25,000 feet to keep as little change as possible for Kristen, according to AeroCare. A typical commercial flight cruises anywhere from 30,000 and 40,000 feet.

Usually, when a U.S. citizen is flown to America from another country, a U.S.-based aircraft will perform the entire trip, said the representative. So, scheduling the flight may take extra time.

While most evacuations can be planned within a day, a trip like Kristens may take up to four days, according to AeroCare.

Kristens family hosted a fundraiser Monday at Mas Fina Cantina in Carlsbad from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. to afford the medical evacuations. Hundreds were expected to attend.

They also created a GoFundMe campaign.

Within three days, the family raised nearly $130,000, 87 percent of their goal.

Her dad flew out to meet her Monday, while her mother and sister hosted the fundraiser in Carlsbad, her sister, Jenn, told NBC 7.

The GoFundMe page was shared thousands of times on Facebook and has dozens of supportive comments.

Kristen was diagnosed with and beat Melanoma in her early twenties, the campaign page said.Some 50 supporters of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford rallied outside the Federal courthouse downtown San Diego on Sunday to denounced Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The premise for the rally was political  supporting a woman's claim of sexual assault during hearings for a Supreme Court nominee.

But it became bigger than politics.

Many came out to share their own stories of sexual assaults hoping that women in the future would not suffer the same fate.

They called on Senators not to appoint Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. They said they believe Ford's account, accusing the nominee of sexual assault.

As the chanting subsided women stepped up to share their stories of assault and why they did or did not report.

For some, it was very difficult.

I've never shared a story until today, Terri Leyton said. "I was up early practicing in the mirror with tears in my eyes, reliving my sexual assault. It just makes me crazy that we have to do this in public to be treated equally in the United States of America.

They also shared why they didn't report the incidents.

I had my own story that I didn't report, Wendy Batterson said.  And I'm still not ready to talk about it and it's been over 30 years.

One woman, however, said she's coming forward for her daughter. She doesn't want the next generation to have to go through the difficulties of reporting sexual assault.

I did come forward about a sexual assault as a high school student, at La Jolla High School and that's now in the media, Loxie Grant said. It took me 13 years to get that man out of the classroom. And I fought every day and I'm still fighting for transparency in the school district.

Victims say they hope people who report these incidents will not be harassed, ridiculed or ignored in the future.

Demonstrators said they will be closely watching the hearings in Congress this Thursday.What to Know Hawaii's Kilauea volcano began erupting in May and destroyed hundreds of homes around the Volcanoes National Park

The park had been closed for more than four months as the volcano spewed lava

Visitors can now hike around some parts of the summit area and see the aftermath of the historic eruption

A national park in Hawaii has reopened after being closed for more than four months because of Kilauea volcano's latest eruption, which caused widespread damage to park infrastructure and dramatically changed its landscape.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park officials said there were no lines or waiting for visitors to catch a glimpse of the volcano that made headlines across the world when it began erupting in May. Admission is free Saturday.

The eruption destroyed hundreds of homes outside the park while changing the popular summit crater inside the park.

The national park  normally the state's most-visited tourist attraction  had been closed for 135 days as volcanic activity caused explosive eruptions, earthquakes and the collapse of the famed Halemaumau crater. Ash clouds shot skyward from the summit crater and blanketed the region in volcanic debris.

Kilauea has been active for decades. But the eruption that began in May has transformed both the park and the rural Big Island coastline that surrounds it.

Outside the park, lava flows consumed entire neighborhoods, filled an ocean bay and created miles of new shoreline with fresh black sand beaches and jagged rocky outcrops. Inside the park, molten rock drained from the summit lava lake and vanished from view as the landscape underwent a monumental change.

The summit crater floor sunk 1,500 feet (460 meters), and the overall Kilauea caldera widened  expanding more than 1 square mile, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It quadrupled in size as lava drained out of the active vent.

"This eruption was really unprecedented in the historic record," Ingrid Johanson, a research geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "The changes we've seen at the summit are much more dramatic than anything that's happened in the last 200 years."

The crater looks "completely different," Johanson said. "I think people are going to be really awestruck when they see it."

However, one of the park's biggest draws  the radiant red light from the lava lake that has been a Kilauea hallmark for over a decade  is completely gone.

"There is no glow at all," said Shanelle Saunders, the park's acting spokeswoman. "You can't even see your hand in front your face it's so dark in a lot of these areas. I mean, the stars right now are incredible, but there's actually no flowing lava."

The park will be open 24 hours a day, but visitors should be careful at night because of new cracks in trails and walkways. "Even if people are really familiar with those trails, they may have changed since they've been here," Saunders said.

Public access to the volcano remains limited because of damage to its infrastructure. But visitors can once again hike around some parts of the summit area and see the aftermath of the historic eruption.

"The crater rim trail is open to a certain point," Saunders said. "And from there, they can see down into the crater itself."

The theme of this year's National Public Lands Day is "resilience and restoration," said Hawaii Volcanoes National Park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane, who noted that park repair work had been pointing toward a late-September reopening.

"We really wanted to invite visitors back without them having to pay on that first day," Ferracane said. "The theme was so uncanny that we thought it would be a real good fit."

While volcanic activity has slowed significantly in the past month and no lava is reaching the surface at Kilauea, scientists aren't ready to declare the latest eruption over.

"There is still material that could feed into an eruption," Johanson said. "I definitely expect that lava will return one day."At the end of the 1991 movie "Thelma & Louise," the two leading ladies  fugitives cornered by authorities in the Grand Canyon  decide against surrendering and instead drive off a cliff.

One of cinema's most iconic endings wasn't filmed in the national park in Arizona, but not for lack of trying.

"We didn't want to encourage people coming into the canyon doing what was done in the movie, so we declined it," said Maureen Oltrogge, a longtime spokeswoman for the national park who retired in 2014.

Nevertheless, Oltrogge said at least two people took their own lives by driving over the rim of the Grand Canyon after the movie was released, thinking it was filmed there.

The landscape in and around one of the world's seven natural wonders has a long history of stunts being staged  or turned down. An acrobat, a magician and overall daredevils are among those who have approached Grand Canyon National Park over the years with visions of a made-for-TV moment.

The latest planned feat will be Tuesday when actor Will Smith celebrates his 50th birthday by bungee jumping from a helicopter. While it's been billed as a leap "in the heart of the Grand Canyon," it actually will take place over a smaller gorge on the Navajo Nation, a tribe whose reservation borders the east rim of the national park.

Getting permission to film or stage something in the Grand Canyon means meeting a lot of criteria. Among the outrageous proposals the park has declined was in the 1990s, when now-deceased artist Ron Nicolino collected thousands of bras that he wanted to string across the Grand Canyon. The park said no.

Grand Canyon spokeswoman Kari Cobb said Smith did not approach the park for the bungee jump, but it wouldn't be allowed anyway. She said the park is responsible for protecting its assets.

"It's everything relating to safety, impacts to visitors and impacts to the resources," she said.

Oltrogge said other filming projects were turned down because of their size, the impact to tourism and because they didn't align with the park's educational values. The park also has rejected requests for ride-along criminal justice programs, and to launch jet engines from rim to rim.

Todd Berger, author of "It Happened at Grand Canyon," says the earliest-known publicized stunt he can recall from his research of the Grand Canyon was an airplane landing near Plateau Point in the early 1920s. Ellsworth Kolb and a swashbuckling pilot took off from the plateau below the South Rim and "spiraled" up and out of the canyon in front of large crowds and cameras.

The Grand Canyon is alluring for promotional purpose because it's "world-famous, spectacular and scary to most people," Berger said in an email.

In 1999 and 2011, Robbie Knievel, the son of stunt performer Evel Knievel, and Swiss aviator Yves Rossy, respectively, approached Grand Canyon National Park with requests to jump part of the canyon and soar over it in a jet suit.

After being rejected, both men went to the Hualapai Tribe, whose reservation stretches 100 miles (160 kilometers) along the Grand Canyon's west rim. The tribe agreed, and both successfully completed their feats.

The Hualapai also allowed illusionist Criss Angel in 2010 to be shackled and locked inside a crate that was suspended over the edge of the Grand Canyon.

The tribe is best-known for its Grand Canyon Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that juts over the canyon overlooking the Colorado River. The tribe's Grand Canyon Resort Corp. said any event must be respectful of Hualapai culture and consistent with its brand.

"Our Tribal Council would need to approve any proposal, and that's a high bar," CEO Colin McBeath said in a statement. "We want to protect the canyon and the businesses we have worked so hard to establish and grow."

Robert Bravo Jr., a tribal member who has served as the corporation's chief executive and as a member of its board, said the stunts had been a way to showcase to the tribe to the world. Special permission for filming and photos also is needed.

"They were necessary to really promote what we have and who we are," he said. "But now that we're on the map, it's not as much of a necessity."

One request the Hualapai declined was when aerial artist Nik Wallenda wanted to walk a tightrope over the canyon in 2013. Bravo said it was too risky.

"The canyon is very sacred and very spiritual to the Hualapai people, and God forbid something happen to him while he's out there," he said.

Wallenda ended up getting permission from the Navajo Nation to walk a 5-centimeter-thick steel cable 1,476 feet (450 meters) over the Little Colorado River gorge, just east of Grand Canyon National Park. The roughly 22-minute act was broadcast live on the Discovery Channel.

That is where Smith will be making his big leap.

Navajo Nation spokesman Mihio Manus said any stunt or filming project in the tribe's Little Colorado River park requires a special permit. Applicants outline their plans and fill out paperwork. If a department manager approves, they talk about the scope of the event and location. Environmental and wildlife officials also weigh in before a permit can be issued and a fee assessed.

Manus declined to comment on Smith's jump.

The "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" actor teamed up with charity website Omaze to make his bungee jump a fundraiser. The site launched a lottery for a fan to be chosen to witness the jump and meet Smith. Attempts to reach Smith were unsuccessful.After finishing graduate school in California and landing her first job in the nations capital, Alissa had a plan: Find an apartment before she moved across the country.

So she did what thousands of renters do in the hunt for the perfect home: She searched online, where she found a one bedroom in Mount Vernon Triangle for $1,600 a month. After researching the man who said he was managing the property  Barak Sky, a Bethesda Realtor with a five-star reputation  she wired him $3,200 in July to secure the apartment.

Theres just one problem: It wasnt really him.

Alissa, who asked News4 not to use her last name, is among the latest victims of ever-evolving online rental schemes  a problem that recently prompted the District of Columbias attorney general to issue a new warning to potential renters before they lose money.

Its gone forever, Alissa said of the funds she wired to apparent scammers. If I didnt have the family support that I do, I dont know what I would do right now. 

The real Barak Sky says fraudsters have been impersonating him online to bilk would-be renters out of thousands of dollars. A News4 I-Team investigation found the schemes are so elaborate, they even include fake documents purportedly from the D.C. Housing Authority in an attempt to steal money from unwitting consumers.

Sky, who specializes in high-end sales  not rentals  said the majority of people who contact him about the fake listings typically find them on Craigslist. The scheme takes many forms, but most often, scammers steal pictures from a past real estate sale and instead call it a rental, with a price just below market rate. In other cases, they may copy a Realtor or broker's rental listing and sub in their own contact information.

Sky said, in his case, the scammers use email addresses which include his name and even text his photo to potential renters to try to persuade them with his credentials.

"I'm sure if they're using my information, they probably have 10 other people they're doing this to," he said, adding, "Scammers are getting so savvy. So savvy."

Several would-be renters told News4 the fake agent would come up with excuses for why they couldnt see the property in person before moving in, while urging them to secure the rental with a deposit.

The scammer said the same to the I-Team, which inquired about a one bedroom in Dupont Circle posted by the fake Barak Sky. The I-Team also received an email from barak_sky@aol.com with details on how to save even more money by paying several months of rent in advance.

The scammer also sent a fake lease but with a real routing and bank account number for wiring payments.

The News4 I-Team tracked down the owner of that condo, Joe Bircher, who said the unit is definitely not up for rent, adding that scammers have repeatedly used pictures from his 2017 sale to perpetuate the fraud on Craigslist.

"I dont know what you really can do because when you flag it, it seems to go right back up, he said.

Craigslist did not respond to a request for comment.

Hard to Track

More than 5.2 million U.S. renters say they've lost money to rental fraud, according to a July report from the website ApartmentList. One in three said they lost more than $1,000. Young renters are more likely to be victims of rental fraud, according to the report.

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine says his office has seen an uptick in complaints, but the real number of victims is unknown because people who are the victim of fraud are ashamed by it and keep it to themselves."

This type of cybercrime is notoriously difficult to track because police often tell the victims to report the crime in the city where they live  not where theyre moving to, and scammers routinely change bank accounts and contact information before authorities can find them. Several people told the News4 I-Team that, after reporting crimes to police, authorities did not take the complaint seriously or indicated it's rare to recoup the lost funds.

In one instance, a woman interviewed by News4 said she wired $4,700 to a man she believed was Barak Sky. Her bank later traced the funds to the United Bank for Africa in Nigeria.

Racine encourages people to report the crimes but acknowledged, The reality is that tracking the ultimate source when we get into the international organizations is incredibly difficult.

Renters should use a credit card, which offers more protection, and never wire money to secure a rental unit, he advised.

Once that wire is sent, your money is gone, Racine said.

Alissa, who has since found an apartment, said D.C. transplants like her are especially vulnerable because they are often unable to see a property before moving to the District. In her case, she wired money to two different people, believing the deposits were refundable, before realizing she had been duped.

"It's a blow to your pride because everybody wants to think they're smart enough not to get scammed," she said. "I was finishing up graduate school and got scammed twice. It's not just stupid people  I hope."

She and others interviewed by News4 said, after sending money to the fake Barak Sky, the scammer tried to get them to send even more money using far-fetched and fraudulent advisories from the D.C. Housing Authority.

Emails show the scammers impersonated various Housing Authority executives citing "a change in policy" which suddenly required long-term leases be paid in full, up front. None of the victims interviewed by News4 complied with that request.

In a statement to the I-Team, the D.C. Housing Authority called the scheme deplorable and stressed DCHA never requires its customers to pay anything when securing a new unit. Its now working with local and federal authorities to stop this scam from spreading and encouraged people who encounter this type of fraud to report it to police.

Rental fraud red flags:

The property manager will not allow you to see the property before paying money or pressures you to "secure" the unit with a deposit before seeing it.

The property manager asks you to wire money  something experts agree is a warning sign.

The listing has a watermark, such as MRIS or MLS, which may indicate the photos were pulled from a sales listing.

The price seems too good to be true, or is noticeably cheaper than properties with similar attributes.

The owner of the property does not match property records or the landlord doesn't want to meet in person.

Contact information for the Realtor listed on the property does not match his or her professional website.

Where to report it:

Call your bank. While it's rare to recoup the lost funds, it's not impossible.

File a police report with the department located in the city from which you wired the funds.

Contact the attorney general for the District of Columbia's Consumer Protection hotline at (202) 442-9828 or file a complaint online.

Report it to the Federal Trade Commission.

Full statement from the D.C. Housing Authority:

"Taking advantage of residents of D.C., where the need for affordable housing is so great, is beyond deplorable. The District of Columbia Housing Authority did not create or distribute the document brought to our attention by NBC. DCHA never requires its customers to pay anything when securing a new unit.

"DCHA is working with both local and federal law enforcement to stop this scam from spreading.

"To the residents of the D.C. area looking for affordable housing, please do not respond to this type of advertisement and discourage anyone else from providing any information or money to questionable advertisements. Instead, call the police."

Reported by Jodie Fleischer, produced by Katie Leslie, and shot and edited by Steve Jones and Jeff Piper.

What to Know At least fourteen people were shot in D.C. over the weekend, and six people died.

Police have made one arrest in the cases.

Thirty more people have been killed in the District compared to this time last year.

D.C. Police reported that four more shootings occurred Monday. Tune into News4 at 11 for Shomari Stone's live report.

---

Six men died in D.C. since Friday morning in a series of shootings that spanned every quadrant of the city.

On Friday morning, 27-year-old Kajuan Deris Young was taken to a hospital after police found him suffering from gunshot wounds in the 900 block of 3rd Street SW. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Police responded to another shooting in the 5100 block of F Street SE about 9:41 p.m. that night. Two men had been shot multiple times. Terrell Butler was taken to the hospital, where he died. He was 41. The second man was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Two more men were shot about 2:15 a.m. Saturday in the 1600 block of Euclid Street NW. Southeast resident James Thomas Dunn was taken to the hospital but died. He was 37. The other victim was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.

At 12:17 a.m. Sunday, Seventh District police officers responded to the sound of gunshots in the 3100 block of Buena Vista Terrace SE. Police found a man suffering multiple gunshot wounds who showed no signs consistent with life. The victim, Juan Dwayne Jackson, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, was 45 years old. Police said a second man sought treatment at a hospital in the same shooting.

Officers from the same district responded to another fatal shooting in the 1400 block of Howard Road SE less than an hour later. They discovered the victim, Ervin Eugene Watkins, was being treated at a hospital. The 28-year-old later died.

Seventh District officers responded to a third shooting that night about 4:15 a.m., this one in the 3400 block of 22nd Street SE. They found a man unconscious and not breathing. William Hayworth, 42, of D.C., died and was taken to the medical examiner's office.

"My father was a hardworking man," his son told News4. He asked not to be identified by name. "I already miss him."

D.C. police reported at least seven other people were injured across the District in shootings between Friday and Sunday. In one incident, three men and a woman were struck in one outbreak of gunfire. The violence wasn't limited to the city; a man was killed at a 7-Eleven in Silver Spring, Maryland, after a dispute with a security guard.

Police Chief Peter Newsham said the shootings don't appear to be connected. No arrests have been made in the homicide cases.

But the weekend violence continues a disturbing trend in the District: Police data shows that homicides are up. By Sept. 23, 2017, 80 people were killed in the city. Since January this year, 110 people have been killed.

Both years, roughly seven of every 10 people killed in D.C. were attacked with a gun.

A neighborhood safety walk will be held in Northeast D.C. on Monday night, beginning at 7 p.m. at 19th and L streets NE. Neighbors, police and city officials are expected to participate.Nikki Bowman was only 2 years old when her father, a Virginia State Trooper, was stabbed over 40 times and killed outside his Manassas, Virginia, home.



Now, Bowman, her family and the FBI are pleading for information in the 1984 cold case death of Johnny Rush Bowman.

The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction in Bowman's killing. He was off duty at his home in Manassas, Virginia, when he answered the doorbell in the middle of the night on Aug. 19, 1984. When he opened the door, he was stabbed 45 times.

The 31-year-old father was unarmed but fought back. The struggle woke Nikki Bowman, his wife, brother and sister-in-law. The trooper died later that day.

The attacker or attackers left sunglasses, a wig and a construction hard hat at the scene, investigators said.

The killing set off one of the most expensive murder investigations in state police history, with 20 special agents interviewing more than 3,000 people in 41 states, The Washington Post reported in 1985.

Bowman's daughter is now a police officer with the Manassas City Police Department. She said the violent nature of the killing still shocks her.



"You can stab somebody a couple times and it kind of gets the job done, but I think when you're going on 40, 45 times, there's a little bit too much of anger going on, which makes me think its something personal," Nikki Bowman said.



The FBI Washington Field Office, Virginia State Police, the Manassas City Police Department and the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney for Prince William County are once again asking the public for help in identifying the person or persons responsible for Bowman's death.



For 34 years, Trooper Johnny Bowmans daughter, parents, brother, friends and colleagues have had to endure his loss and not knowing who was responsible for taking his life, said state police Capt. Greg Kincaid. Thats why still today, the Virginia State Police and our partnering agencies remain determined to solve this homicide and bring Johnnys killer to justice."

Nikki Bowman said she hopes the public speaks up.



"I'm just hoping that by doing these interviews and getting my voice out there, I'm speaking for myself, but I'm also speaking for my dad. Both of us deserve answers," she said.

The cold case has mystified investigators for more than 30 years. In 1985, officials said they would not close the case until it was solved but conceded that key elements of the crime, like the time and location of the murder, were baffling, the Post reported.

And in 1986, Virginia state police said they were "99.4 percent certain" they knew who the suspect was, and planned to make an arrest soon.



The Post reported in 1986 that a fellow state trooper, Perry L. Worrell, was the key suspect in the Virginia State Police's investigation. Worrell was never charged, and his lawyer said Worrell swore he had nothing to do with the murder.



At the time, a special agent with the state police's Bureau of Criminal Investigation confirmed that the suspect was a member of the state police, but police and prosecutors said they did not have sufficient evidence to convict him. The state police captain said in 1987 that Worrell had left the force.



Matthew J. DeSarno, of the FBI's D.C. office, said officials need the public's help.



The public is our best weapon in solving this cold case and we are hoping that with the passage of time, and through a significant reward of $50,000, someone with information, no matter how small or large, will come forward and help us bring closure to the family and justice to Trooper Bowman," he said in a statement.

Law enforcement officials are asking anyone with information to call the FBI at 800-225-5324 or the Virginia State Police at (703) 803-2676.Three years ago, Dallas the pit bull was one of 21 dogs on a list to be euthanized. He had been seized from a compound in Ontario, Canada, where he and 30 other pit bulls were being trained for fights.



But now Dallas is set to become one of the first pit bulls ever to go from a fighting ring to training as a police K-9 officer.

Dallas is undergoing six weeks of training to detect narcotics and is set to join the local police force in Honaker, Virginia, The Washington Post reports.

CBC News first reported on the allegeded dog-fighting ring in 2015, when Dallas was a puppy. Since then, 18 of the 21 dogs deemed too aggressive to be rehabilitated were saved by Rob Scheinberg, the co-founder of an animal rescue and sanctuary in Ontario, who sued to prevent the dogs' euthanization. After a long legal fight, Scheinberg secured the release of the 18 dogs.

From there, Jen Deane, the founder and president of the animal rescue group Pit Sisters, connected with Scheinberg to take in 10 of the 18 dogs, including Dallas.

Deane told the Post that Dallas' love for balls drew her attention.

We knew that his combination of ball drive and his wanting of human praise was the perfect combination to be a police dog, she said.

Now Dallas is set to fulfill Honaker Police Chief Brandon Cassell's wish of getting a K-9 narcotics officer. He said the town would not have been able to afford the $10,000 cost of getting a highly trained dog.

Deane partnered with the rehabilitation service Throw Away Dogs Project to get Dallas the training he needed to sniff out narcotics.

His trainer, Bruce Myers, told the Post that Dallas is training in daily sessions to detect drugs.

He will save many lives, Myers said. If he helps take one brick of heroin off the street, that can save 1,000 people. And he will be incredibly proficient by the time he leaves here.What to Know Sabina Surjit Henderson was in a hammock during a family gathering in Loudoun County when a tree fell and killed her

Investigators are calling it a "tragic accident"

Her family says her loss "tore a giant hole in our lives"

A 7-year-old girl swinging on a hammock during a family gathering in Loudoun County, Virginia, was killed after the tree the hammock was fastened to crashed down on her, officials say.

The incident took place about 6 p.m. Saturday at a home in the 37800 block of St. Francis Court in Purcellville, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said Monday. The girl and another child were in the hammock when the tree collapsed and fell on them.

The little girl, identified by her family as Sabina Surjit Henderson, was airlifted to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where she later died of her injuries.

"Sabina was smart, witty girl who loved to tell jokes and make other people laugh," her father, Ben Henderson, said in a statement. "She was a powerful personality that lit up the room and was a memorable force for all those that met her. She was amazingly kind and thoughtful to her friends and family. Sabina was genuinely and completely loved by all that knew her. Her loss tore a giant hole in our lives that will never be mended. We will never recover from this, we will only survive."

And Sabinas dad just sent me this video of her playing at a piano recital. Absolutely heartbreaking- keeping her family in my thoughts and prayers @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/OgfOLdvQND  Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) September 24, 2018

Henderson's grandfather told News4 she was very smart and a gifted pianist.

The other child, an 8-year-old boy, was taken to Inova Fairfax with minor injuries.

Investigators said the case appears to be "a tragic accident."What to Know A 74-year-old man was found Monday in the Navy Yard apartment building for seniors where there was a devastating fire Wednesday.

The man is believed to have been in his apartment since the fire.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday that officials and apartment management believed all residents were accounted for.

A 74-year-old man spent five days trapped inside his apartment in a collapsed seniors home after a devastating fire ripped through the Southeast D.C. building.

Workers searching the building found the injured senior citizen Monday morning inside his apartment in the Arthur Capper Senior Apartments in the Navy Yard neighborhood, Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

The man is believed to have been inside his apartment from when the fire broke out Wednesday afternoon to when a crew found him Monday morning.

"It appears, based on the report that I got from the building workers, that he was sitting in his apartment," Bowser said. "The workers helped him into a chair and out of the building."

The man, who officials did not identify, was rushed to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Structural engineer Allyn Kilsheimer was one of the people who found the man. He and others were going through the building unit by unit to try to determine if the apartments were safe to re-enter. As they used a crowbar to pry open an apartment door on the second floor, they heard a voice and a man came to the door. Stunned, Kilsheimer said he would help the man get out.

"I'm not going anyplace," Kilsheimer recalled the man saying.

Though the man had no electricity and was confined to his apartment because the door was jammed, he was in good spirits, Kilsheimer said.

"For somebody who's been in that situation for as long as this, he seemed incredibly in good shape, from my perspective," he said.

Marines from 8 and I running towards the fire raging in SE DC. pic.twitter.com/4vSKsuyTGo  Lyndsey Medsker (@lmedsker) September 19, 2018

#DCsBravest are making rescues and evacuating occupants from 2 Alarm fire 900 5th Street SE. Now have fire4th & 5th floors and thru roof. pic.twitter.com/AYlGnJ6REK  DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) September 19, 2018

2nd Alarm Fire 900 5th St SE. heavy fire top floor and attic occupied 5 story apartment building. pic.twitter.com/S9g7SRVKrP  DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) September 19, 2018

#DCsBravest continue to evacuate the residents of 2 alarm fire 900 5th St SE. This 5 story building houses senior citizens. We are using large water streams to attack the fire in the roof and attic, without endangering residents or firefighters. pic.twitter.com/VCgLA5Jwkm  DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) September 19, 2018

The man wanted to walk outside using a cane, but the workers made him sit in a kitchen chair and get carried out. He had a cellphone, but it wasn't clear if it had been working.

Bowser said Wednesday, in the hours after the blaze, that building management firm Edgewood Management called the tenants after the fire and each person was accounted for.

Council member Charles Allen says he was in the command center near the fire when management assured that all residents were accounted for and had been evacuated.

"It's completely unacceptable and inexcusable that there was someone in there for five days and we didn't know about it," Allen said.

The mayor said she was not aware of any family members looking for the man.

City officials said they didn't know yet why Edgewood Management apparently had considered him to be safe, or why rescuers didn't find the man during their response.

"They may have missed the apartment," D.C. fire chief Gregory Dean said, referring to fire and EMS crews.

Dean defended his crews.

"You have people, human people, just like the rest of us, trying to accomplish a very difficult job in trying circumstances," he said.

Roland Redfield, a neighbor of the man found in his apartment, said he could hardly believe what had happened.

"They said everybody has been taken care of," he said.

Crews searched the building inch by inch on Monday to make sure no one else was there.

Multiple residents of the apartments said they heard no alarms after a powerful fire broke out about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, injuring 10 people and sending a huge plume of black smoke into the air. Instead, residents were alerted by U.S. Marines and neighbors who banged on their doors.

Dean told News4 that he heard multiple reports that wall-mounted fire alarms did not work when pulled.

"No one heard any horns. That's the early notification. That's really what was missing on this building," he said.

Neighborhood advocate Bruce DarConte ran into the building in the 900 block of 5th Street SE to help his neighbors get out. He said he and others pulled wall-mounted fire alarms in the hallways, but nothing happened.

"As we saw the fire alarms, we were pulling them  nothing. So we just kept going. It didn't pay for us to stand there," he said.

The fire chief said Thursday that smoke detectors inside apartments are believed to have worked. On lower floors of the four-story building, smoke alarms and the sprinkler system did not activate because they were not exposed to smoke or flames, Dean said. It wasn't clear if alarms or sprinklers activated on upper floors.

The fire is believed to have started in the attic, fire officials said.

The building was inspected by the fire department last year, and the alarm system was checked three times in the past year, most recently in April, Dean said.

Resident Cherie Gibson said she didn't hear or see any emergency alerts.

"The alarm did not go off. Our sprinklers did not go off," she said.

A man who helped his elderly father get out of the building also said he got no alert.

"No sprinklers went off. No nothing went off," Louis Watts said.

Residents of all 161 units in the building were forced out of their homes, with no timeline in sight for when they will be able to retrieve their belongings or move back in.

Dozens of residents went to a shelter and then to hotels.

The community organization Near Southeast Community Partners is raising funds to help victims of the fire. The Capitol Hill Community Foundation also is fundraising. Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen sent locals information about that fund.A two-headed snake recently found in Northern Virginia may be sent to a zoo.

The two-headed baby Eastern Copperhead was found in Woodbridge last week, the Wildlife Center of Virginia said. A state herpetologist brought the snake to the hospital Thursday for an exam, the center said.

"It appears as though the left head is more dominant  it's generally more active and responsive to stimulus," the center said in a release on its website.

The snake has two tracheas, with the left one more developed, and two esophagi, with the right one more developed. The snake has a single heart and one set of lungs.

"Based on the anatomy, it would be better for the right head to eat, but it may be a challenge since the left head appears more dominant," the center said.

State biologists believe both heads are capable of biting and distributing venom, the Charlotte Observer reported,

State herpetologist J.D. Kleopfer said in a Facebook post that two-headed snakes are extremely rare because "they just don't live that long." He says he hopes to donate the snake to a zoo facility.

The snake is currently being cared for by a private reptile keeper, Kleopfer said in the post.

[NATL] Adorable Zoo Babies: White Lion Cubs Nala and Simba Born in FranceAuthorities say bananas donated to a Texas prison turned out to have nearly $18 million worth of cocaine hidden inside the boxes.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice says in a Facebook post that the drugs were found in two pallets of bananas that were donated because they were already ripe. The donation arrived Friday.

2 sergeants from the Scott Unit alerted Customs when they found a white powder in a donated box of bananas in Freeport this morning.



The substance was tested. Cocaine! 540 bundles, $17,820,000 worth, were on the shipment!



The DEA and Customs are continuing their investigation. pic.twitter.com/O3yRpZBClN  TDCJ (@TDCJ) September 21, 2018

The department says sergeants who picked up the boxes found a bundle of a white powdery substance under the bananas. U.S. customs officials were called to the scene, and authorities say 540 packages of cocaine were found in 45 boxes of bananas.

The department says federal officials and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating.In an extraordinary move, Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx did something Monday which isn't often done in Chicago's criminal justice system.

She apologized.

Foxx's comments were directed to 18 men, whose convictions had just been thrown out by Chief Judge Leroy Martin. All 18 were arrested at the hands of notorious police sergeant Ronald Watts and his tainted tactical unit, which critics say ran roughshod and virtually unsupervised for a decade on Chicagos South Side.

"The system owes an apology to the men who stand behind us, Foxx declared, after standing at the back of the court and shaking hands with each of the plaintiffs as they walked from the bench. "We know that what was happening with Sgt. Watts, and the way he ran his operation, is that there were many men and women who fell victim to his corrupt ways."

While even fellow officers pointed to corruption in the unit, only Watts and one of his officers, Kallatt Mohammed, were ever prosecuted for shaking down and framing residents of the Ida B. Wells housing project. Both went to prison.

"It's noteworthy to me who's not here, and that's the city and the Chicago Police Department," attorney Joshua Tepfer said after court. "(They) really owe the apology to these men and so many others, for letting this happen and covering it up for so long."

Indeed, residents of the Wells housing project had long argued that residents there were being unjustly targeted.

"They put cases on people who didn't cooperate with their corrupt schemes, took bribes, stole money and drugs from drug dealers, and really ruined the lives of dozens---maybe hundreds," attorney Joel Flaxman said. "These officers knew who they were, would go after them, and would frame them over and over again."

With Monday's exonerations, at least 42 individuals have now seen their convictions overturned. And the States Attorneys office says it is examining many more.

"I believe in the interest of public safety in Cook County, we must have a criminal justice system that has integrity and credibility," Foxx said. "That means that we have to admit when things have gone wrong and actively work to fix it."

"Maybe this is a day of reckoning," attorney Sean Starr told reporters. "We hope that the officers that are on the street that see things happening-don't continue to play a complicit part in this. Speak up."By the time Sen. Dianne Feinstein huddled with the other Democrats on the Judiciary Committee in a room just off the Senate floor, the rumors were flying.

The senators already had heard talk of the mysterious letter from a woman. They knew something about a startling allegation about the Supreme Court nominee. They came into that room almost two weeks ago with one clear dilemma. "The question is, what should we do about this?" recalled Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who was at the meeting.

Even surrounded by her fellow Democrats, the veteran California senator kept a close hold on the details in that late-night session. She was in possession of a letter that accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of a sexual assault back when he was in high school. She began to tell them about it. The woman did not want her name made public. Feinstein read excerpts, giving her colleagues only the information they needed to tackle the next step.

Democrats had few options. In the six weeks since Feinstein had received the letter, details had leaked. A report was breaking that night in The Intercept, an online publication. In a matter of hours, with confirmation to the court tantalizingly close, Kavanaugh's nomination would be in jeopardy. Republicans' uphill fight to hold control of Congress would face a new hurdle  just six weeks from Election Day. And 3,000 miles away, California college professor Christine Blasey Ford's life would be upended as the nation debated what did or didn't happen to her 36 years ago.

Democrats, and Feinstein in particular, have faced fierce criticism from Republicans for keeping their secret until what they say was the eleventh hour. The timing suggests a coordinated ploy to sabotage a conservative jurist they oppose. Democrats argue they were pulled between the politics and the need to respect Ford's privacy.

This account of how that long-private, deeply personal allegation  which preceded a second accusation against Kavanaugh, this about alleged sexual misconduct in college  exploded into public is based on a dozen interviews with senators, aides and others. Some asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal details about the private discussions.

Though many of those interviewed disagreed fiercely on motives involved, all aligned on one clear truth: The letter and the story it told was a powder keg.

That night Durbin said they realized, "This has a life of its own."



___



It didn't start as a letter. It started with a phone call.

In late July, Ford, a psychology professor who grew up in the same tony Maryland suburbs as Kavanaugh, called her congresswoman's office to discuss what she described as private matter. Days later, on a Friday afternoon in her California office, Rep. Anna Eshoo sat with Ford and listened to the story, in wrenching and difficult detail.

Ford said she'd been at a party with Kavanaugh and one of his friends. The two drunken teenage boys pulled her into a room, Ford says, where Kavanaugh pinned her on to a bed, groped her and tried to remove her swimsuit. When she resisted, he put his hand over her mouth, she says. She escaped into a bathroom only after Kavanaugh's friend jumped on the bed.

She was soft-spoken, Eshoo recalled of that first meeting with Ford, but with "an inner strength." She said, "She's not a pushover."

And she had a request.

"What she was seeking was that the story be in the right hands of responsible officials but that her anonymity be protected," the congresswoman recalled.

That weekend, Eshoo contacted Feinstein, a longtime colleague in California's Bay Area politics and the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. She told the senator she believed Ford. At Feinstein's recommendation, Eshoo asked Ford to outline the accusation in a letter.

A week later, on July 30, Eshoo had Ford's letter hand-delivered to Feinstein's office in Washington.

"My sense was, I had a passed it over into very capable hands," Eshoo recalled.



___



Feinstein knows better than most the power of such an allegation.

She won her seat in 1992, shortly after the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas hearing aired an allegation of sexual harassment against a Supreme Court nominee. For many women, the hearing televised the biases of the white, male senators. It spurred women across the country to run for office and to vote for women, Feinstein among them.

At Kavanaugh's public confirmation hearing earlier this month, she grilled the appellate court judge about his views on of Roe v. Wade, noting that unlike her, he did not endure a time when abortion was illegal.

Now 85, Feinstein is a centrist facing a re-election fight against a liberal Los Angeles state legislator.

The allegation against Kavanaugh presented a clear problem for Feinstein.

If she told others on the committee  or even Democratic leader Chuck Schumer  about Ford's story without her permission, it risked "outing" Ford, violating a firm belief among advocacy groups that victims of sexual assault should not be compelled to relive the trauma in the pursuit of justice for the accused.

But withholding the information would shield Kavanaugh from having to answer to potentially devastating allegations  and deny Democrats a most potent weapon against a judge that could help solidify a conservative majority on the court.

Feinstein's team stayed in contact with Ford, assessing whether she would decide to come forward. They even considered hiring their own investigator to probe the allegations, but such a move would have run afoul of Senate rules requiring Democrats and Republicans on a committee to consult with each other.

Eshoo never talked to Ford again, although she had her chief of staff send regular messages checking in, she said. And Eshoo says she never told other lawmakers, not California's other senator, Kamala Harris, who sits on the Judiciary Committee, not her close friend, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. Yet Ford was not far from her mind. "Every waking moment I had I was thinking about her," Eshoo said.

Ford appeared to be preparing to come forward. She hired attorney Debra Katz, a well-connected Democrat with close ties to the #MeToo movement and the Hill. She took a polygraph test and passed, she would later tell The Washington Post. She collected notes from a counseling session where she mentioned the assault and Kavanaugh's name, she said.

By late August, even before Kavanaugh's public confirmation hearings, Ford says she decided not to go public. She decided her story probably wouldn't affect Kavanaugh's confirmation and would certainly be personally painful, she told the Post.

"Why suffer through the annihilation if it's not going to matter?" she said.



___



Feinstein, experienced as a member of the Senate's intelligence committee with keeping secrets, says she kept mum.

Someone else did not.

Rumors of a sexual allegation trickled out. Kavanaugh allies at the White House started hearing rumors early in September, during the tail end of his confirmation hearing. They did not know details.

Frustrated Democrats and outside groups were agitating to know what was happening and how the situation was being handled. It would soon be too late to affect Kavanaugh's confirmation, they knew. Republicans planned a committee vote on Sept. 20, then a full Senate vote. They hoped to have him seated on the court by Oct. 1, the day the court began its new session.

The story about to break, the powder keg about to explode, the Judiciary Committee Democrats who gathered off the Senate floor that night decided Feinstein should take some action. She should send Ford's letter  her name would be redacted  to the FBI.

The action would, perhaps inevitably, fuel the story. Feinstein would soon announce the move. Republicans would soon accuse her of sitting on an allegation, hiding it from Republicans and revealing it at the last minute to ensure, at the least, a delay in the process.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who had known none of it, would be particularly upset that Feinstein, a longtime peer, had not shared the information.

Back in California, Feinstein's opponent in her re-election bid would accuse her of a "failure of leadership." She could have withheld the name and still made the allegation public, said Kevin de Leon, a Democrat in the California state Senate, and she should have confronted Kavanaugh with it at his hearing.

But Feinstein would claim she had no other choice.

The next day, the FBI acknowledged it had received some new information.

Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Jonathan Lemire, Catherine Lucey and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.What to Know A second woman is accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, this an alleged exposure at a drunken dormitory party

Sen. Chuck Grassley's office said the hearing for the first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, will take place Thursday at 10 a.m.

Trump called the allegations unfair and unsubstantiated, made by accusers who come "out of the woodwork"

Republicans mounted a combative, coordinated drive Monday to salvage Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination as they fought to keep a second woman's allegation of long-ago sexual misconduct from derailing his confirmation. President Donald Trump leapt to his defense, the top Senate Republican accused Democrats of a "smear campaign" and an emotional Kavanaugh pledged to fight for his nomination and proclaimed, "I've never sexually assaulted anyone."

That declaration, remarkable for a nominee to the nation's highest court, came as Republicans embraced their newly aggressive stance and Kavanaugh's prospects dangled precariously. The similar tones and wording they used in defending him suggested a concerted effort to undermine the women's claims and portray an image of unity among GOP senators while pressing toward a confirmation vote.

In the run-up to an appearance by Kavanaugh and his main accuser at a dramatic Senate hearing, Trump called the accusations "totally political" and among "the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., angrily accused Democrats of slinging "all the mud they could manufacture" and promised a full Senate vote soon, but specified no date.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., retorted that if McConnell believed the allegations were a smear, "Why don't you call for an FBI investigation?" Schumer accused Republicans of "a rush job to avoid the truth."

Trump has made clear he won't order an FBI probe. McConnell said Thursday's Judiciary Committee hearing would proceed, and No. 2 Senate GOP leader, John Cornyn of Texas, said the panel could vote on sending Kavanaugh's nomination to the full Senate as early as Friday.

In a letter to the committee, which plans the climactic hearing featuring Kavanaugh and his first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, the nominee accused his opponents of launching "smears, pure and simple."

Later, Kavanaugh and his wife sat for an interview on the conservative-friendly Fox News Channel, an extraordinary step for a Supreme Court nominee. Kavanaugh, 53, is currently a judge on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kavanaugh said he wasn't questioning "that perhaps Dr. Ford at some point in her life was sexually assaulted by someone at some place, but what I know is I've never sexually assaulted anyone."

Kavanaugh said while there were high school parties with beer and he wasn't perfect, "I'm a good person. I've led a good life." He said that he'd never done anything like the episodes his accusers have described and that he didn't have sexual intercourse until "many years" after high school.

"I'm not going to let false accusations drive me out of this process. I have faith in God, and I have faith in the fairness of the American people," he said.

On Sunday, The New Yorker magazine reported that Deborah Ramirez described a 1980s, alcohol-heavy Yale dormitory party at which she said Kavanaugh exposed himself, placed his penis in her face and caused her to touch it without her consent. Ford has said Kavanaugh tried removing her clothes and covered her mouth to prevent screams after he pinned her on a bed during a high school party.

Despite the forceful rhetoric by Kavanaugh and his GOP supporters, it remained unclear how three moderate Republican senators  Maine's Susan Collins, Arizona's Jeff Flake and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski  would react to the latest accusation. With the GOP's Senate control hanging on a razor-thin 51-49 margin, defections by any two Republican senators would seal his fate if all Democrats vote "no."

Collins said Monday she remained undecided about Kavanaugh.

Late Monday, Trump tweeted: "The Democrats are working hard to destroy a wonderful man, and a man who has the potential to be one of our greatest Supreme Court Justices ever, with an array of False Acquisitions (sic) the likes of which have never been seen before!"

He later corrected the statement in another tweet to say "False Accusations," rather than "False Acquisitions."

Proceeding with Kavanaugh seems to give Republicans their best shot at filling the Supreme Court vacancy  and giving the court an increasingly conservative tilt  before November's elections, when GOP Senate control is in play.

Even if Republicans lose their Senate majority, they could still have time to confirm a nominee in a post-election lame duck session, but the GOP hasn't indicated that is under consideration. Delaying Kavanaugh's confirmation could allow time for doubts about him to take root or any fresh accusations to emerge.

Pushing forward with Kavanaugh has its own risks, besides an embarrassing defeat for Trump and the GOP. His nomination and the claims of sexual misconduct have stirred up women and liberal voters whose antipathy to Republicans has already been heightened by Trump's policies and his own fraught history of alleged sexual transgressions.

Dozens of people protesting Kavanaugh were arrested outside Collins' Capitol Hill office. Many wore black "Be A Hero" shirts and chanted slogans including "We will not be silenced."

Away from Washington, there were walkouts in support of Ford and Ramirez by dozens of liberal groups. The campaign was promoted on Twitter under the hashtag #BelieveSurvivors, and several Democrats in Congress  including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee vetting Kavanaugh  posted photos in support.

With increasing intensity, Republicans have attacked the credibility of Ford's and now Ramirez' accounts. They note that neither the accusers nor news organizations have found people willing to provide corroboration, even though both women have named people who they said were present at the alleged incidents.

Ramirez, who told The New Yorker that she'd been drinking at the time, was initially reluctant to speak publicly "partly because her memories contained gaps," the magazine said. After "six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney," she felt confident enough to go public, the report said.

The Associated Press tried reaching Ramirez at her home in Boulder, Colorado. A sign on her front door indicated she would have no comment.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway held a conference call with supporters during which she said there was a "vast left-wing conspiracy" to prevent Kavanaugh from winning confirmation, according to a participant who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private call.

Also jumping into the fray was the attorney who represents porn actress Stormy Daniels in her legal fight with Trump. Lawyer Michael Avenatti said he was representing a woman with information about high school-era parties attended by Kavanaugh and urged the Senate to investigate.

Avenatti, who has said he's considering a 2020 Democratic presidential bid, told the AP that he will disclose his client's identity in the coming days and that she is prepared to testify before the committee, as well as provide names of corroborating witnesses.

Avenatti said his client is both a victim and a witness.What to Know Four vehicles were involved in a deadly crash that caused a car to extend on the opposite side of the median center.

Siow Chang, 56, of Falmouth, Maine was killed during the multi-car crash.

All other parties involved in the crash were taken to hospitals to treat their non-life threatening injuries.

A 56-year-old motorist died Sunday during a multi-car crash on Interstate 95 in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire that left several people injured.

At 7:50 p.m., state troopers were notified of a four-car crash that extended over both the northbound and southbound lanes of the interstate.

An initial investigation found that Siow Chang of Falmouth, Maine was driving a 2017 Honda CR-V on a northbound lane when the car stopped for an unknown reason. A Toyota Tacoma rear-ended Changs vehicle after being unable to avoid the crash due to surrounding traffic, according to state police.

The crash caused Changs vehicle to cross the center median and enter the southbound lane, causing a 2016 Ford Transit van to crash the motorist's car. That van was then struck by a 2006 Ford Escape.

All the other drivers and passengers involved were taken to hospitals to treat non-life threatening injuries. Their conditions were not immediately clear.

A portion of the north and southbound lanes were closed for several hours during the investigation. The severity of the crash prompted the New Hampshire Collision Analysis Reconstruction Unit to assist in the investigation.Members of the Connecticut National Guard are being welcomed home after helping with hurricane relief efforts in North Carolina.

The 11 guardsmen, assigned to a UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters, have spent more than a week in the state. They're scheduled to return to the Windsor Locks Readiness Center on Sunday.

Their missions have included bringing first responders and thousands of pounds of equipment and supplies into areas hit hard by Hurricane Florence.

They've also transported stranded civilians and their pets from towns isolated by flood waters and brought critical equipment to elder care facilities.

Major General Fran Evon is commander of the Connecticut National Guard. He says such missions are "what we train for" and "a major reason why many of us serve our state and nation."A Massachusetts teenager accused of manslaughter in connection with a single-vehicle crash that left four of his passengers dead in East Bridgewater in May faced a judge on Monday.

Naiquan Hamilton, 18, of Stoughton, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Brockton District Court. Hamilton was charged as a youthful offender on four counts each of manslaughter by motor vehicle, motor vehicle homicide by operating under the influence and motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation.

Prosecutors allege Hamilton was driving at speeds between 80-100 miles per hour and under the influence of marijuana on May 19, when he violently crashed and rolled his car in the area of West Street/Route 106 in East Bridgewater.

When first responders arrived, three passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. The passengers were identified as 17-year-old Christopher Desir of Brockton, 17-year-old Eryck Sablah of Stoughton and 16-year-old Nicholas Joyce of Stoughton. An additional passenger was taken to Brockton Hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was later identified as 17-year-old David Bell of Stoughton.

Hamilton, who was 17 years old at the time of the crash, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton before he was transported to Boston Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

"Unfortunately, out of the five individuals who were in the car, he was the only one to survive the crash that day," said Assistant District Attorney Russell Eonas.

As the victims' relatives sat in court holding back tears, Hamilton remained quiet and somber as the details of the crash were read aloud.

"He said he was on the wrong side of the road, airborne above his car as he passed him, while he was going 40 miles per hour, just prior to the collision," Eonas said.

After court, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz discussed the difficulty in prosecuting a case like this one.

"Everybody in that room has loss  the young man driving the car with his friends, his four friends are gone forever, sons and kids in the community, the community's been affected forever," said Cruz. "It's an absolute tragedy, that's the only word for it."

Hamilton was released on his own recognizance, but he cannot drive or use alcohol or drugs. He's due back in court Oct. 29.Four Vermont high school journalists have gotten a lesson of a lifetime when they stood up to censorship in their school newspaper and won based on a new law.

Last week, the Burlington students posted a story online they wrote about a school employee facing unprofessional conduct charges.

The next morning, the principal asked the students' adviser to take it down. The students quickly talked to legal experts.

Days later, the principal said the story could be re-posted since other media had covered it. On Saturday, the school did another about-face and said it would change its media policy, based on the New Voices law. Thirteen other states have passed similar legislation.

Halle Newman, 17, says she's learned to stand up for herself, what she believes in and their rights as a studentA man died after the bed of his truck and the body of his truck separated when he hit a highway guardrail.

According to New Hampshire State Police, they responded to a motor vehicle accident on Interstate 89 South in Warner, New Hampshire just after 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

Troopers discovered a pickup truck traveling south in the area of mile marker 17.2 had struck a guardrail off of the left side of the roadway. The crash caused the truck body to separate from the bed of the truck, police said.

The driver was ejected from the vehicle and was located by troopers in the roadway.

Troopers identified the driver as Tyler Osgood, 30, of Concord. He sustained life-threatening injuries and succumbed to them while on scene, police said.

According to police, the initial investigation suggests that excess speed is a contributing factor to the collision.

The interstate was closed for about four hours while officials investigated and cleared the debris.

Police ask anyone who has information or who witnessed the crash to contact Trooper Eric Mercer at 603-223-2481 or Eric.Mercer@dos.nh.gov.What to Know A woman called 911 to report that her soon-to-be-ex-husband was chasing her in a car in Marshfield, Massachusetts.

When police arrived, the woman was found shot. She was taken to South Shore Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Authorities are searching for the woman's husband, Allen Warner, a person of interest.

A woman who was shot Monday in Marshfield, Massachusetts, has died, authorities confirmed.

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz announced Monday night that the woman had called 911 shortly before 6 p.m. to report that her soon-to-be-ex husband was chasing her in a car. When police responded, they found the victim with injuries to her face.

The woman was taken to South Shore Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Massachusetts State Police, local police and a SWAT team took part in a manhunt for the victim's husband, 47-year-old Allen Warner, who is being considered a person of interest.

Authorities believe Warner is driving a gray 2013 Toyota Corolla with Massachusetts plates reading "4FSZ80."

Plymouth County District Attorney's Office

Warner is considered armed and dangerous, and authorities are asking people not to approach him if they see him or his car.

Police are urging residents in the area to stay inside and to lock their doors while they search for a suspect.

At one point earlier in the evening, police ran after a man, handcuffed him and searched him. After speaking with him, they let him go and continued searching for the suspect.

Route 3A and surrounding roadways were closed, according to Patrick Marvin of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Duxbury Athletics announced on Twitter that its volleyball team was in lockdown in Marshfield High School, but it later said the team had been released and was on its way back to Duxbury. Police in Marshfield said around 8:30 p.m. that the high school had been completely cleared.A Massachusetts man suspected of starting four fires, including one that destroyed a home, has been arrested while trying to cross into Canada.

Pittsfield police say 58-year-old Philip Jordan was arrested Sunday by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agents at the border crossing at Highgate Springs, Vermont.

Authorities had been searching for the Pittsfield man since Saturday night when he allegedly set the four fires. No one was reported injured.

One of the fires gutted Jordan's own home. Police say his family members lived at the two of the other sites where fires were set.

Pittsfield police, city fire investigators and the state Fire Marshal are investigating.

It's unclear when Jordan will return to Massachusetts or if he has a lawyer.A Massachusetts woman was airlifted to a hospital in Florida after she suffered a shark bite in the Bahamas on Sunday, officials confirmed.

The 32-year-old woman was spearfishing off Treasure Cay Coast when the shark went after the fish on her spear and inadvertently bit her hand, according to Abaco Fire Chief Colin Albury. Officials said the woman was in shock and was in severe pain.

Officials received a call of the shark attack at 1:42 p.m. After assessing the scene, they called Trinity Air Ambulance out of Fort Lauderdale. She was then taken to Memorial Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.

The womans current condition is unclear and officials did not release her identity.

Shark attacks in the Bahamas aren't a common occurrence, but have been known to happen, according to Albury.

"It's part of nature," he told NBC News. "We're in their territory and things happen."Massachusetts State Police responded to a reported shooting in Milton on Monday morning.

The shooting was reported around 11:30 a.m. in the area of 7 Brush Hill Road, a short distance from the Boston line.

State police said no one was injured that they are aware of.

Patrols, detectives, crime scene services and a ballistics unit all responded to the scene.

NBC10 Boston's crew observed a large amount of the Neponset River Esplanade being cordoned off, including a moped.

The investigation is ongoing. No further information was immediately available.With Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosensteins job security in question, the spotlight is on the person next in line to oversee the Russia probe should Rosenstein be ousted: the solicitor general.

Noel Francisco, who represents the Trump administration and the United States before the Supreme Court, could take over supervision of the investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election -- a probe that President Donald Trump calls a witch hunt. Francisco has questioned the role of special counsels and has said that executive privilege shields presidents from most investigations, NRP and Mother Jones have reported.

He told a House panel in 2007 that my own personal belief is that when you hand these issues off to career prosecutors in the public integrity sections in the U.S. attorneys' offices in the Department of Justice, those attorneys are generally better able to assess whether a case should be pursued.

Politico noted too that he has accused fired FBI Director James Comey of political bias and the FBI of overreach. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed that he co-authored, Francisco suggested that Comey had used kid gloves in his investigation into possible criminal violations by Hillary Clinton, Politico reported. While a lawyer at the law firm Jones Day, he accused the FBI of overreach in its investigation of former Virginia Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell, arguing successfully that the Supreme Court should throw out the conviction because McDonnell had not acted on behalf of the businessman who gave him expensive gifts.

His past positions raise the question of whether he would view Robert Mueller's Russia probe as another example of partisan overreach, Politico wrote.

Monday morning was filled with speculation that Rosenstein would be fired or would quit, but in the end, he remained in the job. Now Rosenstein is to meet with Trump on Thursday to discuss his future in the Justice Department.

Rosenstein is overseeing the Russia probe because Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself in light of his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

Under Justice Department rules, the department's third-ranking official, the associate attorney general, should be Rosensteins successor, but the last associate attorney general, Rachel Brand, left early in the year and has not been replaced.

Francisco, a member of the Federalist Society, was a clerk for the U.S. Justice Antonin Scalia and a law partner at Jones Day with White House counsel Don McGahn, NPR has reported. The solicitor general position, to which he was confirmed by a divided Senate, 50 to 47, is his dream job, NPR wrote.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has cast doubt on Franciscos ability to oversee the Russia probe.

Christie told ABC News in April: "I can tell you, Noel Francisco, very talented lawyer, but to be Solicitor General, you have a specific skill set and running a Russia collusion investigation is probably not one of them.

Francisco was part of the team who helped former President George W. Bush in the recount in Florida during the 2000 election and went on to work in the Bush White House.

He argued Trumps travel bans before the Supreme Court, telling the court that the last iteration was not a so-called Muslim ban because it excluded most of the Muslim world. The court ultimately upheld the ban by a 5-4 vote.Campaigners celebrate local victory but anger that cull has been extended elsewhere

AN application to allow the controversial badger cull to be extended into West Berkshire has been refused.

Campaigners fighting the proposals are celebrating the news, but have criticised the Governments approach being rolled out elsewhere.

In March, the Government announced that it had received applications to shoot badgers in Berkshire.

Culling is part of its strategy to eradicate the disease in cattle, but opponents say there is no evidence it works.

Natural England, which issues the licences to kill the animals, said applications and expressions of interest had come from areas of high risk.

But last week Defra announced that no licences had been issued in West Berkshire.

Culling will take place in Cumbria and Staffordshire, as well as existing areas in Cheshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Somerset and Wiltshire.

A petition against the cull, launched by Newbury Green Party chairman Steve Masters, was signed by more than 13,700 people.

Mr Masters said: Having set up the petition and lobbied our MP publicly and privately to stop the cull, I am pleased that no licences have been issued locally.

I remain angry that the Conservative Government and Michael Gove have chosen to ignore scientific studies and persist with the wanton murder of a protected species.

The Government should still look at biosecurity and vaccination as the best methods of eliminating bovine TB.

The public in West Berkshire have shown that there is little appetite for wholesale slaughter of a protected species. Once again nature pays the price for mans excesses.

The licences allow badgers to be killed every year between June 1 and January 31.

In total, almost 20,000 badgers were culled in English counties last year.

The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), opposed culling on sites it owns.

BBOWT, which manages sites in West Berkshire including Greenham Common, has been vaccinating badgers against bovine TB in the district since 2015.

The trust said it costs 496.51 to kill a badger compared with 82 to vaccinate.

Mammal project officer at the trust Julia Lofthouse said: We do not believe the shooting of badgers is ever an appropriate way of controlling bovine TB in cattle.

Along with other wildlife trusts around the country, we have proven that vaccination is a viable alternative.

Evidence shows there is low incidence of bovine TB among our local badgers.

Defra said that reductions in new outbreaks of bovine TB had been recorded in Gloucestershire and Somerset, following the completion of their licensed four-year badger culls.

The data showed that there has been a decline in TB incidence in the first two cull areas with the rate of new confirmed breakouts now at about half the level they were before culling began.

Farming minister George Eustice said: Bovine TB remains one of the greatest animal health threats to the UK.

There is no single measure that will provide an easy answer, which is why we are committed to pursuing a wide range of interventions to protect the future of our dairy and beef industries and eradicate the disease within 20 years.

No one wants to be culling badgers forever so the progress reported is encouraging.When Elizabeth Minei thinks of the soups she has experienced at multiple New England Chowdafests, there are few more memorable than the bisque she tried several years ago that tasted like a Thanksgiving meal rolled into one spoon.

But none of the chowders, bisques or soups hold a ladle to the person who has accompanied her on all these culinary jaunts, her fiance William Wilson.

We love that we have been able to make memories at this event, Minei said by phone from her home in New York City. As soon we get home after Chowdafest, next years date goes on our calendar.

This weekend marks the fifth year the couple will make a pilgrimage to what has become one of the biggest food festivals in the Northeast. Restaurants from across the Northeast, plus a few far-flung entries, will vie for the top three spots in five categories, based on the votes from attendees. The soup makers and vote takers are set to gather at Sherwood Island State Park on Sunday, Sept. 30.

Its a fun event for us to reflect on and look forward to at the same time. Its a nice way to mark the passage of time, Wilson said.

On this day, Minei and Wilson, who are both 32, are recalling their early years as a couple, given the interview hits on the fourth anniversary of their first date, when Wilson, who was living in Norwalk, traveled into the city to meet Minei. Their meeting was a success and, soon, other dates followed, including their fifth one at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk at the seventh annual Chowdafest.

In the ensuing years, they have grown ever more committed to the event and to each other. The event has inspired them to visit some of the winning restaurants, such as 250 Market in Portsmouth, N.H. (the city where they had their engagement party) and incorporate a mini Chowdafest at their November wedding.

Their mutual love for such simmering goodness led the festival founder, Jim Keenan, to pull together some perks for the couple, including complimentary admission and a hotel stay. Hes also organized an online registry with Pike Place Chowder, one of the competitors, so that fellow chowda lovers may gift the couple with some award-winning soup. Keenan has always been clear about his love of a great chowder, bisque or other creative broth, and the fact that the food festival helps to raise funds for several charities, including, primarily, Food Rescue U.S.

More for you SEEN: Westport Chowdafest 2017

Diehard foodies will travel a long distance to go to a unique experience, he said, noting that about half of the restaurants are new to the event, and there are more opportunities to sample dishes beyond soup  such as craft salsa, Greek yogurt and ice cream.

This is the 11th year that Keenan and his team are bringing soup to the masses. In the years since it was launched, he has watched as couples, families and friends incorporate the day into their lives, as an opportunity for reunion, a yearly tradition or special event. Last year, he said, a couple from St. Louis read about the event in Yankee Magazine and started their honeymoon at the event and then headed out on the Chowda Trail, which was established in 2015. It joins several other epicurean-themed routes, such as the states pizza, chocolate and beer trails.

Its funny, but we are not concert or festival people, we dont particularly like large crowds, yet we love this event, Minei said, of a festival that attracted about 12,000 people last year. Its also a tasty event. We have never had a bad chowder at Chowdafest.

More Information Sherwood Island State Park, Sherwood Island Connector, Westport. Sunday, Sept. 30, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $20, $5 ages 6-12. 203-216-8452, Chowdafest.org See More Collapse

chennessy@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @xtinahennessyThe Gunnery, a private school in Washington, recently welcomed 306 students to its campus, representing a milestone accomplishment unmatched in the schools 169-year history.

The school experienced a nearly 20 percent increase in applications during the 2017-18 admissions cycle, supporting the strong enrollment outcome and making for an extremely competitive admissions process.

It is increasingly clear that The Gunnery is shifting from a well-kept secret into a school that more families want to learn about when considering a boarding school experience, Head of School Peter Becker said.

The current student body consists of individuals from 20 states and 16 countries. Boarding students represent 72 percent of enrollment, while day students account for 28 percent.

Day students commute from Washington and other Litchfield County towns, while others travel from as far away as Wolcott each day.

International students make up 20 percent of the total enrollment, including notable arrivals from China, El Salvador, Finland, Germany, Russia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Ukraine and Vietnam.

Domestic boarding students hail from all four mainland time zones, coming from as far away as California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin, and as near as five of the six New England states.

The freshman class remained intentionally small with a total of 55 students divided equally between boys and girls.

According to Becker, who is now in his seventh year leading The Gunnery, the school welcomed more than 600 students to campus last year for interviews, representing a 15 percent year-over-year increase.

To us, that was a strong indication that our approach to a character-based education is resonating with prospective families as more people are becoming acquainted with our alumni base, existing parent community, students and faculty, Becker said.

The new members of our student body also represent a dynamic and accomplished group, which, when combined with returning students who have interests and talents that range from the classroom to sports, the arts, and the outdoors, sets the stage for an exciting new school year, he said.

Aside from its record enrollment, The Gunnery campus is abuzz with the construction of the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center, a 32,000-square-foot center that will showcase the schools already vibrant Visual and Performing Arts programs.

Scheduled to open in winter 2019-20, the center will include The Tisch Family Auditorium with a 415-seat, state-of-the-art theater, along with the Richard C. Colton, Jr. Art Wing, which will house gallery spaces, classrooms and studios.

In conjunction with the development of this project, the schools engineering program, known as IDEAS (Innovation, Design, Engineering and Applied Scholarship), has introduced an innovative Construction Management class designed to let students interact with all phases of the building project on a real-time basis.

IDEAS students, which include nearly 20 percent of the student body, will also benefit from the recent purchase of a CNC milling machine and a reverse osmosis machine, tools that will allow the program to expand its classroom offerings for the 2018-19 academic year.

As I prepare to start my sixth year as a member of the admissions team, I have never been more excited about the interest in our school and by the transformation taking shape in the middle of our campus with the construction of the Thomas S. Perakos Arts and Community Center, said Alexandra V. Ince, interim director of admissions, who is now in her eighth year with The Gunnery.

In terms of our educational philosophy and the traditions established by Mr. Gunn, we are undoubtedly the school that we have always been, yet its exciting to see the momentum weve achieved as more families are seeking us out. Our intentionally small boarding school approach, combined with unique offerings such as our engineering program and our Outdoor Program, where students are intentionally encouraged to confront challenges outside of their comfort zones, are all working together to gain the attention of prospective families in a market that is otherwise filled with sameness, she said.

We have expanded our admissions team in recent months and look forward to a busy fall season as we get to welcome and know an entirely new group of accomplished candidates who are interested in making The Gunnery their school, she said.Connecticut Community Foundations members have elected Brian M. Jones of Southbury and Stephen Seward of Roxbury to three-year terms on the foundations board of trustees.

Jones and Seward will join a board composed of local residents from across 21 towns, including several in the Greater New Milford area, in the foundations service area in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills.Eating behaviour and nutrition expert Professor Brian Wansink has been studied and cited widely. He has several published papers on healthy eating habits and nutrition tips. Now six of his papers have been withdrawn or retracted from the journals that had published them after their validity was questioned. Seven of his other popular works have also been called back similarly in the past.

Wansink is a nutritionist associated with Cornell University. Some of his theories include shopping on an empty stomach may make a person buy unhealthy food from the supermarkets, size of the plate can affect the amount of food consumed per meal, placement of fruit bowls in prominent places encourage fruit consumption, 100-calorie snack pack trends, watching action of TV during dinner leads to overeating, etc. These theories are quick to catch public attention and there are few people who have not heard of these theories and believed them to be true.

His work came under scrutiny when he made some comments on a blog post. In February he had mentioned to his junior researchers to analyze the data in a manner so that the results are interesting and attractive to the public. This form of data manipulation to suit the results is known as p-hacking. If the results were not as per expectations, the team analyzed part of the participant population (on the basis of age, gender, lifestyle habits etc.) until they found something worthy of top headlines, say experts. Scientists are taught to avoid this temptation to manipulate the participant population to suit their needs but give in at time because their grants are dependent o the list of publications.

This year in May the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and others in its network expressed their concern over six of his papers and asked for clarifications and more information. JAMA, in their clarification letter wrote to Cornell University who replied, We regret that, because we do not have access to the original data we cannot assure you that the results of the studies are valid. Following this, the six famous papers have been withdrawn.

The Cornell Provost Michael Kotlikoff said that they had conducted an investigation where they found that, Professor Wasink committed academic misconduct in his research and scholoraship, including misreporting of research data, problematic statistical techniques, failure to properly document and preserve research results, and inappropriate authorship. Kotlikoff issued a statement saying, He has been removed from all teaching and research. Instead, he will be obligated to spend his time cooperating with the university in its ongoing review of his prior research... We regret this situation which has been painful to the university community. Cornell University remains committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and we are reviewing our research policies to ensure we can meet this commitment.

Experts feel that this could dissuade other researchers from p-hacking and is certainly a welcome move.An archive of letters written by those who survived the Spanish flu pandemic at the start of the last century shows what it was actually like to live during that time. The Spanish flu pandemic killed over 250,000 people in Britain alone and worldwide it wiped out a population of over 100 million.

Hannah Mawdsley, a PhD researcher at Queen Mary University of London, was looking at the documents at the Imperial War Museum when she found these letters. She says the letters are a precious window into the human experience of the pandemic. The letters came to the museum from historian and journalist Richard Collier who collected them in the 1970s from nearly 1,700 survivors of the pandemic. The letters were then analyzed by the BBC England data unit who also looked at the medical officers' records for English districts. These records were housed in the Wellcome Library.

An influenza ward at the U S Army Camp Hospital in Aix-les-Bains France during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918-19, 1918 photograph with digital color. Image Credit: Everett Historical / Shutterstock

A nine year old girl from Coventry for example wrote to Mr Collier in the 1970s about how she lost both her 35-year-old mother and seven-year-old sister within two days. She wrote, It caused quite a sensation having to have a double funeral on November 11th 1918, which was the very day the First World War ended... I can remember very well when the cortege was on its way to the church. Bells, hooters and all sounds of celebration were raving but how silent people stood who realised it was our funeral. It really was a terrible time, not knowing who we were going to lose next.

The soldiers were returning home after the war ended and it then that the Spanish flu entered Britain. Ms Mawdsley says there were horror stories of the war from the soldiers who had survived and as they returned they found that their wives had died of the flu. There was all this celebration, joy and relief at the end of the war that collides with death and grief, she said.

One of the letters is from a young son of a Baptist minister in Leicester who said his father was conducting funerals from dawn to dusk and slept at the cemetery chapel because he did not want to take the virus home to his family of eight children and a wife. In 1918 in Leicester there were more deaths than births but the family of the Baptist Minister survived the pandemic. The man wrote to Collier on 19 May 1973, The funeral corteges followed each other through the town... Often there was more than one coffin in a hearse. Graves were used to bury more than one person, especially when more than one of a household were victims at the same time.

According to Ms Mawdsley, some of the letters spoke of the symptoms of the flu. She said that a letter describes a heliotrope cyanosis which was a creeping blue which started in your fingertips, tips of your ears and nose and lips but you could go completely black, she said. After death the dead body turned completely black she said and this must have been traumatizing for the family. A man wrote to Collier on 16 May 1973, The undertakers couldn't make the coffins quick enough, let alone polish them... The bodies changed colour so quickly after death they had to be screwed down to await burial. The gravediggers worked from dawn to dusk seven days a week to cope. The smell of those deaths was indescribable.

The letters also talk about the psychosis that Spanish flu caused to some individuals which prompted murders and suicides. The courts called these delirium during influenza. A man who was in the RAF at Blandford Camp in Dorset wrote to Collier, A small wood below the camp was called 'suicides wood' because of the number of men, who had flu, committing suicide there. The flu seemed to leave people with disturbed minds.

Ms Mawdsley said viral diseases were not understood well at the time and there was no cure. 'Cures' ranged from standard camphor and quinine to alcohol - whisky in particular was sworn as the cure, she said. But some more extreme cures like creosote and strychnine were used. Basically, people were so desperate they would try anything, she said. She said that the only thing that helped was good nursing and a big call out for volunteer nurses at this time as so many had been shipped off to the Western Front.

The Wellcome Library says that one fourth of the British population was ill with the Spanish flu during the pandemic which killed 228,000 people. The worst hit places were Leicester, Coventry Felixstowe and Malmesbury. In 2016 people dying from flu in England and Wales was 430 as a contrast.Eisai Co., Ltd. and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth N.J., U.S.A., known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, announced that the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved the kinase inhibitor LENVIMA (lenvatinib) as a single agent for the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have not received prior systemic therapy. In China, the application of LENVIMA was submitted in October 2017, and was designated for Priority Review by the NMPA due to LENVIMA's significant clinical benefit compared to existing treatments, leading to approval in approximately 10 months. This approval marks the first for LENVIMA in China, where the incidence of HCC is high,(1) and the first new systemic therapy approved for the first-line treatment of unresectable HCC in China in ten years.(1)

The approval was based on results from the REFLECT study (Study 304),(2) an open-label, Phase 3 trial where LENVIMA demonstrated a treatment effect on overall survival (OS)(1) by statistical confirmation of non-inferiority when compared with the standard of care, sorafenib, in 954 patients with previously untreated unresectable HCC. LENVIMA demonstrated statistically significant superiority and clinically meaningful improvements in progression-free survival (PFS)(2), time to progression (TTP)(3) and objective response rate (ORR)(4). In a subpopulation analysis of 288 patients in the study from the greater Chinese region (mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan), LENVIMA demonstrated efficacy based on non-inferiority of OS compared to sorafenib, with improvements also observed in PFS, TTP and ORR3. Approximately 80% of patients in the subpopulation were living with HCC resulting from chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV), which has high unmet medical need. For these patients, LENVIMA demonstrated non-inferiority based on OS compared with sorafenib, thereby demonstrating the effect of LENVIMA in patients with HCC resulting from HBV.

In the China package insert, the five most common adverse reactions observed in patients treated with LENVIMA were hypertension (45%), fatigue (44%), diarrhea (39%), decreased appetite (34%) and decreased weight (31%), which is consistent with the known side-effect profile of LENVIMA.

Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths and is estimated to be responsible for approximately 750,000 deaths per year globally. Additionally, approximately 780,000 cases are newly diagnosed each year, about 80% of which occur in Asian regions. Specifically, in China, there are approximately 395,000 new cases and 380,000 deaths per year, accounting for approximately 50% of cases worldwide.(1) HCC accounts for 85% to 90% of primary liver cancer cases. Unresectable HCC, for which treatment options are limited, is extremely difficult to treat, and the development of new treatments is necessary.

Since the initial launch, more than 10,000 patients have been treated with LENVIMA. Today, LENVIMA is approved as a treatment for refractory thyroid cancer in over 50 countries including the United States, Japan, in Europe and Asia, and as combination with everolimus as a second-line treatment for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in over 45 countries including the United States and in Europe. For HCC, LENVIMA was approved for use in Japan in March 2018, and in the United States and Europe in August 2018. In Japan, approximately 3,000 HCC patients have been treated with LENVIMA since approval of this indication.

Source: https://www.eisai.com/news/2018/news201877.htmlTakeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited today announced that the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion, recommending the full approval of ALUNBRIG (brigatinib) as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) previously treated with crizotinib. ALUNBRIG is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) designed to target and inhibit the ALK mutation in NSCLC. Approximately three to five percent of NSCLC patients globally have the ALK mutation. If the CHMP opinion is affirmed, and the European Commission approves ALUNBRIG, it will become the only ALK inhibitor available in the European Union as a one tablet per day dose that can be taken with or without food.

The randomized, global Phase 2 ALTA trial was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of ALUNBRIG in patients with locally advanced or metastatic ALK+ NSCLC who had progressed on crizotinib. Patients were randomized to receive one of two regimens of ALUNBRIG: 90 mg of ALUNBRIG once daily (n=112) or 180 mg once daily with seven-day lead-in at 90 mg once daily (n=110).

"ALK+ NSCLC is a serious and life-threatening disease that affects approximately 40,000 people worldwide every year, and many patients will progress on or stop responding to first-line treatment," said Stefania Vallone, President, Lung Cancer Europe. "For European people with ALK+ NSCLC, there remains a significant unmet need for new and effective treatment options."

"While ALK inhibitors have demonstrated tremendous growth in this treatment space over the past decade, having an additional targeted therapy option available for the treatment of ALK+ NSCLC has been eagerly anticipated," said Enriqueta Felip, M.D., PhD, Head of the Thoracic Oncology Unit, Oncology Department at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona. "With a median progression-free survival of 16.7 months and overall survival of 34.1 months, ALUNBRIG has shown impressive results, representing new progress for ALK+ NSCLC treatment in this setting."

"The ALTA trial has established ALUNBRIG as a potential second-line treatment option for ALK+ NSCLC, by demonstrating significant efficacy with a manageable safety profile," said Jesus Gomez-Navarro, M.D., Vice President, Head of Oncology Clinical Research and Development, Takeda. "With 16.7 months median progression-free survival, the longest of any ALK inhibitor to be reported in this setting, ALUNBRIG offers great potential for patients who progressed on crizotinib. Today's positive opinion brings us closer toward the ultimate goal of advancing the treatment paradigm for the considerable number of crizotinib-treated ALK+ NSCLC patients living in Europe. We look forward to the European Commission's review of the CHMP positive opinion and introducing ALUNBRIG to patients and healthcare professionals in the European Union if approved."

As part of this submission, the CHMP also reviewed data from the first interim analysis of the Phase 3 ALTA-1L trial, which met its primary endpoint, as supportive evidence. In ALTA-1L, treatment with ALUNBRIG resulted in a statistically and clinically significant improvement in PFS versus crizotinib as assessed by a blinded independent review committee. The safety profile associated with ALUNBRIG was generally consistent with prior studies and approved U.S. and Canadian labeling.

The CHMP positive opinion for ALUNBRIG will now be reviewed by the European Commission, which has the authority to approve medicines for use in the 28 member states of the European Union, as well as Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.Smoke inhalation, pneumonia, and combat-related trauma are just a few causes of acute respiratory distress syndrome - a condition where the lungs fill with fluid, and is too often fatal.

To help these critically ill patients, doctors use extracorporeal life support - a cardiopulmonary bypass system that artificially re-oxygenates blood when the lungs are too damaged to breathe normally.

This critical care technology has saved many lives, but it needs improvement. Together with trauma care doctors, Colorado State University chemists may soon play a key role in making next-generation extracorporeal life support devices more effective and less invasive.

CSU Monfort Professor and Associate Professor of Chemistry Melissa Reynolds is sharing in a $3.4 million grant from the Department of Defense for developing better treatments for acute lung injuries, particularly in the context of military combat and medical emergencies. She has teamed with Dr. Andriy Batchinsky, a trauma surgeon who oversees research laboratories at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research and the Geneva Foundation.

The problem Reynolds and her team will address involves a common, life-threatening complication for patients on life support: the body's tendency to form blood clots around the inserted machinery.

The standard of care for reversing the blood clotting problem is administration of systemic blood thinners such as heparin, but these medicines come with major side effects for already extremely sick patients. In many cases, the immune system attacks the non-clotting cells as non-functional cells, leading to further infections and complications.

Reynolds' goal for this project is to help Batchinsky's team create life-support systems that eliminate the need to administer blood thinners at all.

Reynolds' lab makes advanced biocompatible materials for clinical applications, with the goal of making minimally invasive, implantable devices that the body does not reject. A chance meeting with Batchinsky at a conference several years ago seeded a partnership between two scientists working on essentially the same problem - patient mortality and critical care treatments - from different angles.

"We are interested in the blood or tissue response in medical devices," said Reynolds, who also serves as associate dean for research in the College of Natural Sciences. "We are happy and very excited to work with any group with a challenge of mitigating those blood-device interactions."

For the life-support project, Reynolds will lead the development of biologically friendly coatings that will be chemically incorporated into the polymers that the system components are made of - the catheters, circuits and other devices that must come in contact with a patient's blood. The coatings are made of metal-organic frameworks, designed to resist blood coagulation by replicating the natural function of endothelial cells through the release of nitric oxide.

The Reynolds lab will oversee this important advance, which should solve the blood compatibility problems so pervasive in extracorporeal life support systems and eliminate the need for blood thinners. Reynolds and her students will work on the chemistry and engineering side of the framework additives, while Batchinsky's team will lead in-vivo experiments to test the new systems.

"I am particularly enthusiastic about this collaboration because Dr. Reynolds brings a much-needed potential solution for the problem of thrombogenicity of blood-polymer interactions during extracorporeal life support," Batchinsky said. "As a leader of a premier Department of Defense-affiliated research laboratory and program, I am focused on solving this problem with Dr. Reynolds' help, and we will test the new devices coated by our partners at Colorado State, in a clinically relevant setting."The lab of Leonard Zon, MD, at Boston Children's Hospital has long been interested in making blood stem cells in quantity for therapeutic purposes. Looking for a way to test for their presence in zebrafish, their go-to research model, they turned to the MYB gene, a marker of blood stem cells. To spot the cells, Joseph Mandelbaum, a PhD candidate in the lab, attached a green fluorescent tag to MYB, easily visible in transparent zebrafish embryos.

"It was a real workhorse line for us," says Zon, who directs the Stem Cell Research Program at Boston Children's.

The line has also proved valuable for discovering cancer drugs. In addition to being a marker of blood stem cells, MYB is an oncogene.

About five years ago, Zon was at a cancer meeting and serendipitously met Jeff Kaufman, who was also interested in MYB. Kaufman was excited to hear about Zon's fluorescing MYB zebrafish, which reproduce quickly, can be studied at scale and are surprisingly similar to humans genetically. He asked if Zon had ever heard of adenoid cystic carcinoma -- and a collaboration was born.

Targeting a cancer driver

Kaufman had founded the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation with his wife, Marnie, in 2005, after she felt a lump under her jawline and was diagnosed with the rare, often deadly malignancy. (ACC usually starts in the salivary glands, but can also appear in the larynx, trachea, lacrimal gland, breast and vulva.) Finding very little ongoing research on ACC, the Foundation began creating tissue repositories and funding studies.

"What we've learned over 12 to 13 years is that MYB is the main driver of ACC," Kaufman says. He asked Zon, "Do you think you could shut off the MYB gene by giving chemicals to your zebrafish?"

Zon and his colleagues agreed to try, with the Foundation providing grant support. Their findings, reported last week in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, have laid the groundwork for a clinical trial in patients with ACC at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. More broadly, they suggest the power of zebrafish as a tool for cancer drug discovery.

Turning off the green

Despite more than 30 phase II clinical trials since 1985, there is no standard chemotherapy or drug regimen for ACC. About half of all patients develop metastatic disease, and no drug therapy has been shown to prolong overall or progression-free survival.

Zon, Mandelbaum and colleagues set up a high-throughput drug screening system. They loaded tiny zebrafish blastomeres -- very early embryos consisting of just a few cells -- into 384-well plates. Each embryo's MYB genes were tagged with green fluorescent protein. The team then systematically exposed the blastomeres to 3,840 small molecules. Using an automated cell imaging system, they looked to see if any chemical would "shut off the green."

"We could have done the screen in whole embryos, but the cell culture system was so much faster," says Zon. "We were able to do a screen in six months, versus what might've taken one and a half years with whole embryos."

In the end, 22 chemicals shut off MYB, of which retinoic acid or derivatives of retinoic acid were the most potent. Retinoic acid, best known as acne treatment, is a derivative of vitamin A.

Slowing tumor growth

The team further validated retinoic acid's efficacy in human tumor cells. Since no one has been able to create a viable ACC cell line, the team turned to a human myeloid leukemia line, which also expresses MYB at high levels. Retinoic acid not only downregulated MYB, but did so within just one hour.

Finally, through the Foundation, the team collaborated with South Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics (START) to test retinoic acid in "primagraft" models -- live mice bearing tumors derived from actual ACC patients. They showed that retinoic acid (specifically, a preparation called ATRA) slowed tumor growth.

"With the tumor, the gas pedal is all the way down," says Zon. "When you give retinoic acid, it takes the foot off the pedal."

Finally, the team worked out how retinoic acid works. In ACC, a chromosome rearrangement brings MYB adjacent to another gene, NFIB, which has an "enhancer" region. The genes bind together and NFIB's enhancer causes MYB to get stuck "on," so more and more of the oncogene is made in the cell. But Zon's group found that when the cell's retinoic acid receptors are triggered by retinoic acid, they bind to the NFIB enhancer and shut down most MYB production.

"Len's work is incredibly exciting, because this is really the first drug that appears to directly target MYB, and we really haven't had any drug that has effectively done that before," says Kaufman. "Through our preclinical drug screening program and mouse models of ACC, we have screened over 100 anticancer agents, and we've very seldom seen a drug as active as retinoic acid."

Clinical trial on deck

Mandelbaum and Zon, part of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Boston Children's and Dana-Farber, presented the study results at a meeting of Dana-Farber head and neck oncologists. They were equally excited. "We're all in agreement to do a clinical trial," says Zon.Drug-resistant infections are set to kill more people than cancer by 2050. Now a new University of Plymouth spinout company has been established to help tackle the problem - by developing new antibiotics and bringing them to market.

Launched in collaboration with University intellectual property partners, Frontier IP, Amprologix will develop and commercialize the work of Professor Mathew Upton, Professor in Medical Microbiology at the University's Institute of Translational and Stratified Medicine (ITSMed).

A UK government review in 2015 estimated that by 2050, the global cost of antibiotic resistance will rise to US$100 trillion and drug resistant infections will cause 10 million deaths a year, eclipsing the current toll from cancer and diabetes combined.

In the UK alone, the government estimates there are currently 5,000 deaths each year because antibiotics no longer work for some infections.

The first product from the company is expected to be a cream containing epidermicin, one of the new antibiotics being developed to combat infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Epidermicin can rapidly kill harmful bacteria including MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), Streptococcus and Enterococcus at very low doses, even if they are resistant to other antibiotics.

No new classes of antibiotics have been introduced into clinical use for the past 30 years, and the company is aiming to meet a growing need for new antibiotics as harmful microbes become increasingly drug resistant.

Amprologix has already secured industry involvement through a partnership with world-leading biotechnology and synthetic biology company Ingenza.

The new company is focused on four areas:

Developing epidermicin for commercial use

Discovering additional sources for new classes of antibiotics

Using Artificial Intelligence to improve antibiotic properties, working with Ingenza, IBM and the National Physical Laboratory

Developing efficient techniques to manufacture antibiotics at scale in partnership with Ingenza

In a relevant infection model, a single dose of epidermicin was as effective as six doses of the current standard of care. The antibiotic was initially recovered from a skin bacterium named Staphylococcus epidermidis, but can now be produced in a microbe suitable for industrial scale-up, using synthetic biology methods developed by Ingenza, which has a stake in the new business.

Professor Upton initially developed the patented technology working closely with UMI3 Ltd at The University of Manchester, which also takes a stake in the new business.

Professor Mathew Upton, chief scientific officer of Amprologix and part of the University of Plymouth School of Biomedical Sciences, said: "It is very exciting to form a new company to take forwards our portfolio of novel antimicrobial compounds. Epidermicin, our lead candidate antibiotic, has excellent potential for treating and preventing serious, drug resistant infections. With our current team, the company will be the ideal vehicle to take epidermicin to the clinic.

"The World Health Organisation warned in February this year that 'antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today', so to have this company established is the next step to helping tackle the problem."

Neil Crabb, chief executive of Frontier IP, said: "We are delighted to work with Amprologix to commercialize these potentially life-saving antibiotics, and with a leading industrial partner in the area. It is further sign our business model is gaining traction with universities and industry alike."

Dr Ian Fotheringham, managing director of Ingenza, said: "This unique partnership fully exploits the synergy of Ingenza's versatile bio-manufacturing technologies and Amprologix's lead in discovering exciting new antimicrobial classes, spearheaded by Dr Upton's innovative research."New Zealand teenagers are less fit and weigh more than their parents were at the same age, new University of Otago research reveals.

A comparison of 15-year-olds across two generations - believed to be the first study to directly compare the physical fitness of two generations of 15-year-old New Zealanders - has found there has been a decline in adolescent physical fitness.

The decline in fitness between generations has been accompanied by an increase in body weight, in keeping with global trends of increasing body weight among children and young people.

Fitness was measured on an exercise cycle among members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study when they were aged 15 in 1986/1987. The same fitness test was done on 343 of their 15-year-old children between 2007 and 2015.

The decline in fitness was particularly noticeable for girls who weighed more and were less fit than their mothers had been at the same age. The decline in fitness among boys was smaller, but they were also less fit than their fathers had been at age 15, once body weight was taken into account.

One of the researchers Dr Helena McAnally says that while both girls and boys were less fit than their parents had been, the change was particularly noticeable for girls whose fitness test scores were about 25 per cent lower than their mother's generation.

"It is well recognized that girls become less physically active earlier in adolescence, and this may be why their fitness levels were so much lower," Dr McAnally says.

"We know fitness in adolescent tracks into adulthood and so these changes may have important long-term consequences for health and well-being."

The research was led by Professor Bob Hancox who explains that while trends of increasing levels of overweight and obesity among young people are well recognized, there has been little research on changes in fitness.

"Our study is unusual in that we have measured fitness using the same technique in two generations of New Zealanders. The findings support many people's perception that young people are less active and fit than their previous generations," Professor Hancox says.

The study measured fitness using a cycle test. The cycle test measure used is less likely to be influenced by changes in body weight than running tests because it does not require you to carry your weight while exercising. Therefore, findings of reduced fitness in this research are not likely to be explained by increases in body weight.The number of people suffering from respiratory indications and the severity of those already suffering from the various diseases is expected to increase if air pollution in the UK goes unchecked, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

According to GlobalDatas reports: PharmaPoint: Asthma  states that the prevalence of asthma in the UK hovers above nine million, while epidemiology data from PharmaPoint: Chronic Pulmonary Obtrusive Disease shows the prevalence of the disease, in 35 year olds and over, is just under two million.

The National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (NICE) has recently published a set of guidelines related to air pollution and the impact it can have on ones health. It can cause, or worsen several respiratory conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In addition to these diseases, a recent study showed that air pollution may also be linked to neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia.

The total cost to the NHS due to air pollution could have been up to 150m in 2017, a significant outlay that will only rise if things are left to carry on as they are, according to Public Health England.

Rahael Maladwala, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments:

The implementation of the governments Clean Air Strategy shows a concerted effort between the regulatory agency and government, which can be seen in the commissioning of new ultra-low emission zones in north London, which only allows electric cars in the area for certain hours in the day. The NHS is under significant stress with factors such as government cuts to funding and an aging population, both playing a major role in this. Therefore, proactive schemes such as the Clean Air Strategy, which can reduce the prevalence of disease, and lessen the amount of people going to the hospital, will play an important role in saving physician time and NHS money.

NICE have stated the size of the problem they are facing and action that can be taken to reduce the impact of air pollution; the task facing themselves and the government is now one of communication, about how best to effectively spread their guidelines to see the biggest influence on the publics health.

Source: https://www.globaldata.com/number-respiratory-conditions-will-continue-rise-uk-air-pollution-goes-unchecked-says-globaldata/October 1918 marks the centenary of the pandemic that claimed more lives than World War One

JUST as the cataclysmic conflict of the Great War was in its death throes, a new killer emerged that would, on a global scale, be even more lethal - the Spanish Flu pandemic, which was at its most virulent in October and November 1918.

It claimed the lives of up to 50 million worldwide and was responsible for an estimated 150,000 deaths in Britain. The country had one of the world's most highly developed healthcare systems, but central government and local authorities failed to take meaningful action to halt the spread of the disease.

"The Government didn't want people to panic, so they tried to keep it quiet," said Barry Doyle, who is Professor of Health History at the University of Huddersfield. He has been researching the pandemic and Britain's response, with some of his findings relayed in a blog for the Wellcome Library.

It is titled Snuffing potash to ward off flu, a reference to one of the more eccentric responses to the flu outbreak.

"The only thing the authorities could do was publish advice and it varied from quite useful to completely odd," said Professor Doyle. "For example, there was a suggestion that permanganate of potash, salt and water could either be gargled or snuffed up the nostrils two or three times a day!

"Most of the advice was don't go to crowded places, wrap up warmly, stay indoors, go to bed and wait till the flu passes. But the problem was that adults had work to go to, plus commitments to children and at the beginning of the pandemic there was still a war on, so there was a lot of pressure on people to get to work, especially in industrial areas. Sheffield had one of the highest mortality rates because it was a munitions town," said Professor Doyle.

One upshot of this was that the mortality rate among healthy adults was disproportionately high and older people were less affected.

"The elderly did what they were supposed to do and stayed in bed, whereas younger people got up and went to work or tried to shake it off and then very quickly got septic pneumonia and died within three or four days."

Spanish Flu death toll

Infectious disease wards in hospitals could not admit patients because so many nurses were down with flu -and there was a shortage of nursing and medical staff anyway, because of the war, said Professor Doyle, who added that in some households there might have been three or four deaths, but bodies had to remain there because there were no fit gravediggers and coffin makers.

Although Britain had one of the best healthcare systems in 1918, it was controlled by local authorities and voluntary organizations, meaning that there was little that central government could do - apart from issuing an order that cinemas should be evacuated and ventilated every three hours - but the response was no better in any other country, said Professor Doyle.

The pandemic was one of the deadliest outbreaks in all history and it spread throughout the world, whether or not countries had been embroiled in the Great War.

There has been extensive research and debate over how and where the pandemic originated, although the first recorded cases seem to have been in a remote part of Kansas, in the USA, during the early part of 1918. The global outbreak was eventually dubbed "Spanish" flu because Spain was a non-combatant in the Great War.

"This meant that the Spanish were talking about this epidemic, whereas the British, French and American Press were trying to keep it quiet," said Professor Doyle.

Source: https://www.hud.ac.uk/news/2018/september/spanish-flu-centenary/Commitment plays a crucial role in many aspects of our lives, be it in relationships, at work or, more practically, how we approach exercise or rehab and other programs that require long-term dedication to be effective.

But despite having a significant influence on how we behave, experts do not fully understand how we assess our own levels of commitment and those of others.

The EU-funded SENSE OF COMMITMENT project is seeking to fill this scientific knowledge gap through research that could have an impact in a surprisingly wide range of areas  including how robots interact with humans. It could even hold promise for better treating borderline personality disorder, a mental illness that often results in relationship problems.

This kind of research will help keep the EU at the forefront of innovation in robotics but also productivity  maintaining motivation in companies  and health, says John Michael of the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, who received a grant from the EU's European Research Council (ERC) for the project.

Coordination is key

Through experiments with healthy adults, Michael and his collaborators have found evidence that coordination on a given task between two or more people can spark a sense of commitment, making those individuals more likely to stick with it. Coordinated decision-making has a similar effect, they found, leading those involved to resist tempting alternatives.

These findings could be fodder for guidelines on how best to motivate people and boost productivity in a variety of different settings, Michael says.

We could develop guidelines for training programs where people have to coordinate with someone else, or somebody getting to do their program depends on you doing your program so that youre interdependent  things like this, he says.

In addition, the researchers found evidence to support the hypothesis that the perception of a partners effort elicits a sense of commitment towards a joint undertaking, leading to increased persistence when tempted to drop out. This, they discovered, is also the case when ones partner is a robot.

Retooling robots

Working with the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, Italy, the project team is carrying out experiments with robots that could improve how they interact with people. With robots poised to become more present in years to come, this could be important in settings such as retirement homes or during rescue operations.

There is already  and is going to be  an issue with robots not always working as well as they should be. Sometimes being too slow, making mistakes, says Michael.

If we can figure out design features that will help to create the impression that theyre at least trying and are investing effort, then we hope that people will be more patient about putting up with little peccadilloes like that, and wont lose interest, disengage and become frustrated.

Michael and his team are also taking a closer look at the interpersonal difficulties experienced by people with borderline personality disorder, who often have issues assessing the appropriate level of commitment or intimacy in their dealings with others.

Around 45 % of individuals with the disorder have significant histories of unemployment and around 8 % commit suicide, Michael notes, adding that improving their situation could boost both their quality of life and cut healthcare costs. Ultimately, this could even save lives, he adds.

The team is about to carry out studies in collaboration with colleagues at University College London and the Anna Freud Centre in London, a world leader in research on borderline personality disorder.

By learning how their thought processes around commitment differ from the general population, we might be able to shed light on the cognitive processes underpinning peoples responsiveness to commitment, Michael explains. This could also shed light on the kinds of triggers for episodes they have, for early diagnosis, possibly for treatment..HOW BJP BROKE THE KASHMIR JINX

How BJP Broke The Kashmir Jinx From being an untouchable to forming a government, the party has come a long way in the valley. BY AAKASH HASSAN

I THE FOUNDATION

A few days before January 26, 1992, the then president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Murli Manohar Joshi announced a yatra culminating with unfurling of the tricolor at Lal Chowk on Republic Day. Joshis announcement had come as a direct challenge to the hundreds of armed militants who used to freely roam the streets of Srinagar. Just two days before the R-Day they triggered a bomb blast at the office of the state police chief. Top officers, including the Director General of Police, sustained critical injuries just as they were holding a meeting on security preparations. More drama was in the offing. The Jammu-Srinagar road was washed away in a landslide. Joshi had to make last minute changes to his travel plans and take a flight directly to the valley. Around 10 miles west of Srinagar in Budgams Hakarmulla village, Mohammad Ashraf Aazad, a man in his early twenties, was following the developments keenly on BBCs radio service. Ashraf couldnt contain his excitement. He decided to visit Lal Chowk on R-Day to see everything with his own eyes. "Kashmir had only six districts at the time. Modi ji and I visited almost all districts." The entire valley was put under curfew. Lal Chowk was practically put under siege by the forces. Militants had formed groups and dispersed across the valley to carry out attacks. Ashraf left his house for Lal Chowk early in the morning. He walked most of the distance. Forces stopped me but I lied. I kept telling them that I have to go to a hospital, says Ashraf. Joshi had meanwhile made it to the square safely. He got out of a white Ambassador car where he was received by his partymen. Dressed in a long white gown and thick tan beanie, Joshi raised the flag on the pedestal of the clock tower, though he sustained injuries when the staff supporting the tricolour snapped. For more immersives like this

subscribe to our newsletter. Standing at some distance, Ashraf too raised his hand in salute when he saw the BJP workers saluting the flag. It was out of respect for their dedication, he says, I was surprised by their courage. Within a few moments Ashraf was noticed. I saw a man in black coming towards me. He gripped my arm and asked me my name. I was frightened but I did as he said. Ashraf says the person took him along in the Ambassador car to a place which he later found out was Srinagars Nehru Guest House. In time, he found out the name of the person who had brought him to the makeshift party office. He was an RSS pracharak and his name was Narendra Damodardas Modi. Joshi and Modi interacted with Ashraf and they were impressed. He was taken along to Jammu and asked to work for the BJP. When I returned to Srinagar, I got security and government accommodation, he says, My work was to tell people that the gun will give us nothing. The next year when Narendra Modi visited Kashmir, Ashraf was asked to stay with him. Kashmir had only six districts at the time. Modi ji and I visited almost all districts, he claims. We met a lot of people. BJPs foundation in the valley was being laid. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) waves to the crowd after he addressed an election campaign rally in Srinagar December 8, 2014. (Photo: REUTERS/Danish Ismail)

II Slow But Steady Growth

Modi started understanding the situation and looked for people who could work for him, Ashraf says. Though militancy was turning bloodier by the day, Modi and his team continued working on expanding BJPs base silently. During this time, Ashraf says, Modi stayed at his home for three days. Within a few days we had brought around a dozen people who began working for the BJP devotedly, says Ashraf. But no one would talk about it. There was fear of the gun. In 1998, the BJP came to the power at the Centre and Modi was appointed party in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir. The bond between Ashraf and Modi grew stronger. In 1999, during the Kargil war, Ashraf led a rally of BJP workers from Srinagar to Kargil on the request of Modi. Everyone is going to Kargil by air, but I want you to go by road, Ashraf recalls Modi telling him. I went with some other workers and met locals and the Army. By this time the party had enrolled the support of over a hundred local Muslims in the valley. Few among them, including Ashraf, also contested Assembly elections in 1996 on a BJP ticket. Though all the BJP candidates in Kashmir lost, in Jammu, the partys tally rose from 2 seats in 1987 to 8 seats in 1996. While the BJP was looking to expand its base in the country, it was difficult to find active members who would enrol to work fulltime for the party. Sofi Yousuf, a police constable, had different ideas. He left his job to join the party in 1996. Yousufs joining the BJP was a small yet remarkable event considering young men of his age at the peak of militancy were crossing over to the other side of the LOC to pick up arms. Yousuf says that it was the rigged polls of 1987 that gave birth to militancy in Kashmir and the problems were compounded when government-sponsored militia, the Ikhwanis, began committing atrocities. Behind all of this was the Congresssays Yousufand this became the reason for me to join the BJP.

III Amarnath Land Row & More Visibility

It was strangely during periods of severe crisis that the BJP seemed to be making deepest inroads into the valley. The counter-militancy operations were at their peak in Kashmir. Nobody was carrying the party flags around. But door-to-door conversations were being done in hushed tones. The Congress-led alliance came to power in the Centre, PDP-Congress and National Conference-Congress coalition governments were formed. All through this BJP loyalists in the valley kept working silently. It was the time when we started working on ground steadily, says Sofi Yousuf. But there was nothing big about the party happening, apparently. Sofi Yousuf in a meeting with BJP workers. (Photo: Photo by Abu Bakar) The party sensed a great opportunity right after 2008 when the state government agreed to transfer 99 acres of land to Amarnath Yatra Board to set up shelters for pilgrims. The Amarnath Land Row created a rift between the states Muslim population in the valley and the Hindus based in Jammu. Six people died and hundreds were injured during the 61-day row, which had brought the state down on its knees. We started reaching out to the youth right then, says Altaf Thakur, a BJP loyalist from 2002, and now partys state spokesperson. A lot of young people were also sent for tours and meetings with our party high command in Delhi, he says. More candidates were fielded in the 2008 Assembly polls, almost from every seat. Though the party did not win a single seat, the fact that people were openly contesting on BJP tickets from some very hostile areas in the valley for the first time was another sign of the partys growing confidence.

IV Campus Calling

While pursuing engineering from a college in Chennai, Aijaz Hussain was influenced by ABVP. When he returned to Kashmir and started his own business, he met a BJP leader and joined the party, soon after, in 2006. Actually the BJP leader was a local friend and when he had to travel to any place for work he would ask me for my car. I used to drive him around and sometimes also participate in the meetings, says Aijaz. I was impressed by their work and volunteered to join. He was taken into Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the party. In two years, he became state secretary of the youth wing. I worked hard for the party, he says recalling the visit of Amit Shah in 2008. Looking at the flags, banners and the hoardings Amit Shah Ji was so happy. Aijaz is one of the prominent youth faces of the party who scouts for young recruits in the valley. In 2015, he was elevated to the post of state vice-president of the youth wing. In July 2016, Aijaz was rewarded for his efforts and was inducted in BJPs national youth team, first Kashmiri to reach that level in the party. He was made national vice-president. "I feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to serve in the motherland of Shyama Prasad Mookerjee." Had I been working in another party I would never have been elevated to such posts, he says, But in BJP, hard work is the only thing that matters, no matter what your religion is, he adds. Aijaz, 32, says he is fulfilling the dream of Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, BJPs predecessor in many ways. Mookerjee was strongly opposed to Article 370, terming it as a threat to national unity and would go on to say "Ek desh mein do vidhan, do pradhan aur do nishan nahi chalenge" (A single country can't have two constitutions, two prime ministers, and two national emblems). I feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to serve in the motherland of Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, says Aijaz, a tall man with broad shoulders. The lotus in valley is blooming, he declares.

V Under Attack

Being a BJP worker in Kashmir has arguably been the toughest political assignment, and continues to be so, for any young neta. Several party workers have been publicly identified, attacked, kidnapped, tortured and killed. Sofi was campaigning for the 1999 parliamentary polls with Hyder Noorani, the BJPs candidate from Anantnag constituency. Near Thajiwara, a village in Bijbehara town of south Kashmir, their cavalcade came under attack. An improvised explosive device (IED) went off. Our cars were blown up. Hyder Noorani and three of our local workers died on the spot, recalls, Sofi. I was lying in a pool of blood. Militants from a nearby hillock were firing at us. Yousuf was wounded critically. He was rushed to the hospital. He was operated-upon and remained bedridden for the next six months. Though political workers from almost every party have been attacked in Kashmir, BJP workers were marked more often than others. Ashraf Aazads house was burned down a number of times. A day before Eid-ul-Adha, Shabir Ahmad Bhat, youth president of BJPs Pulwama district, was kidnapped. Next day his bullet-ridden body was found. Shabir, who had joined the party in 2014, was kidnapped by militants but managed to escape. He was provided security cover by the state. Unfortunately, when militants came looking for him the second time, he was alone. A relative showing picture of Shabir Ahmad Bhat. (Photo: Photo by Abu Bakar) In November 2017, the 30-year-old BJP youth president of Shopian, Gowhar Hussain Bhat was kidnapped from his home by militants in the evening. His body was found later with a slit throat. The Srinagar office of the BJP still bears marks of the last grenade attack. Window panes shattered in the blast are yet to be replaced. At our earlier office there had been three grenade attacks and at this office, grenades were hurled inside the compound twice, says Altaf. The office is protected by heavy security and barbed wires are laid along on the compound walls.

VI Grassroots Growth

The partys prospects changed dramatically after the 2014 Assembly elections and the subsequent tie-up with PDP. In power, the party claims to have gathered the support of thousands of youth in Kashmir. We gathered our cadre first and held meetings in Delhi, Jammu and Srinagar, says Altaf Thakur. These members were deputed back to their places for strengthening the party. Thousands of people joined us, says Sofi Yousuf. It was for the first time that the number of our workers crossed the lakh mark. According to the records at the BJPs Srinagar office, the party has over 3.5 lakh active workers in Kashmir today. After the elections and the tie-up with PDP, half of the ministers in the coalition government were from the BJP. Our ministers were directed to focus on Kashmir and in doing so they never overlooked our demands, said a BJP worker, wishing anonymity. When I would visit the civil secretariat I was free to visit any minister not only those from BJP. If any officer wouldnt do our work we used to go to our minister and ensure that he does it. A senior BJP leader in Kashmir claimed that one particular minister who did not pay heed to the party workers in the valley was replaced in no time. One of the ministers used to show an indifferent approach towards the Kashmiri party workers. We raised this issue with the party command. In the next ministerial reshuffle he was shown the door, the leader claims with a big smile. This is how parties strengthen their roots, he adds.

It was during this government that BJP got its first legislator from Kashmir. Sofi Yousuf was elected to the upper House of the J&K legislative Assembly. It is my duty to look after the needy. When I sanction my funds for the developmental works of a particular place, people of that area start following me, so it is very natural they will vote for me, Rashid Ahmad, a BJP worker from Anantnag says, It is the development which matters. Only old people in other parties are shown any attention by their party high commands. The BJP doesnt have that prejudice. So why should I work for other parties, he says, when asked if people look down upon him because of his BJP affiliation. A bureaucrat posted in the secretariat claims that most of the visits made to his office in the last three years were by BJP workers from the valley. Their workers got security, those who were feeling threatened also got government accommodation, he says. It was really hard to say no to them. The BJP workers benefited as much as workers of other parties. Sometimes more, because they used to bring in the influence of top ministers, said a Block Development Officer, who is responsible for allocating small contracts under different state and Centre sponsored schemes at the village level. When we were in power, we managed to open offices in all our districts, Altaf Thakur said, Now, our workers get respect in government offices as much as workers of other parties. He thanked the PDP and quoted Tariq Hameed Karra, a former PDP leader who recently joined the Congress. Karra had claimed that the BJP-RSS have now entered in every single part of the valley, even in our bedrooms and the PDP was the unwitting facilitator.

VII Living Under Fear

BJPs growth in Kashmir hasnt come without its own set of problems. The BJP has been accused of engineering defections in other parties to create a new party with MLAs poached from NC, Congress and PDP to govern the state for the remaining two years. The state Assembly has still not been dissolved after the PDP-BJP breakup. Party leader and former deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta had told News18 in July that a new government may not be formed anytime soon. Uncertainties are there, but we are working on something and people will get to know about it. This had prompted opposition leader Omar Abdullah to level charges of horse-trading against the BJP. "We are living in threat. The danger is not only from the militants but also from the people." Bilal Ahmad Parray, who was partys youth leader in Srinagar, announced his resignation in August. Parray, 27, says he wanted to become a bridge between people and the party. I persuaded dozens of youth to join the party. I was playing an active role and it was the first time I had joined any political party, says Parray. He says the main reason for his resignation was the increasing domination of Kashmiri Pandits in the organisation. The party leadership is giving more preference to the Kashmiri Pandits, while actually, we are working on the ground at greater risk, he says. Altaf Thakur hails from Darsara area of Tral, a militant hotbed, and has not been home for eight years. (Photo: Photo by Abu Bakar) He joined the BJP because he believed the party was against nepotism in politics and rewarded hard work. The problem is they are not giving much preference to Kashmiri Muslims, but seem interested in raking up the issue like Article 370 and Article 35A, Parray told News18. If the BJP has to expand its footprint in Kashmir, it will have to change its approach. Another leader from south Kashmir also quit the party recently because of security threat. We are living in threat. The danger is not only from the militants but also from the people, he says. People attacked my house a number of times. I might get protection but that is not enough. In the recent months, some of the BJP workers have also announced their resignation in local mosques publicly claiming to have nothing to do with the BJP. For more immersives like this

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VIII Making Inroads In 2014

In 2014, the PDP was touted as the party that could almost sweep the Assembly elections that year. The ruling NC was battling anti-incumbency, its prospect of doing well in the polls was further hampered by the public anger over the hanging of Afzal Guru and the civilian protests of 2010, which saw the deaths of around 120 people. The Congress was barely trying to stay alive in the contest. The PDP was set to win big time. Come the counting day and people in the valley were staring at the most surprising of the results. The PDP won 28 seats in the 87-member Assembly but was well short of the half way mark. The BJP with 25 seats not only relegated the Congress to fourth place but also emerged as a kingmaker in a hung Assembly. However, the most startling statistic from the 2014 results was the fact that the BJP had a larger vote share than any other party in the state. With 23% votes it has polled slightly more than the PDP's (22.7%). The NCs vote share had dipped to 20.8% and the Congress could manage just 18%. What boosted the BJP's vote share was its impressive showing in the Hindu-dominated seats of the Jammu region. Of these 25 seats, it won 22 and garnered a vote share of a staggering 48.1% in the region, enough to make the party's state-wide share reach a healthy figure. Surge In Jammu The Modi wave, which had swept the rest of the country in 2014 travelled further north to Jammu and Kashmir a few months later. The BJP won 25 of the 37 seats in the province in the state assembly election, a jump of 14 seats from the last Assembly elections that would later lead to the path of governance, which helped it emerge as the second largest party in the state. Close to one-half of the people in the region voted for the BJP. This was nearly 100 per cent increase in the vote share compared to the previous election and about 200 per cent than that in 2008, a living testimony of how the saffron party made inroads into Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu District While the 2008 election saw a remarkable surge of 164 per cent in the BJPs vote share, the 2014 polls further consolidated the partys base in the Jammu district. Close to 4 lakh people the voted for BJP, an increase of more than 1.75 lakh from the previous polls. Border areas The best performance of the BJP, however, was recorded in the border areas of Jammu province where it won an overwhelming 13 seats out of the 19. In the 2008 polls, it had won only 3 seatsRajouri, Nagrota and Bishnah constituencies. The BJP grabbed 54.15 per cent vote share in 2014, up from 20.6 per cent in the 2008 and 19.2 in 2002 state polls. In Hira Nagar, Chhamb, and Billawar constituencies, the party polled 69.2 per cent, 60.5 per cent and 58.3 per cent votes respectively. Muslim-majority areas That BJP won more than 30 per cent vote share in the Muslim-majority constituencies of Jammu province. The party witnessed a huge 31.3 per cent increase in the vote share from 2008 polls at Dodaone of the seven Muslim-dominated constituencies in the province, where its candidate Shakti Raj won with 24,572 votes up from 2,756 votes in 2008. Kashmir Valley, Forever Unchanged The BJP went into the 2014 Assembly polls with the Mission 44-plus, marking its intention to get a majority in the 87-member House. However, the party not only drew a blank in the Kashmir valley. All its 34 candidates lost their deposits. North Kashmir For the BJP, this has been a tough frontier to breach. The region is a hotbed of militancy. Such is the situation here that the saffron party didnt even field a candidate in half the constituencies in 2014. Its vote share in some other constituencies like Karnah, Lolab and Uri, remained the same as compared to the 2008 election. South Kashmir The BJP performed somewhat better in the south of Kashmir Valley. The party seemed to have lacked confidence in 2008 when it did not field candidates in one-third of the constituencies. Six years later, they not only contested in all barring one but also garnered more than 1,500 votes in 11 constituencies. All speculations about winning a seat in Kashmir were laid to rest after witnessing a huge turnout. But the party performed considerably well in Devsar, Homshalibug, Pampore, Tral and Shopian. Central Kashmir The National Conferences erstwhile voting bank also remained out of reach for the saffron party in 2014 polls. In constituencies like Chadoora, Khan Saheb and Eidgah, the BJP didnt even field any candidates. Srinagar The votes garnered by the BJP candidates in Srinagar city were respectable in view of partys first serious foray into the valley. While most of the Srinagar constituencies witnessed very low turnout, the BJP managed to raise their vote share substantially in some of the constituencies in the heart of Srinagar. Much of this was due to the postal votes which comprised a large number of migrant votes of Kashmiri Pandit community who live in other parts of the country. Habba Kadal in Srinagar gave BJP the highest vote share in the valley where 22.2 of votes were polled for the saffron party. Losing Ladakh Hopes were high and so were the stakes (if the party had to achieve the magical Mission 44+) when the BJP won the regions sole parliamentary seat in May earlier that year. It represented a new wave in the region and the BJP expected victory in at least two Assembly seats, especially in the Buddhist-dominated district of Leh. The party had invested enough in this area and Prime Minister Narendra Modis speeches before large gatherings in Leh and Kargil on August 12, 2014 had the expectations rolling. But an alarmed Congress refreshed focus on the region swept three of the four constituencies.

IX Opportunity In AdversityAmazing Spider-Man #78 opens the door to the Nextwave connection it's been teasing for months

Amazing Spider-Man's Beyond era is about to meet the Beyond Corporation's biggest enemyKabul : Afghan health authorities on Monday launched a five-day polio vaccination drive in some of the country's most high-risk provinces.

"Teams will visit 6.4 million children under the age of five in 27 high-risk provinces, mainly in Kandahar and Nangarhar. This follows several new cases in both regions," Xinhua news agency quoted the Public Health Ministry as saying.

The drive was launched as a fresh polio case was detected in Afghanistan earlier this month, bringing the number of confirmed cases since January this year to 14, according to the Ministry.

"Polio is a crippling and a potentially fatal infectious disease. There is no cure and the polio vaccine is the only safe and effective way to protect children." It added.

In August, the Ministry with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), launched a nationwide campaign targeting 9.9 million children under the age of five.

The ongoing insurgency and conflicts have been hindering the efforts to curb the infectious disease in the mountainous country as 1.2 million children from inaccessible areas have missed previous drives.Wuxi (China) : China's leading electric vehicle company, Sunra, sees India soon emerging as the world's biggest market for electric bikes and plans to set up a factory in the country.



The firm, which exports e-bikes and its spares to some 70 countries, including India, says it is upbeat about investing in the country, especially in light of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies for the electric vehicle (EV) sector and invitation to companies to manufacture e-vehicles in India.

"We are studying the policies and we want to set up a factory in India, most likely in Bangalore (Bengaluru)," Sunra's General Manager Victor Lu told IANS at the company's headquarters here in Wuxi, a fast-developing city in China's eastern province Jiangsu.

According to McKinsey, China has emerged as the leader in both the supply of -- and demand for -- electric vehicles. In 2017, 777,000 EVs were sold in China as compared to 507,000 in 2016.

Victor, however, thinks India will outpace China in four or five years in terms of demand for e-vehicles.

"We see India as the world's biggest market for e-bikes and we want to tap into it," Victor said. "There is a so much pollution in Delhi and other Indian cities. People would switch to e-bikes very soon."

"And, the Modi government's decision to encourage the use of e-vehicles is all the more reason for us to invest in India," he added.

India is the world's second-largest greenhouse gas emitter after China and tops the list of countries having the biggest number of two-wheelers that run on petrol. And many of the world's most polluted cities are in India.

This is one of the reasons the Modi government wants India to switch to e-vehicles. It estimates that this will significantly cut the country's oil bill and also bring down emissions by 37 percent.

Sunra already has a presence in India as it exports batteries, other spares parts and e-bikes to the country.

"We have 16 small-time partners in Delhi. We send our engineers to these companies to assemble e-bikes. Now, we want to go big," he said, adding that India already has two Sunra bike models on its roads.

"There are six models that are currently under ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) test," Victor said.

"At present, we make only 20 percent bikes for the Indian market, but we want it to be 80 percent in the future," he added.

(Gaurav Sharma can be contacted at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com.)Cairo : An Egyptian court on Sunday sentenced the Supreme Guide of Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie to life imprisonment over storming a police station in the Upper Egypt's province of Minya in 2013, the media reported.

A total of 64 other members of the Islamic group were also handed life sentence, which is 25 years in jail in Egypt.

The case dates back to August 2013 when the defendants assaulted a police station and killed a policeman, after the army-led ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in response to mass protests against his one-year rule.

The other 600 people charged in the same case were sentenced up to 15 years in prison.

They were also found guilty of vandalism, attacking public property, possessing arms and joining illegal organisations, the court said.

Badie, spiritual guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, was handed death sentence for ordering the murder of 10 people in Cairo in 2013.

In January 2010, Badie was elected the Muslim Brotherhood's eighth chief since its foundation in 1928 after a bitter dispute between ideologically focused conservatives and reformists.

He also received two other life sentences in cases related to espionage for a foreign country and violence.

Most Muslim Brotherhood's leaders, members and supporters, including Morsi himself, are currently jailed, many of whom have received appealable death and life sentences over various charges ranging from inciting violence and murder to espionage and jailbreak.

Morsi is currently serving a 20-year sentence for inciting deadly clashes between his supporters and opponents in late 2012, and a 25-year jail term for leaking classified documents to Qatar.New Delhi : Indian and Egyptian defence forces will "intensify" their training interactions and the two nations are also working towards holding joint exercises.

At the conclusion of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's official visit to Egypt, a ministry spokesman said the two countries have agreed to step up defence ties.

Sitharaman visited Egypt on September 20-22 on the invitation of Egyptian counterpart General Mohamed Ahmed Zaki Mohamed to take forward the "steadily growing bilateral defence ties" between the two nations.

"The two ministers decided to explore deeper cooperation in the fields of defence industry and research and development, including joint production of defence equipment.

"Both sides reaffirmed their intent to enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism. Naval cooperation, including cooperation in maritime domain awareness, was identified as a potential area," the statement said.

The two ministers agreed to mutual exchange of technical and expert level delegations to follow up on their discussions.

The bilateral ties were strongly articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the latter's visit to India in 2016.New Delhi : Just over a week after commitments by investors, business communities and governments to step up actions at the Global Climate Action Summit, another two global dialogues both in New York next week, were the line to push actions towards bolder solutions to tackle climate change, experts said on Sunday.

The opening ceremony of Climate Week New York City, 10th in series, on Monday, attracts CEOs, government ministers, governors, mayors and investors from around the world, while the second One Planet Summit on September 26 will be a crucial step for raising ambitions and accelerating the protection of planet from carbon emissions.

"This year we expect our distinguished speakers to include senior leadership of the UN, global CEOs and national leaders," a spokesperson for Climate Week New York City told IANS on Sunday.

Businesses, cities and states are coming together over this period to step up climate leadership, and will be calling on their peers and governments to do the same - to put the world on-track to achieve the Paris Agreement.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern; Costa Rica President Carlos Alvarado Quesada; Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine; Peru President Martin Vizcarra; and Haiti President Jovenel Moise will attend the opening ceremony of the Climate Week New York City that concludes on September 30.

As well as Brad Smith, President and CLO of Microsoft; Jens Birgersson CEO of Rockwool Group; Jake Yamashita CEO of Ricoh; Francesco Starace CEO of ENEL; Stephen Badger Chairman of Mars; Alexandra Liftman Global Environmental Executive of Bank of America; Paul Coster of JP Morgan; and Fleming Voetmann, Vice President of ICA, will also be present.

One Planet Summit will be co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and UN Special Envoy for Climate Action Michael R. Bloomberg.

The summit will be held on September 26, following the second annual Bloomberg Global Business Forum and alongside the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

"Climate action requires a collective response. Discipline and ambition are essential. We are going through challenging times, but solutions are everywhere, all over the world. We must act together to foster innovation, boost transformative projects, gather public and private investments, and deliver on our promises for the next generations," Macron said in a statement.

Bloomberg, who is the founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, added: "Since last year's summit, we've taken important steps forward to reduce carbon emissions and improve people's lives, by cleaning the air, growing the economy, and creating jobs. This year's summit is a chance to accelerate that progress and spread the health and economic benefits of climate action to more people around the world."

Launched on December 12, 2017, in Paris, the inaugural One Planet Summit gathered more than 4,000 participants to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement and to engage public and private actors in the fight against climate change.

Three years after the historic signing of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the just concluded Global Climate Action Summit and the upcoming Climate Week New York City and One Planet Summit will confirm the commitment of public and private actors to climate action.

Both climate summits are lined up in run up to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that will publish a special report on global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius for policymakers in October.

At the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, 29 philanthropic communities announced $4 billion over five years to combat climate change, the largest-ever philanthropic investment focused on climate change mitigation.

Likewise, an alliance of more than 60 state/regional, city governments and multinational businesses has committed to a 100 per cent zero emission targets through the ZEV (zero emission vehicle) Challenge.

Mahindra and Mahindra, India's leading manufacturer of utility vehicles and part of the $20.7 billion Mahindra Group, has announced its commitment to become a carbon neutral company by 2040.

So is big emitters like India's Dalmia Cement that has committed to set science-based emissions reduction targets. The company aims to be carbon negative by 2040.

Almost 400 global companies along with health care providers, cities, states and regions now have 100 per cent renewable energy targets.

This includes nearly 150 major global companies such as Tata Motors and Sony that have joined the RE100 initiative: collective annual revenues of these companies total well over $2.75 trillion and their annual electricity demand is higher than that of Poland, the venue of UN Climate Change's Conference or COP24 to be held from December 2 to 14.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)Male : Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party's candidate, was on Monday declared the winner of the country's presidential election held on Sunday amid political turmoil in the island nation, with incumbent President Abdulla Yameen conceding defeat.

The Election Commission earlier in the day declared Solih the winner with 134,616 or 58.3 per cent of the votes, compared to 96,132 votes or 41.5 per cent secured by Yameen, backed by the Progressive Party of Maldives, reports Efe news.

Solih will be sworn in on November 17 and his term is expected to continue until 2023.

"I know that I have to step down now," Yameen, who has been accused of crushing dissent in the archipelago, said in a short speech from the presidential office.

Yameen, whose rule was marred by accusations of despotism, said he accepted the decision made by the people, and urged them "to remain calm and ensure the smooth transition of power".

In his victory speech, Solih said: "The message is loud and clear. The people of Maldives want change, peace and justice."

India, which is concerned with the political instability in the Maldives, also welcomed the result.

"We welcome the successful completion of the third presidential election process in the Maldives which, according to preliminary information, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The island country, home to around 22,000 Indians, is of strategic importance to New Delhi also due to its growing proximity with China.

Exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed said on Twitter that Solih had done "an extremely good service" to the people of Maldives.

These were the third democratic elections in the country, after the adoption of the Constitution in 2008, which paved the road for the establishment of a multi-party democracy in the archipelago.

Sunday's elections saw a high turnout of 89.22 per cent of the 263,000 eligible voters, the Commission said.

The European Union and US had earlier voiced concerns about the election, with both threatening to impose targeted sanctions if the democratic situation did not improve.

The upheaval in the archipelago worsened after the Supreme Court in February quashed the convictions of nine opposition figures, among them Nasheed, who was ousted from office in 2012.

But after Yameen declared a state of emergency and ordered the arrest of two judges, the court reversed its decision.Islamabad : Pakistan's two major opposition parties have held the present government responsible for the latest diplomatic debacle following New Delhi's refusal to hold a meeting between the two foreign ministers in New York.

The leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) allege that the government has not done its homework and assessed the situation before approaching India for a meeting, terming the talks offer through a letter written by Khan to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi a "misstep", Dawn online reported on Sunday.

PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif said: "Pakistan is more than capable of defending and responding to any aggression by New Delhi".

"Pakistan extending an olive branch to India should never be misconstrued as weakness."

Former Foreign Minister and PML-N MNA Khawaja Mohammad Asif told Dawn on Saturday that it seemed the government was "not prepared" from day one, adding that "too much keenness being shown by the Prime Minister" showed "weakness on our part".

"Giving them (India) too much reflects haste on our part to mend fences with India," he said, adding that he was not against normalisation of relations between the two neighbours, but "dignity must be maintained".

PPP Vice-President and the country's former Ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman said Khan's government should have done its homework before approaching India for a meeting, especially after the initial response.

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's meeting that was scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session next week, was cancelled by New Delhi on Friday.

New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the killing of security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir and accusing it of glorifying terrorism, in terms of releasing a postage stamp featuring Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani who was killed by Indian security forces.

India announced its decision just 24 hours after Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in his media briefing on Thursday that New Delhi has accepted Islamabad's request for a meeting between Sushma Swaraj and Qureshi at the UN.Singapore : Singapore authorities on Monday imposed a fine of S$13 million ($9 million) on ride-hailing companies Grab and Uber for violating competition laws in their merger deal.

In March, US-based Uber sold its Southeast Asian business to Singapore-based Grab - its main rival in the region - in exchange for a 27.5 per cent stake in the firm, reports Efe news.

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) opened an investigation the next day and has concluded that the merger has led Grab to increase prices by 10-15 per cent and decrease the amount and frequency of rider promotions and driver incentives.

The CCCS said that after the merger, 80 per cent of Singapore's market came into the hands of Grab, which imposes exclusivity obligations on taxi companies, car rental partners, and some of its drivers.

The competition watchdog imposed a fine of S$6.58 million on Uber and S$6.42 million on Grab to "deter completed, irreversible mergers that harm competition".

"Mergers that substantially lessen competition are prohibited and CCCS has taken action against the Grab-Uber merger because it removed Grab's closest rival, to the detriment of Singapore drivers and riders," CCCS Chief Executive Toh Han Li said in a statement.

The regulator directed Uber to sell its rental vehicles to any potential competitor that makes a reasonable offer based on fair market value.

The CCCS also ordered Grab to ensure that drivers have the freedom to choose any platform and that fares and driver commissions are maintained at pre-merger level, as well as to withdraw exclusivity arrangements with taxi fleets.

The merger was also investigated by the competition watchdog of the Philippines, which in August approved the merger, giving Grab 93 per cent of the local market, after imposing a series of conditions to ensure fair prices.United Nations : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj began her hectic round of bilateral interactions on the sidelines of the annual high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday meeting the Foreign Ministers of Nepal, Morocco and Lichtenstein.



Although it was not a formal meeting, she greeted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when she came to the UN, India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.

Sushma Swaraj and members of the Indian mission began the day by paying respects to the Indian flag at the UN before her scheduled participation in the High-Level Event on Counter-Narcotics convened by US President Donald Trump.

Sushma Swaraj and Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, the Foreign Minister of "close neighbour" Nepal, "took stock of our bilateral relationship" at their meeting, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

She also held a bilateral meeting with Federica Mogherini, the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

They "discussed issues related to trade and investment and exchanged views on the regional and global issues", Kumar said in a tweet.

He noted that India and the EU were bound by a "strategic partnership based on common values of democracy, freedom and rule of law.

"Celebrating 25th anniversary of our diplomatic relations" Sushma Swaraj and Lichtenstein Foreign Minister Aurelia Frick "exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations in trade and investment, particularly through participation at Indian trade fairs and tourism," Kumar tweeted.

On relations with Morocco, he noted that they stretched back to the time of Ibn Battuta, the 14th century explorer, and tweeted that Sushma Swaraj and "Morocco Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita discussed strengthening cooperation in areas of commerce, pharma, cyber security, defence and culture".

Sushma Swaraj is scheduled to speak in the afternoon at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit honouring the birth centenary of the South African freedom fighter and president.

On the sidelines of the UNGA, her hectic schedule is expected to include a total of 30 one-on-one meetings with about 30 leaders and participation in several multilateral meetings, according to Dinesh K. Patnaik, the Joint Secretary, United Nations Political.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis)Sorry!

This content is not available in your regionNew Delhi:

India, which is 81% dependent on imports to meet its oil requirements, is looking at reducing oil purchases to control growing crude oil prices and declining rupee. India is the third largest importer of crude oil and rising international crude oil prices are inflating domestic transport fuel rates in a strong demand environment.

Indian Oil Corp (IOC) Chairman Sanjiv Singh on Monday told news agency PTI that refiners maintain 7-8 days of inventory in tankages besides carrying stocks in pipelines as well as ships in transit. They are planning to cut these so that monthly imports of crude oil can be reduced.

"We had a meeting last to last Saturday (September 15) to deliberate on a host of issues facing the industry and at that meeting, one of the options that was considered was to reduce imports by cutting down on inventory levels," Singh said.

Also Read | Fuel Price Hike: Petrol in Mumbai jumps to Rs 90-mark, Diesel in Delhi at Rs 82.72

An important factor guiding the decision was also Asian Premium climbing to as high as $3-5 per barrel in last 3-4 months, he said.Asian Premium is extra charge being collected by oil-cartel OPEC countries from Asian countries when selling oil in comparison to western countries.

"Reducing inventory levels and imports are being considered as temporary measures without impacting fuel supply in the domestic market," he said. "This decision would in no way be allowed to impact supplies of petroleum products in the domestic market. Our commitment to meet domestic supplies remains supreme."

Fuel prices in India continue to surge on Monday pushing the petrol price to cross the Rs 90-mark per litre in Mumbai, while diesel stood at Rs 78.58 per litre in the financial capital, rising by 11 paise per litre and 5 paise per litre respectively. While in Delhi, the petrol price touched Rs 82.72 per litre and diesel was priced at Rs 74.02 per litre on Monday.

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The rupee fell sharply by 29 paise to 72.49 against the dollar on Monday.Forex dealers said the greenback's strength against other currencies overseas, after reports that China had cancelled upcoming trade talks with the US, weighed on the Indian rupee.

(With PTI inputs)

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

NTPC, the countrys largest power utility, has been given an approval by the Environment Ministry for the Rs 7,732-crore expansion project of the Talcher Thermal Power Station in Odisha, a senior government official said on Monday.

The state-run power producers proposal is to add two additional units of 660 MW each in the existing premise of the Talcher Thermal Power Project (TTPP) located in the Angul district of Odisha.

Also Read | Fuel Price Hike: Petrol in Mumbai jumps to Rs 90-mark, Diesel in Delhi at Rs 82.72

The Union Environment Ministry has given the environment clearance for the NTPCs proposed coal-based ultra-supercritical thermal power project expansion. The approval has been given with some riders, the official said.

The proposed project, which is expected to meet the power demand of the eastern region, is estimated to cost Rs 7,732.35 crore and is planned to be commissioned by 2022.

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In its proposal, the NTPC said about 446-acre land is required for expansion. The two additional plant facilities will be set up within the land available in the existing power station.

The coal requirement for the expansion project is estimated to be about 6.9 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and it will be supplied by the Coal India Ltd (CIL), mostly from Mahanadi Coalfields.

The NTPC plants generate about one-fourth of the total power generated in the country. The company has been continuously exploring and identifying projects, where expansion of existing stations apart from new greenfield projects could be set up, wherever feasible.

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Days after India slammed Pakistan for releasing postal stamps of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and cited it as one of the two reasons for cancelling of ministerial-level talks, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said hundreds of thousands of people are fighting in Kashmir, not all of them are terrorists.

India on Friday cited the "brutal" killing of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the release of the postal stamps "glorifying" Burhan Wani for calling off the meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this month.

"India is reluctant, we will not close our doors," Qureshi said while addressing a news conference at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington on Sunday. "Hiding away from issues will not make them disappear. It will not improve the situation in Kashmir," Dawn online quoted Qureshi as saying. "Engagement, no-engagement. Coming, not coming. We desired talks as we believe the sensible way is to meet and talk. They agreed, and then disagreed," Qureshi said.

Also Read | Punjab Rains: Red alert issued, CM Amarinder Singh orders closure of schools, colleges tomorrow

According to Qureshi, India's response to Pakistan's peace offer was harsh and non-diplomatic.

"We did not use a non-diplomatic language in our rejoinder. Our response was matured and measured. They adopted a new approach, and moved back," he said.

Taking on Swaraj, Qureshi said the Indian External Affairs Ministers "language and tone was unbecoming of a foreign minister".

"We did not use a non-diplomatic language in our rejoinder. Our response was matured and measured. They adopted a new approach, and moved back," he said.

The foreign minister also alleged that Swaraj's "language and tone was unbecoming of a foreign minister", the report said.Asked if tensions between India and Pakistan could lead to a war between the two countries, Qureshi said "Who is talking of war? Not us. We want peace, stability, employment and improving lives. You identify where is the reluctance".Qureshi said that Pakistan's desire for peace should not be mistaken for a sign of weakness."We want peace. It does not mean, we cannot defend ourselves against aggression. We can but we do not have an aggressive mindset," he said.

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The foreign minister also reiterated Pakistan's offer to open the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara corridor for allowing Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the historic gurdwara on the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev.India initially agreed to a meeting between Swaraj and Qureshi, but later said it would would be "meaningless" to hold talks after the "two deeply disturbing" developments.Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived following a spate of terror attacks on Indian military bases by Pakistan-based terror groups since January 2016.Following the strikes, India announced it will not engage in talks with Pakistan, saying terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand.

(With PTI inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Wayanad/Kochi:

A Catholic nun has been restrained from church duties and a Jacobite priest has been warned of disciplinary action for participating in a protest by nuns demanding the arrest of rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal, in Kochi.

Sister Lucy Kalapura, who returned to her parish in Wayanad from Kochi on Sunday morning, claimed she was informed orally by the Mother Superior that she should keep away from holding catechism classes, conducting prayers and other activities related to the Syro Malabar Catholic church.

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No written orders were given to me. I was only informed orally by the Mother Superior not to participate in any church-related activities, the sister told PTI. However, in a statement Father Stephen Kottakkal, vicar of the St Marys church Karakkamala in Wayanad said Sister Lucy had been asked to keep away from duties in view of certain concerns expressed by the parishioners.

He denied that the church had initiated any retaliatory measure against Sister Lucy for participating in the nuns protest in Kochi.

The priest, Bar Yuhanon Ramban, of the Ernakulam district, said that on Sunday he had received a warning letter from his church headquarters at Damascus in Syria for supporting the nuns protest.

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The nuns had protested for 13 days, demanding the arrest of the bishop who was accused of repeatedly raping a fellow nun. The bishop, arrested on Friday after three days of intense grilling by Kerala police, is now in police custody.

(With PTI inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The IndiaA Meteorological DepartmentA (IMD) on Monday issued a red alert across Punjab as heavy rains continued to pound the North Indian state on the third consecutive day. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh chaired a meeting with authorities to review the flood relief plans and asked them to activate Disaster Control Rooms.

Singh also ordered the closure of all schools and colleges across the state on Tuesday in view of incessant rains and the looming flood threat. The Army has also been kept on standby to carry out the emergency evacuation.

aAll officials to remain on standby. The Army has also been requested to be on standby. Hotspots to be identified with clear evacuation and relief plans. Have also ordered a Special Girdawari to assess crop damage,aA the chief minister said.

Charing a meeting to access the current situation as a result of the heavy rains in H.P and water being released from dams. Preparing a contingency plan for the same. Will ensure safety of Punjabis. Have also ordered a Special Girdawari to assess crop damage, if any. pic.twitter.com/tI47UbLJep a Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) September 24, 2018

Meanwhile, six people were killed in rain-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Five people were killed in Jammu and Kashmiras Doda district due to a landslide, while a man was feared dead after being swept away in overflowing rivulet in Himachal Pradeshas Kangra.

aA mud house of nomads was hit by a landslide in which five people including two females and three males died this morning,a the Indian Express quoted Doda deputy commissioner Simrandeep Singh as saying.

In Himachal Pradesh, many roads, including the national highways have been blocked due to cloud burst and rains. Five people were also missing in Manali after their car washed away in flood waters.

#HimachalPradesh: Visuals from Babeli Nature Park in Kullu following heavy and incessant rainfall in the region pic.twitter.com/Fcofx4OEyd a ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy was rescued from the Indian Ocean on , three days after he suffered a severe injury when the main mast of his boat was ripped off in a storm, officials said. The Australian Rescue Coordination Centre at Canberra was coordinating the rescue mission in cooperation with many agencies, including the Australian Defence Department and the Indian Navy.

The Indian Navy deployed its P-8i surveillance aircraft to as part of the rescue mission, officials said. A French vessel, Osiris, was also deployed in the rescue mission.

ALSO READ: PM Modi inaugurates Sikkim's first - greenfield airport in Pakyong

Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took to Twitter after Abhilash Tomy was rescued from the Indian Ocean.

A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He's concious and doing okay. The vessel will shift him to a nearby island (I'lle Amsterdam) by evening. INS Satpura will take him to Mauritius for medical attention. @PIB_India  Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) September 24, 2018

A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He's concious and doing okay. The vessel will shift him to a nearby island (I'lle Amsterdam) by evening. INS Satpura will take him to Mauritius for medical attention, her tweet read.

ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma becomes fastest Indian to hit 300 sixes

Tomy had suffered a back injury after his yacht was hit by a storm with 14-metre-high waves mid-way while participating in the Golden Globe Race across the south Indian Ocean. His vessel was located by an Indian Navy aircraft, a defence spokesman said on .

Tomy, on , managed to contact race organisers in France through messages and had requested for a stretcher as he could not move on his own. He was representing India in the Golden Globe Race 2018 (GGR) on an indigenously-built sailing vessel S V Thuraya.

The Navys P8I aircraft, which flew from Mauritius in the early hours on , has located the mast broken boat rolling excessively, the spokesman said.

Commander Tomy responded by ping on EPIRB as the aircraft was flying over him, he said.

(With PTI inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Security forces on Monday gunned down three militants in an anti-infiltration operation along the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Kupwara, taking the total count to five. A soldier also lost his life in the operation which was still in the progress. Two militants were neutralised in the same operation on Sunday night.

Three more terrorists have been killed today as the Army foiled an infiltration attempt along the LoC in Tangdhar sector (in north Kashmirs Kupwara district), PTI quoted an Army spokesman as saying.

Also Read | Home Ministry dismisses Rahul Gandhi's comment on SPG as 'baseless', 'devoid of fact'

One gallant soldier has been martyred in the operation, the spokesman added.

On Sunday, the security forces had launched the anti-infiltration operation after noticing suspicious movement along the border.

The tension has increased on the border after the recent act of barbarism by Pakistani forces. The Pakistan Border Action (BAT) team had beheaded a BSF soldier.

Reacting to the heinous act, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had issued a stern warning to Pakistan, saying that barbarism meted out by terrorists and the Pakistan Army against Indian soldiers will be avenged.

Read More | Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy rescued by French vessel after Golden Globe Race injury

We need to take stern action to avenge the kind of barbarism that terrorists and the Pakistan Army have been carrying against our soldiers. It is time to give it back to them in the same coin but not by resorting to a similar kind of barbarism. I think the other side must also feel the same pain, Rawat had told reporters during a press conference in Jaipur.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Nitin Sandesara, the absconding director of a Gujarat-based pharma company, is likely to have fled to Nigeria, according to sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The pharma company is being probed in a Rs 5,000-crore fraud case and Nitin Sandesara was reported to have been arrested in Dubai last month.

There were reports that Nitin Sandesara was detained by UAE authorities in Dubai in the second week of August. The information was incorrect. He was never detained in Dubai. He and other family members probably left for Nigeria much before that, an official was quoted as saying by Times of India.

ALSO READ | Who will have the last laugh over triple talaq

The CBI has booked Vadodara-based Sterling Biotech, its directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and Vilas Joshi, chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, former director Andhra Bank Anup Garg and some unidentified persons for duping banks to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore.

Sandesaras other family members, including brother Chetan Sandesara and sister-in-law Diptiben Sandesara, are also believed to be hiding in Nigeria. According to the Times of India report, efforts are being made to get Interpol red notices issued against the Sandesaras. The investigating agencies are planning to send a request to authorities in the UAE to provisionally arrest them if they are seen there.

READ MORE | Delhi weather: Overcast skies with moderate rain in city today



It is alleged that the company took loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank which had turned into non-performing assets. According to the FIR, the total pending dues of the group of companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016. The ED has taken the FIR into cognisance.

Delhi-based businessman Gagan Dhawan, former Andhra Bank director Anup Garg and Sterling Biotech Ltd director Rajbhhushan Dixit have also been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in this case.

Multiple prosecution complaints or charge sheets have also been filed by it before a special court. It had also attached assets worth over Rs 4,700 crore of the pharmaceutical firm in June this year.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Eminent Congress leaders are scheduled to meet the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Monday (September 24) in an attempt to request an independent probe into the much controversial and alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France, the party said. The Congress had earlier requested the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Rajiv Mehrishi, to make an official report on the alleged asymmetry in the deal and provide it in the parliament.

The leaders are also expected to seek a registration of corruption in the Rafale deal, as per reports.

ALSO READ: PM Modi to inaugurate Sikkim's first airport at Pakyong today

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been constantly criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government, alleging corruption and violation of the code of conduct and asked for appropriate answers from the Centre. He had also accused the PM and the Finance Minister Arun Jaitely and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of lying about the Rafale deal.

The Rafale deal row took a sharp turn after former France president Francois Hollande in an interview said that Indian government had put forward Reliance Defences name as an offset partner for manufacturer Dassault Aviation under the offset clause.

ALSO READ: Fuel Price Hike: Petrol in Mumbai crosses Rs 90-mark

In reply, the French government stated that the French firm have complete choice of selecting the Indian companies as per the offset clause.

On April 10, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that India would be obtaining 36 Rafale fighter jets after holding official talks with then-president Francois Hollande in Paris.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Home Ministry on Monday dismissed Congress President Rahul Gandhis statement that a former Special Protection Group (SPG) chief had to quit because he refused to accept a list of officers handpicked by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as baseless and devoid of fact.

The Home Ministry also stated that the force is a professional organisation which guards the serving prime minister, former prime ministers, and their families.

Read More | Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy rescued by French vessel after Golden Globe Race injury

The comment reportedly made by Gandhi through the media is baseless, devoid of fact and unfortunate, coming from an SPG protectee, the ministry said in a statement.

Rahul Gandhi, at an interaction with academicians at the Siri Fort Auditorium on Saturday, had alleged that educational institutions, the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India, among others are systematically being captured by the RSS.

Also read | Gate 2019: Online registration date extended; Know eligibility criteria and how to apply

The SPG is a professional organisation that takes its task of protecting serving prime ministers, former prime ministers and their families entrusted to its security very seriously, and in the highest professional spirit, the ministry said.

The Congress chief had alleged, When Mr (Narendra) Modi came to power, a person from Gujarat was chosen to head the SPG. In a short time, he left the position. He told me that he refused a list of SPG officers handpicked by the RSS, and that is why he was sent home.

The Home Ministry said the matter has been verified and the officer in question, Vivek Srivastava, former SPG director, has specifically averred that he did not have any such conversation with Rahul Gandhi at any point in time.

The officer has stated that as part of his professional duties he interacted with SPG protectees. However, he has categorically stated that during his interaction with (Rahul) Gandhi, there was no talk whatsoever regarding the appointment of a new director or the reasons for his leaving the SPG, the statement said.

Rahul Gandhi, his mother and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka are among the SPG protectees.

(With PTI inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Monday asked all states and Union Territories to comply with its directions on curbing incident of cow vigilantism and mob lynching and file their compliance affidavits before it within one week, warning that such acts would invite the "wrath of law".

Eight states, including Mizoram, Telangana, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi, were yet to file reports indicating their compliance of its July 17 verdict giving a slew of directions to deal with mob violence and cow vigilantism. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra took the matter seriously, saying "people must realise that mob violence and taking of law into the hands will invite the wrath of law".

The bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, said: "People should realise the gravity of the act. They should realise the effect on law and order situation.

Also Read|From United Nations, Donald Trump sends love to India, regards to friend Modi

Earlier in 2017, the apex court had directed the states and the Centre to take stringent action to curb the incidents of lynching on the name cow vigilantism. Who will stop them? Some mechanism has to be there to prevent violence indulged in by these groups. This must stop. Some kind of planned and well-coordinated action is required by the governments so that vigilantism does not grow, the Supreme Court had said.

The bench also considered the submission of Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Rajasthan Government, that a reply to the show cause notice has been filed by the state government into the death of Rakbar Khan in a case of alleged mob lynching.Congress leader Tehseen Poonawala, in his plea, had said 28-year-old dairy farmer Rakbar Khan was attacked by a group of cow vigilantes in Lalwandi village of Ramgarh district in Rajasthan on July 20, three days after the apex court had delivered a detailed verdict.The court had then taken note of the plea seeking contempt action against officials of the Rajashtan government officials, including the Chief Secretary and the police chief, for alleged violation of the top court's verdict in the lynching case.

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In the past four years, the incidents of violence and lynching in the name of cow vigilantism have increased many folds across the country. In July this year, a cattle-trader was allegedly lynched in the name of cow vigilantism by the mob in Hapurs Pilakhuwa.The family of 45-year-old Qasim, who was killed by the mob, alleged that he was attacked for ferrying cows. The police, however, claimed that it was road rage incident.

(With PTI inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Congress and its supporting parties in Parliament have been checkmated for now by the Modi government promulgating an ordinance to ban the retrograde practice of instant triple talaq. Yet, it is still uncertain who will have the last laugh when the BJP goes back to Parliament within six months to seek to convert the ordinance into an Act. That the Congress chose to oppose the progressive measure to grant legitimate redressal to Muslim women who are living a life of male oppression is sad. But the true test of Congress vote bank politics will lie in how the party fares among Muslim voters in next years Lok Sabha polls.



Morally, however, the Congress stands exposed totally by refusing to support the reform that could offer rare succour to Muslim women. That this has come

despite the BJP bending over backwards to accommodate three key amendments that were proposed by the Congress only goes to show that the Congress had never really intended to go along with the legislation to ban instant triple talaq which amounts to divorce being granted merely on the male repeating the word talaq thrice in the presence of his wife.

ALSO READ: Modi govt cannot escape pruning fuel prices for positive poll verdict



Whatever the mullahs may say, this practice is a later-day abuse of power and has no religious sanction going back to the days of Prophet Mohammad.



It is indeed a sad day for Indian democracy that expediency and vote bank politics have so dominated the political landscape that the Narendra Modi government has had to resort to an ordinance to outlaw this pernicious practice because it could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha where the BJP is outnumbered by the Opposition.

The government waited long enough for better sense to prevail but ultimately had to take the ordinance route when the Congress-dominated Rajya Sabha stalled the Bill yet again on flimsy grounds to pander to the Muslim male vote bank which nurtures the desire to perpetuate male domination in Muslim society.

Read: Relevance of Indian financial institutions in new global scenario



At least 22 other countries have placed restrictions on triple talaq, considering the old practice to be retrograde, and many progressive Muslims in India believe that their community must defy the religious heads by embracing liberalism on the issue.



While the BJP has done well to support the outlawing of triple talaq, there is however no denying that that party too had a political motivation to support the ban just as the Congress had to scuttle the reform. The BJP has been worried that it has poor support among the Muslims and thought that by endorsing the ban on triple talaq it could win favour with a substantial section of Muslim women and could therefore drive a wedge between Muslim men and women.



Future elections would show how much of a difference has been made to the virtually homogenous anti-BJP stance of the Muslim masses with this stratagem.

Also Read: Opposition unity on Modi, disunity on Rahul - trump card for BJP



Among the amendments incorporated in the triple talaq measure is a provision for an accused to approach a magistrate for bail before trial. A triple talaq offence would only be cognizable when the victims wife or her relatives by blood or marriage file an FIR.



The offence is compoundable so that there can be a compromise but only on the insistence of the wife and the magistrate will have to determine the terms and conditions.

Additionally, the victim wife will get custody of minor children and will be entitled to receive maintenance from the husband for herself and the children, as decided by a magistrate. It is indeed to be hoped that better sense would prevail on the detractors and the moves of parties like the Congress to sabotage the reform in Parliament when it comes up for ratification would be given up in the interests of Muslim women who deserve a better deal from the men.

Read More | Tanushree Duttas fight is not gender centric, find out whyNew Delhi:

Motorola is all set to launch its new smartphone Motorola One Power in India today. The event is scheduled to take place at 12pm in the national capital. Earlier, Motorola launched the handset at IFA 2018 in Berlin. Motorola One Power is said to be exclusive to the Indian market. The smartphone packs a massive 5,000mAh battery as its biggest highlight. The smartphone runs Google owned Android One initiative. Motorola One Power will be a Flipkart exclusive smartphone.



ALSO READ | Realme 2 Pro launch nears; Know expected specifications and price



Motorola One Power: How to watch live stream



Motorola will live stream the launch event on their official YouTube channel. Motorola fans can check regular updates of the event on Motorola India twitter handle and Facebook page. The event will start at 12pm.



Motorola One Power: Expected specifications

Motorola One Power display will be a 6.2-inch full HD+ (2,246 x 1,080) Max Vision notch display with a 19:9 aspect ratio.



The smartphone will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC processor paired with Adreno 509 GPU. The phone packs 4GB of RAM and 64GB native storage which is expandable up to 256GB via microSD card.



Motorola One Power is expected to have a dual camera set up at the back having a 16MP primary sensor and a 5MP. Up front, it has an 8MP camera for selfies.



ALSO READ | Samsung Galaxy A7 set to launch with triple rear cameras



Motorola One Power: Expected price



Motorola One Power could come for a price at around Rs 14,000 in India. The smartphone will likely take on the likes of Asus ZenFoneMax Pro M1, Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro and Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro.New Delhi:

US President Donald Trump on Monday said that the second summit with foe-turned-friend North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un will take place quite soon. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, Trump, who had last year branded Kim as Little Rocket Man, said that the relationship with North Korea was much improved after the historic Singapore summit.

Also Read | Will Trump-Kim Summit lead to lasting peace in Korean Peninsula?

It was a different world. That was a dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time, PTI quoted Trump as saying.

The US president said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was working out the details for the second meeting with Kim.

In a letter to Trump, the North Korean leader had last month requested for a second meeting. The Trump had said, we will be doing that.

Trump was at the United Nations for his second general assembly meeting with world leaders after taking over the office. He is also likely to meet South Koreas Moon Jae-in on Monday to discuss North Korea and trade details.

Also Read | Developer of North Korea missiles, nuclear weapons dies

After several rounds of war threats and rhetoric, Trump and Kim had met in Singapore in June 2018. During the meeting, both leaders had signed a very comprehensive document and pledged to work towards complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Jakarta:

An Indonesian teenager survived seven weeks adrift at sea after his tiny fishing trap lost its moorings and ended up some 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles) away in waters near the Pacific island of Guam, his family said on Monday.

Aldi Novel Adilangs harrowing tale began in mid-July when the 18-year-old was working solo on a fishing hut anchored about 125 kilometres off Indonesias Sulawesi island.

His job was to keep the vessels lamps lit to attract fish. Its owner would reportedly come by weekly to drop off food, clean water, fuel and other supplies.

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The floating fishing trap, known as a rompong, had no engine and was anchored to the seabed with a long rope, but heavy winds knocked it off its moorings and sent Adilang out to sea, local media said.

Rompongs are a traditional form of trapping fish in Indonesia, but are often unmanned, secured by buoys and ropes.

Local media reported that the owner of Adilangs rompong had as many as 50 moored in the surrounding waters His boss told my husband that he went missing, Adilangs mother Net Kahiking told AFP from her home in Sulawesi.

So we just surrendered to God and kept praying hard. The teen, who only had enough food to last several days, survived by catching fish, Mirza Nurhidayat, the Indonesian consul general in Osaka, who oversaw his eventual return, told the Jakarta Post.

Read More | Gate 2019: Online registration date extended; Know eligibility criteria and how to apply

After he ran out of the cooking gas, he burned the rompongs wooden fences to make a fire for cooking, he was quoted as saying.

He drank by sipping water from his clothes that had been wetted by sea water. About ten ships passed the malnourished teen before a Panamanian-flagged vessel rescued him on August 31 near Guam and brought him to Japan, its original destination.

I was shocked when his boss told us, he had been rescued, Adilangs mother said.

I was so happy.

Adilang is the youngest of four siblings and arrived back home on September 8, in good health despite his ordeal.

He is now back at home and he will be 19 on September 30 -- were going to celebrate, his mother said.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.NEWTOWN - The two candidates running to represent Newtowners in the state House of Representatives consider themselves consensus-builders who achieve results through collaboration.

Thats important for two reasons, according to Democratic challenger Rebekah Harriman-Stites and Republican Mitch Bolinsky, who is seeking a fourth two-year term representing the 106th District in Hartford.

First, bipartisanship is necessary to rebuild Connecticuts lagging economy, the challenger and incumbent agree. Secondly, bipartisanship is necessary to unite communities that have been divided by partisans in Washington, D.C.

The message I have been hearing is that people are ready for a change in tone - they dont like the way it has been so negative, said Harriman-Stites, 40, the co-founder of a consulting firm and the vice president of the Newtown Board of Education.

They feel if change is going to come it has to come from a positive direction, because no one wants to hear any more mudslinging, Harriman-Stites said. Both parties blaming each other is not what is best for Connecticut.

Harriman-Stites and Bolinsky are running in a supercharged November midterm election that features a race to replace unpopular Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, and Congressional races where unpopular GOP President Donald Trump is often a top campaign issue.

Bolinsky agrees that political leadership transcends party priorities.

I never promote a piece of legislation that I dont work on hand-in-hand with folks on the other side of the aisle, said Bolinsky, 60, a marketing consultant who serves on the state legislatures Appropriations Committee, Education Committee, and Aging Committee.

I have no concern whatsoever whether someone is Republican, Democrat, unaffiliated or unregistered, Bolinsky said. I care about all 25,000 people in Newtown.

The 106th District is almost contiguous with Newtowns border, except for small section of 2,500 people who are part of the 112th District and an even smaller section of 500 people who are part of the 2nd District.

Harriman-Stites said Connecticuts problems of unfunded pension liability and corporations leaving the state started before Malloy took office eight years ago, and those problems cannot be solved by partisans.

Instead, she said, state government needs to adopt a business-like spirit of overcoming institutional obstacles.

I believe, while it is important to try to get big business to come to Connecticut, we cannot ignore small business, Harriman-Stites said. We have to make it easier for people to be entrepreneurial by creating a one-stop shop for certifications, to allow people to be creative.

Bolinsky said Republican budget-cap measures that have been adopted to control state government spending are part of a larger structural reform in Hartford that will eventually help Connecticuts economy turn the corner.

Connecticuts economy can rebound with lower rates of taxes, he said, if Hartford can stimulate growth.

I am worn out by one thing I hear when I go door-to-door: I cant stand to listen to people tell me I cant wait to get out of Connecticut as soon as my kids get out of high school, Bolinsky says. Right now we are screwed up fiscally, but we can fix this thing.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342Carol Kaliff / Hearst Connecticut Media

The JCC in Sherman will host a talk about free speech and censoring hate speech at 7 p.m. Saturday at the center, 9 Route 39 S in Sherman.

The discussion will be between Nadine Strossen, the former president of the American Civil Liberties Union, and Temple Sholoms Rabbi Ari Rosenberg. Strossens most recent book, HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship came out in May.DANBURY  Residents can register to vote, while learning about the suffrage movement in Connecticut, at an event on Tuesday.

The League of Women Voters of Northern Fairfield County will host the event from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. Tuesday in Room 103 of Warner Hall at Western Connecticut State Universitys Midtown campus.Dallas's ear-to-ear grin and bright brown eyes seem to sparkle with joy.

The 3-year-old pit-bull-type dog's radiance makes it difficult to believe he was once a member of a fighting ring and later the subject of multiple court battles, narrowly escaping a death sentence.

Now Dallas's demeanor is leading him to a new chapter in life: He is among the first pit bulls ever rescued from fighting to train as a police K-9. Next month, after about six weeks of training to sniff out narcotics, he is set to join the force in the southwest Virginia town of Honaker.

His love for balls was key, said Jen Deane, founder and president of Pit Sisters, a Florida rescue group: "We knew that his combination of ball drive and his wanting of human praise was the perfect combination to be a police dog."

That would have been hard to predict in 2015, when police and agents from the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals seized Dallas, then a puppy, and 30 other pit bulls from a compound in the Canadian province.

According to court documents described by Canadian news media, the dogs were chained to metal stakes in the ground, and evidence of fight training - including schedules, muzzles, sticks, steroids and suture kits - was found on the property. An inspector noted "severe scarring consistent with dog fighting," the Globe and Mail reported.

Five people were charged with weapons and animal cruelty violations, as well as with breaking an Ontario ban on pit bulls.

Rob Scheinberg, the co-founder of a rescue and sanctuary in Ontario called Dog Tales, said that when he read news accounts of the raid, he knew he wanted to save as many of the seized dogs as possible.

"I thought, 'There is no way there are not a few good dogs,' " Scheinberg said.

Soon he had hired a lawyer, and for two years he waged a court battle in protest of an OSPCA application to euthanize 21 of the dogs, including Dallas, based on a behavioral assessment that deemed them dangerous. By this spring, celebrities had gotten involved, and #Savethe21 was circulating on social media.

After various twists and turns, the court eventually ordered the dogs' owner to surrender 18 of the animals for rehabilitation; two others died in OSPCA custody, and a third was deemed dangerous and ordered to be euthanized, local media reported. It helped that Dog Tales had pledged to pay for the care of the animals and their transport out of Ontario, where a pit bull ban made their presence illegal.

"We were relentless," Scheinberg said of the court fight. "They knew we were not going to stop."

All 18 dogs were sent to rescues or were adopted, and Pit Sisters took in 10. Dallas was enrolled in the group's program that matches hard-to-adopt dogs with prison inmates, who socialize, train and care for the canines.

"When Dallas arrived, he was always alert and attentive to everything and everyone. He would stay standing in his kennel looking around his surroundings and wag his tail when someone would walk by," Nicholas Ramos, an inmate who worked with the dog at Lawtey Correctional Institution, southwest of Jacksonville, said in an email. "He loved attention and was very affectionate toward people."

Deane said it didn't take long for her and the prison program's administrators to decide that Dallas would be a great K-9. But K-9 training is expensive and intense.

Enter Carol Skaziak, founder and chief executive of a Pennsylvania nonprofit group called the Throw Away Dogs Project, which says it seeks to "repurpose unique dogs." Some go on to be adopted by families, she said, while others have become service dogs for veterans and children with disabilities.

After Deane contacted Skaziak and sent her videos of Dallas in action, Skaziak and a police K-9 trainer her group works with, Bruce Myers, traveled to Florida to assess him.

"We knew almost right away that we had to do this," Skaziak said.

Myers, an 18-year veteran of training police dogs, is working with Dallas in as many as three daily sessions aimed at teaching him to sniff out narcotics.

"He will save many lives," Myers said. "If he helps take one brick of heroin off the street, that can save 1,000 people. And he will be incredibly proficient by the time he leaves here."

Hundreds of miles south in Virginia, Honaker police are preparing to welcome the soon-to-be K-9 narcotics officer. They had long wanted such a member on the force, Police Chief Brandon Cassell said, but the town of about 1,500 couldn't spend the $10,000-plus needed for such a highly trained dog. Pet Tales, the Canadian rescue group, covered the training costs and is donating Dallas to the department.

"We are going to treat him just like a regular officer," said Cassell, who added that he has no concerns about having a pit-bull-type dog, even one born into a fighting ring, on staff. "We know what he is going to wear, have ordered him a badge and are going to welcome him to the department just like we would a human officer."

When Dallas finishes training, he'll live and work with Honaker police officer Cody Rowe. A former K-9 officer with the Virginia Department of Correction, he lobbied to establish a K-9 program in the police department.

"I worked with a lot of German shepherds, but I remember many handlers worked with pit bulls," Rowe said. "They are incredible police dogs. . . . It's amazing to watch them work."

Myers, the Pennsylvania trainer working with Dallas, said that shouldn't surprise anyone.

"Pit bulls are misunderstood because many are improperly trained," Myers said. "Dogs aren't born vicious. We make them vicious. Don't blame the dog. Blame us."Erika Szychowski spent three years bootstrapping her high-protein animal cracker startup, Good Zebra, before she decided to start raising capital to grow the enterprise and keep up with demand. She mapped out her ask, pulled together a pitch deck and reached out to every entrepreneur she knew.

Regardless of sector, gender or whether they had raised before, I just wanted to hear about their experience, she says. And I got significantly different answers from female founders than male founders.

Szychowski anticipated some discrepancy -- she was well aware that fundraising is harder for female founders. But there were all these other raw stories I didnt expect, she says. People that faked a male co-founder to get money, or who had to take their husband to a pitch meeting. Or women who felt their only option was to move in with a boyfriend they werent ready to commit to just so they could lower their overhead and keep bootstrapping.

RELATED: Why Is This VC Firm Doubling Down on Women Entrepreneurs? Because It's Good for Business.

Szychowski went down a rabbit hole of research, and realized the funding facts and figures were even worse than she thought: Theres so little investment money going to female founders in America, that there are more dollars on the sidelines.

Around the same time, Phyllis Deally was in the process of bootstrapping her second self-funded brand agency, Reinvent the World, and feeling equally frustrated as a woman in business. The two long-time acquaintances got together for coffee, and saw the power in their shared experiences. We needed a platform to make a difference, Deally says. And thats what the F Project is.

The F Project is the brainchild of Deally and Szychowski, and is a new social experiment and collaborative commerce platform that aims to harness the collective power of female entrepreneurs to promote their companys products and activate a consumer who may be interested in supporting women-led operations.

RELATED: New Data Illuminates VC Bias Against Women.

Weve got 100 committed female founders of product-based businesses, says Szychowski. There are a lot of VC funds for women and networking groups, but we dont want to spout facts and figures -- we want to share origin stories and exciting things about these founders with the people who might buy their products.

Starting on September 24, each of the 100 founders -- including the brains behind such high-profile brands as Rebecca Minkoff and ThirdLove -- will take a pledge to seek out and support female-founded brands, sharing the message on social media and asking their customers and fans to do the same. In the weeks that follow, the F Projects army of founders will promote other members stories on their own platforms.

We want our founders to introduce her consumers to another female founders products, says Deally. Thats what we want to find out here: can we create a bigger pool, aggregate intent, and make sure these women are having more economic success and eventually getting the funding they need to grow their businesses at the rate that they could if they had that support.

RELATED: How to Fight the Gender Pay Gap as a Self-Employed Woman -- and Maximize Your Income.

Szychowski echoes: Females are known for speaking in the we -- were very collaborative, even though most of us have built these companies on our own, she says. So we, as founders, can talk about each other in a way that an individual might not feel comfortable talking about herself.

The F Project will collect data and analytics as it grows, hoping to identify consumers that are motivated to purchase female-founded brands. The evolution of the F project will eventually include customer giveaways and eventually, a commerce platform. We 100 percent believe it can evolve into a marketplace, says Szychowski. We can also do events with activations, pop-up shops. This isnt about founders hanging out at a private club. Its about making sure that everything we do includes consumers.

Related:

Calling Female Entrepreneurs: Why The UAE Is The Place To Be

One Thing You Can Do to Be a Great Supporter of Women at Work

These 100 Female Founders Have Formed 'The F Project' to Support and Promote One Another's Products



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reservedVANCOUVER, Sept. 24, 2018 /CNW/ - Namaste Technologies Inc. ("Namaste" or the "Company") (TSXV: N) (FRANKFURT: M5BQ) (OTCMKTS: NXTTF) is pleased to announce that the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Cannmart Inc. ("Cannmart" or "Cannmart.com") has received its Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations ("ACMPR") medical cannabis "sales-only" license with no cultivation (the "Sales License"), which is the first of its kind to be issued by Health Canada. The Sales License represents the most significant milestone in the history of the Company and is the final component of its strategy for Cannmart to become Canada's leading online platform for medical cannabis.

Cannmart will operate as an online marketplace for medical cannabis sourced from multiple Licensed Producers, which will offer patients a curated selection of medical cannabis strains in one location. Cannmart has secured over 13 domestic and international supply agreements and will also focus on developing arrangements with micro-cultivators who will provide high-end craft strains, subject to the upcoming regulations of the Cannabis Act. Cannmart's goal is to offer the largest and most diverse selection of medical cannabis products available in the Canadian market.

Further to the Company's September 18th news release, Cannmart will be allowed to buy pre-packaged, labelled and tested cannabis products. This development is very significant for Cannmart in that it will eliminate the need for buying in bulk, testing and packaging which will significantly reduce overhead costs for Cannmart and thus increase gross profit margins and profitability. By allowing Cannmart to purchase pre-packaged medical cannabis products it can remain focused on its areas of expertise in e-commerce and technology, and further expand on the products and services that can be provided through Cannmart.

Namaste operates the largest global online marketplace for cannabis consumption devices, with over 1.5 million customers globally. The Company has acquired and developed industry-leading technology including its e-commerce AI platform, Findify.io ("Findify") and NamasteMD ("NamasteMD.com"), which is Canada's first medical cannabis consultation app available in both the Apple and Google Play Stores. The Company plans to leverage its e-commerce technology and expertise to provide a unique user experience for each customer. Medical patients acquired through NamasteMD will be able to onboard and purchase products through Cannmart.

With Namaste's operations in over 20 countries and consumer databases established in strategic regions including the United Kingdom and Australia, the Company is well-positioned to expand on its cannabis platform in launching telemedicine and cannabis e-commerce platforms in global markets where the company maintains strong market share.

Special Edition Live 420

Namaste hosted a special edition live-stream Namaste 420 show on Sunday September 23rd at 7PM EST to discuss Cannmart and the Company's growth strategy with management. To view the video please visit the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OESUiCkUSBk

Management Commentary

Sean Dollinger, President and CEO of Namaste comments: "Today marks a monumental achievement for the entire Namaste team and our shareholders. Receiving our Sales License not only validates the vision which we set forth to achieve over two years ago, but it sets the stage for Namaste to become the first fully-integrated platform of its kind. We plan to soft-launch Cannmart's website next week and look forward to feedback from our shareholders. I'd like to thank our investors for their patience and our management team including our staff at the Cannmart facility for their hard work and dedication. Namaste has never been better positioned to execute our strategy and to become the dominant global player in medical cannabis e-commerce."

About Namaste Technologies Inc.

Namaste Technologies is Your Everything Cannabis Store. Namaste operates the largest global cannabis e-commerce platform with over 30 websites in 20+ countries under various brands. Namaste's product offering through its subsidiaries includes vaporizers, glassware, accessories, CBD products, and the company will soon be selling medical cannabis through its wholly owned subsidiary CannMart in the Canadian market.

Namaste has developed and acquired innovative technology platforms including NamasteMD.com, and in May 2018 the Company acquired a leading e-commerce AI and Machine Learning Company, Findify AB. Findify uses artificial intelligence algorithms to optimize and personalize a consumer's on-site buying experience. Namaste is focused on leveraging its cutting-edge technology to enhance the user experience throughout its platforms. Namaste will continue to develop and acquire innovative technologies which will provide value to the Company and to its shareholders as well as to the broader cannabis market.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Sean Dollinger"

Chief Executive Officer

Direct: +1 604-355-6100

Email: in[email protected]

Further information on the Company and its products can be accessed through the links below:

NamasteTechnologies.com

NamasteMD.com

NamasteVapes.ca

Everyonedoesit.ca

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This press release contains forward-looking information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, Namaste assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. This press 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.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

SOURCE Namaste Technologies Inc.

For further information: Sean Dollinger, Chief Executive Officer, Direct: +1 604-355-6100, Email: [email protected]ANSONIA- The state finalized a $389,000 grant to improve sidewalks, build handicapped accessible curb cuts and install lighting leading to the railroad station from downtown.

This is a critical infrastructure grant which will pair nicely with the residential units planned for downtown, said Mayor David Cassetti. We are continuing to improve the look and feel of our already busy downtown. This grant will be used to help improve the safety of our sidewalks and the look leading to our train station.

Cassetti told the Board of Aldermen last month that the city would be getting this Community Connectivity grant from the state Department of Transportation.

We are grateful to the Connecticut Department of Transportation for selecting our project, said Sheila OMalley, the citys economic development director who was instrumental in applying for and obtaining the grant. We believe Ansonias downtown activity warrants significant improvements to our infrastructure. Main Street and East Main will be getting improvements that our residents will be able to enjoy.

OMalley said the purpose of the grant is to provide better connections between the railroad station and the apartments on Main Street and East Main Street.

She said stripes will be painted for a bicycle path leading to the train station and signs will be installed. Additionally benches will be placed along Main Street near the apartment complexes particularly those planned for the ATP and Palmer buildings which are in the process of being sold and renovated.

One of the goals is to make things safer for cyclists and pedestrians, OMalley said. We want to provide easier access from East Main, West Main and Main Street to the train station.

Once the design is completed,OMalley said bids for construction will be sought.

We could probably get started with the signage and the striping this year, she said. The sidewalks may have to wait until the spring.

The mayor said will be additional lighting placed every 75 feet with flower pots built into them.

I want to beautify Main Street make it a destination place with our restaurant row, Cassetti said..

Cassetti said he has been meeting with the state Department of Transportation and Metro-North in the hopes of getting anywhere from $180,000 to $250,000 to construct a covered kiosk where people could buy tickets and wait for the train.

We need a place where they can wait inside especially during inclement weather, Cassetti said.\

One of the goals is to make things safer for cyclists and pedestrians, OMalley said. We want to provide easier access from East Main, West Main and Main Street to the train station.

The mayor and OMalley credited the work of retiring State Rep. Linda Gentile, R-Ansonia, who helped push the grant through.

There are so many benefitsfrom Ansonias economic growth to the physical health of our residents to improved safety that will come with new sidewalks and improved lighting, Gentile said.

The grant was among $12.4 million awarded by the Department of Transportation to 40 municipalities with the intent to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists.ALBANY  An audit of the state Health Department's drinking water monitoring program found that district and local offices did not always notify the public of drinking water violations in a timely or appropriate fashion.

The audit was conducted by the state Comptroller's Office, and covered a more-than four-year period from January 2014 through March 2018.

During this period, 768 water safety violations were recorded in 47 counties around the state. Auditors reviewed 126 of them from 10 counties with the most violations, including Saratoga, Washington and Warren, and found no evidence for at least 58 of them that the public had ever been notified.

"Safe drinking water is a basic need and, as we learned in the wake of widespread problems in Hoosick Falls and Newburgh, the state must step up its efforts to protect New Yorkers from harmful contaminants," Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said. "Our auditors found the state should redouble its efforts to monitor emerging contaminants in New York's drinking water, notify the public when there are problems and ensure that when contamination of water occurs it is addressed."

sga-2018-17s45 by Bethany on Scribd

New York has 9,155 public water systems, from which nearly 95 percent of residents get their drinking water.

Department of Health district offices and local health departments conduct the day-to-day oversight of these systems, including reviewing and approving water treatment and infrastructure designs, receiving and evaluating the results of routine water sampling, verifying that violations have been corrected and taking appropriate enforcement action.

According to State Sanitary Code, the state's water systems are required to notify the public anytime high concentrations of contaminants or other water safety violations are discovered. Depending on how urgent or severe the violation, that notification may be required within 24 hours, 30 days or a year.

In the 58 instances where evidence of public notification was missing, six had the potential to result in acute or serious adverse health effects with short-term exposure  a situation that would have demanded 24-hour public notification.

Even when the public was notified, it wasn't always timely, the audit found. Of the 68 violations where evidence of public notice existed, 14 were issued late, including two that required a 24-hour turnaround but were instead broadcast a respective seven and 10 days late. Three violations should have been broadcast within 30 days, but did not become known to the public until anywhere from 154 to 397 days later, the audit found.

In response to the audit's preliminary findings, state health department officials pointed out that most of the negative findings did not involve Tier 1 violations  or public health hazards that would result in acute or serious adverse health effects from short-term exposure, such as E. coli bacteria.

They also stated that state water systems have a high level of compliance when it comes to water safety violations, with 98 percent of the systems reporting no violations in 2016 compared to the national average of 92.1 percent.

"We commend state (systems) for their high compliance rate," the audit report notes. "However, certain improvements to the department's oversight, as recommended in this report, will serve to better support systems' efforts and strengthen the integrity of the state's safe drinking water program."NEW HAVEN  Tony Dawson is a patient man.

Involved in civic affairs in the city for decades, the former alder and current police commissioner recently got to see a housing project first contemplated in the late 1980s, and more fully developed a decade ago, get approval from city officials as it now moves ahead to compete for Connecticut Housing Financing Authority funding.

Architect Kenneth Boroson has designed 10 multifamily townhouses with a total of 56 apartments for the 4-acre site bound by North Frontage Road, Tyler Street, Legion Avenue and Ella T. Grasso Boulevard.

It is one of the large swaths of green space along the Route 34 corridor, part of 26 acres of land that was cleared of housing and businesses some 50 years ago to make way for an extension of Route 34 that never happened.

It has been a source of intense community discussion, with the West River neighborhood taking the lead to bring in housing, retail and commercial operations there to knit the Hill, West River and Dwight areas back together.

City consultants in 2007 developed a plan and there was a competing proposal by the West River Self Help Investment Plan (or WRSHIP) that put a greater emphasis on economic growth. Action ultimately stalled for lack of an experienced developer and a funding source.

It moved to this current phase after a request for qualifications sent out in 2016 brought the National Housing Partnership Foundation of New York to the table. The $14 million proposal will be led by the partnership, along with the West River Self Help Improvement Plan, of which Dawson is the current president.

Heavily involved in the self-help concept over the years has been Jerry Poole, Kevin Ewing, the Rev. Curtis Cofield and Stacy Spell.

The principles behind the self-help group were established by the Rev. Leon Sullivan in the 1990s in Philadelphia, where African-Americans were encouraged to pool resources to invest in neighborhood-based profit-making ventures in order to build wealth.

Dawson said to push its original vision for the land, which included commercial space that would support jobs, they would have needed a zone change and they did not want to wait any longer.

He said the foundation will train WRSHIP to eventually take over the housing proposal and expand its mission to other developments. Dawson said they hope to grow the number of businesses owned by

African-Americans.

We were very aware of the history of the corridor along Legion Avenue, and Oak Street area and the vibrant residential/retail/commercial community that no long exists, Dawson said.

Jamie Smarr, senior vice president with the National Housing Partnership Foundation, said the proposal will be marketed to families with incomes between 25 percent of the regions average median income and 80 percent of AMI.

Smarr said they were interested in the partnership with WRSHIP because it is a group whose mission is the advancement of African Americans, who historically have not gotten to participate in the real estate development process.

Dawson said there are about 32 people in the local self-help investment plan, who according to published reports in 2007, were asked to each contribute $2,000 to the group.

Boroson said there would be a number of architectural styles  Italianate, Victorian, Colonial and National  for the apartment buildings, which will feature energy-efficient units. There will be covered front porches and rear patios for each apartment, as well as a playground and gazebo in the common area.

Neal-Sanjurjo said the city, which owns the land, has worked with community groups on this for almost two years. She said there will be separate plans in the future around home ownership, as well as potential development on another Route 34 strip of land.

It is a necessity for us, as a city, right now, to look at additional units and that is what we are trying to do. Mix it up, make it better and try to fill in some of the parcels that we can, Neal-Sanjurjo said.

A major concern is a safe crossing along the busy Route 34 thoroughfare for the new tenants. Traffic-calming measures within the site have been incorporated.

Edward Mattison, the chair of the City Plan Commission, whose office is on Route 34, said: We are aware of traffic issues. It is not the most bucolic ... area.

Dawson said that issue will be dealt with.

Not everyone was on board with the proposed development.

Spell said he could not support the proposed as it strays from the visionary path for mixed-income housing, including market rate home ownership and retail. He said in his opinion it sets the foundation for future problems.

He said it troubled him that the housing will be overseen by a management company. We have seen time and time again that ... management companies come and go with some of our most notable projects in the city.

Spell said he approved of the green infrastructure proposed for the development, but he said it fails to address the traffic that surrounds the site. In not addressing these concerns, especially how to slow traffic, all you have is an isolated ... island with two access and exit points.

There is nothing about this that speaks to reconnecting one side of the site to West River or Hill North. We have one chance to get this more than 50-year-old mistake right and to come to an agreeable solution that speaks to all concerned. I am not looking to it to be my way or the highway, but to move forward prudently, logically and respectfully, Spell wrote.

Dawson said there are other agencies that help with homeownership. He added that that remains out of sight for many people, particularly in a time when taxes are increasing, which makes them vulnerable to losing those homes.

The project is vying for CHFA tax credits with a second project that renovates 72 Hill Central apartments and adds 44 more, with 22 for elderly residents. That project is divided into two phases, each costing $27 million.

Both the Hill Central and Route 34 developments need the CHFA help to advance.

mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com;

203-641-2577Romania is the EU member state that has benefited the most from EU membership, with an increase in the standard of living expressed in GDP per capita at the standard purchasing power parity (adjusted with the country price levels) from only 39% in 2006 to 63% last year, according to data released by Eurostat.

The advance of 24 percentage points was above the one recorded by Lithuania (23pp), Poland (19pp, although it was the only country that went through the crisis without a decline in the economy), Malta (18pp, surprisingly positioned among colleagues from the 2004 accession round), Slovakia and Latvia (14 pp.) and Estonia (13 pp.).

*

GDP/capita Advance in 2006-2017 compared to EU average

Country 2016 2017 Percentage points Percentage

Romania

Lithuania

Poland

Malta

Latvia

Slovakia

Estonia

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Hungary

Germany

Croatia

Austria

Denmark

Slovenia

*

Our EU accession round colleague Bulgaria, which started from a GDP/inhabitant level very close to ours (37% of the EU average at that time, only two percentage points below us), managed to advance by only 12 percentage points and is the only country left below half of the EU average, despite its intentions to join the Eurozone.

While the ten-point advance is a solid and sustainable one for the Czech Republic, with a certain approach to the West, Hungary has gained only 7 pp. and saw an increase in the standard of living by only 11% over the past 11 years, after going round in circles since 2014. It has thus achieved only a performance similar to the European driver Germany.

In fact, Germany is the only Western state that has benefited massively from the eastward expansion of the EU, followed from the distance by its sister Austria (+2pp, which ranks, though, slightly higher in the last years Eurostat statistics, with 128% of the EU average vs. only 123% in Germanys case). Only Denmark has also managed not to lose ground to the EU average.

Surprisingly, there is also a state in the former socialist bloc that lost a percentage point to the mobile benchmark of the European average, namely Slovenia, which slightly regressed from 86% to just 85% of this benchmark. It joined several Western states that declined in relative terms, which is a natural result of the higher rhythms of development of new members.

*

Countries that moderately regressed compared to the EU average (2006-2017)

GDP/capita Advance in 2006-2017 compared to the EU average

Country

Belgium

Sweden

France

Finland

Portugal

Netherlands

*

Unlike those countries that were relatively well yet not so well as the EU newcomers, but they had resources to support relatively minor losses in the GDP/capita (a notable exception is Portugal, which declined from where it had not actually the chance to advance, although it is an EU member since 1986 and accessed substantial funds during that time), we also have countries that lost more than ten percentage points compared to the EU average.

The most interesting situation is UKs one, in fact, the only country that has managed to maintain the level above the EU average, but the negative feeling (caused by those who searched elsewhere for the blame that the EU had no use, on the contrary) brought the surprising vote that would lead to the UK leaving the bloc.

Other two relatively large economies, Italy and Spain, had a performance of pronounced speed loss, which (significantly to us who are also of Latin origins) was caused, to a significant extent, by the socio-cultural coordinates. Their situation has confirmed the assertion that it is not enough to reach a certain level, you also have to maintain there, which is not obtained by itself.

*

Countries that regressed significantly compared to the EU average (2006-2017)

GDP/capita Advance in 2006-2017 compared to the EU average

Country

UK

Spain

Italy

Cyprus

Greece

*

This is also the case of smaller countries, not primary cousins, but almost sisters, Cyprus and Greece. The first has lost the target attained in 2006, of reaching the EU average, while the enthusiasm of approaching the same target was so high for the latter that it led to major economic policy slippages and a real collapse, from 96% to just 67% of the EU average.



Aboneaza-te la newsletter aici. Iti multumim ca citesti cursdeguvernare.

These are some aspects and experiences at hand, from which we should learn so that we do not repeat the experience of others. Especially that we are, although obviously not British, both Latin and Balkan nationals.

Perhaps we shall succeed though in getting the Latin nature closer to France, and positioning ourselves in the Balkans, in terms of economy, as a sort of Poland, since we started to progress.When I was an undergraduate, I didnt attend an institution that had fraternities and sororities.

My first experience with Greek Life came during my second year as a student affairs professional at another college. At the start of the year, I was asked to oversee fraternities as the new IFC adviser. I had a feeling that the administration was looking for a way to end the Greek Life program altogether. At the time, I was not a fan of fraternities.

On day one in my new role, I was walking down the staircase overlooking a lounge commonly used by Greeks. Lee, a developmentally disabled man who worked in the food court, was sitting by himself, eating a slice of pizza and reading a comic book. Three male students approached him and began to bully him. Without missing a beat, I watched as three fraternity men intervened. Led by a short, stocky guy nicknamed Sause, they stopped the bullying in its tracks.

I watched in awe as Sause and his brothers bought Lee a fresh lunch, sat with him and spent time with him. In that moment, I considered for the first time that there might be something more to Greek Life. Thus began my journey as a Greek Life advocate.

Soon after this incident, Sause and his fraternity invited Lee to become their brother. To this day, they ensure that Lee is cared for. It would only be a matter of time before Sause asked me to be his brother. Sause became my Big  and remains so to this day.

I went on to serve my fraternity as an adviser, an ACB president, and a district governor. In 2001 I was elected to the national board and served as a national vice president. Much to my own surprise, in 2017, I received one of my fraternitys highest honors.

So in many ways, Im a convert, an unexpected fraternity man, but also, in a sense, a frustrated one.

As we know, the public perception of fraternities is often shaped by negatives in the media. Sadly, we have been discussing and confronting the same challenges for decades. Hence, the source of my frustration. While some behaviors are inexcusable, there remain many wonderful things that happen in Greek Life.

Annually, for example, the 380,000 fraternity members on 800 campuses nationwide raise $20 million-plus for philanthropic causes. They devote 3.8 million hours to service in their local communities. And their average GPA of 2.912 is higher than that of all male students nationally.

In my view, what distinguishes the fraternity experience is the focus on building relationships, fostering interconnectedness and offering new perspectives. Through their emphasis on community, fraternities have the unique capability to expose students to career possibilities, personal growth opportunities and points of view that they would never have experienced individually.

We need to balance these experiences with vigilance and a commitment to our values, so that fraternities are known, not for their missteps, but for helping to build better men.

Joe Bertolino is president of Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.ANSONIA  Students in Emmett OBrien technical high schools physics class recently caught a wave and sailed home with a trophy and blue ribbons.

Thats because they participated in UConns 8th annual Cardboard Boat Race, held earlier this month at Avery Point in Groton.

This is the second year that students enrolled in Emmetts UConn ECE physics class participated in the event, according to Principal Laurie Lebouthillier.

Students under the guidance of their physics and astronomy teacher Paul Garmirian built a full-sized boat out of cardboard and entered it into the competition, which drew students from 25 other high schools across Connecticut.

Garmirian said to prepare for the race, a core of Emmetts physics students  Danielle Armistead, Mikayla Davis, Matt Hagerty, CQEmaly Pereira and Tim Halmose  worked tirelessly on their own time and after school, designing, building and painting to complete this project.

Some two weeks after students started construction, the sea-worthy vessel was ready to be christened and was named the HMS LIGO Catch a Wave.

Garmirian explained that the name, which won a blue ribbon for best boat name, was named after LIGO (laser interferometer gravitational wave observatory). He said LIGO is a relatively new telescope system in the United States designed to test Albert Einsteins theory on the presence of the phenomena of gravitational waves.

So Catch a Wave has the double meaning of both LIGO and the Beach Boys famous song, Garmirian noted.

Boat tri-captains Armistead, Davis and Haggerty paddled the HMS LIGO to a first place trophy in their heat and finished third overall in the finals, as they raced against 25 other boats.

The success in the water would not have been possible without the very strong support from our boat pit crew that included the strong arms of Jose Aguilar, Tony Diaz, Shakane Cooper, Tim Halmose Dayna Kneissel, Kener Monge, Emaly Pereira, Kayla Targouski and Gabby Januario, said Garmirian.

Garmirian added the entire project was student directed and implemented, and the success they enjoyed on race day was entirely attributed to their own hard work and dedication.

Students also nabbed a blue ribbon for best spirit.

They are great young people, every one of them, Garmirian said. And what is exciting about LIGO is that it has proved, for the first time, that Einsteins 100-year-old theory was correct.

Lebouthillier noted that students, in addition to participating in the race, were involved in lectures and discussion groups led by UConn professors. She lauded Garmirian and students on their accomplishments.

Paul has been a great mentor and teacher to our students by providing them the opportunity of linking teaching and learning from the classroom to this challenge, Lebouthillier said. It has been a wonderful experience for our students.

jean.sos@snet.net.Q. I'm 80 and I have about $2.5 million in my estate. About 85 percent is in brokerage accounts. I've set my two kids as beneficiaries with per stirpes on all accounts. I'm told this bypasses probate. My will basically does the same thing. Is there any downside?

-- Gramps

A. We're so glad you're asking. While we hope you have many happy and healthy years ahead of you, once you're gone, it will be too late to make any changes.

Because yes, your current plan could have complications.

Even though you have beneficiary designations on your investment accounts, having a will is important.

This is because individuals have assets that do not pass by beneficiary designation, most commonly personal assets such as jewelry, household goods, cars, or refunds received at the time of death. These will pass by the laws of intestacy if there is no will to direct how they should pass, said Catherine Romania, an estate planning attorney with Witman Stadtmauer in Florham Park.

She said a beneficiary designation, such as "payable on death" designation, will supersede your will provisions with respect to the specific account.

"Naming both of your children on all of your accounts is preferable to naming one on one account and another on another account because you may spend down the accounts at different times and in different amounts thus ultimately benefiting the beneficiaries unequally," she said.

Romania said it's important to speak to your estate planning attorney about whether you should designate beneficiaries on your financial accounts or life insurance policies, or instead, have the assets payable to the estate or trusts under your will.

Depending on the overall estate plan, she said, naming beneficiaries could disrupt and undermine the plan your attorney prepared. That's because trusts established in your will may not be able to be funded and taxes or administration expenses may not be able to be paid as planned.

"Many times bank officers will encourage patrons to name beneficiaries on various accounts because of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limitations, but moving some of your money to another bank may be a better idea," she said.

Another problem with beneficiary designations is that as financial institutions merge or are acquired by others and the accounts are changed, or as you may move your accounts from one financial institution to another, the beneficiary designations that you once had in place may be inadvertently lost, she said.

"Therefore if you are relying on beneficiary designations, after any change in your financial institution, whether a branch change, name change or institution change, you should reconfirm your beneficiary designation," she said. "This is particularly true for insurance policies and retirement accounts which generally pass by beneficiary designation forms and not by your will."

It's worth meeting with an estate planning attorney to be sure your current plan still matches your goal for your assets and heirs.

Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com.

Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter.Each year, "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert sits down with a fellow celebrity at NJPAC to raise money for the Montclair Film Festival.

Last year, his former fellow "Daily Show" correspondent Samantha Bee ("Full Frontal with Samantha Bee") joined him onstage. The year before, another former "Daily Show" correspondent, John Oliver ("Last Week Tonight") did the honors. In 2015, director and producer J.J. Abrams ("Lost," "Star Wars" and "Star Trek") was the featured guest.

Colbert's next act claims 21 Oscar nominations -- the most for any actor in the history of the awards -- and three wins.

None other than New Jersey's own Meryl Streep will join Montclair resident Colbert, 54, for this year's benefit at NJPAC. "An Evening with Stephen Colbert and Meryl Streep" is set for Dec. 1.

Streep, 69, was originally supposed to be honored at an induction for the New Jersey Hall of Fame in May, but she had to scrap plans to attend at the last minute because of her shooting schedule for the second season of HBO's "Big Little Lies."

The acclaimed actress, who was born in Summit, grew up in Bernardsville and Basking Ridge and went to Bernards High School, where she was both homecoming queen and a cheerleader for the Mountaineers.

Streep's last Oscar win was for playing Margaret Thatcher in the 2011 film "The Iron Lady." The next season of "Big Little Lies," in which Streep plays (spoiler alert) Mary Louise Wright, mother-in-law to Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman), is set to air in 2019.

Colbert's wife, Evelyn McGee-Colbert, is the president of the Montclair Film Festival's board. This year's festival will run from May 3 to May 12. Proceeds will go toward festival programming as well as nonprofit Montclair Film's film education and community programming.

"Meryl Streep is one of the greatest film artists of our time and to have her join Stephen Colbert onstage is an extraordinary gift," said Tom Hall, executive director of Montclair Film, in a statement.

"Meryl Streep is a magnificent dramatic actress, but she'll also be a great comedic foil to Stephen Colbert," said John Schreiber, president and CEO of NJPAC, in a statement. "I know the two of them will have a lot of spontaneous fun in Prudential Hall and so will 2,800 of their biggest fans."

"An Evening with Stephen Colbert and Meryl Streep" will start at 8 p.m. on Dec. 1 at NJPAC's Prudential Hall (One Center St., Newark). Tickets, which start at $79.50, will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Tuesday for Montclair Film members. American Express cardholders can buy tickets starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and public ticket sales open at 10 a.m. on Friday. Call 1-888-GO-NJPAC (1-888-466-5722), visit the NJPAC box office or buy online at njpac.org and ticketmaster.com. Montclair Film: montclairfilm.org.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.A man who admitted threatening to kill a teenage girl while stealing a Range Rover from her family was sentenced to 14 years in prison Monday.

Ahmed Anthony

Ahmed Anthony, 30, of Newark, must serve at least 12 years of that sentence before he is eligible for parole, the state Attorney General's office announced.

Anthony admitted in a June guilty plea that he was one of the three men who attacked a Millburn family who had just gotten home from vacation.

Around 2 a.m. on Nov. 27, 2017, the family was bringing luggage into their home when Anthony grabbed the 13-year-old from behind and put her in a choke hold in front of her father.

"Give me your keys or I will kill your daughter," one of the men said.

As Anthony maintained the hold on the younger daughter, another man approached, pointing a handgun at the father. The father handed over his money and keys to the family Range Rover, and the second man drove away, the Attorney General's office said.

Anthony then demanded keys to the older daughter's Range Rover, and the father went inside to get them, then handed them over to Anthony. Anthony let go of the 13-year-old and tried to start the remaining SUV unsuccessfully.

While he struggled with starting up the vehicle, the father grabbed a gun from inside the house, pointed it at Anthony and told him to get down on the ground.

He didn't.

Anthony ran and climbed into a minivan driven by another man, the office said.

The family Range Rover was tracked using a locator app and found abandoned in Newark.

Investigators arrested Anthony in January.

"We have ensured that this defendant will spend many years behind bars, where he cannot bring violent crime to our communities or terrorize a family and a young girl the way he did during this armed carjacking," Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement.

"This lengthy prison sentence reflects our determination to protect New Jersey residents from this type of dangerous criminal," he said.

"Carjackings are inherently violent and terrifying crimes, but Anthony's conduct was especially heinous because of his cruel assault on a child," Criminal Justice Division Director Veronica Allende said.

The other two men involved have not been identified or charged, a spokesman for Grewal said Monday.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsThe stars are finally aligning for a town in need of a break.

Paulsboro -- a 2-square-mile town across the Delaware River from Philadelphia -- is embarking on an ambitious program to get rid of its abandoned properties and place them back on the tax rolls. The project will be a major one for the town where just over 29 percent of its 5,900 residents live below the poverty level.

Some 200 properties in the Gloucester County borough fit the description.

"I'm tired of the abandoned homes and empty lots," said Mayor Gary Stevenson. "This is a huge step for us in taking back our town and moving Paulsboro forward."

A Community Development Block Grant of $66,700 awarded by Gloucester County to Paulsboro along with funds provided by the Gloucester County Improvement Authority and money earmarked by the borough has formed a pot of $164,000 to kickstart the Housing Initiative Program for Paulsboro or HIPP.

The block grant will go toward the demolition of two houses on Beacon and Thomson avenues in the town along the Delaware River.

Once those abandoned homes come down, an additional 15 properties Paulsboro has taken ownership of through the HIPP program will be addressed.

Most of the abandoned properties Paulsboro now owns were taken over through foreclosure. But some, as Stevenson explained, were simply handed over to the town by owners who could no longer afford them.

The takeover of so many properties by Paulsboro through foreclosure, it turns out, is not unusual for New Jersey.

According to a report issued earlier this year, in 2017 New Jersey ranked No. 1 in the number of foreclosures in the nation with about 70,000.

Gloucester County, home to Paulsboro, ranked fourth in the state with 3,038. That's one in every 37 houses.

The Paulsboro properties targeted for rehabilitation do not all have buildings that need to be demolished. Some homes can be rehabbed and other properties are vacant lots ready to build on.

The borough will sell the properties to developers who will rehab or build on them.

The goal of the HIPP program, Stevenson says, is to boost home ownership in Paulsboro where the ratio between owners and renters is about 50-50, he says. The median household income is $42,154, according to the latest U.S. Census data available.

Deeds to the properties the borough sells will have restrictions in place requiring the homes built or rehabbed be owner-occupied, not rentals. Also, there will be borough-imposed guidelines dictating any new home must match those in the rest of the neighborhood.

The money reaped by the borough from the property sales will go right back into the HIPP program. Getting the properties back on the tax rolls will also be a boost for the borough's finances, the mayor says.

A home on Broad Street in Paulsboro will be razed through the borough's Housing Initiative Program for Paulsboro (HIPP). It's just one of many the borough is targeting. (Photo Provided)

Paulsboro's drive to rid itself of blighted homes follows that of other, larger cities in New Jersey.

Camden in January 2015 began an ambitious plan to demolish 600 abandoned homes in the city. Of the 1,600 total abandoned buildings, the city said, some of the structures were also slated for rehabilitation.

In 2017 Collingswood launched a program to rehabilitate abandoned properties that are spots of blight in otherwise well-kept neighborhoods. Collingswood used New Jersey's Abandoned Properties Rehabilitation Act which gives municipalities an option to take control of abandoned properties with a plan for rehabilitation.

Earlier this year, Trenton officials announced a similar drive, targeting 100 vacant structures in the city for demolition.

"Whatever I need to do to get houses built and home ownership back in Paulsboro, I will," Stevenson said.

"Homeowners have pride and pride carries over one house at a time, one block at a time, one neighborhood at a time," the mayor said.

The grant and county money is key to getting the revitalization project going in Paulsboro, the mayor said.

"I can't thank the county enough," Stevenson said. " I couldn't have done it without the county money."

Stevenson sees opportunity in the South Jersey town of 6,000 on the Delaware River

In neighboring West Deptford Township a new Amazon fulfillment center is opening providing 2,000 full-time jobs. In Paulsboro itself, the revitalized port is set to make a major expansion, bringing more local jobs.

Those jobs will be in addition to those at the Paulsboro Refinery which has been a constant for work in the town.

According to the New Jersey Department of Labor, Paulsboro's annual unemployment rate for 2017 was 8.2 percent, well above New Jersey's average for 2017 of 4.6 percent.

Workers, making good wages, will want a convenient place to live near their jobs and the mayor sees Paulsboro as that place and its housing initiative will make good, affordable homes available and spur other growth.

New businesses, including a supermarket, have recently opened in Paulsboro providing much-needed services the town had been lacking for years.

Stevenson says there's already been interest shown by investors in the borough's housing initiative. He says potential homeowners could see such incentives as low-interest loans and tax abatements.

The mayor says an additional 15 properties are already in the process of coming under borough ownership for transformation through the HIPP program.

Those properties, like the 17 being targeted in the HIPP process now, are scattered throughout the town, according to Stevenson, and not only are unsightly for their neighbors, but are dangers, in some cases harboring squatters and drug dealers.

The borough has also been in recent headlines for other crimes. It's an image the officials wants to change.

"When houses are empty, property values go down and safety is compromised," said Gloucester County Freeholder Heather Simmons.

"Everybody wins when our focus is homes that are well cared for and families that plant roots in a town."

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsThe victim in the fatal shooting on New Street early Sunday morning has been identified as 33-year-old Laquan Clark, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said Monday.

Jersey City police responded to the area of 14 New St. in the Greenville neighborhood at 2:10 a.m. Sunday and found Clark in a car with multiple gunshot wounds, Suarez said. Clark was transported by EMS to the Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:40 a.m.

Clark is the third person fatally shot in the neighborhood since Sept. 4, when Eric Crocker was shot dead on Lembeck Avenue. On Sept. 19, a 17-year-old Ferris High School, Jayden Fondeur, was shot and killed on Old Bergen Road.

No arrests have been made.

According to Clark's Facebook page and other social media, the 33-year-old was on dialysis and was awaiting a kidney transplant. He was also expecting a child.

The Homicide Unit of the Prosecutor's Office is investigating Clark's killing with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department and anyone with information is asked to contact the HCPO at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/ . All information will be kept confidential, officials said.JERSEY CITY -- An adjournment Friday means the case of a Jersey City woman fatally struck by a vehicle in October will not go to trial until more than a year after she died.

Somani Gupta was in court Friday to face a motor vehicle violation following the Oct. 10, 2017 crash on Newark Avenue, which claimed the life of Azucena Andriani, 73. Gupta, who was 22 at the time of the crash, was given a summons for failing to yield to a pedestrian but was not charged criminally.

"I can't understand this court system. If you did it with a gun or a knife, you'd get punished. It's a two-ton bullet that car," said Patrick Andriani, whose wife was fatally struck while crossing the street in front of the Brennan Courthouse in Jersey City.

On the day of the crash, Andriani was seated on a bench at Newark and Baldwin avenue when his wife left his side and began crossing Baldwin Avenue as he watched. It was about 5:20 p.m.

Gupta was driving a 2010 Mercedes Benz west on Newark Avenue when she turned left onto Baldwin Avenue, striking Azucena Andriani, who was in a crosswalk at the time.

If found guilty, Gupta would face a fine and two points on her license, but could also be the defendant in a potential civil lawsuit. On Friday, a civil lawyer was in court monitoring events for Gupta.

Andriani brought two witness to the Jersey City Municipal Court on Friday. He thought the matter would be tried that day and said he got no notice of the adjournment. Judge Carlo Abad noted that he purchased an engagement ring from Diamond Hut in the Newport Centre mall, the store owned by Gupta's uncle.

Rather than risk a semblance of impropriety, Abad decided that another judge should hear the case. He said two other judges also had potential conflicts related the jewelry store. In the end he assigned the case to a new judge who must still undergo training. That pushed back the next hearing in the matter to Dec. 5 at 1 p.m.

One of the witnesses doubled over in a courtroom bench crying into a tissue as she recalled the day Azucena Andriani was struck.

"There was no blood and all of a sudden she started bleeding from her mouth and her nose," Brenda Heinzmann, of Jersey City, told The Jersey Journal in an interview Friday. "It was the first time I ever saw her and I can't forget her face. The blood... Oh God..."

Heinzmann said the woman was crossing Newark Avenue and the light was changing. A commuter van stopped to let her pass, which also opened up a gap in traffic allowing Gupta to turn onto Baldwin, she said.

Patrick Andriani "wanted to pick her up and we told him you can't because it's gonna be worse if you pick her up... All that blood," Heinzmann added. "There's no doubt in my mind (Gupta) was negligent. She came out the car and she had her phone in her hand and I heard her say 'I think I hit someone.' I was more upset than her."

Gupta has been represented by Leonard Meyerson, who sent another attorney to fill in for him on Friday. The lawyer stood alone at the defense table when the case was called and Abad asked him where his client was. It took a few minutes, but Gupta was contacted and eventually entered the court, joining her lawyer at the defense table.

The attorney declined to comment when approached by The Journal on Friday and asked that his client's privacy be respected. Andriani grumbled when he heard the request for privacy.

"Next month makes a year she's dead and this girl hasn't been punished," Andriani said. "She's going around driving and my wife ain't breathing. It's not fair. It's not. Where's the justice?"Jersey City police officers and firefighters donned ShopRite aprons and got behind registers to help fight food insecurity.

The volunteers participated in the supermarket chain's "Help Bag Hunger" campaign on Thursday, Sept. 20, as part of National Hunger Action month.

ShopRite customers also got involved as they were asked to round up the price of their total purchase as a donation to help fill the shelves of local food banks.

Since its inception in 1999, ShopRite Partners In Caring has donated $48 million to local food banks in support of more than 2,200 charities that feed the hungry in communities served by ShopRite stores.JERSEY CITY -- Security was extremely tight as Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, the 118th Pope of Alexandria and Pope of the See of St. Mark visited St. Mark's Church this morning on Jersey City's West Side.

"We love him," said Aiman Seaman, a parishioner at St. Mark's, which is located at West Side and Ege avenues. "He is our pope and we love him, we respect him. He comes with great ideas of expanding the Coptic community, opening new churches."

Streets were closed for several blocks around the church prior to the pope's arrival just after 8 a.m. There were traffic barricades around the church and dozens of police officers posted, including some armed with assault rifles. Iron gates were locked outside the church's front doors.

A fire truck was posted across the street from the church and the city's Office of Emergency Management had a truck there as well, with a boom mounted with cameras extended high above the vehicle.

The motorcade carrying the pope was to come up Ege going the wrong way from Mallory Avenue, but a wrong turn led them to arrive at the church from West Side Avenue. The motorcade passed the church and turned down Ege where the pope entered the church through a side door.

The Coptic Orthodox Church has a long history of persecution in Egypt and things are better today, but problems still exist.

Asked about the high security, Seaman, who operates the Cell 2 Go cell phone store near the church said he is a famous person and there are issues in his homeland, especially with the Muslim Brotherhood.

"It has not changed 100 percent in Egypt," Seaman said, adding that persecution is perhaps too strong a word to use today. "Some people believe they have to enforce their beliefs on others. You can't come 2,000 years later and tell us that our religion is wrong."

Dozens of people died when two Coptic churches were bombed in Egypt last year.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop is to meet with the pope later today. A tree-planting is planned for later in the day, but an officer on the scene said it will be behind the church and out of view.

Seaman said the pope will also officially open the church's community center.The Bucks County, Pennsylvania, fugitive charged with raping a child and who's been spotted on foot and bike along the Delaware River since late last week will be charged with assaulting the New Hope police officer he struggled with Friday afternoon.

Investigators on Monday were in the process of drawing up criminal complaints against David A. Hamilton, Jr. for aggravated assault, resisting arrest and attempting to disarm a police officer, New Hope Police Chief Michael Cummings said.

The chief said Hamilton, 47, who's on the run from Lower Southampton, Pennsylvania, where he's from, struggled with Officer Steven Gruber at about 3:35 p.m. in the 100 block of South Sugan Road, and tried to take Gruber's gun.

Hamilton then fled into nearby woods in Solebury, and disappeared on foot.

Officers checking the wooded area between Stoney Hill Road and Aquetong Road with the assistance of SEPTA K9. #soleburypd #STPD #septa pic.twitter.com/8c89p6WhnO  Solebury Police (@soleburypolice) September 24, 2018

A hunter also spotted Hamilton and took photos of him on foot in the woods, and provided them to police, who confirmed his identity.

The search in that area and beyond continued over the weekend, and on Monday teams of officers were out in force again - including officers from Philadelphia.

Solebury police on Monday evening tweeted footage of a K-9 police dog from the SEPTA Transit Police assisting officers in a search.

Cummings said New Hope police are getting tips about Hamilton's whereabouts, but none have panned out.

Hamilton walking through a wooded area Sept. 21, 2018, after struggling with a New Hope police officer. (Courtesy photo, WPVI-TV)

Hamilton is charged with 12 sexual assault felonies in Lower Southampton, including rape of child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, and photographing or filming a sex act involving a child on a computer.

Lower Southampton police have not elaborated on the case beyond his charges. The department publicized his case last Wednesday and said they were looking for him.

His car was abandoned in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, across from Trenton on Thursday, and he was recorded on a security camera riding a mountain bike in town. And early Friday, he was spotted crossing the Calhoun Street bridge into Trenton.

Police in Delaware River towns in both states have urged residents and others to dial 911 if they spot Hamilton.

In addition to dialing 911, police ask anyone with information that may help police locate him to contact Lower Southampton Detective Sgt. Gerald Scott at 215-357-1235, ext. 344, at gscott@LSTWP.org or by responding to Crimewatch via a tip.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Authorities arrested a 30-year-old Trenton man in South Brunswick this weekend on charges accusing him of the shooting death of 26-year-old Jibri Chisolm earlier this month.

Chisolm was one of two men shot in the 600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Trenton just before midnight on Sept. 14. Responding police located the two victims on Bond Street and they were taken to Capital Heath Regional Medical Center, in the city.

Stephan Green (Mercer County Prosecutor's Office photo)

Chisolm was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said in a Monday statement that Chilsom had been shot in the head and the abdomen.

An investigation by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force led to murder and related charges against Stephan P. Green, of Bond Street.

The task force issued a warrant for his arrest Saturday.

The U.S. Marshals' NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force located Green at a hotel in South Brunswick and arrested him at around 8:30 a.m. Sunday.

Green is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, two counts of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and second-degree certain persons not to possess a handgun.

He is being held at the Mercer County Correction Center pending a detention hearing, the prosecutor's office said.

The prosecutor's office did not name the other person wounded with Chisolm.

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross.Cloyd Edralin isn't getting deported.

After months in a detention center, the green card holder and legal resident from Highland Park won his case in immigration court last week and was released, his family said.

"Today, is a great day. Today, Cloyd is home!" his family posted Friday on a GoFundMe page that had been raising money for his defense.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had unexpectedly arrested Edralin, 47, in June as he left for his job as a machinist.

ICE said it wanted to deport Edralin, who immigrated legally to the U.S. from the Philippines 30 years ago, because he had been pulled over 11 years ago with an air rifle with plastic pellets in his car. He was sentenced to probation at the time.

Edralin's surprise arrest by ICE agents more than a decade later was one of several cases nationwide earlier this year where federal officials appeared to be targeting legal residents for deportation, citing minor criminal cases the immigrants thought were long forgotten.

loyd Edralin, of Highland Park, with his wife and their four children. Edralin, a legal resident who immigrated from the Philippines 30 years ago, was arrested by ICE agents. (Edralin family photo)

He was one of 91 immigrants arrested in Operation Cross Check, a five-day ICE sweep in New Jersey. All of the immigrants arrested, including some legal residents, faced deportation.

"Any green card holder who has violated the terms of maintaining a green card, such as breaking the law, can be subject to arrest (and) removal," Emilio Dabul, a spokesman for ICE's Newark office, said at the time.

After several months in custody at the Elizabeth Contract Detention Center, Edralin appeared before a judge Thursday who granted the cancellation of the order to remove him from the country, the immigrant's family said.

"The judge even (asked), why are we even here . . . as he was thumbing thru the reams of paperwork," according to the update posted by Edralin's family on his GoFundMe page. "Case dropped."

Edralin's family and friends had raised $16,755 for his legal defense, according to the page. Friends and relatives had held several fundraisers and rallies to bring attention to his case.

Brandi Davison-Edralin, the immigrant's U.S.-born wife and mother of their four children, said immigration attorneys assured her that her husband would be able to fight the deportation order.

"All of them said they really don't believe he will be deported," Brandi Davison-Edralin, told NJ Advance Media in June after she consulted with several attorneys.

The Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale, an immigration activist and co-pastor of the Reformed Church of Highland Park, was among those who brought attention to Edralin's case.

"Say a prayer of thanksgiving that sometimes goodness triumphs over evil. Solidarity for our neighbors in immigration crises matter," Kaper-Dale said in a Facebook post to his followers that shared the news about Edralin's release.



Edralin next plans to apply for U.S. citizenship, his family said.

Dear DIRE and Community Partners who have fought for, raised funds for, prayed for and cried for Cloyd Edralin and... Posted by Seth Kaper-Dale on Thursday, September 20, 2018

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook.Editor's note: The state Senate Appropriations Committee was to hold a hearing today to discuss Senate Bill 2892, which calls for a jet fuel tax increase to help fund a PATH train extension to Newark Liberty airport and airport improvements. The tax would affect United Airlines, in particular, because it is the largest carrier at Newark.

Should United Airlines pay a higher jet fuel tax to fund a PATH extension? Below are excerpts from two opposing views. Vote in the informal Twitter poll below to let us know which way the Legislature should go.

Yes, the jet fuel tax should go up to help pay for transportation into Newark Airport

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is an economic engine for New Jersey. It is also among the most valuable hubs in the world for United Airlines. That is why United should pitch in to make sure the PATH extension gets done.

Last year, the Port Authority earmarked $1 billion for the PATH extension, a project which would create a one seat-ride from Manhattan's World Trade Center to EWR's AirTrain. However, the project still lacks $700 million in capital funding and competes for scarce federal dollars with other projects like the Gateway Tunnel and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Finding new revenue streams is therefore critical to realizing this long-anticipated project.

State Senate President Steve Sweeney and Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, have proposed a bill to do just that. Senate Bill 2892 would eliminate United Airlines' jet fuel tax break -- which currently saves the carrier millions of dollars every year -- and dedicate that money to the PATH extension.

While New Jersey drivers pay a 37.5 cent tax on every gallon of gas they buy, airlines like United pay just four cents per gallon of jet fuel, and they only pay that on the fuel used during take-off. This is akin to only paying taxes on the gas you burn pulling out of your driveway. S2892 would simply eliminate the exemption and tax all United's jet fuel purchases at four cents per gallon.

-- Bill Granfield is president of UNITE HERE Local 100, which represents more than 1,500 members at Newark Liberty International Airport.

No, raising the jet tax makes our state less competitive, and it may be illegal to do so

Senate Bill 2892 places the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at direct risk of losing tens of millions of dollars in federal airport funding it receives each year and risk of having its prior federal grants "clawed back," not to mention substantial penalties and higher costs to the flying public.

This proposal is bad for business and bad for passengers.

Newark Liberty International is one of the busiest airports in the country. It is a self-supporting economy. Air service is growing, and airlines are investing millions of dollars in New Jersey to upgrade facilities and provide better services to New Jersey's flying public. It would be a grave error to do anything which would make the aviation partners who serve our state less competitive, especially when states like New York and Pennsylvania are holding the line on fuel taxes and other states are reducing or eliminating them.

New Jersey is surrounded by states (except Connecticut) which have low or no jet fuel tax.

By comparison, data available from air carriers serving Newark airport indicates that the senate president's proposal would increase the tax burden by a multiple of almost 20. This tax increase would not only make our state less competitive, but more importantly, the flying public in New Jersey would be left picking up a hefty tax bill. To offset the significant tax increase, the airline would be forced to pass the cost of doing business in the state to its residents making travel more expensive and preventing New Jerseyans from flying out of the state.

Federal law dictates that revenue generated on certain airports like Newark Liberty -- including aviation fuel tax revenue -- must remain on the airport and be used for aviation purposes. Enforcement of this requirement has been a particular focus of the Federal Aviation Administration in recent years in light of the age-old temptation to take airport revenue "downtown" for purposes unrelated to aviation. Airport revenues may be used only for the capital and operating costs of an airport, the local airport system, other local facilities owned or operated by the airport owner or operator, or the state aviation program and directly and substantially related to the air transportation of passengers or property.

While there are some narrow exceptions to this rule, they are inapplicable to the PATH extension as proposed.

-- Kirk Shaffer, an attorney, is the former associate administrator for airports at the Federal Aviation Administration.

Should United Airlines pay a higher jet fuel tax to fund a PATH extension?  NJ_Opinion (@NJ_Opinion) September 24, 2018

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.On a Saturday night in the Winter of 2011, an event called "Never Again For Anyone" was held at the Douglass Student Center at Rutgers.

It was sponsored by three groups - the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, the Middle East Children's Alliance, and American Muslims for Palestine - and its goal was to "shed light on Jewish suffering during the Holocaust and Palestinian suffering in the 1948 ethnic cleansing," which was a comparison that 150 pro-Israel protesters in attendance found offensive.

The rage from the Zionists grew when some were charged $5 to get in (it had been advertised as free), and there were claims that students wearing yarmulkes were told to stand in separate lines.

In the end, the protesters condemned the organizers as anti-Semitic - a remarkable conclusion, given that the event's main speakers were Holocaust survivors - and filed a complaint with the Obama Department of Education. Citing insufficient evidence, the DOE dismissed that claim.

Now the Trump Administration is reopening the case. And there's reason to suspect that its goal is to quell the rise of pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses, and trample free speech by applying a dangerously broad interpretation of anti-Semitism - one that could be defined as any criticism of Israel itself.

Kenneth Marcus, the Assistant Education Secretary for civil rights, is the tip of the spear, and he's an easy read: He is an opponent of Palestinian rights and an anti-BDS (Boycott-Divest-Sanction Israel) crusader, and he aggressively litigated these positions as the founder of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights, which asserts in its mission statement that the "leading civil and human rights challenge facing North American Jewry is the resurgent problem of anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism on university campuses."

His former organization also calls for revoking federal funding from academic programs that criticize occupation of the West Bank, and it urges universities to discipline students who take part in the BDS Movement.

No one doubts that anti-Semitism is getting worse throughout the U.S. - the number of hate crimes motivated by anti-Jewish bias rose 30 percent in New Jersey alone last year. And Charlottesville, where those good people chanted "Jews will not replace us," will forever be seared in the American psyche.

But Marcus will use the Rutgers incident as his cause celebre. In an August 27 letter to the Zionist Organization of America, he said that he is reopening the case so he can redefine anti-Semitism as, among other things, "holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel." Other definitions he endorses, such as "claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor," come from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

That language was adopted by the Obama State Department in 2010, so Marcus believes it can be applied to determine whether a college is discriminating against Jews, which is problematic, if not chilling.

"It's a definition that intentionally conflates real anti-Semitism and legitimate criticism of Israel," said Rabbi Joseph Berman of the Jewish Voice for Peace. "This is about a political agenda. You can't teach at a University if criticism of a government is forbidden speech."

Kenneth Stern, the lead author of the State Department definition, agreed. He wrote in the New York Times that "the definition was intended for data collectors writing reports about anti-Semitism in Europe. It was never supposed to curtail speech on campus."

Students should never be subjected to a hostile learning environment, and complaints related to any form of bigotry or intolerance deserve Marcus's full attention.

But real discrimination - which violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and can cost a school its federal funding - is not the same as exposure to critical speech in a poly sci class, which is protected by the First Amendment. Free speech must not have a Palestinian exception, and to suppress legitimate political discourse with political threats undermines the role of a university.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.Mexico Stops Hotel Project at Sea Turtle Nesting Beach

Mexico City - Environmental authorities in Mexico say they have denied permits for a proposed hotel near Xcacel, one of Mexico's most important sea turtle nesting beaches on the Caribbean.

The 520-room hotel project would have erected 23 buildings and an artificial lake on property just inland from the Xcacel beach, north of the resort of Tulum.

The Federal Environment Department said that the hotel project could threaten Xcacel beach, and called it "the site with the largest observed nesting of sea turtles on the entire Yucatan Peninsula."

The beach is a nesting site for loggerhead, hawksbill and green sea turtles, and part of the land is considered a protected area.

But parts of the property behind the beach have been the target of real estate development plans since the late 1990s. Environmental authorities have turned down at least one previous proposed "eco hotel" project there.

On Mexico's western coast, President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced he has blocked another conservation proposal. Lopez Obrador will take office Dec. 1, but outgoing President Enrique Pena Nieto has made it clear he won't cross Lopez Obrador.

Some environmental groups had been pushing Pena Nieto for a near-total ban on almost all fishing in the upper Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez.

Some activists had proposed the ban to protect the critically endangered vaquita porpoise, of which fewer than 30 remain.

Vaquitas have been decimated by nets set for the totoaba fish, whose swim bladder is considered a delicacy in China and commands high prices. Poachers often hide among legitimate boats to catch totoaba and sell the bladders. The government has struggled to enforce a ban on gill-net fishing in the area.

But Lopez Obrador said "we have gotten visits from fishermen who were worried that the federal government would decree a fishing ban in the Gulf of California," adding, "We talked with Pena Nieto and that decree has been blocked."Nobody wants to be in jail. Ever. Everybody wants to go home -- "home," in every case, being the place where family lives.

And if they can't go home yet, they want to be as close as possible.

Those protesting Hudson County's acceptance of ICE detainees are well-intentioned, but it's unrealistic to think that if the Hudson jail was not available, ICE would simply stop arresting people. Instead, they'd arrest just as many and ship them off to some place far away and probably far worse than here, like those cages in Texas.

Some people strongly want Hudson to refuse ICE money on principle and some think Hudson treats detainees more humanely than other places so they're better off here. But I wondered how detainees themselves felt about the issue.

So I asked them.

There are about 650 ICE detainees in the Kearny facility, almost 60 percent of the jail's population. About a third had minor run-ins with the law in the past and the rest had more serious charges.

All female detainees arrested in the metropolitan area are sent to Hudson and there are currently 54 here.

Most of the male detainees came from New York, as New Jersey men are routinely sent to harsher conditions in Essex County.

I talked with a dozen detainees who volunteered their opinions.

Sandy, held for a long-ago marijuana conviction, had spent a lonely month in Bergen County jail before being transferred to Hudson.

"Now," she said, "my family visits every week. I can touch them. And I video chat with my grandchildren every day. Couldn't do that in Bergen."

While her green card is pending, she said she wants to "stay right here."

Richie, from Antigua, doesn't see his family often since the trip from Long Island is a long one, but he calls them frequently. Calls used to cost 25 cents a minute, he said, but Hudson officials got the fee reduced to 5 cents.

"It's not bad here," he said, although he thinks his family bears the brunt of the separation. He has faith he'll get out soon.

Sandy expects release soon, too. In fact, she's surprised she's still jailed. She was brought to this country when she was 2 weeks old and had permanent residency for years.

"I thought permanent meant permanent," she shrugged, "but now I know I should have got citizenship."

Ashwin, from Suriname, one of four relatives arrested at home when one brother missed a court date, has been in Hudson only five weeks. Some detainees have been there more than three years.

With only one exception, everyone I talked with was surprisingly upbeat, confident of eventual release.

Davis fears release if it means deportation to El Salvador where he expects gangs would kill him.

The detainees live apart from the general prison population in huge, sunny, all-white rooms that are wide open spaces except for showers, toilets and the exercise court. Three rows of double-decker bunks take up half the space, and metal picnic tables, library shelves, pay phones, microwave and a coffee machine take up the other half.

Under constant observation, detainees mostly wear grey sweats, except for a few in orange or white jumpsuits.

They did have a few gripes. Some wanted more ethnic food and Dwight wants to appear before the judge in person again. Because of protesters, he said, they had to stay on jail premises and have court appearances via videotape. Judges are more compassionate talking directly to a person, he argued, rather than talking to a computer screen.

A compassionate judge may send him home. Until then, he'd rather be in Hudson than elsewhere, he said.

A former assemblywoman from Jersey City, Joan Quigley is the president and CEO of North Hudson Community Action Corp.

Submit letters to the editor and guest columns at jjletters@jjournal.com.By Bill Granfield

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is an economic engine for New Jersey. It is also among the most valuable hubs in the world for United Airlines. That is why United should pitch in to make sure the PATH extension gets done.

Last year, the Port Authority earmarked $1 billion for the PATH extension, a project which would create a one seat-ride from Manhattan's World Trade Center to EWR's AirTrain. However, the project still lacks $700 million in capital funding and competes for scarce federal dollars with other projects like the Gateway Tunnel and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Finding new revenue streams is therefore critical to realizing this long-anticipated project.

State Senate President Steve Sweeney and Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, have proposed a bill to do just that. Senate Bill 2892 would eliminate United Airlines' jet fuel tax break -- which currently saves the carrier millions of dollars every year -- and dedicate that money to the PATH extension.

While New Jersey drivers pay a 37.5 cent tax on every gallon of gas they buy, airlines like United pay just four cents per gallon of jet fuel, and they only pay that on the fuel used during take-off. This is akin to only paying taxes on the gas you burn pulling out of your driveway. S2892 would simply eliminate the exemption and tax all United's jet fuel purchases at four cents per gallon.

Last Thursday, before the bill was voted out of the Senate Transportation Committee, United Airlines' President of New York and New Jersey, Jill Kaplan, accused the bill of discriminating against the carrier. She even went so far as to suggest United could choose to expand elsewhere, a threat that I find both outrageous and dubious.

When United fights for lower taxes or fees, it likes to say EWR is a high-cost airport. What it tends to leave out is that EWR is also among the most profitable. Last year United President Scott Kirby said the airline enjoys a profit margin of about 15 percent in Newark, compared to Delta's estimated 4 percent in New York. And earlier this year, Kirby told investors United enjoys the best international gateways in the world, describing Newark as one of the carrier's "crown jewels."

Infrastructure experts have testified that the PATH extension would shift passengers away from JFK and LaGuardia to EWR, where United dominates like no other airline in the New York/New Jersey market. United is responsible for about two-thirds of all EWR passengers, and it flies more than 10 times as many passengers as the next biggest carrier.

On Monday, Jill Kaplan wrote in this paper that United "view[s] New Jersey's success and United's as inextricably linked." We agree. This proposal isn't a penalty -- it simply asks the biggest beneficiary of a massive infrastructure project to pitch in an amount that's proportionate to what it stands to gain.

Bill Granfield is president of UNITE HERE Local 100, which represents more than 1,500 members at Newark Liberty International Airport. Read UNITE HERE's report in support of S2892.

Should United Airlines pay a higher jet fuel tax to fund a PATH extension?  NJ_Opinion (@NJ_Opinion) September 24, 2018

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.Authorities on Monday identified the 36-year-old man who was fatally struck by a car on Route 3 in Clifton.

Virender Garg, who was visiting the country from his home in India, died shortly after he was hit around midnight Sunday on the highway's westbound lanes, near Main Avenue, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office.

The driver, a 57-year-old Sparta resident, remained at the scene and was not hurt, authorities previously said.

In a statement, the prosecutor's office said the investigation was ongoing.

Anyone with information can contact investigators at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Public schools in Wayne are the latest to embrace the no homework movement, aimed at giving young children and teenagers an occasional break from their demanding schedules.

Officials in the K-12 district recently amended the 2018-19 school calendar to allow for three "wellness weekends" on which no homework will be assigned.

Two of the three weekends include an extra day off because of holidays. The first homework-free weekend runs through Columbus Day, Oct. 8; the second includes Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 21.

The third homework-free weekend includes Mother's Day, May 12.

Wayne Schools Superintendent Mark Toback said the no-homework weekends, approved by the school board Aug. 23, are part of a broader strategy aimed at lessening stress on students.

Discussing the workload at the high school level, for example, Toback said students report for class at 7:20 a.m. and depart at 2:15 p.m., followed by in some cases of up to four to five hours per day of activities and homework.

"There's a laundry list of things that colleges look for. You have to be a very active person in multiple ways," Toback said.

"Our counselors are recognizing that in the end this is starting to catch up with some people," he said.

The demanding schedules take a toll not just on the students, but in some cases their home life, he added.

"Parents say it is hard to have family time," Toback said.

In opting for some no-homework weekends, Wayne is following in the footsteps of other districts in New Jersey, including Woodbridge Township, Princeton and West Windsor-Plainsboro.

Too much homework can also be a challenge at the lower grade levels.

A 2015 study by the American Journal of Family Therapy asserted that, at the elementary school level, too much homework leads children to dislike school, in addition to taking a toll on their social skills and self-confidence.

In October 2017, the K-8 Denville school district declared that four weekends would be homework-free and that no major projects would be due on the first day back from Thanksgiving, winter break and spring break.

"We hope that these days become a tradition and provide some needed breaks for students and families," Denville Superintendent Steven Forte said at that time.

Toback said school officials in Wayne got the idea from visiting the Ramapo school district.

"It's part of a much bigger picture," he said, referring to the district's overall wellness campaign whose other examples includes a therapy dog at middle school and days without smartphones.

Approximately 9,000 students are enrolled in the Wayne school district, which has nine elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.State officials are crying foul after a doctor found to be overprescribing opioids -- including to an undercover investigator -- was allowed by an oversight board to keep practicing medicine.

In a rare public rebuke of one of their own boards, New Jersey's attorney general and the director of the Division of Consumer Affairs said the Toms River doctor, Bruce Coplin, "put the public's safety at risk" by not adequately vetting patients at his large pain management practice.

"If we are serious about ending the opioid crisis, then we must also get serious about holding doctors accountable when they recklessly prescribe these drugs," Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement Monday taking issue with the board rejection of his office's request to suspend to doctor's license.

The disagreement comes as New Jersey grapples with the state's soaring overdose rate, which many experts attribute to abuse of prescription painkillers.

Coplin's attorney, John Hanamirian, said his client was an upstanding, "old school" doctor swept up in an aggressive crackdown on prescribing practices that brought him under a cloud of suspicion.

"This guy is a very trusting, caring person," Hanamirian said. "He's been in practice for 35 years. He's never even been sued."

Coplin was disciplined last month following a joint investigation by state authorities and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration that sent an undercover agent and a confidential informant to his office seeking powerful painkillers.

In both cases, authorities said Coplin was caught on tape ignoring obvious "red flags" that the supposed patients were abusing or selling painkillers. Investigators also found the doctor pre-signed blank prescription slips and allowed his staff to fill them out -- a practice Coplin called a "mistake."

The State Board of Medical Examiners, an oversight panel consisting of doctors and other health professionals appointed by the governor, issued an order temporarily barring Coplin from prescribing controlled dangerous substances.

But the board rejected a recommendation from attorneys at the Division of Consumer Affairs, a state watchdog under the attorney general, that the board issue an emergency suspension of Coplin's license until further review.

In a statement, division acting Director Paul Rodriguez said it was "troubling that the Board failed to take that step to protect the public in light of the compelling evidence presented in this case."

State authorities accused Coplin of endangering eight patients with negligence, including prescribing powerful painkillers without conducting exams. In papers filed with the board, the doctor said he was dealing with a flood of new patients from other doctors who had been criminally implicated or disciplined for overprescription.

Hanamirian, his attorney, said the state's crackdown on doctors who handle pain management had left many patients with nowhere else to go.

"Everybody's so afraid to prescribe that he got inundated with patients," he said. "He was trying to triage the situation."

Hanamirian said state and federal authorities searched his client's practice and his home but have not indicated whether he would be charged with a crime.

The board's decision allows Coplin to continue to see patients until an administrative judge can hear arguments in his case, limiting only the doctor's ability to prescribe painkillers.

"The concerns we have identified all are connected to Dr. Coplin's poor judgment in treating pain management patients and writing prescriptions," the board wrote in its decision. "Stripped of the authority to write those prescriptions, the public interest can be adequately safeguarded."

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Cory Booker is not being subtle.

The Iowa caucuses are well over a year away, but the New Jersey senator is working overtime to make an impression in Iowa and in other states that will be crucial to winning the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

Booker has secured the keynote speaker role at the marquee fall Democratic Party fundraising banquet in Des Moines on Oct. 6. He'll also headline a Democratic fundraiser later in October in South Carolina, which holds the first primary in the South and is a key test of support among black voters.

Adding to the intrigue surrounding Booker is his budding relationship with Des Moines lawyer Jerry Crawford, a party powerbroker helping the senator make connections in Iowa. After Crawford attended a dinner with Booker in the Washington area last spring, he arranged meetings in Newark for him with influential Iowa Democrats, including state House Minority Leader Mark Smith.

The moves are a notable break from the approach of other well-known Democrats considering 2020 campaigns. While many potentially top-tier prospects have fostered relationships in Iowa, Booker is the only one -- for now -- to be in the state ahead of the November midterm elections. The strategy is risky but gives Booker the opportunity to introduce himself to Iowa voters before other high-wattage candidates show up later this year or in early 2019. That, according to some Iowa political operators, could prove helpful.

"I'm aware of Sen. Booker," said Nathan Thompson, a Democratic chairman in Winneshiek County. "He definitely seems like he has presidential ambitions. But I'm not real familiar with him, beyond being the former mayor of Newark."

A spokesman for Booker, Jeff Giertz, insists the senator has not decided to run for president and is focused purely on the midterms.

Booker has campaigned for Democrats in 20 states "with one purpose in mind: to support great Democratic candidates who will be a check and balance to President Trump," Giertz said.

Still, Booker is working to build his profile with a recent appearance on "The Tonight Show" and a sprawling profile in New York magazine last week in which he said it would be "irresponsible" for him not to consider a presidential bid.

But nothing has put Booker on the political map quite like his actions during Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. He made public some documents the panel had kept secret, risking potential expulsion from the Senate.

"This is about the closest I'll probably ever have in my life to an 'I am Spartacus moment,'" he said.

If Kavanaugh returns to the Judiciary Committee this week to address a woman's allegation that he sexually assaulted her in the 1980s when they were teenagers, one of two sexual-misconduct allegations Kavanaugh is denying as they roil his court nomination, Booker will almost certainly have another starring role. While such performances cause some observers in Washington to view Booker as overly theatrical, he's so far used it to create a buzz in Iowa, said former state Democratic Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky.

"It's a good event for Booker to make his move," Dvorsky said.

Dvorsky recalled the winning impression Booker left when he spoke to Iowa's delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, before the 2012 election.

"He had them eating out of his hand," she recalled.

But commanding a ballroom of influential state party leaders is different from grasping the concerns at a cafe table in rural Iowa, where Barack Obama connected during his winning 2008 Iowa caucus campaign. That leaves some Democratic strategists uncertain about Booker's prospects.

"Soaring oratory that can inspire is a very different skill set from the natural ability to connect with voters of all political stripes," said Jim Messina, Obama's 2012 campaign manager.

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., speaks at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. (AP Photo | Alex Brandon)

As a young, black senator with a background in urban politics and known for his oratory, Booker inevitably draws comparisons to Obama, whose win in the 2008 Iowa caucuses propelled him to the Democratic nomination that year. But Iowa political strategists say it's premature to expect a repeat of Obama's explosive rise, ignited by his speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston as a little-known Illinois senator.

"It would be hard to top the moment Barack Obama seized at the 2004 convention," said John Norris, a veteran Democratic Iowa caucus operative who advised Obama's 2008 campaign.

Sandy Cronbaugh of rural eastern Iowa, who supported Obama in 2008, recalled him "listening to what we were saying about problems with rural health care."

"I haven't read up on Cory Booker yet," Cronbaugh said. "I would need to know more about him."A handful of Democratic New Jersey state lawmakers used an annual event that puts a spotlight on victims of sexual assault to take aim at Republican President Donald Trump's pick for the U.S. Supreme Court.

State Sen. Jospeh Vitale, D-Middlesex, led a group of about a half-dozen other legislators Monday to take aim at nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

"A woman has accused a man of sexual assault and supporters of that man have criticized her and tried to reduce her to nothing," Vitale, who was joined by a half-dozen other lawmakers outside the New Jersey Statehouse

He was referring to Christine Blasey Ford, who claimed that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school.

A second woman, Deborah Ramirez, has told The New Yorker that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when he was in college.

"Dr. Ford and Deborah Ramirez, we're here to tell you that we believe you," Vitale said. "Today is about making sure all victims have that opportunity (to be heard)."

Kavanaugh denies both allegations.

Around the same time Vitale and others rallied around Kavanaugh's accusers, prominent U.S. Senate Republicans in Washington were dismissing the new allegation of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh.

The second claim against Kavanaugh dates to the 1983-84 academic year, which was his first at Yale University. Ramirez recalled that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

Ford is slated to testify before Congress on Thursday about her claim he covered her mouth and tried to remove her clothing at a high school party.

Republicans have rallied behind Kavanaugh, who said Monday he has no plans to take his name out of the running to be a Supreme Court justice.

U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah called The New Yorker piece a Democratic "smear campaign." Hatcy says the Judiciary Committee should hear from Ford and "then we should vote."

Two other Senate Republicans, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, are also urging a vote after the hearing with Ford.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.Gloucester County Democratic Headquarters, 27 S. Broad St., Woodbury, will be the drop-off site for nonperishable items being collected for the Greater Woodbury Cooperative Ministries Food Pantry.A former public works employee who was denied a promotion three years in a row and claims an administrator said he'd be 'politically f-----' if he supported the employee is suing the Borough of Roselle.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court on Sept. 6, George Phipps detailed his claims of how the borough repeatedly declined to reinstate him to his previous job as superintendent in the Department of Public Works, and instead chose to hire a man with less experience.

According to the lawsuit, Phipps' job in mid-2015 caused him to develop mental health issues, such as anxiety and panic disorder that made him sleepless and weak. He sought and was approved for time off of work to recover and get therapy, but he claims he was retaliated against and subjected Phipps to "animosity and hostility" because of it.

Phipps started as a laborer at the department in 2002 then steadily rose through the ranks, ultimately becoming superintendent in 2010, according to the lawsuit. The department is responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of public facilities and infrastructure.

Phipps had held the superintendent position for five years but in 2016, the borough council voted not to reinstate him, according to the complaint. The position is an annual political appointment where the mayor makes a recommendation but it has to be approved by the council.

Their decision effectively demoted him to assistant supervisor and caused him to lose over $50,000 in wages and benefits, the lawsuit said.

David Brown, the former Roselle borough administrator, refused to give Phipps a leadership role despite the superintendent position remaining open, according to the lawsuit.

Brown said he would be "politically f-----" by the borough if he supported Phipps and the council told Brown to "go after" Phipps, the lawsuit claims.

Phipps' ability to perform his job was called into question during public council meetings, according to news reports.

In January 2016, Mayor Christine Dansereau recommended Phipps to continue in the superintendent position.

"George Phipps is the strongest manager in a department that needs strong management skills," the mayor said according to news coverage of the January 2016 meeting.

"He has done what he could with what he has. Is there room for improvement? Yes, but not enough to terminate."

With a vote of 2-4, the borough council did not re-appoint Phipps, according to the lawsuit.

Councilwoman Kim Shaw explained the reluctance to approve Phipps: "There has been a lack of communication, and we have not had to opportunity to voice our concerns," she said, according to news reports of the meeting. "There are deficiencies that we cannot ignore."

A year later, Phipps applied again for his old position and the mayor again recommended him. The council instead appointed Duane Patterson as interim supervisor. Patterson had five years of experience with the department and did not have the proper certification, while Phipps had 14 and was a certified public works manager, the lawsuit said.

The mayor appointed Phipps for the third year, and for a third time, the council rejected Phipps for the superintendent role. Patterson remained as an interim until March 2018 when he obtained the needed certification and was appointed superintendent.

Karpf, Karpf and Cerutti, the Pennsylvania law firm handling Phipps' case, returned calls to NJ Advance Media but declined to comment beyond the allegations they made in the lawsuit.

They claim the council's decisions not to re-appoint Phipps was retaliation for requesting or exercising his Family Medical Leave Act rights and to discourage him from doing so in the future.

The mayor declined to comment. Request for comment sent to the council president's email was not returned.

Editor's note: A photo of an incorrect town sign has been removed from this post.

Cassidy Grom may be reached at cgrom@njadvancemedia.com Follow her at @cassidygrom. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsLouisiana lawmakers are trying a new approach to determine how much the state will spend on Medicaid services each year, as the program has ballooned to more than one-third of the state's budget and added hundreds of thousands of people during theNo. 11 NC State Baseball Makes a Quick Turnaround to Host UNC Greensboro Tuesday

No. 11 NC State baseball (2-0) is set to make a quick turnaround Tuesday when it hosts in-state opponent UNCG (2-1) at Doak Field at Dail Park for its first midweek contest of the season. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on the ACC Network Extra.Today

Rain showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving for the afternoon. High 78F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 59F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Mainly sunny. High 76F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.When the investigative journalist Julia Angwin worked for ProPublica, the nonprofit news organization became known as big techs scariest watchdog.

By partnering with programmers and data scientists, Ms. Angwin pioneered the work of studying big techs algorithms  the secret codes that have an enormous impact on everyday American life. Her findings shed light on how companies like Facebook were creating tools that could be used to promote racial bias, fraudulent schemes and extremist content.

Now, with a $20 million gift from the Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, she and her partner at ProPublica, the data journalist Jeff Larson, are starting The Markup, a news site dedicated to investigating technology and its effect on society. Sue Gardner, former head of the Wikimedia Foundation, which hosts Wikipedia, will be The Markups executive director. Ms. Angwin and Mr. Larson said that they would hire two dozen journalists for its New York office and that stories would start going up on the website in early 2019. The group has also raised $2 million from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and $1 million collectively from the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Initiative.

Ms. Angwin compares tech to canned food, an innovation that took some time to be seen with more scrutiny.This weeks hearings in which Christine Blasey Ford, the California professor who has accused the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault when she was 15 and he was 17, will appear, seems primed to privilege Kavanaugh and exploit Fords weaknesses.

There is no effort yet to thoroughly investigate her claim, by either the F.B.I. or the Senate itself, and there are no plans as yet to call any witnesses other than the accused and the accuser. This is designed to be a spectacle that will embarrass her and elevate him, much the way the Clarence Thomas hearings featuring accuser Anita Hill played out in 1991.

Indeed, many people have drawn attention to the numerous parallels between the two cases, but I would like to draw attention to one difference, one that could bode well for Ford: the absence of a racial element in a heated racial environment.

Months before Thomas was nominated, an amateur photographer videotaped the savage beating of motorist Rodney King by a throng of Los Angeles police officers.After months of stalemate, diplomatic efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis are quickening, thanks largely to the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in.

His three-day visit to Pyongyang last week included his third summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and set the stage for talks on Monday with President Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in New York .

On Thursday , Mr. Moon made clear what he would like to come out of the meeting with Mr. Trump  a commitment by the United States to declare an end to the Korean War as an incentive for North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons.

Ending the formal state of war 65 years after the fighting ceased should not be that difficult, even if the ultimate goal  ridding the world of the threat from North Koreas nuclear arsenal  remains elusive.Democrats might seem to be rallying behind the liberal order, but much of this is just opposition to Mr. Trumps denigration of it. Are todays rank-and-file Democrats really more committed to defending allies and deterring challengers to the liberal world order? Most Democratic politicians railing against Mr. Trumps appeasement of Moscow hailed Obamas reset a few years ago and chastised Republicans for seeking a new Cold War. Most Democratic voters want lower military spending and a much smaller United States military presence overseas, which hardly comports with getting tougher on Russia, Korea or China  except on trade.

Most Americans in both parties also agree with Mr. Trump that Americas old allies need to look out for themselves and stop relying on the United States to protect them. Few really disagreed with the presidents stated reluctance to commit American lives to the defense of Montenegro. Britons in the 1930s did not want to die for Danzig, and Americans today dont want to die for Taipei or Riga, never mind Kiev or Tbilisi. President Obama was less hostile to the allies than Mr. Trump, but even he complained about free riders.

In retrospect its pretty clear that Mr. Obama was too internationalist for his party base. He expanded NATO, intervened in Libya, imposed sanctions on Russia and presided over the negotiation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Democrats may miss Mr. Obama for many reasons, but theres little evidence that the rank-and-file miss those policies. Mr. Trumps narrower, more unilateralist and nationalist approach to the world is probably closer to where the general public is than Mr. Obamas more cosmopolitan sensibility.

It would be comforting to blame Americas current posture on Mr. Trump. But while he may be a special kind of president, even he cant create a public mood out of nothing. Now as always, presidents reflect public opinion at least as much as they shape it. Between the two world wars, and especially from 1921 through 1936, an American public disillusioned by World War I was averse to further overseas involvement, and it didnt matter whether the presidents were supposed isolationists like Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge or supposed internationalists like Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt. It took a lot more than fireside chats to turn public opinion around. It took Hitlers conquest of Europe, near-conquest of Britain and, finally, Pearl Harbor to convince a majority of Americans that America First was a mistake.

In our own time, the trend toward an America First approach has been growing since the end of the Cold War. George H.W. Bush, the hero of the Gulf War, had to play down foreign policy in 1992 and lost to a candidate promising to focus on domestic issues. George W. Bush won in 2000 promising to reduce United States global involvement, defeating an opponent, Al Gore, who was still talking about Americas indispensability. In 2008, Mr. Obama won while promising to get out of foreign conflicts for good. In 2016, Republican internationalists like Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio were trounced in the primaries. Hillary Clinton struggled to hold off Bernie Sanders, a progressive isolationist, and it was certainly not because of her foreign policy views.Just the facts.

Here is a partial record of what one Russian journalist saw after a suicide bombing in Grozny, Chechnya, on a winter day in the early 21st century: burning vans, shredded clothes, car hoods, one human head, a radio, a leg, taxi meters, an arm, a hand, flags on their flagpoles, plastic bags, billboards, two dead dogs, bottles, puke, one child.

This catalog includes more than 50 items, each given the same, neutral weight by the woman reciting it. The sample Ive chosen above skews toward sensationalism more than the lists creator would have approved.

Thats the title character of Intractable Woman: A Theatrical Memo on Anna Politkovskaya, a cool, carefully composed and frightening work by Stefano Massini, which opened on Sunday night at 122CC, Second Floor Theater in the East Village. Politkovskaya was a reporter for the newspaper Novaya Gazeta who, she said, never wrote commentary, or opinion, or speculation.

Yet her unvarnished accounts of the war in Chechnya antagonized many powerful people in the Russian military and government, who regarded her descriptions of acts of savagery committed by their countrys soldiers as unpatriotic. She was assassinated in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building in 2006.The leader of a prominent conservative research organization who suggested that Christine Blasey Ford mistakenly accused Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her while in high school, and who built a case against one of his classmates, will take a leave of absence from the organization, its board announced on Sunday.

Edward Whelan, the president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a friend of Judge Kavanaugh, offered his resignation after the organizations board of directors convened a special meeting on Friday, officials said in a statement. But the board did not accept it, choosing instead to place him on leave.

The boards brief statement did not specify how long Mr. Whelan would be absent or when the leave would begin, saying only, The board will meet in a month to review the situation. The board said that Mr. Whelan had led the organization with integrity and excellence for many years and noted that he had apologized and deleted a string of tweets that contained the bizarre alternative explanation to the allegations presented by Dr. Blasey.The public spectacle that will surround Dr. Blaseys testimony on Thursday illustrates the degree to which a confirmation effort that was once seen as an island of functionality in a tumultuous White House has become the latest messy episode in a presidency full of them. The development could carry profound consequences not only for the future of the Supreme Court but also for Republicans facing the growing possibility of losing control of Congress in November, partly at the hands of female voters.

As the risk that Judge Kavanaughs nomination could collapse has mounted  a new allegation of sexual misconduct published by The New Yorker on Sunday night raised fresh questions about whether he could survive  Mr. Trump has been forced into the role of spectator.

The president was briefed on the allegation on Sunday, according to people in contact with him, and was remaining firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh, who is also scheduled to testify before the committee and who has vehemently denied the allegations. But one of the people said the president argued that the new charge showed why the White House should have fought back against Dr. Blasey from the beginning.

In a sign that the White House was prepared to take a more aggressive approach to the newly lodged accusations against Judge Kavanaugh, White House officials sent out a document around midnight on Sunday casting doubt on the article with a point-by-point list of rebuttals.

The agreement to hear Dr. Blaseys testimony was sealed after days of frenzied, bitter negotiations that left Mr. Trump and his team believing that his own party had allowed itself to be exploited. For Mr. Trump, the hearing is dangerously unpredictable, carrying the potential to tarnish not only Judge Kavanaugh but also the Republican Party itself weeks before the election.ROME  The artist Marina Abramovic is no stranger to controversial performances, but she found herself involved in an unscripted spectacle on Sunday when an aspiring artist hit her with a painting.

Ms. Abramovic was leaving a book signing at the Palazzo Strozzi, in Florence, which is hosting Italys first major retrospective of her art, when a man slammed a paper portrait he had made of Ms. Abramovic over her head.

The sudden act drew horrified gasps from several people in the crowd that had been following Ms. Abramovic through the palazzo. She was attacked, one woman is heard saying in a video of the incident published by the Rome daily La Repubblica.

Ms. Abramovic said in a statement issued by the museum that she had been stunned by the aggression, but was unhurt.In an interview, Mr. Attie, 61, discussed his most recent project, which will run through Sept. 27. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Why did you decide to spotlight former asylum seekers?

There are two answers to that. One is I have a long history of working with refugee and asylum communities. Also, its a topic of great urgency in this moment of our history. These are people whose lives have been saved by the United States. I couldnt think of something more urgent to do.

How did you decide on the 12 people to feature in the film?

That process took a few months. We partnered with several legal advocacy organizations that were getting applications approved for asylum seekers. They came to trust us. They came to trust me. They opened their clients to us. I showed them my past work. I talked to them about what the idea was. I asked them what they thought. If they didnt like the idea, this project would not happen. They loved the idea because its different. More specifically, I picked people who have character, strong faces, and people who would be good in front of a camera.

Where does this project rank in terms of logistical difficulty?

Ive had more difficult and challenging projects and less difficult and challenging projects. The Berlin project was just guerrilla art. That was easy. That was me and four slide projectors.

This project, we started about two years ago. I took about six months considering what I wanted to do.Mr. Cosbys team said its expert witness could not testify until Tuesday, so Judge ONeill agreed to wait until then to make a decision on the predator determination and Mr. Cosbys sentence. If the judge agrees with the boards psychological assessment, Mr. Cosby would be required to have routine counseling for the rest of his life, and even if not sentenced to prison, he would be required to report monthly to the police.

Mr. Cosbys legal team had objected to the whole discussion, asserting that the legality of the states predator determination process is questionable because, among other things, it does not use the beyond reasonable doubt formula for findings in criminal cases.

The statute is unconstitutional, said Mr. Green, but the judge found otherwise.

Judges ruling means Mr. Cosby faces no more than 10 years in prison

Mr. Cosby had faced a maximum 30-year prison term, 10 years for each of three counts of aggravated indecent assault he was convicted of.

But Judge ONeill chose on Monday to merge the counts, as allowed when they stem from the same event. In this case, they originated with an encounter in January 2004 when, Ms. Constand said, Mr. Cosby sexually assaulted her after giving her pills that made her drift in and out of consciousness.

In their remarks, prosecutors asked Judge ONeill to sentence Mr. Cosby to a five- to 10-year term. By deterring this type of conduct with a sentence that is appropriate will say that you can no longer get away with this, the district attorney, Kevin R. Steele, told the court.

Indeed, at a time when the country is coming to terms with a culture of predatory sexual abuse by powerful men, Mr. Cosbys sentencing was closely watched as it is the first major conviction of the #MeToo era. For many of Mr. Cosby accusers, the jury verdict had seemed a watershed moment, one that reflected how the accounts of female accusers were being afforded greater credibility. But the issue is far from settled, as is evident in the debate over how to view the accusations of sexual impropriety now being brought forward by women about Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee.It seemed strange that, out of the billions of word combinations possible in the English language, NBCs medical drama New Amsterdam chose the precise title used by another series, about an immortal police officer, a decade ago.

But after seeing the first two episodes, I can think of one reason: The Good Doctor was already in use.

While the series, beginning Tuesday, doesnt borrow the title from ABCs hit of last season, it seems to borrow a philosophy: that viewers are anxious about a health care system that is inattentive to individuals, and theyll reward a show that tells them the simple answer is putting patients first.

Heartfelt, well-meaning and dull, New Amsterdam is determined to fill that prescription, however many tearful bedside scenes and Bon Iver montages it takes to do it.Five days after the essay was published, the editor, Ian Buruma, left the Review. It was not clear if he resigned or was fired.

Explore the New York Times Book Review Want to keep up with the latest and greatest in books? This is a good place to start. Learn what you should be reading this fall: Our collection of reviews on books coming out this season includes biographies, novels, memoirs and more. See whats new in October: Among this months new titles are novels by Jonathan Franzen, a history of Black cinema and a biography by Katie Couric. Nominate a book: The New York Times Book Review has just turned 125. That got us wondering: What is the best book that was published during that time? Listen to our podcast: Featuring conversations with leading figures in the literary world, from Colson Whitehead to Leila Slimani, the Book Review Podcast helps you delve deeper into your favorite books.



On Monday, in the magazines first statement discussing his departure, it described the considerable concern over the essay among readers, adding, We acknowledge the validity of this criticism. (The unsigned statement was sent from the email address of the publisher, Rea Hederman, with the subject line: From NYR.)

While citing Mr. Ghomeshis free-speech rights, the magazine described our failures in the presentation and editing of the essay.

[Ian Buruma is out as editor of The New York Review of Books]

The magazine said the failures began with the decision to not follow the Reviews usual editorial practices set up by Bob Silvers and Barbara Epstein, the editors who founded the magazine in 1963. (Mr. Silvers was still editing the magazine when he died at 87 last year. Mr. Buruma took over a little more than a year ago.)

This article was shown to only one male editor during the editing process, Mondays statement from the magazine continued. Most members of the editorial staff (including six female members of staff, four of whom worked with Bob and Barbara), were excluded from the substantive editorial process.Inserting a personage who strongly resembles Kathy Acker into a book set in 2017 is, it must be said, a very Kathy Acker thing to do. Acker often wrote pastiche; the first chapter of her Great Expectations is titled Plagiarism and artfully revisits Dickenss novel.

Image Olivia Laing Credit... Suki Dhanda

Acker appropriated from many other writers. She was at times a cutup artist a la William S. Burroughs. She wrote a chapbook (I suddenly want to find a copy) titled Hello, Im Erica Jong. She had no qualms about re-appropriating anyones story.

In Acker fashion, Laing smuggles bits of text from other sources into Crudo, sometimes identifying these snippets as such but often not. (All citations are provided in an index.) Most are from Acker herself. Others are from sources as far-flung as Donald Trumps tweets and articles on The Daily Stormer, the neo-Nazi website.

Laings Kathy, although she is marrying, remains a wild child, committed to little except her instincts. Shes addicted to travel. A migrant bird, she was compelled to fly, Laing writes. Like the protagonists in novels by Rachel Cusk and Deborah Levy, whose writing Laings can resemble, Kathy is drawn south. She wanted novelty and heat, Laing writes, she wanted to unhook herself.

Kathy worries about aging. Weightlessness was another exclusive possession of the very young, she thinks. Later on you started clanking around like tins tied to a car.

Laing strikes some terrific chords in this novel. About bohemian life then and now, for example, she observes: New York dirt, no big deal, just eight generations of people living in the same small rooms. Kathy happens to pick up a book that seems to be Nicholson Bakers U and I, about John Updike. Heres Laings perfect description of Baker: a pornographer with good syntax, a lusty grammarian.

One mentally pushes back, at times, against the palimpsest of Acker that exists under Laings Kathy. Youre not sure you want to imagine this indomitable counterculture figure losing it over a patio (They got home and saw the deck, painted an unexpected brown, and shed screamed and screamed), scrolling through social media to see who is having a better vacation than she is or dining on potato foam or white peach bellinis or panna cotta like a severed breast and worrying about her weight. Rod Rosenstein in limbo.

The deputy attorney general will meet with President Trump on Thursday to discuss reports that he talked about invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office.

The Times reported on Friday that Mr. Rosenstein had discussed secretly taping the president and invoking the 25th Amendment. Over the weekend, Mr. Rosenstein told a White House official he was thinking of quitting. On Monday, he met with John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, pictured above.

Mr. Rosenstein oversees the special counsels Russia investigation and has often found himself on the receiving end of Mr. Trumps anger and frustration with the Justice Department. His departure could pave the way for the president to then get rid of Robert Mueller.Good Monday. Want this in your inbox every morning? Sign up here.

Comcast pays big to go international

Over the weekend, Comcast beat 21st Century Fox in an auction to acquire the British broadcaster Sky, with a $39 billion bid. It caps nearly two years of takeover drama, and the companys trans-European reach gives Comcast a way to expand outside the U.S.

But did Comcast overpay for the privilege?

Sky shareholders certainly did well: Theyll get 17.28 a share, 61 percent more than Foxs initial bid in 2016. Its going to be incredibly hard to justify having paid such a high price, the analyst Craig Moffett told Bloomberg.

Heres Andrews take on how Brian Roberts, the C.E.O. of Comcast, played the situation:

Mr. Roberts maneuverings could one day prove to be a case study in tactical deal making. His move to buy most of Fox forced Disney to raise its bid for those assets so much that when it came time to compete for Sky, Disney had a hard time bidding against Comcast without overleveraging itself. Time will tell whether the Sky deal proves successful  but if scored simply on the dark arts of deal making, Mr. Roberts already won. Well see whether Disney ends up selling Foxs stake in Sky to Comcast. Thats likely, or else Disney risks being a minority owner with little influence. There has also been speculation that Comcast could sell its stake in Hulu to Disney as part of a swap, but that makes little sense for now.

Disclosure: Andrew is an anchor on CNBC, part of Comcasts NBCUniversal unit.If it is enacted, Searss debt would fall to about $1.2 billion, freeing up cash to be reinvested in its struggling retail operations.

While Sears has been troubled for years, ESLs proposal signals an increased urgency from Mr. Lampert. His firm is warning that Sears now faces significant near-term liquidity constraints, with $134 million in debt coming due in a few weeks.

It was not clear whether the lenders would accept an offer to take an equity stake in the company, because it is premised on a belief that Sears has a future in retailing. Analysts say that is far from certain, as Sears keeps losing money and customers to more nimble and digitally adept competitors.

The latest rescue attempt is also complicated because ESL is controlled by Mr. Lampert, who has an unusual role at Sears. He is its chief executive and chairman, and in addition to being the largest shareholder, his hedge fund holds roughly 40 percent of Searss debt. This gives him claim on a great deal of the companys assets, particularly its real estate.

Image Edward Lampert has an unusual role at Sears. He is chief executive and a large shareholder. Credit... PRNewsFoto, via Getty Images

A bankruptcy filing would probably reduce what Mr. Lampert could recover, as fees to lawyers and advisers eat into what is left over to pay him and other creditors. Toys R Us, which filed one of the largest retail bankruptcies in history last September, paid hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees while being forced to liquidate all its American stores.There are also pockets of grape varietals that were originally brought from the Canary Islands by the Spanish, like torrontes and pedro gimenez in whites and negra criolla in reds. Vicchoquena is a mutant of negra criolla that yields a wine akin to pinot noir.

The Valle de los Cintis, north of Tarija, is the spiritual home of small-scale traditional winemaking. There are still about 30 vineyards with parrales, or climbing vines, some 100 to 250 years old, that grow entangled with moelle and chanar trees. The Spanish used this system to protect the grapes from sun and diseases; it has disappeared everywhere else in the world, Mr. van Casteren said.

At Cepas de Fuego, Weymar Rios Cavero, who is in his mid-70s, still makes wine much the way his father and grandfather did, hand-blending fertilizer and mixing a natural spray for diseases. The only thing Ive done is to put in trellises and search for grapes best adapted to here, he said. His syrah is a standout, Mr. Tottenborg said.

Younger people are bringing new perspectives. It has taken 15 years for the fourth-generation winemaker Marcelo Vacaflores, 31, and his father to revitalize their abandoned family vineyard. They renovated the bodega, dug wells and plan to plant new grapes in August. Down the highway, the self-taught Christian Villamor started Tierra Roja by making wine in his bedroom. Although he died in 2016 at age 37, the family is carrying on the vineyards biodynamic methods and has planted new vicchoquena vines.

Amane Hagiwara, 31, who grew up in Japan and North Africa and trained in France, discovered the valley while traveling and has made it his home for three years. Drawn by the terroir and tradition, he ferments old-vine moscatel de Alejandria and negra criolla in locally made clay amphoras for his label, Los Bauguales.

What we have to do, he said, is to be true to the local terroir and not copy winemaking from elsewhere. Make it how you feel it, with your tradition, with your history; then you can transmit something real.But while most adults know they must seek care immediately for a heart attack or stroke, only about half know that sepsis requires urgent medical attention, according to a survey by Sepsis Alliance, a nonprofit organization.

Signs of sepsis include an abnormally high or low temperature, an underlying infection (which may not be apparent without a blood test), signs of confusion or sleepiness, and feelings of extreme illness, pain or discomfort that make people feel they are about to die.

Clovers is designed to test a new strategy for treating septic shock, a dangerous drop in blood pressure that chokes blood flow to organs, affects the heart and can result in death.

The goal of the trial is to determine whether it is better to limit fluids and start vasopressors  drugs that constrict blood vessels  quickly, or to use more intravenous fluids and postpone giving the drugs to patients.

At issue is whether patients participating in Clovers are being given treatment that deviates from usual care  so much so that lives may be endangered by the research. Participants are only enrolled for 24 hours, but the first hours of treatment are critical for survival.

When patients experience septic shock, current guidelines call for raising blood pressure by administering fluids within the first three hours of care, and then administering vasopressors within the first six hours if patients do not respond to fluids.

Vasopressors can be administered early on, during or after the infusion of fluids; a new treatment guideline for hospitals says the drugs should be started within the first hour if patients arent responding to intravenous fluids.As is often the case, the truth is much more nuanced.

Within a few hours of arriving in Vegas, I found myself seated at the front of a conference room with Chris Hadnagy, a pioneer in the field of social engineering  a branch of hacking that involves manipulating people (instead of just computer systems) to gain access to information. A social-engineering hacker, for example, might call up your cellular provider and impersonate your spouse, in hopes of hijacking your text messages  which could then be used to bypass the two-step authentication on your email account.

Mr. Hadnagy, who for many years operated under the alias loganWHD, now works as a cybersecurity professional, consulting with and training companies to bolster their defenses. He also founded a nonprofit organization, Innocent Lives Foundation, that combats child predation.

In other words: In a world that tends to focus on villainous hackers, hes one of the good guys.

The transition that people like Mr. Hadnagy have made  from underground hacking, using aliases, to aboveboard forms of hacking, using their real names  is the main thrust of the article that resulted from my attending Defcon. Our clients are the Fortune 500 companies of the world, Mr. Hadnagy said, referring to his consulting work. Youre not going to get a giant bank to pay you if theyre hiring loganWHD.

But as is true with many of our Surfacing pieces, another goal was to broaden reader appreciation of something thats become increasingly apparent to me this year: that many of the worlds underrepresented communities are all too often painted with a broad brush. When reporting on whats different, its easy to be distracted by whats dramatic  and to suggest that the most dramatic elements of a community represent the whole. This trap can sometimes result in reporting that caricatures and stereotypes.

Engaging with virtuous hackers hasnt blinded me to the threat of cyber criminals. The reach of Russian hackers during the 2016 presidential election, for example, is truly stunning  and the details are still coming to light. But now, every time I imagine a nefarious hacker targeting a voting database to commit a crime, I can counterbalance the thought by recalling a thoughtful conversation I had with Nick Bishop and Mike Westmacott, two hackers I met at Defcon who were diligently taking apart and testing a Diebold voting machine in an attempt to identify  and increase awareness of  its vulnerabilities.Jimmy Bennett, the young actor who accused the actress and prominent #MeToo advocate Asia Argento of sexually assaulting him when he was 17, gave his first public interview about the matter on Sunday, and it was a challenging one.

Mr. Bennett, 22, appeared on an Italian television show, Non e lArena, (Outside the Arena), where the host, Massimo Giletti, questioned the idea of how a man could be raped by a woman.

The New York Times reported last month about Mr. Bennetts accusation against Ms. Argento, an Italian actress and director, and a $380,000 settlement struck between the two. On Sunday, Mr. Bennett described a 2013 encounter in a hotel room in Marina del Rey, Calif., where he says the assault took place.

He said that Ms. Argento, who was 37 at the time, had invited him over for what he thought was a discussion about an Italian movie that she wanted him to participate in. They had previously acted together in a movie.Since Labor Day, Mr. Menendezs campaign, perhaps in a sign of vulnerability, has aggressively ramped up its advertising campaign, with a majority of the political attacks accusing Mr. Hugin of raising drug prices to maximize profits.

In 2017, after Mr. Hugin had stepped down as chief executive and become executive chairman, the company suffered two major setbacks in its development pipeline: A drug it had hoped would be a breakthrough in treating Crohns disease failed to outperform a control group and Otezla, a psoriasis drug, badly missed sales expectations.

On the same day that Celgene announced it was scrapping the Crohns disease drug, it increased the price of Revlimid from $17,014 a bottle to $18,546, according to a report by Yatin Suneja, an analyst who follows the industry. It was the third price increase of Revlimid in 2017, representing a nearly 20 percent price increase for the drug from the previous year.

In financial filings, Celgene said these price hikes were a main reason the drugs net sales increased in 2017 by about $1.2 billion over the previous year.

Ronny Gal, a securities analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company who follows the pharmaceutical industry, said drug companies have generally been tone deaf when it comes to raising the price of their monopoly products. Celgene clearly has been there, but has not been any worse than the main players, he said.

The tactics can carry a human cost. Last year, Elaine Kodish, a 76-year-old retiree from Los Angeles, briefly stopped taking Revlimid after her Medicare drug plan required she pay more than $450 a month for the drug that keeps her multiple myeloma in check. Ms. Kodish said she bought stock in Celgene when she started taking Revlimid in 2016, as a way of supporting a company she believed was keeping her alive.

But after a series of price increases have exposed her to ballooning out-of-pocket costs  she has since returned to taking Revlimid, which now costs her about $785 per month  she said she recently sold her stake. Im grateful to the drug companies, dont get me wrong, Ms. Kodish said. However, they cant be compensated on the backs of people who are dying.The Collins campaign has defended the ad.

[Mr. Collins had suspended his campaign after being indicted, but he resumed his re-election effort last week.]

This is a real video of Nate McMurray that he removed from social media because he didnt want to defend his efforts to promote a Korean-U.S. Free Trade Agreement that shipped nearly 100,000 U.S. jobs overseas, Natalie Baldassarre, a spokeswoman for Mr. Collinss campaign, said in a statement. Nate McMurray needs a new video to explain why he opposes President Trumps policies that are protecting American jobs and American workers. Hopefully, hell leave that video up.

Mr. McMurray said the video was taken down after the summit because he was disappointed with Mr. Trumps celebratory reception of Mr. Kim. Though he supported Mr. Trumps overtures to Mr. Kim, Mr. McMurray said he was disappointed in the execution of the summit.

It was a slap in the face to freedom, he said.

The United StatesKorea Free Trade Agreement passed Congress in 2011 with bipartisan support, but Mr. Trump has rallied against it. In his speech at the Republican National Convention, he called the agreement a job-killing trade deal.

Mr. McMurray said the video made no mention of the trade agreement, and his only involvement with the trade deal related to his work as a business consultant. Part of his job was to explain the impact of the agreement for businesses operating in Asia.

Had the Collins campaign really cared about the trade agreement, Mr. McMurray said, they would have talked about it in the ad.

They didnt, he said. This is a complete pivot because theyre embarrassed about what their real intention was.His spare black-and-white glimpses of vernacular scenes in the American West are characterized by a wry objectivity: the lone sign for ice sticking up in an empty desert landscape, a gabled California bungalow obscured by a lawn of uncut, roof-high reeds.

Mr. Wessel was never without his Leica and always alert to what was going on around him.

Most musicians I know dont just play music on Saturday night, he told The New York Times in 2006. They play music every day. They are always fiddling around, letting the notes lead them from one place to another. Taking still photographs is like that. It is a generative process. It pulls you along.

He was enthralled by the West from the moment he arrived in Los Angeles in 1969.

I walked out of the airport into one of those clear, sharp-edged January days, he said. The light had such physical presence; it looked as though you could lean against it. That physicality of light is a feature of so many of his photographs.

The high Western light that fills his pictures seems almost hallucinatory, Tod Papageorge, former director of the graduate program in photography at Yale, wrote in an email to The Times in 2006. I think this had a strong influence on photographers who followed him in the later 70s.Mark Wilson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- As the special counsels office appears to be focusing in on President Donald Trumps longtime political ally Roger Stone, an email recently obtained by ABC News suggests Stone sought contact with WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange during what may have been a critical moment in the 2016 campaign.

The email is one of at least two between Stone and Jerome Corsi, a political commentator and self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist, that refer to London-based conservative author Ted Malloch, according to people familiar with the emails.

The July 31, 2016, email appears to be an explicit attempt by Stone to connect with Assange using Corsi and Malloch as intermediaries. ABC News was not able to independently verify the emails authenticity, though Stone confirmed to ABC News that he sent it and two separate sources confirmed its existence.

Malloch should see Assange, Stone wrote to Corsi.

Earlier this year, Malloch, 65, an American academic and conservative author, spent almost an hour interviewing with investigators on Mueller's team. Malloch wrote in a recently published book that investigators were interested in discussing his ties to Stone, Corsi and WikiLeaks.

Stone told ABC News the message proves I had no advance knowledge of contents of WikiLeaks DNC material, and like every politico and journalist in America, I wanted to know what the content matter was.

The email was sent just nine days after WikiLeaks made public the first batch of stolen Democratic Party documents allegedly obtained by hacker Guccifer 2.0, later identified as Russian state hackers. It appears to bolster the assertion that Stone, a prominent Trump ally, was attempting to communicate with Assange about the politically explosive leaks.

Stone proposed contact with Assange on a day Trump was facing withering criticism for challenging Gold Star parents of United States Army Captain Humayun Khan, who was killed in 2004 during the Iraq War. Khans parents spoke out against him at the Democratic National Convention.

Some Democrats have alleged Stone gave cues to WikiLeaks to publish stolen documents at key moments when the Trump campaign needed to distract attention from bad news for the candidate. The first release of emails stolen from Hillary Clintons campaign chairman, for instance, came just hours after The Washington Post posted footage from Access Hollywood that was damaging to Trumps bid.

Stone has denied those claims.

Corsi either never passed the suggestion on, or Malloch ignored it  but I think it is the latter, Stone told ABC News. The key is Malloch never contacts or sees Assange and never gets anything from him.

In interviews earlier this year, both Stone and Malloch were emphatic that they did not work together to pass messages to Assange.

There has been some inference in the media that Ted was somehow a go-between between me, WikiLeaks and Julian Assange, Stone told ABC News in May. This is false.

When asked about the email  and whether he carried out the suggested tasks outlined by Stone  Malloch told ABC News on Sunday: I was not involved in any of these matters. I have never tried to reach Assange or visited that embassy.

Corsi was also interviewed at length by Muellers team in recent days. Last week, he appeared before the grand jury convened by the special counsel in a Washington, D.C., courthouse. He declined through his attorney to comment to ABC.

The email contains two more directives from Stone to Corsi to pass on to Malloch.

Stone suggested that Malloch find a British woman who had leveled accusations against former President Bill Clinton. (Stone authored a book in 2016, Clintons War On Women.) Stone also suggested Corsi ask Malloch to find Sen. Bernie Sanders brother who called Bill a Rapist [sic] and turn him for Trump.

Stone, a longtime political agitator who was an early supporter of Trumps political campaign, has been under increasing scrutiny from the special counsel investigation in part because of statements he made in August 2016. Political opponents allege Stone knew that WikiLeaks was going to leak damaging information on former secretary of state and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton before it was released. Stone also confirmed he briefly communicated with Guccifer 2.0, the unnamed hacker who has taken credit for breaking into Democratic National Committee email servers.

On Friday, ABC News reported that Corsi became the 11th associate of Stones to be contacted by the special counsel.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Madeleine Yayodele Nelson, the founder and lifelong leader of Women of the Calabash, a percussion ensemble devoted to music from across the African diaspora, died on Sept. 6 in Manhattan. She was 69.

The cause was a heart attack, her son, Ayodele, said. She had returned earlier that week from a trip to upstate New York with past and present members of Women of the Calabash.

Ms. Nelson had spent most of her 20s as an educator, not a professional musician, when she formed the group in 1978 as a quartet. But she had recently learned how to build and play the shekere, a West African and Afro-Latin percussion instrument consisting of a gourd, or calabash, wrapped in shells. She immediately fell in love with it.

All four band members played the shekere while singing and dancing in coordinated steps, drawing on traditional music from across sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and South and North America, and mixing in their own interpretations of reggae and pop songs. In addition to expanding performance opportunities for New Yorks female percussionists, Ms. Nelson hoped the group would spread awareness of African cultural practices.A federal judge sent the right message last week when he blocked Education Secretary Betsy DeVoss suspension of an Obama-era rule that allows students defrauded by for-profit colleges to have some or all of their federal student loans forgiven.

This was his second ruling in a suit filed by attorneys general from 19 states who argued that Ms. DeVos had broken the law by delaying the rule from taking effect, and they demanded that it be immediately reinstated. The judge, Randolph Moss of Federal District Court in Washington, had earlier found that Ms. DeVos had broken the law, and last week he invalidated Ms. DeVoss attempt to dismantle the rule, but stayed his ruling for 30 days to give the Education Department time to respond. The next step should be to order the department to grant debt relief to the thousands of student borrowers who have applied and are clearly eligible under the original rule.

The rule, known as borrowers defense, is rooted in a provision of the Higher Education Act of 1965 intended to lift the debt burdens of students who were misled by their schools. The rule was designed to compel schools to offer a fair education and to refrain from predatory practices  like lying about career opportunities or steering students into ruinously priced loans  that have been well documented over the last decade.

Ms. DeVos has essentially made the Education Department a subsidiary of the for-profit college industry. Republicans in Congress who wish to hide from this issue are being peppered with complaints from constituents victimized by the for-profit schools  particularly veterans, who have been targeted by companies that covet their G.I. benefits.Whether it was female prosecutors clustered in rape and child-abuse units or suddenly becoming very in demand when it came to time to cross-examine plaintiffs injured from allegedly defective female products, the consensus was that it takes a woman to know a woman. Again and again, women are told that these are their only real opportunities in courtrooms  and now, apparently, Senate hearings. What looks like an invitation for advancement may actually be enclosure in what I call the Vagina Ghetto, a restricted space outside of which women are not welcome. We need to stop reinforcing this tired trope.

Quite rightly, female Senate aides are appalled by the idea of having Dr. Blasey questioned in this fashion. They always have to bring a woman in to save their bacon, one told Britt Peterson, a contributing editor for Washingtonian Magazine, in an article in The Times.

Which brings me to my final point. Cowardice.

Republican senators have no problem trying Dr. Blasey in the court of public opinion. Senator Hatch has already made up his mind: Judge Kavanaugh is telling the truth and Dr. Blasey is simply mixed up. Lindsey Graham, another Republican committee member, told The Washington Post, Ill listen to the lady, then immediately implied the opposite. Were going to bring this to a close, he said and called the accusation a drive-by shooting.

And yet, they are apparently too afraid to speak to her face to face. It is true that Dr. Blasey may prove to be a formidable opponent. She holds advanced degrees from Stanford and the University of Southern California, enjoys the respect of her colleagues and has had numerous people attest to her good character. But thats no excuse for Republicans to shirk their responsibilities and turn tail.

Come on, gentlemen. Man up.

Lara Bazelon, an associate professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, is the author of, most recently, the forthcoming book Rectify: The Power of Restorative Justice After Wrongful Conviction.From the beginning, Brett Kavanaugh has categorically denied Christine Blasey Fords allegation against him. His supporters have pointed out that Kavanaugh has a sterling reputation for decency in the legal world  among clerks, judges and lawyers, both liberal and conservative. Those same supporters have noted that human memory is more deeply flawed than most people care to admit. (Listen to these two Malcolm Gladwell podcasts on memory, especially the one on Brian Williams, if you havent yet.)

Kavanaughs side has made one argument above all: Dont rush to believe every allegation of sexual assault or harassment. Not all come with the same strength of evidence. And the evidence against Kavanaugh is more tenuous than in almost any other high-profile case.

All of which would seem to suggest that they believe the facts are on their side and that a full hearing of the facts would help Kavanaughs nomination.

But every step of the way, Senate Republicans have acted very differently. They have tried to suppress evidence, rather than to hear it and air it. They have refused to call any other witnesses who might be able to shed light on whatever may have happened between Blasey and Kavanaugh 35 years ago.Over the weekend, the controversy over Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination evolved in a way guaranteed to create maximum partisan bitterness and mistrust.

On Sunday, Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer published a Rorschach test of a story in The New Yorker, revealing a new accusation against Kavanaugh by a woman named Deborah Ramirez. One of Kavanaughs freshman year classmates at Yale, Ramirez, described by a fellow student as a vulnerable outsider, recalled a dorm-room drinking game that left her inebriated on the floor. As she lay there, she said, Kavanaugh exposed himself and thrust his penis in her face. She remembered the other students laughing at her confusion and taunting her, one encouraging her to kiss it.

This seems damning, but the story leaves reason for doubt. Farrow and Mayer write that there are gaps in Ramirezs memory, and she was initially reluctant to characterize Kavanaughs role with certainty. No eyewitness confirms that Kavanaugh was at the party, though other students recall hearing about it.

Regardless of what happens to Kavanaugh, however, this scandal has given us an X-ray view of the rotten foundations of elite male power. Despite Donald Trumps populist posturing, there are few people more obsessed with Ivy League credentials. Kavanaughs nomination shows how sick the cultures that produce those credentials  and thus our ruling class  can be.For Democrats, simply turning up the volume on political communications through these same channels has not quelled the distrust or broken through. My organization has found that we can get so much more with a different approach: Start where the voters are.

First, our experience running a large-scale, year-round field canvass reveals a somewhat obvious truth. Beginning the conversation by asking, What matters to you? instead of telling voters what should matter to them gets a more receptive audience.

Next, when we introduce new information by telling voters about something they dont know rather than telling them that what they think they know is wrong, you can see the light come on.

Elaine, 70, a white Trump voter in Grove City, Ohio, told us she watches Fox News in the morning till I go to bed. Yet when we told her about our push to raise wages and improve working standards, something clicked for her. She shared that her adult children are struggling with low pay and poor benefits.

Like Elaine, two-thirds of Ohio Trump supporters agreed, when we asked them last summer, with a battery of progressive economic policies, including ending employers treating workers as independent contractors, so that theyre not saddled with tax and benefit costs, and measures that make it easier to unionize. They had just never heard any politician addressing these issues. The irony is that even where theres ubiquitous content, people feel less informed. But when swing voters like Elaine can discuss and reason out loud, they can connect powerful stories from their own lives to pragmatic progressive policies  only if they hear about them.

We cant assume voters like Elaine, Darren and Carol will pull the lever for a progressive in 2018. For this approach to be successful, it must be grounded in more than anecdote and observation. We need evidence thats produced by clinical research about what changes minds.

An authoritative analysis by the political scientists David Broockman and Josh Kalla comparing nine Working America campaigns with 40 other clinical experiments measuring all major forms of voter communication validated our approach. By engaging in sustained organizing with voters identified via clinical analysis as the best targets, even in communities saturated with campaign communications, we were able to persuade swing voters to vote for Democrats in 2016 in places such as Ohio and to mobilize the partys base voters in places such as North Carolina.To the Editor:

Re In Turnaround, Trump Doubts Accusers Story (front page, Sept. 22):

Without the least bit of evidence, without even first hearing from Judge Brett Kavanaughs accuser or considering evidence to the contrary, both Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell have expressed their clear disdain for Christine Blasey Ford and full-throated support for Judge Kavanaugh. Their minds are made up.

Is this the best system we are able to put forth? If these are the stacked odds against which sexual assault survivors are pitted within the American legal system, is it truly any wonder that sexual abuse continues to rank among the most underreported crimes in this country?

America can do better than this. We are better than this. And we certainly deserve better justices than this on the highest court in the land.

Julian Everett Allgood

New York

To the Editor:

Re We Are Not the Resistance (Sunday Review, Sept. 23):

There is considerable justice in the fact that Michelle Alexanders new column appears at the same time as more revelations about Brett Kavanaugh have surfaced. Ive heard the comment that prison is enduring punishment for the dumbest thing one has ever done.Specifically, trade war is causing Republicans considerable grief in farm country. Meanwhile, tariffs appear to be unpopular in industrial states, too. In fact, its hard to find any large group that likes Trumps trade policy .

Why are Republican policy ideas falling so flat? At one level, the answer is obvious: G.O.P. policies are unpopular because they hurt far more Americans than they help. Why should anyone expect cutting taxes on the rich while taking health care away from the sick to be popular?

The question is why such policies were ever popular. The answer, I think, is that in the past, voters didnt see the connections.

When Bush pushed through his tax cut, we had a budget surplus, so it wasnt clear to voters that less revenue might mean cuts to programs they count on. When you push through big tax cuts in the face of a budget deficit  and when your own party has spent years warning about imminent fiscal doom and demanding spending cuts  the implications are more obvious.

In the case of health care, it was a lot easier to peddle scare stories about Obamacare before it went into effect, insuring tens of millions, than it is to defend taking away coverage people already have.

And Trumps tariffs suffer politically because some Americans are already being hurt, while the supposed beneficiaries have good reason to doubt whether they will be helped. In fact, even as Trump boasts that his steel tariffs have revived the industry, two major steelworker unions have voted to go on strike  because while corporate profits have surged, workers wages havent.

In short, the American public seems to have wised up; voters seem to have recognized the G.O.P.s reverse Robin Hood agenda of taking from ordinary families and giving to the rich for what it is.The assumption underlying this new agreement is the opposite, that Sudan is the solution to peace in South Sudan. The agreement represents a first step toward the regional and global rehabilitation of Sudan and Mr. Bashir, who was indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in 2009.

What happened can be understood as the product of a learning process. All previous agreements contained one big loophole: Sudan had not been among their signatories or guarantors. Sudan had no reason to support an agreement in which one objective was its own isolation. This meant that whoever wanted out of the agreement had a ready-made way out. Given its historical role in unified Sudan and its location, Sudan would be an invaluable source of diplomatic and military assistance for any group with a grievance.

The new agreement is a sharing of the pie between the tribes of South Sudan: first the major tribes, Dinka and Nuer, and then the lesser ones. It does not envision South Sudan as a country, but as a coming together of tribes. Every inch of South Sudan has to be marked as part of one tribal homeland or another. Even areas with multiethnic populations must be defined as belonging to one particular tribe.

The result will be the disenfranchisement of a large section of South Sudans population. Every tribal homeland will be considered the monopoly preserve of its indigenous majority; the result will be to deprive minorities within each district of two critical rights, the right to customary use of land and to participation in local government. It will now be much easier for ambitious leaders of different tribes to mobilize popular discontent and fan flames of a future conflict.But altering Chinas behavior on that front will require new international rules and some form of independent monitoring.

One obstacle, of course, is that Mr. Trump seems dead set against any such institution or arrangement. His administration has prematurely killed off the Trans-Pacific Partnership, as well as prospects for a bilateral investment treaty with China. And it is trying to do in the W.T.O.

It is blocking the appointment of new judges to the W.T.O. body that adjudicates trade disputes and threatening to withdraw from the organization itself  this even though America was instrumental in creating it in 1995 and has benefited greatly from its existence.

The Trump administration is also eroding W.T.O. rules by apparently violating them. It is invoking national security to apply punitive tariffs such as levies on steel  a move that China, the European Union and others are challenging.

China, for its part, has generally accepted the organizations rulings since joining it in 2001, despite being the target of a disproportionately large share of dumping charges. The W.T.O. has come down hard on China, and China has taken it, in other words, and that should be reason enough for the United States to work through the organization to resolve its issues with the Chinese government.

That said, the W.T.O. as currently structured cannot adequately deal with a state-driven economy like Chinas, as Mark Wu, a law professor at Harvard, has argued. Yes, China has cut back on directly subsidizing exports, a clear violation of W.T.O. guidelines. But many Chinese companies still benefit indirectly from access to underpriced state-owned land and privileged relations with local authorities and banks, and those issues are not explicitly covered in the regulations.

So the W.T.O. needs to be revamped and strengthened, including with new rules to clarify what constitutes noncommercial assistance to state-owned enterprises and what conditions governments can impose on foreign participation in joint ventures.Once, when asked about discrimination against female artists, the Abstract Expressionist Lee Krasner said the bias was as old as Judeo-Christian history. Brushing aside the weight of that realization, she added, Theres nothing I can do about those 5,000 years. She painted anyway, as have women throughout the ages who have continued to create despite official disdain.

Centuries and decades later, it seems their persistence may be finally paying off. Galleries are adding more women to their rosters, museums like the Uffizi in Florence are combing their storage facilities in search of treasures that deserve airing, and numerous institutions have been mounting exhibitions of art by women. On the eve of this falls auction season, the art market appears to be experiencing a long overdue correction.

While the highest price ever paid for an artwork by a woman continues to be a small fraction of that of men, last spring in New York, auction sales records were shattered for the works of 15 female artists , including Krasners fellow Abstract Expressionists Joan Mitchell, Helen Frankenthaler and Grace Hartigan. With additional important paintings by women on offer this season  among them Frankenthalers rare 1959 work, Red Square  there is every reason to expect that more records will tumble.

Anyone looking to invest in art should take heed.

The changed climate can be attributed to a host of causes: the increased focus on womens rights across society, decades of activism by feminist artists and a simple matter of economics. But a much more gratifying reason is the belated recognition that work by women deserves support and attention because it is worthy.But all such stories pale in comparison with the legend of Tusko the elephant, who was given L.S.D. by researchers at the University of Oklahoma in 1962.

Some things to know about the Tusko story:

1. The name of the doctor performing the experiment was Louis West, but everyone called him Jolly.

2. Tusko is a common name given to elephants in captivity, including a pachyderm exhibited in 1922 as the Worlds Meanest.

3. The Oklahoma Tusko was injected with the L.S.D. by way of a dart gun shot into his right buttock. This is, of course, the same method once used on Timothy Leary.

4. Five minutes after the injection, Tusko trumpeted, fell over and defecated.

5. After that, he went into a state the scientists later described as a seizure; his eyes closed and rolled back in his great big head.

6. In an effort to stop the seizure, Dr. West and company injected the elephant with both Thorazine and pentobarbital sodium. Tusko died an hour and 40 minutes later. There is some thought that it was these drugs, rather than the L.S.D., that killed the elephant.

7. In the wake of the tragedy, it was noted that the amount of L.S.D. given to the elephant was about 30 times the amount that would be administered to a human.

Youd think that the moral of this story would be fairly clear: Dont give drugs to animals. Especially not elephants. And yet, 22 years later, a different scientist apparently reached a different conclusion, and repeated the experiment with two elephants. This time, both elephants survived. There is no word as to whether, in the aftermath, the elephants expressed an interest in jam bands.[Want more Canadian coverage in your inbox? Subscribe to our weekly Canada Letter newsletter.]

As a practical matter, this is a pretty small change: The system runs smoothly, and appeals are less important than they used to be, at least in some peoples eyes. And theres always the World Trade Organization, with its own dispute resolution process, as a backstop.

But practical matters arent the point. Many Canadians believe that Mexico caved to Mr. Trump, putting Canada in a precarious position as the outlier. The real issue here, as before, is the power imbalance.

The dispute-resolution issue is similar to the other main obstacles facing negotiators: Canadas protection of its culture and dairy sectors. Canadians are intensely protective of their culture, especially when it is so close to, and so often overshadowed by, the United States. Because the original trade deal included protections for what Canada considered the critical pieces of its cultural heritage, Ottawa has insisted that such protection be maintained in any new deal; Washington, obviously, disagrees.

Dairy is also a case where the principle may seem more important than the practical. Canada sets domestic prices for dairy products; for this to work, it needs to place limits on how much milk and cheese it imports. Canadian negotiators are willing to loosen up on some of those limits, as long as the countrys command-and-control system survives. But that system is exactly what Mr. Trump has attacked with his tweets about 270 percent tariffs, which in fact are rarely applied.

In other words, the reason these talks have been so hard is that the two sides see them in fundamentally different terms. To Americans, Canada seems to be making a big fuss over minor details. To Canadians, Americans  and Mr. Trump above all  seem intent on undermining hard-fought protections.

Canada is perfectly happy to negotiate changes to Nafta; in fact, theyre overdue. The negotiations should have been about working together in the digital age. A deal should simplify rules of origin and align regulations for trade in goods, as well as focus on trade in services. It should open up government procurement and clarify intellectual property rules. Some of these are in play, but theyre hardly anyones priority.

Thirty years ago, Prime Minister Mulroney was intent on deepening trade relations with the United States. Now Prime Minister Trudeau has named a minister of international trade diversification. Diversification from what? No one in Canada need ask.

Drew Fagan is a professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto, and a former head of policy planning at Canadas Foreign Affairs Department.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion).In 2003, enterprising criminals in Southeast Asia realized that they could exploit a loophole in South Africas hunting laws to move rhino horns legally across international borders. Normally, North Americans and Europeans account for the bulk of South Africas rhino hunting permits. But that year, 10 Vietnamese hunters quietly applied as well.

Hunters are allowed to transport legally obtained trophies across borders under various international and domestic laws. The Vietnamese hunters each returned home with the mounted horn, head or even whole body of a rhino.

Word spread. Though Vietnam and other Asian countries have no history of big-game sport hunting, South Africa was soon inundated with applicants from Asia, who sometimes paid $85,000 or more to shoot a single white rhino.

[Read more: Rhino poacher killed by elephants then eaten by lions in South Africa.]

That represented the beginning of an illicit industry referred to as pseudo-hunting  a first step toward the rhino poaching crisis that rages today. And the story of one of its chief practitioners shows the lengths to which criminals will go to move wildlife contraband.Im not sure its justice. But its something.

JANE WILLENBRING, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, who said she was harassed by Prof. David Marchant as a graduate student while she was working with him at an Antarctic glacier named after him. The glacier has since been renamed.The Trump administration argues that imposing work requirements for Medicaid is an incentive that can help lift people out of poverty. But a test program in Arkansas shows how hard it is merely to inform people about new incentives, let alone get them to act.

In the first month that it was possible for people to lose coverage for failing to comply, more than 4,300 people were kicked out of the program for the rest of the year. Thousands more are on track to lose health benefits in the coming months. You lose coverage if you fail to report three times, and the program, in effect for three months, is slowly phasing in more people.

Arkansas is the first state to test a work requirement, a policy that the administration has encouraged, and that several other states are hoping to copy. The demonstration project is testing whether a work requirement can help encourage more low-income people to work, volunteer or go to school and improve their financial prospects.

The early results suggest that the incentives may not work the way officials had hoped. Arkansas officials, trying to minimize coverage losses, effectively exempted two-thirds of the eligible people from having to report work hours.The Dallas Police Department on Monday fired an officer who fatally shot her neighbor inside his apartment this month, an episode that gripped the city and led to protests over the killing of an unarmed black man in his own home at the hands of law enforcement.

The departments chief, U. Renee Hall, announced the termination of the officer, Amber R. Guyger, citing her arrest in the killing of Botham Shem Jean, who lived above Ms. Guyger in a Dallas apartment complex. Ms. Guyger, who was off duty, entered Mr. Jeans apartment the evening of Sept. 6 and fired her service weapon twice, striking him once in the torso.

Ms. Guyger, 30, was placed on administrative leave immediately after the shooting and charged with manslaughter several days later. Chief Hall faced mounting pressure to fire Ms. Guyger, but she said at a town hall-style meeting last week that state and federal laws prevented her from doing so, without citing specifics. She also argued that taking action could harm the investigation into the death of Mr. Jean, 26.Accusations of sexual harassment have ended the careers of men in many fields, forcing them out of prominent posts and ending relationships with shame. Now the impact has rippled all the way to Antarctic glaciers.

As a 22-year-old graduate student at Boston University, Jane Willenbring traveled to Antarctica to complete research with Prof. David Marchant, a geologist so widely renowned that a seven-mile-long glacier there had been named for him. She would be isolated with a small group in extreme conditions, but she looked forward to weeks of intensive research.

But instead of mentoring her, Dr. Willenbring said, Professor Marchant immediately began harassing her. She said he shoved her down steep icy slopes, blew ash in her eyes and repeatedly made comments about her sexuality.

She did not report the harassment at the time of the expedition, in 1999 and 2000. But in 2016, soon after she received tenure at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Willenbring filed a formal complaint with Boston University. After a yearlong investigation into the accusations, first reported in the magazine Science, university officials concluded that Professor Marchant had engaged in sexual harassment and said the findings warranted removing him from the faculty.Traditionally states, and not the federal government, have been responsible for hashing out the details of assessing damage, processing claims and distributing funding in the wake of national disasters, a system intended to give local decision makers control over how their communities are rebuilt.

But states and cities, unaccustomed to dealing with the complex logistical and oversight issues of administering programs geared at fast-tracking billions in capital projects, are now finding themselves overwhelmed by the demands, even though such challenges have been well-documented since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Many of the areas most prone to repeated hurricanes, especially Louisiana, Texas, Puerto Rico, and now North Carolina, have all experienced similar problems as they adjust to a new normal in which disaster agencies are permanently mobilized  and federal disaster money is now one of the single biggest sources of government money used to help rehabilitate or preserve low-income housing.

We are really good at disaster recovery programs, hazard mitigation, helping individual people who are in trouble, but not at this kind of thing, said the states emergency management director, Michael A. Sprayberry, who contends that the lessons learned under Matthew will help the state more efficiently distribute post-Florence disaster funding. We have had to hire and stand up a completely new staff  roughly 50, 60 new people  so this is a whole new ballgame.

It took more than 10 months to comply with federally mandated environmental reviews and other red tape, Mr. Sprayberry said, which is contributing to the frustration.

There will be a news release from HUD saying that the state is going to be receiving funding, which right then sort of automatically raises the level of expectations, he added.WASHINGTON  Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, facing new allegations of sexual impropriety and growing doubts over his confirmation to the Supreme Court, mounted an aggressive defense of himself on Monday, vowing to fight the smears and declaring that he will not withdraw his nomination.

With President Trump publicly backing him, and senior Senate Republicans closing ranks around him, Judge Kavanaugh  joined by his wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh  gave an extraordinary interview to Fox News that aired Monday evening. He pledged to defend my integrity, my lifelong record, and told his interviewer, Martha MacCallum, that he did not have sexual intercourse or anything close to sexual intercourse in high school or for many years thereafter.

He also directly addressed the accusation from Christine Blasey Ford, a research psychologist in Northern California, that he had assaulted her when they were teenagers, more than 30 years ago, at a high school gathering in suburban Washington.

The truth is Ive never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise, Judge Kavanaugh said. I am not questioning and have not questioned that perhaps Dr. Ford at some point in her life was sexually assaulted by someone at some place, but what I know is Ive never sexually assaulted anyone.MIAMI  April Freeman, the Democratic candidate running in Floridas 17th Congressional District, died on Sunday, according to her husband, David Freeman, who announced her death on his wifes Facebook page on Monday.

Its with great sadness that I feel I must inform all of you that my beloved wife April passed away suddenly last night, Mr. Freeman wrote. To all of her family and friends here on Facebook, my heart aches with you.

Mr. Freeman later told The Sarasota Herald-Tribune that Ms. Freeman died apparently of a heart attack. She was 54.

Ms. Freeman was running in the solidly Republican 17th District in southwestern Florida, where the G.O.P. incumbent, Representative Tom Rooney, is retiring. Her Republican opponent, State Senator Greg Steube, offered condolences to Ms. Freemans family on Twitter.WASHINGTON  The C.I.A. director said on Monday that the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, will not give up his nuclear weapons easily, seeing them as crucial leverage to preserve his government.

In rare public remarks, Gina Haspel, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, said that North Korea has spent decades building its weapons program, and noted that the government in Pyongyang had said it was essential to their regimes survival.

Ms. Haspels remarks echo the skepticism of former C.I.A. officers, who are said to believe that North Korea will be reluctant to give up weapons as a part of negotiations with the United States.

The Trump administration has embarked on high-profile negotiations aimed at getting Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. President Trump had a summit meeting with Mr. Kim in Singapore in June, and since then has tried to reduce tensions with North Korea.Good Monday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today.

 Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, committed to testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, setting up a potentially explosive confrontation. [Read the story]

 As the risk has mounted that Judge Kavanaughs nomination could collapse  a new allegation of sexual misconduct published by The New Yorker on Sunday night raised fresh questions  President Trump has been forced into the role of spectator. [Read the story]

 Judge Kavanaughs team will argue to the Senate Judiciary Committee that calendars he has from 1982 provide no corroboration for Dr. Fords account. [Read the story]

 Republican leaders in battleground states like Missouri are doubtful that candidates can wield Judge Kavanaughs nomination as a cudgel without risking repercussions. [Read the story]In the meantime, heres a rundown of what could happen next, borrowed from Charlie Savages excellent guide (and updated where necessary).

What happens to the Mueller investigation?

It could be in trouble.

Mr. Rosenstein, who appointed Robert S. Mueller III, has said he would refuse unfounded orders to fire the special counsel. But the attorney general in charge of the investigation does have the power to end it  or fire the person running it. A successor more loyal to President Trump might do just that.

Who takes over?

The acting deputy attorney general would be Matthew G. Whitaker, the chief of staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. But its complicated. The Justice Department has a rule against double acting officials  basically, the acting deputy attorney general cant also be the acting attorney general for the Russia investigation. (Remember, Mr. Sessions recused himself from the case).

Because of that, the succession line for the Russia investigation runs next to Noel J. Francisco, the solicitor general. Theres a caveat there, too: Mr. Franciscos former law firm, Jones Day, is representing the Trump campaign in the special counsel investigation.

Who might Trump choose as a replacement?

When a Senate-confirmed official dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office, the president can temporarily replace them with another Senate-confirmed executive branch official. But, again, while Mr. Trump has plenty of loyalists inside the executive branch, that double acting rule could make things complicated.

____________________

An empty chair in Alaska

On Politics will occasionally check in with The Timess national correspondents, who live across the country and hear about local issues that might not otherwise rise to our attention. Today, Kirk Johnson, our bureau chief in the Pacific Northwest, sends this dispatch:

Is there ever an advantage, as a politician, to not showing up at all?

The governors race in Alaska  a three-way competition between an independent incumbent, a Democrat and a Republican  is testing out the question in repeated no-shows by the Republican, Mike Dunleavy, in scheduled debates and speaking events.

At least twice in recent weeks, an empty microphone marked Mr. Dunleavys place on stage as Gov. Bill Walker and Mark Begich, a former United States senator, took questions from audience members and moderators.Drug makers argue that Congress intended to save just $7.7 billion and should now give back the $4 billion difference. Medicare beneficiaries could still receive discounts of 63 percent, the industry says.

The Trump administration has not publicly engaged in this particular fight, but has stoked skepticism of the industry. Mr. Trump has repeatedly said that drug makers are getting away with murder.

Pharmaceutical companies see the opioids bill as an attractive vehicle because swift passage is a political priority for members of both parties this election year. Lawmakers are urgently trying to work out differences between the versions passed by votes of 396 to 14 in the House and 99 to 1 in the Senate.

Medicares outpatient drug benefit, known as Part D, is delivered entirely by private companies like UnitedHealth, Humana and CVS Health.

We are focused on ensuring Medicare Part D is secure for the future by correcting a technical error by the Congressional Budget Office, said Stephen J. Ubl, the president and chief executive of PhRMA, who has led lobbying on the issue.

Prescription drug plans pay some of the drug costs incurred by people in the coverage gap. In the Bipartisan Budget Act in February, Congress reduced the insurers share to 5 percent; it would otherwise have been 20 percent next year.

In a classic spat between two powerful industries, drug companies say insurers should pay more so drug makers can pay less. Insurers will do a better job managing the cost of Medicares drug benefit if they bear more financial risk, drug companies say, and many health economists agree.President Trump wants Special Counsel Robert Mueller fired. The entire thing has been a witch hunt. These people have the biggest conflicts of interest Ive ever seen. I wanted to stay out. But at some point, if it doesnt straighten out properly, I will get involved. And Ill get in there if I have to. But the man whos overseeing Muellers probe says thats not likely. If there were not good cause, it wouldnt matter to me what anybody says. The Times has reported that Rosenstein discussed ways to remove Trump from office. Now theyre in a face-off  the president, who demands loyalty, and Rosenstein, the subordinate, whose job requires independence. Are you afraid of President Trump firing you? No, I am not, Congressman. So how does Rosenstein defend one of his bosss biggest targets? If President Trump ordered you to fire the special counsel, what would you do? Senator, Im not going to follow any orders unless I believe those are lawful and appropriate orders. Under the regulation, Special Counsel Mueller may be fired only for good cause. And I am required to put that cause in writing. And Director Mueller is going to have a full degree of independence that he needs to conduct that investigation appropriately. Yeah, there have been people who have been making threats, privately and publicly, against me. And I think they should understand by now the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted. Were going to do whats required by the rule of law. And any kind of threats that anybody makes are not going to affect the way we do our job. We have a responsibility. And we take an oath. Thats the whole point. If it were appropriate for me to recuse, Id be more than happy to do so and let somebody else handle this. But its my responsibility to do it. But when it comes down to it, the president could have the last word, firing Rosenstein and appointing someone else, who will then fire Mueller. And many people have said you should fire him. Again, theyve found nothing.The trade deal will exclude South Korea from the steel tariffs, in exchange for that country capping its exports to the United States at 70 percent of the average of its export levels from 2015 through 2017. Korea will still face the aluminum tariffs.

The revised agreement also lacks the robust side deal on currency manipulation that administration officials said would be included to prevent South Korea from weakening its currency, the won. Currency devaluation, as it is called, has been of particular concern to Mr. Trump, who has accused other trading partners, like China and the European Union, of trying to weaken their currencies so that Americans using the United States dollar can buy more of their products.

Were going to be able to defend ourselves against currency undervaluations because, as part of this deal, theres a very nice side deal agreement that the secretary of Treasury is negotiating over currency undervaluation, Peter Navarro, a top trade adviser, told NPR in March. Mr. Navarro added that the currency agreement is a benchmark for what well be doing going forward.

That side deal has yet to materialize. In August, the United States trade representative published the agreed outcomes from its negotiations with the Koreans: 24 pages of technical language and correspondence between officials from both countries, including agreements on American auto and prescription drug exports and Korean textile exports. There is no mention of currency in the agreement, or of any pending side deal.

In a fact sheet released Monday afternoon by the White House, Trump administration officials said that outside the Korea pact, the Treasury Department has an understanding with South Korea to avoid competitive devaluation and practices that provide an unfair competitive advantage. The understanding includes strong commitments on exchange rate practices, robust transparency, and reporting.

Mr. Navarro did not immediately respond to questions on Monday about what that understanding comprises, and whether it is in writing.

Asked about the lack of a side deal this month, Treasury officials did not respond directly to questions whether it exists or will exist, saying instead that they are happy with the state of talks with the Koreans over currency.At one point, the White House had hopes of winning the support of several Democratic senators running for re-election in states that Mr. Trump won, but that prospect seemed to vanish with the emergence of Dr. Blaseys allegations. If no Democrats support Judge Kavanaugh, that means the Republicans, who hold a 51-to-49 majority with Vice President Mike Pence able to break ties, can afford to lose only one of their own caucus.

During the interview, Mr. Trump declined to say whether he might fire Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, after a report in The New York Times that Mr. Rosenstein last year suggested secretly recording the president to demonstrate the chaos in the administration and raised the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.

The Justice Department has said that Mr. Rosenstein was joking when he talked about taping the president, a version in conflict with others who described his comments. Mr. Rosenstein said that he currently sees no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment.

Advisers have sought to keep Mr. Trump from firing Mr. Rosenstein, at least until after the midterm elections in November, for fear of a backlash. Since Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from overseeing the Russia investigation, Mr. Rosenstein supervises the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III.

I dont want to comment on it until I get all the facts, Mr. Trump said when asked if he would fire Mr. Rosenstein. I havent gotten all the facts, but certainly its being looked at in terms of what took place. If anything took place and Ill make a determination sometime later, but I dont have the facts.

Mr. Trump asserted that he was not worried about his former personal attorney, Michael D. Cohen, who is talking with Mr. Muellers prosecutors after pleading guilty to breaking campaign finance laws and other crimes.

No, Im not, because Im an honest guy, Mr. Trump said. And that stuff is unrelated to me. And that was Michael did that stuff. And Michael I mean you know, you know I have many, many lawyers. I have very big law firms I have that do my work.YAOUNDE, Cameroon  Bullets flew constantly in her hometown. Her two young children havent attended school in two years. She abandoned the shop she owns after soldiers arrived and started shooting. One day she saw the corpses of seven of her neighbors.

Now, Pamela Njoke, 38, is among the thousands of people fleeing the English-speaking areas of Cameroon, where separatists are battling to form a new nation and the population is bracing for a surge in violence before a presidential election next month.

People are dying everywhere, said Ms. Njoke, who waited four hours recently amid a crush of people seeking space on a packed bus to take her and her children, ages 5 and 9, out of Bamenda, her hometown, to the safety of the capital, Yaounde.

In short, its horrible, she said.

Fighters who want to form a new country called Ambazonia in the Anglophone area of Cameroon have been locked in bloody battles with the military for months, with accusations of horrific violence on both sides. The fighting has claimed an estimated 400 lives and displaced thousands.I try my best to not get stressed about it, Ms. Penn said. I need to keep strong for my children.

Even as Puerto Ricos sluggish recovery from Hurricane Maria made headlines, the smaller territories and island-states in the region remained largely an afterthought. Now, with another hurricane season having started, islands like Tortola are still struggling to recover from the two Category 5 hurricanes last year, which razed large swaths of housing and crippled tourism, the economic lifeblood of the Caribbean.

Tourism accounts for about 35 percent of the economy and one in three jobs here.

The British Virgin Islands suffered more than $3.6 billion in damages, or almost four times its gross domestic product. This made it one of the worst hit and one of the slowest to restore normalcy among the British territories affected, which include Anguilla and Turks and Caicos, according to the British government.

Many here also see Irma and Maria as signs of whats to come, and the rebuilding effort as an existential race against the clock  they know these vulnerable and isolated islands are at the forefront of climate change.[Follow the latest news from the United Nations General Assembly in our live briefing.]

UNITED NATIONS  Diplomats at the United Nations have by now learned to expect the unexpected from President Trump, who threatened to annihilate North Korea and crush loser terrorists during his debut speech at the General Assembly a year ago.

But at this years convergence of world leaders in New York, which begins in earnest on Tuesday, Mr. Trump will command an additional stage. Aside from his speech, he will lead a meeting of the 15-member Security Council, the most powerful body of the United Nations.

There are plenty of pressing issues for world leaders to discuss  wars in Yemen and Syria that have killed hundreds of thousands of people; negotiations over North Koreas nuclear program; and the fate of the Iran nuclear accord, which Mr. Trump repudiated but European leaders want to preserve.

Underlying Mr. Trumps appearance is an increased sense that the United States, which helped found the United Nations after World War II, is isolating itself. His administration has moved to cut the United Nations budget and renounced participation in some of the organizations most prominent agreements and agencies.Millions of these believers stubbornly resist government control. In some parts of China, the Catholic populations of entire counties attend underground churches, and the party-controlled churches stand almost empty, their clergy ignored.

All of this could change under the rapprochement between the Vatican and Beijing.

Several underground bishops in China, including two popular bishops in staunchly Catholic parts of the country, are expected to step down to make way for the bishops appointed by Beijing over the past decade whom the pope has agreed to recognize. In exchange, the pope is gaining some role in the appointment of new bishops. There are about 100 bishops and prelates in China, including underground and approved, and a dozen vacant positions.

Exactly how this will work is unclear. Both sides have described the agreement signed on Saturday as preliminary, and neither has released details. But some informal veto system seems likely. The Vatican could reject candidates suggested by the Chinese authorities, although mainly through quiet consultation rather than formal voting.

In the long run, diplomatic ties could be restored between Beijing and the Vatican.

Some Chinese Catholics see this as helping a church that has been unable to respond to changing times. China is rapidly urbanizing, for example, but many rural Catholics find little outreach when they migrate to take jobs in the cities. A unified church could address that.MALE, Maldives  The Maldives Elections Commission on Monday declared a resounding presidential election victory for the opposition candidate, and after hours of tense waiting, the countrys authoritarian incumbent conceded defeat.

The opposition candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, won more than 58 percent of the ballots cast in an election that saw almost a 90 percent turnout among eligible voters, according to the Elections Commissions Twitter account.

But in a country with a brief but painful history of derailed democracy, the silence by President Abdulla Yameen, stretching for hours after Sunday night, had left many worried. The Supreme Court annulled a previous presidential election, and Mr. Yameen has put pressure on the judiciary to jail opponents in the past.

Mr. Yameen finally conceded defeat Monday afternoon at a news conference. Yesterday, the Maldivian people decided what they want, Mr. Yameen said. I have accepted the results since yesterday. Earlier today, I met with Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, whom the Maldivian people have chosen to be their next president, and I congratulated him.ROME  In a daylong visit to Latvia on Monday, Pope Francis recalled the past suffering of Latvians, who preserved their faith during decades of Nazi and Soviet occupation, even as he cautioned against the return of isolationist sentiments that are re-emerging throughout Europe.

Sometimes we see a return to ways of thinking that would have us be suspicious of others, or would show us with statistics that we would be better off, more prosperous and more secure just by ourselves, the pope said during a Mass at the Basilica of the Assumption in the southeastern city of Aglona.

In those moments, the pope said, the Virgin Mary invites us to receive our brothers and sisters, to care for them, in a spirit of universal fraternity.

Thousands of faithful attended the rain-drenched Mass at Latvias most important Catholic shrine, a highly anticipated event in a four-day trip to the Baltics. The basilicas venerated icon of the Mother of God was moved outdoors for the event, which was held in a square created when Pope John Paul II visited Aglona in 1993, when Latvia was a fledgling republic.MOSCOW  Russias highest-profile opposition leader, Aleksei A. Navalny, stepped out of a jail on Monday after serving a 30-day sentence for organizing a protest, only to find a row of police officers waiting to arrest him again.

Mr. Navalny, a real estate lawyer turned anti-corruption activist who led a middle-class movement for political change in Moscow in 2011, has for years been subjected to multiple arrests and relatively short jail sentences.

The detentions have followed convictions on various administrative rather than criminal violations, akin to traffic tickets, mostly for organizing protests without parade permits.

The approach has allowed the Russian authorities to keep Mr. Navalny out of sight for important events like organized protests, while escaping criticism for harsh treatment that might make him a martyr.In a speech on Monday at a funeral ceremony for the victims of the attack, the deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, said, You have seen our revenge before, according to the news agency Al Ahed, which is run by the pro-Iranian organization Hezbollah in Lebanon. You will see that our response will be crushing and devastating, and you will regret what you have done.

The Ahvaz National Resistance, a little-known group with roots among the Arab minority of Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday. So did the Islamic State, though the links to that group were ambiguous. It was the worst attack inside the country since an Islamic State-claimed assault on Parliament in 2017.

Ahvaz is the capital of Khuzestan Province in southwestern Iran, where many of the countrys Arabs live. The Islamic State posted a video that it said showed three of its fighters on their way to the attack, according to IRNA. Two of the fighters were speaking Arabic with an Iraqi accent.Were going to be generous to those that share our values, generous to those who want to work with us, she said, and not those that try and stop the United States, saying they hate America and are counterproductive for what were doing.

That tone has been matched by action over the last year as the United States has pulled out of one United Nations body after another.

Just weeks after Mr. Trumps first speech before the General Assembly he withdrew the United States from Unesco, the United Nations cultural organization. This summer, the United States left the Human Rights Council, revoked funding for the United Nations agency that provides education and health care to Palestinians classified as refugees, and boycotted a United Nations agreement on migration.

Mr. Trumps decisions to quit the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal are still sources of deep bitterness, particularly among close allies. His elevation of John R. Bolton, who muses about defunding the United Nations, to national security adviser was greeted with a shudder.

At a news conference last Thursday, the United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, said that multilateralism was under attack from many directions, but diplomatically sidestepped a question about whether he thought Mr. Trump was a direct threat.

I dont like to personalize things, he said.

Others were more blunt.

Its not just stepping back, said Louis Charbonneau, the United Nations director for Human Rights Watch. Its an assault on the most important institutions we have for accountability and monitoring and exposing the worst abuses.Assumptions about who is going to vote may be particularly important in this race.

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.

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.

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 4 3 6 4 2 7 1 in 162 5% 9% 30 to 64 2 5 8 7 9 3 2 0 1 in 81 63% 62% 65 and older 6 1 1 0 1 5 8 1 in 39 31% 29% Male 1 6 1 0 5 2 4 2 1 in 67 48% 48% Female 2 0 2 5 4 2 6 3 1 in 77 52% 52% White 2 8 3 2 0 4 2 3 1 in 67 84% 80% Nonwhite 4 6 3 5 4 1 1 in 113 8% 11% Cell 2 0 9 1 7 2 7 8 1 in 75 55%  Landline 1 5 4 4 2 2 2 7 1 in 68 45% 

Pollsters compensate by giving more weight to respondents from under-represented groups.

Here, were weighting by age, primary vote, 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.

Even after weighting, our poll does not have as many of some types of people as we would like.

Here are other common ways to weight a poll:

Our poll under different weighting schemes Our poll result Dont weight by primary vote, like most public polls Schrier +5 Weight using census data instead of voting records, like most public polls Schrier +4 Dont weight by education, like many polls in 2016 Schrier +1 Our estimate Schrier +1

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.Science and faith are often seen as being opposite ends of the spectrum, the two extremes of how human beings can approach and explain the world around them. The two systems of thought are commonly assumed to be enemies, but they actually overlap quite a bit. Numerous famous scientists have been devout Christians, and common scientific theories also mesh well with faith. Even the Book of Genesis and the creation story, something that is seen as the antithesis of all things scientific, actually lines up with how modern scientists believe the world came to be as long as Genesis is not interpreted perfectly literally.

Science fits in the beginning, and biblical archaeology has shown that secular history supports the stories found in the Bible. When skeptics claimed that the peoples defeated by the Israelites were imagined by the authors of the Bible, archaeologists dug up ancient Hittite cities. When people argued that Christ could not have been buried in a tomb because Romans did not allow crucifixion victims an honorable burial, a heel bone with a crucifixion nail still embedded was found in a Jewish ossuary. When biblical skeptics denied that characters of the Old Testament such as David and Isaiah existed, archaeologists uncovered an inscription referencing the House of David and found Isaiahs seal. Over and over science and history have come down on the side of the Bible. Testing to see if current scientific fact will match up with the end of the world, of course, is a bit different than digging in the Holy Land to see if physical remains can be found to support textual records. One cannot, after all, prove the future with certainty. That does not mean that humans have not taken their best shot at doing so both as part of science and as part of various religions.Matching scientific fact with biblical prophecy can be difficult, but it is especially so in the Book of Revelation. Much of Revelation is written in poetic language that makes heavy use of symbols and metaphors. As such, there is almost no way that Revelation lines up with science if it is taken literally. Assuming that some of the events or characters are at least partially symbolic, however, carries its own challenges. Put bluntly, no one really knows what Revelation is talking about. It is clear that the book is describing the end of the world and the apocalypse. What the details, symbols and metaphors mean, however, is a source of massive debate. Christian scholars cannot even reach a consensus over whether Revelation takes place in some future year, is unfolding now and has been for decades or if the majority of it has already passed. As such, comparing cold scientific language with the elaborate symbolism of Revelation is less like comparing apples and oranges and more like attempting to compare apples and international finance. They simply do not work well together. That has not, of course, stopped people from trying and coming up with some interesting conclusions.According to the most recent scientific theories, Earth is going to go out with a bang with the rest of the Solar System. In somewhere between 4 billion and 5 billion years, the Sun will run out of hydrogen. When that happens, the nuclear fusion that powers the star will begin to slow. Rather than combining hydrogen atoms to make helium, the Sun will fuse helium atoms to make heavier elements. As this occurs, the Sun will cool and expand. Its shifting gravity will throw planetary orbits out of alignment. Mercury and Venus could go hurtling into other planets in massive collisions. Otherwise, the first two planets will be swallowed by the swelling Sun. Earth will meet a similar fate. Unless it collides with one of the other planets as its orbit disintegrates, Earth will be scorched, crushed and eventually swallowed by the swollen Sun.According to science, the world will end in fire, and Revelation has little to say in the way of a fiery doom for Earth. That is not to say, however, that such language is absent. Revelation repeatedly speaks of how parts of the Earth and sea will be burned away and one of the seven plagues states that the Sun will scorch people. An expanding star will, of course, do more than simply give any remaining humans a terrible case of sunburn. The images in Revelation of water slowly drying up and the Earth becoming burned, however, are not too far off what science predicts. Unfortunately for humans, more than Revelations predicted third of the world will be burned when the Sun swells.The end times image in Revelation that is more likely to come true according to science is that of something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, [being] thrown into the sea. The mountain could easily be a massive meteorite that slams into Earth. Science can prove this has happened in the past, something similar is most likely what killed off the dinosaurs, and Earth has had a number of near misses in the last decade. Should an asteroid the size of a mountain actually collide with Earth, there would be more than enough to damage the world on a scale that it could be called apocalyptic.For the most part, Revelation does not appear to line up with science when it comes to the end of the world. That said, Revelation is not concerned so much with the end of Earth itself as much as it is with the complete restructuring of human civilization. So comparing Revelation to science may be unfair. In that case, the only thing anyone can do is wait and see if the four horsemen are truly turned loose and the four trumpets blown.Le Nguyen Bao Trung, aka Bin, is a 5-year-old Vietnamese boy who reportedly spoke his very first words in English despite never having come into contact with the language. Today, Bin speaks and reads perfectly in English, but is only just learning Vietnamese so he can communicate with his mother.

Born in Dong Van village, in Vietnams Ha Tinh province, Bin said his first word when he was almost two years old. You could say he too a while, but no one knows if that was when he said his first word, it was just when people noticed it. His mother, Le Thi Lien, recalls that the boy kept pointing at a calendar and saying Eleven. She didnt speak any English and mistook the word for mere babbling, but Bin kept saying it so she asked her older daughter about it and learned that it meant 11 in English. She went back to the calendar and saw that it did in fact show the 11th of the month. But that was only the beginning of this unusual story.

Le Thi Lien recently told Vietnamese reporters that she was so amazed by Bins ability to recognize and pronounce 11 in English that she took the calendar and showed him other numbers to see if he recognized them. To her surprise, the toddler recognised and pronounced all the numbers from 1 to 30 in perfect English. After that, she went out and bought him the English alphabet, as well as coloring books and childrens exercise books in English. Today, at age 5, Bin can read in English, can name the English term for virtually any item, but is only learning to speak Vietnamese.

In her interview with Vietnamese media, Bins mother could barely hold back her tears when asked how she communicated with her son. She didnt speak any English and he didnt speak Vietnamese, so in the beginning all they had was sign language.

I do not understand, I would shake my head and say I dont know,' the woman said. But she couldnt let things stand, so she started learning English. Every night, despite coming home tired from work, Le went online and took basic English lessons, wrestling with the different grammar, pronunciation and even letters. It took a while, but she was eventually able to communicate with him.

Kindergarten was a tough experience, because Bin didnt understand Vietnamese and also complained that the teacher spoke English incorrectly during English class. His mother talked to teachers at the Foreign Language Center, who, after testing Bin, said that his skills were advanced and he needed to study at an English school in a big city. So she took him to a school in Ho Chi Minh City, where a native English speaker gave the boy a 49-question questionnaire, and he answered every question right.

The English teacher praised the boy and welcomed him at the school, but the monthly tuition was 7 million Vietnamese dong ($300), which Le Thi Lien simply could not afford.

Luckily, Bin also started learning Vietnamese at the beginning of this year, so he and his mother can now communicate a little better. Hes still much better at English though, and his mother hopes to somehow help him take advantage of this amazing ability.



Interestingly, this is not the first such case weve reported on Oddity Central. Back in June, we wrote about Mahmoud ONeal, a 3-year-old boy from northern Israel who spoke fluent English without ever having studied it.

Brandy Bergman

Brandy Bergman heads a group of five Sard Verbinnen & Co. veterans to launch Reevemark strategic communications shop to tackle complex value-determinative issues (e.g., activism, crises, M&A, litigation), as well as corporate positioning and reputational matters.

The 20-year veteran was SV&C's managing director in charge of employee development and former senior assistant district attorney in the Kings County (Brooklyn) DA Office.

Hugh Burns (former SV&C's general counsel), Paul Caminiti (ex-chair of SV&C's compensation & marketing/business development committees), Delia Cannan (ex-SV&C MD & Taylor Rafferty alum) and Renee Soto (ex-partner at SV&C who was running Sotocomm) join CEO Bergman as founding partners of the New York-based start-up.Christianity, Islam and Judaism collectively are called the three Abrahamic religions. This is because all three faiths honor Abraham and see him as the beginning of their faith or as starting the religious lineage of which their faith is a part. As such, there are a number of similarities between the three religions. There are also, however, a number of differences.

In Favor

In Opposition

The three Abrahamic religions form a religion family, and no one would disagree with the assessment that they are three very different faiths. What is sometimes debated is whether or not the three religions worship the same God. This question has been hotly debated by laypeople of all three religions, religious experts from all three faiths, academic scholars, theologians and religious historians. There are books written on the subject with evidence both supporting and denying the claim that the Abrahamic religions share a God as well as a distant founder. So, what are some of the arguments for and against the idea that Christians, Muslims and Jews all worship the same God?All three Abrahamic religions are defined as monotheistic. They all claim that there is one God, and they worship Him. In the texts of all three religions, God is defined as the God of Abraham. As the name Abrahamic suggests, Christianity, Judaism and Islam all trace their faith back to Abraham. He is the one with whom God made His covenant and from whom later faith leaders came. All three religions claim to trace their worship back to Abraham without ever having broken the chain.Islam and Christianity also both identify Judaism and its stories as the forerunner of their religion. Islam also claims Christianity as a religious forerunner. In Christianity, Christ is the Messiah the Jews were waiting for from the beginning. In Islam, Moses and Jesus were both great prophets sent by God ahead of Muhammad. Both Christianity and Islam seem to agree that they are worshipping the same God as Judaism. They argue that the Jews are worshipping God incorrectly or incompletely, but they do not claim that the Jews are worshipping a different God.The three Abrahamic religions also share a number of the same stories and the lessons those stories carry. Islam, Christianity and Judaism all honor Moses and the prophets of the Old Testament. Islam also honors Christ. Furthermore, all three religions see worshipping a false or different God as one of the worst if not the worst sin a person can commit. They also agree on the power of prayer and, to a certain extent, pray in similar manners. God even has a similar personality in each faith. When the holy books of all three faiths are read in their entirely, God appears to be kind, merciful and benevolent toward those who are righteous and follow His laws and listen to His prophets. Toward the enemies of His people and the unrighteous, He is harsh, strict and terrifies with His power. These are far more similar than many closely related religions can claim, and there are no other large, distinct religions that are as closely related and intertwined as the three Abrahamic faiths.All three Abrahamic religions claim to be the correct way to worship the God of Abraham. No one can deny, however, that Muslims, Christians and Jews all worship differently. If all three religions follow the same God, why do they worship in different ways? Did God demand something different of each people? The answer from each religion would be that they are worshipping correctly and the other religions misunderstood or made a mistake that has led to their descendants worshipping incorrectly. Accepting this answer, however, requires accepting that one of the three faiths is correct and the others are wrong.Arguing that the three religions all come from Abraham and his faith also runs into a similar problem. Jews and Christians both trace their faith back through the line started by Abraham and Sarahs son, Isaac. Muslims, however, trace their religious lineage to the son of Abraham and Hagar, Ishmael. This may or may not be a problem from a worship or theological standpoint, but it is worth mentioning.One could argue that doctrine is created by man, but since all three religions have very different rules that are supposedly from the same God, it does need to be addressed. Islam and Judaism both have specific purity codes that prohibit certain foods. Christianity does not. Christianity is defined by the doctrine of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus. Islam and Judaism both disagree with the idea of the Trinity and the idea that Jesus was the Son of God. Islam holds that He was a prophet. Some Jews agree with this assessment while others believe Jesus was at best insane and at worst an agent of evil sent to lead people astray.Evil and sin are also ideas on which the religions disagree. Islam, for example, believes that when a person is judged their sins and virtues are weighed against each other. If virtue wins, the person earns Paradise. Christians, however, believe that entrance into heaven depends on Gods grace and Jesus salvation. Where sin came from and what role, if any, Satan plays in creating and encouraging sin also varies between the three religions as do beliefs in angels, demons, jinn and other spiritual beings.Islam, Christianity and Judaism share a great deal of history and have more in common with each other than any other set of major religions on the planet. As such, some people both inside and outside the religions claim that the Abrahamic faiths all worship the same God. Whether or not that is true is a subject of hot debate, and both answers lead to more and equally pressing questions. So far, however, no one has been able to give an answer to the question that satisfies everyone, and it is unlikely that anyone will succeed in doing so. After all, the three Abrahamic faiths together contain more than half the human population. Finding something that 4 billion people can agree on, especially in a matter as important and personal as faith, would certainly be a modern day display of the incredible power all three religions attribute to God. What a miracle to remember that would be.The award-winning film, Kubrick By Candlelight, shot in Offaly, is set to be screened on RTE2 television on Monday, September 24 at midnight.

David OReilly, location scout for films such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Inception, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, The Dark Knight Rises, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Fast & Furious, brings his award-winning short film Kubrick By Candlelight, set behind the scenes of Stanley Kubricks Barry Lyndon, to network television for the first time.

David OReilly, writer and director  Im incredibly honoured and excited to have been selected to be part of Shortscreen on RTE2. Its almost exactly a year since we first screened at Encounters Film Festival and since then weve had a great response to the film at film festivals and events in Ireland, the UK, Italy and the USA. Along the way weve picked up awards and nominations which is always great and recognizes the hard work of the all the cast and crew who made it happen."

I want to thank Derry and Sadhbh at Network Ireland Television and Seamus at Shortscreen for helping us reach the

widest possible audience and I hope everyone enjoys the film on Monday and thereafter on the RTE Player.

Im also launching the Kubrick90 competition for viewers on RTE and those who see the film at festivals to win an

exclusive prize package  just try and spot as many of the 90 Kubrick references in the film. The highest wins the prize.

Kubrick By Candlelight is a light-hearted romantic comedy set behind the scenes of the filming in Ireland in 1973 of Stanley Kubricks Barry Lyndon.

In 1973 Stanley Kubrick came to Ireland to shoot Barry Lyndon creating great excitement. The film brought jobs, scams, candles, stories and ultimately trouble to the local people.

Infamously a threatening phone call drove Kubrick, his family and the crew from Ireland and this romantic comedy follows the lives, laughs and loves of an Irish extra playing an English soldier and a young British crew member in amongst the travelling circus of the Hollywood crew star-crossed lovers from different sides of the camera track. Who made all the candles? And who made that call? Narrated by Brian Cox.

It was the recipient of the Film Offaly/ Filmbase Bursary 2016. Since its premiere at Encounters Film Festival in September 2017 it has screened at festivals in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the USA. So far it has garnered over 20 nominations and collected 5 awards.

It has won Best Film at Waterford Film Festival, Best Cinematography at the Richard Harris Film Festival in Limerick, Best Screenplay at both Chelmsford Film Festival and Kino Film Festival, Manchester. It won Best Comedy at Fastnet Film Festival in Schull in May 2018.

David has been nominated for Best Director at the Richard Harris Film Festival and YDA Ireland 2018.

Recently it was nominated for 8 awards at the Underground Cinema Awards in Dun Laoghaire including Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Comedy and Rising Star for David OReilly.

It screened, as one of only two Irish short films selected, at the prestigious DC Shorts Film Festival in Washington DC in mid September and will next be seen at Disappear Here Film Festival in Ballyliffin, Indie Cork Film Festival, Bolton Film Festival, Southampton and Norwich Film Festivals.

Catch it in all its glory on RTE 2 at midnight on Monday.Offaly and neighbours Laois are set to be moved into the Ireland South constituency for future MEP elections following a report by the European Parliament Constituency Committee recommending a number of changes.

Sean Kelly MEP and Leader of Fine Gael in the European Parliament today welcomed the report which also recommended that an additional two MEP seats for Ireland post-Brexit be distributed between the South and Dublin constituencies.

The recommendations are subject to Oireachtas approval.

"Today, the Committee has recommended that my South constituency increase from a four to a five-seater. This is good news for the citizens of the South constituency who will gain an extra Member of the European Parliament to represent them," Sean Kelly said.

"I am also delighted that I may be able to welcome counties Laois and Offaly to a newly enlarged 12-county South constituency if agreed. It would be a challenge to cover 12 counties but if anyone has the energy and enthusiasm to do so  that's me," the former GAA President claimed.

The report also suggests Dublin should increase its representation, going from a three to a four-seater, while no change is proposed for the Midlands North West, the constituency Offaly and Laois are to be moved from.

The report comes ahead of the European Elections in May of next year, after the UK's planned exit from the EU which will result in some of the UK seats being redistributed across some Member States. Ireland will gain two extra seats, with Irish MEP numbers increasing from 11 to 13.

"UK members will leave the parliament on March 30th, 2019 as a result of Brexit. It is unfortunate, to say the least, that the UK has decided to leave the EU, however, the Union of the remaining 27 must look to the future and therefore, it is necessary to plan for the redistribution of seats," MEP Kelly added.

"It is beneficial for Ireland to gain another two voices in the European Parliament and that is certainly welcome. I am particularly delighted that all 10 counties of Ireland South will remain within the South boundary, with the possible addition of two counties  Laois and Offaly. I look forward to contesting the European Elections in May 2019 and continuing to represent my Ireland South constituency for Fine Gael in Europe, which I have proud to do since my election as an MEP in 2009", he said.

The newly proposed Ireland South constituency would extend across 12 counties of Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow from the May 2019 European Elections.Midlands-North-West MEP Mairead McGuinness has said she is said to see Offaly and Laois moved from the current constituency to the South as a result of the publication of the European Parliament Constituency Committee's report on the European electoral boundaries.

Today's report by the Constituency Committee has recommended that Ireland's European constituencies should be as follows: Midlands-North-West is reduced from 15 counties to 13 with 4 MEP seats; Dublin gains an additional seat, increasing to 4; and the South constituency also increases its representation going from a 4 to 5 seater, with the addition of Laois and Offaly.

Having represented the counties of Laois and Offaly for almost 15 years now, I am sad to see them move to the South constituency. However, I look forward to continuing to represent all 15 counties until the next election takes place," McGuinness said.

For the May 2019 European elections, the new Midlands-North-West constituency would extend across the 13 counties of Cavan, Donegal, Galway, Kildare, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo and Westmeath. Offaly and Laois will move into the Ireland South consituency, subject to Oireachtas approval.

Mairead McGuinness broadly welcomed the report as a whole, however, despite raising concern that the extra Irish voices come as a result of Britain leaving the EU.

The publication of the European Parliament Constituency Committee's report on the European electoral boundaries sees an additional seat allocated to the Dublin and the South Constituencies, with Dublin increased to a four-seater and the South to a five seat constituency, taking in Laois and Offaly. The Midlands-North-West Constituency remains a four-seater but with two less counties.

In response to the report, McGuinness said: "I welcome the announcement ahead of the next European election, particularly with regard to the distribution of the two additional seats for Ireland. It is positive that there will be two extra Irish voices in the European Parliament."

"However, I regret that this reallocation of seats after the next election in May 2019 arises because the United Kingdom is leaving the EU, and UK Members will not contest the next European election," she added.

"The ongoing Brexit negotiations are in a difficult phase with concerns about the slow rate of progress. As March 2019 is fast approaching, there is a need for a concerted effort to reach a solution on the outstanding issues in the withdrawal agreement and a statement on the future relationship, " the Midlands-North-West MEP continued.

The Committee considered the provision in the European Council decision on the new allocation of seats, which provides that in the event that the UK does not leave the EU before the European election on 23-26 May 2019, then 11 of the 13 members elected from Ireland would take up their seats initially. The additional two members would take up their seats when and only when the UK's withdrawal becomes legally effective."

McGuinness continued to say, the Committee was of the view that it was not within its terms of reference to recommend how the Oireachtas might legislate to comply with this provision."

"As there is huge uncertainty around the Brexit negotiations, every eventuality must be catered for and I urge the Oireachtas to consider this issue.Syracuse, N.Y.  Walmart, Bimbo Bakeries USA and Tyson Foods teamed up to donate 15,000 pounds of food to Food Bank of Central New York through a partnership with Feeding America to help end hunger across the United States during Hunger Action Month.

Representatives from each of the organizations visited Food Bank of Central New York to deliver the food and tour the facility. As part of this partnership, Walmart, Bimbo Bakeries USA and Tyson Foods donated 5,000 pounds of bread and 10,000 pounds of chicken that will be distributed to individuals and families over the coming weeks.

We are so thankful for the incredible support from these four organizations, said Kathleen Stress, executive director of Food Bank of Central New York. This donation will allow us to help more families in central and northern New York who struggle to get the meals needed to live a healthy life.

Food Bank of Central New York is located in Syracuse and serves 11 counties, where more than 12 percent of residents lack access to regular meals every day. More than 41 million people facing hunger throughout the entire United States  including nearly 13 million children and 5 million seniors.

Through its partnerships and individual donations, Feeding America  the largest domestic hunger relief organization in the United States  provides food to millions of Americans through a network of 200 member food banks and 60,000 partner agencies.7th Pay Commission: Diwali gift for CG employees, but is it enough

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 24: There is finally some good news for the Central Government employees regarding the 7th Pay Commission.

In what could be called as a Diwali gift, the government has extended LTC benefits for the CG employees. The Department of Personnel and Training said that the scheme allowing government servants to travel by air to the North East Region, Jammu and Kashmir and Andaman and Nicobar Islands is extended for a further period of 2 years with effect from September 26 2018 to September 25 2020.

"LTC for visiting NER, J&K and A&N in lieu of a Home Town LTC." " Facility for air journey to non-entitled Government servants for NER, J&K and A&N." "Permission to undertake journey to J&K, NER and A&N by private airlines."

The Union government had previously extended the LTC benefits for Central government employees in 2014.

7th Pay Commission: Rs 1,500 crore assistance sought even as govt mulls disciplinary action

It may be recalled that the 7th Pay Commission had recommended to retain and rationalise the Leave Travel Allowance. The LTC facilitates CG employees' home travel as well as travel to different parts of the country, The 7th Pay Commission had noted the the demand for increase the frequency of LTC especially for All India visits and foreign countries too.

The 7th Pay Commission had said:

On splitting hometown LTC, the pay panel said, "The proposal to split hometown LTC has merit and can be considered. Hence, it is recommended that splitting of hometown LTC should be allowed in case of employees posted in North East, Ladakh and Island territories of Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep. This will enable these employees and their families to meet more often."

7th Pay Commission latest news: CG employees could lose money, here is why

For CAPF, Indian Coast Guard: "Presently, personnel of Defence forces serving in field/high altitude/CI Ops areas are granted one additional free railway warrant. This should be extended to all personnel of CAPFs and the Indian Coast Guard mutatis mutandis."

"Presently, personnel of Defence forces serving in field/high altitude/CI Ops areas are granted one additional free railway warrant. This should be extended to all personnel of CAPFs and the Indian Coast Guard mutatis mutandis." For SSB Personnel: "The facility of Additional LTC should be extended to SSB personnel, at par with other CAPFs."

"The facility of Additional LTC should be extended to SSB personnel, at par with other CAPFs." For Railways staff: "Regarding bringing Railway employees (and employees whose spouses are Railway servants) into the fold of LTC, the following is recommended: No hometown LTC will be admissible to Railway employees, only "All India" LTC will be granted once in four years. b. For the grant of LTC, all passes for the current year will have to be surrendered. c. If the employee has already availed of a pass in any year, then LTC will not be allowed in that year.

"Regarding bringing Railway employees (and employees whose spouses are Railway servants) into the fold of LTC, the following is recommended:

This comes as some relief for CG employees who have been struggling to get the government to extend benefits relating to a pay hike. While the above announcement may not be the much sought soother, it still is some good news for CG employees who have been demanding a hike of Rs 26,000 as opposed to the Rs 18,000 recommended by the 7th Pay Commission.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 6:34 [IST]Alienated and wary BJP workers shying away from the party work

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Sep 24: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is finding it difficult to get booth verification (Booth Satyapan) and voter list reevaluation (Matdata Punarikshan) done as the party is not getting enough workers and if there are some workers there is complete lack of enthusiasm.

A BJP leader said that there was a complete indifference and alienation among the party workers so the work is not getting done as in 2014. Under booth verification and voter list reevaluation scheme new voters have to added in the voter list and if there is any extra name that has to get deleted. Mostly the responsibility to get this work done has been given to district vice president and general secretary.

Sources said that BJP workers were not taking any interest and any report sent to the state leadership will have the chance of up to 70 per cent error due to unverified data. This will be all across. There are various reasons for it from workers getting neglected and their genuine work not being done by the party and the government and SC/ST Act has proved to be another reason. People at the higher ups might say that there is no impact of SC/ST Act but at the ground level its impact is very strong.

Also Read | Bharat Mata, Lotus and hard work at booth levels: Shah's advise to BJP workers

As the message is traveling to people its impact is more and more pronounced. Workers are facing questions like if the government accepted the Supreme Court verdict on Article 377 then what was the need for being extra vigilant on SC/ST Act. Why the government is not so pro-active on Ram Temple and Article 370. There is anger among people and its results have started showing up and workers are fearful of facing it.

People are saying that cases under SC/ST Act have started getting registered. How the BJP workers will make such people understand who had faced these cases. Perception is that even an abuse may land people in jail invoking SC/ST Act. How would this perception be done away with when workers of the party are not happy.

Actually this is impacting the work of the party. Under Voter reevaluation you have to make new voters and dead people and people shifting to other places their names have to be deleted. The new booth that has been created they have to create their booth committee and all there and at old booth workers have to be verified that everything is all right. It has to make BLA at every booth appoint a key person to tell people about the government schemes and a person has to be given the responsibility to take care of the six programme of the party but no one is coming forward,

Also Read | 'Har booth dus youth:' BJP's T-20 formula for 2019 polls

The complain of the BJP workers is that they are alienated in their own governments. In case of Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi government has more faith in bureaucracy than the party office bearer. Bureaucracy does not have any responsibility towards people and worker of the BJP but party leaders have. No worker is ready to go along with the office bearer.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 9:08 [IST]Alert BSF troops chase away hexacopter from Pakistan which on a surveillance mission

BSF Recruitment 2018: 36 vacancies, how to apply before October 1 2018

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 24: You can apply for 36 sub-inspector electrical posts as part of the BSF Recruitment 2018. More details are also available on the official website.

The CAPF BSF Recruitment 2018 notification to fill the position of Junior Engineer/Sub-Inspector - Electrical (Group B non-gazetted category) has been released by the Director General Border Security Force in the employment news.

Candidates will have to submit a handwritten application form in the prescribed format on or before 1st October 2018. The last date to apply for Far Flung candidates is 15th October 2018.

The selected candidates can be placed anywhere across India as per BSF transfer policy.

CAPF BSF Recruitment 2018: Eligibility Criteria:

Applicants must possess 3 years Diploma in Electrical Engineering from a recognized institute.

Age Limit: Candidate must be below 30 years of age as on the closing date of the application process

Application Process: Log on to the official website and download the application format.

Application Fee:

For General and OBC Male: Rs.200/- For SC/ST/BSF/Ex-Servicemen/Female Candidates: Nil

CAPF BSF Recruitment 2018 Selection Process:

The selection process will include First Phase - Written Examination; Second Phase - Document Verification, PST and PET; and Third Phase - Practical Test and Medical Examination.

Candidates will have to fill in the application form and submit to the bearest BSF unit or head quarter. Aspriring candidates will also need to submit the photocopies of the documents related to the application form in order to apply. In the written examination, the questions will be asked on topics related to General Knowledge and Reasoning, Compression and Communication Skills, Numeric Ability and General Awareness and Professional Knowledge. The maximum marks for the written exam is 200 marks. The other phase of the test is the PET or the Physical test.

CAPF BSF Recruitment 2018: Physical Test:

Male candidates are required to complete 100mts in 16 seconds. - The 1.6km race must be completed in 6 minutes and 30 seconds- Long jump of 12 feet, 3.9 ft high jump and shot shot wil have to be shot up to 14.8 feet.

Woman candidates are required to complete 100 mts in 18 seconds - 800 mts race must be completed in 4 minutes - 9 foot long jump, 3 feet high jump will have to be passed. More details relating to the BSF Recruitment 2018 are available on http://bsf.nic.in/en/career.html.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 7:14 [IST]Chhattisgarh sex CD scandal: Cong leader Bhupesh Baghel sent to judicial custody for 15 days by CBI

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Raipur, Sep 24: Bhupesh Baghel, Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee President, was on Monday sent to judicial custody for 15 days by special CBI court in Raipur. Next hearing fixed on 8th October.

A Case was filed against Bhupesh Baghel on basis of a complaint filed by Chattisgarh Minister Rajesh Munat in connection with alleged sex CD scandal of Munat. Bhupesh Baghel didn't move a bail application or engage lawyer.

The case came to light after senior journalist Vinod Verma was arrested from his house in Indirapuram in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. Verma claimed that Chhattisgarh's BJP government was framing him as he possessed a 'sex CD' involving the state PWD Minister.

In October, Munat had claimed that the video was fake and urged Chief Minister Raman Singh for a high-level inquiry.

CBI took up the case on the request of Chhattisgarh government and further notification from Centre. The probe agency has taken over the investigation of both the cases which were earlier registered by Chhattisgarh Police.Church authorities withdraws all disciplinary actions against Sister Lucy who stood by Kerala nun

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Sep 24: The Church authorities have withdrawn all disciplinary actions against Sister Lucy Kalappura from Kerala,, a nun who had alleged that she was expelled from her religious duties in the parish for supporting protest in the case in Ernakulam.

Sister Lucy Kalappura from Kerala, who joined the protest demanding the arrest of rape accused former bishop Franco Mulakkal, was reportedly banned from church activities and relieved of her duties.

Sister Kalapura had said that she was informed by the Mother Superior at the church on Sunday morning that she should refrain from carrying out her everyday duties, which includes holding catechism classes, conducting prayers and other church-related duties.

Sister Kalapura had said she felt pained that her community and the church that they looked up to took no cognisance of the crime and did not even raise its voice when Franco Mulakkal raped that nun 13 times. She said that being a part of the protest was the least she could do to support the victim.

Indulekha Joseph, one of the leaders of the Kerala Catholic Church Reformation movement, alleged the action against Sister Lucy was an attempt to silence the voices of protests against any form of unjust activities within the Church.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 19:24 [IST]Dropping of ministers on health grounds 'laughable' when CM himself is ailing: Goa Congress chief

India

oi-Vikas SV

Panaji, Sep 24: The Goa Congress on Monday dubbed the dropping of two ministers from Manohar Parriker's cabinet as "laughable" as the Chief Minister himself is unwell and undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Two Goa Ministers - Francis DeSouza and Pandurang Madkaikar - were dropped from the state cabinet today. The move came a day after BJP chief Amit Shah said that there would changes in the Goa Cabinet soon. No official reason has been given for their removal as yet, but both were not well and are currently undergoing treatment.

"If they are dropping ministers on health grounds, it's laughable. It's hypocrisy. When CM is on bed whose condition is worse than other two ministers and they are dropped on health grounds CM is continuing," Girish Chodankar, Goa Congress President, told ANI.

Francis DeSouza was the Urban development minister in the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's cabinet while Pandurang Madkaikar was the power minister. Both were not well and are currently undergoing treatment.

Parrikar to continue as Goa CM, cabinet rejig soon: Amit Shah

While DeSouza is undergoing treatment at a hospital in the US, Madkaikar had suffered a brain stroke in June and has been at a Mumbai hospital since then, said reports.

Parrikar govt on course to 'die natural death': Goa Congress

They would be replaced by BJP's Nilesh Cabral, an MLA from South Goa district's Curchorem seat, and Milind Naik, a lawmaker from Mormugao seat. Amit Shah had on Sunday made it clear that Manohar Parrikar, who is undergoing treatment in AIIMS, Delhi, will continue as Goa's Chief Minister. Shah, in a tweet, also said that changes in the Goa Cabinet would be made soon.Security beefed up outside Mukesh Ambani's Antilia after alert from taxi driver about suspicious passengers

ED resisted my efforts to repay banks, Vijay Mallya tells court

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Sep 24: Embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya told a special court in Mumbai Monday that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) "resisted" his efforts to settle his loans with public sector banks.

Mallya, who is currently in the United Kingdom, has been charged by the ED of defaulting on bank loans to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore.

Vijay Mallya's lawyer files reply to ED notice; ED to file rejoinder on Sep 28

Mallya, through his counsel, was replying in the PMLA court of Judge M S Azmi to an ED application seeking that he be declared a fugitive under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.

In his reply, Mallya stated that "despite continuing efforts over the last two to three years, when efforts have been made to repay the public sector banks, instead of taking steps to facilitate the process of repayment to banks, the ED has, at every step, resisted this effort".

Mallya's reply also stated that the ED's application, in its endeavour to confiscate assets, is one which is contrary to public and national interest.

Objecting to the ED plea to declare him a fugitive, Mallya mentioned that he has been cooperating with the authorities in the UK in extradition proceedings and has submitted himself to the jurisdiction and process of the UK courts- a process invoked at the behest of the government of India.

Mallya's reply contended that, in these circumstances, it was false to contend that he "refuses to return to India", adding that "adherence to the law of the land cannot and doesn't render one as fugitive economic offender".

Why the first Look Out Notice against Mallya needed correction: CBI explains]

The arguments in the extradition proceedings in UK have concluded and the matters are to be listed on December 10 for judgement, the reply read.

Mallya's reply sought that present proceedings ought to be stayed or adjourned sine die till the judgement is delivered in the extradition proceedings (in the UK).

Meanwhile, the ED Monday filed its say in the intervention application moved by some parties seeking to implead themselves in the matter.

The PMLA court on Monday set September 28 as the next date for hearing on the intervention application.

The main application (to declare Mallya fugitive) will be heard after its order on the intervention plea, the judge said.

The court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants against the businessman in two cases filed by the ED.

Mallya, his now defunct venture Kingfisher Airlines Limited and others availed loans from various banks and the outstanding amount, including interest, now stands at Rs 9,990.07 crore.

Both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have filed cases for alleged loan default against him.

The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act has provisions for special courts under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) to declare a person as a fugitive economic offender and order immediate confiscation of assets.

The law lays down that a fugitive economic offender is a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued in respect of a scheduled offence and who has left India so as to avoid criminal prosecution, or being abroad, refuses to return to India to face criminal prosecution.

Cases of fraud, cheque dishonour or loan default of over Rs 100 crore come under the ambit of this law.Facebook appoints former Hotstar executive Ajit Mohan as India MD & VP

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Sep 24: Social media giant Facebook Monday said it has roped in former Hotstar chief executive Ajit Mohan as Managing Director and Vice-President of its India operations.

In this newly created role of Managing Director for India, a VP-level role, Mohan will be responsible for aligning teams and driving Facebook's overall strategy in India, the US-based company said in a statement.

This is a new structure for Facebook India, where the senior leader reports to Facebook's headquarters at Menlo Park, US instead of Asia Pacific. He will join Facebook India early next year.

Chetan Bhagat tries 'Gandhigiri' with critics on Facebook; gets trolled again

It has been a tough year for the world's largest social networking platform that has over 2.23 billion monthly active users. The US-based firm has been mired by controversies around data leaks of about 87 million users globally and fake news being circulated through its platform.

The company has drawn flak on these issues from policy makers across the world, including the Indian government that has shot off two notices to the firm over the data breach. IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had also warned the firm of "stringent" action for any attempt to influence polls that are slated for next year in India, which is one of the largest markets for Facebook with over 20 crore users.

Facebook goes offline for over 90mins, thanks to 'network issues'

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has said upcoming elections in countries like India and Brazil will be "real tests" for the social media giant and exuded confidence that the firm will "get this right" given its recent crackdown on fake accounts given the active steps being taken by the company.

According to the statement issued Monday, Mohan will be responsible for Facebook's India strategy and for driving the company's continued investment in India.

"India is one of the largest and most strategically important countries for Facebook. As we think about what it will take to achieve our mission of bringing people together and building community, we know that investment in India is critical," the online firm's Vice-President (Business and Marketing Partnerships) David Fischer said.

He added that Mohan's depth of experience will help the company in its engagement with "communities, organisations, businesses and with policy makers".

"It is a unique opportunity to shape the agenda of a company that has brought the world closer together in one of the most exciting markets in the world. I look forward to championing India in Facebook and working with stakeholders across the spectrum to help build deep and meaningful communities across the country," Mohan said.

In October last year, Umang Bedi had stepped down from the India managing director position and Sandeep Bhushan was named as the interim managing director. The company has now restructured its operations in India.Lawyer without brief is like Tendulkar without his bat on cricket ground: SC

Female genital mutilation: SC refers matter to larger Bench

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 24: The Supreme Court has referred to a larger Bench to decide on a batch of petitions that sought a ban on the practise of female genital mutilation.

The court said that the matter would be heard by a five judge Bench.

The court is hearing petitions seeking a ban on the practise which is prevalent among the Dawoodi Bora community.

Earlier the questioned the practice of female genital mutilation of minor girls in the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community, saying it violates the bodily "integrity" of a girl child.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra was told by Attorney General K K Venugopal, representing the Centre, that the practice causes irreparable harm to girl children and needed to be banned.

Also Read | Dawoodi Bohra community has always worked for peace, says Modi

He told the bench, which also had Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, that countries like the USA, the United Kingdom, Australia and around 27 African countries have banned this practice.

Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for a Muslim group, said the matter be referred to a constitution bench as it pertained to the issue of essential practice of the religion which needed to be examined.

"Why and how should the bodily integrity of an individual can be part of the religion and its essential practice," the bench asked, adding the practice violated the "integrity" of a girl child's body.

"Why should anybody else will have any control over the genitals of an individual," it said.

During the brief hearing, Venugopal reiterated the Centre's stand and said that the practice violated various fundamental rights of the girl child and moreover, such kind of genital mutilation has serious repercussions on their health.

Singhvi, on the other hand, referred to the practice of male circumcision (khatna) in Islam and said that it has been allowed in all countries and this is the accepted religious practice and sought adjournment of the hearing.

Also Read | Polygamy among Muslims: SC seeks Centre's response

Earlier, the court had ordered Kerala and Telangana to be made parties to a PIL that has challenged the practice of female genital mutilation of minor girls of the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community.

It ordered that states like Kerala and Telangana, where Bohra Muslim community reside, should also be made parties to the litigation and issued notice to them as well. The states which are already party to the case are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Union Territory Delhi.

The court had on May 8 agreed to examine the issues raised by Delhi-based lawyer Sunita Tiwari by saying that the practice of female genital mutilation was "extremely important and sensitive".

It had issued notices and sought replies from four Union ministries, including the Woman and Child Development, besides Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi where Dawoodi Bohras, who are Shia Muslims, predominantly reside.For now deferred, but talks between India and Pakistan might happen anytime soon

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Sep 24: India and Pakistan are holding each other responsible for the causing hurdle in the peace process but there is a possibility that dialogue between both the countries might happen anytime soon. It might happen at a low level and at the unknown destination but it is likely to happen.

Sources said that the deadlock between both the countries is continuing for long. So it is likely that it might be broken by some way or the other could be sought to initiate the process. It might not be at the higher level and obviously, it will neither happen in India or Pakistan.

Also Read | For talks to be held, Pakistan must prove that it won't back terrorists: Gen Rawat

Sources said that the talks between both the countries are likely to be low profile but they will try to draw a future plan of action with this meeting. One being asked about the tough posturing from both the side, the source said that all this is a posturing.

Sources said that even Pakistan Army is in favour of talks but in a guided manner. So with all these developments, the talks are possible any time soon. This is to recall that Pakistan Prime minister wrote a letter to the Indian PM requesting to initiate peace dialogue but later India refused to come to the table of talk on the killing of BSF personnel and Pakistan issuing postal stamp on Burhan Wani.Govt ready for talks with 'everyone' on Kashmir issue: Rajnath Singh

India

pti-PTI

Lucknow, Sep 24: The government is ready for dialogue with "everyone" on Kashmir issue, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday, days after India cancelled a foreign minister-level talks with Pakistan. Singh, however, asserted that terrorism in Kashmir Valley is "Pakistan-sponsored".

"I think the (Kashmir) matter will be resolved. We are ready to talk to everyone," he told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the Central Zonal Council here. The home minister said as far as terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination.

Think 4 times before levelling allegations: Rajnath Singh tells Rahul Gandhi

"Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored," he said. India on Friday had called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in New York, barely 24 hours after agreeing to the engagement, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.

The Centre, last year, had appointed former director of the Intelligence Bureau Dineshwar Sharma as its representative to hold talks with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir. Sharma has already held several rounds of dialogue with representatives of different groups, civil society members and individuals.

About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the home minister said out of 22 points, 20 have been resolved, adding in the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues were discussed of which 428 were resolved. At the meeting, progress of implementation of recommendations made at the last meeting -- on the need to increase density of roads and upgrading existing roads, assistance required to combat Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and modernisation of police forces were discussed, an official release issued here said.

Ram Rahim verdict: Rajnath Singh calls for high-level meet

Singh said it has been the objective of the present government to strengthen the institution of zonal councils as well as the inter-state council to promote and maintain a good federal atmosphere of cooperation among states and the Centre. Besides Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivedra Singh Rawat respectively, the meeting was attended by representatives from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well.

The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The council's meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any. Five Zonal Councils -- central, western, northern, southern and eastern -- were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

PTIHow Karnatakas lost and found MLAs are giving sleepless nights to the Cong-JD(S) coalition

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Bengaluru, Sep 24: There is dissidence in the Karnataka Congress and the rocky road for the coalition government in Karnataka continues. With allegations and counter allegations of poaching, there is something really hilarious that is taking place in the state.

All the MLAs are marking a virtual attendance with their party leadership at all times. The moment one MLA does not answer the call or is out of station, it immediately leads to panic and rumour mongering about the MLA being poached.

BJP versus JD(S): Political war escalates in Karnataka; no end in sight

The Congress and JD(S) which formed the government have been alleging that the BJP is looking to poach their MLAs. While the BJP has made it clear that it would not meddle in the coalition, the recent meeting of the party empowering Yeddyurappa to take a call on government formation has only added to the rumours of another "Operation Lotus."

Lost, found and panic:

After the government was formed, Siddaramaiah was the one who kept the rumour mills buzzing. His comments in Mangalore when he said that this government would not run its full course triggered off speculation that all was not hunky dory.

After the calm for sometime, he questioned the logic of a full budget and also the farm loan waiver, mooted by Karnataka Chief Minister, H D Kumaraswamy. This again led to rumours that the functioning of the government was not smooth.

Operation Khanij Khoj: Why opening up virgin forests for iron ore is disastrous for Ballari

The last shot that Siddaramaiah gave when he said that he could become the CM again. This led to a series of comments from his followers, who expressed hope that Siddaramaiah would take over. How and when would this happen? There was nothing said about this later.

Then came a revolt led by the Jarkiholi brothers. They claimed the support of 18 MLAs and said that they would pull out. From what they spoke, it was clear that they were in a position to shake up the coalition.

All these incidents have kept the fire in Karnataka burning. The panic levels among the parties is so high that, the leaders panic the moment some MLA does not answer the call. If the MLA is not in his constituency or at Bengaluru, it leads to further panic.

Take for instance the case of the three MLAs who had contested as independents, but subsequently joined the Congress. M T B Nagraj, D Sudhakar and H Nagesh created quite a flutter when they did not answer their calls. It was said that they were on their way to join the BJP. However the Congress managed to get in touch with them by evening on Saturday and confirmed that they were staying put.

Who is reaching out:

In the past two months, not a day has gone without the press reporting poaching rumours. The Congress and JD(S) have accused the BJP of trying to buy out their MLAs for costs as high as Rs 5 crore.

Karnataka: Govt formation in sight, BJP says Yeddyurappa will take final call

The BJP on the other hand denies these rumours and says that they are not fishing in the troubled waters of the Congress. It is the Congress MLAs who are offering to join us, several BJP leaders that OneIndia spoke with said.

While the Congress and JD(S) may have managed to tide over the storm, there is plenty in store in the days to come. The Cabinet expansion is round the corner and there are bound to several contenders. Both parties are gearing up for a fresh round of revolt as it would not be possible to accommodate each and every one.

While these would be internal battles that the two parties would have to sort out, the bigger problem could arise somewhere around 2019 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. With a common vote bank in the South of Karnataka, both the Congress and JD(S) would be in a tussle over seat sharing. The two parties had announced that the elections in 2019 would be contested jointly.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 12:07 [IST]We live in times when what we eat is not personal: Justice Gogoi

Going public was the only option says Justice Chelameswar on the famous presser by SCs top 4

In a very busy final week, CJI Misra added the Bhima-Koregaon case to reserved list of orders

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 24: It would be a busy few days for Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra. He would retire on October 2, which means he has six days more to deliver some very crucial verdicts, that also include the Aadhaar case.

Adding to the already busy schedule, the Bench headed by Justice Misra had last week reserved its verdict in the Bhima Koregaon case, in which the arrests of five activists allegedly close to naxals had been questioned.

Welcome to litigate, but don't romance it: CJI

There is no major verdict from the Bench of the CJI today, which means that there are only five days left for him to deliver the crucial judgments. Moreover the last day in office for Justice Misra is October 2 and that is a holiday.

Ram Temple:

One of the key verdicts that has been reserved for orders is the Ram temple verdict. While the Bench would not decide on the title suit, pending for orders is a legal question by the Muslim appellants. The question that the Bench would answer is whether a Mosque is essential for Islam.

A line in the 1994 judgment in the Ismail Farooqui has been questioned in which it was said that Muslims can pray anywhere in the open. The argument is the Islam will collapse without its Mosques to congregate and pray.

Sabarimala:

A Bench headed by Justice Misra will also deliver its verdict in the Sabarimala case. Under challenge was prohibiting women in the age group of 10 and 51 to enter the Sabarimala Temple.

Justice Gogoi as next CJI: Never doubted that tradition won't be followed

Going by the observations that the court had orally made during the hearing, it appears as though the centuries old prohibition may be lifted. The Bench had orally observed that a ban on the entry of women at the Sabarimala Temple is steeped in patriarchy and chauvinism.

The Aadhaar verdict:

This is another major verdict that a Bench headed by Justice Misra would deliver. The validity of Aadhaar was questioned and the court saw extensive arguments, which also included a presentation being given by the UIDAI chief.

The UIDAI maintained that Aadhaar was unique due to its pan-India appeal. Further the UIDAI also contended that there was no threat to privacy and the data was secure. The Bench however observed on various occasions that citizens must be given a choice of identities to access services.

Adultery:

A Constitution Bench headed by the Chief Justice had also reserved its verdict on a challenge to the provision of adultery.

Implementation of rule of law depends on quality of legal education: CJI

It was argued that the provision under Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code treats a woman as a commodity owned by husband. Further it was stated that the provision violates the constitutional concepts of sensitivity and gender equality.

The Bhima-Koregaon case:

Under challenge was the arrests of 5 persons alleged to be sympathetic towards the naxalites. On the day the hearing began, the Bench had ordered that these persons be placed under house arrest and during the subsequent hearings, the order was extended.

The petitioner, Romila Thapar argued that the arrests were a move to quell dissent. However the Centre said that these persons were a threat to national security and even questioned the rationale of bypassing the lower courts and the high court and approaching the Supreme Court.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 8:00 [IST]Is a Mosque essential for Islam and Namaz: De-coding the 1994 SC verdict

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 24: In his final week in office, Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra would pronounce an important verdict relating to the Ram Temple issue. It must be clarified here that the verdict is not relating to the title suit, but regarding a point of law that arose out of the Dr. Ismail Faruqui verdict of the Supreme Court in 1994.

The point of contention is whether a Mosque is an essential part of Islam. This point came up when the Bench comprising CJI Misra and Justices Ashok Bhushan and Abdul Nazeer were hearing a batch of appeals arising out of the 2010 verdict of the Allahabad High Court in the Ram Janmabhumi case.

The Dr Faruqui verdict:

Under challenge before a Bench comprising Justices M V Verma, G Ray and S Bharucha in 1994 was the constitutional validity of the Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act of 1993.

In a 'very busy' final week, CJI Misra added the Bhima-Koregaon case to reserved list of orders

While delivering the verdict, the Bench had gone into the aspect, whether a Mosque is an essential part of Islam. The Bench while summarising this aspect said that under the Mohammedan Law applicable in India, title to a Mosque can be lost by adverse possession.

"If that is the position in law, there can be no reason to hold that a Mosque has a unique or special status, higher than that of the places of worship of other religions in secular India to make it immune from acquisition by exercise of the sovereign or prerogative power of the State."

"A mosque is not an essential part of the practice of the religion of Islam and Namaz. Prayer by Muslims can be offered anywhere, even in open. Accordingly, its acquisition is not prohibited by the provisions in the Constitution of India."

Justice Gogoi as next CJI: Never doubted that tradition won't be followed

Irrespective of the status of a Mosque in an Islamic country for the purpose of immunity from acquisition by the State in exercise of the sovereign power, its status and immunity from acquisition in the secular ethos of India under the Constitution is the same and equal to that of the places of worship of the other religions, namely, church, temple etc."

"It is neither more nor less than that of the places of worship of the other religions.

Obviously, the acquisition of any religious place is to be made only in unusual and extraordinary situations for a larger national purpose keeping in view that such acquisition should not result in extinction of the right to practice the religion, if the significance of that place be such."

"Subject to this condition, the power of acquisition is available for a mosque like any other place of worship of any religion. The right to worship is not at any and every place, so long as it can be practised effectively, unless the right to worship at a particular place is itself an integral part of that right," the three judge Bench had observed while disposing of the petitions.

Under challenge:

Senior counsel Rajeev Dhawan arguing for the Sunni Waqf Board pressed for a reference to the 1994 verdict as it observed that Mosque is not an essential part of Islam and that namaz can be offered even in the open. He said that these comments are questionable and had infiltrated into the judgment of the trial court.

Implementation of rule of law depends on quality of legal education: CJI

Dhawan said that what is invoked now is a pure question of law as to what essential practises are and how they are to be proved. He said that where the decision is on a pure question of law, then res judicata does not preclude a court from deciding such question differently.

Legal experts say that although the current Bench is not adjudicating on the title suit, the interpreting or answering the question of law could have a bearing on the original appeals. The Bench could either uphold the contention in the 1994 verdict, interpret it or totally strike it down, experts also say.

Once this question of law is answered, the matter would then be referred to a Constitution Bench, which would finally decide on the title suit as a result of which it would become clear whether a Ram Temple can be constructed in Ayodhya or not.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 10:50 [IST]The inside rot: How govt employees are abetting terror in Jammu and Kashmir

Blessings of 130 cr people with you: PM Modi celebrates Diwali with soldiers in J&Ks Nowshera

J&K: 5 terrorists killed, 1 soldier martyred as infiltration bid foiled in Tangdhar

India

oi-Vikas SV

Srinagar, Sep 24: In an ongoing encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Tangdhar sector, in which two terrorists were killed on Sunday evening and an infiltration bid was foiled, three more were gunned down today (September 24) while one security personnel was martyred.

The search operation is still underway in Kupwara's Tangdhar sector, said reports.

"Three more terrorists have been killed on Monday as the Army foiled an infiltration attempt along the LoC in Tangdhar sector," an Army spokesman said, as per reports.

Also Read | J&K: Infiltration bid foiled, two terrorists killed

He said two terrorists were killed in the gun battle which began on Sunday after alert troops noticed suspicious movement near the LoC.

In a seperate incident, a 45-year-old man from Sopore area in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district who was abducted by the terrorists on Sunday has been found dead. Mushtaq Ahmad Mir was abducted by terrorists, who barged into his house in Harwan area.

Also Read | Terrorists killing terrorists: Is Kashmir witnessing a Mumbai underworld like scenario

On September 21, three terrorists killed in an encounter between security forces and terrorists in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, that started on September 20 afternoon.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 15:51 [IST]Kerala nun rape case: Received death threats, need police protection, alleges Complainants sister

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Sep 24: The sister of the Kerala nun who accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal of raping her has alleged that she and her family members had received death threats from his supporters.

Sister of the complainant has filed a petition to the state DGP, Kottayam SP and Kalady circle inspector, stating that she and her family are receiving life threats and thus require protection for life and property.

''Due to hatred, brothers of Franco filed fake complaints against me. Thomas Chittuparamban,a relative of Franco threatened to cause danger to my son & brother. One of his relative named Unni took a photo of me protesting & later threatened me,'' said Sister of Kerala nun rape case's victim.

Mulakkal was arrested by the police over allegations of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting the nun. The bishop was arrested on September 21 after three days of questioning. On Monday, Kerala's Pala judicial magistrate court sent him to judicial custody till October 6.

In her complaint to Kottayam Police in June, the nun had alleged that Bishop Mulakkal raped her at a guest house in Kuravilangad in May 2014 and later sexually exploited her on several occasions.

The Catholic Church in India comprises the Latin, the Syro-Malabar and the Syro-Malankara churches.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 22:59 [IST]Modicare launched: What is Ayushman Bharat health scheme?

India

oi-Shubham Ghosh

New Delhi, Sept 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, September 23, launched a mega healthcare scheme called Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and it is being called as the world's largest government-funded healthcare programme covering 50 crore people.

PM Modi was elated to have launched it and called it a "game changer". He said the scheme which covers people counting more than the combined population of the US, Canada and Mexico will be something that organisations across the world will study to know the government funded such a mammoth project. He said the project is definitely aimed at benefiting the poor. The PM announced about the scheme during his Independence Speech this year and it was simultaneously launched in 445 districts across the country.

Also Read | 'Ayushman Bharat scheme will transform India into a medical hub', says Modi

Modi also urged people to remember the helpline number of the scheme which is 14555.

What is AB-PMJAY?

The 71st round of National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) found that almost 86 per cent of rural households and 82 per cent of urban households do not have access to health care insurance or assurance, healthy ministry sources said.

As per VK Paul from Niti Aayog who is called the chief architect of the project, the Centre is likely to carry a burden of Rs 3,500 crore in the current fiscal because of the scheme. The Centre will fund 60 per cent of the scheme while the remaining will come from the states.

The scheme is likely to cover 50 crore Indians who will be given a health care insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh a year.

The health ministry has brought under the scheme 1,354 packages under which treatment for coronary bypass, knee replacements and others will be provided at 15-20 per cent rate cheaper than the central health schemes.

The scheme will see provision of cashless and paperless service to the beneficiary. The benefits can be availed in listed private hospitals besides government ones.

The beneficiaries of the scheme are identified based on deprivation categories while for the urban areas, 11 occupational criteria will be taken into account.

There is no limitation to family size and age.

Aadhar card is not mandatory to avail the benefits. One can do so by producing any identity proof.

Hospitals where one can avail the scheme will have an 'Ayushman Mitra help desk'.

Thirty states and Union Territories have signed memoranda of understanding with the Centre over the implementation of the programme. Five states have refused to sign it - all of them non-BJP ruled and the scheme will not be effective there. These states are Odisha, Delhi, Punjab, Kerala and Telangana.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 9:16 [IST]Security beefed up outside Mukesh Ambani's Antilia after alert from taxi driver about suspicious passengers

Mumbai: Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea admitted to JJ Hospital

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Sep 24: Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea has been admitted to Mumbai's JJ Hospital after she complained of headache, double vision and restlessness. Clinical evaluation and investigations are underway.

Peter Mukerjea replies to Indrani's notice, agrees to grant divorce

Earlier in June, Mukerjea was admitted to J J Hospital's critical care unit after she complained of chest pain. She also underwent hospitalisation after being found in a "semi-conscious" condition in April. Hospital authorities had then said she overdosed on anti-depressants that were not prescribed to her."

She is the known case of hypertension andcervical spondylitis. Mukerjea's clinical evaluation and investigation is going on," according to the doctor.

Indrani Mukerjea hospitalised, currently in CCU of JJ Hospital

Both Indrani and Peter along with Indrani's former husband have been made accused by CBI in the murder case of Sheena Bora, Indrani's daughter. Her driver has been made approver in the case. The trial is underway at the special CBI court in Mumbai.

{document1}Ordinance in place but attack on triple talaq victims intensifies

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Sep 24: The government has brought ordinance on triple talaq as it failed to get the bill on the issue passed in the Rajya Sabha however the Lok Sabha already passed it. But attacks on such women are continuing who are raising voice against triple talaq and Nikah-Halala. The victim was acid attacked on September 23 while a petitioner Farzana was stabbed on September 8, 2018.

The victim Razia belongs to Hyatpur and she was allegedly attacked by her brother-in-law (elder brother of her husband) and maternal uncle of her husband. Her brother was also attacked whose entire back is burnt by the acid attack. Farzana, another victim and petitioner, was also attack on September 8. Sabnam is another victim facing the same ordeal.

Also Read | Shiv Sena welcomes triple talaq ordinance; Urges govt to build Ram temple

Women activist Amber Zaidi told One India that Parliament failed to protect Muslim women. Razia is a double victim of triple talaq and Nikah-Halala. The victim tried to register the FIR earlier to the threat from her husband's family but police refused them. Somehow the family reached to the Additional Director General of police (ADG) then her FIR was registered. Her husband's family was putting pressure on her to withdraw FIR lodged under Section 376 and various other sections of IPC.

As per information reached, she was traveling on motorbike when Sannu maternal uncle of her husband and brother-in-law Alam have attacked them with acid. Her husband's maternal uncle was driving bike while brother in-law was riding pillion and threw the acid on them. Her face is burned and her brother's back is burnt. The new FIR has been registered in Sambhal and her brother was taken to police station to ask about the detail of attack.

Also Read | Centre clears Ordinance criminalising triple talaq: A timeline

Farzana, another Muslim woman from Uttar Pradesh's Sikandrabad, had been attacked along with his brother by assailants in which his brother has got seriously injured. They were attacked by knives. She had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking abolition of Nikah-Halala practice. He was always suspecting attack as she was getting threat and had already lodged FIR with the police. Her father-in-law was arrested and her husband surrendered recently. Farzana's husband got bail on August 7 only.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 11:26 [IST]Pakistan PM tries to addresses International audience on peace talks

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Sep 24: Ever since India rejected talks offer of Pakistan, Prime Minister of the country Imran Khan has not only harshly commented indirectly on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi but seems in the hurry to initiate talks. Now he saying that Indian leadership should shun aside their arrogance and start peace process. Imran Khan has gone to the extent of saying that offer made by Pakistan for dialogues should not be considered as country's weakness.

The Pakistan Prime Minister said that Indian leadership must set aside its arrogance and start peace process between the two country. Earlier the Pakistan PM had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking to re-start bilateral talks on key issues including on terrorism and Kashmir.

Have patience Mr Imran Khan; your 'small men' remark can damage India-Pakistan ties more

Sources said that Pakistan Prime Minister seems to be in hurry to prove in Pakistan that he seriously looking to better relations with India. There is every chances that he might be under military pressure to initiate the issue in this manner so further propaganda could be unleashed. A strategic expert on Pakistan matters Ashis Shukla told One India, "Core area of foreign policy is captured by Army that included Indo-Pakistan relation, relations with Afghanistan, China and the US and now with Russia. Let there be any civilian leader in the country but if it wants any deal with India on Kashmir then it cannot do without approval of Army."

Earlier India agreed to have a meeting with Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York which Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj was also to attend. But India called off the meeting citing several reasons.

To deal double blow to Pak, not one but many surgical strikes on the anvil

Sources said that now the Pakistan Prime Minister is trying to give a message to the world that it is committed to peace talks but India is not coming forward when Khan said that Indian leadership should shun arrogance and hold peace talks with Pakistan. But in the same breath he had said that friendship offer of Pakistan should not be considered as its weakness to address his home audience. He further said that friendship between Pakistan and India will help overcome poverty.

Experts on the issue are of the view that Pakistan's approach towards peace process is confusing as it is threatening India as well by saying that no hostility will be tolerated by the country. The Pakistan PM said that friendship between Pakistan and India was in the benefit of both the countries. Moreover, Pakistan will not take pressure of any world power.

'Small men who lack vision': Imran Khan's counter attack India cancels talks

Imran Khan had earlier tweeted, "Disappointed at the arrogant and negative response by India to my call for resumption of the peace dialogue. However, all my life I have come across small men occupying big offices who do not have the vision to see the larger picture."

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 10:29 [IST]Rahul Gandhi fires fresh salvo at Modi over Rafale deal

India

pti-PTI

Amethi (UP), Sep 24: Firing a fresh salvo at the prime minister over the Rafale jet deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday charged that the country's "chowkidar" Narendra Modi snatched money away from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

Gandhi also asked the prime minister for answers on several issues relating to the Rafale jet fighter deal and also to clarify as to why the former French president Francois Hollande allegedly called him a "thief". "The chowkidar of the country has taken out Rs 20,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, martyrs and the jawans and put it in the pocket of (Anil)Ambani," Gandhi said at a meeting in the Jais area of his Lok Sabha constituency.

Rahul releases video quoting French media house on Rafale deal, suggests it is "sad truth" about PM

The Congress chief arrived here on a two-day visit, the first after his Kailash Mansarover pilgrimage, and said the people of the country want to know the amount involved in the Rafale deal. "Why was the price not disclosed...how was the contract given to(Anil) Ambani... serious charges have been levelled by former French president Francois Hollande," he said. Recalling that during a debate in Parliament on the Rafale deal, "The prime minister could not look me in the eye. PM gives speeches but no answers... he does not have the courage to give reply."

"Under the BJP government, the farmers and poor are crying...the present government is providing all benefits to a selected five to ten people," he said, alleging people like Anil Ambani, Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi are getting all benefits. The Reliance Group, in a statement quoting Anil Ambani's letter to Gandhi last month, had said, "Allegations of Reliance benefitting by thousands of crores is a figment of imagination, promoted by vested interests." French company Dassault, which is supplying the fighter jets, has entered into a joint venture with Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Defence to meet its offset obligations to create business for Indian firms, following the Rafale deal.

BJP wants Congress to answer role of Offset India Solutions in Rafale deal

Escalating his tirade against the Modi government on the Rafale issue, Rahul said the contract worth thousands of crores of rupees could have provided jobs "to youth of Amethi, to engineers...it could have given employment to thousands of youth...aircract with French technology would have been made in India...the nation would have benefitted from it."

"The deal worth thousands of crores, which could have benefitted the youth and the country, was given to an industrialist," he said. "Soon after becoming the prime minister, 'chowkidarji' goes straight to France and enters into a deal with the president of that country...," Gandhi said and alleged, "Modiji says leave HAL...the contract has to be given to Anil Ambani."

"The HAL which has been in the business for 70 years, makes aircraft...while Anil Ambani had not made an aircraft in his life and also has an outstanding bank loan of Rs 45,000 crore. "The company, which got the contract, was floated just ten days before...don't know how Ambani came to know ten days before that he was going to get the contract," he said.

Gandhi further said, "The defence minister of the country says that price of the aircraft will be disclosed but three months later says that under a secret pact with France it cannot be done but that has been denied by their president, I personally asked him." He also alleged that the Modi government has gone back on election promises like providing employment and sending money in bank accounts of the people. He also asked mediapersons to show his byte on TV, saying he was aware of pressure on them and asked them not to be afraid of anyone.

"We sought a JPC probe and tweeted to Arun Jaitley also, but Jaitley's boss Narendra Modi will not do this...I asked four questions but not even one has been replied to. You talk of big issues, give speeches, go to Rajasthan and Chattishgarh but there is not a single word about Rafale from Modi...why, because 'chowkidar' has made Anil Ambani commit a theft," he said. The Congress MP later laid the foundation stone of various works to be undertaken under MPLAD scheme and also met volunteers of Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojna being run by Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust in Nigoha area.

PTIS-400 deal: Can India wriggle out of looming CAATSA sanctions?

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Sep 24: Around the time when '2+2' dialogue was being held in New Delhi, India was a hopeful that the US may grant waiver from the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanction over the purchase of S-400 Triumf missile air defence systems from Russia.

Reports had then suggested that US Secretary of Defence James Mattis was a strong proponent of granting waivers to India. But, the recent developments have once again forced India to wonder if it can really be hopeful about the waiver.

Last week, the US imposed sanctions on a Chinese entity, the Equipment Development Department and its director Li Shangfu for its recent purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missile.

Also Read | S-400 missile deal with Russia is in final stage, says Sitharaman

Trump on Thursday (Sep 20) signed an executive order, paving the way for slapping crippling sanctions on countries and foreign entities and individuals violating the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

The fact that the US has now imposed fresh sanctions against China for purchasing fighter jets from Russia, makes a similar threat real for India. This also casts a dark shadow over Russian president Vladimir Putin's India visit on 5 October for the 19th India-Russian Summit, when the S-400 Triumf deal was also expected to be possibly inked. But the S-400 is not the only issue connected with US waivers under CAATSA.

The government recently cleared a $2.2-billion deal for four advanced Talwar-class stealth frigates with Russia; two sets to be built in Goa and balance two be bought directly from Russia. Other deals include licensed-production of the AK-103 assault rifles under 'Make in India', joint production of the Ka-226 light utility helicopters, two IL-78 transport aircraft as airborne early warning and control (AEWC) and 48 Mi-17 helicopters.

Also Read | S-400 missile deal: Will India be granted waiver from CAATSA?

Despite threat of sanctions by the United States, India has made it clear that it would go ahead with the purchase of S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems from Russia.

What exactly is CAATSA?

The US has imposed military sanctions against Russia under stringent CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). This also extends to countries that engage with Russia in defence matters. US' stand effectively means that any country that engages in defence or intelligence sharing with Russia could also be subject to sanctions.

Also Read | India set to acquire S-400 missile system from Russia: What makes it better than US made Patriot?

On one hand India wants these missiles to strengthen defence capabilities, but at the same time does not want to sour relations with the US. India would hope that the Trump administration grants exemption to India under CAATSA. The waiver that India may seek will not be an easy decision for the Trump administration to make because of certain sections in the CAATSA legislation.

Section 231 the CAATSA legislation requires that the president impose sanctions on any entity that "engages in a significant transaction with the defence or intelligence sectors of the Government of the Russian Federation". With the value of the S-400 deal being almost Rs 40,000 crore, it definitely falls under 'significant transaction' mentioned in CAATSA.Sonia ji unwell, Rahul Gandhi should take over as Congress chief: Siddaramaiah as party preps up for CWC meet

How much population is fully vaccinated in India? 29 cr got 2 doses, 42 cr got 1 dose: Siddaramaiah slams Modi

Siddaramaiah shows he is the boss, has his way

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Bengaluru, Sep 24: Recent political developments in Karnataka show that former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah is back at the helm of affairs in state politics. None other than Former Prime Minister HD Dev Gowda is happy with his one-time bete noire Siddaramaiah for taking responsibility for protecting the JDS-Congress coalition government.

Addressing the gathering at the foundation laying ceremony for various development works in Hassan Assembly constituency, Gowda said, "I'm happy that Siddaramaiah has taken on himself the responsibility of protecting the JDS-Congress coalition government," said the JD(S) supremo.

The JDS supremo's appreciation comes during a desperate time to thwart every evil design of BJP to destabilize the government ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

Also Read | How Karnataka's 'lost and found' MLAs are giving sleepless nights to the Cong-JD(S) coalition

HD Kumaraswamy mends his ways:

No doubt Siddaramaiah, was miffed with the Congress high-command for not taking him into confidence for the formation of Congress-JDs alliance post assembly elections. Ego clash between Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah was no longer a secret. However, the BJP's poaching scare has brought the rivals together to save the four-month-old government.

In the bargain, Siddaramaiah became the rallying point for Congress-JD(S) leaders to counter the BJP. Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and senior Congress leaders met coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah at the latter's residence for lunch on last Friday.

Senior political analyst Mahadev Prakash says, " It is true that HD Kumaraswamy ignored Siddaramaiah claiming his association with Rahul Gandhi, but finally agreed to mend his differences with Siddaramaiah on the directions Congress high-command."

Also Read | Indians are convinced that our Prime Minister is corrupt: Rahul Gandhi

Who is the best crisis manager?

Also, Congress strongman Shivakumar's imminent arrest is plaguing the Congress high-Command. Shivakumar, who played a key role in protecting the Congress MLAs during the formation of the government, is already on the radar of the ED in the money laundering case.

His every move is under the scrutiny of the Centre. Therefore, in absence of beleaguered Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah experience and political acumen will prove handy to counter BS Yeddyurappa's ambitions to become chief minister.

Also read | Congress' anti-BJPism turned into anti-Hinduism, tells book on Ayodhya

MLC elections for three seats:

Even, in the selection of Congress candidate for Legislative Council election for three seats, Siddaramaiah has his own share. Earlier, the names of MC Venugopal and Nivedith Alva, supported by Deputy CM G Parameshwara, were said to be frontrunners. Finally, Naseer Ahmed backed by Siddaramaiah replaced Nivedith Alva, the son of Congress veteran Margaret Alva.

Candidates backed by Dinesh Gundurao and Ramalinga Reddy could not make it to the list. Ironically, the BJP is not fielding candidate for the election to avoid humiliation in the council polls. The BJP who was confident of defecting the Congress votes, now scared of losing elections.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 14:58 [IST]Sitharaman says, she will go around country to counter propaganda unleashed by Congress on Rafale

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Sep 24: War of words between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre continues with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a thief and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman a liar. But the BJP decides to take on the Congress challenge which wants to create a public perception against the BJP-led government for it being corrupt.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that she would go around the country to put out facts in the public domain about Rafale and counter this propaganda of the Congress.

Also Read | Congress trying to underline suit-boot government remark with involvement reliance in Rafale deal

There was a perception war going on in the country that who is corrupt. "We will fight this perception war. There is a false propaganda-based campaign of the Congress. Moreover, there is an international dimension to the Congress' campaign. It is not a mere coincidence."

The Congress including its chief has been targeting Defence minister by calling her liar from Parliament to public rallies and also attacking the PM with chor jibe. Rahul Gandhi said that Modi has been talking about himself not being the Prime Minister but the watchman (chowkidar) of the country. But the watchman has resorted to theft. Modi ji goes to France and says that give the contract to Anil Ambani. The nation wants to know what has the watchman done?

Also Read | BJP wants Congress to answer role of Offset India Solutions in Rafale deal

The Congress has even formed a committee to look into the matter of Rafale to hit out at the BJP on day to day basis and to devise a strategy to attack the government. The Congress is attacking the BJP leadership including the PM and defence minister. A senior BJP leader said that the Congress wants to target the government but the BJP is not going to take things lightly and the Congress will be responded properly.To deal double blow to Pak, not one but many surgical strikes on the anvil

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 24: Pakistan has broken all levels of decency and indulged in a couple of barbaric acts over the past one week. A BSF jawan, Narendra Kumar was shot and his throat slit recently.

This barbaric action was followed by the killing of three special police officers in Jammu and Kashmir after they were abducted by terrorists of the Hizbul Mujahideen.

The immediate fall out of these actions was the cancellation of the Foreign Minister level talks between India and Pakistan which was scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Also Read | For talks to be held, Pakistan must prove that it won't back terrorists: Gen Rawat

The question now is will the cancellation of talks suffice to send across a strong message to Pakistan. In fact the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan termed the cancellation of talks with India as an arrogant move.

Highly placed sources tell OneIndia that action against Pakistan is round the corner. He said that the action would deal a double blow for Pakistan both along the border as well as in Jammu and Kashmir.

The source indicated a series of strikes across the border was an option. When asked if there could be a surgical strike across the border, the source said that this cannot be ruled out. However the difference this time would that the action would be a sustained one.

Also Read | Quit or face a headshot: Hizbul stoops to new low as it threatens women cops

Following the earlier surgical strike, Pakistan and quietened down for a while and the terror factories across the Line of Control had moved backwards. However they returned a couple of months later and began spreading havoc both along the border and the Valley.

Security officials say that there is a need for sustained action. The Army and the top brass in the government have already begun discussions on the counter to Pakistan. The source said that it may be more than one surgical strike to keep the pressure on Pakistan continuously.

The Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat too had hinted that surgical strikes were being planned. He said that surgical strike is a weapon of surprise and let it remain a surprise. He said that it is not the first time that Pakistan has carried out a barbaric act and added that stern action is needed to avenge these actions.

The action would be a time and place of choosing of the Indian Army. Sources say that such an action could be expected sometime after October. The immediate concern for now is the smooth conduct of the urban body and Panchayat elections in the Valley.

The Valley strategy:

It may be recalled that the Army had prepared a fresh hit-list in the Valley. It had the names of nearly 10 top commanders of terror groups, which also included Riyaz Naikoo who had called for the resignations of the Kashmir police personnel.

The police and the Army have been given a free hand to go ahead and gun down the commanders. A fresh strategy is being evolved and security officials say that 'Operation Wipe Out," would take place soon.

Also Read | A Hizbul terrorists lifespan is just one year and we have the SPOs of Kashmir to thank

While there is no denying that the commanders would be taken down soon, the problem however is that the urban body and Panchayat polls are scheduled for October and November. Any major action would be carefully measured, before it is launched. The prime objective for now is to ensure that the polls are conducted and pass off peacefully, top officials part of the security establishment also informed.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 8:46 [IST]Will be taken up at highest level: India on unprovoked killing of fisherman by Pakistan

What do both Congress and Pakistan badly want? BJP has the answer

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Sep 24: There is one thing that both the Congress party and Pakistan desperately want and that, according to BJP's Sambit Patra, is to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi out of power. Patra, during a media briefing, read out tweets attacking Modi posted by Pakistani leaders, including its Prime Minister Imran Khan, and said they have been campaigning for Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Linking Rahul Gandhi to Pakistan seems to be the new line of attack that the BJP is working on. What Patra said today was in line with BJP president Amit Shah's tweet yesterday which asked Rahul whether he was trying to forge an international alliance in the name of "Modi Hatao".

Congress trying to underline suit-boot government remark with involvement reliance in Rafale deal

Even Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had on Sunday accused Rahul of playing into the hands of Pakistan. Prasad was defending the government's stand to not reveal the unit cost of Rafale jets, stating that it would allow China and Pakistan to know about weapon customisations.

BJP is now in a 'fight fire with fire' mode' in the sense that everytime Rahul rakes up pricing issue of Rafale jets, the BJP spokespersons liken it to 'fraternising with the enemy' narrative.

"Some people want Gandhi to become a big leader in India. Who are they? They are Pakistani leaders, and also those who stand for corruption, dynasty and politics of appeasement," Patra told reporters today.

Congress' attempt to take off career of Rahul by Rafale will not work: BJP

He then added that the poor, Dalits, backwards and the common man back Modi, and "nobody can remove him".

The Congress and Pakistan have this commonality that they have "frustration" with Modi, and their "only aim is to remove Modi anyway from Indian polity", he claimed.

Patra accused Gandhi of targeting the Indian Army by using the term surgical strikes mockingly to attack the Modi government. Pakistan has been using his tweets to attack India, he said.

He also referred to party president Amit Shah's dig at the opposition party, wondering if it has formed a "mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) with Pakistan against Modi.

Rahul Gandhi has an obsession for China: BJP

Amit Shah had on Saturday taken a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of speaking on the lines of Pakistan and asked Rahul whether he was trying to forge an international alliance in the name of "Modi Hatao".

This is what Shah's tweet said:

Rahul Gandhi says Modi Hatao

Pakistan says Modi Hatao



Now Pakistan also supports Rahul Gandhis baseless allegations against PM Modi.



Is Congress forming an International Mahagathbandhan against PM Modi?#NaPakNaCongresshttps://t.co/eHBs0DGfBP  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 22, 2018

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 15:02 [IST]With US warship mock targets in Xinjiang, China sends another message to Taiwan

China holds first harvest festival to promote farmers cause; time for India to take note?

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Beijing, Sept 24: China might have dashed towards rapid industrialisation and economic reforms in the last four decades but that it hasn't forgotten its farmers became evident when it came up a new festival of its farmers recently which left several of them astonished.

According to a report sourced from Xinhua, the farmers' festival was created in June to honour the agriculturalists and it coincides with the Autumn Equinox - the country's most important harvest season - every year.

Several farmers joined the inaugural harvest festival which was on Sunday and felt hopeful about the future. The 2018 event was particularly special since this year has seen the beginning of the government's new rural vitalisation strategy, the report added.

Also Read | Mr Soybean is a proxy in the US-China trade war

The strategy was forwarded last year at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to resolve issues that are related to agriculture, farmers and the rural areas and through the festival, these solutions are aimed to be promoted.

"A good environment should be fostered to support the development of agriculture, rural areas and to care about the wellbeing of farmers," Vice Premier Hu Chunhua was quoted as saying while he attended activities in Beijing Sunday to celebrate the festival. He also called for a strong implementation of the rural vitalisation strategy and win the battle against poverty.

Also Read | US- China trade war escalates after Trump slaps tariff

China has made rapid progress towards industrialisation and urbanisation since the days of Deng Xiaoping and rose to become the second largest economy in the world. However, the country still has a big agricultural sector with its rural residents constituting a major part of its population. It has only seven per cent of the world's arable land but manages to feed 20 per cent of the planet's population.

Time for India to take note?

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 16:16 [IST]Maldives elections: Pro China Yameen ousted

International

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Maldives, Sep 24: Ibrahim Mohammad Solih has declared victory in the Maldives presidential elections. The victory comes in the wake of allegations that the elections would be rigged in favour of President Abdulla Yameen.

"I call on Yameen to respect the will of the people and bring about a peaceful, smooth transfer of power," Solih said on television, shortly after interim results from the country's election commission gave him an unassailable 58 per cent of the popular vote.

He further urged the incumbent to immediately release scores of political prisoners. Yameen who was tipped to retain power had jailed or forced into exile almost all of his main rivals.

A dozen Indian- Americans in mid-term Congressional elections

Mohammad Nasheed, the head of Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party said that the vote would bring the country back to the democratic path. He also said that Yameen would have no option but to concede defeat. He will not have people around him who will support him to fight on and stay, Nasheed told AFP.

Maldives snubs again, tells India to scale back military personnel

Solih had the backing of a united opposition which has been fighting to oust Yameen. He however struggled for visibility with the local media fearful of reporting restrictions.

The poll was closely watched by both India and China, who are jostling to influence the Indian Ocean nations. Both the US and UN had threatened sanctions if the poll was an unfair one.

Before the election, there were warnings that Yameen could try to hold on to power at all costs. In February, he declared a state of emergency, suspended the constitution and ordered troops to storm the Supreme Court and arrest judges and other rivals to stave off impeachment.

Maldives opposition gets leader, promises to restore democracy

Yameen told supporters on the eve of the election he had overcome "huge obstacles" since controversially winning power in a contested run-off in 2013, but had handled the challenges "with resilience".

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 6:19 [IST]Pakistan news anchor bizarre act on live show leaves Twitter in splits

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Islamabad, Sept 24: News programme operators are required to be objective, taming their emotions when they face the audience. But sometimes, a minute technical mismanagement exposes their 'human' side and they are caught doing things they are not supposed to do on air - like for example, flipping the bird!

But the news anchor from Pakistan in this video was caught doing exactly that. Of the two anchors of Karachi-based Samaa TV, the male was seen showing the middle fingers of both his hands when the on-air show started. He was a bit too late to get back to his composed self and his act had gone viral by then. The video rocked the social media with many laughing at the anchor's deed. There were also others who were not amused. For example, Pakistani journalist Syed Reza Mehdi.

Also Read | On the eve of Indo-Pak clash in Asia Cup, why Pakistanis trolled Bollywood

The incident happened on Friday, September 21, when Pakistan were playing Afghanistan in an Asia Cup game in Abu Dhabi. It was a tense game and before reporting on it, the news anchor was seen showing someone his middle fingers when the bulletin suddenly started. He at once started his on-air job understanding that the camera was rolling. His co-anchor, a female, was also amused by some pre-show reason and was struggling to contain it. "When panel producer is in so much hurry to switch!!! RIP Journalism," he said.

When panel producer is in so much hurry to switch!!! RIP Journalism  pic.twitter.com/6NeYRwxNvB  Syed Raza Mehdi (@SyedRezaMehdi) September 22, 2018

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 9:36 [IST]Politician, Maulana, teacher and now martyr: How this IM facilitator stayed undetected in Nepal

International

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Kathmandu, Sep 24: An Indian Mujahideen facilitator was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Nepal. Kursheed Alam, who worked as a principal in a school has been accused of assisting operatives of the Indian Mujahideen and those involved in the Mumbai 1993 serial blasts.

India has sought his extradition several times, but the same was not entertained by Nepal. There was clear proof against Alam and it was because of him that terror operatives and criminals had a free run between India and Nepal.

AP: TDP leaders Kidari Sarveswara Rao, Siveri Soma shot dead by Naxals in Visakhapatnam

Nepal did not agree to the extradition and this was largely thanks to the fact that Alam had continued to operate by using politics as a shield. He was a member of the ruling Nepal Communist Party.

Soon after he was killed, he was declared by the Nepal government as a martyr. Further the government also announced a Rs 1 million compensation to his family.

Alam has played a crucial role in facilitating terrorists and criminals. He used a political cover to further his activities. At the time of the 1993 Mumbai blasts, he was undercover as a Maulana.

J&K: Wave of Army men being killed by terrorists while on leave continues

At the time he was helping out Indian Mujahideen operatives, he was working undercover as a principal in a private school. Security officials say that it was largely his political clout that helped him further his activities. His political activities were not recent in nature. In fact he has been associated with politics for long and this helped him avoid extradition and also go about his activities undetected.

Sources tell OneIndia that this looks like an internal hit job. Either he had gone rogue or his utility was up, which may have led to the killing. We are in touch with our counterparts to ascertain more information on the incident, the source also added.

Islamic State terrorist shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Srinagar

The murder of Alam is very similar to the one of Mirza Dilshad Baig, an ISI operative who was working for the Dawood Ibrahim syndicate. Both Alam and Baig played similar roles and were involved in facilitating the entry and exit of terrorists and criminals at Nepal.

Alam's name had first cropped up when the Delhi police began its probe into the Battle House encounter case. Shehzad Ahmed, a key accused in the case had said that it was Alam who had helped procure identification cards, which included voter IDs. He further said that Alam had explained to them on how they could enter into Nepal and even provided contacts of point men along the Indo-Nepal border.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 14:09 [IST]Yameen loses power in Maldives: India has a fresh opportunity in South Asia

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Male, Sept 24: India heaved a sigh of relief as Maldives, its small maritime neighbour to the south, saw president Abdullah Yameen losing the election to Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Sunday, September 23. The Ministry of External Affairs said India was happy to see a successful completion of the election process and congratulated Solih, a senior leader of Maldivian Democratic Party, on his victory.

"This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law. In keeping with our 'Neighbourhood First' Policy, India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership," it said, a report in Maldives Independent said.

India-Maldives relations nosedived under Yameen

There is reason for India to feel happy over the latest developments in the Maldives. The two South Asian countries have a historical relationship and they have close similarities in areas of ethnicity, language and culture. There are strong economic and people-to-people relations. Over the last four years, the government of Yameen took an extremely anti-India stance and even wooed India's rivals like China and Pakistan. It also jailed many pro-India leaders of Maldives, including former presidents like Mohamed Nasheed and Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Maldives elections: Pro China Yameen ousted

In December last year, just days after inking a free trade agreement with China, Maldives suspended three members of a local council over their meeting the Indian ambassador to the country, Akhilesh Mishra. It even asked India to withdraw the helicopters it had gifted to its small neighbour.

The relation between New Delhi and Male turned for the worse earlier this year when Yameen extended a state of emergency in Maldives by a month. India, which was so far showing soft disappointment over Maldives' internal developments, spoke out strongly against the Yameen regime. The Madivian government also allegedly resorted to visa denial to Indians, something which hurt the relations all the more, much to the glee of China which found this a welcome opportunity intrude further into the Indian Ocean Region.

Sri Lanka, Maldives elections show multiculturalism is preferred everywhere

However, it has been seen first in Sri Lanka and now in Maldives that dictatorial tendencies do not help those who try to ignite majoritarian sentiments in the final count and the more acceptable way is through promoting multiculturalism. Being a soft and democratic power, India always has the advantage of winning the faith and confidence of the centrist forces in these countries who eventually prevail over autocratic rulers who find it unsustainable over a long period of time.

India congratulates the victorious Maldives leader in the third presidential polls

These small nations are turning more democratic with each passing day and a system of checks and balances is gradually growing on their soil which plays out to New Delhi's advantage. A country like China doesn't take into account much about the diversity in ideas while trying to influence foreign lands and banks more on the economic factors.

But as the smaller countries turn more and more democratic, a view grows stronger in them suspecting China's economic influence which they feel would turn their own countries irreversibly indebted to Beijing's favours.

India's chance to regain neighbours' confidence

In this lies India's opportunity to regain the confidence of its neighbours who of late have moved away from it. India's age-old bonds with these countries will not allow a drastic change in their bilateral relations and New Delhi will have to be careful that it caters to the needs and interests of its smaller neighbours as well and not allow a 'big brotherly' image dominating the minds of these countries' rulers and their people.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 10:20 [IST]The Most Extensive and Reliable Source of Information Related to the Mexican Drugs Cartels.



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Says Regional Expert Ahead of ICE Africa: Don't Assume All Markets are the Same

Published September 24, 2018 by Lee R

At this juncture, countries across the continent are introducing measures designed to capitalise on emerging sectors with authorities showing increasing keenness to discuss incoming investment opportunities.

A key interview has been released to prepare investors for the inaugural ICE Africa.

ICE Expertise

This interview comes ahead of the inaugural ICE Africa from the 24-25 of October at Johannesburg's Sandton Convention Centre, where regulators as well as operators will have the ideal platform for discussing Africa's growing market.

Suedi Talks Strategy

Shikana Law Group Principal Lawyer Amne Suedi discusses her company's strategy and efforts to invest in the diverse gaming industry across Africa from her company's headquarters in Kenya and Tanzania.

Benefits of Investment

Suedi says the focus on Africa at this time in history is important and relevant because Africa is an investment area with strong growth potential. The key benefits appear to be job creation and government tax revenues, which Suedi further points out as earnings that can be diverted into social causes such as the development of sports, entrepreneurship centres, and other productive social programming.

Change to Adapt

Suedi sees the East African market as very exciting in terms of opportunities but also the regulatory space is ever changing as legislators try and keep up with technology. Increasing opportunities are arising in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda as markets that are smaller than Nigeria but at the same time have that much more potential for growth.

Productive Legislation

Suedi sees recent legislative changes in Tanzania and Kenya and imminent ones in Uganda as causes for encouragement, offering new space for engaging with legislators and planning and a sound entry strategy that meets investment requirements half way. Suedi says the approach has worked in other sectors already, and the evidence-based approach should work effectively in the gaming sector in Africa as well.

Ideal Investors

Operators showing the most interest in iGaming in Africa include new entrepreneurs going into gaming for the first time in Africa in pursuit of because of the potentially significant returns that the landscape offers.

Opening Tips

As for the best places for operators to initiate entry into Africa, Suedi advises seeking effective local legal counsel to walk new investors through the process, while reminding all of the folly of assuming that a common capital and business model will work across more than one region, pointing out that the Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda for example all main highly distinct from one another.

At this Juncture..

At this point, Suedi concludes by advising all of those considering investment in Africa to forget what you know from other markets and treat each market as separate entity and do not compare. The robust growth beckoning in Africa has to be tempered by adaptive measures across different markets, with ICE Africa the ideal place to learn more.Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

Brazil's Largest Brokerage Grupo XP, the operators of XP Investimentos SA, is all set to launch their own Bitcoin and Ethereum cryptocurrency ecosystem with an exchange.

According to Bloomberg, the financial services company Grupo XP is launching a cryptocurrency exchange - dubbed XDEX - soon. Its CEO Guilherme Benchimol said that the company is being pushed towards cryptocurrency due to Bitcoin's huge popularity in the country.

The report said that there are around 3 million Brazilians exposure to Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, but only 600,000 investing in stocks.

Looking at this statistic, venturing into the crypto market is the obvious step for the largest brokerage company in the country, even if they are reluctant. The CEO of Grupo XP was quoted as saying: "this is a theme I'd rather didn't exist, but it doeswe felt obligated to start advancing in this market."

According to the Bloomberg report, the new crypto exchange will have around 40 employees headed by Thiago Maffra. The company reportedly aims to reach a market cap of 1 trillion reals (equivalent to $245 billion) by the end of 2020.

XDEX comes at a time when Brazil's government is strengthening cryptocurrency regulations by offering comprehensive frameworks outlining the tax laws surrounding the relatively new forms of currencies.

Sometime ago, Ilan Goldfajn, Brazil's central bank chief, described cryptocurrencies as a Ponzi scheme and a bubble.

The ......................

To view our full article Click here

Brian Koralewski B. G., Opalesque Geneva for New Managers:

According to fund manager Brian Koralewski, his is the only digital asset fund that does volatility trading.

Austere Fund, a volatility arbitrage hedge fund that invests in digital assets started trading in mid-June this year. It is managed out of Austere Capital, which opened its doors in midtown Manhattan, New York in December 2017.

"In terms of funds getting into the space, I know a bunch of crypto funds do market-making on Bitmax for futures," he says. "In terms of doing options market making on Deribit, there is only one other private fund that I know of."

Deribit, a European options and futures trading platform that he uses for volatility trading, has about $40 or $50 million in flows each day.

"The market is wide open for funds to take advantage of," he continues. "There isn't much expertise. The inefficiencies are even greater because no one is essentially trading volatility, most people are trading directional. It is like, if you thought Facebook will have good earnings next quarter, you would buy a call or a call spread. No one is actually trading volatility like we are."

In future, there may be mor......................

To view our full article Click hereGlobal In-vitro Diagnostics Market To Expand At A Notable CAGR Of 6.5% During 2018-2023

In-Vitro Diagnostics Market

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Market Research Future firm announced a new research report named as Global In-Vitro Diagnostics Market, the global in-vitro diagnostics market is registered to expand at a notable CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period of 2017-2023. Report provide detail market analysis of Global Biologics Market with region and competitive analysis, Information about the present and forecasted market with its key players that influences the market on global scale and Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is blooming and to also identify the regions that are still untapped.In-Vitro Diagnostics Industry Updates:In September 2018, OptraSCAN, a leading end-to-end digital pathology solution provider, has announced that its whole-slide scanners have received CE Mark approval for in-vitro diagnostics use.To Get PDF Sample Copy of Report VisitMarket Drivers and Restraints:The in-vitro diagnostics products include reagents, instruments and any other system or equipment that is required to carry out the diagnostics procedure. The rapid increase in chronic and infectious diseases and rise in geriatric population are some of the major factors that are inducing high demand for in-vitro diagnostics in the global market, which in turn is propelling the growth of the global in-vitro diagnostics market.Incorporation of advanced technology for diagnostic purposes has fastened the process altogether leading to the significant growth of the global in-vitro diagnostics market. However, strict regulatory framework imposed by the government on the manufacturing of IVD products and lack of reimbursement policies are likely to create hindrance in the growth of the global in-vitro diagnostics market during the forecast period.The market is immensely growing due to the increasing demand for advanced diagnostic techniques. Additional factors that influence the market growth are increasing technological advancement in healthcare that supports the desired results, further increasing the market growth.Moreover, the government funding to encourage the adoption of in-vitro diagnostic are pervasively fostering the market growth. On the other hand, factors such as the lack of proper reimbursement policies in the developing countries and strict FDA regulations are obstructing the market growth.Key Players for Global In-Vitro Diagnostics MarketThe prominent players profiled by MRFR in the report on the global in-vitro diagnostics market are Abbott (the U.S.), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (Switzerland), Biomerieux (France), Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (the U.S.), Johnson & Johnson (the U.S.), Siemens Healthcare GmbH (Germany), Sysmex (Japan), Becton Dickinson (the U.S.), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (the U.S.), Accelerate Diagnostics (the U.S.), Hycor Biomedical (the U.S.), Diagnostic Biosystems (the U.S.), Eurogentec (Belgium), Orgentec Diagnostics (US), Immunarray PVT. LTD (the U.S.), Werfen Group (Spain), Danaher Corporation (the U.S.), Bio-Rad Laboratories INC (the U.S.), Stago Diagnostica (France), Alere Inc (the U.S.) and others.Regional Analysis for Global In-Vitro Diagnostics MarketThe global in-vitro diagnostics market is geographically segmented into Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa. The Americas dominate the global in-vitro diagnostics market owing to the increased healthcare expenditure by the population of this region and increasing penetration of advanced technology in the healthcare sector of this region. The Europe region constitutes of second largest share in the global in-vitro diagnostics market owing to the easy adoption of advanced technology and high prevalence of chronic diseases among the population of this region. The Asia Pacific region is projecting noteworthy growth in the global in-vitro diagnostics market owing to the rapid development of the healthcare sector and increasing number of private diagnostic centers in this region. Whereas, low penetration of advanced technology in the healthcare sector of the underdeveloped areas of the Middle East and Africa region is creating hindrance in the growth of the global in-vitro diagnostics market in this region.To Get an Exclusive Discount on Report VisitSegmentations for Global In-Vitro Diagnostics MarketThe global in-vitro diagnostics market has been segmented on the basis of techniques, application and end users. Based on techniques, the in-vitro diagnostics market has been segmented into Immunodiagnostics, blood testing, molecular diagnostics, tissue diagnostics and clinical chemistry. The immunodiagnostic segment is sub-segmented into enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIAS), fluorescence immunoassays (FIAS), colorimetric immunoassays (CIC), and radioimmunoassay (RIA) and other immune assay techniques.Based on applications, the in-vitro diagnostics market has been segmented into infectious diseases, cancer, cardiac diseases, and immune systems disorders, nephrological diseases, gastrointestinal diseases. The infectious diseases segment is sub-segmented into acinetobacter infections, actinomycosis, hepatitis (A, B, C, D, and E) and others. The cancer segment is sub-segmented into skin, lung, brain and others. The cardiac diseases segment is sub-segmented into heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, congenital heart disease and others.Based on end users, the in-vitro diagnostics market has been segmented into laboratories, academics and medical institutions and others.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 FutureHadapsar, Pune  411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comGlobal Moisture Curing Adhesives Market| Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Germany), H.B. Fuller (U.S.), 3M Company (U.S.), and Sika AG (Switzerland) 2017 - 2025

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Moisture Curing Adhesives Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.Moisture curing adhesives are viscous adhesives that consist of non-volatile urethane prepolymers, which require moisture to trigger the curing reaction. Moisture curing adhesives range from hard to flexible depending upon their formulation. Single component moisture curing polyurethane hot melts have been developed in the recent past, which combine the initial strength of hot melts with the improved heat resistance of moisture curing adhesives. Moisture curing adhesives can be used interchangeably with glue, cement, or paste, and bind two surfaces or things together and resists their separation.Automotive and construction are major end-user industries for the moisture cure adhesives market, as moisture cure adhesives have several advantages over conventional adhesives. Application of moisture curing adhesives in automotive components and parts as lightweight materials is projected to drive the market. Demand for lightweight materials is increasing due to the rising interest for lightweight vehicles. Lightweight materials covered with moisture curing cements are utilized to fabricate glass fiber fortified composites and carbon fiber composites. The F1 automakers are focusing on improvement of lightweight materials and smaller vehicle structure to achieve enhanced performance. Raising environmental regulations and concerns regarding the usage of urethane adhesives are restraining the market. Manufacturers are currently engaged in development of bio-based options for dampness-based urethane glues.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Based of application, the moisture curing adhesives market can be segmented into construction, automotive, wood working, textile, and others. A major application for moisture curing adhesives is the installation of windshields in automobiles and bonding of plastic window panes to an aluminum ship structure. Moisture curing polyurethanes have been widely employed in the adhesive and coating industries. Moisture curing adhesives are used for wood coatings in construction and manufacturing activities. Transparent coating materials impart a natural look to wood in terms of texture, grain, and color.In terms of chemistry, the moisture curing adhesives market can be segmented into polyurethane, silicone, cyanoacrylate, and polyolefin. Polyurethane chemistry is a prominent segment of the moisture curing adhesives market, as it is cost-effective, and adheres to a wide range of substrates such as metal, synthetic resin, ceramic, mineral fibers, rigid foams, and cemented materials. Polyurethane has high load bearing capacity, it experiences a change in shape under a heavy load; however, it returns to original shape when the load is removed.In terms of geography, the moisture curing adhesives market is segregated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America is a leading market for moisture curing adhesives for the last few decades. Expansion of the construction sector and wood coating sector is expected to drive the market. Rise in demand for automobiles and increasing environmental concerns are predicted to be crucial factors that are likely to boost the market. Expansion of the automotive industry in Europe is likely to boost the demand for moisture curing adhesive products, as the automotive industry is a major manufacturer of automotive and its spare parts. Therefore, Europe is expected to witness a steady demand for moisture curing adhesives during the forecast period. The market in Asia Pacific is estimated to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period. The major industries operating in the region include automotive, construction & housing, coatings, and electrical & electronics.The global market for moisture curing adhesives is led by key players such as, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Germany), H.B. Fuller (U.S.), 3M Company (U.S.), and Sika AG (Switzerland).The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)Make An Enquiry @The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.For More Information Kindly Contact:ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on Blogger at:Global Plastic Tableware Market Cost Price, Production Value, Gross Margin, Import Export Consumption 2018-2022

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The Plastic Tableware Market report focuses industry conditions including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.The Complete Report Spreads Across 161 Pages.Fill The Form To Book A PDF:Furthermore, years considered for the study are as follows:Historical year 2013, 2016Base year 2017Forecast period 2018 to 2022Target Audience of the Global Plastic Tableware Market in Market Study: Plastic Tableware Key Consulting Companies & Advisors Plastic Tableware Large, medium-sized, and small enterprises Plastic Tableware Venture capitalists Plastic Tableware Value-Added Resellers (VARs) Plastic Tableware Third-party knowledge providers Plastic Tableware Investment bankers Plastic Tableware InvestorsGrab Discount at :-By Category: Plastic Tableware Video Content Plastic Tableware Digital Text Content Plastic Tableware Digital Games Content Plastic Tableware Digital Audio ContentBy Device: Plastic Tableware Mobile Content Plastic Tableware Non-Mobile ContentBy Regions: Plastic Tableware North America U.S. Canada Plastic Tableware Europe UK Germany Plastic Tableware Asia Pacific China India Japan Plastic Tableware Latin America Brazil MexicoHave Any Query? Ask Our Experts at :-Table of Contents2018-2023 Global Plastic Tableware Consumption Market Report1 Scope of the Report1.1 Market Introduction1.2 Research Objectives1.3 Years Considered1.4 Market Research Methodology1.5 Economic Indicators1.6 Currency Considered2 Executive Summary2.1 World Market Overview2.1.1 Global Plastic Tableware Consumption 2013-20232.1.2 Plastic Tableware Consumption CAGR by Region2.2 Plastic Tableware Segment by Type2.2.1 Electrical Polisher2.2.2 Pneumatic Polisher2.3 Plastic Tableware Consumption by Type2.3.1 Global Plastic Tableware Consumption Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.3.2 Global Plastic Tableware Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)2.3.3 Global Plastic Tableware Sale Price by Type (2013-2018)2.4 Plastic Tableware Segment by Application2.4.1 Automotive Repair Shop2.4.2 Automotive Care Shop2.4.3 Others2.5 Plastic Tableware Consumption by Application2.5.1 Global Plastic Tableware Consumption Market Share by Application (2013-2018)2.5.2 Global Plastic Tableware Value and Market Share by Application (2013-2018)2.5.3 Global Plastic Tableware Sale Price by Application (2013-2018)We Also Can Offer Customized Report To Fulfill Special Requirements Of Our Clients.Purchase this Premium Report at :-3 Global Plastic Tableware by Players3.1 Global Plastic Tableware Sales Market Share by Players3.1.1 Global Plastic Tableware Sales by Players (2016-2018)3.1.2 Global Plastic Tableware Sales Market Share by Players (2016-2018)3.2 Global Plastic Tableware Revenue Market Share by Players3.2.1 Global Plastic Tableware Revenue by Players (2016-2018)3.2.2 Global Plastic Tableware Revenue Market Share by Players (2016-2018)3.3 Global Plastic Tableware Sale Price by Players3.4 Global Plastic Tableware Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area, Product Types by Players3.4.1 Global Plastic Tableware Manufacturing Base Distribution and Sales Area by Players3.4.2 Players Plastic Tableware Products Offered3.5 Market Concentration Rate Analysis3.5.1 Competition Landscape Analysis3.5.2 Concentration Ratio (CR3, CR5 and CR10) (2016-2018)3.6 New Products and Potential Entrants3.7 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion4 Plastic Tableware by Regions4.1 Plastic Tableware by Regions4.1.1 Global Plastic Tableware Consumption by Regions4.1.2 Global Plastic Tableware Value by Regions4.2 Americas Plastic Tableware Consumption Growth4.3 APAC Plastic Tableware Consumption Growth4.4 Europe Plastic Tableware Consumption Growth4.5 Middle East & Africa Plastic Tableware Consumption Growth5 Americas5.1 Americas Plastic Tableware Consumption by Countries5.1.1 Americas Plastic Tableware Consumption by Countries (2013-2018)5.1.2 Americas Plastic Tableware Value by Countries (2013-2018)5.2 Americas Plastic Tableware Consumption by Type5.3 Americas Plastic Tableware Consumption by Application5.4 United States5.5 Canada5.6 Mexico5.7 Key Economic Indicators of Few Americas CountriesAbout Us:Research Reports Inc. is one of the leading destinations for market research reports across all industries, companies, and technologies. Our repository features an exhaustive list of market research reports from thousands of publishers worldwideContact us for your special interest needs and we will get in touch within 24hrs to help you find the market research report you need.With our expertise and research offerings, we ensure we deliver on all your requirements, whether youre looking for industry analysis or market trends or anything else, first time and every time!Email us sales@researchreportsinc.comCall: US / Canada Toll Free: +18554192424, UK : +4403308087757Diabetes Drug Market Growth Overview 2018 | Topmost Players Abbott, AstraZeneca, Biocon, Sunpharma and More  Outlook to 2023

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Market Research Future Present a Premium Research Report on Global Diabetes Drug Market Research Report - Forecast till 2023 The Global Diabetic Drug Market is Majorly Driven by Increasing Number of Diabetic Population.Global Diabetes Drugs Market - ScenarioDiabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the body glucose level is elevated. There are two type of diabetes namely type-1 diabetes and type-2 diabetes. During last decade there is a tremendous increase in the number of diabetic population.According to International Diabetes Federation, in 2016, it was estimated that 420 million adult population were suffering from diabetes which is increasing at the rate of 8.4% and is expected to reach 625 million by 2040. A number of different types of drugs are available in the market however, no available treatment can cure diabetes totally.Sample Report @However, cost issues, strict regulatory rules and long approval time for drugs may led to restrain the growth of the market.The global Diabetes Drug Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.2% during forecasted period 2017-2023.Global Diabetes Drugs Market  OverviewThe global diabetes drugs market is growing with a swift phase; mainly due to increase in patient population and research and development done by market players to fill the gap of market. The WHO estimated that diabetes leads to 1.6 million deaths in 2015 and it is the major causes of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, and lower limb amputation.Increase in incidence of chronic disease owing to diabetes will drag the interest of biopharmaceutical researchers for developing effective drugs for the treatment. More than 170 diabetes drugs are in the development stage to cure diabetes or diabetes related conditions. In 2014, the cost of diabetes diagnosis was around USD 245 billion in the United States, and biopharmaceutical researchers are focusing to find new lifesaving and life-changing treatments.Global Diabetes Drugs Market - Key PlayersThe major player in the global diabetic drug market are Eli Lilly (US), Novo Nordisk (Denmark), Abbott (US), AstraZeneca (UK), Biocon (US), Sunpharma (India), Sanofi (France), Novartis (Switzerland), Merck & Co. (US), Pfizer (US), Daiichi Sankyo (Japan), Boehringer Ingelheim (Germany), Akros Pharma (US), Amgen (US), Adocia (France), Peptron (South Korea), Takeda (Japan).Global Diabetes Drugs Market - SegmentationThe global diabetes drug market is segmented on the basis of types, route of administration, drug class, and end users.On the basis of types, the market is segmented into type-1 diabetes and type-2 diabetes.On the basis of route of administration, the market is segmented into oral, intravenous and other.On the basis of drug class they are insulin, sensitizers, SGLT-2 inhibitors, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, secretagogues, peptide analogs and others. Sensitizers are sub segmented into thiazolidinediones and biguanides. Secretagogues are further segmented into sulfonylureas and non-sulfonylureasOn the basis of end users, the market is segmented into hospital & clinics, ambulatory clinics and other.More Details with Full TOC @Global Diabetes Drugs Market - Regional AnalysisAmerica dominates the global diabetes drug market owing to large diabetic patient population. According to the WHO, in 2016, 9.6% of total America population were suffering from diabetes. In addition to this, increasing number of obese people, changing lifestyle and increasing healthcare expenditure have boosted the growth of the market in America. Increasing cholesterol level and smoking increases the possibility of causing diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), 73.5 million adults in the US had diagnosed with high cholesterol level.Europe accounts for the second largest diabetes drug market, which is followed by Asia Pacific. Huge smoking population, availability of funds for research, and government support for research & development will drive the market in Europe.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for the market due to the presence of a huge patient population, continuously developing economies, and increasing need for the better treatment.On the other hand, the Middle East & Africa has the least share in the global diabetes drug market due to presence of poor economy especially in Africa region. Middle East holds the major share in the Middle East & Africa diabetes drug market owing to well-developed healthcare sector and huge healthcare expenditure.Check Discount @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 FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comLearning Systems Expert Craig Weiss Unveils Groundbreaking Tool for Learning Tech Buyers

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Craig Weiss, the foremost learning tech selection expert in the world just unveiled FindAnLMS.com, a new tool that will make it faster and easier to match up companies with the right learning systems. While the new tool is called FindanLMS, it will have comprehensive information on all types of learning systems, including learning engagement platforms, sales enablement platforms, learning platforms, employee engagement systems, skill-based systems, and more.At last count, there are over 1000 learning systems worldwide. Buyers trying to navigate this confusing market often turn to Weiss for help, Ive worked with hundreds of companies to match them up with the right learning systems, but every year, there are thousands of others who I just cant get to said Weiss. Over the past few years, its been painful to hear over and over how companies choose a learning system and suffer for years of trying to make it work and eventually ditch it and start over again. I decided to build this application, documenting what Ive learned over twenty years and make it free and easy for everyone to get past all the noise in the marketplace.Currently, there are similar looking websites that offer advice about buying B2B software in general, but none of them are so focused on the learning systems market, which has been legendary for its unique challenges and complexity. I knew there werent any tools in the market that addressed the needs of learning systems buyers, said Weiss. I felt like I was in a unique position to build such a site, with my experience and most importantly, the database Ive compiled over years of selecting systems.Craig Weiss is the top authority when it comes to the learning systems industry. His in-depth knowledge about each learning system provider matched the right system to our business needs, said Cory Kreeck, the VP, Organizational Development at BeachBody. We knew what we wanted in an LMS, but Craig helped us focus on priorities. His relationships in the industry accelerated the search process and he clarified the questions we needed to ask to choose the right vendor. I would not buy an LMS without Craigs perspective.In addition to helping buyers find the right learning systems, FindAnLMS.com will also give the ability to assess multiple systems and immediately engage with learning system providers. This helps achieve the goal of shortening the buying cycle, which averages over six months and can sometimes stretch into years.Buyers will also be able to filter their search by functionality, audience type, price range, implementation timeframe, industry, number of learners, and rankings from Craigs annual Top 50 Guide. Buyers can send vendors their own RFP/RFI through the system where the vendor can view the materials and respond. They can also contact vendors through the platform to schedule meetings, demos and trials.Top learning system/platform vendors who are already in FindAnLMS.com:eLogic Learning, Litmos by SAP, Growth Engineering, Docebo, CrossKnowledge, Unicorn LMS, SumTotal Learn, Cornerstone Learn, Workday Learning, Blackboard, Degreed, Learn Amp, EdCast, Toolwire, 360Learning, Loop, Lumesse, Percipio by Skillsoft, Coorpacademy, GamEffectiv, Schoox, Intellium, UpsideLMS, CD2 Learning, Tessello, Bridge, Instructure Canvas, OnPoint Digital, Cyper Learning  makers of MATRIX and NEO LMS, LearnUpon, GeoTalent, IMC-AG, Talent LMS, Accord LMS, Thought Industries, Administrate, LMS365, Learnosphere, Torch LMS, Kallidus, Learning Cart, FeatherCap, Accessplanint, Digits Glo, Learnifer, Agylia, NetDimensions, PeopleFluent, Training Orchestra, Spoke by Unboxed Technology, Skilljar, eLoomi, eLastic Learning, Area 9, eXactLS, Webanywhere, ShareKnowledge, ShiftIQ, Eurekos, Gyrus, LearningTribes, Percolate, springtest, Zoomi, BizLibrary, Digitec Interactive, and D2L.To learn more about how FindAnLMS.com works, read blog or visit the platform today atAbout The Craig Weiss GroupCraig Weiss is an e-learning analyst, immersive learning and online learning expert, blogger, speaker and thought leader, who has been in the industry for over 18 years. He is the CEO and lead analyst for The Craig Weiss Group, LLC. which provides advisory, analyst, acquisition strategy and consulting services to buyers and suppliers in the e-learning industry.Craig has been named one of the most influential people in the world for e-learning and the most influential person in the world for learning systems. Craig publishes a yearly Top 50 Learning Systems Report and regularly monitors over 1,000 LMSs around the world. His blog is read weekly in 174 countries, territories and colonial territories.Craigs Blog:Web site:FindAnLMSAbout Craig:Social Media Connections:Twitter: @diegoinstudioGoogle+:Linkedin:Linkedin Group: E-Learning 24/7Facebook:The Craig Weiss Group, LLC,824 Rim Crest Dr,Westlake Village,California 91361USAPR contact: Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.comSteel Rebar Market Trend 2024 Global Players Essar, ArcelorMittal, Gerdau, Tata Group, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.

Steel Rebar Market

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Rapid construction of highways, bridges & buildings, and public utilities owing to shifting economic and demographic trends will drive Steel Rebar Market Increasing smart city projects financed by public-private partnership will propel product application scope. As per industry estimates, global infrastructural spending was over USD 4.5 trillion in 2016.Global Steel Rebar Market share is competitive in nature. Key industry participants are Acerinox, ArcelorMittal, Gerdau, SAIL, Nippon & Sumitomo Metal Corporation, Tata, Hyundai, Essar, Jindal. Other prominent players are Daido, Kobe, NJR and Byer. Manufacturers are anticipated to upgrade existing production capacity and adopt new solution through extensive R&D to attain competitive advantage.Sample copy of this Report @Deformed steel rebar dominated the overall industry and expected to witness growth over 4.5% up to 2024. Key properties such as minimum slippage and improved mechanical anchoring supporting product penetration. Increasing demand for reinforced concrete cages, columns, slabs, prefabricated beams, will foster industry growth. Strong application outlook to refurbish old structures will propel steel rebar marketSteel Rebars Market By Product Deformed MildSteel Rebar Market By Process Basic oxygen steelmaking Electric arc furnaceSteel Rebars Industry By Application Residential buildings Public infrastructure IndustrialMake an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @Residential building application witnessed demand over 95 million tons in 2016. Surge in public-private partnership projects will provide lucrative business opportunities for manufactures. Increasing government spending on construction of smart cities will drive steel rebar market growth.Emerging economies such as India, China, Japan and South Korea expected to invest in smart city projects over the forecast period. For instance, Indian government is expected to invest USD 15 billion for development of 100 cities in coming years.Electric arc operations accounted for over 40% of the overall industry demand in 2016. Rising carbon and alloy steels production by recycling ferrous scrap fostering the segment growth. Factor such as quality control, reduced costs, low CO2 emission and better energy savings potential will support steel rebar market growth. Globally, increasing demand for finished structural products and falling scrap prices are expected to further influence segment growth.Request for a Customization of this Report @Public infrastructure estimated to witness CAGR over 4.5% up to 2024. Increasing necessity to build and upgrade bridges, roads, government institutions, airports, water treatment infrastructure and rail services fueling product demand. Changing consumer trends and rising disposable income will drive the construction of new commercial buildings, shopping malls, and sports complexes over the projected timeframe.Asia Pacific will generate revenue over USD 110 billion by 2024. The region already accounts for 60% of the world population and increasing necessity to accommodate rising inhabitants will enhance regional construction spending. In addition, regional technology services sector expansion will also propel telecommunications infrastructure investments. Presence of key manufactures such as Tata, SAIL, Essar and Jindal will also play a key role in promoting regional industry growth.Browse Report Summery @Rising government budgets on renovation of structurally deficient buildings in the emerging economies has positively influenced steel rebar market share. For instance, China 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), for green building construction and renovation by 2020 will enhance product demand. Rapid urbanization and industrialization likely to augment construction of new manufacturing facilities and upgradation of existing structure.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Gastrointestinal Stents Market Revenue Opportunies By Key Vendors Boston Scientific Corporation, Medtronic plc, Olympus Medical System, Cook Medical, Ella-CS, Endo-Flex

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Stents are tubular device used for insertion in lumen such as esophagus, colon or blood vessel. Stents are safe and effective alternative to surgery or repetitive endoscopic procedures. Gastrointestinal stents are used to open bile ducts, esophagus, small bowel, and colon when blocked by large, cancerous tissue growth. Stents can be removable or permanently implantable based on the material used. The role of stenting is decreasing patients digestive tract obstruction. Moreover, advancement in technology has led to improvement in stent performance and reduced stent-induced complications to improve quality of life and this is expected to propel the gastrointestinal stent market growth.Download PDF Brochure of Research Report:Gastrointestinal Stents Market  Market DynamicsGrowth of the global gastrointestinal stents market is expected to be fuelled by increasing product launches with novel technology by key players in the market. For instance, in 2013, Cook Medical Inc. received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for biliary stent, adding to the line of controlled-release gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, Evolution biliary stent incorporates patency design, to prevent migration of stent after its insertion. Furthermore, in 2012, Boston Scientific Corporation launched WallFlex, biliary Transhepatic Stent System for the treatment of benign biliary strictures. Companies are focusing on manufacturing stents with biodegradable material to eliminate stent removal procedures. However, implantable products are subjected to stringent regulations, and this is expected to hinder growth of the gastrointestinal stent market. Moreover, complication associated with gastrointestinal stent implantation is also expected to be major factor leading to low adoption of these device.Increasing demand for minimally invasive procedures is expected to be a major factor driving growth of gastrointestinal stents market size. Gastrointestinal stenting is considered as minimally invasive therapy and is increasingly gaining popularity, owing to its advantages such as low risk of infection, less recovery time as compared to conventional open surgery procedures, and reduced hospital stay.Increasing prevalence of urological and gastrointestinal disorders are propelling demand of gastrointestinal stents during the forecast period. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2015, number of adults diagnosed in U.S. with ulcer in digestive tract are 14.7 million, comprising 6% of the total adult population. Moreover, according to American Cancer Societys estimation for year 2018 suggests that 9,220 new cases of colon cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. Moreover, increasing number of patients with gastrointestinal tumors is also adding to patient pool that can be subjected to gastrointestinal stent implantation.Request for Customization of Research Report:Gastrointestinal Stents Market  Competitive AnalysisMajor market players operating in the gastrointestinal stents market are Boston Scientific Corporation, Medtronic plc, Olympus Medical System, Cook Medical, Ella-CS, Endo-Flex, Diagmed Healthcare, Micro-Tech, W. L. Gore & Associates and Taewoong Medical Co., Ltd.Market players are focusing on inorganic strategies such as mergers, acquisitions, or collaborations to increase their foothold in the market. For instance, in May 2018, Olympus a company that designs and delivers innovative solutions for medical and surgical proceduresentered into an agreement with M.I. Tech, a company that designs stents and other devices. Under this agreement, HANAROSTENT, biliary and esophagus stents rolled in the EndoTherapy product portfolio of the company.The displacement of the stents is a major issue faced after the stent is been placed. Targeting these issues, in 2017, W. L. Gore & Associates, the manufacturer of Gore Viabil short wire biliary endoprosthesis stent, launched anti-migration assurance program, under which device will be replaced within a period of one year if it migrates. Furthermore, in 2016, Boston Scientific launched AXIOS stent and Electrocautery Enhanced delivery system, endoscopic system used for minimally invasive treatment of pancreatitis, obtained as a part of acquisition of Xlumena. In 2015, Cardinal Health announced acquisition of Cordis, business of Johnson & Johnson, for US$ 1.944 Bn.Gastrointestinal Stents Market TaxonomyBased on product type, the gastrointestinal stents market is segmented into: Biliary Stents Esophageal Stents Duodenal Stents Colonic StentsBased on Material, the gastrointestinal stents market is segmented into: Plastic Stents Metallic StentsBased on end user, the gastrointestinal stents market is segmented into: Hospitals Specialty Clinics Ambulatory Surgery CentersBased on region, the gastrointestinal stents market is segmented into: North America Europe Latin America Asia Pacific Middle East AfricaAbout 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: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVentricular Assist Devices Market Revenue Opportunies By Key Vendors Abbott Laboratories, Heart Ware International, Inc, Berlin Heart GmbH, Thoratec, Inc.

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Ventricular assist devices are external devices attached to a patients body, which helps to pump blood to whole body. It is principally used in case of patients with heart failure. It is a high-end device that mimics the function of the heart. Heart failure is a condition in which heart muscles weaken, and thus unable to pump sufficient amount of blood to body. Various conditions such as heart attacks, high blood pressure, defective heart valves, irregular heart rhythms, diabetes, and chronic kidney and lung diseases cause heart failure. Medication, implantable heart devices (pacemakers), and heart transplantation are some of the options for treatment of heart failure. However, these approaches have limitations that may lead to advanced heart failure condition, thereby increasing the demand for ventricular assist devices (VADs).Download PDF Brochure of Research Report:VADs lowers the work load on failing heart and help in maintaining smooth blood flow to vital organs. These devices were originally designed to temporarily assist surgeons while performing transplant surgeries or while treating other medical problems. However, VADs eventually emerged as a pioneer life support for patients suffering from the final stage of heart failure. VADs consist of three parts namely, inflow pipe that receives blood from ventricles, pump that pulls blood from ventricles and pushes it into outflow pipe that carries blood to aorta to supply blood to bodyMarket DynamicsGrowth of ventricular assist devices market is driven by increasing prevalence of heart failure. According to study the Global Burden of Disease published by the Lancet in 2017, globally over 26 million people were affected by heart failure. Moreover, rising prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, which causes heart failure, is increasing the demand for ventricular assist devices. According to World Health Organization factsheet in 2016, 17.7 million people die from cardiovascular disease each year, and over 46% of these deaths are due to ischemic heart disease that includes heart failure. Other disease such as diabetes is triggering to development of heart failure, which in turn, is propelling growth of the ventricular assist devices market. As per statistics provided by the International Diabetes Federations (IDF) Diabetes Atlas 2017, around 425 million patients were suffering from diabetes worldwide in 2017. According to statistics given by the American Heart Association in 2018, 68% of people suffering from diabetes aged 65 years and above are likely to die from heart disease. Sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, unhealthy food habits, and alcoholism are major cause to develop the heart disease. Growing shortage of heart donors for transplantation is also expected to boost growth of the ventricular assist devices market. According to report published by the Global Observatory on Donations and Transplantation in 2015, only around 0.01-0.49 per million heart transplantation procedures are performed each year in emerging countries due to shortage of donors. Continuous improvement in design, efficiency, and reliability is also propelling growth of the ventricular assist devices market. For instance, in April 2018, Abiomed Inc. was granted with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Pre-Market Approval (PMA) for its Impella CP heart pump with smart assist technology, which utilizes an optical sensor. It is an advanced device that would improve productivity, ease in use, and better patient management.However, these devices being highly specialized, are high in cost, which in turn, hinders growth of the market for VADs. Additionally, continuous improvement in other treatment option for heart failure condition such as advanced pacemakers would limit the market growth for ventricular assist devices.Competitive LandscapeKey players operating in the ventricular assist devices market include Abiomed, Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Heart Ware International, Inc, Berlin Heart GmbH, Thoratec, Inc., Liva Nova plc, Jarvik Heart, Inc., Medtronic plc, ReliantHeart, Inc., and Calon Cardio-Technology LtdRequest for Customization of Research Report:Market Taxonomy:On the basis of application, ventricular assist devices market is segmented into Bridge to Recovery Post-surgery Transplantation Bridge Destination/Life SupportOn the basis of product type, ventricular assist devices market is segmented into Left Ventricular Assist Devices Right Ventricular Assist DevicesOn the basis of design, ventricular assist devices market is segmented into Implantable Ventricular Assist Devices Transcutaneous Ventricular Assist DevicesOn the basis of region, ventricular assist devices market is segmented into North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East AfricaAbout 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: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comArtificial Intelligence as a Service Market Size (AIaaS Market size) is expected to reach $77,047.7 million in 2025, from $2,397.2 million in 2017 growing at a CAGR of 56.7% from 2018 to 2025

Artificial Intelligence as a Service Market

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Artificial Intelligence as a Service (AIaaS) Market by Technology (Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, and Others), Organization Size (Small & Medium Enterprise and Large Enterprise), and Industry Vertical (BFSI, IT & Telecom, Retail, Manufacturing, Public Sector, Energy & Utility, Healthcare, and Others) - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2025The global artificial intelligence as a service market size (AIaaS Market size) is expected to reach $77,047.7 million in 2025, from $2,397.2 million in 2017 growing at a CAGR of 56.7% from 2018 to 2025. AIaaS incorporates a range of services that offer AI tools through cloud computing services. Google, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Apple Inc. are some of the leading players of the global AIaaS market.Get Sample Copy of this Report @Increased penetration of cloud-based solutions and growth associated with the artificial intelligence and cognitive computing market are the major factors that boost the growth of the AIaaS market. In addition, growth in IT expenditure in emerging nations and technological advancement for workflow optimization fuel the demand for advanced analytical systems driving the artificial intelligence as a service market. However, limited availability of trained professionals is expected to impede the market growth. Furthermore, increase in application areas and growth of IoT are the factors expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for the artificial intelligence as a service market.The global AIaaS market is segmented by technology, organization size, industry vertical, and region. Based on technology, the market is classified into machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing, and others. In 2017, the machine learning segment dominated the market, in terms of revenue, and is expected to maintain this trend in the coming years, owing to increase in demand for the artificial intelligence industry solutions. Based on organization size, the market is categorized into small & medium enterprise and large enterprise. By industry vertical, the market is classified into BFSI, retail, telecom & IT, healthcare, manufacturing, public sector, energy & utilities, and others (agriculture, law, media & advertising, educational institutions). The IT & telecom segment is anticipated to dominate the global artificial intelligence as a service market throughout the forecast period. Based on region, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. In 2017, North America contributed the highest share in the artificial intelligence as a service market and is anticipated to secure the leading position during the forecast period, owing to the presence of key market players and huge investment.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at: @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers  Alphabet Inc. (Google Inc.), Apple Inc., Amazon Inc., IBM Corporation, CognitiveScale, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Intel, Inc., SAP SE, Salesforce, Inc., Fair Isaac CorporationKEY MARKET SEGMENTSBY TECHNOLOGYMachine Learning (ML)Computer VisionNatural Language Processing (NLP)OthersBY ORGANIZATION SIZESmall & Medium EnterpriseLarge EnterpriseBY INDUSTRY VERTICALBFSIIT & TelecomRetailManufacturingPublic SectorEnergy & UtilityHealthcareOthersMore Report At:Market Segment by Table of Contents:Chapter 1: Introduction1.1. Report description1.2. Key benefits for stakeholders1.3. Key market segments1.4. Research methodology1.4.1. Secondary research1.4.2. Primary research1.4.3. Analyst tools & modelsChapter 2: Executive summary2.1. CXO perspectiveChapter 3: MARKET OVERVIEW3.1. Market definition and scope3.2. Key findings3.2.1. Top investment pockets3.2.2. Top winning strategies3.3. Porter's five forces analysis3.4. Key player positioning, 20183.5. Market dynamics3.5.1. Drivers3.5.1.1. Increased market for cloud computing3.5.1.2. Growth associated with artificial intelligence and cognitive computing3.5.2. Restraints3.5.2.1. Dearth of trained professionals3.5.3. Opportunity3.5.3.1. Increased adoption of analytical solutions3.5.3.2. Increased application areasAbout 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.Global Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United States+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.comartificial intelligence in manufacturing market contributed $513.6 million in 2017, and is projected to reach $15,273.7 million in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 55.2% with top manufacturers

artificial intelligence in manufacturing

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Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Market by Deployment (Cloud and On-Premise), Technology (Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Context Awareness, and Natural Language Processing), Application (Material Movement, Predictive Maintenance & Machinery Inspection, Production Planning, Field Service, and Quality Control & Reclamation), and Industry (Semiconductor & Electronics, Energy & Power, Pharmaceutical, Automobile, Heavy Metal & Machine Manufacturing, and Others) - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2018-2025The report includes the study of artificial intelligence in the manufacturing market. The global artificial intelligence in manufacturing market contributed $513.6 million in 2017, and is projected to reach $15,273.7 million in 2025, growing at a CAGR of 55.2%. Artificial intelligence is a technology that deals with the study and enhancement of intelligent machines and software. This technology is used in industry verticals, such as manufacturing, supply chain, and others. Development of artificial intelligence-empowered chips, robots, and others in manufacturing help enhance the overall production line, and thus, has significantly increased the adoption of artificial intelligence in the manufacturing sector.Sample Copy of this Repots @Factors such as mass production, operational proficiency, and enhanced productivity achieved by implementing artificial intelligence in manufacturing industry and its processes are estimated to propel the demand for artificial intelligence in manufacturing, globally. Moreover, the improvement of more powerful and reasonable cloud computing infrastructures is devising a robust effect on the growth potential of AI, which is further expected to drive the market growth. However, shortage of skilled and trained workforce is one of the major challenges faced by the players operating in the industry. On the contrary, rise in technological innovations and development of smarter robots by companies are anticipated to offer lucrative opportunities for the players in the industry.The global artificial intelligence in manufacturing market is segmented based on deployment, technology, application, industry, and region. Based on deployment, the market is bifurcated into cloud and on premise. The On-Premise segment is anticipated to dominate the global market throughout the study period. By technology, the market is divided into machine learning, computer vision, context awareness, and natural language processing. The computer vision segment is anticipated to dominate the global market throughout the study period. Based on application, the market is categorized into material movement, predictive maintenance & machinery inspection, production planning, field services, and quality control & reclamation. The predictive maintenance & machinery inspection segment is projected to dominate the global market in the near future. Based on industry, the market is classified into semiconductor & electronics, energy & power, pharmaceutical, automobile, heavy metal & machine manufacturing, and others. The automobile segment is projected to dominate the global market in the near future.The global artificial intelligence in manufacturing market is analyzed across four geographical regions, which include North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, the UK, Russia, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Australia, and rest of Asia-Pacific), and LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East, and Africa). North America is expected to dominate the market throughout the forecast period. The key players profiled in this report are Bosch, Cisco Systems, Inc., General Electric Company, IBM Corporation, Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, NVIDIA Corporation, Oracle Corporation, and Siemens AG.KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERSThe study provides an in-depth analysis of the global artificial intelligence in manufacturing market, and current & future trends to elucidate the imminent investment pockets.Information about the key drivers, restraints, and opportunities and their impact on the market is provided.Porters Five Forces analysis illustrates the potency of buyers and suppliers operating in the industry.The quantitative analysis of the global market from 2017 to 2025 is provided to determine the market potential.Request a discount of this Report: @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers  Bosch, Cisco Systems, Inc., General Electric Company, IBM Corporation, Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, NVIDIA Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Siemens AGKEY MARKET SEGMENTBy Deployment On-Premise CloudBy Technology Machine Learning Computer Vision Context Awareness Natural Language ProcessingBy Application Material Movement Predictive Maintenance & Machinery Inspection Production Planning Field Service Quality Control & ReclamationBy Industry Semiconductor & Electronics Energy & Power Pharmaceuticals Automobile Heavy Metal & Machine Manufacturing OthersMore Report At:Market Segment by Table of Contents:CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1.1. REPORT DESCRIPTION1.2. KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERS1.3. KEY MARKET SEGMENTS1.4. KEY MARKET PLAYERS1.5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY1.5.1. Secondary research1.5.2. Primary research1.5.3. Analyst tools & modelsCHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2.1. KEY FINDINGS OF THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN MANUFACTURING MARKET2.2. CXO PERSPECTIVECHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW3.1. MARKET DEFINITION AND SCOPE3.2. KEY FINDINGS3.2.1. Top investment pockets3.2.2. Top winning strategies3.2.3. Top Winning Strategies, By Year, 2014-2018*3.2.4. Top Winning Strategies, By Company, 2014-2018*3.3. PORTER'S FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS3.4. KEY PLAYER POSITIONING, 20173.5. MARKET DYNAMICS3.5.1. Drivers3.5.1.1. Rise in adoption of Internet of things (IoT) & big data integration3.5.1.2. Enhanced productivity and automation3.5.1.3. Increase in usage of computer vision cameras3.5.1.4. Increased customer satisfaction3.5.2. Restraints3.5.2.1. Lack of awareness and technology integration among workers3.5.2.2. Threat to human dignity and other threats3.5.3. Opportunity3.5.3.1. Increased adoption in developing regions3.5.3.2. Developing smarter robotsAbout 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.Contact Us:Global Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United States+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.comGlobal Electronic Bill Payment Market and Presentment Growth of the Sector: Opportunities, Market Drivers, Restraints and Focusing on Top Key Players Like - ACI Worldwide, Bottomline Technologies, Inc., Communications Data

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Electronic Bill Presentment is also referred to as e-billing, e-invoicing, eInvoice, electronic invoicing or ePayables. Some industries which commonly use electronic bill presentment and payment are telecommunications, financial services and utility companies. There are two common models for electronic bill presentment. One is the direct model. In his model the billing company delivers the bill to the customer through their own website or a third-party website. The other model is known as the consolidator or bank aggregator model of electronic bill presentment.Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP) is the term for when a company sends or presents bills to customers electronically. Customers then pay these bills electronically using the internet.Get Sample copy of This Report at: -This Report Focuses on The Top Key Vendors in Global Market Like: - ACI Worldwide, Bottomline Technologies, Inc., Communications Data Group, CSG Systems International, Inc., Discover Financial ServicesA recent study about Global Electronic Bill Presentment And Payment Market, which has shown the developmental cycle of the additionally examined causes leading to improved development through drivers, restraints, and opportunities made available for the firms aiming to grow their standing in the market. The industry patterns are carefully examined by understanding the upcoming trends and how will they affect the products demand in the future. Industry verticals, a threat of substitutes, an intensity of competitive rivalry, opportunities for new entrants to prosper, regional market share, etc. have been analyzed and provided in the report.According to the research report, the global market for Electronic Bill Presentment And Payment Market is witnessing a continual rise in its valuation with the advancement in technologies, which is impacting the consumer behavior and, accordingly, their purchasing patterns to a great extent. In addition to this, the rising penetration of internet and the surge in mobile surfing are anticipated to boost the demand for network management software across the world, states the research report.This statistical global Electronic Bill Presentment And Payment Market report includes tremendous information relating to the current product and technological advancements that witnessed in the market and gives a brief on the effect of these progressions on its future advancement.Get Reasonable Discount on this Report: -The report explores and investigates the global Electronic Bill Presentment And Payment market in a certain way by demonstrating the key parts of the market that are relied on the time frame. The major development drivers, restraints and opportunities that influence the market are analyzed at length. In addition to this, the report presents an intensive quantitative information relating to the markets future.The research report analyzes the Global Electronic Bill Presentment And Payment Market in a thorough manner by clarifying the key characteristics of the market that are anticipated to have a measureable influence on its evolving prospects over the forecast period. The major growth drivers, challenges, and trends influencing the market are examined at length. Thorough qualitative and quantitative data on the impact these factors have on the market's future growth prospects are presented in the report.Table of Contents: -Global Electronic Bill Presentment And Payment Market Analysis & Forecast.Chapter 1 Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Electronic Bill Presentment And PaymentChapter 3 Global Electronic Bill Presentment And Payment Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Electronic Bill Presentment And Payment Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)Chapter 5 Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2013-2018)Chapter 6 Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Market AnalysisChapter 9 Electronic Bill Presentment And Payment Cost AnalysisChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 12 Market Forecast.Chapter 13 AppendixFor more Information on This Report: -If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer-driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a soundboard firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cutthroat Global competition. Since we excel in business research to help businesses grow, we also offer to consult as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently, we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Contact infoSunny Denis(Sales Manager),(Research N Reports) 10916,Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX,Pin - 77064, +1-8886316977,La Vang didn't set out to open the only Hmong eatery in the Pacific Northwest.

Born in a refugee camp in Thailand, raised in Milwaukee, Vang moved to the Portland area in 2015 after marrying a local, Steve Herr.

"My husband is from Oregon," Vang said. "And the first thing he told me when I moved here was, 'You know, there's no Hmong store here, so if you want Hmong food, you need to make it yourself.'"

She thought about opening a store on Herrs nearby farm, a place where she could sell fresh eggs alongside specialties from the Hmong people, Vangs hill tribe centered in Northern Laos (the "H" is silent). But Vang was intrigued by Portlands unique food cart culture. And so, last year, Vang left her job as a nonprofit development director and opened @Las, a bright red food cart that sits at the edge of an Aloha parking lot better known until now for its dueling taco trucks.

When she opened, the leader of the local Hmong community association told her she was the only restaurant or cart serving Hmong food in the Pacific Northwest. Visitors from Seattle have told her the same thing. And now, @La's is also one of our best new carts of 2018.

Vang's father was trained by the CIA to fight against the communists in Laos. At the end of the Vietnam war, Vang's mother, already pregnant with Vang, was airlifted out of that country. After giving birth in Thailand, mother and child traveled to Dallas, then eventually to Milwaukee, home to one of the largest Hmong populations in the United States -- and stores and restaurants catering to their community -- where they were reunited with family.

At @La's, Vang's most traditional dish might be her Hmong sausage, made for the cart by nearby butcher Ponderosa Provisioners using Vang's recipe, packed with juicy ground pork, ginger and lemongrass. Each sausage is grilled, leaving a little ash on your fingers as you dip it, along with a wedge of superb sticky rice, into a green chile and herb sauce reminiscent of a fiery Hmong-style chimichurri. Vang has big plans for these sausages, considering them not only their own brand, but the starting point for a Hmong food movement.

Yet Vang is hardly bound by tradition. At home, she sometimes tosses those sausages into brat buns with potato salad or turns them into a pasta sauce for her and her husband's kids. They eat it up. At the cart, instead of the sweet braised pork and egg dish sometimes called "sweet meat," Vang braises ribs in sweet sauce until they drip off the bone. They can come whole with jasmine rice or packed with pickled veggies, cilantro and herbs in a crusty banh mi-style sandwich nearly as wet as a Chicago-style Italian beef. Her Phat Wings are the result of a multi-step process: deboned each night by Herr; then stuffed with glass noodles, carrots, black trumpet mushrooms and a mix of ground turkey and pork; baked; and finally flash fried. Even if you've had Hmong food before -- or food from greater Laos, which shares some flavors and dishes -- Vang's good technique and fun twists offer plenty of surprises.

If getting to Aloha is a stretch, look for Vang at the annual Hmong food festival Nov. 10-11 at Roosevelt High School in North Portland (moved last year from the Washington County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro.) She won't promise that she'll make her traditional sweet meat with pig's trotters and ears as well as that super-tender belly, but she will be bringing poached chicken and rice -- the Hmong version of the popular Hainanese dish -- made from a Southeast Asian breed of chickens Vang and Herr raise on their farm.

Order this: Hmong sausages with sticky rice ($8.50) and "The David" ($6), a banh mi variation made with sweet-braised rib meat.

Details: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday-Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Thursday-Friday; 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday; 18631 S.W. Tualatin Valley Hwy; 971-330-5989; lavangfoods.com

-- Michael RussellBy Stephanie O'Neill, Kaiser Health News

Shirley Avedon, 90, had never been a cannabis user. But carpal tunnel syndrome that sends shooting pains into both of her hands and an aversion to conventional steroid and surgical treatments is prompting her to consider some new options.

"It's very painful, sometimes I can't even open my hand," Avedon said.

So for the second time in two months, she's climbed on board a bus that provides seniors at the Laguna Woods Village retirement community in Orange County, Calif., with a free shuttle to a nearby marijuana dispensary.

The retired manager of an oncology office says she's seeking the same relief she saw cancer patients get from smoking marijuana 25 years ago.

"At that time [marijuana] wasn't legal, so they used to get it off their children," she said with a laugh. "It was fantastic what it did for them."

Avedon, who doesn't want to get high from anything she uses, picked up a topical cream on her first trip that was sold as a pain reliever. It contained cannabidiol, or CBD, but was formulated without THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, marijuana's psychoactive ingredient.

"It helped a little," she said. "Now I'm going back for the second time hoping they have something better."

As more states legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use -- 30 states plus the District of Columbia to date -- the cannabis industry is booming. Among the fastest growing group of users: people over 50, with especially steep increases among those 65 and older. And some dispensaries are tailoring their pitches to seniors like Avedon who are seeking alternative treatments for their aches, pains and other medical conditions.

On this particular morning, about 35 seniors climb on board the free shuttle -- paid for by Bud and Bloom, a licensed cannabis dispensary in Santa Ana. After about a half-hour drive, the large white bus pulls up to the parking lot of the dispensary.

About half of the seniors on board today are repeat customers; the other half are cannabis newbies who've never tried it before, said Kandice Hawes, director of community outreach for Bud and Bloom.

"Not everybody is coming to be a customer," Hawes said. "A lot are just coming to be educated."

Among them, Layla Sabet, 72, a first-timer seeking relief from back pain that keeps her awake at night, she said.

"I'm taking so much medication to sleep and still I can't sleep," she said. "So I'm trying it for the back pain and the sleep."

Hawes invited the seniors into a large room with chairs and a table set up with free sandwiches and drinks. As they ate, she gave a presentation focused on the potential benefits of cannabis as a reliever of anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain and the various ways people can consume it.

Several vendors on site took turns speaking to the group about the goods they sell. Then, the seniors entered the dispensary for the chance to buy everything from old-school rolled joints and high-tech vaporizer pens to liquid sublingual tinctures, topical creams and an assortment of sweet, cannabis-infused edibles.

Jim Lebowitz, 75, is a return customer who suffers pain from back surgery two years ago.

He prefers to eat his cannabis, he said.

"I got chocolate and I got gummies," he told a visitor. "Never had the chocolate before, but I've had the gummies and they worked pretty good."

"Gummies" are cannabis-infused chewy candies. His contain both the CBD and THC, two active ingredients in marijuana.

Derek Tauchman rings up sales at one of several Bud and Bloom registers in the dispensary. Fear of getting high is the biggest concern expressed by senior consumers, who make up the bulk of the dispensary's new business, he said.

"What they don't realize is there's so many different ways to medicate now that you don't have to actually get high to relieve all your aches and pains," he said.

But despite such enthusiasm, marijuana isn't well researched, said Dr. David Reuben, the Archstone Foundation professor of medicine and geriatrics at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine.

While cannabis is legal both medically and recreationally in California, it remains a Schedule 1 substance -- meaning it's illegal under federal law. And that makes it harder to study.

The limited research that exists suggests that marijuana may be helpful in treating pain and nausea, according to a research overview published last year by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Less conclusive research points to it helping with sleep problems and anxiety.

Reuben said he sees a growing number of patients interested in using it for things like anxiety, chronic pain and depression.

"I am, in general, fairly supportive of this because these are conditions [for which] there aren't good alternatives," he said.

But Reuben cautions his patients that products bought at marijuana dispensaries aren't FDA-regulated, as are prescription drugs. That means dose and consistency can vary.

"There's still so much left to learn about how to package, how to ensure quality and standards," he said. "So the question is how to make sure the people are getting high-quality product and then testing its effectiveness."

And there are risks associated with cannabis use too, said Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, who directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

"When you have an industry that does nothing but blanket our society with messages about the medicinal value of marijuana, people get the idea this is a safe substance to use. And that's not true," she said.

Side effects can include increased heart rate, nausea and vomiting, and with long-term use, there's a potential for addiction, some studies say. Research suggests that between 9 and 30 percent of those who use marijuana may develop some degree of marijuana use disorder.

Still, Reuben said, if it gets patients off more addictive and potentially dangerous prescription drugs -- like opioids -- all the better.

Jim Levy, 71, suffers a pinched nerve that shoots pain down both his legs. He uses a topical cream and ingests cannabis gelatin capsules and lozenges.

"I have no way to measure, but I'd say it gets rid of 90 percent of the pain," said Levy, who -- like other seniors here -- pays for these products out-of-pocket, as Medicare doesn't cover cannabis.

"I got something they say is wonderful and I hope it works," said Shirley Avedon. "It's a cream."

The price tag: $90. Avedon said if it helps ease the carpal tunnel pain she suffers, it'll be worth it.

"It's better than having surgery," she said.

Precautions To Keep In Mind

Though marijuana use remains illegal under federal law, it's legal in some form in 30 states and the District of Columbia. And a growing number of Americans are considering trying it for health reasons. For people who are, doctors advise the following cautions.

Talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor you're thinking about trying medical marijuana. Although he or she may have some concerns, most doctors won't judge you for seeking out alternative treatments.

Make sure your prescriber is aware of all the medications you take. Marijuana might have dangerous interactions with prescription medications, particularly medicines that can be sedating, said Dr. Benjamin Han, a geriatrician at New York University School of Medicine who studies marijuana use in the elderly.

Watch out for dosing. Older adults metabolize drugs differently than young people. If your doctor gives you the go-ahead, try the lowest possible dose first to avoid feeling intoxicated. And be especially careful with edibles. They can have very concentrated doses that don't take effect right away.

Elderly people are also more sensitive to side effects. If you start to feel unwell, talk to your doctor right away. "When you're older, you're more vulnerable to the side effects of everything," Han said. "I'm cautious about everything."

Look for licensed providers. In some states like California, licensed dispensaries must test for contaminants. Be especially careful with marijuana bought illegally. "If you're just buying marijuana down the street ... you don't really know what's in that," said Dr. Joshua Briscoe, a palliative care doctor at Duke University School of Medicine who has studied the use of marijuana for pain and nausea in older patients. "Buyer, beware."

Bottom line: The research on medical marijuana is limited. There's even less we know about marijuana use in older people. Proceed with caution.

Jenny Gold and Mara Gordon contributed to this report.

This story is part of a partnership that includes NPR and Kaiser Health News.Salem's iconic cherry trees may no longer be part of the state capitol's charm, according to a report from the Statesman Journal.

The Salem paper reports that the Oregon Department of Administrative Services has hired a consultant to determine if the trees' roots are damaging the underground parking structure below.

The trees were planted in 1991, after the strip where they are located was excavated for the underground parking. Every year, the Oregon State Capitol Foundation celebrates the blossoms, along with spring, the cherry industry and Japanese culture, on Cherry Blossom Day.

Officials told the Statesman Journal that they should know the fate of the trees by February.

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052

lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyackerA Silverton resident attempting to burn a yellow jacket nest with lighter fluid sparked a three-alarm fire that threatened another home and barn.

Firefighters from six agencies responded to contain the blaze in the 16000 block of Stormy Drive East Sunday afternoon.

Flames spread rapidly, fueled by high winds and dry conditions, and ignited high grass, brush and trees, said Ed Grambusch, Silverton's assistant fire chief.

The property owner who was attempting to kill the yellow jackets was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The property owner also was cited by the Oregon Department of Forestry for reckless burning and likely will have to pay for the cost of the fire response, Grambusch said.

Sunday's fire, reported about 4 p.m., marked the second brush fire within a quarter of a mile in the last several weeks resulting from a property owner trying to burn out yellow jackets, according to the assistant fire chief.

Residents are encouraged to call a licensed exterminator to remove yellow jacket nests rather than risk a fire from burning them out.

Mt. Angel Fire, Drakes Crossing Fire, Marion County Fire District #1, Woodburn Fire, Canby Fire and Oregon Department of Forestry assisted Silverton firefighters.

--The Oregonian/OregonLiveGov. Kate Brown has accepted a $250,000 campaign donation from the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety, according to state records.

The organization is funded by billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who personally cut a campaign check for $250,000 to Brown two years ago when she was running for election.

Oregonians are seeing the results of the money, as Brown and her Republican challenger Rep. Knute Buehler's campaign ads blanket social media, radio and television. Brown's campaign just reported spending more than $483,000 on television and radio ads.

Brown received the contribution from Everytown for Gun Safety on Sept. 18.

It's another example of money flowing into Oregon's governor's race from both liberal and conservative donors outside Oregon. Brown received $500,000 earlier this year from the group EMILY's List, which backs Democratic women candidates who support abortion rights.

Wealthy individuals outside of Oregon have also gotten involved. Barbara Lee, who describes herself in a state filing as a philanthropic activist from Cambridge, Massachusetts, has given Brown $125,000 so far this year with the latest $50,000 installment on Sept. 20.

Buehler, a Bend surgeon and lawmaker, recently received $750,000 from the Republican Governors Association. Nike co-founder Phil Knight also recently gave Buehler $1 million, bringing the total he spent on the Republican's campaign to $1.5 million. Nike is supporting Brown, although the company has so far given her significantly less money.

The governor has raised and spent far more than Buehler, according to state campaign finance records.

Brown has reported raising more than $10 million and spending $7.5 million from 2017 to present, according to state campaign finance records.

Buehler has reported raising $7.2 million and spending $5.9 million since 2017.

The wave of campaign cash is likely to grow quickly over the next week, as Oregon approaches early October deadlines to disclose fundraising and spending.

-- Hillary Borrud

503-294-4034; @hborrudPresident Donald Trump on Monday dismissed sexual misconduct allegations against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh as "totally political" and pledged to support his Supreme Court nominee "all the way."

Trump's comments, made as he entered United Nations headquarters in New York, were his first since a report Sunday night on a second allegation of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh, who Trump said is "a man with an unblemished past."

"There's a chance that this could be one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen for a candidate for anything," Trump told reporters. "For people to come out of the woodwork from 36 years ago and 30 years ago and never mention it, all of a sudden it happens. In my opinion, it's totally political."

On Sunday, the New Yorker magazine reported that Deborah Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaugh's at Yale University, said he exposed himself at a party when they were both first-year students.

In a statement issued by the White House, Kavanaugh denied the accusation and called it "a smear, plain and simple."

Trump on Monday called the allegations "highly unsubstantiated statements from people represented by lawyers," adding: "You should look into the lawyers doing the representation."

He said he looks forward to a Senate vote to confirm his Supreme Court nominee.

"Judge Kavanaugh is an outstanding person, and I am with him all the way," Trump said.

His comments come as Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee seem to be moving in opposite directions over how to proceed with the nomination.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Calif., the ranking Democrat on the committee, called late Sunday for a delay in further consideration of Kavanaugh's nomination.

But several Republicans are pressing for a quick vote after a scheduled committee hearing Thursday with Christine Blasey Ford, the California professor who has alleged that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while both were teenagers in Maryland.

"What we are witnessing is the total collapse of the traditional confirmation process for a Supreme Court nominee," Sen. Lindsey O. Graham, R-S.C., said in a string of tweets Monday morning. "It is being replaced by a game of delay, deception, and wholesale character assassination."

"In my view, the process needs to move forward with a hearing Thursday, and vote in committee soon thereafter," Graham said.

In his first comments since the New Yorker report, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., reiterated his call for the FBI to reopen its background check of Kavanaugh, a step the White House has resisted.

"There is only one way to get to the bottom of these allegations against Judge Kavanaugh and prevent the nation from being thrown into further turmoil: an independent background check investigation by the FBI," Schumer said on Twitter. "If President Trump and Senate Republicans are so certain the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh aren't true, then why are they blocking the FBI from reopening the background check and investigating? . . . What are they hiding?"

Trump also praised Kavanaugh's character and intellect in a radio interview that aired Monday morning, calling him "a fantastic, fantastic man" and again casting doubt on the credibility of the first woman who accused him of sexual misconduct.

"I think he's got an outstanding record, very smart, top of the line education, the best student no matter where he went and honestly the best character, unless she can prove otherwise, and we're going to give her chance to do that," Trump told host Geraldo Rivera in an interview conducted Sunday.

The interview, which was broadcast on the debut of Rivera's new show on WTAM radio in Cleveland, took place before the New Yorker report was published.

In the interview, Rivera asked Trump whether Kavanaugh should still be confirmed if people come to believe the allegations made by Ford.

"Number one, I don't think that will happen, and number two, I want her to have her voice," Trump said. "Let her have her voice. Let her say whatever she has to say. Let him say what he has to say. And at the end, the senators will make a choice."

Kavanaugh is also scheduled to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Ford has alleged that Kavanaugh drunkenly pinned her to a bed, groped her and put his hand over her mouth to stifle her screams as he tried to take off her clothes at a house party in the early 1980s. Kavanaugh has firmly denied the accusation.

In a tweet on Friday, Trump directly attacked Ford's credibility, writing: "I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents."

In the radio interview, Trump repeated that point, saying that "this went 36 years without a complaint."

Trump also suggested that he will have to rely almost entirely on Republican votes to win Kavanaugh's confirmation.

"We'll get almost no Democrat," he told Rivera. "We may get a couple in states where I won by many, many points - you understand that - but we'll essentially get no Democrat."

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway also voiced support for Kavanaugh on Monday and took issue with the reporting by the New Yorker.

"This is starting to feel like a vast left-wing conspiracy," Conway said on "CBS This Morning."

Conway said that the allegations about Kavanaugh were atypical of men whose behavior has come to light during the #MeToo era.

"This may be the first time we ever heard of allegations against someone as a teenager that did not prey upon women thusly as he became powerful," Conway said, adding: "I just don't think one man's shoulders should bear decades of the MeToo movement."

The Washington PostThis story continues to be updated

Activists have begun a rally and plan to march Monday afternoon to call for Portland State University to disarm campus officers after a fatal police shooting this summer.

The demonstration  held by the Portland State University Student Union, which has long pressed the university to disarm its police  began at noon on the first day of the fall term. It comes months after the killing of Jason Washington, 45, outside the Cheerful Tortoise bar near campus and in the days after authorities released records and videos of the incident.

Speakers, amid "Disarm PSU" chants from a crowd of a couple hundred, are calling for campus administrators to remove guns from the university's police force. They also seek a memorial to Washington and for the officers who shot him to be fired.

Shortly before 1 p.m., the speeches ended and demonstrators marched to where Washington was shot. His widow, Michelle Washington, flanked by Washington's three daughters, addressed the crowd.

"His motto was God, family, friends and country," Michelle Washington said. "He was our everything. He was needlessly and violently taken from us."

Washington's brother, Andre Washington, is attended the rally.

The march continued through the urban campus along city streets to the Academic and Student Recreation Center, where the university's board of trustees meets.

After more speeches, demonstrators moved to the Campus Public Safety office at Broadway and Montgomery Street. Leaders announced intentions to occupy the area in front of the building.

"This is where we're putting our foot down," said activist Alyssa Pagan, amid chants of "Occupy PSU."

"Please stay as long as you can," Pagan said to the crowd, which responded with a chant of "We're not leaving."

A group of about 15 demonstrators then sat down in front of the office and said they will be there "indefinitely." Some brought camping gear and began setting up a tent. Shortly after 2 p.m., the rally ended and some of the crowd began dispersing.

The university released a statement about 1:30 p.m.:

Jason Washington's death has had a profound impact on the Portland State community, and the university recognizes the right to participate in peaceful protest. PSU has hired an independent security consulting firm to review campus safety policies and procedures, which will hold a series of public forums in the upcoming weeks on this issue to provide students, faculty, staff and the public opportunities to speak. That review will study all options to protect the campus and make recommendations to President Rahmat Shoureshi and the PSU Board of Trustees. The PSU student government president and campus administrators will also send a message tomorrow to PSU students about the resources available for those searching for support or seeking opportunities to reflect on the topic.

The June 29 encounter marked the first fatal shooting by the university's police force, which began carrying guns three years ago in a decision decried by activists and some students.

A Multnomah County grand jury ruled in mid-September that two officers were legally justified in killing Washington, a black man who was a Navy veteran and U.S. postal worker.

He was shot nine times, according to a report released last week by the Multnomah County Medical Examiner's office. Officers Shawn McKenzie and James Dewey fired 17 shots at Washington.

Washington was holding a friend's handgun amid a street fight outside the campus-area bar when officers ordered him to drop it, then opened fire.

PSU has released body cam video of both officers, which shows them arriving at the scene amid a drunken melee. The video captures the chaotic seconds that unfold before and after Washington's death.

Police at the school first began carrying guns on July 1, 2015, after a 2014 Board of Trustees vote in favor of deploying some officers with guns.

The vote was a controversial one among the campus community, especially for the student group Disarm PSU.

Portland State University President Rahmat Shoureshi has said in a statement that Washington's death "has deeply shaken all those involved as well as the greater campus community."

"We are determined to learn from it," the statement said.

In a separate statement, the university's Board of Trustees has said it was prepared to revisit the policy of arming campus cops "with open minds  to determine whether the current policy should be continued or changed."

This report will be updated.

 The Oregonian/OregonLivePortland officials are pausing their drive to limit how landlords may vet potential tenants for past crimes and financial stability.

Commissioner Chloe Eudaly originally sought to have the City Council vote on an ordinance limiting the information landlords could use to turn away potential renters  including convictions for a long list of crimes, some of them violent. The day Eudaly projected the council would vote on such a proposal, September 20, came and went with no action.

Eudaly's chief of staff, Marshall Runkel, said the commissioner pulled back on the concept in light of "obvious concerns from key constituents."

Alarmed by the potential new rules, some landlords and developers, including usual city allies such as the builders who construct affordable housing, have opposed Eudaly's tenant-screening concept, according to Willamette Week. Fearing such a proposal, Oregon landlord industry groups joined forces to raise more than $2 million to fight any restrictions they say will undermine their businesses.

Runkel said Eudaly's office intends to continue developing the proposal with relevant interest groups and bring an ordinance to the council once it's ready.

"I feel confident there's a pathway to do that," Runkel said. He added, "We're more interested in getting this policy right than getting it done tomorrow."

-- Gordon R. Friedman

Have a tip about Portland City Hall? Contact Gordon: GFriedman@Oregonian.comA Portland police recruiter who gave an applicant the questions and score sheets that would be used for an entry-level job interview and offered to pay for a hotel room to help her prepare for the police exam was fired this year for his "significant misuse of authority.''

The Police Bureau this month posted a summary of the case along with other discipline cases examined by its Police Review Board, but didn't name the officer.

However, The Oregonian/OregonLive has confirmed that the recruiter fired was Officer Timmy Evans, a nearly 24-year veteran of the bureau who served as a bureau recruiter for at least five years. He was fired on May 10.

"I did give her the information,'' Evans said in an interview Sunday. "I was truthful about that.''

Timmy Evans

Evans also provided the applicant with confidential information on why she had failed a prior background inquiry done in 2010 and 2011, according to the bureau's summary of the case.

A citizen complaint prompted the bureau to conduct an internal affairs investigation. Members of a Police Review Board, which examined the bureau's investigation, noted that the officer gave the applicant an "unfair advantage'' in the testing process that potentially compromised the test for all candidates.

Board members acknowledged that Evans had a "passion for helping women and underrepresented people'' get hired by the police force, but his actions represented a "significant misuse of authority, unethical behavior, a "willful disregard of police bureau values'' and a "serious lack of integrity, ethics and character.''

Evans said he believed the bureau's testing process was unfairly eliminating people of color and women. "I chose to do what I could to get those people in the door,'' he told The Oregonian/OregonLive. However, he said he didn't assist other applicants.

The review board also considered whether Evans was seeking sexual favors by offering to share a hotel room, in exchange for helping the applicant in the testing process. The board did not sustain that allegation, but did find evidence Evans had offered to share a hotel room with the applicant in Los Angeles.

Evans told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he offered to have the woman share his hotel room in Los Angeles so she could take the exam there and be considered earlier for a vacancy, instead of waiting until the exam was offered again in Portland later in the year. He said he didn't think the woman could afford paying for a room. The woman didn't accept his offer, but did take the exam in Los Angeles. She passed the exams, but was disqualified during the background inquiry.

The board recommended the Police Bureau examine why it allowed Evans to serve in a recruiting position for the police force given his prior disciplinary history, which it did not describe. Evans said he received command counseling or a letter of reprimand for accepting food, a burrito, from a previous applicant, who tested well on her exam.

Evans' termination was one of several cases summarized in a report made public this month on the police bureau's website that were reviewed between Oct. 13, 2016 , and Jan. 10, 2018.

Evans said the police union has filed a grievance, challenging his firing. Officer Daryl Turner, president of the Portland Police Association, declined comment on Evans' case, noting it's an ongoing matter. The challenge may allege that other officers who've taken similar actions were not terminated.

Among the other cases were:

Daniel Chastain

--The firing of Officer Dan Chastain, who was off-duty when he was arrested in Clackamas County after crashing a city-owned car on April 25, 2016. The car overturned, coming to rest on its top. Chastain's blood-alcohol content was .256 percent, according to the bureau's summary. The legal limit is .08 percent. An open beer can was found near the scene. Chastain was off-duty at the time but on call. Chastain, convicted of driving under the influence of intoxicants and sentenced to 32 days in jail, was fired Aug. 1, 2017, according to state records.

--The firing of Sgt. Gregg Lewis, who was reported by other officers to have made an inflammatory remark during Central Precinct's roll call regarding the use of force against a black man. The remark came just three days after the Feb. 9, 2017 fatal police shooting of a black teenager, 17-year-old Quanice Hayes. The review board found Lewis' remarks brought discredit to the bureau. One board member called Lewis' comments an "egregious, abhorrent act' that has no place in the police bureau. Lewis, who retired from the bureau Oct. 31, 2016, was rehired in December 2016. He was fired Feb. 2 of this year.

Mike Leasure

--Command counseling given to Lt. Mike Leasure, who signed then-Chief Mike Marshman in on a log as having attended a training though the chief never showed. The so-called ''command counseling'' is on the low-end of bureau discipline. The board noted that Leasure was unable to explain why he signed the chief in on the attendance log and gave "ambiguous'' answers to investigators' questions. Board members did not find Leasure was untruthful, but were critical of his "bad decision-making and poor leadership skills'' as a supervisor.

--One unnamed officer resigned after the bureau determined he had done an unlawful search of a vehicle, described in the report as a "dirty search.'' A citizen who was on a ride-along reported the search, and the officer never documented it in a police report.

--Another unnamed officer received a one-week suspension without pay for responding on a missing person case that involved an extended family member. The officer, who was off duty, went to a strip club in his partial police uniform to help search for the missing person, an employee of the club, but never told a supervisor of his response, the board report said.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonianA lawyer for the Portland police union and federal attorneys are urging a judge to reject the Mental Health Alliance's request to have a seat at the table in the court's review of the city's four-year-old settlement with federal Justice officials on police reforms.

Anil Karia, representing the Portland Police Association, called the alliance's move a "last-ditch attempt to put its own stamp on this case'' that comes "five and a half years too late.''

Lawyers for the U.S. Department of Justice said the government doesn't object to the alliance's input in the case to help the court better understand issues of public interest, but they called its push for "enhanced amicus curiae'' unnecessary and way too late. They argue that the alliance's interests already are adequately represented by federal Justice officials.

The alliance was formed in July and is made up of Disability Rights Oregon, the Mental Health Association of Portland and Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare. The groups cite their experience and expertise as direct service providers to people with mental illness.

Karia challenged the alliance's representation as a new group, noting comprises three, long-standing organizations that have actively participated in prior court hearings or with the police bureau in working to improve police responses to people suffering from mental illness.

The union lawyer argues that each of the agencies already has been represented by the Albina Ministerial Alliance's Coalition for Justice and Police Reform and by federal government lawyers.

"It borders on fiction for MHA to assert that it needs enhanced amicus status for its voice to be heard,'' Karia wrote in a court filing Sunday.

The city's settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice called for reforms to police training, policies and oversight after a 2012 federal investigation found Portland police engaged in excessive force against people who have or are perceived to have a mental illness. Investigators also found that police improperly used stun guns against suspects. A federal judge approved the agreement in 2014.

In its recent petition to the court, the alliance cited ongoing police shootings of people with mental illness since the 2014 settlement was approved, the lack of sufficient drop-off or walk-in centers for people in crisis, and the absence for more than a year of meaningful community oversight as evidence the settlement reforms haven't been embraced.

The alliance had highlighted the April police fatal shooting of John A. Elifritz in a Southeast Portland homeless shelter as the latest example of excessive force used by police against a person in a mental health crisis.

Despite Elifritz demonstrating clear signs of mental distress, at no point in the day or night of his encounters with officers did police have a specially trained officer from its Enhanced Crisis Intervention Team respond, the alliance noted.

The union lawyer countered that Elifritz was high on methamphetamine, refused to drop his knife and put men in the homeless shelter at harm.

"What is substantiated by the investigation is that Mr. Elifritz, a self-avowed white supremacist, engaged in a day-long crime spree that included carjacking a Portlander; committing road rage and threatening motorists; holding a knife to a person's throat; jeopardizing the personal safety of many people who were simply seeking refuge in a homeless shelter; stabbing himself repeatedly in the neck to the point of gushing blood, which did not appear to faze him, and then charging at police officers while wielding a knife after refusing to comply with multiple police commands, all the while under the influence of methamphetamine,'' Karia wrote.

Federal Justice attorneys noted that many of the concerns the alliance raised  the shooting of Elifritz to the safety concerns at the Unity Center for Behavioral Health  are well-known to the government and the parties of the settlement agreement. The alliance isn't barred from sharing its concerns with the judge through testimony presented in court, federal Justice lawyers and the police union lawyer wrote in separate responses.

Juan Chavez, a lawyer with the Oregon Justice Resource Center's civil rights project representing the alliance, said the alliance would like to be at the table, providing oral arguments and be present during any mediation sessions in the ongoing agreement. Bob Joondeph, executive director of Disability Rights Oregon, said the judge seemed open to considering extra involvement, and the alliance wants to provide that.

The city also is expected to oppose the alliance's request.

All parties to the agreement are set to return before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon at 9 a.m. Oct. 4 for a status conference.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonianA Portland rental management company has agreed to pay $105,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a former tenant who claimed she endured deplorable living conditions that included hypodermic needles, rats and overflowing garbage at her Southeast Portland apartment complex.

Aleina Langfords attorney said to add insult to injury, A&G Rental Management had sent a collection agency after her seeking more than $1,500 in what she said were bogus charges. One of those included a window that she said was broken after she moved out.

But in a highly unusual case, the property management company has agreed to pay Langford the six-figure settlement instead of forcing her to pay the $1,500. The case had been scheduled to go to trial next week in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Langford's attorney, Michael Fuller, said such big wins by tenants are rare enough that he's heard of only two other tenant-landlord lawsuits in Portland in which landlords have ended up paying more than $100,000. In both those cases, the former tenants had claimed they were physically injured -- one by tearing his meniscus after plunging through rotting wood and the other by ingesting high levels of lead on the property.

In contrast, Langford -- then a 40-year-old single mother of two -- was suing purely for emotional harm, Fuller said.

She didnt fall through a walkway, and she didnt get poisoned by lead, Fuller said. This was a case where she was treated like it didnt matter and all of her concerns were ignored.

A woman who answered the phone at A&G Rental Management said she wasnt knowledgeable enough about the case to comment but left a message for other employees. The message wasnt immediately returned Monday.

Langford and other tenants of the apartments at Southeast 119th Avenue and Ash Street had made headlines in September 2016 after they complained publicly about a 45 percent increase in rent. For Langford, that meant her monthly rent jumped from $825 to $1,200.

The group circulated fliers chastising the man they identified as the new owner of the company that recently bought the Ash Street Properties apartment complex. The fliers featured a photo of Langford's young son, standing outside the family's apartment and holding a sign that read: "My mom can't afford $1200 a month. She worries everyday. Someone was shot right here." A hand-sketched arrow on the sign points to small hole in the porch.

Although tenants complained, the rent increase was legal at the time. In February 2017, the Portland City Council passed a requirement calling for most landlords to pay $2,900 to $4,500 to renters whom they evict without cause or who must relocate because they can't afford annual rent increases of 10 percent or more.

That city law came too late to help Langford with her costs.

Langford told The Oregonian/OregonLive that it was an uphill fight against the management company from the beginning, and she felt powerless at times.

"If you complain about something like I did throughout your whole tenancy and nothing happens, you just feel disheartened," Langford said.

Langford said she came to accept the living conditions, because rents are high in Portland and she didn't think she would find a cheaper, better place to live. Then the rent hike came, and she moved.

She said because she didn't have thousands of dollars to pay an attorney, she went to Legal Aid of Oregon for help. Legal Aid ultimately referred her to Fuller, who took her case on contingency, she said.

"I'm just relieved that it's all over, and I'm not the one paying," Langford said.

-- Aimee GreenAn Oregon youth pastor is accused of trying to have a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl he met at a church camp over the summer, police said.

Ryan Mutchler, 30, faces charges of second-degree online sexual corruption of a child and luring a minor after he was arrested Sept. 7, according to Beaverton police and Washington County court filings.

He was released that same day on $10,000 bail posted by his wife and arraigned Tuesday, court records show.

A pastor at Mountain Park Church in Lake Oswego, police say Mutchler met the girl during a weeklong camp at the end of June and soon began exchanging text messages with her.

The girl's parents saw the texts and alerted authorities, the Beaverton police said.

An undercover detective later used the girl's phone to have a text conversation with Mutchler, who expressed his desire to have a sexual relationship with the child, police allege.

Gregg Borror, a senior pastor at Mountain Park Church, told the news website Patch on Monday that Mutchler was fired the day after his arrest.

A short bio on the youth pastor's Twitter page, which has since been deleted, reads: "Love God. Love Others. Grow a Beard. Eat a Burrito. Drink Coffee."

Police said Mutchler, who is listed in court records as 6-foot-3 and 380 pounds, also assisted the Aloha High School marching band on a short-term basis.

Beaverton police believe Mutchler might have targeted more children. Anyone with information is asked to call 503-629-0111.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 II @shanedkavanaughNot only has there been a second sexual misconduct allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but news is now coming out showing that senior Republican staffers learned of the allegation as early as last week, yet rallied for his confirmation anyway.

The latest allegation comes from Deborah Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaughs during his years at Yale University. Ramirez alleges that during the 1983-84 school year, at which point Kavanaugh was a freshman at the university, he exposed himself to her without consent at a dorm room party. Drawing parallels to the accusation by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the alleged incident involved the nominee getting drunk and being encouraged by other male friends.

The journalists that originally broke the news on Sunday via the New Yorker, Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer, sought out Ramirez after learning of the incident from classmates of Ramirez and Kavanaugh at the time, who had been emailing about the incident dating back to July, before Ford came forward. The news spread between the classmates, to the Senate and now major media outlets.

The timeline regarding when Senate Republicans learned of this allegation is significant. Last Friday, Senator Charles Grassleychairman of the Senate Judiciary Committeepublicly presented an ultimatum to Ford demanding a quick response to the committees invitation to testify regarding her claim. Grassley threatened to schedule the confirmation vote as early as Monday morning if Fords response was not timely enough, leaving little time for an outside investigation in the matter. It is suspected that this ultimatum came after Senate Republicans learned of the second claim, though it was before the news broke publicly.

This insistence on a quick confirmation raises questions on the motivations of Senate Republicans, specifically in the desire to rush the vote both before the news broke and before an investigation could be carried out on the second allegation. Two Senate Democrats, who also learned of the allegation last week, reportedly started investigating the news to assess the credibility of Ramirezs claim.

This is another serious, credible, and disturbing allegation against Brett Kavanaugh, said Senator Mazie Hirono. It should be fully investigated.On Friday, the New York Times released a bombshell report that didnt really live up to the explosive title of Rod Rosenstein Suggested Secretly Recording Trump and Discussed 25th Amendment. Per the NYT:

The deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, suggested last year that he secretly record President Trump in the White House to expose the chaos consuming the administration, and he discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office for being unfit.

Mr. Rosenstein made these suggestions in the spring of 2017 when Mr. Trumps firing of James B. Comey as F.B.I. director plunged the White House into turmoil. Over the ensuing days, the president divulged classified intelligence to Russians in the Oval Office, and revelations emerged that Mr. Trump had asked Mr. Comey to pledge loyalty and end an investigation into a senior aide.

Mr. Rosenstein was just two weeks into his job. He had begun overseeing the Russia investigation and played a key role in the presidents dismissal of Mr. Comey by writing a memo critical of his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. But Mr. Rosenstein was caught off guard when Mr. Trump cited the memo in the firing, and he began telling people that he feared he had been used.

The reason I mildly criticize the Times is that there is no sourcing in the first three paragraphs of the story, and the overall picture doesnt become completely clear as to how serious Rosenstein took these things he reportedly said. The report cites Several people [who] described the episodes in interviews over the past several months, and they learned of this news thanks to being briefed either on the events themselves or on memos written by F.B.I. officials, including Andrew G. McCabe, then the acting bureau director, that documented Mr. Rosensteins actions and comments. We dont have a whole lot to go off of in this report as to who is leaking it, and because the article reads as a legitimate coup attempt by the second ranking man in the Department of Justice, you cant help but wonder if those several officials are in the Trump camp, trying to lay the groundwork for what is happening as I write this.

As I prep this story, we still do not know whether Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein stepped down or was fired. Axios seems to have the most complete picture, as they reported that Rosenstein has verbally resigned to Chief of Staff John Kelly in anticipation of being fired by President Trump, according to a source with direct knowledge, and per a second source with direct knowledge: Hes expecting to be fired, so he plans to step down. However, outlets like the AP and CNN are simply reporting that Rod Rosenstein expects to be fired Monday. Pete Williams of NBC is reporting that its theoretically possible that when this meetings over Rod Rosenstein goes back to being deputy attorney general. Rosenstein is on his way to the White House right now, so well update this post once hes met with Dear Leader.

The natural question here is: what is going to happen to the Mueller investigation? Former FBI Director Andrew McCabe released a statement saying he is concerned about it being at risk. Someone in the Department of Justice would replace Rosensteins stewardship of it, and because Trump still has not appointed an associate attorney general after Rachel Brand left the #3 post in the DOJ in February, the task would fall to Solicitor General Noel Francisco. However, he may need to recuse like Jeff Sessions did, because Francisco left Jones Day recentlya firm who represents the Trump campaign. If Francisco recuses, the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel, Steven Engelwho has no prosecutorial experiencewould take over the investigation.

Whatever happens, be rest assured that Robert Mueller has prepared for this inevitability. Take Paul Manafort for example. He admitted to crimes that are also state crimes, so if Trump were to pardon him, a state could turn around and charge Manafort with crimes that are outside Trumps reach. Plus, legal experts say that Trump would need to word the pardon so broadly that it encompasses crimes Manafort wasnt charged with. Not to mention, the FBI still exists, and the information that has been brought to light cannot just be shoved back into the dark. If Trump sticks a lackey in the DOJ to obstruct the investigation, they can do a lot in the way of not signing off on searches, interviews, etcbut the Russia investigation has proven itself to be far too large to be put back into the closet, no matter who the Deputy Attorney General is.

Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.Microsofts not the only company using AI to improve the quality of its services. Google, in marking the 20th anniversary of Google search, announced its own plans to tap artificial intelligence, including enticing you to interact more with its rebranded, deeper Discover activity feed and other services.

Ben Gomes, the vice president in charge of Search and the Google Assistant, outlined several changes the company is making to enhance Googles search algorithm. Interestingly, the majority of the changes seem slated to appear within Googles mobile app. Most also seem to involve getting you to interact more with Googles services, so the search algorithm can learn more about youand make smarter guesses about what youll engage with more, for instance. Gomes wrote that a full 15 percent of everyday queries are completely unknown to the Google search algorithm.

Why this matters: Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be the new watchword at companies like Google, Microsoft and others: sprinkle a little AI on a feature, and watch its engagement grow. In this case, theres a benefitcool stuff!and a cost: You have to be signed in to Googles services, which some people avoid for privacys sake. In fact, its interesting that Google announced this today, as there was yet another flap over Googles latest privacy snafu.

Heres a short list of the changes youll see within Googles search algorithm.

Activity Cards: A smarter search history

Youre probably aware of how to access your Search History on a desktop browser: CTRL+ H, typically. But when you try to dig out a site youve searched for previously, it can be a chore: Youll have to manually enter terms in the search box and try to remember which pages led you where.

Google Googles history cards will display if Google thinks theyre relevant.

Later this year, the Search box will reveal cards that link back to your previous searches, when its useful, Google says. The idea is very similar to Microsofts pick up where you left off language, which its used to describe the Windows Timeline featurein fact, Google used this same phrase when describing its new Search features.

Collections: A better bookmark?

If youve ever searched for a topic over time, you might forget what you saw, and where. Old fogies might be tempted to use a browser bookmark to remember their place, but Google has a new name for this: Collections. It will debut later this fall.

Google Want to store a page for later? Try a bookmark Collections.

Instead of putting a webpage in a bookmark, or a folder of bookmarks, you assign a search card to a Collection of given topics. As Collections seem like just a reimagining of the bookmark process, the process sounds pretty similar.

The Google feed, now called Discover

One of the innovations that Yahoo brought to search before ceding it to Bing was its emphasis on searching through exploration: Yahoos algorithmically generated homepages would encourage you to click a topic and explore it, generating more and more clicks as you delved deeper. Google offers something similar: its Feed, accessible by clicking on the search box within an Android phone.

Google Googles activity feed of things it algorithmically thinks youll like: Discover.

The feed is renamed Discover, but the premise is the same: Based upon your history, Google will suggest numerous topics for you to click and explore later this year.

The cards that the Discover feed shows you will offer different ways of interacting with it. A flower-like Discover icon allows you to drill down. A little, unnamed control panel icon will push more or less content to your feedyour choice. If youre starting to explore a given topic or location, Google may consider some of the content to be evergreen, and relevant even if its a few weeks or months old. And if you speak multiple languagesbased on your searchesGoogles will try to figure that out, too.

Diving deep within Google Images search, with Lens

One of Microsofts responses to our story on how Bing has lost its way was that one of the innovations within Bings image search was its ability to pull out elements of an image, such as a pair of shoes in a photo of a living room, and use that as the basis of an entirely new search. Now Google says it will bring the same ability to Google Images (via a feature called Lens) in the coming weeks.

Google also said the company would now do a better job of suggesting videos to illustrate what youre searching for.

In all, using AI to enhance the way in which Google interacts with you is nothing new. The real test will be how much you interact with Google, based upon its new search features.Three area ski resorts will soon be under new ownership.

Snow Time Inc. has agreed to sell Roundtop Mountain Resort in Lewisberry, Liberty Mountain Resort in Carroll Valley near Gettsyburg and Whitetail Resort in Mercersburg to Peak Resorts Inc. Peak owns 14 other resorts in the Northeast and Midwest, including Jack Frost and Big Boulder in the Poconos.

Snow Time was founded by Irv Naylor in 1964.

"I am extremely pleased to pass along the stewardship of Snow Time and our three mountain resorts to Peak Resorts," Naylor, now retired, said in a news release Monday.

"Having watched the progress they continue to make at the formerly family-owned Hunter Mountain, I view them as the perfect operators to take Liberty, Roundtop and Whitetail to the next level. For more than 50 years, my team and I have grown these three resorts into the magnificent properties they are today, and we are delighted that Peak Resorts will continue to grow their appeal for the next generation and beyond."

Peak has 14 resorts in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and the Midwest. Snow Time passholders will be able to access other resorts in Peak's network, according to a release from Snow Time. Details will be available soon, Snow Time said.

The current staff, management teams and resort offerings will remain unchanged, according to the Snow Time release. Season passholders who have purchased 2018-19 passes will have the option to upgrade to a Peak Pass, and Snow Time said more details will be available in the next few weeks.

The other Peak resorts are:Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

It's no secret that Democrats have their eye on the central Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District. The contest, featuring GOP incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott Perry and Democrat George Scott has been on the national radar for months now.

That status is reflected in a recent rankings list from Governing magazine's Lou Jacobson, who's been tracking congressional races in the state for years now. He's upgraded the seat from "potentially vulnerable" to "vulnerable" in a recent survey of the state's congressional topography.

As Jacobson notes, the district, had it been existence two years ago, the redrawn 10th District would have gone to President Donald Trump by 9 percentage points (well down from the 22-point margin in the 4th Congressional District that it's replacing).

But "Democrats are increasingly high" on Scott, a pastor and veteran (Perry is also a vet and reservist), and "he appears to have to have crept within striking distance," of Perry, Jacobson observed.

"The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the House Democrats' campaign arm, added Scott to its 'Red to Blue' list of competitive takeover targets," Jacobson continued. "And the district's relatively cheap television market makes it attractive for Democratic investment. We're moving this race up a notch on our list, and also shifting it from 'potentially vulnerable' to 'vulnerable.'"

In his round of state-by-state rankings, political analyst Nathan Gonzales at "Inside Elections" has the 10th District listed as "likely Republican," while The Cook Political Report, in August, listed the seat as "lean Republican."

Democrats need to flip 23 seats to retake control of the House. With competitive races in the Philadelphia suburbs and in western Pennsylvania, the Keystone State is in the vanguard of that effort as Election Day closes in.

The rest of the day's news starts now.

The state Legislature returns to work today for 10 days' worth of voting sessions. The to-do list is a long one. As a refresher, here's four things the PennLive Editorial Board wants to see them accomplish.

Bill Cosby gets sentenced in Montgomery County court this week. Will the former comedian go to prison? The Inquirer takes a look.

The Philadelphia Daily News' John Baer spent some quality time with Scott Wagner.

Federal financial disclosure forms show that the race for northeastern Pennsylvania's 8th District is a duel between a couple of rich dudes. The Citizens-Voice has the details.

WHYY-FM looks at Democrats' and Republicans' efforts to turn out the youth vote this campaign cycle.

The Post-Gazette looks at how much DUI arrests have dropped because of ride-sharing.

The Legislature returns to town today. Here's an appropriate #Harrisburg Instagram of the Day.

The Associated Press explains how many states' gubernatorial battles (including Pennsylvania) has become a proxy battle over Donald Trump (via WITF-FM).

A new program in Allentown wants to tackle violence like it's a treatable disease, The Morning Call reports.

States and cities are vying over paid sick leave, Stateline.org reports.

Democrats are no longer buying Michelle Obama's battle cry, Politico reports.

Roll Call updates on the latest in the Kavanaugh confirmation saga.

WolfWatch.

Gov. Tom Wolf, First Lady Frances Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro join a 5:30 p.m. rally on the Capitol steps for victims' rights.

What Goes On.

The House convenes at 12 p.m; the Senate reconvenes on Tuesday.

What Goes On (Nakedly Political Edition).

7:30 a.m.: Breakfast for Rep. Patty Kim

8 a.m.: Breakfast for Rep. Isabella Fitzgerald

11 a.m.: Luncheon for Rep. Tom Caltagirone

11 a.m.: Luncheon for Rep. Keith Gillespie

11:30 a.m.: Luncheon for Rep. Jonathan Fritz

11:30 a.m.: Luncheon for Rep. Dan Frankel

5 p.m.: Reception for Sen. Bob Mensch

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Rep. Jason Ortitay

6 p.m.: Reception for Rep. Chris Quinn

Ride the circuit, and give at the max today, and you'll part with a truly offensive $15,050.

You Say It's Your Birthday Dept.

Best wishes go out today to Chris Lillienthal of PSEA, who celebrates today. Congratulations, sir. Enjoy the day.

Heavy Rotation.

Here's some new music from

Snow Patrol

to get your Monday morning rolling.

Monday's Gratuitous Hockey Link.

Winnipeg took one off Edmonton in NHL pre-season play. The Jets won 5-3.

And now you're up to date.After the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County became a resettlement and processing center for thousands of Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees.

In late April 1975, the North Vietnamese Army was approaching Saigon, the capitol of South Vietnam. United States President Gerald Ford order all American civilians to evacuate along with South Vietnamese refugees.

What followed was a massive airlift with U.S. Marine and Air Force helicopters of about 1,000 American civilians and 7,000 refugees.

The refugees first went to relocation processing centers in Guam, the Philippines, Thailand, Wake Island and Hawaii before being flown to the four resettlement centers in the United States at Camp Pendleton in California, Fort Chafee in Arkansas, Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and Fort Indiantown Gap.

Refugees were matched with sponsors who agreed to provide food, clothing and shelter until the refugee could become self-sufficient. Sponsors also helped the Vietnamese find jobs and get their children registered in school.

Prior to the arrival of the refugees, Fort Indiantown Gap was prepared with new beds, mess halls and latrines. Medical care facilities were established and clothing was donated.

According to The Evening News on May 27, 1975, preparations included learning how to cook meals the way the Vietnamese preferred -"meat and vegetables together, rice separate."

Refugees began arriving at Harrisburg International Airport on May 28 after a 20-hour flight from Guam where they had been living in tent cities, according to The Evening News on that day.

The refugees who arrived around 10:30 a.m. on that day were greeted by Gov. Milton Shapp and "hordes of photographers and political and military officials."

"America has become a home for people of every nation, every belief, every race and every color. It can also be a home for you. After the tragic experience of the past year, I hope you find here in America a place of peace, freedom and opportunity," Shapp told the refugees.

Also present was the North Lebanon High School marching band, children from Holy Name of Jesus School waving small American flags and children from Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary School lined up along the barriers.

The Evening News reporter wrote, "Most of the refugees were young and wore American clothing. Young men, carrying gym bags and wearing slacks, casual shirts and sneakers, looked as if they had just returned from summer camp."

When they arrived at Fort Indiantown Gap, the refugees were taken to an auditorium where they waited to be photographed, interviewed and assigned living quarters. Adults received juice, babies were fed and Red Cross nurses provided first aid.

Later they were given medical exams, fingerprinted and given Social Security numbers. Children attended a school at the post. Representatives from various federal agencies met with the refugees to begin integrating them into society.

According to The Evening News, the first baby born to a Vietnamese refugee was born at 2:45 a.m. May 30. The girl weighed 6 pounds 6 ounces and automatically became a U.S. citizen.

For eight months in 1975, Fort Indiantown Gap housed more than 20,000 Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees.

On May 29, The Evening News reporter asked a young Vietnamese student who said he had no family why he left Vietnam.

He took the reporter's pen and pencil and wrote, "Because we like Freedom."A Reading man stopped for traffic violations Sunday was found with 331 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle, according to police.

The Susquehanna Regional Police Department said they conducted the traffic stop around 2:09 a.m. at the intersection of Long Lane and River Road in East Donegal Township, Lancaster County.

Adam Lawson, 33, of Reading, was the driver and was found to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest, police said.

While "viewing" Lawson's vehicle, police found 331 grams of methamphetamine, an unregistered 9mm handgun, assorted drug paraphernalia and more than $1,000 in cash, police said.

According to multiple sources, including the Stanton Sheriff's Department in Nebraska, a fourth of a gram of methamphetamine can be sold for $25. Though the price fluctuates due to a number of variables, the meth found with Lawson could have been sold for several thousand dollars.

Officers will conduct a "detailed search" of the whole vehicle and its contents at a later date and time, police said.

Lawson was charged by the Susquehanna Regional Police Department, with the assistance of the Lancaster County Drug Task Force.

Lawson is being held at Lancaster County Prison on $500,000 bail.

Anyone with information on Lawson or related drug activity is asked to contact the Susquehanna Regional Police Department at 717-426-1164. They can also email investigative officers at meadorz@Police.co.lancaster.pa.us or kimesm@police.co.lancaster.pa.us.When members of the state House of Representatives reconvene on Monday after a summer hiatus, they will take up for debate an issue that strikes at the heart of the Roman Catholic Church.

For more than seven decades, church officials across the state's eight dioceses have concealed from parishioners, the public and law enforcement the sexual abuse of thousands of children at the hands of priests.

That systemic concealment of crimes has permitted the passage of time, and with it, the expiration of the time extended to victims by law to prosecute predators.

In the wake of yet another blistering grand jury report detailing horrific and gut-wrenching crimes against children - sometimes committed on some as young as 18 months - lawmakers will take up one of the most contested issues in recent times: the reform of the statute of limitations.

None of the 1,000 cases of child sexual abuse uncovered by the recent grand jury investigation can be prosecuted.

For all, the statute of limitations has expired. Attorney General Josh Shapiro has bemoaned the fact that he can't prosecute every single living priest or bishop implicated in crimes. Shapiro, to date, has indicted only two priests, convicting one of them. To date, no bishop has been indicted.

Among their recommendations, the 23 jurors in the 40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury have called on the Legislature to reform the law and extend to time-barred victims a retroactive window to allow them to file civil suits.

Amid the outcry from the faithful, the public and the survivors of abuse, some say it's an opportunity to atone for past transgressions. Others are referring to it as the reckoning. Others simply note that it is the right thing to do.

The House is slated to debate Senate Bill 261, a piece of legislation that arguably broadens the statute of limitations, retooling it after laws applied to murder.

If passed, the bill would eliminate any time bar on the prosecution of child sex abuse: no matter the passage of time, a predator could be criminally prosecuted, regardless of the years that have passed since the crime.

Indeed, SB261 offers broad measures that would reform the law. But the bill was crafted and passed by the Senate last year, long before the grand jury investigation uncovered the widespread sexual abuse of more than a thousand children across the state by Catholic priests over seven decades.

Victims and advocates say it falls woefully short in some areas, most glaring its failure to provide to adult victims who were abused long ago as children a path to bring predators to justice.

On Monday, the momentum engendered amid the public outcry over the horrific rapes and assaults outlined in the grand jury report will come up against another formidable force: historical impasse.

In a near-deja-vu case, the House two years ago tweaked a similar bill in the wake of another blistering investigation into the Catholic Church that found identical and systemic clergy sex abuse of children in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.

Led by Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Berks County Democrat who has become a perennial advocate for victims, lawmakers looking to establish the so-called "retroactive window" came within inches to achieving that goal.

At the time, the retroactive measure passed in the House with overwhelming support, but at the 11th hour, the bill failed in the Senate, where lawmakers - the majority Republican and bolstered by lobbyists from the church and the Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania - made a case that the bill was unconstitutional.

This time around, the scenario is poised to play out along near-identical lines: Backed by a growing number of House members, Rozzi's measure is expected to pass by an overwhelming majority. The amended bill will then return to the Senate for concurrence, and that's where it is certain to hit the obstacle.

Once again, the fate of the retroactive window - and the profound hope of victims - lies in the hands of a handful of senators who must vote in favor of the amended bill to tip the balance of the GOP-controlled Senate in its favor.

"I'm going to do everything I can to pass the bill," said Sen. Daylin Leach, a Montgomery County Democrat who up until recently opposed the retroactive measure. A prosecutor, Leach was concerned that the measure could lead to injustices in the litigation process.

That all changed, he said, after he read the grand jury findings and speaking with victims.

"The report is just very difficult to get through without becoming physically ill," Leach said.

"I began to question whether I was being too analytical and not empathetic enough in understanding what these people had been through. Was I relying too much on how many angels can dance on a pin? Is it really that slippery of a slope?"

Without a doubt, the balance of the vote falls along partisan lines: the majority of Democrats support the measure, while their GOP counterparts, who enjoy a slim majority margin, stand, for the most part, behind party leadership and the powerful legislative arm of the church, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference.

In the past, the conference has vigorously opposed the retroactive measure. This time around, amid the public outcry and mounting pressure on the worldwide church, its language has soften imperceptibly.

"We have heard that various alternatives and programs may be proposed to address the issue of childhood sexual abuse," said conference spokeswoman Amy Hill. "We look forward to reviewing all proposals introduced by the legislature."

Meanwhile Pennsylvania's bishops are considering the creation of an independent panel to review abuse claims and recommend compensation for victims. The program would be independent and voluntary and would include a panel of experts to review individual cases and determine financial assistance.

News of that review panel came at the heels this week of a class-action lawsuit filed against the church's eight dioceses in Pennsylvania.

In a joint statement, the bishops said they would support "all reasonable and constitutional efforts" focused on helping survivors and their families on a path toward healing.

One of the most prominent victims advocate organization excoriated the church for the idea, which it said was a deflection tactic.

"Victims want and deserve justice, not just money. Survivor needs are better addressed by changes to the state's statute of limitations and a civil window," SNAP, which stands for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said in a written statement. "A civil window and permanent changes to the statute of limitations are the best deterrents to future cover ups in the Catholic Church, and in other institutions."

But the highest-ranking Republican and Senate leader has indicated that only a court action could open the way for the retroactive components to reform.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati insists that only a change to the state Constitution could compel the Legislature to reform the statute of limitations.

Scarnati argues that the Pennsylvania Remedies Clause prohibits a retroactive change to civil and criminal statute of limitations. He says a retroactive measure would violate the state constitution.

For now, that position remains the same: The majority of Senate Republicans stand behind SB261, which would eliminate all criminal and most civil statutes of limitations for child sex abuse crimes and the crimes associated with it. The bill also would eliminate the statute of limitations for criminal charges for conspiracy that facilitates the abuse of a child.

"Our goal 18 months ago - as it is now - was to help the victims of these heinous crimes," said GOP Caucus spokeswoman Jennifer Kocher. "We continue to have an interest in how the state Constitution aligns with the proposed amendment for a 2-year window."

Kocher said the GOP leadership has asked Shapiro to produce a report on why the window falls within the bounds of the state constitution.

"In the end, we will review whatever bill the House sends us as well as the information from the attorney general," Kocher said. "We will meet with our caucus and see where we go from there."

The list of Republican senators who have vowed - or signaled - support for the retroactive measure has increased - but ever so slightly.

None has been more outspoken than Sen. John Rafferty, a Catholic from Montgomery County who has expressed consternation for his church for its failure to prevent the abuse and address it.

Vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Rafferty last week joined Shapiro and a cadre of law enforcement officials and victims to urge passage of the window.

"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.

Rafferty has rebutted Scarnati's argument over the remedies clause, and notes that the retroactive window would apply exclusively to adults who were sexually abused as children. He calls it "a good compromise."

"I know I'm on the side of right," he said this week.

Sen. Ryan Aument, a Lancaster Republican, has signaled willingness to consider the measure.

Aument said he was "open to a conversation around retroactivity" when he spoke to Talking LancasterOnline last week. He said he has met with abuse victims and their families, and said the conversations were "heart-wrenching."

With pressure mounting, victims, advocates and their legislative allies have mounted a veritable full-court press to change the minds of the GOP majority.

Rozzi, who was abused by his Allentown Diocese priest when he was 13, says nothing should stand in the way of his so-called "Window To Justice" legislation, which he says "levels the playing field."

"We're done with the old, tired excuses from the church and from the politicians," he said.

On Monday, a spate of rallies and press events will underscore the efforts by victims advocates to secure support and passage of the retroactive bill.

Rozzi on Monday will hold a rally with other lawmakers at the Capitol Rotunda to drive home his message. In addition to Rafferty and Leach, he'll be joined by former House speakers and former acting-Gov. Mark Singel; as well as Rep. Katharine Watson, R-Bucks, chairwoman of the House Children and Youth Committee and a dozen former House and Senate members, some of whom are coming from as far as California.

Advocates on Monday morning will also march to City Island then proceed to the Capitol, prior to the news conference.

Later in the day, Gov. Tom Wolf, First Lady Frances Wolf and Shapiro will all headline another rally - this time for survivors. Speakers will include Olympic gymnasts and Larry Nassar survivors Rachael Denhollander and Jamie Dantzscher.

Terry McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org, a Massachusetts-based advocacy group that maintains records of clergy abuse, says the retroactive window is an absolute essential component of the bill.

"I would beg the legislators uncertain as to whether they could support to go back and read the Pennsylvania grand jury report," he said. "Go back and re-read if they must and register that so many victims whose abuse is chronicled in the report are out of statute and quite obviously deserve justice. There is absolutely no question. This isn't something good to to do. It's something that absolutely must be done."

The church - by way of its legislative arm, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference - has historically noted that it generously extends care and financial support to victims for counseling and therapy. In addition, church officials argue that a retroactive window would open a floodgate of lawsuits leading dioceses to bankruptcy.

McKiernan applauds the counseling and therapeutic care that the church has extended in year to victims, but he argues that better and more generous care could be afforded to victims in the courts.

"Yes it's going to be expensive but it's money that has to be spent," he said. "It shouldn't be a frightening word. It is their decision about how to handle an expense that they have after incurred. After all, if you can't afford the penalty, don't do the crime."WILLIAMSPORT - A former school principal in the Shikellamy School District voluntarily resigned after she was charged with drunken driving, a ruling has determined.

That was the conclusion of the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals confirming the finding of U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann and denying the appeal of Holly Judge, who claimed it was a constructive discharge.

Judge had been the principal of Oaklyn Elementary School in Sunbury for about three years when a state trooper stopped her in Selinsgrove on May 30, 2014, for a traffic violation.

She acknowledged she had been drinking, and a subsequent blood alcohol test revealed a level of .332 or more than four times the legal limit .08 to drive.

Judge later pleaded guilty, was fined $300 and placed on six months' probation.

She did not tell any school district administrator about the arrest until questioned by then Superintendent Patrick Kelley on June 19, 2014. Judge had yet to be formally charged because her blood test results were not back.

Later the same day Kelley gave Judge a letter seeking her immediate resignation with the promise if she did he would offer a neutral reference about her in the future.

The letter also stated if she did not resign, Kelley would issue a written statement of charges for dismissal that would include immorality, intemperance and moral turpitude.

Judge resigned on June 20, 2014, but in March 2015 filed the federal lawsuit against the district, Kelley, the school board and its members.

That September, Brann removed the school board members and Kelley from the suit. He narrowed the issues but allowed Judge to file an amended complaint.

She did so against just the school district in which she claimed a violation of her due process rights and breach of employment contract. She contended the district did not have a valid cause for termination.

In granting summary judgment, Brann found the district had good cause because her conduct constituted immorality as defined by the state School Code.

In affirming Brann, the appeals court in an opinion made public Monday stated Judge failed to show her resignation was involuntarily procured.

Its opinion points out her arrest at least raised the possibility she might be terminated for immorality and Judge had the option of not resigning but having a hearing before she could be fired.

Any reasonable school principal in Judge's position would have understood the nature of her choice, the document states.Baltimore police confirm an on-duty police officer was injured in a shootout that left the suspect fatally injured Sunday evening.

A press conference was streamed online with interim Baltimore Police Comissioner Gary Tuggle answering media questions around 9:45 p.m.

Tuggle said a veteran officer was shot, and the suspect was fatally wounded. Neither was identified.

The Baltimore Sun reported that the shooting occurred in the rear of the 800 block of Vine St. in the Poppleton neighborhood, just before 6:30 p.m. Tuggle said the incident took place in an alley.

Tuggle said police would have the crime scene cordoned off for an extended period of time, likely overnight because they need daylight to finish their investigation.

Officers were in the area for a "crime suppression initiative" and in uniform when they came across the suspect, Tuggle said. The details of what happened after that are still under investigation.

Tuggle said there were "quite a few rounds fired" which confirmed witness reports to local media.

The suspect was not the target of an operation, Tuggle said.

The officer and the suspect were taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, and the officer currently being treated. Tuggle said the officer's injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

The Sun reported a spokesperson from the Mayor's office said the officer is doing well and could be released Sunday.

There was no time frame given for when police would clear the scene.York-based WellSpan Health said Monday it has appointed a veteran nurse and health care executive as its president and CEO.

Roxanna L. Gapstur will succeed Dr. Kevin Mosser immediately following his retirement on Jan. 1.

Gapstur has a bachelor's, a master's and a doctorate degree in nursing, according to a news release from WellSpan.

The Minnesota native is present the president of Methodist Hospital in Minnesota and a senior vice president for HealthPartners, a health care plan and health care delivery organization that includes eight hospitals and employs 1,800 doctors, the news release said.

"Roxanna comes to WellSpan and central Pennsylvania with a wealth of leadership experience in a large, complex health care organization that has experienced significant change and growth," Steven M. Hovis, WellSpan's board chairman, said in a news release. "She also possesses an extensive background in the nursing profession, which aligns with WellSpan's history of strong clinical leadership."

WellSpan owns hospitals including WellSpan York Hospital, WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon County, WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital and WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital.For years, the effort to reform the Pennsylvania statute of limitations has been chiefly led by Rep. Mark Rozzi, a Berks County Democrat who at the age of 13 was sexually abused by his Diocese of Allentown priest.

Rozzi has become the poster face for adult victims who were abused as children.

On Monday, his fraternity grew by at least one.

Bill Wachob, a Democrat who between 1978 and 1984 served in the House, on Monday made public his own abuse.

Wachob, who now lives in La Jolla, Calif., calls himself "collateral damage" to the clergy sex abuse crisis. He said his abuser - an older and bigger neighbor - was himself being abused by a priest.

"Even though I was not directly abused by the priest, the actions of the priest had a ripple effect and I became collateral damage as a result of the priests' behavior. At such a young age, I was filled with fear knowing that the priest himself was ultimately responsible for the abuse I endured."

The average age for victims to disclose childhood sexual abuse is 52. With two exceptions, none of the cases detailed in the grand jury report can be prosecuted as the statute of limitations have expired.

Wachob broke his silence before a Capitol Rotunda packed with lawmakers and victims ahead of Monday's House vote on reform amendments to a statute of limitations reform bill.

"It is widely known that many abusers were abused themselves," he said. "This was the case with the person who abused me. In fact, he would justify his abusive behavior toward me by continually assuring me that he wasn't doing anything wrong because the priest was doing the same thing to him."

Wachob said his abuse went on for years, and at times in the disguise of strip poker or some other ruse.

Rozzi was brutally raped in the shower more than 30 years ago by the late , the late Father Edward Graff, among the 301 predator priests identified by the grand jury report.

Wachob has kept his silence about his abuse up until now and has only recently realized the destructive and lasting effects that come with child sexual abuse.

Wachob, who now is in campaign advertising production, urged the Legislature to pass a retroactive window that would allow time-barred victims to file civil suits in court.

"I am convinced that if no action is taken now and we just move forward with business as usual, there will be more victims, more broken families and more deaths," he said.

On Monday afternoon, the House by an overwhelming vote passed several amendments to SB261, including Rozzi's retroactive measures.

Once the bill clears a final vote in the House, it will return to the Senate for concurrence.Seventeen Harrisburg residents are interested in filling a newly vacated city council seat, including former council president and mayoral candidate Gloria Martin-Roberts.

The number of applications from candidates represented a higher-than-normal level of interest in a council seat and could make for a long city council meeting Oct. 3, when interviews with all candidates will take place.

The seat was opened this month when Cornelius Johnson stepped down to move to Atlanta for a job. Applications were due Friday.

The person selected to fill the seat will serve until after the next municipal election in late 2019.

The applications were turned over to the city's human resources department, where employees will verify each candidates' eligibility, according to Council Vice President Ben Allatt. Applicants must live in the city, not have a felony and potentially get permission from their employer if they have a job with a state agency.

Besides Martin-Roberts, who challenged Mayor Eric Papenfuse in the last primary election and as a write-in candidate in the general election, other candidates include:

Bill Cluck, an environmental attorney, former board member for Capital Region Water and long-time council watcher.

Devan Drabik, the city's former director of business development who in March took a job as the new director for marketing and communications for Explore HBG, a division of the Hershey and Harrisburg's tourism bureau.

Jennie Jenkins, a fired police officer and failed mayoral candidate who

Airis Smallwood, a musician and daughter of former school board president Jennifer Smallwood.

The other candidates, with any job descriptions available online, are:

Eric Hicks Sr., a former recreation director for the city of Harrisburg

Shane Gallagher, a health insurance technologist

Christi'an Yellowdy, a member of the reinstated Harrisburg Human Relations Commission and member of the community group CATCH (Concerned About the Children of Harrisburg.)

Danielle L. Bowers, executive director for the state House of Representatives Tourism and Recreational Development Committee

Elizabeth P. Hobbs, who studied industrial engineering and has a master's degree in business administration

Josiah Yonker, an insurance account manager

Steve Hickey, an attorney and former Dauphin County public defender

Damion Scott

Joshua Barker,

Lakichia Lee Carrier, who has a master's degree in project management

Joshua Burkholder, a multimedia professional who ran against Scott Perry in the 2016 congressional election,

Aaron N. Holt, a criminal defense attorney

Verified candidates will be interviewed at the public city council meeting next week, then council members can make nominations. Each nomination must be seconded by another council member to proceed to the voting rounds.

The winning candidate must secure a majority of the votes.

With six members currently on council, they could encounter a tie vote. Under that scenario, if a vote is stuck at a tie after three rounds of voting, the mayor will break the tie.

In 2014, Mayor Eric Papenfuse broke a tie to fill the late Eugenia Smith's seat when he chose Jeffrey Baltimore.

Editor's Note: This article was updated to include Burkholder's run against Scott Perry.Photos of spotty hot dogs and frozen food boxes left outside on the ground unattended at a Harrisburg elementary school were accurate and reflect lapses in the district's transition to a new food service vendor, according to Harrisburg's health officer.

Health Officer Nelva Wright visited Ben Franklin Elementary and Melrose Elementary schools last week after the disturbing photos emerged on social media, reportedly taken at Ben Franklin, prompting questions and concerns by parents.

Wright told PennLive she found a series of violations at the schools, including four at Ben Franklin and eight at Melrose.

At Ben Franklin, food was stored on the floor, employees weren't wearing proper hair restraints and a ceiling tile was missing above where the serving trays are located. At Melrose, soap and paper towels were not available at the hand sink (repeat violations,) uncovered food was sitting out, frozen food was sitting out at room temperature and there was evidence of mice infestation on bread.

"There were items of concern that need to be addressed," Wright said.

Some of the photos shared on social media last week featured dozens of boxes of frozen breakfast foods sitting outside in the rain directly on the concrete, illustrating several ways the food could get contaminated. Wright said food must be stored at least six inches off the ground to avoid infestation and contamination and should not be left unattended in the rain.

Wright said she could not determine when the photos were taken, but that it likely wasn't the first or only time this year that food boxes were left on the ground or unattended with the larger delivery and storage problems she identified.

"It appears to be part of the growing pains with the new way of distributing food," she said. "The timing and the amounts of the shipment need to be managed. When you triple the volume of food being delivered without proper training and planning, there are going to be lapses."

School Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney declined to answer any questions about the district's food service department or problems highlighted by the photos.

District Spokeswoman Kirsten Keys forwarded a news release from the new food service vendor, Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE,) which contradicted the city's health officer and said no problems were found at any school campus.

Keys also referred all questions to the chief financial officer and acting business manager who did not answer financial questions but said the kitchens are staffed by both district and SFE employees.

"The District works collaboratively with SFE to help ensure the highest quality of food service delivery," according to an emailed statement from the business office.

School board members in June voted 5-4 to change food vendors and hire SFE for this school year, leading to an overhaul in operations. It's unclear why the district sought to change food service providers but School Board President Judd Pittman and three other board members (Carrie Fowler, Brian Carter and Lionel Gonzalez) had concerns about the switch and voted against it, according to board minutes.

While the new vendor is providing a more varied menu for students, Wright said the company is also dropping off much more food per delivery, causing storage problems at many school kitchens, which already lacked extensive storage space.

When the boxes won't fit in the cooler or freezer, for example, employees have removed bags of food from the boxes to make the food fit. But then employees have not consistently labeled the bags with expiration dates from the boxes, leading to questions about spoilage, Wright said.

Any questionable food discovered during Wright's visits were thrown away, she said.

Manpower and timing of the deliveries also have caused problems, Wright said, because employees sometimes are busy preparing or serving food when deliveries show up and they don't have time to put the giant loads of newly-delivered food away.

"It's been overwhelming, for them," Wright said.

Another concern shared with Wright by employees was an increase this year in food waste.

"They're throwing out huge amounts of food," Wright said. "I've seen photos of the food thrown away. There is definitely waste."

It's unclear who is paying for the wasted food, beyond taxpayers who pay for the federal and state reimbursements. The district gets federal funding to provide free breakfast, lunch and after-school snacks to all students because of the district's high percent of poverty.

According to the SFE contract, the district gets about $4.9 million in federal and state reimbursements annually.

After subtracting SFE's annual costs of about $2.4 million to provide meals, that leaves more than $2.5 million as the "school nutrition program profit," according to the contract.

The contract guarantees the district will "profit" at least $1.25 million this school year from the money left over. If the district does not meet this threshold, then the district would not have to pay SFE's annual management and administrative fee of about $126,000.

SFE released a statement Monday that appeared to contradict the city's health inspector by saying they found no problems or issues during their review of district schools.

"No product quality or preparation issues were found on any campus," said a statement by Kari Paulson from the corporate office of SFE in Arizona. "Further, the inspection team could find no evidence that the food item photo depicted in the post was taken in any Harrisburg School District cafeteria."

Paulson later clarified by phone that the statement referred only to the photo of the hot dogs. She was unaware of the photos that showed the frozen foods unattended outside of the school.

At the end of the business day Monday, she provided more insight into the situation.

"We immediately started a comprehensive review process across all Harrisburg campuses when we were notified of the photo posting," Paulson said. "At the time the press release was approved for sending, there had been no report from the team about product quality or preparation issues. However, as we have continued with the investigation into this week, working closely with the City Health Office, we have identified a couple of areas for improvement related to food drop-off locations and receiving protocol. This week, the SFE team is working closely with the City Health Office to promptly and thoroughly address these areas."

Some problems identified at the schools were fixed immediately, Wright said, but other longer-term fixes are still underway such as ensuring appropriate staffing for each school and having someone on site who is adequately trained in food management.

Food not kept at the proper temperatures for the proper amount of time can lead to dangerous multiplication of bacteria, Wright said.

"There are a lot of conversations going on right now," she said. "We have a concentrated effort to document and educate. That's where we are. We're trying to improve practices and identify problems....At the end of the day, this all needs to be managed."

Editor's Note: Additional details from inspection reports and Paulson were added to this article.

Inspection reports from Ben Franklin and Melrose elementary schools by PennLive on ScribdAdult victims of child sexual abuse on Monday afternoon came one step closer to securing a temporary window of time that would allow them to bring predators to justice.

The House voted overwhelmingly in favor of an amendment that would attach to a statute of limitations reform bill a retroactive component permitting those victims timed-out of the legal system a chance to file civil suits.

The House could as early as Tuesday vote on Senate Bill 261 - the main bill. The Senate passed the bill last February; it reforms the statute of limitations, notably by eliminating the criminal statutes on child sex abuse. Under the bill, child sex abuse - like murder - would never have statutes expire.

Monday's 171-23 vote on the amendment comes a little more than a month after Attorney General Josh Shapiro released a blistering grand jury report that unearthed the widespread sexual abuse of children across six dioceses in the state over decades. Investigators found that bishops and church officials systemically concealed the crimes from parishioners, the public and law enforcement.

Rozzi had bipartisan support - as well opposition - to his amendment.

Speaking in support for the amendment, Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, a Republican and a Catholic from Bucks County, excoriated his church and said it was time for victims to have their day in court.

"It's time for my church to accept responsibility for its action," he said. "It's time for healing for the church to start taking place and the healing will not start until they accept responsibility. It might be only way for them to accept this bill...this window."

Several lawmakers cited the similar findings out of the investigations in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. The push to reform the state laws to extend a retroactive window to victims has largely been ongoing since those investigations.

Speaking in opposition to Rozzi's amendment, Rep. Michael Corr, a Republican from Montgomery County, argued that lawmakers had a duty to uphold the state Constitution, and that the amendment violated the remedies clause, which extends certain defenses to citizens.

"This amendment would strip citizens of that right," he said. "Government does not have the power to strip that right....What is the limit and power of government?"

The retroactive measure has remained the linchpin to the demands laid out by victims and advocates, who say that as long as they are not able to go after their predators those predators will continue to prey on other children.

Just hours leading to the vote, Rep. Mark Rozzi, the author of the retroactive amendment, assembled in the Capitol Rotunda with dozens of lawmakers - current and former - to urge House members and their Senate counterparts to support the look-back window.

Rozzi's amendment would:

establish a two-year window in which civil lawsuits alleging childhood sexual abuse may be filed in court despite any otherwise applicable statute of limitations defense;

increases the standard of conduct for the waivers of sovereign and governmental immunity from regular negligence to gross negligence;

retain the current caps on damages for lawsuits brought pursuant to a waiver of sovereign or governmental immunity;

remove the statement of legislative intent.

"This isn't a hard vote. It isn't," Rozzi said just moments before the amendment vote. "Ask yourself one question: do you stand with victims or do you stand with pedophiles or the institutions who protect them?"WILLIAMSPORT -- The state Department of Corrections has agreed to pay a former inmate $20,000 to settle a federal lawsuit in which he claimed he was incarcerated more than two years beyond his maximum release date.

The department settled with Michael Miller without admitting liability and to avoid the expense of future litigation, according to the agreement obtained Monday by PennLive through a right-to-know request.

The $20,000 goes to the law firm that represented Miller and is to cover damages along with court and attorney fees.

Miller sued the department, three officials at the Coal Twp. state prison and 10 unnamed corrections officers in U.S. Middle District Court in 2016, claiming he had been detained 2 years, 145 days longer than his sentence called for.

His suit claimed his maximum release date was March 28, 2013, but he was not freed until Aug. 20, 2015.

Miller's suit said that although he notified prison officials, parole board and the sentencing judge about his wrongful detention, no one took meaningful action to investigate or resolve it.

The defense response did not specifically address those claims but asked Judge John E. Jones III to dismiss the complaint, citing immunity and contending Miller failed to exhaust administrative and state court remedies.

Notice of the settlement was filed with the court in June but the parties did not sign the agreement until August. The state Attorney General's office received it until Friday.

Miller had been sentenced Jan. 27, 2010, in Philadelphia to 3 to 6 years in state prison followed by four years' probation on charges of aggravated assault and animal fighting.

The sentence was to run concurrent with a term he was serving in a 2006 case and he was to be given credit for approximately a year and six months.A cadre of Pennsylvania lawmakers - current and former - on Monday gathered on the steps of the Capitol Rotunda to urge lawmakers to support measures that would open a retroactive window for adult victims of child sex abuse to sue predators in civil court.

At issue was the recommendation by a recent grand jury report on clergy sex abuse to establish the temporary path to justice for victims time-barred out of the legal system.

The backdrop was the abbreviated legislative session, which kicked off Monday amid the growing calls from victims and advocates to more broadly amend Senate Bill 261 to include retroactivity.

Rep. Mark Rozzi, the Berks County Democrat who has spearheaded the reform charge and is poised to introduce the retroactive amendment, called the impending vote on his amendment in the House "a historic vote."

"This is the beginning of the end of our fight for justice for all victims of child sexual abuse," Rozzi said to a Rotunda packed with survivors of abuse, lawmakers and a throng of media.

With the cries of support from survivors at times echoing through the marble halls of the Rotunda, Rozzi urged fellow lawmakers to not hide behind arguments of constitutionality.

"That issue should be left to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to decide," he said. "Nothing and no one should stand in the way for an affirmative vote for a two-year window. Let's get this done and send a message to the Senate that victims have waited long enough for justice."

Giving a nod to Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who stood among audience members and whose office conducted the investigation into widespread clergy sex abuse across six dioceses in Pennsylvania, Sen. John Rafferty, a Montgomery County Republican, urged the Legislature to "act and act positively" for victims of child sexual abuse.

One of the few Senate Republicans to outspokenly support the retroactivity measure, Rafferty noted that the narrow definition laid out in the amendment would apply strictly to adult victims who were sexually abused as children and have timed out of the system.

He said state law was never intended to protect predators over victims.

"This is a sin against God. A sin against the individual," Rafferty said. "We in the Legislature owe it to victims to open that door."

The House on Monday afternoon was poised to take up Rozzi's retroactivity amendment on SB261 as well as a handful of other measures. The House could vote as early as Tuesday on the final bill.

Among the amendments on the table is a measure that would increase the penalties relating to the failure of a mandated reporter to report child abuse; and others that would increase penalties for plaintiffs who make false swearing or unsworn falsification in connection with a claim of childhood sexual abuse.

The focus of the pre-session rally, however, was clearly honed on the retroactive component authored by Rozzi.

Rozzi's amendment would:

establish a two-year window in which civil lawsuits alleging childhood sexual abuse may be filed in court despite any otherwise applicable statute of limitations defense;

increases the standard of conduct for the waivers of sovereign and governmental immunity from regular negligence to gross negligence;

retain the current caps on damages for lawsuits brought pursuant to a waiver of sovereign or governmental immunity;

remove the statement of legislative intent.

As currently written, Senate Bill 261 would eliminate criminal statutes on child sexual abuse, largely classifying such crimes like that of murder, which carries statutes that never expire. The Senate GOP leadership opposes the retroactive measure, calling it a potential violation of the state constitution.

One by one, members of the Legislature and even Auditor General Eugene DePasquale took to the podium to urge passage of the measure.

"There is always a reason that can be found not to act," he said. "Every law had somebody argue against it. This is very simple. Are you on the side of the predators or on side of the victims?

Gov. Tom Wolf, who supports the retroactivity measure, earlier in the morning reiterated the importance of the look-back window.

"It's one of the four recommendations of the grand jury and it's one that seems to have elicited the greatest debate and controversy," he said. "I will continue to engage with the General Assembly. At this point, I think that's what we need to do. We need to go along with the full recommendations of the grand jury and that's one of them."

Scores of victims who gathered at the rally had moments earlier marched on the streets and up to the Capitol, carrying placards and shouting out demands in support of the retroactivity window.

Among the survivors were three Dauphin County sisters who were all sexually abused as girls by the same priest. Teresa, Carolyn and Patty Fortney echoed the sentiments from lawmakers at the podium and implored lawmakers in both chambers to open a path for them to seek justice.

"It's clear. There are victims. There are pedophiles," said Carolyn Fortney who testified before the grand jury. "You get to choose your destiny to be a hero or villain. It's up to you. Your legacy is in your own hands."

Her sister Teresa Fortney said: "If this was your grandchild, would your vote be different? It's a travesty if this does not pass."

The Fortney sisters are five of eight sisters in the family who were sexually abused by Father Augustine Giella in the 1980s. Their abuse was detailed in the grand jury report.

"This is not about money," said Patty Fortney-Julius. "This is about exposing pedophoiles that are out there now...they have to be held accountable."

Almost every lawmaker who addressed the crowd called out the work of Rozzi and Shapiro.

"Thanks for not giving up," Rep. Kevin Haggerty, a Democrat from Lackawanna County, said to Rozzi.

Shapiro more than once was recognized with thunderous rounds of clapping and cheers from the victims.

"You have given us our voice," Rozzi said to the attorney general. Dan Dyer, a lead investigator in the statewide probe was also singled out to a round of applause.

On Monday afternoon, a group of victims were poised to visit the office of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, which historically has opposed retroactive reforms to the law.

The conference has more recently signaled a willingness to "reviewing all proposals introduced by the legislature."

One of the most compelling moments of the rally was offered by former state representative Bill Wachob, a Clearfield/Elk counties Democrat who served between 1978-1984.

Wachob for the first time in his life made public the story of his own sexual abuse at the hands of an older friend, who himself was being abused by a Diocese of Erie priest.

Wachob, who traveled from La Jolla, Calif., to join the rally, said that 40 years after his abuse, he now knows he is not "alone in having both lived through this kind of trauma, and understanding its long-term impact."

He warned members of the Legislature that if they did not act now, years from now they might find themselves asking another governing body to protect their own children or grandchildren.

"You have an opportunity, with the grace of God to begin a process that will ease the pain that has fallen upon our hearts for far too long."State Police said two people were found dead Sunday morning, in an apparent murder-suicide in Washington County.

Peters Township Police were dispatched to a home in the 100 block of Malboro Road at 6:25 a.m. Sunday, to reports of two deceased adults, police said.

Peters Township Police called in state police to investigate the incident shortly after.

Craig Bryan, 48, and Kelly Bryan, 44, were identified as the two found dead in the home, police said. They were found by the pairs children.

Police said they believe the incident started as a domestic violence incident and escalated to a murder-suicide.

The cause of death will be provided after the autopsy.

The investigation is ongoing.

The Washington County Coroner's Office, Peter's Township EMS and Peter's Township Police Department assisted in the investigation.Two days after a 17-year-old boy crashed his car into a tree and went missing, he has been found.

Christopher Craven was delirious with no memory of what had occurred, but the Bucks County teen is recovering, Action News 6 ABC is reporting.

"He's lucky to be alive," Upper Gwynedd Township Police Chief David Duffy told the station.

According to reports, Christopher left work at the Delaware Valley University cafeteria Friday night and never came home.

Discovering his crashed car, which hit a tree head on, was like finding a needle in a haystack, Duffy told 6 ABC. It was in a deep, densely-wooded ditch on Route 202 in Warrington Township, but Christopher was nowhere to be found.

It took two days, but police found the teen on Sunday in the woods. According to reports, he was about a mile away from where he had crashed, lying in the grass with no memory of what had occurred.

He is recovering at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Police say he is expected to make a full recovery.A divided state Supreme Court has voided the drug-related conviction of a former Shippensburg University student after deciding a state trooper illegally re-entered her off-campus sorority house.

The trooper had emergency authority when he entered the sorority house without a warrant the first time to try to rescue a drunken man from the roof of its porch, Justice Christine Donohue found in the court's majority opinion.

Yet the officer had no legal right to re-enter the house afterward, which is when he said he spotted a marijuana bong and pipe in Ashley Wilmer's room, Donohue concluded.

Justice Sallie Updyke Mundy filed a dissenting opinion, claiming her colleagues have created a new restriction on police that doesn't reflect situations encountered in real-life law enforcement.

The case centers on what happened while Trooper Charles Smolleck and a colleague were on foot patrol on the night of Oct. 27, 2013.

They said they saw the drunken man reeling on the sorority house porch roof and asked to be allowed to enter the building to prevent him from falling. The occupants refused and laughed when the other trooper tried and failed to kick in the locked door. The troopers did get in by breaking a window, but by the time they reached the porch roof the man had fallen and was being treated by EMTs.

Smolleck spotted a bag of marijuana on a coffee table as he left the house, then went back into the building without first securing a search warrant. It was then that he encountered Wilmer and claimed he saw the bong and a marijuana pipe on a nightstand in her bedroom.

Wilmer, now 24, of Royersford, was charged with possessing drug paraphernalia. County Judge Skip Ebert rejected her attorney's request to suppress the evidence Smolleck obtained and convicted her of the charge during a nonjury trial in February 2016. Ebert fined her $50.

The Supreme Court took on the case after the state Superior Court backed Ebert's decision not to suppress the evidence Smolleck obtained when he entered the sorority house the second time.

In overturning that ruling, Donohue found that while Smolleck had emergency authority to enter the sorority house without a warrant the first time to try to rescue the drunken man, his authority to remain inside ended when the victim toppled off the roof.

The emergency was over then, and Smolleck's authority to maintain a warrantless presence promptly expired, Donohue concluded. She rejected the argument that Smolleck had authority to re-enter the house to get information for his incident report regarding the broken window.

"Once the emergency that permitted the troopers' initial entry ceased, their right of entry into the sorority house under the emergency aid exception also ceased," Donohue wrote. Therefore, she found, "Trooper Smolleck did not observe the glass marijuana bong and pipe in the sorority house from a lawful vantage point."

In disagreeing, Mundy argued the court's majority wrongly considered Smolleck's two entries to be two separate incidents. In reality, they were all part of the same incident that lawfully allowed the troopers to enter the house to address an emergency, she insisted.

Since Smolleck was legally in the house in the first place, he had authority to seize the evidence used against Wilmer, Mundy wrote.On Monday morning, Gov. Tom Wolf's re-election campaign breathlessly blasted out a press release to campaign reporters:

"Scott Wagner unveils shocking new plan to close Pennsylvania schools," it blared, warning of a "a seismic shift in Pennsylvania's education system."

Wait? What?

A bit of background:

In a piece published in the Bradford Era over the weekend, the former York County state senator mused aloud on a number of subjects, public education being one of them.

Here's the germane section:

"He addressed education needs as well, saying he released a plan three weeks ago to put $1 billion into the school system without tax increases. He said $700 million will be through the 2016 school funding formula, while the remainder is block grant money for which school districts can apply.

"'The most important thing is we have a skilled-labor crisis in Pennsylvania," Wagner said. "We need to retool, reinvent our school system. Our kids today are all being pushed to college."

"Now, students in 10th through 12th grades are being talked to about career paths. Wagner believes students in fourth through sixth grade should be in on the discussion.

"Wagner said a governor's representative will go to every county to do an assessment of the schools. And maybe, he suggested, it might be prudent to consolidate some in areas where some schools are underperforming.

"'I think people are not starting to realize we have way too many schools in an area," he said. "We need to start having some honest conversations, but we also have to move fast. Someone is successful in their life based on the education they have."

"In these conversations with districts, maybe the governor's representative can learn about roadblocks to success in areas where the governor is able to help."

Because we're less than 45 days out from the election, Wolf's campaign pounced on Wagner's comments.

Beth Melena, a spokeswoman for Wolf's campaign, warned that, if it ever came to pass, Wagner's idea, a "shocking shift," would "disproportionately affect rural and suburban schools," said

"Parents and children should be terrified by Wagner, who has also supported Harrisburg Republicans' billion dollar cut to education, called for laying off 10 percent of teachers in Pennsylvania, and said he would not devote more money to public schools," Melena continued "It's clear that Scott Wagner as governor would be dangerous for our children, and he would take Pennsylvania backwards."

Melena is right about one thing, there's a lot not to like when it comes to Wagner's plans for Pennsylvania's public schools.

But worrying that he might close some of them isn't one of them.

Because if Wagner's an evil monster who wants to close down schools, then so, too, is former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, who suggested exactly the same thing in 2009.

"Almost everyone agrees that Pennsylvania has far too many school districts," Rendell said, as he got ready to roll out his penultimate budget as governor nearly a decade ago. "As of July, there will be 500 districts statewide. We just don't need that many school districts, and more importantly, in today's economy, we cannot afford them."

As PennLive's Jan Murphy reported at the time, the consolidation proposal was tucked inside Rendell's fiscal 2009-10 budget plan.

And it's not as if the state hasn't shrunk the ranks of school districts before The last state-ordered school consolidation occurred in 1955, when there were a truly insane 2,700 school districts.

That number fell to 600 by 1962.

At the time, Republican leaders, who agreed with Rendell on almost nothing, were receptive to the idea.

"If we could reduce school districts, cut down on bureaucracy and reduce the amount of property taxes to the citizens of Pennsylvania and keep up quality of education, I'm all for it," Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, said back then.

This very news organization's editorial page, in fact, credited Rendell for some creative thinking when he left office more than a year later.

Even so, Rendell's plan vanished without a trace. Even with its measurable advantages.

"When you ask Pennsylvanians if it is acceptable that, within a mile of each other, one child's education could be twice as well funded as another," the vast majority says it is not, Donna Cooper, Rendell's then-policy secretary, said, according to The Pottstown Mercury.

The Mercury reported at the time that only 10 states had more districts than Pennsylvania. And the states with the best records of student achievement had fewer, the newspaper also found.

Further, "a study by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association identified at least a dozen other states that have considered or implemented similar consolidation and merger proposals in recent years," the newspaper noted.

Shocking? Not hardly.

In 2013, school officials in York also batted around the idea of consolidation, as the city's school district grappled with herculean problems of its own.

In 2016, former state Rep. Mike Vereb, a Montgomery County Republican who now works for Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro, also took a run at a resolution authorizing a study of consolidating the state's school districts, The Morning Call of Allentown reported.

The fruits of that effort, a 2017 report by the Joint State Government Commission, found mixed results across the states where it had been attempted. The report made no specific recommendations on whether the state should or should not consolidate or merge districts.

And as this report in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat makes clear, the state has spent decades trying - and failing - to wrangle down the size of Pennsylvania's school districts.

"The hardest animal to kill in Pennsylvania is the school mascot," John Wozniak, a former Democratic state senator from Cambria County, who also pushed the consolidation boulder, told the newspaper.

So points to the Wolf camp for creativity. But there's nothing new under the sun here.By Anthony Scaramucci

It's impossible to fix what isn't broken, and but it's easy to break what was just fixed.

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci speaks to members of the media at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, July 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

The Democrats will only destroy -- not fix -- Pennsylvania's roaring economy if they win the majority in the House or Senate in November.

If they do win, you can bet that they'll scrap President Trump's America First agenda and reverse the remarkable economic progress we've achieved in Pennsylvania in the process.

After nearly a decade of decline and disaffection for Pennsylvanians, good news about the state's economic comeback is growing by the day.

In July, Pennsylvania's unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent -- its lowest level in over a decade. Some local communities have even managed to outpace Pennsylvania's overall growth, creating new jobs at a faster rate than the rest of the state.

At the national level, we're seeing record economic progress as well. The median household income has jumped to an all-time high of $61,400, while 20 states also saw their poverty rates plummet in 2017. Likewise, America is seeing an overall economic growth rate that exceeded all expectations, and a low unemployment rate not seen in decades.

Everyday Americans recognize that the economy is thriving -- but why don't Democrats? Because as far as they're concerned, to admit that President Trump's way works is to admit the failure of their own policies.

Under Senator Bob Casey and former President Barack Obama, Pennsylvania's economy was on life support, its pulse fading as small businesses closed their doors. Pennsylvania's workers were struggling, too -- for years, the state unemployment rate was nearly double its current rate.

Instead of acknowledging his own record of failure, Barack Obama is back in Pennsylvania again selling the same old anti-worker, anti-growth agenda that strangled our economy for years under his leadership.

The former president visited Pennsylvania to stump for his fellow Democrats while attacking President Trump and his policies.

Is Obama's big government, slow growth snake oil really the economic remedy that Senator Casey wants to inflict on the state? Apparently so.

In allegiance with Obama and his meager economic record, Bob Casey and the Democrats refuse to celebrate the success of the Trump economy and ignore good jobs reports because they can't claim credit for it.

In fact, they wagered all of their political capital on blocking President Trump's historic tax cuts that have proven so successful, and now they're struggling to argue against them in the midterm elections that will determine the fate of the entire Trump agenda and Pennsylvania's immediate economic future.

Pennsylvania's economy doesn't need the same policies that paralyzed its economy only a couple of years ago. It needs the sort of pro-growth policies that Senate candidate Lou Barletta supports in his race against Bob Casey.

Barletta voted for the passage of President Trump's tax cuts -- the consequential legislation that has unchained Pennsylvania's economy, lifting it soaring to new heights.

Our economy is finally getting fixed, so we can't let it get broken again if the Democrats take the majority in the House or Senate this fall.

President Trump and Congressional Republicans are winning for Pennsylvania. Let's help them finish the job and build on Pennsylvania's incredible success.

Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) is the founder of the global investment firm Skybridge Capital and served in the Trump administration as White House communications director.By Andrew Williams

Residents of Ivy Lane in Center Township in Beaver County, Pa., awoke on Sept. 10 to a deafening boom and fireball that lit up the dawn sky.

Andrew Williams (Environmental Defense Fund photo)

A natural gas pipeline owned by Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) - the Sunoco subsidiary that is nearing completion of the accident-plagued Mariner East 2 pipeline criss-crossing the state - had exploded just up the road. Thankfully, no one was hurt but the episode has caused citizens to question how another explosion can be prevented.

To begin to address the growing public safety and environmental threats from gathering lines like the one that just exploded, Pennsylvania should require operators to inventory and disclose the locations of these pipelines as well as their size and operating pressure.

Operators should also disclose the leak detection and repair protocol used to keep the lines in good operating condition. This can help the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) make reasonable safety assessments.

Equally important is addressing pipeline safety before a pipeline is even built.

We need to forge bipartisan support in the state Legislature for a better plan for natural gas infrastructure development that will lower the potential for catastrophic events.

A co-sponsorship memo recently circulated by state Sen. John Rafferty, R-Montgomery, charts a sensible course that supports the state Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) permitting authority over new lines.

Improving pipeline oversight is critically important. As the development of natural gas grows exponentially across the U.S., so has the network of onshore gas gathering lines.

The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) estimates that it regulates only 11,000 out of the more than 250,000 miles of onshore gas gathering lines as of 2016. Mileage of onshore gas gathering lines is rapidly expanding with sizable new capacity being added every year.

Pipelines today aren't just more plentiful, they are also much larger and carry a greater volume of high pressured gas. According to the federal government, the expansion of natural gas drilling is leading to new gathering lines with diameters exceeding that of traditionally larger transmission lines.

The 24-inch ETP pipeline that exploded just off Ivy Lane is one of these larger gathering lines.

But because these rural gathering lines are not being regulated, states and communities lack data regarding where they are, and the risks they present. As one example, PHMSA does not collect incident data or report the number and consequences of major events like last week's explosion.

PHMSA proposed a rulemaking for pipeline safety in 2016 but progress has been slow, and the PUC has not stepped in to fill the gap.

In lieu of federal regulations, the American Petroleum Institute initiated a voluntary effort to address pipeline risk. Unfortunately, that effort is failing, in part due to operators who cannot identify the locations of all gathering lines under management.

While there are many responsible operators who support enhanced safety standards and regulation, it appears that they are being drowned out by those that do not. Pennsylvania must do more to improve oversight of these pipelines because inaction could be deadly.

Last year in Colorado, a tragic and deadly home explosion caused by a poorly managed gas line pushed the state to start requiring operators to report their pipeline locations. At a minimum, Pennsylvania should enact similar measures.

Gov. Tom Wolf has already recognized the need to address harmful impacts of natural gas development, as his administration recently finalized controls that will reduce methane leaks and emissions from new and modified natural gas infrastructure, protections which should soon extend to existing sources of natural gas infrastructure in the state.

The Wolf administration would also be well served to echo Colorado's call for critical safety information for the gathering line network.

Routine inspection and integrity management rules of these pipelines should be the goal. Disclosure represents the first, measured, essential step toward standards that keep pace with new technologies, new pipelines, and new risks.

Andrew Williams is director of regulatory and legislative affairs for the Environmental Defense Fund. He writes from Washington D.C.By Vanessa Williams

Black children are 18 more times likely to be tried as adults than are white children.

Vanessa Williams (Washington Post photo)

It is a statistic that Phillip Atiba Goff, a social psychologist who studies racial disparities in the criminal justice system, would like to be included in the debate surrounding the allegation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a girl when he was a teenager.

Some, including people who say they opposed Kavanaugh's nomination on ideological grounds, have asked if it's fair to judge him as an adult for something that he is accused of having done when he would have been 17 years old.

This kind of consideration is rarely extended to black boys, said Goff. He authored a 2014 study that found that black boys "are seen as more culpable for their actions (i.e. less innocent) within a criminal justice context" than white boys, and "are actually misperceived as older relative to peers of other races."

"The police officers in Cleveland who shot Tamir Rice said he was a black male who looked to be around 20 years old. He was 12," Goff said in an interview this week, referring to the 2014 incident. Rice was playing with a toy gun in a neighborhood park when an officer opened fire within two seconds after getting out of his patrol car.

"It's almost like childhood was invented to protect white boys only," Goff said, noting that the 2014 study was "the third paper of its kind showing black boys are treated as older than they actually are."

Those assumptions about black boys have their basis in the racist history of dehumanization of African Americans and other people of color, which Goff's research also explores. In the study, mostly white male police officers and mostly white female undergraduate students were shown photos of apes or large cats. Police officers who associated African Americans with apes were more likely to use force against black children. The female students who associated black people with apes judged black children over the age of 10 as less innocent and in need of protection.

The dehumanization of blackness leaves teenagers especially vulnerable, Goff argues. He likens it to how people perceive animals at the zoo. "Everyone loves the baby animals . . . think they are adorable," he said. "But have you ever seen an adolescent wolf or tiger or lion?"

"Adolescence is a uniquely human category. If your group is treated as less than human, then your group doesn't get to go through adolescence, and that's how black boys are treated," Goff said. "It's that awkward space between childhood and becoming an adult that's given extra care for white children, but is erased for black boys."

Kavanaugh's confirmation has been tripped up by an accusation by Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, that he sexually assaulted her at a party in the early 1980s. During a house party in Montgomery County, Maryland, Ford said that a drunken Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her and tried to take her clothes off. When she tried to scream, she said, Kavanaugh put his hand over her mouth. Ford was able to get away from Kavanaugh after a friend of his jumped on the bed, she said, and she fled, locking herself in the bathroom.

Kavanaugh had denied the allegations and said he is looking forward to addressing them at a hearing the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled for Monday.

Ford has not yet agreed to the Monday hearing, although her lawyer said Thursday that she might testify later in the week. Ford has asked for an FBI probe of her allegation before going before the committee.

Some of Kavanaugh's defenders have said that Ford's allegation, if true, amounted to little more than a youthful indiscretion. One female Kavanaugh supporter said what Ford described could be viewed as rough horseplay.

Even some who say they oppose his nomination, like Georgetown law professor Rosa Brooks, have expressed uneasiness questioning his character as a grown man based on "his behavior as a teen." Brooks argued in a lengthy Twitter thread that the "bad behavior of minors should be treated differently than the behavior of adults, and that adults should not be shadowed by misdeeds as children." And she anticipated pushback from people who point to racial disparities in the criminal justice system: "[T]o those who say, 'But the GOP would not treat allegations of sex assault by a black teen as forgivingly,' I agree as well. But . . . we shouldn't conform to the bad behaviors of others."

But that is little help for the black boys who the criminal justice system treats as adults, with consequences that not only affect the rest of their lives, but sometimes cuts their lives short.

Khalil Muhammad, professor of history, race and public policy at Harvard's Kennedy School, said concern by some for Kavanaugh's age at the time of the alleged assault is evidence of a double standard because they are most likely to support drastic policing tactics, such as stop and frisk, aimed at black youth.

He cited the case of Kalief Browder, a 16-year-old teenager from the Bronx who was walking home from a party when he was arrested for allegedly stealing a backpack. He spent three years awaiting trial in Riker's Island, where he was beaten by guards, other inmates and frequently locked in solitary confinement. The charges were dropped for lack of evidence. Browder killed himself a few years later.

"I think the systemic criminalization of black youth is perhaps the clearest indicator that age and innocence is no protection for youth of color in this country," Muhammad said.

The five African American and Latino boys accused of raping a jogger in New York's Central Park in 1989 were between 14 and 16 years old when they were arrested. Donald Trump took out a full page ad in the city's newspapers calling for the death penalty for the accused. When the young men were exonerated and released from prison several years later, Trump refused to apologize and criticized the city for paying them restitution for their wrongful conviction and incarceration.

Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis were both 17 - and unarmed - when they were shot to death in separate incidents in Florida in 2012. In both cases, adult men instigated confrontations with the teenagers then said they shot them because they feared for their lives.

Goff again cites the statistics: "Black children are 2.3 times more likely to be arrested, 5 times more likely to catch a sentence, and the sentences are significantly longer because they are 18 times more likely to be tried as adults."

He adds: "I don't think anybody should be held accountable for the rest of their lives for the worst thing they ever did. But we're very comfortable with society doing that with children who get arrested who are black - and I need that inconsistence to be part of the conversation."

Vanessa Williams is a reporter on The Washington Post's National desk.Gov. Tom Wolf says the reason he isn't participating in more debates with Republican opponent Scott Wagner is not because he's afraid to debate him.

"The election process in a democracy is five months of continuous debate where I'm laying out the stark contrast that exists between me and my opponent and I will continue to do that through Election Day," Wolf told the sell-out crowd gathered at the Harrisburg Hilton for the Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon on Monday.

He said the longstanding tradition of having three debates between the candidates - one in the eastern part of the state, one in the central part and one in the west - made no sense to him.

During his appearance before the press club last month, Wagner accused Wolf of running out the clock by not debating him beyond the 45-minute Oct. 1 debate in Hershey sponsored by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry that is hosted by "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek.

During his near nine-minute speech, Wolf read from his notes that in a second term, he will continue to fight for more money for education, better access to health care, job creation and training that together makes lives better. He will continue to work to ensure Pennsylvania has balanced budgets and puts money away in its rainy day fund.

He wants to push for his ethics reform plan that includes a gift ban for all public officials. Right now, it applies only to those who work for the governor. He wants to see 'no budget, no pay' legislation pass. He also said he would work for gerrymandering reform, campaign finance reporting reforms, and public official expense reform.

"I will continue to try to do everything I can to make sure the people of Pennsylvania trust the government that exists to serve their needs," Wolf said. "I know we have a lot more to do but Pennsylvania has a come a long way from when I stood here back in 2014. We cannot go backwards."

Afterward, Wolf was asked by reporters for examples of the stark differences between himself and Wagner, who he declined to mention by name during his speech as well as in answers to questions.

"Pretty much everything," Wolf replied.

Wolf said he supports a severance tax on natural gas drillers. He said Wagner apparently does not. He believes women should have the right to make their own health care decisions. Wagner, he said, apparently does not.

Wagner "talked about wanting to close schools. I don't want to close schools. I want to keep putting more money into schools," Wolf said.

Wolf was referring to his campaign's takeaway from a story in the Bradford Era that reported Wagner as saying he felt it might be prudent to consolidate underperforming schools. Wagner's campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo said, "Scott can't close schools as governor and he has no plan to do so."

A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Republican Party who was on hand to hear Wolf's speech was critical of several aspects of it. In particular he called attention to the governor's answer to a question about an earlier statement he made to a Philadelphia radio reporter about wanting to run all state funding for education through a 2016 formula over time without cutting funding to schools and without raising taxes.

Wolf told the press club audience, "The idea is we ought to be making sure that schools get funded." He later said he wasn't for a tax increase.

"He has no means to achieve the ends other than raising taxes," said GOP spokesman Jason Gottesman. "The amount of money it takes to raise the revenue for public schools like this has been calculated in the billions. I'd like to see how he's going to do that without raising taxes. He can't."

Wagner, meanwhile, "has a detailed plan to invest in students and teachers by providing an additional $1 billion in funding for public schools without raising taxes," Romeo said.

But the debates - or lack of having more than one - dominated the questions posed to the governor on Monday. Wolf said voters will be able to weigh the differences through the candidates' ads, press releases, press conferences, and speeches over the course of the campaign, not just from one event.

From that, he told the press club audience they will see "the contrast between me and my opponent is something that is worthy of note."The life of longtime Senate GOP counsel Stephen MacNett will be honored during a time of remembrance in the Senate chambers on Tuesday.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, and Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre County, announced on Monday that the tribute will begin at 4 p.m. and members of the Senate will offer their remarks. Members of the public are also invited to join in the recognition in the Senate Gallery.

MacNett, 71, of Mechanicsburg, died on Sept. 18.

He had a 44-year career in the Senate that ended in 2011. MacNett was respected by Democrats and Republicans alike during his career and is credited with playing a major role in influencing public policy particularly in years when the political division in the Senate was as little as two or four votes.

He began working in the Senate as a legislative page while an undergraduate at Dickinson College and continued as a part-time Senate employee as he worked his way through Dickinson School of Law. He joined the Senate legal staff in 1971 and in 1977, MacNett was named as the caucus' general caucus when there was change in the Senate Republican leadership.

Former Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer recalled at the time of that leadership change, "There was a mood at that time to do a complete housecleaning of the former staff of the old minority [Republican] leader. I said before we do that, we ought to talk to Steve."

Jubelirer said after meeting with MacNett, who was the GOP's assistant counsel, and spending time with him and being impressed by the breadth of his knowledge and skills, he told the newly elected leader at the time, Sen. Henry Hager, "Holy mackerel, we don't want to get rid of this guy."

"There never has been and never will be another Steve MacNett," Jubelirer said. "He was a healer, a unifier who made state government better and made all who served with him better. He made me a better man and a better senator than I would have been."

Funeral services for MacNett were private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in his memory to Dickinson College at: Dickinson College, Office of College Advancement, P.O. Box 1773, Carlisle, PA 17013.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.Tom Booker - One Year Film Reel:

How To Ruin Your Knees - A Short Tutorial!

2018 Steve Smith Memorial:

Hinterglemm:

Black & White:

Shredding in Portes Du Soleil:

Matthew Sterling Smashes Northstar Mountain:

Brandon Semenuk - Revel in the Chaos - Utah Segment:

Motive - A History of Trail Building:

Trail Boss - Lower Bareback Marquette, MI:

USN Racing - British 4X Series Round 6:

Road Bike Party 3 - Sam Pilgrim:

Danny MacAskill - Industrial Revolutions:

Danny MacAskill - Inspired Bicycles:

Mike Aitken - Anthem II:

Yeah Right! - Owen Wilson:

Chris Joslin - Unstoppable:

True: Plan B - Torey Pudwill:

Douglas Tompkins - Wild Legacy:

Wolfpack:

One year ago today I bought my first camera, this is the best few minutes of footage I've had the pleasure of shooting.My knees hate me but hard tails are just too damn fun! Thanks to James Humphrey for the video.Special thanks to Tianna Smith for trusting the Dunbar Summer Series to host this special event. Video: Max Berkowitz.Riders: Mark Antal and Zsolt Kucsera. Video: Viktor Csaszar. Location: Saalbach, Austria.The 2018/19 season at Skyline Bike Park is just getting started, so here's a video from the end of last season. Kurtis Walton and Jacob O'Donoghue-Price from the trail crew make the most of the prime autumn dirt and ride full throttle on some classic Queenstown trails.A little road trip through Switzerland and France with enough bikes and beer never disappoints. See ya next year!When he isn't finishing on the podium at local pro races, Matthew took the time to film a video on Livewire Classic Weekend.A classic.The Coastal Crew share their history, why they build trails, and how it all gets made. Now available on iTunes This ride was a fluke, the original plan was to film Mc Lovin and take Lower Bareback as the most direct way. The trail descriptions called it a hike a bike riding uphill but after a few minutes of riding I knew I had to film the ride up. Check it out!USN Racing team rider Scott Beaumont entered the final round of the 2018 Schwalbe British 4X Series with a mathematical chance of winning the overall series. His job was simple. Win every race and hope that the rivals lose points through the day.RBP3 hits the California dirt.We can't wait for Danny's next part.The one that started it all.Endlessly re-watchable.''C'mon man, it's 2003!''Joslin's known for going big, but can still skate ledges with the best.Technical, fast, and gnarly. What more can you ask for?Douglas Tompkins was a world-renowned adventurer, entrepreneur, and conservationist. Co-founder of The North Face and Esprit, Doug spent the first half of his life building successful, global brands, while simultaneously adventuring around the world, completing first descents of the worlds toughest rivers. In 1968 Doug embarked on a trip to Chile, driving with friends from California to the tip of Patagonia. Documented in the film Mountain of Storms, the trip solidified Dougs place as rock climbing legend. In the early 1990s, Doug sold his part of Esprit and moved down to Chile to do conservation work full time with his wife, Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, the former CEO of Patagonia, Inc. Together, over the last 25 years, Doug and Kris have protected 2.2 million acres, more land than any other individuals. The foundations under the Tompkins Conservation umbrella, along with their partners, have created five national parks in Chile and Argentina and are in the process of creating five more. A Wild Legacy tells the story of Dougs incredible life, his lasting impact on the wild landscapes of Patagonia, and Kris and the Tompkins Conservation teams efforts to continue his audacious mission. Doug was tragically killed in a kayaking accident on Lago General Carrera, north of Patagonia Park, on December 8th, 2015. If anything can save the world, Id put my money on beauty - Douglas Tompkins.High in the San Juan Mountains above Silverton, Colorado, a pack of runners roam. Together they traverse mountain meadows and navigate mineral-stained peaks through the rugged landscape of their backyard. The Braford-Lefebvre family chose to live here in order to raise their family wild. Through hard times and the best ones, running is their tool for experiencing life together.Title Photo by: extremerider To check out videos submitted by fellow Pinkbike members that didn't quite make Movie Mondays here22.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is being investigated for sexual misconduct while he was an adult at Yale.

The New Yorker reported:

A third male student then exposed himself to her. I remember a penis being in front of my face, she said. I knew thats not what I wanted, even in that state of mind. She recalled remarking, Thats not a real penis, and the other students laughing at her confusion and taunting her, one encouraging her to kiss it. She said that she pushed the person away, touching it in the process. Ramirez, who was raised a devout Catholic in Connecticut, said that she was shaken. I wasnt going to touch a penis until I was married, she said. I was embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated. She remembers Kavanaugh standing to her right and laughing, pulling up his pants. Brett was laughing, she said. I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants. She recalled another male student shouting about the incident. Somebody yelled down the hall, Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbies face,  she said. It was his full name. I dont think it was just Brett. And I remember hearing and being mortified that this was out there.

There are now potentially three women coming forward with allegations

Republicans knew that this second allegation of sexual assault was a problem, which is why they have been trying to rush the committee vote and the confirmation vote. Attorney Michael Avenatti has also said on Sunday evening that he represents a woman who has information about Brett Kavanaugh. The Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination appears to be crumbling under the weight of several sexual assault allegations.

Senate Republicans have been trying to hurry Brett Kavanaugh on to the Supreme Court, and the reason why is looking like it has less to do with the upcoming election. Brett Kavanaughs nomination needs to be withdrawn immediately. If Trump doesnt withdraw the nomination, a few Senate Republicans must vote him down.

Should Republicans try to move forward with Kavanaughs confirmation, they will face the wrath of a nation enraged voters in less than two months. Republicans can kiss control of Congress goodbye if they stand with Brett Kavanaugh.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook.DOYLESTOWN >> District Attorney Matt Weintraub has ruled that the fatal shooting of a knife-wielding man on Aug. 29, 2021, by a Falls Township police officer was justified. In a letter to Falls Township Police Chief Nelson Whitney, Weintraub wrote, I have concluded that [the officers] were reasonable in their individual beliefs that both of their lives were placed in...29.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Attorney Michael Avenatti has multiple witnesses willing to testify that Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge participated in the drugging and gang raping of women at DC house parties in the 1980s.

Avenatti released his email to Mike Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations for U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary which gave details on the new allegations:

My e-mail of moments ago with Mike Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations for U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. We demand that this process be thorough, open and fair, which is what the American public deserves. It must not be rushed and evidence/witnesses must not be hidden. pic.twitter.com/11XLZJBTtY  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018

Here is the email:

Michael Avenatti Doesnt Need The Senate Judiciary Committee

Michael Avenatti doesnt have to wait for the Senate Judiciary Committee to open their process to his witnesses. Avenatti could hold a press conference tomorrow and go straight to the media. Avenatti has got multiple witnesses. Three women have come forward so far, but it is about to get so much worse for Republicans.

The new witnesses should be enough to sink Brett Kavanaughs nomination. If any of these gang rapes happened in Maryland, that state has no statute of limitations on rape and sexual assault.

This is information that must be delivered to the American people. Any other victims, witnesses, or representatives of these individuals can not sit by and let Chuck Grassley and the Republican men on the Senate Judiciary Committee push through the nomination of a potential sexual predator to the Supreme Court.

The time to act is now. If the Judiciary Committee doesnt allow these witnesses to testify, then they have no other choice but to go public before Thursdays scheduled hearing.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook.1.6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee has called for a postponement of the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination after new sexual assault allegations surfaced.

In a letter provided to PoliticusUSA, Sen. Feinstein wrote Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA):

As allegations of everything from a second sexual assault to participation in gang rapes have surfaced, it is getting more difficult for Republicans to stick to their orignal plan of only hearing from Christine Blasey Ford and then moving forward with Kavanaughs confirmation. Sen. Feinstein is correct. An FBI investigation must be conducted into these allegations before a hearing can be held.

If the White House wont direct the FBI to reopen the investigation, the Judiciary Committee has to subpoena witnesses. None of this should be controversial. This is the constitutional role of the US Senate when it comes to Supreme Court nominations. An investigation is the minimum that should be done, and until the allegations are investigated, Brett Kavanaugh cant be confirmed.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook.1.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Michael Avenatti is not playing. In an email Monday to Mr. Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Avenatti demanded a response to when members of the committee were aware of allegations similar to the new allegations his client revealed regarding Brett Kavanaugh and why they werent investigated.

After revealing Sunday evening that his latest client, the third woman with sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, had multiple witnesses to the gang rapes she described Kavanaugh and his friend, conservative writer Mark Judge, conducted (called trains), Avenatti came out swinging Monday morning in response to Republican attempts to smear his client.

The lawyer for Stormy Daniels warned Republicans that his client has previously done work within the State Dept, DOJ and more and has been granted multiple security clearances so they had best be careful when suggesting she is not credible:

Warning: My client re Kavanaugh has previously done work within the State Dept, U.S. Mint, & DOJ. She has been granted multiple security clearances in the past including Public Trust & Secret. The GOP and others better be very careful in trying to suggest that she is not credible  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018

That sounds like the threat of a very confident lawyer who might just sue for defamation if pressed.

Avenatti didnt stop there, and that is the beauty of this lawyer. He knows how to play the GOP game and win. Or rather, he knows how to go up against serial liars and predators. He doesnt play, he doesnt try to find a compromise, he goes in for the jugular.

Monday morning, Avenatti demanded answers to the questions he posed last night, and he added a few for good measure.

My e-mail of this morning directed to Mr. Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. The American people deserve to know the truth and evidence regarding the allegations. There must be no effort made to avoid it. pic.twitter.com/8pcdW0PqQ1  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018

Avenatti demanded:

1. A fair FBI investigation into his clients claims (excellent use of qualifying adjectives, necessary given that we do not know why the FBI didnt turn up this evidence during their vetting process; either they didnt look hard, the ignored it, or the White House directed them to only use what was on file already.)

2. He offered that his client would take a polygraph *provided Kavanaugh does too.*

Thats right. Its not just the alleged victims who have to prove their character here. In fact, Kavanaugh actually has the burden of proof here since this is not a criminal trial. It is supposed to be a vetting process to determine if he is worthy of this lifelong appointment. Republicans, of course, are not treating it that way. They are making it about the victims, as if they have a burden to prove these things happened.

3. Kavanaugh demands that Mark Judge testify and if he is not being called to testify as a witness to these assaults alleged by Christine Ford and now his own client, why not.

4. He demanded to know if the committee posed his questions to Mark Kavanaugh. This is how one has to play with entitled people who think they can change the rules to suit them one their own whims. Its not pretty, but its real.

5. Avenatti demanded that Kavanaugh explain the FFFFFFFourthofJuly and Devils Triangle references in his yearbook signatures (allegedly this refers to Find them, French them, Feel them, Finger them, F*ck them, and Forget them brought to you by the party of family values and evangelicals who are pushing for this guy).

6. Avenatti demanded to know if the reports were true that members of the committee knew of allegations similar to these prior them coming out, and if so, why they were not investigated.

This is how you do it. Avenatti is not bound by the code of civility of an elected official, nor is he being less than civil. He is simply free to go full throttle at the cowardly lies and cover ups protecting someone who could be a serial predator, and he is doing so.

Avenatti is not having it. He is not playing defense; hes playing offense.179 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said on Monday he was deeply concerned about reports that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was stepping down, saying his departure would put at risk the federal probe into Russian election activities.

There is nothing more important to the integrity of law enforcement and the rule of law than protecting the investigation of Special Counsel (Robert) Mueller, McCabe said in a statement. If the rumors of Deputy AGs Rosensteins departure are true, I am deeply concerned that it puts that investigation at risk.

McCabe was fired by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in March after the Justice Departments internal watchdog accused him of misconduct. McCabe charged that he was targeted for being a witness into whether President Donald Trump tried to obstruct the probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Writing by Doina Chiacu)248 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Nobody expected Donald Trump to give in easily. Despite new allegations of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh the president remains defiant and combative and has no intentions of withdrawing Kavanaughs nomination.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

The White House and Brett Kavanaugh issued swift denials Sunday night after an explosive new account emerged of alleged sexual misconduct by the Supreme Court nominee when he was in college, adding greater disarray to a nomination already sullied by an earlier charge of sexual abuse.

This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple, Kavanaugh said of the latest allegation, adding that he would defend himself at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for Thursday.

White House spokeswoman Kerri Kupec later issued a statement denouncing the New Yorker article as a Democratic-inspired effort to tear down a good man. She said the White House stands firmly behind Kavanaugh, in what appears to be an increasingly threatened and embattled nomination.

So what is the GOP strategy for fighting these latest accusations?

According to Axios, the Republican strategy is simple: claim that Kavanaughs accusers are wrong because their memories are bad and the events happened so long ago.

According to Axios reporter Jonathan Swan:

Brett Kavanaughs allies plan to aggressively contest what they call the foggy memories of his accusers  an approach thats likely to lead to nasty confrontations at Thursdays showdown hearing on his confirmation to the Supreme Court. Whats happening: The plan is to fight back right away, and to emphasize denials and hazy recollections. And the mission is to portray the debate as cheap-shot politics orchestrated by liberals and abetted by the media.

According to Swan, these are the key points in the GOP defense of Kavanaugh:

In the allegation of Dr. Christine Ford, three other people at the party have no recollection of it.

In the second case disclosed last night in The New Yorker, where Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez said Kavanaugh had exposed himself to her, T he New York Times reported that it had interviewed several dozen people over the past week in an attempt to corroborate her story, and could find no one with firsthand knowledge.

reported that it had interviewed several dozen people over the past week in an attempt to corroborate her story, and could find no one with firsthand knowledge. Kavanaugh gave the Judiciary Committee his calendars from the summer of 1982 which do not show a party consistent with the description of his accuser.

This morning presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway has launched another new defense of Kavanaugh  who she complained was being forced to shoulder the burden of countless rape claims as part of the #MeToo movement.

She said the nominees denials should be accepted at face value.

Why does it not matter to anyone that Judge Kavanaugh has said these allegations are false? Conway said. He thinks the latest ones show a pattern of a smear campaign against him, and he has said from the beginning that he wasnt at the party in question 36 years ago in Maryland. All that has to matter.

Then she said Kavanaugh is being held up as a sacrifice to the #MeToo movement.

The president wants them both to testify in the Senate Judiciary Committee, set up a process where they both can, Conway said. I dont think one mans shoulders should bear decades of the #MeToo movement.

So far Trump, Conway, and all other Republicans have been silent on the information supplied Sunday night by Michael Avenatti. He said he has been retained by a third woman who has multiple witnesses willing to testify that Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge participated in the drugging and gang raping of women at DC house parties in the 1980s.

Late last night Avenatti sent an email to Mike Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations for U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary which gave details of the shocking new allegations.

The White House and the Judiciary Committee have yet to comment on Avenattis email. This means that for now they are still fighting, or perhaps they are just in denial. They may think that the accusations made against Kavanaugh are no big deal. But with Avenatti in the fight they will soon learn that the charges are indeed a big deal.

The day is coming soon when Republicans will no longer be able to stick their heads in the sand and pretend that none of this is happening.385 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

On Friday another associate of Donald Trumps friend Roger Stone, Jerome Corsi, met with a federal grand jury convened to hear testimony in special counsel Robert Muellers probe into Russian meddling.

Corsi has been the Washington, D.C. bureau chief for the controversial far-right news outlet Infowars. He is one of 11 people associated with Stone who have been contacted by the special counsel, many of whom have given sworn testimony to the grand jury.

Corsis appearance means that Robert Mueller is still focusing on Stone, a longtime Trump ally and political supporter.

And now a Corsi email recently obtained by the media shows that Stone tried to contact WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange during a very critical time in Trumps 2016 presidential campaign.

This email is one of at least two between Stone and Corsi that make reference to conservative author Ted Malloch. The emails may provide evidence that Stone committed a crime by lying to Congress when he testified last spring.

The July 31, 2016, email seems to be a direct attempt by Stone to connect with Assange by using Corsi and Malloch as go-betweens. Stone has confirmed that he sent the email to Corsi.

Malloch should see Assange, Stone wrote to Corsi in the email.

Malloch, an American academic and conservative author, spoke to investigators on Muellers team for over an hour earlier this year. In a recently published book Malloch wrote that investigators wanted to discuss his ties to Stone, Corsi and WikiLeaks.

After news of the email came out Stone said:

It proves I had no advance knowledge of contents of WikiLeaks DNC material, and like every politico and journalist in America, I wanted to know what the content matter was.

Stone sent the email to Corsi nine days after WikiLeaks published the first group of documents stolen from the Democratic National Committee (DNC). These documents from DNC computer servers were illegally obtained by hacker Guccifer 2.0, a false identity which has since been identified as Russian government intelligence employees working as hackers based in Moscow.

The newly-disclosed email supports the assertion that Stone, an informal Trump campaign adviser, tried to communicate with Assange about the politically explosive DNC documents stolen by Russia and given to WikiLeaks.

Democrats have alleged that Stone knew about the hacked DNC documents and gave cues to WikiLeaks to publish them at key moments when the Trump campaign needed to distract attention from bad news for the candidate.

The first publication of emails stolen from Hillary Clintons campaign chairman, for example, came a short time after The Washington Post posted a video from Access Hollywood that was damaging to Trumps bid because he admitted he had sexually assaulted women.

Stone has denied all accusations that he was coordinating between Russian intelligence agents and WikiLeaks.

Corsi either never passed the suggestion on, or Malloch ignored it  but I think it is the latter, Stone said during an interview with ABC News. The key is Malloch never contacts or sees Assange and never gets anything from him.

There has been some inference in the media that Ted was somehow a go-between between me, WikiLeaks and Julian Assange, Stone told ABC News in May. This is false.

When asked about the email  and whether he carried out the suggested tasks outlined by Stone  Malloch told ABC News on Sunday: I was not involved in any of these matters. I have never tried to reach Assange or visited that embassy.

The new email also has two more requests from Stone to Corsi to pass on information to Malloch.

Stone suggested that Malloch find a British woman who had leveled accusations against former President Bill Clinton. Stone also suggested Corsi ask Malloch to find Sen. Bernie Sanders brother who called Bill a Rapist and turn him for Trump.

Stone has been under great scrutiny lately from the special counsel because of statements he made in August of 2016 about the illegally hacked Democratic emails. It has been alleged that Stone knew in advance that WikiLeaks was going to leak the damaging information about Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton before it was released.

Stone has previously confirmed that he briefly communicated with Guccifer 2.0, the Russian intelligence hackers who illegally accessed the Democratic National Committee email servers and stole documents. It is widely agreed that the release of these stolen DNC and Clinton campaign documents greatly harmed Clintons presidential campaign.

Although Stone is denying he did anything wrong, this latest development may result in him soon being indicted and arrested by Robert Mueller for various crimes. We cant wait.| BY Ricki Green |

Applications are now open for The Communications Councils 2014 Graduate Trainee Program, offering successful graduates full time positions in advertising and public relations agencies in Sydney and Melbourne. The deadline for submissions is Friday 11th October, and selection days will be held in early November, with over 50 places available for successful candidates.

A unique launch pad and an inspiring learning environment for graduates, the program provides critical training as well as exposure and interaction with industry leaders from across all disciplines.

Over the past 34 years, the program has delivered some of the top names in the business today, including STW Groups Mike Connaghan and Matthew Melhuish, BMF founding partner and executive chairman, and CEO of Enero. More recently, 2006 graduate, Mollie Hill (ex BMF and H&T), rose as the brains behind the Dove Real Beauty Sketches campaign, which won big at Cannes this month.

The core program consists of a five-day, live-in, intensive Summer School, which includes the AdSchool Foundation certificate, at Sydney University Village or Trinity College at Melbourne University in late January and early February next year. Summer School is followed by monthly lectures hosted at participating agencies, giving grads the chance to be inspired by industry leaders across a broad range of disciplines.

Information nights will also take place in Melbourne on Thursday, 26th September at Leo Burnett, and in Sydney on Tuesday, 1st October at M&C Saatchi, with both evenings starting at 6:00pm.Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 75F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Thunder possible. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.CONWAY  They arrived at this towns Riverwalk area by the dozens, slack-jawed and holding up cell phones to record a sight theyd never imagined possible.

Normally, the Waccamaw River that runs through this historic town meanders within sight of downtowns Riverwalk with its pretty fountain, restaurants and wrought iron benches. On Sunday, there was only river, coursing from its banks to transform the Riverwalk into a lake, one with a current.

A bar and grill sat in the middle of the deluge, an island now, as boats glided past an area where normally residents buy produce at a farmers market.

Streets all around Conway were barricaded to keep people out of flooded neighborhoods. Water swelled into homes and, on this Sunday, churches, too. It flooded businesses, including swamping Darren Smiths restaurant Bonfire, a smokin tanqueria, with a good 3 or 4 feet of water, so far. Smith has 48 employees depending on him.

Now what do I do? he asked.

Nearby, Santee Cooper flew a helicopter carrying massive sandbags to reinforce its Aqua Dam. The government-owned power company is engaged in an all-out effort to protect its coal ash pits in Conway from rising floodwaters and a potential environmental disaster in the wake of Hurricane Florence.

Were using every opportunity we can, spokeswoman Mollie Gore said.

The fire chief had heard that almost half of the roughly 2,000 houses in Conway, the Horry County seat, likely would suffer flood damage.

Dear God, dear God, Libby Lewis murmured to herself walking along the Riverwalk's submerged railroad tracks to see the damage. It breaks my heart.

They had known it was coming. Since Hurricane Florence stormed by and leading up to this moment when floodwaters from North Carolina arrived has been tortuous days in the predicting. The Waccamaw, its crest still two days away, is expected to rise 4 feet above its previous record set after Hurricane Matthew two years ago. That was back when people thought it couldnt get any worse.

Then they saw pictures out of Nichols late last week, an entire town underwater for the second time in two years, and they knew it was real. They were next.

Every year, were thinking, This is it, said Joe Burroughs, who with his wife Nancy owns 104 Laurel, an elegant event venue that held a wedding the previous night. Now, water lapped within inches of its 1930s-era pine floors.

On Sunday, residents estimated that in 24 hours, the water had risen a good 16 inches or more with almost three more feet to go until it crested, if National Weather Service predictions prove correct.

Weve never seen this before, Conway Councilman William Goldfinch said, watching water course through businesses.

Now, that water is all heading downstream.

Change is here

In tiny Bucksport to the south, it came. Water crept up residential streets, flooded the marina, and soon flowed over the main road in.

When people living on Martin Luther Drive saw it filling their street Sunday morning, they hurried out. They remembered Hurricane Matthew, which also swamped their street and left a devastating legacy of damage.

Groups of family members hurried out, then met up at Victoria Chapel Holiness Church across the street watching the water come. Another church down the road already flooded.

Roosevelt Sherman has lived here all of his 70 years. He hadn't seen water come up like this and was heading out.

Blake Morgan McCray was leaving, too, but with some flare. As the 19-year-old's mother watched, he drove their pickup down the increasingly flooded street.

"Oh, Lord, he's coming," his mother, Denise, frowned.

The teenager cranked up the old tune "A Change is Gonna Come" on his speakers and plowed on down the road, creating a tremendous wake as he drove.

It's been a long, long time coming

But I know, but I know a change is gotta come

His mother met him, relieved he made it.

"I think it's going to be worst than before," she worried as they headed out.

Indeed, by day's end, the road into Bucksport was closed, water flowing over it.

'We might not go back'

At Whittimore Park Middle School, 54 people, mostly from Bucksport, approached their third week in a shelter.

For many, it was their second stint after a shelter to the community between the Waccamaw and Pee Dee became surrounded by floodwaters and was itself evacuated.

Still, Hazel Bellamy was thankful. This was the second time she and her many family members, all of whom lived on or near Martin Luther Drive, had their homes flooded by a serious storm.

Two years ago, during Hurricane Matthew, they'd woken up to the National Guard pounding on their doors, with about five minutes to escape before the water rose. This time, there was notice days in advance.

"I thank God we didn't have to wake up to that this time," Bellamy said.

Letha Cantey, Bellamy's sister, was grateful to have a place to stay where shelter staff worked hard to keep the place clean and livable. Row after row of green cots, brought in by the Red Cross, lined the middle school's halls.

But it's uncertain what her family will do next. Many still had mold in their homes from Matthew. Bellamy said if she had the means to leave her home, she would. But she hadn't gotten enough aid money to fix it up after Matthew  and wasn't optimistic about this time.

"From the looks of it, we might go back, but I don't know if we can live anymore in those homes," Cantey said.

Preparing downstream

The floodwaters kept flowing. They'd flowed through Nichols, now through Conway and Bucksport, and headed for Georgetown.

There, transportation officials and the S.C. National Guard prepared for an expected deluge of water from the Waccamaw and Pee Dee rivers to flow south over the coming week  potentially inundating a potion of US 17 and cutting off yet another major road near the Grand Strand.

Officials from S.C. Department of Transportation began sandbagging and building a water-filled barrier along low-lying sections of the road, including near the Georgetown Marina.

The National Guard turned to another strategy in case the barriers failed. Guardsmen stitched together seven rafts to create a floating bridge that could carry semi trucks of supplies, equipment or personnel across the water, if needed.

Folded sections of the bridge were lowered into the water of the Sampit River in a boat landing just south of Georgetown, and then unfurled, splashing in the murky brown water as they flattened.

It was the first time the technology had been deployed by the S.C. National Guard, said Capt. Joseph Varin. He said it still wasn't clear what path the raft would take if it was used as a ferry in an emergency situation.

"We're trying to research where we can have access, based on the flood models. So we need to try to understand where the water might go and how deep it may be," Varin said.

But with a record-setting flood traversing such a large swath of the state and now heading for the heavily populated coastal towns, they are trying everything they can.| BY Ricki Green |

Coca-Cola has today launched a campaign via McCann Sydney, commemorating 80 years of great tasting beverages made by Australians in Australia.

The integrated marketing campaign will have multiple touchpoints with consumers led by a new locally-produced TVC running across screens and also supported in PR, social media and out-of-home. The TVC will be aired during the AFL Grand Final on Saturday after 3pm.

The tagline featured in the end frame of the TVC is Coca-Cola Australia: Made and shared down under for 80 years.

Says Lucie Austin, marketing director, Coca-Cola South Pacific: Eighty years is a significant milestone and a timely occasion to celebrate Coca-Colas lasting and strong connection to Australian culture and people. Many Australians assume that Coca-Cola drinks are shipped all the way from the US to our shores.

We want to break this myth by sharing the stories of everyday Australians connected through Coca- Cola, who have made, bottled, and enjoyed the worlds greatest drink right in their backyard, for 80 years.

McCann Sydney engaged Brilliant Films and director Steve Back to produce the TVC. Shot on the NSW Far North Coast, locations including Casino, Lismore and the hinterland surrounding Byron Bay were selected for their quintessentially Australian feel, wide open streets, stunning natural light and beautifully preserved heritage buildings.

The creative takes a nostalgic look at Coca-Cola in Australia throughout the decades, opening in 1938 when local production first began, then cutting to a classic corner store in the 1960s, a music festival in the 70s, a beach kiosk in the 1980s, before closing on the corner store as it appears now, in the present day.

The spots feature a range of brands from Coca-Colas past and present portfolio including Fanta, Mello Yello, Mount Franklin, Coke Classic and Coca-Cola No Sugar, as well as authentic and historically accurate props sourced from passionate brand collectors around the country.

Bringing the campaign to life with a high-impact out-of-home execution, the famous Coke Sign in Sydneys Kings Cross will be used as the site for a brand first in Coca-Colas 132-year global history. The famous Spencerian Script red-and-white logo has been flipped upside down in a nod to the companys local heritage down under.

Says Austin: By telling an emotive brand story full of relatable moments throughout Australias history, we aim to trigger the positive memories that people associate with Coke and our other iconic brands.

Its a look back on our heritage and role in the lives of all Australians from hot summer days at the beach, to dancing up a sweat at music festivals, all relatable moments that are inextricably linked to enjoying a great-tasting Coca-Cola.

The campaign delivers the Australian Made message, integrating the brand into the heart of Australian programming throughout October, launching during the AFL Grand Final, the largest live sporting event in Australia and continuing with spots in the NRL Grand Final. The campaigns media buy also support locally produced content on Foxtel throughout the month, including classic Australian films such as Muriels wedding.

Social and PR will focus on delivering real Coca-Cola stories from some of the people who have been part of this 80-year journey and who love the brand. From the bottlers and delivery drivers, to the corner storeowners, collectors and staff, the campaign will tell just some of the stories of the thousands of Australians that have helped shape eight decades of Coca-Cola made and shared down under.

The Aussie Made campaign will also build awareness of the range of beverages Coca-Cola produces in Australia and give audiences an insight to the next 80 years for Coca-Cola in Australia.

Says Austin: The first Australian made 192ml (6 12 oz) bottle of Coke rolled off the lines in Waterloo, NSW in 1938. Today, Coca-Cola Australia is more than just Coke. We are Mount Franklin, Powerade, Barista Brothers, Pump and more than 160 other products  all of which are made, bottle and distributed from 11 facilities around Australia.

Creative Agency: McCann

Sound Mix: Nylon Studios

Original music: Adam Moses (Nylon Studios)

Media Agency: UM

PR Agency: DEC PR

Social Media: OGB| BY Ricki Green |

Comparison service Compare the Market launched its Simplesness philosophy to the nation on Sunday night via its latest TVC via VCCP Sydney, announcing the meerkats big move to the Land Down Under to spread their important message.

The TVC  BBQ  sees our favourite Russian meerkats move in next door, to introduce their new neighbours to Simplesness, a state of mind designed to empower people to save time and money and get the most out of their household budgets.

The concept of Simplesness was born out of the findings of a research study commissioned by Compare the Market and developed by Deloitte Access Economics, the Financial Consciousness Index. The study aimed to understand why so many consumers are unwilling to make changes to their household products and services despite an understanding that they could save money if they looked for a better deal.

Says Jennifer Williams, chief marketing officer, Compare the Market: The study identified clear consumer apathy when it came to reviewing their products and policies, either because it was seen as too complex or they feared making the wrong decision.

Our Simplesness philosophy aims to simplify the process of comparing confusing products and remove the fear of making a bad decision by empowering consumers with the information and tools they need to make confident purchasing decisions.

Simplesness is a whole-of-business philosophy. We want every interaction consumers have with Compare the Market to be simple and empowering. We have developed a range of tools and resources to support consumers mission to improve their household finances.

To support the launch of Simplesness, Compare the Market commissioned a financial author, Melissa Browne, to write a financial self-help book entitled Money made Simples. The free-to-download eBook provides hints and tips on how best to meet your money goals. A number of tools, such as a Budgeting Calculator and a Savings Tip Generator, have also been created to inspire consumers to get the most out of their household budgets.

Says Williams: We have updated a number of our comparison service journeys to make them simple and intuitive for consumers  most recently weve overhauled our car insurance and credit card journeys to ensure they offer consumers a best-in-class experience.

In light of Simplesness and the meerkats move to Australia, Compare the Market has also updated its brandmark, to bring the meerkat and market worlds closer together. The new logo is instantly recognisable, capturing both the charm of the meerkats and the simplicity of using the comparison service.

Sunday nights TVC introduced the audience to a host of characters who will make regular appearances in future campaigns as we get to know the residents of Brushtail Place.

Agency: VCCP Sydney

Creative Director: Matt Lloyd

Creative team: Chris Willis and Jade Sturman

Account Director: Edward Hughes

Account Manager: Daniel Wood

Agency Producer: Sue Hind

Production Company: Passion Pictures

Director: Dave Scanlon

CTM credits

CMO: Jenny Williams

Communications Manager: James BoshierOn Veterans Day, we remember and thank all who have served under the American flag - those who continue the missions today and and those who c Read moreAn Indonesian teenager survived 49 days adrift in Guam waters with no boat and little supplies until he was rescued on Aug. 31 by the crew of a Panama-flagged vessel.

International reports from Asia to London described the teen's survival as miraculous.

Singapore's The Straits Times reported Aldi Novel Adilang, 19, had been hired as a lamp keeper for a floating fish trap, 77 miles out at sea from his home in North Sulawesi. On July 14, powerful winds blew him far from home. He drifted thousands of miles away from North Sulawesi to Guam waters, The Straits Times reported.

Adilang saw more than 10 ships sail past him, but none of them stopped or saw him, Indonesia's consular office in Japan stated, according to The Jakarta Post.

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Adilang had been assigned to a fish aggregator device which is shaped similar to a floating hut. His job was to light the lamps around the floating fish aggregator with a power generator every night to attract fish. Each week, the fish aggregator's owner would send someone to harvest the fish in the trap and give Adilang a weeks worth of supplies.

The Straits Times reported that the captain of the vessel contacted the U.S. Coast Guard on Guam, who told the ship to bring Adilang to Tokuyama, Japan, where the vessel docked on Sept. 6.

Adilang burned wooden fences around the floating hut to make fire for cooking. He drank by sipping water from his clothes, Jakarta Post reported, quoting Indonesian consular staff.The inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell late Friday night at the Department of Corrections in Mangilao died of natural causes, according to Guam Medical Examiner Dr. Aurelio Espinola.

Dr. Espinola said that there were no wounds on the body and he did not believe there was any foul play involved in the death of 41-year-old Luis Christopher Hocog.

Hocog was found dead in his cell at 11:12 p.m. Friday. Dr. Espinola said that he has not yet determined the exact cause of Hocogs death.

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He has submitted tissue samples of his lung and heart to the Guam Memorial Hospital lab for analysis. He expects the results within a few days.

Detectives from GPDs Criminal Investigation Division announced earlier this afternoon they assumed the investigation into Hocog's death and continue to work with DOC personnel on the matter.| BY Ricki Green |

Massage pain relief cream, fisiocrem, has launched a national television campaign via Tailored Media, featuring Australias golden girl, Libby Trickett.

The advertisement features the former three time Olympian-turned-mother and her two children Poppy (three years old) and Edwina (six months old), and showcases a 30 second snapshot into a day in the life of the Trickett household.

Targeted at busy mums, the advertisement ran for three weeks across Network Tens peak periods during its highest rated programs including The Project and The Bachelor, and also featured on Network Tens digital platform, tenplay.

The campaign was developed by two Gold Coast based agencies, Tailored Media (creative) and Bordertown Films (production).

Tailored Media CEO Brendon Sinclair said signing Tricket as an ambassador for the topical massage cream was an easy decision to make for his client.

Says Tricket: After all these years, Australians still absolutely adore and respect Libby.

Shes real with a raw approach to life and all things motherhood, and her instagram  which is filled with photos of poo-explosions and makeup-less selfies  certainly confirms that.

She was a clear standout and the response weve received to advertisement has reaffirmed that real people are the rubies among the roughs even in this day in age of Instagram models and heavily photo-shopped images.

The stars genuine warmth even shone through a few tears (and her signature smile) at the launch of the commercial where she was shown the advertisement for the first time.

Her excitement at seeing her love of her children quickly had the former three-time Olympian bouncing with joy and wiping away tears.

Says Tricket: The ad represents a small blip of time in our busy lives and it was just so special to share that moment with the girls.Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just addressed the Kavanaugh nomination on the floor of the Senate (video below). I believe he accurately called out the Democrats machinations as a calculated political hit. He concluded his statement with the announcement that the nomination will come to the floor of the Senate for a vote soon after the hearing announced for this Thursday (left unstated: with or without the recommendation of the Judiciary Committee). The statement lacked a reiteration of the confidence he expressed this past Friday that the nomination will be confirmed, but McConnell knows that the contest cannot be avoided.

UPDATE: Here is the text of the statement we have received from Senator McConnell:

Let me start with a quote: Im going to fight this nomination with everything Ive got. That was the Democratic Leader on television mere hours after Judge Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court. Others pledged their opposition before he was even named. Before theyd reviewed a lick of evidence. Before theyd heard a minute of testimony. The Democrats had already made up their minds and chosen their tactics: delay, obstruct, and resist. Whatever it took  whatever the truth really was  they were going to do whatever they could to stop this qualified, experienced, and mainstream nominee.

Democrats have signaled for months theyd put on whatever performance the far-left special interests demanded and throw all the mud they could manufacture. Well, its not like they didnt warn us. But even by the far lefts standards, this shameful smear campaign has hit a new low. Ill get into the specifics in just a moment. But I want to be perfectly clear about what has taken place.

Senate Democrats and their allies are trying to destroy a mans personal and professional life on the basis of decades-old allegations that are unsubstantiated and uncorroborated. That is where we are. This is what the so-called Resistance has become. A smear campaign, pure and simple. Aided and abetted by members of the United States Senate.

Eight weeks ago, Democrats on the Judiciary Committee received a letter from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford with an uncorroborated allegation of misconduct. She had requested the matter be handled discretely and confidentially. The responsible next step would have been alerting the full committee so a confidential, bipartisan investigation could begin. Committee staff would have followed their standard practice for investigating background information. Senators could have questioned Judge Kavanaugh in their meetings, or in closed session, while respecting Dr. Fords request for confidentiality.

But Democrats didnt do any of that. They sat on Dr. Fords letter for seven weeks. They kept it secret. They did nothing. They bid their time. And then they threw Professor Fords wishes overboard and leaked it to the press. Our colleague from Delaware has himself indicated that either the Ranking Members office or the Democrat committee staff likely leaked the document. As Ive noted, we know the chain of custody of the letter went through the Democrat side of the Judiciary Committee.

So, does this sound like Democratic Senators take their responsibilities seriously and want to get to the truth? Or does it sound like a choreographed smear campaign that ignored Dr. Fords request for confidentiality in order to inflict maximum damage at the last minute on Judge Kavanaugh and his family?

This is an allegation of misconduct which all four supposed witnesses either flatly contradict or are unable to back up. In addition to Judge Kavanaugh, the other three supposed witnesses have said they have  quote  no knowledge, no recollection, and no memory of the alleged incident. Its not just one alleged witness disagreeing with the allegations  its literally every person who was supposedly there. One of these supposed witnesses said she does not even know Judge Kavanaugh.

So all the witnesses that Dr. Ford says were present at the party have told the Committee  on the record and under penalty of felony  all confirm that they do not remember any such party, do not know Judge Kavanaugh, or have never seen him do anything remotely like what has been alleged. And this unsubstantiated allegation stands entirely at odds with everything weve heard about Judge Kavanaughs character from those who have worked with him and socialized with him, dating all the way back to high school.

But Democrats wouldnt let a few inconvenient things  like a complete lack of evidence, or an accusers request for confidentiality  get between them and a good smear. Its despicable. And the contrast with the completely professional conduct of Chairman Grassley could not be starker.

As soon as Chairman Grassley learned about this allegation, he handled it through proper channels. He immediately began gathering the facts. His office promptly conducted a transcribed interview of Judge Kavanaugh  in which, under penalty of felony, he unequivocally denied the last-minute allegation. And the office received statements from all the other supposed witnesses that either directly contradicted the story or denied knowing anything about it.

Whats more, Chairman Grassley ensured that Dr. Ford could be heard in a forum of her choosing  either here or in California; either in public or in private; either with the staff or with the Members. He has gone above and beyond to accommodate her requests. Thanks to him, we have a fair and open hearing scheduled for Thursday. Dr. Ford will be able to state her allegation under oath, and Judge Kavanaugh will be able to respond.

But the smear campaign didnt stop there. That was just Act One. According to the reporter of this second allegation, the accuser, quote, came forward because Senate Democrats began looking And now theyre calling for even further delays and further obstruction over a second, decades-old allegation that is so thin and unsupported that the New York Times refused to even run a story about it.

This claim is so dubious that the New York Times passed on the story entirely after it looked into it. Heres why the New York Times declined to publish. It  quote  interviewed several dozen people over the past week in an attempt to corroborate her story and could find no one with firsthand knowledge. Not one person with firsthand knowledge to support the allegation  but rather multiple, on-the-record denials. Again. The Times also reported that the claimant said she, herself, is uncertain of her claim. Thats the New York Times, whose credo is all the news thats fit to print. And it found this latest last-minute allegation not even fit to print.

But that hasnt stopped Judiciary Committee Democrats from shoveling it into their smear campaign and demanding for yet further delays. They kept this one secret from Republicans, too, by the way. Evidently, several Democratic offices knew of this allegation for at least a week, but like with Dr. Fords claim, they sat on this one, too  so the Committee could not take any proper action. They just wanted it to wind up in the press.

Another orchestrated, last-minute hit on the nominee. And now theyre acting like its a legitimate reason to delay things even further. As though they hadnt already announced themselves as completely opposed to his nomination, anyway. As if they hadnt already promised the far left they would lead the fight to bring this nomination down  whatever it took, whatever the cost. Lets put aside the last-minute, unsubstantiated smears. Lets return to the facts. Lets have a fair hearing on Thursday.

Here are the facts we do have: Hundreds of men and women who have known Brett Kavanaugh across his life have written or spoken out that he is a man of strong character and tremendous integrity. Numerous witnesses testified before the Judiciary Committee that he is a trusted mentor, a loyal friend, and a lifelong champion of women. More than 75 women gathered last week to share their decades-long knowledge of Judge Kavanaugh as a, quote, responsible guy who treats us with kindness and respect, and a true gentleman in all aspects of his life.

And separately, of course, it remains beyond reasonable dispute that Judge Kavanaughs legal brilliance and excellence on the bench make him one of the very most qualified Supreme Court nominees in the history of our country. All these facts are quite clearly on one side. Maybe thats why the Democrats are so panicked. Maybe thats why they are so willing to try to bring down this nominee.

In the meantime, a good and honorable man and his family are receiving death threats. They are the subject of smears. And are facing Senate Democrats who say he has no presumption of innocence because they dont agree with his judicial philosophy. Well, before the week is out, both Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford will testify, under oath, before the Judiciary Committee. Chairman Grassley has made sure the facts will be heard. Judge Kavanaugh and the American people deserve nothing less. And I want to make it perfectly clearJudge Kavanaugh will be voted on here on the Senate floor. Up or down, on the Senate floor, this fine nominee to the Supreme Court will receive a vote in this Senate in the near future.One of the Democrats main talking points regarding Christine Blasey Fords accusations against Brett Kavanaugh is that the FBI should investigate before the Senate Judiciary Committee hears from Ford and Kavanaugh. In support of this talking point, Democrats and their friends in the media note that the FBI investigated Anita Hills sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas prior to Hill and Thomas testifying before the Committee. Hill herself says the FBI should investigate.

Its true that the FBI investigated Hills allegations. But what Democrats and their media friends dont say is that Hill and her backers didnt want the FBI involved and were extremely critical of its investigation of her claim.

Hills biggest defenders over the years have been Jane Mayer and Jill Abramson, authors of Strange Justice: The Selling of Clarence Thomas. In their pro-Hill account, Mayer and Abramson say this about how Hill and her backers viewed the FBI becoming involved:

The use of the FBI this time was controversial in the Judiciary Committee. The FBIs boss and chief client in any administration is ultimately the president, and in this instance the needs of the committee were different from those of the White House, which of course was sponsoring Thomas.

However, Joe Biden, the Democrat then in charge of the Committee decided that, for reasons of appearances, the FBI had to investigate if Hills allegations were to be taken up by the Committee.

Hills camp wasnt at all pleased. One of her advisers, Susan Hoerchner, was horrified at the notion. And Hill too thought it strange that Biden, rather than investigating her allegation, wanted to send the FBI to her doorstep.

David Brocks account, from his book The Real Anita Hill, is fully consistent with that of Mayer and Abramson on this point. Brock wrote:

The prospect of an FBI investigator apparently worried Hill, who first agreed to the interview and then called back to say she had changed her mind.

A chronology prepared by Chairman Biden says that Hill told staff she did not want to go through with the FBI investigation because she was skeptical about its utility. (Emphasis added)

Hill herself, in her book called (what else?) Speaking Truth to Power, recounted her opposition to the FBIs involvement. According to Hill, she and Sue Ross (another adviser) were both skeptical about how an agent might hear and present her information. The interview itself confirmed her skepticism:

[After the interview] I still did not trust [the FBIs] role in the process. Moreover, their inquiry was not a demanding or probing one. It was professional, but relaxed.

Hill added that she was not comfortable talking about the matter to two strangers face-to-face.

These statements are probably in part a reflection of how badly things played out for her after the FBI became involved. As Mayer and Abramson explained, Hills testimony before the Judiciary Committee contained lurid and damaging allegations of inappropriate behavior by Thomas that she did not make when the FBI interviewed her. The FBI agents who had interviewed Hill wrote an affidavit detailing the disparities. The suggestion was that Hill embellished before the Committee. This, say Mayer and Abramson, delivered a clear blow to Hills credibility.

Mayer and Abramson accused the two FBI agents of incompetence. Hill accused them of being relaxed and less than probing. She complained that the FBI became actively involved in the harm that was done to her.

These insults may well be sour grapes. Be that as it may, its the height of hypocrisy for Anita Hill now to be arguing that the FBI should investigate Dr. Fords allegations.

She didnt want the FBI to investigate her claims. She talked to the FBI only because Biden made it clear this was the only way her claims would be entertained. And then she moaned about her treatment by the FBI.

Hill, though, will say anything. Shes a phony. Thats been clear all along. Recall her ludicrous attempt to defend Bill Clinton from serious, and true, claims of sexual misconduct.

The anti-Kavanaugh forces will also say and do anything. Anita Hills description of her experiences, if believed, (and leftists uniformly believe her), weighs strongly against the FBI becoming involved this time. And no one can doubt that if an FBI investigation went badly for Ford, her supporters would accuse the Bureau of incompetence, sexism, and toadying to the president.

The Democrats demand for FBI involvement in advance of the Committee hearing from Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh is thus a delaying tactic, pure and simple. For good reason, the FBI doesnt want to become involved. For good reason, neither the Judiciary Committee nor the President has called on it to participate.

To learn more about Anita Hills attack on Clarence Thomas, I highly recommend anitahillcase.com.According to Goldstein Research, the major driver in global autosamplers market is huge growth in food and beverage industry. In the world of stringent norms for production quality and to ensure longer shelf life of the product, autosamplers plays an important role to measure the threats including microbial and chemical contamination

Autosamplers Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-24 06:32:18

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According to Goldstein Research, the major driver in global autosamplers market is huge growth in food and beverage industry. In the world of stringent norms for production quality and to ensure longer shelf life of the product, autosamplers plays an important role to measure the threats including microbial and chemical contamination. Market players are providing specially tailored products for the food industry customers to expand their business across the industry. Global autosamplers market Outlook also includes product development, marketing strategy and investment strategies adopted by major market players in order to expand their business across the globe. Further, growing healthcare and food industries has significantly augmented the demand for autosamplers in their testing and R&D facilities, owing to which market is witnessing considerable growth.Browse Full Report:Market SegmentationOn the basis of our in-depth analysis, global autosamplers market can be segmented as follows:By Product Type Autosampler Systems LC Autosamplers GC Autosamplers Liquid Autosamplers Headspace Autosamplers All-in-one Autosamplers Autosamplers Accessories Syringes and Needles Vials SeptumBy End Users Healthcare Sector Oil & Gas Sector Food & Beverage Industry Environmental Testing Industry Others (Chemical Industry etc.)Based on Geography North America (U.S. & Canada) Autosamplers Market {Market Share (%), Market Size(USD Billion)} Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina & Rest of Latin America) Autosamplers Market {Market Share (%), Market Size(USD Billion)} Europe (The U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden &RoE) Autosamplers Market {Market Share (%), Market Size(USD Billion)} Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of Asia) Autosamplers Market {Market Share (%), Market Size(USD Billion)} Middle East & Africa (GCC, South Africa, North Africa, RoMEA) Autosamplers Market {Market Share (%), Market Size(USD Billion)}Global Autosamplers Market Outlook 2024 contains detailed overview of the global autosamplers market. On the basis of our in-depth analysis, market can be segmented in terms of market segmentation by product type and by end users.Download Exclusive Sample Report:Further, for the in-depth analysis, Global Autosamplers Market Report encompasses the industry growth drivers, market challenges, risk analysis, market attractiveness, BPS (Base Point Scale) analysis, Porters five force model and SWOT analysis. This market report also includes competitive outlook of some of the major players profiling of companies such as Agilent, Bio-Rad, Falcon, Ge Healthcare, Gilson, HTA Srl, Jasco, Leco, Merck, Perkinelmer, Restek, Scion. The company profiles include business strategy, geographical revenue distribution, major information of the companies which encompasses business outlook, products, services and industries catered, financial analysis of the company and recent developments. Overall, the report represents the global autosamplers market trends along with market forecast that will help industry consultants, technology providers, existing players searching for expansion opportunities, new players examining possibilities and other stakeholders to bring into line their market centric approaches according to the ongoing and expected trends in the future.Key queries countered in this global autosamplers market report What is the global autosamplers market size by 2024 and what would be the expected growth rate of sales? What are the autosamplers market trends? What are the dynamics which are driving this market? What are the major barriers to autosamplers market growth? Who are the prominent vendors in this market space? What are the market prospects for the current and entry level players?Browse Similar Report:PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-24 08:02:02

LEEDS, United Kingdom, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 4D pharma plc (AIM: DDDD), a pharmaceutical company leading the development of live biotherapeutics, today announces positive top-line results for its Phase 1b study of Thetanix in paediatric patients with Crohns disease. The study achieved its primary objective, demonstrating that Thetanix was well tolerated with a good safety profile.



The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in two parts, with a single-dose phase and a multiple-dose phase and treated a total of 18 subjects aged 16-18 with Crohns disease. In the single-dose phase, eight subjects were given a single dose of either Thetanix or placebo. In the multiple-dose phase, 10 subjects were given either Thetanix or placebo twice daily for seven consecutive days.

The Company also announces the publication of data demonstrating the efficacy of Thetanix in pre-clinical models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The data, published in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, showed that Thetanix demonstrated strong efficacy on the primary readouts in two different preclinical models with relevance to Crohns disease, protecting against weight loss, preventing histopathological changes in the colon and attenuating inflammatory mediators.

Using an in vitro co-culture assay, a pirin-like protein (PLP), produced by Thetanix, was also identified as a candidate effector molecule. Recombinant PLP was shown to be protective against colitis in a preclinical model and, like Thetanix, to act on NF-B signalling in vitro.

These promising results add to the growing body of evidence on the efficacy of Thetanix, further reinforcing its potential as a novel treatment for Crohns disease, said Dr. Alex Stevenson, 4D's Chief Scientific Officer. Achieving the primary objective of the Phase 1b study, demonstrating the safety and tolerability of Thetanix, is an important milestone in the development of this programme.

The journal article can be found here: https://academic.oup.com/ibdjournal/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ibd/izy281/5095645

About Crohns disease

Crohns disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease which can occur in any part of the gastro-intestinal tract, but primarily affects the small intestine. Patients suffer from diarrhoea, rectal bleeding and abdominal pain. Many often require long-term medical therapy, are repeatedly hospitalised and may even require surgical intervention. Crohns disease remains an area of significant unmet medical need. In the mild-to-moderate population, patients are typically treated with long-term immunosuppressants, which are not effective in all individuals and often lead to the development of severe side effects. Safe and effective novel drugs are needed to provide improved treatment options for patients, particularly in the maintenance therapy setting.

For further information please contact:

4D + 44 (0)113 895 0130 Duncan Peyton, Chief Executive Officer Zeus Capital Limited - Nomad and Joint Broker Dan Bate / Jordan Warburton +44 (0) 161 831 1512 Bryan Garnier & Co. Limited - Joint Broker +44 (0)20 7332 2500 Dominic Wilson

Phil WalkerPR-Inside.com: 2018-09-24 13:03:01

Expansion to the ILPA Standard DDQ and Guidance on Code of Conduct



Seek to Advance D&I Efforts Across the Ecosystem

WASHINGTON and TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA) today announced the publication of several resources developed to support the advancement of diversity and inclusion (D&I) within the private equity (PE) industry. These resources include an expansion to ILPAs standard Due Diligence Questionnaire (DDQ) and guidance for developing organizational Codes of Conduct for general partners (GPs), limited partners (LPs) and fund portfolio companies. The work was completed over the course of 2018 by a cross section of ILPA members representing a global perspective.

Steve Nelson, CEO of ILPA, reflected on the imperative for all industry players to contribute to the D&I effort in a positive manner:

ILPA believes that diversity and inclusion is a strength that all stakeholders within the private equity ecosystem should embrace and promote in meaningful ways, said Nelson. The DDQ expansion and Code of Conduct guidance represent an opportunity for LPs and GPs to have conversations about these important issues, in the spirit of a stronger and ever-improving workplace for everyone. We look forward to advancing these ideals which serve as the foundation for a healthy, prosperous industry.

The DDQ expansion includes a template for GP firms to measure and report the gender and ethnic diversity of their teams by seniority and role. It also comprises a new section of questions that will enhance an LPs understanding of a GPs policies and procedures in areas such as hiring, promotions, family leave, mentoring, and harassment and discrimination. The Code of Conduct guidance identifies the components that should be included in such a document regarding an organizations approach to defining, reporting, investigating and disciplining harassment, discrimination and violence in the workplace.

ILPA produced these new materials to serve as resources for organizations seeking to develop a more fulsome D&I approach. The organization is accepting feedback on the materials on its website, and looks forward to continuing a productive conversation on these efforts and future D&I initiatives.

About the Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA)

The Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA) engages, empowers and connects limited partners to maximize their performance on an individual, institutional and collective basis. With more than 475 member institutions representing over $2 trillion USD of private equity assets under management, ILPA is the only global organization dedicated exclusively to advancing the interests of LPs and their beneficiaries through best-in-class education, research, advocacy and events.

Contact:

Emily Mendell

Managing Director, ILPA

emendell@ilpa.org

610-565-4692PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-24 23:48:07

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Contact us-Mr. NeelCorporate Sales, USAPolaris Market ResearchPhone: 1-646-568-9980Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.comWeb: www.polarismarketresearch.comManager1-646-568-9980

The worldwide kitchen appliances market is anticipated to reach USD 340.9 billion by 2026. In 2017, the refrigerator segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. North America is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market revenue during the forecast period.The global kitchen appliances market was valued at USD 206.9 billion in 2017 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period.The changing lifestyles and hectic schedules of the working professionals lead to growing demand for kitchen appliances. Consumers prefer kitchen appliances, which are easyto-operate and facilitate faster cooking. Rising disposable income is one of the factors responsible for the growth of the market. Increasing propensity of consumers to spend on appliances to lead convenient lives has also resulted in an increased demand for kitchen appliances.Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/kitchen-appliances-market/request-for-free-sample Major key Player:-Whirlpool CorporationRobert Bosch GmbHLG ElectronicsAB ElectroluxHaier Group CorporationPanasonic CorporationSamsung ElectronicsKoninklijke Philips N.V.Sharp Corporation.The other factors responsible for the growth of the market are convenience in fast cooking and healthy food consumption. Players in the market are launching cooking appliances which enable faster cooking while keeping the nutrients of food intact. Introduction of energy efficient cooking appliances equipped with multiple cooking functionalities are available in the market to cater to the consumers in the market. Moreover, the increasing trend of smart appliances would also encourage manufacturers to launch innovative kitchen appliances, which are compact and easy-to-use.There has been a considerable increase in middle class and young working population across the globe. Rising female working population and busy schedules of people have led to an increasing demand of kitchen appliances. Increase in the number of social gatherings coupled with growing need for quick and efficient kitchen activities has boosted the market. Growing purchasing power of individuals has led to increased spending on consumer goods. Rising disposable income enables consumers to purchase multipurpose and easy-to-operate kitchen appliances to simplify and ease their kitchen activities. Consumers generally opt for stylish and technologically advanced kitchen appliances, which complement their living standards. Market players are introducing new products equipped with advanced features at affordable prices to cater to the growing consumer demands.Make an inquiry for buying this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/kitchen-appliances-market/inquire-before-buying North America generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017, and is expected to lead the global market throughout the forecast period. The high living standards along with high disposable income in the region encourage consumers to purchase kitchen appliances to simplify kitchen activities. The growing adoption of smart technologies and home automation systems is further expected to augment market growth in the region. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period owing to the increasing population and improving living standards.The different types of kitchen appliances include cooking appliances, refrigerators, dishwaters, and others. In 2017, refrigerators accounted for the highest market share owing to increasing need to conserve edible items at a range of different temperatures. Consumers prefer to use energy efficient refrigerators owing to growing environmental concerns. Introduction of advanced refrigerators equipped with smart technologies is expected to drive the market in the future.Browse Full Report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/kitchen-appliances-market/ The various end-users of kitchen appliances include residential and commercial users. In 2017, residential users accounted for the largest share in the global market, and are estimated to grow at a substantial rate during the forecast period. Residential consumers are increasingly spending on kitchen appliances to simplify kitchen chores and lead comfortable lives. Household consumers are opting for kitchen appliances, which are energy efficient and have minimal space requirements. In addition, improvement in living standards has encouraged consumers to buy technology-driven and luxury kitchen appliances. Integration of technologies such as Internet of Things and smart technologies into kitchen appliances is expected to provide growth opportunities in the coming years.About us Polaris Market ResearchPolaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities.We mainly focus on aiding our customers with substantial competitive intelligence, helping them to secure a competitive advantage in the market and accomplish sustainable growth in different market domains. Adept with a highly competent, experienced and extremely qualified team of experts comprising SMEs, analysts and consultants, we at Polaris endeavor to deliver value-added business solutions to our customers. Through dedicated qualitative and quantitative primary and secondary market research and consulting assignments, we adeptly formulate competitive strategies to address business challenges for our clients through analyzing market trends and emerging technologies.Contact us-Mr. NeelCorporate Sales, USAPolaris Market ResearchPhone: 1-646-568-9980Email: sales@ polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com| BY Ricki Green |

Following one of the most successful new beer launches in the past decade, Lion Beer Australia is continuing its mission to have Iron Jack become a household name, this week unveiling a new campaign, developed by Ogilvy in partnership with UM and Geometry Global, aimed at showcasing the universal bond between man and dog.

The nationwide campaign is spearheaded by a TVC that showcases the qualities of a good capable man. Supported by radio, the campaign also demonstrates that the thirst crushing refreshment of an Iron Jack makes it the perfect beer for all-round good Aussie blokes.

An OOH campaign, also live from this week, champions the beer itself as clean and refreshing. Supporting digital and social activity, also developed by Ogilvy, will be launched in the coming weeks.

Says Toby Harrison, chief strategy officer at Ogilvy Australia: Australia has changed so much in the last two decades. And for many men, the world they find themselves in is complex. Their roles and responsibilities have grown and what is expected of them has become harder to navigate. Whilst a lot has changed, what it takes to be a good bloke hasnt. And we wanted to send a simple message to Australia to remind them of that.

Says Amy Darvill, Lions portfolio marketing manager (contemporary brands), said of the campaigns hero character: Hes a handy, switched on sort of guy  but hed be the last to admit it. Hes the sort of bloke everybody wants to have around or be around. While at the end of a hard day there is nothing better than an ice-cold Iron Jack, a good bloke looks after those around him first. Thats just the kind of guy he is.

The campaigns creative also highlights the relationship between man and his dog, as part of Iron Jacks commitment to help Australian Working Dog Rescue International (AWDRI) save more than 1,600 dogs.

Iron Jacks partnership will provide AWDRI with financial and marketing support, and volunteer hours from its marketing team, enabling AWDRI to continue its efforts rescuing working dogs across Australia. The organisation provides vet work, training, rehoming and increasing fundraising and awareness opportunities.

Iron Jacks partnership with AWDRI also follows the launch of its Beers for the Bush campaign to raise $1 million for farmers affected by drought through supporting Rural Aid. Iron Jack will donate $1 from every carton sold nationally, and 50 cents from each schooner of Iron Jack sold at selected regional venues to help support local relief efforts led by the charity.

Says Darvil: Iron Jacks commitment to these causes is a reflection of what our brand, and what the Lion Beer Australia business is all about.

LION

Amy Darvill  Portfolio Marketing Manager Contemporary Brands

Ed Jamison  Senior Brand Manager

Liam Jeffries  Brand Manager

UM

Declan ODwyer  Group Business Director

Chris Colter  Sydney Strategy Director

Toby Young  National Connections Design Director

Michelle Grogan  Client Director

Jonny Day  Connections Design Director

Lorena Chiarella  Partnerships Director

Ogilvy

Boris Garelja  Creative Director

Carl Robertson  Art Director

Toby Harrison  Chief Strategy Officer

Andrew Braithwaite  Strategic Planner

Ben Frost  Group Account Director

Ola Moszumanska  Account Director

Pippa Coleman  Senior Account Manager

Renee Nadin  Broadcast Producer

Production Company: Scoundrel

Director: Scott Pickett

Executive Producer: Adrian Shapiro

Producer: Yolande Dewey

DOP: Crighton Bone

Production Designer: Jon Dowding

Editor: Stu Morely

Post: The Editors

Sound Studio: Song Zu

Music Supervisor: Ramesh Sathiah

Sound Designer: Abigail Sie

Audio Producer: Meg Drummond

Geometry

Kate Warren-Smith  General Manager

Belinda McKinnon  Group Account Director

Ashley Cheng  Senior Account Manager

Ben Walker  Planning DirectorPR-Inside.com: 2018-09-24 11:18:02

Almost half (43%) of UK workers look to tech to optimise performance as anxiety increases around AI

Over a third (36%) are willing to have workplace technology monitor their routine to improve productivity

New research from Unum examines the motivations and priorities of UK workers to understand how the nations workforce will change over the next decade

Man versus machine: UK workers look to tech to outpace AI rivals, Unum finds

Unum

Danielle Anthony

Danielle.anthony@unum.co.uk

or

Kelly Spencer

kspencer2@unum.com

UK workers are embracing tech in the workplace to maximise their productivity in the wake of developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology, according to a new report from employee benefits specialist Unum and independent researcher The Future Laboratory.

The report, The Future Workforce, predicts a new breed of worker more open to using technology to enhance their minds and bodies, allowing them to excel in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.

This Tech-Enhanced Worker would be interested in seeing tech in the workplace that optimises brain chemistry, such as meditation apps, or headsets that monitor or alter brain activity  a view held by 43% of workers. Almost half (49%) would be interested in using tech, such as activity-tracking wearables and time management apps, to improve their performance.

Many believe that AI would benefit their jobs (43%)  yet a greater proportion (55%) expressed concerns AI may render their jobs redundant in years to come.

36% of workers stated they would like to see more technology that monitors their daily routines to help optimise their work, and theyre also willing to surrender personal data to enable them to be more efficient. Over half (55%) stated they would be happy to accept the associated benefit rewards for participating in their employers data-optimised workplace.

The report, which focuses on emerging workforce trends in the next five years and how employers need to adapt to ensure they attract and retain top talent, identifies three additional emerging groups of workers:

The Socially-Committed Worker  a group that wants its employers to have a powerful social conscience

The research revealed that 61% of workers feel strongly that companies have a duty to make a positive contribution to society, with 59% stating that they want to work for a company with a powerful social conscience. This rises to 69% of those aged between 25-34.

46% of 24-34 year olds feel that companies should be fined if they are not participating in civic and ethical contributions, further defining this type of worker.

The Socially-Committed worker will also expect their employer to give them dedicated time off to pursue charitable initiatives (37% of all workers).

The Obligated Worker  a group that requires flexibility in their work life out of necessity

Obligated workers look to manage their numerous work and life commitments to combine financial security and career fulfilment. They include those with dependents and the Sandwich Generation attempting to balance raising children with caring for ageing parents.

56% of workers claimed they will need to work longer out of necessity, and 61% have expectations that their employer will accommodate for their needs based on their life stage (e.g. grandparent leave, and associated benefits, and different hours to suit their lifestyle).

These workers want to build careers that are flexible - particularly at different life stages - often leading to portfolio working featuring multiple roles and employers.

The Self-Fulfilled Worker  a group that tends to have portfolio careers to increase self-fulfilment

In contrast to the Obligated Workers  this group also tends to work flexibly, but out of choice rather than necessity. Almost two thirds (65%) of workers expect to work more years in their life because they want to, not because they have to. And 46% of workers said theyre likely to have multiple careers over their lifetime as opposed to one structured, lifelong career.

Peter ODonnell, CEO of Unum UK said: Todays major societal trends will have a very significant impact on UK business and the needs and expectations of the workforce. Workers of tomorrow are likely to be more willing to share personal data with employers to improve productivity, more conscious of their companys ethos, and more demanding of workplace flexibility to fulfil personal obligations or lifelong learning goals.

UK businesses will need to think ahead to ensure they attract and retain talent within this new landscape  be it through integration of new workplace technologies, clearly laying out their sustainability credentials or increasing role-sharing to enable greater flexibility. We hope the report will give business leaders food for thought, and that it will start a discussion around how to prepare for the workforce of tomorrow, today.

For more information on the findings and how the employers can adapt to the changing needs of the future workforce, please find the full report here: unum.co.uk/future-workforce.

We have also created a short quiz which helps employees find out what workforce futures they most associate with, and employers to discover how prepared their workplace is for the workers of the future: unum.co.uk/future-workforce-quiz.

Methodology

The Future Laboratory used a mixed research approach involving interviews with a range of experts from its Futures100 network. These are experts in various fields. The aim was to build their knowledge and foresight into our analysis of the future of workplaces, employers and employees in Britain. The experts interviewed were:

Sam Moyo, Founder, Morning Gloryville

Florijn Vriend, Neuropsychologist and Founder, Enrichers

Jim Rokos, Founder, Rokos Design

Martin Knapp, Professor of Social Policy and Director of the Personal Social Services Research unit at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Liz Walker, HR Director, Unum UK

The Future Laboratory also conducted an online survey of UK employees to quantify their awareness, involvement and future interest relating to trends in this report, and the likelihood that they would remain with an employer who adopted these trends. It also investigated the key drivers for trend adoption as well as assessing what factors that can lead employees to leave companies.

The online survey was completed by 3,000 workers in:

Media, advertising, marketing and PR

Engineering and automotive

Goods, services, hospitality and recreation

Labour, agriculture and farming

Finance and law

IT and telecommunications

Medical

Some 97% of respondents work full or part-time in companies with up to 5,000 employees, with 3% defining themselves as self-employed. The survey was carried out by Opinium Research in March 2018.

About Unum UK

Unum UK is a leading employee benefits provider offering financial protection through the workplace including: Income Protection, Life insurance, Critical Illness, and Dental cover.

Our Income Protection customers have access to medical and vocational rehabilitation expertise designed to help people stay in work and return to work following illness and injury. Unum LifeWorks, our Employee Assistance Programme, provides help and advice on a range of work/life issues.

Our Critical Illness customers can access our Cancer Support Service, providing personalised support for employees with a cancer diagnosis.

We are committed to workplace wellbeing for both employees and employers, and have a wide range of tools designed to help businesses create or enhance their employee wellbeing strategy.

At the end of 2017, Unum protected over 1.6 million people in the UK and paid claims of 306 million - representing in excess of 5.9 million a week in benefits to our customers - providing security and peace of mind to individuals and their families.

Unum Group has a financial strength rating of A (Excellent) from A.M. Best with a stable outlook.

Our parent company, Unum Group, is a provider of employee benefits products and services in the United States, including group and individual disability insurance. Premium income for Unum Group and its subsidiaries totalled $8.6 billion in the year ended 31 December 2017, with reported revenues for the group totalling $11.3 billion and total assets of $64 billion. For more information please visit www.unum.co.uk.

Unum Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Unum Dental is a trading name of Unum Limited. Registered in England 983768.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005

.@AskUnum's Future Workforce report provides insight into what the workforce will look like 10 years from now and what employers can do to prepare todayPR-Inside.com: 2018-09-24 10:03:01

BSS-as-a-Service Provider Demonstrates 9% Revenue Growth and invests in international profile

MDS Globals Continuing Financial Success Underpins Global Expansion

MDS Global

Martine Naughton

Email: martine.naughton@mdsglobal.com

Tel: +44 (0) 7909 475815

MDS Global Ltd a leading BSS-as-a-Service provider has reported, in its latest financial results, 9% increase in revenues, strong EBITDA growth and a substantial increase in its revenue backlog from long term committed contracts. The result is a solid financial base on which the company plans to continue its international expansion overseas and a substantial investment in products delivered through its cloud-based BSS-as-a-Service solution.

MDS Global, headquartered in UK, provides cloud-based business support systems (BSS) for the telecoms and wider digital markets, having supplied the likes of BT, Telefonica UK, TalkTalk, Dixons Carphone and eir with business solutions over many years.

Core to MDS Globals current strategy is building the groups overseas presence. Gary Bunney, CEO, MDS Global said, We have been investing in expanding MDS Globals international profile through extending our worldwide partnership network. This is already paying dividends and earlier this year we were delighted to be recognised as the Best International MVNO Facilitator at MVNO World Congress 2018.

A key element underpinning the MDS Global push overseas is product development. The group has launched a range of BSS-as-a-Service solutions, incorporating its own billing and analytics platform along with proven expertise and IP in running revenue management and assurance operations. In late 2017, MDS Global launched VNOnDemand which offers MVNOs a cost-effective out of the box digital BSS platform On Demand. This will be followed by B2BonDemand in 2018, the latest version of its Enterprise BSS solution, now cloud-based. This platform, again delivered as-a-service, supports service providers with new digital engagement tools designed for efficient and personalised interaction with SME and Enterprise markets. B2BonDemand also includes full capabilities to monetise IoT applications which are a significant growth opportunity in the telecoms market.

Chief Executive, Gary Bunney, continued,"2017 was a year of good progress in which we increased revenues, substantially grew profitability and secured long term contracts of three to five years for our core BSS-as-a-service proposition. These strong results will underpin our expansion objectives for the coming years."

About MDS Global

MDS Global is a leading BSS-as-a-Service provider of VNO, B2B and IoT solutions. We look after all aspects of monetisation, assurance and customer steering for complex products and services. We offer a digital operating model in a DevOps context, which enhances stakeholder experiences and provides unprecedented business agility.

Headquartered in the UK, MDS Globals customers include BT Business (UK), eir (Ireland), iD Mobile from Dixons Carphone (UK), TalkTalk (UK), Telefonica (UK), Vodafone (Germany, Greece and Belgium), Orange (Belgium), KPN (Netherlands) and Telia (Denmark).

For more information, please visit www.mdsglobal.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005

MDS Global, a leading BSS-as-a-Service Provider demonstrates 9% revenue growth and invests in international profile.PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-24 16:52:16

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Namibia Critical Metals Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Halifax, Nova Scotia (FSCWire) - Namibia Critical Metals Inc. (TSX Venture:NMI). has issued a press release with the following headline:Namibia Critical Metals Mobilizing Drill Rigs for First Phase Drilling on Kunene Cobalt-Copper ProjectTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Namibia Critical Metals Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Namibia Critical Metals Inc.Source: Namibia Critical Metals Inc. (TSX Venture: NMI, WKN: A1H9VG, ISIN: CA62988F1027)Date: September 24, 2018Time: 10:52 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Namibia Critical Metals Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2018 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)Mobile phone insurance company, loveit coverit, surveyed 1000 parents across the United Kingdom to get a better understanding of their attitudes towards the current debate around smartphones in schools. This research looked at multiple aspects, including the prevalence of cyberbullying, age of smartphone use, and individual school mobile phone policies.

PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-24 13:55:09

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# 474 Words

Evolution House Unit 1011 New Garrison RoadShoeburynessEssexSS3 9BFContent Executive01702568081Ben George01245 790760

Mobile phone insurance provider, loveit coverit, surveyed parents in the UK across different topics regarding children and smartphone use, including cyberbullying, online safety and impact on education, as part of a wider research project collaborating with charities, schools, authorities and governing bodies.The survey from loveit coverit revealed that almost a quarter (24.38%) of parents felt that phones should not be allowed in schools under any circumstances, whilst 33.87% of respondents believed phones should be only used in emergencies. Just 1.5% felt their access should be unrestricted.It comes as a number of secondary schools across the country are introducing strict new bans on mobile phones from September, following an appeal from culture secretary Matthew Hancock.As the start of the new school term approaches, its a subject of much debate, especially among parents whose children are making the transition from primary to secondary school. loveit coverits survey revealed that this was the age bracket during which over half of parents (53.3%) allowed their child to have a smartphone, while 6.39% of parents said they would give a child of under 6 years old a smartphone.When questioned on how much time they allowed their child to use a phone each day, just over half of respondents said under 2 hours (56.04%). 14.59% revealed they do not monitor their childs mobile phone use at all.With regards to cyberbullying, the survey revealed that 14.99% of parents claimed their child had been a victim of cyberbullying, whilst 8.79% said no, but still had suspicions their child might have been a victim.When asked what their biggest concerns were over their child owning a mobile phone, parents top ranked fear was talking to strangers (40.96%), whilst 25.77% cited cyberbullying. Twice as many parents were worried about theft (18.8%) than school disruption (9.7%), despite this being the main driver towards many of the new bans.As well as an online survey, loveit coverit also investigated varying school policies across the country. From a sample of 100 schools, 23.4% were found to have a total ban in place. A further 26.59% allowed pupils to sue their phones with permission from a teacher, but stated that these must otherwise stay switched off. A short confiscation of less than a week was the most common punishment.The full survey report can be found on the loveit coverit website, alongside related advice and guides. Research, resources and views from teachers, schools, authorities, governing bodies and health and wellbeing experts are also available.About loveit coveritAuthorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, loveit coverit is a trading name of Pier Insurance Managed Services. Providing mobile phone and gadget insurance for almost 30 years, the company has insured over 900,000 devices to-date and all claims are handled by their UK based, in-house team.Contact detailsToby StubbingtonManaging DirectorPier Insurance Managed Services Limited01702 568081Survey questioned 1,000 parents of children under 18 across the UK, online, in association with Toluna.PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-24 12:32:02

Highlights support for IT Professionals and DevOps teams operating on and across Microsoft on-premise environments, Microsoft Azure, and Office 365

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SolarWinds , a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT management software, today announced its participation at Microsoft Ignite  2018 , September 24-28, 2018, in Orlando, Florida. SolarWinds will demonstrate the latest updates to its unified infrastructure management portfolio, built on the SolarWinds  Orion  Platform , alongside its suite of SaaS-delivered products designed for DevOps teams. These portfolio enhancements are designed to deepen visibility across both cloud infrastructure and applications to simplify full-stack monitoring for DevOps and IT professionals. The company will also preview its upcoming Cost Calculator for Microsoft Azure free tool.



Optimizing performance across even the most complex environments can be accomplished, said Christoph Pfister, executive vice president of products, SolarWinds. Creating a more integrated user experience for customers using more than one product is key to our goal of helping technology practitioners quickly identify performance issues and correlations between all layers of the technology stack.

Visit Booth 1607

Head Geeks  Thomas LaRock and Patrick Hubbard , and other SolarWinds product experts are demonstrating the latest unified systems management and SaaS-delivered solutions for IT professionals and DevOps teams, and highlighting support of Microsoft workloads and environments, including Azure and Office 365. SolarWinds is also previewing its upcoming Cost Calculator for Microsoft Azure free tool, which is designed to simplify reporting Microsoft Azure expenditures in one or more Azure subscriptions.

SolarWinds solutions on display include:

Server Configuration Monitor (SCM): Visibility into configuration changes on Windows  servers and applications, while also correlating performance issues to authorized or unauthorized changes to files, binaries, configuration files, the Windows Registry, and hardware configurations.





Visibility into configuration changes on Windows servers and applications, while also correlating performance issues to authorized or unauthorized changes to files, binaries, configuration files, the Windows Registry, and hardware configurations. Server & Application Monitor (SAM): Named a 2018 Gartner  Peer Insights  Customers Choice for Application Performance Monitoring Suites , SAM helps customers monitor the health and performance of Windows and Linux  servers and applications deployed both on-premise and in Azure, and new monitoring templates for Azure PaaS services including Azure IOT Hub, Azure SQL Database Elastic Pool, and more.





Named a , SAM helps customers monitor the health and performance of Windows and Linux servers and applications deployed both on-premise and in Azure, and new monitoring templates for Azure PaaS services including Azure IOT Hub, Azure SQL Database Elastic Pool, and more. Virtualization Manager (VMAN): Discover and monitor virtual machines running on Microsoft Hyper-V  virtualized or private cloud instances and Microsoft Azure, helping to control sprawl, and optimize environments with capacity planning and performance optimization recommendations.





Discover and monitor virtual machines running on Microsoft Hyper-V virtualized or private cloud instances and Microsoft Azure, helping to control sprawl, and optimize environments with capacity planning and performance optimization recommendations. Database Performance Analyzer (DPA): Locate issues, analyze root causes, and optimize performance for popular database technologies including Microsoft SQL Server  , Microsoft Azure SQL Database, MySQL  , Oracle  , and more.





Locate issues, analyze root causes, and optimize performance for popular database technologies including Microsoft SQL Server , Microsoft Azure SQL Database, MySQL , Oracle , and more. Backup for Office 365: Designed to assure protection of your email data on Microsoft Office 365.





Designed to assure protection of your email data on Microsoft Office 365. SolarWinds solutions for DevOps teams: SolarWinds will be showcasing the SolarWinds portfolio of SaaS-based products AppOptics, Pingdom, Papertrail, and Loggly offerings. Together these products provide unmatched visibility across both cloud infrastructure and applications to simplify full-stack monitoring for DevOps and IT Ops professionals.

Join the Discussion

SolarWinds Head Geek and Microsoft MVP , Thomas LaRock , will participate in two separate speaking sessions on September 25 and 26 on how to tune your SQL Server databases for optimal performance and best practices for data protection. Ensuring system and application uptime is a mission-critical task for todays database professionals, but all too often it is challenging to determine which configurations are creating a detrimental impact on performance, said LaRock. In my session, SQL Server Default Configurations: Helping Good People Make Better Choices, Ill detail which configurations to use, when to use them, as well as a few easy ways DBAs can track changing configurations to ensure performance and availability remain high.

The Seven Samurai of SQL Server Data Protection: What: SQL Server has features to help protect data from three different attack vectors: data at rest, data in use, and data in motion. In this session, LaRock will outline seven features (the seven Samurai) of SQL Server data protection and how to deploy them with confidence. When: Tuesday, September 25, 4:00 p.m. - 4:20 p.m. EDT Where: Expo Theater #5



SQL Server Default Configurations: Helping Good People Make Better Choices: What: It can be difficult to determine which SQL Server configuration options are better than others, and worse, it can be difficult to know which configurations have been changed, resulting in poor performance. In this session, LaRock will discuss several default configurations data professionals should be using, and how to track when they are changed. When: Wednesday, September 26, 1:05 p.m. - 1:25 p.m. EDT Where: Expo Theater #4



Thomas LaRock is a Head Geek at SolarWinds and a Microsoft Certified Master, Microsoft Data Platform MVP, VMware vExpert, and former Microsoft Certified Trainer. He has over 20 years experience in the IT industry in roles including programmer, developer, analyst, and database administrator.

About the SolarWinds Orion Platform

The Orion Platform is a modular and scalable, unified monitoring architecture. It allows IT departments to add modules as their needs grow, providing visibility into all elements of critical services, while consolidating metrics and data into one view. While modules are sold as individual products, they run on a unified platform, with a single web-based dashboard, centralized management and access control, unified alerting and reporting, and consolidated metrics and data  which enables context-rich dashboards that centralize data form multiple parts of the stack into an application-centric view. The SolarWinds Orion Platform is trusted by 499 of the Fortune 500 companies to monitor, visualize, and analyze the performance of networks, applications, systems, and databases on-premise, in a hybrid environment, or in the cloud.

For more information on SolarWinds IT management products, including downloadable, free 30-day evaluations, visit the SolarWinds website or call 866.530.8100.

Additional Resources

Connect with SolarWinds

About Gartner Peer Insights Customers Choice

Gartner Peer Insights Customers Choice constitute the subjective opinions of individual end-user reviews, ratings, and data applied against a documented methodology; they neither represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Gartner or its affiliates.

About SolarWinds

SolarWinds is a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT infrastructure management software. Our products give organizations worldwide, regardless of type, size or IT infrastructure complexity, the power to monitor and manage the performance of their IT environments, whether on-premise, in the cloud, or in hybrid models. We continuously engage with all types of technology professionalsIT operations professionals, DevOps professionals, and managed service providers (MSPs)to understand the challenges they face maintaining high-performing and highly available IT infrastructures. The insights we gain from engaging with them, in places like our THWACK online community, allow us to build products that solve well-understood IT management challenges in ways that technology professionals want them solved. This focus on the user and commitment to excellence in end-to-end hybrid IT performance management has established SolarWinds as a worldwide leader in network management software and MSP solutions. Targeted for DevOps professionals and developers, SolarWinds cloud management products provide cloud-based monitoring of the full IT stack whether deployed in the cloud or on-premise. Our cloud management products enable visibility into log data, cloud infrastructure metrics, applications, tracing and web performance management. Learn more today at www.solarwinds.com/cloud-monitoring . Learn more today at www.solarwinds.com.

The SolarWinds, SolarWinds & Design, Orion, THWACK, Pingdom, and Loggly trademarks are the exclusive property of SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC or its affiliates, are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other countries. All other SolarWinds trademarks, service marks, and logos may be common law marks or are registered or pending registration. All other trademarks mentioned herein are used for identification purposes only and are trademarks of (and may be registered trademarks of) their respective companies.

 2018 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Nicole Fachet

Text100

Phone: +1-212-871-3950

NicoleF@text100.com

Jenne Barbour

SolarWinds

Phone: +1-512-498-6804

pr@solarwinds.comPR-Inside.com: 2018-09-24 15:03:01

Collaboration will provide Banco Monex clients with access to industry leading payment network

Western Union and Banco Monex Expand Alliance Globally

Western Union Business Solutions

Natalie Campos Mejia, +51 989737840

natalie.campos@wu.com

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a leader in global payments services, today announces a renewed alliance between its global payments business line, Western Union Business Solutions and Banco Monex, one of Mexicos largest cross-border payment providers. The new commercial alliance will provide Banco Monexs clients with enhanced payment distribution options by tapping into Western Union Business Solutions global payment infrastructure, which provides the bank the ability to send payments in 130 currencies and receive in over 40 currencies globally, quickly and with great traceability.

For Monex its a great alliance and will become another option in the services we strongly provide to our clients for the last 33 years, said Jorge Hierro, Monexs Deputy General Manager of Operations and Finance.

We are proud to partner with Banco Monex to further enhance their cross-border payment capabilities, said Alfred Nader, Vice President of Western Union Business Solutions for the Latin America and Caribbean region. Banco Monex have already distinguished themselves as the Mexican leader in cross-border payments by being at the forefront of payment technology adoption. This next step simply cements their position in the Mexican marketplace.

Western Union Business Solutions gives financial institutions across Latin America and the world the ability to expand their current international payment offering by combining access to its award-winning technology and with its comprehensive payment network. For more information or to request a demonstration, please visit our website.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement. Our omnichannel platform connects the digital and physical worlds and makes it possible for consumers and businesses to send and receive money and make payments with speed, ease, and reliability. As of June 30, 2018, our network included over 550,000 retail agent locations offering Western Union, Vigo or Orlandi Valuta branded services in more than 200 countries and territories, with the capability to send money to billions of accounts. Additionally, westernunion.com, our fastest growing channel in 2017, is available in 45 countries and territories to move money around the world. In 2017, we moved over $300 billion in principal in nearly 130 currencies and processed 32 transactions every second across all our services. With our global reach, Western Union moves money for better, connecting family, friends and businesses to enable financial inclusion and support economic growth. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005

The new commercial alliance will provide Banco Monexs clients with enhanced payment distribution options by tapping into Western Union Business Solutions global payment infrastructureThe Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says active mobile telephone lines in Nigeria decreased marginally to 160.5 million in August from 161.42 million in July.

NCC made this known in its monthly subscribers operator data posted on its website on Monday, saying the lines decreased by 904,767 in August.

The communications regulatory body added that the Mobile Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) for active mobile lines in August was 119,008 as against 125,444 recorded in July, a decrease of 6,436.

The report said the number of fixed wired/wireless for active mobile lines in August was 140,806 compared with its July figure of 140,582 lines, recording an increase of 224.

According to NCC, the number of Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) was 105,678 in August compared with 101,131 recorded in July, representing an increase of 4,547.

It also revealed that Teledensity reduced by 0.65 in August to 114.92 as against 115.57 in July.

Teledensity is the number of telephone connections for every 100 individuals living within an area and it varies widely across the country.

NCC also said that the number of connected lines in August stood at 240,432,680 million as against 238,219,577 million in July, showing an increase of 2,213,103 million.

The CDMA for connected lines for August, was 247,983 as against 246,126 recorded in July, indicating an increase of 1,857, the subscribers data said.

The report said the number of fixed wired/wireless for connected lines in August was 351,103 compared with its July data that had 350,998, indicating an increase of 105 lines.

It also showed that the number of VOIP for connected lines in August was 690,042 as against 667,763 in July rising by 22,279 lines.

(NAN)U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he expects to hold a second summit with North Korea quite soon and hailed the tremendous progress made so far.

Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, separately said that he aimed to travel within the next three months to North Korea to organise the final details of such a meeting.

Lord willing Ill be travelling before the end of the year, Mr Pompeo said in New York, where he will be attending the UN General Assembly.

He insisted that sanctions on Pyongyang would remain in place until there is complete denuclearisation of North Korea and cautioned such a process will take more time.

There remains work to be done, he said.

Pompeo last week offered to meet his North Korean counterpart in New York.

The relationship is very good with North Korea. We have many things in store.

It looks like we will have a second summit quite soon, Mr Trump said in New York.

Mr Trump said North Korean, leader Kim Jong-Un had asked for the summit in a beautiful letter.

Mr Trump said progress with the North was significant and the relationship was looking much different than it did a year ago.

He had previously vowed to bring down fire and fury on Pyongyang and dubbed Kim Little Rocket Man.

Mr Trump is set to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae In on Monday in New York.

The two Koreas held their own summit last week in North Korea in what was seen as a positive meeting.

The U.S. is looking for Pyongyang to completely denuclearise by January 2021 but North Korea is asking for reciprocal measures from Washington on the Korean peninsula.

Pompeo cancelled a recent trip to North Korea, after Trump said there was a lack of progress.

However, it seems the talks are back on track from the U.S. perspective.

Mr Trump met Mr Kim in Singapore this year in an unprecedented summit. Washington insists the best way forward is direct talks between the two leaders.

(dpa/NAN)Livingstone Akanni lives in Kubwa Extension II Residential Area, a suburb some kilometres from the Abuja city centre. The serenity cast by the shadow of an imposing rock was an attraction for many of the about 5,000 people who built their homes in the area. But since a quarry firm arrived to alter the ambience of the area, the residents have been fighting to reclaim their paradise.

The quarry site is adjacent Livingstones parents home. The predicament of the 13-year-old boy started two years ago when his eyes started itching from persistent redness. His parents first took him to Kubwa General Hospital, the main public health institution in the sprawling satellite town. They have since moved him from one hospital to another but a solution to the boys aliment has remained elusive. He now takes daily medication to soothe the itching, says his father, Abiodun Akanni.

Mr Akanni recalled the eye problem started after the family moved to the house in Kubwa, some metres from the quarry site operated by a company called Zeberced.

It was some months after we moved to this house that we noticed that his eyes suddenly became red and kept itching him, said Mr Akanni.

The doctors who examined him said he is reacting to something in the environment. However, they were unable to say what exactly he is reacting to. We are suspecting it is the sand dust from the quarry as it started when we moved here. The doctors said either we take him away from this area or we stop the activity that is producing the allergy.

Livingstone is not the only child in the area suspected to be affected by the activities of the quarry.

How Students Suffer

Zeberceds quarry mining company operates on Arab Road directly behind the Kubwa Extension II Relocation Residential Area, near the community market. Its activities envelope the entire area: the interminable blasting of rocks, constant stone milling and noisy heavy machinery. The shrill sound from the milling runs nonstop. For a new comer to the area, the noise can induce headache.

Trucks transporting granite and sand from the quarry to other areas are a daily sight.

Explosions from the quarry are a constant distraction for students of Kings Gems Montessori School, located some metres from the hill where Zeberced carries out its quarry activities.

We have already oriented the children about the blasts, proprietress of the school, Mojisola Oladele-Joseph, said. However, it distracts them. But for the blasts, this was a lovely environment for education. We had to fortify the buildings as in an earthquake prone area. This gulped a lot of money during construction.

On the day PREMIUM TIMES reporter first experienced the blasts from the quarry, they were like bomb blasts and she felt the buildings shaking. The reporter noticed that a blast often sends a cloud of whitish stone dust into the sky, which hangs there for about five minutes.

Mrs Oladele-Joseph lamented that quarry activities were being carried out in a residential area.

It is only in Nigeria things like this can happen. In a more civilised clime where they are concerned about the health of citizens, such activities would not take place, she added.

A resident of the area, Tina Sunny-Oba, agreed with Mrs Oladele-Joseph.

Cracking walls, a house in the community

Mrs Sunny-Oba said when her son started attending Kings Gems some years ago, he would return home to complain about his hearing.

He always complained of not hearing well, due to the constant milling of stones and the blasts, she said.

Praise, a six-year-old boy in the area, said he was always scared every time there was a blast.

I dont know what it is. I always run inside the house if I am playing outside. The sound is so loud, like a gun, he said.

Residents Cry For Help

Fed up by the quarry activities, residents of the area have called for the intervention of government. But this was after their attempt to engage the company failed.

The chairman of the residents association, Moses Anyaoha, described the quarry activities as a major source of concern for residents.

Abuja quary facility located in Kubwa Extension II Residential Area Abuja quary facility located in Kubwa Extension II Residential Area

Mr Anyaoha said the companys activities were causing health hazard, environmental pollution, degradation of buildings and destruction of public infrastructure in the area. He said the association wrote several times for a meeting with the management of the company, but all the letters were ignored.

They then complained to the Divisional Police Officer at Kubwa Police Division, Phase 4, but this too had led them nowhere, he said. In fact, Mr Anyaoha accused the police of conniving with the company against the residents.

He said the residents wrote to notify the police that they would embark on a protest to the company site one Saturday, but officers led by the DPO, Ayobami Surajudeen, swooped on their take off point and dispersed the residents.

The DPO came with his boys to arrest me. He said we cannot protest because he cannot allow us shut down the activities of the company for one minute. I was detained till 9:30 p.m from 8 a.m when he came to arrest me. He said we were constituting unrest in the environment and if we want to protest, we should go to the Unity Fountain (kilometres away in the Central Business District of Abuja) to do so, Mr Anyaoha told the reporter.

The deputy secretary of the association, Simon Ukwuoma, who confirmed the arrest of the chairman, said they decided to involve the police because the residents felt it was a public matter. Mr Ukwuomas house shares a fence with Zeberceds site.

Police Take Chairman To Court

Mr Ukwuoma said the DPO twice invited the association and the company for a meeting. Unfortunately, he said, the meeting never held.

The first time, the DPO said he was not around when we got to his office. And the second time, we met the DPO with the management of Zeberced, but no meeting (was held). The DPO only told us to go and be living amicably.

It is surprising when the DPO led his squad to arrest the chairman. The DPO has taken the chairman to court, he was charged for disturbing the community among others, he said.

The DPO, Mr Surajudeen, said Mr Anyaoha was arrested for organising an unlawful protest and disturbing the peace of the neighborhood.

He said the dispute between the residents and the company has been on for over five years. He said it was reported to the station by the residents and he tried to mediate by inviting the executives of the residents association, the management of Zeberced and officials of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development for a meeting in his office.

Mr Surajudeen said the meeting advised the residents to write a petition to the ministry, which is in charge of mining activities in the country.

The police boss said he was sure the residents did not write the petition before trying to stage the protest, a move he said constituted public disturbance.

More Anguish For Residents

The reporter attended one of the associations meeting. Some of the members who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES lamented they had been trying to engage the management of the company in a dialogue to adopt safer means of blasting, to no avail.

Tawakalitu Shonibare, a retired civil servant, moved into the area February 2014. She said it was after moving into her house she realised there was a quarry nearby.

Even if you are sleeping you just have to awake from your sleep, Mrs Shonibare said. I lodged a complaint with the residents association in 2014 and the former chairman told us they were doing something about it. But up till today, nothing has been done.

She said Zeberced never issues warning before embarking on blasting.

It is always sudden and mostly done in the afternoon and night. Two children once almost ran into an oncoming vehicle due to the sound of a blast.

Government should relocate the company, this is a residential area and we paid for the land; it is not like we are occupying freely. We paid to the government and the government should see to our problem, not until they kill one of us before they come to our aid.

Mrs Shonibare said her son was injured by the police on the day of the aborted protest. They wanted to protest at the gate of the quarry so that they can get audience of the management to do something about the mining, but they were attacked with the police, she alleged.

The effect of the quarry activities has been enormous on us, another home owner, Emmanuel Sawyer, said. There are times I wake up with migraine headache and at times I find it difficult to breathe properly because of the pollution in the air from the stone dust.

At times the blasting of rock is at odd hours when you are sleeping, at midnight they are still working. You will be hearing machines. Our buildings have cracks. In my compound most times when they are blasting, children start crying and we cannot determine the type of effect it is having on the children.

We know that if immediate steps are not taken to address the situation, our internal organs will be affected.

Oluwafisayo Ayita, also a resident, said the activities of the company go on for 24 hours daily, explaining, if they are not blasting, they will be milling stones as well as the constant movement of trailers.

Coping with the noise has not been easy. We want the quarry management to look for a sustainable way of mining their raw materials which would not be a nuisance to the environment or they should relocate. It is even pathetic that a major market is situated near their activities. This could contribute to poison as food stuff are sold openly, he added.

Mr Ayita added that physical structure such as roads in the area are being destroyed by the companys activities, which he said was doing nothing about it.

It is not just about us, even the government is being affected, he said.

Company Keeps Mum

Security officials at Zeberced did not allow this reporter to enter the companys premises to speak with the management. The security men at the gate refused to give the reporter a phone number of any of the management staff to call. The company also did not reply to a letter by PREMIUM TIMES on its activities.

Nigerian Agency In Charge Of Mining Reacts

The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, in reaction to a letter from PREMIUM TIMES, denied receiving any petition from the residents.

But the reporter sighted a copy of the petition the residents wrote to the agency. The letter dated July 1 was acknowledged by the office of the Minister of State, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development on July 2. In the letter, the association complained about the impact of the aggregate mining in the environment by Zeberced Nig Ltd.

The ministry, in its letter to this newspaper dated August 8 and signed by the Director, Mines Inspectorate, K.F Wuyep, insisted that the community should write a formal letter informing the ministry of the problems they are having with the company.

In the letter, the ministry urged this newspaper to request the residents of the area of Messrs Zeberced quarry site to forward their complaints if any formally to the ministry on the effects of its operation in their vicinity; as a formal presentation of the residents complaint to the ministry would enable it take appropriate action on the matter.

It should be noted that mineral titles issued by the Mining Cadastre Office are for mining/quarry operations that are not detrimental to the people but for the economic benefits of all and sundry, it added.

Why Quarries Use Explosives  Mining engineer

A mining engineer who asked not to be identified said most quarries in Nigeria use explosives in blasting rocks. He said these are specially made explosives for quarries and are often mixed to reduce cost of production and maximise profit.

He explained that though there are other ways to crush rocks, the fragments would not be good for construction purposes, which is the reason for their activities.

Laser cutting is rarely used in cutting rocks for construction purposes. It is not aggregate like our own. But our own, we need to blast it into fragments for construction purpose.

There are other ways of blasting and that is the use of chemical, but stones blasted with chemicals are not good for construction purposes. The chemical used for blasting would have interfered with the chemical properties of the rock, thus affecting the binding properties of the stone. The chemical composition can be altered and this affects buildings built with it. That is one of the reasons why some buildings collapse, he said.

Health Implications Of Air Pollution

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated seven million people die prematurely every year from air pollution related diseases, including strokes and heart disease, respiratory illness and cancer.

Many pollutants which damage health also harm the environment and contribute to climate change. These include black carbon from diesel engines, cooking stoves and waste incineration, and ground level ozone, which are harmful but are short lived in the atmosphere, WHO said.

A report by the global agency on air quality states that 92 per cent of the worlds population live in places where air quality level exceeds WHO limits. It added that air pollution in most major cities exceeds WHO air quality standards.

According to the latest urban air quality database, 98 per cent of cities in low- and middle income countries with more than 100, 000 inhabitants do not meet WHO air quality guidelines.

Health Expert speaks

A general medical practitioner, Tevarshima Adongo, in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES said air pollutants are of different types but are all harmful to humans.

Mr Adongo said in the case of mining activities, which includes splitting rocks into tiny particles with the dust being spread into the air, the vicinity would not be conducive for living because the atmosphere would contain major dust particles which could be harmful, causing different types of diseases depending on the mineral contents of the rock.

He said because of the contamination of the air, people living in the vicinity would be predisposed to airways infections.

This he said, could be acute in the short term. Living in such area over a prolong period of about 10 to 15 years could predispose people to other chronic forms of illness such as lung diseases that can lead to cancer and other respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), which can lead to asthma.

Cracking walls, a house in the community

Mr Adongo said air contamination can also affect the eyes.

People living in the area can also get eye infection as a result of the dust particles in the air. Those tiny bits of rocks can also get into the eyes and in the long run they would have some minor eye diseases such as pterygium or pinguecula. These are growth in the eyes and are commonly found among people who are basically exposed to dust particles. Though not basically connected, it can also lead to cataract, he said.

Mr Adongo said Master Livingstone, the 13-year old boy in Kubwa, could be reacting to the mineral in the dust from the blast he is exposed to.

He explained that aside the eyes, the ears are also prone to be affected or damaged if exposed to large excessive noise. He said though those doing the blast might have protective equipment, for those living around, their ears is at risk.

Mr Adongo explained that people in such area would have challenges with hearing.

This will also have a psychological effect on the people as it creates some form of irritation for them. The people living in the area would become more irritable than normal people and might not be able to place their hands on the cause. They will just realise that they seem not to be ever comfortable, not knowing the noise is affecting them negatively.

He said a quarry should not be sited in a residential area.

The medical doctor, however, advised the residents of the area to always close their windows and seek alternative source of air, such as air conditioners.

Mr Adongo said they should also as much as possible wear protective eye glasses to reduce dust getting into the eyes and ear muffs, especially for those whose houses are close to the quarry site.

They should also try to get some breaks from the area by getting activities that would take them out of the vicinity for at least six hours a day, he added.The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) says it was a difficult decision to extend its support in Nigeria because it meant reducing its commitment in other countries.

GAVI, the largest global coalition of the public and private sectors, was built on the goal of accelerating equal access to new and underutilised vaccines for children living in the worlds poorest countries.

Since 2001, the coalition has provided funds for Nigeria to buy vaccines for routine immunisation.

Nigeria was tagged to graduate from the scheme after the country was declared to have graduated from low income economy status to a middle income economy.

This change in economic status automatically disqualifies Nigeria from benefiting from the GAVI intervention funds, leading to an understanding to end the support in 2021.

But GAVI later announced it was extending the support to 2028.

Vio Mitchel, who represents the the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on the GAVI Board, says the decision to extend the support has a consequence for other countries.

She disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at a meeting on Nigerias Strategy for Immunisation and Primary Health Care System Strengthening: 2-year Operational Plan Development 2019-2020 in Abuja.

She said the decision by GAVI to continue its support to Nigeria for another 10 years, instead of ending it in 2021, was reached after a great deal of debate.

Ms Mitchel said the decision by GAVI to support Nigeria for another 10 years was not an easy one.

Not because people do not value what is happening in Nigeria, but the level of investment that GAVI is proposing to Nigeria means that other countries will not be able to move forward on their plans, she said.

She urged everyone at both the state and federal level to make the best use of these resources to really demonstrate the difference.

GAVIs decision to extend its support for Nigeria to 2028 instead of the plan to transition in 2021 brought a major boost to the immunisation programme in the country.

In his opening remarks at the event, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, called for accountability in the primary healthcare system.

He said an accountability framework will help strengthen the countrys health institution.

The Managing Director, GAVI, Hind Khati, said the partnership between Nigeria and GAVI is important for continuous investment in immunisation in the country.

She said a lot of work is needed to sustain the partnership and improve routine immunisation in Nigeria.

Ms Khati stated that GAVI is fully committed to working with Nigeria.

The Director, disease Control and Immunisation at NPHCDA, Dorothy Nwodo, thanked GAVI for its contribution towards improvement of routine immunisation in Nigeria.| BY Ricki Green |

Following the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals Lions at the 2018 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the inaugural Grand Prix winner, The Palau Legacy Project, created by Host/Havas Sydney, was last night honoured with the Champion for Humanity Award from the We Are All Human Foundation. The Award was presented during the We Are All Human Foundation & Global GoalsCast UN General Assembly Kick-Off Reception of the UNs Global Goals Week, a reception to gather a coalition of champions and celebrate progress and key initiatives that made a difference over the last year.

Says Claudia Romo Edelman, founder of We Are All Human and senior adviser to the SDG Lion Award: We want to kick off the UNGA week with optimism and possibilism. Theres much to do, but it is totally possible to achieve a better world for all. There is an increasing number of champions from all walks of life putting sustainability at the centre of their activities. And on the other hand, consumers all around the world are increasingly buying with their beliefs and voting with their hearts.

The We Are All Human Champion for Humanity Award is a recognition for individuals or initiatives that have significantly contributed to scalable, positive progress towards advancing a better world for all. Last night, Juan Fernando Fonseca, 5 time Latin Grammy Award winner, was also awarded for his dedication over the decades to the achievement of peace and an end to the armed conflict in Colombia and as an advocate for the healing of the society.

The Sustainable Development Goals Lion were launched to advance awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that were unanimously adopted by world leaders at the United Nations in 2015. The Lion exists to encourage the creative industries to celebrate and support sustainability around the world, and set a precedent as an award for creativity for humanity.

Owned by Ascential plc, Cannes Lions is committed to giving back to relevant projects and causes. Alongside the See It Be It gender initiative, the #MoreLikeMe diversity initiative and membership of the UN Womens Unstereotype Alliance, revenues generated from both The Glass and SDG Lions are given back to relevant charities.

Last night, Philip Thomas, chairman, Cannes Lions, announced that the SDG Lions had generated 323,280 of funding which would be donated to various projects as advised by the UN.

Says Thomas: We launched this Lion because we know that creativity is a force for good, and that Cannes Lions brings together the worlds greatest creative minds to work on solutions for the worlds biggest problems. Entry numbers exceeded our expectations and its a real privilege on behalf of all the entrants to donate the funds to projects advised by the UN.

Says Edelman, who was part of the conception of the SDG Lion Awards: We Are All Human will continue to work with the creative community to inspire impactful content. It will annually distribute an award to the Champion of Humanity during the UNGA, and a Champion of Creativity for Good during the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Adewale Oke, has decried the low number of trained rheumatologists to treat musculoskeletal diseases in Nigeria.

Mr Oke, a professor, made the assertion at the West African Rheumatology Conference organised by the Nigerian Society of Rheumatology (NSR) in LASUTH, Ikeja on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three-day conference is themed: Rheumatology in West Africa; the journey so far.

This is another challenge that I think we must improve on; that is, the significant low number of rheumatologist available.

Close to 30 years after my studies, we probably have about 30 or 40 rheumatologists, I think that is a significantly low number of rheumatology for our growing 200 million populations.

If we have only 40 rheumatologists trained, I think that is an abysmally low number, I want to implore all of us in this gathering, let us continue to fashion a way of increasing this number.

I encourage us to continue to increase the awareness of rheumatology as a discipline such that we can also increase the number of rheumatologist that is available for our people, he said.

Mr Oke, was represented byIbrahim Mustapha, Director of Clinical services and training.

Femi Adelowo, professor and consultant rheumatologist in LASUTH, said in his presentation that rheumatology in Africa had expanded.

Rheumatology in West Africa has expanded, it scavenges every other specialty and there are more than 200 cases that come under rheumatology.

So the theme for this particular conference is apt because it talks about HIV disease which affects us most in West Africa, Mr Adelowo said.

He expressed the hope that the over 40 trained rheumatologists would expand the specialty and ensure they closed the gaps in the knowledge of rheumatology.

Marie Doualla, professor of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Cameroon, said there was the need to work on the poor availability of Rheumatologists in Africa.

Shortage of rheumatologist is even more acute in Cameroon because for a population of 20 million of inhabitants, we have only 11 rheumatologists.

In Nigeria, I heard that there are about 42 rheumatologists, for 200 million inhabitants, so the shortage is certain in the African settings and I think we have to do something about it.

This will make the cure of musculoskeletal diseases more difficult and not readily accessible for patients, Doualla said.

A consultant physician from the Ministry of Health, Lagos, Rasheeda Oba, said the only way people can know about rheumatology as a specialty was through awareness programme.

Rheumatology is a fairly new and developing specialty in Nigeria and in the West African sub region.

Compared rheumatology to most other specialties in medicine, you find out rheumatology is just coming up; we still have very few specialists.

But the thing about it is that we want the world to know more about it and that is the reason we have this conference, Mr Oba said.

NAN reports that participants at the event are trainees, residents, Dermatologists, Orthopedists, Paediatricians and General Practitioners. (NAN)In a development many never anticipated, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared the Osun gubernatorial election inconclusive.

Many had expected an outright declaration after the PDP candidate, Ademola Adeleke, polled majority votes of about 254,698 while Gboyega Oyetola of the APC came a close second with 254,345 votes, but that was not the case.

The 353 votes difference between the two was enough ground for the returning officer, Joseph Fuwape, to declare the election inconclusive.

Unfortunately as the returning officer, its not possible to declare anybody as the clear winner of the election on the first ballot, Mr Fuwape, vice chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, said.

He explained that the total registered voters in the five polling units where elections were cancelled is 3,498 votes.

Since that figure was higher than the difference between the votes of the leading candidates, a rerun election had to be conducted, the INEC chief explained.

I, Joseph Adeola Fuwape, hereby, declare this election inconclusive, he said.

INECs election guideline made pursuant to Section 153 of the Electoral Act stipulates a rerun if the margin of victory in an election is lower than the number of voters in units where elections are cancelled.

The electoral body then went ahead to fix Thursday, September 27 as the day of the rerun election.

Indeed, the rerun may be considered as crucial as the election itself and must be accorded a special status by parties involved owing to the complications.

Even though INEC has outlawed campaigns ahead of the rerun, the two major contenders still have some assignment to do ahead of Thursday.

Back To The Drawing Board

A strewn of marriages and compromises will shape the Thursday Osun rerun to be held in seven polling units in four local governments of the state.

Election will be contested by the 48 political parties in Orolu Local Government, Ward 9, polling unit 001 with a total registered voters of 393, polling unit 004, same ward, with a total of 387 registered voters, and another polling unit in Ward 9 in Orolu with a total registered voters of 167.

In Ife North local government area, Ward 15, unit 010, with voting strength of 502 voters, the election was cancelled due to card reader problems. In Ife South, Ward 16, two polling units were affected with a voting strength of 812 and 502 respectively.

In Osogbo, one unit was affected with a voting strength of 884 registered voters. The collating officer had alleged that the presiding officer of that particular unit absconded with the results, and no further explanations came from that.

Omisore, Angry Bride

Although all the 48 parties that took part in Saturdays election will take part in the rerun, the rerun election in reality has become a two-horse race between PDP and APC. But the local governments involved takes the battle a little away from them.

Iyiola Omisore

With a voting strength of over 1800 combined, the three affected polling units in Ife North and South could be decisive in the rerun.

In the final results declared for both local governments, the APC won in both with a minimum margin of 650 votes over its closest rival in each of the local governments. However in both local governments, a summation of the votes of the PDP and Mr Omisores SDP dwarfs the APC votes by over 3,500 votes in each local government. In fact, in Ife South, the SDP defeated the PDP to come second behind the APC.

Mr Omisore who won in the two other local governments in Ife (East and West) is considered a grassroots Ife politician. He joined the PDP after a fallout with party executives of Alliance for Democracy (one of APCs foundation parties), and then joined SDP after losing out in PDPs gubernatorial bid for 2018. He was the PDP governorship candidate in 2014.

Mr Omisores political prominence dated back to 1999 when he emerged as deputy governor of the state under the AD. His career took an unfavourable dent in 2001 when he was accused of being complicit in the murder of then Nigerias Attorney-General, Bola Ige who was murdered in his Bodija Ibadan residence on December 23, 2001.

The two had met shortly before a book launch organised by Ayo Fasanmi, one of the AD leaders.

It was reported that the duo had fierce altercations after Mr Ige insisted Mr Omisore greeted and respected him and the latter refused. Sometimes later, Mr Iges cap was removed by thugs at an event at the Ooni of Ifes palace (an act considered disrespectful in Yoruba land).

Mr Omisore also went ahead to author series of writings against the Mr Ige. One of his interviews with TEMPO quoted him as saying, Recently too, Bola Ige came on Radio here to insult me and my family, that his last one.

Few days after the TEMPO interview, assassins killed Mr Ige. Since then, even though he was arraigned and acquitted, some persons still blame Mr Omisore for the murder.

Mr Omisore left the AD in 2001 while his travails persisted and at the peak of the political crisis that engulfed the Bisi Akande led government in the state.

Bisi Akande

In the Thursday rerun, one of the options that seems not feasible for the APC is to court Mr Omisore into working for them. But if the APC could get a substantial 80 per cent or more in the Ife wards, the party will stands a good chance of winning the election.

This, however, may not seem possible. Many of those who could initiate such talks are direct enemies of Mr Omisore.

For instance, it seems unimaginable that Mr Akande would lead a delegation to persuade Mr Omisore into working for his party. But if APC could muster the courage and prosecute this successfully, there may be a gleaning of hope in Ife.

Omisore: Controversial But Useful

Like to the APC, Mr Omisore is still an angry bride to the PDP groom. After leaving AD in 2001, the politician had joined PDP, won election to the Senate twice, contested for governorship in 2014 and intended to in 2018 but that didnt happen.

He was alleged to have insisted on running for the partys ticket unopposed, an arrangement the party executives kicked against. His fallout with them reached a head in April when he was alleged to have supervised the burning of PDP flag in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

A state congress which produced a factional chairman of the party Soji Adagunodo, had set the tone for his dumping of the party. In the first week of April, Mr Omisore dumped the PDP with a vow never to return.

This vow may be the ego ground for the former lawmaker in rejecting any courtship from the PDP groom in need of an emergency marriage.

Some PDP leaders including a former minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, have already commenced the process of courting with Mr Omisore.

Femi Fani-Kayode

For PDP, striking a deal with Mr Omisore may have to come at an enticing price. They party may have to entice Mr Omisore with Osun East senatorial ticket, a seat currently occupied by the Babajide Omoworare, one of those who lost out in the APC gubernatorial primaries.

If the party considers the lobby option, it would have to initiate talks through his best hands. The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, appears as a ready hand in this regard.

Bukola Saraki, Senate President

In the fallout of the party primaries, Mr Saraki invited Akin Ogunbiyi who was edged by Mr Adeleke with a slight margin for mediation. Sources close to the senate president said Mr Saraki played the promise card with Mr Ogunbiyi promising him a senatorial ticket in the 2019 elections.

Money, Still A Factor

One of the two other towns set for rerun have major contenders but they remain crucial for the election. For Osogbo and Ifon Osun, money politics may settle the score between APC and PDP.

Despite several warnings ahead of election, security agencies arrested vote buyers in some parts of the state on Saturday. In many other areas, party agents collated names of voters in order to pay them later.

With access to names on the voters register, the political parties may still explore option of inducing the voters despite renewed threats of sanction by the INEC.

PDP MAKES MOVE

Meanwhile the PDP has expressed the need for an alliance with Mr Omisore.

Former Minister for Aviation and a prominent PDP member, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Sunday said Mr. Omisore is needed to help the PDP pull votes in the affected areas.

Now is the time for us to reach out and work with others. I will talk to my cousin Senator Iyiola Omisore. He is a fighter. We need him. We must join forces and send the APC demons packing, He posted on social media

Also, publisher of Ovation international and an in-law to the PDP candidate, Dele Momodu, stated that he is aware of attempts to get Mr. Omisore by the PDP officers.

Im aware the President of the Nigerian Senate DR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI has called him several times today but Omisore was busy. discussions likely tonight, he stated on Sunday.

Mr Omisore in his official reaction to the election result kept mum on likely alliance with any of the two leading parties.PREMIUM TIMES has received report of yet another Nigerian Army soldier who opened fire at a military facility in Abuja on Sunday, killing one colleague and injuring another before fatally ripping apart his own mouth with the rifle.

Coming within a few days after another suicide by a soldier in Borno State, the tragic end of the officer, identified as Markus Yusuf, appears to fit a disturbing pattern of such tragic incidents across military formations  one which military authorities are reluctant to publicly acknowledge.

Mr Yusufs death occurred in Giri, a suburb of Abuja where the Army Headquarters Garrison runs a farm settlement, military sources said.

He was in the company of his colleagues on an open concrete used for physical exercise when he started shooting, forcing most of them to flee.

His bullets, however, hit two fellow soldiers, instantly killing one and severely injuring the other. The injured soldier was identified as Monday Gwakar, a corporal. He was promptly taken to the Defence Headquarters Medical Centre in Abuja.

Mr Yusuf was said to be under the influence of alcohol prior to the lethal rage, but it was not immediately clear whether there were other underlining factors.

A spokesperson for the Nigerian Army did not immediately return requests for comments about the development.

The latest incident happened a few days after Adegor Okpako, a staff sergeant killed himself after killing a sergeant colleague and wounding four others on September 19.

Mr Okpako was attached to 192 Battalion in Gwoza, a former Boko Haram stronghold nearly 1,000 kilometres from Abuja, when he committed suicide at about 2:50 p.m.

The incident came only two days after he returned from a short break for undisclosed reasons.

Both cases came as Nigerian soldiers are witnessing a increasingly difficult phase in their battle against the extremist Boko Haram sect and other violent criminals.

Over 100 soldiers have been killed and as many feared missing in Boko Haram attacks since mid-July. Some families have not been notified several weeks after their children were killed in action, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Nigerian soldiers are said to be on active deployment in over 30 of the countrys 36 states, combating crimes from insurgents in the north-east to oil racketeers in the Niger-Delta.

In November 2017, a soldier on deployment in Nigerias restive north-east opened fire on a captain, killing him before turning the gun on himself.

In June, an Army captain on active deployment in Boko Haram war committed suicide as he underwent psychiatric evaluation in Borno State.

The frequent denials and absolute silence in some cases have made it difficult to understand whether the Nigerian Army has a policy on suicide deaths, or how individual cases are investigated and resolved, said military analyst Emeka Nwosu.

It was only last week that I read on PREMIUM TIMES that another soldier has committed suicide, this is now a national emergency that President Muhammadu Buhari should immediately take steps to address and prevent more unfortunate cases, Mr Nwosu said. A presidential intervention is needed to end this trend because the military leaders are no longer capable.

What we have on our hands is a brutal case of post-traumatic stress disorder, which is a common disaster for military across the world, Mr Nwosu said Monday morning. It is the attitude of our military towards it that is worsening the crisis here.

It is time they stop denying, release the statistics and let Nigerians know how the big the problem is so that there will be a general commitment towards a solution, he added.

Experts identify inadequate weapons and welfare for the troops as primarily responsible for misfortunes of soldiers on the battlefront, and also linked to mental health disaster.

These findings, also widely acknowledged, are often rejected by military chiefs, and they instead accuse independent media and analysts as sympathetic to Boko Haram or working to demoralise troops.

The chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, had paid unscheduled visits to the war front at least two times within the past six weeks to promise troops of better working condition in a bid to boost morale against violent criminals.

But as improved welfare remained elusive despite frequent reassurances, analysts fear suicide cases and other consequences of mental health crises may remain a challenge for some time.More than 15 years after the liquidation of Nigeria Airways Limited, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate release of N22.68 billion for settlement of the retirement benefits of ex-workers of the defunct airline.

The supervisory minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed, announced on Monday that the president also approved the release of another N20 billion as revitalisation fund of public universities based the request by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Mrs Ahmed who made the announcement through a series of tweets with a her personal Tweeter handle, @ZShamsuna, said the N22.68 billion was 50 per cent of the total entitlement of N45.3 billion agreed for the liquidated former airline workers.

The initial submission for the retirement benefits of the workers was about N78 billion. But, the N45.3 billion was arrived at following the verification exercise conducted by the presidential initiative on continuous audit (PICA) in conjunction with other interest groups.

The minister said the verification was conducted in line with the conditions of service offered the former staff by Nigeria Airways Limited in liquidation and other extant rules and regulations.

Following the long delay in the payment of the retirement benefits after the liquidation of Nigeria Airways Limited, Mrs Ahmed said many of the ex-workers went through untold hardship.

This unfortunate situation cannot be allowed to continue under a responsible administration, she said.

To ensure the presidential directive on the payment of the entitlement was duly implemented, she said a committee has been constituted headed by the secretary of PICA, MK Dikwa, to handle the exercise.

Other members of the committee include representatives of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation; Office of the Accountant General of the Federation; Ministry of Aviation; Federal Ministry of Finance; Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE); Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD); Budget Office of the Federation and Union of Ex-Workers of Nigeria Airways Limited (in liquidation).

This committee is expected to physically verify the claims of pensioners and relevant next-of-kins before the release of funds to the approved beneficiaries.

Other modalities will be worked out by the committee, to ensure speedy payment, transparency and integrity of the process, it was learnt.

On the N20 billion approved for the revitalisation of public universities, Mrs Ahmed recalled the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the federal government and ASUU in 2013 on the need to improve funding for staff welfare and provision of critical infrastructure.

Despite certain challenges, including shortage of revenue and other reasons, which affected the implementation of the bilateral agreement, Mrs Ahmed said the president was determined to revitalise public universities and ensure their smooth running.

She said the approval of N20 billion for immediate release for public universities through the revitalisation scheme was part of that determination.

The minister said the funds would be released to beneficiary universities in line with the established criteria used by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

Progress in the implementation of the presidential directive, she said, would be monitored with a view to resolving emerging issues and keeping the governments promises to relevant interest groupsHeavy gunshots rang out between the police and suspected political thugs in Alekuwodo neighbourhood of Osogbo on Monday afternoon, amidst battle for the control of one of the five polling units where re-run election is scheduled to hold on Thursday.

A 12-year-old girl and two men who were not involved in the violence sustained gunshot wounds, PREMIUM TIMES learnt from witnesses and medical personnel who attended to the victims.

Dorcas Abioyes elder sister told PREMIUM TIMES she was hit on the thigh by a stray police bullet while sitting outside their mothers shop on Akinlade Street.

She received treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Osogbo. She was discharged around 3:30 p.m. Monday but was asked to come back on Tuesday for further medical examination.

We just finished eating in my shop, I asked her to throw out the water we used to wash our hands and then she started screaming that she had been shot, her mother, Titilayo Abioye, told PREMIUM TIMES.

The two men who were also shot were rushed to Morning Star Hospital in Alekuwodo at 12:59 p.m. They were immediately treated and discharged, hospital staff said.

The violence erupted at about 12:30 p.m. when suspected All Progressives Congress loyalists trailed a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain to the neighbourhood.

Fatai Diekola, a political operative of the PDP in Osogbo, was in Alekuwodo to mobilise party supporters to Ademola Adelekes house for a meeting.

Those selected for the trip were largely from Ward 5, Osogbo Local Government Area, in which Polling Unit 17 is domiciled.

Witnesses said Mr Diekola was trailed to the neighborhood and mobbed by suspected APC thugs as he was rallying PDP members to proceed on their journey to Ede.

They followed him to this area because they have been targeting him before, said Olufunke Akinwale, whose variety store faces the polling unit. They came to cause trouble.

Residents immediately alerted the police and Civil Defence, who arrived in separate contingents and opened fire in the air to disperse the mob and quell the ensuing confrontation.

Police commissioner Adeoye Famihan and state police spokesperson both did not return request for comments from PREMIUM TIMES for several hours Monday.

The Polling Unit 17 on Adewale Street, off Akinlade Street in Alekuwodo, has the potential to sway the hotly-contested governorship election in Osun State.

Both the APC and the PDP have intensified the battle for its 884 registered voters since it was identified as one of the seven polling units across the state where a re-run will be held Thursday to finally determine a winner in the September 22 election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the seven polling units have a combined 3,498 registered voters. They are located in Osogbo, Orolu, Ife North and Ife South Local Government Areas.

The electoral body declared the election inconclusive and ordered a re-run after Mr Adeleke scored 254,698 votes against 254, 345 for Gboyega Oyetola of the APC, leaving a margin of 353 votes.

Both campaigns have commenced a large-scale lobbying for votes across the five LGAs where a re-run was ordered in the 30-LGA states gubernatorial race to replace incumbent Rauf Aregbesola.

Mr Diekola was reportedly a member of the APC until this year, when he fell out with the party and decided to align his political influence with Mr Adeleke, who now enjoys a 353 votes margin ahead of the re-run.

Olawale Rasheed, a spokesperson for Mr Adelekes campaign, said Mr Diekola was under attack because of his formidable political influence across Osogbo especially in Ward 5.

He is a very strong leader in Osogbo, but they have arrested him now as they are arresting our leaders across the state, Mr Rasheed said. Our party leaders in Orolu and Ife are also being arrested in a bid to cut down our chances on Thursday.

Jamiu Olawunmi, a spokesperson for Mr Oyetola did not return request for comments from PREMIUM TIMES for several hours on Monday.A former aide to ex-governor of Borno State, Ali Sheriff, has accused him (Sheriff) of being a mole planted by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in order to scuttle the ruling All Progressive Congresss chances at the polls in 2019.

Inuwa Bwala, a former commissioner of information in Borno State was a spokesperson for Mr Sheriff when he (Sheriff) served as national chairman of the PDP.

Mr Sheriff, who recently defected to the APC has been named as one of the campaigners for President Muhammadu Buharis reelection.

Mr Bwala, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES also claimed that his former boss allegedly donated a campaign venue for the use of Senate President Bukola Saraki in Maiduguri, Borno State on Saturday.

Mr Saraki also recently left the APC and returned to the PDP where he hopes to pick the partys presidential ticket during the 2019 election.

Mr Saraki has been going round the country canvassing for votes from PDP delegates.

His campaign train visited Borno Saturday. Mr Bwala informed PREMIUM TIMES that the venue he (Saraki) used to address the delegates, an event centre called Foreshams hall, was donated (for use) to him by Mr Sheriff.

It is public knowledge that foreshams hall belongs to Sheriffs wife. The hall was built while Sheriff was Governor of Borno State under the ANPP.

The hall was not accessible for PDP events throughout Sheriffs reign as governor. However, sources close to the management said the hall was given to Saraki and (ex-vice president) Atiku for free as Sheriff waived the fee, he said.

Mr Bwala also said the same venue was used by a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, during a similar engagement with delegates in Maiduguri some weeks ago.

Mr Abubakar is also an aspirant for the PDP ticket.

PREMIUM TIMES is yet to verify the claims that the use of the centre was granted the duo by Mr Sheriff, but our reporter confirmed that the centre belongs to the ex-governors wife.

Efforts to speak with the spokesperson of Mr Saraki, Yusuph Olaniyonu, were unsuccessful. His phone number was unreachable and alway busy. He also did not respond to a Whatsapp message sent to him.

Also, Mr Sheriff could not be reached as he did not respond to text messages seeking comments on the allegations as at the time of publishing this story.

Mr Saraki arrived Maiduguri Saturday afternoon in company of former minister of state for power, Mohammed Wakil, who is his campaign director general; a senator, Dino Melaye; Doyin Okupe amongst others.

Bukola Saraki, Senate President

Mr Bwala insists Mr Sheriff is a mole planted by the opposition to cause havoc in the APC.

Mr Bwala also said during the meeting, Mr Wakil, told the delegates to henceforth nickname Mr Saraki as dodon Buhari meaning Buharis nightmare.

President Buhari needs to be careful with Sheriff. It is very possible that he is in APC to actually work for the PDP.

We all know that President Buhari and Sheriff have nothing in common. There is no way Sheriff will sincerely work for Buhari.

Those of us who worked closely with Sheriff know this. The president can assign the security (SSS) to find out who owns Foreshams and to establish whether both Saraki and Atiku didnt hold their campaigns for free at that venue.

Why is he even giving them venue. Whoever knows Sheriff can bear testimony that unless there is something fishy, it is impossible for politicians in another party and not his, to use Foreshams hall that is owned by his wife the former commissioner said.

Mr Wakil also did not respond to text messages sent to him on the matter.Some cadets of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) who were sponsored by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) are protesting a three-year delay in sending them to a mandatory sea time training that will make them certified sailors.

No fewer than 50 placard-carrying cadets gathered at the headquarter NIMASA in Apapa, Lagos, on Monday morning chanting protest songs and accusing the agency of siphoning the fund earmarked for their training.

One of the protesting students, Onyankeke Adarigho, told journalists that they had been waiting unsuccessfully for three years to take the mandatory training despite endless unfulfilled promises by NIMASA.

Mr Adarigho said the protest will continue until the management of the agency responds to their demands.

We came fully prepared. We came with food and three buses and we will not leave here until we get favourable answer from NIMASA, he said.

Year after year they have been claiming funds for our sea time training, yet nothing has been done. They succeeded in training 150 cadets in three years and theyve turned down over 1000 bed spaces from different shipping companies and countries over the year. Our fate now is so slim yet on yearly basis budget is being passed for our training, he added.

Some of the placards the cadets were carrying read: NIMASA Half Education is Dangerous Especially in Maritime, NIMASA We Need Our BSC. Give US Seatime or Pay Us Off.

Reacting to the protest, NIMASAs deputy director, public communications and strategy, Isichei Osamgbi said NIMASA has been sending cadets for sea time training in phases.

He said the agency has not neglected any cadet requiring sea time training. He explained that those who have not receive their sea time training after the three years classroom programme will be attended to.

He said the sea time training of the cadets has to be in phases because of the number of the cadets involved.

A few months ago, NIMASAs director of maritime labour and cabotage services, Ibrahim Jubril said 700 cadets would get their sea time training before the end of the year.

He added that 89 cadets had been sent to the United Kingdom for sea time training while another 150 were sent to Egypt for the training.The Lagos State Special Offences Court at Gbolade, Oshodi, has convicted 53 persons who contravened the building regulations in the state.

The offenders were convicted after the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) prosecuted them for contravening the provisions of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2010.

According to LASBCAs general manager, Lekan Shodeinde, the agency has issued 83 summons against the offenders of the law in different parts of the state.

The court had duly convicted 53 while others are still pending in court, he said in a statement on Monday in Lagos.

Mr Shodeinde said the offenders were being prosecuted for different contraventions and other related offences as stipulated in the building law.

He said that their offences included erection of structure without a planning permit contrary to Section 27 (1) of the Law and punishable under Section 75 (1) of the same law.

Other offences include breaking of government seals or removal of any mark placed on a contravening structure by or with order of the agency, punishable under Section 75 (2) of the Law.

He said that failure to insure a building as required by the law for which the offenders were prosecuted was contrary to Section 75 (3) of the Law.

The general manager said that the prosecuted offenders had been convicted accordingly with an option of fine at the discretion of the court.

He said that they were also maximum fine for the recalcitrant defaulters for breaking of government seal.

He added that LASBCA had been working within the ambit of the law with the monitoring team for a better and well planned city.

Mr Shodeinde said they also worked with developers and builders to ensure compliance with the approval granted and also monitored the safety of the structure being developed.

We are more concerned about the safety of the people making sure that where they abode is safe and secured, he said.

He reaffirmed governments zero tolerance for building collapse in the state and the need to build right.

Mr Shodeinde appealed to all Lagos residents to obtain their building plan permit before the construction of any structure and comply with state laws regarding the approval given.

He also urged building owners to seize the opportunity to regularise and perfect their building documentations to avoid any embarrassment from Law Enforcement officers.

He said that government officials of the newly reformed LASBCA aimed at working together with the people for their own safety and for a safer and well-planned smart-city. (NAN)The management of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, has confirmed the death of two of its students in a clash between suspected cult groups in Ekpoma last Tuesday.

Although students who witnessed the clash told PREMIUM TIMES that it was among cultists, spokesperson of the university, Edward Aihevba, denied in statement that it was cult-related.

Mr. Aihevba, however, did not disclose the names of the victims.

The university management condemns in totality, the dastardly acts perpetrated by the hoodlums and the senseless killings and we trust that the law enforcement machinery will fish them out to face the full wrath of the law, he said in the statement.

It is unfortunate that the casualties include two students of Ambrose Alli University (not graduating) and three ex-student (past graduates). It is necessary to state clearly and unequivocally that cultism does not exist in Ambrose Alli University any more.

We state categorically and emphatically that the incident did not occur within our University and the meeting of friends that ran foul of the law of the land could have taken place anywhere in the world.

We commiserate with the families of the deceased and we pray Almighty God to grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss, the statement read.

PREMIUM TIMES last week reported how several students were injured during a fight between two alleged cult groups at Judges Quarters in Ekpoma.

The state police commissioner, Johnson Kokumo, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview on Wednesday. He said, the killing of a student and injuries of four others have been brought to the force notice.

I am in Osun for national assignment (election). I have been informed that five people were shot in a cult rivalry. Arrests have been made, some people have been arrested with weapons recovered. As at Tuesday, I was told five people were shot and one confirmed dead, he disclosed.Katsina State Government has completed the demarcation of 905 kilometers of cattle routes to promote peaceful coexistence between farmers and herdsmen, an official said on Monday

Abdulaziz Lawal, Chairman of the state committee on settlement of disputes between farmers and herdsmen, made the disclosure in Sandamu at a sensitisation workshop.

The workshop was organised by the state chapter of Miyetti Allah Kautal-Hore to promote peaceful coexistence between pastoralists and farmers.

He disclosed that the committee had within two years, recovered over 30,000 cattle from rustlers and handed them over to their rightful owners.

Mr Lawal urged herdsmen to report any case of routes encroachment, assuring that the committee will not hesitate to take every necessary action against such eventualities.

The chairman said the state government had signed an MOU with the government of the state of Maradi in Niger Republic on movement of cattle and herdsmen as well as the tracking of cattle rustlers and other criminals.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) forms part of the preservation of the cattle routes between the two states, he added.

In his address, the state Chairman of Miyetti Allah Kautal-Hore, Hassan Kuraye, said they would commence state-wide vaccination of animals soon.

Mr Kuraye urged Fulani people in the state to collect their permanent voter cards to enable them vote for good leaders that would safeguard their dignity and trade.

He cautioned them against any act that would breach the peace, saying, We expect you to be peaceful and respectful in your conducts.

Alto Yanduna, Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria in Sandamu, urged farmers and herders to work in unity and learn to solve problems amicably.

He commended the federal government for its massive investment in agriculture, security and youth empowerment, stressing that Nigeria was now back on track.

Earlier, Sandamu Council Chairman, Sani Jarkuka appreciated the existing peace between farmers and herdsmen in the local government area.

(NAN)| BY Lynchy |

Hair bias is rarely discussed, but it remains a persistent global problem which affects millions. This year alone, families have had to take legal action both in the UK and overseas for the right to have their children attend school with their natural Afro hair.

Whether it be the refusal to overturn an American state ban on dreadlocks or the damaging implications of schoolgirls being forced to straighten their hair in South Africa, discrimination based on hair has serious implications for many peoples job prospects, education and wellbeing.

Ogilvy Singapore and Ogilvy London with Wavemaker and World Afro Day pioneered a new awareness campaign Change the Facts, Not the Fro.The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has concluded airlift of Hajj 2018 Nigerian pilgrims back home.

The commission began the return airlift on September 2 with pilgrims from the Federal Capital Territory.

On Monday, the last flight, carrying over 100 officials of NAHCON, arrived Abuja aboard a Flynas Airline.

Before then, the commissions Command and Control unit in a message said the last flight from Medview Airline, carrying 133 Pilgrims returned to Nigeria earlier on Monday.

Today, 24/09/18 Medview MEV3325 departed Jeddah to Enugu via Kaduna @ 04:35am with 133 Pilgrims: 32 Kaduna, 18 Cross River, 27 Enugu, 24 Ebonyi, 21 Delta and 9 Officials. Total Airlift=38,005. Total Flights=101.

NAHCON had already commenced preparation for Hajj 2019 by naming a committee to seek and negotiate for accommodation and other necessary services in both Makkah and Madinah.

We also gathered that the chairman of NAHCON, Abdullahi Mohammed, and other top officials of the commission are still in Saudi Arabia perfecting plans for next years Hajj before they return to Nigeria.

Apart from the 38,005 pilgrims who registered through the various state pilgrims welfare boards/agencies, over 18,000 others travelled to Hajj this year through private tour operators.Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Ibrahim Dankwambo, on Monday in Plateau State said everyone gunning for the presidential slot under the opposition party has better leadership qualities than the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Gombe State governor said this at the Plateau State PDP secretariat during his visit to lobby the states delegates ahead of the partys primaries scheduled next month.

The party currently has about 13 prominent politicians expected to slug it out to get the PDP ticket at its upcoming primaries. These include a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; ex-governors, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Sule Lamido, Jonah Jang; a governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Senate President Bukola Saraki and a host of others.

Mr Dankwambo said whoever wins the PDP ticket should be supported by all the others as anyone who emerges PDP candidate would perform far better than President Buhari who will be running for a second term under the ruling All Progressive Congress.

We are about 13 aspirants jostling for PDP presidential ticket and every one of us is better than Buhari because our great party PDP has trained us so much so that we can rescue this country. We have good training from the party, he said.

In his categorical assertion, Mr Dankwambo did not exclude PDP aspirants who are currently being prosecuted for stealing billions of public funds while they held sway as state governors. These include ex-governors Sule Lamido of Jigawa and Jonah Jang of Plateau.

On Monday, Mr Dankwambo also told the delegates what he had to offer Nigerians if elected to fly the partys flag.

I want to assure you that I will provide free education in Nigeria if elected. During our time, education was free. I benefitted from that policy because my father didnt pay for my education. I have enjoyed that privilege and I want other Nigerians to also enjoy that.

I worked in the financial sector before I became governor of my state. I have many degrees from different fields. I worked in the best places you can think of. So, I have the experience that I will (use to) fix the economy of the country, he said.

Mr Dankwambo also said he would provide security for Nigerians.

You all know how I tried in terms of security in Gombe State. Gombe State is the only state in the North-east that Boko Haram couldnt penetrate because we were able to secure the state, he said.

Meanwhile, the state PDP chairman, Damishi Sango, in response assured Mr Dankwambo of their support, saying he (governor) has a strong heart to lead the country.A member of the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has dismissed the current political ambition of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, as a pipe dream.

Mr Saraki, who recently defected from the ruling APC to the main opposition PDP, is aspiring to be the countrys next president in the 2019 general elections.

Mr Ndume, an APC senator representing Borno South, was a strong ally of the senate president until they fell out in 2017.

Speaking as a guest on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, the lawmaker said Mr Saraki was not a threat to President Muhammadu Buharis second-term bid.

Mr Ndume said the senate president could only win election in his home state of Kwara, adding that Nigerians would reject him at the polls if he got that far.

I think it is good he is going for the presidency of Nigeria and he will see that it is only Kwara people that will vote for him, not Nigerians.

We are waiting, or at best you will see that may be people from North-Central will vote (for him) because he is from North-Central, but I dont think Saraki will be Nigerias president.

When somebody cannot manage the Senate. How can he manage Nigeria?

When you present President Buhari and Saraki for people to choose from, you know it is very clear. The difference is very clear.

Since his declaration for the presidential race, Mr Saraki has said at different fora that the country was in dire need of a leader like him with the demonstrable capacity to unite the nation.

But Mr Ndume said he could not be trusted with the countrys leadership, having used his position as senate president to antagonise and sabotage the current government.

Where we got it wrong was where Senate President Saraki thought that the Senate is independent.

The truth is that the legislature is not independent to the extent of operating like a different country.

In America, the Vice President is the Senate President. Is the Vice President not a subordinate to the president?

If it were in Nigeria, Saraki would have been the Vice President. Would he be sabotaging his principal?

The Senate is supposed to support the government, not to sabotage the government, not to antagonise the government.

Messrs Ndume and Saraki were strong allies and members of the bipartisan Like Minds Group in the Senate formed to, among others, protect the legislature against undue interference.

Mr Ndume said their problem started when he discovered that Mr Saraki was pursuing a personal agenda against national interest for which the group was founded.

The rift got to a head with the removal of the Borno lawmaker as Majority Leader of the Senate and his subsequent suspension for six months.

(NAN)Eight months after stripping Adekunle Ogunba of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) has restored the rank to the lawyer.

The SAN rank is considered a mark of excellence awarded by the LLPC to lawyers the committee considers to have contributed significantly to the development of the legal profession and who can advise on issues in administration of justice in the country.

The LLPC is empowered to strip an advocate of the award, as a disciplinary measure, where the said senior advocate is considered to have acted in a manner inimical of the honour attributed to the rank.

Mr Agunba was stripped of the SAN title in January, following allegations he instituted similar applications in sister courts to propel contradictory judgements of court.

The Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee at its 129th Plenary Meeting has withdrawn the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria from Kunle Ogunba Esq. and all other privileges attached to the rank forthwith, the committee said in a statement on January 12.

In another statement on Monday, however, the LLPC said its reversal of the decision followed findings from an application for review filed by Mr Ogunba.

As a result of the acceptance of the findings of the Ad-hoc committee, in respect of applications for review submitted by Adekunle Babtunde Ogunba, Esq. to the legal practitioners committee, the committee has decided to restore the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and its privileges on Adekunle Babatunde Ogunba Esq. with effect from September 20, 2018.

The statement signed by the secretary of the LLPC, Hadizatu Mustaphpa, also urged Mr Ogunba to conduct himself honourably going forward.

The LLPC recently de-robed another senior advocate, Ikhide Ehighelua, of the SAN title for the same offence.

Mr Ehighelua was directed to relinquish the privilege for five years, during which further observations of his behaviour will determine the next course of action.The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Monday arraigned a former Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Umar Masari, for mismanagement of public funds and bribery.

A statement signed by ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, said Mr Masari was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja headed by Justice Adebola Adeniyi on a 27-count charge for collecting N119.8 million bribe from several contractors handling constituency projects for himself and four federal legislators.

According to the statement, Mr Masari was accused of committing the offence between April 2014 and July 2015. He was accused of receiving bribes on many occasions from contractors through his Diamond Bank and GuarantyTrust Bank accounts.

The Commission, in a 27-count charge, accused Masari of conferring corrupt advantage upon himself as well as receiving gratification in the course of discharging his official duties,

Contrary to Section 10 (a) (i) and punishable under Section 10(a)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The commission says Mr Massari offence further violates Section 19 of the same law and punishable under the same section.

Also the statement said counsel to ICPC, Henry Emore, told the court that the ex-DG received N50 million from Hamshakin Ventures Ltd, on behalf of four members of the House of Representative on November 27, 2014,

The counsel to ICPC, Henry Emore, told the court that the ex-DG received N50 million on 27th November, 2014, from Hamshakin Ventures Ltd for Herman Hembe, Emmanuel Udende, Benjamin Aboho and Oker Jev, who were all members of the House of Representatives from Benue State; and a contractor, Kike Engineering Services, before awarding a constituency project contract to the said Hamshakin Ventures.

Similarly, the court was also told that Mr Masari received different bribes ranging from N800, 000 to N20 million from 12 contractors.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge. His counsel, Mahmood Magaji, asked the court to grant him bail on liberal terms , promising that the accused would always be available in court for trial.

Justice Adeniyi, following no objection from ICPC, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum who must be directors in the employment of either the federal civil service or any federal agency; or the Federal Capital Territory or any of its agencies. They are also expected to deposit an affidavit of means including being residents of the Federal Capital Territory.

The judge then ruled that Mr Masari be remanded in Kuje Prisons pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions and adjourned the matter to November 26 to 29 for trial.There are indications that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have yet to agree on a venue for partys presidential primaries fixed for October 6, following a sharp disagreement between the partys Board of Trustees (BoT) and the National Working Committee (NWC).

The disagreement manifested at the inauguration of the partys National Convention Planning Committee on Monday in Abuja.

This followed a sharp disagreement between the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Walid Jibrin, and the National Working Committee (NWC) over the choice of venue.

Inaugurating the committee, PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Yemi Akinwonmi, said the party leaders had consulted widely on the venue and agreed for Port Harcourt, River State.

On the issue of venue, the party set up a committee headed by Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure and they went round the South-South Zone and South-East Zone before coming out with the choice of Port Harcourt for us.

As in acceptance, the National Working Committee (NWC) has consulted widely with the PDP Governors forum, we have consulted widely with the BOT, caucus of the party and today it has been jointly accepted that we will converge on Port Harcourt, in no distance time for the National Convention.

Mr Akinwonmi added that the international community had expressed their interests in the party primaries.

Particularly they said they want to come and watch the process the will lead to the emergency of our flag bearer, because by the grace of God our flag bearer will be the next President of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Mr Jibrin, in his remarks said the party had yet to make final decision on the choice of venue for the convention.

Even though the deputy chairman said the issue of venue had been concluded, I want to say that the issue of venue is still on and is not concluded.

Because there are many suggestions on the issue of venue. We look at all suggestions and I assure you that the issue of venue will be resolved.

But for now we are working around the clock to ensure that we have a very suitable venue accepted by everybody.

I want to say that every one of us should come together and ensure that we have a venue suitable to all of us.

Intervening on the matter, the secretary of the convention committee and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, said I think the working committee and the BOT need to settle this.

Chairman of the convention committee, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, also speaking on the matter said PDP was ready to host the convention in any state eventually agreed on.

Mr Okowa said no matter where the convention was settled for, PDP would do what was right.

I believe that at the end of the day, nobody will have any cause to complain.

Mr Okowa, who appreciated the party for the assignment given to them said

that they knew that the PDP was in very critical moments in the history of the nation and the party.

We do understand that the assignment that you have given us is about the most important assignment in the history of this party at least for this year.

All of us believe that the only way forward is for the entirety of the party to stay united and focused. And as such, as members of the PDP, we cannot afford to disagree on any issues.

The thing that is needed is for a free and fair primary to be conducted for all our aspirants. And we are very definite that we will get it right.

(NAN)Nigerias governing party, APC, has reacted to the decision of the electoral commission, INEC, to declare the Osun governorship election inconclusive.

The election was held on Saturday across the 30 local governments in Osun.

INEC declared the election inconclusive on Sunday afternoon because, according to the returning officer, the difference between the two leading parties, APC and PDP, was less than the total number of votes cancelled. The PDP, after final collation in Osun led its closest challenger, APC, by 353 votes while 3,498 votes were cancelled.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Yekini Nabena, the APC hailed the Osun electorate, INEC, security agencies and relevant stakeholders over the conduct of Saturdays inconclusive governorship election in the state which was largely peaceful despite some reported irregularities.

While we continue to improve on our electoral processes, particularly correcting some irregularities witnessed in Saturdays election, the APC commends the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration which has continually exhibited its commitment to ensuring that elections are more peaceful, transparent, credible and acceptable.

This is a departure from the situation under past Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administrations where the peoples will was subverted and elections where manipulated. We hereby reject the PDPs baseless calls that the inconclusive Osun governorship election is announced in its favour.

In the leadup to the rerun election, we call on the Osun electorate, party supporters and members to remain upbeat and focused on the task of consolidating on the APC Change administration in the state by voting for the victory of our candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.

In his reaction to the election, the candidate who came third in the announced result, Iyiola Omisore of the SDP, thanked his supporters.

On the 22nd of May 2018, I took the bold decision to seek for election to the Office of Governor of Osun state under the platform Social Democratic Party (SDP). The past four months have been very exciting. I am delighted that our message of good governance and dignity has reached every corner of the state, the former senator said.

Over the past four months, I have worked with committed people who have given time and resources to our shared agenda for restoration. I am confident that while we might appear to have lost an election, we have won the greater victory; the clarion call by all our people for good governance and accountability. We have positively impacted on electoral campaigns and elections in Osun State promoting inclusion, people-centeredness and shied completely away from vote buying, voter intimidation and thuggery. The SDP campaign was factual, informed and inclusive.

Our manifesto presented to the people an Agenda for Restoration of Good Governance and Human Dignity. Its five pillars spoke to our needs across all sectors, promoted access that would leave no one behind and reversal of reckless financial management of the current APC government in Osun State towards shared prosperity and economic growth. The reaction was swift, albeit as a ploy to win votes. Our campaign prompted payment of salaries, a commitment to push back on common uniforms and questionable mega schools. We have called attention to patronage driven public sector management and indeed engaged citizens in such a way that the demand for public accountability will continue to drive governance going forward, irrespective of which party leads the state.

I must thank everyone who supported the Restoration Agenda for their commitment and work. This is the core of the democracy we seek. We have won the electoral battle in way hitherto unheard of in the state, and I daresay in contemporary democratic elections in Nigeria. You have all done well and I thank you.

The Ife-born politician and former deputy governor of the state said he would continue to demand for good governance, accountability and human dignity.

My commitment to this remains total without any prejudice to the next steps we collectively workout. Our peoples votes have again been manipulated through vote buying, and exploitation of the hunger in our land. Only good governance and committed leadership can drive out this hunger. The quest for this continues

I enjoin you to sustained action, noting as Mary Matthews states in the 1948 movie State of the Union: Politicians have stayed professionals only because the voters have remained amateurs. We shall continue to invest in democratic education and political awareness of our people, so vote buying is totally eliminated in the most peaceful and democratic ways. The SDP shall not leave the Osun State to corrupt wheeler dealers but shall continue to commit to social justice and equity until we can be assured that our electoral processes are sanitized and give us the state of our dreams. I thank you all.A former senate president and presidential aspirant, David Mark, in Jigawa State on Sunday asked for support for his ambition to oust President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he accused of failing to unite Nigerians and ensure their security.

Mr Mark was in the state to solicit the support of party delegates for the upcoming Peoples Democratic Party primaries.

Mr Mark said he was delighted by the hospitality of people of the state, despite that fact that, a fellow presidential aspirant, Sule Lamido is from Jigawa but people came out in numbers to welcome me, I appreciate you.

Mr Lamido is also seeking the same ticket under the opposition party alongside over a dozen others.

Mr Mark urged party members to remain in the party for better for worst, adding that PDP is the only party that will bring development to the country.

Under APC, there is no peace and unity among Nigerians. We have many incidences of insecurity in the country and if theres no unity and peace there will be no development, he said.

While commenting on the recent Osun State election, he called on the APC to learn how to accept defeat so that our democracy can move forward.

The serving senator told the gathering that he will utilise the opportunity to visit Mr Lamido at his country home at Bamaina, Birnin Kudu local government area of the state, a 50-kilometre drive from Dutse, the state capital.

However, PREMIUM TIMES learnt he did not visit his rival as promised.

Meanwhile, Zainab Kure, director general, David Mark presidential campaign team said prior to the 2015 general election, Nigerians viewed Mr Buhari as the only solution to the countrys problems but have been disappointed.

Previously, Nigerians didnt look on to God Almighty for a better presidential candidate, they just said this person (Buhari) is the only right man for the country, Mrs. Kure said.

She said now Nigerians now know better.

Gods decision is the finest, we will pray for Hs guidance to produce the right candidate that will defeats the ruling party, she said.

Mrs Kure urged the party delegates to be critical when electing the partys aspirant.

She told them that all the presidential aspirants have agreed that whoever emerges winner among them will have the support of others. This newspaper is yet to verify this claim.

Jigawa State, initially is a PDP State but little misunderstanding between us led to the emergence of APC which I hope (will end). We will understand each other (one another) better and chase APC, come 2019.

David Mark, like other PDP presidential aspirants have a common course of chasing the ruling party that has become a calamity to the countrys progress, she added.

In his remarks at the event, the state PDP chairman, Salisu Mahmadu commended the foresightedness of Mr Mark adding that during his leadership, the Senate experienced peace and discipline.

He said the PDP members look forward to the decision party leaders will take regarding who flies the partys flag in 2019.The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has announced new dates for its primary elections to nominate candidates for the various elective positions ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The party made this known in a press release by its national publicity secretary, Alfa Mohammed.

According to the release, the national convention of the party as announced by its national organising secretary, Emeka Atuma will still hold on October 6 as earlier planned.

The party had earlier fixed September 21, 23, 24 for nomination of aspirants for house of assembly and house of reps respectively. However it said in view of the demand by many aspirants for extra time to put their acts together, the party had to reschedule.

The new timetable shows electioneering activities would kick-start with screening of house of assembly, house of representative aspirants and Senate simultaneously on September 27.

Primary elections for the house of assembly, house of representatives and senate aspirants follow suit on September 28, after which appeal for all primary elections would be on September 29.

Screening of the partys governorship aspirants will commences September 30.

The governorship primaries and appeal for governorship primaries holds October 1 and 2 respectively.

The party therefore called on all state chairmen and aspirants to be fully prepared and ensure hitch-free screening and primary elections in their state.Ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, says the party will not field candidates he described as opportunists seeking the platform of the party to achieve selfish interests.

Referring to the defection of Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Oshiomhole said the party has learnt from the mistake of the past where bread and butter politicians were given tickets of the party.

According to a statement by his chief press secretary, Simon Ebegbulem, the chairman stated this while addressing members of the screening committee of the party.

He also lamented that his National Working Committee (NWC) since assuming office has been tackling issues arising from the last congresses of the party.

In many of the states, we had challenges arising from the way congresses were conducted. Many of them were quite fraudulent, that has been the challenge we have been trying to resolve since we came. Screening of aspirants is not a formality, that is why we tried to search for men and women of integrity who cannot be compromised.

We do not want to field opportunists who are simply seeking a political vehicle for some selfish purposes. What has happened in recent past is enough for us to begin to look at the character of those who are seeking office on the APC platform.

He said the party seeks people who have the intellectual capacity to articulate issues on the basis for which laws and bills are considered and those who have capacity to carry out oversight functions to ensure that Nigerians get value for money. Thus, screening of candidates, he said, should not be a formality.

If before now we have taken for granted the powers of the National Assembly, how those powers can be used for national goals and how it can also be misused to undermine national progress, the current situation we are facing here, where two principal officers have chosen to put their personal interest over and above the national interest, refusing to consider budget meant for physical infrastructure, budget meant to re-order the way our budget is executed, to move money away from consumption which recurrent expenditure represents to capital projects which will benefit our people.

And even refusing to approve money meant for the body charged with the responsibility of conducting elections in 2019. For us as a party, we have chosen to learn from the positive lessons from this development so that we do not repeat those mistakes by selecting people who as far as human capacity is we can assess and predict that, if elected, they will remain faithful not only to our party but more importantly to the Nigerian nation.

If we have disagreement, it will not be about juicy appointments, it will be about appropriate policies, it will be about how governance is impacting positively on the lives of Nigerians. It will not be about who is getting what, politics of sharing.

President Muhammadu Buhari and APC Senators

Mr Oshiomhole, however, said he is proud of the present senators of the party and it will be ungodlynot to reward them.

As we speak, I am proud that we have 57 senators who have refused to be induced or misled or otherwise manipulated into moving to other parties or reward for juicy positions. They have decided to remain in our party even with all the intimidation they have suffered.Monday, September 24, 2018 at 3:16AM

Companies and brands realize the need to have an accessible and engaging online presence thats unique as well as informative. Theres a trend for companies and brands to invest in standalone websites which are suitable for accessing on web browsers of PCs as well as on various mobile devices.

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Justice Walter Onnoghen, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), disclosed this on Monday in an address at the special session to mark the commencement of the 2018/2019 Legal Year in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ceremony also witnessed the swearing-in of 30 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

Mr Onnoghen further said the court considered 1,540 matters comprising motions, appeals and judgments.

The CJN said the court treated 824 civil and 273 criminal motions totaling 1097.

According to him, the court has also considered 438 appeals comprising 246 civil and 192 criminal.

A total of 297 judgments were delivered by the close of the 2017/2018 legal year.

This is by all means an impressive report considering the persistent and increasing volume of the cases that continued to come before the court.

I attribute this impressive performance to the hard work of judicial officers, support staff and the reforms we are implementing to improve justice delivery.

As we sit daily and sometimes conduct special sittings to clear backlog of cases, we remain committed to expeditious dispensation of justice.

As we acknowledge noticeable improvement in the disposition of cases, we are not resting on our laurels. This court will therefore continue to strive for speedy disposal of cases that come before us, Onnohgen said.

On the international scene, the CJN said the countrys justice reform had attracted recognition and reward.

I was recently conferred with the Michael Hill Prize by the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law in Montreal, Canada.

I was also in Vienna, Austria at the launch of the Global Judicial Integrity Network by the United Nations Office on Drugs in April.

I am happy to inform you that one of our judges, Justice Kashim Zannah, Chief Judge of Borno State, was nominated to serve on the Advisory Board of this important body, the CJN said.

Meanwhile, Mr Onnoghen urged the newly sworn-in Senior Advocates of Nigeria to shun corruption, adding that the system would not hesitate to withdraw such privilege from anyone who abused the rank.

The rank is the zenith of the legal practice and the highest honour conferred by noble profession.

It is rare privilege bestowed on eminently deserving members of the Bar who have distinguished themselves in the knowledge, practice of and contribution to the law, having passed through rigorous processes, Mr Onnoghen said.

Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), said the commencement of the new legal year offered an opportunity to reflect on the challenges of the past year and to review the strategies to confront them.

Mr Malami, the Minister of Justice, said the occasion provided legal practitioners another opportunity to rededicate themselves to the rule of law.

The AGF, represented by Dayo Aptata, the Solicitor-General of the Federation, said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari would continue to ensure the independence of the Judicial and Legislative arms of government.

According to the AGF, such independence will ensure that the two arms of government play their constitutional roles in a more robust manner.

His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, earlier in the year, assented to the 4th Alteration to the 1999 Constitution, which amended Section 121 of the Constitution.

This is to provide that monies due to the judiciary in the Annual Budget should henceforth be paid directly to the heads of the courts and that of the legislature also paid to the heads thereof.

This alteration, without doubt, finally answers to the need to have more independent and impartial courts at the federal and state levels and will certainly advance the cause of the Rule of Law in our country, he said.

Also, Mr Malami expressed delight that the countrys judicial system continued to enrich the inner bar with experienced hands.

The AGF said the roll call of lawyers sworn-in as Senior Advocates of Nigeria was indicative of the quality of legal practitioners the country paraded.

I am convinced, considering your years of toil and labour and the painstaking selection process through which you have emerged, that you are deserving of this eminent rank.

I therefore charge you to remain shining lights in the practice of law within and outside of Nigeria. I must however hasten to add that there are corresponding duties and responsibilities that go with your new rank.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria has a duty to exhibit the highest form of decorum, discipline and dedication to the course of justice and fair play, he said.

Paul Usoro said the new Senior Advocates of Nigeria must ensure they were responsible to their colleagues of the Outer Bar and in particular the army of young lawyers under their tutelage.

The Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) on July 12, elevated 31 legal practitioners to the rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN).

They were Madu Abuchi, Essien Udom, Oluyemisi Bangbose, Metong Urombo, Wahab Egbewole, George Igbokwe, Olubowale Taiwo, Oluwole Iyamu, Adekole Olawoye, Stephen Adehi and Olusuen Akinbiyi.

Others are: Emmanuel Achukwu, Kenneth Ahia, Loius Alozie, Isa Chiroma, Olanrewaju Fagbohun, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, Johnson Ojo, Wole Agunbiade, Olayode Delano, Tanimu Inuwa, Sonny Wogu and Prof. Offorinze Amucheazi.

The rest are: Adewale Atake, Mosediq Kazeem, Edmund Obiagwu, Muhammed Mustapha-Akanbi, Cosmas Enweluzo, Isiaka Mudi as well as Olabode Olanipekun.

NAN, however, reports that Ikhide Ehigheluas conferment was striped on account of a petition brought against him.

The committee had also gone ahead to bar Mr Ehighelua from applying for the rank for the next five years or five applications beginning from 2019.

(NAN)Senate President Bukola Saraki on Monday met with the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Iyiola Omisore ahead of Thursdays supplementary poll.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) called the supplementary poll after declaring the election held on Saturday inconclusive because the margin of victory of the winner was lower than the number of registered voters in seven units where polling was disrupted.

In the inconclusive election, Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 254,698 votes to beat his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, Gboyega Oyetola, who polled 254,345 votes.

Mr Omisore came a third in the election and stands no chance of overhauling the two candidates ahead of him in the supplementary poll, for which reason he has been dubbed the beautiful bride whose support may decide the eventual winner.

On Monday, Mr. Saraki, chairman of the PDP campaign team for the election, met with Mr. Omisore to solicit his support for Mr Adeleke.

Mr. Saraki who posted on his Twitter said I thank Sen. Iyiola Omisore (@iyiomisore) for the ward reception he and his people gave me and members of my entourage in Ile Ife today

From now on, it will be a win-win situation for the state of the Land of Virtue, Osun, Nigeria, in general.

There had been speculations since the meeting that Mr. Omisore will work with the PDP against the ruling APC on Thursday.

Mr Omisore was the PDP candidate four years ago but defected to the Social Democratic Party just ahead of this election, citing alleged manipulation to keep the partys ticket out of his reach.A coalition of Nigerian and South African citizens has sent a petition to the United Nations Secretary-General seeking the reversal of the appointment of Nigerias former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, as a member of the United Nations high-level advisory board on mediation.

The coalition in an open letter to Antonio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, the UN scribe, stated that it was particularly disturbed by Mr Guterres special commendation of Mr Obasanjo for his mediation role in ensuring smooth political transition in Liberia.

The signatories to the letter are Ademola Araoye, former Head of Office for the Consolidation of Democratic Governance (United Nations Mission In Liberia, UNMIL); Essop Pahad, former Minister in the Presidency, South Africa; Kunle Ajibade, Executive Editor TheNEWS/PM NEWS; and Garth Le Pere, Extraordinary Professor of International Relations, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

The United Nations should be protected from contamination from the likes of Obasanjo, whose life career has been antithetical to the Charter of the United Nations and has undermined the ethics and values of this great organization, the group said.

This protection is required in order for the United Nations to remain a highly valued, constructive partner of the peoples of the continent, and to be perceived as such by African peoples.

Given his character, the controversial history and debilitating outcomes of his personal involvement in Nigerian affair, Obasanjo has been publicly declared as unfit to lead a mission to rescue Nigeria and restore the nation to sanity. He, therefore, cannot be fit to rescue Africa or the world.

Mr Obasanjo was named among 18 internationally recognised personalities appointed to the UN Secretary Generals High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation, last year, to advise Mr Guterres on mediation initiatives and back specific meditation efforts around the world.

The board comprises of current and former global leaders, senior officials, and renowned experts.

But the coalition arguing against Mr Obasanjos appointment to the board said the former presidents well documented sordid profile makes him unfit for the task.

Given this profile, we affirm that his association with the United Nations is a grave error fraught with potentially incalculable harm to the already fragile ethical fabric and upended value systems of not just Nigeria but the totality of African society.

And in view of the dangers implicit in the association of Obasanjo with the United Nations both to the organization, Africa and Nigeria, and indeed the world in its entirety, it is our hope that as Secretary General, you would, as a matter of priority, nullify this unmerited association of your highly valued organization and historic partner of Africa with an immoral man possessed of stout anti-democratic credentials.

The group pointed to the string of political assassinations that took place across Nigeria between 1999 and 2007, during Mr Obasanjos civilian presidency, as well as the killing of over 300 unarmed university students and civilians in 1978 when he was a military ruler.

About the same time, Obasanjos unknown soldiers raided and burnt down to rubble the home of iconic cultural figure, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, whose octogenarian mother, Mrs Funmilayo Ransom Kuti, an icon in the pantheon of historic anti-colonial figures in Nigeria, died of wounds sustained from that incident, the open letter continued.

The deployment of mindless violence has since become Obasanjos default approach to crisis management in all settings.

Also, the killing by armed soldiers of hundreds of civilians in Odi, Bayelsa State, in 1999 and Zaki-Biam, Benue State, two years later are evidence of Mr Obasanjos unfitness for the position, the coalition said.

They also accused the former president of seeking to undermine the countrys constitution by attempting to secure an illegal third term in office.

In his nuclear family, Obasanjos scandalous life has remained shocking in its violent repudiation of the established norms and moral codes of decency of every society.

In a 2008 book, Bitter-Sweet, My life with Olusegun Obasanjo, Oluremi, his first wife, paints a portrait of her husband as a vindictive master of decoy, a violent and unrepentant wife-basher, and a man whose womanising knows no bounds. The book contains evidence of Obasanjos domestic violence that has not been repudiated.

This is a man who keeps hoodwinking international community, parading himself as a pan-African statesman, second only to Kofi Annan.

The group described Mr Obasanjo as a deeply flawed man whose life substantially negates the Charter of the United Nations and violently assaults the values as well as ethics of the organisation.

His association with the United Nations can only deepen cynicism on a continent in search of authentic heroes to lead the charge to rectify the devalued codes of decency in its violently abused societies. Olusegun Obasanjo does not belong to this rescue vanguard brigade.

When contacted, Kehinde Akinyemi, an aide to Mr Obasanjo, told PREMIUM TIMES his principal is in New York for the UN General Assembly and would need time to respond to the open letter.The Peoples Democratic Party on Monday commenced the screening of its Presidential aspirants for the 2019 election.

The partys National Convention is scheduled for October 5 and October 6.

The screening chaired by former Vice President Namadi Sambo was conducted at the partys Presidential Campaign Office, Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja.

The aspirants are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Senate President Bukola Saraki; immediate past Senate President David Mark; former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; and former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Tanimu Turaki

The others were Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; former Plateau governor, Jonah Jang; former chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi, and former lawmaker, Datti Baba-Ahmed.

The aspirants who spoke with journalists shortly after the screening expressed their satisfaction with the exercise.

Mr Saraki described the exercise as commendable and a pointer to a credible primaries.

Mr Saraki, represented by his Media Aide, Yusuf Olaniyonu, said the atmosphere at the screening portrayed fairness and friendliness from the aspirants and the screening committee.

On his part, Mr Jang said the process was transparent and credible, and expressed optimism of picking the partys ticket after the primaries.

The process was beautiful. Absolutely I stand a chance to win the ticket. I am optimistic because I believe in God and I believe that God is going to give it to me.

I am also impressed that there is no bitterness in the ongoing campaign by the presidential aspirants.

Mr Turaki, on his part stressed the need for the aspirants to work together, saying there must be a synergy to ensure that PDP rescue Nigeria in 2019.

It is not about us, it is not about selfish interest, it is about our party and about this country. It is only PDP that can save this country.

We are not going to be distracted. The focus before us is that we should ensure that PDP gets back into office on May 29, 2019

Atiku Abubakar also expressed satisfaction with the exercise.

Reacting on the Saturday governorship election in Osun State, Mr Abubakar urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare PDP winner of the election.

Mr Tambuwal also said that the exercise was conducted smoothly without any issue that called for concern.

He also called on INEC to declare PDP as winner of Osun election.

The screening exercise would continue on Tuesday.

(NAN)Troops on clearance operations have rescued 146 persons during clearance operations between Sunday and Monday in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

A statement issued by Texas Chukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, said the troops also neutralised 14 terrorists.

They also rescued some annimals, according to Mr Chukwu, a brigadier general.

He said the rescued persons were being documented for handover to the appropriate agency.

Mr Chukwu, however, said an officer sustained injury during the operation and was receiving treatment in a military facility.

In a related development, Mr Chukwu said troops of Sector 3 Operation Lafiya Dole, deployed at Keken in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno, have repelled terrorists attack in the town.

(NAN)The passengers abducted by unknown gunmen on their way to Lagos from Enugu aboard a God Is Good Motors have secured their freedom, the transport company said in a statement on Monday.

Armed men blocked the passengers at Ore in Ondo State and whisked them away to an unknown destination, some of the victims who were released after their families paid ransom to the kidnappers had told PREMIUM TIMES last Saturday.

On Monday, the management of God Is Good Motors issued a statement saying the abducted passengers had been released.

It was the transport companys first public statement about the incident which happened on September 13; relatives of the abducted passengers had expressed shock at the companys failure to reach out to them more than a week later.

On the 13th of September 2018, a couple of vehicles, including ours, were attacked by armed kidnappers and some people taken as hostages alongside seven passengers onboard our vehicle, the company said in the statement.

Thankfully by Gods grace and the efforts of the Nigerian Police Force, we received concrete information a few hours ago from the Police stating that the abducted passengers have been safely released, today the 24th of September 2018. We identify with the victims and their families at this time.

The company said its priority after the incident was to immediately inform the respective security agencies who have the responsibility to secure lives and properties of Nigerians.

It also stated that it consistently communicated with the victims family members and shared new updates as soon as we had them.

The police was also communicating directly with family members, the statement added.

Both claims were denied by some of the victims relatives who had spoken to PREMIUM TIMES.

PREMIUM TIMES had obtained a copy of the companys manifest for the botched journey and used it to contact some of the next-of-kins listed by the passengers.

The company further stated that it prioritised the obligation to the security of the passengers over calls by media platforms to make premature statements about the incident.

We had to wait for all passengers to be released before making any public statement so that the security of our esteemed guests would not be jeopardised while investigations and search were ongoing, as is expected with delicate cases such as this, the statement continued.

We have in the course of this incident written to the Inspector General of Police, Minister of Transport, the Vice President and Minister of Defense to guarantee security on our roads and are confident that the Federal Government and concerned agencies will be galvanised to do more to secure the lives of Nigerians, while instituting policies that will enable road transport companies in Nigeria.

A family member of one of the kidnap victims confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that his sister and her daughter were released on Monday.

All I can say is that my sister and her daughter were released on Monday and it had nothing to do with God Is Good Motors, the relative who wished to maintain his anonymity said.

They had no input in their release.

He, however, declined to say if a ransom paid for the release, promising to provide details at a later date.

Femi Joseph, the Ondo Police spokesperson, also confirmed the release of the passengers on Monday.

We are on the trail of the kidnappers and I can tell you that some passengers have been released, Mr Joseph, a deputy superintendent of police, told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday night.

I cant confirm if some of the passengers are still with the kidnappers as I have just told you what I was told by the officer on ground.

By the time I get more facts, when I call him tomorrow he will give me more facts about the exact information.Ahead of the 2019 general elections, a senator, Abdulaziz Nyako, has emerged the governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Adamawa State.

Mr Nyako, a son of a former governor of the state, Murtala Nyako, was unopposed, but scored 2,235 votes out of the 2,274 votes cast at the partys governorship primaries held on Monday at the partys secretariat in Yola; an indication some voters did not choose a candidate.

The congress, attended by delegates from all the 226 wards of the state, was organised by the state executives of the party under the leadership of Yahaya Hammanjulde.

Delivering his acceptance speech, Mr Nyako said with over 300,000 card carrying members of the party in the state, the ADC is ready to confront any opposition in the forthcoming elections.

He stated that concentrating on the needs of electorate in the state would be the driving force of his administration if given the mandate by voters next year.

He therefore enjoined the party members to work assiduously in all nooks and cranny of the state for the success of ADC at all levels.

Mr Nyako is expected to be the a major challenger to the governing party in the state where the incumbent governor, Bindow Jibrilla, is seeking a second term in office.

In a related development, a Yola High Court presided over by Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri has dismissed a suit filed by former Acting Chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alfa Ephraim, against the party. The suit was dismissed for lack of merit.

Mr Ephraim and five others dragged ADC, its newly elected state chairman in Adamawa, Mr Hammanjulde, and seven others before the court challenging the leadership of party and the congresses conducted.

In his judgement, Justice Waziri said that apart from Mr Ephraim who is the first plaintiff, the remaining four lacked the locus-standi to file the suit.

Mr Waziri said Mr Ephraim who had been serving as Acting Chairman of the party since 2007, violated the constitution of the party by insisting to be the chairman when he even failed to renew his membership since 2007.

The judge noted that the ADC constitution said that any member who failed to renew his membership for six months should not enjoy some of the partys rights and privileges, while the person that failed to renew in 12 months automatically ceased to be a member.

It therefore naturally follows, the reliefs sought by the 1st plaintiff also failed.

Consequently, the originating summon filed on the 11th of September 2018 suit number ADSY/109m/2018 is hereby dismissed with no cost. Each party should bear its cost, the judgement said.

Reacting to the judgement in an interview, Mr Ephraim said he was not satisfied and would go to appeal.

But the Adamawa chairman of ADC, Mr Hammanjulde, expressed satisfaction with the judgement and urged party members to unite and face the 2019 elections.

I am a happy man today. From here I want to tell you that I am moving with full strength to the venue where we are holding our governorship primaries scheduled for today (Monday), Mr Hammanjulde said.A female kidnap suspect, Fatima Muhammed, says she has no regrets kidnapping the four-year-old son of Bukar Dalori, the Borno chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ms Muhammed made this known when she was paraded before journalists in Maiduguri on Monday.

I committed the crime because I am in love with money.

I have no regrets over the crime I committed and even if it is my own child I will kidnap him for money.

I know he is the son of the APC chairman; I took him because I want money to go and enjoy myself somewhere.

Why should I regret anything, Ms Muhammed was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria as saying.

Earlier, Damian Chukwu, the Commissioner of Police in Borno, said Ms Muhammed was delivered of a baby boy when she was arrested at Albarka Hotel in Maiduguri on Sept 21.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ms Muhammed allegedly abducted the boy and two others from a school and demanded for N20 million ransom.

Mr Chukwu said the woman and the child were in good condition at the time she was arrested by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

It is pertinent to mention that the Fatima Mohammed was pregnant at the time she kidnapped the minor and gave birth to a baby boy in a Guess Inn while keeping the victim on Sept. 2, he said.

The commissioner said that two suspects, Muhammed Musa and Muktar Ali-Shaibu, both from Bulumkutu Area in Maiduguri, were arrested in Kano at the point of collecting the ransom.

He explained that the suspects, who admitted the crime, said they did it for the love of worldly things.

Mr Chukwu said that the command was also investigating involvement of an army major who paid the two days accommodation for the suspect to keep the child at the hotel, adding that the manager was also arrested. (NAN)A former governor of Kano State and PDP presidential aspirant, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said he endorsed the candidature of his in-law, Kabir Yusuf, because he was the brain behind the capital projects executed in Kano from 2011-2015.

He said most of the infrastructure executed under ministry of works during his second tenure (2011-2015) were done by Mr Yusuf.

Mr Kwankwaso disclosed this at a press conference with journalists in Kano on Monday, the first of its kind after leaving office in 2015.

He explained that Kano needs a hardworking person as a governor who will introduce rapid infrastructural projects and carry party stalwarts along.

In the beginning I have appointed one person as commissioner of works, but when I realised he could not deliver, I called Abba to take over. All these infrastructure executed by ministry of works in Kano were done under strict supervision of Abba. Abba is more disturbed than I on the abandonment of these projects.

The mega cities (Kwankwasiyya, Amana and Bandirawo) we initiated have been abandoned. Jakara Bridge, Sheikh Mahmud Salga road, Sabongari flyover, structures at Northwest University, many roads in urban and rural areas and Independent Power Plant have been abandoned. All these projects were initiated by Abba, he said.

Commenting on the reason behind choosing Mr Ganduje to succeed him in 2015, Mr Kwankwaso said he anointed Mr Ganduje to succeed him so as to consolidate what they started together.

According to him, Mr Ganduje, being his deputy, was involved in most of the projects, and this made him the best candidate for governorship in 2015.

He revealed that unlike Mr Ganduje, Mr Yusuf was selected after due consultation with Kwankwasiyya loyalists.

The reason behind choosing Ganduje was we wanted to keep Kwankwasiyya as one family where every member will be carried along. Based on this I told him (Ganduje) if I choose another person you will not be part of the government, because you will not be SSG or commissioner. You are the most senior public officer. We want you to keep Kwankwasiyya as one family, we dont want lose any person. This is the reason behind endorsing Ganduje.

When he assumed power, he violated the entire hierarchy structure. If he has carried us along, we would have not engaged in fielding a gubernatorial candidate now. And in 2023 he (will have chosen) his successor himself, because he is more familiar with cabinet members, as (the) governor, Mr Kwankwaso said.

Mr Kwankwasos endorsement of Mr Yusuf as governorship aspirant of Kwankwasiyya has generated a lot of debate in Kano and beyond. Some people see it as calculated attempt to avoid repeating what Mr Ganduje did to him, while others see it as pure nepotism.

Many people expected that Mr Kwankwaso will have chosen a governorship aspirant among principal Kwankwasiyya loyalists like the immediate past deputy governor, Hafiz Abubakar, or former secretary to Kano State government and chairman of PDP caretaker committee, Rabiu Bichi.Three members of a family died in their sleep on Friday in Azikoro, a suburb in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

There is suspicion that their dinner just before they went to bed was poisoned.

Co-tenants in the compound noticed the family took long to wake up on Saturday and forced the door to their room open only to find the lifeless bodies of the three.

A resident in the compound who spoke on condition of anonymity on Monday said the neighbours immediately reported the incident to the Azikoro Police Division.

They slept on Friday and did not wake up, said the neighbour.

The man drives a Keke and he wakes up daily before 5 a.m, so we were surprised that his Keke was still parked outside in the afternoon.

We knocked on their door and got no response so we forced the door open and had to rush to the Police Station to report what we saw and they took the landlord for questioning and they have been investigating, the source said.

Chinedu Arthur-Ugwa, an executive member of Enugu Development Association, said the remains of the deceased who hailed from Enugu had been taken home to Enugu.

The death of our members came to us a surprise because the husband and wife who is pregnant died in their prime. We got in touch with their families in Enugu and they requested that their remains be brought home.

We call on the law enforcement agencies to unravel the cause of this strange death, Mr Arthur-Ugwa said.

Asinim Butswat, police spokesperson in Bayelsa State, confirmed the incident. He sad the cause was being investigated.

It is a case of sudden and unnatural death. On September 21, 2018 at about 15.40hrs the landlord of the deceased reported the case.

He said that the deceased, one Orji Igwenta, male 35, a native of Ozallah community in Nkanu West LGA of Enugu State and a keke rider; was found dead with the wife, Mrs Nkem Igwenta, 34.

Also found dead with them is Obinna Ogbani, male, aged 10, a brother to Orji Igwenta.

Also found dead by their side is a rat which is suspected to have eaten the same poisoned food with the family, Mr Butswat said.

It is not clear how the police intend to factually determine the cause of death as no autopsy was conducted before the bodies were moved to Enugu.The Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Monday said it had started rescue operations for the 12 crew members hijacked on Saturday by pirates in Rivers State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that crew men of the vessel MV Glarus, owned by Allison Shipping, was hijacked by pirates off the Bonny Island in Rivers for a ransom.

The NIMASA Director-General, Dakuku Peterside, who was speaking to journalists in Lagos, condemned the act, adding that the agency was working hard to ensure the release of the crew.

We are working closely with Forward Operation Base (FOB) of the Nigerian Navy, the Falcon Eye alongside others to secure their release unconditionally.

The agency is saddened about the attack and the perpetrator will surely be brought to book to serve as deterrent to others, Mr Peterside said.

According to him, the issue of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is a challenge that must be tackled head-on.

He said that the agency would ensure safety on the nations waterways.

NAN reports that NIMASA recently adopted an all-encompassing maritime security model tagged, Total Spectrum on Maritime Security Strategy.

(NAN)The management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) on Monday dragged the University College Hospital Ibadan (UCH) to the arbitration panel of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) over a N217 million debt.

Bamidele Falade, Manager, Business Hub Commercial of IBEDC, told the NERC panel sitting in Ibadan that the management decided to involve third party intervention because of the huge debts owed the Disco.

Mr Falade said the company had appealed to the management of UCH on why it should pay the outstanding debt of N217 million but to no avail.

According to him, IBEDC is constrained to disconnect electricity supply to UCH due to the services it renders but it has ignored paying bills despite several appeals.

The huge outstanding debt is affecting our operations. UCH is the only hospital that has refused to pay the electricity debt owed among the hospitals within our franchise areas.

We urge NERC as an independent arbiter to implore the UCH management to pay, he said.

Mr Falade said the hospital with a monthly bill of between N20 million and N24 million was enjoying 22 hours uninterrupted power supply daily.

If we have the money they owe us, we will be comfortable. It will strengthen our operations.

We appeal to the commission to instruct the UCH management to give definite timeline for the payment of the debt, he said.

He said the long-standing debts were the biggest worry of the Disco, and that the UCH debt burden was too big for it to bear.

Yemi Shiyanbola, the Director of Administration, UCH, admitted owing the debt but appealed to the Disco to give the hospital authority ample time to settle the bills.

Mr Shiyanbola said the management was constrained due to the low subvention received from the federal government.

He added that the government had promised to take over payment of electricity bills of all federal hospitals but the promise was yet to be fulfilled.

He lauded the management of IBEDC for the effective service and expressed appreciation for its patience toward the huge debt.

Mr Shiyanbola said the management had paid N143 million from January to September.

We are not disputing the debt because it is accurate, but we are appealing to IBEDC for easy mode of billing.

We are struggling to pay the little we could from our internally generate revenue because the subvention given to us by government is very low.

Henceforth, we promise and agree that we will ensure 100 per cent payment of our monthly bills while we spread the outstanding debt for easy payment, he said.

Mr Shiyanbola told the panel that the management of UCH would have a meeting and revert to NERC on the modality of payment.

Yinka Oseni, the Chairman of the NERC arbitration panel, told both parties to see NERC as an objective arbitrator.

He said the essence of the arbitration panel was to hear both parties and advise accordingly, while urging the parties to see themselves as partners in progress.

He said: I am happy that you admitted owing the debt, this shows that there is no dispute. It is really a huge debt which will definitely affect the IBEDC operations.

We decided to invite both parties to the panel to give them fair hearing.

The management of UCH should try and comply with the agreement reached on payment mode to avoid confrontation.

He urged the UCH management to report back to the panel within a month on its debt payment schedule.

(NAN)The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate in Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, has denied there is rift between him and the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, over last Saturdays election.

Mr Oyetola described insinuations in some quarters to that effect as irrational and present only in the imagination of detractors out to create disaffection within the APC camp ahead of Thursdays governorship rerun.

He said Mr Aregbesola is the model of the governorship project and a dogged driver of good governance continuity, saying he has at all-time provided responsible leadership.

The governorship candidate urged the people to ignore any such rumour of rift, describing it as satanic.

Mr Oyetola said he would have ignored the rumour but for the sensitivity of the Thursday election.

He commended the people of the state for turning out well and for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner during last Saturdays governorship election. He urged them to resist every provocation from the opposition who are currently exhibiting desperation.

The people should not give them any room to truncate the relative peace the state is experiencing, he said.

In a statement by his Media Office signed by Ajibola Famurewa, Osun East Campaign Director-General, Mr Oyetola said the people of the state had demonstrated a high level of democratic culture in the most keenly-contested election in Nigeria.

According to him: The Oyetola Campaign Organization commend the steadfastness of the people despite the commoditisation of votes by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). We are aware of the votes buying and selling strategy of the PDP. We are proud that the people are resisting the provocation and temptation to sell their conscience.

We appeal to the people to be vigilant and ready to jealously guard their votes on Thursday as the PDP have commenced massive commoditisation of peoples mandate through massive purchase of voter cards, Mr Famurewa said.Following the declaration by the Returning Officer, Joseph Fuwape, that the Saturday governorship election in Osun is inconclusive, the People Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress in the state have traded accusations of physical attacks on their members ahead of the supplementary polls in seven units on Thursday.

In the inconclusive election, Ademola Adeleke of the PDP scored 254,698 votes to beat his APC rival, Gboyega Oyetola, who polled 254,345 votes.

However, Mr Ademola could not be returned because his victory margin of 353 votes is lower than the number of votes cancelled in seven polling units which have 3498 registered voters.

INEC has fixed Thursday for voters in those units to determine the outcome of the election.

The re-run election will hold in the units in Orolu, Ife South, Ife North and Osogbo local government areas.

But on Monday, PDP raised alarm over alleged crackdowns on its leaders at Osogbo, Ile Ife and Orolu.

A statement signed by Olawale Rasheed, Director, Media and Publicity for the Adeleke campaign organisation, said several leaders of the PDP have been arrested while party supporters are at the mercy of APC thugs.

This morning around Alekuwodo, Osogbo, PDP members were matcheted with gunshots booming all over the town. At Osogbo, a top leader of the party, Alhaji Fatal Diekola, was arrested. He was roughhandled and beaten up despite his ill health. His aides were matcheted. Other PDP leaders at Osogbo are being harassed with many of them unable to sleep in their respective houses, he alleged.

The PDP also said the situation was the same at Orolu.

All these are being done to manipulate the supplementary polls. We therefore call the attention of the public, local and international election observers to continuation of electoral impunity and denial of fundamental human rights to PDP leaders in Osun State.There is a subsisting and active threats to democracy in Osun State and Nigeria.

After the electoral bodys unprecedented coup against democracy, agents of slave drivers and their party, the APC, have continued their unholy plot to detail the will of the people. Osun people are resisting and they will continue to do so until their governor-elect is confirmed.

Reacting to the allegations, the APC said the arrest of the PDP chieftain, Mr. Deikola, confirmed the general opinion that the PDP was out to pervert the will of the people in the ongoing governorship contest.

Ajibola Famurewa, the Director of Publicity for Mr Oyetolas campaign organisation, said Mr. Diekola was arrested for sponsoring thugs to invade Alekuwodo area in Osogbo shooting sporadically to scare people and cause tension in the state capital.

We are vindicated today that the security agents finally nabbed one of the PDP vote-buying and selling dealer, Fatai Diekola, who has been the arrowhead of procurement and commoditization of Permanent Voters Card (PVC). We had complained to security agents about the violent posture of the PDP and the way they were monetizing votes before and during last Saturday, September 22 election.

To worsen the issue on Saturday night, Diekola, Adagunodo and others invaded a Collation Centre in Ward 5 Osogbo and forced APC and other party agents to sign a doctored result which was later rejected at the local government collation centre. This singular action substantially contributed to rendering the election inconclusive and now requiring INEC, security agents and political parties to deploy fresh resources for the new election.

The APC however commended the police for the arrest of Mr. Deikola and urged other security agents to be on the alert to prevent individuals vote-buying and campaign before Thursday.

This election is about the future of the state and as such the will of the majority must be protected. The popular choice of the people must be allowed to evolve. That is the very essence of democracy.

Meanwhile, efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to reach police spokesperson in Osun State, Folasade Odoro, for details of the arrest were not fruitful as her phone was switched off.

Also, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Afolabi Babawale, said he was not in the state when contacted.For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.



The Sine Institute is made possible through a milestone gift of $10 million from AU alumnus, trustee, and entrepreneur Jeff Sine , SIS/BA '76, and Samira Sine, an advocate for women and children and a seasoned journalist. The gift is the manifestation of the Sines' interest in making positive change that will inspire future generations of leaders. The Sine Institute launches with a conversation between AU President Sylvia M. Burwell and Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) at 1:30 p.m. ET at the Newseum in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, September 25, 2018. The discussion will be webcast on the Sine Institute website .

"We aim to raise the quality and impact of the study and practice of policy and politics, as we bring together professionals at the top of their fields, scholars, and students," said AU President and former Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. "The Institute will take full advantage of our location in the nation's capital and growing business community. Our focus on policy will catalyze conversations on the substance, as well as the politics."

The Sine Institute stands apart from other centers through its focus on policy and politics, the role of business and the nonprofit community in public policy, the rise of the importance of economic regions in the United States, and international policy issues.

"Through this gift we wanted to empower American University to make an immediate and lasting impact at the intersection of politics and policy, increasing AU's national and international visibility," said Jeff and Samira Sine.

With the launch, six initial members of the Institute's Advisory Board are also being announced:

Michele Flournoy , former under secretary of defense for policy (2009-2012) and current CEO of WestExec;

, former under secretary of defense for policy (2009-2012) and current CEO of WestExec; Danielle C. Gray , former assistant to the president and cabinet secretary in the Obama administration and current senior vice president, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina ;

, former assistant to the president and cabinet secretary in the Obama administration and current senior vice president, chief legal officer, and corporate secretary for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of ; Anita McBride , former assistant to President George W. Bush , former chief of staff to First Lady Laura Bush , and current executive-in-residence at AU's School of Public Affairs;

, former assistant to President , former chief of staff to First Lady , and current executive-in-residence at AU's School of Public Affairs; Deval Patrick , former governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2007-2015), and current managing director at Bain Capital's Double Impact business;

, former governor of the Commonwealth of (2007-2015), and current managing director at Bain Capital's Double Impact business; Frances Townsend (AU SPA/BA '82), former assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism (2004-2008) and current national security analyst on CBS News; and

(AU SPA/BA '82), former assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism (2004-2008) and current national security analyst on CBS News; and Philip Zelikow , former counselor of the United States Department of State, former executive director of the 9/11 Commission, and current professor of governance and history at the University of Virginia.

Over the coming months, we will announce additional advisory board members representing business, the arts, nonprofit sectors, regional leaders, and bipartisan perspectives.

A cornerstone of the Sine Institute is its fellowship program. Each spring, the Institute will host six in-resident fellows from the US and around the world, bringing expertise from all levels of government service, politics, journalism, the nonprofit sector, and business. The fellows will collaborate with students and AU scholars to uncover new ways in which theory will inform cross-sectoral solutions. Fellowship applications are now being accepted, and the search is underway for an executive director who will lead the Institute's fellows and programs.

"The Sine Institute will drive powerful conversations by drawing from expertise from across campus and around the world," said Vicky Wilkins, dean of AU's School of Public Affairs.

As a university-wide effort, the Institute will collaborate with other schools on campus, including the School of International Service, the School of Communication, the Kogod School of Business, and the Washington College of Law, fostering an environment that facilitates ongoing exchange to gain insights and engender knowledge.

In its 125-year history, American University has established a reputation for producing changemakers focused on the challenges of a changing world. AU has garnered recognition for global education, public service, experiential learning, and politically active and diverse students, as well as academic and research expertise in a wide range of areas including business and communication, political science and policy, governance, law, and diplomacy.

Established in 1934, AU's School of Public Affairs, home of the Sine Institute, is ranked third in the US and first in the DC area for public affairs research impact. Its faculty members are leading scholars in public policy, public administration, political science, criminology, and other complex fields.

SOURCE American University

Related Links

http://www.american.edu

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Juvenile arrest rates have fallen sharply in recent years, but black youth are disproportionately sent to adult court by judges at some of the highest percentages seen in 30 years, according to a joint report from the Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

The new report, The Color of Youth Transferred to the Adult Criminal Justice System: Policy and Practice Recommendations , discusses how the egregious practice of prosecuting and incarcerating black youth as adults, which is rooted in our nation's past and ongoing racism, has had a devastating impact on black youth and the black community. Black children sent to adult jails and prisons are more likely to die by suicide, suffer from mental illness, and recidivate once they return to their communities than their peers in the juvenile justice system.

"Research has proven that adults' courts and jails are no place for children -- the brain development of youth is markedly different from adults and they are more prone to risk taking and not thinking through the consequences of their actions," said NASW Social Justice and Human Rights Manager Mel Wilson. "Youth involved in the justice system are also more likely to have mental health needs and have suffered from trauma so they need rehabilitation and treatment services that are not provided in most adult jails."

"This brief dives into the historical context of racial terror inflicted on black communities that has shaped the foundation of systemic policies, practices, and procedures that compound disproportionality," said CFYJ Policy Director Jeree Thomas. "This is a symptom of chronic and systemic racism beyond the confines of the justice system itself, but we believe that intentional advocacy and transformative thinking by system leaders can begin to redress this issue in states across the country."

CFYJ and NASW looked at the rate of black youth who were sent to adult courts in Oregon, Florida and Missouri, three states that report their adult court transfer rates disaggregated by race.

In Oregon, while black youth are 2.3 percent of the state's population, they are 15.8 percent of youth transferred to adult court in 2017.Similarly, in Florida, although black youth make up just 21 percent of the youth population, they accounted for 67.7 percent of youth transferred to adult court in 2016.

Missouri is one of the first states to urge judges to consider racial disparities before transferring youth to adult courts. Still in 2016, black youth made up 14.8 percent of the youth population age 10 to 17, but 72 percent of youth that judges referred to adult courts, even though they accounted for 40 percent of youth charged with felony offenses.

CFYJ and NASW encourage advocates and social workers across the country to take action and mobilize against the adultification of black youth in the criminal justice system.

Visit here for additional information and the full report.

About the National Association of Social Workers:

Founded in 1955, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with more than 120,000 members. https://www.socialworkers.org/ .

About the Campaign for Youth Justice:

The Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) is a national initiative focused entirely on ending the practice of prosecuting, sentencing, and incarcerating youth under the age of 18 in the adult criminal justice system. www.cfyj.org .

CONTACT:

Aprill O. Turner

[email protected]

(202) 779-2810 (cell)

SOURCE The Campaign for Youth Justice

Related Links

http://www.cfyj.org

MIAMI, Sept. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise Line solidified its place as the cruise leader in Texas with Sunday's arrival of Carnival Vista  the largest ship ever homeported in Galveston. The arrival was celebrated with Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy and ship Godmother Deshauna Barber, the first member of the U.S. military to be named Miss USA, before the ship left on its first voyage from Galveston Sunday afternoon.

Carnival Vista is part of the line's newest and largest class of ships and has been wowing guests out of Miami for the past two years with new features like the SkyRide aerial bike ride, an IMAX theater, onboard brewery, two dining venues developed by Food Network star Guy Fieri, an expansive water park, and the Family Harbor accommodations with larger staterooms and lounge area.

Carnival Vista offers two distinctly different week-long western Caribbean itineraries from Galveston, visiting the region's most popular destinations. The first itinerary includes calls at Montego Bay; Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, while the other features visits to Mahogany Bay (Isla Roatan); Belize; and Cozumel. Carnival Vista joins Carnival Freedom and Carnival Valor with year-round departures from Galveston. Together, these three ships operate more than 200 sailings each year carrying more than 600,000 passengers annually  the most in cruising.

"Carnival Vista brings Texas-sized fun to Galveston for guests of all ages and we are thrilled to celebrate the arrival of the port's newest ship and show our appreciation for the local community," said Duffy. "Carnival is Texas' number one cruise operator and positioning one of our newest ships, Carnival Vista, in Galveston underscores our commitment to our confidence in growing this key market."

The homecoming event was attended by local officials, travel agents and military families supported by Operation Homefront. Galveston Mayor Pro Tem Craig Brown presented Duffy with a key to the city and proclaimed Sept. 23 "Choose Fun Day" in recognition of Carnival's brand campaign. In support of the local community, Carnival made a $10,000 donation to Houston SPCA and an additional $10,000 to the Houston Food Bank.

"After 18 years of cultivating the cruise business in the State of Texas, we are thrilled to welcome Carnival's largest class ship to her new home," said Rees. "As one of Carnival's most successful homeports, their decision to re-position their newest ship is a testament of their confidence in the port's continued success as one of the nation's top cruise ports. We look forward to continuing our mutually beneficial partnership."

"Choose Fun" is a key component of Carnival's ongoing Homeport Advantage campaign designed to heighten awareness of new ship deployments. A bumper sticker adorned with the "Choose Fun" tag line was unveiled on Carnival Vista's stern during the event.

Added Barber, "As godmother, Carnival Vista remains very near and dear to my heart and I'm proud and honored to be a part of the festivities to bring this spectacular ship to its new homeport of Galveston."

The Homeport Advantage campaign also included a flyover in Houston, Galveston and the surrounding area earlier this month by the Carnival AirShip, a 128-foot long red, white and blue blimp emblazoned with #ChooseFun. Consumers who posted a photo of the AirShip in social media with #ChooseFun were entered into a sweepstakes awarding free cruises and other prizes and triggering a donation to St. Jude.

To learn more about Carnival Cruise Line, visit Carnival.com . For reservations, contact any travel agent or call 1-800-CARNIVAL. Carnival can also be found on: Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and YouTube .

Journalists also can visit Carnival's media site, carnival-news.com or follow the line's PR department on Twitter at twitter.com/CarnivalPR .

About Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL;NYSE: CUK), is "The World's Most Popular Cruise Line" with 26 ships operating three- to 24-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Cuba, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. The line currently has three new ships scheduled for delivery  the 133,500-ton Carnival Panorama set to debut in 2019 and two as-yet-unnamed 180,000-ton ships in 2020 and 2022.

SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line

Related Links

http://www.carnivalcorp.com

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- While business school graduates may expect to earn high salaries, for many prospective MBA students, the question of how to fund their tuition remains.

That's where Economist GMAT Tutor's Brightest Minds MBA Scholarship Competition comes in. The contest aims to find one of the world's "Brightest Minds" who plans to attend business school, and help pay for his or her education. The contest launched September 17th.

The semiannual contest offers a $25,000 scholarship to an array of participating business schools. Last contest's winner, Victor Cannilla, a management consultant, scored higher than nearly 3,000 other contest entrants and wrote the best essay in a tie-breaker competition.

The contest is open to anyone who is considering pursuing an MBA or EMBA. The deadline to enter is November 30th, 2018; the winner will be announced by January 4th, 2019. The winner may apply their $25,000 scholarship towards tuition at any of the partnering business schools:

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Darden School of Business The Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University

International Business School

University of Liverpool Management School

Management School Schulich School of Business

Alliance Manchester Business School

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

SDA Bocconi School of Management

Amsterdam Business School, University of Amsterdam

Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration

of Business and Administration Birmingham Business School

Contest entrants must qualify under the Terms & Conditions .

For information about partnership opportunities, please contact Richard Dexter at +1 212-554-0662 or [email protected].

About Economist GMAT Tutor ( gmat.economist.com )

Economist GMAT Tutor is an online GMAT prep course offered by The Economist Group. The online program guides students through the academic topics and test-taking skills that they will need to master the test. The program is adaptive, meaning that it uses students' correct and incorrect answers to create tailored courses customized to their needs.

About The Economist ( economist.com )

With a growing global circulation (about 1.45 million including both print and digital) and a reputation for insightful analysis and perspective on every aspect of world events, The Economist is one of the most widely recognised and well-read current affairs publications.

SOURCE Economist GMAT TutorNEW YORK and COLUMBIA, Md., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Funds advised by Apax Partners (the "Apax Funds") today announced the acquisition of Authority Brands, a leading North American franchisor of home services, from PNC Riverarch Capital. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands is the parent company of two home services franchisors: The Cleaning Authority, which provides residential cleaning services to over 100,000 customers across the U.S.; and Homewatch CareGivers, which delivers at-home services including elderly, disabled and after-surgery care, as well as help for those living with dementia. Authority Brands operates over 300 franchises in the U.S., Canada and Latin America, supporting them to grow through the provision of marketing, technology and operational support.

The acquisition by the Apax Funds will help the company accelerate its growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions, as it looks to expand internationally and offer additional services. It also presents digitization opportunities as Apax intends to leverage its significant experience in this area to help Authority Brands provide enhanced software, digital marketing and systems to support its franchise partners. Under the terms of the acquisition, Authority Brands' management team, led by Chief Executive Officer Rob Weddle, will remain in place.

Rob Weddle, CEO of Authority Brands, said: "We are very excited about the experience and depth the Apax team brings to this new partnership. Authority Brands has a vision to become the leading franchisor of home services by providing unparalleled business ownership opportunity to its franchisees and delivering first-class service to consumers. We are confident Apax shares in this vision and expect a bright future for Authority Brands."

Ashish Karandikar, Partner at Apax Partners, said: "We have been attracted to the home services market for some time, due to its size, fragmentation and attractive growth rate. We have been impressed by Authority Brands' established franchise network, experienced management, and strong track record of growth.

"We look forward to working with management and all franchise partners to accelerate growth, both organically and through M&A, as well as to leverage Apax's significant experience in international expansion and digitization."

About Authority Brands

Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Authority Brands, LLC is the parent company of two leading home service franchisors, The Cleaning Authority and Homewatch CareGivers. Together, these brands provide recurring home services through more than 300 franchise locations in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. Authority Brands is dedicated to supporting individual franchisee growth through providing strong marketing, technology and operational support.

About Apax Partners

Apax Partners is a leading global private equity advisory firm. Over its more than 35-year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of over $50 billion. The Apax Funds invest in companies across four global sectors of Tech & Telco, Services, Healthcare and Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For more information see: www.apax.com.

Media Contacts

For Authority Brands

Nikki Rode, Fish Consulting | +1 954-893-9150 | [email protected]

For Apax Partners :

Global Media: Andrew Kenny, Apax | +44 20 7 872 6371 | [email protected]

USA Media: Todd Fogarty, Kekst | +1 212-521 4854 | [email protected]

UK Media: Matthew Goodman / James Madsen, Greenbrook | +44 20 7952 2000 | [email protected]

SOURCE Apax Partners

Related Links

http://www.apax.com

DUBLIN, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Warehouse Management System Market by Offering (Software, Services), Deployment (On-Premise, On-Cloud), Tier Type (Advanced, Intermediate, Basic), Industry (3PL, Automotive, Food & Beverages, E-Commerce), and Region - Global Forecast to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The warehouse management system market is expected to reach USD 4.82 billion by 2024 from USD 2.06 billion in 2018, at a CAGR of 15.2% from 2018 to 2024.



Warehouse management system (WMS) is a software application that helps manage operations in warehouses in the most efficient and productive manner. The growth of this market can be attributed to the growth in the e-commerce industry, emerging multichannel distribution channels, globalization of supply chain networks, increased adoption of on-cloud WMS solutions, and rising need for efficient forecasting models.



Software is likely to hold a large share of the WMS market during the forecast period. Increasing awareness about WMS software among small and midsized enterprises (SMEs), globalization of supply chain networks, and growing share of cloud-based WMS software solutions are the key factors boosting the demand for WMS software.



On-premise deployment is likely to lead the WMS market during forecast period. Benefits such as enhanced data security, better performance and control over data transmission, and easier customizations provided by on-premise warehouse management systems are resulting in their high adoption.



Advanced (tier 1) WMS is expected to dominate the WMS market during forecast period. Advanced WMS aids warehouse operators in making better decisions about inventory stocking, movement, and employee efficiency with adequate and accessible information. This is a major factor driving the growth of the market for advanced (tier 1) WMS.



The third-party logistics (3PL) industry is expected to lead the overall warehouse management system market from 2018 to 2024. This industry is contributing to the growth of the warehouse management system market. Factors such as growing need for efficient order management, increased outsourcing of logistics and transportation operations, and globalization of supply chain networks have boosted the adoption of warehouse management systems in the 3PL industry.



Warehouse Management System Market



Among all regions, North America is expected to account for the largest share of the warehouse management system market in 2018. Factors such as presence of large companies with global warehousing and distribution operations, growth in e-commerce industry, and developed third-party logistics (3PL) networks are driving the growth of the warehouse management system market in this region. The US is the major contributor to the growth of warehouse management system market in North America. Companies in the US are shifting most of their operations on cloud, thereby creating huge opportunities for the adoption of on-cloud WMS solutions.

Major Application of Warehouse Management Systems

Third-Party Logistics:



With the rise in demand for 3PL services, companies are handling huge inventory on a daily basis. Further, the complexity of operating a 3PL facility, particularly one that serves multiple clients, has accelerated. The implementation of WMS in the 3PL industry is vital to efficiently handle inventory and orders. WMS can seamlessly handle overlapping of inventory. These systems can also effortlessly handle any overlapping of sales orders or purchase orders, thereby saving hours required for manual data entry.

Automotive



The after-sales service market for the automotive industry is witnessing tremendous growth opportunities owing to the high number of vehicles sold worldwide and the increasing need for periodic maintenance. In recent times, provision of efficient after-sales services adds value to the final products as it influences customers to buy products of certain brands. Provision of an efficient after-sales service requires uninterrupted supply of essential spare parts and components, such as engine parts, suspensions, tires, electronic components, and brake pads. These spare parts are not necessarily being manufactured at same locations and are required to be transported both at assembly facilities and service outlets for customers to buy replacements. WMS plays a major role in making the inventory available at warehouses and transporting it to distribution centers as per customer requirements.

Food & Beverages:



With the increasing concern about food safety and quality among customers, it becomes necessary for food & beverages companies to keep a track of the sources of food products and to ensure food quality while these are being transported. Several governments worldwide have come-up with regulations to ensure superior quality of packaged food & beverages. Regulations such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) by the US federal government, Safe Food for Canadians by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and General Food Law of the European Union have been adopted by food & beverages companies to ensure freshness and integrity of food items.

Healthcare:



The use of WMS in the healthcare industry ensures that medicines and medical equipment are supplied in given time. A WMS helps in constantly updating the database of the inventory moving in and out of a warehouse; this helps in preventing running out of inventory. In the healthcare distribution ecosystem, continuous sharing of information and visibility of every process are the determinants for efficient warehouse management. WMS enables clear visibility of logistic activities in the healthcare industry, thereby enabling proper tracking of medicines and medical devices.



Factors such as high implementation costs of on-premise WMS for SMEs and data privacy and security concerns are restraining the growth of the warehouse management system market.



As of 2017, Epicor Software (US), JDA Software (US), Manhattan Associates (US), Oracle (US), and SAP (Germany) were the top 5 players in the warehouse management system market. These players focus on product launches, acquisitions, expansions, and contracts and partnerships to expand their product offerings and businesses.



Other prominent players in the warehouse management system market include IBM (US), Infor (US), PSI (Germany), PTC (US), Tecsys (Canada), Blujay Solutions (UK), and HighJump (US).

Critical Questions:

Which tier type of WMS would have the highest demand in the future?

Which deployment type of warehouse management systems is preferred the most?

How is a warehouse management system deployed to facilitate various functions of a warehouse?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights



4.1 Warehouse Management System Market, 2018-2024 (USD Billion)

4.2 Warehouse Management System Market, By Offering

4.3 Warehouse Management System Market, By Deployment

4.4 Warehouse Management System Market, By Tier Type

4.5 Warehouse Management System Market, By Industry

4.6 Warehouse Management System Market, By Geography



5 Market Overview



5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.1.1 Growth in E-Commerce Industry

5.2.1.2 Emergence of Multichannel Distribution Networks

5.2.1.3 Globalization of Supply Chain Networks

5.2.1.4 Increasing Adoption of On-Cloud WMS Solutions

5.2.1.5 Need for Efficient Forecasting Models

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.2.1 High Implementation Cost of On-Premise WMS for SMES

5.2.2.2 Data Privacy and Security Concerns

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.3.1 Digitization of Supply Chain Management

5.2.3.2 Rising Investment of Multinational Companies in Emerging Economies

5.2.4 Challenges

5.2.4.1 Lack of Awareness About Benefits of WMS Among Small-Scale Industries

5.2.4.2 Constant Need for Software Upgrades

5.3 Value Chain Analysis



6 Hardware Components Integrated With Warehouse Management Systems



6.1 Introduction

6.2 Robot

6.2.1 Integration of Robot With WMS

6.3 Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS)

6.3.1 Integration of ASRS With WMS

6.4 Conveyor and Sortation System

6.4.1 Integration of Conveyors and Sortation Systems With WMS

6.5 Crane

6.5.1 Integration of Cranes With WMS

6.6 Automated Guided Vehilce (AGV)

6.6.1 Integration of AGV With WMS



7 Warehouse Management System Market, By Offering



7.1 Introduction

7.2 Software

7.3 Services

7.3.1 Consulting and Installation

7.3.2 Testing

7.3.3 Maintenance

7.3.4 Training

7.3.5 Software Upgrades



8 Warehouse Management System Market, By Deployment



8.1 Introduction

8.2 On-Premise

8.3 On-Cloud

8.4 On-Premise vs On-Cloud



9 Warehouse Management System Market, By Tier Type



9.1 Introduction

9.2 Advanced WMS (Tier 1)

9.2.1 Functions of Advanced WMS (Tier 1)

9.2.1.1 Core Functions

9.2.1.2 Peripheral Functions

9.2.1.3 Supply Chain Functions

9.3 Intermediate WMS (Tier 2)

9.3.1 Functions of Internediate WMS (Tier 2)

9.4 Basic WMS (Tier 3)

9.4.1 Functions of Basic WMS (Tier 3)



10 Functions of Warehouse Management Systems



10.1 Introduction

10.2 Receiving and Putaway

10.3 Slotting

10.4 Inventory Control

10.5 Picking

10.6 Workforce and Task Management

10.7 Shipping

10.8 Yard and Dock Management



11 Warehouse Management System Market, By Industry



11.1 Introduction

11.2 Third-Party Logistics (3PL)

11.2.1 WMS Helps 3PL Companies Reduce Operation Complexities

11.3 Automotive

11.3.1 WMS Plays Major Role in Automotive Industry for Efficient Inventory Management

11.4 Food & Beverages

11.4.1 Implementation of WMS in Food & Beverages Industry for Package Tracking

11.5 Healthcare

11.5.1 Rising Trend of Automated Warehouses Boosting Adoption of WMS in Healthcare Industry

11.6 E-Commerce

11.6.1 WMS Smoothens Warehouising Operations of E-Commerce Industry

11.7 Chemicals

11.7.1 Digitization in Chemicals Industry to Boost Adopton of WMS

11.8 Electrical & Electronics

11.8.1 WMS Smoothly Handles Supply Chain of Electrical & Electronics Industry

11.9 Metals and Machinery

11.9.1 Use of WMS in Metals & Machinery Industry Enables Efficient and Cost-Effective Operations

11.10 Others

11.10.1 Paper and Printing

11.10.2 Textile and Clothing



12 Geographic Analysis



13 Competitive Landscape



13.1 Overview

13.2 Ranking of Players in Warehouse Management System Market

13.3 Competitive Situations & Trends



14 Company Profiles



Epicor Software

JDA Software

Manhattan Associates

Oracle

SAP

IBM

Infor

PSI

PTC

Tecsys

Blujay Solutions

HighJump

3PL Central

Datapel

Made4net

Microlistics

Reply

Softeon

Synergy Logistics

Vinculum Solutions

For more information about this report visit

https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/gqvpzl/global_warehouse?w=5

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

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"We are delighted to welcome Joseph to the Mitsubishi Tanabe team as we pursue our mission to positively impact the lives of people living with devastating diseases such as ALS," said Atsushi Fujimoto, President, MTPA. "He brings a wealth of experience launching rare treatments, leading teams and building strong organizations. The MTPA leadership team looks forward to Joseph's partnership as we expand our services and grow in the U.S."

Scalia joins MTPA from Bayer Healthcare, where he served as Vice President and Head of Cardiopulmonary Marketing. He brings with him more than 20 years of commercial experience in the pharmaceutical industry in sales, marketing, market access and business operations both in the U.S. and globally. His expertise covers a wide range of therapeutic areas, including rare and orphan diseases.

About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.

Based in Jersey City, N.J., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation's (MTPC) 100 percent owned U.S. holding company, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Holdings America, Inc. MTPA is dedicated to delivering innovative products that address the unmet medical needs of patients in North America. It was established by MTPC to commercialize approved pharmaceutical products in North America with plans to expand its product line through collaborations with partners. For more information, please visit www.mt-pharma-america.com or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MTPA_US.

Media inquiries:

Debbie Etchison

908-340-8578

[email protected]

SOURCE Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mt-pharma-america.com

SYDNEY, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

New family of drug candidates inhibit the 'master switch' involved in inflammation and autoimmunity

Able to cross the blood-brain barrier and blood-nerve barriers

Opens development of treatments of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases of the brain and peripheral nerves

Multiple sclerosis and peripheral neuropathies identified as potential clinical targets

Patent applications lodged

Development being fast-tracked.

Noxopharm (ASX: NOX) (the 'Company') and its majority-owned subsidiary, Nyrada, have discovered a way to inhibit IRAK4, a protein widely regarded as the 'master switch' in the development of many forms of chronic inflammation including autoimmune diseases.

Nyrada Inc is a US incorporated biotechnology company, two-thirds owned by Noxopharm and consolidated within the NOX Group, to hold the Noxopharm non-oncology drug development programs: (i) a PCSK9 inhibitor; (ii) an anti-inflammatory drug; (iii) a neuroprotectant drug.

IRAK4 has emerged in recent years as a key switch in the cells that form the body's innate immune system. Faulty IRAK4 behaviour in these innate immune cells is widely regarded as playing a key role in the development of many forms of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. This has led to IRAK4-inhibitors being widely hailed as the next generation of anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's Disease), lupus and psoriasis.

The Company has discovered a compound that is a potent inhibitor of IRAK4. And while this provides an opportunity to treat the same broad range of conditions being pursued by others, the Company believes that the future of its IRAK4 program lies in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (brain and spine) and the body's peripheral nerves. This belief comes from the ability of this compound to cross the barriers that exclude the great majority of drugs from entering the brain and peripheral nerves. This ability provides what Noxopharm believes is a major opportunity to pursue drug development for inflammation associated with diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (motor neurone disease) and peripheral neuropathies (particularly diabetic peripheral neuropathy).

The Company is able to make today's announcement with the recent lodgement of a US provisional patent application and a Patent Cooperative Treaty (PCT) patent application.

James Bonnar, Nyrada Vice-President, Research & Development, said, "A lot of attention currently is being given to developing IRAK4 inhibitors for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and gouty arthritis and lupus, but we see our discovery as a breakthrough in providing the tools needed to address inflammatory and autoimmune diseases of the nervous system."

Graham Kelly, Noxopharm CEO, added, "I see this as a major development. At a strategic level it adds an important plank to the Group's ambitions to evolve into a global biotech company. But importantly at the patient level, it represents a realistic prospect for finally being able to provide treatment for a number of insidious diseases affecting the nervous system which have defied successful management to date."

"Neuroinflammation has long been known to be associated with diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis. But recent evidence now shows that neuroinflammation is associated even with psychiatric conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia."

"Having a drug that blocks IRAK4 and all its downstream pro-inflammatory cytokine effects, combined with its ability to reach the brain in sufficient levels, is an exciting breakthrough that has resulted from a lot of hard work by a team of Australian chemists and scientists," Kelly added.

Pre-clinical programs now are being undertaken to identify the most appropriate therapeutic indication(s), with human studies likely in 2020.

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements. You can identify these statements by the fact they use words such as "aim", "anticipate", "assume", "believe", "continue", "could", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "plan", "predict", "project", "plan", "should", "target", "will" or "would" or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates, projections and assumptions made by Noxopharm about circumstances and events that have not yet taken place. Although Noxopharm believes the forward-looking statements to be reasonable, they are not certain. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are in some cases beyond the Company's control that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statement. No representation, warranty or assurance (express or implied) is given or made by Noxopharm that the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are accurate and undue reliance should not be placed upon such statements.

SOURCE Noxopharm LimitedBIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ProctorU, the world's largest provider of online proctoring and identity management services, announced today the addition of the Mozilla Firefox extension to enable its suite of online proctoring solutions. Test-takers now have the option of using either Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome extensions when taking online exams.

The online proctoring solutions offered by ProctorU employ a browser extension to enable screen sharing and monitor test-takers during exams. ProctorU is the first online proctoring service to add the Firefox extension offering additional convenience and ease of use for test-takers.

"We have added the Firefox extension in direct response to market requests. Prior to testing, test-takers and instructors now have the flexibility to choose which browser technology they prefer," stated Matt Jaeh, chief technology officer.

"We are committed to bringing innovative and customer-focused solutions to market in our mission to protect academic integrity and move people forward," said Scott McFarland, chief executive officer. "Adding Firefox is an excellent example of how we listen to our customers as we continue to raise the bar in protecting academic integrity."

About ProctorU

ProctorU provides a full suite of online proctoring and identity management solutions for education, professional development and certification organizations. With patented, 24/7 on-demand live proctoring and a fully automated platform, both backed by artificial intelligence, ProctorU is a powerful, convenient and cost-effective alternative to traditional test centers. ProctorU increases access to online learning while ensuring exam integrity and accountability for any test-taker with internet access using only a computer and a webcam.

SOURCE ProctorU

Related Links

http://www.proctoru.com

DULLES, Va., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) has been awarded a multi-year contract with a new government customer in the Middle East North Africa Region. Raytheon's Intelligence, Information and Services business will provide advanced cybersecurity solutions and associated training, knowledge transfer and operational and sustainment support.

"Raytheon has established a solid track record in providing national level cybersecurity solutions," said Dave Wajsgras, president of Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. "We are honored to have been selected as a trusted cybersecurity partner for this important nation in a region of the world that continues to be impacted by evolving cyber threats."

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2017 sales of $25 billion and 64,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 96 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. Follow us on Twitter .

Media Contact

Raytheon

Rachael Duffy

571-250-1517

[email protected]

[email protected]

SOURCE Raytheon Company

Related Links

http://www.raytheon.com

"The Pizza Experience" museum will launch on October 1, 2018 at the Raymond Theater on 129 N. Raymond Avenue in Pasadena. In addition to Round Table Pizza's regal room, The Pizza Experience also features a pizza night club, pizza fitness center, pizza heaven, a pizza graffiti hallway and the ultimate pizza lover's dream, the ability to roll around in pizza dough.

"Pizza Experience museum visitors deserve pizza fit for a king, which is why with our fresh made in-house pizza dough, gourmet ingredients and generous toppings, Round Table Pizza is the only restaurant sponsor of the buzz-worthy pop-up," said Geoff Goodman, Executive Vice President of Round Table Pizza. "While the entire museum is what pizza dreams are made of, Round Table is honored to provide the most anticipated part of the experience  the pizza!"



"As one of the West Coast's most iconic pizza brands, The Pizza Experience is thrilled to have Round Table Pizza as our exclusive pizza restaurant sponsor," said Robin Boytos, Chief Executive Officer of The Pizza Experience. "Round Table's room is one of the most visually stunning and memorable aspects of the experience  it's the ultimate photo opportunity for social media shots and we are expecting it to be a visitor favorite. Round Table truly pulled off a royal feat!"



For more information on "The Pizza Experience" museum, or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.the-pizza-experience.com/. For updates, follow along on social media at Facebook @ThePizzaExperience, Instagram @The_Pizza_Experience, Twitter @Pizza_Experience.



Round Table Pizza is known for its made in-store pizza dough, fresh toppings and premium ingredients. In addition to seriously amazing pizza, menu favorites include garlic parmesan twists and wings. For the latest news and fun and games from Round Table Pizza, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Round Table Pizza  www.roundtablepizza.com

Round Table Pizza was founded by Bill Larson in 1959 in the San Francisco Bay Area to create a place where families could relax and share a superb pizza. More than fifty years later, Round Table Pizza remains true to its founder's vision with 440 restaurants across the western United States and the world. Round Table's signature tagline, "The Last Honest Pizza", describes its commitment to quality and authenticity. For the latest news and fun and games from Round Table Pizza, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

SOURCE Round Table Pizza

Related Links

http://www.roundtablepizza.com

SINGAPORE, Sept. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Platts, the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets, today announced that it is opening a consultation on the future development of the Dated Brent price assessment. S&P Global Platts invites feedback to the proposals below by December 10, 2018.

Reflecting competitive offers of North Sea crudes on a CIF Rotterdam basis in the benchmark FOB Dated Brent crude oil benchmark



Offers on a CIF Rotterdam basis for any of the five grades currently reflected in the Dated Brent assessment would be considered when evaluating the most competitively available light, sweet crude oil grade in the North Sea when assessing the value of Dated Brent itself. This would mean that Dated Brent would represent the most competitive of the five BFOE grades on an FOB or CIF Rotterdam basis, where relevant, and after adjusting the CIF values for freight.



Platts invites comments regarding when such a change should be introduced to its Dated Brent methodology, should these proposed changes be implemented.



This proposal would not affect Platts' methodology for assessing Cash Brent (BFOE) crude markets.



Addition of similar streams of crude oil available in North West Europe



In line with Dated Brent's function as an assessment of light sweet crude oil in North West Europe , S&P Global Platts is also consulting on the long-term addition of similar streams of crude oil available in the region. Dated Brent has historically focused on the most significant sources of light sweet crude oil available within North West Europe .



In particular, Platts is seeking feedback on the possible inclusion into the Dated Brent CIF Rotterdam assessment of grades like Statfjord, Gullfaks, CPC Blend, WTI Midland, Qua Iboe and Forcados. Platts is also seeking feedback on the relevance of other sources of light sweet crude oil delivered into North West Europe .

Vera Blei, Global Director of Oil Market Reporting, S&P Global Platts, said: "We are proud at Platts of the proactive leadership role we have long played in helping evolve the Brent benchmark so that it is in step with the times. Our proposal to reflect competitive offers of North Sea crudes on a delivered basis to Rotterdam reflects the reality that the North Sea market is now balanced between FOB production, stored oil and oil on the water for delivery to receiving terminals. By allowing BFOE crudes being offered for delivery to play a role in the Dated Brent benchmark, we are potentially more than doubling the total overall volume of the basket underpinning the world's most important crude oil benchmark."

Jonty Rushforth, Global Editorial Director, Energy Price Group, S&P Global Platts, said: "Dated Brent is the most widely used and robust benchmark for physical crude oil. A key part of our active stewardship of the benchmark is to continue to engage extensively to safeguard Dated Brent and ensure the benchmark evolves to remain robust, well supplied and relevant to all market participants for the next decade and beyond. This means listening to a varied group of stakeholders - producers, refiners, trading houses  who express differing views and recommend a way forward. The addition of Troll and the recently announced Quality Premium together with the launch of Dated Brent CIF Rotterdam assessment have been well received by the market. Our proposals outlined in this consultation will ensure ample liquidity of similar grades delivered into Dated Brent for the foreseeable future."

S&P Global Platts has been working with market participants on the evolution of North Sea crude since its creation over 30 years ago and regularly holds open methodology sessions and forums to engage with market participants in person.

In March 2016, S&P Global began publishing the Dated Brent CIF Rotterdam new price assessment of North Sea light sweet crude on a delivered basis into Rotterdam to complement the Dated Brent Free-On-Board (FOB) benchmark. In January 2018, Platts successfully added Troll as the latest addition of crude grade in the Dated Brent basket.

Currently, around a quarter of crude flowing into Rotterdam, one of the world's key crude import hubs, comes from the North Sea, another quarter comes from the Baltic region, and about a fifth from the Middle East. The Dated Brent CIF Rotterdam assessment reflects the value of BFOE delivered into Rotterdam on a Cost, Insurance and Freight basis. It is a crucial tool to provide pricing visibility on the value of North Sea crude in an important oil hub.

Market participants are invited to send feedback to [email protected] and [email protected].

About S&P Global Platts

At S&P Global Platts, we provide the insights; you make better informed trading and business decisions with confidence. We're the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets. Customers in over 150 countries look to our expertise in news, pricing and analytics to deliver greater transparency and efficiency to markets. S&P Global Platts coverage includes oil and gas, power, petrochemicals, metals, agriculture and shipping.

S&P Global Platts is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.platts.com.





SOURCE S&P Global Platts

Related Links

http://www.platts.com

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Explorers Club has selected Dr. Alan Stern to receive the 2018 Lowell Thomas Award in Engineering Exploration. Stern, associate vice president of the Space Science and Engineering Division at Southwest Research Institute, serves as principal investigator of NASA's New Horizons mission, which made headlines worldwide when the spacecraft made the first exploration of the Pluto system and set a record for the most distant worlds ever explored at more than 3 billion miles from the Sun. The spacecraft is now set to break that record on January 1, 2019, when it explores Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69, nicknamed Ultima Thule  a billion miles past Pluto.

Past recipients of the award include such pioneers as Isaac Asimov, Sir Edmund Hillary, astronaut Mae Jemison, Sir David Attenborough and Lowell Thomas himself.

"It's humbling to be named for this award alongside the likes of Buzz Aldrin, Chuck Yaeger and other accomplished explorers," said Stern. "It has been my honor to lead the exploration of Pluto and the Kuiper Belt for NASA, but every member of the New Horizons team shares that pride and I dedicate this award to the entire team."

Stern is perhaps best known for the Pluto flyby, which culminated July 14, 2015, when New Horizons came to within 8,500 miles of the planet. Onboard instruments collected historic images and other science measurements, revolutionizing knowledge of Pluto and its moons. The spacecraft is now flying through the Kuiper Belt, an area of icy objects at the far reaches of the solar system, and rapidly nearing Ultima Thule, which it will encounter on New Year's Day.

The Lowell Thomas Award in Engineering Exploration, bestowed by The Explorer's Club, celebrates people who have engineered groundbreaking expeditions and expeditionary science. Stern will receive the award October 27 at the Museum of Science in Boston. Since its inception in 1904, The Explorers Club has promoted the scientific exploration of land, sea, air and space by supporting research and education in the physical, natural and biological sciences.

Stern has been honored numerous times over the course of his career. This year, he received the National Award of Nuclear Science & History from the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. In 2016 and 2007, TIME Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people of the year. In 2016, he received the Carl Sagan Memorial Award from the American Astronomical Society and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the space agency's highest civilian honor.

https://www.swri.org/press-release/swri-alan-stern-2018-lowell-thomas-award-engineering-exploration

For more information, visit https://www.swri.org/industries/mission-development-operations.

Contact: Maria Stothoff  (210) 522-3305 or [email protected]

SOURCE Southwest Research Institute

Related Links

http://www.swri.org

Produced only in southwestern France and one of the world's most storied spirits, Cognac is the originator of many classic cocktails, such as the French 75, Sidecar and Brandy Crusta. With the purchase of a "passport," consumers will have the opportunity to experience why cognac captivated the stirrers and shakers of the world's first cocktail-makers in both cities. The U.S. continues to be Cognac's top export market, with 205.9 million bottles shipped in 2017-2018.

In Chicago, participating bars include Broken Shaker, Drumbar, Good Measure, Sportsman's Club and Vol. 39. In Los Angeles, Bar Clacson, Broken Shaker, Otium, Redbird and The Varnish will be mixing up their own renditions of the classics

Each $30 passport gets ticket buyers one designated cognac cocktail at each bar, a custom tote bag and information on how cognac came to be the backbone of the classics. In addition, each purchaser will have the chance to win a $50 gift card from Cocktail Kingdom, to stock his or her home bars.

In Chicago, 100% of ticket proceeds will go towards Inspiration Corporation. In an atmosphere of dignity and respect, Inspiration Corporation helps Chicagoans who are affected by homelessness and poverty to improve their lives and increase self-sufficiency through the provision of social services, employment training and placement, and housing.

"We are so excited to partner with Cognac for this event. As an organization who helps jobless Chicagoans build careers in the culinary world, it means so much to us when other members of the hospitality industry support our students and their journeys," says Shannon Stewart, Inspiration Corporation Executive Director & CEO.

In Los Angeles, all ticket proceeds will go towards LA Kitchen. By reclaiming healthy, local food that would otherwise be discarded, training the formerly homeless, incarcerated, and foster youth for culinary jobs, and providing healthy meals to fellow Angelenos, L.A. Kitchen empowers, nourishes, and engages the community.

Founder and President Robert Egger says, "L.A. Kitchen takes things our society thinks aren't pretty, or importantbruised fruit, bent veggies, felons, addicts, and older peopleand we reveal their true beauty and value. In our kitchen, all food has power, and all people have potential. We are excited to align L.A. Kitchen with the Cognac Classic Crawl and bring greater awareness to what we do through the hospitality of local bars and dynamic program that showcases this leading spirits category."

Certified Cognac EducatorsKellie Thorn of Empire State South in Atlanta, GA and Adam Robinson of Deadshot in Portland, ORwill visit each market to train the bar staffs on Cognac and how it's been historically used in cocktails.

"The cocktail is one of the few things that is purely an American invention, and in those early days, it was fine French cognacs that were a very common ingredient," explains Adam Robinson, Portland-based Cognac Educator. Kellie Thorn, Atlanta-based Cognac Educator adds, "Its versatility and quality is what makes it very relevant. The broad spectrum of flavors in a bottle of cognac presents countless possibilities for bartenders to create a myriad of styles of cocktails. From bright sours to rich and spirit forward to tropical tiki-esque, it's really wonderful to see the modern bartender embracing Cognac's range and re-entering the spirit in its rightful place as mainstay in our repertoire."

In 2017, the Cognac Classic Crawl took over New York City's Lower East Side and San Francisco' Mission District, selling 290 tickets and raising $8,340 dollars. It will return to two new markets in 2019.

About the BNIC

The BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac) represents, fosters and protects the Cognac Appellation d'Origine Conrolee in France and abroad. In the 160 countries where Cognac is sold, this AOC assures consumers a product of exceptional quality. With a membership that equally represents the agricultural and commercial interests of Cognac, the BNIC is the consultative and decision-making body for the 4,300 growers, 110 distillers and 280 negociants of the Cognac appellation.

Facebook: Cognac USA https://www.facebook.com/cognacusa

Twitter: @CognacUSA https://twitter.com/cognacusa

Instagram: @CognacUSA https://www.instagram.com/cognacusa/

Press Contacts

Teuwen Communications

Stephanie Teuwen | [email protected]

Cassidy Havens, DipWSET | [email protected]

Gabriela Marchand | [email protected]

Amanda Torres | [email protected]

SOURCE Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748558/Voluntary_Activation_Muscle_Synergies.jpg )

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748559/User_Item_Matrix_Prediction_Ratings.jpg )



Research highlights from high impact publications are 'Isotropization of quaternion-neural-network-based PolSAR adaptive land classification in poincare-sphere parameter space', Fang Shang; 'Elucidating mechanisms of voluntary control of human multi-muscle', Shunta Togo; and 'Next generation router architecture: packet processing prediction', Hayato Yamaki.

The Topics section features research updates on 'Data science research on improving service design' by Kazushi Okamoto.

September 2018 issue of UEC eBulletin

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/

Research Highlights

Next Generation Router Architecture: Packet Processing Prediction

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/research-highlights/2018/next-generation-router-architecture-packet-processing-prediction.html

Elucidating mechanisms of voluntary control of human multi-muscle

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/research-highlights/2018/elucidating-mechanisms-of-voluntary-control-of-human-multi-muscle.html

Isotropization of Quaternion-Neural-Network-Based PolSAR Adaptive Land Classification in Poincare-Sphere Parameter Space

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/research-highlights/2018/isotropization-of-qnns-based-polsar-adaptive-land-classification-in-poincare-sphere-parameter-space.html

Researcher Video Profiles

Hayato Yamaki, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer and Network Engineering

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/researcher-video-profiles/2018/hayato-yamaki.html

Shunta Togo, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/researcher-video-profiles/2018/shunta-togo.html

Fang Shang, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/researcher-video-profiles/2018/fang-shang.html

Topics

Data science research on improving service design

http://www.ru.uec.ac.jp/e-bulletin/topics/2018/data-science-research-on-improving-service-design.html

About the University of Electro-Communications

The University of Electro-Communications (UEC) in Tokyo is a small, luminous university at the forefront of pure and applied sciences, engineering, and technology research. Its roots go back to the Technical Institute for Wireless Commutations, which was established in 1918 by the Wireless Association to train so-called wireless engineers in maritime communications in response to the Titanic disaster in 1912. In 1949, the UEC was established as a national university by the Japanese Ministry of Education and moved in 1957 from Meguro to its current Chofu campus Tokyo.

With approximately 4,000 students and 350 faculty, UEC is regarded as a small university, but with expertise in wireless communications, laser science, robotics, informatics, and material science, to name just a few areas of research.

The UEC was selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Program for Promoting the Enhancement of Research Universities as a result of its strengths in three main areas: optics and photonics research, where we are number one for the number of joint publications with foreign researchers; wireless communications, which reflects our roots; and materials-based research, particularly on fuel cells.

Website: http://www.uec.ac.jp/



Further information

The University of Electro-Communications

1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585

E-mail: [email protected]





Website: http://www.uec.ac.jp/



SOURCE University of Electro-CommunicationsBETHESDA, Md., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Walker & Dunlop, Inc. announced today that it structured $9,800,000 in financing for the construction of SpareSpace Storage. Located in the Wynwood/Allapattah neighborhood of Miami, Florida, the self-storage facility will be completed by the summer of 2019.

Leading Walker & Dunlop's Capital Markets Team, Ft. Lauderdale-based Marty McGrogan and Niki Perez worked with Howard Pryor and Travis Prince of Generation4 Partners LLC, the sponsor, to place the debt assignment. Based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Generation4 specializes in self storage and mixed-use commercial development in Florida's major markets. The company is focused on developing a portfolio containing over 1 million square feet of net rentable area in the coming years.

Mr. McGrogan, Vice President, stated, "It was fun and a great honor to work on this deal for Howard and Travis as they start their new G4 venture. They found a great piece of dirt with incredible visibility, which created good demand for their business and financing plan."

"Marty and Niki did a great job of running a competitive process to deliver the best possible debt terms for our investment," added Mr. Pryor, President at Generation4 Partners. "We are excited to build a state-of-the-art project in the path of progress in Miami's urban core."

SpareSpace Storage is ideally positioned within the Wynwood market, which is experiencing incredible population growth fueled by new condo and rental projects with small unit sizes that will fuel demand for self-storage use. One of the major drivers for the SpareSpace Storage development is Mana Wynwood, a 23.6-acre assemblage that will include 10 million square feet of commercial, civic, and residential units. With many other projects underway in the area, this location is well positioned to serve current and expected future growth.

The property, located less than a mile from Mana Wynwood, will consist of a seven-story, fully climate-controlled building that will feature controlled access storage units, as well as personal and commercial wine storage spaces in a highly secure section of the building. The location will provide 60 vertical feet of visibility above I-95, in addition to exposure to over 380,000 car trips each day.

Walker & Dunlop's Capital Markets team has deep relationships with capital providers across the country including banks, life insurance companies, and CMBS conduits. In 2017, Walker & Dunlop closed $7.3 billion in brokered loan originations, compared to $4.2 billion in 2016, a 75 percent increase. To learn more about Walker & Dunlop's diverse array of financing options, visit our website.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD), headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is one of the largest commercial real estate services and finance companies in the United States providing financing and investment sales to owners of multifamily and commercial properties. Walker & Dunlop, which is included in the S&P SmallCap 600 Index, has over 650 professionals in 29 offices across the nation with an unyielding commitment to client satisfaction.

About Generation4 Partners

Generation4 Partners is a boutique commercial real estate investment firm focused on ground up development in dense urban markets in Americas largest metropolitan areas. With a long history in self storage, and a few other asset classes, the firm is focused on developing mixed use projects where the majority of the square footage is self storage. They also develop single purpose-built storage facilities. The firm is based in Ft Lauderdale Florida and develops between 400,000 - 600,000 square feet per year.

SOURCE Walker & Dunlop, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.walkerdunlop.com

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- 20 companies today announced that they will leverage their core business and social responsibility initiatives to support refugees and host communities in Jordan and around the world, providing a range of opportunities including jobs, training, investments, and new business lines.

The announcements were made at an event hosted by Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Chobani and Founder of the Tent Partnership for Refugees, and Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group. The announcements highlight the continued resolve of the private sector to support refugees and host communities globally. The companies, including Sodexo, Hilton, Uniqlo, Barilla, Ipsos, and Careem, join the Tent Partnership for Refugees, a coalition of global companies committed to leveraging their core business and social responsibility initiatives to provide support to refugees around the world.

"The global refugee crisis is not something that NGOs and governments can solve on their own. Now more than ever, we need businesses to step up and act," said Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder of the Tent Partnership for Refugees. "It's not a choice, but a responsibility. I'm grateful that Tent is now over 100 companies strongit's a clear sign that momentum is growing. But I hope today inspires many more companies to do their part and help give the millions of men, women, and children who've lost everything the future they deserve."

"There are more than 25 million refugees in the world, the majority of whom are now living in low-or middle-income countries," World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said. "These host countries face enormous challenges to meet the pressing needs of refugees while continuing to provide for their own people. I applaud the businesses who have made concrete commitments today to support refugees and their host communities. My hope is that more businesses will be inspired to act and provide the critical support that's needed to create opportunities for everyone."

The following companies announced new commitments to support refugees around the world:

Sodexo will hire 300 refugees in the U.S., Canada , Brazil and Sweden by 2020.

will hire 300 refugees in the U.S., , and by 2020. Hilton will build on existing efforts to impact 16,000 refugees by 2030 by providing hospitality skills training, in-kind donations and volunteer hours to refugee organizations, and offering employment opportunities.

will build on existing efforts to impact 16,000 refugees by 2030 by providing hospitality skills training, in-kind donations and volunteer hours to refugee organizations, and offering employment opportunities. Ipsos will hire 100 refugees by 2020 and will lead "Project Understanding," a global study focused on how to build a broad public consensus on supporting refugees.

will hire 100 refugees by 2020 and will lead "Project Understanding," a global study focused on how to build a broad public consensus on supporting refugees. Ben & Jerry's will engage their fans in campaigning for progressive policy change for refugees and asylum seekers, and at least 500 refugees will complete their business incubator program and be hired for part-time employment in Europe by 2023.

will engage their fans in campaigning for progressive policy change for refugees and asylum seekers, and at least 500 refugees will complete their business incubator program and be hired for part-time employment in by 2023. Careem will hire 100 refugees and upskill 100 refugees through skills-based workshops and mentoring by 2023.

will hire 100 refugees and upskill 100 refugees through skills-based workshops and mentoring by 2023. Barilla will provide internship and job opportunities to 75 refugees in Europe by 2023, adding to the nearly 60 employment opportunities the company has already provided.

will provide internship and job opportunities to 75 refugees in by 2023, adding to the nearly 60 employment opportunities the company has already provided. Uniqlo will hire refugees in the U.S., Canada , France , Germany and Japan .

will hire refugees in the U.S., , , and . Microsoft will scale its humanitarian efforts for refugees through partnerships and investments that connect refugee children and young people to education, digital skills and meaningful opportunities, empowering them to thrive in a digital world.

will scale its humanitarian efforts for refugees through partnerships and investments that connect refugee children and young people to education, digital skills and meaningful opportunities, empowering them to thrive in a digital world. Care.com will extend its German pilot program in partnership with the International Rescue Committee to train 1,000 refugee women for employment in the care industry by 2020.

will extend its German pilot program in partnership with the International Rescue Committee to train 1,000 refugee women for employment in the care industry by 2020. Hissho Sushi will help 1,250 refugees become franchise owners by 2023 as it expands its locations across the United States and hire 30 refugees at its headquarters to support this expansion.

will help 1,250 refugees become franchise owners by 2023 as it expands its locations across and hire 30 refugees at its headquarters to support this expansion. Amplio Recruiting will place 10,000 resettled refugees in the U.S. in full-time employment by 2023 (dependent upon a pool of working age refugees in the U.S. seeking employment).

Commitments focused on Jordan were also made from the following companies and organizations:

GroFin, through its Nomou Jordan Fund, will deploy $5 million to small and medium-sized enterprises in Jordan that are either owned by refugees or employ refugees over the next 2 years, with funding support from Shell Foundation, KfW, Dutch Good Growth Fund, Lundin Foundation and the Soros Economic Development Fund.

through its Nomou Jordan Fund, will deploy to small and medium-sized enterprises in that are either owned by refugees or employ refugees over the next 2 years, with funding support from Shell Foundation, KfW, Dutch Good Growth Fund, Lundin Foundation and the Soros Economic Development Fund. Citi will support a joint initiative between the Tent Partnership for Refugees and Samasource in Jordan to strengthen Jordan's business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, positioning it to help create more jobs for both vulnerable Jordanians and refugees.

will support a joint initiative between the Tent Partnership for Refugees and Samasource in to strengthen business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, positioning it to help create more jobs for both vulnerable Jordanians and refugees. Paramount Fine Foods will source $1 million worth of products from suppliers in Jordan that hire or are committed to hiring at least 25 percent refugees.

will source worth of products from suppliers in that hire or are committed to hiring at least 25 percent refugees. KOIS Invest will raise at least $10 million in capital to invest in a three-year development impact bond (DIB) that is structured to support job training and entrepreneurship for Syrian refugees and local vulnerable populations in Jordan and Lebanon .

will raise at least in capital to invest in a three-year development impact bond (DIB) that is structured to support job training and entrepreneurship for Syrian refugees and local vulnerable populations in and . VPS Healthcare will develop and deliver training programs for qualified doctors, nurses and health workers, including refugees and Jordanians, in partnership with the Royal Health Awareness Society (RHAS).

will develop and deliver training programs for qualified doctors, nurses and health workers, including refugees and Jordanians, in partnership with the Royal Health Awareness Society (RHAS). Jerash Garments will hire an additional 100 refugees at its factory in Jordan within a year.

will hire an additional 100 refugees at its factory in within a year. Safe Ports will hire 100 refugees at its new logistics hub in northern Jordan .

will hire 100 refugees at its new logistics hub in northern . 17 Asset Management will launch 17 Jordan, an investment platform that will promote Jordan -focused investment deals, a third of which will be directed at refugees and their host communities.

will launch 17 Jordan, an investment platform that will promote -focused investment deals, a third of which will be directed at refugees and their host communities. Groenendijk Bedrijfskleding will source $1 million worth of garments from suppliers in Jordan that hire or are committed to hiring at least 25 percent refugees.

will source worth of garments from suppliers in that hire or are committed to hiring at least 25 percent refugees. Massachusetts Institute of Technology will expand its training programs in tech skills for refugees and Jordanians.

"Since Tent's inception just under three years ago, we've seen an immense amount of interest from businesses to get involved in addressing the global refugee crisis," said Gideon Maltz, Executive Director of the Tent Partnership for Refugees. "Now more than ever, businesses can and should be stepping up to help refugees. We're excited to welcome these companies into our growing network."

For the World Bank Group, these efforts are part of a broader strategy to engage corporate actors and foundations in critical areas of development, such as the forced displacement crisis while promoting entrepreneurship and innovation. In addition to business-to-business matchmaking, the World Bank is also working with numerous partners to help create opportunities for greater investments, while using its policy and sector work to address employment and market development constraints.

These 20 companies join Tent's global coalition of more than 100 businesses supporting refugees, allowing them the opportunity to access relevant resources and events, and share the impact of their efforts across the Tent network. The full list of Tent members can be found here.

About the Tent Partnership for Refugees

The Tent Partnership for Refugees, founded by Chobani's Hamdi Ulukaya, is mobilizing the private sector to improve the lives and livelihoods of more than 25 million refugees forcibly displaced from their home countries. Ulukaya launched Tent with the belief that the private sector is uniquely positioned to address the global refugee crisis by mobilizing the networks, resources, innovation, and the entrepreneurial spirit of the business community. There are over 100 companies in the Tent Partnership supporting refugees across 34 countries. The full list of Tent members can be found here.

Tent believes that companies have the greatest impact when they treat refugees not as victims, but as economically-productive workers, suppliers, entrepreneurs, and customers - and when they leverage their core business operations to hire refugees, integrate them into supply chains, invest in refugees, and deliver services to them. Learn more about Tent: http://www.tent.org.

About the World Bank Group

The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It comprises five closely associated institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), which together form the World Bank; the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Each institution plays a distinct role in the mission to fight poverty and improve living standards for people in the developing world. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, www.miga.org, and www.ifc.org.

Media Contacts

Tent Partnership for Refugees

Roya Shariat, Senior Communications Strategist

917.475.9972, [email protected]

World Bank Group

David M. Theis, Press Secretary

202.458.8626, [email protected]

SOURCE Tent Partnership for RefugeesWASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AARP today announced the release of its 2018 Aging Readiness and Competitiveness (ARC) research, which examines the how prepared nations are for the challenges and opportunities presented by a rapidly aging population. This year, the research examined Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Lebanon, Mauritius, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, and Taiwan.

Based on global research conducted by FP Analytics, 2018 ARC plays out against a dramatic, global demographic shift already underway. By 2030, there will be nearly one billion people ages 65 and older around the world, a group that between 2015 and 2030 will grow at four times the rate of the overall global population.

The inaugural 2017 ARC report established a baseline understanding of the state of global aging policies, with in-depth assessments of a group of 12 countries that are geographically, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse and that, together, represent 61 percent of the global GDP and nearly half of the world's population of people ages 65 and older. For the 2018 ARC report, the focus shifted to 10 small economies around the world that are leading their regions in responding to demographic change.

"While every country is aging at a different rate, they all face a shared challenge to ensure that their older citizens remain engaged and a vital part of society," said AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer Debra Whitman. "The ARC research empowers countries to learn from one another and uncover innovations that unleash the potential of their aging populations."

As in 2017, countries were assessed on four pillars: 1. Community Social Infrastructure, 2. Productive Opportunity, 3. Technological Engagement and 4. Health Care & Wellness.

Among the notable findings in the 2018 ARC: The World Health Organization's Age-Friendly Cities initiative has been adopted in seven of the 10 2018 ARC nations with Taiwan most strongly embracing the model and deploying it in more than 20 of the nation's largest cities.

While providing access to affordable, high-quality health care remains a vexing, much-debated challenge in the U.S., it is cited by the majority (54 percent) of respondents from 2018 ARC nations as the area in which their nation is strongest, with nine of 10 ARC nations (all but Lebanon) having instituted universal health care coverage. Additionally, health care and wellness was cited by 38 percent of respondents as the category that has seen the greatest improvement in their nation over the last three to five years.

As countries increasingly digitize government services, the ARC found that the risk of digital exclusion is only growing, making targeted outreach and training for older adults vitally important. But as Claire Casey, Managing Director of FP Analytics noted, "Technology also has the potential to act as a force multiplier of broader efforts to allow older adults to live independently, engage in the economy, access health care services, or simply communicate with friends and family."

Despite considerable satisfaction among 2018 ARC respondents with progress made in their nation around the provision of health care, dementia is nearly uniformly seen as a hurdle. With lifespans extending and the prevalence of dementia growing dramatically, all 2018 ARC countries except Lebanon and Mauritius have national plans to manage dementia.

About AARP

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and more than 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

SOURCE AARP

Related Links

http://www.aarp.org

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ad Council, America's leading non-profit organization dedicated to driving social change, announced today its most significant rebrand in its 75-year history. This includes an evolution in how it works with corporate brands to address the country's most pressing social issues, an expansion of its content creation model, leveraging technological innovations that advance communications for social causes, as well as a new brand platform and visual identity (including a new logo) created by WPP branding agency Superunion.

Since the organization's founding, the Ad Council has been at the forefront of leading the communications industry's social impact efforts, creating the category of public service advertising in 1942 and, today, developing the content for over 40 issues annually. In recent years, the social impact marketing landscape has significantly shifted; along with the proliferation of media outlets, brands are inherently placing a greater emphasis on brand purpose and recognizing their critical role to enact social change. There has also been a noteworthy surge in public service communications programs from every sector of the industry and an increase in the number of coalitions created to address causes. The Ad Council's model is evolving to continue to lead this growth, empowering the communications industryincluding leading brands, media and technology companies and agenciesto embrace it.

"While so much has changed in the last 75 years, the Ad Council isand will always bewhere creativity and causes converge at scale," said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. "We're proud to continue to lead this evolution and develop groundbreaking ways to create lasting change. Our entire industry has embraced purpose-driven marketing like never before, knowing that together we can accomplish much more than we ever could alone. That means millions of lives touched and millions of lives saved."

The Ad Council's new direction includes an evolution in its work with corporate brands to address social issues. The organization is building on its traditional client model (with non-profits and federal government agencies serving as campaign sponsors), by convening corporate coalitions to fund and support individual campaigns. This new model of support enables the organization to bring many more campaigns addressing critical issues to market. Recent examples includes the She Can STEM initiative, funded by GE, Google, IBM, Microsoft and Verizon, launched September 10, the Because of You campaign to address bullying prevention funded by 3 MUSKETEERS, Adobe, General Mills, and Twitter, launched September 18, and the End Family Fire campaign in partnership with the Brady Campaign and the Gun Safety Alliance to address gun safety which launched on August 8. A similar model was first tested with the iconic and Emmy-winning Love Has No Labels campaign in 2015 which is supported Bank of America, Budweiser, The Coca-Cola Company, Google, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, P&G, State Farm, Unilever and Wells Fargo. This industry coalition model is one that the Ad Council will continue to pursue for future initiatives.

In response to the increasing need for year-round content optimized for target audiences, the non-profit has significantly expanded its content creation model and internal production capabilities. Complementing its work with leading advertising agencies across the country, the Ad Council is investing in developing more content created with digital and linear media channels, platforms and talent. The organization has created the largest network of talent and social creators to support causes through their Creators for Good program. Recent talent partnerships include Suicide Prevention (Liza Koshy, Markiplier, Tyler Oakley and Hannah Hart) and She Can STEM (Karina Garcia and the GEM sisters). To produce talent content and other assets, the company is also launching its own internal content studio that will create original graphic and video assets for campaigns and the Ad Council brand.

The Ad Council continues to lead social good efforts that leverage the latest in technological developments. Recent innovations from the organization include some of the earliest voice technology programs for social good with their Save the Food and The Truth About Opioids campaign integrations with Amazon Alexa, first-to-market dynamic audio ads with Pandora, mobile gaming units for The Shelter Pet Project, the first social good emoji adopted by Unicode and placed on mobile phones globally for the organization's Bullying Prevention campaign, and an in-house design thinking innovation program to further foster new ideas within the organization.

"New technologies are giving us so many opportunities to connect audiences to causes on a deeper level. We're experimenting every day to continue innovating for tomorrow," Sherman added.

To create a visual and verbal manifestation of the Ad Council's new organizational focus, the non-profit collaborated with Superunion to articulate the Ad Council's purpose and translate their contemporary relevance into a new brand articulation and visual identity system (including a new logothe first in nearly 50 years). Superunion's goal was not only to modernize the logo to maintain and amplify the Ad Council's place in American society, but also to build a richer visual language around the logo to truly develop a holistic brand both visually and verbally. These elements showcase a lowercase "ad" in the organization's name, along with a square framing, illustrating the organization's brand as an accessible, compassionate partner for creativity and causes to converge. Shifting to the color grey allowed for a simple logo that works with a wide variety of content but maintains the gravitas and stature of Ad Council's work. The brand articulation includes a new manifesto that serves as the brand's North Star.

"The Ad Council is an inspirational organization bearing an undeniable positive influence on mainstream culture over the past 75+ years in America. This incredible non-profit deserved a clearly articulated positioning to reflect its true societal impact, celebrating the positive influence that advertising can achieve," commented Sabah Ashraf, CEO North America, Superunion. "Superunion modernized the logo and built a comprehensive visual identity system that honored the Ad Council's heritage and prepared it for growth. We also defined the brand voice, resulting in a powerful manifesto. The end result is a holistic brand experience that brings to life the Ad Council's true impact on American lives."

The Ad Council's new brand identity system and brand articulation launched today on the organization's digital communications channels, and will be featured in campaign content and at industry events throughout the year. For a comprehensive review of the Ad Council's announcements and campaigns, please visit www.adcouncil.org, and stay up to date on new social good content on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

SOURCE The Ad Council New York

Related Links

http://www.adcouncil.org

Central Florida Airport Closest to Cruises, Beaches and Rocket Launches

MELBOURNE, FL, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Glorious beaches by day and theme park fireworks by night just got more convenient for Philadelphia travelers. American Airlines announced today that it will begin nonstop flights to Orlando Melbourne International Airport (MLB) starting February 16, 2019. The Central Florida airport is conveniently located in the heart of the tourism region and is the closest airport to NASA rocket launches, Port Canaveral's cruises and what critics call "some of the most beautiful beaches Florida has to offer."

The flights will depart Saturdays from Philadelphia at 8:05 a.m., arriving in Florida at 10:48 a.m. The Embraer 175 jet arrival time syncs perfectly with cruise ship noon early boarding. Melbourne Airport Express offers nonstop shuttle service to the port, and all major rental car companies are onsite. The return flight to PHL departs at 11:24 a.m. and arrives in PHL at 1:55 p.m., with enough time to connect to some of American's largest international destinations, including recently announced summer service to Dubrovnik, Croatia and Bologna, Italy.

Considered a stress-free alternative, new easy way to travel, American Airlines' passengers will enjoy all of Florida's amenities and see why PrivateFly.com declared MLB the nation's #1 scenic airport approach. Growing in popularity, MLB is just minutes away from 72 miles of sparkling beaches and Sebastian Inlet State Park, home to more than 100 endangered species, world class surfing and fishing, with the added attraction of a protected tide pool beach where children and manatees can be found sharing the warm ocean waters.

"The more that sun-seeking families learn about our area, the more they seek nonstop service via MLB," said Puneet (PK) Kapur, chairman of the Space Coast Office of Tourism. "We're close to everywhere people want to go on their Florida family vacation."

MLB Airport Executive Director Greg Donovan, A.A.E. welcomes the expansion of flights from American Airlines and anticipates more flights to serve the more relaxed family-friendly atmosphere found via MLB. "The drive to Disney and Universal seems shorter after a day on the beach."

You can book your stress-free Florida vacation on AA.com beginning Monday, Sept. 24. Information about Orlando Melbourne International Airport is available via MLBair.com or @FlyMLB.

ABOUT ORLANDO MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MLB)

Orlando Melbourne International Airport (MLB) serves nearly 500,000 passengers annually on American, Delta, Elite and Porter airlines. Its beachside three runways, 200,000 sq. ft. terminal and 40,000 sq. ft. U.S. customs facility are convenient to Orlando, Kennedy Space Center and Port Canaveral cruises.

SOURCE Orlando Melbourne International Airport (MLB)BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: AMRX) today announced that it will present at the Cantor Fitzgerald Global Healthcare Conference in New York, NY, on Monday, October 1, 2018 at 2:55 p.m. ET.

To access a live webcast of the presentation, visit Amneal's Investor Relations Web site at https://investors.amneal.com/Investor-Relations. The webcast can also be accessed at the following URL: http://wsw.com/webcast/cantor7/amrx/.

An archived version will be available approximately one hour after the live presentation ends and can be accessed at the same locations for 90 days.

About Amneal

Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: AMRX), headquartered in Bridgewater, NJ, is an integrated specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and distributing generic, brand and biosimilar products. The Company has approximately 6,500 employees in its operations in North America, Asia, and Europe, working together to bring high-quality medicines to patients primarily within the United States.

Amneal is one of the largest and fastest growing generic pharmaceutical manufacturers in the United States, with an expanding portfolio of generic products to include complex dosage forms in a broad range of therapeutic areas. The Company markets a portfolio of branded pharmaceutical products through its Impax Specialty Pharma division focused principally on central nervous system disorders and parasitic infections. For more information, visit www.amneal.com.

Contact:

Mark Donohue

Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

(908) 409-6718

www.amneal.com

SOURCE Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.amneal.com

WESTBOROUGH, Mass., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. ("BJ's" or the "Company") (NYSE: BJ) announced today the commencement of an underwritten public offering of 28,000,000 shares of its common stock by certain selling stockholders. Such selling stockholders also intend to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 4,200,000 shares of the Company's common stock. BJ's will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the shares of its common stock being offered by the selling stockholders and will bear the costs associated with the sale of such shares, other than underwriting discounts and commissions.

BofA Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank Securities are serving as joint lead book-running managers and as representatives of the underwriters for the offering. Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, Jefferies and Wells Fargo Securities are also serving as book-running managers for the proposed offering. Nomura, Baird, William Blair and Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co., L.L.C. are serving as co-managers for the proposed offering.

The offering of common stock will be made only by means of a prospectus. A copy of the preliminary prospectus relating to the offering, when available, may be obtained from any of the following sources:

BofA Merrill Lynch, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd Floor, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001 Attention: Prospectus Department, or via email: [email protected] ; or

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, via telephone: 1-866-471-2526, or via email: [email protected] ; or

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, Attention: Prospectus Department, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or via telephone: 1-866-803-9204; or

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Attention: Prospectus Department, 60 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005, via telephone: 1-800-503-4611 or via email: [email protected] .

A registration statement on Form S-1 relating to the offering of common stock has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.

Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. is the leading operator of membership warehouse clubs in the Eastern United States. The Company currently operates 215 clubs and 135 BJ's Gas locations in 16 states.

The Company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BJ).

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements. Management has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While they believe these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond management's control. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause BJ's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.Black Knight's First Look: Strong Summer of Improvement for Mortgage Delinquencies; Industry Bracing for Impact from Hurricane Florence

- Mortgage delinquencies fell again in August and are now down 5.7 percent over the past two months

- This marks the strongest such decline during July-August on record, since before 2000

- Foreclosure starts also eased in August and are now more than 12 percent below last year's level

- Delinquencies resulting from 2017's hurricanes continue to decline - just 25,100 remain in the mainland U.S.

- Some 391,000 homeowners with mortgages were located in Hurricane Florence's evacuation area, with an estimated 283,000 in the 18 North Carolina counties declared disaster areas so far by FEMA

- If homeowners face similar per capita impacts to those seen from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma last year, it could result in thousands of mortgage holders falling behind on paymentsVideos

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.CHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors (Blueprint) celebrates its fifth anniversary this month and five years of serving clients in the seniors housing and healthcare real estate sector. During this time, the firm has structured over 200 transactions with an aggregate sale value of over $3.5 billion.

Founding partners Christopher Hyldahl, Ben Firestone, and Jacob Gehl launched the company in 2013 with the vision to create an innovative advisory firm in the niche seniors housing space. As industry veterans, the three sought to offer a full spectrum of advisory services including investment sales, capital solutions, and consulting to provide creative solutions to the most pressing needs of capital providers and operators.

What began with a team of six has grown to a workforce of 47 that has become the most active advisor in the space. Blueprint's transaction highlights include:

Over 200 transactions

Over $3.5 billion in transaction volume

in transaction volume Transaction volume constituting 40% seniors housing and 60% skilled nursing properties

"This is an exciting time for Blueprint," said Torey Riso, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Chris, Ben, and Jake have created something truly special at the firm. They've cultivated a culture that is relentless in its quest for excellence." Riso added, "In five short years, Blueprint has become an organization known for delivering impressive results for both regional owner-operators and national investors on assignments ranging from single-asset transactions to large, highly-complex portfolios. Our goal is to deliver the best result possible for every client, every time."

To commemorate this milestone and the firm's recent successes, Blueprint will make a contribution to the Alzheimer's Association and the team will participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer's in Chicago on October 28.

About Blueprint

Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors is the leading advisory firm exclusively focused on seniors housing and healthcare real estate. Since inception, Blueprint has structured over 200 transactions in the space. The company's website is www.blueprintHCRE.com.

For further information:

Media Contact:

Michelle Marzullo

(312) 300-4185

[email protected]

SOURCE Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors

Related Links

http://www.blueprinthcre.com

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Trial Lawyer Keith Bruno, partner at Carpenter, Zuckerman, & Rowley, was recently named 2018 "Top Gun" Trial Lawyer of the Year in the category of Personal Injury by The Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (OCTLA).

The award highlights attorneys who have shown exceptional trial skills over the past year and have demonstrated exceptional skill, ability, preparation, and professionalism in obtaining outstanding results on behalf of their clients.

Bruno won the award in large part due to a substantial jury verdict in April, 2018. The case involved an incident in which a bicyclist was struck by a vehicle, suffered a massive head wound, was transported to a hospital and eventually died seven days after the incident. The case went to trial after a $10,000 settlement offer at mediation and a jury returned a non-economic damages only verdict of $11.5 million.

"I have been practicing personal injury for just three years after a long history practicing criminal law, and I feel my unique background distinguishes me in terms of how I see cases, approach them, and my strategies and tactics in court," said Bruno. "Winning this award is a tremendous honor. The quality of the nominees and history of excellence that every past winner has demonstrated is truly humbling."

No stranger to winning verdicts, Bruno won his first case just one month after passing the bar in 2002, and since then has gone on to try over 150 trials, resulting in numerous seven and eight figure verdicts. He has been named as a National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers every year since 2014 and a Southern California SuperLawyer every year since 2007.

OCTLA will be hosting an award celebration on Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 5:30 PM at The Westin South Coast Plaza.

The California law firm of Carpenter, Zuckerman, & Rowley (CZR) has over 100 employees dedicated to fighting for the rights of the injured. CZR is dedicated to helping clients recover the compensation they deserve for their injuries. CZR's in-house team is able to handle any type of personal injury case, and has the experience and resources necessary to take cases to trial. For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit www.CZRlaw.com today.

SOURCE Carpenter, Zuckerman, & Rowley

Related Links

http://www.CZRlaw.com

CHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ninety-five percent of new parents install car seats incorrectly, but finding the perfect car that fits each car seat best is half the battle. Just in time for National Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 23-29), Cars.com (NYSE: CARS) today released its annual Car Seat Check Honor Roll, which highlights vehicles that earned a perfect score in Cars.com's Car Seat Checks conducted throughout the year.

"This year we tested 85 vehicles in our Car Seat Checks, and only 9 percent earned perfect scores," said Cars.com Editor-in-Chief and certified child passenger safety technician Jennifer Newman. "Parents often spend a lot of time determining the right car seat for their children but overlook how that seat will actually fit in their car. That's why we test and score car seats in many of the most popular vehicles for sale. We want to be the go-to resource for families looking to understand which cars fit which types of car seats the best, and our annual Honor Roll highlights the select few that do it the very best."

The Car Seat Checks involve hands-on testing of 2018 and 2019 model-year vehicles. In addition to assessing each vehicle's Latch system and overall ease of use, an infant seat, rear-facing convertible seat, forward-facing convertible seat and booster seat are installed in each vehicle, and scores are compiled on an A-to-F scale.

This year's Car Seat Honor Roll includes:

2018 Genesis G90: The 2018 Genesis G90's backseat could be called cavernous, and thanks to all that room, the luxury sedan easily accommodated our car seats. The Genesis G90's seats are wrapped in leather, but that didn't prevent us from easily accessing the lower Latch anchors, which sit about a quarter-inch into the seat bight, where the back and bottom seat cushions meet.

2018 Hyundai Sonata: The 2018 Hyundai Sonata may look a little tougher thanks to its refreshed looks, but it'll treat your precious cargo  and their car seats  with kid gloves. The 2018 Sonata has a roomy backseat that easily handled all the car seats we installed.

2019 Jeep Cherokee: This two-row SUV, which straddles the compact and mid-size classes, is a good fit for families with its roomy backseat boasting 40.3 inches of rear legroom. All that legroom explains why it made easy work of our rear-facing infant and convertible car seats. For 2019, the Cherokee gained new front-end styling, an optional turbocharged 2.0-liter engine and slightly more cargo volume than previous Cherokees.

2019 Lexus ES 350: Redesigned for 2019, Lexus injected a lot of style into this nearly full-size sedan. The 2019 Lexus ES 350 earned all A's in our test, including for the booster seat fit  an area where it had previously earned a C in the 2017 Lexus ES 350 due to difficult-to-grasp seat belt buckles and intrusive seat bolsters. In the 2019 model, the rear-seat belt buckles are on a stable base, making it easy for younger kids to buckle up independently.

2018 Lincoln Continental: Talk about spoiled. The 2018 Lincoln Continental lays on the luxury with its optional reclining, heated, cooled and massaging rear seats. Of course, those features are lost on the car-seat set, but just imagine how much they'll enjoy it once they've finally outgrown their booster seat (when they're 4 feet, 9 inches tall  and not an inch earlier). Car seats fit like a dream on the Continental's relatively flat rear seats.

2018 Subaru Impreza: Don't let the size of the Impreza fool you into thinking it can't do family duty. Yes, it's a compact car, but that backseat has room to spare thanks to its 36.5 inches of rear legroom. In our test, we were able to position the front passenger seat at a comfortable position for our 5-foot-6-inch tester and install a rear-facing infant seat behind it without having to move the front passenger seat forward to accommodate it.

2018 Toyota Camry: The 2018 Toyota Camry's redesign addressed many of its issues, but the ones we're most excited about involve car seats. In the 2017 Camry, the lower Latch anchors were buried deep between the seat cushions, but for 2018, the Toyota Camry now has easy-access lower Latch anchors that sit below removable plastic covers. It made a big difference in our car seat installations and raised the Camry's grade significantly for 2018.

2018 Toyota 4Runner: Looking for an SUV that can handle going off-road and three car seats? The Toyota 4Runner says bring it all on. It has standard seating for five, which is the version we tested, but an optional third row increases seating to seven. The second-row bench seat easily handles three car seats, and we had no issues finding the top tether anchors, which are clearly marked.

To see how your car, or a car you're considering purchasing, fared in its Car Seat Check, or to learn more about how Cars.com conducts its checks, click here.

The Journal of Pediatrics, "Unsafe from the Start: Serious Misuse of Car Safety Seats at Newborn Discharge," April 2016

ABOUT CARS.COM

Cars.com is a leading two-sided digital automotive marketplace that creates meaningful connections between buyers and sellers. Launched in 1998 and headquartered in Chicago, the company empowers consumers with resources and information to make informed buying decisions around The 4Ps of Automotive MarketingTM: Product, Price, Place and Person, by connecting advertising partners with in-market car shoppers and providing data-driven intelligence to increase inventory turn and gain market share. A pioneer in online automotive classifieds, the company has evolved into one of the largest digital automotive platforms, connecting thousands of local dealers across the country with millions of consumers. Through trusted expert content, on-the-lot mobile features and intelligence, millions of new and used vehicle listings, a comprehensive set of pricing and research tools, and the largest database of consumer reviews in the industry, Cars.com is transforming the car shopping experience.

Cars.com properties include DealerRater, Dealer Inspire, Auto.com, PickupTrucks.com and NewCars.com. For more information, visit www.Cars.com.

SOURCE Cars.com, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.cars.com

MALVERN, Pa., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A lucky family in Washington is the winner of a full siding and roofing makeover, courtesy of CertainTeed, the leading North American manufacturer of exterior and interior building products. The Cedar Impressions contest was held to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the popular shake and shingle polymer siding product, with Arcadia Shake luxury asphalt roofing bundled in the prize package for a complete exterior system providing maximum curb appeal and protection from the elements.

Renton, Washington residents Michael and Joan DeBry were chosen to receive a carefully selected combination of materials featuring the latest building science technology designed for superior moisture management due to the wet Pacific Northwest climate  a $35,000 total value. Plus, CertainTeed will even be providing the DeBrys a tax gross up payment intended to assist them with federal, state or other tax obligations related to the prize.

Designed to work together to prevent mold, decay and extreme weather related damage, CertaWrap Weather Resistant Barrier house wrap and accessories will be applied underneath Cedar Impressions Individual 5-inch Sawmill Shingle polymer siding and Vinyl Carpentrytrim.

The CertainTeed Integrity Roof System included Arcadia Shake luxury shingles; Presidential Starter shingles; DiamondDeck and WinterGuard synthetic underlayments; CertainTeed Ridge Vent attic ventilation; and Mountain Ridge accessory shingles to give the roof a finished look.

"We did a lot of research for what to replace our deteriorating siding and roofing with before entering the contest, and we are excited to have our first choices installed  for free!" said Joan DeBry. "Cedar Impressions stood out because it really does look remarkably like real wood cedar shingles that add so much character to other homes in our area. But unlike our neighbors, we won't have to worry about painting or staining ever again! And the split wood shake style of Arcadia asphalt roofing will perfectly complement our new siding."

To enter the contest, homeowners were asked to share the story of their family home, along with photos, to explain why they felt they deserved to receive the makeover. Out of more than 100 entries, the DeBrys presented a very compelling case.

The DeBrys vividly explained the sentimental meaning of their house: It is their first and only home, where they've been owners to several dogs and made memories for more than 25 years. After 11 years of renting and moving from place to place, they had finally found a house they said was perfect to call their permanent home. Even as their lives and the house have changed over the years, they continue to see the home as a "blessing in their lives." The remodel is a welcome renewal.

"Winning this contest is huge for us," said Joan DeBry. "My husband and I are retired and on a budget, but our home needed a lot of things done  roofing and siding especially. It's a big weight off our shoulders and a dream come true."

Steadfast Construction, Inc. of University Place, Washington, is installing the siding. For more than 20 years, the family-owned business has specialized in exterior remodels. The company has worked with CertainTeed products for the last five years, during which it completed one of its largest projects to date using CertainTeed vinyl siding: 30 apartment buildings in Kent, Washington. Steadfast Construction is a CertainTeed 5-Star Contractor, a credential awarded to siding professionals who successfully complete the highest level of product knowledge and installation training offered by the manufacturer.

"You can tell the DeBrys love their home," said Isaiah Park, owner of Steadfast Construction. "The amount of care and detail they put into their home is apparent, and they have been great to work with on this project. We're looking forward to installing the newest Cedar Impressions innovation."

Polar Bear Energy Solutions of Mukilteo, Washington, installed the Integrity Roof System including deck, underlayment, flashing, ventilation and shingles. The local, family-owned business offers lifetime solutions for roofing and other exterior components. Using almost exclusively CertainTeed roofing products for the past seven years, the company has earned the distinction of SELECT ShingleMaster from CertainTeed  the top-level CertainTeed roofing credential, which represents the highest standards of excellence, quality and knowledge.

"This is the perfect job for any contractor because of how much the home needed a refresh," said Nate Harrington, owner of Polar Bear Energy Solutions. "Arcadia Shake is one of the best shingles out there  for good looks and performance. We're happy to bring them the peace of mind that comes from such a quality product. Also, due to the age of the surrounding homes, this is a really great neighborhood to show off our work on a newly redone home."

The color of the newly-installed Arcadia Shake roof is Solaris Weathered Wood, an energy-efficient, cool roof color that can be used to comply with California Title 24, Part 6, Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The new Cedar Impressions siding in a balanced mix of Cedar Blend will be installed the week of September 24. The full remodel is slated to be completed by mid-October.

Cedar Impressions Individual 5-inch Sawmill Shingles are a premium polymer shingle, which combines Ageless Cedar Color Blends technology with TrueTexture molded textures and patterns to accurately simulate the look of natural cedar shingles at different stages of weathering. Available in four unique color blends with seven widths in each box, the installer can create random patterns that take advantage of the different shingle size and color options. Unlike natural wood, these shingles won't rot, stain or split, so they require virtually no maintenance and are backed by a lifetime-limited warranty.

Vinyl Carpentry offers a vinyl trim option that can be perfectly matched with any CertainTeed siding product. It is available in a variety of sizes and styles to fit a home's aesthetic, and it is backed by the same warranty as the siding it complements.

Made from four layers of highly-refined asphalt, Arcadia Shake presents a depth and design that makes it the most authentic replication of wood shake available today. Arcadia Shake is proven to outperform traditional shake roofing in virtually every environment, requiring minimal maintenance and providing the highest level of fire resistance for roofing (Class A rating). In addition to having lower material and installation costs than wood shake, Arcadia Shake is available in a unique array of colorsincluding energy-efficient cool roof colorsand comes backed by CertainTeed's industry-leading product warranty.

For information about these products and more, visit www.certainteed.com. By offering the most in selection, beauty and performance, CertainTeed has been voted the number-one brand for vinyl siding products by building professionals for 22 consecutive years, as well as the number-one most used brand for metal and asphalt shingle roofing products, according to the 2018 Hanley Wood Brand Use Study. CertainTeed also offers partners higher standards and greater rewards to help grow their business. With the broadest range of exterior products, including polymer, insulated and vinyl siding, as well as roofing, fence, railing, decking and exterior trim, CertainTeed provides unmatched Freedom of Choice with the option to mix and match products, styles and colors for a beautifully coordinated look. For more information, visit www.certainteed.com/freedomofchoice.

About CertainTeed

Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has helped shape the building products industry for more than 110 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed is a leading North American brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, insulation, drywall and ceilings.

A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the world's largest and oldest building products companies, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,300 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The group had total sales of approximately $3.7 billion in 2017. www.certainteed.com

SOURCE CertainTeed

Related Links

https://www.certainteed.com

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hainan Province is establishing itself as a leading global medical tourism destination for health travelers from within China and is in search of cutting-edge, state-of-the-art medical and wellness services. Located on the eastern side of Hainan Province (off the coast of Southern China), the Boao Pilot Zone in particular has become one of China's top tourism destinations.

As one of the country's innovative green city projects, the Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone has distinguished itself by integrating medical treatments, wellness protocols, pharmaceuticals, scientific research, rehabilitation, senior care, and tourism within a geographical area dedicated to energy conservation and environmental protection.

The Medical Tourism Association (MTA) signed an MOU with the Governor of Hainan to build out the entire healthcare ecosystem of Hainan and assist in creating partnerships between international healthcare organizations, along with the public and private sectors in Hainan. As part of this long-term MOU, the Medical Tourism Association and Global Healthcare Resources are hosting a yearly conference in partnership with the Hainan Government.

According to Hainan Governor Shen Xiaoming, "By introducing the World Medical Tourism Congress (WMTC) and medical health tourism resources held by MTA in Hainan, our area will become one of the world's top medical tourism destinations." The project is part of an ongoing initiative of Hainan's People's Government to achieve its goal of becoming a world-class medical and wellness destination by the end of this decade.

Officials have taken great care to create a welcoming environment covering over 20 square kilometers, characterized by a pleasant climate, beautiful ecology and abundant natural resources. Environmental architects utilized a unique natural setting to engineer a "water-island-farmland" ideal for tourists looking for leisure along with their treatments.

Currently about 500,000 Chinese medical tourists travel abroad every year to receive higher quality healthcare they cannot receive in mainland China, according to Ctrip.

International investors are warmly received with a host of preferred policies that facilitate an appealing ROI:

Fast-track approval for new drugs, technology, and medical devices

Extending the time foreign physicians are permitted to practice medicine to three years

Allowing 100% foreign direct investment and ownership in hospitals

Reduction of tariffs on certain medical devices and equipment

Hainan has special exceptions the rest of Mainland China does not have. It is evolving into the main entry point with the potential to become the Silicon Valley of Healthcare for China.

International organizations can have full ownership, import foreign medical equipment, tech, and pharmaceuticals. They have the ability to operate and manage their own facilities in a preferential setting complete with incentives. Many global organizations are now opening their China operations in Hainan through investment, and in partnership with Chinese organizations.

"Attending HEALTHCARE EVOLUTION, the annual event of WMTC, is an opportunity to meet the Governor of Hainan along with healthcare providers and investors who are looking for investment or partnership opportunities within the medical, healthcare, wellness, genomics, and pharma ecosystem," says Jonathan Edelheit, Co-founder and Chairman of Global Healthcare Resources, the company behind the event. "Quality healthcare is a worldwide challenge calling for international solutions and innovative, disruptive approaches."

Expectations are high for the Pilot Zone in the next several years, with predictions estimating 10% of overnight visitors will be medical tourists, accounting for 20% of Hainan's total tourism industry revenue. In the near-future, the goal is to become a leading medical and wellness destination, complete with a solid healthcare infrastructure and first-class services.

While attending HEALTHCARE EVOLUTION, Hainan Governor Shen Xiaoming and his delegates will have the opportunity to hear from some of the most innovative and disruptive game-changers in the healthcare ecosystem. Industry leading speakers from all corners of the health and wellness debate will be hosting summits covering all facets of Transforming the Business of Health.

"The opportunity for improving the status of quality domestic and international healthcare has never been greater," affirms Renee-Marie Stephano, Co-founder and CEO of Global Healthcare Resources. "Businesses want innovation, providers want disruption, insurers want stability, and consumers want good health."

In addition to the in-person networking opportunities provided to all attendees, of special significance to international attendees is the interactive access afforded to key leaders and decision makers from provider and buyer countries. The massive shift taking place in the global healthcare marketplace has created an environment where population health management is now a front-burner issue.

The Public-Private Partnership (P3) Summit offers a rare, unfiltered examination of the issues, challenges and solutions facing governments and private entities alike, who are working diligently at optimizing healthcare infrastructures, creating destination attractiveness, stimulating economic growth, and addressing immediate health concerns.

In addition to the Medical Tourism Summits, attendees are encouraged to participate in a wide array of summits designed to inform, enlighten and motivate those with a strong desire to take an active role in the innovation and disruption so desperately needed across the healthcare landscape.

A key area of interest to China and other medical tourism destinations are the specific revolutionary areas of healthcare bridging the gap between the future and present state of medicine. Customized treatments and medical protocols made possible by genomics represent a paradigm shift in diagnostic efficiency through the use of advanced genetic testing.

The Business of Genomics Summit explores, in detail, the accelerating pace of genetic testing and the precision methods by which it enables doctors to evaluate and treat patients. Fast becoming recognized as the key to personalized medicine, genomics promises to be a key component to successful medical tourism destinations.

The Medical Tourism Association and Global Healthcare Resources will be hosting their 2nd edition of the World Medical Tourism Congress Asia Pacific China conference, Dec 7-13, 2018 in Hainan, China. The event will include a conference with exhibitions and a trade mission to Boao, Haikou, and Sanya.

The event brings in over 600 leading delegates from across China, including top Chinese hospitals, investors, facilitation companies, insurance companies, and representatives from the Chinese government and leading healthcare associations.

About Global Healthcare Resources

Global Healthcare Resources (GHR) is a solutions firm comprised of international experts providing consultative services to organizations and government bodies. Seeking strategic development and market penetration in the spaces of healthcare, wellness, well-being, medical and wellness travel, employee benefits, insurance, precision medicine, and genomics is the driving motivation.

GHR touches over 2.5 million C-Suite, HR, insurance, healthcare, and travel executives with a reach of over 1.25 million members in the leading LinkedIn Groups it manages. We strive every day to improve the health and wellness services of our partners and their teams, while offering a vibrant and open arena for discussion, dialogue, and debate. To learn more about Global Healthcare Resources, visit Globalhealthcareresources.com.

HEALTHCARE EVOLUTION, organized by Global Healthcare Resources, is the world's largest gathering of executives and executors within the ecosystem of health, encompassing healthcare, medical tourism, benefits, insurance, wellness, and self-funding. To learn more about HEALTHCARE EVOLUTION, visit HEALTHCAREREVOLUTION.COM.

CONTACT:

Brandon Fertig

Directory of Marketing Technology

Global Healthcare Resources

[email protected]

561.544.7123 ext. 814

SOURCE Global Healthcare Resources

Related Links

https://globalhealthcareresources.com/

VANCOUVER, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Choom (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) (the "Company" or "Choom") an emerging, fully-integrated cannabis company, is pleased to announce that it has been added to the Canadian Securities Exchange's ("CSE") CSE 25 Index ("the Index"), which became effective at the market close on Friday, September 21, 2018.

The Index includes the top twenty-five securities by market capitalization contained in the CSE's composite index. These companies account for over 50% of the weighting in the larger index and are typically stocks that attract considerable trading volume.

"We are proud of our inclusion in the CSE 25 Index and being recognized as one of the top performers on the CSE," said Chris Bogart, President & CEO. "Choom is committed to providing a growth opportunity for shareholders as we continue to expand our fully integrated cannabis model and remaining a consistent part of the CSE 25 Index."

SAY HELLO TO CHOOM

The Choom brand is inspired by Hawaii's "Choom Gang"a group of buddies in Honolulu during the 1970's who loved to smoke weedor as the locals called it, choom. Evoking the spirit of the original Choom Gang, our brand is synonymous with cultivating good times with good friends. We are focused on delivering an elevated customer experience through our curated retail environments, high-grade handcrafted cannabis supply, and a diversity of brands for the Canadian recreational consumer.

"Chris Bogart"

President & CEO

Cautionary Statement:

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Forward-looking information

This news release contains forward-looking information relating to the Company's proposed activities and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking information relates to management's future outlook and anticipated events or results, and include statements or information regarding the future plans or prospects of the Company. 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 information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. These factors include risks and uncertainties associated with the results of diligence investigations, developments in the cannabis sector, delays resulting from or inability to obtain required regulatory approvals and ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, reliance on key personnel, regulatory risks and delays and other risks and uncertainties discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of the Company's interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings, including the Company's Listing Statement, made with the applicable Canadian securities regulators. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information.

SOURCE Choom Holdings Inc.YOKNEAM, Israel, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ColorChip, a global leader in photonic integrated transceivers, will be presenting a broad range of high speed optical transceivers from 40-400G during the 2018 European Conference for Optical Communication (ECOC) in Rome, Italy, providing ideal solutions tailored to fit the growing connectivity requirements of mega datacenters worldwide.

ColorChip Solutions Support the Growing Connectivity Requirements of Mega Datacenters

ColorChip is well positioned to support the immense and ever-evolving mega-datacenter connectivity demands through a cutting-edge family of high-speed optical transceivers. Proven with hundreds of thousands of deployments in mega-datacenters, ColorChip's 100G CWDM4 2km and 4WDM-10 10km solutions deliver the advantages of field verified reliability, high coupling efficiencies for significantly low power consumption and automated assembly, delivering high production scalability and yields.

With a multi-generational optical engine platform, based on proprietary SystemOnGlass technology, ColorChip continues to confidently introduce new products. During the exhibition, ColorChip will demonstrate a new family of 100G-400G PAM4 optical transceivers, including 100G Single-Lambda PAM4 QSFP28, 200G FR4 (2km) and LR4 (10km) QSFP56 and 400G QSFP56-DD DR4/FR4 transceivers, built with power efficient uncooled DML/EML-based CWDM4 optical engines.

ColorChip's CEO, Yigal Ezra, commented: "Today we are proud to announce the availability of 200G QSFP56 FR4 beta samples and expect to have 400G DR4/FR4 samples available in Q4, proving once again our commitment to spearhead innovative optical interconnect solutions that will further advance a truly connected world".

Visit the ColorChip booth #369 to learn more about our extended family of 40G and 100G optical transceivers and our new PAM4 offerings from 100G to 400G. To schedule a meeting, please contact: [email protected].

About ColorChip

ColorChip (www.color-chip.com), established in 2001, is a technology innovator in the field of photonic integrated hybrids whose vision is to break open the optical interconnect bandwidth barrier with high-speed optical transceiver solutions to support the explosive bandwidth demand of the Datacom and Telecom markets. Headquartered in Yokneam, Israel, ColorChip leverages its fully owned, industrialized optics-based FAB dedicated to the production of PLC based SystemOnGlass optical engines, whose glass platform is the ideal medium for emerging PAM4 applications. ColorChip has production facilities in Israel and Thailand, and offices in San Jose, California.

Media Coverage

Noa Kotok, Media Relations

+972-50-337-7716

[email protected]

SOURCE ColorChip Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.color-chip.com/

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DKT International is proud to share in the goals of World Contraception Day, which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), are: (1) to acknowledge that "access to preferred contraceptive methods for women and couples  is essential to securing the well-being and autonomy of women, while supporting the health and development of communities"; (2) to allow women "to choose whether, when, and how many children to have"; and (3) to help "break the cycle of poverty, and put families, communities, and countries on a stronger, more prosperous and sustainable path."

"We partner with the world's leading pharmaceutical manufacturers to increase access to the latest contraceptive technology available today," says Christopher Purdy, President and CEO of DKT International. "Through the DKT WomanCare unit, our global reproductive health marketing and product distribution platform, we are able to provide products to DKT's own country-based programs. And through our multi-lateral, governmental, commercial, and NGO partners, we are increasing the number of public and private health providers who can access and utilize a wide range of contraceptives and reproductive health technologies. By building these sustainable and resilient supply chains with our partners, we can prevent stock outs, expand the number of countries where products are sold, increase the capacity of trained health providers to deliver services, and support and enable a service provision environment."

Examples of DKT's many partnerships to increase access to contraceptives include the following:

DKT partners with Shanghai Dahua Pharmaceutical to provide Levoplant, a WHO-Prequalified contraceptive implant. Through social marketing efforts, educational campaigns and mobilizing their global network of doctors, midwives, and medical providers to provide and counsel women on the benefits of Levoplant, DKT dramatically increases the availability, accessibility, and affordability of this contraceptive. The price of Levoplant in FP2020 countries (69 countries with the greatest need for family planning) has been reduced to $6.90 per unit.

per unit. DKT's partnership with Ipas expands access in more than 100 countries around the world to the Manual Vacuum Aspirator (MVA), the world's most utilized, safe and effective surgical abortion technology, which can also be used to manage post-partum hemorrhaging, early pregnancy loss, and endometrial biopsy.

DKT Tanzania (DKTT) and UNFPA are collaborating to increase family planning utilization among Tanzanian youth by expanding access to DKTT's iPlan program. iPlan is an innovative micro-insurance structure where, for a one-time nominal fee, an individual receives comprehensive sexual reproductive health services for one year. Services include four FP counseling sessions, a year's worth of any contraceptive method, a years' worth of condoms, and quarterly HIV/AIDS counselling and testing delivered through DKTT's Trust clinics.

DKT's innovative, country-specific activities continue to find new ways to reach youth and promote the use of family planning:

DKT Brazil participated in the Expo CIEE Sao Paulo, the largest student fair in Latin America to educate young people about all types of contraceptives to help avoid unwanted pregnancies and STI's.

participated in the Expo CIEE Sao Paulo, the largest student fair in to educate young people about all types of contraceptives to help avoid unwanted pregnancies and STI's. In China , DKT has been selling condoms throughout China since 1996, and Mojo the condom mascot made an appearance on the Great Wall this year.

, DKT has been selling condoms throughout since 1996, and Mojo the condom mascot made an appearance on the Great Wall this year. In DR Congo , DKT aired a TV commercial for Aleze oral contraceptive pills (OCP) featuring a mother who offers her daughter some advice on family planning  and a pack of Aleze OCPs  before a night out.

, DKT aired a TV commercial for Aleze oral contraceptive pills (OCP) featuring a mother who offers her daughter some advice on family planning  and a pack of Aleze OCPs  before a night out. As part of DKT Egypt's regional expansion, DKT provided 29,000 IUDs in Saudi Arabia and Syria , commencing expansion plans in the Middle East and North Africa .

regional expansion, DKT provided 29,000 IUDs in and , commencing expansion plans in the and . In Ghana , DKT launched a new Lydia Contraceptive campaign highlighting the benefits of each Lydia method using phrases such as "a pill a day goes a long way" and "take back control today."

, DKT launched a new Lydia Contraceptive campaign highlighting the benefits of each Lydia method using phrases such as "a pill a day goes a long way" and "take back control today." In Nigeria , in 2014, DKT co-launched Sayana Press (a new 3-month injectable contraceptive) with Pfizer. Using today's technology, DKT Nigeria even now offers a text message reminder service to notify Sayana Press users of their upcoming dose.

in 2014, DKT co-launched (a new 3-month injectable contraceptive) with Pfizer. Using today's technology, DKT Nigeria even now offers a text message reminder service to notify users of their upcoming dose. In West/ Central Africa , DKT began marketing "Preservatifs Kiss," the first truly regional youth condom brand, with everything from product design to colors, packaging and media campaigns guided by young people.

Founded in 1989, DKT International, a registered, non-profit organization, is one of the largest private providers of family planning products and services in the developing world focusing the power of social marketing on some of the largest countries with the greatest needs for family planning, HIV/AIDS prevention and safe abortion. In 2017 DKT helped avert an estimated 7.6 million unintended pregnancies, 4.6 million unsafe abortions, 14,600 maternal deaths, and 54,000 child deaths.

SOURCE DKT International

Related Links

https://www.dktinternational.org

Following the great response to its new locations, Envolve Entrepreneurship (http://EnvolveGlobal.org) has announced an extension to the application deadline for the 2018 Envolve Award from September 2018 to October 31. In addition to New York City and Miami-Dade County, this year, Envolve has expanded its business plan competition with business support services and interest-free funding opportunities for diverse early-stage entrepreneurs across six new US cities: Washington DC, Baltimore, Atlanta, Charleston, Detroit and Flint. The team has reported that there are many promising, innovative, and sustainable business ideas among the entries already submitted for the third annual award cycle.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748818/Envolve_Awards.jpg )



To give local audiences an opportunity to hear more about the organization, the Envolve team is currently on a tour visiting cities where the application is offered. Earlier in September, the team was hosted by the City of Charleston's Neighborhood Planning & Business Services department for an application workshop. Attendees had the chance to learn more about the application process and how Envolve and their local partners can support their business endeavors. "It's been thrilling to meet new and enthusiastic people as we've traveled, to share more on Envolve's mission and our 2018 award competition. Our goal is to inspire and spark energy around creative ways the ecosystem can help fund and support diverse entrepreneurs' ideas and ventures," said Christopher Upperman, CEO of Envolve. Upcoming cities in the tour include New York City, Detroit, Flint, Washington, DC, and Atlanta.

Continuing its commitment to supporting opportunities for the next generation of entrepreneurs, Envolve is partnering with Georgia State University and Miami Dade College for this award cycle. Students are a key demographic-considering many of the world's largest tech companies of today began on college campuses-and Envolve is encouraging those enrolled and just beginning their fall semester, to take this opportunity to apply. Citing a Kauffman Foundation report on the state of entrepreneurship, Entrepreneur magazine shared the average entrepreneur is 40 when they launch their startup. People over 55 are twice as likely as people under 35 to launch a high-growth startup. The average age of a successful startup with over $1 million in revenues was 39. However, attitudes toward entrepreneurship and the desire to launch businesses is high among students; lack of startup funding combined with not having the proper know-how are often factors for fewer business starts. Envolve is playing its part and encouraging students to apply who are currently enrolled and are aspiring to start their own venture.

Envolve's mission rests on three pillars: education, resources and awards. Envolve is a 501(3) entrepreneurship support organization, which offers support to start-ups and early stage businesses through the provision of education, as well as by leveraging the organization's partnerships that increase availability of entrepreneurship resources.

The gateway to all of Envolve's global resources to entrepreneurs is its website, EnvolveGlobal.org.

The application deadline for the Envolve Award USA is October 31, 2018. Finalists will be announced in late fall 2018, and winners will be announced in early 2019.

About Envolve Entrepreneurship

To learn more about Envolve, please visit www.envolveglobal.org .

Envolve Entrepreneurship is a 501(c)(3) organization that strives for a global society where all business owners can prosper and grow. The organization is committed to developing and cultivating entrepreneurial ecosystems, by ensuring business support services are more readily available to diverse entrepreneurs. Envolve was established by the Libra Group in 2017 through its Corporate Social Responsibility division and is a reorganization of the American Entrepreneurship Award and Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award programs.

SOURCE Envolve EntrepreneurshipCHICAGO, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- "This past weekend, the Administration announced a deeply troubling proposal to change the way families in this country access food assistance. The proposed executive action will impact legal immigrant families and increase their likelihood of being food insecure.

"Currently, federal immigration policy allows officials to deny entry, or legal permanent residency, to immigrants on the basis that they are likely to become a public charge, or dependent on government benefits as their main source of support. To make this determination, officials consider only receipt of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash benefits and Medicaid long-term care during case evaluation. Assessing under a narrow scope ensures that everyone in the United States with legal status can receive essential services, such as nutrition benefits, without fear of jeopardizing their standing in this country.

"The proposed rule departs significantly from longstanding precedent by broadening the definition of public charge to include whether an individual received certain public services, such as food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Effectively, this creates another hurdle in the fight to end hunger, with food assistance threatening an individual's lawful residency or citizenship. In addition, it will create fear and confusion that may dissuade immigrant communities  regardless of whether they are impacted by the rule  from seeking food assistance of any kind.

"Federal nutrition programs were designed by Congress to be there for citizens and legal immigrants during difficult times, and eligibility for those programs reflects that intent. For the people eligible for this assistance, tying their participation to their ability to reside lawfully in this country would roll back this longstanding principle.

"On behalf of our network of 200 food banks and 60,000 meal programs nationwide, Feeding America opposes this misguided policy and urges the Administration to rescind this rule."

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 46 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Contact

Heather Janik

Feeding America

202.795.2456

SOURCE Feeding America

Related Links

http://www.feedingamerica.org

CSE: HUGE

OTCQB: FSDDF

FRA: 0K9

TORONTO, Sept. 23, 2018 FSD Pharma Inc. ("FSD Pharma" or "FSD") (CSE: HUGE) (OTCQB: FSDDF) (FRA: 0K9) is pleased to announce the launch of a comprehensive sponsored research program in Tel Aviv University together with its strategic R&D partner, SciCann Therapeutics Inc. ("SciCann"), focused on the cardiovascular disease field. The new research program is aimed at the development of novel and proprietary cannabinoid-based treatments for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, the underlying factor for most cases of stroke and cardiac stenosis events in the western world.

Dr. Zohar Koren, Co-founder and CEO of SciCann stated, "The prevalence of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) among adults in North America is estimated at 8% of the population and considered to be the number one killer disease in the western world. There is a high unmet need for novel, safe and natural therapies that will ameliorate the damage caused by atherosclerotic plaques to the arteries and cardiovascular system and we believe that smart and targeted modulation of the endocannabinoid system may offer a new approach to treat this devastating progressive disease. We are highly excited to launch this new research program in Tel Aviv University and use the sophisticated and advanced labs that it offers for the execution of this program."

Thomas Fairfull, President and CEO of FSD Pharma stated, "With the global Coronary Artery Disease therapeutics market projected to surpass $15 billion in 20181 and the potential to tap this huge market with safe and effective cannabinoid-based therapies, we are highly encouraged to launch this new research program in the heart of the thriving cannabis science and R&D ecosystem of Israel. This program marks another very important milestone for FSD on its way to becoming a leading supplier of superior and differentiated medical cannabis therapies for patients throughout Canada and the world. Together with our Scientific R&D partner, SciCann Therapeutics, we are now putting a strong emphasis on the development of novel and disruptive cannabinoid-based therapies for the world's most debilitating and lethal diseases, and Coronary Artery Disease is definitely a prime target to focus on in our endeavors."

1 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atherosclerosis-or-coronary-artery-disease-therapeutics-cad---pipeline-assessment-and-market-forecasts-to-2018-132680888.html

About FSD Pharma (CSE: HUGE) (OTCQB: FSDDF) (FRA: 0K9)

FSD Pharma through its wholly-owned subsidiary FV Pharma, is a licensed producer of marijuana under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) having received its cultivation license on October 13, 2017. Headquartered at the former Kraft plant in Cobourg, Ontario, approximately an hour's drive from Toronto, FV Pharma management's mission is to transform the facility into the largest hydroponic indoor cannabis facility in the world. FV Pharma intends to target all legal aspects of the cannabis industry, including cultivation, processing, manufacturing, extracts and research and development.

About SciCann Therapeutics

SciCann Therapeutics is a Canadian-Israeli specialty pharmaceutical company, dedicated to the development and commercialization of novel and disruptive pharmaceutical products that target and modulate the endocannabinoid system. SciCann Therapeutics is active in the fields of oncology, pain management, neurodegenerative diseases and inflammatory disorders, and develops a line of proprietary products for the treatment of chosen life- threatening conditions that present a high level of unmet need.

SciCann has created a network of collaborations with leading academic centers and medical institutions in Israel in order to engage in cutting edge science and rigorous clinical studies to develop its products, while using the permissive regulatory climate in Israel for performing its R&D programs quickly and efficiently.

Forward-Looking Information

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 Corporation's 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 development of the Corporation's indoor cannabis facility and its business goals and objectives. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and the Corporation is 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.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE FSD Pharma Inc.DUQUESNE, Pa., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pittsburgh-based bedding manufacturer American Textile Company today announced key moves to support its continued growth, including a new distribution center near its Pittsburgh-area headquarters. The 98,000 square-foot facility in McKeesport is strategically located to serve customers throughout the northeast. The company has also appointed Traci Hayes as vice president of its e-commerce business to drive new initiatives in the high growth segment.

These efforts come on the heels of the company's addition of innovative sleep brands Sealy and Tempur-Pedic to its portfolio, and two years of rapid increases in its e-commerce sales. The McKeesport facility marks American Textile Company's sixth domestic distribution facility and will increase its capacity by more than 50 percent in the region. The textile maker expects to bring more than 75 jobs to the region over the next five years.

"Conversations around sleep are more prevalent today than ever before and the category continues to grow," said Lance Ruttenberg, American Textile Company president and CEO. "Consumers are looking for new ways to foster a good night's rest and our products help them achieve it. Our e-commerce business is thriving from the increased demand and we're expanding to meet those needs."

Recent hire Traci Hayes brings more than 20 years of e-commerce experience to American Textile Company, where she oversees all online sales and marketing efforts. Prior to this role, Hayes spent more than six years leading the e-commerce business for DICK's Sporting Goods. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Computer Information Systems and Management degree from Robert Morris University.

American Textile Company's full range of bedding products from AllerEase, Sealy, Tempur-Pedic and more will be on display at the New York Home Fashions Market in New York City, September 24-27, 2018.

About American Textile Company

Pittsburgh-based American Textile Company is a leading provider of innovative sleep solutions sold under AllerEase, Sealy, Tempur-Pedic and other brands, as well as store brand labels. Visit www.americantextile.com for more information.

CONTACT: Julie Muldowney

Finn Partners on behalf of American Textile Company

(312) 329-3902

[email protected]

SOURCE American Textile Company

Related Links

http://www.americantextile.com

WANTAGH, N.Y., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- By decree of Pope Francis, for the first time since the inception of the Vatican State of the Order of St. Gregory the Great in 1831, a husband and wife team will be knighted together.

Gary and Meredith Krupp, the founders of Pave the Way Foundation, and who are both Jewish, will be invested into the Highest Vatican State order that can be awarded to a lay person, as Knight of the Grand Cross and Dame of the Grand Cross.

Gary and Meredith Krupp Knight and Dame of the Grand Cross Pave the Way Foundation Gary and Meredith Krupp PTWF with Pope Francis

Pave the Way Foundation has been dubbed "the most important organization in the world that no one has ever heard of" for effective, behind the scenes, work through which it has changed the course of history between religions.

The Papal decrees were signed in Rome by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin on June 18, 2018. The medals will be awarded to Mr. and Mrs. Krupp, along with required reading of the degrees, on October 1, 2018, in New York, by the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, and the Vatican's Ambassador to the United Nations, Archbishop Bernardito Auza.

For more information call David Hauser (516) 672-5930 or email [email protected].

SOURCE Pave the Way FoundationDUBLIN, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Global Automotive Relays 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 automotive relays market was valued US$ 13.43 Bn in 2017 and estimated to grow with a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2026.

Advancement in electric cars along with automotive industry achieved significant growth after attaining stability from 2008 and 2011 economic crisis. In 2017, approximately 79 Mn passenger cars were sold and the number is projected to cross 81 Mn mark in 2018 out which 2 Mn cars are expected to be electric.

With automotive sector crossing new milestones, industries associated with the sector such as OEM and aftermarket parts market are also witnessing momentous growth and evidencing further growth in coming years. Automotive relay market is one such market greatly benefited by the surge in demand for automobiles across the globe. The component was not a part of standard automobile earlier, however, modern-day automobiles are sophisticated & complex machines and automotive relays have become an indispensable part of an automobile.

Several automobile relays are used in a single vehicle catering different electric circuits for powertrain, body & chassis, lighting & security and infotainment systems among others. Consequently, flourishing automotive industry acts as a catalyst for bolstering the growth of automotive relays market.

Trends such as intelligent cars, electric cars, and driver assistance require a completely new breed of automotive relays. Perpetual development in manufacturing processes and advanced sensor technology expedited the performance of automotive relays making them suitable for ultra-modern automobiles.

Asia Pacific is home to several automotive giants including Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi among others. Flourishing automotive industry Asia pacific propose unmatched growth opportunities to automotive OEMs and other adjacent industries. Companies from all over the world are keen to participate and grab the business opportunities offered by this region. Thus, Asia Pacific emerged as a leader in global automotive relays market and projected to dominate the market throughout the forecast period from 2018 to 2026.

Automotive relay market is one of the most fragmented markets in overall OEM industry. Several international, as well as local automotive relay manufacturers, compete with each other to claim their market share in this highly competitive market. These companies often adopt strategies such as technological innovations and long-term partnership with major automotive manufacturers to provide automotive relays in order to maintain their market positions.



Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Preface



Chapter 2 Executive Summary



Chapter 3 Market Dynamics



Chapter 4 Global Automotive Relays Market Analysis, by Product Type



Chapter 5 Global Automotive Relays Market Analysis, by Applications



Chapter 6 Global Automotive Relays Market Analysis, by Vehicle Type



Chapter 7 North America Automotive Relays Market Analysis



Chapter 8 Europe Automotive Relays Market Analysis



Chapter 9 Asia Pacific Automotive Relays Market Analysis



Chapter 10 Rest of the World Automotive Relays Market Analysis



Chapter 11 Company Profiles



ABB Group

American Zettler, Inc.

Denso Corporation

Delphi Automotive LLP

Eaton Corporation plc

Fujitsu Limited

Good Sky Electric Co., Ltd.

Hella KGaA Hueck & Co. (HELLA)

IDEC Corporation

NEC Corporation

Omron Corporation

Panasonic Corporation

Robert Bosch GmbH

Siemens AG

TE Connectivity Ltd.

For more information about this report visit

https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/gtl93r/global_automotive?w=5



Did you know that we also offer Custom Research? Visit our Custom Research page to learn more and schedule a meeting with our Custom Research Manager.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate the 75th meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) today reinforces its support for the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The four goals where ManpowerGroup is making the most impact are those in and around the world of work including Quality Education (Goal 4), Gender Equality (Goal 5), Decent Work (Goal 8) and Economic Growth and Reduced Inequality (Goal 10).

In communities across the globe, ManpowerGroup helps people get ready for work, upskill and reskill for sustainable careers, and build integrated and inclusive workplaces. To celebrate the second anniversary of their Sustainability Plan and progress towards the #GlobalGoals, ManpowerGroup today launches its Work to Change the World sustainability website and new film Challenge Accepted. This showcases the company's sustainability impact and brings to life their belief that meaningful and sustainable work has the power to change the world.

"Collectively committing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals gives businesses, NGOs and policy makers the opportunity and responsibility to tackle the most pressing issues impacting the world today," said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup Chairman & CEO. "In a rapidly changing world of work, we're passionate about giving everybody the opportunity to learn the in-demand skills employers will need today and tomorrow. We know helping people upskill and reskill to achieve their potential is where we have the most impact. That's why from India to the U.S., we're partnering with educators and employers to help people learn new skills, develop their careers and stay employable for the long term."

In the Netherlands and Belgium, ManpowerGroup's Technical and Logistics Academies upskill workers to become certified technicians in the electronics and hydraulics industries or drivers, some of the most in-demand roles in Europe. In Argentina, accelerated training opportunities are targeted to disadvantaged groups. The program builds bridges between local companies and people with a broad spectrum of disabilities and has helped thousands of people upskill and find meaningful, sustainable work. In the U.S., ManpowerGroup is helping young people build the soft skills we know employers value by giving high school students the opportunity for meaningful, real-world experience.

To find out more about ManpowerGroup's commitment to Doing Well by Doing Good visit ManpowerGroup's Work to Change the World sustainability website which includes stories, videos, and first-person accounts of sustainability in action from around the world.

About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands  Manpower, Experis, Right Management and ManpowerGroup Solutions  creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across 80 countries and territories and has done so for 70 years. In 2018, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the ninth year and one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies for the sixteenth year, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup is powering the future of work: www.manpowergroup.com

SOURCE ManpowerGroup

Related Links

http://www.manpowergroup.com

Tucano Mine to Become New Cornerstone Asset for Great Panther

WEST PERTH, Australia and VANCOUVER, Sept. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED (TSX: GPR; NYSE American: GPL) ("Great Panther") and Beadell Resources Limited (ASX: BDR) ("Beadell") are pleased to announce that they have entered into a Scheme Implementation Deed (the "Implementation Deed") dated September 23, 2018, pursuant to which Great Panther will acquire all of the issued ordinary shares of Beadell by means of a Beadell scheme of arrangement ("Scheme") under the Australian Corporations Act 2001.

Key highlights of the transaction include:

The creation of a new emerging and growth-oriented precious metals producer;

Strong balance sheet;

Robust growth profile;

Geographic diversity;

Diverse asset portfolio including three producing mines, an advanced stage project, and significant exploration potential; and

Attractive re-rating potential.

The directors of Beadell unanimously recommend that shareholders vote in favour of the Scheme in the absence of a superior proposal1 and subject to the independent expert opining that the Scheme is in the best interests of shareholders, and have provided support agreements confirming that they will vote the shares they own or control in favour of the Scheme, subject to the same conditions. Shareholders holding in aggregate 18.06% of Beadell Shares agreed to vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a superior proposal and not to dispose of their Beadell shares, except in respect of a superior proposal. Those shareholders include funds associated with Equinox Partners holding 9.84%, Donald Smith & Co. holding 7.15%, other smaller shareholders, directors and management.

The transaction will create a new emerging and growth-oriented precious metals producer focused on the Americas with strong geographic diversity across three leading mining jurisdictions, and a diverse asset portfolio including three producing mines, an advanced stage project, and significant exploration potential.

Beadell operates the 100% owned Tucano Gold Mine ("Tucano") in mining-friendly Amapa State, northern Brazil. Tucano is part of an approximate 2,500 square kilometre land package which is highly prospective and located in the under-explored 'Birimian age' greenstone terrane. Beadell has a pipeline of high potential in-mine and near-mine resource growth opportunities, including multiple in-mine lease discoveries.

Beadell has undertaken a number of key initiatives to more fully optimize Tucano. These include the execution of the life of mine contract with U&M Mineracao e Construcao S/A, which is expected to deliver improved efficiencies resulting in an expected US$100 million in cost savings over the life of mine. In addition, Beadell remains on track for completion of the Tucano plant upgrade by early November 2018. This will result in greater ore type processing flexibility allowing a greater focus on mining for grade rather than ore type.

James Bannantine, President and CEO of Great Panther, stated: "This is a transformational transaction for the shareholders of Great Panther and Beadell. Great Panther has grown and optimized its operations in Mexico, acquired and advanced its Coricancha project in Peru, and is now positioned to add a sizeable producing mine in Brazil with exceptional exploration potential. Great Panther brings the capital to deliver on Tucano's substantial near- and long-term resource growth potential and to continue mine optimization initiatives. The combination of assets, capital and management provides a unique opportunity to unlock a significant re-rating potential for the benefit of both existing shareholders and Beadell's shareholders who will gain a meaningful interest in Great Panther."

Dr. Nicole Adshead-Bell, CEO and Managing Director of Beadell, stated: "By undertaking this transaction, Beadell shareholders will benefit from Great Panther's strong balance sheet, steady cash flow, experienced management team and improved market liquidity via Great Panther's TSX and NYSE American listings. The combined company will pool resources to expedite the execution of Tucano's ongoing operational turnaround. Jim Bannantine, the President & CEO of Great Panther, has the technical background and corporate experience, including several years living and working in Brazil, to complement the Tucano mine site team in improving all aspects of operational performance and growing the resource base. I am pleased to announce that I have accepted an invitation to join the Board of Directors of Great Panther on completion of the transaction. This will give me the opportunity to continue to lend guidance and support to extract the full potential of Tucano and the highly prospective mineral tenure."

Scheme Summary

Under the terms of the Scheme, Beadell shareholders will receive 0.0619 common shares of Great Panther (each whole common share, a "Great Panther Share") for each ordinary share of Beadell (a "Beadell Share") (the "Exchange Ratio") resulting in the issuance of approximately 103.6 million Great Panther Shares, exclusive of shares that may be issued in connection with Beadell's outstanding options and performance rights.2 There will be concurrent arrangements in relation to Beadell's issued warrants.

The Exchange Ratio implies consideration of A$0.0863 per Beadell Share (the "Consideration"). The implied equity value for Beadell based on the Consideration is approximately A$144 million (approx. US$105 million), based on the closing price of a Great Panther Share on the NYSE American on September 21, 2018. The Consideration to be received by Beadell shareholders represents a 51% premium over Beadell's closing share price on the ASX on September 21, 2018, and a 69% premium to Beadell's volume-weighted average share prices for the 20 trading days up to and including September 21, 2018. Upon completion of the transaction, existing Beadell and Great Panther shareholders are expected to own approximately 38% and 62%, respectively, of the combined company.

A joint conference call is scheduled for September 24, 2018 beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern Time (6 a.m. Pacific Time, 9 p.m. Australian Western Time) (details provided below).

Transaction Highlights

Creation of a New Emerging Intermediate Precious Metals Producer focused on the Americas: The transaction will result in significant pro forma gold and silver production, with Great Panther contributing 4.0 million silver-equivalent ounces of production in 20184, and Beadell contributing 130,000 gold ounces in 2018 and a further 163,000 ounces in 20195, with potential for further increase upon a positive decision to restart Coricancha. Coricancha has the potential to generate average annual production of 3.1 million ounces silver-equivalent based on the results of a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") completed in May 20186. The combined company will also have an increased public float and broadened shareholder base, providing stronger liquidity and augmented scale in the capital markets.

Extensive Reserve and Resource Base: The combined company is anticipated to have attributable proven and probable reserves of approximately 1.5 million ounces of gold. Beadell will also contribute measured and indicated resources (exclusive of reserves) of approximately 0.8 million ounces of gold and inferred resources of approximately 1.5 million ounces of gold, supplementing Great Panther's measured and indicated resources of approximately 49.4 million ounces silver-equivalent and inferred resources of approximately 48.5 million ounces silver-equivalent (see Appendix A and B below for details).

Strong Balance Sheet to Support Complementary Assets: The enhanced balance sheet of the combined company, with a pro forma cash balance of US$74 million as at June 30, 2018, will enable ongoing optimization initiatives at Tucano.

Diversified Portfolio: The combined company will have three mining operations in Mexico and Brazil along with the Coricancha project located in Peru. Operating risk is expected to be significantly diversified with the inclusion of Brazil as a new core jurisdiction, which will represent 38% of pro forma net asset value7.

Robust Growth Profile: Coricancha provides near-term optionality with a restart decision expected in early 2019. In addition, the combined company is expected to benefit from near-term resource growth opportunities with multiple in-mine lease discoveries at Tucano and longer-term exploration optionality from Beadell's 2,500 square kilometre highly prospective land package.

Attractive Re-Rating Potential: With a diversified portfolio of producing assets, near-term growth opportunities backed by a strong balance sheet and a quality management team, the combined company is well positioned for a re-rating, to the benefit of both Great Panther and Beadell shareholders.

Benefits to Great Panther Shareholders

The transaction is expected to have the following benefits for Great Panther shareholders:

Exposure to substantial value creation from the successful execution of the Tucano

turn-around which will be enhanced by Great Panther's strong balance sheet and management's experience with similar assets in Brazil , most notably CEO James Bannantine's experience operating mines in Brazil and his fluency in Portuguese;

turn-around which will be enhanced by Great Panther's strong balance sheet and management's experience with similar assets in , most notably CEO experience operating mines in and his fluency in Portuguese; Increased production profile and market capitalization to enhance capital markets profile and trading liquidity of the combined company;

Diversifies Great Panther's asset base to include Brazil as a new core jurisdiction;

as a new core jurisdiction; Accretive on key metrics including NAV, cash flow, production, and resources before anticipated synergies including reduction in pro-forma general and administrative costs;

Enhanced optionality via Beadell's 2,500 square kilometre highly prospective exploration land package; and

Ongoing participation in combined company with strong re-rating potential.

Benefits to Beadell Shareholders

The transaction has the following benefits for Beadell shareholders:

Immediate 51% premium to Beadell's closing share price on September 21, 2018 , and 69% premium to Beadell's 20-day VWAP;

, and 69% premium to Beadell's 20-day VWAP; Beadell shareholders to maintain meaningful exposure to Tucano via 38% pro forma ownership;

Great Panther's strong balance sheet provides means to continue optimization initiatives at Tucano without resorting to other potentially more dilutive financing alternatives, and also brings the capital to unlock the potential of Beadell's highly prospective exploration land package;

Great Panther's management team has significant experience operating similar assets in Brazil ;

; Diversifies geographic footprint into Mexico and Peru ;

and ; Provides near-term growth optionality with the potential restart of Coricancha;

Broadened shareholder base and TSX and NYSE American listing will enhance trading liquidity; and

Ongoing participation in combined company with strong re-rating potential.

Board of Directors and Management Team

Following the completion of the transaction, Great Panther will continue to be headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and Dr. Nicole Adshead-Bell will join the Great Panther Board of Directors.

James Bannantine, current President and Chief Executive Officer of Great Panther, will continue to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the combined company. Jim Zadra, current Chief Financial Officer of Great Panther, will continue to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the combined company.

Transaction Summary

Pursuant to the Implementation Deed and Scheme:

Beadell shareholders will receive 0.0619 Great Panther Shares for each Beadell Share held. Upon completion of the transaction, Beadell shareholders will own approximately 103.6 million Great Panther Shares or approximately 38% of the pro forma Great Panther Shares outstanding, exclusive of shares that may be issued in connection with Beadell's options and performance rights. Beadell options and performance rights must (unless the requirement is waived) have been vested and exercised in exchange for Beadell Shares or have been terminated.





Under concurrent arrangements, each Beadell warrantholder will receive a number of Great Panther warrants equal to the number of their Beadell warrants multiplied by the Exchange Ratio at a price adjusted in accordance with the Exchange Ratio, and otherwise on the same terms and conditions as the original warrant.





Beadell's senior secured lenders in Brazil have confirmed that they will consent to the transaction.





have confirmed that they will consent to the transaction. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary conditions for a transaction of this nature and receipt of applicable regulatory, shareholder and third-party and other creditor approvals and consents on terms satisfactory to Great Panther as may be required to effect and complete the transaction.





The Implementation Deed includes customary deal protection provisions, including no solicitation of alternative transactions by Beadell, a right in favour of Great Panther to match any potential superior proposals and reimbursement fees payable by Beadell or Great Panther, as the case may be, in certain events.





The Scheme will require approval by at least 75% of the number of votes cast, and 50% of the number of Beadell shareholders present and voting, at the meeting of Beadell shareholders and is also subject to Australian Court approvals.





The Scheme will also require approval by the TSX and a simple majority of the Great Panther Shares held by Great Panther Shareholders present in person or by proxy at a Special Meeting of Great Panther Shareholders in accordance with TSX policies.

A full copy of the Implementation Deed is attached to a separate ASX announcement released by Beadell today and will be filed by Great Panther on SEDAR.

GMP Securities L.P. has provided an opinion to the Board of Directors of Great Panther that, as of the date of such opinion and based upon and subject to the scope of review, assumptions, limitations, qualifications and other matters described in such opinion, the consideration to be paid by Great Panther in connection with the proposed transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to Great Panther.

Great Panther is required to obtain the approval of the TSX and its shareholders in connection with the issuance of common shares under the Scheme. The Great Panther Board unanimously recommends the Great Panther shareholders vote in favour of the issuance of Great Panther Shares contemplated by the Scheme. Each of the directors of Great Panther has agreed to vote any Great Panther Shares in respect of which they have power to vote in favour of the necessary resolutions.

Beadell's Board of Directors unanimously recommends that Beadell shareholders vote in favour of the Scheme in the absence of a superior proposal8 and subject to the independent expert opining that the Scheme is in the best interests of shareholders. Beadell will engage an independent expert to provide a report to shareholders on the transaction to assist them in determining their vote at a meeting to approve the Scheme. Each of the directors of Beadell and its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have entered into a support agreement and have agreed to vote in favour of the transaction and not to dispose of their Beadell shares, except in respect of a superior proposal. Shareholders holding in aggregate 18.06% of Beadell Shares agreed to vote in favour of the Scheme, in the absence of a superior proposal and not to dispose of their Beadell shares, except in respect of a superior proposal. Those shareholders include funds associated with Equinox Partners holding 9.84%, Donald Smith & Co. holding 7.15%, other smaller shareholders, directors and management.

The Beadell shareholder meeting to consider the Scheme is expected to be held in late 2018 and the Scheme is expected to be implemented as soon as practicable thereafter following Australian Court approval in early 2019. The Great Panther shareholder meeting called to approve the issuance of Great Panther Shares to the Scheme is expected to be held concurrently with or before the Beadell Shareholder Meeting.

Great Panther and Beadell security holders and other interested parties are advised to read the explanatory materials relating to the Scheme, which will be filed by Beadell with securities regulatory authorities in Australia and by Great Panther with securities regulatory authorities in Canada when they become available. Anyone may obtain copies of these documents when available free of charge at the Australian Securities Exchange website at www.asx.com.au. and at the website of the Canadian Securities Administrators at www.sedar.com.

Advisors and Counsel

Scotia Capital Inc. is acting as financial advisor to Great Panther. McMillan LLP is acting as Canadian legal counsel and Gilbert + Tobin is acting as Australian legal counsel to Great Panther. GMP Securities L.P. is acting as financial advisor to the Great Panther special committee and McCarthy Tetrault LLP is acting as legal advisor to the special committee.

CIBC Capital Markets is acting as financial advisor to Beadell. Herbert Smith Freehills is acting as Australian legal counsel and Blakes, Cassels & Graydon LLP is acting as Canadian legal counsel to Beadell.

Conference Call and Webcast

Great Panther and Beadell will host a joint conference call and webcast on September 24, 2018 beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern Time (6 a.m. Pacific Time, 9 p.m. Australian Western Time) to discuss the transaction. Details are as follows:

Live webcast and registration: www.greatpanther.com U.S. & Canada Toll-Free: 1 800 289 0438 Australia Toll-Free: 1 800 573 793 International Toll: +1 323 794 2423 Conference ID: 2893951

A replay of the webcast will be available on the Webcasts section of Great Panther's website approximately one hour after the conference call.

This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or a proxy.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities. 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 the benefit of, U.S. persons (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 Great Panther

Great Panther is a primary silver mining and exploration company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange trading under the symbol GPR, and on the NYSE American under the symbol GPL. Great Panther's current activities are focused on the mining of precious metals from its two wholly-owned operating mines in Mexico: the Guanajuato Mine Complex and the Topia Mine. The Company is also advancing towards a decision to restart the Coricancha Mine in Peru with the initiation of a bulk sample program following the completion of a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment in May 2018. The Company also continues to pursue the acquisition of additional mining operations or projects in the Americas.

About Beadell

Beadell operates the Tucano Gold Mine in mining-friendly Amapa State, northern Brazil. Tucano is located within 2,500 square kilometres of highly prospective and under-explored 'Birimian age' greenstone terrane. The Tucano plant is being upgraded to process approximately 3.5 million tonnes per year of oxide-sulphide ore feed in for a range of blends. There is a pipeline of high potential in-mine and near-mine prospects, anchored by several high-grade gold drill intervals over several metres, which represent a near-term opportunity to improve the head grade and prolong the mine life.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to completion of the Scheme, the processing capabilities resulting from upgrades to the Tucano plant; the anticipated production profile of the combined company (both before and after the Coricancha project commences production); the effect of the transaction on the public float and shareholder base of Great Panther, the combined company's proved and possible reserves and balance sheet; the reduction of the combined company's operating risks; and the potential re-rating of the combined company.

These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements to be materially different. Assumptions upon which forward looking statements relating to the Scheme have been made include that Beadell and Great Panther will be able to satisfy the conditions in the Agreement, that due diligence investigations of each party will not identify any materially adverse facts or circumstances, that the required approvals will be obtained from the shareholders of Beadell and Great Panther, and that all required third party, regulatory and government approvals will be obtained.

Such factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to potential political and social risks involving the Beadell and Great Panther's operations in a foreign jurisdiction, the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, fluctuations in metal prices, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, physical risks inherent in mining operations, operating or technical difficulties in mineral exploration, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in respect of: Great Panther, in its annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2017 and material change reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators available at www.sedar.com and reports on Form 40-F and Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov .

There is no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove accurate and results may vary materially from such forward-looking statements. Great Panther and Beadell believe the assumptions underlying all such forwardlooking statements are reasonable based on information currently available, however, they may prove to be incorrect. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Great Panther and Beadell have no intention to update forwardlooking statements except as required by law.

CAUTIONARY NOTE TO U.S. INVESTORS REGARDING MINERAL REPORTING STANDARDS

Great Panther prepares its disclosure in accordance with the requirements of securities laws in effect in Canada and Beadell prepares its disclosure in accordance with the requirements of securities laws in Australia, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Terms relating to mineral resources and mineral reserves in this news release in respect of Great Panther are defined in accordance with National Instrument 43-101-Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects under the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves and in respect of Beadell are defined in accordance with the Australian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. The Securities and Exchange Commission (the ''SEC'') permits mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce. This news release uses certain terms, such as, ''measured mineral resources'', ''indicated mineral resources'' and ''inferred mineral resources'', that the SEC does not recognize (these terms may be used in this news release and are included in the public filings of Great Panther which have been filed with securities commissions or similar authorities in Canada).

Great Panther's Resource Information

The information in this announcement that relates to resources reported by Great Panther has been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 published by the Canadian Securities Administrators. NI 43-101 is different from the reporting standard ordinarily applicable to Australian publicly listed companies, the JORC Code.

NI 43-101 requires that mineral resource estimates be prepared in accordance with, and have the meaning ascribed by, the Canadian Institute of Mining and Petroleum (CIM) Definition Standards. NI 43-101 Companion Policy identifies the Australian JORC Code as an "acceptable foreign code" for the estimation of mineral resources and that it is substantially similar to CIM Definition Standards as both are based on and are consistent with the International Reporting Template, published by the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO Template).The Great Panther resources can be quoted as 'qualifying foreign estimates' according to the ASX Listing Rules.

Cautionary Statement  Preliminary Economic Assessments & Inferred Resources

The mine plan evaluated in the Coricancha PEA is preliminary in nature and additional technical studies will need to be completed in order to fully assess its viability. There is no certainty that a production decision will be made to reactivate the Coricancha mine. In addition, we may determine to proceed with a production decision without completion of customary feasibility studies demonstrating the economic viability of reactivation of Coricancha. A mine production decision that is made without a feasibility study carries additional potential risks which include, but are not limited to, (i) increased uncertainty as to projected initial and sustaining capital costs and operating costs, rates of production and average grades, and (ii) the inclusion of Inferred Mineral Resources, as defined by NI 43-101 and CIM Definition Standards (see Cautionary Note to United States Investors below) that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be converted to a Mineral Reserve, as defined by NI 43-101 and CIM Definition Standards (see Cautionary Note to United States Investors below). Mine design and mining schedules, metallurgical flow sheets and process plant designs may require additional detailed work and economic analysis and internal studies to ensure satisfactory operational conditions and decisions regarding future targeted production. In addition, the results of the Bulk Sample Program may impact on the projected capital and operating costs, with the result that the projected NPV, IRR and cash flows may be adversely impacted.

Readers are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of Mineral Resources used in the PEA will ever be converted into reserves. Inferred Mineral Resources, in particular, have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and/or economic and legal feasibility and readers are cautioned not to assume that they will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian standards, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may form part of preliminary economic assessment, but may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves, do not, by definition, have demonstrated economic viability.

Competent Persons Statement: Beadell

The information in this announcement that relates to mineral resources and ore reserves of Beadell Resources Limited is based on information reviewed by Ms. Aoife McGrath, a Competent Person (as defined in the JORC Code) who is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG).

Ms. McGrath is a full-time employee of Beadell Resources Limited. She has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code. Ms. McGrath consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on her information in the form and context in which it appears.

Please see Beadell's Interim Ore Reserve and Mineral Resource Update released to ASX on 19 December 2017 for a full JORC disclosure regarding the Tucano Project.

Competent Persons Statement: Great Panther

The information in this report that relates to resource estimates for Great Panther's projects is based on information compiled from the following technical reports filed by Great Panther under Canadian securities laws:

Guanajuato Mine Complex : Technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Update Technical Report on the Guanajuato Mine Complex, Guanajuato Mine and San Ignacio Mine, Guanajuato State, Mexico ", dated February 28, 2018 prepared by

Mr. Matthew C. Wunder , P.Geo.





: Technical report entitled dated prepared by Mr. , P.Geo. Topia Mine : Technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Report on the Topia Mine Mineral Resource Estimates as of November 30, 2014 " dated July 6, 2015 prepared by Mr. Robert F. Brown , P.Eng.





: Technical report entitled dated prepared by Mr. , P.Eng. Coricancha: Technical report entitled "Resource Update Technical Report on the Coricancha Mine Complex, Huarochiri Province, Lima Region, Peru", dated February 2, 2018 submitted by Golder Associates Inc. as Report Assembler of the work prepared by or under the supervision of the following "Qualified Persons" named as authors: Ronald Turner , MAusIMM CP(Geo); Daniel Saint Don , P.Eng.; and Jeffrey Woods , P.E.

The information in this announcement derived from Great Panther's technical reports has been reviewed by Mr. Robert Brown, P.Eng. Mr. Brown, P.Eng is a Professional Engineer registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. Mr. Brown, P.Eng has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Mr. Brown, P.Eng consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. Mr. Brown, P.Eng was the VP Exploration of Great Panther until December 31, 2016 and is a consultant to Great Panther.

Great Panther's disclosure of mineral resource information is governed by Canadian National Instrument 43-101 under the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM") Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as may be amended from time to time by the CIM ("CIM Standards"). Great Panther's mineral resources are classified according to the CIM Definition Standards in the manner of the JORC Code and NI 43-101 disclosure corresponds to that required by the JORC Code. Disclosure by Great Panther in its most recently filed NI 43-101 technical reports complies with the CIM Guidelines, which are closely related to the JORC Code in their key definitions. The Great Panther mineral resources can therefore be quoted as 'qualifying foreign estimates' according to ASX Listing rules. The most recent disclosure of Great Panther's mineral resources can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The most recent disclosure by Great Panther is in the Great Panther Annual Information Form dated March 23, 2018.

The qualifying foreign estimates have not been reported in accordance with the JORC Code. A competent person has not done sufficient work to classify the foreign estimates as mineral resources or ore reserves in accordance with the JORC Code. It is uncertain that following evaluation and/or further exploration word that the foreign estimates will be able to be reported as mineral resources or ore reserves in accordance with the JORC Code.

Qualified Persons

The technical information contained in this news release as it relates to Great Panther has been reviewed and approved by Robert F. Brown, P. Eng., the Qualified Person for Great Panther's projects under the meaning of NI 43-101.

The technical information contained in this news release as it relates to Beadell has been reviewed and approved by Aoife McGrath, who is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), and is a Qualified Person under the meaning of NI 43-101.

______________________________

1 See definition in the Implementation Deed.

2 The Scheme will extend to shares issued on exercise of options or performance rights.

3 Great Panther NYSE American closing price converted to Australian dollars at the Bank of Canada September 21, 2018, USD:AUD exchange rate of 1.3736.

4 See Great Panther's news release dated August 1, 2018.

5 See Beadell's news release dated September 20, 2018.

6 See Great Panther's news release dated May 31, 2018.

7 Based on the median of available broker estimates.

8 See definition in the Deed.

APPENDIX A  Beadell  Reserves and Resources

Tucano Detail Proven & Probable Measured & Indicated Inferred

Oxide Open Pit Tonne (000) Au Grade (g/t) Au oz (000) Cut-off (g/t) Tonnes (000) Au Grade(g/t) Au oz(000) Tonnes(000) Au Grade (g/t) Au oz(000) Cut-off (g/t)

Urucum Open Pit Oxide 554 1.2 21 0.7 1,021 1.13 37 70 0.97 2 0.5

Urucum East Open Pit Oxide 151 1.71 8 0.7 200 1.88 12 9 1.58 0 0.5

Tap AB Open Pit Oxide 4,408 1.98 280 0.6 6,759 1.94 421 796 1.11 28 0.5

Tap C Open Pit Oxide 553 1.05 19 0.6 878 0.95 27 88 0.7 2 0.5

Duck Head Open Pit Oxide







229 2.71 20 60 1.56 3 1 Total Oxide Open Pit 5,666 1.8 329

9,087 1.77 517 1,022 1.1 36

Primary Open Pit























Urucum Open Pit Primary 9,692 1.76 547 0.8 12,903 1.63 678 393 1.57 20 0.5

Urucum East Open Pit Primary 16 1.5 1 0.7 211 1.45 10 84 0.94 3 0.5

Tap AB Open Pit Primary 2,462 1.86 147 0.8 6,531 1.63 342 1,053 1.34 45 0.5

Tap C Open Pit Primary 615 1.39 28 0.8 2,462 1.22 97 1,044 1.35 45 0.5

Duck Head Surface Primary







379 2.26 28 262 1.81 15 1 Total Primary Open Pit 12,785 1.76 723

22,486 1.6 1,154 2,837 1.41 128

Oxide & Primary Open Pit























Urucum Open Pit Total 10,245 1.72 568

13,924 1.6 715 463 1.48 22 0.5

Urucum East Open Pit Total 167 1.69 9

411 1.66 22 92 1 3 0.5

Tap AB Open Pit Total 6,870 1.94 428

13,290 1.79 764 1,849 1.24 74 0.5

Tap C Open Pit Total 1,168 1.23 46

3,340 1.15 123 1,133 1.3 47 0.5

Duck Head Open Pit Total







608 2.43 48 322 1.76 18 1 Total Oxide & Primary Open Pit 18,450 1.77 1,051

31,573 1.65 1,671 3,859 1.32 164

Stockpiles























Open Pit Stockpile 1,985 0.66 42 0.5 1,985 0.66 42





0.5

Spent Ore Stockpile 1,311 0.61 26 0.5 1,311 0.61 26





0.5

ROM Expansion Stockpile 345 0.8 9 0.5 345 0.8 9





0.5

Marginal Ore Stockpiles





1,586 0.44 22





0.3

Total Stockpiles 3,642 0.66 77

5,228 0.59 99







Total Tucano Open Pit & Stockpiles 22,092 1.59 1,128

36,801 1.5 1,770 3,859 1.32 164

Underground























Tap AB Underground Primary*







1,047 2.28 77 3,653 3.19 375 1.2

Urucum Underground Primary - PFS 2,972 3.61 345 1.6 2,894 4.22 393 5,106 2.71 445 1.6

Urucum Underground Primary - Non PFS













3,733 1.38 166 1.2 Total Underground Primary 2,972 3.61 345

3,941 3.71 470 12,492 2.45 986

Total Open Pit & Underground 25,064 1.83 1,473

40,742 1.71 2,240 16,351 2.19 1,150 2.19























Tartaruga Proven & Probable Measured & Indicated Inferred



Tonnes (000) Au Grade (g/t) Au oz (000) Cut-off (g/t) Tonnes (000) Au Grade (g/t) Au oz (000) Tonnes (000) Au Grade (g/t) Au oz (000) Cut-off (g/t)

Tartaruga













6,451 1.63 337 0.5 Total Tartargua













6,451 1.63 337



As at June 30, 2017; Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves * The June 2017 Tap AB UG Resource includes 173kt @ 4.68g/t of Inferred Oxide in the Inferred fresh category

APPENDIX B  Great Panther  Resources

Measured Tonnes Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) Cu (%) Ag (oz) Au (oz) Ag Eq Oz San Ignacio 801,468 142 3.09 - - - 3,655,447 79,724 9,283,955 Guanajuato 170,978 227 1.5 - - - 1,245,568 8,268 1,829,281 Topia 180,400 606 1.44 4.26 4.52 - 3,515,800 8,332 6,000,200 Coricancha 404,205 210 5.94 2.16 3.43 0.54 2,731,628 77,244 13,490,000 Total Measured

11,148,443 173,568 30,603,436 Indicated

















San Ignacio 196,949 139 2.68 - - - 878,805 16,991 2,078,368 Guanajuato 43,929 215 1.25 - - - 383,530 2,088 428,190 Topia 165,800 644 1.17 4.75 3.82 - 3,437,712 6,243 5,570,000 Coricancha 348,554 189 5.59 1.95 3.05 0.52 2,120,168 62,636 10,710,000 Total Indicated

6,820,215 87,958 18,786,558 Total Measured & Indicated

17,968,658 261,526 49,389,994 Inferred

















San Ignacio 573,431 130 2.44 - - - 2,395,220 44,911 5,565,972 Guanajuato 158,846 136 2.04 - - - 694,917 10,432 1,431,334 Topia 357,400 592 1.31 3.44 3.96 - 6,806,791 15,060 11,050,000 Coricancha 943,160 209 5.02 1.45 3.25 0.64 6,335,000 152,200 28,260,000 El Horcon 162,140 76 3.44 2.69 3.79 - 398,094 17,942 2,092,913 Total Inferred

16,630,022 240,545 48,500,219

Notes to Great Panther  Resources:

Full NI 43-101 disclosure of Mineral Resource Estimates can be found in Great Panther's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2017, available on SEDAR.

San Ignacio and Guanajuato Mineral Resource Estimates use an effective date of August 31, 2017; and all used a metal price outlook of US$17.00/oz silver and US$1,300/oz gold. Matthew Wunder, P. Geo., was the Qualified Person for the mineral resource update under NI 43-101.

Topia uses an effective date of November 30, 2014 - US$1,200/oz Au, US$17.00/oz Ag, US$0.90/lb Pb, and US$0.95/lb Zn. Silver equivalent calculations used the same metal pricing. Silver equivalent calculations for El Horcon include lead content but not zinc, as the zinc would not be recovered in the Guanajuato plant. Robert F. Brown, P. Eng. is designated as the Qualified Person under NI 43-101.

Coricancha uses an effective date of December 20, 2017. Matthew Wunder, P. Geo., was the Qualified Person for the mineral resource update under NI 43-101.

Notes for Coricancha Mineral Resource Estimates:

1. Cut-offs are based on an estimated $140 Net Smelter Return ("NSR") per tonne 2. Metal prices used to calculate NSR: $1,300 per ounce (oz) Au, $17/oz Ag, $1.15 per pound (lb) Pb, $1.50/lb Zn,

$3.00/lb Cu 3. Block model grades converted to United States Dollars (US$) value using plant recoveries of 92.1% Ag, 80.2% Au, 77.3% Pb, 82.6% Zn, 52.7% Cu 4. Rock Density for Constancia: 3.3 tonnes per cubic meter (t/m), Wellington, Constancia East, Escondida, San Jose: 3.2 t/m, Colquipallana: 2.9 t/m 5. Totals may not agree due to rounding 6. Grades in metric units 7. All currencies in U.S. dollars 8. Ag equivalent ounces (eq oz) is calculated from gpt data 9. AgEq g/t = Ag g/t + (Pb grade x ((Pb price per lb/Ag price per oz) x 0.0685714 lbs per Troy Ounce x 10000 g per %)) +(Zn grade x ((Zn price per lb/Ag price per oz) x 0.0685714 lbs per Troy Ounce x 10000 g per %)) + (Cu grade x ((Cu price per lb/Ag price per oz) x 0.0685714 lbs per Troy Ounce x 10000 g per %)) + (Au grade x (Au price per oz/Ag price per oz)) 10. See Great Panther Silver's news release dated December 20, 2017 for further details

SOURCE Great Panther Silver Limited

Related Links

http://www.greatpanther.com

DENVER, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- HomeSphere, a leader in construction technology, has been named the top construction and engineering company in Colorado by ColoradoBiz Magazine.

Competing against hundreds of nominees, HomeSphere was recognized for its innovative product  a digital marketplace that facilitates connections between homebuilders and product manufacturers  as well as its notable achievements, challenges it surmounted, strong financial performance and commitment to building a better Colorado.

According to HomeSphere CEO Glenn Renner, "We have integrated a winning combination of our unique data, highly effective programs, experienced people in major construction markets, and the newest technology to better serve the residential homebuilding community."

Already the leading platform connecting residential builders and building product manufacturers through people, programs and technology, HomeSphere rolled out a paradigm-changing platform in late 2017. Lauded by customers and the industry, the new platform allows the company to create a digital inventory of the products in every home built by their more than 2,500 participating builders.

HomeSphere was also recognized for its commitment to help Coloradans have a safe and affordable home. Its team of 63 employees supports severely wounded Colorado veterans through the nonprofit Homes For Our Troops (HFOT). The HomeSphere team fundraises for the non-profit, helps to build the modified homes, and connects HFOT with manufacturers that want to donate in-kind supplies.

The ColoradoBiz Award for top Construction and Engineering Company marks the third award HomeSphere has won in 2018. It was included in Constructech's list of Top 50 Construction Tech Companies of 2018 and its new homebuilder system was named Constructech Magazine's 2018 Top Residential Product.

About HomeSphere

HomeSphere is the construction industry's only direct channel to the largest community of homebuilders in the United States. Builders use HomeSphere's tools and services to discover the right products for the homes they build, earn incentives on more than 1,500 building products from foundation to finish, and develop long-lasting relationships with building product manufacturers. HomeSphere's 2,500 builder members construct and close over 17 percent of all homes built.

Media Contacts:

Liz Polson, HomeSphere

[email protected]

Tracy Henderson, Center Reach Communication

[email protected]

SOURCE HomeSphere

Related Links

http://www.homesphere.com

ALAMO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- GridBright announced today the completion of its new report on how distributed energy resources (DERs) will gradually impact transmission grid and market operations as penetration grows within the underlying distribution systems. The report also recommends strategies and solutions for dealing with those challenges.

The report, "Impacts on Transmission System Operations when Integrating Distributed Energy Resources" is the result of a year-long collaborative research study by GridBright and CEATI International. The research was sponsored and supported by the Members of CEATI Power System Planning & Operation Program, including Alberta Electricity System Operator, the Bonneville Power Administration, the New York Power Authority, and San Diego Gas & Electric.

DERs are small-scale generation, storage, and demand response technologies installed by electric customers to reduce their utility electric bill. Larger scale DERs can also be owned and operated by utilities or third-party service providers and connected directly to the distribution network. The penetration rates of DERs continue to grow in number and magnitude, impacting utilities in unprecedented ways.

The study report identifies the major impacts on transmission operations when integrating DERs, and outlines appropriate solutions for each. The solutions range from simple technology upgrades, to more dramatic system architecture and work process changes to support higher DER penetration rates. The final 154-page report also provides utilities with a maturity model, a gap assessment framework, and a roadmap to guide operational improvement strategies. It is a follow-up to one published by the team last year  "Impacts of DER on Distribution Operations". Summary presentations of these reports are available at GridBright.com.

"Our research results provide a comprehensive DER integration framework that can be applied to the unique situation of each utility to identify the steps they should take to get better at managing DER," said Alex Mogilevsky, the T&D Program Director at CEATI.

GridBright and CEATI continue to collaborate in DER integration research by applying the DER integration framework to specific utilities in North America. GridBright CTO Travis Rouillard will present a summary of the research at the General Meeting of CEATI in Anaheim, California on October 1, 2018.

About GridBright, Inc. | GridBright is the grid management specialists of the utility industry. GridBright helps the electric industry improve grid operations through smarter solutions for managing resiliency, distributed resources, and renewables. To learn more, visit GridBright.com.

About CEATI | The Centre for Energy Advancement through Technological Innovation (CEATI) is an international user-driven organization committed to providing technology solutions to its electrical utility participants, who are brought together to collaborate and act jointly to advance the industry through the sharing and developing of practical and applicable knowledge. To learn more, visit CEATI.com.

SOURCE GridBright, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.gridbright.com

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- HSA administrators, Clarity Benefit Solutions, explains how to increase HDHP participation with its Ready for Life HSA.

Clarity's Ready For Life HSA is an HSA that offers all the benefits of a standard HSA, plus one unique advantage for employers and their employees: a built-in payroll advance to cover employees' unexpected medical expenses. It's instant and automatic, so employers can give their employees added peace of mind as well as the confidence that they can keep expenses under control. Employees must be registered for a High Deductible, High Premium Plan to be eligible for an HSA, so it is vital to communicate the numerous benefits of the Ready For Life HSA to employees. This will boost HDHP participation.

First, since Ready For Life is an HSA, it is a powerful, portable way to enjoy triple-tax advantaged savings that roll over from year to year, so employees can prepare for the future. By filling in the gap between an employee's HSA contribution and his or her deductible, it makes HDHPs more attractiveallowing employees to save money.

Ready For Life may also increase overall participation in HSA accounts. Ready For Life is a perfect tool for employers to help their employees transition to HDHP planswhile lowering their own costs. Employers decide the advance amount, eligibility, terms of repayment, and how to handle terminated employees with a balance.

This means that employees since do not have to tap into their checking account or use a credit card. This may make HDHPs more attractive to employees, which employers could use as leverage to attract fresh talent.

If an employee incurs a medical expense, but doesn't have the money in his or her HSA to pay for it, the employee uses the Ready for Life HSA (instead of a savings account or credit card). Ready For Life kicks in with an on-demand, interest-free payroll advance funded by the employer. The advance is automatically paid back through small, sustainable deductions from the employee's paycheckjust a few dollars each pay period. Clarity automates the entire payback process by creating an employee paycheck deduction in the employer's payroll system (with built-in integration to the client's payroll provider).

About Clarity Benefit Solutions: Clarity Benefit Solutions provides technology that makes the health insurance plan selection process fast, easy, and straightforward. For over two decades, we have provided clients with industry-leading technology, compliance, and exceptional customer service. Our offering is designed to save time and lower the costs of managing benefits while also promoting employee self-service and automated ACA compliance.

Media Contact

Calvin Clark

[email protected]

SOURCE Clarity Benefit SolutionsBOSTON, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The new report from IDTechEx Research, Drones 2018-2038: Components, Technologies, Roadmaps, Market Forecasts, provides a comprehensive analysis of the drone market, considering components, technologies, application roadmaps and markets.

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the drone market, considering components, technologies, application roadmaps and markets. This report takes short-, medium- and long-term views. More specifically it provides the following:

Forecasts including, in no particular order, consumer, agriculture, real estate, inspection, emergency, construction, delivery/logistic, people-carrying drones, etc. We are also including historical data/estimates. For more details and exact numbers see Drones 2018-2038: Components, Technologies, Roadmaps, Market Forecasts. Market forecasts in value are included in the report.

Business trends in the drone industry: IDTechEx consider annual investment in 120 drone hardware and/or software companies, clearly showing that investment rose rapidly then peaked, consistent with the hype curve. The report also clearly shows that the composition of the investment shifted, emphasizing software/service at the expense of the commoditized hardware. The impact of the price wars in the drone business landscape is explored. Here the report shows that the leading suppliers effectively forced an industry consolidation, leaving others with no choice but to give up their hardware play and/or to rethink their strategies to find a differentiated offering in a specific commercial drone and/or software/service space. Insights are offered into how future dynamics are likely to unfold.

Drone technology/components: The existing drone technology is quantitively analyzed with more than 60 drones analyzed to understand trends in drone prices, drone sizes, battery chemistries/capacities, flight times and ranges, body material compositions, various navigational or applicational sensors, electric motor capacity, electronic speed controllers and so on. This chapter provides a quantitative understanding of the drone technology as it is today at both the drone and the drone component levels.

Sensors in drones: Two key trends are considered. The first is the evolution towards full beyond-line-of-sight autonomous navigation. The second is the evolution of drones well beyond just flying photography cameras. For the first trend, a roadmap is developed showing how the on-board sensors and the supporting infrastructure need to evolve to achieve full autonomy. To this end, also considered are IMUs, GPS, camera, infrared, ultrasound, radar and LIDAR sensors. For the second trend sensors such as thermal, multispectral, hyperspectral, gas and other sensors are covered.

Software and analytics: Software and analytics are key to drones. In this study, three tiers of software are considered: flight control, mission planning & management, and data analytics. For each tier, the evolution of capability, covering the past, the present and the future is considered. For example, for flight control the report examines how the capability is evolving from basic remote-control towards full autonomous flight via see-avoid/track etc. The roadmap of software for each application sector is explored. Here too the past, the present, and the future are all assessed, outlining the software capabilities today and those of the future. The timelines involved reflect IDTechEx's understanding of the technology and its challenges. Furthermore, the impact of open source and the recent partnerships in this landscape are examined.

Regulation: The report provides a brief overview of the past and the present of regulation in key territories before offering insights into how the regulations might and should be evolved. Regulations currently impose many constraints on drones, shaping their potential market in various applications. Furthermore, technology capability is currently pushing ahead of regulation, therefore legislators worldwide have difficult calls to make to ensure the right balance between commercial interest, public safety and personal privacy.

Applications: The report considers more than 12 drone commercial applications including agricultural, research & rescue, inspection, delivery/logistics, real estate, construction, people-carrying, etc. The readiness and hype level of each application is analyzed. We assess the drone's value proposition and challenges in each application. Furthermore, a roadmap is provided, outlining the status of drones in each sector today and considering its short-, medium- and long-term futures. This analysis feeds into the timelines which IDTechEx use in their market forecasts.

Market forecasts (application-level): Short-, medium- and long-term forecasts are provided, in value and unit numbers, for the following sectors:

Consumer

Agriculture (hardware and software)

Real estate

Inspection (hardware and software)

Emergency

Construction

Construction software

Delivery

People carrying

To develop the forecasts, IDTechEx carefully assesses the technology adoption curve of drones in each market. Their insight and research enable them to estimate the size and position of drones in the technology adoption of each industry. They also build in reasonable replacement cycles in their models. All this enables them to build forecast models, providing short-, medium- and long-term forecasts for drones in unit numbers and value.

Market forecasts (component level): Short-, medium- and long-term forecasts are provided in value and unit numbers for the following drone components:

Electronic speed control (low-, mid- and high-rate)

Electric motor (low-, mid-, and high-power)

Navigation Sensors

IMU

Camera (Navigation)

Camera (FPV)

GPS

Radar

LIDAR

ADS

etc.

Other

Camera (Filming)

Thermal Camera

Multispectral Camera

Gimbal

etc.

Company profiles: IDTechEx research is based upon extensive primary and secondary research. They interview many companies in the business. In this report, full profiles are provided for around 30 drone companies including Agribotix, Deadalean, TwingTec, Yuneec, UniFly, UAV Factory, Precision Hawk, Aerovironment, Autel Robotics, Ehang, Exyn technologies, Flyability, Parrot, DJI, Airware, 3D Robotics, Aeryon Lab, DroneShield, vHive, Hoversurf, Nightingale Security, Sky-Futures, OPTELOS, SiteAware, Kray Technologies, DelairTech, Mothership Aero.

Media Contact:

Charlotte Martin

Marketing & Research Coordinator

[email protected]

+44(0)1223 821300

Related Images

unit-numbers-forecasts-for-drones.jpg

Unit numbers forecasts for drones in various applications

Forecasts including, in no particular order, consumer, agriculture, real estate, inspection, emergency, construction, delivery/logistic, people-carrying drones, etc. We are also including historical data/estimates. For more details and exact numbers see Drones 2018-2038: Components, Technologies, Roadmaps, Market Forecasts. Market forecasts in value are included in the report.

market-for-various-components-in.jpg

Market for various components in drones

The legends are ordered alphabetically and do not correspond to the figure. For more details and exact numbers see Drones 2018-2038: Components, Technologies, Roadmaps, Market Forecasts.

Related Links

Further IDTechEx Research

IDTechEx Show!

SOURCE IDTechExAlanna Kelly

Thirty-six riders made their way back to Kelowna after a long 10 day bike ride over 1,000 kilometres, feeling a tad bit sore and filled with gratitude.

This years Cops for Kids was the most successful ride yet.

Riders cycled to the hearts of 29 communities to raise money for children in medical, physical or traumatic crisis.

There was pretty intense weather, but they were really pumped that they are out there raising money, said assistant district officer with the RCMP Southeast district Ray Carfantan.

Kelowna Const. Macklin McCall took part in his first ride and said every police officer should join.

The most significant thing was in these communities getting to meet the families you are benefiting and then they share their stories, said McCall.

Its life-changing it is pretty amazing stuff.

McCall said he contemplated doing the ride before and it was just as difficult as he was anticipating.

It was extremely difficult, I really should have done more practice, he said.

McCall said he will be back next year.

I am going to train from this moment right now until the day I leave, he said with a laugh.

The largest team in the foundations history worked together to raise $440,000, which goes directly to the children. The total includes funds raised through the musical ride as well.

RCMP Cpl. Jesse ODonaghey said riders individually raised over $175,000 as a team this year, the largest fundraising effort in the event's history.

Riders battled challenging weather including hail and rain, but it was all worth it to give back to the communities.

Funds raised from the event support children who require transportation to medical treatment outside their home community, medical supplies, specialized therapies, learning tools and mobility aids.

There is still time to donate and it can be done at this link.MEXICO CITY, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Grupo Financiero Inbursa ("Inbursa"), the fourth largest financial group in Mexico, in partnership with Kaligo Solutions, the global leader in loyalty innovation, today announced the launch of a global points transfer offering, connecting their loyalty programme Recompensas Inbursa to a large selection of airline and hotel loyalty programmes worldwide.

Leveraging Kaligo Solutions' industry-leading TransferConnect marketplace, Inbursa now offers its 2.1 million cardholders a broad selection of international hotel and airline transfer partners, with whom they can transfer their Inbursa Points and enjoy a previously unmatched one-point to one-mile conversion ratio.

This launch marks a move from Inbursa to cater more to its premium high-spend customer segments and to expand its brand presence internationally. The launch of international points transfer options particularly appeals to cardholders that travel and spend extensively in international markets for both business and leisure.

"Through this partnership with Kaligo we are able to offer new opportunities and exciting benefits to our cardholders," expressed Javier Foncerrada, CEO of Inbursa. "This will clearly result in more satisfied customers who will be able to travel worldwide thanks to our loyalty program."

"We are delighted to welcome Inbursa to the TransferConnect marketplace," said Kyle Armstrong, CEO of Kaligo Solutions. "Our strategic partnership helps Inbursa build a value proposition that clearly differentiates itself in the eyes of affluent credit cardholders and offers an exciting opportunity for us to contribute to the growth of their loyalty programme."

TransferConnect by Kaligo Solutions is the world's leading loyalty currency exchange platform dedicated to connecting financial services brands with frequent traveller rewards programmes globally.

About Inbursa

Inbursa is Mexico's fourth largest financial group with operations in the financial, insurance, credit services and private pension plan sector. Inbursa has over 900 branches and outlet branches nationwide, a sales force of more than 30,000, and operates in every state in Mexico.

Inbursa provides, amongst others, banking and credit services to the corporate, governmental and retail segments of the economy. Inbursa seeks to offer its customers a wide range of products while providing high levels of service.

For more information on Grupo Financiero Inbursa, please visit www.inbursa.com

About Kaligo Solutions

Kaligo Solutions is operated by Kaligo Pte Ltd., the global leader for innovative loyalty technology. Established in Singapore in 2014 with offices across APAC, Europe and the Americas, Kaligo Solutions enables 70+ of the world's leading loyalty programmes to drive engagement through highly innovative and purpose-driven rewards experiences.

With custom-built solutions including the market-leading TransferConnect marketplace and TravelEdge white label suite, as well as loyalty enablement and management services, Kaligo supercharges the world's leading loyalty programmes with delightful experiences that build deep and lasting customer relationships.

For more information about Kaligo Solutions, please visit www.kaligosolutions.com or contact media relations at [email protected]

SOURCE Kaligo Solutions

Related Links

http://www.kaligosolutions.com

IndoSpace, India's largest industrial real estate company, joins forces with GLP, the global leader in modern logistics ecosystems

Partnership marks GLP's entry into India

MUMBAI, India, Sept. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- IndoSpace, the largest industrial real estate company in India, and GLP, the leading global provider of modern logistics facilities and technology-led solutions, have established a long-term partnership. GLP will partner with IndoSpace and also co-invest in IndoSpace's managed investment vehicles. The partnership enables IndoSpace to leverage GLP's fund management, development and operational expertise and resources, as well as GLP's extensive global customer network, to further strengthen IndoSpace's leadership position in India.

IndoSpace has an established platform with over US$2 billion in assets under management today and plans to raise additional capital to build out a pipeline of approximately 120 million square feet of modern logistics infrastructure. Demand for logistics facilities in India is driven by economic expansion, growth in organized retail and e-commerce, and the modernization of India's supply chain, underpinned by favorable government policies, such as the Goods and Services Tax and the 'Make in India' initiative.

Through this partnership, GLP will also become an investor in IndoSpace Core, a joint venture established in 2017 by IndoSpace and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) that is focused on acquiring and developing modern logistics facilities in India. CPPIB initially committed approximately US$500 million to IndoSpace Core and owns a significant majority stake in the Core vehicle.

Sameer Sain, Co-Founder and CEO of the Everstone Group (co-founder of IndoSpace), said, "IndoSpace is excited to partner with GLP, the global leader in the logistics space. GLP's expertise, scale, technology and global relationships will give us a massive advantage and enable us to deliver significant value to our customers and investors."

Ming Mei, Co-Founder and CEO of GLP, said, "This partnership is highly strategic and mutually beneficial. IndoSpace is an experienced partner which shares similar values and culture as GLP. It provides us with immediate scale to capitalize on the early growth stages of India's rapidly modernizing logistics landscape and further expand our logistics ecosystem."

About IndoSpace

IndoSpace (www.indospace.in) is the pioneer and largest provider of modern industrial and logistics real estate in India and currently has 30 industrial and logistics parks across India. It is promoted by the Everstone Group (www.everstonecapital.com) and Realterm (www.Realterm.com). The Everstone Group is a premier India and South East Asia focused private equity and real estate firm. Realterm is a multi-strategy private equity real estate operator in North America.

About GLP

GLP (www.glprop.com) is the leading global provider of modern logistics facilities and technology-led solutions, with over US$50 billion in assets under management across its real estate and private equity segments. The Company's real estate fund platform is one of the largest in the world, spanning approximately 700 million square feet.

For more information

IndoSpace

Karan Anand

Corporate Communications

Tel: +91-98333-72732

[email protected]



GLP



Ambika Goel, CFA

SVP - Capital Markets

Tel: +65-6643-6372

[email protected]

SOURCE GLP

Related Links

http://www.indospace.in

ROMEOVILLE, Ill., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrity Manufacturing, Inc., a leading provider of quality metal stamping, job shop, and assembly work for multiple industries, announces its launch as a woman-owned, American-made business. Integrity Manufacturing obtained a great limited asset/limited liability agreement with a 50-year-old manufacturing company in Downers Grove. Contrast to many new businesses Integrity opens its doors with an established customer base and expanded services, two additional plants in Chicago and one in Los Angeles. Integrity differentiates from competitors with their project management services for its clients, in addition to producing a full range of manufactured metal parts. Request a tour and see for yourself 847-348-8512.

Company owner and President Cheryl Wellman, originally a key player at Lindy Manufacturing, says that project management is a natural off-shoot of being a woman-owned manufacturing business.

"The trend of women in manufacturing is growing, and it reflects on the fact that women are at the forefront of how the market is changing," she says. "Manufacturers are more than providers of goods: we also advise and support our customers, and that allows for long-term relationships and the development of customized solutions."

Both Wellman and Integrity's Vice President, Holly Barajas, held multiple positions within Lindy Manufacturing and worked closely on projects from beginning to end. She oversaw all aspects of production, shipping, and customer service, in addition to marketing and plant management. Both partners see their broad experience as invaluable to providing the metal stamping business with its consulting angle.

"For projects that involve coordinating multiple steps and outsourcing additional components, it makes sense for both us and the client," says Wellman. "We want the best materials to ensure that a project achieves optimal results. For our client, the logistics of coordinating everything can be labor-intensive, and we can help streamline that process and reduce overall costs."

The decision to create the new company included joining forces with another Lindy Manufacturing employee, Sean Stack, who currently serves as Integrity's General Manager.

"Our goal for Integrity is to take American manufacturing to a new level," says Wellman. "That means putting a priority on quality and innovation, giving our employees the training and support they need, and working collaboratively with both them and our clients."

About Integrity Manufacturing

Integrity Manufacturing is a leading provider of quality metal stamping, finishing, and assembly work for multiple industries, offering a full range of customized services that include metal stamping prototyping, tool build/repair, tumbling, plating, painting, welding, fabricating, and heat treating. With over 100 years of combined experience in the manufacturing industry, Integrity's consulting division also provides an unparalleled level of support to help customers grow their business, including corporate strategy, project management, operations management, process improvement, lean manufacturing, and employee training/development.

Integrity Manufacturing, Inc. 1351 Enterprise Dr., Romeoville, IL 60446 | www.integritymfginc.com

SOURCE Integrity Manufacturing, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.integritymfginc.com

New iWave-Salesforce integration delivers enhanced reporting, greater data visibility and more efficient communication between systems

CHARLOTTETOWN, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - iWave, an industry-leading fundraising intelligence platforms, is pleased to announce an upgraded version of its iWave for Salesforce app on Salesforce AppExchange. In addition to several other new features, this version offers nonprofits using Salesforce more visibility of iWave data in Salesforce, improved communication between the two systems, and enhanced reporting capabilities.

iWave for Salesforce enriches users' Salesforce data with iWave's one billion philanthropic and wealth records to help users quickly develop a 360 view of the best potential donors. With customizable settings designed to suit any fundraising goal, iWave empowers nonprofit Salesforce users to work smarter and raise more charitable donations.

Built on the Salesforce Platform, iWave for Salesforce is currently available on AppExchange at https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=a0N3000000DpjLTEAZ.

"We are happy to see iWave make great strides with its enhanced iWave for Salesforce application," said Val Cassidy, Global Head of ISV, Salesforce.org. "It's exciting to have AppExchange apps extend our Nonprofit Cloud, which provides 360-degree solutions for every aspect of a nonprofit's mission."

The latest version of the iWave for Salesforce app enables improves functionality. The updated app can:

Promote new leads from an iWave profile to a Salesforce lead record; Update prospect scores within iWave and push those updates to Salesforce contacts; Provide enhanced reporting, including reports on charitable donations, business affiliations, real estate holdings, and more; Provide more readily available iWave data in Salesforce, so you can work more efficiently and gain a more holistic view of prospects.

"We are always striving to improve the iWave app because it's what clients deserve and expect," said Trent Beattie, VP of Channel Partners for iWave. "The latest version provides an improved integration experience between the two platforms. It also offers clients new ways to build reports and combine iWave data with Salesforce analytics to better identify new fundraising opportunities."

Salesforce.org is working closely with iWave in its positioning of Nonprofit Cloud for specific fundraising and engagement needs for customers of a certain size. Nonprofit Cloud is a unified platform offered exclusively to nonprofits to help them track and manage data about constituents, fundraising, programs, and mission impact.

In September, iWave will attend Dreamforce in San Francisco, the most inspiring technology event of the year. This will be iWave's third appearance at Dreamforce. If you're planning to attend, drop by the iWave booth in the Salesforce.org lodge to learn more. For more information about the event and registration, please visit the Dreamforce website and subscribe to iWave emails for Dreamforce updates.

To get started with iWave for Salesforce you can get a free demo or learn more on the Salesforce Appexchange.

About Salesforce AppExchange

Salesforce AppExchange, the world's leading enterprise cloud marketplace, empowers companies to sell, service, market and engage in entirely new ways. With more than 5,000 solutions, 6 million customer installs and 80,000 peer reviews, it is the most comprehensive source of cloud, mobile, social, IoT, analytics and artificial intelligence technologies for businesses.

Additional Resources

Like Salesforce on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/salesforce

Follow Salesforce on Twitter: https://twitter.com/salesforce

Become a fan of iWave: https://www.facebook.com/iWavePRO/

Follow iWave on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iWavePRO?lang=en

Salesforce, AppExchange and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.

About Salesforce.org: Salesforce.org was founded on the idea that the business of business is improving the state of the world. Founded on the 1-1-1 model, Salesforce.org is now both a non-profit and a social enterprise that gives back to the community to invest in education to make sure youth are future ready.

Everyone who wants to change the world should have the tools and technology to do so. Technology is the most powerful equalizer of our time, providing access to data, knowledge, and--above all--connections. Salesforce.org gets technology in the hands of nonprofits, education institutions and philanthropic organizations so they can connect with others and do more good. As a social enterprise, the more missions the technology supports, the more the company invests back into technology and communities, creating an endless circle of good.

About iWave: iWave is a top-rated fundraising intelligence platform because it enables development departments to fundraise with confidence. Our solutions help you determine who to ask, how much to ask for, and when to ask through scoring, screening, and intel on your prospective donor's capacity and inclination to give. Since 1991, over 6000 clients have been using iWave to power their development efforts.

SOURCE iWave

Related Links

http://www.iwave.com

"There is a role for everyone to play in suicide prevention. By partnering with the ACEP we will be able to reach people at risk for suicide. With the online tool and awards program, AFSP and ACEP will be able to scale up best practices and identify new approaches to suicide prevention in EDs across the nation. Through our chapter network, AFSP has the ability to reach hospitals and urgent care centers and employ approaches for identifying and treating suicide that will save lives," said Christine Moutier, MD, AFSP chief medical officer. The organizations' innovative partnership highlights a key focus of AFSP's Project 2025, which aims to reduce the annual suicide rate by 20 percent by 2025.

Local EDs will be able to submit applications to the award program highlighting their current use of innovative approaches to suicide prevention. These applications will be reviewed by a selection committee. The award winner will be featured and will work with ACEP and AFSP to share their program with EDs around the country.

"We are pleased to partner with AFSP to address suicide risk, prevention and treatment," said Paul Kivela, MD, MBA, FACEP, president of ACEP. "Emergency departments nationwide are often at the frontlines of the mental health crisis in this country and the new iCAR2E tool will help emergency physicians identify and reduce suicide risks, communicate effectively with patients, and collaborate with other health professionals to extend care as needed beyond the emergency department."

More about Project 2025

AFSP's Project 2025 is focused on four critical areas where evidence points to saving the most lives in the shortest amount of time, one of which is emergency departments. By focusing on EDs, AFSP believes more than 1,100 lives can be saved by 2025. Launched in October 2015, Project 2025 is a high-impact, collaborative initiative developed by AFSP, aimed at achieving the organization's bold goal of reducing the annual suicide rate 20 percent by 2025. Using a dynamic systems model approach based on what the evidence tells us about suicide, AFSP has determined a series of actions and critical areas to help us reach our goal. With this approach we reach across all demographic and sociological groups to have the greatest impact for suicide prevention and the potential to save thousands of lives within the next 10 years. If we work collectively to expand the above interventions in key areas (Firearms, Emergency Departments, Healthcare Systems, and the Corrections System)  cumulatively, we can expect to save nearly 20,000 lives through 2025.



ABOUT ACEP

ACEP is the national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, and with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube .

SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Related Links

http://www.afsp.org

"This gift will have a tremendous impact on our program," said Michael Flood, President and CEO of the Food Bank. "We'd like to thank Albertsons Companies Foundation for selecting us as their charity partner and supporting our efforts to fight hunger and dedication to ensuring that no child has to start their day hungry."

The Food Bank works to acquire nutritious food from a variety of sources such as local farmers, grocery stores and distributors, sorts that food product with the help of more than 30,000 volunteers annually and redistributes that food through a network of more than 650 partner agencies and programs. Community support enables the Food Bank to serve more than 300,000 neighbors in need every month.

Hunger Is, a charitable program of Albertsons Companies Foundation, is designed to build awareness and raise funds in an effort to eradicate childhood hunger in America. Funds raised through Hunger Is focus on adding breakfasts when school is both in and out of session through federal nutrition programs and other means focused on combatting childhood hunger and improving other health-related outcomes.

"It's an honor to support the work of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Every day we learn about organizations that go above and beyond to help people in need," said Shane Dorcheus, Division President of Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions. "Such selfless dedication makes our communities better places to live and work."

Anyone wishing to support the Food Bank through this program can simply go to their local Albertsons, Vons or Pavilions store and make a donation to the Hunger Is program at checkout September 1- 30.

Hunger Is grant recipients are selected with the help of the Hunger Is Advisory Committee (HIAC), comprised of leaders from the most respected hunger advocacy organizations in the U.S. including Feeding America, Food Research & Action Center, Hunger Free America, Share Our Strength, and WhyHunger. The HIAC provides guidance in defining and addressing needs and makes funding recommendations for approval by Albertsons Companies Foundation.

About the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has worked to fight hunger in Los Angeles County since 1973 and has distributed the equivalent of more than 1 billion meals across our community. The Food Bank provides food to more than 300,000 clients on a monthly basis and distributed 70 million pounds of food in 2017 to children, seniors, low-income families, veterans and other neighbors in need. To support the vision that no one goes hungry in Los Angeles County, nutritious food is distributed through a network of more than 650 partner agencies, directly to children through our Children's Backpack and Summer Lunch programs, to approximately 27,000 seniors each month through our Senior Nutrition program and to low-income families and college students through our Mobile Food Pantry. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is a 4-star rated charity by Charity Navigator. For more information, visit lafoodbank.org.

About Hunger Is

Hunger Is, a charitable program of the Albertsons Companies Foundation, is designed to build awareness and raise funds in an effort to eradicate childhood hunger in America. Funds raised through Hunger Is directly benefit programs focused on combating childhood hunger and improving health-related outcomes across the United States.

About Albertsons Companies Foundation

Founded in 2001, Albertsons Companies Foundation, formerly Safeway Foundation, supports causes that impact customers' lives. Albertsons Companies stores provide the opportunity to mobilize funding and create awareness in our neighborhoods through the generous contributions by our customers, our employees' passion and partnerships with our vendors. We focus on giving locally in the areas of health and human services, hunger relief, education and helping people with disabilities. Albertsons Companies and Albertsons Companies Foundation have invested $1 billion in our neighborhoods since 2001. For more information about Albertsons Companies Foundation, visit www.albertsonscompaniesfoundation.org.

Media Contacts:

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

David May

323 234 3030 ext. 134

[email protected]

SOURCE Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

Related Links

http://www.lafoodbank.org

TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- "Manage My Pain," an app that helps people explain their pain patterns to their healthcare providers, will now be offered through Sun Life Financial's digital health community. Through the community, users can download and test out the app on their mobile devices and computers. We are very excited to be partnering with Sun Life in this innovative new digital health community.

Manage My Pain helps patients with chronic pain better understand their condition and communicate with their doctors.

Sun Life's digital health community was created to help Canadians live healthier lives. It features timely and informative health-related content, and a marketplace of innovative health and wellness-related apps, products and services, often with valuable discounts and special offers. "This is a personalized way to connect Canadians with health innovations that matter to them," says Chris Denys, Senior Vice-President, Possibilities, Sun Life Financial. "The idea is to curate emerging digital health products and services to connect Canadians to them, and give them a platform to share their feedback."

"Manage My Pain" helps answer a question from doctors that are commonly heard by sufferers of chronic pain "how has your pain been since I've seen you last?" This is also a question that many find difficult to answer. The app uses patient engagement and analytics to help people track, analyze, and communicate their pain trends to their practitioners. It has been used by over 30,000 chronic pain sufferers and is currently deployed at a number of hospitals across Canada and the United States.

About ManagingLife

ManagingLife is a privately held Corporation based in Toronto, Canada that uses patient engagement and analytics to help chronic pain sufferers and practitioners learn more about their condition and better communicate with each other. ManagingLife's app-based tool, "Manage My Pain" is used by over 30,000 chronic pain sufferers from over 130 countries to record their pain, function, and medication consumption. ManagingLife works with hospitals, clinical trials, and insurers to help healthcare professionals better measure, monitor, and manage their patients' pain and medications.

Press Contact:

Nadia Bashir

(416) 910-3760

[email protected]

SOURCE ManagingLife

Related Links

https://www.managinglife.com

Brunken adds, "We've created a workplace that places a high value on people and relationships. From the healthcare providers that benefit from our products, to the brokers presenting our products, to our employees who are highly skilled professionals that consistently deliver top-notch quality service, we're checking all the boxes for success."

MGIS, based in Salt Lake City Utah, is an organization that enables and encourages employees to develop to their potential in a diverse culture based on trust and integrity.

Best Places to Work in Insurance is an annual sponsored content feature presented by the Custom Publishing unit of Business Insurance and Best Companies Group that lists the agents, brokers, insurance companies and other providers with the highest levels of employee engagement and satisfaction. Harrisburg, Pa.-based Best Companies Group identifies the leading employers in the insurance industry by conducting a free two-part assessment of each company. The first part is a questionnaire completed by the employer about company policies, practices and demographics. The second part is a confidential employee survey on engagement and satisfaction.

The profiles of the winning companies will be unveiled as a sponsored content supplement in the November issue of Business Insurance and online at BusinessInsurance.com.

MGIS is a leading national insurance program manager experienced in building and managing specialized insurance programs for medical professionals. Since its inception in 1969, the company has partnered with the highest rated insurers and has focused exclusively on disability income-replacement and select specialty insurance coverages for medical practices of all sizes and types. Working with select brokers, MGIS manages insurance policies that are backed by Sun Life Financial and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's. Services are provided by the following MGIS affiliated companies: The MGIS Companies, Inc., Medical Group Insurance Services, Inc. (DBA as MGIS Insurance Agency in CA and in NY), and MGIS Underwriting Managers, Inc. (DBA as MGIS Professional Insurance Solutions in CA and MGIS Underwriting Agency in NY).

Business Insurance is the authoritative news and information source for executives concerned about risk and the impact on their business. With information for risk managers, insurers, brokers and other providers of insurance products and services, Business Insurance delivers in-depth analysis on new and emerging risks, case studies of successful programs, market intelligence on trends, and guidance on how to capitalize on opportunities and overcome challenges.

Best Companies Group works with partners to establish "Best Places to Work," "Best Companies," and "Best Employers" programs on a national, state-wide and regional basis. Through its thorough workplace assessment using employer questionnaires and employee satisfaction surveys, Best Companies Group identifies and recognizes companies that have been successful in creating and maintaining workplace excellence.

SOURCE The MGIS Companies, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mgis.com

SEATTLE, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, today announced the launch of Pixel for flood insurance at this year's InsureTech Connect conference in Las Vegas. Pixel is Milliman's market analysis platform for personal residential and now flood insurance.

The web-based, interactive premium comparison tool incorporates Milliman market baskets, geospatial information, subject matter expertise, and advanced analytics to help insurers make informed decisions and drive profitable market growth. Businesses are able to view not only their own data in Pixel, but to also license Milliman's market baskets, which include competitor premiums for hundreds of thousands of policy profiles, all calibrated to represent various state markets for both flood and residential property insurance.

"Startups and smaller companies are interested in entering the growing flood insurance market, but lack the volume of data to price competitively," says Nancy Watkins, a principal and consulting actuary with Milliman. "Pixel for flood provides the data, advanced analytics, and visualization tools needed for sophisticated feasibility, pricing, underwriting, and profitability analyses no matter the size of your business."

Pixel for flood is just one of the many Milliman insurtech products that will be featured at InsureTech Connect this year in Las Vegas. To learn more or see a video about Pixel, go to http://us.milliman.com/pixel/. To learn more about Milliman's insurtech products, visit us at www.milliman.com/insurtech or at InsureTech Connect at booth 607 in the MGM Grand Conference Center.

About Milliman

Milliman is among the world's largest providers of actuarial, risk management and technology solutions. Our consulting and advanced analytics capabilities encompass healthcare, property & casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services, and employee benefits. Founded in 1947, Milliman is an independent firm with offices in major cities around the globe. For further information, visit milliman.com.

SOURCE Milliman, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.milliman.com

MENLO PARK, Calif., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The drive to work may be driving some professionals to quit, suggests new research from global staffing firm Robert Half. More than one in five employees (23 percent) have left a job because of a bad commute. Among workers in the 28 U.S. cities surveyed, respondents in Chicago, Miami, New York and San Francisco have most often resigned for this reason.

In a new Robert Half survey, 23% of workers said they've left a job due to a bad commute. Respondents in Chicago, Miami, New York and San Francisco have most often resigned for this reason. See the full infographic here: https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/compensation-and-benefits/us-workers-hit-the-road.

While 39 percent of professionals reported their travel to and from the office has improved over the past five years, 22 percent said the trip has gotten worse. Of those who noted a negative change in their commute, 60 percent said their company has not taken steps to reduce the burden on employees.

View an infographic about commutes. Data tables with a breakdown of the results by gender and age are also available.

Workers were asked, "Have you left a job because you had a bad commute?" Their responses:

Yes 23% No 77%

100%

Workers were also asked, "Has your commute gotten better or worse over the last five years?" Their responses:

Better 39% Worse 22% No change 39%

100%

Additional findings:

Professionals ages 18 to 34 (34 percent) have most often left a job because of their journey to and from the office, compared to those ages 35 to 54 (24 percent) and 55 and older (12 percent). Twenty-eight percent of male employees have quit due to a bad commute, versus 20 percent of women.

Workers in Miami (66 percent), Los Angeles (58 percent), New York (53 percent) and Charlotte (46 percent) noted the greatest improvement in the trip to work in the past five years.

(66 percent), (58 percent), (53 percent) and Charlotte (46 percent) noted the greatest improvement in the trip to work in the past five years. More professionals ages 18 to 34 (56 percent) said their commute to the office has improved over the last five years than those ages 35 to 54 (37 percent) and 55 and older (24 percent).

Sixty-six percent of women said their company hasn't taken action to address employees' commute concerns versus 51 percent of men.

"Commutes can have a major impact on morale and, ultimately, an employee's decision to stay with or leave a job," said Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half. "In today's candidate-driven market, skilled workers can have multiple offers on the table. Professionals may not need to put up with a lengthy or stressful trip to the office if there are better options available."

McDonald added, "To help ease commuting woes, companies can offer remote work options, flexible scheduling or transportation amenities."

About the Research

The survey was developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. It includes responses from more than 2,800 workers 18 years of age or older and employed in office environments in 28 major U.S. cities.

About Robert Half

Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm. The company has more than 300 staffing locations worldwide and offers job search services at roberthalf.com. For additional career and management advice, visit the Robert Half blog at roberthalf.com/blog.

SOURCE Robert HalfPhoto: The Canadian Press

Actor James Woods has been locked out of his Twitter account over a tweet he sent out months ago that was found to be in violation of Twitter's rules.

The tweet was posted July 20 and includes a hoax meme that said it came from Democrats and encouraged men not to vote in the midterm elections. Woods got an email from Twitter on Thursday saying the tweet "has the potential to be misleading in a way that could impact an election." The email says Woods can use his account again if he deletes the tweet.

In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, Woods said this means he'll be allowed back on Twitter only if he decides to do what Twitter says. He says he won't do that, and he won't delete the tweet.

"Free speech is free speech  it's not Jack Dorsey's version of free speech," Woods said, referring to Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey.

Twitter said it doesn't comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons. A spokesman for the social media platform said by email that he had nothing more to share when asked if Dorsey would respond directly to Wood's comments.

"The irony is, Twitter accused me of affecting the political process, when in fact, their banning of me is the truly egregious interference," Woods said. "Because now, having your voice smothered is much more disturbing than having your vocal chords slit. If you want to kill my free speech, man up and slit my throat with a knife, don't smother me with a pillow."

Woods said if he deletes the tweet, it would force him to watch his step with everything he says in the future, chilling free speech. The email Woods received from Twitter said Woods would be suspended from the social media platform permanently if there are repeated abuses.

He noted that his original tweet was reposted by his girlfriend on Friday and had been retweeted thousands of times by Sunday. His girlfriend's account wasn't locked, which he said was proof that he'd been singled out because of his large Twitter following.

Woods, who has more than 100 acting credits to his name and starred in several movies including "Salvador," ''Ghosts of Mississippi" and "Casino," has more than 1.7 million Twitter followers and is known for his conservative political views. His Twitter page is still online, though he can't access it. Many of his recent tweets include his views of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her decades ago.

The meme that Woods posted in July said #LetWomenDecide and #NoMenMidterm. It claimed to be from a Democratic group, but it was determined to be a hoax campaign to encourage liberal men not to vote in November, according to the website knowyourmeme.com.

Woods called it a parody. In his tweet, he acknowledged the meme likely wasn't real, saying: "Pretty scary that there is a distinct possibility this could be real. Not likely, but in this day and age of absolute liberal insanity, it is at least possible ..."

The tweet is considered to be material that would suppress votes or deliberately deceive, and was found to be in violation of Twitter rules.

Social media companies like Twitter have come under pressure to get hate speech and posts that could influence elections offline, learning quickly that they can't please everyone as they try to act as gatekeepers of discourse. Dorsey testified before the GOP-led House Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this month, as the committee examined whether Twitter has censored conservatives.

The AP reached Woods on Sunday through his girlfriend's Twitter account. After he shared information over messaging, he agreed to have a FaceTime conversation so the AP could verify his identity.

Woods said he wants open discourse, and called the situation a dangerous one for free speech.

"I wish this were about an unknown Twitter user so that I could be even more passionate about it," Woods said. "This is not about a celebrity being muzzled. This is about an American being silenced  one tweet at a time."Driven by industry demand for a robust, easy to implement system, Thermo Fisher Scientific designed the Thermo Scientific ISQ EM single quadrupole mass spectrometer for high performance and productivity standards in laboratories. With a mass range of 10-2000 m/z, the system offers the power to detect and quantify small and large molecules, and supports analytical needs across an extensive range of applications  from drug development to manufacturing support and quality control. The system's high-performing heated electrospray ionization (HESI) and dual HESI/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) probes facilitate the measurement of polar and non-polar analytes, enabling application flexibility.

"Liquid chromatography users have been struggling with the inherent perceived complexities of mass spectrometry technology as they use LC-MS to routinely analyze samples," said Fabrizio Moltoni, vice president and general manager, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Thermo Fisher Scientific. "With this top of mind, we designed the ISQ EM to enable novice and expert mass spectrometry users to take advantage of the technique's excellent sensitivity and selectivity for the rapid and reliable analysis of complex sample matrices."

"We've long been looking for a single quadrupole mass spectrometer that could allow us to obtain substantial information from routine samples, and thereby permits single assay runs, reliably tracks emerging impurities and quickly confirms the mass of newly synthesized entities," said Lydia Sweet, senior analytical chemist, Sachem, Inc. "The new ISQ EM addresses all of these needs, while being easy-to-use for the scientists in our lab."

The ISQ EM is integrated with the HPLC and fully controlled by Thermo Scientific Chromeleon Chromatography Data System (CDS), which offers tools to guide users through LC-MS method development and select appropriate source conditions. Thermo Scientific Chromeleon XPS Open Access software also supports the ISQ EM with walk-up workflows for simple daily operation. Additionally, full integration with native control in Chromeleon CDS enables users to benefit from the entire productivity suite, from method creation through final reporting. A built-in reference standard also automates instrument calibration for a user-friendly experience.

Thermo Fisher is showcasing the new instrument at the 32nd International Symposium on Chromatography (ISC) 2018 at Booth #16, the Congress and Exhibition Centre, Cannes-Mandelieu, France, September 23-27. The introduction of the ISQ EM further expands the product portfolio introduced in 2017 with the launch of the Thermo Scientific ISQ EC single quadrupole mass spectrometer. The ISQ EC was designed to integrate with both ion chromatography and liquid chromatography systems and deliver low-molecular-weight performance for the detection and quantification of ions with limits of detection in the single-digit-parts-per-billion range.

For more information about the Thermo Scientific ISQ EM single quadrupole mass spectrometer, please visit www.thermofisher.com/ISQEM.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of more than $20 billion and approximately 70,000 employees globally. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We help our customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics, deliver medicines to market and increase laboratory productivity. Through our premier brands  Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services  we offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive services. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.

Media Contact Information:



Laura Bright

Thermo Fisher Scientific

+1 562-335-8318

[email protected]



Kat Steer

BioStrata

+44 (0) 1223 257832

[email protected]

SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific

Related Links

http://www.thermofisher.com

"Nine Dynamics has a simple vision. We make state-of-the-art investment insight effortless, approachable and accessible to all investors, professional or individual. We do this through revolutionary data science and world-class artificial intelligence," said Jeff Sears, Nine Dynamics' President and CEO. "With TITAN, we wanted to turn financial data into a user-friendly, immersive experience. TITAN was designed to enable investors to save time, enhance investment returns and gain a much deeper and broader understanding of market behavior."

TITAN has been hand crafted by Sears from the ground-up, himself a CFA Charterholder with over 15 years of professional investment experience.

Prior to TITAN, the cost to investors of accessing similar information, and the computer skills needed to properly manage similar data, were many times greater.

"When we first saw the Nine Dynamics presentation, we immediately "got it" that this technology could be truly transformative," said Ryan F. Jennings, Managing Director of MATCO Capital Ltd., a MATCO subsidiary. "TITAN has global partners, a highly user-friendly experience and a value proposition to the customer that strikes us as second-to-none."

"The investor group at Matco shares our vision and brings skills and experience that will be invaluable to us," said Sears. "Collectively, we are about simplicity and accessibility - a belief that every investor can and should have access to clear, valuable investment insights distilled from a massive database, through artificial intelligence."

Currently, TITAN supports and analyzes over 3,800 North American equities, and delivers numerous key fundamental and valuation metrics in a modern design. The platform also includes a hallmark artificial intelligence engine, to assist in planning investment holding periods and sector allocations. TITAN is bolstered by key strategic partnerships with FactSet Research Systems (a global leader in wealth management financial data), Microsoft (a global leader in cloud computing, big data and advanced analytics) and MaRS (world's largest Fintech innovation hub).

The Nine Dynamics team is focused on creating a product suite that enables tailored analytics, with the agility to respond to customer requests and ensure a fit for any investment style.

"Feedback from professional and individual investors has been overwhelmingly positive," said Andrew Lester, Nine Dynamics' COO. "We will collaborate and grow with our user base, and keep sparking new conversations and insights. Delivering both a high level of content, together with the right kind of investment support, at a fraction of the cost of our nearest competitor, will help to democratize access to investment information."

The Nine Dynamics team enjoys pushing boundaries and entering uncharted waters, which is also reflected in its Coin Bandits software product (www.coinbandits.com), a streaming artificial intelligence service for cryptocurrency. "The Bandit" is a cheeky, furry, hyper-intelligent sidekick that helps investors make better decisions when analyzing, and determining optimal hold periods for cryptocurrencies. This special application supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple and NEO, and sprang from a creative exercise to "be as different as we could be," said Sears.

Nine Dynamics was proudly featured by Microsoft as an innovative solution provider within their Azure Cloud Computing and Interactive Embedded Analytics suite: https://customers.microsoft.com/en-us/story/nine-dynamics-partner-professional-services-power-bi-embedded

SOURCE Nine Dynamics

Related Links

ninedynamics.com

Ocean Spray Cranberry +health Cranberry Supplements are a convenient, great-tasting daily supplement, formulated to help maintain a healthy urinary tract. They are made from real fruit and have no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. Better yet, they are Non-GMO*, gluten free and contain only 25 calories per chew.

"Research suggests that the cranberry holds a whole host of total body benefits and for decades we at Ocean Spray have been dedicated to researching, supporting and delivering great-tasting, good-for-you products," said Chet Baker, Director of Healthcare and New Platforms. "The introduction of Cranberry +health Cranberry Supplements sets in motion our commitment to provide products that deliver even better taste, health and convenience for our consumers busy lifestyles."

Cranberry +health Cranberry Supplements are an effective way for maintaining urinary tract health. A landmark study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition** in June 2016, showed that consuming 8 ounces of cranberry juice cocktail daily reduced the recurrence of symptomatic UTIs in women by nearly 40%. According to Christina Khoo, Ocean Spray's Director of Global Health Science & Nutrition Policy, "fewer UTIs could mean a significant reduction in the need for antibiotics used to treat them." Ocean Spray Cranberry +health Cranberry Supplements, which contain the same amount of cranberry polyphenols as the juice drink formula in that clinical study, make it easy and convenient to get these powerful cranberry compounds daily.

Cranberry +health Cranberry Supplements are available in both 7 and 28 count boxes with an SRP of $5.99 and $22.99, respectively. Cranberry +health Cranberry Supplements are available in 7 count boxes at select CVS stores and on CVS.com.

About Ocean Spray

Ocean Spray is a vibrant agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry farmers in the United States, Canada and Chile who have helped preserve the family farming way of life for generations. Formed in 1930, Ocean Spray is now the world's leading producer of cranberry juices, juice drinks and dried cranberries and is the best-selling brand in the North American bottled juice category.

The Cooperative's cranberries are currently featured in more than a thousand great-tasting, good-for-you products in over 100 countries worldwide. With more than 2,000 employees and nearly 20 cranberry receiving and processing facilities, Ocean Spray is committed to managing our business in a way that respects our communities, employees and the environment. For more information visit: www.oceanspray.com or www.oceanspray.coop.

*Does not contain genetically engineered ingredients

**Maki, KC, Kaspar, KL, Khoo C, Derrig LH, Schild AL, Gupta K. consumption of a cranberry juice beverage lowered the number of clinical urinary tract infection episodes in women with a history of urinary tract infection, AMJ Clin Nutr 2016; 103(6), 1434-1442.

SOURCE Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.oceanspray.com

CENTER CITY, Minn., and TULSA, Okla., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation today welcomed the Oklahoma State University Addiction Medicine Clinic as the newest member of its expanding Patient Care Network.

The announcement coincided with a ribbon-cutting for the new clinic, attended Monday in Tulsa by Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter and Terri White, commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

"I believe we have some of the best minds in the nation here in Tulsa working to understand and treat brain diseases and behavioral health disorders," said Dr. Kayse Shrum, president of the OSU Center for Health Sciences and dean of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. "We are harnessing the creative energy of our faculty and staff to become the nation's leader in addiction medicine, pain management, behavioral health and virtual medicine. This clinic will transform the patient care we deliver through our OSU Medicine clinics and the education our medical students receive."

The clinic, which has been operating for several months, is part of OSU's Center for Health Sciences and employs the state's first certified academic addiction physicians. As a member of the Hazelden Betty Ford Patient Care Network, it will gain access to tools, resources and collaborative consultation for its leadership, staff, patients, families and communities  as well as shared learnings and insights from other network members.

"The OSU Addiction Medicine Clinic is a groundbreaking approach to treating those who suffer with addiction," said Attorney General Hunter, who chairs the Oklahoma Commission on Opioid Abuse. "Through its comprehensive approaches to behavioral health, the OSU Center for Health Sciences continues to be a national leader in terms of research, education and treatment. In the highest regard, I commend Dr. Shrum and her colleagues at OSU for collaborating with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and opening this clinic, which will absolutely save many lives in the state of Oklahoma."

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's leading nonprofit addiction treatment provider, launched its Patient Care Network  the first of its kind in the addiction treatment industry in the fall of 2017.

"As a center of excellence in our field, we are committed to sharing our comprehensive, evidence-based approach to confronting the opioid crisis, as well as other clinical best practices, in states like Oklahoma. Our own system benefits, too, from collaborating with other leading-edge health care providers like the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences," said Bob Poznanovich, Hazelden Betty Ford's vice president of business development. "We are grateful to welcome this like-minded, quality-oriented leader in medical education, patient care and research into our Patient Care Network."

The OSU Addiction Medicine Clinic is part of the OSU Center for Health Sciences' Center for Wellness & Recovery, an initiative to improve the lives of Oklahomans affected by pain and substance use disorders through treatment, education, research and policy. The Center for Wellness & Recovery is working collaboratively with primary care physicians and specialists in psychiatry, behavioral health and addiction medicine to provide the best treatment options and care for patients.

"As a member of the Hazelden Betty Ford Patient Care Network, we will have access to resources, best practices and effective treatment protocols that will be invaluable additions to the care we provide in our Addiction Medicine Clinic. These will aid our patients as they work toward a successful, long-term recovery," added Dr. Jason Beaman, chair of OSU Center for Health Sciences' Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the region's largest academic department dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of mental illness and substance use disorders.

About the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a force of healing and hope for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction to alcohol and other drugs. It is the nation's leading nonprofit treatment provider, with a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center. With 17 sites in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado and Washington, the Foundation offers prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care to help youth and adults reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. It includes the largest recovery publishing house in the country, a fully accredited graduate school of addiction studies, an addiction research center, an education arm for medical professionals and a unique children's program, and is the nation's leader in advocacy and policy for treatment and recovery. Learn more at HazeldenBettyFord.org and on [email protected] .

About Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences

Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences educates osteopathic physicians, scientists, allied health professionals and health care administrators for Oklahoma with an emphasis on serving rural and underserved Oklahoma. OSU-CHS offers graduate and professional degrees with over 1,000 students enrolled in academic programs in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the School of Allied Health, the School of Health Care Administration, the School of Biomedical Sciences, and the School of Forensic Sciences. OSU Medicine operates a network of clinics in the Tulsa area offering a multitude of specialty services including cardiology, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry and women's health.

SOURCE Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Related Links

http://www.hazeldenbettyford.org

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholder rights law firm Johnson Fistel, LLP has launched an investigation into whether the board members of Pandora Media, Inc. (NYSE: P) ("Pandora") breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the proposed sale of the Company to Sirius XM Holdings Inc. ("Sirius").

On September 24, 2018, Pandora announced that it had signed a definitive merger agreement with Sirius. Under the terms of the agreement, Pandora shareholders will receive a fixed-exchange ratio of 1.44 newly-issued Sirius shares for each share they hold. The implied price of Pandora common stock is $10.14 per share.

The investigation concerns whether the Pandora board failed to satisfy its duties to the Company shareholders, including whether the board adequately pursued alternatives to the acquisition and whether the board obtained the best price possible for Pandora shares of common stock. Nationally recognized Johnson Fistel is investigating whether the proposed deal represents adequate consideration, especially given one Wall Street analyst has a $13.00 price target on the stock. Additionally, Pandora has over $420 million in cash.

If you are a shareholder of Pandora and believe the proposed buyout price is too low or you're interested in learning more about the investigation or your legal rights and remedies, please contact lead analyst Jim Baker ( [email protected] ) at 619-814-4471. If emailing, please include a phone number.

Additionally, you can [Click here to join this action]. There is no cost or obligation to you.

About Johnson Fistel, LLP:

Johnson Fistel, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York, and Georgia. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonfistel.com. Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Contact:

Johnson Fistel, LLP

Jim Baker, 619-814-4471

[email protected]

[Click here to join this action]

SOURCE Johnson Fistel, LLP

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NORTH HUNTINGDON, Pa., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Petland Norwin is excited to announce their second annual Paws for the Cause Charity Event on October 14 at Stratigo's Banquet Center on Colonial Manor Road.

Doors open at 5:30 pm and includes dinner and dancing with all proceeds going to the Pet Adoption League, Catawba Humane Society and Save-A-Pet, Dothan.

Tickets for the event are $30.

Paws for the Cause will not only feature dinner, cash bar and dancing, but also Chinese Auction Baskets (100+), Silent Auction Items, door prizes and a police K9 demonstration. D. Cole Auctioneering has generously donated their time for the Live Auction Event.

Last year's event raised nearly $17,000.00 for the store's shelter affiliates.

Donations for auction or raffle items can be made at Petland Norwin during normal business hours. Tickets for the benefit are available at Petland Norwin on State Route 30. Hours are 6 a.m.  9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.  9 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.  6 p.m. Sunday.

Since opening in April of 2016, Petland Norwin has worked with different rescues and humane societies to adopt out more than 1,400 homeless pets. Additionally, Petland Norwin provides food for 8 local police K9 units from North Versailles, Greensburg, Swissvale, Elizabeth Township and Elizabeth Borough.

"We are very proud of our work with our local humane societies and are looking forward to hosting a fun-filled celebration fundraiser for the community," said co-owner Kurt Karcher.

For more information and/or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Petland at (724) 515-5287.

Petland, Inc. is a franchise operation with quality, full service retail pet centers across the United States, Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil and El Salvador. For more than 50 years, Petland Pet Counselors have been dedicated to matching the right pet with the right person and meeting the needs of both. To its customers who already have pets, Petland is dedicated to enhancing their knowledge and enjoyment of the human-animal bond. Petland was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in south central Ohio. For more information on Petland, visit www.petland.com.

Contact: Kurt Karcher

Ted Karcher

(724) 515-5287

SOURCE Petland

Related Links

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In 2016, almost three quarters of Nevadans voted to break up NV Energy's monopoly and open the electricity market to more competition. According to Nevada law, Nevadans must vote again to pass the amendment and end the century old, antiquated monopoly that prevents choice.

The first vote in 2016 was initiated in part by large companies wishing to break free from the only state utility, which was driving up costs and failing to meet the needs and wishes of businesses and consumers. Like most Nevadans, businesses wanted more affordable, environmentally responsible power generation options instead of coal plants.

Opponents to Question 3 claim costs for energy could go up if the state is restructured, but according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, rates in restructured, energy-wise states without monopolies are 14 percent lower than rates in states with no choice of energy providers.

However, in energy monopoly states, residential rates are up seven percent.

"Opponents to Question 3 are attempting to scare voters with false claims about risks, reliability and costs. The simple reality is that monopolies are unnecessary and inefficient. Competition solves problems, innovates, finds a way, and then repeats these steps again and again. Nevada can join the 13 other states and several countries where competition has flourished and benefited consumers," said Philip O'Connor, Ph.D., former Illinois chief utility regulator and Retail Energy Supply Association spokesperson.

Lack of energy diversity prevents new business development in the state. Tech giant Google has purchased a large tract of land in northern Nevada for a data center that would create hundreds of new jobs, but before Google continues to invest, it has asked for an alternative to NV Energy.

Nevada currently has the second lowest number of energy jobs per capita in the West, but an open market will generate tens of thousands of new jobsand businesses.

"When has choice not been a good thing? You choose your cell phone provider, your brand and type of milk, and the car that best suits your needs. Nevadans deserve to choose from energy providers that will offer more sustainable options, create in-demand jobs, and open the market for competitive pricing," said O'Connor.

For more information, visit www.resausa.org/nevada-energy-choice-initiative.

ABOUT RESA

The Retail Energy Supply Association is a broad and diverse group of retail energy suppliers who share the common vision that competitive retail energy markets deliver a more efficient, customer-oriented outcome than a regulated utility structure. RESA is devoted to working with all stakeholders to promote vibrant and sustainable competitive retail energy markets for residential, commercial and industrial consumers.

SOURCE Retail Energy Supply Association

Related Links

https://www.resausa.org

PORTAGE, Mich., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Rob Hayes, president and CEO of BASIC (Benefit Administrative Services International Corporation), has been honored by WEX Health with a 2017 Partner Excellence Award for outstanding business achievements. Hayes received the Excellence Award for Leadership at Partner Conference 2018, the annual WEX Health Partner conference held recently in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Hayes was selected for the award because of his efforts as a champion in the market for third party administrators as well as his strong, intelligent, and visionary leadership.

"It is a tremendous honor to receive this recognition. It demonstrates the true partnership between BASIC and our friends at WEX Health. More importantly, while this was given to me as an individual award, nothing could be further from the truththis is a collective award given to the entire BASIC family. I achieve nothing without the wonderful group of people who make up our BASIC family," said Hayes.

The Excellence Awards, established in 2008, are presented yearly and recognize WEX Health Partners that have achieved extraordinary notable accomplishments. Award recipients were recognized for reaching significant milestones in 2017 across several areas including growth, evangelism, leadership, innovation, and customer service as well as overall outstanding Partner successes.

The 2017 Partner Excellence Awards were presented in 13 categories: Growth Excellence, Evangelist, Innovator, Market Maker, Sales Excellence, Service Excellence, Solution Visionary, Leadership, New Partner of the Year, Card Innovation Partner of the Year, Billing Partner of the Year, CDH Platform Partner of the Year, and Partner of the Year.

About BASIC

BASIC, one of the first third-party administrators of FSAs (flexible spending accounts) in the nation provides an HR ecosystem to employers and health insurance agents nationwide. They offer a suite of HR Benefit, Compliance, Payroll and Leave Management solutions offered independently or as part of a platform of services. Paired with their experienced staff, BASIC's proprietary software and solutions allows employers to control costs, manage risks, and maintain flexibility. For more information, visit www.basiconline.com



SOURCE BASIC

Related Links

www.basiconline.com

HOUSTON, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Rowan Companies plc ("Rowan" or the "Company") (NYSE: RDC) announced today that the Rowan Norway, an N-Class ultra-harsh environment jack-up rig, has been awarded a two-well contract in the Mediterranean Sea by Turkish Petroleum with an estimated duration 100-140 days. The contract is expected to commence in late 2018. The Rowan Norway is currently warm-stacked in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea.

Rowan is a global provider of contract drilling services with a fleet of 27 mobile offshore drilling units, composed of 23 self-elevating jack-up rigs and four ultra-deepwater drillships. The Company's fleet operates worldwide, including the United States Gulf of Mexico, the United Kingdom and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea, the Middle East, the Mediterranean Sea, and Trinidad. Additionally, the Company is a 50/50 partner in a joint venture with Saudi Aramco, entitled ARO Drilling, that owns a fleet of five self-elevating jack-up rigs that operate in the Arabian Gulf. The Company's Class A Ordinary Shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "RDC." For more information on the Company, please visit www.rowan.com.

Statements herein that are not historical facts are forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, statements as to the effective commencement date and duration of the contract. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to numerous risks, assumptions, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include oil and natural gas prices and the impact of the economic climate; changes in the offshore drilling market, including fluctuations in supply and demand; variable levels of drilling activity and expenditures in the energy industry; changes in day rates; ability to secure future drilling contracts; cancellation, early termination or renegotiation by our customers of drilling contracts; customer credit and risk of customer bankruptcy; risks associated with fixed cost drilling operations; unplanned downtime; risks related to our joint venture with Saudi Aramco, including the timing and amount of future distributions from the joint venture or contributions to the joint venture; cost overruns or delays in transportation of drilling units; cost overruns or delays in maintenance, repairs, or other rig projects; operating hazards and equipment failure; risks of collision and damage; casualty losses and limitations on insurance coverage; weather conditions in the Company's operating areas; increasing costs of compliance with regulations; changes in tax laws and interpretations by taxing authorities; hostilities, terrorism, and piracy; impairments; cyber incidents; the outcomes of disputes, including tax disputes and legal proceedings; and other risks disclosed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date hereof, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

SOURCE Rowan Companies plc

Related Links

http://www.rowan.com

SAN FRANCISCO, September 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The global sarcoma drugs market size is expected to be valued at USD 1.2 billion by 2023, as per a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., progressing at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period. The growth of the market is largely driven by factors such as new product launches, increasing adoption of novel therapeutics, and growing target population.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg )

Sarcomas account for less than 1.0% of all adult cancers. Though sarcomas represent a heterogeneous group of over 50 different histological subtypes, the two major subtypes are soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and bone sarcoma. Approximately, 12,000 patients in the U.S. and 28,000 patients in Europe are diagnosed with STS every year.

For over 40 years, mainstay of localized sarcoma treatment included surgical resection followed by neoadjuvant or adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy. However, even after complete surgical resection, about 50.0% of patients with intermediate or high grade sarcoma develop metastatic disease. Introduction of targeted therapy has revolutionized treatment paradigm for sarcoma. Targeted therapies and pipeline breakthroughs will continue to play a pivotal role in the growth of the market throughout the forecast period.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Sarcoma Drugs Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Treatment Type (Chemotherapy, Targeted Therapy), By Major Markets (U.S., U.K., Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Japan), And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2023" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sarcoma-drugs-market

Further Key Findings From the Report Suggest:

EU5 will remain the second largest market with more than 30% share by 2023. The growth of the segment can be attributed to rising incidence of STS, uptake of targeted therapies, and increasing R&D activities

Eli Lilly's Lartuvo has displaced standard doxorubicin therapy as front-line STS treatment and is anticipated to maintain its prominence in the market over the forecast period

Strong unmet needs within the market present a key opportunity to develop breakthrough first-in-class therapies. Out of 45 drugs in the pipeline for sarcoma, seven are in Phase III, 22 in Phase II, two in Phase I/II trials, and the remaining in Phase I and Pre-clinical trials

The potential role for use of immuno-oncology agents in sarcomas is currently under evaluation in Phase I/II clinical trials

Companies with late-stage pipeline products for sarcoma are likely to enter the market by 2019 and would capture more than 10.0% of the sarcoma market share in 2023

Drugs with novel targets in early-phase development include Novartis's Afinitor (mTOR inhibitor), Tesaro's Zejula (PARP inhibitor), Amgen's Imlygic (gene therapy), and Pfizer's Crizotinib (ALK and MET tyrosine kinases inhibitor)

Role of VEGF inhibitors and mTOR inhibitors is under evaluation in multiple early phase trials. However, no statistically significant data has been reported till date

Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Clinical Trial Supplies Market - The global clinical trial supplies market size was valued at USD 1.7 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.3% over the forecast period.



The global clinical trial supplies market size was valued at in 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.3% over the forecast period. Astaxanthin Market - The global astaxanthin market size was estimated at USD 555.4 million in 2016.



The global astaxanthin market size was estimated at in 2016. Peptide Therapeutics Market - The global peptide therapeutics market was valued at USD 21.5 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow at CAGR of 9.4% over the forecast period.



The global peptide therapeutics market was valued at in 2016 and is expected to grow at CAGR of 9.4% over the forecast period. High Potency Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) Market - The global high potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) market was valued at USD 14.4 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.3% over the forecast period.

Grand View Research has segmented the global sarcoma drugs market based on treatment type and region:

Sarcoma Drugs Treatment Class Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2023) Chemotherapy Targeted Therapy

Sarcoma Drugs Country Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2023) U.S. U.K. Germany France Italy Spain Japan



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: [email protected]



Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.Photo: Contributed

New Westminster police responded to the Queensborough Bridge following reports of an assault in progress on Sunday.

An adult male was alleged to have been assaulting an elderly man with a weapon.

Two people intervened, which caused the assailant to turn his weapon on them.

Officers arrived on the scene and found the suspect with a weapon still in his hand. The man did not respond to police instructions for him to drop the weapon, and proceeded to continue attacking one of the victims.

Officers used a distance weapon called the ARWEN, which employs plastic bullets in an attempt to be non-lethal. However, the suspect was not deterred and continued attacking one of the victims.

Eventually, officers were able to restrain and take the suspect into custody.

"The victims suffered non-life threatening injuries, and were all taken to a local area hospital for an assessment. We are thankful that this was not worse than it was, which can be attributed to the people who helped stop the attack and the quick response of NWPD patrol officers, stated Sergeant Jeff Scott. NWPD officers continue to speak with all involved as they continue their investigation of what occurred.

The suspect remains in custody and will appear in court.The goal of Free Second Saturdays, which has been running all year at 40+ Redwood State Parks, is to connect the people of California with these magnificent natural legacies, to inspire visitors with the beauty and power of the redwoods, and to celebrate Save the Redwoods League's 100-year conservation legacy.

With October being the League's official Centennial Celebration Month and 2018 having been declared the Year of the Redwoods by the California State Legislature (SR 100), the League has expanded the group of parks partners to include national, regional, county and city parks, in addition to the state parks that have been participating each month, so that it has 100+ parks for its 100th birthday.

The passes cover day-use admission and parking fees to those parks where there are usually entrance fees. Passes for October 13 are available on a first-come, first-served basis at FreeRedwoodsDays.org beginning September 26 at 8 a.m. Some of the participating parks are Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Calaveras Big Trees State Park and Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Please visit FreeRedwoodsDays.org to sign up as space is limited.

Please keep in mind:

For parks that are always free, no pass is required to participate.

For parks that require passes, the number of passes is limited. They will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis according to each park's capacity.

Only one day-use pass is needed per vehicle, per park.

The pass covers day-use admission and parking fees. The pass does not guarantee a parking space or entry if the park is full due to high demand.

To ensure valid entry and avoid fines, printed passes must be presented to park staff members at entry gates or displayed on vehicle dashboards if no personnel are on duty.

Electronic images of the pass will not be accepted.

Consider visiting a state park during off-peak hours  opening time to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to closing time.

and to closing time. Visitors without passes are welcome, but must pay admission.

We encourage all park visitors to review and obey park rules.

Share your experiences with us on social media and tag them with #Stand4Redwoods and #FreeRedwoodsDays.

Select redwood parks are not participating in this promotion, including: Muir Woods, Yosemite , and Sequoia / Kings Canyon .

For detailed information, including a full list of participating parks, park operating hours and outdoor safety tips, please visit FreeRedwoodsDays.org.

Free Second Saturdays will continue through the rest of 2018 at 40+ Redwood State Parks on:

November 10

December 8

"People come from around the world to walk among California's ancient redwoods," said Sam Hodder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Save the Redwoods League. "As part of our Centennial celebration, Save the Redwoods League is thrilled to host a free day in the redwood parks once a month all year long. We invite you to stand under the world's tallest living creatures - the most powerful forest in the fight against climate change - and learn why we are working so hard to protect and restore it. We are celebrating our 100th birthday in the redwood parks, and we want you to join us!"

Save the Redwoods League

One of the nation's oldest conservation organizations, Save the Redwoods League has been protecting and restoring redwood forests since 1918, connecting generations of visitors with the beauty and serenity of the redwood forest. Our 20,000 supporters have enabled the League to protect more than 204,000 acres of irreplaceable forest in 66 state, national and local parks and reserves. For more information, go to SaveTheRedwoods.org.

Complete list of participating park agencies

Arcata Environmental Services Department

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

CAL FIRE

California State Parks

City of Berkeley

City of Fairfax

City of Los Altos

City of Palo Alto

City of Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department

County of Del Norte Parks Department

County of Mendocino Parks Department

County of San Mateo Parks Department

East Bay Regional Park District

Humboldt County Parks and Trails

Land Trust of Santa Cruz County

Landpaths

Marin County Parks

Midpeninsula (Midpen) Regional Open Space

National Park Service

Oakland Parks & Recreation

Santa Clara County Parks

Scotts Valley Parks & Recreation Department

Sonoma County Regional Parks

The Wildlands Conservancy and Sonoma Land Trust

US Forest Service

Participating Parks, by County

Alameda

Codornices Park

Joaquin Miller Park

Leona Canyon Regional Park

Leona Heights

Redwood Regional Park

Roberts Regional Recreation Area

Tilden Regional Park

Calaveras

Calaveras Big Trees State Park

Del Norte

Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park

Florence Keller County Park

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

Peavine Ridge Botanical Area

Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

Ruby Van Deventer County Park

Humboldt

Arcata Community Forest

Benbow State Recreation Area

Fort Humboldt State Historic Park

Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park

Harry A. Merlo State Recreation Area

Headwaters Forest Reserve

Humboldt Lagoons State Park

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Natural Reserve

Patrick's Point State Park

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

Redwood National Park

Richardson Grove State Park

Shady Dell (Lost Coast Trail)

Van Duzen County Park

Marin

Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve

Blithedale Summit Open Space Preserve

Bolinas Park

French Ranch Open Space Preserve

Gary Giacomini Open Space Preserve

Indian Tree Open Space Preserve

Mount Tamalpais State Park

Peri Park

Roy's Redwoods Open Space Preserve

Samuel P. Taylor State Park

Mariposa

Sierra National Forest

Mendocino

Admiral William Standley State Recreation Area

Faulkner County Park

Hendy Woods State Park

Indian Creek County Park

Jackson Demonstration State Forest

Jug Handle State Natural Reserve

Mailliard Redwoods State Natural Reserve

Mendocino Headlands State Park

Mendocino Woodlands State Park

Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve

Navarro River Redwoods State Park

Smithe Redwoods State Natural Reserve

Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area

Van Damme State Park

Monterey

Andrew Molera State Park

Garrapata State Park

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Napa

Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

Placer

Tahoe National Forest

San Mateo

Butano State Park

El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve

Huddart Park

Memorial Park

Pescadero Creek Park

Phleger Estate

Portola Redwoods State Park

Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve

Sam McDonald Park

Thornewood Open Space Preserve

Windy Hill Open Space Preserve

Wunderlich Park

Santa Clara

Mount Madonna County Park

Pearson-Arastradero Preserve

Redwood Grove Natural Preserve

Sanborn County Park

Santa Cruz

Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Byrne-Milliron Forest

Castle Rock State Park

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

Lodato Open Space

Pogonip Open Space

Soquel Demonstration State Forest

The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

Wilder Ranch State Park

Sonoma

Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve

Austin Creek State Recreation Area

Fort Ross State Historic Park

Grove of the Old Trees

Gualala Point Regional Park

Jack London State Historic Park

Jenner Headlands Preserve

Kruse Rhododendron State Natural Reserve

North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve

Riverfront Regional Park

Russian Gulch State Park

Salt Point State Park

Soda Springs County Reserve

Sonoma Coast State Park

Stillwater Cove Regional Park

Tulare

Case Mountain Giant Sequoias

Contact:

Ashley Boarman, Landis Communications

Phone: (415) 359-2312 | Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Save the Redwoods League

Related Links

https://www.savetheredwoods.org

PHOENIX, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- (OTCQB-CELZ) Creative Medical Technology Holdings, Inc. announced today an update of its progress:

Debt: We have entered into an agreement with three institutional investors in order to wrap up existing debt and provide working capital. These parties intend to provide support to the company through its commercialization of the CaverStemTM program and for future programs being developed. An 8k is being prepared and will be filed in the coming days specifying the terms. The agreement comes with better terms than were previously available and is expected to provide the necessary funding until which time as the company is generating sufficient cash flow to support operating activities.

CaverStem International: After completing meetings between the company and the medical team in Russia last week, it has been determined that the first patients will be scheduled for the CaverStemTM procedure this October.

We also are progressing with the CaverStemTM program in Switzerland and expect to release more information on the treatment of patients in this region soon.

We are pleased with the progress of CaverStem International in the few months since inception and wish to thank the international physicians for their invaluable assistance in its development.

CaverStemTM domestic activities: We are continuing to present the CaverStemTM program to physicians across the United States. Multiple leads were generated from our last AUA conference in Chicago in early September. Physicians that have contractually agreed to become involved with our program are in various stages of training and scheduling of patients. We continue to build brand awareness of CaverStemTM in the cities where the current physicians are located and this will be expanded as other physicians become involved. Our website CaverStem.com will be continually updated, adding new physicians.

Female Sexual Dysfunction: We are continuing the development of our patent pending technology. We are excited that this program, with the working name of FemCelz, will be ready to unveil at medical conferences in the very near future.

Additional conferences in 2018: We intend to present at the Sexual Medicine Society of North America conference in Miami on November 8-11, 2018. Dr. Gershman, Dr. Liu and members of the CaverStemTM team will be in attendance. We will issue a specific press release in the coming days of our attendance and booth number. We are excited with the prospect of meeting new physicians from around the world who specifically treat male and female sexual function.

In response to emails from shareholders seeking specific information on operating activities, it is our policy to release information via press releases and SEC filings. We understand the desire for real time information, however information must be properly disclosed to the public. Advanced information provided to individuals could present an unfair advantage and thus cannot be disclosed. We appreciate our shareholders understanding of our policy to comply with all regulations on this matter.

We wish to extend our appreciation for the support of our shareholders, many of which have been vested in the company for several years, and to new shareholders who have recently become acquainted with us. The Officers and Directors will continue to devote our time and efforts to build the fundamentals of the company and to execute on our multitier business plan.

About Creative Medical Technology Holdings

Creative Medical Technology Holdings, Inc. is a commercial stage biotechnology company currently trading on the OTCQB under the ticker symbol CELZ. For further information about the company go to www.creativemedicaltechnology.com . For more information on our CaverStemTM procedure please go to www.caverstem.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

OTC Markets has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming clinical trials and laboratory results, marketing efforts, funding, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and, therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. See the periodic and other reports filed by Creative Medical Technology Holdings, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on the Commission's website at www.sec.gov .

SOURCE Creative Medical Technology Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

http://creativemedicaltechnology.com

ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As Solar Power International kicks off in California, the U.S. solar industry is taking a major step toward alleviating one of the biggest hurdles to installing solar on homes and businesses  cumbersome and inconsistent permitting and inspection processes.

With the support of industry leaders, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and The Solar Foundation today are unveiling the Solar Automated Permit Processing (SolarAPP) initiative, which will streamline permitting and slash the cost of solar installations.

Today, the permitting and inspection process adds about $7,000 in direct and indirect costs, approximately $1.00 per watt, to a typical residential solar energy system. In addition to reducing the expense of solar installations, SolarAPP improves the efficiency of going solar by creating a rules-based, automated permitting and inspection process.

"The goal is to make solar permitting more straightforward, and more routine, while at the same time maintaining the safety and reliability that U.S. solar projects are known for," said SEIA's president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. "SolarAPP will cut unnecessary red tape, while saving Americans thousands of dollars. By making the process of going solar more efficient, both our companies and their customers win."

"Reforming the solar and battery permitting process is one of the most significant steps our country can take to making solar more affordable for all," said Lynn Jurich, CEO of Sunrun. "There is a patchwork of inconsistent permitting procedures and standards across the U.S. and our customers pay the high costs of navigating this system. We have an opportunity to help the industry invest in a million more solar roofs over the next 5 years from the savings by making the permitting process faster, while ensuring safety and reliability for all."

The multi-tiered plan proposes the following reforms:

A safety and skills training and certification program that allows residential and small-commercial solar and battery storage installers to attest that their projects are compliant with applicable codes, laws, and industry practices, thus eliminating the need for a traditional multi-step permitting process;

A simple, standardized online platform that will be provided to local governments at no cost, to "register" and automatically screen qualifying systems for local government authorities;

A list of established equipment standards and/or certified equipment for solar and storage projects installed through the proposed process;

The creation, or refinement, of system design standards for qualifying solar projects;

A model instantaneous permitting regime for home and small-commercial solar and battery storage systems installed by certified installers and contractors;

A program administrator to oversee and implement the plan, including providing technical assistance to state and local jurisdictions and utilities.

"An automated solar permitting process will reduce unnecessary costs and give Americans more freedom to choose how they meet their energy needs," said Andrea Luecke, president and executive director at The Solar Foundation. "With this plan, we have a clear path forward to make solar installations even more affordable and widespread."

The solar industry is working with stakeholders across the industry and government, seeking feedback on SolarAPP.

"Improving the permit process and removing this unnecessary cost is critical to the success of the industry," said Andrew Birch, a cofounder of Sungevity. "The major overseas markets are now expanding rapidly, thanks to simple, automated approval processes to install sold systems - we need all the industry's support to focus on this and make it happen here in the U.S."

"So much of the innovation in the past decade in the rooftop solar space has focused on making the technology more attainable via loans and other financial tools," said Billy Parish, founder and CEO of Mosaic, the leading home solar financing company in the US. "Targeting so-called soft costs, such as permitting, is the next frontier in affordability, critical in moving us toward clean energy for all."

About SEIA:

Celebrating its 44th anniversary in 2018, the Solar Energy Industries Association is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry, which now employs more than 260,000 Americans. Through advocacy and education, SEIA is building a strong solar industry to power America. SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to build jobs and diversity, champion the use of cost-competitive solar in America, remove market barriers and educate the public on the benefits of solar energy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org.

About The Solar Foundation

The Solar Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to accelerate adoption of the world's most abundant energy source. Through its leadership, research, and capacity building, The Solar Foundation creates transformative solutions to achieve a prosperous future in which solar and solar-compatible technologies are integrated into all aspects of our lives. Learn more at TheSolarFoundation.org.

SOURCE Solar Energy Industries Association

Related Links

http://www.seia.org

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of Teamsters Local 853 who are shuttle bus drivers for high-tech companies have ratified a strong agreement including wage increases and a secure retirement.

The 600 drivers work for WeDriveU and Loop/Hallcon, contractors to high-tech companies including Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Twitter, LinkedIn, Salesforce, Electronic Arts, Lam and Facebook.

The agreement includes wage increases of 5 percent the first year, 4 percent in the second and third years, and 5 percent in the final year or the option to open the agreement early for additional improvements. The drivers also received $1,800 in retroactive pay.

The drivers now have guaranteed hours across the board, vacation pay based on hours worked and training premiums.

"I couldn't be more proud of the committee and the team who turned over every stone to make this one of the most lucrative contracts I've ever seen," said Stacy Murphy, Teamsters Local 853 Vice President.

The union had been in negotiations with the contractors since March 2018. The workers voted down previous offers from the companies and led a protest last month in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) passed a labor harmony requirement in 2015 for its permits with high-tech transportation contractors. Under the provision, a failure to operate responsibly could lead to the revocation of the commuter shuttle company's permit, including if a labor dispute affects MTA operations.

Supervisor Ahsha Safai recently organized a hearing at the Board of Supervisors to examine whether the companies were in compliance with the labor harmony provision. The SFMTA asked each company to resubmit their service disruption plans based on a determination that they were inadequate.

The Teamsters Union is part of a growing movement of labor, faith and community-based organizations and workers challenging income inequality in Silicon Valley through an innovative partnership called Silicon Valley Rising. For more information, visit, www.siliconvalleyrising.org.

Teamsters Joint Council 7 represents 100,000 working men and women in 22 local unions in Northern California, the Central Valley and Northern Nevada.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Stacy Murphy, (510) 673-4475

[email protected]

SOURCE Teamsters Joint Council 7

Related Links

http://www.teamster.org

BOSTON, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TimeTrade, a leader in Intelligent Appointment Scheduling, today announced that the company's Scheduler for Salesforce app has achieved record revenue growth  500 percent in 2018 versus the same period last year  while supporting a growing roster of new brands looking to increase customer engagement and accelerate sales cycles through easier appointment scheduling.

TimeTrade is at the leading edge of scheduling solutions designed to achieve one objective: facilitate business growth for customers. With user expectations expanding, TimeTrade understands the need for more robust intelligent scheduling solutions to help companies engage with their customers through live interactions.

"Scheduler for Salesforce has further accelerated TimeTrade's growth by making enterprise-scale appointment scheduling transparently accessible to Salesforce users," said Gary Ambrosino, CEO at TimeTrade. "This is an order-of-magnitude performance improvement for sales, service, and support teams, who can now use AI-based Intelligent Appointment Scheduling to set up high-value meetings with customers. The hassle of the calling, chasing, and waiting that holds high-performance teams back from reaching their full potential can now be reduced."

Scheduler for Salesforce allows companies to easily provide a single appointment experience across the customer engagement journey, including the ability to:

Start with Marketing Cloud and connect with new customers, automatically creating appointments that go directly onto the customer's calendar.

Acquire and convert new customers via Sales Cloud or Financial Services Cloud with easy-to-set meetings set up by your sales executives, financial advisors, or bankers.

Retain your customers via Service Cloud or the Community Cloud by offering a simple way to book meetings, increase NPS, and engage with your customers.

And through the company's Intelligent Appointment Scheduling platform, use Scheduler for Salesforce along with Einstein AI and offer proactive and personalized touchpoints every step of the customer journey.

Companies across industries use TimeTrade's Scheduler for Salesforce because it can expedite meeting scheduling between busy customer-facing teams and even busier customers. With Scheduler for Salesforce built on the Salesforce Platform, the application generates appointment links that can be: sent out via email, placed on a company website, or utilized in outbound marketing campaigns to gain new customers.

Since its debut, TimeTrade has continued to innovate on the Scheduler Application, taking advantage of new capabilities that Salesforce offers, including:

Support for Sales, Service, Community, Marketing, and Financial Services Cloud

"Enhanced protection, monitoring, and retention capabilities with Salesforce Shield"

Automated Intelligent Scheduling via Process Builder & Einstein

Dynamic web conference integration with WebEx, GoToMeeting, Zoom and Join.me

Advanced Appointment Routing

Dynamic resource pools with round-robin or random assignment

GDPR compliance and privacy policy customization

Customized availability, meeting times, and shift hours

Inbound invitations and customized matching logic for Lead/Contact creation

To view the latest information available, including 5-star customer feedback visit the Salesforce AppExchange .

For information about TimeTrade, please visit our website .

TimeTrade will demonstrate the powerful capabilities of TimeTrade Scheduler in booth #1910 in the Dreamforce Customer Success Expo at Dreamforce 2018, the most innovative technology conference of the year. Prospects, customers, and partners can book a time to meet with TimeTrade experts at Dreamforce.

Salesforce, AppExchange, Marketing Cloud, Sales Cloud, Financial Services Cloud, Service Cloud, Community Cloud, Einstein, Dreamforce, and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.

About TimeTrade

TimeTrade helps leading brands optimize engagement through all phases of the customer relationship. TimeTrade's Intelligent Appointment Scheduling solution harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to improve meeting scheduling strategies through real-time customer insights and actions, producing better meetings and higher growth businesses, with TimeTrade customers outpacing their peers by nearly 3X. Tens of thousands of businesses  including leading global banks, retailers, and software companies  use TimeTrade's Appointments-as-a-Service platform to deliver the personalized attention expected by today's on-demand consumers.

CONTACT: Jay Staunton | [email protected] | Voice 781-790-6023

SOURCE TimeTradeSAN DIEGO, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Venus Medtech (Hangzhou) Inc., a Chinese medical device company specializing in transcatheter valve replacement therapy, has retained four world-renowned experts specialized in interventional cardiovascular to form a Global Advisory Board. The Board members will contribute their insights to Venus Medtech on global innovation of interventional cardiovascular and therapies for structural heart disease. The members of the Board, in alphabetic order by last name, are Ziyad M. Hijazi, Martin B. Leon, Horst Sievert and Ron Waksman.

The Board will meet several times a year at Venus Medtech's offices in China and the United States of America. Together, the Board members will contribute their innovation, technology, clinical trials and therapy expertise and insights to Venus Medtech's research, development and commercialization of its products globally.

The Global Advisory Board members:

Ziyad M. Hijazi , MD is the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Sidra Medicine. Dr. Hijazi is also the Medical Director of the Sidra Heart Center. As the Chair for the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Hijazi drives the strategic direction of the Department and integrates research and education priorities into a program of excellent clinical service delivery. He also holds the position of Chair of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College _ Qatar , Sidra's academic partner in medical education. Dr. Hijazi is an interventional cardiologist who specializes in treating congenital and structural heart disease in both children and adults. He is a pioneer in the non-surgical repair of congenital and structural heart defects. He is the Director and Founder of the PICS/AICS meeting, a premiere meeting for interventional therapies for children and adults with congenital and structural heart disease.

, is the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Sidra Medicine. Dr. Hijazi is also the Medical Director of the Sidra Heart Center. As the Chair for the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Hijazi drives the strategic direction of the Department and integrates research and education priorities into a program of excellent clinical service delivery. He also holds the position of Chair of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College _ , Sidra's academic partner in medical education. Dr. Hijazi is an interventional cardiologist who specializes in treating congenital and structural heart disease in both children and adults. He is a pioneer in the non-surgical repair of congenital and structural heart defects. He is the Director and Founder of the PICS/AICS meeting, a premiere meeting for interventional therapies for children and adults with congenital and structural heart disease. Martin B. Leon , MD is Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). He is also Director of the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy (CIVT), Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, and on the Executive Board of the Columbia New York Presbyterian Heart Valve Center. Dr. Leon has served as principal investigator for over 50 clinical trials that have helped shape the field of interventional cardiovascular medicine, including the following studies: STRESS, STARS, Gamma-one, SIRIUS, ENDEAVOR, and most recently, the PARTNER trial, studying the value of transcatheter valve therapy for patients with aortic stenosis. Dr. Leon has co-authored over 1550 publications, has performed over 10,000 interventional procedures, and has had a major impact as a thought-leader and innovator in the expanding sub-specialty of interventional cardiovascular device and drug therapies. Dr. Leon is the Director and Founder of Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the world's premier interventional cardiovascular meeting. Dr. Leon is the Chair, Director and Founder of Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the world's premier interventional cardiovascular meeting.

is Professor of Medicine at Medical Center (CUMC). He is also Director of the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy (CIVT), Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, and on the Executive Board of the Columbia New York Presbyterian Heart Valve Center. Dr. Leon has served as principal investigator for over 50 clinical trials that have helped shape the field of interventional cardiovascular medicine, including the following studies: STRESS, STARS, Gamma-one, SIRIUS, ENDEAVOR, and most recently, the PARTNER trial, studying the value of transcatheter valve therapy for patients with aortic stenosis. Dr. Leon has co-authored over 1550 publications, has performed over 10,000 interventional procedures, and has had a major impact as a thought-leader and innovator in the expanding sub-specialty of interventional cardiovascular device and drug therapies. Dr. Leon is the Director and Founder of Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the world's premier interventional cardiovascular meeting. Dr. Leon is the Chair, Director and Founder of Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the world's premier interventional cardiovascular meeting. Horst Sievert , MD is the Director of the CardioVascular Center Frankfurt, Germany . He is also an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine/Cardiology at the University of Frankfurt . He is the Chair of CSI, the leading conference in the field of congenital, structural and valvular heart interventions.

is the Director of the CardioVascular Center . He is also an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine/Cardiology at the University of . He is the Chair of CSI, the leading conference in the field of congenital, structural and valvular heart interventions. Ron Waksman , MD specializes in Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Waksman is the associate director of the Division of Cardiology at MedStar Heart Institute. He is also the director of Cardiovascular Research and Advanced Education at the Heart Institute. In addition, Dr. Waksman serves as clinical professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at Georgetown University . He is editor-in-chief of Cardiovascular Revascularization Medicine and on the editorial boards of a number of other publications, including European Heart Journal and Journal of Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Waksman publishes extensively and has authored or co-authored more than 600 articles. He has been the principal investigator for more than 100 research trials. Dr. Waksman serves on the Cardiac Cath Laboratory Peer Review Committee at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and is a MedStar Heart Institute board member.

"The Global Advisory Board is an unrivalled team of interventional cardiovascular and structural heart disease therapies, whose insights into these fields will be a valuable input to our innovation and globalization of our products," said Eric Zi, CEO and Co-founder of Venus Medtech.

"I am truly delighted to be the member of Global Advisory Board of Venus Medtech. Venus Medtech has progressed with Venus valve systems both aortic and pulmonary, retrievable versions, which represents an extraordinary advance for managing patients with critical valvular heart disease in China. I am so excited that China now has entered the world stage of transcatheter valve replacement therapy and Venus Medtech has led the way," said Martin B. Leon, MD the Chair of TCT.

About Venus Medtech (Hangzhou) Inc.

Venus Medtech (Hangzhou) Inc. was founded in 2009, located in Hangzhou National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone (Binjiang), committed to the development and commercialization of minimally invasive treatment of heart valve disease. Venus Medtech is a leading heart valve developer in Chinathe transcatheter aortic valve, VenusA-Valve is the first transcatheter heart valve system approved by the Chinese Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). It has started a new era of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in China. Venus Medtech is also the first Chinese heart valve producer to carry out global research. The transcatheter pulmonary valve, Venus P-Valve's European Union (CE) clinical study was launched in September 2016 and will be completed within 2018. VenusP-Valve is expected to launch clinical research on FDA in 2019. Innovation leads the future, Venus Medtech will continue to focus on the research and development of structured heart disease medical device and market, accelerate China's innovation and benefit the world.

For more information, visit: www.venusmedtech.com.

SOURCE Venus Medtech (Hangzhou) Inc.

Related Links

http://www.venusmedtech.com

DUBAI, UAE, September 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Demand for Alfa-hay from the Middle East continues to rise as GCC countries look to invest in overseas land to meet their Alfa-hay demand.

Saudi Arabia looks to Argentina and Sudan to meet the demand for the forage crop.

Saudi Arabia banned the production of the forage crop, Alfa-hay in late 2016 and the effects are now starting to show, Saudi Arabian Alfa-hay imports are circa 1,250,000 MT in 2018, whilst the UAE's Alfa-hay imports are around 825,000 MT representing a 1000% increase from 2011 according to a GAIN report from the USDA published November 17 (SA1702)

With the average price of Alfa-hay Circa 190 USD as of August we 2018 the region is set to import circa 1 billion USD of Alfa-hay in 2018

Adrian Mason CEO of Verticroft said "We have positioned our self to meet the high import demand from dairy and cattle farmers in the Middle East. We have a consistent, predictable and environmentally intelligent supply capability of circa 100,000 MT per annum and we are able to sign key o take agreements with buyers at favorable prices to avoid market uctuations and price increases."

Spain, the largest Producer and exporter of Alfa-hay in the world exported 82,000 MT of Alfa-hay to Saudi Arabia. This was an increase from 31,000 MT the year before representing an increase of 164.5% annual increase.

Verticroft strategically located our primary growing facility in Spain as it is the largest exporter of Alfa-hay in the world, there is a really high level of talent in Spain, as-well as extremely established logistics routes and processing facilities.

We have facilities in the Middle East which are highly protable, but our cooling bill does increase dramatically in the summer months, Spain's average yearly temperature of 21 degrees serves our facilities well and allows us the optimum climate for our Vertical Crop Culture as-well as an established off take and logistic chain said Adrian Mason CEO at Verticroft

As global demand continues to increase due to the world's growing population and meat and poultry consumption Verticroft is continuing to expand operations globally with a key focus on Spain and Europe

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates Verticroft is the world's largest producer of sustainable Alfa-hay using VCC (vertical crop culture), with an annual production capacity of 150,000 MT per annum.

For Media enquiries please contact:

[email protected]

www.verticroft.com

1004 The Prism Tower Business Bay, Dubai

United Arab Emirates

PO BOX 124328

SOURCE VerticroftZEPHYR COVE, Nevada, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- VirnetX Holding Corporation (NYSE AMERICAN: VHC), an Internet security software and technology company, announced today that on September 20, 2018, pursuant to a Court's order, attorneys from VirnetX and Apple have conferred and agree without dispute amounts for Bill of Costs and Prejudgment Interest totaling $93,351,141 to be added to the $502,567,709 jury verdict for VirnetX in the ongoing patent infringement action between VirnetX Inc. ("VirnetX") and Apple Inc ("Apple").

About VirnetX

VirnetX Holding Corporation is an Internet security software and technology company with patented technology for secure communications including 4G LTE security. The Company's software and technology solutions, including its secure domain name registry and Gabriel Connection Technology, are designed to facilitate secure communications and to create a secure environment for real-time communication applications such as instant messaging, VoIP, smart phones, eReaders and video conferencing. The Company's patent portfolio includes over 115 U.S. and international patents and over 50 pending applications. For more information, please visit www.virnetx.com

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact, including statements regarding the strength of VirnetX's intellectual property, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates and projections about the markets in which the Company operates, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by management and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to (1) the outcome of any legal proceedings that have been or may be initiated by the Company or that may be initiated against the Company, including pending and future inter partes review proceedings in the Patent and Trademark Office and appeals; (2) the ability to capitalize on the Company's patent portfolio and generate licensing fees and revenues; (3) the ability of the Company to be successful in entering into licensing relationships with its targeted customers on commercially acceptable terms; (4) potential challenges to the validity of the Company's patents underlying its licensing opportunities; (5) the ability of the Company to achieve widespread customer adoption of the Company's Gabriel Communication Technology and its secure domain name registry; (6) the level of adoption of the 3GPP Series 33 security specifications; (7) whether or not the Company's patents or patent applications may be determined to be or become essential to any standards or specifications in the 3GPP LTE, SAE project or otherwise; (8) the extent to which specifications relating to any of the Company's patents or patent applications may be adopted as a final standard, if at all; and (9) the possibility that Company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms "believes," "belief," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," or "plans" to be uncertain and forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those under the heading "Risk Factors" in Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 16, 2017 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 9, 2018. Many of the factors that will determine the outcome of the subject matter of this press release are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Except as required by law, the Company is under no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results.

Contact:

Investor Relations

VirnetX Holding Corporation

775.548.1785

[email protected]

VirnetX, Gabriel Collaboration Suite, Gabriel Secure Communications Platform and GABRIEL Connection Technology are trademarks of VirnetX Holding Corporation. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owner

SOURCE VirnetX Holding Corporation

Related Links

http://www.virnetx.com

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that workers 55 and older will make up 24 percent of the labor force in 2020, up from 13 percent in 2000. Many of those older workers will require additional training to remain competitive in today's job market.

Goodwill's flagship effort in support of older workers is the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, seventeen Goodwill organizations in nine states provide paid, on-the-job training for older workers who have low incomes or are unemployed.

To mark National Employ Older Workers Week, Goodwill has released this new video featuring the stories of its SCSEP trainees and graduates.

"SCSEP participants train in local agencies and nonprofits like food banks, libraries, schools and senior centers. They serve in their own communities," said Kristin Pratt, senior director of mission advancement at Goodwill Industries International. "Public and nonprofit agencies are often stretched thin, and SCSEP allows them to supplement their workforce and expand services while helping older job seekers develop valuable skills."

Since 2006, Goodwill's SCSEP effort has helped more than 29,000 older workers in local communities across the country. For this program year, the goal is to provide training and employment services for approximately 3,400 people, helping them learn new skills to meet the demands of the 21st century job market, build financial security and save for retirement.

Luther is a 64-year-old retiree who worked in the aerospace industry for 30 years. SCSEP trained him for a new career in hospitality, and helped him prepare for job interviews. "I needed to learn how to update my resume," he said. "My resume was so old. It's just not the format they use today. And how to dress for your interview. They taught us that."

Beyond training and skills, SCSEP can give older workers a new outlook and sense of purpose. "Being home by yourself, you get depressed and lonely. People don't want to hire you because of your age," said Donna, a 62-year-old food service trainee. "Knowing that you're doing your job makes you feel good inside. My life is back. I'm alive and thriving with ambition."

For the 2018 program year, the U.S. Department of Labor is providing 90 percent of the funding for Goodwill's SCSEP programs through a $20,971,372 million grant. Goodwill is providing the remaining 10 percent of funding through in-kind contributions worth $2,330,152.

The following 17 community-based Goodwill organizations administer SCSEP programs:

Evansville Goodwill Industries, Inc. (IN)  also serving parts of IL and KY

Goodwill Industries of Akron (OH)

(OH) Goodwill Industries of Central and Southern Indiana ( Indianapolis )

( ) Goodwill Industries of Kentucky , Inc. ( Louisville )

, Inc. ( ) Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc. ( South Bend, IN )

) Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA ( Macon )  serving parts of SC

)  Goodwill Industries of New Mexico ( Albuquerque )

( ) Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio ( Toledo )

( ) Goodwill Industries of Tenneva Area ( Kingsport, TN )  serving parts of VA

)  Goodwill Industries of Upstate/ Midlands South Carolina ( Greenville )

( ) Goodwill Industries of the Valleys ( Roanoke, VA )

) Goodwill of Erie , Huron , Ottawa and Sandusky Counties ( Sandusky, OH )

, , and Counties ( ) Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainer Region ( Tacoma, WA )

) Marion Goodwill (OH)

(OH) MERS Missouri Goodwill Industries ( St. Louis )  also serving parts of IL

)  Palmetto Goodwill ( North Charleston, SC )

) Zanesville Welfare Organization and Goodwill Industries, Inc. (OH)

ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL

Goodwill Industries International (GII) is a network of 161 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. GII is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is recognized by GuideStar with its Platinum Seal of Approval, the organization's highest rating for charities. For the past three years, Goodwill was ranked in the top five brands that inspired consumers the most with its mission in the World Value Index commissioned by the creative agency, enso. Goodwill has been on the Forbes' list of top 20 most inspiring companies for three consecutive years.

Local Goodwill organizations are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that offer job placement and training services, and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,300 stores collectively and online at http://shopgoodwill.com.

Goodwill helps people facing challenges to finding employment including, people with disabilities; veterans and military families; youth and young adults, including youth who are at risk and opportunity youth; older workers; people reintegrating into society; and others facing challenges to finding employment. Local Goodwill organizations build revenues and expand employment opportunities by contracting with commercial, state, government and non-government organizations to provide a wide range of business services, including janitorial, staffing services, food service preparation, manufacturing and contracts packing, reverse logistics, document imaging and shredding, and laundry services.

Last year, local Goodwill organizations collectively placed more than 288,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 38 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills, and more than two million people received in-person services.

For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, visit goodwill.org or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook and Instagram: GoodwillIntl.

ABOUT SCSEP

SCSEP is a 52 -year-old federally funded program authorized by Title V of the Older Americans Act that is dedicated to preparing older workers for the modern labor market. It is the only federally funded workforce development program explicitly designed to assist older workers. Participants must be unemployed, 55 years of age or older, and have incomes no more than 125 percent of the federal poverty level and have a training need. SCSEP is currently operated by 19 national grantees and 56 units of state and territorial governments.

For more information on SCSEP opportunities, visit America's Service Locator or call the Toll-Free Help Line at 1-877-US2-JOBS (1-877-872-5627).

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International

Related Links

http://www.goodwill.org

NEWARK, Calif., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanveo Inc., a pioneer in bringing next generation technology solutions to the AEC industry worldwide, recently announced some significant additions to its service offerings. Supplementing the advanced BIM & VDC solutions that Sanveo currently offers, the company will now provide additional value-added services such as Electrical Engineering, Seismic Design for MEP systems, and Field Layout Solutions (BIM to field).

With NECA 2018 Convention on the Horizon, Sanveo Announces Major Additions to Its Service Offerings For Electrical Contractors With NECA 2018 Convention on the Horizon, Sanveo Announces Major Additions to Its Service Offerings For Electrical Contractors

"Sanveo has been consulting some of the biggest and most prominent electrical contractors in the country for the past decade," says Irshad Rasheed, COO of Sanveo. "While working closely with these electrical contractors, Sanveo recognized a severe need in the market space for a technology consulting firm that can provide end to end solutions for all phases of a project. We're talking about a company that has strong capabilities in design, pre-construction, construction, and facility management, and we are confident that Sanveo will fill that void."

Over the past 2 quarters, Sanveo's team has been working closely with some key clients, where they provided all the end to end technology solutions throughout the project, and the results have been very positive. Some of the biggest opportunities are on major design-build projects where traditionally, the design team and the BIM/VDC team used to work in silos. By engaging with Sanveo as the sole service provider for Electrical Engineering, BIM/VDC, and Field Layout Solutions, there is a major reduction in information loss during handover from one team to another, ultimately resulting in reduced rework and significant cost savings for the project.

Sanveo will be showcasing these services, and more, at two major conferences later this month. The company will be attending BIM Forum Conference in Las Vegas from 24th September to 26th September, and in Philadelphia from 30th September to 2nd October. At NECA 2018 Convention, Sanveo will be demonstrating some state of the art technologies which include a BIM CAVE, portable virtual reality solutions and augmented reality solutions for the construction industry.

About Sanveo:

Sanveo is an AECO technology firm specializing in BIM (building information modeling) and VDC (virtual design and construction) services as well as advanced technology consulting. Since its inception in 2008, Sanveo has demonstrated consistent commitment to quality which has led Sanveo to be a part of 200+ projects across the US. Sanveo strives to empower its clients to extract the most value out of project information to make effective decisions, enhance productivity and improve quality. For more information, visit www.sanveo.com.

Media Contact:

Sanveo, Inc.,

Irshad Rasheed

[email protected]

39899 Balentine Drive, Ste 265

Newark, CA, USA

+1-510-770-1900

SOURCE Sanveo Inc.

Related Links

http://www.sanveo.com

Photo: The Canadian Press Frenchman Jean-Claude Arnault at the district court in Stockholm on Monday Sept. 24, 2018,

The man at the centre of a sex abuse and financial crimes scandal that is tarnishing the academy awarding the Nobel Literature Prize was remanded in custody Monday, pending the verdict in his trial.

Jean-Claude Arnault, a major cultural figure in Sweden and the husband of Swedish Academy member Katarina Frostenson, was on trial for two counts of rape of a woman that allegedly took place in 2011. The accusations against him triggered a crisis within the prestigious academy, with seven members quitting and the body announcing that no prize will be awarded this year.

The Stockholm District Court ruled that Arnault should be remanded in custody after prosecutor Christina Voigt said "there is a risk he might leave the country." Voigt also demanded that Arnault be sentenced to three years in prison.

Arnault's lawyer Bjorn Hurtig told reporters he "reacted with dismay" and shock. He said Arnault was immediately taken away to the Kronoberg prison in Stockholm.

Both spoke Monday after closing remarks the three-day trial behind closed doors, which included testimonies by the alleged victim and seven witnesses. The verdict would be announced on Oct. 1.

Arnault has denied the rapes and other sex abuse allegations that have rocked the prestigious academy.

He was also suspected of violating century-old Nobel rules by leaking names of winners of the prestigious award  allegedly seven times, starting in 1996. It was not clear to whom the names were allegedly disclosed. No investigation has been opened into those allegations.

The allegations have shredded the body's credibility, calling into question its judgment and kicking off a debate over how to face up to its flaws. It has exposed bitter divisions among the group's 18 members  who are appointed for life  and seven members have either been forced to leave or quit since the scandal broke.

Frostenson quit in April at the same time as former permanent secretary Sara Danius.

Many in the Scandinavian nation, known for promoting gender equality, have expressed dismay over the scandal, which has given rise to accusations of patriarchal leanings among some members.

It began in when 18 women came forward in a Swedish newspaper with accusations against Arnault.

In April, the Swedish Academy said an internal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations found that "unacceptable behaviour in the form of unwanted intimacy" has taken place within the ranks of the prestigious institution.

The internal probe eventually led to a police investigation.Dubai, Sep 24 : United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash has rejected accusations by Iran that the US Gulf allies were responsible for the attack in the Islamic republic on Saturday.

"The official incitement against the UAE by Iranian officials is regrettable... it is clear that Tehran's accusations are unfounded," Gargash said on Sunday on his Twitter account, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Saturday, four armed men attacked a military parade marking the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980-1988, in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz.

The attack killed at least 29 people, including two of the militants.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the US and its regional allies were responsible for the attack.

Ahvaz National Resistance, an Iranian ethnic Arab opposition movement, and the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack.Jerusalem, Sep 24 : The Israeli military has rejected the findings presented by the Russian Defence Ministry which accused the Jewish state of direct responsibility for downing the Russian plane in Syria.

The Israeli statement on Sunday was issued a few hours after the Russian Defence Ministry presented its latest findings on the accident in Latakia earlier this month, accusing the Israeli military of "criminal negligence", Xinhua news agency reported.

Chief spokesman for the Russian Defence Ministry, Igor Konashenkov, said in a press briefing that Israel provided false information and used the Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft as a "shield" against the Syrian air defense system missiles.

The plane with 15 people on board was mistakenly downed by a Syrian missile, when Israel was conducting an airstrike on Syria's Latakia province at the same time.

"We believe that the Israeli Air Force and those who were making decisions about these actions are fully to blame for the tragedy that happened to the Russian plane," Konashenkov told reporters.

In the Israeli response, issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the military charged that the "IAF (Israel Air Force) did not hide behind any aircraft and the Israeli aircraft were in Israeli airspace at the time of the downing of the Russian plane."

The military said it will not stop its attacks against Iranian targets in Syria. "IDF will continue to operate in accordance with the directives of the Israeli government against Iran's incessant attempts to establish itself in Syria and arm Hezbollah with lethal and accurate weapons," the statement read.

The military also stressed the importance of the continuation of the coordination between the Russian and Israeli armies' moves in Syria.

Israel and Russia have a so-called "deconfliction mechanism" operated over the past years to avoid firing on each other forces in Syria.Sydney, Sep 24 : An Australian documentary filmmaker is back home in Sydney after he was granted a Royal pardon in Cambodia for a espionage conviction, for which he was sentenced to six years in prison.

"I love Cambodia, I've always loved Cambodia (and) I don't love Cambodia any less now as a result of what has happened. In fact if anything I love it more," James Ricketson, 69, filmmaker told the media on his arrival at the airport here on Sunday night.

Ricketson, who denies the accusations, said he looks forward to going back to Cambodia soon, a country with which he has had a relationship for 20 years, and "doing all I can to help poor Cambodian families", reports Efe news.

The documentary maker said the Australian government could have performed better during his 15 months in prison, although he avoided giving more details.

"I do have a good story to tell but now, at the airport, is not the right time to tell it," he said on national broadcaster ABC.

Ricketson was arrested on June 7, 2017, after he was using a drone to film a protest organised by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which was later dissolved in November 2017.

A Cambodian court ruled that Ricketson used his work as a documentary maker and humanitarian to gather information that could compromise the security of Cambodia.

Various organisations, including the Human Rights Watch, denounced the court ruling, saying that Ricketson was used by the Cambodian government as a scapegoat to justify the repression against the opposition.Beijing, Sep 24 : Amnesty International (AI) in a report on Monday urged the Chinese government to end the "brainwashing" of nearly one million Muslims held in "re-education" camps in the Xinjiang Uighur region.

In the past year, the government has intensified its campaign of mass internment, intrusive surveillance, political indoctrination and forced cultural assimilation against the region's Uighurs, Kazakhs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, according to the report.

The campaign prohibits any display of religious and cultural affiliation, including growing an "abnormal" beard, wearing a veil or head scarf, regular prayer, fasting or avoidance of alcohol, or possessing books or articles about Islam or Uighur culture as Chinese authorities consider them "extremist" behaviour, reports Efe news.

It is estimated that currently nearly one million Muslims are being held by the authorities in re-education camps, without the right to trial, access to lawyers or contact with family members, the report said.

"The mass detention camps are places of brainwashing, torture and punishment. A simple act of messaging your family abroad can get you detained highlights how ludicrous, unjustified and completely arbitrary the Chinese authorities' actions are," said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International's East Asia Director.

The Chinese government justifies these measures as part of its counter-extremism and counter-terrorism efforts and only releases an individual who "has been transformed".

Those who resist or fail to show sufficient progress could face punishments ranging from verbal abuse to food deprivation, solitary confinement or beatings.

"There have been reports of deaths inside the facilities, including suicides of those unable to bear the mistreatment," the human rights organisation said, based on its interviews with former detainees.

Among them was Kairat Samarkan, who was sent to a detention camp in October 2017 after travelling to Kazakhstan and later released in February 2018. The Chinese authority accused him of "betraying his country".

According to AI, Samarkan was hooded, made to wear shackles on his arms and legs and forced to stand in a fixed position for 12 hours.

There were almost 6,000 people held in the same camp as Samarkan, where they were forced to sing political songs such as "Long live Xi Jinping" and study speeches of the Chinese Communist Party, Samarkan recounted.

Travel abroad for work or education, particularly to majority Muslim countries, or contact with people outside China are also major reasons for suspicion, according to AI.

"Families have suffered enough. Hundreds of thousands of families have been torn apart by this massive crackdown. They are desperate to know what has happened to their loved ones and it is time the Chinese authorities give them answers," said Bequelin.

AI called on the government of President Xi Jinping to put an end to this campaign of "systematic repression" against Muslims, a call raised on numerous occasions by many international organisations.

It is estimated that in China there are some 23 million Muslims or approximately 1.7 per cent of the population, among which are ethnic minorities such as Hui or others whose origins are linked to Uighur, Kazakh, Uzbek, Kyrgyz or Tajik people in Central Asia.Washington, Sep 24 : The White House and Brett Kavanaugh have denied an allegation made by a second woman accusing President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

According to a report on The New Yorker on Sunday, Deborah Ramirez, 53, attended Yale University with the nominee and said she remembers Kavanaugh exposing himself to her at a dormitory party, CNN reported.

In his response to the allegation, Kavanaugh in a statement on Sunday said: "This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple.

"I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name -- and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building -- against these last-minute allegations."

White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec also called the latest claim "a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man".

"This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh," Kupec added.

Ramirez was initially hesitant to speak publicly, she told The New Yorker, partly because her memory contained gaps because she had been drinking at the time of the alleged incident.

She was unsure of his role in the incident at first, but after six days of carefully assessing memories and consulting with her attorney, Ramirez said she felt confident enough in her recollections to say she remembers it was Kavanaugh who had exposed himself.

Sunday's development comes after Christine Blasey Ford earlier this month publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct more than 30 years ago, CNN said.

Ford on Sunday committed to testifying in an open hearing on Thursday about her allegation.

Kavanaugh has denied this allegation too.United Nations, Sep 24 : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will see more action on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly (UNGA) session this week than in its chamber, as she keeps up a gruelling schedule of one-on-one meetings with some 30 leaders and participation in several multilateral meetings.

Her formal address to the UNGA, at which she will lay out India's world view and its global agenda, is scheduled for Saturday during the morning session that will start at 9 a.m. (6.30 p.m. India time).

Listed as the fifth speaker, Sushma Swaraj was likely to speak after 7.15 p.m. India time.

Dinesh K. Patnaik, the Joint Secretary, UN Political, told reporters on Sunday that there have been 30 requests for bilateral meetings with Sushma Swaraj and she was scheduled to participate in eight meetings of groups.

In her roster of meetings in New York there would be one striking absence: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

India cancelled the meeting between them after terrorists killed three policemen in Kashmir and Pakistan issued stamps honouring terrorists including Burhan Wani -- which New Delhi said raised doubts about its commitment to ending terrorism.

However, Sushma Swaraj and Qureshi will both be in the same room at the meetings of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc); the Commonwealth; G77 (the group of developing countries), and the Heart of Asia (a 15-member group stretching from Central and South Asia to Turkey).

Her meetings with leaders kicked off on Sunday when she met with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director General of the World Health Organisation, to discuss global health issues, which will feature prominently during the UNGA at two high-level events on Ending Tuberculosis and on Non-Communicable Diseases.

Away from world affairs, she met on Sunday with members of the Indian community at a meeting organised by the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin.

Sushma Swaraj will start the week participating in US President Donald Trump's Monday meeting on the Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem. India is among 124 countries co-sponsoring it.

That would be followed by a set of bilateral meetings with foreign ministers Pradeep Kumar Gyawa of Nepal, Nasser Bourita of Morocco, Aurelia Frick of Lichtenstein, Josep Borrell of Spain, Tsogtbaatar Damdin of Mongolia, Marise Payne of Australia, Jose Valencia of Ecuador, and Carlos Holmes Trujillo of Colombia, and with Federica Mogherini, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

Sushma Swaraj is scheduled to participate in the afternoon in the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit honouring the birth centenary of the South African freedom fighter and president.

During the week, she will also participate in meetings of the G4, a group made up of India, Japan, Germany and Brazil to advocate for expanding the permanent membership of the UN Security Council; IBSA, the India, Brazil and South Africa forum for cooperation; and BRICS, the group of emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The Indian Foreign Minister will also attend Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's high-level meeting on Action for Peacekeeping.

India was among more than 130 countries that signed a declaration committing themselves to support peacekeeping that was drafted by Guterres ahead of the meeting.

Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will represent the country at high-level events on Ending Tuberculosis and on Non-Communicable Diseases during the week.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)Mumbai, Sep 24 : Petrol retail rates finally breached the Rs 90 mark in Mumbai by touching Rs 90.08 per litre here on Monday, but stood much higher elsewhere in the state, industry officials said.

Federation of Maharashtra Petroleum Dealers Association (FAMPEDA) President Uday Lodh said that the new rate became effective after a hike of 11 paise effected on Monday.

Parbhani District Petrol Dealers Association (PDPDA) President Sanjay Deshmukh said the petrol rates soared to Rs 91.91 in the districts.

The highest petrol prices logged in various cities included: Nanded Rs 91.61, Amravati Rs 91.31, Ratnagiri Rs 91.14 and Jalgaon Rs 91.01, said Lodh.

Similarly, diesel prices also shot up by five paise per litre in Parbhani where it sold at Rs 79.15, said Deshmukh.

However, Aurangabad notched the highest prices when diesel crossed the Rs 80 mark and retailed on Monday at Rs 80.53 per litre, followed by Amravati at Rs 79.90 and Solapur at Rs 79.25.

An official said that there was no fall in demand with the festival season currently on, and the upward trend was likely to continue for some time.Visakhapatnam, Sep 24 : A day after Maoists gunned down a sitting MLA and a former legislator, personnel of the elite Greyhounds anti-Maoist force and the CRPF launched a massive combing operation in the tribal areas of Visakhapatnam district on Monday.

The Andhra Pradesh Police Greyhounds and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers combed the tribal belt along the inter-state border with Odisha to flush out the insurgents.

About 50-60 Maoists, including women had participated in Sunday's attack near Lipittuputtu village, about 15 km from the Odisha border.

They gunned down K. Sarveswara Rao, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA from Araku (Reserved-Scheduled Tribe) and his party colleague and former MLA Siveri Soma.

The armed guerillas intercepted the TDP leaders' vehicles and shot them dead after snatching weapons from their security guards.

As the first major attack on legislators in more than a decade shocked the state administration, top police officers rushed to the region to redraw their strategy to counter Maoists.

Director General of Police R.P. Thakur was monitoring the situation. A team headed by Visakhapatnam Deputy Commissioner of Police K. Fakeerappa, probing Sunday's incident, on Monday visited the scene along with Visakhapatnam Rural Superintendent of Police, Rahul Dev Sharma.

The team spoke to the eye-witnesses and the villagers.

In a related development, the DGP has ordered the suspension of Amman Rao, Sub-Inspector of Dumbriguda police station for dereliction of duty. The action came amid allegations by the supporters of the slain leaders that the police failed to protect them.

The villagers on Sunday staged violent protests against the alleged police negligence. They ransacked Dumbriguda and Araku police stations and attacked police personnel.

An autopsy on the bodies of Rao and Soma were conducted at the government-run hospital in Araku late on Sunday. The body of the MLA was shifted to Paderu and that of Soma to his native Battivalasa. Their last rites would be performed with state honours later in the day.

The tribal region remained tense with huge deployment of police force and a two-day shutdown called by the supporters of the slain leaders.

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) suspended bus services while shops and business establishments remained closed.

Araku Valley, the tourist hotspot about 100 km from the coastal city, wore a deserted look on Monday with transport and tourism operators suspending their services.

As some state ministers and TDP leaders were scheduled to take part in the MLA's funeral, the security agencies were making arrangements to ferry them in a helicopter from Visakhapatnam to Paderu in view of the prevailing condition in the area.New Delhi, Sep 24 : After creating its space in the entry-level and mid-price segment, Panasonic is geared up to launch two Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled premium smartphones in the Indian market on October 4.

The flagship devices will hit the shelves next month as the festive season inches closer, industry sources told IANS on Monday.

The devices sporting stainless steel body will have features like wireless charging and other top-of-the-line specifications.

The Japanese technology company's foray into the mid-price and premium segment comes on the heels of strengthening its distribution network that takes care of 80 per cent of its smartphone business in India.

In a recent interview with IANS, Pankaj Rana, Business Head, Mobility Division, Panasonic India, had aspired to to be in the top 10 brands in India.

"Distribution is our core strength and currently 80 per cent of the business comes from our distribution channel network and 20 per cent from the online channel. Going forward, we believe online will grow up to 30 percent," Rana had anticipated.

To give users an enhanced user experience with AI, Panasonic recently launched smartphones equipped with "Arbo" - an in-house AI-based virtual assistant.

"With 'Arbo', we began positioning of intelligent phones and, because of this, we were able to spread our wings in the market very quickly," Rana said.Wilmington (Us), Sep 24 : The cast of "One Tree Hill" (OTH), who spent years shooting the popular teen drama in Wilmington, North Carolina, have come together on the 15th anniversary of the show's premiere to lend their support to rebuild efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Florence.

Many of the show's stars took to Instagram over the weekend to share the word about relief efforts and information on where fans can donate or volunteer. They called on all those who loved the series to lend a helping hand to the city that served as the fictional town of Tree Hill, reports etonline.com.

Sophia Bush, who starred as Brooke Davis, was of the cast members who took to Instagram on Sunday -- 15 years to the day after the show premiered.

"If One Tree Hill felt like home to you too, please consider supporting the Carolinas alongside us with our Cape Fearless Challenge to raise funds for Florence recovery," Bush wrote.

James Lafferty -- who played Nathan Scott, and, like Bush, was one of the actors who served as a main character on the show for all nine seasons -- also thanked fans for their love on the milestone anniversary.

"Thanks to everyone sending their love on the 15th anniversary of One Tree Hill's premiere," Lafferty wrote.

"Looking back today, I remember so much of what I loved about the show was where it was shot: Wilmington, North Carolina."

"This is a truly special place with a heart and soul all its own and at the moment, the people of Wilmington are still hurting in the wake of Hurricane Florence. If you'd like to give back to the place that gave us #OTH, there are a couple ways to do so.

"You can visit the good people at redcross.org by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or texting FLORENCE to 90999 to make a donation," Lafferty continued.

Lafferty also promoted a special T-shirt, designed by "the women of One Tree Hill", that is being sold to benefit relief efforts.

Hilarie Burton, who starred as Peyton Sawyer, took to Instagram on Thursday to show off the charity T-shirt design, which features an outline of the state of North Carolina, with the word "love" incorporated into the state border, reports etonline.com.

Co-star Chad Michael Murray, who played Lucas Scott, took to Instagram on September 11 to spread awareness of the danger and voice his support for the residents of Wilmington.

Hurricane Florence tore through Cape Verde and Bermuda before hitting North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Virginia, leading to a total of 45 deaths, with 32 of those killed hailing from North Carolina.Photo: CTV

Two additional charges have been laid against a Whitehorse man accused of mailing an explosive device to his brother on Vancouver Island.

Leon Nepper, 73, now faces one charge each of attempted murder and aggravated assault, as well as the previous charges of possessing and sending an explosive device.

He will make his next appearance in Yukon Territorial Court on Oct. 5.

Roger Nepper suffered serious injuries, including the loss of several fingers on his right hand, when he opened a package at his home in Port Alice, B.C., on Sept. 11.

Leon Nepper was charged two days later.

Crown lawyer Ludovic Gouaillier says Nepper will face the charges in Yukon even though the matter is linked to an investigation in British Columbia.New Delhi, Sep 24 : The Supreme Court on Monday referred to a Constitution Bench a plea questioning the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) prevalent in the Dawoodi Bohra community.

The issue was referred to the Constitution Bench on the request of Attorney General K.K. Venugopal and senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi appearing for the community.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said that they would frame the question for the consideration of the Constitution Bench.

The earlier hearing by the three-judge bench saw the Centre describing the practice of FGM amongst Dawoodi Bohras, as being violative of bodily integrity which is a part of right to privacy and dignity.

However, the community had defended the practice on the grounds of the freedom of religion and religious practices.Islamabad, Sep 24 : The Pakistan Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition seeking Prime Minister Imran Khan's disqualification for not being truthful and righteous.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar dismissed the petition on the grounds that it had already been rendered ineffective, reports Dawn .

The court ruled that the petition seeking Khan's disqualification as an MNA (Member of National Assembly) was filed during the term of the previous National Assembly, which has now completed its tenure.

The petition was filed by advocate Danyal Chaudhry in May 2017 soon after the apex court had constituted a six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe allegations of corruption against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and had been pending before the court since then.

Chaudhry sought a special oath for the JIT members to protect them from getting influenced by Khan's speeches.

The petition had requested the apex court to restrain Khan from activities which could influence the minds of the JIT members because his speeches and press releases could prejudice the investigation team.

It alleged that Khan was making speeches to undermine the Panama Papers case judgement and further influence the expected outcome of the JIT investigation.Lucknow, Sep 24 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday arrived in his parliamentary constituency of Amethi on a two-day visit.

He was received by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Raj Babbar at the Chowdhary Charan Singh International Airport here.

The Congress President then drove straight to Amethi where he is slated to participate in a series of programmes including laying the foundation stones of development projects that would be implemented using his MPLAD funds.

On Tuesday, he is scheduled to attend a meeting with district officials and discuss the progress of other works undertaken in the constituency.

He will also meet Congress workers, a party leader told IANS.New Delhi, Sep 24 : A new anthology on Saadat Hasan Manto, penned by the maverick's friends, foes and family, inspects "Manto Saheb" beyond the usual, capturing the psychology of the much discussed figure.

"Manto Saheb: Friends and Enemies on the Great Maverick" has been translated by Vibha S. Chauhan and Khalid Alvi (Speaking Tiger/ 287 pages/ Rs 499). The offering has a common thread running through most of its 15 pieces -- the abuses that the "Thanda Gosht" writer spewed, freely and with ease.

But, why was he foul-mouthed?

"Because this society abused him, foul-mouthed him, like it has done to lakhs and crores of other people" poet-critic and short story writer Ali Sardar Jafri -- a contemporary of Manto in the world of literature -- writes in his piece "The Foul-Mouthed One".

Yet, Manto was armed against the society with his "large, restless eyes" that saw everything, and the teeth of his pen "ripped through society's garments and unveiled deceit and hypocrisy", as per Abu Saeed Qureshi, Manto's childhood friend and the biographer behind "Manto: Sawaneh".

"His inflexibility, bluntness and acrimony are a kind of protective armour with which he shields his internal tenderness. His attempt to demonstrate how he is completely different from everybody else is actually evidence of the fact that he is just like all of us.

"In truth, he is much more deeply wounded, more vulnerable, and more compassionate than any of us," writer Krishan Chandar noted.

Manto's impeccable characterisation -- often finding genesis in bazaars and brothels -- finds mention in many anecdotes that the book's contributors recall.

"Manto was not wrong in representing the whole range of human emotions, including our bestiality, our hollow humanity and perversion," wrote noted novelist and Manto's contemporary at All India Radio, Upendranath Ashk, in his piece "Manto, My Enemy", adding that Manto was never able to figure out who his pen must target.

Several others also argue that the pistol in Manto's hand fired at many, but wounded none.

There's no denying that Manto, who declared himself a "fraud of the top order", was an alcoholic, with a contributor Ibrahim Jalees even terming alcohol as the most important thing in Manto's life.

"..I am inclined to believe that, for Manto, life itself was a bottle of alcohol from which he kept drinking with great relish and kept distributing its intoxication in the form of stories," Jalees wrote, adding that Manto was not the master of alcohol as he claimed, but it was the other way round.

The aficionado died on January 18, 1955, after several rounds to lunatic asylums and many more to hospitals.

"Manto Saheb", while painting a comprehensive portrait of the Saheb, demystifies his life, more than his work.Panaji, Sep 24 : Two ailing ministers in the BJP-led coalition government were dropped from the Goa cabinet on Monday, to make way for the induction of two others from the party into the the 12-member cabinet.

A government statement said that BJP MLA from Mormugao, Milind Naik, a former Power Minister, and BJP MLA from Curchorem, Nilesh Cabral, would be inducted into the state cabinet later in the day.

The swearing-in has been scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Raj Bhavan, the statement said.

The ministers who have been dropped from the cabinet are Francis D'Souza, who holds the Urban Development Ministry portfolio and Pandurang Madkaikar, who was in-charge of the Power Ministry.

D'Souza, who is being treated for cancer at a New York hospital, told IANS over the phone: "I am happy with the decision. This is the fruit of working for the party for 20 long years. I have been ill for only one month."

Madkaikar is being treated in Mumbai since June when he suffered a brain stroke.

Bharatiya Janata Party national president Amit Shah on Sunday had hinted at a ministerial rejig in a tweet, which also said that Parrikar, who is being treated for advanced pancreatic cancer at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences would, however, continue as the Chief Minister.

Parrikar has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and now Delhi, for the last seven months.Bhubaneswar, Sep 24 : The Odisha cabinet on Monday approved the food and procurement policy for the Kharif marketing season 2018-19 with a target to procure 55 lakh tonnes of paddy from farmers.

This will be equivalent to 37 lakh tonnes of rice, Chief Secretary A.P. Padhi said.

However, there is no bar on the procurement of a higher quantity of paddy if this comes to 'mandis' from registered farmers. The target can be revised if the need arises, he added.

The paddy will be procured between November 2018 and April 2019.

Farmers would be paid the Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed by the union government at Rs 1,750 per quintal for the common variety of paddy and Rs 1,770 the for Grade-A variety. The money would be directly paid into the bank accounts of farmers within three days of the procurement.

While 23 lakh tonnes of the procured rice will be pumped into the Public Distribution System, the remaining 14 lakh tonnes will be delivered to the central pool through the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

In 2017-18, the state government had procured 49.06 lakh tonnes of paddy in the Kharif and Rabi seasons, said Padhi.

The cabinet also approved the guidelines of the new Rs 1,250 crore 'Ama Gaon Ama Bikas' scheme that will be effective from this year. Its major objective is to take up new projects that will contribute to the overall development of community and wellbeing of the people at the Panchayat level.

The projects will be approved by the Chief Minister.Jakarta, Sep 24 : An Indonesian teenager survived 48 days adrift at sea in a floating fish trap before he was rescued by a cargo vessel and taken to Japan, officials said on Monday.

A diplomat from the Indonesian consulate in Osaka confirmed to Efe news that Aldi Novel Adilang, 19, was in good health and reunited with his family in his hometown, Wori, in North Sulawesi province.

Aldi was employed to light up a wooden floating fish trap - so as to attract the fish - around 125 km from the North Sulawesi coast.

Once a week, someone would come with provisions for him and take away the collected fish.

However, on July 14 the rope holding the structure in place broke off and strong winds pushed it towards the north.

The structure lacked an engine and went adrift, but Aldi had a solar-powered radio, through which he tried to contact at least 10 boats that passed nearby.

Finally, the vessel MV Arpeggio, bearing a Panamanian flag, caught his radio signal and rescued him on August 31 in the waters of Guam.

The cargo ship took him to Japan and Aldi returned to Indonesia on September 8.Mumbai, Sep 24 : Four days after he was seriously injured and stranded in a boat race, Commander Abhilash Tomy of the Indian Navy was rescued on Monday, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said here.

Commander Tomy was picked up by a French fishing vessel Osiris, which had responded to an SOS from a massive joint operation launched by Indian and Australian authorities since the past three days.

"Bravo! Osiris and all involved! They have Tomy onboard and he is conscious and talking," said the Golden Globe Race-2018 in a message.

The naval sailor-cum-sportsperson participating in the GGR-2018, was caught in a huge storm on Friday, 5,020 km from Cape Comorin, India and 3,500 km from Perth, Australia, in the Indian Ocean.

His boat, SV Thuriya, had overturned while he was virtually left paralysed with severe back injuries but managed to relay messages to various authorities from his satphone.Frankfurt, Sep 24 : Eintracht Frankfurt played to a 1-1 home draw with RB Leipzig in the last match of the German Bundesliga's fourth round here at Commerzbank-Arena.

Swiss midfielder Gelson Fernandes opened the scoring for Frankfurt in the 26th minute, but Swedish winger Emil Forsberg drew Leipzig level nine minutes after the break on the successful conversion of a penalty kick here on Sunday, reports Efe.

Leipzig holds the 10th spot in the standings with five points, while Frankfurt is in 13th place with four points.

In another match, Bayer Leverkusen earned its first victory of the 2018/2019 Bundesliga season, topping visiting side Mainz 1-0 here at the BayArena.

Germany midfielder Kai Havertz scored the decisive goal of the match in the 62nd minute.

The 19-year-old found the back of the net on a header after being set up by fellow Germany international Julian Brandt.

Following Leverkusen's first taste of victory after three defeats, the club climbed to 15th place with three points in the German league table.

Mainz holds the seventh spot in the standings with seven points.Naypyidaw, Sep 24 : Myanmar Army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the UN had no right to interfere in the country, after UN experts recently said that they found elements of deliberate genocide of the Rohingya Muslim minority.

This is his first reaction after the experts recommended that the military chief and other senior officers of the Myanmar Army be investigated over the rapes and killings of Rohingyas in Rakhine state, reports Efe news.

In a speech in the northeastern city of Lashio on Sunday, Min Aung Hlaing maintained that the military's first duty was to defend the independence and sovereignty of the country and added that no group had the right to interfere in Myanmar's internal matters, military-owned newspaper Myawady Daily reported on Monday.

The UN report said that at least 10,000 people were killed and around 725,000 sought refuge in Bangladesh due to military operations in Rakhine, which began on August 25, 2017 in response to insurgent attacks on government security posts.

The experts found "genocidal intent" in the campaign against the Rohingya people in Rakhine as well as evidence of crimes against humanity and war crimes in the states of Rakhine, Kachin and Shan.

The International Criminal Court has opened a preliminary probe into the matter.

The Myanmar government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, rejected the recommendations of the report and said it had formed an independent commission to investigate the incidents in Rakhine.

Myanmar does not grant citizenship to the Rohingyas and consider them to be illegal Bengali immigrants.

For years, the minority has been subjected to all kinds of discrimination, including restrictions on freedom of movement.

Both the Army and the government have denied accusations of human rights violations of the Rohingya.Photo: YouTube

Former premier Christy Clark is refuting comments she made in a years-old radio segment about voting reform in B.C.

Clark says she's not in favour of proportional representation despite speaking in favour of a single transferable vote during a 2009 monologue on Vancouver's CKNW radio.

The recording has resurfaced as voters prepare for a referendum on voting reform next month.

In the piece, Clark said B.C. should ditch its first-past-the post voting system. The broadcast appears to contradict the BC Liberals stance against proportional representation, but Clark denied the interpretation over the weekend.

The segment was broadcast five years after she quit as an MLA, but three years before she returned to politics.

Our current system served my personal political interests as a politician very well, thank you very much, Clark said in 2009. But since Ive been out of politics, my views have changed.

It was taped as British Columbians prepared to vote in a single transferable vote referendum that year. Voters rejected the change, as they did in a prior referendum under then-premier Gordon Campbell.

I see many people whose interests, and in many cases whose income, is dependent on keeping our system the way it is, Clark said. They are scared because (STV) will change things. It will force politicians to compete for all of your votes.

A mail-in referendum will be held again Oct. 30-Nov.30, asking voters to consider three options for proportional representation.

I have never supported (proportional representation) and, in the absence of a proposal on the ballot that improves political accountability rather than diminishes it, I will be voting to support our current system, Clark said on Saturday.

BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson also opposes proportional representation.

 with files from CTV VancouverHong Kong, Sep 24 : Hong Kong authorities on Monday banned a party which openly advocated the independence of the former British colony from the rest of China.

It is now illegal to be a member of Hong Kong National Party, act on its behalf, or raise funds for it, according to a notice posted by the authorities citing legislation under the Societies Ordinance.

Offenders could face up to three years in prison and fines of up to $12,000, reports CNN.

The decision follows a call by the Hong Kong police in July to outlaw the party under the colonial-era ordinance for posing an "imminent threat to national security".

"The Hong Kong National Party has a very clear agenda to achieve its goal of Hong Kong being made an independent republic. Over the two years it has planned and executed actions to implement the plan," Security Secretary John Lee said on Monday, adding that the party has spread hatred against Chinese immigrants and advocated an "armed revolution" to achieve Hong Kong's independence.

Andy Chan, convenor of the Hong Kong National Party, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He has always maintained his organization is non-violent.

Last month, Chan gave a hugely scrutinised speech at the Foreign Correspondents Club, which eventually went ahead despite attempts by the government and other figures to pressure the club to drop it, and protests by pro-Beijing groups.

Maya Wang, a Hong Kong-based researcher for Human Rights Watch, said the government's justification for the ban as a pre-emptive step to protect national security, "sets a dangerous precedent, where more non-violent pro-democracy political groups may be similarly banned".

"The ban violates a range of human rights guaranteed to Hong Kong people, including the rights to freedom of association and assembly," she added.

Founded in 2016 to achieve Hong Kong's independence from China, the Hong Kong National Party has already faced restrictions on operating, CNN said.

Chan was one of several separatist candidates barred from standing in 2016's legislative elections and the group has also struggled in the past to get police permission to hold rallies or protests.Ranchi, Sep 24 : Four Maoists, including one who carried a reward of Rs 2 lakh for his capture, were arrested on Monday in Jharkhand's Palamau district, police said.

Acting on a tip, the police arrested them including Guddu Yadav who carried the bounty.

All the arrested belong to the banned Maoist group, Tritiya Prastuti Committee. Yadav, in the past, was also associated with the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist.Lahore, Sep 24 : The Lahore High Court on Monday asked former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and a journalist to appear before it in connection with a treason case.

The case, which was filed by civil society member Amina Malik through Advocate Azhar Siddique, seeks action against Sharif on treason charges for allegedly trying to defame state institutions in an interview to Dawn news, as well as action against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for allegedly not honouring his oath of office by disclosing the minutes of a National Security Council (NSC) meeting to Nawaz.

Noting that Dawn news journalist Cyril Almeida had failed to appear in the last three hearings of the case, the three-judge bench told his lawyer that they would issue non-bailable arrest warrants so that he could be taken into custody and presented in court.

The lawyer asked the judges to issue bailable arrest warrants, saying that he was sure Almeida would appear in court at the next hearing.

The court subsequently ordered that Almeida's name be placed on the no-fly list and non-bailable arrest warrants be issued for him, saying he must appear on October 8.

The court also raised questions over Sharif's absence from the proceedings, to which his lawyer said that he was set to appear but was unable to do so because of the mourning period for his late wife Kulsoom Nawaz.

The judges directed that the ousted Prime Minister appear before the court in accordance with the law and summoned him on October 8.

Abbasi however, was present at Monday's hearing.

Earlier in September, the court had issued bailable arrest warrants for Abbasi for not appearing.New Delhi, Sep 24 : The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Gujarat government's response on a plea by the wife of dismissed IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, alleging that she is compelled to move the court as her husband is being prevented from doing so.

Describing the allegation by Shweta Bhatt that her husband was not being allowed to sign 'vakalatnama' and other documents necessary for approaching the court as "very serious", the bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Navin Sinha asked the Gujarat government to respond.

"This is something very serious, a person not being allowed to come to the court. His wife is being compelled to come," Justice Gogoi said.

"Before we go into the merits of the case, we would like the State of Gujarat to respond to the allegations," the court ordered.

Shweta Bhatt alleged that her husband had been taken into custody "in the most arbitrary manner" and he had also been taken on Police Custody Remand.

He was not being allowed to execute 'vakalatnama' and other documents required to file the present Special Leave Petition.

Asking senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, representing Gujarat, to respond, the court ordered that the affidavit of Gujarat be filed on or before Friday and Shweta Bhatt ,if required, may respond to it.

The court directed the hearing of the matter on October 4.

Sanjiv Bhatt was arrested by the CID Crime Branch of Gujarat Police on September 5 in connection with a 1996 case allegedly framing a Rajasthan-based lawyer, Sumersingh Rajpurohit, in a narcotics peddling case.

Bhatt was serving as the District Superintendent of Police in Banaskantha district when the lawyer was booked under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The Rajasthan Police claimed that this was done to compel the lawyer to let go a disputed property in Pali district.

The Rajasthan Police also claimed that Rajpurohit was abducted by police from his residence at Pali.

Following this investigation, former Banaskantha Police Inspector I.B. Vyas had moved the Gujarat High Court in 1999 demanding a detailed probe into the incident.

Bhatt was dismissed from service in 2015 for "unauthorized absence" from service.

The Gujarat High Court had on September 11 sent Bhatt and retired police officer I.B. Vyas to 10 days police custody.Agartala, Sep 24 : Fish import from Bangladesh has been stopped for 20 days that created huge crisis in Tripura markets, officials said here on Monday.

"Bangladeshi exporters have stopped exporting fish to Tripura after a damage to 10,000 kg of fish valued at Rs 22 lakh on September 5 due to some 'monetary disputes'. The fish was damaged as these could not be off-loaded timely," a senior Customs official said, but requested not to be named.

He said: "Bangladeshi fish exporters want security during cross border trading. Fish traders of India and Bangladesh are likely to meet here on Wednesday to settle the dispute."

Bangladeshi media quoting the traders across the border said that some people in Agartala-Akhaura border demanded donation from the fish traders causing the disputes among the traders.

On an average 14,000 to 15,000 kg of various fish, excluding delicious hilsa fish, is being imported from Bangladesh to Tripura through the Agartala-Akhaura integrated checkposts, just along the Agartala capital city.

A fish trader said that due to no import from Bangladesh, over 200 loading and unloading labourers and transport workers remained jobless during the past 20 days.

Industry and Commerce Department, Customs and Agartala Land Port Authority officials refused to comment on the "sensitive and disputed issue".

Meanwhile, an official of the Agartala Land Port Authority said that Bangladesh has reportedly lifted a 2012 ban on the export of their national fish hilsa (or Elish), whose key markets include India, to check its smuggling and tap into the growing global demand for the popular but scarce food species.

Bangladesh's Ministry of Commerce had banned the export of hilsa fish on August 1, 2012 due to its low availability.

"Though the Bangladesh government reportedly withdraws the ban on the export of hilsa fish to India, the decision was not executed through the India-Bangladesh border with Tripura," the Agartala Land Port Authority official said.

Tripura imports on an average 32,000 kg fish daily from other states, specially from Andhra Pradesh, to meet its local demands.Islamabad, Sep 24 : An 18-year-old girl was beheaded along with her 21-year-old boyfriend in Pakistan by her father and uncle in what the police are calling yet another incident of honour killing, the media reported on Monday.

The incident took place in a small village in Attock district when the man arrived at the girl's house to meet her, police was quoted by Dawn News as saying. Soon after, the girl's father and her uncle walked in and, after tying the victims with ropes, beheaded them with a sharp object.

The police have arrested both suspects and recovered the murder weapon as well, Sub-inspector of Saddar police station Asif Khan said.

Scores of people in Pakistan, an overwhelming majority of whom are women, are still being murdered by relatives for bringing "shame" on their family.

At least 280 such murders were recorded by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan from October 2016 to June 2017 - a figure believed to be understated and incomplete.Moscow, Sep 24 : Russia's opposition leader Alexei Navalny was rearrested on Monday moments after he had finished serving a 30-day sentence.

He is accused of violating a protest law and faces 20 days in jail or a fine. He is due in court later on Monday, the BBC reported.

The sentence Navalny had just served was over planning an unauthorised anti-government demonstration in January.

The 42-year-old politician has long been the most prominent face of Russian opposition to President Vladimir Putin.

In recent weeks, the opposition politician has called for nationwide protests against government plans to raise the retirement age in Russia - a deeply unpopular reform that is fuelling resentment with the authorities and which has dented Putin's popularity.

Earlier this month, the head of Russia's National Guard Viktor Zolotov had threatened to make "a juicy beefsteak" out of Navalny, after the political activist had published allegations of large-scale corruption within the National Guard.

Navalny's candidacy in the 2018 presidential election was banned by the authorities over his conviction by a Russian court of embezzlement, which barred him from running for office.Puri, Sep 24 : BJP National President Amit Shah on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Congress and other opposition parties including Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), saying that they have developed "Modiphobia".

"While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is engaged in 'Make in India', the Congress and other opposition parties including the BJD are attempting 'Break in India'. Modiji says 'garibi hatao' (remove poverty), the opposition says 'Modi hatao' (remove Modi)... It seems the opposition suffers from Modiphobia," Shah said while addressing a rally of women party workers here.

The Bharatiya Janata Party President said the opposition has no agenda.

Attacking Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his party, Shah said the BJD has lost all the rights to rule the state following 18 years of misgovernance.

"The way the state government has functioned during its consecutive terms, it has no rights to rule further," said Shah.

He asserted that the BJP would form the next government in Odisha.

"With the blessings of the mothers and sisters of Odisha, the BJP will form the government in the state after the 2019 elections. In order to have a Chief Minister of the state belonging to BJP, I seek the support of the people," he said.

He alleged that the bureaucrats were ruling the state, not the public representatives.

"In the last four years, about 4.45 lakh crore has been allocated to the state by the Central government. But, the money did not reach the beneficiaries. The fund has been siphoned off by the officials," said Shah.

Shah also alleged that the state government did not allow implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana.

"Naveen babu is only worried about his chair and not people of the state," he added.

He also blamed the state government for the death of 14 BJP workers during the last three years.Gurugram, Sep 24 : A B.Tech graduate from Hyderabad, posing himself as a Civil Judge posted in Gurugram, was arrested after he duped over three dozen people in the name of helping them to get cheap flats and jobs, police said on Monday.

The suspect was identified as Kedarnath Sagar.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Shamsher Singh said the impostor "judge Sagar" was arrested from Gurugram's Sector 12 where he was living in a rented accommodation for six months.

"The accused used to tell people that he was posted in Gurugram on deputation as Civil Judge and promised to get them Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category flats and jobs in public and government sectors," the officer said.

He mainly targeted women and charged Rs 3 to 5 lakh against each flat he promised but nothing was ever allotted. "He duped nearly 40 people," the officer said.

Sagar was arrested on a complaint of Gagan Batra, whose relative was duped of Rs 4 lakh for a flat in upcoming Sector 102.

The accused prepared fake ID card of a judge and other necessary documents related to his alleged a posting.

A court remanded Sagar to seven days in police custody, the officer added.New Delhi, Sep 24 : Beauty brand Lotus Make-up is the new title sponsor of the India Fashion Week (IFW), hosted by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), whose president Sunil Sethi says beauty has now become the "fulcrum" of the extravaganza.

"Beauty has always been a cornerstone of the fashion week. However, now it has become the fulcrum," Sethi told IANS.

"Lotus Make-Up being a very respected name in this space will offer its expertise in all things related to skincare which is now the tour de force. Trends are relevant as they mirror changing times so we will look at beauty through that prism," he added.

Sethi says fashion and beauty are interlinked. So, it makes this collaboration perfect.

"You can expect to see us making revelatory fashion forecasts in the future and creating a new beauty blueprint for the year to come which will serve as a template for edits. I do feel that beauty is not just about trends or how to apply make-up. It is also about self-confidence and the most distinct visual form of communication," he said.

IFW will take place from October 10-13 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here. Now, the event has been rechristened as the Lotus Make-Up India Fashion Week Spring Summer 2019 ( LMIFW SS'19).

He said the core of the gala will always remain the "business of fashion".

"FDCI has and will consistently make efforts to showcase the creativity of our designers by giving them a platform for sales and business. Beauty is a million dollar industry in India and social media has heightened this presence. I think we would like to keep that as a highlight and maybe start a new campaign which will be a conversational piece on how women look at beauty in a time when there is enormous accessibility to both products and techniques," said Sethi.

Nitin Passi, Director of Lotus Herbals Pvt Ltd, is also delighted to be the presenting partner of Lotus Make-Up India Fashion Week organised by FDCI.

"We are looking forward to a great association ahead with a perfect blend of fashion and make-up setting the stage for future consumer trends in the industry," Passi said.Photo: The Canadian Press When actor Will Smith turns 50 on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018, he will jump head-first into the big milestone.

At the end of the 1991 movie "Thelma & Louise," the two leading ladies  fugitives cornered by authorities in the Grand Canyon  decide against surrendering and instead drive off a cliff.

One of cinema's most iconic endings wasn't filmed in the national park in Arizona, but not for lack of trying.

"We didn't want to encourage people coming into the canyon doing what was done in the movie, so we declined it," said Maureen Oltrogge, a longtime spokeswoman for the national park who retired in 2014.

Nevertheless, Oltrogge said at least two people took their own lives by driving over the rim of the Grand Canyon after the movie was released, thinking it was filmed there.

The landscape in and around one of the world's seven natural wonders has a long history of stunts being staged  or turned down. An acrobat, a magician and overall daredevils are among those who have approached Grand Canyon National Park over the years with visions of a made-for-TV moment.

The latest planned feat will be Tuesday when actor Will Smith celebrates his 50th birthday by bungee jumping from a helicopter. While it's been billed as a leap "in the heart of the Grand Canyon," it actually will take place over a smaller gorge on the Navajo Nation, a tribe whose reservation borders the east rim of the national park.

Getting permission to film or stage something in the Grand Canyon means meeting a lot of criteria. Among the outrageous proposals the park has declined was in the 1990s, when now-deceased artist Ron Nicolino collected thousands of bras that he wanted to string across the Grand Canyon. The park said no.

Grand Canyon spokeswoman Kari Cobb said Smith did not approach the park for the bungee jump, but it wouldn't be allowed anyway. She said the park is responsible for protecting its assets.

"It's everything relating to safety, impacts to visitors and impacts to the resources," she said.

Oltrogge said other filming projects were turned down because of their size, the impact to tourism and because they didn't align with the park's educational values. The park also has rejected requests for ride-along criminal justice programs, and to launch jet engines from rim to rim.

Todd Berger, author of "It Happened at Grand Canyon," says the earliest-known publicized stunt he can recall from his research of the Grand Canyon was an airplane landing near Plateau Point in the early 1920s. Ellsworth Kolb and a swashbuckling pilot took off from the plateau below the South Rim and "spiraled" up and out of the canyon in front of large crowds and cameras.

The Grand Canyon is alluring for promotional purpose because it's "world-famous, spectacular and scary to most people," Berger said in an email.

One request the Hualapai declined was when aerial artist Nik Wallenda wanted to walk a tightrope over the canyon in 2013. Bravo said it was too risky.

"The canyon is very sacred and very spiritual to the Hualapai people, and God forbid something happen to him while he's out there," he said.

Wallenda ended up getting permission from the Navajo Nation to walk a 5-centimetre-thick steel cable 1,476 feet (450 metres) over the Little Colorado River gorge, just east of Grand Canyon National Park. The roughly 22-minute act was broadcast live on the Discovery Channel.

That is where Smith will be making his big leap.

Navajo Nation spokesman Mihio Manus said any stunt or filming project in the tribe's Little Colorado River park requires a special permit. Applicants outline their plans and fill out paperwork. If a department manager approves, they talk about the scope of the event and location. Environmental and wildlife officials also weigh in before a permit can be issued and a fee assessed.

Manus declined to comment on Smith's jump.

The "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" actor teamed up with charity website Omaze to make his bungee jump a fundraiser. The site launched a lottery for a fan to be chosen to witness the jump and meet Smith. Attempts to reach Smith were unsuccessful.Lucknow, Sep 24 : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will undertake an exhaustive study in Uttar Pradesh to add value to mango growing, guava, potato and pulse farming, and submit a report to the state government, an official said on Monday.

This decision was taken at a meeting of an ADB delegation headed by its Country Head Kenichi Yokoyama with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and senior officials of the state government.

Adityanath told the delegates that there was need for diversification in agriculture in the present-day scenario as this would lead to better profits to farmers. He also stressed the need to move beyond the conventional farming in vegetable growing, fruit production, horticulture, pisciculture and dairy development.

The Chief Minister also reiterated the commitment of the state government to realise the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doubling farmers' income by 2022. The state government, he added, was working on an action plan to achieve this target.

Emphasising the need for assimilation of new and modern techniques, Adityanath also called for wider publicity of drip irrigation. He suggested that through MNREGA, many works could be done which would benefit small and medium farmers.

Farmers were benefiting from the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme and the Prime Minister's Agriculture Irrigation Scheme, the Chief Minister pointed out while adding how soil health cards for accurate nature of the soil were benefiting the farmers in a big way.

The Uttar Pradesh government had ensured distribution of two crore soil health cards, which was the highest in the country.Mumbai, Sep 24 : "Doob: No Bed of Roses", Bangladesh's Oscar entry in the best foreign language film category, would not have been possible without Indian actor Irrfan Khan, says the movie's director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki.

The 2017 bilingual drama stars Irrfan, who has also co-produced it.

Irrfan, who is currently undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour in London, is extremely happy that the Bangladesh Oscar Committee has chosen "Doob" to represent the country at the Academy Awards.

The actor's spokesperson said in a statement on Irrfan's behalf: "It is an honour to be recognised by the jury and he is delighted that his film is getting the much deserved acknowledgement at long last."

Farooki said: "I am happy because 'No Bed of Roses' is representing Bangladesh at the Oscars. I hope the film would find some love from the Academy voters. As for my collaboration with Irrfan, it would have been impossible to make this film without his involvement as an actor and co-producer.

"I share a wonderful relation with him, on and off the set. I call him 'poet' and he jokingly corrects me saying 'I'm a poet with no words'. In this film, he actually expressed so many things with very little help of words and I am glad to have collaborated with one of the finest actors of not just India, but the world."

In the movie, Irrfan plays a successful filmmaker facing a midlife crisis when he has a tryst with his daughter's childhood friend, causing a national scandal.

The film walked on a path full of thorns as it was banned in Bangladesh on the grounds that it might be based on revered real-life author and filmmaker Ahmed, who divorced his wife of 27 years and married an actress 33 years his junior.

The ban was eventually lifted and the film released in October 2017 in Bangladesh, France, India and Australia.Hyderabad, Sep 24 : Complacency on the part of Andhra Pradesh Police may have led to the killing of a legislator and a former legislator by Maoists on Sunday while the rebels appear have sent a message that they may be out but are not down.

The audacious attack by a large number of armed guerrillas has come as a bolt from the blue for the police at a time when it was believed that they have neutralised the Maoist menace in their former stronghold.

The gunning down of the MLA and a former legislator of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in broad daylight jolted the police establishment and raised questions if police had lowered the guard.

About 50-60 Maoists including women intercepted the vehicles of Araku MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma on a road not far from Dumbriguda 'mandal' (block) headquarter.

That the Maoists, some of them armed with Ak-47 and INSAS rifles, snatched weapons from three gunmen of the two leaders and allegedly read a 'chargesheet' against them before gunning them down indicates how well-planned and coordinated the attack was.

Livitiputtu, the village where the attack was carried out, is 15 km from Odisha border and this region was once the hotbed of Maoist activity.

It was the worst attack on legislators since 2005 when Congress MLA C. Narsi Reddy and eight others were gunned down in Mahabubnagar district of then unified Andhra Pradesh.

Since then a series of blows dealt by police considerably weakened the Maoist movement.

The Andhra Pradesh Police emerged as a role model for other states tackling Maoists. Its elite anti-Maoist squad Greyhounds won accolades for the expertise it acquired in dealing with the guerillas.

In fact states like Odisha and Chhattisgarh took the help of Andhra police in dealing with the Maoist menace.

Forced out of their other strongholds like north Telangana and Nallamalla forests following the killing of several of their cadres and top leaders by the police between 2005 and 2010, CPI-Maoist activities were largely confined to Andhra Odisha Border (AOB).

The region witnessed many operations by the Maoists, the biggest being the killing of 38 policemen including personnel of Greyhounds in 2008.

Maoists received the biggest blow in AOB region in October 2016 when police killed 30 rebels in alleged exchange of fire. Since then Maoists had been trying to avenge the killings.

The manner in which the Maoists tried to justify the killings of the MLA and former legislator by branding them as betrayers of tribals is being viewed as an attempt to win the sympathies of tribals.

Some retired police officials believe that the movement of such a large number of Maoists in the region and the well-planned attack could not have been possible without some ground support. They suspect that the sympathizers of Maoists could have provided them with food and shelter.

Former Director General of Police N. Sambasiva Rao believes that as long as Maoists have sympathizers on the ground, it would not be safe to assume that the threat is completely eliminated.

While Maoists had been making attempts to regain the foothold in Andhra Pradesh, they were not successful as the police kept up the pressure. Lack of fresh recruitment and disillusionment of tribals with Maoist ideology also contributed.

The violent reaction of tribals and the shutdown called in the agency area following the killing of the MLA and former MLA are seen as a pointer to this disenchantment. The protestors who attacked two police stations blaming police for their failure to prevent the attack questioned the justification for killing a tribal legislator.Thiruvananthapuram, September 24 : Kerala finance minister Thomas Isaac on Monday came down on prime minister Narendra Modi over the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal, asking why the prime minister was remaining silent despite charges of nepotism and corruption being levelled directly at him.

Buying 36 fighter jets at the cost of 126 of them. Giving the deal to make fighter jets to Anil Ambanis paper company that sprung up all of a sudden. Public sector company HAL which has been making fighter jets for seven decades was mysteriously dropped from the deal. When it comes to nepotism, corruption, and misappropriation of public funds, the Rafale deal is turning out to be biggest corruption scandal witnessed by independent India, Mr. Isaac alleged in a facebook post.

Union ministers tasked with warding off the charges of corruption in the deal have dug themselves into a hole of contradictions and the prime minister himself is silent despite fingers being pointed at him, the Kerala finance minister quipped.

The central government is obliged to disclose the amount for which it is procuring the fighter jets, he wrote, wondering why the union cabinet was averse to disclose the cost of the deal.

Taking a dig at union defense minister Nirmala Sitaraman for saying that security reasons prevented the central government from disclosing the cost of each Rafale jet, Mr. Isaac pointed out that the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation and and offset partner Reliance had already revealed the cost of each aircraft to be Rs. 1,670 crore.

Pointing out that Anil Ambanis Reliance Defence Limited, which won the offset contract worth thousands of crores, was floated just 13 days prior to Narendra Modis announcement in April 2015 that India would procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, he alleged that a cloud of suspicion remains over how Anil Ambanis company came to be part of the deal.New Delhi, Sep 24 : The government on Monday extended the last date for filing of income tax returns and audit reports by companies for assessment year 2018-19 to October 15 from September 30, an official statement said.

However, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said there will be no relief on part of the interest calculated for the period beyond September 30. Industry has welcomed the decision but wants October 31 as the due date.

"Upon consideration of representations from various stakeholders, the CBDT extends the 'due date' for filing of ITR as well as reports of audit (which were required to be filed by the said specified date) from September 30 to October 15 in respect of the said categories of taxpayers," the CBDT statement said.

It added: "However, there shall be no extension of the due date for the purpose of section 234A (Explanation 1) of the I.T. Act, 1961 pertaining to interest for defaults in furnishing return, and the assessee shall remain liable for payment of interest as per provisions of section 234A of the Act."

Patna-based Chartered Accountant Agnesh Kumar Gupta said the extension of 15 days is not enough and the government should have allowed time till October 31.

"The government allowed 30 days extension in case of ITR for individual taxpayers but for companies, where ITR filing is more complex, the extension is just not enough. This is despite the change in tax audit forms in August," Gupta said.

Thanking Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for extending the date, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said: "It's a very needed step of the government since traders across country were under great stress due to other government compliances. It will give a breather to traders... However, it would be better if the date is extended up to October 31."Mumbai, Sep 24 : Actress Radhika Apte, whose "omnipresence" on Indian Netflix shows has been much talked about, says the digital platform has generated a lot of employment and really good content.

Radhika, who will be seen in the forthcoming film "Andhadhun", was announced ambassador for a botanical hair tonic brand here on Monday.

Having starred in "Sacred Games", "Ghoul" and "Lust Stories", Radhika said: "I personally feel that digital platform has really generated a lot of employment and really good content and it has various reasons for that.

"It doesn't have censorship and of course, the format of web series is very different from the format of films. So, it has great advantages and because of that, a viewer has the choice to watch something at home as well as something in theatres."

Asked whether the growing popularity of the digital platform can pose a threat to full-length feature films, she said: "I think certain films will still run and I hope they do because I love cinema."

"Andhadhun", releasing on October 5, is a mystery thriller film directed by Sriram Raghavan. The film stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu and Radhika Apte in the lead roles. It is produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Matchbox Pictures.Panaji, Sep 24 : BJP MLAs Milind Naik, a former Power Minister, and Nilesh Cabral were sworn in as cabinet ministers in the BJP-led cabinet in Goa even as ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar dropped two ministers who have been hospitalized for severe ailments.

The two Ministers were administered the oath of secrecy by Governor Mridula Sinha at a formal function at the Raj Bhavan on Monday evening.

While Naik has served as a Power Minister in a previous BJP-led coalition government under then Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, a two-time MLA has been sworn in as Minister for the first time.

Both Ministers said they had been informed by Parrikar by phone on Monday morning that they had been shortlisted for ministership.

When Cabral was asked that two of their colleagues had been sacked to make way for the two cabinet berths, the newly inducted Minister said: "It is not my responsibility that my colleague has been dropped and I have been made Minister. That is the CM's responsibility. Tomorrow they may drop me too... What is the big deal?"

Naik and Cabral have replaced Urban Development Minister Francis D'Souza and Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar.

Reacting to the development, D'Souza, who is being treated for cancer at a New York hospital, told IANS over the phone: "I am happy with the decision. This is the fruit of working for the party for 20 long years. I have been ill for only one month."

Madkaikar is being treated in Mumbai since June when he suffered a brain stroke.

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Sunday had hinted at a ministerial rejig in a tweet, which also said that Parrikar, who is being treated for advanced pancreatic cancer at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences would, however, continue as Chief Minister.

Parrikar has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and now Delhi for the last seven months.New Delhi, Sep 24 : The overall median wage in the country across eight sectors was Rs 219.4 per hour in 2017, down 32.14 per cent on a year-on-year basis, a monster.com report showed on Monday.

In 2016, the overall median wage was Rs 323.3 per hour, the Monster Salary Index showed.

Among the sectors surveyed, the IT sector in India paid a median wage of Rs 317.6 per hour in 2017, lower by 17.8 per cent on a year-on-year basis, it said.

"IT sector paid median wage at Rs 317.6 per hour, the highest among all monitored sectors, but 17.8 per cent less than the last year," it said, adding that the decrease in salary was one of the reasons of around 51 per cent of the employees in the segment not being satisfied with their jobs.

According to the report, some other aspects contributing to job dissatisfaction were commuting time, work-life balance, and working hours.

Manufacturing sector witnessed a growth in the median salary at Rs 230.9 per hour, up from Rs 211.7 per hour in 2016.

The sectors under review were: construction and technical consultancy; education and research; financial services, banking and insurance; ICT services (information and communications technology); healthcare, caring services and social work; legal, market consultancy and business activities; manufacturing; transport, logistics and communications.

Out of these, ICT or IT services gave the highest median salary of Rs 317.6 per hour.New Delhi, Sep 24 : The Congress on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of compromising India's friendly ties with France by alleging a "collusion" between former French President Francois Hollande and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi over the Rafale deal.

Targeting Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's latest remarks on the raging Rafale issue, the Congress also claimed the Modi regime is trying to influence the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) to whom the Congress has approached seeking a probe.

"For the BJP, even India-France relations will be a grist to their mill, doesn't matter if they (ties with France) are a causality as long as they try and score ridiculous debating point," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the media here.

The Congress leader's comments were in reaction to Jaitley's Sunday remarks suggesting a link between a tweet by Gandhi on the Rafale and Hollande's subsequent revelation that the Modi government proposed to choose a private entity instead of defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for the offset contract.

"Hollande's statement rhymes with Gandhi's prediction," Jaitley had said pointing to Gandhi's April 30 tweet wherein he had predicted of some explosive revelations to emerge in next couple of weeks.

Singhvi called Jaitley's allegations as "silly" and said: "The deal is done when Hollande is the (French) President and when the BJP is in power, and the collusion with us?"

"It shows cheap politics of the BJP which is being allowed to trump even India's foreign relations arena."

The Congress also attacked Jaitley over his (Sunday) remarks that the "CAG would study the pricing and take a view on whether the NDA government's deal was better than the one UPA was negotiating".

"How can any Minister of the Modi government say what the CAG will do. This is a clear direction, a message, an indication, trying to tell the CAG what to do, how much to do and what it should not do," alleged Singhvi.

"They are setting the tone and content in advance for what the government will like the CAG to do," added Singhvi expressing apprehension that the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), to which the Congress on Monday approached seeking a probe, may also be influenced in a similar manner.Shillong, Sep 24 : Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said land acquisition and environmental clearances were the two major hurdles delaying the road infrastructure projects in the northeastern states.

Inaugurating the 102 km Jowai-Ratacherra section of NH-06 in Meghalaya, the Union Minister asked the Chief Ministers of the northeastern states to hold monthly review meetings on land acquisition and environmental clearance for early implementation of road projects.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, Tripura Chief Minister Biplap Deb, Arunachal Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein and a host of Meghalaya cabinet ministers witnessed the inauguration among others "Land acquisition is a state subject and therefore we need the cooperation of the respective states. If the state can make progress on land acquisition and environmental clearance fast, we assure you that we will immediately approve the road projects and start the project as early as possible," Gadkari said.

Noting that prosperity comes from roads, the Union Minister said that industries and agriculture are the two very important sectors.

"If you want to develop industry and agriculture - the four important things are water, transport, road and communication and without them we don't have industry and without industry we don't have employment potential."

Reaffirming that the central government is giving the "highest priority to development of the North East", Gadkari said, "We want to implement all road projects in the region in a transparent and corruption-free manner. The government has decided to construct more railway lines and develop inland waterways to boost trade and commerce."

The Union Minister said the Jowai-Ratacherra road will provide a link to the Assam border and boost the overall socio-economic development of the population of the Jaintia Hill districts.

He said trucks and heavy vehicles coming from the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam can move smoothly in a record time frame to Silchar in Barak Valley, within Assam and thus provide connectivity to Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Southern Assam.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the 102 Km Jowai-Ratacherra road of NH-06 will really go a long way in helping the people in that area besides people from Assam, Mizoram.

"With the area being a high economic activity zone, the completion of the road will go a long way in boosting the economy of the area in particular and Meghalaya as a whole," Sangma said.

The NH-06 project, constructed at a cost of Rs 683 crore, will reduce the travel time between Jowai and Ratacherra from 4 hours to 2.5 hours. The highway passes through the coal and cement producing belt and is a lifeline for the landlocked states of the northeast.Photo: The Canadian Press

BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson is challenging premier John Horgan to a public debate on proportional representation.

"This fall, British Columbians will vote on whether to drastically change our democratic system with proportional representation," Wilkinson said in a video posted to Facebook on Monday.

"John Horgan and the NDP have broken their promise to give British Columbians a simple yes or no choice. They've stacked the deck with a complicated, confusing referendum that could throw our province into chaos, and strictly limited how much information can be shared with voters," he said.

The Liberals are on record as opposing the change, as presented in a mail-in referendum that will be held Oct. 30-Nov. 30.

Voters are being asked to consider three options for proportional representation, which the NDP supports.

Horgan previously has said a party that wins 40 per cent of the vote shouldn't receive 100 per cent of the power.

B.C. currently uses a first-past-the-post method of voting, in which the party with the most elected MLAs gets to govern, whether or not it wins a majority of the popular vote.

This will be B.C.'s third referendum on electoral reform in 15 years  the first two soundly rejected proportional representation.

Wilkinson said he's challenging Horgan to the debate "because the people of B.C. deserve every opportunity to hear both sides of the argument, get the facts, and be informed."

There is no word yet on whether Horgan will accept the challenge.Chandigarh, Sep 24 : Authorities in Punjab on Monday issued a red alert in several districts following heavy rainfall in the state and the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh over the last three days, in view of the threat of flooding of rivers.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday ordered closure of all schools and colleges on Tuesday (September 25).

The Chief Minister reviewed the "flood-like situation triggered in the state due to incessant rains" in an emergency meeting here.

"The Army has been asked to remain on alert to help the state deal with any eventuality arising out of the situation," a state government spokesman said here.

"Deputy Commissioners have been asked to identify hot-spots with clear evacuation and relief plans to be ready beforehand. Equipment to drain out flood waters has been kept handy. Apart from these, boats in catchment areas of three rivers -- Satluj, Ravi and Beas -- have been arranged to rescue the affected people," the spokesman added.

With the standing paddy and cotton crop being damaged due to rainfall in the last three days, the Chief Minister announced a special 'girdawari' for assessing crop damage.

The Chief Minister asked ministers and legislators to extensively tour their respective areas to assess the ground situation and tie-up with the concerned departments for immediate mitigation of the hardships being faced by the people.

He also directed the Food and Civil Supplies and Animal Husbandry ministers to appoint nodal officers for distribution of food packets to the affected people and dry fodder for animals.

The Chief Minister also asked the Financial Commissioner (Revenue) to seek assistance from the Army, Border Security Force (BSF), NDRF and other paramilitary forces, if needed.

Expressing concern over the possible outbreak of water-borne diseases including diarrhoea, jaundice and conjunctivitis, the Chief Minister asked the health department to take preventive measures by organising special medical check-up camps and arranging sufficient stock of medicines.

Taking part in the deliberations, Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) Chairman D.K. Sharma said that the situation at the Bhakra reservoir was in control so far and they were regularly monitoring the water level at Pong Dam.

The water level at Pong Dam was at present 1,385.12 feet against the maximum level of 1,390 feet while the water level at Bhakra was at 1,655.49 feet against the maximum capacity of 1,680 feet.

The water level at the Ranjit Sagar Dam, which feeds the river Ravi, was 526.65 m against the maximum level of 527.91 m.Kolkata, Sep 24 : Within a month of the Majerhat bridge collapse here in West Bengal, which claimed three lives, an under-construction bridge in South 24 Parganas district collapsed on Monday but no one was injured in the incident.

"Part of the under-construction bridge over Kalnagini river in Kakdwip area collapsed at around 10 a.m today (Monday). No injuries have been reported," a senior state police officer said.

The Sundarban Affairs Department, which implements developmental activities in the area, lodged an FIR against the construction company concerned, holding it responsible for the collapse.

"The construction work of the bridge was partially leased out to SS Civil Construction Pvt Ltd. It is their ignorance that has caused the collapse. We have lodged an FIR against the company at the Harwood Point coastal police station here," Minister for Sundarban Affairs Department Manturam Pakhira told IANS.

"Their workers removed the support structures from under three newly-constructed girders in the bridge before they could set in without even informing our department engineers. This might have caused the bridge to topple," he accused.

The Minister further said that a committee comprising senior state engineers has been formed to look into the incident and claimed that no one will be spared if found guilty.

"We have asked the committee to submit their report as soon as possible. We will also consult the civil engineering experts from Jadavpur University regarding the reconstruction of the bridge," he added.

The construction of the bridge was started in 2015 and was expected to be completed by 2021.

A portion of the Majerhat bridge in south Kolkata collapsed on September 4, killing three and injuring at least 19 others. Another canal bridge collapsed in Darjeeling district's Siliguri on September 7, injuring a truck driver.Kolkata, Sep 24 : Countering the 12-hour strike called by the BJP on Wednesday across the state, the West Bengal government on Monday said its offices would remain open and no leave would be granted to any of its employees on that day.

Following the alleged killing of two youths during a clash between agitating students and the police last week over the recruitment of new teachers at a school at Islampur in the state's North Dinajpur district, the saffron outfit had called the strike claiming the two youths were shot dead by police during the clash and demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

"All the employees will need to report on that date and no casual leave for absence either in the first half or in the second half of the day or for the whole day nor any other leave shall be granted to any employee on the date," said an official statement issued from state Secretariat 1Nabanna.

It also said the employees who are on leave on September 24 will have to report for duty on Tuesday (September 25) and no leave for a day preceding and following the proposed strike day would be allowed.

Absence of employees on those days will be treated as "dies non" and no salary will be admissible unless such is covered under hospitalization, bereavement in the family, severe illness and absence continuing prior September 24 and others, the state government said.

It asked concerned authorities to issue show-cause notice to employees who will remain absent on September 26, it said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is currently on a 12-day tour to Europe, said the state government would not allow any shutdown to take place and accused the BJP and the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh of engineering unrest by murdering people.New Delhi, Sep 24 : The Supreme Court on Monday once again asked the Centre and the states to "absolutely religiously comply" with its orders and give wide publicity on radio, television and other media platforms to its direction that lynching and mob violence of any kind will invite the wrath of law.

The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud reiterated its order after senior counsel Indira Jaising told the court that its direction to give wide publicity to its July 17 direction through public broadcaster and other media platforms have not been complied with.

Describing the direction as a part of "preventive measures", the court on Monday said: "It has to be borne in mind that the said direction was issued so that people realise the gravity of their act and the effect on the law and order situation. The said purpose has to be put on the high pedestal and people must realise that involvement in such activities will invite the wrath of law."

Saying this, the court noted the statement by Attorney General K.K. Venugopal and Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that "the same shall be done, if not already done, within a week hence".

Thereafter, the top court ordered that "all the state governments shall comply with the said direction absolutely religiously within a week from today (Monday)".

The top court by its July 17 judgment had directed the Central and the state governments to "broadcast on radio and television and other media platforms including the official websites of the Home Department and police of the states that lynching and mob violence of any kind shall invite serious consequence under the law".

Noting that none appeared for the NCT Delhi, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and the state of Telangana, the court directed them to comply with its direction within a week's time.

The court had by its last order said that the home secretaries of the states and the union territories that would fail to file report on the compliance of its direction would be directed to appear before the court in person.

The court by its July 17 order had issued a series of directions for preventive, remedial and punitive steps to deal with the lynching crime and mob violence.

The court asked senior counsel Sanjay Hegde to prepare a chart, states/UTs-wise giving details of victims of mob violence who have not been given compensation.

The court direction came after Hegde said that some States have framed scheme for the grant of compensation to the victims of mob lynching.Mumbai, Sep 24 : The Dena Bank board on Monday approved the merger proposal with Bank of Baroda and Vijaya Bank proposed by the government last week.

The government last Monday announced the merger of three state-run banks -- Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank and Bank of Baroda -- that will make it the country's third-largest bank with a combined business of Rs 14.82 lakh crore.

In a stock exchange filing, Dena Bank, the smallest of the three banks proposed to be merged, said the consolidation would enable creation of a bank with business scale comparable to global banks and capable of competing effectively in India and globally.

Dena Bank has a total business size of Rs 1.73 lakh crore and is also under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on account of its high non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, which for the Indian banking system as a whole have crossed the staggering level of Rs 10 lakh crore.

"To be more efficient in the changing environment, the banks in the public sector space need to be bigger to meet the credit needs of a growing economy, absorb shocks and have the capacity to raise resources without depending unduly on the exchequer.

"Consolidation would enable creation of a bank with business scale comparable to global banks and capable of competing effectively in India and globally," the filing said.

"Amalgamation of our Bank with Bank of Baroda and Vijaya Bank would result in a strong amalgamated bank, equipped with financial cushion to deal with post-amalgamation requirements during the stabilisation phase."

While making the merger proposal last week, Finance Minister Arun Jailtey said the consolidated entity's capacity to absorb a weaker bank guided the decision "to propose this merger to the boards".

The government said the amalgamated entity will have a net NPA ratio at 5.71 per cent, which is significantly better than the public sector banks' (PSBs) average of 12.13 per cent, and declining further.

"The combined business of amalgamated entities would make it second-largest PSB of the country," Dena Bank said.

This is the second such exercise in the last 18 months. In the previous mega merger, five associate banks and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank became part of the state-run State Bank of India on April 1, 2017, making the country's largest lender among the world's top 50 banks.New Delhi, Sep 24 : A Delhi Police official, who was booked on the charge of raping a woman and molesting her minor daughter, has failed to join the probe despite multiple summons sent to him by the Crime Branch, a police officer said on Monday.

The police officer, who requested not to be named, told IANS that the accused, Ramesh Dahiya, 58, was absconding.

"We have sent various summons to him to record his statement but he failed to appear before the investigation officer. He wasn't found at his residence either," he said, adding: "We will issue a look-out notice if he does not join the investigation in a few days."

The accused was posted as Assistant Commissioner of Police (security) when the case was reported and was later suspended due to the same.

The 38-year-old complainant claimed that Dahiya raped her several times after her husband died but she did not complain to police out of fear. She also alleged that her 16-year-old daughter was sexually harassed by him.

The ACP was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)

The case was registered last week after the woman claimed that the crime occurred last year in north Delhi's Sabzi Mandi area.

When the crime was committed last year, he was posted as SHO of Sadar Bazar Police Station.

The woman said that she got acquainted with the accused through her husband, who worked as a bank collection agent in central Delhi's Ranjeet Nagar.

She said that Dahiya became friends with her on the pretext that he would help her with a criminal case against her husband.Mumbai, Sep 24 : As elaborate Ganesh immersion ceremonies ended after nearly 30 hours on Monday afternoon, as many as 18 lives were lost, mostly due to drowning, across Maharashtra, officials said.

Sunday was 'Anant Chaturdashi' - or the final day of the 11-day festival which started on 'Ganesh Chaturthi' on September 13 and which witnessed the maximum number of gigantic idols worshipped at 'sarvajanik mandals'.

Thousands of idols were taken out in processions with devotees dancing and raising cries of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudchya Varshi Lavkar Ya'. The idols were lowered into the Arabian Sea, creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds, wells, artificial tanks and other water bodies.

In the past 24 hours, one person drowned in Bhandup, eastern Mumbai, while four deaths were reported from Pune, three each in Ratnagiri and Jalna, two each in Bhandara and Satara and one each in Nanded, Buldhana and Ahmednagar.

In a freak incident, at least five persons including three girls were rescued when they fell in the sea water at Girgaum Chowpatty on Monday morning when their overloaded boat overturned during the immersion ceremony.

Teams of fire brigade and BMC swimmers immediately rescued them from the water and rushed them to Nair Hospital where they are reported out of danger.

Another 17 persons were injured when a large idol of the elephant-headed god tripped and fell on them during immersion ceremonies in Kandivali suburb, in northwest Mumbai. Their condition was described as stable.

A BMC official said 843 gigantic idols and nearly 33,700 household idols, ranging from a few inches to several feet, were immersed on Monday.

During the past few phases of immersion in the festive season, another 241,000 big, medium and small idols were immersed, besides an estimated 800,000 in the rest of Maharashtra, drawing the curtains on the state's biggest public festival.

The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corp had made special arrangements for viewing the colourful immersion by Indian and foreign tourists from he US, Europe, neighbouring countries and other parts of the world, at Girgaum Chowpatty, said a spokesperson.

This year, Mumbai and other major cities witnessed virtually noise-free immersion processions and ceremonies after the Bombay High Court banned DJ and loudspeaker music.Cairo, Sep 24 : An Egyptian court on Monday confirmed the death sentence given to 20 members of the Muslim Brotherhood group for storming a police station and killing 14 policemen, the media reported.

The Court of Cassation, Egypt's top court that gives final verdicts, upheld the death verdicts of the 20 militants, mostly loyalists and members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, reported Xinhua news agency.

The defendants stormed the main police station in Kerdasa district, a stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood at that time, in Giza province in mid-August 2013, killing 17 people including 14 policemen.

The assault, known as the "Kerdasa massacre," took place more than a month after Morsi's military removal on July 3, 2013 and shortly after a massive security crackdown on two pro-Morsi sit-ins on August 14, 2013, in Cairo and Giza, which left hundreds dead and thousands under arrest.

The case originally involved 188 defendants including fugitives. In February 2015, the court sentenced 183 of them to death and a minor to 10 years in jail. After appeals in February 2016, the Court of Cassation ordered the retrial of 156 of them.

In April 2017, the criminal court recommended the death penalty for 20 of them and referred their case documents to the Grand Mufti, the country's interpreter of religious law, to get his religious opinion on their execution. He later approved.

They appealed the death sentence later, but the Court of Cassation rejected their appeal on Monday.

Most Brotherhood leaders, members and supporters, including Morsi himself and the Brotherhood spiritual guide Mohamed Badie, are currently jailed. Many of them have received death sentences and life imprisonments over various charges varying from inciting violence and murder to espionage and jailbreak.

Morsi is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for inciting deadly clashes between his supporters and opponents in late 2012 and a 25-year jail term for leaking classified documents to Qatar.Bengaluru, Sep 24 : Apple and Salesforce on Monday announced a strategic partnership to bring together Salesforce's customer relationship management (CRM) platform and iOS platform, enabling powerful new mobile apps for businesses.

Salesforce is redesigning its app to embrace the native mobile platform with exclusive new features on iOS, the companies said in a statement.

"We're excited to work with Salesforce and that their industry-leading CRM will embrace native iOS and deliver exclusive new features on iPhone and iPad," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO.

"With the powerful combination of iPhone, iPad and iOS, together with native Salesforce apps and the new Salesforce SDK, we can deliver great customer experiences for businesses around the world," Cook added.

The new Salesforce Mobile SDK for iOS will be available by the end of 2018.

The rebuilt Salesforce Mobile App will be available in early 2019 and the first-ever Trailhead Mobile App will launch later next year.

"With this partnership, we're bringing together the world's no 1 CRM platform with iPhone and iPad, the world's best devices for business," said Marc Benioff, Chairman and co-CEO, Salesforce.Shillong, Sep 24 : A Congress legislator in Meghalaya on Monday felt that there is a need to increase the number of assembly seats to 70 and the Lok Sabha seats to four considering the population growth in the state.

Meghalaya has a unicameral legislature based on adult franchise consisting of 60 members, and two Lok Sabha members and one Rajya Sabha member.

"Considering the increase in population, there are constituencies in the state that require more development projects," Opposition Chief Whip Process Sawkmie told members of the assembly.

The Congress legislator was initiating a discussion on a special motion on the overall development in Meghalaya and the need to seek more financial assistance from the centre and earmark a budget provision for all the eleven districts.

Citing his Mawlai assembly constituency, the biggest assembly constituency in the state with a total of about 43,000 voters and about one lakh population, Sawkmie said: "Some of the assembly constituencies have bigger population and the MLA scheme of Rs two crore may not be sufficient to take care of all the necessitie4s of the constituency."

He also pointed out that the population of Meghalaya is 29.64 lakh while Nagaland with just a population of 19 lakh also has 60 seats.

Sawmkie said that the Rs two crore allotted to each MLA to develop their respective constituency is not enough for a big constituency like his.

He said the state will have a stronger voice if it has more Members of Parliament.Madison Erhardt

The Okanagan is in store for some gradual warming over the next couple of days, according to Environment Canada.

"It's definitely going to warm up. Kelowna hit 13-degree highs two days in a row and then didn't (return) to the 20s until the 12th of September. There is a high-pressure system coming into B.C. that will bring warm air with it," says meteorologist Armel Castellan.

Today should see a high of 17 C with mainly cloudy skies. But, Tuesday and Wednesday will be mainly sunny with highs of 20 C.

Thursday and Friday are forecast to be much the same. The sun is expected to shine, with highs of 19 C.

The weekend will cool down by a couple of degrees  but the good news is the sunshine will stay.

Saturday and Sunday should reach 17 C.Ahmedabad, Sep 24 : Firebrand young OBC leader Alpesh Thakore, the Congress legislator from Radhanpur in north Gujarat, on Monday denied rumours that he was preparing to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"I don't know who is spreading these canards at regular intervals but I want to state clearly that I am in the Congress and shall remain in the Congress," Thakore told reporters, flanked by state Congress president Amit Chavda and Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani.

He asserted: "I had joined the Congress after seeking the opinion of over 20,000 followers and today I am entrusted with national responsibility in the party, including in Bihar."

There had been rumours of Thakore negotiating with the ruling BJP and that he might be accommodated as a Minister in the Vijay Rupani government. Political circles have also been speculating that he may vacate his constituency for former Minister Shankar Chaudhary.

"I never do politics of leaving my constituency for anyone. The question does not arise. And why should I leave my constituency for Chaudhary?"

Thakore was also in the news recently for raising his voice against the Congress supporting the BJP govermnent's move to raise salaries for legislators in the state from Rs 70,000-plus to over Rs 1.16 lakh per month.

He had said that it was improper for the Congress not to have resisted this, especially when the citizens were suffering the burden of high prices.

"At times I may speak in heat of the moment which may look as though I am going against my party but that is never my intent," he said.United Nations, Sep 24 : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj began her hectic round of bilateral interactions on the sidelines of the annual high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday meeting the Foreign Ministers of Nepal, Morocco and Lichtenstein.

Although it was not a formal meeting, she greeted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when she came to the UN, India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.

Sushma Swaraj and members of the Indian mission began the day by paying respects to the Indian flag at the UN before her scheduled participation in the High-Level Event on Counter-Narcotics convened by US President Donald Trump.

Sushma Swaraj and Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, the Foreign Minister of "close neighbour" Nepal, "took stock of our bilateral relationship" at their meeting, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

She also held a bilateral meeting with Federica Mogherini, the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

They "discussed issues related to trade and investment and exchanged views on the regional and global issues", Kumar said in a tweet.

He noted that India and the EU were bound by a "strategic partnership based on common values of democracy, freedom and rule of law.

"Celebrating 25th anniversary of our diplomatic relations" Sushma Swaraj and Lichtenstein Foreign Minister Aurelia Frick "exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations in trade and investment, particularly through participation at Indian trade fairs and tourism," Kumar tweeted.

On relations with Morocco, he noted that they stretched back to the time of Ibn Battuta, the 14th century explorer, and tweeted that Sushma Swaraj and "Morocco Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita discussed strengthening cooperation in areas of commerce, pharma, cyber security, defence and culture".

Sushma Swaraj is scheduled to speak in the afternoon at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit honouring the birth centenary of the South African freedom fighter and president.

On the sidelines of the UNGA, her hectic schedule is expected to include a total of 30 one-on-one meetings with about 30 leaders and participation in several multilateral meetings, according to Dinesh K. Patnaik, the Joint Secretary, United Nations Political.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis)Chennai, Sep 24 : About 750 workers at the Japanese two wheeler maker India Yamaha Motor's plant near here are on strike protesting the dismissal of two office bearers of their union, said an official of the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) here.

"Two months back workers at the two wheeler factory had formed an Union-India Yamaha Motor Thozhilalar Sangam (IYMTS)- which was resented by the management. A complaint was made to the Labour Commissioner office in Kanchipuram District. The management never turned up for the conciliation meetings," S. Kannan, District President, Kanchipuram, CITU told IANS on Monday.

The IYMTS is affiliated to CITU.

He said two office bearers of the union who had applied for leave to attend a union meeting while in the factory were handed their dismissal orders when they reached the factory gates.

They were not able to enter the factory later as the machine where the two workers had to key in their data did not accept their credentials.

According to Kannan, a conciliation meeting has been called on September 26 and it has to be see whether the management representatives would attend it.

He said the India Yamaha Motor factory has about 2,500 workers consisting of contract workers, apprentices and others.

Kannan said 117 workers at Dongsan Automotive India are also protesting against the manner in which they were sent out and non payment of wages for the past seven months.

According to Kannan, about 140 workers at another automotive component maker Myoung Shin Automotive India Pvt Ltd (MSI) are striking work for recognition of their union.

Meanwhile about 3,000 workers (permanent, contract, apprentice and others) at Eicher Motors Ltd's factory at Oragadam near here rolling out Enfield Bullet and other motorcycles are on strike from Monday onwards.

"We had given strike notice on Aug 18, 2018 and workers are on strike since Monday morning. The Labour Department had called for an emergency conciliation meeting in the afternoon. While we were there, the management did not turn up," R. Sampath, Vice President, Royal Enfield Employees Union told IANS.

He said the workers formed the union last year which was not liked by the management.

"Bonus was not paid for the past three years and there was no wage revision," Sampath added.New Delhi, Sep 24 : A total of 45 manual scavengers identified in three districts in Delhi will get jobs in civil defence, Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam said on Monday.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"The 45 manual scavengers identified in three districts of Delhi will be given jobs in civil defence," Gautam told media.

Kejriwal has also sought a report on the deaths of manual scavengers in the last five years.

It is evident that the deaths of manual scavengers have not stopped despite the ban on the hazardous practice of manual cleaning of sewers or septic tanks, he said.

The Prohibition of Manual Scavengers Act 2013 has not been implemented effectively, he said.

The minister said District Magistrates will complete a survey to identify the manual scavengers in their respective district as the earlier survey was not up to the mark and the numbers of manual scavengers were found to be dubious, he said.

It was also decided in the meeting that a new scheme for rehabilitation of family members of the deceased manual scavengers will be drafted within a week.New Delhi, Sep 24 : Amid media reports that Chetan and Nitin Sandesara, both directors of Gujarat based pharma company Sterling Biotech and wanted in an over Rs 5,000 crore bank fraud case may have fled the country, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday said that it has "no information" about their whereabouts.

A senior CBI official said that it has no information on the whereabouts of Chetan and Nitin Sandesara.

The agency's official's remark came soon after media reports said that Chetan and Nitin had fled to Nigeria with their families.

The CBI had booked Sterling Biotech, its directors Chetan Jayantilal Sandesara, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara and Vilas Joshi, chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, former Director of Andhra Bank Anup Prakash Garg and some unidentified persons in connection with the alleged bank fraud in October 2017.

According to the CBI FIR, Sterling Biotech had taken over Rs 5,000 crore loans from a consortium of banks led by Andhra Bank, which had turned into non-performing assets. The total pending dues of the group companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated a money laundering probe into the case taking cognizance of the CBI FIR.

On January 13, the ED arrested Garg. The agency also arrested a Delhi-based businessman Gagan Dhawan in connection with the case in November last year. The ED also attached properties worth Rs 4,703 crore.

The ED in a statement said that the loans to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore was disbursed by the various banks during the years 2004-2012.

It also said that the look out circulars against the accused were opened in August 2017.

During the course of investigation, three persons were arrested, one of them named Gagan Dhawan who was close to the "power centre" when the loans were sanctioned.

The ED also said that it was finding more properties.Rome, Sep 24 : Individuals who receive a binding conviction for terrorism will lose their Italian citizenship under a security decree issued on Monday by the populist government.

The measure is the brainchild the grassroots Five-Star Movement - the far-right League party's senior partner in the coalition government - which pushed for its inclusion in the security decree, Adnkronos learned from sources.

The security decree also tightens the rules under which migrants can apply for humanitarian protection and those governing political asylum.

Government decrees enter into immediate effect but must be voted into law by the Italian parliament within 60 days.Rome, Sep 24 : Italian authorities will suspend the applications of asylum seekers who pose a "risk to society", Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Monday after the cabinet approved a security decree.

"If the chief of police decides that an individual poses a particular risk to society, he can suspend their request for asylum," Salvini said.

Salvini said the measure was a response to the case of a bus driver in the northern city of Como who was allegedly severely beaten by several members of a group of African asylum-seekers who boarded the vehicle without tickets in June.

The security decree also strips convicted terrorists of their Italian citizenship and removes (two-year) humanitarian protection for migrants, replacing this with a one-year residence permit issued for medical or other specific reasons.

Among other measures, the decree also tightens the criteria for political asylum requests and doubles to 60 days, extendable for a further 30, the length of time migrants can be held in deportation centres.

The decree enters into effect immediately but must be voted into law by the Italian Parliament within 60 days.Itanagar, Sep 24 : Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday launched the nationwide mission for promotion of Government e Marketplace (GeM), which is aimed at bringing in more transparency and streamlining the government procurement.

Khandu said the objective of the launch is to accelerate the adoption and use of GeM by the government and their agencies.

Arunachal is the sixth state in India to have signed MoUs with GeM, which aims to bring in transparency, efficiency and inclusiveness in public procurement and achieve cashless, contactless and paperless transaction.

Khandu said the national drive from September 6 to October 15 is aimed at creating awareness about GeM, train the buyers and sellers, get them registered in GeM and increase the procurement through GeM.

The Chief Minister said more than 26,000 govt agencies have been incorporated in GeM including above 1 lakh onboard with more than Rs 10,500 crore transactions having taken place so far in the country, which is a big achievement.

Khandu said the state government has adopted zero tolerance towards corruption and the launch of GeM and the recent reforms on recruitment process is aimed at achieving that.

He said government offices in Arunachal are plagued by corruption mainly in recruitment and procurement process, which diverts enormous amount of the department's time and effort from its core activities.

"It also took toll on wellness and health condition of the employees, as they have to face immense pressure from powerful lobby for giving away undue advantage to them," he said.

With adoption of Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board and GeM, the officers and employees of the government departments will be relieved from recruitment and procurement activity taking away excessive work pressure from them, Khandu said.Riyadh, Sep 24 : The Saudi-led coalition involved in a war in Yemen vowed on Monday to continue to target suspicious ships threatening navigation in the Red Sea.

The warning was issued after an Iranian ship with military experts onboard was found using spying devices to monitor ships crossing the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, Turki Al Maliki, the coalition spokesman said, Xinhua news agency reported.

The ship is assisting Houthi militias in threatening the international navigation, he added.

Saudi Arabia has been leading the war against Iran-allied Houthis in support of the exiled Yemeni government in the last three years.Shillong, Sep 24 : Hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led government for withholding developmental funds in Meghalaya, the opposition Congress on Monday demanded that the House should pass a resolution to urge the Centre to immediately release funds in respect of the North Eastern Council (NEC) to ensure that the state is not deprived.

"I am afraid since the manner in which the resources being transferred by the Central government are depriving the state and the people. Not only Meghalaya but in the whole northeast," Leader of Opposition, Mukul Sangma said.

Sangma was participating in a discussion on the overall development in the state and the need to seek more financial assistance from the centre, and earmark a budget provision for all the eleven districts in the state in the assembly moved by Congress legislator, Process Sawkmie.

Asking Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma to compare the difference of financial assistance that the state had received from the Centre between the past and the present, the veteran Congress legislator said: "The Centre is not forthcoming and the money is not coming because even entitlements of the state are being withheld.

"It is agonizing, painful, and unacceptable for small state like Meghalaya which depends on its minimum resources. We have to fight for our entitlements."

Sangma pointed out that there was no momentum in as far as getting the Centre's support on road projects, including the SARDP (North East) that had brought change to the road network.

Informing the Assembly that the centre did not sanctioned any projects in respect to roads since 2014 after BJP assumed power, the Leader of Opposition also pointed out that NEC schemes already sanctioned and first installment released, but the implementation was put on hold for want of compliance with NEC instructions.

"Why has the NEC instructed to put on hold these projects when the government had identified them based on priorities. What is going to happen to these projects? When projects are withheld, funds cannot be utilized. When the state government is not able to submit utilization certificates, the NEC also cannot release further funds," he said.

On Development of North Eastern Region ministry and the status of projects in respect of NEC, Sangma alleged that a big manipulator is sitting in Delhi to deprive the state from getting funds.

"In the name of changing the guidelines, they (Centre) stopped sanctions until existing projects get completed. When will the projects be completed, when 2019 elections is knocking the door. The government of India has adopted a tactic how to deprive the state.

"I have a caution because I could see and read between lines about the actual intent. We are stepping into October but till now, clarity about NEC, NLCPR is not forthcoming. After December, they will be in a no sanction mode," he said.Photo: tripadvisor

A Penticton motel manager has been fined $750 following a fight between him and group of partying guests he was trying to evict.

Carlo Pontes, 44, pleaded guilty in court Monday to one count of obstructing a police officer in a plea deal that saw related assault charges dropped by the Crown.

Court heard that RCMP were called to the Spanish Villa Motel on Feb. 28 at 2:30 a.m. for a report of an assault. Police arrested Pontes, who was drunk and became belligerent.

He refused to cooperate with police and became dead weight forcing three RCMP officers to drag him into the back of the police car. Pontes was yelling obscenities and laughing throughout the arrest.

Defence lawyer Tyrone Duerr explained that his client got into a consensual altercation with the motel guests prior to police arrival.

When the police arrived and opted to arrest him and not evict the guests, Pontes flew off the handle.

My client was very upset about this and felt he was being dealt with improperly, got quite agitated and behaved very poorly, Duerr said, adding his client is deeply regretful about the night and is seeking treatment for alcohol abuse.

The $750 fine came by the way of a joint-submission from defence and Crown, which the judge accepted with few questions.

Pontes also entered a 12-month peace bond Monday stemming from an unrelated altercation in June.New Delhi, Sep 24 : Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over loss of "letter writing habits" due to modern instant communication systems, saying the practice would "perhaps be a piece of archives for the next couple of decades".

Launching former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh's latest book "Treasured Epistles" -- a compilation of letters written to him by several personalities like Indira Gandhi, E.M. Forster, C. Rajagopalachari, Lord Mountbatten and Vijay Lakshmi Pandit -- Mukherjee showed his gratitude to bring together the letters of such eminent personalities.

"Natwarji brought out together the letters which he received on different occasions from very distinguished personalities from different walks of life over a long period of time... Now a days, with the instant communication, the habit of writing letters taking the trouble of putting thoughts in details on a piece of paper. It would perhaps be piece of archives for the next couple of decades," Mukherjee said.

Remembering his student days, the former President said: "Letter writing was regular part of the curriculum 'how to write a letter'. And therefore we developed the practice of writing letters... I have no doubts that future readers would be deprived of a great taste which are being received from the collection of letters," he said.

He mentioned the letters written by first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to her daughter and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from Naini jail in Allahabad in the 1930s.

"Indiraji was quite young and perhaps could not understand many of Panditji's observations written by him in his letters to her. Those letters which later become the substance of Panditji's famous book "Glimpses of World's History" in which he spoke about the history of civilization, conflict of culture and the synthesis which has evolved over the years."

He also describe about Mahatma Gandhi, Tolstoy and Rabindranath Tagore who used to write letters, saying "letters reflect the thinking on the contemporary issues..."London, Sep 24 : Airlines of Britain and the European Union (EU) would automatically lose the right to fly in each others' territories under a no-deal Brexit, according to the latest batch of British government advice published on Monday.

"If the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 with no agreement in place, UK and EU licensed airlines would lose the automatic right to operate air services between the UK and the EU without seeking advance permission," said the latest "technical notice" advising businesses of the possible effect of the UK leaving the EU without a divorce deal, Xinhua news agency reported.

The technical notice covers areas such as taking pets abroad, veterinary medicines, regulating energy, business regulations, labelling products, importing and exporting, farming, vehicle insurance and EU-funded programmes.

"Britain would stick to EU aviation safety technical rules and standards," said the document. "Functions currently performed by the European Aviation Safety Agency would instead be performed by Britain's aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Agency."Mumbai, Sep 24 : Private lender Yes Bank's board will meet on September 25 to discuss the future course of action after its MD and CEO Rana Kapoor demits office on January 31, under the direction of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The board meeting comes days after the RBI decided against extending the tenure of Kapoor beyond January 31, 2019.

Earlier in June, the bank's shareholders had approved extension of Kapoor's tenure for three years starting September 2018, subject to final approval from the RBI.

"The Bank would like to inform its stakeholders that the Bank and its MD and CEO will be fully guided by its Board of Directors (meeting scheduled on September 25, 2018), the Reserve Bank of India and other relevant stakeholders," Yes Bank said in a regulator filing.

It further said: "The Bank's management remains committed to protect the interests of all of its stakeholders."

Additionally, the Bank tried to assuage investors' fears over its credit exposure.

As per the statement, the Bank's credit cost guidance for FY19 is expected to be at 50-70 bps (basis points).

"Credit costs of the bank were contained at 5O bps, 53 bps and 76 bps for FY16, FY17 and FY18, respectively," it said, adding that the Bank's gross NPA and Net NPA ratio at 1.31 per cent and 0.59 per cent, respectively, as on June 30, 2018 remain one of the lowest across banks in the country," the filing said.Bengaluru, Sep 25 : Global aerospace major Boeing is setting up an electronics manufacturing and avionics Assembly facility in this tech hub at an investment of Rs 1,152 crore, said an official on Monday.

"We have allotted 36 acres of land for Boeing India to set up the facility in the state-run Aerospace Park at Devanahalli near the airport in north Bengaluru," a senior official of the state Industry Department told IANS here.

Boeing India President Pratyush Kumar met state Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy at the state secretariat to discuss the project.

"As part of Boeing's Engineering and Technology Centre in India, the facility will create about 2,600 direct jobs when set up and commissioned," said the official.

Though the US-based aircraft maker's investment proposal was cleared by the previous Congress government in December 2017, approvals and formalities got delayed due to the state Assembly elections and formation of the new coalition government by the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and the Congress in May.

The facility will be Boeing's second-largest after its engineering and technology centre at Seattle in Washington district on the US west coast.

"The state cabinet approved the Boeing's proposal early this month for land allotment and other statutory clearances," added the official.

Boeing's India arm plans to commence the project work in the next three months and complete first phase by 2019.

Karnataka Udyog Mitra Managing Director B.K. Shivakumar had told IANS earlier that Boeing would also be making aircraft components and subsystems at the new facility for civil and military versions.

The aerospace behemoth has presence in this tech hub with a global research and development centre since a decade.Kolkata, Sep 25 : West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on Monday claimed the violence that took place in a North Dinajpur district school over the recruitment of new teachers last week was not orchestrated by students, but by outsiders.

The Minister, who had previously blamed the BJP and RSS for the unrest in which two youths were allegedly killed, however, refused to pinpoint any one as guilty, stating probe was on.

"I think the students did not create the ruckus in the school. It must be the work of the outsiders. If the students were agitating on the demand for new teachers in school why would they cause such damage to the school's property?" Chatterjee said after a meeting here with the District Inspectors (DI) of schools.

"Some people carrying a certain flag orchestrated the violence from behind keeping the students in front. Since the investigation is on, we will not accuse anyone. Be it the headmaster or the managing committee of the school, no one is above scrutiny. Not even the police," he said.

A massive clash broke out between a mob and police outside Darivit High School in North Dinajpur district's Islampur area last week over the recruitment of two new teachers of Urdu and Sanskrit languages in the school while the students had been demanding teachers in literature and science subjects.

The new teachers were stopped from entering the school on Thursday afternoon by the agitating students, who later blocked the road and clashed with police when they arrived on the spot.

Villagers claimed the youths, both former students of the school, were killed in police firing, whereas the police maintained no bullets were fired by them and claimed that miscreants armed with guns, bombs and sticks attacked them outside the school.

Referring to the meeting with the DIs, Chatterjee said they have been instructed to submit detailed report regarding the infrastructure of the schools under their purview along with the number of male and female students, teachers as well as the requirement for additional teachers in those schools.

He said all 22 sanctioned posts for teachers including five para-teachers in that school were filled up as per the district education department report.

"I have seen in the preliminary investigation that all the sanctioned posts for teachers in that school were filled. So either there is an error in the report or the students were demanding additional teachers, which is within their rights," he said.

Terming the incident of violence as barbaric and pathetic, Chatterjee reiterated that no one will be spared if found guilty.

"The Chief Minister has asked me to strongly handle the situation and take strict action against those found guilty. No one will be spared. We have asked the DIs to do their job with courage," he added.Guwahati, Sep 25 : Assam has witnessed 4,130 cases of rape and over 15,000 dowry-related cases ever since the BJP-led government came to power in the state two years ago, according to an official data.

The figures could prove to be an embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government since it came to power in 2016 on a slogan of change and had assured to protect the lives and property of the people.

Assam Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Monday said that while 4,130 cases of rape have been reported from across the state in the last two years, a total of 15,470 cases related to dowry have been reported during the period.

Patowary was replying to a question by AGP legislator, Ramendra Narayan Kalita. He was replying on behalf of state Home Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, also Chief Minister of Assam.

"Besides, 15,741 cases of abduction, 32,248 cases of burglary and 2,438 cases of killing were reported (between 2014 and 2016)," he said, adding that 21 deaths related to superstition and witch-hunting have also taken place during the period.

"A total of 56 terrorists belonging to different organisations have been killed by security forces followed by death of seven security personnel and injury to 14 of them due to terrorist attacks during this two years," he added.

In all, 161 cases of rape, 457 cases of sexual harassment, 1,544 cases related to dowry and 1,543 cases of abduction took place in Assam's capital town Guwahati, Patowary informed the House.Mogadishu, Sep 25 : At least 35 Al-Shabaab militants have been killed and several others injured after an exchange of fire between Somali national army, backed by African Union forces, and the militants in Somalia's Qoryoley town.

One Somali soldier was killed and two others injured during heavy fighting with the militants overnight, Qoryoley Deputy Governor Abdi Ahmed Ali told reporters on Monday.

"Our forces killed 35 Al-Shabaab militants and injured several others after defeating the enemy who attacked the town," Ali said, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We have collected their bodies to bury now."

"We had prior intelligence that the terrorists are going to attack us and this caused more casualties on the enemy side," he said.

Al-Shabaab has not yet commented on Ali's statement.

The group, however, claimed to have carried out mortar attacks on bases of the Somali national army and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) near Barawo, a town in the same region.A development site in Camberwell has hit the market, with Savills Australias Jesse Radisich, Julian Heatherich, Nick Peden and Benson Zhou appointed to sell the permit-approved site.

Located at 1052-1058 Toorak Road, they say they are expecting the property to generate significant interest throughout the expressions-of-interest campaign.

The permit includes 33 apartments and four townhouses designed by C. Kairouz Architects, with more than 105 metres of combined street frontage to Toorak Road and Dickens Street.

Securing a corner site of this scale in such a premium location is truly rare, and the opportunity is also likely to appeal to aged care and childcare developers/operators, who will no doubt appreciate the large landholding on offer, Mr Radisich said.

This landmark project will provide a genuine luxury product into one of Melbournes most sought after and superior residential locations, with an average unit size of approximately 117sqm, he added.

The site is within close proximity of some of Melbourne retail precincts, including Hartwell Retail Village, Tooronga Shopping Centre and Camberwell Junction, along with education facilities, parks and recreation facilities and public transport.

The expressions of interest campaign closes October 16.Pimpama Village, the master-planned land development located on the old Coulters Farm on the Gold Coast, is approaching its third stage sell out.

The 53-hectare estate house and land packages start at $508,778, and comes with a number of customisable house designs.

Stages one and two have both sold our already and stage three has nearly sold out, just 7 lots remain of the 74 which were on offer.

The only properties remaining are four bedroom homes, which can span either one or two levels (above).

The development is just south of Hotham Creek and sits near the soon to be opened Pimpama City Shopping Centre.

Pimpama City (pictured below), which has 18,000 sqm of retail space, is set to open on September 21, with a line up of retailers including Coles, Coles Express, ALDI plus Best & Less.

The estate is situated a short distance from Ormeau train station, the M1 Motorway, providing it easy access to the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Pimpama Village includes a central town centre with proposed Coles, Aldi, KFC, Hungry Jacks, a medical centre, childcare, and specialty shops.

For more information on Pimpapa Village, click here.Revelations by the AFR that Purplebricks agents pushed clients into cutting their asking prices to win a prize from the low commission estate agency are being referred to the NSW Office of Fair Trading by the REINSW.

Its agents had clients cut their asking prices by as much as 20 per cent to potentially win a $5000 cash prize offered by its co-founder Kenny Bruce.

The Real Estate Institute of NSW president Leanne Pilkington said the vendor discounting competition left her "horrified and speechless".

"Estate agents are paid to act in their clients' best interests by law. How can this be in their best interests?" said Ms Pilkington.

"This is an awesome opportunity to get our customers homes realigned with the market place and make sure we get the job done for them," said the Puplebricks email to agents.

The email advised agents with stock that had been on the market for more than 30 days "needed to realign pricing the most".

The company, founded by brothers Michael and Kenny Bruce, initially threatened to go to court to get an injunction to prevent publication of the newpaper's story about its "NSW Raffle", but has since defended its practices as "entirely normal".

More than 100 NSW Purplebricks vendors cut their asking prices. A seller in Panania agreed to cut their asking price from $1.2 million to $1 million. A Condell Park vendor cut their price from $1.4 million to $1.2 million.

Among the requirements of the NSW Property, Stock and Business Agents Act 2002 (the Act) and the Property, Stock and Business Agents Regulation 2014 (the Regulation) is that an agent "must act in the client's best interests always, unless it would be contrary to the Act, the Regulation or otherwise unlawful to do so".Photo: Facebook Clara and Jacob Forman with their two children.

A Kelowna man accused of killing his wife and two young daughters has had his case put over.

Jacob Forman was stoic as he briefly appeared via video in Supreme Court.

The 34 year old worked as a supervisor at a local HVAC company and was arrested at his home on Dec. 19, 2017. The bodies of Formans wife Clara and their two children, Karina, 8, and Yesenia, 7, were found inside their home on Bolotzky Court.

Clara Forman, 33, had worked at GoodLife in Kelowna as a fitness instructor. She moved to Canada almost 10 years ago after meeting Forman while he was studying to become a preacher in Mexico. The pair moved back to B.C. after marrying.

Forman was originally charged with three counts of second degree murder, but two of the charges were upped to first-degree murder on March 15.

His previous lawyer, Glenn Verdurmen, told Kelowna court in July that Forman wanted a new lawyer. Raymond Dieno has been chosen to fill that role.

Forman only responded with a softly spoken "yes, sir," when asked questions on Monday.

The matter has been put over to Oct. 10, when Forman will again appear by video.EXPERT OBSERVER

Whenever a major research firm publishes its latest data on the movement in capital city house prices, media presents that data as fact.

It also, often, makes sweeping conclusions about the meaning of the figures, relative to affordability, the state of the market and the impact on consumers.

The next firm to publish data will receive the same media treatment: the figures are factual, therefore this is what is means for the market and for buyers and sellers.

The problem is: the two sets of data are quite different and, in some cases, contradictory.

By the time figures have been published from five different sources - the ABS, the REIA, SQM Research, Domain and the ever-present but often-puzzling CoreLogic are regularly featured - consumers who have been absorbing all the data will be massively confused and terribly misinformed.

Its rare for all sources to agree on how much city markets are rising or falling - or, indeed, whether markets are rising or falling.

According to CoreLogics latest data, Melbourne house prices are lower than 12 months ago - but both the ABS and SQM Research disagree. They both have Melbourne about 3% higher than a year ago.

Its a similar situation with Adelaide: SQM says the Adelaide housing market is down a little, but the ABS and CoreLogic says its risen marginally.

All three sources believe the Hobart market has risen in the past year, but there is considerable disagreement on how much: CoreLogic says 10.7%, the ABS 15.5% but SQM claims its only 6.4%.

Theres a substantial difference there: SQM says theres only moderate growth in the Tasmanian capital but the official government source, the ABS, portrays a boom market.

CoreLogic tells us the Perth housing market is still in the negative but SQM claims that the downturn is over and prices have started to rise again.

Canberra is either the strongest capital city market in the nation, up 10.4% in the annual terms, or its rising only moderately at 2% or 3% - depending on whose figures you believe.

SQM says the average scenario across the eight capital cities is an annual rise of 2.6%, but the ABS says theres been no meaningful change, while CoreLogic says the national market is down 2%.

Newspaper headlines keep telling that prices are falling across Australia, because they tend to publish the CoreLogic figures, but both the ABS and SQM disagree.

Both those sources have prices higher than a year ago in five of the eight capital cities, and SQM has the national average up 2.6%, but you get quite a different conclusion is you focus on the CoreLogic data.

The only matters on which the three major sources broadly agree is that the Darwin housing market is down about 4% and that the Brisbane house market is up by 1% or 2%.

The message for consumers is: dont take price data published by media too seriously - and dont base big financial decisions on the published data.

Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au

[email protected]

twitter.com/hotspottingWe believe that by informing and educating workers and employers  and offering practical solutions  we can reduce and even eliminate exposure to carcinogens at work, thereby preventing needless suffering and deaths from cancer.

The conference provides an overview of current challenges, presents latest developments and ongoing initiatives. Aspects addressed range from the European perspective to simple measures and practical solutions suitable for implementation within companies. In workshops, participants will have the opportunity to discuss risk-based approaches, workplace risk management and health monitoring, and campaigning activities.

At the conference EU-OSHA presents the 2018-19 Healthy Workplaces Campaign and chairs a session that looks at good practice, policy and awareness raising initiatives such as the Roadmap to carcinogens. This action scheme informs about the risks from exposure to carcinogens and how to tackle them by finding practical solutions and sharing good practices. Started in 2016 under the Netherlands EU Presidency, the roadmaps next destination is Helsinki, with the forthcoming Finnish EU Presidency announcing to support the scheme in 2019.

Marianne Thyssen, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility states that, "the Roadmap is a very welcome initiative to ensure that our ambitious agenda launched to update the protection against exposure to carcinogens is applied on the work floor throughout the EU".

Protection against carcinogenic substances is also of particular concern to Austria. Our mutual goal is to reduce the number of victims now and in the future. Therefore a joint and strong approach to this problem at European level is required, says Beate Hartinger-Klein, Austrian Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection.

At the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), we are working to highlight the scale of the problem and the importance of preventing exposure to carcinogens at work as part of our current campaign, Healthy Workplaces Manage Dangerous Substances, says Director Christa Sedlatschek. We believe that by informing and educating workers and employers  and offering practical solutions  we can reduce and even eliminate exposure to carcinogens at work, thereby preventing needless suffering and deaths from cancer.

EU-OSHAs work in the field includes a report and summary on the "Exposure to carcinogens and work-related cancer: a review of assessment methods". Events within the roadmap scheme are summarized in the "Fighting cancer at the workplace seminar - EU roadmap on carcinogens" and the "Workshop Carcinogens and Work-Related Cancer".

Find out more about the conference

Explore the issue of workplace carcinogens

Visit the EU Roadmap on Carcinogens websiteAPDA Fitness Professional Training Program Press Release This online program will enable us to get this critical information in the hands of so many people, who like us, are trying hard to help people with PD live their best, healthiest life.

The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) launches today a brand new, highly-specialized training program for fitness, health and wellness professionals to help make exercise more available and approachable for people living with Parkinsons disease (PD). The APDA Parkinsons Disease Training for Fitness Professionals is a free online training program that has been carefully developed by a select panel of experts to help fitness professionals safely and effectively work with people with PD to develop exercise regimens that will support treatment of their symptoms and substantially improve their quality of life.

The importance of exercise and physical activity for people diagnosed with Parkinsons disease (PD) has been well-documented. Exercise produces many benefits including increased physical functioning (motor performance, strength, flexibility), improved gait and balance, cardiovascular fitness, and overall better quality of life. As such, great strides are being made to make exercise a part of the standard treatment of PD.

As the evidence about the positive impact of exercise on people with PD started growing, we identified a gap of educational resources and easily-accessible guidance for the fitness community states Leslie A. Chambers, President & CEO, APDA. In order to have the biggest reach and impact the most people, we knew whatever we created had to be user-friendly and evidence-based.

To develop the APDA Parkinsons Disease Training for Fitness Professionals, APDA convened a panel of PD and exercise experts that included neurologists, movement disorder specialists, and physical therapists, under the leadership of Terry Ellis, PT, PhD, NCS, Boston University, and Lee Dibble, PT, PhD, ATC, University of Utah, to develop a gold standard of exercise recommendations specifically for people with PD. Dr. Tami DeAngelis from Boston University, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences and Dr. Merrill Landers, Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, University of Las Vegas are the primary authors of the program.

People with PD who exercise do better over the long term compared to those who dont states Terry Ellis, PT, PhD, NCS and co-chair of the training program. So of course, we want to get as many people exercising as possible, but we want to make sure they are doing it safely, and doing the types of exercises that are going to be most effective for their symptoms and specific situations. This online program will enable us to get this critical information in the hands of so many people, who like us, are trying hard to help people with PD live their best, healthiest life.

Whether newly diagnosed, or living with the disease for years, exercise is one of the most effective ways for individuals to combat the symptoms of PD. However, it is important for the fitness community to take into account a unique set of considerations to ensure that people with PD get the exercise they need in a manner that is specifically tailored to their particular symptoms and situations. With the growing number of community exercise classes specifically designed for the PD community, the APDA Parkinsons Disease Training for Fitness Professionals online program will help to ensure that participants are safe and supported. The program will also teach fitness professionals about the signs and symptoms of PD and the important ways in which exercise can improve those symptoms, as well as how to describe common PD symptoms and clearly explain the benefits of exercise to those with PD.

APDA has partnered with the Office of Continuing Professional Education (OCPE), a unit of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, to create this user-friendly program. (APDA and Rutgers OCPE previously partnered on an online course for First Responders).

The APDA Parkinsons Disease Training for Fitness Professionals is a 1-2 hour course with instructional videos. All of those who complete the training course will receive a certificate of completion. Visit http://www.apdaparkinson.org/pd-fitness-training to access this free course.

The APDA Parkinsons Disease Training for Fitness Professionals program was developed with the invaluable expertise and guidance of a prestigious panel of experts including:

Terry Ellis, PT, PhD, NCS: Co-Chair

Boston University

Lee Dibble, PT, PhD, ATC: Co-Chair

The University of Utah

Cristina Colon-Semenza, PT, MPT, NCS

University of Connecticut

Tami DeAngelis, PT, DPT, GCS

Boston University

Heather Cianci, PT, MS, GCS

Dan Aaron Parkinsons Rehab Center

Gammon Earhart, PT, PhD

Washington University St. Louis

Chris Hass, MS, PhD

University of Florida

Jeff Hoder, PT, DPT, NCS

Duke University

Laurie A. King, PhD, PT

Oregon Health & Science University

Merrill Landers, PT, PhD

University of Nevada

Marie Saint-Hilaire, MD, FRCPC

Boston University Medical Center

Margaret Schenkman, PT, PhD, FAPTA

University of Colorado

Lisa Shulman, MD

University of Maryland

Cathi Thomas, RN, MS, CNRN

Boston University Medical Center

The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) is the largest grassroots network dedicated to fighting Parkinsons disease (PD) and works tirelessly to assist the more than 1 million Americans with PD live life to the fullest in the face of this chronic, neurological disorder. Founded in 1961, APDA has raised and invested more than $177 million to provide outstanding patient services and educational programs, elevate public awareness about the disease, and support research designed to unlock the mysteries of PD and ultimately put an end to this disease. To join us in the fight against Parkinsons disease and to learn more about the support APDA provides nationally through our network of Chapters and Information & Referral (I&R) Centers, as well as our national Research Program and Centers for Advanced Research, please visit us at http://www.apdaparkinson.org.Electric vehicles will play an important role in Audis portfolio of products going forward, said Audi Atlanta Vice President, Tracie Maloney.

Audi Atlanta Accepting Reservations for the Audi e-tron: Audis first all-electric SUV



Audi debuts their first ever completely electric SUV

Audi Atlanta accepting early reservations for the e-tron, which is scheduled to release in 2019

Innovative battery allows for extended trips and lightning-quick charging

Partnerships with Electrify America, Amazon Home Services, and Arcadia Power give access to nationwide charging stations, home outlet installation, and solar and wind-powered energy sources

On September 17th, Audi impressed the automotive industry as the company unveiled their first fully electric production model, the Audi e-tron. Audi Atlanta is now accepting orders for the e-tron in advance of an anticipated spring 2019 release. The production of the Audi e-tron is based on a first come, first served basis.

With the e-trons debut, Audi has reimagined the electric vehicle lifestyle. Drivers will enjoy 1,000 complimentary kWh of battery power thanks to the partnership of Audi and Electrify America. Through the additional partnerships of Amazon Home Services and Arcadia Power, Audi will provide e-tron owners with in-home charging outlet installations and access to renewable solar and wind-generated power on the go.

Electric vehicles will play an important role in Audis portfolio of products going forward, said Audi Atlanta Vice President, Tracie Maloney. Having been around these products for over 25 years, I am confident the e-tron will be a hit. I truly believe the Atlanta market is ready for electric vehicles and Audi Atlanta is ready to serve!

The Audi e-trons powerful battery can tackle long road trips on a single charge and is capable of reaching an 80% recharge in as little as 30 minutes. On the inside, Audi has outfitted the e-tron with some of the latest technologies available including Amazon Alexa, Integrated Toll Module, and other driver assistance systems.

To make a reservation, customers may visit the Audi Atlanta website and access the online reservation system.

About Audi Atlanta

Audi Atlanta is a full service new and used Audi dealer in Atlanta, GA, that has been in business since 1983. The dealership is part of the Jim Ellis Automotive Group and carries one of the largest inventories of both new and used Audis in the south. As of 2018, Audi Atlanta has been named as the #1 Pre-owned Audi Dealer in the nation for eight out of the previous nine years and awarded as a Magna Society recipient for twelve consecutive years. Audi Atlantas Certified Technicians are highly-trained on all Audi vehicles, and the Parts Department boasts a knowledgeable staff that proudly serves the Metro Atlanta area. Visit Audi Atlanta at 5805 Peachtree Boulevard, Atlanta, GA, or online at http://www.AudiAtlanta.com.

Contact: Tracie Maloney

tracied@jimellis.com

(770)454-8200Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Attorney Elissa Noujaim Pinto has joined the firms Troy office as Of Counsel.

Over the last seventeen years, Ms. Pinto has focused her immigration practice on business immigration, and she has gained extensive experience representing local, national and international companies in obtaining authorization for foreign national employees to work temporarily and permanently in the United States, through various work-authorized visa classifications and employment-based permanent residence processes.

Ms. Pinto regularly provides comprehensive guidance to business clients with respect to their foreign national workforce, including short and long-term strategy and planning, immigration compliance as well as immigration-related issues that arise on a daily basis. She has assisted clients with internal audits and provides useful and practical training on how to conduct self-audits to ensure compliance with ever-evolving and complex immigration laws and policies. Ms. Pinto has also advised on the drafting and establishment of immigration policies and practices for companies, in conjunction with human resources personnel and management input. She regularly provides training that is tailored to company workforce and foreign employment policies and practices, including strategy and best-practice reviews to streamline the immigration process for human resources staff, management, and their foreign national employees.

This year, Ms. Pinto has given several presentations in Portuguese in various cities in Brazil, including a seminar hosted by the Brazilian American Chamber (AmCham Brasil) on the U.S. business immigration process, and a series of seminars in collaboration with Baker Tilly on the EB-5 Investor Greencard process. This fall she is collaborating with Baker Tilly on another series of seminars on the EB-5 program, to be presented in Portuguese in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the American Bar Associations International Law Section, and the State Bar of Michigans International Law Section. She is recognized as a leader in her field by Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers Rising Stars, and was featured in the 2018 Powered by Women section in DBusiness.

Ms. Pinto received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from Wayne State University Law School. She is fluent in Portuguese (Brazilian) and proficient in Spanish and French.

About Dickinson Wright PLLC

Dickinson Wright PLLC is a general practice business law firm with more than 475 attorneys among more than 40 practice areas and 16 industry groups. Headquartered in Detroit and founded in 1878, the firm has 19 offices, including six in Michigan (Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw) and 12 other domestic offices in Austin and El Paso, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Nashville and Music Row, Tenn.; Las Vegas and Reno, Nev.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Silicon Valley, Calif.; and Washington, D.C. The firms Canadian office is located in Toronto.

Dickinson Wright offers our clients a distinctive combination of superb client service, exceptional quality, value for fees, industry expertise and business acumen. As one of the few law firms with ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification, Dickinson Wright has built state-of-the-art, independently-verified risk management controls and security processes for our commercial transactions. Dickinson Wright lawyers are known for delivering commercially-oriented advice on sophisticated transactions and have a remarkable record of wins in high-stakes litigation. Dickinson Wright lawyers are regularly cited for their expertise and experience by Chambers, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and other leading independent law firm evaluating organizations.Melannie Young, Center Director of C2 Education's Urbana Center cuts the official ribbon on September 21, 2018 We are so excited to be a part of the Urbana and Frederick communities and for the positive reception we have received here, said Center Director Melannie Young.

C2 Education (C2), the nations premier network of subject tutoring, SAT, ACT and PSAT test prep and college admissions counseling centers held a ribbon cutting ceremony and Grand Opening Celebration on September 20th to help usher in C2s newest location in Urbana, Maryland.

Prior to the ribbon cutting, local dignitaries read proclamations from Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen and Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner in support of the opening. We are so excited to be a part of the Urbana and Frederick communities and for the positive reception we have received here, said Center Director Melannie Young. Local area residents will now have a great new resource to help their kids go on to their dream colleges.

Nationally, C2 has a proven track record of helping students gain acceptance into the countrys top colleges. To date in 2018, C2 students have reported admission to over 4,400 colleges with more than $30 million in scholarship offers. This includes 2,500 acceptances to the Top 100 National Universities, per U.S. News & World Reports Best College Rankings, with over $15 million in scholarship offers.

Families and students interested in learning more about the new Urbana Center can call 240-608-2899 or visit https://www.c2educate.com/locations/urbana-frederick-md/.

About C2 Education

C2 Education (http://www.C2education.com) was founded in 1997 by David Kim and Jim Narangajavana, two Harvard students offering private tutoring programs from their dorm room. Now one of the nations leading Tutoring, Test Prep, and College Admissions Counseling organizations, the company has grown to over 180 centers nationwide serving 12,000 students and their families each week. C2 utilizes a unique approach that combines individualized instruction, customized proprietary curriculum and dedicated education experts to create a personalized experience that enables students to master their specific tests and subjects. C2 Education is headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia. Follow the company on Facebook at facebook.com/c2educate and Twitter at twitter.com/C2education.

Media Contact:

Kenny Fried

Email: kfried@aboutbwf.com

Phone: 202-468-8200Freds practical step-by-step process will give you the ability to identify financial problems before they occur." - Mark Langford, Executive Director of North Texas Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC)

Michael E. Gerber Companies has announced the first in its new E-Myth Core Operating Series of books, "The E-Myth Chief Financial Officer: Why Most Small Businesses Run Out of Money and What to Do About It," co-authored by Profit Expert Fred Parrish and Michael E. Gerber.

The book publicity tour starts in St. Louis, Missouri, on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, as the two authors give a public talk at St. Louis Union Station Hotel in Grand Ballroom F at 11:15 a.m. The hotel is located at 1820 Market St, St. Louis, MO 63103. Fred Parrish and Michael E. Gerber will be available for interviews while in St. Louis. For media opportunities, please contact Sarah Crilley at sarahcrilley@realnewspr.com.

Next stop in the tour will be Dallas, Texas, as the co-authors are opening a book discussion at an Evening with The E-Myth Chief Financial Officer Authors on Thursday, September 27, 2018, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Park City Club, located at 5956 Sherry Ln. #1700 Dallas, TX 75225. Tickets available here: https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/event/163516/2018/an-evening-with-the-emyth-chief-financial-officer-authors.

Continuing the tour in Dallas, there will also be a RSVP co-author meet-and-greet event, sponsored by Success North Dallas, on Friday, September 28, 2019, at Lincoln Centre. Located at 5420 LBJ Freeway, Suite #240, Dallas, TX 75240, the meet-and-greet will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This will be a more personal opportunity to get to know the authors and ask one-on-one questions. To RSVP, contact Sarah Crilley at sarahcrilley@realnewspr.com.

The new series, a departure from the wildly popular E-Myth Expert Series of business books, is the first to focus on internal functions, rather than upon industry or small business. It features co-authors who are experts in all the C-level functions a small but growing company needs. Parrishs book provides a road map for any small business owner to create a business thats self-sufficient, growing, and highly profitable.

The system addressed in this book will add value to any company in any industry, as long as the people involved are willing to have the discipline to implement the various components and will diligently follow the process, Parrish says.

It all comes from years of solid, first-hand experience. Parrish is founder and CEO of The Profit Experts and The Profit Institute. Since 1980, he has held positions from staff accountant to CEO in both public and private companies--from startups to multi-billion-dollar operations. His experiences include directing and overseeing company operations, managing corporate resource development, and directing strategic planning for domestic and international organizations. Utilizing his broad background, he has developed a proven process to optimize the profitability dynamics present in any company. Parrish is also a speaker and instructor on profit and cash-flow optimization.

Freds practical step-by-step process will give you the ability to identify financial problems before they occur, says Mark Langford, Executive Director of North Texas Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC).

Most businesses know what their numbers are, Gerber says, but they dont know what the numbers tell them about the decisions they should be making. This book is designed to teach the owner of a company what he or she needs to know to fulfill the CFO function. The CFO role is the most abused and misunderstood role in the world of business, Gerber says.

To know more about the book--a complete toolkit for either starting a successful business from scratch or maximizing an existing business' performance--join Profit Expert Fred Parrish and best-selling author of The E-Myth books, Michael E. Gerber, for a discussion on September 27, 2018, and a meet-and-greet on September 28, 2018.

Events Details:

An Evening with "The E-Myth Chief Financial Officer" Co-Authors, Fred Parrish and Michael E. Gerber:



Park City Club

5956 Sherry Ln #1700 Dallas, TX 75225

Thursday, September 27, 2018

5:30 p.m.  7:30 p.m.

Tickets available here.

Meet-and-Greet with "The E-Myth Chief Financial Officer" Co-Authors Fred Parrish and Michael E. Gerber:

We have an award-winning technology solution

September 24, 2018Conversica, the leader in conversational AI for business, has been named a winner in the category of Best Application of AI for Sales and Marketing in the 2018 AIconics Awards, the worlds only independently-judged awards celebrating the drive, innovation and hard work in the international AI community. Conversica was one of just 11 companies to be honored out of hundreds of entries.

This award win comes on the heels of several others: Conversica was recently recognized with a Digiday Technology Award for best sales automation platform; CEO Alex Terry was named a Top 50 SaaS CEO of 2018; and the company continued its move up the Inc. 5000 for the third year in a row.

We have an award-winning technology solution, an award-winning CEO, a product that is creating results for our customers, a company that is growing rapidly  and our success is not going unnoticed, said Conversica CMO Carl Landers. To be judged the best by an independent and well-respected group of AI experts gives us even more momentum as we head to Dreamforce this week to share this story of customer success with the forward-thinking organizations in the Salesforce ecosystem.

With over 300 entries from around the world, the 3rd Annual Edition of The AIconics reflects the strength and progress of a rapidly expanding and evolving sector, said Edward Beecham, AIconics Awards Curator. AI is now beginning to dominate conversations in the technology sphere, with businesses increasingly aware of the immense potential that it brings.

Conversica will be showcasing its AI-powered solution for business conversations this week at Dreamforce in San Francisco. Attendees can learn more at these sessions:



Attend the session #AIpower: 3 Ways Conversational AI is Boosting Sales & Customer Engagement," by Carl Landers, CMO, on Wednesday at 2:45 pm in the Customer Success Expo

Hear Conversica customer Phil Horn, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales for the Sacramento Kings, share his success with their AI Sales Assistant on the panel 9 AppExchange Apps to Extend Marketing Cloud Across Your Business on Thursday at 3 pm in the Palace Hotel

See Conversica in action at the Dreamforce Demo Jam competition on Thursday at 3 pm at the Marriott Marquis

Those not attending Dreamforce are encouraged to learn more about Conversicas award-winning conversational AI solutions at http://www.conversica.com.

About Conversica

Conversica is the leader in conversational AI for business and the only provider of AI-driven lead engagement software for marketing and sales organizations. The flagship Conversica AI Sales Assistant helps companies find and secure customers more quickly and efficiently by automatically contacting, engaging, qualifying and following up with leads via natural, two-way conversations. Used by more than 1,000 companies worldwide, Conversicas sales assistants are built on a proven and patented AI platform integrating natural language processing (NLP), natural language generation (NLG), and machine learning (ML) capabilities and engage prospects over multiple communication channels and in multiple languages. Recognized by Gartner as a Cool Vendor, Conversica is a portfolio company of Providence Equity, Kennet Partners and Toba Capital and is headquartered in Foster City, Calif.

To learn more, visit conversica.com and follow the company on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.James Bernard - Director of Sales at DMCC and Russell Dalgleish - SBN Co-Founder Centrally located at the heart of a vibrant commercial and residential district, DMCC will connect SBN with a thriving business and trade community, locally, regionally and beyond

DMCC, the worlds flagship Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise, today announced that the Scottish Business Network (SBN), an international membership organisation for Scottish entrepreneurs and business leaders, will open its representative office in Dubai in DMCCs Free Zone.

The announcement was made during the close of the Scottish International Week (SIW), a joint venture between the Institute of Directors in Scotland and SBN. SIW held 50 events across 12 locations in Scotland and comprised peer lead events with the aim of promoting UK-wide and international opportunities for Scottish businesses from every sector in the economy. James Bernard, Director of Sales at DMCC, attended SIW and discussed the opportunities Dubai has to offer and the benefits of setting up in the DMCC Free Zone.

Commenting on the office opening, James Bernard, Director of Sales, DMCC, said:

We are pleased that the Scottish Business Network has selected DMCC as its home in Dubai. This move is testament to our international appeal, and ability to attract, facilitate and drive global trade. Centrally located at the heart of a vibrant commercial and residential district, DMCC will connect SBN with a thriving business and trade community, locally, regionally and beyond. This is an important moment for our relationship with Scottish business community, and showcasing to the world the ease of doing business in Dubai through DMCC.

The Scottish Business Network is an organisation created to facilitate greater communication and connectivity between a network of the leading Scottish diaspora in order to proactively assist and support Scottish based companies expand internationally.

Russell Dalgleish, SBN Co-Founder, said:

In 2017, we expanded from our London base to hold events in the U.S. and Middle East. In Dubai, we found a very supportive and strategic partner in DMCC. A number of our members already operate in the UAE and broader region, and we believe the provision of soft-landing support, including desk space and company set up, will encourage more trade between Scotland and the Middle East.

The UAE is Scotlands 11th largest export market with direct Scottish exports totalling over GBP 1 billion. A growing number of Scottish companies have long had a base in the UAE, and a number of Scotland firms have received Emirati private and institutional investment, including Emirates Airline, Masdar and TAQA.

In December 2017, Scotland appointed its first trade envoy to the UAE as part of Scotland's plans to expand its commercial reach internationally.Photo: Town of Oliver The canal where it goes underground near Gallagher Lake

Much needed repairs to the Town of Olivers irrigation canal remain mired in the bureaucracy of federal government, all while billions of dollars in infrastructure grants are handed out across Canada.

The nearly 100-year-old Oliver canal brings water to 1,400 hectares of farmland along its 17.4 kilometre route between Vaseux Lake and Hester Creek.

In 2016 a rockfall damaged the canal at Gallagher Lake, and since then, the municipality has been working to secure funding to reroute the canal away from the rockslide-prone area.

The provincial government has committed $5M of the $10M needed to complete the project, but the federal government has so far refused to help.

Mayor Ron Hovanes explained that both the federal ministries of infrastructure and agriculture recognize the need for the project, but say it doesnt fit their funding criteria.

Hovanes said its particularly frustrating that the Ministry of Infrastructure cant find a way to fund the project, as its is spending a staggering $180B on public works over 12 years, including $4.1B to B.C. in 2017 alone.

The Town of Oliver, rural Oliver is prepared to put our share in as well, but we really need some additional support, Hovanes said.

He said the importance of the canal cannot be understated.

Its a huge part of our strong economy, 400-plus farms and all of the wineries, he said, adding their single biggest customer is the Osoyoos Indian Band.

It really is the heart of the South Okanagan, agricultural water, without it wed have a beautiful desert.

Making things even more frustrating, Hovanes said up until about 10 years ago the canal also supplied drinking water. If it still did, the project would almost certainly be funded by now  with billions being spent by the federal government on domestic water and sewer projects.

But they dont have a mechanism for capital repairs for agricultural works, it just doesn't make any sense to me at all, its been our struggle and frustration.

The Town of Oliver has now turned to the provincial government for help in talking some sense into Ottawa. The mayor reiterated the Town is prepared to pitch in for the repairs, but having to borrow the full $5M would be an unreasonable debt load for the small community. The band-aid fix to the canal after the 2016 rockslide is still holding, but if the fix were to fail or if there was another slide the losses to the local agricultural sector could be in the hundreds of millions.

South OkanaganWest Kooteney MP Richard Cannings rose the issue in question period on Friday demanding a meeting with the ministers of infrastructure and agriculture to find a way to get this project out of the bureaucratic crack that it has fallen into.

Minister of Infrastructure Francois-Philippe Champagne agreed to the meeting."This year at DoceboInspire we'll be making a huge announcement marking foundational changes to our learning platform and the industry at-large, says Claudio Erba, Docebo CEO and founder

Docebo is disrupting typical training and development conferences with its signature annual event, DoceboInspire. The conference will bring together hundreds of learning and development professionals to the city of their international headquarters, Toronto, Canada, on October 10 - 12, to experience world-class speakers, panels, and workshops.

This is the second-annual user conference for Docebo, the enterprise learning management platform, and this year will include the announcement of the platform's newest upgrade that will forever change the way enterprises learn.

"This year at DoceboInspire we'll make making a huge announcement marking foundational changes to our learning platform and the industry at-large, says Claudio Erba, Docebo CEO and Founder. Docebo is committed to the evolution of enterprise learning through innovation in technology, and this years conference will leave attendees inspired to take their learning & development strategies into the future.

The conference features an impressive speaker lineup with multiple keynotes addressing the top challenges and opportunities that learning and development professionals face today. The conference will begin with a keynote from Erba himself, speaking on The future of e-Learning, Docebos Vision for 2019 during which he will discuss how Docebo is helping to drive the industry forward with its dedication to game-changing technology that improves organizational performance.

Docebo is also excited to have two incredible keynotes: New York Times Bestselling Author, Chester Elton, will be talking on The 5 Disciplines of Todays Most Effective Team Leaders. Raya Bidshahri, serial entrepreneur, Influencer and CEO of Awecademy will explore how enterprises can infuse more excitement and inspiration to their L&D strategies. In addition to the above speakers and additional industry experts, the DoceboInspire agenda provides a platform for many of Docebos customers, who will share their stories in implementing and growing successful eLearning programs.

This year will also mark the inaugural session of Docebo U, a half day enhanced training course on the Docebo platform. Docebo is committed to continued success of all customers and Docebo U is an opportunity for users to take their knowledge of the Docebo platform to the next level with a deep-dive experience to include technical training, Q&A sessions and much more.

The conference also shines a spotlight on exciting new technologies with demonstrations from Docebos incredible team including a demo from Erba showcasing how they are set to influence the future of the eLearning industry. DoceboInspire 2018 is supported by GuyKat, Good Elearning, Bloom Learning Technologies, Trivantis, Elearning Industry, Training Industry, Formetris, and GWT Next.

About Docebo

Docebo is a learning platform that is laser-focused on changing the way people learn. While traditional enterprise learning technologies have dictated the way people learn with formal courses pushed from the top down, Docebos Learning Platform facilitates personalized and social learning experiences in the flow of work to drive growth, organizational performance and revenue. Docebo is designed to power a cohesive L&D strategy, and has been embraced by more than 1,400 companies around the world for its ability to satisfy multiple use cases for both internal and external enterprise learning.The current crisis with drug addiction and overdoses reflects the absolute paucity of truths we humans have regarding our physical, mental and emotional pains. Every pain that every human has suffered, as sad and daunting as they may be, is part of the healing of the Universe.

A Doctor of Chiropractic, chronic pain specialist and medical hypnotherapist has published his comprehensive examination of the foundation of human pain as viewed through the lens of astronomy and the creation of the universe.

In Subtracting Insult from Injury: A Buddheo-Christian Art of Transmuting Pain, author Dr. Alan Cooper draws heavily from his work with patients who have chronic pain or who feel stuck treating their pain issues with addictive medications and taps into modern societal issues, such as the U.S.s escalating opioid epidemic, to illustrate the universal truth behind the human experience of suffering.

Throughout my work in medical clinics, Ive consistently crossed paths with providers who are completely vexed by the prescription opioid epidemic, Dr. Cooper said. The current crisis with drug addiction and overdoses reflects the absolute paucity of truths we humans have regarding our physical, mental and emotional pains. Every pain that every human has suffered, as sad and daunting as they may be, is part of the healing of the Universe.

Focused on providing readers with a gentle and spiritually enriching path toward healing, Subtracting Insult from Injury twines science, philosophy and religion, ultimately guiding people toward an outlook devoid of the fear, blame and resentment that modern societys current understanding of pain often fosters.

Subtracting Insult from Injury: A Buddheo-Christian Art of Transmuting Pain

By Dr. Alan Cooper

ISBN: 978-1-5043-9722-3 (hardback); 978-1-5043-9723-0 (paperback); 978-1-5043-9724-7 (electronic)

Available through Balboa Press and Amazon

About the author

Dr. Alan Cooper is a practicing Doctor of Chiropractic, chronic pain specialist and medical hypnotherapist. An expert in pain management and mental health, Dr. Cooper is passionate about science and philosophy and did humanitarian work for several years in Kosovo following the Kosovo War. Dr. Cooper is also the author of Panda: The Guru Weeps, The Agony of Victory, the Ecstasy of Defeat, Spiritual Alchemy; The Shy Messiah and I Cancer; The Semi-Buddhist Answer to Dancing with Cancer. He currently resides in Mount Shasta, Calif. To learn more, please visit http://www.subtractinginsult.com.

General Inquiries, Review Copies & Interview Requests:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

480-648-7557

dgrobmeier@lavidge.comDRI Fund (DRI) was recently approved for membership in The Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (FHLBI). Membership represents a significant milestone, allowing DRI to expand lending operations for borrowers in low - moderate income communities and provide creative financing to those underserved by mainstream banking.

DRI is a social impact investment firm with a unique double bottom line approach to business. Certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), DRI is a mission-driven financial institution dedicated to providing financial services that meet the needs of underserved communities. CDFIs are the only non-regulated entities invited to join the FHLBI and membership will provide portfolio benefits to investors.

We are excited about our acceptance into the FHLBI and honored to join this impressive organization. Membership will enable us to provide lower cost, longer term loans to our borrowers, says Steven Kirsch, Managing Director. We look forward to expanding our operations in the origination space. Single family and multi-family lending in the affordable housing sector will be become a primary focus for our firm in the coming years. says, Kirsch.

The FHLBI is one of the 11 independent regional cooperative banks across the United States. FHLbanks are government-sponsored enterprises created by Congress to ensure access to low-cost funding for their member financial institutions, with particular attention paid to providing solutions that support the housing and small business needs of members' customers.

ABOUT THE FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK OF INDIANAPOLIS (FHLBI)

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (FHLBank Indianapolis) is a regional bank included in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises created by Congress to ensure access to low-cost funding for their member financial institutions, with particular attention paid to providing solutions that support the housing and small business needs of members' customers. FHLBanks are privately capitalized and funded, and receive no Congressional appropriations. FHLBank Indianapolis is owned by its Indiana and Michigan financial institution members, which include commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, savings institutions and community development financial institutions. For more information about FHLBank Indianapolis, visit http://www.fhlbi.com.

ABOUT DRI FUND

DRI Fund is an investment manager that is also certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). DRI was created with a goal of developing investment opportunities that create attractive risk-adjusted returns and have a positive social impact. DRIs professionals have extensive experience in mortgage loan investing and have generated a strong investment track record, while successfully promoting community development. For more information please visit http://www.drifund.comEast West Logo We found the perfect partner with Team to expand our manufacturing presence into the US. said Scott Ellyson, East West Co-founder and CEO

East West Manufacturing, LLC (East West or the Company), a global design, manufacturing and distribution business, announced today that is has acquired Team Manufacturing (Team), a provider of specialized electronics manufacturing, wire harness assembly and box-build services. Team was founded in 2002 and is located near the Research Triangle in North Carolina. The acquisition of Team represents a significant opportunity to enhance the growth of East West and advance the Companys strategic focus on growing its electronics capabilities and establishing U.S. manufacturing operations.

We found the perfect partner with Team to expand our manufacturing presence into the US. said Scott Ellyson, East West Co-founder and CEO. Team has a great reputation for serving its customers. This acquisition allows us to offer our customers domestic, higher mix, lower volume, quick turn electronic manufacturing services. Best of all, our collective design, manufacturing and supply chain capabilities will enable us to provide even higher levels of service and support to customers on a global basis.

East West Board member Bob Nardelli said, This acquisition aligns perfectly with our strategy of building our portfolio by incorporating companies offering innovative solutions to their customers.

Alex Mammen, Heritage Growth Partners Founder and East West Board member added, The acquisition of Team provides East West with the ability to marry its high volume international design, manufacturing and distribution capabilities with a well-respected, domestic manufacturer to address the full spectrum of customer needs. We expect the East West-Team combination to gain significant market share through these expanded capabilities.

Don Albright, Founder and CEO of Team said, My brother Dean, the leadership team, and all the associates here at Team, and I, are thrilled to join the East West family. Our capabilities, culture and customer first focus align perfectly. We are going to do great things together!

About East West Manufacturing, LLC

East West is a leading Atlanta-based design services and global contract manufacturing partner for original equipment manufacturers and distributors throughout the United States and Europe. With operations in Vietnam, China and India, the Company utilizes transparent supply chain, on-site quality control and logistics systems to provide its customers with superior products and competitive cost advantages. Founded in 2001, East Wests U.S.-based management combined with its international capabilities reduces the risks and complexities of global manufacturing for its customers. For more information please visit: http://www.ewmfg.com.

About Team Manufacturing, Inc.

Founded in 2002, Team provides a wide variety of manufacturing, assembly, testing and rework services related to wire and cable interconnects and harnesses, electromechanical assemblies, PCBA's, box builds and product integration. Team is an ISO 9001:2015 Certified EMS provider and is based in Youngsville, NC. For more information visit: http://www.teammanufacturing.com.

About Heritage Growth Partners LLC

Heritage Growth Partners LLC is an Atlanta-based private, family investment office focused on serving owner-managers and their companies to accelerate growth and create long-term value. Heritage takes a collaborative approach to investing, with the goal of building true partnerships with management that are enhanced by its patient and flexible family capital and its ongoing strategic, financial and operational support. For more information visit: http://www.heritagegrowth.com.EC-Councils premier executive-level event. EC-Councils CISO Awards recognize leaders making an impact by implementing security programs and security awareness programs that break the mold and address the root problems of modern breaches.

In a black-tie ceremony, EC-Council honored leaders in information security by recognizing finalists and winners in seven categories. The CISO Awards precedes both Hacker Halted (https://www.hackerhalted.com/), EC-Councils largest annual cybersecurity conference, and the Global CISO Forum (https://ciso.eccouncil.org/ciso-events/) EC-Councils premier executive-level event. EC-Councils CISO Awards recognize leaders making an impact by implementing security programs and security awareness programs that break the mold and address the root problems of modern breaches. These awards are decided by a committee in an anonymous voting process.

The first award given was the Presidential Award for Excellence to Fal Ghancha, the Business Information Security Officer for Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management Limited. The award was given based on Mr. Ghanchas success in enterprise mobility management and his role in managing the risk involved in providing mobility to business users and more flexibility to clients.

The next category was the Most Promising New CISO of the Year, an award given based on the strength of the nomination narrative, but all those considered for the award had to meet three basic criteria:



Work for one of the largest 500 companies in the world

Be younger than 40 years old.

Hold the role of CISO or be the budget controller for company-wide security program

The finalists for the award were Jared Carstensen, CISO of CRH; Abbas Sabuwala, Head of Information Security and Support systems at United Arab Shipping Ltd.; and Meetali Sharma, Head of Risk, Compliance, & Information Security at SDB Corporation.

The winner, Jared Carstensen, is tasked with creating and delivering information and cybersecurity strategy and practices for a $32 billion company, operating in 32 countries across more than 3,500 locations, with a workforce of more than 87,000. On top of this, he finds time to do some outreach. He has taught nearly 500 students in information security (up to a masters degree level), has volunteered and led a local security chapter which has provided support and training services to more than 2,000 school children, and mentors his own team daily.

The next award is the CISO of the Year award. This award, one EC-Council has been giving since the start of the CISO program, is designed to honor a CISO who is going above and beyond the already formidable duties of a CISO and making a difference in the industry with groundbreaking projects and outreach beyond his or her own organization. The finalists included Zachary Mitchem, Chief Information Security and Compliance Officer of North Carolina Central University; Irshad Mohammed, CISO of VPS Healthcare; Shashank Bajpai, CISO of ACKO GENERAL INSURANCE LTD.; Debojit Maitra, CISO of Aditya birla Retail Ltd; Majed Al Ali, Information Security Assurance Manager, National Commercial Bank; Anil Chiplunkar, Associate Director  Information Security of Sciformix Technologies Pvt Ltd; and Sourabh Tiwari, CIO and CISO at Overseas Infrastructure Alliance.

The winner, Zachary Mitchem, was chosen first because of his incredible longevity in the industry. Hes had a career of over 37 years that has included experience with strategic planning and policy development, disaster recovery and business continuity, risk management and assessments, compliance with federal, state and local mandates, information security awareness presentations and training, liaising with legal counsel and law enforcement for electronic discovery support, and cyber-criminal investigations with Federal, State and Private industry.

The last CISO award is for the Certified CISO (https://ciso.eccouncil.org/cciso-certification/) , or CCISO, of the year. The CCISO program has been an integral part of EC-Council and the security industry since 2011. It is a program specifically for information security leaders  those already in and those with the right experience and expertise to fill the role of CISO. By recognizing the best of this group of leaders, EC-Council highlights the elite members of information security leadership.

There were two finalists for this award: Ahmed Nabil Mahmoud, CISO of PGESCo. And Anthony Dupree, CISO and CIO of Career Builder. The winner, Anthony Dupree, was chosen because he is a top innovator in cybersecurity with a career spanning more than two decades. Hes known for taking a holistic approach and creating a security culture within organizations. He has been the driving force behind global enterprise IT security, network infrastructure and risk and compliance strategies for Fortune 500 organizations.

About EC-Council

EC-Council has been the worlds leading information security certification body since the launch of their flagship program, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), which created the ethical hacking industry in 2002. Since the launch of CEH, EC-Council has added industry-leading programs to their portfolio to cover all aspects of information security including EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA), Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI), Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO), among others. EC-Council Foundation, the non-profit branch of EC-Council, created Global CyberLympics, the worlds first global hacking competition. EC-Council Foundation also hosts a suite of conferences across the US and around the world including Hacker Halted, Global CISO Forum, TakeDownCon, and CISO Summit. For more information about EC-Council, please see http://www.eccouncil.org.Dr. Andres Sanchez, Eden Prarie, MN Periodontist, Completes Microsurgery CE Course

PerioWests Dr. Andres Sanchez, has completed a three-day intensive training from two world-renowned periodontal specialists, Dr. Pierpaolo Cortellini and Dr. Maurizio Tonetti, in Florence, Italy. This workshop focused on helping his patients who suffer from jaw-related gum and bone loss using minimally invasive periodontal regeneration microsurgical techniques.

The advanced training workshop, Biologically Driven Minimally Invasive Periodontal Regeneration to Intrabony Defects and Furcations included live surgery, 3D simulations and lectures to help professionals like Dr. Sanchez open new doors for patients seeking the latest treatments. Throughout the course, participants learned proven ways to promote the bodys natural ability to regenerate hard and soft tissues.

As a well-regarded periodontist in Eden Prairie, MN, Dr. Sanchez regularly works with those throughout the region who suffer from bone loss and gum loss. As periodontal disease advances from its initial stage, gingivitis, the hard and soft tissues of the mouth consistently are attacked by unwanted bacteria and infection. Over time, this leads to lowered bone density and the destruction of gum (gingival) tissues.

With the assistance of minimally invasive treatments, patients can reverse some or all of the damage caused by untreated periodontal disease. Ultimately, many in this situation who undergo this process may be able to enjoy the advantages of other advancements including dental implants and ridge augmentation. Additionally, they will be less at risk of further damage to their oral and systemic health.

Dr. Sanchez encourages anyone who has been diagnosed with periodontal disease or who has had periodontal disease, treated or untreated, to visit his office to discuss the possibility of periodontal regeneration microsurgery. Appointments can be made by calling 952-479-4705, and referrals are not required. He is also welcoming new patients who want the value, results and compassion that come with working with a highly trained periodontist in Eden Prairie, MN.

About the Periodontist

PerioWest is a periodontal practice offering personalized dental care for patients in Eden Prairie, MN and the Twin Cities areas. Dr. Andres R. Sanchez received his Certificate & Masters Degree in Periodontics from the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Minnesota in 2004. He is a Board-Certified periodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. In addition, Dr. Sanchez has been involved as a primary author in more than ten scientific papers published in major periodontal and implant dentistry journals. To learn more about Dr. Sanchez and the services he provides, please visit his website at http://www.periowestmn.com or call 952-479-4705.We have an exciting and unprecedented ecosystem approach to digital clinical trials that is transforming the data lifecycle and we will share our achievements, experience and vision with the delegates.

EDETEK, the premier provider of digital clinical trial platforms, today announced that the team will be exhibiting at the Society for Clinical Data Management (SCDM) 2018 Annual Conference taking place in Seattle, WA on September 23-26, 2018. The team will also be participating at DPHARM: Disruptive Innovations in Boston, MA on September 25-26, 2018.

At both events, EDETEK will be showcasing their clinical trial expertise, practical experience and cutting-edge technology platforms.

SCDM is the largest multidisciplinary and educational event for clinical trial data managers, attracting an audience of over 700 people from more than 300 organizations. EDETEK will be exhibiting at Booth #208 and promoting the CONFORM eClinical, Informatics and Compliant Clinical Cloud platform as well as the companys well-known study conduct and data standardization services.

DPHARM is an annual event designed to showcase the best innovative ideas that are advancing drug development operations. This year, Peter Smilansky, Senior Vice President, Product Strategy will be participating in the DPHARM Idol Competition which features a select group of innovators who present disruptive services or technologies that could be a changing force in clinical trials.

Jian Chen, EDETEK President, commented, We are looking forward to the SCDM Conference. It is the premiere industry event where data management professionals converge to share new technology, standards and practices across the clinical data lifecycle.

Peter Smilansky, Senior Vice President, Product Strategy, added, We are also thrilled to showcase CONFORM, our disruptive Clinical Informatics platform at DPHARM. We have an exciting and unprecedented ecosystem approach to digital clinical trials that is transforming the data lifecycle and we will share our achievements, experience and vision with the delegates.

To schedule a product demonstration or discussion with the EDETEK team, please contact Mark Gee (Mark.Gee@EDETEK.com) or Ed Bounds (Ed.Bounds@EDETEK.com).

ABOUT EDETEK

EDETEK, Inc. is an innovative clinical solutions company that provides high-quality technology and services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies. We utilize our digital clinical trial platform, CONFORM, to fulfill our clients data engineering and business analytics needs. Our comprehensive metadata driven solutions offer unparalleled advantages in data quality, time to completion, and cost efficiency. Visit our website at http://www.EDETEK.com.We look forward to working closely with our partners at CMG and continuing to offer the commitment to service excellence their residents have come to expect, says Michael Mendillo, regional president, FirstService Residential.

FirstService Residential, the leading property management company in North America, announced it has partnered with Community Management Group (CMG), a leading community association management company providing services in the greater Charleston area.

We look forward to working closely with our partners at CMG and continuing to offer the commitment to service excellence their residents have come to expect, says Michael Mendillo, regional president, FirstService Residential.

Established in 2005, CMG currently manages over 125 associations, representing approximately 25,000 homes in the greater Charleston area. Company President Steve Peck will continue to be an integral part of day-to-day operations for FirstService Residential as a senior executive in South Carolina.

FirstService Residential previously managed 170 communities representing 45,000 homes in the Carolinas and warmly welcomes CMGs communities to that portfolio.

Mendillo also extended a welcome to Steve Peck. We are delighted to join the FirstService Residential family, said Peck. This truly is the merging of two excellent teams to leverage the benefits of our local market expertise, with the considerable resources, tools, experience and purchasing power of North Americas leader in the field.

About FirstService Residential

FirstService Residential is North America's largest manager of residential communities and the preferred partner of HOAs, community associations and strata corporations in the U.S. and Canada. FirstService Residential's managed communities include low-, mid- and high-rise condominiums and cooperatives, single-family homes, master-planned, lifestyle and active adult communities, and rental and commercial properties.

With an unmatched combination of deep industry experience, local market expertise and personalized attention, FirstService Residential delivers proven solutions and exceptional service that add value, enhance lifestyles and make a difference, every day, for every resident and community it manages. FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation, a North American leader in the property services sector. For more information, visit http://www.fsresidential.com.Fordham Real Estate Institute (REI) has joined forces with Columbia University, the Counselors of Real Estate and Professional Women in Construction to host an upcoming forum: Urbs or Burbs: Where are the Best Investment and Development Opportunities? The breakfast panel will take place on Wednesday, October 3 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the Universitys Lincoln Center campus and will compare the pluses and minuses of development across North Americas regions, markets and sub-markets.

The event will feature leading real estate thinkers and practitioners, including special guest John Kessler, president and chief operating officer, Empire State Realty Trust, and panel moderator Patrice Derrington, director, Real Estate Development Program, GSAAP, Columbia University. Panelists will include:



Andy Golubitsky, vice president of development, Macklowe Properties

George Kok, managing director, Morgan Stanley

Bill OConnor, CEO, OConnor Capital Partners

The experts will touch on topics such as relative economic strengths and weaknesses, demographic trends, infrastructure, government policy, construction issues, building technology, capital flows, and other key variables that play into overall prospects for development. Before the panel, audience members can join Kessler and Hugh Kelly (director of graduate programs, Fordham REI, and president, Hugh F. Kelly Real Estate Economics) for a fireside chat about the factors influencing major investors as they assess where to allocate funds, especially at this point in the cycle.

Fordham Real Estate Institute aims to be a pillar of ongoing education in this ever-changing industry, said Anthony R. Davidson, Ph.D., MBA, dean of Fordhams School of Professional and Continuing Studies. We are proud to be able to bring together experts and movers and shakers to touch on the continued evolution of real estate and ensure its continued success and growth. An event like Urbs or Burbs will provide important insight from credible experts, which will be extremely useful for attendees.

Urbs or Burbs: Where are the Best Investment and Development Opportunities? will take place on Wednesday, October 3 at Fordham Universitys Lincoln Center campus located at 113 West 60th Street in Manhattan. Event sponsors include First American Title Insurance Company and Plaza Construction. Registration for the forum is $35.

To register, visit https://pwcusa.givezooks.com/events/urbs-or-burbs-fordham-columbia-cre-fall-event.

ABOUT FORDHAM REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE

Fordham Real Estate Institute (REI) currently offers a Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE), a graduate certificate, and a comprehensive array of professional real estate certificates at its campuses in Manhattan and West Harrison, N.Y. Serving professionals and owners/investors of all stripes, the MSRE curriculum presents the essential elements of real estate finance, investment, development and management. The programs are developed and taught by leading industry practitioners and are centered on imparting real-world professional skill sets. Flexibility and convenience are program hallmarks as classes can be taken in-person, online, and at various paces. REI is a part of Fordhams School of Professional and Continuing Studies. For more information, visit http://www.fordham.edu/realestate.Georgia Manufacturing Summit - October 10th - Cobb Galleria All segments of the manufacturing industry are invited to attend.

WHAT: GEORGIA MANUFACTURING SUMMIT

WHEN: October 10, 2018

WHERE: Cobb Galleria Centre, 2 Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339

DESCRIPTION: The 2018 Georgia Manufacturing Summit is expected to attract over 800 attendees from across the Southeast. The theme will be on the Aerospace Industry, the number one export for the state of Georgia. Mark Burns, President of Gulfstream, and Eric Rojek, V.P. of Sales & Marketing for Thrush Aircraft will be this years keynote speakers. It is Georgias manufacturing event of the year and allows attendees to make face-to-face connections with other manufacturers, customers, and suppliers. This event is for ALL sectors of the manufacturing industry... from tee shirt to tractor manufacturers and everything in between will benefit from attending.

In addition to the keynote presentations, this event will have over 30 of the top industry leaders from Chart Industries, Cloud & Wire, Decartes, KIA, Kumho Tire, Nisshinbo, Pratt & Whitney, Southwire, and more. They will provide educational workshops to address the leading trends in Disruptive Technologies, Financial Perspectives, International Manufacturing, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain, and Workforce Development.

TICKET PRICES: $100 General Admission, $450 Reserved Half Table (5 seats), $750 Reserved Full Table (10 Seats) Tickets include: Breakfast and Lunch Buffet, Keynote Presentations and People of Manufacturing Awards, Exhibits and Educational Workshops

REGISTRATION INFORMATION: http://www.GeorgiaManufacturingSummit.com

Media contacts that that are interested in covering this event may call 770-338-0051 or email marjorie@georgiamanufacturing.com to request a complimentary PRESS PASS.Photo: RCMP Willy Schneider was spotted on surveillance video walking with missing Japanese student Natsumi Kogawa on Sept. 8, 2016.

A high-profile murder case involving a former Vernon man linked to the death of a Japanese exchange student got off to a graphic start, Monday.

Natsumi Kogawa was found dead on the grounds of the Gabriola House mansion in Vancouver, on Sept. 28, 2016, two weeks after she was reported missing. The 30-year-old had moved to Vancouver to study English.

North Okanagan police arrested William Victor Schneider, 51, in Vernon, just hours after her body was discovered.

Schneider was arrested at a homeless camp in Polson Park and has been charged with second-degree murder and interfering with human remains.

Prosecutors told court on Monday that Kogawas naked body was discovered in a black suitcase that had been left in a hedge on the West End property.

Authorities were unable to determine a cause of death because Kogawas body was too badly decomposed, CTV reports.

Schneider pleaded not guilty to both counts on Monday.

Surveillance images of Schneider and Kogawa at Harbour Centre Mall on Sept. 8 were shown to jurors.

Schneider told police where they could find Kogawas body, according to Crown counsel.

Schneider has a lengthy criminal record, including break and enter, assault with a weapon, and theft, and served four years in prison for armed robbery.

He is a former student of Clarence Fulton Secondary School in Vernon.

- with files from CTV VancouverHabitat NYC logo blue

Habitat for Humanity New York City, a major builder, preserver and advocate for affordable homeownership throughout the five boroughs, celebrated the completion of Dean Street Residences with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, September 22nd, welcoming 15 families to their new, affordable homes in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn. The afternoon-long celebration brought together Habitat Homeowners, government officials, volunteers, donors and staff who worked together to bring this project to life and create 15 new units of affordable homeownership.

Habitat NYC is committed to providing hard-working New Yorkers with the opportunity to affordably own a home and build equity. This is an investment in families and communities that reverberates to other critical outcomes such as improved health, educational attainment, and civic engagement. The work of more than two thousand volunteers and staff culminates in days like today, when we welcome hard-working families into stable, affordable homes that they can call their own, said Karen Haycox, CEO of Habitat for Humanity New York City. We are so thankful to all our volunteers, government partners and Habitat Homeowners for their dedication to this project and for making the official opening of Dean Street such a special celebration.

Dean Street Residences broke ground in 2016 at the corner of Dean Street and Mother Gaston Boulevard, engaging construction professionals and volunteers in the development of a four-story, multi-family building comprised of 15 two-bedroom apartments to be sold at an affordable rate to hard-working, lower-income families. Amenities include a landscaped backyard and on-site laundry facilities. The building also meets Enterprise Green Communities standards that ensure healthy environments and cost-saving fuel efficiency.

While under construction, Dean Street hosted many special volunteer build events including Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, Fleet Week, Women Build, and Build for Unity. In total, 2,167 volunteers devoted 19,518 hours to the construction, finishing and beautification of Dean Street.

Dean Street was made possible through support from many partner agencies including New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, New York State Homes and Community Renewal, New York State Affordable Housing Corporation, New York State Housing Trust Fund, Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, and the City and State administrations.

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, Dean Street Residences offers hardworking New Yorkers the chance to own their first home, build equity, and be part of a vibrant, up-and-coming neighborhood. HCR is proud to invest nearly $1.3 million in Dean Street Residences, as well as offer low-interest, fixed rates mortgages through the State of New York Mortgage Agency. Congratulations to Habitat for Humanity, all of our partners, and to the people who will call Dean Street Residences home.

Through Housing New York, we created programs to harness each and every opportunity to develop affordable housing. As our supply of public land continues to shrink, no site has gone overlooked and I am proud to say todays celebration put one of these sites to good use by creating new affordable homes for low-income New Yorkers, said HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. I want to congratulate Habitat for Humanity and all development partners for a job well done. Your hard work produced a beautiful new development, and more importantly, 15 homes for well-deserving new homeowners.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said, Everyone should have equal access to quality, affordable housing, including the prospect of homeownership across every income category. Thats why I am proud that my administration allocated $1 million towards the development of affordable housing units at Dean Street Residences for first-time homeowners. I commend Habitat for Humanity and all the city and state agencies for their partnership on developing these new homes, which will provide much-needed housing for low-income individuals and families in Brownsville and Ocean Hill, a part of the borough that has endured decades of economic disadvantage. This project will lift up more Brooklynites onto the ladder of economic opportunity creating a stronger and more resilient community for the future.

New York City is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis, said Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. Thanks to our continued work alongside Habitat, the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation and others, these 15 new apartments will serve as quality and affordable housing to residents of Ocean Hill and Brownsville for years to come.

Several board members, volunteers, Homeowners, and elected officials came out to support the completion of Dean Street Residences and celebrate the exciting milestone for Habitat NYC and families moving into affordable homes, including New York State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud and New York State Assemblywoman Latrice Walker.

"This is a huge accomplishment and helps to fill an urgent need we see in Brooklyn. I would like to thank Habitat NYC and partners for their hard work making affordable housing a reality for the new residents at Dean Street. It is only as a community will we end the homelessness that impacts our neighbors and friends across New York City," Senator Roxanne J. Persaud said.

New York State Assemblywoman Latrice Walker said, Each and every New Yorker deserves a roof over their heads that is affordable, reliable and safe. No one should have to make the choice between food on their table and rent. I commend Habitat for Humanity for all of their dedication to the Dean Street project and for providing 15 families with a place to call home.

Home ownership is one of the most reliable pathways to the middle class. But with property values steadily rising across the city, it has remained out of reach for many low-income New Yorkers. The opening of the new Dean Street Residences today signal our commitment to ensuring that everyone has a shot at home ownership and the American Dream. I am incredibly proud to have partnered with Habitat NYC and Borough President Adams office on this effort, said Council Member Rafael Espinal.

Habitat NYC serves hard-working New York families  often including single parents, seniors and public service employees  based on their need, ability to pay and willingness to partner. Habitat partner families are of low- to moderate- income, have stable employment history and decent credit scores and agree to fulfill the sweat equity component and participate in financial and homeownership education. Since the New York City affiliate was founded in 1984, Habitat for Humanity New York City has served more than 700 families throughout the five boroughs.

Habitat for Humanity New York City transforms lives and communities by building and preserving affordable homes for hard-working families and by uniting all New Yorkers around the cause of affordable housing and homeownership. Its unique model combines Habitat Homebuyers sweat equity with volunteers and contractors to build high-quality homes at a low cost. Habitat Homebuyers pay a 1% down payment and 2% fixed-interest mortgage provided by SONY-MA. To learn more about homeownership through Habitat or volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.habitatnyc.org.

About Habitat for Humanity New York City

Habitat for Humanity New York City transforms lives and communities by building affordable homes with families in need - and by uniting all New Yorkers around the cause of affordable housing. With the help of thousands of volunteers each year, Habitat NYC builds and preserves homes for families across the five boroughs. Learn more at http://www.HabitatNYC.org and connect with us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @HabitatNYC.Harris Personal Injury

Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. filed a complaint April 13, 2018 in San Francisco County Superior Court against the City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, California Department of Transportation, and Does 1-10 (names and capacities unknown). The complaint is filed under case number: CGC-18-565746.

Per the complaint, on September 29, 2017, Yi Gu was injured at the intersection of 17th and Sanchez Streets when her bike got caught in a streetcar track. The suit alleges the street was raised and had crevices, holes, uneven and deep streetcar tracks, and other defects that created an unsafe and dangerous condition on the street surface.

The complaint alleges the defendants negligently controlled, inspected, maintained, and/or used the premises where the accident occurred, permitting a portion of the road to be defective and uneven, thus creating the unsafe and dangerous condition that led to the accident. It also alleges the defendants had enough time to protect against the dangerous condition, and their failure to do so created a foreseeable risk of the kind of injury that occurred.

The suit further alleges the streetcar tracks where the accident occurred were dangerously placed, marked, signed, controlled, and positioned due to negligence, carelessness, and/or violation of the defendants statutory duties, which constitutes a dangerous condition of public property pursuant to Government Code Section 830 and Appellate decisions relating thereto.

Per the complaint, the plaintiff suffered great physical, mental, and nervous pain and suffering and alleges her injuries will cause some permanent disability. The plaintiff is pursuing compensation for the following damages:



All economic damages and losses;

All non-economic damages;

Emotional distress damages;

Cost of suit incurred;

Prejudgment interest; and

Such other and further relief the Court deems just and proper.

The attorneys at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. represent people who have suffered personal injury or the wrongful deaths of family members in auto accidents, bicycle accidents, slips and falls, dog bites, and other incidents due to the negligence of others.

Superior Court of The State of California  County of San FranciscoThe book expresses and biblically substantiates the relationship with God and understanding of Him that I have personally gained throughout my life, as the most loving father that could ever be  caring, corrective, providing and protective, said Micelotti.

Sandra A. Micelotti has served the Lord for over 30 years. In addition to local involvement in church plants, teaching the bible and functioning in the pastoral role, she has been and continues to be an International Conference Speaker and Minister. Micelottis experiences have resulted in her writing a Christian based inspirational book that addresses spiritual reality and leads readers into a realm more real and lasting than this physical sphere in The Vital Connection: Spiritual Reality, Science and the Coming King.

Micelotti was inspired to write this book from the leading example of the Lord and His desire for both believers and non-believers to come into a deeper understanding of Him, His impeccable character, trustworthy nature, goodness and motivation of pure love in all that He does.

The book expresses and biblically substantiates the relationship with God and understanding of Him that I have personally gained throughout my life, as the most loving father that could ever be  caring, corrective, providing and protective, said Micelotti.

The Vital Connection examines spiritual reality with special emphasis on aspects of God such as His nature, His heavenly realm, and His motivation and love toward man, which for many have seemed to be confusing or difficult actualities to understand but the book presents it in a way that will strengthen and better readers understanding of God and scriptures.

The Vital Connection: Spiritual Reality, Science and the Coming King

By Sandra A. Micelotti

ISBN: 9781973607304 (softcover); 9781973607298 (eBook)

Available at the WestBow Press Online Bookstore, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Ordained in 2002, Sandra A. Micelotti has faithfully served the Gospel of Jesus Christ both nationally and internationally. To date, she has done ministry tours in over 20 nations and has demonstrated successful leadership in both the Christian and secular worlds. Micelotti is a gifted speaker who brings sound biblical teaching and ministers in the love of God. To learn more, please visit http://www.sandramministries.com.

General Inquiries, Review Copies & Interview Requests:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Lauren Dickerson

480-998-2600 x 601

Ldickerson(at)lavidge(dot)comBoston-based InsurTech company, Corvus, welcomes Charles Hamilton as the new VP, Head of Cargo Underwriting. Hamilton joins Corvus with over seventeen years in the insurance industry. He previously worked in the marine unit at Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance.

"Charles has experience in all types of Marine Cargo and a track record of success with some of the largest insurers in the world," says Corvus CEO Phil Edmundson.

I am excited to be joining Corvus Insurance, says Hamilton. I look forward to expanding our knowledge of combining cargo and Insurtech capabilities to the brokerage community. I am looking forward to helping us become the best in this space.

Corvus Insurance, a leader in providing technology-enabled commercial insurance, offers Smart Cargo Insurance for Food and Life Science companies. Smart Cargo Insurance tools analyze data from temperature sensors that are already used in the shipments of goods that are subject to spoilage. This allows Corvus to score the temperature stability for each individual manufacturer/shipper of goods.

This Corvus Cargo Score is used to better inform underwriting, and to provide commercial insurance brokers and buyers with Dynamic Loss Prevention recommendations and business intelligence. These recommendations help brokers reduce the total cost of risk for their clients. In addition, Corvus online platform, the CrowBar, provides brokers and policyholders on-demand access to policy information, claims reporting, loss prevention recommendations, and business intelligence.

Corvus Insurance Holdings, Inc., founded in 2017, is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Corvus is funded by Bain Capital Ventures and other investors.

Learn more on their website, http://www.corvusinsurance.com.

Media Contact

Su Doyle, Director of Marketing

(617) 433.7330

press@corvusinsurance.comKarla Jo Helms, CEO for JoTo PR, discusses how third-party credibility can predispose customers toward a brand.

As digital media continues to gain on traditional channelsconsumption of online news rose from 38% to 43% last year, while television fell from 57% to 50%(1)and as the total number of media outlets continues to grow, brands are challenged by widely dispersed audiences and negative stories that spread faster than ever. To help business-to-business (B2B) executives navigate todays shifting and often-volatile media landscape, Karla Jo Helms of JoTo PR strapped on her boots and forayed into the quagmire in a recent If You Market podcast. During her interview with podcast host and MountainTop Data CEO Sky Cassidy, Helms shared advice on crisis management, intelligent promotion and the power of disruptive public relations.(2)

In Episode 25 of the If You Market podcast, titled You Want the PR? You Cant Handle the PR!, Helms provided insights on how to survive a reputational hitfrom data breaches to executive scandalsbased on her years of experience as a crisis management veteran. She emphasized the importance of professional crisis managers in enabling companies to respond quickly and control the message, but warned that hasty, defensive social media posts could exacerbate the issue.

Nature abhors a vacuum; if youre not the first to respond when a crisis breaks, people will get their news from other sources, Helms explained. At the same time, you dont want someone embroiled in scandal to rush in with denials, blame or excuses, which only make matters worse. Keep them off of social media until you have accurate and complete data backed by a strategic message and a solution. Remember, even deleted tweets live on through caches and screen captures.

Helms cites the recent British Airways data breachin which 380,000 card records were compromisedas an example of a successful crisis response, in contrast to Uniteds PR fail last year when a passenger was forcibly removed from a plane due to overbooking.(3) She applauds BA for acting quickly, contacting all affected customers within two days, and keeping CEO Alex Cruz in front of the public with an on-point message, including a prompt apology and a resolution: a promise to compensate customers for any financial damages resulting from the breach.

Helms also highlighted the value of proactive and disruptive PR in the intelligent promotion lifecycle. Google found that 57% of the B2B buying process takes place online before a business ever connects with a supplier,(4) which supports Helms assertion that earned third-party credibility and positive news stories can predispose a potential customer toward a brand. PR helps make prospects more receptive to subsequent brand messages, thereby magnifying the impact of marketing spend and shortening the sales cycle. It also creates a foundation of goodwill that can help mitigate crises, she added.

JoTo PR has previously spotlighted industry disruptors and how they have been impacted by public relations, for better or worse. Those who grow quickly, without first investing the time and effort to foster goodwill, tend to fall harder and faster than those who implement PR from the outset, says Helms. When ridesharing leader Uber experienced a run of negative publicity, competitor Lyft was successful in garnering public favor and market share.(5) As of June, Uber had spent more than $23 million on atonement ads in an effort to win back consumer trust.(6) Helms contends that a well-coordinated crisis response and proactive public relations could have saved Uber millions of dollars in ads and lost business.

Podcast host Cassidy also touched on Helms contrarian view that fake news has been a boon for journalists, media and brands. Though news consumption has fallen for some traditional channels, digital media is on the rise.(1) Helms has seen a proliferation of new media outlets, including super-segmented sources with highly targeted audiences. While only 34% of U.S. consumers trust the news overall, 50% trust the news they useand theyre increasingly willing to pay for quality, independent reporting.(7)

Within in the U.S., 16% of consumers pay for online news and 3% donated to a news organization in the past year, though 26% said they would consider doing so in the future. The New York Times increased digital subscription revenues nearly 50% over the last year while approaching 10 million subscribers worldwide, and The Washington Post reportedly doubled its digital-only subscribers in 2017, crossing the 1 million threshold.(7) B2B execs who effectively leverage proactive PR, disruption and the upside of fake newsand who are prepared to react quickly and intelligently in the face of a crisiscan gain a competitive advantage and position their brand for long-term growth and success, Helms concluded.

JOTO PR Disruptors embraces a nonconventional approach to public relations. As the companys Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR Strategist, Karla Jo Helms is on a mission to abolish the use of PR as self-promotional fluff and replace it with ROI-based disruption, exposure and influence. By leveraging this approach and her extensive crisis management expertise, Helms empowers companies to earn positive coverage and build a winning brand. B2B execs can listen to Sky Cassidys interview with Helms in its entirety on the IfYouMarket.com podcast site or test their own public relations savvy with a Free PR IQ Test on JoToPR.com.

About JOTO PR Disruptors:

After doing marketing research on a cross-section majority of 5,000 CEOs of fast-growth trajectory companies and finding out exactly how they used PR, how they measured it and how they wanted the PR industry to be different, PR veteran and innovator Karla Jo Helms created JoTo PR and established its entire business model on those research findings. Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR Strategist for JoTo PR. Experienced in crisis management, she learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the lineand how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Astute in recognizing industry changes since its launch in 2009, JoTo PRs team utilizes newly established patterns to create timely PR campaigns comprising both traditional and the latest proven digital media methods. This unique skill enables them to continue to increase market share and improve return on investment (ROI) for their clients, year after yearbeating usual industry standards. Based in Tampa Bay, Florida, JoTo PR is an established international public relations agency. Today, all processes of the agency are streamlined PR services that have become the hallmark of the JoTo PR name. For more information, visit JoTo PR online at https://jotopr.com.

(1) Bialik, Kristen and Katerina Eva Matsa. Key Trends in Social and Digital News Media; Pew Research Center Fact Tank; October 4, 2017.

(2) Cassidy, Sky. Episode 25: You Want the PR? You Cant Handle the PR! With Karla Jo Helms; If You Market podcast; August 14, 2018.

(3) Goldup, Alex. Strong Crisis Response Helps BA Navigate Data Breach Turbulence; PRWeek; September 7, 2018.

(4) Google. B2Bs Digital Evolution; Think With Google; February 2013.

(5) JoTo PR. JoTo PR Spotlights the Symbiosis of Disruption and Public Relations; press release issued March 12, 2018.

(6) JoTo PR: Corporate Crises Lead to $100M Spent on Atonememt Ads; Tampa Bay Business Journal; June 27, 2018.

(7) Newman, Nic; et al. Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2018; May 30, 2018.Routeperfect Ltd. and Kiwi.com have today announced a partnership to inspire travellers with advanced capabilities for booking multi-destination trips.

This collaboration gives travellers the opportunity to easily create and book accommodation and other services for their trip with Routeperfect Ltd. after purchasing flight tickets at Kiwi.com.

This co-operation will give Kiwis customers the opportunity to easily create and book a multi destination trip once their flights have been confirmed using Routeperfects planning tool, as well as enabling them to gain access to over 150 suppliers worldwide, guaranteeing the best package price in line with their preferences and budget.

According to Guy Dolev, Routeperfect CEO, We are extremely proud to partner with Kiwi.com and assist travellers worldwide with building their ideal trip. By using our smart algorithm, travellers can put together a tailor-made itinerary based on their personal preference and budget, designed especially to accompany their recently purchased flights.

Sameh Jarour head of marketing at Kiwi.com said, We continue to innovate and to provide inspiration and value to our travellers and make their travel better. This new partnership with Routeperfect, will enable Kiwi.com customers to tap into a smart trip planning platform with thousands of combinations of possible room and transport options, helping them plan for better experiences at their destinations.

About Routeperfect Ltd:

Routeperfect Ltd., founded in 2014, contains an intelligently designed smart engine to enable users to plan & book multi destination trips worldwide. The in-house developed platform is enhanced with strong proprietary and unique technology, supported by an excellent mutual business model along with our partners. Focusing on opaque rates and strong relationships with direct suppliers, Routeperfect opens up a world of possibilities for all different kinds of travellers.

About Kiwi.com:

Kiwi.com (formerly Skypicker) was founded by Oliver Dlouhy and Jozef Kepesi in 2012. Powered by its proprietary algorithm that allows users to combine flights from nearly 700 airlines (virtual interlining), including many that do not normally cooperate, and its industry-leading Kiwi.com Guarantee, it is one of the fastest growing technology company in Central Europe. It entered the 2017 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA list in 7th place, becoming the highest ever ranked Czech company. In the second consecutive year, Kiwi.com was named the best Start-up of the Czech Republic by the Czech Forbes Magazine.Microsoft Partner Logos Weve been working with Microsoft for over 25 years, said Learn on Demand Systems CEO, Corey Hynes. This new level of partnership is a testament to the hard work our team has put in and the loyalty of our fantastic customer base.

Learn on Demand Systems, a global leader in providing hands-on learning environments, today announced that it has achieved four new Microsoft Partner competencies:



Gold Application Development competency

Silver Cloud Platform competency

Silver Independent Software Vendor (ISV) competency

Silver Datacenter competency

Earning Microsoft Partner competencies demonstrates a companys proven expertise in delivering quality solutions in a specialized area of business. Weve been working with Microsoft for over 25 years, said Learn on Demand Systems CEO, Corey Hynes. This new level of partnership is a testament to the hard work our team has put in and the loyalty of our fantastic customer base.

Microsoft Azure, which is associated with the Application Development, Cloud Platform, and ISV competencies, has enabled Learn on Demand Systems to transform its Lab on Demand engine that automatically builds and deploys millions of lab environments into a tool that deploys environments that span the data center and the cloud.

Every day, we empower organizations of all sizes to deliver experienced-based training, live software demonstrations, and performance-based assessments, anywhere, anytime, and at any scale, explained Hynes. Microsoft Azure is a big part of that.

With the Microsoft Partner competencies comes access to a comprehensive set of benefits that enable Learn on Demand Systems to help their customers be more productive and profitable.

Were thrilled that Microsoft has recognized our expertise with the Application Development, Cloud Platform, ISV and Datacenter competencies, signaling to our customers and other learning providers that we are a trusted expert in these areas, Hynes said. We look forward to continued learning innovation with professionals around the world.

About Learn on Demand Systems

Learn on Demand Systems (LODS) is a hands-on learning services organization dedicated to supporting and transforming the way in which technology and computer software knowledge is transferred, measured and assessed. In the last 12 months alone, we have launched over two million labs and delivered over 20,000 classes to more than 300,000 students worldwide. LODS focuses on empowering learning by doing through our platform, strategic partnerships, constant innovation, thought leadership, best practices and managed services. To learn more, visit learnondemandsystems.com and follow @LodSystems on Twitter.The All Access Pass from Learn on Demand Systems These challenges are excellent companion activities for the related instructor-led Microsoft Official Courses and excellent self-study exercises that provide real-world experience in a live Azure environment," said Learn on Demand Systems CEO, Corey Hynes.

Learn on Demand Systems, a global leader in providing hands-on learning services, today announced its All Access Pass, a 365-day subscription to a library of IT Pro Challenges that provide additional hands-on practice for Microsofts new Azure certification exams.

The All Access Pass enables Azure Administrators, Azure Developers and Azure Solution Architects to assess and reinforce what users know with dozens of hours of hands-on challenges. Different from traditional labs, these challenges focus on providing users with scenarios to solve using any tool or path that is appropriate. Solving the challenges helps users master the skills needed to prepare for the brand-new Microsoft Azure exams:



AZ-100 - Microsoft Azure Infrastructure and Deployment

AZ-101 - Microsoft Azure Integration and Security

AZ-102 - Microsoft Azure Administrator Certification Transition

These challenges help provide the hands-on practice required for the new role-based Microsoft Azure exams, explained Learn on Demand Systems CEO, Corey Hynes. They are an excellent way for Azure professionals to practice what they know and discover what they need to learn.

The All Access Pass includes three levels of scored IT Pro Challenges: Guided, Advanced and Expert. The challenges span multiple technologies, including Microsoft Azure, PowerShell, Linux and AWS. All Access Pass subscribers receive immediate access to new challenges as they are released.

Our team is elated to provide a highly effective learning solution that supports the Azure certifications for the Microsoft community, Hynes said. These challenges are excellent companion activities for the related instructor-led Microsoft Official Courses and excellent self-study exercises that provide real-world experience in a live Azure environment.

Hynes added, We are excited about our progress in Azure, and were working hard to bring additional topics and technologies to the All Access Pass subscription.

Learn more about Learn on Demand Systems All Access Pass here.

About Learn on Demand Systems

Learn on Demand Systems (LODS) is a hands-on learning services organization dedicated to supporting and transforming the way in which technology and computer software knowledge is transferred, measured and assessed. In the last 12 months alone, we have launched over two million labs and delivered over 20,000 classes to more than 300,000 students worldwide. LODS focuses on empowering learning by doing through our platform, strategic partnerships, unrelenting innovation, thought leadership, best practices and managed services. To learn more, visit https://www.learnondemandsystems.com and follow @LodSystems on Twitter.Now is the time to ensure that your windows are ready to withstand the barrage of strong wind. If your home is not equipped with hurricane wind-resistant windows, then you are at risk of window blowouts.

As Florida approaches the busy hurricane season, you need to make sure that your home and family are protected from these destructive storms. History has shown us that this time of year can prove to be incredibly unpredictable as storms fire up over the Atlantic Ocean and begin to head toward the Florida coast. It is important that you do not discount the possible severity of these storms and that you take the proper steps to ensure that your home is ready for the strong wind and rain that hurricanes bring along to those in their path.

We understand that it can be challenging to deal with the big task of boarding up your home's windows in preparation for an incoming storm. After the storm has passed, the cleanup can be just as frustrating.

BOARD UP SERVICES: Now is the time to ensure that your windows are ready to withstand the barrage of strong wind. If your home is not equipped with hurricane wind-resistant windows, then you are at risk of window blowouts.

GLASS REPAIR: You may be left with a mess on your hands once the storm has passed. In the event that your home experiences damaged windows or glass doors, we invite you to call any of our professional technicians to repair the damage.

Glassperts is equipped to repair windows, doors, and storefronts. Our associates are trained to handle both commercial and residential repairs, replacements, and board up services. This wide array of capabilities makes us a one-stop shop in glass repair and replacement.

WINDOW REPLACEMENT IN MIAMI: If the damage requires a complete window replacement, we can walk you through the process and make sure that your window is fitted with the best glass for its needs. Because custom glass often takes time to receive, we will work hard to ensure that your home is protected with the proper boarding up while you wait for the new window to arrive.

The Glassperts welcome the opportunity to answer any questions you might have about hurricane preparedness. With locations and technicians all over Miami Dade and Broward counties, we have the flexibility to offer same day services. Our team is committed to ensuring that you are 100 percent confident about your home's ability to withstand the uncertainty and dangers of hurricane season. Whether it be board up service Miami, glass repair, or window replacement, we look forward to serving you today.

About the company: The Glassperts of Miami is well-equipped to assist you both before the storm and in its aftermath. Our team of professional and friendly associates is eager to share our knowledge with you so that you can have peace of mind in any type of severe weather condition. Here are just a few of the services that we offer to our customers:

The experts at Glassperts are standing by ready to help you with all of your window board up service needs. Our company carries all of the necessary tools and materials needed to make this board up service in Miami as easy as possible. If the storm leaves you with blown out windows, our staff is trained to temporarily board up the exposed portion of the house so that you can ensure that your home and belongings are kept safe during the rebuilding process.

Contact:

Customer service

Phone: 786-558-7575

Email: info@theglassperts.com

Web: https://www.glassexpertsfl.com/board-up-services/Medical Solutions is incredibly proud of our San Diego team for exemplifying our core values and representing our mantra of Service That Inspires.' We strive to create a work environment where team members are motivated to succeed and are recognized for their efforts and talents.

Medical Solutions, one of the nations largest travel nurse staffing companies, has been named among San Diegos 2018 Best Places to Work by the San Diego Business Journal.

The San Diego Medical Solutions office was recognized at an awards ceremony at the Westin San Diego Gaslamp Quarter on September 20th. The publication awarded Medical Solutions San Diego office fifth place in the large business category, marking the offices third year in a row on the list and its first time in the top five.

According to the San Diego Business Journal, its Best Places to Work awards program recognizes outstanding companies whose benefits, policies, and practices are among the best in the region. The 2018 group of 100 companies selected among San Diegos Best Places to Work were chosen based upon a survey conducted by the Best Companies Group.

The company is thrilled to be honored, according to Medical Solutions Senior Director of Culture & Engagement, Christy Johnston.

Medical Solutions is incredibly proud of our San Diego team for exemplifying our core values and representing our mantra of Service That Inspires, says Johnston. We strive to create a work environment where team members are motivated to succeed and are recognized for their efforts and talents.

With its flagship office in Omaha, Nebraska, Medical Solutions added locations in San Diego, Cincinnati, and Tupelo in 2013, and launched a Denver office in 2017. All five offices have received similar awards in recognition of their superior workplace culture.

Click here to learn more about Medical Solutions award-winning workplace culture.

ABOUT MEDICAL SOLUTIONS: Medical Solutions L.L.C. is a healthcare staffing firm that specializes in placing registered nurses in temporary travel assignments throughout the nation. The company is the fourth-largest Travel Nurse staffing agency in the United States, with locations in Omaha, San Diego, Cincinnati, Denver, and Tupelo, MS. Medical Solutions was one of the first Travel Nursing and Allied Healthcare staffing companies to be certified by the Joint Commission and has been continuously certified since January 2005. Medical Solutions was named one of Modern Healthcares 2016 Best Places to Work in Healthcare, named among Staffing Industry Analysts 2017 Best Staffing Firms to Work For, has been named 11 times to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies, and its flagship Omaha office won the 2014 Better Business Bureau Integrity Award. A nationwide network of qualified healthcare providers allows Medical Solutions to help its client hospitals continue to provide excellent patient care amidst a nursing shortage. Medical Solutions has contracts with 2,200+ client hospitals nationwide and is one of the fastest-growing companies in the Travel Nursing industry. Visit MedicalSolutions.com to learn more.Photo: CTV

They thought it was Armageddon and wanted to save their neighbours.

They believed police were monsters. They showed super strength after being pepper sprayed and Tasered.

And all but one of them were naked because, with the end of the world, they didn't have time to get dressed.

A court document has provided more details in a bizarre naked kidnapping case that happened last year south of Edmonton, but some questions remain.

Two women and one man, who cannot be identified due to a publication ban, each pleaded guilty in Leduc provincial court last week to a charge of unlawful confinement. One of the women also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. Her two teenage daughters were involved in the case, but not charged.

The girls' father, who was not part of the group, has said the five may have unknowingly drank some hallucinogenic tea. But the agreed statement of facts submitted in court says alcohol and drugs were not factors and there is no mention of tea in the document.

The group, who are Jehovah's Witnesses, had gathered at a home near Leduc on Nov. 2. The mother, who was then 35, had taken her daughters there to visit her 27-year old nephew and his 30-year old wife.

But over the next three days, the court document says they didn't leave the house and they barely ate. One of the teens recalls watching movies but also hearing screaming and banging and seeing ashes in the air. Some of the five hid in a bedroom or a bathroom.

"They did so because they believed that they were in danger, either from bad or wicked people outside or from demons," says the document.

It says the group believed that the Great Tribulation had happened and Nov. 6 was Armageddon. So they rushed off to find safety and save a neighbouring family.

"Four who were naked were changing but they had to leave right away because it was unsafe, so they left without clothes," the document says.

The mother, the only one dressed, drove them all in a BMW SUV but was in such a hurry she went through the garage door. When the vehicle headed to the neighbours' home, it apparently bent a metal gate.

The neighbours  a man, his adult daughter and her six-week-old son  were forced out of their house and into the snow without shoes, the document says. The woman and her baby were put in the back seat with the teen girls, who were naked under a blanket. The man was put in the trunk and ordered to chant "Jehovah" ten times.

The group also chanted "Jehovah" as the SUV sped down roads and went through a red light on the way to nearby Nisku, says the document.

Because the trunk didn't latch shut, the man was able to climb out when the vehicle slowed. His daughter, after getting her hand slammed in the door of the SUV, was able to get out with her baby. A passing truck stopped to help the trio and they climbed inside.

The document says the SUV then rammed the truck from behind and the woman and her baby were thrown into the truck's dash, although they were not injured. The SUV then went into a ditch.

When Mounties arrived, the group continued to chant and refused to get out, at times clinging to the vehicle and each other. One of the teens believed the police "were monsters who would kill them," says the document.

Officers said the people in the SUV "displayed extreme strength." Two were unaffected by pepper spray. The three adults were also shot with Tasers between two and four times before they relented, although one then slid under the vehicle and had to be dragged out with a strap.

The neighbours later told police the group seemed "demonized" and "obviously not in their right minds."Author Donna Jean Gerriers mother was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. Her father, a Parkinsonian, cared for her mother until he suffered a stroke. The best medicine? Embracing humor and a love for life.

Gerrier wants to inspire others to hold onto their beliefs and dreams no matter how difficult their circumstances may be. The love of her family prevailed her fulfilling career in Toronto as a speech language pathologist as well as her study and performance of classical opera. Gerrier returned to her parents home in a small prairie town of four thousand residents.

My goal remains steadfast, to help others who are facing challenges to be brave in adapting the identical insane courage that we as a family embraced to live full out creating a vibrant life in spite of horrific circumstances and huge obstacles, even from their wheelchairs, Gerrier said.

Picture yourself leaving a professional career as a speech (language) pathologist and returning home for the love of family. See Donna Jean's patience being tested and seeing what eggs on the wall look like in this Dad's den (aka 'man cave' in the U.S.)!, an Amazon reviewer wrote about the book.

Follow the Gerrier family in Eggs on the Wall . . . For the Love of Family on their journey as they live life being grateful for every daymany of which are filled with fun, laughter and outrageous experiences such as getting arrested in Sweden for allegedly being Russian spies.

Eggs on the Wall . . . For the Love of Family

By Donna Jean Gerrier

ISBN: 9781452598789 (softcover); 9781452598802 (hardcover); 9781452598796 (electronic)

Available at the Balboa Press Online Bookstore, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Donna Jean Gerrier shares her familys story to help others facing the responsibility of caring for a loved one. Gerrier facilitates a pet-loss support group and is passionate to end violence towards animals and women. A retired speech language pathologist, she pursues an interest in the performing arts. To learn more about the author and her book, please visit http://www.donnajeangerrier.com/.Oak Street Health, a network of health centers providing a new model of value-based primary care for Medicare patients, has added the Little Village center to its Chicago operations. With the addition of Little Village, Oak Street Health now has 13 locations in the Chicagoland area which solidifies the companys vision of providing care for adults on Medicare in areas where health care is needed most.

The Little Village center will provide citizens in the community with Oak Street Healths proven care, as well as health education specific to this population at the center. Patients will have access to door-to-door transportation, along with unique programming including fitness classes, computer lessons, educational opportunities and movie screenings to foster relationships and build community. Oak Street Health will offer Medicare assistance and serve as a trusted healthcare resource in this community.

Were excited for the opportunity to provide great care to the citizens of Chicagos Little Village neighborhood, said Brad Minkow, Regional Vice President at Oak Street Health. There was a direct need for our care model and approach in this area, and this center furthers our goal of rebuilding healthcare as it should be - more personal, equitable and accountable for all.

Oak Street Healths model of care differs from a traditional doctors office. Physicians meet with patients three times as often as the industry average, and care teams spend more than twice as long with patients as a typical doctors visit. The companys model has reduced Medicare hospitalization for patients by 40 percent and has led to a 94 percent patient retention rate.

The new center is located at 3010 W. 26th Street Chicago, IL. 60623.

To learn more about Oak Street Healths unique approach to care, visit oakstreethealth.com

About Oak Street Health

Oak Street Health is a rapidly growing company of primary care centers for adults on Medicare in medically underserved communities where there is little to no quality healthcare. Oak Streets care is based on an entirely new model that is based on value for its patients, not on volume of services. The company is accountable for its patients health, spending more than twice as long with its patients and taking on the risks and costs of their care. Oak Street Health has been investing in communities since 2013  providing much-needed primary care for tens of thousands of people.

To learn more about Oak Street Health, visit http://www.oakstreethealth.com.Improvements to support for online students can benefit all students. Thats why the scorecard and associated materials have been designed to help improve the experience of every student.

The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) today introduced the OLC Quality Scorecard for Online Student Support, a self-evaluation tool for institutions looking to deliver a high-quality online student experience by improving support for online learners institution-wide.

The latest addition to the OLC Quality Scorecard Suite is designed to assist in the identification of gaps in services and provides a pathway to improve support for online students. The scorecard facilitates an introspective look at 11 key areas of an institution:



Admissions

Financial aid

Pre-enrollment advising

Veterans services

Career counseling

Orientation

Post-enrollment services

Library

Students with disabilities services

Technology support

Graduate student services (universities only)

The most difficult part of providing excellent online student support institution-wide is achieving cooperation from the diverse service areas across the institution, said Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D., Chief Strategy Officer, Online Learning Consortium. Our new scorecard overcomes this challenge by acting as an internal conversation starter which helps an institution coalesce around a commitment to providing the same level of support to their online learner community as those who are on campus.

The OLC Quality Scorecard for Online Student Support was developed from a joint initiative with the State University System of Florida (SUSF) and the Florida College System (FCS).

Several big ideas drove the development process of the student support scorecard, said Victoria Brown, Assistant Provost for eLearning, Florida Atlantic University. Among these was the desire to provide a comprehensive review of the entire academic life-cycle of a student at the institution, starting from the first indication of interest in attending, all the way through graduation. Other considerations included expanding access to the services that on-campus students receive, providing an online academic experience, and increasing engagement between online students and the institution.

Improvements to support for online students can benefit all students, said Josh Strigle, Director, E-Learning and Learning Support Centers, College of Central Florida. Thats why the scorecard and associated materials have been designed to help improve the experience of every student.

The OLC Quality Scorecard for Online Student Support is available for free and can be downloaded here. A companion handbook offers information on standards and best practices used by other institutions, and is available exclusively to OLC Institutional Members via login.

About Online Learning Consortium

The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) is a collaborative community of higher education leaders and innovators, dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences designed to reach and engage the modern learner  anyone, anywhere, anytime. OLC inspires innovation and quality through an extensive set of resources, including, best-practice publications, quality benchmarking, leading-edge instruction, community-driven conferences, practitioner-based and empirical research and expert guidance. The growing OLC community includes faculty members, administrators, trainers, instructional designers, and other learning professionals, as well as educational institutions, professional societies and corporate enterprises. Visit http://onlinelearningconsortium.org for more information.PacStar today announced a collaboration with Oceus Networks to deliver an end-to-end secure wireless solution for classified networks. The collaboration combines a customized PacStar Secure Wireless Command Post (TLS) with Oceus Xiphos Family of Products and Services including LTE, wireless management and services technologies. As a result, warfighters gain access to a solution that provides high speed mobile wireless via Wi-Fi over short distances, and LTE for mobile wireless at much greater distance, in a rugged, tactical package.

PacStar SWCP TLS is a fully integrated, expeditionary solution providing two layers of encryption, using commercial technologies, eligible for use in transmitting classified information over wireless networks. Oceus Xiphos includes an advanced tactical LTE radio infrastructure with a comprehensive suite of services, providing LTE radio transport for mobile devices in austere environments. The joint solution will be unveiled and demonstrated at Modern Day Marine, which takes place September 25-27, 2018 in Quantico, VA.

Last year, PacStar launched its pioneering PacStar Secure Wireless Command Post (Wi-Fi) to provide high-speed wireless for mobile devices, at Wi-Fi distances, typically a few hundred feet. With the addition of Oceus technology, PacStar SWCP now enables warfighter mobility at much greater distances, measured in thousands of feet or several miles from the cellular base station  much like consumers are able to roam using LTE for daily activity.

The joint solution delivers the combined innovation from PacStars core hardware, software, network systems and cybersecurity engineering teams, integrated with the leading tactical LTE technology from Oceus Networks  in a complete, turnkey solution. Oceus Networks Xiphos Family of Products includes a comprehensive suite of rugged, deployable LTE base stations supporting dismounted micro sized solutions for small teams, scaling to large macro base stations suitable for large, deployed communications operations centers. Oceus Networks also provides an extensive array of applications and services providing situational awareness and communications for the tactical user  supplemented with security technologies, network management and end user device management tools.

Were excited to demonstrate the integration of PacStar technologies and Oceus Networks technologies, providing secure wireless LTE and Wi-Fi in a turnkey solution. The combination of our technologies provides the most complete secure wireless tactical solution available today, said Peggy Miller, chief executive officer at PacStar.

This solution represents years of engineering investment by both Oceus and PacStar, combining the best in the tactical networking, cybersecurity and communication industry, adds Randy Fuerst, President and Chief Executive Officer for Oceus Networks.

Oceus Networks, a proven leader in Tactical LTE solutions, is committed to ensuring success for the warfighters by ensuring complete, end-to-end interoperability with complementary technology partners such as PacStar.

PacStar and Oceus will conduct live demonstrations of the joint solution at our booth (#1366) at Modern Day Marine 2018.

About Oceus Networks

Oceus Networks Inc., a solutions company, provides agile and innovative mobile technologies that enable secure, high-speed communications to customers leveraging the latest in standards-based commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology. We provide products and solutions at best value to enable success for our customers unique missions. Privately U.S.-owned and operated, Oceus Networks headquarters are located in Reston, Virginia. Visit http://www.oceusnetworks.com to learn more.

About PacStar

Pacific Star Communications, Inc. (PacStar) is a leading manufacturer of rugged, small form factor expeditionary and mobile communications systems  and a developer of integrated, network communications management software - for the military, federal, state/local government and emergency responder markets. The companys patented IQ-Core Software, hardware technology and integration services provide secure, command, control and communications systems  particularly in remote or infrastructure starved areas. In addition, PacStars communications systems are ideally suited for commercial/industrial organizations with mission-critical field communications requirements. For additional information, please visit https://pacstar.com, LinkedIn and Twitter @pacstarcomm.The North American Passive House Network (NAPHN) will hold its annual national conference in one of the leading cities of the Passive House movement: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Beginning October 17, more than 1,000 architects, designers, engineers, developers, policymakers and high-performance building consultants will convene at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to share research, field experience and sustainable business strategies regarding Passive House.

Why Pittsburgh?

The Steel City, formerly described as hell with the lid off, has now become the national leader in high-performance building design. With more than 40,000 certified Passive House buildings in the world, Pennsylvania is home to one of the largest concentrations of major Passive House and other deep green developments on the continent. While there are only 15 Passive House Institute certified trainers in the U.S., seven of these experts reside in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh is also the center for technology and innovation for new Passive House projects, with architecture firms expanding efforts to retrofit historical buildings and develop affordable housing and community spaces for low-income communities. NAPHN Conference attendees will have the opportunity to tour these projects including Morningside Crossing, a redevelopment of a formerly abandoned 1897 elementary school into an affordable and comfortable senior living community, and Carnegie Library of Pittsburghs Carrick Library, soon to be the first certified Passive House library in North America.

What is Passive House?

Passive House is the worlds most rigorous standard for building energy efficiency  reducing building energy use by as much as 75% while providing well-insulated, draft-free buildings with a constant supply of filtered fresh air and dramatic energy performance gains. Passive House buildings act like thermoses  so energy efficient that a home or unit can be heated with a hair dryer. This type of living environment is particularly ideal for Pittsburghs climate, given its hot summers, cold winters and fluctuating temperatures across all seasons.

Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency data show a cost premium of less than 2% for Passive House buildings, a number that is quickly erased by utility bill savings. This new financial reality has big implications for the equitable access to healthy, comfortable, green buildings and can be applied to all building types, from high-rise towers, office buildings, hotels, prisons, schools, hospitals and supermarkets to single-family homes. Affordable housing developers and social service agencies are taking note and adopting Passive House design into their capital projects.

What is the conference and who should attend?

The annual conference brings together Passive House design experts and building decision makers, as well as product manufacturers whose products perform to the levels needed to achieve the significant degree of sustainability found in Passive House projects. Additionally, government, financial and other interested parties join to learn of the latest Passive House advances. The goal of NAPHN 2018 is to promote and accelerate the adoption of Passive House building strategies in North America, and to work with others who share our vision for a post carbon all-renewable energy future.

Buildings are responsible for over 40% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and Passive House buildings are increasingly recognized by both practitioners and policymakers as a key element of climate action. The United Nations is adopting Passive House as a central part of its sustainable development and climate action goals.

This years conference will feature international speakers including Hubert Rhomberg, CEO of Austria-based modular tall wood construction firm, Cree, and Scott Foster, the Director of the Sustainable Energy Division for the United Nations Economic Commission of Europe.

"Now more than ever, it's critical for us to take climate action into our own hands at the local, regional and state levels, said Mr. Foster. I'm inspired by the work of the North American Passive House Network community who are already going well beyond code requirements to keep buildings from further impacting our climate balance."

The conference is produced by the local NAPHN affiliate, Passive House of Western Pennsylvania (PHWPA) and will highlight the social equity dimensions of this exciting building movement, capitalizing on Pittsburghs position as a national leader in affordable Passive House projects and expertise. Sponsors include The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, The Heinz Endowments, The Sustainable Energy Fund, The Richard King Mellon Foundation, and The West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund.

The NAPHN18 exhibit booths, to be located in Exhibit Hall C in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, will be open to the public on Friday and Saturday, October 19-20 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The public will be able to speak with manufacturers and suppliers about products, such as discussing the differences between the HVAC systems, windows and building envelope products that could be used in a Passive House project and those components that are in their own houses. Admission is $10.

To learn more or to register, visit http://www.naphnconference.com.

About the North American Passive House Network (NAPHN)

NAPHN educates architects, engineers, building owners, contractors, and the public on how to design, build, and operate very low energy Passive House buildings to make a more sustainable society. https://naphnetwork.org

About Passive House Western Pennsylvania (PHWPA)

PHWPA is dedicated to lowering energy use in buildings by providing education, promoting awareness, sharing resources, and advocating for Passive House strategies for commercial and residential buildings in the Western Pennsylvania region. http://www.passivehousewpa.orgA Primary Care facility offers routine check-ups, preventive care, diagnosis, and treatment of an injury or illness, management of chronic or complex medical condition, and medication management

Primary Care is generally the first point of contact for most of the medical concerns. Primary Care includes four major specialty areas: Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Pediatrics. Primary Care Physician (PCP) provides care for people of all age groups ranging from infants and adolescents to adults and seniors. A Primary Care facility offers routine check-ups, preventive care, diagnosis, and treatment of an injury or illness, management of chronic or complex medical condition, and medication management. Your Primary Care Physician can refer you to a Specialist for further evaluation in case of any complexity or serious ailment. The primary care team also consists of nurse practitioners and other healthcare providers who aid the PCP in delivering quality care. All these aspects of primary care contribute towards making it an increasingly complex and challenging aspect of healthcare solutions. To meet these challenges, all the areas of healthcare including primary care must continually adapt to the consistent changes in Healthcare Technology. And one of the ways of making this successful is through an integrated Electronic Health Record (EHR) software. An EHR system makes it possible for primary care providers to deliver quality care and create an all-inclusive and transmittable profile of their patients, which can be then accessed by physicians who are a part of the primary care team along with labs, and pharmacies.

Electronic Health Records (EHR) are patients paper charts in a digital format. They are patient-focused and real-time records that allow secure and instant availability of the information for authorized users. Though EHR holds treatment records and medical history of the patients, the system is designed to perform beyond that and provide primary care providers with an extensive understanding of the patients care. Electronic Health Records tie-up with healthcare by enabling the sharing of health information across different areas of a primary care setting as well as different healthcare providers and organizations.

EHR technology is constantly evolving and adapting to the rapidly changing landscape of Healthcare Technology. Moreover, because medical devices are developing as great resources, EHR is also integrating the information obtained from them for an improved and more proficient care. As microprocessors and more advanced networking resources became a part of different types of computing devices and mobile phones, EHR integration with these mobile devices become key to connecting physicians and patients (portals) along with the required patient data.

Electronic Health Records provide holistic patient-centric care by monitoring patient information across practices and facilities, enhancing quality reporting, supporting care management, helping clinical decision-making  ultimately leading to greater productivity for the physician and increased satisfaction for the patient. And a fully integrated EHR provides these functionalities as a complete package as compared to a standalone system that focuses on individual areas only.

EHR Functionalities: Beneficial For Primary Care

The advancements in digital technology  IoT, AI and Machine learning have contributed to the dramatic evolution of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices and has transformed the ways in which they integrate and communicate with healthcare systems. A superior and more unified flow of information across a digital healthcare infrastructure based on EHR incorporates and leverages digital development and dramatically refines the process in which care is delivered to the patients.

Other benefits of EHR are increased patient participation, better care coordination, and efficient diagnosis eventually leading to overall improved patient outcomes. EHR has not just replaced paper charts but has also streamlined crucial operations such as billing, revenue cycle management, laborder, and tests, e-prescriptions, and portals for streamlining communication. EHR is a one-stop software solution for providers to access overall medical history of the patient to the logistical elements of managing care coordination, billing, and more. EHR systems empower healthcare providers to interact with each other. Primary care physicians, as well as nurse practitioners, can make use of EHR systems to provide most effective care and maintain detailed health records of their patients, which can be distributed across all the channels of health care. EHR assures that information is available wherever and whenever required. So it is evident that EHR may not simply support physicians but every aspect of a primary care setting. This is also evident in the integration of medical billing or revenue cycle management system with the EHR. Some further useful aspects of EHR include prescribing medicine and ordering laboratory test and results via electronic means. This would improve the coordination between the primary care physician and pharmacies, eventually minimizing the incidents of misplaced or misleading prescriptions.

It has been more than a decade since EHR was introduced and most of the primary care physicians who have used EHR system have reported achieving positive returns in the form of better proficiency and advantages towards financial and clinical administration. A large number of primary care physicians have reported improvements in productivity through health exchange information sharing, efficient time management, and increased revenues through efficient medical billing and claims management. The offices of primary care physicians have also become less cluttered as there is no requirement of storing piles of paperwork. Eventually, the clutter-free primary care setting leads to increased productivity for both, the staff and the physician. Reduced paperwork also means that primary care physicians have to deal with less number of forms, which empowers them to devote more time to their patients.

Considering that EHR offers providers with an easy access to the patients information, the need for unnecessary medical examination and lab tests are considerably reduced leading to the reduced possibility of medical errors. For optimal outcome, the integration of these features and functionalities greatly benefit a Primary Care setting.

Update information about patients allergies and a list of prescribed medications with a single click.

Customized and evidence-based templates to record symptom-specific data from patients by medical assistants and nurses (which can offload work from physicians)

Notification dashboard for routine events.

Facilitate communication and task delegation in primary care teams through instant messaging, e -faxing. And text messaging services with the patients.

Speech recognition, not only to save money on transcription costs but also to improve resourcefulness.

EHRs also ensure that the HPI (history of present illness) of the patient is complete and accurate. Primary care providers can be alerted about any incident of possibly incorrect, incomplete or missing information within the HPI. HPIs recorded via EHR have been proved to be of higher quality, well organized and more comprehensive. This saves primary care setting from incurring very common costs in medical errors and in lost productivity. With features that support tasks such as charge capture, claims and denial management, EHR can assure increased revenue for the practice.

EHR Streamlines and Automates Primary Care Provider Workflow

EHR along with the interoperability feature is being a game changer and revolutionizing ways in which data can be shared. For primary care, interoperability helps software systems to share and exchange information from a wide range of sources  clinics, pharmacies, employers (employer portal), referring physician and laboratories. Interoperability ensures that the patients data is presented in a way that clearly exhibits the cause and effect of comprehensive care management. Providers can receive the patients information in real-time, facilitating them to make a sound, informed decision. These advantages also lead to substantial mitigation of risks involved in the errors related to misread information or incorrect diagnosis.

EHR Helps To Diagnose Disease or Reduce Medical Errors

Electronic health records can increase the capability to diagnose medical conditions and minimize and even in some cases inhibit the occurrence of medical errors, eventually enhancing the outcome of care. Electronic health record offers primary care providers to have access to the most reliable information about patients health conditions. This complete picture can assist physicians to make a timely diagnosis of the condition. EHRs compute information in a manner that improves care delivery. For instance, a competent EHR software apart from recording prescribed medication and allergies of a patient, will also immediately look for any possible risk associated with the prescription of a new medicine and instantly notify the physician about any potential conflict.

Furthermore, the facility of prescribing medicines electronically via EHR significantly helps in preventing the dispensing of wrong medicine. E-prescription further empowers primary care providers to validate if patients have filled prescriptions or not and to counsel them on the management of medication in case they overlook to fill prescriptions, unable to pay for the medication, decide not to continue medication because they feel better. Primary care physicians may also have an awareness of the regularity with which patients are filling prescriptions for a controlled substance, which eventually makes it convenient to identify any possible case of drug abuse.

EHR and HIPPA Compliance

EHRs compliance with HIPPA regulation is extremely important. While EHR is a platform that provides primary care practice with a secure and focused means of recording protected health information (PHI), the regulations of HIPPA directs that the primary care providers must comply with the national standards for patient security and privacy for PHI protection. Protected health information can be any information, which can be used for patient identification such as patients name, date of birth, phone number, photo, insurance information, social security number, etc. According to HIPPA regulation, the information recorded in EHR is certainly protected and secured and EHR providers must comply with HIPPA regulations to make sure that patients health information is protected against security breaches.

EHR  An Ecosystem to Incorporate the Distinct Fragments into One Unified Whole

Electronic health record (EHR) within a primary care setting is not a standalone system rather it is a complete ecosystem with a number of integrations, making it a holistic solution for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and management of medical conditions. Apart from all the benefits stated above, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) will provide payment incentives and technical support to speed Health information technology (HIT) adoption and use by medical practices, this is positively associated with greater adoption and use of HIT in the form of an EHR."Im honored to receive this award on behalf of Renters Warehouse and our entire team who make something like this possible, shared Anthony Cazazian

Renters Warehouse is thrilled to announce that its Chief Investment Officer and President of Portfolio Services, Anthony Cazazian, has been selected as Think Realtys 2018 Real Estate Investing Services Provider of the Year.

The annual Think Realty Honors award banquet was held Friday night, September 21st, 2018 preceding the Think Realty National Conference & Expo in Atlanta, Georgia. Think Realty honors the leaders and change-makers of the real estate world who represent the best the industry has to offer. All individuals are nominated by their peers and finalists are determined by an independent panel of former Think Realty Honors recipients.

Friday, Cazazian was honored as a real estate investing services provider excelling in the single-family sector. Im honored to receive this award on behalf of Renters Warehouse and our entire team who make something like this possible, shared Cazazian. I also want to thank Think Realty for the amazing support they provide our industry, which continues to grow in very exciting ways.

Anthony Cazazian joined Renters Warehouse in 2016 as the companys Chief Investment Officer and President of Portfolio Services and he is responsible for the companys acquisition strategy, strategic partnerships and largest clients. It is the companys innovative Portfolio Services Division, spearheaded by Anthony, that can be credited for Renters Warehouses explosive and award-winning growth.

In the past 18 months, Anthony and his team have opened 10+ new markets and closed seven acquisitions, totalling 2,300+ units. He also built the Portfolio Services division focused on professional and institutional clients that accounts for over 4,000+ units under management.

When asked what his biggest win in real estate is to date, Cazazian revealed that it was getting involved in the single-family rental sector early on in 2013 while the asset class was just beginning to become more institutionalized. Since 2013, Ive had the opportunity to help grow two companies (B2R Finance and Renters Warehouse) that service the asset class through lending and property management, he shared. At B2R, I led the origination efforts that helped create the first ever multi-borrower SFR securitization, while at Renters Warehouse, Ive been able to help build the largest corporate owned SFR property management company in the U.S..

Cazazian wasnt the only one recognized at the Think Realty awards banquet, Renters Warehouse was a finalist and runner-up for the Think Realtys 2018 Property Manager of the Year award.

Renters Warehouse exists to help homeowners and investors create wealth and financial freedom through Rent Estate. The company manages more than $3 billion in residential real estate, servicing over 14,000+ investors across 22,000+ residential homes over 42 markets and 25 states. To learn more, visit http://www.renterswarehouse.com.

-30-

About Renters Warehouse

Renters Warehouse is one of the fastest growing and highest reviewed residential property management companies in America. Backed by growth equity investor and majority stakeholder Northern Pacific Group, and under the leadership of President and CEO Kevin Ortner, Renters Warehouse now manages more than $3 billion in residential real estate, servicing over 14,000+ investors across 22,000+ residential homes over 42 markets and 25 states. NPG Managing Partner Scott Honour, who in 1999 was a founder of YapStone, a leading online rental property payment service provider, serves as Chairman.

Renters Warehouse expertly serves everyday single-property homeowners as well as real estate investors. In 2015, the company officially trademarked the term Rent Estate to redefine the entire SFR (Single Family Rental) industry as more traditional real estate gives way to this new lucrative asset. Through their dedicated Portfolio Services Division led by Chief Investment Officer Anthony Cazazian, the company also brings professional, scalable and efficient single property management solutions to investment portfolios with both centralized services and local market expertise and staff. Not only has Renters Warehouse received the prestigious honor of being included on the Inc. 500 | 5000 list of fastest-growing privately held companies in America eight consecutive years in a row, it was also named one of the Best Places to Work in Minnesota (where they are headquartered) by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016. The company was also honored as a best place to work in Arizona (a centralized corporate services center) by the Phoenix Business Journal in 2013, 2014 and 2017, and achieved a spot on the prestigious 2016 Top Companies to Work for in AZ list. Nationwide, Renters Warehouse has been honored as one of America's "Best Places to Work" in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016 by Outside Magazine. Recognized as pioneers in real estate, business management and innovation, Renters Warehouse has been awarded 22 Business Stevie Awards both internationally and stateside.

In 2017, Renters Warehouse received an A rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) after meeting the BBBs eight Standards of Trust and earning BBB Accreditation. In 2016, Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC, a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) offering a wide array of services including operational risk assessments, assigned its MOR RV2 residential-vendor ranking to Renters Warehouse as a residential property manager, indicating that the company demonstrates proficiency in managing key areas of operational risk.

In 2017, Renters Warehouse published its first book - Rent Estate Revolution. Authored by CEO Kevin Ortner, the book shares the Renters Warehouse philosophy and business expertise around single-family rentals and the power of Rent Estate to drive long-term wealth creation, retirement security and financial freedom for the everyday person. Order your copy today: http://www.rentestaterevolution.com.

Media Inquiries / Interviews:

Crystal Richard

Public Relations

crystal(at)renterswarehouse(dot)comEvidence of the Crucifixion: The Place of the Skull and the Resurrection Tomb: an in-depth exploration of the most sacred of Christian sites. Evidence of the Crucifixion is the creation of published author Samuel Cravotta, a devout servant of God who received a vision of the Crucifixion that in turn spurred him to visit Israel.

Cravotta shares, As early as 1842, a German theologian named Otto Thenius proposed the idea that the outcropping of rock known today as Skull Hill could possibly be significant in the identification of the site of the Crucifixion. That idea lay seemingly dormant for quite some time until General Charles Gordon on sabbatical in the area (1883) began to publish similar ideas. Because of his importance in British society at that time, the idea took hold, and people began to look seriously at the claims that this could possibly be the site listed in the New Testament as Golgotha (Aramaic) or Calvary

(Latin)the place of the skull.

It was the efforts of two ladies in particular, Charlotte Hussey and Louisa Hope, who followed these ideas and began to take them seriously and thought that the place ought to be preserved. In September 22, 1892, a notice was placed in the London Times asking people to donate the finds necessary to purchase the site (then offered for sale by a German family).

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Samuel Cravottas new book is a spirited effort to not only bring awareness to the current state of Skull Hill and other sites, but also to deepen every Christians appreciation for what Christ had done for them in the holy land all those years ago.

As Cravotta takes the reader on an unforgettable journey through these pages, believers will feel as if they have been to the holy sites themselves, heartened by the fact that people are taking measures to maintain their sanctity.

View a synopsis of Evidence of the Crucifixion: The Place of the Skull and the Resurrection Tomb on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Evidence of the Crucifixion: The Place of the Skull and the Resurrection Tomb at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Evidence of the Crucifixion: The Place of the Skull and the Resurrection Tomb, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.We're ready to open our doors to provide an educational experience that will raise the benchmark for programs for students with autism.

Shrub Oak International School, a world-class special education boarding and day school serving an international population of young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is opening its doors for the first time this week.

This enterprising institution has been designed as an oasis for an under-served community unlike any other available anywhere. The Shrub Oak inaugural class, some of which arrived on campus on Saturday, September 22, will be greeted by highly-trained professionals catering to their personalized needs, hosted in brand new, state-of-the-art facilities spread across 127 acres of pristine grounds and farmland.



Families are drawn to Shrub Oak for its clinical approach to education. The school has adopted a curriculum and a way of life for its community, created by the nations leading experts in autism education, which will provide students with hands-on, round-the-clock care exceeding what can be accomplished within standard academic hours.

The Shrub Oak campus was designed to include open, airy facilities that provide students with peace of mind. This tech-infused campus was devised for sensory experiences, and its extensive grounds, just an hour from New York City, offer students ample opportunity to incorporate nature into their education and wellness routines.

Staff includes full-time occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, doctoral-level clinical and school psychologists, social workers, physical therapists and NordoffRobbins-trained music therapists.

Classes officially begin on September 24.

We're ready to open our doors to provide an educational experience that will raise the benchmark for programs for students with autism, said Dianne Zager, Co-Head of School and Head of Education at Shrub Oak International School. Our transdisciplinary team of faculty and staff is committed to building a safe, comfortable and dynamic community in which our students will learn and grow. We fully expect to improve education outcomes for students on the spectrum, most especially in the areas of transition and independent living.

About Shrub Oak International School

Shrub Oak International School is a world-class, private, special education boarding and day school preparing students for independent adult life and employment. Serving the sophisticated needs of an international co-ed population of young adults on the Autism Spectrum, the schools innovative relationship-based program is grounded in evidence-based principles that build on each students specific needs and interests. Shrub Oaks facility is set on 127 acres of farmland where students can learn everyday living skills in a natural environment. The campus will integrate nature, agriculture and cutting-edge technology to provide students with a sensory experience that is unmatched by any special education boarding school in the world. Its working farm includes livestock and crops set against a backdrop of open fields and wooded trails. The building will include a modern gym, a restaurant-quality kitchen and dining facility, modern common rooms for socializing, state-of-the art classrooms, career-training services, a well-appointed student hub, and well-designed dormitories. The space will also feature an indoor pool, equestrian stable, an open space for robotic development and learning, specialized art studios, theater, and gym.Through my own practice of The Natural Laws of the Universe, Ive learned that, with the correct approach and information, we as people have the power to attain our hearts desires and control our own economies.

An experienced and successful lawyer has released her inspiring and engaging roadmap to creating a rich and fulfilling life by way of The Law of Attraction that twines facts and documented evidence with the authors personal experiences navigating career changes, anxiety and burnout.

In The Lawyer and The Law of Attraction: Discover the Proof, the Power and the Magic of Manifesting Genuine Abundance, author Paula Kidd Casey, J.D., presents a personable and often humorous approach to readers who are looking to make a change in their life or who are just discovering their purpose and need help mapping out their desired future. Tapping into her nearly four decades of legal experience as well as her own personal ups and downs, Casey unflinchingly presents readers with the facts while also leaving room for whimsy, imagination and magic.

Through my own practice of The Natural Laws of the Universe, Ive learned that, with the correct approach and information, we as people have the power to attain our hearts desires and control our own economies, Casey said. My hope is that this book will allow a wide range of people to understand and implement The Law of Attraction into their lives and claim their destinies.

Really did enjoy this book by Paula Kidd Casey. It gave me a new way of looking at how to live life, a reader wrote about the book in a five-star review on Amazon. The authors tone is conversational and she shares some of her own struggles and victories in how to live fully. I heartily recommend it!

Whether a fresh college graduate who needs help finding their niche or a middle-aged professional who wants to change their path, The Lawyer and The Law of Attraction offers readers across multiple generations a scientifically sound guide to cultivating and achieving their dream life.

The Lawyer and The Law of Attraction: Discover the Proof, the Power and the Magic of Manifesting Genuine Abundance

By Paula Kidd Casey, J.D.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-9404-8 (hardback); 978-1-5043-9402-4 (paperback); 978-1-5043-9403-1 (electronic)

Available through Balboa Press, Barnes & Noble and Amazon

About the author

Paula Kidd Casey, J.D., otherwise known as The Lawyer of Attraction, has practiced law for more than 38 years and is a sought-after speaker, teacher and consultant. A successful attorney, Casey has navigated career changes, successes and failures in passion projects and new businesses. After experiencing burnout, financial turmoil and health struggles, she ultimately found spiritual renewal and satisfaction through use of The Law of Attraction. Casey hosts a weekly radio show, The Lawyer of Attraction, through the Law of Attraction Radio Network, and she currently resides in Wichita, Kan. with her family. To learn more, please visit http://www.lawyerofattraction.com or listen to her radio show on YouTube.

General Inquiries, Review Copies & Interview Requests:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

480-648-7557

dgrobmeier@lavidge.comNitin Jayantilal Sandesara, the absconding Sterling Biotech director, a Gujarat-based pharma company may have fled to Nigeria. Sandesara is wanted in Rs 5, 000 crore bank fraud case is on run and not in Dubai as per media reports. He was wanted by CBI and ED and was detained in Dubai, and now may have fled to Nigeria.

Nitin may have fled with his brother Chetan, sister in law, Dipti besides other family members are believed to be in Nigeria, according to media reports. India doesnt have an extradition treaty or a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with Nigeria and bringing them back from the African country would be difficult, TOI reported.

However, investigating agencies are planning to send a request to authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seeking a provisional request, the TOI report said. "The legal process post the arrest is taking place in Dubai. We are waiting for details. Indian agencies will try to get him deported," a senior official said.

An officer, who didnt wish to be named, said, There were reports that Nitin Sandesara was detained by UAE authorities in Dubai in the second week of August. It was incorrect information. He was never detained in Dubai. He and other family members probably left for Nigeria much before that.

The CBI and ED have booked Nitin Sandesara and several others for cheating banks of Rs 5000 crore.

Alsp read: Dadri lynching accused Rupendra Rana to contest Lok Sabha polls from Noida on Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena ticketIn an exclusive interview with CMRubinWorld founder C. M. Rubin, Professor Nick Bostrom at the Future of Humanity Institute, Oxford University in England discusses the threats to the human species in the age of advanced AI and its impact on a relevant education for todays world.

Smart machines have edged their way into peoples lives in nearly every industry, transforming our societies. Advanced AI has already significantly challenged the brains of humankind. As unprecedented opportunities created by this intelligence continue to grow, so do the ethical, moral and educational challenges for todays world. Professor Nick Bostrom at Oxford University, who is also a founding Director of the Future of Humanity Institute, identifies threats to the human species in the age of AI and the ways to prevent life-shattering events from occurring. Superintelligent AI should be developed only for the benefit of all of humanity and in the service of widely shared ethical ideals, says Bostrom.

In his recent interview with CMRubinWorld founder C M Rubin, Bostrom shared his perspective on the growth of AI and its inevitable impact on the future of education. He believes while AI is moving too fast to integrate new ideas into curriculum, providing a broader base of computer science education, including programming, is a good idea.

Read the article here

Nick Bostrom who directs the Governance of Artificial Intelligence Program, is a Professor at Oxford University and a founding Director of the Future of Humanity Institute. He is the author of some 200 publications, including Anthropic Bias (Routledge, 2002), Global Catastrophic Risks (ed., OUP, 2008), Human Enhancement (ed., OUP, 2009), and Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies (OUP, 2014), a New York Times bestseller.

CMRubinWorlds award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, brings together distinguished thought leaders in education and innovation from around the world to explore the key learning issues faced by most nations. The series has become a highly visible platform for global discourse on 21st century learning, offering a diverse range of innovative ideas which are presented by the series founder, C. M. Rubin, together with the worlds leading thinkers.

For more information on CMRubinWorld

Follow @CMRubinWorld on Twitter

Contact Information:

David Wine

David(at)cmrubinworld(dot)comTannenbaum Helpern is thrilled to announce that the firm is the winner of HFMWeeks US Hedge Fund Services Awards 2018 for Best Boutique Law Firm. HFMWeeks annual US Hedge Fund Services Awards recognize providers of services and solutions to the hedge fund industry that have demonstrated exceptional innovation, customer service and performance over the past 12 months. The judging process is rigorous with a diverse panel of 20 judges from leading hedge fund COOs, CFOs, CCOs, GCs and CTOs, representing over $250 billion of hedge fund assets.

We are delighted to receive this award, said Michael Tannenbaum, co-chair of Tannenbaum Helperns Investment Management practice. Often our firm is an attractive alternative to global law firms for large institutional and private fund clients as well as emerging managers seeking superior 'large firm' quality service with fee efficiency, a high degree of responsiveness, individual client attention and cutting-edge analysis and advice.

I am extremely proud of our attorneys who dedicate themselves to helping our private fund, family office, wealth management and investor clients navigate tax issues, compliance guidance and regulations, and the multitude of issues that arise in connection with investments in traditional as well as new strategies including cannabis, cryptocurrency, ESG and Impact and litigation finance, said Wayne Davis, co-chair of the firms Investment Management practice. The award is an acknowledgement of our quality legal work.

About Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP

Since 1978, Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP has combined a powerful mix of insight, creativity, industry knowledge, senior talent and transaction expertise to successfully guide clients through periods of challenge and opportunity. Our mission is to deliver the highest quality legal services in a practical and efficient manner, bringing to bear the judgment, common sense and expertise of well trained, business minded lawyers. Through our commitment to service and successful results, Tannenbaum Helpern continues to earn the loyalty of our clients and a reputation for excellence. For more information, visit http://www.thsh.com or follow us on Twitter: @THSHLAW.

Media contact:

Nancy Wu

Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP

212-702-3147

wu(at)thsh.comNavy SEAL Foundation's Coronado Office is open for business serving SEALs and their families. We are so happy to be here in Coronado, home of Basic Underwater Demolition Training, and headquarters to Naval Special Warfare Command. We are committed to this community, and we will do whatever it takes to meet our mission of service to these extraordinary warriors and their families. Robin King

The Navy SEAL Foundation, Americas premier nonprofit organization serving the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community and its families, celebrated the establishment of its new west coast location with a grand opening event on September 19. The official ribbon cutting ceremony and community open house were attended by local dignitaries, military leaders, and Coronado community members. The Foundations west coast office is located in downtown Coronado off B Avenue, and it serves as a resource center for SEALs and NSW personnel on the west coast. The new office also provides infrastructure for key employees of the charity, including its Chief Executive Officer, Robin King.

Established in 2000, the Navy SEAL Foundation is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt, national, nonprofit organization which provides worldwide support to U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC), NSW support personnel, SEAL and SWCC veterans, and their families. The Foundation has seen year-over-year programs growth since the beginning of the global war on terrorism. In 2017 alone, the Foundation invested over 14.5 million in programs for the NSW community and is on track to match that amount of support in 2018.

Year over year we have seen our programmatic offerings expand as we work to meet the needs of this unique and dynamic community. The need is real and will continue to grow as SEALs are tapped for more and more missions. We are so happy to be here in Coronado, home of Basic Underwater Demolition Training, and headquarters to Naval Special Warfare Command, said Robin King, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation. We are committed to this community, and we will do whatever it takes to meet our mission of service to these extraordinary warriors and their families.

Office hours at the Coronado location are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. but support calls to the Foundation (619-762-5326) are answered around the clock.

About the Navy SEAL Foundation:

The Navy SEAL Foundation's mission is to provide immediate and ongoing support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community and its families.

U.S. Navy SEALs have been in sustained combat for over 17 years, performing hazardous work in unforgiving environments at an unrelenting pace. SEALs are currently deployed in over 30+ countries across the globe and can spend up to 270 days each year in harm's way. The Navy SEAL Foundation stands behind these warriors and their families by providing a comprehensive set of programs specifically designed to improve health and welfare, build and enhance resiliency, empower and educate families and provide critical support during times of illness, injury or loss.

Like the community it serves, the Navy SEAL Foundation is a high performing organization committed to excellence. NSF has received seven consecutive 4-Star ratings from Charity Navigator. It is one of 60 charities from among more than 9,000 to have earned a perfect score of 100 for our financial health, accountability, and transparency, placing NSF in the top 1% of the rated charities. Ninety-four cents of every dollar donated goes directly to programs or is retained for future mission use.

The Navy SEAL Foundation is a 501c3 national non-profit charitable organization. TAX-ID 31-1728910. The Navy SEAL Foundation is a non-federal entity. It is not a part of the Department of Defense or any of its components, and it has no governmental status. For more information, please visit: http://www.navySEALfoundation.orgTuscany Village Nursing Center Secures Humana Agreement Tuscany Village Nursing Center's agreement with Humana for Medicare health coverage delivers more care options for Oklahoma County seniors.

Tuscany Village Nursing Center and StoneGate Senior Living announces it has secured an agreement for Medicare Advantage and Commercial plans with Humana effective October 1, 2018.

This new agreement gives the residents and families of Oklahoma County the opportunity to leverage their Medicare Advantage and Commercial benefits to access Tuscany Village Nursing Centers skilled nursing and rehabilitative health care.

Tuscany Village Nursing Center is dedicated to delivering comprehensive, skilled and compassionate care, says Astrid Chatham, administrator, Tuscany Village Nursing Center. Securing this agreement with Humana for Medicare health coverage means more care options for seniors and their families.

About Tuscany Village Nursing Center

Tuscany Village Nursing Center provides premium skilled nursing and rehabilitative health care in an amenity-rich setting. The facility offers a diabetes management program as well as inpatient skilled, rehabilitation, outpatient and long-term nursing care.

For more information, visit https://tuscanyvillagenursing.com.

About StoneGate Senior Living

StoneGate Senior Living is an award-winning, full-spectrum senior care and housing company with 44 properties across Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado. Recently ranked as the nations 31st largest transitional and long-term care company by Provider magazine, StoneGate is a fully-integrated, post-acute health care company with service-lines and business units that offer transitional care, long-term care, assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation, wellness, pharmacy, care navigation and post-acute analytical services.

Learn more at http://www.stonegatesl.com/.

###We chose Altruistas GuidingCare platform because it offers the functionality and flexibility we need to support our complex clinical workflows and multiple lines of business, said Mark Traynor, UCare President and Chief Executive Officer.

Altruista Health today announced that nationally recognized health plan UCare has selected the GuidingCare platform to support the management of its entire continuum of care for 400,000 Minnesotans enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or individual and family plans. Altruista Health is a leading provider of care management and population health management technology solutions promoting streamlined care management, coordination among clinical, behavioral and community resources, accelerated quality improvement and beneficiary engagement.

Altruista will support UCare with GuidingCare modules in care management, utilization management, appeals and grievances, population health, and reporting and analytics. Altruista will also offer UCare clinicians a mobile care management app.

We chose Altruistas GuidingCare platform because it offers the functionality and flexibility we need to support our complex clinical workflows and multiple lines of business, said Mark Traynor, UCare President and Chief Executive Officer. With 96 percent of Minnesota providers in our network, we have an ideal situation for addressing population health. The GuidingCare platform will enhance the tools and process we have in place to ensure we are able to address the social determinants of health and other high priority population health measures.

GuidingCare data analytics and its decision-support engine help identify, stratify and predict risk so preventive care measures and targeted interventions can be deployed. UCare will use GuidingCare to identify health improvement opportunities among members and deliver better experiences and outcomes.

A longtime leader in serving special populations UCare was the first Minnesota plan to offer coverage to people with disabilities, and continues to serve the largest share of members with disabilities than any plan in the state. UCare operates a 4.5-Star Medicare plan that was recognized as among the nations best by U.S. News & World Report last year.

UCare has been a leader in addressing the complex needs of safety-net (Medicaid and Medicare) populations, and via this partnership, we aim to bring best-in-class care management solutions to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of UCare's clinical programs, said Ashish Kachru, Altruista Health Chief Executive Officer. We look forward to working together to transform processes, reduce avoidable costs and improve patient health outcomes for Minnesotans.

About Altruista Health

Altruista Health delivers population health management solutions that support value-based and person-centered care models. Our GuidingCare technology platform integrates care management, care coordination and quality improvement programs through a suite of sophisticated yet easy-to-use web applications. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area, Altruista Health has grown into a recognized industry leader, and was named one of the Top 70 Population Health Management companies to know by Beckers Healthcare. Health plans and healthcare providers in more than 35 states use GuidingCare to transform their processes, reduce avoidable expenses and improve patient health outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.altruistahealth.com.

About UCare

UCare is an independent, nonprofit health plan providing health care and administrative services to more than 400,000 members throughout Minnesota. UCare partners with health care providers, counties and community organizations to create and deliver:



National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)-accredited plans for Minnesotans shopping on MNsure

Coverage for adults with disabilities

MinnesotaCare and Prepaid Medical Assistance programs across the state

Medicare plans with an Excellent NCQA rating, and a partnership with Essentia Health in northern Minnesota

Programs for older Minnesotans with Medical Assistance, or with both Medical Assistance and Medicare

UCare addresses health care disparities and care access issues through its UCare Foundation grants and a broad array of community initiatives. UCare has received Top Workplaces honors from the Star Tribune for eight consecutive years since the rankings began in 2010.Winners in the 2018 Stevie Awards for Great Employers were announced at a ceremony Friday night. More than 550 nominations from organizations in 21 nations were evaluated in this years competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 50 professionals worldwide, acting as judges.

Winners in the 2018 S tevie Awards for Great Employers, an international competition, were announced on Friday, September 21 during a gala event in New York City. The awards recognize the worlds best employers and the human resources professionals, teams, achievements and HR-related products and suppliers who help to create and drive great places to work. A complete list of Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners by category is available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/HR.

A diverse group of organizations and individuals around the world are among those recognized. The organization that won the Grand Stevie Award for Most Honored Organization of the Year is ej4 of St. Louis, Missouri USA with nine Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award wins totaling 23 points. Organization of the Year goes to the organization with the most award points, with each Gold Stevie win counting for three points, each Silver Stevie win for two points, and each Bronze Stevie for one-and-a-half points.

There was a tie for the Grand Award for the Highest-Rated Nomination of the Year, between the Gold Stevie-winning Employer of the Year nominations of Allianz Partners of Richmond, VA USA and New World Development Company of Hong Kong, so both of those nominations were honored with Grand Stevie trophies.

Leading winners of Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevies include Deutsche Telekom Services Europe GmbH with three Gold, one Silver, and seven Bronze Stevie Awards in a variety of categories; Tata Consultancy Services of Mumbai, India and Toronto, Canada, which won five Gold, two Silver, and two Bronze Stevie Awards; and Turkcell of Istanbul, Turkey, winner of one Gold, one Silver, and 11 Bronze Stevies.

More than 550 nominations from organizations in 21 nations were evaluated in this years competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 50 professionals worldwide, acting as judges. Stevie Award winners in the 35 Employer of the Year categories were determined by a unique blending of the ratings of professionals and the votes of the general public.

The Stevie Awards for Great Employers recognize achievement in many facets of the workplace. Category groups include:



Employer of the Year

HR Achievements

HR Individual Awards

HR Team Categories

Solution Provider Awards

More than 60 New Product & Service Categories

The awards are presented by the Stevie Awards, which organizes seven of the worlds leading business awards shows including the prestigious International Business Awards and American Business Awards.

Entries for the 2019 Stevie Awards for Great Employers will open in March. The entry kit will be available then at http://www.StevieAwards.com/HR.

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in seven programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 10,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.Wm. T. Vick, an entrepreneur educated at University of TexasAustin, living in the Dallas area with his wife, has completed second book of the trilogy, The Apocalypse Trilogy Book Two: Beware the Patient Man Seeking Revenge, in addition to his first book Identical Opposites and the final book of the trilogy, The Billionaire Terrorists. Beware the Patient Man Seeking Revenge is an engrossing tale of Jake Travis, a masterful hitman along with his twin, and their dire circumstances amid the perils of the Second World War.

Author Vick writes about a few of the main characters: Martin Bormann, Hitlers personal secretary, was to meet with Jack Travis in Bern the following week. He knew Travis was going to ask him for more confidential plans of the Third Reich, but he was more concerned what he was going to tell Travis about Elke. Bormann knew he could always get more plans and more gold, but he could not bring back the woman who Reinhard Heydrich had killed.

Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Wm. T. Vicks gripping tale picks up its predecessors climactic ending and features a deeper and more action-packed plot that readers will surely enjoy.

Readers who wish to experience this phenomenal work can purchase The Apocalypse Trilogy Book Two: Beware the Patient Man Seeking Revenge at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional New York based full-service publishing house that handles all of the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not bogged down with complicated business issues like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes and the like. Its roster of authors can leave behind these tedious, complex and time-consuming issues, and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.Scout Nabs Flynns Debut

In a two-book North American rights acquisition, Alison Callahan at Scout Press bought Katie M. Flynns debut novel, The Living Coast. The book, the publisher said, is a speculative page-turner set in a near future in which the dead can be uploaded to machines and kept in service by the living. The book is told from multiple points of view and follows a 16-year-old girl who, after embarking on a search for the woman who attempted to kill her, sets off a chain of events that sweeps from San Francisco to Siberia. Flynn, who was represented by Stephanie Delman at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, is a Steinbeck fellow with an MFA from the University of San Francisco. The deal also includes a currently untitled short story collection.

Eisler Re-ups at Amazon for Seven Figures

Barry Eisler closed a seven-figure agreement with Thomas & Mercer for four books. Under the agreement, which Laura Rennert of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency inked with Grace Doyle, Eisler is writing a novel titled The Killer Collective that features the characters from his bestselling John Rain and Livia Lone series. The deal also includes a John Rain prequel and two more Livia Lone books. Rennert said The Killer Collective, which is set for February 2019, features Rain and Lone in a fight against a global conspiracy.

HarperTeen Gets Wicked with Krause

For HarperTeen, Emilia Rhodes bought world English rights to Autumn Krauses A Dress for the Wicked. Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow Literary, who represented Krause, said she pitched the YA novel as The Devil Wears Prada meets The Selection. It follows a 17-year-old named Emmaline Watkins who becomes a dresser for a high fashion couture house after winning a contest. Set, Hawk said, in a reimagined Europe, Emmaline finds herself thrust into a fiercely competitive world where her only respite is an attractive young journalist. The book is slated for summer 2019.

Briefs

Grace Menary-Winefield at Sourcebooks acquired Erica Boyces sophomore novel, Lost at Sea, in a world English rights deal. Eric Smith at P.S. Literary sold the book, pitching it as Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng cowriting The Perfect Storm. In the book, the disappearance of a beloved fisherman from a small village, Smith said, stirs up more than grief as hidden secrets bubble to the surface, touching friends, family, and colleagues. Lost at Sea is set for a spring 2020 publication.

At the small publisher Word Horde, Ross E. Lockhart bought U.S. and Canadian rights to Carrie Labens debut novel, A Hawk in the Woods. Laben, a Shirley Jackson Award winner, was represented by Stephen Barbara at Inkwell Management, who said the work of literary horror is about two witchestwin sisters who, when one contracts a fatal illness, enter into a fight over the body of the healthy one. The novel is set for a February 2019 release.

Adrian Miller (The Presidents Kitchen Cabinet) sold Black Smoke: African American Adventures in Barbecue to Elaine Maisner at University of North Carolina Press. Miller, a James Beardwinning author, did not use an agent in the deal, which was for world rights. Maisner said the book, slated for spring 2020, tells the surprising story of African-Americans culinary and business contributions to barbecue and the beloved American foodway.

For more childrens and YA book deals, see our latest Rights Report.Steve Piersanti, president and CEO of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, is moving away from his managerial role at the company into a full-time editorial position. In a letter to BK staffers, Piersanti, who founded the company in 1992, said he has long worked in two roles: as a CEO and publisher, and as an editor acquiring new titles. Now, at 65, he said, he's ready to cede his executive post.

Noting that he is not, though, ready to retire, Piersanti said he will "continue as a full-time BK acquiring editor for bookswhich is the role I have always believed I was best at performing and which has given me the greatest satisfaction."

Piersanti plans to step down from CEO in mid-2019 and leave the BK management team. The new president, CEO, and publisher of the company will, he added in his letter, "be able to give fuller attention to this demanding role and bring expertise that I do not have."

BK is currently undergoing the search for a new CEO.The Independent Publishers Groups acquisition of Midpoint Trade Books in late August was just the most recent move by CEO Joe Matthews to ensure that the Chicago-based company remains well positioned in a distribution business that continues to consolidate. IPG bought International Specialized Book Services in April to expand its presence in the academic book field, and in July 2016, the company acquired Inscribe Digital, which dramatically increased IPGs ability to handle e-book production, conversions, marketing, and distribution.

The minibuying spree is part of Matthewss strategy to build back business after the company lost a number of key clients to Perseus in 2016. We needed to build our volume back up, he said. I didnt want us to reduce our footprint, and relying merely on organic growth would take too long.

Matthews sees the Inscribe purchase as particularly important to IPGs future. I want to be a top 10 digital aggregator, he said, adding that if he hasnt achieved that goal, he is close to it. Even as e-book sales soften, Matthews believes there is a solid business in the worldwide distribution of e-books and in doing back-end work for independent publishers. Currently, digital sales account for about 20% of IPGs revenue.

In addition to its acquisitions, IPG has brought on some key new clients. Matthews pointed to Project Management Institute in 2016 and Albert Whitman in 2017 as important additions. He put the number of IPGs active publisher clients at more than 1,100. Those clients are organized into seven units: the core IPG division; IPG Academic and Professional Publishing; Art Stock Books; IPG Spanish Books; Small Press United, which works with new and self-publishers; Trafalgar Square, which does distribution for U.K.- and Australia-based publishers; and Inscribe, which has 379 clients, the most of any IPG unit. Matthews said the distributor puts its publishers in buckets with similar publishers who often face the same issues.

IPG upgraded its printing capability in July 2016, when it teamed with Edwards Brothers Malloy to install a printing facility in its warehouse. When Edwards Brothers Malloy announced this spring that it was closing down, Matthews moved quickly to reaffirm his companys commitment to printing. He replaced some of Edwardss old equipment, bought some new machines, and hired most of the Edwards Brothers staff who worked at the IPG facility.

All together, Matthews estimated that he invested more than $1 million to upgrade IPGs printing capabilities, which now include both short-run and print-on-demand options. The Edwards Brothers program was printing about 30,000 titles per month (not all for IPG clients), and when the company closed, there was a scramble by publishers to find new printers. Once it was up and running, with the capability to print about 1,700 books per day, the new IPG print center helped cut into the backlog.

All of Matthewss efforts are paying off. Sales in August were massive, he saida fact he attributed in part to booksellers ordering early for the first time in years. The strong August gives Matthews confidence that IPG will have a record year in 2018 and that the company will grow again in 2019. Among the titles that he thinks will do well this fall are Anything for a Hit (Chicago Review), B Is for Baller (Triumph), Disconnected (Central Avenue), Fright School (Albert Whitman), and Peeks-a-Who? (Minedition).Pakistan on Monday launched a massive nationwide anti-polio vaccination drive touted as the final push against the crippling disease to cover 38.6 million children under five years of age.

The drive will last for three days but a 2-5 day catchup campaign will be launched following the initial drive so that no one was left out.

Dr Rana Safdar, chief of anti-polio campaign, said that the campaign has started in all parts of Pakistan.

However, he said that the campaign in two of the districts -- Sheikhupura in Punjab and Orakzai I Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa-- will begin from September 25.

"The programme will target a total of 38.6 million under five children," he said.

A country must have no cases for three consecutive years in order to be considered to have eradicated polio by the World Health Organisation.

Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, that suffers from endemic polio, a virus that can cause paralysis or death.

Safdar said that Vitamin-A supplement will also be administered to around 35 million children aged between 6-59 months along-with OPV aimed at boosting immunity against all infectious diseases including Measles.

The drive is the first nationwide door to door national campaign of 2018-19 low transmission season.

A total of 260,000 personnel will strive to achieve the set targets across Pakistan and will be assisted by 40 experts to facilitate preparedness by the local teams in priority areas.

Safdar said Pakistan was "closest ever to its goal" of eliminating the crippling disease and "started its final push towards interruption of Polio Virus".

In 2018, only four polio cases have so far been reported from two districts, including three from Dukki and one from Charsadda.

The government support and cooperation of communities and parents has been imperative in Pakistan's recent successes actualising a case decline from highs of 306 in 2014 to 54 in 2015 to 20 in 2016 and 8 in 2017, he said.

-PTIPenguin Random House has partnered with We Need Diverse Books on a social media campaign as part of its support for this year's Banned Books Week, held this year September 23-29.

The campaign, which PRH is running through its @PenguinRandomHouse Instagram account, will see the publisher post quotes from books that have been challenged or banned. Social media users who repost PRH's posts or tag other users and comment with the hashtags #BannedBooksWeek and #Sweepstakes will be entered into a sweepstake. For every entry up to the 5,000th, the publisher will donate a book to We Need Diverse Books.

"Supporting free speech and diverse voices is at the core of what we do as Penguin Random House," PRH U.S. CEO Madeline McIntosh said in a statement. "We are committed to continuing our longstanding support of Banned Books Week and this years theme, Banning Books Silences Stories, to raise awareness of the rising tide of censorship and the importance of ensuring all voices are not just heard and read, but also celebrated."

Concurrently, Random House Children's Books will hold its own sweepstakes for Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes, in addition to a sweepstakes held with the Out of Print Bad Books Collection for parents to win a prize pack of middle-grade titles, as well as for teen readers to win a prize pack of YA books through Underlined.According to odditycentral.com, a wedding dress wholesaler in the citys Pudong New Area on August 21 had filed a report with the police leading to the arrest of the man.

The woman surnamed Wang reportedly told law enforcement officers that she usually lost about two dresses in every month, but became alarmed to notice that dozens of her dresses had disappeared from her home since the beginning of this year.

Reports say a security camera footage revealed how a man climbed up Mrs Wangs fence using a long stick to pull the wedding gowns toward him.

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Police then mounted a search for the perpetrator and finally apprehended a man surnamed Gu in a village in Tangzhen.

READ ALSO: Woman returns to basic school after childbearing

They found a total of 73 wedding dresses including those of Mrs Wangs in his possession valued at 60,000 yuan ($8,740).

Unimaginably, the man admitted to stealing the dresses, but explained that his aim was not to sell them for profit or use them for marriage. He is reported to have said that he only wanted to feel like he was getting married again after his marriage broke up.A 34-second video circulating online shows a female student bend over to perform the sexual act on her male classmate while he is seated.

The scandalous video has triggered outrage among the South African public, compelling the countrys basic education ministry to take up the matter.

The ministry says it is focusing on identifying details about both the errant students and the very school they attend.

READ ALSO: Tanzania bans family planning advertisement

A statement released by its spoke person, Elijah Mhlanga reads: All we have is a video of school kids giving blow jobs in class. It may be in Gauteng, Limpopo, KZN or anywhere else.

We cannot tolerate such acts in schools and we condemn this.

We ask parents to play a role in instilling discipline in these kids.

Parents cannot always wait for the department to come up with solutions. Kids do things they have seen being done before.

We will take disciplinary measures when the kids are found.Most women believe that once they get married and begin to bear children, their future in formal education has come to a permanent halt by default.

However, the woman identified as Precious Chioma Ugwoke has countered that perception.

She has returned to school with the support of her proud husband, Ugwoke Odobo who himself took photos of her returning from school and posted online.

Captioning the photos, he said: We took an epochal decision for her to return to school after closing the chapter on child bearing.This is my wife, Precious Chioma Ugwoke returning from her school, St. Andrews Secondary School, Ibagwa-Ani.Shes in JSS3.

#youcanlaughallyouwant.

ece-auto-genThe Police Administration wishes to inform applicants (General recruit category) who went through the medical examinations between June and July 2018 that the medical report from the Police hospital has been received at the Police Headquarters for vetting.

Candidates who passed the medical examination are being notified through email addresses they provided indicating the dates they are to report at the Police Headquarters for vetting, the statement added.

The statement also said that the candidates who did not pass the medical examination will also be informed. They are allowed to contact the Police Hospital if in doubt.

other candidates who did not pass the medical examination will be notified and if in doubt may contact the Police Hospital for further information on their medical status if they so wish.

The police administration cautioned the general public against recruitment scammers.

Read the full statement below.The General Assembly, which is underway, is under the theme: "Making the United Nations relevant to all people: Global leadership and shared responsibility for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies.

Nana Addo will also receive the 2018 Outstanding Leaders Award from the US Chamber of Commerce in recognition of his leadership and commitment to champion trade and investment as the means of helping grow Ghanas economy.

The First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo who accompanied the President will today attend the Ordinary General Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies Against AIDS (OAFLA).Tomorrow, she will also attend a resource mobilisation high-level breakfast meeting on the margins of the UNGA 73 dubbed: Free to Shine Global Partnership Towards Eliminating Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in Africa, at the Rockefeller Centre in New York.

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The UNGA will hold a high-level plenary meeting on global peace in honour of the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela, known as the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, today.But a more concerned company about the health of individuals has made it known that its up for saving the planet quicker than Elon Musk.

WeWork banned meat in an attempt to save the world from carbon footprint. The co-founder, Miguel McKelvey made it clear that the efforts of vegetarians can reduce their personal environmental impact even more than switching to a hybrid car.

The company has told its 6,000 active staff that they would no longer pay for meals containing meats and that it wont shoulder expenses for pork, poultry meats at WeWork events. Their customers arent comfortable with the new policy.

However, this policy is best for the health of people because new research confirms that avoiding meat is one of the most important changes an individual could do to reduce his personal environmental impact.

Read Also: How to earn a full time income working as a freelancer in Nigeria

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The company is making every effort to improve the health of their customers and save our planet from carbon footprint.

Why should our companies adopt this mentality? Examining these few things would suffice.

You would Improve the Image of your brand

This is a profitability drive for your company. If your brand is not one such that could give your customers what they need, you will definitely lose them. It is harder to gain customers but easier to lose them. Consequently, you must be able to know the concerns of your customers.

A survey was carried out recently by the Natural Marketing Institute and found that 58% of consumers consider a companys environmental impact when making a purchase. Others, though, said that they could partner a business that is involved in social causes. The path to a profitable business is tensed with proper knots.

Your Company can Fulfill the Demands of Consumers

Consumers demands really influence the way a company operates.

When you take your time to examine influential companies like Walmart boasting about sustainability, it remains clear that demands have gone higher than the past decades. And more sectors are responding to demands from customers.

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You Attract top Talents

Taking your business to a greater height is no easy task. If you want to make it grow and be amongst the most sought after, you must employ skilled millennials. These talented ones would take your company to a greater height. Little wonder when you go to different companies, they are always the ones taking the lead because employers have found them absolutely fit.

From the survey of Deloitte, 87% of these millennials say that business metrics are important to the growth of the organization.

It Helps You Cut Down Costs

Of course, sound business practices are always cost-efficient, but they turn the efforts into more profitable resources. You dont need to buy what your company doesnt need, but only what the company needs. This would help you spend less and save more for future investments of the organization. By switching to paper straws, companies like Walmart and McDonalds get to reduce waste and increase their down line.

As unpopular as this might be, companies that pursue societal causes have a lot to gain in the long run. Could it be supporting retired war veterans, feeding the poor, donating things to motherless babies homes, anything that would help customers relate with you?

People simply love it when they are part of something bigger than them, and you could share just that with them. Give them a chance to support an unpopular but important cause by supporting you.

Written by John Ade.During an exclusive interview with NET, Onome Akpobome who happens to be Ras Kimono's stepson (Efemena had him before she got married to Ras Kimono) said the death of his mother remains a mystery because she was okay up until when she began to complain of chest pains.

"On Saturday, we went to the beach for my uncles birthday. Nothing went wrong until about 2 a.m when she woke us up to change over because PHCN had brought the light, she then went upstairs and started complaining of chest pain. At this point, she started breathing awkwardly. Her elder sister who is a nurse attended to her and gave her first aid but her breathing was still laboured so we decided to take her to the hospital.

"First, we went to Blue Cross Hospital at Ogba but the staff we saw were unresponsive. I was shocked to see their unconcerned countenance. When we saw that they were not ready to help us so we left and drove to County Hospital. A doctor saw her there, checked her pulse and said she was still breathing but that they had no facilities to treat her. So he referred us to Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja," he said.

According to him, when the finally got to LUTH, the staff of the hospital were of no help as they wasted 40 minutes before they finally decided to treat her.

"When we got to Lasuth at about 4 am, they also wasted our time for over 40 minutes and by the time they were ready to treat her, she had stopped breathing. The pain is worse for me because none of the three hospitals treated the case as an emergency. In fact, I have given up on Nigeria because they all had up to three hours to save my mum, how can over three hospitals in Lagos not have the right facility to treat breathing problems?- None of them even had a stretcher, I am just totally done with this country," he said.

This is coming barely 24 hours after Efemena Okedi, wife of late music icon, Ras Kimono passed away.

ALSO READ: Tributes pour in as Ras Kimono is remembered

Ras Kimono's widow, Efe, dead 3 months after husband's death

Three months after the death of reggae veteran, Ras Kimono, his widow, Efemena Okedi, has passed away on Sunday, September 23, 2018. Pulse was informed of the passing away of Efe, who was also a member of the late Ras Kimono's band.

Confirming the death of Efe, the Project Manager of Premiere Music, Michael Odiong, said the sad incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, September 23.2019 is around the corner and as artists begin to pick sides once again this election period, it is important we ask ourselves, are they representing a generation of people who form the greater percentage of their listeners? do they really care about us or is this just about them?

Pop star, Davido is trending once again, he has actually been the talk of social media all weekend, and this time it is not for releasing one fire record or shutting down arenas, but rather because of his most vocal support for his uncle and gubernatorial candidate in the Osun elections that held on the weekend of Saturday, September 22nd, now scheduled for Thursday, September 27th.

Many have praised the 'Davido influence' as a potential 'game-changer' in getting the people more involved in politics, as the dancing senator's name may be the one on the ballot paper, but it is Davido that is been widely celebrated as the star attraction in delivering the votes.

Leading to the day of the elections, Davido had cut short his tour of the United States returning home to join in the campaign train with pictures of a large turnout in rallies at Iwo, Ilesa and Osogbo well splashed across social media, as the locals gathered to catch a first sighting of the man whose music they have danced to non-stop over the past couple of years.

The election day proper was another moment probably never witnessed or dared before by any pop artist. Fully understanding the weight of his over 4M followers on Twitter and an extra 7.5M on Instagram, even though the majority have no direct connection or influence on Osun state or even eligible to vote there.

Davido deployed his social media numbers as a watchdog on the electoral body, INEC, which some claim worked quite well, especially with the controversy that surrounded votes, particularly, in Aiyedadde Local Government of the State.

This is not just about Davido

Now, this is not the first time Nigerian artists have found themselves stepping into the muddy waters of our politics and as the country prepares for probably one of the most crucial elections in its history [Yeah, they say this every other time], artists will again line up behind their preferred candidates, which when it backfires, will these musicians stand for the people and speak against the person they supported?

Let's go back four years ago when the elections in Lagos State was upon us and a rather unknown in Akinwunmi Ambode was the man chosen by the leading party in the state to take over from Babatunde Fashola. Just as Lagosians began to ask questions, our screens and timelines got flooded with jingles, videos, tweets and 'Ted Talks' from our favourite artists who declared their allegiance to the man.

Indeed according to Olamide, MI Abaga, Banky W, Ice Prince, Flavour, Dammy Krane and Yemi Alade, ''Ambo na the way, Ambo na for change''... three years down the line, the state has arguably regressed in many ways and with the Governor curiously losing the support of his 'godfather' and facing the test of his life at the party's upcoming primaries, not one of the artists who assured the public that he was the man, have come out to 'criticize' him or even lend support to him.

Gbagbe - Ambo Theme song

There is a long tradition of artists who have towed this route and many of them have been burnt, when the legendary 2face Idibia attempted to hold a protest rally in 2017, Nigerians were quick to remind him of his past political associations and amidst alleged threat to peace, the rally ended up being cancelled.

When the likes of Sir Shina Peters joined in the 'One Million Man March' rally for the late dictator, General Sani Abacha in 1998, he was declared unwelcomed across many states, such that it took him appealing and 'prostrating' at events many years after before his 'sins' were eventually forgiven.

There have been those who have pushed the need for change through their music, but none like the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, one of the greats, whose legacies continue to live on, not only because of the music or his creation of the Afrobeat genre, but because of how he consistently used his music to fight oppression in the country.

Fela was a relentless thorn in the flesh of the political elites, his music was a rallying cry, voicing out the pains of Nigerians and putting his life on the life for what he believed in. Fela was politically active, but he clearly defined the side of the divide he was representing.

The things Fela sang about have however not changed many years after, there is still bad governance, corruption, killing and poverty remains the order of the day in the country, the statistics are damning and Nigerians are fast losing hope, but instead of this to inspire more 'Felas', musicians are instead seeing the benefit of aligning themselves with politicians who provide a gateway to being closer to the corridors of power and getting to perform at state banquets when their candidate wins.

Smarter politicians who understand that music cannot thrive in an unstable or crisis-ridden economy have chosen the path of instigating action, encouraging people to register to vote and put their PVC to use, instead of endorsing or denouncing any party or candidate.

It is understandable that a number of artists will choose who to support and not every one has to be into 'political music', but it is also important to understand that a popular musician holds a strong influence in colouring the thoughts of the voters, especially in a country where the literacy level is quite low.

The effect of musicians and their preferences especially in the social media age is quite undeniable and artists have the responsibility to at all times reflect the true state of the people and current issues, taking a stand to make the state a better place for all those who buy their music, attend their shows and have in one way or the other contributed to them attaining the superstar status that they presently hold.

The best way for musicians to get involved in politics is through the music, no one is saying you should be as radical as a Fela or lead an ''Occupy Nigeria'' rally to Ketu, just be a decent human being, who raise meaningful awareness and seek for a more ideal state through their lyrics and messages.

In the coming days, more will come to us seeking our votes, assuring us that they have not been paid and are fully convinced on the candidate, but we need to ask ourselves, whose side really are they on, personal interest or national interest?NextU' is the CSR initiative of PAL Pensions focused on providing knowledge and guidance for 'Creating The Future' to young people on career, investment and life choices. Olusola Amusan, Tomi Balogun, Seyi Law, Shola Akinlade, Otto Orondaam, and Kunle Idowu (Frank Donga) were among the more than ten (10) speakers who spoke to well over eleven thousand students (11,000) of the University of Lagos, University of Benin, University of Port Harcourt, Obafemi Awolowo University and Ahmadu Bello University.

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The speakers and panelists who came from various backgrounds representing; Financial Literacy, Investment, Employability, Career growth, Entrepreneurship and Art/Creativity; gave the students' tips on how to be successful in their career and business, manage funds and invest wisely with small funds. The students were also thrilled by award winning musician Orezi, who has consistently proven himself through sheer determination and handwork, a quality that brings the NextU idea to life.

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Speaking to the students of the University of Lagos, the Managing Director, PAL Pensions, Morohunke Bammeke, said the vision of PAL Pensions is to be the best PFA by creating value. PAL Pensions is that company that will always add value to you. She further averred that making money is not enough, preserving and investing wisely is what makes one wealthy. She encouraged the students to commit to lifelong learning to create sustainable success and charged them to go out and create the future!'

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The event, targeted at young, social media savvy, forward-thinking students interested in not just career after graduation but also entrepreneurship was well attended by students in the participating institutions.

Participants not only got the chance to learn from the experiences of the panelists, but they also got an opportunity to win fantastic prizes by taking part in the #SellYourself competition.

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"PAL Pensions is always interested in ways to impact the society positively." said Sunmisola Mark-Okoma, Head, Brand Management and Corporate Communications. "this is why we started the NextU project. A project that aims at guiding young people through career choices and financial literacy. Basically, we are telling them that PAL Pensions would provide them with the support they need to become whom they want to become.

"This maiden edition was a great success and the students were excited to receive us. We decided to begin with five (5) schools across Nigeria but looking at the impact of the project and reactions from the students, we will definitely be visiting more schools next year."

Pensions Alliance Limited (PAL Pensions) is a licensed Pension Fund Administrator with over 12 years of professional experience in Pension Funds Administration, incorporated on April 14, 2005, to manage and administer retirement savings contributions of employees in Nigeria as a result of the Pension Reform Act of 2004.

With a client base of over 400,000, the company's vision is to be the leading PFA, creating value.'

ece-auto-genAccording to a report on IG, the drama began after the deceased cautioned the shooter over his excessive drinking habit.

An argument broke out between the pair and ended up with the killing of the other, a guard commander who was reportedly dressed in mufti when he was shot.

The suspect who had just returned from a work break allegedly murdered his superior after changing into his army uniform.In this dear country of ours, the greatest crime is to be poor. If you are rich and have the means you can get away with anything. Petty robbers are stoned and burnt to death while corrupt politicians are revered like demi-gods.

Inequality is rife in Nigeria. What is good for the goose is not good for the gander. If you are rich in this country, then you can break the law anytime you feel like.

Much has been said about Davidos privileged background. No doubt talented and hardworking, Davidos familys wealth is hard to ignore.

Apart from his family's riches, the Adeleke dynasty is a force to reckon with in Osun state. Davido has used this political clout much to his advantage in recent weeks.

The pop star is presently undergoing the mandatory 1-year service for Nigerian graduates known as the National Youth Corps Service (NYSC).

ALSO READ: Davido's account allegedly frozen by EFCC

While Davido might have donned the khaki, his service has been far from the usual. Every corps member is mandated to be in camp for 21 days.

After a few days of whirlwind appearances, Davido left camp to kick off his North American tour. We can overlook Davido bailing out of camp to honour his music commitment. We cannot however overlook the fact that Davido has flouted one of the major rules of NYSC bye-laws which is not to participate in partisan politics.

Davido cut short his US tour midway and flew back to Nigeria. He claimed the reason was to focus on his youth service but during this period he released a video online announcing that he would be at political rallies in Osun in support of his uncle, Senator Adeleke, who is running for Governor.

When Davido touched down in Nigeria, he started campaigning for his uncle, showing up and galvanizing the crowd. He did this several times before the governorship election.

He didnt stop there. On Sunday, September 23, 2018, Davido tweeted severally that APC was rigging the election.

The rules are the rules and it is clear to see Davido actively involved in politics. What is not clear is if the NYSC authorities will caution the pop star and extend his service by three months. We are watching to see if only these bye-laws apply to children of the poor and not of the rich.

Many corps members have died, been injured and raped serving this country. Davido is not better than them. The laws should apply to everyone and not to those who do not have the political connections or clout.

ALSO READ: Davido working on new single with Kiss Daniel

Lets not mention the fact that children of the rich who study abroad are given the privilege of staying in cosy camps (Lagos and Abuja) which are 5-star hotels compared to other camps in most states. This luxury is not afforded to Nigerian graduates from humble backgrounds who are tossed to far-flung places to serve a nation that has clearly shown it does not care for them.

Kudos to Davido for serving the nation. Many of his contemporaries havent bothered to do it all. Yet, while he serves the nation he shouldn't make a mockery of those who dont have the same means as him.However, on September 20, 2018, he played both sides of his public perception for positivity; he upped his approval ratings by helping a woman in need.

On September 16, 2018, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Pastor Reno Omokri had found a woman, later found out to be Kate Wanuma Iriketiti Dekpe while she was complaining in incredible pidgin to Quest News.

ALSO READ: Here is why these 5 Nigerian cities speak the best pidgin

In her sonically sweet pidgin, the Oviri-Agbarho resident community from Delta State lamented how flooding killed her 300 fowls and destroyed her property while appealing to the government to help them while being scantily clad.

Omokri had picked up the story by posting her Quest News video on Twitter hoping to find Dekpe.

When he found her, he posted her account number on September 17, 2018 for fellow Nigerians to raise funds for her. A day later, he had raised N92,146 for her.

ALSO READ: Dear millennial, you can be broke and be happy

He was then contacted by Senator Murray-Bruce, representing Bayelsa East Senatorial district, who offered Dekpe a job with his company, Silverbird TV as Pidgin newscaster.

The news was broken by Omokri, who claimed Senator Murray-Bruce had been fascinated by her poetic pidgin and was naturally swayed to help her.

If true, this could definitely change Dekpes life from a fowl seller to a corporate journalist, earning consistent pay that could help her finance another poultry.

We can place it all at the foot of getting good PR, but it is still an altruistic deed that has helped a Nigerian in need. Sometimes, the deed is enough on its own.She looked sensational as she walked the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival in a red power suit. It was a rare outing for Genny and we got to see even more of her when she dropped an unexpected selfie on Instagram for everyone to admire.

Genevieve posted a picture of her sitting outside wearing minimal makeup and her hair in a kinky straight style. Her skin looked radiant and she defied her age with her youthful look.

Do you want to nail Genevieve's look? Well, Pulse Beauty has you covered with a makeup and skin care guide that should get you looking just as good, if not better than the queen herself.

Take a look!

Make-up

1. Dabota Cosmetics

Dabota Cosmetics's Flawless finish Foundation will give you a photo-ready finish. The weightless foundation will glide onto skin and ensure all pores and blemishes are well-covered without feeling cakey.

This product will give you the 'your skin but better' finish that all natural beauty looks require.

2. Zaron

Zaron's Healthy Glow Foundation does exactly what it says on the tin. The foundation gives the wearer an inexplicable glow that lasts all day. At an affordable N4,750 this ultra matte foundation blends in smoothly and guarantees a beautiful matte finish. You are sure of an even skin tone and even more with SPF30 that protects your skin from the suns harmful rays.

Skin care

Beauty and skin care go hand in hand especially for those who want to show off their best with confidence. Starting good skin habits at a young age will contribute to younger looking skin in our not so young years later on.

Do you have a skin care routine or do you just prefer to fall asleep night after night and not worry about the effects on your skin? You may not think too much about your skin care routine, but the truth is you should. Your skin is one of the largest organs that your body has and it works hard every day to protect you from harmful elements.

Although Genevieve is wearing makeup, it's abundantly clear that she is also a woman who takes good care of her skin. At 39 years old, Genevieve looks like a woman half her age thanks to her undoubtedly solid skin care routine.

Whatever your age, if you want to start taking care of your skin, here are some Nigerian brands and brands available for purchase in Nigeria that will have you glowing in next to no time.

1. Yves Rocher

The Yves Rocher range of products include: face care; body care; bath and shower; fragrances; hair care and make up. All the active ingredients Yves Rocher develops are extracted from plants; they are GMO, paraben, silicon and mineral oil free.

Yves Rocher has over 250 botanical sources globally for its products while the plants are grown and harvested in the best condition. Committed to safeguarding the botanical world and biodiversity, the Yves Rocher foundation has planted over 50 million trees globally with an objective to plant 100 million trees by 2020.

2. Clinique

Clinique Laboratories, LLC is an American manufacturer of skincare, cosmetics, toiletries and fragrances, usually sold in high end department stores. It is a subsidiary of the Estee Lauder Companies. Clinique is one of Estee Lauder's most successful and profitable subsidiaries.

The company was founded in 1968 and offered the first-ever brand of upscale cosmetics created by a dermatologist. Its goal was to offer consumers high-quality beauty with health and wellness in mind.

3. Ajali

Ajali is an all-natural, completely handmade cosmetics brand established in Nigeria. Ajali are a proudly African company and thrive to share all the resources this continent has been blessed with, with the rest of world. The only use the finest natural plant and mineral ingredients, wild-harvested in remote, untainted regions by artisan producers who value traditional, sustainable practices.For her exclusive Q&A in Lagos over the weekend, Chimamanda chose to wear a mixed prints outfit by emerging Nigerian label Wild Kulture. Wild Kulture is the brainchild of popular fashion influencer

Jennifer is arguably one of the most stylish young women in Nigeria and consistently thrills her thousands of fans on Instagram with her fashion choices. It would only make sense for a woman with so much style to share that with others.

Wild Kulture has made quite the impact with pieces that are far from the ordinary and are guaranteed to make you stand out from the crowd. Mostly modelled by Jennifer herself, Wild Kulture is going to do big things for the ready-to-wear industry in Nigeria.

Chimamanda descended down the steps at Worsktation in Victoria Island to a crowd of adoring fans. The outspoken literary luminary looked radiant as she wore a polka dot blouse paired with a pair of floral cropped pants. Chimamanda defied her 41 years in the stylish outfit which she paired with some floral heels.

Chimamanda wore her natural hair in an interesting bouffant style and kept her makeup to a minimum, allowing her natural beauty to shine through.Shell is the biggest investor in the oil and gas industry across countries in the West African sub region.

Despite its investment in Nigerias oil and gas industry, the company has continued to receive backlash from certain quarters over alleged corruption, oil theft and environment pollution resulting from oil spillage and gas flaring.

A brief walk into the activities of Shell in the country shows that in 1936, the company established a Nigerian venture with the precursor company of BP Plc. Its first shipment of oil from Nigeria takes place in 1958  same year crude oil was discovered in Oloibiri, a small community in Ogbia local government area located in Bayelsa state.

In April 1973, the Nigerian government took a stake in the venture and in few years, the government increased its stake and BP backed out of the agreement.

In 1979, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) was established, incorporating assets of the older Shell-BP consortium. Over time, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) -- which was established in 1777  took ownership of 55 percent of the company, Shell owned 30 percent, Frances Total owned 10 percent and Italys Eni had 5 percent. Shell was still the operator.

In 1990, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), led by late environmental rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, started its campaign for a fairer share of oil wealth for the Ogoni people  who were the natives of the area -- living on oil fields and compensation for environmental damage.

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In January 1993, MOSOP organised protests of around 300,000 Ogoni people against Shell and oil pollution. Nigerias military government occupied the region.

In April 1993, Shell formed the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) which signed Production Sharing Contracts to develop offshore oil and gas interests. Same year, Shell ceased production in Ogoniland.

In November 1995, Saro-Wiwa and eight other MOSOP leaders are executed by Sani Abachas military government on alleged murder charges, to worldwide horror. Nigeria earned a suspension from the Commonwealth.

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In the late 1990s, Shell shifted its focus to offshore exploration, where it enjoyed better margins and fewer threats of attack by militants in the region.

Shell resumed production at the giant Bonga offshore field in 2005, two years after SPDC began pumping over 1 million barrels of oil per day in 2003.

A year later in 200, a militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) emerged and began to attack Shell facilities. MEND was seeking a great share of oil wealth for the Deltas people and remediation for oil spills. SPDC pump stations and platforms in Niger delta are attacked and production fell.

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In 2008, large spills, a result of operational faults, hit the community of Bodo in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta. Tens of thousands of barrels of oil are spilt resulting in environmental pollution in the area.

SPDC sold some onshore fields in January 2010 and said it is no longer looking to Nigeria for growth. A year later, Shell and Italy's Eni acquired Oil Production Licence (OPL) 245, a large offshore field, for $1.1 billion from local company Malabu.

In August 2011, A United Nations report criticised Shell and the Nigerian government for contributing to 50 years of pollution in Ogoniland which it says needs the worlds largest oil clean-up, costing an initial $1 billion and taking up to 30 years.

In March 2012, a group of 11,000 Nigerians from Bodo, Ogoniland, instituted a suit against Shell at the London High Court, seeking compensation for the 2008 oil spills.

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In January 2013, a Dutch court rules that Shell could be held partially responsible for pollution in the Niger Delta. The court said the company should have prevented sabotage at one of its facilities. Four Nigerians and Friends of the Earth filed the suit originally in 2008 in the Netherlands.

Shell accepted liability for the Bodo spills in January 2015, agreeing to pay 55 million pounds ($83 million at the time) to Bodo villagers and to clean up their lands and waterways.The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed who made the disclosure in Abuja on Monday, however, said the money for the universities would be released through normal channels while that of the ex-airways workers would be paid after verification.

The minister, who announced the setting up of a nine member committee to verify the claims of the ex-workers, said the money approved was 50 per cent of their N45 billion benefits.

As you are aware, the ex-workers of Nigeria Airways Limited in liquidation were not paid their retirement benefits for the past 15 years despite the liquidation.

As a result of the delays in settlement of these benefits, many ex-workers have been thrown out of their houses, their children have been unable to attend school, and others have lost their businesses, fallen ill or indeed, passed on.

This unfortunate situation cannot be allowed to continue under a responsible administration.

It is on this basis that Mr President has approved the immediate release of N22.68 billion being 50 per cent of N45.3 billion total entitlements of the ex-workers of the Nigeria Airways Limited in liquidation, she said.

Ahmed said that the nine member committee is headed by Mohammed Dikwa, Director of Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit.

Other members would be drawn from the Office of the Head of Service, ministries of Aviation and Finance, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Accountant-General office, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, the ex-workers union, and the Budget Office.

The committee is mandated to physically verify the claims of pensioners and relevant next-of-kin before the release of funds to the approved beneficiaries, she stressed.

The minister also explained that the N20 billion for the universities would be released immediately in line with the established criteria used by the National Universities Commission.This is expected to pile more pressure on incumbent governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, as he battles to save a second term bid amid opposition from within his own party.

At a parley organised by the Pillar 57 under the leadership of the vice chairman of Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, Princess Bolanle Bada, the vice-chairmen promised to work to make sure Sanwo-Olu clinches the party's ticket ahead of Ambode at its primary election scheduled for Saturday, September 29, 2018.

Bada said Pillar 57 can be relied on to support Sanwo-Olu, a former Lagos commissioner, to become its next governor. She said Governor Ambode deserted council officials after his electoral victory in 2015 and made life difficult for them.

Vice Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government, Honorable Princess Folashade Oba, also promised Pillar 57's support for Sanwo-Olu.

She said, "We are dependable; we are reliable and we are trust-worthy. You always can count on us. We agree that the party is supreme, we are going to where the party is going."

Ambode has been running from pillar to post over the past few days after the APC's national leader and political godfather in Lagos, Bola Tinubu, reportedly endorsed Sanwo-Olu to become the next Lagos governor over Ambode, just years after he endorsed the incumbent.

Tinubu's political structure in Lagos, Mandate Movement, as well as all 57 local councils in the state have endorsed Sanwooluahead of the governorship primary election.

Leaders of Mandate Group and the Director-General of Babajide Olusola Sanwoolu Campaign Organisation (BOSCO), Tayo Ayinde, were in attendance at the parley that took place at Water Crest Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Ayinde promised that Sanwo-Olu would run an all-inclusive government if he wins the party's ticket and the state's 2019 governorship election.The election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, September 23 because the victory margin of 353 votes of the PDP's candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke (254,698 votes) over the APC's Gboyega Oyetola (254,345 votes) was less than the 3498 votes cancelled in seven polling units in Orolu local government area (3 polling units), Ife South LGA (2), Ife North LGA (1) and Osogbo LGA (1).

The commission has scheduled Thursday, September 27 as the date for the rerun to take place with the APC and PDP putting out all the stops to win the election.

However, ahead of Thursday's rerun, the APC has accused the PDP of engaging in irregularities that should not be overlooked by the public.

In a statement signed by the APC's Acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, on Monday, September 24, 2018, he said the PDP's plans should be resisted because Nigeria's democracy is threatened.

The statement read, "The aftermath of Saturday's inconclusive Osun State Governorship election has confirmed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vow to deploy all 'means, schemes, shenanigans in all ramification and magnitude' to rig all coming elections, starting from the Osun State Governorship election.

"It is now clear that the vote-buying template introduced by the PDP and brazenly deployed in the Osun inconclusive election is an urgent threat to our democracy and current efforts to ensure the sanctity of our elections.

"While the PDP and its paid proxies were accusing other political parties of irregularities during Saturday's inconclusive elections, the Party was busy perpetuating its vote-buying scheme as exposed in several leaked videos showing PDP agents buying votes for its candidate, Sen. Ademola Adeleke particularly in Ede locals councils of Osun State.

"The PDP's now public rigging method particularly vote-buying and dissemination of diversionary fake news must be checked particularly as we go into the INEC-ordered Osun governorship rerun. We also call on the electorate, civil society organisations and relevant stakeholders to speak out and resist the PDPs retrogressive plans which threaten our democracy."

APC supports rerun election

The APC also took the PDP to task on its public claims that INEC's position on the election is unfair, noting that the same thing had previuosly happened in Kogi State.

Nabena said, "Again, while the PDP attempts to misinform the public on the rationale for declaring the Osun Governorship election inconclusive, they should be reminded that in 2015, the late Abubakar Audu of Kogi State was leading by 240, 867 votes to PDP 199,514 votes, the margin of 41,353 favoured APC but it was declared inconclusive.

"INEC ordered a rerun because 49,953 cancelled votes were higher than the 41,353 despite the fact that APC was leading with a wide margin. At the time PDP did not protest rather prepared and waited for the rerun date.

"The PDP cannot be supportive of decisions only when it seemingly favours them. There are electoral precedents, guidelines and laws which are binding on all."Mr Yekini Nabena, APC acting National Publicity Secretary who made the call in a statement on Monday in Abuja, alleged that an opposition party was guilty of election malpractice.

The aftermath of Saturdays inconclusive Osun State governorship election has confirmed PDPs vow to deploy all means, schemes, shenanigans in all ramification and magnitude to rig all coming elections, starting from the Osun governorship election.

It is now clear that the vote-buying template introduced and brazenly deployed in the Osun inconclusive election is an urgent threat to our democracy, he said.

He added that the development was also a threat to current efforts by the APC-led Federal Government to ensure the sanctity of the countrys elections.

Nabena alleged that while the PDP was accusing other political parties of irregularities during the governorship election, it was busy perpetuating its vote-buying scheme.

According to him, this has been exposed in several leaked videos showing PDP agents buying votes for its candidate, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, particularly in Ede and environs.

Nabena alleged that the PDP was now engaging in vote-buying and dissemination of diversionary fake news, saying this must be checked.

He, however, called on the electorate, civil society organisations and relevant stakeholders to speak out and resist the PDP plans, which he claimed threatened the nations democracy.

Again, the PDP attempts to misinform the public on the rationale for declaring the Osun governorship election inconclusive.

They should be reminded that in 2015, the late Abubakar Audu of Kogi was leading by 240, 867 votes to PDP 199,514 votes, the margin of 41,353 favoured APC but it was declared inconclusive.

INEC ordered a re-run because 49,953 cancelled votes were higher than the 41,353 despite the fact that APC was leading with a wide margin.

At the time PDP did not protest, rather prepared and waited for the re-run date. The PDP cannot be supportive of decisions only when it seemingly favours them, he said.

The APC spokesman added that there were electoral precedents, guidelines and laws which were binding on all.

He, however, reiterated APCs confidence that Osun electorate would resist the PDPs deployment to take over the state by force.

The peoples will; the peoples vote is supreme. It must be respected and defended. That is democratic, progressive and the right thing, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election was declared inconclusive and a re-run ordered, because the number of cancelled votes was higher than the margin between the two top candidates.

The PDP candidate, Ademola Adeleke, led the race with 254,698 votes, 353 votes more than his closest rival, Gboyega Oyetola of the APC.

The margin was, however, less than the 3,498 votes in the polling units where voting was cancelled.

Consequently, INEC Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Joseph Afuwape, declared the poll inconclusive and ordered a re-run.With a new grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, a Brown University-led research team will use machine learning to speed up atom-level simulations of chemical reactions and the properties of materials.

"Simulations provide insights into materials and chemical processes that we can't readily get from experiments," said Andrew Peterson, an associate professor in Brown's School of Engineering who will lead the work.

"Computational power is growing rapidly, which lets us perform larger and more realistic simulations. But as the size of the simulations grows, the time involved in running them can grow exponentially. This paradox means that even with the growth in computational power, our field still cannot perform truly large-scale simulations. Our goal is to speed those simulations up dramatically - ideally by orders of magnitude - using machine learning."

The grant provides $3.5 million dollars for the work over four years. Peterson will work with two Brown colleagues - Franklin Goldsmith, assistant professor of engineering, and Brenda Rubenstein, assistant professor of chemistry - as well as researchers from Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech and MIT.

The idea behind the work is that different simulations often have the same sets of calculations underlying them. Peterson and his colleagues aim to use machine learning to find those underlying similarities and fast-forward through them.

"What we're doing is taking the results of calculations from prior simulations and using them to predict the outcome of calculations that haven't been done yet," Peterson said. "If we can eliminate the need to do similar calculations over and over again, we can speed things up dramatically, potentially by orders of magnitude."

The team will focus their work initially on simulations of electrocatalysis - the kinds of chemical reactions that are important in devices like fuel cells and batteries. These are complex, often multi-step reactions that are fertile ground for simulation-driven research, Peterson says.

Atomic-scale simulations have demonstrated usefulness in Peterson's own work in the design of new catalysts. In a recent example, Peterson worked with Brown chemist Shouheng Sun on a gold nanoparticle catalyst that can perform a reaction necessary for converting carbon dioxide into useful forms of carbon. Peterson's simulations showed it was the sharp edges of the oddly shaped catalyst that were particularly active for the desired reaction.

"That led us to change the geometry of the catalyst to a nanowire - something that's basically all edges - to maximize its reactivity," Peterson said. "We might have eventually tried a nanowire by trial and error, but because of the computational insights we were able get there much more quickly."

The researchers will use a software package that Peterson's research group developed previously as a starting point. The software, called AMP (Atomistic Machine-learning Package) is open-source and already widely used in the simulation community, Peterson says.

The Department of Energy grant will bring atomic-scale simulations - and the insights they produce - to bear on ever larger and more complex simulations. And while the work under the grant will focus on electrocatalysis, the tools the team develops should be widely applicable to other types of material and chemical simulations.

Peterson is hopeful that the investment that the federal government is making in machine learning will be repaid by making better use of valuable computing resources.

"Modern supercomputers cost millions of dollars to build, and simulation time on them is precious," Peterson said. "If we're able to free up time on those machines for additional simulations to be run, that translates into vastly increased return-on-investment for those machines. It's real money."Mark stated this on Monday in Dutse, Jigawa capital, when he addressed party supporters.

I am an aspirant seeking for your support but if I do not get it I am still ready to support anybody that emerges as candidate.

We will struggle and get back power from the All Progressives People Congress (APC).

Power comes from God; I have never left PDP. I will continue to be in PDP because it is the only party that can bring development in Nigeria, he said.

Earlier in a speech, the PDP Chairman in Jigawa, Alhaji Salisu Kuit, said that the party supporters in the state were behind Marks aspiration.

This is because you are a fine politician, a gentleman and a detribalised person who performed excellently during your tenure as Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.On September 3, 2018, recently announced his decision to join a list of prominent Nigerians also in the race to grab the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket.

The PDP presidential ticket would be keenly contested at the partys primary election by top politicians like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso; Senator Jonah Jang; Senate President Bukola Saraki; Sokoto state Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Gombe state Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo; a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter Governmental Relations, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki (SAN); Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; a former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa; and Dr. Ahmed Datti.

But, speaking while playing host to Mark at his country home in Yonegoa, the Bayelsa state capital, Jonathan said Nigeria currently needs a president like Mark.

The former president noted that it would take a man with strength of character and clear conscience like Mark to rebuild and foster unity in Nigeria in 2019.

We are only existing superficially and this is very dangerous, Jonathan warned.

Beyond dwindling economy and worsening insecurity, the major problem the next president would face was the challenge of uniting the country and giving every section a sense of belonging.

Every right thinking Nigerian should crave for peace and unity as we continue to stay together.

Staying together is what everyone desires as the global community respects and values us because of our size and population.

As president of Nigeria, I worked harmoniously with Mark as President of the Senate. He demonstrated patriotism and loyalty to his fatherland.

His colleagues admitted that he is a detribalised leader. He is the kind of man the nation needs now, the former president reiterated.

Jonathan expressed optimism that the PDP would win the 2019 elections.

In his remarks, Mark, said that Nigerians now knew the difference between the former and present administrations.

Mark said that he possessed the experience, knowledge and skill to bring the nation out of the social and economic malaise within two years if elected.The partys National Convention is scheduled for Oct. 5 and Oct. 6.

The screening chaired by former Vice President Namadi Sambo was conducted at the partys Presidential Campaign Office, Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja.

The aspirants are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Senate President Bukola Saraki; immediate past Senate President David Mark; former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; and former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Tanimu Turaki

The others were Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; former Plateau governor, Jonah Jang; former chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi, and former lawmaker, Datti Baba-Ahmed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that aspirants who spoke with newsmen shortly after the screening expressed their satisfaction with the exercise.

Saraki described the exercise as commendable and a pointer to a credible primaries.

Saraki, represented by his Media Aide, Yusuf Olaniyan, said that the atmosphere at the screening portrayed fairness and friendliness from the aspirants and the screening committee.

Senate President Bukola Saraki speaking to Newsmen after the screening on Monday in Abuja.

On his part, Jang told newsmen that the process was transparent and credible, and expressed optimism of picking the partys ticket after the primaries.

The process was beautiful. Absolutely I stand a chance to win the ticket. I am optimistic because I believe in God and I believe that God is going to give it to me.

I am also impressed that there is no bitterness in the ongoing campaign by the presidential aspirants.

Turaki, on his part stressed the need for the aspirants to work together, saying there must be a synergy to ensure that PDP rescue Nigeria in 2019.

It is not about us, it is not about selfish interest, it is about our party and about this country. It is only PDP that can save this country.

We are not going to be distracted. The focus before us is that we should ensure that PDP gets back into office on May 29, 2019

Atiku Abubakar also expressed satisfaction with the exercise.

Reacting on the Saturday governorship election in Osun State, Abubakar urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare PDP winner of the election.

Tambuwal also said that the exercise was conducted smoothly without any issue that called for concern.

He also called on INEC to declare PDP as winner of Osun election.The disagreement manifested at the inauguration of the partys National Convention Planning Committee on Monday in Abuja.

This followed a sharp disagreement between the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) , Sen. Walid Jibrin , and the National Working Committee (NWC) over the choice of venue.

Inaugurating the committee, PDP Deputy National Chairman (South) Elder, Yemi Akinwonmi, said that the party leaders had consulted widely on the venue and agreed for Port Harcourt, River.

On the issue of venue, the party set up a committee headed by Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure and they went round the South-South Zone and South-East Zone before coming out with the choice of Port Harcourt for us.

As in acceptance, the National Working Committee (NWC) has consulted widely with the PDP Governors forum, we have consulted widely with the BOT, cacaus of the party and today it has been jointly accepted that we will converge on Port Harcourt, in no distance time for the National Convention.

Akinwonmi added that the international community had expressed their interests in the party primaries.

Particularly they said they Want, to come and watch the process the will lead to the emergency of our flag bearer, because by the grace of God our flag bearer will be the next President of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) , Sen. Walid Jibrin, in his remarks said that the party had yet to make final decision on the choice of venue for the convention.

Even though the Deputy Chairman said the issue of venue had been concluded, I want to say that the issue of venue is still on and is not concluded.

 Because there are many suggetions on the issue of venue. We look at all suggestions and I assure you that the issue of venue will be resolved.

But for now we are working around the clock to ensure that we have a very suitable venue accepted by everybody.

I want to say that everyone of us should come together and ensure that we have a venue suitable to all of us.

Intervening on the matter, the secretary of the convention committee and Ebonyi Governor, Dave Umahi, said I think the working committee and the BOT need to settle this.

Chairman of the convention committee, Ifeanyi Okowa, also speaking on the matter said PDP was ready to host the convention in any state eventually agreed on.

Okowa said that no matter where the convention was settled for PDP would do what was right.

I believe that at the end of the day, nobody will have any cause to complain.

Okowa, who appreciated the party for the assignment given to them said that they knew that the party was in very critical moments in the history of the nation and the PDP.

We do understand that the assignment that you have given us is about the most important assignment in the history of this party at least for this year.

All of us believe that the only way forward is for the entirety of the party to stay united and focused. And as such, as members of the PDP, we cannot afford to disagree on any issues.Omisore was the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state's Saturday, September 22, 2018 election that was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, September 23.

The PDP's candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, polled 254,698 votes ahead of APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola's 254,345 votes, but INEC declared the election inconclusive because Adeleke's victory margin of 353 votes was less than the 3498 votes cancelled in seven polling units in Orolu local government area (3 polling units), Ife South LGA (2), Ife North LGA (1) and Osogbo LGA (1).

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The commission has scheduled Thursday, September 27 as the date for the re-run to take place and there's currently a scramble to comprehensively defeat the APC.

Omisore, a former deputy governor of the state, is from Ile-Ife and has a formidable stronghold there, making him a prized partner for the PDP ahead of Thursday's re-run. He was the PDP's flag bearer in the 2014 governorship election, but he lost to incumbent, Rauf Aregbesola, of the APC who won a second term.

After the party showed reluctance to back him for another run as flag bearer in the 2018 election, Omisore dumped the party earlier this year and moved to the SDP.

The PDP is understood to already be making moves towards Omisore to work with the party to put the final nail in APC's coffin in the interest of the state.

PDP chieftain and former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has already confirmed that he has initiated talks with Omisore with a plan to "bury the ruling party".

"Yes, it is true that I have spoken with my brother, Senator Omisore, and our (PDP) candidate, Senator Adeleke, on the issue.

"I can tell you confidently that both of them are receptive to the idea and I can tell you that we are going to meet together to discuss working relationship before Thursday.

"We are not talking about any condition. We are doing all these for the love of our party and our people. We need to liberate the state from the vultures and invaders of our commonwealth. By the grace of God, we shall do it," he told The Punch.

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Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has also made a rallying call to Omisore to work together with the PDP to deliver Osun State from APC.

He tweeted, "I am confident PDP will win in Osun, no matter the ulterior motive of APC. I call on Senator Omisore to remember the PDP, which believed in him and gave him its ticket in 2014. I urge him to join with all who want to deliver Osun from negative change and support @IsiakaAdeleke1".

PDP meeting with other candidates

The PDP is also believed to be working with other candidates who had an impressive outing at Saturday's polls. Two of those candidates are Fatai Akinbade of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Moshood Adeoti of the Action Democratic Party (ADP).

The Punch reports that Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former Osun governor, will help in prevailing on Akinbade to work with the PDP to defeat the APC.In a statement signed by the Director, Media and Publicity of the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Campaign Organisation (BOSCO), Sesan Daini, the purported statement is a cheap attempt by members of the opposition bent on misleading members of the public.

In the statement issued on Monday, September 24, Daini urged Sanwo-Olu's supporters to troop out to vote for him in the party's governorship primary election scheduled for Saturday, 29.

The statement read, "We hereby state unequivocally that the purported press statement did not emanate from our Principal, Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu, rather it is the handiwork of jittery members of the opposition to malign our Principal and mislead members of the public.

"For the umpteenth time, Mr. Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu has not and will not withdraw from this race and he is ready for the party primaries slated for Saturday, 29th of September, 2018.

"BOSCO is not oblivious of the fact that these cheap attempts to mislead and hoodwink members of our party and the general public will be made by these disgruntled elements but we will continue to repeal their falsehood with facts.

"Our Principal remains committed to his campaign while still consulting with party leaders and members and would not be distracted by cheap blackmails like this.

"We want to use this opportunity to urge our teeming party faithfuls to troop out enmasse on Saturday, 29th September of 2018 to cast their votes for Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu to be the Flagbearer of our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC), in the forthcoming general elections in 2019."

The state's primary election will adopt a direct method where all registered party members will be allowed to vote for its flag bearer in next year's election with Sanwo-Olu considered to be a formidable opponent to Ambode.

Sanwo-Olu vs Ambode

Ambode has been running from pillar to post over the past couple of weeks after the APC's national leader and political godfather in Lagos, Bola Tinubu, reportedly endorsed Sanwo-Olu to become the next Lagos governor over Ambode, just years after he endorsed the incumbent.

Tinubu's political structure in Lagos, Mandate Movement, as well as all 57 local councils in the state have endorsed Sanwo-Oluahead of the governorship primary election. Vice-Chairmen of all 57 council areas in Lagos State, known as Pillar 57, also recently endorsed Sanwo-Olu as their preferred governorship candidate.Bafarawa, former governor of Sokoto State, stated this in an interview with journalists in Bauchi on Sunday.

Two aspirants come from Sokoto my home state, the present Governor, Aminu Tambuwal and me, Attahiru Bafarawa,

That is not a problem at all because we the aspirants pledged that whoever emerged the candidate, we will all support him as our presidential candidate.

Bafarawa said what the aspirants wanted was to rescue Nigeria from All Progressives Congress (APC).

I am a democrat and therefore ready to support any aspirant who emerges as the partys flag-bearer in order to move the country forward.

We all, however, need to be screened before the final decision on the partys candidate is taken.

I am not into politics to make money but to serve and I remain the best among the aspirants with 8 years experience as Governor of Sokoto State.According to Massoel Shipping, the ship's operator, pirates boarded the ship and abducted the crew around 45 nautical miles south west of Bonny Island.

"It is understood the pirate gang boarded the Glarus by means of long ladders and cut the razor wire on deck to gain access to the vessel and eventually the bridge.

"Having destroyed much of the vessel's communications equipment, the criminal gang departed, taking 12 of the 19 crew complement as hostage.

"The company is working with the authorities and specialists to secure the speedy and safe release of those being held," Massoel'sstatement read.

While Massoel Shipping refused to reveal the nationality of the abducted victims, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has disclosed that seven of them are from the Philippines while the other five are nationalities of Slovenia, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia and Bosnia.

In a statement signed by the agency's Head, Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standards Department, Sunday Umoren, on Sunday, September 23, the victims are still missing.

Kidnapping foreigners for ransom in Nigeria is commonplace especially in the Niger Delta region and officials expect that a ransom demand will be made soon.

Massoel hires team to secure abducted crew's freedom

According to the Slovenian foreign ministry, Massoel has engaged a team to secure the release of the 12 kidnap victims.

In a brief statement on Monday, September 24, the ministry said, "Massoel Shipping has engaged a professionally qualified team authorised to handle the matter."The work stoppage  as well as the picketers loud chanting and pot-clanging in front of some of the citys largest hotels  comes at a busy time for Chicago tourism. The city had a record 55.2 million visitors last year, according to the mayors office, and hotel room revenue in the central business district was up 11 percent through August of this year compared with the same period last year, according to hotel data specialist STR.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is getting a lot of attention from American media outlets during her visit to the United Nations in New York.

Her stopover will be punctuated with media interviews on some of America's biggest talk shows, with appearances on The Today Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and on CNN.

Newshub political editor Tova O'Brien is with her in New York and said Ms Ardern is being very warmly welcomed to the city.

"Theres a lot of interest around Jacinda Ardern, only the second world leader to give birth while in office  thats very much at a focus of moderators and panels, and questions from crowds," she told RadioLIVE Drive.

"A lot of attention on the Prime Minister where perhaps New Zealand wouldnt normally get quite as much.

Ms Ardern will speak at a United Nations climate change event on Monday night (NZ time).

The AM Show host Duncan Garner said on Monday that Ms Ardern is "very much going to be a new squeezy toy in the toy shop."



"They're all going to want to touch her and meet her and shake hands and 'aw where's the baby'," he said



Listen to the ful interview with Tova O'Brien above.

Drive with Ryan Bridge and Lisa Owen, 3pm - 6pm Weekdays and streaming live on 'rova' channel 9 - available on Android and iPhone.

RadioLIVE.The pilot of missing airplane MH370 showed self-destructive and obsessive behaviour that Malaysia Airlines should have paid more attention to, a new investigation has found.

Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah was pilot-in-command of the flight which vanished on March 8, 2014 with 239 people on board. It was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it disappeared.

Malaysian authorities have ruled out a theory that Captain Shah hijacked the flight as a political protest.

But a News Corp investigation has revealed the bizarre social media behaviour of Captain Shah in the months before the plane went missing, seeming to support that theory.

Geoffrey Thomas, Airline Ratings editor in chief, says the 53-year-old posted rants on his Facebook page against the Malaysian government which owns Malaysia Airlines.

He was very vocal in his anti-Government comments, Mr Thomas told RadioLIVEs Wendyl Nissen.

Shah once called then Prime Minister Najib Razak a "moron", and posted 119 anti-government comments over the course of one month in 2013.

He was also a supporter of the Malaysia People's Justice Party, and was distantly related to the party's leader, who was jailed for sodomy in 2015.

In addition to airing his fiery political views, Shah - who was married - used Facebook to contact women much younger than him.

Malaysia's final report into the crash was released in July 2018, and did not mention Shah's Facebook activity.

Mr Thomas believes Malaysian authorities have portrayed Shah as a good family man who was happily married with no issues to be concerned about.

And they have exonerated him of any wrongdoing in the loss of the aeroplane [] and clearly that is a whitewash, Mr Thomas said.

Listen to the full interview with Geoffrey Thomas above.

The Long Lunch with Wendyl Nissen, 12pm - 3pm on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the rova app on Android and iPhone.

RadioLIVE.Kiwi shark scientist Riley Elliott talks to Wendyl Nissen about the killing of four tiger sharks in the wake of two attacks in North Queenslands Whitsundays and why Australia needs to "pull its head in" when it comes to it's treatment of sharks.

He says tiger sharks are typically shy and attacks are usually investigatory bites.The biggest road block most people encounter when they try to get ahead is they find theres not enough money coming in the door. But how do you fix cashflow issues?

You could get a higher paying job, a pay rise  or you could develop a side hustle. But there are some things you need to know about side hustles to make sure theyre not just time-sucks, or tax traps.

EnableMe's Hannah McQueen has a great list of tips.Warning: John Dybvig does try to contain himself, but there are a few swear-words used in his piece, so listen to this week's Letter from America at your own risk.

John Dybvig joins Ryan Bradley to take a look at the latest news from America.



First up they take a look at judge Brett Kavanaugh, and the allegations of sexual assault that have come to light prior to his Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing.

Dybvig reckons its a "bullshit hearing.

There will be no witnesses and simply the woman, making claims and the judge. This means itll come down to he said, she said.

The women making claims wants an FBI investigation, whereas Kavanaugh has not called for one.

Then they take a look at Rod Rosenstein - who had a meeting in May 2017 in which he said should perhaps wear a wire when he speaks with Trump, in order to invoke the 25th amendment.

The memorandum stating Rosensteins allegations was leaked this week.

Were firing people like its the apprentice.

The 25th amendment is when the cabinet and congress agree that the President has gone off his rocker.

As Ryan puts it: if they havent done it yet then theyre not gonna."

And finally, Ryan and Dybvig revisit lock her up and how Trump continues to push the idea of incarcerating Hillary Clinton.

Listen to the full audio with John Dybvig above.



Weekend Variety Wireless with Ryan Bradley in for Graeme Hill, 8pm - midnight Saturdays and Sundays, on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the Rova app on Android and iPhone.

RadioLIVE.For those who may have had any doubt, one thing we have learned over the past few months is that trade wars are not easy to win. U.S.-China trade negotiations offer a perfect example -- with the latest round of negotiations, scheduled by the end of this month, postponed.

Those who think trade wars are easy to win have a misconception about why we trade. Unlike the old mercantilist world, we do not engage in trade simply to increase our exports. The principal reason we trade is to increase our imports, or at least our opportunity to import. That is the fundamental misunderstanding at the heart of the current U.S. trade strategy. It is based purely on maximizing exports, at the risk of cutting the economy, producers and consumers off from the benefits of the broader global economy.

The Trump Administration entered negotiations assuming that the large U.S. trade deficit with China gave them a lot of running room: If the U.S. is buying $350 billion worth of goods a year from China and selling less than half that, it was only a matter of time before higher tariffs forced the Chinese to run out of imports to add tariffs to, give in, and simply accept Washingtons terms. What the Trump team forgot is that other countries are not just Americas competitors. They do not simply provide a target market to which to sell. They are also Americas suppliers, providing an economy from which to buy needed goods and inputs that are essential to our living standards and ability to produce.

At a relatively early stage of the trade war last month, U.S. businesses warned the Trump Administration of how badly the U.S. economy would be hurt by tariffs, not simply because they invite retaliation, but even more importantly because they make it more costly to produce in the United States. Last month, dozens of companies voiced concerns to trade officials during hearings about the administrations planned tariffs on a wide range of Chinese goods. In fact, the length of the hearing had to be doubled to accommodate the leaders of nearly 400 companies testifying against increased tariffs on China.

The companies appearing before the government panel varied widely, by size and industry, but their concerns struck a similar theme: The United States is no longer equipped to produce many materials that they depend on for their products. The rise of global supply chains has shifted the bulk of manufacturing and production outside the United States, leaving companies no choice but to rely on foreign materials, including those from China.

Auto companies have warned that higher import duties on Chinese components are likely to cause negative pressures. Price hikes made to offset the tariffs will likely have some near-term negative impact on volumes in China. Fitbit Inc., which utilizes China-based contract manufacturers, said the latest U.S. tariffs weighed on the companys material costs. Caterpillar Inc. said U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports are expected to increase its material costs by about $100 million to $200 million in the second half of the year. The heavy machinery maker plans to offset most of the higher costs with mid-year price hikes  leaving upstream producers with little choice but to pass on the costs to consumers. GE estimates that new tariffs on its imports from China could raise its costs by $300 million to $400 million.

Moreover, even if the Trump tactics were to somehow bring China to its knees, all that would do is force U.S. companies to produce more in other countries, such as Vietnam. Honeywell International, for example, has already said it would increase the use of supply chain sources from non-Chinese countries to counter growing costs prompted by the tariff war.

All of these examples demonstrate the cost to Americas ability to compete not because of Chinas's retaliatory tariffs against the United States  but because of U.S. tariffs tariffs against China. In fact, the main advantage of free trade is the opportunity it affords to increase our scope for importing goods and services from other countries.

Because trade allows us to bring a final product to market through extensive supply chains, it further enhances our efficiency. But in order to reap those gains, we have to be able and willing to shift some production offshore  which means recognizing the value of importing.

Because trade allows us to draw on skills, talent and resources from all over the world, it accelerates the division of labor. Quite simply, when we are carrying on trade, we are not restricting ourselves to our own domestic population to produce, but also drawing on the broader global population.

Trade allows us to disseminate knowledge. The lean production methods that have revitalized the auto industry, for example, were transplanted from Japan to the United States. The mini-mills that have made the steel industry much more efficient  and fostered the growth of companies such as Nucor  were adapted to the United States based on the example of foreign producers. This kind of cross-fertilization of ideas and methodologies is possible only because we import. Exporting is a means of spreading your own innovations, but importing is the principal means to draw on others.

It comes down to this: Trade is a good thing because it forces domestic companies to compete. It does that primarily by giving U.S. producers and consumers the opportunity to import. This forces other producers to compete more intensively, lowering prices and raising quality. If U.S. steel companies were not exposed to foreign competition, they would still be the lumbering dinosaurs they once were. If auto companies maintained a virtual monopoly, they would still be focusing on planned obsolescence, rather than continuous product improvement.

Despite what the Trump Administration seems to think, importing is not a necessary cost of trade, something we have to live with in order to export more. Rather, it is a necessary ingredient of economic growth, something that allows us to live better and produce more efficiently.Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale

Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada.

Search Real Estate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!,



We're sorry, this article is not currently availableA lot goes on around Athens and UGA campus and sometimes it can be hard to keep up. From Georgia men's tennis capturing two titles to the AtheNEW HAVEN  A female classmate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has claimed through a civil rights attorney that he assaulted her and that she had been drinking at the time of the incident, The New Yorker reports.

According to The New Yorker, Deborah Ramirez has told the publication that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party and thrust his penis in her face. Ramirez studied sociology and psychology at Yale and the incident allegedly happened during the 1983-84 academic year, when Kavanaugh was a freshman, the report says.LITCHFIELD  On Sunday, October 14, the Valley Collector Car Club (VCCC), and the Litchfield Hills Historical Automobile Club (LHHAC) will collaborate with the Connecticut Junior Republic (CJR) in presenting the 6th Annual Cars for Kids Automobile Show, Sunday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the schools Litchfield campus.

Gates open at 8 a.m. for exhibitors The rain date is Sunday, Oct. 21. Exhibitor bags will be provided for the first 200 show car registrants. The first 100 exhibitors to register will also receive a dashboard plaque. Show car entries are $10 per car. More than 20 trophies and awards will be presented at approximately 2:15 p.m. Spectator admission is $5 per car.

A variety of breakfast items and a luncheon consisting of a choice of a pulled pork or breaded chicken breast sandwich plate will be served in CJRs DAssern Dining Room. A Food Court will offer a variety of foods to eat on the go, including hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, pretzels and ice cream sandwiches. The Litchfield Aid of CJR will offer home-baked cakes, cookies and other delicious items at its Bake Sale.

Union Savings Bank is the events Concours Sponsor and FM 97.3 WZBG is the Media Sponsor. This event is suitable for the entire family and a variety of activities are planned for young children, including face and pumpkin painting, a scavenger hunt, farm tours and hay rides. Proceeds from the show will benefit the Junior Republic.

Community and partnerships are so important to both Union Savings Bank and the Connecticut Junior Republic. We applaud CJR for all of their efforts in helping the youth in the communities we both serve. The Cars for Kids event is bigger and better every year and a great family event with cool cars and activities for all ages, said Rick Judd, Executive Vice President for Union Savings Bank and CJR Board member.

Joseph Greco, Chair of the Steering Committee for the Cars for Kids Automobile Show and Treasurer of the CJR Board of Directors, expressed optimism about the success of this years benefit. Last year, with the leadership of some very special friends, including Union Savings Bank and FM 97.3 WZBG, local businesses, and our sponsoring car clubs, we raised approximately $25,000 in net proceeds, he reported. Mr. Greco noted that

CJRs 2017 Car Show featured 320 show cars, nearly 650 spectators and the involvement of more than 100 volunteers, including CJR students and staff. This year we are hoping for even more exhibitors, he said.

Both the Litchfield Hills Historical Automobile Club and the Valley Collector Car Club are non-profit groups dedicated to the appreciation and preservation of classic automobiles and to supporting charities in the community.

This show welcomes antiques, muscle cars, trucks, custom cars, exotics and street rods, and we hope to have at least 350 exhibitors this year, said Glenn Royals, President of the Litchfield Hills Historical Automobile Club.

Richard Dabrowski, President of the Simsbury-based Valley Collector Car Club is optimistic that the 2018 benefit will be a success. The setting and the amenities make this show a destination event, and one that our Club is very pleased to take a leadership role in supporting, he noted.

According to CJR Executive Director Daniel Rezende, the Cars for Kids Automobile Show will include the participation of students from several of CJRs program locations. Young people from our Litchfield campus and community programs look forward to preparing and serving lunch, assisting with tours and other parts of the show, he said. We are very grateful for all the support we receive from the community, said Mr. Rezende. This show is an increasingly significant fundraiser and an important vehicle for showcasing the work of the Junior Republic, he stated.

For further information, contact Hedy Barton, Director of Development and Public Relations (860) 567-9423, extension 252; or by email: hbarton@cjryouth.orgMarz Brewing, the beer-making offshoot of the Bridgeport family of businesses that includes Maria's Packaged Goods and Community Bar and Polish-Korean restaurant Kimski, released its first nonalcoholic canned beverage Wednesday, a coffee in collaboration with Dark Matter Coffee. The Jungle Boogie coffee ($5 per can, $16 per four-pack) infuses rooibos herbal tea and fruity mosaic hops with a blend of coffee beans. It will inevitably be confused with the Marz pale wheat ale beer by the same name.Donegan was growing weary of the ongoing whisper network shared by women in every industry, she wrote, and at its inception, she wrongly believed the focus would be on the behavior described in the document, rather than on the document itself. Critics called it irresponsible, as the reputations of more than 70 men in the industry were at stake when anonymous accusations were made without any accountability. Donegan apologized in The Cut editorial, and recognized the flaws of the effort. But her actions may have inspired more anonymous lists to be shared in other cities, industries and scenes.China's government appears to be stifling investment in the country's economy as it tries to steer funding into preferred sectors for growth.

In a Sept. 6 report, the official Xinhua news agency highlighted the double-digit rise of investment in fixed assets like buildings and machinery since 1978, the start of China's "opening-up" reforms.

From 1981 through 2017, China recorded 490 trillion yuan (U.S. $71.4 trillion) in fixed asset investment (FAI) with average annual growth of 20.2 percent, according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data.

The contribution of FAI to China's gross domestic product peaked at 48 percent in 2011 before settling down to 44.4 percent last year as the country's focus shifted to consumption from "over-reliance on investment and exports," Xinhua said.

What the article doesn't say is that FAI growth has declined sharply and defied government efforts to revive it at a time when GDP growth has edged down and the economy faces pressure from abroad.

Investment growth has slowed from 10 percent in 2015 to 7.2 percent last year and 5.3 percent in the first eight months of 2018.

The latest rate is a record low since at least 1995, the Financial Times reported.

The government has noted the particular weakening of infrastructure investment as eight-month growth slipped to 4.2 percent from 19.8 percent in the year-earlier period.

In the first half of the year, the number of new infrastructure projects fell 0.81 percent while the investment value plunged 33.5 percent, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said.

The infrastructure falloff has been all the more remarkable because it has taken place in a sector that the government has traditionally controlled.

In July, the NDRC planning agency announced that it would supervise "all phases of (FAI) projects by local governments" following reports that local authorities were reluctant to proceed due to crackdowns on financial risk ordered by the central government.

While investment in expressways climbed 12.8 percent in the first six months, construction of rural roads rose only 1.8 percent, the Ministry of Transport said.

Premier Li Keqiang called for accelerating infrastructure projects, singling out construction of the Sichuan-Tibet railway, as the cabinet-level State Council called for more stimulus spending to spur the economy.

In July, the government also announced a pilot program to establish "special-purpose companies" under state ownership to push state capital investment.

The NDRC issued an FAI monitoring report seeking to highlight investment opportunities, citing 459,000 new proposed investment projects.

Reviving private investment

But while the number of projects rose 23.3 percent in the first half, investment in the projects, valued at 73.1 trillion yuan (U.S. $10.6 trillion), increased by only 6.9 percent, the official English-language China Daily said.

The government has claimed some success in reviving the growth of private investment, which rose 6 percent last year and 8.7 percent in the first eight months of 2018.

According to the official reckoning, private investment accounts for about 60 percent of GDP and more than 80 percent of urban jobs. Private investment rose 3.2 percent in 2016 and 10 percent in 2015, the NBS said.

State media reports suggest that private investment has been held back by suspicions that local governments have been using it as a back-door source of finance, adding to debt obligations.

Most recently, the NDRC has promised to take "further measures" to promote private investment such as easing market access while trying to steer it into preferred sectors, including new airports and aviation services.

Last month, the NDRC published a list of 28 civil aviation projects valued at 110 billion yuan (U.S. $16 billion), encouraging private investors to participate, Xinhua said.

The opening for investment may represent a fraction of the sector's opportunities. China has 232 airports for civil aviation, with 32 serving 10 million or more passengers annually, the China Civil Airports Association said.

The government also plans to lower restrictions for private investment in infrastructure, public services, elder care and health care, an NDRC spokesman said on Sept. 6. Officials have made many similar promises in the past.

But government probes of private investment have competed with the incentives to encourage it, turning the net effect into a mixed bag.

Official suspicions have weighed heavily on public-private partnership (PPP) projects, despite a big push for the investments in 2014.

Earlier this month, a Ministry of Finance (MOF) office publicized figures for PPP projects indicating that a surprisingly large number had been shut down before they got off the ground.

As of August, 7,867 PPP projects had been registered with a combined investment of 11.8 trillion yuan (U.S. $1.7 trillion), the China Public-Private Partnership Center said.

Of the total, 3,812 projects had been signed and 1,762 had started construction. But 2,148 projects with investments of 2.5 trillion yuan (U.S. $364 billion) had been "eliminated" under the MOF's crackdown on "zombie" PPP projects, Xinhua reported.

Vehicles drive along a highway in Shanghai, China, Oct. 29, 2016. Credit: Associated Press The effect of cross-purposes

It is hard to estimate the effect of opposing forces and initiatives within the government, but the cross-purposes may be dampening FAI growth.

Some economists say that FAI was due to weaken in any case as China moves to its next stage of growth.

"I think China is becoming more 'normal' in terms of fixed asset investment relative to GDP. As the service sector economy becomes a larger share of GDP, fixed assets will diminish," said Gary Hufbauer, nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington.

"Conversely, R&D and technology expenditures in general will increase," he said.

Hufbauer suggested that China's investment patterns in traditional industries may be reaching a plateau.

"China has built all the steel mills the country will need for the next 50 years," Hufbauer said by email.

Other experts say the FAI growth figures tell only part of the story because so much of China's capital movement in the past was classed as investment, and much of the investment itself was unproductive.

"The 25-percent growth years were full of money movement that wasn't true investment, not to mention an enormous amount of waste," said Derek Scissors, an Asia economist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

"At five-percent growth, the waste isn't growing that fast because the central government no longer mindlessly praises spending," he said.

Scissors was asked whether the central government is helping or hurting investment growth by trying to steer it into preferred opportunities like PPP projects and airports.

"Almost surely hurting," he said. "Private money wants flexibility both with regard to the initial project and with regard to exiting early if that becomes the best choice at some point."

"The government setting priorities only makes that more difficult," Scissors said.Christians in China gave mixed reactions to an agreement reached over the weekend between the ruling Chinese Communist Party and the Vatican over the appointment of bishops, amid warnings that religious repression would likely intensify on unofficial churches.



The controversial deal eliminates the division between bishops and churches recognized by the government-backed Catholic Patriotic Association and those appointed by Rome, which will likely result in an expansion of the Catholic Church in China.



But rights groups and leading Catholics have warned that religious persecution continues unabated under the administration of President Xi Jinping amid heavy-handed controls by religious affairs officials.



Under the agreement, Rome will now recognize seven bishops appointed by the Chinese state, and the agreement sees the founding of a new Catholic diocese in Chengde, in the northern province of Hebei.



Guo Jincai, government-appointed bishop of Chengde, is now official recognized by the Holy See, along with the bishop of Shantou, Huang Bingzhang, the bishop of Jidong, Zhan Silu, and Le Shiyin, the bishop of Leshan.



Bishop Liu Xinhong of Anhui, Ma Yinglin of Kunming, and Yue Fusheng of Heilongjiang are now also recognized by the Vatican.



A member of an unofficial Catholic church who asked to remain anonymous told RFA that the deal would certainly alleviate tensions over Beijing's appointment of unapproved bishops.



But he also sees it as the beginning of the end for the underground Catholic church in China.



"Gradually, all of the dioceses will come under the effective control of red bishops," the church member said.



Keeps ties with Taiwan



Under the terms of the interim agreement, the Vatican may express opinions on the appointment of Chinese bishops, but the agreement reiterates that the Holy See will retain its diplomatic relationship with the democratic Republic of China government on Taiwan.



The Vatican broke off diplomatic relations with China in 1951, and Sino-Vatican relations have improved in recent years. However, the two sides have been plagued by disagreements over the appointment of bishops.



The representatives of the two countries have held many consultations this year and even reached an agreement.



Han Yingjin, bishop of Sanyuan in the northern province of Shaanxi, said the deal could improve morale among Chinese Catholics, and is "of great significance."



But he added: "We shouldn't idealize it, because that would be unrealistic. Rather, this is a solution that everyone feels is acceptable ... and which is a workable solution to practical problems."



Han said he believes that the day will come when Beijing establishes formal diplomatic ties with the Vatican.



"I think it will be a bit easier for China-Vatican ties to happen now, because China always saw this as a matter of sovereignty," he said. "But the Vatican's appointment of bishops can't be contested, and that's not up for negotiation."



"For them to have reached agreement on this makes the other issues look easier to manage," Han said.



Doubts about the deal



But Jin Mingri, pastor of Beijing's Zion Church, which was recently shut down in a police raid, said he has reservations about the deal.



"I am a bit cautious about this, especially now that the Chinese government is really promoting ideology and suppressing religious practices," Jin told RFA. "But I will reserve judgement about whether it is appropriate."



He said all religious believers in China are under pressure, as the ruling party seeks to stamp its supreme authority on all areas of life.



"Everyone is under pressure right now," he said. "The Chinese government has never recognized the underground Catholic church."



But a Beijing-based Catholic surnamed Li said she was very happy with the agreement.



"Everyones long-cherished wish is the normalization of Sino-Vatican ties," Li said. "Then we can allow more people to join the church, and get on with their lives."



Taiwan's foreign ministry said the deal wouldn't affect diplomatic ties with the Vatican, which is Taiwan's last-remaining diplomatic partner in Europe, the island's Central News Agency reported.



Taiwan will continue to strengthen its relationship with the Vatican in fields like humanitarian relief, environmental protection, inter-religious dialogue, and education, including sending a delegation to Rome next month for the canonization of Pope Paul VI, the ministry said.



Subordinate to the Party



Beijing asserts that all religions are subordinate to the Chinese Communist Party within China's borders, and that religious believers must "be subordinate to and serve the overall interests of the nation and the Chinese people ... and support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party."



Officially an atheist country, China has an army of officials whose job is to watch over faith-based activities, which have spread rapidly in recent decades.



Party officials are put in charge of Catholics, Buddhists, Taoists, Muslims, and Protestants. Judaism isn't recognized, and worship in non-recognized temples, churches, or mosques is against the law.



Earlier this year, a group of leading Catholics in Hong Kong and the U.S. strongly criticized the rapprochement between Beijing and the Holy See, citing church articles as saying that the right to nominate and appoint bishops belongs only to the Church, and not to any secular body.



Reported by Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Gao Feng for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.Hong Kong on Monday formally banned a pro-independence political party, in a move strongly criticized by rights groups and pro-democracy politicians for curbing freedom of speech in the city.



Using colonial-era legislation once used to target "triad" criminal gangs in the city, Hong Kong's secretary for security John Lee announced the move in a formal notice via the government's legislative gazette.



"I hereby order that the operation or continued operation of the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) in Hong Kong be prohibited," the statement said, taking immediate effect from Monday.



The move comes after Hong Kong police said the HKNP and its leader Chan Ho-tin, also known as Andy Chan, posed an "imminent threat" to Chinas territorial integrity and national security, because Chan had refused to rule out the use of force or civil disobedience.



Police gathered more than 700 documents as "evidence" that the party's aims of building a republic of Hong Kong and abolishing its mini-constitution, the Basic Law, are in violation of its first principle; that Hong Kong is an administrative region of the People's Republic of China.



Police listed Chan's pro-independence activities, which include "infiltrating" secondary schools via his party's "political enlightenment" program, publishing articles, taking part in elections to the Legislative Council (LegCo), and various fund-raising and campaigning activities on the streets of Hong Kong.



Chan said he believes the banning of the party proves his point, however.



"I hope people will now realize that there are only two choices: to become a municipality under the direct control of Beijing, or independence for Hong Kong," Chan said. "I would choose independence for Hong Kong."



"People will only look for another solution when they realize that 'one country, two systems' isn't working," Chan said, in a reference to the formula agreed for Hong Kong's 1997 handover to Chinese rule that promised the city a "high degree of autonomy."



Storm of criticism



The banning of the HKNP prompted a storm of criticism from pro-democracy politicians and rights groups on Monday.



Civic Party lawmaker Alvin Yeung said that while he had no time for the HKNP's pro-independence platform, the government had no business interfering in political opinion.



"The Civic Party doesn't support the idea of independence for Hong Kong, or the main aims of the HKNP, but that doesn't mean that the government has the right to abolish a political party ... under free speech protections in the Basic Law," Yeung told RFA.



"A civilized society uses incentives, and its institutions, to win people's trust and confidence, not the suppression of opinion," he said.



Democratic Party lawmaker Au Nok-hin said the government's definition of "harming state security" is too broad and vague.



"How much has the HKNP harmed state security through its actions?" Au said. "This is really very subjective, and if we use ... that definition, then I think many other groups in Hong Kong could be sanctioned because of something they said."



The rights group Hong Kong Watch said the ban on the HKNP is "a clear breach" of the promises made by the ruling Chinese Communist Party in the handover agreement.



"The unprecedented step to ban an obscure party which had expressed opposition to the government, but not sought to enact that with violent actions, is an abuse of the law which could have further repercussions if applied to other parties," the group said in a statement on its website.



"The banning of the Hong Kong National Party is another example of the Hong Kong government appropriating vague and anachronistic colonial legislation to curtail basic rights and freedoms," it said.



It said the Societies Ordinance was created to target triad gangs and was only used in political situations where groups were planning to overthrow the government "through violent means."



It called on the Hong Kong government to overturn the ban, so as to meet Hong Kong's commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.



Reported by Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.Adil Abduqadir, an ethnic Uyghur living in exile, left his home in Hotan (in Chinese, Hetian) prefecture, in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), for Turkey with his wife in March last year to avoid a forced abortion because she was pregnant with their fifth child, in violation of the countrys family planning policy. A month later, authorities in the XUAR began jailing and detaining Uyghurs accused of harboring strong religious views and politically incorrect ideas in political re-education camps throughout the region, where members of the ethnic group have long complained of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule. When Abduqadir learned of the new policy in the XUAR, he chose not to return home, where he and his wife were likely to face persecution and arrest.



In a recent interview, Abduqadir told RFAs Uyghur Service that since he left China, his mother was handed a 10-year jail sentence, his older brother was imprisoned for five and a half years, and his four other children were sent to Hotans so-called Loving Heart Kindergarten for Uyghur youth whose guardians have been detained, which they are not free to leave. He has since established a campaign to free his children and those of other Uyghurs in the XUAR, noting that mass incarcerations have made the destruction of families an all too common occurrence in the region.



Abduqadir: I decided to go with my wife to Istanbul in March 2017 because in our country it is illegal to have more than two children. I already had four children [for which I had to bribe local officials] and my wife was pregnant with our fifth child. In my region it is usually extremely difficult to obtain a passport, even on some occasions after spending 100,000 yuan (U.S. $14,570). But suddenly [in 2016] the government issued a notice ordering all households to apply for passports at the cost of 200 yuan (U.S. $29), and the authorities issued them to nearly everyoneeven those who had black marks against their name. During that period, I obtained a passport for my wife.



Last year, we heard that the government was going to confiscate all the passports  My wife, who was pregnant at the time, was frightened to go outside in Hoten because of the risk of being forced to have an abortion, so we went to [the XUAR capital] Urumqi, where were we had an apartment, and lived there. But we were constantly watched by the cadres from the neighborhood committee, which made us very nervous, as we knew that if they found out my wife was pregnant they would force her to have an injection that would cause her to lose the baby. When we heard that they were going to recall the passports, we made the decision to leave the country. We decided to go to Turkey for my wife to have the baby, who we would leave with relatives there before returning home.



I was married once before and [after we arrived in Turkey] my ex-wife  was given a 20-year prison sentence for having studied the Quran, although it was through a legally approved religious establishment and not under the tutelage of a prohibited underground imam. Not long after that, my elder brother was imprisoned for five and a half years. I was in contact with my mother on [the messaging app] WeChat at the time, and my mother informed me about everything that was happening.



The Loving Heart Kindergarten in Hotan, in a 2018 photo. Credit: RFA Forced relocation



My mother and my children were living in my apartment in Urumqi, with my children attending a nursery school nearby. We were paying all the costs. We actually had moved all of our hukou [residency] registrations to UrumqiI own properties in the city and my wife and all of my children had Urumqi residency permits. My mother later told me that local officials had ordered her and my children to return to Hotan, since they are originally from there. On the day she left Urumqi, she left a voice message for me saying that my children had been forced to leave their nursery school and she was returning to Hotan with them. I still have that message on my phone.



Soon after arriving in Hotan, my mother was detained. My four childrenaged three to eightalong with my sisters child, were left on their own for 24 hours after my mother was taken into custody. I then received news that my mother had been sentenced to 10 years in prison. I didn't believe it, but later I was able to confirm that she was among 11 elderly women who were sentenced together. They were all of a similar age and had retired from working for the government. Their crime was that they had once been government employees, but took part in the Hajj [Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca]. My mother went for Hajj 16 years ago, after receiving permission from the government at that time. The 11 elderly women who were sent to prison together were also accused of harboring radical religious views because they prayed at home.



My children were taken to the so-called Loving Heart Kindergarten. I have two photos of my children: one was taken before they were brought to the orphanage, and the other was taken after they were placed there. You can see for yourself the difference. [The photos] were taken only 15 days apart  [but in the second photo] their faces are covered with a skin rash. My wife became severely depressed after seeing that photo. She cried all night long and then was no longer the same person. It has been over a year that she is suffering from depression and anxiety. And apart from my family matters, I had to forfeit a 50 million yuan (U.S. $7.3 million) business, which I cannot return to. The situation in our country is beyond inhumane.



Reported by Erkin Tarim for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by RFAs Uyghur Service.A Vietnamese citizen active on Facebook was sentenced on Monday by a court in Can Tho province to a two year and three month prison term for abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State, state media reported on Sept. 24.



Doan Khanh Vinh Quang, who used the name Quang Doan online and was arrested on Sept. 1, had posted comments on his page described by authorities as having offended Vietnams ruling Communist Party and government.



Police had also discovered two flags of the former South Vietnam, defeated by the North in 1975, during a search of his house, authorities said, adding that Doan was also accused of having incited demonstrators during a mass protest in Can Tho on June 10.



On June 9 and 10, protests rocked major Vietnamese cities including Hanoi and Saigon, also called Ho Chi Minh City, as demonstrators challenged government plans to grant long-term leases for foreign companies operating in special economic zones (SEZs) and the adoption of a controversial cybersecurity law.



The protests prompted clashes with police that saw demonstrators beaten and an unknown number detained.



Two other Can Tho residents active on Facebook were meanwhile sentenced on Sept. 22 for defaming Vietnams Communist Party and State online, with Nguyen Hong Nguyen receiving a two-year term and Truong Dinh Khang receiving a one-year term, media sources said.



Vietnam, with a population of 92 million people, of which 55 million are estimated to be users of Facebook, has been consistently rated "not free" in the areas of internet and press freedom by Freedom House, a U.S.-based watchdog group.



Dissent is not tolerated in the communist nation and authorities routinely use a set of vague provisions in the penal code to detain dozens of writers and bloggers.



Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by An Nguyen. Written in English by Richard Finney.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he expects to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York amid concerns expressed by Washington over Moscow's plans to supply Syria with the S-300 surface-to-air missile system.

Pompeo made the remarks on September 24, just hours after Russia announced that it was supplying the S-300 missile system to improve Syria's defenses and help prevent a repeat of the downing of a Russian warplane by Syrian forces a week ago.

Anticipating a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, which opens on September 25, Pompeo said "Im sure Sergei and I will have our time together."

"We are trying to find every place we can where there is common ground, where we can work with the Russians," Pompeo said, adding that Washington will hold Moscow "accountable" for many areas where Russia is working against the United States.

U.S. national-security adviser John Bolton said on September 24 that Russia's decision to deploy the advanced antiaircraft missiles to Syria was a "major mistake" and a "significant escalation" in Syrias seven-year war.

Bolton also said U.S. troops will not leave Syria until Iranian forces leave.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on September 24 that Moscow will deliver the S-300 within two weeks and will provide Syrian government forces with updated automated systems for its air-defense network.

This will improve Syrian air-defense operations and "most important, the identification of all Russian aircraft by Syrian air-defense systems will be guaranteed," Shoigu said.

Syrian government forces shot a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane down off the northwestern province of Latakia on September 17, killing all 15 servicemen aboard.

Shoigu's ministry angrily blamed Israel, accusing the country's military of using the Russian plane as a cover to dodge Syrian air-defense systems.

President Vladimir Putin took a softer approach, saying last week that the shoot-down appeared to be the result of a "chain of tragic accidental circumstances."

But Putin announced that Russia would take visible measures to protect Russian military personnel in Syria.

In a statement on September 24, the Kremlin said that Putin told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of the decision during a telephone conversation initiated by Assad.

Putin "informed [Assad] about the decision to take a number of additional measures with the aim of providing for the security of Russian forces in Syria and strengthening the country's air defense,

including the delivery of a modern S-300 air-defense missile complex to Syria," the statement said.

Russia has given Assad crucial support throughout the war in Syria, which began with a government crackdown on protesters in March 2011.

Moscow helped protect Assad from possible defeat and turn the tide of the war in his favor by launching a campaign of air strikes in 2015 and stepping up its military presence on the ground.

Much of Syria's air-defense network has been provided by Russia but consists of weapons that are older and less effective than the S-300.



Russia suspended the supply of an S-300 system at an earlier stage in the war, amid Israeli concerns that it could be used against it.



Shoigu said that "the situation has changed, and it's not our fault," adding that the supply of an S-300 would "calm down some hotheads" whose actions "pose a threat to our troops."



Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that Russia's decision to deliver an S-300 was not targeted against anyone and was aimed solely to protect Russian troops in Syria.



The reconnaissance plane's downing "was indeed preceded by a chain of tragic accidents," Peskov said, but this chain was set in motion "largely by the deliberate actions of Israeli pilots."



Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that supplying S-300s to Syria is Russia's "right" and voiced confidence that this would not hurt Russian ties with Israel.

With reporting by RIA Novosti and ReutersBy the 1970s the Western genre had fallen into facetiousness and couldnt get up. (Thats a generalization, but Ill go with it.) At its most antic, The Sisters Brothers recalls such 70s follies as The Missouri Breaks in its reverence for creative actors given all the room in the world to establish a rapport. Reilly and Phoenix make for the best possible screen company under the materials half-kidding, half-serious circumstances. These saddlesore Sancho Panzas, as Robbie Collin put it in the London Telegraph, also suggest a Wild West riff on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, with Eli and Charlie wondering where they fit into the story pulling them forward.Thousands gathered in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz for the funeral of victims of an attack on a military parade which claimed at least 25 lives. The deputy head of the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) addressed the crowds, which chanted "Death to America."Thousands of people have gathered in the streets of the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz to mourn the victims of an attack on a military parade that killed at least 25 people and wounded dozens.

At a September 24 ceremony attended by soldiers, clerics, and officials, mourners carried the coffins of victims wrapped in the national flag, as well as pictures of the dead and banners bearing slogans such as "No to terrorism."

Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated accusations against the United States and other countries that have tense ties with Tehran, and said that Iran would "severely punish" those behind the attack.

"Based on reports, this cowardly act was done by people who the Americans come to help when they are trapped in Syria and Iraq, and are paid by Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E.," Khamenei was quoted as saying on his official website.

At the ceremony in Ahvaz, some mourners chanted "death to Israel and America." The United States has condemned the attack.

Trucks were seen spraying water onto the crowd as temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius.

Authorities declared a national day of mourning, and public offices, banks, schools, and universities will remain closed in Khuzestan Province.

Iranian state media reported that four gunmen dressed in military uniforms opened fire during a September 22 parade in Ahvaz marking the start of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

State media said the four attackers were dead.

The victims of the assault included civilians and members of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

One of the victims was a 4-year-old child.

This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing. Click to reveal This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing - Click to reveal Iranian boys hold images of one of the victims, 4-year-old Mohammad Taha Eghdami, during a public funeral ceremony for those killed in the attack in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz on September 24.

The September 24 ceremony took place on a central square in front of Sarallah Mosque and kicked off with speeches by security officials.

Mourners, mostly wearing black, beat their chests in unison, a traditional mourning practice of Shi'a, as a religious chanter sang songs of lamentation.

The coffins were later transported to the city cemetery and laid to rest.

In his address, IRGC deputy head Hossein Salami reiterated accusations against the United States and Israel and warned the two countries to expect a "crushing and devastating" response from Tehran.

Intelligence Minister Mahmud Alavi told the crowd that arrests have been made in connection with the attack.

"The terrorists themselves have perished, our agents will identify their remnants and supporters to the last man. A major part of them have already been arrested," Alavi said. He gave no number or details.

Two groups have claimed responsibility for the attack: the ethnic Arab antigovernment Ahvaz National Resistance and the extremist group Islamic State (IS).

A video released by the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency showed three men in a vehicle who appear to be dressed in IRGC uniforms. The men did not identify themselves as IS members but said they were on their way to carry out an attack on an Iranian military parade.

President Hassan Rohani and other Iranian leaders blamed the Arab separatist group for the terrorist attack and accused the United States, Israel, and Gulf Arab monarchies of backing it.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said late on September 22 that the United States "condemns all acts of terrorism and the loss of any innocent lives."

"We stand with the Iranian people against the scourge of radical Islamic terrorism and express our sympathy to them at this terrible time," Nauert said.

A senior United Arab Emirates official called the accusations "baseless."

Responding to Rohanis accusations, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, told the BBC that Iran should "look in the mirror" for the causes of the attack, saying that Iran had "oppressed its people for a long time.

Rohani and U.S. President Donald Trump are both attending the UN General Assembly in New York this week.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and APIn Macedonia's shadowy "fake news" industry, it seems that what goes around comes around.

As 1.8 million eligible voters in that Balkan state mull their options in a September 30 referendum on changing the country's name to end a long dispute with Greece, the country that found itself accused of helping flood U.S. voters with bogus stories in the 2016 presidential election that brought Donald Trump to power is itself awash in a social-media influence campaign.

"Boycott the referendum." "Don't destroy Macedonia." "Zaev is a traitor." Those are just some of the messages analysts say are circulating on fake social-media profiles in a bid by opponents of the "yes" vote encouraged by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev that could open the door to NATO and European Union membership.

"The boycott campaign is not coordinated by a dominant political party, but it is being advanced by multiple actors without central control, making such fake news sites promoting them more important. In addition, the issue is highly polarizing, and thus invites such 'reporting,'" Florian Bieber, a professor of Southeast European studies at the University of Graz in Austria, told RFE/RL.

Western officials have repeatedly warned of Russian efforts to discourage EU and NATO ambitions within the former Eastern Bloc, including through Internet trolling and other tools of "hybrid warfare."

But no smoking cyberguns have emerged to implicate Moscow in the current Macedonian debate.

Sensitive Topic

The name dispute between Macedonia and Greece dates back to 1991, when Macedonia peacefully broke away from Yugoslavia.

Greece says the name Macedonia implies territorial and cultural claims on the northern Greek region of the same name. Greece, an EU and NATO member, has cited the dispute to veto Macedonia's bids to join the two organizations.

Athens and Skopje recently hammered out a tentative compromise to end decades of squabbling if Macedonia adopts the name Republic of North Macedonia.

"A clear majority of [Macedonian] citizens want EU and NATO membership," Bieber said. "The agreement is the only way to get there."

Not many Macedonians are happy about the name change, but most say they accept it because of the bounty it is expected bring through deeper Euro-Atlantic integration.

The topic is so sensitive that the referendum question doesn't even mention the new name.

That has provided even more fodder for opponents eager to exploit social media to sway public opinion, just as dubious "news sites" and anonymous social media accounts did in the run-up to the U.S. elections in 2016 when Macedonia achieved cult status for the dozens of rumor-mongering websites registered there.

As with the U.S. election campaign, some suspect Russia is at the heart of the disinformation drive.

Prime Minister Zaev has said that he has seen no evidence of Russian interference.

But U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said ahead of a visit to Macedonia on September 17 that Russia was attempting to use its money and influence to build opposition to this weekend's referendum.

"No doubt that they have transferred money and they are also conducting broader influence campaigns," Mattis told reporters traveling with him to Skopje. Mattis said it was unclear how effective Moscow's alleged efforts to defeat the referendum had been.

But Marko Trosanovski, a communications and marketing expert from the Institute for Democracy think tank, warned this month that the scope of the misinformation "war" aimed at manipulating opinion was intensifying.

"The purpose of these messages is to sow fear and tug on emotional heartstrings, making the audience easy prey to any manipulation," Trosanovski said.

During the U.S. election campaign, many younger Macedonians, apparently driven by financial gain more than any political ideology, were instrumental in disseminating misinformation.

Typically, they would set up websites and trawl the Internet for especially divisive articles, which they would then reproduce as well as sharing the link on Facebook groups.

The reward was clicks on the pseudo-news websites they had set up, which were monetized through the traffic generated for the ads on those websites. Given that the average monthly wage in Macedonia is under $400, even small websites could provide a healthy income.

Media Literacy

Macedonian media reports claim that about 40 new profiles are being created on Facebook every day with the sole aim of encouraging people to boycott the referendum.

Those sites include Kolozeg.info and Infomax.mk, along with Facebook profiles linking to groups urging a boycott using the hashtag #bojkotiram.

Macedonian law requires more than 50 percent participation among the country's 1.8 million voters to make a referendum valid, so a campaign aimed at suppressing turnout could be the most effective way to scupper the vote, which even President George Ivanov says he won't participate in.

"Even with the adoption of the harmful Greek treaty and [relevant] constitutional amendments, membership in NATO and the European Union will not come automatically," Ivanov said in a speech to Macedonia's diaspora in the U.S. city of Detroit on September 22.

Such websites appeared to find a large and eager audience in the United States, and look to have just as accepting a market at home.

A recent survey by the Open Society Institute in Sofia suggested Macedonians may be more susceptible to such manipulation than their European neighbors.

The report said Macedonia ranked last among 35 European nations in media literacy, meaning it was the most-susceptible country to "fake news" in the survey.

"The Balkan countries are most vulnerable to the adverse effects of fake news and post-truth, with controlled media, deficiencies in education and lower trust in society," the report said.CHISINAU -- The Moldovan Constitutional Court has suspended the powers of the country's Russia-friendly president amid a standoff over ministerial appointments with his opponents in Chisinau's pro-Western government.

The court ruled on September 24 that President Igor Dodons powers be suspended because he failed to approve the candidates put forward by Prime Minister Pavel Filips for the minister of health care, social protection, and family, and the minister of agriculture, regional development, and environmental protection.

With Dodon suspended, the parliament speaker or Filip will be able to sign the decrees appointing the two ministers.

Dodon's spokesman, Maksim Lebedinschi, accused the Constitutional Court of being an "instrument in the political fight."

Under Moldovan law, the president is allowed to turn down a nominee for a ministerial post proposed by the prime minister only once.

If the same candidate is nominated again, the president is obliged to endorse the appointment.

It is the fourth time that Dodon has had his presidential powers suspended for refusing to approve government-proposed candidates for ministers or promulgate laws passed by parliament.

Dodon is frequently at odds with Filip and his government, which favors closer ties with the EU and the United States.

With reporting by APRussian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has been sentenced to 20 days in jail for organizing an opposition protest in a new court ruling on September 24, the day he was freed after spending a month behind bars, his spokeswoman said.



"Twenty days," Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on Twitter, in reference to the 20 additional days he will spend behind bars for allegedly violating legislation restricting public gatherings.



Navalny's associate, Leonid Volkov, said that he was taken to a police station in Moscow as he walked out of a detention center on the morning of September 24.

"They opened the door  and put him on the bus immediately," Volkov tweeted.



German broadcaster Deutsche Welle's Russian service tweeted the video of the moment.



Navalny was taken to a Moscow police precinct and faces a hearing later in the day on an administrative charge of violating legislation on public gatherings in a way that causes damage to health or property, Yarmysh said on Twitter. He could be jailed for 20 days or fined up to 300,00 rubles ($4,500).



"The possible punishment under this article is up to 20 days, but of course this is a clear move toward fabricating a new criminal case," Volkov tweeted.

Amnesty International called Navalny "a prisoner of conscience [who] has not committed any crime."



"The Russian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release him, and fully respect his right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly," Natalia Zviagina, director of the London-based rights group's office in Russia, said in a statement.

Navalny has been handed suspended prison sentences following guilty verdicts in two financial-crimes trials he and his supporters contend were Kremlin-orchestrated efforts to punish him for his opposition activity and for reports he has published alleging corruption among President Vladimir Putin's allies.

While the suspended sentences kept him out of prison, Navalny has repeatedly been arrested and jailed for what courts have ruled were administrative offenses.

According to Yarmysh, he has spent 172 days behind bars since 2011 and 120 days since the start of his attempt to campaign for the March 2018 presidential election. Electoral authorities barred him from the ballot, citing his controversial criminal convictions, and Putin won a fourth term in the election.

In August, Navalny was detained by police in Moscow and sentenced to 30 days in jail for helping to organize a street rally in the Russian capital in January. That punishment came under a different section of the same article in Russia's Administrative Violations Code.



That demonstration in Moscow, along with similar protests in other Russian cities, drew thousands of people dismayed by the prospect of six more years under Putin, who was first elected president in 2000 and secured a fourth term in a March 2018 vote.



Navalny has said his jail sentence was designed by the authorities to prevent him from leading protests against unpopular pension reforms across the country earlier this month.



More than 1,000 people were detained nationwide during those rallies.



A vocal foe of Putin, Navalny has organized large street protests on several occasions and published a series of reports alleging corruption in Russia's ruling elite.



The government's proposal to raise the retirement age has stoked widespread anger across the country and has undermined Putins popularity.



Lawmakers are currently preparing the draft legislation for a second reading in the lower house of parliament, the State Duma.

With reporting by DWOn the second leg of his Baltic regional tour, Pope Francis urged Latvians to cherish their hard-won freedom and praised what he said was the Christian spirit that allowed their country to endure Soviet and Nazi occupations.

In a speech shortly after his arrival in Riga on September 24, the pope said that their history should remind Latvians of the importance of treasuring freedom and independence.

"You know all too well the price of that freedom, which you have had to win over and over again," he said.

On the third day of his Baltic tour, the pontiff also laid flowers at the monument to Latvian independence in Riga -- the Monument to Freedom -- and joined Lutheran and Orthodox Christian leaders at an ecumenical prayer in the capitals Lutheran Rigas Doms cathedral.

Earlier this week in neighboring Lithuania, Pope Francis honored Jews who were executed or sent to extermination camps during the three-year Nazi occupation and the Lithuanians who were deported to the gulag prison camps or were oppressed at home during five decades of Soviet occupation.

The pontiffs regional tour will also bring him to Estonia, which along with Lithuania and Latvia was part of the Russian Empire and briefly Soviet Russia before it declared independence 100 years ago.

The three Baltic countries were occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940 and by Germany between 1941 and 1944 during World War II.

They regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and joined the European Union and NATO in 2004.

According to the Vatican, around 80 percent of the Lithuanian population is Catholic.

Latvia is a primarily Lutheran country, while Estonia is largely nonreligious and has a small Catholic population of around 5,000.

John Paul II in 1993 was the only other pope to visit the three Baltic states.

With reporting by AP and ReutersKazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev signed an order recently relieving his longtime head of the presidential administration, Adilbek Jaksybekov, of his post and sending him into retirement.

Jaksybekov is 64 years old, and pension age starts at 63. But Jaksybekov has been with Nazarbaev for decades, and just 14 months ago the president extended Jaksybekov's term of state service by an additional five years.

There have been no reports suggesting that Jaksybekov is in poor health, so his abrupt exit from Kazakhstan's political scene after some 22 years is notable -- one of those situations where much more appears to be going on than meets the eye, and it might have something to with President Nazarbaev's eldest daughter, Darigha.

Jaksybekov has been one of Nazarbaev's closest confidants for those two decades; but more, Jaksybekov was a movable piece in Nazarbaev's government. Elected to the Senate in 1995 before being named first deputy governor of Aqmola Province in 1996, Jaksybekov was the mayor of Astana twice, in 1997-2003 and 2014-16; he twice headed the presidential administration, for less than a year in 2008 (when he was also vice chairman of the ruling Nur-Otan Party) and in 2016-18; he was defense minister in 2009-14; he was industry and trade minister in 2003-04; and served as Kazakhstan's ambassador to Russia in 2008-09.

'Top Manager'

In comments to RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, known locally as Azattyq, former lawmaker Zauresh Battalova described Jaksybekov as less a politician than a "top manager" -- which might explain why Jaksybekov was shuffled around so often, a trusted aide brought in to bring things back into line. His first term as mayor of Astana, for example, came just as Kazakhstan's capital was being moved from Almaty to Astana.

How does a figure like that, a righthand man of Kazakhstan's president, suddenly get rushed out, not only of office but of any government post?

Nazarbaev's eldest daughter, Darigha, is widely thought to be among Jaksybekov's powerful political opponents.

Some of that speculation stems from a purported phone call between Jaksybekov and Kazakh businessman Bulat Utemuratov in which Jaksybekov allegedly refers to blocking Darighas career. Darigha had recently divorced Rakhat Aliev, who held a number of official posts while he was married to Darigha, including deputy head of the countrys security service (KNB). Shortly after their 2007 divorce, Aliev faced serious criminal charges. He was in Austria, where he had been serving as Kazakhstans ambassador, at the time the divorce. Aliev released recordings of purported phone calls that he claimed he obtained from the KNB of his former father-in-law and other officials discussing large bribes and physical retaliation against political opponents. In one of those recordings, a voice purportedly belonging to Jaksybekov tells a voice allegedly belonging to Utemuratov of the need to prevent Darigha from rising any higher in politics.

Darigha has never publicly moved against Jaksybekov. But her youngest son, Aisultan (born 1990), posted a long commentary on his Facebook account in January 2017 in which he wrote, Most of the people in the presidents team, the majority, are professionals," but he added, "[T]here are some people who are far from the interests of the country, of the people, who have isolated themselves in their mercenary and mercantile interests. Shortly afterward Aisultan Aliev wrote, Its interesting to me personally whether the chairman of the National Bank [Daniyar] Akishev and chairman of the presidential apparatus Jaksybekov keep their seats. After all, their direct subordinates are suspected of committing grave corruption and state crimes."

Azattyq contacted a half dozen people who know Jaksybekov personally, some of whom are government officials who spoke to Azattyq on condition of anonymity. They helped paint a picture of how this long-serving official was toppled, at least for now.

Akhmetzhan Yesimov is also a longtime friend and confidant of Nazarbaev. His loyalty to the president seems beyond question, and he is said to harbor no personal political ambitions. Yesimov was the first governor of Almaty Province after Kazakhstan became independent in 1991 and served in that post until 1994. Since then, he has held the posts of deputy prime minister, state secretary, head of the presidential apparatus, chairman of the state investment committee, and agriculture minister, among other positions. Since December, Yesimov has been head of the sovereign wealth fund, Samruk-Kazyna.

Over the years, when Kazakhstan faced economic crises, Samruk-Kazyna has been used to bail out key enterprises. For example, when the oil and gas pipelines leading from Kazakhstan's offshore Kashagan field ruptured shortly after launch in September 2013 and the consortium operating the project was looking at some $3 billion in pipeline replacement costs plus some $737 million in fines for flaring sour gas at Kashagan processing plants during the time the brief time operations were under way, state oil and gas monopoly KazMunaiGaz (KMG) protected itself by quickly shedding its 16.81 percent stake in the consortium, handing over half to its subsidiary KMG Kashagan BV and the other half to Samruk-Kazyna.

The deal reportedly allows KMG to buy back the shares at exactly the amount Samruk-Kazyna and KMG Kashagan BV paid for them.

Recent Disagreement?

More recently, Samruk-Kazyna has been used to help prop up Kazakhstan's ailing banks -- some of them, at least. Those include Kazakhstan's second-largest lender, Tsesnabank, part of Tsesna Corporation, which until very recently was run by Jaksybekov's son, Dauren, and "through which his [Jaksybekov's] family owns stakes in Tsesnabank and other businesses," according to Reuters.

Yesimov and Jaksybekov seem to have fallen into disagreement lately. The cause is not clear, but in April Yesimov ordered Samruk-Kazyna to pull its assets out of Tsesnabank.

On September 20, the Kazakh National Bank announced it would buy $1.25 billion of Tsesnabank's agriculture loans to shore up the bank.

It turns out that might not have been the first time the Kazakh National Bank has helped Tsesnabank. There was a recent loan of some $400 million -- possibly arranged by Jaksybekov, possibly without Nazarbaev's knowledge; Nazarbaev found out, or some suspect he was told.

After Jaksybekov was dismissed as head of the presidential administration, he was made chairman of Tsesna Corporation, replacing his son. This is far from what could be considered punishment, and it could be that Nazarbaev is trusting Jaksybekov to once more set things in order in an ailing sector.

But then there is the chairman of KazTransGaz, Kairat Sharipbaev, a businessman who purportedly has indirect financial interests in small lenders Eximbank Kazakhstan and Qazaq Banki. The National Bank decided not to provide assistance to those two banks, and there have been reports suggesting that was at Jaksybekov's urging. In fact, the National Bank revoked the banking licenses of both those smaller banks at the end of August, reportedly over repeated violations of regulations.

Many people are unfamiliar with the name Sharipbaev; he is not a well-known figure, at least not yet. But according to the Kz.expert information website, Sharipbaev is Darigha Nazarbaeva's new husband.

Dinmuhamet Idrisov reportedly held a 9.92 percent stake in Qazaq Banki. Idrisov is a close business associate of Sharipbaev and Darigha. Idrisov is also the chairman of Ordabasy Group, which is involved in energy, chemical, and construction projects. One report says the main owner of the Ordabasy Group is Kairat Satybaldy, who is President Nazarbaevs nephew.

Several government officials have told Azattyq that Idrisov provided financial support to Aset Isekeshev, the man named to replace Jaksybekov as head of the presidential administration.

It is the second time Isekeshev has succeeded Jaksybekov in a post. Isekeshev was named Astana's mayor after Jaksybekov left that position to head the presidential administration.

Isekeshev is said by multiple sources within the government to be close to Darigha. An official from one of Kazakhstan's ministries went so far as to say this was the first time Darigha was able to get "her person" appointed as head of the presidential administration.

The person who is officially number two in the government is Senate Chairman Kasymzhomart Tokaev, and he, too, is said to be close to Darigha.

Jaksybekov has not been cast out. Few believe that, after all these years, Nazarbaev would want Jaksybekov to stray far away; he knows too much about how the government works and has worked in the past. But Jaksybekov is no longer a government official.

Nazarbaev recently marked his 78th birthday (the same age at which Uzbek President Islam Karimov died), and a change of leadership in Kazakhstan could come at any time.

Against that backdrop, Darigha Nazarbaeva appears to be strengthening her position, possibly in anticipation of that day.

*THIS PIECE HAS BEEN AMENDED SINCE ITS ORIGINAL PUBLICATION.

RFE/RL's Kazakh Service contributed to this report.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL.Two challengers have defeated pro-Kremlin candidates in gubernatorial runoffs, amid widespread anger over pension reforms backed by the ruling United Russia party and President Vladimir Putin.

In the Far Eastern Khabarovsk region in the September 23 vote, the election commission declared Sergei Furgal, a federal lawmaker from the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR), the winner over Governor Vyacheslav Shport of the United Russia party.

The election commission said that Furgal had 69.6 percent of the vote to 28 percent for Shport. Turnout was listed at 42 percent.

Meanwhile, in the Vladimir region, the election commission said that Vladimir Sipyagin of the LDPR had won the regional runoff with 57 percent of the vote, ahead of incumbent Governor Svetlana Orlova of United Russia, who had 37.5 percent.

Turnout was listed at 38.3 percent, up from 33 percent in the first round of voting on September 9.

The votes in the Khabarovsk and Vladimir regions were among four gubernatorial runoffs being held after incumbents or acting governors from United Russia failed to secure first-round victories in September 9 elections.

In another runoff, held on September 16, the Kremlin-backed candidate in the Far Eastern Primorye region surged ahead at the end of the ballot count thanks to what election observers and opposition forces call a brazenly illegal effort to manipulate the results in favor of acting Governor Andrei Tarasenko of United Russia.

The results of that ballot between Tarasenko, who met with Putin shortly before the vote, and Communist Party candidate Andrei Ishchenko have now been invalidated, with election officials citing "serious violations."

In the September 23 vote in Khabarovsk, the election teams of both candidates reported voting irregularities.

Furgal's team reportedly filed 10 complaints. One of them is related to an incident at a polling station where a man in a military uniform was photographed while filming inside a booth while a voter was inside.

Shport's supporters accused Furgal of illegal campaigning and of bribing voters.

But Shport on September 24 conceded defeat, telling reporters, "The competition was tough. You have expressed your opinion and I accept your choice," according to the TASS news agency. He also wished "success" to the newly elected governor.

Furgal edged out incumbent Shport in the first round but did not secure enough votes for an outright win.

In the Vladimir region, Orlova, the United Russia incumbent governor, beat Sipyagin by 5 points in the first round with 36.4 percent but did not receive enough to avoid the runoff.

Orlova appeared to offer voters some introspection in a video she released days before the September 23 runoff.

"It seems like I tried -- and the results werent bad. So why wasnt I able to reach many of you? You know how I answer that to myself? It means I did something wrong. I miscalculated somewhere," Orlova said.

Another gubernatorial runoff had been scheduled the same day in the Siberian region of Khakasia.

But incumbent Governor Viktor Zimin, who was appointed acting regional head by Putin in 2013 and won election later that same year, quit the race on September 21, citing poor health.

Zimin, the United Russia candidate, had finished well behind Communist candidate Valentin Konovalov in the first round of voting on September 9, trailing his challenger by more than 12 points.

The regional election commission in Khakasia on September 22 announced that the runoff would now be held on October 7.

Kremlin critics consider both the LDPR and the Communist Party pliant tools in Putin's ruling system, and they back Putin's initiatives with some frequency -- particularly on foreign policy.

But the rivalry on the regional level is very real and any LDPR or Communist victory is embarrassing for Putin and United Russia, which dominates politics nationwide.

The elections come amid widespread discontent with a Kremlin-backed plan to raise the retirement age that triggered waves of street protests and has dented Putin's approval ratings after its unveiling earlier this year.

With reporting by AP, Current Time TV, TASS, and RFE/RL's Russian ServiceThe Russian Foreign Ministry has summoned Norway's ambassador to protest the arrest of a Russian citizen outside Oslo on suspicion of spying.

Norwegian authorities said on September 23 that they had detained a Russian citizen on suspicion of illegal intelligence activities at Gardermoen airport outside the capital city on September 21.

The Norwegian News Agency reported that the man was placed in custody after a hearing at Oslo District Court on September 22 and would be held for two weeks due to the risk of destruction of evidence.

"We demanded ... the immediate lifting of the absurd charges, and his release," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on September 24.

The ministry gave the name of the arrested man as M.A. Bochkaryov.

The man is suspected of conducting illegal intelligence work after attending a seminar on digitization at the Norwegian parliament last week.

On its Facebook page, the Russian Embassy in Oslo said the detention was "based on an absurd pretext."

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said the case was not political and was "a police matter that is being investigated."

Based on reporting by Reuters and InterfaxThe White House has said that U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on September 27 in Washington after the two spoke by telephone.

The conversation between the two on September 24 came as U.S. media outlets reported that Rosenstein, who oversees the special counsel investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election, would be fired by Trump.

But White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Rosenstein and Trump "had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories" in a statement posted on Twitter on September 24.

"They will meet on (September 27) when the president returns to Washington," she said. Trump is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

Several media outlets including The New York Times and The Washington Post reported that Rosenstein was expecting to be dismissed during his conversation with Trump on September 24, following the publication of reports that he had discussed ways to remove the president from office over incompetence.

Rosenstein has played a key role in overseeing the probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Observers say his departure would leave the investigation at risk.

Trump has faced mounting pressure from Mueller's investigation, which the president has regularly dismissed as a "witch hunt."

There was widespread speculation that Trump would fire Rosenstein after a New York Times report on September 21 said that in 2017 he had suggested secretly recording Trump and recruiting cabinet members to invoke a constitutional amendment to remove him from office.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFPWndr museum, which organizers say has an open-ended run and may evolve over time, is much more polished all the way through, with connective tissue between the rooms and little science facts sprinkled throughout. Did you know that the Earth is not a perfect sphere? Now you do. And have you ever seen the influential Chicago short film Powers of Ten, by the designers Charles and Ray Eames? It plays on an array of video screens as you enter wndr museum, setting a tone for a journey from the infinitesimal to the infinite.Swedish truck-maker AB Volvo has stopped assembling trucks in Iran because U.S. sanctions are preventing it from being paid, a spokesman for the company told Reuters.

The United States reinstated sanctions on Tehran in August after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in May. Further U.S. sanctions will be imposed in November.

The reimposition of U.S. sanctions has forced companies across Europe to reconsider their investments there, with French oil-and-natural-gas company Total, German carmaker Daimler, and Deutsche Telekom pulling out of Iran.

Volvo spokesman Fredrik Ivarsson told Reuters that the company could no longer get paid for any parts it shipped and decided to stop operating in Iran.

"With all these sanctions and everything that the United States put [in place]...the bank system doesn't work in Iran. We can't get paid...So for now we don't have any business [in Iran]," Ivarsson told Reuters.

U.S. sanctions promise penalties against European companies that choose to continue to do business in Iran.

Aside from the promise of stiff penalties, foreign companies seeking to do business with Iran will not be allowed to use U.S. banks; deal in the global reserve currency, the U.S. dollar; or access powerful U.S. stock exchanges.

Based on reporting by ReutersWhile Obamas true role in the wedding is unclear (the couples New York Times wedding announcement says they were married by Robert M. Dresser, a friend of the couple who became a Universal Life minister for the event), news got out about Obamas reported appearance once an eager wedding guest posted an Instagram video of the former first lady with the couple at the altar.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.He promised himself that once he made it big, he would find a way to pay back the school for the impact it made on him, for the sense of belonging it offered him in a way that few other places had.Inside the hotel and its Mesler restaurant, also opening Monday, is an environment inspired by the neighborhoods rich history and reputation as a hotbed for intellectuals and artists. The public areas are packed with personality, built around themes of music, literature and science with subtle nods to the nearby University of Chicago, an institution sure to drive much of the hotels traffic.A TEAM of high-tech engineers  with experience at NASA  has been assembled in Rotherham to support UK space missions.

The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre has formed AMRC/Space to help the Governments post-Brexit ambitions.

The team has capabilities in precision machining and other new technologies like robotic welding and using virtual reality.

Adrian Allen, AMRC co-founder and executive director, said: Its one small step for the AMRC to translate its experience in the aerospace, defence and nuclear sectors to the manufacturing needs of the space programme.

Our current research supports some of the most demanding industries in the world where the precision engineering of safety-critical components is paramount.

Among partner firms who have been central to space exploration are Boeing, who played a part in the first Mercury capsule and the International Space Station, and Airbus, who have been involved in Europes space endeavours for half a century.

AMRC executive director John Baragwanath said: The new capability will be led by Craig Roberts whose team has a brilliant track record of innovation in space technology, with one of his team only recently returned from NASA following his discovery of a patent pending additive manufacturing technology that the agency is keen to progress.

The Sheffield City Region now has a cluster of high value, high technology engineering companies with an interest in, and the ambition to support, the Governments vision for the space industry post-Brexit.

The formation of AMRC/Space gives the region the opportunity to attract new investors at the forefront of smart technologies, consolidating our reputation as a global centre of excellence for high-value, manufacturing based on high quality research and innovation.

The launch of AMRC/Space follows the Governments announcement of space ports in Scotland and Cornwall to meet launch demand estimated to be worth a potential 3.8 billion to the UK economy over the next decade.

Business secretary Greg Clark said: This will build on our global reputation for manufacturing small satellites and help the whole country capitalise on the huge potential of the commercial space age.Pramod Kumar Agrawal, the current Chairman of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) of India is a successful entrepreneur in his own right. Despite belonging to a jewellery business family, with his father dealing in gemstones and gold jewellery, Pramod Agrawals aspirations were to go solo and start his own business venture.

The year 1986 saw Agrawal begin a small silver jewellery business with one artisan with a single customer to cater to. But, that was just the beginning and there was no looking back. Over the years, under Agrawals leadership and guidance, the small firm grew by leaps and bounds and has now evolved into a multi-vertical company.

Today, Pramod Agrawal is the Chairman of Derewala Industries Limited, a Jaipur based conglomerate employing 1500 people across 4 unit, producing and supplying gold jewellery, silver jewellery, and imitation fashion jewellery in India and abroad.

Agrawal has been a Member of Committee of Administration in GJEPC for many years and was the Regional Chairman of GJEPC  Rajasthan Region before getting elected as Chairman at the National level. He has also managed the GJEPCs institute ---Indian Institute of Gem and Jewellery (IIGJ), Jaipur--- for almost 5 years as its Chairman. During his tenure as Chairman IIGJ, he successfully garnered the support of the Government in getting the hostel building constructed. Today, the campus of the IIGJ, Jaipur is the largest campus among all IIGJs in the country.

Apart from this, he was associated with other trade bodies like GJC and Jewellers Association, Jaipur. During his term as convener of the Jewellers Association Show  JAS, the show achieved many landmarks.

A staunch believer in the advantage of a cordial and healthy relationship between the industry and the government, Agrawal expresses his faith in the Indian government to work out an industry-friendly policy for the countrys G&J industry.

Here, in an interview with Rough & Polished, Pramod Agrawal speaks about the Indian G&J industrys challenges and issues but not before taking pride on its growth and inherent resilience.

Some excerpts:

The IIJS 2018 turned out to be a bigger success than expected. Exhibitors, as well as visitors, unanimously expressed satisfaction on the world-class ambience as well as the outcome in terms of volume of business. Any new ideas/changes that we can anticipate going forward?

This year, the introduction of Hall 7A was in itself a great achievement as we could accommodate an additional 200 exhibitors who were part of the waiting list of exhibitors. Every year with new features and world-class facility, our efforts have been to give our exhibitors and visitors the maximum opportunity to network and talk business in a convenient and relaxed manner. Going forward our efforts would be to accommodate more exhibitors and give our visitors a better experience every time without disturbing the convenience and comfort that the IIJS offers. We are happy that over the years, IIJS has given equal opportunity for small and big players to take their business to a new level.

The Indian G&J industrys export performance, (polished diamond exports as well as gold jewellery including diamond studded jewellery) has registered ups and downs of late. Do you foresee good days again for the Indian industry due to the good response during IIJS 2018?

Definitely at IIJS 2018 with more than 41 thousand footfalls and an estimated business of 8k crores of the order book, 20% increase compared to last year, we can see the positivity of the retailers before the upcoming marriage and festive season. IIJS has always played a crucial role in the development of the Indian gem & jewellery industry over the years. And this year too, I believe that IIJS has helped to reinvigorate the industry through its new and innovative offering from our exhibitors.

Due to synthetic mixing episodes the industry has witnessed, consumer confidence is shaken and demand for diamonds has taken a hit. Do you feel its a cause for concern, especially in smalls/melees where detection is difficult? End consumers are wary of purchasing diamonds. Your thoughts?

Undisclosed mixing of man-made diamonds with natural diamonds has always been a concern to the industry. However, Natural Diamond Monitoring Committee has been taking initiatives to tackle the issue of undisclosed mixing of man-made diamonds along with creating industry awareness.

NDMC has been organizing Diamond Detection Expo and Symposium (DDES) with an objective to impart knowledge on man-made diamonds, its detection using various technologies available.

Moreover, with NDMCs support, Gemmological Institute of India (GII) has developed an advanced detection instrument called Quick-Check. This instrument takes only a few seconds to scan diamonds and also detects loose as well as synthetics in Jewellery. Quick-Check also helps in segregation of synthetics from the rest in star Melee clusters of sizes down to 0.5 cent (-2 size). It is simple to use and does not need a highly qualified professional to operate. GJEPC has placed this machine at all of its affiliated labs across India and is available to any association at highly subsidised costs.

With consumer confidence at stake, on whom does the onus fall to maintain accurate natural diamonds in the pipeline? Polished traders; jewellery manufacturers; wholesalers or retailers? Will a third-party certification hold well? How do you think this can be made foolproof?

The onus is on all the stakeholders, whether it is the traders, manufacturers, wholesalers or retailers. Its not just about one product where the consumers lose the confidence but on the entire industry as we are selling a product of trust. We should be doing everything to make this natural diamond pipeline foolproof. In any case, whether its using a third-party certification or using the blockchain technology, we will be tapping all possible measures to safeguard consumer confidence.

It is widely known that the Indian diamond industry is not against synthetics or lab-grown diamonds per se, but suggests disclosure by synthetics for smooth running of the two businesses separately. Looks like lab-grown diamonds are here to stay. Your comments, please.

Lab-grown diamonds are here to stay. As we have always told that both products will have their own market and clients. Based on that, the time has come for both the products to chalk out different marketing strategies. They can be competitors in their own right. However, such competition, in my opinion, will only grow the market until we can keep the identity and the product pipeline different from each other.

What plans does DPA/GJEPC have for generic marketing activities in India? What is the demand situation at present in India for diamonds per se? Contradictory reports are seen in the media regarding millennials' love for diamonds. Do you think Indian millennials love for diamonds differs from overseas millennials?

The diamond consumer market in India is still under-developed with 7% of world consumption in value. Only 10% of Indian women own a diamond, against 20% in China and 70% in the US. As the Indian middle class grows, we are confident that diamond jewellery demand will grow very strongly and that India will become a major diamond jewellery market over the next decade.

GJEPC and DPA are looking at building ties with the retailer community to capture the opportunity. DPA had launched their multi-channel campaign with Real is Rare TV commercial, the campaign reflects the story of a real-life couple. Through a deep dive into consumer mindsets, they found that couples in India often traverse a rich but at times difficult emotional journey, as they go from marriage to real intimacy and love, from being a couple on paper to be a real couple in life. The campaign received an overwhelming response from the audience as they related to the proposition that DPA aims to deliver.

According to a recent study by the World Diamond Council, 89% of US millennial-aged women rank authentic as the key value when they consider making luxury purchases such as diamonds. Similarly, in India as per a survey speaking to 25 to 40 years, it is found that in this world of fake news, authenticity is key -- whether its their relationships or the diamonds that they want to buy.

Diamond financing has always been a bane for SMEs in the Indian diamond industry. But it is said that the situation has worsened after the PNB scam. What is the situation with the bankers currently? How is GJEPC helping industry players to meet the many challenges they are facing besides low profitability, bank finance, etc.?

There has been at least a 10 per cent decline in bank finance to the gem and jewellery sector which is going to adversely impact exports out of the country. This also implies that gem & jewellery exports for the FY 2018-19 will see a drastic drop of 10% as well.

Post the recent incident, banks and other financial institutions have become stringent and are insisting on a much higher collateral security against bank finance.

In addition to commissioning MyKYC Bank, GJEPC is working with the bankers to explain them and create the institutional interface between the bankers and industry which we hope will take care of the situation.

We are also in talks with ECGC for recognising the good work done due to the introduction of MyKYC and restart extending Whole Turnover Policy cover to exporters from gem & jewellery industry.

Among the many GJEPCs initiatives, the Jewellery Park near Mumbai is eagerly looked forward to by the Indian industry. What is the current status of the project? How many jewellery manufacturers will the park accommodate? How soon will it be before the park gets operational? Some details, please.

Currently, the land procurement process is in progress with Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). Approximately about 5000 units, both large and small, will be accommodated in the Park. To be operational it will take about 3.5 years from the date of commencement of construction of Jewellery Park.

Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished

The CTA said that it has reported to the federal government an average of about 30 driver assaults per year that are bad enough for the driver to go to the hospital  at 35 in 2014, 29 in 2015, 27 in 2016, 26 in 2017 and 12 through June of this year. The CTA employs about 4,000 operators, which shows that the incidents are rare.A novel gut-to-brain neural circuit establishes the vagus nerve as an essential component of the brain system that regulates reward and motivation, according to research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published September 20 in the journal Cell. The study provides a concrete link between visceral organs and brain function, especially in regards to reward, and may help to inform novel targets for vagal stimulation therapy, particularly for eating and emotional disorders.

Previous research established the gut as a major regulator of motivational and emotional states but until now, the relevant gut-brain neuronal circuitry remained elusive. The vagus nerve, the longest of the cranial nerves, contains motor and sensory fibers and passes through the neck and thorax to the abdomen. Traditionally, scientists believed that the nerve exclusively mediated suppressive functions such as fullness and nausea; in contrast, circulating hormones, rather than vagal transmission, were thought to convey reward signals from the gut to the brain.

"Our study reveals, for the first time, the existence of a neuronal population of 'reward neurons' amid the sensory cells of the right branch of the vagus nerve," says Ivan de Araujo, DPhil, Senior Faculty in the Department of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and senior author of the paper. "We focused on challenging the traditional view that the vagus nerve is unrelated to motivation and pleasure and we found that stimulation of the nerve, specifically its upper gut branch, is sufficient to strongly excite reward neurons lying deep inside the brain."

The branches of the vagus nerve are intricately intermingled, making it extremely difficult to manipulate each organ separately. To address this challenge, the research team employed a combination of virally delivered molecular tools that allowed them to exclusively target the vagal sensory neurons connected to the stomach and upper intestine.

Specifically, researchers combined different viruses carrying molecular tools in a way that allowed them to optically activate vagal neurons connected to the gut while vagal neurons leading to other organs remained mute. The approach, a state-of-the-art technique known as "optogenetics," allows investigators to use light to manipulate the activity of a prespecified set of neurons.

The study revealed that the newly identified reward neurons of the right vagus nerve operate under the same constraints attributed to reward neurons of the central nervous system, meaning they link peripheral sensory cells to the previously mapped populations of reward neurons in the brain. Strikingly, neurons of the left vagus were associated with satiety, but not with reward. The research team's anatomical studies also revealed, for the first time, that the right and left vagal branches ascend asymmetrically into the central nervous system.

"We were surprised to learn that only the right vagal branch eventually contacts the dopamine-containing reward neurons in the brainstem," explained Wenfei Han, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and lead author of the study. Dopamine is a neural transmitter known to be essential for reward and motivation.

The uncovering of right gastrointestinal vagal neurons as conveyors of reward signals to the brain opens opportunities for novel, more specific stimulation targets that may increase the efficacy of vagal nerve stimulation therapy, a treatment that involves delivering electrical impulses to the vagus nerve, for patients suffering from emotional and eating disorders.

Researchers from The John B. Pierce Laboratory, Yale University School of Medicine, Duke University, and University of Sao Paulo contributed to this study.A species of seed-feeding fly is critically damaging the seed production of multiple orchid species, as revealed by a group of Japanese researchers. If the damage caused by this fly is occurring long-term and across Japan, these already-endangered orchid species could become unable to reproduce using seeds, and their dwindling numbers will take a large hit.

These survey was carried out by Project Associate Professor Kenji Suetsugu (Kobe University Graduate School of Science), Shigeki Fukushima (Head of the Chiba Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry Research Center) and Masahiro Sueyoshi (Principal Investigator at the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute). The findings were published on September 21st in the online edition of Ecology.

With over 20,000 species classified, orchids are one of the most diverse groups of flowering plants, and the unique shape of their flowers has entranced people for many years. Unfortunately this popularity has led to orchid overharvesting. Combined with loss of habitat caused by development, this means that over 70% of Japan's native orchid species are classified as endangered by the Ministry of the Environment.

From the perspective of genetic diversity, it is better for endangered species to reproduce via seeds rather than cloning. This means that to save these orchids, we should identify the insects that pollinate these plants and the parasites that prevent seed-based reproduction. Therefore, Professor Suetsugu's research team has been collecting information on organisms related to orchid reproduction.

During a survey to identify the pollinators of orchid species, the team found that in pollinated fruit which should be able to produce seeds under normal circumstances, a seed-feeding fly known as Japanagromyza tokunagai was destroying the seeds of multiple orchid species.

When orchids bloom, J. tokunagai lays its eggs in the young fruit, and the insect young grow up eating the seeds in the fruit. They become pupae inside the fruit, and when they hatch into their winged forms they make a hole in the fruit in order to make their exit. Fruit that is parasitized by these flies grows to the same size as normal fruit, so at a glance it looks healthy. This means that we have probably underestimated the damage caused by these flies. In many cases, fruit parasitized by the flies produces no seeds at all. Humans have known about the damage caused by seed-feeding flies since the 1980s, but we do not know the impact on seed production in concrete terms.

In this study, after artificially pollinating five species of orchids in Japan's Kanto region, the team covered some specimens with bags to prevent the J. tokunagai from entering, and left others uncovered. Afterwards they compared the quality and amount of the seeds produced by each plant. This is the first study to precisely quantify the reduction to orchid seed production caused by J. tokunagai. Results showed that in all five species, damage caused by J. tokunagai reduced seed production by over 95%. It is not yet clear whether this is occurring across Japan or over an extended time period. However, if this situation continues, the affected orchid species will become unable to reproduce via seed production, threatening their already dwindling numbers.

It is also possible that damage caused by J. tokunagai may be intensifying in recent years. This could be for two reasons: firstly, the flies are non-native species that have been introduced into areas where they lack natural enemies, and secondly, because the orchid populations have become fragmented, also reducing the population size of natural enemies.

Professor Suetsugu comments, "Going forward, we want to shed more light on the damage caused by J. tokunagai. We plan to do this by quantifying the damage in other areas of Japan, and by testing the theory that J. tokunagai is a non-native species through genetic analysis."That cold, November evening, a few dozen mostly college-aged organizers gathered in rows of chairs at a storefront art gallery in the University Village neighborhood with hangdog expressions, trying to process the footage. After a short time, they stormed into the street, chanting as they marched toward downtown. With a convoy of unmarked police cars following close behind, protesters surrounded the motorcade, locked hands and began shouting 16 shots!  a reference to the number of times the black teen was struck by the white officers gunfire  a chant that would become a rallying cry at future demonstrations calling for police reforms.Due to the heterogenity of natural habitats and its dimension, Brazil is thought to hold 15 to 20 percent of the biodiversity on planet Earth. A study conducted in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest under the leadership of senior researcher Olavi Kurina from the Chair of Biodiversity and Nature Tourism at Estonian University of Life Sciences could only confirm this theory.

The Atlantic Forest ecoregion in Brazil is an area with diverse nature, following the coastline of the country and embracing tropical, subtropical and mangrove forests, also shrubland and grassland, described Olavi Kurina. "There are many endemic species known in this region."

In addition to the known biodiversity, in September the researches described in these rainforests 20 gnat species in the genus Manota that were new to science. The described species belong to the family of fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae) and are small flies, from 1.5 to 3mm long, with specific differences lying mainly in terminal morphology of the male specimens, specified Olavi Kurina.

The new species received scientific names by their morphological features and in honour of colleagues who had contributed to the research. As a result of zoogeographic analysis, a discrepancy was described between the comparatively wide distribution of the Manota species and the areas of endemism known for Diptera in South America and in Brazilian Atlantic Forest particularly.

The study, the first in-depth treatment of the genus Manota in Brazil, was carried out in cooperation with Estonian University of Life Sciences, University of Turku and University of Sao Paulo. The type material of the new species is deposited in the insect collections of Estonian University of Life Sciences and University of Sao Paulo (international acronyms IZBE and MZUSP, respectively).Babies born before their due date show better brain development when fed breast milk rather than formula, a study has found.

Experts say that helping mothers to provide breast milk in the weeks after giving birth could improve long-term outcomes for children born pre-term.

Premature birth has been linked to an increased possibility of problems with learning and thinking skills in later life, which are thought to be linked to alterations in brain development.

Studies have shown that pre-term birth is associated with changes in the part of the brain's structure that helps brain cells to communicate with one another, known as white matter.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh studied MRI brain scans from 47 babies from a study group known as the Theirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort.

The babies had been born before 33 weeks gestation and scans took place when they reached term-equivalent age, an average of 40 weeks from conception.

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The team also collected information about how the infants had been fed while in intensive care -- either formula milk or breast milk from either the mother or a donor.

Babies who exclusively received breast milk for at least three-quarters of the days they spent in hospital showed improved brain connectivity compared with others.

The effects were greatest in babies who were fed breast milk for a greater proportion of their time spent in intensive care.

The study was funded by the charity Theirworld and was carried out in the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory at the University's Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health. It is published in the journal NeuroImage.

Professor James Boardman, Director of the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory at the University of Edinburgh, said: "Our findings suggest that brain development in the weeks after preterm birth is improved in babies who receive greater amounts of breast milk.

"This study highlights the need for more research to understand the role of early life nutrition for improving long-term outcomes for pre-term babies.

"Mothers of pre-term babies should be supported to provide breast milk while their baby is in neonatal care -- if they are able to and if their baby is well enough to receive milk -- because this may give their children the best chance of healthy brain development."

Sarah Brown, President and Trustee of Theirworld, said: "I am so proud of the achievements of the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory. This latest report delivers valuable evidence to support breast milk feeding for even the tiniest, most vulnerable premature babies, to give them the best start in life.

"An immense debt of gratitude is due to the families of the Theirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort, who are dedicated to sharing information to support their own little ones, and benefit many other premature babies in the future."In the brain, as in business, connections are everything. To maintain cellular associates, the outer surface of a neuron, its membrane, must express particular proteins -- proverbial hands that reach out and greet nearby cells. And, like a creepily long handshake, surface molecules can overstay their welcome: A protein that lingers too long on the membrane may compromise the connections, or synapses, between cells.

In a new study, Rockefeller scientist Mary E. Hatten and research associate Hourinaz Behesti demonstrate that the protein ASTN2 helps move proteins away from the membrane in a timely fashion. The researchers also propose a mechanism by which ASTN2 defects lead to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and intellectual disabilities.

Proteins that need proteins

Neurons send messages to one another in the form of chemicals, or neurotransmitters, which activate receptor proteins on the surface of neighboring cells. Chemical communication is highly dynamic, which means that receptors must be dynamic too: they perpetually rotate on and off the membrane, ensuring rapid response to incoming signals. This process requires assistance from additional proteins, so-called traffickers that nudge receptors to move along.

Hatten, the Frederick P. Rose Professor, has demonstrated that the protein ASTN2 acts as such a trafficker during cell migration in early development. When Behesti joined Hatten's lab, she proposed that the protein might also play a role later in life, an idea supported by the fact that ASTN2 had been shown to be present in the adult brain. Specifically, the protein appears to be disproportionally expressed in the cerebellum -- a brain region that some researchers suspect may govern complex aspects of cognition, in addition to its more-established role in regulating movement.

Hatten and Behesti wanted to better understand the function of ASTN2 in the adult cerebellum. An initial clue came by way of collaborators at Johns Hopkins University, who identified a family that had multiple members with ASTN2 mutations and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and language delays.

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Concurrently, an independent study of a large population showed that ASTN2 mutations are associated with a wide variety of brain disorders. Hatten and Behesti therefore set out to determine how defects in this protein might disrupt cerebellar circuitry, and brain activity at large.

On the surface

The researchers used a special microscopy technique to determine where ASTN2 is expressed in the mouse cerebellum. They found that it appears primarily in components of neurons responsible for moving proteins around, and they identified a collection of molecules that attach to ASTN2. These "binding partners" included proteins involved in synapse formation and protein trafficking.

When the researchers increased the expression of ASTN2 in mouse neurons, levels of its binding partners decreased, suggesting that ASTN2 attaches to these proteins and then ushers them away from the membrane for degradation within the cell. Working with researchers at Duke University, the scientists also observed that cells with heightened ASTN2 formed stronger synapses; and they suspect that decreased ASTN2 yields the opposite effect.

"Our data suggest that people who have mutations in ASTN2 make less of the protein, which leads to slower or weaker synapses," says Behesti.

The researchers propose that without sufficient ASTN2, proteins accumulate on the cell surface, which hinders neuronal connections and communication.

"Synapses aren't static. They need to respond in real time to dynamic stimuli; and one of the ways they do this is by changing their surface protein expression," says Behesti.

This research supports a broader view that the disruption of surface protein composition may underlie a number of neurodevelopmental disorders. It also points to the cerebellum as a potentially fruitful research subject for understanding these conditions.

"People are just beginning to realize that the cerebellum isn't just there to control movement and motor learning," says Hatten. "It has much more complex roles in cognition and language."The lab of Leonard Zon, MD, at Boston Children's Hospital has long been interested in making blood stem cells in quantity for therapeutic purposes. Looking for a way to test for their presence in zebrafish, their go-to research model, they turned to the MYB gene, a marker of blood stem cells. To spot the cells, Joseph Mandelbaum, a PhD candidate in the lab, attached a green fluorescent tag to MYB, easily visible in transparent zebrafish embryos.

"It was a real workhorse line for us," says Zon, who directs the Stem Cell Research Program at Boston Children's.

The line has also proved valuable for discovering cancer drugs. In addition to being a marker of blood stem cells, MYB is an oncogene.

About five years ago, Zon was at a cancer meeting and serendipitously met Jeff Kaufman, who was also interested in MYB. Kaufman was excited to hear about Zon's fluorescing MYB zebrafish, which reproduce quickly, can be studied at scale and are surprisingly similar to humans genetically. He asked if Zon had ever heard of adenoid cystic carcinoma -- and a collaboration was born.

Targeting a cancer driver

Kaufman had founded the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation with his wife, Marnie, in 2005, after she felt a lump under her jawline and was diagnosed with the rare, often deadly malignancy. (ACC usually starts in the salivary glands, but can also appear in the larynx, trachea, lacrimal gland, breast and vulva.) Finding very little ongoing research on ACC, the Foundation began creating tissue repositories and funding studies.

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"What we've learned over 12 to 13 years is that MYB is the main driver of ACC," Kaufman says. He asked Zon, "Do you think you could shut off the MYB gene by giving chemicals to your zebrafish?"

Zon and his colleagues agreed to try, with the Foundation providing grant support. Their findings, reported last week in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, have laid the groundwork for a clinical trial in patients with ACC at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. More broadly, they suggest the power of zebrafish as a tool for cancer drug discovery.

Turning off the green

Despite more than 30 phase II clinical trials since 1985, there is no standard chemotherapy or drug regimen for ACC. About half of all patients develop metastatic disease, and no drug therapy has been shown to prolong overall or progression-free survival.

Zon, Mandelbaum and colleagues set up a high-throughput drug screening system. They loaded tiny zebrafish blastomeres -- very early embryos consisting of just a few cells -- into 384-well plates. Each embryo's MYB genes were tagged with green fluorescent protein. The team then systematically exposed the blastomeres to 3,840 small molecules. Using an automated cell imaging system, they looked to see if any chemical would "shut off the green."

"We could have done the screen in whole embryos, but the cell culture system was so much faster," says Zon. "We were able to do a screen in six months, versus what might've taken one and a half years with whole embryos."

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In the end, 22 chemicals shut off MYB, of which retinoic acid or derivatives of retinoic acid were the most potent. Retinoic acid, best known as acne treatment, is a derivative of vitamin A.

Slowing tumor growth

The team further validated retinoic acid's efficacy in human tumor cells. Since no one has been able to create a viable ACC cell line, the team turned to a human myeloid leukemia line, which also expresses MYB at high levels. Retinoic acid not only downregulated MYB, but did so within just one hour.

Finally, through the Foundation, the team collaborated with South Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics (START) to test retinoic acid in "primagraft" models -- live mice bearing tumors derived from actual ACC patients. They showed that retinoic acid (specifically, a preparation called ATRA) slowed tumor growth.

"With the tumor, the gas pedal is all the way down," says Zon. "When you give retinoic acid, it takes the foot off the pedal."

Finally, the team worked out how retinoic acid works. In ACC, a chromosome rearrangement brings MYB adjacent to another gene, NFIB, which has an "enhancer" region. The genes bind together and NFIB's enhancer causes MYB to get stuck "on," so more and more of the oncogene is made in the cell. But Zon's group found that when the cell's retinoic acid receptors are triggered by retinoic acid, they bind to the NFIB enhancer and shut down most MYB production.

"Len's work is incredibly exciting, because this is really the first drug that appears to directly target MYB, and we really haven't had any drug that has effectively done that before," says Kaufman. "Through our preclinical drug screening program and mouse models of ACC, we have screened over 100 anticancer agents, and we've very seldom seen a drug as active as retinoic acid."

Clinical trial on deck

Mandelbaum and Zon, part of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Boston Children's and Dana-Farber, presented the study results at a meeting of Dana-Farber head and neck oncologists. They were equally excited. "We're all in agreement to do a clinical trial," says Zon.

Since retinoic acid and ATRA are old drugs no longer protected by patent, drug companies are unlikely to sponsor such a trial, so the team has a proposal out for foundation funding. The plan is to test ATRA in 12 Dana-Farber patients with ACC. ATRA has already been used to treat promyelocytic leukemia, so the ACC patients would receive the same doses. Zon thinks the trial could begin within a year.

"If it turns out to be effective, you've got a drug that's been given to thousands and thousands of patients with a known safety profile," says Kaufman. "The hope is that it will get moved fairly quickly into the clinic."

A versatile cancer discovery platform

Alterations in MYB have been implicated in a variety of cancers, including leukemia, pediatric gliomas, and cancers of the colon, breast and prostate. But the applicability of the zebrafish test system potentially goes even further.

"Potentially, if the cancer is driven by a particular gene, you could use that in a zebrafish model, create a reporter, do a chemical genetic screen and then look at tumor inhibition," says Mandelbaum, first author on the paper. "Chemical screening in zebrafish is a very powerful and fast system."For the first time, researchers have developed a data set quantifying what the social cost of carbon -- the measure of the economic harm from carbon dioxide emissions -- will be for the globe's nearly 200 countries, and the results are surprising. Although much previous research has focused on how rich countries benefit from the fossil fuel economy, while damages accrue primarily to the developing world, the top three counties with the most to lose from climate change are the United States, India and Saudi Arabia -- three major world powers. The world's largest CO 2 emitter, China, also places in the top five countries with the highest losses.

The findings, which appear in Nature Climate Change, estimate country-level contributions to the social cost of carbon (SCC) using recent climate model projections, empirical climate-driven economic damage estimations and socioeconomic forecasts. In addition to revealing that some counties are expected to suffer more than others from carbon emissions, they also show the global social cost of carbon is significantly higher than the one standardly used by the U.S. government to inform policy decisions.

Among the most-trusted contemporary estimates of SCC are those calculated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The latest figures for global costs range from $12 to $62 per metric ton of CO 2 emitted by 2020; however, the new data shows SCC to be approximately $180 -- 800 per ton of carbon emissions. What's more, the country-level SCC for the U.S. alone is estimated to be about $50 per ton -- higher than the global value used in most regulatory impact analyses. This means that the nearly five billion metric tons of CO 2 the U.S. emits each year is costing the U.S. economy about $250 billion.

"We all know carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels affects people and ecosystems around the world, today and in the future; however these impacts are not included in market prices, creating an environmental externality whereby consumers of fossil fuel energy do not pay for and are unaware of the true costs of their consumption," said lead author, University of California San Diego assistant professor Kate Ricke, who holds joint appointments with the campus's School of Global Policy and Strategy and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Ricke added, "evaluating the economic cost associated with climate is valuable on a number of fronts, as these estimates are used to inform U.S. environmental regulation and rulemakings."

For example, claims that carbon dioxide causes relatively little harm to the economy can more easily justify rollbacks on environmental regulation.

In order to model the effects of CO 2 emissions on country-level temperatures, the authors use an innovative approach by combining results from several climate and carbon cycle modeling experiments to capture the magnitude and geographic pattern of warming under different greenhouse gas emission trajectories, and the carbon-cycle and climate system response to carbon emissions.

Since carbon dioxide is a global pollutant, previous analysis has focused on the global social cost of carbon; however the country-by-country breakdown of the economic damage global warming will cause that this paper presents is important for various reasons.

"Our analysis demonstrates that the argument that the primary beneficiaries of reductions in carbon dioxide emissions would be other countries is a total myth," Ricke said. "We consistently find, through hundreds of uncertainty scenarios, that the U.S. always has one of the highest country-level SCCs. It makes a lot of sense because the larger your economy is, the more you have to lose. Still, it's surprising just how consistently the U.S. is one of the biggest losers, even when compared to other large economies."

Ricke and the authors noted mapping domestic impacts of climate change can help better understand the determinants of international cooperation. The nationally-determined architecture of the Paris climate agreement -- and its vulnerability to changing national interests -- is one important example.

The findings point to some paradoxical behavior in the climate governance arena. While the European Union has been an international leader on climate issues, the research shows the threat levels of future warming to be much higher for counties such as the U.S. and India. These nations might be expected to take a leadership role on climate, which historically has not been the case.

The authors conclude that many countries have not yet recognized the risk posed by climate change; yet a clearer understanding of domestic impacts may play a role in incentivizing nations to join forces to act, in their own self-interest, to mitigate climate change.Buried alive. Butchered. Decapitated. Hacked. Mutilated. Killed. Archaeologist Samuel K. Lothrop did not obfuscate when describing what he thought had happened to the 220 bodies his expedition excavated from Panama's Playa Venado site in 1951. The only problem is that Lothrop likely got it wrong. A new evaluation of the site's remains by Smithsonian archaeologists revealed no signs of trauma at or near time of death. The burial site likely tells a more culturally nuanced story.

The "long-overdue" reexamination of the Playa Venado site, which dates to 500-900 A.D. and is located near the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, revealed no evidence of ritual killing, said Nicole E. Smith-Guzman, post-doctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). Lothrop's misinterpretations are likely due to the era of "Romantic archaeology," underdeveloped methods for mortuary studies and literal readings of Spanish accounts of indigenous peoples after European contact.

"We now realize that many of these Spanish chroniclers were motivated to show the indigenous populations they encountered as 'uncivilized' and in need of conquering," said Smith-Guzman, adding that many accounts of sacrifice and cannibalism have not been confirmed by the archaeological record. "Rather than an example of violent death and careless deposition, Playa Venado presents an example of how pre-Columbian societies in the Isthmo-Colombian area showed respect and care for their kin after death."

The article, co-authored by STRI staff archaeologist Richard Cooke, was published in Latin American Antiquity. But Lothrop's 1954 paper, "Suicide, sacrifice and mutilations in burials at Venado Beach, Panama," left its mark on the annals of Panamanian archaeology. It has been cited more than 35 times as evidence of violence, cannibalism or trophy decapitation. Some authors have used the paper to suggest Playa Venado is a mass burial site or a manifestation of conflict.

In defense of Lothrop, who was an archaeologist with Harvard University's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Enthnology, bioarchaeology (the study of human remains from archaeological contexts) did not exist as a sub-discipline until two decades after his work concluded at Playa Venado. Today's practitioners also benefit from methods developed in the 1980s and 1990s.

Lothrop's careful documentation and preservation of remains made reevaluation possible. Remains from more than 70 individuals from Playa Venado are at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, sent there by Lothrop for osteological evaluation.

Upon examination, Smith-Guzman found only wounds that showed signs of healing well before the individuals died, including blows to the head and a dislocated thumb. Various broken bones and disarticulated remains discovered by Lothrop more likely explained by normal processes of decomposition and secondary burial of remains, which is believed to have a common ancestor-veneration practice in pre-Colombian Panama.

Evidence suggests certain people's remains were preserved for long periods of time before being buried in ritual contexts. "At Playa Venado, we see a lot of evidence of adults being buried next to urns containing children, multiple burials including one primary and one secondary burial, and disturbance of previously laid graves in order to inter another individual in association," said Smith-Guzman.

"The uniform burial positioning and the absence of perimortem (around the time of death) trauma stands in contradiction to Lothrop's interpretation of violent death at the site," said Smith-Guzman, who also used evidence from other archaeological sites around Panama about burial rites as part of the investigation. "There are low rates of trauma in general, and the open mouths of skeletons Lothrop noted are more easily explained by normal muscle relaxation after death and decay."

Smith-Guzman and Cooke's reassessment of the Playa Venado burials suggests that ideas about widespread violence in pre-Columbian Panama need to be reconsidered. The research is part of a larger, interdisciplinary site reanalysis that will be published by the Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Washington, D.C..TALLAHASSEE, FLA.  Early one morning in March, Florida State University police went to the Theta Chi fraternity house in response to an anonymous telephone tip.

They found an 18-year-old freshman in a hallway, unconscious and extremely drunk, her clothes disheveled, scratches and abrasions on her body. Crude words and a fraternity symbol had been scrawled on her thighs.

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It came as a shock when, several weeks later, police arrested three members of Pi Kappa Alpha, the fraternity housed in a Southern-style mansion next door.

The ''Pikes'' are the elite of Florida State`s Greek organizations, confident young men who sport Ray-Ban sunglasses and tans, notorious for their BMWs, biceps and buxom blond girlfriends. In 1986, Bantam Publishing Co. named the FSU Pikes the nation`s best fraternity chapter.

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Two Pikes were charged with sexually abusing the girl at their own fraternity house, and a third Pike-a visitor from Auburn University-was charged with helping to dump her at the house next door. Earlier this month, claiming that the fraternity had been uncooperative in the investigation, FSU ordered Pi Kappa Alpha off campus for five years.

The incident has an ugly familiarity about it. Fraternity gang rapes have become an all-too-common feature of college life, despite efforts by some fraternities, including Pi Kappa Alpha`s national office, to educate their members about sexual abuse.

Bernice Sandler, who heads the Project on the Status and Education of Women at the Association of American Colleges in Washington, D.C., said she knows of 80 cases in the last five years in which a group of college men have reportedly abused a woman. Eighty percent occurred in frat houses, she said.

''This goes on at small community colleges, big universities, religiously oriented colleges, in New England, the South, the Far West,'' Sandler said.

''I don`t know of any school that`s immune.''

In fact, the week before FSU suspended the Pikes, the fraternity`s chapter at Stetson University, a Baptist school in the central Florida town of DeLand, had been banned from that campus for a year. The reason: A student claims members forced her into sex at a frat party.

Fraternity rapes, Sandler said, usually follow similar scripts. The woman is relatively young, a freshman or sophomore, and is drunk. Frequently other men watch, and sometimes video recordings are made.

In 1985, for example, 29 members of the Pi Kappa Alpha chapter at San Diego State University were disciplined after a sorority pledge said she was raped by several men at a Pike party there while others looked on, and some took photographs.

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The University of Rochester recently closed its Theta Delta Chi chapter for 10 years after a woman claimed that as many as eight men assaulted her at a fraternity party in February.

And at the University of Florida in 1983, six brothers of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity allegedly raped a 17-year-old student during a fraternity rush party. The girl had been told that having sex with a fraternity brother was a requirement to become one of the fraternity`s ''little sisters.''

''The really sad part is that many people, even women, blame the woman,'' Sandler said. ''These students are at an age when they think the world is supposed to be just, and that bad things happen only to bad or stupid people.''

Not untypical, she said, is the reaction of Steve Pickett, a freshman Pike at Florida State, who said his fraternity chapter is being excessively penalized for the alleged rape in March.

''I think it`s sick what those guys did,'' he said, ''but the press and everybody are trying to make the girl out to be the Virgin Mary. This girl got involved in this kind of stuff all the time. I hear she liked it that way. And she wasn`t holding up a flag that said, `No.` ''

Tony Bajoczky, attorney for one of the accused men, decried the publicity being given to what he called ''a not very unusual type of rape case.''

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''Girls go to frat houses to meet guys, party, spend the night, have sex,'' he said. ''That is not unusual.''

Fraternity officials, while deploring sexual abuse, were quick to point out that it was a societal problem.

''It goes way beyond fraternity houses,'' said Ray Orians, executive vice president of Pi Kappa Alpha Inc. in Memphis. ''It`s a big problem in society in general. It`s unfortunate that fraternities are such easy targets for publicity.''

On the FSU campus, students debated the issue between their final exams.

''I`m not condoning it,'' said Scott Alvarez, a junior and a Pike member. ''It was a bad act, but it was two individuals. That`s not a gang. Two individuals are being allowed to bring down 170 guys.''

But Daphne Basil, a senior who used to belong to a sorority, had a different reaction.

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''One thing you learn early on is you don`t go upstairs in a fraternity house,'' she said. ''If you have to go upstairs, to go to the restroom or something, you take another girl with you.''

Said Sandler: ''A lot of these men have no idea that if you have sex with a woman who did not give informed consent it`s illegal.''

Next fall, Florida State will take a small step to provide its fraternities with better guidance. It will require all fraternities to have live-in adults-a new-age version of that old-style guardian, the housemother.In La Grange Park, St. Louise de Marillac Parish and School will merge with St. Barbara Parish in Brookfield, and Our Lady of Loretto Parish in Hometown will merge with St. Germaine Parish and School in Oak Lawn, all by June 30 of next year, according to the release. Within the next several years, Our Lady of Loretto Church will close as parishioners are transitioned to worship at St. Germaine.The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against a stock trader, Adam Rentzer, for illegally paying undisclosed cash kickbacks to his broker in exchange for receiving preferential access to lucrative IPOs, allowing Rentzer to reap greater profits in secondary market trading.

The SEC alleges that Rentzer and his broker, Brian Hirsch, had a long-running arrangement that circumvented allocation policies and procedures at two major brokerage firms, where Hirsch worked on the wealth syndicate desk, so as to give Rentzer larger allocations of coveted public offerings being marketed by the firms than he would otherwise have received. In most instances, Rentzer sold his stock into the market as soon as possible to turn a substantial profit and secretly shared those profits with Hirsch under their fraudulent arrangement, paying Hirsch his share in cash.

The SEC's complaint, which was filed in federal court in New Jersey, charges Rentzer with violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey has filed a parallel criminal action against Rentzer, who has pled guilty to those charges.

The SEC previously charged Hirsch and another customer of his with whom he had a similar kickback arrangement, and who entered into a partial settlement in that SEC case. Hirsch also pled guilty to parallel criminal charges filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by David Austin, Chevon Walker, Todd Brody, Matthew Lambert, Stephen Johnson and George Stepaniuk. The case is being supervised by Sanjay Wadhwa. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this matter.King hopes to use those letters to help share Wolfes story. With funding from the European Union, hes designing an exhibit for the Down County Museum that will feature a reconstructed Ballykinlar hut, a 60-by-20-foot structure akin to the kind Wolfe would have lived in during his time at the camp.Frank Gunn / Associated Press

With their nearest pursuer winning earlier in the day, the As will not back into the postseason on Sunday - if theyre going to clinch the second wild-card spot at home, theyll have to beat the Twins in the series finale.

The Rays beat Toronto 5-2 Sunday afternoon, keeping Oaklands magic number at 1, but As manager Bob Melvin said that his team would prefer to do the heavy lifting, anyway.Seattles a pleasant place this time of year, anyway. Morning fog, afternoon sun. Maybe no rain until the weekend.

Sounds like clinching weather.

Which, apparently, it wasnt Sunday in Oakland.

After the As fell 5-1 to Minnesota at the Coliseum, ruining their chance to earn a playoff spot in front of 35,754, they packed their party supplies and headed for the Northwest, not overly bothered they didnt reek with Champagne.

Clinching at home hardly is the end game. The accomplishment is no less superb if its orchestrated 800 miles north. With a week to go in the regular season, the As still have thoughts of surpassing the Yankees for the top wild-card spot to earn home-field advantage for the Oct. 3 do-or-die game.

Its not like were fighting to this light at the end of the tunnel thats the clinching game, and then were just going to give up after that, first baseman Matt Olson said. Were still trying to get that wild-card game here, and things can happen in the division.

The As trail the Yankees by 1 games and first-place Houston by  well, its too unrealistic to suggest the Astros, with a 4-game lead, are within reach. For now, its the Yankees or bust, and clinching a playoff spot seems a mere formality.

The As will get another crack at it Monday when facing Seattles James Paxton. If they win  or if Tampa Bay loses to the Yankees in an earlier game  the As celebration would be just as lively as if it had happened in Oakland.

The only difference is, equipment manager Steve Vucinichs crew wouldnt need to clean up the mess.

Everyone wants to clinch at home. Slight bummer, pitcher Daniel Mengden said in a dry clubhouse. But we know its going to happen in the next day or so. Were not worried about it.

Mengden will get his first start since June 23 on Monday. Manager Bob Melvin made the announcement after Sundays loss. Brett Anderson and Edwin Jackson were pushed back a day and will start Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Thursday is an off day, and Mike Fiers would be lined up for Fridays opener in Anaheim. That would give Fiers the usual four days between starts if hes pitching the wild-card game a week from Wednesday.

Another option for the As is to give the wild-card start to reliever Liam Hendriks and try to bullpen their way through nine innings, which would be a bold move even if the relievers are the foundation of the pitching staff.

More Information 1 A's magic number to clinch playoffs with six games left (Oakland needs a win or Rays loss). See More Collapse

The As are making no such announcement, not with the playoff picture unsettled, but Fiers would make sense, considering hes 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA in nine starts since joining the As. The concern is that in two career Yankee Stadium starts, Fiers gave up nine runs and four homers in 102/3 innings.

First things first, and thats the Seattle series and the opportunity to celebrate a staggering worst-to-wild-card season that few expected when pitchers and catchers reported for spring training. By all accounts, Safeco Field is just as much a party pad as the Coliseum.

It doesnt matter to us, said Olson, who supplied all the offense Sunday with a second-inning homer. Even if we clinch tomorrow or whenever it may be, we still have more games after that. Its going to be cool to celebrate and have that reward for the good year weve had, but its going to be a race to the end.

As fans wont forget the mind-blowing finish in 2012, when their team rallied from five games back with nine to play to claim the American League West. The As needed to sweep Texas in the final series at the Coliseum, and they did.

Sundays Fan Appreciation Day, the regular-season home finale, offered no such merriment. The Champagne was on ice, and so was the As offense. Minnesota starter Kyle Gibson was dominant into the eighth inning, and third baseman Ehire Adrianza, a former Giants utilityman, looked more like Matt Chapman than Matt Chapman did.

We wouldve loved to do it at home. The feeling in 12 was sensational, and it probably wouldve felt a little bit like that today, Melvin said. Unfortunately, we didnt get it done, but anytime you have an opportunity to get to the postseason, especially for a team that was not expected to be where we are right now, itll be pretty fulfilling wherever potentially we do it.

Next stop: Seattle, where the Mariners hopes to end their playoff drought were dashed when the As buried them weeks ago. The Twins didnt want the As celebrating Sunday, and thatll certainly go for the Mariners on Monday.

Its only a matter of time. When the wingding starts, the site will be irrelevant.

John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicles national baseball writer. Email: jshea@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JohnSheaHeySan Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera is seeking a court order to help shield a ballot measure passed by voters in June against potential legal challenges.

In paperwork filed Friday, Herrera asked San Francisco Superior Court to validate the citys use of a simple-majority vote to pass Proposition G.

The filing comes after another successful June ballot measure, Prop. C, became the target of a lawsuit that could block its implementation and, by extension, that of Prop. G.

Prop. G, which passed with nearly 61 percent of the vote, sought to provide a $5,500 boost to teachers salaries by levying a $298 parcel tax that would generate around $50 million annually.

For more than two decades, passing a new tax measure for a specific purpose  like funding teacher wage hikes  has required a two-thirds majority to pass at the ballot. But last year, a memo from the city attorneys office interpreting a recent state Supreme Court ruling argued that if a proposed tax measure was put on the ballot by citizens  and not the government  it would require only a simple majority to pass.

Last month, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association took aim at Prop. C, which sought to raise commercial rents to fund a variety of child care and early education programs. The measure narrowly passed, with just under 51 percent of the vote, prompting the group to sue and to label Prop. C as an illegal special tax that needed a two-thirds vote to pass.

Now, Herrera wants the courts to sign off on his offices interpretation of the voter threshold for Prop. G. But the fates of Prop. C and Prop. G are, to some extent, intertwined. If a judge agrees with Herreras memo, it could provide extra ammunition in his Prop C. case against the taxpayers association.

San Francisco is confident that when voters act through the initiative process a simple majority vote is required, rather than the two-thirds majority required when local officials act, said John Cote, a spokesman for the city attorneys office. We proactively brought this case to get the certainty that a court order will provide on this issue in order to uphold the will of the voters.

 Dominic Fracassa

Back and forth: District Six candidate Sonja Trauss has repeatedly switched her position on Proposition 10, a November state ballot measure that would repeal Californias limits on local rent control laws.

At first, Trauss  a pro-development candidate who built the national pro-housing movement dubbed YIMBY  Yes in My Backyard  supported the measure. Then she reversed her opinion last week in conversation with The Chronicle's editorial board, saying she was concerned how the measure could stifle development around the Bay Area.

Its clear that there is political will all over the state to use laws that have a nice social justice goal to do something that is harmful, like suppress housing development, she told the editorial board, which has come out against Prop. 10. And the Yes on 10 folks dont have a good answer for that.

But now shes changed her mind again. Trauss told The Chronicle Monday that over the weekend she met a voter on Treasure Island who made a compelling case that allowing local governments to extend rent control to more people is the next step in tenants rights.

Few measures have been watched closer for the November election than Prop. 10, which would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, a 1995 law that limits cities ability to impose rent control. Under the law, San Francisco cannot extend rent control laws to units built after 1979.

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.

Supporters of Prop. 10 argue that local governments should be able to set rent control laws, while those against it say local governments could impose rent control laws so strict that developers are discouraged from building.

While Trauss said she does not support giving local governments the authority to set rent control laws, she wants to repeal Costa-Hawkins so California has a clean slate to create a new law that extends rent control to more people.

Her competitor Christine Johnson  who is running a joint campaign with Trauss  has also reframed her answer when it comes to Prop. 10. Johnson said at a United Democratic Club debate in July and at a San Francisco Berniecrats endorsement interview in August that she supports Prop. 10. But in following interviews with The Chronicle, Johnson has declined to state her position.

What I have always meant to talk about is what I would do if it passes, Johnson said Monday, adding that she would focus on creating a vacancy tax and more rent controlled housing stock on a local level.

A third candidate in the race, school board member Matt Haney, said he supports Proposition 10.

Its important that we have local control, he told the editorial board.

 Trisha Thadani

Email: cityinsider@sfchronicle.com, dfracassa@sfchronicle.com, tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfcityinsider @dominicfracassa, @TrishaThadaniCarlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

All lanes are open on eastbound Interstate 580 at San Quentin approaching the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge after an emergency closure of the left lanes early Monday morning.

The California Highway Patrol had issued a severe traffic alert while emergency roadwork was performed at the site. The lanes were reopened about 6:40 a.m. Residual backups remain.Spectacular views, sunny skies and almost-warm air Sunday drew hundreds of people to San Franciscos Alta Plaza Park, which sits high in Pacific Heights.

Joining the dog walkers, birthday party attendees, sunbathers and sightseers were city officials, including Recreation and Park Department Director Phil Ginsburg and Supervisor Catherine Stefani.

They were there to celebrate the completion of a $2.6 million improvement project that returned the northern half of the park to the public after it was fenced off for close to a year during reconstruction work on the park, which was designed by John McLaren in the early 1900s.

During the past several months, construction crews rehabilitated the section of the park that lies closest to Jackson Street. Their work included a new accessible entrance at Washington and Scott streets, fresh green lawns and a new main gateway at Pierce and Jackson streets thats not quite finished.

The biggest part of the project is what park-goers cant really see  extensive improvements to the parks subterranean infrastructure designed to save water and to prevent runoff from seeping out of the hillsides and onto Jackson and Clay streets, where it created unsightly and hazardous streaks of slippery slime.

A lot of the work was actually underground, said Beverly Ng, a spokeswoman for the parks department. The water and drainage work was the major focus of the project. Its not very visible, but its very important.

Now Playing: San Francisco is an expensive city, but there are lots of free and fun activities to be found. Here are some things you can do without spending a dime! Video: SFGATE

Workers replaced an outdated automatic irrigation system on the northern side of the park that was a major water-waster in the city parks system, according to audits by the citys Public Utilities Commission, Ng said. She said the project should save 2.5 million gallons a year, a 39 percent reduction in use.

They also replaced the drainage system around the entirety of the park, installing French drains to prevent leakage along about two blocks of Clay and Jackson streets as well as part of Steiner Street, said a city worker who added that he wasnt authorized to comment officially.

The new accessible entrance curves up the hill from Scott Street fairly gently, ending at a new circular viewing plaza that contains benches and the names of donors to the project.

Its rewarding, and its very exciting, the worker said of the completion of the project.

Visitors to the park Sunday were appreciative. Brandon Doran, 43, came to the park with his wife and two children, ages 2 and 8, for a picnic. They live a few blocks away and were happy with the new grass and especially the lack of fences.

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.

Its infrastructure mainly, he said. But its nice to have all the entrances open. There wasnt anywhere here to picnic for a few months.

Nearby, James Mason, 66, sat on a bench enjoying the view north to the bay and said he was pleased with the spruced-up look and feel of the park.

Theres nice spreads of new grass, and overall it looks a lot cleaner, he said. This is a really nice park.

So nice, said Matt Carges, 55, a therapist from Portland, Ore., that he visits whenever he comes to San Francisco, where he lived 18 years ago.

I just love the view here, he said, and the microclimate weather where youre not sure if youre going to get fog or sun, and I love this neighborhood. This is a great park.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuanFormer San Francisco Supervisor Angela Alioto is asking the city for $1.4 million  money she says was improperly denied to her recent mayoral campaign.

At issue is the Ethics Commissions decision this year to turn down Aliotos request for public matching funds for her June mayoral campaign  which ended $155,358 in debt.

Its extremely important to me that the campaign workers get paid good bonuses, Alioto said. I want my people paid well.

To qualify for public financing, mayoral candidates had to prove they had raised $50,000 in campaign contributions from at least 500 city residents.

According to the Ethics Commission, Alioto repeatedly came up short, mostly because of insufficient documentation verifying that the donations came from San Francisco residents.

Had Alioto qualified, she could have received up to $975,000 in public money to offset the costs of campaigning.

All of the other leading candidates in the race  London Breed, Jane Kim and Mark Leno  qualified for public money, receiving a combined $2.65 million.

In the Sept. 19 claim, Alioto says she was the victim of intentional and negligent acts by Ethics Commission staff, which damaged her campaign and abridged her rights of speech, assembly and petition.

The campaign was denied money based on their fraud and negligence, Alioto told us.

It was Aliotos third run for mayor. She came in fourth in the first-round voting and was subsequently eliminated in the instant runoff.

The city has 90 days to respond. A claim is often a precursor to a lawsuit.

Ethics Commission Vice Chairman Quentin Kopp, the lone vote in support of Alioto getting public money, called the complaint frivolous.

To allege intentional denial of her rights? Kopp said. I bent over backwards for her, and I resent the filing of the claim.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle 2018

All aboard: BART just voted to ban district-funded travel to states with anti-LGBTQ laws, but with a start date that still allowed Director Debora Allen and two staffers to jet off to the Nashville Music City Center for a big transit confab that starts Monday.

Tennessee is one of nine states the ban targeted. Its also the site of the annual American Public Transportation Association conference, which is expected to bring 1,400 transit wonks to Nashville for three days this week.

BARTs travel ban goes into effect Oct 1.

Allen tells us she had booked her ticket last month, and it was too late to cancel.

BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said BART General Manager Grace Crunican gave board members a heads up in early August that she intended to ask them to support the new travel restrictions to match a similar policy for state workers and officials. The BART policy, however, wasnt adopted until two weeks ago.

In 1977, the Tennessee Legislature passed a statute that prohibits altering a persons sex on a birth certificate  the only state to bar such records from being changed to reflect gender preference.

Allen voted for the ban but said shes not convinced its the most effective way to bring about change in Tennessee. Allen also noted that Nashville has been more progressive than the rest of the state when it comes LGBTQ protections.

In addition to Tennessee, the BART travel ban applies to Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas.

Table turning: Mayor London Breeds allies are taking a page out of the playbook her mayoral opponents used  launching a tag team ad campaign urging voters to cast ballots for two candidates running for the seat held by soon-to-be-termed-out Supervisor Jane Kim.

The move mirrors the one-two ranked choice approach used by Kim and former state Sen. Mark Leno in their unsuccessful bid to knock out the moderate Breed in the June race for mayor.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

In this case, the race features two moderate candidates  Christine Johnson and Sonja Trauss  against progressive-backed candidate Matt Haney.

If either Johnson or Trauss prevails over Haney, it will deny the progressives a majority control of the board.

So starting Monday, San Franciscans for Change  funded by the same business, labor and tech PAC that supported Breed for mayor  will drop $100,000 into a cable TV ad pushing the two choices for change slate.

Meanwhile, Progress San Francisco PAC is about to report a $250,000 contribution it received just days ago from the SEIU-UHW labor union  so even more TV money appears to be on the way.

The TV ad was put together by SCN Strategies, the same consultants who ran Lenos unsuccessful mayoral campaign and who also came up with the losing Leno-Kim tag-team approach.

This is the ideal scenario for a top-two strategy to succeed  a clear demarcation between two accomplished women running on a change message with support from the popular new mayor, SCNs Dan Newman said.

Haney doesnt think it will work, noting that he has broad support, including endorsements from Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Kamala Harris.

They think by dumping a bunch of money and teaming up they can push through in the last minute, but we have already talked to tens of thousands of voters and are focusing on things that matter, he said. And thats how this race is going to be decided.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415- 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandrossBART just voted to ban district-funded travel to states with anti-LGBTQ laws, but with a start date that still allowed Director Debora Allen and two staffers to jet off to the Nashville Music City Center for a big transit con-fab that starts Monday.

Tennessee is one of nine states the ban targets. Its also the site of the annual American Public Transportation Association conference, which is expected to bring some 1,400 transit wonks to Nashville for three days this week.A customer service company is getting some help.

Zendesk, a San Francisco company that makes software for customer support, recently acquired Base, another San Francisco company that makes software for salespeople to help them sell more.

The services Base offers are a natural extension of Zendesks product line, according to Matt Price, senior vice president and general manager of Base, which has offices in San Francisco and Krakow, Poland.

Zendesk customers have typically been in customer service roles to date, but obviously those companies have salespeople who are joint partners in helping out customers, Price said.

Zendesks global presence will be able to help expand the use of Bases software, Price said. Zendesk has 130,000 customers worldwide, and Base has more than 5,000, including up-and-coming companies like Expensify and publications like the Bold Italic.

Bases 125 employees will be joining Zendesk, whose headquarters is on Market Street. The company will be hiring aggressively, over the next several months, according a blog post by Base co-founder and CEO Uzi Shmilovici announcing the acquisition.

To hear more To listen or subscribe on Apple devices: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1316784843 For other devices, search for "Startups of the Week" in your favorite podcast app. See More Collapse

Zendesk isnt disclosing the purchase price for Base, which was founded in 2009, but the last round of funding for the startup was $30 million. Base investors include Tenaya Capital and Index Ventures, which has also invested in Zendesk.

New money: Shift

What it does: Shift makes buying and selling a used car easier by having a courier bring the car to a potential buyer for a test drive and to answer questions and handle the paperwork. The company also helps sellers set prices and it lists the vehicles on websites.

What happened: Shift received $140 million more in funding, led by auto retailer Lithia Motors.

Why it matters: The used car marketplace is huge. The investment and partnership with Lithia is also significant, because Lithia has nearly 200 locations nationwide. Chief Executive George Arison said the company could also expand to new cars. Over time, theres no reason that the things that we do couldnt be applicable to new cars as well, Arison said.

Headquarters: San Francisco

Funding: More than $275 million, according to Arison

Employees: 100 corporate employees and 250 employees in the field

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle 2017

Also trending: AliveCor

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

What it does: AliveCor has a Food and Drug Administration-approved electrocardiogram device that it embeds into its products, including a band for the Apple Watch. AliveCor is an artificial intelligence company, according to chief commercial officer Ira Bahr: We like to say we see the invisible.

What happened: The company announced a new feature to detect elevated potassium levels without blood and a new six-lead EKG. AliveCor, which has had EKG products on the market since 2014, also been getting a lot of attention since Apple announced this month that its new Series 4 Apple Watch will have its own EKG function.

Why it matters: The company, whose investors include Qualcomm and the Mayo Clinic, is making health information more accessible with its over-the-counter EKG.

Headquarters: Mountain View

Funding: $43.5 million

Employees: About 60

Sophia Kunthara is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophia.kunthara@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophiaKuntharaThe White House is considering a draft executive order for President Trump that would instruct federal antitrust and law enforcement agencies to open probes into the practices of Google, Facebook and other social media companies.

Bloomberg News obtained a draft of the order, which a White House official said was in its early stages and hasnt been reviewed by other government agencies. Separately, Lindsey Walters, deputy White House press secretary, said in an email that the document isnt the result of an official White House policy making process.

The document instructs antitrust authorities to thoroughly investigate whether any online service has violated antitrust laws. It instructs other government agencies to recommend, within a month after the order is signed, actions that could potentially protect competition and address online bias.

The document doesnt name any companies. If signed, the order would represent a significant escalation of Trumps aversion to Google, Facebook, Twitter and other social media companies, which he has publicly accused of silencing conservative voices and news sources online.

A Facebook spokeswoman said the company has no comment on the proposed order. The news offices of Google and Twitter didnt respond Saturday to emails and telephone calls requesting comment.

Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices, Trump tweeted in August. 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.

Social media companies have acknowledged in congressional hearings that their efforts to enforce prohibitions against online harassment have sometimes led to erroneous punishment of political figures on both the left and the right, and that once discovered, those mistakes have been corrected. They say theres no systematic effort to silence conservative voices.

The draft order says that any actions federal agencies take should be consistent with other laws  an apparent nod to concerns that it could threaten the traditional independence of law enforcement, or conflict with the First Amendment, which protects political views from government regulation.

Because of their critical role in American society, it is essential that American citizens are protected from anticompetitive acts by dominant online platforms, the order says. It adds that consumer harm  a key measure in antitrust investigations  could come through the exercise of bias.

The orders preliminary status is reflected in the text of the draft, which includes a note in red that the first section could be expanded, if necessary, to provide more details on the roles of the online services and the importance of competition.

The possibility of an executive order emerged as Attorney General Jeff Sessions prepares for a Tuesday briefing by state attorneys general who are already investigating the tech firms practices.

That meeting, which will include a representative of the Justice Departments antitrust division, is intended to help Sessions decide whether theres a federal case to be made against the companies, two people familiar with the matter have said. At least one of the attorneys general participating in the meeting has indicated that he wants to break up the companies.

Growing movements on the right and left argue that companies including Google and Facebook engage in anticompetitive behavior. The companies reject the accusation, arguing that they face strong competition and that many of their products are free. Bias has not typically figured in antitrust examinations.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

In July, for instance, Twitter algorithms limited the visibility of some Republicans in profile searches. CEO Jack Dorsey testified before Congress in September that the limits also affected some Democrats when the site was trying to enforce policies against threats, hate, harassment or other forms of abusive speech. The moves were reversed.

A Pew Research Center survey this year found that 72 percent of Americans, and 85 percent of Republicans, think its likely that social media companies intentionally censor political viewpoints that those companies find objectionable.

Even on the right, however, there are misgivings about a Trump administration crackdown on the companies. On Friday, libertarian-leaning groups including FreedomWorks and the American Legislative Exchange Council sent a letter to Sessions, expressing fear that his inquiry will be to accomplish through intimidation what the First Amendment bars: interference with editorial judgment.

Content on Facebook and Google is delivered to users by computer programs using thousands of signals to rank what may be most relevant to them in that moment. Those programs, which are written by humans, mostly try to serve up what other people have found useful in the past, or what the user seems to like seeing. That means it could be difficult to prove or disprove bias, because most people already have a somewhat personalized experience on the internet.

Facebook has said it has no reason to believe its algorithm is biased. But to answer to critics, the company hired Jon Kyl, a former Republican senator from Arizona, to run an internal probe. Kyl has returned to the Senate after being appointed to replace John McCain, who died in August, but his team is continuing the work at Facebook.

Ben Brody and Jennifer Jacobs are Bloomberg writers. Email: btenerellabr@bloomberg.net, jjacobs68@bloomberg.netIts record for solving homicides  known as the clearance rate  is 16.8 percent for killings that occurred so far this year, according to newly released figures. That's close to the 17.1 percent rate for all of 2017, which was the lowest in the city in years. The clearance rate for shootings that are not fatal is worse: 6.5 percent so far in 2018 and 7.2. percent for all of 2017.Oakland police towed at least 85 cars and made two arrests during a series of chaotic, late-night sideshows that shut down multiple roadways across East Oakland early Sunday.

Two Oakland police officers were injured in the incidents, police said. One officer was hit by a rock, and another suffered injuries when a sideshow participant rammed into his cruiser.

Police expected the total number of cars towed to rise to close to 100.

Now Playing: UC Berkeley law professor and criminologist Frank Zimring describes how crime rates in the Bay Area's three major cities, San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland, differ and have changed over time. Video: Drew Costley/San Francisco Chronicle

Police initially tweeted about the sideshow activity at 1:40 a.m, stating that rocks and bottles are being thrown at officers, and numerous gunshots are being fired by sideshow crowd.

There were so many cars towed that it took more than 12 hours to take them all away, Oakland police Officer Johnna Watson said. The majority of the cars towed were not registered to Oakland residents.

The combination of reckless driving, alcohol and general lawlessness made for a particularly dangerous mix, she said. Many of the cars towed had empty or half-consumed booze bottles in them. Many onlookers were reportedly firing gunshots into the air.

Youve got hundreds of cars violating the law, youve got people firing guns, youve got cars blocking on-ramps and going the wrong way down one-way streets, she said. An officer was hit in the head with a rock. The violence of the sideshow group is concerning, not only in Oakland but regionally. Its a regional concern.

City Councilman Noel Gallo, who represents the East Oakland neighborhood where many of the sideshows take place, said Saturday nights gathering was abnormally large, with upward of 200 cars involved. He said the sideshow attracted drivers from as far away as Fresno and Modesto.

We have to address the issue and be more aggressive in enforcing the laws that are on the books, he said. Nobody is going to try to get away with this stuff in San Leandro or Alameda. But when it comes to Oakland, they say, Its part of the culture. Its a cool thing to do. In reality, sideshows are not good for anyone, even the driver. It doesnt make sense to burn up your car.

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.

Most of the vehicles involved were towed from the area of 42nd Avenue and Interstate 880 starting around 2:30 a.m. There also were reports of sideshow activity on Hegenberger Road near Oakland International Airport.

The sideshows concluded at about 5 a.m., police said. The High Street off-ramp from southbound I-880 was shut down until around noon.

Sideshows, popular in Oakland since the 1980s, are ad hoc automotive stunt shows that typically take place late at night in vacant lots or public intersections.

Watson said that police were aware that a sideshow was being planned for Saturday night and activated a sideshow detail that includes police, tow truck operators and California Highway Patrol. She said the department has stepped up efforts to educate the public about the dangers of sideshows and is committed to cracking down on the events.

We hope in the future to deter anyone who would want to come into our community and have a negative impact, Watson said. If you come to Oakland, you should know that if we are able to catch you we will issue you a citation, tow your car, and in some cases arrest you.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineenSeveral grand jurors who handed down an indictment in a San Francisco murder case were mistakenly identified by name in a court transcript, opening the door for city Public Defender Jeff Adachi to find members of the panel and interview them.

The disclosure opened up yet another rift in a controversial case in which a former tenants rights attorney, Carlos Argueta, is accused of fatally stabbing a man during a drunken 2015 confrontation outside a bar on a gritty stretch of Sixth Street near Market Street. Argueta asserts he acted in self-defense.

The district attorneys office said Adachi  who is personally representing Argueta  illegally discussed confidential information from the secret grand jury hearing when he contacted four jurors after they had made their decision to hand down charges.

The public defender is supposed to keep people out of trouble, not invite grand jurors to violate their oath and commit a crime, said Max Szabo, a spokesman for the district attorneys office.

Grand jurors, who meet behind closed doors without defendants or their attorneys present, are prohibited by California law from discussing evidence presented to them. But Adachi said nothing in the law prevents him from speaking with grand jurors.

Superior Court Judge Brendan Conroy said Monday he would review prosecutors claims while deciding whether to seal the names of the grand jurors from public view. Independently contracted court stenographers are supposed to redact the names of grand jurors when making a transcript of a hearing, prosecutors said.

In terms of whether contact or discussion with the grand jurors was inappropriate, thats up to a prosecuting agency, not me, Conroy said.

Argueta, 34, is accused of killing 61-year-old James Thomas on Sept. 3, 2015. A judge previously tossed the case after a preliminary hearing in November 2016, determining the evidence supported an argument of self-defense. Six months later, prosecutor Andrew Ganz took the case to the grand jury, which indicted Argueta.

Adachi used his discussions with grand jurors to argue that Ganz committed misconduct, and attached the interviews as exhibits in a motion to dismiss the indictment. Adachi said Ganz failed his requirement to present exculpatory evidence to the grand jury and said witness testimony had changed between the preliminary and grand jury hearings.

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.

Ganz is facing separate misconduct charges in State Bar Court. Hes accused of intentionally suppressing evidence and violating a defendants constitutional rights when he worked as a prosecutor in Solano County.

Adachi said four grand jurors in the Argueta case told him that, had they seen evidence presented during the preliminary hearing, their decision on the indictment might have been different.

Adachi said that while it was unusual to interview grand jurors because proceedings are secret, he was within his rights.

Theres nothing that says we cant interview grand jurors, Adachi said outside court Monday. The D.A. is trying to say that grand jurors arent allowed to talk to defense lawyers about what their thought process was. Were not asking them about what they decided. Were asking them to look at what information wasnt presented to them and would it have made a difference.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky"We realize, too, that this is a very sensitive time for everyone, said Betts, who oversees the department's community policing program. " I think the commanders all have identified locations that they think might be a potential concern, so we can make sure we've got the resources there as well as talking to the leadership of those communities and let them know, too, that we need to all rally around safety."Upcoming political events in the Bay Area.

TUESDAY

Berkeley school board candidates: The League of Women Voters holds a forum for Berkeley school board candidates Ka'Dijah Brown, Julie Sinai, Ty Alper, Abdur Sikder, Dru Howard and Norma Harrison. 7:30-8:45 p.m., Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St. More information is here.

Lieutenant governor candidates: Eleni Kounalakis and Ed Hernandez, candidates for lieutenant governor, take part in a forum on higher education issues. The lieutenant governor is a University of California regent and California State University trustee. Free. 4:30-7 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

Oakland D4 candidates: Forum for City Council and school board candidates in Oaklands District Four. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Allendale Recreation Center, 3711 Suter St. More information is here.

Brisbane development: Brisbane Mayor Pro Tem Madison Davis and City Councilwoman Karen Cunningham take questions on Measure JJ, which would allow development of 2,000 housing units and commercial space and hotels in the Baylands area. 6-7:30 p.m., Madhouse Coffee, 402 Visitacion Ave., Brisbane. More information is here.

Get out the vote: Register to vote, learn about legislation affecting local communities and network with social justice advocates. Sponsored by Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza. More information is here.

Progressive take on midterms: A look at midterm candidates and state ballot measures from the progressive perspective, with 48 Hills founder Tim Redmond and Bill Honigman, organizer for Progressive Democrats of America. 7-9 p.m., San Francisco Unitarian-Universalist Center chapel, 1187 Franklin St. More information is here.

Truth decay: RAND Corp. CEO Michael Rich discusses truth decay  the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life, at the Commonwealth Club. $35 nonmembers, $10 students. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

WEDNESDAY

Berkeley rent board candidates: Candidates for Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board take part in a forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. 7-9 p.m., Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St. More information is here.

D6 supervisor candidates: Matt Haney, Christine Johnson and Sonja Trauss, candidates for San Francisco supervisor in District Six, take part in a forum in the race to lead the innovation district. Sponsored by sf.citi. 6-8:30 p.m. at Lyft, 185 Berry St. fifth floor. More information is here.

THURSDAY

Christine Blasey Ford: Rally to support Christine Blasey Ford as she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation battle. Organized by Raging Grannies. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Palo Alto City Hall plaza, 250 Hamilton Ave. More information is here.

Iran and Trump: Covering Iran in the age of Trump: a conversation with reporter Melissa Etehad of the Los Angeles Times, moderated by San Francisco State journalism Professor Venise Wagner. 12:30-2 p.m., Room 587 of the Humanities Building, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave. More information is here.

FRIDAY

Speaker training: Non-Profit Housing Association sponsors speakers training for people who want to advocate for state Proposition 1, a $4 billion affordable housing bond measure, and Proposition 2, to increase allowable spending on housing homeless people. 2-4 p.m., San Francisco location to be announced. More information is here.

Federalism issues: Ed DuMont, solicitor general of California, and Lawrence VanDyke, solicitor general of Nevada, discuss cases before the Supreme Court and the federal courts that center on state vs. federal rights. Sponsored by Federalist Society. $15 for nonmembers, free for students. 6-7 p.m., Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher law firm, 555 Mission St., Suite 3000, San Francisco. More information is here.

Colombian election: An eyewitness report on Colombias June presidential election and its fallout. Sponsored by S.F. Party for Socialism and Liberation. 7-9 p.m., 2969 Mission St., San Francisco. More information is here.

SATURDAY

Tech politics: Candidates for statewide and Bay Area offices invited to discuss issues of importance to Silicon Valley and the technology industry. Sponsored by Royce Law LLC. Noon-4 p.m., Mission Bay Conference Center at UCSF, 1675 Owens St., San Francisco. More information is here.

D6 supervisor candidates: Matt Haney, Christine Johnson and Sonja Trauss, candidates for San Francisco supervisor in District Six, take part in a forum moderated by Chronicle columnist Heather Knight. 9:30-11:30 a.m., Childrens Creativity Museum Theater, 221 Fourth St., San Francisco. More information is here.

SUNDAY

Preventing nuclear war: Free forum marking 50th anniversary of Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty features ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern and anti-nuclear activists Jacqueline Cabasso and Marylia Kelley. Sponsored by San Francisco Public Library and Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament. 1 p.m., Main Public Librarys Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin St., San Francisco. More information is here.

OCT. 2

Assembly candidates forum: Jovanka Beckles and Buffy Wicks, candidates in Assembly District 15 in the East Bay, participate in a League of Women Voters forum. 7-8:30 p.m., Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St. More information is here.

The Browns and California: Journalist Miriam Pawel, author of The Browns of California: The Family Dynasty That Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation, discusses Pat Brown, Jerry Brown and the modern history of the state, at the Commonwealth Club. $20 for nonmembers, $7 for students. 6-7:15 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

Berkeleys revolution: A conversation on the political revolution that Berkeley underwent in the mid-20th century between Carole Davis Kennerly, the first African American woman to be elected to the City Council, and Betty Reid Soskin, a veteran of Berkeley activism and, at 96, the countrys oldest National Park Service ranger. Presented by Berkeley Historical Society. Free. 2-4 p.m., South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St., Berkeley. More information is here.

OCT. 4

State ballot measures: League of Women Voters hosts a pros-and-cons session on the measures on Californias November ballot. 6:30-9 p.m., Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St. More information is here.

Francis Fukuyama: Political scientist and author Francis Fukuyama discusses identity politics. Sponsored by the Commonwealth Club. $25 for nonmembers, $10 for students. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

OCT. 5

Oakland mayoral forum: Ten candidates for Oakland mayor take part in a forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters. 7-8:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland. More information is here.

Barbara Lee: Forum with Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, celebrating her 20th anniversary in Congress. Sponsored by the Commonwealth Club. $30 for nonmembers, $10 for students. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

Families and voting: Parent Voices Oakland holds a voter education forum focusing on families with young children. Free. 6-9 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave., Oakland. More information is here.

OCT. 5-6

Women and Spirit of the New Deal: Authors, scholars, historians and activists gather at UC Berkeley to examine womens contributions to the New Deal and their growing role in political leadership today. Full conference schedule is here. Registration and more information is here.

OCT. 7

Civic engagement: A forum on getting involved in local activist issues, with presentations from political and community groups. Sponsored by the Womens March San Francisco, League of Women Voters and the Womens Building. Free. The Womens Building, 3543 18th St., San Francisco. More information is here.

OCT. 9

Emeryville candidates: League of Women Voters hosts a forum for Emeryville City Council and school board candidates. 7-9 p.m., City Council chambers, 1333 Park Ave. More information is here.

OCT. 10

Pussy Riot: Nadya Tolokonnikova, founder of the Russian art collective Pussy Riot, discusses her new book Read & Riot: A Pussy Riot Guide to Activism. $12.50. 7 p.m., Kanbar Hall, Jewish Community Center, 3200 California St., San Francisco. More information is here.

Danica Roem: Virginia House of Delegates member Danica Roem, the first openly transgender member of a state legislature, discusses her career and life story. Sponsored by Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. $10. 7 p.m., 3200 California St., San Francisco. More information is here.

Left, Right and Center: A rollicking examination of national issues, with panelists Ana Marie Cox, host of With Friends Like These; Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle; and Business Insider senior editor Josh Barro. Sponsored by Inforum and NPR member station KCRW. $35, $10 for students. 7-8 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

Postcarding: A postcarding event encourage voters to turn out for progressive legislative candidates. 6-8 p.m., Richmond Republic Draught House, 642 Clement St., San Francisco. More information is here.

OCT. 11

Progressives in Latin America: Giorgio Jackson, member of Chiles Congress and founder of the Democratic Revolution Party, discusses the challenge for progressives in Latin America. Free. 6-7:30 p.m., Goldman School of Public Policy, Room 250, UC Berkeley. More information is here.

OCT. 14

D4 supervisor forum: Candidates for supervisor in San Francisco District Four take part in a forum sponsored by the Outer Sunset/Parkside Residents Association. 6-8:30 p.m., Lawton Alternative School, Lawton Street between 30th and 31st avenues, San Francisco. More information is here.

OCT. 16

D4 supervisor forum: Candidates for San Francisco supervisorial District Four participate in a forum sponsored by the Outer Sunset/Parkside Residents Association. 6-8:30 p.m., Ortega Branch Library, 3223 Ortega St., San Francisco. More information is here.

New radical majority: D.D. Guttenplan, editor at large for the Nation, and Rabbi Michael Lerner lead a discussion on the rise of a radical new majority in the U.S. $12 in advance, $15 at the door. 7:30 p.m., St. Johns Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave., Berkeley. More information is here.

OCT. 18

Hacking politics: Keynote address for weekend conference on how the political system is being hacked. Sponsored by UC Berkeley Center for New Media, SFMOMAs Public Knowledge Initiative, the UC Berkeley School of Journalism and Boalt School of Law. Free. 6 p.m., Phyllis Wattis Theater, SFMOMA, 151 Third St., San Francisco. More information is here. Symposium runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 19 at 310 Banatao Auditorium, Sutardja Dai Hall, UC Berkeley. More information is here.

Berkeley voter information: UC Berkeleys Science Policy Group hosts a voter information night, focuses on state ballot initiatives. 5:30-8:30 p.m., Anthony Hall, UC Berkeley. More information is here.

OCT. 20

Race and politics: Panel discussion on the impact of race in politics. Sponsored by the African American Community Health Advisory Committee and the African American Library Advisory Committee. 2-4 p.m., San Mateo Public Library, 55 West Third Ave. More information is here.

OCT. 23

Women in leadership: Former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and University of California President Janet Napolitano discuss opportunities and challenges for women in leadership. Moderated by Politico California Playbook senior writer Carla Marinucci. Free. 4-5:30 p.m., Banatao Auditorium, UC Berkeley. Registration and more information are here.

Rick Wilson: Republican strategist and Daily Beast columnist discusses dark politics in the age of Trump. Sponsored by the Commonwealth Club. $30 for nonmembers, $10 for students. Noon-1 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

OCT. 25

Max Boot: Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow and Washington Post columnist discusses his book The Corrosion of Conservatism: Why I Left the Right at the Commonwealth Club. $25 for nonmembers, $10 for students. Noon-1 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

OCT. 26

Julian Castro: Former Housing and Urban Development secretary and former mayor of San Antonio, Texas, speaks at the Commonwealth Club. $30 for nonmembers, $10 for students. Noon-1 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

NOV. 7

Jeffrey Rosen: Scholar and author examines constitutional questions and the post-Anthony Kennedy Supreme Court. Sponsored by Commonwealth Club. $25 for nonmembers, $10 for students. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here.

NOV. 8

Susan Rice: Former President Barack Obamas national security adviser and U.N. ambassador discusses U.S. foreign policy priorities and national security interests. Sponsored by the World Affairs Council. $40 for nonmembers, $10 for students. 6:30-7:30 p.m., Marines Memorial Theater, 609 Sutter St., San Francisco. More information is here.

To list an event, email Politics Editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicleKevin de Leon, Los Angeles state senator and Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, was on a roll.

As a featured speaker at a San Francisco event spotlighting Latino leadership on climate change, de Leon switched easily between English and Spanish, pointing to Californias environmental record and charging that President Trump pollutes now and asks questions later.

Latino environmental leadership is on this stage, he shouted out to the standing-room-only crowd, pointing to the dozen or so other speakers.

California is a shining example of what we can accomplish together, de Leon said. Were not going to allow one electoral aberration to reverse our destiny.

For de Leon, 51, that aberration is the reason hes running for Senate. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a fellow Democrat, is the name next to his on the November ballot, but its Trump and the effect the GOP businessman has had on the country that colors his entire campaign.

Had Hillary Clinton won the presidency, I would not have run for the U.S. Senate, de Leon said in an interview. Had (Republicans) Jeb Bush won, had John Kasich won, had even Marco Rubio or Chris Christie won, I as a Democrat would be disappointed. But I would have gotten over it in a couple weeks, and I would understand and know that we can find common ground.

But with Trump as president, he said, everything has changed and Feinstein doesnt seem to realize it.

You cant abide by the old country club rules of the Senate, which (Feinstein) has been doing for the past two decades, de Leon said. That may have worked two decades ago, but it surely doesnt work today.

De Leon slammed Feinstein for voting to confirm 60 percent of Trumps nominees to the federal bench, saying it shows a profound lack of understanding as to what those consequences will be.

It was Feinsteins surprising statement of hopefulness about Trump last year  that if he could learn and change, he can be a good president  that persuaded de Leon to challenge her.

For her to make that comment, period, was extraordinary, de Leon said. I believe strongly that there are many Californians who want a new voice and who want a change.

De Leon has called for Trumps impeachment and said Senate Democrats should not only reject Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, but also refuse any and all consideration of this presidents Supreme Court nominees.

De Leon, who has spent 12 years representing one of the nations most ethnically diverse legislative districts, would be a very different senator from the 85-year-old Feinstein.

Unlike Feinstein, a lifelong moderate and across-the-aisle deal maker, de Leon cut his teeth in the hyper-political world of Los Angeles labor and as a leading player in a state Legislature where Democrats hold all the clout. Except for the very occasional need to sway a couple of opposition votes, hes never had to work with Republicans to get things done.

The labels are very easily thrown out, such as labor leader or left-wing politician or liberal politician or progressive politician, he said. My mind-set has always been to move policies that are value-base driven. That means (asking), how do we correct the social, economic and political inequities that exist in todays society?

But de Leon embraces the progressive label and the policies that come with it. In Sacramento, he was a strong supporter of a single-payer health care system, pushing it through the Senate last year only to see it die in the Assembly over how California would pay its estimated $400 billion-a-year cost.

He was more successful as the author of SB100, a landmark bill that commits California to getting all its power from clean, renewable energy by 2045. Gov. Brown signed the bill this month, days before the opening of his Global Climate Action Summit.

With de Leon in the race, Californians have a bona fide champion for their progressive values on the ballot, Jim Dean, chairman of the progressive political action committee Democracy for America, said after the June primary.

De Leon also carries the endorsement of Progressive Democrats of America. In the questionnaire he filled out to seek the groups endorsement, he promised to support measures including independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders bills to support single-payer health care and tax Wall Street to pay for eliminating tuition at public colleges and universities.

Those progressive credentials also gave de Leon a boost in July. He received the endorsement of the California Democratic Party when members of the 330-member executive committee overwhelmingly rejected Feinstein.

For de Leon and others, that endorsement was a sign that hes riding the wave of the partys increasingly progressive future.

Ive voted for Feinstein in the past, and if she was running against a Republican, Id vote for her again. But Kevin is a better Democrat, said R.L. Miller of Ventura County, chairwoman of the state partys environmental caucus. The state party is becoming younger, browner and as a whole more progressive than when Feinstein was first elected. Democrats have to look hard at electing someone who better represents the party as it is today.

De Leon was born in Los Angeles to parents who immigrated from Guatemala and grew up in San Diegos heavily Latino Logan Heights. With his father largely out of the picture, he was raised by his mother, who supported the family by working as a housekeeper.

My formative years were clearly in San Diego, National City and Tijuana, where he had relatives, de Leon said.

It was a hardscrabble life in a community with no trees, that was all cement, all asphalt, he said.

That upbringing is something de Leon refers to regularly, citing not only his mothers backbreaking efforts to make a living, but also the need to consider all the people in all the parts of California when passing legislation.

It also allows de Leon to recast the Senate election as the tough kid who fought his way out of the barrio versus the privileged daughter of a wealthy San Francisco doctor.

If you grow up in Pacific Heights, I think its safe to say your life is going to be pretty good, de Leon said. But if you grow up in the Mission, Bayview-Hunters Point, East San Jose, East Palo Alto, in Fruitvale, in Richmond, the odds are your life is going to be very difficult and challenging.

Its important to democratize environmental legislation and other state programs so the benefits reach everyone, he said.

My agenda has always been about opportunity. ... Who gets the opportunities, and who doesnt get the opportunities, and who makes those decisions? de Leon said.

His political career got a late start. De Leon dropped out of UC Santa Barbara but stayed in the city, teaching English and citizenship classes at a local nonprofit. Running for office wasnt even a thought in his mind, he said.

Politics was never part of my DNA. I never pined to run for any type of political office, he said.

But, as it did for many young California Latinos, that changed with 1994s Proposition 187. The ballot initiative, which then-Gov. Pete Wilson rode to re-election, called for local law enforcement to crack down on undocumented residents and barred them and their foreign-born children from receiving any public benefits, including education and emergency health care. Voters approved the measure, but the courts soon dismantled it.

Thats when I thought for the first time that perhaps  not just me, but one of my friends  should run for office ... because this is ridiculous, de Leon said.

De Leon didnt act on that thought until years later, after receiving the equivalent of a graduate degree in politics as a player in the Los Angeles County labor scene, working for the California Teachers Association. During those years, he also got a more traditional degree, graduating with honors from Pitzer College in Claremont (Los Angeles County).

Los Angeles was a hotbed of labor and political activism, de Leon said. Antonio Villaraigosa, John Perez and Fabian Nunez, all working in unions at about the same time, went on to win election to the Assembly, and each ultimately became speaker.

De Leon followed that same path, running for the Assembly in 2006.

I thought to myself, if theres a time to run its now and if I win, great, he said. If I dont win, then Ill have at least run for office and I tried.

He tried and succeeded. De Leon was re-elected to the Assembly in 2008 and won the first of two terms in the Senate in 2010. The hugely diverse district he represents includes not only Latino areas such as East Los Angeles, but also the citys Koreatown, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Little Armenia, Historic Filipinotown and Thai Town, as well as the Civic Center.

De Leon is proud of the work hes done in the Legislature, and not just on big issues like clean energy, the sanctuary state law and regulating the sale of ammunition.

During an interview, for example, he was quick to pull out his cell phone and show a picture of him in Hilltop Park in San Franciscos Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, sitting next to a metal plaque recognizing his efforts in getting the state money to revamp the neighborhood open space.

Its a question of, Who gets access to Mother Nature? he said. Is it your own financial wherewithal that dictates whether you get access to a beach or access to green grass and trees and shade?

Thats a vision de Leon is confident will transfer to the U.S. Senate, despite the possibility that for the first time in his political career, he could be working in a legislative body controlled by Republicans.

Ive been a minority all my life, he joked. What you do is use your energy, your organizing abilities and skills to elevate those issues that California cares deeply about to a national platform.

Hes telling voters he would be a new voice, a voice of change in Washington.

But first de Leon has to finish ahead of Feinstein, which he knows is no easy task. In the June 5 primary, she beat him 44 percent to 12 percent, thumping him in each of the states congressional and legislative districts, including his own.

Those numbers dont discourage him.

With 32 candidates in the Senate primary, the ballot looked like the White Pages, Unless you know Kevin de Leon, youre not going to look for Kevin de Leon.

Our goal was to get into the top two, he said. Then you have the ability to contrast our values, our accomplishments and, most importantly, our vision for California.

Thats not a bad plan, even though it might not be a winning one on Nov. 6, said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles.

The Democratic Party across the nation is in the middle of transition, with progressive positions on things like health care, climate change and the minimum wage moving into the partys mainstream, he said. The party is catching up with the way the electorate has changed. That doesnt mean (de Leon) is going to win, but hes correct about the direction.

De Leon also has a long political future to look toward, regardless of what happens on election day.

The Senate race establishes him as a progressive leader who is willing to take a chance and challenge someone like Feinstein, Sonenshein said. He can say, The party is moving to where I am, and Im going to be there when it gets there.

But de Leon is convinced that California voters, who overwhelming rejected Trump in the 2016 presidential election, are even more worried about the future after seeing the president in action for the past two years.

Were living in unprecedented times in our nations history. These are very dangerous times, de Leon said. This is sort of an antipolitician way to run. But these are my beliefs and my values.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuthDisappearing glaciers were an early sign of trouble for the nations wildlands.

But the mark of global warming on the American landscape didnt end there. Devastating wildfires have since ravaged Yosemite. Rising seas have encroached on the Point Reyes Peninsula. Vast stands of trees have died in and around Kings Canyon.

A study released Monday finds that the countrys national parks, which were designed to set aside and protect the most pristine and coveted spots in the United States, are being hit disproportionately by climate change.

Temperatures across 417 sites managed by the National Park Service, from the Florida Everglades to Yellowstone to Alaskas Mount Denali, have increased at twice the rate as the rest of the country, the study finds. The parks also have experienced greater declines in rainfall.

Such hotter, drier conditions are expected to persist in many of the parks, probably magnifying the harm thats already begun to afflict mountains, forests and the coast as well as the plants and animals that live there.

The Trump administrations unraveling of global warming policies and the National Park Services backsliding on climate programs under President Trump stand only to exacerbate the risk.

Up until our research, the severity of climate change across the national parks was unknown, said Patrick Gonzalez, a climate change scientist at UC Berkeley and lead author of the study. Human-caused climate change exposes the national parks more severely than the rest of the United States.

The reason for the disproportionate hit is relatively simple. National parks encompass the countrys most extreme environments where warming has generally been greater, the study notes. Many parks are at high elevations where the atmosphere is thinner and in the Arctic where the reflective snow cover has melted and more heat is being absorbed.

While the research, by scientists at UC Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin, does not detail the specific problems that national parks are facing, the study offers a first-of-its-kind analysis of the temperature and precipitation changes that are driving many of the problems. The findings are published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

According to the study, temperatures across the national park system have increased a little more than 1 degree Celsius, or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, between 1895 and 2010, about double the countrys average. While the increase may seem modest, scientists have warned that warming of more than 2 degrees Celsius is a threshold that comes with grave risk.

In California, 23 out of 27 park sites, including Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Death Valley and Joshua Tree, have seen temperatures rise since 1950, sometimes far more than 1 degree Celsius.

Now Playing: A look at California's 7 National Parks Video: Martin do Nascimento

Rainfall changes in the parks have been more variable. While in most parts of the country, annual precipitation has increased from 1895 to 2010, rain totals decreased across 12 percent of parklands, according to the research. By comparison, just 3 percent of all U.S. lands has seen a decline.

Going forward, the researchers project the average temperature across national parks will rise about 5 to 7 degrees Celsius, or 9 to 13 degrees Fahrenheit, by 2100, roughly a half degree more than the rest of the country, under the studys most extreme modeling scenario. If heat-trapping emissions are capped as called for in the Paris climate agreement, average temperature increases will be limited to about 1 to 3 degrees Celsius, or roughly 2 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Regardless of which scenario plays out, according to the study, parks in Alaska are expected to see the most warming.

While the studys precipitation models show wide variation in future rainfall, parks in Hawaii, the Virgin Islands and the American Southwest are projected to see the biggest declines.

Changes in temperature and rainfall, though, will probably have implications for most parks, in many cases well beyond whats already occurring.

In Yosemite, earlier research shows that forests as well as small mammals have begun shifting upslope to cooler areas as temperatures have risen, threatening wholesale disruption if the warming continues.

In Joshua Tree, the parks namesake tree is struggling amid intensifying heat, and researchers worry that much of the park could become unlivable for the tree if the trend persists.

In Point Reyes, oceans are washing farther up beaches as sea levels rise and the habitat of elephant seals may one day be at risk.

The National Park Service has long studied the impacts of climate change, with both federal scientists and independent researchers, and a commitment to conserving wildlands amid rising temperatures remains part of the agencys mission.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

But Jonathan Jarvis, former director of the Park Service and now executive director of UC Berkeleys Institute for Parks, People and Biodiversity, said those in the Trump administration currently running the agency arent making climate change a priority.

What concerns me is theres no clear leadership on the issue, said Jarvis, who recently wrote a book, The Future of Conservation in America: A Chart for Rough Water, on the challenges facing public lands.

The Park Service in the past has played a leadership role  and all of that is sort of lost at the moment, he said.

Jarvis said park leaders during his tenure had begun to look beyond park borders at nationwide climate adaptation strategies, such as creating large-scale wildlife corridors for animals to move to more hospitable places. But those far-reaching efforts, he said, have ceased under Trump.

The National Park Service did not respond to requests for comment before this story was published. Officials at Yosemite National Park also did not comment.

At many parks, research and action on climate change continue despite a change in priorities in Washington.

In Sequoia and Kings Canyon, scientists are looking into ways to make sure the giant sequoias endure amid a hotter, drier future. In other parks, researchers are looking to restore the shade provided by forests so rivers are cool enough for fish to survive. Elsewhere, wetlands are being restored to protect against sea level rise.

John DellOsso, chief of interpretation and resource education at Point Reyes National Seashore, said the Marin County park is constantly being monitored to make sure wildlife, from marine mammals to seabirds, adapt to climate change.

Were contemplating many what-if scenarios, he said. Were kind of looking at everything.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexanderVILNIUS, Lithuania  Pope Francis warned against historic revisionism and any rebirth of anti-Semitism that fueled the Holocaust as he marked the annual remembrance Sunday for Lithuanias centuries-old Jewish community that was nearly wiped out during World War II.

Francis began his second day in the Baltics in Lithuanias second city, Kaunas, where an estimated 3,000 Jews survived out of a community of 37,000 during the 1941-44 Nazi occupation. He ended it back in the capital, Vilnius, to pay his respects to Lithuanians who were deported to Siberian gulags or were tortured and killed at home during five decades of Soviet occupation.

Francis honored freedom fighters at the former KGB headquarters where anti-Soviet partisans were detained and executed, solemnly touring the underground chambers that have been turned into a museum of occupation atrocities.

In this place of remembrance, Lord, we pray that your cry may keep us alert, he said afterward. That your cry, Lord, may free us from the spiritual sickness that remains a constant temptation for us as a people: forgetfulness of the experiences and sufferings of those who have gone before us.

Francis paid equal tribute to victims of both Nazi and Soviet atrocities on the 75th anniversary of the final destruction of the ghetto in Vilnius, which had been known for centuries as the Jerusalem of the North for its importance to Jewish thought and politics. Each year, the Sept. 23 anniversary is commemorated with readings of the names of Jews who were killed by Nazis or Lithuanian partisans or were deported to concentration camps.

Francis prayed silently in the former ghetto and warned against the temptation that can dwell in every human heart to want to be superior or dominant to others again.

He prayed for the gift of discernment to detect in time any new seeds of that pernicious attitude, any whiff of it that can taint the heart of generations that did not experience those times and can sometimes be taken in by such siren songs.

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.

His warning came as far-right, xenophobic and neo-fascist political movements are making gains across Europe.

Francis is traveling to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to mark their 100th anniversaries of independence and to encourage the faith in the Baltics.

Francis recently changed his trip schedule to allow him to acknowledge the slaughter of around 90 percent of Lithuanias 250,000 Jews at the hands of Nazi occupiers and complicit Lithuanians.

Nicole Winfield is an Associated Press writer.When investigative journalist Julia Angwin worked for ProPublica, the nonprofit news organization became known as Big Techs scariest watchdog.

By partnering with programmers and data scientists, Angwin pioneered the work of studying Big Techs algorithms  the secret codes that have an enormous effect on everyday American life. Her findings shed light on how companies like Facebook were creating tools that could be used to promote racial bias, fraudulent schemes and extremist content.

Now, with a $20 million gift from Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, she and her partner at ProPublica, data journalist Jeff Larson, are starting the Markup, a news site dedicated to investigating technology and its effect on society. Sue Gardner, former head of the Wikimedia Foundation, which hosts Wikipedia, will be the Markups executive director. Angwin and Larson said that they would hire two dozen journalists for its New York office and that stories would start going up on the website in early 2019. The group has also raised $2 million from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and $1 million collectively from the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Initiative.

Angwin compares tech to canned food, an innovation that took some time to be seen with more scrutiny.

When canned food came out, it was amazing, said Angwin, who will be the sites editor in chief. You could have peaches when they were out of season. There was a whole period of America where every recipe called for canned soup. People went crazy for canned food. And after 30 years, 40 years, people were like, Huh, wait.

That is whats happened with technology, Angwin said, calling the 2016 election a tipping point. And Im so glad weve woken up.

The site will explore three broad investigative categories: how profiling software discriminates against the poor and other vulnerable groups; internet health and infections like bots, scams and misinformation; and the awesome power of the tech companies. The Markup will release all its stories under a creative commons license so other organizations can republish them, as ProPublica does.

Angwin, who was part of a Wall Street Journal team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for coverage of corporate corruption, said the newsroom would be guided by the scientific method, and each story would begin with a hypothesis. For example: Facebook is allowing racist housing ads. At ProPublica, Angwins team bought ads on the site and proved the hypothesis.

At the Markup, journalists will be partnered with a programmer from a storys inception until its completion.

To investigate technology, you need to understand technology, said Angwin, 47. Just like I got an MBA when I was a business reporter, I believe that technologists need to be involved from the very beginning of tech investigations.

Angwin has known Newmark since 1997, when she wrote about him while a reporter at The Chronicle.

Craig is ideal for us because he has no interest or temperament for trying to interfere in coverage, she said.

Newmark, who splits his time between San Francisco and New York, has for years kept a low profile. But he worries about what he sees as a lack of self-reflection among engineers.

Sometimes it takes an engineer a while to understand that we need help, then we get that help, and then we do a lot better, Newmark said. We need the help that only investigative reporting with good data science can provide.

Craigslist, which Newmark founded in the mid-1990s, helped to decimate print newspapers main source of revenue at the time: classified advertising. Recently, he has given several substantial donations to journalistic institutions, including $20 million to the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.

Were in an information war now, Newmark said.

For many years, the outrageous success of Silicon Valley companies  and the aggressive public relations teams who worked for them  kept many journalists at a remove.

The societal effects of tech were hard to quantify, and moral responsibility was often sloughed off on something called an algorithm, which most people could not quite explain or examine. Even if, as in the case of Facebook, it influenced around 2.5 billion people.

At ProPublica, Angwin and Larson subverted the traditional model of tech reporting altogether. They did not need access. With the right tools, they could study impact.

Theres an opportunity for more reporters to use statistics to uncover societal harms, said Larson, who has been doing data-driven journalism for a decade. And then Julias gift is she takes data journalism and doesnt make it like an academic report.

Some of Angwin and Larsons reporting tactics may violate tech platform terms of service agreements, which ban people from performing automated collection of public information and prohibit them from creating temporary research accounts. Angwin has been a strong defender of these practices and has argued that tech companies ought to allow reporters to be an exception to their rules.

Without violating those rules, journalists cant investigate our most important platform for public discourse, Angwin wrote in August.

The two worked together on investigations like one into criminal sentencing software, which took a year. Angwin would report and write. Larson would measure and analyze. In the end, they proved that the algorithm was racially biased.

Larson, who will be the Markups managing editor, said the result was just as much a surprise to readers as it was to those who had made the biased algorithm.

Increasingly, algorithms are used as shorthand for passing the buck, said Larson, 36. We dont have enough people to look at parole decisions, so were going to pass it on to the computer and the computer is going to decide, and once they go into production, theres no oversight.

The two also showed how Big Tech companies were helping extremist sites make money, how African Americans were overcharged for car insurance, and how Facebook allowed political ads that were actually scams and malware.

There are unintended consequences, Larson said. In all three of those cases, it was a complete surprise to the people who made those algorithms as well.

Engineers being surprised by the tools they have made is, to the Markup team, part of the problem.

Part of the premise of the Markup is the level of understanding technology and its effects is very, very low, and we would all benefit from a broader understanding, Gardner said. And I would include people who work for the companies.

Angwin said part of her goal was to help readers understand what exactly they should be worried about when it comes to tech.

Were all a little uncertain, Angwin said. The evidence isnt in. I want to be providing the evidence.

She hopes the stories they take on will lead to better government and corporate policies.

We are a numbers-driven data society, Angwin said. Thats the price of entry these days for political change  a data set.

And searching for that information, Angwin said she was not worried about getting Facebook or Google to return her phone calls.

Ive never been on Googles or Facebooks campus, and I imagine Ill never be invited, she said. Im kind of a dorky scientist just over here measuring stuff.

Nellie Bowles is a New York Times writer.VNPF GM says the first criminal case this Friday is a warning to employers or businesses operating in Vanuatu to step up and comply with VNPF ActTeas testified that only one of the wounds  a shot to the right hand  definitively appeared to hit McDonald after he had fallen to the street. She said she was unable to determine the teens body position for a graze wound to the top of his head. But the other wounds, she said, were sustained while he was standing, spinning or falling.Low humidity and breezy conditions prompted National Weather Service forecasters to issue red flag alerts warning of dangerous fire conditions through Tuesday evening in the East Bay and North Bay hills.

Fuels are very dry, winds are up, said Matt Mehle, a weather service meteorologist in Monterey. If a fire were to start, it would spread rapidly.

Red flag warnings are issued when relative humidity drops and winds start to pick up, he said. Those conditions often coincide with higher temperatures, but the warnings dont take heat into account.

Still, high temperatures dry out vegetation, and forecasts call for hotter days through Wednesday, particularly in the East Bay and North Bay hills and valleys. High temperatures are expected to reach 91 degrees in Santa Rosa on Wednesday and 94 to 96 in the Concord-Walnut Creek area, Mehle said. South Bay temperatures are forecast to be cooler, reaching 88 in San Jose.

Cal Fire officials are preparing for the dangerous fire conditions after gaining control of the states largest fires over the past few weeks, knowing that fall weather often kindles wildfires. The deadly and destructive Wine Country fires started in early October of last year, and the Oakland hills firestorm in 1991 began in mid-October.

We all have to remember that September and October are historically the two worst months in California for wildfires, said Scott McLean, a spokesman for Cal Fire, the states fire protection agency.

McLean said that Cal Fire is keeping an eye on the weather and repositioning equipment to quickly contain a handful of smaller Northern California wildfires that broke out over the weekend, including the Nimshew Fire in Butte County near Magalia.

McLean said the fire, sparked overnight in a remote area filled with dry fuels, could still spread. The blaze was 33 acres Monday morning.

Cal Fire crews were also battling a fire in Ahwahnee, in Madera County south of Yosemite National Park. The fire ignited Saturday afternoon, had grown to 390 acres by Monday afternoon and is 45 percent contained.

Things are still volatile, McLean said. We still need to be extremely careful.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuanDelta Air Lines will soon roll out "curb to gate" facial recognition for travelers departing from its International Terminal F at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airport-- which ostensibly means that you could breeze through the airport on your way to an overseas flight without having to fuss with any documents. All you have to do is smile for the camera.

How's that?

Well, when the program starts later this year, Delta said, ATL's Terminal F will be "the first biometric terminal in the United States," with travelers encountering facial recognition technology when they use self-service check-in kiosks, when they drop off checked luggage in the lobby, when they go through the TSA checkpoint, and when they board their flight. Arriving international passengers at Terminal F will also get the facial recognition treatment when they go through U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing.

International travelers must still enter their passport information when they check in online, Delta said, and should always carry their passports with them on their trip. To use facial recognition, they simply approach cameras in the Terminal F lobby, at the TSA checkpoint and at the gate, and click "Look" on the screen, then wait to see a green check mark appear on the screen before proceeding. (See a video Delta created to illustrate the process here.)

The airline stressed that use of facial recognition will be optional for its Terminal F passengers. "If customers do not want to participate, they just proceed normally, as they've always done, through the airport," a spokesperson said. The technology will also be available for Terminal F travelers on Delta partners Aeromexico, Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic.

According to Delta, initial testing suggests that using the facial recognition options will save travelers up to nine minutes per flight.

Facial recognition technology is expanding quickly at airports both in the U.S. and abroad, touted by airlines as a way to speed up passenger processing and by immigration officials as a security measure. When cameras scan travelers' faces, the pictures are compared to images in government databases including passport and visa photos, verifying identity in as little as two seconds.

However, some critics of the technology  like the American Civil Liberties Union  warn that proponents of facial recognition tend to overestimate its effectiveness.

A study by the Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology said the Department of Homeland Security's own data shows that its facial recognition systems  the ones being deployed at U.S. airports  "erroneously reject as many as one in 25 travelers using valid credentials." CBP claims an accuracy rate of about 99 percent for its airport scans, but that's still one mistaken identity out of every 100 passengers.

Even Microsoft President Brad Smith recently cautioned about the rapid adoption of facial recognition technology considering its error rate. He cited recent studies that found biases in the photo match-ups with government databases. "The technologies worked more accurately for white men than for white women and were more accurate in identifying persons with lighter complexions than people of color," he said.

With Delta doing this, you can expect United and American to follow suit very soon. What do you think? A fantastic advance for frequent travel, or an invasion of you privacy? Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

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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.A 30-year-old woman riding a moped-style scooter Sunday morning in San Franciscos South of Market neighborhood was badly injured after colliding with a car at the intersection of Ninth and Howard streets, authorities said.

The incident happened around 8:30 a.m., and police said the woman was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.1. McDonald was effectively dead within minutes of being shot in the chest, a pathologist hired by the defense said. That wound was the fatal injury, testified Dr. Shaku Teas, contradicting the conclusion of the prosecutions pathologist that each of the 16 bullet wounds contributed to McDonalds death. In addition, Teas said, McDonald sustained the vast majority of the wounds before he even hit the pavement -- though prosecutors have said the teen collapsed less than two seconds after Van Dyke fired the first shot. And even though McDonald had a weak pulse in the ambulance, he was at a point of no return, Teas said.WASHINGTON  President Trump will meet with Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, on Thursday to discuss reports that Rosenstein talked about invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the press secretary, said Monday.

The announcement came just hours after the revelation that Rosenstein was considering resigning, which set off a flurry of speculation about who would replace him at the Justice Department, where Rosenstein oversees the Russia investigation.

Sanders, in a statement, said that Rosenstein and Trump had an extended conversation about the reports  including the fact that Rosenstein had discussed secretly taping the president. She said the two men will meet Thursday when the president returns to Washington from New York, where he is attending the U.N. General Assembly.

I spoke with Rod today, and well see what happens, Trump told reporters after Sanders announcement.

Over the weekend, Rosenstein called a White House official and said he was considering quitting, and a person close to the White House said he was resigning. On Monday morning, after again calling John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, to discuss the prospect of his resignation, Rosenstein headed to the White House to meet with Kelly.

But Rosenstein later departed the White House, escorted by Kelly, with his fate at the Justice Department still unclear.

A departure by Rosenstein would likely thrust the administration into further turmoil just weeks before Novembers midterm elections. As the top Justice Department official overseeing the investigation by Robert Mueller, the special counsel, Rosenstein had long been the target of Trumps bitter grievance about what he calls a politically motivated witch hunt.

Rosenstein has been a fierce defender of Mueller, repeatedly refusing to consider firing him despite accusations by Trump and his allies that the special counsel is part of a Democratic conspiracy to undermine his presidency. His potential departure prompted immediate questions about whether Trump would seek next to topple Mueller, a move he tried to orchestrate last year, only to be talked down by his White House counsel.

As reports emerged that Rosenstein was headed for the White House, Trump and top aides returned to Trump Tower from meetings at the United Nations to huddle behind closed doors.

If Rosenstein exits, Noel Francisco, the solicitor general, would assume oversight of the Russia investigation, according to a Justice Department official. The acting deputy attorney general would be Matthew Whitaker, the chief of staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an unusual move; typically, a top aide to the deputy attorney general would take over the job.

Michael D. Shear, Julie Hirschfeld and Maggie Haberman are New York Times writers.When Jackson walked to the alley, Brown and a rear seat passenger got out of the vehicle, with Brown raising his arm toward the victim as if raising a handgun, Locke said. Jackson took off running toward Cicero with Brown in pursuit. The second man pulled out a .40-caliber handgun and fired at the victim, striking Jackson in the lower right chest, Locke said.While the reversals on Monday represent an emotional milestone for the victims, there is still more work to be done, Tepfer said. The men will also seek certificates of innocence from the state, which would allow them to receive compensation for a wrongful conviction. They will also need the arrests to be expunged from their criminal record so the information does not appear to prospective employers.HYDRO, Okla. (AP)  It's apt that a maze cut into an Oklahoma cornfield featuring the likeness of a former NASA astronaut can be seen from space  and has been photographed by a satellite orbiting Earth.

The image of Oklahoma-born Thomas P. Stafford is cut into a 10-acre field at P Bar Farms in Hydro, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Oklahoma City.Mindaugas Kulbis / Associated Press

AGLONA, Latvia  Pope Francis praised Latvians on Monday for persevering through the horrors of Soviet and Nazi occupation, persecution and exile, and urged them to keep their Christian faith alive as subsequent generations confront new oppressions today.

On the third day of his Baltic pilgrimage, Francis traveled to Latvia and placed flowers at the monument to Latvian independence. He joined Lutheran and Orthodox leaders at a music-filled ecumenical prayer and acknowledged the many trials Latvians endured during two Soviet occupations and the World War II-era occupation by Nazi Germany: the horror of war, then political repression, persecution and exile."Wisconsin does not and should not have secret courts, especially when it comes to the litigation of open records issues," Lueders wrote in an email Monday to FOIC members alerting them of the case. "The public has a right to know when public officials seek to quash our right to know."MOSCOW  Russia announced Monday it will supply Syrias government with sophisticated S-300 air defense systems after last weeks downing of a Russian plane by Syria forces responding to an Israeli air strike, a friendly fire incident that stoked regional tensions.

The Russian Il-20 military reconnaissance aircraft was downed by Syrian air defenses that mistook it for an Israeli aircraft, killing all 15 people on board. Russia laid the blame on Israel, saying Israeli fighter jets had pushed the plane into Syrias line of fire, an account denied by the Israeli military.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the S-300 missile defense systems will be delivered to Damascus within two weeks. Earlier in the war, Russia suspended a supply of S-300s, which Israel feared Syria could use against it.

Shoigu went on television to say that Russia is now going to go ahead with the shipment because the situation has changed, and its not our fault.

Shortly after his statement, Putin got a call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told him that the Russian move was aimed primarily at fending off any potential threat to the lives of Russian servicemen, according to a readout of the call issued by the Kremlin.

Shoigu announced that Russia would equip Syrian air defenses with a new automated control system to enhance its efficiency and help identify Russian aircraft. He said the Russian military will start using electronic countermeasures to jam any aircraft that would try to launch attacks off Syrias coast like the Israeli strike that resulted in the Russian planes downing.

We are convinced that these measures will calm down some hotheads and keep them from careless actions which pose a threat to our troops, he said.

In its readout of the call with Putin, Netanyahus office said the Israeli prime minister stressed once again that the responsibility for the unfortunate incident lay on the Syrian army that shot it down and on Iran, whose aggression is destabilizing the region.

U.S. national security adviser John Bolton, meanwhile, said Monday that delivery of the Russian S-300 would be a significant escalation in already high tensions in the region, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he would raise the matter this week with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov at the U.N. General Assembly.

Nataliya Vasilyeva is an Associated Press writer.The revelation that Rosenstein last year had broached the idea of taping the president touched off a dramatic weekend of conversations with the White House in which he offered to one official to resign and confided to another that he was considering doing so, according to two people familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.MILLBRAE (BCN)



San Mateo County sheriff's deputies are seeking three men who broke into a Millbrae home, tied up the residents inside and then stole valuables over the weekend.



Deputies responded at 12:01 a.m. Sunday to a report of a home invasion robbery that had just occurred at a residence on Toyon Drive.



Three men wearing ski masks and armed with handguns entered the home and confronted the victims, then tied them up and demanded valuables, according to the sheriff's office.



The suspects took cash, ammunition, tobacco and two safes. One of the victims was struck in her head and suffered injuries, sheriff's officials said.



The suspects then fled in a U-Haul truck prior to the deputies' arrival and they remain at large today, according to the sheriff's office.



Investigators believe the home was specially targeted in the robbery. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact Detective Cosens at (650) 363-4347 or jcosens@smcgov.org.



People can also call the sheriff's anonymous tip line at (800) 547-2700.





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.WALNUT CREEK (BCN)



The Walnut Creek City Council on Tuesday could affirm a recent city commission approval of a proposed mixed apartment/commercial complex near the intersection of Ygnacio Valley Road and North Main Street.



Known at this stage as the "1910 Noma Mixed-Use project", it would combine 135 apartments and approximately 10,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor of a new building at 1910 N. Main St. This parcel, across the street from a Target Store, is now occupied by a Fuddruckers restaurant.



In August, the city's Design Review Commission granted its approval of the project's designs. Soon after, a representative of the Laborers International Union of North America filed an appeal, contending that no California Environmental Quality Act environmental review had been done before the commission made its decision to approve the project.



City staff is recommending the City Council deny the appeal, saying the "1910 Noma" project is exempt from CEQA requirements because it would be an infill project.



"1910 Noma" would be the next project within Walnut Creek's North Main/Ygnacio Valley Road Specific Plan area, envisioned as a mixed-use commercial bounded by Ygnacio Valley Road to the north, Civic Drive to the south, Locust Street to the west and Broadway to the east. So far, 396 residential units and 21,000 square feet of retail space have been approved within the specific plan area.



It would be a continuation of the transition of this area, near the Walnut Creek BART station, into a high-density "transit village" residential district.



Whether or not the City Council affirms the Laborers International appeal, the 1910 Noma project would still need a Final Design Review approval.



Tuesday's meeting begins at 6 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall, 1666 N. Main St.





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 U.S. Coast Guard rescued two boaters who were adrift in a sailboat 77 miles off the California coast on Sunday, according to Coast Guard officials.



The boaters were on the sailboat Annie when they sustained damage from multiple storms nearly 80 miles southwest of Half Moon Bay, and initiated a distress signal through their Garmin GPS device, Coast Guard officials said.



Emergency crews received the message from the Garmin emergency operations team around 7:15 a.m. Sunday requesting assistance for the boaters.



Coast Guard officials said a plane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento and a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco were dispatched to the scene, which was in 6- to 12-foot swells.



The helicopter crew rescued the boaters as the plane circled overhead providing weather and position reports. The boaters were hoisted into the helicopter and then flown to the Coast Guard station at San Francisco International Airport, where San Francisco Fire Department crews met them.



Coast Guard officials said the boaters suffered minor injuries but will survive.





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.DALY CITY (BCN)



Four adults and two children were left without a home Sunday evening after a fire caused substantial damages to a Daly City duplex in which they lived, according to the North (San Mateo) County Fire Authority.



The fire in a duplex at 653 Lisbon St. was reported at 6:15 p.m. Sunday, and firefighters arrived to see smoke coming from the first floor. The kitchen was seriously damaged by fire, according to a news release, and the rest of the unit sustained significant smoke damage.



No people were injured, but firefighters rescued a dog and a cat, which were taken to a local veterinarian for treatment. Firefighters remained on the scene for about two hours.



The cause of the fire is under investigation.





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.UNION CITY (BCN)



Six people, including one child, were displaced by a fire at a two-story residence Sunday afternoon on the 30900 block of Periwinkle Drive, according to the Alameda County Fire Department.



Firefighters responded to the one-alarm fire at 12:04 p.m. There were no reports of injuries. The Red Cross was requested to assist the displaced residents.



The cause of the fire is under investigation.





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.RICHMOND (BCN)



Three people were displaced following a 1-alarm fire in Richmond early this morning, according to Pinole Fire Department officials and the Alameda County Fire Department.



The fire was first reported at 2:15 a.m. in the 1600 block of North Jade Street. According to Pinole Fire Department Battalion Chief Chris Wynkoop, crews on the scene aggressively attacked it upon arrival and had it extinguished at 2:30 a.m. No residents or firefighters were injured.



The cause of the fire is under investigation. Crews from the Richmond, Pinole and Alameda County fire departments battled the blaze.





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.All these make it hard for his supporters to insist on moving quickly to put him on the court. Truthful or not, the new allegations have to be investigated, a process that will take time. The additional delay may encourage other women to step up with information that could be damaging. There is no guarantee Kavanaugh will get a vote on his nomination before the November elections  or that, whenever it happens, he will be approved.Truth to tell, it is more likely that many college-bound students are leaving Illinois because of a sense, no doubt reflecting the views of their parents, that the prospect of better future opportunities lies elsewhere, and not in Illinois with its ever-growing debt ball and chain. As they say, you don't have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.Everyone eligible should be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of long-distance travel or employment.

Vaccination should be voluntary but those who don't get vaccinated should be frequently tested for COVID-19 as a condition of long-distance travel and employment.

Both vaccination and testing should be voluntary and not required as a condition of long-distance travel or employment.

I defer to the judgment of lawmakers as long as they base their decisions on a consensus of medical professionals.

Vote

View ResultsJim Agin has lived with his wife in the same Oak Park apartment building for 38 years. Hes now moving out, but not in the way he planned. On Friday, Agin and other residents were sent a letter from the buildings management company informing them that the building had to undergo immediate structural review and that they had to completely move out by midnight Wednesday.Although Togo is one of the smallest countries on the African continent  it is bordered by Ghana, Benin and Burkina Faso, and its long, narrow shape extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its capital city, Lome is located  it has the second largest amount of phosphate deposits on the continent, the delegation from Togo said. It is rich in minerals such as boxite, officials said.The advertising is what has downtown merchants concerned. Tim Frederick, owner of If These Walls Could Talk, a custom framing shop and gallery at 32 S. Stolp Ave., said local stores would have to buy advertising. The rate quoted them  $175 a week for a long-term contract, or $250 a week for a shorter, four-week contract  is too steep for many local businesses, he said.Potts, only 14 at the time of this bizarre murder, described Joe Tucker as an excellent father and friend to many. But as Id reported back in 2013, more than 36 pages of police reports and recollections of then Kendall County Assistant States Attorney Jean Fletcher painted a darker portrait  of a man involved in bar fights, drugs and guns that led to bad blood between him and Orr, who eventually shot and killed him at a hunting campsite near Powell, Idaho.I think about the 14 people that gathered in Deer Grove in 1845 to form a small-faith community, Barkley said. I wonder if they knew back then what the fruits of those seeds they planted would be today.HONG KONG  The Hong Kong government used a colonial-era public security ordinance to ban a small pro-independence political party Monday, a move that rights advocates said would threaten free expression and association in the city.

The Hong Kong National Party has just a handful of members and no elected representatives, but it attracted intense government scrutiny for its call to make Hong Kong, a former British colony that rejoined China in 1997, an independent state.

The decision to ban the party was announced in a published notice in the Hong Kong government gazette. John Lee, the secretary for security, said in July that the authorities were considering outlawing the group, and had solicited its response.

I cannot ignore the fact that the Hong Kong National Party has repeatedly advocated that it will use all methods, including the use of force, and also encouraging its supporters to use force, Lee said Monday. He said the party had promoted hatred and discrimination toward mainland Chinese in Hong Kong.

The decision to ban the party was made in the interest of national security, public safety, public order and the protection of rights and freedoms of others, Lee added.

The head of the party, Andy Chan, was banned from running for office in Hong Kong two years ago after he refused to answer an election officers questions over whether he would push for independence.

Chan spoke at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Hong Kong in August, saying the efforts to ban his party were a sign of deteriorating freedoms in the city.

The nature of China is oppression, he said, adding that the only way to achieve true freedom was as an independent state. But he added that his party condemned the use of violence.

He also complained about the influx of people from the mainland, which he said was diluting Hong Kongs culture.

The law under which the party has been banned, the Societies Ordinance, has not been used against since Hong Kong returned to Chinas control in 1997. During the colonial era, political parties like the Communist Party of China and the Kuomintang, Taiwans former ruling party, were outlawed in Hong Kong.

Under the law, a person who claims to be an officeholder of a banned party could be imprisoned for up to three years, and a member could be imprisoned for up to one year, or two years for a subsequent offense.

Austin Ramzy is a New York Times writer.TEHRAN  Hard-liners batter President Hassan Rouhani over his faltering nuclear deal, sending his popularity plummeting. Women in the streets film themselves removing their mandatory headscarves, or hijabs, in protest. Meanwhile, state television airs moments from a major corruption trial.

Welcome to the topsy-turvy world of Iranian politics.

Ahead of the 40th anniversary of Irans Islamic Revolution, the countrys government is allowing more criticism to bubble up to the surface. Analysts say that may serve as a relief valve in this nation of 80 million people, which already has seen widespread, leaderless protests rock the country at the start of the year.

But limits still clearly exist in Irans Shiite theocracy, ensnaring lawyers, activists and others in lengthy prison terms handed down in closed-door trials. And the frustration people feel may not be satiated by complaining alone, especially as U.S. sanctions on Irans oil industry take effect in November.

If we continue like this, the situation will be more complicated, because people are very tired and they have less tolerance, said Faezeh Hashemi, activist daughter of Irans late President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. I dont think that the majority of people are after regime change because everybody is worried what may happen next. But people are after their demands.

Perhaps the person in the biggest lurch in Iran now is Rouhani. Washington appears poised to further sanction Iran despite Tehran abiding by Rouhanis nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Iran limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for sanctions being lifted.

Telephone surveys by IranPoll, a Toronto-based firm, also have seen a precipitous drop in Rouhanis popular support. After scoring a high of 89 percent popularity in August 2015 in the wake of the nuclear deal, Rouhani is now polling at an all-time low of around 20 percent, said Amir Farmanesh, the CEO of IranPoll.

There are signs, however, that the Iranian government recognizes the growing anger. Iranian broadcasters, all state-run, have been airing major corruption trials in recent weeks. Theyve also allowed skeptical reporting by local newspapers on some cases, like mobile phone importers abusing their foreign currency privileges and another where an alleged Sultan of Coins somehow hoarded two tons of gold coins.

Jon Gambrell is an Associated Press writer.Flight attendants don't recognize Tony Hawk. TSA agents tell Tony Hawk he reminds them of someone they can't quite place. Restaurants patrons have informed Tony Hawk of his likeness to Tom Brady.

What is it about Tony Hawk, one of the  if not the  most legendary vertical skaters in American history that causes such perceptive confusion?

The illustrious Hawk was the first documented person to successfully land a "900," has been voted the most influential skateboarder of all time, has launched a video game series, and has been featured in a swath of high-profile movies. But his face just doesn't click.

Over the last decade, Hawk has been documenting  remarkably, without ego  his perplexing brushes with the public, mostly in airports. In some cases, people have told him, while looking at his ID, that Tony Hawk is their favorite skater. In another, a person told him he looked like "a young Tony Hawk."

See the slideshow above for some of his hilarious tweets.

RELATED: Hundreds of skateboarders take over SF's Dolores St. for flash 'hill bombing' event

Hawk has already had to fend off rumors of his own death. In 2016, Hawk responded to bogus reports of his death by "opiate overdose," writing that he was in fact snowboarding in California at the time.

"I'm still alive, just older (& wiser...?). But still breathing, riding my skateboard & raising kids." he wrote.

ALSO: Bay Area's Vincent Zhou makes Olympic figure skating history

One can only wonder what's to explain this decade-long episode of the Truman show. Is Hawk part of a clandestine, longitudinal study on the psychological effects of being negged, celebrity-style? Has Hawk's face changed drastically over time? Does the brain just malfunction when it visually processes Tony Hawk?

Check out the gallery above for all the bizarre encounters Tony Hawk's had over the years.

Check out Annie Vainshtein's latest stories here. Email her at avainshtein@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @annievainPANAMA CITY  The June meeting was conducted behind closed doors far from the klieg-light attention normally focused on Venezuela.

Around a U-shaped table in a hotel towering above the Panama Canal, U.S. Treasury Department officials distributed a list of suspected shell companies that they believe senior Venezuelan officials have used around the globe to siphon off millions of dollars in food import contracts amid widespread starvation in the oil-rich nation.

That meeting, and several since, is part of a sustained campaign by the Trump administration to pressure President Nicolas Maduro by striking at the wallets of top officials in Venezuelas socialist administration.

They know were after them, and they know were after them on a multinational basis because were beginning to see the networks morph and new shell companies stand up and existing ones wound down, Marshall Billingslea, assistant Treasury secretary for terrorist financing, said in an interview on the sidelines of the June meeting.

At that session, forensic investigators from the U.S. and three conservative Latin American allies  Mexico, Panama and Colombia  traced transactions by companies believed to be controlled by a government-connected businessman, according to several participants who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deliberations were private.

Since Donald Trump became president, dozens of senior Venezuelan officials have been sanctioned over allegations of corruption, human rights abuses and drug trafficking. Last year, Trump even threatened a military option to remove Maduro and, with senior aides and Latin American leaders, raised the possibility of invading the South American country.

The focus on food is deliberate, said Billingslea, who led Trumps national security transition team.

A story published by the Associated Press in 2016 revealed how senior Venezuelan officials and members of the military were enriching themselves by diverting money from food contracts. Since then, as hunger has spread, Maduro has moved to assert even greater control of food distribution, handing out monthly boxes of staples that critics label a form of dictatorial social control.

Joshua Goodman is an Associated Press writer.photo: Tiffany A. Bloomfield

Glory Edim is the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a book club and digital platform that promotes Black literature and sisterhood. She won the Innovator's Award at the 2017 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes and is the editor of On Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library (Liveright, October 26, 2021), an anthology featuring contributors ranging from Toni Morrison and Dorothy West to Edwidge Danticat and Danielle Evans.

On your nightstand now:

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers--reading it right before I go to bed is a lush experience. Honoree has such a beautiful way with prose. The book is brilliant and I don't want it to end! I love how she captures this indelible portrait of an American family.

Favorite book when you were a child:

Honey, I Love and Other Love Poems by Eloise Greenfield. I picked up that book because of LeVar Burton--it was selected as a Reading Rainbow pick--and I was so captured by it when he held it up on screen that I insisted my mom take me to the library so I could get a copy.

When I did check it out, I was so thrilled to see a reflection of myself in the book--these beautiful pencil drawings of Black girls with big eyes and curly hair. As a kid, I was really drawn to poetry. I tried my best to imitate Greenfield's lyricism but it was a lot of roses are red and violets are blue.

For me, that moment of recognition helped shine a light on how important it is for all of us--regardless of our gender or race--to have an opportunity to find ourselves. I really held on to it; it was a formative experience. From that point on, I was always looking for myself in the pages of a book. My experiences as a young girl are bookmarked by that moment, from Greenfield I traveled to Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison, and so much of the work I try to champion in my new book On Girlhood.

Your top five authors:

Toni Morrison

Maya Angelou

Alice Walker

Edwidge Danticat

Jacqueline Woodson

Book you've faked reading:

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Austen is this iconic novelist, and there was a moment in high school we had to read Sense and Sensibility, and I was so over the critique of the British empire. Even though Austen was exploring marriage and this idea of female independence, I couldn't fall in love with the characters. I turned to Cliffs Notes for this one!

Book you're an evangelist for:

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde. I read Sister Outsider numerous times in college and it provided a blueprint for understanding the Black radical tradition and Black feminism; I was so drawn to how Lorde was able to dedicate her life and her writing to address injustice of all kinds. She was one of the first writers who helped me understand how powerful the word could be--not just in the sense of enjoying a work of writing, and sitting within it, but that words can radicalize you. I don't think I had that understanding until I read her work.

Book you've bought for the cover:

There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce by Morgan Parker. Morgan Parker is a phenomenal poet and this collection features the photography of Carrie Mae Weems. When you buy this poetry collection, it's like you're getting two works of art: this provocative photo and this beautiful work of poetry. The photo beckons you to read what's inside; it's this perfect pairing.

Book you hid from your parents:

The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah--the main character, Winter, is completely unpredictable and does things on her own accord. There's sex and drugs and violence, and it's a suspenseful page-turner. If my mom saw me reading that, she would not have been happy. It introduced me to this whole other world I wasn't privy to.

Book that changed your life:

Migrations of the Heart by Marita Golden. It's an autobiography, her own story about being a young woman and finding self-awareness and coming to terms with family and identity. It takes place in D.C., where I'm from, and I was so taken by her ability to tell her story with such vulnerability. For me, it was one of the first things that made me think about my own journey and what it means to create a home--whether that means a physical home, or an emotional home. There are moments where I saw myself; I was taken in by the parallels in our own personal journeys. She was married to a Nigerian man and moved from D.C. to Africa; my parents are Nigerian and I'm from D.C. She tells the story with such introspection, she does a great job of exploring racial and cultural identity.

Favorite line from a book:

"What's the world for you if you can't make it up the way you want it?" --Toni Morrison, Jazz

Five books you'll never part with:

Jazz by Toni Morrison

Breathe by Imani Perry

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work by Edwidge Danticat

There Was a Country by Chinua Achebe

Book you most want to read again for the first time:

The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. I think this is such a good book and I feel like not enough people know about it. It reminds me a lot of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois. It goes through the story of this one family and how they're impacted by the Great Migration, and you really get an understanding of one woman's coming of age against that historical backdrop.

I want more people to read her work and understand what an incredible writer Ayana is. It was picked as an Oprah's Book Club book, but I feel like it could still get more attention.

Favorite short story collection:

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer. I am so drawn to short stories because the craft really illustrates the author's command of language, and it allows the reader to fall into these unexpected turns. When you're writing a short story, you really must understand how to capture the reader's attention quickly and leave them with something that they feel satisfied at the end. I like that juxtaposition--the use of brevity and the unexpected. There's something about short stories that always seems fresh and versatile. Drinking Coffee Elsewhere is a truly unforgettable collection--to me, it stands out as one of the best short story collections ever written.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- More than 320,000 high school students in New York City public schools will receive a free reusable S'well water bottle.

The free water bottles will be given to students as part of a partnership between S'well and the New York City Mayor's Office of Sustainability (MOS).

The pair announced on Monday the year-long partnership, BRING IT -- a city-led multi-channel campaign focused on helping students and the community reduce waste through advocacy and action.

Through this initiative, high school students across the five boroughs will receive a S'well or S'ip by S'well reusable bottle with the goal to displace more than 54 million single-use plastic bottles in New York City.

"To reach our goal of sending zero waste to landfills by 2030, we have to upend our whole way of doing things," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "The BRING IT campaign will help create a cleaner, fairer city for all by empowering youth to lead the way. We're proud to partner with a New York City company, S'well, to get this off the ground."

The BRING IT campaign will challenge students to adopt habits that minimize waste, such as using a reusable water bottle. It will be supported with a wide range of programs and events that foster knowledge around sustainability, cultivate mentorship opportunity and encourage people to take action.

"I am so proud to be a part of a program that is creating real impact for New York City, S'well's home," said Sarah Kauss, founder and CEO of S'well. "Together, we are developing a platform for change, offering today's youth and tomorrow's leaders the knowledge, resources and inspiration to address the global challenges posed by waste and single-use plastic bottles through meaningful actions."

Over the course of the year, S'well will collaborate with the DOE and MOS to support a variety of existing sustainability programs, including supporting engagement with school sustainability coordinators, teachers and administrators who help develop green initiatives in each school.

Using national averages, each student with a reusable bottle will be able to displace 167 water plastic bottles from New York City's trash and save $250 in buying plastic bottles each year.

The partnership was announced in conjunction with Climate Week NYC, which is held from Sept. 24-30, and in support of New York City's Zero Waste goal.

The partnership and campaign extends to S'well's Million Bottle Project, which promotes minimizing single-use plastic bottle consumption - with the goal to help displace 100 million plastic bottles by 2020.

FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Borough President James Oddo's mission to end the opioid crisis that continues to devastate Staten Island has resulted in an effort across state and borough lines that focuses on innovation and collaboration.

Nearly two years of planning at Oddo's office and forming partnerships will culminate with the "Empire State Opioid Epidemic Innovation Challenge," a three-day event at Columbia University's Davis Auditorium, Schapiro Hall/CEPSR from Sept. 28 to Sept. 30.

Cohosted by Oddo's office and sponsored by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Northwell Health, and the New York state's Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), the event will facilitate conversation and encourage pioneering solutions to end the opioid crisis.

Oddo called the event a "key strategy" to reducing Staten Island opioid-related deaths to zero.

"Tackling the opioid epidemic is a major priority for us, as it should be, and we are ready and willing to work with anyone, anywhere, to achieve this goal," Oddo said.

DISCUSSION AND INNOVATION

Brought to life by Oddo's team, the three-day program will be broken into two parts.

The "Challenge Summit" on the first day will convene clinicians, government representatives, public health experts and community members impacted by the opioid crisis to discuss the difficulties faced with fighting the crisis head on.

The remaining two days will focus on innovation.

The "Solutions Sprint" encourages the community to co-create innovative ideas for a 48-hour period.

"By the end of the weekend, potentially game-changing innovations will be placed on an accelerated track to development in order to amplify the work being done on Staten Island and across New York City," Oddo said.

"Perhaps most importantly, talented professionals - from software engineers to nurses to entrepreneurs - will join the ranks of those committed to changing the trajectory of this public health crisis," he said.

Participants will be competing for a cash prize of up to $10,000 and six months of support.

ODDO INSPIRED BY BOSTON 'HACK-A-THON'

Oddo's Public Policy Team, formed in 2016 to address Staten Island's most pressing issues, searched nationwide for successful approaches to opioid prevention, treatment and recovery.

Upon learning about the promising ideas to come out of the "Opioid Challenge Summit and Hack-a-thon" at Massachusetts General Hospital, Oddo reached out to CAMTech - the entity at the hospital responsible for the hack-a-thon -- about bringing the event to Staten Island.

Boston's hack-a-thon yielded several innovative ideas, including: A notification system to remind patients to dispose of expired medicines; a mobile van with on-demand treatment, and a community space for those in recovery.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Rep. Dan Donovan told the Advance Monday that he'll vote against a new GOP tax bill that would permanently cap the deductions for state and local taxes at $10,000.

The bill, H.R. 6760, is scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives this week along with two other tax bills.

Previously, taxpayers were able to deduct an unlimited amount of state and local taxes (SALT) from their federal taxes, but the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act capped the deductions at $10,000, which has hurt people in high-tax states such as New York, where the average SALT deduction was north of $20,000.

"I made it very clear to my own party's leadership: I would be voting no on legislation that permanently caps the deduction for state and local taxes at $10,000," said Donovan (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn), later adding that "the near elimination of the SALT deduction in this specific bill doesn't equal relief for far too many New Yorkers."

MEDICAL EXPENSES

The bill would also raise the threshold for someone to deduct out-of-pocket medical expenses after 2020. The 2017 tax bill lowered the percentage of a taxpayer's adjusted gross income needed to medical expenses from 10 percent to 7.5 percent, but is set to rise back to 10 percent in 2019.

If the new House tax bill passes, the lower threshold will remain throughout 2020 and then will rise back up to 10 percent in 2021.

"As someone who has served as a caregiver, I know firsthand that this would be an undue burden for seniors in my district," said Donovan.

The two-term GOP incumbent will be voting for the two other tax bills that'll go to a vote this week: H.R. 6756, which seeks to promote innovation among entrepreneurs and H.R. 6757, which aims to encourage savings.

"I will be supporting other tax legislation that benefits my community," said Donovan.

Donovan was one of 13 House Republicans who voted "no" in 2017 on the GOP tax bill, President Donald Trump's signature legislative achievement. Donovan told the Advance that the law would be an unfair burden on New Yorkers.

Donovan placed blame on New York state's political leaders rather than Republicans in Washington, D.C., saying that New Yorkers are overly taxed and that state lawmakers should take steps to remedy it.

"New York is a high-tax state and this should again serve as a wake-up call for politicians in Albany wedded to tax and spend policies," said Donovan. "But New Yorkers living paycheck to paycheck should not be further penalized."

A spokesperson for Max Rose -- a St. George Democrat who is challenging Donovan for his congressional seat -- said that Donovan's decision to vote no isn't sufficient.

"Dan Donovan has shown how irrelevant he is. Voting no is not enough when his party leaders are trying once again to raise our taxes. Max Rose would be fighting like hell to build a coalition to stop this bill dead in its tracks," said Jennifer Blatus, a spokesperson for Rose's congressional campaign. "Dan Donovan couldn't lead his way out of a paper bag and the only thing he's been good at is cashing checks from Purdue executives who pleaded guilty for fueling the opioid epidemic."The UN General Assembly is perhaps the largest world stage for world leaders to make their case for enacting change, but this year packs an extra punch: it is the United States's turn to chair the UN Security Council. All eyes will be on President Trump as he leads discussions about Iran, weapons of mass destruction and more. Trump has had a tumultuous relationship with the UN, to say the least, and key U.S. allies see Trump's "America First" policy as reckless and counterproductive to global peace. What do you think?

PERSPECTIVES

According to this year's UNGA president-elect, Maria Espinosa, the theme of the 73rd annual assembly will be:

The word "equitable" seems to carry more weight than perhaps in years past.

The UN Security Council is tasked with maintaining international peace and security. The presidency of the council rotates on a monthly basis between the 15 member countries, and this September, it's America's turn.

This means that the US determines the agenda for the Security Council's September meetings. Earlier in September, Reuters reported that US Ambassador Nikki Haley noted that the Security Council's UNGA session would:

This announcement comes just four months after Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal-a move which a number of Security Council members vehemently objected to, including the U.K., France, and Russia. According to France24, the United States' withdrawal threatens the fabric of the deal itself, thus endangering the rest of the world. France24 reports that British Prime Minister Theresa May's office commented:

Germany, which is not a Council member, also commented via Foreign Minister Heiko Maas:

The U.S. withdrawal from the deal marks further international isolation. For the Council's UNGA session, Trump's actions will translate to high tension and likely a lack of progress, much to the detriment of the rest of the world.

Trump's "America First" policy counters the precedent put into place by President Harry Truman after World War II. By challenging long-held alliances and treaties like NATO, Trump puts America's financial interests, and thus its future, ahead of keeping to such precedent.

Trump is approaching the world with an open mind, unburdened by tradition and ready to spark new deals and partnerships, perhaps setting the stage for new traditions the country will hold close for years to come.

As the White House notes:

Trump's actions, whether taking the U.S. out of partnerships or scaling back financial contributions, are in the interest of the American people, as is his principal duty as the president of the United States.

Trump's approach, whether groundbreaking or reckless, undoubtedly threatens U.S. relations with many of its long-standing allies, and by extension, puts the citizens of those ally countries, and beyond, in danger.

CBS's Pamela Falk breaks down the results of the America First policy from the last year:

There's no question that the president should always have the American people's interest in mind, but at what cost? The U.S. is looking to cap refugee acceptance at a record low of 30,000 in 2019, 1,500 immigrant children are still lost, and the country could be on the precipice of another cold war (this time, with China).

"America First" will undoubtedly turn into "America Only," and suddenly nationalism is a four-letter word.

Actions that seem to alienate the rest of the world from the U.S. are, in reality, holding other countries to a higher standard. For example, when the U.S. elected to leave the UN Human Rights Council, its motivations lay reforming the body itself. CNN reported on UN Ambassador Haley's comments:

Although the move certainly does not bring the U.S. any closer to the UN, it is one that reflects the unwavering standards of U.S. foreign policy. Remaining in a corrupt body does not prevent further corruption, while taking a stand is more likely to enact change. Vice President Mike Pence added his perspective on Twitter, saying:

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. -- In the wake of bus mishaps at the start of the school year, a Staten Islander was named the new interim senior adviser for NYC public school transportation, and will oversee the Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT).

Kevin Moran will take over from Eric Goldstein, who previously served as chief executive officer of the Office of School Support Services. Goldstein was fired from his position following a string of bus mishaps at the start of this school year that left students stranded after their school buses were late or failed to show up.

Moran had been serving as executive director for the Staten Island Field Support Center since 2015.

The Department of Education (DOE) is launching a search for a new, permanent leader for school transportation. The DOE could not immediately say who will serve as the new executive director for the Staten Island Field Support Center.

'RIGHT LEADER'

In his new role, Moran will oversee all school busing operations, contracts and strategy. He will serve in this role and report directly to Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza until the end of 2018.

"Kevin Moran is the right leader to fix the problems in our busing system and ensure it's reliable for our students, families and educators," said Carranza. "He's worked in operations at every level of our school system, with a track record of results."

He continued: "I won't rest until I'm confident our students are getting the high-quality, safe, and reliable school bus service they deserve, and I'll work with Kevin to make that a reality in New York City."

20 YEARS WITH DOE

As the Staten Island Field Support Center executive director for three years, Moran oversaw services and resources for approximately 70 schools on Staten Island. This included resolving busing issues on Staten Island.

Moran reported to Anthony Lodico, who was recently appointed as executive superintendent for Staten Island schools. The superintendent and executive director worked together to provide resources to principals, teachers, staff and parents.

The interim acting superintendent for Staten Island schools is Vincenza Gallassio.

Lodico oversees both the superintendent for Staten Island schools and the Staten Island Field Support Center executive director.

According to the DOE, the new supervision system will provide greater alignment between superintendents and Field Support Centers to expand work to support principals, educators, students and families.

Before serving at the Staten Island Field Support Center, Moran served as the executive director of Field Support for the DOE's Division of Operations and as executive director in the Office of School Support, in which he monitored and addressed operations issues, including transportation, safety, health and facilities across the city's 1,800 public schools.

He also served as a deputy cluster leader, a regional safety administrator and a teacher. He has worked for the DOE for two decades.

Borough President James Oddo said he was pleased to see Moran getting increased responsibility in the DOE, and the improvements that will result from his appointment.

"My experience with Kevin is that he is always on point and is dogged in getting the task accomplished on behalf of the students of this public education system," Oddo said. "Simply put, give him a job, and he will accomplish it and our kids will benefit."

Thank you for all you have done for @District31R @SIBFSC staff & schools, we appreciate your leadership Kevin! We wish you luck.....you will always be part of our family #inspired31 @NYCSchools pic.twitter.com/mueGDKVyyb  SIBOD31 (@SIBOD31) September 21, 2018

FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Years ago, the Board of Education was in need of teachers, and offered to pay for the credits of any student willing to teach for a year.

Brooklyn-born Sharon Santana answered the call, and stayed just one year, but became a career educator, reaching an assistant principal position before eventually retiring, 36 years after first entering the classroom.

Though she found retirement restful, Sharon felt a lack of purpose; she re-entered the world of education as a part-time supervisor in an elementary school in Brooklyn. She now mentors assistant principals and new teachers, helping them on their journeys to be the best they can be.

What was your first professional job?

My first job was as a biology teacher at Pacific High School, one of the city's first alternative schools for disaffected youth. I taught there for 16 years. During that time, I held many administrative-type positions ... I also introduced students to new experiences such as overnight camping at Gateway National Park, and brought a Peace Corps program to the school that allowed a student to travel with students from 20 other schools to live as a Peace Corps volunteer for two weeks. I was fortunate to be selected as one of the chaperones to accompany three students to the Dominican Republic to work with volunteers there.

Where else did you work?

While I worked at Pacific High School, I taught science and math for the GED exam in the evenings and on Saturdays, and worked at Concord High School. When I earned my tenure as an assistant principal, I requested a transfer back to Brooklyn to avoid paying for the bridge toll. I transferred to EBC/ENY High School in East New York. I worked there for 11 years until the Department of Education decided to close the school. I then worked in a network organization before coming back to Staten Island, where I worked at CSI High School for International Studies for the last two years of my career.

What are the best/worse things about your profession?

Many people envy teachers' holidays, but they don't realize how intensive teaching is. While other jobs for the most part can be left at the office, work does not stop when you walk out the school doors. There is not enough time in the school day to write lesson plans, mark papers, calculate grades, etc. A good educator is constantly thinking about the best methods to teach their students. I particularly found satisfaction in working with the alternative school students, since I was able to really have an impact in their lives and how they saw the role of educator.

When and why did you finally move to Staten Island?

I moved to Staten Island in the summer of 2008 when my father gifted his condo to me, having decided to make his snowbird residence, near Tampa, his permanent residence.

How did you feel about moving to Staten Island?

As a new Staten Islander, there was definitely a cultural adjustment, although I was not a complete newbie, as I dated a Staten Islander in my early 20s and I worked at Concord High School for five years, and planned on moving closer to my parents as, at that time, I was a single mom of a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old. Before my parents decided to move to Florida, I decided to remain in Brooklyn where my friends and most of my family lived. After my parents left for Florida, I decided to make Staten Island our home.

What do you like and dislike about it here?

I like that there are no worries about where to park, as most shops have parking spots. However, it's hard to get around without a car because public transportation is difficult. Kids here smoke more, and prescription drugs and heroin are major problems. The political scene here is very different, much more conservative with the majority of voters electing Republicans while the rest of the city mostly votes Democrat.

Tell us about your sons.

My oldest son, Justin, 29, graduated from CSI with a degree in political science. After working in a real estate management company for the last few years, he has returned to school and is currently in his first year at CUNY School of Law. Steven, 26, is currently working in retail but plans on returning to school to finish his degree.

What is your number one accomplishment?

I would say it is raising my two boys on my own. As children, they were often complimented on how polite and considerate they were and still are. I am proud of the impact I have had on young people I have worked with. Juggling both my personal "job" and my professional life were never easy but it was well worth it.

What would be your dream come true?

I would like people to get to the point when race, religion, nationality and gender are not what we are judged by. As the mom of two biracial children, this is especially relevant to our family. *

GET TO KNOW SHARON

Her love for travel: She loves to travel. She went with her sons, when they were 4 and 1, to Williamsburg, and later camping in Maine and New Hampshire, to the U.K. and cruises to Mexico and the Caribbean. She has been to many countries in Europe, to Turkey and Morocco, and is considering whether to visit Thailand, Japan or South Africa on her next trip.

Her love for animals: She has always been a dog person. She lost 2 dogs, a 120 lb. Great Dane and a 7 lb. toy poodle, last year. She now owns a 5-month-old orange tabby named Archie, which she received when it was found by a friend who is allergic to cats.

Her roots in education: Her grandmother and both her parents were teachers.

Her education: Bachelor's in biology from the University of Buffalo, master's in general science secondary education from Brooklyn College, and a certificate of supervision and administration from Brooklyn College.

How she'd describe herself, and the plans she has for the future: "I am a pretty easy-going person. I love being around people and helping when I can. I am always open to new experiences and to learning something new. I am empathetic to all living creatures. ... My plans are to do more of the same. I also want to continue to grow and learn new things."To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.

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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!A pub owner who wanted to avoid a tax debt was told by his adviser Philip Whiteman that a favourable administrator should be appointed to his business to ensure there would not be an investigation into his company, a court has heard.

Mr Whiteman arranged for the appointment of controversial insolvency practitioner Glenn Crisp to a company that was trying to avoid paying its creditors, pub owner Nick Murray told public examinations on Monday into the business activities of Mr Whiteman and his alleged phoenixing and fraud ring.

Philip Whiteman and Sherife Ymer with children outside a property they bought in Elwood, Melbourne in 2002. Credit:Rodger Cummins

Mr Crisp has not been accused of any wrongdoing by liquidators. He made headlines in 2015 when he claimed in a court case that photos of him "in compromising positions with strippers" taken during a Yarra River boat cruise by sex industry stalwart Maxine Fensom caused him to lose his job at RSM Bird Cameron.

Liquidators are investigating allegations that more than $100 million was ripped off the tax office and others in Mr Whiteman's phoenixing scam.A dispute over new poker machines at a suburban pub has taken a dramatic turn, as the federal MP for the area seeks police inquiries into the businessman behind the proposal and his role in a failed Gold Coast property venture.

The Liberal MP for La Trobe in Melbournes south-east, Jason Wood, last week wrote to Victoria Police seeking an investigation into property speculator Tim Rice and the alleged mishandling of $4.8 million in a joint venture with his one-time friend and business partner John Rose.

John Rose lost millions of dollars in a property venture with a former partner who is now applying for a hotel with 80 poker machines. Credit:Joe Armao

Ive looked at the documentation and, as a former detective investigator, have then believed it needs further investigation, Mr Wood said.

The big question is where is the money?Fruit and vegetable cannery SPC has sealed a deal to sell off its spreads and sauces businesses including IXL Jam, the second-biggest jam brand in Australia.

The Coca-Cola Amatil-owned SPC on Monday revealed the sale of its IXL and Taylor's Marinade and Sauces brands to the newly formed Kyabram Conserves Company, which is backed by Sydney-based fund manager Millinium Capital Managers.

SPC will divest prominent brands IXL Jam and Taylor's Marinade and Sauces. Credit:James Davies

The new owners intend to continue local production of both brands from existing factories in Kyabram, with existing workforces, according to SPC.

This is a good outcome for IXL and Taylors and good news for the Goulburn Valley, SPC managing director Reg Weine said.Police in New Zealand have ruled out charging anyone in relation to the death of an Auckland woman reliant on an oxygen machine who died shortly after her power was disconnected.

Police said there was no reason to charge anyone in relation to the death of Folole Muliaga, 45, who died on May 29 less than three hours after her electricity wa`s cut because of an unpaid bill.

"There is no evidence to justify any charge in relation to the power company, their contractors or staff members," New Zealand Police said in a statement.

There had been speculation a contractor responsible for the disconnection could be charged with murder or manslaughter for their actions.

Muliaga's death caused outrage in New Zealand and prompted the government to promise new guidelines for power companies dealing with non-payment.But two things set Wolf Alice apart from the pack: the enchanting vocals of singer-guitarist Ellie Rowsell, and the band's ability to craft songs that take a U-turn just when you think you've got them pegged.

It's a debatable point, given the bedrock of their sound is firmly rooted in early-'90s British indie  full of swirling, effects-heavy guitar borrowing from shoegaze acts such as My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Slowdive.

"Wolf Alice are not just another indie band" proclaimed English music bible NME last year, on the release of the London four-piece's second album, Visions of a Life.

Take Sadboy: galloping, folky chords switch into an anthemic grungy chorus that would do Courtney Love proud, followed by a slow murmured breakdown that then shape-shifts into a prog-rock riff-fest  four songs for the price of one.

It's tunes such as Planet Hunter, a sweet concoction of ethereal space rock and a gorgeous yet subtle vocal melody, and the shouty synth pop of Don't Delete the Kisses that move them into a more rarefied category  one that saw them win Britain's Mercury Prize for album of the year last week (over the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Florence + the Machine).

This show was their first since that win and bass player Theo Ellis, in particular, was on a high, bouncing around the stage and quaffing bubbly from the bottle, before passing it over to guitarist/keyboardist Joff Oddie and drummer Joel Amey.

While Oddie created a maelstrom of distortion and delay, Rowsell was chiefly content to hold down the centre, alternately howling, crooning, murmuring or simply singing sweetly.

It wasn't until the last song that Rowsell really let go, stepping off stage and into the well-mannered moshpit. Balancing on fans' hands and shoulders, she stood over the crowd, belting out Giant Peach with the ferocity of a Celtic warrior queen as her bandmates whipped up a final sonic squall.My dad was a cop. There were times he got out of the squad car and threw a ball around with kids, Mannino said. But there was no social media to tell that story. Now were telling that story. These arent staged events. We arent saying, Hey jump in that bounce house for a picture. This is real engagement that we just happen to be documenting.It was a bold but simple plan: convince a travelling circus to lend you a fully-grown elephant for the day to win a university scavenger hunt.

It might sound unlikely now, the stuff of campus folklore, but in 1976 the elephant arrived at the University of Canberra.

The "borrowed" elephant arrived the University of Canberra for a brief visit in 1976, but, surprisingly, did not generate any media attention at the time.

Back then the Bruce campus was less than a decade old, not yet a university and known as the Canberra College of Advanced Education.

Still its annual scavenger hunt had already become something of a steadfast student tradition, as teams tried to outdo each other by rustling up their own "wild card" addition to the list. Over the years, those mystery items had included everything from the college principal's door to the rival Australian National University's shuttle bus. An international incident was narrowly avoided when the Russian ambassador's car was collected from campus in one piece.A trial at some of the busiest emergency departments in Sydney and north-west NSW aims to make long and anxious waits more comfortable and convenient.

Blacktown, Liverpool, Nepean and Lismore hospital emergency departments will roll out a suite of new measures including better amenities and more information for patients and their families, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced on Monday.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has announced a new trial in four Sydney emergency departments designed to improve patient experience. Credit:SMH

Some of the trial's features sound more like the perks of a hotel lobby or airport lounge, including staff greeting patients as they arrive, free WiFi, charging stations for mobile devices, water and refreshments "and other essentials aimed at improving the waiting room experience".

But the new "patient experience" staff will also provide information at each stage of patients' care, including where to go, what to expect during their visit and real-time updates on where they are in the queue.A Cairns police officer has risked his life to rescue a driver from his sinking bus in a crocodile-infested creek.

Three police officers spotted the tourist bus in Smiths Creek in the Cairns suburb of Portsmith just before 7pm on Sunday.

A Cairns police officer saved a driver from a sinking bus. Credit:Queensland Police Service

Initial investigations suggested the driver and sole occupant of the bus was heading to a depot when he swerved to miss two pedestrians and crashed into the creek.

Plain clothes Senior Constable John Dijkstra said the 30-seater bus seemed to be doing a U-turn but drove straight into the creek, which was submerged in a matter of seconds."Recent shark attacks in the Whitsundays are particularly personal to me and my family," he said. "The reaction by the Queensland government setting drum lines and culling sharks is understandable and, in some ways, I appreciate it. "However, we have to understand that while there have been two attacks in rapid succession, shark attacks are rare and sharks play an important role in the ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef." Justine Barwick (top right) and Hannah Papps were both attacked by sharks after Whitsunday Island attacks. Three baited drum lines were rolled out in response. Two more sharks were killed on Monday after being caught in drumlines around Cid Harbour.

Another tiger shark, 3.7 metres long, and a 1.2-metre blacktip shark were "humanely euthanised" according to Fisheries Queensland, before being measured and disposed at sea. "Six sharks have been removed from the Cid Harbour area since three drumlines were temporarily deployed last Friday. The message is these waters are not safe for swimming," the department said. "During this holiday period, we urge people to exercise caution, stay out of the water and not throw food scraps overboard from boats." Hannah Papps' family have expressed gratitude for the quick actions of those involved in her rescue. "We would like to thank everyone who has helped and cared for Hannah, including the police, emergency services and the hospital teams," the family said in a statement on Friday.

"We ask that everyone, including the media, please respect our family's privacy during this very difficult time so we can focus our energies on Hannah's recovery." Fisheries Queensland was expected to provide an update on the number of sharks that have been caught and killed in drumlines later on Monday afternoon. However, environmentalists say the baiting and killing of sharks gives swimmers a false sense of security and won't prevent more attacks. The department dropped baited hooks into the waters around Cid Harbour where Ms Barwick and 12-year-old Melbourne girl Hannah Papps were bitten less than 24 hours apart last week. Cid Harbour off Whitsunday Island. Credit:Tourism and Events Queensland

Sea Shepherd Australia and Humane Society International said human safety was paramount but killing four tiger sharks in Cid Harbour in response to the attacks was not the answer. "Public support for these shark-control methods is dropping off," HSI marine campaigner Lawrence Chlebeck said. "We acknowledge the need for the use of technology and reducing these sorts of incidences ... but drumlines have been in the water since 1962; that's 60 years ago now. Loading "The technology is there and we've moved on. We are disappointed the Queensland government's response has been to install baited drum lines.

"Culling is not the solution to prevent shark bites. These drum lines will indiscriminately catch and kill marine life, while potentially attracting sharks to the area. "We urge the Queensland government to seriously consider more effective non-lethal measures to protect ocean users." The state government insisted killing the sharks was in the interest of public safety in spite of admitting it would never know if they caused the injuries. Liberal National Party deputy leader Tim Mander agreed it was the right move, insisting during a press conference on Sunday that "we need to find this killer shark". Experts said it was unlikely that one shark was responsible for both attacks, or that any shark could be confirmed to have been involved in the attacks.The good Samaritan who jumped out her car to try and save a dying man leaves behind two young children.

Acting Detective Inspector Brad McArthur told radio station 3AW he was with the police officer who phoned the woman's partner this morning.

"Her partner is devastated ... he'll never recover from this," Inspector McArthur said. "The children now have no mother. It's an absolute tragedy.

"It's a terrible morning and our hearts go out to the people involved in this incident."The Western Australian government has rejected a proposed partial settlement for Denishar Woods, the 11-year-old girl who suffered a catastrophic brain injury after a severe electric shock at a public housing property, a support group says.

The full settlement for Denishar was likely to run to between $10 and $15 million. Credit:SBS News

The National Indigenous Critical Response Service, which has been supporting the Perth girl's family since the incident, says the government's decision to reject making the $3.2 million payment is "morally and politically abominable"

"I beg the state government to review its disgraceful decision to fail to advance the family some of the inevitable compensation," national co-ordinator Gerry Georgatos said on Monday.

"It's no skin off their nose to do what will be lifesaving for the family."Sydneysiders love to travel to the world's great cities of New York, London, Paris and Tokyo. Yet it appears we do not want Sydney to join their ranks.

Sydney's population is still only a fraction of those cities but the latest Fairfax-Reachtel poll found many here do not want it to grow any bigger. Over 63 per cent of respondents supported restricting migration to Sydney and sending more people to the regions while 50 per cent opposed more development to accomodate a growing population.

Sydney is certainly growing fast. The population of 4.7 million is 500,000 higher than six years ago, a rate usually seen in developing countries. There is no question this places strains on transport, house prices, schools and hospitals.

Sydney's population has grown by 500,000 in the past six years.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has suggested incentives for new migrants or students to live in the regions. That is fine. But the number of migrants likely to be diverted from Sydney will be small.Multiculturalism Minister Ray Williams has emerged the winner in a bitter internal battle with Treasurer Dominic Perrottet which was threatening to significantly damage the Berejiklian government.

Just before 6pm on Monday night, the Premier struck a deal with the warring parties that saw Mr Perrottet agree to withdraw his nomination for preselection in Mr Williams seat.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and minister for multiculturalism Ray Williams. Credit:Fairfax Media

Mr Perrottet will now move from his seat of Hawkesbury to Epping, where he lives, and Mr Williams will remain in the seat of Castle Hill.

The current Epping MP Damien Tudehope will move to the upper house.Male, Maldives: Maldives opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has won the presidential election in an unexpected victory over the strongman incumbent who had jailed his top rivals and Supreme Court justices.

Solih won 58.3 per cent of the vote on Sunday over President Yameen Abdul Gayoom with 89.2 per cent turnout, according to the Maldives Election Commission. The veteran politician had 134,616 votes and incumbent Yameen 96,132 votes.

Commission spokesman Ahmed Akram says the final results will be released within the seven-day window parties have to challenge the results in court.

Supporters of Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate their victory in Male, Maldives, on Monday. Credit:AP

Yameen was slow to concede the race, but the Maldives' foreign ministry had already released a statement saying Solih had won, and that voting and the vote-counting process had "proceeded smoothly".Washington: A US government investigation has found that Myanmar's military waged a planned, co-ordinated campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the south-east Asian nation's Rohingya Muslim minority.

The State Department report, reviewed by Reuters ahead of its expected public release, could be used to justify further US sanctions or other punitive measures against Myanmar authorities, US officials say.

Rohingya refugee Yasmin Akhter, 13, witnessed her parents lying dead in their home in Myanmar and fled to Bangladesh. Credit:Kate Geraghty

But it stopped short of describing the crackdown as genocide or crimes against humanity.

The report was released as the US announced it had almost doubled its aid for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and Myanmar, as the US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley pushed for UN investigators to brief the UN Security Council on the crisis.Citing high rates of first and second-year retention as well as an above-average graduation rate, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Trinity Christian College No. 21 in the Midwest Regional Colleges category of its annual list of Best Colleges. In all, 91 Midwestern colleges were ranked. The magazine also listed Trinity Christian among the top 25 colleges on its Best Value list.Dubai: On the same day Arab separatists killed at least 25 people in an attack targeting a military parade in south-western Iran, President Donald Trump's lawyer mounted a stage in New York to declare that the government would be toppled.

"I don't know when we're going to overthrow them. It could be in a few days, months or a couple of years, but it's going to happen," former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said on Saturday. "They are going to be overthrown. The people of Iran obviously have had enough."

For Iran's Shiite theocracy, comments like these only fuel fears that America and its Gulf Arab allies are plotting to tear the Islamic Republic apart.

Those threats so far haven't led to a military confrontation or violence, but the risk is rising.Istanbul: Turkey will take action east of the Euphrates river in Syria and impose secure zones as it has done in the north-west of the country, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in comments broadcast on Turkish media on Monday.

Earlier this year, Turkey carried out a military operation to seize control of Syria's Afrin region from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara considers a terrorist organisation. The YPG also controls the Syrian region east of the Euphrates.

"God willing, in the period ahead we will increase the number of secure zones in Syria, encompassing the east of the Euphrates," Erdogan said in a speech during a visit to New York.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves as he attends the Teknofest aviation, space and technology fair at the new airport in Istanbul on Saturday. Credit:AP

Before the Afrin operation, Turkey also carried out a cross-border operation dubbed "Euphrates Shield", which targeted both the YPG and Islamic State fighters east of Afrin.United Nations: US President Donald Trump has raised hopes at the United Nations on Monday that a second meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong-un could occur "quite soon," striking a conciliatory tone one year after he used his debut at the UN to deride the autocrat as "Little Rocket Man" and threaten to "totally destroy North Korea" if the US were forced to defend itself or allies.

Trump praised Kim as "very open" and "terrific," despite the glacial pace of progress toward denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula.

Donald Trump talks to Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday in New York. Credit:AP

US officials defended Trump's strategy of engagement with the erstwhile pariah state as the president embarked on a week of meetings with world leaders. The softer tone toward North Korea - once threatened with "fire and fury" - has been replaced by rosy optimism, with Trump reserving tough rhetoric for another potential nuclear aspirant and strategic foe: Iran.

"It was a different world," Trump on said Monday of his one-time moniker for the North Korean leader. "That was a dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time."Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands:---- CCRIF SPC is pleased to announce its UWI-Scholarship and CCRIF Scholarship (extra-regional) winners for 2018. This year, CCRIF provided scholarships valued at US$129,000 to 14 Caribbean nationals. CCRIF provides scholarships and internships each year to Caribbean nationals as part of its Technical Assistance (TA) Programme. CCRIF which is akin to a not-for-profit organization uses profits made to benefit its members through reductions in premium costs and by funding the Technical Assistance Programme. The resources made available for the TA Programme are derived from a portion of CCRIFs earned investment income.

The CCRIF Technical Assistance Programme consists of three components  the scholarship, internship and professional development programme; regional knowledge building; and support to non-governmental and community-based organizations for local disaster risk reduction initiatives. It has been designed to provide an ongoing mechanism for grant support within the Caribbean region for capacity building initiatives and the development and implementation of projects which have a strong potential for improving the effectiveness of risk management. Since its launch in 2010, CCRIF has provided resources of over US$2.2 million to support this programme.

CCRIF provides scholarships through two programmes: the CCRIF-UWI Scholarship Programme, for postgraduate and undergraduate students who are pursuing study at The University of the West Indies in areas related to disaster management at any one of its three residential campuses and the CCRIF Scholarship Programme, for study in masters programmes in areas related to disaster risk management at universities in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada as well as universities in Caribbean countries (other than UWI). Since the inception of this programme in 2010, CCRIF has awarded scholarships to 68 Caribbean nationals totaling approximately US$1 million.

Five of this years CCRIF-UWI undergraduate recipients are pursuing degrees in Geography or Geology at the Mona Campus; one is at the St. Augustine campus reading for a degree in Ecology with Environmental Science; and two others are at the Cave Hill Campus reading for degrees in Meteorology & Computer Science and Environmental & Natural Resource Management. At the postgraduate level, three students are reading for degrees in Natural Resource & Environmental Management.

Under its own scholarship programme, CCRIF awarded scholarships to Trisha Miller from Grenada, to complete an MS in Applied Meteorology at Mississippi State University; Faustina Wiggins from Guyana, to pursue an MS in Environment & Development at the University of Reading; and Christal Benjamin from Trinidad and Tobago, to pursue an MA in Disasters Adaptation & Development at Kings College in London.

The CCRIF Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer met with some of this years scholarship recipients when CCRIF held its quarterly board meeting in Kingston, Jamaica. On meeting the students, CCRIF Chairman Timothy Antoine remarked that I too am a proud Pelican and I am delighted to meet with you today. You are the future of our region and I am pleased that CCRIF had the foresight to invest in you as we seek to advance solutions for the sustainability of our region.

CCRIF encourages young people throughout the region to apply for these programmes in 2019. For information visit the CCRIF website:

 CCRIF Scholarship Programme: www.ccrif.org/content/scholarship

 CCRIF-UWI Scholarship Programme: www.ccrif.org/content/programmes/ccrif-uwi-scholarship

 CCRIF Regional Internship Programme: www.ccrif.org/content/regional-internship-programmePHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on Monday, September 24, 2018.

The Central Committee meeting is scheduled for 14.00 hrs. in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Justice will be present.

The agenda point is:

Discussion about the points submitted in the Petition Justice Sint Maarten from citizens of Sint Maarten submitted to Parliament on August 29, 2018, during a demonstration/walk on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 (IS/945/2017-2018 dated September 7, 2018)

(This meeting was requested by MP T.E. Heyliger, MP C.E. Brownbill, MP L.F.E. Mercelina, MP S.M. Bijlani, and MP C.A.H. Peterson)

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 115, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.com and Parliaments Facebook page: Parliament of Sint Maarten.PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Department in discussion with the Public prosecutor in charge of traffic have come to the decision to tackle the illegal parking situation in the Philipsburg area which has become quite serious and mainly during the evening and night hours on Front Street. This traffic offense occurs during the also day and evening hours by persons visiting the casinos and restaurants in Philipsburg.

KPSM and the Public prosecutor have received numerous complaints from pedestrians, business-owners, and residents living on Front Street concerning this issue. All drivers are hereby warned to avoid illegal parking in and around the Philipsburg area. Drivers will run the risk by having the vehicle towed; receiving a fine for this traffic violation along with other charges that could be included.

The police department and the Prosecutors Office will no longer tolerate this type of behavior and will definitely take actions against those who do not abide by the rules.

KPSM Press Release.CASTRIES, St. Lucia:--- Solar energy is clean, sustainable and for a country experiencing challenges in providing its population of ten million with electricity, it can help to solve Haitis energy problem.

On August 23, 2018, the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) with logistical support from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) completed the installation of a solar photovoltaic power system on the Ecole Nationale Notre Dame De Lourdes, a convent and elementary school in Grand Anse, Jeremie, Haiti.

Cognizant of the importance of promoting sustainable renewable energy solutions and the challenges facing Haiti in the aftermath of various natural disasters which have severely impacted it, the objectives of the CARILEC-CDEMA Collaboration for the Haiti School Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Project are to assist in the restoration and improvement of electricity services for Haitis Education Institutions; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; provide a long-term hedge against future electric rate volatility and an opportunity to save money; and present teachers and students with a number of educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Following the devastation caused by the 2010 earthquake, CARILEC felt impelled to contribute to the restoration of Haitis electric power network and established a fund to assist in these efforts. With the generous support of its members who have made contributions to the fund, CARILEC has been able to provide Haiti with support over the last few years. The conceptualization of this project represents a culmination of CARILECs efforts to use the remainder of the fund to do something meaningful and measurable in Haiti. CARILECs execution of this project was financed by the fund.

The project was coordinated by Mr. Andrew Thorington, Technical Services Manager at the CARILEC Secretariat with Dr. Gary Jackson serving as the consultant. Under the project, a 13 kW capacity system consisting of 3x8 kW inverters, 42 x 310W solar photovoltaic panels, and an energy storage system (24 lead acid batteries) with a capacity of 1092 AHs (or 10 hours) at 48V was installed at the Ecole Nationale Notre Dame De Lourdes. The system was designed and installed as a standalone system with the ability to manually switch to the national grid. It is worth noting that installation works were carried out by a local contractor and his team.

Haiti which is one of the poorest countries in the world and lacks a viable energy source for the production of electric power is no stranger to solar energy solutions. Given the high cost of electricity in Haiti, this project will not only save the school thousands of dollars annually but will guarantee that the nuns and students have reliable access to energy whilst simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions.Copper Mountain announces new Ingerbelle Mineral Resource

Posted by Publisher Internet

Copper Mountain Mining Corporation (TSX: CMMC | ASX:C6C) (the ?Company? or ?Copper Mountain?  http://www.commodity-tv.net/c/search_adv/?v=298551 ) is pleased to announce that following the completion of its Phase 2 drilling program, the Company has updated the Mineral Resource for its New Ingerbelle property. Results of resource estimation based on the Phase 2 drilling program have exceeded the Company?s goal set for Phase 3. The drilling program has successfully expanded the resource area and converted a significant part of the previously Inferred Mineral Resource to the Indicated and Measured categories. The New Ingerbelle deposit is located approximately one kilometre from the Company?s flagship operation, the Copper Mountain Mine (See Appendix A for New Ingerbelle location map).

Highlights from New Ingerbelle Mineral Resource are:

More than one billion pounds of copper and one million ounces of gold in Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource at a 0.12% copper cut-off grade

Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource of 151 million tonnes grading 0.29% copper and 0.18 g/t gold (0.41% CuEq) at a 0.16% copper cut-off grade

Inferred Mineral Resource of 69 million tonnes grading 0.27% copper and 0.16 g/t gold (0.38% CuEq) for contained metal of 405 million pounds of copper and 0.36 million ounces of gold at a 0.16% cut-off copper grade.

Gil Clausen, Copper Mountain?s President and CEO stated, ?Given the size and quality of the Mineral Resource, we believe New Ingerbelle has the potential to be a significant contributor of value to the Company. With New Ingerbelle?s Mineral Resource exceeding our target, our next step now will be to move New Ingerbelle into the evaluation phase. The evaluation phase will include a mine plan and economic analysis to move the Mineral Resource to the Mineral Reserve category. Given New Ingerbelle?s favourable grade and proximity to our Copper Mountain operation, it has the real potential for growth and flexibility for our near-term production plans. Further, it is just one of several high-quality growth projects we have in our portfolio.? A summary of New Ingerbelle?s Mineral Resource estimate is provided below. The new resource estimate is based on approximately 38,000 metres of historical drill data which is below current topography and 15,000 metres of new drilling, which includes drill and assay information up to September 17, 2018.

The Mineral Resource includes drilling from the Phase 1 and Phase 2 drilling programs Copper Mountain started in 2017 and completed in September 2018. The Company?s original goal for its 3-Phase program was to define sufficient resources in order to complete an initial mine plan and economic analysis. However, as it has already exceeded this goal in its Phase 2 program, Copper Mountain now plans to move New Ingerbelle into the evaluation phase, where the Company will complete an initial mine plan and economic analysis to upgrade the Mineral Resource to the Mineral Reserve category. Following the evaluation phase, the Company will assess the potential to further expand the Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource in a follow-up Phase 3 program.

Mineral Resource Estimation Methodology

The Mineral Resource estimate was completed by company employees under the guidance and supervision of Peter Holbek, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. The resource estimate was prepared in conformity with CIM Best Practices guidelines. The estimate was prepared using Gemcom software, a three-dimensional block model (15m cubic blocks) where grades were interpolated into blocks from 7.5m drill hole composite grades by ordinary kriging. Classification of resources is based on the size of the interpolation search ellipse and number of composites and drill holes informing the interpolated blocks. Mineral resources are constrained by a Whittle pit shell generated at a US$3.50 copper price with current mine-site operating costs and metal recoveries.

Competent Persons Statement

The information in this report that relates to Exploration Targets, Exploration Results, Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves is based on information compiled by Peter Holbek, B.SC (Hons), M.Sc. P. Geo. Mr. Holbek is a full time employee of the Company and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ?Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves?. Mr. Holbek does consent to the inclusion in this news release of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.

Peter Holbek is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the

technical content of this release.

About Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Copper Mountain?s flagship asset is the 75% owned Copper Mountain mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. The Copper Mountain mine produces about 90 million pounds of copper equivalent per year with a large resource that remains open laterally and at depth. Copper Mountain also has the permitted, development stage Eva Copper Project in Queensland, Australia and an extensive 379,000 hectare highly prospective land package in the Mount Isa area. Copper Mountain trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ?CMMC? and Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol ?C6C?.

Additional information is available on the Company?s web page at www.CuMtn.com.

Website: www.CuMtn.com

Note: This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results. Readers are referred to the documents, filed by the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, specifically the most recent reports which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to review or confirm analysts? expectations or estimates or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statement.

?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.Dairy productivity priority for Thompson

Farmer groups should set productivity as the industry priority and push to be more involved in Dairy Australia's planning, while also striving for a new level of transparency and integrity in advocacy.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.Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 74F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Thunder possible. Low 61F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. Slight chance of a rain shower. High around 75F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Thunder possible. Low 61F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.WASHINGTON  The Air Force Association is taking a strong position against the proposed establishment of a Space as a separate branch of the U.S. military, arguing that it would do "more harm than good." It suggests a more reasonable compromise would be to combine Air Force and Space Force into a "U.S. Aerospace Force."

"The U.S. Air Force has led the armed forces in establishing America's space capability such that it is unrivaled in the world," the association says in a position paper. "Today, to split up the well-integrated set of air and space capabilities that have been organized to seamlessly contribute to America's military capabilities would result in more harm than good."

AFA is a professional military and aerospace non-profit association that advocates "dominant air, space, and cyberspace power, a strong national defense, supporting the men and women of the United States Air Force, and world-class aerospace education." [Gotcha! US Air Force's Secretive X-37B Space Plane Spotted by Satellite Tracker]

The basic argument laid out by AFA is that while there might be a need for a Space Force , now is not the time to break up the Air Force. "The question of standing up a new armed service for space is not 'if,' but 'when,' and the 'when is the time all the conditions for creating a separate armed force for space are met."

The association supports some elements of the Trump administration's and the Defense Department's proposed actions such as the standup of a combatant command, U.S. Space Command. "Rapidly reducing U.S. space capability gaps, while re-establishing U.S. Space Command, is the best way to address advancing threats to space."

But creating a separate service would be damaging, the association contends. "From an employment perspective, effects from air and space have been integrated and are indivisible. The U.S. Air Force may want to reflect this reality so it is better understood by Americans by considering renaming the U.S. Air Force to the U.S. Aerospace Force."

AFA agrees with other Space Force critics that the cost of a separate service is an unnecessary burden at a time when military budgets are strained. "The Space Force proposal is a resource question writ large," the position paper says. "Too much mission, too few dollars. Standing up a separate space bureaucracy amplifies the problem by driving more money to a headquarters function, not space operations. Congress has constrained space capabilities, not the Air Force, by underfunding the service."

Before Congress debates this issue, more questions need to be answered about U.S. military space policy and posture, AFA says. "Currently there are no space arms which are fundamental to setting up an armed service. Constraints to fully-weaponized space capability must be debated and changed by Congress to allow the Air Force to mature space warfare theory and concepts of operation for war in, from, and through space."

Before establishing a new armed service, "realistic concepts of operation to hold an enemy at risk from space must be considered and debated before establishing a separate space armed force."

AFA points out that the U.S. Air Force is the "steward" of key space capabilities that support the U.S. military, its allies and the nation's economy. "As Air Force Chief of Staff Thomas D. White said in 1958, 'Air and space are not two separate media to be divided by a line and to be readily separated into two distinct categories; they are in truth a single indivisible field of operations.'"

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.Officials with both Boeing and SpaceX believe their CST-100 Starliner (left) and Crew Dragon vehicles meet NASA safety thresholds they have been struggling to achieve for years.

ORLANDO  Boeing and SpaceX, who have been struggling to meet safety thresholds established by NASA for commercial crew vehicles, now believe their vehicles can meet those requirements as they prepare for test flights scheduled in the next several months.

A key issue in the development of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon has been their ability to meet a "loss-of-crew" requirement  a measure of the probability of death or permanent disability of one or more people on a spacecraft during a mission  of 1 in 270. The companies have faced problems meeting that requirement, significantly more stringent than that of the space shuttle.

"The number one safety-related concern for the program is the current situation with respect to the estimate of loss of crew," Donald McErlean, a member of NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, said at a meeting of the panel last year. The U.S. Government Accountability Office has also warned in reports that the companies were having problems meeting that loss-of-crew requirement. [Boeing's CST-100 Starliner: A 21st Century Space Capsule in Photos]

However, during a panel discussion at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Space Forum here Sept. 18, executives of the two companies said they now believed their vehicles met that and related safety requirements.

John Mulholland, vice president and program manager for the commercial crew program at Boeing, said the company was assessing three separate requirements, including the overall loss of crew as well as ascent and entry risks and loss of mission. "Our teams have been working that for a number of years," he said, noting those analyses have driven changes to the vehicle design, such as increased micrometeoroid and orbital debris protection.

"Where we are now is that our analysis shows we can exceed the NASA requirements for all three of those criteria," he said.

Benjamin Reed, director of commercial crew mission management at SpaceX, said his company was in a similar situation. "We're looking right now to be meeting the requirements," he said.

Kathy Lueders, NASA's commercial crew program manager, didn't confirm that the companies have, in fact, met those safety requirements. "We're learning from a NASA perspective about how to understand the assessments that we're getting from each of the contractors and how to apply it," she said. "We at the NASA team are assessing the modeling that each of the providers has done."

She cautioned, though, about using the loss-of-crew figure as the sole figure of merit of the safety of either vehicle. "I sometimes struggle when people say that the loss-of-crew number is the safety number," she said. "I don't believe that that's true."

Test flight preparations

Those assessments come as test flights for both companies' vehicles are approaching. Updated schedules released by NASA in early August said that SpaceX planned to perform an uncrewed test flight in November, followed by a crewed flight in April 2019. Boeing would perform its uncrewed test flight late this year or early next year, with a crewed flight in mid-2019.

SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk, though, hinted at a slight delay in his company's schedule during the Sept. 17 announcement of the company's plans to fly a Japanese billionaire and a group of artists around the moon on the company's Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) under development.

"We're hoping to do a test flight of Dragon 2 in December, and then a crewed flight next year, hopefully in the second quarter of next year," he said, calling commercial crew the "top priority" for the company.

Reed declined to comment on any potential slip in that schedule. "We're working closely with NASA to find the right dates," he said after the panel. He said during the panel that the Dragon that will fly that initial uncrewed test is in Florida for final integration work, while the first and second stages of the Falcon 9 that will launch it were being tested at the company's McGregor, Texas, test site. Final certification reviews for that mission, he said, have been scheduled with NASA.

Mulholland said Boeing has three Starliner vehicles in various stages of development, one each for the uncrewed and crewed test flights and a third that will be used for a pad abort test that will take place early next year between the two flights. Construction of the two Atlas 5 rockets by United Launch Alliance for those test flights are also almost complete. The schedule announced in August for the Starliner test flights is unchanged, he said after the panel.

Reusing crew vehicles

The panel discussion also addressed plans by both companies to reuse their crew vehicles. That issue gained attention last month when, at an Aug. 27 meeting of the human exploration and operations committee of the NASA Advisory Council, Lueders said SpaceX would use a new vehicle for each of its crewed flights. "Right now, what they proposed was a new vehicle every time for us," she said then.

At the AIAA panel, Reed said SpaceX still had plans to reuse its Crew Dragon vehicles, as it does now with the cargo version of the spacecraft. "Crew Dragon, just like Cargo Dragon, was designed from the beginning to be a fully reusable vehicle, and it's certainly still our intent" to reuse them. That includes the vehicle flying the first, uncrewed demo mission, which will be quickly turned around for use on an in-flight abort test that will take place before the crewed flight test.

For the operational commercial crew missions, Reed said SpaceX plans to use new vehicles for each mission initially as it builds up a "stable" of vehicles. The company would then work with NASA on how to certify those vehicles for reuse.

That approach, he said, is similar to the cargo version of Dragon, where SpaceX initially used new vehicles for all its flights but, after discussions with NASA, won approval for reuse of vehicles, which now account for all recent Dragon cargo missions. "That was a very successful approach," he said. "We're following the same basic plan."

Boeing plans to reuse its Starliner crew capsules from the beginning. Mulholland said the company has defined what inspections, tests and vehicle refurbishments will be needed for the capsule between flights, a process he said should take about four months.

That desire to reuse the capsule drove Boeing's decision to land the spacecraft on land, at one of five selected locations in the western United States, rather than splashing down at sea. "For us, in our baseline, we need to land on land to support capsule reuse," he said. Starliner does have the ability to splash down in an emergency, but "if we end up aborting and ditching into the ocean, then we wouldn't reuse that capsule."

Reed said that, given SpaceX's experience with cargo Dragons, landing in water was not a major obstacle to reusability. "It is different, for sure," he said of water landings. "I don't know if it's much more difficult, though."

Non-NASA markets

A key foundation of the commercial crew program is that NASA would not be the only customer for these vehicles, with the companies free to use them for other customers and thus spreading out costs. Both Boeing and SpaceX said they're optimistic about the non-NASA demand for those vehicles.

"I think there's a lot of opportunity out there," Reed said, including commercial missions to the ISS and to other destinations in low Earth orbit that have been proposed but yet to be developed. "We see a lot of opportunity out there. We're working on a number of interesting opportunities with various commercial partners," he said, not identifying any specific opportunities.

Mulholland said a Boeing marketing team has been "actively engaged" with other countries and entities about potential commercial Starliner flights. However, he said the company is holding off on deals until the Starliners are flying for NASA. "I've been hesitant to sign anything, or for the company to sign up, until we actually go fly," he said.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.The new "Personal Space" temporary exhibit at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City showcases eleven astronauts' space-flown mementos.

A comic strip beagle shares space with a romantic novel and a sci-fi starship in a new museum exhibit that asks the public to consider: What would you pack if you were leaving Earth?

"Personal Space," now on display at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, showcases eleven unique items that launched with astronauts on their missions into orbit and back.

"What struck me is that each of the astronauts had a different reason for bringing what they did," said curator Eric Boehm. "It was different for every astronaut and that is what makes it very interesting. No two reasons are alike." [Space Shuttle Enterprise's Sea Trek to NYC Museum (Photos)]

Located inside the Intrepid's Space Shuttle Pavilion under the right wing of the prototype orbiter Enterprise, "Personal Space" debuted on Thursday (Sept. 20) as part of the aircraft carrier-turned-museum's annual Space and Science Festival. The temporary exhibit will be on display for the next year.

"When you go on a space voyage, you can't take all your stuff. And most of the stuff you take is because it is mission related. But you are able to take a few personal items," said former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, the Intrepid's senior space advisor, whose boyhood toy is featured in the exhibit. "I think it is interesting what people decide to take with them, it shows what is meaningful."

Mike Massimino poses with his astronaut Snoopy toy in July 1969 and May 2009, the latter on space shuttle Atlantis. (Image credit: Mike Massimino via collectSPACE.com)

Where Jane Austen meets Snoopy

Among the space-flown items that are part of the "Personal Space" exhibit are astronaut Mario Runco's "Star Trek" starship Enterprise toy, Ellen Baker's paper dolls and Megan McArthur Behnken's pocket copy of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," her favorite book.

"I am lending  not donating by the way, I want it back!  my astronaut Snoopy toy," said Massimino in an interview with collectSPACE.com.

A prized gift from his older brother, Massimino took the plastic Snoopy figure with him when he launched on his second of two missions to service the Hubble Space Telescope, STS-125, in 2009.

"I was very excited to get it," said Massimino, recalling when he was six years old. "That Halloween I dressed up as an astronaut and there is a picture of me holding that Snoopy as a little kid and I got to fly that same Snoopy in space as an adult."

Each object in "Personal Space" is accompanied by a photo of the item in space and a quote from the astronaut who carried it, describing why the memento meant something to him or her. For Scott Altman, the pocket watch flown on his second spaceflight, STS-106 in 2000, connected him to his grandfather.

"He wound it in the morning when he went to work and on the days he didn't have work, he set it down," said Altman. "My grandfather started off as a coal miner in central Illinois and ultimately became a union leader. But it was [that symbol] of his work ethic that was something I wanted to have with me."

Altman said objects like his grandfather's pocket watch take on an added meaning having flown in space.

"Now it is even a more precious a piece because I know that it traveled with me, just like it traveled with him when he went to work," Altman told collectSPACE.com. "That connection means something to me, and hopefully it resonates with people when they look at the exhibit." [9 Weird Things That Flew on NASA's Space Shuttles]

Sharing the adventure

Astronaut Mike Good loaned the Intrepid a Saint Christopher medal and nail cross that he wore aboard both of his space shuttle missions, STS-125 and STS-132.

"These items launched with me on the space shuttle Atlantis, went out with me on spacewalks to repair Hubble, and returned with me as we reentered the Earth's atmosphere at 25 times the speed of sound," said Good. "I also used this chain to wear my wedding ring and my wife Joan's wedding ring."

Good said the pendants were important symbols of his faith and love, representing his family members and the St. Paul Catholic Church community back at his home in Houston.

"It was my way of taking them all along and sharing the adventure with them," Good told collectSPACE.com. "As I floated around in space for two weeks, the items on my chain floated around, too. Without gravity, the chain didn't hang down from my neck."

The Intrepid's "Personal Space" exhibit also includes "The Wave," a watercolor painted by Nicole Stott while in Earth orbit, a collapsible, fabric model of the Hubble Space Telescope handcrafted by John Grunsfeld, a telescope eyepiece "smuggled" aboard the space shuttle by Al Drew and a guitar pick used by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield to perform with the band Barenaked Ladies for the first space-to-Earth musical collaboration in 2013.

Megan McArthur Behnken's personal pocket copy of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" as flown on space shuttle Atlantis and now on exhibit at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City. (Image credit: Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum via collectSPACE.com)

"I really wanted the guitar," said Boehm. "But they had to leave the guitar in orbit because it wouldn't fit in the Soyuz [spacecraft] to bring it home. So Hadfield came home with the guitar pick and that is what he loaned us."

Like Hadfield's on-orbit performances, which were shared on social media, "Personal Space" also aims to engage the public, and especially children, online.

"I am hopeful the exhibit is popular with visitors and we are developing a social media aspect to it," explained Boehm. "The question we're posing is, 'What would you bring if you were to go into space?' That should be fun."

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2018 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.While Ivanka Trump has a high-profile job advising her father, the president of the United States, she told the International Space Station Expedition 56 crew Thursday (Sept. 20) that she had different childhood ambitions.

"I think I can speak for all of us here to say you inspire us all. You actually have my dream job," she told the crew via a video call from NASA's Mission Control Center. "I always wanted to be an astronaut, and I always wanted to go to space. You are fulfilling my dream up there."

Trump made her comments while touring NASA's Johnson Space Center with astronaut Nicole Mann, one of the crewmembers recently selected for future missions on commercial crew vehicles. Mann, along with astronauts Christopher Ferguson and Eric Boe, will launch in the first Boeing Starliner test flight. The official flight date hasn't been set yet, but NASA hopes to start up commercial crew flights next year.

Ivanka Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz tour NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas with astronaut Nicole Mann. (Image credit: Loren Elliott/Reuters/Newscom)

Accompanying the 36-year-old first daughter on her tour was Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who represents NASA Johnson's home state of Texas. Pictures from the tour showed Trump looking at spacesuits, walking through a large simulator facility and admiring a miniature model of the space station.

"The International Space Station is certainly a fantastic laborating in space and it's an amazing collaboration," NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, who commands the station's Expedition 56 crew, told Trump during her call. "We look forward to continued operations together, internationally and cooperatively."

Trump also met with Holly Ridings, who this week became the first woman in NASA's history to serve as the chief flight director, according to the Daily Mail. Later on, Trump talked with local high school students who participate in robotics competitions under the guidance of NASA engineers.

Ivanka Trump views NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston with astronaut Nicole Mann. (Image credit: Loren Elliott/Reuters/Newscom)

Trump's father, President Donald Trump, made some high-profile space decisions in the past year. He officially swore in Jim Bridenstine as NASA administrator in August, nearly a year after first nominating him in Congress. Bridenstine struggled to get votes in the U.S. Senate, and his appointment was delayed for months; government officials cited several reservations over Bridenstine's appointment, such as his past comments about climate change and LGBTQ issues.

President Trump announced in June that he would like to implement a "Space Force" to protect U.S. space infrastructure. And in December 2017, the president directed NASA to send its crews to the moon in the coming decade, rather than aiming directly for Mars  the policy direction of the past administration.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.



"Returning to New York from a family vacation in Jamaica, the Stone family is separated when adult siblings Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) and Ben (Josh Dallas), along with Ben's gravely ill son Cal (Jack Messina), are bumped to a later flight, while Ben's wife, daughter and parents fly ahead. When that later flight lands, the passengers are bewildered to discover that five and a half years have gone by. They attempt to reconnect with the loved ones who mourned their passing and moved on long ago, and try to make sense of a mystifying phenomenon steering them to act in ways they don't understand."





How would your loved ones move on if you died? This is a question the passengers on flight 828 get answered and it's not something they really wanted to know. Manifest is here for everyone who's been missing Lost, of course, nothing can fairly be compared to the TV phenomenon, but this show definitely tugs at the heartstrings with nostalgia from the moment the story begins with a plane.But what's guaranteed to set Manifest apart, is that the story does not involve a mysterious island, just the ways in which the lives of the passengers are forever changed by that shared event, and in that, it not only deals with the mysteries that follow them after they come home, but the ways in which people cope with something beyond their comprehension.Now, about the cast, I can't say I'm sold on the lead, Melissa Roxburgh (Valor), but I'm hoping she'll grow on me since a lot of the story seems to circle around her, Josh Dallas (Once Upon a Time) is awesome, but that can't be news to many, Athena Karkanis (The Expanse) and Parveen Kaur (Beyond) are also standouts, and I absolutely love JR Ramirez (Jessica Jones).No Pilot is perfect, but Manifest's is filled with excitement, emotion, mystery and more than a few surprising moments. This is definitely something you'll want to tune in for week after week and enjoy the ride, maybe even theorize a bit which you're cordially invited to do on the site ;)Mobile carriers such as AT&T and Verizon are in a race to build brand-new data networks that can deliver ultra-fast downloads and support a fresh generation of smart, internet-connected devices.

But a battle is brewing over how much the companies should pay for access to public utility poles and other rights-of-way, as federal regulators get ready to vote on the issue this week.

The proposal by the Federal Communications Commission would establish new limits on the use fees that cities and towns can charge wireless carriers as the companies set up their new, 5G data networks. And it would require local officials to make decisions more quickly on carriers' permit applications.

As the successor to 4G LTE, 5G is expected to offer download speeds that rival or even exceed what many consumers receive on their home internet connections. And, its proponents say, it could help open the door to a range of other technologies that today's data networks can't support, such as self-driving cars.

Installing the necessary equipment on public poles requires getting clearance from cities and towns. And unlike traditional wireless cells, 5G cells will have a smaller footprint, meaning that many more of them - perhaps hundreds of thousands - will need to be installed in the coming years.

High local fees could add costs and slow the spread of those next-gen networks, according to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.

"By updating our rules to make it easier to install wireless infrastructure, the Commission is taking another critical step to promote U.S. leadership in 5G wireless services," Pai wrote in a blog post earlier this month. The FCC proposal would prevent cities and towns from charging more than $270 a year per cell site.

Carriers currently pay, on average, upward of $500 per pole every year, according to an agency study.

A number of cities and towns, particularly in rural areas, have said they support the proposal because reducing the carriers' costs in big cities could mean more money for building advanced networks in smaller ones. On Monday, Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr released statements from more than a dozen state and local leaders endorsing the proposal.

"I believe that by reducing the high regulatory costs in the urban areas would leave more dollars to development in the rural areas," Duane Ankney, a Republican state senator for Montana, said in the release.

But the proposed requirements for local officials are drawing opposition from critics who say the FCC is hindering the autonomy of cities and towns and preventing them from performing basic oversight tasks. Restricting the fees could also undercut other local programs, they say.

"We are concerned that the proposed language would significantly impede local government's ability to serve as trustees of public property, safety, and welfare," wrote J. Brent Fedors, county administrator for Gloucester County, Virginia, in a letter last week to the FCC. Fedors said the proposal, if approved, would be "severely hindering local governments' ability to fulfill our public health and safety responsibilities during the construction and modification" of the cell sites.

Some cities have struck separate private agreements with wireless carriers to build out 5G cell sites. For example, officials from San Jose in June signed on to a $500 million deal with AT&T, Verizon and the privately held infrastructure company Mobilitie to build a mobile network. The investment includes $24 million in corporate contributions to the city's "digital inclusion fund," which aims to close the gap between internet haves and have-nots.

The FCC proposal could have the unintended effect of slowing down 5G deployment by disrupting those types of existing deals, which were negotiated in a free-market environment free from federal intervention, San Jose officials wrote to the agency last week.

"By limiting the amount of fees, the FCC is unfairly shifting the financial burden to cities," wrote Sam Liccardo, San Jose's mayor. "Cities will be forced to absorb the true cost of reviewing the small cell installations by taking funds away from essential services and programs to cover the costs to perform small cell deployment reviews."

The FCC is expected to vote on the proposal Wednesday. A spokesman for CTIA, a top wireless carrier association in Washington, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.The Arthur Murray Dance Studio in downtown Danbury is more than just a place to learn the foxtrot, waltz, salsa and tango.

Although the traditional ballroom and Latin dances remain a major part of the business, new owner Andy Cabell has expanded the offerings to include team-building and health-and-wellness programs for employees, and dance lessons for kids such as ballet, creative movement and hip-hop.

Im trying to branch out in different directions, he said. No matter what you do, its always a workout and its way more fun than a gym. You use muscles you never knew you had.

Cabell purchased the business from previous owner Nicole Almeida, whose parents opened the business on Main Street in Danbury nearly 40 years ago. It has remained in the same building since it opened. Almeida renovated the space two years ago.

Cabell, a New Hampshire native and current New Milford resident, started working at the Danbury Arthur Murray studio as an instructor in 2010. At the time he never envisioned owning the franchise, but he jumped at the chance when Almeida put it on the market. The revitalization efforts in downtown Danbury played a big role in his decision to jump into ownership.

More Business LaChanze relates to the diva she plays in Broadway's Donna Summer musical

Im excited to get involved with downtown, he said. Its an exciting time to be on Main Street.

Cabell will also continue to support the community as the studio has done in the past. He hopes to hold a major fundraiser each quarter for a local nonprofit organization. The studio already supports Habitat for Humanity, A Better Chance in Ridgefield and Hillside Food Outreach.

We want to not only say thank you to the community for supporting us for four decades but to be good neighbors and give back, Cabell said. I am looking to partner with more local non-profits and we hope to host events to support groups that resonate with our studio mission.

Cabell said his manager, Tara Aston, and four dance instructors helped to make the transition with new ownership a relatively seamless process. The studio did not close during the change of ownership.

The Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce will hold a grand reopening celebration that is open to the public from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27, at the studio at 345 Main Street. CityCenter Danbury will hold an event there from 5 to 7 p.m. the following Thursday.

I would like Arthur Murray to become the face of social dancing in the area, he said. Its not that scary to dance. I think a lot of people dont do it because they think they cant. But they can - anybody can - no matter how old or young you are.

To reach Arthur Murray Dance Center in Danbury, call (203) 792-0176.

The writer may be reached at cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338A Toyota Camry hit the go-kart as both vehicles were traveling west, police said. Huerta was pronounced dead at Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Hospital, according to the McHenry County coroners office, which said she suffered blunt trauma to the spine, brain, chest and abdomen.Bird watchers got a surprise this week when they spotted a rare Roseate Spoonbill in Connecticut.

The pink bird (that gets its hue from eating small crustaceans like shrimp) is usually found in the marshes of South America, along the coast of Central America and in the southern United Statesnot in the northeast.

But this summer one was spotted living in Maine for a couple weeks, and one birder claims it's the same one seen this week near the mouth of the Housatonic River in Stratford on Sept. 14 and then in the marsh at Connecticut Audubon's Milford Point Coastal Center on Sept. 19. The bird was first identified by Paul Raccuia, who spotted it in Stratford and notified the Connecticut Audubon Society.

"[They] will occasionally travel up the Atlantic Coast as far as southern New Jersey, but seeing a Spoonbill in Connecticut and Maine (where it was also recently recorded as a state record) was unheard of before this summer," according to a release from the Connecticut Audubon Society.

More News Osprey rescue in Conn. has unhappy ending

Former Connecticut resident Louis Bevier told the Connecticut Audubon Society that the bird has a small hole in its bill that matches one on the bird spotted in Maine.

"Here's the part that blew my mind," Connecticut Audubon Society Director of Communications, Tom Andersen said. "It's a big world  what are the odds?"

"This year for some unknown reason there seems to be more of them moving north than usualalthough I don't know how many. It might be related to some poor feeding conditions in their normal range," Andersen said.

Andersen said the Roseate Spoonbill could hang out in Connecticut for a few more weeks if it can find enough food in the shallow tidewater. The bird is characterized by a spoon-shaped bill which they use to capture food in shallow water.

This is the third time a new species of bird has been spotted around here this summer. A Little Egret was seen on a jetty in Stonington for a couple of weeks in August into September, and a Black-billed Whistling Duck was spotted on the Connecticut River in Essex, also in August. Both first state records.A majority of Yale Law School faculty members are urging the Senate Judiciary Committee not to rush to judgment in considering Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, a graduate of the school, and to treat seriously allegations regarding a past sexual assault.

On Friday afternoon, as some Yale Law students worked on plans for protests on Monday, 47 faculty members sent a letter to the committee, writing, "Some questions are so fundamental to judicial integrity that the Senate cannot rush past them without undermining the public's confidence in the Court. This is particularly so for an appointment that will yield a deciding vote on women's rights and myriad other questions of immense consequence in American lives."

Nearly every permanent member of the faculty joined the effort, which happened essentially overnight, said Muneer Ahmad, clinical professor of law and deputy dean for experiential education at Yale Law School. It is something that had never happened in his more than 15 years on the faculty. "In my view it's an extraordinary statement that this is an extraordinary moment in our country's history," with great concern about public confidence in the Supreme Court, he said.

Ahmad said professors sought to express their belief that the confirmation process should proceed in a fair and deliberate way in light of the charges made by Christine Blasey Ford.

Ford, a professor in California, has accused Kavanaugh of pinning her to a bed while he was a teenager, drunk at a high school party Ford attended decades ago. Ford said Kavanaugh groped her and covered her mouth when she screamed.

Kavanaugh graduated from Yale Law School in 1990.

When there is so much at stake, Ahmad said, "a lifetime appointment in a position of public trust, at a time when the issues that are likely to come before the Supreme Court are of such public significance, we need a process that is commensurate with those stakes."

Any Supreme Court nomination is high pressure, he said, but given the allegations that have been made, the stakes are especially high with Kavanaugh.

The letter asked for a neutral fact-finder and enough time for the FBI or another agency to investigate Ford's allegations.

"The fact that so many people on our faculty so quickly signed onto our statement is a reflection of the gravity of the moment," Ahmad said.

The dean of the law school, Heather Gerken, responded to the faculty letter with a written statement saying that as dean, she cannot take a position on a nominee. "It's a thoughtful statement and I support the efforts of individual faculty members to engage with these important issues," the dean wrote. "Yale Law School is a nonpartisan institution. While individual faculty members may make comments regarding a particular candidate, the Law School neither endorses nor opposes candidates for office."

A coalition of students is working on plans for protests on campus and in Washington, according to several students who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Some planned a sit-in in the law school's main hallway Monday morning, and said if professors continued to hold classes, students would walk out.

Janet Conroy, a spokeswoman for the law school, said there are ongoing discussions at the school about how individuals and groups can work together to make their voices heard during the confirmation process.

On Thursday, Gerken responded to reports in the Guardian and elsewhere that Amy Chua, a professor at Yale Law School, had advised female students interviewing for clerkships with Kavanaugh, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to dress with a "model-like" femininity. According to the Guardian, Chua, author of the best-selling "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," last year privately told a group of law students that it was "not an accident" that Kavanaugh's female law clerks "looked like models."

The paper reported that Jed Rubenfeld, another Yale professor and Chua's husband, told a student that Kavanaugh liked to hire women "with a certain look." The Guardian also reported that Rubenfeld is the subject of an internal investigation at Yale focused on his conduct with female law students.

Gerken wrote in a letter to the campus that the allegations that had been reported were "of enormous concern to me and to the school." She wrote that she could not comment on individual complaints and investigations but that the school thoroughly investigates complaints about violations of university rules "and take(s) no options off the table."

Gerken wrote that she takes seriously the responsibility of ensuring an environment in which all students are treated with respect, free from harassment.

Chua and Rubenfeld did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Washington Post.

Rubenfeld said in a statement to the Guardian he was not informed of the specifics of the investigation and was advised that the allegations prompting the investigation are "not of the kind that would jeopardize my position as a long-tenured member of the faculty."

"For some years, I have contended with personal attacks and false allegations in reaction to my writing on difficult and controversial but important topics in the law," he wrote. "I have reason to suspect I am now facing more of the same." He stands ready to engage with the process in the hope it can be quickly concluded, he wrote.

Chua told the Guardian in an emailed statement: "For the more than 10 years I've known him, Judge Kavanaugh's first and only litmus test in hiring has been excellence. He hires only the most qualified clerks, and they have been diverse as well as exceptionally talented and capable.

"There is good reason so many of them have gone on to supreme court clerkships; he only hires those who are extraordinarily qualified. As I wrote in the Wall Street Journal, he has also been an exceptional mentor to his female clerks and a champion of their careers. Among my proudest moments as a parent was the day I learned our daughter would join those ranks."

Here is the faculty letter in full:

"As the Senate Judiciary Committee debates Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination, we write as faculty members of Yale Law School, from which Judge Kavanaugh graduated, to urge that the Senate conduct a fair and deliberate confirmation process. With so much at stake for the Supreme Court and the nation, we are concerned about a rush to judgment that threatens both the integrity of the process and the public's confidence in the Court.

"Where, as here, a sexual assault has been alleged against an individual nominated for a lifetime appointment in a position of public trust, a partisan hearing alone cannot be the forum to determine the truth of the matter. Allegations of sexual assault require a neutral factfinder and an investigation that can ascertain facts fairly. Those at the FBI or others tasked with such an investigation must have adequate time to investigate facts. Fair process requires evidence from all parties with direct knowledge and consultation of experts when evaluating such evidence. In subsequent hearings, all of those who testify, and particularly women testifying about sexual assault, must be treated with respect.

"The confirmation process must always be conducted, and appointments made, in a manner that gives Americans reason to trust the Supreme Court. Some questions are so fundamental to judicial integrity that the Senate cannot rush past them without undermining the public's confidence in the Court. This is particularly so for an appointment that will yield a deciding vote on women's rights and myriad other questions of immense consequence in American lives."After becoming the first black school teacher in Evanston/Skokie School District 65, Morton was appointed to the City Council in 1983 and was elected mayor in 1993. She served 16 years in the role  the longest mayoral administration in Evanston  and was the first Democrat elected to that post.A re you in the market for a new rose quartz yoni egg?

Been searching all over for that charcoal-infused toothbrush? Well, your prayers have been answered now that Gwyneth Paltrow is finally bringing her wellness brand Goop to London, with a pop-up shop opening in Notting Hill tomorrow, and Goop.com rolling out shipping to Europe.

On September 25 it will be 10 years to the day that I wrote the first issue of Goop from my kitchen table in Belsize Park, Paltrow tells me by phone from LA, where its 11am. Shes at her desk at Goop HQ and has already done a yoga class. It all started in London  the first iteration of the company was here and my first team was here, and we still have a good readership in the UK, so I really wanted to come home. Its a celebration of what weve achieved in a decade. Looking back on where we started... its crazy.

Although it now feels like youre never more than five feet from a turmeric latte, when Paltrow founded Goop the wellness scene in London wasnt all that. Oh my God, when I was living in London 10 to 15 years ago, I would say there was zero to minimal wellness, laughs Paltrow, or GP as shes called by everyone who knows her. I remember when a KX gym opened in Chelsea and it was this huge deal that there was a gym with a pool that offered treatments. But Londoners are very savvy about wellness now. There are all kinds of juice and vitamin-infusions and youre almost more caught up than New York. Id say youre almost at LA levels.

Gwyneth Paltrow / Goop

Paltrow describes the Westbourne Grove store, designed by Fran Hickman and featuring plants by Wild at Heart, as perfect. I have a bunch of friends who live close by so they can check it out and keep an eye on it when Im back in LA, she explains of her decision to open in W11. On the shelves will be the whole assortment of Goop goodies but she says the hero product is the Exfoliating Instant Facial, which Paltrow uses every day. Its incredible because its like having a mini-facial in your own bathroom, she says. And our bath soaks are beautiful. We have one called G.Nite, which is so helpful at the end of the day before you go to sleep. We also have a new product Im obsessed with  its a Himalayan sea salt and shampoo scrub for your scalp. Its had rave reviews so Im excited to bring it to the UK.

Paltrow will be in town in the second week of October, hosting a dinner at the store and catching up with friends. I always call my three best girlfriends in London: Stella McCartney, [TV producer] Henrietta Conrad and [art consultant] Rosario Saxe-Coburg, she says. I also call my family, Chris [Martin], his sisters and his mom, and my Highgate School mommy friends. We go out for dinner, usually Indian food because theres no good Indian food in LA, so when Im in London I like to eat it every night. Shell also be visiting her favourite wellness haunts. I go and see Dr Nigma Talib in Notting Hill for facials and supplements and IVs, she says. And I go to yoga in Primrose Hill at a place called Fierce Grace.

Goop

So much fun is poked at Paltrow that shes now become a byword for a particular brand of smug wellness, and how elitist and unscientifically proven it can be. Goop recently paid out $145,000 for making misleading claims about a flower essence that could cure depression, and yoni eggs that could balance hormones. But clearly shes having the last laugh  Goop was recently valued at $250m  and Paltrow says shes unfazed by peoples perceptions of her. Im not actually that invested in what people think of me, and I dont spend a lot of time thinking about that, she says, sounding slightly exasperated. Im really clear about who I am and what my intentions are, so I kind of feel like what people think of me is none of my business. You try to do good work and you hope people will have a personal experience of that work, and it will be aligned with what youre trying to do but if its not then thats OK.Staff: 20

Turnover: Over 20 million

Business idol:

I dont have one deliberately. I dont think you should try to emulate others.

Best moment: To see your product come off the conveyor belt for the first time is incredibly exciting because youve made something. Look mum, I made this. That said, I think she tells everyone Im a barrister so I have to tread very carefully!

Worst moment: When people return something for the first time. You feel like your entire life is over. Were really active in responding to them on social media but its still terrifying. Weve sold nearly a million slippers now, when you sit here thinking theres a million people around the world wearing our product thats terrifying and exciting. I go to weddings and Im sitting next to someone who knows it and you hear their complaints and joys.M ajpr investors in Sky started selling shares to US cable giant Comcast on Monday after its knock-out 30.6 billion bid.

One, billionaire investor Crispin Odey, said he was selling to Comcast even though he still thought it should have paid more. Comcast started buying shares this morning through broker Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Buying shares from hedge funds such as Odey, who has 18% of his fund invested in Sky, will increase the sense of certainty around the deal and accelerate payments to investors so they can reinvest the money.

Traders said about four times the usual shares in Sky were changing hands on the London Stock Exchange though the final figure would be much higher as it was boosted by off-market dealing.

Hedge funds like Baupost, led by hedgie Seth Klarman, and activist Elliott are also considered prime candidates to sell their Sky shares rather than wait for the formal offer.

Comcast beat rival 21st Century Fox on Saturday with a 17.28 per share bid versus Foxs 15.67 bid. Shares rose 8.7% today to 17.22 per share.

Odey, a former son-in-law of Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch, had wanted more than 18 a share but said he still wanted to reward Comcast for paying a high price by selling early. I just want to congratulate Comcast for putting up the right amount of money. It was nearer to my number than most people.

21st Century Fox, set to be bought by Disney, owns 39% of Sky and could choose to remain a minority shareholder.

Comcast needs more than 50% of shareholders to accept the offer, triggering its move into the market to snap up the shares.

Miton fund manager Gervais Williams, a Sky shareholder who is not selling yet, said: They dont want to leave it just to people to accept the offer. They want to make sure theyve got a decent slug to start off.

Around 13,000 Sky staff who own shares will also share in the windfall.

Skys cashflow is set to be boosted in by the growth of Sky Store, which sells movies for about 10 a time, Odey said.

He said the company had been bought too cheap for a subscription business but added that Comcast were worthy winners. This is an asset I would love to still have. We Brits are terribly good at getting rid of things terribly early. We are just traders at heart, Odey said.A s Donald Trump's trade wars make the US unpopular in the City, Comcast is helping mend Anglo-American relations.

The Philadelphia-based media giants spellbinding price for Sky brings windfalls for everybody from major investors such as Crispin Odey to the 13,000 Sky employees holding shares (note to Jeremy Corbyn: most decent companies already give stock to staff. No need to force them.)

The UK Treasury will trouser a fortune from Comcasts largesse, too. Sky chief Jeremy Darroch and finance director Andrew Griffith  in line for 50 million and 27 million respectively for their shares  will pay more in UK tax than Amazon, Facebook and Netflix combined.

And thats before you include tax on the fees for the advisers and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which will make millions lending Comcast the takeover money. BAML has also been busy today earning commission as broker to the deal, hoovering up the shares of Odey and other institutions on Comcasts behalf.

But what will Fox do next? The loser in Saturdays auction now finds itself in the position of holding 39% of a company over which it no longer has any management control.

Its hard to see why it would hold on to the stake, although Foxs effective owner Disney may hold on to it for a while to make trouble for Comcast.

What you might call the Awkward Squad approach.

It wouldnt be the first time a telly company did this, as Darroch knows. In 2006 he bought nearly 20% of ITV solely to block a potential merger with NTL that would have been a threat to Sky.

Its plausible that Disney could use its stake in Sky as a bargaining chip in negotiations to persuade Comcast to sell its stake in Hulu, the streaming service the pair jointly own with AT&T. Alternatively, it may just swallow its pride and view the multi-billion pound windfall as a highly profitable trade. After all, when Disney agreed to buy Fox, the deal valued the Sky stake at around 14 a share; a full 3.28 less than Saturdays knockout bid. Thats a back-of-the-envelope profit for Disney of 2.2 billion.

Not a bad wooden spoon, is it?

Thomas Cook boss wishes he wasn't here

While Brits, Germans and Swedes were basking in the sun at home instead of heading to the Med, Thomas Cook was hurting badly. To fill beds, it had to cut prices hard.

Todays was its second profit warning in two months and highlights just how risky it is to own shares in a company so reliant on earnings from one quarter of the year.

Next summer might be cooler in Northern Europe, but there will be niggles of concern that Cook has so little power to control its own pricing. Furthermore, its troubling that the new finance director is quitting months after his arrival.T ravel agent Thomas Cooks shares took a hammering on Monday as the UKs glorious summer triggered another profit warning and its finance chief headed for the exit.

The holiday group blamed the summer heatwave for a drop in its full-year profit forecast  it now expects to make 280 million below the 323 million it previously expected. Shares plunged 25%, or 19.5p, to 58.6p while shares in main rival TUI were also down 2.5%.

Its chief financial officer Bill Scott leaves in November after only eight months in the role. Sten Daugaard, on the board of Thomas Cooks German business, will replace Scott until a permanent successor is found.

The company warned in July that it expected profits for the year to be at the lower end of market expectations due to more people staying at home. It usually makes most of its annual profits during summer. But people chose not to go away.

And although total bookings were up 12% compared to the time last year, they were 5% cheaper in August and September as the firm cut prices to tempt holidaymakers. Chief executive Peter Fankhauser admitted that recent performance is clearly disappointing. But he said the impact of the hot summer in northern Europe is continuing to be felt into winter trading.

Assuming a more normal trading environment we would expect some of this years shortfall to be recovered, although the winter is likely to be tougher, said Shore Capitals Greg Johnson. The analysts downgraded the stock from Buy to Hold.M uch mirth in these quarters at news that Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright will not, after all, be addressing the Conservative Party Conference in holographic form. It wasnt his idea originally  the plan was cooked up by his go-ahead predecessor Matt Hancock before he was beamed elsewhere  but Mr Wright was said to have been worried that it had the possibility of becoming an embarrassing fiasco and decided to show up in person. Got to give him credit, though: he has a better nose for embarrassing fiascos coming down the pike than is commonly found among his senior colleagues.

He had a point. It would have been cool if it had worked, obviously, but most party-conference tech teams are still struggling to master Blu Tack. We may have to leave three-dimensional laser technology to the future, where it belongs.

And, as I remarked in this spot not long ago, you do have to be uncommonly careful when it comes to anything that might take off as a metaphor. That applies to both main parties, in which theres a sense that we have too many holographic politicians rather than too few. The perception of many voters seems to be of our most senior representatives as expensive optical illusions, simulacra of people, glitching and repeating  creatures that look flashy but that, well, lack substance. They are a trick of the light.

The general rage, the dangerous public disillusionment with politics and politicians  I say dangerous because elected politicians are, to adapt Churchill, the worst form of government except all the other ones that have been tried  is linked to this. Things that should rock them back on their heels pass right through them; interviewers attempt to grasp a point and come away clutching empty air; nothing seems to touch them. You cant throw a tomato at a hologram. You cant expect a hologram to share in your joys and sorrows. A hologram cant give a conference delegate a convincing handshake.

It is politicians who ostentatiously live in human bodies who are, for this reason, making the weather at the moment. These figures are seen to be and said to be human. They give to airy nothing a local habitation and a name. And given some of these embodied politicians  thats by no means a good thing. This conference season the good ones who are of a more, shall we say, holographic persuasion should strive to beam down into human form rather than otherwise.

"The perception of many voters seems to be of our most senior representatives as a trick of the light"

And remember the resonance of holograms. The ur-hologram for most voters is Princess Leia in Star Wars, captured by the enemy and making a last-ditch bid for rescue. A twitchy blue projection of Theresa May bleating Help me, Michel Barnier. Youre my only hope! from the top of a beeping bin lid? Mr Corbyn in the flowing brown robes of Obi-Wan Kenobi smirking at his exasperated critics: If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine? Science fiction, in this case, is a bit too close to the knuckle.

New departures in a grim world of apps

The phrase theres an app for that has become so ubiquitous as to have entered the realm of cliche. Nevertheless, sometimes it can still surprise you. Remember the old story  possibly apocryphal  that during Ancient Roman triumphs, a slave was retained to sneak about behind the victorious generals harshing their buzz by telling them: Remember, youre only human and youre going to die? Well, theres now an app for that too.

I may be late to the party, but Ive just downloaded an enchanting app called WeCroak, which sends you five messages a day at random times telling you that youre going to die, and supplying you with an appropriately sobering quotation along those lines. It welcomed me with Shakespeare: Golden lads and girls all must / As chimney-sweepers, come to dust. No argument there (though I note with fleeting satisfaction that the decline in the relative number of working chimney-sweepers suggests that theyre kicking the bucket at a faster rate than golden lads and girls).

Quite the thing to have on your phone. Its like being in a WhatsApp group with Philip Larkin. And only 99p to download! I like the idea that someone might get rich off this, nevertheless, if it really catches on. Timor mortis conturbat me.

Lauren Laverne / Dave BenettE ven for political junkies, the party conferences in the second year of a Parliament are usually ones to miss. The post-election autopsies are over but the pre-election build-up hasnt begun. This time is different. There was no usual clear-out of the losing team after last years election because all the teams lost. The old leaderships remain in place, though the MPs of all parties would like to be rid of their leaders. The lethal combination of Brexit and a hung Parliament means predicting the date of the next election difficult. Thats why its worth looking to the Labour Conference in Liverpool if you want to know some of the answers to the big questions facing British politics today.

First, who is coming up with policies to address the alienation many in the population clearly feel towards the status quo? You may think, as we do, that John McDonnells plans to give workers 10 per cent of the shares of private companies and renationalise the water industry will only deter investment and damage productivity. But they are concrete policies that deserve serious scrutiny. For all the talk from Downing Street about addressing the burning injustices, can anyone remember a single policy to address them  and does anyone think this will be the main topic of conversation when the Tories meet next week in Birmingham? No. Its dangerous for a government when its the opposition that starts setting the policy agenda.

Second question, is Brexit going to happen? Certainly, that is what the Conservative Government intends  even though all of its most senior members think privately that the country is making a historic mistake. Until now, Jeremy Corbyn and his henchmen agreed that Brexit should go ahead. What the likes of Mr McDonnell and Len McCluskey realise is that leaving the EU opens the door not to the small-state nirvana that the rich Brexiteer backers deluded themselves the leave voters wanted but to their socialist utopia  state aid controls from Brussels on interfering in free markets will disappear. Thats why the Corbynistas did nothing in the referendum campaign to support a Remain vote, and have done nothing to overturn the result.

Second referendum

But now these believers in mass membership democracy have been hoisted by their own revolutionary petard. The Labour members want a second referendum. So do the TUC. Their unlikely champion, Tony Blair, sets out powerfully the reasons here. The motion to be put to conference, finally agreed last night, that the option of a second referendum is on the table, feels like a fudge  but that in itself represents movement from the previous position of absolute opposition. That was confirmed this morning when the shadow chancellor said: We want a Peoples Vote if we cant get a general election. It remains hard to see how such a referendum could be forced on a government seemingly implacably opposed but the chances of it happening have gone from close to nothing to merely unlikely.

Final question, are we going to have that election? When Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said over the weekend that talk of one was for the birds, its worth remembering that: a) thats what ministers always say about election speculation; b) thats what Theresa May said two months before calling the last one; c) Mr Raab wont be anywhere near the room in Downing Street where it is, apparently, under discussion.

An early poll still seems unlikely as the only thing the Tories agree on is that they should avoid committing to a second act of political suicide; but one can no longer be completely dismissed. The parallel meetings in Westminster today of the hard Tory Brexiteers and the Cabinet to discuss separate ideas for EU withdrawal reminds us just how divided the governing party is becoming, after the Brexit truce collapsed at Chequers. The PMs indignation after her predictable humiliation in Salzburg last week rallied the Tory troops but it cannot conceal the lack of a either a plan or a majority to land a deal with the EU. It has all the feel of the Grand Old Duke of York.I f British Gas increased its bills for households that owned Agas, there would be outrage. If easyJet slapped a 40 per cent premium on passengers who weighed more than 60kg, campaigns would launch immediately. If M&S knickers were cheaper for the over-60s, there would be protests (We Pay For Baby Boomers Pensions, We Wont Subsidise Their Bloomers, etc ...)

However, Britains utilities, telecoms, hotel, airlines and train companies routinely force a large group of the population  16 million, at the last count to pay more for vital services.

Theres little outrage, though, because that 16 million is the number of people aged over 15 in the UK who do not have basic online skills. So theyre not drumming up any social media outrage about the fact theyre barred from most of the countrys cheapest energy tariffs, (manage your account totally online is a requirement of many of British Gass lowest-cost deals).

There are no viral campaigns over the fact air and train fares cost far more  or are even unavailable  unless you have internet access. And the fact that many council services are now online-only goes by without most of us noticing.

Its not just inequality for those not online. I read this week about a 90-year-old widow who was paying 45 a month to a phone retailer for an ancient iPhone that had dropped out of contract four years earlier. She had overpaid 1,700 for the phone. But rather than write to her explaining that the phone was paid off and a cheaper SIM-only deal would be apt, the mobile giant no doubt sent her a spam-like missive about being eligible to upgrade.

For an industry set up to ease communications, telecoms firms have become worryingly adroit at obfuscation. Those who fail to keep on top of their wheezes are ripped off. Companies cant just sit back and wait for the IT-illiterate to die out  its exploitative.

Building the future is going to be tough

Taking advantage of our kids being a pre-school age, were at Legoland for a queue-free (we hoped) visit. And indeed: the car park was empty, the main entrance had only a few other families. As we walked right onto our fifth ride, bypassing barriers installed for the usual packed crowds, one of the staff said to another: I guess this is what itll be like after Brexit. No tourists, few Brits with money. A gloomy thought as we sat watching our toddler put out flames on a Lego fire truck. What political and financial fire-fighting his generation will have to grapple with remains to be seen.

Cheryls plumage gets the bird as she upstages happy couple

Cheryl (she appears to have joined the select group of celebrities so famous as to require only one name, but this is possibly because, after new surnames from two failed marriages, weve forgotten the original) turned up at a wedding at Claridges at the weekend looking like a partially-shaved emu.

Cheryl Cole / WEIRPHOTOS / SplashNews.com

Her dress was 50 per cent jewelled see-through panels and 50 per cent savaged bird. Ive always thought the strange ritual of dove-releasing at the altar was the naffest nuptial trend around but this avian gown bought an even shabbier wedding clanger to light.

Upstaging those walking down the aisle in a look at me and only me outfit isnt the done thing, Cheryl.

I doubt that the feathers on her dress were the only ones ruffled that night.

The smart way to save the rainforest

A friend who works at tribal peoples rights charity Survival International came for dinner at the weekend; her phone kept pinging during the chocolate mousse. The messages were from a man who works as an indigenous Amazon guardian, protecting his rainforest from invaders in Brazil. The charity has trained tribes to use WhatsApp messages and videos to raise attention in the face of danger from miners or loggers.T he case for the Peoples Vote is now overwhelming. The real betrayal of the country would be refusing it.

There have been two years of frankly fruitless negotiations. We are not agreed with Europe or among ourselves. There are at least three different versions of what the 2016 Brexit mandate means. The Chequers proposal is the least popular version on offer, polling miserably. Yet this is what our Government is threatening to stampede through Parliament or else plunge us into the abyss of a no deal Brexit .

Our knowledge of what Brexit entails from the single market and customs union to the Irish border is vastly enlarged. Facts have replaced claims. There has been no recession. But the value of our currency has fallen around 10-15 per cent  a prediction by the international markets of decline in our future wealth. Investment confidence in the UK is negative, the motor industry alone down by 40 per cent. Prices are up. The financial sector is moving jobs. And, no, we will not be seeing a 350 million weekly boost to the NHS. Instead, we are spending billions preparing for Brexit plus paying a 40 billion bill to Europe.

At a minimum, this thing has turned out to be much more complicated than anyone thought in June 2016.

In these circumstances it is natural common sense to ask: in the light of all we know now, is the will of the British people still for Brexit or to remain part of Europe?

Tony Blair / AFP/Getty Images

This solution is the only route to salvation. For the country, if Britain votes again for Brexit, that is the conclusion of the matter. Then we set about making a new future for the country.

By contrast, the Chequers proposal will not end anything. The Brexiteers have made it clear that they will carry on the fight after March 2019 to secure a harder Brexit. My side will use the halfway house of Chequers as a stepping stone back into Europe.

For the Conservative Party, the Peoples Vote is a way of ridding themselves of the Europe question which has bedevilled them and on which theyre irredeemably divided. Ironically, separate it out in a new referendum and theyre completely united in fighting todays Labour Party.

As for Labour, its members are massively in favour of a Peoples Vote. The drama around the Salzburg summit has obscured why we are where we are in the Brexit debacle.

At the heart of Brexit is a myth: that we dont control our own laws. The reality is we do. We have created the NHS and could abolish it. Have tuition fees or scrap them. Put taxes up or down. Spend more or spend less. Shut down all immigration from outside Europe or not. Declare war or make peace. Be tough on crime or be softer.

We had a Labour government in the Seventies when Britain was part of Europe, nationalising, taxing heavily and giving trade unions power. We had a Thatcher government in the Eighties which privatised, hammered unions and cut tax. Today we could have a Conservative Government under Jacob Rees-Mogg or a Labour one under Jeremy Corbyn  and let us agree that their consequences would be very different.

The laws where we have chosen to be constrained are those arising from the single market, a unique trading construct where Europe does not merely abolish tariffs  a conventional trade agreement  but has created a unified regulatory regime, with standards and specifications the same between London and Paris as they are between London and Newcastle. This allows a car manufacturer in Britain to make and assemble parts using plants all over Europe and sell the car in one big market of 450 million people, not one of 65 million.

"If we lose access to the single market and go to a Canada-style free trade agreement we will pay a heavy price"

Because those laws sometimes give rise to disputes and 28 different countries are involved, theyre settled by the European Court.

For more than three decades we have been trading in this market. A huge network of interrelated commerce has grown up around it.

What Britain is seeking to do with Brexit is what no other modern developed nation has ever tried: to de-liberalise its trade by exiting its main trading agreement, the single market, only to re-liberalise it by other means.

The problem with Brexit is Brexit. At its core is this dilemma which the Government has struggled with from the beginning and never resolved, not because theyre incompetent  though some of the negotiating has been that  but because there is no resolution.

If we lose access to the single market and go to a Canada-style free trade agreement we will pay a heavy price. And there will be a hard border in Northern Ireland. Theresa Mays criticism of Boris Johnsons position is right.

On the other hand, if we dont pull out of the single market, we will remain bound by its rules, the rationale for Brexit disappears and so the Johnson criticism of May is also right.

The dilemma  whats the price vs whats the point  is the reason for the breakdown in the negotiations and the absence of consensus in the country. Neither is palatable. The issue is: if thats the choice, do the people prefer to leave or stay in the EU?For Walmart, the proposed pickup spot gives customers yet another location close to where they live or close to where they work where they can go online, order their groceries and pick it up at this location. They dont have to get out of their car, said company spokeswoman Ann Hatfield.Anyone looking for proof of the catwalk shows relevance in 2018, need look no further than todays Dior show.

Staged this afternoon in Paris, the spectacle was a lesson in how to make memories for the masses, with those in attendance - and watching online - gripped from beginning to end.

The houses intention was to choreograph a production which not only opened Paris Fashion Week but garnered maximum interest for the Dior brand. And 'choreograph' certainly is the key word here because, for its Spring/Summer 2019 showcase, artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri looked to the world of dance for inspiration.

Looking at movement in a literal sense - as well as a resource for creativity - Chiuri worked with globally renowned Sharon Eyal on the production. Under Eyals direction, a company of six dancers moved to hip hop beats under a shower of rose petals and served as a sublime backdrop to a collection which saw everything from ballerina skirts to tie-dye denim unveiled on the catwalk.

Dior SS19 / AFP/Getty Images

Backstage Chiuri spoke of her love of dance and its ability to liberate. Dance speaks about the body, it speaks about freedom. And fashion speaks about the same things," she said.

Accordingly, for the clothes on offer today there was a sense of loosening and of dynamicity with Diors signature corsetry cast aside.

While Diors most iconic look is about shrinking the waist, today its motivation is to put it all out there with the idea of transparency a central focus.

For Chiuri, a designer who has made no secret of her dedication to exploring feminism through fashion, the driving force was to explore the form of the female body. Fashion has long wanted to control and constrict women and their bodies. Now we are in a time when fashion should support women.

Juxtaposing an ethereal sensibility and delicateness - harnessed through flowing tiered gowns and painstakingly crafted feather jackets - with tie-dye denim jackets and jeans worn loose on the hips, Chiuri sought to celebrate clothes that evoke the essence of modern women.

Dior SS19 / AFP/Getty ImagesMichael Parekowhai He Korero Purakau mo Te Awanui o Te Motu: story of a New Zealand river, 2011 New Zealand.

Piano, wood, ivory, brass, lacquer, steel, ebony, paua shell, mother of pearl, upholstery, two pieces: 103  275  175 cm . (piano); 85.5  46  41 cm (chair)

Collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, 2011-0046-1/A-N to N-NLuke Willis Thompson _Human 2018, depicting the artwork of Donald Rodney My Mother, My Father, My Sister, My Brother 1997. Commissioned and produced by Kunsthalle Basel.

Courtesy of the artist; Hopkinson Mossman, Auckland/Wellington; and Galerie Nagel Draxler, Cologne/BerlinL ittered with landmarks and crammed with culture, Waterloo is so much more than just the gateway to the south western suburbs.

With views from the London Eye, theatre at the National and Vics Old and Young, and all of the arts at the Southbank Centre, youre going to need sustenance to take in all that London.

A big day out can take its toll on both your energy and your pocket, so take a look at the best dishes youll find in the area for under a tenner.

Cheeky Bro at Crust Bros - 8.95

This wood-fired pizza spot has gone from street food sensation to getting a restaurant of its own on Waterloo Road. Get a little mischievous with the Cheeky Bro, which comes topped with both mozzarella and scamorza cheese, spring onions and slithers of guanciale, an Italian cured meat made with pig jowl (or cheek, geddit?). Crust Bros also runs a 5 pizza deal, the topping of which changes daily and is revealed on the restaurants Instagram.

113 Waterloo Road, SE1 8UL, crustbros.co.uk

The Dip & Flip Burger at Bar Elba - 9.95

Liberte, Egalite, Rose, proclaims the bright pink wall art at rooftop Bar Elba. The Franglais continues on the food menu, teaming up with French dip sandwich specialists Dip & Flip to serve its namesake dish. The Dip & Flip burger starts with a beef patty, tops it with cheese, and then tops it with slices of gravy dipped roast beef, and wraps it in a brioche bun. That'll certainly soak up the rose.

Rooftop Mercury House, 109-117 Waterloo Road, SE1 8UL, bar-elba.co.uk

Moong dosa daal at Horn OK Please - 6

In London, you can usually count on a street food market to provide some of the best bang for your buck in the area, and the Southbank Centre Food Market is one of the best. There youll find vegetarian Indian snack experts Horn OK Please, who serve up a freshly cooked lentil dosa with spiced potato filling alongside chana chaat, a chickpea salad laced with pomegranate kernels, yoghurt and sev. This is also a dish that can be made vegan very easily.

Southbank Centre Food Market, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX, hop.st

Beef Massamun curry at Maries Cafe - 5.50

Maries Cafe is something of a legend among those in the Waterloo know. Walk past this unassuming greasy spoon in the morning and youll smell the cooking of a full English breakfast in full swing. Head over after 5pm, and the cafe turns into a much-lauded Thai restaurant, serving up almost every main dish for 5.50 with pork, beef and chicken, or upgrade to prawn, squid, fish balls or duck for another 2.

90 Lower Marsh, SE1 7AB, mariescafe.co.uk

The Mothership at Pieminister - 9

Simple pleasures dont come much more pleasurable than pie and mash. Award-winning pie makers Pieminister will do this for well within your tenner, but if you want to push your pennies to the limit, take on the 9 Mothership. Pieminister takes the pie of your choice, rests it on creamy mash and tops it with minted mushy peas, crispy shallots and cheddar cheese.

Gabriel's Wharf, 56 Upper Ground, SE1 9PP, pieminister.co.uk

Sen Chan Pad Thai at Pad + Sen - 8.95

Be honest, do you have to resist the urge to order pad thai every time you step into a Thai restaurant? Upgrade your usual order at Pad + Sens Southbank street food stall, where the signature is Sen Chan Pad Thai. Rice noodles are wok fried with egg, tofu, beansprouts, pickled radish and garlic chives which Pad + Sen get delivered fresh from Thailand each week. Its then topped with crab meat and strips of mango.

Southbank Centre Food Market, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX, padandsen.com

Pizza at Topolski - From 6.50

If you cant decide between pre-National Theatre drinks or dinner, then allow Topolski to offer a happy medium. This arty bar dedicated to Polish artist Feliks Topolski serves up a substantial and reasonably priced cocktail roster, which you can enjoy alongside meat platters or twelve inch flatbread pizzas that start from just 6.50.

150-152 Concert Hall Approach, SE1 8XU, bartopolski.co.uk

Ribs at Street Pig BBQ - 7

Street Pig are firing up the barbie at the Southbank Centre Food Market, and its smoking. The babyback ribs here are Applewood smoked, slow cooked and glazed over coals with a drenching of Street Pigs BBQ sauce. They then come served up with fresh potato salad and pickled red cabbage slaw. If thats not enough, you can upgrade to a large portion for another 2.

Southbank Centre Food Market, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX, @streetpigbbq

Jerk chicken at Jerk in da Park - From 6

If your love of Caribbean food comes easy, then this dish is a walk in the park. Jerk in da Park is an independent street food stall that pops up on Waterloo Green, serving jerk chicken straight off the barbecue, along with rice and peas and a rotating menu of curry goat, oxtail and other Caribbean classics. Beware, its local popularity will mean a bit of a queue, but its worth the wait.

Waterloo Green, SE1 7AA, facebook.com/JerkInThePark

Pork souvlaki at The Athenian - 5.50

Succulent nuggets of pork are placed into a grilled flatbread at this Greek street food stall, and topped with tomato, red onion and herbs. Tzatziki is your classic souvlaki sauce of choice, but The Athenian mix it up with their must-try signature mustard and honey dressing, made with a secret herb blend. If you feel the need for cheese, you can add slices of halloumi for an extra 1.40.

Southbank Centre Food Market, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX, theathenian.co.uk

Wahaca Mexican Street Kitchen - Steak Burrito - 6.95

Wahaca has had us all knowing our taquitos from our tostadas for more than ten years now with its fondness for Mexican street food. Inside its South Bank restaurant youll find plenty of small plates for under a tenner, but outside you can grab a full burrito stuffed with chicken, steak, pork or veggies without pushing the 7 mark  that means 3 going spare to crunch of guac and chips too.

Riverside by Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, SE1 8XX, wahaca.co.uk

Curly Whirly brownie at Konditor & Cook - 2.95

Saved room for pudding? If youve picked one of the cheaper meals on this menu, then youve likely got spare change for it too. Cake connoisseur Konditor & Cook is the purveyor of some of the best brownies in the capital, including a Curly Whirly version that swirls cheesecake mix through chocolate. You can pick up one for 2.95, or four for 10.How important has networking been to designer Will Butler-Adams, CEO of Brompton Bicycles?

How has collaborating impacted the career trajectory of entrepreneur and KITE co-founder Asad Hamir? Or industrial designer Benjamin Hubert  co-founder of Nolii?

Find out at Network Intelligence  the BORN Conversation, in association with the Evening Standard, which will take place on October 4.

Hosted by Evening Standard digital features director Amira Hashish, the panel  comprising Butler-Adams, Hamir and Hubert  will explore how networking and collaborations have helped steer these renowned innovators towards worldwide success.

Including an audience Q&A, and a networking session after the talk, Network Intelligence forms part of a series of talks taking place that day, ahead of the BORN Global Awards that night.

What is BORN?

BORN.com is a leading network of creators. The worlds largest digital trade fair, it offers designers both a platform and an audience; a stage on which to present their ideas to the world.

Brompton Bicycle

BORN is a community of talented, passionate and creative individuals. Little wonder then, that eight years ago, BORN founder Jean-Christophe Chopin thought it high time BORN hosted a Global Awards  a competition to celebrate creativity in design lifestyle combining functionality and desirability.

Sponsored by Land Rover, each year the awards centre on a different theme, and this year, its peerless design: creations so inventive, so pioneering, so perfect, they are unrivalled.

To enter designs have to fit into one of seven categories  technology, sports, architecture, home interiors, food, mobility and fashion  and they have to exist in tangible form. Beyond that, not even the sky  or outer space  is the limit.

Nolii

Regional awards were hosted earlier this year in participating countries  the UK, the US, Spain, France, Italy and The Rest of the World  and regional winners chosen for each of the seven categories.

On October 4, they go head-to-head against one another to see who will be crowned the overall category winner at the BORN Global Awards Ceremony.

But with Deyan Sudjic of the Design Museum, Nicole Junkermann of NJF Capital, Michelle Ogundehin (design editor and TV presenter), Gerry McGovern of Land Rover, Annalise Fard of Harrods, and Chopin himself on the judging panel, its a formidable crowd to impress. A hotly contested competition it is absolutely set to be.

What the judges are looking for are designs that inspire, challenge and resonate. So what better place to announce the winners who have achieved this, than in a London landmark which is, itself, all those things.

When considering where to host the BORN Awards for 2018, I wanted to find a location which embodied our ethos of community, design and creativity, BORN Awards founder Chopin explains. The Design Museum ticked all those boxes, and more, and will provide a fantastic stage for all those involved in the awards for 2018.

Its sure to be an awe-inspiring and exhilarating day. Make sure youre part of it.Joining the royal couple were a celebrity crowd including actors Douglas Booth, Eddie Redmayne and Jenna Coleman, who was linked to Prince Harry before his marriage to Meghan.

Guests such as Michael McIntyre, Fran Cutler and Nick Grimshaw were promised a long weekend of eating, drinking, napping, dancing, boats and bikes and were not disappointed.

Also on hand to mark the opening of the building  and coincidentally toast founder Nick Jones on his 55th birthday  were Lily Cole, Ella Eyre, Stanley Tucci and Richard Bacon, who spent days in a coma this summer after contracting pneumonia.

Soho House Amsterdam - in pictures 1 /20 Soho House Amsterdam - in pictures Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam Soho House Amsterdam

At a Saturday night birthday feast for Jones at Cecconis, guests dined on lobster spaghetti and tiramisu. They also had a lavish Sunday brunch, as well as pampering treatments at the Cowshed spa.

Their itinerary included a guided tour of the citys red-light district on Friday night  not attended by the royals  and a boat trip down the citys canals on Saturday.

Nick Jones with his wife Kirsty Young / Dave Benett

Partygoers heard a tribute to Mr Jones from his wife, broadcaster Kirsty Young, who recently stepped away from presenting duties on Desert Island Discs while she is treated for fibromyalgia, before an impromptu performance from rapper Tinie Tempah.

Eddie Redmayne / Dave Benett

The royal couple are fans of the exclusive private members club, having first met on a blind date in a private dining room at the original Soho House in London . The duchess is also reported to have had her hen party at its rural retreat in the Cotswolds.

Jenna Coleman / Dave Benett

Set up in London in 1995 as a club for people in the creative industries, Soho House now has 22 clubs, with bases in Barcelona, Berlin, Malibu and Hollywood. Soho House Amsterdam is in a refurbished former shipping headquarters on the Singel canal.

The art deco building is full of original 1930s features and has 79 bedrooms, a rooftop pool, a restaurant, a spa and yoga studios.

Nick Grimshaw / Dave Benett

Harry and Meghan were also said to have enjoyed a 2016 Halloween date at an outpost of the club in Toronto, where she was filming legal drama Suits.

Lily Cole / Dave BenettW ith the recent unveiling of Freycinet Lodges stunning new Coastal Pavilions, there has never been a better time to visit this special corner of Australias Tasmania.

Nature and luxury meet here, in the world-renowned Freycinet National Park; a place where wildlife is abundant and you can immerse yourself in natural splendour of the Australian bush.

Where is it?

Sitting half-way between Hobart and Launceston, Freycinet National Park is located on Tasmanias east coast. Occupying most of the Freycinet Peninsula, it overlooks the Tasman Sea to the east, and the Tasmanian coastline to the west, and was declared Tasmanias first national park back in 1916, along with Mt Field National Park.

Home to one of the world's most beautiful beaches, Wineglass Bay, and with a dramatic backdrop of pink granite peaks, this is one special place.

The Bay View Coastal Pavilions shining in the sun

Where to stay?

Freycinet Lodge is the only place to stay within the park, looking out over the blue waters of Great Oyster Bay, with the rugged Hazards mountain range behind.

The brand new coastal pavilions were designed by local architects, Liminal Studiom, and sit on the waters edge. These nine pavilions offer simple luxury, and I was lucky enough to stay in one of their Bay View rooms. Made of glass and Tasmanian Oak, the buildings' form is said to represent the costal granite rocks 'smooth, rounded and beautiful forms', and the exterior, clad in a beautiful charred wood, was designed to symbolise the use of fire and charcoal in Aboriginal culture.

The pavilions are completely private, surrounded entirely by bushland. With a king size bed, outdoor wooden bathtub, separate living area and deck, and views over Great Oyster Bay through the trees, the pavilions make for the ultimate romantic getaway.

Looking out from the bathroom over your own private outdoor hot tub

What to do?

With endless hiking trails and beautiful empty beaches on offer, there is much to keep you busy. If you are looking for a more challenging (but rewarding) hike, I recommend the one up to Mt Amos. More of a scramble than a hike, it is a decent 1.5hr walk to the top, involving the scaling of slippery rock faces (avoid in wet weather). The views from the top, down over Wineglass Bay, make the struggle worthwhile.

An easier option would be to take the well-trodden path to the Wineglass Bay lookout.

A short walk from the car park, the view down over the bays perfectly curved beach is also spectacular, and another great expedition is the three-hour return trip that continues on from the Wineglass Bay lookout down to the beach, and then back around to the park entrance via the Hazards.

For a much longer hike (I am talking more like two days), you can take on the whole length of the Freycinet Peninsula, passing through places like Cooks Beach and Bryans Beach.

Sunrise from the Cape Tourville lighthouse

I would also recommend getting up early one morning to catch the sunrise from the Cape Tourville lighthouse. The pink granite of the Hazards glow the most beautiful pink at both sunrise and sunset, and the views out over the ocean are incredible.

If you are feeling a little lazy, however, opt for one of the Freycinet cruises which takes you around the peninsula.

Other activities include fishing, kayaking, rock climbing, scenic flights and strolling down to the pretty Richardson Beach near the lodge.

On the drive into (or out of) Freycinet, I would also suggest stopping into Friendly Beaches. A beautiful, endless white sandy beach with (often) not another person in sight. If you are there during whale season (May to November), you might be lucky enough to spot some humpback and southern right whales on their annual migration.

Not a bad little view from Richardsons Bistro

Where to eat and drink?

The lodge itself has a number of dining options. The Bay Restaurant is the most formal, Richardsons Bistro is for casual dining, and the Hazards Bar and Lounge is for drinks and snacks (try out their excellent selection of Tasmanias award-winning cool climate wines, craft beers and boutique ciders).

Or else, you can always opt to have a platter delivered to your room.

Outside the national park, there is some good eating to be had, with a number of wineries close by. I would recommend stopping at Devils Corner for a great wood-fired pizza and a glass of wine. Or for a good coffee, check out Geographe in Coles Bay.

Another great spot nearby is Melshell Oysters - nothing more than a tiny blue caravan/oyster shack, set-up at Dolphin Sands with a few deck chairs and tables. It's the perfect place to enjoy the freshest of oysters with a bottle of wine you have just picked up from Devils Corner. Find a patch of grass alongside the Swan River and enjoy a slow afternoon.A husband has admitted murdering his wife in their north London home.

Tanzanian Kema Salum, 39, who had previously denied killing 36-year-old Leyla Mtumwa, pleaded guilty on the first day of his Old Bailey trial.

The mother-of-one was repeatedly knifed in the neck and chest at the home they shared in Kirkstall Avenue, Haringey, on March 30.

After answering the door with blood on his hands, Salum claimed his wife had injured him.

The court heard that later, while he was handcuffed at the scene, he told officers: "This is my wife and we fight."

Salum appeared in the dock on Monday wearing glasses and dressed in a grey suit and open-collared white shirt.

With the assistance of a Swahili interpreter, he spoke to confirm his name before pleading guilty to a charge of murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams who led the investigation said: "In what should have been the safest place for her, Leyla was brutally stabbed to death by her husband.

"Salum will now face a lengthy sentence for his actions that night."A tourist who was arrested outside Buckingham Palace with a mini-taser on a keyring has been released by police.

Scotland Yard said officers were satisfied that the possession of the device was a genuine error on the 38-year-olds part, and posed no threat.

The man, a visitor to London from the Netherlands, was released without further action by police on Sunday evening.

Police said the man had been detained at the tourist hotspot in central London on suspicion of possessing a firearm at about 12.45pm on Sunday.

The man had been stopped by security staff.

In a statement, police said: Officers were satisfied that his possession of the device - which was low-powered and part of a keyring  was a genuine error on his part, and that he posed no threat.

The man was released without further action on Sunday evening.

Officers are reminding visitors to the United Kingdom to ensure that any items that they are carrying comply with legislation in the UK.T he grieving parents of a four-year-old girl today revealed how they discovered a shortage of doctors at a London hospital contributed to her death after asking for her medical records.

Wajid and Shahenaz Shah were initially told their daughter Nailah died in July 2014 at Whipps Cross hospital as a result of fluid on the lungs that was unavoidable because of her rare genetic disease.

In an attempt to uncover the whole truth, they asked the hospitals parent trust, Barts Health, for her medical notes. In 2016 they learned of another report that said Nailah was likely to have died as a result of over-hydration and kidney failure because no one had been monitoring her fluid levels. At this point the Shahs instructed lawyers.

Nailah had a severe form of Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia, which limits growth, the immune system and kidney function and typically results in death in childhood. Two of Nailahs brothers, Muhammad, three, and Armaan, two, have the same condition, but her older brother Hanif does not.

The second report, written by another NHS trust and never previously disclosed, revealed there was only one paediatric registrar on duty on the night Nailah began to deteriorate.

Nailah with her older brother Hanif (ES Local Feed ) / ES Local Feed

The registrar had to cover child attendances at A&E, the labour ward and the special care baby unit, which were all in different parts of the sprawling hospital. The doctors case load included two other children who were regarded as being sicker than Nailah.

"While she had a shortened life-expectancy she still deserved the basic human right of the best care"

The report said a locum doctor could not be found to share the workload, despite extra government funding being available, due to the nationwide shortage of trained medics. It concluded: The lack of medical staff led to the failure to effectively manage her slow deterioration during the night.

Last October, Barts Health admitted that negligence in failing to monitor Nailah accelerated her death. A settlement and undisclosed amount of compensation was agreed at the High Court in January, and an apology was received in March.

Today Mr and Mrs Shah, aged 36 and 32, from Leyton, said they had faced a constant battle for answers in their attempt to learn about their daughters death. They were initially told the trust was unable to locate medical records relating to Nailahs admission to hospital, and there were no minutes of a rapid response meeting of doctors after her death.

Mrs Shah said: Nailah was a wonderful and affectionate girl who, despite her condition, was always happy and smiling. While she had a shortened life-expectancy she still deserved the basic human right of receiving the best-possible care. We feel totally let down.

Alexandra Winch, of Irwin Mitchell solicitors, who represented the family, said: There has been a particular lack of openness by Barts Health NHS Trust in relation to the circumstances surrounding Nailahs death which is in breach of their duty of candour.

The trust has now admitted liability and have apologised to the family, but it is unfortunate that they were forced to commence legal action in order to simply get the answers that they were looking for.

In 2015, Whipps Cross, in Leytonstone, was judged by NHS inspectors to be unsafe after 208 serious incidents in 2014. This resulted in Barts Health being put in special measures. Last year, Whipps Crosss inadequate rating was raised to requires improvement.A n ambitious target to build 3,700 new homes by 2025 has been scrapped, in a blow to Mayor Sadiq Khans pledge to tackle the capitals housing crisis.

The City of London Corporation announced the plan in 2015 but has now quietly abandoned any hope of hitting the deadline, following a series of setbacks, delays and mounting costs.

Only 62 homes were completed in the first three years and the Square Miles local authority has now admitted that just 900 properties  less than a quarter of the number promised  are likely to be finished by 2025.

The decision, which was slipped out in corporation documents over the summer, will be unwelcome news at City Hall, where the Mayor and his advisers are trying to engineer a dramatic increase in the supply of affordable housing.

The new London Plan will set a target of 65,000 new homes a year and Mr Khan wants at least 35 per cent of them to be classed as affordable.

The City of London Corporations house-building programme was billed as its biggest since the construction of the Barbican complex. It secured a 14.6 million grant from the Mayors housing investment scheme.

Announcing the plans in 2015, the corporations then policy chairman Mark Boleat said: Without truly affordable housing, we will no longer be able to maintain the diversity of Londons communities, which is an integral part of Londons success as a global city. But in a fresh report, Simon Cribbens, of the authoritys community and childrens services department, says: The complexity, and subsequent timeline, of bringing some significant sites forward for development is such that this target will not be completed within the time scale set.

The corporation said its budget for building new homes had come under pressure after an audit into the condition of its housing stock and the need to retro-fit fire safety measures in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Some of the new homes  a mix of council rent and affordable properties  were to be built alongside flats and houses within the Citys estates in Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Southwark and Lambeth.

However, the corporation said the greatest potential for delivery was at its historic markets, Billingsgate, Smithfield and New Spitalfields. There are plans to consolidate all three markets on a single 100-acre site, but such a major move requires consultation and parliamentary approval.

The report stated: The timeline and complexity of these elements means the sites may not be available for redevelopment for up to 10 years.

The revelation has raised fears that other councils, particularly those with far tighter budgets, will be unable to fund new social housing. A corporation spokeswoman said: We are developing a range of policies to ensure we deliver 3,700 extra homes much needed by Londoners as soon as possible.

A City of London Corporation spokeswoman said: This is a public report which shows we are committed to transparency and openness.

It also shows we are developing a range of policies to ensure we deliver 3,700 extra homes much needed by Londoners as soon as possible.A fire chief in charge of tackling the Grenfell Tower blaze has said he expected only "one or two" flats to catch alight "if we were unlucky" after flames licked up the block's exterior.

Incident commander Andrew O'Loughlin immediately recognised the fire's spread up the east side of the tower was "exceptional" but that it looked as though it had "possibly done its worst", shortly after he arrived at 1.55am.

He said his expectation was that the concrete building "should protect itself from the burning cladding", envisioning flames would enter only a couple of flats.

In a written statement to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, currently hearing evidence from fire officials, at Holborn Bars, he said: "At this time, I concluded that the speed and violence of the fire was in our favour.

Incident commander Andrew O'Loughlin gave evidence at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. / GTI/YouTube

"The cladding was rapidly burning and falling off the building and the fire had already hit the roof, so shouldn't really go any further.

"It's understood that fires travel vertically and only travel a little bit horizontally sometimes, perhaps to a flat next door, but they don't tend to go downwards.

"My expectation was that if we were unlucky, perhaps one or two flats, with open windows, could catch light, but it looked, at this point, as though the fire had possibly done its worst on the east elevation."

Fires continued to burn inside the building after 200 firefighters tackled the blaze on June 14, 2017. / Getty/Carl Court

Mr O'Loughlin added: "I concluded that this was actually helpful for us, as the cladding had effectively burnt off the building, leaving only pockets of fire."

But his original estimations were "probably two low", and after hearing the number of calls from trapped residents he would have expected far more to be affected.

Half of privately-owned buildings still don't have plans to remove cladding 159 social-sector residential buildings, managed by local authorities or housing associations (22 are completed, 99 are in progress) 295 private-sector buildings - only 10 have finished works and for 124 "remedial plans remain unclear". 205 buildings in total are yet to even start work to remove Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding.

Some 71 people died in the fire on June 14 last year, with a 72nd resident dying months later.

London Fire Service has previously taken criticism after control centre operatives revealed they stuck to official advice for several hours, to tell residents to stay in their homes.

But the fire chief said there was "no reason" to believe the external fire would spread to the building's other three sides or that it would move beyond a small number of individual flats if they caught alight.

He added that firefighters were "having to take a reasonably high level of risk to rescue members of the public, whilst knowing that despite our efforts a large number of people were still going to die."

Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey addresses delegates at the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool. / Getty/Leon Neal

"The only plan for a future incident would be to not let it happen in the first place, as it couldn't be managed," he told the inquiry.

The testimony comes as calls are made for Theresa May to stop "dragging her feet" over the disaster.

Shadow housing secretary John Healey blasted her response 15 months after the fire, as nearly half of Grenfell survivors still have not got permanent new homes, more than 400 tower blocks remain "cloaked in lethal Grenfell-style cladding".

Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, he said: "If this was where your family slept each night, would you fail to act over 15 long months?"

The latest housing ministry figures published through the Building Safety Programme on Thursday show there are still 468 high-rise blocks and public buildings which still use the Grenfell-style cladding. Only 32 have completed remedial work and only 26 of privately-owned buildings are currently in the process.

Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack, moving an emergency motion for debate, also said: "The Government is consulting on what should be done about this cladding - you don't need to consult, you just need to take a decision to remove it."

A spokesman for the Ministry for Communities, Housing and Local Government said: "The Governments highest priority has been to ensure the survivors and the wider community receive the support they need.

We acted swiftly to establish a comprehensive building safety programme, issued clear guidance to building owners and committed to a full review of the building regulatory system.A student who arrived late at school had a good excuse  he had been helping to save the life of a pensioner who had collapsed in the street.

Tejinder Purewal, 16, gave CPR chest compressions to 72-year-old Antonio Fernandes as he lay in Bath Road, Hounslow, after being alerted by the screams of a passer-by.

Tejinder, pictured, had received basic life-saving training from St John Ambulance as part of his activities as a school army cadet. Tonight he will be honoured at the charitys Everyday Hero awards in Southwark, after being highly commended in the Guy Evans young hero category.

When Tejinder arrived at Mr Fernandess side on March 29 last year, the pensioner was lying motionless and in apparent cardiac arrest.

St John's Ambulance hero Army cadet Tejinder Purewal and Antonio Fernandes.

Tejinder told the woman who had alerted him to call 999 as he checked for breathing. When none could be detected, he began CPR and asked a fellow student to support Mr Fernandess head.

A foam-like substance was coming out of Mr Fernandess mouth so Tejinder rolled him on to his side to drain the fluid before continuing chest compressions.

A London Ambulance crew arrived after about 20 minutes and, following a briefing from Tejinder, they revived Mr Fernandes and took him to hospital.

The Year 10 student at Cranford Community College in Hounslow, said: Its really amazing to be recognised for this. I really didnt expect it. Im just pleased I was able to help that day.

I think more young people should be taught first aid. We hear a lot about youth knife crime and most people wouldnt know what to do in that situation. We should all learn first aid, so we can take action.

Since the incident, Mr Fernandes and his family have been reunited with Tejinder, and made a donation to his school to express their thanks.

It would see the UK agree a free trade deal with the EU along similar lines to the one put in place with Canada.

This is rather than the much closer alignment with rules and regulations set by Brussels that is envisaged in the government's Chequers proposal.

The UK would have more control over issues like immigration and setting its own trade rules, but less access to EU markets.

However, it has been flatly rejected by the government.

Brexit secretary Dominic Raab said a Canada-style deal would mean agreeing to customs controls between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, which is something Ms May insisted Britain could never accept.L abour members are set to vote on keeping all options on the table on Brexit including campaigning for a second EU referendum.

Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer and one hundred delegates from trades unions and local parties drafted a two-page motion which Labour party members at this weeks Liverpool conference are expected to pass on Tuesday.

The wording was agreed after a gruelling five-hour meeting on Sunday night and the key sentence of the final draft says: If we cannot get a general election Labour must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote.

It adds: If the government is confident in negotiating a deal that working people, our economy and communities will benefit from, they should not be afraid to put that deal to the public.

Many Labour members think the party has the power and duty to force a new referendum, dubbed the Peoples Vote, which could reverse the UKs decision to leave the EU.

But the wording of the motion will dash anti-Brexit campaigners hopes that Labour would commit itself to a second referendum on EU withdrawal with delegates offered the opportunity only to keep the option of a Peoples Vote on the table.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (left) and deputy leader Tom Watson attend the start of their party's annual conference at the Arena and Convention Centre (ACC), in Liverpool. / PA

Labour has never formally rejected the option of a second Brexit vote but leader Jeremy Corbyn and his deputy Tom Watson have both indicated that they would prefer the issue to be resolved by a general election.

Speaking on the BBCs Andrew Marr show on Sunday, Mr Corbyn said the partys preference is for a general election that would then allow a Labour government to negotiate the UKs future relationship with the European Union.

Lets see what comes out at conference, he said, before adding: Obviously Im bound by the democracy of our party.

He added that Labour would vote down any deal Prime Minister Theresa May comes back with if it does not meet tests the party has set out.

Theresa May delivers statement after Chequers plan disaster in Salzburg

In an interview with the Daily Mirror, shadow chancellor John McDonnell indicated he expects an early general election, and suggested Labour could be in power for 15 years.

The paper said his keynote speech to conference on Monday will include plans to renationalise water, rail, energy and mail within five years and create a National Care Service and National Education Service.

"I want the election as soon as possible," said the shadow chancellor.

"Eight years of Tory austerity has left people wanting real change. So we'll provide them with a radical manifesto.

Marchers call for a people's vote on the final outcome of the government's Brexit negotiations / Getty Images

"We could be in place tomorrow. I think the third term will be our most exciting."

Speculation has been rife over the weekend over the prospect of a snap general election. Reports suggest that Labour could force a vote of no confidence in the PM if Parliament rejects her Brexit deal.

Mr Corbyn told the Marr show that Labour was absolutely ready for a general election. We will be putting our case to Parliament and we will see what happens after that.

There is less than six months until the UK is due to leave the EU in March 2019 and Mrs May has been negotiating with EU leaders on the future relationship with the block.

Mrs May admitted on Friday that Brexit negotiations had reach an impasse after EU leaders humiliatingly rebuffed her Chequers plan.

She is due to meet with her Cabinet on Monday afternoon and will face pressure to abandon the Chequers deal.

With divorce negotiations stuck and Britain due to leave in March, many Labour members think the party must change its course.

"Labour have to come to a decision. The time has gone for sitting on the fence," said Mike Buckley of Labour for a People's Vote, a group campaigning for a new Brexit referendum.

To drive home the message, several thousand People's Vote supporters marched through Liverpool on Sunday, waving blue-and-yellow EU flags alongside Union Jacks and holding signs reading "Exit from Brexit" and a few ruder slogans.T heresa May is to meet senior ministers today as she battles to save her Chequers blueprint for Brexit following last week's humiliating rebuff by EU leaders.

The Prime Minister will chair a meeting of the Cabinet in Downing Street amid intense pressure to change course and seek a simpler, less ambitious deal.

Labour's Jeremy Corbyn revealed on Sunday he would join forces with Tory rebels to block Chequers from passing through the House of Common, risking a general election if Mrs May is unable to unite the Conservative Party under her plans.

The meeting will take place just hours after the high-profile launch of an alternative plan for leaving the EU by the free market think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs with the backing of former foreign secretary Boris Johnson and former Brexit secretary David Davis.

In his weekly column for The Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson warned it would play into Labour's hands if the Government continued to pursue the same course in the face of rising public hostility.

"If we go with the Chequers approach, the public will spot it," he said. "They will see that the UK has become a vassal state, that we have not taken back control, but lost control.

"They will take their revenge at the polls," he wrote.

"I am afraid that Chequers = surrender; Chequers = a sense of betrayal; Chequers = the return of Ukip; Chequers = Corbyn."

Former Brexit secretary David Davis joined Nigel Farage at the first "Leave means Leave" rally as they started a speaking tour around the UK. Mr Farage said at the event that a "no-deal" Brexit would be "no problem", still hoping to free the UK from European "gangsters" at all costs.

Labour MP Kate Hoey, Nigel Farage, MEP and Conservative MP David Davis at a pro-Brexit Leave Means Leave Means Leave really at the University of Bolton on Saturday. / Getty Images

The cabinet meeting was called in part to discuss post-Brexit immigration policy after an expert report recommended EU nationals should be subject to the same rules as migrants from the rest of the world once Britain has left the bloc.

However there is likely to be a lengthy inquest into what went wrong at last week's informal EU summit in Salzburg where Mrs May was bluntly told key elements of the Chequers plan would not work.

The Prime Minister insists her proposal, which would see Britain maintain a "common rulebook" with the EU for trade in goods and agriculture, is the only credible option on the table which would avoid the return of a "hard border" between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

But she is facing increasingly vociferous calls from Tory Brexiteers to abandon Chequers in favour of a more basic free trade agreement in goods along the lines agreed between the EU and Canada.

Theresa May puts ball back in EU's court amid Brexit impasse

Over the weekend Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, seen as a May loyalist, pointedly refused to rule out the prospect that the Government could switch its negotiating position in favour of a Canada-style deal.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom and Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey are all reported to have concerns about Chequers.

Meanwhile The Times reported Home Secretary Mr Javid was set to further anger Brexiteers that new controls should not be imposed on EU migrants for more than two years in the event of a no-deal break in order to protect the economy.

The pressure on the Prime Minister intensified with the confirmation over the weekend by Mr Corbyn that Labour will vote against any deal based on Chequers.

With a bloc of Tory Brexiteers also committed to opposing the plan, and a number of pro-EU MPs also highly critical, it is increasingly difficult to see how she can muster the numbers to get it through Parliament, even it she can get an agreement with the EU.

Campaigners marched on the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool yesterday calling for a "final say" on Brexit. / EPA

With the Conservative Party conference next week in Birmingham looming, Downing Street was forced to deny she was planning a snap general election in an attempt to save her beleaguered premiership.

It followed weekend reports that two senior aides had responded to her Salzburg rebuff by "wargaming" an autumn vote to win public backing for a new plan.

Mr Raab said the idea of a snap election was "for the birds" and that the Government would continue negotiating with the EU.

At the same time he said they were continue to prepare for a no-deal break with the publication on Monday of a third tranche of "technical" papers on the preparations taking place across various sectors.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said on Monday morning that a general election would be "the real People's Vote" on Brexit as the party is reluctant to push towards a second referendum over fears of "stoking xenophobia".

Mr McDonnell told Good Morning Britain that Labour "respects" the outcome of the referendum. He said that if the deal that comes back is no acceptable to Parliament, there should be a general election or keep the option of a People's Vote on the table.

He added that Labour would be able to complete negotiations if it won a general election in the next few months.

Mr McDonnell insisted that Labour would be able to negotiate a Brexit deal with the EU in the short time left if it came to power in a general election in the next few months.

The Shadow Chancellor told Sky News: "We think we can negotiate a deal. As soon as we change government, the whole atmosphere would change.

"I think our European partners are up for a deal."J eremy Corbyn would make a decision on deploying nuclear weapons as prime minister only after consultation with Cabinet, Parliament and the wider community, John McDonnell said today.

The shadow chancellor and key ally of Corbyn is, like his leader, opposed to the use of nuclear weapons.

But Mr McDonnell said a Labour government would maintain the UKs nuclear deterrent and abide by any decisions made about their use.

He said that Mr Corbyn would engage in talks at all levels of government in the event of an escalating nuclear threat.

In a blistering exchange with ITVs Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan, Mr McDonnell said Mr Corbyn would make a decision after weighing up advice.

TODO: define component type brightcove

Mr McDonnell said: Jeremy Corbyn when he is in government, will obviously take the decision on the basis of the advice he is given by the Cabinet, the discussions that have taken place in Parliament and the country overall.

And weighing all those matters up he will then come to that decision.

Labour Party Conference 2018 1 /22 Labour Party Conference 2018 Britain's shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell delivers his keynote speech Reuters The Labour Party's shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell speaks to party leader Jeremy Corbyn at the party's conference in Liverpool, Reuters Jeremy Corbyn (left) and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell during the Labour Party's annual conference PA Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn looks out from the podium at the party's conference REUTERS Jeremy Corbyn applauds as shadow Chancellor John McDonnell AFP/Getty Images Cuff links featuring an image of Jeremy Corbyn in the style of Che Guevarra are seen for sale at the Labour Party's conference REUTERS Labour MP Dennis Skinner listens to speeches Getty Images Comedian and Labour activist Eddie Izzard listens to speeches Getty Images Sweets with names based on politically themed puns and word games are seen for sale REUTERS Sweets with names based on politically themed puns and word games are seen for sale REUTERS Labour MP, Luciana Berger arrives to speak at a fringe meeting at the Liverpool Pub PA Labour Party Member of Parliament Dennis Skinner arrives the party's conference Reuters Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell talks to breakfast television ahead of his speech later today at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool PA John McDonnell (C) walks through the Exhibition Centre Liverpool Getty Images Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is interviewed by the BBC's Andrew Marr in Liverpool PA Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Jones smile to the audience at a Momentum "The World Transformed" event Getty Images Jeremy Corbyn poses for photographers at a vigil for peace in Yemen during the annual Labour Party Conference Reuters Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson cycles at the party's annual conference at the Arena and Convention Centre PA Campaigners take part in a 'People's Vote' March in central Liverpool EPA Demonstrators dressed as the "Brexit Unicorn" take part in the March For The Many, calling for a people's vote on the final outcome of the government's Brexit negotiations Getty Images Members of the public march in support of the People's Vote campaign in Liverpool PA Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on stage at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool AFP/Getty Images

Asked what would happen if the anti-nuclear Mr Corbyn was given firm advice to deploy the weapons, he said: There would be a government decision the Prime Minister would abide by.

The decision would be one in the best interests of our country.

Mr McDonnell also hit out at Morgans interview style, describing it as a monologue.L abour has pledged to end the housing crisis with a raft of measures including handing more power to private tenants and offering homeless people the chance of a first home.

Shadow housing secretary John Healey unveiled the plans at the partys annual conference on Monday in his speech on Labours housing policy.

"The next Labour Government will be the most radical Government on housing for over half a century, and we will do whatever it takes to end this Tory housing crisis," he said.

It came as the Labour frontbencher called for urgent action on dealing with the Grenfell Tower tragedy, with Mr Healey accusing Theresa May of dragging her Governments feet over the disaster.

Heres all you need to know about Labours housing policy announced today.

Labour Party Conference 2018 1 /22 Labour Party Conference 2018 Britain's shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell delivers his keynote speech Reuters The Labour Party's shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell speaks to party leader Jeremy Corbyn at the party's conference in Liverpool, Reuters Jeremy Corbyn (left) and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell during the Labour Party's annual conference PA Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn looks out from the podium at the party's conference REUTERS Jeremy Corbyn applauds as shadow Chancellor John McDonnell AFP/Getty Images Cuff links featuring an image of Jeremy Corbyn in the style of Che Guevarra are seen for sale at the Labour Party's conference REUTERS Labour MP Dennis Skinner listens to speeches Getty Images Comedian and Labour activist Eddie Izzard listens to speeches Getty Images Sweets with names based on politically themed puns and word games are seen for sale REUTERS Sweets with names based on politically themed puns and word games are seen for sale REUTERS Labour MP, Luciana Berger arrives to speak at a fringe meeting at the Liverpool Pub PA Labour Party Member of Parliament Dennis Skinner arrives the party's conference Reuters Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell talks to breakfast television ahead of his speech later today at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool PA John McDonnell (C) walks through the Exhibition Centre Liverpool Getty Images Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is interviewed by the BBC's Andrew Marr in Liverpool PA Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Jones smile to the audience at a Momentum "The World Transformed" event Getty Images Jeremy Corbyn poses for photographers at a vigil for peace in Yemen during the annual Labour Party Conference Reuters Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson cycles at the party's annual conference at the Arena and Convention Centre PA Campaigners take part in a 'People's Vote' March in central Liverpool EPA Demonstrators dressed as the "Brexit Unicorn" take part in the March For The Many, calling for a people's vote on the final outcome of the government's Brexit negotiations Getty Images Members of the public march in support of the People's Vote campaign in Liverpool PA Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on stage at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool AFP/Getty Images

Renters Unions

The Labour government would back new unions for renters and fund them in every part of the country, Mr Healey said.

He added this was so renters who feel helpless in the face of this housing crisis can organise and defend their rights.

These would control costs, improve conditions and increase security.

Mr Healey said renters' unions would provide support for the 11.5 million tenants in the private rental sector during disputes, as well as raising the profile of renters' issues.

Discussing the policy on Monday, shadow housing minister Melanie Onn said the unions are about offering support and advice and giving those people the same voice as the landlords.

Levy on holiday homes

Holiday home owners would face a new 560 million tax to tackle homelessness and address rising wealth inequality under the plans.

Mr Healey said Labour would put a brake on the growing gap between Britains housing haves and have-nots.

This would take the form of a new national crackdown on second homes used as holiday homes, he said, to give the "have-nots" the chance of owning a first home.

Under the plans, second properties in England used as holiday homes would be subject to an average tax bill of more than 3,200.

Homes at one third of local incomes

Labour has pledged to build one million truly affordable council and housing association homes.

Speaking at a fringe event at the conference, Ms Onn said Labour would offer homes at one third of local incomes for first time buyers.

Labour has pledged to provide affordable homes / PA Wire/PA Images

She said the party will redefine the word affordable in terms of housing.

Affordable is not a 350,000 home, she said. Its not eight times our salary.

Official estimates published earlier this year showed workers in England and Wales spend almost eight times their annual income to buy a house.

Action on Grenfell

Labour will not rest until all those who need a new home after Grenfell have it, Mr Healey said.

The party discussed an emergency motion on the Grenfell Tower disaster at conference today, moved by Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack.

It followed reports last week in The Guardian that residents from the Grenfell Tower area are being told to return to their former homes or lose their council tenancies.

Mr Healey attacked the Prime Minister's response in the 15 months since the fire, and suggested she would have acted quicker had it been her own home.

The Labour frontbencher also questioned why nearly half the Grenfell survivors still have not got permanent new homes, why more than 400 tower blocks are "still cloaked in lethal Grenfell-style cladding" and why there was still no ban on combustible cladding.L abour MPs warned of a purge of centrists today after the party voted through new rules making it easier to sack Members of Parliament deemed to be out of touch.

In an overwhelming result on a card vote of members and union chiefs, the historic chance was backed by 65.32 per cent to 34.68 per cent.

The new rules stopped well short of calls made by Momentum for automatic mandatory reselection for all MPs, and the left-wing group denounced them as meagre. But critics said they could still would cause turmoil by putting the power to trigger a reselection battle into the hands of relatively small numbers of people.

Ilford South MP Mike Gapes said some MPs would be forced to waste long periods of time trying to defend themselves against deselection moves that could be triggered by small numbers of malcontents.

Labour Party Conference 2018 1 /22 Labour Party Conference 2018 Britain's shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell delivers his keynote speech Reuters The Labour Party's shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell speaks to party leader Jeremy Corbyn at the party's conference in Liverpool, Reuters Jeremy Corbyn (left) and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell during the Labour Party's annual conference PA Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn looks out from the podium at the party's conference REUTERS Jeremy Corbyn applauds as shadow Chancellor John McDonnell AFP/Getty Images Cuff links featuring an image of Jeremy Corbyn in the style of Che Guevarra are seen for sale at the Labour Party's conference REUTERS Labour MP Dennis Skinner listens to speeches Getty Images Comedian and Labour activist Eddie Izzard listens to speeches Getty Images Sweets with names based on politically themed puns and word games are seen for sale REUTERS Sweets with names based on politically themed puns and word games are seen for sale REUTERS Labour MP, Luciana Berger arrives to speak at a fringe meeting at the Liverpool Pub PA Labour Party Member of Parliament Dennis Skinner arrives the party's conference Reuters Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell talks to breakfast television ahead of his speech later today at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool PA John McDonnell (C) walks through the Exhibition Centre Liverpool Getty Images Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is interviewed by the BBC's Andrew Marr in Liverpool PA Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Jones smile to the audience at a Momentum "The World Transformed" event Getty Images Jeremy Corbyn poses for photographers at a vigil for peace in Yemen during the annual Labour Party Conference Reuters Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson cycles at the party's annual conference at the Arena and Convention Centre PA Campaigners take part in a 'People's Vote' March in central Liverpool EPA Demonstrators dressed as the "Brexit Unicorn" take part in the March For The Many, calling for a people's vote on the final outcome of the government's Brexit negotiations Getty Images Members of the public march in support of the People's Vote campaign in Liverpool PA Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on stage at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool AFP/Getty Images

He told the Standard: It is obviously a defeat for the Momentum ultras, which is good news. But it makes it possible for small groups within trade union branches to trigger reselections.

He said it was a diversion from Labours efforts to win new seats because energy would be taken up by local arguments.

Neil Coyle, the MP for Bermondsey & Old Southwark, said there would be more deselections of independent-minded MPs like Frank Field, who quit the parliamentary party after being targeted.

He stormed: I have a constituency mired in cuts, and the debate is being wasted on internal factionalism and the desire to have more clones and drones rather than independent-minded Labour MPs.

I find it genuinely quite frustrating. There will be more Frank Fields.L abours immigration policy would unravel the hostile environment that created the climate for the Windrush scandal, the shadow home secretary said today.

Diane Abbott claimed Windrush was the consequence of Theresa Mays hostile environment as she set out the partys in progress immigration policy on Monday.

She also blamed hostile-environment-type policies from before the Prime Minister became home secretary.

Ms Abbott told a fringe event at the Labour conference in Liverpool: "Windrush was not an accident. Windrush was not some inefficient officials.

"Windrush was the consequence of Theresa May's hostile environment and actually hostile environment-type policies before Theresa May became home secretary."

Ms Abbott had addressed the rise of populism in Britain at the Stand Up to Racism event, noting the increased following of Tommy Robinson and the EDL, but stressed the hostile environment created the climate for Windrush.

When you constantly talk about immigrants as the other, you create an environment when negative legislation becomes acceptable, she said.

We reached a point where people who lived in the country all their life were not allowed back into this country.

Labour Party Conference 2018 1 /22 Labour Party Conference 2018 Britain's shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell delivers his keynote speech Reuters The Labour Party's shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell speaks to party leader Jeremy Corbyn at the party's conference in Liverpool, Reuters Jeremy Corbyn (left) and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell during the Labour Party's annual conference PA Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn looks out from the podium at the party's conference REUTERS Jeremy Corbyn applauds as shadow Chancellor John McDonnell AFP/Getty Images Cuff links featuring an image of Jeremy Corbyn in the style of Che Guevarra are seen for sale at the Labour Party's conference REUTERS Labour MP Dennis Skinner listens to speeches Getty Images Comedian and Labour activist Eddie Izzard listens to speeches Getty Images Sweets with names based on politically themed puns and word games are seen for sale REUTERS Sweets with names based on politically themed puns and word games are seen for sale REUTERS Labour MP, Luciana Berger arrives to speak at a fringe meeting at the Liverpool Pub PA Labour Party Member of Parliament Dennis Skinner arrives the party's conference Reuters Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell talks to breakfast television ahead of his speech later today at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool PA John McDonnell (C) walks through the Exhibition Centre Liverpool Getty Images Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is interviewed by the BBC's Andrew Marr in Liverpool PA Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Jones smile to the audience at a Momentum "The World Transformed" event Getty Images Jeremy Corbyn poses for photographers at a vigil for peace in Yemen during the annual Labour Party Conference Reuters Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson cycles at the party's annual conference at the Arena and Convention Centre PA Campaigners take part in a 'People's Vote' March in central Liverpool EPA Demonstrators dressed as the "Brexit Unicorn" take part in the March For The Many, calling for a people's vote on the final outcome of the government's Brexit negotiations Getty Images Members of the public march in support of the People's Vote campaign in Liverpool PA Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on stage at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool AFP/Getty Images

She added: Windrush meant people had their nationality challenged that had no doubt for decades they were British.

The hostile environment created the climate where this was possible.

Outlining her immigration policy, she said: "As home secretary, I will close Yarl's Wood, close Brook House detention centre and review the entire immigration detention estate."

The policy will also be underpinned by a commitment to family, Ms Abbott said.

We are not going to have a situation where family members might be deported.

"How can it be that you can have a family life if you have got a certain amount of money, but not have family life if you are poor?"

Labour would also scrap the Conservative target to cut net migration to the tens of thousands.

The Windrush scandal came to light in April this year after multiple reports of immigrants who arrived from Britain between 1948 and 1971 being denied healthcare and benefits, with some told that they would be removed from the country.C hancellor Philip Hammond was today set to intervene in Cabinet with a call for a flow of low-skilled immigrant workers from selected countries after Brexit.

He was expected to tell colleagues that businesses would suffer without young workers from overseas  and break new ground by proposing the route be open to people from selected countries.

According to ministers, Mr Hammond was also planning to tell a special meeting of the Cabinet that a heavy-handed policy of cutting off skilled migrants would be counter-productive to priorities such as house-building, education, the NHS and social care.

But he was set to say that sectors such as the hospitality industry needed a flow of less-skilled young people, who in future should come from countries whose economies match the UKs, rather than from all over the world.

His move came as a Brexiteer push for a Canada-style trade deal with the European Union brought warnings of job losses from business chiefs.

Confederation of British Industry director general Carolyn Fairbairn said such an agreement would be the first free-trade deal in history that actually increased barriers to trade.

She also echoed Theresa Mays fears that such a deal for the post-Brexit era would create an Irish border crisis that would strain the union of Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

A Canada free-style deal is not the answer for our country, Ms Fairbairn told Radio 4s Today programme.

It would introduce friction at borders, it would not solve the Irish border, it would damage the supply chains on which thousands and thousands of jobs depend. Its a seductive idea but it is not the answer for Britain.

Supporters of a hard Brexit including David Davis and Jacob Rees-Mogg were today set to attend the launch of a study by free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs calling for a basic free trade agreement for goods.

This afternoons Cabinet was planned to discuss immigration policy for the post-Brexit era. But some ministers expected the agenda to change to allow a debate about last weeks Salzburg summit, which rejected the Prime Ministers Chequers plan.

Senior MPs backing a soft Brexit today urged the Cabinet to give preferential status to EU citizens wanting to work in the UK in future. Former attorney general Dominic Grieve said: I have always thought it is desirable to give EU citizens preferential status because they integrate so well.

Treasury select committee chair Nicky Morgan said: If we want to have a good trade relationship with the EU then the issue of EU citizens wanting to come here has to be on the table.

Remainers fear Mrs May went too far in her response to Salzburg on Friday by appearing to close down the options of both a Norway-style relationship with full access to the single market, and a Canada-style trade deal.

A lot of people are not sure where to go after last week, said a senor Tory. The question is whether to front her up and say stop flogging the dead horse that is Chequers.A schoolgirl who died from a severe sesame allergy after eating an airport Pret a Manger sandwich cried out Daddy help me, I cant breathe as she suffered a fatal seizure on a plane, an inquest heard today.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, had bought an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette at the shop in Heathrow Terminal 5 before boarding a flight to Nice with her family. She collapsed during the flight, on July 17, 2016, and later died in a French hospital.

The sesame was believed to have been baked into the baguette, rather than in seeds on its crust.

Giving evidence at her inquest this morning, Natashas father, Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, said: There was no indication of sesame seeds on the packaging of the baguette.

Mr Ednan-Laperouse said Natashas allergies were identified at a young age, and the family relied on food packaging to flag up any dangers. He told the inquest they believed there was no need to ask Pret staff about the baguette as he and Natasha had inspected the packaging and shelf signs.

Family of teenager who died after eating Pret a Manger sandwich on flight demand answers

Mr Ednan-Laperouse said his daughter told him she started to feel symptoms a few minutes after eating the sandwich, including an itch in the throat and a stomach rash. He took her to the toilet on the plane to administer an EpiPen injection.

In a statement he described how his daughter told him: Daddy help me, I cant breathe.

Parents Nadim and Tanya and brother Alex

Unfortunately she didnt appear to be responding, he added. She collapsed forward and her condition appeared to be rapidly worsening. Natasha suffered a cardiac arrest around an hour into the flight, and a junior doctor on board administered CPR with cabin crew until the plane landed in Nice.

Mr Ednan-Laperouse, who is the founder of Wow Toys in Fulham, told the court that when they landed in Nice the defibrillator brought by French emergency services did not work.

A Pret spokesman said: We were deeply saddened to hear about Natashas tragic death, and our heartfelt thoughts are with her family and friends.

"We take food allergies and how allergen information is provided to our customers extremely seriously. We will continue to do all that we can to assist the Coroners inquest.

The firms products are not individually marked with ingredients or allergens, but customers are advised by signs on shelves and by the tills to ask a manager for further information, which is also available on the companys website.

The inquest is expected to examine food labelling regulations.A math whiz has claimed to have solved a problem that has been boggling mathematicians for 160 years.

Retired mathematician Michael Atiyah said he will present "simple proof" of the Riemann hypothesis while attending a talk in Germany this week.

The 90-year old has said he expects a backlash from fellow mathematicians.

He said: "Nobody believes any proof of the Riemann hypothesis, let alone proof by someone who's 90."

So what is the Riemann hypothesis, why is it so important and has it really been solved? Here's what you need to know:

What is the Riemann hypothesis?

The Riemann hypothesis is named after the German mathematician G.F.B Riemann, who observed that the frequency of prime numbers is very closely related to the behaviour of an elaborate function.

If you're confused already, you're supposed to be - this equation has baffled the mathematics world for over a century.

To try and put it simply, the Riemann hypothesis is based on prime numbers - those that can't be divided by other numbers than themselves and one.

Reimann noticed that the distribution of these numbers is very similar to a function called the Riemann Zeta Function:

(s) = 1/1s + 1/2s + 1/3s + 1/4s + . up to infinity

Reimann was never able to prove this theory, however.

Why is the Riemann hypothesis so important?

Prime numbers have always been a source of confusion for mathematicians, so if the Riemann hypothesis were to be confirmed, it would be big news.

Mathematicians would effectively be armed with the tool to locate prime numbers as the hypothesis is connected to the distribution of prime numbers.

The Riemann hypothesis is also one of the six unsolved Clay Millennium Problems, so whoever solves it would be eligible for a $1 million prize.

Who is Michael Atiyah?

Michael Atiyah is a famed now-retired mathematician. During his career, he earned a Fields Medal and the Abel Prize - the maths equivalent to a Nobel prize.

Mr Atiyah has also served as president of the London Mathematical Society, the Royal Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Has the Riemann hypothesis been solved?

No one can say for sure yet as the mathematics community has yet to respond to Mr Atiyah's latest revelation.

It's not the first time someone has claimed to have solved the Riemann hypothesis, though.

In 2015, rumours were swirling about a Nigerian professor named Opeyemi Enoch who had allegedly cracked the hypothesis - it was later proved to be untrue.M eghan Markles estranged half-sister Samantha is said to be flying to the UK to confront the duchess over their father Thomas Markles health.

Samantha Markle, who is often outspoken in her opinions about her sister, has previously stated that Meghan could do more to help her father.

Mr Markle pulled out of attending the royal wedding earlier this year after suffering a heart attack and has since claimed he told Prince Harry during a phone call that it would be better for you guys if I was dead.

At the weekend Ms Markle posted a photo of herself in Italy on Twitter, where she is understood to be taking part in media inteviews.

Rob Cooper, who is believed to be her publicist, tweeted on Monday that after making numerous attempts to arrange a meeting with Meghan, this may be the only option we have left.

He wrote: Samantha Markle is coming to the UK. After making numerous attempts in private to arrange a one on one meeting with The Duchess of Sussex to discuss their 74 year old fathers health, Kensington Palace have refused to respond.

I fear Meghan may not be made aware of these discreet attempts and therefore making this public is the only option we have left.

I currently have Samantha in Europe with just one short flight away.

Mother-of-three Ms Markle, who lives in Miami with her partner and children, has repeatedly publicly criticised Meghan after her romance with Harry was revealed in November 2016.

How Meghan Markle's royal wardrobe compares to Kate Middleton's 1 /11 How Meghan Markle's royal wardrobe compares to Kate Middleton's Click through the gallery to see how Meghan Markle's 'firsts' as a royal family member have compared to Kate Middleton's Getty Images First appearance as a member of the Royal Family The Duchess of Cambridge with Michelle Obama in 2011 AFP/Getty Images First appearance as a member of the Royal Family Duchess of Sussex attends The Prince of Wales' 70th Birthday Patronage Celebration Getty Images First day at the races Kate made her royal racing debut at the Epsom Races in 2011 Splash News First day at the races The Duchess of Sussex arrives at Ascot AFP/Getty Images First solo outing with the Queen The Queen and Kate Middleton arrive in Leicester in 2012 Getty Images First solo outing with the Queen The Queen and Meghan Markle in Cheshire Getty Images First wedding guest look Kate and Pippa Middleton attend Sam Waley Cohen and Bella Balins wedding in Berkshire Bridger-Dean / Flynetpictures.com / SplashNews.com First wedding guest look Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry arriving for the wedding of Celia McCorquodale and George Woodhouse Rex Features First overseas tour Duchess of Cambridge arrives at Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Getty Images First overseas tour The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at Dublin City Airport PA Wire/PA Images

Earlier this month she called her 'duchASS' in her latest rant over her treatment of their father.A US judge has begun deliberations over Bill Cosbys sentence for sexual assault.

The 81-year-old comedian faces up to 30 years in prison after being found guilty in April of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at her home in 2004.

Cosby, who once had a family-friendly reputation with his 1980s comedy The Cosby Show, was the first celebrity to be convicted since the start of the #MeToo movement.

More than 50 other women have since accused him of sexual abuse going back decades.

Bill Cosby arrives with his spokesman Andrew Wyatt at the Montgomery County Courthouse for sentencing in his sexual assault trial / AFP/Getty Images

Cosby arrived at the courthouse in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on Monday.

Activist Bird Milliken demonstrates outside the Montgomery County Courthouse with an effigy of Bill Cosby in a shopping cart outside the Montgomery County Courthouse / Getty Images

He was walking with a cane and holding the arm of his spokesman, Andrew Wyatt.

Bill Cosby arrives at the Montgomery County Courthouse / Reuters

A number of accusers, including model Janice Dickinson, were on hand for the sentencing hearing, which is expected to last two days.

Former model Janice Dickinson arrives at the sentencing hearing for the sexual assault trial of entertainer Bill Cosby / Getty Images

Cosby faces up to 10 years on each of the three counts of aggravated indecent assault, although US law experts said it is unlikely judge Steven O'Neill would go as high as 30 years.

Disgraced US television icon Bill Cosby returns to a Pennsylvania court to face sentencing for sexual assault / AFP/Getty Images

Mr O'Neill heard arguments on Monday on whether to formally deem Cosby a "sexually violent predator" under state law.

Bill Cosby arrives for his sentencing hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse / AP

If so, Cosby will have to undergo monthly counselling and register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life, rather than for just 10 years.

TODO: define component type brightcove

Prosecutors are expected to seek a lengthy sentence, citing the nature of Cosby's crime as well as his alleged history of misconduct.

Defence lawyers will likely point to Cosby's age, frailty and failing vision.A British woman jailed in Egypt for taking hundreds of painkillers into the country has lost an appeal against her conviction, it has been reported.

Laura Plummber, from Hull, was sentenced to three years in prison in December for taking 290 Tramadol tablets into the African country in her suitcase.

The 33-year-old had hoped Egypt's appeal court would accept she had no way of knowing the pills were illegal in the country, but judges in Cairo upheld her conviction and jail term, The Sun reported.

Ms Plummer, a shop worker, told the paper: "I thought the appeal judges would see sense and realise I couldn't have known the tablets were banned. It's just so absurd."

The Briton was arrested at the airport on October 9 last year when she flew into the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

She claimed she was taking the tablets - which are legal in the UK but banned in Egypt - for her Egyptian partner Omar Caboo, who suffers from severe back pain, and had no idea what she was doing was wrong.

The appeal court ruled ignorance of the law was not a defence and said the original court's decision was correct, The Sun said.

Ms Plummer's mother Roberta Synclair told the paper: "We're disappointed, but not surprised. Each time we come to Egypt we prepare for the worst."

Suster Jayne Synclair had previously told the Sun the family just want to get her home and had initially expressed relief at the prospect of an appeal.C hina accused America of trade bullyism today as the superpowers exchanged the biggest blows yet in a deepening economic war. Beijing hit out after tariffs on a further $200 billion (152 billion) worth of Chinese products  imposed by US president Donald Trump  came into effect.

They were the largest round of import levies in the trade war between the worlds two biggest economies.

China retaliated with tariffs of five and 10 per cent on $60 billion (46 billion) of US goods.

Beijing accused America of engaging in trade bullyism and said its improper practices were damaging the global economy, Chinas official Xinhua news agency reported.

The report accused the Trump administration of abandoning mechanisms set up to address trade disputes.

It has brazenly preached unilateralism, protectionism and economic hegemony, making false accusations against many countries and regions, particularly China, intimidating other countries through economic measures such as imposing tariffs, and attempting to impose its own interests on China through extreme pressure, the report said.

Signs with the US flag and Chinese flag are seen outside a store selling foreign goods in Qingdao in China's eastern Shandong province / AFP/Getty Images

However, Beijing also said it was willing to restart trade negotiations with Washington if the talks are based on mutual respect and equality.

Xinhua said China had sought to resolve the issue but the Trump administration has been contradicting itself and constantly challenging China, leading to an escalation of the dispute.

The US tariffs and Chinas retaliatory move came into effect from 5.01am BST. About 6,000 Chinese products, including vacuum cleaners and internet-connected devices, were hit.

A container ship sails past the city skyline of Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province / AP

US companies importing the Chinese products will have to pay an additional 10 per cent levy  but Mr Trump has warned that this will rise to 25 per cent from the start of 2019 unless the two countries agree a deal. US goods targeted by Beijing include liquefied natural gas and certain types of aircraft.

The total amount of Chinese imports hit by US new tariffs since July is now $250 billion. About half of all Chinas imports to America are affected.D ramatic footage has emerged of a group of men as they caused mayhem in an Apple store, and seemingly sprinted away with stolen goods.

A video of the incident posted on social media shows six apparent thieves as they rushed into the busy shop in Santa Rosa, California, and made off with items from tables displaying Macbooks, iPhones and Apple Watches.

Further footage showed one of the suspects being wrestled to the ground by security guards as the others fled.

Twitter user Gooneryoda, who posted the video, wrote: "I was at the Santa Rosa Plaza and I saw these six guys in jeans and hoodies making a their way to the Apple Store.

"I knew something was about to go down so I recorded it."

Customers stood by and watched as a group of young men pulled an Apple store theft in broad daylight - sprinting away with a computer and other devices. / Twitter/Gooneryoda

Other customers stood and watched as the men hoisted away a heavy iMac and pulled smaller products from the display tables.

One of the employees of the store is seen applauding them ironically as they make their escape.

A second video showed one of the young men being apprehended in another store at the same mall, where a man in plain clothes grabbed him in a headlock and wrestled him to the ground, and two security guards detained him in handcuffs.

"Your friends are gone," a customer can be heard saying.

The user who posted the video said: "He was the last one out of the Apple Store. His good friends left him behind."

Santa Rosa Police confirmed they were handling a theft from a local Apple store yesterday.

They said in a statement: "On Sunday, September 23, just after 1pm, several thieves entered the Apple Store at the Santa Rosa Plaza mall and ran away with multiple devices.

"The theft is currently being investigated by the Santa Rosa Police Departments Property Crimes Investigative Team."

Apple Insider reported it is the latest in a "long line of similar robberies" in the state as thieves target the luxury devices, which typically range in the thousands of dollars per item.A teenager has miraculously survived 49 days adrift at sea in a fishing hut.

Aldi Novel Adilang, from Sulawesi, was adrift in the sea after his mooring cable was snapped by heavy winds in July.

The 19-year-old had been working 125km out at sea at a lampkeeper on a floating fishing trap before he was sent adrift into the ocean.

Armed only with a few days worth of supplies, the teenager said he incredibly survived by catching fish, burning wood from his hut to cook them and drinking seawater through his clothes, to minimise the salt intake.

While marooned, the Indionesian consulate in Osaka said 10 ships sailed passed the Indonesian teenager before a Panamaniam-flagged vessel, MV Arpeggio, finally rescued him in the waters of Guam on August 31.

Mr Adilangs job had been to light lamps, which were designed to attract fish, and had been employed to do so since he 16, his father said.

He would work in a small, floating wooden hut, which was anchored to the seabed by a long rope and suspended bouys. Every week the teen would be brought fresh supplies of food, water and fuel as someone from his company would come to harvest the fish.

In mid-July, while Mr Adilang was at work, he was hit by heavy winds which snapped the moorings of his hut.

Interviewed by local news portal TribunManado, Mr Adilang said he thought he was going to die out there.

He said at his lowest point, he was suicidal and considered jumping into the ocean. But the teen said he remembered his parents advice to pray in times of distress and consulted his bible, which was on board.

The teen was also reported to be scared and cried often, according to Indonesian diplomat Fajar Firdaus.

More than a month and a half after being lost, Mr Adilang was picked up by MV Arpeggio, although ten ships had sailed passed him.

Mr Firdaus told the Jakarta Post: Every time he saw a large ship, he said he was hopeful, but more than 10 ships had sailed past him, none of them stopped or saw Aldi.

To flag the attention of MV Arpeggio, Mr Adilang waved a cloth, before sending an emergency radio signal.

After rescuing him the captain contacted the Guam coast guard, and as the ship was headed to Japan, it was decided the teenager would be handed over to consulate officials on arrival in Tokuyama on September 6.F light MH370 plunged into a "death spiral" before it crashed into the sea, according to experts who have reconstructed the plane's final moments for a TV documentary.

Mystery has surrounded the doomed flight since it vanished on March 8, 2014 with families still in the dark about what happened to their loves ones.

The new documentary for National Geographic has tried to recreate the pilot's final moments using theories from experts.

Investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have in the past suggested that the plane ran out of fuel after flying in the wrong direction over the Indian Ocean for six hours.

CGI images show what happens when a Boeing 777 runs out of fuel / National Geographic

The National Geographic programme, Drain the Oceans, has tried to simulate what happens when a Boeing 777 runs out of fuel.

Engineers on the television programme said the right engine would have capitulated first, meaning the autopilot would have lurched the plane to the left to compensate.

Sarah Nor (C), the mother of Norliakmar Hamid, a passenger on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 at the Ministry of Transport headquarters in Putrajaya, Malaysia / EPA

Following this, the left engine would have also stopped working two minutes later.

After the two engines had stopped working, experts believe the plane would have been sent on a death spiral into the sea, where a high-impact crash would have killed all 239 passengers on board.

Perth production company Electric Pictures in behind the episode and worked closely with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the official MH370 government investigation team.

The episode with air on the National Geographic on Thursday / National Geographic

The 2014 flight was travelling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing, before it went missing.

There had been speculation that the plane crashed due to a deliberate 'murder-suicide' plot by pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah, however this has been refuted by official investigators.

Although some debris from the plane has been found off the coast of Africa, no part of the main body has been discovered despite a 46,000-square mile search of the Indian Ocean.

The second search for the aircraft was called off earlier this year, on May 29.

Malaysians look at the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 mural painting at Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur / EPA

Speaking at the time, Australian Transport Minister Michael McCormack said the four-year search had been the largest in aviation history and tested the limits of technology and the capacity of experts and people at sea.

He said: "Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the 239 people on board MH370," Mr McCormack's office said in a statement.

"We will always remain hopeful that one day the aircraft will be located."U S President Donald Trump says a second meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un will take place in the not too distant future.

Mr Trump said that the details for a second visit would be revealed soon, adding that the next summit would not take place in Singapore.

He met with Kim Jong-un in the city in June, marking the first time a sitting US president has met a North Korean leader.

Earlier on Tuesday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in confirmed that the North Korean leader was hoping to meet with Mr Trump soon.

The pair met for the first time in June in Singapore / AFP/Getty Images

On Monday at the United Nations in New York, Mr Trump said: As you know, Kim Jong-un wrote a letter  a beautiful letter  and asked me for a second meeting and we will be doing that. Pompeo will work that out in the immediate future.

The first summit in Singapore earlier this year was labelled as a one-time shot at peace.

Both leaders signed a document pledging to work towards the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

Donald Trump meets Kim Jong-Un - In pictures 1 /21 Donald Trump meets Kim Jong-Un - In pictures Donald Trump shakes hands with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un during their first meeting AP Mr Trump and Kim sign a document acknowledging the progress of the talks Reuters AP AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Getty Images Mr Trump and Kim shake hands for the cameras before sitting down to sign a document Reuters AP AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AP North Korea leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump share a 13-second handshake upon meeting AP AP AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images EPA AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AP REUTERS Reuters

It also said that they will join efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime.

Mr Kim told reporters that they had "decided to leave the past behind" and that the world was about to see a "historic change". While Mr Trump told reporters the pair had signed a "pretty comprehensive document" after some "very intensive" but "great" time together.

Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that economic sanctions on North Korea won't be reduced until it completes "denuclearisation".T heresa May will make a personal plea today to the president of Iran to free jailed mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on humanitarian grounds.

The London charity worker and mother of one is serving a five-year sentence in Tehran after being arrested by Iranian Revolutionary Guards for spying, a charge she denies.

The Prime Minister is due to meet President Hassan Rouhani for face-to-face talks in New York where they are both attending the United Nations General Assembly.

Ms May is due to express serious concern at Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffes ongoing detention and call for her to be released on humanitarian grounds.

British mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard Ratcliffe and their daughter Gabriella / PA

A Government spokesman said: Our thoughts remain with Nazanin and her friends and family who have campaigned tirelessly for her release.

Our consular cases in Iran, including that of Nazanin, are a top priority for this government.

The 39-year-old from Hampstead, was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016 after a holiday with her daughter Gabriella.

The dual British-Iranian national was separated from her daughter, now four, and was jailed for allegedly conspiring against the Iranian regime.

She has spent time in solitary confinement and now lives on a political prisoners wing in the jail, notorious for its poor treatment of prisoners.

The Prime Ministers face-to-face meeting with President Rouhani today comes after former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson made earlier requests for her release. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has also taken up her case.

Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffes husband Richard, who has been leading a national campaign for his wifes release, is also in New York today.

Hampstead & Kilburn MP Tulip Siddiq said: Over the past two-and-a-half years, we have seen Nazanins health deteriorate. She is a shell of the person who arrived in Evin prison in April 2016.S upreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has being accused of a second allegation of misconduct.

Deborah Ramirez, 53, alleges that the politician, who Donald Trump nominated to become an associate justice, exposed himself to her at a dormitory party during their 1983-84 academic year at Yale.

In an interview with the New Yorker, she claimed Mr Kavanaugh then thrust his genitals in her face without consent.

In a statement provided through the White House, Mr Kavanaugh said the event "did not happen" and that the allegation was "a smear, plain and simple".

Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to sit at the Supreme Court / REUTERS

A White House spokeswoman added in a second statement that the allegation was "designed to tear down a good man."

It follows another accusation made by Professor Christine Blasey Ford, who has claimed Mr Kavanaugh tried to take off her clothes at a party in 1982, when she was 15 and he was 17.

She also claimed he pinned her to a bed and covered her mouth.

Dr Ford, a 51-year-old California psychology professor, and Mr Kavanaugh will both appear in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, at separate points, to discuss the formers accusations. Mr Kavanaugh denies the allegations against him.

The developments could impact the decision of Mr Kavanaugh becoming a member of the top court in the US.

To be able to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat he must be approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is made up of 21 members, before the whole senate then has a say.

Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, called for the "immediate postponement" of any further action on Mr Kavanaugh's nomination.

Brett Kavanaugh and his first accuser will speak separately to the Supreme Court on Thursday / APJ ulianne Moore has spoken passionately about her drive to tackle gun violence amid rising concern over mass shootings in the US.

The Oscar winner said she would feel like an irresponsible mother if she did not fight for stronger gun controls, in an interview with PORTER magazine.

Moore has two children, son Caleb, 20, and Liv, 16, from her marriage to US film director and producer Bart Freundlich.

Talking about her daughter, the Still Alice star said: Im not keeping her safe by trying to keep the news away  Im being irresponsible. If I dont try to keep her safe by trying to change things in this country  then Im being irresponsible. Thats when I started speaking out about gun violence and the need for change.

Speaking out: Actress Julianne Moore wants tighter laws on gun control / Camilla Akrans

Moore, 57, leads Everytown Creative Council, a safety advocacy group which includes other Hollywood stars such as Amy Schumer and Steve Carell. She was pushed into action after talking to her then 10-year-old daughter about the Sandy Hook school massacre in 2012, in which 20 children and six adults died.

The issue has been raised again by last weeks shooting in Maryland, where a woman killed three and injured three.

Cover star: Julianne Moore on the cover of PORTER

Moore added: We arent free if we dont have the liberty to feel safe at school, at church, at the mall, at the movies, thats unconstitutional, too.

She also talked about the impact of the #MeToo movement: An older gentleman said to me, Im really worried people arent going to hire women any more, and I went berserk. I said, You know what? Well hire each other!P iers Morgan was left absolutely livid after his Bodyguard theory was proved wrong.

Morgan, 53, was convinced that Keeley Hawes character, Home Secretary Julia Montague, was alive despite viewers witnessing her get blown up in an explosion during episode four.

Montague failed to appear in Sunday nights final as protection officer David Budd discovered his own boss and a terrorist he talked out of detonating a bomb on a train were behind her death.

Im absolutely livid about this because it proves I was wrong, Morgan said on Good Morning Britain. Julia Montague fails to turn up alive. Turned out she was blown to pieces after all.

Dramatic: Richard Madden as Protection Officer David Budd / BBC/World Productions/Sophie Mutevelian

Morgan also hit out at those who criticised the final for being unrealistic, saying writer Jed Mercurio deliberately made it overly dramatic.

Its drama the whole point of it is its not real, he said. These arent real people. Its dramatic and Jed Mercurio made it deliberately OTT.

Morgan was convinced Montague had faked her own death and would return in the concluding episode.

Stuart Bowman refuses to talk about massive Bodyguard plot twist

He previously tweeted: Shes NOT dead. Are you @Misskeeleyhawes? He also discussed his theory on the ITV breakfast show, insisting Mercurio wouldnt kill off a major character so early in a series.

I still think she may not be dead, he said last week. No body, no death in TV.

He continued: [Mercurio] has a track record for not killing people off. What better way to shock people than the guy who kills people to bring them back?

BBC's The Bodyguard - In pictures 1 /11 BBC's The Bodyguard - In pictures BBC/World Productions/Sophie Mutevelian A security adviser has said the depictions of the police operation surround the Home Secretary in Bodyguard are extremely accurate BBC Keely Hawes as Julia Montague with Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC Keely Hawes as Julia Montague with Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC Line of Dutys Gina McKee starring as Anne Sampson in The Bodyguard BBC Keely Hawes as Julia Montague with Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC Julia Montague in The Bodyguard BBC BBC/World Productions/Sophie Mutevelian Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC A scene from the first episode of The Bodyguard BBC Richard Madden as David Budd in The Bodyguard BBC

Mercurio revealed he has plans for a further three series of the BBC drama after it received huge praise and massive ratings.

Its probably fair to say we would probably approach any thoughts of a second series with the idea that it would create an opportunity for a third or fourth, he told The Sun.

We do feel very privileged and fortunate that theres been such a response that it gives us that opportunity to at least think about doing more.P iers Morgan has branded an Ofcom ruling as ridiculous after he landed Good Morning Britain in hot water with the regulator for failing to read out a councils response to a story.

In response to Mondays ruling, which says Morgan breached code by refusing to read out a response from Herefordshire County Council, Morgan made he feelings clear as he shared the article on his Twitter.

He wrote: Ridiculous @Ofcom ruling.

Why should I read out bullsh** self-serving statements from a council that failed to house a homeless SAS hero until we bullied them into doing it?

Morgan and co-host Susanna Reid interviewed then-homeless veteran Bob Curry on 22 January after Currys plight hit headlines with a petition calling on the local authority to provide him with accommodation.

Curry explained that circumstances surrounding the collapse of his business and relationship as well as financial struggles led to him becoming homeless, with Morgan vocalising his support for Curry saying he needed to be treated better.

Guest: Piers Morgan and Bob Curry shake hands on Good Morning Britain / Ken McKay/ITV/REX

Towards the end of the interview, Morgan said: I think its absolutely disgusting. Im sure the viewers think its disgusting.

Theres a statement from the council, I was going to read it, but you know what? I cant be bothered.

Piers Morgan slams 'ridiculous' Ofcom ruling after failing to read out council's statement

Heres the reality Herefordshire Council, you can come up with all the statements you like, this guy is a national hero, they both are, hes homeless because you have not seen fit to take care of him, so rather than issuing stupid little statements to us, why dont you do your jobs and give this guy a proper council house right now? I.e. today.

The council complained to Ofcom that they had been unfairly treated by not having their views represented, a motion the regulator chose to uphold.

ITV responded by saying that the statement was provided to presenters as part of their briefing for the interview, for inclusion in the story but called Morgans decision not to read it out entirely unscripted and spontaneous.R emember the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge of 2014? It was when people across the world poured a bucket of ice water over their heads and posted it on social media, before encouraging other people to do the same and donate to the ALS Association.

This is one of the biggest instances of online social activism, and it led to a major breakthrough in research regarding ALS, also known as motor neuron disease.

It was also an example of how social platforms can gather people together for a shared cause, something weve also seen in recent years with #MeToo and the Womens March in the wake of the Trump election.

Yet, with the social media scandals weve faced in recent months, most notably the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica drama, it's easy to forget that good can come from the online world.

Young people haven't forgotten this, however. According to a new report by think tank Demos, supported by Facebook, the youth of today believe that social platforms are essential for achieving social change and are actively using networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to do this.

The report, named Plugged In, features polling from 2,000 16-25-year-olds across the country and interviews with young campaigners to build a bigger picture of social use.

So how are young people using social media?

The main takeaways were that 64 per cent of young people in the UK regard social media platforms as an essential part of achieving social change. Across the UK, around half a million are engaging with political groups through these platforms, whilst nearly 25 per cent said they communicate with community groups, charities and campaign groups online.

Whilst there can be problems with social media, young people are seeking out the positives / Christian Wiediger / Unsplash

It was interesting to see the breakdown between how different genders approach social media.

Young women were twice as likely to use social media to campaign on social issues, whereas young men were twice as likely to use the platforms to communicate with politicians and political groups.

As well, 65 per cent of those surveyed said they feel their time on social media is misunderstood by older generations, and can be criticised.

Overall 91 per cent felt social media was a net positive to them and their community. This isnt to say they didn't acknowledge its problems, but simply that they can see there are benefits to using it.

Why is this a big deal?

The battle between the positives and negatives of social media is on-going. Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, there were calls for people to Delete Facebook and abandon social media altogether. Not to mention the abuse people can face online, with Amnesty International reporting that one in five women in the UK have suffered online abuse or harassment.

Yet the crux of the report shows that young people are using these platforms to promote the causes they believe in, to positive results.

Amika George, founder of campaign group Free Periods, for instance, has used social media to highlight the issue of period poverty. Following protests outside Downing Street - organised through social media - the government pledged 1.5 million in funds to tackling it.

George, who was interviewed by Demos as part of the report, said that it's possible we forget young people are pressing for change through their smartphones.

Through social media, young people are raising their voices about causes they care about, and coming together in solidarity with those suffering in the real world, who may not have access to these platforms themselves. I think it's time to readjust our view on social media, in realising that it can be a real force for positive social change, George explained.

What happens next?

The report emphasises how important it is for social media platforms to be aware of how people are using them, and of the good and bad that can come out of this use.

It goes on to recommend that the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) should measure digital community health annually, in order to survey the impact of online social action. Furthermore, social platforms should support this work by improving public access to such data.

The reports author, Alex Krasodomski-Jones, said: "At a time when digital platforms are facing serious criticism for mishandling the spaces they are responsible for, this research finds young people are still optimistic about how these platforms can be used for good.

As social action goes digital, we cannot allow it to benefit only those parts of society comfortable and capable of using these spaces. Recognising the power digital platforms now wield in shaping our society means ensuring they are open, accessible, transparent and reflective of the full breadth of our democracy."O f all the new technologies that have come into existence in recent years like blockchain, augmented reality, and virtual reality, one has had a bigger impact than most: voice technology.

Thanks to developments in artificial intelligence (AI) voice tech has become one of the most exciting and accessible forms of new tech. Now, one in 10 people in the UK own a smart speaker, with smart assistants being the major draw.

Take Google's smart assistant, named the Google Assistant for example. You can use it to help you buy products from Argos, tell you the weather across the world and it can even play games with your children.

Yet, as these new technologies develop there can be a backlash. Earlier this year, Google debuted the next step in the Assistant's capabilities, named Duplex.

This tech allows the Google Assistant to make phone calls like a human, such as make a call to a hair salon for you and book an appointment, with the robot sounding just like a human, complete with "ers" and "umms".

Google Assistant making phone call to real person

The response was divisive, to say the least. Some called it awesome, some branded it creepy, and some raised concerns about this kind of tech being used in phishing scams, offering another way to impersonate people online.

But to understand the Google Assistant and how its powers will develop in the future, you need to go back to where it started: Google Search.

Inside the Google Assistant

We think of the Google Assistant as the Google Home, the smart speaker released in 2016 that the Assistant is part and parcel of but actually the AI had been part of Google long before then.

We introduced the voice icon and the ability to talk to Google by voice years ago, Nick Fox, VP of product and design for Search and Assistant at Google, tells the Standard. The big change was when we separated it from Search and it became called the Assistant and this dramatically changed how people use it.

The catalyst in 2016 was that Googles technology was finally really, really good. The company spent years investing in things like natural language processing, a part of AI which teaches computers to process, analyse and understand normal human speech, and speech-to-text technology when a computer identifies words and phrases and converts them into a machine-readable format.

It had to be fast enough, explains Fox. If you speak and hear a response 10 seconds later, youre not going to do it again. But by 2015 and 2016, wed hit the point where we thought this really does work and we can build an experience like this.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai talks about the new Google Assistant / AP

The big focus for Google has been on making the Assistant be just that, your assistant, which has transformed the interactions people have with the platform, moving from one-off searches and queries into conversations.

In Search, you type in weather in London and thats it. But with the Assistant, people ask whats the weather in London. They say things like please, thank you and goodbye and people actually do have conversations, explains Fox.

Creating the Google Assistant voice

At the core, the Assistant is about helping you to get things done in your world, as opposed to Search which is about the world, according to Fox. So, when you ask Google to play Stranger Things, it knows to turn on your TV and login to Netflix for you, or when you ask for the headlines, the Assistant will read out bulletins from the publications you like.

One of the biggest challenges is making a voice that people will like to interact with. Google uses a technology called WaveNet, which is the ability to create and simulate voices.

Its not just the pitch but the prosody of the voice, says Fox. Theres an enormous amount of work in that that comes together to make a voice that sounds comfortable and natural to use.

The Google Assistant you speak to in the UK is different to the US Assistant, or the French one because the UK Assistant speaks like a Brit. In the US, you wouldnt say 4-Nil but you do in the UK. We do a lot beyond the voice, looking at the intonation and even wording.

Its all those little things that really matter, he adds.

The prospective power of the Assistant

Google is very enthusiastic about what it has achieved so far with the Assistant. The company sees it as a levelling technology. For instance, in India, there has been a tremendous take-up of the Assistant for people with low literacy levels.

As well, Google is working on how the Assistant can empower users with disabilities.

If you dont have your sight, you can talk by voice and hear back. We think an enormous amount about accessibility around our products, and there are processes to ensure every product and feature we have reaches a certain level of accessibility, explains Fox.

And, Fox is seeing the benefit of the Assistant in his home. He says he and his wife try not to be on their phones and laptops around the children, but instead the family as a cohort can interact with Google without screens.

As its in a speaker on a table, if I ask the Assistant or my kids do, its a shared experience for all of us.

Technology has this tendency to focus on the individual and I think one of the things that are nice about smart speakers is its much more communal.

You can use the Google Assistant to make phones calls, book appointments and tell you the weather / Google

When tech can terrify: Google Assistant and Duplex

We know how the Google Assistant came to be and how it is empowering the people that use this technology, but there have been some road bumps in its development.

Despite the relatively high take-up of smart speakers and smart assistants, people are also suspicious of them. Research by Accenture showed that one in five people avoid their voice assistants in their home, with around 22 per cent admitting to lowering their voice so their speaker can't hear them.

Accenture's AI lead, Emma Kendrew, put the trust issues down to misconceptions over how voice assistants actually work.

Were confident that this trust will develop as more security standards and integrity are built into voice technology. As the developers of these services, we need to bridge that trust gap, so that people can see and make use of the many benefits instead," she added.

Not just Google: people have cited concerns that their smart speakers, like the Amazon Alexa picture here, are listening in all the time / PA Archive/PA Images

If people are suspicious of their in-house smart assistants, then it makes sense that something like Google's Duplex technology would terrify the masses.

But Fox says the thinking behind Duplex is fairly innocent. As the Assistant is supposed to help you get things down, the new feature will help you make bookings at venues which still rely on phone calls, he explains.

When we talk to businesses, theyre struggling with [online bookings]. They dont want to do all the work for the technology but their missing out on business because will say Im not going to book that restaurant because I cant easily book online.

Duplex is supposed to bridge that gap: allow businesses to keep accepting telephone bookings and reservations, but making the process simpler and more efficient for people.

The I/O announcement was very much a demo of the tech, stresses Fox, but because the company felt it will be transformative when it launches, it wanted to share it with the world in its beginning stages. When Duplex is eventually rolled out, there will be strict features included that weren't seen during the demo, such as the Assistant declaring it is not a human calling and is in fact Google.

At the moment, it is only available in the US and Fox says its still very much in an experimentation phase. The way we thought was: this is a dramatic leap in what technology can do, so we should be talking about it and working with users. And, looking at the societal implications of that and having a very open conversation, he explains.

Until Duplex finally arrives worldwide, the company is working on many other Assistant features, such as incorporating its first celebrity voice from John Legend and adding multi-lingual capabilities.Rock Out Cancer 2: Its a car show and a benefit at 10 a.m. Sept. 30 at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo. In addition to the pre-1980 cars on display, there will be the Johnny Cash tribute band Junes Got the Cash, playing twice, as well as food, raffles and a silent auction. Tickets are $9 for kids, $13 for seniors/military, $15 for adults. Kids 4 and under are free. At 27582 Volo Village Road. Call 815-385-3644 or go to www.volocars.com.Her daughter, Linnea, who is in eighth grade, said she likes the idea of little free libraries because it gives everyone a chance to read. They dont have to buy them. They can just have a book to read. Its important for children to know how to read.  I know the Little Free Library has been put to good use.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FOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIAIf he had gone to trial and was convicted of all the counts under which he was indicted, he could have faced up to life in prison, Booras said when the deal was approved.The investigation of the General Prosecutor's Office of the protest on August 10, in which the heads of the Gendarmerie and a secretary of state with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) are indicted, represent "another intimidation attempt from a state's fundamental institution", Minister of Interior Carmen Dan stated on Monday.

"I do not see in this action anything else but another intimidation attempt of one of the state's fundamental institution, namely the Romanian Gendarmerie, that has important duties in ensuring public order. I am now addressing the gendarmes, not just the heads of the Gendarmerie - I hope that they will remain dedicated and unfailing to the vocation and principle of defending the state and defending and enforcing the law, because that is what the Gendarmerie must do. (...) I am firmly communicating that there are no issues with the functioning of the Gendarmerie and that the Gendarmerie will continue to perform its duty," said Carmen Dan.

She specified that the status of the military very clearly specifies when the servicemen are discharged, namely when they are prosecuted."Concerning the secretary of state, we have a very clear provision in the police force status that states that the police officer is discharged when the prosecution measure is ordered against him/her. Please remember that the heads of the Gendarmerie, the secretary of state found out about these situations from the media and again this is not something normal. What was going to happen was known a few days before," Carmen Dan added.She accused the Prosecutor's Office that it acted "on order", based on a "pre-established" direction. Furthermore, she maintained that there was no pressure from the Secretary of State Mihai Chirica on the prefect of the Capital to sign the intervention order at the protest of August 10.The order for the protesters of the August 10 rally in Bucharest's Victoriei Square to leave the area, issued by Laurentiu Cazan, the general director of the General Gendarmerie Directorate was given in violation of the legal provisions, says the Prosecutor's Office with the Supreme Court (PICCJ).The military prosecutors opened a criminal case file on how the gendarmes intervened during the August 10 protest. Over 770 criminal complaints have been filed with the Military Prosecutor's Office on behalf of some people who suffered as a result of the gendarmes' intervention.The Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) confirmed on Sunday the kidnapping of a Romanian seaman in the attack against the Swiss-flagged ship, seaward of the Nigerian waters.

"The Foreign Affairs Ministry, through Romania's Embassy in Bern and Romania's Embassy in Abuja, is focusing on the events related to the incident that has occurred seaward of the the Nigeria waters on 22 September 2018, in which a Swiss-flagged ship was involved," MAE specifies.

According to the quoted source, the representatives of the two diplomatic missions have carried out demarches, as a matter of urgency, with the local authorities in order to obtain information regarding the existence of Romanian nationals among the people affected."Out of the information obtained from the Swiss authorities, it was confirmed that among the members of the kidnapped crew there is a Romanian citizen. Romania's Embassy in Bern maintains permanent contact with the Swiss MAE Crisis Cell and Romania's Embassy in Abuja, with the competent Nigerian authorities for other pieces of information of interest in view of solving the case," MAE's briefing says.The MAE's Crisis Cell was activated at the request of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Teodor Melescanu. He is monitoring as a matter of priority the situation and is in permanent contact with the local authorities and the shipowner, MAE mentions.A Swiss-flagged ship was attacked seaward of the Nigeria waters on Sunday announced the Foreign Ministry in Bern; the press informs that 12 of the 19 crew members have been kidnapped, AFP reports. On Sunday, the maritime authority in Nigeria specified the nationalities of the kidnapped seamen: seven are from the Philippines, and one from Slovenia, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, respectively.President Klaus Iohannis attends Monday through Friday in New York the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

On Monday, the Romanian president will participate in the traditional reception offered by US President Donald Trump and wife Melania in honour of the delegations' heads attending the UN General Assembly, while on Tuesday he will attend the opening of the general debates' top level segment of the 73rd session of the UN GA, focused on "Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peace, equitable and sustainable societies".

President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday is to deliver a national intervention within the general debates of the UN General Assembly's 73rd session.Representatives of the most liquid companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) main market have discussed investment opportunities with institutional investors from Croatia and Slovenia during Romania's Day in Zagreb, according to a press release posted on the BVB.

"We are delighted that InterCapital had the opportunity to present the Romanian companies to the local investor community and we hope that the event will contribute to the increase in cross-border investments. Examining the rapid development of the Romanian capital market over the years, we are convinced that the event presented the way in which appropriate corporate and public policies can attract international investors and eventually put a country on the radar of international investors," said Matko Maravic, CEO of InterCapital Securities.

"Institutional investors are a sustainable driver of capital market development, whether it is about the funding of public offerings on the stock exchange, providing a safe alternative investment for long-term savings or improving financial education. We are happy to have created this link with Croatian and Slovenian investors through InterCapital," said Adrian Tanase, the BVB's CEO.Romania's Day in Zagreb was organized by InterCapital Securities and BVB, with the support of AD Plastik, the Proprietatea Fund and the Zagreb Stock Exchange. The event focused on bringing together the Croatian and Slovenian investment community with issuing specialists on the BVB.Under the offshore drilling law, the Romanian government gets major benefits of 50 percent of the offshore gas production to be traded in Romania market, and the additional income tax revenue, in addition to royalties, national leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), major at rule, and speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea said Monday at the end of a meeting of the PSD floor group in the Chamber of Deputies.

"Amendments were introduced this summer with the Chamber of Deputies, which, in addition to those of the Senate, provided for some things, namely: an extra income tax, which can go up to 13.2 billion; 50 percent of the offshore gas production to be traded on the Romanian energy exchange. These two things have remained unchanged (...) There is absolutely nothing to change from what we said this summer. The Romanian government will have the same major benefits, namely 50 percent of the offshore gas production to be traded in Romania, and the additional income tax revenue, which comes in addition to the fees. The third issue that was actually removed from the Chamber of Deputies version of the law is no freeze on general taxation, but only the specific tax regime for offshore drilling, that is, the royalty and the additional income tax," he told the media at Parliament Palace.

Regarding the investment deduction mechanism, he pointed out that the question is whether the investments are deducted in a longer or shorter period of time, having no influence on the amounts that the Romanian government will earn.The Senate Committee on Energy, Energy Infrastructure and Mineral Resources on Monday issued a positive report on amendments to a bill regarding necessary steps for the implementation of oil operations by offshore oil block holders, a bill that President Klaus Iohannis has sent back to Parliament for re-examination.The main amendments adopted, proposed by PSD, regard the possibility for investors to deduct their money from the investment made, and reference prices.There is a big demand for affordable, high-quality pre-school programs in Niles, said Supt. John Kosirog. Pre-school is often very expensive for parents. With the new funding we hope that all our families will be able to enroll their children in our program.Matlak says the experiment involving his son is the first time he has done anything of this kind. He denies he did it for fame, as he says some believe, and acknowledges now that had he known he would be arrested and his son taken away, he would not have staged the stunt.General James Mattis, the US Secretary of Defence, visited Macedonia on September 17 and declared that We do not want to see Russia doing [in Macedonia] what they have tried to do in so many other countries. No doubt that they have transferred money and they are also conducting broader influence campaigns.

His observations were made in the run-up to the referendum to be held on September 30 in which Macedonians will vote on a deal reached in June with Greece that would change the countrys name to the Republic of Northern Macedonia. The referendum question is Do you support EU and NATO membership by accepting the agreement between Macedonia and Greece? and the outcome will be interesting, but Mattis failed to see the supreme irony in the fact that his visit to Macedonia was specifically to conduct a broader influence campaign by standing next to its prime minister Zoran Zaev as he announced that There is no alternative for the Republic of Macedonia than integration into NATO and EU.

Influence, anyone?

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (left), Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev (right), and Macedonian Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska shake hands after their meeting in Skopje on September 17.

Although Macedonia (population two million) is not a member of NATO it has 244 soldiers in Afghanistan as part of the futile US-NATO-coalition mission and Washington wants the military bonds to be closer. It isnt exactly a great military power, with an army of about 8,000, and it isnt close to the border with Russia, along which there is an increasingly confrontational US-NATO military presence, but the Pentagon and its sub-office in Brussels always welcome more members to their alliance. And who better than General Mattis to exercise broader influence on Macedonia to encourage it to join the team confronting Russia.

While in Macedonia Mattis declared the vote to be the most important in Macedonias history, and assured everyone that a pro-NATO result would result in economic prosperity and increased foreign investment. It would unlock the Nato accession process and allow you . . . to determine your own future in institutions made up of like-minded countries.

Predictably, Mattis was in line with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who also visited Macedonia in September and announced that We are ready to welcome your country as NATOs 30th member, telling its people that the referendum is a once in a lifetime opportunity to join the international community . . . Was he trying to influence anyone?

General Mattis is rabidly anti-Russian and hostile to a great many other countries, people and organisations. It is now almost forgotten that he is the man who replied to a question in 2005 about the US war in Afghanistan by uttering the psychotic pronouncement that Actually it's quite fun to fight them, you know. Its a hell of a hoot. Its fun to shoot some people. Ill be right up there with you. I like brawling. He is obviously a person who can bring balance and sympathetic understanding to international affairs.

As recorded in the New Yorker, on January 22nd, two days after President Trump was inaugurated, he received a memo from his new Secretary of Defence, James Mattis, recommending that the United States launch a military strike in Yemen.

Yemen was then and still is in a state of civil war. The country has nothing to do with the United States, but in 2017 the intelligence community in the US said they had discovered that a group of alleged anti-American terrorists were in a small village called al-Ghayil and it was decided by the Best and the Brightest in Washington to attack the place.

The operation Mattis wanted the president to authorise was intended to kill people, of course, and specifically a supposed leader of Al Qaeda; so Mattis and the National Security Adviser, General Michael Flynn, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joe Dunford had dinner with President Trump, who then decided to go ahead with what turned out to be a totally disastrous military operation.

It was a tragic farce. As reported in the Washington Post, instead of a clean quick special forces attack on the village, a massive firefight ensued, claiming the life of an American sailor and at least one Yemeni child, and serving as an early lesson for President Trumps national security team about the perils of overseas ground operations.

8-year-old Nora Anwar Al-Awlaki, who was killed in the US raid. Her father, a US citizen and alleged al-Qaeda operative, was killed in a US drone strike in 2011. During his Presidential campaign, Donald Trump told Fox News that when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families.

An elite Special Operations air regiment was then sent in to pull the team and its casualties out of the fray, banking into the night under heavy fire to link up with a Marine quick-reaction force that had taken off in MV-22 Ospreys from the US ship Makin Island floating offshore. In the course of the operation, Chief Petty Officer Ryan Owens, a navy commando, was killed, and one of the $75 million Ospreys was destroyed.

In other words, the whole thing was an utter shambles.

But the spin doctors in Washington couldnt admit that their operation had failed, and Trump announced that Mattis had told him it had been a highly successful raid that generated large amounts of vital intelligence that will lead to many more victories in the future against our enemies. The brawl had been a ball.

Thank you, General Mattis, the man who declared Its fun to shoot some people and alleges that Russia carries out broader influence campaigns and then does his best to influence Macedonia by declaring to its citizens that 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. This is from the defence secretary of a nation that has sowed catastrophic discord in Afghanistan, then in Iraq and through the whole Middle East, to Libya which the Pentagon and NATO bombed and blitzed to a state of utter chaos in what General Mattis might call a broader influence campaign.

Macedonia will probably become a member of the US-NATO anti-Russia military alliance, along with Ukraine, and the confrontation with Russia will continue to escalate in the new US-NATO Cold War. And who knows what else might be planned by those attending a future military dinner with Trump. After all, Its fun to shoot some people.Elliott GABRIEL

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his counterpart from the South, President Moon Jae-in, made a powerful show of unity with the signing of the Pyongyang Declaration on Wednesday, underscoring their pursuit of mutual reciprocity, common good and shared prosperity, a cessation of tension, and an explicit call for Korean autonomy and the principle of self-determination.

The document seems intended to send a clear message to the United States that the two sides confirmed the common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearization, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and ending its 70-year division, despite Washingtons insistence that Pyongyang unilaterally abandon its nuclear arms and ballistic missiles as a first step in confidence-building measures.

The joint declarations Action Plan for Denuclearization appeared intended to bring the U.S. back to the table, and pledges the verifiable and irreversible shutdown by the North of its missile engine test site at Tongchang Village and the Yongbyon nuclear site  contingent on corresponding measures by the U.S., as Moon noted.

The statement also underscores the two sides commitment to gradually beginning a process of economic integration, joint industrial and tourism sites, and the construction of east-to-west road and rail links  all of which remain impossible given the strict controls under U.N. Security Council resolutions and U.S. policy on doing business with the North. The two leaders also pledged to withdraw 11 guard posts from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which continues to divide the two countries that technically remain in a state of war.

During a joint press conference following talks with his North Korean counterpart, Moon noted:

Our society can be reshaped into a nation that exists solely for the people, as we depart from the privilege, corruption and disregard for human rights that have been spawned by the threat of war and ideological confrontation.

We had lived together for five thousand years but apart for just 70 years

In a speech before an audience of 150,000 North Koreans at Pyongyangs May First Stadium  the first-ever speech by a South Korean head of state in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK, as the North is officially known)  President Moon gave what both sides hope will go down in history as a de facto declaration that the Korean War has come to an end and given way to the principle of autonomy for our people, whereby we ourselves determine our own fate.

Using unprecedented language for a South Korean head of state, the former human-rights lawyer declared:

During my stay in Pyongyang, I have witnessed the citys remarkable progress. Deep in my heart, I have recognized what kind of country Chairman Kim and his compatriots in the North want to build. I have keenly realized your wholehearted longing for reconciliation and peace for all Koreans. I have seen the indomitable courage in your determination to stand on your own feet even in the face of hard times, all the while maintaining the pride of the Korean people. Our people are outstanding. Our people are resilient. Our people love peace. And our people must live together. We had lived together for five thousand years but apart for just 70 years. Here, at this place today, I propose we move forward toward the big picture of peace in which the past 70-year-long hostility can be eradicated and we can become one again.

On Thursday, the two leaders continued to display their mutual affection with an unscheduled hike along with their wives to the top of the legendary Mount Baekdu, a volcanic mountain on the border with China and the highest peak on the peninsula.

Upon returning to Seoul, Moon made clear that the onus was on the United States to continue the positive forward momentum in achieving denuclearization and a formal end to war on the peninsula, and that Kim desires another meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Pyongyang. Kim also reportedly expressed his hope that he could hold a second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

An earlier visit by Pompeo to the DPRK capital scheduled for August was abruptly called off by Trump following prickly correspondence between the two sides and a general impasse in U.S.-DPRK diplomacy

Tremendous things or stagnant waters ahead?

Trump greeted the Moon-Kim summit with optimism in line with his general approach of boosting his administrations progress addressing the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

Speaking from the South Lawn of the White House following the signing of the declaration, Trump said:

We had very good news from North Korea, South Korea. They met, and we had some great responses. I got a tremendous letter from Kim Jong-un. As you know, it was delivered three days ago. Were making tremendous progress with respect to North Korea  A lot of tremendous things.

And now were  the relationships, I have to tell you, at least on a personal basis, theyre very good, he added.

When asked the status of the reciprocal measures Kim desires as a first step toward denuclearization, the U.S. leader responded vaguely:

Well, well see what hes looking at. Well see. But in the meantime, were talking. ts very calm. Hes calm; Im calm. So well see what happens.

Yet Washingtons calm has extended to its attitude toward augmenting its maximum pressure policy toward Pyongyang. The DPRK has expressed its dissatisfaction with U.S. policies since the June Singapore summit, including Washingtons insistence that any goodwill gestures  such as U.S. acquiescence to an end-of-war declaration or relaxed sanctions  would come as a reward, rather than prerequisite, for the DPRK making moves like disclosing its nuclear and missile facilities.

Pyongyang has denounced such demands for unilateral disarmament as double-dealing  gunboat diplomacy and gangster-like attempts to browbeat the DPRK into submission.

Moon has repeatedly stressed his hope to jointly announce with Washington an end to the Korean War by years end, a move he has said he hopes to discuss next week at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Yet Washington has looked askance at any agreement that could potentially alter the present security arrangement in Northeast Asia, given the importance of the U.S. military presence in the peninsula in the framework of its broader strategic considerations, especially vis-a-vis rivals Russia and China.

While Moon has pledged that he and Kim dont feel that an end-of-war declaration would affect the presence of U.S. in the peninsula, Washington remains fearful of the possibility that the formal end to hostilities would make it nearly impossible to justify the continued existence of United Nations Command (UNC) in the face of pressure by its regional foes.

The UNC, created by a 1950 UN mandate at the dawn of the Cold War, is the U.S.-dominated multinational body that acted as the main war-fighting institution during the Korean War. It eventually served as the primary enforcer of the armistice signed in 1953, and remains a main body ensuring U.S. hegemony in the region vis-a-vis a rising and assertive China.

The U.S. has boosted the importance of UNC as Seoul has clamored to take back wartime operational control of its troops from the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, which likewise falls under Pentagon jurisdiction. Under current treaty obligations, should diplomacy fail, the Souths military will remain firmly subordinate to Washington.

Such factors, along with the continued sanctions on Pyongyang, make the Moon government especially vulnerable to Washingtons pressure and ensure Seouls subordinate role in the U.S.-dominated Asia-Pacific security architecture.

The hard work of achieving the lofty pronouncements of the Pyongyang Declaration remains a task for the Korean people, yet Washington unfortunately remains a gatekeeper and final authority whose motivation to back Kim and Moons roadmap toward peace remains dubious at best.

mintpressnews.com

Photo: FlickrMilitary and economic tensions are increasing due to the ramped up warlike stance of the US establishment. The impossibility of halting the shifting world order in favour of prolonging the unipolar moment has left the US deep state reaching for any available weapon at hand, taking no heed of the dangers and consequences of such a reckless foreign policy.

With the province of Idlib ever closer to being liberated from terrorists by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the tensions between the US and Syria (and Syrias allies) are rising. Every significant military campaign by the SAA seems to be accompanied by the usual alarms and false reports emanating from the Western media and governments warning of an imminent (staged) use of chemical weapons by the SAA. Tensions are rising as several American voices, including that of the President, have expressed the desire to strike Syria over any alleged use of chemical weapons, without even waiting for any independent verification. Threats by the US, the UK and France to bomb Russian troops in Syria are voiced everyday on Western media. The insanity is reaching disturbing levels.

These developments in Syria appear to be accompanied by the persistent attempts of Ukraine and the United States to sabotage the Minsk agreements, re-igniting the conflict in order to blame it on Russia. The assassination of Aleksandr Zakharchenko, charismatic leader of the Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR), killed a few days ago in a terrorist attack, should be seen in this light.

More false accusations against Moscow, this time of having poisoned former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in the UK, follow on from allegations of Moscow interfering in the US presidential election. Added to this situation of rising tensions between great powers are the constant threats, together with economic and financial warfare, directed at Iran by Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

It is not surprising that, given this context, the Russian Federation has just carried out the greatest military exercise in its history. The Vostok 2018 military exercise is extensively described by TASS:

The Vostok 2018 troop exercises have started in Russia's Far East. Taking part in the drills are about 300,000 Russian troops, over 1,000 aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, up to 36,000 tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles, up to 80 ships and supply vessels. Exercises similar in scale have not been held since 1981 when the Zapad-81 drills that involved about 100,000 troops were held in the Soviet Union's Belarusian, Kiev and Baltic Military Districts and in the Baltic Sea.

It should not come as a surprise that the People's Republic of China has sent thousands of men and materiel to participate in the exercise, sending a clear message to Washington and the West. As the Wests warmongering continues, this widely controversial article in The Atlantic came out and provides the following hint:

The inclusion of a relatively small Chinese contingent in this year's edition [Vostok 2018 military exercise] is not quite the signal of a military alliance that some see, but it has certainly made the West take notice. It's hard to escape the symbolism when as Russian and Chinese troops were training together, Putin and Xi Jinping were holding a summit and pledging closer business and political cooperation. At a time when Washington and Europe have tried to isolate Moscow diplomatically, this is clearly intended as a message that Putin is still capable of making connections with countries not willing to follow the West.

The Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok marks yet another significant point in the new Sino-Russian strategy to isolate and limit Western-induced chaos, strengthen the support for countries affected in one way or another by Washington, and expand cooperation in every direction possible. The economic ties between the two countries' production systems deserve attention, especially in light of future agreements between the industrial giants of the two countries. The partnership is broad and goes far beyond the territories of Russia and China. Technological cooperation is expanding in regions such as Africa and South East Asia, often symbiotically offering important agreements to third countries. Civil nuclear energy and arms sales seem to be Moscows speciality, just as generous loans and joint development of basic resources (hospitals, schools, water networks, sewerage, motorways, ports) are Beijings. Such offers of assistance are important for capturing not only the attention of Third World countries keen to break free from the Wests colonial chains, but also of those countries that need to transition quickly into the new multipolar world order.

An example is Japan, with Abe also present in Vladivostok, exploring ways to balance the Chinese expansion in Asia. In reality, such a reading belongs very much to the Western way of thinking, in which everything must be seen in zero-sum terms. What many in the West struggle to understand, especially among European and American journalists and analysts, is how Washington's attitude over recent years is actually serving to push together the four Euro-Asian giants of China, Russia, Japan and India. While maintaining sometimes strong ties with the West, the trend is decidedly different from the past. Abe was in discussion with Putin to sign the long-awaited peace agreement between the two countries. India seems increasingly anxious to expand its strategic independence, especially from an energy point of view, cooperating with Iran and ignoring Western sanctions, and from a military standpoint, buying the S-400 air defence system.

In general, a multipolar environment of international relations already prevails in vast areas of the planet, both from a military and economic standpoint. De-dollarization appears to be an inevitable trend for the purposes of achieving significant economic sovereignty, thereby avoiding the vulnerability of US-dollar blackmail as a destabilization tool used by Washington and the Federal Reserve. With an imminent economic crisis in the West, fuelled and exacerbated by more than ten years of artificially printed money (quantitative easing), an economic prophylactic is a priority for Washington's declared rivals (Iran, China, Russia). The consequences for the international financial system could be much more serious than the two previous crises of 1929 and 2008, especially according to Chris Hedge in his recent analysis.

Unprecedented joint military exercises, economic cooperation as a means of diversification, strategic partnerships  these have become normal in Eurasia, especially for Russia, China and Iran, who continue to advance their formula for overcoming the chaos wrought by Washington and her Israeli and Saudi sidekicks. The prevailing modus operandi of Western policy-makers for countries they cannot control seems to be to sic onto them the dogs of chaos and destabilization in order to destroy them. This can be seen, for example, in the assassination of Zakharchenko in eastern Ukraine (Donbass) by the Kiev junta, probably even employing elements of Daesh or al Qaeda; the same tools used by the US in the Middle East to sow chaos.

The situation is not different in Syria, with Washington, London and Paris intent on stopping the liberation of Idlib, a remaining pocket containing thousands of Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists. Seventeen years after September 11th 2001, the United States unstintingly supports the terrorists who, according to the official story, killed thousands of its own civilians on home soil.

Logic and reason seem to have been abandoned long ago in Washingtons decision-making, even more so given that Trump has completely renounced all his electoral promises regarding foreign policy. The rapprochement with Moscow is now a distant mirage; the special relationship between Xi Jinping and Trump is just the latters propaganda, anxious as he is to reach an agreement with the DPRK and show some example of success to his base.

The logic of imposing more than $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese products, and then asking for strong support from Beijing in mediation with Pyongyang, seems more like the moves of a desperate person rather than those of an amateur. Even historical allies like South Korea, Pakistan, India and Turkey, as repeatedly stressed recently, fear Washingtons irrationality and politics of "America First" and are running for cover. They are diversifying energy resources and ignoring American diktats, buying armaments from Russia, cooperating with China in large infrastructure projects to connect the vast Eurasian continent, and participating in economic and financial forums to diversify funding and cooperate on a new and industrial level.

Indeed, the strategic triangle that emerges between Tehran, Beijing and Moscow, seems to draw all the neighbouring countries into a large geopolitical waltz. A transition to a multipolar reality brings many advantages to Washington's allies, but it also brings many tensions with American oligarchs. The example of the sale of the S-400 in Ankara is an important wake-up call for the oligarchs of the American military-industrial complex, who see a potential loss in revenue. In the same way, the creation of an alternative system to SWIFT strongly reduces the centrality of American banking institutions and thus their political weight. We must also keep in mind Sino-Russian actions in Africa, which are progressively breaking the chains of Western neo-colonialism, thereby freeing African countries to pursue a more balanced foreign policy focused on their national interests.

This transition phase that we have been living in over the last few years will continue for some time. Like an already written script, the trend is easily discernible to a lucid mind free of Western propaganda. Erdogan certainly is not a person to be completely trusted, and the talks in Astana should be understood in this light, especially if viewed from the Russian-Iranian point of view. Yet such cooperation opens the door to an unprecedented future, although at present Astana seems more like an alternative to a bloody war between countries in Syria than a conversation between allies. Syria's future will unavoidably see the countrys territorial integrity maintained, thanks to allies who are now disengaged from the Western system and are gravitating around centers of power opposed to Washington, namely Beijing, Moscow and Tehran.

The reconstruction of the country will bypass western sanctions and bring significant amounts of money to the country. In the same way Iraq, once under the rule of a dictator friendly to Washington, today openly and genuinely collaborates with Moscow, and especially Tehran, in defeating the Wahhabi proxies of Riyadh, an American ally.

The economic battle serves to complete the picture, with European allies forced to suffer huge economic losses as a result of sanctions against Russia and Iran. The tariffs on trade, especially to countries like Turkey, Japan and South Korea (although it seems that this proposal was intentionally sabotaged by a collaborator within the Trump administration), are further serving to push US allies to explore alternatives in terms of trust and cooperation.

China and Russia have seized the opportunities, offering through adroit diplomacy military, industrial and economic proposals that are drawing Washingtons historical allies into a new political reality where there is less space for Washingtons diktats.

The European establishment in some Western countries like Germany, France and the UK seems to have decided wait out Trump (this torture perhaps brought to an early end through a palace coup). But many others have instead intuited what is really happening in the West. Two factions are fighting each other, but still within the confines of a shared worldview that sees the United States as the only benevolent world power, and the likes of China and Russia as rivals that need to be contained. In such a difficult situation to manage, well-known leaders like Modi, Abe, Moon Jae-In and Erdogan are starting to take serious steps towards exploring possible alternatives to an exclusive alliance with the United States, that is, towards experiencing the benefits of a multipolar-world environment.

It is not just a question for these countries of breaking the strategic alliance with the United States. This aspect will probably not change for several years, especially in countries that have enormous military and economic ties with Washington. The path that South Korea, Turkey and Japan appear to be taking is deeply rooted in the concept of Multipolarity, which diversifies international relations, allowing countries to shop around to find the best opportunities. It is therefore not surprising to see the Japanese prime minister and the Russian president discussing at the economic forum in Vladivostok the possibility of signing a historic peace treaty. In the same way, if Turkey suffers a double political and economic attack from the US, it should not surprise us if they decide to purchase the S-400 defense system from Russia or start a full fledged campaign to de-dollarize. Such examples could be repeated, but the case of South Korea stands out. There is no need for Seoul to wait for Washington to mess things up diplomatically with Pyongyang before discussing the rebirth of relations between the two countries. Seoul is anxious to seize the opportunity for a renewed dialogue between leaders and solve the Korean impasse as much as possible. Finally, India, which has no intention of losing the opportunity for an economic partnership with Beijing and a military one with Moscow, launched the basis for a multi-party discussion between the Eurasian powers on the Afghan situation that has caused so much friction with Islamabad, especially with the new political phase that Imran Khans victory as Pakistans prime minister promises.

Washington faces all these scenarios with skepticism, annoyance and disgust, fearing losing important countries and its ability to determine the regional balance around the planet. What fascinates many analysts is the stubbornness and stupidity of US policy-makers. The more they try to prolong the US unipolar moment, the more incentive they give to other countries to jump on the multipolar bandwagon.

Even countries that probably have deep ties with the United States on an oligarchic level will have no alternative other than to modify and redesign their strategic alliances over the next 30 years. The United States continues along the path of diplomatic arrogance and strategic stupidity, mired in a civil war among its elites, with no end in sight.

Each scenario involving the US now has to be viewed with two factors in mind: not just the attempt to maintain an imperialist posture, but also an internal struggle involving its elites. This adds a further level of confusion for Americas allies and the world in general, who strain to decipher the next moves of a deep state totally out of control.Tyler DURDEN

The British government "expressed grave concerns" to the US government over the declassification and release of material related to the Trump-Russia investigation, according to the New York Times. President Trump ordered a wide swath of materials "immediately" declassified "without redaction" on Monday, only to change his mind later in the week by allowing the DOJ Inspector General to review the materials first.

The Times reports that the UK's concern was over material which "includes direct references to conversations between American law enforcement officials and Christopher Steele," the former MI6 agent who compiled the infamous "Steele Dossier." The UK's objection, according to former US and British officials, was over revealing Steele's identity in an official document, "regardless of whether he had been named in press reports."

We would note, however, that Steele's name was contained within the Nunes Memo  the House Intelligence Committee's majority opinion in the Trump-Russia case.

Steele also had extensive contacts with DOJ official Bruce Ohr and his wife Nellie, who  along with Steele  was paid by opposition research firm Fusion GPS in the anti-Trump campaign. Trump called for the declassification of FBI notes of interviews with Ohr, which would ostensibly reveal more about his relationship with Steele. Ohr was demoted twice within the Department of Justice for lying about his contacts with Fusion GPS.

Perhaps the Brits are also concerned since much of the espionage performed on the Trump campaign was conducted on UK soil throughout 2016. Recall that Trump aid George Papadopoulos was lured to London in March, 2016, where Maltese professor Joseph Mifsud fed him the rumor that Russia had dirt on Hillary Clinton. It was later at a London bar that Papadopoulos would drunkenly pass the rumor to Australian diplomat Alexander Downer (who Strzok flew to London to meet with).

Also recall that CIA/FBI "informant" (spy) Stefan Halper met with both Carter Page and Papadopoulos in London.

Halper, a veteran of four Republican administrations, reached out to Trump aide George Papadopoulos in September 2016 with an offer to fly to London to write an academic paper on energy exploration in the Mediterranean Sea. Papadopoulos accepted a flight to London and a $3,000 honorarium. He claims that during a meeting in London, Halper asked him whether he knew anything about Russian hacking of Democrats emails. Papadopoulos had other contacts on British soil that he now believes were part of a government-sanctioned surveillance operation.  Daily Caller

In total, Halper received over $1 million from the Obama Pentagon for "research," over $400,000 of which was granted before and during the 2016 election season.

In short, it's understandable that the UK would prefer to hide their involvement in the "witch hunt" of Donald Trump since much of the counterintelligence investigation was conducted on UK soil. And if the Brits had knowledge of the operation, it will bolster claims that they meddled in the 2016 US election by assisting what appears to have been a set-up from the start.

Steele's ham-handed dossier is a mere embarrassment, as virtually none of the claims asserted by the former MI6 agent have been proven true. Steele, a former MI6 agent, is the author of the infamous and unverified anti-Trump dossier. He worked as a confidential human source for the FBI for years before the relationship was severed just before the election because of Steeles unauthorized contacts with the press. He shared results of his investigation into Trumps links to Russia with the FBI beginning in early July 2016. The FBI relied heavily on the unverified Steele dossier to fill out applications for four FISA warrants against Page. Page has denied the dossiers claims, which include that he was the Trump campaigns back channel to the Kremlin.  Daily Caller

That said, Steele hasn't worked for the British government since 2009, so for their excuse focusing on the former MI6 agent while ignoring the multitude of events which occurred on UK soil, is curious.

zerohedge.com

Photo: TwitterOn Sept. 20 the US imposed punitive measures against China's military under the 2017 Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), in retaliation for its purchases of Russian military equipment. The move is meant to punish Moscow for what American officials call "malign activities." The State Department slapped sanctions on Chinas Equipment Development Department (EDD) for having purchased the S-400 air-defense system and Su-35 combat planes. This is the first time anyone has been sanctioned for doing business with Russia in violation of CAATSA.

The announcement came a few days after Chinese troops participated in Russias largest war games since 1981, which demonstrated that Russia and China are now working more closely with each other. The announcement of sanctions seriously angered Chinese authorities, who threatened to respond in kind. And they will.

Washingtons move changes little in regard to its relationship with Beijing, as it had already launched a war of tariffs against it. This is all at a time when the tensions in regard to the disputes in the South China Sea over islands and maritime claims are running high.

The sanctions war is pouring even more fuel on the fire. It raises the prospect of the US sanctioning its friends and allies who purchase Russian military equipment. The penalties imposed on Sept. 20 are a warning shot intended for other states on the list of clients, including India, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and the Philippines, among other nations that are willing to sign contracts. India, the largest buyer of Russian-made weapons, and Turkey, a US NATO ally, have already been admonished against doing business with Russian arms exporters. Russian President Vladimir Putin is going to visit Saudi Arabia soon. The planned signing of an S-400 deal would deal a major blow to the United States. Washington hopes that now that sanctions have been imposed on Beijing, Riyadh will change its mind.

Obviously, the sanctions are intended to poison Russias entire economy, in order to scare off existing and potential partners . The hope is that theyll be hesitant to make any deals because with Russia, you never know.

Its important to get rid of ones rival. Russia is the second-largest arms exporter in the world, with a 23% share of the global arms market. By comparison, the US controls 33% , then there is China with only 6.2% and France with 6%. Last year Russia exported $15 billion worth of weapons to customers in 53 countries. Arms sales are a lucrative business and its crucially important for Washington to hold on to its leadership in that area, in the face of challenges. Any move can be rationalized if it will weaken the positions of ones biggest competitor. Added to that is the fact that Russias defense programs are much more efficient that those of the United States.

Some countries, such as China, India and Iran, are standing up to this pressure, but other potential buyers of Russian equipment might back down. So far, the policy has seen widespread resistance, triggering a pushback against the US use of its enormous financial power. Even the Philippines is vowing not to change its plans to buy Russian weapons.

There is another consequence the US administration does not appear to be thinking about. Last year, 15% of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports went to China. That area of trade has a promising future. China is set to top Japan as the worlds biggest natural-gas importer next year. With demand set to grow, China has already started to curtail LNG imports from the United States, opening up a new front in the ongoing trade war. The largest energy consumer is reducing imports at a time when the United States has several large-scale LNG export facilities under construction. This is a serious blow to Americas ambitions to become a global energy superpower. Cheniere Energy, Sempra, and Kinder Morgan will suffer. A major market will be lost and its hard to see how such a policy is in keeping with the goals of the America First strategy.

Russia will not waste this opportunity. In July, a ship from Russias Novatek natural-gas producer delivered the first-ever liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from the Yamal LNG project to China via the Northern Sea Route (NSR), a route that makes it possible to drastically cut delivery time to Asian consumers.

Can the European market make up for this loss? Not a chance. US LNG is at least 20% more expensive than Russian pipeline gas. Because of many factors, the prices continue to fluctuate. Last year the price of Russian gas piped to the German border was $183 per thousand cubic meters. The average spot price at TTF, a European gas-trading platform, was $188, without factoring in transportation costs. The price of US LNG that is shipped to Spain, Portugal, and Turkey is about $245. Europeans are pushing back against the US policy of arms-twisting. Besides, the infrastructure for substantially increasing LNG supplies is not there. The existing capacity is insufficient.

Here is another consequence worth mentioning. This month, a new US cyber-strategy was made public. Unlike the previous strategy issued in 2013, this document authorizes the use of offensive cyber operations. In reality, it just confirms the fact that cyberspace has become a new domain of warfare. Although the guns are silent, a world war is being waged. The US policy leaves other nations with no choice but to form alliances to counter Americas offensive operations. Russia and China are just another example of how countries are joining together to repel the common threat coming from North America. Nobody wanted this war but the US attacked first.Thalia likes older cars, he said. I hope that she learns also about the engineering side of it and the mechanical side of it. And that she learns how they operate and how they move.A transformative programme ensuring low socio-economic children do not start school lagging behind their peers, including in the Bay of Plenty, has been saved from cutting its services thanks to a new partnership with the Tauranga-based Wright Family Foundation.

The Great Potentials Foundations HIPPY (Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters) Programme currently operates in 41 low socio-economic areas around New Zealand, from Kaitaia to Christchurch, with over 2,300 families currently involved. In the Bay of Plenty, HIPPY is represented in Whakatane, Murupara and Rotorua.

Great Potentials co-founder Dame Lesley Max says funding has been a serious concern for the last two years, and the organisation would not have been able to sustain its national support services indefinitely. Registered charitable trust the Wright Family Foundation has stepped in to fund the programme to the tune of $230,000 a year for at least the next three years  saving the organisation from cutting its coverage, and presenting the possibility of expansion.

The proven life-changing programme is designed to specifically support parents who may not feel comfortable in their own abilities to support their childrens education  breaking the cycle of lack of education, and making generational change. It prepares children aged three to five for the transition to school, while giving parents the skills and confidence to engage in their childrens learning and go on to further education and employment. The programme helps parents create experiences that lay the foundation for their childrens success in school and later life.

Research shows that children completing the programme are outdoing their peers  they are successfully prepared for school and the gains in literacy and numeracy are maintained over time - yet the national operation of the service was at risk of being cut due to funding shortfalls.

The service receives some Government funding but relies heavily on grants from other sources and fundraising.

The Wright Family Foundations support has been a game-changer for us, says Dame Lesley. As well as ensuring we can retain our current level of service, this funding also gives us the stability to think about expansion into further sites, which is the goal so we can share the programmes success and help more families in more locations.

Wright Family Foundation CEO Chloe Wright says the HIPPY programme is based on the premise that parents are their childs first and most important teachers, a philosophy shared by the foundation.

This programme is unique in that its unleashing potential in both parent and child  the parents develop the skills and confidence to take on this important role, says Chloe.

The parent grows as well as the child, and ends up giving back to the community. Its the epitome of growing the good, which is the Wright Family Foundations philosophy.

Many parents find they have talents they were unaware of and this is the beginning of a new phase in their life. HIPPY is truly a two-generational programme that, as well as settling children on a positive pathway through education, opens doors for parents into training, education and employment.

The Wright Family Foundation is a not-for-profit registered charitable trust that is dedicated to making a positive difference by advancing education and spreading knowledge, supporting individuals to achieve their full potential.

The foundation supports several initiatives supporting best beginnings for parent and child including BestStart Educare, Plunket, The Parenting Place and Brainwave Trust Aotearoa. The foundation owns and operates Birthing Centre, which has three primary birthing facilities open in New Zealand and a fourth due to open this summer.In 2004, a permanent kiosk opened in the park. Shake Shack now has restaurant locations listed on its website in 25 states and 12 countries outside of the U.S., including three in Chicago and one at the Old Orchard Shopping Center in Skokie.SmartGrowth leaders acknowledge the hurt and frustration of people campaigning for safer roads in the Western Bay of Plenty and have vowed to work harder to address the issues raised by State Highway 2 campaigners.

The two council Mayors and the Regional Chair say that at present we do not have good alignment between the growth that is occurring in our sub-region and transport investment.

We are committed to working together with the New Zealand Transport Agency and central government to find workable solutions for out sub-region.

The recent Government announcments around the Urban Growth Agenda provide a good opportunity for us to address these issues. A key focus going forward will be on getting a much better alignment and improved land use and transport integration.

We wish to be quite upfront that there are transport investment challenges that cannot be put to one side, which are integral to successful implementation for the Future Development Strategy for the Western Bay that were about the consult on.

Transport is the most complex and challenging form of infrastructure to integrate with urban growth. Anyone who has faced gridlock on Tauranga Harbour Bridge or beyond Bethlehem township understands that rapid population growth is placing some parts of our transport network under considerable strain. Investment is need to sustain further growth, maintain quality of life for current residents and avoid constraining business growth.

SmarthGrowth leaders will meet this month with the New Zealand Transport Agency board to present their united front and explore urgent ways of resolving the large transport issues here.

Work will focus on improving services in existing Tauranga urban areas, more road capacity and public transport for growth in the north, west and east, more investment in public and active transport and reviews of the State Highway 2 project.

Over time, the choices people make around where and how they live and move around will be influenced by these efforts. We dont believe however that constraining growth is possible in places like Omokoroa as this would lead to increased land and house prices.The final week of September will be one of the coldest of the month for some regions but the final weekend looks mild as a typical spring pattern kicks in.

Expect a mixture of warm and cold days over the next month ahead as we transition away from winter and shift further towards summer.

This week will be a cold one for many, although Monday may be warmer than average for some northern and eastern parts of the North Island.

Already snow has fallen down to a couple of hundred metres in some parts of the South Island with the next wave of colder air expected tonight, bringing more snow to the mountains and ranges and likely some farms.

The positive is that WeatherWatch.co.nz does see a very slight lift in daytime temperatures this week compared to what was being forecast last week.

A statement from Weather Watch says while only 1 or 2 degrees it is enough to lift the snow level just slightly higher than most main centres.

However the Misery Index, cold + dampness = miserable, is fairly high this week in Southland and Otago especially and there won't be an easing of this until about Thursday or Friday.

In other words, even with a tiny lift in snow levels the stress for newborn stock will be high to extreme in Southland and Otago in particular from today until Thursday.

TIMELINE:

Monday - First cold wave sweeps up the country, reaching northern NZ tonight.

Tuesday - Colder in the North Island but a couple to a few degrees warmer in Southland and Otago and other South Island regions, but this is ahead of the next bigger cold change.

Wednesday - Main polar southerly arrives, coldest day of the week for many in the lower South Island but may be a tad milder in the North Island again.

Thursday - A slight warming up as a westerly develops further south, colder in the North Island as the last and main part of the southerly moves through. (winds may be WSW for some though).

Friday - Nor'westers develop in the lower South Island and there should be a feeling in the air of positive change.

This Weekend: Warmer than average for most regions thanks to sub-tropical and Australian nor'westers.

This weekend is shaping up to be a mild one nationwide thanks to the incoming sub-tropical and Australian air flows. Temperatures this Saturday and Sunday in both islands will push into the late teens and even early 20s for some in the north and east.Syracuse, N.Y. -- The United Way of Central New York is leaving its long-time home on James Street and moving four blocks up the street to WTVH's former television studios.

President Nancy Kern Eaton said the nonprofit charitable fundraising organization will make the move from 518 James St. to 980 James St. sometime before its lease expires at the end of June next year.

The organization will lease approximately 9,000 square feet of space on the first floor of WTVH's former building. That's a little less than the 11,500 square feet of space it has at 518 James St. Eaton said the organization's staff is smaller than it was years ago, so it does not need as much office space.

She said the United Way found the former WTVH building appealing because it has space in the rear to store items donated to its Gifts in Kind program. The organization has 31 full- and part-time employees, 24 of which work out of its James Street office, she said.

"We are excited to be moving to this new, reduced space that offers a terrific layout for more efficient operations," she said. "We are particularly pleased by the configuration of space available for our Gifts in Kind program."

WTVH moved out of the 52,000-square-foot building, its home since 1962, in 2010, the year after the CBS affiliate merged its operations with NBC affiliate WSTM under joint sales and shared services agreements. WSTM, which is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, and WTVH now operate out of WSTM's offices just one block north at 1030 James St.

Real estate investor and restaurateur Lou Santaro purchased the former WTVH building in 2016 for $350,000 and has demolished many of its interior concrete block walls and removed asbestos in preparation for a major redevelopment.

The United Way of Central New York plans to move from its offices at 518 James St. in Syracuse, above, to the former WTVH television building at 980 James St. in 2019.

Planned renovations include all-new mechanicals, a video security system, installation of LED lighting, an elevator and new windows on the first and second floors, and new exterior landscaping. United Way will have signage on the building and on the existing monument sign at the front of the property.

"When United Way moves in, everything will be new," said Jonathan Sayre, owner of The IBEX Group, the real estate brokerage representing Santaro in the transaction.

NewVisions Communications Inc. is leasing a portion of the building's first floor. Following the build-out of United Way's space, the building will have approximately 20,000 square feet of space left for future tenants, he said.

IBEX and The Pioneer Cos., which represented the United Way in the leasing agreement, donated their services to keep the organization's costs down.

United Way raises approximately $6 million annually from donors and distributes it to more than 550 nonprofit charitable and human services organizations in Central New York.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148Syracuse, N.Y. -- The New York Mets have verbally agreed to extend their current lease at NBT Bank Stadium through 2043, according to Onondaga County deputy executive Bill Fisher.

The current pact runs through 2025. Fisher said the new agreement is contingent upon the county closing a deal to make about $25 million in improvements in the ballpark.

Fisher said the county and Mets have been trading lease proposals for several weeks. While a handful of details remain up in the air, Fisher said, the 18-season extension to the existing deal does not appear to be one of them.

"On Friday, we received the latest version of the lease draft back from the New York Mets,'' Fisher said. "And that one is really very close to its final form.''

Fisher reported on the lease negotiations and the financial workings of the pact at a Ways and Means Committee meeting on Monday. The Legislature could vote to approve its end of the deal at its October meeting.

The Mets purchased the Syracuse Chiefs last off-season and ran the team in 2018. New York will put its players on the field in 2019. Fisher said the proposed new pact will stipulate that the team that New York puts in Syracuse is one at the Triple-A level.

Chiefs general manager Jason Smorol had no comment on the lease talks.

Fisher said $8.5 million of the funding would come through bonding. At least another $3.6 million would be kicked in from the county and the Mets from stadium naming rights revenue (the current deal expires after 2025).

Fisher believes once the county locks in its approval, the state will toss in a dollar-for-dollar match of that $12.1 million foundation. That would bring the total pot to at least $24.2 million.

NBT's current naming rights deal pays a total of $2.8 million over 20 years. Fisher said NBT Bank has rights of first refusal when it comes time to renew naming rights.

The county and Mets split that pot 50-50, Fisher said. If a new pact exceeds $3.6 million, Fisher said the Mets have agree to toss the additional funding on their end into the stadium improvement pool.

Fisher said the current lease calls for a rent of $200,000 per season. He said under the proposed new pact, it would increase in increments after that and top out at $300,000.

Once the improvements begin, Fisher said the entire project will take about 18 months. He said some initial work might be done in time for opening day 2019, followed by perhaps the addition of an outfield concourse during the season.

"You have a perfectly good baseball stadium right now. The field's beautiful,'' Fisher said. "But the fan amenities and the experience that fans have is not up to the level of the other teams in the International League. But we believe that by planning this right and being very prudent with spending our money, that we can have a tremendous stadium that serves the community very well for the next quarter century.''

The Chiefs will be changing their name during this off-season, perhaps taking in the Mets moniker. But Smorol didn't have any comment on the timing of that move.SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A boy posted a video on Facebook holding what looked like a gun and threatening to commit a shooting at a Syracuse school, according to Syracuse police.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested Monday by the Syracuse Police Department and charged with making a terroristic threat.

The boy said online he was going to shoot people at Grant Middle School at 2400 Grant Blvd., said Sgt. Richard Helterline, a Syracuse police spokesman.

Police started investigating the threat at 11:54 p.m. Sunday. The video was reported by a "concerned citizen," Helterline said.

The boy -- whose name police declined to release -- posted a video holding what looked like a black handgun on Facebook, Helterline said. Along with threatening to commit a school shooting at Grant Middle School, the boy threatened to hurt himself, he said.

The boy was identified and arrested without incident, Helterline said. Officers also took a black BB gun from the boy's home, he said.

The boy was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation, Helterline said.FAIRMOUNT, N.Y. -- Janet Neil was sleeping in her townhouse in Fairmount this morning when she heard screams outside and then a banging on her door.

"Get out. Fire," Neil said she heard a man scream.

One person was killed in the early morning blaze in Fairmount, according to Sgt. Jon Seeber, a spokesman for the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office. The fire broke out at about 4 a.m. Monday at the Aaron Manor Townhouses on Gordon Parkway.

One other person was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Seeber said. The fire appears to have started in the townhouse at 13 Gordon Parkway, Seeber said.

William Pringle, who lives in the townhouses across the courtyard, was the man banging on Neil's door. He was running from townhouse to townhouse banging on all the doors in the complex and screaming for people to wake up and get out, Neil said.

Pringle's mother, Dolores Pringle, lives in the townhouse next to Neil. She said her son saved many lives this morning.

"Thank God for him," she said.

Neil said she able to escape to safety from the blaze before her townhouse filled with smoke. She lives two townhouses away from where deputies say it appears the fire originated.

She stood outside with her neighbors and watched as flames shot out the backdoor of her neighbor's home.

Seeber said the cause and origin of the fire are still under investigation. The name of victim has not been released.

The American Red Cross is providing assistance to 18 people - nine adults and nine children, the Red Cross announced in a news release. At least eight apartments were damaged by the fire, smoke and water.SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Police have released the ages and injuries of the five people shot in Syracuse last week during a memorial gathering on Midland Avenue.

A family was gathering outside 1317 Midland Ave. around 9 p.m. Thursday when gunshots were fired at the crowd, said Sgt. Richard Helterline, a Syracuse Police Department spokesman. The family was mourning a loved one who had died hours earlier from cancer.

The shooter or shooter fired at the crowd from across the street, Helterline said. Several witnesses told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard they saw two shooters.

Five people were wounded:

An 8-year-old girl was shot in her hip.

A 29-year-old man was shot in his chest.

A 35-year-old woman was shot in her hand.

A 35-year-old woman was shot in her abdomen.

A 35-year-old man was shot repeatedly in his torso, arm and leg.

All five victims are expected to recover, Helterline said.

Police are still searching for the suspects.

"We do not have any confirmed information about the suspects in this incident," Helterline said. "We have received several tips with varying information, but nothing that positively identifies the shooter at this time."

The shooting remains under investigation. Police asked anyone with information to call (315) 442-5222, submit tips anonymously through the Syracuse PD app or visit Syracusepolice.org.

The house where the shooting happened is the home where Rashaad Walker Jr.'s family lived.

Rashaad, a 20-month-old boy, was fatally shot in 2010 while he was in a car seat in a minivan parked on Coolidge Avenue. Investigators said Saquan Evans, a reputed member of the Bricktown gang, was trying to kill Rashaad's father, a reputed member of the rival 110 gang, when he fired at the van.

A photo of the boy remains outside of the home.Acclaimed pianist Andrew Palmer Todd will travel from Wyoming to Pulaski to perform the first fall concert in the LaVeck Concert series, Northern Oswego County's Classical music series, on Saturday, Sept. 29.

Todd, a solo pianist who also serves as President and CEO of the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole, WY, will perform works by Beethoven, Schumann and Sergei Prokofiev in a concert with the theme "Youth Springs Eternal."

The concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, at the Pulaski Congregational Church, 27 Lake St., Pulaski, with a meet-the-artist reception to follow.

LaVeck Artistic Director Rob Auler, also a pianist and chair of the music department at SUNY Oswego, said he is thrilled to be able to bring Todd to perform for the series he founded it in 2008. "We are very fortunate to have such a world-class musician performing at our little concert series," Auler said.

Todd titled his program, "Youth Springs Eternal" because it features three famous compositions that "look at youth from different angles," he said.

Beethoven's Sonata No. 8 in C Minor - the "Pathetique" was written when the future master was 27 years old. Todd said it is filled with emotion that pushed the envelope of the music of the time (1797).

"The opening alone, with its crashing C minor chord, represents such a radical departure from the Vienna of Mozart and Haydn," Todd said. "This is a statement of a young man, wanting desperately to stand on his own musically in a city that venerated tradition above all. In this work, Beethoven achieves what all young people want - to break from the previous generation and set out on a new path."

German composer Robert Schumann's "Kinderszenen," or Scenes from Childhood, is a collection of 13 short pieces that he wrote for his then-fiance in 1838.

"The Schumann is very much the nostalgia of youth as seen from the lens of an adult," Todd said. "Ironically, Schumann was 28 when he wrote this and Beethoven 27 when he wrote the Pathetique Sonata. But these 13 pieces have a hazy nostalgia. Maybe they recollect not what childhood actually was for Schumann but what he wanted it to be."

Finally, Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev's Ten Pieces for Piano features selections from his famous 1936 take on the most famous teenage love story, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

"These star-crossed lovers have received many treatments over the years - opera, ballet, film," Todd said. "This started as a ballet, but Prokofiev quickly fashioned this suite of 10 selections after the ballet premiered. It's full of some of the most recognizable parts of the ballet."

Besides leading Grand Teton Music Festival, Todd performs as a soloist and chamber musician across the country. A native of Ohio, he holds degrees from Northwestern University, the Mannes College of Music, and the University of Colorado.

At age 17, he made his orchestral debut playing the Schumann Piano Concerto with the Columbus Symphony and has since appeared with several other symphony orchestras. During the 2017-2018 season, he was the featured soloist for the Wyoming Music Educators Annual Conference and the Wyoming Arts Council's 50th anniversary concert.

As a winner of the Artists International Piano Competition, Todd's New York debut was at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. His New York appearances also include the Polish and French Consulates and Steinway Hall. His performances are featured on many public radio stations, and he is co-host of "Live from the Grand Teton Music Festival," heard on more than 150 public radio stations nationwide.

If you go:

What: LaVeck Concerts Presents Andrew Palmer Todd, Solo Piano, Youth Springs Eternal

When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29.

Where: 27 Lake St., Pulaski, NY 13142

Cost: There is a suggested donation of $10 per person, but no donation is required and students are encouraged to attend for free.

Bonus: A 'Meet the Artists' reception with free refreshments follows the concert.Dr. David Smith being introduced as Upstate Medical University's president in 2006.

Syracuse.com staff writer Samantha House contributed to this report.

Syracuse, NY -- Dr. David Smith, the former president of Upstate Medical University, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors today in Syracuse City Court.

Smith, who resigned in 2013, was accused of increasing his pay from 2006 to 2013 without State University of New York permission.

Smith pleaded guilty to three counts of official misconduct, all misdemeanors. His guilty plea could impact his status as a doctor in an unrelated proceeding, lawyers said.

Smith was arrested after a joint investigation by the state Attorney General's and Inspector General's offices.

Smith pleaded to three crimes today:

He ordered a subordinate, Steven Brady, a former Upstate vice president, to improperly give him a $28,450-a-year raise through the State University of New York Research Foundation. He improperly received $189,412 in compensation.

He received improper housing expenses above the $5,000-a-month he already got. The amount of improper compensation was not stated.

He created a deferred compensation plan for himself and others through a third-party, MedBest, a non-profit Upstate affiliate. Brady has previously pleaded guilty for his part in setting up those accounts.

As part of his plea agreement, Smith will be required to pay to pay $247,419 in restitution and $3,000 in fines. If Smith fails to adhere to the terms and conditions of his probationary sentence, including the payment of restitution, he could face up to three years in jail.

Smith paid $75,000 today, with the rest to be paid during three years on probation. He must pay at least $50,000 a year, with the full amount paid in three years.

"David Smith brazenly abused his position and exploited those he served in order to line his own pockets - and now he's facing the consequences," state Attorney General Barbara Underwood said in a news release.

"We have zero tolerance for those who try to game the system and violate the public trust, and my office will continue to hold public officials to account," she said.

Smith was arrested, fingerprinted, arraigned, pleaded guilty, all within a few hours Monday morning. His plea came during his first -- and only -- court appearance before City Court Judge Vanessa Bogan.

Prosecutors did provide the plea paperwork to the judge prior to Smith's arraignment and plea today. He will be sentenced Dec. 10.

Smith's plea comes after Brady agreed to cooperate with authorities.

Brady pleaded guilty in May to felony falsifying business records for using his power to set up unauthorized benefits account for himself and others. Smith today admitted that he directed those accounts be set up.

SUNY audits show $1.4 million from Upstate's chief administrative officer fund was used inappropriately to set up deferred compensation plans for Smith, Brady and Wanda Thompson, a former Upstate senior vice president.

The deferred compensation plans were set up through MedBest Medical Management Inc., a nonprofit Upstate affiliate. Brady served as executive director of MedBest.

Thompson has not been arrested for any crimes.Griffiths argument to split from Calumet Township is that state law mandates townships keep spending within 12 times the state average. Griffith officials have argued that Calumet Township is above that mark but that number is different depending on the interpretation of average in the state law.Syracuse, NY -- Onondaga County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller said today there was no sentence long enough to punish Jack Doolittle for snatching a 12-year-old Solvay girl and sodomizing her as she walked to school.

Certainly, the 10- to 20-year prison sentence Doolittle received wasn't enough for the crime 21 years ago, the judge said. The only reason Doolittle didn't get longer was "solely to spare victim from the certain spectacle of a trial" where she'd have to testify.

The 1997 crime near a school shook the village. Police for weeks searched the scene and nearby neighborhoods. Investigators worked the cases for years, trying to find the attacker.

The statue of limitations would have run out for the crime, but the District Attorney's Office creatively got an indictment on the suspect's DNA. That allowed authorities to charge Doolittle after a DNA match recently linked him to the crime.

Doolittle could have faced 12 1/2 to 25 years if convicted after trial, with more time possible if multiple acts were proven. Defense lawyers Kim Zimmer and Ed Klein argued that the assault was a single act.

"In a perfect world, you would get every day of a maximum sentence," Miller told Doolittle today. "No victim is more innocent than that of a 12-year-old girl walking to school."

As the judge spoke, the victim -- a small woman who is 34 years old with children of her own -- nestled into her mother's arms.

"Your disgusting, evil crime turned Solvay entire community upside down years ago," Miller continued. "How could anyone do this to a child? She was everyone's child. This was everyone's worst fear."

The victim spoke briefly in court, her words broken with emotion.

"Back in 1997 I was just a little girl who was happy. That was taken from me," she said, later adding: "What you did to me was despicable."

The 1997 crime led to an exhaustive investigation that included hundreds, if not thousands, of leads, First Chief Assistant District Attorney Rick Trunfio said in court. Investigators even spent two days in Canada hoping a profiler there could help lead them to a suspect.

Trunfio said he still remembers seeing the girl at the hospital the day of the attack: she still had duct tape from the assault around her neck, the prosecutor said.

DA William Fitzpatrick and Trunfio promised her that they would find her attacker.

But it wasn't until Trunfio -- who was head of the DA's sex victims unit at the time -- indicted the perpetrator's DNA that Doolitte's eventual arrest became possible. Without that novel idea in 2002, authorities would have run out of time under law to make an arrest.

Doolittle, an Onondaga County jail deputy at the time of the attack, wasn't a suspect until he was required to submit his DNA recently for an unrelated crime. That led to a match in the Solvay rape case 21 years ago.

"Little did we know the perpetrator was hiding in plain sight as a corrections officer and had never left this community," Trunfio said today.

Doolittle pleaded guilty last month without accepting responsibility in what's called an Alford plea. That means he admitted that the evidence against him was enough to convict him after trial, but that he himself did not admit wrongdoing.

When asked if he had anything to say, Doolittle replied: "I don't believe I have anything that the court really wants to hear right now."

Miller wasn't impressed. He blasted Doolittle's "bizarre claim" that he had "somehow, some way" been framed for the crime.

"Justice has been delayed, but it won't be denied today," the judge said. "You weren't framed, sir, you were caught."

Both the judge and prosecutor said Doolittle's lack of remorse should mean he spends the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He'll get his first parole board hearing in a decade.

The head of the sheriff's abused person's unit at the time, Sgt. Peter VanPatten, said this is the one case that he took with him when retiring that "haunted" him for the past 21 years.

VanPatten noted the victim had endured a tremendous amount of pain and suffering. He came to court today to see Doolittle go to prison.

"It's very gratifying," he said.SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney has announced she is stepping down midterm.

Mahoney in a news conference said she was leaving for a position as chief operating officer with the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Mahoney will work primarily at SUNY ESF and will also serve as a special advisor to SUNY Upstate Medical University, she said.

The third-term Republican county executive announced her departure in a news conference convened this morning. The 9:30 a.m. news conference was announced at 8 a.m. Mahoney was joined by her husband and son as well as former chief-of-staff Ben Dublin.

Mahoney said her role would not be to take on any new initiatives, but to help right the ships at the two troubled area universities. SUNY ESF President Quentin Wheeler stepped down after months of bickering with the faculty last year. SUNY Upstate Medical is currently under investigation after being embroiled in controversy in recent months.

Her mission is to right the ship at troubled state college https://t.co/F8QxbQis3M  Tim Knauss (@TimKnauss) September 24, 2018

Mahoney is the third person to hold the seat of Onondaga County executive since the job was created in 1961. She has held the position for 11 years. She first won the seat in 2007 over Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, a Democrat from Syracuse.

Mahoney didn't rule out a return to politics some day. She leaves office with about $555,000 in her campaign account.

County legislators can now appoint a replacement to serve out the rest of Mahoney's term, which ends in 2019. Alternatively, if the county legislature does not act, Deputy County Executive Bill Fisher would serve as acting county executive.

Legislature chairman Ryan McMahon announced soon after Mahoney's news conference that he would speak to reporters at the legislature chambers today at 12:15 p.m.

Mahoney said she consulted Gov. Andrew Cuomo before taking the SUNY job. According to Mahoney, Cuomo, a close ally, did not have a role in her hiring. She notified him of her interest in the new job when he was in Central New York to visit the New York State Fair this summer, she said.

Mahoney said SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson selected her for the role. Mahoney received the job offer Thursday, she said. Mahoney said new salary has not yet been determined.

She starts the new position on Nov. 1.

Mahoney said she would stay on as county executive until next year's budget is passed in October.

Michelle Breidenbach and Julie McMahon contributed to this report. McMahon can be reached at jmcmahon@syracuse.com.SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney announced today that she will step down within a month to take a job working with two troubled state colleges in Syracuse. Her husband, son and closest aides were with her during the press conference.

Below is Mahoney's full statement.

Contact reporter Tim Knauss | email | Twitter | 315-470-3023

Mahoney Statement by Tim Knauss on ScribdFamilies are complicated, their private tensions and political disagreements often kept under wraps.

That's not the case with Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., whose opponent in the midterm election just got a boost from Gosar's siblings.

Six of them.

The brothers and sisters - Tim, Jennifer, Gaston, Joan, Grace and David - appeared in campaign advertisements for David Brill, the Democrat hoping to unseat Gosar in Arizona's 4th Congressional District in the upcoming midterm election.

The Gosar siblings framed their endorsement of Brill as a matter of values, saying their brother, who has long drawn headlines for his far-right views, and his politics were simply too much for them to stomach.

"We gotta stand up for our good name," said brother David Gosar in the advertisement. "This is not who we are."

"I couldn't be quiet any longer, nor should any of us be," said sister Grace Gosar.

"I think my brother has traded a lot of the values we had at our kitchen table," said another sister, Joan.

In an interview with The Washington Post, David Gosar, 57, a lawyer in Jackson, Wyoming, said he felt obligated to speak out against his brother because of his views, though he wished it weren't the case.

"There isn't a kooky, crazy, nutty thing that he isn't a part of," he said. "What are we supposed to do?"

David said he doesn't talk to his brother much anymore. The split came around the time of his congressional run, when, David said, his brother told him he believed the "birther" theory that President Barack Obama's birth certificate is fake. (A 2010 clip from Politico quotes Paul Gosar as declining to say whether he believed Obama was born in the United States, saying it was "for the courts and for other people to decide.")

"I was like, 'Oh my God, you have to be kidding me,' and then he went and got elected," David Gosar said. "I'm not going to break bread with a racist."

Paul Gosar did not respond to a request for comment sent to his spokeswoman.

Gosar, who became a congressman in 2013, has drawn coverage for his extreme rhetoric in recent years.

In January, he drew bipartisan rebukes after he said that he asked the Capitol Police and Attorney General Jeff Sessions to check IDs at the State of the Union to arrest and deport any undocumented immigrants in attendance.

At least one senator, Dick Durbin, D-Ill., planned to bring an undocumented "dreamer" to the speech as a guest.

The next month, Gosar said FBI and Department of Justice officials such as Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, and former FBI Director James Comey should face "treason" charges due to developments in the Russia investigation.

This summer, he spoke at a rally in London for one of Britain's most notorious anti-Muslim campaigners, Tommy Robinson, drawing rebukes from Muslim-American groups.

But perhaps his most notorious moment came in 2017 in an interview with Vice News, when he spread a baseless conspiracy theory that the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that summer had been "created by the left."

He also brought up the common right-wing falsehood that the liberal philanthropist and financier George Soros, who survived the Holocaust, had collaborated with Nazis.

Seven siblings - there are ten in total, including Paul - responded at the time by writing a letter to the Kingman Daily Miner, a newspaper in Gosar's district, decrying his comments in blunt terms.

"We are aghast that Paul has sunk so low that he now spews the most despicable slander against an 87-year-old man without a shred of proof," the letter said. "Those aren't our family values or the values of the small Wyoming town we grew up in. . . . It is extremely upsetting to have to call you out on this, Paul, but you've forced our hand with your deceit and anti-Semitic dog whistle."

Pete Gosar, who was the seventh signee of the letter, ran for governor of Wyoming as a Democrat in 2014.

Brill's ads, of which there are at least three, were filmed in Jackson and Laramie, Wyoming. Brill's team reached out to the Gosar siblings after seeing some of their criticism on social media, according to the Phoenix New Times.

A doctor and a businessman before he decided to run for office, Brill has campaigned on a public health option like Medicare available to all and a platform of lowering the national debt, according to the Arizona Republic.

He faces an uphill battle for the seat; Gosar trounced his Democratic opponent in the deep-red district in 2016, receiving 71.5 percent of the votes. The counties that make up Gosar's district voted heavily for Donald Trump.

Family members who split with their political kin tend to draw attention and media coverage and are often sought by opposing campaigns.

In the recent election cycle, the son of retiring Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia made waves when he endorsed the Democrat running to replace him in August. In the Wisconsin race to replace Paul Ryan, the brother of Democrat Randy Bryce endorsed his Republican opponent in an advertisement by an conservative group.

David Gosar said that Paul Gosar's politics have caused a strain in the family, which hails from the small town of Pinedale, Wyoming.

In one of the ads, Grace Gosar, a doctor, says, "It would be difficult to see my brother as anything but a racist." David Gosar said that their parents, who are in their 80s, are Republicans and support his brother. And David says he's disappointed in the other three siblings who didn't stand with them for the advertisement.

He said he's also upset by people who tell him that there's something wrong with breaking with his family or who make the situation into a joke.

"This is serious stuff, and I'm tired of people making light of it. This is causing serious damage to the country," he said. "If you can't speak out against your family, then don't be a hypocrite and speak out against someone else's family member."

Six of Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar's siblings are denouncing him in a new campaign ad and endorsing his Democratic opponent. pic.twitter.com/rcpk16IRSR  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 22, 2018SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Mayor Ben Walsh today said he wasn't surprised by Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney's decision to leave office next month.

Walsh said Mahoney gave him a heads up before the announcement and they've exchanged messages today. The two have spoken in recent months about her future and Walsh said he knew the county executive was "considering her options."

"We had discussed what the future looked like and how long we were going to be working together and whether she would run for reelection," Walsh said.

Mahoney surprised many Central New Yorkers and political insiders Monday morning when she announced she would resign to take a job at State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Mahoney said she told Gov. Andrew Cuomo about her decision last month. Onondaga County Legislature Chairman Ryan McMahon said he learned the news within the last 24 hours.

Rumors that Mahoney was nearing the end of her time in office have swirled for years. County legislators Monday said they'd often heard she was considering other jobs, but nothing ever came of it.

Walsh said he's looking forward to building a relationship with whoever hold Mahoney's seat next. This morning, he'd already spoken to Ryan McMahon, who is poised to become the next county executive.

McMahon, later in the day, said he and Walsh have known each other since they were four years old.

"I look forward to hopefully working with him in a different capacity," McMahon said.

Walsh said he's happy for Mahoney and that she has served her community well as county executive. He wished her luck with what's next.

"Joanie has been a very good partner to the city and to me, so that's a loss," Walsh said. "And change is always difficult. But with change comes opportunity."

Walsh and Mahoney each come from politically active west side families and have known each other for years. After Walsh's election last year, Mahoney said she was "re-energized" by Syracuse's choice of Walsh.

"I've already got a file on my desk that has his name on it,'' Mahoney said at the time. "I'm getting my agenda ready."WASHINGTON -- Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein expects to be fired Monday, according to multiple reports, a dramatic move that would place Oswego native Noel Francisco in the national spotlight.

Francisco, the U.S. solicitor general, is the next in line to succeed Rosenstein at the Justice Department, a job that would include oversight of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian meddling in the U.S. election.

It would be up to Francisco, 48, to carry out any order from President Donald Trump to fire Mueller.

Francisco, a 1987 graduate of Oswego High School, has supported Trump administration policies as the top lawyer representing the federal government at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Francisco has also shown solidarity with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Rosenstein in the face of criticism from Trump.

Marty Lederman, a Georgetown University law professor suggested Monday that Francisco would recuse himself from oversight of the Russia investigation because his former law firm, Jones Day, represented the Trump campaign.

Lederman, a former top Justice Department official in President Barack Obama's administration, said Francisco has recused himself from Supreme Court cases involving Jones Day.

Walter Shaub, former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, says Francisco would need a waiver from the White House to oversee the Russia investigation because of Francisco's previous job with Jones Day.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney is leaving her elected position mid-term to take a job as chief operating officer at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Mahoney will work primarily at SUNY ESF and will also serve as a special advisor to SUNY Upstate Medical University, she said.

Mahoney said her role would not be to take on any new initiatives, but to help right the ships at the two troubled area universities.

Here are the messes she's stepping into:

Quentin Wheeler, the president of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, resigned at the end of June after tensions boiled over with staff. Wheeler abruptly ousted three highly-respected long-time department chairs three days before the start of the spring semester. Union members strongly opposed renewing his contract.

David C. Amberg, an Upstate Medical University vice president, was appointed July 1 as interim president.

ESF has 1,700 undergraduates and 500 graduate students.

In 2013, SUNY Upstate Medical University lost its president.

Dr. David Smith resigned in the wake of charges he padded his pay with income from outside companies without permission from the state.

The FBI and the NYS Attorney General and Inspector General offices investigated.

A SUNY audit showed Smith authorized the use of $1.4 million from a medical school fund to set up deferred compensation plans for himself and other top Upstate officials including Steven C. Brady, a former senior vice president.

Brady pleaded guilty earlier this year to first-degree falsifying business records in connection with the creation of deferred compensation plans in 2010 for himself and other top Upstate executives.

Smith pleaded guilty today to three misdemeanors.

Dr. Danielle Laraque-Arena took over as president of Upstate in 2016. She is a nationally renowned pediatrician and researcher from New York City.

Her chief of staff pulled her into controversy.

Sergio A. Garcia quit earlier this year amidst allegations he lied about his background and credentials.

An Albany Times-Union story debunked several assertions Garcia made in a 2017 speech, including a claim that he narrowly escaped a car bombing in Afghanistan. He had been on the job for only 15 months.

Laraque-Arena has been criticized for allegedly trying to find out who leaked the information.

Upstate is also being investigated by the state Comptroller, Inspector General and Onondaga County district attorney over $660,500 paid to its former hospital CEO. There is no evidence Dr. John McCabe received any work assignments to justify that payment.

Upstate is Syracuse's biggest health care system and largest employer with more than 9,400 people on its payroll. It trains doctors, nurses and other medical professionals.

Contact Michelle Breidenbach anytime:

|

| 315-470-3186.Should the United States exclude Canada from a new North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico?

President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of freezing out Canada from a renegotiated NAFTA trade deal ahead of an Oct. 1 deadline imposed by the United States.

Mexico agreed to the framework of a new deal in late August. But when talks with Canada stalled last week, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Friday the U.S. is close to moving forward without Canada.

The U.S. and Canada have been unable to resolve a dispute over U.S. access to the Canadian dairy market, an issue that has affected the dairy industry in Upstate New York.

Cayuga Milk Ingredients, a milk processing plant in Aurelius, Cayuga County, lost about $30 million in annual sales last year after Canada imposed duties on ultra-filtered milk imported from the United States. The liquid concentrate is used to make cheese.

We asked the candidates in the 24th Congressional District election -- U.S. Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus, and Democrat Dana Balter of Syracuse -- the following question:

President Trump says the U.S. and Mexico can move forward without Canada to negotiate a new North American Free Trade Agreement. The president says there is "no political necessity to keep Canada in the new NAFTA deal" and warned Congress not to interfere.

As a member of Congress, would you support a NAFTA deal that excludes Canada? Do you support the existing NAFTA deal, and if not, what specific changes would you fight to include in a new agreement?

The candidates' written answers are below. Katko and Balter were asked to limit their responses to 250 words.

Look for a new candidate question each week. Have something you'd like to ask all the candidates? Email Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com with the subject line "weekly question."

Dana Balter

There's no question we need to update our trade policies to protect American jobs and put our companies on a level playing field with those in other countries. But this president's approach is harming American workers. It's been disappointing to watch the lack of leadership from John Katko, who has enabled President Trump to start trade wars on Twitter, with no regard for the real-life impact of retaliatory tariffs.

A new NAFTA deal that excludes Canada is counterproductive. As our largest trading partner, they must have a seat at the table. Many of the benefits of the original agreement came from expanded trade involving all three nations. And many of the greatest shortcomings can't be effectively addressed without including our neighbors to the north. The renegotiated deal must include protections for American workers and adequate safety and environmental protections.

Especially here in Central and Western New York, we know how important cross-border relations with Canada can be. When water, agriculture, dairy, and other issues are of constant concern, excluding Canada from such important agreements is a major mistake. We can achieve better trade policy for our workers without alienating our allies.

John Katko

While trade can be of great benefit to our nation, agreements with our trade partners must be negotiated to protect our workforce and industry here in Central New York.

As I travel throughout our community, meeting with farmers, businesses, manufacturers and the hardworking men and women who comprise our workforce, it is clear several industries in CNY are falling victim to the unfair actions of other countries.

Our local companies and farmers can hold their own against anyone when the playing field is level, and trade terms are fair. But when other countries put the full power of the state behind their producers by creating market distortions and providing unfair subsidies, the growth and survival of our local producers is risked.

For years, Canada has taken advantage of American dairy, altering milk pricing programs to incentivize Canadian producers to buy milk from Canadian farmers, rather than U.S. farmers.

Talks to update NAFTA must prioritize addressing Canada's protectionist dairy policies so U.S. farmers and producers can compete. I have advocated for a deal that would incorporate additional market opportunities for American dairy producers in Canada. Opening Canada's dairy market will help create jobs and increase overall economic ties.

Canada and the United States have industries that rely heavily on each other -- including tourism, newspaper, tech, and lumber. A re-balanced, re-negotiated NAFTA could be beneficial to the U.S, Mexico, and Canada. I'm hopeful Canada will agree to reasonable and fair terms so we can maintain robust, mutually-beneficial trade between our nations.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751Monticello, N.Y. -- A 14-year-old boy allegedly made a social media threat to carry out a school shooting in Monticello.



The threat was posted at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday on Instagram by a user known as "blaxckhood," according to the Times Herald Record in Middletown. A screenshot of the threat was also posted to Facebook.



The district closed all Monticello schools and canceled all after-school activities on Friday while police investigated.



Police arrested a 14-year-old student in the district in connection with the threat and charged him with making a terroristic threat, according to the Times Herald Record. The teen said the post was a joke and wasn't meant to hurt anyone, police said, according to the paper.



The boy's family cooperated with police and confirmed he did not have access to firearms. The boy was released to a family member after his arrest.



He'll be arraigned next week, the Times Herald Record said. Police are still investigating, but believe the boy acted alone.



"The swift arrest of this individual should send the message that there will be a quick and coordinated response to any threat and those responsible will be held accountable," Sullivan County Sheriff Mike Schiff said, according to the paper.

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Google + | 315-282-8598Update: The White House says President Donald Trump and his embattled Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein spoke on Monday and will meet Thursday at the White House amid uncertainty about Rosenstein's fate.

From earlier:

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has offered to resign amid continued conflict with President Donald Trump, according to multiple reports.

The New York Times and AP sources said Rosenstein expected to be fired Monday at the White House, after news reports Friday said he floated the idea of secretly recording Trump last year and raised the idea of invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump as unfit for office. Rosenstein denied the reports.

NBC reported that the White House claimed Rosenstein has offered to resign, but Justice Department sources say Rosenstein won't resign and will have to be fired.

Bloomberg and Axios, however, say Rosenstein has already verbally offered to resign. (Note: Earlier reports said he had already resigned, but Bloomberg and Axios sources now say he only offered.)

It's unclear when Rosenstein would officially leave, but a source told Bloomberg that he's expected to be out of the job Monday.

Rosenstein is currently the official in charge of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself. Trump has frequently criticized the probe, which includes possible collusion between the Trump campaign, obstruction of justice, and Russian meddling in the 2016 election, as a "witch hunt."

To date, Mueller has charged 25 Russian people and companies. Former Trump campaign chairman and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn are among those who have pleaded guilty to various charges.

A source told ABC that Solicitor General Noel Francisco, an Oswego native, is likely to take over as acting attorney general with oversight in the Mueller investigation.

BREAKING: Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein heads to the White House amid reports that he expects to be fired https://t.co/uULbvi5Wpr pic.twitter.com/ftnc2OWTjB  CBS News (@CBSNews) September 24, 2018

Exclusive: Rod Rosenstein is resigninghttps://t.co/CYrag48dtQ  Axios (@axios) September 24, 2018

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.The only early voting site for the special election was in Crown Point. Typically, Griffith does not have an early voting location in town for elections. All polling places in Griffith will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday for the special election conducted for the sole purpose of asking residents whether they would like to leave Calumet Township.Founded in 1815, with over 70,000 lifetime members, the Cambridge Union is now the oldest debating society in the world and the largest student society in Cambridge: over half of the student population owns a membership. The Union is at the core of student activity  a symbol of Cambridge experience  a unique forum which is the home for the largest and most prestigious university and school debate competitions in the whole Country. But the Union is not only about debate. Throughout its history, the Cambridge Union hosted many great political figures such as Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan, but also actors, sportspeople, scientists and Nobel prizes. For years student have had the opportunity to meet and question some of the most influential people worldwide.

Now the Union is ready to kick the new term off in grand style, as the important tradition demands. Doors will be open from 1st to 10th October for a series of events: all members of the Cambridge community are invited. The aim of these events is to offer a sample of the rich programme the Union will be offering this Michaelmas Term, which is going to be a jam-packed one as promised by Charles Connor, President of the Cambridge Union.

No Confidence

The main event of the Open Period will take place on Thursday 4th October, 7:30 pm, starting off an ambitious programme of eleven debates. The Union chose to begin with the traditional No Confidence in Her Majestys Government motion, hosting some of the leading political figures of the Country to discuss the Chequers Plan and Theresa May as Prime Minister. This urgent debate will launch a series of set-piece discussions putting the Union at the centre of our national conversation. Well have the opportunity to hear from Labours last Minister for Europe Chris Bryant MP; former Energy Secretary Sir Ed Davey MP; the eccentric arch Brexiteer Peter Bone MP; Bones Leave colleague Sir Desmond Swayne MP, and Conor Burns MP, one of Boris Johnsons closest political allies. Most importantly, one student member, who auditions effectively, will be given a chance to take on the Government as one of the Union speakers. This event represents a unique and unrivalled experience, a fantastic way to end Freshers Week.

Defending Democracy worldwide

The Open Period programme will not be limited to our domestic political debate: on October 2nd at 6pm, the Union will host Martin Lee, considered the father of democracy in Hong Kong, along with other three icons of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement. The youngest lawmaker in the history of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, Nathan Law, and Benny Tai, the initiator of the 2014 Umbrella Movement. Nobel Peace Prize contender Joshua Wong will be speaking via video link, after his imprisonment earlier this year.

From East to West

The following evening, 3rd October at 6pm, Clintons campaign manager Robby Mook comes to the Cambridge Union to discuss his research on the impact of cyber-terrorism on American democracy, which he conducted at Harvard after securing a highly prestigious placement. The discussion will also include an analysis of the political debacle in 2016 Presidential Election and considerations on the upcoming Midterms.

Not just politics.

After a Cambridge victory last year, the famous Varsity debate (9th October 7:30 pm) will pit some of the finest young university debaters against each other, in a battle of wits. Reaffirming their commitment to student debate, the Union want to confirm their chamber as the venue for national discussion.

Open Period is meant to offer a glimpse of all the interests at the Union. Not only Westminster and Capitol Hill, but also Hollywood. In recent years, the Cambridge Union has hosted actors from Judi Dench to Harrison Ford, and on the 9th October (6pm) Michelle Rodriguez, star of the Fast and Furious franchise, will now be visiting  following another Hollywood star, to be announced in the termcard, who will appear in a closed event on Saturday afternoon.

The Open Period programme is also complemented by many social events. The full programme of which is reported below.

President Charles Connor said of the Open Period,The Union is, and has always been, about discussing the big issues with the biggest names. We are starting the term as we mean to go on.

Expectations are high, but were sure that the Cambridge Union has the right credentials to fulfil them.

Open Period Programme:

1st October

7pm: Sparkling wine reception  meet the committee

8pm: Debating launch

2nd October

6pm: Nathan Law, Martin Lee, Benny Tai (Hong Kong dissidents)

8pm: John Clark-Levin  University Challenge quiz

3rd October

6pm: Robby Mook (Clintons 2016 Campaign Manager)

4th October

7.30pm: NO CONFIDENCE  Chris Bryant MP, Sir Ed Davey, Peter Bone MP, Sir Desmond

Swayne MP, Conor Burns MP

5th October

6pm: PMQs

6th October

10am: Freshers Brunch

Midday: Hollywood star  To be announced

8th October

7pm: Race Panel

9th October

6pm: Michelle Rodriguez

7.30pm: Varsity debate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.Did you know that Microsoft doesn't back up your 365 data? Avoid data loss. Back up your company's Office 365 mailboxes, Teams, and files stored within OneDrive and Sharepoint. Get your free trial of Altaro Office 365 Backup.

An interview with IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, conducted earlier this month by Walter Isaacson for Amanpour & Co. on PBS, is worth watching. Ginni is one of the most successful CEOs in the United States. One of the questions that jumped out at me had to do with why the number of female CEOs has been declining.

Ive followed several female CEOs over the years. Most of the ones Ive followed have failed, largely because they were both unqualified for the job and their boards didnt back them up. In several cases, the board and the CEO seemed to be in conflict, or the board simply didnt do anything.

Those failures have created the impression that female CEOs are a bad bet. However, I believe the real problem is that boards havent been doing their jobs  particularly with female CEOs. You see, I think women make better CEOs than men, but only if they are trained and supported as well, and often that just isnt the case.

Ill explain and then close with my product of the week: the Jaguar iPace, which I finally got to test drive!

The Psychopathic CEO

I think there is an endemic CEO problem, and it isnt simple. One aspect of it is that we tend to favor psychopaths as CEOs, which I dont think does anyone any good. A lot of them  Intels latest CEO was a case in point, tend to go down in flames for abuse of power. A lack of empathy in a leader, whether male or female, is not a good thing. Rather than seeming to favor this type of personality defect, I think we should be working aggressively to breed this defect out of the race.

Yet we dont even seem to test for it when selecting top executives, which means a lot of folks who float to the top, male or female, dont have much in the way of empathy. That lack of empathy has resulted in some truly unfortunate decisions.

I believe both former HP CEOs Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman demonstrated tendencies in line with this problem. Fiorina announced what then were the biggest layoffs in HPs history, and during the same period enhanced HPs fleet of limousines (Maybach) and its private jets, both of which were used almost exclusively by Fiorina. The result was that at the end, no one had her back, and the company effectively celebrated her getting fired.

Whitmans behavior became most clear when she ran for governor of California in 2010. When she found that her housekeeper had entered the country illegally, she fired her  and then blamed her opponent for taking that action. The housekeeper was a woman who had been with her for years, and she tossed her out with no visible remorse (and lost the Hispanic vote and the election in the process).

I think what makes this particularly problematic for women is that we expect women to be more empathetic then men, and yet because we seem to favor a lack of empathy, we tend to weed out the very behavior that will be needed at the top. That in turn tends to drive both men and women psychopaths to the top of the pile, where they fail painfully. Because there are fewer women CEOs, its my belief that we tend to focus on the physical differences rather than the problematic behavior.

Id argue the failures werent due to the CEOs gender, but rather due to their personality defects, lack of relevant training, and lack of critical board support.

The Untrained CEO

IBM is one of the few exceptions where CEOs are groomed early on with a level of rigor consistent with the responsibilities of the job. Two of the most successful CEOs currently in the market in tech are Ginni Rometty of IBM and Lisa Su of AMD, both of whom went through this aggressive program. The program monitors and evaluates advancing executives and typically requires they do time as a CEO Aid to get a sense of the job.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A typical new CEO has almost no clue what the job entails, and many of the skills that got them considered work against them when theyre in the job. One example is self-promotion and seizing credit.

As you advance in a company, you do need to make sure your accomplishments are visible so that you are high on the list for promotion, particularly when you get into management. However, as a CEO, you automatically get credit for what the company does, and successful CEOs become very good at promoting their people and sharing credit, because that results in loyalty. Given the breadth of the job, loyalty is critical to the CEOs success. Put differently: If you cant trust your people and they dont trust you, youll likely fail as a CEO.

Take Marissa Mayer. She was certainly a talented and capable manager, at least while she was at Google, but she failed badly as CEO of Yahoo. Id argue that was because she lacked the skill set to manage a media company (which Google wasnt) and she had no visible training to be a CEO. The board should have ensured her training and backed her up with a senior media expert who could have taught her about the new (to her) industry she was in. The board apparently did neither, and she failed.

The less skilled a new CEO is, the more he or she will have to depend on the board and direct reports for guidance. Asking for help from a subordinate tends to make a CEO look weak, although I still think that is better than failure. Getting advice from the board doesnt carry the same stigma. However, new CEOs dont like to ask their boards for help. I think its because they think that also makes them look weak.

In any case, the board typically selects the CEO, so the board should own ensuring the success of its selection. That clearly isnt the case in most companies with failed CEOs, whether theyre men or women.

Women Should Make Better CEOs Than Men

My early degree in Manpower Management required studying gender differences. One clear difference is that men tend to tunnel and focus, while women can handle a lot of more moving parts at once. Men and women literally are wired differently.

The nature of the CEO role isnt one of focus  not really. That is for line and staff positions that often are defined tightly. A CEO must watch every aspect of a business, including sales, marketing, finance, manufacturing, operations and line functions.

The job requires that you have a lot of balls in the air at any one time. Further, if you want to keep your best execs, youd better be empathetic. Otherwise, youll likely find you are standing alone, and that typically ends poorly for CEOs.

Women seem to get image-building and marketing much better than men do. This is a critical, though often undervalued, CEO skill  one that Steve Jobs showcased.

Because theres a tendency to value the male-oriented skill of focus over multitasking, women often dont advance unless they learn to emulate men, which then hurts them when they become CEOs. In effect, their careers reprogram them, unfortunately, to eliminate their unique advantages as a CEO. I really think that needs to be fixed.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Wrapping Up: We Need More CEOs Like Ginni Rometty and Lisa Su

I constantly see columns arguing that we need more women CEOs, but if we arent going to ensure their success, we can expect bad outcomes. What we need are more qualified CEOs, and a program in place to make sure women and men get the needed skills to be successful.

We also need boards to step up and help new CEOs far more aggressively than they have done in the past, and boards should be penalized much more effectively when a CEO fails, to guarantee that they ensure the CEOs success.

We absolutely need more diversity at the top, but first we must ensure the skills of the people we put into these jobs. Promoting diversity without ensuring skills is what theEqual Employment Opportunity Commission initially did, and we learned that pushing unqualified minorities into jobs was a company-killing practice  though, admittedly, it is a ton easier than providing training.

Companies should establish a rigorous CEO executive resource program, so that rising executives can gain the critical skills theyll need in case they become CEO. I think these programs should be as diverse as the firms customer base, and that talented women should be recruited aggressively into these programs.

It is my view that the more qualified and empathetic women we have running companies, the better our customer experiences, the more ensured our investments, and the more reliable our job security will become.

In short both Ginni Rometty and Lisa Su showcase the capability and promise of qualified women as CEOs. We dont just need more women CEOs  we need more women CEOs like Ginni and Lisa. It is as much a quality as it is a quantity problem, and the answer isnt multiple choice  it is all of the above.

Thanks to Dell (Dell did the virtual reality rollout for the Jaguar iPace) I was at the launch of this vehicle in Los Angeles. I almost instantly fell in love with the car and then tried to order one, which eventually took Dell getting involved.

With the companys help, I got it done  but I never actually test drove the car until last week. The Portland Oregon Jaguar Dealer (the only one in the state) offered a test drive, and we drove three hours to the dealership to give the car a try. It was a preproduction prototype, but it should be nearly identical to the production cars that are shipping.

Jaguar I-Pace

Now Ive driven both Tesla S and X cars and found them wanting. Both were too big for me, and while I thought the Tesla S was amazing, you couldnt give me an X. I found it both ugly and a nasty mix of overly complex unreliable technology. (For instance, those damn gull wing doors have a nasty habit of breaking, and Ill likely have scars on my head for life as a result.)

What makes the iPace very different than the Teslas is that it was designed from the ground up as an electric car. The motors are on the axels and the battery runs under the car, so you dont need a huge hood. The result is a car that is as small outside as Jaguars small SUV, but nearly as big as its large SUV inside. This makes it far easier to park and drive, while the big Teslas (S and X) are kind of like driving a bus. They are huge.

The other interesting thing is they tuned the iPace for the road, not a drag strip. This means the high-end Teslas are significantly faster than the Jaguar in the quarter mile, but the iPace wont overheat on a road course they way a Tesla does. This means you can take the Jaguar on a spirited drive and not end up in limp home mode, which isnt uncommon in a Tesla.

In driving the car, the performance was in line with my Mercedes GLA45 AMG, which is the fastest car Mercedes has up to 30 miles per hour. Room and comfort were very nice  fit and finish in line with a luxury car and generally better than a Tesla.

Like most electrics, the car was dead quiet, with only some road noise making it into the cabin. Negatives were limited to a lack of rear vision through the small (for a crossover) rear window, and a slow infotainment system, which I think is due to the use of Intel rather than Nvidia or Qualcomm.

One other negative is range. Range on the iPace is 250 miles, give or tak, and for fast charging, it needs a high-speed charger. Currently there are few of those installed, although VW has committed to fund a massive increase. Until they are up and running, the Tesla Supercharger network remains a huge advantage for that line.

Overall, I can hardly wait till my iPace arrives in November, and the test drive got me excited all over again about this car. So, the Jaguar iPace is once again my product of the week.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECT News Network.Why it matters: Quantum computing fundamentally could change the way problems are solved and will spawn a new era of advancements across many industries. Microsoft's latest research endeavor employs some of world's best talent that have a track record of making major breakthroughs.

Microsoft has christened a new quantum materials lab in Lyngby, Denmark that has been tasked with producing some of the physical pieces required to build the first scalable quantum computer. Engineers and researchers from Copenhagen University, the Technical University of Denmark, and Microsoft will staff the research laboratory.

There are four other quantum facilities being run by Microsoft, but this latest lab holds a special purpose. It will be building the qubit, or rather the quantum processing cores of the computer.

Peter Krogstrup, scientific director at Microsoft and professor of the University of Copenhagen will be in charge of daily operations at the lab. Experts in nanofabrication and quantum physics will work under Krogstrup's direction to push towards breakthroughs in technology.

One of the problems to be tackled by the new facility is creating sustainable quantum states that are more easily interpreted. Measuring extremely small particles at near absolute zero is difficult as it is, but any slight error in reading a quantum state can destroy the information contained in it without a second chance to try again. Krogstrup says, "That's one of the things that we are now able to investigate further here in Denmark."

Types of materials that are extremely pure and able to be precisely arranged will also be a research topic. In order to create a qubit, each and every atom of a substance must be in proper place without any room for error. Unlike traditional microprocessors containing material impurities that do not significantly affect performance, qubits can be rendered useless by a single atom defect.Bottom line: RGB LEDs have infiltrated virtually every sector of the computer hardware industry, storage included. Kingston isn't the first to market with an RGB SSD but it is perhaps the most reputable brand to do so.

Kingstons gaming division, HyperX, today introduced two new storage products designed with gamers in mind.

The HyperX Fury RGB SSD is a 2.5-inch SATA 3.0 drive offered in capacities of 240GB, 480GB and 960GB. Powered by a Marvell 88SS1074 controller, it utilizes 3D TLC NAND and offers sequential read / write speeds of up to 550MB/s and 480MB/s, respectively, with maximum power consumption of 2.5 watts during writes.

True to its name, the Fury RGB SSD features a visually stunning light bar that offers customizable RGB lighting effects when paired with compatible motherboards. Kingston says the drive can be daisy-chained to sync RGB effects across system internals.

The new Savage Exo SSD, meanwhile, is an external drive boasting read speeds of up to 500MB/s and writes of up to 400MB/s. Available in capacities of 480GB and 960GB, its compatible with Windows and Mac as well as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One via USB 3.1 Gen 2.

All new drives come backed by a three-year warranty and are available from today in the US and Canada. Pricing ranges from $74.99 for the 240GB Fury RGB SSD to $234.99 for the 960GB model over on Amazon. The Savage Exo SSD is listed for $219 on HyperXs website although I imagine itll be significantly cheaper once it lands on e-commerce sites.John Bullock, Sandra Bullock's father, has passed away. The announcement was made by the actress' sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado on Instagram last Sept. 19.

The ex-war veteran was 93 when he died. The Miss Congeniality star still has not released any comments. John's death came almost 20 years after his spouse, Helga, passed away in 2000.

"Beloved baby brother, American #WWII #bronzestar #veteran, husband, father of 4 strong women, #grandpa, adorable scamp, handsome devil, and trickster to the end," captioned Gesine as she posted a black and white throwback photo of her father.

John Bullock's Life

Born John Wilson Bullock on Feb. 11, 1925, he was raised in Germany before his family moved to Virginia. He met the love of his life when he served as the leader for the U.S. Army's Military Postal Service in Europe.

He was stationed in Nuremberg. They got married in the city before they moved back to Virginia. After which, John worked as a contractor for the Pentagon.

According to Sandra Bullock's longtime boyfriend, Bryan Randall, he was with his beloved family and friends during the last moments of his life.

"PS: Hey God, we're sending you a live one!" he said during the Army veteran's service. He also posted a tribute to John on his Instagram account.

Sandra Bullock's Family

Notably, in an interview with Hoda Kotb on the Today Show, the popular actress got emotional when she talked about what her late mother would have thought of her now as a mother to her daughter, Laila, and her son, Louis.

"I often sit and, like, I wish that they would just allow the person who's deceased just to beam down for a second so you can say, 'When do you want them to show up?' And I was like, 'Like, right now would be the ultimate time,'", she stated.

Furthermore, she added that her mother would have loved every single minute of it. The Oscar-winning actress also stated that she would have wanted her to assure her that everything is working great now and they are doing great.

Eight years ago, the actress also became an open book about how her parents brought her up. According to her, she was treated with her siblings equally, no one was greater, more powerful, or more intelligent.

She also wishes to mirror the same parenting method with her adopted children and wanted to let her kids know that they belong in a large and diverse family.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.Actress and activist Jane Fonda's response to the global #MeToo movement has garnered cheers from fellow women across the world.

Jane Fonda Supports #MeToo Movement

The 80-year-old said that she was shocked by the movement's force that has managed to shake Hollywood. According to her, she never imagined that she would live and see the movement take life.

She added that for the #MeToo movement to be effective, it has to be inclusive to those who survived abuse even outside of Hollywood. It must put priority in equal pay to empower women in the grassroots and center intersectionality.

"Guys are trying to make a comeback and they haven't done the work," the actress said, proving the lack of empathy she feels for those who committed abuse.

She even mentioned the efforts of Charlie Rose to get back into the industry. Apparently, Rose got fired by PBS and CBS after he had faced charges of sexual harassment.

Fonda said that the time the perpetrators have been out of work does not matter at all. If they have not done it, she does not see a reason for them not to come back. In fact, she still believes that the perpetrators can still return to the world but she recommended that they should not be easily let off the hook.

Despite this, she said that she has great compassion for men although it is needed for them to be fixed and be showed what the proper way is.

"'Oh, poor top-paid executives who can't get his job back,'" Fonda said, who then garnered applause from the audience, including her dear friend, Gloria Steinem, also an activist. "Sweep the floor at Starbucks until you learn! If you can't learn, you don't belong in the boardroom. And there are plenty of women who do belong in the boardroom."

A New Documentary

The iconic celebrity made her comments during a luncheon for Jane Fonda in Five Acts, a new documentary directed by Susan Lacy. The event was held on Sept. 20 at Manhattan's The Pool restaurant. The film highlights five periods of her professional and personal life.

During the occasion, Fonda and the director had a 40-minute long Q&A session moderated by Paula Weinstein, Tribeca's Enterprises's executive vice president. The chat gave Fonda a chance to prove that she still has not lost her candor.

In fact, she did not hold back in speaking about the Time's Up movement and #MeToo movement. Notably, the veteran actress gives her support for both groups.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.Apple's streaming service, expected to launch in March 2019, will take a conservative approach and focus on family-friendly programming with no sex, profanity, or violence on any of its shows.

Investments in Apple original programming have been bountiful, in preparation for the service's launch. It remains to be seen, however, how the decision to focus on shows such as The Elephant Queen and Wolfwalkers will affect the Apple streaming service's competitive edge over rivals such as Netflix.

Apple Streaming Service Will Be Family-Friendly

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is taking a conservative approach with its streaming service, making it clear to producers and agents that it does not want "gratuitous sex, profanity or violence" in its shows, as well as political and religious subjects. Instead, Apple is angling for "high-quality shows with stars and broad appeal."

One example that was cited in the report is Vital Signs, a scripted drama that was based on the life of hip hop mogul Dr. Dre. Last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down to watch the show, which featured drugs, guns, and an orgy.

Cook told Apple Music executive Jimmy Iovine that the show was too violent and that Apple's streaming service should not show it, according to sources familiar with the company's plans.

Keeping Apple's "squeaky clean" image for its streaming service has reportedly delayed or interfered with many projects. Apple employees in Los Angeles have already started referring to the streaming service as "expensive NBC" because the planned content was so bland.

Apple has always leaned toward the conservative side, such as with its ban against adult content on its App Store. It appears that the same mindset will be applied to its streaming service, which will likely affect how it stacks up against rival services.

Apple vs Netflix

Apple has invested a lot of money in its streaming service, but the conservative approach may hurt the company in the long run, especially amid competition against its rivals in the space.

For example, Netflix has not shied away from controversial content with shows such as 13 Reasons Why, Narcos, and House of Cards. Apple streaming service shows, based on the report, will never carry programs with similar themes.

Sex, profanity, and violence are not the only keys to a successful streaming service, but Apple's restriction on content may alienate certain parts of its intended audience. If the company does not move away from its family-friendly approach, the streaming service may find itself struggling to produce entertaining content.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.But Alting, who acts as a gatekeeper to state alcohol laws as chairman of the Senate Public Policy Committee, also said that creating a more robust Alcohol Tobacco Commission that could more quickly and efficiently process permits and licenses while enforcing consumption laws could "absolutely" lead to an expansion of cold beer sales. The state agency currently has a $13 million budget but fewer than one excise officer per county. There are 74 officers to enforce laws in 92 counties.The highly hazardous Katla volcano in Iceland is ready to erupt for the first time in 100 years, with a massive explosion that experts fear could be worse than the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano.

The Katla volcano has previously been identified as one of the most active volcanoes in Iceland, with major activity levels after earthquakes in the area last year. The volcano's eruption, scientists say, is not a matter of "if," but rather of "when."

Iceland Volcano On The Brink Of Major Eruption

Scientists have issued a warning that the highly hazardous Katla volcano in Iceland is preparing to erupt, according to signs that they have detected.

The cone of Katla is hidden underneath a glacier on a 5,000-foot peak, which makes it more difficult to monitor its volcanic activity. However, airborne measurements have revealed that Katla has released carbon dioxide on a massive scale, which indicates that its magma chambers are filling up to prepare for a volcanic eruption.

"There is no way of telling when it will erupt, just that it will," said Icelandic Meteorological Office volcanic hazards coordinator Sarah Barsotti.

Katla is one of the largest volcanic sources of carbon dioxide on Earth, responsible for up to 5 percent of total global volcanic emissions. It is releasing dozens of kilotons of carbon dioxide daily, causing concerns that it may eclipse the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eight years ago.

When Eyjafjallajokull erupted in 2010, thousands of passengers were stranded because the ash plume from the volcano suspended all air travel across Europe. Scientists are wary that Katla's eruption will have the same effect, though it will depend on the intensity once the eruption actually happens and the direction of winds at the time.

Skepticism Against Katla Volcano Eruption

University of Iceland geophysics professor Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson, however, remains skeptical that the Katla explosion is imminent.

According to Gudmundsson, more research is required before any conclusions may be made regarding Katla's eruption. The professor said that the gas emissions of the volcano may be coming from magma deep under the southern part of the volcano belt, with Kalta only serving as an exhaust channel.

Nevertheless, when there are reports that there is a volcano about to erupt, people living near the area should stay on the safe side and prepare for an explosion. In addition, if the Eyjafjallajokull eruption will be considered, an explosion from Kalta will be felt around the world, not in terms of the ash plume but due to its expected effect on global transportation.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.A letter written by Galileo Galilei that defended the heliocentric model of the solar system and challenged religious doctrines has recently been discovered.

The 7-page letter addressed to a friend and was penned on Dec. 21, 1613 is believed to be the beginning of the renowned astronomer's battle with the Catholic Church.

An Important Artifact Rediscovered

The letter that historians long thought has been lost was discovered by a postdoctoral science historian Salvatore Ricciardo of the University of Bergamo in Italy. He visited the Royal Society in August for a different purpose but found an important artifact in history instead.

"I thought, 'I can't believe that I have discovered the letter that virtually all Galileo scholars thought to be hopelessly lost,'" he said to Nature. "It seemed even more incredible because the letter was not in an obscure library, but in the Royal Society library."

Galileo Galilei's Battle With Catholic Church

Two differing version of the letter exist: one was sent to the Inquisition in Rome by a Dominican friar while the other, with less accusatory language, is now kept in the Vatical Secret Archives. Because the original was thought to be lost, historians had no way of knowing if one of the letters was edited by the clergymen to help their heresy case against the astronomer.

However, the original letter found by Ricciardo while browsing the Royal Society's online catalog proved that Galileo edited his own words to appear less critical of the Catholic Church. The newly discovered letter contains amendments.

In the letter, Galileo explained that the heliocentric model of the Earth orbiting the Sun, which was first proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus in the book On The Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, did not actually go against theological doctrine. He said the references of astronomical events to the Bible should not be taken literally because descriptions within the scripture were oversimplified to be understood by the public.

Moreover, the astronomer argued that there should be a separation between scientific research and theological doctrine.

Copernicus himself did not live to see the impact of his theory that the Earth is not the center of the universe. His book had been published just before he died in 1543.

However, Galileo did. The Church accused the astronomer of heresy and warned him to abandon his controversial claim.

Notably, 16 years after his first bout with the Church, Galilei published Dialogue on The Two World Systems, a book that once again discussed the Copernican model of the solar system. He was once again investigated and was forced to testify about himself in a trial. He was convicted with "vehement suspicion of heresy."

Galileo was under house arrest for the remainder of his life.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.A recent poll found that almost half of the parents said that their children aged 13-18 do not get enough sleep every night.

The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health surveyed 2,000 parents asking whether their teenage children experience any sleep problems, and what they do to address it.

Teens Cannot Sleep

An astounding 43 percent of the parents surveyed for the study admitted that their teenage children have trouble falling asleep, waking up in the morning, or unable to fall back to sleep. About 25 percent of that number said that their children had occasional (1-2 times a week) problem sleeping while 18 percent experience sleeping problems frequently (3 or more nights per week).

Majority of parents believe that electronics use, especially at night, contribute to the problem. About 56 percent of parents said that their children refuse to log off of social media or turn off their phones and, therefore, have an irregular sleeping pattern.

Meanwhile, 43 percent believe that their teens do not get enough sleep because of homework and other school activities. About 31 percent of parents think that their children worry about school while 23 percent worry about their social lives.

Only 10 percent of parents said that their children had other health condition or take medication that interferes with their sleep cycles.

"What parents are sharing with us is that the 'normal life' of a typical American high schooler is interfering with sleep," stated Sarah Clarke, co-director of C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

Parents also shared their own ways to deal with their children's odd sleeping pattern. Majority of the parents limit their children's consumption of caffeine (54 percent), use of electronic devices especially in bed (53 percent), or having a snack at night (44 percent). About 36 percent of respondents use natural or herbal remedies, specifically melatonin, to help their children go to sleep.

Around one-quarter of respondents admitted that the teenagers use over-the-counter sleep medicine (16 percent), antihistamine (14 percent), and prescription sleep medicine (5 percent).

Effects Of Not Getting Enough Sleep

According to the Nationwide Children's Organization, teenagers only get seven hours of sleep every night. However, according to studies, children aged 13 and up need about nine hours of sleep every night.

People who do not get enough sleep can experience mood swings including irritability and crankiness. Sleep deprivation is also linked to poor cognitive performance that leads to lower grades in school.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.GONZALES  A Baton Rouge contractor convicted of filing inflated property liens in a scheme to defraud homeowners who flooded in August 2016 was released from jail Monday morning in Ascension Parish.

Defense attorney Al Robert Jr. said Matthew J. Morris, 41, has finished two four-year prison sentences he received over the past three weeks for filing false public records in Ascension and Livingston parishes.

Robert added that Morris remains out on bail for a pending bank fraud charge in Terrebonne Parish. Online records in Terrebonne show Morris is set for trial Nov. 13.

For the single counts in Ascension and Livingston parishes, Morris took what is known as Alford pleas. In the pleas, he admitted that the evidence against him, if presented at trial, would likely lead to his conviction, but was allowed to maintain his innocence.

Morris has done so with vigor, claiming he lost money on his post-flood contracting work and blaming his subcontractors on the homeowners' woes.

+5 Video: BR contractor accused of flood fraud maintains innocence after plea deal GONZALES  After entering a plea bargain to settle accusations that he bilked flood victims out of the tens of thousands dollars, convicted co

The plea agreements also prevent Morris and the homeowners from suing each other further.

Morris' defense attorney Mike Fawer said Monday his client is "glad to put this behind him." Morris will continue, Fawer added, to advocate that Louisiana legal protections for homeowners match what homeowners in Texas and Florida receive and that "small business owners who seek to help flood victims" have better protections also.

"He hopes to have the opportunity to tell his story, but his most immediate concern is to spend time with his family," Fawer said.

The plea deals were part of a global agreement expected to lead to the dismissal of more than 160 fraud and other counts against Morris in Ascension, Livingston, East Baton Rouge and St. John the Baptist parishes. Robert said the counts in Ascension and Livingston and those in East Baton Rouge have been dismissed already.

Prosecutors have said they reached the agreement to ensure that Morris' victims could receive some kind of monetary settlement from his insurer. Additional convictions for fraud or other charges would have undercut any settlement through the insurer.

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Morris' victims in Ascension and Livingston were paid more than $299,200 in restitution, prosecutors have said.

In both pleas, judges in Ascension and Livingston gave Morris concurrent four-year sentences with credit for time served since his arrest in February 2017. With additional good time reductions, Morris was able to complete the sentences and be released Monday from Ascension Parish Prison.

Morris pleaded and was sentenced in Livingston Parish on Sept. 4.

Notorious flood contractor Matthew Morris gets 4-year prison term in Livingston Parish LIVINGSTON  A Baton Rouge contractor accused of defrauding anxious flood victims following the August 2016 deluge was sentenced to a four-yea

In the Ascension plea agreement that Morris admitted to Sept. 18, prosecutors said the false records were filed in the final part of a scheme to inflate the home demolition, restoration and other costs for the owners of 18 homes flooded in August 2016.

The plea deal says Morris, CEO of Complete Construction Contractors, falsely presented himself as licensed to do home restoration after a flood.

He gave clients contracts with no monetary amount and with open-ended cost language of "up to $750,000." He also never provided invoices or estimates until after demolition was finished and payment was demanded at a price $15,000 to $30,000 more than the going rate, the plea says.

Through additional inflated billing practices related to the drying and decontamination of the home, Morris would leave his clients in the position that they had spent or mostly spent their maximum insurance payouts before home repair was finished, forcing them to terminate the contract, the plea says.

Once the contract was terminated, Morris used portions of the agreement to add fees that were not related to actual work, including claims assistance even though he did not have a license to act as a public adjuster, the plea says.

Through this process, he also used special estimating software to grossly inflate customers' costs and add charges for work that wasn't done. Reports from that software were used as documentation in exaggerated contractors' liens Morris filed against the flood-damaged homes of his former clients, the plea says.

Victims and law enforcement officials have said the liens blocked homeowners from finishing their home restorations, though Morris later released the liens after his arrest.Searching just north of the Interstate 10 bridge Monday morning, authorities found the body of a man who appears to have jumped into the Mississippi River and drowned.

East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Dr. Beau Clark said the body has since been identified as Jeffery Wilkinson, 37. Clark said the cause of death is drowning. He said there were no visible signs of foul play, but results from a toxicology screening are still pending.

Authorities received a call about 8:40 a.m. Monday that a body had been seen in the river near the USS Kidd, finding the body soon after near the Belle of Baton Rouge casino, said Sgt. Don Coppola, a Baton Rouge Police spokesman.

Baton Rouge Police and the U.S. Coast Guard led the search. Clark said his office came out right after the body was found and pronounced Wilkinson dead at 9:29 a.m.

A man was seen entering the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge on Saturday morning, but Clark said he's not certain that individual is the same as the person whose body was found Monday morning.

The Coast Guard on Saturday searched approximately 30 square miles for about nine hours for the man, according to a news release. The man was seen entering the river about 7 a.m. Saturday, the Coast Guard said.Rose Awards -- Taking home awards from the American Institute of Architects Baton Rouge chapter's annual Rose Awards Gala July 30 are, from left, Michael Miller, Crump Wilson Architects; Michael Holly, Holly & Smith Architects; Scott Ritter, Ritter Maher Architects; Joshua Hoffpauir, Hoffpauir & Associates; Jon Heltz, Coleman Partners; Jimmy Hebert, GraceHebert Architects; and Fritz Embaugh, plus one design & construction.Not for the first time, the U.S. Congress is showing itself ill-equipped to deal with the complex and financially challenging issues around flooding and the National Flood Insurance Program.

The latest deadline for action is Nov. 1, when the NFIP law expires. That would mean that coverage continues for policyholders, but new policies could not be written in the vast coastal areas of the United States.

Obviously, Louisiana is ground zero for this problem.

As state Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon points out annually as he travels the state before each hurricane season, NFIP coverage is cheap, and Louisiana has vastly benefited from the program.

In fact, it was created after Hurricane Betsy hit Louisiana and New Orleans hard in 1965. Private insurers fled the flood insurance market, forcing a federal role.

Still, Donelon told the Press Club of Baton Rouge, it remains a struggle to get homeowners and businesses to sign up for NFIP  until, of course, there's a flood. But over time, policy numbers tend to drop.

Hurricanes like Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike have resulted in immense payouts to businesses and homeowners over the years. Florence is the latest.

The unnamed storm that poured devastation during the Louisiana floods of 2016 also cost the program, as did the extensive flooding of Houston by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

If Congress does not reauthorize NFIP, what then? To say, as some idealistic free-market conservatives argue, that NFIP policies should be priced exactly to meet the cost to the general taxpayer would result in an insurance-mandated economic depression in coastal America.

We applaud Louisiana's delegation in Congress and community leaders like Greater New Orleans Inc., a key organizer of business groups on this issue, for pushing a more balanced and comprehensive approach to what is a difficult financial problem. It is vital to coastal communities to seek a compromise. As Donelon points out, Sandy in 2012 reminded the northeastern states, and their legislators, that they have a strong interest in getting this issue right.

Further, we applaud local governments  East Baton Rouge Parish is one  pushing for comprehensive water management planning that will likely suggest ways in which NFIP flood maps can be altered to more realistically assess flood risk of specific properties.

By Nov. 1, if the political currents allow, there might be another short-term extension of NFIP, but that probably would not resolve the longstanding concerns of coastal communities and fiscally conservative legislators.

After the midterm elections in November, we hope that Congress will aim for a long-term reauthorization of NFIP on the basis of reasonable compromise over these issues.An answer as to why their bill was 10x higher than normal

Jean Lafitte's lost treasure

Their keys that went missing on Halloween night

Jeff Landry's law degree

Vote

View ResultsPublic officials who abuse their positions for personal financial gain will not be tolerated, U.S. Attorney Thomas Kirsch II said in the release. My office, with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue those who corrupt their office for self-serving motives."25 years

Vowing to make a difference in the preservation of the personalities of their individual communities, new officers with the St. Tammany Municipal Association were installed Saturday night and heard state Rep. Eddie Deano Jr. note all of the sacrifices public officials make. Mayor Keith Villere, of Covington, was sworn into office as the new president of the association, replacing outgoing President Bryan Gowland, of Abita Springs. Slidell Councilman Thomas Schedler was named vice president and Alderman Jerry Lange, of Madisonville, was named secretary, and Councilman Sam OKeefe, of Covington, was named treasurer of the group. Villere said that these were exciting times in St. Tammany and he pointed out that cities have special needs that should be worked out with the parish government especially in the area of annexation. ... We need to work together and form a bond to unify the cities of the parish, Villere said.

50 years

Some 100 interested Mandeville area residents turned out at the Mandeville town hall Tuesday morning to fight plans for limited access to North Causeway Approach and to U.S. Highway 190 as far as the proposed Interstate 12 intersection. Mandeville Mayor Paul Cordes presided at the stormy session. W.T. Taylor, assistant to the director of the Louisiana Department of Highways, said opposition to the plan was made evident by the number of citizens who turned out in protest. ... The proposal as it exists calls for an overpass at Monroe Street and N. Causeway Boulevard to allow traffic to cross without interruption. It also recommends a diamond-type interchange with Highway 22 and the Causeway Approach.

75 years

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Mrs. Carmelite LeBlanc, publicity chairman of the Legion Auxiliary, makes a final appeal to our people to help the Smokes for the Boys campaign by forwarding a donation in any amount. The campaign, sponsored by Legion and Slidell Lions Club, will come to an end on Saturday and it is hoped any person who can afford any amount will send in their contribution at once. It is hoped the cigarettes can be shipped in time to arrive overseas for Christmas and there could be no finer way of making some soldier happy at that time than by sending him a carton of smokes which through the cooperation of tobacco companies, can be purchased for a small amount.

100 years

Prompt action of the Community Council of Defense of Covington has mitigated the danger of influenza spreading in this town. The disease was brought into the family of Mr. L.C. Moise, Kenneth Moise having contracted it during his travel from Chicago from a companion on the train. Dr. J.F. Bouquoi, the family physician, reported the case to the Covington Board of Health. While negative results followed the first laboratory test, there being found streptococci and pneumococci but no Pfeiffer bacilli, which is present in the disease. Dr. Bouquoi was so positive of the symptoms that further tests were made from the cultures from the back of the nostrils, as suggested by Dr. Dowling, when positive Pfeiffer bacilli were found. The Council of Defense ordered a quarantine of the Moise residence and took necessary precautions to prevent spread of the disease.

125 years

Mrs. Emma Talley killed a large rattlesnake pilot in her yard last Tuesday morning. The children discovered it in a pile of old lumber and she promptly mashed its head with a stick.A prominent Mandeville church has fired a staff member following allegations he violated a set of policies meant to protect children and other vulnerable people from abusive behavior, church leaders told the congregation in an email Sunday.

Travis Bush often sang at services and held the title of assistant director of worship arts before he was fired from St. Timothy on the Northshore United Methodist Church, the email said.

The email said Bush had been accused of unspecified serious criminal allegations in Mississippi. While the church leaders said there is no indication any accusations against him originated locally, they invited parents to attend a meeting Wednesday as well as call them with any concerns.

Neither Bush nor the churchs lead pastor, the Rev. James Mitchell, responded to requests for comment Monday.

St. Timothy on the Northshores email came five days after the Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers Facebook page published a photo of a man resembling Bush, saying the person depicted had provided alcohol to and molested an underage boy in Bay St. Louis on Sept. 18.

The victim knew only that the accused attacker went by a nickname  T  and possibly worked as a stagehand in New Orleans, the Facebook post said. The post asked the public to help police in Bay St. Louis  roughly 45 miles east of Mandeville  identify the man in the photo.

Bay St. Louis police didnt immediately answer messages Monday. It was not clear whether Bush had been taken into custody and booked with a crime.

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St. Timothy on the Northshores leadership said it was heartbroken to learn about the accusations against Bush, who had worked at the church for several years.

His part-time employment was terminated after an investigation into his actions revealed a failure to follow what are known as safe sanctuary policies, which require nearly all interactions between staff and young people to occur in group settings with at least two adults present, the email from St. Timothy on the Northshore said.

Any exceptions made for one-on-one counseling require the consent of a parent as well as the knowledge of at least one other church staff member or volunteer, the church said.

The church also said volunteers and staffers must undergo background checks and personal interviews before working for St. Timothy on the Northshore.

We pray for all involved and the church as a whole, the email added.

Founded in 1975, St. Timothy on the Northshore has nearly 4,000 members, including many prominent political and business figures from both sides of the lake.The Jefferson Parish school system will receive nearly $3 million over the next five years to help address mental health challenges faced by students and staff, officials have announced.

The money, which is part of a $9 million grant received by the state's Department of Education, will arrive in equal installments of about $550,000 per year beginning later this school year.

The grant came from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The money will be divided among 34 "struggling schools" in Jefferson, St. Bernard Parish and Monroe. These schools were previously identified by the state as having high rates of referrals for out-of-school discipline, and their school systems submitted plans on how they would improve each site.

State surveys have shown that between the sixth and 12th grades, the percentage of students needing mental health treatment goes up each year. By their senior year, nearly a quarter of students need some form of mental health treatment, according to Dr. Janice Petersen, of the Louisiana Department of Health.

So many children come to school every day with mental health issues caused by things that occur in the home or the community, said Edna Metcalf, the director of health and social services for Jefferson schools.

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The money will be used to help students recognize issues associated with mental health, train faculty and staff in how to recognize mental health issues and connect students with existing agencies that help address mental health needs.

How specifically those programs will work is yet to be determined, said Cade Brumley, the Jefferson Parish school superintendent.

He said one area he hopes to focus on is alternative schools, where students who have been expelled from their regular schools are often sent. Jefferson has two alternative schools that at present enroll about 120 students total.

"We as a society need to be looking at those programs  whether they are best suited for restorative programs for kids so that they can get the help they need and re-enter a traditional school setting," Brumley said.

Jefferson Parish is the state's largest district, with nearly 50,000 students.

The state also will use a portion of the $9 million to create a Louisiana School Mental Health Support Program in partnership with the state's Health Department.Justin Milne knows something about high level corporate politics. But in orchestrating the removal of ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie, he has made the most contentious call of his career, and put the spotlight on himself.

"I don't see myself as an interventionist chairman," Milne, who did not respond to calls on Monday, told Fairfax Media in an interview back in 2017.

Incoming ABC chairman Justin Milne says he will not take an "interventionist" approach at the public broadcaster. Credit:AFR

He made those comments upon his appointment to the high profile role at the apex of the public broadcaster. Less than a year on, he and the ABC board decided to remove managing director Michelle Guthrie halfway through her term, without much of an explanation.

Milne, a former senior executive at Telstra and at Microsoft in Australia, is known for having a healthy competitive streak. Despite his extensive commitments on the director circuit, he is an active oarsman, and up until recently was president of the Leichhardt Rowing Club.Yet he says he always felt as if he were acting  offering up the side of his personality best suited to the occasion.

False modesty? Maybe. As well as being a revered member of Britain's theatrical aristocracy, he's an inveterate talk show guest, celebrated for being frank and funny, and an eloquent campaigner for gay rights.

Like many actors, Ian McKellen claims his most difficult role is to be himself.

Ian McKellen as Richard III in McKellen: Playing The Part.

With this film, director Joe Stephenson, a longstanding friend, gets past all that, winkling out the person behind the performer in a wide-ranging interview complemented with photos and film from every stage of McKellen's life.

It goes much deeper than the hugely entertaining anecdotal festival that Roger Michell made recently with Tea with the Dames. A rumination on the joys and costs of a life devoted entirely to acting, it hums with a poignant sense of self-discovery, as if McKellen is crystallising things he's only half-known about his life's milestones and motivations.

It starts with memories of his Lancashire childhood, which Stephenson has fleshed out with re-enactments  a risky manoeuvre which could have destroyed the mood completely. But these dreamy sequences, shot in soft-focus black and white, are imbued with the spirit of an old Rank or Korda film. As he remembers his childhood trips to the theatre in the 1940s, we accompany him, with Milo Parker, his co-star in Bill Condon's Mr Holmes (2015), perfectly cast as his stagestruck young self.

He talks, too, of his sense of isolation as the boys he knew started getting interested in girls. The theatre became his comfort and the source of his identity. He was Ian, the boy passionate about putting on plays.A Canberra jail inmate was hospitalised with 36 individual injuries, including a collapsed lung and fractured ribs and facial bones, after a savage prison bashing last year.

His brother, who was also beaten during the incident, required stitches to fix a tear injury to his ear.

However, the brothers told an ACT Supreme Court trial on Monday that they do not know who attacked them.

Alex Bourne, 30, Daniel Grech, 28, Marcus Rappel, 43, Jeremy Leigh Jackson Reid, 26, and Isileli Paea Taholo, 31, are on trial before Justice Michael Elkaim accused of bashing the brothers in their cells at the Alexander Maconochie Centre on August 7 last year.

They have all pleaded not guilty to two charges each of intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm.Bellas Jakubiak's twice cooked pork belly, pommes pommes puree, fig glaze, watercress. My experience has been there's a small proportion of people who are only interested in, if you like, the technical side of wine, but the vast majority of people want to share your experience as a local, as a person who has invested time and energy into producing something of value, and we've always found in doing that, spending time with people who visit, is the most beneficial. We like to see ourselves as treating people as part of the family and hosting them in the same way we would my brothers or my sons. For us thats been a major part of what we've tried to build with the business since we took it over a couple of years ago, that connectedness with people that we have with our own family and friends. Its been a busy year for Tallagandra. In May, former My Kitchen Rules winner Bella Jakubiak opened Bellas restaurant onsite to much acclaim and now theyve secured an export deal to the United Kingdom, sending almost 200 cases of wine overseas. For the moving feast Jakubiak will serve twice-cooked pork belly, pommes puree, fig glaze and watercress matched with a 2016 The Favourite Son tempranillo. For dessert therell be a dark chocolate pot, hazelnut white chocolate creme, triple strawberry bang matched with a 2017 The Diplomat viognier.

Its not a pavillion Its just a cellar door, says Tanya Olinder, from Shaw Vineyard, of the new building, with high cathedral ceilings, ceiling to floor windows that overlook the vines, open fires, cosy nooks, and a huge verandah that will be the perfect spot on any afternoon. Two years in the planning, designed by Oztal Architects and built by Classic Constructions' Pier Projects, the cellar door sets a new benchmark for the region. Karen Shaw, left, and Tanya Olinder welcome you to the new Shaw Vineyard Estate cellar door. Credit:Karleen Minney Previously Shaw hosted tastings in Olleyville Restaurant on the property but it wasnt working as best as it could for either party.

We felt we'd lost our own identity as a wine destination, Olinder says. We didnt have the ability to showcase our wine the way we wanted to. Now theres a lounge area where you can buy a bottle and just relax yourselves, an area for seated tastings and a private tasting room for big groups. We cant wait to see how this new space just adds to the whole experience, she says. For the feast theres a cured ocean trout, parsley salad, puff quinoa, shaved heirloom carrot matched with their estate riesling. For dessert a dark chocolate dome, raspberry gel, fudge brownie matched with a botrytis semillon or estate merlot.

The simple things At Barton Estate, Julie Chitty is getting a little worried about how many people might be coming over for lunch. We dont do food usually, she says. And we find thats one thing people love about this weekend, some places do do food, but for the ones who dont, the smaller places, it does almost feel like youve just been invited over for lunch. The trick is, she says, to whack the word rustic in there somewhere and just make sure people have a fun time. Its all about the relationships, its all hands on deck and the wine maker might actually be the one serving you the meal, its a good chance to showcase who we all are as people and not just the wine.

Here theres aromatic Moroccan lamb and lentil stew: slow cooked and served on couscous, garnished with coriander and toasted pistachios and served with crusty bread. The vegetarian option is roasted cauliflower and mushroom casserole, matched with a petit verdot or Bordeaux style cabernet blend. Dessert is warm lemon buttermilk cake, served with riesling syrup and double cream matched with Elva, a late picked riesling. For more information about the Moving Feast and a full list of participating venues head to makersofmurrumbateman.org.au Five courses to try Nineteen venues are offering food and wine matching menus over the weekend. Eden Road: Trio of arancini: pumpkin and goat cheese with rocket pesto, syrah infused braised beef cheek and parmesan with chilli jam, wild mushroom with persian feta and micro salad. Matched with their 2015 Murrumbateman syrah or 2017 Long Road pinot noir.

Helm Wines: Chef Paul Butler from Chef at Home will be serving barbecued bratwurst from Griffith Butchery, sauerkraut, mustard and relish. Matched with a glass of cabernet sauvignon or riesling. Gallagher Wines: Dark chocolate cream filled snowball doughnuts, served with a shiraz and berry coulis. Matched with their 2016 sparkling shiraz. Wins Creek Meadery: Honeyed chicken and aubergine biryani: an aromatic array of herbs and spices accompanying honey glazed free range chicken, raita, chutney and naan. Matched with their ginger mead. Granitevale Estate: Individual banoffee pavlova: a decadent mix of cream, slivered almonds, banana, crushed chocolate covered honeycomb and drizzled with caramel sauce and chocolate fudge sauce. Recommended wine: 2016 PinkIce sangiovese/sauvignon blanc. * Savoury dishes are entree size, $25. Desserts are $20. All meals include a complimentary glass of wine and a Riedel wine glass valued at $20 to keep.

Make a weekend of it While its called the Moving Feast you could stay put in Murrumbateman and check out the four-star Abode hotel which opened earlier this year. Manager Tony McEvoy says the hotel offers the perfect base for locals and visitors to experience the Moving Feast. Make a weekend of the Moving Feast and stay put at the Abode hotel. Close to many of the participating wineries, a sleepover at Abode Murrumbateman takes the fuss out of deciding how youre going to get home after dining your way through the cool climate wine region, he says. Our Escape Package is the cherry on top; packed with extras, including complementary Abode bike hire to help you cruise about the Moving Feast map.How heartless to put a contaminant in food that could be eaten and hurt the consumer. What possible motive could be behind someone trying to injure another that they don't even know?

We aren't talking strawberries. This is the canine equivalent causing upset and concern in the normally tranquil and unruffled parks of the inner west in springtime. Where dog walkers go armed only with a plastic bag. Two reports of food left in parks, where dogs frequent, which had been baited with rat poison, have emerged in the space of five days.

Lily Kenny's dog Lola almost died after eating a meatball laced with rat poison. Credit:Peter Braig

In the latest worrying development, the Inner West Council said it had received a report about a dog bait in Callan Park in Lilyfield on Friday night. Officers carried out a search of the area but did not find any baits, the council said.We cant take advantage of things everyone else can, she said. We want to be able to kayak and paddle just like everybody else. This launch is the first step, were not going to stop here.Teenagers across Australia will be given a free meningococcal vaccine to protect them against four strains of the potentially deadly disease, the Morrison government announced on Tuesday.

More than one million 14 to 19 year-olds will receive the ACWY meningococcal vaccine (Nimenrix) over the next four years when the quadrivalent vaccine is added to the National Immunisation Schedule from April 2019.

Meningococcal has been on the rise in Australia. In 2017 there were 382 cases reported nationally compared to 252 in 2016 and 182 in 2015.

Mischelle Rhodes is one of the 10 people who have died of Meningococcal W strain across the nation this year. Credit:Facebook

The number of deaths rose from 11 in 2016 to 28 in 2017, of which 21 were due to the A,C,W or Y strain.I am not sorry Guthries gone. I love the ABC and have done my whole life. Its my constant companion. Last week, when I said I would prefer to go to the gym in the morning rather than go for a walk with my beloved husband, he responded sullenly: You love Fran Kelly more than you love me.

But could whatever  whoever  happens next be even worse? Staff are terrified - although that wasnt entirely apparent from the hordes who congregated on the internal balconies on the Harris Street side of the Sydney headquarters on Monday. Mostly they were on their phones talking to the outside world about their own breaking news. Telling the odd gallows joke.

Finally, Michelle Guthrie was gone. The former managing director of the ABC was sacked on Monday in brutal fashion , a victim of her own lack of understanding of the ABCs purpose. She was just halfway through her five-year term so she lasted longer than Jonathan Shier, the one managing director loathed even more than Guthrie.

She was absent. She was hostile. She didnt understand public broadcasting. And she moved like a ghost through the foyer of the ABC on the odd occasion she was even there.

Under her leadership, staff fumed, social media was flooded with complaints and funding was slashed. On top of that she had a terrible relationship with the government and a worse one with chairman of the board Justin Milne.

Perhaps Im blaming the wrong person for some of the chaos. It cannot be easy to defend a public broadcaster against a government which opposes public broadcasting, if not by word, then certainly by deed. This years federal budget saw the government cut $84 million from the ABC's funding, to bring the sum of damage to the ABC to more than $330 million over an eight-year period.

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Staff and loyal viewers need someone to be strong. That probably does not mean Milne, whose handiwork this sacking must be, and who was not strong enough to face 7.30s Leigh Sales on Monday night. He chose instead to speak to the lovely Joe OBrien. Thats not the leadership the ABC needs. Milne is utterly obsessed with Jetstream, a project to ensure the ABC has digital infrastructure ready for when we no longer have broadcast. I wish he could be as obsessed with the broader ABC project as he is with this. And it may not even mean David Anderson - the loyal ABC lieutenant who will now act in Guthries job  although he is ABC to the core. He was the alternate candidate when Guthrie was appointed.

The ABC is a beacon in journalism. This year alone, its work on aged care forced the government to a royal commission; its stories about Saxon Mullins forced the NSW government to review consent laws; with Fairfaxs genius Adele Ferguson, the ABC forced the small business ombudsman into an inquiry on whether the ATO is targeting small businesses. Yet its more than the investigations, more than funny old ABC Life, more than its emergency broadcasting, more than its rural reporting and its classical music; and so much more when you put it all together. Its a whole glorious messy entity which lives in the lives of all Australians, which is one reason it is the top-ranking trusted media brand in Australia.Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was, to my knowledge, never screened on Australian television. It's a pity. Fred McFeely Rogers died in 2003 at the age of 74, gone but not forgotten in the US. But the documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor?, now screening and a forthcoming biographical film starring Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers will, I hope, raise awareness in this country of the man and his longtime work with and for children (there are lots of shows and clips on YouTube).

Rogers' longrunning PBS show (more than 900 episodes made between 1968 and 2001) was somewhat different from the fast-paced skits and animated segments of fellow PBS show Sesame Street and the activities, songs and games of our Play School. But it shared elements with both these excellent shows, made for a similar demographic, while forging its own path.

Fred Rogers on the set of his show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood from the documentary, Won't You Be My Neighbor? Credit:AP

I was born in Chicago and spent my first three years there, and I'm told, I was a big fan of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, like so many other children. My parents, like some other adults, found it a bit slow and low-key and the puppet character of Henrietta Pussycat particularly annoying with her constant verbal tic of adding "meow" between almost every word in her simple sentences. Rogers' deliberate pace and wholesomeness made the show ripe for parody (Eddie Murphy had a recurring mock-children's-show segment, Mr Robinson's Neighborhood, on Saturday Night Live) but for its intended audience, it worked. However, its long-term effects have been somewhat controversial.

Rogers, an ordained Presbyterian minister who was also a musician and had training in child psychology, used television as his own form of ministry, though his focus was not on proselytising religion.Education funding has been controversial in Australia for well over a century. In recent times, though, controversy had been largely supplanted by consensus, driven by the idea that funding be based on student needs.

The federal governments decision to inject an additional $4 billion into non-government schools, after fierce lobbying from the Catholics and independents, could undermine sector-blind funding aimed at supporting all children based on their individual needs.

Pick me! Pick me! Credit:Martin Hunter

The initial overarching principles, all the way back to the 1800s, were that schools should be free and attendance compulsory. A further guiding notion was that education be secular. This led to the Catholic Church establishing separate schools throughout the land. Gough Whitlam campaigned on a promise to fund Catholic education. He delivered once elected in 1972, and no government has walked that promise back.

It is reasonable for the government to seek to better calculate parents wealth by moving from a model that made an estimate based on census data for school neighbourhoods to a means-tested system based on families taxable income. But in the drive to ensure no school sector misses out and to avoid a political backlash when none can be afforded, this rubric appears to have been compromised to appease independent and private schools.A man accused of killing hundreds of wedge-tailed eagles in Victoria's east has been handed the first custodial sentence for the destruction of protected wildlife in the state after he pleaded guilty to the crime.

Murray James Silvester faced Sale Magistrates Court on Monday morning charged over the deaths of the protected birds of prey.

He was found guilty of the death of 420 wedge-tailed eagles in East Gippsland between October 2016 and February this year, and sentenced to 14 days in jail and fined $2500.

It's understood to be the first custodial sentence for the destruction of protected wildlife handed out in Victoria.He made threats towards the staff member and a struggle erupted, resulting in the man leaving the store empty handed.

The first robbery happened about 7.30pm when a man with his face covered entered a store on Somerville Boulevard in Winthrop.

Regional Investigations Unit detectives are probing the robberies, which took place in Thornlie, Darch, Leda and Winthrop.

Detectives are investigating four armed robberies across Perth overnight, some of which may be linked.

At about 8.30pm, a man also with his face covered entered a service station on Feilman Drive, Leda with a weapon. He made threats towards the staff member and went behind the counter where he took cash from the till.

Then just before 11pm, two men approached two employees who were cleaning a licensed premises in Darch.

One of the men had what is believed to be a firearm and the other man a knife. The employees were threatened and several rooms searched. Two backpacks were taken before the men left the area.

And just before midnight two men approached some employees after they left a tavern on Murdoch Road in Thornlie. One of the men also had what is believed to be a firearm and made threats towards the employees. They were forced to unlock the premises and some cash was taken before the men fled.

Anyone with any information about any of the four robberies is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au where callers can remain anonymous if they wish.A man has been charged over an alleged sex attack on a teenager in Northbridge.

Sex Assault Squad detectives have charged the man with three offences after their investigation into an alleged incident in the Cultural Centre area of Northbridge on Sunday.

Police will allege the attack happened in the Perth Cultural Centre. Credit:Georgia Matts

Police say about 11pm, a teenage girl was with a friend when a man not known to them approached them and struck up a conversation.

It will be alleged the man grabbed the teenager and forced her to a nearby area where he sexually assaulted her.New Environment Minister Melissa Price has described as "shameful" and "outrageous" Labors pursuit of a Great Barrier Reef charity to which her government controversially bestowed almost half a billion dollars in taxpayer funds without a tender process.

Ms Price also launched a personal attack against Labor senator Kristina Keneally, accusing her of using Senate hearings into the grant to promote her own career.

The federal government announced in April it would gift $443 million to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, a small business-focussed charity, to fund projects such as water quality improvements and tackling the crown of thorns starfish.

New Environment Minister Melissa Price has lashed Labor's "witch hunt" of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The seemingly out-of-the-blue decision involving the largest-ever reef grant took even the foundation by surprise. The government soon drew criticism for failing to run a tender process, for excluding its own expert agencies from applying for the funds and for handing over such a vast sum of money to a small organisation with ties to the fossil fuel industry.A push to compel Australia's telecommunications companies to install spyware on customers' phones under broad new security plans could be "severely damaging" to the country's cybersecurity, the industry has warned.

Telcos are part of an expanded group, which includes device makers like Apple, search engines like Google, and social media apps like Facebook, which could potentially be compelled to help federal authorities gain access to encrypted communications, according to submissions made on a draft bill currently before parliament for consideration.

Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

"Agencies could oblige a device manufacturer to preload (and then conceal) tracking or screen capture software (spyware) on commercial handsets which could be activated remotely," said a joint submission lodged by the Communications Alliance (the representative body for Telstra, Optus and device manufacturers like Nokia and Huawei), the Australian Information Industry Association and the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association.

"The lack of clarity and detail raises significant concerns around intent, actual implementation and, ultimately, legislative overreach."To date, over 3,200 detectors were requested statewide, including 94 percent of Indiana public school districts. It is administered through the Indiana Department of Administration which has spent more than $330,000 to date, according to the release.The ABC's decision to sack Michelle Guthrie has evoked mixed reactions from readers.

While ABC radio presenter Jon Faine argued the former managing director's stint was an "astonishing fail", some, like Riley Brown condemned Faine's "cowardly personal attack".

"Clearly, Faine is no gentleman," Brown wrote. "What is even more cowardly is that he declines to elaborate on his nasty comments when contacted by Fairfax Media. Faine obviously needs a lesson in respect and courtesy."

Tony Re of Georges Hall, said there were many unanswered questions.Treasury secretary Phil Gaetjens took home a pay packet worth up to a $100,000 more than other political advisors by clinging onto his public service position while working for Scott Morrison and Peter Costello.

Mr Gaetjens spent only 1 year and 4 months working within Treasury in two decades, but in an unusual set of circumstances received three major promotions in line with the wages of an independent public service executive despite working for politicians.

The promotions meant Mr Gaetjens' pay packet soared to $360,000 a year as chief of staff for Mr Morrison, while the salaries of other political appointments in minister's offices were limited to a maximum of of $250,000 per year.

Treasury secretary, Phil Gaetjens. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

Mr Gaetjens now receives $875,000 in his new role - the second highest salary in the government, $300,000 more than the Prime Minister and slightly less that the secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Martin Parkinson.The Northern Beaches Council is to vote on a controversial set of policies to restrict poker machines, including a measure that would allow it to ban the machines from property leased from the council.

The proposal follows the death of Gary Van Duinen, who took his own life earlier this year after an overnight binge on poker machines at venues including the Dee Why RSL.

The entrance to the Ambassador gaming room at the Dee Why RSL. Credit:James Brickwood

Mr Van Duinens mother, Joy, is expected to address the council on Tuesday night in support of the proposals. She told Fairfax Media she believes that Clubs NSW, the lobby group that represents the industry, has too much power over the state government and it was now up to councils to act.

"The state government isnt going to do anything, its addicted to the money," she said, referring to tax revenue generated by poker machines.Havana: Cuba's new president Miguel Diaz-Canel has arrived in New York for his first trip to the United States, where he will denounce the decades-old US trade embargo on his country at the UN General Assembly.

Tensions have heightened between the Cold War foes after US President Donald Trump tightened the embargo last year following the resumption of diplomatic relations under his predecessor, Barack Obama. Washington also alleged a series of health attacks had taken place on US diplomats in Havana.

The Cuban government has said no attacks occurred and that the Trump administration was using whatever did occur - if indeed anything did - as a pretext to escalate its hostile stance on the Communist-run island.

Diaz-Canel, who took over the presidency from his mentor, Raul Castro, in April, will address the UNGA Nelson Mandela Peace Summit on Monday (US time) and the General Assembly on Wednesday, according to state-run outlet Cubadebate.United Nations: With a mock security pass that lists her as the "First Baby" of New Zealand, three-month-old Neve Te Aroha made her United Nations debut on Monday when her mother - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern - spoke at a peace summit in the General Assembly.

NZ PM Jacinda Ardern's daughter Neve has her own pass as her mum appears at the UN. Credit:AAP

Ardern's partner Clarke Gayford, who is the baby's full-time caregiver, sat with the New Zealand delegation and held Neve as Ardern spoke. Ardern, 38, is only the second elected leader to give birth while in office, after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto in 1990.

Gayford posted a photo on Twitter earlier on Monday of Neve's security pass for the annual gathering of world leaders in New York this week.Rolls-Royce Cullinan Heads to Jackson Hole for Luxury Event Of The Year

LONDON - September 24, 2018: A collection of Rolls-Royce Cullinans has departed the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex to attend the luxury event of the year. Bound for the vast and challenging terrain of Wyoming in the United States, Cullinan will be appraised by 200 of the worlds top journalists and social influencers during its Global Press Drive next month in the luxury surroundings of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The most eagerly anticipated motor car of 2018, Cullinan intends to prove itself Effortless, Everywhere by making luxury off-road travel a reality for the first time. The worlds first super-luxury SUV, Cullinan is also the first three-box SUV in the world whose contemporary and functional design will ensure its iconic status in the face of increasingly bland SUV designs.

The fleet of Cullinans will show a wider breadth of configurations to the worlds media for the first time. A palette of modern exterior paint colours, leather and wood combinations and of course the two bookends offered by Cullinan  the more functional rear lounge-seat configuration with folding seats and rising boot floor; or the most luxurious individual seat arrangement featuring the center console with Champagne fridge and crystal flutes, whisky decanter and crystal tumblers, and a glass partition between the luggage and passenger compartments  will all be available to the attending guests.

Rolls-Royce chose Jackson Hole for the launch of Cullinan because it is one of Americas best-kept secrets offering a high-end outdoor lifestyle to its wealthy residents and visitors alike. Located in Teton County  the wealthiest corner of the United States of America per capita of population  Jackson Hole is home to some of the worlds most affluent people and well-known celebrities, as well as the destination for the annual gathering of Central Bankers at the Economic Policy Symposium.Bentley Continental GT Wins Double Gold at Prestigious German Design Awards

 All-new Continental GT wins exterior and interior design categories

 Jury of independent experts award finest Grand Tourer ever built







CREWE, England - September 24, 2018: The all-new Bentley Continental GT has won Gold in two key categories of the prestigious German Design Awards  one of the most highly respected design competitions in the world.

The luxury Grand Tourer was named winner by a jury of independent experts in the categories for best Exterior Premium Brand and best Interior.

Designed, engineered and handcrafted in Great Britain, the third generation Continental GT has been launched to global acclaim. Blending the highest level of attention to detail and artistry with refinement and performance, it represents the very essence of the Bentley brand.

Commenting on the award-winning exterior, German Design Council judge, Jurgen Lewandowski said: The jury was impressed by the muscular exterior design of the latest Continental GT, which has retained a classic elegance that made its predecessor so popular, yet is more sculptured and sharply defined.

Presenting the jurys verdict on the interior design of the Continental GT, Prof. Andrea Lipp-Allrutz added: With the Continental GT they have managed to achieve a combination of tradition and the modern zeitgeist, not only in terms of technology but aesthetically too. Traditional craftsmanship, cutting-edge technology and aesthetics merge together to form an extraordinary design from this extraordinary brand.

The all-new Continental GT profile is longer and lower than its predecessor, due in part to the positioning of the front wheels 135mm further forward. This has allowed the bonnet to be extended and the nose to be lowered, while the key signature lines of the original model still dominate, with power lines travelling from the diamond-style headlights to the rear haunches.

Inside the Continental GTs finely handcrafted cabin is a world of hidden delights. It is a showcase for Bentleys unrivalled expertise in the authentic use of materials  from the highest quality natural leathers to rare, sustainably sourced veneers.

The exquisitely styled dashboard is sculpted by long-flowing wings and includes the innovative and industry-first Bentley Rotating Display. Pillow knurling replaces mechanical knurling in some areas, for a softer, more refined feel to the switches and controls.

Stefan Sielaff, Bentleys Director of Design, added: To receive two such prestigious design awards says everything about the quality that our highly skilled designers delivered when creating the new Continental GT. It is a design based on a bold new vision that is still unmistakably Bentley.

The German Design Awards is organised by the German Design Council and honours the worlds best automotive design achievements. The Council was founded in 1953 and is one of the worlds leading design bodies.Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

On Monday afternoon, black-clad people across the country walked out of their schools and offices as part of the #BelieveSurvivors protest to show their support for the two women who have publicly accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

The protest comes one day after The New Yorker published Deborah Ramirezs account of a man she believes to be Kavanaugh shoving his penis in her face at a Yale party. The week before, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford told the Washington Post that in high school, Kavanaugh locked her in a room, pinned her to the bed, and attempted to force himself on her.

I thought he might inadvertently kill me, Ford told the Post. He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing.

Their stories have strengthened the calls for President Trump to withdraw Kavanaugh as a nominee, and have also reignited a national discussion about how we treat the people who speak up about their experiences of sexual assault.

As women, femmes, and allies stage walkouts across the nation, were kicking off our #BelieveSurvivors #CancelKavanaugh rally on the steps of the Supreme Court. pic.twitter.com/FsRga8RLa9  Women's March (@womensmarch) September 24, 2018

Since coming forward, people have tried to discredit, mock, and harass Ford and Ramirez online. Ford and her family have had to move out of their Palo Alto home because she was receiving so many death threats. The president wondered why she didnt report her assault earlier, a naive comment that led many Twitter users to share why they didnt come forward about their abuse with the hasthag #WhyIDidntReport.

LIVE: Video of protesters getting arrested, after taking over the Russell rotunda in the Senate building to protest Kavanaugh. They are chanting We believe the women! #BelieveSurvivors pic.twitter.com/gr2i29UmRK  Scott Dworkin (@funder) September 24, 2018

But on Monday, people stepped out to show their support for Kavanaughs accusers, as well as all survivors of abuse who havent been believed.

Women wearing black walked out of their offices at 1 pm, put their fists in the air and said believe survivors. This is just one random park in NYC pic.twitter.com/5LsnqL60W0  Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) September 24, 2018

Celebrities like Allison Janney, Kerry Washington, the cast of Will & Grace, and the cast and crew of Full Frontal With Samantha Bee joined the walkout.

Women must be heard. Today I am wearing black in solidarity with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. #BelieveSurvivors #TIMESUP #StopKavanaugh pic.twitter.com/pSZhEIr0Xe  kerry washington (@kerrywashington) September 24, 2018

Politicians including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray, and Kamala Harris also showed their support.

We #BelieveSurvivors.



Special thanks to local @MomsDemand members for coming by Corona for todays walkout.



To all survivors out there - know that you are loved and accepted.



You dont have to carry this weight on your own. pic.twitter.com/oEkYDuv2Pf  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) September 24, 2018

I hear you. I believe you. I stand with you. #BelieveSurvivors pic.twitter.com/S7vo4hzRwD  Chirlane McCray (@NYCFirstLady) September 24, 2018

Wore black today in support of all survivors of sexual assault or abuse. We won't let them be silenced or ignored. #BelieveSurvivors pic.twitter.com/immVdGsepx  Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 24, 2018

And at monuments and government buildings across the capital, protesters and activists gathered to call for Kavanaughs withdrawal, and it appears several arrests have been made.

NOW: The walkout begins in the Hart Senate Office Building. #BelieveSurvivors pic.twitter.com/QqdyOV4DUW  NWLC (@nwlc) September 24, 2018

Dozens getting arrested outside @SenatorCollins office  over 30 of her Maine constituents came down to #StopKavanaugh. #BelieveSurvivors pic.twitter.com/DaLAd80UU6  Monica Klein (@MonicaCKlein) September 24, 2018

And the kids, as usual, know whats up.

We walked out today because NOT all high school boys are rapists like #Kavanaugh and because, unlike the gop senate, we #BelieveSurvivors



Thank you Dr Christine Ford for standing up pic.twitter.com/asu1O6FIMg  Jack Torres (@JackTorres00) September 24, 2018

Im Jake Cohen and Im one of the directors of SASHA. Only two kids (Sabine& I) out of 1700 from our school walked out today. Regardless-we support survivors. We the youth reject Brett Kavanagh. We the youth say no to sexual violence. #WeTheStudentsDoNotConsent #BelieveSurvivors pic.twitter.com/bIj0GZh5vi  The Sasha Initiative (@sashainitiative) September 24, 2018Yale Law School students protesting Brett Kavanaugh. Photo: Yale Law Students Demanding Better

After covering Yale Law School in posters condemning the universitys support of Supreme Court nominee and Yale alumnus Brett Kavanaugh last Friday, students are continuing to protest what they see as their schools complicity in supporting a man accused of sexual misconduct. This time, theyre taking action both inside the walls of the school and in Washington, D.C. Today, 115 YLS students bussed down to the U.S. Capitol, while dozens of others are occupying their schools halls in a sit-in to demand that the Senate committee conduct a fair and impartial investigation into the mounting sexual-assault allegations against Kavanaugh.

Were organizing both to oppose the hasty, biased, and incomplete investigation of the Brett Kavanaugh sexual assault allegations and to support and stand with Professor Christine Blasey Ford, Debbie Ramirez, and all people who have experienced sexual violence and sexual harassment, YLS student Veronica Guerrero said, referring to the two women who have publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault.

By early Monday morning, members of the law school faculty had already cancelled 31 of the days scheduled classes in anticipation of the planned student actions, which follow last weeks silent protest. Law student Dana Bolger, whos among the 115 YLS students protesting at the Supreme Court and meeting with senators in Washington, D.C., today, told the Cut that everyone is mad as hell.

It is unconscionable that it is 2018 and the Senate is set to repeat the same shameful mistakes of over two decades ago, she said, referencing Anita Hills testimony in 1991 against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, who she accused of repeated sexual harassment. We should be past this.

YLS students protesting in Washington, D.C. Photo: Yale Law Students Demanding Better

Meanwhile, in New Haven, students dressed in black filled YLSs halls, where an organizers told protestors that as a community, they were there to discuss the very real threat that Brett Kavanaugh poses to this country and to show that we take allegations of sexual assault and harassment seriously. Connecticut senator and Yale graduate Richard Blumenthal also made an appearance at the sit-in, where he told students, There is no way that the US Senate, in good conscience, can vote on this nomination without a full investigation.

Blumenthal later told reporters that Kavanaughs accusers must be heard, and that they have a right to tell their stories when and how they wish.

Hundreds of Yale Law students are sitting in today, with nearly all classes canceled - to protest the #Kavanaugh nomination. pic.twitter.com/4qnQMqVoPT  Josh Rubin (@Rubin_Josh) September 24, 2018

As of Monday morning, Kavanaugh is facing a number of sexual-assault allegations, which first came to light two weeks ago, after Christine Blasey Ford accused the SCOTUS nominee of sexually assaulting her while they were both in high school in the 1980s. Just last night, the judge was hit with another accusation: One of his former Yale classmates, Deborah Ramirez, told the The New Yorker that Kavanaugh drunkenly thrust his penis in her face, which caused her to touch it against her will, in the 1980s. Later that night, lawyer Michael Avenatti tweeted that he is representing a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh, and a Montgomery County Sentinel report on Monday revealed that local investigators are looking into allegations against Kavanaugh from a potential fourth accuser. (Kavanaugh denies assaulting Ford, or any woman.)

Sit-in at YLS. Photo: Samantha Peltz

At YLS, students say the allegations are especially infuriating because of their schools complicity and facilitation of Kavanaughs alleged behavior. Just last week, reports emerged alleging that two YLS professors had instructed their female students who were interested in clerking for the SCOTUS nominee to present model-like femininity.

In response to todays demonstrations, Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken released a statement in which she acknowledged that the accusations against Kavanaugh are rightly causing deep concern at Yale Law School and across the country.

Her statement continued, Students have worked with the Law School administration and faculty so that the community can come together as a whole to discuss this important moment in our countrys history.

But until there is a full, fair, and impartial investigation of the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh, YLS students say they will continue to feel overwhelmed with disillusionment and frustration.

Our schools complicity in pushing forward this nominee must end now, Bolger told the Cut.Marshall later filed a motion to suppress, alleging the traffic stop was unlawful, court records state. The trial court concluded that an officers testimony of speeding, without radar, pacing or some number, when based upon his or her expertise and ability to draw conclusions about the excessive speed of the vehicle, in general terms, is sufficient to establish a reasonable suspicion of a traffic infraction justifying a stop, court records show.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a press briefing at the State Department in Washington, on Aug. 16, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

America Fights for Religious Freedom at Home and Abroad, Pompeo Says

More than 80 percent of the worlds population live in countries that restrict religious freedom

WASHINGTONSecretary of State Mike Pompeo says the Trump administration has placed religious freedom at the center of its foreign-policy agenda.

Speaking at the 13th Annual Values Voter Summit, Pompeo said, Since the earliest days of this presidency, President Trump has directed all of us in his administration to advance and defend religious freedom at home and abroad.

More than 80 percent of the worlds population lives in countries that restrict freedom of religion and belief, Pompeo said, singling out the Islamic Republic of Iran and China in his remarks.

We stand with the Christians, the Jews, the Sufis, the Muslims, Zoroastrians, the Bahai, and all other faith groups in Iran who have had their human dignity violated by this regime, he said.

Another example is in China, he continued. Hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions, of Uyghurs are held against their will in so-called re-education camps, where theyre forced to endure severe political indoctrination and other awful abuses.

Pompeo also raised concerns about the intense new government crackdown on Christians in China, which includes heinous actions like closing churches, burning Bibles, and ordering followers to sign papers renouncing their faith.

Religious-freedom conditions continued to deteriorate in countries around the world in 2017, according to a recent report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a U.S. government advisory body that monitors religious freedoms abroad.

In the report, 10 countries, including China, were designated as countries of particular concern.

Chinas human-rights record has been criticized for decades. Religious groups and minorities in China have been subjected to systematic arrests, unlawful imprisonment, torture, and brainwashing. More shocking is the forced organ harvesting from prisoners, which has become a multibillion-dollar industry, according to human-rights advocates.

Pompeo also talked about the first U.S. Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom held at the State Department in Washington in July. More than 40 foreign ministers and representatives from 80 countries attended the July meeting.

Pompeo called the ministerial a unique event, where other countries stood with the United States in our cause of defending the rights of all individuals to worship how they choose and to believe what and how they want.

I hope itll become a tradition that is honored by decades of happening, and I hope to attend the 30th, 40th, and 50th ministerials, he said, adding his wish for it to become a landmark gathering for the world.

The Values Voter Summit is an annual political conference hosted by the Family Research Council, an American conservative Christian nonprofit charity and activist group. The summit aims to inform and mobilize citizens across the country to protect the values of traditional marriage, religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and limited government.

Pompeo touted the administrations efforts to bring home three Americans who had been imprisoned in North Korea, calling the rescue effort the greatest highlight to date of my job as secretary of state.

He also affirmed the administrations commitment to bring home Andrew Brunson, an American pastor who has been held in Turkey for almost two years.

We are sparing no effort to return Pastor Brunson home to the United States. The work is important. He has been wrongly held, he said.

Brunsons daughter, Jacqueline Brunson Furnari, spoke after Pompeos remarks during a panel discussion about her fathers captivity in Turkey.

Twenty-five years ago, my dad decided to follow Gods call on his life and move to Turkey to preach the gospel to share Gods love with the Turks, she said.

In this indictment, my fathers crime is named as Christianization, essentially equating it to terrorism and espionage and it is, for the most part, based on secret witnesses testimony, she said, adding that her family is waiting for the next court date, which is Oct. 12.

Its a sham trial and my dad is being used as a bargaining chip.

Socialist Agenda

Speaking at the summit, Ben Carson, secretary of housing and urban development, stressed the importance of the values and the principles that made us into a great nation.

He also addressed the controversy surrounding Judge Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court confirmation process and tied the sexual-assault allegations to a socialist agenda.

If you really understand the big picture of whats been going on, then whats going on with Judge Kavanaugh will make perfectly good sense to you, he said. There have been people in this country for a very long timego all the way back to the Fabianswho have wanted to fundamentally change this country.

The Fabian Society is a British socialist organization formed in 1884 to advance socialist policies.

They dont like what America is and what it represents, and they want to change us to another system, Carson said. In order to do that, there are three things that they must control: the educational system, the media, and the courts. OK? The first two they have. The courts they thought they had, and it was snatched out from under their noses in November of 2016.

Carson called the opposition desperate and blames them for resorting to chaos and destruction.

And now they dont see themselves as being able to control the courts for another generation, he said.

So what is left? Chaos and destruction.British Woman Locked Up for Bringing Painkillers Into Egypt Loses Appeal

LONDONA British woman who was imprisoned in Egypt because she brought hundreds of painkillers into the country has reportedly lost an appeal against her conviction.

Laura Plummer, 34, from Hull in northeast England, was sentenced to three years in prison for carrying 290 prescription Tramadol tablets in her suitcase in late 2017.

She was visiting her Egyptian husband, Omar, to take a two-week break near a Red Sea resort.

Plummer says the tablets were for his severe back pain.

Tramadol is an opioid available in Britain as a prescription medication, but it is a controlled drug in Egypt. It is used by some as a substitute for heroin. Plummer claimed that she didnt know Tramadol was controlled in Egypt.

Plummer appeared in court wearing an all-white hijab, according to The Sun. She reportedly broke down in tears as her husband and family broke the news to her inside the Al Qanater prison that her appeal had been rejected.

Plummer told The Sun: I thought the appeal judges would see sense and realize I couldnt have known the tablets were banned. Its just so absurd.

I hate it. I hate it so much. I just want to come home. What dont these people get? I wonder if Ive died and this is hell.

What did I do that was so wrong in my life to end up here?

Ignorance of the Law Not a Defense

Britains Foreign Office and Plummers tour operator submitted paperwork to the court that they said demonstrated Plummer had no way to know the medication was banned, including evidence that an Egyptian website listing prohibited items was not up-to-date.

But the court said ignorance of the law could not be considered a defense, and upheld the original courts decision.

Plummers mother Roberta Synclair told The Sun, Were disappointed, but not surprised. Each time we come to Egypt we prepare for the worst. Anything else is a bonus.

Another appeal is possible but may be months away.

Lawyer Mohamed Osman said the failed appeal could be better for Plummer over the long term.

Osman told The Sun, If the judge had accepted the appeal, he would have returned the criminal case back to the criminal court and Laura would have been starting again from the beginning.

An online petition to help free Plummer garnered over 114,000 supporters and describes Plummers carrying 23 ($38) worth of the prescription painkiller Tramadol as just an innocent mistake.

Plummer is reported to have brought 29 strips of Tramadol, each containing 10 tablets, plus some Naproxen.

At the time of Plummers arrest, her brother James said the situation had been blown out of proportion.

Shes so by the book, so routine, she just likes her own home comforts, watches Emmerdale every night or things like that, going to bed at 9 oclock every night, he told PA.

She has a phobia of using anybody elses toilet, so let alone sharing a toilet and a floor with everybody else. That will be awful for her, itll be traumatizing.

He added, Its awful for Laura.  Shes not a tough person at all. Shes only small.

Additional reporting by Jane GrayThe county will pay $63 per employee per month for the service, a flat rate that will include prescriptions and other services, Bontrager said. The way the contract is structured, the county will only pay 60 percent of the fee for the first six months until the program is fully up and running. The increase in cost to the county is staggered from there.Cargo Train Derails on Iowa River

A cargo train carrying sand and soybean products derailed in Iowa, causing a pile up on the shallow part of a river on Sept. 23.

Union Pacific told local media that the train was en route to Nebraska from Mankato, Minnesota. Out of the trains 95 cars, 38 were derailed in this accident.

Drone footage shot by local police showed damage on carriages in Floyd River after the accident.

Sioux County Sheriff told Reuters in a Facebook message that the cause of the derailment is still being investigated. No injures have been reported.Myanmar mahouts sit on elephants while waiting for visitors at Ngwe Saung, which is southwest of Yangon, on May 20, 2007. (Khin Maung Win/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinese Medicine Demand is Depleting Asian Elephant Population in Burma

Asian elephants in Burma are being poached at an alarming rateall to meet soaringdemand for the animals skin in China, where its considered a potent traditional medicine.

Elephant skins? Give me four hours, and Ill get you anything from the hunters in the jungle, a shopkeeper at a pharmacy in Kyaikto, a town in southeastern Burma (also known as Myanmar), according to a Sept. 11 article in the English-language newspaper The Myanmar Times.

The plight of Asian elephants, listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is detailed in an April report published by Elephant Family, a U.K.-based NGO that is dedicated to the protection of the animals. The NGO conducted a field investigation in Burma and China to compile the report.

Elephant skin is a traditional Chinese medicine ingredient thats considered to have high therapeutic potency. According to the Chinese search engine Baidu, elephant skin can be used as a cure for gastritis and ulcers, and can facilitate skin and muscle regrowth. According to the report, elephant skin can also be shaped into beads to make bracelets and necklaces.

The number of Asian elephant carcasses found in the wild in Burma reveals a disturbing trend since 2012, according to the report. Before 2012, the average number of dead elephantsfound was less than 10 annually; however, the number jumped to 26 in 2013, followed by 61 in 2016.

Coinciding with the alarming increase of dead elephants has been the growing discussion on Chinese social media about the availability of Asian elephant skin. Its typically sold online in three different forms: skin pieces, powder, and beads, according to the report. In 2018, elephant skin products were spotted by Elephant Family investigatorsat local markets inthree Chinese provincesYunnan in southwestern China, and Fujian and Guangdong in southeastern China.

In Burma, the average price for elephant skin pieces is 660 yuan (about $96) per kilogram (2.2 pounds). The same skin pieces are sold for an average of 1,800 yuan (about $262) in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong.

The sales of elephant skin products arent limited to just social media. Chinese pharmaceutical companies also advertise medicine containing Asian elephant skin, which is sold legally sinceChinas State Forestry Administration has issued licenses for the manufacture and sales of such pharmaceutical products, according to the report.

Nicholas Cox, conservation director of the World Wildlife Funds Burma office, warned, If it becomes difficult [to kill elephants in Burma], then they [the poachers] will go somewhere else, according to The Myanmar Times.

According to the report, the estimated population of Asian elephants is 30,000 to 50,000, either living in the wild or bred under captivity in 13 different countries, including Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India.

A search on Chinese online wholesale marketplace 1688.com, which is operated by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, revealed many online store vendors peddling beads made of elephant skin.

In August, Chinas state-run media The Paper reported that in Mong La, a town in northern Burma, there are many Chinese traders who engage in the illicitsale of elephant skins.Students take part in the college entrance exam at an exam room in a middle school in Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China, on June 7, 2005. (China Photos/Getty Images)

Chinese Professor Gets Fired for Advocating Constitutionalism

Yang Shaozheng, a famous economics professor at Chinas Guizhou University, recently revealed that the university stopped paying his wages earlier in September. This comes after the university suspended him indefinitely in November 2017 for advocating constitutionalism and the rule of law to his students.

Yangs comments were a public display of criticism toward the Chinese Communist Party that the school disapproved of.

This August, the school fired him. But according to Yang, the university must pay his wages because he is seriously ill.

According to Chinas labor laws, while an employee is being treated for an illness or injury, he cannot be fired by his employer. Because the university suspended his pay, Yang no longer has medical insurance. They want to kill me, he said.

On Sept. 18, Yang told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times that he was in Guangzhou a city of southeastern China when he found out that Guizhou University stopped paying his wages on Sept. 7. So he contacted the director of stability maintenance office of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission in Guizhou Province to seek for advice. That office is in charge of squashing dissent.

The director did not answer Yang, but instead escorted him back to Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province, where Yang is based.

The director later told Yang that Guizhou University stopped his salary because he was officially fired in August. Yang argues that is not the case, as he had just applied for a reinstatement of his position.

According to the regulations, the university shouldnt stop my salary when I have applied for a reinstatement, Yang told The Epoch Times.

They are pushing me to the point of death, Yang said. They cut off my financial resources, so I have no money to buy food. They cut off my medical insurance and social security, so I cannot visit a doctor. They dont even allow me to leave the country.

Before Yang went back to Guiyang, he tried to visit Hong Kong in August but was prevented from entering by the border inspection officials, who failed to show him any documents explaining why he could not travel abroad.

They told me that Guizhou police didnt allow me to leave China because I was interviewed by the overseas media, and I talked about reactionary topics online and in my classes, Yang said.

Yang was born in 1969. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics. He later became a professor at Chongqing Technology and Business University. In 2006, he moved to Guiyang and worked for the School of Economics of Guizhou University.

As a famous economics professor, Yang published two books, and more than 20 articles in national magazines, which were reprinted by newspapers and economics websites. Yang also led several key research projects in the economic field, according to the Independent Chinese Pen Center.

In recent years, Yang published many posts about constitutionalism and nomocracy on social media. A common phrase he says is, Without constitutionalism, a political party can ruin the constitution. China has a constitution guaranteeing basic freedoms, but the Party has not enforced it.

Yang also commented, If a political-party-controlled system doesnt reform, the country wont have a real market economy, thought to be a criticism on Chinas economic system.

On Nov. 23, 2017, Yang published an article on the website of the New York-based media NTD Television, where he discussed the huge tax burden for ordinary citizens who essentially pay for the salaries of the CCPs bureaucrats.

Yang wrote that there are 20 million civil servants in China who are in the government, military, Party associations, state-owned enterprises, and research institutes. Every year, their wages and other related costs total about 20 trillion yuan ($2.92 trillion). That means on average, each Chinese citizen has to pay 15,000 yuan ($2,190).

In the article, Yang called on fellow economists from around China to look at how the CCP is directly affecting the economy by the way it spends money. Yang mentioned in the article that he asked many fellow economists in China, but none of them have dared to research this subject together with him, citing fears that the Chinese authorities may come after them if they do not portray China in a positive light.

Yangs case is not an isolated incident. Shi Jiepeng, an assistant professor from Beijing Normal University (Teachers University); Xu Chuanqing, an assistant professor from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture; You Shengdong, a professor from Xiamen University; Zhai Juhong, an assistant professor from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law; and Tan Song, an assistant professor from Chongqing Normal University, were all fired in recent years because of their research or criticism that reveal the unsavory side of the CCP.

A previous version of this article misidentified the position of the Guizhou government official Yang Shaozheng contacted. The Epoch Times regrets the error.Chris Pratt Feels Its an Important Time to Talk About God

Actor and star of Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy, Chris Pratt, recently shared about his faith in God and how he feels like its an important time to talk about it.

Pratt was interviewed in August in Los Angeles, after a promotional appearance for the Michelob Ultra beer.

It is the time that it is, said Pratt. I dont know that I am so much more motivated by necessarily where the world is or if its just what Im feeling called to do right now. I think its a combination of both things and, you know, it feels like an important time for that.

After winning the MTV Movie & TV Awards Generation Award in June in Santa Monica, California, Pratt gave a speech about his nine rules for life, and he took the opportunity to mention his beliefs.

God is real, he said. God loves you. God wants the best for you. Believe thatI do.

Pratt said nothing fills his soul more than to inspire his fans or others to start thinking about God or trying to pray.

Thats like the only way I feel like I can repay what has essentially been a giant gift in my life, he said.

Pratts faith journey began with a touching experience at the age of 19 in Maui, Hawaii, when a man came up to him outside a Safeway store.

What are you doing tonight  drugs and drinking? said the man.

I hope so, said Pratt.

However, the man told him, I stopped because Jesus told me to stop and talk to you. He said to tell you youre destined for great things.

Soon after that, Pratt gave his life to God. He also started his acting career and skyrocketed to fame.

Some celebrities have said its not easy or trendy to be religious in Hollywood. However, Pratt said hes never received any backlash about his faith.

Ive never had anyone in Hollywood say, Hey, stop saying that,' he said.

For me its authentic for me to be pro-Christian, pro-Jesus. Thats my thing, you know? I like it. And Ive never had anyone try to shame me, to my face. Maybe they go say it behind my back. But if thats the case, go ahead. You can say whatever you want about meto my face or behind my back. Im not going to change.

Read More Chris Pratt Praises God in Teen Choice Awards Speech

The 39-year-old actor is now recording his lead voice role in the The Lego Movie 2.

Other celebrities who are known to have spiritual beliefs include Jennifer Garner, Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, and Hailey Baldwin, who are Christians; Natalie Portman, Mayim Bialik, and Pink, who are Jewish; and Richard Gere and Orlando Bloom, who both practice different forms of Buddhism.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Did you enjoy this article? Continue to read more stories here.Dallas Police Fire Officer Who Shot Man in His Home

The Dallas, Texas, police officer who shot and killed a neighbor after accidentally entering his apartment has been dismissed from the force.

Officer Amber Renee Guyger, 30, was terminated after a hearing on Monday, Sept.24, which examined Guygers shooting of her neighbor, 26-year-old Botham Jean.

Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall announced the termination in a statement posted on Twitter after the hearing.

The statement said that Guyger had been fired for engaging in adverse conduct when she was arrested on manslaughter charges.

In the next line the statement said, Officer Guyger was terminated for her actions.

An article on the Dallas Police Department blog DPD Beat says, An Internal Affairs investigation concluded that on September 9, 2018, Officer Guyger, #10702, engaged in adverse conduct when she was arrested for manslaughter.

This statement specifies that Guyger was fired for her behavior while being arrested, not for her actions on the night of the shooting. At a press conference posted on the DPD Facebook page, Hall said that she had not terminated Guyger until Sept. 24 because she wanted to let the investigation progress without being compromised.

Statements made during a civil service termination review could impact the investigation, Hall told the press, so Guyger was not immediately terminated.

The critical portion of the investigation had passed, Hall explained, though the investigation was ongoing, so the DPD Internal Affairs department and Hall were free to hold a termination hearing.

The statement noted that now-former Officer Guyger has the right to appeal her termination.

Chief Hall Addresses the Media Post Public Safety Committee Meeting Posted by Dallas Police Department on Monday, September 24, 2018

Manslaughter

Officer Amber Renee Guyger was coming home from a 15-hour shift to her apartment on the third floor of the South Side Flats apartment building on Sept. 6 when, she claimed, she found the door to her apartment unlocked and ajar, Fox News reported.

Guyger was still wearing her uniform and all her police gear, including her service pistol.

Guyger claimed that the apartment was dark and that she saw the figure of a man in the darkness. She stated that she gave several verbal commands to the individual, then drew her weapon and shot the man twice. Guyger then called 911.

The officer was in tears as she spoke to the 911 operator.

Jean, 26, was transported to the hospital where he died.

According to Guyger, she did not realize she was in the wrong apartment until she called 911. Guyger was on the fourth floor, while her apartment is on the third floor.

The Dallas News reported that all four floors of the building look the same. However, a law enforcement official told the News that Jean had a red doormat in front of his door, while Guygers apartment had no such mat.

At a press conference on Sept. 7, also posted on Facebook, Hall said that Guyger had given a blood sample, which would be tested for drugs and alcohol.

Jean, a native of the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia, was a 2016 graduate of Harding University in Arkansas and was interning at PricewaterhouseCoopers at the time of his death.

Jean was active in campus affairs, leading a mens social club and interning at the campus ministry of the Christian-faith-based college.

From NTD.tvNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un (2nd L) and his wife Ri Sol Ju (L) pose with South Korean President Moon Jae-in (2nd R) and his wife Kim Jung-sook (R) on the top of Mount Paektu on Sept. 20, 2018. Kim and Moon met for Inter-Korean summit talks, where they discussed ways to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. (Pyeongyang Press Corps/Pool/Getty Images)

Kim Jong Un Takes Jab at China During Summit With South Koreas Moon

North Korean leader boasted about a 1962 concession from Beijing on sacred Korean mountain

On Sept. 20, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the sacred Mount Paektu with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, following two previous summits between the two leaders.

Standing on the beach with their wives, Kim remarked to Moon that the Chinese envy us because they cant go down to the lake from their side, but we can.

Located on the SinoNorth Korean border, Mount Paektu is a sacred landmark in Korean history and culture. It features Heaven Lake, which is divided into two parts. The southern 54.5 percent belongs to North Korea, while the northern remainder belongs to China.

All of Paektu and the surrounding area was under Chinese sovereignty for centuries, until the Chinese communist authorities signed an agreement with North Korea in 1962. The Chinese ceded half of the mountain and Heaven Lake as a gesture of friendliness between the communist states.

While most South Koreans, as well as tourists from elsewhere, must visit the lake from the Chinese side, its only possible to reach the water from a beach on the North Korean side.

In April, Kims visit to South Korea made history as the first time a North Korean leader traveled to the South. The two countries have been divided since the Korean War ended in a ceasefire in 1953.

Following the recent thaw in NorthSouth diplomacy, Moon expressed his desire to visit the sacred mountain.

While at the beach, Moon filled a plastic bottle with water from Heaven Lake to take back with him to South Korea.

Many South Koreans go to Mount Paektu from the Chinese side, Moon said. But I decided not to, as I vowed that I would go there while stepping on our [Korean] soil.

We should write another chapter of history between the North and the South and reflect this new history on Heaven Lake, Kim told Moon.

Kim Jong Un is the grandson of Kim Il Sung. Despite the countrys para-Marxist juche ideology, the Kim family has ruled North Korea as a de facto dynasty since the regimes founding in 1948.

In recent months, North Korea has become the focus of U.S. foreign policy in East Asia and an important aspect of the SinoU.S. relationship. In particular, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has propped up the North Korean regime as a counter to American influence in the region, including South Korea and Japan.

But Pyongyangs newest engagements with its neighbors and the United States, including a groundbreaking summit held June 12 between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore, suggest that North Korea may be trying to rid itself of its role as a Chinese client.

Kim has committed to denuclearization, and North Korea has taken steps to dismantle its provocative nuclear weapons program. The most recent KimMoon summit further confirms Kims desire to negotiate a formal end to the state of war that still technically exists between the North and South.

Sacred Mountain

Mount Paektu, called Changbai Mountain in Chinese, is the highest mountain in Northeast China and the Korean Peninsula. It is the source of Northeast Chinas three main rivers: the Songhua, Tumen, and Yalu.

Koreans believe that Mount Paektu is the birthplace of Dangun, the legendary founder of the first Korean kingdom (2,333 B.C.108 B.C.), more than 4,300 years ago.

Yeongjo (16941776), king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty, named Mount Paektu the greatest of all Korean mountains. Yeongjo also began the tradition of holding annual rites on the mountain, which then belonged to the Chinese Qing Dynasty.

Yeongjo also changed the mountains Korean name to Paektu, which comes from the name given it by the Manchurian ethnic group that ruled over China during the Qing Dynasty until 1911.

After World War II, Korean communist leader Kim Il Sung built up his army in the mountain range between China and Korea. North Korean propaganda claims that his son, the second North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il, was born at Mount Paektu (his real birthplace was in the Soviet Union).

On Oct. 12, 1962, then-Chinese premier Zhou Enlai approved a border treaty with Kim Il Sung that ceded the currently North Korean portion of Paektu Mountain to Pyongyang, according to research by Chinese historian Shen Zhihua at the Chinese University of Hong Kon.

The treaty was kept secret until 2000, when South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo received a confidential document from Chinese authorities.

According to the treaty, the CCP gave about 460 square miles of territory to North Korea, including half of Heaven Lake and the fertile land around it. Tens of thousands of Chinese citizens had to leave their ancestral homes to accommodate the change.Florence: Severe Flooding Feared Near South Carolina Coast

BLADENBORO, NORTH CAROLINARivers swelling with the floodwaters of former Hurricane Florence are threatening to swamp communities near the South Carolina coast, leaving thousands ready to evacuate.

More than a week after Florence crashed into the Carolinas, dumping heavy rains, all that water is nearing the coast. Authorities in Georgetown County, South Carolina, said they have put as many as 8,000 people on alert for possible evacuations starting Sept. 24, in expectation of a record event of up to 10 feet floodwaters this week.

Officials are especially eyeing gauges along the Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers and said people should be ready to leave homes in the potential flood zones before possibly life-threatening flooding begins setting in as early as Tuesday.

Georgetown Countys emergency management director, Sam Hodge, said in a video message posted online Sunday that shelters are being opened Monday for area residents and he pleaded with people to alert neighbors and friends to the possible dangers ahead. The community also was distributing free sandbags but said Monday was likely the last day to rush preparations before the affected should get out.

From boots on the ground to technology that we have, we are trying to be able to get the message out, Hodge said in the video feed, advising people not to await an official evacuation order should they feel unsafe.

The flooding has been going on for days in neighboring North Carolina already, the water slowly meandering to the coast.

In North Carolina, five river gauges were still at major flood stage and five others were at moderate flood stage, according to National Weather Service. The Cape Fear River was expected to crest and remain at flood stage through the early part of the week, and parts of Interstates 40 are expected to remain underwater for another week or more.

Parts of Interstate 95 had also been expected to be underwater for days, but North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced Sunday night that the major highway has been reopened to all traffic, as floodwaters had withdrawn faster than expected.

But floodwaters already receding on one stretch of Interstate 40 left thousands of rotting fish on the pavement for firefighters to clean up. Video showed firefighters blasting the dead fish to the highway shoulder with a fire hose in eastern North Carolina.

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Michael Sprayberry said that eastern counties continue to see major flooding, including areas along the Black, Lumber, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers. Elsewhere in North Carolina, state environmental officials also said theyre closely monitoring two sites where Florences floodwaters have inundated coal ash sites.

Florence continues to bring misery to North Carolina, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement Sunday evening. He added that crews conducted about 350 rescues over the weekend and that travel remains treacherous in the southeastern area of his state. But he said National Guard members would be shifting next to more door-to-door and air search wellness checks on people in still-flooded areas.

The storm has claimed at least 43 lives since slamming into the coast Sept. 14.

An economic research firm estimated that Florence has caused around $44 billion in damage and lost output, which would make it one of the top 10 costliest U.S. hurricanes. The top disaster, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, cost $192.2 billion in todays dollars, while last years Hurricane Harvey cost $133.5 billion. Moodys Analytics estimates Florence has caused $40 billion in damage and $4 billion in lost economic output, though the company stressed that the estimate is preliminary.

In Washington, Congress is starting to consider almost $1.7 billion in new money to aid recovery efforts from Florence. Lawmakers already are facing a deadline this week to fund the government before the start of the new budget year Oct. 1, and members of Congress are expected to try to act on the disaster relief along with separate legislation to fund the government.

By Gary D. Robertson and MarthaFormer Rep. Frank Wolf Honored for Defending Human Rights

Former Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) was recognized the evening of Sept. 22 as part of the Values Voter Summit for his role in defending human rights worldwideparticularly religious liberty. Wolf championed these causes during 34 years in Congress and then through his work with the 21 Wilberforce Initiative.

Among those speaking in honor of Wolf were Sam Brownback, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, and Tony Hall, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture.

Im very grateful for this honor. But I have great staff, Wolf told The Epoch Times over the phone recently. I have people who make me look good. We have a long way to go.

Wolf will step down from his position as distinguished senior fellow of 21 Wilberforce at the end of September, following four years of service there.

In Congress Wolf earned a reputation for being as bipartisan as he was a champion of religious minorities. (He once had a secret meeting in Tibet with the Dalai Lama to advocate on behalf of persecuted Christians.)

He details his fight in his 2011 book, Prisoner of Conscience: One Mans Crusade for Global Human and Religious Rights. His contribution to human rights issues was so influential, in 2016 the 114th Congress named the amended International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) bill the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act .

Still, Wolf thought that advocating for religious freedom on a global scale, and shining a light on the atrocities currently taking place in China, Nigeria, and North Korea, was a cause greater than politics, so he joined 21 Wilberforce.

Named after the man who led the fight in the early 19th century to stop the slave trade, William Wilberforce, 21 Wilberforce shines a spotlight on religious liberty issues, genocide, persecution and other causes, through research, events, advocacy, and technology.

On behalf of 21 Wilberforce, Wolf visited various countries around the world to see firsthand how religious minorities, Christians, and others are trying to survive harsh political conditions. In just four years Wolf led fact-finding trips to Iraq and Nigeria, testified at several Congressional hearings on International Religious Freedom issues in Iraq, China, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, and spoke at over 150 events around the United States. Due to Wolfs determined and quiet leadership and a dedicated team, in just a few years, 21 Wilberforce has become a trusted source of information for policymakers.

Despite effort and the passage of time, Wolf sees conditions in countries of concern steadily worsening.

In China today the Catholic church [is] being persecuted, he said. The Protestant church is being persecuted. In Tibet its basically cultural genocide. There are one million women and children in detention camps.

Things are just as bad in Nigeria, if not worse, he says, due to terrorism. Wolf said it would behoove Americans to be aware of the terrorist groups in Nigeria like Boko Haram who are taking hold of the countrys people and resources with force.

He believes the Trump administration should appoint a special envoy to Nigeria to help understand the reality of whats taking place there and to help resolve the conflicts.

Wolf believes there have been some slight improvements due to the Trump administrations efforts, particularly in terms of the way the United States engages in giving aid to other countries.

However, the cause of religious liberty still weighs heavily on Wolfs heart, and he is concerned that younger generations are unaware and indifferent to whats going on elsewhere because of the decreasing influence of religion in their lives.

If Generation Z doesnt care about religious freedom for themselves, how are they going to care about religious freedom elsewhere? Church attendance in America is at a low. Thirty-three percent of 21-29 year olds are non religious, he said.

In addition to exposing whats going on globally, Wolf isnt afraid to scold Americans for remaining silent. The church in the West has been silent. They need to look at Dr. Martin Luther Kinghis life and message should inspire the church in the West.

Throughout the interview, Wolf remained intense and confident, adding facts, suggesting resources, and, at the end of the call, adding one more directive: We need our religious leaders to be more like Dr. King and Thomas Moore and William Wilberforce, men who were willing to go to jail for what they believe in.German Chancellor Merkel Takes Gamble With New Immigration Law

BERLINGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes a new immigration law will make it easier for foreign workers to find jobs in Germany, although her push to fill a record number of vacancies risks angering voters who still resent her open-door refugee policy.

With an aging population and a shrinking workforce, Germany needs greater flexibility to fill more than a million empty positions, business leaders say.

We will continue to depend on foreign professionals, Merkel said in the Bundestag recently, defending her immigration plans against criticism from opposition politicians.

Companies should not be leaving the country because they cant find staff, she said, adding that many entrepreneurs were more concerned about hiring skilled workers than getting tax relief.

The new law to be discussed by Merkel and her cabinet soon aims to attract workers from outside the European Union, although they will need a professional qualification and German language skills when applying for a work visa, according to a paper drawn up by officials.

Government officials see the law, which is welcomed by employers, as a game-changer in the global race for talent, since other countries are espousing stricter immigration rules. But it could anger voters who feel left behind after Merkels decision to welcome more than a million refugees in 2015.

An opinion poll this month showed 51 percent felt her government did not take Germans concerns about immigration seriously. In eastern Germany, the figure was 66 percent.

There are regional elections next year in the eastern states of Saxony, Brandenburg, and Thuringia, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to make strong gains at the cost of Merkels conservatives and her center-left coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD).

Influx

The unprecedented 2015 influx of asylum-seekers, mainly from Muslim countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq, has already caused popular anger and propelled the AfD, which rejects the new immigration law, into the national parliament. Deep divisions became apparent last month in the eastern city of Chemnitz, scene of violent far-right protests after migrants were blamed for the fatal stabbing of a German man.

Referring to Chemnitz, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, leader of the Christian Social UnionMerkels Bavarian sister partydescribed migration as the mother of all political problems in Germany.

Merkel may escape a political backlash if she can convince voters that the new law will address specific labor shortages and not increase overall competition in the jobs market.

If she can credibly make the point that this is about Germanys economic self-interest, it wont fuel angst among those who already feel alienated in their own country, said Gero Neugebauer, a political expert at Berlins Free University. But if not, then this law will backfire on Merkel, especially taking into account that there are three local elections next year in eastern Germany.

There are also regional elections next month in Bavaria and Hesse, where the rise of the AfD could make it harder to form coalition governments.

Allowing even more foreigners into the country is a risk for Merkeleven if the labor force in Europes biggest economy is forecast to shrink drastically and can only be stabilized with net immigration of 400,000 people every year until 2060.

Due to a prolonged economic upswing, job vacancies have hit a record high of 1.2 million while unemployment is at its lowest since German reunification in 1990, according to the Labor Office.

Labor shortages cost the economy as much as 0.9 percentage points of output every year, according to the IW German Economic Institute.

Germany has become the second favorite destination for immigrants after the United States, attracting more than 1 million in 2016, according to OECD figures.

By Michael Nienaber

From The Epoch TimesHonda HR-V 1.8L on Location in Southern Taiwan

My wife and I live in Hong Kong, but usually take two short breaks each year in Taiwan. The main purpose of these are to see performances by Shen Yun Performing Arts Company. We go in February or March, is to see the Shen Yun impressive stage show and then again in September is to listen to performances by the full Shen Yun Orchestra.

We quite often hire a car and extend our stay for a few days to explore Taiwan. We did not hire a car last year but in 2016 we were in Taichung and the only car we seemed to be able to hire was a small family car  a Honda Fit. I usually hire bigger cars and looking at the vehicle specification I was not overly enthusiastic to the prospect, but after driving it for a few days and putting it through its paces in town, on freeways and up steep, twisty mountainous tracks I ended up giving it a thumbs up. On all driving terrains, I was impressed with its overall handling and performance and in particular the way it coped with the narrow mountainous track to the upper reaches of Yushan mountain.

This year we flew to Kaohsiung in the south of the island, stayed a night in Pingtung to take in one of the orchestral performances and then traveled to the southern tip for two days of relaxation and exploring. For this visit there was a choice between the Honda Fit and a slightly more costly hire, the Honda HR-V a two wheel drive sub SUV. After some iteration we finally booked the more expensive option, 1) to try a different model and 2) hoping that it would be an even better drive.

After booking I looked at the specification: front-engined, front wheel drive, with 1.8L engine, automatic transmission (with steering wheel paddle shifts), a 5-seater sub SUV hatchback, shod with 215/55/R17 tires. The specification sounded ok putting my mind to rest. I then read some reviews, which were generally positive particularly with regard to handling and in town diving, but a few of the reviews marked it down on out-of town performance. Some gave me a negative feeling and I discussed with my wife if we should revert to a FIT, but in the end we decided not to make a change as it might complicate the hiring process.

A few days before departure, I went to the local Honda dealer in Hong Kong and looked at the same model which is called a Vezel  in Hong Kong and I was quite pleased with what I saw, but I was told by the very helpful sales staff that it is only available in Hong Kong with a 1.5L engine, so they had no experience of driving the 1.8L version on sale in Taiwan, so they could not allay my concerns.

Arriving in Kaohsiung we collected an almost new HR-V. My initial impression looking round the car was good. Appealing to look at, a good range of instrumentation laid out as seen in Hong Kong and after making minor seat/steering column adjustments to suit my 5ft-6inch frame, I found the driving position comfortable, the firm seats gave good all round support, instrumentation is clear and well-marked. All equipment was positioned ergonomically and with the normal configuration I would expect. Lights/traffic indicators on the left hand stork, wiper controls (front and rear) on the right hand stork. Well positioned and comfortable, steering wheel paddle shifts. Release levers for fuel filler cap and bonnet (Hood) clearly marked and in easy access positions.

Buttons to the left of the steering wheel to switch on/off: economy mode, traction control, halogen headlight height adjustment, low tire pressure warning and rear distance sensors (why they provide this latter option is beyond me). The main instrumentation display includes, fuel gauge with fuel consumption indicator, rev counter (marked to 8000rpm with red line above 6,500rpm), speedometer dial marked to 220Km/hr. On the right hand side of the instrument panel are distance, A & B trip meters, an economy meter which monitor fuel usage, a fuel gauge, and digital clock. There are also displays for outside temperature and for gear engaged when using the paddle shifts.

We arrived at Pingtung, our first destination early in the afternoon and only traveled about 30Km on day 1. Much of the traveling was in town or in fairly heavy traffic. The HR-V is easy to drive, steering is accurate stable and responsive, the auto gear-shift layout is simple and straightforward with the normal inline operation of: Parking, Reverse, Neutral, Drive and Second (S) described as a lower range of ratios for better acceleration and increased engine braking.

The engine is started and stopped with a clearly marked Start/Stop button (very convenient to use). a brake park/release and a useful brake hold button are included to the rear of the main control lever. On the door armrest are the power window and door mirror adjustment controls.

All in all an impressive list of equipment for a sub SUV model.

On the audio/video side there were controls for radio and for separate USB input, but no screen was provided. A separate Garmin navigation device was included in the hire.

The car doors are locked/unlocked using a separate key fob.

Our trip to Taiwan coincided with the arrival of super typhoon Mangkhut, a category 4 typhoon and the strongest seen in the world in 2018, not a direct hit on Taiwan but it still packed a severe punch. The area in Taiwan hardest hit was near the southern tip of the island, exactly where we were heading on Mangkhuts day of arrival, Saturday Sept 15. Our destination was Hengchun Township, the nearest town to the southern tip of the island! The name Hengchun means Always Spring, but it was not very Spring-like when we arrived.

Hengchun is about 95 Km south of Pingtung by freeway and then along a coastal road on the west side of the island. When we started from Pingtung it was raining occasionally with some accompanying gusts of wind, but nothing out of the ordinary. As we traveled south the weather became increasingly worse culminating in severe bouts of gale force winds whipping across the road and accompanied by torrential rain. On looking at the sea it was brown in colour, fully churned with huge waves lurching towards coast. The HR-V took it all in its stride, perfectly stable with the steering and suspension performing amazingly well, the 3 speed wiper option coped well under appalling conditions and I was pleased to have a rear window wiper available to allow vision through the rear screen  I was very impressed. This was a real test for the vehicle as well as for the driver and front seat passenger. We stopped once at Mad Dog Point to take some photos of the sea but the wind and rain was so strong, wife only took a couple of quick photos through the car window, before we decided to move on. We were pleased to arrive at the sanctuary of our hotel accommodation without incident. We sat it out at the hotel for the rest of the day and part of the next with strong winds and heavy rain bursts pounding at the windows. Watching TV late into the evening it showed quite a bit of devastation.

But by late morning on Sunday the weather was improving and we set off to see what the southern tip of the island was like  all of it is known as Kenting National Park. We drove through Hengchun town with some of its ancient city gates intact.

We then explored the Gooses Nose to the lighthouse. Traveling along the coast road we could often view the sea, we stopped for photos at the Thuanfan Rock and noticed that the sea was still very rough.

We continued to drive a little way up the east coast noting some interesting look-out options to explore. Just inland a bit, there are several forest and nature parks to choose from. We took a circular route into Kenting National Forest Recreation Area and stopped to visit a lake, but when the signs mentioned watch out for poisonous insects and snakes my wife got cold feet and we headed back to the safety of the car. We then looked for one of Chiang Kai-Shek holiday homes which is now a hotel. After finding it we had the opportunity to look around this 5 star hotel, with many original possessions of the man himself.

We then explored the Cats Nose took a few photos, visited a marina and sampled the local seafood after which it was time to head back to our hotel.

Before traveling north to Kaohsiung the next day we had a leisurely breakfast and took a few photos of the car.

Throughout our travels I tried various options. The paddle shifts were easy to use and smoothly moved the transmission down and back up through the gears, but if left in a lower gear it soon seemed to jump back up into auto drive. I did not have chance to try the paddle shifts on a sustained uphill drive so on this trip I never really resolved this matter in my mind. Also I had no need to use the S mode drive position, but I did switch the economy button on and off, but did not feel much difference in performance and finally left it in economy mode as it gave a smoother, less harsh engine sound. I did not do much close parking on this trip but I did not hear the rear parking sensors operate. I noted that there is a button to switch these on / off but I am not sure why such a button would be provided.

The return journey north was a straight-forward trip but it also reconfirmed my feelings about the car  very comfortable, easy to drive with positive handling and good in town and highway performance I reported my feelings to the hire company on returning the car.

All photos by Bill Cox / Epoch Times. Two Level 5 felony counts each of causing death of another person when operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of at least .08 grams per 100 milliliters of the persons blood; causing the death of another person when operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of at least .08 grams per 210 liters of the persons breath; causing death of another person when operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated; causing bodily injury to another person when operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and having a prior conviction within five years; causing serious bodily injury when operating a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of at least .08 grams per 210 liters of the persons breath and having a prior conviction within five years.Andy Chan, founder of the Hong Kong National Party, speaks during a luncheon at the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) in Hong Kong, China on Aug. 14, 2018. (Paul Yeung/Reuters)

Hong Kong Pro-Independence Party Formally Outlawed in First Such Move Since Handover

HONG KONGHong Kong authorities formally banned a group thats promoting independence from Chinathe first outlawing of a political organization since Britain handed its former colony back to Chinese rule in 1997.

John Lee, the citys secretary for security, announced the banning of the Hong Kong National Party in a brief statement published in the governments gazette on Sept. 24, 10 days after the party submitted arguments against the move.

Lee ordered the ban under Hong Kongs Societies Ordinance, a previously little-noticed colonial-era law that requires all social groups and organizations to register with the police. The law allows the government to ban groups in the interests of national security, public order, or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

Lee later told reporters that the two-year-old group was prepared to use all methods to forge independence, a stance that posed a threat to national security and broke the Basic Law, the mini-constitution that governs Hong Kongs relations with China.

It has a clear agenda in making Hong Kong a republic, Lee said. He also said the group had spread hatred and discrimination against mainland Chinese.

Officials couldnt rule out action against other groups, including those promoting self determination, as well as full independence, he said.

Hong Kong is governed under a one country, two systems principle that allows the global financial hub a high degree of autonomy and freedoms that arent enjoyed in China, including an independent legal system and freedoms of speech and assembly. But since the handover to Chinese sovereignty, the city has seen encroaching influence from Beijing.

The 28-year-old founder of the Hong Kong National Party, Andy Chan, has been widely quoted in local and international media in recent weeks. In August, he spoke at Hong Kongs Foreign Correspondents Club, in a move condemned by the Chinese Foreign Ministry and locally based Chinese officials.

I will never stop in my pursuit of freedom, human rights, equality, and dignity, Chan told Reuters earlier.

He couldnt be reached for comment on Sept. 24; some media reports said he was considering a legal appeal.

Local government efforts to find ways of cracking down on the independence movement follows a warning last year from Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a visit to the city that any attempt to endanger Chinas sovereignty crossed a red line. Chinas central government backed the Sept. 24 ban.

Chinas perceived tightening grip over the city has stoked tensions in recent years, including the Occupy Central movement in 2014 that blocked major roads for nearly three months in a failed bid to pressure Beijing to allow full democracy.

By Greg Torode & Clare JimLatest Updates on Kirk, Leslie, Atlantic Hurricane Season

The U.S. National Hurricane Center is monitoring several disturbances in the Atlantic Ocean and the northeastern Pacific Ocean.

Kirk

Kirk, once a tropical storm, has dissipated and now remains as a tropical wave about 1,400 miles east of the Windward Islands, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The agency said that the storm could possible re-develop into a tropical storm or depression in the coming days as it approaches the Caribbean Sea.

It said that the storm is producing thunderstorms and gale-force winds in the northern portion of the wave.

No warnings are watches have been issued for the storm.

Leslie

Sub-Tropical Storm Leslie is drifting eastward over the central Atlantic Ocean, and there is no change in strength, said the agency in an 11 a.m. update on Sept. 24.

The storm, according to the NHC, is about 1,240 miles west of the Azores Islands and is moving 6 mph to the east. This general motion is expected to continue through Tuesday night. A turn toward the east-northeast with an increase in forward speed is forecast on Wednesday, U.S. forecasters say.

Leslie is forecast to strengthen by mid-week while it interacts and eventually merges with a frontal system, according to the hurricane center.

No coastal warnings are watches have been issued for the storm.

Disturbance Off East Coast

Hundreds of miles east of Florida, a tropical disturbance with disorganized showers and thunderstorms has a 50 percent chance of forming into a cyclone.

The NHC said that the over the coming days, the system may strengthen as it moves west-northwestward.

However, upper-level winds are expected to increase, limiting the storms chances for developing even more as it moves near the U.S. East Coast, according to the NHC.

Disturbance South of Mexico

A disturbance 300 miles to the south of Mexico has an 80 percent chance of forming into a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours, said the NHC.

Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for development, and a tropical depression is likely to form within the next day or so while the system moves west-northwestward well off the coast of Mexico, the NHC stated.A young boy smiles at the ONO orphanage in the Mali-Maka district in the 5th arrondissement of Bangui, Central African Republic, on Jan. 6, 2014. (Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images)

Activists Call for Africas Orphans to Be Placed With Families, Not in Institutions

'The best gift you can give an orphan is a family'

RIGASA, NigeriaAs Aisha Usman makes her way out of the bus, three boisterous children and teens dart toward the bus from their bungalow to greet her.

Welcome back home, mum, they chorused, almost simultaneously.

Usman, a tall, fair-skinned woman, shoves herself out of the bus, and, while smiling as the children hold on to her, opens the door to her home.

Inside the dimly lit one-room home in Rigasaa community in Kaduna in northwest NigeriaYusuff, 18, Yakubu 11, and Yakubu, 5, crouch around the available space, staring at their visitor.

They grew steadily in my home as if I am their mother. I once in a while tell them I am not their biological mother, but they still call me their mother, Usman said as she introduced the children one after the other.

The children were abandoned by their parents at birth. I am comfortable living with them because I am also HIV-positive like them.

Usman is Nigerias northwest coordinator of the International Network of Religious Leaders Living with HIV and AIDS, a non-profit group advocating for the rights of HIV-positive orphans.

She had traveled earlier in the day to Abuja, Nigerias capital, to seek treatment for Abubakar, an HIV orphan who was being neglected in an orphanage in Kaduna.

I got a call to rescue Abubakar from the orphanage because there was no food for him. He was always isolated in one room because of his HIV status, Usman said, as she adjusted the pair of glasses resting on her nose.

This and many other reasons are why Usman is pushing to scrap orphanages in Nigeria.

She advocates integrating those vulnerable children from institutions to homes and communities because she believes they will get better care there, just like her three adopted children.

Usmans complaints about orphanages come at a time when abuse and neglect in such institutions have become a burning issue in Nigeria, as well as other parts of the world.

Closing Orphanages?

Multiple reports of fake orphanages and the bitter experiences of children in approved ones have sparked a debate on whether they should be banned.

Recently, the government of the Nigerian state of Lagos busted an illegal orphanage, identified as Pro Labore Der (Labor for God) in the Badagry area of Lagos, the commercial nerve center of the country. The managers of the home reportedly bolted to avoid being held to account by government officials.

Photos emerged on social media of over 20 weary-looking children rescued from the fake orphanage. These children are among the depressing statistics of orphans and vulnerable children in Nigeria.

In 2004, UNICEF supported an assessment of orphans and vulnerable children that revealed about seven million orphans in Nigeria. About 1.8 million of them were orphaned as a result of their parents dying due to HIV-AIDS. According to the Nigerian government, those numbers have sharply increased in recent years, with the population of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Nigeria as of 2010 estimated at 17.5 million, of which 7.3 million have been orphaned by HIV-AIDS.

Dr. Gabriel Oyediji, secretary general of the Association of Orphanages and Homes Operators (AOHO) in Nigeria, estimates the figure has increased to about 30 million OVCs because of the increase in poverty rate in the country.

Oyediji said as of the last count, there are about 500 registered orphanages in Nigeria.

Orphanages have multiplied in Nigeria in recent decades to accommodate children who have been orphaned as a result of the Boko Haram crisis, herdsmen killings, disease, natural disasters, domestic violence, and rising poverty, he said

These orphanages have been criticized for not being accountable for their resources, overcrowding, and other inadequacies.

Usman, for one, accuses owners of deliberately exploiting the children in their care.

I will suggest to authorities to go undercover to investigate what is happening in these so-called orphanages, she added.

Global Trend

Usman is echoing the thoughts of those who champion an alternative approach, citing decades of research that bolster the notion that children belong to families, not institutions.

Personalities such as Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, and international charities that include UNICEF and Save the Children have thrown their weight behind the campaign to deinstitutionalize orphanages.

Deinstitutionalization is a movement in child care that supports the closure of orphanages and putting the children in kinship or other family-care systems through adoption and fostering. While the campaign is gaining momentum in Rwanda, Kenya, Malawi, Ghana, and other African countries, thats not yet the case in Nigeria.

Eighty years of research agrees that children raised in institutions suffer physically, intellectually, and emotionally, Rowling said in a speech in 2016.

Hope and Homes for Children, a British charity, supports Rowlings concerns about institutions.

The charity has assisted the government of Rwanda to close up to 90 percent of orphanages in the country and integrate the children into family systems and independent living.

Dr. Epaphrodite Nsabimana, the learning and research manager for HHC, told The Epoch Times in Nairobi that the transition had been largely successful because the government is carefully driving it.

Nsabimana, a certified child therapist, faulted the institutional-care system for low staff-to-children ratios, delayed cognitive development for children, and lack individual care support for the children.

Institutions like orphanages damage children beyond repair, he said.

The Best Gift

Eric Kubwimana, a bank worker in Rwanda, who lived in an orphanage of about 600 children for 22 years, concurs with Nsabimanas claim about institutions not being suitable for children.

Kubwimana was taken to an orphanage when he was just seven months old. His parents, siblings, five uncles, and others were killed during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. He has nobody to call family except other genocide survivors and orphans who sought refuge at the orphanage.

When Nsabimana approached the orphanage where Kubwimana grew up to tell the orphans on the Rwanda governments plan to shut their orphanage, Kubwimana said his voice was the loudest against the move.

We opposed them, because we lacked nothing good in the orphanage, he said. We feared to leave an orphanage we had known all our lives as a home. But after I was convinced by Nsabimana, I agreed to leave the home to start an independent life.

Three years after leaving the home, Kubwimana is now one of those championing the deinstitutionalization of orphanages in Africa, a platform hes ascribed to his success in life.

The best gift you can give an orphan is a family, he said.  As an orphan in an orphanage, you will always have this vacuum of not having lived in a family.

Challenge in Nigeria

In Nigeria, deinstitutionalization has attracted strong criticisms from advocates in the child-protection field, even as many back Kubwimanas thinking about the importance of living in a family.

Nigerias law allows for orphanages, but forbids such institutions from allowing children to stay beyond the age of 18. Because of the uncertainties of life, most children remain at the home past 18, swearing to an affidavit to protect the orphanages from being prosecuted.

Dr. Oyediji from the AOHO said deinstitutionalization is a good idea but stresses that it wont work in Nigeria because of the countrys peculiar challenges. He said the Nigerian government hasnt been able to fulfill the conditions that would make it as successful there as in Rwanda.

I have five cases in my orphanage. We tried to reintegrate the children to a family and community system, but they could not blend with the new life. So, the children ran back to the orphanage. Adoption rates are low because it is also expensive to adopt a child, he said.

John Olawale, a former manager of Ijamido Childrens Home, one of Nigerias oldest orphanages, supports Oyedijis position.

Olawale, 42, was abandoned as a baby and lived in the orphanage for many years. He now lives with his family of three children in the Benin Republic, where he campaigns for the rights of children.

If a child can live in a family setting, it is good, he said emphatically on the phone. The problem lies in proper monitoring of the child throughout the years that he or she will be with the adoptive parents, kinship care, and community.

He suggests an alternative to deinstitutionalization.

Rather than banning orphanages, my advice is that the government should review the orphanage system and restructure it while proper monitoring is done, he said.

Eva George, who grew up at the Little Saints Orphanage in Lagos, agrees with Olawale. She said institutions have played a big role in her life and shouldnt be scrapped.

At the age of 10, George lost her parents in Ajegunle, a Lagos community famous for crowded homes and squalor, which inflicted hardships on her and two brothers, including leaving them to go hungry for weeks. They sought help from a nearby church, which put them in the care of a family.

The church felt the church member was taking good care of us, she said. But we were eating spoiled food and being mistreated. I was their house help. I was also hawking even in the night, selling shoes and snacks, which exposed me to sexual harassment on the streets.

The Little Saints Orphanage came to her rescue, and after 16 years there, she was able to attend a private university, which is usually reserved for only the rich in Nigeria.

This is why I am grateful to the Little Saints Orphanage. It is structured like you are in your home. It doesnt look like an institution, she said.

The founder and her husband were called mummy and daddy, while we call one another brothers and sisters. It gave us that family mentality.Ibrahim Mohamed Solih speaks to the media at the end of the presidential election day in Male, Maldives on Sept. 23, 2018. (Ashwa Faheem/Reuters)

Opposition Victory in Maldives Deals Potential Blow to China

MALEThe opposition was awarded victory in the Maldives presidential election on Sept. 24, in a possible setback for China as the new leaders of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation aim to review major projects agreed with the outgoing administration.

Incumbent Abdulla Yameen, who had cultivated ties with both Beijing and Saudi Arabia, conceded defeat after the Election Commission said opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had won the Sept. 23 election by a margin of 16.7 percent.

Before the election, the opposition said it would review Chinese investment, partly out of concern over terms, as experts have warned that the Maldives risked falling into a debt trap.

Solihs ally Mohamed Nasheed, an exiled former president who led the country between 2008 and 2012, has repeatedly said he wants to renegotiate the deals.

We have a joint manifesto. We have issues, we have ideas agreed upon. I think we have to review all the agreements we had with China. We have to review them and see what is due, Nasheed told Reuters on Sept. 24 in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.

The Maldives, a string of palm-fringed islands and atolls lying 325 miles southwest of the southern tip of India, is best known as a luxury holiday destination.

But the Muslim nation of less than half a million people has suffered a turbulent transition to democracy following the end of three decades of authoritarian rule in 2008.

This is a moment of happiness, a moment of hope, Solih told reporters in the capital Male. This is a journey that has ended at the ballot box because the people willed it.

India and The United States congratulated Solih, popularly known as Ibu, on his victory even before Yameen conceded.

This election marks not only the triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives, but also reflects the firm commitment to the values of democracy and the rule of law, Indias foreign ministry said in a statement.

India looks forward to working closely with the Maldives in further deepening our partnership.

Both New Delhi and Washington had been concerned by Chinas growing influence in the Maldives and its lurch toward more hardline attitudes on religious issues during Yameens five years in power.

China, meantime, has helped build an extension to the international airport in the Maldives, and a bridge linking it to the capital, Male.

The Chinese investment in Maldives is seen as part of its String of Pearls strategy, developing a network of friendly ports in the region from Sri Lanka to Pakistan.

India and Western nations have worried that the strategy ultimately aims to help Chinas military extend its reach.

By Mohamed Junayd(L-R) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Bulgarian Premier Boyko Borisov speak during an economic forum in Budapest attended by 16 central and eastern European leaders on Nov. 27, 2017. (Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images)

Questions Linger in Hungary About Chinese Investments

Hungarys efforts to bolster ties with Beijing in recent years has come under scrutiny from local politicians and media.

During a trip to the Central European country in 2011, former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said that Hungary would become a gateway to the European market. Wens trip marked the first meeting for the 16+1 platformand the beginning of Chinas efforts to influence Hungary.

Introduced officially in April 2012, the 16+1 platform is an initiative by Beijing to intensify cooperation with 11 European Union member states and five Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The platform calls for economic cooperation with China in many fields, including infrastructure, finance, and technology.

The platform eventually became a model for Central and Eastern Europe in Beijings next ambitious development project, announced in 2013: the One Belt, One Road (OBOR, also known as Belt and Road) initiative. The OBOR seeks to build Beijing-centered trading networks through financing infrastructure projects throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

As of April, China has invested a total of $3.27 billion in Hungary, according to data from Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

But at a meeting of the South Asia Democratic Forum recently held in Geneva as part of the 39th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, a group of panelists from Europe openly questioned Beijings motivation for its overseas initiatives.

The European countries have started to understand that debt trapthat has already led Sri Lanka to hand over a port because it could not face the payments related to the loans to the Chinese authorities, said Paulo Casaca, a former member of the European Parliament (MEP), according to a Sept. 18 article by Indian business daily Business Standard.

The port Casaca is referring to is Hambantota, which Sri Lanka handed over to China in December 2017, after the former wasnt able to pay back $6 billion in loans and converted the debt to equity.

Meanwhile, Istvan Szent-Ivanyi, a former MEP from Hungary, said OBOR is a concern because it is Beijings power projection plan to set up strategic positions of influence in East Asia, Africa, and Europe.

I would like to raise awareness about it because it really poses a real and serious threat. China is challenging the world order, Szent-Ivanyi said. The Hungarian politician identified Djibouti as a country where Beijing is challenging established international rules.

In March, U.S. officials expressed their worries at a congressional hearing about Chinas increasing role in Djibouti, where Beijing has newly built its first overseas military base. In September, satellite photos revealed that Beijing was expanding its Djibouti basea move that was seen by experts as competing with U.S. interests. The United States also has a military base there.

What China wants is actually to take over. They want to be the global leader. For us in Europe, it is a problem because they want to push us out of the market, said Siegfried O. Wolf, research director at the South Asia Democratic Forum.

For example, in Central Asia, if China is providing funds for new infrastructure projects, they have a lot of influence. So, when China sets rail tracks, there wont be any German or French projects. Only Chinese trains will run on those tracks.

BudapestBelgrade Railway

The railway in question is Chinas flagship investment in Central Europe: modernizing the 350 km (about 217 miles) railway connecting the Serbian capital of Belgrade and Hungarys capital Budapest. Beijing had intended to use this railwayan OBOR projectto transport goods arriving at the Greek port of Piraeus, which is owned by Chinas state-owned shipping company COSCO. Cargo would go through Hungary, to be transported to the rest of Europe.

The about 152-kilometer (94-mile) Hungarian section of the 350-kilometer (217-mile) rail line is currently in the planning stage, and is expected to be completed in 2023, according to a Sept. 14 article by Hungarian news site Daily News Hungary. Beijing will finance 85 percent of the rail upgradeestimated at more than $3 billion in total.

The rationale behind the rail upgrade has been a topic of debate in Hungary, with some questioning whether the project will really help the economy. Hungarian news website Index questioned the hefty price tag in a May 31 opinion article, concluded that upgrading the Hungarian section would be as meaningless as the developments in Sri Lanka.

Another opinion article published by Index in April called the project only good for promoting Chinas foreign economic goals, with little economic gain for Hungary.

Chinese Companies Investments

Aside from the rail project, Chinese companies also have invested in Hungarys chemical engineering, finance, telecommunications, new energy, and logistics sectors, according to information from Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the realm of telecommunications, Chinese telecom giant Huawei provides more than 70 percent of the Hungarian population with its mobile telecommunication equipment and services, according to the companys website.

ZTE, another top Chinese telecom firm, has worked with Hungarian mobile-service providers to provide 2G, 3G, and 4G Internet services. According to a Sept. 13 article by Chinas state-run Xinhua, the company is seeking to position itself as the 5G network provider for Hungary. 5G is the next-generation of wireless mobile communication technology.

Many countries, including the United States, have raised security concerns about the potential for China to conduct espionage via Huawei and ZTE equipment, as both companies have close ties to Beijing.

Chinese Influence on Hungarian Politics

Chinas monetary influence has pressured Hungary into complying with Beijings political agenda. At a hearing at the U.S.China Economic and Security Review Commission in April, Erik Brattberg, a researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, pointed out that Chinese investment has resulted in a tangible influence on [Hungarian] policy decisions at the EU level.

For instance, in July 2016, an EU statement on a ruling by an international tribunal in The Hague on Chinas sovereignty claims in the South China Sea didnt directly refer to Beijing, due to opposition from Hungary and Greece. In recent years, Beijing has escalated militarization of disputed territories in the South China Sea, a move that has caused an uproar among nearby countries that also have territorial claims in the region.

Then in March 2017, Hungary reportedly pressured the EU bloc to not add its name to a joint letter by international embassies to denounce the reported torture of detained lawyers in China.

In April, 27 out of 28 EU ambassadors jointly released a report criticizing Chinas OBOR for flouting international transparency norms while furthering Chinese interests, according to German business newspaper Handelsblatt. The lone EU country that didnt participate was Hungary.The Night JD.com CEO was Accused of Rape in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS/NEW YORKWith the Chinese billionaire Richard Liu at her Minneapolis area apartment, a 21-year-old University of Minnesota student sent a WeChat message to a friend in the middle of the night. She wrote that Liu had forced her to have sex with him.

I was not willing, she wrote in Chinese on the messaging application around 2 a.m. on Aug. 31. Tomorrow I will think of a way to escape, she wrote, as she begged the friend not to call police.

He will suppress it, the alleged rape victim wrote, referring to Liu. You underestimate his power.

This WeChat exchange and another one reviewed by Reuters have not been previously reported. One of the womans lawyers, Wil Florin, verified that the text messages came from her.

Liu, the founder of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, was arrested later that day on suspicion of rape, according to a police report. He was released without being charged and has denied any wrongdoing through a lawyer. He has since returned to China and has pledged to cooperate with Minneapolis police.

Jill Brisbois, a lawyer for Liu, said he maintains his innocence and has cooperated fully with the investigation.

These allegations are inconsistent with evidence that we hope will be disclosed to the public once the case is closed, Brisbois wrote in an email response to detailed questions from Reuters.

Loretta Chao, a spokeswoman for JD.com, said that when more information becomes available, it will become apparent that the information in this note doesnt tell the full story. She was responding to detailed questions from Reuters laying out the allegations in the alleged victims WeChat messages and other findings.

Florin Roebig and Hang & Associates, the law firms representing the woman, said in an email that their client had fully cooperated with police and was also prepared to assist prosecutors. Florin, asked if his client planned to file a civil suit against Liu, said, Our legal intentions with regard to Mr. Liu and others will be revealed at the appropriate time.

Representatives for both Liu and the student declined requests from Reuters to interview their clients.

The police department has turned over the findings of its initial investigation to local prosecutors for a decision on whether to bring charges against Liu. There is no deadline for making that decision, according to the Hennepin County Attorneys Office.

The Minneapolis police and the county attorney declined to comment on detailed questions from Reuters.

Reuters has not been able to determine the identity of the woman, which has not been made public. But her WeChat messages to two friends, and interviews with half a dozen people with knowledge of the events that unfolded over a two-day period, provide new information about the interactions between Liu and the woman, a student from China attending the University of Minnesota.

The case has drawn intense scrutiny globally and in China, where the tycoon, also known as Liu Qiangdong, is celebrated for his rags-to-riches story. Liu, 45, is married to Zhang Zetian, described by Chinese media as 24-years old, who has become a celebrity in China and works to promote JD.com.

As the second-largest e-commerce website in the country after Alibaba, the company has attracted investors such as Walmart, Alphabet Incs Google, and Chinas Tencent Holdings.

Following news of Lius arrest, several U.S. law firms have announced that they would be investigating legal complaints on behalf of JD.com investors.

Liu holds nearly 80 percent of the voting rights in JD.com. Shares in the company have fallen about 15 percent since Lius arrest and are down about 36 percent for the year.

IT WAS A TRAP

Liu was in Minneapolis briefly to attend a business doctoral program run jointly by the University of Minnesotas Carlson School of Management and Chinas elite Tsinghua University, according to the University of Minnesota. The doctoral program is directed at high-level executives from China.

Liu threw a dinner party on Aug. 30 for about two dozen people, including around 20 men, at Origami Uptown, a Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis where wine, sake, and beer flowed freely, according to restaurant staff and closed circuit video footage reviewed by Reuters.

Liu, who Forbes estimates is worth about $6.7 billion, ordered sashimi by pointing his finger at the first item on the menu and sweeping it all the way down to indicate he wanted everything, one restaurant employee said. The group brought in at least one case of wine from an outside liquor store to drink along with the dinner, according to the restaurant staff.

Security video footage from the restaurant shows the group toasted each other throughout the night.

Later the woman told a second friend in one of the messages that she felt pressured to drink that evening.

It was a trap, she wrote, later adding, I was really drunk.

The party ended around 9:30 p.m. The tab: $2,200, the receipt shows. One intoxicated guest was helped out of the restaurant by three of his associates, according to the restaurant security video footage.

Liu and the woman then headed to a house in Minneapolis, according to one person familiar with the matter. Another source said that the house had been rented by one of Lius classmates in the academic program to give the class a place to network, smoke, drink whiskey, and have Chinese food every night.

But they did not go in. Liu and the woman were seen outside the house before Liu pulled her into his hired car, a person with knowledge of the incident said.

In the WeChat message to one of her friends sent hours later, the woman said Liu started to touch me in the car.

Then I begged him not tobut he did not listen, she wrote.

They ended up back at her apartment, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

Reuters could not determine what happened over the next two hours. According to the police report, the alleged rape occurred at around 1 a.m.

The woman subsequently reached a fellow University of Minnesota student who notified the police, according to two sources and her WeChat messages.

Minneapolis police came to her apartment early that morning while Liu was there, but made no arrests, another source familiar with the situation said. Reuters could not determine exactly what occurred during the police visit, but the source said the woman declined to press charges in Lius presence.

In a WeChat message with one of her friends, she asked her friend why the billionaire would be interested in an ordinary girl like her.

If it was just me, I could commit suicide immediately, she wrote. But Im afraid that my parents will suffer.

In the morning on Aug. 31, she also wrote to one of her two friends that she had told several people about what had happened, including the police, a few friends, and at least one teacher. She wrote that she would keep her bed sheets. Evidence cannot be thrown away, she wrote.

In the afternoon on Aug. 31, the woman went to a hospital to have a sexual assault forensic test, the source said.

Police officers arrived at a University of Minnesota office shortly after an emergency call around 9 p.m. that night. The alleged victim was present at the office, alongside school representatives, and accused Liu of rape, the source said.

Representatives for the University of Minnesota declined to comment on detailed questions from Reuters.

Liu came to the university office around 11 p.m. while police were there, according to the person familiar with the matter. As an officer handcuffed him, Liu showed no emotion. I need an interpreter, he said, according to the source.

Liu was released about 17 hours later. Minneapolis police have said previously that they can only hold a person without charges for 36 hours.

Within days, Liu was back in China, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.

By Koh Gui Qing & Lawrence DelevingneThousands Brace for More Flooding a Week After Florence

BLADENBORO, North CarolinaThousands of coastal residents remained on edge Sept. 23, told they may need to leave their homes because rivers are still rising more than a week after Hurricane Florence slammed into the Carolinas.

About 6,000 to 8,000 people in Georgetown County, South Carolina, were alerted to be prepared to evacuate ahead of a record event of up to 10 feet (3 meters) of flooding expected from heavy rains dumped by Florence, county spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said. She said flooding is expected to begin Tuesday near parts of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers and that people in potential flood zones should plan to leave their homes Sept. 24.

The countys emergency management director, Sam Hodge, said in a video message posted online that authorities are closely watching river gauges and law enforcement would be going door to door in any threatened areas.

From boots on the ground to technology that we have, we are trying to be able to get the message out, Hodge said in the video feed, advising people they shouldnt await an official order to evacuate should they begin to feel unsafe.

In North Carolina, five river gauges were still at major flood stage and five others were at moderate flood stage, according to National Weather Service. The Cape Fear River was expected to crest and remain at flood stage through the early part of the week, and parts of Interstate 40 are expected to remain underwater for another week or more.

Parts of Interstate 95 had also been expected to be underwater for days, but North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced Sunday night that the major highway has been reopened to all traffic, as floodwaters had withdrawn faster than expected.

Floodwaters already receding on one stretch of Interstate 40 left thousands of rotting fish on the pavement for firefighters to clean up. Video showed firefighters blasting the dead fish off the highway with a fire hose in Pender County in eastern North Carolina. The local fire department posted online: We can add washing fish off of the interstate to the long list of interesting things firefighters get to experience.

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Michael Sprayberry said that eastern counties continue to see major flooding, including areas along the Black, Lumber, Neuse and Cape Fear rivers.

Florence continues to bring misery to North Carolina, Cooper said in a statement Sunday evening. He added that crews conducted about 350 rescues over the weekend and that travel remains treacherous in the southeastern area of his state. But he said National Guard members would be shifting next to more door-to-door and air search wellness checks on people in still-flooded areas.

The storm has claimed at least 43 lives since slamming into the coast Sept. 14.

In Washington, Congress is starting to consider almost $1.7 billion in new money to aid recovery efforts from Florence. Lawmakers already are facing a deadline this week to fund the government before the start of the new budget year Oct. 1, and members of Congress are expected to try to act on the disaster relief along with separate legislation to fund the government.

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said the money would be available as grants to states to help rebuild housing and public works, as well as assist businesses as they recover from the storm. GOP Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey called that a first round and said lawmakers are ready to act quickly if the federal disaster relief agency also needs more money.

An economic research firm estimated that Florence has caused around $44 billion in damage and lost output, which would make it one of the top 10 costliest U.S. hurricanes. The top disaster, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, cost $192.2 billion in todays dollars, while last years Hurricane Harvey cost $133.5 billion. Moodys Analytics estimates Florence has caused $40 billion in damage and $4 billion in lost economic output, though the company stressed that the estimate is preliminary.

In other developments, at least three wild horse herds survived Florence on North Carolinas Outer Banks, but caretakers were still trying to account for one herd living on a hard-hit barrier island, the News & Observer reported Sunday. Staff members are planning to make trips to the island this week to check on the Shackleford Banks herd.

Elsewhere in North Carolina, state environmental officials also said theyre closely monitoring two sites where Florences floodwaters have inundated coal ash sites.At UN, Trump Addresses Global Drug Crisis

NEW YORKAt the United Nations headquarters on Sept. 24, President Donald Trump addressed member nations about the worldwide drug crisis.

The scourge of drug addiction continues to take too many lives in the United States and around the world, Trump said.

Roughly 450,000 people died as a result of drug use in 2015, according to WHO. In the United States, more than 71,500 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2017, with at least 68 percent of those deaths attributed to opioids.

Trump said the United States is taking aggressive action to address the drug crisis, and that the goals for global action are to reduce drug demand, increase treatment, and stop trafficking.

If we take these steps together, we can save the lives of countless people in every corner of the world. And when I say countless, I mean millions and millions of people, he said.

Ive always said the United Nations has tremendous potential, and that potential is, slowly but surely, being met.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley introduced Trump and welcomed member nations to the Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem.

Haley thanked the 130 member states that signed on to the compact to combat drug trafficking. The compact had 31 co-hosts.

Everyone knows someone who has suffered and died from abusing drugs, she said.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres thanked Trump for calling attention to the drug issue, saying the focus is desperately needed.

Guterres referred to the U.N. 2018 World Drug Report, which says the production of opium and manufacture of cocaine are at the highest levels ever recorded.

Total global opium production jumped by 65 percent from 2016 to 2017, to 10,500 tons, according to the report. More than 75 percent of the total area of poppy cultivation is in Afghanistan.

The report says that global cocaine manufacture reached its highest level ever in 2016 and that the markets for cocaine and methamphetamine are extending beyond their usual regions, while the darknet is facilitating an ever-growing proportion of drug trafficking.

The painkiller Tramadol is also causing an addiction crisis in parts of Africa, and is expanding in Asia.

Guterres said 31 million people around the world required treatment because of drug use, but only 1 in 6 people receive treatment.

He said strong action against drug trafficking, as well as ensuring access to treatment are both needed.

Together we will succeed and we will never give up, he said.

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We are withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council, an organization that is not worthy of its name.Chinese leader Xi Jinping (R) waves to the press as he walks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Fla., on April 7, 2017. (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump Is Right to Confront Revisionist China

The Trump administration implemented another round of tariffs, hitting $200 billion of Chinese goods. Predictably, Beijing cried foul and immediately pointed the finger at President Donald Trump for escalating tensions between the two countries.

Dont be confused: China threw the first stone a long time ago. Beijing has vastly expanded its military ambitions, promoted unfair trade practices, and proactively worked to steal American technology. China is no friend. It is a great power competitor seeking global hegemony.

Previous administrations sought to develop closer ties with the communist state through economic integration and diplomatic outreach, hoping to bring China into the liberal world order. Assessing the situation today, those attempts clearly failed.

Chinas hawks are in the drivers seat, and the liberal-oriented moderates have been forced to the sidelines. Beijing has become a rising revisionist power, seeking to upend the U.S.-led order in Asia to one where it owns the title of hegemon.

China wishes to once again exert political and military pressure on its former, much smaller, vassal states. China is a big country and other countries are small countries, and thats just a fact, stated Chinas former Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in a private meeting in 2010. Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, and the Philippines are all in Beijings line of sight.

Military prowess and economic manipulation have been the main tools used to drive this revisionist agenda. Massive man-made military fortifications with advanced radar capabilities are now spread throughout the South China Sea in what were once open waters.

Japan was forced to scramble jets 851 times to intercept Chinese fighter planes near its airspace in 2016 alone. Beijing has also developed operational anti-ship missiles to target American aircraft carriers. China recently announced its naval forces are prepared to combat U.S. forces in the Pacific.

In addition to an aggressive military posture, Beijing has declared economic war on American companies. Companies seeking to do business in China are forced to enter agreements that allow the transfer of sensitive technology and information.

Beijing deploys state-funded espionage units to steal trade secrets. And China has long supported anti-trade measures like tariffs and large corporate subsidies.

Yet this revisionism is on a collision course with the Trump administrations foreign policy. And thats made China queasy.

Beijings unease was shown early after the Trump administration stated it would increase freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea. A government-sponsored media outlet fired an early warning shot declaring that Trump should prepare for a military clash.

But the Trump administration has refused to kowtow. Peace through strength has been the overarching theme of its approach.

The president has since ordered the navigation patrols to increase in the South China Sea. Secretary Mattis also disinvited China to participate in the Rim of the Pacific military exercise. Better yet, Trump slapped sanctions on Chinas defense agency and its director after Beijing violated sanctions and bought Russian fighter jets and S-400 surface to air missiles.

In an effort to boost American power, Trump has ordered a buildup of the U.S. military with a whopping $717 billion budget for 2019. U.S. naval policy has been directed to support a 355-ship navy, an ambitious goal aimed at countering Beijings growing fleet.



Diplomatic outreach has also been a key piece of this agenda. Mattis and Secretary of State Pompeo recently traveled to India, a natural partner against China, where they participated in the first ever 2+2 U.S.-India meeting with their respective counterparts. The outcome: a historic joint military agreement.

Ties with Japan and Australia have strengthened through economic and security coordination. Efforts to improve relations with Chinas former vassal states like Vietnam are front and center. And the United States recently opened a new compound in Taiwan to help strengthen cooperation between the two countries despite loud grievances from Beijing.

Ensuring Americas business environment remains competitive with China has also been on the forefront. Trump signed the largest tax cut in history for middle-class families and businesses large and small. Burdensome red tape has been cut and Americas energy dominance is in full-swing, which offers leverage against China.

Dont expect the pressure to let up soon. Trumps confrontational strategy will stay the course. China has no right to violate international law, pillage U.S. companies, and bully its neighbors. Its revisionist agenda must be stopped.

Alex Titus is a policy adviser and fellow at America First Policies, a nonprofit organization supporting policy initiatives that will put America first. You can find him on Twitter @ATitus7.

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Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.Trump Stands by Kavanaugh After Unsubstantiated Claim by Second Accuser

President Donald Trump is standing by his nominee for the Supreme Court, calling the accusations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh totally political, hours after The New Yorker magazine published a largely unsubstantiated claim by a second accuser.

Judge Kavanaugh is an outstanding person. I am with him all the way, Trump said on Sept. 24, after arriving in New York to attend a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.

For people to come out of the woodwork from 36 years ago, and 30 years ago and never mention itall of a sudden, it happens, Trump said. In my opinion, its totally political.

The New Yorker published the claim from the second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, on Sept. 23. She is accusing Kavanaugh of an incident while both were students at Yale University more than three decades ago. The New Yorker didnt confirm the allegation with eyewitnesses. The Epoch Times didnt independently verify Ramirezs account and is refraining from publishing the details of the accusation.

The authors of the article, Ronan Farrow and Jane Meyer, say that after interviewing more than 36 people, The New Yorker couldnt find anyone who would confirm the accusers allegation. Specifically, six people who knew both Ramirez and Kavanaugh have categorically denied the accusers claim.

We were the people closest to Brett Kavanaugh during his first year at Yale. He was a roommate to some of us, and we spent a great deal of time with him, including in the dorm where this incident allegedly took place. Some of us were also friends with Debbie Ramirez during and after her time at Yale. We can say with confidence that if the incident Debbie alleges ever occurred, we would have seen or heard about itand we did not, the friends and classmates wrote in a statement to The New Yorker.

One of the six people was Ramirezs best friend, with whom she shared intimate details of her life.

I was never told this story by her, or by anyone else. It never came up. I didnt see it; I never heard of it happening, said the woman, who was married to a male classmate who was alleged to have been involved.

Kavanaugh denied the second accusers allegation in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and issued a scathing criticism to the people behind the smears against him.

There is now a frenzy to come up with somethinganythingthat will block this process and a vote on my confirmation from occurring. These are smears, pure and simple. And they debase our public discourse, Kavanaugh wrote.

The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out. The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. The last-minute character assassination will not succeed, the judge added.

The only person to corroborate the accusers claim has maintained anonymity, and claims to have heard it from an unidentified friend who attended the event described in the article. The unidentified person told the anonymous source that he heard of the allegation either on the night of the party or in the next day or two.

Ramirez told the magazine that there were gaps in her memory because she was drinking on the night of the incident.

In her initial conversations with The New Yorker, she was reluctant to characterize Kavanaughs role in the alleged incident with certainty, the article stated.

After six days of assessing her memories, Ramirez became confident of them, the authors claim.

The second accusers allegation was published shortly after the judiciary panel had negotiated the terms of a hearing at which the first accuser, Christine Ford, will testify. Since Ford detailed her story to The Washington Post, all of the people she alleged had attended a 1982 teenage house party in Maryland have come forward to deny the allegation.

Kavanaugh denied the allegation under oath and under penalty of felony shortly after the accusation was made public. Mark Judge, Patrick Smyth, and Leland Keyser denied the allegation in letters sent to the committee on Sept. 18, 19, and 22, respectively.

Trump nominated Kavanaugh for the seat of retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Kavanaugh, a conservative who could tilt the highest court for decades once confirmed, sailed through the confirmation process before Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, revealed the existence of an allegation against him after sitting on it for weeks.

Republicans have slammed the timing of the accusations as a political smear campaign aimed at derailing Kavanaughs confirmation.

What we are witnessing is the total collapse of the traditional confirmation process for a Supreme Court nominee, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wrote on Twitter. It is being replaced by a game of delay, deception, and wholesale character assassination.

Every accuser deserves to be heard. Moreover, a person who has committed sexual assault should not serve on the Supreme Court. But the way my Democratic colleagues have approached these allegations makes clear that the driving objective here is not truth, but politics, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) wrote on Twitter.

Ford is the only person from the alleged party that hasnt provided a statement to the committee. She is scheduled to testify in an open hearing on Sept. 27.

In a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Feinstein called for the FordKavanaugh hearing to be canceled in light of the new allegation against Kavanaugh. Feinstein also demanded an FBI investigation of the claims, despite repeated explanations from Grassley that it is the Senates constitutional duty to conduct the probe.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Did you enjoy this article? Continue to read more stories here.Of course the charges against Brett Kavanaugh might not be true. But ask yourself why Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are so opposed to investigating whether they are true or not. It's exactly the same as with the Russia investigation. They don't really want to know. And don't want the rest of us to know either.National Security Advisor John Bolton holds up a copy of the Constitution as United States Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley looks on during a press conference before the UN General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 24, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Trump to Defend Nations Sovereignty in UN Speech, Says Bolton

NEW YORKNational security adviser John Bolton held up his copy of the Constitution as he previewed the speech President Donald Trump will deliver at the 73rd U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 25.

The speech, Bolton said, will be a continuation on last years theme of sovereignty,

We express our sovereignty through the Constitution, through our political process, its why that is so important, Bolton said. And its why we believeand of course, Im speaking in secular terms herethat the Constitution is the highest authority we recognize.

He said Americans understand sovereignty as the framers of the Constitution put it: We the People.

We the people are sovereign in America. So that infringements on our sovereignty are not infringements on abstractions or infringements on the government. Theyre an infringement on the people themselves, Bolton said.

Bolton, along with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, held a press conference for the White House press corps on Sept. 24.

Haley listed the global pacts that the United States has pulled out of in the last year since Trumps first U.N. speech, including the Paris climate accord, the Iran nuclear deal, and the Global Compact.

And all of that is to say that the United States is determined to obviously be involved in multilateral organizations where we see it, but not in the way that theyre mandated on what the United States does or that infringes on the American people, Haley said.

She said that in 2017, the United States was figuring out what its presence would be at the U.N., while this year, were here with a bang. Its all hands on deck by the United States.

Sovereignty Theme Continued

Last year at the General Assembly, Trump laid out his vision for the world on the premise that strong, independent nations promote security, prosperity, and peace for themselves and for the world.

We do not expect diverse countries to share the same cultures, traditions, or even systems of government, he said. But we do expect all nations to uphold these two core sovereign duties: to respect the interests of their own people and the rights of every other sovereign nation. This is the beautiful vision of this institution, and this is foundation for cooperation and success.

Trump brought up the Constitution as the guiding document, domestically and internationally.

In foreign affairs, we are renewing this founding principle of sovereignty. Our governments first duty is to its people, to our citizensto serve their needs, to ensure their safety, to preserve their rights, and to defend their values, he said.

As president of the United States, I will always put America first, just like you, as the leaders of your countries will always, and should always, put your countries first.

He also preempted his intent to rebalance the one-sided deals where the United States gets nothing in return. Since that speech, he has stood his ground on NATO funding as well as several key trade deals, including with the European Union, South Korea, and Mexico and Canada.

North Korea, Syria, Iran

In his first appearance at the U.N. as Americas top diplomat, Pompeo called the week the Super Bowl of diplomacy.

He said North Korea, Syria, and Iran will all be on the agenda.

You can bet the president will have well-deserved strong words for the Iranian regime, which is among the worst of violators of U.N. Security Council resolutions, if not the absolute worst in the world. Hell call on every country to join our pressure campaign in order to thwart Irans global torrent of destructive activity, Pompeo said.

Whether its Venezuela, South Sudan, Syria, Burma, China, the estimated 2.5 million victimexcuse me, 25 million victims of modern slavery around the world can also count on Americas support. Today is shaping up as a great first day.

Pompeo said he will talk to the Russian contingent on many topics, including the countrys recent move to send S-300 missiles to Syria.

Were trying to find every place we can where there is common ground, where we can work with the Russians, he said. Were finding lots of places where theyre working against American interest, and we will hold them accountable for so doing.

Pompeo reiterated that Pastor Andrew Brunson and other Americans being held prisoner in Turkey should be released today and that he will push this week for their release.

He said talks with North Korea are ongoing on many different fronts and the United States is not ready to throw in the towel on denuclearization. A second meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un is currently being worked out.

If we can continue to make progress and have conversations, I think theres enormous value in that, he said.

On Iran, Bolton said the expectation is massive changes in their behavior.

And until that happens, we will continue to exert what the President has called maximum pressure. Thats what we intend to do, Bolton said.

Trumps Schedule

Over the three full days he is in New York, Trump has a raft of meetings with heads of state planned, starting with a dinner on Sept. 23 with Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Trump hosted a meeting earlier in the day on Sept. 24 to announce that 130 member nations signed on to a global action compact on the drug crisis.

He will sign the U.S.Korea Free Trade Agreement with South Korea President Moon Jae-in in the afternoon, before bilateral meetings with both Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

On Sept. 25, Trump will address the General Assembly before meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. After a luncheon hosted by Guterres, Trump will have a pull-aside with the president of the 73rd Session of the General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa and then attend a reception with Haley.

On Sept. 26, Trump will chair the Security Council briefing, where the topic is counter-proliferation and the need for responsible nations to stop the spread of weapons and technologies, said Pompeo. North Korea, Syria, and Iran will all be discussed, he said.

Trump is also confirmed to meet with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

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We are withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council, an organization that is not worthy of its name.US, South Korea Sign Revised Free-Trade Agreement

The modified trade deal will boost US auto exports

The United States and South Korea have signed a revised free-trade deal, which President Donald Trump says includes significant improvements that will reduce the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea and widen opportunities for American exporters.

Its a very big deal. This is a great day for the United States and a great day for South Korea, Trump said on Sept. 24, during the signing ceremony with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Lotte New York Palace in New York City.

Speaking at the ceremony, Moon said the amendments and modifications to improve the existing agreement eliminated the uncertainty and expanded the rock-solid alliance between both sides.

Companies from both countries will now be able to do business under more stable conditions, Moon said.

The new free-trade deal with South Korea, known as the U.S.Korea Free-Trade Agreement (KORUS), tackles many trade issues faced by U.S. exporters, mainly automotive producers.

Nearly 80 percent of the trade deficit in goods with South Korea is in auto and auto parts; the old agreement had many barriers to U.S. automotive manufacturers. In the new agreement, South Korea makes a number of concessions to the United States on auto exports.

Many of the provisions focus on autos, which is where the United States has a large trade deficit, said Troy Stangarone, senior director at Korea Economic Institute of America. This should, in the years to come, help expand U.S. exports of autos to South Korea. But ultimately this is only going to be a small portion of the overall U.S. trade profile with South Korea.

According to the new agreement, the United States will continue to impose a 25 percent tariff on pickup truck imports from South Korea for an additional 20 years, instead of three years under the previous trade deal. The tariff on trucks will phase-out by 2041.

South Korea will also increase its annual cap for cars that meet the U.S. safety standards to 50,000 per manufacturer from 25,000. According to Trump, this change will double the export opportunity for each American producer.

In addition, South Korea has agreed to eliminate regulatory barriers for U.S. auto exporters by aligning their environmental testing standards with those of the United States. The Koreans have also agreed to level the playing field for American pharmaceutical exporters.

While automotive has been a big-ticket export item that gets much of the attention, there are other provisions in the agreement that benefit both sides, according to Stangarone.

South Korea had concerns about how the United States runs its trade-discipline policies such as dumping and anti-dumping, he said, adding that the new agreement requires more transparency on the United States side.

In addition, the agreement eases rules on how textiles are inspected in South Korea for export to the United States.

The previous deal was initially negotiated in 2007 and went into effect in 2012 during the Obama administration. The Trump administration blamed President Barack Obama for signing an agreement that substantially increased the trade deficit in goods with South Korea. Trump called KORUS horrible and asked the U.S. trade representative to renegotiate the terms.

This is long in coming, many years actually, said Trump, calling the agreement a historic milestone.

For decades, politicians have talked about fixing broken trade deals only to do absolutely nothing about them. My administration is the first to actually keep our promise and deliver.

Steel and Aluminum

The new KORUS also limits steel and aluminum imports from South Korea. According to the agreement, the United States imposes a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports. Steel, however, will be subject to a quota, rather than a tariff.

The quota on steel will be product-specific, and equivalent to 70 percent of the average annual steel export volume of South Korea in the last three years.

Through this deal, the United States will be able to achieve a 30 percent reduction in steel imports by volume and value, according to the White House.

The United States is the worlds biggest steel-importing nation, buying almost 36 million tons in 2017. South Korea is the third-largest supplier of steel followed by Canada and Brazil.

Although both parties signed the free-trade agreement, there is still a challenge standing in the way, which is the ongoing Section 232 investigation on automotive imports.

In May, Trump directed the Secretary of Commerce to launch a Section 232 investigation into whether imports of automobiles and auto parts threaten to impair national security. The White House is contemplating tariffs as high as 25 percent on auto imports.

If they move forward and make a determination that the importation of autos in the United States is a national security risk, then we have a question of whether South Korea will get an exemption, Stangarone said.

If they get an exemption, Koreas National Assembly will quickly move through and ratify the agreement. Otherwise, the trade deal may face a political challenge in South Korea, he said.

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On June 25, 1950, Communist North Korean troops launched a surprise attack into South Korea.A Russian Su-35 bomber lands at the Hmeimim military base in Latakia Province, Syria, on May 4, 2016. (VASILY MAXIMOV/AFP/Getty Images)

US Sanctions on Chinese Military for Buying Russian Equipment Hit Beijing Hard

News Analysis

Last week, the U.S. State Department announced rare sanctions against a Chinese military department and the departments commanding general.

Their misdeed was violating a 2017 U.S. law, the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which was enacted to punish Russia for meddling in U.S. elections, aggression in Ukraine, and involvement in Syrias civil war. Any corporation or individual found to be doing business with any of an extensive list of entities closely associated with Russian defense or intelligence sectors can be subject to penalties under the sanctions.

As such, Chinas Equipment Development Department, a branch of the military responsible for weapons procurement, and its director, Lt. Gen. Li Shangfu, were found to have purchased military equipment from an entity on the blacklist: Rosoboronexport, Russias main arms exporter.

China purchased 10 SU-35 combat aircraft in December 2017 and an S-400 surface-to-air missile system-related equipment in January 2018, according to the U.S. State Department.

The sanctions, announced on Sept. 20, banned Li and the agency from conducting any monetary transactions within the jurisdiction of the United States; Li also will be blocked from accessing any property or assets in the United States, in addition to being banned from obtaining a visa.

State Department officials have insisted that the sanctions were aimed at Moscow, not Beijing. But the implications for China are significant.

The sanctions indicate to Beijing that the United States is willing to punish high-level officials and freeze their assets in the U.S. if they break the rules.

Top officials in China are notorious for funneling their amassed wealthalmost undoubtedly obtained through corrupt meansoverseas to avoid detection by Communist Party authorities. Severing their access to U.S.-linked assets, therefore, hits them where it hurts. Such a move is more detrimental to the Chinese regime than trade tariffs, which primarily affect consumers.

The regimes angry reaction to the sanctions seems to suggest the United States move is beginning to have an effect. On Sept. 22, China summoned the U.S. ambassador in Beijing, Terry Branstad, to lodge stern representations, the foreign ministry said.

Then, Chinas defense ministry said in a statement that it would recall Chinese navy chief Shen Jinlong from a visit to the United States and postpone planned talks in Beijing between Chinese and U.S. military officials that had been set for next week.

The defense ministry added that the Chinese military reserves the right to take further countermeasures, without providing further details.

The most recent sanctions follow other U.S. punishments of Chinese entities. On Sept. 14, the U.S. Treasury announced sanctions against web design and app-development companies in China that are owned and managed by North Koreans.

Earlier this year, U.S. officials considered blacklisting two of Chinas biggest banks for doing business with North Korea, according to an April 13 Bloomberg report. But the idea was abandoned because of concern about the potential effects of such a sanction on the global financial system.

Last November, the Treasury Department instead cut off the smaller Bank of Dandong from accessing the U.S. financial system, as punishment for engaging in money laundering for North Korea.

Reuters contributed to this report.When Elizabeth Minei thinks of the soups she has experienced at multiple New England Chowdafests, there are few more memorable than the bisque she tried several years ago that tasted like a Thanksgiving meal rolled into one spoon.

But none of the chowders, bisques or soups hold a ladle to the person who has accompanied her on all these culinary jaunts, her fiance William Wilson.

We love that we have been able to make memories at this event, Minei said by phone from her home in New York City. As soon we get home after Chowdafest, next years date goes on our calendar.

This weekend marks the fifth year the couple will make a pilgrimage to what has become one of the biggest food festivals in the Northeast. Restaurants from across the Northeast, plus a few far-flung entries, will vie for the top three spots in five categories, based on the votes from attendees. The soup makers and vote takers are set to gather at Sherwood Island State Park on Sunday, Sept. 30.

Its a fun event for us to reflect on and look forward to at the same time. Its a nice way to mark the passage of time, Wilson said.

On this day, Minei and Wilson, who are both 32, are recalling their early years as a couple, given the interview hits on the fourth anniversary of their first date, when Wilson, who was living in Norwalk, traveled into the city to meet Minei. Their meeting was a success and, soon, other dates followed, including their fifth one at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk at the seventh annual Chowdafest.

In the ensuing years, they have grown ever more committed to the event and to each other. The event has inspired them to visit some of the winning restaurants, such as 250 Market in Portsmouth, N.H. (the city where they had their engagement party) and incorporate a mini Chowdafest at their November wedding.

Their mutual love for such simmering goodness led the festival founder, Jim Keenan, to pull together some perks for the couple, including complimentary admission and a hotel stay. Hes also organized an online registry with Pike Place Chowder, one of the competitors, so that fellow chowda lovers may gift the couple with some award-winning soup. Keenan has always been clear about his love of a great chowder, bisque or other creative broth, and the fact that the food festival helps to raise funds for several charities, including, primarily, Food Rescue U.S.

More Entertainment SEEN: Westport Chowdafest 2017

Diehard foodies will travel a long distance to go to a unique experience, he said, noting that about half of the restaurants are new to the event, and there are more opportunities to sample dishes beyond soup  such as craft salsa, Greek yogurt and ice cream.

This is the 11th year that Keenan and his team are bringing soup to the masses. In the years since it was launched, he has watched as couples, families and friends incorporate the day into their lives, as an opportunity for reunion, a yearly tradition or special event. Last year, he said, a couple from St. Louis read about the event in Yankee Magazine and started their honeymoon at the event and then headed out on the Chowda Trail, which was established in 2015. It joins several other epicurean-themed routes, such as the states pizza, chocolate and beer trails.

Its funny, but we are not concert or festival people, we dont particularly like large crowds, yet we love this event, Minei said, of a festival that attracted about 12,000 people last year. Its also a tasty event. We have never had a bad chowder at Chowdafest.

More Information Sherwood Island State Park, Sherwood Island Connector, Westport. Sunday, Sept. 30, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $20, $5 ages 6-12. 203-216-8452, Chowdafest.org See More Collapse

chennessy@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @xtinahennessyReported crimes in Connecticut are at their lowest level since 1967.

Thats what Governor Dannel P. Malloy said is contained in a report released by the states criminal justice policy and planning officer and underscored by FBI data.

Over the last several years, Connecticut has had a dramatic reduction in violent crime and projections are showing that this trend will continue, Malloy said. Recently enacted criminal justice reforms, which were supported by experts from both side of the aisle, are showing real results.

The statistics available from the FBI do not break the data down by city or town and links from Malloys press release refer to 2017 data as the most current available for most crimes except murder.

Malloy said other states are looking to Connecticut as an example of smart policy reforms that are having a positive impact. We have to remember that this data represents real change in our communities - our policies are making our neighborhoods safer while at the same time providing young people who may otherwise get trapped into a cycle of crime the ability to lead successful lives.

But State Sen. Leonard Suzio, R-Meriden, said Malloys announcement apparently isnt focused on the states early release program which began in 2011.

What theyll find is its been a catastrophic failure, Suzio said. There have been over 14,000 serious violent crimes that have been committed by individuals who have been discharged from prison early. Im talking murder, homicide, rape, kidnapping, all kinds of serious assaults.

Suzio said he has been compiling information for some time and will be releasing his report later this week.

It shows that every single one of these crimes has been committed by a person who has not been reformed. The prisons are springing out populations by the boatload, he said.

The crime that hits closest to home is the June 27, 2012, murder of Irahim Ghazal, who three weeks earlier opened a gas station and convenience store called EZ Mart on Meridens East Main Street.

Its just blocks from my home, said Suzio.

Two months earlier Frankie The Razor Resto had received early release on a 20-year sentence he was serving for two armed robberies. Store surveillance shows Resto entered the store around 1:30 a.m. that day, displaying a gun and demanding money from the 70-year-old Ghazal.

After Ghazal turned the money over, Resto shot him. The hollow point bullet tore through the 70-year-old store owners chest immediately killing him.

Resto is now serving 53 years in prison for murder.

The announcement on the drop in crime comes at a time when Malloy is being battered by low public approval ratings and by gubernatorial candidates claiming the states economy is in dire straits resulting in residents and milennials moving elsewhere.

Malloy said the data shows the states police departments reported 71,883 crimes last year, a 2 percent drop from the previous year. Since 2011, reported crimes have declined 19 percent, which includes a 19 percent drop in violent crimes, the governor said.

The total number of statewide arrests for all crimes dropped by 41 percent between 2009, when statewide arrests peaked at 138,719, and 2017, when there were 81,408 arrests -- a drop of 7.5 percent from 2016. By analyzing recent trends, the criminal justice policy and planning office is projecting that there will likely be about six percent fewer arrests in 2018 than there were in 2017.

Malloy said the state reimagined its criminal justice system with a focus on second chances rather than permanent punishment and stigma during his tenure.

More Information Homicide statistics 2011 to 2017 2011: Bridgeport 20; Hartford 27; New Haven 34 2012: Bridgeport 22; Hartford 23; New Haven 17 2013: Bridgeport 11; Hartford 23; New Haven 19 2014: Bridgeport 11; Hartford 19; New Haven 12 2015: Bridgeport 19; Hartford 23; New Haven 15 2016: Bridgeport 10; Hartford 14; New Haven 13 2017: Bridgeport 21; Hartford 29; New Haven 7 2018: Bridgeport 6; Hartford 18; New Haven 8 See More Collapse

In doing so, the state modernized criminal drug laws, reformed the bail system by focusing less on a persons affluence, raised the age of juvenile jurisdiction, enhanced the states criminal justice data system, provided more support to school districts to encourage students to stay away from criminal situations and implemented policies that providing incarcerated individuals with the tools necessary to end a cycle of crime.

Governor Malloys comprehensive criminal justice reforms have yielded measurable and sustained improvements in public safety over the past eight years, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Dora Schriro said.

The collaboration of the state with its local and federal partners is integral to Connecticuts success. All of the men and women who make up the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection are proud to have had a significant role in these efforts and the realization of its favorable outcomes, Schriro said.

As crime in the state has dropped, so has the prison population, Malloy said. Since January 2011, the prison population has dropped by 4,097 inmates -- a 23 percent decrease. At the same time, the states Risk Reduction Earned Credit system is ensuring that high-risk prisoners are serving a greater portion of their original sentence in prison than they previously had been serving.

If current trends continue over the next few years, Connecticut is poised to become the first state in the nation to cut its prison and jail population in half, the governor said.To combat potential hacking incidents at the polls on Election Day, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said Monday shell use a $5-million federal grant to strengthen Connecticuts voting-security system.

We feel that the best thing we can do with the rest of the funding is to making sure that our local election infrastructure is up to par, she said. We believe that the targeting of the municipalities is much more likely than the targeting of the state system itself.

The grant will include a million dollars for backup optical-scanning equipment, as well as election monitors installed at the state and local level on Nov. 6.

Monitors will visit the 169 towns and cities in advance of the election to perform training with local registrars, and establish more password protections for the 20-year-old paper-ballot systems.

While the state was one of 21 targets in the Russian cyber attacks during the 2016 election, its so-called closed-loop system successfully thwarted the attempt. Still, with more than a million probes a day to get into the state computer system  mostly data miners for commercial interests  she wants to shore up the election system.

The hackers werent just trying to break into our system to affect our elections, theyre trying to sow the seeds of doubt, she said. They dont have to corrupt data to do that. They just have to create doubt in the integrity of our elections. Nothing will do more to depress voter turnout despite all our best efforts than sowing doubt in an already-cynical public.

Earlier this year, when $380 million was released through the federal Help America Vote Act, Merrill convened a bipartisan task force on election cyber-security, including elected officials, academics, and computer experts to determine how the $5 million would be spent.

In Connecticut our voting machines are never connected to the Internet, Merrill said in a morning news conference in the State Capitol with U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy. This is not about the way your vote is tabulated. Our tabulating machines cannot be attacked in that way.

Our democracy is under siege, Blumenthal said. The hackers are hard at work.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCTHilary Duff, the beloved star from Lizzie McGuire, is now a mom and a total boss who calls the shots on all of her collaboration deals. After her Disney days, the actor has boldly spread her entrepreneurial wings and expanded her brand to include a vast array of business opportunities.

Related: Empowered Women Unite: 25 Must-Follow Instagram Accounts

One of her most recent collaborations is with GlassesUSA.com, an online retailer of prescription eyewear. When Duff first learned that the company was interested in working with her, she was excited for the challenge. She was yearning for a creative outlet and designing a collection felt like the perfect fit. She also loved that the brand was open to giving her complete freedom to design a collection.

After a few conversations, Duff and GlassesUSA.com decided to create the Muse x Hilary Duff Eyewear Collection, beautifully designed eyewear that was both affordable and comfortable. Demonstrating her commitment to womens empowerment, Duff chose to name each pair in the collection after a powerful woman in history.

The collection first launched in January, and its success led to the Bold Capsule, a limited-edition collection of Muse x Hilary Duff that launched on September 5.

Designing a collection with a well-known brand is a dream for many bloggers and creative business owners. So, I asked Duff about what advice she could share with other entrepreneurs on how to make this dream a reality.

How did the conversations begin with GlassesUSA.com? Did they approach you or vice-versa?

Duff: This was a totally unexpected partnership. I have regular conversations with my team about ideas I have and the direction I want to take my brand. I am approached a lot about various opportunities, and my team does an incredible job of vetting them.

With this, GlassesUSA.com reached out to do a one-off Instagram post wearing their glasses. Im a total sunglass junkie and I loved their brand, so I said sure! After that post, the relationship organically grew into a collaboration where they asked me to design a capsule collection.

The one-off post was a great way to test the waters to see if we were a good fit for each other and if felt authentic to me to explore a deeper partnership.

Related: Bluemercury Founder Marla Beck on Why You Should Do the Things That Terrify You

You exude such poise and having your "feet firmly on the ground" in your interviews. Youve shared that checking in with yourself is very important in order to discover yourself. What does it mean, to you, to check in with yourself?

Im still on the path of discovering myself. What has helped me is to write things down. Whether its business, personal, reflections on parenting, it helps me to discover whats really going on inside. From there, I lean in to what feels good, even if it feels uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable leads to bold opportunities, and bold opportunities are where dreams come alive.

You've had an outstanding career with incredible longevity. What are one or two key business decisions you've made, that have enabled you to have a successful, long career?

You know, I got really lucky with Lizzie McGuire. I booked that opportunity at a really young age, and it established a great platform for me -- and a chance to build a career based on authenticity, because I was so much like Lizzie. People loved her and, in turn, loved me. Since then, Ive continued to be honest, relatable and approachable. Im an open book, and that has really helped me navigate business relationships, because I only do projects that are authentic to me. Because of that, I also take my time with decisions. I dont rush into anything that doesnt feel right.

The other decision I have made is to take breaks and reflect. I took a big break before and after my first pregnancy, and that space allowed me to reevaluate what was no longer working for me. I broke away from my team of 10 years. After having someone else make all of my business decisions, do all of my negotiating, it was time for me to grow up and be an entrepreneur. I surrounded myself with new people and made more decisions for my business.

Related: How Jamie Kern Lima Negotiated a $1.2-Billion Deal for IT Cosmetics

What are one or two business lessons you have learned with your GlassesUSA.com partnership?

You know when GlassesUSA.com approached me, I was very intimidated. Heres this big machine that wants to work with me, and I thought, What do I have to offer? But, then I checked in with myself and realized that I absolutely have something to offer. I have a lot of value to bring the table.

I know what women around the age of 30 want to wear, how they feel, their dreams, desires and goals. Not only am I one of those women, but a lot of my followers are those women and have grown up with me from my Lizzie McGuire days. That knowledge and expertise I have is valuable to a company seeking to connect with this group of women. Thats the biggest lesson Ive learned from this partnership. The importance of knowing your worth and sticking to it.

How do you feel your Muse x Hilary Duff collection and featuring women leaders/pioneers fits into today's culture?

It is so important. I am inspired by women who have paved the way for us by doing something bold, something uncomfortable and have fought to make their dream a reality. Wearing something with their name on it gives me confidence to continue to pursue my dreams and I hope it does the same for others.

What is your recommendation to an up-and-coming blogger who wishes to create partnerships with brands? How do you balance the desire to grow your business with being authentic?

Well, if I am completely honest, I have to say that Im a little envious of bloggers. Because they have created a space for themselves where their readers actively seek them out for their authenticity. With that said, my one piece of advice is to keep doing what youre doing and focus on knowing your worth. You and your work is valuable. Your message matters and brands are eager to work with you, just as you are.

Related:

Hilary Duff Explains Why Taking a Break Can Be the Key to Your Career

Mark Wahlberg Reveals His Grueling Daily Schedule and It Is Bonkers

This Former Computer Scientist Pivoted to Film/TV and Built an Emmy-Nominated Production Company. Here's How.



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reservedNORWALK  A big-box retail development is headed to a long-vacant stretch of Main Avenue after Connecticut Appellate Court decided not to hear a Norwalk condominium organizations appeal of the project.

Rolling Ridge Condominium residents asked the appellate court to hear the case after Bridgeport Superior Court Dale Radcliffe earlier this year dismissed their appeal of the Norwalk Zoning Commissions 2017 approval of the plan for The Village for 272-280 Main Ave.

The appellate court in Hartford on Friday rejected the residents petition for certification to appeal. Attorney Peter M. Nolin of the Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP, the Stamford law firm representing the property owner, welcomed the courts decision.

Their certification has been denied so in our view the judgment is now final and our client can proceed with development in accordance with the decision of the zoning commission, Nolin said. Were glad the appellate court decided to leave Judge Radcliffes well-reasoned decision in place.

Asked if a BJs Wholesale Club will be a tenant of The Village, Nolin answered, I dont know if thats finally decided.  I think theyre talking to tenants, but I dont think its finalized yet.

In April 2017, Zoning commissioners approved on a 5-2 vote property owner Main Norwalk, LLCs plan for The Village. The approved plan calls for 85,000 square feet of high-bay retail at the interior of the 5-acre site, 13,000 square feet of retail fronting Main Avenue, 4,000 square feet of restaurant space and 371 parking spaces. The commission approved the plan subject to 21 conditions, including a follow-up traffic study be done within six months of the main store opening.

Rolling Ridge Condominium Association President Sarah Dodd and nearly 70 other residents of the condominium complex at 50 Aiken St. appealed the approval and went to the appellate court in July after Radcliffe upheld the commissions approval of the plan.

In his petition to the appellate court, Joel Z. Green, the Bridgeport attorney representing Rolling Ridge residents, noted the property is a Superfund cleanup site that abuts Rolling Ridge Condominiums. He challenged the landscaping and traffic plans approved as part of The Village.

The landscape plan proposes planting several dozen trees on the Rolling Ridge property to screen the development. The traffic plan calls for realigning and reconfiguring exit driveways and internal parking spaces on private property across the street, he wrote.

However, the record contains no evidence that the Applicant owns or has a right to use the Rolling Ridge Property or the Testa Property, nor does it contain evidence that the owners of those other properties signed or consented to the Application as requested by Zoning Regulations, Green wrote.

For Rolling Ridge residents and other opponent of The Village, potential traffic was a major concern.

Radcliffe, in his decision released May 30, 2018, however, concluded that the zoning commissions decision was supported by substantial evidence concerning zoning regulations and traffic generation.

The appellate courts decision not to hear Rolling Ridges appeal marks the latest development in the long history of the property.

Forty years ago, Elinco Corp. manufactured motors on the property and spilled toxins that made their way into a nearby aquifer used for Norwalks drinking water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classified the site at 272 Main Ave. as a Superfund site, resulting in cleanup and monitoring.

The property was eyed for a 108,209-square-foot BJs Wholesale Club before owner 272-280 Main Avenue, LLC in September 2013 yanked the plan amid residents concerns over its scale and potential traffic.

The Village, as put forward by Main Norwalk, LLC in November 2016, was presented as a smaller development, which would fill in a 600-linear-foot gap in the streetscape along the Main Avenue. Parking would be inside the development.

The structure facing Main Avenue will appear to be an assemblage of smaller buildings  in keeping with the historic architecture of Main Avenue  and house retail and restaurants with outdoor dining areas facing the street, according to architect Bruce Beinfield.Six months ago, my manager unexpectedly left our company, and I was put in charge of our marketing department. I wont deny that it was a positive surprise for me. Not because I didnt like our previous manager or because of my ruthless thirst for power, but because I had so many ideas I wanted to implement. Finally, I had my chance to take the reigns and implement all the ideas in my head.

I have always believed that new is always better, as said by Neil Patrick Harriss character in the long-running sitcom How I Met Your Mother. While many new leaders feel that way, it is almost impossible to get that point across to employees. To understand why, you need to look at it from the employees perspective.

Related: 9 Leadership Initiatives To Ramp Up Team Engagement

For them, new approaches are scary and demand that they come out from their comfort zone. There is no way theyll do that unless you show them the clear benefits theyll receive from trying something new. The key to helping your employees is to communicate your ideas clearly and often. Internal communication is more than just a buzzword.

Learning to get your employees.

As I learned in my first months as a manager, leadership is about getting measurable results as a team. But it is also about making sure employees understand why changes are necessary, why you make the decisions you make, and how leadership decisions benefit them. Communications is the key. Especially since employee engagement drops 2 percent in teams whose manager ignores workers.

After I had settled into my new role as manager, I had a one-on-one discussion with everyone in our department. One-on-ones are a vital part of keeping your employees engaged. I found out, they didnt think much needed to be changed in our work process. Everything was going well, and I was told not to break something that works. Still, I wanted to try out my ideas.

Related: 12 Ways You Can Change the Dynamic at Work

Communicating how a new process or program benefits employees is critical. A good example is how I implemented online weekly reporting with my team.

Employees need to know you are working for their benefit.

I felt our marketing team could benefit from using the Plans, Progress, Problems (PPP) methodology to better achieve our quarterly goals. However, telling employees they need to do more reporting is not something that raises morale or makes you popular in the office.

So, I made sure to explain to everyone personally how using a reporting system that takes 10 minutes a week, actually saves them time. As the PPP methodology makes sure, you dont spend your time on fake work and meaningless tasks.

Related: How to Find Your Best Employees and Keep Them Around

One of the benefits of one-on-one meetings is that employees feel part of the decision making process. When people know their ideas are heard and concerns listened to, they will be more committed to the outcome. I also started using the system openly for my personal tasks. Great managers build trust and act as examples to employees.

Why we implemented weekly reporting.

The system we implemented in the end was the system I wanted. But the PPP methodology itself also had gone through some changes based on employee feedback.

Every week everyone in the team jots down five or six important tasks they will work on; their plans. As they get them done, they then move them into progress. If an employee encounters problems with some tasks, they can be moved into the problems column. From that kind of report, I, as a manager, can get a quick birds-eye view of everything my team is working on, and can intervene if needed.

People generally like to do things and accomplish tasks the way theyve always done them. They are afraid to get out of their comfort zone. You must break old habits and get them just as excited as you are about new initiatives. The only way to do that is to communicate that excitement to make them see that you only have their best interests at heart.

Related:

Rallying Employees to Embrace New Management Practices

4 Great Entrepreneurial Traits That You Should Adopt in 2018

The 5 Habits Bad Founders Never Break



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reservedBEIRUT - Tensions between Russia and Israel reignited on Sunday after Russia's Defense Ministry issued a harsh critique of Israel's role in the downing of a Russian plane in Syria last week, despite previous efforts to soothe over the rift.

Releasing the results of an inquiry into the incident, in which a Russian IL-20 plane was shot down on Sept. 17 by a Syrian antiaircraft missile during an Israeli airstrike, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the actions of Israeli fighter pilots showed "a lack of professionalism, or, at a minimum, criminal negligence."

Fifteen Russian servicemen were killed on board the plane, one of the highest tolls in a single incident for regular Russian troops since Russia's military intervention in Syria three years ago.

By failing to give adequate warning of its intention to strike in the area, in the vicinity of Russia's main Hmeimim military base in Syria, Israel violated Russian-Israeli agreements intended to deconflict their air operations in Syria, Konashenkov said. He said an Israeli jet had used the Russian plane as cover, thereby exposing it to Syria's antiaircraft fire.

Konashenkov called Israel's behavior "highly ungrateful" in light of the measures Russia has taken in Syria to accommodate Israeli demands, including, he said, relocating Iranian troops from the border of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and providing Russian patrols in the area.

Israel responded with a statement disputing the Russian findings, saying that it had already presented Russia with a detailed account of the incident that demonstrated that Israel had acted within the boundaries of Russian-Israeli agreements.

Israel also claimed last week that its jets had returned to Israeli airspace when the missiles were launched.

The Israeli statement added it would continue to strike when it chooses in Syria to counter what it called "Iran's incessant attempts to establish itself in Syria and to arm the terrorist organization Hezbollah with lethal and accurate weapons." Israel would also continue to take "all necessary measures" to ensure the safety and well-being of Russia's troops, it said.

The criticisms from Russia on Sunday were in contrast to an assessment last week by President Vladimir Putin that the shooting of the plane was attributable to a "chain of tragic accidental circumstances" and not to any missteps by Israel. In seeking to tamp down the tensions, he had signaled that Russia's ties with Israel are too important to put in jeopardy, despite the deaths of the soldiers.

The Defense Ministry's reiteration of the allegations that Israel was culpable raised new questions over the endurance of their understanding, according to which Russia has tolerated multiple Israeli airstrikes against targets in Syria alleged to be tied to Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia, despite Moscow's close alliance with Damascus and Tehran.

Russia gave no indication that it is planning to take any action against Israel. But Moscow's pushback against Israel's version of events appeared to catch Israel by surprise, after the matter seemed to have been settled last week, and raised the question of whether Russia might seek to curtail Israel's freedom to maneuver in Syria in the future.

The incident has also put the Kremlin in a tough spot. Acknowledging Syrian responsibility for the deaths of 15 Russian service members would cast an unflattering light on Russia's alliance with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, amid domestic political challenges for Putin and unease in the Russian public over Moscow's engagement in Syria.

Blaming Israel, on the other hand, also carries risks. Putin has cast Israel as a key partner, and Russian officials point to his close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a prime example of growing Russian influence in the Middle East.

---

Troianovski reported from Moscow and Eglash from Jerusalem.NORWALK  Kara Kovlakas could light up a room.

When asked what they remember about her, that is the first thing her husband and sisters say.

I think everyone would agree you always remember her smile first, her sister, Jenna Garry, said. She would walk into a room and everyone knew her presence. She always made you feel special and important. She was an amazing mother, which I was so fortunate to see firsthand. 

She had that it factor where everybody loved her and had nothing but good things to say about her, said her husband, Norwalk Police Officer Andy Kovlakas. I cant think of anything negative that somebody would say about her.

We spent her entire 32 years of her life together. She was an amazing mother, the best sister that anybody could ask for. She was my best friend, said another sister, Lauren Morrow Shrage.

Kovlakas was a devoted mother of two children, a wife, a loving sister and a beloved teacher at Marvin Elementary School. From the outside, she seemed to have a perfect life. But in the months following the birth of her second child, Kovlakas was quietly struggling with postpartum depression. Even her family didnt realize the extent to which she suffered.

On Oct. 13, 2016, a day before she would have turned 33, Kovlakas died by suicide.

I dont know how many times we saw stuff like this on TV, or talked about it. No one thinks it could happen to them, Kovlakas said. Sure enough, it happened.

Kovlakas death devastated her husband, her five sisters and her mother, and brought the seldom spoken-about issue of postpartum depression into focus.

Though they were mourning, her sisters were not content with grieving in private. They decided to use their sisters story to start a larger conversation about postpartum depression and the stigma surrounding it.

Not that its something we even want to share, but at the same time my family and I feel like not talking about it doesnt help, Shrage said.

Around the first anniversary of Kovlakas death, in October 2017, her sisters gathered a group of family and friends to participate in the SoNo 5K  Kara loved to run  raising money for the Connecticut chapter of Postpartum Support International and Malta House, a Norwalk organization that assists pregnant women.

This year, on the second anniversary of Kovlakas death, they will host a Light for Kara 5K for Maternal Mental Health at Calf Pasture Beach, with proceeds again going to the two organizations that work to raise awareness about prenatal and postpartum mental health.

The anniversary and her birthday the following day  theyre really hard days, said Shrage, who has taken the lead in organizing the 5K. I think about Kara every day, but those are particularly hard days. So to be around family and friends really helps me get through.

According to Cory Bernard, events and fundraising committee chair at Postpartum Support International, the prevalence rate of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders  postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, postpartum PTSD and postpartum psychosis  are surprisingly high.

Were all sold the myth that moms are supposed to be pregnant, keep working, pop out a baby, go back to work in six weeks, lose the baby weight and be thrilled that they have a child, Bernard said. If you have 100 postpartum women in a room, 20 will experience depression and/or anxiety, nine will have symptoms of PTSD, 11 will have symptoms of OCD, 11 will have panic attacks, one or two will be struggling with serious psychotic symptoms (postpartum psychosis), five will take their own lives due to their symptoms and four will take their childrens lives.

More Information For information on the Light for Kara 5k for Maternal Mental Health, or to register, visit lightforkara.com To sign up for the Oct. 13 race, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/CT/Norwalk/lightforkara For more information on the Connecticut Chapter of Postpartum Support International and their services and related resources, visit https://psictchapter.com/ See More Collapse

Its a problem that touches a significant segment of the population, but is not often spoken about.

Theres no literature given to new moms, theres no 1-800 number, Garry said.

Kovlakas family hopes Karas story will encourage others who may be suffering to break their silence and fight back against the mental illness associated with Karas death.

If our story could help one person, thats what its all about, Kovlakas said.

For information on the Light for Kara 5K for Maternal Mental Health, or to register, visit lightforkara.com.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586The kids have fun and we do engage the parents so they can learn what we teach the kids in the school, said McCaughey.Brett Palmer of Springfield has been named a recipient of an Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics Scholarship for 2018.

The senior secondary mathematics education major at Illinois College competed with students from across the state to be named among five to receive the annual award, which includes a $1,500 scholarship.The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) hosted a Science Showcase Friday, Sept. 21 as it celebrated the $70-million renovation of the Science Building East. The renovation focused on teaching and research facilities in the Departments of Physics, Mathematics and Statistics, and the Center for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Research, Education and Outreach.

SIUE students are reaping the benefits of SIUEs ongoing commitment to campus growth with the renovations that were the final phase in a $79 million construction and infrastructure improvement plan to the Science Complex, which includes Science East and the new Science West.

We are proud of the investment in science and math-related education that has been made through these construction and facility upgrades, said CAS Dean Greg Budzban, PhD. SIUE is a remarkable educational resource for students in the region.

Built in 1966, the original Science Laboratory Building has housed classrooms, laboratories for teaching and research, and offices for science and various other programs. Growing enrollment and demand for science and math curriculum created an increased need for teaching and laboratory space, as well as updated equipment.

The redesign of Science East was completed in 2006, and funding was appropriated in 2009. Renovations were well underway when work was completely halted in the summer of 2015 because of the state budget impasse. With the beginning of the fall semester quickly approaching and a full roster of classes scheduled in the two 200-seat auditoriums in the building, SIUE forward funded the remodeling of those two spaces, which remained open during construction. Those expenses were eventually repaid with the approval of a state budget in 2017.

Though it took time, it was worth the wait, said Rich Walker, vice chancellor for administration. This is the capstone project to more than $310 million worth of improvements to our teaching and research space at SIUE.

The renovation project followed the completion of Science West in 2013. The Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences are housed in Science West.

The Science Complex contains safe, state-of-the-art facilities that enhance opportunities for cutting-edge teaching and research by faculty, and also provide opportunities for more student engagement in experiential learning.

Our new lecture rooms allow for many more students to be taught and in an immeasurably more comfortable environment than the previous classroom, said Jack Glassman, PhD, associate professor and chair of the Department of Physics. Also, our research spaces are outfitted with equipment that allows our professors to perform their research and train our students at all levels.

Newly created labs include:

Two biophysics labs, one of which is dedicated to X-ray crystallography

Three photonics research labs, all of which are light-tight and shielded from vibrations, with portholes allowing light from the laser lab to be shared with researchers in connecting labs

One optics teaching lab that accommodates five tables, each with its own screened-in area

Science East is equipped with the same high-end equipment students will find in the research labs of future employers. Modern offices for the faculty, as well as dedicated spaces for collaboration in teaching and research, are central in the new building. A large, department-staffed, tutoring room provides extra help to students, and dedicated work spaces give students room to conduct course- and research-related tasks.

Each physics faculty will have their own research lab instead of sharing space, said Abdullatif Hamad, PhD, professor of physics. We will be able to acquire more equipment and involve more students in our research, since space will no longer be an issue. This will help us recruit world-class researchers to join the physics faculty at SIUE.

Science East is designed and constructed to the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver-rated building. As such, it is highly energy efficient, and has high levels of wall and roof insulation; double insulated, polarized glass windows; and the latest technology for the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.

Lighting motion sensors turn off lights when a room is not in use. Solar roof panels help reduce consumption and demand from the power grid. Exterior bracing adds seismic stability.

Originally $81.8 million was budgeted to invest in the Science Complex, but the project was completed $2.7 million under budget. Of the total investment, $32 million was dedicated to renovating Science East.

Architecture services were provided by Hastings+Chivetta Architects, Inc. River City Construction provided general contracting.

Central to SIUEs exceptional and comprehensive education, the College of Arts and Sciences has 20 departments and 85 areas of study. More than 300 full-time faculty/instructors deliver classes to more than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Faculty help students explore diverse ideas and experiences, while learning to think and live as fulfilled, productive members of the global community. Study abroad, service-learning, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities better prepare SIUE students not only to succeed in our regions workplaces, but also to become valuable leaders who make important contributions to our communities.Hukou () is a system of household registration in China. Each citizen is issued a household register under supervision of the Ministry of Public Security, Chinas police. Hukou serves as an identity proof for citizens, recording their basic information and permanent residence.

The hukou registration also determines access to housing, education, and medical treatment, among other social and welfare provisions. Each city in China administers its own hukou application process to control its resident population.

This is why the hukou is very important for residents in China, and highly-valued in first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

For example, in 2017, around 25 percent of non-Shanghai residents applied for a Shanghai hukou to access key services and enjoy more benefits in the city. Shanghai has about 14,456,500 residents, among whom 9,726,900 are non-Shanghai residents living and working there, according to the citys Statistics Bureau.

It must be known that a hukou is different from a residence permit, which is a temporary document that can be used to apply for various socioeconomic benefits. In this way, it is similar to the hukou, but the access to benefits are comparatively limited and the permit needs to be renewed regularly.

Chinas hukou system: Benefits of holding a Shanghai hukou

Some of the most important benefits that are attached to the hukou are listed below:

Buying a house: Non-Shanghai residents cannot buy a house if they are single. In the case of married residents, they can buy a house providing they have made social insurance contributions in Shanghai for more than five years.

Medical insurance: Ones spouse can enjoy medical insurance treatment even if they are non-Shanghai residents and havent joined the medical insurance scheme.

Admission to public schools: Children can go to public schools without extra requirements. For non-Shanghai residents, admission of children to the citys public schools usually requires the parents to have residence permits and to own a house nearby.

Retirement and pension: For non-Shanghai residents, under the current system, pension payments will be made in the city where they have a registered hukou. As different cities maintain different pension standards, their monthly pension payment might be lower than that in Shanghai.

Applying for a Shanghai hukou

Shanghais municipal body has issued guidelines stating who can apply for a Shanghai hukou:

Those possessing qualified talent, such as having established a startup, owning patents, founder of or senior management in a leading company;

Those who earned at least a bachelors degree overseas;

Those who have newly graduated from university;

Those who are spouses/children/parents of Shanghai-hukou residents;

Those who hold a Shanghai residence permit and have contributed to social insurance in the city for at least seven years.

Given the high thresholds of certain channels, the most requests for a Shanghai hukou are made by Shanghai-based employees who have studied overseas and employees who hold a Shanghai resident permit for at least seven years.

Both types of applicants should submit their applications via their employer  these are likelier to get approved.

Shanghai-based employees who have studied overseas

Chinese youth returning home after graduating overseas generally favor job opportunities in Beijing and Shanghai, although there is increasing competition among other fast-growing cities.

In order to attract the best talent, the Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau recently issued the Notice of Implementation of Employees Who Studied Overseas Apply for Shanghai Hukou.

However, not every Shanghai-based employee who has studied overseas can obtain a Shanghai hukou; there are other qualifications required from both the employer and employee. The same goes for employees with residence permits, where working seniority matters.

Below, we highlight the requirements for these two popular categories of applicants.

Application requirements for Shanghai-based employees who have studied overseas are:

Employer qualification

Registered in Shanghai; and

Insert capital  RMB 1,000,000 (US$146,025)

Employee qualification

Bachelor/Master/Doctorate degree (different degrees will have different requirements of social insurance payment period and payment bases in Shanghai);

First working city must be Shanghai after graduating from overseas;

Accumulated unemployment months should not exceed two years after graduating from overseas;

Labor contract period should be above one year and the application should be validated for more than six months before the labor contract expires; and

Application is valid after probation period, if any.

Normally the Shanghai hukou is verified and approved in around 45 working days from the date of application if there are no problems.

Spouse and children can be transferred to a Shanghai hukou together with the employee-applicant under certain conditions. For the spouse, s/he is eligible only if they were married when living abroad. This is designed to close loopholes such as the use of fake marriages to get a hukou.

For children, their age must be younger than 16 years. In case the child has joined school late, the scope of consideration may be extended to completing high school  of which, indicative proof will need to be submitted.

Shanghai-based employees who hold a resident permit for at least seven years

Application requirements for Shanghai-based employees who hold a resident permit for at least seven years:

Employer qualification

Registered in Shanghai

Employee qualification

Holding a Shanghai residence permit card for at least seven years;

Contributing to social insurance in Shanghai for at least seven years  during the period of holding the residence permit card;

Compliant with Individual Income Tax obligations in Shanghai during this period;

Applicant possesses an intermediate title or above in a certain technical area of specialization. (In China as elsewhere, persons need to take exams to earn titles, such as accountant, architect, or other technical positions. Upon passing such exam, they will be awarded a certificate.) When applying for a hukou, a person whose occupation is technical must hold a national certificate of vocational qualification of grade two or above to qualify; and,

No record of violating the provisions of the state and citys family planning policy, public security management, or punishment of the above illegal acts and other undesirable activities.

Additional conditions making it easier to apply for a Shanghai hukou

In addition, there are four conditions that will make it easier for employees holding a Shanghai residence permit card to apply for a Shanghai hukou:

Those who have made significant contributions and are rewarded accordingly or occupy a technical post in an advanced level and above, or technicians possessing a national certificate of vocational qualification of grade one or above and employed in a position corresponding to the technical post. In the latters case, the condition of years of holding a resident permit card and social insurance contribution will be relaxed.

Working in the education / healthcare fields and other posts in Shanghai suburban areas for at least five years. Here, the prerequisite of holding a residence permit card and social insurance contribution can be shortened to five years instead of seven.

Participating in Shanghai social insurance contribution with a payment base of twice above of annual average monthly salary of the previous year, the condition of intermediate post or above, or technicians holding a National Certificate of vocational qualification of grade two or above.

Accumulated Individual Income Tax payments of three consecutive years and minimum annual Individual Income Tax payment meeting the requirements of Shanghai standard, the condition of intermediate post or above, or technician holding a National Certificate of vocational qualification of grade two or above.

Shanghai hukou applicants meeting these four conditions would be verified and approved in around 45 working days since the date of application if there are no problems.

An additional step of online publicity is required for the candidates who have passed the verification and approval stages of registering their Shanghai hukou.

This is basically the Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau releasing the final Shanghai hukou to selected candidates  if there are no any objections after an online announcement of the same.Chinese exhibitors have impressed Europeans at recent exhibitions held separately in Germany and Montenegro with sharp-edged and innovative products and services.







"China's role in the world is shifting from a follower to a leader" in industrial innovation, one of the exhibitors said, adding that Chinese manufacturers have become the first ones to apply brand new technologies now rather than only use mature technologies and products as they did in the past.





ACTIVE ATTENDEE





The number of Chinese exhibitors at InnoTrans, the railway industry trade fair, has been growing steadily for years, said Matthias Steckmann, senior vice president of the bi-annual fair, which was held on Sept. 18-21 in Berlin.





Around 180 Chinese exhibitors, with a total exhibiting area of more than 6,000 square meters, attended the fair, Steckmann told Xinhua, saying "This is reflected in the growing importance of China's mobility industry, not just at InnoTrans."





This year, 3,062 exhibitors from 61 countries and regions with more than 400 new products showed up at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.





"We look forward to the Chinese mobility industry's growing participation in InnoTrans," Steckmann said.





Besides InnoTrans, more than 200 Chinese companies have attended the eight-day 67th IAA Commercial Vehicles starting from Thursday in the German city of Hanover.





The bi-annual trade fair draws 2,174 exhibitors from around 48 countries and regions. In total, exhibitors debut 435 global models for the commercial vehicle sector, a record figure for the IAA, on an area of 282,000 square meters.





With China as the partner country, the 40th Civil Engineering Fair opened on Wednesday at the ground of the Adriatic Fair, together with the 13th Water Supply Systems and Sanitary Technologies Fair and the 6th Energy Fair.





Seven Chinese companies, including the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), participated in these fairs.





Rajko Bujkovic, executive manager of the Adriatic Fair, told Xinhua that in regard to the partner country status, Chinese companies have greater visibility at the fair that represents a "business gate of Montenegro."





EYE-CATCHING HIGH TECH





Chinese companies not only have strong presence at European fairs, but also in European markets.





CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive (CRRC ZELC), a China-based company in the rail industry, unveiled at InnoTrans the shunting locomotive specially customized for German rail service provider Deutsche Bahn (DB).





The locomotive will be delivered directly to Germany Hamburg depot after the fair.





"This is a typical green product with new technology, new material, new process and new structure," said Sun Yongcai, CEO of CRRC Corporation Limited, at the technology release conference of DB hybrid shunting locomotive.





In Hanover, Faw Jiefang Automotive Co. Ltd Wuxi Diesel Engine Works (FAWDE), a Chinese diesel engine manufacturer, and Stuttgart-based Mahle, one of the largest automotive parts supplier in the world, released the application of Mahle MonoLite piston on FAWDE ALL-WIN 6DM3 Engine, which is the first application of a laser welded steel piston worldwide.





China is an important market for diesel engine globally and the FAWDE is one of the market leaders, as well as an important partner, CEO of Mahle Joerg Stratmann said, on choosing the FAWDE as the first application partner of the new leading technology and product.





"Looking forward, we can really see an exciting future that we can achieve together with our joint forces," Stratmann added.





The CCECC finished the Kolasin-Kos railway rehabilitation project in Montenegro last year.





According to Zhu Tianran, general director of CCECC Montenegro Ltd., the company has strong presence in the international market in the field of railway construction, its core business, and in road construction. The company has also shouldered its social responsibilities in countries where they operate.





In Montenegro, besides providing products and services, Chinese projects also help boost employment in the long run.





Bujkovic explained that due to infrastructure projects such as Bar-Boljare highway, employment of Montenegrin companies as contractors enables them to employ their existing capacities as well as gain fresh know-how. In the meantime, Chinese high-quality products are distributed to the local market by Montenegrin companies.





"The CCECC aims to show its strength and experience, to expand its influence and to attract potential local partners, creating conditions for more participation in infrastructural projects in the Balkan area," Zhu said.





INCREASING COMPETITIVENESS





The technology and competitiveness of China's rail transit enterprises are constantly improving, said Wang Weidong, commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Germany.





"Compared with developed countries, many rail transit products in China have (their) own advantages in technology and cost, and they have very strong competitiveness," Wang said at InnoTrans.





Chinese tech giant Huawei's CloudMetro solution, which recently passed rigorous testing by the European Advanced Networking Test Center (EANTC), shows itself to European visitors in Berlin.





"We evaluated a wide range of functions of Huawei's CloudMetro solution. We can confirm that Huawei's 5G transport series products are getting ready to meet the challenges of metro network cloudification. Huawei's support in the ultra-broadband sector, in slicing, in the evolution from MPLS to next-generation transport, and in the management and analysis functions is really great," said Carsten Rossenhoevel, CTO of EANTC.





On cooperation with Huawei, Soeren Link, mayor of Duisburg, said, "there have been lots of exciting projects during the process of working with Huawei which inspired us in our work. Duisburg already has a tight connection with China. Through the cooperation with Huawei, such partnership with China grows even stronger."





As the exhibition organizer, Bujkovic said that Chinese companies are highly competitive thanks to the technology they are offering, "which is far superior to that used in Montenegro, as well as in the global market."





"The potentials of Chinese companies are immense, while their opportunities are great, as they are already present at the market and additionally represent ongoing projects, which is a great opportunity for them to gain recommendation for future projects," said Bujkovic.





Meanwhile, representatives of Montenegrin companies see Chinese companies as reliable, experienced, competitive and technologically advanced.





Dragan Markovic, official of the public enterprise for coastal zone management, told Xinhua that his company invests millions of euros in infrastructural works and welcomes companies from all sides to compete.





"Chinese companies are already present at this market through the capital infrastructure projects they are engaged in, which are both of immense importance to them as well as their Montenegrin partners. They are also welcome to participate in smaller projects with their technology and know-how," Markovic said.





Momcilo Stojanovic, member of the award jury for the best presentation of the fair, told Xinhua that he saw Chinese companies as "highly professional."





"They are very serious and I am not surprised because of the comprehensive and fast expansion of the Chinese model of economy in Montenegro, Europe and the whole world," he said.





Speaking of the potentials for Chinese companies, he said that China is among the most technologically advanced countries in the world, and that the realization of projects of its companies in Montenegro is impressive.



China celebrated its first ever national harvest festival across the country on Sunday, also the day of the Autumnal Equinox.

Villagers perform a lantern dance to celebrate China's first Farmers' Harvest Festival in Majiazhai Village of Shuiwei Township in Cengong County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Sept. 23, 2018. People across China hold various activities to celebrate the country's first Farmers' Harvest Festival, which falls on Sept. 23 this year. [Photo/Xinhua]

Autumnal Equinox is one of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunar calendar and usually falls between Sept. 22 and 24, during the country's harvest season. It was designated a special day for farmers to celebrate the harvest earlier this year.



In Xiaogang Village, Fengyang County in east China's Anhui Province, people gathered to examine the quality of a variety of rice on the eve of the festival.

Only 40 years ago, local villagers could barely feed themselves before they boldly pioneered reforms that were later promoted nationwide, mainly a household-responsibility system that links remuneration to output.

This year, China's agricultural conglomerate Beidahuang Group based in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province set up a modern rice plantation in Xiaogang Village.

"We will develop a one-stop supply and marketing mechanism with Xiaogang as a brand of modern agriculture," said Li Jinzhu, first secretary of Xiaogang Village Party committee.

Farmers across China celebrate the harvest festival with activities ranging from skill contests, products exhibitions to parties and carnivals.

In Deqing County of east China's Zhejiang Province, 11 teams of farmers participated in a series of farming skill competitions.

In Hulin, a small city in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, farmers attended a grand outdoor party to celebrate the festival. They sang, danced and joined games such as tug of war in the urban square.

"I am glad to see that a festival is specifically designated for the farmers. That means farmers now enjoy a higher status in China," said Zhao Guihai, a resident in the city.

In Kuche County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, more than 20,000 people gathered at a bonfire party on Friday night in the county square.

The county also held a fair for agricultural products, picking out "the biggest cantaloupe", "the biggest walnut", and "the biggest Chinese date", all freshly harvested products famous in Xinjiang.

For some people, the harvest festival is a time for reflecting upon the past and looking forward to the future.

Dai Geniu, a 94-year-old living in the city of Xinzheng in central China's Henan Province, has been a farmer for her whole life in the major crop-producing province. She has experienced wars, floods, and famines.

"Harvest is the happiest time of a year, even better than the Spring Festival, because food gives people a sense of security and hope," Dai said.

Wu Daowen, a farmer in southwest China's Guizhou Province, will reap a bumper harvest of kiwi fruits for the first time in three years. Wu started growing kiwi fruits in 2016, and then expanded the scale to about 1.33 hectares after he improved the planting techniques.

"I expect to have a yield of 1,750 kg of kiwi this year, and with the price of 12 yuan per kilo, I can make at least 20,000 yuan (about 2,900 U.S. dollars)," Wu said.

"Now as the kiwi fruit is very popular on the market, we don't have to worry about selling it," Wu said, "I estimate we'll reap 5,000 kg next year and there will be more bumper years to come."Three candidates for Mt. Pleasant City Commission shared their views in a candidate forum Thursday evening, sponsored by the Mt. Pleasant Area League of Women Voters.

Incumbents Lori Gillis and Nicholas Madaj, along with candidate Amy Perschbacher attended the forum at Mt. Pleasant City Hall. Three other candidates  Rick Rautanen, Petro Tolas and Barry DeLau II  were unable to attend.

The six are competing for three available three-year terms in the Nov. 6 election.

The forum will be available to watch on MAC TV (Channel 187 on Charter in Mt. Pleasant) and is also on the citys YouTube channel.

Candidates introduced themselves and answered questions on a variety of topics, including sustainable communities, the citys housing market, working with Union Township, ways to promote the downtown and what their priorities will be if elected.

Here are some of the questions asked by the moderator and the candidates answers:

Candidate introductions

Lori Gillis has served on the City Commission since being elected in November 2015. She previously served on the Planning Commission and was involved in two citizen referendums. During my service (on the City Commission), I spearheaded these accomplishments. I opened access to the north side of the 80-acre Indian Pines Park and that eliminated illegal activities there. I initiated security cameras on this Borden Building. I helped initiate a policy for the city to fund sidewalk construction and amended the policy of 1 to 3 percent interest charged to the city on Brownfield reimbursements and saved taxpayers thousands of dollars, and initiated free brush pickup in 2018 and 2017.

Nicholas Madaj also was elected to the City Commission in 2015 and is currently vice mayor. Madaj is a lawyer and works for the courts in Clare and Gladwin counties as an administrator. I have past experience working on boards and commissions, both here and in my former home of Bay City. I have experience working with governments and small businesses. I bring this experience to the table as a city commissioner. In my time on the commission, Ive been an advocate for neighborhoods, for fiscal responsibility and for transparency.

Amy Perschbacher said she was born and raised in Michigan, on the west side of the state, and is a mother of four and a grandmother of five. She received a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters in counseling from Central Michigan University. She is a property manager of a downtown building on University and is a mental health therapist at Ronan Psychological Associates. She is on the board of Friends of the Broadway. The one thing that I feel is very important is that we remain a community, that we look at our diversity, and our variety, we look at our education, our understanding of our resources that we have, and that we continue to support those resources.

Expand on an issue of importance to you and list your priorities should you be elected.

Madaj said, My priorities if elected, would be to continue to be working on behalf of our neighborhoods, and to maintain a fiscally responsible city government with the budget that we enact every year. To work with Union Township to ensure township where it makes sense, and to continue to advocate for governmental transparency. In my term on the commission, working with Commissioner Gillis and the rest of the commissioners for three years, there have been many successes. In my next term, I would love to work on behalf of our neighborhoods and to expand services where it makes sense. For example, we recently provided for increased brush pickup services. I would also be interested in bringing about yard waste pickup. I would also be interested in pursuing more of a relationship with Union Township. There are a number of big issues coming up, ranging from the community pool to our recreation programs and things like that (where the two governments could work together).

Perschbacher said, The things that are important to me really are the community and the residents that reside here. Im very interested in the fact that there are close to 200 students in our school district that are homeless, 31 percent of children under 18 in our Mt. Pleasant area live in poverty. A lot of this has to do that while we have lots of jobs, you can always see there are places out there looking for workers, but they are not jobs that support a family. I would love to bring in industry and business into Mt. Pleasant that affords people the ability to have a paycheck that helps them be able to purchase a home, be able to send their children to university.

Gillis said, My first priority is to be able to build a community swimming pool. I think we have waited long enough for something to replace the historic swimming pool down in Island Park that got tore down in the 1990s. That would also be my second priority, she said, drawing laughter from the audience. I also have a theory of limiting tax breaks to developers. I feel that when we give tax breaks to development, we divert revenue, from not only our city and Isabella County and all of the other publicly funded entities, such as ICTC, Commission on Aging, the library, etc. When we decide we are going to give tax breaks, we also are taking the money from all those other entities, and are either giving it back to the developer or not collecting it from that development. I really think we all should pitch in to make sure all those things stay active and serve the community. Im also interested in increasing services to our residents.

What ideas do you have attracting more businesses and more shoppers to Mt. Pleasants downtown?

Madaj said, I think this is largely twofold in terms of bringing people downtown, in bringing people to the city or in bringing businesses to the city. I think the first thing we need to do is a have a city with dependable services. Have costs or taxes that are understandable and something that is predictable. If everything is able to be maintained in such a way without any type of shock in regard to services or costs, we are more inviting as a community. I believe that would help to bring in businesses and bring in residents, with development, such as Parcel B, that could be a catalyst for further interest, further development, further activity in our downtown.

Perschbacher said, Ive always enjoyed the downtown area. I used to own a small performing arts studio downtown and utilized many of the events that happened downtown to promote my studio. Ive noticed that theres been a little bit of a drop in events that happen downtown and Id like to see that increased definitely. The one thing that people have brought to me about the downtown area that frustrates them the most, because they love downtown, they love coming down here because there are a lot of opportunities, but what with the stores that we have downtown, the salons and the restaurants, that includes employees. And these employees are not always able to find parking spots. Or if they do find parking spots, they have to run out every two and half to three hours to move their car so they dont get a ticket. Id like to see us seriously look at the parking in the downtown area. To provide not only for the people that want to come, the customers, but for the employees who are trying to make a living.

Gillis said she loves the town center on Main and Broadway, and would have liked to have seen an amphitheater put there. One is currently planned for Island Park instead. I would like that parking lot utilized more, maybe on Saturdays and Sundays when theres not a lot of traffic downtown. With Art in the Park, maybe ice sculptures during the winter, concerts, things of this nature.

She also noted that visitors should be made aware of the war memorials and the walking paths by the river. If people who are visitors from out of town, out of state, come here, they have monuments to see, they have historical buildings, and they can enjoy these places, and then use our parks system to relax and enjoy nature, which we are very lucky to have. So I think a linkage between the parks and the downtown and encouraging that would be a great thing. I also think businesses have to stay open after 5 oclock. Many people work, so they cannot come down and frequent a business, if they are working 8 to 5. And I also think diversity in businesses.

Candidates also were asked for their views on Proposal 1, the statewide ballot proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in Michigan. Under the proposal, cities would have the option of opting in to allow the sales of recreational marijuana. The city already has a new ordinance to allow medical marijuana.

Both Madaj and Gillis were on the ad hoc committee to study bringing medical marijuana to the city.

All three candidates at the forum Thursday said they support the statewide proposal.

The League of Women Voters election-year series of programs continues at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, at City Hall with a candidate forum featuring the 99th District state House candidates and candidates for Isabella County Commission. There also will be a meet and greet for candidates for other county positions, such as prosecutor and road commissioner.You are here: China

Charles Kao, a Nobel Prize winner dubbed the "father of fiber optics", died at 84 on Sunday, according to Hong Kong media.







Professor Kao pioneered in the development and use of fiber optics technology, bringing revolutionary changes to modern telecommunication technology, said Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Carrie Lam.





Kao was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 2009 for his pioneering work in fiber optics. Before he passed away, Kao battled Alzheimer's disease for years.





Kao was born in Jinshan county, East China's Jiangsu province (today's Jinshan district of Shanghai) in 1933. He studied at the University of London where he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree and his PhD in electrical engineering.





Kao moved to Taiwan with his family in 1948 before migrating to Hong Kong in 1949.





He served as the third vice-chancellor of Chinese University of Hong Kong from 1987 to 1996 and was honored as foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Science in 1996.



The first Pinggu Harvest Festival kicked off in Pinggu District, Beijing, on Sunday. More than 500 people, including government officials, business representatives, tourists and farmers attended the opening ceremony of the Harvest Festival.







As an important part of the 2nd 2020 Beijing - Pinggu World Leisure Congress, the Harvest Festival was co-sponsored by the 2020 Beijing - Pinggu World Leisure Conference Executive Committee Office and the Pinggu Municipal Commission of Rural Affairs.





The opening ceremony incorporated traditional and contemporary trends and technology, showcasing the new look of modern farmers and their joy during the agricultural harvest.





As a major agricultural area in Beijing, Pinggu District is an important fruit and vegetable base in the capital city. Many visitors were also drawn to Pinggu's special agricultural products such as pears, peaches and walnuts, which were on display at the exhibition area.Australia kills four sharks after tourist attacks

AUSTRALIA: Four large sharks have been killed in Australia after a woman and a 12-year-old girl were attacked at a popular Great Barrier Reef tourist spot.

animalshealthtourismSafetymarine

By AFP

Monday 24 September 2018, 09:14AM

Shark attacks are rare, but still cause fear among ocean-users. Photo: Peter Parks / AFP

Both were still in hospital yesterday (Sept 23) after being mauled in separate incidents just a day apart last week at the Whitsunday Islands.

Drum lines, which use baited hooks to catch the predators, ensnared four tiger sharks, one 3.7 metres long and the others each between two to three metres, a Fisheries Queensland spokesman said yesterday.

While sharks of this size are potentially very dangerous to humans, it is unclear if they were responsible for injuries caused to two swimmers, he said.

The latest shark to be caught has been humanely euthanised and will be taken further out to sea for disposal.

The spokesman said it was clear there are a significant number of active sharks in local waters and people are urged not to swim.

The drumlines were to remain in place over the next week.

Shark attacks are very rare in the Whitsundays  a collection of spectacular tropical islands at the heart of the Barrier Reef  with the last encounter reported to be eight years ago, according to national broadcaster ABC.

The attacks have revived debate about how best to reduce the risk of encounters between sharks and the growing number of people using the ocean for leisure.

Many conservationists and marine scientists object to killing sharks, and insist that drumlines are a blunt instrument because they often catch other creatures.

New South Wales, the countrys most populous state, has trialled non-lethal measures such as aerial drones to track sharks movements and smart drumlines that alert authorities to their presence.Back to the drawing board for Phoenix salvage

PHUKET: The Chief of the Phuket Marine Office today confirmed that the plan to raise the sunken tour boat Phoenix is to be fully revised after one of the tethers broke while the salvage operators were trying to move the boat underwater  but not actually raise it.

marineSafetydisastersChinesedeathtourism

By The Phuket News

Monday 24 September 2018, 05:55PM

The plan to raise the sunken tour boat Phoenix has been scrapped temporarily after one of the tethers broke. Photo: PR Dept / file

The news to temporarily scrap the plan to raise the Phoenix was revealed today (Sept 24) by Wiwat Chitchertwong, who is currently the Acting Director of the Phuket Marine Office.

Mr Wiwat was installed as Acting Director of the Phuket Marine Office after the previous director was transferred in the wake of the Phoenix tour boat disaster on July 5 that killed 47 Chinese tourists, sending the Phoenix to the seabed 45 metres below the waters surface some 1.5 nautical miles off Koh Hei (Coral Island),

At last report, on Friday (Sept 21), the salvage team were making the final preparations to raise the Phoenix. (See story here.)

However, Mr Wiwat confirmed to The Phuket News today, The salvage of Phoenix boat has been suspended because the rope (sic) that was being used to pull the boat through the water broke while we were moving the boat.

The rope broke when we were moving the boat about 400 meters from where it sank, he added.

Mr Wiwat explained that the plan was to lift the Phoenix off the seabed and and drag it closer to shore while it was still fully submerged, and then float it to the surface.

However, the plan came apart when the tether broke while the salvage team were dragging the boat underwater, sometime between last Friday and today.

Mr Wiwat declined to answer when the incident occurred.

I will not reveal or explain more details, he said.

However, Mr Wiwat added, Today I ordered for a new plan from the dive team to salvage the boat, then we will be able to start the process again.

No deadline for presenting the new plan was revealed.

I just ordered the dive team to make a new plan today. They will survey the boat again and tomorrow will start to continue with the project, Mr Wiwat said.

We will try our best. I believe our work will go well, because there is good weather at this time, Mr Wiwat added.

Mr Wiwat, however, declined to identify which company had been hired to salvage the vessel.

Marine Department Director-General Jirut Wisanjit, while in Phuket on Aug 8 to announce that the Phoenix will be raised this week, explained at the time that the Marine Department on July 11 had ordered the owner of the Phoenix  26-year-old Phuket resident Woralak Rerkchaikarn  to recover the boat from the bottom of the bay, giving her 20 days to complete the recovery.

With the deadline passing on July 31 and no action taken to recover the Phoenix, the Marine Department will do it and order the boat owner to pay for the cost of the recovery, Mr Jirut said.

The cost is about B10 million, for which we have which hired a private company to carry out the salvage, he added. (See story here.)Brits Koh Pha-Ngan rape claim withdrawn

SURAT THANI: Another British woman claimed she had been raped in Surat Thani province, this time on Koh Pha-Ngan, but withdrew the claim following a medical examination.

sexpolicetourismcrime

By Bangkok Post

Monday 24 September 2018, 05:29PM

In this file photo, tourists relax on Rin Beach in Koh Pha-Ngan. Photo: Bangkok Post / File

Thai media reported today (Sept 24) that the British Embassy in Thailand had informed Koh Pha-Ngan police of the claim.

According to police, the embassy told them that the father of the 25-year-old British national had made an overseas call to inform them that his daughter had been raped at a hotel in Ban Hat Rin in tambon Ban Tai in the resort island.

Local and tourist police, together with staff from the Tourists Help Centre, went to Koron Hotel and questioned the woman, who had been staying there, and took her to Koh Pha-Ngan Hospital for an examination.

The results showed no signs of rape or drug abuse, police said.

They then took her to the police station for more questioning, with a staff member from the help centre acting as an interpreter and a representative from the British Consulate in Thailand present.

The woman allegedly told them when she woke up, she found herself naked and her clothes scattered all over the room.

Since she could not remember anything, she thought something bad might have happened. She had suspicions about a British man she met at a pool party at the hotel last Friday night (Sept 21) and thought she might need police help.

Thai authorities checked CCTV footage from in front of the hotel and some photos taken in the area from the time she returned to the hotel and let her view them. They found no suspicious activities or strangers entering her room during the period.

The woman later apologised and thanked the Thai authorities.

Deputy tourist police chief Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn said today that the case should serve as an example for tourists. Deliberately filing a false complaint will lead to prosecution and blacklisting. Thai police stand ready to treat all parties fairly and have the duty of checking facts whether reports are true or false, he said.

In June, a 19-year-old woman claimed she had been raped on Koh Tao and later talked to a few British newspapers about the incident. Thai police said they could not find evidence of the crime based on what she had told the English media.

On this case, Maj Gen Surachate said there had been a development. The British Embassy told us the woman agreed to let Thai police question her in England and well send female officers to talk to her later this month.

Read original story here.Drug blitz at full moon party

SURAT THANI: Anti-drug authorities led by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) have arrived in Surat Thani to begin a crackdown on drugs at the provinces beach holiday destinations.

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By Bangkok Post

Monday 24 September 2018, 08:26AM

Sniffer dogs and commandos from the 4th Army Region bolstered anti-narcotics agents of the Prime Ministers Office of Narcotics Control Board yesterday (Sept 23) in searches they promised would swarm Rin Beach of Koh Pha-Ngan for todays (Sept 24) full moon party. Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul

The resort island of Koh Pha-Ngan is on the top of their list, and police officers, soldiers and plain-clothed officials are expected to swarm Rin Beach as it hosts a full moon party tonight (Sept 24). Sirinya Sitdhichai, ONCBs secretary-general, said that around 200 officers will be combing the beach, which hosts between 15,000-30,000 partygoers  the majority of which are foreigners  when the party takes place. According to him, some local communities in Surat Thani are riddled with methamphetamine (ya bah), and the use of marijuana and crystal meth (ya ice) is common around tourist hotspots. The crackdown, which will also cover beaches on other resort islands such as Koh Tao, is part of the provinces ongoing efforts to promote drug-free tourism among tourists and business operators, said Mr Sirinya. Col Sutthi Nitiakkharapong, chief of Don Sak Police Station, said security checkpoints have been set up at ferry piers, with officers told to be on the lookout for illicit drug and firearms brought in by party revellers. Read original story here.First thing he must do is weed out all the corrupt officers that use their positions for their own b...(Read More)Phuket group calls for action over crucial oil, gas concessions

PHUKET: Governor Norraphat Plodthong today (Sept 24) received a petition from a local action group calling for the Prime Minister to intervene in the concessions being offered to two crucial oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Thailand, and accusing officials of breaching ethics requirements mandated in the Constitution of Thailand.

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By The Phuket News

Monday 24 September 2018, 04:49PM

Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong (2nd from right) receives the petition at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning (Sept 24). Photo: PR Dept

The Power for the People of Phuket community action group believes that the concessions for the Bongkot and Erawan oil and gas fields are currently in breach of Section 164 of the Constitution of Thailand. Photo: PR Dept

Somkid Bangtong, President of the Power for the People of Phuket community action group, presented the letter to Governor Norraphat at Phuket Provincial hall this morning (Sept 24).

Present to support Mr Somkid were about 50 members of the action group.

Were asking the Phuket Governor to take this document that has 1,059 signatures from our supporters and give it to the Prime Minister, Mr Somkid said.

The petition called for the government to manage the TOR (terms of reference of the concessions offered) for the Bongkot and Erawan fields in the Gulf of Thailand by using employment contract system and to establish a national corporation.

The petition also called for the Prime Minister to modify the structure of energy costs in Thailand by reducing gas and petroleum cost byat least B3 per kilogram, which is estimated to cost B100 billion per year.

Our members saw a big mistake in the relevant laws that led to a breach of Section 164 of the Constitution of Thailand 2017, Mr Somkid said.

However, Mr Somkid gave no explanation of why people in Phuket were objecting to the concessions for those two oil and gas fields in the Gulf only, and did not clarify exactly what the group accused the Ministry of Energy, or others, of doing.

Section 164 of the Constitution of Thailand 2017 (see here), is as follows: The Council of Ministers shall administer State affairs in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, laws and the policies stated to the National Assembly, and shall also act in accordance with the following rules:

(1) to perform duties and exercise powers with honesty, in good faith, with dedication, openness and thoroughness and cautiousness in carrying out various acts for the greatest benefit of the country and the public in common;

(2) to strictly observe disciplines of the activities pertaining to State funds under the law on financial and fiscal disciplines of the State;

(3) to uphold and comply with good public governance principles;

(4) to encourage all sectors of society to co-exist with fairness, happiness, unity and solidarity;

Ministers shall be individually responsible to the House of Representatives for matters under their duties and powers, and shall also be collectively responsible to the National Assembly for the determination of policies and implementation of policies of the Council of Ministers.

Of note, the Ministry of Energy rates the two fields as equally crucial and urgent and as the jewels of the crown among Thailands gas fields accounting for a combined 75% of the Gulf fields outputs of natural gas.

The Ministry of Energy Annual Report for 2017 noted, "An equally crucial and urgent mission is to prepare the bidding round for concessions nearing their expiry in 2022-2023, namely the Erawan group and the Bongkot group, the jewels of the crown among Thailands gas fields accounting for a combined 75% of the Gulf fields outputs of natural gas of massive value, fueling power generation, serving as petrochemical feedstock, and yielding LPG (cooking gas).

In other words, these two groups of gas fields represent vital energy components nourishing Thais quality of life, creating downstream industries, and generating billions of baht in national income. Arduous as it may seem to safeguard national interests and resources belonging to all Thais, DMF has spared no efforts in ensuring that, by the expiry dates of these concessions, Thais will continue to have access to natural gas and energy. (See the Ministry of Energy Annual Report 2017 here.)Pickup truck found but Aussie, Thai wife still missing

PHRAE: Police have found the pickup truck owned by an Australian man and his Thai wife missing since last week, but the couples fate still remained unknown as of today (Sept 24).

transportpolice

By Bangkok Post

Monday 24 September 2018, 04:49PM

The white pickup truck of Australian Alan Scott Hogg and his Thai wife, Nod Suddaen, at Phra That Chor Hae Police Station in Muang district in Phrae. Photo: Taweesak Sukkasem

Alan Scott Hogg, 64, and his wife Nod Suddaen, 61, were reported missing last Thursday (Sept 20).

When investigators went to their home in Phraes Muang district they noticed the couples white Ford pickup truck was also missing.

Phrae police chief Maj Gen Sanpat Prabpudsa said today that the truck was located and impounded in Ayutthaya yesterday (Sept 23) and returned to Phra Thai Chor Hae Police Station, near the couples home, today for forensic work. The vehicle is registered in the wifes name.

The Phrae police chief said it turned out the truck had been bought from a Thai couple by a Lao man. The sellers and buyer agreed to meet in Sri Samrong district in Sukhothai to close the deal last Friday (Sept 21). The Lao man then drove it to Ayutthaya on a business trip, until learning from media reports that police were looking for the vehicle, Maj Gen Sanpat said.

The man turned the truck over to police in Ayutthaya yesterday. He and the two sellers were then taken to Phra That Chor Hae Police Station, where they were still being interrogated.

Further details of how the truck left the house and why it had changed hands were not disclosed.

Police were questioning the three people, hoping to find out what became of Mr Hogg and his wife.

The couple have lived in their big compound, comprising a two-storey house and a cattle-yard, for years. Police found blood stains on the floor around a sink in the house and more in a bathroom near the swimming pool. A mobile phone that was still being charged was also found at the scene.

All were collected as evidence.

Col Amorn Kwangpaen, an investigator of Phra Thai Chor Hae Police Station, said that last Thursday investigators also found a backhoe near a hole that had been dug and then filled in. The hole was re-excavated, but police did not find any signs of one or more body having been buried there.

A person whose name was not disclosed reported them missing last Thursday, telling police the couple had not been answering Line app messages or phone calls since last Tuesday (Sept 18), when they were supposed to meet in Chiang Mai.

Their daughter has since returned to the house from the United Kingdom, after being informed her parents are missing.

Maj Gen Sanpat said today that he could not confirm whether the couple were alive or dead. Police were sending sniffer dogs to the scene and tracking down contacts found listed in the charging phone, in the hope of shedding some light on the mystery, he added.

Read original story here.The Thai wives who never said I do

NATIONWIDE: After tying the knot earlier this year, Somjit and her husband visited the Wang Muang district office in Saraburi to register their marriage only to be told she was already married to a man she had never met.

crimepoliceimmigration

By Bangkok Post

Monday 24 September 2018, 08:58AM

The anti-illegal Operation X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner under deputy Tourist Police Bureau chief Surachate Big Joke Hakparn is investigating the fake-marriage operation. Photo: Tourist Police

Ms Somjit, 38, whose surname was not given, was shocked to learn of the prior marriage. She denied having known, let alone met, the Indian man who was supposed to be her husband.

This led the former cleaning lady for a private company to suspect that copies of her two most important documents  her domicile registration and citizen ID card  may have ended up in the wrong hands.

She remembers her supervisor at the cleaning department had collected copies of the two documents from her and now believes they were used to fake the marriage with the Indian man.

Ms Somjit filed a complaint with the authorities who revoked the bogus marriage.

Ms Somjits case highlights a fraudulent practice in which foreigners, mostly from India, seek to obtain a marriage licence so they can stay in the country to run businesses which are not always legal, according to Natthaporn Sitthichai, a detective with the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).

Some bribe district officials, who steal the identities of women in the citizenship database, to produce the marriage licences for them.

Ms Natthaporn said she found a number of women agreed to sign the marriage licences because they and the men were friends. Other women were hired or borrowed money from the men and agreed to the marriage to square their debt.

On May 23, eight Indian nationals were detained for suspected involvement in a scam using the names of Thai women on forged marriage licences to stay in the country longer.

Deputy tourist bureau chief Surachate Hakparn said the arrests came after police took up complaints lodged by the women, including Ms Somjit, in Saraburis Wang Muang district who found their names on marriage certificates despite never having been married.

Police identified the suspects as Prabhakar Singh, Ritesh Kumar, Manjeet Mallah, Suraj Prakash Singh, Raju Sharma, Shailesh Kumar Tripathi, Vijendra Nishad and Bhajan Nishad. The first three were charged with overstaying their visas while the five others had their visas revoked, he said.

The arrests were part of the polices Operation X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner campaign, aimed at cracking down on foreigners who find illicit ways to stay in the country.

Pol Maj Gen Surachate said the suspects were thought to belong to a gang which makes fake marriage documents with the help of state officials in charge of the citizenship database.

According to the deputy commissioner, the names of as many as 300 women in the district might have been used in the bogus marriage scam.

Maj Gen Surachate said, so far, officials have helped 13 Thai women remove their names from the marriage registry.

Arthit Boonyasopat, director-general of the Department of Provincial Administration, said the department had sacked two Wang Muang assistant district chiefs and an administrative official in 2015 after they were found to have colluded in the scam.

The officials were accused of taking the names of 2,000 women to produce fake marriage licences in exchange for B2,000 a name. The case has been sent to the National Anti-Corruption Commission for a criminal investigation.

Ms Natthaporn said many of the Indian men holding false marriage licences lived in commercial areas of Bangkok. Some had started out hawking roasted peanuts and steadily expanded to run clothes or electrical appliance stores.

They are very good at saving money and micro-lending. They offer loans to Thai vendors. Several of the lenders established themselves as mafia figures engaging in crimes including the drug trade, she said.

Meanwhile, the state officials who conspire with the foreign men in the forged marriage scam are committing a blatant abuse of authority, Ms Natthaporn said.

They engaged in a unilateral process of creating marriage certificates despite the legal requirement that both parties be present at a formal interview before a licence can be issued, said the detective.

Ms Natthaporn added that the officials also did not enter details of bogus marriages into the computer system in order to evade a detection by their superiors. They would only issue paper licences to the foreign men as documentary proof of marriage.

Read original story here.The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said Monday it resolutely supports the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's ban on the so-called "Hong Kong National Party."

The HKSAR government has announced an order in its Gazette to prohibit the operation of the "Hong Kong National Party." A spokesperson of the office said it is an unregistered and illegal group as well as a "Hong Kong independence" organization.

The HKSAR government's decision to bar the group from operating according to relevant laws and legal procedures is an action that should be taken to maintain national security and the rule of law in Hong Kong, and is absolutely necessary, the spokesperson said. "We resolutely support the decision."

The central government firmly supports the HKSAR in punishing any acts that jeopardize national security in accordance with the law and has zero tolerance for any organizations preaching "Hong Kong independence" or engaging in activities of splitting the country, said the spokesperson.

"We firmly support the HKSAR in maintaining the rule of law, banning the operation of the 'Hong Kong National Party' according to the law and performing the constitutional duty to safeguard the national sovereignty, security and development interests," an official with the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR said in an interview with Xinhua Monday.

No activities should be allowed to split the country on Chinese territory of over 9.6 million square kilometers, the official stressed.EDMONTONAn Alberta private school has pushed back against the notion that students shouldnt be asked to identify positive effects of residential schools in Canada.

The controversy arose last week when news broke across the province that the St. Paul Alternate Education Centre had used an online course downloaded from the Alberta Distance Learning Centre that included a question for students to identify a positive effect of residential schools.

The four possible answers were: children were away from home; children learned to read; children were taught manners; and children became civilized.

After a photo of the question made the rounds on social media, administrators for the St. Paul school, as well as the distance learning centre, apologized for letting the material get into classrooms.

Minister of Education David Eggen said he would personally apologize to the student who came across it and said the course and any like it should be immediately discontinued.

While acknowledging some may question the validity of the question  which appeared on a test in the Social Studies 20-4 course  the founder and head of the Webber Academy in Calgary, Neil Webber, said during an interview with StarMetro: I sure as hell dont.

Read more: Alberta Distance Learning Centre apologizes after test asks students to identify positive effect of residential schools

The Webber Academy is a kindergarten to Grade 12 private school that took issue with an email from the Deputy Minister of Education addressed to schools across the province last Thursday when the news came out.

Earlier today, Alberta Education learned of a resource being used that described residential schools in an inappropriate and insensitive way, by asking students about the positive benefits of residential schools, the email stated.

We want our teachers to discuss both positive and negative aspects of the issue, said Webber. He said he responded to the deputy minister with an email of his own, saying as much.

Im not saying that there are positive benefits here, but Im questioning his saying that its inappropriate and insensitive to even ask whether theres any positive aspects. Thats not reasonable.

Residential schools in Canada were a network of institutions that began in the 1800s, with the last school closing in 1996. Over that period, an estimated 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families and placed in the schools, where they were often forbidden to speak their own languages and were abused.

Webber said his school doesnt believe the question was reasonable, but took issue with the deputy minister seeming to assert they shouldnt be allowed to discuss positives of the issue at all. He said his students learn from examining all sides of an issue to see if there are any positives to discuss.

Whether its slavery in the U.S. or Canadas relationship with Iraq, Iran, I think that when you have discussions about those things, you need to consider both positive and negative benefits  and there may not be any positive ones or negative ones associated with these issues, he said.

He didnt think the course from the learning centre had made its way into his school and agrees with banning it from the province altogether. He also said he had some Indigenous students at the academy, but theres not very many.

Before founding the academy in 1997, Webber worked in the Progressive Conservative governments of Don Getty and Peter Lougheed from 1975 to 1989. At one point, he served as social service minister and worked on child welfare on reserves in Alberta with the provincial government, federal government, and band councils.

He said he helped set up agreements with several band councils that allowed them to have access to trained child-care workers to help the community place kids at risk in adoption or foster homes.

At the time, Webber said residential schools and their history were known about in government, but werent part of the public discussions like they are today.

When asked whether residential schools did have positive effects, he responded he didnt know, but students should not be stopped from exploring the question.

Whether theres any positives or not, we think we should be able to raise the question: were there any?

Read more about:EDMONTONPolice are asking for the publics help locating a missing senior with dementia, who may be headed for Calgary.

James Charles Boyer, 67, was last seen at about 6 p.m. on Sunday, near Belgravia Rd. and Fox Dr. He was driving a black 2009 Dodge Caravan, Alberta licence plate BVK 4413, police say.

Police are asking for the publics assistance because Boyer has dementia and diabetes, and needs his prescribed medication. Family members believe he may be travelling toward Calgary.

Boyer is described as a white male with blue eyes and brown hair. He is approximately 5-8, and 130 lbs.

Read more about:Starring a quartet of seasoned comedy veterans in David Alan Grier, Martin Mull, Vicki Lawrence and Leslie Jordan, the new Fox comedy The Cool Kids raised a few eyebrows as it entered this falls lineup. Once the proud incubator of edgier fare such as The Simpsons, the so-called new Fox of 2018 is betting on a retirement home sitcom led by actors who earned acclaim in boundary-pushing comedies from decades past.

Lawrence first rose to fame on The Carol Burnett Show in the 60s and 70s followed by Mamas Family in the 80s. Mull satirized the talk show format with the absurdist Fernwood 2 Night before appearing in big-screen comedies such as Mr. Mom along with the initial run of Roseanne. A longtime standup comic, Grier broke out as part of the boundary-pushing sketch series In Living Color, while the Memphis-born Jordan appeared in The Help as well as a host of TV comedies, including Will & Grace, Murphy Brown and Ugly Betty.

This shows creator, Charlie Day, is one of the forces behind the FX series Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which has a history of testing the limits of TV comedy. With the cast in costume for a shooting day, the actors talk about the series and riff about modern life in a way that might outpace the show.

Were you guys familiar with Charlie Days work before this?

Lawrence: I was not. I didnt know Charlie at all. So Ive been binge-watching Sunny. Its hysterical.

Grier: But I also feel that for Charlie doing this  hes younger, edgier, hes not of this generation. So maybe that injects this with a different kind of energy. Because you know, old people writing for old people  itd be more of like a whole episode of just comparing aches and pains.

Mull: This episode has a lot to do with cellphones and computers, both of which are totally alien to me.

Oh, congratulations.

Grier: You should show him our feed, theres one where the three of us are going on and on, and finally Leslie goes, Is Martin here?

Lawrence: It was a group text; youve still not jumped in. That was a month ago.

Mull: Oh, God.

How much do you guys get to play with generational differences around social media and technology on the show?

Lawrence: I dont think Charlies going to  he doesnt want us to be old. He wants us to be with it. And crazy, and fun.

Grier: When my mom got up there, there was a lot of (sex) in that older community. They did everything young people did. Its just older.

Lawrence: Its high school.

Grier: Its easy to get drugs because everybodys hurting. Painkillers are no problem. Weed? My dad turned me on to medical marijuana. Thats really the tone of the show right now.

Mull: Also, when I wake up in the morning, Im instantly aware that Im driving a used car. Im wearing hearing aids, Ive got a titanium hip, Ive got a lot of this (stuff). But my brain still thinks Im 35. And when I see a guy going down the street one mile-an-hour in his walker, I wonder is that son of a (gun) still thinking 35 and his body is ready for a box? The answer is probably yes. So I think thats what were concentrating on is even though it might take me a month to get across the room, while Im doing that, Im thinking 35. Thats the thrust: We still have young thoughts and issues.

Jordan: But we have spent eight hours with social media experts  kids  literally eight hours.

For the network?

Mull: I think eight weeks.

Grier: Ive never felt older, by the way.

Lawrence: We did a photo shoot a few weeks ago in a huge studio, cement floors. At one point, they got us on the ground to re-create a publicity photo from The Breakfast Club.

Jordan: I was Molly Ringwald.

Lawrence: Yes, he sprawled on the ground. Martins on the left, Im on the right. Hes behind, they go Martin, can you pull your leg in slightly?

Mull: And I go, No, it doesnt work.

Lawrence: Artificial hip doesnt do that anymore. So they said, Vicki, can you sit Indian fashion? And Im like, No, no, new knee doesnt do that.

Jordan: (Laughing) They said, Martin, can you give us some more face? He said, I dont have any more.

Lawrence: Theyre all young people; there wasnt anybody there that was over 30. So they got their shot and they walked away, and it took us 20 minutes to get up.

Grier: That couldve been the end of the show, right there.

All of you have been part of some foundational TV comedies in your careers. Has comedy changed in what youre doing now?

Grier: In a way, its completely changed. I saw a special like (Hannah Gadsbys) Nanette, which was a young Australian lesbian, which is basically a TED Talk with chuckles. Twenty, 30 years ago, that wouldnt be comedy. I mean, thats not what I watched. Those werent my mentors. So theres a whole wave change in terms of younger comics just spilling their guts; its confessional. Everything has to be real.

Lawrence: But thats also kind of the problem with comedy now too, dont you think?

Mull: I grew up with people like Bob & Ray, where it was all about wit and timing. And, for instance, if I watch a Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and I remember the old Tonight Shows with Johnny Carson, they are totally different. With Fallon, its a Vegas show.

Grier: But dont you think, like in the late 60s there was a trend after the Smothers Brothers, (with) cool young comics. It was all political. That quickly became tiresome because that was the easy joke for that time. Everybody was doing it. So that led to a throwback like when Steve Martin came in and was totally absurdist. Ridiculous, apolitical.

Jordan: And this shows a throwback.

Lawrence: I think this is going to be a half-hour of Just laugh because its silly.HALIFAX  Advocates are calling on Nova Scotia to improve access to abortion services, to help make the process less painful, less emotional, and faster.

Lenore Zann, NDP critic for womens issues, says the provinces doctor shortage creates a problem for women seeking either medical or surgical abortions, because there are fewer medical professionals available to give ultrasounds or prescribe the abortion pill.

Zann says Nova Scotia is also in need of gynecologists and other doctors specializing in womens health care to help their patients feel more comfortable during a process that can be stressful or traumatic for some women.

This comes days after The Globe and Mails Atlantic bureau chief published an account of her experience hitting multiple roadblocks while trying to get an abortion in Nova Scotia, before eventually flying to Toronto for the procedure.

Frederique Chabot, director of health promotion with Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, says the vast majority of surgical abortions in the province are performed at one hospital in Halifax.

She says this means women, especially in rural areas, would sometimes need to travel for hours to access the service.

Read more about:As a rookie engineer in the late 1980s, Gina Parvaneh Cody attended a conference in Toronto that she will never forget.

The conference was about tower cranes, but thats not what made it memorable. The moment that has now crystallized in her memory is when the MC opened his mouth to greet the crowd of 700 people: Lady and gentleman, he began, good evening.

There was one woman. It was me, Cody recently recalled, speaking from her North York home. I still remember that.

Since moving to Canada from Iran in 1979 to pursue her masters degree, Cody has been a trailblazer in the male-dominated field of engineering: she was the first woman to earn a PhD in building engineering from Concordia University and the first to scale Torontos construction cranes as a machine inspector. She enjoyed a successful career spanning three decades that saw her collect accolades and ascend to the executive chair position at her engineering firm, which Profit magazine once named one of Canadas most profitable woman-owned companies.

Read more:

International Day of Women and Girls in Science encourages girls to consider STEM

Opinion | The urgent need to get more women involved in technology

Now, two years after her retirement, Cody is making her mark on the industry once again. On Monday, Concordia University announced that it will be renaming its engineering faculty the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science  making it the first engineering school in Canada (and one of the few worldwide) to be named after a woman.

The announcement comes on the heels of a $15-million donation Cody made to the engineering faculty to promote equity, diversity and inclusion  funds that will be matched in part by Concordia to create programming dedicated to these issues.

The gift will also support student scholarships, research on smart cities, and the creation of three academic chairs: in data analytics and artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and Industry 4.0 and advanced manufacturing.

The name change is a reflection of our desire to achieve equity, diversity and inclusion with a particular emphasis on gender balance, said Amir Asif, dean of the engineering faculty, in a press release. Gina will be a perfect role model for young women and inspire them to join this exciting profession.

Throughout her career, Cody has yearned to see more women thriving in the professional field she loves. Across Canada, only 20 per cent of university engineering students are women, according to Engineers Canada. (At Concordia, 23 per cent of engineering and computer science students in the last academic year were women.)

By the time these students enter the job market, the numbers grow even bleaker: currently, women make up only 12.8 per cent of the countrys working engineers, according to Statistics Canada.

Many barriers are systemic but Cody also believes girls need more women role models in the field. Thats why she agreed to lend her name to Concordias engineering school and insisted it always include the Gina and never be shortened to Cody  an uncharacteristic decision for a person whom friends describe as understated.

Im trying to send a message, Cody said. I think it will break that fear that engineering and computer science is for boys. Im hoping kids at school, when they hear it, will say, Oh, its a womans name! and it will matter.

Growing up in Tehran, Cody was always handy as a child and often wound up fixing the broken furniture and televisions in her home. Engineering is something of a calling in her family: her father ran a private school for boys but also worked in construction, and all three of her brothers grew up to become engineers, leaving only her sister, who became a dentist instead. (One of Codys two daughters is now studying engineering, while the other is in law school.)

Cody never thought of engineering as a dream beyond her reach. In fact, both of her parents encouraged her to pursue her education in whatever field she desired  especially her mother, whose own education ended at Grade 11. She used to tell me that the only way for a woman to have independence is to have an education, Cody said. That (stayed) in my brain.

Cody got her degree in structural engineering at Irans top university and in 1979 she moved to Canada to pursue her masters at McGill University.

But when she landed in Montreal, clutching $2,000 in travellers cheques, she was met by her brother, who was then studying at Concordia. He convinced her to meet with one of his engineering professors, Cedric Marsh, and Cody agreed.

After a lengthy meeting, which clearly left Marsh impressed, the professor suggested to Cody that she change her plans. Why dont you come to Concordia instead? he asked, also throwing in a scholarship to cover her $4,000 tuition. It was a dream come true, she said.

Her encounter with Marsh changed the course of her life and career. At Concordia, Cody learned the skills that became the foundation for a successful 30-year career in engineering; she also met her future husband and the father of her two daughters, Thomas Cody, who is now retired from his position as senior vice-president with the Bank of America Canada.

At Concordia, Codys initial focus was on earthquake engineering and this work brought her to Peru, where she collaborated with Marsh on a Canadian government-funded project to improve housing for people in earthquake-prone areas.

After graduating, she moved to Toronto, where the booming job market lured several of her engineering classmates. Cody spent a year working for Ontarios Ministry of Housing, where she helped shape the provinces building codes.

Her first private sector job was with an engineering consulting company called Construction Control, where she was trained to perform crane inspections  an often harrowing job that involved climbing the sky-high machines to inspect every nut and bolt.

Cody says she was the only woman in Toronto doing this type of work at the time. She remembers climbing down a crane one day in the middle of winter, only to be confronted by an astonished construction worker. He said, Why dont you learn to type? You dont have to do this hard work at -30 degrees, she said. I dont think he meant it in the wrong way. He was genuine, but that was the view and vision. That women are weak.

Before long, Cody was scaling the ranks at her company, which was renamed CCI Group in 2013 (after a 2016 merger, the company now operates under McIntosh Perry Consulting Engineers). She eventually became its president and CEO, retiring in 2016 as executive chair and principal shareholder.

Throughout her career, Cody was also a prolific volunteer, serving on various boards, associations and organizations, including Professional Engineers Ontario, the industrys regulatory and licensing body. Shes a trailblazer, said Johnny Zuccon, the organizations interim registrar. Whatever she took on, shed go beyond what was required and always delivered on deadline.

Under her watch, CCI was recognized by the Financial Post as one of Canadas best-managed companies and in 2010, Profit magazine  which called Cody one of the countrys top women entrepreneurs  listed it as the ninth most profitable Canadian company owned by a woman.

Cody said she has always tried to support women in her industry, where dismissive and discriminatory attitudes continue to lurk. She thinks back to times when people would mistake her as someones assistant, or to the older men who clearly resented seeing a woman at the front of the room.

During her time at the helm of CCI, female representation on staff grew to between 20 and 25 per cent, she noted in a 2013 interview with Concordia University Magazine  a relatively high number in an industry where less than 13 per cent are currently women.

Cody now hopes to continue supporting women engineers through her donation to Concordia. She said shes always wanted to give back to the university because shes grateful for the opportunities it gave her when she first arrived in Canada. She hopes, in part, that her donation will also change some of the negative attitudes she now sees towards immigrants. We cherish Canada. We want to give back.

But more than anything, she wants the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science to send a message to young girls and women  that they, too, belong in these professions, should they choose to pursue them.

I dont want to be the only woman in the room, she said. My mission is having more women in this field. Thats what I want to see.The long-awaited Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link got off to a smooth and vibrant start on Sunday, in what could be the key driver that essentially adds flesh to the bones of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's development.







Top officials from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong threw their weight behind the impressive engineering feat that allows Asia's financial center direct access to the country's massive 25,000-kilometer high-speed rail networkthe largest of its kind the world over.





"The XRL, as its name suggests, is part and parcel of a package of broader efforts to tie Hong Kong more closely than ever to the Bay Area and the rest of its mother country," Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said at a summit in Hong Kong on Sunday.





"The distance between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, never far from the outset, is about to get even closer," said Lam, in the belief that the gigantic infrastructure project heralds the arrival of a brand-new lifestyle, featured by high-speed rail travel, for passengers to and from the city.





A living example comes from Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang, who is scheduled to wrap up his business trip in Hong Kong on Sunday and cannot wait to take the high-speed rail train back to Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, to get a taste of the highly anticipated rail travel.





The Vibrant Express trains, running between Hong Kong and other destinations in Guangdong province, made their maiden journeys to the mainland from the swanky, newly-built West Kowloon Station at 7 am on Sunday.





Hailing it as "the fresh beginning of a new life", Secretary for Transport and Housing of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Frank Chan Fan said the new rail line is a cross-boundary infrastructure mega-project that "every Hong Kong resident should take pride in".





"Mooted in 2000 and more than eight years in the making, the 26-kilometer project comes as an extraordinary and meaningful birthday gift for the country's National Day on Oct 1," Lam said at an event on Saturday.





"It makes a well-timed debut when the world's second-largest economy commemorates the 40th anniversary of the ground-breaking reform and opening-up policy this year, and offers an historic opportunity for Hong Kong people to see for themselves the economic, social and technological development miracle on the Chinese mainland," she said





The transportation link, with a cost of about HK$84.42 billion ($10.8 billion), is operated by the city's sole train operator, Mass Transit Railway Corporation. It stands as Hong Kong's first-ever high-speed train that will slash travel time to Guangzhou by more than half to 47 minutes, and connect passengers from Hong Kong to 44 destinations on the Chinese mainland, including Beijing and Shanghai.





Commuters give a thumbs up





Passengers taking the city's first bullet train to the Chinese mainland heaped high praise on its first-day operation on Sunday.





Exhilarated families, tourist groups and diehard railway fans began flocking to West Kowloon Station in the wee hours of the morning, eager to get a first-hand taste of an historic ride.





The first high-speed Vibrant Express  a new train model operated by MTR Corporation left the West Kowloon terminus at 7 am and arrived at Shenzhen North Station 19 minutes later.





Ng Kwan-lap, a 10-year-old Hong Kong student, described the journey as comfortable, saying the ride was stable, despite a speed of up to 200 kilometers per hour. He hopes to take the train to Beijing in the future.





Another passenger, Wu Di, 30, said he came to Hong Kong from Shenzhen with his girlfriend. As a frequent traveler on the mainland's high-speed trains, he hopes MTRC could learn from its mainland counterpart in providing the same level of services and facilities.





The first train to Guangzhou departed from Hong Kong at 8:30 am and arrived at Guangzhou South Station about an hour later.





Joy Yau, a Hong Kong civil servant, said he intended to take a bicycle ride after arriving in Guangzhou. Compared with the high-speed train from Wuhan to Guangzhou, he said the carriages on Vibrant Express, with upgraded facilities, offered more space for him to store his foldable bike.





In the reverse direction, equally enthusiastic groups of mainland residents and railway fans boarded high-speed trains from as far away as Beijing and Shanghai for Hong Kong.





Tickets for the two long-haul journeys  one from Shanghai and the other from Beijing to Hong Kong  had been sold out well in advance.





Feng Yan, a 36-year-old associate professor at the Communication University of China in Beijing, took the first high-speed train G5711 from Shenzhen North to West Kowloon Station.





As a big railway fan, he went to Shenzhen from Beijing to witness the historic moment, taking along with him dozens of old train tickets spanning different ages, as a small part of his collection.





Besides the fast speed and upgraded facilities, other highlights of the bullet trains include Hong Kong-flavored food and drinks in long-haul services provided to passengers after strict quality inspections.





Passengers arriving at West Kowloon Station on Sunday also received special souvenirs from MTRC staff and took photos for their albums.





The Hong Kong rail operator promised to improve on its operational procedures after receiving feedback from passengers.





Some commuters had complained that they were barred from checking-in due to heavy luggage that had exceeded the dimensional or weight requirements.





MTRC Operations Director Adi Lau Tin-shing said he hopes they can be given more time to better their services, and they also will strengthen promotional work on luggage restrictions.



OTTAWAWith less than a week to go until a U.S.-imposed deadline for a new North American trade pact, slow progress on key issues has cast doubt on whether Canada and the U.S. can strike a deal on time, a Canadian official says.

Among the sticking points is a concession Mexico made to the U.S. that exempts some online purchases from sales tax. Canada is not willing to go there.

That impasse, along with other obstacles, could prevent formal negotiations from resuming in time to meet the Sept. 30 deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for Canada to sign on to the deal already struck between the U.S. and Mexico.

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Trump has said a new North American trade deal will be sent to Congress next week, with or without Canada on board.

The deal with Mexico raises the duty-free exemption for online shopping to $100, but also exempts online purchases of less than $100 from sales tax, said a Canadian official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the issues at play.

If you applied that to Canada, for example, if you went online to CanadianTire.ca and bought something for $80, youd have to pay the GST (sales tax), but if you went on to Amazon in the U.S., if we were to accept what the Mexicans have done, then Canadians would not have to pay, the official said.

It would just be a fundamental unfairness that we cannot abide. So, it is the view of the Canadian government that giving an unfair tax advantage to U.S. retailers over Canadian retailers is just not on.

Since Thursday, when Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland left Washington, both sides have put forward their views on a range of issues, but not much has changed, said the official.

Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are not expected to sit down face to face as they attend the United Nations General Assembly this week in New York.

The Canadian official said Freeland was in touch with her counterpart, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, over the weekend, and it is likely the two will meet Tuesday on the UN sidelines, along with Trudeaus chief of staff, Katie Telford, and Trumps son-in-law and key adviser, Jared Kushner, who have also been informally in touch.

Canada still insists there must be a robust, rules-based system to resolve trade disputes between countries, such as that contained in Chapter 19 of the current NAFTA.

It is Canadas strong view that, particularly on Chapter 19 but also some other issues, we need to see further movement from the United States if were going to get there, said the Canadian source.

Other sticking points remain, including Canadas desire for assurances that the U.S. will lift its 25 per cent tariff on Canadian steel and 10 per cent tariff on aluminum. Canada also wants the U.S. to drop its latest threat  to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian automotive exports to America  and its demand that Canada open its cultural industries to U.S. investment.

In a perfect world, wed have this wrapped up this week so that the deal can move forward seamlessly, said the official, but Canada will not be locked into any sort of a timeline. It has to be about the substance.

Were going to work away as constructively as we can ahead of the 30th to try to be a part of whatever the Americans send to Congress, but if we cant get there on substance, then that date will come and go, the official added. What that world looks like afterwards, in many ways its up to the Americans to decide what they want to do then.

Meanwhile, the association representing Canadas generic drug makers on Monday released results of a public opinion survey it commissioned, expressing concern over another concession Canada may make at the NAFTA table.

The survey suggests most Canadians put a high priority on access to affordable prescription medicines, and are worried that Canada could agree  as Mexico did  to extend patent protection in the pharmaceutical sector to 10 years.

Canada currently allows brand name drug companies to protect data for all drugs, including biologics, for eight years.

The Canadian official who spoke to the Star declined to go into detail about negotiating positions, but noted Canadas 2017 trade deal with the European Union (known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA) allowed an eight-year patent protection. The Parliamentary Budget Office pegged the cost of guaranteeing longer patent protections for innovative patented drugs at $392 million nationally. When drugs dispensed in hospitals, clinics and care facilities are included, those costs reach more than half-a-billion dollars (in 2015 dollars).

The Canadian official acknowledged that any change to patent protection on drugs obviously has an impact on costs, one way or another.

In a written statement, Jim Keon, president of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, urged the Canadian government to not trade away timely access to generic and biosimilar medicines in a new NAFTA.

Any such concessions would be harmful to Canadians, harmful to our industry and provide an enormous gift to the brand-name pharmaceutical industry  an industry that already enjoys some of the highest prices in the world for their products and some of the worlds most favourable (intellectual property) laws, while making virtually no investments in Canada, Keon said.

Read more about:UNITED NATIONS, N.Y.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined a chorus of tributes to the late Nelson Mandela on Monday as he urged world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly to follow the example of the man known as Madiba and champion democracy, human rights and the rule of law around the world.

On the 100th anniversary of his birth, the legacy of Mandela was front and centre throughout the assemblys opening day, whether at the unveiling of a statue in his grinning likeness or during a peace summit in his name, where a parade of leaders and dignitaries defended the values he came to represent.

Some, like his widow, Graca Machel, urged heads of state and UN officials to take on ego-driven decision-makers, political dogma and greed. Others, like Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, made decidedly unsubtle references to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Great statesmen, Rouhani said, tend to build bridges instead of walls.

Trudeaus brief remarks  the speech clocked in at only three minutes  were unflinchingly diplomatic, even as they hinted at the global perils chipping away at the post-war global world order, of which the UNs monolithic building at the edge of the East River remains a towering symbol.

That is not to say that our solidarity is unquestioned and unshaken, Trudeau said.

While global threats like climate change, armed conflict and other emerging threats continue to test the worlds commitment to Mandelas values, he said, the man himself would only see such challenges as evidence of work still to be done.

All have tested the strength of our commitment and the bounds of our compassion, he said. At times like these, we must remember the example of Nelson Mandela, who believed that we should not despair, for our troubles only bear witness to a job unfinished.

Imprisoned in South Africa for 27 years, Mandela became the international face of the struggle to end the countrys apartheid system of white minority rule over the majority black population.

Four years after he walked out of jail, he became the countrys first black president in its first multiracial elections. Over the ensuing decades, he became a Nobel peace laureate and global statesman.

Trudeau also used the occasion of Mondays summit to reaffirm his federal Liberal governments dedication to issues like ethnic rights, gender equality and the treatment of Indigenous Peoples.

As we pay tribute to the legacy of Nelson Mandela, Canada reaffirms its commitment to push forward the work he began. Canada will continue to call out the unfair treatment of racial and ethnic minorities, of women and girls, of Indigenous Peoples, he said.

We will continue to speak up for the refugees of Rohingya, for the Yazidis of northern Iraq, for the people of Venezuela. Canada will always stand tall for democracy, the rule of law and human rights at home and abroad.

Trudeau had a number of bilateral meetings with world leaders on his summit itinerary Monday, including one earlier in the day with the prime minister of Nepal, who thanked Canada for its humanitarian help following that countrys devastating earthquake in 2015.

A major item on Canadas to-do list at this weeks summit  the Super Bowl of diplomacy, as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called it  is to resume its stalled campaign for a coveted two-year temporary seat on the UN Security Council.

That endeavour has taken a back seat to the governments efforts to rescue the North American Free Trade Agreement, a snafu likely not far from Trudeaus mind this week, either  theres talk of a meeting on the summit sidelines between Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and U.S. trade ambassador Robert Lighthizer.

Canada is in the throes of what Freeland has called a continuous negotiation with her American counterparts in an effort to join what is currently a bilateral agreement in principle between the U.S. and Mexico before a looming congressional deadline of Oct. 1.

One event not on Trudeaus schedule was an official bilateral with Trump, who is scheduled to deliver his speech to the general assembly on Tuesday  but that doesnt mean the two leaders wont meet on the fringes of the summit, said national security adviser John Bolton.

The presidents schedule is very compressed this year in New York, and so there were a lot of requests and a lot of desires by the president to have bilaterals that simply couldnt be accommodated, Bolton told a news conference.

He speaks with Prime Minister Trudeau by phone all the time. And its always possible here in New York that they would have time for a pull-aside, as we call it. But there is full and open, complete communication between Prime Minister Trudeau and President Trump. That I can assure you.

Officials with the Prime Ministers Office said they made no formal request for a meeting, given the frequency of communications with the White House and between the two leaders, including a phone call last week.

Later Monday, Trudeau used his appearance on a panel discussion on the UNs economic and social council to announce plans to spend $20 million on a Toronto branch of the Global Infrastructure Hub, a public-private mechanism for developing critical infrastructure projects around the world thats part of the UNs sustainable development goals.

The hub in particular aims to improve the representation of women and other marginalized groups in sustainable infrastructure, develop infrastructure in emerging markets and ensure facilities are designed to be resilient to the effects of climate change.

With files from The Associated Press

Read more about:The families of Elizabeth Wettlaufers victims have slammed a long-term-care system that failed to heed the red flags that could have stopped a serial killer.

A distraught Arpad Horvath Jr., whose father was the last of eight nursing-home residents killed by Wettlaufer, told a public inquiry of the heartbreak and shock he felt when he was told his father had been killed.

Hed be here today if it wasnt for the gross incompetence of people, a tearful Horvath told the provincial inquiry into the deaths.

Wettlaufer, 50, was fired in March 2014 from the Caressant Care nursing home in Woodstock, Ont., where she killed seven of her eight victims. The home notified the College of Nurses of the firing. But the college, responsible for keeping the public safe from bad nurses, didnt investigate Wettlaufer, leaving her with a spotless public record.

It was the second time Wettlaufer had been fired. The first was in 1995 from the Geraldton District Hospital, after she was high on drugs that she admitted stealing on the overnight shift. The next two decades saw Wettlaufer disciplined multiple times for a litany of medication errors, conflicts with co-workers, poor treatment of residents and shoddy work.

She had so many bad points, its incredible she even made it to Meadow Park, Horvath said, referring to the London nursing home where Wettlaufer landed a job after being fired from Caressant, and where she murdered his father with an insulin injection in August 2014.

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Horvath lashed out at what he insisted was the failure of key players in the long-term-care sector to admit errors.

They put money and reputation in front of a human life  its pathetic, he said, banging on the lectern. These are human lives. These are people who meant something to someone.

Wettlaufers rampage through Ontarios long-term-care system, ending only when, unprompted, she confessed in September 2016 to murdering people in her care by injecting them with overdoses of insulin.

The commission also began hearing closing submissions Monday from from the main groups involved in the inquiry.

The provincial governments written submission promises to improve how medications are handled in nursing homes and strengthen home inspections by placing increased focus on the abuse and neglect of residents. Homes that fail to comply with inspection orders will have admissions suspended more often, according to the health ministry. The ministry will also explore setting up an inspection team dedicated to investigating offences that could lead to prosecution.

The ministry further promises to work with regulatory colleges, including the College of Nurses, to draft a common risk of harm framework used to oversee all health-care members. These colleges will also be made to share with the ministry information on members who put patients at risk. And restrictions placed on the certificates needed for health-care professionals to practise will be made transparent to employers and the public, the ministry says.

The ministry says a tool will be developed to allow the Coroners Office to detect abnormal trends in death data, which could be used to investigate nursing homes. And an attempt will be made to get health sector unions to accept that in someo cases, they wont defend poor-performing members who contest being terminated.

The inquiry has heard that after Wettlaufer grieved her firing at Caressant, managers agreed to a demand from her union, the Ontario Nurses Association, to pay her $2,000 in damages. Caressant also agreed to provide a reference letter. . It said Wettlaufer left Caressant to pursue other opportunities, and called her a good problem solver.

The inquiry also heard from Beverly Bertram, a 70-year-old woman Wettlaufer tried to kill in August 2016. Wettlaufer was providing home care for Bertram in Ingersoll when she injected her with insulin.

I no longer know who I am because Elizabeth Wettlaufer consumes my life, Bertram told the inquiry. I dont understand why she was bent and determined to kill me.

Bertram, who arrived in a wheelchair, stressed that older people who can no longer care for themselves must be treated with dignity. Now that were sick, nobody listens.

Bertram insisted Wettlaufer should also have been treated with respect by the employers and nursing authorities who watched her repeatedly fail at her job. She cried for help many times and none was given, Bertram said.

Andrea Silcox, the daughter of Wettlaufers first murder victim, denounced the finger-pointing to last a lifetime that she said she witnessed at the inquiry.

My fathers death has seriously shaken my faith in the long-term-care system, she said. James Silcox was killed in August 2007 with an insulin overdose.

Her siblings, in a statement read out by the familys lawyer, criticized the coroners office for failing to investigate suspicious deaths, the nurses college for failing to properly deal with Wettlaufer despite knowing of her long struggles with drugs and alcohol, and a nurses union more interested in protecting its members than residents.

Jon Matheson, whose mother, Helen, was killed by Wettlaufer in October 2011, told the inquiry that many were responsible for failing to act despite Wettlaufers incompetence. In a statement read by his lawyer, Matheson described how the murder has caused his health to deteriorate.

There are no words to express the amount of guilt I carry, wondering what more should I have done to prevent the murder of my mother, he said.

In separate written submissions, the Caressant Care and Meadow Park nursing homes insisted no red flags were missed.

Even with the benefit of hindsight, there were no clues that (Wettlaufer) was a murderer, let alone a serial killer, Caressant Care said.

The home said long-term care has to be made a more attractive career choice for registered nurses: If manpower shortages continue, there will continue to be opportunities for nurses with EWs profile to quickly and easily find employment.

The provincial government said nothing in its submission about providing more money for extra staff. Provincial law doesnt set staffing levels. It simply states that at least one registered nurse must be on duty in nursing homes at all times.

Final recommendations from the inquiry are expected by July 31, 2019.

Read more about:CALGARYGetting high before class will still be banned at the University of Calgary  even after legalization.

The universitys cannabis policy, released Monday, will, as of Oct. 17, ban the use of cannabis in any form  smoking, vaping, and eating edibles  on campus, including residences.

Anyone carrying cannabis must have it stowed in sealed, scent-proof containers. In a statement, the university said its policy is intended to match bylaws in Calgary prohibiting public weed consumption.

Its vital that the University of Calgary complies with laws and regulations of all three levels of government, including the citys bylaw, which prohibits the consumption of cannabis in public spaces, said Linda Dalgetty, vice-president, finance and services, in the statement.

The university is also banning anyone from growing cannabis on campus or in university facilities, selling cannabis or accessories on campus, and having cannabis in university-owned vehicles.

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However, the new policy still allows researchers at U of C to work with cannabis. The university currently studies the chemical properties and public health implications of the drug. And U of C staff and students with medicinal licences are still allowed to use.

Earlier this year, the University of Lethbridge put together its cannabis policy, which forbids anyone from the use, sale, growth, and preparation of cannabis on campus  with the exception of five marked consumption zones. Like in Calgary, the University of Lethbridge allows people to possess or store cannabis on campus, as long as its legally obtained.

The University of Albertas working group on cannabis has also recommended there be established smoking areas on its campuses.

Read more about:A class-action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of residents displaced from a St. James Town property after a six-alarm fire last month.

Lawyers from Landy Marr Kats LLP, acting on behalf of displaced residents from 650 Parliament St., filed the lawsuit on Sept. 14 in Ontario Superior Court and are seeking a $50 million compensation in damages.

In their statement of claim, they accuse the defendants  four property owners, the property management and Toronto Hydro  of negligence, breach of contract and breach of the Residential Tenancies Act, among other things.

More than 1,500 residents of the building near Parliament and Wellesley Sts. were forced out of their units when a fire broke out in the afternoon of Aug. 21. Toronto Fire officials have said the incident was caused by a major electrical failure, and investigations are ongoing.

City officials and the Red Cross scrambled to find temporary housing for the displaced people, and have encouraged them to seek out their own housing arrangements as repairs could take up to four months. Nearly 200 of the residents are currently sheltered inside the Regent Park Community Centre, which has since closed to the public.

As of Monday afternoon, no statement of defence had been filed at the court. Defendants have 40 days from the day a lawsuit is served to file a defence.

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Advocates call on city to intervene to help residents displaced by fire

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Physical examination into fire at 650 Parliament is complete, but it could be weeks before a full report is ready, Toronto Fire says

A spokesperson for Toronto Hydro said the company does not comment on matters that are before the court.

The Star sent detailed requests for comment on the allegations to the other defendants  Bleeman Holdings Limited, 650 Parliament Residences Inc., 650 Parliament (LHB) Investments Limited, Parwell Investments Inc., and Wellesley/Parliament Square Limited  but did not receive a response.

The lawsuit names the plaintiff as Yulia Tomash, a single mother who lived with a young child and a cat in a one-bedroom unit for which she paid $1,300 a month. She is described in the lawsuit as representative of all the people who were residents, tenants or visitors of 650 Parliament St. at the time of the fire.

The statement of claim alleges residents suffered burns, smoke inhalation, mental distress, and other medical issues in the aftermath of the fire.

The claim also alleges apartments were burglarized due to lack of security, stating Tomash returned to her unit after the fire and found her apartment ransacked, and $5,000 in cash missing.

The claim states the displaced residents have incurred additional unintended living expenses in terms of food, clothing, moving and alternate housing among others. Many have been unable to return to work, the claim says.

It also alleges residents have sustained aggravated mental and psychological damages in the aftermath of the fire.

We want people to keep their receipts and contact us so that we can keep track of who is who and who had a loss and what type of loss, said Vadim Kats, one of the lawyers who launched the class action.

He said the certification of the class action has not yet been secured, adding that process could take months.

The group has been posting notices in community newspapers in various languages, asking those affected by last months fire to get in touch.

Earlier this month, two other law firms  Strosberg Sasso Sutts LLP and Charney Lawyers  announced plans for a class-action lawsuit seeking compensation for the residents of 650 Parliament St. The firms filed a notice of action but have yet to file a statement of claim.A burly man wearing a clown mask walks into a pharmacy. Brandishing a large knife, he heads straight for the dispensing counter and hands the pharmacist a note.

The pharmacist, Waseem Shaheen, opens the narcotics safe and fills a white garbage bag with fentanyl patches while the impatient robber waves his knife threateningly.

Shaheen hands over the bag and drops to his knees, hands in the air as the clown robber thrusts the knife through the air a few more times before beating a hasty retreat.

I got robbed, Shaheen told a 911 operator minutes later.

What was taken? the operator asked.

Everything.

Only this was no robbery at all.

It was a charade, concocted by Shaheen to cover up an illicit drug-dealing operation in which he trafficked at least 5,000 fentanyl patches out the back door of his Ottawa pharmacy.

Pharmacist Waseem Shaheen orchestrated a fake holdup to cover up an illicit drug-dealing operation in which he trafficked at least 5,000 fentanyl patches out the back door of his Ottawa pharmacy.

While the provincial government monitors the prescribing and dispensing of opioids in Ontario, no alarms were raised by the conspicuous volumes moving through Shaheens pharmacy.

In fact, those oversight and tracking systems havent caught a single drug dealing pharmacist in the last five years, a Toronto Star/Global News/Ryerson School of Journalism investigation has found. Instead, every pharmacist caught dealing drugs was, like Shaheen, done in by bad luck or good police work.

In the end, Shaheen was charged, convicted and sentenced to a 14-year prison term only after he called the police to report the robbery himself. He is appealing.

Listen to the 911 call

After compiling and analyzing disciplinary records from the Ontario College of Pharmacists between 2013 and 2017, the investigation found 241 pharmacists who have put massive amounts of deadly opioids onto the street; defrauded the provincial drug benefit plan for millions of dollars; sexually harassed and assaulted their patients and employees; and committed fatal dispensing errors.

While this represents just 1.5 per cent of the more than 16,000 pharmacists in the province, the investigation found this even small number of health-care professionals can cause a disproportionate amount of harm to patients and to the public purse.

Most pharmacists are tremendous people. Theyre knowledgeable, theyre extremely helpful and they are an important part of the health-care team. The very small number of pharmacists, or doctors for that matter, who engage in this sort of behaviour, cause a lot of harm, said Dr. David Juurlink, professor of pharmacology at the University of Toronto.

During those five years, the college sanctioned 15 pharmacists for illegally dealing prescription medication, nine of whom dealt opioids. Health Canada data suggests the actual number could be far greater because there are more drugs missing from pharmacies than prosecutions and disciplinary cases can account for.

Nearly 3.5 million doses of prescription drugs disappeared from Ontario pharmacies from 2013 to 2017, the data shows. And the growth is startling: from about 2,200 reports of drug losses in 2013 to more than 30,000 last year. The vast majority of those losses were dangerous opioids.

For example, annual reported losses of hydromorphone  a opioid five times more potent than morphine  rose from about 21,000 to 63,000 tablets in the five years, totalling more than 200,000 tablets missing from pharmacy shelves.

Three-quarters of reports listed the reason for the drug losses as unexplained.

Health Minister Christine Elliott declined an interview request for this story but spokesperson Hayley Chazan sent a statement:

Our government takes patient safety very seriously. The inappropriate use, abuse and diversion of prescription narcotics and controlled substances are very serious public health concerns, the statement read. Minister Elliott will continue to work with partners to discuss harm reduction strategies and ensure those struggling with addiction get the help they need.

While sources of street opioids vary, and most are illegally imported, the morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone and fentanyl that originates in the health care system is an alarming trend.

Opioid-related deaths in Ontario have almost doubled in the last five years, rising from 639 in 2013 to 1,265 in 2017, according to Public Health Ontario. More than 70 per cent of opioid deaths involve fentanyl, according to federal data.

Its quite often the case that people who end up with opioid addiction, who are at a very high risk of death, began with experimentation on a pill that was prescribed to someone else, Juurlink said. Aside from being criminal and deeply unethical, a pharmacist who introduces large amounts of opioids into society  or any other drug prone to abuse  is perpetuating harm in a very real way.

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The police investigation into Shaheen found that he trafficked more than 5,000 fentanyl patches with a street value of over $1 million.

Each patch is typically cut into four before being sold to an addict who eats, smokes or injects the contents. And because of its potency, each quarter patch could kill anyone who doesnt have a high tolerance for opioids.

After discovering that an assistant in his pharmacy had reported the large orders of patches in his store to the college of pharmacists, Shaheen scrambled to cover his tracks.

The robbery accomplished exactly what Mr. Shaheen had sought. It allowed him to falsely claim that a large amount of fentanyl had been stolen, an amount that he knew had not been taken, Judge Robert Wadden said at Shaheens sentencing.

As a trained professional, he would have been aware of the debilitating and deadly effects of this drug in the hands of addicts. Yet he conducted a drug trafficking scheme worth over a million dollars, profiting off the misery of others.

Two days before the robbery, Shaheen met the man to whom he had been selling the patches in a McDonalds.

I need your help, Shaheen told Mehdi Rostaee.

Can you send somebody to the pharmacy ... when I am there? Shaheen asked. I will give him whatever I have in the safe,

OK, said Rostaee, whose surreptitious recording of the conversation was entered into evidence during Shaheens trial last October. When do you want to do it?

Sunday, Shaheen responded.

Youre alone? asked Rostaee.

Yeah ... We have to be smart and natural about it.

Ottawa police who arrived the afternoon of the faked robbery in October 2014 described Shaheen as scared and very stressed.

He was very nervous, in fear still when I met him, Det. Const. Guy Seguin said in a recent interview, to the point where I reached out to our victim crisis unit to call him for a followup, which I never did before in any other pharmacy robbery.

Seguin was told by Shaheens assistants about the large fentanyl shipments, and forged prescriptions for 99 patches per month that Shaheen had filled for Rostaee.

When confronted by police, Rostaee provided a cellphone recording of the McDonalds meeting. (Contacted by the Star and Global, Rostaee denied carrying out the robbery.)

Mr. Rostaees testimony and co-operation ... was a key part of that investigation, Seguin said after Shaheen was sentenced March this year. Its possible that Mr. Shaheen could have gotten away.

Shaheen is appealing and his pharmacists licence has been suspended indefinitely. Rostaee pleaded guilty to forging the fentanyl prescriptions and was given a conditional sentence.

Shaheen declined interview requests, but in an email, his lawyer said he continues to assert his innocence and is hopeful that his appeal will be successful.

He isnt the only Ontario pharmacist who faked a robbery to cover up opioid dealing.

Michael Yamasaki, pleaded guilty this summer to 11 charges related to orchestrating a robbery at his pharmacy in Georgina last year. More than $110,000 of prescription opioids disappeared, for which Yamasaki was supposed to be paid $10,000.

Yamasaki, who did not respond to an interview request, has not been sentenced.

He was caught by old-fashioned police work, which led investigators to the storage space where the stolen drugs had been stashed.

The nine pharmacists caught dealing opioids in the last five years are alone responsible for putting more than 8,000 fentanyl patches  32,000 potentially lethal doses  onto the street, the investigation found.

Yet drug-dealing pharmacists remain off the provinces agenda, says Allan Malek, vice-president of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, who meets regularly with Ministry of Health officials to discuss the opioid crisis.

I actually sit on the ministrys opioid emergency task force, he said. Theres been no concern raised at the opioid emergency task force of pharmacists being that conduit ... Pharmacy has not hit the radar screen.

Currently, drug wholesalers are not required to report suspiciously large orders of opioids by pharmacies. While the province has the tools to track every dose of narcotics in the province, it hasnt caught a single drug-dealing pharmacist.

Since 2012, all narcotics dispensed in Ontario are tracked by the Narcotics Monitoring System (NMS), which was introduced to identify and reduce the abuse, misuse and diversion of monitored drugs.

Juurlink says the system is poorly designed and doesnt update in real time, limiting its usefulness.

Its kind of crazy in 2018 that a child can go online and play a video game in real time with somebody thousands of miles away, but a pharmacist in downtown Toronto doesnt have real-time access to all of the prescription information for the patient in front of him or her from the pharmacy across the street, he said.

The system will flag when a pharmacist is asked to fill a prescription that has been filled elsewhere. But, the set of things that has to happen to trigger a flag is a little bit of too high a bar in my view, Juurlink said.

Chazan, the Health Ministry spokesperson, said the Narcotics Monitoring System does not monitor pharmacy inventory, and was not established to proactively detect diversion or criminal activity.

However, the Narcotics Monitoring system handbook states that the collected data will be reviewed and analyzed by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for a variety of purposes including, ... reporting possible criminal conduct to law enforcement agencies.

Pharmacist Shamik Patel was filmed by police delivering drugs to a truck in the parking lot of his pharmacy in Keswick, Ont., on January 8, 2015.

While the Narcotics Safety and Awareness Act specifies $50,000 fines to pharmacists and $200,000 fines to pharmacies that input false or misleading information, not a single charge has ever been laid, according to a Health Ministry spokesperson.

In the United States, lawsuits have been launched against several drug distributors, including McKesson  which is one of the biggest and also operates in Canada. It agreed to pay $150 million for failing to report suspicious pharmacy orders for opioids.

When Keswick pharmacist Shamik Patel was caught for dealing drugs in 2014, it was thanks to a police informant.

Undercover agents were sent to his pharmacy with prescriptions that Patel filled. When they came back, without prescriptions, he offered to sell them oxycodone for cash.

In 2016, Patel pleaded guilty to three counts of trafficking and one count of possession of the proceeds of crime. He was sentenced to 30 months. His licence was revoked shortly after.

Yogesh Patel (no relation to Shamik Patel) was particularly creative in his drug dealing methods.

The Woodstock pharmacist, who pleaded guilty last year to stealing 3,000 fentanyl patches and 1,500 hydromorphone tablets, covered his tracks by forging prescriptions for dead people.

He was only caught when he unwittingly walked into a police surveillance operation with a bag full of drugs. Patel had no idea the man he was meeting in a parking lot was being tracked by police.

They observed Mr. Patel leaving the pharmacy with a bag in which they suspected he was carrying fentanyl from the pharmacy, said Jim Dean, a London, Ont., lawyer who represented Patel. Until then he was not on the radar at all, Dean said.

In fact, the College of Pharmacists assessed Patels pharmacy less than a week before he was arrested and gave it a pass.

Those who engage in unlawful conduct often take great effort to conceal their behaviour, said Todd Leach, a spokesperson for the college, when asked about the successful assessment.

Leach said that the college assessments arent designed to find missing drugs but that more detailed assessments will start in 2019.

After witnessing that drug hand-off, police audited Patels pharmacy records and found large amounts of fentanyl had been disappearing.

Patel forged prescriptions with names he found in obituaries or just made them up. He also filled out paperwork to show he had transferred large amounts of fentanyl to other pharmacies that never received the shipments.

The college revoked Patels licence in July 2017. That September, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. In his decision, Judge Edward Graham didnt mince his words.

Mr. Patel had the highest duty to protect the public. Instead he placed members of the public at great risk of harm ... His moral blameworthiness is exceptionally high, Graham said.

Correction  Sept. 24, 2018: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said pharmacist Shamik Patel was arrested dealing drugs in 2014. In fact, Patel was caught dealing drugs in December 2014 and was arrested in January 2015. As well, the article was updated from a previous version that misspelled the first name of Hayley Chazan.Premier Doug Ford is standing by his decision to be photographed with a far-right Toronto mayoral candidate and her supporters.

Asked twice by the NDP in the legislature Monday to denounce Faith Goldy and the picture taken at the annual Ford Fest barbecue in Vaughan on Saturday night, Ford did not.

If (the NDP) were at Ford Fest  its the most diverse group anywhere in Canada  anywhere  of every race, of every creed, of every colour, of every religion and every political stripe. Theres no group in the entire country that represents Toronto and Ontario more than Ford Nation does, the premier said, accusing the NDP of sinking to a new low.

I cant help when thousands of people are coming at you and theyre taking pictures right, left and centre.

Ford did not receive a standing ovation from PC MPPs following his remarks in the legislature, as he typically does from his enthusiastic benches, and their applause was sparse. A few Tory MPPs looked visibly uncomfortable with the premiers response.

Later, the premiers office said, as he said during question period, the premier denounces all forms of hate, regardless of who says it  a comment Ford made later in the debate when asked about the future of the anti-racism directorate.

Goldy, who was trending on Twitter after crashing a mayoral debate Monday morning, posted a number of photos from Ford Fest, saying it was the sixth shes attended.

She was fired by Rebel Media last year after she went to Charlottesville, Virginia to cover the Unite The Right rally. Goldy also appeared on The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website.

In an email to the Star, she said shes the only mayoral candidate who stands shoulder to shoulder with Premier Ford! Rather than working against him, Im going to work with him.

New Democrat MPP Jill Andrew (Toronto-St. Pauls) said Goldy has clearly used this photo with the premier to claim ... legitimacy.

A spokesperson for Ford said the premier is not endorsing any candidate in the mayoral election.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark told reporters, I think we need to denounce things like that just across the board.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said theres a time when a premier, when a leader is supposed to rise above everything and be pretty clear about certain things ... He did not do that, and its very, very disturbing.

She is a very, very dangerous person in our society, said former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne. Her ideas, her actions are dangerous. I was surprised he didnt just stand up and say: I want nothing to do with this person.

Ihsaan Gardee, executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims said if Premier Ford truly wishes to create a government for the people, then he must categorically reject the hateful and divisive ideas of those, like Ms. Goldy.

On Twitter, Goldy said she has publicly called for a re-routing of immigration to traditional source countries (ie Europe), for a Canada that returns to pre state Multiculturalism demographics (96% euro Canadian). Nothing to be ashamed of! Discussing pre policy of multiculturalism demographics (facts), again, does not a supremacist make. Sorry, cats  theres no bogie man here.

With files from Robert Benzie

Read more about:The bombshell tossed by Premier Doug Ford into Torontos civic election rocked more than just the city council races he targeted.

Ford, like his late brother, Rob, is a gobbler of political oxygen who leaves many around him gasping for air, or at least attention. Those in the spotlight are forced to react to a flow of pronouncements from a polarizing figure, a man many Torontonians see as a walking ballot question.

Before late July, as Ford settled into the premiers office with a majority mandate, Toronto looked set to have an unusual mayoral race in the form of an incumbent, John Tory, seeking re-election with no high-profile challenger trying to unseat him.

That changed July 26, when Tory invited reporters to his office to react to news that Ford was set to cut the number of Toronto council wards in half, from a planned 47 to 25. The move, in the middle of an election that started May 1, yanked the rug out from under candidates and shocked the city.

The mayor said Ford, a one-term city councillor whom he beat in the 2014 mayoral election, was absolutely not right to trigger change being rammed down our throats without a single second of public consultation.

But Tory did not declare war on Ford. He did not rally Torontonians to pressure the premier to step back and let councils plan for a 47-ward framework  the result of a four-year review process, a confirming council vote and legal challenges  proceed.

Tory raised the prospect of fighting the coming provincial legislation in court, saying he wanted to hear from legal experts. However, he added, Whether I like it or not, the province has very broad latitude to do things that affect the city of Toronto  thats just the reality.

The solution, the mayor said, is a referendum to let Torontonians decide councils size  if possible before the election, but if not, then after a 25-seat race. The idea seemed to come out of the blue.

I hear people this morning talking about conversations and consultations and discussions and debates  there havent been any of those things on a major decision that affects them and their civic democracy  the people should decide, Tory declared.

But the consultant hired by the city to help decide how to best equalize ward sizes had conducted consultations including polling and public meetings. Later, at city hall, residents gave deputations to Torys executive committee, which backed 47 wards, while Tory wanted the number to remain at 44. City council then debated and voted for 47.

Torys response to Fords move  Im angry at the process, he said, but was eager to talk to Ford about council size, Torys request for strong mayor powers, and term limits  enraged some of his colleagues.

A referendum is not a vigorous defence of Torontos democracy, tweeted Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam. Very weak response from one who wants strong mayor powers.

Jennifer Keesmaat, the former chief city planner who had worked with Tory, agreed.

The University of Toronto lecturer lined up the next day to enter the mayoral race with a handful of progressive politicians and activists, but no real campaign team, cheering her on.

She quickly backed away from a tweet musing about Toronto seceding from the province and started launching attacks on Tory, saying she is the best candidate to stand up for Toronto against Ford.

Keesmaats problem is that the ensuing political and court battles over Fords plan, and his unprecedented threat to use the notwithstanding clause to overrule charter rights and enact the 25-ward option, largely sidelined her as the clock ticked toward the Oct. 22 vote.

Rather than capitalize on the criticisms by leading protesters to Attorney General Caroline Mulroneys office, or Queens Park, Keesmaats campaign alleged a Ford-Tory conspiracy that got little media traction.

Polls continue to give Tory a commanding lead.

While the focus on Ford has helped Tory, the pugnacious premier presents problems for the mayor as well. Fords apparent eagerness to impose his will on city hall, and to take jabs at his one-time rival, could put Tory back on his heels.

Around the time of the 2014 election, Ford gave this hair-raising quote to Councillor John Filion for The Only Average Guy, Filions 2015 book about the Fords: Youve never seen the vicious side of me. You watch! Im going to latch onto (Torys) ass. Hes going to take off the sheets in bed at night and find my teeth wrapped around his nuts.

Both the Tory and Keesmaat campaigns have released pledges on transit, housing and more, but Ford remains in the drivers seat. And that, says Ryerson politics professor Myer Siemiatycki, is bad for everyone.

Premier Fords intervention has sucked all the media coverage, public attention towards him and his initiative from what should have been an election campaign focused on the real issues and challenges facing the city of Toronto, Siemiatycki said.

What weve seen is over a month of focus on the arbitrary downsizing of Toronto council and now the judicial to-and-fro implications of that move. What were not getting is any focused, serious discussion or attention being paid to the issues facing the city of Toronto.

Its kind of a scenario where the attention has shifted from where it should be  a reasoned presentation of issues, perspectives, platforms, candidates  to the free-for-all of this initiative by the premier.

Imagine, then, being a so-called fringe candidate who had hoped to play giant killer to Tory but now sits a couple of rows back on the sidelines.

Sarah Climenhaga had planned this month and next on trying to boost voter turnout as part of her platform to get Torontonians more involved in city issues. That has been absolutely impossible, she said, because of the turmoil in our election.

The demonstration of how the premier intends to use his powers, and his promise to take further drastic action to put his agenda through, makes mayoral platforms more tenuous, Climenhaga wrote in an email. When it comes to transit for instance, will he push his own agenda on the city?

In many ways the premiers actions have made the municipal government, and therefore the mayoral campaign, seem borderline irrelevant  a disastrous state of affairs for the most populous city in Canada and the countrys economic engine.

David Rider is the Stars City Hall bureau chief and a reporter covering Toronto politics. Follow him on Twitter: @dmrider

Read more about:Arts funding was the focus of Torontos first 2018 mayoral debate but former chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat attacked front-runner John Tory on housing, transit and more.

From her opening salvo at the ArtsVote forum, Keesmaat accused the mayor with whom she used to work of dithering and foot-dragging while throwing city money at his mirage SmartTrack plan that could be used to fund arts, low-income housing and better transit expansion.

Keesmaat wants to cancel parts of Torys surface-rail transit plan  his main 2014 campaign pledge, since downsized to six extra stations on provincial rail expansion  while prioritizing the downtown relief subway line. She predicted Premier Doug Ford will put a flower on (SmartTracks) grave.

You cant fight conservative cuts with a conservative mayor, she said at the debate that also featured mayoral candidates Saron Gebresellassi, a lawyer and social activist, environmental activist Sarah Climenhaga and marketing professional Gautam Nath.

Tory shot back at Keesmaat: You supported SmartTrack (as chief planner) until you were running for mayor, before he steered the conversation back to support for Torontos arts and culture sector.

As for getting along with Ford, who thrust the city council race into turmoil with a midelection cut from 47 wards to 25, the mayor said: You cant be in a state of war with those people and need partnerships with other governments, businesses and organizations to move Toronto forward.

He touted city council under his leadership hitting the long-held goal of city arts funding equalling $25 per Torontonian. That sum appeared at risk during 2017 budget deliberations when he backed a 2.6-per-cent budget cut for city departments, but his budget chief backtracked on the demand.

Tory is promising to set a new target for per-capita arts funding in early 2019 after consulting arts organizations on their needs and where new money should go, refusing to offer a figure now.

Keesmaat, Climenhaga and marketing professional Nath all told the forum that if elected mayor Oct. 22 they would double arts funding to $50 per capita. Gebresellassi vowed to get to $75 per capita partly by reducing the Toronto police budget.

Keesmaat was asked by a reporter after the debate to quantify her pledge to double arts funding with a timeline, total cost and revenue source. We can in our first year of council ... create a (arts funding) plan and a strategy and execute that strategy, thats whats been missing, she said.

Her arts pledges also includes five new culture hubs outside the downtown core and a citywide assessment of gaps in arts funding and facilities. Torys platform includes doubling the culture build investment program, creating a public art master plan and establishing a building design award.

Housing was a hot topic at the debate, which was briefly interrupted by uninvited candidate Faith Goldy. Climenhaga said Torontos sky-high costs triggered an exodus of artists from the city. Toronto needs artists. Artists are leaving the city. What is going to be left? she told the packed theatre at TIFF Bell Lightbox on King St. W.

Gebresellassi argued Toronto should declare an affordable housing state of emergency. She blamed Tory and Keesmaat for the citys failure to hit a council-set goal of helping to create 1,000 new affordable rental units each year.

As mayor, Gebresellassi said, she would get the city to purchase more land and build studio spaces in neighbourhood improvement areas. She also called for the city to fund Sistema Toronto, an after-school music program for children in vulnerable communities promised $500,000 by Ontarios Liberals  funding cancelled by Fords Progressive Conservative government.

I know coming from an immigrant background this is not just politics for us, this is how we live and this is how we will protect the next generation and young people coming up in a city that is now 51 per cent, racialized people, she said.

Tory came under fire for not forcing the board of city-owned Exhibition Place to halt an ongoing lockout of audio-visual technicians in IATSE Local 58 that hurt CNE attendance. He defended his efforts, saying he encouraged both sides to resume bargaining but unfortunately that has not yet produced a new contract.

Tory, Gebresellassi, Climenhaga and Keesmaat are set to debate again Tuesday at a Global News forum. Tory told reporters Monday he wont attend a Wednesday evening transit-themed event in Scarborough organized by advocacy group TTCRiders that was to include debate with Keesmaat, and statements from Climenhaga and Gebresellassi.

Tory, who has not committed to head-to-head debates with Keesmaat, said his campaign told the transit group from the first minute that he was busy that night at an event in Etobicoke. TTCRiders later tweeted that we first invited him on Aug. 24 and he told us 3 weeks later (Sept16) that he was unavailable. He claims to have it in writing. So do we.

Read more about:WASHINGTONSen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called late Sunday for a delay in further consideration of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after a second woman accused him of sexual misconduct.

I am writing to request an immediate postponement of any further proceedings related to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, Feinstein wrote in a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley, the committees GOP chairman.

Her letter came after the New Yorker magazine reported that Debbie Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaughs at Yale University, said he exposing himself at a party when they were both first-year students.

Ramirez, who told the magazine that they both had been drinking at the time of the incident, acknowledged some gaps in her memory but said she remembered another student shouting Kavanaughs name.

I would think an FBI investigation would be warranted, Ramirez said.

In a statement issued by the White House, Kavanaugh denied the accusation and called it a smear, plain and simple.

Read more:

Kavanaugh was supposed to be a midterm boon for the GOP, but not anymore

Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford will testify in open hearing Thursday

Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford moved over 4,800 kilometres to reinvent her life. It wasnt far enough

I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name  and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building  against these last-minute allegations, he said in the statement.

The new charge further roiled Kavanaughs nomination hours after the Senate Judiciary Committee had agreed to allow Christine Blasey Ford to testify Thursday about her claim that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers.

In her letter, Feinstein asked that the newest allegations of sexual misconduct be referred to the FBI for investigation, and that you join our request for the White House to direct the FBI to investigate the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford as well as these new claims.

Republicans had agreed to delay a committee vote on Kavanaughs confirmation until after the hearing with Ford took place, but many members of the GOP have said they are eager to move on with the process.

Before Ramirezs allegation was made public, some Republican senators indicated that they were unlikely to waver in their support for Kavanaugh.

What am I supposed to do, go and ruin this guys life based on an accusation? Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said on Fox News Sunday. Fords allegations that Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party in the early 1980s would be too thin to hold up in court, Graham said. I dont know when it happened, I dont know where it happened, and everybody named in regard to being there said it didnt happen. Im just being honest: Unless theres something more, no, Im not going to ruin Judge Kavanaughs life over this.

Democrats insisted Sunday that Kavanaughs denials were not believable, and a public appearance would do little to sway their support for Ford.

There are so many indications of his own lack of credibility, Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono said of Kavanaugh on CNNs State of the Union. Her concerns about Kavanaughs very ideological agenda and inability to be fair, she said, predate Fords allegations.

The New Yorker reported that at least four Democratic senators were aware of Ramirezs account and at least two had begun investigating it.

The magazine described an incident in which a male student exposed himself to Ramirez during a party. She acknowledged lapses in her memory of the episode, but said she remembered Kavanaugh standing to her right and laughing while he pulled up his pants, according to the magazine.

In a statement, White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec said the administration stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh and described Ramirezs claim as uncorroborated and part of a co-ordinated smear campaign by Democrats.

The claim is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say, she said.

A senior White House official also said the president wants to stick with Kavanaugh and believes people are out to smear him.

Fords attorneys said Sunday that they agreed to the hearing despite the committees refusal to let her speak after Kavanaughs testimony, interview other people she identified as present at the party where the alleged assault took place, or ask the FBI to look into her allegations in advance of her appearance. Senate Democratic leaders sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday urging him to direct the FBI to conduct an investigation into Fords claims, arguing it would only take a few days.

Fords lawyers also said they had not been told whether the Republican senators on the committee would themselves ask Ford questions or defer to staff or an independent lawyer to question her. It is customary that senators ask their own questions during public hearings. But there is a potential political risk if the all-male, all-white roster of Republicans on the panel  few of whom have any experience questioning sexual assault victims  grills Ford in a way that reminds viewers of 1991, when Anita Hill told the panel that Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas had repeatedly sexually harassed her. Thomas was confirmed.

The Anita Hill hearing was a disaster, but they did have an FBI investigation; they did have other witnesses, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press, charging that Republican senators had predetermined the outcome and set up a he said, she said showdown around Fords allegations.

The Senate, Congress, failed the test in 1991, Murray continued. How the Senate handles this, and the Senate Republicans handle this, will be a test of this time, in 2018, in the Me Too movement, can we do better? And I feel we are failing that if we dont do it correctly.

Ford alleges that Kavanaugh pinned her on a bed, drunkenly groped her, tried to take off her clothes and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. Ford said a friend of Kavanaugh, Mark Judge, was in the room  but neither he nor others who she said were at the party have claimed any knowledge or memory of the incident, although at least one said she believes Fords allegations.

Ford told The Post one person at the party was a boy named PJ. Patrick J. Smyth, a friend of Kavanaugh who signed a letter of support for his nomination, has told the Judiciary Committee that he has no knowledge of the party and has never witnessed Kavanaugh behave improperly toward women, according to a letter from Smyths attorney that the committee made public on Sunday. Through his lawyer, Smyth declined to comment Sunday.

Ford said her friend Leland Keyser also was at the party. In an email to the committee, an attorney for Keyser wrote that she does not know Mr. Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present. In a brief interview with the Washington Post, Keyser said she did not recall the party but believed Fords account.

Last week, Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said that if Democrats gain control of Congress in the midterm elections, they will continue to investigate Fords allegations. When asked Sunday if she agreed with the idea, Hirono noted that Maryland  the state in which Ford alleges the assault took place  has lifted the statute of limitations on criminal prosecutions of most forms of sexual abuse, adding that there may be an investigation along those lines.

This is a situation that is not going to go away, she said.

But Republicans have argued that more FBI scrutiny would be superfluous.

Their role in this case is not to determine who is telling the truth, Republican Sen. David Perdue said Sunday on Meet the Press. I hope that we will get to the truth during the Judiciary Committee hearing, he added.

President Trump also has backed the hearing, but he has questioned Fords credibility, suggesting in a tweet last week that if the alleged assault was as bad as she says, she would have filed charges at the time.

That tweet rankled at least one key swing vote on Kavanaughs nomination, Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who said last week that she was appalled by Trumps tweet.

The fate of Kavanaughs nomination is likely to hinge on Democratic and Republican senators such as Collins whose votes are uncertain.

If one Republican senator should decide that Dr. Fords allegations, assertions, are true and that they are serious, it could make a big difference, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin said on ABCs This Week With George Stephanopoulos.

Meanwhile, Republicans said they hoped that Trump would not weigh in with any more tweets.

I would advise the president to let us handle this, Graham said Sunday.

Read more about:Almost two million Americans have severe heart failure, and for them even mundane tasks can be extraordinarily difficult.

With blood flow impeded throughout their bodies, patients may become breathless simply walking across a room or up stairs. Some must sleep sitting up to avoid gasping for air.

Drugs may help to control the symptoms, but the disease takes a relentless course, and most people with severe heart failure do not have long to live. Until now, there has been little doctors could do.

But on Sunday, researchers reported that a tiny clip inserted into the heart sharply reduced death rates in patients with severe heart failure.

In a large clinical trial, doctors found that these patients also avoided additional hospitalizations and described a drastically improved quality of life with fewer symptoms.

The results, reported at a medical meeting in San Diego and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine, were far more encouraging than heart specialists had expected.

Its a huge advance, said Dr. Howard Herrmann, director of interventional cardiology at the University of Pennsylvania, which enrolled a few patients in the study. It shows we can treat and improve the outcomes of a disease in a way we never thought we could.

If the device is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of severe heart failure, as expected, then insurers, including Medicare, likely will cover it.

In heart failure, the organ itself is damaged and flaccid, often as a consequence of a heart attack. The muscle pumps inefficiently, and in an attempt to compensate, the heart enlarges and becomes misshapen.

The enlarged organ tugs apart the mitral valve, which controls blood flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle. The distorted valve functions poorly, its flaps swinging apart. Blood that is supposed to be pumped into the body backs up into the heart and lungs.

A vicious cycle ensues: The heart enlarges, so the mitral valve leaks. The leaky mitral valve makes the heart enlarge even more, as it tries to compensate, and heart failure worsens.

In the new study, a device called the MitraClip was used to repair the mitral valve by clipping its two flaps together in the middle. (The clip is made by Abbott, which funded the study; outside experts reviewed the trial data.)

The result was to convert a valve that barely functioned into one able to regulate blood flow in and out of the heart.

Until today, researchers were not sure that fixing the mitral valve would do much to help these patients. A smaller study in France with similar patients failed to find a benefit for the MitraClip.

But that research included many patients with less severe valve problems, the procedure was not performed as adeptly, and the patients medications were not as well optimized as in the new study.

In the new trial, 614 patients with severe heart failure in the United States and Canada were randomly assigned to receive a MitraClip along with standard medical treatment or to continue with standard care alone.

Among those who received only medical treatment, 151 were hospitalized for heart failure in the ensuing two years; 61 died.

In contrast, just 92 who got the device were hospitalized for heart failure during the period, and 28 died.

The results have left leading researchers unexpectedly optimistic. The trial sends a very, very powerful message, said Dr. Gilbert Tang, a heart surgeon at Mount Sinai Medical Center, which enrolled a patient in the trial.

This is a game changer. This is massive, said Dr. Mathew Williams, director of the heart valve program at NYU Langone Health, which had a few patients in the study.

Estimates of how many heart failure patients in the United States are like those in the trial range from 1.6 million to 2.5 million, Williams said. But, he adds, the number who might ultimately be treated will be less than the number who could be treated.

The device itself costs about $30,000, not counting the cost of the hospital and doctors: a surgeon, an interventional cardiologist and an echocardiologist, among others, all in the operating room.

Cardiologists said the study was impeccably executed.

The doctors inserting the device first had to demonstrate their expertise doing so. An independent group of experts ascertained that patients medical care was optimal; all too often, heart failure patients do not receive ideal treatment.

Patients with severe heart failure often are gravely ill, too sick to have open-heart surgery to have mitral valves replaced. Its not worth the risk, said Dr. Gregg Stone of Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the studys principal investigator.

(Stone reported no relevant conflicts, but said that Columbia University gets royalties from the sale of the MitraClip.)

But the new procedure is much less invasive than open-heart surgery.

A cardiologist threads the device to the heart through a blood vessel in the groin. Once it reaches the heart, the MitraClip is guided to the valve, and the device is used to clip the two flaps together.

Not every cardiologist is equipped to insert the clip. These are difficult procedures that require training and dedication, Herrmann said.

During the procedure, for example, a tiny echocardiogram camera is placed into the patients esophagus behind the heart to show where the catheter with the clip is going.

Doctors must watch an X-ray screen and an echocardiogram as they guide the clip to the mitral valve. When the clip arrives, you have to see where you are grasping to get a good result, Tang said.

The device is already approved by the FDA for patients too frail for surgery, but whose hearts are fine except for a mitral valve that does not function properly.

Cardiologists predicted the FDA would quickly approve the device for patients with severe heart failure, as well. It already is used in Europe for these patients, but there had been no rigorous studies showing it helped.

The new trial promises to alter prospects for many people with severe heart failure who had relatively few options. This will change how we treat these patients, Williams said.

It is possible, he added, that many would fare even better with the valve repair procedure if they were not so frail when they got it.

Maybe we need to start intervening earlier, he said.WASHINGTONAfter a long weekend spent wondering if he should resign or would be fired, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein still has his job  for now.

President Donald Trump gave Rosenstein a three-day reprieve pending their face-to-face White House showdown on Thursday. Thats when the man who oversees the Trump-Russia investigation will respond to reports that he had discussed secretly recording the president and possibly using constitutional procedures to remove him from office.

The revelation that Rosenstein last year had broached the idea of taping the president touched off a dramatic weekend of conversations with the White House in which he offered to one official to resign and confided to another that he was considering doing so, according to two people familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Even as he took issue with the reports, Rosenstein arrived at the White House on Monday expecting to be fired, according to another person who spoke on condition of anonymity. Instead, after he met with chief of staff John Kelly and spoke by phone to Trump himself, questions about his future were effectively tabled until the personal meeting on Thursday.

The position of deputy attorney general is ordinarily a relatively low-visibility one in Washington, but Rosenstein has assumed outsized significance given his appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller to investigate potential ties between Russia and Trumps 2016 presidential campaign.

Any firing or resignation spells immediate uncertainty for an investigation that Rosenstein oversees and would place that responsibility in the hands of a replacement who Democrats fear would be less respectful of Muellers independence and mandate. Even some congressional Republicans and Trump aides have warned for months against firing Rosenstein for fear that it could lead to impeachment.

Read more:

Trump pressed to hold fire on Rosenstein

Rosenstein denies that he proposed secretly taping Trump

The commotion about Rosensteins future adds to the turmoil roiling the administration, just six weeks before midterm elections with control of Congress at stake. In addition to dealing with the Mueller investigation, the White House is also struggling to win confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations.

The Trump-Rosenstein meeting will be on the same day as an extraordinary Senate committee hearing featuring Kavanaugh and a woman who has accused him of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school.

Questions about Rosensteins future, long simmering, took on new life Friday with a New York Times report that during May 2017 discussions with FBI and Justice Department officials he suggested the idea of secretly recording Trump  remarks his defenders insist were merely sarcastic  and of invoking the Constitution to have the Cabinet consider removing him from office.

Rosenstein was summoned to the White House on Friday evening for a conversation with chief of staff Kelly after which he issued a denial that was even sharper in tone than the one the Justice Department sent out hours earlier.

In conversations over the weekend, he told Kelly he would resign, though the terms were unclear. He also told White House Counsel Don McGahn that he was considering doing so. McGahn told Rosenstein they should discuss the issue Monday, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation.

He met again with Kelly on Monday and spoke by phone with Trump, and he attended a pre-scheduled meeting at the White House in place of the Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was travelling. Rosenstein was captured by photographers leaving the White House after his meetings Monday and was led out by Kelly, later returning to the White House.

At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C.

Its unclear what will happen Thursday.

Despite his Youre Fired! tagline from his The Apprentice reality show days, the president has shown himself reluctant to directly fire aides himself. While his White House has been marked with unprecedented staff turnover, Trump has often left the task to deputies, including chief of staff John Kelly.

He dispatched his former bodyguard to fire FBI Director James Comey  though Comey was out of town. In other cases, Trump has publicly and privately shamed staffers, pushing them to resign.

Trump, who on Friday said that he would remove a lingering stench from the Justice Department, did not publicly reveal any plans over the weekend.

On Monday, he said he hoped Thursdays meeting would help him figure out whats going on.

Over the weekend, he appeared undecided on Rosensteins fate, asking confidants, both inside and outside the White House, how to respond to the situation. Some urged him to fire Rosenstein. Others suggested restraint while checking whether the report was correct or if it was planted by some adversary.

Though Trump has mostly spared Rosenstein from some of the harsher and more personal attacks he has directed at Attorney General Jeff Sessions, he has occasionally lashed out with angry tirades at the deputy, including after FBI raids in April targeting the presidents former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Rosenstein appointed Mueller in May 2017 after Sessions, who ordinarily would have overseen the Russia investigation, recused himself because of his close involvement in the Trump campaign.

All that came one week after Rosenstein laid the groundwork for Comeys firing by writing a memo criticizing Comeys handling of the FBI investigation into Hillary Clintons email server. The White House initially cited that memo as justification for Comeys firing, though Trump himself has said he was thinking about this Russia thing when he made his move.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers in both parties said Muellers work needed to be insulated from the political storm, but Democratic Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner said the legislation to protect Mueller should be passed right away.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a White House ally, said its up to Trump to show Muellers work could continue unimpeded. If the president does fire Mr. Rosenstein, I think that the burdens on him to assure the country that Mueller would be allowed to do his job, Graham said.

Were Rosenstein to be forced out, Solicitor General Noel Francisco, the highest-ranking Senate-confirmed official below him in the Justice Department, would take control of the Mueller investigation.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whose private memos document comments allegedly made by Rosenstein, said Monday he was concerned that a Rosenstein departure would put the investigation at risk.

There is nothing more important to the integrity of law enforcement and the rule of law than protecting the investigation of special counsel Mueller, McCabe said in a statement. I sacrificed personally and professionally to help put the investigation on a proper course and subsequently made every effort to protect it.

Read more about:MOSCOWRussia announced Monday that it will supply the Syrian government with more modern, S-300 missile defence systems following last weeks downing of a Russian plane by Syria, a friendly fire incident that sent regional tensions over the war-torn country soaring.

The Russian military aircraft was downed by Syrian government missile defence systems, killing all 15 people on board. Russia laid the blame squarely on Israel, saying Israeli fighter jets had pushed the Russian plane into the line of Syrias fire.

Shortly before the downing, Israeli strikes had hit targets inside Syria, reportedly preventing an arms shipment going to the Iranian-backed militant Hezbollah group.

Russia launched its campaign in Syria to support Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2015, and though the involvement turned the tide of war in favour of Syrian government forces, Moscow has since tried to play a careful balancing act, maintaining good ties both with Iran and Israel.

For its part, Israel is wary of Irans growing influence in Syria, which is bringing its arch-enemy closer to its borders. Last weeks downing has put Russias relationship with Israel to a test.

Russian President Vladimir Putin initially struck a reconciliatory note, blaming the downing on a chain of tragic, fatal circumstances. But the Russian military came out on Sunday, renewing the accusations against Israel.

Read more:

Russia blames Israel for downing of plane by Syrian forces

Vladimir Putin tries to defuse tragic downing of Russian plane

Russian officials said Syrias outdated S-200 systems werent sophisticated enough to identify the Russian plane as a friendly one.

Mondays statement from Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia will send the S-300 missile defence systems to Syria within the next two weeks. Earlier in the war, Russia suspended a supply of S-300s, which Israel feared Syria could use against it.

Shoigu said Russia is now going to go ahead with the shipment because the situation has changed, and its not our fault. He also said that Russia would start to electronically jam aircraft flying in to attack targets in Syria.

We are convinced that these measures will calm down some hotheads and keep them from careless actions which pose a threat to our troops, Shoigu said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Russian news agencies that supplying S-300 to Syria is Russias own right and expressed confidence that this would not hurt ties with Israel.

The Kremlin said Russias decision was not targeted against anyone and only serves to protect Russian troops in Syria. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that recent findings by the Russian military showed an Israeli jet deliberately pushed the Russian Il-20 into the line of fire, enabling its downing.

Russias stepped-up role in Syria enabled Assads forces, which had been losing ground to the armed opposition, to gain the upper hand and reclaim significant territory held by the rebels.

In recent months, the government recaptured many areas that were controlled by the opposition. And last week, Russia reached a deal with Turkey that averted a Russian-backed offensive against the northwestern province of Idlib, one of the last areas out of government control.

Idlib, controlled by a mix of radical groups and Turkey-backed armed opposition, overlooks the Syrian coast where Russia military and airbases are located, and have reportedly come under rebel fire.

Shortly after Moscows announcement, the Syrian presidents office said Assad received a call from Vladimir Putin and that the two discussed the latest developments, including the Idlib deal and the delivery of S-300s.

According to the statement, Putin reiterated that Russia holds Israel responsible for the downing of the Russian plane. The Russian president also informed Assad of the S-300 delivery, it said.

Assad expressed his condolences for the deaths of the Russian airmen, saying they were carrying out noble mission, fighting terrorism in Syria.

The Kremlin confirmed the call, saying Assad and Putin discussed working toward achieving a lasting normalization in Syria and restoration of its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

Read more about:NEW YORKScrabble players, time to rethink your game because 300 new words are coming your way, including some long-awaited gems: OK and ew, to name a few.

Merriam-Webster released the sixth edition of The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary on Monday, four years after the last freshening up. The company, at the behest of Scrabble owner Hasbro Inc., left out one possibility under consideration for a hot minute  RBI  after consulting competitive players who thought it potentially too contentious. There was a remote case to be made since RBI has morphed into an actual word, pronounced rib-ee.

But thats OK because, OK.

OK is something Scrabble players have been waiting for, for a long time, said lexicographer Peter Sokolowski, editor at large at Merriam-Webster. Basically two- and three-letter words are the lifeblood of the game.

Theres more good news in qapik, adding to an arsenal of 20 playable words beginning with q that dont need a u. Not that Scrabblers care all that much about definitions, qapik is a unit of currency in Azerbaijan.

Every time theres a word with q and no u, its a big deal, Sokolowski said. Most of these are obscure.

There are some sweet scorers now eligible for play, including bizjet, and some magical vowel dumps, such as arancini, those Italian balls of cooked rice. Bizjet, meaning  yes  a small plane used for business, would be worth a whopping 120 points on an opening play, but only if its made into a plural with an s. Thats due to the 50-point bonus for using all seven tiles and the double word bonus space usually played at the start.

The Springfield, Mass.-based dictionary company sought counsel from the North American Scrabble Players Association when updating the book, Sokolowski said, to make sure that they agree these words are desirable.

What do you think?

Sokolowski has a favourite among the new words but not, primarily, because of Scrabble scores. Its macaron, he said, referring to the delicate French sandwich cookie featuring different flavours and fillings.

I just like what it means, he said.

Merriam-Webster put out the first official Scrabble dictionary in 1976. Before that, the games rules called for any desk dictionary to be consulted. Since an official dictionary was created, it has been updated every four to eight years, Sokolowski said.

There are other new entries Sokolowski likes, from a wordsmiths view.

I think ew is interesting because it expresses something new about what were seeing in language, which is to say that we are now incorporating more of what you might call transcribed speech. Sounds like ew or mm-hmm, or other things like coulda or kinda. Traditionally, they were not in the dictionary but because so much of our communication is texting and social media that is written language, we are finding more transcribed speech and getting a new group of spellings for the dictionary, he said.

Like ew, theres another interjection now in play, yowza, along with a word some might have thought was already allowed: zen.

Theres often chatter around Scrabble boards over which foreign words have been accepted into English to the degree theyre playable. Say hello to schneid, another of the new kids, this one with German roots. Its a sports term for a losing streak. Other foreigners added because they predominantly no longer require linguistic white gloves, such as italics or quotation marks: bibimbap, cotija and sriracha.

Scrabble was first trademarked as such in 1948, after it was thought up under a different name in 1933 by Alfred Mosher Butts, an out-of-work architect in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Interest in the game picked up in the early 1950s, according to legend, when the president of Macys happened upon it while on vacation.

Now, the official dictionary holds more than 100,000 words. Other newcomers Sokolowski shared are aquafaba, beatdown, zomboid, twerk, sheeple, wayback, bokeh, botnet, emoji, facepalm, frowny, hivemind, puggle and nubber.WASHINGTONA defiant and at times emotional Brett Kavanaugh sat for an extraordinary television interview with his wife Monday to try to save his embattled Supreme Court nomination against charges of sexual misconduct as a teenager.

The truth is Ive never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise, Kavanaugh said on Fox News Channels The Story with Martha MacCallum, according to excerpts released by the cable network.

As his wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, looked on, the federal judge added: I want a fair process where I can defend my integrity and I know Im telling the truth, I know my lifelong record and Im not going to let false accusations drive me out of this process. I have faith in God, and I have faith in the fairness of the American people.

It is unheard of for a Supreme Court nominee to give interviews during the confirmation process. But Kavanaugh, a 53-year-old judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, apparently believed the charges against him required an unprecedented defence, and he responded Monday with the interview and a fierce letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley.

I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process, Kavanaugh wrote. The co-ordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out. The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. The last-minute character assassination will not succeed.

Kavanaugh will appear before the committee on Thursday, along with Christine Blasey Ford, the California professor who has alleged that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while both were teenagers in Maryland.

On Sunday, The New Yorker magazine reported an allegation by a second woman. Deborah Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaughs at Yale University, said he exposed himself at a party when they were both first-year students.

In his letter, Kavanaugh said that those who are alleged to have witnessed the two events say either they have no recollection or that they simply did not happen.

Kavanaugh went even further in the Fox News interview. In one deeply personal exchange with MacCallum, Kavanaugh said that he was sexually inexperienced as a teenager.

So youre saying, through all these years that are in question, that you were a virgin? she asked.

Thats correct, he answered.

And through what years in college, since were probing into your personal life here? MacCallum asked.

Many years after, Ill leave it at that, Kavanaugh said. Many years after.

Neither of Kavanaughs accusers have said their encounters with him included sexual intercourse. Ford said Kavanaugh pinned her down on a bed and unsuccessfully sought to remove her clothes. She said he put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream.

Ramirez said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a drinking game in their freshman year at Yale.

Kavanaughs decision to gave a television interview sent Supreme Court experts back to the history books.

Lori A. Ringhand, a law professor at the University of Georgia and an expert on the confirmation process, noted that Felix Frankfurter became the first Supreme Court nominee to testify in public to counter criticism that surfaced during his hearing.

And Justice Hugo Black gave a national radio address after he was confirmed to denounce his past association with the Ku Klux Klan.

In some ways it isnt surprising that this type of interview is the next step, Ringhand wrote in an email.

But she added that by appearing on Fox News, a favourite of conservatives, Kavanaugh is making his appeal on what many perceive as a highly partisan platform. That is risky, in that it can make the nominee himself appear overly partisan (as opposed to the partisanship surrounding the selection process itself).

Read more about:You may have noticed something in the air this summer: an abundance of monarch butterflies. They. Were. Everywhere. This week, a historic and spectacular flow of millions of monarchs are streaming through the Great Lakes region, as they return to their alpine winter home in Mexico.

Only four years ago, the plight of the monarchs looked bleak. The eastern monarch population had plummeted from one billion two decades before to only 35 million, a drop of more than 95 per cent.

In response, the David Suzuki Foundation launched #Gotmilkweed in spring 2014, encouraging Toronto residents to add milkweed plants, which monarchs require for survival, to their gardens. As we quickly discovered, the realization that this once common, beloved butterfly had virtually disappeared, struck a chord. Thousands of residents across the monarchs Canadian range began adding milkweed and other butterfly-friendly native plants to their gardens, schools and parks.

We ran #Gotmilkweed for two more years (along with a lighthearted #knit4monarchs campaign), distributing more than 30,000 milkweed plants and native wildflowers. Our volunteers began planting canoe gardens, hosting musical parades and filling laneways with butterfly murals.

Volunteer Rangers with the Butterflyway Project continued the momentum, establishing networks of pollinator patches in Scarborough, Leslieville, Cedarvale and the Beaches.

At the same time, city governments have taken flight. Markham became the first monarch-friendly city in Canada. Toronto adopted the Monarch Mayors Pledge, plus one of Canadas most ambitious pollinator strategies. The municipalities of Ajax, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Whitby and York Region have all joined the movement to bring monarchs back.

Milkweed can now be found in garden centres and nurseries, and an observant wander through urban neighbourhoods commonly turns up at least a few patches of milkweed. The transformation of milkweed from noxious weed to Torontos most in-demand native plant in a few short years is nothing short of inspirational.

This summer has been an epic one for monarchs. The migration northward was strong and our summer weather was ideal. Renowned monarch researcher Chip Taylor at the University of Kansas has suggested this winters population may be the strongest in a decade.

While this news is exciting, the long-term survival of monarchs remains in peril. A herbicide called glyphosate (a.k.a. Roundup) has eradicated milkweed on millions of kilometres of cropland. Extreme weather like severe droughts and winter storms can wipe out tens of millions of monarchs.

For now, lets savour the collective impact of thousands of seemingly small, individual actions. Despite decades of being unloved and eradicated, a plant like milkweed can be popularized. Despite being on the brink of extinction, monarchs can be plentiful. And despite our messy political landscape, we can alter the landscape of our neighbourhoods.

So, before the next political bombshell plunges you into despair, I urge you to take a deep breath. Smell the flowers. Head to the shoreline to watch monarchs sail past. Reconnect with the wonders of nature. And remember that we can all bring hope and joy, one small step at a time.When Julie Payette was named last year as Canadas 29th Governor General there was widespread excitement and praise for Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus selection to this historically symbolic position.

Payette seemed to many as a natural for the largely ceremonial post as our de facto head of state, representing the Queen in Canada. She had enjoyed a stellar career as an engineer, pilot and astronaut, embodying the best qualities of determination, ambition and achievement.

Whether as Canadas chief astronaut or as an Olympic flag bearer you represented the very best of what it means to be Canadian, to service Canada with aplomb and integrity, Trudeau told her the day she officially assumed her office.

Now, a year later, it may be time for Trudeau to have another chat with Payette and remind her of what Canadians expect of their Governor General.

The talk is needed because Payette has clearly decided to put her own unique stamp on the role  and its one thats raising serious questions about her workload, schedule and, indeed, her overall commitment to the job.

As a Toronto Star analysis of her schedule has revealed, Payette has dramatically reduced the number of events she has attended, speeches she has delivered and trips she had made outside of Ottawa compared to her recent predecessors David Johnston and Michaelle Jean. She rarely attends events on weekends, has never travelled to Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the Yukon and six-months after the Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy still has yet to visit the community.

At the same time, Payette has stiff-armed a number of organizations with whom previous governors general have worked. She declined to accept daffodils from cancer patients during the Canadian Cancer Societys Daffodil Month, has not presided over ceremonies to present the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards honouring young people and refused requests for her to present the Governor Generals Medals in Architecture.

Payette might be excused for these actions if she had substituted them with a new vision for the role she accepted, such as leading a national campaign to encouraged girls and young women to pursue careers in science and technology as she had done.

But she has done none of that. Instead, all she has done is raise questions about whether she is up to the job. More seriously, it raises the question of whether she even wants the job any more.

These are tough questions Trudeau should pursue with our Governor General  and soon.

Read more about:VANCOUVEROvercoming stigma against drug use and people who use drugs involves grappling with the historical legacy of the public education system, and finding ways to reform the most fundamental assumptions behind how we think of and speak about drugs, according to a Vancouver expert.

Kenneth Tupper, director of implementation and partnerships for the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU), said the need for reform is most clearly demonstrated by the abject failure of public policy which drug prohibition represents.

On every measure of potential success of prohibition, weve basically gone the wrong direction, Tupper told the audience. Drugs are cheaper, more plentiful, more easily available.

Tupper spoke Saturday along with Leslie McBain, family members engagement lead for BCCSU and cofounder of Moms Stop The Harm, and Brad Baker, district principal of Aboriginal education and safe and caring schools in the North Vancouver School District. The trio undertook a panel discussion hosted by the University of B.C.s faculty of education on what educators can do to become more accountable amidst the opioid crises currently sweeping the country.

Nearly 4,000 people died of an overdose in 2017, according to figures from the federal government. British Columbia saw more than 1,400 overdose-related fatalities in that same year, according to the B.C. Coroners Service, and more than 100 deaths per month from illicit drug overdose continuing throughout 2018.

In Portugal, on the other hand, which decriminalized drugs in 2001 and is often cited as a model of progressive policy by advocates for drug decriminalization, the number of overdose deaths in 2015 was 40.

And to grapple with why North America has so fully embraced a policy stance that can be empirically shown to have negative effects on the health of both populations and individuals, Tupper said its important to understand the role that the public education system played in normalizing prohibition.

In 19th century, said Tupper, The Womans Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was a key agent in bringing the idea of sobriety as virtue to public education. The group advocated for abstinence from both alcohol and opium  a substance commonly used both medicinally and recreationally in North America at the time.

The WCTU led the development of scientific temperance instruction, a puritanical public school curriculum adopted widely in schools across both Canada and the United States, he said.

That was essentially the blueprint for much of what has happened in drug education ever since, Tupper said. If you go back and look at the curriculum that they developed, not much has changed.

One change, however, was the movement away from the Victorian-era educational model of learning by rote and recitation towards progressive education, said Tupper, which prioritized experiential learning  student contact with the real world  over bald memorization of facts.

But the idea of students learning by getting their hands dirty, he added, didnt work in two particular educational areas: sex and drugs.

As far as sex goes, he said, the ferocity of the debate over what students should learn and how is currently in florid display in Ontario.

But the WCTU, Tupper said, also provided the blueprint for modern prohibition, which is based on the naive belief that if people were not legally permitted to use unacceptable substances, they would stop using them entirely.

In fact, he said, the opposite is true. There is a direct correlation between opium prohibition, first enacted in Canada in 1908, and the rise of other drugs, he said.

While prohibition did motivate some people to stop using opium, Tupper said, many others shifted to injecting morphine. And when there was a crackdown on morphine, he said, people began to use heroin. The crackdown on heroin drove people to use fentanyl, and now the crackdown on fentanyl is leading to the rise of the even more powerful synthetic opioid carfentanil, Tupper said.

The question, according to Tupper, which then begs to be asked is: what is drug prohibition meant to prevent?

It clearly isnt intended to prevent all drugs, since alcohol and tobacco  two of the biggest killers in the Western world  are still legal today, he said. To say prohibition is trying to prevent addiction is misleading, since many addictions have nothing to do with drugs and many drugs can be used without leading to addiction, he continued. Similarly, neither crime nor disease would be eradicated by putting a permanent end to drug use.

But by looking at the language around addiction and recovery  such as the convention that a person who has given drugs up is now clean  provides a clue that prohibition is still predicated on outdated ideas that illicit drug use leads to moral impurity, he said.

The language that we use, Tupper said, reflects a certain thinking about these things that perhaps doesnt coincide with a public health or scientific understanding.

With that in mind, said Tupper, there are a few ways in which educators can help undo the many decades of normalization that have led to the mainstreaming of the prohibition mindset.

First, he said, promoting resilience in students is critical. Ensuring children are connected to a caring adult is the most important factor in developing healthier individuals, he explained. Children, he continued, also need the opportunity to feel as though theyre making a meaningful contribution to their world, he said  this has the double-benefit of increasing kids own estimations of themselves.

Educators should also be aware of the legacy of stigma, both within the educational system and in their larger communities, said Tupper.

Talking about drug policy also needs to become a regular part of the educational framework, Tupper said. The historical and contemporary failures of prohibition need to be explored and discussed, he said, and both kids and educators need to be encouraged to envision alternative drug policy frameworks which can promote community and individual health.

And with the acknowledgment that overturning more than a century of prohibitionist norms might feel like an uphill battle, Tupper noted that it took years for those ideas to take hold. It could take an equivalent amount of time, he said, to undo their grip on society.

And educators and the educational system, he said, can be a primary agent for that change.

Read more about:GODFREY  A longtime firefighter with Godfrey Fire Protection District is battling bladder cancer, a fight more personally challenging than attacking structure fires and emergency medical calls in his career.

Ive been off work since February when I started the chemotherapy treatments, said Assistant Chief Ed McBride, 53, of Godfrey. They are continuing right now; they (oncologists) are trying to get it done. It knocks you down and makes you feel worse.

Once the treatments are over at the Siteman Cancer Center in South St. Louis County, he will face surgery. McBride is optimistic he will beat the disease and, ultimately, feel better and get on with his life.

I still have a ways to go, but I never can go back as a firefighter, he said.

Until then, he goes back and forth for tests and other treatments  sometimes hospitalized for days  at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

Relatives and friends tried for some time to get McBride to agree to a fundraiser to help him pay bills that his health insurance does not cover, along with mounting, everyday living expenses. I fought having a benefit for a long time until they held an intervention, he said. Im not one who looks for help.

He said he reluctantly allowed his family and friends to plan a benefit auction and dinner with five bands providing live music from noon to 10 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Wood River Moose Lodge, 730 Wesley Drive, Wood River. As part of the event, a roast beef and fried chicken dinner will be served from 2 to 6 p.m., at cost of $12 per person.

All proceeds from the beer sales will go to McBride.

More Information IF YOU GO: What: Benefit for Assistant Chief Ed McBride, Godfrey Fire Protection District When: noon to 10 p.m. Oct. 13; with dinner from 2 to 6 p.m. Where: Wood River Moose Lodge, 730 Wesley Drive, Wood River See More Collapse

Admission is free for those wanting to participate in the 50/50 drawing, raffle, bake sale, silent and live auctions and music from Acustica, Power Trip, Wild Knights, Smokin Oldies and Whiskey Bent. There also will be door prizes.

Since Day 1, he has served this community selflessly, I just hope the community in turn can take care of him, said Chief Erik Kambarian of the Godfrey Fire Protection District.

McBrides sister, Dixie Chappelear of Pocahontas, Arkansas, is organizing the benefit. He has always helped people and done what he could do for others, she said.

Chappelear said she would appreciate donations of gift baskets, gift cards, St. Louis Blues tickets and other items for the auctions; bake sale items and alcohol for a raffle of a wheelbarrow full of booze, she said. To donate, call Chappelear at (870) 378-1039.

Of note, the biggest auction donation so far is use of a couples boat for a daytrip-party cruise up the Mississippi River next spring or summer. The package includes alcohol and catered food.

Anybody and everybody is welcome, Chappelear said.

McBride said he hopes he feels well enough to attend the benefit and see his friends and fellow firefighters.

A U.S. Navy veteran, McBride worked for a local ambulance service and began volunteering for the Godfrey Fire Protection District in May 1990. He was hired on as a full-time career firefighter in May 1995, and was commander of Shift #1, one of three Godfrey fire work shifts, Kambarian said.

Both professionally and personally, you couldnt ask for a better person or firefighter than Ed McBride, Kambarian said. He always is the one with a big smile on his face.

McBride is on a leave under provisions of the Illinois Public Employee Disability Act, which provides disability payments for one year. We are looking out for his health, hopefully he can beat this and return to some sense of normalcy, Kambarian said.

McBride said he greatly misses his fellow Godfrey firefighters.

I miss the guys at the station a lot, he said. I also miss doing the job, helping the general public. Im used to helping the general public, not the public helping me.

There also is a gofundme.com page (https://www.gofundme.com/ed-mcbride-cancer-fight) established Sept. 13 with goal of raising $20,000 for McBride. As of Friday, the page generated $295.

McBride and his wife Becky have two grown daughters, Chelsie, 28, and Becca, 21.

Reach Linda N. Weller at 618-208-6450 or on Twitter @Linda_WellerGLEN CARBON  Major road construction projects have altered traffic patterns in the area throughout the summer and the end is near for some of them.

Bridgework on Illinois Route 143 at Wanda Road is making gains towards completion and Glen Carbon Village Administrator Jamie Bowden said work is progressing on the Old Troy Road project.

We have had some rain and weather delays but they are making progress, Bowden said.

The intersection at Mont Road is now open to traffic and Bowden said construction crews are pouring the new section of the road from Mont Road to about half way to Glen Crossing Road.

Crews are pouring 3,100 linear feet in that area, Bowden said. The next step will be the Bouse Road section. We are starting to plan for the staging of that section and once that is figured out we will have a public information meeting with the residents of the area to explain the next phase.

Bowden said they hope to start the Bouse Road phase in mid to late October.

The project is being done in three phases.

The first phase of the project is from Mont Road to Glen Crossing Road. Phase two is work on Bouse Road from the Fairfield subdivision to Chamberlain in Troy. Phase three work will be from Glen Crossing Road to Illinois Route 162.

Barring any major weather delays, the anticipated completion date is January 2020.

Work on the Indian Creek Bridge on Illinois Route 143 is progressing on schedule.

John Adcock, supervising field engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation, said crews will be pouring concrete soon.

They should be pouring the concrete for the bridge deck soon and everything is on schedule, Adcock said.

Work on the bridge began in April and Illinois Route 143 has been closed from Bender Road to Wanda/Moreland Road.

Adcock said the road should be open in November barring any weather or unforeseen delays.The Administrative Assistant-Travel andProtocol provides support to office operations performing a variety of standardadministrative processes ensuring high quality and accuracy of work. TheAdministrative Assistant- Travel and Protocol promotes a client, quality andresults-oriented approach. The Administrative AssistantTravel and Protocolworks in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme and projects staffin the CO and other UN agencies staff to exchange information and ensureconsistent service delivery.Critically-acclaimed director-writer Kalpana Lajmi was cremated Sunday in the presence of family, friends and loved ones.

Lajmi, who was suffering from chronic kidney disease and liver failure, passed away Sunday morning. She was 64.

Her younger brother, Dev Lajmi performed the last rites at Oshiwara Crematorium amidst a gathering of close friends and family members, including mother Lalita Lajmi.

From the Hindi film industry, actors Shabana Azmi, Soni Razdan and director Shyam Benegal, who is also Lajmi's uncle, paid their last respects to the filmmaker.

Razdan, who was among the first ones to arrive, got emotional when the pyre was lit.

A wreath was sent by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to pay respects to Lajmi.

Lajmi debuted as an assistant director under renowned film director Shyam Benegal, who was also her uncle. She went on to work as an assistant costume designer in Benegal's Bhumika: The Role (1977), starring Smita Patil, Amol Palekar and Naseeruddin Shah, among others.

Lajmi made her directorial debut with the documentary, D.G. Movie Pioneer in 1978.

Known for making fiery films with women at the core of her stories, her filmography boasts of movies like Ek Pal, Rudaali, Daman, Darmiyaan and Chingaari (2006), her last directorial.

Rudaali (1993) featuring Dimple Kapadia in the lead was India's official entry for Best Foreign Language film at the 66th Academy Awards. It also went on to win three National Film Awards, including Best Actress for Kapadia, Best Art Direction for Samir Chanda and Best Costume Design for Simple Kapadia.

The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite...China's Mid-Autumn Festival is an annual moveable feast this year being held on Sept. 24. Historically, it celebrates the harvest, and is celebrated not only in China but by people of Chinese ethnic origin all over the world.



The festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar that produces a most lustrous full moon  thus the presence and popularity of specially-baked mooncakes at this time of year.

As the poet John Dryden wrote: "If you have lived, take thankfully the past." The Mid-Autumn Festival is also a celebration of China's continuous history and culture spanning five millennia. Similar to the American Thanksgiving, it is a time to focus on gratitude. And, as Cicero declared: "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others."

For China, this particular Mid-Autumn Festival occurs when the country is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its unprecedented reform and opening up program. Over these four decades, it has achieved the fastest and most significant growth and development in human history.

In the process, it has enabled almost a billion of its people to escape from poverty. Over this brief time, China has transformed itself from a traditional agricultural economy and moved rapidly through the four stages of Industrial Revolution from steam, to electricity, to computers and now as world leader in artificial intelligence/big data and the Internet-of-things.

While one would never know it by all the daily negative news on the Internet and other media, there is every reason to be both optimistic and grateful to be living at this time. Today, a higher percentage of people have access to sufficient food and potable water than ever before, notwithstanding the fact that there are substantially more people on the planet. Indeed, many senior citizens in China will have deep memories of significant food shortages in the past.

Indeed, there are reasons to be optimistic about the future. This is the thesis of Swedish Economist Johan Norbert's book, Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future. He points out that, in 18th Century Europe, at least 20 percent of the people in England and France had so little food they were too weak to work.

Today, a much lower percentage of people are in extreme poverty and we are all living longer, travelling more and have greater access to education. This is also one of the most peaceful periods in human history and crime rates in most places have fallen significantly.

Norbert also notes that, taking a historical view, we are also making progress on the environment and most other vital indicators. People today have greater freedom. There is less child labor and more women than ever have the right to vote and greater economic choices.

On a personal level, I am encouraged by the words of German philosopher and theologian Meister Eckhart that: "If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough." I have so much to be grateful for over the course of my 70-plus years. While I could write a thousand pages listing the blessings in my life, here are a few:

 The gift of growing up in a supportive and loving family.

 The joy of having children and grandchildren of my own and a spouse who has tolerated me and my eccentric ways for almost half a century.

 The experience and perspectives gained by living substantial periods of my life in the U.S., Australia and China.

 Having many friends, many from China met over the course of my 20-year involvement with China's University of Political Science and Law, especially many fine students.

 Mindful of Ralph Waldo Emerson's admonition that "Health is the first wealth," I am grateful that I have enjoyed reasonably good health.

 I have received the gift of people having high expectations of me. As President Abraham Lincoln said: "I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down."

 I have had the opportunity of being involved in creating new educational institutions, innovative programs and new adventures in education.

 I have known the joy of being able to serve others. As Nigerian-American political scientist, Kalu Ndukwe Kalu, puts it: "The things you do for yourself are gone, when you are gone; but the things you do for others remain as your legacy."

 I have the joy of being able to continue to learn and the wonderful accessibility of knowledge today: I join in the chorus of American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson: "For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you."

 I am thankful just to be alive this day. When asked how she was feeling, my grandmother, who lived to 97, was fond of saying, "Every day above ground is a good day." Indeed, if we look hard enough, there is something good in every day.

 I am thankful for this beautiful, but fragile, planet on which we live. As American author Rebecca Harding Davis reminds us: "We are all of us from birth to death guests at a table which we did not spread. The sun, the earth, love, friends, our very breath are parts of this banquet."

In conclusion, on this important Mid-Autumn Festival I concur with the words of author Melody Beattie that:

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

HAPPY MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL!

Eugene Clark is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm





Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Following are the top foreign stories at 1700 hours:





FGN22 US-LD KAVANAUGH

Trump's SC nominee faces another sexual assault allegations

Washington: A second woman has reportedly accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, a charge that can further complicate the confirmation process of US President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee.



FGN21 PAK-SHARIF-MUMBAI

Pak court summons Sharif in treason case over Mumbai attack remarks

Lahore: The Lahore High Court Monday summoned Nawaz Sharif on October 8 during the hearing of a petition seeking action against the deposed prime minister for claiming that those involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack belonged to Pakistan. By M Zulqernain



FGN19 PAK-INDIA-QURESHI

Pak won't abandon peace efforts despite India's reluctance: Qureshi

Washington: India's reluctance to hold talks with Pakistan will not stop Islamabad from closing doors on its efforts to promote peace in the region, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said, days after New Delhi cancelled the foreign minister-level meeting in New York.



FGN20 PAK-IMRAN-COURT

Pak's SC rejects petition seeking Imran Khan's disqualification

Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court Monday rejected a petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Imran Khan for not being truthful and righteous as required under the Constitution. By Sajjad Hussain



FGN25 MALDIVES-POLL-5THLD RESULTS

Maldives strongman concedes election defeat

Colombo: The strongman president of the Maldives on Monday conceded defeat in elections, easing fears of a fresh political crisis in the archipelago at the centre of a battle for influence between India and China.(AFP)

PTI AMSTehran, Sep 24 (AFP) Iran's supreme leader on Monday said the attackers who killed 24 people at a weekend military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz were funded by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

"Based on reports, this cowardly act was the work of those very individuals who are rescued by the Americans whenever they are in trouble and who are funded by the Saudis and the (United) Arab Emirates," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, in remarks posted on his official website. (AFP)

PMS

PMSTehran, Sep 24 (AFP) Iran's supreme leader on Monday said the attackers who killed 24 people at a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz were funded by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

"Based on reports, this cowardly act was the work of those very individuals who are rescued by the Americans whenever they are in trouble in Iraq and Syria and who are funded by the Saudis and the (United) Arab Emirates," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, in remarks posted on his official website.

He did not give any further details on the identity of those behind what he called a "terrorist attack".

In the immediate aftermath of the attack on Saturday, Iranian authorities said they suspected Arab separatist groups were behind the attack, none of whom is known to have a presence in Syria.

Khamenei, who was speaking to a group of Iranian athletes, said the attack "once again shows the Iranian nation faces many enemies on its proud path of progress and development".

"We will most certainly rigorously punish the perpetrators of this attack," he added. (AFP)

PMS

PMSUnited Nations, Sep 24 (AP) Confronting the dangers of North Korea's nuclear threat, President Donald Trump arrived at the United Nations on Monday striking a far less ominous tone than a year ago, announcing he likely will hold a second summit with Kim Jong Un "quite soon."

Twelve months after Trump stood at the rostrum of the U.N. General Assembly and derided Kim as "Rocket Man," the push to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula is a work in progress, although fears of war have given way to dreams of rapprochement.

The president's bellicose denunciations of Pyongyang have largely given way to hopeful notes.

"It was a different world," Trump said Monday of his one-time moniker for the North Korean leader. "That was a dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time."

He added that preparations are underway by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for a second presidential meeting with Kim "quite soon."

Trump arrived at the UN on Monday morning for a meeting on the global drug trade, ahead of a sit-down with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who comes bearing a personal message to Trump from Kim after their inter-Korean talks last week.

Trump and Moon are expected to sign a new version of the U.S.-South Korean trade agreement, one of Trump's first successes in his effort to renegotiate trade deals on more favorable terms for the U.S. Even so, some U.S. officials worry that South Korea's eagerness to restore relations with the North could reduce sanctions pressure on Kim's government, hampering efforts to negotiate a nuclear accord.

The nuclear threat was on the agenda at Trump's first meeting in New York, a dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Manhattan on Sunday night. Abe stands first among world leaders in cultivating a close relationship with the president through displays of flattery that he has used to advance his efforts to influence the unpredictable American leader.

"We have our eyes wide open," Pompeo told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. "There is a long ways to go to get Chairman Kim to live up to the commitment that he made to President Trump and, indeed, to the demands of the world in the U.N. Security Council resolutions to get him to fully denuclearize."

Trump, redoubling his commitment to "America First" on the most global of stages, will stress his dedication to the primacy of U.S. interests while competing with Western allies for an advantage on trade and shining a spotlight on the threat that he says Iran poses to the Middle East and beyond.

Scores of world leaders, even those representing America's closest friends, remain wary of Trump. In the 12 months since his last visit to the U.N., the Republican president has jolted the global status quo by pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, starting trade conflicts with China and the West and embracing Russia's Vladimir Putin even as the investigation into the U.S. president's ties to Moscow moves closer to the Oval Office.

Long critical of the United Nations, Trump delivered a warning shot ahead of his arrival by declaring that the world body had "not lived up to" its potential.

"It's always been surprising to me that more things aren't resolved," Trump said in a weekend video message, "because you have all of these countries getting together in one location but it doesn't seem to get there. I think it will."

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters in a preview of Trump's visit that the president's focus "will be very much on the United States," its role and the relations it wants to build.

"He is looking forward to talking about foreign policy successes the United States has had over the past year and where we're going to go from here," she said. "He wants to talk about protecting U.S. sovereignty," while building relationships with nations that "share those values."

In his four-day visit to New York, Trump will deliver major speeches and meet with representatives of a world order that he has so often upended in the past year. On Monday he participated in a Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem and later was to meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and French President Emmanuel Macron, in addition to Moon.

Trump's address to the General Assembly comes Tuesday, and on Wednesday he will for the first time chair the Security Council, with the stated topic of non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The subject initially was to have been Iran, but that could have allowed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to attend, creating a potentially awkward situation for the U.S. leader.

Aides say the president will also use the session to discuss North Korea and other proliferation issues. While Trump is not seeking a meeting with Rouhani, he is open to talking with the Iranian leader if Rouhani requests one, administration officials said. (AFP) PMS

PMSUnited Nations, Sep 24 (AP) World leaders looked to Nelson Mandela's legacy of championing peace, human rights and global cooperation but acknowledged the world is far from achieving his ideals as the UN General Assembly's annual top-level meeting began Monday.

At a peace summit honouring the late South African leader, nations from around the world adopted a declaration recommitting to goals of building a peaceful, inclusive and fair world and "to revive the values for which Nelson Mandela stood" by emphasising human dignity.

At the same time, they worried that the idea of taking multinational action to solve major problems is facing increasing doubt.

"As leaders of this time, you have moral imperative and the ability to bring the death and destructions we witness on a daily basis to an end," Mandela's widow, Graca Machel, told the heads of state and U.N. officials. She implored them to take on "ego-driven" decision-makers, political dogma, greed and the arms industry.

"Humankind will hold you accountable should you allow suffering to continue on your watch," she said.

The appeal for peace and collaboration comes as the UN's founding concepts of shared values and responsibility are being tested, from the "America First" agenda of U.S. President Donald Trump to the U.K.'s impending divorce from the European Union and more.

Trump, arriving at the UN Monday for a meeting on drugs, highlighted progress on a key issue for global peace: the nuclear threat from North Korea.

He announced he will likely hold a second summit "quite soon" with the North's leader, Kim Jong Un.

Trump said it's "a much different time" from last year's General Assembly meeting, when Trump derided Kim as "Rocket Man." Still, some of the tensions underlying the global confab weren't hard to detect.

"Great statesmen tend to build bridges instead of walls," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said at the peace summit. Trump  who pulled the U.S. out of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers  campaigned on a promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mandela's birth, and the U.N. is declaring 2019-2028 the "Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace." A USD 1.8 million statue of a smiling Mandela with outstretched arms was unveiled at UN headquarters Monday.

Imprisoned in South Africa for 27 years, Mandela became the international face of the struggle to end the country's apartheid system of white minority rule over the majority black population.

Four years after he walked out of jail, he became the country's first black president in its first multi-racial elections. Over the ensuing decades, he became a Nobel peace laureate and global statesman.

In a speech at the U.N. in 1994, he said its challenge was "to answer the question - given the interdependence of the nations of the world  what is it that we can and must do to ensure that democracy, peace and prosperity prevail everywhere!" His question is all the more pressing now, U.N. leaders said.

"With human rights under growing pressure around the world, we would be well served to reflect on the example of this outstanding man," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

UN General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces said Mandela "represents a light of hope for a world still torn apart by conflicts and suffering"  but one where there are concerns about the international community's ability to work together to resolve such major problems as poverty, hunger, war and global warming.

"Drifting away from multilateralism means jeopardizing the future of our species and our planet," she said. "The world needs a social contract based on shared responsibility, and the only forum that we have to achieve this global compact is the United Nations." (AP) PMS

PMSNew Delhi, Sep 23 (PTI) India Sunday strongly condemned the terror attack on a military parade in the Iranian city of Ahwaz in which at least 29 people were killed.

"India strongly condemns the dastardly terrorist attack in the city of Ahwaz, Iran," the ministry of external affairs said.

According to reports, gunmen, wearing military uniforms, opened fire on the Iranian military parade in Ahwaz on Saturday.

"We convey our heartfelt condolences to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and families of the victims, and wish speedy recovery to those injured," the MEA said in a statement. PTI MPB DIP

DIPBhubaneswar, Sep 24 (PTI) BJP president Amit Shah is in Odisha for a daylong tour Monday to fine-tune the party's strategies for next year's state assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

Shah's visit comes two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a rally in the state slammed Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for saying no to the Centre's flagship Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme and alleged corruption in the state government.

The BJP chief, who is scheduled to attend a women's wing meeting at the seaside town of Puri, was accorded a warm welcome on his arrival here by senior leaders, including Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the party's state unit chief Basant Panda.

"Reached Odisha, where I will be addressing the 'Mahila Samavesh', a sammelan of Mahila Shakti Kendra karyakartas and the BJP Mahila Morcha National Executive meeting in Puri (Odisha)," Shah tweeted soon after his arrival.

With just a few months to go before the Odisha Assembly polls and the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP chief's visit has "spurred enthusiasm" among the party workers, particularly women, a saffron party member said.

"The party workers are gearing up to cross swords with the ruling BJD, which has been in power in Odisha since 2000. Shah was welcomed by a large number of women, including ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activists) workers, at the airport here," he said.

During his road journey to Puri, the BJP chief was seen receiving a rousing reception at a number of places, including Uttara Chhak, Manalpur, Satasankha, Satyabadi by-pass, Chandanpur and Atharanala, amid drum beats.

He waved at the people lined up along the road to greet him.

The BJP president had slammed the Naveen Patnaik-led government on Twitter Sunday for rejecting the Centre's flagship health scheme - PMJAY-Ayushman Bharat.

He had alleged that Chief Minister Patnaik has deprived the people of the state of the benefits of the health scheme owing to his "animosity towards the BJP".

"The poor people of Odisha are unable to benefit from the scheme because of BJD's narrow mindset. You will have to answer the people for petty politics. The BJP workers will undertake door-to-door campaign to make people aware of your anti-poor politics and their rights," he had tweeted.

BJP Mahila Morcha national president Vijaya Rahatkar, who arrived in the state Sunday, said Shah's Mahila Morcha meet will inspire women workers.

"Keeping the BJP's 'Mission 120+' (120 of 147 assembly seats) in mind, the meet will go a long way to motivate the saffron party's women women wing," she said.

Odisha BJP Mahila Morcha president Pravati Parida asserted that the women workers are working wholeheartedly to translate Shah's 'Mission 120+' dream into a reality.

"Shah, during his day-long visit, is set to review the organisational activities and tweak election strategies with inputs from senior leaders," Parida said.

During his last visit to the state on July 1, Shah had advised BJP workers to strengthen the party base at the grassroots level.

The BJP chief had exuded confidence that the party would sweep the next assembly polls in Odisha in view of the "dismal" performance of the BJD government in the state and achievements of BJP-led NDA at the Centre.

Dubbing the BJD government in Odisha as "anti-women", Rahatkar said Sunday the ruling party has failed to protect the women and children of the state.

"The number of rape incidents has increased in Odisha, but Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik continues to remain tight-lipped without taking steps to curb crimes against women," she told PTI.

Noting that Shah's presence in the Mahila Morcha meeting in Puri would galvanise the BJP and particularly enthuse the women workers, she said "all pertinent issues" would be discussed at the national executive committee meeting of the party's Mahila Morcha. PTI SKN RMS ANB

ANBSrinagar, Sep 24 (PTI) Three militants and a soldier were killed Monday in an ongoing anti-infiltration operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total number of ultras eliminated in the operation to five.

Two militants were killed in the operation yesterday.

"Three more terrorists have been killed today as the Army foiled an infiltration attempt along the LoC in Tangdhar sector (in north Kashmir's Kupwara district)," an Army spokesman said.

He said two militants were killed in the gun battle which began yesterday after alert troops noticed suspicious movement near the LoC.

One gallant soldier has been martyred in the operation, the spokesman said, adding the operation is in progress. PTI SSB MIJ RAX

RAX Flash

The most important thing for Chinese people who want to find a job in the United States is to build relationships through networking, a U.S. speaker said at a career development seminar Saturday.

Jakie Younger, the executive director at Brookdale Kingwood, a senior living community in Houston suburban areas, said that Chinese people should be brave enough to reach out to professionals of the mainstream communities. And people can share connections with each other.

"It's about not just who you know but who knows you," said Younger at the seminar, who was invited by Chinese Association of Professionals in Science and Technology (CAPST). "The power of networking is just huge. That personal network is key for success."

But for people to shy to build network in an event, Younger suggested them to talk to those who also look uncomfortable in this situation.

"I promise you in virtually every setting there is someone that is feeling just like you are," Younger said. "Because at the end of the day we're all people. We have the same fears. We have the same anxiety and the same uncertainties."

Younger added that Chinese people should develop the right mindset, allowing themselves to believe something positive will happen.

"Our belief is where most of our stress happens in life," Younger said. "So you can make yourself a whole lot happier if you allow."

David Li, the president of CAPST, said that the association held this event to help Chinese people understand the cultural difference and better integrate into American mainstream society. He also hoped that Chinese people could get jobs more easily.

Established in 1992, CAPST now has more than 900 members. This non-political and non-profit association serves to promote information exchange and academic discussion between Chinese and American technology experts, promote the cultural exchange and economic development between two countries and provide professional career development guidance for members.



New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Incessant showers trigerred flash floods and landslides in the hill states of northern India with at least eight people killed Monday in rain-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.

In the wake of heavy rains, a 'red alert' was issued in Punjab where educational institutes have been ordered to remain closed on Tuesday. Schools have been closed in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir and in most places of Himachal Pradesh.

Heavy rains led to landslides which blocked the roads to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Yamunotri, affecting the Chardham Yatra, while traffic snarrled in the national capital due to waterlogging following heavy rains.

The Punjab government has asked district authorities to maintain vigil to avert any untoward situation due to heavy rains, an official said.

Punjab has been witnessing widespread rain for the last two days and the downpour continued Monday, prompting state authorities to review preparations to tackle flood-like situations.

Incessant rains in Punjab and Haryana could cause damage to kharif crops and dip in their yield, farm experts said.

In Haryana's Ambala, a 45-year-old man died when the roof of his home collapsed due to heavy rains, police said.

Torrential rains trigerred flash floods in Himachal Pradesh, sweeping away a man and a girl in Kangra and Kullu districts, respectively. A "high alert" has been sounded for Kullu district.

Several houses were also swept away in flash floods as the Beas is flowing at a dangerous level, HP Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur said, cautioning people against going near rivers and nullahs.

An Indian Air Force team had rescued, with the help of a chopper, 21 people stranded due to flash floods at Dobi in Kullu district in the last 48 hours.

BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur said, "So far, 126 roads have been affected by landslides triggered by rains and news of the loss of lives are too pouring in from many places."

People residing in low-lying areas, especially in Kangra, Chamba, Kullu and Mandi districts, are being evacuated, officials said.

In Chamba, the Ravi river is still flowing at a dangerous level and people are being evacuated from low-lying areas by the administration since Sunday, Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru said.

Issuing a flood warning, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) said excess water from the Pong Dam would be released due to high-pattern inflows in the Pong reservoir due to heavy rain in catchment areas.

In Uttarakhand, most of the places including state capital Dehradun received showers with around 45 rural roads blocked in these districts, the state emergency operation centre said.

Heavy rains lashed several parts of the national capital, causing waterlogging and traffic snarls on major intersections in the city.

In Jammu and Kashmir, five members of a family, including three minors, were killed Monday when their house was buried under debris after a landslide in the Doda district, while 29 people stranded in Kathua district after flash floods were rescued.

Doda and other parts of Jammu region have been lashed by incessant rain over the past two days.

"A total of 29 persons, including six women and 10 children, were rescued from various flood-hit areas of Kathua district during overnight operations," a police officer said.

With improvement in weather, authorities Monday morning opened the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway for traffic.

Multiple landslides and shooting stones from a hillock along the highway between Ramban and Udhampur districts had blocked the arterial road since Sunday morning.

According to the Meterological department, heavy to very heavy rain is expected at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. PTI TEAM DIP

DIPNew Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) In a bid to counter anti-India propaganda unleashed by Pakistan through its radio penetration, India today launched an FM station for the border belt near Amritsar that could be heard 50 km into the Pakistani territory.

A 20kW FM transmitter of the All India Radio (AIR) located at Gharinda close to the international border near Amritsar was formally inaugurated by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla, an AIR statement said.

The transmitter, that will be used for both domestic and external broadcast, is of immense strategic importance as programmes radiated from the transmitter can be heard in a radius of 90 km, including up to 50 km inside Pakistan, it said.

Sampla, while inaugurating the transmitter, told reporters that it will help in resolving the issues of non-availability of good quality signals of AIR in Amritsar and surrounding areas, and also help in countering malicious anti-India propaganda unleashed by radio channels from across the border.

The minister expressed hope that the content of the channel would also go a long way in bridging people-to-people contact among the Punjabi speaking people of the two countries.

Chairman Prasar Bharati Surya Prakash said on the occasion that as a public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati and its two constituents All India Radio and Doordarshan, were committed to playing a catalytic role in the development of the country.

Lauding the role of AIR, the Prasar Bharati Chairman said that AIR has always been at the forefront of preserving the country's cultural heritage and integrity.

Director General AIR Fayyaz Sheheryar said the FM transmitter shall ensure stereo quality listening of radio programmes in the region.

To begin with, the transmitter will carry an assortment of programmes broadcast in Punjabi by FM Rainbow Channel of AIR Jalandhar, 'Des Punjab', and programmes in Saraiki language. Popular programmes of Urdu service of the External Services Division, AIR, will also be broadcast, the statement said.

Des Punjab programme and the programmes in Saraiki which are presently broadcast on medium wave are immensely popular in Pakistan as these are specially devised to focus on the commonality of the Punjabi culture and heritage between the two halves of Punjab, it said.

Initially the transmitter shall carry programmes for 18 hours per day from 6.00 AM to 12.00 midnight.

Amritsar and surrounding areas are inundated by radio programmes broadcast from across the border. The content broadcast from across the border is often found to be not conducive to India's national interest and needs to be countered, the statement said.

This transmitter, due to its strategic location, would provide for countering of any misleading anti-India propaganda and put India's point of view in the correct perspective, it said. PTI ASK ASK TIR

TIRChandigarh, Sep 24 (PTI) The Punjab government has ordered closure of all schools and colleges for tomorrow and has put the Army on alert in the wake of incessant rains.

The Army has been asked to remain on alert to help the state deal with any eventuality arising out of the situation, an official spokesperson here said in a release .

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Monday ordered closure of all schools and colleges tomorrow while reviewing the flood-like situation triggered in the state due to incessant rains, he said.

Chairing an emergency meeting here, the chief minister also announced a special 'girdawari' for assessing crop damage due to heavy rains.

Singh asked the Financial Commissioner Revenue (FCR) to issue detailed guidelines to the deputy commissioners for initiating the process of 'girdawari' immediately after the water-level recedes.

The chief minister also asked the ministers and MLAs to tour their respective areas extensively to assess the ground situation and tie up with the concerned departments for immediate redressal of hardships being faced by the people.

He also directed the Food and Civil Supplies and Animal Husbandry ministers to appoint nodal officers for distribution of food packets to the affected people and dry fodder for the animals in view of the situation.

The chief minister also asked the FCR to seek any assistance from the Army, Border Security Force (BSF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other paramilitary forces, if needed.

Apprising the chief minister about the situation, the FCR said that he was personally in touch with all the deputy commissioners to keep a close watch on the situation and had asked them to further liaise with the concerned Army authorities within their respective jurisdiction for help in case of any eventuality.

The FCR informed the chief minister that a contingency fund to the tune of Rs 7.40 crore has been placed at the disposal of the deputy commissioners to get flood protection works executed, besides carrying out rescue operations.

Emphasising the need to monitor the situation on a regular basis, the chief minister asked the senior officers of various departments and the deputy commissioners to liaison closely with the FCR to tide over the prevailing grim situation.

Expressing concern over the possible outbreak of water borne diseases, Singh asked the Health department to take preventive measures by organising special medical checkup camps and arranging sufficient stock of medicines in this behalf.

ACS Health informed the chief minister that the department was fully geared to face any problem and all the civil surgeons were asked to closely monitor the situation in coordination with the concerned deputy commissioners.

Taking part in the deliberations, Bhakra Beas Management Board Chief D K Sharma apprised the chief minister that situation at the Bhakhra reservoir was in control so far and they were regularly monitoring water levels at the Pong Dam.

Meanwhile, Principal Secretary Water Resources pointed out that the water-level at the Pong dam was at present 1,385.12 feet against the maximum level of 1,390 feet, the level at Bhakhra was at 1,655.49 feet against maximum capacity of 1,680 feet and at the Ranjit Sagar Dam, which feeds the Ravi river, was 526.65 m against the maximum level of 527.91 m.

Earlier, the chief principal secretary to chief minister said that in compliance with the red alert already issued by the state government this morning, all the deputy commissioners were keeping a close tab over the current situation in view of incessant rains and disaster control rooms had been activated.

All the officials have been directed to remain at standby in view of the situation.

Besides, the Army had also been requested to remain on alert to help the state in such a situation. The DCs have been asked to identify hotspots with clear evacuation and relief plans ready before hand, the spokesperson said.

Equipment to drain out flood waters were kept handy. Apart from these, districts in catchment area of three rivers Satluj, Ravi and Beas had already arranged enough boats

to rescue the affected people. PTI CHS VSD KJNew Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) A 34-year-old driver was arrested Monday from Najafgarh-Uttam Nagar Road here for posing as an executive of a cab aggregator company and stealing a car by tricking its owner, police said Monday.

The victim, Mohan Lal, in a complaint lodged at Uttam Nagar police station Sunday, alleged that the accused introduced himself as an executive of a well-known cab aggregator and fled with his Maruti Swift taxi, they said.

The accused, Raj Kumar, alias Raju (34), was nabbed along with the stolen car on Monday evening, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said said.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that he was a driver and wanted to have his own cab. He admitted to hatching the plan as he had no money, he said.

The complainant had claimed that the accused called him with a proposal of hiring his cab and falsely offered to attach the same with the firm he worked for.

Then, the accused came to his house in Dwarka and requested him to visit his office with him, the police said.

While they were leaving, the victim noticed that he had forgotten his wallet and went to get it after handing over the documents and car keys to the accused.

When he returned, he found that the accused had escaped with his car and mobile phone. PTI NIT IJTNew Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) The governing body of a Delhi University college has initiated inquiry against its principal over alleged financial and administrative irregularities, and directed him to proceed on indefinite leave.

However, I S Bakshi, principal, Dyal Singh (Morning) College refuted the charges levelled against him.

He said blatant lies were being spread against him by the college governing body chairman, Amitabh Sinha. He also accused Sinha of flouting rules and ridiculing him in front of others.

Meanwhile, Sinha claimed Bakshi nullified the election of Rohan Awana, who was elected as the college union president.

In a statement before the governing body members, Awana alleged Bakshi had also threatened to rusticate him.

Refuting the charges, the principal said, "I have never made such statements. He (Awana) had flouted the election code of conduct and the election committee of the college had nullified his election. Sinha intervened and revoked the order and called a governing body meeting Monday".

He said he was informed about the meeting only on Sunday and asked to suspend all academic and non-academic activities for Monday, which he refused.

Bakshi said he was denied entry and bouncers were deployed at the gates.

He said he received a mail on Monday evening asking him to hand over the keys to the principal of Dyal Singh (Evening) College.

Sinha claimed Bakshi boycotted the meeting and even galvanised teachers to disrupt the programme.

"We have constituted an inquiry committee to look into the allegations against Bakshi since we have received many complaints against him. He (Bakshi) has been asked to go on leave so that he cannot influence the investigation against him," the chairman said.

PTI SLB SRYGurgaon, Sep 24 (PTI) A man posing as a civil judge of a Gurgaon court was arrested here for allegedly duping at least 40 people, police said Monday.

The accused, Kedar Nath Sagar, a B-Tech degree holder from Hyderabad, used to allegedly trick people in the name of providing them cheap residential and commercial properties and jobs in the national capital region.

Police said he used to minutely scan online property and job sites to get details of possible clients and offer them help in allotment of EWS properties and shops.

"The accused introduced himself as 'judge Sagar' to the victims. He would falsely tell them that he was posted in the Gurgaon civil court on probation and living in an upscale rented bungalow in sector 12," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shamsher Singh said.

"The accused mainly targeted women and charged them Rs 3 to 5 lakh for each flat he promised but nothing was ever allotted," the officer said.

The matter came to light last week after a woman, named Gagan Batra, approached police and lodged a complaint about her relative being duped of Rs 4 lakh by the accused on the pretext of allotting a property which turned to be fake, he added.

"We have seized a fake ID-card and other related documents during a raid on his rented accommodation from where he was arrested," ACP added. PTI Corr IJT Flash

The Chinese military has halted major military dialogue for the near future with the United States in protest of its recent sanctions on Chinese military entities for procuring Russian military hardware, China's Ministry of National Defense said on Saturday night.

On Thursday, the US State Department imposed sanctions on China's Equipment Development Department, the branch of the military responsible for weapons procurement, for engaging in "significant transactions" with Rosoboronexport, a major Russian arms exporter.

The sanctions target the EDD and its director, Li Shangfu, who are involved in China's purchase of Russia's SU-35 combat aircraft and the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, the US department said.

Sanction measures include denying US travel visas to EDD staff and banning them from using the US financial system or making foreign exchange transactions within US jurisdictions. They also block the entity's property and interests within US control, it added.

In response, China summoned US envoys on Saturday, including US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad and the US acting defense attache David Menser, to strongly protest the sanctions.

The MND said in an online statement that China will immediately recall Chinese navy commander Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong, who is in the US attending the 23rd International Seapower Symposium.

In addition, China will postpone the second meeting of a communication mechanism for the joint staff departments of China and the US, scheduled for Sept 25-27 in Beijing, the ministry added.

Military cooperation between China and Russia is a normal activity between sovereign states that goes in line with international law, Huang Xueping, deputy head of the Central Military Commission Office for International Military Cooperation, said in the ministry's statement.

Huang called the US sanctions "unreasonable", a "blatant violation of basic norms of international relations" and "a stark show of hegemony" that severely damage Sino-US military relations as well as bilateral ties.

"China resolutely opposes the US move and will never accept it," he said. "China demands the US side immediately correct its mistake and withdraw the sanctions, and the Chinese military reserves the right to take further countermeasures," Huang warned.

Experts said the sanctions could pose uncertainty on Chinese Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe's planned visit to the Pentagon later this year. The visit was meant to continue the constructive trend of frequent high-level military visits between the two countries, said Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the US, on July 30.

Earlier this year, the ground force chief of the People's Liberation Army, General Han Weiguo, visited the US, and US Defense Secretary James Mattis, visited Beijing in late June, Cui added.

Experts also called the sanctions a "malicious move" that have not only escalated tensions and damaged the positive momentum of Sino-US military relations, but also left a dangerous impression that the US will confront China and Russia both on trade and military fronts.

Rear Admiral Yang Yi, a professor at the PLA National Defense University, said the US sanctions will have little effect on China's actual military procurement process.

"But it is very damaging to Sino-US military relations because the sanctions are blatant and malicious attempts by the US to sabotage the modernization process of the PLA," he said. "The sanctions also try to make an example out of China and bully other countries to refrain from buying military equipment from Russia."

Russia is the world's second largest weapons seller after the US, and has deals with US allies such as Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, according to CNN. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that Russia views the new set of sanctions as an attempt to undermine the competitiveness of Russian arms exports, and vowed to reciprocate.

Fan Jishe, a researcher of US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the US is "shaming and insulting" China by putting EDD and its director in the crosshairs of the new sanctions over the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which ends on Monday.

"It is very disheartening to see the US government taking a confrontational approach to issues that could have been resolved diplomatically," he said.Doomed? 60% of small business chiefs believe the High Street could disappear completely

SHOPPING DOOM Around 60 per cent of small business chiefs believe the High Street could disappear completely, according to research by Close Brothers Asset Finance.

Bosses said that sky-high business rates are the biggest problem, followed by excessive parking charges and the rise of online shopping.

CLIMATE CHANGE Zurich-based information solutions firm TBG is buying weather forecasting company MeteoGroup, which provides weather information to the likes of the BBC and British Airways.

GIN UP Upmarket gin Brockmanss sales jumped by 35 per cent to 4.7million in the six months to June 30 as purchases by British drinkers rocketed 90 per cent.

FINK FUND Hedge fund legend Lord Fink has invested 3million in Project Etopia, a business which creates affordable and energy-efficient schools and homes.

GERMAN JOBS Frankfurt is expected to get 2,000 extra jobs as banks shift staff due to Brexit  far fewer than once predicted.

SLOW DOWN Factory growth slowed in the three months to September, according to a survey by the Confederation of British Industry. However, growth remains above its long-term average.

BRIT BIT New York-based bitcoin trading firm Gemini Trust Company has reportedly hired advisers to develop plans for a UK arm.

NEW ROOMS Budget hotel chain EasyHotel is buying a lease for a 103-room hotel in Blackpool that is expected to open during the 2020-21 financial year at a cost of 7.6m.

MADE UP Cosmetics group Warpaint London has issued 3.3m shares to its joint chief executives Samuel Bazini and Eoin Macleod, as well as chief financial officer Neil Rodol.

OIL BOOST Trinidad-focused oil explorer Trinity Exploration has posted a 16 per cent increase in production to 2,771 barrels per day, with revenues up 49 per cent to 22million.

SANCTIONS DODGE Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaskas energy group EN+ has won a further licence extension from the US to help give it more time to come up with a plan to comply with US sanctions.

SALES SLIP Aviation service business Gama Aviation said sales for the six months to June 30 dipped slightly to 79million.The FTSE 100's largest gold miner is being sold to a Canadian rival in a 14billion mega-merger.

London-listed Randgold Resources is joining forces with Barrick Gold to create the world's largest gold mining business.

The move  which will see Randgold removed from the UK stock exchange  comes amid a slump in the price of gold that has driven down the value of both company's shares.

London-listed Randgold Resources is joining forces with Barrick Gold to create the world's largest gold mining business

The new business named Barrick will be worth around 14billion and manage some of the world's most profitable gold operations in the US and Africa.

The deal unites two of the biggest players in gold mining  former Goldman Sachs banker John Thornton, who has run Barrick since 2014, and Mark Bristow who founded Randgold in 1995.

But Barrick will be listed in New York and Toronto, knocking another business out of the FTSE 100 this year and reducing UK investors' exposure to gold.

Broadcaster Sky is also leaving the stock market following its takeover by Comcast.

Unilever could be forced out of the FTSE 100 if it moves its headquarters to Rotterdam.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the takeover of Randgold by Barrick 'looks like an odd move with a potential culture clash and a poor outcome for UK investors who don't want to hold overseas-listed shares'.

He added: 'UK shareholders are arguably being dealt a poor hand with the merger. The London market overall is also being punished as it will lose its largest gold miner.'

The deal, which values Randgold at close to 5billion, comes eight years after Barrick spun off its African assets into what is Acacia Mining, arguing that the London Stock Exchange better valued African assets.

The tie-up gives Randgold some exposure to Barrick's assets outside Africa and Barrick some of Randgold's knack for quickly building mines in challenging corners of the world.

Yesterday Barrick also announced a deal with China's Shandong Gold.

Thornton, who will be executive chairman of the combined company, said: 'Randgold has the proven ability to operate successfully in some of the most challenging environments in the world, while Barrick has been building relationships of depth and trust with China.'

Bristow will be chief executive of the new firm.

However, with the companies' stock having fallen about 30 per cent in the latest year and the sector under fire for bad spending decisions, some analysts argued that the deal was not made from a place of strength.

Kieron Hodgson, at Panmure Gordon, said: 'The proposed merger is more akin to the proverbial two drunks supporting each other at closing time.'Sky executives and management could scoop 384million when the business is sold to Universal Studios owner Comcast for 30billion.

Some 700 senior staff, including high profile Sky News presenters, are members of a scheme that will see them handed up to 22.25m shares.

The value of these shares has soared due to the bid battle, meaning these staff will pocket an average of as much as 550,000 each.

Some 700 Sky senior staff are members of a scheme that will see them handed up to 22.25m shares. Pictured is Benedict Cumberbatch in hit Sky series Patrick Melrose

Sky shares rose nearly 9 per cent, or 136.5p, to 1721.5p yesterday as Comcast emerged victorious in a bidding war with rival 21st Century Fox.

But Comcast shares fell 8 per cent in early trading in New York  putting it on course for its worst day since 2009  as investors worried it had overpaid for the broadcaster.

In a dramatic three-round auction over the weekend, Comcast delivered a knock-out blow by agreeing to pay 1728p a share for Sky, well above Foxs offer of 1567p.

That meant Comcast, which owns broadcaster NBC, paid 2.7billion more than Rupert Murdochs Fox was prepared to pay.

It was also 8.2billion more than it first offered earlier this year. Craig Moffett, an analyst at researchers Moffett Nathanson, said: The concept of the winners curse is central to auction theory.

By the very nature of an auction, the so-called winner of an auction is the party willing to pay more for an asset than any other party believes it is worth.

Investors will now have to greet Comcasts earnings reports with the trepidation that comes from owning a challenged asset for which they grossly overpaid.

In contrast Skys shares have now risen more than 130 per cent since late 2016 when Murdoch kicked off the latest bidding war.

Foxs deal was delayed by concerns in the UK about the tycoons grip on the media, creating room for Comcast to gatecrash this year.

Both companies were desperate to get their hands on Skys 23m subscribers and world-beating technology in a bid to fight back against competition from Netflix and Amazon.

Skys share price-boom means chief executive Jeremy Darroch is in line for 38million, while around 16,000 staff have also won big.

The company runs a Sharesave scheme under which its 31,000 staff can buy stock at about 20 per cent less than the market price. About half have taken advantage so far.

Those who bought in at 6.08 in 2012 are sitting on profits of 184 per cent, while those who bought in at 7.52 last year have seen their investment increase by 130 per cent.

Skys 30billion price tag makes it one of the UKs most valuable companies.

Comcast chief executive Brian Roberts has said he has no plans to change the business, with Darroch expected to stay on.

Roberts said: They will be able to act as an independent company but with the resources of a $150billion company behind them.

Alice Enders, at research group Enders Analysis, said: We think that as Comcast looks at Skys businesses in the UK and Europe, it will be more likely to look to expand the telecoms side than roll it back.Casino said it had rejected a tie-up approach from larger rival Carrefour

Two of Frances biggest supermarkets have locked horns over a mystery takeover.

The dispute erupted after Casino said it had rejected a tie-up approach from larger rival Carrefour  but Carrefour has denied ever making a bid.

Casino, whose shares have plunged almost 30 per cent this year due to concerns over its debts, said it had been contacted by Carrefour over a possible deal, but its board had unanimously rejected the approach.

The supermarkets  both of which also have a large presence in Brazil  would account for a third of the French grocery market if they joined forces.

Carrefour, however, denied any interest in the supermarket, saying a merger proposal does not exist.

Casino recently signed a deal with Ocado to use the online grocers ground-breaking technology and robot powered factories.Oil rush: Brent crude climbed above $81 a barrel

Oil prices have surged to a four-year high after the worlds biggest producers decided not to increase supply  ignoring demands from President Trump.

Brent crude climbed above $81 a barrel following the decision by the Opec group of oil-rich countries.

Donald Trump had called for an increase in production to protect American consumers from rising prices at the pump.

But Opec, which includes Saudi Arabia, has agreed with other major players such as Russia to take no action.

Ben Luckock, of trading firm Trafigura, said that prices could hit $100 a barrel early next year.

An increase to this level would spell misery for motorists by pushing up costs at petrol stations across the world.

It comes as the US prepares to slap new sanctions on Iran in November, restricting its ability to supply oil across the world.

Iranian oil exports are dropping because customers are worried about ending up on the wrong side of US rules.

In response, tankers from the Islamist country are turning off their trackers.

Seven of them have stopped broadcasting their position, meaning it is impossible for traders and states to tell to which port they are headed.The activist investor who whipped up a boardroom battle at the London Stock Exchange last year has quietly sold the bulk of his shares in the company.

Hedge fund manager Sir Chris Hohn owned a 5.1 per cent stake in the LSE through his firm TCI Fund Management, and was at the centre of a spat when he attempted to oust the exchanges chairman Donald Brydon last October.

Hohn began his battle after the LSE announced that its chief executive Xavier Rolet was set to leave. The hedge fund manager accused Brydon of forcing Rolet out against his will.

Rolet had been credited with helping the exchanges market value grow from 800million to more than 14billion during his nine years in charge.

Sell off: Hedge fund manager Sir Chris Hohn owned a 5.1 per cent stake in the LSE through his firm TCI Fund Management

But Hohns plan to keep him in place backfired, as Rolet cut his notice period short and resigned immediately to avoid a shareholder vote on his future.

After failing in his bid to reinstate Rolet in his role, Hohn said that the LSE would not find a world class chief executive while Brydon remained in power.

The exchange has since appointed former Goldman Sachs banker David Schwimmer, but Hohn has stuck to his guns. He revealed yesterday that he had sold 11.3m shares with a market value of around 12million.

Hohn only owns 1.8 per cent of the LSE, even though the exchanges share price has risen 22.5 per cent since Rolet quit. Its shares ended yesterday down 2.2 per cent, or 107p, at 4663p.

Despite the boosts afforded to the share price of Sky (up 8.6 per cent, or 136.5p, to 1721.5p) and Randgold (up 6 per cent, or 297p, to 5220p), as each soared after receiving weighty takeover offers, the FTSE 100 ended the day down 0.42 per cent, or 31.82 points, at 7458.41.

Storm clouds were forming over the travel sector as Thomas Cook blamed the summer heatwave for beating down its profits.

Stock Watch - Trakm8 Holdings Trakm8 Holdings, which creates devices to track how safely drivers are using the road, has announced a three-year contract with US-based major data provider Lexis Nexis Risk Solutions. LexisNexis will use Trakm8s technology to supply its clients in the insurance and vehicle sectors. The deal revved up Trakm8s share price by 7.3 per cent, or 4.5p, to 66.5p. John Watkins, the companys executive chairman, said the contract was expected to be a significant one.

The High Street travel agent plummeted 28.1 per cent, or 21.85p, to 56p as it said hot weather had led to tough competition and high levels of holiday discounting in recent months. The slump wiped 336million off its market value.

Thomas Cooks Swiss-born chief executive, Peter Fankhauser, said: Many customers spent June and July enjoying the sunshine at home and put off booking their holidays abroad.

He said recent trading, which had seen average selling prices 5pc lower than the same time last year, was clearly disappointing.

Ripples of fear spread across the sector, as investors backed away from rivals Tui and On The Beach. Tui was the FTSE 100s biggest faller, edging down 3 per cent, or 42p, to 1382p, while On the Beach dropped 6.1 per cent, or 31p, to 478p. Oil companies, on the other hand, excelled as Brent crude hit its highest level since November 2014.

The price of Brent crude climbed 3 per cent on the day to more than $81, after the Saudi Arabia-led oil cartel Opec rejected President Trumps calls to increase production.

On the FTSE 250, Premier Oil rose by 3.7 per cent, or 4.6p, to 129.3p, Tullow Oil by 2.9 per cent, or 7.2p, to 254p and Cairn Energy by 2.7 per cent, or 6p, to 227p.

Investors were less impressed by the performance of asset manager River and Mercantile.

At the end of June the firm was investing 33.8billion on behalf of savers, up 9 per cent on the first half of last year, but it warned that profits had slipped from 16.4million to 16.1million for the first half of the year.

During that time, River and Mercantile was also forced to sack one of its fund managers, Philip Rodrigs, over problematic conduct.

Its chief executive Mike Faulkner said the firm had moved past some issues we faced.

But shares still ended the day down 5.5 per cent, or 18p, at 312p.App-based fintech firm Revolut has vowed to keep its headquarters in London despite repeated approaches by the French government to move to Paris in the wake of Brexit.

Revolut, one of Britain's fastest growing financial technology companies, revealed it has received periodical approaches by France over the past 12 to 18 months as president Emmanuel Macron tries to lure UK firms with cuts to tax and red tape.

But the popular start-up, founded and run by Russian-born Nikolay Storonsky, has repeated that from its perspective it's 'business as usual' and confirmed today: 'London will remain our headquarters'.

'What I love about London is it's so international. Paris is not international at all,' Storonsky was quoted saying last year.

French president Emmanuel Macron has tried to lure UK firms with cuts to tax and red tape

It comes as France sees Britain's expected departure from the EU as an opportunity to lure some of its fintech companies - which are seen as crucial to the future of financial services and hence key to economic growth - to the country.

President Emmanuel Macron, a former investment banker, pledged 10billion to an innovation fund to help turn France into a 'start-up nation' after he was elected last year.

But while Revolut says it has no plans to abandon the UK, it is making plans to hedge against the risk of Brexit.

The firm, which offers current accounts but doesn't have a full banking licence nor 85,000 Financial Services Compensation Scheme cover, has tripled customer numbers from 450,000 to 1.3million it revealed in results today.

It said it is also planning to apply for an electronic money institution license (EMI) in Luxembourg.

What is Revolut? Revolut is a digital wallet that looks and acts much like a current account. It offers two accounts, a free version and premium version costing 6.99 per month. Similar to the likes of Monzo and Starling Bank, Revolut's accounts can be opened via its app and offer perks including fee-free spending and withdrawals abroad (up to 200, 400 or 600 per month depending on which account you have). Revolut comes with a slick mobile app which categorises spending and offers money transfers to 120 different countries without loading the exchange rate. The major difference is that while they are regulated by the FCA, it is under Electronic Money Regulations. This means that your money isn't covered by the FSCS. Instead, customer funds must be ring-fenced in a separate account with another bank.

Revolut already has a UK EMI licence issued by the Financial Conduct Authority, which gives it so-called 'passporting rights' to do business in the European Union.

But with Brexit, Britain is expected to lose these rights and Revolut said it 'had to hedge against that risk'.

It said Luxembourg could be a 'good choice', but insisted it has not yet applied for a licence there.

It comes as the bank released its 2017 financial results showing revenues increased almost five-fold from 2.4million to 12.8million, while pre-tax losses more than doubled to 14.8million.

Revolut, which offers a basic, a premium and now also a 'metal' account, expects to quadruple revenues this year after signing up 80,000 people to its new metal card.

The new card, which costs 12.99 a month, offers extra services such as travel insurance and additional cash withdrawals.

Among Revolut's services are also money transfers into 24 currencies and cryptocurrency exchange.

Storonsky said the company had shown 'no signs of slowing down' and will soon be launching their new 'commission-free' trading platform.

The company has recently been dealing with angry customers locked out of accounts, many of whom have been stranded overseas without funds.London, September 24, 2018  BlackRock has collaborated with Thomson Reuters to launch an exchange traded fund (ETF) to provide investors with a way to invest in companies across developed and emerging markets that promote diversity and inclusion practices, which have been shown to benefit companies long-term performance.*

The iShares Thomson Reuters Inclusion & Diversity UCITS ETF (Ticker: OPEN, the Fund) tracks the Thomson Reuters Global Large/Mid Diversity and Inclusion ex. Controversial Weapons Equal Weight Total Return Index (the Index), which is related to the Thomson Reuters Diversity & Inclusion Index. The Index transparently and objectively ranks more than 2,000 publicly-traded companies globally, and consists of the top 100 companies with the most diverse and inclusive workplaces, as measured by 24 metrics across four key categories: Diversity, Inclusion, People Development and News & Controversies. The Index embraces a broader spectrum of diversity dimensions and goes further than other indices in this segment which have tended to focus more narrowly on aspects such as gender.



Debra Walton, Managing Director of Customer Proposition, Financial & Risk at Thomson Reuters commented: We established this Diversity and Inclusion index three years ago in response to the growing demand for data in support of ESG investment mandates. It leverages our rich ESG data and our index calculation capabilities. We are delighted that BlackRock is paving the way in developing the first ETF to track the index. We look forward to bringing this partnership with us into Refinitiv and to working with the industry on similar ESG-based initiatives.



Brian Deese, Head of Sustainable Investing at BlackRock commented: The increasing availability of corporate sustainability data, as well as advancement in technology, has made it possible to better measure and understand metrics, such as inclusion and diversity, from an investment perspective. At BlackRock, we are committed to being leaders in using new data and tools that deliver sustainable investment solutions at scale, which help to improve financial outcomes for our clients and accelerate the adoption of sustainable business practices globally.

Rachel Lord, Head of EMEA at BlackRock said: We know that diverse teams make better decisions, and this is ultimately good for investors. We are launching this Fund at a time when a spotlight is firmly on companies to show what they are doing to improve diversity of their workforce, and as investors demand new funds to express specific preferences within their portfolios. It is a significant step forward in the evolution of products that harness the power of social change to deliver long-term investment outcomes.

The Fund complements iShares 10-strong UCITS thematic ETF range - which aim to provide exposure to megatrends, or powerful, transformative forces that could change the global economy, business and society - and the 15-strong family of UCITS environmental, social and governance (ESG) ETFs. It carries a total expense ratio of 0.25%.

The Thomson Reuters Financial & Risk business will be known as Refinitiv, following the closing of the strategic partnership transaction between Thomson Reuters and private equity funds managed by Blackstone.

*[Source: McKinsey, Why Diversity Matters, Feb 2015].

About Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the worlds leading source of news and information for professional markets. Our customers rely on us to deliver the intelligence, technology and expertise they need to find trusted answers. The business has operated in more than 100 countries for more than 100 years. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges. For more information, visit www.thomsonreuters.com.



About BlackRock



BlackRock helps investors build better financial futures. As a fiduciary to our clients, we provide the investment and technology solutions they need when planning for their most important goals. As of June 30, 2018, the firm managed approximately $6.3 trillion in assets on behalf of investors worldwide.

About iShares

iShares is a global leader in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with more than a decade of expertise and commitment to individual and institutional investors of all sizes. With over 800 funds globally across multiple asset classes and strategies and more than $1.8 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2018, iShares helps clients around the world build the core of their portfolios, meet specific investment goals and implement market views. iShares funds are powered by the expert portfolio and risk management of BlackRock, trusted to manage more money than any other investment firm1.

1 Based on $6.3 trillion in AUM as of 30 June 2018

CONTACT



Lemuel Brewster

Thomson Reuters

Office +1 646-223-5147

Mobile +1 917-805-1089

lemuel.brewster@thomsonreuters.com

Timi Oni

Vice President, BlackRock

Office: +44 (0) 20 7743 1592

Mobile: +44 (0) 7468 701 178

timi.oni@blackrock.com

Fund disclaimers



iShares Thomson Reuters Inclusion and Diversity UCITS ETF

Concentration Risk: Investment risk is concentrated in specific sectors, countries, currencies or companies. This means the Fund is more sensitive to any localised economic, market, political or regulatory events.

Equity Risk: The value of equities and equity-related securities can be affected by daily stock market movements. Other influential factors include political, economic news, company earnings and significant corporate events.

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For investors in Austria

The funds mentioned in this document are registered for public offer in Austria. The Sales Prospectuses for the Companies, Key Investor Information Document and other documents as well as the annual and semi-annual reports have been published in Austria and are available free of charge from UniCredit Bank AG Vienna Branch, Julius Tandler Platz 3, 1090 Vienna, Austria, the Austrian paying and information agent and are also available on the website www.ishares.com. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. The Companies intend to fulfill the requirements for treatment of all of their sub-funds as reporting funds. Therefore the Companies have an Austrian tax representative who calculates the Austrian Deemed Distributed Income figures once a year and files an electronic tax return with the Austrian Control Bank. However, it cannot be guaranteed that the requirements will be met in the future. The Companies reserve the right to give up the reporting fund status and to not undertake such tax filings

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The funds mentioned in this document are not registered for public distribution in Belgium. Unless indicated otherwise, any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts copies of which can be obtained free of charge from www.ishares.com. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus.

For investors in Denmark

This document is directed at Professional Investors in Denmark only and the Funds are authorised by Finanstilsynet, the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts and the Danish country supplements. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. Copies of all documentation can be obtained free of charge from offices of the paying agent in Denmark BlackRock Copenhagen Branch, filial af BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited Harbour House, Sundkrogsgade 21, 2100 Kbenhavn , Denmark. This document is strictly confidential and may not be distributed without authorisation from BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited.

For investors in Finland

The funds mentioned are registered for public distribution in Finland and are authorised by the Finanssivalvonta (Fiva), the Financial Supervisory Authority (FIN-FSA), in Finland. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. This document is strictly confidential and may not be distributed without authorisation from BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited.

For investors in France

Any subscription for shares in a sub-fund of one of the companies will be carried out according to the conditions specified in the full Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document, the French Addendum and in the Supplements of Companies as the case may be. These documents can be obtained by contacting the paying agent of the Company: BNP Paribas Securities Services, 3 rue d'Antin, 75002 Paris, tel: 00 33 1 42 98 10 00 or by visiting the French part of the site www.iShares.eu. The companies are undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS) governed by foreign laws and approved by the Financial Regulator in the home state as a UCITS complying with European regulations. The European Directive 2009/65/EC of July 13, 2009 on UCITS, as amended, establishes common rules in order to allow the cross-border marketing of UCITS which comply with it. This common foundation did not prohibit different methods of implementation. This is why a European UCITS may be marketed in France even though the activity of such scheme would not respect rules identical to those which govern the approval of this type of product in France. This sub fund has been authorized for marketing in France by the Autorite des Marches Financiers. Please note that the distribution of shares of some sub funds of funds is not allowed in France. This document does not constitute an offer or a solicitation in relation to the shares of the funds.

For investors in Germany

The Sales Prospectus and Key Investor Information Document, as well as the annual and semi-annual reports are available free of charge from Commerzbank Kaiserplatz, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The Companies intend to fulfill the prerequisites for treatment of their sub-funds as so-called "transparent funds" pursuant to  2 and 4 of the German Investment Tax Act (Investmentsteuergesetz  InvStG). However, it cannot be guaranteed that the requirements will be met. The Companies reserve the right to give up the "transparent status" and to not undertake the necessary publications. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. Please note that important information about iShares VII funds is available in the current prospectus and other documents that can be obtained free of charge from the paying agent, Deutsche Bank AG Taunusanlage 12, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Federal Republic of Germany.

For investors in Ireland

This document is strictly confidential and may not be distributed without authorisation from BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited. With respect to funds that are registered for public offer in Ireland, important information on the Companies is contained in the relevant Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and other documents, copies of which can be obtained by calling 0845 357 7000, from your broker or financial adviser, by writing to BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited, iShares Business Development, 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London, EC2N 2DL or by writing to the Manager of the Companies: BlackRock Asset Management Ireland Limited, Block 2, Grand Mill Quay, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus.

For investors in Israel

BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited is not licensed under Israels Regulation of Investment Advice, Investment Marketing and Portfolio Management Law, 5755-1995. No action has been or will be taken in Israel that would permit a public offering or distribution of the Funds mentioned in this document to the public in Israel. The Funds mentioned in this document have not been approved by the Israeli Securities Authority. In addition, the Funds mentioned in this document are not regulated under the provisions of Israels Joint Investment Trusts law, 5754- 1994 (the Joint Investment Trusts Law). This document has not been approved by the Israel Securities Authority and will only be distributed to Israeli residents in a manner that will not constitute an offer to the public under sections 15 and 15a of the Israel Securities Law, 5728-1968 (the Securities Law) or section 25 of the Joint Investment Trusts Law, as applicable. The document is being offered to those categories of investors listed in the First Addendum (the Addendum) to the Securities Law, (Institutional Investors); in all cases under circumstances that will fall within the private placement or other exemptions of the Joint Investment Trusts Law, the Securities Law and any applicable guidelines, pronouncements or rulings issued from time to time by the Israel Securities Authority. This document may not be reproduced or used for any other purpose, nor be furnished to any other person other than those to whom copies have been sent. Nothing in this document should be considered investment advice or investment marketing as defined in the Regulation of Investment Counselling, Investment Marketing and Portfolio Management Law, 5755-1995. This document does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor does it constitute an offer to sell to or solicitation of an offer to buy from any person or persons in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful, or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so, or to a person or persons to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

For investors in Italy

Any application for shares in the funds is on the terms of the Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document, for the Companies. The Shares of certain sub-funds in the Companies have been admitted to listing in Italy and are currently listed on the Mercato Telematico Fondi of Borsa Italiana S.p.A. The list of the sub-funds listed in Italy, the Prospectus, of the Companies, the Documento di quotazione of the iShares funds, the latest annual and semi annual report of the Companies are published (i) on the Companies' internet website at the address www.iShares.com and (ii) on Borsa Italiana S.p.A's website at the address www.borsaitalia.it. These documents are available for the public in Italian version with certification that such documents are a faithful translation of the original documents. Investors are entitled to receive free of charge, even at home, a copy of the above documents, upon written request forwarded to the Companies. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. For comprehensive information on the expenses charged to a fund and fees applicable to investors, see the Documento di quotazione and the Prospectus.

For investors in Luxembourg

The Companies have been notified to the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier in Luxembourg in order to market their shares for sale to the public in Luxembourg and the Companies are notified Undertaking in Collective Investment for Transferable Securities (UCITS). The Companies have not been listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, investors should contact their broker for further information. Investment is subject to the Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and all documents (the main/umbrella Prospectus, the Supplement[s], the latest and any previous annual and semi-annual reports of the Companies and the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Companies) will be available in the Luxembourg, free of charge, from the offices of the Local Agent, BNP Paribas Securities Services, Luxembourg Branch 33, rue de Gasperich Howald  Hesperange L-2085 Luxembourg or by visiting the website on www.iShares.com. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus.

For investors in Norway

The funds mentioned are registered for public distribution in Norway and are authorised by Kredittilsynet, the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway. Any application for shares in the funds is on the terms of the Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document for the Companies. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. This document is strictly confidential and may not be distributed without authorisation from BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited.

For investors in Spain

The funds mentioned are registered for public distribution in Spain.The sales Prospectus has been registered with the Spanish Securities Market Commission (Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores ('CNMV')). The funds which are registered in the official registry of the Spanish Securities and Exchange Commission (CNMV) are iShares plc (registration number 801), iShares II plc (registration number 802) and iShares III plc (registration number 806), iShares IV plc (registration number 1402), iShares V plc (registration number 977), iShares VI plc (registration number 1091), iShares VII plc (registration number 886) and iShares (Lux) (registration number 905). The official registry, CNMV, must always be checked to see which sub funds of the funds mentioned are registered for public distribution in Spain. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts, copies of which can be obtained free of charge at www.iShares.es. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. This document contains products or services of BlackRock, Inc. (or affiliates thereof) that might be offered directly or indirectly within the Andorran jurisdiction, and it should not be regarded as solicitation of business in any jurisdiction including the Principality of Andorra.

For investors in Sweden

The Funds mentioned herein are registered for public distribution in Sweden and are authorised by Finansinspektionen, the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority. Any application for shares in the funds is on the terms of the Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document, for the Companies. Important information relating to the Companies is contained in the relevant Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and other documents, copies of which can be obtained free of charge from offices of the paying agent BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, Stockholm Filial Master Samuelsgatan 1, Box 609 S-11411 Stockholm, Sweden. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. Please note that important information about iShares V funds is available in the current prospectus and other documents that can be obtained free of charge from the paying agent BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, Stockholm Filial Master Samuelsgatan 1, Box 609 S-11411 Stockholm, Sweden.

For investors in Switzerland

The iShares ETFs are domiciled in Ireland, Switzerland and Germany. BlackRock Asset Management Schweiz AG, Bahnhofstrasse 39, CH-8001 Zurich, is the Swiss Representative and State Street International GmbH, Munich, Zurich Branch, Beethovenstrasse 19, CH-8002 Zurich the Swiss Paying Agent for the foreign iShares ETFs registered in Switzerland.The Prospectus, the Prospectus with integrated fund contract, the Key Investor Information Document, the general and particular conditions, the Articles of Incorporation, the latest and any previous annual and semi-annual reports of the iShares ETFs domiciled or registered in Switzerland are available free of charge from BlackRock Asset Management Schweiz AG. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Prospectus.

For investors in the UK

Most of the protections provided by the UK regulatory system do not apply to the operation of the Companies, and compensation will not be available under the UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme on its default. The Companies are recognised schemes for the purposes of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus.

Restricted Investors

This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares in the United States or Canada. This document is not aimed at persons who are resident in the United States, Canada or any province or territory thereof, where the companies/securities are not authorised or registered for distribution and where no prospectus has been filed with any securities commission or regulatory authority. The companies/securities may not be acquired or owned by, or acquired with the assets of, an ERISA Plan.

Risk Warnings

Investment in the products mentioned in this document may not be suitable for all investors. Past performance is not a guide to future performance and should not be the sole factor of consideration when selecting a product. The price of the investments may go up or down and the investor may not get back the amount invested. Your income is not fixed and may fluctuate. The value of investments involving exposure to foreign currencies can be affected by exchange rate movements. We remind you that the levels and bases of, and reliefs from, taxation can change.

BlackRock has not considered the suitability of this investment against your individual needs and risk tolerance. The data displayed provides summary information. Investment should be made on the basis of the relevant Prospectus which is available from the manager.

In respect of the products mentioned this document is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described within. This document may not be distributed without authorisation from BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited.

Index Disclaimers

STOXX Global Digital Security Index is the intellectual property (including registered trademarks) of STOXX Limited, Zurich, Switzerland (STOXX), Deutsche Borse Group or their licensors, which is used under license. The iShares ETF is neither sponsored nor promoted, distributed or in any other manner supported by STOXX, Deutsche Borse Group or their licensors, research partners or data providers and STOXX, Deutsche Borse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers do not give any warranty, and exclude any liability (whether in negligence or otherwise) with respect thereto generally or specifically in relation to any errors, omissions or interruptions in the relevant index or its data.

 2018 BlackRock, Inc. All Rights reserved. BLACKROCK, BLACKROCK SOLUTIONS, iSHARES, BUILD ON BLACKROCK, SO WHAT DO I DO WITH MY MONEY and the stylized i logo are registered and unregistered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and elsewhere. All other trademarks are those of their respective owners.

Regulatory Information

BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority ('FCA'), having its registered office at 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London, EC2N 2DL, England, Tel +44 (0)20 7743 3000, has issued this document for access by Professional Clients only and no other person should rely upon the information contained within it. For your protection, calls are usually recorded. iShares plc, iShares II plc, iShares III plc, iShares IV plc, iShares V plc, iShares VI plc and iShares VII plc (together 'the Companies') are open-ended investment companies with variable capital having segregated liability between their funds organised under the laws of Ireland and authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland.

For investors in Austria

The funds mentioned in this document are registered for public offer in Austria. The Sales Prospectuses for the Companies, Key Investor Information Document and other documents as well as the annual and semi-annual reports have been published in Austria and are available free of charge from UniCredit Bank AG Vienna Branch, Julius Tandler Platz 3, 1090 Vienna, Austria, the Austrian paying and information agent and are also available on the website www.ishares.com. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. The Companies intend to fulfill the requirements for treatment of all of their sub-funds as reporting funds. Therefore the Companies have an Austrian tax representative who calculates the Austrian Deemed Distributed Income figures once a year and files an electronic tax return with the Austrian Control Bank. However, it cannot be guaranteed that the requirements will be met in the future. The Companies reserve the right to give up the reporting fund status and to not undertake such tax filings.

For investors in Belgium

The funds mentioned in this document are not registered for public distribution in Belgium. Unless indicated otherwise, any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts copies of which can be obtained free of charge from www.ishares.com. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus.

For investors in Denmark

This document is directed at Professional Investors in Denmark only and the Funds are authorised by Finanstilsynet, the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts and the Danish country supplements. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. Copies of all documentation can be obtained free of charge from offices of the paying agent in Denmark BlackRock Copenhagen Branch, filial af BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited Harbour House, Sundkrogsgade 21, 2100 Kbenhavn , Denmark. This document is strictly confidential and may not be distributed without authorisation from BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited.

For investors in Finland

The funds mentioned are registered for public distribution in Finland and are authorised by the Finanssivalvonta (Fiva), the Financial Supervisory Authority (FIN-FSA), in Finland. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. This document is strictly confidential and may not be distributed without authorisation from BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited.

For investors in France

Any subscription for shares in a sub-fund of one of the companies will be carried out according to the conditions specified in the full Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document, the French Addendum and in the Supplements of Companies as the case may be. These documents can be obtained by contacting the paying agent of the Company: BNP Paribas Securities Services, 3 rue d'Antin, 75002 Paris, tel: 00 33 1 42 98 10 00 or by visiting the French part of the site www.iShares.eu. The companies are undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS) governed by foreign laws and approved by the Financial Regulator in the home state as a UCITS complying with European regulations. The European Directive 2009/65/EC of July 13, 2009 on UCITS, as amended, establishes common rules in order to allow the cross-border marketing of UCITS which comply with it. This common foundation did not prohibit different methods of implementation. This is why a European UCITS may be marketed in France even though the activity of such scheme would not respect rules identical to those which govern the approval of this type of product in France. This sub fund has been authorized for marketing in France by the Autorite des Marches Financiers. Please note that the distribution of shares of some sub funds of funds is not allowed in France. This document does not constitute an offer or a solicitation in relation to the shares of the funds.

For investors in Germany

The Sales Prospectus and Key Investor Information Document, as well as the annual and semi-annual reports are available free of charge from Commerzbank Kaiserplatz, 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The Companies intend to fulfill the prerequisites for treatment of their sub-funds as so-called "transparent funds" pursuant to  2 and 4 of the German Investment Tax Act (Investmentsteuergesetz  InvStG). However, it cannot be guaranteed that the requirements will be met. The Companies reserve the right to give up the "transparent status" and to not undertake the necessary publications. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. Please note that important information about iShares VII funds is available in the current prospectus and other documents that can be obtained free of charge from the paying agent, Deutsche Bank AG Taunusanlage 12, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Federal Republic of Germany.

For investors in Ireland

This document is strictly confidential and may not be distributed without authorisation from BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited. With respect to funds that are registered for public offer in Ireland, important information on the Companies is contained in the relevant Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and other documents, copies of which can be obtained by calling 0845 357 7000, from your broker or financial adviser, by writing to BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited, iShares Business Development, 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London, EC2N 2DL or by writing to the Manager of the Companies: BlackRock Asset Management Ireland Limited, Block 2, Grand Mill Quay, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus.

For investors in Italy

Any application for shares in the funds is on the terms of the Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document, for the Companies. The Shares of certain sub-funds in the Companies have been admitted to listing in Italy and are currently listed on the Mercato Telematico Fondi of Borsa Italiana S.p.A. The list of the sub-funds listed in Italy, the Prospectus, of the Companies, the Documento di quotazione of the iShares funds, the latest annual and semi annual report of the Companies are published (i) on the Companies' internet website at the address www.iShares.com and (ii) on Borsa Italiana S.p.A's website at the address www.borsaitalia.it. These documents are available for the public in Italian version with certification that such documents are a faithful translation of the original documents. Investors are entitled to receive free of charge, even at home, a copy of the above documents, upon written request forwarded to the Companies. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. For comprehensive information on the expenses charged to a fund and fees applicable to investors, see the Documento di quotazione and the Prospectus.

For investors in Luxembourg

The Companies have been notified to the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier in Luxembourg in order to market their shares for sale to the public in Luxembourg and the Companies are notified Undertaking in Collective Investment for Transferable Securities (UCITS). The Companies have not been listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, investors should contact their broker for further information. Investment is subject to the Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and all documents (the main/umbrella Prospectus, the Supplement[s], the latest and any previous annual and semi-annual reports of the Companies and the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Companies) will be available in the Luxembourg, free of charge, from the offices of the Local Agent, BNP Paribas Securities Services, Luxembourg Branch 33, rue de Gasperich Howald  Hesperange L-2085 Luxembourg or by visiting the website on www.iShares.com. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus.

For investors in Norway

The funds mentioned are registered for public distribution in Norway and are authorised by Kredittilsynet, the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway. Any application for shares in the funds is on the terms of the Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document for the Companies. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. This document is strictly confidential and may not be distributed without authorisation from BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited.

For investors in Spain

The funds mentioned are registered for public distribution in Spain.The sales Prospectus has been registered with the Spanish Securities Market Commission (Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores ('CNMV')). The funds which are registered in the official registry of the Spanish Securities and Exchange Commission (CNMV) are iShares plc (registration number 801), iShares II plc (registration number 802) and iShares III plc (registration number 806), iShares IV plc (registration number 1402), iShares V plc (registration number 977), iShares VI plc (registration number 1091), iShares VII plc (registration number 886) and iShares (Lux) (registration number 905). The official registry, CNMV, must always be checked to see which sub funds of the funds mentioned are registered for public distribution in Spain. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts, copies of which can be obtained free of charge at www.iShares.es. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. This document contains products or services of BlackRock, Inc. (or affiliates thereof) that might be offered directly or indirectly within the Andorran jurisdiction, and it should not be regarded as solicitation of business in any jurisdiction including the Principality of Andorra.

For investors in Sweden

The Funds mentioned herein are registered for public distribution in Sweden and are authorised by Finansinspektionen, the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority. Any application for shares in the funds is on the terms of the Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document, for the Companies. Important information relating to the Companies is contained in the relevant Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and other documents, copies of which can be obtained free of charge from offices of the paying agent BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, Stockholm Filial Master Samuelsgatan 1, Box 609 S-11411 Stockholm, Sweden. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus. Please note that important information about iShares V funds is available in the current prospectus and other documents that can be obtained free of charge from the paying agent BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, Stockholm Filial Master Samuelsgatan 1, Box 609 S-11411 Stockholm, Sweden.

For investors in Switzerland



The iShares ETFs are domiciled in Ireland, Switzerland and Germany. BlackRock Asset Management Schweiz AG, Bahnhofstrasse 39, CH-8001 Zurich, is the Swiss Representative and State Street International GmbH, Munich, Zurich Branch, Beethovenstrasse 19, CH-8002 Zurich the Swiss Paying Agent for the foreign iShares ETFs registered in Switzerland.The Prospectus, the Prospectus with integrated fund contract, the Key Investor Information Document, the general and particular conditions, the Articles of Incorporation, the latest and any previous annual and semi-annual reports of the iShares ETFs domiciled or registered in Switzerland are available free of charge from BlackRock Asset Management Schweiz AG. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Prospectus.

For investors in the UK

Most of the protections provided by the UK regulatory system do not apply to the operation of the Companies, and compensation will not be available under the UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme on its default. The Companies are recognised schemes for the purposes of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Any decision to invest must be based solely on the information contained in the Companys Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document and the latest half-yearly report and unaudited accounts and/or annual report and audited accounts. Investors should read the fund specific risks in the Key Investor Information Document and the Companys Prospectus.

Restricted Investors

This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares in the United States or Canada. This document is not aimed at persons who are resident in the United States, Canada or any province or territory thereof, where the companies/securities are not authorised or registered for distribution and where no prospectus has been filed with any securities commission or regulatory authority. The companies/securities may not be acquired or owned by, or acquired with the assets of, an ERISA Plan.

Risk Warnings

Investment in the products mentioned in this document may not be suitable for all investors. Past performance is not a guide to future performance and should not be the sole factor of consideration when selecting a product. The price of the investments may go up or down and the investor may not get back the amount invested. Your income is not fixed and may fluctuate. The value of investments involving exposure to foreign currencies can be affected by exchange rate movements. We remind you that the levels and bases of, and reliefs from, taxation can change.

BlackRock has not considered the suitability of this investment against your individual needs and risk tolerance. The data displayed provides summary information. Investment should be made on the basis of the relevant Prospectus which is available from the manager.

In respect of the products mentioned this document is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described within. This document may not be distributed without authorisation from BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited.

Index Disclaimers

Index Source: Thomson Reuters or its affiliates. Copyright 2017. Used with permission. Thomson Reuters is a registered trademark of Thomson Reuters and its affiliates. THOMSON REUTERS DATA IS AS IS. THOMSON REUTERS PROVIDES NO WARRANTIES, HAS NO LIABILITY, AND DOES NOT SPONSOR, PROMOTE OR ENDORSE the iShares Thomson Reuters Inclusion and Diversity UCITS ETF. PLEASE REFER TO THE FUNDS PROSPECTUS FOR FULL DISCLAIMER.

 2018 BlackRock, Inc. All Rights reserved. BLACKROCK, BLACKROCK SOLUTIONS, iSHARES, BUILD ON BLACKROCK, SO WHAT DO I DO WITH MY MONEY and the stylized i logo are registered and unregistered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and elsewhere. All other trademarks are those of their respective owners.LONDON / NEW YORK  Thomson Reuters and ModuleQ announced today a partnership to assist professionals with time sensitive insights. The companies are integrating their AI technologies to help provide proactive distribution of mission-critical business information to clients' front-line personnel.

As the volume of digital information expands exponentially, knowledge-based businesses are looking for new ways to help their professionals keep up. The solution combines AI technology from Thomson Reuters to extract important business insights from large volumes of data with ModuleQs AI, which maps business insights to the fast-changing priorities of individual professionals. Integrated, these technologies are designed to provide insights automatically tailored to reflect the current business priorities of each professional, enriched with financial information from Thomson Reuters. The service is expected to be particularly valuable to professional services businesses whose consultants need to keep on top of the very latest news relevant to their clients.

ModuleQ uses intelligent agent technology to engage professionals where they work in Microsoft Office 365. The companys enterprise solutions are delivered as virtual appliances on Microsoft Azure, providing behind-the-firewall security and privacy.

Timely, relevant information is crucial to professionals, said David Brunner PhD, Founder & CEO at ModuleQ. Together, ModuleQ and Thomson Reuters will provide turn-key AI solutions that are designed to surface the right information to the right person at the right time, seamlessly, within the tools where they already work.

Our accumulated expertise in financial Information and using semantic technology at scale enables us to deliver AI solutions across a broad range of client needs, said Tim Baker, Global Head of Innovation at Thomson Reuters. Were excited to partner with ModuleQ to deliver information feeds that are automatically personalized and proactively delivered to help power smarter ways of working for business professionals.

ModuleQs Personal Data Fusion AI is based on data fusion technology originally developed for situational awareness in military theatres. ModuleQ adapted the technology to cut through information overload and help professionals stay informed about their priorities.

Thomson Reuters proprietary AI solutions are optimized for analyzing business content. Thomson Reuters Knowledge Graph encodes deep market and industry-specific expertise, making it more effective for interpreting business documents, said Anupriya Ankolekar PhD, Co-Founder & Principal Scientist at ModuleQ.

The Thomson Reuters Financial & Risk business will be known as Refinitiv, following the closing of the strategic partnership transaction between Thomson Reuters and private equity funds managed by Blackstone.

About ModuleQ

ModuleQ provides AI solutions for businesses to automate the delivery of targeted, high-value information to front-line professionals. ModuleQ currently offers the Q app on Microsoft Teams as well as behind-the-firewall solutions for large enterprises.

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the worlds leading source of news and information for professional markets. Our customers rely on us to deliver the intelligence, technology and expertise they need to find trusted answers. The business has operated in more than 100 countries for more than 100 years. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges. For more information, visit www.thomsonreuters.com.



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The Israeli military on Sunday rejected the findings presented by the Russian Defense Ministry which accused the Jewish state of direct responsibility for downing the Russian plane in Syria.

The Israeli statement was issued a few hours after the Russian Defense Ministry presented its latest findings on the accident in Latakia last Monday, accusing the Israeli military of "criminal negligence."

Chief spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, Igor Konashenkov, said in a press briefing that Israel provided false information and used the Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft as a "shield" against the Syrian air defense system missiles.

The plane with 15 people on board was mistakenly downed by a Syrian missile, when Israel was conducting an airstrike on Syria's Latakia province at the same time.

"We believe that the Israeli Air Force and those who were making decisions about these actions are fully to blame for the tragedy that happened to the Russian plane," Konashenkov told reporters.

In the Israeli response, issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the military charged that the "IAF (Israel Air Force) did not hide behind any aircraft and the Israeli aircraft were in Israeli airspace at the time of the downing of the Russian plane."

The military said it will not stop its attacks against Iranian targets in Syria. "IDF will continue to operate in accordance with the directives of the Israeli government against Iran's incessant attempts to establish itself in Syria and arm Hezbollah with lethal and accurate weapons," the statement read.

The military also stressed the importance of the continuation of the coordination between the Russian and Israeli armies' moves in Syria.

Israel and Russia have a so-called "deconfliction mechanism" operated over the past years to avoid firing on each other forces in Syria.

An Israeli military delegation led by air force chief Amikam Norkin returned to Israel on Friday, after presenting detailed findings from its probe into the incident, including classified materials, to senior Russian military officers in Moscow. Israel hoped the delegation would convince the Russians that it was not responsible for the accident.

Israel has carried out some 200 airstrikes over the last 18 months, claiming that the attacks were aimed to prevent Iranian weapons convoys and stop Iran from establishing a military foothold in Syria.Aenza SAA is a holding company, which engages in the provision of engineering, management consulting, real estate, and corporate shares trading services. It operates through the following segments: Engineering and Construction, Infrastructure, Real Estate, Technical Services, and Parent Company Operation. The Engineering and Construction segment includes activities such as engineering, civil works, electro-mechanic construction, building construction, and contract mining. The Infrastructure segment provides operation and maintenance services for infrastructure assets. The Real Estate segment develops and sells homes targeted to low and middle income population sectors. The Technical Services segment offers information technology services, and electricity networks services. The Parent Company Operation segment corresponds to the services which the holding company provides, management, logistics, and accounting services. The company was founded by Alejandro Grana Garland, Carlos Montero Bernales, and Carlos Grana Elizalde on June 22, 1933 and is headquartered in Lima, Peru.

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China's leader Xi warns against 'Cold War' in Asia-Pacific

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Thursday against letting tensions in the Asia-Pacific region cause a relapse into a Cold War mentality. His remarks on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum came weeks after the U.S., Britain and Australia announced a new security alliance in the region which would see Australia build nuclear submarines.

Read Article1 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust in the last year. There are currently 1 hold rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "hold" SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in SPY, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

View analyst ratings for SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust or view top-rated stocks.iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF's stock was trading at $158.09 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, IWF shares have increased by 91.8% and is now trading at $303.24.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.NISKAYUNA  Proposed changes to Niskayuna's dog barking law have pitted residents pestered by canine noise at a neighboring animal hospital against the owner who protests changes that could shut down the 60-year-old business.

Aqueduct Animal Hospital has been a fixture on Balltown Road since 1957. Veterinarian Dr. Matthew Pike, the owner since 2010, estimates the hospital has served 15,000 families - with up to 20,000 animals - in the last few years alone. The white clapboard building with a couple smaller shelters and a fenced-in backyard boards 17 dogs and 15 in daycare on an average day, Pike said.

Noney and Rob Grier, whose backyard at 9 Schwaber Drive abuts the animal hospital fence, bought their house three years ago. They asked their future neighbor whether the barking was that bad. She said it was okay. They all agreed it's gotten worse since then as the business has expanded.

"It's been extremely tiresome," Noney Grier said. "Weekends are terrible. It's around the clock barking."

Grier, who owns a dog herself, said she doesn't want to sit outside in her backyard and has abandoned plans to invest in a deck because the noise level was so bad.

Current town law fines dog owners if their animals bark continuously for 15 minutes or more and can be heard anywhere beyond the owner's property. If a dog stops for any amount of time, the clock starts over.

Fines are $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second offense and $250 for the third and following offenses. Pike said Niskayuna Police have been called to the animal hospital 11 times but he has never been fined.

But when complaints from neighbors like Grier continued, the town board proposed amendments to the law. Changes would cut the barking time to 10 minutes and fine owners if their dogs barked intermittently over a period of 20 minutes at night and 30 minutes during the day. Town attorney Rob Hess said "intermittently" has yet to be defined and dog owners, not Pike, would be fined.

Pike, who said he has been discussing a solution with the town and neighbors to keep down the noise, now fears the changes will cripple his business.

"The concern is that we lose business and lose money. The fine is five times what we charge for a night of boarding," Pike said. "I'm working on it, but the town decided that trying to fine me for operating my business the same way it's been done for 60 years doesn't make me feel like a valued or welcome part of the community."

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Pike said he spent $20,000 on a planning proposal to expand his parking lot so that dogs wouldn't be provoked by cars to bark and add square footage in the building to house cats separately. He received a letter from the town in March 2018 that his proposed plans would require a deviance from zoning laws. The hospital, which existed before the area was zoned residential, has been grandfathered into current laws but has restrictions on how much it can expand.

Pike met with Noney Grier and Town Supervisor Yasmine Syed in April to discuss solutions. He then researched veterinary medicine to find ways to alleviate animal stress and reduce barking, which he said he implemented with success. Residents said the noise level has gone down this past week  prior to the hearing  although Pike said he hadn't made any changes since May.

Pike said he was shocked to learn about the public hearing on the proposed amendments from a customer and wished the town would have notified him. Town Attorney Rob Hess said the change was discussed at prior meetings as well as posted in town hall and local news.

Niskayuna residents are now picking sides and prepping for Tuesday's hearing at town hall. Loyal customer Morgan Hook, who has been bringing his dogs to the animal hospital for more than 10 years, said he drives out of his way for the services because the staff cared so well for his pets, even choking up when they had to put his previous dog down. Hook said he or his wife plan to show their support for Pike at the public hearing.

The hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Niskayuna Town Hall.SCHENECTADY  Richard W. Harris is hoping the city will take a hard look at some of what he sees as barriers that could be hampering efforts to finally diversify the 126-member fire department.

"You don't want unnecessary requirements in place that discourage people from becoming firefighters and you want to create an environment where we want minorities in the fire department," said the retired New York City fire lieutenant Friday during a discussion at City Hall about a program aimed at boosting the paltry number of minorities currently among Schenectady's ranks.

In Schenectady, a person needs to have at least 60 college credits, be certified as a paramedic, and pass the civil service exam to become a firefighter paramedic.

Ron Gardner, Schenectady's affirmative action officer, said that it could take upwards of two years to complete all those prerequisites, which he said can be challenging.

The requirements are not the same in other fire departments.

"If that's the rules of engagement, we need to go start with these young men coming out of high school and the ones in college and develop that pipe line and prepare them," added Gardner, adding that the goal is not to "dilute" or circumvent the current requirements. "What we have to do is to recruit and prepare folks that this a two-year commitment."

He touted the partnership his office has with community colleges and the organization 100 Black Men of the Albany, New York Capital Region, Inc., where Harris is the president.

Over the years, Schenectady's recruitment campaigns and community outreach to draw more minorities and women to the police and fire departments has met with limited success.

The 126-member Schenectady fire department includes one black male and two Asian-American firefighters, said Gardner. He said the 158-member police force consists of seven black men, one black woman, four Hispanic males, and two officer who did not self-identify their ethnicity or race. Those numbers do not include support and administrative staff.

Matt Anderson, who works as a carpenter for the city, is in school at Hudson Valley Community College trying to obtain the 60 credits and get his paramedic's certification to be considered for a job as a Schenectady firefighter.

The married father of three, who is biracial and also a volunteer firefighter in Niskayuna, said while you need your paramedic's certification, you don't need 60 credits to be a firefighter there.

Harris, who also served as director of programming, planning and administration for the Department of State Office of Fire Prevention and Control in Albany, said the city may want to look at the paramedic requirement.

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"I'm saying that maybe you don't need to be a paramedic when you go on calls, you can be an EMT and then you get in-service training and the department supports that for you to become a paramedic," said Harris.

He contends that it would also be beneficial for minority youngsters with an interest in being a firefighter to have role models that look like them to share their experiences with the teens.

Harris recalled how a landmark discrimination lawsuit filed by a black fraternal order of firefighters against New York City and the FDNY during his tenure forced the department in the 1970s to devise a plan to hire more people of color and women.

As part of that court-ordered mandate, Harris helped out with recruitment, which featured community outreach programs and a tutorial program where instructors provided insight into the civil service exam.

It's Harris' background and experience that Ron Gardner, Schenectady's affirmative action manager, is hoping will help pay dividends in the Electric City.

Public Safety Commissioner Michael Eidens said Friday there is a "real strong willingness to continue those efforts" when it comes to making the department more reflective of the community.

Gardner said in the future he hopes to replicate the program with the police department.Troy

The Rensselaer County Industrial Development Agency will hold a public hearing on Oct. 3 at the East Greenbush Town Hall on plans by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to further expand at its second campus that is currently under construction on Tempel Lane.

The hearing will take place at 6 p.m. that day.

Regeneron employs 2,600 people, most of them at its drug manufacturing campus on Discovery Drive next to the University at Albany's Health Sciences Campus.

The second campus is being built on Tempel Lane, a road parallel to I-90 and just a few miles away from its current campus.

Regeneron has already built a 211,600-square-foot warehouse at Tempel Lane, and the IDA's public hearing will focus on construction of a second two-story, 346,110-square-foot building that will be used for manufacturing.

The two buildings would be the initial phases of the full $800 million build-out of the campus, which Regeneron is planning to staff with 1,500 people eventually.

New York state is offering the company $140 million in incentives for the project, which eventually could reach nearly 800,000 square feet of buildings when completed.

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Regeneron, which is based in Tarrytown, has several successful drugs on the market and does all of its U.S. manufacturing in East Greenbush, which is why the company has so many employees locally. Salaries range from $40,000 to $65,000 for production jobs and to more than $100,000 for scientists.

Regeneron also does manufacturing in Ireland, and economic development officials here in New York and Rensselaer County have been working to ensure the company has the incentives to expand locally before looking abroad.ALBANY  John Liu, best known for his former role as New York City comptroller, is poised to become New York's first Asian-American state senator.

It is something of a comeback for the trailblazing ex-city councilman, who ran for New York City mayor in 2013 and came in fourth place in that crowded Democratic primary after his campaign faced a fundraising scandal.

Liu is accustomed to being the first, having already made history as the City's first Asian-American Council member in 2002 and the first in his ethnic group to hold a citywide office, but he shrugs off the distinction.

"Yes, I'm the first Asian American, but as I often say, I wish I were the ninth or 10th," Liu said. "I mean, for goodness sake, it's 2018."

Liu unseated Sen. Tony Avella, of the now-defunct Independent Democratic Conference, in the September 13 primary, in a campaign fueled by the anti-IDC movement that took down six of the eight former breakaway Democrats. As the Democratic nominee, he must still take on Republican nominee Vickie Paladino in the overwhelmingly Democratic Queens district in November, but Liu said he is already undertaking his first battle: finding a caucus.

"When you are Asian American in government, even in 2018, you just have to build coalitions to get anything done," Liu said. "You are in the minority of minorities."

While caucuses have no formal power, the ability to vote as a block carries weight. Currently, there is a joint legislative Conference Of Black Senators, a Women's Caucus, the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus, and each chamber has its own Latino caucus/task force.

Liu, always the jokester, said he has already chatted with Sen. Gustavo Rivera, D-Bronx, about possibly joining the Latino Caucus.

"His reaction was a polite 'hm.'" Liu said, laughing.

Liu's quirky sense of humor sometimes makes it hard to tell how seriously he takes caucus membership. When "Asian" was added to the City Council minority caucus name to accommodate Liu, he said he petitioned to have the words listed alphabetically.

"It should really be the Asian, Black and Latino Caucus, right?" His idea to put Asians first didn't pick up any support, he said.

Liu was born in Taiwan and moved to Queens as a child. He had a very successful career in City politics before becoming a municipal finance professor at Baruch College and Columbia University. He had previously challenged Avella for the 11th Senate district seat in 2014, but lost in the primary by 800 votes.

Liu's move to state government is significant as it may give Asians the critical mass needed in Albany to influence the policy agenda. New York's 1.8 million Asian-American population, while making up almost 10 percent of the state's residents, have long been underrepresented in government.

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Ron Kim, a Korean American from Flushing, Queens, knows this well, having succeeded former Assemblywoman and now-Rep. Grace Meng in 2013. Meng's father, Jimmy Meng, was elected to the same seat in 2004, becoming the first Asian-American member ever to serve in the Legislature.

Kim said joining the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian caucus has been the most effective way to have a voice in Albany.

"That's the largest caucus in Albany and it holds the most influence and clout," Kim said. "Finally we can have these conversations where minorities and ethnic groups are not pitted against each other, but can work together to make sure we all get a bigger piece of the pie."

In 2017, the caucus of one grew to two. Kim and Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, who was elected to the lower Manhattan Assembly seat previously held my ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in 2016, formed the Asian Pacific American Task Force last year. They were granted an annual budget of $40,00 for staff and research on issues impacting Asian-American communities, though it may take a few years to get off the ground.

"Now that we would have another member on the Senate side, I believe we qualify to have a caucus," Kim said. "It is still semantics at this point, but it is symbolic to have Asian Americans on both sides of the house."

Liu's primary win, he said, "is encouraging not just for Asian Americans, but all immigrants... hopefully it will signal to members of South Asian communities and Muslim communities communities that they too can run for office."

Caucus or not, Liu says he has a few more ideas for building coalitions with fellow legislators. He received his pilot licence two years ago and plans to avoid the traffic and fly from New York City to Albany for weekly legislative sessions if elected this fall. Several of his likely future colleagues have already asked him for a lift, Liu said.

"Hey, if a plane ride can gain co-sponsorship on an important bill, why not?" he said.An Albany man was sentenced to eight years in state prison on Monday after pleading guilty to possession of a weapon earlier this year.

Joseph Farmer, 40, was also sentenced to five years of post-release supervision, according to the Albany County District Attorneys office.Will Waldron

ALBANY - The city wants residents and visitors to provide input on a master plan design for Lincoln Park.

Albany will be hosting a design input meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9 at Hackett Middle School, which will allow residents, visitors and community organizations to learn about the original design intent of the park, take part in shaping its future, and help prioritize projects and initiatives within Lincoln Park.Bridgewater, N.J.

President Donald Trump is poised to redouble his commitment to "America First" on the most global of stages this week.

In the sequel to his stormy U.N. debut, Trump will stress his dedication to the primacy of U.S. interests while competing with Western allies for an advantage on trade and shining a spotlight on the threat that he says Iran poses to the Middle East and beyond.

One year after Trump stood at the rostrum of the U.N. General Assembly and derided North Korea's Kim Jong Un as "Rocket Man," the push to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula is a work in progress, although fears of war have given way to hopes for rapprochement.

Scores of world leaders, even those representing America's closest friends, remain wary of Trump. In the 12 months since his last visit to the U.N., the president has jolted the global status quo by pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, starting trade conflicts with China and the West and embracing Russia's Vladimir Putin even as the investigation into the U.S. president's ties to Moscow moves closer to the Oval Office.

Long critical of the United Nations, Trump delivered a warning shot ahead of his arrival by declaring that the world body had "not lived up to" its potential. "It's always been surprising to me that more things aren't resolved," Trump said in a weekend video message, "because you have all of these countries getting together in one location but it doesn't seem to get there. I think it will."

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If there is a throughline to the still-evolving Trump doctrine on foreign policy, it is that the president will not subordinate American interests on the world stage, whether for economic, military or political gain.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters in a preview of Trump's visit, that the president's focus "will be very much on the United States," its role and the relations it wants to build.

"He is looking forward to talking about foreign policy successes the United States has had over the past year and where we're going to go from here," she said. "He wants to talk about protecting U.S. sovereignty," while building relationships with nations that "share those values."3 1 of 3 Albany Police Department Facebook Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Albany Police Department Facebook Show More Show Less 3 of 3





ALBANY  The Albany police officer who was accused of assault after a late-night incident inside a Nashville bar had his charge dismissed earlier this month, according to court records.

Officer Matthew Seeber, 29, had been charged with misdemeanor assault after an incident at Tequila Cowboy, located at 305 Broadway in Nashville, Tenn. Court records show the charge was dismissed on Sept. 10.NISKAYUNA  Ralph F. Boyd Sr. told people that his life had been shaped by what happened to him in the mountains of northern Italy in 1945. He had just lost several of his comrades in the all-black 366th Infantry Regiment to an aerial attack, and Boyd feared he'd be next.

So the staff sergeant began praying: "God, if you ever send me home alive, I will serve humanity."

It was a promise he kept after he returned from war. Boyd, who died Saturday at 99, helped start the city's chapter of the NAACP, founded a Scotia retirement home, and raised a son who went on to lead the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Justice Department.

City Council member Marion Porterfield said Boyd died after suffering injuries in a fall.

As he had promised, Boyd's life was marked by dedication to his church and involvement with various community groups.

"It's a joy every day I wake up doing something for someone across all racial lines, and I put that into practice every day," Boyd said in a 2006 Times Union interview. He credited his parents for his volunteerism and work ethic.

Born in Norfolk, Va., and raised in Baltimore, Boyd came to the Capital Region after World War II  where he served as an armament specialist in the Army  to work at the Grand Union Hotel in Saratoga Springs during the summers of 1946 and 1947.

"I liked it, and was at peace," he said of his attraction to upstate New York.

He waited tables at hotels during the summer track season, later becoming one of the "first wave" of African-American men hired in the late 1940s at General Electric in Schenectady, where Boyd spent his entire working life  first as a crane follower, and later as a senior supervisor in turbine manufacturing.

In June 1950, he married Catherine Cox, whom he met at Friendship Baptist Church. Boyd and his wife moved to Niskayuna in 1956. He retired in the early 1980s.

In addition to his role as a founding member of the local chapter of the NAACP  where he held several posts  was also helped found Scotia's Baptist Retirement Center, now called Baptist Health.

His son, Ralph F. Boyd Jr., said Monday that one word leapt out more than any other when he spoke about his father.

"There are probably more people who know what 'loquacious' means because of my father because I think I described him as loquacious so many times," the son said. "My dad was an extrovert among extroverts who literally never saw another human being he didn't want to talk to for hours."

Walter Simpkins, a family friend, said Boyd was a role model who would often impart his tremendous wealth of knowledge to young fathers in Community Fathers, Inc., a nonprofit organization devoted to helping men deal with the challenges of fatherhood.

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"He was forever talking about the philosophies of life, and what it takes to live a good life and be a good man," said Simpkins, noting Boyd was a regular at the Thursday support group sessions. "I think that his spirituality and his belief in God really was the moving and motivating force."

Boyd took an active role in civil rights matters in Schenectady. Even in his 70s and 80s, he prompted discussions and planned rallies at a time when the FBI was investigating the city's police department for corruption. Four officers were eventually sent to federal prison, and the Justice Department's Civil Rights division opened an investigation of the force.

Ralph Boyd Jr. led the department at the time  but eventually recused himself because of his close ties to the region.

The civil rights division eventually released a scathing preliminary report about the department's treatment of minorities, but the investigation ended without the completion of a final report.

Boyd's son, now 61, has held several high-profile federal posts, including heading the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division during the early years of President George W. Bush's tenure in the White House. In 2006, he was named executive vice president and chairman of community relations for Freddie Mac, a government-chartered corporation that works to expand opportunities for home ownership and affordable rental housing.

Boyd's son said that as his father got older, he spoke more openly about his time in the service and started proudly regularly wearing a medal he received from the state Senate. At a restaurant or other outing, it was not uncommon for the older man to wander away and strike up a conversation with strangers  the medal around his neck serving as a conversation piece.

"Very often, I would go out and laughingly go to quote-unquote rescue people  and invariably people would wave me off and say, 'Get outta here  we're enjoying him,'" Boyd's son said.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.A ban on tobacco sales in Albany County pharmacies will take effect at midnight Monday.

The ban on the sale of tobacco and nicotine-based products in drug stores as well as places that contain pharmacies was approved in Albany County earlier this year.

Some 33 retailers in the county will be affected, including Rite Aid, Price Chopper, Hannaford, ShopRite, Walgreens and Walmart.

To learn more about the law, click here.ROTTERDAM  A home on Mariaville Road was damaged by a fire Monday morning.

No one was hurt in the blaze at at a home near the corner of Burdeck Street but a cat needed medical care. Rescuers performed resuscitation and the animal survived.

South Schenectady Fire Chief Michael France said no one was home when the fire started but two cats and two dogs were rescued.

France said firefighters also removed rifles from the burning building as a safety precaution.

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The fire was reported at about 10 a.m. It appears to have started in or near the kitchen.

France said Schenectady County fire officials will help investigate the fire but it appears to have started accidentally.WASHINGTON  Judge Brett Kavanaugh has calendars from the summer of 1982 that he plans to hand over to the Senate Judiciary Committee that do not show a party consistent with the description of his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, according to someone working for his confirmation.

More for you Sexual assault survivors see Kavanaugh accuser's case through personal lens

The calendars do not disprove Blaseys allegations, Kavanaughs team acknowledged. He could have attended a party that he did not list. But his team will argue to the senators that the calendars provide no corroboration for her account of a small gathering at a house where he allegedly pinned her to a bed and tried to remove her clothing.State Police said the man killed in a two-car crash Sunday morning in Schroon was a suspect in an armed robbery in Keeseville.

Troopers tried to stop Desmond J. Clark, 28, of Plattsburgh as he drove south on Interstate 87 in a Pontiac G6.NORTH GREENBUSH  The town's building coordinator, who also owns a private construction company, is proposing to build his largest subdivision in town yet  despite continued ethical questions raised about his dual jobs.

Michael Miner has applied to have 53 acres between North and Buckbee roads subdivided into 15 large lots; a public hearing on the subdivision is scheduled for Oct. 1.

Miner told the Times Union late last week he has sought to remove any appearance of conflict by parsing out the tasks he normally does for applicants like taking out public notices for the hearing and computing the building department's application fee  to the planning board chairman and town comptroller.

But Miner's building proposal comes at a tumultuous time for North Greenbush, as the State Police are investigating various questionable actions of Town Supervisor Louis J. Desso since the supervisor took office in 2016.

The town board passed a resolution at a meeting late last week urging the North Greenbush ethics board to meet to consider a request for an advisory opinion on Miner's dual jobs that was submitted by lone Democratic town board member Mary Frances Sabo in May.

The three-member ethics board had yet to meet this year, and was stymied by a minor controversy after it was revealed that none of the members had signed the town's oath book after being appointed at the town's January organizational meeting.

Miner's dual jobs were highlighted in a May 6 Times Union story about various conflicts and challenges facing code enforcement officials in municipalities throughout the Capital Region.

Miner has said he'll do whatever town officials want, and has offered to pay for outside inspectors to handle his properties. While Miner has had a construction firm since he was first hired as North Greenbush building coordinator in 1999, he said he hadn't gotten into home construction in town until the last few years. The town board has yet to sign any agreements with outside municipalities to look over Miner's construction work.

Sabo has questioned if such an active builder can be the town's head building inspector at all. But Miner says he remains confident he can keep his dual jobs separate.

"This is an opportunity for me, and I'm going to go ahead," Miner told the Times Union late last week about his most recent subdivision proposal.

"I'm not asking the town to rezone, I'm not asking for a reuse," Miner said. "That's where I think a question would come in. Anyone has the right to divide their property and meet the town code."

Miner has an option to purchase the property that is currently made up of dense woods off of North Road. The northern side of North Road is already being heavily developed by Hodorowski Homes.

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Miner has had no accusations of specific unethical behavior levied against him. But he has been intertwined in some of the supervisor's biggest controversies  such as having to address recent concerns levied by Rensselaer County about why the town had not reported certain sewer connections to the county, which provides the sewer treatment service and billing, in at least a year.

Miner has also had to answer questions on behalf of Desso about a sewer line extension to Desso's Stephen Drive home that fellow board members approved last year. The circumstances surrounding that extension, which also had not been reported to the county for billing, are one of the matters State Police are looking at.

The Times Union also reported last week that Desso wrote a $1,850 check for his sewer extension fee in August  17 months after the town first approved the extension.

Miner issues bills for planning board actions and permit fees. But a sewer extension is approved by the town board  actions that were previously handled by an engineer who no longer works for the town, Miner said.

Miner said he didn't realize Desso hadn't paid the fee until the town received a Freedom of Information request last month to see the payment and one could not be found. Desso's wife wrote a check for the amount shortly thereafter, Miner said.

Miner acknowledged that as the town's supervisor Desso should have known he had to pay the fee. But he told the Times Union he believes Desso's non-payment was an oversight.

"I'm sure (Desso) just got busy with a thousand other things and didn't think of it again," Miner said. "Unfortunately, in that position, you can't do that."ALBANY  The Glens Falls Housing Authority approved Julianne White for an apartment.

Her request for an emotional support animal received a different response: No dogs allowed.

White, 76, had called several attorneys to no avail until her plight reached the attention of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York. There, staff attorney Brenna K. Sharp mailed a letter to the housing authority explaining its policy violated state and federal law. The policy is now no more.

On Monday, White -- joined by Fiona, her 11-year-old long-haired chihuahua -- told her story at the Court of Appeals to a panel chaired by Chief Judge Janet DiFiore. The judge held the latest of what is now an annual Statewide Hearing on Civil Legal Services.

"The result we got was far above what I expected," White told the panel. "I would not have had the same result without Legal Aid's assistance."

White was one of 15 witnesses to testify. The issue of civil legal services for the poor, the signature issue for former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, remains a major focal point under DiFiore. The chief judges have in recent years held hearings in which witnesses have testified about the plight of low-income New Yorkers facing legal issues such as domestic violence, eviction, credit card disputes and child-support problems.

DiFiore included $100 million in the state court system's budget for civil legal services for the poor.

White explained her story as follows:

In 2014, the housing authority approved White, who lives on a fixed income, for an apartment. The next year White, who suffers from anxiety and depression, lost her best friend  her ex-husband Bob. She started going to counseling but her symptoms persisted. A doctor and counselor recommended an emotional support animal. White's spirits improved as she looked forward to getting a small dog.

The local housing authority denied her request, saying it does not allow dogs in any of its 300 apartments in four buildings. White's apartment was in Hudson Falls. The authority offered to put her name on a waiting list for one of three buildings that allow pets.

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Frustrated, White called private attorneys, none of which knew about emotional support animals. At the time, White was already working with Teresa DePaul, a Legal Aid paralegal on an application for food assistance and with Rose Landau, a Legal Aid attorney, on drafting a will and dealing with healthcare issues. They referred her to Sharp who, in turn, wrote the letter to the authority and filed the complaint with the state's Division of Human Rights and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In January, the Division of Human Rights found probable cause to believe the housing authority may have engaged in unlawful discrimination by refusing to allow White the emotional support animal for her disability. White has since moved to Warrensburg, but is allowed to return to the housing authority's buildings at any time with Fiona or another service animal.

Posters in the buildings now ensure all tenants and applicants can see the new rules.

"There are over 300 people who rent from the housing authority and all of them now see their rights clearly posted," White told the panel.

The panel included DiFiore, state Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks; the state's four presiding justices of the Appellate Divisions of state Supreme Court (Elizabeth Garry of the Albany-based Third Department; Rolando Acosta of the First Department in Manhattan; Alan Scheinkman of the Brooklyn-based Second Department; and Gerald Whalen the Rochester-based Fourth Department) and the state's bar association president, Michael Miller.[September 23, 2018] Wharton Research Data Services Launches Advanced Research Scholar Program - Offering Onsite Education Program for Global Researchers

Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS), the leading business intelligence, data analytics, and research platform for corporate, academic and government institutions worldwide, is pleased to announce the launch of the WRDS Advanced Research Scholar Program. The new program is designed for international scholars who are interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of empirical research practices and insight into the latest innovations in academic research. A part of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, WRDS provides global corporations, universities and regulatory agencies the thought leadership, data access and insights needed to enable impactful research. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180923005001/en/ Dr. Donald Keim with participants from the 2018 WRDS Advanced Research Scholar Program (Photo: Business Wire) The WRDS Advanced Research Scholar Program provides an opportunity for Faculty and Ph.D.-level scholars to explore efficient and accurate ways of handling big data and foster interaction between scholars working in various fields. This first of its kind program was hosted at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania August 19-23 and led by WRDS Research Directors, Wharton faculty, and guest speakers. The inaugural program's participants were selected following researcher paper submissions from 22 leading academic institutions in China. During the Program, WRDS awarded two best paper prizes - Why Do Mutual Funds Hold Lottery Stocks, Lei Jiang (Tsinghua University) and Job Security and Earnings Management, Di Li (Peking Univerity, HSBC Business School). The winners presented their research during a special session.



"We are delighted to announce this new initiative," said Robert Zarazowski, Managing Director of WRDS. "With our vast presence in China, we are pleased to welcome the first Advanced Research Scholar Program researchers from that region. Bringing Faculty and PhD students together to deepen their understanding of data, analytics, and research trends sparks unique opportunities for impact-driven collaborative research." Read more here about the WRDS Advanced Research Scholar Program.

ABOUT WRDS Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) provides the leading business intelligence, data analytics, and research platform to global institutions ? enabling comprehensive thought leadership, historical analysis, and insight into the latest innovations in academic research. WRDS provides researchers with one location to access over 350 terabytes of data across multiple disciplines including Accounting, Banking, Economics, ESG, Finance, Healthcare, Insurance, Marketing, and Statistics. Flexible data delivery options include a powerful web query method that reduces research time, the WRDS Cloud for executing research and strategy development, and the WRDS client server using PCSAS, Matlab, R and more. Our rigorous data review and validation give users the confidence to tailor research and create a wide range of reliable data models. WRDS unique array of Services offer access to a suite of analytics developed by our doctoral-level research team, tutorials, research support, and Classroom by WRDS -- a teaching and learning toolkit designed to introduce business concepts in the classroom. The WRDS Experience is more than just a data platform. WRDS is a leader in impactful research. Through a partnership with SSRN, WRDS is elevating the visibility of universities and researchers working across an array of fields. The WRDS Research Paper Series is a searchable repository of all papers submitted to SSRN that cite WRDS in their work. In addition, the two organizations have launched the WRDS-SSRN Innovation Award to honor emerging business schools in North America, Asia-Pacific, and EMEA. An award-winning data research platform for 50,000+ commercial, academic, and government users in 35+ countries, WRDS is the global gold standard in data management and research ? all backed by the credibility and leadership of the Wharton School. About the Wharton School Founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. With a broad global community and one of the most published business school faculties, Wharton creates economic and social value around the world. The School has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 9,000 participants in executive education programs annually and a powerful alumni network of 96,000 graduates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180923005001/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 23, 2018] Digital Oasis' Cutting-Edge Audio & Voice AI Systems to be showcased during the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair from October 13-16, 2018

HONG KONG, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The first smart homes purely existed as ideas, not physical structures. The world of science fiction has provided a glimpse into the endless possibilities that these homes could bring for decades, with futuristic inventions designed to provide homeowners comfort, security and convenience at a single touch. However, despite these idealistic scenarios, is that enough? Stephen Lam, founder and CEO of Digital Oasis, goes one step further. Digital Oasis, a Hong Kong-based company specialising in the design and manufacture of innovative electronic gadgets, is setting a radical industry precedent in its interpretation of high-tech products. Exploring the contrasting interactions between humanity and machines, art and technology, the company strives to bring both modern technology and aesthetic pleasures right into your living room. The company will participate in the Startup zone of the upcoming HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition), which will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 13-16 October 2018, to showcase their latest innovations and meet with potential investors and buyers. VisualSonic - An Artwork Speaker Weighing in at a mere 2kg with slender width proportions of 30mm, VisualSonic is the world's thinnest music device, blending contemporary appeal with the latest digital sound technology to create stunning wall pieces boasting impressive high-fidelity sound quality. Packed within its petite frame is a patented resonance panel speaker, which uses True Wireless Stereo Bluetooth technology that enables users to enjoy stereo audio from two synchronised speaker units simultaneously. More than just a standard wall piece, its eye-catching designs are the result of a collection of thoughtfully-crafted creative works by artists around the world. Geaed towards the Japanese aesthetic, the Ultraman Neos-themed VisualSonic is one of the many pieces that has received massive acclaim. Corresponding with the local environment, other similar themes draw inspiration from cultural elements in Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Europe.



VisualSonic's current breakthrough as a revolutionary home speaker in the aural and visual aspects are only the tip of the iceberg. According to Lam, the company intends to further introduce an advanced voice assistant system that features full compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri, with AI versions paired with enhanced voice service engines in the pipeline. Through smart learning, these adaptive AI devices will seek to familiarise itself with the user's preferences, fostering an intuitive environment by creating entirely personalised recommendations. VoiceMojo - A Wearable Voice AI

A flagship product of Digital Oasis, VoiceMojo is a wearable voice-activated AI device specially designed to improve work and study efficiencies, enhance peer-to-peer communication and elevate the overall quality of daily living. Using the Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Natural Language Understanding (NLU) and Text-to-Speech (TTS) technologies, VoiceMojo is able to automatically detect most forms of spoken languages and generate request responses in real-time. Aside from being a virtual assistant, the device features multiple functions, including voice writing and multilingual translations in over 32 languages, up to a potential 100 types. Accelerated Market Exposure at the HKTDC Fair One of the best tools for expanding market reach and product exposure, aside from digital marketing campaigns, are trade exhibitions. At the Hong Kong Electronics Fair organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) in April this year, the unique products from Digital Oasis caught the attention of many visitors, attracting both local and foreign investors and buyers from the Chinese mainland, Japan, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan and the UK. HKTDC has also launched a programme specially targeted at achieving greater public awareness towards start-ups. Named as Start-Up Express, its marketing initiatives include the organising of manifold consumer expos which offer start-ups exclusive networking and advertising opportunities to connect, grow and attract potential stakeholders. "The HKTDC fair also introduced Digital Oasis to the media," said Lam, with regards to the company's fast-growing media popularity boosted through HKTDC's pre-fair press conference, media breakfast meeting and several publicity outreach projects. Set to attend the upcoming Hong Kong Electronics Fair again this October with the unveiling of exciting new product offerings and novel technological concepts, Lam also commented, "In the developmental process of transforming Hong Kong into a smart city, Digital Oasis is proud to be chosen as part of it." Visit HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) to explore more start-up innovations and business opportunities. Date: 13-16 October 2018 (Sat - Tue)

Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Register for free buyer's admission badge now:

http://fair.hktdc.com:9280/tdc/efae_en/index.jsp?spot=K153 Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180921/2244942-1-a

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180921/2244942-1-b SOURCE Digital Oasis

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Barefoot Networks Teams Up with Western Digital and Universita della Svizzera italiana to Showcase In-Network Consensus for Use with Storage Class Memory and P4

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- P4 European Workshop At the P4 European Workshop (P4EU 2018), Barefoot Networks and researchers from Western Digital and Universita della Svizzera italiana (USI) , with support from Xilinx and STORDIS , will today present a new breakthrough for providing in-network high-performance fault tolerance for Storage Class Memory (SCM) access using the P4 programming language. The demonstration uses a P4 program implementation developed by Western Digital and USI using Barefoots 6.5Tb/s Tofino switch ASIC.

In-Network Consensus for Storage Class Memory



Programmable forwarding plane technology is enabling network owners to create and deliver value by accelerating application performance. One of the ways this is achieved is by offloading network functions that are run on servers or appliances onto switches. In addition to performing all standard switch and router functionality with higher efficiency and scale, P4-programmable forwarding planes enable Computational Networking use-cases that are not possible with fixed-function switching silicon, giving users the ability to create simple and scalable packet processing pipelines that meet their unique needs. The richness of the open P4 ecosystemwith a high-performance, networking domain-specific processor, such as Barefoot Tofinoempowers network owners, operators and application developers to create new functions and features at the forwarding plane-level to extract more value out of the network. "The usage of new, emerging memories, such as persistent memory, offer huge possibilities to address the increasing diversity of Big Data and Fast Data applications and workloads proliferating in our data-centric world, said Dejan Vucinic, Director, R&D Engineering, Non-Volatile Memory Systems Architecture Group at Western Digital. However, they require purpose-built system architectures to take full advantage of their speeds in the fae of their finite endurance. This breakthrough illustrates new potential for independent scaling of compute and main memory well beyond the practical limits of today's prevailing architectures."



While most people think of Tofino and P4 as being for networking, this project shows an exciting use-case for storage systems, said Robert Soule, Professor, Faculty of Informatics at Universita della Svizzera italiana and Research Scientist at Barefoot Networks. For 20 years, researchers have been trying to improve the performance of consensus protocols. We have been able to achieve five orders of magnitude improvements in throughput by moving these computations into the network. It opens up a whole new way to think about distributed storage. Once again the versatility of Barefoot Tofino and P4 is demonstrated in their ability realize unique functions in the network, this time for distributed storage applications, said Alexander Jeffries, CEO of STORDIS. Our expertise in open source networking is helping our Tofino-based switches to be the platforms of choice for delivering innovation in networking by both the industry and academia.

When you create technology that is truly open and end-user programmable without compromise on performance and price, the possibilities are boundless, said Prem Jonnalagadda, Director, Product Management at Barefoot Networks. The ability to run consensus protocols directly in the switch forwarding plane using P4 and Tofino creates significant benefits to the shared storage environments, delivering the best end-to-end system and application performance. In a testament to the agility of P4-programmable forwarding planes, the live demonstration shows the use of a Barefoot Tofino-powered switch running a variation of a classic consensus protocol by Attiya, Bar-Noy, and Dolev (ABD), adapted for use with SCM. The project allows users to keep replicated copies of remote, non-volatile memory consistent, while also ensuring low latency access times. This is an important step towards replacing the traditional memory hierarchy with a cost-effective, uniform type of memory/storage that is resistant to failures. The demo runs on the STORDIS BF6064X, a 64-port 100GB bare-metal switch powered by a 6.5Tb/s capacity Tofino ASIC. To simulate the memory endpoints, the demo uses Xilinx NetFPGA-SUME Development Boards. The project team consisted of Vucinic, Marjan Radi, and Yang Liu from Western Digital, and Prof. Soule, Prof. Fernando Pedone, and Huynh Tu Dang from the Systems Institute of USI, and Jaco Hofmann from Technische Universitat Darmstadt. They will present the paper at P4EU 2018 on Sept. 24: 1st P4 European Workshop (P4EU 2018) . For further details on project, visit: New Breakthrough Main Memory Scale-ou t .

The full paper can be found at: Consensus for Non-Volatile Main Memory . P4EU 2018 is the first P4 Language Consortium event in Europe. It aims to bring together P4 and P4->NetFPGA researchers from Europe and around the world to foster the growth of the P4 Community. P4EU, which will run as a workshop held in conjunction with the 26th IEEE International Conference on Network Protocols (ICNP) , aims to enable researchers to publish early stage work and small scale projects. About Barefoot Networks

Barefoot Networks launched in 2016 after two years of developing technology that built switch silicon with a forwarding plane that is defined in software while not compromising on performance. Barefoot empowers network owners and their infrastructure partners to design, optimize, and innovate to meet their specific requirements and gain competitive advantage. In combining the P4 programming language with fast programmable switches, Barefoot has also created an ecosystem for compilers, tools, and P4 programs to make P4 accessible to anybody. Backed by Google Inc., Goldman Sachs Principal Strategic Investments, Alibaba, Tencent, and by premier venture capital firms Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Andreessen Horowitz, Barefoot Networks is headquartered in Silicon Valley. For more information, visit https://barefootnetworks.com/ . Follow us on Twitter: @barefootnetwork . Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barefootnetworks . Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/barefoot-networks . Barefoot Networks, the Foot Logo, Tofino are trademarks of Barefoot Networks. Western Digital, and the Western Digital logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners.



MEDIA CONTACTS:

For Barefoot Networks:

Alison Flood

barefoot@10fold.com

415-317-4089 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5d5bde48-1df8-4ff9-ba52-07e2b205144c.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Prima Solutions Expands Product Offering and Geographical Reach Through the Acquisition of ICOD Inc.

As part of its continuing growth strategy, Prima Solutions (Prima), the premier software platform for Property and Casualty insurers, has agreed to acquire ICOD Inc. (ICOD), the Canadian provider of software solutions for Life and Health insurance. Recognized as an established leader with its SN Assurance suite, ICOD offers a best-in class solution deliverable in SaaS (News - Alert) or on premise. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005019/en/ The transaction, which closed on September 20th, accelerates Prima's expansion into the Life and Health insurance market which is still largely using legacy technologies. The ICOD acquisition offers many synergies including: complementing Prima's existing product offering, diversifying its customer base and expanding the platform for rapid growth in both Europe and North America. Hugues Delannoy, Chairman of Prima Solutions, said: "This acquisition provides a unique opportunity to accelerate our growth strategy and gain scale both in France and internationally. The transaction offers immediate synergies and reinforces our plan to diversify our product offering to take advantage of the fast growing demand in the Life and Health insurance segment for a modern scalable platform."



Pascal Gosset, Founding President of ICOD Inc., added: "Having already worked closely together with Prima on several occasions, our shared vision has led us to join forces to position ourselves as one of the strategic technology providers in the Property and Casualty and the Life and Health insurance markets. The combination of both organizations will allow clients continue to benefit from the same high level of quality service and expertise while also gaining access to increased product offerings through a single software provider". About Prima Solutions

Prima Solutions provides Property and Casualty insurers the cutting-edge Prima Insure software platform to increase agility and become a leader in insurance innovation. 100 percent web enabled, modular, multilingual and delivered via SaaS mode, Prima Insure addresses the entire life cycle of an insurance policy: distribution; underwriting; contract; claims, financial management and predictive analytics. More than 67 Property and Casualty insurers have already chosen to innovate with Prima Insure. Prima Solutions is a member of ACORD.

Web www.prima-solutions.com | Twitter (News - Alert) https://twitter.com/Prima_Solutions

About ICOD

Founded in 2000 in Montreal ICOD delivers the software platform Life and Health insurers need to gain in agility and efficiency in a highly competitive market. Full web, modular, multilingual and available in SaaS mode, ICOD's software platform addresses the whole life cycle of an insurance policy: distribution; underwriting; contract management; claims and financial management. More than 10 Life and Health insurers have selected ICOD's software platform to manage their activities end-to-end. ICOD employs 55 professionals worldwide, and its employees will become part of the Prima Solutions group in the context of this transaction. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005019/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Ping An Unveils AI Technology at International Maritime Silk Road Forum

-- Empowers Smart City and Healthcare HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The second 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Forum on International Communication was held in Zhuhai in 19-21 September. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister of France and Thomas J. Sargent, the 2011 Nobel Prize winner for Economics delivered keynote speeches at the main forum. As a leading company in the Guangdong Province, Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An" or "the Group", HKEx: 2318; SSE: 601318) was invited to attend the forum to demonstrate its core technology and latest technological achievements. Ping An Smart City, a technology subsidiary of Ping An, showcased its "Panoramic Smart City Interactive System" which enables a better understanding of the pulse of a city during the forum. Ping An Good Doctor unveiled its "One-Minute Clinic" which integrates intelligent doctor consultation and medicine purchasing. The two key technology products have attracted the attention of government officials, guests and international media. In the afternoon of the 19 September, Ma Xingrui, Deputy Secretary of Guangdong Provincial Committee and Governor of Guangdong Province, Shen Haixiong, Vice Minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China and President of the China Media Group, Guo Yonghang, Secretary of Zhuhai Municipal Committee and other government officials visited Ping An's booth to experience the "Panoramic Smart City Interactive System". The "Panoramic Smart City Interactive System" combines urban 3D scenarios with big data panels. Through gesture-based interactions, the system displays urban operations from various aspects such as economy, real estate, population, environmental protection, government affairs, transportation, medical and education etc. The system reveals the display logic of detailed data panels based on key indicators (with 3D effect). It is also able to interpret changes through data, predict trends through analysis, show diversified effects through visualization technology, and enhance the sense of substitution and operability through somatosensory interactions. It aims to create a clear, intuitive, three-dimensional and exquisite panoramic scene of a city. This 3D panoramic scene could reflect the current situation of urban development, key focus and future development trend of a city, so as to enhance the efficiency of the government and provide technology-related reference data for the government.





The "One-Minute Clinic" is an offline extension of the app of Ping An Good Doctor. It combines the most advanced Artificial intelligence ("AI") technology in China with its in-house medical team, which has more than 1,200 full-time medical personnel. It also stores 100 stock keeping units ("SKU") of common drugs, meeting the needs of most patients. The smart outlets integrate doctor consultation, pharmacy and purchasing medicine in one, solving the problem of patients travelling at least three kilometers to purchase medicine. Among which, the One-Minute Clinic is composed of two parts: smart medicine cabinet and AI consultation room. The smart medicine cabinet serves as a vending medicine. Using speech recognition technology, it also serves as a smart medical consultation device. The AI consultation room provides online consultation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The AI consultation room has been designed to ensure privacy for users, and it is free from outside interference. To further enhance the Group's technological and innovation capabilities, Ping An has established two technology innovation centres and recruited hundreds of innovators in the east and west coasts of the US since 2017. Its technological innovation team has been expanded to approximately 24,000 members year-to-date. Eyeing on the world's leading financial and healthcare technologies, the Group has also launched the "Ping An Global Voyager Fund". The fund seeks to invest in innovative technology companies that could bring the world's best-in-class financial and healthcare technologies and generate strategies for the Group, and introduce their products and services to China. In recent years, many technologies developed by the Group have been widely recognized by countries and regions along the "Maritime Silk Road". In August, the Group jointly cooperated with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to build an international trade financing platform based on blockchain technology. This project marked the recognition of Ping An's blockchain technology by its international partner, and also represented the opening up of the Group's overseas market for technology export. Ping An has invested more than RMB50 billion in technological R&D in the past decade. Its patent application has risen to 6,121 year-to-date. Capitalizing on its four core technologies namely smart recognition, AI, blockchain and cloud computing, Ping An expanded its application scenarios with an aim to improve cost efficiency, enhance risk management, create excellent customer experience, strengthen competitiveness, export technologies and services, accelerate technology commercialization and promote the industry's technology standard. At present, Ping An has widely applied its core technologies to support the Group's five ecosystems of financial services, health care, auto services, real estate services and smart city services. It has also successfully incubated four unicorns including Lufax, Ping An Good Doctor, OneConnect and Ping An Healthcare Technology. Adhering to the government's "Belt and Road" initiative and the Group's "finance + technology" strategic guidance, Ping An will seek to strengthen cooperation with the Belt and Road countries and enhance its competitiveness by vigorously introduce innovative technologies. At the same time, the Group will further enhance its innovation and R&D capabilities, and leverage its four core technologies to contribute to the country and society by servicing the government's Belt and Road infrastructure. About Ping An Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An") is a world-leading technology-powered personal financial services group. With 170 million customers and 459 million Internet users, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Under its 'pan financial assets' strategy the company offers customers insurance, banking and asset management through its 'finance + technology' platform. Under its 'pan healthcare' strategy the company uses a 'finance + ecosystem' platform to offer Internet users five ecosystems, covering financial services, healthcare, auto services, real estate services and Smart City services. Ping An is committed to investing in innovative technologies in fintech, AI and cloud to provide customers and Internet users with innovative and simple products and services. As China's first joint stock insurance company, Ping An Group is committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate reporting and corporate governance. The company is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Ping An ranked 10th in Forbes' 2018 Global 2000, and it ranked 29th in Fortune Magazine's 2018 Global 500 Leading Companies. Ping An also ranked 43rd in 2018 WPP Millward Brown's BrandZTM Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands. For more information, please visit www.pingan.cn View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ping-an-unveils-ai-technology-at-international-maritime-silk-road-forum-300717414.html SOURCE Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Reputation.com Announces Customer Experience Management Integrations at Dreamforce 2018

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reputation.com , the first and only complete cloud-based enterprise reputation management platform, today announces the latest version of its platform, which unifies customer experience intelligence and real-time service recovery to turn customers into champions and generate more business.

The Reputation.com platform bridges Salesforce Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud and Service Cloud by collecting and analyzing real-time customer experience data from social media, online reviews and direct customer surveys, and triggering corrective action to improve customer satisfaction, advocacy and online reputation. Key to this release is the power of its bi-directional integration with Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud and Service Cloud. For example, sales and service transactions or customer lists from the Sales Cloud automatically trigger SMS invitations to write a review online or take a satisfaction survey. In Service Cloud, Reputation.com automates a closed-loop service recovery process triggered by intelligent processing of real-time customer experience feedback alerts. And by integrating into the Marketing Cloud, Reputation.com data from the social web provdes new customer insights, segmentation and engagement opportunities tied to each individual consumer.



This combination provides an unprecedented level of marketing and support integration between social media, review sites, direct customer surveys, and operations to attract more business and improve the customer experience. "Our global enterprise clients across 77 industries have been guiding us to release an integrated solution that truly leverages their investment in Salesforce," said Pascal Bensoussan, Chief Product Officer of Reputation.com. We are excited about the significant competitive advantage this creates for our clients. For the first time, location-based enterprises can unify online reviews, social media conversations, and survey data with their customer service back-end to improve the customer experience  and with it, their reputation and business results.

Demos of the Reputation.com platform will be available at Booth 1960 at Dreamforce 2018, the most innovative software conference of the year, taking place in San Francisco from September 25-28. Salesforce, Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud Dreamforce and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com , Inc. About Reputation.com

Reputation.com delivers the only integrated SaaS platform that helps location-based enterprises improve their reputation with consumers online and onsite, across the entire customer journey  from finding a location on search, to conversion, to operational improvements that deliver a better customer experience. Reputation.com technology has managed tens of millions of consumer reviews, surveys and social media interactions across hundreds of thousands of online points of presence for global companies spanning 77 industry verticals, including healthcare, retail, automotive, restaurants and others. Reputation.com is a World Economic Forum Global Growth Company and is funded by the same top-tier venture capital firms that backed Google, Facebook, Cisco and Microsoft. To learn more, visit www.reputation.com . Media Contact:

Brigit Valencia

BOCA Communications

360.597.4516

reputation@bocacommunications.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] BlackRidge Technology Partners with Network Runners to Deliver Cybersecurity Solutions to Commercial and Government Markets

RENO, Nev., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackRidge Technology International, Inc. (OTCQB: BRTI), a leading provider of next generation cyber defense solutions, announced today that it has partnered with Network Runners, Inc. ("NRI"), a leading technology consulting firm to both commercial firms and the federal government, to deliver BlackRidge's cyber security solutions to commercial and government markets. BlackRidge will exhibit together with NRI at the Federal Identity Forum and Exposition (FedID 18) in Tampa, FL from September 25-27, 2018. FedID 18 is the U.S. federal government's primary outreach and collaboration-building event with the worldwide identity community. "We are excited to co-exhibit at the FedID 18 event with our new partner, BlackRidge Technology, where we will feature their identity-based cyber defense solutions," said Manoj Bhatia, President and Co-Founder of Network Runners, Inc., a Virginia based economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business. NRI is a solutions company with extensive experience that leverages its broad expertise to develop customized solutions to meet or exceed client needs in the public and private sectors. "Network Runners represents an excellent partner for BlackRidge, as it has already sold and implemented our network segmentation solution with one of their commercial clients," said Scott Armstrong, Federal Sales Director at BlackRidge Technology. "This new collaboration, combined with our product listing on the Department of Defense Information Network Approved Products List, best positions us to realize exciting new opportunities with the federal government." BlackRidge develops, markets and supports a family of products that provide next-generation cyber security solutions for protecting enterprise and government networks, systems and cloud services. BlackRidge's patented First Packet Authentication technlogy was developed for the military to cloak and protect servers and segment networks.



About BlackRidge Technology

BlackRidge Technology enables our customers and partners to deliver more secure and resilient business services in today's rapidly evolving technology and cyber threat environments. Our adaptive cyber defense solution uses identity to provide end-to-end security that proactively isolates cloud services, protects servers and IoT devices, and segments networks. Our patented technology authenticates user and device identity and enforces security policy on the first packet of network sessions. This new level of real-time protection blocks or redirects unidentified and unauthorized traffic to stop port scanning, cyber-attacks and unauthorized access. BlackRidge was founded in 2010 to commercialize its military grade and patented network security technologies. For more information, visit www.blackridge.us. About Network Runners

Network Runners, Inc. (NRI) is a growing technology consulting services company serving the Commercial and Federal market space since 2009. While continuing to serve its original Commercial clients, NRI's largest presence is now in the Civil and Department of Defense agencies, providing Information Technology and Organizational Support solutions to the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S Army, U.S. Navy, Joint Agencies, DIA, USDA/NIFA, USDA/FNS, USDA/FSIS, USDA/FSA, BPD, BFS etc. Headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, NRI is an established ISO 9001: 2015 and CMMI Maturity Level 3, Woman Owned Small Business, Virginia MBE and Maryland MBE. For more information, visit www.networkrunners.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this release include forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "plan," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," or comparable terminology. While management has based any forward-looking statements included in this release on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, as a result of various factors including those risks and uncertainties described in the Risk Factors and in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections of our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, as may be supplemented or amended by our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which can be found on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. We urge you to consider those risks and uncertainties in evaluating our forward-looking statements. We caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, we disclaim any obligation or undertaking to publicly release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein (or elsewhere) to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Media Contact:

Sahl Communications

Kim Plyler

+1-484-554-5582

kim@sahlcomm.com

Investor Relations Contact:

MZ North America

Chris Tyson

+1-949-491-8235

BRTI@mzgroup.us View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blackridge-technology-partners-with-network-runners-to-deliver-cybersecurity-solutions-to-commercial-and-government-markets-300717468.html SOURCE BlackRidge Technology International, Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] New Speakers Added! 2018 ISDA Annual North America Conference, Oct 4, New York

International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.: 2018 ISDA Annual North America Conference

Keynote Address by:

Hester M. Peirce, Commissioner, US Securities and Exchange Commission

New Speakers Added! The International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (ISDA) will hold its Annual North America conference in New York on Thursday, October 4, 2018. Accredited journalists are invited to attend the event. Please RSVP to Lauren Dobbs ldobbs@isda.org. Keynote address: Hester M. Peirce, Commissioner, US Securities and Exchange Commission Other speakers, including policy-makers, regulators and buy- and sell-side derivatives users, have now been announced, including: Amir Zaidi, Director, Division of Market Oversight, US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Norah Barger, Senior Advisor, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

Shawn Bernardo, CEO, Tullett Prebon ICAP

Scott Fitzpatrick, CEO Tradition SEF, Tradition Group

W. Moses Kim, Director, Office of Financial Institutions Policy, US Treasury Department

Guest speaker: Christopher L. Culp, Research Fellow, The Johns Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics, Public Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise The conference will include sessions on: Preparing for the shift away from LIBOR

Cross-border trading and Brexit

Review of the regulatory framework

The impact of new technologies on derivatives markets See the latest conference agenda with additional speakers here.







WHEN: Thursday, October 4, 2018 WHERE: The Roosevelt Hotel

45 East 45th Street

New York, NY 10017

Since 1985, ISDA has worked to make the global derivatives markets safer and more efficient. Today, ISDA has over 900 member institutions from 68 countries. These members comprise a broad range of derivatives market participants, including corporations, investment managers, government and supranational entities, insurance companies, energy and commodities firms, and international and regional banks. In addition to market participants, members also include key components of the derivatives market infrastructure, such as exchanges, intermediaries, clearing houses and repositories, as well as law firms, accounting firms and other service providers. Information about ISDA and its activities is available on the Association's website: www.isda.org. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @ISDA. All press attending this conference must register in advance

Please send your name, affiliation, and contact details to Lauren Dobbs ldobbs@isda.org ISDA is a registered trademark of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005445/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] CloudPassage Named a 2019 TAG Cyber Distinguished Vendor

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CloudPassage, the leader in automated cloud security visibility, is proud to announce its designation as a Distinguished Vendor in this year's 2019 TAG Cyber Security Annual. CloudPassage becomes part of a huge industry collective that represents visionary technology and people in the industry. Those selected for this list were hand-selected by Dr. Edward Amoroso, CEO of TAG Cyber, to assist with this year's report, which was made available today for free download at https://www.cloudpassage.com/. "The cyber security industry needs to continue growing and learning from its experts," said Carson Sweet, CEO of CloudPassage. "Ed and his team at ATG Cyber are providing a service to this community by offering expert cyber security analysis to their readers. The extent and caliber of the experience that Ed makes available is hard to match." The 2019 TAG Cyber Security Annual is designed in this, TAG Cyber's third year of publication, to provide direct advisory guidance - at no cost - to the enterprise cyber security professional. Their work is created to help cyber defenders more effectively deal with the technical challenges of our industry. These include integrating cyber analytics across the kill chain, introducing automation to streamlinesecurity workflow, and adopting cloud infrastructure for enterprise applications and systems.



"Halo Cloud Secure is a revolutionary platform that is able to provide comprehensive visibility into cloud environments at very high scale and speed," said Amoroso. "As our industry continues to shift towards a cloud-based infrastructure, DevOps, and continuous delivery, the potential for blind spots cannot be overstated. There are more assets in more places than ever, and the rate of change is orders of magnitude greater. Fast automation at scale is absolutely critical." Each year, TAG Cyber publishes it three-volume report to the community for download at no cost. In addition to the CloudPassage website, the report is also available at https://www.tag-cyber.com/. Volume 2 of the report also includes an informative interview with CloudPassage CEO, Carson Sweet.

About CloudPassage Founded in 2010, CloudPassage is a security pioneer awarded the first-ever patents for universal cloud infrastructure security and is a leading innovator in cloud asset visibility. CloudPassage Halo is an award-winning security solution purpose-built for the cloud that helps customers automatically discover cloud assets, reduce their attack surface, and find and respond to critical risks other tools miss. It provides unrivaled visibility and continuous compliance for the cloud deployments of some of the world's most demanding IT shops in technology, finance, security, media, e-commerce, and hospitality. CloudPassage is backed by leading Silicon Valley firms Benchmark, Four Rivers Group, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Meritech Capital, Musea Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Sozo Ventures, and Tenaya Capital. To sign up for a free, unlimited 15-day trial, visit https://www.cloudpassage.com/freetrial. Media Contact: Edward Smith

Product Marketing Principal

(415) 805-7020

202046@email4pr.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cloudpassage-named-a-2019-tag-cyber-distinguished-vendor-300717045.html SOURCE CloudPassage, Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in China (2018-2023): China to Lead the World in 5G Investments - ResearchAndMarkets.com

The "China - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. As the Chinese market approaches saturation, there has been a shift of emphasis in Chinas broadband policy from infrastructure build-up and service provision to application creation and user demand stimulation. China's fixed-line market is in decline due to voice to mobile substitution. Fixed line penetration has dropped significantly over the past five years. This trend is predicted to continue over the next five years to 2023 driven by the growing adoption of mobile broadband. In early 2018 the Chinese government updated its list of sensitive sectors' for outbound investment, removing telecoms operations from the list. China is projected to lead spending on Internet of Things technologies in the Asia Pacific, driven by the agriculture and healthcare sectors. China's government is aiming for universal and affordable broadband coverage through investment and competition as specified in policies. Fixed broadband penetration in China has grown strongly over the past five years. Fibre broadband continues to be the fastest growing fixed broadband segment, as DSL and cable modem access will continue to decline as custoers migrate away from these platforms in favour of fibre broadband. There was very strong growth in fibre connections from 2012 to 2017.



Within China one of the largest drivers of economic growth is its increasing urbanisation rate as rural residents move to cities in search of economic opportunities. Urban residents earn three times the income of rural residents in China. Moderate growth is predicted over the next five years in the fixed broadband segment for the 2018 to 2023 time-period.

Key Developments China's government strengthens IOT policies to boost economic growth.

China is projected to lead spending on Internet of Things technologies in the Asia Pacific.

Fixed broadband penetration in China has grown strongly over the past five years.

Fibre has overtaken DSL to be the key fixed broadband technology platform.

China's massive online population allows a number of social media platforms to flourish.

China is projected to become the world's largest 5G market by 2025.

China is predicted to account for more than two-thirds of all 5G connections by 2025.

Mobile broadband has seen very strong growth in China over the past five years. Key Topics Covered 1. Key Statistics 2. Telecommunications Market 3. Regulatory Environment 4. Fixed Network Operators 5. Telecommunications Infrastructure 6. Broadband Market 7. Digital Economy 8. Digital Media 9. Mobile Communications Companies Featured Alibaba

Apple

Baidu

BesTV

China Mobile (News - Alert)

China Telecom

China Unicom

Iqiyi/Qiyi

JD.com

Meilishuo

Mogujie

RenRen

SINA

Sohu

Tencent

V.QQ.com

Weibo

Xiaomi

Youku For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/3sl8sp/telecoms_mobile?w=4 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005526/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Phoenix Life Sciences International Announces Significant Milestones in Company Merger and Fiscal Structure-Strategy

DENVER, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Phoenix Life Sciences International Limited (Phoenix Life) (OTC: MJMD), an adaptive global healthcare solutions company, today provided an update on the completion of merger documents with the Secretary of State in Nevada, as well as appointed a new renowned audit firm and retired a substantial amount of convertible debt.

As a part of the final steps of its merger that created Phoenix Life Sciences International Limited, documents were processed through the Secretary of State for Nevada. The documents, including form and certificate of merger, were received back by the company, leaving only this weeks boards of directors appointments in the finalization of the company merger. In an effort to show authentic transparency and increase investor confidence, the company has retained renowned auditing firm BMKR, LLP. Led by Mr. Thomas Kober, C.P.A. Mr. Kober has over 35 years of experience in publicly traded financial auditing, having worked with clients over a broad range of industries, specializing in Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance, mergers and acquisitions, as well as negotiating with all financial institutions. As part of the companys solid fiscal strategy, the company has retired the majority of its remaining convertible debt through the retirement of a note with Typnex. The company has made a strong effort to eliminate additional dilution for current shareholders through this retirement. Although capital was necessary to create the consolidation that created the company, the company hopes to avoid activities that result in dilution as a way to build shareholder certainty. The past few weeks have been such an imperative time for Phoenix Life, said Martin Tindall, incoming Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Life Sciences International. We have been devoted to tightening up our capital structure, clearing any contingent liabilities and finalizing merger documentation so that we can focus our energies on building shareholder value through our projects. Working with such a reputable auditing firm to bring the company into full compliance on its regulatory reporting combined with eliminating mst of our outstanding convertible debt, means our shareholders can feel confident that their stake in our company is solid, Tindall added. We believe in employing an extremely solid fiscal strategy designed to support building meaningful growth that is sustainable and rewarding for all parties involved.



Currently, the company is working with the government of the Republic of Vanuatu to target the treatment of diabetes with its cannabis-derived medications. Implementing a vertically integrated supply chain model, the company intends to springboard distribution throughout the Australian and South Pacific markets, as well as to 30 or more of the countries that have approved medical cannabis. For more information about Phoenix Life, please visit https://www.plsi.co/ .

About Phoenix Life Sciences International Limited

Phoenix Life Sciences International Limited is an adaptive global healthcare solutions company. Our business is to advance research and integrate programs and manufacturing of products that target and treat diabetes, pain, cancer, and address psychological, gastrointestinal, autoimmune, neurological and sleep disorders. We strive to create partnerships and integrate these programs for human health into communities worldwide as part of our Global Health Initiative. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Information contained in this press release regarding Phoenix Life Sciences International, Limited and its subsidiaries, (the Companies) may constitute forward-looking statements or statements which may be deemed or construed to be forward-looking statements. The words plan, forecast, anticipates, estimate, project, intend, expect, should, believe, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve, and are subject to, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Companys actual results, performance (financial or operating) or achievements to differ from the future results, performance (financial or operating) or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The risks, uncertainties and other factors are more fully discussed in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Companies herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by the above-mentioned cautionary statement. The Companies disclaim any obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this press release, except as may be required by law. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) DISCLOSURE These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and therefore the products sold by Phoenix Life Sciences International are not available on U.S. LEGAL DISCLOSURE Phoenix Life Sciences International does not sell or distribute any products in the United States that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act (US.CSA). This company does grow, sell, and distribute cannabis-based products in the United States and is solely involved with the legal distribution of medical cannabis-based products within certain international markets outside of the United States. Investor Contact:

Phone: 1.888.717.5655 or international +1.720.699.7222

E-mail: investor.relations@phoenixlife.co Media Contact:

Kathryn Reinhardt

CMW Media

Kathryn@cmwmedia.com

619-972-3089

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Array to Acquire Willson & Brown, a European Manufacturer of Point of Sale Merchandising, Retail Displays and Fixtures With Headquarters in Warsaw, Poland

TORONTO and WARSAW, Poland, September 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Acquisition will enhance cost-effective, scalable global manufacturing capacity, and establish a portal for Array to enter the European Prestige Beauty Space Array Canada Inc. today announced that it has agreed to acquire Willson & Brown. Following the close of the transaction, Willson & Brown will operate as an Array company and will continue to build on its position as a high-quality, agile and cost-effective partner to leading brands and retailers across Europe, the U.K. and the Middle East. The transaction, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals, is expected to close on October 15, 2018. Terms were not disclosed. Array provides in-store merchandising services for beauty retailers and brand manufacturers around the world. Willson & Brown is a Pan-European point-of-sale business that designs, creates, installs and supports point-of-sale programs in the cosmetics, beverage, fast-moving consumer goods and consumer electronics sectors. "The combination of these two great businesses will extend a talented and experienced team by more than 700 people, bringing many new customers and resources to accelerate service for our Europe-based clients. It will also significantly enhance capacity across Europe and the Middle East, providing Array with a cost-effective, scalable manufacturing platform with vertical integration in metal work, wood work, injection molding and multi-material assembly. It will also provide us with access to important Willson & Brown innovations. We are thrilled that Wojtek Gackowsi and Dariusz Rutczynski, the principals of Willson & Brown, have agreed to become important shareholders in Array and work with us to deliver value for our global Brand and Retail partners," said Jeffrey K. Casselman, President and CEO of Array.



Array provides custom, high-end merchandising solutions in more than 30,000 retail locations for the world's most iconic prestige brands and retailers. With a leading footprint in Beauty, the company utilizes its deep expertise in design, research & development, project management and global manufacturing to help transform retail environments. Array is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and employs more than 1400 employees in operations in Toronto and Bradford, Canada; New York City and Long Island, U.S.A.; Mexico City, Mexico and Shenzhen, China. In December 2015, Carlyle U.S. Equity Opportunity Fund II, a U.S. middle-market buyout fund managed by The Carlyle Group, acquired Array Canada Inc.

Array and Carlyle were advised on the transaction by Goodwin Procter and EY. About Willson & Brown Willson & Brown is a leading Pan-European point of sale business with an impressive track record of designing, creating, installing and supporting point of sale programs in the cosmetics, beverage, fast-moving consumer goods and consumer electronics sectors. They produce a wide range of bespoke shop-in-shop installations, permanent floor stands, counter top units and promotional materials. Established in 1995, they now operate in more than 65 countries around the world and employ over 700 staff. Principally located in Warsaw, Poland, Willson & Brown also has offices in Leicester, the U.K. and Hamburg, Germany. Web: http://www.willson-brown.com About Array Array is the premier provider of in-store merchandising services for the world's leading beauty retailers and brand manufacturers. For over 35 years, Array clients have enjoyed an unparalleled range of in-house services, outstanding creative innovation, true global manufacturing capabilities, comprehensive logistics and complete installation and follow-up services. The results are displays and fixtures that win praise from brand marketers and retailers worldwide. Creating great experiences! Web: http://www.arraymarketing.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/array-marketing/ Contact

Willson & Brown

Wojtek Gackowski, CEO

+48-22-101-61-00

Email: info@willson-brown.com Array

Jeffrey K. Casselman, President and CEO

+1-416-299-4865

Email: inquiry@arraymarketing.com





[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] ParaZero Welcomes New ASTM sUAS Parachute Standard

TEL AVIV, Israel, September 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Drone safety systems company, ParaZero Israel Ltd (ASX: PRZ), welcomed today the publication of the new standard for sUAS (small Unmanned Aerial Systems) parachutes. This is a significant step forward for the commercial drone industry.

The new ASTM standard, also known as F3322, defines the requirements for the design, manufacturing and testing of sUAS parachute systems. ParaZero was a member of the standard development working group along with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), MITRE and other prominent industry players. Among other things, the standard requires an autonomous triggering system to detect failures and deploy the parachute without relying on the RPIC (remote-pilot-in-command) as wellas a flight termination system to stop the motors from spinning. To meet the standard, parachute systems will need to pass a series of aerial deployments (45 deployments for multi-rotors) through which they need to prove the effectiveness of the system in the sUAS's full flight envelope and in various failure scenarios.



According to Avi Lozowick, ParaZero's Director of Policy and Strategy, "The standard is designed to allow Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA) to determine with confidence whether a parachute system is safe enough to allow for flight over people. A leading group of experts from around the world spent many months defining and perfecting the standard. We encourage the FAA and CAAs in other countries to adopt this standard." Commenting on the above, ParaZero's CEO, Eden Attias, said "The publication of F3322 will pave the path for safe and legal flight over people. We intend for our products to comply with the standard in the near future."

ABOUT PARAZERO ParaZero (http://www.parazero.com ) was founded in 2014 to accomplish a vision to enable the drone industry to realise its greatest potential. ParaZero offers a smart and intuitive solution to enable drone industry growth by designing, developing and providing best-in-class autonomous safety systems for commercial drones. SOURCE ParaZero Israel Ltd

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] UAB Medicine and IKS Health Collaborate to Address Patient Access, Outcomes and Physician Burden

While much has been written on the national epidemic of physician burnout, answers to alleviate the situation have stopped short of addressing the overarching needs affecting providers and their patients. Realizing their doctors needed innovative solutions to improve physician workflows, the leadership of UAB Medicine, part of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System, sought a partner that would leverage proven clinical support and practice expertise to alleviate administrative demands on physicians and provide a better patient experience. Today UAB Medicine announces its collaboration with IKS Health, a leading global health care solutions organization. Through this collaboration, IKS Health will implement its Scribble and Coding services. Scribble, the world's only asynchronous, virtual scribe solution, will be deployed in primary care clinics and piloted in several sub-specialty areas throughout UAB Medicine. Scribble allows more time for physician/patient interaction during clinical visits, frees up the physician schedule for additional patient access and reduces the time spent after hours on electronic health record documentation, giving doctors more time to care for both their patients and themselves. "The good intent behind meaningful use and the subsequent reporting and regulatory requirements have had negative impact on the doctor's ability to connect with the patient during the course of the visit," says Dr. Keith A. Jones, Chief Physician Executive-UAB Medicine. "Our organization's mission is to improve the health and well-being of society, particularly the citizens of Alabama, by providing innovative health services of exceptional value that are patient- and family-centered. This collaboration will provide a useful tool that will enable us to do exactly that." "Patient safety and improved care are of the utmost importance to our organization, to our providers and to our community," says Dr. Stephen Stair, Medical Compliance Officer and Assistant Professor, UAB. "As health care continues to evolve, organizations must evolve in lock step UAB has a long-standing reputation for excellence in care delivery and we believe that this collaboration will further our ability to remain on the cutting edge of care."



"We consider ourselves honored and very fortunate to be collaborating with such a renowned health care institution," says Jim Boswell, Managing Partner and Chief Development Officer of IKS Health. "We know that physician burnout is a serious issue in the United States. At IKS, we believe that burnout is a symptom of the larger challenges facing health care today and that if we're only addressing burnout we're missing the opportunity to truly change health care for the better. With solutions like our Scribble and Coding services, we're bringing proven tools and resources to organizations so that they can return to the core of medicine and patient care while simultaneously improving quality and remaining financially viable." IKS differs from most health care solution entities in that it does not offer clients a proprietary technological solution; instead, it optimizes value and efficiencies for physician practices that use any EMR system. By integrating its platform into the physician enterprises' existing technology and clinicians' existing workflows, IKS provides better financial and clinical results as well as higher physician engagement and satisfaction. IKS allows practices to maintain their familiar legacy platform but reap improved outcomes across the full spectrum of clinical, operational, and financial functions.

About IKS Health: IKS Health enables the enhanced delivery of exceptional care for today's practicing physician, medical groups and health systems. Supporting health care providers through every function of the patient visit, IKS is a go-to resource for organizations looking to effectively scale, improve quality and achieve cost savings through integrated technology and forward-thinking solutions. Founded in 2007, the 5,000-member strong workforce at IKS manages more than $10 billion in revenue for more than 10,000 physicians throughout the United States. About UAB Medicine: UAB Medicine comprises the School of Medicine and the $4.3 billion UAB Health System that includes all of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's patient-care activities and 2,300 licensed beds in six hospitals, one of which is UAB Hospital - the third-largest public hospital in the United States, winner of the Women's Choice award, and one of U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals. UAB is the state of Alabama's largest single employer and an internationally renowned research university and academic health center; its professional schools and specialty patient-care programs are consistently ranked among the nation's top 50. UAB is the largest academic medical center in Alabama and one of the top four largest academic medical centers in the United States. UAB's Center for Clinical and Translational Science is advancing innovative discoveries for better health as a two-time recipient of the prestigious Center for Translational Science Award. Find more information at www.uab.edu and www.uabmedicine.org.  2017 IKS Health. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005491/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]NTT Communications Joins Leaders at ISG Future Networks Summit

NTT Communications Corporation ( NTT (News - Alert) Com), the information and communications technology (ICT) solutions business within NTT Group (TYO: 9432) will join IT and networking industry leaders at the Future Networks Summit this week in Chicago, hosted by global technology research and advisory firm ISG. Keynoting the summit is Peyton Maynard-Koran, Senior Director, Worldwide Infrastructure Operations, Whole Foods - Amazon. NTT America (News - Alert) Vice President, Engineering and Operations, Indranil Sengupta will join a panel discussion on cybersecurity and zero trust networking. In June 2018, ISG named NTT Com a Leader in Managed Hosting in its Provider Lens Infrastructure & Data Center/Private Cloud Quadrant Report. In December 2017, ISG named NTT Com a Leader in IaaS and UCaaS and a Rising Star in SAP Services.

b>Future Networks Summit:







WHAT: NTT America VP, Engineering and Operations, Indranil Sengupta will join representatives from ISG and Grubhub in a panel titled, "Arm Your Digital Business from Cyber Attacks with Zero Trust Networking." A cloud business and technology professional and regular contributor to the IDG publication InfoWorld, Sengupta will discuss the emerging zero trust network security model, an alternative to perimeter-centric defense strategies.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 25, 12:10 - 12:40 p.m. CDT (News - Alert)

WHERE: Swissotel Chicago, 323 East Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL

Register: https://fnchicago18.isg-one.com/page/1362957/register

Description: While networks are often viewed as cost centers, the ISG-hosted Future Networks Summit addresses the question of whether and, if so, how an organization's network can instead be an enabler of digital transformation. Through a series of presentations and expert panel discussions, the event will explore various trends impacting enterprise networks, including: network technology transformation, security, blockchain and automation technology, and mobility and IoT. The September 25 event, which targets senior IT leadership, directors of IT, networking executives and communications company executives, is preceded by an optional pre-summit workshop today on network contracting and sourcing strategies. NTT Com is a sponsor of the event.

About NTT Communications (News - Alert)

NTT Communications solves the world's technology challenges by helping enterprises overcome complexity and risk in their ICT environments with managed IT infrastructure solutions. These solutions are backed by our worldwide infrastructure, including industry leading, global tier-1 public and private networks reaching over 190 countries/regions, and more than 400,000m2 of the world's most advanced data center facilities. Our global professional services teams provide consultation and architecture for the resiliency and security required for your business success, and our scale and global capabilities are unsurpassed. Combined with NTT Data, NTT Security, NTT DOCOMO and Dimension Data (News - Alert) , we are NTT Group.

www.ntt.com | Twitter@NTT Com | Facebook@NTT Com | LinkedIn@NTT Com

For U.S. product and service information, please visit www.us.ntt.com.

NTT, NTT Communications, and the NTT Communications logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION and/or its affiliates. All other referenced product names are trademarks of their respective owners.  2018 NTT Communications

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005264/en/[September 24, 2018] Highspot Raises $35M as Demand for Sales Enablement Skyrockets

SEATTLE, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Highspot, the industry's most advanced sales enablement platform that sales reps love, today announced the close of a $35 million Series C round led by new investor OpenView with participation from Madrona Venture Group, Salesforce Ventures and Shasta Ventures. To date, Highspot has raised a total of $64 million in funding . The new investment will fuel Highspot's market expansion. The demand for sales enablement technology has skyrocketed, with the percentage of companies with a dedicated enablement person, program or function having increased by 180 percent last year, according to the 2017 CSO Insights Sales Enablement Optimization Report. With the company's deep understanding of the market need, superior technology and customer-first focus, Highspot has seen more than 300 percent user growth year-over-year and experiences 90 percent adoption and usage on average. "Highspot is the ideal investment for us, given our firm's focus on product led growth and rapid market expansion," said Blake Bartlett, a Partner at OpenView who will join Highspot's Board of Directors. "After speaking with Highspot's customers, it was clear that the company is changing the sales enablement landscape in a fundamental way by creating a product that is indispensable to a seller's daily workflow." Highspot is helping companies win more business and achieve unparalleled ROI on sales content and training investments by solving crucial needs for sales, sales enablement and marketing teams. With Highspot's best-in-class enablement capabilities, teams can effectively: Organize, personalize, discover and share content

Prepare sellers for any conversation with readiness materials

Engage buyers with personalized content and track engagement

Identify and optimize best practices with end-to-end analytics "Having achieved a leadership position in the sales enablement space, Highspot is poised to scale globally," said Robert Wahbe, Highspot co-founder and CEO. "Our growing team is attracting industry top talent, which is accelerating innovation and fueling our hyper growth. We are excited to partner with OpenView, and we look forward to taking our sales enablement solution that sales reps and marketers love to new markets"



Sales and marketing leaders now regard sales enablement as a competitive necessity and a new standard for doing business, as B2B buyers expect more from their engagements with sellers. CSO Insights reports that salespeople at companies with a formal sales enablement charter achieve 1.3 times higher quota attainment than those approaching sales enablement informally. As a leading platform for enterprise companies, Highspot stands apart with artificial intelligence technology that powers industry-leading search and recommendations, a flexible approach to content organization, advanced analytics, dynamic guided selling experiences and more than 50 certified technology integrations.

"Highspot discovered a market pain point and answered with an innovative, advanced sales enablement solution," said Matt Garratt, Managing Partner at Salesforce Ventures. "We are proud to be partnered with a pioneering company that has highlighted the importance of sales enablement." The investment has followed a year of notable achievements for Highspot, including being recognized as the Best Sales Enablement Platform and the Best Content Management Platform by the CODiE Awards, winning the MarTech Breakthrough Awards' Best Overall Sales Enablement Solution category, earning recognition as one of Seattle's Best 100 Companies to Work For and being named a LinkedIn Top 50 Startup. About Highspot Highspot gives businesses a powerful sales advantage to engage in more relevant buyer conversations and achieve their revenue goals. Through AI-powered search, analytics, in-context training, guided selling, and 50+ technology integrations, the Highspot platform delivers enterprise-ready sales enablement in a modern design that sales reps and marketers love. With 90 percent average monthly recurring usage and global support in 125 countries, Highspot is the most trusted solution for sales enablement. About Madrona Madrona is an early stage venture capital firm in the Pacific Northwest. The firm invests in technology entrepreneurs and companies, and works with them to build their businesses. Madrona manages nearly $1.6 billion and was an early investor in companies such as Amazon.com, Apptio, Smartsheet, Rover.com, and Redfin. About OpenView OpenView, the expansion stage venture firm, helps build rapidly expanding software companies into market leaders. Through our expansion platform, we help companies hire the best talent, acquire and retain the right customers and partner with industry leaders so they can dominate their markets. Our focus on the expansion stage makes us uniquely suited to provide truly tailored operational support to our portfolio companies. About Salesforce Ventures Salesforce is the fastest growing top five enterprise software company and the #1 CRM provider globally. Salesforce Venturesthe company's corporate investment groupinvests in the next generation of enterprise technology that extends the power of the Salesforce Customer Success Platform, helping companies connect with their customers in entirely new ways. Portfolio companies receive funding as well as access to the world's largest cloud ecosystem and the guidance of Salesforce's innovators and executives. With Salesforce Ventures, portfolio companies can also leverage Salesforce's expertise in corporate philanthropy by joining Pledge 1% to make giving back part of their business model. Salesforce Ventures has invested in more than 275 enterprise cloud startups in 17 different countries since 2009. For more information, please visit www.salesforce.com/ventures . About Shasta Ventures



Shasta Ventures is a leading early-stage venture capital firm partnering with bold, creative entrepreneurs who are passionate about building epic products and amazing experiences. Founded in 2004, Shasta Ventures has more than $1 billion under management investing in enterprise and consumer companies with a deep focus on emerging platforms. With offices in Menlo Park and San Francisco, Shasta supports companies with early customer validation indicating founders that are building something special. These include Apptio, Dollar Shave Club, Mint, Nest, Zuora and many promising private companies such as Anaplan, Eero, Glint, Leanplum, Nextdoor, Smule and Turo. Contact:

Elena Edington

206-817-4339

elena.edington@highspot.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/highspot-raises-35m-as-demand-for-sales-enablement-skyrockets-300717296.html SOURCE Highspot

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] HYAS Adds Infosec Visionary Ariel Silverstone as Data Protection Officer, Secures Funding From Susa Ventures

HYAS, a leading provider of attribution intelligence solutions for infosec and cybersecurity professionals, today announced that long-time industry visionary and investor, Ariel Silverstone, has joined as Data Protection Officer. Building on the momentum of its recent $6.2 million Series A round led by M12, Microsoft's (News - Alert) venture fund, the company has also secured additional funding from Susa Ventures, an early stage technology fund based in San Francisco that invests in companies with strong competitive moats. With over 25 years of experience delivering comprehensive solutions to the most demanding aspects of information security processes and policies, Silverstone has overseen hundreds of secure networking systems. He has held leadership positions at Expedia (News - Alert) and Symantec and most recently served as Vice President of Security Strategy, Privacy and Trust at GoDaddy. In his role as Data Protection Officer, Silverstone will drive HYAS privacy policies - including GDPR and data protection compliance. "HYAS stands out in an incredibly crowded market and represents a real shift in threat protection fo the enterprise," said Silverstone. "Attribution intelligence - the ability to analyze and action data that is highly customized to specific threat environments - is a game changer. I'm incredibly excited to invest in HYAS and join Chris Davis and his incredibly talented and innovative team."



Susa Ventures is an early stage technology fund based in San Francisco that invests in companies with strong competitive moats. The fund was a seed investor in rapidly growing companies like Flexport, Qadium, and Robinhood. Susa's goal is to help founders build transformational companies. "HYAS is poised to disrupt the industry," said Seth Berman, General Partner at Susa Ventures. "Cyber attacks are not slowing down - in fact, hackers are getting more innovative and have found ways to outsmart even the most advanced and robust network protection solutions. HYAS is the only vendor in the market that is able to provide the intelligence needed to track and stop malicious actors."

"We're thrilled with HYAS' momentum and both Ariel Silverstone and Susa Ventures have played an instrumental role in our growth," said Chris Davis, CEO of HYAS. "It's going to be an exciting year for our company as we build our team, continue development of our products and help the Fortune 100 eliminate cyber threats." For more information on HYAS and its services please visit www.hyas.com. About HYAS HYAS is a venture-backed startup that provides attribution intelligence solutions to help infosec and cybersecurity professionals identify threats and the cybercriminals behind them. Its online detection, analysis and investigation tools are powered by exclusive datasets that give HYAS an unparalleled view into malicious activity and the infrastructure used to conduct it. Its proprietary database of cybercrime indicators contains billions of data points, with millions of new points added every day. Unlike other cybersecurity service providers, HYAS focuses on pinpointing the perpetrators of these digital attacks and works closely with clients and international law enforcement to bring them to justice. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005466/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] ManageEngine Debuts AD360 HRMS-Based IAM Automation at Microsoft Ignite

ManageEngine, the real-time IT management company, today announced that its identity and access management (IAM) solution for Active Directory and Office 365, AD360, now integrates with Zoho People, the cloud-based, human resource management system (HRMS) from Zoho (News - Alert) . Available immediately, the latest version of AD360 automatically provisions and deprovisions user accounts in Active Directory driven by the changes in Zoho People. ManageEngine (News - Alert) is exhibiting the latest version of AD360, along with the rest of its IT management and security portfolio, at Microsoft Ignite, being held Sept. 24-28, 2018, at the Orange (News - Alert) County Convention Center in Orlando. ManageEngine is meeting with customers and attendees in booth #440. Organizations often rely on an HRMS such as Zoho People as the authoritative source of employee data. However, for IT admins, synchronizing user data between their organization's HRMS and Active Directory remains a challenge. As more and more employees join the organization, change their roles over time or leave, IT admins are left dealing with constant requests to update all these changes in Active Directory. "There is a definite gap between IT and HR when it comes to user onboarding and offboarding. It costs organizations unnecessary manpower and reduces the productivity of IT admins, HR managers, and employees," said Parthiban Paramasivam, director of product management at ManageEngine. "By integrating AD360 with Zoho People, any change to employee data in Zoho People will be automatically reflected in Active Directory. We're also working toward supporting more HRMSs in AD360." Highlights With the integration of AD360 and Zoho People, IT admins can: Automatically create user accounts in AD, Office 365, G Suite, Skype for Business, and Exchange Server wheneve a new employee account is added in Zoho People.

Modify user attributes in Active Directory whenever the corresponding linked attribute is modified in Zoho People.

Delete or disable user accounts in AD, along with Exchange mailboxes and Office 365 accounts, whenever a user account is deleted in Zoho People.



Pricing and Availability

Pricing for AD360 starts at $595 a year. A fully-functional, 60-day trial version is also available for download at www.manageengine.com/active-directory-360/download.html. About AD360 AD360 is an identity and access management (IAM) solution for managing user identities, governing access to resources, enforcing security, and ensuring compliance. AD360 provides all these functionalities for Windows Active Directory, Exchange Server and Office 365. With AD360, you can choose the modules you need and start addressing IAM challenges across on-premises, cloud and hybrid environments - all from a single console. For more information about AD360, please visit www.manageengine.com/ad360. About ManageEngine ManageEngine is bringing IT together for IT teams that need to deliver real-time services and support. Worldwide, established and emerging enterprises - including more than 60 percent of the Fortune 500 - rely on our real-time IT management tools to ensure tight business-IT alignment and optimal performance of their IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, applications, desktops and more. ManageEngine is a division of Zoho Corporation with offices worldwide, including the United States, the Netherlands, India, Singapore, Japan and China. For more information, please visit buzz.manageengine.com; follow the company blog at blogs.manageengine.com/ and on LinkedIn (News - Alert) at www.linkedin.com/company/manageengine-, Facebook at www.facebook.com/ManageEngine and Twitter @ManageEngine. ManageEngine is a trademark of Zoho Corporation. All other brand names and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Tags: ManageEngine, real-time IT, Zoho, AD360, Active Directory, Zoho People, identity and access management, HRMS, Office 365, Microsoft (News - Alert) Ignite, onboarding, offboarding, Skype for Business, IT management View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005219/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Helsinki Joins New York in Commitment to Review Local Progress Toward Global Sustainable Development Goals

In July 2018, the City of New York became the first city in the world to submit to the United Nations its progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) on city level. As the first European city Helsinki will follow New York City and become the second city in the world in effort to showcase crucial role of cities in achieving UN agenda for people, prosperity and planet. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005633/en/ As the first European city Helsinki will follow New York City and become the second city in the world in effort to showcase crucial role of cities in achieving UN agenda for people, prosperity and planet. Photo: Jussi Hellsten The Mayor of Helsinki Jan Vapaavuori announced Helsinki's commitment to the voluntary local review at a panel conversation with New York City's Commissioner of International Affairs Penny Abeywardena at the Social Good Summit in New York City on Sunday. Even though Agenda 2030 is a state-level agreement, the success of the SDG's depends heavily on the implementation done by cities. Urban centers are growing in numbers and influence they play a critical role in championing change and effective execution. The most challenging issues of the world will increasingly be solved on city level.



"Helsinki wants to stand out as a forerunner in local implementation of global responsibility. The Helsinki City Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals have many aspects in common. Voluntary city level review will make Helsinki's development transparent and makes global comparisons possible. Open sharing of the review can also point out weaknesses in Helsinki's work. This information is valuable to the city", said Mayor Vapaavuori at the Social Good Summit. Commitment to the city level review will create a possibility for new strategic international comparisons for Helsinki. It will also promote international co-operation and relevance. Above all, it will bring the SDG's to a concrete level within the city framework. The reporting will be transparent and illustrative, making citizens better informed and more empowered regarding Helsinki's achievements in sustainable development.

"The accomplishments of the de Blasio administration provide a blueprint for how to make local progress toward the global Sustainable Development Goals, and New York City congratulates Helsinki on announcing its commitment to share a review of its progress with the United Nations," said Penny Abeywardena, Commissioner of the New York City Mayor's Office for International Affairs. "As our discussion at the Social Good Summit showed, cities and local communities are crucial to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and we can accomplish more when we work together and learn from each other. New York City is thrilled to have Helsinki as a new partner in this effort, and we call on other cities to join us in making the commitment to report their local progress on the Sustainable Development Goals." According to its strategy, Helsinki wants to be the leading city in the world in opening and utilizing data. Voluntary review is a bold new step in this development. Helsinki also wants to set an example to other cities around the world and hopes that this city level engagement will continue to grow. Helsinki City Strategy Published in September 2017, The Most Functional City in the World: Helsinki City Strategy 2017-2021 sets the ambitious goals for the city's development. https://www.hel.fi/helsinki/en/administration/strategy/strategy/city-strategy/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005633/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Syncfusion and Mobilize.Net Partner to Accelerate Azure Adoption

Syncfusion, Inc., the developer solutions company of choice, today announced the release of the Syncfusion EJ2 Adaptor for Mobilize.Net's WebMAP modernization solution at the Microsoft (News - Alert) Ignite conference in Orlando, Florida. "With the release of the Syncfusion EJ2 Adaptor for WebMAP, Mobilize.Net's customers can more easily migrate their legacy applications to the web, and also add a future-ready user interface with powerful data visualization by connecting to our EJ2 controls," said Daniel Jebaraj, vice president of Syncfusion. "Written entirely in TypeScript, Syncfusion's Essential JS 2 suite contains over 50 high-performance, lightweight, modular, and responsive JavaScript UI components." WebMAP empowers developers to easily migrate and modernize their legacy applications. "Syncfusion support for WebMAP opens the door for their customers to move legacy desktop workloads to cloud-native apps without having to replace their familiar control set," said Tom Button, CEO of Mobilize.Net. "We look forward to offering this to our customers who wish to either switch to Syncfusion or continue using their technology in their web applications." To learn more about the Syncfusion EJ2 Adaptor, attendees at Microsoft Ignite can visit the Mobilize.Net booth #235 to see samples and speak with engineers from Syncfusion and Mobilize.Net. To learn more about Mobilize.Net's WebMAP, please visit Mobilize.Net.





Essential JS 2 product page.

Read about the technical integration at https://www.mobilize.net/blog/syncfusion-webmap-partnership. About Mobilize.Net

Mobilize.Net accelerates and simplifies the transformation of software applications to . NET (News - Alert) , web, mobile, and cloud platforms. Millions of developers have used Mobilize.Net technology to successfully modernize billions of lines of code. Mobilize.Net solutions enable customers to reduce risk, cost, and time while moving applications to the platforms businesses demand today. The privately-held Mobilize.Net is based in Bellevue, W.A., and is led by former Microsoft Corporate Vice President Tom Button. For more information, please go to www.mobilize.net. About Syncfusion, Inc. Syncfusion is the enterprise technology partner of choice for software development, delivering a broad range of web, mobile, and desktop controls coupled with a service-oriented approach throughout the entire application lifecycle. Syncfusion has established itself as the trusted partner worldwide for use in mission-critical applications. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C., Syncfusion has more than 12,000 customers, including large financial institutions, Fortune 100 companies, and global IT consultancies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005295/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] New York Life Donates $300,000 to Hurricane Florence Relief Effort

New York Life announced today that it will donate $300,000 to aid Hurricane Florence relief efforts, allocating $100,000 to Save the Children, $100,000 to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and $100,000 to the Hurricane Florence Response Fund at the Foundation for the Carolinas. In addition, New York Life will match contributions by its employees and agents to these organizations up to a maximum of $100,000. Ted Mathas, chairman and CEO of New York Life said, "As a life insurer, we're in the business of helping people when the unexpected trikes. And we stand ready to assist those communities affected by Hurricane Florence. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the relief workers as they begin to rebuild in the aftermath of this terrible storm."



The company is continuing to work with local staff, federal officials and its charity partners in the affected areas to determine how it can best support long-term relief efforts going forward. New York Life customers are eligible for crisis relief. For those who are in immediate financial need, New York Life can quickly provide emergency loans against the cash value of a current policy to help in recovery and rebuilding. New York Life also can assist if a policyholder needs a payment extension for a short time, and if a policy has been lost or destroyed. Policyholders should visit New York Life's Web site at www.newyorklife.com or call the toll-free line, 1-800-695-1314, for assistance.

About New York Life New York Life Insurance Company (www.newyorklife.com), a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States* and one of the largest life insurers in the world. Headquartered in New York City, New York Life's family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life has the highest possible financial strength ratings currently awarded to any life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies**. *Based on revenue as reported by "Fortune 500 ranked within Industries, Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual)," Fortune magazine, 6/1/18. For methodology, please see http://fortune.com/fortune500/

**Individual independent rating agency commentary as of 7/30/2018: A.M. Best (A++), Fitch (AAA), Moody's Investors Service (Aaa), Standard & Poor's (AA+) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005658/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] OneLegacy CEO Addresses Healthcare, Business and Government Leaders in China Regarding the Importance of Organ and Tissue Donation

OneLegacy CEO Tom Mone has joined with a distinguished international faculty in addressing healthcare, business and government leaders from across China's Southern Yunnan province on best practices in organ and tissue donation. Mone made his remarks in Kunming, the capital city of the Yunnan province that is working to become that country's first combined organ procurement organization (OPO) and tissue bank. Mone's trip to Kunming included follow-up training of 60 Chinese physicians from 30 hospitals in southern Yunnan and built on last year's visit, where Mone joined the transplant procurement management (TPM) team (out of Barcelona, Spain) in their ongoing training of Kunming-region hospitals and staffs on the processes, need for, values of, and best practices in organ donation. The TPM program has been the world's leading training program since the late 1980s and builds on the formal clinical and hospital development and family-approach work that has helped Spain become the world's leading organ donation country for the past 40 years. Mone has been working with the TPM team since 2007. In citing best practices, Mone highlighted OneLegacy's dedicated transplant recovery center, the first such center of its kind in California. Opened earlier this year in Redlands, the facility handles organ, eye and tissue donation and provides renewed hope to the thousands of individuals waiting to receive the gift of life. "This center allows us to save more lives by providing facilities that exceed hospital and FDA standards while removing time and scheduling constraints for recovery and transplantation while, at the same time, freeing hospital ICU beds and operating rooms for their emergency patients," said Mone. "The center also reduces the costs of recovery while providing special care for donor families." In calling for greater worldwide awareness of this pressing need, Mone told the gatherings "The simple truth is that organ, eye and tissue donation saves and heals lives." He called that a goal "that knows no national, ethnic or religious boundaries" as he share his road-tested experience as it relates to the ongoing challenges of organ donation and provided suggestions on how to make the donor-management process more effective at the local level.



In 2015 the Chinese government banned any import of tissue from other countries in order to promote the development of a voluntary donation system within its borders. Additionally, for years the Chinese government had used executed prisoner organs for transplants but were convinced to halt that practice thanks to efforts by its Vice Minister of Health Jiefu Huang, M.D., a former transplant surgeon; the support of the President of China and western transplant leaders (including Mone); the World Health Organization; and the Transplantation Society. "As a result of pressures from the international transplant and donation communities - combined with an internal recognition of the ethical and moral challenges involved - the Chinese government ended its use of executed prisoners as a source of organs for transplant and have moved to a voluntary, altruistic organ donation program," said Mone. "It is incumbent on those of us who have successful donation practices to help ensure that donation everywhere meets the high standards that earn the public trust that is essential to maintain and grow lifesaving donation."

Since the change, voluntary deceased donors have increased from less than 1,000 to 5,148 in the past three years; and local experts say that there is every reason to anticipate the continued increase in donors. As a result, China has become the country with the second highest number of voluntary deceased donors in the world. The Donation and Transplantation Institute's education program, which Mone addressed, is a nonprofit foundation that brings together experts in the field from Spain, Europe and America to advise and support the implementation of projects in organ, tissue, and cell donation and transplant and to foster a wide network for research in the field. "My trip to China was all about spreading the message about the importance of organ donation and learning from each other on how we can all do a better job in positively impacting donation activity in our own communities and in our own countries," said Mone. "OneLegacy is pleased to be a part of the international and Chinese team that is sharing best practices that have helped China increase donation 25 percent in the past three years." About OneLegacy OneLegacy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and healing lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in seven counties in Southern California: Los Angeles, Orange (News - Alert) , Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Kern. Serving more than 200 hospitals, 11 transplant centers and a diverse population of nearly 20 million, OneLegacy is the largest organ, eye and tissue recovery organization in the world. For more information, visit onelegacy.org, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005213/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Citizens Against Government Waste Names New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio September 2018 Porker of the Month

Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) named New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio its September 2018 Porker of the Month for signing a bill into law that would halt the ride-sharing revolution in New York City. On August 8, 2018, the New York City Council voted to freeze new licenses for Uber and Lyft drivers for one year. New York is the first city in the nation to impose this type of cap. The council also voted to regulate drivers' pay. The stated basis behind these harsh regulatory measures is to study how ride-hailing apps affect traffic congestion, as well as ease the financial pressure on the taxicab industry, subways, and buses. However, after the vote, Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Manhattan) admitted, "This is not going to solve the problem."



Mayor Bill de Blasio has lamented, "the unchecked growth of app-based for-hire vehicle companies," as if Uber and Lyft were toxic poisons. The biggest winner in Mayor de Blasio's war on Uber and Lyft are taxicabs. Not surprisingly, New York's taxicab industry has contributed more than $100,000 to his mayoral campaigns, opting for political posturing over modernizing its own business. While the mayor props up this sclerotic cartel, the city's residents will lose affordable and convenient transportation or a steady part-time job. CAGW President Tom Schatz said, "For a so-called progressive politician, Mayor de Blasio certainly does not like new innovations that help working class New Yorkers. Cities around the nation should encourage ride-sharing to flourish, not enact restrictions that stifle progress."

For trying to extinguish twenty-first century innovations like ride-sharing, CAGW names Mayor Bill de Blasio its September 2018 Porker of the Month. Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government. Porker of the Month is a dubious honor given to lawmakers, government officials, and political candidates who have shown a blatant disregard for the interests of taxpayers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005702/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Conga Unveils Digital Transformation Suite and Achieves Its Highest-Ever Net Promoter Score

Conga, an application provider for companies looking to automate and enhance their business productivity, today announced the unveiling of its Digital Transformation Suite. The integrated set of products can drive the end-to-end digital transformation of a company's documents and contracts by creating more efficient, effective and compliant workflows. In addition, the company today announced that it has achieved its highest-ever Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 72. Conga uses NPS to provide a leading indicator of future growth, and to become a customer-centric organization. These results rank Conga among the world's best performing technology companies, since as of January 2018, the mean NPS for a technology company was reported as 59. Conga's NPS is the result of the company's unrelenting focus on delivering great products and providing exceptional customer experiences. Following the strategic acquisitions of Octiv, Orchestrate and Counselytics earlier this year, Conga has also officially integrated the acquired products into its digital transformation suite. The unveiling of Conga's complete suite of solutions, as well as the announcement of achieving one of the world's highest NPS, aligns with the kickoff of Dreamforce 2018, the most innovative software conference of the year.



Conga, a Gold Sponsor of Dreamforce 2018, will showcase the Conga Digital Document Transformation Suite, its award-winning suite of document automation, data and contract lifecycle management (CLM) solutions to demonstrate the capability of digital document transformation at work. Dreamforce attendees can visit Conga at booth #1411 to see the company's complete, end-to-end suite of solutions in action, including document generation, CLM, eSignature, data management, and process automation. "Conga is proud to introduce an end-to-end document solution that will help companies to digitally transform their organizations while working with a single trusted vendor," said Matthew J. Schiltz, Conga CEO. "Where document generation, CLM, eSignature, and other components of a business document process once had to be cobbled together from several vendor solutions, Conga now offers a simple, easily integrated end-to-end solution. We're excited to officially roll out our suite of digital transformation solutions at Dreamforce, and to continue to deliver quality products, services, and support."

For more details on the full technical capabilities and specs of the Conga Digital Document Transformation Suite, please visit https://getconga.com/digital-transformation. Salesforce, Dreamforce, and others are among the trademarks of Salesforce.com (News - Alert) , Inc. About Conga Conga developed its suite of enterprise-grade Digital Document Transformation solutions to help businesses optimize their CRM investments. The Conga Suite, which includes Conga Composer, Conga Contracts, Conga ActionGrid, and Conga Sign, simplifies and automates data, documents, contracts, signing, and reporting. As a Salesforce Premier ISV Partner, Conga is committed to providing its customers with enterprise-grade infrastructure, security and solutions. In fact, more than 700,000 users in 85 countries across all industries rely on Conga applications to fully utilize their Salesforce data. The company is privately-held and based in Colorado with global operations in the UK and Australia. Learn more at getconga.com or follow Conga on Twitter (News - Alert) : @getconga. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005307/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Axiom Real-Time Metrics Set to Attend the 2018 MedTech Conference in Philadelphia

TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Axiom Real-Time Metrics, premier provider of unified eClinical solutions and services, is attending the MedTech Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 24-26th. The MedTech Conference is hosted by AdvaMed, the Advanced Medical Technology Association.

3,000 of the worlds leading medtech executives will be attending this event, featuring world-class plenary speakers, a wide array of educational programming, valuable networking and business development opportunities. Team members representing Axiom at the event include Sarah Glofcheskie, Chief Strategy Officer, and Temitope Keyes, Director, Business Development  East Coast. "With the rapidly expanding clinical data demands from the EMA and FDA, Axiom Real-Time Metrics Fusion eClinical platform can get sponsors to their goals faster and help meet the recent amended regulations on the acceptance of data from clinical investigations for medical devices. An excellent alternative to the traditional model of using a CRO plus various technolgy vendors, Axiom can deliver our unified EDC/CTMS/DM/RBM/ePRO tools in 6-8 weeks with Managed Services to address all aspects from initiation to close-out." stated Temitope Keyes, Director, Business Development.



"We strongly believe that all organizations, regardless of size, should be working with best-in-class, enterprise level tools. A fully unified platform is essential so that your data resides in one spot; you need to own your data relationship. Fusion enables single sign-on to all modules and associated data in your studies. The ability to tailor a suite based on your needs is key - you choose exactly what you need from our 15 modules and complementary services. Our service experience, attention to detail, and close working relationships with our clients are what set us apart. Our approach is different, and we'd like to show you how," contributed Sarah Glofcheskie, Chief Strategy Officer. About Axiom Real-Time Metrics

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Axiom delivers intuitive, powerful and cost-effective eClinical solutions and services focused around your entire study. Services include: DM, Biostatistics and Pharmacovigilance. Axiom's eClinical suite, Fusion, delivers a powerful range of innovative end-user focused, unified functionality and 15 modules. Axiom serves as the Connected Hub for your entire clinical study data and operational needs. Fusion Delivers: EDC, DM, IWRS, CTMS, Inventory Management, IVR, Patient Portal, AE/SAE Tracking, Safety Database, Central Lab, Imaging, eTMF, and 24/7 Project and Clinical Data Reporting. For more information, please visit http://www.axiommetrics.com/ . Contact

solutions@axiom.cc

+1.877.321.9191



PR Contact

Sarah Glofcheskie

sarahg@axiom.cc

+1.647.588.9073

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Copyright Clearance Center Names Jill Shuman as Director of Product Engagement

Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), a leader in advancing copyright, accelerating knowledge, and powering innovation, today announced the appointment of Jill Shuman as Director of Product Engagement. In this role, Shuman will focus on customer engagement and development of products and services that meet their emerging needs. "Jill brings substantial experience and particular understanding of information and technology solutions," said Jonathan Brett-Harris, Vice President & Managing Director of Corporate Markets, CCC. "As a subject matter expert, Jill will help shape our proposition development, making sure our customers benefit from the best solution in Knowledge Management, which is at the forefront in pharmaceutical, publishing, financial and many other industries. Working closely with our customers, Jill will help ensure that we are developing products and services that create maximum value." Prior to joining CCC, Shuman served as the Head of Knowledge Management at Shire. In this role, she led a team of information professionals responsible for biomedical literature review, competitive intelligence, copyright support and operationalmanagement to more than 23,000 employees across the globe. Shuman is also an adjunct faculty member at the Tufts University School of Medicine, where she has taught courses in grant writing, searching the biomedical literature, and expository writing. Shuman has held leadership roles at JSA Consultants, Hayes, Inc., and HealthGate, LLC.



"With data and content being at the center of almost every business strategy, CCC provides information solutions that reinvent the way organizations derive value from data and content to drive ROI," said Shuman. "I'm very pleased to join such a talented team and look forward to developing robust solutions that deliver true value for our customers." ABOUT COPYRIGHT CLEARANCE CENTER

Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) builds unique solutions that connect content and rights in contextually relevant ways through software and professional services. CCC helps people navigate vast amounts of data to discover actionable insights, enabling them to innovate and make informed decisions. CCC, with its subsidiaries RightsDirect and Ixxus, collaborates with customers to advance how data and information is integrated, accessed, and shared while setting the standard for effective copyright solutions that accelerate knowledge and power innovation. CCC is headquartered in Danvers, Mass. and has offices across North America, Europe and Asia. To learn more about CCC, visit www.copyright.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005768/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Former Federal Student Aid CFO Jay Hurt joins Grant Thornton Public Sector

Jay Hurt has joined Grant Thornton (News - Alert) Public Sector as a managing director in its financial management practice. Based in the firm's Alexandria, Va., office, Hurt will be responsible for helping federal agencies transform and improve their operations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005155/en/ Jay Hurt (Photo: Business Wire) Formerly chief financial officer of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), Hurt oversaw the distribution of more than $120 billion in aid annually and the financial health of the federal government's $1.4 trillion student loan portfolio. During his tenure, he led the multi-office effort to implement a student loan purchase program that injected more than $100 billion into the failing student loan markets - and resulting in no borrower going without federal student loans due to lack of capital. He also served as acting chief customer experience office for the more than 40 million Americans served by FSA. "Jay has proven adept throughout his career at motivating teams and turning limited resources into significant public sector results," said Carlos Otal, national managing partner, Grant Thornton Public Setor. "It's exactly the kind of experience that will help us better serve government clients striving to maximize performance and efficiency in the face of tightening budgets and increased demand for services."



Earlier in his career, Hurt was as a senior manager for IBM (News - Alert) Business Consulting Services (formerly PwC Consulting), a consultant for American Management Systems, an MBA consultant for the University of Michigan, and a system designer and managing analyst for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Hurt received a master's degree in business administration with a concentration in corporate strategy and finance from the University of Michigan and a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Richmond. He completed a senior executive fellowship at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and holds the Certified Government Financial Manager designation from the Association of Government Accountants.

About Grant Thornton Public Sector Grant Thornton Public Sector helps executives and managers at all levels of government maximize their performance and efficiency in the face of ever-tightening budgets and increased demand for services. Grant Thornton Public Sector gives clients creative, cost-effective solutions that enhance their acquisition, financial, human capital, information technology, data analytics and performance management. About Grant Thornton LLP Founded in Chicago in 1924, Grant Thornton LLP (Grant Thornton) is the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, one of the world's leading organizations of independent audit, tax and advisory firms. Grant Thornton, which has revenues in excess of $1.7 billion and operates 59 offices, works with a broad range of dynamic publicly and privately held companies, government agencies, financial institutions, and civic and religious organizations. "Grant Thornton" refers to Grant Thornton LLP, the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL). GTIL and the member firms are not a worldwide partnership. Services are delivered by the member firms. GTIL and its member firms are not agents of, and do not obligate, one another and are not liable for one another's acts or omissions. Please see grantthornton.com for further details. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005155/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Rated Among Top Health Plans in Maine by NCQA

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine received a rating of 4.5 out of 5 in the recently released National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Private Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2017-2018, making it a top-ranked plan in the state. The NCQA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality, publicly released its 2018-19 Health Insurance Plan Ratings at www.ncqa.org/rankings. The annual report rates more than 1,000 commercial, Medicaid and Medicare plans based on consumer satisfaction, prevention and treatment. A rating of four or higher on the NCQA rankings indicates that a health plan is among the top one-third in the U.S. "We're very pleased to have again been recognized by NCQA as one of the top performing health plans in the state," said Dr. Jeffrey Holmstrom, medical director at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine. "These ratings demonstrate that our consumers have timely access to care, and they're receiving the right preventative care and treatment at the right time. Quality is foundational to everything e do and we continue to build on our accomplishments to provide a better health care experience for all consumers."



The consumer satisfaction scores come from what members say about their health plans in surveys, including feedback about their doctors, accessing needed care and claims processing. Prevention measures assess the proportion of eligible members who received preventive services, like prenatal and postpartum care, immunizations and cancer screenings. Treatment measures assess the proportion of eligible members who received the recommended care for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and depression. About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Health Plans of Maine, Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at @AnthemBCBS_News and @AnthemBCBS or find us on Facebook. ABOUT NCQA National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognizes clinicians in key clinical areas. NCQA's HEDIS is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's Web site (www.ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005879/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Yealink expands devices portfolio for Microsoft Teams across voice and video

XIAMEN, China, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Yealink, a global leading unified communications (UC) solution provider, announced it is proud to deliver new audio and video devices for Microsoft Teams, including personal devices (T56A, T58A) and shared devices (VC200, CP960 and Skype Room Systems) that cover a wide range of scenarios, including offices, huddle rooms and large conference rooms. Yealink audio and video devices for Microsoft Teams come embedded with the Teams application for a consistent user interface that incorporates the calling and meeting features of Teams. The Yealink one-stop portfolio makes it easier for customers to select the solutions they seek and easily collaborate using equipment from a single vendor. As Office 365 customers move from Skype for Business to Teams, Yealink offers a flexible and diverse device portfolio that simplifies the device transition during migration. Apart from the Skype for Business IP phones (T4S series), the audio devices (T56A, T58A, CP960) can be upgraded from Skype for Business to Teams. The video devices (Skype Room Systems) are compatible with both Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams. Audio solution for office workers and conference rooms Yealink's T4S and T5 series of Microsoft-certified desk phones include devices that range from entry level to premium level as well as the CP960 conference phone for huddle rooms and large conference rooms. To help customers secure their investment for the future and to allow for better device planning during migration from Skype for Business to Teams, Yealink's Android-based T56A and T58A desk phones as well as the CP960 conference phone have upgrade capabilities thatallow for a transition from Skype for Business to Teams via device firmware update.



Video solution for desktops and huddle rooms Yealink's Android-based VC200 ably meet the increasing demand for high-quality video solutions for huddle rooms. The VC200 is the first Teams all-in-one device with hardware offloading. Through touchscreen monitor, the VC200 extends the familiar Teams user experience and enables customers to enjoy video collaboration easily with a low learning curve.

Skype Room Systems for mid-sized rooms and boardrooms The Yealink Skype Room Systems (SRS) include the MVC500 for small rooms and huddle rooms, the MVC800 for mid-sized and large rooms. In the Yealink SRS solutions, the three-microphone array and sound bar deliver superior audio quality while the mini-PC and MTouch console are separated to minimize desk mass. The eight-inch adjustable MTouch console helps users choose the perfect touch angle that works best for them. "We are committed to bringing our joint customers an easy collaboration device experience and to achieving the Intelligent Communication vision jointly with Microsoft," said Stone Lu, Yealink's co-founder and vice president of Sales and Marketing. Bob Davis, Corporate Vice President, Office 365 at Microsoft Corp. added, "We are pleased to see Yealink expand their Microsoft device portfolio by introducing their new video solutions for meeting rooms. Together with Yealink's new phones for Microsoft Teams, this devices portfolio provides customers with high quality, flexible options to bring the Microsoft Teams experience to every space and user." The Yealink T56A, T58A and CP960 are certified for Microsoft Skype for Business. The Yealink video solutions for Microsoft Teams (including the VC200, MVC500 and MVC800) will formally be released in 2019. They will be demonstrated for the first time at booth 2137 during Microsoft Ignite from September 24 through September 28 in Florida. Click to book a booth tour and speak with a Yealink expert for Microsoft. To learn more about Yealink device solutions for Microsoft, visit the Yealink solutions page or send a request to UCinfo@yealink.com. About Yealink Founded in 2001, Yealink is a multinational corporation dedicated to developing video, voice and content collaboration as well as communication technology. Yealink has transformed the market with its focus on high-productivity and easy collaboration. Currently, Yealink provides services to customers in more than 140 countries. For more information, please visit: www.yealink.com. For Media Enquiries:



Yealink

Yanjin Lyu

Yanjin@yealink.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yealink-expands-devices-portfolio-for-microsoft-teams-across-voice-and-video-300716742.html SOURCE Yealink

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Julie Kreinbring joins Zeal Credit Union as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer

Zeal Credit Union recently welcomed Julie Kreinbring to the position of executive vice president and chief strategy officer. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005965/en/ Julie Kreinbring, Zeal Credit Union Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer (Photo: Business Wire) Kreinbring brings more than 25 years of industry experience, having held senior leadership positions with other credit unions as interim CEO, executive vice president/chief operations officer, and chief financial officer. "We are delighted that Julie has joined our executive team," said Anthony Carnarvon, CEO of Zeal Credit Union. "She is a familiar face to many. We are fortunate to have someone of Julie's caliber and experience to lead and succesfully implement our strategies through innovation and technology. In addition to her new role, Julie will be responsible for designing and developing a new Merger and Acquisition division to help achieve our strategy of growth and expansion."



In reporting to Carnarvon, Kreinbring said, "I am very honored and excited to be back at Zeal Credit Union. I feel the genuine sense of camaraderie, and it's great to be part of an organization that delivers high quality services and innovative solutions to our communities." In addition to Kreinbring's extensive credit union background, she is currently chair of Member Student Lending (CUSO). She has served as director of St. Vincent DePaul, advisory director for the University of Detroit Mercy Career Center, and a former director of the Downriver Chapter of Credit Unions.

A resident of the metro Detroit area, Kreinbring holds a Master's degree in Management Information Systems from Central Michigan University, a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Davenport University. She also holds GIAC certification in Information Security, CUES Innovation Expert certificate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Mergers & Acquisition certification from Pritchett, LP. When not working or volunteering, Kreinbring shared that she enjoys travel, reading, and working out, including tackling obstacle courses. Zeal Credit Union is a full-service, non-profit financial institution with more than 61,000 members, assets exceeding $588 million and 13 full-service branch offices in metro Detroit. Members also have access to more than 5,000 shared branches and nearly 30,000 ATMs nationwide. Member deposits are insured to $250,000 by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), a U.S. government agency. For more information about Zeal Credit Union, visit the credit union website www.ZealCreditUnion.org or call 800-321-8570. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005965/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] The Aftermath of Hurricane Florence is Estimated to Have Caused Between $20 Billion and $30 Billion in Flood and Wind Losses, CoreLogic Analysis Shows

CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today announced updated residential and commercial flood and wind loss estimates for Hurricane Florence. According to this new data analysis, flood loss for residential and commercial properties in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia is estimated to be between $19 billion and $28.5 billion which includes both storm surge and inland flooding. Specifically, uninsured flood loss for the same area is estimated to be between $13 billion and $18.5 billion. Wind losses are estimated to be an additional $1 billion to $1.5 billion. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924006059/en/ CoreLogic: Residential and Commercial Insured and Uninsured Flood Losses by State, Hurricane Florence (Graphic: Business Wire) This analysis includes residential homes and commercial properties, including contents and business interruption and does not include broader economic loss from the storm. Insured flood loss covered by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is estimated to be between $2 billion and $5 billion. In these states, 445,000 total residential and commercial property policies are in force through the NFIP.

Insured flood loss from private insurers is estimated at less than $5 billion. Insured loss represents the amount insurers will pay to cover damages. Unlike wind damage, which is covered by a standard homeowners policy, flood is a separate coverage, which is not mandatory outside the designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). For major Gulf and Atlantic Coast hurricanes that impact the U.S. this year, CoreLogic is planning on providing pre-landfall data for the number and associated reconstruction cost value (RCV) of at-risk homes as well as a secondary set of pre-landfall data for estimated insured property losses for wind and storm surge. For post-landfall data, CoreLogic plans to issue insured and uninsured propety losses for wind, storm surge and additionally flood. Visit the CoreLogic natural hazard risk information center, Hazard HQ, at www.hazardhq.com to get access to the most up-to-date Hurricane Florence storm data and see reports from previous storms.



Methodology The U.S. Inland Flood Model models all sources of precipitation-driven flooding including riverine, stream, off-plain, and flash flooding. It delivers a comprehensive analytic view of the risk, utilizing widespread coverage of hydrologic and hydraulic data that reflects regional flooding and drainage patterns. As flood risk evolves due to urbanization and change in baseline stream and sea levels, the flood risk methodology from CoreLogic is designed to stay abreast of the latest flood risk data and research, ensuring continuity of risk insights into the future.

The CoreLogic North Atlantic Hurricane Model includes improved location risk and estimation through its robust stochastic event set, high-resolution hazard modeling, component-level vulnerability, and usage of PxPoint, the structure- and parcel-level geocoding engine. With detailed and rigorously validated model outputs, the model provides the ability to calculate damage contributions from wind and storm surge, providing a transparent way of looking at loss as well as to obtain a better understanding of capital adequacy for the separate or combined perils of hurricane winds and coastal storm surge flooding. The model offers a complete view of the risk for all perils and sub-perils. The North Atlantic Hurricane Model is updated biennially and has been certified by the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology (FCHLPM) since the inception of the process in 1997. Source (News - Alert) : CoreLogic The data provided are for use only by the primary recipient or the primary recipient's publication or broadcast. This data may not be resold, republished or licensed to any other source, including publications and sources owned by the primary recipient's parent company without prior written permission from CoreLogic. Any CoreLogic data used for publication or broadcast, in whole or in part, must be sourced as coming from CoreLogic, a data and analytics company. For use with broadcast or web content, the citation must directly accompany first reference of the data. If the data is illustrated with maps, charts, graphs or other visual elements, the CoreLogic logo must be included on screen or website. For questions, analysis or interpretation of the data, contact Alyson Austin at newsmedia@corelogic.com or Caitlin New at corelogic@ink-co.com. Data provided may not be modified without the prior written permission of CoreLogic. Do not use the data in any unlawful manner. This data is compiled from public records, contributory databases and proprietary analytics, and its accuracy is dependent upon these sources. About CoreLogic CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX) is a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider. The company's combined data from public, contributory and proprietary sources includes over 4.5 billion records spanning more than 50 years, providing detailed coverage of property, mortgages and other encumbrances, consumer credit, tenancy, location, hazard risk and related performance information. The markets CoreLogic serves include real estate and mortgage finance, insurance, capital markets, and the public sector. CoreLogic delivers value to clients through unique data, analytics, workflow technology, advisory and managed services. Clients rely on CoreLogic to help identify and manage growth opportunities, improve performance and mitigate risk. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., CoreLogic operates in North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com. CORELOGIC, the CoreLogic logo, Hazard HQ and PxPoint are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924006059/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] CathWorks FFRangio Trial Meets Primary Endpoint and Exceeds Performance Goals

The journal Circulation published results from the CathWorks FFR angio FAST (News - Alert) -FFR clinical trial in an article titled Accuracy of Fractional Flow Reserve Derived From Coronary Angiography. The publication and trial results were announced today at the 2018 TCT (Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics) annual meeting in San Diego, California. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005047/en/ CathWorks FFRangio System delivers objective measurements to confirm PCI (News - Alert) decisions. (Graphic: Business Wire) The FAST-FFR trial demonstrated that the sensitivity and specificity of the CathWorks FFR angio System were 93.5% and 91.2%, respectively, both of which exceeded the trial's pre-specified performance goals. The diagnostic accuracy was 92% overall, and remained high when considering only FFR values in the critical zone between 0.75 and 0.85. As a result, the trial concluded that the CathWorks System has the promise to substantially increase physiologic coronary lesion assessment in the cath lab, potentially leading to improved patient outcomes. The CathWorks FFR angio System is a non-invasive FFR platform that quickly and precisely delivers objective multi-vessel physiologic measurements to cost-effectively optimize and confirm intrapocedural percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) therapy decisions. It is designed to deliver the objective FFR guidance needed to optimize PCI therapy decisions for every patient.



Stephan Achenbach, MD, FSCCT is Chairman of Cardiology and Professor of Medicine at the University of Erlangen, Germany, and was the leading enroller in the FAST-FFR trial. Dr. Achenbach explained the importance of the clinical findings in this trial: "Guidelines mandate that revascularization decisions are based on the presence of ischemia. However, not every stenosis or invasive angiography, even if perceived as 'severe,' causes ischemia. Equally important, lesions that do not appear severely stenotic may cause ischemia at times and may hence benefit from revascularization. Invasive angiography in such cases is incomplete without assessment of ischemia. Invasive FFR is considered the standard of care in these situations but adds cost and a significantly higher level of invasiveness to the angiogram, leading to pronounced under-use in clinical reality. Enrolling many patients in the FAST-FFR trial, my team and I experienced how easily the CathWorks FFR angio System can be added to the angiogram. The published trial results convincingly demonstrate the clinical benefit that may be derived. The CathWorks System may turn out to be disruptive technology that changes the workflow in the cath lab - to the benefit of our patients." The FAST-FFR trial was rigorous. CathWorks FFR angio System data was measured by 19 on-site cath-lab clinicians blinded to the invasive FFR measurements. Angiograms were acquired by dozens of operators at ten hospitals using all four of the major angiography systems (Siemens, Phillips, Canon (News - Alert) , and GE). In addition, a majority of subjects were overweight or obese, and 20 percent had calcified lesions. In the presence of all of these real-world conditions, CathWorks FFR angio accuracy was still very high.

William Fearon, MD, Professor of Cardiology at Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto (News - Alert) , California, was the Principal Investigator of the trial and lead author. Dr. Fearon pointed out: "The results of the FAST-FFR trial demonstrate a very high accuracy and strong correlation between the reference standard, pressure wire-derived FFR and FFR angio . Based on these findings, FFR angio has the potential to substantially increase physiologic coronary lesion assessment in the catheterization laboratory, thereby leading to improved patient outcomes." The CathWorks FFR angio System is in development and is not yet FDA-cleared. About CathWorks CathWorks is a medical technology company focused on applying its advanced computational science platform to optimize PCI therapy decisions and elevate coronary angiography from visual assessment to an objective FFR-based decision-making tool for physicians. FFR-guided PCI decision-making is proven to provide significant clinical benefits for patients with coronary artery disease and economic benefits for patients and payers. The company's focus today is specifically on bringing the CathWorks FFR angio System to market to provide quick, precise, and objective intraprocedural FFR guidance that is practical for every case. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005047/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]At an event in San Francisco, Google announced a number of changes to its search engine. The big takeaway is that Google search is getting a lot more visual, and that the company wants to bring relevant content to the forefront.

Google also isn't shy about copying features that work for social networking platforms, such as Stories.

(Image credit: Google)

Discover

The most significant new feature is a new "Discover" news feed that will appear below the default Google search bar on mobile browsers. Like Facebook's news feed, Discover will show "relevant" content, rather prioritizing chronological order. Content will appear based on your engagement and browsing history.

Discover will come with a slider that you can use to increase or decrease the amount of news you're seeing. Bilingual users will be able to see Spanish items as well as those in English.

(Image credit: Google)

More Visual Results (including Videos)

In addition, Google is adding more visual elements to your search results. You're going to start seeing "featured videos" at the top of your results. Google's AI will generate previews of a video relevant to your search based on the most relevant parts of the clip.

MORE: 10 Reasons Android Beats the iPhone

Stories Are Here

You're also going to start seeing Google's "Stories" as search results. Google has been allowing some publishers to create "stories" -- phone-sized photo and video montages popularized by Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook -- since Feburary. Now, Google's AI will also create stories, which will appear in both search and image-search results.

Smarter Image Search, Lens Integration

Google has also overhauled its image search's algorithm. Images will soon be sorted by the relevance of the web results they correspond to, and image search results will contain more information about the pages they come from.

And Google images on mobile is now connected to lens. If your phone has Google Lens, you can tap the button and search for the object present in any image.

SOS Meets AI

The company also announced that it plans on using artificial intelligence to fine-tune its SOS Alerts product. Google will use "AI and significant computational power" to incorporate history, water levels, terrain and elevation of specific areas to best predict the areas most at risk of natural disaster, beginning in India. Through a partnership with India's Central Water Commission, the company will roll out early warnings to populations of at-risk areas through Google Maps and Search.

Mover Over, Indeed

The company is also introducing Pathways, a new job-search product. Inside job searches, Google hopes to include links to relevant training opportunities. The feature will roll out in Virginia first.

Bookmarking Searches

Finally, it's going to get easier to use Google for research projects.

You'll soon be able to see the previous searches you've made in your search box itself, so you can easily click back to them and get to where you left off. You'll also be able to separately bookmark search results related to your project, and Google will recommend additional content based on your bookmarks. Google is also refining its algorithm to make it easier to find more advanced knowledge as you continue your research.

As Google makes new strides in dozens of areas, it's exciting to see the original search engine along for the ride.Yubico, maker of the popular YubiKey hardware tokens used for two-factor authentication, today launched its YubiKey 5 series, which includes the YubiKey 5 NFC, YubiKey 5C, YubiKey 5 Nano and YubiKey 5C Nano.

YubiKey 5 Passwordless Authentication

The main feature of this new series of products is the support for the FIDO 2 specification and the W3C Web Authentication (WebAuthn) API, which allow users to log into a website simply by tapping their YubiKey 5 token once. This is similar to the Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) specification as it uses the same type of public key encryption system. However, unlike U2F, a password is no longer needed to authenticate to a website (hence the passswordless name).

The solution is a major upgrade over passwords because malicious hackers should no longer be able to steal your login credentials unless they find a way to infect your YubiKey with malware. Users also will no longer have to worry about re-used passwords being leaked from one websites data breach or another, or even having to use password managers--at least when most websites will support this type of authentication.

All that said, WebAuthn is still a one-factor authentication solution, so it won't be as secure as the combination of a password and a U2F token. There is still a small risk that the hardware tokens or the server-side counterpart could be compromised some way in the future, which would allow the attackers to bypass the authentication scheme and compromise users accounts.

However, for now, passwordless tokens should still be a much more secure solution than passwords, especially for most people who tend to use and re-use weaker passwords for their accounts.

Additionally, users can also enable a PIN for the YubiKey 5 tokens, which should make it more difficult for attackers to take over the token or for thieves to use someone elses token.

Other Protocols Supported by YubiKey 5 Tokens

The support for the FIDO 2 specification that enables the passwordless login is the newest feature to come to YubiKeys. However, YubiKey 5 tokens also support a range of other authentication protocols, such as FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP and OATH-HOTP, which means the tokens can still be used for both modern and traditional two-factor authentication. Other protocols include: smart card (PIV), OpenPGP and Challenge-Response.

All tokens come with a secure element to protect cryptographic keys and process encryption operations. The tokens are manufactured in both the U.S. and Sweden and work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, Android and iOS operating systems, as well as on major web browsers. However, websites would still need to offer support for WebAuthn, just as is the case for the U2F protocol for two-factor authentication.

Extreme Phishing Protection

Hardware tokens have shown extreme effectiveness in stopping phishing attempts in the past. Google, which used U2F-enabled YubiKeys internally, said that during use it saw zero account takeovers, 4x faster logins and 92 percent fewer IT calls.

Yubico also says YubiKeys have dramatically reduced Microsofts IT support costs for password resets, which cost the company over $12 million a month. The key-maker claims this dramatic decrease in IT costs is due to hardware tokens being significantly more secure than your average password and easier to use, although the latter is certainly debatable.

Yubicos Newest Competition

Google, which until only recently was a major Yubico customer and partner in creating the U2F standard, announced its own Titan Key in late August. It's a U2F-only security key and a more direct competitor to Yubicos previously announced Security Key. Googles Titan Key doesnt support the latest FIDO 2 passwordless specification.

One potential concern with Googles Titan Key is that its manufactured in China and is very similar to a Feitian token. Feitian is one of Yubicos primary Chinese competitors. Google uses its own custom firmware for the Titan Key, but its not clear how well-protected the device is against hardware backdoors.

Another potential issue is that the Titan Key uses Bluetooth instead of NFC, which is considered more secure. Yubico has only ever used NFC for wireless connectivity and has made statements arguing against Bluetooth's security.

The YubiKey 5 Series tokens can be purchased from Yubicos store starting at $45.Merriam Police continue to investigate after a child was shot inside a home Sunday evening. Officials said police were called to a home in the 5200 block of Farley Court around 8:30 p.m. Sunday to investigate a shooting. When they arrived, they found a 10-year-old girl suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the leg.The Ford GT once owned by WWE superstar John Cena is back up for sale. Its the fourth time  maybe fifth?  that Cenas Ford GT is on the market and the second time in the past month alone. The Liquid Blue Ford GT last hit the auction block during Monterey Car Week back on August 25. Barely a month later  seriously, its only September 24  the supercar us now listed in Mecums auction next month.

John Cenas Ford GT has been in the news more times than the other 499 units put together. Apparently, the now-infamous Liquid Blue GT is still making waves long after Cena and Ford settled for an undisclosed amount after the automaker filed a lawsuit against Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect over his decision to flip the car for a profit shortly after buying it for $466,376.50.

That settlement became official in June 2018, which was three months ago. Since then, the GT went to a wealthy California farmer who bought it from Cena.

He didnt own very long, though, because health issues  the 78-year-old farmer cited back issues  prevented him from enjoying the car the way he wanted to.

So, two months after buying the car from the leader of the Cenation, the farmer put the GT, which had 625 miles at the clock at that time, up for auction during Monterey Car Week, where it sold for $1.4 million.

Heres where it gets surreal. The third owner has owned the car for less than a month, and, apparently, hes had enough fun with it since the Ford GT is once again up for auction, this time at the Mecum auction in Dallas this coming October.

To make these bizarre series of events even more dramatic, the Ford GT reportedly now has 626 miles on it.

If thats true, the third owner drove it for exactly one mile.

Its possible, then, that the current owner of the Ford GT is looking to make a little extra cash by flipping it before Fords two-year, no-resale condition expires.

Once that window passes, all the other Ford GTs are going to flood the market, which, in turn, could compromise the value of this particular GT. Then again, knowing the history of this car, its hard to imagine another Ford GT having more notoriety attached to it than this one.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2017 Ford GT.

Source: MecumAudi has learned from Mercedes past error, that of introducing Maybach as a separate brand, and will offer the A8 Horch as just a trim level under the Audi umbrella. Its also unlikely that well see the Horch moniker on the C-Pillars of other Audi sedans although Audi hasnt ruled the idea completely out.

It will be almost 70 years since the last Horch was built, back in 1953, when Audi will introduce the nameplate again as a top-of-the-line trim package for the A8. Akin to Mercedes Maybach S model launched in 2015. It will mark Audis entry in the ultra-luxurious sector where it will also face brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

Audi will revive the Horch name with the facelifted version of the A8. The current generation of Audis flagship full-size sedan will feature an ultra-luxurious trim level named after the long-discontinued brand Horch when the facelift is introduced three to four years from now. The car might come with a W12 engine like previous A8 L models but will not be stretched beyond the Ls wheelbase.

The Horch name is set to return after nearly 70 years!

Why does it matter

The Horch cars of the 1930s were some of the most luxurious to be built in Germany and the companys co-founder, August Horch, is the man that went on to establish Audi after falling out with his business partner Salli Herz and wanting to start off new.

Now, Audi wants to revive its founder's earliest exploit by bringing Horch back in the form of a top-tier package for the already lavish A8.

While the new car will essentially be a Maybach S competitor with some Horch branding, ultra high-tech, a lush interior, and the biggest power output of the whole range, the original Horch cars were standalone, even through the merger that led to the formation of Auto Union.

Established in 1899, the Horch company went from producing 5 horsepower cars to making cars with four times the power in just three years. By 1926, Horch was one of the first manufacturers in the world to use 8-cylinder engines, and their sedans were well-known in Germany for outstanding build quality and luxury.

Indeed, models like the 853 Cabriolet, the 855 Speedster, and the 850 Sedan solidified Horchs position as not only Auto Unions luxury brand, but one of the most coveted cars to come out of Germany. Yes, they never matched the power outputs of the supercharged Mercedes rivals, their most powerful engine being the 6.0-liter V-12 good for about 120 horsepower, but they have remained staples of European 30s design to this day.

This is why the new A8 Horch has set itself a high standard. Yes, Horch may be as anonymous now as Maybach was back in 2003 when Mercedes introduced the 57 and 62 sedans, but its a name rich in heritage within the Audi group.

Also, the Ingolstadt-based marque was clever enough to not bring Horch back as a standalone brand, taking the failure of the previously-mentioned Maybach rebirth as a negative example.

Also, do not expect a Laundaulet from Audi...

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Audi A8.

Source: Automotive NewsThe 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 was Ford Motor Companys response to GMs Chevrolet Camaro as the Pony Car war reached its peak. It was the meanest looking Mustang up to that point, humiliated the GT in sales to the point the latter got discontinued and could be optioned with the COPO-rivaling 7.0-liter Cobra Jet engine.

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Overview

The 1969 model year was the first that saw drastic changes to the Mustangs design enter production.

Although the original wheelbase was the same, the car grew wider with longer overhangs while lowering the roofline in a bid to make the car that much more aggressive. The nose became sharper and quad headlights were the norm, with the ones on the outside of the grille sitting deep within rectangular cavities for a meaner look.

The Mach 1 also gave its prospective owners a wide variety of choices in terms of not only engines, but also axles, transmissions, exterior trims and add-ons, interior and exterior colors. It was heaven for those who like to fiddle with forms in the dealership stuffing their cars with extras.

The car was only offered in Fastback form, now known as SportsRoof, so any hardtop or convertible 1969 Mustang you see with Mach 1 visual cues was not purchased that way from the factory.

The offering was the same for 1970 with the Mach 1 only available as a SportsRoof although, by then, the car had gone through yet another visual refreshment procedure. This means that the 72,458 units built of the 1969 model year are the only ones with the quad headlight, low-slung allure.

The Mach 1 was popular enough to stay in production until the dawn of the Foxbody which is when Ford returned to the GT moniker. The company then revived the Mach 1 during the lifespan of the SN-95 as a mid-range model that sat above the GT but below the SVT Cobra. Since then, many rumors emerged hinting towards the return of the Mach 1 as a trim level for the sixth-gen Mustang. As weve reported back in May, its far more likely that the Mach 1 will be resurrected as a model of its own right and an electric one no less. Until then, lets take a closer look at the original.

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Exterior

The 1969 evolution of the Mustang shows the emerging trend at the time of increasing the size of what were once rather compact coupes.

The Mustang did not escape this dreaded fate but, before it became an unrecognizable land yacht of sorts, they hit the sweet spot with the 1969 styling upgrades. Even without the lets-hit-the-track upgrades of the Mach 1, the Mustang looked meaner than ever and for good reason: its core rivals were growing and looking like they meant business so Ford Motor Company couldnt let their golden child fall behind.

Ford extended the front and rear overhangs to make the Mustang bigger by 3.8 inches. Thus the wheelbase staying put at 108 inches. The roofline was also lowered by almost 1 inch. The lines of the car are punctuated by reflective stripes on the sides and across the upper edge of the rear end, just above the Mustang lettering where youll find Mach 1 written on the stripe itself.

The nose is dominated by the massive grille, big enough to house two extra headlight units on either side with the logo moved from its former center position to the right-hand side with the red-white-and-blue stripes serving as a backdrop.

The car was available with an aggressive-looking lower lip that drastically minimized ground clearance, but it worked alongside other racing-inspired elements on the car such as the scoop on the matte-black hood or the pins that held the hood in place. There was also an optional Shaker air scoop which was slightly bigger and attached directly to the air filter for obvious shaking effect.

The swage line on the side extends from the upper edge of the headlight crease all the way back to the edge of the rear quarter panel where it met a C-shaped air intake. That intake, positioned just aft of the door in line with the door handle, is the only one on the cars profile replacing the double side scoops that used to sit under the swage line on the earlier models. Gone are also the louvers behind the side windows, but Ford thought its customers might still want a dose of louvers, so they offered optional louvers  dubbed Sport Splats  to be placed over the back window. Again, it is a feature that hampered usability all the while improving the sporty look the car was going for. The rear spoiler, another optional extra, was the final piece of the puzzle, but its not really known if it actually aided the handling.

The back of the car features three individual vertically-mounted taillights at the extremities, with the rear bumper acting as the lower edge with the reflective stripe marking the upper one. The car came with dual exhausts regardless of the engine choice and a fancy, chromed pop-open gas cap with all the necessary branding on it. All the inches added to the body plus all of the bits and pieces meant to show the Mach 1 could reach Mach 1 speeds took their toll on what was once the most compact of the pony cars. Thus, the 1969 Mach 1 weighs in at a respectable 3,254 pounds.

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Exterior dimensions

Wheelbase 108 in Length 187.5 in Width 71.7 in Height 50.5 in

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Interior

The interior of the Mach 1 is packed with amenities as if to congratulate you on your choice of a higher-trim model.

You have two-tone vinyl upholstery, high-back seats and teakwood-grained trim on the interior door panels and the dash.

The three-spoke rim-blow steering wheel is as large as youd imagine it to be with three circular holes drilled in each spoke. Youve got four gauges looking at you with the tachometer and speedometer in the middle and the fuel and temperature gauges on the sides. The passenger also has something to look at as he can examine the passing of time on the analog clock.

If, somehow, the sound of the array of V-8s available for the Mach 1 wasnt pleasing to you, you could roll the windows up and enjoy some level of tranquility due to the improved sound deadening. All this meant that you could actually hear the music being played on the radio located towards the bottom of the center console  also covered in wood trim.

With all the sportiness, the Mach 1 kept the rear seats intact and, although the wheelbase is the same, they arent particularly cramped.

There was also a version available where the rear seats would fold for extra storage space.

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Drivetrain

This is the fun part with cars from the 60s. You could choose between four engine options and three transmission options. Depending on your choice of powertrain, you also got stiffer springs and shocks to cope with the added power.

The entry-level option was the Windsor 5.8-liter V-8 which produced 250 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and 355 pound-feet of torque at 2,600 rpm.

With the same bore and stroke came the Cleveland V-8 which was a bit less elastic (max torque at 3,400 rpm and max power at 5,400 rpm), had less bulkhead strength, a lower deck, and a different crankshaft. The Cleveland V8, which debuted in 1969, had the timing chain chamber integrated into the block as well as very different cylinder heads when compared to the old Windsor.

The standard Windsor came with a 3-speed manual transmission although the car in the pictures has its Windsor mated to a 4-speed Toploader gearbox. There was also a 3-speed automatic for those who loved cruising around. Besides the two-barrel standard Windsor, there was also a four-barrel that put out 290 ponies. The 6.4-liter FE V8 was beefier still producing 320 horsepower and 427 pound-feet of torque.

The top of the line engine was the Cobra Jet 7.0-liter V8 which you could option with a Ramair intake. That four-barrel mammoth produced 335 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. The drag pack was offered with the Super Cobra Jet engine which came with cast iron tail shaft in place of the usual aluminum one. It also came with a traction lok rear axle with a 3.91 or 4.30 ratio.

In its most brutal setup, with a Cobra Jet V8 under the hood, the Mach 1 reached 62 mph in under 6 seconds and did the standing quarter-mile in just 14 seconds with a gate speed of 103 mph.

All that power did not mean that the Mach 1 was only good in straight line  although it excelled in drag racing  for the tweaked out suspension and rear shock absorbers made oversteering out of a bend something less scary to do, actually enjoyable for the trained driver. The original Goodyear rubber helped the matter too, but the Mustang wasnt yet as supple as the Camaro Z-28.

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Specifications for 5.8-liter Windsor V8

Power 250 horsepower at 4,600 rpm Torque 355 pound-feet at 2,600 rpm Top Speed 128 mph 0-62 mph 8 seconds Weight 3,254 pounds

Prices

With so many options in terms of both styling and running gear, the prices vary a lot in the Mach 1 market.

You can find a neat 69 example with a smaller engine for as little as $40,000, but prices tend to go up, and you need to look out for Mustangs with added Mach 1 parts that arent real Mach 1s.

If your pockets allow you, there are Mach 1s out there with a $75,000 price tag with some breaking the psychological barrier of $100,000, but those have all the goodies and are in excellent condition  almost too good to drive them.

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Competition

Similarly to the Mustang, the 1969 model year Camaro is substantially different from the 68 iteration with a redesigned front grille, new quarter panels and door profiles that gave the car a more chiseled appearance. This belies the fact that the Camaro was heavier than the Ford rival with a weight of 3,385 pounds.

The Z-28 version could be purchased with disk brakes all around and came with the 4.9-liter small block V8 that was enough for 290 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 290 pounds-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. The engine was mated to a 4-speed gearbox with a 3.73 rear axle. This package could compete with a Mach 1 with the smaller engine, while GM had the bigger 6.5-liter Vs producing anywhere between 325 horsepower and 375 horsepower to tackle the Super Cobra Jet and even the Boss V8.

At the end of 1969, the Ford Mustang still outsold the Camaro with 300,000 Fords against almost 250,000 Chevrolets shipped. 1970 would be, however, a not-so-memorable year for Ford with sales dropping below 200,000 models.

Read our full review on the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28

The 1969 Charger features probably the most recognizable design element on all of the Chargers, namely the divider in the front grille, which also encapsulated the headlights hidden behind. The basic two-barrel 6.3-liter V8 produced 290 horsepower while the four-barrel one had 40 more horsepower and was only sold in 69. You could also have this engine with a deliciously-loud air filter. The 6.3-liter came with AVS carburetion and larger exhaust manifolds shared with the heavy-duty 7.2-liter Magnum engine.

The Charger was a bit of a different animal to the Mustang, looking already like a land-barge rather than a muscle car, but it built its reputation on the track a bit later on with the aerodynamic Charger Daytona race car. Also, as anyone knows, a 1969 model was used in the original Dukes Of Hazard series and many reboots and movies since.

Read our full review on the 1969 Dodge Charger.

Conclusion

The 1969 Mustang Mach 1 has lived long enough to become a classic and for good reasons too. Its body is maybe the nicest of the first generation, and it also has the performance to match. Details such as the louvers, hood scoop, and a multitude of stripes make it synonymous with the era, and thats not said in a bad way.

Obviously, there are cheaper 69 Mustangs out there that share some of the show but not much of the go. I mean, after all, the 70,000 people who bought it nearly 50 years ago had a point, that this is the next best thing to a Boss.

Love it Large variety of engine transmission options, as well as exterior styling elements and colors Benefits from probably the best redesign that befell the first generation Mustang Better handling than most muscle cars of its day and manageable with the lower-tier engines that can even get you to 16 mpg on the highway

Leave it The Boss Mustang is the most famous Mustang of the late 60s and early 70s and this isnt one The chrome 12-spoke rims on this particular Mach 1 arent as appealing as the Magnum 500 variety



Further reading

Read our full review on the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429.

Read our full on the 2003 - 2004 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra.

Read our history review on the 1964 - 2006 Ford Mustang History.

Read our full review on the 2007 Shelby Cobra GT500.Fort Lauderdale High School senior James "Clark" Murray never imagined that his proficiency in mathematics would lead him to a remote jungle village in South Vietnam, close to the Cambodian border.

The son of a WWII anti-aircraft artillery officer, Murray entered Texas A&M University on an ROTC scholarship.

"At that time, A&M was more like a military academy," he said. "The school had been the leading provider of officers in WWII. Students that attended A&M had a head start when they joined the military."

"I had a good math background," said Murray, "which is one reason the artillery appealed to me. I said I would be best suited as an artilleryman, and they took me right to it."

Cold War Defense

After receiving his commission in 1967 and attending artillery school at Fort Sill, Murray was assigned to an M 107 self-propelled 175 mm artillery battery near Frankfurt, Germany.

"The Cold War was hot then," he stated. "Most of our weapons with Corps artillery were 175's, the big guns that could shoot a round 15 to 18 miles. Our army was positioned there to prevent Russia from coming through to Germany."

Murray was given a battery as a first lieutenant.

"This is a captain's or major's job. But all the captains and majors were in Vietnam. They promoted these young guys that didn't know much about leadership. I was fortunate because of my experience at A&M, which was vitally important," he said. "I learned a lot about leadership in the year I was stationed in Germany."

In late January 1968, during the lunar new year (or "Tet") holiday, North Vietnam and the Viet Cong (South Vietnamese guerrilla forces) launched a coordinated attack against numerous targets in South Vietnam. The U.S. and South Vietnamese militaries sustained heavy losses.

"There was a critical need in Vietnam, so I volunteered," Murray said. "I felt that was where I needed to be after all my training."

Murray returned to the states to marry his sweetheart, Bunny, and 28 days later they were in Seattle preparing for deployment. A week of jungle training in the snow and ice was followed by a tearful separation.

A New Kind Of Army War

On Dec. 12, 1968, Murray was sent to Pleiku in South Vietnam's Central Highlands to the 5th Battalion, 22nd Artillery reporting for command.

"You can't believe the destruction there," he said. "Everything was bombed out."

Three days later, he was promoted to captain and assigned to B Battery, 22nd Artillery Provisional in charge of a composite battery of 105 mm and 155 mm howitzers.

The battery's mission was to defend the Duc Lap Special Forces Camp, located in the jungle about three miles from the Cambodian border. Besides U.S. Special Forces and Murray's artillery battery, the camp included ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) forces. The location was of critical importance because of its proximity to a major enemy infiltration route, the Ho Chi Minh Trail, on which North Vietnamese carried essential supplies to the Viet Cong in South Vietnam.

"It was a god-awful place," Murray said. "Terrible temperatures. Constant rain during the monsoon season and summers so hot and dusty that you could hardly breathe.

"The Army's war in Vietnam was not like other Army wars. Normally, the Army is on the move, taking territory. In Vietnam, we sat and waited for the enemy to come to us. Every camp had a perimeter that had to be defended. That's why the composite batteries were so successful. We were able to provide supporting fire so that fire bases were not overrun.

"The camps were designed so that we never kept all our artillery pieces in one place. We didn't have any air support, so we put artillery pieces for defensive fires in a split camp - 105's on one hill and the 155's on another, about 4 klicks away. This way we provided strong firepower but reduced the risk of losing all artillery pieces at one time.

"I was extremely vulnerable as I travelled by Jeep between the camps, through enemy territory. You can't lead with a radio  you have to be with your men. I had capable officers, but they needed guidance. Many of them had no military background except a little bit of ROTC. In Duc Lap, every assignment I had was much bigger than I felt ready for, but I just had to rise to the occasion. I kept driving forward, not sitting around thinking 'This is crazy, what am I doing here?'

"My first sergeant was invaluable to me. My job included more than the military aspect of war. There were administrative and operations tasks as well. Top was schooled in those areas as a non-com. And when it came to personnel matters, decisions that involved tough choices, I'd ask, 'What would you do, Top?' I was just 21 and he was older. He really helped me gain self-confidence and taught me to take the initiative.

Hazards Defending The Perimeter

Artillery defense of the Duc Lap camp perimeters required mathematical proficiency. Accurate fire was essential.

"We had to set our guns so that they were as close to the perimeter as possible," said Murray, "because the enemy was very good at getting close. They were safer near the perimeter - they knew we didn't want to shoot our own people. We always had this terrible decision. If somebody makes a mistake, then our guys are dead. That's probably what gave me the most nightmares and chills - making a mistake and killing a bunch of guys. Praise God, that never happened on my watch, but it happened on many others. Not necessarily because they weren't good soldiers, but it's usually a moving situation and if you don't have good intelligence and feedback, it's easy to make an error that you'll regret for the rest of your life - something that wasn't necessarily your fault."

Jungle Warfare

Besides perimeter defense, B Battery provided support for Special Forces and ARVN troops in the jungle.

"We were right on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, so all the infiltration was right down past us," said Murray. "Special Forces and ARVN were working the border trying to flush out the bad guys and interrupt their supply flow. When trouble broke out, we would wait on our fire missions based on their command from the ground.

"The trail was often not visible. The overgrowth in the jungle was so massive that we couldn't see the sky in many places. When you're trying to direct artillery fire, you need to know where the round hit and you don't want to hit your own man. We would set a proximity fuse so that the bomb would detonate above the canopy and then our spotter would adjust our fire according to instructions from the guy on the ground. Every fire mission we prayed, 'Oh, God, I hope we get this right.'"

Life In Camp

Murray described the challenges of everyday life in the artillery camp.

"We lived on a 3,000-foot hill made from clay, dust, mud and dirt. We dug trenches and put big covers over them to protect ourselves from the rain and the enemy," he said. "There was always at least 12" of water in the bunkers and we'd slog around in our holes. Hammocks were hung from the rafters.

"I'll never forget the worst time I ever had was several weeks during the monsoon period. There were so many rats in my hooch that I slept with a 45 in my hand on my chest. I'd feel a rat coming across my chest and I'd shoot it. It was happening in the enlisted quarters, too. It was crazy stuff."

Murray devised an elaborate shower system for the troops which offered much appreciated fresh water. They elevated 55-gallon drums and pumped water from the periodic tankers that came to the compound. "We would sit in grime and filth for a week or more, so it was wonderful to have fresh water that we could actually swallow. To this day, I can feel that fresh, lukewarm water coming down," he said.

Liberty And Loss

After 10 months in Vietnam, Murray returned to Hawaii for R&R, meeting his wife, Bunny, for a much-anticipated honeymoon. While he was there, three of his best soldiers were killed. The men had been in the Fire Detection Center - a bunker that had small viewing slots. Unfortunately, the North Vietnamese were good at positioning their RPG's into the slot. One of the rounds entered and killed all three guys, including Murray's advisor, friend and battery sergeant, Top.

"Top had four kids. It was so sad, and I knew if I'd been there, I probably would have been in that bunker," said Murray. "I still think about that and wonder 'Why not me, Lord?'"

Returning to Vietnam, Murray was assigned to an ARVN compound where he directed massive amounts of artillery and air power. It was another learn-as-you-go situation for him since he had never worked with air cover.

"One time the enemy got into the wire and the trenches. It was frightening because I didn't know what was going on; I just had to continue my mission and trust that somebody had my back," he said. On another occasion, when military brass were visiting, the enemy fired 122 mm rockets into the compound, killing four officers about 10 meters from Murray's bunker.

"My ears are still ringing from that," he said.

Seattle And The Wall

In October 1969, Murray left Vietnam, flying into Seattle, his drop point.

"There was an unbelievable protest in the airport terminal," he said. "It was a shock because we'd heard other people talk a little bit about what was going on back home, but we didn't understand the magnitude of the protests. When I got off that airplane, I literally got spat on many times. Some of the troops wanted to fight; they blew up. I felt so sorry for the soldiers because these guys lived in hell for so long.

"Relatively speaking, I was in a command position in a more secure area. These guys were afraid for their lives every hour of the day. Then they came home to derision from so many. It was a small part of America, but it was enough to make the thing heartbreaking for our troops. We weren't prepared for what we encountered. It was terrible."

Many years later, Murray visited the Wall in Washington D.C.

"I cried like a baby," he said. "I went and found my cadre of folks who had died, including my friends and classmates from A&M, but my first sergeant, Top, was the one on my heart and mind. I cried the whole time I was near the wall."

We Will Always

Remember

Murray reflected on his Vietnam experience.

James Clark Murray, Texas A&M University, 1967.

"In Vietnam, I served with some of the best people I've ever known in my career. They were of high character and quality," he said. "I was so blessed by them. I think it was because in a combat situation, you gravitate to the good in things because that's all you've got.

"The one thing I'll never forget are those young men and women and their talents, dedication and loyalty. I'll never forget them.

"We weren't respected when we came home. But on the other side of the coin, we remember the camaraderie and the love of our country and the great men that we served with. They can't take that away from us."

(In collaboration writer Michel Robertson, and the WNC Military History Museum The Transylvania Times will publish an article once every two weeks on a local veteran who served in Vietnam.)Ten years ago this month, the housing market collapsed, the financial markets plunged and the Great Recession began. The situation was so dire that then presidential candidates and U.S. senators John McCain and Barack Obama briefly suspended their campaigns to return to Washington. D.C., in order to pass bipartisan legislation that would temporarily keep the economy afloat.

Now, after a slow and uneven recovery, the economy is doing well. Unemployment is down, the stock market has reached record heights and wages are beginning to creep up. The political turmoil in Washington aside, most pe...Formed many millions of years ago, the mountains of Western North Carolina are home to numerous unique geologic formations, from the rocky summits of Grandfather Mountain to the serpentine barrens of Buck Creek. These complex above ground forms that remain are stark reminder of the subterranean processes that originally shaped our landscape.

On a local scale, Transylvania, Jackson and Macon counties (amongst others) boast a handful of these geologic wonders, namely the unique high elevation granitic domes that are exemplified by sites such as Looking Glass Rock, Cedar Rock, Laurel Knob, Whitesides and the Fodderstacks. These granitic upwellings, known as plutons, rise sharply above the surrounding land, their sheer cliff faces and crystalline crests shining bright on a sunny day. And although a bare, exposed rock face might seem like an inhospitable environment, the amount of flora and fauna that finds a way to survive is truly remarkable.

While the margins of a granitic dome are generally wooded, at a glance, the rock itself is sparse with vegetation. However, peer closer and you'll find a diverse and complex array of plants interacting around the limited resources that can be found on the dome. Moss mats are the primary component interacting with the rock face  these mats originate as small clusters of moss and lichen that have taken hold in depressions or crevices in the granite. The clusters become anchors for larger clumps, which in turn begin to support larger, more diverse flora. As the anchoring plants become smothered and die, they start to form soil; this soil will eventually allow grasses, wildflowers and even woody plants to flourish! Sadly, the mats are impermanent, in constant cyclical succession, and when heavy rains pour down the steep pitches of the dome, mats can be loosened and scoured from the wall, sloughing downhill and leaving bare rock behind for the process to begin anew.

High elevation granitic domes are globally imperiled ecosystems  there simply aren't many that exist. The rarity of the environment is reflected in the diversity of plants and animals that have specifically adapted for life in such a harsh place - state and federally protected plants such as granite dome bluet, Blue Ridge ragwort, granite dome St. John's wort and endemic plants like mountain dandelion, granite dome goldenrod and pinkshell azalea, all thrive in the exposed habitat where there is little competition from larger trees and shrubs. Some areas can look almost like grasslands  Biltmore sedge, artic reedgrass, deerhair bulrush and several species of oatgrass create a swaying sea in late summer. Other areas that are influenced by perennial seepage can form spray cliff habitats that offer real estate for several species of filmy ferns and other unique nonvascular plants. The domes at the highest elevations, which experience extreme temperatures, wind and solar exposure, also provide refugia for plants such as dwarf juniper and bigtooth aspen that are adapted to thrive in more northern boreal climates and are, therefore, quite rare in our state. Exposed, north-facing cliffs can also support populations of endangered rock gnome lichen.

Let's not forget the critters that eke out an existence on the granite, however diminutive they may be. Woodrats, shrews and voles may nest in adjacent woodlands, but can be observed scurrying about the exposed rock, foraging for fruits, nuts and seeds. But it's so exposed out there that you'd better have good camouflage  the lichen mimic grasshopper is a perfect example of an insect that is perfectly adapted, its patterning nothing short of incredible. Green sala-manders sport a similar suit, their flecking helping to blend them into the crevices they occupy. The exposed nature of the rock faces and the resulting daily thermal flux is attractive to snakes and lizards trying to bask  timber rattlesnakes, copperheads, fence lizards and skinks alike find suitable shelter in lateral crevices along the face and talus piles at the base. Furthermore, the federally endangered peregrine falcon can be found nesting in fractures within the steepest pitches of granitic domes; there's nothing quite like seeing them plummet at breakneck speeds in pursuit of a meal.

These habitats are easily damaged by trampling, modification or outright conversion. Thus protection of high elevation granitic domes is a top priority for conservation organizations in the region, and despite many of the domes occurring on Forest Service land, local land trusts have worked hard to permanently protect and steward most of the remainder that falls on lands under private ownership. Land management is protective of rare elements. Seasonal restrictions have been established where recreation interfaces with these habitats in order to protect resources during critical periods. Certain areas where peregrines are known to roost are closed off to climbers during nesting season; barricades and signage have been placed to discourage pedestrian access atop certain domes containing high con-centrations of rare plants.

Blooming in the fall, goldenrod clings on to the mossy patches.

Education is arguably one of the most critical components of conservation, and there are ample resources available to learn about granitic domes, the most tangible of which are real-world experiences afforded by Hiking to the top of one of the dozen plutons in the area. Seeing (and smelling) granite dome goldenrod glowing in full flower in late August, or stalking a lichen mimic grasshopper for a half-hour just to snap the perfect image  those are the types of visceral experiences that solidify the significance of these elements and their containing environment. Created primordially, shaped by time and untouched by the hand of man until contemporary times, these ancient granite habitats will forever remain a unique and important component of our mountains to be experienced and cherished.(TRAVPR.COM) September 21, 2018 - Specialist tour operator and British Travel Awards nominee*, Acacia Africa has completed a detailed analysis of all website activity (Acacia offering the option to search by country, budget, length of tour and more) over a three month period to create its Safari Wishlist*. Including the top 10 most popular safari destinations, the results are somewhat of a surprise, Namibia shooting up the charts and stealing the top spot from odds-on favourites Tanzania and Botswana.

Arno Delport, Sales & Marketing Manager at Acacia Africa comments, Namibia might not be in the same league as Tanzania or Botswana (these destinations taking second and third place) when it comes to the density of the wildlife, but its an all-rounder if were talking about incredible journeys or safaris. Combine a whole eight months of 24/7 game viewing in Etosha National Park with an almost endless list of adrenaline activities in the adventure capital of Swakopmund, add in a few impressive larger than life landmarks like the Fish River River Canyon (the second largest canyon in the world) and you have the recipe for an amazing adventure. Its also one of the best places to spot the cheetah, the worlds fastest land mammal, so if you havent already, get Namibia on your Africa wishlist.

NAMIBIA, THE SURPRISE CONTENDER: Visit Namibia on Acacia's 19-day Desert Tracker, the itinerary including a canoe safari on the Orange River, visit to the Fish River Canyon, dune trekking in the Namib Naukluft National Park, optional adrenaline activities in Swakopmund, camping at Spitzkoppe and exceptional game viewing from the overland truck at Etosha - the floodlit waterholes at the Okaukuejo campsite winning the national park a place on Digital Camera World magazines list of '10 ultimate locations for wildlife photographers.' From 1,395pp (no single supplement) + Adventure Pass from 390pp including transport, camping accommodation, most meals, all highlights and services of a tour leader/driver. The tour also stops in South Africa, Botswana and Zambia.

ZAMBIA, THE UP AND COMER: Another destination worthy of note, Zambia took sixth place. While the country isnt usually the first choice for safari goers it is growing in popularity with Acacias travellers, its parks and reserves known for their spectacular game sightings (see the latest post from IG @thecuckooproject), and the country employing some of the best guides in Africa. Ranked as one of top 10 safest countries in the world* to visit during 2018, and with the wildlife about to be restocked in five of its national parks, there is every reason to add Zambia to your dream Africa trip. Visit Livingstone, Lusaka and the South Luangwa National Park on the 21-day East African Explorer. Don't miss out on a thrilling walking safari to view white rhino in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, a large number of animals packed into its small area, including elephant, buffalo, zebra and giraffe. From 1,685pp (no single supplement) + Adventure Pass from 840pp including transport, camping accommodation, most meals and services of a tour guide/driver.

ZANZIBAR & MALAWI DREAM DIVE TERRITORY: Making waves on the underwater safari scene, Zanzibar and Malawi also appeared in the top 10 (taking ninth and tenth place respectively) - Africa home to some of the worlds best dive destinations. Dive into the blue on the 56-day Grand African Adventure - Kande Beach and the Spice Island highlights on the itinerary. The overland tour also stops in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. From 4,085pp (no single supplement) + Adventure Pass from 1,310pp + 555pp Gorilla & Chimp Trek Permit including transport, camping accommodation, most meals and services of a tour guide/driver.

BOTSWANA, AN ECO-PARADISE: Careful to conserve its wildlife and the natural environment, Botswana exemplifies everything eco-tourism should be, which is why the country retains its status as a first-class safari destination and second place on Acacias safari wishlist. Holidays here often come with a hefty price tag, but with Acacia you can safari in the Gem of Africa on a shoestring. The tour operators 14-day Southern Africa Magic small group safari tour is a favourite with adventurous teens - poling your own mokoro across the Okavango Delta, having the witch doctor throw bones on a visit to a local Tswana village and game drives in the Khama Rhino Sanctuary popular activities. The tour also makes stops in South Africa and Zimbabwe. From 1,495pp (two sharing) + Safari Pass from 1,200pp including transport, accommodation (12-nights twin share chalets and guest houses with en-suite facilities, one-night pre-erected tent with en-suite facilities), most meals and services of a tour guide/driver.

KENYA & THE GREATEST WILDLIFE SHOW ON EARTH: Kenya took fifth place, but says Acacia, its position is likely to change, Obamas recent visit and the newly launched Twin Migration campaign which will partly promote the wildebeest migration (July through October) in Maasai Mara helping to boost the countrys ranking. With most hotels in the world famous Masai Mara reserve already fully booked for the next two months, Acacias camping and accommodated overland tours and small group safaris could still get you to the main event, and with cash to spare. The wildebeest crossed the Sand River Gate point earlier this month so reserve a front row seat to the animal action and book the four-day Maasai & Nakuru discovery from 680pp (two sharing) + Safari Pass from 470pp including transport, accommodation (two nights twin share permanent tents with en-suite facilities, beds and bedding, one night tourist class hotel with en-suite facilities) most meals and service of a tour leader/driver.

-ends-

All prices exclude return flight as Acacia is land only. Independent flight prices on request. Year-round departures. Acacia Africas Camping and Accommodated Overland tours are strictly targeted at travellers aged 18-39 years. The tour operators small group safaris are open to travellers from eight years, as are many of Acacias Short Safaris & Treks and City Breaks & Short Stays. Acacia offers escorted small group tours, families travelling with other guests including singles and couples. A budget operator, prices for children and adults are the same. Acacia Africa (020 7706 4700). SATSA membership No. 1931, Atta membership no. 20151, ATOL No. 6499 and ABTA No. W4093 PROTECTED.

Notes to Editors

Acacia Africas 2018 Safari Wishlist: Results collated from a detailed analysis of all website activity on the Acacia Africa website

Namibia Botswana Tanzania South Africa Kenya Zambia Zimbabwe Uganda Zanzibar Malawi

* Acacia Africa has been nominated for the award of Best Escorted Adventure Holiday Company in the prestigious 2018 British Travel Awards (BTAs). The winners will be determined by the consumer, who has until 30 September to cast their vote, with the successful companies announced at the BTA Gala Awards Dinner, being held in London on 28 November 2018. The awards aim to reflect the opinions and attitudes of consumers who purchase holidays and travel services from companies featured in the UK travel and tourism sector. Voting is open to all nationalities and is not restricted to UK residents.

* Zambia research by Sky Scanner

###Travel to over 100 European destinations with Eurostar Vacations by Railbookers



(TRAVPR.COM) USA - September 21st, 2018 - Laguna Hills, CA  Railbookers, a Yankee Leisure Group (YLG) brand, is excited to announce its partnership with Eurostar, Europes only high-speed train that directly links the UK to France, Belgium and the Netherlands, and with a simple connection to over 100 European destinations.

Along with this partnership, Eurostar Vacations by Railbookers is also launching a 2019 brochure, which features more than 46 new customized itineraries featuring a Eurostar journey. You can now take advantage of the high-speed rail service and see more of Europe in a single trip!

A few product highlights include London, Paris and Munich and London, Amsterdam and Berlin, a never before featured combo of three of Europes most popular cities. Then theres London and the Cote d Azur, which takes you across the French countryside to the picturesque Mediterranean coastline. In addition, London, Paris and Bordeaux takes advantage of a new high-speed line to Bordeaux, Frances famed wine-growing region.

Travelers board a Eurostar train in London and can visit more than 100 European destinations, including those in Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany on a single booking via easy transfers in direct city center terminals. Every single product is customizable and can also be experienced in reverse.

Eurostar Vacations by Railbookers is currently offering $300 off per couple on any six to seven-night vacation or $500 off per couple on any eight-plus-night vacation for any new bookings made by November 2, 2018 for travel in 2019.

When Americans think of Eurostar, they think of the Chunnel from London to Paris. But it is so much more than that, said YLG President, Frank Marini. We have seen record growth in the US market for independent, customizable rail travel in Europe and are excited about our new strategic alliance with Eurostar in developing Eurostar Vacations by Railbookers for the US market.

Eurostar Vacations by Railbookers provides complete experiences and well-rounded itineraries inclusive of rail, accommodations, and sightseeing. Travelers have the freedom to create a bespoke trip which suits their needs. Whether its discovering the labyrinth of canals in Venice, seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris on the Champs de Mars, or visiting the Il Duomo di Firenze in Florence. The possibilities are endless.

Nick Mercer, Commercial Director, Eurostar, said: We continue to see growth in the US market as visitors choose the ease, comfort and convenience of high-speed rail over plane for travel across Europe. Our new partnership with Railbookers offers a new and easy way for customers to find the perfect trip to suit them.

Eurostar Vacations by Railbookers was launched in response to the ever-growing demand for independent, customized rail travel throughout the continent, with 30 million Americans having traveled to Europe in 2017. This trend is not only being seen with the brands core demographic but also with Gen Xers and millennials.

To be able to travel from London to Amsterdam in just 3 hours 40 minutes, with city to city service in the comfort and luxury of Eurostar trains gives you the opportunity to maximize your European vacation experience, added John Vavrina, Vice President of Sales for Railbookers US. Aside from being rail experts, we make booking travel to Europe easy for you by handling all accommodation, sightseeing, and customization options.

About Railbookers

Railbookers is the leading operator of independent rail vacations, offering an ever-expanding range of expertly planned vacations by rail across Europe, the USA, Canada and beyond. Our mission is to take the complexity out of independent rail travel and offer our customers hassle-free service, incredible travel experiences and the very best value. The experts at Railbookers are proud train geeks with insider access to the leading rail companies and a passion for all things rail vacation.

About Yankee Leisure Group

Yankee Leisure Group offers a wide portfolio of travel experiences to the most sought-after destinations throughout the world. Our mission is to deliver outstanding service, amazing value and unmatched travel experiences for all our guests. Today, we operate three travel brands: Yankee Holidays, Amtrak Vacations, and Railbookers. We are proud to be the largest independent rail vacation provider to the US, Canada and Europe.

###Penang International Travel Exchange



(TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - September 23rd, 2018 - Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) in association with Apollo Conferences, the first Professional Conference Organiser in Penang, Malaysia hosted the first edition of Penang International Travel Exchange (PITE) from September 4  8, 2018.

PITE was attended by over 113 buyers from India who experienced Penang first-hand as a preferred MICE destination. With India as amongst the key focus countries, PCEB will be conducting the 2nd edition of 4 city roadshow during January 2019.

For media inquiries, kindly contact: Yasmin Bathamanathan Manager, Marketing & Communications on yasmin@pceb.my

Kapil Pant

Apollo Conferences

Email: kapil@apolloholidays.net

###Three exceptional restaurants of the Royal Cliff Hotels Group have been recognized for its outstanding gastronomy in the Ctrip Gourmet List 2018. Caprice A Taste of Riviera, Breezeo  Be Yourself Dining and the Royal Grill Room & Wine Cellar  Excellence & Heritage were honored as a top dining destination for Chinese tourists and were recipients of the Ctrip Selected Restaurants 2018 award.



(TRAVPR.COM) THAILAND - September 24th, 2018 - Pattaya, Thailand  Three exceptional restaurants of the Royal Cliff Hotels Group have been recognized for its outstanding gastronomy in the Ctrip Gourmet List 2018. Caprice A Taste of Riviera, Breezeo  Be Yourself Dining and the Royal Grill Room & Wine Cellar  Excellence & Heritage were honored as a top dining destination for Chinese tourists and were recipients of the Ctrip Selected Restaurants 2018 award.

The exceptional food selection and superb dining experience offered in these award-winning restaurants have consequently achieved another impressive milestone for Royal Cliffs talented culinary team. Ctrip Gourmet List was launched in 2016 to provide travelers with easy-to-access food and restaurant recommendations, information and ratings in major cities around the world. This year, the Gourmet List covered approximately 15,000 restaurants in 150 popular destinations.

Royal Cliff Hotels Group is home to 11 award-winning restaurants that offers a tempting variety of dining options. Being honored repeatedly by several prestigious organizations such as Ctrip has confirmed the excellent dining experience that each restaurant offers.

Situated on a 64-acre private parkland estate overlooking the stunning Gulf of Thailand, the Royal Cliff Hotels Group operates four award-winning hotels providing guests from home and abroad with the ultimate experience. Book your stay directly and get the best price guaranteed along with value-added optional extras that will enhance your hotel experience by visiting www.royalcliff.com, contacting Reservations at (+66) 38 250 421 ext. 2732 or emailing: reservations@royalcliff.com.

To book any of our 11 award winning restaurants please send your email to creative@royalcliff.com

For more information on the Royal Cliff Hotels Group and its award-winning restaurants, please visit www.royalcliff.com.

###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)I am sorry, they are a dumb idea, and the data prove it.

It's SOLAR FREAKIN' ROADWAYS! TIME on Treehugger, as we have another look at the Colas Wattway solar road installed in France a few years ago, which Derek described in France to pave 1000km of roads with solar panels.

This TreeHugger has wondered why anyone would want to put solar panels in a roadway where they have to be made with materials strong enough to be run over by trucks, get covered in dirt, are not at an optimum angle, and cost a fortune. I thought that it was the dumbest idea ever, but they keep popping up and readers kept yelling at me to stop complaining: "This is an innovative idea. It's refreshing to see such original ideas out in the world."

But now the results are in from the French trial of the solar roadway. Dylan Ryan of Edinburgh Napier University writes in The Conversation that it has a maximum power of 420 kW. It covered 2800 m2 and cost 5 million Euros to install, which is a cost of 11,905 (US$ 14,000) per installed kW. (An average rooftop solar system in the US costs $ 3140 per installed kW)

 Brice Robert

It was originally supposed to be 17,963 kWh per day, but before it opened that estimate was downgraded to 800 kWh per day, and after a year it was found to have actually yielded 409 kWh per day. It also has not held up well; due to thermal stresses and joint sealing problems, 5 percent of the slabs have been replaced already.

It was always assumed that the panels would generate about a third less than panels set at the optimum angle, but results were worse than expected. As Xavier Lula writes on a French site looking at the road:

In other words, the concept of solar road, at best will lose "only" 33% of the producible photovoltaic cells compared to standard solar, and in the real world, in 2017, with a brand new road, it has lost 58.3%. What way? In a global context of increasing pressure on the resources of raw materials (especially metals), is this really a way forward?

Dylan Ryan also points out that the 300mW big Cestas solar plant near Bordeaux cost a tenth as much per installed kW. But the idea just doesn't go away; since Derek's post we have seen the installation of solar bike lanes in the Netherlands and a huge solar roadway in China.

In each post, readers continue to complain that I am missing the point and that I should be more optimistic.

Any new technology is always expensive. Yes, the cost is astronomical, but this is the stepping stone of a new electric revolution, my friend. Solar panels on houses are great but they cannot charge your car while driving through induction. Imagine a road that charged your car as you drove. This is something much larger than the cost it takes to build.

Fine. I always thought that is why we had wires. But I am happy to imagine that solar roadways can make sense, even if this French example didn't.editorial@tribune.com

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 23

The visit of former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai to the holy city has revived the memories of once close trade ties between Amritsar's business community and Afghanistan.

Businessmen demand re-establishment of business ties for flourishing future in the South-Asia region.

A businessman, Raman Sood, said, his family used to sell brass wares and utensils of other metal in the markets of Kabul during the British rule. After the formation of separate countries and their governments the trade got restricted.

Notably, Majith Mandi and its adjoining areas, located in the maze-like narrow lanes of the walled city, became the hub of trade lost their pristine glory of being the dry fruit hub of the country. Leading old businessmen still have vivid memory of close trade ties with Afghanis.

The traders, who had a flourishing business in Peshawar, had to migrate to Amritsar and find a new market in Majith Mandi after the Partition.

Before the dark days of terrorism, Amritsar was the main supply head of dry fruit from Afghanistan while green tea, utensils and other articles were also traded between Afghanistan and the holy city.

During the terrorism days, major players from citys dry fruit market shifted to Delhi and it emerged as the major dry fruit hub in the country, says a dry fruit trader Vimal Mehra.

Except walnut and cashew, other dry fruit like almond are imported from the USA and the Gulf countries.

Punjab Beopar Mandals Sumeet Jain said Amritsar and Kabul share similar dressing habits and climate. He said direct export between the two cities would herald a glorious future.

He lamented that at present shawls like many other products from here are being exported to Afghanistan via other countries which escalate the cost to its destination. There is a high need for exchange of cultural programmes and trade exhibitions between both countries. He demanded opening of Afghanistans consulate office at Amritsar for early visa, which was promised by its Ambassador Ambassador Shaida Mohammad Abdali during his visit here couple of years ago.editorial@tribune.com

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24

There is a glaring North-South divide when it comes to superbikes such as Benelli, Harley-Davidson and Triumph. While farmers and defence personnel of Punjab and Haryana prefer the high- powered costly bikes, they lure suave techies and exporters in southern India.

The demand for high-powered superbikes (above 250cc) is growing in India because of rising income and improved infrastructure, says Benelli India Managing Director Vikas Jhabakh. Established in 1911, the Italian company Benelli was bought by Chinese conglomerate QJ in 2005.

Customer profile in North is, however, different from South. In South, IT and pharma sectors have flourished, so our prospective customers are senior people working in these firms. But in the northern region, people having agricultural income, businessmen and defence personnel prefer buying superbikes, says Jhabakh. The company has sold over 100 superbikes in Punjab and aims to double the number in the next one year. The Benelli model starts from Rs 2.5 lakh.

Harpuneet Singh, General Manager, Triumph Krishna at Chandigarh says looks of the bike is very important for the customers in the North while customers from southern states go for technical specifications. Triumph superbikes range between Rs 7.70 and Rs 25 lakh and its customers are usually big landlords, merchant navy officers, businessmen and medical professionals.

Harley-Davidson, one of the early entrants in Chandigarh market, has models ranging from Rs 5.31-Rs 53 lakh. Now the company is opening its outlet in Jammu and Dehradun also. On an average, Harley sells around 15 bikes per month from Chandigarh outlet and the same number from Ludhiana, says Saurav Saini, assistant manager, Himalayan Harley Davidson.

According to market experts, the total market size for the superbikes in the country is around 10,000-12,000 units per year excluding Royal Enfield. Punjab and Haryana (excluding NCR) corner 10% of the market. South India has 40% share in the pie.

The average age of customers buying such bikes in the North, particularly Punjab and Haryana, has declined to the 30s from the 40s, two years ago. Legendry American brand Indian Motorcycle opened its sales outlet in Chandigarh in July 2016. These bikes are priced between Rs 12 and Rs 42 lakh.

Bike retailers say, in the North a lot of people instead of buying their first used car prefer to invest that money to upgrade to a superbike. Sales of these bikes are not limited to the metros alone, with tier-II and tier-III cities also witnessing some traction in the North and almost all the brands have presence in Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana with BMW as the latest entrant in the tricity.monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24

The Chandigarh Administration on Monday issued an advisory stating that due to heavy rains, parents are advised not to send their children to schools in the afternoon shift.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Chandigarh, has said that the weather would start improving from Tuesday.

He said: This was the last spell of the monsoon rains. The monsoon will start retreating from September 30 onwards. This monsoon has been the wettest since 2010.

Meanwhile, it has been raining since Saturday late night.

The maximum temperature was recorded at 25.7 degree Celsius, which was 8 degrees below the normal.

There is a possibility of light rain on Monday. Thereafter, the weather will start improving. From Tuesday onwards, there will be dry weather, said Surender Paul, Director, IMD Chandigarh.ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Rewari, September 23

Ten days after a 19-year-old college girl from Rewari district was allegedly gangraped, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Haryana Police on Sunday arrested two key accused, including an Army man.

Pankaj Fauji and Manish of Naya Gaon village were nabbed from Satnali in Mahendragarh district.

The other accused  Nishu Phogat, Deendayal, owner of the tubewell room where the girl was allegedly raped, and Sanjeev Kumar, a medical practitioner  are already behind bars.

Pankaj and Manish were nabbed in Satnali town at 5 am. They had buried their cellphones before escaping, Nuh SP Naazneen Bhasin, the SIT head, announced.

She said the two, aided by petty criminals, remained in hiding at various locations along the Rajasthan border, at times in the fields, and at dharamshalas and dhanis.

The accused were sighted in Bikaner, Ranthambore and Gogamedi in Rajasthan as well as in Uttarakhand. The SIT, that worked round the clock, followed every lead, Bhasin said, adding the police were on the lookout for those who had sheltered the absconders.

The SIT chief said they did not rule out the possibility of more persons having been involved. It was an organised crime. The tubewell room had been reportedly used for nefarious activities in the past too. The SP said Nishu appeared to be the mastermind.

The girl was abducted at a bus stop in Kanina in Mahendragarh on September 12. She was allegedly drugged and gangraped.  TNSeditorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Hisar, September 24

Haryana Minister of State for Public Health and Engineering Banwari Lal has directed that the occupation of government land for illegal activities like setting up roti bank should be cleared immediately.

Presiding over a meeting of the Grievance Redressal Committee here on Monday, the minister asked the district administration to initiate a probe into the firms that are operating multi-level marketing system in the region.

Acting on his directions, Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar Meena constituted a committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner Amarjeet Singh Mann to inquire into these kinds of firms.

A number of such firms have surfaced in Hisar and adjoining districts and have duped people of crores of rupees in the name of multiplying their money.

Co-incidentally, the promoters of the fraud chit fund firm Future Maker were also providing funding to the roti bank in the Green Square market in Hisar.

The minister appealed to the people that those who have been victimised in such cases could give their complaints to the Additional Deputy Commissioner without hesitation.

In the matter of Future Maker, Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar Meena instructed the officers to seize every type of property realised from the earned income of this company even if taken on some other name.

Meanwhile, the minister was apprised that some people have occupied the area for roti bank on the green belt in front of the old government college and illegally kept cows on the government land in front of the community centre at Patel Nagar.

The minister said all such illegal occupation should be cleared immediately.

Following the complaints, the minister urged the authorities to start a campaign to catch stray cattle in the city. The DC assured that the campaign would start soon and also assured that illegal possession on government land would be removed.

Out of the total of 16 cases, the minister resolved 13 cases on the spot. In the remaining cases, he gave necessary directions to the officers concerned for their resolution.

Dealing strictlyeditorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24

Widespread rainfall across the state has resulted in damage to life and property as two persons died in Ambala while farmers hopes of having a bumper Kharif crop were dashed.

Meanwhile, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Capt Abhimanyu has sought a report on the damage to life and property from the DCs concerned within four days. The special girdawari for crop loss would also be part of this report, Capt Abhimanyu said.

In Ambala, one man was killed while one sustained injuries after the roof of a room collapsed in Jandli area on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Dharampal (45), while the injured has been identified as Prahlad (42). Manish (17), who was also inside the room, escaped unhurt.

Meanwhile, one woman was killed and seven people sustained injuries after a tree fell on a car near Garnala Village. Sources said the victims were on their way from Kot village in Panchkula to Jaggi Colony in Ambala to attend a bhog. As they reached the Ambala-Naraingarh road near Garnala Village, a tree fell down on their car and the driver lost his control over the vehicle, which went off road. The deceased has been identified as Kailasho Devi.

In Hisar, the continuous rain dashed the hopes of farmers to garner a good Kharif crop.

The farmers said the rain had done extensive damage to cotton, paddy, moong, gwar and bajra crop.

Om Prakash, a farmer of Kheri Barkhi village, said he had lost around two acres of cotton crop due to rain. I expected a good crop this year. The rain, just at the nick of time when the plucking season is about to start, has completely damaged the crop, he said.

The Agriculture Department has, however, stated that cotton crop had suffered around 40 per cent loss while paddy crop had suffered around 15-20 per cent loss. Bajra, moong and gwar crops were the worst affected with more than 50 per cent loss due to rain.

Vinod Phogat, Deputy Director (Agriculture), Hisar, said reports were still being compiled from the field. We have received 3,500 complaints of damage to crops under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna, he said.

A report from Karnal said heavy rain had put paddy farmers in distress as the standing crop had been flattened across the district. As per the authorities, the early or short-duration varieties suffered the most. The farmers have demanded compensation for the losses. Meanwhile, as many as 300 farmers have approached the Agriculture Department to assess the loss due to rain and demanded compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.

The reports of flattened crop have been received from almost every part of the district, said Aditya Dabas, Deputy Director (Agriculture), Karnal. He said early and short-duration varieties, like PUSA-1509 and PR varieties, were the most affected. As of now, the loss has been estimated to be around 15 to 20 per cent and if the situation remained the same in the coming days, it could increase further.

Rishpal Malli, a farmer of Bodsham village, demanded compensation and said his entire paddy crop had been flattened.

In Kurukshetra, the agriculture authorities feared losses of up to 10 per cent.

Karamchand, Deputy Director (Agriculture), Kurukshetra, said the DC had held a meeting on Monday in which the officials were directed to expedite loss assessment exercise.

A field study to assess the damage would be completed in four- five days. Preliminary feedback from various blocks in the district had indicated that about 25 per cent area under paddy cultivation was inundated, he added.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

New Delhi, September 24

The Indian Air Force has rescued 21 people stranded on islets in the swollen Beas river in Himachal Pradesh over the last two days, officials said.

On Sunday, a request was received at Sarsawa Airforce Station around 2:30 pm from the Himachal Pradesh government to rescue its personnel struck due to incessant rain in Kullu.

Heavy rain and flash floods have disrupted normal life in parts of Himachal Pradesh.

The Beas river had swelled and people were stranded on islets, the Air Force said in a statement.

One Medium Lift Helicopter was launched from the Mighty Armour unit of Western Air Command based at Sarsawa.

The helicopter was piloted by Squadron Leaders Vipul Gupta and Dhiman was the co-pilot. The helicopter reached the spot and found 19 people stranded on an islet on the Beas river.

The pilot brought the helicopter to a low hover and the crew helped the stranded people into the aircraft. They were then flown to the local airfield of Bhuntar, the statement said.

On Monday, two youths were spotted on another small strip of land in the river. The helicopter, which was available at Bhuntar, was launched and the two persons were winched up since there was no place for the helicopter to land, the Air Force said.

The helicopter and its crew have been instructed to wait at Bhuntar airstrip should any other rescue is required.

Today restricted space, high winds speed, high tension cables and tall trees precluded the chance of landing hence we had to winch the two people. All rescued were reported to be safe and fine. We are on standby for any further requirements, Gupta said. PTIrchopra@tribunemail.com

<p><strong>Srinagar, September 24</strong></p> <p>A 45-year-old man, who was kidnapped by militants, was found dead on Monday in an orchard in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore area, police said.</p> <p>Mushtaq Ahmad Mirs body was recovered in the morning from an orchard in the Latti Shot area of Sopore in Baramulla district, a police official said.</p> <p>Mir was kidnapped by militants after they barged into his house in Sopores Harwan area in the north Kashmir district on Saturday night, he said.</p> <p>The body had been sent for post-mortem, the official said. <strong>PTI </strong></p>pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Srinagar, September 24

Director-General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir Dilbagh Singh and the Valleys top Army official Lt Gen A K Bhatt on Monday reviewed the security situation ahead of local bodies and panchayat elections at a meeting in Handwara of Kupwara district of the state.

The DGP and GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen Bhatt held a joint security review with the officers of Army, BSF, CRPF and police in the district police lines, Handwara, a police spokesman said.

The meeting was also attended by GOC Kilo Force Maj Gen D P Pandey, IGP CRPF Zulfikar Hassan, IGP Kashmir Zone S P Pani, SP Handwara Ashish Mishra and Commandants of Army and CRPF.

Addressing the officers, the DGP emphasised that the existing cooperation and synergy between different forces is to be further strengthened to combat the terrorism and also to ensure smooth conduct of the local governance elections.

Singh expressed happiness that the synergy exhibited by the security forces at the ground level is the best model of success for any force.

Irrespective of the colour of uniforms, all forces are doing their best in service of the nation, he said.

The DGP said improvement in the situation has been made possible by the sacrifices and good work of all the forces.

The anti-infiltration operations on borders by the Army have proved very successful as a number of terrorists who were infiltrating into the State were killed, he said, hailing the role of the CRPF in assisting the police in maintaining law and order.

The DGP later addressed a darbar of all police ranks of the district.

He appreciated the efforts made by police in maintenance of law and order in the state.

Acknowledging the sacrifices made by police in the line of duty, he assured the jawans that government is taking all possible measures for the welfare of the jawans.

Singh thanked the government for enhancement of ex-gratia relief for the personnel of J&K Police and SPOs in the recent time. PTIeditorial@tribune.com

Jammu, September 24

As the candidates are filing nomination papers, the Congress is concerned about their security in Kashmir as militant outfits have become aggressive.

The situation in Kashmir is very grim and lives of candidates are at risk. That is why the Congress has put a rider that the government should provide security to candidates and others involved in the election process, Sham Lal Sharma, senior Congress leader, told The Tribune.

The state had announced municipal elections in the state on September 15 despite the fact that two major political parties of the state, NC and PDP, had decided to boycott the same.

The Congress feels that the government should have taken all parties on board before announcing these elections. A sense of democracy hasnt prevailed as the direction is coming from a single person. The need of the hour was to take all parties on board, Sharma said.

He said in 1996, Farooq Abdullah was brought back from England to participate in the Assembly elections. The situation was not good at that moment too and candidates had to face a tough time, Sharma said.

Commenting on the Congress preparations for these polls, he said names of all candidates for the first phase of the elections had been approved by the committee and

the filing of nominations was in progress. Names are also being cleared for the second phase, Sharma said.  TNSeditorial@tribune.com

Lucknow, September 24

The government is ready for dialogue with everyone on the Kashmir issue, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday, days after India cancelled a foreign minister-level talks with Pakistan.

He, however, asserted that terrorism in the Kashmir valley was Pakistan-sponsored.

I think the (Kashmir) matter will be resolved. We are ready to talk to everyone, he told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the Central Zonal Council here.

Rajnath said as far as terrorism in J&K was concerned, all security agencies were working in coordination. Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored, he said.

India on Friday had called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in New York, barely 24 hours after agreeing to the engagement, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in J&K and Islamabad releasing postage stamps glorifying Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.

The Centre, last year, had appointed former director of the Intelligence Bureau Dineshwar Sharma as its representative to hold talks with all stakeholders in J&K.

Sharma has already held several rounds of dialogue with representatives of different groups, civil society members and individuals.

About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the Home Minister said out of 22 points, 20 had been resolved. In the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues had been discussed and of them, 428 resolved, he added.

The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The councils meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any.

Five Zonal Councils  central, western, northern, southern and eastern  were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.  PTIuttara@tribuneindia.com

Srinagar, September 24

A commando from Kotla Khurd area of Gurdaspur in Punjab and three unidentified militants were killed in an ongoing counter-infiltration operation in the Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

The slain commando has been identified as Lance Naik Sandeep Singh (30) of the 4 Para unit. He had joined the Army in June 2007. The number of militants killed in the operation, which began along the LoC on Saturday afternoon, has gone up to five. Two unidentified militants were killed in the operation on Sunday.

Srinagar-based defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said three more militants were killed in the operation on Monday. The operation was launched by the Army after noticing suspected movement near Pathri Behak, Tangdhar, over 190 km from Srinagar.

Since Saturday, the Army has been able to establish contact with the militants eight times in the dense forest area. The latest contact with the militants was established on Monday morning, leading to the killing of three more militants and the commando. Police sources say the bodies of four militants had been retrieved.  TNSgspannu7@gmail.com

Lucknow, September 24

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the government is ready to talk to everyone over the Kashmir issue, while asserting that terrorism in the Valley is Pakistan-sponsored.

After a meeting of the Central Zonal Council here, he told reporters, I think the matter will be resolved. We are ready to talk to everyone. As far as terrorism is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination.

Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored, he said.

Barely 24 hours after agreeing to the engagement, the government Friday called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in New York, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps glorifying Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.

About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the home minister said out of 22 points, 20 have been resolved, adding in the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues were discussed of which 428 were resolved.

At the meeting, progress of implementation of recommendations made at the last meetingon need to increase density of roads and upgrading existing roads, assistance required to combat Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) and modernisation of police forces were discussed, an official release issued here said.

Singh said it has been the objective of the present government to strengthen the institution of zonal councils as well as the inter-state council to promote and maintain a good federal atmosphere of cooperation among states and the Centre.

Besides Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivedra Singh Rawat, respectively, the meeting was attended by representatives from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well.

The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The councils meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any.

Five zonal councilscentral, western, northern, southern and easternwere established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.  PTIeditorial@tribune.com

Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

NN Vohras departure from Raj Bhawan as Governor of J&K last month violated all norms of constitutional decorum while he was on an official visit to New Delhi to fix his date of leaving.

No less confounding was the manner in which his successor Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik, a seasoned politician, was made to take over with no prior intimation to Vohra to enable him to pack up his things.

Kashmir was shocked. This made the Valley wonder what the Centre would do to other institutions when it could humiliate the Governor who had served the state for over a decade and handled critically sensitive issues deftly.

Sources told The Tribune that Vohra was in New Delhi on August 21 on an official visit with the prior approval of the President to meet the Prime Minister and the Home Minister the next day to fix the date of his departure. The Centre had requested him to stay on to oversee the peaceful conduct of the Amarnath yatra even after his extended term beyond 10 years was over. And Vohra had fixed his meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh for August 22 to tell them that he wanted to leave the office by August-end. But little did he know that the announcement of his removal would flash on TV screens within minutes of his landing in the Capital.

Malik was asked to take over immediately. He reached Srinagar on August 22 when Kashmir was celebrating the first day of Eid-ul-Adha. Kashmir celebrates Eid for at least two days. Next day Malik was sworn in as the new Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, while Vohra was still in Delhi.

Vohra was humiliated, commented seasoned Kashmir affairs expert Tahir Mohiuddin, who edits Urdu newspaper Chattan. He had served the state for 10 years, what would have happened had the Centre given him 10 days time to depart in grace. Kashmiris could not give him a proper farewell. It was an unprecedented impropriety, Mohiuddin observed.

Vohra had already completed two successive terms of five years each on June 25. He could have been relieved of his charge in June, but that was not done. The Centre wanted him to stay on. He agreed because he did not want to embarrass the Centre. But the same courtesy was not extended to him, observed a senior government functionary.

The Centre needed an experienced hand to tackle all challenges that come with the conduct of the annual Amarnath yatra. Vohra had earned a name for himself when he brought the state back from the brink in 2008 when it was caught in the flames of communal frenzy.

He had defused the situation, conducted the yatra smoothly in the most difficult situation and also conducted the Assembly elections on time.

That would always be remembered as his greatest achievement, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had told The Tribune, the day Governors rule was imposed in the state for the fourth time during Vohras tenure. He is an asset to the state, he should be retained till the time things stabilise, Omar said.

The former Governors suggestion that the matter of dealing with the legal challenge to Article 35A of the Indian Constitution that confers special rights and privileges on the permanent residents of the state be left to the elected government has now been aired by his successor publicly. Vohra had also warned against installing any government by splitting parties, something that Malik, too, has promised not to do. The question that Kashmir is asking is what wrong had Vohra committed by upholding his principles of guarding the Constitution.

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had observed: Vohra stood by his principles and he would be remembered for that by us all.traineesubeditor@tribuneindia.com

Wilmington (US), September 24

The cast of "One Tree Hill" (OTH), who spent years shooting the popular teen drama in Wilmington, North Carolina, have come together on the 15th anniversary of the show's premiere to lend their support to rebuild efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Florence.

Many of the show's stars took to Instagram over the weekend to share the word about relief efforts and information on where fans can donate or volunteer. They called on all those who loved the series to lend a helping hand to the city that served as the fictional town of Tree Hill, reports etonline.com.

Sophia Bush, who starred as Brooke Davis, was of the cast members who took to Instagram on Sunday  15 years to the day after the show premiered.

"If One Tree Hill felt like home to you too, please consider supporting the Carolinas alongside us with our Cape Fearless Challenge to raise funds for Florence recovery," Bush wrote.

James Lafferty  who played Nathan Scott, and, like Bush, was one of the actors who served as a main character on the show for all nine seasons -- also thanked fans for their love on the milestone anniversary.

"Thanks to everyone sending their love on the 15th anniversary of One Tree Hill's premiere," Lafferty wrote.

"Looking back today, I remember so much of what I loved about the show was where it was shot: Wilmington, North Carolina."

"This is a truly special place with a heart and soul all its own and at the moment, the people of Wilmington are still hurting in the wake of Hurricane Florence. If you'd like to give back to the place that gave us #OTH, there are a couple ways to do so.

"You can visit the good people at redcross.org by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or texting FLORENCE to 90999 to make a donation," Lafferty continued.

Lafferty also promoted a special T-shirt, designed by "the women of One Tree Hill", that is being sold to benefit relief efforts.

Hilarie Burton, who starred as Peyton Sawyer, took to Instagram on Thursday to show off the charity T-shirt design, which features an outline of the state of North Carolina, with the word "love" incorporated into the state border, reports etonline.com.

Co-star Chad Michael Murray, who played Lucas Scott, took to Instagram on September 11 to spread awareness of the danger and voice his support for the residents of Wilmington.

Hurricane Florence tore through Cape Verde and Bermuda before hitting North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Virginia, leading to a total of 45 deaths, with 32 of those killed hailing from North Carolina.  IANS.KL Noatay

KL Noatay

THERE is lot of hullabaloo over the irrational distribution of teachers in government schools of Punjab. While some schools at attractive stations have too many teachers for too few students, some schools at unpopular stations have too many students but no teacher. For instance, Government Middle School, Kothe Malana, Bathinda, the ancestral village of a bigwig in the states governance, has three teachers for only one class VIII student. In contrast, Government Primary School Wasawa Singh Wali, Amritsar, has 226 students, but no teacher. The oddity in present-day student-teacher ratio in government schools impels one to recall a queer, but interesting incident about posting teachers in East Punjab during the early 1950s.

The legendary Partap Singh Kairon, who went on to become the Chief Minister of Punjab, was the Education Minister in the Gopi Chand Bhargava government. To ensure that teachers devoted themselves wholeheartedly to teaching and were not preoccupied with personal domestic chores, he had ordered the Director of Education not to post any teacher within a radius of 10 miles of the teachers native village. That was the era when politicians did not meddle in transfers of individual employees. That competency was vested in the departmental district heads.

In compliance of the directive of the Education Minister, a lot of teachers were shifted this way and that, making life miserable for many.

Kairon used to visit places, especially rural landscape, in disguise to see whether teachers were teaching well. One morning, attired as a typical villager, Kairon headed towards a particular school for random check. To camouflage the real purpose of the visit, he took a young boy along for admission as a test case. Having reached the school, the two sat awaiting the arrival of the teacher concerned. As the bell struck 10, a breathless lady teacher rushed in. Kairon stood up, wished the teacher and said, Bibi eh munda daakhal karauna ein (Madam, this boy needs admission). The teacher, without making eye contact, blurted out: Baba baehja. Prarthana taan karwa lein de. Beda gharaq hoavay Kairon da jinenh 10 mile da quanoon banaya (Wait, have some patience. Let me conduct the school prayer. Cursed be Kairon for his 10-mile rule)! Kairon got the boy admitted and came out of the school incognito, without uttering a word.

Back, Kairon pondered over what the teacher had said. He discussed it with the Secretary Education, and also the Chief Minister. A consensus was reached to roll back the 10-mile directive.

The present-day government in Punjab should take remedial measures to check the uneven distribution of teachers in schools, for the welfare of the teachers as well as students.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24

The Congress today intensified its offensive against the Narendra Modi government on the Rafale issue by petitioning the Central Vigilance Commission to register a case of alleged corruption and seize all documents relating to the deal.

In a fresh twist to the Rafale purchase agreement, the party stopped short of demanding cancellation of the deal, saying it should not be irreversible. The ruling BJP returned fire, terming the issue as an international conspiracy against PM Modi and citing tweets by former Pakistan minister Rehman Malik, who called Congress president Rahul Gandhi Indias next Prime Minister.

The Congress advocated reversibility of the Rafale deal when asked if it wanted the deal cancelled. The Indian Air Force has been demanding fighter jets to regain squadron strength for 18 years now, with the first Rafale jet expected to arrive by September 2019.

We have no issue with the Rafale jets. But the deal has to be examined. All documents have to be frozen. The government must send a warning to Dassault Aviation that jets could be returned if something is found wrong with the deal. We are not for irreversibility of the deal, said Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi.

Petitioning the CVC, a delegation of Congress leaders demanded a probe into the Rs 41,000-crore scam involving alleged undue benefits to a private industrialist at the cost of defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

The government must disclose the price of 36 aircraft so the CVC can examine the serious allegations of corruption. We request the CVC to undertake its statutory duty by examining the record threadbare so that corruption, crony capitalism, violation of law and procedure and loss to public exchequer is brought out at the earliest, the party memorandum said. It also referred to former French President Francois Hollandes recent remarks that France did not have a choice in the offset partners selection and was given only one name  that of Reliance Defence. The Congress also alleged that the PM unilaterally decided to buy 36 jets off the shelf from France on April 10, 2015, without consulting the Defence Acquisition Council. The UPA deal of 126 jets was alive when PM Modi struck a fresh deal with France. The UPA deal was cancelled much later and post-deal clearances taken from Cabinet Committee on Security against rules. No one but the PM, the private industrialist who incorporated a defence firm 10 days before the deal and Hollande knew of the April 10, 2015, agreement, Singhvi said, citing then Foreign Secretary S Jaishankars April 8, 2015, remarks about the deal not being on the agenda.

On BJP allegations allegations of collusion between the Congress and Hollande and now between the Congress and Pakistan, Singhvi said, Nothing can be more laughable. You go to France and strike a deal with Hollande and you accuse us of collusion?

Adding a fresh twist, the BJP alleged that the Congress wanted the deal to be cancelled as Gandhis brother-in-law Robert Vadra wanted the defence contract for his businessman friend Sanjay Bhandari. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the BJP would lead a nationwide campaign to fight the perception battle on the issue.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24

Tension erupted at Dyal Singh College on Monday after principal IS Bakshi suspended student union president Rohit Awana without specifying any reason.

Furious, the students went on the rampage. Chairman of the College Governing Council Amitabh Sinha said classes of both morning and evening colleges had been suspended. He held the college principal responsible for the trouble.

I asked the principal the reasons for Awanas suspension. When he failed to give a satisfactory reply, I ordered an inquiry and asked him to go on leave. A probe is also being conducted into financial and administrative irregularities by a senior IPS officer, Sinha said.

Principal Bakshi said he received a mail by the governing body late in the evening, saying there were complaints of bungling. I was asked to hand over the college keys to the evening college principal.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (South District), Vijay Singh, said they had not received any complaint so far. It is solely an issue between the governing body and the teachers.uttara@tribuneindia.com

New Delhi, September 24

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will soon file a charge sheet under the anti-money laundering law against the Sandesara brothers, promoters of a Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company, wanted in an over Rs 5,000 crore alleged bank loan fraud case, officials said Monday.

The central probe agency will subsequently seek Interpol red corner notices (global arrest warrants) against the brothers and other accused based on this criminal complaint even as their exact locations remains unknown and changingfrom UAE to Nigeria, the officials said.

The charge sheet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is expected to be filed before a special court here within the next fortnight, they said.

The ED had earlier filed few charge sheets, called prosecution complaints, in this case against other accused.

The agency said it had registered a PMLA case against the Sandesara brothersChetan Jayantilal Sandesara and Nitin Jayantilal Sandesaraand their Vadodara-based company Sterling Biotech Limited and others on October 27 last year, two days after a case of alleged bank fraud of Rs 5,700 crore and corruption was filed against them by the CBI.

"Loans to the tune of Rs 5,700 crore was disbursed by various banks during the years 2004-2012. Look Out Circulars (LOCs) were opened against the accused in August 2017.

"During the course of investigation, three persons were arrested, one of them Gagan Dhawan, who was close to the power centre when the loans were sanctioned," the ED said in a statement.

It added that the agency has already attached properties worth Rs 4,703 crore and is looking for "more properties and trails for the proceeds of crime" in this case.

The ED and the CBI have booked the company, its directors the Sandesara brothers, Dipti Chetan Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Vilas Joshi, chartered accountant Hemant Hathi, former director Andhra Bank Anup Garg and some unidentified persons in connection with the alleged bank fraud case.

It is alleged that the company took loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank, which had turned into non-performing assets.

According to the FIR, the total pending dues of the group of companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on December 31, 2016. The ED has taken cognisance of this FIR to file its PMLA case. PTIrchopra@tribunemail.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24

The Supreme Court on Monday referred petitions challenging the validity of female genital mutilation practised among Dawoodi Bohra Muslims to a five-judge Constitution Bench after Attorney General KK Venugopal made the request.

I am of the opinion that this matter should be referred to a Constitution Bench, Venugopal told a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra.

Petitioners opposed it saying each and every case couldnt be sent to a Constitution Bench.

This is not a question of every case. This is a very important case, said senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi who represented the Dawoodi Bohra community.

Earlier, during the hearing, the top court had questioned the practice of female genital mutilation among Bohra Muslims, saying none should have the right to violate bodily integrity of women.

The Bench--which also included Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud--had in July pointed out that such act would also amount to a crime under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Why anybody should be allowed to touch the genitals of a human being? Why bodily integrity should be violated and compromised? it had asked.

Two Bohra women have moved the top court seeking to ban female genital mutilation, contending it violates rights of Bohra Muslim girl children; it causes pain during menstruation, sexual intercourse and urination and adversely affects their libido.

The Attorney General had earlier supported the petition citing a World Health Organisation (WHO ) report which said female genital mutilation adversely affected the health of girls.

On behalf of the Bohra Women Trust, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi had opposed the petition, saying it was an essential part of the Dawoodi Bohra communitys religious practice and hence protected under Article 25 of the Constitution which guarantees right to religion. He demanded that the issue should be sent to a constitution bench.

If women did not want it then no one could impose it on them, the CJI had said.

The Supreme Court had in May 2017 issued notices to the Centre and governments of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan on a PIL seeking a ban on age-old practice of female genital mutilation followed by Dawoodi Bohra Muslims.

It had asked the Centre and the three states to spell out their stand on the controversial practice which many activists term as violation of fundamental rights of women. The followers of this sect mainly reside in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Petitioner Sunita Tiwari, an advocate, demanded a law against female circumcision on the grounds that it violated child rights of Bohra Muslim girls.

Popularly known as khatna, female genital mutilation involves cutting off the clitoral head which, many Bohras believe, makes women lead a life of infidelity. Its generally done at a young age by midwives in unhygienic conditions.

According to WHO, it often leads to repeated infections, cysts, infertility, childbirth complications requiring repeated surgeries. The UN General Assembly had in 2012 adopted a unanimous resolution on elimination of this practice. The National Commission for Women, too, supported ban on the practice.

The practice...also amounts to causing inequality between the sexes and constitutes discrimination against women...It amounts to serious violation of the rights of children as even minors have a right of security of person, right to privacy, bodily integrity and the freedom from cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment, the petition read.

In the past few years, many women from the community have spoken out against the practice and even launched online campaigns to end what is seen as a patriarchal tradition to curb female sexuality.monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24

In a fresh controversy on Monday, the government contradicted Congress president Rahul Gandhi who on Saturday said that the former SPG Chief had quit his post because he was being forced to fill the skilled force with RSS recruits.

Gandhi made these comments during his interaction with some 3,000 professors and teachers at Siri Fort auditorium on Saturday as part of his civil outreach.

Refuting Gandhi, the Ministry of Home on Monday issued a statement saying it had verified the matter with the former SPG Chief who denied ever having had any such conversation with Gandhi.

It has been reported that Rahul Gandhi, during an interaction at New Delhi on Saturday, had commented that the SPG Chief appointed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to quit because he refused to accept a list of SPG officers handpicked by the RSS. The matter has been verified. The officer in question Vivek Srivastava, former Director, Special Protection Group (SPG), has specifically averred that he did not have any such conversation with Rahul Gandhi at any point of time, an MHA statement said.

The government quoted the officer saying that as part of his professional duties he interacted with SPG protectees; however, he categorically said that during his interaction with Gandhi, there was no talk whatsoever regarding the appointment of a new Director, or the reasons for his leaving SPG.

SPG is a professional organisation, which takes its task of protecting serving Prime Ministers, former Prime Ministers and their families entrusted to its security, very seriously and in the highest professional spirit. The comment reportedly made by Gandhi through the media is baseless, devoid of fact and unfortunate, coming from an SPG protectee, the MHA said.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24

India has welcomed the results of the Sunday elections in the island nation of Maldives. Joint opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohammed Solih, also the brother-in-law of exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed, polled in nearly 58 per cent of the almost 90 per cent votes cast in the elections.

Incumbent President Abdulla Yameen was defeated and later accepted it in a televised speech after a meeting with Solih in Male.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled and congratulated President-elect Solih later today,

The prime minister also conveyed his good wishes for the strengthening of democracy, peace and prosperity in Maldives under the leadership of Solih, said the government statement.

India was among the first foreign countries to welcome the election results, calling it a triumph of democratic forces in the Maldives in a statement released early this morning..

The United States congratulates the people of Maldives, who peacefully raised their democratic voices to determine the future of their country, said State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert.

South Block is relieved with the results amid deep concerns expressed by US, EU, India and other countries about muzzling of democratic institutions by Yameen and fairness of polls in the run up.

Sources say New Delhis policy of waiting it out and not flexing military muscles despite demands from certain sections of opposition Maldivian parties when Yameen clamped emergency in February, was a sensible one in hindsight.

As of now Delhi along with Beijing, which is yet to react to results, will watch closely the internal power transition process with Yameen expected to leave office on 17th November.

Ibrahim Solih is a quiet person. He knows social-cultural ethos of Maldivian people inside outside . He does not speak out of turn and will be likely happy to take guidance from India in spirit of friendship and cooperation, said a senior official.

Conceding defeat, Yameen, who jailed top leaders and judges including his half-brother and former dictator Gayoom in his controversial term, said, The citizens of Maldives had their say yesterday. I accept that result.I have served the Maldivian public sincerely.

Of importance for New Delhi will be normalising people-to-people ties which took a hit when Indian professionals were denied work visas by Maldivian companies at behest of the government last few months.

The matter of return of two Advanced Light Helicopters gifted by India and Yameens close ties with Beijing became an irritant in ties.

While Delhi expects Solih to go in for course correction, a complete recalibration with Beijing is realistically not expected.

A certain substantial amount of cooperation will go on with China even under the new government in Male. But we should really see that our interests our protected and strengthened instead of getting rattled about Beijing, said a senior diplomat.

Also on the cards will be a possible visit by PM Modi after the power transition to Maldives, the only neighbouring country he has so far not visited citing citing internal political turbulence.

The two leaders agreed to work closely together to further strengthen the close, friendly and good neighbourly relations between the two countries, added the official Indian statement.

Meanwhile, former President Nasheed who observed the elections from Colombo announced he would attend the oath-taking ceremony of Solih.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Washington, September 24

Indias reluctance to hold talks with Pakistan will not make Islamabad abandon its efforts to promote peace in the region, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said, days after New Delhi cancelled the foreign minister-level meeting in New York.

Addressing a news conference at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington on Sunday, Qureshi said India used incidents that happened in July to cancel peace talks that it agreed to in September.

India on Friday cited the brutal killing of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the release of the postal stamps glorifying Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani for calling off the meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this month.

India is reluctant; we will not close our doors, Qureshi said.

Hiding away from issues will not make them disappear. It will not improve the situation in Kashmir, he was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

The foreign minister said he was unable to understand Indias refusal to participate in peace talks with Pakistan.

Engagement, no-engagement. Coming, not coming. We desired talks as we believe the sensible way is to meet and talk. They agreed, and then disagreed, he said.

Qureshi said Indias response to Pakistans peace offer was harsh and non-diplomatic.

We did not use a non-diplomatic language in our rejoinder. Our response was mature and measured. They adopted a new approach, and moved back, he said.

The foreign minister also alleged that Swarajs language and tone was unbecoming of a foreign minister, the report said.

Asked if tensions between India and Pakistan could lead to a war between the two countries, Qureshi said, Who is talking of war? Not us. We want peace, stability, employment and improving lives. You identify where is the reluctance.

Qureshi said Pakistans desire for peace should not be mistaken for a sign of weakness.

We want peace. It does not mean we cannot defend ourselves against aggression. We can, but we do not have an aggressive mindset, he said.

Qureshi also rejected Indias concerns over the release of postal stamps glorifying a slain Kashmiri militant, saying hundreds of thousands of people are fighting in Kashmir, not all of them are terrorists.

The foreign minister also reiterated Pakistans offer to open the Kartarpur corridor for allowing Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the historic gurdwara on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

India initially agreed to a meeting between Swaraj and Qureshi, but later said it would be meaningless to hold talks after the two deeply disturbing developments.

Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived following a spate of terror attacks on Indian military bases by Pakistan-based terror groups since January 2016.

Following the strikes, India announced it would not engage in talks with Pakistan, saying terror and talks could not go hand-in-hand. PTIpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Amethi (UP), September 24

Firing fresh salvo at the Prime Minister on the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday charged countrys chowkidar Narendra Modi with snatching away money from the poor and handing it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

He asked the Prime Minister for answers on why Rafale price was not disclosed and how Ambani got the contract.

The chowkidar of the country has taken out Rs 20,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, martyrs and the jawans and put it in the pocket of Ambani, Gandhi said at a meeting in the Jais area of his constituency.

The Congress chief arrived here on a two-day visit, the first after his Kailash Mansarover pilgrimage, and said the people of the country wants to know the amount involved in the Rafale deal.

Why was the price not disclosed...how was the contract given to Ambani... serious charges have been levelled by former French president Francois Hollande, he said.

Recalling that during a debate in Parliament on Rafale deal, The Prime Minister could not look me in the eye. The PM gives speeches but no answers... he does not have the courage to give reply.

Under the BJP government, the farmers and poor are crying... the present government is providing all benefits to a selected five to ten people, he said, adding people like Anil Ambani, Vijay Mallaya and Lalit Modi are getting all benefits.

The Reliance Group, in a statement quoting Ambanis letter to Congress president Rahul Gandhi last month, had said, Allegations of Reliance benefitting by thousands of crores is a figment of imagination, promoted by vested interests. Simply put, no contract exists with the Government of India.

French company Dassault, which is supplying the fighter jets, has entered into a joint venture with the Reliance Group to meet its offset obligations to create business for Indian firms, following the Rafale deal. PTIeditorial@tribune.com

Lucknow, September 24

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday reiterated his demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to unravel the truth behind the Rafale deal.

Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modis silence on the questions being raised by him as intriguing, Gandhi charged Modi of giving long speeches but never uttering a word on Rafale or allegedly helping his industrialist friend bag the deal.

Addressing a meeting in Jais, Gandhi said, The chowkidar of the country has taken out Rs 20,000 crore from the pockets of the poor, martyrs and the jawans and put it in the pocket of his industrialist friend. He asked why 10-day-old Reliance Defence was given the contract to make the aircraft.

For Gandhi, it was a welcome with a difference when he reached his parliamentary constituency of Amethi on Monday on a two-day visit. The rousing welcome was clearly a continuation of the euphoria after his recent Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. He garlanded a portrait of Lord Shiva. The Kanwaria Sangh welcomed him with chants of Bam Bam Bhole and Har Har Mahadev. Gandhi was presented an image of Lord Shiva and his forehead was smeared with sandalwood paste.  TNSpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24

Should politicians against criminal charges have been framed by a court of law be debarred from contesting polls?

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra is to deliver its verdict on the issue on Tuesday.

The Bench, which also includes Justice RF Nariman, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra, will deliver its verdict at 10.30 am on a PIL filed in 2011 by Public Interest Foundation which demanded debarring politicians facing serious criminal charges in order to de-criminalise Indian politics. It had reserved the verdict on the issue on August 28.

Ruling out any judicial legislation to check criminals entering Parliament and state legislatures, the Bench had last month wondered if it can ask the Election Commission not to allot symbols to recognised political parties candidates facing serious criminal charges, even as the NDA government vehemently opposed it.

The Bench had said it would consider directing the Election Commission to ask political parties to get their members disclose criminal cases against them to enable voters to know about alleged crooks attempting to enter the legislature.

Attorney General KK Venugopal had told the Bench that Article 102 provided for Parliament to make law on the issue and hence the top court should leave it to the wisdom of the parliamentarians. He had reminded the Bench of the concept of separation of powers.

Everybody understands that. We cannot direct Parliament to make a law. The question is what we can do to stem the rot, the Bench had commented.

But Venugopal had said what the court cant do directly; it cant do indirectly as even the direction to the Election Commission had the same effect of disqualifying someone from contesting.

Nobody is disqualifying anybody. What we may direct the Election Commission is that the election symbol of a political party be taken away if a person, facing criminal charges, is allowed to contest the election on its ticket, Justice Nariman clarified.

Taking serious note of people with criminal antecedents becoming members of Parliament and state Assemblies, the Bench had on August 9 said the problem can no longer be ignored by the legislature. It is the duty of the legislature to respond to the collective cry of the citizens. Today the citizens are saying please dont let such people contest electionsIt cant be ignored by the legislature Its a national thinking, it had said.editorial@tribune.com

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24

This was expected to be a year of abundance for lakhs of basmati growers in Punjab. The prices of both varieties grown here  PB 1121 and PUSA Basmati 1509  were expected to fetch much higher prices as compared to last year in view of the rising exports.

But incessant rain in the past three days has dashed the hopes of the basmati growers, especially in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts.

A special girdawari was ordered by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh after initial reports received by the Agriculture Department on Monday suggested lodging of crop at many places. Excessive rain at this juncture is likely to hit the yield, bring in diseases and affect its quality and even ripening.

Farmers, who had grown PUSA 1509 early, got up to Rs 2,500 per quintal remuneration last week, while the PB 1121 variety was sold in the mandis (from the last years leftover stock) for Rs 3,300 per quintal. It was after a gap of almost nine years that basmati was expected to fetch good returns for the farmers, hopes of which are now low as the crop is damaged by heavy rainfall in various parts of the state.

Jasbir Singh, Director, Agriculture, told The Tribune that this year, 4.5 lakh hectares area was under basmati cultivation. Though the extent of damage because of lodging will be known only after the special girdawari is done, chief agriculture officers have sent reports saying that maximum damage happened after Sundays spell. Till Sunday, our reports suggested minimal damage to basmati, only 4 per cent, paddy 3 and cotton 1. Now, the damage could be quite high, he said.

Meanwhile, there are reports of damage to horticulture crops too, especially in cases where the seeds of vegetables were planted earlier. PS Aulakh, Director, Horticulture, said vegetables would cover 2.58 lakh hectares in the state this year. At places, where early sowing of vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, methi and long gourd was done mainly in Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr, the damage could be quite high, if the water is not drained out of the fields immediately, he said.

SAD demands relief package for farmers

Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday demanded that the Congress government should come out with a comprehensive relief package for farmers whose crops have been damaged by incessant rainfall. They also asked why Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and his

ministers were missing from action at this hour of grave crisis. Former minister and SAD Kisan Wing president Sikander Singh Maluka said it was shocking that no relief had been announced by the Congress government to provide aid to the beleaguered peasantry which was facing an unimaginable crisis. We demand an immediate relief of Rs 15,000 per acre for damage to cotton and paddy crops and Rs 20,000

per acre for vegetable crops. This is an interim solution only. A more comprehensive relief can be awarded once all assessments are done, Maluka said. TNSeditorial@tribune.com

Mandi Ahmedgarh, Sept 24

At its Chhapaar Mela conference on Monday, the Congress boasted of victory in the rural polls, besides condemning the Badals for their alleged sinful acts, including sacrilege cases.

Cabinet minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot said: The people of Punjab can forgive the Badals for their role in pushing the Sikh youth on the path of terrorism, but they will never forgive them for their role in the sacrilege incidents.

Congratulating the party leaders and workers for the win in the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections, Dharamsot said the Congress government had been working tirelessly for the welfare of the people, which was finding favour with them as was evident from the poll results.

Lambasting SAD chief Sukhbir Badal and former CM Parkash Singh Badal for their alleged patronage to the drug mafia and exploitation of Sikhism for political benefits, Dharamsot said: Though terrorism has claimed over 25,000 lives, drug addiction and the blasphemous acts will affect the future generations too.  OC

Action will be initiated against the Badals in the sacrilege cases immediately after the state police officially take over the probe from the CBI. The father-son duo will be sent behind bars soon.Ravneet Bittu, Congress MPeditorial@tribune.com

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24

In a breather for the Punjab Government, Jaipur jail officials have approved the transfer of a Sikh convict, Harnek Singh Bhapp, to a Punjab jail. The case file is with the Rajasthan Home Department. Sources say the transfer will be a mere formality now.

The Punjab Government is under pressure from several Panthic organisations for the release or transfer to state jails of 20 Sikh convicts. The organisations have been sitting on a dharna at Bargari for about 120 days, seeking justice in incidents of sacrilege and police firing, and release or transfer of Sikh convicts.

On the insistence of these organisations and human rights activists, besides an ongoing struggle by Surat Singh, the state government had been successful in transferring 13 out of 20 Sikh convicts to Punjab jails so that their families or relatives could meet them more often.

Bhapp is undergoing life imprisonment for kidnapping Congress leader Rajinder Mirdha in Jaipur in February 1995. He was arrested in 2004.

The Rajasthan Government had last month disallowed a request of the Capt Amarinder Singh government to transfer Bhapp to a Punjab jail.

According to human rights activist Jaspal Manjhpur, who is pursuing the case of Sikh convicts and officials of the state Jail Department, the Rajasthan Government had earlier erroneously rejected the transfer of Bhapp. It had argued that Bhapp cannot be transferred to a jail outside Jaipur as he had appealed against his conviction in the Rajasthan High Court in Jaipur. So, it was convenient for security forces to produce him in court if he is housed in a jail nearest to the HC.

However, Manjhpur and the Ludhiana-based family of the convict sought revision of the decision on the plea that Bhapp had no other case, including a plea against his conviction, pending in Rajasthan or any other state. This means that there was no need for security arrangements for his court appearance.

Punjab jail officials said they had also written to the Rajasthan Government through the Punjab Home Department for re-considering Bhapps case.

Behind bars in kidnapping caseeditorial@tribune.com

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, September 23

Fresh rainfall in the region has left cotton and paddy growers worried, but kinnow growers are rejoicing as they claim that rain will help increase the size of the fruit.

Some kinnow growers from Muktsar and Fazilka districts said the fruit was almost at its ripening stage, but due to the dry spell its size was a bit small.

Now, if the rainfall remains normal and doesnt inundate the fields, it will increase the size of the fruit. However, if speedy winds start blowing, it may cause some damage to the fruit. As of now, the prevailing weather is good for the fruit, said Balwinder Singh Tikka, state awardee kinnow grower from Abul Khurana village in Muktsar district.

Similarly, advocate Mohit Setia, a kinnow grower from Sappanwali village in Fazilka district, said, So far, rain is good for the fruit. It will help in watering those plants, which were earlier drying due to shortage of canal water. Further, this is the purest form of water and more beneficial for the fruit. The fruit picking season will start in mid November, so if there is any kind of loss due to rain it can be covered in a month.

Some kinnow traders said they were also expecting good fruit this year. The fruit is by and large not affected from any disease and is expected to fetch a good price, they claimed.

Meanwhile, some paddy growers said the rain would cause damage to the growing crop.

At present, rain is not accompanied by wind. But still there is loss to the crop and if the wind starts blowing, it will flatten the crop, said Ranjeet Singh, a paddy grower from Gurusar village in Gidderbaha.

He added that the normal variety of paddy crop would ripen in 20 days. However, the basmati crop will take more time.gspannu7@gmail.com

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday announced shelving its proposed public meeting in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in a bid to expand its base.

SADs senior vice president and in-charge of Uttar Pradesh affairs Prem Singh Chandumajra, said, The meeting has been deferred due to heavy rains causing water logging at the venue and the roads approaching it.

The decision to call off the meeting was taken after party leaders inspected the venue ground this morning.

Chandumajra said the meeting would be held sometime in October on which decision will be taken soon.

The theme of the meeting will be Pagree ki pehchan, Sikhi ki shan.

The meeting was also aimed to mobilise people of Punjabi community in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand with regard to the forthcoming celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

Party president and former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal were to address the meeting, besides top Akali leaders. They will, however, address the meeting whenever it is organised.

Reports say SAD has been investing energy with regard the Saharanpur rally. The party has approached gurdwaras and their heads in Uttar Pradesh and the neighbouring state of Uttarakhand.

Chandumajra said the mobilisation campaign has evinced wide-ranging interest, including from non-Punjabis. Farming community has expressed support for the party, he said.

While other political parties are perceived to have divided the society on caste and communal lines, SAD is seen as uniting people. They acknowledge partys patron and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal as pro-farmers, Chandumajra said.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, Septemeber 24

Owing to heavy and incessant rain for the psst three days, all schools in the district have been closed for Monday.

The district administration took the decision of shutting down the schools after the Punjab government issued a flood alert.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner issued an official communique requesting the District Education Officer to immediately close down schools as a preventive measure.

While talking to The Tribune, ADC (General) Shaukat Ahmed Pare, said, As per the MET department, the situation is expected to improve by the evening; therefore, the communique of closing down the schools is only for Mnoday.

He said they would have a meeting with the MET department in the evening, and if the situation didnt improve they would close schools on Tuesday.

Ahmed said, We are closely monitoring the situation, and our teams are on standby.

Government school teachers said the administration should have declared holiday in the first place as the MET had issued a warning of heavy rain. The administration was late in declaring the holiday as the schools had already opened, they said.

Meanwhile, The Met department said Patiala had experienced 135.6 mm rain in the past 24 hours.

The Met department said the intensity of the rain would decline by the evening, however, it the rain would continue until midnight.traineesubeditor@tribuneindia.com

LONDON: Long-held assumptions that stepfathers are more likely to be responsible for child deaths than genetic parents  dubbed the 'Cinderella effect'  may be a myth, scientists say.

Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK suggest that differences in rates of child homicides by stepfathers and genetic fathers are considerably smaller than previously estimated.

These differences are unlikely to be explained by a biological relationship, they said.

The results indicate that the relative ages of fathers implicated in these crimes is more significant than whether they are the biological father of the child.

The researchers reviewed data from the UK Home Office Homicide Index between 2000 and 2015 and compared it with detailed population data from three large surveys for the same period.

Their findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, cast doubt on the so-called 'Cinderella effect', a theory first proposed by psychologists in the 1970s, which suggests there is a direct link between step-relationships and child abuse or homicide.

Those supporting the theory claim stepfathers have no genetic reason to invest parental resources in a child they are not biologically related to and so they are more likely to maltreat, abuse or even kill these children.

However, previous studies into child homicide only considered figures from children aged between 0 and 5 years.

Researchers widened the age range to look at children between birth and 17 years and found only a small difference between stepfathers' and genetic fathers' rates of homicide.

The team also looked at the ages of the fathers implicated in child homicides, an aspect also not considered in previous studies.

They found that most men convicted of these crimes are relatively young, and this was true of both stepfathers and genetically related fathers.

"In general, the data indicates that younger fathers are more likely to abuse or kill their children than older fathers, regardless of whether they are stepfathers," said Gavin Nobes, who led the study.

"Also, the population surveys show that stepfathers are, on average, much younger than genetic fathers. This means that the Cinderella effect can be at least partly explained by stepfathers' relative youth, rather than not being genetically related to their victims," said Nobes.

"There are many possible reasons for the link between parental age and child maltreatment - young parents are more likely to be on low incomes, perhaps less well-educated and possibly less equipped to cope with the stresses of parenthood," he said.

Another reason the Cinderella effect continues to attract attention is that individuals responsible for violence against children are sometimes recorded as a 'stepfather' for convenience, even when they are not.

Many may be short term or casual partners of the mother, with no significant relationship to the child, and not even living with them.  PTI.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Hong Kong, September 24

Charles K. Kao, who shared a 2009 Nobel Prize in physics for pioneering work in optical fiber technology that helped to lay the foundation for modern telecommunications, has died. He was 84.

Kao, a former vice chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, died Sunday in hospice care, according to the Hong Kong government and news reports. He suffered from Alzheimers disease but no cause of death was announced.

Kao was a researcher at ITT Corp. when in 1966 he and a colleague published a paper that showed pure glass fibers could be used for communication. That technology, along with developments in lasers, gave rise to a new industry.

Kaos work made the internet possible, The South China Morning Post newspaper said in an editorial.

Charles Kuen Kao was born Nov. 4, 1933, in Shanghai, according to a biography released by the Nobel Foundation. His mother wrote poetry and his father was an American-educated judge.

The family left in 1948 for Hong Kong, where Kao finished high school. He received a bachelors degree in electrical engineering from Woolwich Polytechnic in London.

Kao was vice chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1987-96. He helped to found its department of electrical engineering in 1970 during a leave from ITTs British subsidiary.

Kao was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2004. He and his wife, Gwen, set up a foundation in 2010 to raise awareness of the disease and promote support for people who care for sufferers.  APharinder@tribunemail.com

Kathmandu: Nepal has revived a deal with a Chinese state-owned firm to construct a USD 2.5 billion hydroelectric plant, that had been scrapped by the previous Sher Bahadur Deuba government, officials said. PM KP Oli's governmnt last week decided to hand over the 1,200 MW Budhi Gandaki project to the China Gezhouba Group Corporation. PTIgspannu7@gmail.com

Bridgewater (US), September 24

US President Donald Trump said on Monday a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is likely to take place quite soon.

Speaking at the United Nations, Trump said the relationship with the country whose leader he branded last year as Little Rocket Man is much improved.

He said Monday: It was a different world. That was a dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time.

Trump said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is working out the details for the second Trump-Kim meeting.

Kim requested a second meeting with Trump in a letter this month, and Trump said, We will be doing that.

Trump is set to meet with South Koreas Moon Jae-in later Monday to discuss North Korea and trade details.

Moon is expected to convey to Trump a personal message from Kim delivered at their inter-Korean talks last week.

President Trump is at the United Nations for his second general assembly meeting with world leaders since taking office and has participated in a counter-narcotics event.  APwe are first timers to Australia...coming from canada to Melbourne - arrive Jan 25. Want to attend the Aussie Open on Jan 26. Big Day I know....but it should be a good one at the Open. Is the only way through online websites.... there is a deadline soon ? Around how much are we looking at AU $ ?

Got an apartment in the CBD (flinders) for 5 days and then on to Sydney. Thx for your help.-:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:-

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We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.Domestic airline is Sansa. See . I do not think you can go direct, it is 2 flights via SJO. The last time I looked Sansa prices one way in between SJO and Osa ( DB of PJ, same fare) were US$145 pp, one way. It was not for the peak winter holidays time though.

I know you are travelling through a number of countries, CR being just one of them. Check the Sansa luggage weight restrictions.HI there,

We have 9 family members travelling to Vietnam over Christmas for 3 weeks (two in our 50s, 5 people in their 30s and a 2 year old and a 5 year old). Because we have such a large group, we know we might be restricted somewhat in some of our choices for places to stay and some activities, but because there are so many adults, we are ok with now and then splitting up and taking turns with the kids if there are activities that aren't appropriate for them. We only just booked the airfare from north america and are now frantically trying to read as many posts and books and websites as we can so that we can book accommodations and other flights during the busy Christmas season before flight prices, etc., go up or become unavailable.

Here is our first stab at an itinerary and we are very open to any suggestions you may have:

Day 1 Dec. 16: arrive in Hanoi at 10:30 am, Leisurely day, take walks and rest up.

Day 2 Dec. 17: museums, local sights, yummy food, maybe try to get up for a morning walk by the lake for the exercises (I don't want to get too invested in specific details or try to plan hour by hour because we just want to soak in the sights, the culture, the food, and not be rushing). We thought a water puppet show would be good this evening, and have heard that they book up way in advance so we should get tickets - still need to figure out where. We also thought maybe a cooking class would be fun for some of us (either here or in Ho Chi Minh City later in the trip).

Day 3 Dec. 1 8: Trip to Ha Long bay (we only just started researching this, and it's definitely a priority for us to try to go on some sort of trip to see the natural beauty there, but we've seen different opinions about whether to just take a day trip or not. Some have said that because the weather in December can be very overcast that a day trip is best rather than overnight. Your opinions?)

Day 4 Dec. 19: undecided yet...could stay in Hanoi or move on to next stop (flight to Da Nang)

Day 5 Dec. 20: We definitely think we would like to be in Hoi An for the lantern festival this evening. Yes we have heard it's touristy, but it also looks like lots of fun. We thought that Hoi An would be a good home base for this part of the trip, but others have said they prefer Da Nang. Any suggestions?

Day 6-9 Dec. 21-24: more hanging around the Da Nang region. Maybe heading to the beach with the kids. Definitely open to suggestions on the length of time in any place.

Day 10 Dec 25: fly to Phu Quoc. Mostly for relaxation.

Day 11-14 Dec 26-29: Phu Quoc

Day 15 Dec 30: fly to Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 16-22 Dec 31-January 6: it looks like there is tons to do in the area, museums, food, day trips, caves, but going to the Mekong River delta is huge on our list, especially seeing the floating market and seeing first hand what a unique area it is. Are day trips from HCMC recommended or should we be thinking of overnight trips?

Day 23 Jan. 7: fly home from SGN.

Thanks everyone for your advice! There are so many beautiful places to explore but we don't want to feel too rushed. Does this itinerary look ok? I also think Dalat is really gorgeous and if the flower festival is going on it's something my husband would really like but we aren't sure how to make it fit. Also we keep reading about home stays especially on the MR delta, but not sure that would even work with a family the size of ours (we are very open to any suggestions you have for accommodations as well!) and lastly, I guess as a group we are most interested in exploring beautiful landscapes, lots of walking (even some hiking), checking out bridges, towers, temples, rice paddies, pagodas, trying new food, learning about the culture, and enjoying our family time together. We aren't that interested in shopping or nightlife. Thanks again!

Edited: 3 years agoHi TA members,

We are a group of 5, including 2 senior citizens & 1 toddler, planning a late December break in Vietnam for about 10 days. This is the draft itinerary, would appreciate feedback on it..

Considerations : (i) decided to skip Sapa & Hue, (ii) Would not like to make too many stops due to the toddler.. (iii) if possible, would like to finish off the trip with some relaxation

Day1 - Arrive in Hanoi

Day2 & 3 - Hanoi > Halong Bay > Hanoi

Day4 - Hanoi

Day 5 - Hanoi > HCMC

Day 6 & 7 - HCMC, including day trip to Mekong Delta

Day 8/9/10 - ??

Questions:

1) Is it suggested to squeeze in Hoi An, between Hanoi & Saigon, for a couple of days ?

2) Alternatively, from HCMC can we go to Phu Quoc or Mui Ne for a couple of days, and which one would be recommended, given that we need to return to HCMC to catch the flight back to Singapore ?

Thank you !If you wonder why Christine Blasey Ford resisted coming forward for decades  why she waited so long to tell the world her claim that Brett Kavanaugh once sexually assaulted her  just ask Anita Hill. She could certainly tell you.

Hills life was forever changed by her allegation that Clarence Thomas, then a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, had made frequent lewd comments to her while he was her supervisor at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Hill gave a compelling account of a man who used his position to sexually harass her.

The committee, comprising middle-aged men, peppered her with hostile questions and then discounted her testimony. And they were hardly the only ones. Hill became a daily punching bag for the big men of the right-wing media axis, who questioned her motives, assaulted her character and impugned her integrity.

Republicans in the Oklahoma Legislature threatened to get her fired from her job as a law professor at the University of Oklahoma. Writer David Brock, then a dedicated right-winger, penned a hatchet job, The Real Anita Hill, in which he infamously called her a little bit nutty and a little bit slutty. (He has since recanted.) She received death threats.

There are many differences between Hills allegations and the charges made by Ford, a California college professor. But there is one way in which the episodes are very much alike: the atmosphere in which they were revealed. Despite the #MeToo movement, the cultural landscape has not changed as much as it should have since Thomas 1991 confirmation hearings. Women who make controversial accusations against powerful men are still treated like pariahs.

Ford, like Hill, has received death threats. She and her family have moved out of their home. According to her attorneys, Fords email account has been hacked, and she has been impersonated online.

The GOP-led Senate Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, is working overtime to grease the skids for Kavanaughs confirmation, short-circuiting a process that demands a more thorough investigation. As they did with Thomas, conservatives are determined to get their man on the bench, no matter how tainted or unfit he may be.

Ford alleges that Kavanaugh assaulted her at an unsupervised adolescent party when they were both in high school. She told The Washington Post that Kavanaugh pushed her into a bedroom, climbed on top of her and groped her through her bathing suit. When she tried to scream, she said, he covered her mouth. I thought he might inadvertently kill me, Ford told the Post. He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing.

That may not be true. Kavanaugh has vigorously denied the allegation. Still, Fords account deserves to be thoroughly investigated. In her telling, Kavanaugh was 17. Thats no youthful indiscretion. Had he been arrested at the time, he was old enough to be charged as an adult.

Ford, understandably, wants the FBI to investigate before she gives any public testimony. That way, other witnesses, if there are any, could be interviewed and their accounts evaluated. But the committee has resisted having the FBI involved. Perhaps Republican senators fear that a full investigation would simply lend weight to Fords accusations. Thats certainly what happened with Thomas.

Hills name was leaked to the news media from a confidential FBI report, which had been compiled as part of a routine vetting of Thomas. (Hill made her allegations public only after her name was leaked to reporters. That is very similar to the route taken by Ford, who first wrote a private letter to Democratic Sen. Diane Feinstein of California. Ford spoke to The Washington Post only after her name was leaked.)

By the time Hill finished her testimony, it was clear that she was telling the truth. But the Senate Judiciary Committee, led by then-Sen. Joe Biden, rushed to shut down the hearings. Other women were in the wings ready to testify, but they were not called. Instead, the Senate voted to impanel a jurist who clearly perjured himself under oath.

But that didnt matter to conservatives, who got Thomas reliable vote against reproductive rights, against civil rights, against equal justice for the accused. For the same reason, they will insist on confirming Kavanaugh.Nation Media Group Limited (NMG) is a widely established independent media house serving the East and Central African region with limitless services including print, broadcast, and electronic media. The company has accumulated unmatched regular readership from both the local and international population since its founding in 1960 by His Highness, the Aga Khan. NMG was first quoted in the Nairobi Stock Exchange in the wake of 1970's earning a reputation of a robust multi-media house in Kenya and beyond. As the company continues to expand, Nation Media Group contacts are fast rolling out to serve thousands of clients who frequently connect with the firm.

NMG gained status as the voice of the Kenyan people following independence and has over the years sustained a stable performance. Some of the contacts Nation Media Group has unveiled help in mobilizing different services, making inquiries, feedback, and reporting manageable. Read on for Nation Media Group email contacts, physical address, telephone, and social media presence.

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Source: Tuko Breaking NewsPortrait by Chip Proser



by Reese Erlich





Pyongyang-- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced today that he was resigning and appointing John Bolton as the country's new supreme leader.





Kim, apparently acting under duress, declared, "I've made important concessions on our nuclear weapons program but nothing seems to satisfy the USA. So let's see if Bolton can do it any better." Prior to his ascension to power, Bolton was Donald Trump's national security advisor known for his hardline anti-communist views.





Chairman Bolton, as he now prefers to be called, attended the Pyongyang press conference dressed in a blue Mao jacket buttoned at the collar. In an apparent concession to Korean custom, Chairman Bolton shaved his famous walrus mustache, noting that no previous North Korean leader had such prominent facial hair.





Bolton agreed to continue certain other North Korean customs. After the Pyongyang press conference, he was feted by 100,000 synchronized dancers packed into Rungrado May Day stadium. Others in the adoring crowd held up placards displaying the visage of Donald Trump, hair flapping in the wind.





Over a booming but antiquated public address system, Bolton declared, "I plan to reunify the two Koreas under my rule in order to promote peace, prosperity and free market capitalism."





The crowd erupted in spontaneous applause and unfurled banners of smiling workers, peasants and financial advisers.





Bolton announced that the name of the new country would be the People's Capitalist Democracy of Korea. The White House had originally decided on "The Trumpian State of Korea," but didn't want to offend local sensibilities.





Bolton's ascension to power came as the logical outcome of his policies. By raising demands impossible for North Korea to meet, regime change was the only remaining option. And who better to lead the new regime than John Bolton?





Bolton also announced the removal of South Korea's elected president, Moon Jae-in, who had objected to Bolton's policies for some time.





"U.S. troops based in Seoul will continue to maintain peace and stability under my rule," said Bolton. "We will hold free elections throughout the Korean peninsula sometime soon. A few miscreant South Korean politicians who have tried to obstruct progress will face justice at special U.S. courts established in Guantanamo, Cuba."





The surprising turn of events took place against a backdrop of acrimony within the Trump administration. Trump held a famous face-to-face meeting with Kim Jong-un in Singapore on June 12. Both sides agreed to denuclearization, but never agreed on a definition of that term, a flaw critics noted at the time.





A senior White House official said Trump never was able to spell denuclearization, "and certainly never comprehended its meaning." Trump relied on personal rapport with the leader he once called "little rocket man." Trump never developed a clear set of demands on North Korea, following the same approach he used in the Middle East and other world hotspots.





On the other hand, Bolton and other hard liners demanded that North Korea destroy all nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and nuclear production facilities before negotiations could even begin. Kim's definition of denuclearization meant freezing Korea's current number of atomic bombs and missiles.





Earlier this year Kim made concessions by halting nuclear and missile testing, and blowing up a nuclear test site. On September 18, he agreed to dismantle a missile test facility and launchpad. He also proposed to dismantle the Yongbyon plutonium processing facility.





In return Kim wanted the US and South Korea to sign a formal peace treaty ending the Korean War. The war ended in 1953 with a ceasefire, not a formal treaty.





The United States has been reluctant to sign such an agreement. "If we ended the war," Bolton had declared before he became chairman, "the US would have had to pull its troops out of South Korea. That's the last thing we wanted."





Bolton acted at a time when North and South Korea seemed to make significant progress during a Sept 18-19 meeting in Pyongyang. Both sides favored a peace declaration ending the Korean War, improved economic ties, and were pleased with a promise by Kim to visit Seoul. It would be the first such visit since the two Koreas were partitioned by outside powers after World War II.





Bolton said regime change came just in time.





"Had I not acted," said a triumphant Chairman Bolton, "North and South Korea might have resolved important issues by themselves."- The woman was kidnapped in Mombasa and discovered all the way in Nairobi three days ;ater

- Her 8-month pregnancy was gone when she was discovered

- She alleged to have been forcefully picked by six women from the coast

- A good samaritan found her in Majengo and she was taken to Radiant Hospital in Pangani where she is recovering

A pregnant Mombasa woman who was abducted on Thursday, September 20 has been found in Nairobi in the most bizarre circumstances.

Saida Abderehman was found outside Pumwani Mosque on Sunday, September 23 but she was not pregnant.

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READ ALSO: Sababu ya Gavana Obado kutaka Sharon Otieno auawe - DPP

READ ALSO: Body of missing Machakos boy found dumped in sack 24 hours after disappearance

Prior to the abduction, Abderehman was only weeks away from giving birth in what would have been her first child.

It remains unclear why her abductors wanted tp get rid of her pregnancy although there is a possibility Saida experienced a miscarriage following the ordeal.

She was found and taken to Radiant Hospital on Juja Road, Nairobi where she gave a detailed account of what transpired.

Saida was missing for two days before being found in Pumwani

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Governor Obado staring at life in prison over murder as aides cut deal with detectives

Confirming the incident, Mombasa Director of Criminal Investigations boss Jacob Kanake expressed his shock at the whole situation, adding that authorities were waiting on Saida to kake a full recovery before taking her comprehensive statement.

"We would want to know what happened. Whether she was really abducted or was part of the whole saga because the foetus is not with her and we are probing that," he said as quoted by Nation.

One relative divulged the victim described her kidnappers as being six women who had coastal accents. Saida somehow managed to escape early on Sunday morning before being discovered in Majengo.

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KENYA BREAKING NEWS - Former Nairobi Governor Dr. Evans Kidero Troubles with the EACC | Tuko TV:

Source: Tuko- Sharon's uncles was allegedly attacked by unknown people who wanted to abduct him

- The assailants made away with his wallet, money, phone and national identification card

- Governor Obado is set to be arraigned in court on Monday to where he is likely to face murder charges

Family of slain Rongo University student Sharon Otieno has claimed it is facing threats from unknown people owing to the ongoing probe to unmask the killers of their kin.

Daglous Otieno, father to the deceased, said five people attacked his brother with an aim of abducting him but failed after he raised alarm.

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REAL ALSO: Sababu ya Gavana Obado kutaka Sharon Otieno auawe - DPP

Family of slain Rongo University student Sharon Otieno has claimed it is facing threats from unknown people owing to the ongoing probe to unmask the killer other kin. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Who killed pregnant university student Sharon Otieno? Kenyans demand answers

According to a report by NTV on Sunday, September 23, Sharon's uncle, Victor Ochola was the latest casualty of the threats.

"Five people armed with machetes and an axe descended on Ochola. They made away with his wallet, phone, money and National Identification card (ID). It has been a very tempting time after the death of Sharon," stated Daglous.

READ ALSO: Governor Okoth Obado arrested, grilled for a second time over Sharon's murder

The attackers are said to have had a standby car ready to abduct Ochola but their plan flopped after their victim raised alarm prompting them to flee.

This comes even as Migori Governor Okoth Obado, who has adversely been accused of plotting the brutal murder of the heavily pregnant 26 year old student, is set be arraigned in court on Monday, September 24.

Since Friday, September 21, Obado has been a guest at Gigiri police station where he is being held.

Detectives questioned him for a second time shortly after DNA results proved he was at the father to Sharon's unborn baby.

Other leads also pointed to him as a prime suspect in the murder case.

Sharon Otieno was murdered and her body dumped in a thicket near Oyugis. Photo: Sharon Otieno.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Okoth Obado suspected slain university girl was cheating on him with his son - Journalist claims

Sharon's mother, Melida Auma, however, expressed confidence in the investigations being conducted by DCI sleuths.

"I am very pleased with how the investigations are being conducted. The detectives are not sleeping," stated Auma.

A section of the embattled governors' supporters staged protests on Sunday, September 23, demanding the governor be released on bond.

They claimed his detention was a shame to Migori County and they could not stomach it.

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Isaac Nyamwamu Story: The Kenyan Man Who Eats Egg Shells | Tuko TV.

Source: Tuko.co.keUgandan boss lady Zari Hassan was recently forced to defend herself against a fierce critic who called her out for allegedly faking her age.

This was after the lovely lass took to social media to lament on being stuck in the UK after she was seized for allegedly lacking proper documents.

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Zari was not just taking shots at any random fan as this time, she turned her guns on Tanzania activist Mange Kimambi who has for a long time been her fierce critic.

READ ALSO: Sababu ya Gavana Obado kutaka Sharon Otieno auawe - DPP

"Thank you Lord for my birthday. Another homeless lady out there posting ma Gov doc. Its 1980 whether you like it or not. I did day for my citizenship reasons. Again am glad to give you sleepless night hahaha 43-year-old dont look like me, her post read.

READ ALSO: 13 captivating photos of new Churchill Show comedienne Mwende which prove she's the hottest lass in comedy

In fact, Mange is always keen on exposing Zari that at some point, there were claims the mother if five was a pure attention seeker with all the hullaballoo about the break up with superstar Diamond Platnumz.

One interesting bit about this whole beef is the fact that both Zari and Mange boast a huge following on Instagram , and the latter is keen on taking down Diamond's ex for allegedly being super fake.

READ ALSO: Diamond Platnumz proves he still loves ex Zari Hassan in sweet birthday message

The fact that Zari , despite portraying herself as the classy one to her users, is out on social media throwing back insults at Mange goes to show the activist has indeed seeped under her skin.

In a subsequent post, she responded to claims of her alleged 'old age' by insisting she would still be turning heads even at 75 despite the heavy hating.

READ ALSO: Zari Hassan proves she is over Diamonds infidelity issues after gushing over his recent sucess

"Even if I looked 75 like this, theyd still choose me over you. Asylum seeker divorced woman. God created me on Sunday. Look at me looking 75 but still hot. Dont we all want to be Zari the boss lady?. Spell it right on your way out," she went on.

Surely, fans must have taken some hints of insecurity on Zari's part because one will argue that a confident lady would not take the time of day to validate herself to a critic.

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KENYA BREAKING NEWS - Former Nairobi Governor Dr. Evans Kidero Troubles with the EACC | Tuko TV:

Source: Tuko- The president met business and corporate leaders during a dinner hosted by Kenya Airways in New York

- He lauded KQ and its partners for making the direct flight between Kenya and US become a reality

- Uhuru left Nairobi for New York on Friday to attend the 2018 Annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

- The summit comes ahead of the inaugural direct flights between Kenya and US on October 28

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday, September 24, lauded Kenya Airways and its business partners for working hard to make the direct flights between Nairobi and New York become a reality as he began his schedule in the US.

The president made the maiden direct flight to New York from Nairobi on Friday, September 21, hours after assenting to the controversial Finance Bill 2018.

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READ ALSO: Sababu ya Gavana Obado kutaka Sharon Otieno auawe - DPP

President Uhuru Kenyatta left Kenya for New York on Friday, September 21, to attend the Annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Photo: Uhuru Kenyatta.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport receives green light for direct flights to US

The president met business and corporate leaders on Sunday during a hearty dinner at the high-end Rockefeller Plaza in New York city as he prepared to address the UNGA summit.

On behalf of Kenyan people, I thank the United States Government for working closely with us to make this realisation, the president said.

READ ALSO: KQ rushes against time to fly Uhuru on maiden direct flight to US

The dinner was attended by top travel operators and investors seeking partnerships to accelerate American investments in Kenya as the direct flights were expected to open new frontiers in enhancing tourism, trade and investment opportunities.

The president who is scheduled to hold several other business and bilateral meetings with various stakeholders, among them key investors, appealed to the Kenyan Diaspora to take advantage of the direct flights' friendly rates which have significantly reduced the high fares.

He said the new milestone by Kenya Airways would open the country to many more investors and tourists, thus strengthening the bonds of partnership between the two countries.

READ ALSO: Celebrated Kenyan female pilot to commandeer maiden direct flight to US

Kenya hopes to double the number of American tourists visiting the country to ensure the US remains the largest market of visitors holidaying in the country.

Uhuru expressed his gratitude to the US government for offering an opportunity for Kenya Airways to participate in the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Advisory Programme.

The programme will provide an on-site training and technical assistance on customs administration and border control for agencies that will handle Kenya Airways direct operations to the United States, he said.

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Kenyan Political Opposition Approved Kenyatta's 8% Fuel VAT Slash - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko.co.ke- Bodyguard Mwita Moses who is an AP officer was arrested by EACC detectives

- He was accused of using fake academic certificates to secure employment two years ago

- Governor Obado was produced at Milimani Law Courts on Monday, September 24

- Obado was set to face charges of aiding and abetting the murder of Sharon

A bodyguard of the besieged Migori Governor Okoth Obado has been arrested by detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) at a hotel near Milimani Law Courts.

Mwita Moses Mogaya alias John Chacha who is an Administration Police (AP) officer was accused of using academic certificates belonging to John Chacha Nyamohanga to secure employment two years ago.

READ ALSO: Picha 12 za Monica Kimani aliyeuawa kinyama eneo la Kilimani, Nairobi

Migori Governor Okoth Obado and his family during a past press conference. Photo: UGC

Source: Original

READ ALSO: Governor Obado arrives in court to face murder charges after spending 3 days in remand

EACC received a complaint, conducted investigations and established that the subject used certificates belonging to one John Chacha Nyamohanga to get entry to the Administration Police Service in 2006, said EACC in a statement.

Mwita is set to be arraigned at Milimani Law Courts to face charges of impersonation contrary to Section 384 of the Penal Code.

He was arrested shortly after his boss was produced at Milimani Law Courts to face charges after spending three days at Gigiri Police Station following his arrest on Friday, September 21.

Governor Okoth Obado at Milimani Law Courts set to face charges of aiding and abetting the murder of Sharon. Photo: UGC

Source: Twitter

READ ALSO: DNA test confirms Migori Governor Okoth Obado sired late Sharon Otieno's baby

The governor arrived at the court together with his lawyer, Cliff Ombetta, family members, friends and supporters.

Obado was set to be charged with aiding and abetting the murder of Sharon who was found dead in Koreda Forest, a day after she was abducted.

His lawyers failed to have him released on bail even as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Noordin Haji, pushed for the powerful county chief to be thrown behind bars.

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Former Nairobi Governor Dr. Evans Kidero Troubles with the EACC - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko Breaking News- The man returned to his home in Kangema after five decades

- As many would expect, the area has evolved tremendously and his family did not live at their home

- Old and frail, the man has had to make do by sleeping at a boda boda terminus

- He is currently surviving on small donations from well wishers

An 83-year-old man who left his home in Kangema, Murang'a 50 years ago as a youth has made a surprise return home only to find it was not how he left it.

Norman Wakarwe who can be compared to the biblical prodigal son was brought by an unknown man from Dagoretti market in Nairobi where he initially worked as a cook and later as a watchman in his sunset days.

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READ ALSO: Picha 12 za Monica Kimani aliyeuawa kinyama eneo la Kilimani, Nairobi

83-year-old Muranga man stranded after returning home 50 years later to find no family

Source: Original

READ ALSO: Kenyans replace the popular KDF mandazis with Obado and it is absolutely hilarious

The man who can barely stand is depending on food rations from well wishers who have also given him a mattress and a blanket that he sleeps on at the the bodaboda shed located beside the Muranga- Iyego- Kangema tarmac road.

READ ALSO: KDF soldiers raid al-Shabaab base in Lamu, kill 10 militants

John Kamunya, chairman of local boda boda Sacco said the man has displaced them as he has converted their waiting and resting bay as his home.

He said the man was brought at around 8pm on Thursday, September 20, by a vehicle that later sped off towards Murang'a town.

Wakarwe gave conflicting reports of his exact place of origin saying he hails from Kangema town near General Kago Stadium but added his family had roots at Kimara and Gikui villages within the locality where he was left.

The man returned home after five decades to find he has no family of his own

Source: Original

READ ALSO: Sharon Otieno's mum breaks down, weeps in court as Governor Obado is arraigned

I left here many years ago with my late father who was working with the Kenya Railways and I was married to a Luo woman and we had a son but she left me many years ago. From that time, I did not remarry and I am appealing to residents to help me trace my relatives," he pleaded.

The octogenarian also explained that at Dagoretti, he was employed as a watchman at Muhu Kangari slaughter house before he started to suffer ill health.

I was living in a temporary structure located within the trading centre and the man who brought me here I cant remember his name but he owns a hotel at Dagoretti market. He told me he wants to buy another house here in Kangema and start a hotel after I told him I have experience in working at hotels. What I dont know is whether this was a trick to come and dump me here," he further disclosed.

READ ALSO: Obado's bodyguard arrested in hotel near Milimani Law Courts

An Administration Police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity told TUKO.co.ke that the old man was initially taken to the nearby Gikui village.

83-year-old Muranga man stranded after returning home 50 years later to find no family

Source: Original

READ ALSO: DCI detectives offer handsome reward to Kenyans who can find this suspected conman

The area chief inquired from village elders and members of the public who said the man was not known there. From there they took him to Gikui police post where again his relatives could not be traced and that is how they ended up dumping him here, the AP officer explained.

His plight is touching motorists and pedestrians who are abandoning their mission to stop and hear his predicament but can only offer very little help to the 85-year old.

TUKO.co.ke caught up with Pastor Godfrey Migwi from The House of Hope located in Kayole in Nairobi at the scene, who called on young people to remember home whenever they go to work or earn a living in far areas.

He also gave money to the owner of a hotel located nearby to meet the old man's food needs.

It is a pity that this man does not have a family or people he can call relatives yet during his hey days, he did not make efforts to lay a foundation in his life to marry and have children who will now be looking for him at this stage he needs them most," Migwi said.

The pastor called on the local national government administration to look for the octogenarian's relatives and if not found, they move him to a home for the aged.

The man is relieving himself on the mattress and as the days progress his health continues to deteriorate and it would be unfortunate to lose him," added Migwi.

Story by Mark Wachira- Muranga County correspondent

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KENYA BREAKING NEWS - Former Nairobi Governor Dr. Evans Kidero Troubles with the EACC | Tuko TV:

Source: Kenyan Breaking News- Raila has revealed plans to engage with the Uganda President over the fish-rich island

- Speaking in Kondele, Raila maintained that Migingo was indeed in Kenya

- He vowed to renew talks with Uganda to reach a concensus on the issue

- His attempt to end the stalemate comes even as Kenya's relationship with Uganda over the island seems to be in the gutter

- Both countries have refused to give up the island, with Interior CS Fred Matiang'i saying Kenyan authorities were running out of patience

ODM party leader Raila Odinga will make a last-ditch effort to end the Migingo stalemate by holding key talks with Uganda president Yoweri Museveni.

While maintaining that the contentious Migingo Island is geographically located in Kenya, Raila alleged there were several other islands which belonged to Kenya but were snatched by the late Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

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READ ALSO: Picha 12 za Monica Kimani aliyeuawa kinyama eneo la Kilimani, Nairobi

Raila believes he can broker some sort of truce with Uganda over the Migingo island

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Uganda pulls down Kenya's flag on Migingo Island after Matiang'i's stern warning

Raila, while addressing Kondele residents, said he would instigate a one-on-one meeting with Museveni to end the stalemate once and for all.

We recently spoke with Museveni, and we are set to meet again soon, he said that there must be an agreement in the issue of Migingo to establish where our (Kenyas) boundary lies and where Ugandas boundary lies, he said.

Uganda has pulled down the Kenyan flag in Migingo island despite several warnings from Interior CS Fred Matiangi

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Why Museveni sent military commandos to Migingo island

As TUKO.co.ke reported earlier, both Kenya and Uganda have been playing hard ball when it came to the Migingo island which both countries hold with pride.

Interior CS Fred Matiangi did not mince his words when he warned of a full-blown tussle for the island should Ugandan nationals continue harassing Kenyans.

His dire warning seems to have fallen on deaf ears as Uganda fired a warning shot themselves by promising consequences if they were provoked.

The fresh round of trouble began when Kenyan police officers reportedly hoisted the country's flag on Migingo, a move that was not taken kindly by the Ugandan authorities.

The Kenyan police did not react after the Ugandan soldiers removed the flag and therefore avoided a major confrontation between the two sides.

Interestingly, while Raila is willing to take the diplomatic route to settle the Migingo Island question, it was not the same case a little over two years ago when he was gearing up for his third presidential bid.

In 2016, Raila tackled both President Uhuru Kenyatta and Uganda's Museveni by saying the time for dialogue over Migingo was overdue.

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KENYA BREAKING NEWS - Former Nairobi Governor Dr. Evans Kidero Troubles with the EACC | Tuko TV:

Source: Tuko Breaking NewsBritain will increase military support to Ukraine by the end of the year and increase its presence in the Black Sea in 2019.

"Britain will increase military support to its ally [Ukraine] by sending Royal Marines later this year and increase the presence of Royal Navy patrols in the Black Sea in 2019," Britain's Secretary of State for Defense Gavin Williamson stated, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Williamson is in no doubt that blame lies directly with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. The behaviour of the Putin-led regime is not acceptable. We want to be able to ensure that the people who are on the front line, where we are today, have the best ability to survive and defend their homeland, he said.

Williamson also fears Putin is widening his new Cold War with the West. He added: Were seeing Russian aggression, not just on the front line but an increasingly more assertive posture in the Black Sea. They want to open up new fronts.

The defence secretary is pledging to stand firm. Were going to be upping our training and support efforts with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, making sure that the Ukrainian Navy and Ukrainian forces have the skills and the technical ability to deal with these increasing threats.

Our commitment remains unwavering. As long as the danger lasts we will continue to stand by your side. The safer you are here, the safer we are in the UK, Gavin Williamson stated.Since the beginning of 2018, the construction works have been carried out for a total amount of UAH 73.2 billion, which is 5.7% more compared to the same period in last year.

Ukrinform learnt this from the press service of Ukraines Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Lev Partskhaladze.

"Ukrainian construction companies completed construction works worth UAH 73.2 billion for eight months of this year, which made 105.7% compared to the same period in 2017," the report reads.

According to Partskhaladze, the construction industry continues to show stable results. According to the results of the reporting period, the index of construction of engineering structures was 111.9%, buildings - 100.2% (including 99.6% of residential buildings and 100.8% of non-residential).

The city of Kyiv (UAH 16.7 billion) and Odesa region (UAH 9.6 billion) became the leaders in terms of construction works. At the same time, Odesa (143.7%), Khmelnytsky (132.5%) and Ivano-Frankivsk (131.4%) regions demonstrated the best results in terms of growth rate.

ishThe Government of the People's Republic of China has handed over 50 ambulances equipped with cutting-edge medical devices to Ukraine.

Acting Health Minister of Ukraine Ulana Suprun announced this during the signing of the memorandum of cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Health Ministry of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The next step in the cooperation between the Government of Ukraine and the People's Republic of China is the implementation of a project on medical equipment for ambulances. As part of the agreement, Ukraine received 50 ambulances equipped with medical devices worth more than $3.5 million. The Chinese side delivered this equipment to Kyiv on January 10, 2018. These ambulances have already been sent to 18 regional centers of emergency medical aid and catastrophe medicine," Suprun said.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Ukraine Du Wei emphasized that ambulances had been delivered pursuant to the agreement between the People's Republic of China and Ukraine signed in 2016.

"By providing assistance to Ukraine, the Chinese side adheres to the non-interference principle. The aid is high-quality, it is our best products. The assistance is granted in the fields of medicine, education and help to victims of natural disasters. We will continue to provide assistance to the friendly Ukrainian people," Du Wei assured.

olThe Foreign Ministry of Ukraine has once again called on Russia to release Ukrainian political prisoners Volodymyr Balukh and Oleg Sentsov, who have been on a hunger strike for 188 and 132 days.

Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry Mariana Betsa wrote this on Twitter on September 22.

"188.132. The hunger strike of political prisoners Volodymyr Balukh and Oleg Sentsov continues. We demand once again that Russia release the political prisoners," Betsa wrote.

As Ukrinform reported, the Federal Security Service of Russia detained Volodymyr Balukh on December 8, 2016. The FSB officers claimed that they had found 90 cartridges and several TNT blocks in the attic of his house.

March 14, the Kremlin-controlled Supreme Court of Crimea changed the verdict in the case of Ukrainian activist Volodymyr Balukh. The court excluded the paragraph on purchase of ammunition from the verdict and sentenced the activist to 3 years and 5 months of imprisonment in a penal colony settlement and fined him about UAH 4,600. Balukh's defense team and human rights defenders say that he is a victim of repression for his pro-Ukrainian position  Ukraine's flag in the courtyard of his home.

Balukh went on a hunger strike on March 19, 2018.

Sentsov was detained by Russian security services in Crimea in May 2014.

He was sentenced to 20 years in a penal colony in Russia for alleged "plotting acts of terrorism."

On May 14, 2018, he declared a hunger strike demanding the release of all Ukrainian political prisoners of the Kremlin.

According to his lawyer Dmitry Dinze, who visited the prisoner on September 7, Oleg Sentsov finds it hard to get out of bed, as his health condition has deteriorated.

ishUkraine's Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Heorhiy Tuka has said that Ukraine must stop playing with the Hungarian authorities that brutally disregard Ukrainian laws.

Tuka wrote this on his Facebook page.

"Should we expel the [Hungarian] consul? Are there any doubts? The diplomat roughly violates the rules of conduct and must be punished for that. It's time to stop playing with the Hungarian authorities that brutally disregard Ukrainian laws in public," he wrote.

According to Tuka, being aware of the violation of the law, the Hungarian authorities did not apologize and did not suggest finding a way for understanding. "In fact, the Hungarian authorities began to blackmail Ukraine. The reaction to the actions of a blackmailer must be unequivocal - all diplomatic institutions operating in Ukraine must comply with Ukrainian legislation," he said.

He also expressed confidence that the Verkhovna Rada is obliged to adopt a legitimate mechanism for responding to the cases of dual citizenship in Ukraine. "Hushing up this fact leads only to a deterioration of the situation," Tuka said.

Earlier, Ukrinform published a video showing how Hungarian passports are issued to citizens of Ukraine at the Hungarian Consulate in Berehove, Zakarpattia region. The procedure was accompanied by a glass of champagne in honor of receiving a second citizenship and instructions for Ukrainians to conceal the fact of obtaining Hungarian citizenship from the Ukrainian authorities.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said that the Hungarian consul, who appears on the video with the distribution of Hungarian passports to Ukrainians, would not remain in Ukraine.

"There are two options - either the Hungarians simply take him [the consul] away, clearly recognizing what he was doing, and this is the most constructive scenario [...] or he will go to Budapest on his own," Klimkin said.

opThe Hungarian side's statements about the possibility of taking steps to slow Ukraine's integration into the EU due to the "passport" scandal are in the interests of Russia and can be regarded as the use of this situation to obtain certain dividends in negotiations with Moscow, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Vasyl Bodnar has told Ukrinform.

"This approach is not in line with the policy of good neighborly relations and partnership with Ukraine. The steps already taken by Hungary have a certain goal, and, as far as I understand, it is not at all a concern for the rights of Ukrainian Hungarians. Similar statements are in the interests of not even Hungary, but of a certain third party, which has long tried to block our movement along the European and Euro-Atlantic way. It can be assumed that they are trying to use such an approach to receive certain dividends from a third party, that is from Moscow, in negotiations that are of interest to Hungary," he said.

Bodnar added that this, of course, is a potential threat to Ukraine. In this context, he recalled that after the June meeting of the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Hungary, the Hungarian side blocked a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at the highest level, appointed an authorized person responsible for the development of Zakarpattia region, and then a video emerged with the distribution of Hungarian passports to Ukrainians with a recommendation to conceal this fact from the Ukrainian authorities.

"This is not a coincidence. Moreover, the agreements reached between the ministers during the telephone conversation [on August 31 concerning the change of the name of the envoy for 'Zakarpattia region'] are not being implemented. So now we have a question as to how we can reach agreement with the Hungarian issue," the deputy minister said.

He noted that Ukraine, unfortunately, faces Hungary's unwillingness to cooperate. Instead, the Hungarian side is trying to use the methods of blackmail. On the other hand, the requirements of the Venice Commission regarding the language clause of Ukraine's law on education, in particular with regard to the extension of the transition period, are gradually being fulfilled.

Commenting on the "passport" scandal, Bodnar noted that Budapest's reaction shows that Hungary is aware of the illegality of these actions.

"They are beginning to threaten us with further aggravation only because we pay attention to the violation by Hungarian consuls of the legislation of our state and their possible responsibility - it's not about expulsion or not expulsion, but about solving this problem in general. This means that they feel the inevitability of this responsibility and the fact that it was done illegally, in violation of Ukrainian legislation and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations," he said.

He noted that there are "many nuances" in Hungary's actions as a foreign state interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs so they must get the final legal qualification and a respective decision of Ukraine.

When asked about possible concrete steps that Hungary may take to slow Ukraine's integration into Europe, Bodnar noted that it is not clear how the Hungarian side will behave in addressing specific issues concerning Ukraine.

"Anything can be expected here. We do not know that the Hungarian side will want to restrain or block something, because the level of relations with the European Union is broad - from a political dialogue to a free trade area, that is, a large set of issues," Bodnar said.

He stressed that the Ukrainian side would not be watching Hungary's interference in Ukraine's internal affairs.

"Of course, we will defend our position. We will appeal accordingly through our embassies, we will explain through the direct contacts of the minister, the head of state will speak at the UN, and my colleagues and I will have contacts," he said.

On September 20, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said after a scandal with the issuance of Hungarian passports to Hungarians in Zakarpattia region that Hungary could take further measures to slow Ukraine's integration into the EU.

In an interview with Russian propaganda television channel RT on September 21, Szijjarto called on the EU to discuss sanctions against Russia, rather than extend them automatically.

opRussia acts against American interests in Ukraine, Syria and other "hot spots" of the world.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this in an interview with NBC News Meet the Press on Saturday, according to the Voice of America.

Pompeo criticized Russia for its failure to cooperate with the U.S. on the world stage despite overtures by President Donald Trump to develop a relationship with the Kremlin.

"I worked with Russia closely on counterterrorism issues. Theres a handful of other places in the world where we do have overlapping interests, although certainly not values. Theyre a country thats very different from ours in that respect. They have not proven helpful in Ukraine, in Syria.. The President is trying to develop a relationship and change that, but weve not been successful, at least to date, Pompeo said.Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew said on Sunday, September 23, that he would not change his position on supporting the provision of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Deutsche Welle has reported, with reference to Greek newspaper Ekathimerini.

The patriarch said during a liturgy in Istanbul that Ukraine would receive autocephaly, because this is the country's right. Recalling in his speech the latest cases of autocephaly granted to the Czech and Slovak Orthodox churches, the patriarch noted that "now it is time for Ukraine to get autocephaly." "This will happen, because this is its [the Ukrainian church's] right," Patriarch Bartholomew said.

The patriarch also noted that it is the exclusive right of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to grant autocephaly to all new Orthodox churches, starting with Russia in the 16th century.

Regarding Russia's criticism of Ukrainian autocephaly, Patriarch Bartholomew said: "We are not afraid of any threats."

As reported, on April 19, Ukrainian MPs supported President Petro Poroshenko's address to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the provision of a tomos (ordinance) of autocephaly. This idea has long been supported by the leadership of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate) and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC).

The Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople has already begun the procedure needed to grant autocephaly to the new Ukrainian church. The meeting of the Synod, which will address this issue, is scheduled for October.

Recently, as part of preparations for the provision of autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Ecumenical Patriarchate appointed Archbishop Daniel of Pamphilon from the United States and Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton from Canada as its exarchs in Kyiv.

opThe Parliament of Western Australia has praised the contribution of Ukrainian community to the development of the state.

Paul Papalia, the Minister for Multicultural Interest of the Western Australia Government, read the corresponding statement at the Parliament, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"This year, Ukrainian communities throughout Australia are commemorating the 70th anniversaries of the first arrivals. The year 2018 also marks the 85th anniversary of Holodomor, the famine in Ukraine caused by the deliberate actions of Stalins soviet regime. For many Western Australian Ukrainians, these are extremely emotional anniversaries... They [Ukrainians] worked hard, formed families and built up their community, giving much back to Western Australia and helping to make this state the place it is today," the statement reads.

It is noted that Western Australia, which admitted the migrants from the war-torn Europe 70 years ago, is grateful for those people for its present-day prosperity.

"These migrants, many of whom went on to work in the goldmines in Kalgoorlie, the railway lines around Perth, the construction of Mundaring Weir, and many other projects, farms and businesses, certainly did Western Australia proud," the minister added.

In turn, Mykola Mowczan, the head of the Ukrainian community of the state of Western Australia, also commented on the statement: "It is a historic day for Ukrainians and the Ukrainian Association of Western Australia."

olThe delegation of Belarus to the UN chronically votes against any ideas and proposals of the Ukrainian side, even those that do not concern the conflict with Russia, the diplomat said.

Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nation Volodymyr Yelchenko has spoken in favor of relocation of the venue for negotiations of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on the settlement of the situation in Donbas from Minsk to another city.

Read alsoAnnouncement of "elections" in "DPR-LPR" runs contrary to Minsk accords  EU

"It seems to me that we have to draw serious conclusions from the positions of Belarus and Kazakhstan. Everything is clear with the votes of Syria and North Korea, as they are just proxies. But as for our neighbors, our former partners in the Commonwealth of Independent States [CIS], I can't understand why they vote 'against,'" he told Ukraine's Priamyi TV Channel on September 24.

Yelchenko noted that the position of Belarus looks quite strange, as they say everywhere they support such a heavy neutrality for themselves. "Because the 'Minsk venue' is the best opportunity for the negotiating issue, while they vote against our resolution," the diplomat said.

The delegation of Belarus to the United Nation chronically votes against any ideas and proposals of the Ukrainian side, even those that do not concern the conflict with Russia.

"I personally fully support, I don't remember who suggested it, some deputy groups in our Verkhovna Rada, that we just need to transfer the venue from Minsk to some other [country's] capital. With all my respect for Belarusian diplomacy, but I just can't understand such a stance. What neutrality can we talk about? And let them don't take offense at us, but the facts are reflected on the General Assembly board. There was a great deal of talk. But there is a result. They simply chronically vote against any our ideas and proposals, even those that don't concern the conflict with Russia. This indicates a certain position of the country, from which it is necessary to draw serious conclusions," he said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the General Assembly of the United Nations on September 21 included the item "Situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine" in its agenda. Noteworthy, Armenia, Belarus, Burundi, Cuba, Iran, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Philippines, Russia, Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela voted against the inclusion of the said item in the agenda.The UN peacekeeping mission could include soldiers from Sweden, Finland, Austria, Belarus, Serbia and Turkey.

U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker has named a number of countries that are ready to send their troops to Donbas, eastern Ukraine, within the UN peacekeeping mission.

Read alsoVolker: World must keep situation in Donbas under public spotlight

According to the official, a number of states have already stated they will be ready to contribute to the mission, namely Sweden, Finland, Austria, Belarus, Serbia and Turkey. In his opinion, this is a good range of countries that includes several states being considered in Russia more as part of the West, while some states as part of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). A sense of balance would be logical, he told Ekho Moskvy Radio on September 24.

At the same time, the diplomat confirmed that the peacekeeping forces in Donbas should operate with the UN mandate.

Volker added that the organization of peacekeepers' deployment is subject to discussion. But from a fundamental point of view, after their full deployment, this should be genuine peacekeeping forces controlling the security situation in the region.It is forbidden to be treated not at the place of residence or to stay for more than three days in other towns or cities without registration at the so-called "law enforcement agencies."

Ukrainian Defense Ministry press secretary Maksym Prauta has said the Russian occupation administration banned all military-age males (MAMs), despite their citizenship and circumstances, from leaving the territories of the so-called "Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics" ("LPR" and "DPR") to the Russian Federation.

Read alsoZakharchenko's allies who flee Donbas not allowed to meet with Putin

"According to the information of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Russian occupation administration has secretly banned all military-age males from leaving to the territory of the Russian Federation, despite their citizenship and the circumstances under which they found themselves in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In addition, other restrictions on civil rights for the male population have been introduced," he said at a briefing on Monday, an UNIAN correspondent reported.

According to Prauta, in particular, it is forbidden to be treated not at the place of residence or to stay for more than three days in other villages, towns or cities without registration at the so-called "law enforcement agencies." Such restrictions were introduced at the request of Russian investigators and Russian FSB officers who are engaged in searching the-called servicemen of the Russian occupation forces involved in offenses and unauthorized leave of home station.

"At the same time, complex measures are taken under this pretext to identify those who evade the autumn conscription as part of the units of the 1st and 2nd Army Corps of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation," Prauta added.According to intelligence reports, four enemy troops were killed and another four were wounded.

Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 35 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with three Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA).

"Three Ukrainians soldiers were wounded in the past day. According to intelligence reports, four occupiers were killed and another four were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on September 24, 2018.

Read alsoJFO: Ukraine reports 1 WIA in Donbas amid 17 attacks on Sept 23

Russian occupation forces opened aimed fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and small arms to attack the defenders of the town of Avdiyivka, and the villages of Krymske, Luhanske, Novoluhanske, Shumy, Pivdenne, Mayorsk, Pisky, Chermalyk, Pavlopil, Hnutove, Vodiane, Lebedynske, and Shyrokyne.

In addition, the enemy resorted to 82mm mortars to shell the Ukrainian positions near Luhanske, Novoluhanske, Shumy, Pivdenne, and Mayorsk, as well as 120mm mortars near Luhanske and Novoluhanske. Moreover, the Ukrainian positions near Hnutove came under fire from weapons of infantry fighting vehicles.

"Since Monday midnight, Russian-led forces have mounted three attacks on the Ukrainian positions. The Ukrainian fortified positions near Krymske and Shyrokyne came under fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms, while the defenders of Pivdenne were attacked with the use of 120mm mortars. There have been no casualties among Ukrainian troops from the start of the day," reads the report.No casualties among the Ukrainian servicemen have been reported.

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas eight times from 07:00 to 18:00 Kyiv time on Monday, September 24.

Read alsoOSCE monitors count over 5,500 violations of truce in Donbas last week

"In the daytime, the enemy opened aimed fire from grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns and small arms on the Joint Forces positions near the town of Maryinka, and the villages of Krymske, Zaitseve, Pisky, Hnutove, Vodiane, and Lebedynske. Russian-led militants also fired 82mm mortars on a Ukrainian stronghold near Hnutove, the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in an update on Facebook.

In case of threat to life, military commanders made a decision to fire back to suppress the enemy's fire activity, the press center added.

There have been no casualties among Ukrainian troops from the start of the day.

As UNIAN reported earlier, on September 23, the situation in the area of the Joint Forces Operation somewhat escalated, but remained controlled. Three Ukrainians soldiers were wounded in the past day.With Dodon suspended, the speaker of parliament should be able to temporarily fulfil the president's role.

Moldova's Constitutional Court has suspended President Igor Dodon, a court representative has told dpa on Monday, declining to give a reason.

Read alsoMoldovan Constitutional Court suspends Presidents powers

Russian media reported that the court temporarily relieved Dodon of his duties because he failed to approve any candidate put forward by the prime minister to appoint two subordinate ministers, Australian Associated Press reported.

Dodon, elected on promises to strengthen the impoverished Eastern European republic's relationship with its former Soviet ruler, Moscow, has often clashed with other senior officials set on integration with the European Union.

With Dodon suspended, the speaker of parliament should be able to temporarily fulfil the president's role and appoint the two ministers.We will hold accountable those that are responsible for violating this fundamental principle, this idea that chemical weapons are fundamentally different than other types of weapon systems, Pompeo said.

The Trump administration may hold Russia accountable if Syrian President Bashar Assad uses chemical weapons again, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview that aired Sunday.

Read alsoTrump warns Syria, Russia, Iran against attack on rebel stronghold

"We'll have to analyze once the activity takes place. We pray that it doesn't," Pompeo said in an interview with "Meet the Press" on NBC, as reported by POLITICO.

"But we'll do our intelligence, our forensics. We'll do our hard work. And we will hold accountable those that are responsible for violating this fundamental principle, this idea that chemical weapons are fundamentally different than other types of weapon systems."

The U.S. last week imposed sanctions on a Chinese military group for allegedly purchasing military equipment from Russia. In a statement, the department said the sanctions aim to punish Russia "in response to its interference in the United States election process, its unacceptable behavior in eastern Ukraine, and other malign activities."

The Trump administration also blacklisted 33 Russian individuals and businesses Thursday, limiting their ability to conduct business internationally.May 26 2017

Glasgow City Council has given its approval to the delivery of 140 new homes for social rent in Pollokshields, taking the place of a redundant gas works.The 20m project off Maxwell Road is being delivered by Home Group in partnership with the council to offer a mix of flats, houses and cottage flats.AS Homes MD Paul Kelly, said: Pollokshields is an area of Glasgow which badly needs affordable homes for social rental, so we were delighted to receive planning permission for this development. The added benefit is that it will bring this long-term empty site back into use, delivering a major economic boost and creating new jobs for local people in the process. We plan to be on site within the next month.Designed by George Buchanan Architects the scheme will deliver air-tight homes with photovoltaic panels to maximise energy efficiency.September 24 2018

A slow burning build to rent revolution in Glasgow has taken another step forward with the submission of a 500-home waterfront PRS scheme at Central Quay.

The 90m development is being spearheaded by developer, property manager and investor Platform_ which has selected the Clydeside for the latest stage of its UK expansion.

Building on an earlier application for planning in principle the latest plans have been conceived by Keppie Design as part of their 300,000sq/ft Central Quay masterplan - which also includes 300,000sq/ft of office space and a 150-room hotel.

Offering a range of accommodation from studio apartments through to three-bedroom flats the scheme will incorporate its own shared residents lounge, concierge, roof terraces, gym, games room and a co-working space.

Keppie director Richard MacDonald said: The Platform_ Central Quay design has evolved to include an iconic feature tower which will greatly enhance the Clyde Waterfront and Glasgows skyline. The high-quality public realm and design of the scheme will also significantly improve the area.

All being well construction work could commence by the second quarter of 2019, completing by summer 2021.Other OPEC members will not be able to compensate for missing Iranian oil supplies after US sanctions against Tehran enter into force in November, local media reported on Monday citing Iran's envoy to OPEC Hossein Kazempour Ardabili.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Other OPEC members will not be able to compensate for missing Iranian oil supplies after US sanctions against Tehran enter into force in November, local media reported on Monday citing Iran's envoy to OPEC Hossein Kazempour Ardabili.

Ardabili said OPEC members would not be able to compensate for the supply of some 2,300,000 barrels of Iranian oil per day, the IRNA news agency reported.

Moreover, the US sanctions are very likely to lead to a sharp increase in oil prices, the Iranian envoy suggested, adding that it could set the international community against the United States.

The United States started reimposing sanctions on Iran after withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal in May. In early August, Washington imposed the first package of sanctions targeting Iran's purchase of US Dollar banknotes, trade in gold and other metals as well as transactions involving its national Currency.

The second package is set to be introduced in early November and hit Iran's energy sector and oil exports, among other things.President Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Zahidullah Shinwari and Indonesian Ambassador, Iwan Suyudhle Amri Monday agreed on removal of obstacle in improving bilateral trade between Pakistan and Indonesia, increase in trade volume, issuance of visa on chamber's recommendation and investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in hydel power, gas exploration sectors.

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :President Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Zahidullah Shinwari and Indonesian Ambassador, Iwan Suyudhle Amri Monday agreed on removal of obstacle in improving bilateral trade between Pakistan and Indonesia, increase in trade volume, issuance of visa on chamber's recommendation and investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in hydel power, gas exploration sectors.

This agreement has been reached during visit of Indonesian Ambassador, Iwan Suyudhle Amri to SCCI, said a press release issued here on Monday.

During the meeting, Indonesian Ambassador invited president and members of SCCI to visit Indonesia for participation in Trade Expo show to be held at Jakarta on October 24 to 28.

Senior Vice President SCCI, Naeem Butt, Vice President, Malik Niaz Muhammad Awan, newly elected President, Faiz Muhammad and leading businessmen were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, President SCCI invited Indonesian businessmen to invest in hyel power generation potential of KP, Oil and gas sector and in Prime Minister, Imran Khan's programme of constructing five million houses for poor people.

He also briefed Indonesian Ambassador about investment opportunities in trade of fresh fruit, honey, gemstone, marble granite and other sectors in KP.

President SCCI also apprised the visiting guest that SCCI recently held investment conference in Istanbul city of Turkey and arranged meetings between businessmen of both the countries.

Zahid Shinwari also talked about China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) mega project and said Indonesian investors can make investment in Special Economic Zones being constructed in Mardan and Haripure cities of KP.

He also asked Indonesian envoy to grant visas to businessmen of KP on the recommendations of SCCI.

Indonesian Ambassador, Iwan Suyudhle Amri appreciated measures taken by SCCI for promotion of business in the province and invited members of SCCI to participate in Trade Expo Show to be held in Jakarta.

He said promotion of trade between Pakistan and Indonesia is his top priority.

The trade volume between the two countries is increasing because of free trade agreement, he added.

He also held out assurance of issuing visas to KPbusinessmen in a short period of three to four days.A high level meeting of Azad government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir was held on Monday to mull over the matter of environmental pollution arising out of Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project.

MIRPUR (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) ,:A high level meeting of Azad government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir was held on Monday to mull over the matter of environmental pollution arising out of Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project.

Chaired by AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan, the meeting was attended among others by Secretary Kashmir Affairs, AJK Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary Development, Secretary Forests, Secretary Housing and Physical Planning, Secretary Local Government and Director General Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of AJK and other senior officers of the related state functionaries.

The meeting decided that Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and AJK government would collaborate to construct lakes and ensure implementation on Sewerage Water Plant as early as possible to avoid the issues of environmental pollution in Muzaffarabad.

Addressing the meeting, AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan said that Kuhala hydropower project should be set up on the running water instead of a tunnel to ensure that Jhelum Valley does not face any environmental hazards.

He said his government was well aware of the environmental issues in Muzaffarabad due to Neelum-Jhelum project and reservations of the people about it. He assured that this problem will be addressed in consultation with all the concerned departments. He said government would take all possible steps in collaboration with Federal government to resolve the problems.

Meanwhile talking to the member of British Parliament Lord Nazir Ahmed who called on him on Sunday, Raja Farooq Haider said that South Asia could be made axis of progress and prosperity if Kashmir issue was resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions.

He said Indian Army Chief tried to destabilize the region through his irresponsible and provocative statement. India squandered the opportunity of peace by rejecting the offer of Pakistani Prime Minister for a dialogue, he added. He observed that Indian repressions and state terrorism against the people of Jammu and Kashmir had been intensified for the past few weeks. Even UN Commission for Human Rights also pointed out the massive human rights abuses by Indian forces in IHK, he remarked.NEW YORK, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 23rd Sep, 2018) H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, is leading a 107-member delegation of the UAE to the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, UNGA 73.

The delegation includes Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future; Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs; Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment; Dr. Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State; Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, along with a number of officials and representatives of UAE ministries and local bodies.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed will address the General Assembly on 29th September.

The regular session, opened by Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, President of the UNGA 73, commenced on 18th September, with the theme of the general debate entitled, Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies. The UNGA will hold a high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis, as well as a one-day comprehensive review of the progress achieved in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, NCDs.

The UAE delegation agenda entails holding several multilateral meetings, as well as partaking in the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit on 24th September. The Summit is a high-level plenary meeting on global peace in honour of the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela.

The high-level delegation is also organising a series of events on the sidelines of the UNGA 73, including an event entitled, 'Building a Better World for Entrepreneurs', which will see the participation of Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, and Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank.

Other events include a panel discussion with UAE and US female leaders in business and sustainability industries, and a high-profile debate on investing in routine health services and new models to reduce the risk of outbreaks, in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, GAVI, World Health Organisation and donor countries.

A charter will be signed on the sidelines of the event on the subject and the Global Industry Summit in partnership with the Russian Federation and UNIDO, as well as a multilateral meeting on the Central Emergency Response Fund, CERF, and the humanitarian response meeting on Yemen with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA.

The delegation's agenda also includes the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Defence, the General Women's Union and the United Nations Women's Organisation on the capacity-building of Arab women in the military and peacekeeping sectors.(@FahadShabbir)

Leading local and international leisure marine companies will showcase their latest products and technologies at the inaugural Abu Dhabi International Boat Show, ADIBS, 2018.

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 24th Sep, 2018) Leading local and international leisure marine companies will showcase their latest products and technologies at the inaugural Abu Dhabi International Boat Show, ADIBS, 2018.

The show is being held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahyan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation and Chairman of Abu Dhabi sports Council, from 17th to 20th October at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre purpose-built marina.

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, ADNEC, is hosting the event designed to be a "Uniquely Abu Dhabi" experience, showcasing the Emirates rich maritime legacy and state-of-the-art range of luxury yachts and boats and fishing products from the worlds leading companies.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO of ADNEC, said, "We highly welcome the strong interest of international companies and leading players in the luxury yachts and boats and fishing tools industry to participate in the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show and showcase their latest products. This reflects ADNECs ever-growing strength and capability in hosting international high-profile events and further promotes Abu Dhabis position as a leading regional and global events destination."

"Visitors from the global leisure marine community will witness regional and global launches of the latest yachts and boats and the latest fishing tools, products, and services. Abu Dhabis marine tourism sector will be provided with a platform to showcase both the achievements and milestones which have contributed to the success of Abu Dhabi as a global leisure marine destination. We look forward to hosting and organising the show which will be a welcome addition to our diverse events portfolio," he added.

Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Al Suwaidi Marine, said, "We remain highly confident that the inaugural edition of the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show will open doors to a new world of boating and fishing tools within the UAE, accompanied by a rush of potential opportunities that will benefit the players in the maritime industry. We are excitedly looking forward to this highly anticipated event, which we believe will be a strategic platform to showcase and highlight the best that the boating industry has to offer.

"

During the event, Al Suwaidi Marine will be launching their new 29 feet boat, ASM 29. Delma Marine who will launch the latest model of Boston Whaler 210 Montauk and the new Mercury V8 300 engine. In addition, Riviera will be launching the Rcat50 in the Fly-bridge version, the Rcat38 and the Riviera Closed Abra, one of UAEs most traditional modes of transport, alongside the Amphibious Boat and the new ASIS Amphibious Beach Lander Boat from ASIS Boats. Dubai-based Sulaco Arabia will use the ADIBS platform to conduct the middle East launch of the sensational Tullio Abbate range, handcrafted in Lake Como, which will include the Elite 27R, the Sea Star RS, Sea Star Racing and the Tullio Abbate Kid.

Gulf Craft will be launching a new model from their leisure range while other major international players are also gearing up to conduct regional premiers of their products at the show. Along with launches from UK-origin Princess 55 from Princess Yachts and the MC6  2019 Model from SF Yachts, set to be displayed for the first time in the Middle East. Aside from craft boats and yachts, the show will also be a showcase for advances in vessel management, Italian manufacturer KEELCRAB will release the latest models of a drone operated hull cleaners, to be its regional launch in the Middle East.

According to a Frost & Sullivan report, the global recreational boat market is expected to be worth US$23 billion by the end of this year and is on track to reach $30 billion by 2022. The report further cited that the UAE recreational boat market is forecast to reach $1.5 billion in 2018; the UAE is an emerging market with high spending power and provides significant opportunities for investors. Abu Dhabis marine tourism market has been witnessing a steady demand for luxury yachts and boats in recent years, driven by a rise in marinas and waterfront developments.

ADNECs 31,000-square metres extensive, purpose-built marina will host this much-awaited event, which is expected to attract over 20,000 visitors and feature 75 boats berthed at the venue. ADIBS is supported by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism and Abu Dhabi Ports as Strategic Partner.A delegation from the Al-Ghufran, one of Qatar's largest tribes, organised Monday an exhibition in the Broken Chair courtyard here in front of the UN HQ, to expose the human rights violations committed by the Qatari regime against them.

GENEVA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 24th Sep, 2018) A delegation from the Al-Ghufran, one of Qatar's largest tribes, organised Monday an exhibition in the Broken Chair courtyard here in front of the UN HQ, to expose the human rights violations committed by the Qatari regime against them.

The exhibition comes as part of a wider move by the tribe to reclaim their rights on the sidelines of the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council, uncovering the human rights abuses perpetrated against the tribe by the Qatari authorities.

"The international community must stop turning a blind eye to the human rights violations committed against Al-Ghufran tribe by the Qatari regime, said Mohamed Saleh al-Ghafrani, a member of the oppressed tribe who participated in the exhibition.

He added that the international community needs to document and expose all the violations committed against the tribe, noting that the abuses made by the Qatari regime break all international norms, treaties and conventions.Inspired by the Year of Zayed, the Environment Agency  Abu Dhabi, EAD, will be taking visitors on a journey through the environmental legacy of the Founding Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition, ADIHEX 2018, which begins tomorrow at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 24th Sep, 2018) Inspired by the Year of Zayed, the Environment Agency  Abu Dhabi, EAD, will be taking visitors on a journey through the environmental legacy of the Founding Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition, ADIHEX 2018, which begins tomorrow at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about how Sheikh Zayed's efforts to protect ecosystems and conserve species have paved the way for a more sustainable future.

The stand will feature Protected Areas, Endangered Species, Regulations, the Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Programme, the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital and Inspired Citizens.

In the interactive Protected Areas zone, visitors will be engaged in a fun way and throughout learn about the different protected areas and the species that inhabit them and learn about how the late Sheikh Zayed established Al Wathba Wetland Reserve as a protected area in 1998 after he observed the successful breeding of the flamingo for the first time on that site. Today, Al Wathba is the only site in the Arabian Peninsula where flamingos continue to breed regularly. It is an internationally recognised sustainable tourism destination and is one of the 19 protected areas under the Sheikh Zayed Protected Areas Network.

In the Endangered Species zone, visitors will be inspired by his passion for species conservation, which bore fruit both locally and internationally. The late Sheikh Zayed was the first to encourage action on the threats posed to birds and animals species. He set in motion a wide variety of programmes designed to protect various species. For example, he set up a captive-breeding programme capturing two breeding pairs of Arabian Oryx, which were nearing extinction, to become the heart of a conservation initiative. Today, almost 50 years later, thanks to the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Arabian Oryx Release Programme, implemented by EAD, the numbers of Arabian Oryx in the UAE have increased to over 10,000, of which 5,000 are in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Moreover, efforts have led to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN, downlisting the status of the Arabian Oryx from "Endangered" to "Vulnerable" in 2011.

In the Regulations zone, visitors can learn more about Sheikh Zayeds efforts began in 1966 to protect the environment and biodiversity through the issuance of environmental regulations and laws and the adoption of procedures, controls and standards for many environmental issues, including the regulation of hunting.

In the Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Programme zone, visitors will learn about one of the most impactful wildlife release programmes in the world, which he set up in 1995. Since then, 1,857 falcons have been returned to the wild.

In the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital zone, visitors will learn about how the late Sheikh Zayed established, in the early 1980s, a small falcon hospital outside of Abu Dhabi. They will also have the opportunity to adopt cats and dogs on-site from the Hospitals Abu Dhabi Animal Shelter. Today, the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, managed by EAD, has become the worlds largest falcon hospital in the world and an award-winning sustainable tourism destination.

Finally, the Inspired Citizens zone will highlight Sheikh Zayeds role in inspiring a new generation of young Emirati environmentalists that are carrying his environmental legacy forward.

The highlight of the stand will be a holographic theatre-style experience in the form of a captivating story summarising the late Sheikh Zayeds environmental legacy. It is an experience that promises to inspire and move every visitor to participate in protecting their environment.Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has held several meetings with international ministers and senior state officials on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States.

NEW YORK, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 25th Sep, 2018) Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has held several meetings with international ministers and senior state officials on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States.

Dr. Gargash met with Miro Cerar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Republic of Slovenia, where they discussed the prospects of bilateral relations between the two countries and means of developing them in various fields, as well as debating a number of issues and topics of common concern.

Dr. Gargash also met with Salahuddin Rabbani, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on the sidelines of 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York. During the meeting the two ministers discussed the bilateral relations and means to enhance them in numerous political, economic, and cultural spheres, in addition to exchanging views on certain developments regarding regional and international issues of common concern, which were included in the UN agenda.The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has signed a cooperation agreement with the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, to support the humanitarian response plan in Yemen, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in addition to support ICRCs budget, totaling AED40.4 million (US$11 million).

NEW YORK, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 24th Sep, 2018) The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has signed a cooperation agreement with the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, to support the humanitarian response plan in Yemen, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in addition to support ICRCs budget, totaling AED40.4 million (US$11 million).

The agreement was signed by Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Peter Maurer, President of the ICRC, on the sidelines of the 73rd Ordinary Session of the United National General Assembly in New York.

Under the agreement, the UAE will provide the ICRC with US$6 million to support health centres, water and sanitation facilities in Yemen, US$1 million to support the Organisation's humanitarian efforts in Myanmar, US$1 million to support humanitarian efforts in DRC, in addition to US$3 million to support general programmes.

Reem Al Hashemy said that the signature of this agreement reflects the UAEs efforts to achieve peace and prosperity in the world through its foreign aid policy and its humanitarian and development projects, in accordance with the vision of the wise leadership of the UAE. She stated that the purpose of this grant is to support the humanitarian efforts undertaken by the UAE in many countries around the world, within the framework of the humanitarian and development approach of the UAE, and to stand by social groups in need.

She stressed the UAEs will in pursuing fruitful work with the ICRC, to contribute in the alleviation of human suffering and support those affected around the world to overcome their difficult humanitarian situation.

For his part, ICRC President said, "The ICRC welcomes the UAEs financial contribution to its humanitarian activities. We are thankful for MoFAICs continuous support to the ICRCs mission in contexts of emergencies and protracted crises."

The agreement signed with the ICRC included support to health centres, water and rehabilitation of sanitation structures in Yemen, and meeting basic needs of those affected. The agreement also stressed the importance of receiving the wounded and the sick for appropriate medical treatment, as well as assisting disabled persons through the provision of physical rehabilitation services.

With regard to the agreements signed with the aim of supporting health centres, water and rehabilitation of sanitation structures in Myanmar and DRC, they included the provision of humanitarian assistance to those affected by armed conflict, assistance in accessing basic services and relief, and timely medical assistance to the sick or wounded from armed conflicts or others situations of violence.(@FahadShabbir)

Al Dahra has announced that following its recent acquisition of Agricost and Braila Island, the largest consolidated farm in Europe, the company plans on investing an additional US$500 million in Romania over the coming five years, in various sectors.

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 24th Sep, 2018) Al Dahra has announced that following its recent acquisition of Agricost and Braila Island, the largest consolidated farm in Europe, the company plans on investing an additional US$500 million in Romania over the coming five years, in various sectors. This announcement coincides with a visit to Romania by a delegation comprising the executive leadership team from Al Dahra. During the visit, several meetings and discussions with high ranking officials in the country were held.

Regarding farming investments, Al Dahra will look at acquiring additional farming land in Romania and will invest in modernising the existing portfolio of agricultural machinery and technology. The target is to reach a combined annual production of one million metric tons of Grains and Combined Feed, by the year 2022. In parallel, a grains collection hub with silos will be established, with the capacity to handle two million metric tons of different grain varieties, produced by both Al Dahra and non-Al Dahra Romanian farms. The grains hub will facilitate strategic inventory creation, stock rotation and international trading. Furthermore, and to facilitate the processing and distribution of the forage yield, five fodder dehydration and pelleting plants will be established.

From a logistics and supply chain investments standpoint, Al Dahra plans on acquiring a logistics operator at Constanta Port to facilitate the export of grains, and the import of fertilisers. Further, it will establish a specialised fertiliser company, in charge of importing fertilisers into Romania and trading in neighbouring markets with an expected volume of 350 thousand metric tons annually.

Al Dahra will also undertake the upgrading of the harbour loading facilities at Braila Island to allow increased capacity for goods and vessels traffic.

It is also part of Al Dahras plan to make investments in the livestock sector, by establishing a barn with the capacity to accommodate a herd of 150 thousand heads of various livestock species. Also, Al Dahra will pursue other investments that aim at creating an integrated value chain within the agribusiness in Romania, including factories and pack houses as well as other value-added services depending on the business requirements.

The Vice Chairman and Co-Founder of Al Dahra, Khadim Al Darei, said, "Following the addition of Braila Island to our global portfolio of farming projects, Al Dahras investment plans expand beyond farming to include investments in different value-added services. Such investments will benefit Romanian farmers, will create new job opportunities for Romanian citizens and will improve the reach of Romanian-grown products to international markets by leveraging Al Dahras network, hence boosting the domestic farming and logistics sectors. Most importantly, investments will, in turn, contribute to achieving long-term food security for Romania, creating a win-win scenario for all parties."

Al Dahras investment plan will be executed in a phased approach over the coming few years and will contribute to Al Dahras strategy to fulfill the Abu Dhabi Governments long-term food security vision, as well as equally contributing to the diversification of the companys farming footprint, expanding its product offering and serving its growing global customer base.Hamad Mohammed Humaid Al Junaibi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Sudan, has discussed with Hatim Al Sir Ali, Sudan's Minister for Transportations and Urban Development, ways to enhance bilateral relations, especially in areas of transportation.

KHARTOUM, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 24th Sep, 2018) Hamad Mohammed Humaid Al Junaibi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Sudan, has discussed with Hatim Al Sir Ali, Sudan's Minister for Transportations and Urban Development, ways to enhance bilateral relations, especially in areas of transportation.

The Sudanese minister hailed the growing relations between the UAE and Sudan, expressing his country's determination to promote cooperation to the best interest of the two fraternal countries.(@FahadShabbir)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 24 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) ::Pakistan has reaffirmed its support to Azerbaijan in its dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, saying that the region along with its seven adjacent districts was under the illegal occupation of Armenian forces since 1994.

Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who spoke at the OIC Contact Group meeting on "the Aggression of the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan" , said the unresolved conflict posed a serious threat to regional peace and security.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

A war in the early 1990s resulted in the expulsion of over one million Azerbaijanis from their lands.

Besides Pakistan, Monday's meeting was also attended by Foreign Ministers and senior officials from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Gambia, Djibouti, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

In his remarks, the Foreign Minister reiterated Pakistan's support to the principled position of Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

He said that Pakistan's position on the issue remains unchanged and was based on the principles established by the UN Security Council resolutions.Ambassador Paul Jones began his assignment as the Charge dAffaires a.i. at the United States Embassy today

Islamabad, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) Ambassador Paul Jones began his assignment as the Charge dAffaires a.i. at the United States Embassy today. Ambassador Jones will lead the United States Mission in Pakistan in its ongoing efforts to deepen the connections between the Pakistani and American people, and work with the new government of Pakistan towards a more stable, secure, and prosperous future for Pakistan.

Ambassador Jones brings a wealth of experience and diplomatic expertise to this shared effort and to the U.S. Mission in Pakistan. Ambassador Jones on his arrival in Pakistan said, Im thrilled to be back in Pakistan.

I look forward to reacquainting myself with the countrys warm and welcoming people, beautiful landscapes, and delicious food. Ambassador Paul Jones is a career member of the State Departments Senior Foreign Service.

He served as Ambassador to Poland from 2015 to 2018. Previously, he was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (2013-2015), Ambassador to Malaysia (2010-2013), and Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan while concurrently Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs (2009-2010).

He has served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and at the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, Macedonia.

Ambassador Joness awards include the Presidential Meritorious Service Award, the Robert C. Frasure Memorial Award for peace building, and several Superior Honor Awards. He speaks Spanish, Russian, and some Polish.

He is a graduate of Cornell University and received Masters degrees from the University of Virginia and the Naval War College. He is married to Catherine Jones, an award-winning author and freelance writer. They have two children, Aleksandra and Hale.ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Sep, 2018 ) :Chinese Embassy in Pakistan has categorically rejected the baseless and distorted reports of some local and international media in connection with the courtesy meeting held between China Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing and Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Dr Noor-ul-Haq Qadri last week.

According to a press release issued by Chinese Embassy here on Sunday, the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China enjoys social stability, sound economic development and harmonious coexistence among ethnic groups.

Some measures are taken against separatism and terrorism for the sake of safeguarding China's national security and protecting people's life and property.

Ambassador Yao Jing had a courtesy call on Dr Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony of Pakistan on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 and both the sides had a good discussion on China-Pakistan relations including the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) cooperation and some specific projects in Pakistan.

Dring the meeting, the Chinese Ambassador appreciated the efforts by the Pakistani Government to promote religious harmony, on which both the two sides had full consensus.Institute of Space Technology (IST) in collaboration with the national space agency of Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) will celebrate `World Space Week 2018' from October 4-10 with a number of activities and competitions.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :Institute of Space Technology (IST) in collaboration with the national space agency of Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) will celebrate `World Space Week 2018' from October 4-10 with a number of activities and competitions.

IST is the pioneer Institute of Pakistan, celebrating World Space Week (WSW) since the year 2005 in collaboration with SUPARCO.

The space week celebrations at IST will feature several new events to create awareness among the students, teachers and general masses about the peaceful uses of Space Science, technology and applications especially under the umbrella of WSW-2018 theme, "Space Unites the World", said an official of IST while talking to APP.

The broad area of activities includes the competitions in the categories of Space Knowledge, Space Creative Writing, Space Fine Arts, Space Technology Application, Space Graphics, Space Mathematics, Space Visual arts, Space Photography, Space Performing Arts.

This week will not only provide the Space Technology Awareness Arena and Space Technology Labs Expedition but also unfold a plan for Teachers Training workshop, Space School and Space Technology awareness lectures.

Each year, the World Space Week Association (WSWA) selects a theme for the World Space Week to provide a focus of the activities and events that take place throughout the world, during October 4-10.

The official informed that WSWA has announced the 2018 World Space Week Theme: "Space Unites the World" which is inspired by UNISPACE+50, a historic gathering of world space leaders that will occur in 2018.

UNISPACE+50 will promote cooperation between space faring and emerging space nations and will help space exploration activities to become open and inclusive on a global scale, according to the United Nation.

IST has the honor of organizing maximum events in Pakistan during WSW every year with the enthusiastic participation of its students and faculty.

IST inspires students of schools and colleges for WSW activities and celebrations. The number of events, participating students and schools has increased tremendously in the last ten years.

The variousspace themedcompetitions, in the area of literature, fine arts, visual arts, performing arts, computer graphicsandgaming, aero modeling, water rocket and space models making, space technology innovation and applications were held in yesteryears.

The institute has rendered services for the science teachers of private and public sector schools in the form of space technology teachers training workshop, space school, space caravan, space Biblio rendezvous, space career station and space awareness lectures.

The institute also broadcasted live lectures by the space experts to different universities of Pakistan and neighboring countries via Pakistan Higher education Commission (HEC) video link, the official told.

World Space Week is an international celebration of science and technology and their contribution to the betterment of human condition.

The United Nations General Assembly declared in 1999 that World Space Week would be held each year from October 4-10.

These dates commemorate two events, firstly the October 4, 1957, the Launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, thus opening the way for space exploration and secondly the October 10, 1967, the signing of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

An election tribunal of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued notices to former defence minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif and others on a petition challenging his victory from NA-73 in the July-25 elections.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :An election tribunal of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued notices to former defence minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif and others on a petition challenging his victory from NA-73 in the July-25 elections.

The tribunal comprising Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh issued notices on the petition, filed by runner-up Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Usman Dar.

Earlier, the petitioner's counsel, arguing before the court, submitted that Khwaja Asif concealed his assets and submitted unverified affidavits to the ECP.

He also questioned the polling process, saying ballots of 53 polling stations were submitted to the Returning Officer the next day of the polling. He said the victory margin of the respondent was very thin and therefore there should be vote recount.

He asked the tribunal to set aside the notification of Khwaja Asif's victory and order the ECP to hold polls afresh in the constituency.

The tribunal after recording initial arguments issued notices to Kh Asif and other, the respondents, to submit replies.(@mahnoorsheikh03)

The court also ordered the authorities to put Almeidas name on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Islamabad (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News  24th September, 2018) The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for journalist Cyril Almeida who is known for the infamous Dawn Leaks and had interviewed Nawaz Sharif where he gave controversial statement regarding Mumbai attacks.

A three-member full bench, headed by Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi, was hearing the treason petition against former prime ministers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Nawaz, and journalist Cyril Almeida.

The arrest warrants have been issued as Almeida failed to appear before the court in three hearings of the case pertaining to leaking sensitive information.

The court also ordered the authorities to again put Almeidas name on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Meanwhile, Defence counsel Advocate Naseer Bhutta told the court that Nawaz was unable to appear before it as people were frequently visiting him to condole the death of his wife Begum Kulsoom. He further requested the court to fix the hearing for a date after his wife's chaliswan (forty days of mourning).

Accepting to the postponement request, Justice Naqvi fixed the hearing for October 8.

He ordered Nawaz to appear before the court in person at the next hearing and issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Almeida.

The petition, lodged by Advocate Azhar Siddiqui, alleges that Abbasi shared crucial details of the National Security Council (NSC) meeting with Nawaz following his statements on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

By leaking details of the NSC Abbasi committed high treason, the petition says.

The petitioner had argued that Nawaz's controversial interview to a newspaper had dented the countrys image and sovereignty. He further alleged that Abbasi supported Nawaz in the matter.

The petitioner further prayed upon the court to order a treason trial against the three respondents.

On June 26, a full bench of the LHC had issued notices to Abbasi and Nawaz. Action was sought against Nawaz Sharif on charges of defaming state institutions while Abbasi is being tried for disclosing minutes of the National Security Councils meeting to Nawaz Sharif.

In July, the court had decided to adjourn the hearing until after the general elections.Minister for Religious Affairs, Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri Monday emphasized that Pakistan and Egypt needed to adopt way of mutualism for getting benefit from each other experiences.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :Minister for Religious Affairs, Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri Monday emphasized that Pakistan and Egypt needed to adopt way of mutualism for getting benefit from each other experiences.

Pakistan and Egypt share same aspirations of peace and prosperity and face common issues, he said this while talking to Ambassador of Egypt to Pakistan, Ahmad Muhammad Fadel Yacoub, who called on him here.

Both sides discussed bilateral relations.

The Minister said Pakistan attached great importance to its special relations with Egypt and desired to further expand its cooperation to all fields.

He also highlighted the enduring brotherly relations between the two countries based on mutual trust.

Both sides expressed satisfaction over present status of collaboration agreed to work together towards its enhancement.

Exchange of Ullema delegations and increase in Quota for Pakistanis students in Jamia Al-Azhar were also assured by Egypt Ambassador.

Pir Noor said there is also an on going cooperation, both cultural and educational between two countries.

In addition to exchange of scholarship and training programme in different fields especially three months course for Pakistani students of Madaris at Jamia Al-Azhar were also offered.

Ambassador Fadel Yacoub invited to the Minister for doing official visit to Egypt.

Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri thanked the Ambassador and said that they would keep workingon strengthening bilateral relationship in all fields.(@rukhshanmir)

Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has succeeded in completing the most difficult transmission line from Golen Gol, Chitral to Timergara for evacuation of power generated by Golen Gol Hydropower Project to the national grid.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has succeeded in completing the most difficult transmission line from Golen Gol, Chitral to Timergara for evacuation of power generated by Golen Gol Hydropower Project to the national grid.

Talking to media, WAPDA spokesman said the 180-kilometer long Golen Gol-Timergara transmission line crosses through the most difficult mountainous terrain having extreme weather conditions, Radio Pakistan reported.

The transmission towers in Pakistan have never been erected earlier at this altitude.

He said Golen Gol Hydropower Project will provide 436 million units of electricity to the National Grid every year.

Benefits of the project have been estimated at 3.7 billion rupees per annum.PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Sep, 2018 ) :Speakers in a Consultation Meeting demanded start of developmental schemes in war on terror affected tribal areas.

The speakers in a second FATA consultation meeting organized here Sunday by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) said that the government should announce packages for the development and uplifting of the tribal areas.

Sardar Hussain Babak of ANP said that some handsome amount in budget should be allocated for the development of the eight new tribal districts.

He said that to address the tribal people's grievances, Rs.

100 billion allotted in the NFC awards should be immediately dispensed and mega-projects should commence in the region.

Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf's (PTI) Member National Assembly (MNA) Iqbal Afridi said PTI would take steps to abolish the interim regulation in the tribal areas, as this is merely a rebranding of the draconic Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR). He said that the government has created a committee under the leadership of Arbab Shehzad to address the grievances of the tribal people as well as the steps forward after the 25th amendment.

Senior legal expert and former MNA Latif Afridi said that the political consensus that led to the 25th amendment must be activated to continue the process of mainstreaming the region. He said that this should not be viewed as a step against the government, but a step with the government to solve a long-standing issue.

Senior Journalist and analyst Dr. Ashraf Ali lauded the timely efforts of CRSS and added that civil society and the media must play a crucial role in providing equal rights and opportunities to the people of the tribal belt.

The conference also featured Jamaat-s-Islami (JI)'s former MNA Haroon Rasheed, Dr. Noreen Naseer, ANP's Nisar Mohmand, PPP's Changez Khan, senior journalists and lawyers.

They stressed that powers should be transferred from officers to elected representatives, so that democracy can take root and the region can develop.

They also recommended that the quota for tribal students should be increased for another 10 years, that the region should receive royalties forelectricity generation and mineral mining and that the land limitation shouldbe suspended for a period of three years to uplift the area.MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Russia and India can conclude an agreement on the exchange of experience and interaction in preparation for the launch of the first Indian manned space mission, Indian media reported on Sunday.

Indian agency PTI reported, citing official sources, that the parties may sign the contract during the upcoming official visit of Vladimir Putin to New Delhi early next month.

In late August, head of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Kailasavadivoo Sivan said that members of the first Indian national space crew would be trained in one of the foreign states, with Germany, the United States and Russia being named among the possible options.

Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said in September that New Delhi was looking forward to Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit on October 4.

The visit of the Russian leader to India is expected to take place within the framework of the annual bilateral summit.

India has been developing its own space program since 1947, immediately after the country gained independence. The work is conducted under the guidance of the government department of space research. The coordination of activities of various organizations and firms within the national space program, as well as the creation of rocket and space technology is entrusted to the ISRO.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the country planned to launch the first national manned mission into space before 2022. The spacecraft has already received the name Gaganyaan, which means "Skycraft."Ussia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor has blocked about 6,000 illegal websites sharing links to pirated movies in recent years, the watchdog's head Alexander Zharov said on Monday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor has blocked about 6,000 illegal websites sharing links to pirated movies in recent years, the watchdog's head Alexander Zharov said on Monday.

"The Russian internet used to be a real piracy haven a few years ago ...

Now the situation has changed radically as 6,000 [piracy] websites were blocked, and 11,000 [websites] removed [illegal] content ... The largest piracy websites are now blocked," Zharov said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The law to tackle online piracy in Russia by cutting off access to websites found to be pirating movies, was introduced in August 2013.

The legislation was updated in May 2015 and expanded to cover websites sharing pirated music, books and software.Syrian President Bashar Assad's press service said Monday that the Syrian leader had discussed with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone the agreement to establish a demilitarized zone in the Idlib province and expressed condolences in connection with the crash of Russia's Il-20 military aircraft.

DAMASCUS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Syrian President Bashar Assad's press service said Monday that the Syrian leader had discussed with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone the agreement to establish a demilitarized zone in the Idlib province and expressed condolences in connection with the crash of Russia's Il-20 military aircraft.

"President Bashar Assad held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, they discussed the latest political events and the agreement on Idlib, as well as the way to implement it," it said.

"Assad expressed his condolences to Putin and the Russian people in connection with the crash of the Il-20 military aircraft, which led to the death of Russian military heroes on board who performed the noble combat task to fight terrorism in Syria," the press service said.

It said Putin told the Syrian leader of plans to supply Syria with S-300 air defense systems and develop Syria's air defense network.(@FahadShabbir)

China has donated about 1,200 Chinese books to the National Library of Belarus. The solemn ceremony of book donation was attended by member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC Zhao Leji, BelTA has learned.

MINSK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :China has donated about 1,200 Chinese books to the National Library of Belarus. The solemn ceremony of book donation was attended by member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC Zhao Leji, BelTA has learned.

Zhao Leji emphasized that cultural exchanges between Belarus and China help strengthen friendly ties between the two nations. Among the donated books is The Governance of China. This two-volume edition was written by China?s President Xi Jinping. According to Zhao Leji, the book explores the essence of socialism in China in the new development era.

Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration Nikolai Snopkov said that the Chinese culture made a great contribution to human development, while the country's current achievements are underpinned by the wisdom of the Chinese nation. He expressed confidence that Belarus and China will keep expanding bilateral cooperation, including cultural contacts.

Belarus? National Library Director Roman Motulsky thanked the Chinese delegation for the books. In his words, the library holds over 10,000 editions about the People?s Republic of China. He emphasized the importance of book exchanges with the National Library of China.MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) The death toll in the clashes in the Libyan capital of Tripoli increased to 115 people, while at least 560 were injured, local media reported Sunday citing the Libyan Ministry of Health.

The Libyan capital of Tripoli has been hit by multiple clashes between rival militant groups since the end of August, when the Seventh Brigade armed group launched an attack against other militias. Earlier in September, the rival militant groups reached a ceasefire agreement to put an end to hostilities under the UN auspices. However, the hostilities have lately intensified, with reported daily violations of the truce.

"The military hospital at the [Libyan Ministry of Health's] Wounded Affairs Department announced that 115 people were killed and 560 injured in the clashes that broke out in Tripoli on August 26," the Al-Wasat newspaper reported.

Among those wounded, 383 people sustained severe and moderate injuries, while 177 had minor injuries, according to the statement.

Libya has been torn apart by conflict since long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011. The eastern part of the country is governed by the parliament, backed by the Libyan National Army (LNA) and located in Tobruk. The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, operates in the country's west and is headquartered in Tripoli.Estonian political movement Estonia 200 has created a shadow government that will promote the implementation of necessary reforms in the country, the movement's press service said in a statement on Monday.

TALLINN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Estonian political movement Estonia 200 has created a shadow government that will promote the implementation of necessary reforms in the country, the movement's press service said in a statement on Monday.

"Discussing the issues included in the agenda of the acting government will not be the only task for the shadow government. We believe that Estonia needs to solve grave problems, this is what our future depends on ... In the coming months we are going to present our stance to the public," Priit Alamae, the head of the shadow government, was quoted as saying in the statement.

Estonia 200 believes that reforms pertaining to the government system, and the social and the health care sectors should be introduced. The political movement considers it necessary to create a plan on Estonia's economic development, and a long-term plan on education and science investment, as well as to promote strong local communities.

The movement's first manifesto was published in May. In August, Estonia 200 announced that it would form a political party in fall and run for the parliamentary election in March 2019.The intensified fighting in the Libyan capital has put half a million children in immediate danger in Tripoli, Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement published on Monday, adding that over 2.6 million children were in need across Libya.

ST. PETERSBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) The intensified fighting in the Libyan capital has put half a million children in immediate danger in Tripoli, Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF regional director for the middle East and North Africa, said in a statement published on Monday, adding that over 2.6 million children were in need across Libya.

Local media reported Sunday, citing the Libyan Ministry of Health, that the death toll in the clashes in the Libyan capital of Tripoli had increased to 115 people, while at least 560 were now injured.

"Over 1,200 families have been displaced in the past 48 hours alone as clashes intensified in southern Tripoli, bringing the total number of displaced to over 25,000. UNICEF estimates half are children. Half a million children in immediate danger in Tripoli. More than 2.6 million children in need across the country," Cappelaere said in a statement.

According to the UNICEF official, the shortage of food water and electricity is among the daily challenges that people in Libya face.

"The country is facing an outbreak of measles, with over 500 cases reported - most of which are among children. A growing lack of fully functioning health services will only result in more cases of measles," the regional director said.

Cappelaere stressed that more children were reportedly being recruited to fight, which also put them in immediate danger.

The UNICEF official reiterated the organization's calls on all parties to the conflict in Libya to protect children at all times.

"The way out of the recent fighting and the crisis in Libya is not through violence but through diplomacy and a political agreement, with the interest of children at the very centre," he said in a statement.

The Libyan capital of Tripoli has been hit by multiple clashes between rival militant groups since the end of August, when the Seventh Brigade armed group launched an attack against other militias. Earlier in September, the rival militant groups reached a ceasefire agreement under the UN auspices. However, the hostilities have intensified lately, with daily violations of the truce being reported.

Libya has been torn apart by conflict since long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011. The eastern part of the country is governed by the parliament, backed by the Libyan National Army (LNA) and located in Tobruk. The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, operates in the country's west and is headquartered in Tripoli.An over-250-year-old church was destroyed by fire in Kiihtelysvaara, a parish east of the city of Joensuu, in eastern Finland.

HELSINKI, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :An over-250-year-old church was destroyed by fire in Kiihtelysvaara, a parish east of the city of Joensuu, in eastern Finland.

Firefighters reached the location minutes after an automatic alarm. Only a separate standing steeple could be saved.

Police inspector Kimmo Wetterstrand told local media that criminality was probably connected.

When rescuers had gone in to remove works of art, no smoke or flames were detected inside, while walls outside were ablaze.

If arson is confirmed, this would be the second total loss of a historic church as a result of arson within two years.

In 2016 a wooden church from the same mid-1700 era was destroyed in Ylivieska, northwestern Finland. The arsonist was not sentenced, but despatched to mental treatment.Statements by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) opposition group on evacuation of civilians from the Rukban refugee camp may be unfounded, head of Damascus-based Syrian Human Rights Network Ahmad Kazem told Sputnik on Monday.

BEIRUT (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Statements by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) opposition group on evacuation of civilians from the Rukban refugee camp may be unfounded, head of Damascus-based Syrian Human Rights Network Ahmad Kazem told Sputnik on Monday.

On Sunday, a number of Syrian opposition media outlets issued a statement of one of the FSA groups, Liwa Shuhada al-Qaryatayn, which announced plans to evacuate residents of the Rukban refugee camp and the group's fighters to northern Syria.

"I got information that all groups with links to the FSA are not reliable and can throw under the bus everyone including those acting in line with their interests," Kazem said.

He called the militants' statements a "political game."

The Rukban refugee camp, which now hosts about 50,000-60,000 people, is located in southern Syria on the border with Jordan on the territory controlled by the US-led coalition and allied Syrian opposition groups.

The Syrian army is positioned on the borders of this zone. Moscow and Washington accuse each other of hindering the delivery of UN humanitarian assistance to the area.

Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Hassan Marouf said on August 30 at a meeting of the Russian-Syrian Joint Coordination Committee on the return of refugees to Syria that the first organized transfer of Syrian citizens from the Rukban refugee camp to their homes was planned.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia is working closely with the United States on the evacuation of refugees from the Rukban camp to the territory controlled by the Syrian government.In 2014, the Kuwaiti press hailed Gabriel Garcia Marquez as a literary "giant". But since his death, the Colombian writer and a slew of others have been banned as censorship takes root in the Gulf state.

Kuwait City, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :In 2014, the Kuwaiti press hailed Gabriel Garcia Marquez as a literary "giant". But since his death, the Colombian writer and a slew of others have been banned as censorship takes root in the Gulf state.

More than 4,000 books have been blacklisted by Kuwait's information ministry over the past five years, according to local media reports, including Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".

Dozens of writers and activists have taken to the streets -- on September 1 and again two weeks later -- to protest ahead of Kuwait's annual book fair in mid-November.

Kuwaiti novelist Mays al-Othman is among the blacklisted writers, following the 2015 publication of her novel "The Wart," the story of a woman raped during the 1990-1991 Iraqi occupation of the emirate.

"Censoring a book reflects a profound ignorance... and cruelty," Othman told AFP. "And unfortunately it's happening more and more." - Literary 'immorality' - All titles on show at Kuwait's international book fair will be screened in advance by a censorship committee.

The committee works under a 2006 law on "press and publications", which outlines a string of punishable offences for publishers of both literature and journalism.

On the list: insulting islam or Kuwait's judiciary, threatening national security, "inciting unrest" and committing "immoral" acts.

Mohammed al-Awash, a senior information ministry official, defended the censorship committee, which includes academics not affiliated with the ministry.

"Prohibition is an exception. Permission is the rule," Awash told AFP.

But activists fear censorship floodgates are opening in a country once known for a relatively free press and that ranks as the only Gulf state with elected legislators.

Conservatives and tribal leaders have become dominant in parliament, reflecting the changing mood in society.

"The idea of content that could contradict good or moral behaviour is grounds for a ban -- and it's an extremely vague phrase," said Talal al-Ramidhi, secretary general of the Kuwaiti Writers' Union.

- 'Drugs in my house' - Kuwait was a publishing hub in the 1970s and 1980s, home to the high-brow, pan-Arab cultural journal "Al-Arabi" and a string of popular scientific and literary books.

While no one has yet been prosecuted for selling banned books, according to Ramidhi, activists are turning to social media to combat what one termed the "ridiculous" increase in the banning of books.

"Ignorance is the only reason for censorship," writer Bouthaina al-Issa tweeted this month.

"I have drugs in my house," another activist tweeted alongside a picture of a pile of forbidden books.

Writer Aquil Yussef Aidan, two of whose books are banned, points to the "influence of religious circles on cultural institutions".

"Books are sometimes banned over a single word, a single image, and that only harms Kuwait's image," Aidan said.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will start his visit to New York on Monday where he will attend the 73rd UN General Assembly (UNGA) and discuss Syria, North Korea, the Iran nuclear deal, Ukrainian conflict as well as other political and security issues

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will start his visit to New York on Monday where he will attend the 73rd UN General Assembly (UNGA) and discuss Syria, North Korea, the Iran nuclear deal, Ukrainian conflict as well as other political and security issues.

The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, headed by Ecuador's Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, began on September 18. Lavrov will meet with the EU high representative for foreign policy, Croatian president, Zambian foreign minister, president of Cyprus, NATO secretary general and possibly with his US and Japanese counterparts. According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Lavrov may also meet with foreign ministers of Jamaica, France and Egypt.

The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that one of the priorities for the country's delegation to the UNGA would be boost of the central UN role in international relations, prevention of some states' attempts to destabilize the system of international affairs, formation of a multipolar world order, as well as respect for sovereignty and the people's right to self-determination.

Lavrov will speak about the prevention of weapons deployment in space, development of international cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, fight against the global drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, as well as improvement of anti-corruption cooperation.

The Russian minister will also address the situation on the Korean Peninsula, which has witnessed significant de-escalation over recent months, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un having met several times with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss peace and denuclearization.

Russia has also recently prevented an intensification of the United Nations' sanctions against North Korea, despite pressure from the United States.

Lavrov will also discuss the situation in Syria, specifically the political settlement of the crisis amid the recent Russian-Turkish agreement on stabilizing efforts in the rebel-held province of Idlib. Russian officials have also many times expressed their fears about the staged chemical attack being prepared by the rebels in Idlib and the White Helmets group.

Another topic Lavrov and his partners could speak about is the situation in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas, where the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) are going to hold elections on November 11. Kiev has said that it will not recognize the votes.

Lavrov will also focus on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the Iran nuclear deal. The situation around the agreement became uncertain after the May decision of US President Donald Trump to withdraw Washington from the deal and reinstate sanctions against Tehran. Russia along with the European countries are making efforts aimed at preserving the JCPOA.(@rukhshanmir)

In the border valley of Presevo, neither ethnic Albanians nor Serbs pay much attention to talk of changes to the frontier between Serbia and Kosovo -- they are too busy trying to eke out a living.

Presevo, Serbia, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :In the border valley of Presevo, neither ethnic Albanians nor Serbs pay much attention to talk of changes to the frontier between Serbia and Kosovo -- they are too busy trying to eke out a living.

One of Serbia's poorest regions, Presevo in 2001 saw a brief conflict when ethnic Albanian guerrillas took up arms demanding to join neighbouring Kosovo.

Majority ethnic Albanian Kosovo proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008, a move Belgrade still rejects.

But this summer, Presidents Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vucic from Serbia, signalled an openness to "border adjustments" to resolve their longstanding feud.

Media have mooted an exchange of northern Kosovo, inhabited mostly by ethnic Serbs around the divided town of Mitrovica, and the Presevo valley, a majority ethnic Albanian area in southern Serbia.

Of the valley's 75,000 inhabitants, 60,000 are believed to be ethnic Albanians, although they boycott censuses organised by Belgrade.

The guns are now silent. But nestled between Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo, the valley remains on edge, stricken by high unemployment and closely monitored by Serbian security services.

Although there are no official figures, hundreds of soldiers and police operate in the valley.

The big companies of the Yugoslav era have disappeared, such as plastics plant "July 7", printing factory "Grafofleks", trading firm "Buducnost" and a tobacco sorting plant.

Unemployment is around 70 percent, official figures show.

- Exodus - The dilapidated facades of Presevo testify to the misery. The average monthly salary reaches barely 100 Euros ($117).

In the valley's other town, Bujanovac, where the Heba mineral water plant provides jobs, the average wage amounts to 200 euros -- still only half Serbia's national average.

"Without the prospect of work, we will all end up leaving," Jonuz Kamberi, a 24-year-old ethnic Albanian, told AFP.

The unemployed metal worker had little to say about a territory swap.

"Anyway, they will not ask me for my opinion," he said.

A territory swap would be "stupidity", said Bratislav Trajkovic, a 64-year-old Serb from the multi-ethnic village of Reljan.

"What we really need is work. And everyone (Serbs and Albanians) thinks the same," said Trajkovic, a civil servant.

Both sides are under pressure from Brussels to conclude a deal.

Serbia is negotiating to join the European Union. Kosovo would like to open membership talks with the bloc and also join the United Nations.

In another town, Slavujevac, all 500 inhabitants are Serbs.

Fifty-five-year-old Stojan Nedeljkovic said he believed a new border line would "not solve any problems, neither for the Serbs nor for the Albanians".

The main concern is that people do not have the means to make a living, added Nedeljkovic, an unemployed father of five daughters.

- Factory would change everything - "A factory would change everything," said his friend, Nenad Djordjevic, a 55-year-old metal worker.

But if nothing changes "all the children will leave", added Djordjevic, who works at a factory operated by an ethnic Albanian.

Out of 130 houses in Slavujevac, some 40 lie empty while others are mainly occupied by the elderly, he said.

Armend Aliu, the 40-year-old ethnic Albanian deputy mayor of Presevo, said the Serbian state "ignored simple demands" such as an industrial zone to attract investors, a new border crossing with Macedonia and school books in Albanian.

Belgrade's inaction could boost nationalist aspirations, he said.

But, national feeling hardly moves Fadil, an ethnic Albanian in his 60s, who came to Bujanovac for shopping.

"My pension in Serbia is 300 euros and I was told that in Kosovo it would be around 50 euros," said Fadil, who refused to give his family name.

Some hundred kilometres to the northwest, in Kosovo, Nazmi Aliu, a retired 71-year-old firefighter, also feared moving the border would put him under Belgrade's rule.

Aliu lives in Suhodoll, an Albanian village in the north Mitrovica region.

The predominantly Serbian enclave has one thing in common with Presevo: grinding poverty.

"Large private sector investment is missing in the region," according to a rare 2015 economic report by the Pristina-based institute RIINVEST.

"Noteworthy assistance comes mainly from international donors and governmental agencies." Adnan Jusufi, an unemployed 42-year-old, said a territorial exchange would make the situation worse.

He doubts Serbia would show much concern for ethnic Albanians in northern Mitrovica.

Albanians from northern Mitrovica "have no work, no schools" and depend on the "government's care", he said.(@FahadShabbir)

Militants shelled civilians in the humanitarian corridor of Abu Dhuhur in the Syrian province of Idlib, a Syrian military source told Sputnik on Monday.

DAMASCUS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Militants shelled civilians in the humanitarian corridor of Abu Dhuhur in the Syrian province of Idlib, a Syrian military source told Sputnik on Monday.

"Militants shelled civilians that were leaving Abu Dhuhur humanitarian corridor, they were intending to put a temporary stop to the civilians leaving," the source said.

According to the source, there has been no information on the number of victims.

Last week, Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Ergogan of Turkey agreed to set up a demilitarized zone in Idlib by October 15. The armed conflict has been ongoing in Syria since 2011, but last year the focus has shifted from fighting terrorists to a political settlement.Moldovan President Igor Dodon on Monday again refused to endorse cabinet picks for ministers of health and agriculture after the top court suspended his powers.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Moldovan President Igor Dodon on Monday again refused to endorse cabinet picks for ministers of health and agriculture after the top court suspended his powers.

This is the fourth time the Constitutional Court suspends him from office for rejecting cabinet nominations, in the standoff with his pro-western cabinet.

"The standoff continues because I won't give in to the government. Now they want to appoint the ministers ... who are absolutely clueless," Dodon told Rossiya 24 television channel.

The president earlier criticized Prime Minister Pavel Filip's choice of Silvia Radu for lacking necessary skills and suggested that the nominee to head the agriculture ministry, Nicolae Ciubuc, was corrupt.Moldovan President Igor Dodon said on Monday that the Moldovan Constitutional Court's ruling on his temporary suspension had "violated the law twice."

CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Moldovan President Igor Dodon said on Monday that the Moldovan Constitutional Court's ruling on his temporary suspension had "violated the law twice."

Earlier in the day, the Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled that the chairman of the parliament or the prime minister could appoint two members of the government instead of the president thus temporarily suspending his on this issue.

"The Constitutional Court has violated the law twice by its ruling to temporarily suspend the President of Moldova, legitimately elected by citizens through a direct vote: it has undermined my attempt to foil a serious violation of law and allowed this violation to be committed by the so-called acting president," Dodon wrote on Facebook.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Moscow is disappointed with Switzerland's decision to deny visa to a Crimean deputy education minister who was planning to participate in the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Moscow is disappointed with Switzerland's decision to deny visa to a Crimean deputy education minister who was planning to participate in the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday.

"We are disappointed with the decision of the Swiss authorities to deny issuing a visa to Crimea's Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Youth Aider Ablyatipov who was planning to take part in the 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva," the ministry said in a statement.

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed regret over Switzerland's decision to ignore Moscow's calls and to strip a representative of Russia of an opportunity to describe the "real situation on the Crimean peninsula."

Crimea decided to rejoin Russia in 2014 after a vote. However, Ukraine and a number of other countries do not recognize the result of the referendum and consider Crimea Ukrainian territory. Russian officials have repeatedly stressed that the vote was held in accordance with international legal framework.Nepal has reinstated a deal with a Chinese state-owned company to build a $2.5 billion hydroelectric plant scrapped by the previous government, officials confirmed Monday, as the new pro-Beijing administration seeks massive infrastructure investment.

Kathmandu, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :Nepal has reinstated a deal with a Chinese state-owned company to build a $2.5 billion hydroelectric plant scrapped by the previous government, officials confirmed Monday, as the new pro-Beijing administration seeks massive infrastructure investment.

The agreement with the China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) to construct Nepal's largest hydro plant was abruptly cancelled by the outgoing government just weeks before a general election late last year.

"The decision to scrap the agreement with the Chinese company by the previous government was taken without any grounds," information minister Gokul Baskota told AFP.

"We decided to correct that, because Nepal doesn't have the capacity to build such a big project and funding is also challenging." The long-mooted 1,200 megawatt Budhi-Gandaki plant would nearly double Nepal's hydropower production. The impoverished landlocked country suffers chronic energy shortages and is forced to buy electricity from neighbouring India.

Beijing has been lobbying the new Communist government in Kathmandu to restore the contract since it took office in February, Baskota said.

Nepal wants the project to be part of the One Belt, One Road Initiative (OBOR), China's massive infrastructure drive at the centre of the Asian giant's push to expand its global influence.

Nepal signed up to the plan in May 2017.

Critics say the contract should have been open for international bidding and warned of the risks of Chinese loans.

Awarding such a lucrative contract in an opaque manner risked inflating the cost of the project "leading to a heavy national debt burden", tweeted former finance minister Ram Sharan Mahat.

Water-rich Nepal has a mountain river system that could make it an energy-producing powerhouse, but failure to develop its hydropower sector has weighed heavily on its ailing economy.

Nepal has awarded contracts for its mega hydropower projects to its two giant neighbours, rivals India and China, but construction has been slow.

Construction finally began on the $1.4 billion India-backed Arun Three hydropower plant earlier this year, 26 years after it was first proposed.

CGGC is currently building three smaller hydropower plants in Nepal and has completed one other, though critics have complained that these projects have run over time and budget.

Another Chinese firm, Three Gorges International Corporation, recently pulled out of a 750 megawatt hydropower project, citing financial concerns.

Crucial infrastructure development in Nepal has flagged in the years of political paralysis that followed the end of the Maoist insurgency in 2006 and the overthrow of the monarchy two years later.Osogbo, Nigeria, Sept 23 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Sep, 2018 ) :The governorship election in southwest Nigeria's Osun state ended in a stalemate on Sunday when the nation's electoral body failed to declare a clear winner.

Tensions rose at the INEC's collating centre in Osogbo on Sunday as supporters of the leading parties waited in vain for the official announcement of the results before it was announced a runoff was required.

Although 48 candidates from different political parties contested Saturday's election, the leading candidates were Gboyega Oyetola from President Muhammadu Buhari's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ademola Adeleke of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Olusegun Agbaje, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chief in Osun told reporters the election was inconclusive because "the number of cancelled votes is higher than the margin between the two top candidates." A run off between Oyetola and Adeleke is expected to be held on October 27.

An unofficial tally had shown the PDP's flagbearer leading his APC counterpart by some 350 votes, while the voided votes were more than 1,000.

Under the country's electoral law, no winner will emerge if the margin of victory is less than cancelled votes.

The winner of Saturday's poll was expected to take over from APC Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who is stepping down after two four-year terms, the legal maximum.

Adeleke who is nicknamed "the dancing senator" because of his penchant for dancing in the public, is an uncle of Afropop star Davido, whose real name is David Adedeji Adeleke.

Davido had joined the political trail to campaign for his uncle, drawing huge crowds as he ditched out some of his popular tunes.

The PDP candidate is a scion of the prominent and wealthy Adeleke political dynasty in Ede, some 20 kilometres from Osogbo, the capital.

Although there were widespread concerns about vote-buying, intimidation and logistics problems, the vote was generally adjudged free, fair and violence-free by local and foreign observers who monitored the exercise.

The governorship election in neighbouring Ekiti in July was characterised by allegations of vote-buying by the leading political parties.

Police, however, said three suspects were arrested for an alleged vote-buying in Osun on Saturday and would be prosecuted at the end of investigation.

The election is the final major electoral test before Nigerians vote for a new president, parliament, governors and state legislatures in February and March next year.

Buhari who came to power in 2015, faces a formidable challenge from an array of opposition candidates from PDP, including former vice president Atiku Abubakar and Senate president Bukola Saraki.(@FahadShabbir)

An attack on a protest by opponents of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega left one person dead and at least five others wounded in the capital Managua, police said.

Managua, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :An attack on a protest by opponents of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega left one person dead and at least five others wounded in the capital Managua, police said.

The deceased was identified as 16-year-old Max Romero, who died as a result of "crossfire," the police said in a statement on Sunday that attributed his death to the protesters, a version of events denied by the boy's aunt.

Months of turmoil in the Central American country have left more than 320 people dead, according to rights groups, but the unrest had declined in recent weeks before resurfacing at Sunday's march, which called for the release of political prisoners.

"I was shot and wounded by Daniel Ortega's paramilitaries," a 41-year-old protester who was wounded in the arm and who did not wish to reveal his name told AFP, as he was treated in a church in an eastern neighborhood of the city.

Fifteen-year-old Bryan Garcia, who was hit by a bullet, said: "It was the paramilitaries, they wounded me in the neck near the shoulder." Among the wounded was journalist Winston Potosme of the 100% Noticias channel, who was hurt in the arm.

The march was convened by relatives of at least 500 protesters imprisoned for participating in anti-government demonstrations, which began on April 18.

Protesters took to the streets despite Ortega's threats they would be prosecuted if they demonstrated against him.

They were met by riot squads and government supporters from the beginning of the march in southeast Managua.

One woman told AFP the marchers, having being harassed, decided to alter their route to avoid a confrontation.

But riot police followed them, and an AFP journalist witnessed them form a cordon around the Las Americas neighborhood before shots were heard minutes later.

Some locals shouted "Murderers!" from surrounding homes.

Many protesters then dispersed, but those who continued were again met by police. An AFP journalist witnessed shots fired from a black truck toward a group of villagers protesting the police's presence -- but nobody was injured.

"Nicaragua does not need more repression or deaths. (It needs) urgent democracy, early elections and justice," said Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States, in a statement posted on Twitter in the wake of the protest.

The Nicaraguan opposition accuses Ortega, in power since 2007, of establishing a corrupt dictatorship with his wife and vice president Rosario Murillo.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Continued fighting in Yemen's port city of Al Hudaydah may provoke a famine in four weeks, Dr. Ephraim Palmero, the country director on Yemen for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), an NGO that works in eight governorates of Yemen and is funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the US Agency for International Development, told Sputnik on Monday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Continued fighting in Yemen's port city of Al Hudaydah may provoke a famine in four weeks, Dr. Ephraim Palmero, the country director on Yemen for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), an NGO that works in eight governorates of Yemen and is funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the US Agency for International Development, told Sputnik on Monday.

The Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, announced the launch of a large-scale military operation to liberate Al Hudaydah from Shiite rebels from the Ansar Allah movement on Tuesday.

"The heavy fighting around the port of Hudaydah conveys a very negative signal to the food trade industry, causing food import businesses to disrupt their own enterprise due to unreliable Currency rates and ... insecurity in and around the port. Continued prolonged disruption of port operations for another 4 weeks [can result in] a full blown famine," Palmero said.

Palmero added that conditions resembling famine have also been observed by ADRA in remote areas of operations, especially among young children.

"Famine-like conditions have been observed in the remote areas of operations for ADRA, especially in the health facilities catchment areas where there is an increasing numbers with stunted growth and presence of severely malnourished under-fives, where parents come to clinics not primarily of sickness but hunger and inadequate food," Palmero said.

According to Palmero there are currently over 23 million people who are food insecure in Yemen. ADRA is responding to the lack of food by providing food vouchers or cash, depending on the demands of the particular region. The organization also works in a facility installed by the World Food Programme to provide food and other nutrition to people fleeing Al Hudaydah.

On Friday, at a briefing of the UN Security Council, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock stated that Yemen was approaching a tipping point, beyond which it would be impossible to prevent massive loss of life as a result of widespread famine across the country.

Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels for several years. The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015.Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad and informed him of the response measures after the crash of Russia's Il-20 military aircraft, the Kremlin press service said in a statement Monday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad and informed him of the response measures after the crash of Russia's Il-20 military aircraft, the Kremlin press service said in a statement Monday.

"On the initiative of the Syrian side, President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar Assad... The Russian president informed him about the decision to implement a number of additional measures to ensure the security of the Russian military in Syria and to strengthen that country's air defense network, including the supply of advanced S-300 air defense missile systems to Syria," it said.

The statement said both sides noted readiness for further joint efforts to achieve long-term normalization of the situation in Syria and restoration of its sovereignty. It said the sides discussed promotion of the political process regarding the formation and launch of the work of the constitutional committee in Geneva, and agreed to continue contacts at various levels.

The Kremlin also said Assad again expressed his deep condolences in connection with the death of 15 Russian servicemen who were on board the Il-20 aircraft, shot down on September 17 in Syria.Raytheon won a contract to deliver cyber security solutions for an unnamed government in the Middle East North Africa region, the US defense giant said in a press release on Monday.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Raytheon won a contract to deliver cyber security solutions for an unnamed government in the middle East North Africa region, the US defense giant said in a press release on Monday.

"Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) has been awarded a multi-year contract with a new government customer in the Middle East North Africa Region," the release said.

"Raytheon's Intelligence, Information and Services business will provide advanced cybersecurity solutions and associated training, knowledge transfer and operational and sustainment support."

Raytheon, the release added, will help enhance the unnamed country's national cyber defense capabilities.

The trusted partner in question, according to the release, continues to face evolving cyber threats.A Russian citizen has been detained in Finland as part of the investigation into a money laundering case, the Russian Embassy in Finland told Sputnik.

HELSINKI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) A Russian citizen has been detained in Finland as part of the investigation into a money laundering case, the Russian Embassy in Finland told Sputnik.

On Saturday, media reported citing Finland's National Bureau of Investigation that two suspects had been detained within the framework of the investigation into activities of a foreign-owned company suspected of money laundering.

"The Consular Department of the Russian Embassy in Finland has been timely notified by the Finnish police of the detention of a Russian citizen, whose data is not disclosed in the interests of the investigation, within the framework of this case. We stay in touch with the police. The detained Russian citizen has the opportunity to contact us. If necessary, we will provide consular assistance," the press attache said.A Russian citizen detained in Oslo on suspicion of collecting information will appeal the court's decision to arrest him for two weeks, the detainee's lawyer said Monday.

MURMANSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) A Russian citizen detained in Oslo on suspicion of collecting information will appeal the court's decision to arrest him for two weeks, the detainee's lawyer said Monday.

"I can only confirm that the arrest will be appealed, and from now on we will not comment on this case anymore," lawyer Hege Aakre told VG outlet.

According to NTB, the man was detained at Oslo airport on Friday after attending a seminar at the Norwegian parliament. An Oslo court made the decision on the man's arrest on Saturday.

According to media reports, the man was detained because he found himself in the restricted section of the parliament.

The man is reported to be 51 years old and to have participated in numerous conferences across the world in the last few years. He reportedly works on information security, among other things.

The lawyer said that the Russian citizen gave all the necessary explanations regarding his participation in the seminar. Aakre stressed that there was no proof that the man had been illegally collecting any information.

The Norwegian Police Security Service confirmed the arrest, but did not give any details. The Russian Embassy in Norway believes that the detention was made under a "nonsense" pretext.(@FahadShabbir)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has discussed with Russian Ambassador to the country Alexander Chepurin the agenda of his upcoming visit to Moscow and meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Serbian president's press service said in a statement on Monday.

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has discussed with Russian Ambassador to the country Alexander Chepurin the agenda of his upcoming visit to Moscow and meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Serbian president's press service said in a statement on Monday.

The visit of the Serbian president to Russia is scheduled for early October.

"President Vucic said that he would be honored to have the possibility to talk to president Putin and that he expected that this meeting would have a great importance for the further strengthening of friendly relations of the peoples of Serbia and Russia and for the development of multidimensional cooperation of the two countries," the Serbian presidential administration said.

According to the statement, Vucic and Chepurin have considered concrete proposals for strategic projects of economic cooperation in various fields, including in energy and infrastructure.

"The parties have noted that such projects would greatly benefit the economic progress of Serbia and Russia, in this connection a meeting of the intergovernmental commission on bilateral cooperation has been scheduled," the statement read further.

Vucic has reiterated that Serbia remained committed to its policies of military neutrality, the statement added.Stockholm will consider opening its second consulate-general in Russia in the country's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, Swedish Ambassador to Moscow Peter Ericson said on Monday.

VLADIVOSTOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Stockholm will consider opening its second consulate-general in Russia in the country's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, Swedish Ambassador to Moscow Peter Ericson said on Monday.

According to a statement published on the official website of the city administration, Ericson held a meeting with Vladivostok mayor Vitaly Verkeenko, who proposed the Swedish diplomat to consider the possibility of opening Swedish Consulate-General in Vladivostok.

"At the moment, only one Swedish Consulate-General works in Russia, it is situated in St.

Petersburg. This year, we have closed consulates-general in New York and Los Angeles, however, we see the opportunities of your city and the opening [of the consulate-general] will be considered," Ericson said as quoted by the Vladivostok authorities.

The Vladivostok mayor, in turn, pointed out that a total of seven consulates-general and 16 honorary consuls had been working in the city, more than in almost any other Russian city. He also expressed his readiness to sign a sister cities agreement with a city in Sweden.(@rukhshanmir)

Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami said on Monday that the terrorist attack in the capital city of the country's Khuzestan province was a continuation of the economic war with the United States, local media reported.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami said on Monday that the terrorist attack in the capital city of the country's Khuzestan province was a continuation of the economic war with the United States, local media reported.

On Saturday, at least 25 people were killed and 60 others injured in a terror attack targeting a military parade in the city of Ahvaz. Saudi-backed Ahwazieh secessionist movement has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.

The minister said, speaking at the funeral procession for the victims of the attack, that Washington and its regional allies have used local extremist groups to pursue US aims, the IRNA news agency reported.

Relations between Iran and the United States sharply deteriorated after Washington's withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of action and subsequent reimposition of anti-Tehran sanctions. The first set of economic restrictions, which include a ban on purchasing the US Currency, trading in gold and other precious metals, buying aluminum and steel for industrial purposes, and performing activities related to Iran's sovereign debt, took effect on August 7. The second portion, including sanctions on Iran's energy sector and foreign transactions, will come into force in November.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Nepal's wild tiger population has nearly doubled over the last nine years, officials said Monday, in a victory for the impoverished country's drive to save the endangered big cats.

Kathmandu, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :Nepal's wild tiger population has nearly doubled over the last nine years, officials said Monday, in a victory for the impoverished country's drive to save the endangered big cats.

Wildlife groups have welcomed the news as a sign that political involvement and innovative conservation strategies can reverse the decline of the majestic Royal Bengal tiger.

A survey carried out earlier this year counted 235 tigers in Nepal, up from around 121 in 2009.

Conservationists and wildlife experts used more than 4,000 cameras and around 600 elephants, trawling a 2,700-kilometre (1,700-mile) route across Nepal's southern plains where the big cats roam.

"This is a result of concentrated unified efforts by the government along with the local community and other stakeholders to protect the tiger's habitat and fight againstpoaching," Man Bahadur Khadka, director general of Nepal's Department of National Parksand Wildlife Conservation, told AFP.Turkey has already cleared out terrorists from over 1,500 square miles (about 4,000 square kilometers) of Syrian territory and intends to continue establishing security zones, including to the east of the Euphrates River, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Turkey has already cleared out terrorists from over 1,500 square miles (about 4,000 square kilometers) of Syrian territory and intends to continue establishing security zones, including to the east of the Euphrates River, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

"We will take similar steps east of the Euphrates," the president said at a dinner organized by the TURKEN Foundation in New York, as cited by the Anadolu news agency.

According to Erdogan, while Turkey was neutralizing the "terror corridor" and fighting the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Northern Syria, Ankara's strategic allies have transferred a total of 18,000 trucks and 3,000 planes carrying weapons and ammunition to the region.

The US-backed YPG militia and PYD party are considered terrorist organizations by Ankara over their links to the pro-independence Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey has been fighting the YPG/PYD in Syria, claiming that the organizations posed a threat to the country's national security.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Ukrainian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko suggested on Monday to transfer the venue for negotiations on the Donbas conflict settlement from the Belarusian capital of Minsk to another capital, accusing Belarus of voting against any Ukrainian initiative in the United Nations

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Ukrainian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko suggested on Monday to transfer the venue for negotiations on the Donbas conflict settlement from the Belarusian capital of Minsk to another capital, accusing Belarus of voting against any Ukrainian initiative in the United Nations.

On Saturday, the Ukrainian Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a Facebook post that while 68 countries supported Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's initiative to include the issue of "temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine" on the agenda of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, 13 countries, including Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, voted against it.

"I think that we should already draw serious conclusions from the Belarusian stance ... our neighbors, our former CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] partners  I cannot understand why they are voting against ... Personally, I fully support ... that we should just transfer this [negotiations] venue from Minsk to some other capital, [although] I already don't remember who suggested this," Yelchenko said, as broadcast by the Ukrainian tv channel Pryamiy.

Yelchenko went on to say that he considered Belarus' stance "strange," considering that the country claimed to be neutral, even though this was "very hard.

"

"In spite of all my respect for Belarusian diplomacy, I cannot accept such a position, what kind of neutrality are they talking about? They are just chronically voting against any of our ideas, any of our suggestions, even those that are not related to the conflict with Russia. This already shows a certain position of the country," Yelchenko added.

Kiev has been in a state of an armed conflict with the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), both located in the eastern Donbas region, since 2014. That year, the republics refused to accept the new government, claiming that it had come to power in a coup, and proclaimed their secession, which Kiev refuses to recognize.

Ukrainian crisis settlement is being discussed in different formats, one of which is he Normandy Four comprising Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France. Another, the Minsk format, or the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, has proven to be more efficient as the group. It unites Russia, Ukraine, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the DPR and the LPR, and has managed to reach a ceasefire agreement between the warring parties. Despite this, however, the ceasefire is constantly being breached.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York will be the right platform for the discussion of the situation in Yemen, including calls for a potential ceasefire and stopping the flow of arms, Richard Stanforth,  humanitarian policy adviser at Oxfam, told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) The UN General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York will be the right platform for the discussion of the situation in Yemen, including calls for a potential ceasefire and stopping the flow of arms, Richard Stanforth,  humanitarian policy adviser at Oxfam, told Sputnik.

The UNGA session began earlier in September, while the annual general debate will open on Tuesday.

"Yes, that would be important. I think there's a formal meeting on Yemen at the UN General Assembly organized by [UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] OCHA. I think it is an important moment that they should be speaking out right now as well. I know that certainly all the NGOs have come out repeatedly calling for a ceasefire. [Ceasefires] have been effective in the past," Stanforth said, when asked if UNGA could serve as the platform to discuss the situation in Yemen.

The NGO's humanitarian policy adviser pointed out that ceasefires help to curb violence even if they cannot fully end it.

"We haven't seen governments come out and call for a ceasefire and I think all the members of the UN Security Council need to be coming out and calling for a ceasefire," Stanforth said.

The policy adviser said the UNGA could be the right platform to discuss other initiatives, "and a key one is stopping a flow of arms to the parties." Oxfam is calling on the international community to "stop providing arms to the parties of this conflict and that's critical."

He stressed that Oxfam was concerned over the threat of famine in Yemen, particularly in the port of Al Hudaydah.

"We're desperately worried about the situation, particularly in Al Hudaydah and the constraints that have been placed on movement around the port areas, where there's been, we've seen a dramatic drop in the last three years in the amount of food and fuel that's entering the country including at times a full blockade imposed by the Saudi-led coalition," Stanforth said.

The UN Security Council should urge for the fighting to stop in Al Hudaydah, "the breadbasket of Yemen," Stanforth said.

"Effectively Yemen's economy has been constrained  here's been bombing, there's been fighting by different factions, and all factions are responsible for war crimes, grave violations of international humanitarian law, that compounded to the supply restrictions and movement and access restrictions which has forced people from their houses and from their jobs, and lack of funds that the country has got ... we've got a situation now where millions of people are at risk of famine," the adviser said.

Mark Lowcock, the UN humanitarian chief, stressed last week that Yemen was on the brink of famine and told the Security Council that the situation had gotten much worse recently.

Yemen has been torn apart by an armed conflict between the government forces led by president Abd Rabbuh Mansour 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. A recent report by the UN experts suggested that all parties to the conflict may have been involved in war crimes.American Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley says Washington is not seeking to overthrow Iran's government, denying claims by President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani that the US favoured a 'revolution' in Iran

NEW YORK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :American Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley says Washington is not seeking to overthrow Iran's government, denying claims by President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani that the US favoured a 'revolution' in Iran.

"The United States is not looking to do a regime change in Iran", Haley told CNN on Sunday.

"We are not looking to do regime change anywhere." Giuliani, Trump's lawyer and former mayor of New York City, told an anti-Iran event on Saturday that Trump's policy of economic pressure and sanctions against Tehran could spur on a regime change.

"I don't know when we are going to overthrow them", Giuliani said.

It could be in a few days, months, a couple of years.

But it's going to happen. Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May and announced that his administration was going to reimpose sanctions on the Islamic Republic, most notably measures that were going to target its oil exports from November 4.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also contrasted Giuliani in an interview aired Sunday, telling NBC news that Trump was ready to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during (UN) General Assembly session later this week.

"If there's a constructive dialogue to be had, let's get after it," he said.

Iranian leaders has made it clear that direct talks with the US are not an option until Washington drops all of its policies that were hostile to Iran.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The United States is making controversial statements and steps, which lead to the escalation of trade war and pose a threat to the principles of the system of free international trade, the White Book of the Chinese State Council, issued on Monday, said.

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) The United States is making controversial statements and steps, which lead to the escalation of trade war and pose a threat to the principles of the system of free international trade, the White Book of the Chinese State Council, issued on Monday, said.

"The United States is contradicting itself, which resulted in the continuous escalation of trade and economic tensions between China and Washington in a short time ... That also poses a serious threat to the principles of the system of multilateral and free trade," the document read.

According to the White Book, the US activities have inflicted a serious damage to the US-Chinese trade and economic relations, which have been successfully developing for years.

The US-Chinese relations have been tense since March, when US President Donald Trump announced imposing tariffs on imported Chinese steel and aluminum. Since then, the two sides have imposed several rounds of exchange duties on each other. On Saturday, Beijing decided to withdraw from trade talks with Washington, following recent sanctions that the United States imposed against the Chinese Defense Ministry and the Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport in connection to the deals on the purchase of the Russian aircraft and S-400 missile systems.MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Venezuelan Minister of Communications and Information Jorge Rodriguez said that the governments of Chile, Colombia and Mexico could have possibly been involved in the thwarted attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in August.

Rodriguez said on Sunday that one of those detained after the attack testified about such a possibility, adding that the diplomatic missions of Chile and Mexico allegedly were to take the suspect out of the country, but he was caught by the Venezuelan authorities when trying to leave.

"I'm asking myself if the ambassador of Chile is ready for a polygraph test.

Chile must explain who was that official who was supposed to help this criminal escape. Colombia and Mexico also have to explain who was supposed to facilitate the escape of [the suspect]," Rodriguez told a press conference in Caracas.

The minister also reported the detention of three new suspects linked to the attack.

The Venezuelan authorities say that Maduro survived an assassination attempt on August 4. The president was attending a military parade in the country's capital Caracas when his box was hit by an explosion caused by two bomb-laden drones, leaving Maduro unharmed but several soldiers wounded.Western leaders and international organizations do not have a back-up plan on the Macedonian name deal in case the upcoming referendum on the bilateral deal with Greece on the country's renaming fails, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov said on Monday.

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Western leaders and international organizations do not have a back-up plan on the Macedonian name deal in case the upcoming referendum on the bilateral deal with Greece on the country's renaming fails, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov said on Monday.

In June, Athens and Skopje reached an agreement to rename the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to the Republic of North Macedonia. FYROM will hold a referendum on the issue on September 30. A number of European and US officials have recently personally visited Skopje to call on the Macedonians to back the renaming at the upcoming vote.

"All leaders, from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who visited us on the 27th independence anniversary, pointed out the absence of a back-up plan," Dimitrov said, as cited by the government's press release.

The country's new constitutional name will open the way for Macedonia's accession to the European Union and NATO, which has long been blocked by Athens over concerns that the neighboring country might have territorial claims to Greece's own region of the same name.Paris, France (UroToday.com) The opioid epidemic in recent years has continued to become a growing problem around the world, especially in the United States. The implication and expectation for patients to receive opioids for pain following surgical procedures has caused addiction and health risks that have reached crisis levels. Dr. David Sobel and his team of endourologists at the University of Vermont Medical center have recognized this drastic issue and have begun efforts to implement non-opioid protocols for outpatient urologic surgery.The researchers have examined this issue in previous studies and have determined that ureteroscopy with stent placement (URS) is feasible without postoperative opioids. With this current study, the researchers intended to report long term follow-up with this approach and analyze factors associated with patients requiring postoperative opioids.In order to properly analyze this issue, a retrospective review of patients who underwent URS by a single surgeon between November 2016 to March 2018 was conducted. Postoperative medication treatment options were encouraged to avoid opioids by not giving postoperative prescriptions or diclofenac, an NSAID. Treatment options were assessed using the Treatment Algorithm (Figure 1). If patients had normal renal function and had no opioid tolerance, then they were eligible for the non-opioid treatment option, however, opioids were not prevented if necessary at discharge. Feasibility was evaluated by measuring the frequency of postoperative adverse events including visits to the emergency department (ED) for stent related complaints, stent-related telephone calls, and requests for pain medication prescription refills (Figure 2).Figure 1: The treatment algorithm for postoperative medication prescription, which is an aspect of the Enhanced Recovery Stent Pathway developed by Dr. Sobel and his team. This is part of The Stent Toolkit which is available for physicians on the website mentioned above.Figure 2: Adverse events during postoperative follow-up for routine URS in patients who were prescribed opioid or non-opioid medications.Following accrual of subjects, it was shown that 206 patients underwent URS, of which, 151 patients were discharged without opioids (73%) while the remaining 55 received opioids (27%). Of the non-opioid cohort, 129 received diclofenac while 22 received no pain medication. Stent related visits to the ED were similar, as 13% of patients from the opioid group and 10% of patients from the non-opioid group went to the ED. Patients without opioids made significantly fewer telephone calls than those with opioids, a difference of 21% to 45%, respectively. The number of pain medication refill requests were also fewer among patients prescribed diclofenac than opioids, a difference of 7% to 24%.In closing, Dr. Sobel stressed the importance of the reduction of opioid prescriptions following endourological procedures. In his centers experience, a non-opioid pathway reveals that approximately 3/4 of patients can be discharged after URS without opioids. Additionally, there were improvements in the number of adverse events experienced by the non-opioid cohort as related to the opioid cohort. Before he left the stage, Dr. Sobel shared a web link with his audience ( www.stentpain.org ) that led to the Consortium for Ureteral Stent Pain, a website created by the urologists at the University of Vermont. He recommended that the practicing endourologists in the room utilize this resource to improve patient understanding and expectations of stent pain. The site also offering tools for physicians such as The Stent Toolkit which recommends ways to properly treat patients for pain postoperatively without the necessity of opioids.Presented By: David SobelAffiliation: University of Vermont MedicalWritten by: Zachary Valley, Department of Urology, University of California-Irvine medical writer for UroToday at the 36th World Congress of Endourology (WCE) and SWL - September 20-23, 2018 Paris, France







Paris, France (UroToday.com) Ali Riza Kural, MD gave a summary regarding the changes in the approach to prostate cancer throughout the years, from diagnosis to treatment. In the past, nearly all patients diagnosed with low risk prostate cancer were offered treatment (radiation or surgery) and were ideal candidates for nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (RP). Thanks to a series of publications with long-term follow-up evaluating the role of active surveillance, many patients with low risk prostate cancer are now able to avoid radical treatments that are associated with morbidity and a decrease in their quality of life. Patients with intermediate and high risk prostate cancer are still offered radical treatment. However, whereas these patients were once treated mostly with radiation and hormonal therapy, it is now common to initiate therapy with surgery, complemented with multimodal therapy, if necessary. Moreover, in recent years, highly selected patients with oligometastatic disease are treated with RP as well. This would have been considered a complete contraindication to surgery only a few years ago and well illustrates the shift in the urologists approach to prostate cancer.The diagnosis of prostate cancer has been also revolutionized. The state of the art multi-parametric MRI is now considered an essential tool in both diagnoses of prostate cancer and surgical planning. From a finger-guided biopsy through a transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy, US-MRI fusion biopsy is now considered the most accurate method of diagnosing prostate cancer. This technique not only detects more clinically significant cancers in the setting of first or repeat biopsy, but it also lowers the detection rate of indolent cancers. Precision medicine has recently emerged in prostate cancer and is gradually being used by urologists. Molecular and genetic tests allow for better selection of patients to either active surveillance, repeat biopsy, radical treatment, or adjuvant therapy.RP was introduced in 1904 by Hugh Hampton Young, using the perineal approach. Four decades later, Terrence Millin developed the retropubic approach. RP , however, was not frequently performed, mainly due to bleeding and adverse effects (erectile dysfunction up to 100%, severe incontinence in 25%). In an attempt to decrease procedure-related morbidity, Patrick Walsh described in 1974 the surgical anatomy of the prostate. This consisted of selective ligation of the dorsal venous complex, description of the pelvic plexus and cavernosal nerves, and the different fascial layers of the pelvis. The introduction of robotic assisted-laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) initiated a debate as to whether the minimally invasive procedure is superior to open surgery. Although level I evidence backed by large-scale randomized trial is still lacking, it is generally accepted that RALRP results in lower blood loss, shorter hospitalization, and less anastomotic strictures. The advantages of RALRP are mainly due to 3D magnified view and instruments with a wide range of motion. Dr. Kurals conclusion of this debate is that it is the surgeon who makes a difference, not the instruments.Presented by: Ali Riza Kural, MD, Professor, Urology Department of Acibadem Maslak Hospital, Istanbul, TurkeyWritten by Dr. Shlomi Tapiero, medical writer for UroToday.com at the 36th World Congress of Endourology (WCE) and SWL - September 20-23, 2018 Paris, FranceKyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has taken on President Museveni asking him how he feels when people are being battered and killed by security agencies.

The legislator asked during a media briefing held at his home in Magere, in Kasangati Town Council where he said many people have breathed their last after being beaten and roughed up by security agencies.

Bobi Wine has clashed often times with police and army during the processions of opposition leaders.

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I expected the president to call on the errant soldiers to order, however, I was disappointed when President Museveni decided to pat them on the back for a job well done,

Mr President, just like there was a time when you were not in power, there will be a time when you will not be in power so treat people the way you would want to be treated, It is not too late to regain and save your legacy so please do what is right,  he said.

He stressed that as a fountain of honor has always referred to them as his grandsons and daughters, he acts contrary to the norm by subjecting them to torture, arrests.

Grandparents are known to treat their grandchildren with love and care and so grandparents shouldnt brutalize their grandchildren every time they have a different opinion, he added.

Bobi Wine who reminded security operatives of brutalizing Ugandans said, they are not fighting against them rather fighting for them too. He encouraged them to join the campaign saying People Power is not about Bobi Wine or anybody. It is an idea premised on the fact that power belongs to the people.

He said as Ugandans, they are going through a tough time, We must stand together to end the disturbing videos of security operatives brutalizing people they are supposed to protect.Relatives attend the burial service of victims of the MV Nyerere on the shores of Ukara Island, Tanzania (AFP or licensors)

Tanzanian Bishops have thanked Pope Francis for being close to the people of Tanzania as the country started to bury over 200 victims who perished when a ferry, the MV Nyerere, capsized on Lake Victoria.

Vatican News Africa Service  Vatican City.

The Bishop of Mpanda Diocese and Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) President, Gervas John Nyaisonga has thanked Pope Francis for his message of condolence at a period when the country is mourning. Bishop Nyaisonga said, as a Conference, they have owned the Popes message and were also echoing their own sadness at the loss of so many lives on Lake Victoria last Thursday.

More thank 227 persons confirmed dead

Over the weekend, the confirmed death toll from the MV Nyerere disaster stood at 227. Grief stricken relatives wept on Sunday at the mass burials in Tanzania. Friends and relatives placed wreaths on coffins lined-up for burial on Ukara Island.

41 persons are known to have survived the tragedy but many in Tanzania believe that more bodies are still under the water and some may never be found. The figure of those who perished indicates a number far above the official capacity of the ill-fated MV Nyerere. The total number of deaths may never be known because no one is sure how many people were on the overcrowded ferry which had a capacity of 101.

The boat capsized, on Lake Victoria, just 50 metres off the Island of Ukara.

Bishops grateful to security forces and volunteers

Speaking on behalf of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), Bishop Nyaisongas message relayed through TECs Secretary General, Fr. Charles Kitima said the Bishops of Tanzania join the Holy Father Pope Francis in expressing their heartfelt condolences over the death of so many people. The Bishops have also expressed their appreciation to all persons involved in rescue efforts as well as in the search for bodies.

In particular, we thank the fishermen, military, navy, police, scouts and all people who continue to help in rescue efforts. Accept our profound appreciation and gratitude, Bishop Nyaisonga said.

Tanzanian authorities have now said no survivors are likely to be found and have accordingly ended search efforts in order to focus on finding bodies.

Tanzanian President says accident is a disaster

Tanzanian President John Magufuli described the MV Nyerere tragedy as a great disaster for the nation. He has declared four days of national mourning and ordered the arrests of officials managing the ferry for negligence that has cost lives.

The government has since announced a Commission of inquiry to be headed by Retired General, George Waitara. The Commission of Inquiry will seek to establish circumstances that led to the accident and to make recommendations within a month.The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Latvia counts up to 35 percent of the total population. It makes up the most numerous community, is active in three dioceses and owns some 300 church buildings. The Evangelical Lutheran Archbishop of Riga speaks of the significance of the Pope's visit to the nation.

By Linda Bordoni

Present at this mornings ecumenical meeting in Rigas Lutheran Cathedral with Pope Francis was Janis Vanags, the Evangelical Lutheran Archbishop of Riga.

Listen to Lutheran Archbishop Vanags

No formal ecumenical relations

He explained that Lutherans in Latvia do not have formal ecumenical relations as they do not engage in theological dialogue amongst each other.

For this, he said, their reference point for Latvian Lutherans is what is going on between the Lutheran Federation and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. On the ground the different Churches foster cooperation and encounter, friendship and mutual support.

Importance of Popes visit

Regarding the significance of Pope Francis apostolic visit, Archbishop Vanags says first of all it is a celebration and a great event for our Catholic friends and partners because their shepherd is visiting so we are glad and rejoice with them.

But, Archbishop Vanags says, the Popes visit transcends, not only the limits of Roman Catholic Church but also all religious borders.

We can observe how active the preparations for the visit have been, not only in the media but also in political circles and I think that is important for our country

Unfortunately, Vanags points out, after the liberation, somehow the attention towards religion, the recognition of its importance has decreased in Latvia.

He says it is getting more difficult to teach religion in schools, for example, and the fact that the Popes visit has focused attention on Christian faith, Christian values and religion in general, is very helpful.

Of course, he concludes, the Christian faith has been a constituting factor in the history of our nation so it a great event.Pope Francis on Monday warned Latvians to keep the Christian faith alive and to continue to nurture the bonds of Christian unity resisting the danger of turning the faith into a museum piece.

By Linda Bordoni

Addressing an Ecumenical Meeting in Riga on the first day of his apostolic visit to Latvia, Pope Francis expressed his appreciation for what he called one of Latvias special traits: a lived ecumenism which has succeeded in building unity while preserving the unique and rich identity of the different Christian Churches.

The Meeting took place in the citys Lutheran Cathedral, a place  the Pope said  that has been home to the Christian life of the city: a faithful witness to all those brothers and sisters of ours who have come here to worship and pray, to sustain their hope in moments of trial and to find the courage to face times of great injustice and suffering.

He remarked how the cathedral is also home to one of the oldest organs in Europe describing it as the the instrument of God and of men for lifting eyes and hearts to heaven.

Faith must not become a 'museum piece'

Using the metaphor of the organ throughout his speech, Francis said that like the faith, it is part of our identity and he warned Christians against the risk of turning their identity  and their faith - into a museum piece that recalls the achievements of earlier ages, an object of great historical value, but no longer one that is capable of moving the hearts of those who hear it.

The Gospel, he said, tells us that our faith is not to be hidden away, but to be made known so that it can resound in the various sectors of society and all can contemplate its beauty and be illumined by its light.

The Gospel must resonate in all sectors of life

If the music of the Gospel is no longer heard in our lives, or becomes a mere period piece, it will no longer be capable of breaking through the monotony that stifles hope and makes all our activity fruitless he said.

If the music of the Gospel, he continued, ceases to resonate in our very being, we will lose the joy born of compassion, the tender love born of trust, the capacity for reconciliation that has its source in our knowledge that we have been forgiven and sent forth.

If the music of the Gospel ceases to sound in our homes, our public squares, our workplaces, our political and financial life, then  Pope Francis said - we will no longer hear the strains that challenge us to defend the dignity of every man and woman, whatever his or her origin. We will become caught up in what is mine, neglecting what is ours: our common home, which is also our common responsibility.

If the music of the Gospel is no longer heard, we will lose the sounds that guide our lives to heaven and become locked into one of the worst ills of our day: loneliness and isolation he said.

Listen to our report

The mission of Christian Unity

Pope Francis reminded those present that Christian unity is something that our mission continues to demand of us. Acknowledging that we live in times that are complex and difficult, he mentioned in particular those Christians who are experiencing exile and even martyrdom for their faith saying that mission also demands that we ensure that the music of the Gospel continues to be heard in the public square and to resound in our midst never ceasing to inspire us and calling us to live life to the full.Mexico`s first leftist President Elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, says he is not going to squabble with US President Donald Trump over immigration. James Blears reports on the odd couple, actually burying the hatchet...even if they don`t exactly see eye to eye.

By James Blears

Mexico`s next Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard says following the new Administration taking office on December 1st, there won`t be back biting or head on confrontations with Washington. Rather practical consensus, while Mexico will diversify more comprehensively into Latin America.

His Boss and President Elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also stresses the policy of no falling out with the US Administration or President Donald Trump. AMLO, nicknamed via his initials.. is busy working on a comprehensive regional development plan, in order to keep workers on their side of the Border. He insists that diplomacy and cooperation is the answer and not wall building. So far President Donald Trump has not repeated his demand that Mexico will pay for the wall...something which unified and hardened Mexico against him.It may surprise you to learn that some Hollywood starlets choose to use gestational surrogacy to bring their children into this world. Surrogacy offers the opportunity to bless their lives with a child and leave a legacy to their heirs.

Surrogacy offers the chance to raise a baby for geriatric mothers and aging fathers that no longer have the biological capability of bearing children. Hollywood is no different to any other town or society in America. Starlets want to raise a family as well.

Here is a list of A-list celebs that committed to a surrogate to receive the blessing of a baby boy or girl. Visit surrogacy here in Las Vegas for a consultation of your own.

GloZell Green

This YouTube star documented her surrogacy with her husband, Kevin Simon. The two filmed their experience with attempting fertility treatment and their eventual decision to Glo all in, with a surrogate mother to birth a child into the world.

The couple made the most of the situation by filming their surrogate, Shawna Johnson, and her experience with surrogacy. Trips to the doctors office, discussions of infertility and their fears and joy all laid bare on their YouTube channel as they journeyed through the process.

The trio welcomed baby girl OZell Gloriana De Green Simon, into the world on August 7, 2016.

Katey Sagal

Katey shot to fame with the hit TV series, Married with children. As Peggy Bundy, her role was to raise two spoiled brats and look after her dysfunctional husband. An instant hit with audiences around the globe, the shows rating consistently drew an audience of millions.

However, at the time of production, Sagal did have a family of her own with Jack White. Sagal took care of the children on set with a nursey for the two little ones attached to her dressing room.

In 2000 she split from White and married Kurt Sutter, creator of the hit TV series Sons of anarchy. The couple desperately wanted children, but their age was a factor that came into play. After multiple rounds of fertility treatment and tests, they choose to go with a surrogate.

The couple welcomed their daughter, Esme, into the world in 2007, with Sagal at 52-years of age.

Tyra Banks

The reality star, supermodel, and entrepreneur is another beneficiary of a surrogate family. The starlet revealed her infertility issues to the public in 2015. She and her husband, Erik Asla, choose to use surrogacy as a means to start a family. In 2016, they introduced their baby boy, York Banks Asla, to the world. The state that their miracle little boy, bears their features, including Banks eyes and hands.

In a public post on Instagram, Banks thanked her surrogate and told the world that she prays for anyone that cant have children because of fertility issues.

Giuliana Rancic

The E! News host underwent a double breast mastectomy after discovering that she had cancer. Afterward, she struggled to fall pregnant and after multiple rounds of fertility treatment gave up on her dreams to get pregnant.

Her and husband bill chose to acquire the services of a surrogate to start their family instead. Their hire, Delphine, bore their son Duke in 2012. Unfortunately, Delphines efforts to deliver the couple with a second child ended in multiple miscarriages that eventually endangered her health.

Rancic and her husband dont seem to upset about the situation, and in a public statement, she stated that her love for her son Duke is the greatest gift of life.

Ellen Pompeo

This Hollywood actress birthed her first child, Stella, in 2009. However, her attempts at having a second were not to be. She chose to use a surrogate and decided to keep the process out of the public eye. Ellen announced the birth 2-months after the fact. In an Instagram post, she and husband Chris Ivery introduced their second daughter, Sienna May Ivery, to the world.

In an interview on the Jimmy Kimmel show, just hours after the Instagram post went public, she went on to explain the joys of motherhood and how working with the surrogate was a blessing that shes eternally grateful for and an incredible life gift.

Lucy Liu

This Hollywood starlet of Charlies Angels, is a surrogate mother as well. In a 2015 Instagram reveal, she introduced the world to her son, Rockwell Lloyd Liu.

This single mother went on the Today show to announce that a gestational surrogate carried Rockwell, and had an in-depth discussion about her infertility issues.

Liu swelled with pride as she talked about her experience of motherhood and how it changed her behavior and thought process. Liu accounts for the process of becoming a mom as the most human experience shes had in her life.

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sex in the city, starlet Sarah Jessica Parker is the last actress on our list of celebrities that use the services of a surrogate to start their family. The actress and husband, Matthew Broderick, bore their first child in, James Wilke, in 2002. However, attempts to have another child were unsuccessful for the couple. The couple sought the services of a surrogate and introduced twins, Tabitha and Marion, to the world in 2009.The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi Hotel. - VNS Photo Truong Vi

The two-day conference, organised by Bricsa Consulting, which holds high-end networking and knowledge-sharing conferences, focuses on Vietnam as an emerging market for luxury hotels and resorts.

It will be a platform for hotel developers to not only explore business opportunities in the Asia Pacific region but also keep abreast of key market trends in the hospitality industry across the globe.

Some of the key highlights to be discussed include identifying significant market trends in the competitive hospitality market, understanding the needs of a diversifying market and discussing ways to tackle it and FDI opportunities in Vietnam this year.

There will be a panel discussion on Hotel Mergers and Acquisitions, a topic of great interest to foreign investors in this country, with Mauro Gasparotti, director, South East Asia, Savills Hotels, Vietnam, being the moderator.

With a bright outlook forecast for Vietnams tourism industry, international hotel operators are flocking to the country to benefit from the countrys increasingly high growth potential and diversified tourist arrivals.

Vietnam has in recent years seen significant growth in the number of international hotel brands and foreign management firms.

The hotel segment has been very active in the last three years and has caught the attention of many foreign investors, mainly from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

South Korean investors mostly seek large, high-end hotels and resorts with up to 250 rooms in Ha Noi, Da Nang and HCM City, where there is a large community of South Koreans.

Japanese investors are interested in smaller hotels with fewer than 150 rooms in Ha Noi and HCM City.

Singaporean investors look for multi-purpose complexes featuring a hotel segment.

The latest figures from Savills Vietnam show that the number of international hotel operators had increased from 30 in 2010 to 80 at the end of last year.

In the first half of the year, some additional famous brand names came to the country. Among them are Mandarin Oriental in HCM City and Best Western Premier in the central province of Quang Binh.

Radisson Hotel Group recently opened Radisson Blu Resort on Phu Quoc, its first hotel in Vietnam. Travelodge Asia also announced plans for its first property in the central province of Khanh Hoas Nha Trang City, which is scheduled to open in 2020.

Recently, InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) acquired a 51-per-cent stake in Regent Hotels and Resorts for an amount of $39 million. Regent has an operation contract for BIM Groups Regent Residences Phu Quoc, which will become operational in 2019.

Indochina Capital recently joined with Japans Kajima to build up a chain of hotels in Ha Noi, HCM City, and Da Nang under the brand name Wink Hotels.

Vietnam was ranked the third fastest-growing tourist destination last year by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

Last year not only Asia but also all other parts of the world saw tourism grow, but the rate of growth in the Asia Pacific was high, according to UNWTO.

Tourism boom

With economic growth topping 6 per cent annually for more than 15 years, it is no surprise that Vietnams cities are flourishing as never before.

From Da Nang to Hai Phong and from Ha Noi to HCM City, tourism is booming along with the countrys economic fortunes.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has come up with a master plan for tourism development by 2020 with a vision to 2030.

Approved in 2013, the master plan is designed to provide a blueprint guiding Vietnams future tourism development, which has led to an increase in foreign direct investment.

UNWTO declared last year as the year of Sustainable Tourism to promote tourism not only in Southeast Asia but also around the world.

Tourism generates almost 10 per cent of global GDP and contributes a very large percentage of jobs.

According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnam received a record high of nearly 13 million foreign visitors last year, a 29.1 per cent jump over the previous year.

Of them, 10.9 million arrived by flight, 1.8 million by land and 258,800 by sea.

Last year the real estate sector attracted investment of $2.5 billion.

Vietnam is expected to have 17-20 million international visitors in addition to 82 million domestic tourists by 2020.

With more than 150 new four- and five-star properties in the pipeline and to open by 2020, the industry offers a huge opportunity to various segments in the sector like hotel and resort management, design and architecture, etc.Samsung is one of the biggest investors in Vietnam, with several billion-dollar projects

The conference on 30 years of FDI mobilisation in Vietnam will take place on Thursday, October 4, 2018 at the National Conference Centre (NCC), 1 Thang Long Avenue, Me Tri ward, South Tu Liem District, Hanoi.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will attend and chair the conference, which will welcome the speakers, including leaders of ministries and provinces, business associations, domestic and foreign investors, and foreign direct investment (FDI) experts to discuss the strategy, directions, and future solutions for FDI in Vietnam.

On the side-lines of the conference, the exhibition on 30 years of FDI achievements will also take place, including various images, graphics, maps, and artefacts to give the audience a general overview of the achievements made during the past 30 years (1998-2018), with special focus on the accomplishments of the Doi Moi Renovation and international integration.

The exhibition will share information about the strengths and new investment opportunities in Vietnam. Special attention will be given to initiatives in the fields of economics, tourism, and services, which have enhanced the competitiveness and the investment environment of Vietnam.

The conference is an opportunity to promote and share the governments strategy with the business community and global investors on the future directions for FDI, as well as share information on the development of specific industries and localities, including investment opportunities.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investments Foreign Investment Agency, as of the end of August 2018, there were 26,438 valid foreign-invested projects with the total registered capital of $333.83 billion across 19 of 21 economic sectors. Of these, the processing and manufacturing industry made up the largest proportion with around 57 per cent of the total investment, followed by real estate (17 per cent) and the production and distribution of power, gas, and water (6.8 per cent).

There are 129 countries and territories operating foreign-invested projects in Vietnam. South Korea and Japan are the two biggest investors, with the total investment capital of nearly $117 billion, capturing 33 per cent of the total investment, followed by Singapore, Taiwan, the British Virgin Islands, and Hong Kong.The surge of renewable energy creates new challenges for Vietnams power infrastructure

Venu Nuguri - Group senior vice president, ABBs Power Grids Division in South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa The green revolution of the power grid is one of those instances where the timing is right  technological advances are ready at the same time when the world is ready for them. This is important, because a shift towards renewable energy calls for global realignment on energy approaches. The dynamics of consuming more renewable energy will change the energy marketplace, opening up markets across the globe. Globally, we are seeing a major shift in the power value chain across generation, transmission and distribution. In generation, we see that the renewable share has gone up and is expected to hit around 40 per cent of capacity by 2035. This brings with it greater volatility, less predictability, and more feed-in nodes. Transmission and distribution is impacted by increasing complexity, need for enhanced control/ information flow, and needs to tackle longer distances and higher voltages. On the consumption side we see growth in distributed energy resources, grid-connected and off-grid microgrids, and control and optimisation at local levels. This scenario proposes two possible futures  the emergence of the global supergrid, or flexible grid evolution with distributed generation. Both could also happen at the same time. Moving to the technology that will help us realise these, we can see how everything lines up, and digitalisation is apparent at every stage.

Hunger for renewables

One of the biggest challenges countries face today is how to balance the growing demand for electricity with minimum climate impact. Energy efficiency and renewable energy are expected to contribute two-thirds of the reduction in CO2 emissions required to keep global temperature increases within the level of 2 degrees Celsius. This explains the increasing contribution of renewables to the energy mix  a trend expected to continue given the carbon emission targets adopted by most major countries. Therefore, a significant amount of future electricity will come from renewable energy sources like hydro, wind, and solar, reducing the dependence on fossil fuel resources and lowering emissions in the long run.

For Vietnams market, with energy demand projected to increase by more than 10 per cent annually in the next five years and required power capacity to double, the government is moving forward to develop renewable energy sources to ensure energy security and address the growing power demand.

Vietnam has high ambitions for renewable energy, as shown in the Revised National Power Development Master Plan VII, released in March 2016. The plan stipulates that 21 per cent of the total energy supply should come from renewable sources by 2030. As plans for a nuclear power plant have already been postponed by the National Assembly, the country is pushing for more alternatives to satisfy its energy hunger. Foreign investors are especially welcome, as there is no foreign ownership limit and many attractive tax incentives are offered.

Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy director of the Electric and Renewable Energy Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said at a recent forum entitled Renewable Energy Integration: Challenges and Technology, co-organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and ABB Vietnam, that Vietnam has seen rapid development of power plants, which poses great challenges to transmission networks.

Nguyen Minh Quang from the National Load Dispatch Centre said that the southern central region is home to the nations renewable energy, but power grid conditions there are not prepared to adopt this kind of energy.

It takes three years, on average, to build a power grid project, while a solar power project needs only one year to be put in place. As a result, electric grid development cannot catch up with the proliferation of solar and wind power projects, he said.

The lesson has been put down that these renewables need to be integrated into electricity grids that are capable of managing new complexities such as unpredictable and intermittent supply, more distributed power generation, demand management, and electric vehicles. Grid operators will also need to expand and modernise their infrastructure to ensure the reliability, efficiency, and security of electricity supplies.

Venu Nuguri, group senior vice president for ABBs power grids division in South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, said that as the country moves towards clean energy, the power grid will need to adapt to the influx of renewable energy, which is intermittent and also characterised by distributed generation. Not only does this call for wider industry collaboration and policy discussions, it is also important to make the right technology choices. Nuguri said, Technology will enable the grid to be flexible and to adapt to the new realities of distributed generation and multi-directional power flow. Digitalisation is a key to creating the power grid of the future.

Opportunities and challenges in edge technology

Stefan Jonsson, ABB territory marketing and sales manager for Asia, said, Since the new demand will increasingly be met by renewable, decentralised sources of power, we must be prepared to wrestle with regulators and encourage this shift from the utility monopoly to a fair distribution of resources, incentives, and benefits. This new market doesnt guarantee success  it provides an opportunity to continue proving that distributed energy solutions are what the market needs.

Grid operators will also need to expand and modernise their infrastructure to ensure the reliability, efficiency, and security of electricity supplies. If we can generate power more efficiently, reduce transmission losses, manage distribution networks more intelligently, and use electricity more productively in factories, offices, and homes, we can make a visible difference.

With additional and often intermittent power supplies feeding into the grid, reliability, stability, and quality issues also need to be addressed to prevent power fluctuations, grid failures, outages, and blackouts. This calls for solutions that offer a greater degree of control and protection to the grid, enabling early detection and rectification without compromising the power network.

So, the evolving power system needs to be increasingly flexible and interconnected, as well as more reliable and intelligent to address new challenges and opportunities  what we need, in short, is a stronger, smarter and greener grid, said Jonsson.

Nuguri told VIR, Renewables are, in fact, one of the biggest disruptors and have called for a complete redefinition of power grids the world over. Today, across the world, we acknowledge the need for cleaner energy sources, and every country is pursuing renewable energy goals. The integration of renewables into the power grid has initiated the next stage of grid evolution, with the model of the grid moving from uni-directional to multi-directional.

Hydroelectric, solar, wind, and wave comprise the best-known

renewables, but biomass, tidal, and geothermal are all increasing their contributions to global supplies, and all alternatives present individual challenges to the protection and management of electrical systems. Where electrical grids were designed around a handful of generating stations, they are now being criss-crossed with energy sources, many of which are unable to guarantee a consistent supply thanks to the vagaries of the weather, according to ABB.

Protection and management becomes more important as the grid becomes more complicated, and feeds from renewable sources increase the complexity hugely. ABBs experience with just about all forms of energy generation enables us to help design, and implement, protection schemes tailored for the most innovative of generating technologies, said Ranfeng Situ, ABBs regional application manager for renewables for Asia

At the conference held with the MoIT, ABB also offered a range of scalable sub-station solutions that help efficiently integrate renewable energy into the transmission grid and distribution network. Our in-depth knowledge of renewable power generation technologies and comprehensive experience with grid codes and utility practices in use around the world enables us to provide turnkey grid connection solutions for all types and sizes of renewable power plants. The customised systems are based on proven and state-of-the art technologies, and are designed to meet the requirements of customers with a global market presence as well as local specifications, ABB noted.An Giang will call for investment in eight projects in the agriculture sector. - Photo news.zing.vn

At the investment promotion conference, An Giang Province will give investment certificates to about 23 projects with total capital of VND27 trillion (US$1.15 billion) in five sectors, including agriculture, trade-service-tourism, industry, construction and health.

At the same time, the provincial authorities will also give certificates on investment commitment for seven investors with total estimated capital of VND101 trillion.

Seeking connection opportunities and successful cooperation, the An Giang Investment Promotion Conference in 2018 is an important event for the province.

Le Van Nung, vice chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee, said this conference was an opportunity for An Giang to introduce its potential and strengths in investment as well as the provincial authorities support for investment projects. An Giang expects to mobilise investment resources from domestic and foreign economic sectors.

The conference is expected to be a chance for discussions between authorities and enterprises that plan to invest in the province.

An Giang will call for investment in eight projects in the agriculture sector. They include a project of developing a solar power plant combining high-tech agriculture in An Cu Commune, Tinh Bien District and a project developing aquaculture in Cu Lao Gieng ecotourism region. The two projects will call on capital of VND6 trillion and VND2 trillion, respectively.

In the field of tourism, the province will develop services including spiritual, cultural, ecological, community, urban tourism services with a list of 24 projects in trade, service and tourism that need investment.At the workshops, which attracted more than 100 representatives from the Risk Management and Finance teams of commercial banks currently operating in Vietnam, PwC and SAS experts shared their knowledge of IFRS 9 complexities and offered practical experiences to cope with the challenges of implementing IFRS 9.

PwC and SAS shared their knowledge and practical experience on IFRS 9 implementation

Why do Vietnamese banks need to adopt IFRS 9?

While not yet mandatory in Vietnam, banks are now looking to implement the changes associated with IFRS 9 to align with global best practices, strengthen their business through improved reporting and better risk management, and attract foreign investors who may expect IFRS-compliant reporting.

A scheme is planned to be submitted to the government for approval wherein Vietnamese companies are divided into three groups: an IFRS-applying group, a Vietnamese Accounting Standards-applying group (VAS will be modified to align with IFRS changes, in accordance with Vietnamese characteristics) and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) group. The transition process will take place after the approval of the scheme and the implementation process will start within a reasonable timeframe to ensure the practicality of these enterprises, said Luu Duc Tuyen, deputy head of the Accounting and Auditing Regulations Department of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) on the direction of the MoF in developing a scheme to implement IFRS in Vietnam.

Dinh Hong Hanh, financial services consulting partner at PwC Southeast Asia Consulting, said the most significant changes for Vietnamese banks will be to the impairment and provisions for credit losses, which have been updated to use a more forward-looking calculation.

As IFRS 9 introduces the expected credit loss (ECL) model for all financial instruments subjected to credit risk, banks will have to hold provisions for expected future losses on all credit exposures, as opposed to the IAS 39 standard of holding provisions only for assets classified as impaired.

Addressing the impacts of the new credit risk model, PwC experts foresee higher impairment losses with the shift from an incurred loss to an expected loss model. A recent survey in Malaysia revealed that provisions increased by 25-50 per cent on the first day of IFRS 9 adoption, which would have direct impact on the retained earnings. IFRS 9 implementation will be key for Vietnamese banks wanting to provide comparable and transparent financial applications and disclosures at global standards. Some of the challenges will involve the assessment of the business model and performance of the Solely for Payment of Principal and Interest (SPPI) test for asset classification and also making impairment allowances based on the new expected credit loss concept. This may lead to a potential overhaul of current investment and credit management strategies, said Ching Chuan Ong, financial services leader and assurance partner at PwC Malaysia.

Antonie Jagga, partner of financial risk management at PwC Southeast Asia Consulting, said new expected credit loss models will enable Vietnamese banks to better manage risks in accordance with global best practices.

Challenges ahead

The maturity of risk management and accounting processes will determine the difficulty of adopting IFRS 9. The increasing complexity of ECL models, the need for a higher level of internal communication, and the collaboration between risk management and finance teams will influence the ability to implement IFRS 9.Data availability and quality will be a key challenge for banks to build accurate and stable credit models. Banks will require robust historical data with a comprehensive list of credit loss drivers. While existing Basel models (if available) can be leveraged, banks need to adjust the representation of current economic conditions for IFRS 9 ECL calculation.

Policies and processes will need to be revised to ensure consistency with other frameworks, such as capital management, tax reporting, and credit frameworks. Processes interlinked with IFRS 9 reporting will need to be aligned and governance and controls put in place for the more complex ECL calculation.

As a market leader in IFRS 9 implementation, PwC Vietnam is bringing a comprehensive end-to-end solution for IFRS 9 to the market. Utilising a global network of experienced professionals, PwC Vietnam can help businesses navigate through the complexities of IFRS 9, said Hanh.

Addressing these challenges, Hanh stressed the importance of the end-to-end approach, from providing the initial scoping and gap analysis to developing a tailored and robust IFRS 9 reporting solution.

PwC Vietnam will use advanced analytics to implement an IFRS 9 solution that can be seamlessly transferred into a streamlined reporting process while ensuring businesses have the tools they require to maintain and update their IFRS 9 reporting solution on an on-going basis.The first train started the test at Yen Nghia Station

A great crowd gathered at 5.50 AM today at Yen Nghia Depot (Hadong District) to see the trains begin their test runs across the Cat Linh-Hadong route.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong discussing with the main contractor and the project management unit before the test run

At 6.30 AM, the first train left Yen Nghia depot, with the Ministry of Transports supervisor delegation, the railway project management unit, and the Chinese main contractor, as well as reporters on board.

Each train has four carriages and four doors on each side

When the first train arrived at Nguyen Trai Street, the next one was ordered to start. Vu Hong Phuong, deputy director of the Railway Project Management Unit said that the trains will run every ten minutes. The train will turn back to Yen Nghia when it arrives to the final destination at Cat Linh.

Hoang Cau Lake from the elevated railway

The five trains were running for two hours this morning. The main contractor will continue completing the remaining tasks before officially launching and handing the route over to Hanoi for commercial operation. The average speed of the trains is 32km per hour.

According to Hanois general master plan by 2030 with vision to 2050 approved by the prime minister in Decision No. 519/QD-TTg dated March 31, 2016, Hanois metro network will have eight routes running on elevated runways and underground, with the total length of 318km.

Of these, the Cat Linh-Hadong route developed by the Ministry of Transport started construction in October 2011 and has a length of 13.1km. This route (named 2A) is expected to be launched officially in the end of this year, followed by Route 3 (Nhon-Hanoi Station), Route 1 (Ngoc Hoi-Yen Vien), and Route 2 (South Thang Long-Tran Hung Dao-Thuong Dinh).

The green trains will start commercial operation by the end of the year

The total initial investment of Route 2A was $552.86 million (in 2008), including $133.86 million from the Vietnamese government and $419 million borrowed from China. However, this has been adjusted $868 million, with loans from China increasing by around $250 million to $669 million.

Route 2A will have 13 trains with four carriages each. The length of a train is 79m, with a height of 3.8m and width of 2.8m. The trains will be painted green and sport the image of Khue Van Cac, a symbol of Hanoi.

Once completed, the trains will transport up to 2,110 passengers across 12 stations across the route. The stations are Cat Linh, La Thanh, Thai Ha, Lang, Thuong Dinh, Ring Road 3, Phung Khoang, Van Quan, Hadong, La Khe, Van Khe, and Yen Nghia.The new animal food processing plant underscores CJ Group's long-term investment in Vietnam

CJ Vina Agri Binh Dinh Factory has a total investment value of $13.6 million. Covering an area of 41,000 square metres, the factory will have an estimated capacity of about 72,000 tonnes per year.

Lee Tae Ki, general director of biological resource business of CJ CheilJedang (Korea), said that Vietnam has been selected as the most important strategic investment area of CJ group. The group has been concentrating its resources on investment and development in Vietnam. CJ Group is dedicated to maximising investment to achieve the medium and long-term plan of the Great CJ Plan 2020.

Kim Sun Kang, general director of CJ Vina Agri added that CJ Group has now moved to a new chapter, and the role and mission of the future CJ Group is located here, in Vietnam.

CJ Group wishes to become a global company that always accompanies customers and actively contributes to the development of the livestock industry in general and the animal feed sector of Vietnam in particular.

The group brings customers the best products and services by continuously transferring to Vietnam the technical know-how of the specific industry and animal feed production in Korea. At the same time, CJ is committed to maximising its efforts, acquiring customer feedback, continually learning, concentrating on all resources so as not to subdue customer expectations, while promoting cooperation and strategic relations.

CJ Vina Agri started business in Vietnam in 2001 with the launch of the Long An plant. Hung Yenthe second factory in Northern Vietnamwas inaugurated in 2006. In 2008, CJ Vina Agri built the Vinh Long factory, which specialises in the production of fish feed.

In 2015, CJ continued to inaugurate the Dong Nai factory. By January this year, the Ha Nam factory was put into operation. On September 21, the sixth plant of CJ Vina Agri, the Binh Dinh factory was officially inaugurated. In addition, CJ Vina Agri is building a factory in the Mekong Delta region, bringing the total number of animal food processing plants to seven in the coming time.An aerial view of Da Nang city at night (Photo: VNA)

In November 1996, the province of Quang Nam-Da Nang was separated into Da Nang city and Quang Nam province.

On October 16, 2003, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 33 on the building and development of Da Nang city during the national industrialisation and modernisation period.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Truong Quang Nghia said shortly after the issuance, the citys authorities issued detailed documents and built action plans to implement Resolution No. 33.

Over the last 15 years, the city has recorded comprehensive socio-economic development and obtained many important achievements, he noted.

The gross regional domestic product (GRDP) has increased by about 10 percent annually in the five years between 2013 and 2018  with estimations of 63.96 trillion VND (2.8 billion USD) this year, 4.2 times higher than in 2003. Per capita GRDP is expected at 82.8 million VND (3,677 USD) in 2018, rising seven-fold from 2003 and 1.45 times higher than the national average.

Aside from economic development, Da Nang has also paid attention to ensuring social security. The city now has over 5,400 patient beds, equivalent to 79.17 beds per 10,000 people, and 17.4 doctors per 10,000 people. About 96.5 percent of the local population have been covered by health insurance, rising by 2.9 times since 2003.

Nghia added that Da Nang has almost fulfilled the goals of a city without poor households. It has also achieved certain outcomes in efforts to eradicate issues such as homelessness and street-begging, drug addiction, and murder for robbery.

Meanwhile, many large, modern structures have now been completed and put into use, becoming architectural highlights of the city. Technical and social infrastructure has developed rather synchronously, helping to expand the urban space by over three times since its size 15 years ago, creating an image of a civilised and modern port city.

Da Nang is also one of the prime examples of tourism development over the last two decades, according to Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu.

He said local tourism has broken many records with the surging numbers of domestic and foreign tourists, as well as the continuously diversified tourism services and products. The industry has greatly contributed to economic restructuring, investment attraction, job creation, and the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values.

At a working session with municipal authorities in last month, Nguyen Van Binh, Politburo member and Chairman of the Party Central Committees Economic Commission, said Resolution No. 33 is considered as the committees most important decision regarding Da Nang.

In the 15 years of resolution implementation, Da Nang has achieved a number of outstanding successes, including relatively comprehensive socio-economic development and effective economic restructuring.

Binh noted that the city has gradually established itself as an important national and international transport gateway, a socio-economic centre, and a growth locomotive of the central and Central Highlands regions. It has also set an example of how to better integrate into the world.

To build on existing attainments, Da Nang has set up tasks to further promote local development. Accordingly, it is pushing ahead with fast and sustainable socio-economic expansion and economic restructuring. Economic development will be based on the three pillars of services, high-tech industry, and sea-based economy.

It will also pay more attention to Party building; improving leadership capacity and the strength of Party organisations, along with the quality of officials and Party members in the administration; promoting the efficiency and effectiveness of the States management activities; and seeking a suitable administration model.

The city has asked the Politburo to consider issuing a resolution on building and developing Da Nang until 2030, with a vision towards 2045. It has also called for special mechanisms and policies to be provided for the city, and obstacles in legal documents to be removed to help with its development.

With its own efforts, central agencies support and peoples consensus, Da Nang is striving to become an ecological and smart city with modern technical and social infrastructure by 2030. It also looks to become a dynamic port city, a transit point, and an economic, IT, and educational and medical hub of the region, while also playing a major role in ensuring defence-security and firmly protecting the national marine sovereignty.The rapid growth of online business has slowed the shopping centre real estate market; however, experts say it has also provided a boost for the office rental market.-Photo vntrip.vn

Despite heavy advertising to attract tenants, many commercial centres have still found it hard to attract brick-and-mortar stores. As a result, some shopping centres are being used for office space rather than retail establishments.

Some real estate specialists say the shopping centre slowdown is due to the e-commerce boom.

Pham Hung Thang, a lecturer at the HCM City University of Finance and Marketing, told Dau tu chung khoan (Securities Investment) newspaper Viet Nam had room for more e-commerce development thanks to the high level of internet use among its population.

The number of internet users in the country is expected to reach nearly 60 million in the next four years, and e-commerce is expected to grow at an annual rate of 30 to 50 per cent. The development of smart phones and e-wallet technologies has contributed to this growth.

Experts worry that online purchases will supplant in-person transactions and make it hard for commercial centres to stay in business.

For example, the Pearl Plaza Commercial Centre in HCM City has seen its number of vacancies rise, while none of the fifth floor of Van Hanh Mall is leased.

The office space real estate segment, meanwhile, has benefited from the rise of e-commerce.

According to a report by CBRE Viet Nam, rental prices in HCM City office buildings have continuously increased. Third-quarter prices across the board were higher than in the previous quarter.

A-grade office rent posted a third quarter increase of 7 per cent, representing a 17 per cent annual rise. New buildings are being fully leased very quickly, causing a shortage and driving up prices. B-grade office rent also increased, rising 7.3 per cent over the previous year.

Monthly rent for a-grade office space was US$43 per square metre, while B-grade office space went for $23 per square metre. Office vacancy rates remained below 5 per cent.

Another study by commercial real estate development firm JLL Viet Nam showed most of the new renters are IT companies. The study predicts technology groups will occupy 15 to 25 per cent of total rentable office space within the next decade, representing a huge increase over the 5 to 10 per cent they occupied over the past three years.

Five years ago, HCM City had the third most technology companies of any city in the region, trailing only Manila and Singapore.

Things have changed over the past three years. HCM City has surpassed Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore to attract the most technology firms of any city in the region.

Nowhere is the technology sectors increasing demand for office space more evident than in Viet Nam, said Stephen Wyatt, general manager of JLL Viet Nam. The country is catching up with the rapid development of other regional markets thanks to its young, dynamic, tech-savvy business people.

We have seen a significant increase in demand from technology and co-working companies over the past three years and expect this trend to continue over the next five years," he said.

JLL recently began advertising a 10,000 sq.m e-commerce office space in HCM City, the largest office leasing transaction the city has seen in a decade.

A representative of JLL said the selection criteria for office space were influenced by factors such as potential Government support and convenience for clients.

These elements constitute an ecosystem that is conducive to the development of start-up businesses. In big cities, tech companies are focused on finding office space in prominent buildings, close to public transport and integrated with the city. They want employees to live, work and play nearby.

These companies are often the first to lease the latest buildings.

Technology companies have become an important group of tenants, and investors and developers need to build new office space to keep pace with demand.

Technology companies are always looking for high quality office space to attract talent. Director of market research for JLL South East Asia Regina Lim says developers need to consider the needs of their customers.

Integrating flexible co-working space can boost demand for an office building.

Flexible work space has increased by 40 per cent annually over the past three years and currently accounts for 2 per cent of the areas office space, up from 0.5 per cent in 2015.

Lim says this is because technology groups are always looking for a sustainable business environment and are supported by strong economic and social perspectives.

Over the next decade, e-commerce and flexible co-working space will continue to dominate the market. As e-commerce companies expand, online gaming and e-sports companies could be the next group of tenants to fill offices in Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila and HCM City.Indonesian farmer Kawal Surbakti says a planned EU palm oil ban could devastate his income AFP/WAHYUDI

Half a world away, the European Parliament is moving to ban the use of palm oil in biofuels, while British grocer Iceland has announced it will stop using the commodity over concerns that it causes widespread environmental destruction.

Losing the key European market worries small farmers like Surbakti and millions of others in Indonesia and neighbouring Malaysia - the world's top two producers - as prices drop for an oil found in everything from biscuits and sweets to cosmetics and vehicle gas tanks.

"I've suffered serious losses," the 64-year-old Surbakti said from his two-hectare farm on Indonesia's Sumatra island.

"Before, I could save up a little money but now I can't even do that."

Across the Malacca Strait in Malaysia, grower Mohamad Isa Mansor issued a dire prediction as he plucked reddish-orange fruits from his trees.

"If the EU succeeds in the ban, I'm dead," he said at his small plantation in the coastal town of Ijok.

"Without this crop we will be living in poverty. It is the source of income for thousands of people (here)," he added.

"VICTIMS OF BIG CORPORATIONS"

Europe is one of the world's biggest palm oil consumers, along with India and China.

About half of the palm oil used last year in Europe was for biofuels that ended up in gas tanks, according to environmentalists.

Indonesia and Malaysia have threatened retaliatory sanctions on European products over the proposed palm oil ban, which calls for a complete phase-out from biofuels by 2030. The legislation is awaiting a final vote and member-state approval.

As the diplomatic row smoulders, Indonesian grower Selamet Ketaren says he and other small farmers - the backbone of the industry - are pawns at the mercy of land-clearing multinational firms that buy their crops.

"Smallholder farmers like us are just victims of the big corporations," said Ketaren, who has been growing palm oil since the mid-eighties.

Environmentalists accuse the multi-billion-dollar industry of destroying huge swathes of rainforest home to indigenous communities, orangutans and other threatened species.

Critics say that palm oil development also contributes to climate change through deliberate forest-clearing fires, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and lung-clogging smog into the region's air.

Many under-pressure firms made "no deforestation" pledges, but activists say they are tough to monitor and frequently broken in the vast jungles of Sumatra and Borneo island.

This week, Greenpeace said a group of Indonesian palm oil firms that supply major international brands including Unilever and Nestle have cleared an area of rainforest almost twice the size of Singapore in less than three years.

But Malaysian farmer Mansor rejects the depiction of growers as an environmental threat.

"(The EU) says we cut down the forest. But my land is on peat soil - there was rubber growing here before," he said.

"How can the EU claim that I'm killing the earth?"

"NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNS"

An EU ban would threaten the livelihoods of 650,000 smallholders and over 3.2 million Malaysians who rely on the industry, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Council.

"The policies that the EU is proposing to introduce will harm Malaysia's rural communities and reduce incomes for Malaysian families," said Douglas Uggah Embas, deputy chief minister of Sarawak state on Borneo island, home to many smallholders.

Some three million people in Indonesia - the world's biggest palm oil exporter - are estimated to be working in the sector and many more depend on their income.

While it hopes to tap other markets, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association said that a slowdown in China and "negative campaigns" against palm oil could hurt the bottom line.

Malaysian grower Muhamad Ngisa Kusas fears that political decisions made in Europe will lead to poverty, crime and could push desperate people into the arms of religious extremists in the two Muslim-majority countries.

"If the EU bans comes into effect, the price of palm oil will surely plunge. Then we smallholders are doomed," said the 78-year-old.

"The EU had better think very carefully about this action."At the inauguration ceremony (Photo: VNA)

The pagoda, built from the Vietnam-Hungary fund over the last three years, is expected to become a popular spiritual destination for Vietnamese nationals in Europe.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Hau A Lenh thanked the Hungarian Government and Simontornya authorities for smoothing legal procedures for the construction of Dai Bi pagoda.

Expressing his delight over the development of the Vietnamese community in the central European country, Lenh believed the pagoda will help connect Vietnamese nationals in Hungary and Europe, contributing to the preservation of traditional cultural values.

On the occasion, he conveyed President of the VFF Central Committee Tran Thanh Mans greetings to more than 5,000 Vietnamese people in Hungary, urging them to abide by regulations in the host nation and remember their homeland.

Meanwhile, Mayor of the Hungarian city Csoszne Kazc Edit, for her part, hailed contributions made by Phan Bich Thien, President of the Vietnam-Hungary fund, to the building of Dai Bi Pagoda as well as the development of Simontornya city.

She affirmed the citys authorities will facilitate spiritual and cultural activities of Vietnamese people, helping them protect their culture.In the Industry 4.0 era, General Electric (GE) is ready to partner up with ASEAN member economies, including Vietnam, to realise the power of technology and innovation.

Why do you think Industry 4.0 was chosen as the main theme for the World Economic Forum on ASEAN?

The World Economic Forum (WEF) this year has gathered policymakers and focused on finding the optimal way to regulate Industry 4.0, hence the theme. It is a very important policy issue that goes beyond technical innovation and requires co-operation between the government, businesses, and the academia around the world.

Industry 4.0, ranging from industrial internet and labour technology to artificial intelligence or robotics, will ensure the free flow of data across borders, which means policymakers must find the balance between protecting interest and citizen privacy. Moreover, Industry 4.0 will cause major displacements, such as people losing jobs or self-driving cars replacing traditional vehicles. These are very important issues that need harmonised action from policymakers and the WEF. In general, I think WEF on ASEAN is a great opportunity to highlight the benefits of regional co-operation to promote trade, investment, and other business activities.

How will Industry 4.0 affect the supply chain and human resources in the ASEAN, especially in Vietnam?

I think the ASEAN can capitalise on Industry 4.0 to improve connectivity and become an important part of the global supply chain. In Vietnam, our plant in Haiphong is a great example of how talented and motivated Vietnamese workers are. The plant is one of our first five Brilliant Factories around the world to use advanced data analytics to improve its operations. Our team has improved their productivity by 30 or 40 per cent and we are looking to hire approximately 300 skilled employees. Talents are part of the reason why Vietnam is making a successful transition from industries like textile to electronic manufacturing and software production. We should think about the right way for ASEAN governments, including Vietnam, to work with universities and businesses to address the human implications of Industry 4.0 and to make sure sufficient retraining programmes are on offer to the current workforce.

What is your personal experience with Industry 4.0? How can Vietnam utilise Industry 4.0 to improve economic growth?

I think changes are part of progress, and Industry 4.0 is just like the First, the Second, and the Third Industrial Revolution. In a speech of the CEO of GE back in 1936, he talked about the threats modern technology posed to employment and how companies like GE must deal with it.

Personally, I believe technology itself is not a new issue. It has been around for over a hundred years and has been actively discussed. Also, it was the right time for WEF to take place in the ASEAN, as the region  with Vietnam in the lead  represents the typical success story that organisations like the WEF are trying to replicate around the world.

Vietnam has been successful in attracting significant amounts of foreign direct investment (FDI). The fewer the barriers that the country has for FDI, the better it is going to be. Vietnam has significant potential to improve its economy by engaging in industrial internet and data analysis. Also, I believe GE can play a major role in helping Vietnam realise its potential.

GE has reaped major successes in Vietnam in the past 25 years. What is your next goal in the market?

Right now, GE equipment make up more than 30 per cent of Vietnams power capacity, and we have also upgraded thousands of kilometres of the national transmission line and supplied transmission equipment for a great number of projects. More than 50 per cent of hospitals in Vietnam use at least one piece of GE equipment. 25 years is a relatively short time, so I am excited to see what we can do in the next 25 or 125 years here.

As the middle class in Vietnam continues to grow, people will require not only increasing access to healthcare, but also improvements in healthcare facilities, called precision healthcare by experts. I think GEs healthcare business will play a critical role in public-private partnerships with hospitals to ensure people in Vietnam get the quality healthcare they need.

Vietnam is also looking to address environmental challenges posed by the rising demand for energy. This opens the doors for the use of critical technology in coal-fired power plants and also increase renewable energy, gas, and other environmental-friendly sources in the energy mix  an area where GE is an expert.

There will also be a huge increase in air traffic, leading to concerns about noise reduction and environmental protection  again an area where GEs expertise can come in handy.

We think that there is always opportunity for growth, and I am personally never satisfied before we do all we can to improve.Foreign tourists now do almost all of their bookings online rather than through traditional travel agents

On a cool autumn day in Ta Hien street in the heart of Hanois Old Quarter, Danny and Rebecca, two tourists from England visiting Vietnam for the first time, were enjoying draught beer and fermented pork rolls. Having just arrived in Hanoi that morning, they were armed with a list of interesting activities they wished to experience. Pointing to her smartphone, Rebecca said, We want to try something very Hanoi and the smartphone brought us to this place.

Tourists like Danny and Rebecca can be found in most famous destinations in Vietnam. With just a simple digital device like a smartphone or tablet connected to wifi and 4G, tourists can easily travel everywhere without worrying about getting lost or language barriers, without needing a tour guide for support.

A survey on international tourists to Vietnam in 2017 shows that 71 per cent searched for information of destinations online and 64 per cent used online services during their trip at least once. Online travelling to Vietnam is on an upward trend with a growth rate of up to 50 per cent, twice as high as the rise in e-commerce.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, with its advancements in information technology, has stimulated traditional tourism to transform into smart tourism, with visitors purchasing train or air tickets through applications or websites and tourism applications doing the job of tour guides, guiding visitors through attractions.

Nguyen Van Tuan, general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said, Travel arrangements were mainly made through travel agencies. With the support of technology, tourists can search for information and arrange their trips, freeing up more time for sightseeing and shopping. Problems can be solved quicker online.

Key to attracting tourists

Smart tourism has been implemented in many different forms around the world. In Santander on Spains northerm coast, the application SmartSantanderRA displays views of Spanish cities from past decades next to scenes of current life on the beaches. Visitors to Japans Fukuoka city can use mobile apps to make payments and complete hotel check-in procedures in advance.

In Vietnam, the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has bolstered development in all fields, including smart tourism, with the expectation of an increased number of foreign visitors to Vietnam.

Tourism services on a technology platform have been implemented with positive initial results. In 2017, Airbnb  an accommodation booking system  honoured Hanoi with the sixth rank in its list of the most attractive destinations in the world, with the rate of bookings through this system rising by 261 per cent in only one year.

Early this year, the Temple of Literature Culture and Science Centre put into operation its automatic multi-language guide system in 14 spots around the relic, serving both local and foreign tourists. The Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre also launched an automatic guiding system for smartphone users in late January 2018 to support visitors to the Thang Long Imperial Citadel relic. The application can be downloaded on App Store or Play and includes illustrations and videos to guide around the relic site in Vietnamese, English, and Japanese.

Recently Hanoi launched its new Hanoi City Tour Hop on-Hop off, which offers free wifi and a five-language automatic guide system, makes 13 stops, and drives past more than 20 famous attractions.

Ho Chi Minh City is also tapping into its tourism development potential with the support of digital technology, with a project launched last year to develop into a smart city during the 2017-2020 period, vision to 2025. The projects four targets include maintaining a sustainable economic growth rate, efficient urban management, improvement of living and working conditions, and enhancement of the management of people and organisations.

Twelve other tourist destinations including Sapa, Ninh Binh, Phu Quoc, and Vung Tau are also deploying smart travel applications to support tourists to quickly find ATMs, petrol stations, and healthcare and other services.

Travel agencies take advantage of IT

At the Smart Tourism Forum, part of the eighth Tourism Promotion Organisation for Asia Pacific Cities Forum held in Ho Chi Minh City in June, Perry Hobson of Taylor University in Malaysia said technologies such as travel websites, social media, and smartphones have considerably changed the way services are provided. Travellers can now search for information via multiple channels, meaning travel agencies must constantly strive to keep abreast of the new trend.

Travel companies have to change the way they approach potential customers and create new tourism products. They no longer need to conduct customer surveys in a traditional manner given the availability of new technologies, and the new technologies can be applied to bring new experiences to tourists and avoid lagging behind rivals, said Hobson.

Today, many Vietnamese travel agencies are also trying to deploy smart applications to improve their management systems, from marketing and sales to customer care. Systems are being implemented that all employees can access to view the preferences and habits of each guest. The system also helps company leaders understand the status of a tour as well as the level of interest of customers in each location by month, helping them make business plans.

Tran Trong Kien, chairman of Thien Minh Group, which manages online booking site Ivivu, described how the site gathers information when guests book services. The app understands automatically what a customer needs, and accumulates knowledge relevant to a range of guests. The more customers use the service, the greater understanding the application gains. The app can suggest suitably priced schedules that meet the customers requirements and the best time to travel, among other things.

However, Nguyen Van My, general director of Lua Viet Tours Co., Ltd., said, Tourists planning trips independently using online information is an increasing trend, but many people still look for supports from travel agencies. Cash is still the preferred payment method in Vietnam, so the possibilities for promoting the application of technology in tourism are limited.

As fact, the application of technology in tourism is in its infancy in Vietnam and, so far, only available for attractions in major destinations. Mountainous and remote areas are still opening up to tourism, and the investment required to develop smart applications is huge, meaning small travel agencies may not be able to afford them.With the number of tourists rising, international hotel operators are working up an appetite for the Vietnamese market

The country has witnessed a large amount of growth in the numbers of international hotel brands and foreign management companies over the past few years.

According to the latest figures by Savills Vietnam, the number of international hotel operators has increased from 30 in 2010 to just short of 80 at the end of 2017. In the first half of 2018, some additional famous brand names came to Vietnam. Among them are Mandarin Oriental in Ho Chi Minh City and Best Western Premier in the central province of Quang Binh.

Radisson Hotel Group recently opened Radisson Blu Resort on Phu Quoc  its first hotel in Vietnam. Travelodge Asia also announced plans for its first property in the central coastal city of Nha Trang, which is scheduled to open in 2020.

Meanwhile, Spains Melia Hotel International has strengthened its footprint in Vietnam with the recent signing of three new properties in Ho Chi Minh City, namely Melia Saigon Central, INNSIDE Saigon Central, and INNSIDE Saigon Mariamman, bringing the groups number of current and future properties in Vietnam to 10.

There have also been new brands introduced into the market in the last three years, including Ozo and X2 Vibe (in New Hoi An City), Double Tree by Hilton (in Halong, Vung Tau, and Hanoi), Four Seasons (in Quang Nam and Hanoi), Oakwood (in Ho Chi Minh City), Glow (in Danang), and Mai House (in Ho Chi Minh City).

Mauro Gasparotti, director of Savills Hotels Asia Pacific, said that he observed a large increase of interest in the country from operators over the past three years, following the expansion of the hospitality market.

Vietnamese developers are still new to hospitality products, but with the large amount of supply coming, they will learn quickly, and more high-quality assets are expected to be under way. We have forecast that a total of more than 30,000 new rooms will be opened by the end of 2019, said Gasparotti.

The number of international operators is expected to grow in the coming years, along with the number of local management companies.

We are very positive about the growth of the sector and the attraction of international operators to Vietnam. It is very interesting to see that operators themselves are launching new brands to target new types of clients such as millennials or health-conscious travellers. Vietnam would be a high-potential market for them to introduce focused brands, as the categories of travellers here are largely diversified, said Gasparotti.

A recent report by CBRE revealed that foreign investor demand has mostly been led by Asian-based groups. These hold several hotels in large cities and resort destinations.

The comparatively higher yields available in Vietnam continue to lure Asian-based property developers and real estate companies. Mid-market business and hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are the main focus, due to the lack of supply in the gap between high-end and local operators.

Recently, InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) acquired a 51-per-cent stake in Regent Hotels and Resorts for an amount of $39 million. Regent has an operation contract for BIM Groups Regent Residences Phu Quoc, which will become operational in 2019. With the transaction, IHG expanded its portfolio to 10 hotels and resorts in Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Indochina Capital lately joined with Japans Kajima to build up a chain of hotels in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang under the brand name Wink Hotels. The two first land plots were revealed to be in Ho Chi Minh City and Danang  two business and tourism hubs of Vietnam. The 226-room hotel in Ho Chi Minh City will come online in 2019, whereas the 243-room hotel in Danang will be put into operation in 2020.

The hotel segment has been very active in the last three years and has caught the attention of many foreign investors, mainly from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

South Korean investors mostly seek large-scale, high-end hotels with up to 250 rooms in Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City, where many South Koreans live, while Japanese investors are interested in smaller-scale hotels with fewer than 150 rooms in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Singaporean investors, meanwhile, hunt for multi-purpose complexes featuring a hotel segment.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City currently have limited land funds for hotel development, since the prices are high, while Danang and Phu Quoc are offering more opportunities for investors, with much land left to develop.

It can be expected that the number of hotel transactions will remain high until at least 2019, due to the limited supply and high demand.

Vietnam was at the third position of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in 2017 in a report published by the United Nations

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Vietnam received more than 13 million international visitors in 2017, an increase of 6.8 per cent compared to 2016. International arrivals to Vietnam in the first eight months of 2018 reached more than 10.4 million, increasing by 22.8 per cent compared to the same period of last year.The municipal Peoples Committee Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung delivered a speech at the summit. - VNS Photo Vu Hoa

Addressing the ASOCIO Smart City Summit 2018, themed "Creating a smarter and more secure city with digital solutions," kicked off in Ha Noi on Tuesday, Chung said the capital is considered a global mega-city in terms of area and population density.

Rapid urbanisation and rising population have resulted in various problems relating to planning, traffic, security, health care, education, energy, housing development and pollution, he said. Given this, building a sustainable and smart city that ensures convenience, safety and hospitality for local residents is urgent for the city. To date, the city has issued various plans with priority given to building a smart monitoring centre, a smart transport system and a smart tourism system, he added.

Ha Noi is working towards its goal to become a smart metropolis which utilises the benefits of Industry 4.0 with cutting-edge technologies such as 3D printing, virtual reality, cloud computing, robotics, big data, blockchain and artificial intelligence that require co-operation of leaders, managers and technology experts in building a smart city. It would help improve living standards for people while promoting socio-economic development, he said.

Viet Nam is said to be a nation with the fastest urbanisation rate in the region and the world. According to a report by the Ministry of Construction, as of late 2017, Viet Nam had 813 urban areas, with the urbanisation rate of 37.5 per cent.

In August, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved a project to develop sustainable and smart cities. Viet Nam hopes to boost green growth and sustainable development, bringing into full play its potential and advantages, and increase the efficient use of resources. The country also wants to improve locals living standards, increase the economys competitiveness and step up international integration.

Until 2020, the project will work to build a legal basis for sustainable and smart city development, issue policies and mechanisms applied to the regions subject to pilot implementation, build and pilot the application of the ICT framework on smart city development, develop the GIS-based urban space data infrastructure, and build a national city database.

By 2025, the first phase of the pilot implementation of smart city development will be carried out, focusing on building and finalising legal corridors and regulations, applying the ICT framework to smart city development in Viet Nam, announcing national standards prioritised for building smart cities and developing the urban space data infrastructure. The first phase is expected to be completed by 2030. Ha Noi, HCM City and Can Tho will be chosen to be the core of smart city networks in the northern, central, southern and Mekong Delta regions, respectively.

ASOCIOs President David Wong cited a UN report predicting that the world would see two thirds of its population living in urban areas by 2050. Of which, Asia and Africa would witness the fastest growth. It is expected that the rate of people living in urban areas will increase from the current 53 per cent to 64 per cent thanks to urbanisation.

Such a high rate of urbanisation will lead to issues such as aging, overloaded infrastructure, environmental pollution, air pollution and noise pollution that affect peoples lives and business performance. Wong said Ha Nois plan to build smart cities should be carried out in three phases (by 2030), focusing on three core issues including health, transport and tourism.

Jay Jenkins, head of Southeast Asias Google Cloud Technology said Ha Noi is ready to become a smart city with data collected and stored by Google over the past 10 years. Every day, Google Maps tracks roads and traffic for millions of dwellers in the city. This information is processed at Googles data centres and is useful to hundreds of thousands of smartphone users.

Thus, there are a lot of smart city infrastructure elements available and Ha Noi can take advantage of those, said Jay Jenkins. A smart city can take advantage of new technologies and digitisation to simplify the process, bringing the highest quality for people and the best environment for businesses, Jenkins added.

Brian David Hull, general director of ABB Vietnam told Viet Nam News that there are many opportunities for Ha Noi to become a smart city as they have clear plans.

I think the good thing is companies like ABB are already investing in these areas. However, there are always challenges. I think the key is to develop the infrastructure in electricity, transport and water, he said, adding that the Government should work on data centres.

The two-day event, jointly held by the municipal Peoples Committee, the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organisation (ASOCIO) and the Viet Nam Software and IT Services (VINASA), brings together over 600 local delegates who are leaders of central-level offices, Ha Noi, and other localities keen on building smart cities, associations, organisations and IT-related enterprises, together with nearly 70 foreign delegates from 20 nations and economies around the world.

They are expected to take part in six seminars on digital government and strategies to build smart cities, and use fewer cash transactions; along with sections on infrastructure, platform  principles for smart city, data driven city  data analysis & urban planning and smart industries.Foreign firms' need to be careful of what activities constitute as having a permanent establishment in Vietnam

Meanwhile, the tax authorities in many countries are paying increased attention to and have aggressive policies on issues related to Permanent Establishment (PE), especially since the release of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan by Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2015. Therefore, one of the potential common tax exposures that international and global enterprises encounter in their normal course of business, is the situation in which an unintended taxable presence, for example, PE, is created in a jurisdiction.

PE might be created through the business activities of corporations in the host countries and they are not easy to recognise in some circumstances. Consequently, failure in managing PE risks when doing cross-border business might result in unexpected negative impact on the tax position and worldwide business results of international and multinational corporations (e.g. tax claw-back, penalty, and interest).

What is Permanent Establishment?

The creation of a PE is determined by the application of domestic laws, relevant tax treaties entered into by the countries, and recently-released BEPS Actions.

The current Vietnamese regulations stipulate the following three conditions to identify whether the foreign companys business activities constitute a PE in Vietnam:

A business establishment is maintained (e.g. branches, executive offices, plants, and a location in Vietnam where natural resources are exploited or construction sites, installation or assembly works, establishments providing services, agents, and representatives, buildings, vehicle, machinery or equipment or merely a specific place without an identifiable management system);

The business establishment must be fixed. This means that it must be established at a specified place in Vietnam and/or maintained on a permanent basis. However, the definition of fixed does not necessarily mean that such establishment must be located in a specific place for a specific time;

The business activities in Vietnam are partly or wholly conducted by a foreign company through this establishment.

Meanwhile, the PE definition, in most Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs), is generally a fixed place of business through which the foreign entity carries out partly or wholly its business activities.

In the event there are different provisions on the definition of a PE provided under a DTA, these provisions shall take precedence over domestic regulations.

PE creation in Vietnamsome specific cases

In practice, there are cases where foreign companies are reluctant to identify whether their activities trigger PE risks according to the Vietnamese tax authoritys strict view. Below are some common specific scenarios where foreign companies are considered to have a PE in Vietnam:

In Official Letter 1934/TCT-HTQT issued by the General Department of Taxation, the company in Vietnam performs activities such as managing purchase orders, following-up and collecting debts for the foreign parent company. The foreign company also has the right to check all files and documents of the local company. Correspondingly, the tax authority re-affirms the existence of a PE in Vietnam of the parent company through the local company.

Another notable case of PE exposure is related to the delivery activity from a bonded warehouse. The foreign company is deemed as having a PE in Vietnam, based on the following conditions: The foreign company maintains a bonded warehouse not only to store the goods but also to actually carry out its regular delivery of goods from the bonded warehouse to its customers, which is regarded as part of its trading activities rather than pure storage of goods; The foreign company has a representative in Vietnam responsible for controlling its inventory and delivery from a Vietnamese bonded warehouse;

Potential PE risk also arises in the operation of a Representative Office (RO) in Vietnam of a foreign company. The reason is that the RO is not allowed to perform business activities in Vietnam, and in the event it carries out supporting services, which are not included in its function as stipulated by the law, the tax authority may assess the ROs supporting roles and deem it as its parent companys PE in Vietnam.

For example, in case the RO maintains (i) an engineering team to provide maintenance services for customers who purchase the goods from the parent company, or (ii) a sales team to assist the parent companys sales activities in Vietnam (i.e. sales promotion, product launch/endorsement), those activities might trigger a PE exposure.

A foreign company assigns its employees to provide services (e.g. maintenance services, consultancy services, technical support, sales) in Vietnam over a prolonged period. Accordingly, the local tax authority may deem PE existence for service provision through the assigned employees due to revenue generation.

Tax implications on PE and Tax Treaty protection

With an aim to provide a clear definition of PE, imposition of tax on PEs, and to avoid or eliminate double taxation on the same income (such as revenue attributed to the PE) in two countries, the tax protection under DTA signed between Vietnam and approximately 75 countries could be applied.

In general, most DTAs stipulate that when a foreign company with a PE in Vietnam derives income from its home country and has paid tax under the provisions of the tax treaty and under its home countrys domestic laws, Vietnam may still tax such income, which is attributed to the PE in Vietnam.

However, simultaneously, the methods for elimination of double taxation could be applied so that the taxpayer does not have to pay double tax. In Vietnam, DTA impacts corporate income tax (CIT) and personal income tax (PIT) only. Accordingly, a foreign enterprise with a PE in Vietnam will pay:

Foreign contractor tax (FCT) comprising of CIT and value added tax (VAT) on all income arising in Vietnam regardless of whether the income is related to the PE;

And CIT on foreign income arising in Vietnam that is attributable to the PE; and then may be able to apply tax treaty protection to deduct CIT liability associated with the PE in Vietnam from the tax liabilities imposed on that income in the home country.

Notwithstanding, the tax amount paid in Vietnam is likely not to be accepted for full tax credit in the home country and vice versa based on the domestic laws. In general, when a foreign entity is taxed in Vietnam on its PEs revenue, it is permitted to subtract an amount equal to the tax paid in Vietnam from the tax imposed on income of the PE by their home countrys tax regime. Such tax credit, however, cannot exceed that part of the tax, as computed, before the deduction is given, which is levied on such income derived from Vietnam.

On the other hand, a foreign enterprise without a PE in Vietnam is subject to FCT (including CIT and VAT) only on income arising in Vietnam. Likewise, the DTAs provide tax protection in the case when a foreign company is able to apply a DTA for tax exemption in Vietnam without paying CIT, or still pays FCT in Vietnam, and submits the certification of tax declaration and payment in order to enjoy a tax credit against the relevant tax liability, in its host country.

Tax treaty claims are not automatically granted to beneficiaries even if the conditions for tax exemption/reduction are satisfied. The application dossier is required and subject to the assessment of the tax authority.

Conclusion

In light of the above, the PE situation might cost companies more tax. Moreover, in case the home country has not signed an agreement with Vietnam, it seems that the foreign company must bear double tax in both countries on the same income related to the PE.

Consequently, it is the responsibility of the taxpayer to prove that the local activities are preparatory or auxiliary in order to avoid triggering a PE. Additionally, given that the tax authorities generally target to increase revenues in their own jurisdictions, the multinational and international companies should take the following into account when doing business across borders to minimise the unexpected financial burden caused by unexpected PE issues:

Perceive tax exposures related to the creation of a tentative taxable presence in a jurisdiction;

Pay attention to the likelihood of constituting a PE;

Proactively manage the creation of a potential taxable presence to mitigate tax risks.

This article is of a general nature only and readers should obtain advice specific to their circumstances from professional advisors.

For more updates on the market, please visit the www.grantthornton.com.vn website.Water monitoring systems allow for better management of aquaculture farms and less manual work.  Photo vietnambiz.vn

Huynh Quoc Khoi from the Bac Lieu Province Agricultural Extension Centre said that hi-tech in aquaculture, such as water monitoring systems or recirculating aquaculture systems, permits easier detection of anomalies and better control of fish farms.

It also requires less manual work and time, and is more environmentally friendly.

Phan Thanh Lam of the Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 2 said that water monitoring systems were especially crucial for shrimp farming, as shrimp are highly susceptible to external factors such as temperature, pH levels and salinity.

Advanced systems allow for continuous monitoring of various variables in the water so farmers can be notified of changes quickly and reduce the chance of disease or death, contributing to sustainable aquaculture.

However, Khoi said that only big farms or companies have been able to make use of such machinery.

"Most households either cannot afford high costs or are not accustomed to advanced technologies. Thus, they remain out of reach for the common farmers, even though there are plenty of machineries available," he added.

He said that there should be more training programmes and conferences to introduce new agricultural technologies to enhance farmers adaptability to technologies.

The Government should also have more policies to provide financial aid so farmers can more easily acquire technologies, while machinery manufacturers should ensure that their products are adaptable to many farming models.

They should also make them as simple to use and cheap to buy as possible.

The conference was part of the 2018 HCM City Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Processing Technology Fair and Exhibition, which ends on September 23.

Shrimp is one of Viet Nams main aquaculture export. The country has over 700,000 hectares devoted to shrimp farming.Richard R. C. Shih speaking at Taiwan Excellence 2018

In the 4.0 era, how important are smart technology applications in our day-to-day lives? Are these applications suitable for use in Vietnam?

We have various emerging technologies that impact our lives in different ways today.

Take smart technology for example, it makes use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enable a level of cognitive awareness. The technology employs machine learning and Big Data analysis to perform functions that have traditionally been done by humans. This boosts the efficiency, productivity, and functionality of almost anything it is applied to, hence creating a smarter and more comfortable life for us.

Vietnam is both qualified and motivated to take the lead in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Smart applications can be applied in various fields in Vietnam, ranging from manufacturing and healthcare to education or home appliances. It also attracts great attention from users in Vietnam.

In Vietnam, real estate developers are now more proactive in integrating smart home technology into their development projects. The adoption of smart home applications has received positive feedbacks from Vietnamese consumers about the economic benefits and efficiency that it brings. Although consumers are still familiarising themselves with smart home applications, we believe that they will embrace more advanced and specialised solutions in the near future.

Vietnam has been doing its utmost to make use of Industry 4.0. Could you share some of your or Taiwans experiences in catching up to this trend?

Taiwan is in a very good position to join the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Success in Industry 4.0 requires expertise in sophisticated machinery development and information and communications technology, two fields that are among Taiwans greatest strengths.

Apart from our strong supply chain, Taiwan is also one of the most important production hub for industrial computers, which can be a stepping stone to developing Industry 4.0.

Moreover, the manufacturing sector has always been at the centre of Taiwans economic development. Machine tool makers in Taiwan are ramping up efforts to utilise smart manufacturing technologies in their production processes and product development so as to boost their international competitiveness. We have also established a committee consisting of representatives from the industry, research institutes, and the academia to guide the development of intelligent machines. Through this hard work, our aim is to equip young talents with the skill sets and competencies required to succeed in the Industry 4.0 era.

TAMI (Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry) has been promoting Industry 4.0 as the main axis of the machinery industry by holding forums to keep manufacturers abreast of the latest technologies and trends, hence successfully attracting many companies to join and follow.

What investments did Taiwan make to prepare for Industry 4.0? How did Taiwanese firms receive and use government assistance?

Industry 4.0 has attracted enormous attention from governments and businesses around the world in recent years. The Taiwanese government has long been urging the industry to boost spending on research and development to create an innovation-driven economy.

Policymakers and business leaders are now pinning their hopes of industrial transformation on the emerging Internet of Things (IoT). As part of the governments plan to stimulate the economy, one of the preeminent applications for IoT devices is smart citiescities that are able to make use of big data to improve their living environment.

In addition, the Taiwanese government has also committed to invest a huge amount of resources in the so-called 5+2 Industrial Transformation Plan to promote the development of several industrial 4.0 sectors, such as IoT, biomedicince, green energy, smart machinery, defence, high value-added agriculture, and circular economy.

However, the government has also realised that most Taiwanese firms are small and medium-sized enterprises and may lack the funds to adjust and follow this emerging trend of Industry 4.0. Take smart machinery for instance, most firms use machines that are rather traditional and outdated, not to mention lacking the capacity for more advanced functions like collecting Big Data.

In order to solve this problem, our Industrial Development Bureau under the Ministry of Economic Affairs works with industries to develop and provide Smart Machine Box (SMB) services to our firms. By connecting this device to existing machines, SMB can collect data from all the machines in the factory and produce useful information that are helpful for business owners, thereby helping firms to make a big leap towards achieving full-scale smart machinery. This year the governments goal is to assist firms to install 1,000 SMB devices in total.

Therefore, Taiwanese firms are in a very good position to profit from this opportunity, particularly in the IT industry. Under this trend, a lot of Taiwanese firms can obtain new overseas orders, not to mention securing existing ones, thereby gradually gaining good reputation and recognition around the world.

What do you think about the opportunities for co-operation between Vietnamese and Taiwanese businesses after Taiwan Excellence 2018?

By facilitating networking and exchange, TAITRA hopes for co-operation in talent cultivation as well as brand building between the two sides, in addition to boosting trade opportunities. After Taiwan Excellence 2018, there will definitely be more partnerships between the two sides businesses, but they need to seize this opportunity and make good use of it smartly.

Furthermore, Vietnam and Taiwan have become major trading partners to each other throughout the years. In addition, Taiwan stands ready to adopt measures to promote two-way exchange in the areas of investment, agriculture, education, technology, and tourism. I do believe that the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and Taiwan will continue to flourish and generate more benefits for the two sides in the upcoming years.

The international campaign, Taiwan Excellence, has been held for the eighth time in Vietnam. How was Taiwan Excellence 2018 different from the previous ones?

As Taiwan Excellences core strategy is to increase focus on product development, our products have indeed achieved remarkable improvements in recent years, not only just following but also leading the latest technological trends in the world. In this sense, this year we want to honour the results that these brands have achieved throughout their years of development. Hence, all of our events in Taiwan Excellence 2018 are product-centric, showcasing a wide range of cutting-edge products and solutions.

What is really special about this years products is that we focus on the aspect of innovation, which is represented through three key product characteristics, including innovative function, premium quality, and high accessibility. As such, all of our products from 57 brands this year are focused on smart technological fields, highlighting outstanding and breakthrough technology, but also cater directly to the daily lives of consumers.

Vietnamese consumers have long been familiar with the innovative and trustworthy image of Taiwan Excellence. By returning to Vietnam this year, we aim to further reaffirm our image in the hearts and minds of Vietnamese consumers by enhancing the living standards of our friends here.The ceremony to receive the certificate honouring the Huong Son landscape complex, also known as Huong Pagoda, was held on September 19 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi authorities received a certificate honouring the Huong Son landscape complex, also known as Huong Pagoda, in My Duc district on September 19.

The Huong Son complex consists of Buddhist pagodas and caves and temples worshipping local agricultural gods.

The complex was built under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong (1442  1497). It was destroyed by French colonialists but has been rebuilt with the support of the State, local residents and visitors.

Aside from its religious significance, the complex also holds special values in terms of ecosystem, landscape, architecture and history.

The traditional Huong Pagoda Festival from the first through the third lunar month each year is one of the biggest of its kind in Vietnam, helping the complex attract millions of visitors every year.

The Huong Son complex was listed among special national relic sites in December 2017.

At the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam presented the certificate to authorities of My Duc district and the pagodas representatives.

Addressing the event, Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai said it was an honour for the administration and people of My Duc district and the capital city to receive the recognition.

They would make utmost efforts to uphold the relic sites values to turn it into a destination for not only spiritual tourism but also for educating in history, culture and environment, he added.

The ceremony also aimed to mark the 130th founding anniversary of My Duc district and 60 years since then President Ho Chi Minh visited Huong Pagoda.Idemitsu Q8's third petrol station is now operational

Idemitsu Q8 opens three petrol stations in one year

In the context of the complexities in completing procedures to open petrol stations, Idemitsu Q8s opening its new petrol station shows the companys determination to occupy a bigger slice of the Vietnamese petroleum retail market, which previously only belonged to domestic businesses like PV Oil and etrolimex.

Hiroaki Honjo, general director of Idemitsu Q8 Petroleum Limited Liability Company (IQ8), shared that Idemitsu Q8 will take advantage of its experience in the petroleum business in Japan and Europe to develop its business in Vietnam.

In October last year, Idemitsu Q8 , a joint venture between Japanese company Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. and Kuwait Petroleum International Ltd. (KPI), opened the first petrol station in Hanoi, becoming the first FDI business to enter the local petroleum retail market.

After one year of operation, although Idemisu did not publish information about its business results, the consecutive opening of new petrol stations shows that Idemitsu Q8 is upbeat about its prospects in the market and that entering the petroleum retail sector was the correct choice.

According to the plan, Idemisu will open five petrol stations in Vietnam, and we already have three of these. However, we have not yet achieved number five as expected, but we are trying to meet the target, said Hiroaki Honjo.

Separate direction

Idemitsu Q8s joining the petroleum retail market contributes to a stable petroleum supply in Vietnam, especially as demand is predicted to increase high in the next years. However, the market already established its own order, and as a newcomer, Idemitsu Q8 needs a separate direction.

There are over 14,000 petrol stations in Vietnam, of which the giant petroleum business Petrolimex has 5,200 stations, holding 45 per cent of the market, followed by PV Oil with 3,000 units, Thanh Le with 1,500 units, and Saigon Petro with 1,000 units. Petrolimex sold over 50 per cent of its products directly to customer and 20 per cent directly to industrial customers. However, there remains ample space for a newcomer to increase its market share, provided it proves competitive enough.

Idemitsu Q8s joining the petroleum retail market contributes to a stable petroleum supply in Vietnam, especially as demand is predicted to increase high in the next years.

Idemitsu Q8's market approach was markedly different from its competitors as the firm opened its three petrol stations in industrial parksas opposed to urban hubswhere the presence of Japanese companies is strong.

For instance, the second petrol station is located at the last service zone of Dinh Vu Port (Haiphong) with the purpose of serving citizens in Hai An District as well as Vietnamese and Japanese transport businesses in the area. With the area of 10,000 square metres, this is the biggest petrol station of Idemitsu Q8 outside of Japan so far.

The representative of a business in the petroleum retail market said that Idemitsu Q8s choice of industrial zones (IZs) to increase its revenue from big customers, especially Japanese companies. Besides, it is also important to mention that land leasing procedures are far easier to complete in IZs because the management boards of these entities can lease the ground, helping businesses save time.

Besides, Idemitsu Q8 is aiming to set itself apart through its services. The leadership of the company affirmed that they intend to incorporate farm more than simply trade in their operations, with a distinctively Japanese style of customer service.

As proof, at the opening day of the first petrol station at Thang Long IZ in October 2017, general director Hiroaki Honjo respectfully bowing to each customer in the rain for hours went viral, eliciting great customer support for the new company. Similarly, on the opening day of the third station, the staff wiped the windshields and mirrors of customers cars while pumping petrol completely free of charge.

Whether Idemitsu Q8 can achieve their ambition of growing to dominance in the Vietnamese petrol market remains a question for the future, but opening three petrol stations in a single year shows the determination of Idemitsu Q8.The Fusion Maia in Da Nang.

The country is among the 10 fastest growing tourist destinations in the world, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)s 2018 Tourism Highlights Report.

Overall tourist numbers rose by 19 per cent to 86 million last year, while the number of international arrivals increased by a whopping 29 per cent.

The luxury hotel sector continued to see a better year with EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) last year increasing by 1.7 per cent, according to Grant Thornton Vietnams 2018 Hotel Survey.

RevPAR (Revenue per available room) for hotels continued to grow, but at different rates for each star ranking  7.6 per cent for four-star hotels and 10.2 per cent for five-star  the survey showed.

As Vietnams tourism market grows, international operators would continue to be an integral part of this expansion, Mauro Gasparotti, director of Savills Hotels Asia Pacific, said.

Compared to a few years ago the number of projects that appeal to international operators is much greater, according to the director.

In addition, the quality of design, planning and infrastructure has advanced to support the larger volumes of inbound clientele.

In 2010 there were 30 hotels operated by international brands while at the end of 2017 there were 79, and more are expected to enter the market this year.

Several new brands came to the market in the last three years like Ozo and X2 Vibe (New Hoi An City), Double Tree by Hilton (Ha Long, Vung Tau and Ha Noi), Four Seasons (Quang Nam and Ha Noi), Oakwood (HCM City), Glow (Da Nang), and MAI HOUSE (HCM City).

A particularly large increase in the number of international hoteliers was observed this year, with recent announcements including the Mandarin Oriental, Movenpick, Melia and INNSIDE in HCM City, Ramada Kahuna Ho Tram Strip in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, and the Best Western Premier in Quang Binh and Cam Ranh.

More brands such as Holiday Inn and Doubletree by Hilton, Courtyard by Marriott and Hyatt Place will enter the market.

We will also see newly created brands such as hotels specifically targeting millennial, wellness, tech-savvy, and senior travellers, Gasparotti said.

Savills has forecast that a total of more than 30,000 additional rooms will be available by the end of next year.

The wave of new supply along with the entry of international brands has also become an endorsement for foreign investorsconfidence in the hospitality sector, he said.

In HCM City, international investors are building upscale hotels to meet tourism and hotel development demands, according to the local Department of Tourism.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has recently tied up with Union Square Saigon to build its first five-star luxury hotel in Vietnam.

Scheduled to open in 2019, Mandarin Oriental Saigon will form part of Union Square Saigon, a commercial building in the heart of the city.

The collaboration between Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Union Square Saigon indicates the rising interest among international operators in the citys upscale hotel market, the department said.

Nguyen Van Khoa, chairman of the Binh Thuan Tourism Association, said most hotel and resort developers in the coastal province tied up with international operators from the early stage of design to management.

With international brands, hotels receive transfer of professional technology and management systems and quickly join global markets.

The hospitality sector can benefit greatly from the professional expertise of international operators.

Shortage of skilled workers

The imminent increase in future supply could lead to intense competition between hotels and resorts and an even greater staff shortage in the hospitality sector.

The Vietnam Tourism Association estimates a 40 percent shortage now.

Simon Matthews, country manager, ManpowerGroup Vietnam, Thailand and Middle East, said Vietnam with a total workforce of more than 56 million people did not lack in numbers, only skills.

According to ManpowerGroups latest Total Workforce Index and 2nd Quarterly Market Report, there are significant differences between the two countriesworkforces.

Non-skilled workers account for 40 per cent of the Vietnamese workforce versus only 10 per cent in Thailand.

Besides, the ratio of with English proficiency in Vietnam is only 5 per cent while in Thailand it is 27 per cent.

On most five-star yachts, Vietnamese mainly work in sanitation or room service or wash dishes while receptionists, waiters and supervisors are Singaporean, Thai or Chinese, Matthews pointed out.

"The reason is that Vietnamese workers lack in-demand skills such as communications, especially foreign language proficiency, and their professional skills can hardly meet international standards," he said.

Gasparotti of Savills Hotels Asia Pacific said the underlying cause of these shortages might not simply be a case of not having enough bodies but instead stemmed from a lack of specialised training courses and schools.

Hotel representatives commented on high employee turnover. Staff shift to other hotels or resorts when offered a more attractive package.

Branded properties easily attract staff due to their brand recognition and professional training, but they also have a higher need for skilled staff.

Ho Van Tuong, a lecturer at the Sai Gon Tourism Vocational College, admitted that for years universities had focused on academic knowledge and offered limited training in practical skills.

Many teachers at tourism schools themselves lacked practical, hands-on experience, he said.

As the result, hirers would have to provide training to improve workers skills, he admitted.

Solution

Matthews said: Education in the hospitality sector shouldnt focus too much on theory. Instead, educational institutions need to co-operate with tourism companies for practical training.

These companies can provide skilled teachers to help train tourism students in real situations.

As the world of work is changing fast, as it always does, it will be a huge challenge for Vietnamese workers if they dont upskill.

The Mutual Recognition Arrangements for Tourism Professionals under the ASEAN Economic Community would be a chance for the Vietnamese workforce to learn from expats experience, he said.

When they have enough skills they can move up in their careers and can take positions previously taken by expats.

Training is also considered the best way to prepare the future workforce and help businesses overcome the talent shortage.

His companys 2018 Talent Shortage Survey, which polled 39,195 employers in 43 countries, found that 53 per cent of them provide additional training and development for their employees, he said.

Learnability is a critical skill that every individual needs in the changing world of work today to be employable," he said.

Kevin J Beauvais, founder & CEO of InVision Hospitality, said: I have seen the shortage of skilled staff in all the countries I have worked in Southeast Asia over the last 21 years.

Three years ago I partnered with TBS Group for our new and exciting MAI HOUSE brand. They are extremely large and successful in Vietnam, and we are jointly developing hotels and resorts in Da Nang, Sai Gon and Hoi An.

"We are currently developing a training programme to improve hospitality skills and to be able to offer opportunities to the staff who are interested," he said.

According to Ken Atkinson, executive chairman of Grant Thornton Vietnam Ltd. and vice chairman of the Vietnam Tourism advisory board, Vietnam is not the only country that has an awareness challenge in terms of attracting people to the hospitality industry.

To hire and retain more good staff we need to make the industry more attractive and highlight why this is an exciting industry to be in, as well as highlight the career opportunities that exist.

This should then see more people who study hospitality enter the industry and progress their career accordingly.

"It is a well-known fact that many general managers in international hotels started their careers as chefs, waiters or bellboys, and even Bill Marriott, former CEO of Marriott International, started his career as a bellboy, and this should be used to encourage young people to pursue a career in hospitality," he said.

The Vietnam Tourism advisory board over the course of the next 12 months will be working with international branded hotels/companies, educational institutions and regional tourism authorities to promote the hospitality and tourism industry to attract human resources.TEC's Kien Luong 1 thermal power plant has been delayed for years before it was removed from the planning

TEC has long-delayed in construction

In August 2008, the prime minister approved in principle Tan Tao Investment and Industry Corporation (ITACO) to develop the 1,200MW Kien Luong 1 and the 1,200-2,000MW Kien Luong 2 thermal power plants. The construction of Nam Du Deep Water Seaport was to be added to the construction of Kien Luong 2.

The approval was considered a breakthrough for a private firm like ITACO as all large-scale thermal power plants at the time were developed by either state-owned firms or foreign enterprises under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.

Previously, in April 2008, ITACO issued a noisy media campaign promising that Vietnam would have the largest thermal power centre developed by a private investor, contributing to creating a hike for ITACOs shares.

In order to offset the expenses that the investor spent on the project, TEC proposed the government to add the project into the National Power Development Plan.

However, numerous experts were concerned about the feasibility of these projects. They wondered whether ITACO had enough money to implement these projects as it would have to import the entire coal volume used for manufacturing, while it was unsure whether the selling price could offset investment costs.

The above concerns were raised before ITACO had invested in any thermal power plant or was given a permit to mine for coal from any mine to meet its 15 million tonne demand for power manufacturing. Besides, the selling price of electricity to customers was only VND842 per kWh.

The construction of these two thermal power plants was expected to start in 2009 under the build-own-operate (BOO) model. Kien Luong 1 was expected to start operation in 2013-2014, and Kien Luong 2 in 2015-2016. However, ITACO could not keep to the timeline due to difficulties in mobilising funds. Even after the investor was allowed to transfer these projects to TEC, the construction remained immobile.

Selecting the BOO model was a factor making it difficult for the investor to mobilise investment capital for these projects because there were no government guarantees for loans. As a result, in February 2014, to address the investors problem and get the project back up and running again, the Vietnamese government allowed ITACO to modify the investment model from BOO to BOT, so that it could receive government guarantees.

In December 2015, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and TEC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to implement the construction of Kien Luong 1. The MoU will expire on December 11, 2019. However, the MoU failed to accelerate the project.

According to the report of the Kien Giang Peoples Committee, despite the government allowing the adjustment of the deadline for Kien Luong 1 to 2019 and Kien Luong 2 to 2020, by 2014-2015 the investor only completed the land clearance of part of the area for the Kien Luong 1 project, while Kien Luong 2 saw no tangible progress.

Due to these long delays in construction, in March 2016, the government issued the decision to remove the two projects from the Revised National Power Development Master Plan VII. Furthermore, the province said that it tried to contact the investor to discuss plans to deal with their problems, but could not reach them.

Will the government have to pay compensation for the investor?

Most recently, on August 31, TEC sent a document to the MoIT to state that removing Kien Luong 1 from the Revised National Power Development Master Plan VII is the key reason for the long delay of the project.

According to TEC, after the government allowed it to adjust the investment model to BOT, TEC and the MoIT signed a MoU and the two parties reached a compromise to take Kien Luong 1 into commercial operation by 2025. TEC also denied claims that the province could not contact them.

During the time when the construction of Kien Luong 1 was suspended, TEC suffered great pressure from foreign partners. Thus, if the project has been removed from the Master Plan, the government, the MoIT, and the Kien Giang Peoples Committee have to pay compensation for ITACO, TEC, and foreign partners, the document mentioned.

TEC also stated that the investor disbursed $270 million in Kien Luong 1 and they are still paying interest for the loans.

According to TEC, in order to offset the expenses that the investor spent on the project, TEC proposed the government to add the project into the National Power Development Plan.

However, an expert told VIR that in case TECs proposal is approved, the project will still find it difficult to reach the deadline committed to the MoIT.

According to the expert, even if the investor is guaranteed for loans, it will still find it difficult to complete relevant investment procedures. Besides, local residents are protesting against the thermal power plant because of the risk of environmental pollution.

Regarding the demand for compensation, the expert said that in case the investor has not completed the investment procedures and signed the BOT contract with the ministry, the MoIT and the government do not have to pay compensation.Outgoing spy chief Hans-Georg Maassen had been in line for a promotion and more money but a compromise has defused the controversy that move engendered. (Photo: AFP/Tobias Schwarz)

They agreed that Hans-Georg Maassen, 55, who leaves the post as chief of the BfV security agency, be appointed special representative for internal security, said the chancellery.

Crucially, the new job in the interior ministry does not come with a raise in pay or status, after an earlier proposal to give Maassen the more senior post of state secretary had sparked a public outcry.

The dispute centres on controversial comments by Maassen that appeared to play down the severity of far-right racist mob violence in the eastern city of Chemnitz last month.

Merkel's junior partners, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), then strongly pushed for Maassen to be fired, while hardline Interior Minister Horst Seehofer of the conservative Bavarian CSU had defended the spy master as a competent bureaucrat beyond reproach.

A shaky compromise deal reached last Tuesday - to shift Maassen to the more senior and better paid state secretary post - had sparked even more anger and ridicule and heightened pressure on SPD party chief Andrea Nahles for accepting a bad deal.

With the scandal entering a second round, the three party leaders met Sunday to resolve the tricky issue.

The dispute rocking the government of the EU's top economy has, many observers said, bordered on political farce and showed the weakness of Merkel as the leader of a loveless three-party alliance she had to cobble together for her fourth term.

TRUST BADLY SHAKEN

An Emnid poll for Bild am Sonntag newspaper found that 67 per cent of respondents no longer believed the three party chiefs still shared a common basis of trust, although a narrow majority also rejected the options of new elections now.

All major parties suffered in last September's election as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party took millions of their votes, capitalising on public fears and anger over immigration.

Since Merkel's decision three years ago to allow a mass influx of mostly Muslim migrants and refugees, the issue has come to dominate political debate at the expense of other policy matters.

Tensions flared again last month after a fatal knife attack in Chemnitz - in which the top suspects are asylum seekers - triggered xenophobic mob violence that shocked Germany and the world.

Merkel deplored the unrest, but Maassen soon contradicted her and questioned whether any "hunting down" of foreigners had taken place, and whether amateur video footage of the confrontations had been fake.

While his comments were cheered by the far right, the three opposition parties and the SPD demanded he be fired for meddling in politics.

The main beneficiary of the row has been the AfD, which calls Merkel a "traitor" and rails against "establishment parties".

The Emnid poll said the AfD would garner 16 per cent of votes if elections were held now.

Merkel's CDU/CSU conservative block scored 28 per cent and the SPD 17 per cent - giving their shaky coalition a total of 45 per cent, its lowest ever support in the survey.Nepal suffers chronic energy shortages and is forced to buy electricity from neighbouring India AFP/ROBERTO SCHMIDT

The agreement with the China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) to construct Nepal's largest hydro plant was abruptly cancelled by the outgoing government just weeks before a general election late last year.

"The decision to scrap the agreement with the Chinese company by the previous government was taken without any grounds," information minister Gokul Baskota told AFP.

"We decided to correct that, because Nepal doesn't have the capacity to build such a big project and funding is also challenging."

The long-mooted 1,200 megawatt Budhi-Gandaki plant would nearly double Nepal's hydropower production. The impoverished landlocked country suffers chronic energy shortages and is forced to buy electricity from neighbouring India.

Beijing has been lobbying the new Communist government in Kathmandu to restore the contract since it took office in February, Baskota said.

Nepal wants the project to be part of the One Belt, One Road Initiative (OBOR), China's massive infrastructure drive at the centre of the Asian giant's push to expand its global influence. Nepal signed up to the plan in May 2017.

Critics say the contract should have been open for international bidding and warned of the risks of Chinese loans.

Awarding such a lucrative contract in an opaque manner risked inflating the cost of the project "leading to a heavy national debt burden", tweeted former finance minister Ram Sharan Mahat.

Water-rich Nepal has a mountain river system that could make it an energy-producing powerhouse, but failure to develop its hydropower sector has weighed heavily on its ailing economy.

Nepal has awarded contracts for its mega hydropower projects to its two giant neighbours, rivals India and China, but construction has been slow.

Construction finally began on the $1.4 billion India-backed Arun Three hydropower plant earlier this year, 26 years after it was first proposed.

CGGC is currently building three smaller hydropower plants in Nepal and has completed one other, though critics have complained that these projects have run over time and budget.

Another Chinese firm, Three Gorges International Corporation, recently pulled out of a 750 megawatt hydropower project, citing financial concerns.

Crucial infrastructure development in Nepal has flagged in the years of political paralysis that followed the end of the Maoist insurgency in 2006 and the overthrow of the monarchy two years later.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.Sheep are bred at a farm in Ninh Thuan Provinces Thuan Nam District.  VNA/VNS Photo Cong Thu

The province has more than 160,000 sheep and 137,900 goats, ranking first in the country as a sheep producer and eighth in goat production, according to the provinces Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The province has more than 112,000 oxen and cows, 3,800 buffalos and 92,000 pigs.

In Ninh Thuan, which has the least rainfall in the country, farmers mostly breed animals outdoors and on a small scale.

Development projects have taken up land that was once used for outdoor rearing areas for sheep and goats.

Climate change has also caused a decline in quality of natural grass fields and water resources for animals, affecting their yield and quality.

To expand the local breeding industry, Ninh Thuan has provided soft loans for farmers to plant grass fields and invest in clean water provision for animals.

Local authorities have helped rice farmers switch to growing grasses for animals in areas that often lack irrigation water and plant only one rice crop a year.

In the first five months of the year, farmers have so far planted more than 1,200ha of grasses with a total output of 163,000 tonnes, meeting 31 per cent of food for the provinces animals, according to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The provinces Agriculture Extension Centre has provided advanced rearing techniques for animal farmers, including sterilising barns monthly and providing periodic baths for animals.

Phan Quang Thuu, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the province was enhancing co-operation among farmers, scientists, local authorities and companies to create value chains for breeding animals.

The province had developed co-operatives to create stronger links between farmers and companies, Thuu said.

According to Pham Minh Quang, director of the Tan Ha Co-operative in Thuan Nam Districts Nhi Ha Commune, his co-operative has applied advanced techniques in building animal barns, choosing animal strains and breeding techniques, and treating animal diseases.

With the decline of natural grass fields, the co-operative has switched from feeding sheep on grass fields to indoor rearing, which has helped to reduce risks and disease, making the sheep grow faster.

The co-operative has invested in planting more than 1 ha of grass which has an output of 700 kilos a day that feeds the co-operatives sheep.

The co-operative sells about 100 male sheep every three months, while each sheep weighs about 30 kilos.

The co-operative earns revenue of VND1 billion (US$43,000) a year.

Under a provincial Peoples Committee plan, Ninh Thuan targets having a total of 190,000 sheep, including 45,000 females, by 2020.Oktoberfest 2018 will be held from October 11 to 13 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

The Oktoberfest event is co-hosted by the German Businesses Association (GBA) and the Delegation of the German Industry and Commerce in Vietnam (GIC/AHK Vietnam) under the patronage of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Hanoi. The GBA Oktoberfest Vietnam 2018 will start in Ho Chi Minh City and last four days from September 19-22 at Hotel Nikko Saigon.

In Hanoi, the festival will continue to take place at the lakeside area of JW Marriott Hanoi Hotel for more than three nights between October 11 and 13, from 6pm to 11pm. This year marks the 5th cooperation between the German Business Association (GBA) and JW Marriott Hanoi in organising the traditional German cultural eventGBA Oktoberfest in Hanoi.

Thomas Debelic, chairman of the GBA said, We are happy and proud to announce the 26th GBA Oktoberfest in Vietnam, continuing the tradition founded by the German business community many years ago. We have continuously worked on improving the setting in order to create an authentic atmosphere in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. For the past three years, the GBA Oktoberfest in Ho Chi Minh City has been upscaled with an original German beer tent, with German beer, German music, and German food. We are looking forward to welcoming you at the original German Oktoberfest.

GBA Oktoberfest 2018 in Hanoi will bring you an opportunity to enjoy the original festive atmosphere with German dishes, authentic German beer, and join in the Lucky Draw with many valuable prizes.

Come to GBA Oktoberfest 2018 at JW Marriott Hanoi, guests will not only be able to enjoy the 5-star quality hospitality services, but the unique facility that provide spacious open ground where the large big tent Festzelt will be set-up, just like in Germany. It is one of the main factors creating the authentic Bavarian party experience right here in Vietnam and can accommodate large groups of up to 1,200-1,500 guests per evening.

To enhance the genuine atmosphere of the real Oktoberfest, this year we introduce a premium German beer brand and exclusive Oktoberfest brew in Hanoi. Coming to our GBA Oktoberfest 2018, guests can enjoy a buffet of premium German cuisine that will delight and excite the taste buds, as well as free-flowing premium beers in your very own Oktoberfest beer mug. Authentic music and entertaining show-acts will be performed by the popular Munich-based AntonShow Band.

Marko Walde, chief representative of the GIC/AHK Vietnam, said: We are pleased to invite you to the GBA Oktoberfest Vietnam 2018a highlight of our annual social events in Vietnam where German, Vietnamese, and international business communities celebrate with their colleagues, partners, and friends. We wish all our guests cheerful moments and hope that the GBA Oktoberfest Vietnam 2018 will be a kick-off to new partnerships for them as well.

There is no doubt that JW Marriott Hanoi is definitely the best and biggest venue in Hanoi, with the stunning scenery to host one of the most successful events, highlighting the detail-oriented services provided by our experienced chefs. In our 5th year, our team will continue to serve a variety of Bavarian specialties typically associated with Oktoberfest, including German Sausages, Pretzels, and of course a mug of cold beer; along with fun games and prize draws, said Mark Van Der Wielen, general manager at JW Marriott Hanoi.

26 years ago in 1992, the German business community in Vietnam gathered together and brought to Vietnam one of the most popular social and cultural events from Germany, the Oktoberfest. This set an important date on Vietnams event calendar, and Oktoberfest has now become one of the most awaited celebrations of the year.Incentives are among the vital tools to make Vietnam more attractive to foreign investors

The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) is now working on the latest draft of the next-generation foreign direct investment (FDI) strategy towards increasing investor confidence and the added value to the economy. The most important highlight of the strategy is the shift in the focus of FDI attraction from attracting investors suitable for products to attracting investors for products and kinds of investment that Vietnam needs in the future, thus contributing to maximising FDI influence and added value.

To this end, investment incentives are among the vital tools to make the country more attractive to foreign investors, amid growing competition and changes in key global trends, while low salaries will no longer be an advantage.

According to international experts, Vietnam relies heavily on profit-based incentives, like time-limited tax exemptions and tax reductions, as well as on preferential tax policies and import duty exemptions.

Though the current tax regime facilitated first-generation investment activities during a period when investors bet on such incentives and cheap labour costs as the main factors for their investment decisions, it is now starting to lag behind in a new era, which has the country focusing on attracting FDI which brings with it innovation and advanced technology, requires a highly skilled workforce, and increases business competitiveness.

Given Vietnams interest in growing FDI in more innovative, high-tech fields, the use of tax exemptions and concessionary rates is likely to create a higher cost to the government while delivering fewer of the intended benefits. Vietnam needs to focus on revising its strategy to adopt more tailored and cost-efficient incentives in line with its new FDI strategy, said an International Finance Corporation (IFC) document.

Not all FDI priority sectors should necessarily receive incentives. Incentives should be focused on those investors who will be most responsive based on their motivations and an analysis of the cost-benefit trade-off, said the document.

Echoing the IFCs view, other international experts said that international best practices suggest the need for precise tailoring and targeting of incentive instruments. Investment incentives should be linked to clearly defined policy objectives. The choice of the instrument, its parameters, and eligibility criteria should then be tailored to these specific policy objectives.

Nguyen Mai, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, also said that competitiveness in the region has changed, while key global trends have taken shape. Investments from the EU and the US in Vietnam remain humble. If we do not have a new, effective approach to attract them, Vietnams FDI will mostly come from Asian nations like South Korea and Japan.

Offering investment incentives is okay for a certain time, but Vietnam should not rely on this to attract FDI anymore, because we have other effective tools, he added.

The facts have proved that the application of time-limited tax exemptions and tax incentives based on profit can cause significant costs for the country, like fiscal losses, rent seeking, administrative costs, economic distortions (benefitting established businesses more than newcomers), and more.

Vietnams FDI attraction is forecast to be affected by global trends that are to have a great impact on FDI attraction over the next 12 years: Industry 4.0, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, Chinas One Belt-One Road Initiative, and others. Thus, the next-generation FDI strategy is extremely important for Vietnam for this new era, as low labour costs are no longer an advantage for Vietnam.

As part of the draft, Vietnam plans to focus on sectors in which the country has strong advantages and where foreign investors can offer high-technology, new branding, new marketing, and high value that domestic Vietnamese companies can not have. The sectors include high-tech/ICT, processing and manufacturing, supporting industry, tourism, and high-tech agriculture.

It is an absolutely critical time for Vietnam. Wages are going up. That is one objective of the government. Meanwhile, other countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and South Africa offer much lower wages than Vietnam, Simon Nihal Bell from Armillary, which provides investment consultancy specialising in emerging market investment strategies, told VIR. If Vietnam continues to base its strategy on low wages, it will lose out. As salaries go up, Vietnam will no longer be successful in attracting people to set up factories in the country to cheaply produce T-shirts or phones. Vietnam needs to work out a way to attract people here because of its skills and high quality, excellent business environment, and high wages  not because of low wages.

Bell cited the US and the UK as examples. They are the countries receiving the most FDI in the world and achieve this despite having very high wages. Why do people go there? Because of skills and technology. That is what we want Vietnam to have.

With a lever created by the World Trade Organization membership, Vietnam has made great achievements in FDI attraction thanks to the improvements in the business climate. In 2016, together with Indonesia, the country has emerged as one of the most successful nations in the ASEAN in FDI attraction.

In the first eight months of 2018, the countrys total newly-registered, added FDI and stake acquisitions rose by 4.2 per cent on-year to $24.35 billion.The Government has asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to take steps to increase the effectiveness of medium and long-term public investment plans. Photo taken in HCM City. - VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuan

The resolution, issued on Saturday, sets as the first task the completion of a legal system on construction investment ensuring consistency, synchronisation, reform of administrative procedures, simplification of business investment conditions and timely removal of barriers and obstacles in the sector.

The Government has ordered related ministries and central agencies to take the initiative in reviewing and proposing amendments and the promulgation of new legal documents to ensure uniformed implementation.

It urged the intensification of State management in all processes of construction project implementation and even the timing of its opening.

At the same time, the resolution said, the ministries and central agencies should quickly solve problems relating to all aspects of project construction investment, especially those related to administrative procedures and business investment conditions.

In the immediate time, the Ministry of Construction will continue studying and elaborating on the amendment and supplement of laws on construction, housing, the real estate business and urban planning.

The ministry was also assigned to undertake reforms and simplification of administrative procedures as well as conditions for business investment to create favourable conditions for all people and business enterprises.

The result of such works should be submitted to the National Assembly at the 7th Session in mid 2019, said the resolution.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Planning and Investment was assigned to co-ordinate with other related ministries and agencies in completing the draft revised Law on Public Investment in a direction that helps simplify administrative procedures, enhance decentralisation and take the initiative in formulating, appraising and assigning medium and long-term public investment plans to increase effectiveness.

The resolution said the ministry should report the results of such works to the National Assembly at its 6th session in October this year.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) was assigned to co-ordinate with other related ministries and agencies in drafting the amendment and supplement for the revised Laws on Land. It should also take measures to improve business conditions and boost administrative reforms.

All results should be reported to the Government in the first quarter of 2019.

The Government also ordered the MoNRE to propose amendments and supplements to the Law on Environmental Protection to increase the effectiveness of environmental assessment reports. In particular, policies establishing the procedures for project evaluation and appraising construction design are to be upgraded.The Vietnamese youth is optimistic about the changes Industry 4.0 will bring, Photo: Le Toan

Source: World Economic Forum and Sea, one of Southeast Asias leading internet companies

Last weeks visit to Vietnam by Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), was quite special. He came to the country with a big gift, a great deal of novel ideas for Vietnam to go forwards sustainably within the unfolding Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The gift was the Vietnamese-language version of his world-famous book titled Shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which has already been translated into 29 languages.

Shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution draws on contributions by more than 200 of the worlds leading technological, economic, and sociological experts to present a practical guide for citizens, business leaders, social influencers, and policy-makers.

It outlines the most important dynamics of todays

technological revolution, highlights important stakeholders that are often overlooked in discussions of the latest scientific breakthroughs, and dives into 12 different technological areas that are key to the future of humanity.

I dont want to see Vietnam miss its Industry 4.0 opportunities, and you will be the very drivers of Vietnams future, which everyone wants to see continuing to be bright, Schwab told the Open Forum ASEAN, part of the WEF on ASEAN 2018 event held last week in Hanoi.

The Open Forum ASEAN was partaken in by more than 1,000 people, including hundreds of students from several universities in Hanoi.

I would like to tell you that Vietnam will miss its train to Industry 4.0 if its people and its businesses fail to improve themselves with knowledge of the ongoing digital technology revolution, Schwab said.

Future of employment

Nguyen Thanh Binh from the University of Transport and Communications was one of the students at the event. In addition to his studies, he also works as a waiter at a restaurant near his university to earn money to take an English class and a class on design using digital technologies.

I dont want to be unemployed after graduation, and all parts of transport projects have begun to apply digital solutions, Binh told VIR. I have to prepare for my future. I dont want to earn a living as my parents are doing, working on a rice field just to earn enough to survive.

According to the World Bank, Vietnams shift from a centrally planned to a market economy has transformed the country from one of the poorest in the world into a lower middle-income country. Vietnam is now one of the most dynamic emerging countries in East Asia.

Vietnam is experiencing rapid demographic and social change. After years of growth, the population reached about 95 million in 2017 (up from about 60 million in 1986) and is expected to expand to 120 million before tailing off around 2050. Currently, 70 per cent of the population is under 35 years of age, with a life expectancy of close to 73 years. There is an emerging middle class, currently accounting for 13 per cent of the population, but expected to reach 26 per cent by 2026.

However, in the labour market, the International Labour Organization forecasts that 56 per cent of all employment in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam is at high risk of being replaced by technology over the next decade or two.

Over the past two decades, Vietnam has successfully inserted itself into select global value chains while achieving a remarkable reduction in poverty. In the years ahead, disruptive technologies will present both challenges and opportunities for remaining on this successful trajectory, said Ousmane Dione, the World Banks country director for Vietnam.

Currently, about 1.6 million people enter the domestic labour market each year, creating a major burden for the government in trying to provide sufficient employment for its citizens. This burden is expected to grow further with Industry 4.0 rising on, as robots and high technologies are believed to replace a great deal of workers, especially manual labourers.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is changing everything  from the way we relate to one another, to the way our economies work, to what it means to be human. We cannot let the brave new world that technology is creating simply happen. We must shape a future we want to live in, Schwab said.

Binh said he felt worried by what Schwab was talking about, because even though he is preparing for his future, he does not know for sure whether he will be able to apply what he has learned to his future work.

At the WEF on ASEAN, the WEF also launched a survey on how technology will impact the ASEANs youth like Binh. 64,000 ASEAN citizens responded, including more than 11,000 from Vietnam.

Results showed that 51.5 per cent of Vietnamese youth believe that technology will increase the number of jobs, which is lower than the rates of 54 per cent in Indonesia and 60.3 per cent in the Philippines. However, it is also higher than the 45.5 per cent in Malaysia, the 45.2 per cent in Thailand, and the 31.2 per cent in Singapore (see box for details).

Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies like artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, and self-driving vehicles will bring significant disruption to the job market, said Justin Wood, head of Asia-Pacific and member of the executive committee at the WEF.

No one knows yet what impact these technologies will have on jobs and salaries. Globally, there is concern that technological change may bring rising inequality and joblessness. But in the ASEAN, the sentiment seems to be much more positive, he said.

More investment into human resources needed

Vietnam must invest now in skills and health for the workforce of the future, said the World Banks Dione.

In 1999, the US Department of Labor predicted that 65 per cent of primary school children would end up in jobs that had not been invented at the time. Last year, this number jumped to 85 per cent, according to Dell Technologies.

We are looking at an unknown job landscape in the future. In human capital terms, Vietnam is well positioned. It has achieved good basic education outcomes, reflected through its strong results in international assessments such as PISA and Young Lives, and it has a dynamic young generation that can embrace and adapt to changes. Also, Vietnam ranks seventh in terms of improvements to its universal health coverage score, Dione said.

However, according to him, the country is ageing. The share of Vietnams population at working age peaked last year, and is now on a decline. By 2050, it is expected that one out of every five Vietnamese people will be over 65 years old. A critical challenge in Vietnam is that only 8 per cent of the labour force has university education, and this is insufficient to make the leap into Industry 4.0. Workers need to be equipped with the right skill mix to ride the wave.

In order to stay ahead and embrace shifts in innovation, promoting digital literacy is important. This includes the existing public sector workforce, so it can respond to emerging digital demands, Dione said.

In many cases, this will require a change in mindset and a departure from comfort zones. Partnering with the private sector and citizens to leverage their participation, creativity, and innovation in public services will be useful to help the public sector workforce keep up with the digital pace, he said.

As an example, China has been able to move forward with transformative digital health services that can improve access to, and the quality of, healthcare. This is made possible by plentiful domestic venture capital resources of $5-10 billion, promising IPO valuations, and the power of the public sector to integrate innovations quickly into service delivery models.

These digital health service initiatives include the Robot, a telemedicine system that aims to boost the appropriateness of care at village-level clinic in Anhui, or the WeDoctor platform that provides online access to health professionals and allows bookings for face-to-face appointments.

Student Binh from the University of Transport and Communications expects that Diones words and Schwabs book should be heeded and translated into actions.

I dont want to be a burden to society after graduation. Young people like me want to be a strong wheel for the economys train heading towards Industry 4.0, Binh said.In mid-2018, Masan Resources acquired H.C.Starck GmBHs 49 per cent stake in the joint venture. This is the strategic step of Masan Resources to become an integrated tungsten chemical champion

September 19 was a historic day for both SK Group and Masan Group. Both corporate groups signed an agreement to enter into a strategic partnership, spearheaded by SKs $470 million investment into Masan. This deal will significantly increase SKs presence in the Southeast Asian region. SK sees Vietnam, the regions fastest-growing economy, as a strategic base. They also view Masan as an ideal strategic partner to accelerate their regional objectives while also benefiting from Masans promising growth story as the largest foreign, strategic shareholder.

Looking briefly at the history of both corporate groups shows many common traits shared by these leading businesses of their respective countries.

Masan Group and South Korea Group forged a strategic partnership: SK to invest about $470 million to become Masan Groups largest strategic shareholder

Who is SK Group?

SK Group is one of the largest corporate groups in South Korea, with businesses across the energy, chemicals, telecommunications, semiconductors, logistics, and service sectors. The group operates globally, in over 40 countries, and had a combined revenue of $141 billion at the end of the year 2017.

Within South Korea, they are easily recognisable for their many gas stations, which bear the groups signature red-orange colour scheme. SK is also known for running the countrys largest telecommunications operator, SK Telecom, with over 40 million customers or approximately 70 per cent of South Korean population. SK Hynix, another affiliate, is the worlds second-largest memory chip maker after Samsung Electronics. SK Group is comprised of 95 subsidiaries and affiliates and employs over 80,000 people.

SKs presence in Vietnam traces back to 2003, when it established Vietnams first CDMA wireless network under the brand name S-Phone. In 2018, SK won the bid to build an ethylene plant and other utility facilities, a $2.7 billion contract, in the Long Son Petrochemical Complex located in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

SK and Masan both utilise M&A as a strategic growth tool

SK and Masan are leading businesses in South Korea and Vietnam, respectively. Both have the same strategic vision, which focuses on a few, but scalable businesses with high growth potential. SK are leaders in the energy, chemicals, telecommunications, semiconductors, logistics, and services sectors. Meanwhile, Masan is the leader in Vietnams packaged food and beverages, animal protein (3F and branded meat), tungsten chemicals, and, through its associate company Techcombank, financial services markets.

Like Masan, SK deployed strategic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) for growth, which boosted SKs market cap four-fold within only eight years. Some of SKs most notable transformational deals include acquiring Korea Oil and turning it into one of the largest oil companies in South Korea.

In 1994, SK Group forayed into telecom through the privatisation of state-owned Korea Mobile Telecommunications Corp. In 1997, the company renamed the unit SK Telecom and it is now South Koreas largest telecom company.

SK Hynix was previously known as Hyundai Electronics, until SK Telecom became its major shareholder in 2012 and renamed it SK Hynix. The chip firm then grew to become the worlds second-largest memory chip maker.

In Vietnam, Masan is also no stranger to M&A, and employs it as a strategic tactic to achieve explosive and sustainable growth while turning around many businesses.

In 2011, Masan Consumer entered the instant coffee market via the acquisition of Vinacafe Bien Hoa, Vietnams largest instant coffee maker. Vinacafe Bien Hoas revenue grew to VND3.2 trillion ($141.6 million) in financial year 2017 from VND1.6 trillion ($70.8 million) in 2011, with gross margins nearly doubling over the same period.

For its tungsten chemicals business, Masan transformed Nui Phao from a greenfield project into the worlds largest single supplier of tungsten chemicals (APT, BTO, YTO) on the ex-China market, following the establishment of Masan Resources.

Recently, Masan Resources acquired H.C. Starcks stake in Nui Phao for a consideration of $29 million. Through this deal, Masan Resources now fully owns one of the worlds most advanced midstream tungsten chemicals processors. The company is actively looking for opportunities to go further downstream in the tungsten value chain, a $11 billion market opportunity.

In 2015, Masan consolidated and transformed Proconco and ANCO, Vietnams leading feed producers, by applying a FMCG approach to an agricultural business under the Masan Nutri-Science banner.

Proconco and ANCO provided Masan Nutri-Science entry into the meat value chain. In no time, with the acquired synergies, Masan Nutri-Science became a key player in Vietnams feed market with a 35-per-cent market share in pig feed alone. At the same time, Masan Nutri-Science built the industrys first power brand Bio-zeem  a proprietary enzyme which boosts feed conversion ratio for pigs.

Masans high-tech pig farm in the central province of Nghe An is now operational, and will provide pork to a new meat processing complex under construction in the northern province of Ha Nam. The company is expected to enter fresh branded meat by end of 2018, a $10 billion market opportunity.

Both Masan and SK utilise M&A to achieve vertical integration, which helps secure the groups raw material sources and technology to create end-consumer products.

From what it seems, there are ways that SK and Masans businesses can complement each other, including animal protein (SK now owns a 27-per-cent stake in Chinas third-largest beef-producing and processing company), memory chips and chemicals (the chip business requires tungsten as a material), and even entirely new opportunities which both groups can jointly pursue.

Conclusion

Many parts of SKs growth story resemble steps taken by Masan. Both are leading businesses in their home countries, South Korea and Vietnam, and both have mastered the art of M&A to win big in their businesses in such a short time. With the $470 million investment from SK, Masan Group now has a strategic war chest which it can use to drive innovations and strengthen its balance sheet for future growth.Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has a golden opportunity to capitalise on Prime Minister Theresa May's weakness after European Union leaders rejected her Brexit plans on Thursday. (Photo: AFP/Paul Ellis)

With Theresa May reeling after European Union leaders rejected her Brexit plans, it is the first conference that party leader Jeremy Corbyn can see a realistic route to becoming prime minister.

But the 5,000 pro-EU protesters who marched to the conference centre in Liverpool, north-west England, highlighted the pressure he is now under to steer his party towards a second Brexit referendum.

Party members expected to vote in favour of such a measure on Tuesday, throwing up ideological and practical concerns for veteran socialist Corbyn.

He has long been a critic of the EU's free-trade policies and must also find a way to reconcile the traditional working-class wing of his party, who mostly voted for Brexit, and his own army of younger supporters that want to stay in the bloc.

Demonstrators waved EU flags and placards reading "Theresa May, we have the final say" and "A People's Vote - For the Many" as they marched through the city to the conference hall.

"If Jeremy Corbyn were to come out and support a second referendum, and they had a snap election next month, I think they would win," said Claire Hallett, 60, who was with her dog Desmond, draped in an EU flag.

But counter-protester Les Thomas, a self-described socialist, highlighted Corbyn's quandary, saying "the working class people I know, they've joined the Labour party but are firmly in the Brexit camp ... I don't think that gap can be bridged".

Corbyn has so far tried to avoid the divisive subject, instead sticking to promoting a domestic social agenda that helped him upset the odds at last year's general election and strip May of her parliamentary majority.

But with Brexit negotiations rapidly heading nowhere as the Mar 29 deadline looms, party members are demanding action.

Corbyn told the BBC on Sunday he would "adhere" to whatever came out of conference, although he would prefer to hold a general election instead.

"We could well be looking towards a general election and you know what? We are ready for it," he said.

Protester Gail Birch, a Labour member, urged Corbyn to focus on Brexit and "put aside all thoughts of a general election" because "it's going to happen anyway".

'ABRASIVE LANGUAGE'

Another issue potentially hampering Corbyn's designs on power is the anti-Semitism row that has dogged the party since he took over in 2015.

He recently admitted the party had a "real problem" with the issue.

More than a hundred people attended a rally in a pub on Sunday to draw attention to anti-semitism, with a dozen MPs and two rabbis addressing the crowd.

"We anticipate attacks from the far-right ... but his year we have experienced attacks from the left," said MP Luciana Berger.

Fellow MP Ruth Smeeth added: "I can't believe we ended up here but we will win this fight.

"The next party in government is not going to be a racist party, it is inconceivable, so we will win".

The National Executive Committee (NEC), the party's ruling body, agreed this month to adopt in full an international definition of anti-Semitism for its code of conduct.

Yet it did so only after overcoming fierce opposition from those in the party who believe it will limit criticism of Israel.

"I will die fighting racism in any form," Corbyn said when asked directly by the BBC whether he was an anti-Semite.

Labour's polling numbers have remained relatively stable throughout the scandal, said Steven Fielding, professor at University of Nottingham, but the row continues to reverberate through the party.

"There is a lot of resentment, a lot of bitterness which I don't think will be very easily dispelled," Fielding said.

The scandal has deepened the divisions between Corbyn's far-left supporters and the more centrist faction of MPs who held power in the party after Tony Blair took charge in 1994.

These centrist MPs now find themselves on the sidelines and battling for their political lives in the face of aggressive attempts by Corbyn's supporters to de-select them, with the NEC on Saturday voting for changes that will make the process easier.

"The language is getting very, very abrasive," noted Anand Menon, political professor at King's College London.Vietnamese shares were mixed on Friday with the benchmark VN-Index falling as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) completed their quarterly portfolio reviews.-VNA/VNS Photo

The VN-Index on the HCM Stock Exchange edged down 0.18 per cent to finish this week at 1,002.97 points, marking weekly growth of 1.17 per cent.

The HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange gained 0.64 per cent to end at 115.80 points, rallying total 2.7 per cent after four straight days.

The northern market index increased by total 2.14 per cent from the previous weeks end of 113.37 points.

Foreign investors net-sold VND756.7 billion worth of local stocks, compared to their net-buy value of VND6.3 billion made on Thursday.

Market trading liquidity shot up with nearly 373.8 million shares traded on the two exchanges, worth VND10.15 trillion (US$451.3 million).

Friday also recorded the highest daily trading value since May 18, when trading value on the two exchanges reached the record high of VND35.83 trillion.

The significant increase of market trading liquidity on Friday was attributed to the quarterly portfolio reviews of ETFs that targeted to buy in shares of Vinhomes and the Vietnam Electrical Equipment JSC (Gelex).

Despite the ETF purchasing, Vinhomes and Gelex shares, listed as VHM and GEX on the HCM Stock Exchange, fell 3.3 per cent and 2.5 per cent, respectively.

The decline of the benchmark VN-Index was attributed to the downtrend of petroleum stocks, led by PetroVietnam Drilling and Well Services (PVD).

The energy sector index lost 1.6 per cent, data on vietstock.vn showed.

PVD lost 2.2 per cent after having gained 23.6 per cent since September 5.

Other industries that also saw share prices drop included rubber, transportation and logistics.

On the positive side, banks and securities firms were the major driving factors for the stock markets short-term outlook.

The two sector indices gained 0.7 per cent and 0.6 per cent, respectively, according to vietstock.vn.

Among gainers of the two industries were Vietinbank (CTG), Sai Gon-Ha Noi Bank (SHB), VPBank (VPB), Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), BIDV Securities (BSI) and Vietinbank Securities (CTS).

According to Bao Viet Securities JSC (BVSC), the market may go back to its balance following the two ETF portfolio shake-ups and more positive moves are predicted for the coming sessions.

Good market outlook was provided on the increase of liquidity, which indicated investors confidence about the markets uptrend in the short term, BVSC said in its report.China is pursuing the United States at the World Trade Organization for improperly imposing anti-dumping duties on some of its products AFP/WANG Zhao

The decision to appoint an arbitrator was reached during a special meeting of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body convened to discuss developments in a five-year-old trade dispute between the world's top two economies.

Beijing had already warned earlier this month that it planned to ask the global trade body during the meeting for permission to impose US$7.04 billion in annual trade sanctions on Washington in the case.

China's representative told Friday's meeting that measures taken by Washington had "seriously infringed China's legitimate economic and trade interests."

A source close to the WTO meanwhile said that the arbitration "was automatically triggered after the United States informed the WTO that it objected to the level of retaliation proposed by China."

WTO arbitration can often be a drawn-out process, and the results are not expected to be known for months.

China initially filed its dispute against the United States back in December 2013, taking issue with the way Washington assesses whether exports have been "dumped" at unfairly low prices onto the US market.

The use of anti-dumping duties are permitted under international trade rules as long as they adhere to strict conditions, and disputes over their use are often brought before the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body.

In this specific case, China alleged that the United States, in violation of WTO rules, was continuing a practice known as "zeroing", which calculates the price of imports compared to the normal value in the United States to determine predatory pricing.

In October 2016, a panel of WTO experts found largely in China's favour in the case, including on the issue of "zeroing".

The United States, which has repeatedly lost cases before the WTO over its calculation method, said in June last year that it would implement the panel's recommendations within a "reasonable" time frame.

This past January, the DSB set an Aug 22 deadline for Washington to bring its practices in line with the 2016 ruling.

According to WTO rules, the plaintiff in such cases can request permission to impose sanctions if the parties have not reached agreement on a satisfactory compensation within 20 days of the WTO deadline.

Ultimate Volt: Maxit TV, Sky Cinema and Sky Sports (both in HD), Gig1 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 1136Mbps) (available with M350, M500 Fibre Broadband or M600 Fibre Broadband where Gig1 is not available, check availability here [Virgin Media Shop]) Talk More Anytime and option to add intelligent wifi if a blackspot is discovered. Includes O2 mobile SIM with unlimited minutes, texts and data. 5G available in selected areas. 5G device, sim and tariff required to access 5G. See o2.co.uk/coveragechecker for coverage. Europe Zone roaming capped at 25GB per month, chargeable at 3.50 per GB afterwards Premium add-ons are available at extra monthly cost. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee may apply. If you upgrade any part of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade but we will discuss this with you at the time. Virgin Media may withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. This offer maybe withdrawn at any time and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

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Bigger bundle + Sports and Movies: New customers only. Maxit TV, Sky Sports, Sky Cinema HD, M100 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 362Mbps) and Talk Weekends. 79 a month for 18 months. Price includes line rental (19 a month). Standard monthly pricing (currently 114 a month) applies from month 19. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Bigger Volt + Sports: New customers only. Maxit TV including Sky Sports and BT Sport in 4K Ultra HD, M200 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 213Mbps) and Talk Weekends. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Bigger bundle + Sports: New customers only. Maxit TV including Sky Sports and BT Sport in 4K Ultra HD, M100 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 108Mbps) and Talk Weekends. 72 a month for 18 months. Price includes line rental (19 a month). Standard monthly pricing (currently 104 a month) applies from month 19. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Bigger Volt + Movies: New customers only. Maxit TV, Sky Cinema in HD, M500 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 516Mbps) and Talk Weekends. Premium add-ons such as Sky Sports are available at extra monthly cost. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Bigger bundle + Movies: New customers only. Maxit TV, Sky Cinema in HD, M350 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 362Mbps) and Talk Weekends. 62 a month for 18 months. Price includes line rental (19 a month). Standard monthly pricing (currently 106 a month) applies from month 19. Premium add-ons such as Sky Sports are available at extra monthly cost. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Bigger Volt bundle: New customers only. Maxit TV, M350 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 362Mbps) and Talk Weekends. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee may apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Bigger bundle: New customers only. Maxit TV, M200 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 108Mbps) and Talk Weekends. 45 a month for 18 months. Price includes line rental (19 a month). Standard monthly pricing (currently 85 a month) applies from month 19. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Big bundle + Drama & Docs: New customers only. Mixit TV including Sky One and Discovery, M100 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 108Mbps) and Talk Weekends. 37.99 a month for 18 months. Price includes line rental (19 a month). Standard monthly pricing (currently 71 a month) applies from month 19. Premium add-ons such as Sky Cinema are available at extra monthly cost. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Big Volt bundle: Mixit TV, M100 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 108Mbps) and Talk Weekends. Premium add-ons such as Sky Cinema are available at extra monthly cost. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Big bundle: New customers only. Mixit TV, M50 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 54Mbps) and Talk Weekends. 33 a month for 18 months. Price includes line rental (19 a month). Standard monthly pricing (currently 53 a month) applies from month 19. Premium add-ons such as Sky Cinema are available at extra monthly cost. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

M200 Broadband + Maxit TV: New customers only. Maxit TV, M200 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 213Mbps) and Talk Weekends. 45 a month for 18 months. Price includes line rental (19 a month). Standard monthly pricing (currently 79 a month) applies from month 19. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

M50 Fibre Broadband and Virgin Phone: New customers only. Minimum term applies to your broadband service, check basket for details. M50 Fibre Broadband (average download speed at peak 54Mbps) and Talk Weekends. 28 a month for 18 months, standard pricing thereafter (currently 45). Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

M100 Fibre Broadband and Virgin Phone: New customers only. 18 month minimum term. Average download speed 108Mbps and Talk Weekends. 34 a month for 18 months, standard pricing thereafter (currently 52). Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Broadband + Phone + O2 SIM (Volt): M100 & Talk weekends: New customers only. 18 month minimum term. Average download speed 108Mbps and Talk More Weekends. Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

M200 Fibre Broadband and Virgin Phone: New customers only. Minimum term applies to your broadband service, check basket for details. M200 Fibre Broadband (average download speed at peak 213Mbps) and Talk Weekends. 40 a month for 18 months, standard pricing thereafter (currently 58). Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Broadband + Phone + O2 SIM (Volt): M200 & Talk weekends: New customers only. 18 month minimum term. Average download speed 213Mbps and Talk More Weekends. Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

M350 Fibre Broadband and Virgin Phone: New customers only. Minimum term applies to your broadband service, check basket for details. M350 Fibre Broadband (average download speed at peak 362Mbps) and Talk Weekends. 46 a month for 18 months, standard pricing thereafter (currently 64). Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Broadband + Phone + O2 SIM (Volt): M350 & Talk weekends: New customers only. 18 month minimum term. Average download speed 362Mbps and Talk More Weekends. Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

M500 Fibre Broadband and Virgin Phone: New customers only. Minimum term applies to your broadband service, check basket for details. M500 Fibre Broadband (average download speed at peak 362Mbps) and Talk Weekends. 52 a month for 18 months, standard pricing thereafter (currently 70). Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Broadband + Phone + O2 SIM (Volt): M500 & Talk weekends: New customers only. 18 month minimum term. Average download speed 516Mbps and Talk More Weekends. Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Gig1 Fibre Broadband and Virgin Phone: New customers only. Minimum term applies to your broadband service, check basket for details. Gig1 Fibre Broadband (average download speed at peak 1104Mbps) and Talk Weekends. 64 a month for 24 months, standard pricing thereafter (currently 64). Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Broadband + Phone + O2 SIM (Volt): Gig1 & Talk weekends: New customers only. 18 month minimum term. Average download speed 1130Mbps and Talk More Weekends. Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

M50 Fibre Broadband: New customers only. Minimum term applies to your broadband service, check basket for details. M50 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 54Mbps). 38 a month for 18 months, standard pricing thereafter (currently 38). Broadband only. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

M100 Fibre Broadband: New customers only. Minimum term applies to your broadband service, check basket for details. M100 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 108Mbps). 25 a month for 18 months, standard pricing thereafter (currently 44). Broadband only. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Broadband M100 + O2 SIM (Volt): New customers only. 18 month minimum term. Average download speed 108Mbps. Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

M200 Fibre Broadband: New customers only. Minimum term applies to your broadband service, check basket for details. M200 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 213Mbps). 31 a month for 18 months, standard pricing thereafter (currently 50). Broadband only. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Broadband M200 + O2 SIM (Volt): New customers only. 18 month minimum term. Average download speed 213Mbps. Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

M350 Fibre Broadband: New customers only. Minimum term applies to your broadband service, check basket for details. M350 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 362Mbps). 37 a month for 18 months, standard pricing thereafter (currently 56). Broadband only. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Broadband M350 + O2 SIM (Volt): New customers only. 18 month minimum term. Average download speed 362Mbps. Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

M500 Fibre Broadband: New customers only. Minimum term applies to your broadband service, check basket for details. M500 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 516Mbps). 43 a month for 18 months, standard pricing thereafter (currently 62) Broadband only. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Broadband M500 + O2 SIM (Volt): New customers only. 18 month minimum term. Average download speed 516Mbps. Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Gig1 Fibre Broadband: Gig1 is available Southampton, Manchester, Reading, Birmingham, Coventry, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Glasgow, Leeds, London and Belfast and their surrounding areas. New customers only. Minimum term applies to your broadband service, check basket for details. Gig1 Fibre Broadband (average download speed 1104Mbps). 62 a month for 24 months, standard pricing thereafter (currently 62). Broadband only. If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.

Gig 1 + O2 SIM (Volt): New customers only. 18 month minimum term. Average download speed 1104Mbps. Price includes line rental (19 a month). If you cancel your service during your minimum term an early disconnection fee will apply. Downgrading a service in your bundle may result in loss of bundle discount. If you upgrade any aspect of the service, standard pricing will apply to that upgrade. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw or amend the pricing if you change any part of your package. Virgin Media reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer unless stated by Virgin Media.



As questions continue to be raised over the Cambodian governments legitimacy following the landslide victory of the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party in Julys election, Prime Minister Hun Sen is expected to be met by protests when he attends a United Nations summit on Thursday in New York.

The July election was held after the CPP oversaw the banning of the countrys main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, prompting sharp criticism from the international community.

Hun Sens CPP won all 125 seats in parliament in the vote, marking a departure from pluralist democracy outlined in the countrys constitution.

Hun Sen, who has been in power for more than three decades, will be in New York this week to attend the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly.

To demand political solutions, hundreds of Cambodian-Americans will stage protests on September 29 against Hun Sens trip, according to the man leading the protest organization, former opposition official Hing Soksan.

I think the West will try to use all sorts of means to bring Cambodia back to democracy, said Soksan, adding he hoped the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, would raise Cambodias political situation with Hun Sen.

We want the UN Secretary-General to raise the issue of declining democracy and human rights in Cambodia, he said. The UN has to express concerns since they dont want democracy going back, he added.

An estimated 300 to 500 protestors are expected to travel to New York from other states in the US to join the protest, according to Soksan.

The main demands are the dropping of charges against opposition leader Kem Sokha, who was released from jail this month after being detained for over a year but placed under house arrest. He faces treason charges, which were not dropped and while a ban on the political participation of 118 opposition officials also remains in place.

Cambodia should consider again to restore the situation back to the issue will not be raised in the UN assembly, which will affect Cambodias image, said Soksan.

Hun Sen is expected to deliver a statement focusing on recent developments and major achievements by the Royal Government and on various regional and international issues of common concern, according to Cambodias Foreign Ministry.

He is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, while the Cambodian foreign minister will hold a meeting with officials from dozens of countries, including United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for the Secretary-General, told VOA Khmer that Guterres was concerned about democracy in Cambodia and hoped that the situation will change.

At this stage, we continue to emphasize that you need fair competition and respect for human rights. Those are essential building blocks for a solid democracy to develop. Anyway, that is our hope for Cambodia, he said.

Ahead of Cambodias election, which was seen as flawed by the United States, the UN Secretary-General said that an inclusive and pluralistic political process remains essential for safeguarding the progress made by Cambodia in consolidating peace.

He calls upon the government to uphold international human rights standards and in particular to ensure guarantees for civil society actors and political parties to exercise their democratic rights. He reiterates the continued commitment of the United Nations to support a peaceful and democratic Cambodia that fully respects the human rights of all its citizens, a July 27 statement read.

Prime Minister Hun Sen last week rejected criticism of his governments legitimacy and speculation that Cambodias seat at the United Nations could be suspended over the countrys move to one-party politics. The speech came after several CNRP members now living overseas suggested that Cambodia could be suspended from UN membership.

Cambodia is a sovereign state ... please do not be confused. I want to stress that Cambodia will hold commune elections in 2022 and a national election in 2023, he said during a meeting with factory workers, adding that the international community should not wait for the resurrection of the dead, a reference to the banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party.

I do not bow down to anyone, Hun Sen continued. If we agree, we work together. If we dont agree, leave. Suspend us. It does not make any sense to keep talking, Hun Sen added.

Phay Siphan, Cambodian government spokesman said that Hun Sen had full rights representing Cambodia at the UN, adding that there will be no discussion on Cambodias politics during the bilateral meeting with the UN Secretary General.

"There is not any reason that United Nations should oppose the Cambodian people's will," he said.

However, Paul Chambers, international affairs advisor at Thailand's Naresuan University, said: Hun Sen's trip to the UN is all about galvanizing legitimacy for his regime and criticizing the USA and the EU, which he has portrayed as bullying Cambodia.

The international community is divided between countries like China and Russia, which see Hun Sen as useful to their interests, and the US and EU, which see Hun Sen as not only a human rights violator but also as a lackey of China, he added.

For more than 25 years, the West helped to rebuild Cambodia as it was recovering from the mass abuses of the Khmer Rouge regime, which left an estimated 1.7 million people dead.

The United States and Europe provided billions of dollars in aid to transform Cambodia into a liberal democracy. Currently, the United States and EU are considering possible sanctions on Cambodia and its removal from a key EU preferential trade scheme.

When countries look at how the CPP won every seat in the National Assembly while the courts and the military answer to the ruling party alone, it is near impossible for the international community to consider Cambodia anything beyond a facade democracy, Chambers said.Malawi continues to struggle to develop its tourism industry, despite having several attractions, including national parks, game reserves and mountains. But the government has developed a Tourism Strategic Plan that seeks to address challenges to attracting more tourists. Lameck Masina reports on Malawi's efforts to develop the industry, after attending a recent tourism street carnival in the country's commercial capital, Blantyre.Depending on the outcome of the November midterm elections, the U.S. House of Representatives is likely to welcome the first two Muslim-American women into the chamber as lawmakers. They join Indiana Congressman Andre Carson as members of the national government representing an often misunderstood and marginalized faith. As VOA's Kane Farabaugh reports the candidates represent the changing face of the U.S. Congress in a country with a changing religious and ethnic makeup.Amnesty International is demanding China account for as many as one million ethnic Muslims the group says have been arbitrarily detained in the remote western Xinjiang region.

In a report released Monday, the human rights watchdog says the region's Uighurs, Kazakhs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups have been the targets of "an intensifying government campaign of mass internment, intrusive surveillance, political indoctrination, and forced cultural assimilation."

Beijing began a campaign in April 2017 to arrest Uighurs accused of holding extremist sentiments and send them to re-education camps.

Amnesty says "open or even private displays of religious or cultural affiliation," including wearing a beard, veil or headscarf, regular prayer or possessing written material about Islam or Uighur culture can be considered extremist.

"The Chinese government must not be allowed to continue this vicious campaign against ethnic minorities" in Xinjiang, said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty's East Asia director.

"Hundreds of thousands of families have been torn apart by this massive crackdown," he continued. "They are desperate to know what has happened to their loved ones and it is time the Chinese authorities give them answers.

Beijing says Xinjiang is facing a serious threat from Islamist militants who plot attacks and stir up tensions among the mostly-Muslim Uighur minority against the ethnic Han Chinese majority.France and Italy have had differences over how changes should be brought in Libya in the post-Moammar Gaddafi era, but those differences have become public in recent months, raising concerns among some analysts that the ongoing tension between the two sides would derail the more important task of fighting IS-linked militants in the country.



The Islamic State (IS) terror group, which had been severely weakened and deprived of its main stronghold of Sirte in 2016 with the help of U.S. airstrikes, is making a comeback in parts of the country, according to local media reports.



"I think [the French-Italian dispute] will continue to make Libyans disagree amongst each other and this disagreement will open the way for the terror groups like Daesh (the Arabic acronym for Islamic State), al-Qaida, local groups and other fanatics we have here in Libya to gain the momentum again," Moustafa Fetouri, a Tripoli-based analyst, told VOA.



"We saw this manifest itself in the attacks on the (Libyan) National Oil Company, where I happened to be just minutes before the attack," Fetouri added.



Suicide attack



The Islamic State group in Libya claimed responsibility for this month's suicide attack on the heavily guarded headquarters of the Libyan National Oil Company in the capital, Tripoli, which killed two employees and injured several others.



The terror group also claimed responsibility for the May attack against the headquarters of the Libyan Election Commission in Tripoli, which killed at least a dozen people and injured many more.



Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a senior fellow with the Washington-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said he believes the ongoing tensions between Italy and France over Libya could potentially undermine Europe's counterterrorism efforts in Libya at a critical time.



"It's possible that this clash [French-Italian] will lead to more disparate European counterterrorism policies toward Libya," Gartenstein-Ross said.



"In the past, there was a relatively unified EU [European Union] front on Libya, even if some EU members would privately grumble about the thrust of these policies," he added.



Karim Mezran, a senior fellow with the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East at the Atlantic Council, said he believes that the differences between France and Italy, both NATO member states, have roots in the France-led NATO intervention in Libya in 2011, which led to the creation of a no-fly zone and eventual ouster of Gaddafi from power.



"There is a strong belief in the Italian establishment that France hijacked Libya from Italy," Mezran said.



"France was very quick in deciding to go and bomb Gaddafi and dragging everybody else along. The Italians perceived it as a slap in the face," he added.



Public criticism



Both countries have taken their dispute to media in recent months, with Italian Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta publicly criticizing France over its actions in Libya.



"It is clearly now undeniable that this country [Libya] finds itself in this situation because someone in 2011 put their own interests ahead of those of the Libyan people and of Europe itself," Trenta was quoted as saying by AFP earlier this month.



She was apparently making a reference to then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who rallied other NATO member countries to intervene in Libya.



France has not officially reacted to Trenta's remarks, but the country has criticized Italy over its approach in Libya.



In May, French President Emmanuel Macron disregarded Italy when he invited Libyan factions to Paris, where they agreed on a French proposal for holding elections in December, a proposition that Italy disagrees with, citing that it is not the right time to hold elections in the country.



Differences over what needs be done in Libya has been a constant issue between France and Italy.



Right after Macron took power in 2017, a senior French official, speaking to the Reuters news agency, expressed frustration with Italian diplomacy in Libya and charged that Italy had been wrong to back a Misrata-based militia.



"We can't say anything to (the) Italians, because they think this is their subject," the official said. "The Italians won't be happy, but we will need to get them in the loop at the end."



Ministries of foreign affairs of both Italy and France did not respond to VOA's requests for comment for this story.



Sphere of influence



Some analysts believe that at the heart of the Italy-France row over Libya lies in the geopolitical interests of Italy, because Libya was once an Italian colony and the country considers the region within its sphere of influence.



"I think the part where that worries Italy at this point is France's move to exert influence on the Libyan situation without Italy's approval," said Matthew Bey, a senior global analyst with Stratfor, a Texas-based think tank.



"For example, when French President Emmanuel Macron held the Libya conference in May  Italy was not happy about being left out of that conversation, or not consulted as much as they wanted to," Bey said.



Elections



One point of contention between the two NATO allies is their disagreement over the timing of holding elections in Libya.



Agnes von der Muhll, a spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters last week that France supports efforts to hold elections this year.



"France will continue with its partners to support the efforts of the Libyan authorities  to ensure the continuation of the political process and, in particular, the conditions for holding elections by the end of the year," von der Muhll said.



Meanwhile, Italy is rejecting the Dec. 10 elections deadline in Libya and is planning on organizing its own conference on the country.



"In agreement with U.S. President (Donald) Trump, I'm going to organize a conference on Libya," Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told reporters at the White House in July, after meeting the U.S. leader.



Conte made an effort to show that Trump supported his move, but the U.S. has not yet officially made any comment on the issue.



Some analysts also suggest Italy and France have conflicting interests in Libya, with the former more focused on preventing the flow of migrants from Libya and the latter more interested in counterterrorism efforts.



"Instead of having the entire Libyan factions united behind the idea of fighting terror, we'll see kind of conflicting interests, not on the fact that terrorism has to be fought at any level, but in the fact of how to fight it," Tripoli-based analyst Fetouri said.A race by U.S. tech companies to build a new generation of powerful "quantum computers" could get a $1.3 billion boost from Congress, fueled in part by lawmakers' fear of growing competition from China.

Legislation passed earlier in September by the U.S. House of Representatives would create a 10-year federal program to accelerate research and development of the esoteric technology. As the bill moves to the Senate, where it also has bipartisan support, the White House showed its enthusiasm for the effort by holding a quantum summit Monday.

Scientists hope government backing will help attract a broader group of engineers and entrepreneurs to their nascent field. The goal is to be less like the cloistered Manhattan Project physicists who developed the first atomic bombs and more like the wave of tinkerers and programmers who built thriving industries around the personal computer, the internet and smartphone apps.

What's a quantum computer?

Describing the inner workings of a quantum computer isn't easy, even for top scholars. That's because the machines process information at the scale of elementary particles such as electrons and photons, where different laws of physics apply.

"It's never going to be intuitive," said Seth Lloyd, a mechanical engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "At this microscopic level, things are weird. An electron can be here and there at the same time, at two places at once."

Conventional computers process information as a stream of bits, each of which can be either a zero or a one in the binary language of computing. But quantum bits, known as qubits, can register zero and one simultaneously.

What can it do?

In theory, the special properties of qubits would allow a quantum computer to perform calculations at far higher speeds than current supercomputers. That makes them good tools for understanding what's happening in the realms of chemistry, material science or particle physics.

That speed could aid in discovering new drugs, optimizing financial portfolios, and finding better transportation routes or supply chains. It could also advance another fast-growing field, artificial intelligence, by accelerating a computer's ability to find patterns in large troves of images and other data.

What worries intelligence agencies most about the technology's potential  and one reason for the heightened U.S. interest  is that a quantum computer could in several decades be powerful enough to break the codes of today's best cryptography.

Today's early quantum computers, however, fall well short on that front.

Where can you find one?

While quantum computers don't really exist yet in a useful form, you can find some loudly chugging prototypes in a windowless lab about 40 miles north of New York City.

Qubits made from superconducting materials sit in colder-than-outer-space refrigerators at IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center. Take off the cylindrical casing from one of the machines and the inside looks like a chandelier of hanging gold cables  all of it designed to keep 20 fragile qubits in an isolated quantum state.

"You need to keep it very cold to make sure the quantum bits only entangle with each other the way you program it, and not with the rest of the universe," said Scott Crowder, IBM's vice president of quantum computing.

IBM is competing with Google and startups like Berkeley, California-based Rigetti Computing to get ever-more qubits onto their chips. Microsoft, Intel and a growing number of venture-backed startups are also making big investments. So are Chinese firms Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent, which have close ties to the Chinese government.

But qubits are temperamental, and early commercial claims mask the ongoing struggle to control them, either by bombarding them with microwave signals  as IBM and Google do  or with lasers.

"It only works as long as you isolate it and don't look at it," said Chris Monroe, a University of Maryland physicist. "It's a grand engineering challenge."

Why does quantum computing need federal support?

Monroe is among quantum leaders from academia and industry who gathered in Washington on Monday with officials from the White House science office. Some federal agencies, including the departments of defense and energy, already have longstanding quantum research efforts, but advocates are pushing for more coordination among those agencies and greater collaboration with the private sector.

"The technology that underlies this area comes from some pretty weird stuff that we professors are used to at the university," said Monroe, who is also the founder of quantum startup IonQ, which floats individual atoms in a vacuum chamber and points lasers to control them. But he said corporate investment can be risky because of the technical challenges and the long wait for a commercial payoff.

"The infrastructure required, the hardware, the personnel, is way too expensive for anyone to go in it alone," said Prineha Narang, a Harvard University assistant professor of computational materials science.

By investing more in basic discovery and training  as the House-passed National Quantum Initiative Act would do  Narang said the U.S. could expand the ranks of scientists and engineers who build quantum computers and then find commercial applications for them.

What are the international implications?

The potential economic benefits have won bipartisan support for the initiative, which is estimated to cost about $1.3 billion in its first five years. Also pushing action on Capitol Hill is a belief that if the U.S. doesn't adopt a unified strategy, it could one day be overtaken by other countries.

"China has publicly stated a national goal of surpassing the U.S. during the next decade," said Texas Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, chairman of the House science, space and technology committee, as he urged his colleagues on the House floor to support the bill to "preserve America's dominance in the scientific world."

Smith said he expects the Senate will pass a companion bill before the end of the year.Tiny pants for a baby no older than 6 months and shiny pink sandals for a toddler are among the personal items that have turned up at mass graves in the Gulf state of Veracruz, driving home the brutality of rising violence in Mexico.

Mexican authorities have found remains of children along with adults in the clandestine burial pits, a person with knowledge of the investigation confirmed Sunday. Each item of clothing was either found near a body or cut free from remains. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to discuss the details publicly.

The National Commission of Missing Persons posted online hundreds of pictures of clothing Friday to give family members a tool to possibly identify missing loved ones. The images include polo shirts with logos still intact, socks, shoes, colorful boxer briefs and ladies panties. One T-shirt says Live Free above a picture of a young woman and flowers.

Photos also show multiple childrens items, such as little sweaters or T-shirts with images of Tinkerbell, Tweety Bird and Pokemon.

Authorities announced the discovery of the mass graves in early September after having counted 166 skulls. The Interior Ministry said Friday that the body count had since risen to 174. Digging continues at the sites and the picture catalog will be updated as additional garments are found.

Its unusual for Mexican authorities to share forensic evidence from an investigation that is underway. But thousands of Mexicans are clamoring for information about relatives who have disappeared since the government declared war on drug cartels more than a decade ago.

Criminal groups have reportedly detained entire busloads of passengers in Veracruz in recent years, sometimes robbing passengers and other times taking people away.

Security experts described the clothing images as helpful, but low-tech.

It seems theres animus to clarify what has happened. But the fact that photos have to be put up on the internet shows that there are no other possible ways, said Carlos Vilalta, a criminologist with Mexicos Center for Research in Geography and Geomatics.

Vilalta said Mexico is overdue for a nationwide DNA database that family members could supply with samples to help identify the missing.

The revelation of childrens clothing and bodies in the mass graves is also unusual. In the past, criminal gangs have let many women and children free.

We have reached a point where violence impacts any person who gets in the way, said Luis Leal, a security analyst based in central Mexico.

The mass graves in Veracruz have been accompanied this month by a bloody attack in a Mexico City tourist spot by assailants dressed as mariachi musicians and outrage over a wandering truck with 273 bodies from an overflowing morgue in Guadalajara.

We are falling into surrealism, where violence doesnt impress us. And this is worrisome and outrageous, said Leal.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in New York for the U.N. General Assembly at a time of high tensions with Washington. But Erdogan's four-day visit could offer an opportunity to reset ties.



In a possible move to prepare the ground for a soothing of tensions with Washington, a Turkish official was quoted Monday in the Wall Street Journal, indicating the American pastor Andrew Brunson could soon be allowed to return home.

Brunson's trial in Turkey on terrorism charges was the trigger in August for U.S. President Donald Trump imposing trade sanctions on Turkey. The sanctions were the catalyst for a collapse in the Turkish currency.



U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said relations would reset when Brunson was allowed to return home. Washington calls the charges against the pastor baseless. Erdogan insists Brunson has to stand trial. Analysts suggest the impasse could be broken at the pastor's next hearing Oct. 12.



"I would expect him to be released. There is more and more expectation this will happen," said international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University. "But we have to wait until October 12 if pastor Brunson is released. Then the problem is solved automatically."



"The fiery rhetoric is much less than a couple of weeks ago between Ankara and Washington. Both sides, it seems to me are taking steps back, cooperation is urgently needed on both sides," he continued.

Financial turmoil

Easing Turkish-U.S. tensions and the removal of the threat of further sanctions is vital to ending Turkey's financial turmoil.



But apparent miscommunications between Ankara and Washington continue to dog relations and threaten to exacerbate tensions. The latest diplomatic spat erupted over apparent efforts to bring the two presidents together in New York.



The two presidents are not scheduled to meet.



"U.S. representatives keep saying they will evaluate a request for a meeting with Trump if one comes from [Turkish] President Erdogan or the Turkish side," said Omer Celik, spokesperson of Erdogan's AKP Party.



"We don't appreciate such a tone," he continued, "but I can tell you that if the American side, if President Trump, wishes to meet our president, we will look at their request and evaluate how to respond to it."

US-backed YPG

Erdogan sent a reminder of the potential for a further escalation in bilateral tensions over Syria. In a speech Monday in New York, the Turkish president warned his armed forces are ready to launch an offensive against the Syrian Kurdish militia, YPG.



The YPG is a crucial ally in the war against Islamic State and about 2,000 U.S. troops are deployed with the militia where Erdogan is threatening to attack.



Ankara calls the YPG terrorists, accusing the group of being linked to a Kurdish insurgency in Turkey.



"It is of serious concern to us that the American administration maintains its partnership with the YPG and PYD," Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said last Friday.



Analysts say Ankara is increasingly alarmed that Washington will continue backing the YPG after the defeat of IS, as part of efforts to curtail Iran's influence in Syria.



Last week Trump said, "We're very close" to defeating the Islamic State in Syria, "and then, we're going to make a determination as to what we're going to do."



On Monday, Bolton said "we're not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias."



Erdogan has indicated he is prepared to reach out to Moscow for support in his goal to eradicate the YPG in Syria. Turkish-Russian relations have markedly improved in the past 18 months as the two countries deepen cooperation in Syria.

Russia

Turkey's relationship with Russia is another point of friction with Washington. Ankara is facing additional U.S. sanctions if it proceeds with a planned purchase of Russia's S-400 missile system. NATO warns the system's deployment threatens to compromise its military hardware.



Analysts say Erdogan's deal this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin that averted a Damascus offensive against the Syrian rebel enclave of Idlib sends a timely message to Washington of Turkey's importance in the region.



"It's clear Turkey is not an expendable country. Turkey is a sort of anchor for Western strategy in the Middle East," said Aydin Selcen, a former senior Turkish diplomat who served both in Washington and across the region. "It is in the interests of the United States to work with Turkey. However, early November is approaching, which is when the U.S.-Iranian sanctions will be in place, and that will be the biggest test for Turkey-U.S. relations."



Washington is due to impose sweeping new trade and financial sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program. Ankara has repeatedly warned it will not back the new measures.The number of murders in the United States slipped last year after jumping for two years in a row, the FBI reported Monday.

There were 17,284 homicides in 2017, down from 17,413 in 2016, a decline of 0.7 percent, the FBI said in its annual crime statistics. The murder rate slipped to 5.3 murders per 100,000 residents from 5.4 murders per 100,000 residents.

The declines were particularly pronounced in large urban centers, with the number of killings in cities with populations of over 1 million falling by 8.1 percent. In Chicago, there were 112 fewer killings in 2017, a decline of 14 percent.

The state of Louisiana recorded the highest murder rate for the 29th straight year, with 12.4 murders per 100,000 residents. Among major cities, St. Louis had the highest murder rate, recording 66.1 murders per 100,000 residents.

Overall, violent crime also fell, with the violent crime rate dropping by nearly 1 percent, to 383 incidents per 100,000 residents, according to the report, which is based on information reported by more than 16,000 law enforcement agencies.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, speaking at a public safety event in Hoover, Alabama, credited the Trump administration with reversing the violent crime trend after what he labeled big mistakes made during the last two years of the Obama administration.

In 2015 and 2016, the violent crime rate surged by nearly 7 percent, while murder skyrocketed by more than 20 percent after both had declined for more than two decades.

Critics chalked up the spike in violent crime to Obama administration policies, including its increased scrutiny of police departments through court-enforced reform agreements. One of Sessions first acts in office was to rescind those so-called consent decrees.

From the beginning, I have said  and let me say this loud and clear again  we will not let that progress slip away, Sessions said. We are determined resolutely to get back to reducing crime rates.



But criminologists noted that the federal governments role in fighting crime is limited and that the decline in the violent crime rate over the past year has been driven largely by local factors.

The feds play at best a minimal role in crime policy, said John Pfaff, a professor at Fordham Law School. There are more police officers in the New York Police Department than the entire FBI.

Louisiana-based crime analyst Jeff Asher said there were likely as many reasons for the decline in violent crime last year as there was for its spike in 2015 and 2016.

(Just) as I am skeptical that there was just one cause of the murder spike in 2015 and 2016, I am skeptical of any argument that improved enforcement of the law and support for law enforcement are primarily responsible for a slight decline in 2017, Asher said.

Smarter policing at the local level may be one factor contributing to what appears to be a national decline, though I am not sure there is any evidence that increased prosecution at the federal level played a role, Asher said.

The decline in violent crime appears to have continued into 2018, with preliminary data showing overall violent crime down nearly 5 percent, and murder down more than 6 percent.

In a report released last week, the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University projected the 2018 murder rate in the nations 30 largest cities to decline by an average of 7.6 percent to near the bottom of a two-decade-long decline.Hong Kong has banned a political party that advocates for independence from China, a further sign of the mainland's tightening grip on the semi-autonomous territory.

Secretary for Security John Lee announced Monday the Hong Kong National Party is prohibited from operating under an ordinance that cites the interest of national security and public safety. The official ban comes just two months after he informed party founder Andy Chan the government was taking steps to outlaw the group.

This is the first time the Hong Kong government has officially banned a political party since Britain returned sovereignty to Beijing in 1997.

A researcher with U.S.-based Human Rights Watch, Maya Wang, issued a statement Monday calling the ban on the HKNP "a milestone in the Beijing and Hong Kong governments' assault on Hong Kong's freedoms.''

Chan is one of many young activists who have openly criticized the mainland's tightening grip on the former British colony, which was granted a huge level of autonomy under the "one country, two systems" formula established when Beijing regained control of the territory. The activists are split between those seeking greater autonomy for Hong Kong, and those seeking full independence.

The pro-independence Hong Kong National Party was born out of the massive 2014 "Umbrella Revolution" street protests demanding fully free elections.

Chan warned last month that Hong Kong "is quickly being annexed and destroyed by China" in a speech before a group of foreign journalists. The group hosted Chan in defiance of Chinese demands to cancel the speech in Hong Kong.A multinational rescue mission is underway to help an injured Indian sailor stranded in the southern Indian Ocean more than 3,700 kilometers off Australia's west coast.



Abhilash Tomy, a 39-year-old Indian naval commander, was competing in a round-the-world Golden Globe Race when his boat was hit by a major storm 82 days into the race.



According to race organizers, Tomy was in third place when his 36-foot sailboat Thuriya rolled in the storm, breaking its mast and severely injuring Tomy.



Organizers of the race said Tomy managed to send a text message saying he had suffered a back injury and was immobilized on his bunk, unable to reach vital communication equipment.



Two military planes from India and Australia flew over the Thuriya Sunday to assess the damage. The Australian and Indian navies have sent ships to rescue Tomy and a French fishing patrol boat has also joined the effort.



But Tomy's position is so remote that none of the ships is expected to reach him before Monday or Tuesday.



Irish competitor Gregor McGuckin, whose vessel also was damaged in the same storm, made the needed repairs and was trying to reach Tomy, who is about 90 kilometers away from his position.



The Golden Globe Race is a nonstop, single-handed sailing race that involves a gruelling 48,000-kilometer solo circumnavigation of the globe. No modern equipment is allowed except for communication devices.



Competitors set sail from France on July 1.A deadly terrorist attack Saturday on a military parade in Ahvaz, Iran, ratcheted up tensions between the country and its Arab neighbors, leading for calls of retribution even as confusion grew over responsibility for the violence.

The attack by four gunmen left 29 people dead and over 60 injured. Among those killed were soldiers, bystanders and children.

Thousands attended a funeral Monday for members of Irans elite Revolutionary Guard killed in the assault, leading to chants of death to Israel, and death to America. Both countries have frequently been accused by the Iranian government of supporting separatists who have carried out violent attacks in the past.

General Hossein Salami of the Revolutionary Guard vowed revenge against the triangle of the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

We warn all of those behind the story, said Salami, we will take revenge.''

Even as accusations of responsibility flew, confusion mounted. First an Arab Iranian separatist group, Ahvaz National Resistance, claimed responsibility. Then the Islamic State released a video over social media Monday purporting to show the assailants and photos of their corpses.

Some Iranians on social media said the images of the corpses do not match the men in the video. The men in the video also did not mention the Islamic State by name or make a pledge of loyalty, which usual in an IS attack.

The Iranian government said it had already rounded up a number of individuals tied to the attack, while the four gunmen were dead.

The widespread perception in Tehran that the United States has built support for militant separatist organizations along the Iranian border has led to the Iranian government being pressured to increase its support for similar groups in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Some commentators said the attack on Saturday could lead to the Iranian government strengthening the Taliban.Italy's populist government on Monday escalated its clampdown on irregular immigration with a decree aimed at slashing the number of people awarded asylum and doubling the time irregular migrants can be detained.

The legislation promoted by Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who leads the far-right League party, comes as boat arrivals plummet and the minister refuses to allow charity ships carrying rescued migrants to dock in Italy's ports.

"This is a step towards making Italy safer," Salvini tweeted.

The League, which took power in June in coalition with the 5-Star Movement, has promised to deport hundreds of thousands of irregular migrants. Already, the move to refuse to let rescue boats dock has proven popular, doubling opinion poll support for the League since the election in March to more than 30 percent.

The Salvini Decree aims to limit the use of a form of international protection that has been widely used in recent years but is not strictly tied to political persecution or war.

"Humanitarian" asylum was given to more than 20,000 people last year, or 25 percent of those who sought asylum, against the 16 percent of asylum seekers awarded one of the other two forms of international protection.

It is given to migrants who are deemed to have "serious reasons" to flee their home country  a category that has often included homosexuals fleeing harsh anti-gay laws in Africa.

The decree limits humanitarian protection to victims of domestic violence, trafficking, work exploitation and natural disasters, to those needing urgent medical care, and to people who carry out "particularly valuable civic acts," Salvini said.

"Humanitarian protection was supposed to be used sparingly," Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told reporters. "In Italy, there has been an indiscriminate reception [of migrants] and the rules helped support this."



Migration packaged with security

Other immigration measures include extending to 180 days from 90 the time an irregular migrant can be detained before being freed, to give the state more time to complete the deportation procedure.

The decree would also widen the range of criminal offenses that trigger the stripping of asylum privileges applied for or already granted.

Such a move could fall foul of the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention, which is intended to protect all refugees, whether formally recognized or not, from being forcibly returned, except where they are a danger to public safety or national security.

Before the government approved the draft decree, a source in President Sergio Mattarella's office had said parts of it might be unconstitutional  which could open the way for Mattarella to block it

The new immigration guidelines were packaged together with new security rules in an emergency decree, which has 60 days to secure parliamentary approval. Salvini said parliament was likely to make changes.

The security measures include heightened controls on those who rent trucks, in response to a series of attacks in Europe aimed at causing mass casualties. It also foresees stripping naturalized foreigners who are convicted on terrorism charges of their Italian citizenship.

The head of the Italian Catholic bishops' conference, Nunzio Galantino, on Sunday criticzed the decision to link immigration and security in the same piece of legislation, saying: "We cannot consider the immigrant's condition to be automatically that of a criminal."Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara's governing coalition appeared to split on Monday when a junior partner said it was pulling out after months of feuds.

The support of the PDCI party of former President Henri Konan Bedie was critical to Ouattara's run-off victory in the 2010 presidential election and his re-election in 2015.

"The political bureau has decided to withdraw," from the coalition, said PDCI spokesman Narcisse N'Dri.

A recent rift, exacerbated in part by a Ouattara cabinet reshuffle in July, strained relations and put the coalition at risk ahead of local elections next month and a presidential election in 2020.

It also threatens to aggravate instability in Ivory Coast, where a tenuous stability has held since a brief civil war in 2010-11 that killed 3,000 people. Since then the economy has grown rapidly.

Now, Bedie is looking for other allies, which could weaken Ouattara's RDR party further.

"The Political Bureau mandates President Bedie, to start negotiations for the establishment of a platform for collaboration with Ivorians who share his vision of a reconciled and peaceful Ivory Coast," N'Dri said.The White House is denouncing a new allegation of sexual misconduct against federal Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.

The New Yorker magazine reported late Sunday that two U.S. senators are investigating a woman's charge that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a Yale University dormitory party during the 1983-1984 academic year. 53 year old Deborah Ramirez described the incident in an interview after being contacted by the magazine and said that Kavanaugh thrust his penis in her face and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec released a statement denouncing the report. "This 35-year-old uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear a good man down," said Kupec. "This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh."

Ramirez admitted to New Yorker reporters Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer that she had been drinking and that she has gaps in her memories. But after consultation with a lawyer, Ramirez told the magazine she felt confident enough in her recollection that it happened.

Kavanaugh has denied the allegation made by Ramirez in a statement released through the White House, calling it "a smear, plain and simple."

The New Yorker says it could not find any witnesses.

Several of Kavanaugh's Yale classmates say he would never have done such a thing. But some of Ramirez's classmates vouch for her integrity and recall seeing Kavanaugh "frequently and incoherently drunk."

An aide to one of the senators investigating the story said, the "allegations seem credible and we're taking them very seriously. If established, they're clearly disqualifying."

The new allegations have prompted a key senator to call for "an immediate postponement" of any further proceedings by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is considering Kavanaugh's nomination. California's Diane Feinstein, the committee's top Democrat, sent a letter Sunday to Republican chairman Charles Grassley urging him to refer the new allegations to the FBI in order to ensure "a fair, independent process that will gather all the facts."

The woman who has accused Kavanaugh of a 1982 sexual assault has agreed to testify before the Judiciary committee Thursday morning.

Details on exactly under what conditions Christine Blasey Ford will tell her story are still being worked out.

Reports say her lawyers -- Debra Katz, Lisa Banks and Michael Bromwich -- agree Ford will go first, to be followed by Kavanaugh.

The three lawyers are not pleased with but agree to the committee's decision not to call any other witnesses. They include Kavanaugh's friend, Mike Judge, who Ford says was in the room when the alleged sexual attack occurred.

"Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr. Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her," the lawyers said in a statement. They noted that other witnesses are "essential for a fair hearing."

Also to be worked out is exactly who will question Ford. There are 21 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee -- 11 conservative Republican men and 10 Democrats.

"Various senators have been dismissive of her (Ford's) account and should have to shoulder their responsibility to ask her questions," Ford's lawyers say.

WATCH: Kavanaugh Accuser Expected to Testify

But Republicans do not want to look as if they are badgering a woman who claims to be the victim of a sexual assault just weeks before congressional elections with control of Congress at stake.

In his statement Sunday, Kavanaugh said he is looking forward "to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name -- and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building--against these last-minute allegations."

Kavanaugh is President Trump's choice to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court created by Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement.

His confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate seemed assured until Ford said in a Washington Post interview that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a house party when they were in high school in Maryland and she was 15 years old.

According to Ford, a drunken 17-year-old Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and tried to tear her clothes off. She says he put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. Ford says she feared Kavanaugh might inadvertently kill her before she managed to get away.

Kavanaugh has denied sexually abusing anyone at any time in his life. A number of women who know and him and worked with him throughout his legal career have said he has been totally respectful toward them.

Trump has questioned Fords account, tweeting Friday that "if the attack ...was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed" with police.

The tweet has prompted an outpouring of testimonials by self-described sexual assault survivors under the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport, and a rebuke from a key Republican.

The White House has called Kavanaugh's character and legal qualifications impeccable.

Capitol Hill correspondent Michael Bowman contributed to this report.South Korean President Moon Jae-in claimed success following his three-day summit in North Korea last week, where he was able to secure agreements from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on a variety of inter-Korean projects and revitalize denuclearization talks. However, as the president openly speaks about a new era of peace and prosperity, absent from the discussion has been the Norths human rights abuses.

A 2014 United Nations Office of Human Rights Commission of Inquiry report found systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations in North Korea that in many instances constituted crimes against humanity.

The gravity, scale and nature of these violations reveal a state that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world, it added, calling North Korea a state that seeks to dominate every aspect of its citizens lives and terrorizes them from within.

In a statement, South Koreas presidential office said President Moon will relay the outcomes of the third inter-Korean at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and plans to work closely with the international community to develop a new vision of peace and prosperity on the Korean peninsula.

Moons office added South Korea is ready and willing to assume key roles on the major issues facing the international society such as peace and security, human rights, development, and humanitarian assistance, and climate change; we would like to increase the cooperation with UN and global society.

Human rights not part of current discussions

But human rights advocate tell VOA that while positive steps toward peace, reconciliation, and eventual reunification of the peninsula are positive, human rights discussions are not part of the agenda.

Despite the agreements reached between the South and North outlined in the April Panmunjom and September Pyongyang Declarations, Executive director Greg Scarlatoiu with the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea said human rights policies arent involved in Seoul's approach to reconciliation with the North.

There is absolutely no mention of North Korea's abysmal human rights violations, said Scarlatoiu.

Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, did note one exception, "the important humanitarian reunification between the separated families."

South Koreas Ministry of Unification administers the Council on North Korean Human Rights and works closely together with other agencies. The ministry said it will establish the basic plan for the promotion of human rights in North Korea, and its implementation plan, and carry out relevant policies systematically.

In an email to VOA, the unification ministry writes, The government places emphasis on human rights in the notion of universal value and ethnicity, and strives to continuously improve the quality of life for North Koreans.

The [Pyongyang] Joint Declaration of September contains numbers of agreements on inter-Korean exchanges and easing military tensions. If the agreements are well carried out, it will contribute to not only the improvement of inter-Korean relations and peace settlement on the Korean peninsula, but also the improvement of human rights of North Korean people, the message said.

Pressure needed

But rights advocates say more needs to be done and suggest increased international pressure is needed to ensure that in future discussions with North Korea, human rights issues are discussed.

Robertson said that in talks with North Korea, There has to be a larger context.

When you talk about long-term prosperity and peace getting the North Korea - South Korea issue and Korean reunification right is the key element, but with a history of severe human rights violations on the peninsula, said Robertson, Human rights can't just be left off the table.

Scarlatoiu added that avoiding such topics at the start of negotiations makes it difficult to raise them later.

I don't know how president Moon is going to move to a position where he raises human rights concerns, after giving all of these speeches lauding the leader of North Korea for his accomplishments, he said.

While the Ministry of Unification cant identify specific agenda items for future inter-Korean talks, it said through the [Panmunjom] Declaration, the government (together with the North) has agreed to endeavor to resolve the humanitarian issues that resulted from the division.

The unification ministry said the government will find practical measures to enhance human rights of North Koreans, although the ministry gave no details on how it plans to achieve that goal.

Robertson asserts there has been a lack of advancement in addressing North Korean human rights issues by the South Korean government.

The North Korean human rights act was passed by the South Korean Parliament two years ago, said Robertson, and still two years later, we have no real progress on implementing key aspects of that law.

The ultimate measure of reconciliation, peace, and unification of the Korean Peninsula is going to be the impact it has on the Korean people living in the South and in the North, said Scarlatiou, adding that those goals should not sacrifice attention to human rights.

Lee Ju-hyun contributed to this report.The president of Maldives has conceded defeat in Sunday's presidential election.

Abdullah Yameen said in a televised address Monday, "I accept the defeat," adding he would "enable a smooth transition" for opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Solih declared victory early Monday, hours ahead of Yameen's concession.

His supporters, chanting his nickname "Ibu, Ibu, Ibu," took to the streets to celebrate his surprise win.

"This is a moment of happiness, a moment of hope," Solih said.

The Election Commission's provisional results has Solih winning 58.3 percent of the votes. Official results will not be released until the end of the month.

Sunday's vote was widely seen as a referendum on whether democracy would survive in the country as Yameen has rolled back many of the democratic freedoms introduced to the nation.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement, "We urge calm and respect for the will of the people as the election process concludes."

Police conducted a raid on the Solih's campaign office Saturday, saying that they wanted to stop "illegal activities."

Hamid Abdul Gafoor, an opposition spokesman and a former Maldives lawmaker, said the raid was seen by many as a troubling omen that Yameen was was about to "muzzle his way" to re-election.

Yameen was seeking a second five-year term in office. His path to re-election seemed assured with his main rivals either in jail or in exile. He imposed a state of emergency earlier this year after refusing to comply with a Supreme Court order to release detained political leaders.

Maldives is an archipelago of more than 1,000 islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean and is known for its sandy white beaches and luxury resorts.Twelve crew members of a Swiss commercial ship have been taken hostage by pirates who attacked the vessel as it sailed off the coast of Nigeria.

Massoel Shipping said in a statement Sunday that the ship MV Glarus, with 19 crew on board, was attacked as it was carrying wheat from the Nigerian commercial capital Lagos to Port Harcourt.

Reuters news agency reported late Sunday the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had identified the nationalities of the kidnapped crew. It said seven crew members were from the Philippines and others were from Slovenia, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia and Bosnia.

Nigerian officials said the 12 were still unaccounted for.

Massoel Shipping said the vessel was attacked around 45 nautical miles southwest of Bonny Island early Saturday.

"It is understood the pirate gang boarded the Glarus by means of long ladders and cut the razor wire on deck to gain access to the vessel and eventually the bridge," the company said. "Having destroyed much of the vessel's communications equipment, the criminal gang departed, taking 12 of the 19 crew complement as hostage."

Piracy has been rising in the southern Niger Delta region in the past few years, along with the number sailors kidnapped for ransom.

According to a study published by the EOS Risk Group in July, the number of kidnappings in the region rose from 52 in 2016 to 75 last year. In the first half of this year, pirated kidnapped 35 sailors, it said.Nigerian authorities said Monday they were looking for 12 sailors from a Swiss-registered cargo ship kidnapped by pirates over the weekend.

The MV Glarus was attacked Saturday near the city of Port Harcourt on its way from Lagos. Shipowner Massoel Shipping said the pirates used long ladders, cutting through razor wire to capture a dozen sailors from the crew of 19.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency said it had commenced a search-and-rescue operation in coordination with the Nigerian navy and other security agencies, and that it would negotiate for the "unconditional release" of the captives.

Massoel Shipping said it would not disclose the identities or nationalities of the missing crew members for their safety, but the Slovenian foreign ministry said Monday that one of its citizens was among those taken.

Kidnapping is common in Nigeria, and increasingly so in the Gulf of Guinea, where the Swiss vessel was attacked.

There were six kidnappings of crews at sea in the first half of 2018, according to the International Maritime Bureau, all in the Gulf of Guinea.More than a week after Hurricane Florence struck the eastern U.S. states of North and South Carolina, authorities are warning that many areas remain at risk from overflowing rivers swollen by the storm's heavy rainfall.

Authorities in Georgetown, South Carolina, located about 200 kilometers southeast from the capital Columbia, have put as many as 8,000 residents on alert for possible evacuations, as they expect two local rivers, the Waccamaw and Pee Dee, to spill over from their banks. Emergency shelters are being opened Monday to house residents who are forced to escape an expected 3 meters of floodwaters.

Meanwhile, the Cape Fear River in North Carolina is expected to crest and reach flood levels sometime on Monday, and continue to overflow for several more days. Parts of Interstates 95 and 40, two of the major highways that run through the state, have begun to reopen after being underwater during the onslaught of Hurricane Florence. But on one section of Interstate 40, firefighters had to hose off thousands of dead fish washed out of the flooded rivers and stranded on the pavement.

Florence dumped as much as 90 centimeters of rain on the Carolinas last week, and killed at least 43 people there and in the neighboring state of Virginia. Preliminary estimates say the storm caused tens of billions of dollars in damages.A very late election night victory rally in Michigan for candidate Rashida Tlaib on Aug. 7, followed a week later by an election night victory rally in Minnesota for candidate Ilhan Omar, marked an inflection point in American politics.

The two, both Democrats, are the first Muslim-American women to win a congressional primary election. With at most token opposition in the Nov. 6 general election, they are virtually assured of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives next January.

Their historic breakthrough comes as a record number of Muslim-Americans have entered national politics, in part to protest the Trump administrations immigration and border security policies, including an executive order upheld by the Supreme Court restricting travelers from five majority-Muslim countries.

Tlaib is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants who left the West Bank in the 1970s to settle in Detroit, where Tlaib was born and raised.

Omar was born in Somalia, but fled to a refugee camp in Kenya before reaching the large Somali community in Minneapolis. Once elected, she would succeed Keith Ellison  the first Muslim-American to be elected to Congress  as well as the first member of Congress born on the African continent.

Both women come from families shaped by war and have dealt with hostility and bigotry toward their religion from both political parties. They are part of a progressive wing of the Democratic Party hoping to take control of the House in the November midterm elections.

WATCH: Muslim-American Women in office

Tlaib and Omar say they are determined to have a voice in the national debate over immigration, border security and election integrity, among a multitude of issues that have captured their interest. They would be joining Congressman Andre Carson, an Indiana Democrat, as the only other Muslim-American holding a seat on Capitol Hill after Ellison retires from Congress.

This win would mean so much more than just a seat in Congress, Tlaib told VOA while walking the Detroit streets during her election campaign this summer. Its a powerful message.

This is a message to Washington to get ready for a new generation, said Larry Jacobs, a professor at the University of Minnesotas Humphrey School of Public Affairs, who once taught Omar when she was a student at the school. He said she has the invaluable experience of having lived abroad and fleeing her homeland for in search of a better life in the United States.

Representative Omar is going to become a spokesperson for the opposition against President Trumps immigration policies, Jacobs said.

Omar and Tlaibs campaign messaging resonated with a majority of primary election voters in both of their districts in Michigan and Minnesota  a remarkable achievement at a time of increased hostility toward their faith. Tlaib felt the sting of discrimination while serving as a lawmaker in the Michigan legislature in Lansing.

Discrimination

An African American told one of my volunteers, we dont care if people vote for Santa Claus, we dont want to send Rashida to Lansing to bomb it, Tlaib recounted.

Until now, fewer than 300 Muslim Americans served in local, state, or federal government, according to some estimates. But that is changing.

Nearly 100 Muslim Americans ran for statewide or national political office in this years election cycle, the highest amount since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, with Tlaib and Omar the most prominent among them.

Where they have succeeded, others have fallen short. Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan physician and former public health official, hoped to be the first Muslim American governor in the nation. He lost in Michigans Democratic Party primary to Gretchen Whitmer, a former Michigan state senator.

Many seeking public office cited rising harassment and marginalization of Muslim Americans, and current Trump administration policies such as the so-called Muslim ban on travel to the U.S. as a call to action to serve in government to help reshape public policy.

Today, Muslim Americans represent just above 1 percent of the total U.S. population, but it is a number that is rapidly growing  and with it rising Islamophobia.

The Pew Research Center found that incidents of harassment of Muslim Americans spiked in 2015 and 2016, even exceeding the number of incidents in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Ive gotten people in the past who have said to me, 'You know, I dont like your name.' That, to me, though, is, 'I dont like your ethnicity or your faith,' Tlaib explained.

Alvin Tillery, director of Northwestern Universitys Center for Diversity and Democracy, said the election wins of both Tlaib and Omar are not surprising given the liberal districts they seek to serve. They are part of a new wave of immigration to the United States that in some ways resembles the old, he added.

This is the quintessentially American story, Tillery said. Its the story of Irish immigrants, and Italian immigrants, Polish immigrants. Its just playing out with different ethnicities and different religions, and thats what America is supposed to be about.

The Pew Research Center estimates that by 2040, the Muslim faith will be the second largest religion in the U.S. Tillery said both Omar and Tlaib are the face of that phenomenon.

If we look at how other historic barriers have come crashing down  first Catholics elected to Congress, first Jewish Americans elected to Congress  theyve come on the heels of immigrant waves that look very similar to the waves that brought these women into the country, or at least their families, in the case of Tlaib.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he expected to meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in New York as Washington expressed concern at Moscows plans to supply the S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria.

Im sure Sergei and I will have our time together, Pompeo said of plans to meet Lavrov on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

We are trying to find every place we can where there is common ground, where we can work with the Russians, adding that there were many areas where Moscow was working against the United States and we will hold them accountable.

Russia announced on Monday it will supply a S-300 missile system to Syria in two weeks despite strong Israeli objections, a week after Moscow blamed Israel for indirectly causing the downing of a Russian military plane in Syria.

The White House said it hoped Russia would reconsider the move, which U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton called a significant escalation of the seven-year war.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Helsinki, Finland in July and Bolton and his Russian counterpart met in August.

However, U.S.-Russian relations remain at their lowest point in decades, in part over differences in Syria, Ukraine and U.S. allegations Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election.

The United States has already imposed economic sanctions on Moscow over the election. Moscow denies any interference.U.S. media reports say Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is expecting to be fired. While some reports suggest that he has discussed resigning, others say he is refusing to leave unless he is fired.

The news come days after The New York Times reported that Rosenstein last year suggested secretly recording President Donald Trump and that he raised the idea of using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office for being unfit to govern.

Rosenstien had denied the newspaper report last week.

"The New York Times's story is inaccurate and factually incorrect. I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the Department and are advancing their own personal agenda. But let me be clear about this: based on my personal dealing with the President, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment," he said in a statement.

A source who was in the room when Rosenstein made the remark about recording the president said in a statement shared with VOA that the comment was made sarcastically. The source said it "was never discussed with any intention of recording a conversation with the president."

The deputy attorney general oversees the Special Counsel probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Whether he is fired or resigns on his own could affect who will take over oversight of the Russia investigation.



A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The White House said Monday that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday, following news reports that the Justice Departments No. 2 official was expecting to be fired.

The announcement came days after The New York Times reported that Rosenstein last year suggested secretly recording Trump and that he raised the idea of invoking the U.S. Constitutions 25th Amendment to remove the president from office for being unfit to govern.

Rosenstein had denied the report last week.

"At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories. Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C.," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Some media reports Monday suggested that Rosenstein had discussed resigning while others said he is refusing to leave unless he is fired.

After last week's Times story, Rosenstein said, "The New York Times's story is inaccurate and factually incorrect. I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the department and are advancing their own personal agenda. But let me be clear about this: based on my personal dealing with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment."

The 25th amendment outlines a process for the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to remove the president from office if he is unable to perform his official duties.

Rosenstein later issued a second statement denying the allegations in even stronger terms: "I never pursued or authorized recording the President and any suggestion that I have ever advocated for the removal of the President is absolutely false."

A source who was in the room when Rosenstein made the remark said that the comment was made sarcastically. The source said it "was never discussed with any intention of recording a conversation with the president."

Rosenstein has served as the Justice Departments No. 2 official since April 2017 when he was nearly unanimously confirmed by the Senate. But the former career prosecutor quickly found himself at the center of a political firestorm after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia probe and Trump fired FBI Director James Comey.

Comeys abrupt dismissal in May 2017 led Rosenstein to tap Robert Mueller, another former FBI director, as special counsel for the Russia investigation. That made Rosenstein a frequent target of Trumps attacks on the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Mary McCord, a former acting assistant attorney general for national security who has worked closely with Rosenstein, said the deputy attorney generals departure would not have an immediate adverse impact on the Russia probe.

The Justice Department officials in line of succession, including Solicitor General Noel Francisco and Assistant Attorney General Steven Engel, are all "very experienced lawyers. They know the Department of Justice very well. They have respect for the rule of law and for the role of the special counsel," she said.

McCord, who is now a visiting law professor at Georgetown University, added, "I don't see any one of them changing course. I don't see any one of them coming in and saying, Im firing Mueller or Im shutting down the investigation or Im doing anything other than let it run its course."

If Rosenstein were to resign or is fired, oversight of the Russia probe would fall to Francisco, the departments No. 4 official, because the department currently doesnt have a Senate-confirmed No. 3 official. And if Francisco is conflicted, the responsibility would be assumed by Engel or other officials in the line of succession.

Trump could also invoke the Vacancies Reform Act to appoint an interim deputy attorney general, McCord said.

The little-known law allows the president to appoint any Senate-confirmed executive branch official to temporarily head an agency whose head "dies, resigns or is otherwise unable to perform" their duties.

"One question is whether the Vacancies Reform Act would be applicable if the person is unavailable due to having been fired as opposed to resigning, death or inability to do their job," McCord said.

The allegation that Rosenstein suggested surreptitiously taping Trump was included in contemporaneous memos kept by ousted Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe. Last year, McCabe turned over the memos, which recorded his interactions with Trump and other high-level administration officials, to the special counsel.



In a statement released on Monday, McCabe expressed concern that Rosensteins departure could jeopardize the Russia probe.



"If the rumors of Deputy AG Rosensteins departure are true, I am deeply concerned that it puts that investigation at risk," McCabe said.Russia says it will supply Syria with a more modern S-300 missile defense system in the coming weeks, over the objections of Israel.



Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu said President Vladimir Putin ordered the upgrade after Syrian air defenses mistook a Russian plane for an Israeli aircraft last week, killing all 15 Russians on board.



Russia has blamed Israel, whose military was conducting airstrikes on Syria at the time, for the incident.



Moscow said Syria's older S-200 missile defense system is not advanced enough to distinguish Russian planes as friendly.



Shoigu said Monday "this has pushed us to adopt adequate response measures directed at boosting the security of Russian troops" in Syria.



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Putin in a telephone call Monday that supplying advanced weapon systems to "irresponsible hands will increase the dangers in the region," according to Netanyahu's office.



Putin said the Russian move was "aimed primarily at fending off any potential threat to the lives of Russian servicemen,'' according to the Kremlin.



U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton advised Russia to reconsider the decision, saying the new missile system would be a "significant escalation" to already high tensions in the region.



Last week, Russian military spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said 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.

Putin has since said "a chain of tragic circumstances" lead to the downing of the plane.



Israel said it had warned Russia of the airstrike in advance and said its jets were already back in Israeli airspace when Syria fired its missile.



The Russian defense ministry said Israel's warning came less than a minute before the airstrike. It accused the Israelis of using the Russian plane as a cover to avoid Syrian air defense systems.



Israel has long lobbied Moscow not to provide the S-300 to Syria, fearing the missile system would hinder its ability to strike Iranian and Hezbollah forces in Syria.A Russian national has been arrested in Norway on suspicion of spying after he attended a conference on strengthening cooperation between Europe's parliamentary administrations, his lawyer said Monday.



Russia strongly denied the charges and demanded the release of the man it identified as Mikhail Bochkarev, a 51-year-old aide at the upper house of Russian parliament.



Lawyer Hege Aakre told the Norwegian news agency NTB that her client, who wasn't identified, was being questioned by Norway's domestic intelligence agency, PST.



The man was arrested Friday during the event by the European Center for Parliamentary Research and Documentation, held at Norway's Parliament, and placed on pre-trial detention for two weeks the following day. No further details were available.



Aakre said her client denies any wrongdoing.



The Russian Foreign Ministry said it summoned the Norwegian ambassador on Monday to protest the detention it described as a "provocation."



The ministry denounced the accusations against Bochkarev as "absurd" and demanded his immediate release. It lamented what it called "a wave of spy mania around Russia" and warned that "such steps will entail consequences."



A deputy speaker of the upper house, Ilya Umakhanov, told the Tass news agency that the "unfounded" detention of Bochkarev would hurt parliamentary ties and "won't be left unattended."



Prime Minister Erna Solberg said the case wasn't political, telling NTB from New York, where she is attending a meeting with the United Nations, that the case was "a police matter that is being investigated."



Norwegian media reported that the man is a senior IT adviser with the Russian parliament. They reported that his behavior at the two-day conference prompted parliamentary officials to contact the intelligence service.



The ECPRD is a European network for cooperation between parliamentarians on research, documentation and information. The Oslo event focused on digitalization.Comedian Bill Cosby will likely learn his fate this week as the sentencing phase in his sexual assault trial begins Monday near Philadelphia.



Cosby was convicted in April on three counts of aggravated indecent assault against former Temple University administrator Andrea Constand.



Under sentencing guidelines, Cosby could get as much as 30 years in prison, which would be a life sentence for the 81-year-old entertainer.



His attorneys are expected to appeal to the judge to sentence Cosby to house arrest because of his fragile health. Cosby is legally blind.



The judge could also sentence Cosby to a short stay in prison.



Two women who say Cosby sexually assaulted them in the 1980s say he deserves to spend time in prison.



One of the alleged victims, Chelan Lasha, told reporters Sunday she wants Cosby to get the maximum time in prison, saying she still has nightmares about the assault.



After a mistrial during the first case against him in 2017, a jury convicted Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting Constand at his Philadelphia home in 2004. Constand came to Cosby's house seeking career advice because he was a Temple alumnus.



Cosby denied the charge and said any sexual contact he had with Constand was consensual.



About 60 women have alleged Cosby sexually assaulted them dating back to the 1960s, when Cosby became famous. Constand's case is the only one to come to trial.



Cosby is best known for his 1980s television series The Cosby Show, which solidified his now destroyed image as a wise and genial family man.A French ship has rescued an injured Indian sailor stranded for more than two days in the southern Indian Ocean, more than 3,700 kilometers off Australia's west coast.

Abhilash Tomy, a 39-year-old Indian naval commander, was competing in a round-the-world Golden Globe Race when his boat was hit by a major storm 82 days into the contest.

According to race organizers, Tomy was in third place when his 36-foot sailboat, Thuriya, rolled in the storm, breaking its mast and severely injuring Tomy.

The French ship that reached Tomy on Monday was part of a multi-nation effort to rescue the sailor, along with Indian and Australian navy ships.

Indian navy spokesman Capt. D.K. Sharma said Tomy "has been pulled out on a stretcher by a French fishing vessel. He is conscious and is in safe hands."

Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted, it was "a sense of relief" to know Tomy was OK. She said he would be transported to a nearby island by Monday evening. An Indian naval frigate would then take him to Mauritius for medical care.

Phil Gaden, Australian Maritime Safety Authority search and rescue officer, said Tomy had injured his back and is "very restricted in his ability to maneuver. We also know he's having difficulty keeping fluids down."

A few hours after Tomy's rescue, the French vessel also rescued Irish sailor Gregor McGuckin, whose boat had lost its mast in the same storm. But McGuckin managed to repair his boat enough to sail it to within a few kilometers of Tomy.

McGuckin was not hurt and will be transferred to an Australian naval vessel.

The Golden Globe Race is a nonstop, single-handed sailing race that involves a grueling 48,000-kilometer solo circumnavigation of the globe. No modern equipment is allowed, except for communication devices.

Competitors set sail from France on July 1.

"I'm sure he [Tomy] would have brought laurels to the country. Unfortunately, this feat could not be completed," Sharma said. "But we are very happy that he's safe and sound, and we'll soon have him back."South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar turned down an invitation Saturday from President Salva Kiir to visit the South Sudanese capital Juba.

Machar, the leader of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM IO), told Kiir in a meeting in Khartoum that the environment in South Sudan is not conducive for a visit by a rebel delegation.

"What is the security? I was concerned about that. Truly, if we are going to implement the peace agreement, there is that need for people moving to Juba, outside the areas of [rebel and government control]," Machar said.

"In our phone conversation, I had appealed to you to release the prisoners. First, prisoners of war. Second, political prisoners and detainees. I hope your excellency [President Kiir] has taken action because that builds confidence and trust among people [South Sudanese] when such an action is taken," he added.

Kiir, leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), said his group had released all prisoners of war in their custody by December.

According to the terms of the revitalized peace agreement, the signatories to the deal are supposed to submit names of their representatives who will be part of pre-transitional institutions, such as the revitalized Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, a body charged with monitoring the peace agreement, by Sept. 26.

President Kiir said his government is keen on implementing the Sept. 12 revitalized peace agreement. He said he is ready to work with Machar to start a new chapter in South Sudan.

"We have to chat among[st] ourselves to nominate members of all the communities that are supposed to be formed [to implement the agreement]," Kiir said.

South Sudan army and rebels of the SPLM IO clashed in Yei River state three weeks ago right after signing the peace deal in Addis Ababa. Machar insisted that the a cease-fire agreement has been violated.

"What is important is that there is calm, so there is respect of the permanent cease-fire. Because without the respect of the permanent cease-fire, we will be deceiving ourselves that we are implementing an agreement when it is being violated, " he said.

Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel, Machars deputy military spokesman, issued a statement Saturday accusing the South Sudan army of attacking rebel positions in Yei River state. VOA could not independently verify his claims.

Chris Trott, the U.K. special representative for Sudan and South Sudan, told VOA last week the parties involved in the conflict in South Sudan have a chance to show their commitment to peace by implementing the revitalized agreement signed on Sept. 12.

The British diplomat said his government was interested in seeing an end to violence and unhindered access to humanitarian agencies operating in South Sudan. He said that if the parties failed to honor their commitments as stipulated in the peace agreement, sanctions would remain an option.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir organized a peace award ceremony in Khartoum over the weekend to reward Kiir and Machar for signing the revitalized peace deal.Officials in Afghanistan confirmed Monday a Taliban prisoner has killed at least eight policemen, including three senior officers, after covertly seizing an assault rifle from a guard at the detention facility in southern Zabul province.

The incident happened while security guards were offering evening prayers late Sunday at the Shar-e-Safa district jail, a police officer told VOA. Ghulam Jilani said the assailant sprayed the unarmed group of personnel with bullets. The officer promised to provide more details later in the day.

A security official in Shar-e-Safa, disclosed to VOA on the condition of anonymity that Afghan forces swiftly engaged the armed prisoner and the firefight with him continued into Monday morning.

The official suspected the Taliban detainee had managed to seize weapons from other slain officers, preventing prison guards from ending the siege, though the assailants fate was still not known.

The latest security forces' casualties came a day after the Afghan ministers of defense and interior acknowledged that Taliban battlefield attacks in recent weeks have inflicted some of the worst casualties on Afghan National Army (ANA) and police forces.

While briefing the upper house of parliament or Senate on Sunday, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak disclosed that "daily, 30 ANA and police personnel get killed.

Afghan Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami told the Senate session that in the last one month alone, the ANA has suffered 1,231 casualties, including 513 fatalities.

Around 14,000 Afghan security forces were killed between April 2016 and July 2018, according to the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Insurgents have since intensified battlefield attacks around Afghanistan, inflicting more losses and capturing new territory.

Meanwhile, security forces raided a Taliban-run detention center in the central-eastern Maidan Wardak province late Sunday and rescued eight prisoners, mostly personnel of the Afghan Special Forces.

General Wais Samimi, the provincial police commander, told VOA the rescue operation also killed 40 insurgents, including their shadow district chief.

Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujuahid, claimed Afghan and U.S. forces jointly conducted the raid and it targeted a civilian compound. He went on to assert that the security action in the Jaghato district killed 14 civilians, including women and children. The Talibans claims are often inflated.

Afghanistans Pajhwok news agency quoted villagers as telling it that foreign forces were part of the raid and those killed in it were all civilians.

It was not possible to independently verify the claims.As he begins the sequel to his stormy U.N. debut, President Donald Trump will again confront the dangers posed by North Korea's nuclear threat, though its shadow may appear somewhat less ominous than a year ago.



Twelve months after Trump stood at the rostrum of the U.N. General Assembly and derided North Korea's Kim Jong Un as "Rocket Man," the push to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula is a work in progress, although fears of war have given way to dreams of rapprochement.

The president, whose bellicose denunciations of Pyongyang have largely given way to hopeful notes, plans to sit down with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who comes bearing a personal message to Trump from North Korea's Kim after their inter-Korean talks last week.

Trump and Moon were expected to sign a new version of the U.S.-South Korean trade agreement, one of Trump's first successes in his effort to renegotiate trade deals on more favorable terms for the U.S. Even so, some U.S. officials worry that South Korea's eagerness to restore relations with the North could reduce sanctions pressure on Kim's government, hampering efforts to negotiate a nuclear accord.



The nuclear threat was on the agenda at Trump's first meeting, a dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Manhattan on Sunday night.

Abe stands first among world leaders in cultivating a close relationship with the president through displays of flattery that he has used to advance his efforts to influence the unpredictable American leader.



"We have our eyes wide open," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. "There is a long ways to go to get Chairman Kim to live up to the commitment that he made to President Trump and, indeed, to the demands of the world in the U.N. Security Council resolutions to get him to fully denuclearize."



Redoubling his commitment to "America First" on the most global of stages, Trump will stress his dedication to the primacy of U.S. interests while competing with Western allies for an advantage on trade and shining a spotlight on the threat that he says Iran poses to the Middle East and beyond.



Scores of world leaders, even those representing America's closest friends, remain wary of Trump. In the 12 months since his last visit to the U.N., the president has jolted the global status quo by pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, starting trade conflicts with China and the West and embracing Russia's Vladimir Putin even as the investigation into the U.S. president's ties to Moscow moves closer to the Oval Office.



Long critical of the United Nations, Trump delivered a warning shot ahead of his arrival by declaring that the world body had "not lived up to" its potential.



"It's always been surprising to me that more things aren't resolved," Trump said in a weekend video message, "because you have all of these countries getting together in one location but it doesn't seem to get there. I think it will."



If there is a through line to the still-evolving Trump doctrine on foreign policy, it is that the president will not subordinate American interests on the world stage, whether for economic, military or political gain.



Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters in a preview of Trump's visit, that the president's focus "will be very much on the United States," its role and the relations it wants to build.



"He is looking forward to talking about foreign policy successes the United States has had over the past year and where we're going to go from here," she said. "He wants to talk about protecting U.S. sovereignty," while building relationships with nations that "share those values."



In his four-day visit to New York, Trump will deliver major speeches and meet with representatives of a world order that he has so often upended in the past year. On Monday he is also set to participate in a Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem and then, in addition to Moon, meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and French President Emmanuel Macron.



Trump's address to the General Assembly comes Tuesday, and on Wednesday he will for the first time chair the Security Council, with the stated topic of non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The subject initially was to have been Iran, but that could have allowed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to attend, creating a potentially awkward situation for the U.S. leader.



Aides say the president will also use the session to discuss North Korea and other proliferation issues. While Trump is not seeking a meeting with Rouhani, he is open to talking with the Iranian leader if Rouhani requests one, administration officials said.



In meetings with European leaders as well as during the Security Council session, Trump plans to try to make the case that global companies are cutting ties with Iran ahead of the reimposition in five weeks of tough sanctions against Tehran. The penalties are a result of Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.



Trump at the time cited Iran's role as a malign force in the region, particularly its support of terrorist groups, but also its involvement in Syria. U.S. officials say their priority for the region now is removing Iranian forces from Syria.



Trump is also expected to deliver a fresh warning to Syria's Bashar al-Assad that the use of chemical weapons against civilians in the major rebel stronghold of Idlib would have serious repercussions. Britain and France are actively planning a military response should Assad use chemical weapons again, according to U.S. officials.



"I think he's got a couple major possibilities really to help illuminate for the American people what America's place in the world,'' national security adviser John Bolton told Fox News Channel's Sunday Morning Futures, previewing Trump's U.N. appearance.



Bolton, like Pompeo, is part of a far more hawkish national security team than the one that surrounded Trump a year ago.



Meetings on the sidelines of the General Assembly often come in rapid succession, a wearying test for even the most experienced foreign policy team. Trump has a robust schedule during his stay in New York, including meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and British Prime Minister Theresa May.



But while some world leaders are still reeling from Trump's deference to Putin in their summer Helsinki summit, there will not be an encore in New York: The Russian president is not expected to attend the proceedings.Opening the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly in New York Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke about the Global Call to Action on the world drug problem.

Speaking alongside U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and National Security Advisor John Bolton, Trump cited a 60 percent increase in drug-related deaths around the world in the past 15 years.

"As the 2018 world drug report highlights, cocaine and opium production have hit record highs," Trump said, noting the need to curb both supply and demand of drugs around the world.

The Global Call to Action was announced by the White House last month. Some 129 countries signed the one-page pledge in order to attend the UNGA meeting with Trump Monday morning.

"The call is simple: reduce drug demand, cut off the supply of illicit drugs, expand treatment and strengthen international cooperation. If we take these steps together, we can save the lives of countless people in all corners of the world," he said, adding that "when I say "countless," I'm talking about millions and millions of people."

Trump also thanked the member countries of the United Nations Monday morning, saying U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "has become a great friend and is doing a wonderful job on a complex situation, but a beautiful situation."

"I'm thrilled that every country in the room today has agreed to answer our call, and I want to thank each and every one of you for your commitment to this important initiative. The United States looks forward to working with you to strengthen our communities, protect our families, and deliver a drug-free future for all of our children, " he said.

Guterres thanked Trump for his words and his initiative to combat the global drug problem, following his remarks Monday morning.

"You are focusing a spotlight on the global drug problem, and we have never needed it more," he said.

On Tuesday, Trump will address the U.N. General Assembly. On Wednesday, he will chair the world body's Security Council meeting.

The session at the U.N. Security Council, where the United States currently holds the monthly rotating presidency, was to focus on criticism of Iran. But now, will be broadened, Haley said.

Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.South Koreas president personally relayed a message on Monday to U.S. President Donald Trump, telling him that North Koreas leader wants to meet him again soon to make progress on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

You are indeed the only person who can solve this problem, Moon Jae-in, who met Kim Jong Un last week in Pyongyang, told Trump.

The U.S. president responded that he would be having a second summit with Chairman Kim in the not-to-distant future and the location remains to be determined but likely would not be Singapore, where he first met the North Korean leader on June 12.

The relationship is very good  in fact in some ways it is extraordinary, added Trump.

Washington and Pyongyang have never established diplomatic relations, a technical state of war persists on the peninsula and North Korea is not believed to have actually taken any promised steps toward giving up its nuclear arsenal.

Earlier in the day, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters such a second Trump-Kim summit would have enormous value and he is confident it will happen.

Diplomacy continues to help Chairman Kim get to the right place to honor the promise he made to President Trump in Singapore during the initial summit with leader Kim, according to Pompeo.

Im confident that will happen, Pompeo replied to skepticism expressed by reporters at a news conference Monday alongside National Security Adviser John Bolton and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. But to set a date certain for North Korean denuclearization would be foolish, according to Pompeo who stated he expects to go again to Pyongyang to arrange a second summit.

Lord willing, Ill be traveling before the end of the year, Pompeo said.

The secretary of state declined to discuss particular sticking points and to what extent the two countries are talking about the dismantling of North Koreas nuclear and long-range missile programs.

Theres lots going on, according to Pompeo. Were not going to talk about the state of the negotiations. But he said the goal remains the complete, verified, irreversible, denuclearization of North Korea.

At the United Nations earlier, Trump cited his administration's "tremendous progress" on North Korea.

The president cited a recent "beautiful letter," sent to him from Kim, in which the North Korean leader asked for a second meeting.

The comments come a year after Trump used a U.N. speech to threaten to "totally destroy" North Korea and called Kim "rocket man."

Since then Trump has changed his tone. After his initial historic meeting with Kim in June, the president insisted a deal had been reached under which North Korea would abandon its nuclear weapons.

Prior to a second Trump-Kim summit the Trump Administration should demand tangible progress by North Korea toward denuclearization, such as a declaration of WMDs and facilities, permitting onsite inspections, a clear commitment and timetable to end production and destroy weapons of mass destruction or other steps, says Heritage Foundation Senior Research Fellow Brett Schaefer.

Rewarding North Korea with a meeting without tangible progress would be a mistake, Schaefer tells VOA.President Donald Trump has expressed strong support for his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, despite a new allegation of sexual misconduct against him.

Speaking in New York, Trump said the allegations against Kavanaugh are "totally political."

"Theres a chance that this could be one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything, but I am with Judge Kavanaugh," Trump said, calling him an "outstanding person."

The New Yorker magazine reported Sunday two U.S. senators are investigating a charge Kavanaugh exposed himself at a Yale University dormitory party during the 1983-1984 academic year. Deborah Ramirez described the incident in an interview after being contacted by the magazine.

Ramirez admitted she had been drinking and she has gaps in her memories. But after consulting a lawyer, Ramirez said she felt confident in her recollection.

Kavanaugh denied the allegations calling them "smears, pure and simple."

In a statement released through the Senate Judiciary Committee Kavanaugh said the smears "are a threat to any man or woman who wishes to serve our country. Such grotesque and obvious character assassination - if allowed to succeed - will dissuade competent and good people of all political persuasions from service."

A White House statement denounced the accusation, "This 35-year-old uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear a good man down," it said. "This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh has also denied allegations by a woman who claimed he sexually assaulted her when they were both high school teenagers in 1982.

The woman, Christine Blasey Ford is expected to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary committee .

But the new allegations that were reported Sunday have prompted a key senator to call for "an immediate postponement" of any further proceedings by the committee, which is considering Kavanaugh's nomination. California's Diane Feinstein, the committee's top Democrat, sent a letter Sunday to Republican chairman Chuck Grassley urging him to refer the new allegations to the FBI in order to ensure "a fair, independent process that will gather all the facts."

Ford's lawyers are not pleased with, but agreed to the committee's decision not to call any other witnesses. They include Kavanaugh's friend, Mike Judge, who Ford says was in the room when the alleged sexual attack occurred. Judge has said the incident did not occur.

"Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr. Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her," the lawyers said in a statement.

In his statement Sunday, Kavanaugh said he is looking forward "to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name - and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building - against these last-minute allegations."

Kavanaugh is Trump's choice to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court created by Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement.

His confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate seemed assured until Ford alleged in a Washington Post interview that a drunken 17-year-old Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and tried to tear her clothes off. She says he put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream.Ugandan opposition lawmaker Robert Kyagulanyi is appealing to President Yoweri Museveni to place statesmanship ahead of political ambitions. In his first official address to the media since his return from the U.S. last week, Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, asked Museveni to think about his life after office.



We want to be free to express our opinions without fear of persecution. This was the message that opposition lawmaker Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, directed at President Yoweri Museveni Monday.

It was Kyagulani's first news conference since he returned from the United States, where he was receiving medical treatment for injuries he says he received last month while in police custody.

He accused Museveni of becoming a tyrant who has turned Ugandans into fugitives because they hold a contrary opinion to his.

Kyagulani appealed to Museveni to care more for the next generation instead of the next general elections.

Just like there was a time when you are not in power, you must remember that there will be a time when you are not in power. So, you should treat people the way you want to be treated," he said. "The nation has always been looking up to you. It is not too late Mr President to do what is right. It is not too late to listen to our cries. It is not too late to save your legacy Mr. President.

VOA reached out to a government spokesman for comment on Kyagulani's remarks but received no reply.

Police and soldiers were out in force when Kyagulani landed at Entebbe International Airport last week, to prevent his supporters from holding any marches or rallies.

Political analyst Andrew Karamaji describes Kyagulanyis message to Museveni as one of reconciliation. But he doubts Karamaji the Ugandan leader will consider the message.



I think that he ought to self-introspect and think about what has gone on before, the contribution he has made," he said. "The interest of safeguarding his legacy, whatever he has done, which he is now starting to unravel and destroy. And think about those things and now move towards securing that legacy and ensuring that we have the first peaceful transition in our country.

Kyagulanyi and 32 others face treason charges for allegedly throwing stones at President Musevenis convoy in the town of Arua. If convicted, they could face the death penalty.Ugandan opposition lawmaker Robert Kyagulanyi is appealing to President Yoweri Museveni to place statesmanship ahead of political ambitions. In his first official address to the media since his return from the U.S. last week, Kyagulanyi, better known as Bobi Wine, asked Museveni to think about his life after office. Halima Athumani reports from Kampala.There may be indications North Korea is finally getting serious about giving up its nuclear arsenal in order to improve the lives of its citizens.

U.S. intelligence officials have long doubted the sincerity of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his representatives when it comes to abandoning their nuclear capabilities, but CIA Director Gina Haspel said Monday there may be reason for hope.

"There does seem to be a suggestion that Kim Jong Un, Chairman Kim, understands and wants to take steps to improve the economic plight of the North Korean people," Haspel told an audience at the University of Louisville, her first public appearance since being confirmed as the spy agency's director in May.

Haspel reaffirmed the long-standing U.S. intelligence view that North Korean officials see the country's nuclear weapons program as "essential to their regime's survival," noting that getting Pyongyang to change course will still be a tough sell.

"The regime has spent decades building their nuclear weapons program," she said. "The North Koreans view their capability as leverage and I don't think that they want to give it up easily."

"We're certainly in a better place than we were in 2017 because of the dialogue we've established between our two leaders, the president and Kim Jong Un," Haspel added.

While U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed some optimism about progress with North Korea and about his relationship with Kim, U.S. intelligence officials have been largely skeptical.

Earlier this month, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told a conference in Washington that the U.S. intelligence assessment of North Korea's nuclear intentions had not changed despite some symbolic steps by Pyongyang in early June to destroy the entrances to some nuclear testing tunnels and to start dismantling some other equipment.

"Kim Jong Un sees nuclear weapons as key to the regime's survival and as leverage to achieve his long-term strategic ambitions," he said. "Absent mechanisms for the on the ground verification by inspectors, we cannot confirm that North Korea has taken any other denuclearization steps at this time.

"This North Korean commitment  and I put commitment in parentheses  to denuclearize presents a huge and critical challenge," Coats added.The United States' premier spy agency is looking to expand its presence around the globe in order to eliminate so-called "intelligence gaps" and take on the growing threat from major powers like Russia and China.

CIA Director Gina Haspel on Monday called the shift from counterterrorism back to more traditional espionage against nation-states "a strategic priority," saying the need to get better intelligence on current and potential U.S. rivals is among "the hardest issues" facing the spy agency.

"We are sharpening our focus on nation-state adversaries," Haspel told an audience at her alma mater, the University of Louisville, in her first public appearance since being sworn in as CIA director this past May.

Haspel also said she is intent on "increasing the number of officers stationed overseas."

"Having a larger foreign footprint allows for a robust posture," she said.

As part of that push, Haspel said the CIA is hoping to recruit more foreign language speakers, including those fluent in Chinese, Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, French and Spanish.

She also said the spy agency "is working more closely than ever with our allies across the world."

Haspel's comments reflect priorities laid out in the broader U.S. National Security Strategy late last year, which calls for countering moves by various adversaries to shift the global balance of power in ways that have been unfavorable to the United States.

China concerns

The CIA director voiced particular concerns about China, which she said was "working to diminish U.S. influence in order to advance their own goals."

"We do monitor very closely what appears to be an effort to expand their influence beyond their own region, in places like Africa, Latin America, the Pacific islands, South Asia," she said.

"We are concerned by some of the tactics they use, offering poor countries, investments, and loans that perhaps those countries are not going to be able to repay," Haspel said. "We want those countries to be aware of their own sovereignty and how foreign investment in their infrastructure and their national security infrastructure can ultimately compromise their sovereignty."

CIA priorities

Haspel laid out several other priorities, as well:

Diversity: Haspel said that when she was at the CIA in the late 1980s, it "was a thoroughly male-dominated organization.

"It should come as no surprise that one of my top priorities since becoming director has been to champion diversity and inclusion," she said. "Our global mission at CIA demands we recruit and retain America's best and brightest, regardless of gender, race or cultural background."

Drugs: "CIA is going to invest more heavily in our counternarcotics efforts abroad," Haspel said, calling the opioid epidemic a threat "that has killed far more Americans than any terrorist group ever has."

Iran: Haspel called the amount of money Tehran continues to spend on propping up the government on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to expand its influence in Baghdad and to back the Houthis in Yemen, "surprising" given the country's economic struggles.

"We are we are watching very closely, Iran's malign activity in the region. And we'd like to push back against that activity, so those countries can carve their own course," she added.

Transparency: "Nothing is more important to those of us at CIA than our obligation to earn the trust of our fellow citizens," Haspel said. "There's not another major intelligence agency in the world subject to oversight authority as comprehensive as our own but that's as it should be."

Prior to her confirmation as CIA director, Haspel had been heavily criticized for her role in supervising a secret interrogation center in Thailand and destroying tapes of interrogation sessions.

Morale: "CIA is a very resilient workforce and we tend to be extremely mission-focused," Haspel said. "We tend not to pay attention to the political fray in the capital."The Vietnamese president who died this month will be remembered for heading a tough public security ministry but otherwise as a low-key functionary who followed the will of a more powerful Communist Party general-secretary in stopping dissent, graft and any barriers to economic development.

President Tran Dai Quang died Friday at age 61 after fighting an illness for several months, scholars and state-backed Vietnamese media say. He was half way through a five-year term.

Quang will be remembered for his police background, staunch support for Communist Party General-Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and ceremonial appearances with foreign heads of state, people who follow Vietnamese politics say. Those roles meant endorsing a crackdown against political dissent, busting graft in state-run companies and stumping for stronger trade deals with major countries.

The office of state president is largely symbolic and carries little substantive power in Vietnam's political system, said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor with the University of New South Wales in Australia. Quang was the quintessential grey man who blended into the background of Vietnam's collective leadership. There will be no major change in Vietnam's economic strategy or political system as a result of [his] passing.

Frowned on dissent, corruption

Quang was educated in Vietnam and came from a military background that won him two major awards.

He worked from 2011 to 2016 as public security minister and oversaw a phase of Vietnams dissent crackdown that targeted online commentators. In 2016, for example, a blogger nicknamed Mother Mushroom was arrested on suspicion of propagandizing against the state. She received a 10-year prison sentence last year.

Quang will probably be best remembered for running the Ministry of Public Security, which in recent years has come down quite hard on democracy activists, bloggers and human rights lawyers, who the government fears are trying to overthrow the Communist regime, said Murray Hiebert, deputy director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Quangs proteges and allies in the Ministry of Public Security can be expected to keep a tight lid on protests and clamoring for more democracy, Hiebert said.

Quang was at least an informal backer of a party-driven anti-graft crackdown that became visible last year with the arrests of state-owned company executives. Common Vietnamese were growing angry then about corruption.

In the best-known recent anti-graft case, the former chairman of state-owned gas and oil firm PetroVietnam was sentenced to death, and an official from Vietnam-based OceanBank received life in prison over a multi-million-dollar graft case. In January, 22 other officials from PetroVietnam and its affiliates went on trial.

Toughness aside, many in Vietnam will remember Quang for empathy to anti-China protests in June, Thayer said. Protesters gathered in pockets around Vietnam to oppose a draft law that could let Chinese investors sign 99-year leases in three proposed special economic zones. The National Assembly delayed the issue until 2019.

Ceremonial role for foreign trade and investment

As president, Quang appeared in public largely to meet foreign heads of state, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Quang used those meetings to stimulate trade, the lifeblood for Vietnams economy as it depends largely on export manufacturing. Exports have led economic growth of around 6 percent per year since 2012.

Vietnam hopes to cement an 11-member Trans Pacific Partnership, even without the United States after it withdrew last year, and finalize a free trade deal with the European Union. Vietnam counts the United States as its top single-country export destination and shipped $46.5 billion worth of goods there last year.

Quang had taken a low-key role in decision making over the past half year as he sought medical treatment in Japan, said Trung Nguyen, director of the Center for International Studies at Ho Chi Minh University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Still, the position of president called on Quang to get involved in a bit of everything. I would assume that he would be involved in all aspects of government policy in some way, said Kevin Snowball, chief executive officer with PXP Vietnam Asset Management in Ho Chi Minh City.

Smooth transition

Quangs worked at times to balance his own power against that of the prime minister, some analysts say. The president is head of state and runs the military. The prime minister is the executive over other government departments.

In Vietnams political system, the president doesnt have a lot of power, but [Quang] knows how to share the power between the prime minister and the president, Nguyen said.

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh has already taken over as acting president until the National Assembly officially picks a new one. Several people, including the party chiefs right-hand man, have surfaced as possible long-term successors, Nguyen said.World leaders Monday recommitted themselves to the search for peace as they gathered for a United Nations summit marking the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's birth.

The session was being held ahead of Tuesday's start of the annual debate of the U.N. General Assembly, where most of the world's leaders are gathered this week.

"Today, we remember a man of great wisdom, quiet dignity and towering achievement, who worked tirelessly for peace and human dignity for people everywhere," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday at the summit's opening. "This is our organization's purpose, and as leaders, it is our responsibility."

South Africa also gifted the U.N. with a life-sized bronze statue of Mandela  smiling, with arms raised  which South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled just before the summit.

"He would come to represent the hopes of millions of South Africans who dreamt of a life unshackled from a system that would limit their potential and stifle their possibilities based merely on the shade of their skin," Ramaphosa said later at the summit.

The African Union declared 2014-2024 the Nelson Mandela Decade for Reconciliation in Africa. On July 18, 1918, the man affectionately known as "Madiba" was born in the South African village of Mvezo. Mandela died five years ago. In 1994, he was elected South Africa's first black president.

Leaders and ministers from nearly 160 countries honored Mandela's commitment to peace and democracy and his tremendous personal sacrifices to end apartheid in his country.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the African Union Commission, spoke of how Mandela would react to the many challenges facing the world today.

"He would have certainly have said not to be fatalistic. He would have told us certainly not to abandon our struggle for life," Faki said. "Neither would he have told us to resolve conflicts through fire and blood, nor through hatred, exclusion, repression and oppression of the other. He would have invited us to redouble our efforts  to dare to fight, to dare to win."

During his lifetime, Mandela founded an organization known as The Elders, which mobilizes former leaders to work together for peace and human rights.

Mandela's widow, Graca Machel, who co-founded the group, declared, "It is time to say, 'Enough is enough!'" She told leaders, "Do not let this just be another summit of statements. Bold unprecedented action must follow."

She urged them to address root causes that fuel conflicts and put aside ego-driven decision-making and inflexible political beliefs.

"You have a moral imperative and the ability to bring the death and destruction we witness on a daily basis to an end," Machal added. "Humankind will hold you accountable should you allow suffering to continue on your watch."Former Local Government Minister and Zanu PF Politburo member, Saviour Kasukuwere, who is facing four charges of criminal abuse of office, handed himself to the police Monday.

Kasukuwere allegedly engaged in shady land and investment deals when he was minister under former President Robert Mugabes government, which was toppled following the intervention of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and parliament.

Kasukuwere, former Youth Minister Patrick Zhuwao, former Higher Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo and several others linked to the Generation 40 faction of the ruling party fled the country after the army said it was targeting criminals surrounding Mugabe.

The Generation 40 faction allegedly wanted former First Lady Grace Mugabe to succeed her husband after Mugabe fired then Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa for undermining the authority of the president.

Kasukuweres lawyer, Jonathan Samkange, told VOA Studio 7 his client is expected to appear in court soon.

He said Kasukuwere handed himself to the police following indications that they wanted to talk to him in connection with several issues of national interest.The URL has been copied to your clipboard

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Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa met with fellow citizens in New York, Sunday, ahead of UNGA. Mnangagwa addressed the diaspora vote, corruption, land reform and other issues of concern to the diaspora. Blessing Zulu of VOAs Zimbabwe Service reports for VOA Africa 54 from New York.Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM

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Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens."We are here for them, for us it is a way of living."

Seventy years. That's how long Katahdin Motors in Millinocket has been providing Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicles to folks in Northern Maine and beyond.

The dealership has been owned by the Murphy family for generations.

"It's just to carry on the tradition of the family that's all."

Katahdin Motors is currently owned by F. John Murphy while his three sons all work there with him.

They are the largest Cadillac dealer in the state of Maine with their focus being making folks happy.

"You can't be in a small town and provide lousy service, cheat the people, and not be competitive and do it for seventy years in a town like Millinocket. You got to be fair and if you tell someone you are going to do it you need to do the best to make sure you do it.

They provide new and used vehicles with a wide selection of trucks, cars, and SUVs.

There is even some oldie but goodies kicking around to view that are owned by Murphy.

"That is actually a 1946 Chevrolet pickup that our grandfather sold brand new and now belongs to our father."

The brothers can recall hanging out at the dealership just as little kids and say they always knew they wanted to work with cars.

"I have wanted to be in the cars business since the second grade this is what I wanted to do."

They say locals have been buying vehicles off them for quite some time.

"Some of them for decades. Some of them watched my father grow up and most of them have watched us grow up and they know us and they know if we say we are going to do it we are going to do it."

"It's very important to us. It is very important to the community that we are here and provide a service. Without us, they would have to travel quite a distance to just get basic services."

Mike Murphy says there is one secret when it comes to keeping a business alive.

"Just keep on keeping on."Deepak Malik who has been a director on the board of Dfcu bank has finally resigned and left the board of the bank.

According to an internal memo, Malik ceased being a member of the board on September 21, 2018. The board had early hinted on his resignation as being normal.

The board of directors of Dfcu (the company) informs its shareholders and general public of the resignation of Mr Malik as a directorin the company with effect from the 21th of September 2018. Mr Malik joined the board in November 2007 as an independent director and resigns due to increased professional commitments following his appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of AriseBV, the majority shareholder in the company

Eagle Online has reliably learnt most mid managers have resigned at the bank since a Kenyan human resource consultant was brought in the restructuring process.

He also serves as the Head of Department  Financial Institutions and part of the management team at Norfund.

Stories Continues after ad

Arise B.V. first acquired a majority stake of over 50 per cent in Dfcu Limited, the holding company of Dfcu Bank after lending US $50 million in February 2017. The money was to help DFCU Bank meet its short-term capitalisation needs after it controversially took over Crane Bank in January 2017.

Arise B.V. acquired the stake in DFCU Bank from two previous largest shareholders of Dfcu Bank-Rabo Development B.V and Norfinance AS (Norfund) which had a 27.54 per cent stake each to become the largest majority shareholder in Dfcu Bank.

The South Africa-based company was to support Dfcu Limited via long-term investment in the banks growth ambitions, especially to enable the bank to improve its market position and efficiencies especially after acquiring Crane Bank Limited in a deal many analysts believe had financial flaws.

Maliks resignation as a non executive director means the Dfcu board is now left with five other non-executive directors led by All Elly Karuhanga as Chairman. Others directors are; Albert Jonkergouw, Winifred Tarinyeba- Kiryabwire, Frederick Kironde Lule and Michael Alan Turner.

Analysts say the Maliks decision to resign confirms reports that Arise B.V. intends to leave especially that Britains Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) Group intends to exit, following Dfcu Banks controversial acquisition of Crane Bank Limited in January last year at only Shs200 billion yet Crane Bank had assets worth over Shs1 trillion.

Reports indicate that CDC is leaving for various reasons which include poor economy but some sources say CDC wants to dodge paying taxes on its dividends. Other sources intimated to Eagle Online that top executives at Arise B.V. decided to plan exiting Dfcu Bank in fear that CDC was leaving them trouble, they being new and majority shareholders of Dfcu Bank.

Financial analysts say with the revelation by Auditor General that Dfcu acquired Crane Bank Limited and yet it was the valuer and at the same time a buyer could land top Bank of Uganda executives in trouble as big shareholders of Dfcu are spending sleepless nights. The situation is made worse as the case is also in court.



Back to Malik

Mr. Malik joined Norfund as an Investment Director in 2003 where his efforts were spent in promoting Norwegian investments in Southern Africa and the region.

He was previously the Regional Director of South Africa at Norfund. He has started his career at SIEMENS (India) in 1982, after which he opened a private consultancy in 1984, specialising in financial services. He was then appointed as audit manager for KPMG in 1988, following which he became Financial Director for ZAL HOLDINGS (Ltd)  a subsidiary of Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Limited.

In 1993 he became the Financial Controller for Mulungushi Investments and in 1994 was appointed as the Manager Operations Accounting. In 1995 he was appointed General Manager for Group Procurement. Mr. Malik was responsible for the regional office for Africa. He served as an Acting Head of Department Financial institutions and SME at Norfund.

He also served as the Regional Representative at The Industrialization Fund for Developing Countries, of Denmark. Previously, Mr. Maliks vast experience included his roles as a Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at the Development Bank of Zambia, as a General Manager at Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines and as an Audit Manager at KPMG. He serves as the Chairman of AfriCap Microfinance Investment Company. He is on the Board of Directors of various companies, including financial institutions and private equity funds.

He is a Non-Executive Director of Real People (Pty) Ltd. since July 20, 2011. He serves as a Non-Executive Director at Equity Group Holdings Limited. He is a Non-Executive Director of Equity Group Holdings Limited since April 29, 2015. He had served as a Non-Executive Director of Real People Investment Holdings Limited since May 28, 2015. He served as a Board Member of Norwegian Microfinance Initiative.

He served as a Director of NMBZ Holdings Limited and NMB Bank Limited from January 31, 2014 to October 22, 2014. He is also the Head of Financial Institutions Department of Norfund, covering Africa, South Asia and Central America.

He is also part of the Executive Management team of Norfund. He has over 35 years experience and has a diverse experience in general management, development banking, banking, private equity, audit, microfinance, corporate and public finance, project financing, financial restructuring and privatization in emerging markets, mining, procurement and financial management.

His specialization is working with multilateral/bilateral financial institutions and he also has an extensive knowledge of developing countries. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) from the University of Delhi, India.

DFCU Shareholding percentages

Arise BV 58.71 per cent

CDC Group of the United Kingdom 9.97 per cent

National Social Security Fund (Uganda) 7.69 per cent

Kimberlite Frontier Africa Naster Fund 6.15 per cent

2 undisclosed Institutional Investors 3.22 per cent

SSB-Conrad N. Hilton Foundation 0.98 per cent

Vanderbilt University 0.87 per cent

Blakeney Management 0.63 per cent

Retail investors 11.19 per cent

BoU staff retirement benefit scheme is 0.59 per centFormer Gestapo headquarters houses Historical Museum of the Liberation of Rome.

Housed in a former SS prison, Rome's Liberation Museum documents the persecution of Jews and resistance figures who were tortured here during the Nazi occupation of Rome from 1943-1944.

The three-storey museum, located on a quiet side street in the S. Giovanni neighbourhood, contains archive photographs and documents as well as personal items belonging to the victims of the Nazi massacres at Fosse Ardeatine and Forte Bravetta.

Visitors can also access the windowless cells in which the prisoners were tortured.

Entry is free but donations are encouraged for the museum's upkeep.

For full information see museum website.Oil prices have been on a roller coaster over the past decade. They peaked in the $140s a decade ago. They dipped down to $26 a barrel in 2016 and danced in the $30 range for a while. But mostly the prices bobbed in the $40-to-$50-per-barrel range from 2015 through late 2017.I worked [in shopping malls] for a long time. Its harsh because theres an aspect of  if youre on the sales force, especially  projecting this sincerity, projecting this interest when you would rather be doing anything else and also not being paid well for that work. Theres also at certain points maybe the fear that this is what the rest of my life will look like. But you do find little moments of joy inside it when you can. Sometimes  as I tried to talk about in the story, in retail you do feel like youre really helping someone. I remember people would come in, and theyd want certain kinds of clothes with no color and no tags, and Id be able to get the right ones for them. And they could maybe get those clothes to somebody in prison because there are a lot of very strict codes about what you can wear when youre incarcerated. So, it was dispiriting, but you make the best of it, and it gave me a lot, obviously, of things to write about.In a statement to The Post, Mattis called Faller an exceptional naval officer and respected military leader. I have selected him twice to serve alongside me. . . . Over many decades he has served with distinction. I recommended him to the President for this promotion because he has my full faith and confidence and is the right person for this position of trust. I firmly and resolutely support his nomination.For other chefs, deli is about more meaningful connections in the kitchen. Cooks are saying: This is my background and my heritage. I may be trained in French cuisine, but why not apply it to things I care about?  said Steve Cook, 45, who opened Philadelphias Rooster in July with James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Solomonov, his business partner. People are now bringing the same degree of rigor to ethnic foods like pastrami. And as the industry gets more competitive, something personal like Jewish deli is an advantage.Todays Headlines

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By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy PolicyRamirez acknowledges that she was drunk, and there are gaps in her memory. Ford also cant remember some details as well, including the exact day and location of the party. But if it happened the way Ford alleges  being pushed into a room by Kavanaugh and another classmate, where they turned up the music and he covered her mouth to muffle her panic  this is where fumbling teen groping ended and abhorrent criminality began.At the end of the debate, both candidates distanced themselves from President Trump when asked what they would say to him if given a minute in the Oval Office. Hogan said he would tell the president to stay off Twitter and quit being divisive.Victims were persuaded to withdraw large amounts and place them inside black pillowcases or under mattresses. The energy in their bodies would then migrate to the bills, they were told, according to court records. Markss next step: convincing her clients to give her the cash so she could place it before an altar at her church to help her break evil curses before the money was returned. The more cash they lent to the altar, she would say as the weeks went by, the more commitment the clients were displaying to what Marks called her spirit guides.Holtons apartment has a view of an interior courtyard, not of the street that was filled with firetrucks. Holton said he heard someone banging on his door Wednesday  the day of the fire  but his door was stuck. They were trying to get in, but they couldnt get in, he said. He had no idea who it was; several groups were inside the building helping to get residents out. His phone had died. Kilsheimer said the electricity was turned off Saturday night.Less than an hour later, around 1:10 a.m., police were sent to the 1400 block of Howard Road Southeast, in the Barry Farm neighborhood, for a report of gunfire. The victim, 28-year-old Ervin Eugene Watkins, of Southeast, had already gone to hospital, where he arrived with multiple gunshot wounds, police said.The 2014 case, likely to be tried in October, could become the next test of whether the Supreme Court is willing to overturn decades of precedent and ban consideration of race in admissions. The high court has affirmed multiple times, most recently in 2016, that schools may take race into account as one factor among many in pursuit of assembling a diverse class, although it also placed limits on the practice.As political tactic, exploiting family splits is tempting. If candidates own flesh and blood wont support them, why should voters? But its hard not to feel a pang of sympathy for candidates whose families turn against them. Campaigning is difficult enough, dealing with fundraising, 18-hour days and barrages of attack ads, without being shivved by a relative. At least the knives only come out metaphorically these days  for centuries, politics was a genuinely bloody family business, going back at least as far as the Ptolemy dynasty in ancient Egypt. It was rare, historian Stacy Schiff once wrote of Cleopatras clan, to find a member of the family who did not liquidate a relative or two.The global response to these developments, however, has been muted. Many are still unaware even of the existence of these camps. Reporting on the situation is hindered by an information blockade by the Chinese state, which denies even the existence of any such camps. And those who stand up and speak out openly against these policies may face the wrath of a rising power that is determinedly hostile to criticism.These petty, discriminatory measures are an expression of frustration with a war that doesnt end. They are also pointless, because a more profound, tectonic shift is already underway. Thanks to the war, and to their anger at its perpetrators, Ukrainians themselves are choosing to speak Ukrainian  more say they do every year. Thanks to the war, the different regions of this vast country are drawing more closely together. Many complain that the war also gives Ukrainian politicians an excuse not to do things, not to make the radical economic and legal reforms that the country still needs. But thanks to the war, more Ukrainians also identify themselves as European, in opposition to Russia, and more Ukrainians understand that this Europeanness means they need to be vocal and organized in their desire for change.The moment during Donald Trumps presidential campaign when he issued a list of potential Supreme Court nominees prescreened by conservative ideologues guaranteed the extreme politicization we are witnessing. Especially important: White evangelical Christians in large numbers were able to use Trumps promise to name judges friendly to their viewpoint as a rationale for playing down all the ways in which the now-president (to be charitable) fell short of their moral standards. Give us the judges, they said, and all else will be forgiven.Our founders would be astonished at how life today compares with the poverty and the misery of the 1840s. Global life expectancy in the past 175 years has risen from a little under 30 years to over 70. The share of people living below the threshold of extreme poverty has fallen from about 80% to 8% . . . . Literacy rates are up more than fivefold, to over 80%. Civil rights and the rule of law are incomparably more robust than . . . only a few decades ago.In reading the Sept. 23 Metro article on the ending of efforts to create a Vietnam War education center, I was taken aback by the use of people in reference to the war dead. The article cited the 58,000 people who died in the war, seemingly ignoring the millions of Vietnamese people who also lost their lives in that war. When I visited Hanoi in 2016, there were several war veterans in our group. Some were apprehensive about being there. As we exited customs, we were greeted by a large sign, Popeyes, Louisiana Cuisine. A Starbucks coffee shop was in our hotel. In talking with one of our Vietnamese guides, I asked him what the people of Vietnam thought about American visitors, having lost so many people in the war. He was quick to say the Vietnamese were happy to have us come and visit. There was no problem: Its over; we won the war.Monday morning produced hours of high drama over Rosenstein, as cable channels and news organizations tried to sort out conflicting descriptions from the White House and the Justice Department of Rosensteins visit to the White House. In newsrooms, reporters watched their Twitter feeds as they plumbed sources for reliable information. Was Rosenstein ready to resign because of reports that he had talked about secretly taping the president and seeking to have the 25th Amendment invoked to declare Trump unfit for office? Was he about to be fired because of those reports? Or was it neither?In a tweet Friday, Trump had directly attacked Fords credibility, writing: I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. Aides to several Senate Republicans working closely on the Kavanaugh nomination said they were caught off guard by the allegation detailed in the New Yorker. A spokesman for McConnell said that his office was not aware of the allegations before Sunday evening  and that specifically, Senate Democrats did not inform Republicans about the accusation.Attorneys for Craig say that although he wrote the report, he played no role in the lobbying campaign. They acknowledge that he consulted with Manafort, but say Manafort did not direct Craigs work. They said they do not believe Craig needed to register as a foreign lobbyist because he did not lobby government officials or engage in public relations activity.If you had people like the mayor of San Juan, whatever her name may be, she is a horror show, Trump said. She was so bad and so disrespectful to our military, to our first responders, and to our great FEMA people, who did a phenomenal job, he added, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.Some foreign affairs analysts said Trumps preoccupation with his domestic crises are the byproduct of a president who is unable to compartmentalize the duties of office. Trump is so consumed by his focus on maintaining support from his conservative political base that he views virtually everything through that lens, said P.J. Crowley, a former assistant secretary of state in the Obama administration.There are lots of theories about the U.S.s motivations behind the trade war, said Cheng Xiaohe, a professor of international studies at Renmin University in Beijing. Some say the U.S. is trying to stop China from catching up in the high-tech field or that the U.S. wants to prevent China from rising, and some say Trump wants to boost the GOPs chances in the midterms. I think its all those things together.Abuse of that magnitude constitutes one of the largest Catholic Church scandals in Europe. But at the same time, it is not altogether surprising to many church watchers. Evidence of widespread abuse and its coverup has been found in every jurisdiction that has launched an investigation. Australia, Chile and several U.S. states are part of the growing list.The flare-up in tensions between Russia and Israel marks a turnabout after months of personal diplomacy between Putin and Netanyahu, in which the two leaders forged a close relationship. A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman described Israels actions leading to the shoot-down last week as ungrateful, given what he said were Russian accommodations of Israeli requests, including relocating Iranian troops from the border of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and providing Russian patrols in the area.In a speech last year before he joined the White House, Bolton said the declared policy of the United States should be the overthrow of the regime in Tehran. The behavior and the objectives of the regime are not going to change, he said. And therefore the only solution is to change the regime itself. But at a briefing Monday, he said regime change in Iran is not the Trump administrations aim. Rather, he said, the administration is seeking massive changes in Irans behavior as a result of maximum pressure from the United States.The Trump administration has slashed the maximum number of refugees it will let in next year to less than a third of what it was during the Obama administration. This year, the United States will admit about 21,000 refugees, fewer than the ceiling of 45,000. Next years cap of 30,000 may not be reached, either, as the administration says it will focus on processing a backlog of 800,000 asylum seekers already in the country provisionally.As often happens in government, the two sides heading for a high-stakes confrontation decided instead to hold another meeting. At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C.In her first public remarks since being confirmed in May, Gina Haspel laid out her plan to return the agency to the work that was at the heart of its espionage mission before the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, which transformed the CIA into a paramilitary organization that conducted lethal operations against terrorists around the word.China has refused to cave amid Trumps escalating threats. Officials on Friday canceled trade negotiations that were scheduled this week in Washington and then scrapped military talks with the United States that were supposed to start in Beijing on Tuesday. (Beijing abandoned the defense-related conversations in response to American sanctions imposed last week on Chinese military personnel for buying combat aircraft and missile supplies from Russia.)The Australian Broadcasting Corporations acting managing director David Anderson has denied he was one of the members of Michelle Guthries leadership team that threatened to quit if the board did not replace her, and confirmed his hopes to hold onto the job as the public broadcaster's boss.

In his first interview in the role since Ms Guthrie was sacked on Monday Mr Anderson told ABC News Morning Breakfast on Tuesday the axeing of the former broadcasters boss was a board decision ... their decisions, their deliberations and he was not involved in the discussions.

However, he described her leadership style, which sources have said was one of the reasons she fell out of favour with staff and the board, as dynamic and as someone who challenged us in many ways to be better, challenged us to free up more money for content.

Her leadership style was there for everyone to see and there'll always be different opinions about people and how they lead, he said.Ricketson reserved a special thanks for his son Jesse and partner Alex for moving to Cambodia to help secure his release. "I appreciate that enormously because thats a huge sacrifice and an indication in action of the love that they have for me." The ordeal began in June 2017, when Ricketson was arrested for flying a drone over an opposition rally, taking photographs of the heavy security presence. Having lived and worked in Cambodia for 22 years, Ricketson's work largely focused on the underprivileged, including documenting the lives of children who scavenged on a large rubbish dump on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. He was an outspoken critic of the so-called Cambodia solution, a controversial scheme under which Australia resettled four refugees. Ricketson spent a year in pre-trial detention, and his trial in August was widely criticised by observers and human rights advocates as unjust.

Ricketson said his love for Cambodia was undiminished, pledging to return as soon as his health allowed. Loading "My relationship with Cambodia has been a 20-year love affair and the last 15, almost 16 months has been like a lovers' quarrel," he said. "I'll be going back as soon as I can but I'll need to recover, obviously. I need to spend some time with myself and some time with my family." "I dont love Cambodia any less now as a result of what has happened. In fact if anything I love it more."

Asked what he was most looking forward to doing, he was unequivocal: A swim in the ocean! Daughter Roxanne Holmes said it was wonderful to have her father home. "Were all really elated, excited," she said. She told Fairfax Media immediately after the pardon was announced that it came "out of the blue" but the family was incredibly grateful for the support they had received, including more than 107,000 people who signed the Change.org petition. "But the first thing he will want to do is to have some space, get some medical treatment," she had said.

Ricketson confessed to being exhausted. "I dont want to wind up saying the wrong things in a state of being in tiredness and shock." Loading Asked whether he was frustrated by the Australian government's handling of his case, Mr Ricketson was cagey. Let me just say there is room for improvement, but Ill leave it at that. I really need to go home and go to bed.

"I do have a good story to tell, but now at the airport is definitely not the right time to tell it. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said "the 14 months of hell" Ricketson endured should not be forgotten in light of the pardon. No one should overlook the bogus criminal charge of espionage and how the Cambodian government cruelly used him as a pawn to give substance to their fantasy political conspiracy of a so-called colour revolution," Mr Robertson said in a statement. Ricketson, who was accused of espionage, exits the prison van as he arrives at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for a court appearance. Credit:Kate Geraghty "Apparently now that Prime Minister Hun Sen has destroyed the political opposition and garnered all the seats in Parliament, he gave the green light to let Ricketson go. This very welcome release does not erase the shameful procession of farcical questions and evidence that a Cambodian kangaroo court used to convict Ricketson nor the reputational damage this case has brought to the Cambodian judiciary.Police have charged a 22-year-old man from Mandurah over an alleged sexual assault at the University of Western Australia on the weekend.

The man allegedly sexually assaulted a woman about 8.30am on Saturday.

The man will face court on Monday. Credit:Craig Sillitoe

Police allege the incident occurred at a UWA toilet block near Mounts Bay Road, Crawley.

The man was arrested by Sex Assault Squad detectives and charged with six counts of sexual penetration without consent and one count of assault occasioning bodily harm.Her testimony  and Thomass confirmation in spite of that testimony  also remade Congress. The next years elections were commonly known as the Year of the Woman, as three women won election to the Senate and 24 to the House. Small numbers, to be sure, but when Anita Hill testified, only two of the 100 Senators were women; by mid-1993, 6 were. (Twenty-five years later, there are 23 women Senators, an all-time high.)

The legal system has changed as well. In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act, which provided billions of dollars to investigate and prosecute violent crimes against women. At the same time, states pushed to outlaw spousal rape, which in many states had been deemed legally impossible, because marriage was considered to imply consent.

Even the court itself has changed, expanding from one woman justice to three.

So much has changed that its hard to understand how, exactly, we find ourselves in such a similar position. If Ford decides to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, she will find herself questioned by a judiciary committee in which all 11 Republican members are white men  just as Anita Hill was.

The reason for the strong parallels between Ford and Hill is not that nothing has changed  its that the change has been asymmetrical. Back in 1991, it wasnt just the Republicans on the judiciary committee who were all men. The Democrats were, too. A year later, a man who would face several credible sexual harassment allegations was elected president: Democrat Bill Clinton. His accusers faced a harsh smear campaign run by Democratic operatives.Speakers of Parliament from the East African Community (EAC) have met in Juba, South Sudan to strengthen cooperation and promotion of peace in the region.

The legislators from South Sudan, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya met under the auspices of the Bureau of EAC Speakers.

The Speaker of the Uganda Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, stressed the significance of supporting each other, saying they have cultural and economic ties.

Uganda bears a big brunt when there is instability in South Sudan because of the resultant influx of refugees who then put pressure on schools, hospitals and general infrastructure. I have had discussions with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to give additional support to the host districts, Kadaga said.

She advocated for the actualization of the provision of EAC Customs Management Act in regard to free movement of labour, skills and capital. She said this will provide employment for the large population of the youth in the EAC.

I note that there is still a number of non-tariff barriers to trade and free movement of labour and capital amongst EAC partners, said Kadaga.

Further, she called on South Sudan to grant security for Ugandan traders, saying reports indicate that Ugandan traders are facing hostility from Sudanese.

During a meeting with Ugandan traders in Juba, I was informed that they required extra protection because they are being threatened with eviction by the locals yet they have invested a lot in the market, Kadaga said.

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The President of the Senate of Rwanda, Bernard Makuza, underscored the importance of cooperation in trade and infrastructure development as key in translating aspirations into practical results for the region.

Today more than ever, cooperation is not a choice but rather an imperative in real terms, said Makuza.

The Speaker of Burundi National Assembly Pascal Nyabenda called on EALA to support Burundi in its efforts to lift what he termed illegal sanctions by the EU on Burundi.

EU has imposed unjust economic and budgetary sanctions on Burundi which is counter-productive. In such conditions, it will not be easy for Burundi to sign an economic partnership agreement with EU, said Nyabenda.

The Speaker of the Kenyan Senate, Kenneth. M Lusaka, challenged the EAC Speakers to provide proper legal frameworks that will promote peaceful coexistence in the region and beyond.

Our Parliament is committed to ensuring that all Bills related with business from EALA are prioritized and considered within the stipulated timeline, Lusaka said. Adding that, I wish to urge you fellow Speakers to similarly ensure that all business related to the integration process is prioritized and given due attention.

Anthony Lino Makana, Speaker of the Transitional Legislative Assembly of the Republic of South Sudan pledged full support of the EALA activities.

In the third week of October, the plenary of EALA will be held here in Juba and we are looking forward to hosting the Inter Parliamentary Games in December, said Makana.

He however reminded fellow Speakers of their role in modeling the EAC through review and development of policies and structures that facilitate the regions aspirations.

There is need to strengthen EALA so that all the legislative parameters of integration are given due attention. States should benefit from joint infrastructural development, networking, cooperation in social and welfare projects and a unified voice in international community, said Makana.

The Outgoing Chairperson of the Bureau of EAC Speakers who is also the Speaker of EALA, Martin K Ngoga, said EALA has earmarked some additional activities for South Sudan as part of a contribution to the road map for full integration.

EALA has already received its nine elected members who are not only resourceful, but knowledgeable and committed to see integration work, said Ngoga.Model-turned-actor Dayana Erappa, the latest find of director Mani Ratnam, was excited to get to be part of his Chekka Chivantha Vaanam. However, her initial shoot in Serbia turned out to be more eventful than she anticipated. The actor was shooting with co-star Simbu in the biting cold one day, towards the end of the schedule, with a small crew and a jeep. Suddenly, heavy rains came down, creating large puddles of water in the muddy area they were in. The shoot had to be abandoned. The crew, which included Dayana, Simbu, Mani Ratnam, Santhosh Sivan, Shaad Ali and Sivakumar, climbed into the jeep in order to leave the area.

As we started up the vehicle, we noticed to our utter dismay that it had got stuck in a big, slushy mud puddle. Several attempts to rev the engine and get it out only made things worse! It got fully wedged in the mud and wouldnt move, recalls Dayana.

Realising then that they had no other option, all of them got down and started to walk. Making matters difficult was the steep, slippery hill they had to walk on. With every step, my leg would get stuck in the mud as the ground was very soft and the clay textured. I had to yank my leg out of the mud after every step, says Dayana, who shares that she fell down a couple of times too.

The troubles wouldnt relent, with the sun beginning to set and darkness descending. We had to deal with the rain, slush, steep hill and darkness all at once. We eventually decided to leave behind some of our equipment as it was impossible to walk up, carrying them in those slippery conditions. We stood strong, helped each other and kept walking until help arrived. Mani sir and Simbu helped me get out of the slush and keep calm. Simbu showed great concern all through and kept asking me if I was okay, says Dayana, adding, In retrospect, that situation would have made for a great rescue shot!Last month, just outside of Van Horn, four private crewmembers  including actor William Shatner  lifted off in a ...

The days of scrambling to secure toilet paper are over. But the pandemic is continuing to wreak havoc on supply...Burnt grass by the CN tracks along Wilkes Avenue on May 8, 2018. CN confirmed the company plans to pay the city for the cost of battling the series of fires that had snaked its way through Winnipeg.Will it soon feel normal to say, Alexa, microwave one bag of popcorn?

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Will it soon feel normal to say, "Alexa, microwave one bag of popcorn"?

Amazon.com unveiled some 70 new devices and capabilities for its Alexa product line at its Seattle headquarters last week. Like a rebooted Sharper Image catalogue, Amazon is adding its talking artificial intelligence to a microwave, a wall clock, a wall plug, cars and more.

The new gadgets all hook into the internet, take voice commands  and make the online retail giant even more central to home life. The question is: will families see these connected devices as conveniences, new complications  or spies?

Amazons goal is to assert leadership over Google and Apple in the nascent market for smart-home tech, with everyday appliances connecting to the internet to automate operations  and gather all sorts of data on our lives. The upside for consumers is that connected appliances can work together and be simpler to operate via voice. At least in theory.

For example, Amazons new Echo wall clock (US$30) shows a visual representation of timers set via Alexa  and automatically updates its analog hands for daylight saving time. The new Amazon Smart Plug (US$25) lets you switch lights, coffee makers and other analog devices on or off through voice commands or automated routines.

Many of Amazons efforts are focused on the kitchen, where voice commands can be most useful and screens are an annoyance to hands covered in cookie dough.

The countertop AmazonBasics Microwave (US$60), takes voice commands to cook things that might otherwise be complicated. In one demonstration, I asked Alexa to cook one potato and the microwave started itself for six minutes and 34 seconds. (I still had to put the potato in the oven myself.)

The upside: I didnt have to look up how long to cook a potato.

The downside: Amazon will now have a record of every time a family with this microwave cooks a potato. And Alexa didnt understand when I said, "Microwave a potato"  instead, I had to say, "Microwave one potato."

(A company rep said thats a bug that would be fixed before it ships later this year.)

Amazon is setting the stage, perhaps, for the tech to simplify dinner prep with ingredients purchased from Amazon, which bought grocer Whole Foods last year.

In another demo, the company showed how its redesigned Echo Show (US$230), a speaker with a screen, can walk you through the steps  hands-free  to make a meal kit it sells. A microwave or oven that knows exactly when and how to cook different parts of your meal cant be far away.

There was one noticeable absence amid Amazons announcements and bragging about the growing intelligence of Alexa  any discussion of privacy and security.

Amazon has buttons on all its Echo devices that cut off their microphones ability to record. But earlier this year, Amazon got a very public black eye when a family caught one of its speakers recording its conversations and sending the recording to a friend.

Amazon said the incident was a random misunderstanding on the part of Alexa.

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Amazons goal is not only to sell its own Alexa-enabled devices but also to get it built into other devices, from thermostats to toilets. What is Amazon doing to make sure all those other gadgets handle our data appropriately?

Amazons strategy for the holiday shopping season puts the emphasis on low prices and new twists on everyday items.

Thats distinct from rivals such as Apple and Samsung, which have unveiled subtly improved  and expensive  new phones, tablets and smartwatches.

But in the competitive smart-speaker market Amazon created, the retail giant has lately been lagging. According to the research firm Strategy Analytics, Googles Home Mini was the worlds bestselling smart speaker in the second quarter, followed closely by the Echo Dot.

Google is expected to unveil its new offerings at an event on Oct. 9.

 Washington PostA development company is eyeing a strip mall on Ness Avenue thats had no anchor tenant for years.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A development company is eyeing a strip mall on Ness Avenue thats had no anchor tenant for years.

If it goes according to plan, the site, which is home to a former grocery store and a number of other retail tenants, would become a multi-storey residential and commercial complex.

The site was the location of a Safeway until it closed in 2014 after Sobeys bought the Western Canadian Safeway stores.

The space has sat empty since then. According to preliminary plans submitted to the city, the development company wants to build two four-storey buildings with a total of 199 residential and four commercial units on the lot.

'We pride ourselves on being a family-owned and operated organization, and we hold our family values close to our business activities'  Seymour Pacific Development

That effort is being spearheaded by Seymour Pacific Development, a construction company that builds 1,000 multi-family apartment units annually around Canada, according to its website.

Seymour Pacific did not respond to a request for comment.

The company has already passed early hurdles in making the project a reality by securing approval from the City of Winnipeg board of adjustment on variance and conditional use proposals.

"The proposed development is consistent with the (citys) complete communities direction strategy, in that it creates greater residential density on a community mixed use corridor, thereby helping create a more dynamic street that supports local commercial services and public transit routes," Robert Galston, a city planner, wrote in his recommendation.

The strip mall is located on the north side of the 3000 block of Ness Avenue, tucked in the Heritage Park neighbourhood of the St. Charles ward.

In addition to the vacant site of the former Safeway, the strip mall has six other tenants. In total, the property spans a little more than three-acres and was previously owned by Swancoat Investments.

Following redevelopment, the commercial space on the ground floor of one of the towers, which will be located on the south side of the property running along Ness Avenue, will be roughly 4,000 square feet.

It remains unclear what the final dollar figure attached to the project will be. Its also not yet known when the project is expected to break ground or be complete.

Seymour Pacifics applications for variance and conditional use were submitted to the citys board of adjustment on June 29. A public hearing was held on July 9.

No one registered in opposition to the development, although some area residents reportedly called Galston to express concerns about the height of the proposed buildings.

The board of adjustment approved the two proposals on July 25.

In his written recommendation, Galston outlined the reasons for his decision: the project is consistent with the citys development plan, doesnt create a substantial adverse effect on the neighbourhood and is compatible with the area.

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Before any building or development permits can be issued for the project, Seymour Pacific will have to seek plan approval from the citys director of planning, property and development.

Seymour Pacific self-describes as a family construction company that began as a single-family home developer and transformed to a western Canadian industry leader in multi-tenant residential development.

"We pride ourselves on being a family-owned and operated organization, and we hold our family values close to our business activities," the companys website reads.

Know of any newsworthy developments in the local office, retail, industrial or multi-family-residential sectors? Let us know at business@freepress.mb.ca

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @rk_thorpeStart spreading the news: pieces once owned by Ol Blue Eyes are going up for sale. In December, Sothebys will auction scores of items that belonged to Frank Sinatra and his wife of 22 years, Barbara.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Start spreading the news: pieces once owned by Ol Blue Eyes are going up for sale. In December, Sothebys will auction scores of items that belonged to Frank Sinatra and his wife of 22 years, Barbara.

"Lady Blue Eyes: Property of Barbara and Frank Sinatra" will include about 300 objects, ranging from books and memorabilia to jewelry and artwork. The sale is expected to fetch about US$3.5 million, Sothebys said in a statement.

Barbara Sinatra, who died last year, was the entertainers fourth wife. The items come from their California residences in Palm Springs, Los Angeles and Malibu, and illustrate "the fashionable lifestyle of a beloved entertainer and philanthropist, and the home life where the couple surrounded themselves with the people and objects they loved," Sothebys said.

Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Sothebys will offer the items during live auctions Dec. 4 and 6, as well as during an online sale from Nov. 27 through Dec. 7. Among the objects available are:

 A 1973 Norman Rockwell painting titled Sinatra: An American Classic (Portrait of Frank Sinatra), which is estimated at US$80,000 to US$120,000.

 A portrait of a woman in a green dress and red turban by Walt Kuhn, Girl With Turban (Zuleika). Estimate: US$300,000 to US$500,000.

 A copy of the revised final script for From Here to Eternity, which won Sinatra an Oscar for best supporting actor. Its estimated at US$7,000 to US$9,000.

Alongside the art and jewels, the sale will provide lots of options for the dedicated Sinatra buff: scripts, autographed books, awards and AKG microphones. The trove also includes photographs spanning U.S. presidents from Harry Truman to Bill Clinton.

 Bloomberg NewsMuch like Justin Trudeau, the selfie prime minister who deployed a savvy online presence to secure the nation's highest office in 2015, Mayor Brian Bowman knows his way around a social media account.

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This article was published 21/9/2018 (1146 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Much like Justin Trudeau, the selfie prime minister who deployed a savvy online presence to secure the nation's highest office in 2015, Mayor Brian Bowman knows his way around a social media account.

Officially, Bowman -- who is looking to land a second term in office when Winnipeggers head to the polls Oct. 24 -- just got his re-election bid underway, kicking things off with a gathering of 150 supporters inside the ballroom of the RBC Convention Centre on Sept. 13.

In reality, however, the incumbent mayor has been hustling for votes for months -- and he has the Twitter and Instagram accounts to prove it.

Against the backdrop of a large field of challengers, Bowman has been conducting what amounts to an under-the-radar election campaign, playing to his natural strengths as a polished politician and taking advantage of the benefits that come with being the incumbent.

All one needs to do is to look at his social media feeds to see he's been out shaking hands and kissing babies for months on end, employing a brick-by-brick approach to securing his re-election.

If you ask Kelly McCrae, Bowman's campaign manager and a veteran of his successful 2014 run, those public appearances were the work of the mayor, not the mayoral candidate.

"The mayor was incredibly busy over the course of the summer. He did a lot of tours around the city," McCrae, 35, told the Free Press.

"He spent the summer connecting with Winnipeggers, meeting with people. We weren't going heavy on the policy announcements."

But Oai Truong, a social media strategist and owner of the marketing company Bounce Design, isn't so sure the work of the mayor and that of the candidate can be separated so easily.

"It doesn't matter if it's business or politics, you're selling a product. In politics, you're selling yourself and your platform. The social media presence he maintains, which is fairly extensive, is essentially advertising," Truong said.

"I've been following him for several years and it's sort of mind boggling the number of events he attends. He makes Ace Burpee look like a lazy guy."

A search of Bowman's tweets since July 31, when Winnipeg's Folklorama festival was getting underway, shows he's been a consistent presence at community events, while also making frequent stops at local businesses.

This year, Bowman managed to once again hit every Folklorama pavilion -- 43 in total.

Those appearances were all documented with multiple photos that quickly went up online, blasting them out to his more than 66,000 Twitter and 17,000 Instagram followers, respectively.

Those accounts are maintained by the mayor's "new media officer," a position created within the mayor's office in 2014.

Delicious lunch option on #PizzaWeek: the original "Pizza Pop", invented in 1964 right here in #Winnipeg by the late Paul Faraci. His nephew Anthony Faraci is bringing #PaulsOriginalPizzaSnack back at #FaraciFoods-270 Partridge right now. https://t.co/u1K5Tx7aNp #MadeinWinnipeg pic.twitter.com/ziBfkHkEfD  Mayor Brian Bowman (@Mayor_Bowman) June 5, 2018

"(The new media officer) is responsible for managing and supporting the mayor's various social media platforms, including the creation and management of all digital material," Jeremy Davis, Bowman's press secretary, said in a written statement.

The new media officer's duties include taking photographs of Bowman at press conferences and events, which are then uploaded to his various accounts. At the pavilions, for example, professional quality photos show him effectively rubbing elbows with hundreds of voters at a time.

Since his re-election bid became official, however, Bowman has been careful not to cross-contaminate between his mayoral social media accounts and the website dedicated to his campaign. In addition, his new miedia officer is not involved in re-election efforts.

That's a smart approach, according to Truong, who said the posts don't come across as Bowman pumping his own tires, but rather give off the impression of him as a man of the people.

"With your social media presence you don't want to make things about me, me, me all the time. Instead, you want to associate yourself with other brands, to the point you almost become something of a leech, for lack of a better term," Truong said.

"You associate yourself with positive things. It makes you look good. If the public has a positive view of Folklorama, or the human rights museum, or a particular brand or restaurant, then you want to be at those places."

It was a scorcher of an afternoon, but I couldn't be happier to spend it out and about on Academy Road. Met some outstanding business owners and enjoyed hearing their successes & challenges! @AcademyRoadBIZ @SaucersCafe @CorneliaBean #SaltBoutique #BroadwayFlorists pic.twitter.com/DgmuRYd0oA  Mayor Brian Bowman (@Mayor_Bowman) July 14, 2018

In addition to the Folklorama hits, which accounted for 45 posts on his Twitter account since July 31, Bowman has also been routinely advertising his drop-ins at local businesses. Some days, he appears to make multiple stops in short succession.

In total, he's posted 35 photos from local shops during that time. In each picture, Bowman can be seen hanging with the owners and staff members, always with a photogenic smile spread across his face.

That brick-by-brick strategy -- with Bowman meeting voters in smaller batches at a time -- can be contrasted with Jenny Motkaluk's approach.

ANDREW RYAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk

Motkaluk, who is considered Bowman's main competitor, has employed a more traditional approach of press conferences and policy announcements -- a strategy similar to the one Bowman used in 2014 as a political rookie.

Having said that, Bowman hasn't been completely mute on the policy front, including a recent announcement where he was seen to take a stab at the Winnipeg Police Association.

During the announcement, Bowman said he wanted to stop the practice of police overtime being pensionable, thereby freeing up more than $1 million to hire more frontline officers.

Met up with @WPG_CYCLE owners @Christy_Weiss and Jamie Murray for a look at their #SouthOsborne location. Great business people, and what a fun concept! @southosbornebiz pic.twitter.com/8QNra8LvmS  Mayor Brian Bowman (@Mayor_Bowman) August 17, 2018

That came on the heels of the WPA -- the union representing city police -- levying an attack ad against the mayor, effectively blaming him for alleged long queue times when calling 911.

But McCrae said the policy wasn't just an effort by Bowman to tell the union that if it really wants to see an increase in WPS funding, it should put its money where its mouth is.

"The thing is the police service has received increases annually to its budget. If they're going to get increases beyond that, it would be mean property taxes (go up)," McCrae said.

"So if there are ways internally that money can be reallocated to be spent on issues important to the police association and board, then let's work at those internal ways."

McCrae added that while Bowman hasn't made a ton of policy announcements so far, that aspect of his campaign -- which is being run by a core group of about 10 volunteer staffers and one employee -- is likely to pick up steam in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, Bowman has been banking on the fact that his record over the last four years speaks for itself. And he isn't wrong to do so, as it's well known that unseating an incumbent mayor in Winnipeg is exceedingly difficult -- the last time it happened was 1956.

Bowman envisions city as human rights leader Brian Bowman said he wants to build on the strength of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and other community assets to make Winnipeg an international human rights leader. click to read more Brian Bowman said he wants to build on the strength of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and other community assets to make Winnipeg an international human rights leader. Fixing pipes and potholes are issues that are important for building a city growing towards a population of one million people but so too is the need to have a vision for a city that reflects its potential and pride, Bowman said at a campaign event Friday at The Forks parkade, which overlooks the museum. Bowman, the incumbent and one of eight candidates running for mayor in the Oct. 24 civic election, said he wants to make Winnipeg an international leader in the promotion, protection, education as well as policy creation for human rights. Citing the communitys response to the January 2015 Macleans magazine article that identified Winnipeg as the countrys most racist city, Bowman said Winnipeggers demonstrated they arent afraid to face problems, and overcome them. In addition to the museum, Bowman said the citys strength in the field of human rights includes the University of Manitoba Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice and Winnipegs Indigenous Accord, a document which individuals, organizations and businesses have signed committing themselves to reconciliation with the Indigenous community. City halls efforts to achieve this international status would be led by a new council committee, a human rights committee of council, which he said would focus and prioritize the citys work on human rights. This new committee would consolidate the work and resources of three groups  citizen equity committee, the access advisory committee, and the mayors age-friendly seniors advisory committee. The new committee would use the resources those three groups have. Bowman promised city hall would create a newcomer welcome and inclusion policy, which would identify ways to enhance the lives of immigrants by identifying ways to meet their distinct needs for access to city services. Bowman said the city has no formal policies to help 176,000 people, who have settled in Winnipeg under the provincial nominee program, integrate into the community. -- Aldo Santin Close

The heavy social media presence Bowman has employed so far speaks to the way technology has disrupted rules governing election advertising, according to Truong.

"Social media has been a game changer for political campaigns. Traditional politics have very set rules and budget restrictions. You can only spend so much on TV, billboards, ads. But now with social media there's a grey line because the exposure is free," Truong said.

"He's not violating any restrictions. But the reality is he's been campaigning since the day he took office. He's been building his brand."

According to Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba, the best way to win elections is still with face-to-face contact with voters, not social media posts.

Nonetheless, Thomas said what's been so savvy about Bowman's use of social media is that it links up with the face-to-face interactions he's been seeking out. That's a strategy Thomas said will serve the mayor well when voters head to the polls.

"You go to these events and then here's this fresh-faced mayor with a photogenic smile who loves to do selfies. He's meeting with citizens, opinion leaders, and guess what, people love meeting the mayor," Thomas said.

"He's a warm and engaging guy, so it's a pleasant experience for people. At these events, you multiply that and it has a sort of ripple effect. People say, 'You know that Brian Bowman, he's a really nice guy. He's not your typical mayor.'"

There's currently a very strong anti-politician sentiment in North America, according to Thomas, who said Bowman's positioned himself well to avoid that blowback.

Back in 2014, when he was a lesser known challenger and considered a long shot to win the election, Bowman positioned himself as an "anti-politician, politician," capable of cleaning up city hall following the Sam Katz era, Thomas said.

"People dislike politicians as a class, as an occupation. In matters of trust, politicians are right at the bottom of the barrel. But when you ask people about individual politicians, that can change," Thomas said.

"He meets 200 people at a pavilion, he smiles at them, they feel good about it. That's going to pay dividends."

While such meet-and-greet appearances, and the corresponding social media posts that document them, have been serving Bowman well, Truong points out that when it comes to social media, appearance isn't reality.

. @LeopoldsTavern is a cozy little bar, new to #SouthOsborne. Another great reason to spend more time in the area. The digital jukebox covers all my #VanHalen needs too! @southosbornebiz pic.twitter.com/j2ReGtCkpR  Mayor Brian Bowman (@Mayor_Bowman) August 18, 2018

When Bowman posts photos from local businesses, for example, the impression given to his thousands of followers is that he's forged a genuine connection with, and spent time getting to know, the owners and staff. But Truong said he isn't so sure that's always the case.

"There's a level of quantity over quality with his posts. You get the impression he whips in, does the photo op, ten minutes, then he's off to the next place. That's the impression I get, anyways," Truong said.

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"For example, you'll see photos of him in local restaurants, smiling with the owners. But the reality is he didn't go in there for the burger. He went in there for the photo op."

While some people might be critical of that approach, saying it prioritizes style over substance, Thomas said Bowman's been smart to ride on his coattails a bit and not rock the boat with too many policy announcements.

"Policy positions are potential lightning rods right now. He's ahead and it's a standard operating practice to play it safe going into the election. It's really a remote possibility that he could be defeated at this point," Thomas said.

"I'm sure there are some people disappointed and frustrated with him, saying he's become just another politician. But I think he's retained his original image much more than you'd expect after a four-year term."

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpeWatching media reports about people struggling to leave difficult situations in other parts of the world inspired Maggie Armstrong to volunteer with newcomers to Canada.

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This article was published 24/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Watching media reports about people struggling to leave difficult situations in other parts of the world inspired Maggie Armstrong to volunteer with newcomers to Canada.

"It was about 2015, and it was a time when we were seeing a lot of TV and media about people leaving Syria and Afghanistan," Armstrong said. "We were also in an election campaign, and there was nasty stuff going on about immigrants and new Canadians. I volunteered at other places, but I wanted to do something that was more directly linked with immigrants."

At the start of 2016, Armstrong began volunteering at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM).

The 69-year-old St. Boniface resident volunteers Monday mornings and Tuesday afternoons in the newcomer literacy initiative, which is an English class for newcomer adults.

Armstrong supports the teacher by working with individual students or in small groups.

Born and raised in New Zealand, Armstrong moved to Canada in 1975. At the time, she worked as a teacher.

Her background is ideal for her volunteer work at IRCOM, as is her genuine interest in other people.

"Im a pretty outgoing person and I like talking to people," Armstrong said. "That comes in really handy, because one of the best ways to help people learn a language is to have a conversation with them."

Basic questions such as "What did you do over the weekend?" or "How do you like the weather?" can elicit responses that give newcomers a chance to practise their speaking skills.

"Its fairly simple, but people can respond and have a conversation, and feel like theyre improving in English," Armstrong said.

Witnessing the improvements students make in just a few short months is rewarding for Armstrong.

"The students are quite amazing," she said, adding that for many, English is their fourth or fifth language. "They have a breadth of background that you just dont see (often), and theyre quite inspiring people."

Armstrong appreciates the staff at IRCOM, as well as the camaraderie that develops in the classroom.

"There are people from many different countries, but they become friends in the class," she said. "It is a community, it really is. You can see that."

Community is important to Armstrong. Its one of the things that appealed to her about Canada, and one of the reasons she has stayed.

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She said in both Canada and New Zealand, people care about each other and look out for their neighbours.

"Theres compassion," she said. "Its nice to have that feeling that you belong."

In addition to IRCOM, Armstrong volunteers at Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Prairie Theatre Exchange and MTC Warehouse.

"Volunteering is what really helps build a community," she said.

IRCOM is looking for more people to volunteer as classroom assistants, child-care assistants and homework tutors. Anyone interested can find more information and apply online at ircom.ca/volunteer-program.

If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com.Mayoral candidate Don Woodstock said he is cancelling his companys membership in the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce after the organization cancelled a mayoral debate because Brian Bowman refused to participate.

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This article was published 24/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mayoral candidate Don Woodstock said he is cancelling his companys membership in the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce after the organization cancelled a mayoral debate because Brian Bowman refused to participate.

Woodstock, who owns JamRock Securities, a licensed installer of security alarm systems, said the move was made by the chamber executive without consulting its members.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Files Don Woodstock said the move was made by the chamber executive without consulting its members.

The chamber has traditionally held mayoral debates during elections, but only invites the front-runners. It had planned to do that again this year, but made the decision Thursday not to proceed without Bowman, who is running for a second term.

Bowman said his campaign told the chamber in August he would only participate in debates and forums in which all eight candidates are invited, not just those considered front-runners.

It is a course change from the 2014 election, when Bowman was one of only five of the seven mayoral candidates invited to participate in the chamber event. At a campaign event Friday, Bowman defended his approach and denied allegations hes afraid to face off against only front-runners.

Woodstock said he agrees with Bowmans position that all candidates should participate, but said the chambers mayoral debate should go on without the incumbent.

"We have issues that are pressing, like affordable housing, crime, meth, cost over-runs, corporate welfare, water treatment plant, police headquarters, inefficiencies and on and on and on," Woodstock said in a statement. "As candidates, we need to share our ideas with the public."

Gerbasi endorses Rollins

Jenny Gerbasi isnt running for re-election, but that isnt stopping her from getting involved.

Gerbasi announced Friday she is endorsing Sherri Rollins to succeed her as council representative for the Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry ward.

"We need strong, progressive women on council who will fight for social justice in our city," Gerbasi said in a statement released from her personal email account.

Gerbasi has represented the ward for 20 years.

Other candidates running the ward race are Michael Thompson, Peter Koroma, Jeff Palmer, Bryanna Spina, Harry Wolbert and Stephanie Meilleur.

Redirect campaign donations: candidate

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Charleswood-Tuxedo candidate Kevin Klein said voters who are thinking of making financial contributions to a candidate should give their money to the Manitoba Association of Womens Shelters instead.

Kleins campaign said Saturday was the anniversary of "the day his mother was killed at the hands of her husband."

"If youre thinking about donating to a political campaign, I applaud your commitment to ensuring you have strong representation at city hall, but I ask you today to think about a cause more important," Klein said.

"I ask you to donate to the Manitoba Association of Womens Shelters instead, to ensure those who need to escape can before its too late."

Also running in Charleswood are Ken St. George, Kevin Nichols and Grant Nordman.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.caThe Canada-Saudi Arabia diplomatic dispute appears to have calmed  for now  but the issue at the heart of the dispute remains.

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This article was published 24/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

The Canada-Saudi Arabia diplomatic dispute appears to have calmed  for now  but the issue at the heart of the dispute remains.

The dispute peaked in August after Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland tweeted her support for womens rights activist Samar Badawi. That prompted Saudi Arabia to pull its students from Canadian colleges and universities (with a temporary exception for medical students).

But while the spat made headlines, sadly, mistreatment of women in the kingdom, and other countries around the world, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, is nothing new. Saudi officials arrested Badawi and fellow activist Nassima al-Sada on July 30. It was one of several recent cases of female human rights activists being detained in Saudi Arabia.

Most of these activists oppose Saudi Arabias guardianship system. It legally requires women to have a male guardian  a husband, father or other male relative  who controls their major life choices. For example, Saudi women must obtain permission from their guardians before they travel, go to university, get a job and even marry.

Saudi law says they must obey their guardians decisions.

If she doesnt, a woman can be charged with disobedience, which is exactly what happened to Badawi in 2009. She became the first woman to bring a court case challenging this system  no easy feat, considering a womans testimony carries less weight in Saudi courts than a mans.

Women such as Badawi are fighting for freedom and the right to choose their futures. And in doing so, they underline the gender disparity that exists in Saudi law while sparking a broader conversation about womens rights worldwide.

In my recent Fraser Institute policy report, Women in Progress, I rated countries based on the differences in how men and women are treated under the law. Saudi Arabia has the greatest legal gender disparity in the world.

But its hardly alone  19 countries require women to obtain permission from husbands or guardians before finding employment. Even if theyre permitted to work, women in 104 countries face gender-specific labour market restrictions on the type of work they can do and the hours they can work.

So whats the solution? How can women living in oppressive countries break free, prosper and live healthier and more fulfilling lives?

Two words: economic freedom.

With greater economic freedom, women can choose whether and how to contribute to the economy based on their talents and interests, move to new locations to pursue opportunities and obtain greater access to financial institutions and improved legal status, so they can start businesses and make investments for the future.

Of course, progress for women not only affects individuals  it impacts the economy at large. In Saudi Arabia, for example, nearly half of the population (women) cant contribute to the economy, so the country is missing out on the wealth and talent its female population could generate.

My study also analyzed the relationship between economic freedom and well-being, and found that women living in economically freer countries are better able to earn a living, have healthier lives and have more opportunities to pursue education and financial independence.

On the education front, women are more likely to invest in education if they can use that knowledge in the labour force.

Its not surprising that adult literacy rates are higher, on average, in countries in the top quartile of economic freedom (94.1 per cent) than in countries in the lowest quartile (59.7 per cent).

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Moreover, in economically free countries, women are nearly twice as likely to participate in the labour market as women living in countries with less economic freedom. And economically free women live nearly 17 years longer, on average, than women in countries with limited economic freedom (82.3 years versus 65.3 years).

The Saudi Arabian regime recently granted women more freedoms, including the right to drive. But clearly, theres much to be done.

Without removing gender-specific economic barriers, its difficult  and in many countries, impossible  for women to share in the benefits of free markets.

Sustainable change doesnt happen overnight. But when the potential benefits of protecting these rights are so significant, the recent Canada-Saudi back-and-forth raises a conversation that can literally save lives.

Rosemarie Fike is an economics instructor at Texas Christian University; a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute; and principal author of the institutes work on women, progress and economic freedom.

 Troy MediaHey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/9/2018 (1143 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I recently returned home from the Philippines where I had the opportunity to join the Canadian-Philippine Friendship group through a series of meetings including the Philippine Commission on Women, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Foreign Affairs and The Canadian Embassy.

I recently returned home from the Philippines where I had the opportunity to join the Canadian-Philippine Friendship group through a series of meetings including the Philippine Commission on Women, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Foreign Affairs and The Canadian Embassy.

Throughout these meetings, we discussed ways to continue improving the relationship between the Philippines and Canada through trade, tourism and of course immigration which continues to prosper economically in Manitoba. My father and I also had the opportunity to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal monument, meet with many congressmen, congresswomen and senators, tour the metropolitan museum and have some fun at the Manila Ocean Park! Although we were only in the Philippines for five days, I feel that we accomplished a lot.

Now, what made this trip extra special for me was ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor), please allow me to share why. When I was younger, I had the opportunity to attend ANCOPs annual walk with my father. Back then all I recall was every year I received a new T-shirt and I always had fun. Over the years I have continued with the walk, but I have also gained a greater awareness of what ANCOP is and why we walk annually.

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This past week my Tita Minatta and Tito picked my father and me up bright and early and brought us to Paranaque City, a community where homes were constructed using all sorts of everyday items found along a polluted waterway.

As we walked we saw on one side, the slums, I have included a couple of photos. It was truly eye-opening and heartbreaking. On the other side we saw the new development in which ANCOP International and in this scenario, the Rotary Club had partnered together to build.

This development was the shining light that the people in a slum community desperately needed. What was neat was seeing how the money raised from the many ANCOP Members in Canada is being put to use in such a substantial way that is making a world of a difference.

What really made the trip a memorable one for me were the children that I had the opportunity to interact with. It is a universal fact that children need to be loved and I can confidently say that no matter where we were (the old slums or the new developments) the children were evidently surrounded by wonderful people who express their love daily.

Through this experience, I have gained an even deeper appreciation for ANCOP. For those of you unfamiliar with the group, please check them out at www.ancopcanada.org

Thank you ANCOP members, and hopefully, I will see you at next years walk!Anadarko Petroleum Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of oil and gas properties. It operates through three segments: Exploration and Production, WES Midstream, and Other Midstream. The company explores for and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). It is also involved in gathering, processing, treating, and transporting oil, natural-gas, and NGLs production, as well as the gathering and disposal of produced water. The company's oil and natural gas properties are located in the United States onshore and deepwater Gulf of Mexico; and Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Colombia, Peru, and other countries. As of December 31, 2018, it had approximately 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Eli Lilly and: 1096401 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, ARMO BioSciences Inc, ARMO Bioscience, Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Alnara Pharmaceuticals, Alnara Pharmaceuticals Inc., Andean Technical Operations Center, Applied Molecular Evolution Inc., AurKa Pharma, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., ChemGen, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals Inc., Dermira, Devices for Vascular Intervention(DVI), Disarm Therapeutics, Dista Ilac Ticaret Ltd. Sti., Dista S.A., Dista-Produtos Quimicos & Farmaceuticos LDA, ELCO Dominicana SRL, ELCO Insurance Company Limited, ELCO Management Inc., ELCO for Trade and Marketing S.A.E., ELGO Insurance Company Limited, Elanco Animal Health Ireland Limited, Elanco Switzerland Holding Sarl, Eli Lilly (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Eli Lilly (Philippines) Incorporated, Eli Lilly (S.A.) (Proprietary) Limited, Eli Lilly (Singapore) Pte. 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(Ltd.), Eli Lilly Regional Operations GmbH, Eli Lilly Romania SRL, Eli Lilly S.A., Eli Lilly Saudi Arabia Limited, Eli Lilly Services Inc, Eli Lilly Services India Private Limited, Eli Lilly Slovakia s.r.o., Eli Lilly Sweden AB, Eli Lilly Vostok S.A. Geneva, Eli Lilly and Company, Eli Lilly and Company (India) Pvt. Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company (Ireland) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (N.Z.) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (Taiwan) Inc., Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Eli Lilly de Centro America S.A., Eli Lilly do Brasil Limitada, Eli Lilly farmacevtska druzba d.o.o., Eli Lilly y Compania de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Eli Lilly y Compania de Venezuela S.A., Glycostasis Inc, Greenfield-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Heart Rhythm Technologies Inc, Hybritech, Hypnion, ICOS Corporation, ImClone GmbH, ImClone LLC, ImClone Systems Holdings Inc., ImClone Systems LLC, Imclone Systems, Irisfarma S.A., Ivy Animal Health, Kinsale Financial Services Unlimited Company, Lilly (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd, Lilly Asia Ventures Fund I L.P., Lilly Asia Ventures Fund II L.P., Lilly Asian Ventures Fund III L.P., Lilly Cayman Holdings, Lilly China Research and Development Co. Ltd., Lilly Deutschland GmbH, Lilly France S.A.S., Lilly Global Nederland Holdings B.V., Lilly Global Services Inc., Lilly Holding GmbH, Lilly Holdings B.V., Lilly Hungaria KFT, Lilly Japan Financing G.K., Lilly Korea Ltd., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V. - GCC, Lilly Nederland Holding B.V., Lilly Pharma Ltd., Lilly Portugal - Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Lilly S.A., Lilly Suzhou Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Lilly Trading Co. LTD, Lilly USA LLC, Lilly Ventures Fund I LLC, Lilly del Caribe Inc., Lilly ilac ticaret limited sirketi, Lohmann Animal Health, Loxo Oncology, Lylly Centre for Clinical Pharmacology PTE. LTD., Novartis Animal Health, OY Eli Lilly Finland AB, Origin Medsystems, PT. Eli Lilly Indonesia, Pacific Biotech, Pharmaserve-Lilly S.A.C.I., Physio-Control, SGX Pharmaceuticals, SGX Pharmaceuticals Inc, Spaly Bioquimica S.A., UAB Eli Lilly Lietuva, Valquifarma S.A., and Vital Pharma Productos Farmaceuticos.Agilent Technologies, Inc. engages in the provision of application focused solutions for life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets. It operates through the following segments: Life Sciences and Applied Markets; Diagnostics and Genomics; and Agilent CrossLab. The Life Sciences and Applied Markets segment offers application-focused solutions that include instruments and software that enable to identify, quantify, and analyze the physical and biological properties of substances and products, as well as the clinical and life sciences research areas to interrogate samples at the molecular and cellular level. The Diagnostics and Genomics segment consists of activity providing active pharmaceutical ingredients for oligo-based therapeutics, as well as solutions that include reagents, instruments, software and consumables. The Agilent CrossLab segment includes startup, operational, training and compliance support, software as a service, and asset management and consultative services. The company was founded in May 1999 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA.

Read MoreiShares MSCI Italy ETF shares reverse split before market open on Monday, November 7th 2016. The 1-2 reverse split was announced on Friday, October 14th 2016. The number of shares owned by shareholders was adjusted after the closing bell on Friday, November 4th 2016. An investor that had 100 shares of iShares MSCI Italy ETF stock prior to the reverse split would have 50 shares after the split.There is not enough analysis data for CNOOC.

4.0 Community Rank

Outperform Votes CNOOC has received 305 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes CNOOC has received 205 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment CNOOC has received 59.80% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about CNOOC and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe CEO will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe CEO will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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Next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BASF SE operates as a chemical company worldwide. It operates through six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care, and Agricultural Solutions. The Chemicals segment provides petrochemicals and intermediates. The Materials segment offers advanced materials and their precursors for applications and systems, such as isocyanates and polyamides, as well as inorganic basic products and specialties for plastic and plastic processing industries. The Industrial Solutions segment develops and markets ingredients and additives for industrial applications, such as polymer dispersions, pigments, resins, electronic materials, antioxidants, light stabilizers, oilfield chemicals, mineral processing, and hydrometallurgical chemicals. The Surface Technologies segment offers chemical solutions and automotive OEM which include refinish coatings, surface treatment, catalysts, battery materials, and base metal services for the automotive and chemical industries. The Nutrition & Care segment provides nutrition and care ingredients for food and feed producers, as well as pharmaceutical, cosmetics, detergent, and cleaner industries. The Agricultural Solutions segment offers crop protection products and seeds, such as fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and biological crop production products, as well as seed treatment products. The company has a strategic partnership with IntelliSense.io. BASF SE was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany.

Read MoreMerck & Co., Inc. pays an annual dividend of $2.60 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 3.14%. Merck & Co., Inc. has been increasing its dividend for 10 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio of Merck & Co., Inc. is 91.87%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, Merck & Co., Inc. will have a dividend payout ratio of 38.07% next year. This indicates that Merck & Co., Inc. will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

View Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend history.Equinox Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral deposits. The company's principal properties include the Aurizona project covering a total land package of approximately 223,160 hectares located in Maranhao State, Brazil; and the Castle Mountain property situated in California, the United States. It primarily explores for gold, copper, and silver deposits. The company was formerly known as Trek Mining Inc. and changed its name to Equinox Gold Corp. in December 2017. Equinox Gold Corp. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Read MoreGlaxoSmithKline Plc is a healthcare company, which engages in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceuticals; Pharmaceuticals R&D; Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. The Pharmaceuticals segment focuses on developing medicines in respiratory and infectious diseases, oncology, and immuno-inflammation. The Pharmaceuticals R&D segment focuses on science related to the immune system, the use of human genetics and advanced technologies, and is driven by the multiplier effect of Science x Technology x Culture. The Vaccines segment produces pediatric and adult vaccines to prevent a range of infectious diseases including, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, typhoid, influenza, and bacterial meningitis. The Consumer Healthcare segment develops and markets brands in the oral health, pain relief, respiratory, nutrition and gastro intestinal, and skin health categories. The company was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreCobham plc provides a range of technologies and services to commercial, defense, aerospace, space, and security markets in the United Kingdom, the United States, other European countries, Australia, Asia, and internationally. The company operates in four segments: Communications and Connectivity, Mission Systems, Advanced Electronic Solutions, and Aviation Services. The Communications and Connectivity segment offers equipment and solutions for the aerospace, avionics, satellite, radio, wireless, antenna, and mobile connectivity markets. The Mission Systems segment provides safety and survival systems for extreme environments; nose-to-tail aerial refueling systems; and wing-tip to wing-tip mission systems for jets, transport aircraft, and rotorcraft. The Advanced Electronic Solutions segment offers critical solutions for communication on land, at sea, in the air, and in space through off-the-shelf and customized products, which include radio frequency, microwave, microelectronics, antenna subsystems, and motion control solutions. This segment serves defense, radar, electronic warfare, X-ray imaging, medical, and industrial markets. The Aviation Services segment delivers outsourced aviation services for military and commercial customers through military training, special mission flights, outsourced commercial aviation, fly-in fly-out, and aircraft engineering services. Cobham plc was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Wimborne, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreThe Interpublic Group of Companies pays an annual dividend of $1.08 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 2.98%. The Interpublic Group of Companies has been increasing its dividend for 9 consecutive years, indicating the company has a new, but growing committment to grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio of The Interpublic Group of Companies is 61.02%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, The Interpublic Group of Companies will have a dividend payout ratio of 40.75% next year. This indicates that The Interpublic Group of Companies will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

View The Interpublic Group of Companies' dividend history.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 shares have increased by 70.2% and is now trading at $468.78.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.Lincoln National Corp. is a holding company, which operates multiple insurance and retirement businesses through its subsidiary companies. It provides advice and solutions that help empower people to take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. The company operates through the following segments: Annuities, Retirement Plan Services, Life Insurance, Group Protection, and Other Operations. The Annuities segment provides tax-deferred investment growth and lifetime income opportunities for its clients by offering fixed and variable annuities. The Retirement Plan Services segment includes employers with retirement plan products and services, primarily in the defined contribution retirement plan marketplaces. The Life Insurance segment focuses on the creation and protection of wealth for its clients by providing life insurance products, including term insurance, both single and survivorship versions of universal life insurance, variable universal life insurance, and indexed universal life insurance products. The Group Protection segment offers group non-medical insurance products, which includes term life, disability, dental, vision and accident and critical illness

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of NOV: AG Holding UK, APL France SAS, APL Management Pte Ltd, APL Norway AS, APL do Brasil Ltda., ASEP Group Holding B.V., ASEP Otomotiv Sanayi Ticaret Ltd., Ackerman Holdings C.V., Ackerman Holdings GP LLC, Ackerman International Holland B.V., Advanced Production and Loading, Advanced Wirecloth, Aggregate Plant Products Co., American Pipe and Construction International, Ameron B.V., Ameron Holdings Pte. Ltd., Ameron International, Ameron International Corporation, Ameron Pole Products LLC, Ameron Polyplaster Industria E Comercio de Tubos Ltda., Ameron Singapore Holding, Ameron Singapore Poly Holdings Pte. Ltd., Ameron Trading Holdings Pte. Ltd., Andergauge Limited, Andergauge Redback, Andergauge USA, Arabian Rig Manufacturing Company, Axiom Process Limited, Belco Manufacturing Company, Big Red Tubulars Limited, Bondstrand Ltd., Bowen Downhole Inc., Bowen Downhole LLC, Brandt Interests, Brandt Oilfield Services (M) Sdn. Bhd., C.M.A. Canavera S.R.L., CJSC Fidmash, CJSC Novmash, CSI Inspection, Camco Drilling Group Limited, Chemineer, Coil Services Middle East LLC, Containment Solutions, Containment Solutions Services, Couoperatie Intelliserv Holding U.A., Couoperatie NOV NL U.A., Danco AS, Denali Incorporated, Denali Management, Devin International, Dreco Canada L.P., Dreco DHT, Dreco Eastern Europe ULC, Dreco Energy Services ULC, Dreco International Holdings ULC, Dreco LLC, E.C. Motors, Elmar Far East Pty Ltd, Enerflow Industries, Enerpro de Mexico, Environmental Procedures LLC, Ershigs, Fabricated Plastics Acquisitions Limited, Fabricated Plastics Limited, Fiber Glass Systems, Fiber Glass Systems (Qingdao) Composite Piping Co., Fiber Glass Systems Holdings, Fiber Glass Systems Oman L.L.C., Fiber Glass Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fiberspar, Fiberspar Australia Pty. Ltd., Fiberspar Corporation, Fiberspar Linepipe Canada Ltd., Fibra Ingenieria y Construccion S.A., FidService, Fjords Processing (Shanghai) Co., Fjords Processing 1 AS, Fjords Processing AS, Fjords Processing Australia Pty Ltd, Fjords Processing France SAS, Fjords Processing Korea Co. Ltd., Fjords Processing Limited, Fjords Processing UK Ltd., Fryma S.a.r.l., GOT German Oil Tools GmbH, GP USA Holding LLC, GPEX, German Oil Tools (Middle East) FZE, Grant Prideco (Jiangsu) Drilling Products Co., Grant Prideco (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Grant Prideco AB TCA Holding LLC, Grant Prideco European Holding, Grant Prideco Holding, Grant Prideco III C. V., Grant Prideco Inc., Grant Prideco Jersey Limited, Grant Prideco L.P., Grant Prideco Mauritius Limited, Grant Prideco Netherlands B.V., Grant Prideco PC Composites Holdings, Grant Prideco S. de R.L. de C.V., Grant Prideco USA, Grant Prideco de Venezuela, Greystone Technologies Pty. Ltd., GustoMSC B.V., GustoMSC U.S., Hebei Huayouyiji Tuboscope Coating Co., Hitec AS, Hydralift AmClyde, Hydralift France SAS, Hydralift Holdings UK Limited, Inspecciones y Pruebas No Destructivas, IntelliServ Norway AS, Intelliserv, Intelliserv GP Holdings LLC, Intelliserv International Holding, Intelliserv LLC, Interval LLC, JiangYin Tuboscope Tubular Development Co., Merpro Group Limited, Merpro Products Limited, Merpro Tortek Limited, Midsund Bruk AS, Mono Group Pension Trustees Limited, Mono Pumps New Zealand Company, Monoflo NOV S.A.I.C., Moyno Inc., Moyno de Mexico S.A. de C.V., NKT Flexibles I/S, NOV (Asia), NOV (Barbados) Holding SRL, NOV (Barbados) SRL, NOV (Caymans), NOV (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., NOV - Oil Services Angola LDA., NOV APL Limited, NOV ASEP Elmar Mexico, NOV Africa Pty Ltd, NOV Australia Pty Ltd, NOV Azerbaijan LLC, NOV Brandt Europe France, NOV Brandt Oilfield Services Middle East LLC, NOV CV1 GP LLC, NOV CV2 GP LLC, NOV Completion Tools AS, NOV Completion Tools LLC, NOV Completion and Production Solutions Korea Ltd., NOV DH de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., NOV DHT Canada Holding ULC, NOV Denmark Cooperatief U.A., NOV Downhole Argentina, NOV Downhole Bolivia S.R.L., NOV Downhole Colombia, NOV Downhole Comercializacao de Equipamentos para Petroleo Ltda., NOV Downhole Congo, NOV Downhole Eurasia Limited, NOV Downhole Europe B.V., NOV Downhole Germany GmbH, NOV Downhole Italia S.R.L., NOV Downhole Kazakhstan, NOV Downhole Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., NOV Downhole Pty Ltd, NOV Downhole Thailand, NOV Dreco GP LLC, NOV EU Acquisition SNC, NOV Elmar (Middle East) Limited, NOV Elmar NL B.V., NOV Elmar Pte. Ltd., NOV Enerflow ULC, NOV Eurasia Holding LLC, NOV European Holding LLC, NOV Expatriate Services, NOV FGS Malaysia Sdn Bhd, NOV FGS Singapore (Pte.) Ltd, NOV Fiber Glass Systems Fabricacao De Tubos E Conexoes Ltda, NOV Flexibles Equipamentos E Servicos Ltda., NOV Flexibles Holding ApS, NOV Floating Production AS, NOV Fluid Control B.V., NOV GEO GP LLC, NOV GEO LP1 C.V., NOV GEO LP2 C.V., NOV GP Holding L.P., NOV GP1 Holding LLC, NOV Gabon SARL, NOV Germany Holding GmbH, NOV Ghana Limited, NOV Grant Prideco Drilling Equipment Manufacturing LLC, NOV Grant Prideco Drilling Products Middle East FZE, NOV Grant Prideco L.L.C., NOV Holding Danmark ApS, NOV Holding Germany GmbH & Co KG, NOV Holding Germany Management GmbH, NOV Holdings B.V., NOV Hydra Rig Pte. Ltd, NOV India Private Limited, NOV Intelliserv UK Limited, NOV International Holdings C.V., NOV International Holdings GP LLC, NOV Intervention & Stimulation Equipment US LLC, NOV Intervention and Stimulation Equipment  Aftermarket Comercio de Equipamentos e Servicos Ltda., NOV Kenya Limited, NOV Kostroma LLC, NOV Kuwait Light & Heavy Equipment Repairing & Maintenance Co., NOV LP (Trading), NOV MSI Pipe Protection Technologies Inc., NOV MSI Pipe Protection Technologies Mexico, NOV Mexico Holding LLC, NOV Middle East FZCO, NOV Mission Products UK Limited, NOV Mozambique Limitada, NOV NL Mexico Holding B.V., NOV Netherlands Finance Holding C.V., NOV Netherlands Finance Holding LLC, NOV North America I/P, NOV Oil & Gas Services Egypt (S.A.E), NOV Oil & Gas Services Uganda Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services Ghana Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services Nigeria Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, NOV Oilfield Services Tanzania Limited, NOV Oilfield Services Vostok LLC, NOV Oilfield Solutions Ltd., NOV Park II B.V., NOV Process & Flow Technologies AS, NOV Process & Flow Technologies Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., NOV Process & Flow Technologies Pte. Ltd., NOV Process & Flow Technologies UK Limited, NOV Process & Flow Technologies US, NOV Rig Solutions Pte. Ltd., NOV Romania, NOV Saudi Arabia Co. Ltd., NOV Saudi Arabia Trading Co., NOV Services Ltd., NOV Servicios de Personal Mexico, NOV Subsea Products AS, NOV TV2 LLC, NOV TVI LLC, NOV Tanajib Kuwait for Services and Maintenance of Oil Rigs Refineries and Petrochemicals, NOV Tuboscope Italia S.R.L., NOV Tuboscope Middle East LLC, NOV Tuboscope NL B.V., NOV Tubulars and Connectors Ltd., NOV UK (Angola Acquisitions) Limited, NOV UK Finance Limited, NOV UK Holdings Limited, NOV UK Korea LP, NOV Wellbore Technologies Norway LLC, NOV Wellbore Technologies do Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Ltda., NOV Wellsite Services Germany GmbH, NOV Worldwide C.V., NOV-BLM SAS, NOVM Holding LLC, NOW Downhole Tools, NOW International LLC, NOW Nova Scotia Holdings LLC, NOW Oilfield Services, NQL Holland B.V., National Oilwell (U.K.) Limited, National Oilwell Algerie, National Oilwell DHT, National Oilwell Middle East Company, National Oilwell Services de Mexico, National Oilwell Varco (Beijing) Investment Management Co. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco (Thailand) Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Algeria, National Oilwell Varco Almansoori Services, National Oilwell Varco Bahrain WLL, National Oilwell Varco Belgium SA, National Oilwell Varco Denmark I/S, National Oilwell Varco Egypt LLC, National Oilwell Varco Eurasia, National Oilwell Varco Guatemala, National Oilwell Varco Guyana Inc., National Oilwell Varco Hungary Limited Liability Company, National Oilwell Varco Korea Co., National Oilwell Varco MSW S.A., National Oilwell Varco Mexico, National Oilwell Varco Muscat L.L.C., National Oilwell Varco Norway AS, National Oilwell Varco Peru S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco Petroleum Equipment (Shanghai) Co., National Oilwell Varco Poland Sp.z.o.o., National Oilwell Varco Pte. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Rig Equipment Trading (Shanghai) Co., National Oilwell Varco Romania S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco Solutions, National Oilwell Varco UK Limited, National Oilwell Varco Ukraine LLC, National Oilwell Varco de Bolivia S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco de Chile - Servicios Limitada, National Oilwell Varco do Brasil Ltda., National Oilwell de Venezuela, National-Oilwell Pte. Ltd., National-Oilwell Pty. Ltd., PT Fjords Processing Indonesia, PT H-Tech Oilfield Equipment, PT NOV Oilfield Services, PT National Oilwell Varco, PT PROFAB INDONESIA, Pesaka Inspection Services SDN.BHD., Pipex Limited, Pipex PX Limited, Pipex Structural Composites Limited, Pridecomex Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., Pridecomex TA Industries, Procon Engineering Ltd., Profab Engineering Pte. Ltd., Profab Services Pte Ltd, Quality Tubing FSC, R&M C.V., R&M Canada Cooperatief U.A., R&M Energy Systems Australia Pty Ltd., R&M Energy Systems de Argentina S.A., R&M Energy Systems de Venezuela, R&M Environmental Strategies, R&M Singapore Holding LLC, R&M UK Holding LLC, RE.MAC.UT. S.r.l., RHI Holding LLC, ReedHycalog, ReedHycalog International Holding, ReedHycalog LLC, ReedHycalog UK Limited, Robannic Overseas Finance A.V.V., Robbins & Myers, Robbins & Myers (Suzhou) Process Equipment Company Limited, Robbins & Myers B.V., Robbins & Myers Foundation, Robbins & Myers GP LLC, Robbins & Myers Holdings, Robbins & Myers Holdings UK Limited, Robbins & Myers Inc, Robbins & Myers Italia S.R.L., Robbins & Myers N.V., Rodic S.A. de C.V., Romaco S.a.r.l., STAR Sudamtex Tubulares S.A., STBH2O TUNISIE, STSA, Screen Manufacturing Company Unlimited, Seabox AS, Slip Clutch Systems Limited, Smart Drilling GmbH, Soil Recovery A/S, South Seas Inspection, Subseaflex Holding ApS, T-3 Energy Preferred Industries Mexico, T-3 Energy Services, T-3 Energy Services Cayman, T-3 Energy Services Cayman Holdings, T-3 Energy Services India Private Limited, T-3 Energy Services Mexico, T-3 Investment Corporation IV, T-3 Mexican Holdings, TVI Holdings, Telluride Insurance Limited, Tianjin Grant TPCO Drilling Tools Company Limited, Tube-Kote, Tubo-FGS, Tuboscope & Co. LLC, Tuboscope (Holding U.S.) LLC, Tuboscope Brandt de Venezuela, Tuboscope Machining Services AS, Tuboscope Norge AS, Tuboscope Pipeline Services Inc., Tuboscope Services, Tuboscope Vetco (Deutschland) GmbH, Tuboscope Vetco (France) SAS, Tuboscope Vetco (Oesterreich) GmbH, Tuboscope Vetco Canada ULC, Tuboscope Vetco Capital Limited, Tuboscope Vetco Moscow CJSC, Tuboscope Vetco de Argentina S.A., Tubular Coatings Solutions Ltd., Tucom Composites Polyester Sanayi Ticaret Ltd., Varco BJ B.V., Varco CIS, Varco Canada ULC, Varco I/P, Varco International de Venezuela, Varco L.P., Varco US Holdings LLC, Vetco Coating GmbH, Vetco Enterprise GmbH, Vetco Saudi Arabia Ltd., Visible Assets, Wilson International, Woolley, XL Systems, XL Systems Antilles, XL Systems Europe B.V., XL Systems International, voestalpine Middle East Free Zone Establishment, voestalpine Tubulars Corporation, voestalpine Tubulars GmbH, and voestalpine Tubulars GmbH & Co KG.Schwab International Equity ETF's stock was trading at $27.15 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, SCHF shares have increased by 48.7% and is now trading at $40.36.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.The following companies are subsidiares of PPG Industries: AIPCF V Texstars Blocker Inc., AkzoNobel, Alermac Inversiones S.A. de C.V., Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, Alpha Coatings Inc., Broad Range Development Limited, Brown Brothers Distribution Limited, CG Holdings Manufacturing Co., Centro de Investigacion en Polimeros S.A. de C.V., Chemfil Canada Limited, Chorlton Trade Paints Limited, Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Comex, Comex Industrial Coatings S.A. de C.V., Consorcio Comex S.A. de C.V., Cristacol S.A., Cuming Microwave Corporation, Deutek SA, Dexmet Corporation, Dexmet Holding Corporation, Distribuidora Kroma S.A. de C.V., EPIC Insurance Co. Ltd., Eberle Design Inc., Empresa Aga S.A. de C.V., Ennis Canadian Holding Company, Ennis Flint Soluciones Seguras Para Trafico, Ennis Highway Traffic Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Ennis Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Ennis Paint Australia Holding Pty Ltd, Ennis Paint Boya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Ennis Paint Canada ULC, Ennis Paint Germany GmbH, Ennis Paint Netherlands Holdings LLC, Ennis Paint U.K. Holding Company Limited, Ennis Prismo Italio S.r.l., Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions Pty Ltd, Ennis  Flint Mexico, Ennis  Flint New Zealand, Ennis  Flint New Zealand Holding Pty Ltd, Ennis-Flint, Ennis-Flint Africa (Pty) Ltd, Ennis-Flint Inc., Foshan Bairun Chemicals Co. Ltd., Fpu Industrial S.A. de C.V., Grupo Comex S.A. de C.V., Hemmelrath Automotive Coatings (Jilin) Co. Ltd., Hodij Coatings B.V., Homax Products, Industria Chimica Reggiana I.C.R. SPA, Johnstones Paints Limited, Kalon Investment Company Limited, Kalon South Africa Proprietary Limited, Manchester Thermoplastics LLC, Masterwork Paint, MetoKote Canada Limited, MetoKote Corporation, MetoKote Mexico Holding Inc., MetoKote UK Limited, MetoKote de Mexico S. de RL de CV, PPG AC - France SA, PPG ALESCO Automotive Finishes Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PPG AP Resinas S.A. de C.V., PPG Aerospace Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Architectural Coatings (Puerto Rico) Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Canada Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Ireland Limited, PPG Architectural Coatings Italy S.r.l., PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited, PPG Architectural Finishes Inc., PPG Asian Paints Private Ltd., PPG COATINGS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., PPG Canada Inc., PPG Cieszyn S.A., PPG Coatings (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, PPG Coatings (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., PPG Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Thailand) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Wuhu) Company Ltd., PPG Coatings (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings B.V., PPG Coatings Belgium BV, PPG Coatings Danmark A/S, PPG Coatings Deutschland GmbH, PPG Coatings Europe B.V., PPG Coatings Manufacturing SARL, PPG Coatings Nederland BV, PPG Coatings S.A., PPG Coatings South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PPG DYRUP S.A., PPG Deco Czech a.s., PPG Deco Polska sp. z.o.o., PPG Deco Slovakia s.r.o., PPG Deutschland Business Support GmbH, PPG Deutschland Sales & Services GmbH, PPG Distribution S.A.S., PPG Europe B.V., PPG Finance B.V., PPG France Business Support S.A.S., PPG France Manufacturing S.A.S., PPG Guadeloupe SAS, PPG Hellas S.A., PPG Hemmelrath Coatings Inc., PPG Hemmelrath Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Holdco SAS, PPG Holdings (U.K.) Limited, PPG Holdings Argentina USA LLC, PPG Holdings Latin America USA LLC, PPG Iberica S.A., PPG Iberica Sales & Services S.L., PPG Industrial Coatings B.V., PPG Industrial do Brasil - Tintas E. Vernizes - Ltda., PPG Industries (Korea) Ltd., PPG Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Industries (UK) Ltd, PPG Industries Argentina S.R.L., PPG Industries Australia PTY Limited A.C.N. 055 500 939, PPG Industries Colombia Ltda., PPG Industries Czech Republic s.r.o., PPG Industries Delfzijl B.V., PPG Industries Europe Sarl, PPG Industries France S.A.S., PPG Industries International Inc., PPG Industries Italia S.r.l., PPG Industries Kimya a Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, PPG Industries LLC, PPG Industries Lipetsk LLC, PPG Industries Middle East FZE, PPG Industries Netherlands B.V., PPG Industries New Zealand Limited, PPG Industries Ohio Inc., PPG Industries Poland Sp. Z.o.o., PPG Industries Securities LLC, PPG Industries de Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Italia Business Support S.r.l., PPG Italia Sales & Services S.r.l., PPG Japan Ltd., PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes Canada LP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.K. LLP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.S. LLC, PPG Luxembourg Finance S.aR.L., PPG Luxembourg Holdings S.aR.L., PPG Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Packaging Coatings (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Performance Coatings (Hong Kong) Limited, PPG Powder Coatings (Shanghai) Limited, PPG Romania S.A., PPG SSC Co. Ltd., PPG Switzerland GmbH, PPG Trilak Kft., PPG Vietnam Co. Ltd., PRC-DeSoto Australia Pty Ltd., PRC-DeSoto International Inc., PT. PPG Coatings Indonesia, Painter's Supply, Paintzen, Peintures de Paris SAS, Plasticos Envolventes S.A. de C.V., Polymeric Systems Inc., Prismo Road Markings Limited, ProCoatings B.V., ProCoatings BV, Protec Pty Ltd. A.C.N. 007 857 392, Reno A&E LLC, Revocoat France SAS, Revocoat Holding SAS, Revocoat Iberica SLU, Revocoat S.A.S, Road Infrastructure Investment Holdings Inc., SEM Products Inc., Sealants Europe SAS, Sierracin Corporation, Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation, Sigma Marine & Protective Coatings Holding B.V., SigmaKalon (BC) UK Limited, SigmaKalon Group, SigmaKalon Middle East B.V., Sikar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Spraylat International Ltd, Texstars LLC, The Crown Group Co., The Crown Group Inc, The Homax Group, Tikkurila Group, Traffic Safety Intermediate LLC, Traffic Safety Parent LLC, United International Business NV, Vanex Inc., Vernisol S.p.A., Versaflex, Viasa S.A. de C.V., Whitford, Whitford B.V., Whitford Corporation, Whitford Jiangmen Ltd., Whitford Ltd. (HK), Whitford Ltd. (UK), Whitford Pte. Ltd., Whitford S.r.l., Whitford Worldwide Company LLC, Worwag Coatings, and Zaganite Industries Pty Ltd.The following companies are subsidiares of Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III (Scots) L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Campus Drive LLC, Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DHFL PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (Ireland) L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI (US) L.P., Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sweden Resi I GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA Mission LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd., LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PEREF II PV S.r.l, PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM (Australia) Pty Ltd, PGIM (Hong Kong) Ltd., PGIM (Scots) Limited, PGIM (Shanghai) Company Ltd., PGIM (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Agricultural Investors LP, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management (Feeder) VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital (Ireland) Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate (Japan) Ltd., PGIM Real Estate (UK) Limited, PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings (UK) Limited, PIM KF Blocker Holdings LLC, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Mexico Residential Manager I LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Limited Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund III Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Residential Fund IV Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Red LP, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP (SCOTS FEEDER) LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRECO ACCOUNT III LLC, PRECO ACCOUNT PARTNERSHIP III LP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica (Hong Kong) Holdings Limited, Pramerica (Luxembourg) CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica (Scots) CP GP LLP, Pramerica Business Consulting (Shanghai) Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica General Partner LLP, Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Insurance Agency (China) Company Ltd., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate (Scots) LP, Pramerica Property Partners Fund (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP (Scots Feeder) LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Netherlands) GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI (Scots) Limited Partnership, Pramerica SGR S.p.A, Pramerica Systems Ireland Limited, Preco III (Scotland) Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Customer Solutions LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd., Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Industrial Properties LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Life Insurance Company of Taiwan Inc., Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Securities Structured Assets Inc., Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, QMA LLC, QMA Wadhwani LLP, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. (Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service), Senior Housing Partners IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund IV L.L.C., Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy (US) Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, Times Square Center Associates, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I (Ireland) L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I (US) L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC.The following companies are subsidiares of Quest Diagnostics: AmeriPath, AmeriPath Cincinnati Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Cleveland Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Consolidated Labs Inc. (FL), AmeriPath Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Hospital Services Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Indianapolis PC (IN), AmeriPath Kentucky Inc. (KY), AmeriPath Lubbock 5.01(A) Corporation (TX), AmeriPath New York LLC (DE), AmeriPath Texas Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Tucson Inc. (AZ), American Medical Laboratories, American Medical Laboratories Incorporated (DE), Associated Clinical Laboratories L.P. (PA), Associated Clinical Laboratories of Pennsylvania L.L.C. (PA), Athena Diagnostics, Athena Diagnostics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics, Blueprint Genetics FZ-LLC (UAE), Blueprint Genetics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics Oy (Finland), California Laboratory Associates, Cape Cod Healthcare - Business, Celera, ClearPoint Diagnostic, Clearpoint Diagnostic Laboratories LLC (TX), Cleveland HeartLab, Cleveland HeartLab Inc. (DE), Clinical Laboratory Partners, Colorado Pathology Consultants P.C. (CO), ConVerge Diagnostic Services, Consolidated DermPath Inc. (DE), DFW 5.01(a) Corporation (TX), DGXWMT JV LLC (DE), Dermatopathology of Wisconsin S.C. (WI), Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma LLC (OK), Diagnostic Pathology Services Inc. (OK), Diagnostic Reference Services Inc. (MD), ExamOne Canada Inc. (New Brunswick), ExamOne LLC (DE), ExamOne World Wide Inc. (PA), ExamOne World Wide of NJ Inc. (NJ), Focus Diagnostics, HemoCue, Hoffman M.D. Associated Pathologists Chartered (NV), Institute for Dermatopathology Inc. (PA), Isabella Street Urban Renewal LLC (NJ), Kailash B. Sharma M.D. Inc. (GA), Kilpatrick Pathology P.A. (NC), LabOne, LabOne LLC (MO), LabOne of Ohio Inc. (DE), Laboratorio de Analisis Biomedicos S.A. (Mexico), Lancet Labs, MACL, Med Fusion LLC (TX), Med fusion, MedPlus, Mid America Clinical Laboratories LLC (IN), Nomad Massachusetts Inc. (MA), Nuclear Medicine and Pathology Associates (GA), Ocmulgee Medical Pathology Association Inc. (GA), Pathology Building Partnership (MD) (gen. ptnrshp.), PeaceHealth Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories PLLC (WA), Q Squared Solutions Holdings LLC (DE), Q Squared Solutions Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (China), Quest Diagnostics Brasil Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Domestic Holder LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics HTAS India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Incorporated (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (MD), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NV), Quest Diagnostics India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Infectious Disease Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics International Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics International LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Investments LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Ireland Limited (Ireland), Quest Diagnostics LLC (CT), Quest Diagnostics LLC (IL), Quest Diagnostics LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Massachusetts LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Mexico Holding Company Trust (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Mexico S de RL de CV (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (CA), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute Inc. (VA), Quest Diagnostics Receivables Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Subsidiary Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics TB LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Terracotta LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Venture LLC (PA), Quest Diagnostics Ventures LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics do Brasil Ltda. (Brazil), Quest Diagnostics of Pennsylvania Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics of Puerto Rico Inc. (PR), Quest HealthConnect LLC (CA), ReproSource, Reprosource Fertility Diagnostics Inc. (MA), Solstas Lab Partners, Sonora Quest Laboratories LLC (AZ), Specialty Laboratories Inc. (CA), Summit Health, UMass Memorial Medical Center - Anatomic Pathology Outreach Laboratory Business, Unilab Corporation, and Unilab Corporation (DE).Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and creditor and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its field sales force, advice centers, and online, as well as through independent insurance advisors and affinity relationships. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset, cash management, transaction banking, and treasury services to institutional clients; correspondent banking and trade finance services for financial institutions; and short-term funding and liquidity management services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, governments, and central banks. Royal Bank of Canada has a strategic partnership with Royal College Of Physicians & Surgeons Of Canada to support the needs of Canada's medical specialists. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Read MoreXcel Energy, Inc. operates as a holding company, which engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. It operates through the following three segments: Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility and All Others. The Regulated Electric Utility segment generates, transmits and distributes electricity primarily in portions of generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. In addition, this segment includes sales for resale and provides wholesale transmission service to various entities in the United States. It also includes commodity trading operations. The Regulated Natural Gas Utility segment transports, stores, and distributes natural gas primarily in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan and Colorado. The All Others segment engages in steam, appliance repair services, nonutility real estate activities, processing solid waste into refuse-derived fuel and investments in rental housing projects that qualify for low-income housing tax credits. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.

Read MoreInvesco Preferred ETF's stock was trading at $14.13 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, PGX shares have increased by 6.7% and is now trading at $15.07.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.Telecom Italia S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides fixed and mobile telecommunications services in Europe, South America, and the Mediterranean Basin. The company operates through Domestic, Brazil, and Other Operations segments. It offers fixed and mobile voice and Internet, and public telephony services, as well as products managed and developed for individuals and families; and voice, data, and Internet services and products, and information and communications technology solutions for small and medium-size enterprises, small offices/home offices, the public sector, large accounts, and enterprises in the fixed and mobile telecommunications markets. The company also manages and develops a portfolio of regulated and unregulated wholesale services for fixed and mobile telecommunications operators; provision of infrastructure for housing radio transmission equipment of mobile telephone networks; and development, engineering, building, and operation of network infrastructures, information technology (IT), real estate properties, and plant engineering. In addition, it engages in customer care, operating credit support, loyalty, and retention activities; and staff functions and other support activities. Further, the company offers office products and services for IT sector. The company was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Rome, Italy.

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 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.What can fossil shellfish tell us about our environmental future? Plenty.

Peering into the past: Paleontologist Rowan Lockwood examines the fossilized remains of shellfish to understand present and future environmental implications. She has used fossil oysters to make recommendations on policy for the Chesapeake Bay and is a co-author on a paper that examines the fate of shellfish during a long-past episode of global warming known as the PETM. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption

The Earths climate is changing, and its changed before. The worlds oceans are warming, and theyve warmed before.

Past episodes of oceanic warming  and their effects  are recorded in the fossil record and scientists can unlock the predictive power frozen in geologic time to get insight into our own environmental future.

William & Mary paleontologist Rowan Lockwood is a member of a team of scientists that examined fossil record of shellfish that lived during a global warming event that occurred more than 50 million years ago. Their report, Little lasting impact of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum on shallow marine molluscan faunas, was published in the journal Science Advances.

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, or PETM, occurred about 56 million years ago. Lockwood explained that the PETM was triggered by the release of 10,000 gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere from the seafloor or volcanic eruptions.

The result of all that carbon, she said, was a massive rise in global sea temperatures and increased ocean acidification. The natural global warming of the PETM makes it the best-available comparison to our anthropogenic-heated environment, but the paper states, dolefully, The PETM likely underestimates the expected impact of ongoing combustion of fossil fuels.

Lockwood explained that there are natural contributors of carbon-laden greenhouse gases at work today  volcanism is one. And the carbon extractors such as the ocean and trees are still at work.

Trees and plant material have been absorbing greenhouse gases for millions of years, she said. When plants and other living organisms die and are buried into the ground for millions of years, they become coal and oilnatural carbon sinks.

Lockwood, a professor in the universitys Department of Geology, explained that the greenhouse-gas carbon stays locked away underground until released into the atmosphere. There are natural releases such as volcanic events or weathering  but human extraction and combustion of coal and oil short-circuit the process, taking only a few years to unlock millions of years of sequestered carbon.

Todays rates of global warming are significantly faster than anything weve seen in Earths history, Lockwood said. Its the same for ocean acidification and related carbon-driven changes to the environment. The PETM is the closest that we have in the past, but modern warming is still far outstripping those rates.

Lockwoods co-authors on the Science Advances paper are Linda C. Ivany of Syracuse University, Carlie Pietsch of San Jose State University, John C. Handley of the University of Rochester, Warren D. Allmon of Cornell University and Jocelyn A. Sessa of Drexel University. The work was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation.

The collaborators chose to focus on well-known fossil outcrops on the coastal plain of Alabama and Mississippi, covered by a shallow ocean during the PETM. Other studies have looked at the effects of the PETM in deep-sea and terrestrial environments, but there has been little examination of how shallow-sea life weathered the warming, acidification and oxygen stress that were the facts of life during the PETM interval.

These are some of the best-preserved shallow marine localities in the world, Lockwood said. I focused on the largest and best-preserved species in the fossil record.

The scientists looked at a number of factors in fossils from before and after the PETM: diversity, body size, abundance, persistence. And they found that the shellfish weathered the thousands of years of environmental stress pretty well. Lockwood said she and her collaborators were surprised.

The PETM is interesting because we know that its associated with the mass extinction of microscopic organisms living in the ocean, she said. Since these microscopic organisms are the base of the marine food chain, we hypothesized we would see extinction in the mollusks as well.

Lockwood cautioned that the story is incomplete. Even the rich fossil beds of the Gulf coastal plain have some blank spots in their fossil record, she said, and therefore the collaborators cant explain why or how the shellfish were so successful.

So, its possible that the mollusks have responded, but we dont have a finely tuned enough record to observe that, she explained. But if they did respond, they bounced back surprisingly quickly on a geologic time scale.British Prime minister Theresa May has given its political advisers the chance to hold early elections in November this year. Thus, it aims to regain the support of the people for its work as head of government. In London there was also demand for a new referendum for Brexit, where the British people would once again say his opinion on this decision.

Brexit negotiations have been embarrassed and currently, it is not known how they will end. May will be pressured on Monday by her party to renounce her plan and come up with a solution.

Former British Secretary for Brexit, David Davis, and other pro-Brexit conservatives are supporting a report by the Institute for Economic Affairs, which also contains an alternative plan for EU exit. The launch of this report will come just a few hours before Prime Minister Theresa May faces her cabinet for the first time since the failure at the Salzburg Summit.

Source: Worldbulletin.netAt least 21 suspects have been arrested in Istanbul for their alleged links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 coup attempt, security sources said on Monday.



The police arrested the suspects after they conducted anti-terror raids at 54 locations in 24 districts of the city, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.



The suspects are accused of using the organizations encrypted messaging application ByLock and being involved in training activities of the organization.



The police also seized a number of organizational documents and digital tools.



According to the Turkish government, FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.



Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.With Brazils national elections just two weeks away, it is becoming increasingly clear that, whatever the results at the polls, the next government will be the countrys most right-wing since the fall of the 19641985 US-backed military dictatorship.

Currently, first-round polls give the the fascistic army reserve captain and seven-term Rio de Janeiro federal representative Jair Bolsonaro the lead with 28 percent, followed by Workers Party (PT) candidate Fernando Haddad with 16 percent and Ciro Gomes of the Democratic Labor Party (PDT) with 13 percent. The candidate for Brazils former leading right-wing party, the Brazilian Social Democracy (PSDB), has been unable to break out of single digits, despite his electoral alliance holding a third of the seats Congress.

Polls for the second round of the election show Bolsonaro being narrowly defeated by every other candidate.

Whatever the results, however, two trends, vastly accelerated in the recent weeks, must be taken by the working class as a sharp warning of the violent swing by the Brazilian ruling class that lies ahead.

The first is the increasing frequency of comments on the part of military and far-right figures implying that the legitimacy of the next administration may be in question, either because of claims of election fraud or foreign meddling. The latter is a reference to the strategy of the Workers Party to take the case of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has been jailed on corruption charges and denied the right to run as the PTs candidate, to the UN.

The second trend is the rush to the right by the so-called anti-fascist opposition to Bolsonaro, which is doubling down on its claims, in the fashion of the bankrupt Democratic Party opposition to Trump, that Bolsonaro is a threat to Brazilian capitalist interests.

The far-right campaign to justify a military coup in Brazil, casting the military as the only legitimate power, was already evidenced by the April 3 threats made by Brazilian Army commander, Gen. Eduardo Villas Boas in relation to a Supreme Court ruling on a habeas corpus motion filed on behalf of Lula, which was ultimately struck down. At the time, Villas Boas declared that the army shares the feelings of well-meaning citizens against impunity [for Lula].

On September 8, Bolsonaros vice-presidential running mate, Gen. Hamilton Mourao, escalated the campaign, declaring to Globonews that the militarys mission was to guarantee the proper functioning of the institutions of the state. He added that, according to the Armys manuals it was up to the interpretation of the commander whether or not a military intervention was necessary. Making clear the deeply unstable conditions anticipated within military circles, even in the event of a Bolsonaro electoral victory, Mourao said that the president, as commander-in-chief, could legitimately mobilize the military for a self-coup if he felt institutions were not working, that is, if the president didnt get his way in the face of political opposition, adding, as weve seen many times in other countries.

A day later, Gen. Villas Boas declared to Brazils right-wing daily O Estado de S. Paulo that, in face of both the attempt on Bolsonaros life by a deeply disturbed individual during a campaign rally, and the brief divisions within ruling circles regarding the blocking of Lulas candidacy after the UN Human Rights Committees recommendation that he be allowed to run, the legitimacy of the elections could be questioned.

Villas Boas declared the UN recommendation a violation of Brazilian sovereignty after several pundits and an O Estado de S. Paulo editorial had already adopted this line, and that on these grounds a ruling in Lulas favor could delegitimize the elections. Likewise, the attack on Bolsonaro could be grounds for Bolsonaro to claim that he was unable to campaign, and also delegitimize the elections. After the knife attack on September 6, Bolsonaro remained in semi-intensive care for two weeks and is still a patient in one of the favorite private hospitals of Brazils wealthy elite.

Such declarations emboldened Bolsonaro himself to declare, in a video from his hospital room, that the Brazilian electronic ballots were going to be manipulated for a Workers Party victory that would free Lula through a presidential pardon. In the video, he asks his supporters, think of what you would do in prison; would you accept it? Lula has not attempted to run because he has a plan.

Under the weight of the international economic crisis and the collapse of the commodity boom that allowed the so-called Pink Tide of IMF-friendly nationalist regimes to sweep to power in Latin America, the Brazilian ruling class is demanding not only the destruction of workers living standards, but an unhindered alignment with US imperialism and an abandonment of whatever negotiating strategies were employed by the Workers Party to extract benefits from imperialism through ties with China and other south-south strategies.

Conscious of the growing restiveness in the working class and the inevitable resistance these policies will produce, ruling circles are increasingly turning to the military. After decades of exclusion from political life due to demoralization after being forced from power and held responsible for the crimes of the murderous 19641985 dictatorship, high-ranking generals are taking over civilian posts, including the Defense Ministry, and, most importantly, Rio de Janeiros law enforcement. Military officers are also running for office in record numbers.

Most recently, on September 13, for the first time in Brazilian history, a military officer was nominated to serve as counsel to the incoming Supreme Courts president, Jose Antonio Dias Toffoli, who claims that four-star Gen. Fernando de Azevedo e Silva is qualified to advise him with his knowledge of our county.

Against this backdrop, the anti-fascist opposition to Bolsonaro is pitching its appeal to the Brazilian ruling class and democratic imperialist governments and officials, allowing the countrys far right to posture as nationalist and an opponent of the establishment.

Leading pundits, both right-wing and ostensibly left, including those tied to the Workers Party, have for almost a year attempted to discredit Bolsonaro, not by exposing his lies about being able to create jobs by slashing wages, but by criticizing the half-heartedness of his support for neoliberal reforms, citing his record of voting against privatizations and the slashing of pensions.

In the last two weeks, however, they have almost unanimously shifted their critique further to the right. They have seized upon several recent reports in the imperialist press, including the Financial Times, Bloomberg and, most prominently, the Economists September 20 editorial, claiming Bolsonaro would be a disastrous president to try to dissuade Brazils ruling class from supporting him.

Celebratory comments from PT-supporting pundits came in the form of an article titled Bye, bye, darling, says The Economist to Bolsonaro by Flavio Ribeiro on the GGN news website on September 21. Similarly, the sycophantic Paulo Moreira Leite posted a column on the PT-aligned website Brasil247 on September 20, titled Markets are already starting to distrust Bolsonaros unbelievable proposals, referring to a plan to cut taxes for the rich. In other words, the wisdom of the financial markets support for IMF-approved PT policies, and not the votesmuch less the mobilizationof the working class, will propel the Workers Party back to power.

The most recent warnings against Bolsonaro from the leading imperialist circles have coincided with the rise of the Workers Partys substitute for Lula, Fernando Haddad, in the latest polls. The only Sao Paulo mayor to ever lose a re-election bid in the first round with 16 percent of the votesless than the share of spoiled ballotsHaddad was able to earn Sao Paulo a Fitch investment grade rating amid the worst economic crisis in a century, an accomplishment achieved at the expense of the citys working class and through a virtual zero investment policy.

Contrary to the Free Lula campaigns lies about the ex-presidents defiant policies in favor of the poor, the party has continued a sharp turn to the right to compete with Bolsonaro for the support of the ruling elite. Lulas nomination of the right-wing Haddad to head his economic team in January was already an indication of this trajectory.

GGNs editor Luis Nassif celebrated on September 14 an FGV think-tank report explaining that market fluctuations in Brazil were more connected to international factors than any concern by finance capital about a PT victoryalso in contradiction to the claims of the Free Lula campaign about his defiant defense of the oppressed.

This was followed by pundit Patricia Campos Mello in her September 21 Folha de S. Paulo column citing favorable commentary about Haddad, repeatedly pointing out that it came, not from progressive and anti-Trump newspapers like the New York Times or the Guardian, but from Bloomberg and the Financial Times (Financial markets Bibles are abandoning Bolsonaro). It is symptomatic of the rightward turn by Bolsonaros anti-fascist critics that they shy away even from the positive references to the PT in CIA mouthpieces such as the New York Times .

One of the reports quoted by these columnists is Bloombergs Matthew Winklers analysis of the Brazilian situation from September 20, which ends by saying that investors believe that the winner of the election doesnt matter.

As the Brazilian military increasingly indicate that it is preparing to guarantee that the election doesnt matter, and the PT makes clear it has no intention of standing in their way, the responsibility for the dangers facing the Brazilian working class lie squarely with those pseudo-left forces promoting the PT as a political alternative.The London-based Financial Times (FT) recently published an article entitled Sri Lanka sinks deeper into Chinas grasp as debt woes spiral. It is yet another expression of the concerns of US, European and major Asian powers about cash-strapped Sri Lanka relying more on China for economic support.

The US, with the backing of India and Japan, is increasingly putting pressure on Sri Lanka not to deviate from its efforts to undermine and encircle China.

The FT article is directed against Sri Lankas plan to issue $US250 million worth of renminbi-denominated Panda bonds. Country has already agreed to a $1 billion syndicated loan from China Development Bank in August. Its first instalment of $500 million was to be released in the first week of this month.

The article also noted that Sri Lanka had accumulated foreign debt of $55 billion of which Chinese lenders hold 10 percent, while Japan, the Asian Development Bank and World Bank have 13, 14 and 11 percent respectively.

However, the article claimed: Sri Lankas mounting burden has earned some notoriety, with some observers saying the country is falling into a debt trap of Chinese design. It added: This view gained currency last year, after $1.1bn in debt was written off in exchange for the deep water port of Hambantota, near the southern tip of Sri Lanka.

The major powers and the international media are increasingly using the catch phrase Chinas debt trap. They claim that Beijing provides unsustainable loans and investments to bring countries under its fold to achieve Chinas strategic ambitions for global domination.

This claim has nothing to do with their concerns for the plight of Sri Lanka or, for that matter, any of the backward countries facing mounting debts for which most of the major powers are directly responsible.

For decades, US imperialism has sought to undermine Beijings influence in Asia and Africa. Sri Lanka is among Washingtons major concerns because it is strategically located in the Indian Ocean astride important sea-lanes between North East Asia and Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Washington was hostile to the close economic relations of the former President Mahinda Rajapakse government with Beijing, including the procuring of arms from China for the communal war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which ended in mid-2009. Washington exploited human rights abuses by the Sri Lankan military to pressurise Rajapakse to distance himself from Beijing. Washington hypocritically used these war crimes though it fully backed Colombos war.

In the end, the Obama administration orchestrated a regime change operation in Colombo in the January 2015 presidential election to bring Maithripala Sirisena to power. To this end, Washington secured the help of right-wing United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

After coming to power, Sirisena and Wickremesinghe immediately changed the foreign policy in favour of the US and India and even held up China-funded projects.

However, facing a financial crisis, the government has turned to China for funding. Colombo obtained a bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in June 2016 which was attached to far-reaching austerity measures for restructuring the economy and slashing government expenditure on basic services. This was the second IMF bailout loan in seven yearsthe first being obtained in 2009 under the Rajapakse regime.

As well as allowing Chinese companies to resume work on stalled projects, the government ceded a majority share of the Chinese-funded Hambantota Port to China Merchant Port Holdings in December 2017 in an attempt to offset the debt incurred for the port project.

Eyeing more financial assistance, Wickremesinghe declared at the handing-over ceremony that Hambantota was part of the modern silk route, a reference to Beijings ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project.

The US, India and Japan immediately expressed concerns over the handing of the Hambantota port to China, claiming that it would be used as a military base by China to control the Indian Ocean.

With its own regional ambitions, India considers Sri Lanka as part of its sphere of influence in South Asia. To counter Chinas rise, New Delhi has developed a close strategic partnership with Washington, and lined up with Japan which is also hostile to China.

Last month Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera visited Sri Lanka to boost military ties after having discussions with his Indian counterpart, Nirmala Sitharaman. Onodera visited Hambantota and told Japans NHK that the port should not be used for military purposes, indirectly referring to China.

Begun under the Obama administration, Washingtons aggressive economic and military moves against Beijing have intensified under Trump. Trade war measures are being ramped up by the US against China while military alliances with India, Japan and Australia are being strengthened. The US is insisting that countries in the region line up with its actions against China.

An FT editorial on September 10 declared that Chinas reputation as development financier [was] on the line. It added: US officials now see a disturbing pattern in which Beijing has encouraged indebtedness in order to gain control of strategic assets when debtors default on repayments. Declaring that eight out of 68 countries already have unsustainable levels of sovereign debts, the editorial called for the US to raise its own game plan to counter China.

Defending his government, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Wickremesinghe declared at ASEANs World Economic Forum in Hanoi on September 10: We are dealing with China. There is a fair amount of Chinese investments. There are China loans I cant see it as a threat. He denied ceding the Hambantota port to Chinas control.

There is no doubt that Sri Lanka will come under increasing pressure from the US and its allies to distance itself from China. The Sri Lankan military already has close relations with the US military and its warships frequently visit the islands ports. Last week Colombo announced it will fully support US sanctions against Iran and halt oil imports from that country.More than three months have passed since the World Socialist Web Site published an exposure of the conference held last April in Buenos Aires in the name of the Committee to Refound the Fourth International, which advanced the reactionary conception that the Fourth International, founded by Leon Trotsky in 1938, could be refounded in alliance with nationalist, neo-Stalinist organizations in Russia.

The Workers Party (Partido Obrero, PO) invited a leader of one of these groups, Darya Mitina, the secretary of international relations of the United Communist Party of Russia (OKP), to deliver one of the main speeches to a rally held at the close of the conference. The POs longtime leader, Jorge Altamira, praised her as a comrade who speaks in the name of communism in Russia, which for her would be Stalinism. Cynically rejecting the building of the world socialist movement on the basis of Trotskyist principles, Altamira declared that seeking unity with Stalinists was far superior than attempting to build a do it yourself International.

Mitina is a Stalinist who views the late dictator as a man without equal in history and goes twice a year to lay flowers at his tomb. She travels the world as a political agent of the government of Vladimir Putin. Seeking to garner international support for Russian foreign policy, Mitina meets not only with Stalinist and Maoist organizations, but also with parties that claim an association with Trotskyism. Mitina adjusts her rhetoric according to the political sensibilities of her audience. When appearing before military forces in Eastern Ukraine, Mitina speaks as a defender of Russian nationalism. When addressing the members of organizations that claim to be left, she skillfully dresses up Putins foreign policy as a form of anti-imperialism.

The WSWS exposure of the political significance of the relationship between Altamira and Mitina raised concerns among rank-and-file members of the Partido Obrero. Unable to provide a principled explanation of its association with Mitina, the Partido Obrero has published not another word about its April conference to refound the Fourth International in alliance with Russian neo-Stalinist nationalism. It has removed all postings and questions on its websites relating to these matters.

The only effort to explain and justify the POs actions has come in the form of a statement posted on Mitinas blog, written by her husband and political partner, Said Gafurov.

Gafurov has the closest ties to the Russian state. In a 2014 interview with IA Regnum, a pro-Kremlin information agency, he was introduced as a political scientist, economist, scientific head of the Institute of Applied Studies of the East and Iran, advisor to the president of the Russian Federation. The precise nature of his present relationship with Putin is unclear. Gafurov has held posts in various state ministries, and he has served as the deputy chief editor of a Russian monthly economic journal known for its strong support for Putin. He is a commentator for the pro-Putin pravda.ru., where he writes columns and makes broadcasts promoting Russias geo-strategic interests.

Gafurovs statement, posted by Mitina on June 27, defended her attendance at the conference in Argentina, describing the Partido Obrero as a party that is very successful in parliament (it holds a single seat in the 329-member body) and boasting that his wife was a real star, thousands of delegates applauded her at a mass meeting.

He dismisses the exposures published by the WSWS as angry, but unintelligible and goes on to claim that the initial article accused comrade Mitina personally of rivers of blood and the Stalinist purges (I too was accused of those three terrible crimes, but together with cde. Mitina, -- of rivers of blood, the Stalinist purges, and of the fact that I'm married to a bloodstained ... Stalinist).

The reference made in the World Socialist Web Site article was to Trotskys statement, written in 1937, that Stalins Great Purge, launched the year before, had drawn between Bolshevism and Stalinism not simply a bloody line but a whole river of blood.

For Gafurov, the river of blood, i.e., the political genocide carried out by the Stalinist bureaucracy in which hundreds of thousands of communists, including the entire leadership of the October 1917 Revolution, were liquidated, along with the Soviet intelligentsia and nearly the entire command of the Red Armycrimes that led to the deaths of millionsis a subject for levity and of no current political relevance.

His statement posted on Mitinas blog declares that the differences and contradictions between Trotskyism and Stalinism have only a historical, not a political character He continues: They are important to study but only for the sake of historical lessons (and history, to be honest and slightly cynical, never teaches anyone anything.)

Gafurovs contempt for history is entirely in line with the attitude of Russias ruling oligarchy, which has absolutely no interest in any inquiries into its own historical origins, which lie in the crimes of the Stalinist bureaucracy, culminating in the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the criminal looting of state property.

His claim that history has erased the differences and contradictions between Trotskyism and Stalinism is clearly disingenuous. His wife Mitina, after all, is laying her wreaths at Stalins tomb, not outside Moscows old Lubyanka prison, in whose cellars so many of those who led the October 1917 Revolution were shot to death.

To prove the irrelevance of the struggle of Trotskyism against Stalinism, Gafurov refers to such questions as the Kulaks and the peasantry, the pace of Bolshevik industrialization and inner-party democracy.

What he ignores is the essential character of Stalinism as a vicious bureaucratic nationalist reaction against the October 1917 Revolution. In the anti-Marxist program of socialism in one country, Stalinism represented the explicit repudiation of the socialist internationalist perspective that guided the October Revolution, summed up in Trotskys theory of permanent revolution, which insisted on the primacy of the perspective of world socialist revolution in the determination of national policy.

Stalinist nationalismwhich had its social base in the growing bureaucratic eliteseparated the fate of the Soviet Union from the fight for world socialism, turning the Communist Parties throughout the world into mere instruments of the Soviet Unions counterrevolutionary foreign policy and leading to the betrayal of revolutions and catastrophic defeats for the working class in Spain, Germany and many other countries.

Anyone who believes that a revolutionary party can be built in the working class without understanding this history and the role of Stalinismas well as the revolutionary alternative that existed to it, in the Left Opposition and the Fourth Internationalis delusional.

Outside this history of the crimes of Stalinism, it is impossible to understand the absence of mass revolutionary socialist parties today and set about to resolve the acute crisis of revolutionary leadership within the working class.

But then, this is not the aim of Gafurov and Mitina and the party that they represent. In the aftermath of the dissolution of the USSR and the liquidation of the socialized property forms established by the October Revolution upon which the bureaucracy had rested, what is Stalinism today?

On the one hand, it is Putinism, the rule of the KGB adapted to the interests of a ruling clique of billionaires.

On the other hand, it is the various factions of the Russian Communist Party, which are only a variant of Russian nationalism, prepared to align themselves with the most right-wing forces. When they hold their demonstrations in Moscow, placards bearing the face of Stalin are carried alongside banners waved by fascists emblazoned with swastikas.

There is an unmistakable logic to the repudiation of history and such political alliances. Gafurov argues that three generations have already passed since the river of blood.

One might ask: How many generations have passed since the death of Adolf Hitler and the closing of Auschwitz? By this logic, agreements can be made on the basis of practical political aims with neo-Nazis in Europe and elsewhere. And, indeed, as the political itinerary of Darya Mitina has made clear, such alliances are being actively pursued in the interests of the Putin governments foreign policy.

As the WSWS revealed, Mitina, working with the Izborsky Club, a far-right Russian think tank, was an active participant in a 2014 conference in Yalta that gathered leaders of neo-Nazi and fascist parties from throughout Europe.

Using the same logic advanced by Gafurov, one might also ask: How many years have passed since the crimes of Pinochet and Videla and since the Argentine Navys Higher School of Mechanics (ESMA) was turned from a torture and extermination center into a museum? How many years have gone by since Peronist trade union officials, some of them still in the leadership of the unions, organized the first death squads in the Triple A (Argentine Anti-Communist Alliance) to murder left-wing activists and militant workers? Is that history, too, irrelevant, and can practical agreements be forged with such elements today?

In Argentina, as in Russia, the approach to history advanced by Gafurov as well as the so-called Committee to Refound the Fourth International lays the foundations for a Red-Brown coalition, uniting pseudo-left organizations with far-right factions under the auspices of the bourgeoisie.

The alliance of the Partido Obrero with Russian Stalinismand through it with the Putin governmentsays more about this partys politics than any of the opportunist national tactics it advances in pursuit of parliamentary posts and positions in the trade unions.

Altamira and the CRFI share the reactionary, anti-Marxist attitude toward history advanced by Gafurov. As the WSWS previously pointed out, The CRFI was founded on the principle that there was to be no discussion of past differences or the historical development of the various tendencies that adhered to it.

In his speech to the April conference that was also addressed by the Russian Stalinist Mitina, Altamira advanced this same essential perspective, with his rejection of building a do it yourself international and the proposal to refound the international in alliance with Russian Stalinism.

As the WSWS stated, With these words, Altamira repudiates not only the historically rooted program and principles of the Fourth International, but the significance of history itself. What he is saying amounts to a declaration that what happened in the past is of no significance for the present. That the Stalinist regime murdered hundreds of thousands of communists, presided over countless betrayals and led ultimately to the destruction of the Soviet Union should not stand in the way of collaborating with present-day Stalinists in the reconstruction of the Fourth International.

While Altamira and the Partido Obrero have made no further mention of their relations with the Russian Stalinists invited to help refound the Fourth International, the PO leader did provide a glowing report of a conference held in Athens in July under the auspices of the Christian Rakovsky Balkan Socialist Center, with what Altamira refers to as the support of the Committee to Refound the Fourth International (CRFI).

While not mentioned in the report published in the POs Prensa Obrera, Darya Mitina and Said Gafurov were active participants in the conference. Altamira notes that two organizations from Russia were present: Mitinas OKP and the RPK (Russian Party of Communists), another neo-Stalinist group that emerged out of the breakup of the CPSU following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

In a July 23 posting on her blog, Mitina notes that Yesterday evening the presidium of the conference, consisting of Greek, Turkish, Argentine and Russian comrades, sat until 2 in the morning.

The Greek, Turkish and Argentine comrades consist of the three sections of the Committee to Refound the Fourth International (together with the POs satellite party in Uruguay) which organized the April CRFI conference in Buenos Aires. That the Russian neo-Stalinists participate alongside these parties in the leadership of the conference in Greece is an indication of the close alliance forged by Altamira with these elements. The slogan Building the International was featured on a banner placed prominently at the conference. Clearly, this international is being forged in an alliance with right-wing Stalinists allied with the Putin regime.

In a video posted subsequently on her blog, Mitina offered a revealing assessment of the conference in Greece. She dismissed the supposed task of refounding the Fourth International, declaring there had been a debate over the problem of the internationals... which ones to (re)construct, and what number they should have. Some call themselves Fourth, some Fifth International. I feel like this is not a very important question.

What Mitina did find of importanceand was unquestionably her main reason for attendingwas that the majority of the attendees at the conference evaluate Russias role correctly, i.e., dialectically.

On the one hand, she continued, everyone understands perfectly well that Russia is not the Soviet Union but at the same time, people dont demonize Russia, and show class solidarity, and dont confuse Putin with the country as a whole They support the Russian population against Putin, but also support Putin on the international arena, in the cases in which he, in fact, deserves support

The Christian Rakovsky Balkan Socialist Center is a political front for the Greek EEK (Workers Revolutionary Party) of Savas Michael-Matsas, serving as a means of making relations with various pseudo-left, Stalinist and nationalist elements. It likewise is of interest to elements like Mitina and Gafurov who are looking to secure alliances with both right-wing and pseudo-left organizations in furtherance of the foreign policy interests of the Kremlin.

The two political constants in the activities of Michael-Matsas, over a period of several decades, have been nationalist provincialism and the most vulgar political opportunism. His relations with Stalinist organizations predate his break with the International Committee of the Fourth International in 1985 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

In the 1985 struggle conducted by the International Committee against the opportunist politics of the Workers Revolutionary Party in Britain, Savas Michael-Matsas aligned himself with the Healy faction. He refused to attend the meetings of the International Committee that examined Healys abuse of authority and corrupt relations with various bourgeois national regimes in the Middle East. Michael-Matsas withheld critical information from the members of his own organization relating not only to Healys unprincipled conduct, but also to his own dealings with bourgeois and Stalinist regimes hostile to the working class.

In the immediate wake of his unprincipled split with the International Committee, Michael-Matsas oriented his newly founded EEK to political alliances with Greek Stalinism, elements of the bourgeois party PASOK and the trade union bureaucracy. Internationally, he followed a line of supporting Mikhail Gorbachevs glasnost and perestroika policies for capitalist restoration, portraying them as the advent of the political revolution fought for by Trotsky.

As David North, then national secretary of the Workers League, the predecessor organization to the Socialist Equality Party in the US, wrote in a 1989 article The Demise of Savas Michaels New Era:

From 1987 on, Socialist Challenge, the newspaper of the WRP [EEK] became the local Athens house-organ of the Gorbachev bureaucracy. There is ample reason to believe that Michaels services to the Gorbachev regime were financially rewarded. Similar propaganda services rendered by Socialist Challenge to Middle Eastern regimes and bourgeois nationalist movements had previously been offered by Michael in exchange for special subsidies of which rank-and-file members were not informed. Indeed, in one of his own documents, Healy noted in passing that Michael has close contact with the Libyans, the Soviet Embassy, the CP and the PLO.

This is the politically corrupt figure who serves as the middle man in the political alliance between the Partido Obrero and Russian Stalinism. Such connections should be a cause for alarm for anyone, including among the members of the PO, seeking to wage a fight for Trotskyism in Argentina and throughout Latin America.

A political footnote to this rotten alliance between Savas Michael-Matsas, Jorge Altamira and the agents of influence of the Putin government is to be found in the role of Alex Steiner, whose permanent-revolution blog site is dedicated to hysterical denunciations of the International Committee, the World Socialist Web Site and the Socialist Equality Party.

Whether Steiner, who quit the Fourth International 40 years ago and has since developed into a virulent anti-Trotskyist, was in attendance at the July conference in Greece is unknown. He was present at a similar gathering in 2015, the Third Euro-Mediterranean Conference, likewise organized by the Christian Rakovsky center and the CRFI. There, he most certainly rubbed shoulders with Darya Mitina, who was also present. He has remained conspicuously silent on the International Committees exposure of the relationship of Savas Michael-Matsas with Darya Mitina.

As is characteristic of middle-class pseudo-leftism, fueled by a combination of unrestrained subjectivism and a total absence of principles, Steiners positions contain the most glaring contradictions. In 2014, he vehemently denounced the International Committee for opposing the US-sponsored coup in Kiev and for refusing to label Russia an imperialist power. He slandered the World Socialist Web Site by claiming it had consistently adapted itself to the maneuvers of Russia in relation to the Ukraine.

Yet Steiner and his sidekick, Frank Brenner, have no problem allying themselves with Savas Michael-Matsas and his Russian associates, Mitina and Gafurov. While Gafurov was an advisor to Putin during the period of the Ukrainian coup, Mitina was herself in 2014 the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Donetsk Peoples Republic in Moscow, working intimately with right-wing Russian nationalists and the Putin regime.

Steiner has recently declared the WSWS and the Socialist Equality Party in the US enemies of the working class for their refusal to provide unconditional support for the compulsory diversion by state authorities of public workers wages to the bureaucratic managers of the corporatist trade unions.

Steiner has no qualms, however, about collaborating with those who lay wreaths at Stalins grave and justify the Stalinist bureaucracys assassination of Trotsky, virtually the entire leadership of Lenins Central Committee, the entire generation that led the October Revolution and hundreds of thousands of dedicated communist workers and intellectuals.On Friday evening, several hundred Neo-nazis marched through a residential area in the working-class German city of Dortmund. They waved black-white-red imperial flags and roared neo-Nazi slogans. Their main slogan was, Those who love Germany are anti-Semitic. They also chanted, Police, democracy, youll never break us and National Socialism [Nazism] now! The police left the Nazis undisturbed and did not intervene.

That same day, radical right-wingers once again marched through the city in Chemnitz. According to media reports, followers of the Pro Chemnitz alliance attacked the offices of the Left Party, where many members of the Saxony state legislature are based. A journalist was also said to have been attacked during the right-wing march.

A scene from the rally in Dortmund: [Credit: Marcus Arndt]

On Saturday, in the Bavarian city of Bamberg, a so-called anchor centre for refugees was burnt down. It took several hours for the fire to be extinguished and to evacuate hundreds of asylum-seekers. The police said the cause of the fire was unclear, and that there was no evidence of arson or a xenophobic attack.

The anti-Semitic character of these right-wing attacks has caused outrage around the world. At the end of August, a dozen neo-Nazis had attacked the Jewish restaurant Shalom in Chemnitz with stones, bottles and steel pipes and verbally abused the owner. In New York, a spokesman for the World Jewish Congress called on the German government to intervene against the rise of anti-Semitic attacks.

But the German government is the wrong address for such demands. That today85 years after the seizure of power by the Nazis and the subsequent fascist terror in Europe, which cost the lives of 6 million JewsNazi gangs are again marching through the streets and chanting anti-Semitic slogans under the eyes of the police is the product of the policy of the German government. The grand coalition of the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and Social Democrats (SPD) is responsible for the return of the Nazi hordes.

The grand coalition, whose constituent parties all saw their votes plummet in the general election last year, and which is deeply hated, has adopted the slogan of the neo-Nazis: Foreigners out! as the guiding line of its refugee policy. The government has set up an inhumane system of concentration camps to detain, bureaucratically bully and deport refugees as quickly as possible.

Interior Minister Seehofer (CSU) stated that immigration was the mother of all problems. At the end of August, when extreme right-wing thugs hunted down and attacked foreigners in Chemnitz and also attacked a Jewish restaurant, Seehofer said the demonstrators were concerned citizens and added that as a citizen of Chemnitz, he too would have taken to the streets.

Together with the then head of the secret service, Hans-Georg Massen, the interior minister downplayed the events. Massen had offered neo-Nazis his protection by denying refugees had even been hunted down in Chemnitz. Right to the last, Seehofer refused to sack Massen; instead, he has been promoted to an influential post in the interior ministry.

Massen enjoys close connections to right-wing circles. He is a supporter of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has an openly neo-fascist wing. He had conducted several discussions with AfD leaders and made sure that the party was not cited as a right-wing extremist organisation in the annual Constitutional Protection Report prepared by the secret service. Instead all those who oppose the far right are stigmatized in the report as left-wing extremists.

A scene from the rally in Dortmund: [Credit: Marcus Arndt]

A key role in this right-wing conspiracy is played by the SPD.

When Massens promotion triggered a storm of indignation in broad sections of the population, SPD leader Andrea Nahles suggested re-negotiating the Massen case to ensure the growing political influence of this AfD supporter in the government was concealed as far as possible. Following the recent top-level talks, he would no longer be a state secretary but a special advisor to the interior ministry and continue to receive his full pay of more than ten thousand euros a month.

Nahles is seeking to keep the grand coalition in office in the face of growing popular resistance. In a letter to the SPD membership, she justifies the continuing collaboration with Merkel, Seehofer and Co. as follows: "Europe is facing a crucial test, there is a threat of a trade war with the US, the situation concerning Syria requires all our diplomatic skill. That is why it is important for the SPD to preserve an effective federal government."

The SPD had aspired to continue the grand coalition in the spring and is now defending it with all its might because it regards this government as the political instrument with which it can pursue the economic and geostrategic interests of German imperialism in the very crisis that Nahles addressed in her letter to the membership. She is reacting to the crisis in Europe with a policy of increased German dominance, and is using the growing trade war with the US as an opportunity to push through a program of massive military rearmament.

An interview with ex-SPD leader and former Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel in the new edition of Der Spiegel makes this clear. He warns that the big question concerning Germanys place in the world remains unanswered.

With the presidency of Donald Trump, the US had given up its leading role in the Western world, he said. We are experiencing a struggle for the sovereignty of Europe in a completely different world. However, according to Gabriel, it was also a good thing if we Europeans are forced to take our fate into our own hands. The danger today emanating from Germany was not the danger of military dominance, but the dominance of inaction.

Gabriel calls for more strategic debates, declaring: First, we must understand that moral rigor can be just as wrong as forgoing morality. In this rejection of morality, he is echoing the statements of political scientist Herfried Munkler. The professor at Humboldt University has emphasized repeatedly that we Germans are always content to uphold morality. It would be better if we would admit that we also have interests.

Munkler called for Germany, as the power in the middle, to be the champion of Europe in order to be able to play a role in world politics. The professor was well aware that German rearmament requires the whitewashing of Germanys past crimes. He said, There is hardly any responsible policy in Europe if you have the idea that we have been to blame for everything. With regard to 1914 [the outbreak of World War I], that is a legend.

His colleague at Humboldt University, Professor of Eastern European History Jorg Baberowski, took on the task of downplaying the crimes of the Nazis. That same year, he defended Ernst Nolte, the most well known Nazi apologist among German historians, and went so far as to defend Adolf Hitler. Hitler was not a psychopath, he was not vicious. He did not want talk about exterminating the Jews at his table, he told the most popular German news magazine Der Spiegel.

The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party--SGP) and its youth organization, the IYSSE, were the only political organizations to oppose this historical falsification. Efforts to establish an historically false narrative coincide with a critical turning point in German history, the SGP and IYSSE said in February 2014, referring to the federal governments announcement that Germanys decades of military restraint were now over. The revival of German militarism requires a new interpretation of history that minimises the crimes of the Nazi era.

Recent events have confirmed the correctness of this assessment. The return of German militarism revives all the ghosts of the past. The only way to prevent the revival of Nazism and imperialist militarism is to mobilize the working class on the basis of a revolutionary socialist program.Immigrations Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted targeted raids throughout the state of Wisconsin over the weekend. As of this writing it is unclear how many have been disappeared by the American gestapo, though dozens of families have reportedly been impacted by raids on Friday and Saturday.

The raids are part of the Trump administrations war on immigrants which has seen mass workplace raids and children thrown behind bars after being torn from their families at the border earlier this year under a new zero tolerance policy. Nearly 13,000 children are currently being held in detention centers across the US.

Family members of the workers kidnapped have been given little information as to why their family members were detained or where ICE has taken them. While most of the raids took place in the capital city of Madison, immigration rights group Voces De La Frontera (VDLF) has reported that raids were also conducted in Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Wausau.

In a press conference held Friday afternoon, Madisons Democratic Mayor Paul Soglin, along with Madison Police Chief Mike Koval, expressed disappointment that ICE had not coordinated with local police agencies prior to conducting the raids. At least 9 people in Madison, including fathers and uncles, were detained on their way to work, at home or at their place of employment. Neither official could answer exactly how many had been taken or for what reason the raids were conducted. Mayor Soglin went on to state, We are going to do our best to work with community leaders to make sure the rights of those individuals in ICEs custody are fully protected.

How Soglin plans to protect the rights of the workers when he doesnt know where they are being detained or why they were detained remains to be seen. Alderman Shiva Bidar-Sielaff also spoke at the press conference with the Mayor, confusingly stating, We are in no way or shape cooperating with this kind of enforcement, while explaining that these raids were not targeted at locations but instead are specific lists with names on them. Bidar-Sielaff claimed she did not know who was on the list or how a name ends up on the list.

Police Chief Koval admitted that Madison Police have been working with ICE to detain individuals wanted for violent crimes, but that the department had not been helping with immigration enforcement. Koval lamented that proper channels werent followed in regards to ICE officials coordinating with local police. Prior to this weekends arrests, according to Koval, ICE had been supplying the department with dates, times and locations before conducting raids. This communication breakdown is the main concern of the police chief, not the incarceration of workers for unknown reasons.

VDLF estimates that over a dozen families have been affected by the coordinated raids.

In Milwaukee, Erick Gamboa Chay, the father of three children, ages eight, four and one, was detained inside his home while he was getting his family ready for school. Giselle Vera, Chays niece, described the terrifying ordeal. Agents surrounded the house...They banged on his door claiming to be police, but actually they were ICE. Now my uncles kids keep asking when their dad is going to come back.

According to VDLF Gamboa Chay was targeted by the agency after being stopped for driving without a license. In a cruel warning to the working class, ICE is denying Gamboa Chay bond, forcing him to stay imprisoned at an unknown facility potentially hundreds of miles away from his family. There is a severe backlog of immigration cases, according to bipartisanpolicy.org, with over 632,261 cases waiting to be heard as of August 2017. This backlog means that Gamboa Chay could be spending over two years in a detention center before his case is brought before a judge.

Lisa, whose husband was arrested on Friday, spoke to local Madison news station WKOW, detailing the dysfunctional criminality of the agency. They said they were coming to take my husband, that hed missed an appointment for his visa application for his residency. However, once Lisa was able to speak with federal immigration officials they stated they had nothing on file...no warrants. Lisa, added, They dont know why they picked him up.

Lisa, shocked at the militaristic tactics employed by the ICE agents, contacted the FBI to report a kidnapping. I had talked to the FBI actually because they came, they had nothing and theyre demanding a cellphone, Lisa said. So Im thinking has he been kidnapped. Lisa has been married to her husband for 17 years and they have 6 children together. She told reporters that her husband had been working his way through the labyrinthian immigration process noting that they had spent nearly $60,000 in fees trying to obtain legal status.

Angela Betancourt told Channel 3000 that her husband of 29 years and father to their 3 children, Jesus Enciso, was detained on his way to work in Madison, along with five of his coworkers Friday morning. Angelas son was driving at the time; he has a valid drivers license. That did not deter ICE agents, who pulled up and surrounded the vehicle in two separate cars. The agents demanded everyone exit and show their documents. Angela doesnt know why he was detained or where her husband was taken.

Phony progressive Democrats such as Mayor Soglin are not calling for the abolition of ICE, or even a halt to current raids. Instead, in a script followed by local Democratic Party officials across the country, Soglin has requested more coordination while feigning sadness and regret at the barbaric methods employed by ICE. The fight to defend the democratic rights of all workers must be taken up by the working class in opposition to the Democratic Party and their functionaries, including the Democratic Socialists of America.On Saturday, in another vicious escalation of its war on immigrants, the Trump administration announced plans for federal regulations to prevent immigrants who have ever received certain federal benefits from obtaining green cards or visas, placing class-based limits on immigration to the United States.

Under the proposed rule, which will likely take effect after a pro forma 60-day public review and comment period, disqualifying benefits include Medicare Part D prescription drugs, Medicaid, food stamps and Section 8 housing vouchers.

The new rule will affect people applying for immigration visas or those with temporary residency seeking to remain in the country. It could also prevent the more than 600,000 with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) benefits from obtaining permanent residency.

The draconian regulations are plainly aimed at working class immigrants. It will now force those seeking permanent lawful status to choose whether to forgo benefits that they or family members would otherwise be eligible for, or receive the benefits, give up any chance of a green card or change in visa statusand potentially risk deportation. Even current green card holders could be subject to the new rule and lose their status as lawful permanent residents if, in certain circumstances, they leave the country and try to return.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, almost 20 million children, 90 percent of whom are US citizens, could be affected by the new regulations because their parents or other relatives would be forced to stop receiving benefits in order to maintain the possibility of obtaining permanent residency or an improved visa status.

The proposed policy will cause immigrants to be hungrier, sicker and poorer, Olivia Golden, the executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy, told USA Today. It targets documented working parents who are playing by the rules. Everything that we know suggests that its a terrible idea. We have to fight back.

Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, noted the class nature of the proposed rule in a statement to the press, How you contribute to your communityand not what you look like or the contents of your walletshould be what matters most. This proposed rule does the opposite and makes clear that the Trump administration continues to prioritize money over family unity by ensuring that only the wealthiest can afford to build a future in this country.

As with nearly all of the other anti-immigrant policies being enacted by the Trump administration, the newly proposed regulation builds on Democratic policies. Trumps latest attack is an extension of a federal regulation, implemented by the Clinton administration in 1999, which prevents immigrants who receive federal cash benefits, including welfare and Social Security Disability Insurance, or those institutionalized for long-term care at government expense, from obtaining green cards.

The Department of Homeland Security claims that the rule will affect about 382,000 people each year who will now be subject to a more extensive review of their use of public benefits. DHS also claims that the rule will save $2.7 billion annually by deterring immigrants from applying for benefits they would otherwise be qualified for. Even assuming these savings are correct, they are a drop in the bucket compared to the money allocated to anti-immigrant agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, not to mention the $675 billion allocated for the Pentagon in fiscal year 2019 or the massive $1.5 trillion tax cuts for the wealthy passed in December 2017.

The timing of the latest attack on the most vulnerable section of the working class is also aimed at shoring up support for Republicans in the November 6 congressional midterm elections. Stephen Miller, the fascist chief policy officer for Trump, strongly advocated for the new rule which will be used to whip up support among the most reactionary backers of Trumps far-reaching crackdown on immigrants. The regulations are an especially potent brew for Republicans, as they take aim at both immigrants and those who use public benefits.

Frank Sharry, executive director of Americas Voice, a pro-immigration reform group, told USA Today, This has Stephen Millers fingerprints all over it. He and his cabal of hardliners are determined to keep out and kick out as many immigrants and refugees as possible.

The latest attack on immigrants is just one in a string of Trump policies aimed at the most vulnerable sections of the international working class, including the travel ban effectively barring the vast majority of citizens from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, North Korea and Venezuela from entering the US; the forced separation of children, including infants and toddlers, from their parents at the US-Mexico border; military-style workplace and home raids that have led to the arrest and deportation of thousands; and a considerable increase in immigration arrests, including the arrest of hundreds of US citizens.

Just last week, the Trump administration announced that it would limit the number of refugees admitted into the United States in fiscal year 2019 to 30,000, which would be the lowest number in more than 38 years. In fiscal year 2018, which ends September 30, the US only admitted about 21,000 refugees.

Also last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notified Congress that it cannot locate almost 1,500 children taken into custody by the government. This comes only months after HHS revealed that it had lost track of 1,475 children in late 2017. In both cases, the children were unaccompanied minors placed by HHS with foster families or agencies.

In response to Trumps latest outrage, the Democrats will, at most, issue impotent complaints for a day or two, before returning to their twin pillars of resistance: the anti-Russia and #MeToo witch hunts.At least 29 people were killed and 70 wounded Saturday when gunmen attacked a military parade in Ahvaz, the capital of Irans southwestern Khuzestan province. The dead included roughly equal numbers of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) soldiers and civilian spectators, among them a four-year-old girl and a young boy.

According to Iranian authorities, Saturdays terrorist attack was carried out by four people, two of whom were subsequently killed and two captured.

The Ahvaz National Resistance, a little-known ethno-nationalist group fighting for the secession of Irans largely Arab-speaking oil-rich Khuzestan province, claimed responsibility.

Tehran has accused Washington, which has re-imposed devastating economic sanctions against Iran, and its client states in the Gulf of facilitating the attack.

A foreign regime recruited, trained, and armed the perpetrators of the Ahvaz assault, declared Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on social media Saturday. Iran, he continued, holds regional terror sponsors and their US masters accountable for such attacks. Iran will respond swiftly and decisively in defence of Iranian lives.

Yesterday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that an unnamed Gulf country had provided for the financial, weaponry and political needs of the assailants, who targeted a parade marking the beginning of the eight-year (1980-88), US-fanned Iran-Iraq War. It is America who supports these little mercenary countries in the region, continued the Iranian president. It is Americans who are provoking them  who provide them with their required necessities to perpetrate such crimes.

Referencing Washingtons sponsorship of the Shahs brutal dictatorial regime, Rouhani said the US wants to create chaos and turmoil  so that they can return to the country one day and take charge as they did in the old days. But none of these is possible.

Egged on by the Trump administration, the Saudi regime and its Gulf allies have repeatedly threatened Iran, including by creating a Sunni anti-terrorist military alliance, and laid waste, with US logistical support, to Yemen in a war that Riyadh claims is necessary to defeat Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

In May 2017, the Saudi Crown Prince and kingdoms effective ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, threatened to do battle inside Iran. We wont wait for the battle to be in Saudi Arabia, declared the Crown Prince in a Saudi television interview. Instead, we will work so that the battle is for them in Iran.

On Sunday, Tehran summoned the resident charge daffaires for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabias closest regional ally, to protest remarks by Abdulkhaleq Abdullaan adviser to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAEs armed force, Mohammed bin Zayedin which he had openly applauded the Ahvaz attack.

Writing on his Twitter account, Abdulla said, attacking a military target is not a terrorist act; then added, Moving the battle deeper inside Iran is a declared option and will increase during the next phase.

Iranian President Rouhanis remarks holding Washington responsible for Saturdays attack were made shortly before he left for New York, where he will attend this weeks opening of the annual UN General Assembly.

US President Donald Trump and his top aides have been signaling for weeks that they intend to use the UN deliberations to escalate Washingtons campaign of diplomatic, economic, and military pressure against Iran. The spearhead of this campaign is the US drive to crash the Iranian economy by strong-arming states around the world to abide by unilateral US sanctions, including as of November 4 a complete embargo on Iranian oil exports. But it has also seen US forces in Syria, and their Israeli allies, repeatedly target IRGC forces fighting in Syria against ISIS and against Islamist forces backed by Washington and their Gulf allies.

The US sanctions are patently illegal. They violate the UN-backed, US co-authored, 2015 Iran nuclear accord, which Tehranas all the other signatories to the agreement and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have repeatedly attestedhas fulfilled to the letter. The US sanctions are also, under international law, tantamount to an act of war.

Yet Trump intends to use appearances at the UN on Tuesday and Wednesday and various meetings on the sidelines of the General Assembly to fulminate against Iran for being a rogue state and to bully and threaten other countries to fall into line with Washingtons drive for regime change in Tehran or themselves face US reprisals.

Underscoring that the US is preparing for military action against Iran across the Middle East, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last Friday that Washington will strike against Iran if US interests are attacked by Iranian-backed proxy forces. Recently the US blamed Iran, without providing any evidence, for an attack on its consulate in Basra, which occurred in the midst of widespread political violence. Speaking on CNN, Pompeo said, We have told the Islamic Republic of Iran that using a proxy force to attack an American interest will not prevent us from responding against the prime actor.  Iran will be held accountable for those incidents.

On Saturday, Trumps personal lawyer, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, vowed that US imperialism will soon bring about regime change in Tehran in an address to an Iran Uprising Summit. The summit was sponsored by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, a group that enjoys next-to-no support within Iran and that prior to becoming a darling of Americas neo-conservative right was for decades on Washingtons list of terrorist organizations.

I dont know when were going to overthrow them, said Giuliani. It could be in a few days, months, a couple of years. But its going to happen.

Speaking at a similar gathering in Paris in July 2017, John Bolton, the former George W. Bush administration official who in April became Trumps National Security Advisor, was equally forthright. The declared policy of the United States should be the overthrow of the mullahs regime in Tehran, he proclaimed.

In a transparent lie, the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Hayley, while making the tour of US Sunday morning talk shows, claimed: The United States is not looking to do regime change in Iran. Were not looking to do regime change anywhere.In an escalation of the three-week lockout of roadway construction workers on 100 highway projects throughout Michigan, the contractors association and Republican Governor Rick Snyder are preparing to use National Guard troops as strikebreakers.

On September 4, the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA)which is made up large concrete, excavation, asphalt and other private construction companies, locked out as many as 2,000 construction workers after the labor agreement expired in June and negotiations on a new contract reportedly led to a conflict over hiring practices and health care benefits.

The workers, members of Operating Engineers Local 324, run machines like earth movers, front-end loaders, bucket loaders on tracks, cranes and other heavy equipment.

During the road-building season, it is not uncommon for these men and women to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Workers need the extra money they make on overtime to support their families through the winter months and the extra hours they bank in fringe benefit funds to maintain their health insurance and retirement funds for the time when they are off work.

On Friday afternoon, WXYZ Channel 7 reported that the MITA was working with the National Guard on how to best deploy National Guard equipment operators to road projects currently shut down because of a defensive lockout with Operating Engineers, Local 324.

MITA Executive Vice President Mike Nystrom said in a statement, MITA is in direct conversations with high-ranking officials at the National Guard about how the industry and National Guard might work together to jumpstart road projects that have been affected by the Operating Engineers, Local 324 (OE 324) defensive lockout. MITA is surveying its members to determine specific operator needs required to temporarily replace all OE 324 members in terms of numbers, qualifications and geographical needs across the state.

While preparing to deploy troops, Snyder brought in union leaders for a meeting with administration officials on the pretext of restarting negotiations. After the meeting, union officials agreed to a cooling-off period, which would send workers back on the job without a new contract while the governors office mediated talks between the contractors and the union. The mediator chosen by the governor was a mediator in the 2013-14 Detroit bankruptcy, when unions signed onto the Snyder administrations Grand Bargain plan that looted the pensions and health benefits of municipal workers and sold off public assets to pay off wealthy bondholders.

According to the union, OE324 agreed to the plan the Governors office was forcing, and officials left with a handshake agreement in place. In a press release afterwards, however, the union said MITA refused the agreement after the meeting, and then said the governors office reneged on the agreement and is now demanding a host of MITA-imposed conditions.

The governors office denounced the unions statement as patently untrue, claiming, Neither side accepted our numerous offers to help find a resolution. The statement continued: This unacceptable work stoppage will put motorists safety at risk this winter. Gov. Snyder remains committed to resolving this situation and is looking at what options are available to finish projects as quickly as possible, including, activating the National Guard and using their heavy equipment operators for roadwork.

What the governor is preparing to do is use the military to break a strike. It recalls similar moves by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker who in 2011 threatened to call out the National Guard if teachers and other public employees walked out on strike against his plans to strip workers of collective bargaining rights. It also recalls the use of military air traffic controllers by President Reagan when he fired 13,000 striking air traffic controllers in 1981.

The deployment of military troops has infamous precedents in Michigan, including the dispatch of 4,000 National Guard soldiers against the General Motors sit-down strikers in Flint in 1936-37. During the urban uprising in Detroit in 1967, police and US military forces, including those who had arrived directly from the jungles of the Vietnam War, killed 43 workers and youth, injured another 1,189, and arrested over 7,000.

The concern for motorists and their safety proclaimed by Governor Snyder or Warren Mayor Jim Foutswho is demanding the declaration of a state of emergency over the labor disputeis entirely fraudulent. The governor and both the Republicans and the Democrats in the state legislature have systematically starved the roadways of funds even as they hand over huge tax cuts to the auto industry and other corporations whose heavy trucks tear up the roadways, leading to accidents and chronic tire and car damage.

In the face of the provocative actions of the contractors and the Snyder administration, the unions have continually waved the white flag of surrender. The Operating Engineers was willing to send its members to work without a contract all summer long, even as MITA was withholding benefit payments, jeopardizing the health insurance and retirement funds of workers. In the face of the latest threats, the OE and other unions are preparing to capitulate again.

The National Labor Relations Board and the Democratic Party will not defend workers rights. It is up to workers themselves to fight.

That is why workers must take control of the struggle by electing rank-and-file committees to reach out to all construction workers and every other section of the working class to oppose this strikebreaking threat. If the governor can crush the roadway workers, similar methods will be used against every other section of workers.

That is why autoworkers, teachers and other workers must come to the defense of the locked-out workers, including organizing mass picketing against any efforts to use National Guard troops as scabs.

At the same time, rank-and-file committees of heavy equipment operators should monitor all negotiations and provide detailed reports to the membership. No more secret negotiations and backroom deals.On Jan. 23, The Sunday Oregonian published an obituary for Elizabeth Dunham, who had died a week earlier at 49.

Nothing in the five-paragraph obit indicated that when she died, Dunham took with her a troubling piece of Oregon history.

Although she has remained anonymous until now, Elizabeth Dunham was the victim whom former Gov. Neil Goldschmidt raped in the mid-1970s, beginning when he was mayor of Portland and she was a young teenager. As long as she was alive, the media withheld her name.

We're identifying her nowafter much internal discussionfor two reasons.

First, the list of things Goldschmidt stole from Dunham should not include her identity. Second, the story of this powerful man's abuse can be more fully told now that his victim can no longer suffer from it.

(For what others think of that decision, see "Naming Names" below).

Dunham died Jan. 16 after spending most of the last month of her life at Hopewell House, a hospice in Southwest Portland's Hillsdale neighborhood. Her death came after decades of battling substance abuse and mental illness.

Dunham's mother, who had worked for then-Portland Mayor Goldschmidt in the mid-'70s, told WW she was at her daughter's side when she died.

The tragic arc of Dunham's life was not preordained.

A 1975 yearbook photo at Portland's St. Mary's Academy shows a ninth-grader with wavy chestnut hair, big glasses and the final traces of the pudginess that in elementary school earned her the nickname "short and fat and curly toes."

But in high school, the onetime ugly duckling became a beautiful young girl. Her transformation did not escape the notice of teenage boys, according to Anne Grgich, a Portland artist and Dunham's friend since fifth grade.

"She was very pretty and had so much potential," Grgich says.

She also captured the attention of Goldschmidt, a family friend 21 years her senior.

Goldschmidt, a handsome and charismatic married father of two young children, was putting Portland on the map and becoming a national political player.

He transformed a downtown expressway into Tom McCall Waterfront Park and a surface parking lot into Pioneer Courthouse Square, and engineered the beginnings of Portland's light-rail system.

As mayor, Goldschmidt worked only five blocks from St. Mary's, where Dunham went to high school, and his home was only six doors away from the Dunham family's in Northeast Portland's Alameda neighborhood.

He saw Elizabeth at political eventsher mother was a City Hall aide and campaign stafferand she also served as a City Hall intern and as his children's baby-sitter (Goldschmidt's ex-wife disputes that Dunham baby-sat for the couple; others, including Dunham, say she did).

When Dunham was a St. Mary's freshman and classmates were stressing over homework and dances with boys from Jesuit and Central Catholic, Goldschmidt lured her into a sexual relationship.

Dunham confided to friends that she had met Goldschmidt for sex dozens of times. The meeting places were manyin her basement, at the Hilton Hotel, at a downtown apartment and at friends' houses on Alameda Ridge.

Illicit sex with a political powerhouse would be a lot for anybody to process, let alone a young teen navigating adolescence.

People who knew Dunham well say she never came to terms with the impact Goldschmidt had on her life.

"She wasn't able to contend with issues of abuse she'd suffered and still feel OK about herself," says former boyfriend Zorn Matson, a Portland photographer who lived with Dunham from about 1979, when she was 18, until 1982.

"She tried to ignore negatives in her life," Matson says. "But they eventually destroyed her."





Only snippets of Elizabeth Dunhamas story saw publication during her lifetime (see aThe 30-Year Secret,a WW, May 12, 2004).

One of the questions the previous coverage left unanswered was how long Goldschmidt's abuse of her lasted.

When WW first reported the story, we referred to Dunham by the pseudonym "Susan" and wrote that the sexual abuse started when she was 14 and continued for three years.

(That abuse would have constituted statutory rape, but the statute of limitations expired before Goldschmidt's actions came to light.)

That chronology of abuse came from court records related to a $350,000 settlement Dunham and her lawyer, Jeff Foote, reached with Goldschmidt in 1994. In return for the payment, Goldschmidt required Dunham to never speak of his abuse.

When WW broke the story, Goldschmidt tried to soft-pedal his conduct. He said the abuse, which he called "an affair," lasted "nearly a year."

Mitru Ciarlante, director of the Teen Victim Initiative at the National Center for Victims of Crime in Washington, D.C., says the word "affair" is inappropriate.

"First of all, we're talking about a crime," Ciarlante says. "But we are also talking about an imbalance of power and exploitation at a time in a child's development when she is particularly vulnerable."

Since that time, Dunham, in conversations with WW and others, has said the abuse started not when she was 14, but rather 13. She also said the relationship continued not for three years but through Goldschmidt's divorce in 1991, until she was nearly 30 (although after she turned 18, legal issues would have ceased to apply).

Dunham's account to WW is consistent with what she had told close friends before and after the story became public.

A former boyfriend, Portland lawyer Mark Smolak, with whom Dunham lived from 1989 to 1993, confirms that's what Dunham told him as well.

"Apparently it was a 14- or 15-year event," Smolak says.





Another unanswered question is when Elizabeth Dunham's troubles with substance abuse, mental illness and despaira descent counter to Goldschmidt's continued rise to influence and wealthbegan.

Classmates say Dunham, who was born in Eugene, was among the brightest in her class at All Saints Elementary in Northeast Portland.

"She was really charismatic and smart and had a lot of savvy," says Grgich.

Dunham spent her eighth-grade year in Zaire, where her parents temporarily relocated. (After working at City Hall, Dunham's mother, Pamela, later served as a TriMet spokeswoman and then joined the Foreign Service, where her postings included stints in Bangkok, the Bahamas, Rome and Ankara, Turkey).

But by the time Dunham entered high school, she'd lost interest in academics.

"She skipped a lot of school but skated on the homework because she was so smart," Grgich says.

At 15, Dunham dropped out of St. Mary's. She later earned a GED and briefly enrolled at the University Oregon, but she was primarily self-taught.

"She had books all over the place," says Philip Sawyer, a Portland real-estate agent who says he first met Dunham in 1979. "She was extremely well-read and she knew so much."

In her late teen years, Dunham ratcheted up her consumption of booze, speed and cocaine, Grgich and others say.

"It's hard to put a date on when things went wrong," says Matson, the Portland photographer.

There were times during the 1980s when Dunham functioned well enough to hold a job.

She waitressed at the now-defunct Pink's, a bar on Southwest Jefferson Street near I-405, and at the Lovejoy Tavern on Northwest 21st Avenue, now Swagat, an Indian restaurant.

"Pink's was her best time," says Sawyer. "She had a small French car and a nice apartment. She was happy and went to work on a regular basis."

Sawyer says that on good days, Dunham was "as charming as you can imagine."

"She was very polite, extremely funny and solicitous," Sawyer says. "She knew everything about music and was a phenomenal cook."

On at least one occasion, Dunham tried to put Portland and her increasingly complicated entanglements behind her. She moved to New York in 1982, when she was 21, and enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

That experiment did not last long.

"I was good at improvisational comedy, but I could not sing," Dunham told WW in 2004.

Dunham's inability to focus or follow through is typical of victims of teenage sexual abuse, says Ciarlante.

"Teen sexual abuse victims are very likely to develop PTSD, depression and alcohol problems," Ciarlante says. "All of those on top of the trauma of sexual abuse make it very difficult for teen victims to have goals and succeed in life."

Another attempt on Dunham's part to break away from Portland ended in disaster.

In 1988, in the middle of Goldschmidt's term as Oregon governor, Dunham's erratic behavior in Portland became increasingly threatening to his career. She was simply talking too much.

Goldschmidt arranged a job at a Seattle law firm where a former colleague at the U.S. Department of Transportation (Goldschmidt was secretary of the department under President Jimmy Carter for two years) worked as a senior partner.

In Seattle, on Dec. 13, 1988, a man named Jeffrey Jacobsen abducted Dunham at knifepoint, took her to her apartment and raped her. Jacobsen was convicted and sentenced to 53 years in prison.

Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition for which she would receive monthly Social Security payments, Dunham moved back to Portland, where her life continued to spiral downward. It was about this time, when she was in her late 20s, that her sexual relationship with Goldschmidt ended.

Over the next four years, she would be arrested more than a dozen times, mostly for drug- or alcohol-related offenses.

For part of that time, she lived with Smolak, a criminal defense lawyer.

"She was curious about my work, and for a while she tried working with my private investigator," Smolak recalls.

But Dunham could not stay focused. "She was a roller-coaster gal," Smolak says. "She could be on top of the world one minute and in the depths of hell the next."

After her four-year relationship with Smolak ended in about 1993, Dunham entered an in-patient facility for substance abuse. But she was soon on the street hanging out with a rough crowd.

A 1992 police report described her being found face down in a pool of blood on the South Park Blocks near the exclusive Arlington Club, the epicenter of Goldschmidt's sprawling network of corporate and civic leaders.

In 1992, Dunham pleaded guilty to cocaine distribution. She served five months at a federal penitentiary in California.

The prison time and the monthly $1,500 check resulting from Dunham's 1994 financial settlement with Goldschmidt prompted a stretch of relative stability.

In 1996, she married Steven Cummings, a sometime taxi driver and air-conditioning contractor from California. The couple relocated to Las Vegas, where she stayed out of trouble. Living off the monthly settlement check and a monthly$400 Social Security stipend for PTSD, she helped Cummings raise his daughter, devoted herself to her dogs, Zoe and Harley, and rode horses.

But Dunham and Cummings divorced in 2006 and she moved back to Portland, where she continued to struggle with alcohol until her death.





Whether Dunham's parents knew about Goldschmidt's abuse of their daughter while it was occurring remains a matter of speculation.

People who knew the Dunhams say that when Goldschmidt "adopted" Elizabeth as his protegee, it was a point of pride for Pamela Dunham.

Whether the Dunhams ignored or overlooked the evidence that Goldschmidt's mentoring of their daughter went much further, only they know.

Barbara Bingham, Pamela Dunham's niece, says that based on conversations she had with Elizabeth and Elizabeth's late maternal grandmother, and Bingham's own observations, she believes Pamela Dunham knew Goldschmidt was having sex with her daughter by the time Elizabeth was 16.

Bingham is less certain about Arlyss Dunham, Elizabeth's father, who Bingham says was only sporadically present during her teenage years.

Bingham says she once witnessed Elizabeth sitting on Goldschmidt's lap and making out with him in the Dunhams' basement when Elizabeth was 15 or 16.

She says she asked Pamela Dunham's mother, who lived in the house, whether Pamela knew about Elizabeth and Goldschmidt spending so much time alone.

"She [the grandmother] said, 'I've told Pam, and nothing happens,'" Bingham recalls.

Asked when she learned of the abuse, Pamela Dunham told WW, "That's none of your business." Asked what she did when she learned Goldschmidt abused her daughter, Dunham said, "I confronted him," but declined to answer further questions about what she did.

In 1986, when Elizabeth was 25, her mother took a paid position with Goldschmidt's gubernatorial campaign.

Bingham's outspokenness on what she perceives as the Dunhams' failure to protect Elizabeth has caused her estrangement from the family.

"The way I see it, they let that girl down, and it got to the point where there was nothing left of her to save," Bingham says.





Although her adult life was a chronicle of nearly uninterrupted misery, Dunham expressed a range of conflicting feelings about Goldschmidt.

As a young girl, friends say, she was thrilled to be the object of a powerful leader's attention.

Later, she would come to blame him for her problems. But, according to friends, there was always a part of her that was lovestruck, a part that felt he was, in her words, "a savior."

WW first interviewed Dunham in April 2004, when she was prohibited by the terms of her legal settlement from speaking honestly about her sexual abuse. Even so, Dunham referred to Goldschmidt as "a mentor" and "a visionary" to whom she and all Oregonians owed "a debt of gratitude" for his public service.

She also talked about the impact Cry, the Beloved Country, a 1948 novel about pre-apartheid South Africa, had on her. Goldschmidt gave her the book when she was a teen, and she said it remained among her favorite books.

Smolak says the relationship with Goldschmidt dominated Dunham's life, and her unresolved feelings about him plagued her.

aNeil Goldschmidt was her savior one moment and the devil incarnate the next,a Smolak says.

"Goldschmidt had an enormous impact on her life," adds Matson, a former boyfriend. "She was probably in love with him as a teenager and flattered by his attention. But she was very damaged, and she was a person who could not help herself."

Ciarlante, whose group works with victims all over the country, says predators manipulate teens to create a sort of psychological dependency.

"What we've seen is that children can form very unhealthy attachments to their abusers," Ciarlante says. "The abuser creates a dominance and may frame himself as a protector. The victim may have conflicting feelings and a resentment and shame that they are never able to resolve."

One of the many medical professionals who treated Dunham over the past four decades says this of Goldschmidt: "He took everything from her except her life."

And now, that is gone as well.



Naming Names

There will be readers who ask, "Why name Elizabeth Dunham now?"

Part of the answer is her death. The journalistic convention of protecting sex crime victims' identities aims to spare them anguish while they are alivenot afterward. When murder victims are also raped, the latter crime is often disclosed and, of course, the victim is identified.

During her life Dunham agreed not to talk about Goldschmidt in exchange for a $350,000 settlement. In effect, he purchased her silence, her story and her right to use her own name. But there is ample evidence Dunham wanted her story told. After "The 30-Year Secret," WW's 2004 report of Goldschmidt's sex abuse, Dunham gave lengthy interviews to WW and others. She also worked extensively with Hollywood screenwriter Bryce Zabel, a former Oregon television reporter. He wrote and sold a script for a TV movie that has never been produced. He met repeatedly with Dunham and spoke to her dozens of times.

"She wanted to tell her story, fully and completely, to somebody," Zabel says. "She wanted to go on the record, almost as an act of cleansing."

Still, journalism ethics experts disagree on naming Dunham.

"My personal opinion is that the story has been told. Goldschmidt has suffered the consequences," says Tom Bivins, chairman in media ethics at University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication. "I don't see any justification for exposing her memory and her family and friends to further inquiry and potential embarrassment this far after the fact."

But professor Stephen Ward, director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin, says preserving Dunham's anonymity beyond her death would be dishonest.

"It is time to name the victim, to put a human (and specific) face on an anonymous victim," Ward wrote in an email. "Putting a name on the victim adds strength to your storyit allows you to tell readers about a real, identifiable person. Specifics in stories of this kind can be very important."

On Tuesday, The Oregonian published its profile of Goldschmidt's victim but did not name her.NJ

WWeek 2015Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who is facing heavy scrutiny after Dr. Christine Blasey Ford accused him of sexually assaulting her in high school, has been accused by another woman, Deborah Ramirez, of sexual misconduct.

In a New Yorker report from Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer, Ramirez recounts an incident that she says occurred during the 1983-84 academic year, when both she and Kavanaugh were freshmen at Yale University. Ramirez alleges that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a college party, where they had both been drinking, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

Four Democratic senators have received information about the allegation through a civil rights attorney, and at least two have begun investigating it, according to the report. Senior Republican staffers are also aware of the allegation.

Though Ramirez was initially hesitant to characterize her memories, which contained gaps due to the alcohol, after six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney, Ramirez felt confident in her recollections. She believes an FBI investigation into the alleged incident is warranted.

In a statement to the New Yorker, Kavanaugh wrote, This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name  and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building  against these last-minute allegations.

I wasnt going to touch a penis until I was married, Ramirez said of the incident. I was embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated. She told the New Yorker that she remembers Kavanaugh standing to her right and laughing, pulling up his pants. Brett was laughing, she said. I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants.

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Ramirezs allegation joins that of Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh assaulted her at a high school house party when they were teenagers, pinning her on a bed and attempting to take her clothes off. Blasey Ford, who has been forced into hiding after receiving death threats, will testify Thursday before the Senate regarding her accusations.

Related stories

Time's Up to Stage National Walkout to Support Brett Kavanaugh Accuser

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Brett Kavanaugh's Accuser to Testify at Hearing on Thursday

Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts!3D gunmaker extradited back to Texas to face charges of sexual assault of 16-year-old girl originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Cody Wilson, the controversial 3D gunmaker, was extradited to the United States from Taiwan and appeared in a Texas courtroom Sunday on felony charges of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl.

The U.S. Marshals Service took custody of Wilson after he arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport escorted by Taiwanese police.

He appeared in a Harris County courtroom in handcuffs and was informed that a warrant had been issued for his arrest in Travis County on the felony offense of sexual assault and advised of his rights to an attorney.

PHOTO: Cody Wilson, owner of Defense Distributed company, holds a 3D-printed gun called the 'Liberator' at his shop, in Austin, Texas, Aug. 1, 2018. (Eric Gay/AP, FILE)

When asked by a judge if he had any questions, Wilson responded, "No."

He was later booked at the Harris County Jail, and released on $150,000 bond late Sunday. Wilson did not respond to questions from reporters as he exited the jail and a taxi driver rushed to cover his face with a towel.

Wilson's lawyer, Samy Khalil, provided a statement to Houston ABC station KTRK Sunday night: "We are glad that Cody is back in Texas again where we can work with him on his case. That's our focus right now, representing our client and preparing his defense."

Wilson, 30, was arrested on Friday night at a hotel in Taipei, Taiwan, authorities said.

PHOTO: Cody Wilson poses for a portrait in the Defense Distributed office in Austin, Texas, Aug. 7, 2018. (Lynda M. Gonzalez/Austin American-Statesman via AP, FILE)

"This was a collaborative effort that demonstrates the dedication of local, state, federal and international officials working together to bring this fugitive to justice," Susan Pamerleau, U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas, said in a statement.

Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Wilson on Wednesday in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a minor investigated by the Austin Police Department.

Wilson, who lives in Austin, owns Defense Distributed, which sells blueprints for producing plastic firearms using 3D printers.

Austin police launched an investigation after learning a 16-year-old girl from Central Texas told a counselor she'd had sex with Wilson on Aug. 15 in a local hotel before he paid her $500, according to the arrest warrant affidavit filed Wednesday in Travis County District Court.

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Wilson traveled to Taiwan after a friend informed him the victim had spoken to police, Austin Police Cmdr. Troy Officer said at a news conference on Wednesday.

PHOTO: Cody Wilson, owner of Defense Distributed company, holds a 3D printed gun, called the 'Liberator,' in his factory in Austin, Texas, Aug.1, 2018. (Kelly West/AFP/Getty Images)

Marshals worked with their Taiwanese counterparts to locate and detain Wilson after he missed a scheduled flight back to the United States, authorities said.

In the arrest warrant affidavit, Austin police said they received a call from a counselor Aug. 22. The counselor reported that a client, a girl under the age of 17, had reported having sex with a 30-year-old man a week before.

On Aug. 27, police were present when staff from the Center for Child Protection interviewed the alleged victim. The girl said she'd met the man on a so-called arrangement dating website and that he'd used the screen name "Sanjuro," according to police.

(MORE: Company selling 3D-printed gun blueprints online despite court injunction)

A search of the girl's cellphone uncovered messages to the site as well as links to messages from "Sanjuro," police said. And, in one message, "Sanjuro" identified himself as Cody Wilson, police said.

Wilson's Texas driver's license picture also matched the "Sanjuro" profile image on the website, police said.

Wilson and the girl met at a coffee shop Aug. 15 and left together in a black Ford Edge, police said. Officials said the vehicle was similar to a 2015 black Ford Edge registered with Wilson's business, Defense Distributed.

Police said Wilson took the girl to the Archer Hotel in Austin, where surveillance footage reviewed by police showed them exiting an elevator on the seventh floor. Hotel records also showed that Wilson was the lone registered guest for room 718 on that date, police said.

PHOTO: Cody Wilson, owner of Defense Distributed company, holds a 3D printed gun, called the 'Liberator,' in his factory in Austin, Texas, Aug. 1, 2018. (Kelly West/AFP/Getty Images)

Wilson sexually assaulted her and then "retrieved five $100.00 bills from a bag on the floor" and gave her the money, the alleged victim told police, according to the affidavit.

Video showed the two leaving the hotel, the affidavit alleged. Wilson later dropped her off at a Whataburger restaurant, she told authorities.

(MORE: Cody Wilson, owner of 3D-printed gun company, wanted in connection to alleged sexual assault of a minor)

Wilson could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted, authorities told ABC Austin affiliate station KVUE-TV.

In 2013, Wilson -- a self-described "crypto-anarchist" -- successfully fired a bullet from the worlds first 3D-printed handgun and posted its blueprint online. The video got nearly half a million views and the design was downloaded nearly 100,000 times.

The link was later terminated by law enforcement officials.

(MORE: Cody Wilson, owner of 3D-printed gun company, arrested in connection to alleged sexual abuse of a minor)

Years of litigation followed, leading to a settlement in July allowing Wilson to re-release the guns downloadable blueprints.

Over the summer, however, a federal judge temporarily stopped him from putting the blueprints online and in August, a federal judge in Seattle extended the injunction after a coalition of states and the District of Columbia said making untraceable plastic weapons available would create a public safety issue.

Later that month, Wilson said he'd started selling the plans for producing plastic firearms using 3D printers despite an injunction blocking it.American tourist severely injured in shark attack while spearfishing in the Bahamas originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

An American tourist suffered a severe injury when she was attacked by a shark while spearfishing in the Bahamas Sunday afternoon, according to authorities.

The unnamed Massachusetts native had severe trauma to her left hand, and was flown by air ambulance to a hospital in Florida.

She isnt mad at the shark because getting attacked is a common risk with spearfishing, Abaco Fire Chief Colin Albury told ABC News.

PHOTO: The 32-year-old woman from Massachusetts was transported to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after being attacked by a shark on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. (Abaco Fire Chief Colin Albury )

PHOTO: The 32-year-old woman from Massachusetts was transported to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after being attacked by a shark on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. (Abaco Fire Chief Colin Albury)

(MORE: Sharks are changing where they swim, breed and hunt along American coasts: Experts)

According to Albury, the 32-year-old woman is an experienced spearfisher who has a vacation home in the Treasure Cay area of Abaco Island in the Bahamas.

The attack happened when she was swimming back to her boat with a speared fish. She was with three other people, but no one else was injured.

PHOTO: The 32-year-old woman from Massachusetts was transported to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after being attacked by a shark on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. (Abaca Fire Chief Colin Albury)

(MORE: Man dies after apparent shark bite on Cape Cod: Police)

The victim is now being treated by a trauma surgeon at Memorial Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, authorities said.

According to Albury, this is the first shark attack in Treasure Cay this year.Asia Argento accuser Jimmy Bennett speaks out on Italian TV originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com

The former child actor who accused prominent #MeToo activist Asia Argento of sexually assaulting him when he was 17 years old made his first television appearance Sunday night, and opened up about what he said happened.

"It's hard for me to talk about this," Jimmy Bennett, 22, said on an Italian TV program during his first on-camera appearance since accusing Argento of sexual assault. "It all happened very fast."

Bennett claims he met Argento at a Los Angeles hotel in 2013 to discuss a film project.

PHOTO: Actor Jimmy Bennett attends Relativity Media's '21 and Over' premiere at Westwood Village Theatre on February 21, 2013 in Westwood, California. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Relativity Media)

"I've had tons of meetings at restaurants and hotels," he said.

MORE: Asia Argento accuser Jimmy Bennett speaks out: 'Today I choose to move forward'

Bennett said he arrived with a male chaperone, but that Argento made the other man feel unwelcome. He says his escort decided to leave them alone, and that's when Bennett says Argento offered him champagne, pushed him onto the bed and assaulted him.

The actress was 37 at the time, while Bennett was 17, younger than California's age of consent.

Argento's lawyer firmly denied to ABC News that the actress offered Bennett champagne or assaulted him.

PHOTO: Asia Argento poses as she arrives for the closing ceremony and the screening of the film 'The Man Who Killed Don Quixote' at the 71st edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, May 19, 2018. (Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images, FILE)

Argento was one of the #MeToo movement's loudest voices and one of the first women to publicly accuse disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. Weinstein has denied ever assaulting Argento.

The New York Times reported last month that Argento quietly paid Bennett $380,000 last year to settle the accusations.

MORE: Asia Argento 'strongly' denies sexual assault allegation: 'That is absolutely false'

The two first met when Bennett was just 7 years old when he played her son in the 2004 film, "The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things."

Just a few days ago, attorneys for Argento fired off a letter to Bennett's attorney warning that his words would "be carefully monitored," and threatened legal action if he makes what they consider "slanderous, defamatory or untruthful statements."Rod Rosenstein, Trump's embattled deputy attorney general, to meet with president on Thursday originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein came to the White House on Monday and met with chief of staff John Kelly with the expectation that he would be fired, but remains in the post, sources tell ABC News.

At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories. Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

After shaking hands with Kelly within view of news cameras as he left the White House, Rosenstein was back on the job at the Justice Department Monday afternoon.

In New York, Trump spoke about his call with Rosenstein but, questioned by reporters, did not signal whether he intends to fire him.

During his first formal bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting  with the President of South Korea  Trump indicated he would make no decision on that before Thursday.

We will be determining what's going on, Trump said. We want to have transparency. We want to have openness. And I look forward to meeting with Rod at that time.

The president has already spoken to another official about becoming the acting deputy attorney general, sources told ABC News.

The news came on the heels of reporting that at a May 2017 meeting between Rosenstein and then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, Rosenstein suggested that McCabe or others wear a wire when speaking with the president, according to memos McCabe made of the conversation, sources familiar with them told ABC News. The meeting took place a week after President Donald Trump had fired James Comey as director, the sources said.

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Additionally, sources told ABC News that, according to the memos, Rosenstein told McCabe he could recruit members of the presidents Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office for being unfit. Rosenstein believed he would be able to persuade Attorney General Jeff Sessions and then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to sign on, according to the sources.

(MORE: Trump's lawyer calls for 'a time out' in Mueller probe if Rosenstein leaves post)

After Comey's firing, ABC News previously reported that Rosenstein was so upset with the White House for pinning Comeys dismissal on him that he was on the verge of resigning.

Rosenstein remained on the job and a week later assigned Robert Mueller as special counsel to look into allegations that the Russian government tried to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia probe early last year.

(MORE: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein once suggested recording Trump, removing him via 25th Amendment: Sources)

The White House, as of Friday evening, had not commented specifically on the story about the May meeting.

The Office of Special Counsel declined to comment on questions about Rosenstein's potential departure.

McCabe on Monday expressed concerns about the news and its possible implications for the Russia probe.

"There is nothing more important to the integrity of law enforcement and the rule of law than protecting the investigation of Special Counsel Mueller. I sacrificed personally and professionally to help put the investigation on a proper course and subsequently made every effort to protect it," McCabe said in a statement. "To be clear, I had no role in providing information of any kind to the media stories about events following Director Comey's firing. If the rumors of Deputy AG's Rosenstein's departure are true, I am deeply concerned that it puts that investigation at risk."

Trump, speaking at a rally in Springfield, Missouri, once again attacked his Justice Department.

Deputy U.S. Attorney General, Rod Rosenstein participates in a summit, at the Justice Department, Feb. 2, 2018, in Washington | President Donald Trump visits Joint Interagency Task Force South at Naval Air Station Key West, Fla., April 19, 2018. (Getty Images)

"Look what's being exposed at the Department of Justice and the FBI," the president told a packed house Friday night. "You have some real bad ones. You see what's happening at the FBI  theyre all gone, theyre all gone. But theres a lingering stench and were going to get rid of that too."

(MORE: Trump hits 'lingering stench' in the FBI, DOJ)

Rosenstein issued a second statement not long after the president spoke.

I never pursued or authorized recording the President and any suggestion that I have ever advocated for the removal of the President is absolutely false," Rosenstein said.

Trump has repeatedly called the Russia investigation a "Witch Hunt" and asserted he has done nothing wrong. He does not, however, have direct authority to fire Mueller  that authority belonged to Rosenstein and now could belong to Noel Francisco, the solicitor general.

Lawmakers move to protect special counsel, Russia probe amid Trump criticism

Rosenstein was confirmed as the second highest ranking official in the Justice Department, with wide bipartisan support, just over a year ago.

But Rosensteins name was in the headlines since just weeks after he began his new role at the Department of Justice after reports that he signed off on an FBI raid of the home and offices of Trumps longtime former personal attorney Michael Cohen.

The raid, which was connected to the special counsels investigation, was approved by Rosenstein, who has overseen the investigation since Sessions recused himself.

The president called the raid an attack on what we all stand for and a disgrace.

Trump lawyer Michael Cohen under criminal investigation

The president later tweeted that Rosenstein was conflicted in his role supervising the investigation.

Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

PHOTO: Rod Rosenstein, deputy attorney general, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, March 23, 2018. (Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE)

In Congress, part of the comfort with Rosenstein stemmed from his resume. He served both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama as the politically-appointed U.S. Attorney in Baltimore before coming to headquarters.

In Baltimore, he brought a series of public corruption cases against Democrats in local and state office. At the time, defense lawyer Robert C. Bonsib, a former state and federal prosecutor, told the Washington Post he considered Rosenstein the poster child for the professional, competent, ethical and fair-minded prosecutor.

Rosenstein also appeared to have the backing of intelligence community veterans. In July, he received a standing ovation at the Aspen Security Forum, a gathering of past and current senior officials in U.S. intelligence and law enforcement circles. Speaking there, he took pains to avoid commenting on the Mueller probe. But he did make clear he believes Russia was trying and continues to try to undermine U.S. elections.

These actions are persistent, they are pervasive, and they are meant to undermine Americas democracy on a daily basis, regardless of whether it is election time or not, Rosenstein told the audience.

In the months leading up to Rosensteins tension with the White House, Republicans and Democrats called for legislation to protect the investigation led by Mueller.

Many Republicans  including those close to the president  publicly warned against firing Mueller or Rosenstein.

"It would be a mistake and there would be consequences that the president would come to regret," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who dined with President Trump and other GOP leaders in April at the White House.

That same day at a news conference, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said that hed received "assurances" that Trump wouldn't fire Rosenstein or Mueller.

But Joe diGenova, a former federal prosecutor who was in discussions to join Trumps legal team, said earlier in the week that he supported the decision.

"I would fire Rosenstein in a New York minute; without any question," diGenova told ABC News Jonathan Karl and Rick Klein on the Powerhouse Politics podcast earlier this year.

PHOTO: Rod Rosenstein, deputy attorney general, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, Feb. 16, 2018. (Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE)

Trump legal confidant Joe diGenova urges president to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein

Rod Rosenstein is so incompetent, compromised and conflicted that he can no longer serve as the deputy attorney general, DiGenova said in an appearance on Fox News Hannity earlier this year.

Before becoming deputy attorney general, Rosenstein was the longest-serving U.S. attorney, serving in Maryland. Rosenstein served throughout both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obamas administration's, holding the position for 12 years.

ABC News' Matt Mosk, Lucien Bruggeman and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic, Alexey Navalny, is let out of Russian jail, then arrested again (ABC News)

Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic, Alexey Navalny, is let out of Russian jail, then arrested again originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Russia's most prominent opposition leader, Alexey Navalny, was released from jail on Monday and then immediately arrested again and sentenced to another 20 days of detention.

Navalny was met by police officers at the door of a Moscow detention center as he stepped out of jail after serving a 30-day sentence for organizing an unauthorized rally.

He was immediately taken to a police station, and, late Monday evening, a court sentenced him to 20 additional days in jail after convicting him of a new protest violation, his spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh wrote on Twitter.

Navalny, 42, has become the best-known face of Russia's anti-Putin opposition and has been arrested regularly as he and his supporters have staged demonstrations criticizing the lack of political freedom and alleged corruption under President Vladimir Putin.

(MORE: Putin, facing little opposition, wins Russian presidency again)

PHOTO: Russian police officers detain Alexei Navalny outside the detention center in Moscow on Sept. 24, 2018. (Vasily Maximov/AFP/Getty Images)

The court convicted Navalny of causing harm to a person or property resulting from his "action or inaction" during a demonstration he called for on Sept. 9 as part of nationwide protests against a plan to raise Russia's pension age. The harm alleged by the prosecution was that during the protest, which saw hundreds of people arrested, a police vehicle's paintwork was scratched by demonstrators.

Navalny himself was not present at the demonstration because he was already in jail, but police claimed he was responsible for the alleged damage since he had called for the protest to go ahead as planned.

Navalny accused the court of fabricating the case against him and said it was doing so in order to lay groundwork for a far more serious criminal case against him that could see him jailed for up to five years.

"You are just inventing a case, you are completely brazenly fabricating an administrative case, which is a step towards fabricating a criminal case," Navalny told the judge, Elena Armyzshina, according to the Russian site, Mediazona, which was in the courtroom.

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Navalny was arrested the last time in August shortly before the Sept. 9 protest. He was jailed then on charges relating to a demonstration organized in January close to the Red Square.

Police at the time said it had taken them until August to charge Navalny because they had been unable to locate him, despite the fact that he had spent much of May in police custody after being detained for a different demonstration held on the eve of Putins inauguration for a fourth term as president.

Navalny has said the arrests are intended to disrupt his protest activity. He has spent 120 days in detention since 2017, according to Yarmysh, his spokeswoman.

PHOTO: Russian police officers detain Alexei Navalny outside the detention center in Moscow on Sept. 24, 2018. (Vasily Maximov/AFP/Getty Images)

Most recently, Navalny had been calling for protests against the controversial pension reform that has attracted unusual public discontent in Russia and which has taken a toll on Putin's approval rating, which dropped from close to 80 percent in May to 67 percent in July, according to an independent polling agency, the Levada Center.

(MORE: Young Russians taking the lead in anti-Putin protests)

Navalny's supporters have staged a number of relatively large anti-Kremlin demonstrations across Russia in recent years, which are usually broken up by police. He has built a grassroots following, particularly among younger Russians, in part through video investigations into the alleged ill-gotten wealth of senior officials.

Two weeks ago, one of the subjects of these investigations, the head of Russia's National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, released a video address in which he challenged Navalny to a duel and promised to make "a juicy beefsteak" of him after the activist alleged there was large-scale corruption in the organization under Zolotov.

(MORE: Putin's ex-bodyguard challenges Navalny to duele)

The Kremlin has said Navalny's protests violate a law requiring rallies to be authorized and has called Navalny a criminal.

Navalny was sentenced to a five-year suspended sentence in 2013 on fraud charges that he says are trumped up and designed to prevent his running for office. The conviction was used in 2018 to bar him from taking part in this year's presidential election.From the tropical paradise of Cook Island to the rolling greenery of the Scottish Highlands, your travel bucket list is ever expanding. But we suggest you add a little wiggle room in your itinerary for some of these you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it sites. Pink lakes, sherbet-colored mountains and glowing beachesthis planet is an amazing place. But make plans to see these wonders soon, before they disappear.

RELATED: The Best Places in the World to Go Snorkeling

Great Blue Hole (Belize, City Belize)

If you couldnt tell by its name, the Great Blue Hole is a giant underwater hole in the middle of Lighthouse Reef, 73 miles off the coast of Belize. Technically, its a sinkhole that formed as far back as 153,000 years ago, before sea levels were as high as they are today. After some glaciers danced around and melted, oceans rose and filled in the hole (very scientific explanation, no?). The near-perfect circle (wow) is 1,043 feet in diameter and 407 feet deep, giving it a dark navy hue. Not only is the Great Blue Hole a World Heritage Site of UNESCO, but it was also one of Jacques Cousteaus top diving spots, so you know its legit. Youve got to be an expert scuba diver to actually go down into the hole, but snorkeling on its edges is allowed (and frankly offers more colorful scenes of fish and coral due to the sunlight). But, if you want the best view? Hop on a helicopter for a visually stunning flyover tour.

Salar De Uyuni (Potosi, Bolivia)

In the mood for something savory? How about 4,086 square miles of salt? Thats how big Salar de Uyuni, the worlds largest salt flat, is. Located in southwest Bolivia, near the Andes Mountains, this bright white, flat expanse looks like a desert but is actually a lake. Let us explain: Roughly 30,000 years ago, this area of South America was covered in a giant saltwater lake. When it evaporated, it left behind a thick, salty crust on the earths surface. Today, the flat produces salt (duh) and half the worlds lithium. During the rainy season (December through April), smaller surrounding lakes overflow and cover Salar De Uyuni in a thin, still layer of water that reflects the sky almost perfectly for a sublime optical illusion. If your goal is seeing as much of the flat as possible, head out during the drier season (May through November). Tours are available from starting points in both Chile and Bolivia. Just be sure to hydrate.

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Mud Volcanoes (Azerbaijan)

Nestled between Eastern Europe and Western Asia is the Republic of Azerbaijan, home to hundreds of volcanoes that regularly spew goopy, gray mud. These short volcanoes (10 feet tall or so) dot the desert landscape throughout Gobustan National Park (another UNESCO World Heritage site) near the Caspian Sea. Since eruptions are caused by gases escaping through the earth instead of magma, the mud tends to be cool or even cold to the touch. Dont be afraid to join in if other visitors bathe in the mud, which has been used for skin and joint ailments and in pharmacology. Certainly not FDA-approved, but when in Azerbaijan, right?

RELATED: 5 Bioluminescent Beaches That Will Blow Your Mind

Vaadhoo Island (Maldives)

After taking a dunk in Azerbaijans volcanic mud, we recommend bathing in glow-in-the-dark ocean water on the tiny tropical island Vaadhoo. Visitors can see the ocean shores light up at night due to tiny phytoplankton in the water. These bioluminescent buggers emit a bright light when the water around them hits oxygen (aka, waves hitting the beach) as a defense against predators. Lucky for us, this creates a naturally occurring liquid glitter we can swim in. Consistently ranked one of the top vacation spots in the world, the Maldives is also increasing in popularity because its sadly disappearing. About 100 of the 2,000 islands that make up the Maldives have eroded in recent years and water levels continue to chip away at many of them. Might be time to move this item up on your bucket list.

Blood Falls (Victoria Land, East Antarctica)

There are a bajillion beautiful waterfalls to see around the world before you die (or they dry up), but Blood Falls in east Antarctica is one of a kind for its blood-like, well, flow. Explorers discovered the red-hued river flowing off the Taylor Glacier in 1911, but it wasnt until last year that we figured why exactly the water was red. Turns out, theres iron in the water (from an underground lake) that oxidizes as it hits the air. Its tricky to get to Antarctica, yes, but certainly worth the trip to see this five-story-tall phenomenon in personespecially since its impossible to tell how long Antarcticas current ecosystem will be around.

Lake Natron (Arusha, Tanzania)

If youre dying to see naturally occurring red water but arent partial to Antarcticas chill, Lake Natron in Tanzania is a hot option. Salty water, high alkalinity and shallow depths pretty much make Lake Natron a warm pool of brine only microorganisms could loveand love it they do. During photosynthesis, the lakes microorganism population turns the water a bright reddish-orange. Since the lake is no fun for large African predators, the setting makes a perfect annual breeding ground for 2.5 million lesser flamingos, a species listed as near threatened. Lake Natron is their only breeding spot, which means potential plans to build a power plant on its shores could destroy the lesser population. There is also talk of building an electric plant in Kenya, near the lakes primary water source, that could dilute Natron and upset its delicate ecosystem. So get there quickly. And kiss a flamingo for us.

RELATED: Theres a Private Beach in Aruba Where You Can Actually Sunbathe with Flamingos

Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (Michoacan, Mexico)

This entry on our list isnt so much about a particular location as it is about what happens there. Every fall, monarch butterflies begin a 2,500-mile migration from Canada to Mexico. Over 100 million butterflies travel together, turning the skies orange and black, down through the U.S., before settling in central Mexico. Once theyve reached hot spots like the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, about 62 miles outside Mexico City, they nest, essentially taking over every square inch they can find. Pine trees literally sag with the weight of hundreds of butterflies latching onto branches. Visiting in January and February is best, when the populations are highest right before the butterflies head north in March. Fun fact: The monarchs that make it back to Canada in spring are the great-great-grandchildren of the butterflies that lived it up in Mexico over the winter. Unfortunately, the monarch population has dwindled significantly in the past 20 years, due in part to shrinking milkweed availability, the monarchs favorite food.

Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes (South Korea)

For spelunking enthusiasts, Jeju Island is a must-see. Located 80 miles off the southern tip of South Korea, the 1,147-square-foot island is essentially one big dormant volcano with hundreds of tinier volcanoes around it. Most notably, however, is the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System below Jejus surface. An enormous system of 200 underground tunnels and caves formed by lava flows between 100,000 to 300,000 years ago provide ample space to pretend youre Lara Croft. Did we mention many of these caves have multiple levels? And theres a lake underground, too? With some of the longestand largestcaves in the world, its no surprise this is another UNESCO World Heritage Site on our list.

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park (Gansu, China)

Theres really no other way to describe these mountains than as orange sherbet rocks. The Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park is mile after mile of brightly colored, striped hillside made of sandstone and mineral deposits. Formed over millions of years as tectonic plates shifted and pushed underlying rock to the earths surface, thisyou guessed itUNESCO World Heritage Site is a lesson in both geology and art. Similar rainbow-colored mountains can be found in Peru, but this range in Chinas northern Gansu province is easier to hike and offers equally stunning views of red, orange, green and yellow stone. Visit between July and September for optimal sunshine and light.

Cascate del Mulino (Saturnia, Italy)

Volcanic activity heats water below the earths surface, creating either boiling geysers or calm, steamy, natural hot tubs. Well take option #2. While there are many places to experience the soothing properties of hot springs (Blue Lagoon, Iceland; Khir Ganga, India; Champagne Pool, New Zealand), and we highly recommend you get to at least one in your lifetime, the Cascate del Mulino springs in Saturnia, Italy, caught our attention. Formed naturally by a sulphurous waterfall carving its way through rock, this sprawling landscape of pools clocks in at 98 F and is constantly flowing. The water is said to have healing properties thanks to sulfur and plankton swirling around. The best part? Cascate del Mulino is free to swim in and open 24/7. If youre in the mood for a more upscale Tuscan hot springs vacay, stay at the Terme di Saturnia, a spa and hotel situated closer to the hot springs source.Archaeologists have discovered a nearly 1,500-year-old carved stone altar in the ancient Maya city of La Corona, deep in the jungles of northern Guatemala.

The finding, announced Sept. 12 at the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in Guatemala City, is the oldest monument on record at the La Corona site from the Classic Maya period, which lasted from A.D. 250 to 900, the archaeologists said.

An analysis of the carvings on the altar revealed how the powerful Kaanul dynasty started its 200-year rule over much of the Maya lowlands, the archaeologists said. [In Photos: Ancient Maya Carvings Exposed in Guatemala]

"The discovery of this altar 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," Marcello Canuto, director of the Middle American Research Institute at Tulane University and co-director of the La Corona Regional Archaeological Project (PRALC), said in a statement.

The altar, carved out of a large slab of limestone, depicts the previously unknown king  Chak Took Ich'aak  carrying a double-headed serpent. The site's patron gods are emerging out of the conjoined snakes, Canuto said. This animal isn't a coincidence, as the rulers of the Kaanul dynasty were also known as the "snake kings," according to National Geographic.

Next to this carving is a column of hieroglyphs that show the end of the half-katun period in the long count Maya calendar, where a katun is a unit of time, giving a date that corresponds to May 12, 544.

"For several centuries during the Classic period, the Kaanul kings dominated much of the Maya lowlands," Tomas Barrientos, co-director of the project and director of the Center for Archaeological and Anthropological Research at the University of the Valley of Guatemala, said in the statement. "This altar contains information about their early strategies of expansion, demonstrating that La Coronaplayed an important role in the process from the beginning."

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Canuto and Barrientos have studied La Corona since 2008, directing excavations, translating hieroglyphs and surveying the area with lidar (which stands for "light detection and ranging"), a technology that uses billions of light beams to map the topography of terrain. They've also taken part in chemical and material analyses.

With PRALC, their team will investigate the altar to see if it contains additional secrets about how the Kaanul kingdom came to exercise so much power over the Maya lowlands.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's RecommendationsMEXICO CITY (AP)  At least seven people, including two children, are dead and searches continue for five others after a five-foot (1.5 meter) wall of floodwater crashed through the streets of a town in western Mexico, state officials said Monday night.

Eloy Giron, the chief of operations for the Michoacan state Civil Protection agency, reported the latest death toll. He told The Associated Press that hopes were fading for finding two adults and three children still unaccounted for.

Unusually heavy rainfall swelled the Cutio River and sent a wave of water into the town of Periban on Sunday. Giron said witnesses reported that the rush of water was so powerful that it sucked some people out of houses.

"The water devastated everything in its path," he said.

Giron said about 40 homes, all along the banks of the river, were destroyed.

Periban is in a forested, mountain zone known for its avocado groves.These stocks dominate your internet time.

There's no question that the global economy has been making the slow transition from offline to online for decades now. The companies with the largest online footprint are the ones in the best position to thrive in the 21st century economy. The performance of the FAANG stocks in the current bull market is evidence of just how much leverage the internet can provide. Bank of America recently released its monthly U.S. internet traffic report, which revealed that internet usage continues to rise with no end in sight. Here are seven stocks dominating internet traffic.

Alphabet (ticker: GOOG, GOOGL)

No company is dominating the internet like Alphabet subsidiary Google. U.S. Google users spent a total of 322.36 billion minutes on Google's platforms in August, up 50 percent from a year ago. Total mobile time was up an incredible 54 percent year-over-year thanks to Google's YouTube platform. Google also has the most total PC internet users of any company at 167 million, or about 75 percent of all U.S. PC internet users. Bank of America has a "buy" rating and $1,390 price target for GOOGL stock.

Facebook (FB)

In August, total Facebook mobile users on its Facebook.com platform were up 7 percent, but mobile time spent declined by 10 percent. Among all its platforms, Facebook's total share of internet time spent declined slightly month-over-month to 14.1 percent. Total minutes were down 14 percent, including a 10 percent drop in mobile minutes and a 27 percent decline in PC minutes. Fortunately, Instagram's mobile user count was up 24 percent and total time spent on Instagram was up 17 percent. Bank of America has a "buy" rating and $205 price target for FB stock.

Twitter (TWTR)

Twitter had about 7.88 billion total minutes spent on its platform in August, up 22 percent from a year ago. Twitter registered a 22 percent increase in total mobile minutes in August and a 1.1 million increase in total mobile users compared to July. Twitter now has 129.5 million U.S. mobile users. While Twitter is struggling with its overall user growth and the costs associated with cleaning up its platform, its U.S. traffic numbers show it is still an online force. Bank of America has an "underperform" rating and $27 price target for TWTR stock.

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Snap (SNAP)

Snap had a 13 percent increase in total mobile minutes, but its user count declined from 132.6 million in July to 127.6 million in August. Like Twitter, Snap has been dealing with sluggish growth numbers, a lack of profitability and an unclear long-term strategy. However, with 188 million daily active users and the recent departure of chief strategy officer Imran Khan, Snap still has plenty of opportunity to dominate the internet in years ahead. Bank of America has a "buy" rating and $16 price target for SNAP stock.

Amazon.com (AMZN)

Across all device types, Amazon registered 20.11 billion total U.S. minutes in August, up 20 percent from a year ago. Mobile users were up 17 percent in August, and mobile minutes were up 24 percent. In addition to its e-commerce and cloud services businesses, eMarketer recently said Amazon is now the third-largest online advertiser in the world behind only Facebook and Google. Amazon is even revolutionizing the way people interact with the net via its Echo home smart speakers. Bank of America has a "buy" rating and $2,200 price target for AMZN stock.

Netflix (NFLX)

Excluding total minutes on TVs, Netflix generated 16.16 billion minutes of engagement time on PCs and mobile devices in August, up 23 percent from a year ago. Desktop minutes dropped 46 percent to 585 million, but mobile minutes were up 29 percent to 15.57 billion. NFLX stock tanked following its recent earnings report after subscriber growth failed to live up to expectations. However, analysts at Guggenheim and SunTrust both recently said Netflix is tracking for a subscriber beat in the third quarter. Bank of America has a "buy" rating and $410 price target for NFLX stock.

eBay (EBAY)

Online marketplace eBay drew 5.61 billion usage minutes across all devices in August, up 19 percent from last year. Desktop minutes dropped 2 percent to 2.3 billion, but mobile minutes were up an impressive 40 percent to 3.31 billion. Last quarter, eBay reported a 6 percent increase in organic revenue and a 5 percent increase in gross merchandise volume. The company is increasing its focus on advertising as well, and Bank of America estimates advertising revenue could eclipse $1 billion in 2019. The firm has a "buy" rating and $44 price target for EBAY stock.

Wayne Duggan is a freelance investment strategy reporter with a focus on energy and emerging market stocks. He has a degree in brain and cognitive sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and specializes in the psychological challenges of investing. He is a senior financial market reporter for Benzinga and has contributed financial market analysis to Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha and InvestorPlace. He is also the author of the book "Beating Wall Street With Common Sense," which focuses on the practical strategies he has used to outperform the stock market. You can follow him on Twitter @DugganSense, check out his latest content at tradingcommonsense.com or email him at wpd@tradingcommonsense.com.By Doina Chiacu and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The university professor who accused Brett Kavanaugh, U.S. President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, of sexual assault will testify before a Senate panel on Thursday about her allegation, her lawyers and the committee said on Sunday. The agreement for Christine Blasey Ford to testify came just hours before the New Yorker magazine published an article in which a second woman, identified as Deborah Ramirez, described another instance of alleged sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh, also in the 1980s, when both attended Yale University. Ford's agreement to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee came a week after she went public in an interview in the Washington Post with her allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in 1982 when both were high school students in Maryland. Her allegation against the conservative federal appeals court judge has endangered his confirmation by the Republican-led Senate to a lifetime job on the top U.S. court. Kavanaugh has also agreed to testify at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing planned for 10 a.m. on Thursday. The potentially explosive hearing, set against a backdrop of the #MeToo movement fighting sexual harassment and assault, comes just weeks before Nov. 6 congressional elections in which Democrats are trying to take control of Congress from Trump's fellow Republicans. The New Yorker magazine reported that Senate Democrats are investigating the new allegation against Kavanaugh that dates to the 1983-84 academic year, when Kavanaugh was a Yale freshman. Ramirez is cited by the New Yorker as saying Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a drunken dormitory party. Kavanaugh has called Ford's allegation "completely false" and said in a statement provided by the White House on Sunday night the incident described by Ramirez "did not happen." "This is a smear, plain and simple," Kavanaugh said. "I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name - and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building - against these last-minute allegations," Kavanaugh said in the statement. White House spokeswoman Kerri Kupec called the new allegation part of a "coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man." "The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh," Kupec said. The magazine said it has not confirmed with other eyewitnesses that Kavanaugh was present at the party at issue in Ramirez's account. After the New Yorker article was published, Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Judiciary Committee's top Democrat, wrote to the panel's Republican chairman, Senator Chuck Grassley, asking for an "immediate postponement of any further proceedings" on Kavanaugh's nomination. "I also ask that the newest allegations of sexual misconduct be referred to the FBI for investigation," Feinstein wrote. Grassley's spokesman, Taylor Foy, accused Senate Democrats of withholding information on the latest allegation and of seeking a "political takedown" of Kavanaugh. He did not offer any evidence, except to cite the New Yorker report that the committee's Democratic staff were made aware of the allegations. "Of course, we will attempt to evaluate these new claims," Foy said in a statement, adding that the committee's Republican staff only learned of Ramirez's allegation from the New Yorker article on Sunday evening. The New Yorker story, however, said senior Republican staffers were informed last week. UNRESOLVED ISSUES Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, has said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in 1982 when both were high school students in Maryland. She accused him of attacking her and trying to remove her clothing while he was drunk at a party when he was 17 years old and she was 15. There are still unresolved procedural and logistical issues regarding Ford's testimony, her lawyers said, including whether the Judiciary Committee's Republican senators, who are all male, or staff attorneys would question her. Ford's lawyers said "various senators have been dismissive of her account and should have to shoulder their responsibility to ask her questions." Ford's lawyers said that, in a Sunday morning call with committee staff members, they agreed to the hearing even though the committee refused to subpoena Mark Judge, a Kavanaugh friend who Ford said witnessed the attack, as well as others she said were present. "Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr. Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her," Ford's attorneys Debra Katz, Lisa Banks and Michael Bromwich said in a statement. "She has agreed to move forward with a hearing even though the Committee has refused to subpoena Mark Judge," it said. "They have also refused to invite other witnesses who are essential for a fair hearing that arrives at the truth about the sexual assault." Grassley had set several deadlines since Friday for Ford to decide whether and how she would testify before the panel. "Following Dr. Ford's testimony, Judge Kavanaugh will appear again before the committee," according to a statement from the committee. Kavanaugh was questioned by committee staff last week. Grassley's counsel said in a note to Ford's lawyers that "the Chairman asked me to relay again that he will do everything in his power to provide a safe, comfortable and dignified forum for Dr. Ford to testify." The counsel said it was the committee's "non-negotiable" right to determine who would be allowed to testify. Kavanaugh's confirmation would solidify conservative control of the Supreme Court and advance Trump's goal of moving the high court and the broader federal judiciary to the right. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Additional reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb, Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick and Diane Bartz; Editing by Lisa Shumaker, Meredith Mazzilli and Will Dunham)Goma (DR Congo) (AFP) - The death toll from a weekend attack in DR Congo's restive east rose to 21 on Monday, with the violence prompting aid groups to suspend their Ebola work in the area.

The bloodshed occurred on Saturday in Beni, a flashpoint city in North Kivu region. The Congolese army has blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a notorious rebel militia.

The latest violence, which sparked local anger, comes just three months before the Democratic Republic of Congo holds a fractious election to choose a successor to Joseph Kabila, the country's deeply-contested president.

It also prompted NGOs in Beni working to fight the spread of Ebola to halt their work following a health ministry request, although Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was operating as normal in treatment centres some 30-50 kilometres (20-30 miles) outside the city.

Witnesses said Saturday's violence began in the city centre in the late afternoon with the attackers using guns and machetes.

An initial army estimate put the toll at 18 dead, including 14 civilians and four soldiers, but later raised it to 21, including 17 civilians.

- Danger for the election -

On Monday morning, many shops, schools and businesses in Beni remained closed in protest, and an opposition lawmaker called for "a rapid assessment of the army's operational effectiveness" ahead of December's elections.

"The front line is no longer in the Virunga National Park and is now in Beni, which poses a real danger for the holding of safe elections on December 23," said Anselme Mwaka, an opposition MP from the Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC).

Social networks buzzed with comments denouncing the apparent powerlessness of the army and perceived silence of the authorities.

"Kabila and his cronies dare to suggest that the situation is getting better yet these dramas are taking place every day. How can they live with this responsibility?" tweeted exiled opposition leader Moise Katumbi.

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Patrick Nkanga Bekonda, a Kabila adviser, suggested there were local and external forces trying to provoke civil conflict in the troubled city.

"We can see the hallmarks of both local and external involvement in the 'Somalisation' of Beni, despite efforts to reduce these killings," he said.

Since January, Congolese troops have been engaged in a major military operation against the ADF but have not yet managed to stop the bloodshed in and around Beni.

The ADF is one of a number of armed groups that hold territory in the eastern DR Congo and are battling for control of the region's rich mineral resources.

The militia group, created by Muslim radicals to oppose of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, has been present in North Kivu since 1995. It has been accused of killing several hundred civilians over the past three-and-a-half years.Al Matthews in Aliens (Credit: 20th Century Fox)

Al Matthews, the actor who played Gunnery Sergeant Apone in Aliens, has been found dead at his home in Spain.

El Pais reports that a neighbour called the emergency services yesterday, who arrived at his home in Orihuela Costa, Alicante.

The cause of death is unknown and will be determined by an autopsy. He was 75.

He began acting following a career in the US Marines, serving in Vietnam and receiving two purple hearts, before becoming the first black soldier in the 1st Marine Division to be promoted to sergeant.

Born in Brooklyn, he began his acting  and also singing  career in the UK, making the top 20 with a single called Fool in 1975.

He went on to play Benny Greens father in several episodes of Grange Hill, and also appeared in shows like Shelley, The Professionals, the BBC2 Playhouse series and The Comic Strip Presents.

Matthews also appeared in Superman III in 1983, before scoring the role of Apone in Aliens under director James Cameron in 1986, a role he reprised years later in the 2013 video game Aliens: Colonial Marines.

The part was said to be the inspiration for Sergeant Avery Johnson in the Halo game series.

Other roles came in movies like The Fifth Element, Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and Burt Reynolds movie Rough Cut.

Matthews reportedly retired to Spain in 2005.

According to IMDb, his last role, in a western movie called The Price of Death, is currently in post-production.

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President Trumps Twitter pushback Friday on allegations raised by Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, shocked many and spurred women to share their stories of assault on social media with the hashtag #whyididntreport. And now, actor and activist Alyssa Milano has added her voice.Atlanta Black Star

A former Glynn County police officer who was first to respond to the scene after Ahmaud Arbery was gunned down in the Satilla Shores neighborhood []United Nations (United States) (AFP) - US President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to hold a second summit soon with Kim Jong Un, lauding the North Korean strongman at the United Nations as "terrific" one year after he eviscerated him from the same platform.

Trump used his debut address to the UN General Assembly 12 months ago to threaten to "totally destroy" North Korea and belittled its leader as "rocket man," prompting Kim to respond by calling the US president "mentally deranged."

But returning to New York for this year's gathering, Trump hailed "tremendous progress" to halt Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests and said that a year later it was a "much different time."

"Chairman Kim has been really very open and terrific, frankly, and I think he wants to see something happen," Trump said after meeting South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a dove who recently visited Kim in Pyongyang.

"I think within a fairly short period of time that (summit) will be announced. It will be at a location to be determined but we're both very much looking forward to having it."

Trump, who met Kim in Singapore in June in the first-ever summit between the two countries that have never signed a peace treaty, earlier told reporters that he appreciated "a beautiful letter" the young North Korean leader had sent to him.

While relations with Kim have improved dramatically, leaders attending the annual assembly expect this year to hear Trump espouse a hard line on a different US adversary, Iran's Hassan Rouhani.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- who has visited Pyongyang three times -- will preside over a Security Council meeting Thursday to explain the administration's imposition of sanctions on North Korea, which has hit Chinese and Russian companies.

Skepticism remains about whether Kim has taken any concrete steps, but that seems unlikely to deter Trump from pushing toward a new summit in what he considers a key foreign policy achievement.

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- Focus on sovereignty -

In his 41-minute speech at the General Assembly in 2017, Trump made clear he wanted to turn the clock back on the last half-century's growth of global rules and institutions and to return to the primacy of the nation-state.

His national security adviser, John Bolton, said that Trump would stress defense of US sovereignty in his latest UN address on Tuesday.

The UN's number one financial backer, the United States has moved under Trump to cut funding to the world body, notably to peacekeeping missions that are key to the UN's goal of promoting peace and security.

"The United Nations has tremendous potential and that potential is being met, slowly but surely," Trump told a meeting on combatting drugs attended by UN chief Antonio Guterres.

- Pressure on Iran -

While Trump will dial down the rhetoric against Kim, there seems to be little prospect of him doing likewise with Rouhani.

The United States annoyed many of its allies in Europe by pulling out of a deal they jointly negotiated in 2015 that lifted sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.

US allies in the Middle East, notably Saudi Arabia, have, however, been delighted by Trump's stance.

Bolton said the United States was seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran but not to overthrow the regime -- an idea he supported before taking his job and reiterated recently by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is Trump's personal lawyer.

"As I have said repeatedly, regime change in Iran is not the administration's policy," Bolton told reporters.

"We've imposed very stringent sanctions on Iran, more are coming, and what we expect from Iran is massive changes in their behavior," he said.

On Wednesday, Trump will for the first time chair a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation that will focus heavily on Iran, likely triggering a clash with other big powers.

The White House has not closed the door on a Rouhani-Trump meeting. But Rouhani, in an interview with NBC News after arriving in New York, saw such an offer as hypocritical.

"Naturally, if someone is keen on having a meeting and holding dialogue and creating progress in relationships, that person would not use the tool of sanctions and threats (and bring) to bear all of its power against another government and nation," Rouhani said.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday accused US allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of supporting Arab separatists allegedly behind an attack on a military parade last week that killed 24 people.A bullied high school student who was duped into thinking he had scored a homecoming date with a cheerleader had the last laugh, after he received an invitation to go to the dance from a beauty pageant winner.

Michael Conrad, a junior at Taylorsville High School, in Taylorsville, Utah, who has ADHD and autism, was the target of a cruel prank by classmates who allegedly egged his house. Among the broken egg shells left behind was a lipstick-covered note that read: Im sorry for the mess. But how about I make it up to you by taking you to homecoming?

Michaels mother, Jennifer Conrad, told local Salt Lake City, Utah, station KSTU that the note was signed by a friend, whom he knows quite well. So after working up enough courage, Michael approached the girl to give her his answer.

She said, Michael, I already have a date, Im so sorry, I had nothing to do with that. She felt bad, Conrad told the station.

Miss Greater Salt Lake, Dexonna Talbot, said she immediately broke down in tears upon hearing of the hurtful stunt, and jumped at the opportunity to help the bullied teenager. She reached out to Conrad to see if she could ask Michael to the dance.

Just thinking about the fact that someone would go out of their way to make someone else feel bad is so heartbreaking to me, Talbot told KSTU.

So she sprung into action and showed up at Michaels high school to ask him to homecoming in person. Video footage of the event shows Talbot bringing Michaels history class to a halt, as she asks the elated teenager to the dance in front of his peers. She handed over a large hand-made poster and a bucket of his favorite candy.

I really wanted to make sure it was at the school, so that way those people who have been bullying could see something positive was coming from this and that they werent winning, she said.

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Kicking things off with a limousine, the pair hit the arcade for some games, followed by dinner, before heading off to the highly anticipated dance.

Talbot shared a series of moving photos of the pair, saying she had had the time of her life. According to local station KSL, shell compete for the Miss Utah title next year. In the meantime, she is attending the University of Utah, studying ballet and special education.

Conrad told KSTU that Talbot was her angel.

This wasnt a publicity stunt of any kind for her. Shes just got a tender heart. And she has really made my sons year. So, thank you!

More from Yahoo Lifestyle

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.Bill Cosby faced the start of a sentencing hearing Monday at which a judge will decide how to punish the 81-year-old comedian who blazed the trail for other black entertainers and donated millions to black causes but preyed on at least one young woman and perhaps many more.Day one of Bill Cosby's sentencing hearing that will determine how the 81-year-old comedian will be punished for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman more than 14 years ago has been adjourned. A judge is expected to sentence Cosby in the Philadelphia area courthouse on Tuesday.

Cosby was the first celebrity to go to trial in the #MeToo era and could be the first to go to prison, after being convicted in April of violating Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004.

Cosby walked into the courthouse on the arm of his longtime spokesman as protesters shouted at him.

Follow the latest updates in our live blog below. Please allow a moment for it to load

Court adjourned in the late afternoon on the first day of the two-day hearing. Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill has reportedly stated in court that prosecutors and defence lawyers have agreed to merge the charges against Cosby. The state guidelines for someone like Cosby, with no prior convictions, call for about one to four years behind bars.

Whatever the sentence, Cosby is likely to be deemed a sexually violent predator and will have to undergo monthly counselling the rest of his life, in prison or out. Neighbours and schools will be warned he is living nearby.

Associated PressThe confirmation of the supreme court nominee is in doubt after Christine Blasey Ford accused him of sexual assault. A second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, has accused him of sexual misconduct

The confirmation process for Donald Trumps supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been thrown into turmoil by accusations he committed sexual assault decades ago. Heres what we know so far about the allegations, and their possible ramifications.

What is Kavanaugh accused of?

Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University, says that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in the 1980s when they were both teenagers. She said in an interview with the Washington Post that at a party in Montgomery county, Maryland, Kavanaugh led her into a bedroom, pinned her to the bed and groped her, attempting to remove the bathing suit she was wearing and putting his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming before she was able to escape. Kavanaugh has denied the accusation.

A second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, came forward on 23 September and alleged that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party at Yale University. Ramirez, 53, told the New Yorker that the incident took place during the 1983-84 academic school year, when both she and Kavanaugh were freshmen.

Ramirez claimed that she and Kavanaugh attended the same dormitory party, where they both grew inebriated with a group of other students. She then recalled Kavanaugh thrusting his genitals in her face and laughing. Kavanaugh also denied the second allegation, stating: This is a smear, plain and simple.

Why have the allegations come up now?

Ford said she sought to tell her story in confidence to give senators a fuller understanding of Kavanaughs character and history as they vetted him for the supreme court.

Ford contacted the Washington Posts tip line in early July, when Kavanaugh was shortlisted as a possible nominee but before he was selected by the president. Around the same time she wrote a letter describing the alleged incident to her California congresswoman, Democrat Anna Eshoo, who relayed it to the California senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate judiciary committee.

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Feinstein said she did not disclose the allegation to the committee out of respect for Fords request to remain anonymous. But last week, she provided the letter to the FBI after the Intercept reported that she was withholding a document related to the nominee.

Last week, Feinstein released a cryptic statement saying she had received information from an individual concerning the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the supreme court and referred it to the FBI, without specifying the nature of the allegation. Ford then came forward in the interview with the Post on Sunday.

Ramirez said she was reluctant to share her story, in part because her memory of the incident was not entirely clear. But she said she was motivated to come forward in the wake of Fords allegation and hoped her story would support that of Fords and describe a pattern of behavior in Kavanaughs past.

According to the New Yorker, the offices of at least two Democratic senators have begun investigating Ramirezs allegation; senior Republican staffers were also made aware of the information last week.

Is Kavanaughs nomination in trouble?

The allegation has roiled the confirmation process in its final stage, unexpectedly imperilling his nomination.

Under pressure from a bipartisan group of senators, GOP leaders delayed a judiciary committee vote on the nomination, originally scheduled for Thursday, in order to allow for a hearing on the assault allegations.

But Kavanaughs unwavering denial amid demands that the hearing be delayed have helped consolidate GOP support for the embattled nominee. And since the hearing was scheduled, Republicans and Trump have increasingly rallied around Kavanaugh, insisting they will move forward with the confirmation process despite calls to delay Thursdays hearing.

The White House dismissed Ramirezs account as part of a coordinated smear campaign by Democrats designed to derail Kavanaughs nomination. Republicans on the judiciary committee said they were looking into Ramirezs allegation but said they would push forward with Thursdays hearing.

Will Ford testify before the Senate?

Lawyers for Ford said she has agreed to testify at a public hearing before the judiciary committee on Thursday.

Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr. Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her, a statement from her attorneys read.

Kavanaugh is expected to testify immediately after Ford.

The committee is not, however, expected to subpoena Mark Judge, who Ford said was in the room when her encounter with Kavanaugh took place. Fords legal team expressed dissatisfaction at the exclusion of those who are essential for a fair hearing that arrives at the truth about the sexual assault. Judge has denied having memory of the incident and said he does not wish to testify.

Where does Trump stand?

Trump rushed to the defense of his supreme court nominee on Tuesday, saying he felt terribly for the judge. I feel so badly for him. This is not a man who deserves this, he said at a news conference at the White House. He said Ford should have the opportunity to state her case, but predicted that hearings would establish Kavanaughs innocence.

On Wednesday, he reiterated that defense, saying it would be very hard to imagine anything happened between Kavanaugh and Ford.A second woman has come forward with an allegation of sexual misconduct against Brett Kavanaugh - Donald Trumps nominee to be placed on the Supreme Court.

Senate Democrats are said to be investigating the allegation dating to the 1983-84 academic year, Mr Kavanaughs first at Yale University.

Deborah Ramirez, 53  who attended Yale with Mr Kavanaugh - told The New Yorker that Mr Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a party.

I was embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated, Ms Ramirez said.

In a statement issued through the White House, Mr Kavanaugh claimed that the incident did not happen and that it was a smear.

This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple, Mr Kavanaugh said.

In the wake of the new allegation, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee is seeking immediate postponement of any further action on Mr Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.

Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein of California sent a letter late on Sunday to the Republican chairman of the committee, Chuck Grassley, also asking for the FBI to look into Ms Ramirez's allegation and an earlier one from Christine Blasey Ford alleging that Mr Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school. Mr Kavanaugh denies both allegations.

The White House has baked Mr Kavanaugh over Ms Ford's allegation and done the same over the latest accusation. This 35-year-old, uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man, said spokesperson Kerri Kupec. This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh.

According to The New Yorker, the offices of at least four Senate Democrats have received information about the latest allegation, with two said to have started looking into it.

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This is another serious, credible, and disturbing allegation against Brett Kavanagh. It should be fully investigated, Senator Mazie Hirono, a Democrat from Hawaii, said of Ms Ramirez's accusation, according to the magazine.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is preparing to hear testimony from Ms Ford, having negotiated for days over an appearance in front of its members.

It was eventually agreed on Sunday that both Ms Ford - who has received death threats since her identity became public - and Mr Kavanaugh would both appear on Thursday.

Democrats have accused Republicans of seeking to bully Ms Ford about giving testimony.

Lawyers for Ms Ford made several requests, some of which were accommodated  including a smaller hearing room with less press access, that Ms Ford would testify without Mr Kavanaugh in the room, for there to be only one camera in the room, adequate breaks and a high security presence.

However, the committee said it would not negotiate on other points, including Ms Fords desire for additional witnesses and a request to testify after, not before, Mr Kavanaugh.

Ms Fords lawyers said it was still unclear who will ask questions, as Republicans were trying to hire an outside female counsel who could take over the questioning. The 11 Republican senators on the committee are all men, which could send an unwanted message on live television. Democratic senators were expected to ask their own questions.

We were told no decision has been made on this important issue, even though various senators have been dismissive of her account and should have to shoulder their responsibility to ask her questions, the attorneys for Ms Ford said in a statement.

Earlier on Sunday, Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said lawyers for Ms Ford were contesting two conditions  that she and Mr Kavanaugh would be the only witnesses and that an independent counsel would ask the questions.

If they continue to contest those two things, there wont be a hearing, Mr Graham said. Were not going to let her determine how many people we call and on outside counsel. I hope she comes.Carrots and a range of other fruits and vegetables from China now face new 10% tariffs at the US border. Photo: Frederic J Brown/Getty Images

The US government imposed new 10% tariffs on 5,745 Chinese items on Monday, which will raise the price of $200bn worth of Chinese imports each year.

The tariffs, combined with the existing 25% tariffs on $50bn in Chinese goods, cover nearly half of all imports that the US receives from China.

Here is an overview of some items that are facing new tariffs to get into the US market:

Fruit, vegetables and nuts: Carrots, cauliflower, beets, celery, peas, tomatoes, cashews, pistachios and pecans

Fish and seafood: Trout, salmon, halibut, yellowfin tuna, shark fins and squid

Tobacco: Different types of tobacco, cigars and cigarettes

Chemicals: Including herbicides and insecticides

Cosmetics and personal care: Lipstick, eye make-up, sunscreen, shampoo, deodorants and antiperspirants

Photography: Photographic paper and film, along with the equipment used to develop photos

Home improvement: Types of vinyl flooring, carpets, fabrics, chandeliers and lights

Wood and paper: Paper products, toilet paper, envelopes and bamboo products

Commodities: Different gold, silver, platinum and palladium products, including gold leaf and silver powder

Machinery: Sewing machines, drilling machines, welding machines and vending machines

Miscellaneous: Soy sauce, types of handbags, parking meters, CD and DVD cases

You can view the full list of items from the US Trade Representative here. (The document is 194 pages long.)By Gederts Gelzis and Philip Pullella RIGA, Latvia (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Monday urged Latvians, who broke with the Soviet Union nearly 30 years ago, to cherish their hard-won freedom and to not forget the sacrifices of those who died for it. Francis is visiting Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, three countries who are looking warily towards what they fear is a newly hostile Russia. "You know all too well the price of that freedom, which you have had to win over and over again," Francis said in a speech to President Raimonds Vejonis and the diplomatic corps shortly after his arrival in the Latvian capital. All three countries initially won independence from imperial Russia 100 years ago, were annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, occupied by the Nazis during World War Two and were then satellite republics of the Soviet Union until 1991. Francis said their tragic history should remind Latvians of the importance of treasuring freedom and independence. "If today we can celebrate, it is due to all those who blazed trails and opened a door to the future, bequeathed to you that same responsibility," he said aid before laying flowers at the Monument to Freedom in Riga. The Nazis, who occupied Latvia during World War Two, killed some 70,000 of the country's Jews and later the Soviets deported some 60,000 people to Siberia. Recent events in Russia, with which all three states share a land border, have brought on new nervousness. All three are members of the European Union and NATO. "The fates of the Baltic States in the 20th century is a living testimony to the fact that a divided Europe leads only to suffering," Vejonis told the pope. As Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and fears grew that the Baltics might be next on Moscow's list, defense spending was increased sharply and several thousand NATO soldiers were deployed. (Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Angus MacSwan)Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Sunday released the confidential letter that Christine Blasey Ford sent to Democratic lawmakers accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they both were in high school.

The letter, along with a cover letter in which Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) writes that she expects Grassley to maintain confidentiality, was posted on the committees website.

As you know, the letter was given to me in confidence and I am giving it to you with the expectation that you will maintain its confidentiality and that it will not be released publicly or disseminated further, as requested by Dr. Blasey Fords counsel Debra Katz, Feinstein wrote in the cover letter.

Committee members wrote a separate post on the website:

The Committee did not learn of the actual contents of the letter until CNN published a redacted version of the letter on September 17. We do not know who leaked this letter to the press, notwithstanding Dr. Fords request for confidentiality. Despite revelations of Dr. Fords identity, the Ranking Member and Dr. Fords attorneys to date still have not publicly released a copy of the original version of the letter or shared it more broadly than the 21 members and senior staff of the Judiciary Committee. The Chairman has repeatedly called for the public release of this hidden evidence.

In the letter, Blasey identifies Mark Judge as the person she says assisted Kavanaugh the assault. His name was redacted from the version made public by CNN.

Feinstein has maintained that she did not disclose the letter, dated July 30, when she received it because Blasey had sent it to her in confidence.

Grassley also asked lawyers for both Kavanaugh and Blasey to provide any and all written, audio-visual, or electronic materials relating to the allegations. He also asked for the results of a polygraph that Blasey said she had taken in August.

Story continues

Related Coverage

Tucker Carlson Blames Democrats For Death Threats Against Christine Blasey Ford

Christine Blasey Ford Agrees To Thursday Hearing On Brett Kavanaugh Accusations

Lindsey Graham: Blasey's Testimony Won't Sway My Vote 'Unless There's Something More'

Also on HuffPost

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The Dallas Police Department on Monday fired a police officer who is facing a manslaughter charge after fatally shooting a man in his apartment that the officer said she mistook for her own home.

Officer Amber Guyger had been dismissed after nearly five years on the job for her actions on the night of the shooting earlier in September, Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall said in a statement. Hall also said Guyger had engaged in "adverse conduct" when she was arrested for manslaughter, without elaborating.

Guyger, 30, had been on administrative leave since she fatally shot Botham Jean, 26. The killing of an unarmed black man by a white officer sparked protests in the Texas city, with many calling for the officer to be fired and charged with murder.

The decision to fire Guyger came after an internal review. Guyger can appeal the decision, police said. An attorney for the officer was not immediately available for comment.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said he heard the calls to take action and supported the decision.

"The swift termination of any officer who engages in misconduct that leads to the loss of innocent life is essential if the Dallas Police Department is to gain and maintain the public trust," he said in a statement.

A funeral for Jean was planned for Monday in his native Saint Lucia, Dallas media reported.

S. Lee Merritt, an attorney for the Jean family, said the police chief informed the family of the department's decision on Sunday night and they supported the move.

"The Jean family said that this was an initial victory but are still focused on the proper indictment by the grand jury of murder, a successful prosecution and an appropriate sentence," he said in an interview. The family is also considering suing the department and the city, he said.

The case is before a grand jury. District Attorney Faith Johnson said the panel may decide to uphold the manslaughter charge on which Guyger was arrested, or it could consider a more serious charge of murder.

Story continues

Police said Guyger has told investigators she mistook Jean's residence for her own and shot him, believing he was an intruder.

Guyger said she had mistakenly gone to Jean's apartment one floor above her own and managed to enter because the door was slightly ajar, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

(Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Rosalba O'Brien)Beni (DR Congo) (AFP) - At least 18 people, including 14 civilians, have been killed in a rebel attack in Beni in Democratic Republic of Congo's restive east, an army spokesperson told AFP on Sunday.

Four soldiers were among the dead following the attack on Saturday night, military official Mak Hazukai said, with witnesses describing gunfire and groups of assailants slashing victims with machetes.

The Beni region, not far from the Ugandan border, is under siege from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist rebel group blamed for hundreds of civilian deaths over the past four years.

"The territory and the city of Beni are facing ADF terrorism whose command structure is led by Ugandans," said Hazukai, adding that nine people were also wounded in Saturday's violence.

The ADF is a militia initially created by Muslim rebels to oppose Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, but also operates in the DRC.

"The surprise attack happened in the streets of Beni city," a doctor at the local hospital told AFP. Four of the dead were killed while travelling in a taxi.

According to several witness accounts, the attack started around 1630-1700 GMT.

"There were lots of attackers, they gave a shout of joy... The rebels cut victims with a machete," witness Kasero Mumbi said.

Heavy and light calibre gunfire was heard for several hours until after midnight local time. It was not known whether the army counter-attacked.

The rebels targeted areas near the centre of the city, home to several hundred thousand people.

"The people of North Kivu are suffering too much. This weekend again many innocent people have died," Dutch Ambassador Robert Schuddeboom said.

The ADF has been in the east of DR Congo since 1995 and is accused by the UN and Congolese authorities of committing a series of civilian massacres since 2014.

However, in 2015 the New York University Study Group on Congo said it was not just the ADF behind the killings and that other armed elements, including members of the Congolese army, were also to blame.

Beni is in North Kivu province, one of the most populated areas of the DRC, and home to a number of armed groups that kill or abduct civilians.

Foreign humanitarian workers have been stationed in Beni since early August to deal with a new Ebola outbreak in the region.Prime minister Theresa May welcomed her Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban, to Downing Street (Getty)

Conservative MEPs have been thanked by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban for controversially opposing efforts to censure his far-right government.

All but three of the partys MEPs voted against the triggering of the EUs sanctions process against Hungary in the European parliament last week, arguing it went beyond the powers of the institution and would be politically counterproductive.

That saw the Conservatives accused of propping-up Orban in exchange for Brexit support by political opponents and criticised by leaders of Britains Jewish and Muslim communities.

But it has also earned them a signed thank you letter from Orban, Yahoo UK can reveal.

I would like to express my gratitude for your participation and contribution at the plenary debate and during the vote on the report on the situation in Hungary, the letter begins.

MORE: Conservatives accused of propping up Orban after opposing EU sanctions on Hungary

Later Orban adds: I appreciate the support youve shown towards national sovereignty and solidarity during the vote.

Labour says Orbans praise is fresh proof prime minister Theresa May should apologise for her partys position on the issue.

MEPs voted by 448 to 197 in favour of a report triggering the sanctions procedure over the clear risk of a serious breach of the EU founding values in Hungary.

The report cited evidence of attacks on media, religious and academic freedom, ill treatment of minorities and asylum seekers, and interference in judicial independence.

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban defending his government ahead of the sanctions vote in the European Parliament (Reuters)

It also accuses Orban himself of using clearly anti-Semitic stereotypes against Jewish businessman George Soros during a speech as part of his recent re-election campaign.

In his letter, Orban says the report is based on political insinuations and factual errors.

And he concludes: I can assure you that regardless of the shameful attacks of pro-immigration forces, we will not give in to extortion. We will continue to fulfil our European obligations and defend the borders of European and Hungary, for the sake of our citizens.

Story continues

I wish you good health and a lot of success in your highly responsible duties.

MORE: Conservatives condemned by Jewish leaders for defending Orban

The letter was sent on official Hungarian government notepaper two days after the high-profile vote in Strasbourg, which saw UK Conservatives voting the same way as MEPs from UKIP and continental far-right parties like Frances National Front and Italys Liga Nord.

The same letter appears to have been sent to all political groups, and in some cases individual MEPs, who opposed the move.

It came to light when a copy sent to the head of the far-right ENF group, Nicolas Bay of Frances National Front, was posted online by another member of the group.

Yahoo UK has now confirmed that Conservative MEPs received the same letter.

Other members of the Conservative-led ECR political group have also received the letter. The copy below was sent to Czech MEP Jan Zahradil.

The letter was sent by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban to MEPs

The letter has sparked fresh criticism of the position taken by the Conservatives just as the issue appeared to be fading from view.

Labour MP and party chairman Ian Lavery told Yahoo UK: Being thanked for their support by the far-right government of Hungary should be a matter of shame for the Tories.

Theresa May has still not accounted for why her Party is backing a government that has attacked judicial and media independence, denied refugee rights, and pandered to antisemitism and Islamophobia.

The prime minister must explain and apologise for her Partys behaviour.

Conservative MEP Dan Dalton insisted though that the groups position had in no way signalled approval or support for any of the policies of the Hungarian government.

MORE: Tory MEPs defy call to stand up for democracy by opposing sanctions against Orban

He argued: The parliament politicised what should be a legal process for the sake of making a political point. By doing so it presented Orban with an international platform from which to portray himself as defending Hungary against the EU.

As a result, he has been strengthened domestically. Equally significantly, it has prejudiced any future legal action that the Commission may wish to take by allowing Orban to claim it is politically motivated.

As a result of the vote, the European Council  of which Theresa May is a member  must assess whether they agree there is a risk of Hungary breaching EU values.

If they unanimously decide that is the case, that could lead to sanctions such as Hungary being stripped of its voting rights.



Yale Law School professor Amy Chua strongly denied that she told students that Brett Kavanaugh, now a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, liked his female law clerks to have a certain feminine appearance, in a statement emailed to the Yale Law community on Saturday.Paris (AFP) - A new diplomatic row loomed Monday over the Aquarius as its operators announced the migrant rescue ship was heading to France, only for the French government to say it should dock at the nearest safe port instead.

The ship, the only charity-operated rescue boat working in the central Mediterranean, has been repeatedly turned away by Italy and been forced to stop in Malta and Spain after missions in recent months.

On Monday SOS Mediterranee, the charity which runs it, said its "only option" after picking up 58 migrants in its latest rescue was to head to the southern French port of Marseille where the NGO is headquartered.

"We alerted other countries but we find it hard to imagine that France would refuse, given the humanitarian situation," said Francis Vallat, the head of SOS Mediterranee's French operations.

But the French government appeared reluctant to welcome the boat -- which has become a bitter symbol of European divisions over migration -- to dock.

France wants the ship to disembark its latest passengers at "the nearest safe port" under "a European solution", the prime minister's office told AFP.

The Aquarius is currently near the Libyan coast, about four days from Marseille, according to Vallat.

The charity's director Frederic Penard told reporters that 58 migrants were onboard, including 17 women and 18 children.

Additional rescue operations might be carried out on the ship's voyage toward France, he added.

- Flag at risk -

The charity has refused calls by Italy and others to return the rescued migrants to Libya, saying the country -- riven by conflict between rival armed groups -- is not safe for refugees.

French President Emmanuel Macron has previously accused Italy of breaching international maritime law by turning away the Aquarius because the country is the closest to areas where the boat operates.

He was criticised at home for not offering safe haven to the Aquarius after it first became stranded in June, although France eventually offered asylum to about 80 rescued migrants.

Story continues

His centrist government passed a controversial immigration law in August which it insists strikes a balance between granting faster asylum while allowing faster deportation of those rejected as "economic" migrants.

Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini accuses the Aquarius of offering a "taxi service" to Europe for migrants in Libya and has said it is permanently barred from Italian ports.

SOS Mediterranee and fellow charity Doctors without Borders (MSF), which operate the boat jointly, suffered a major setback Saturday when Panama said it would stop allowing the Aquarius to fly its flag at sea.

The decision came after Gibraltar withdrew authorisation for the Aquarius to use its flag in August, potentially leaving the boat stuck in legal limbo.

"We risk losing our Panama flag as soon as we reach land," Penard said.

- Mediterranean deaths rising -

Panama launched "an official revocation procedure" after Italian authorities complained the Aquarius's captain had "refused to return migrants and refugees back to their point of origin".

Mediterranee's Vallat said the pressure put on Panama by Italy was "unprecedented" and called on Panamanian authorities to reconsider their decision, or for European nations to register the Aquarius and provide a flag.

"We do not want to stop and we will not give in to force or coercion," he said.

Between January and July, more than 58,000 asylum seekers and migrants reached Europe's shores after crossing the Mediterranean Sea -- 41 percent fewer than during the same period in 2017, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

But the agency warned that Mediterranean crossings were now "deadlier than ever", with the rate of deaths at sea rising sharply.

At least 1,730 people have died trying to make the treacherous crossing in flimsy boats this year, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Repeated rows who should take in the Aquarius' rescued migrants have came to symbolise the deep discord in Europe over how to share responsibility for the hundreds of thousands of people landing on European shores since 2015.The government has released further advice for British people and businesses to prepare for no deal (PA Images)

The latest batch of Government papers advising British people and businesses about how to prepare for a no-deal Brexit shows that the UK could face food shortages, grounded flights and chaos at the ports.

The release today covers a number of areas, including aviation, motoring and travelling with pets.

In a stinging critique, the Food and Drink Federation said that the grisly prospect of no deal involves a severe impact on UK food and drink supplies.

Ian Wright CBE, FDF Chief Executive said: While the UK may not run out of food and drink it will certainly be scarcer and more expensive.

UK shoppers, who have become accustomed to year-round availability of a wide range of safe, high-quality food and drink at all price points, will face a very rude awakening.

Theresa May arrives for a photo during the European Union leaders informal summit in Salzburg, Austria. (Reuters)

Flights to and from the UK

The UK government has laid bare how European-bound flights from the UK could be grounded in the event of a no-deal Brexit at the end of March 2019. The government said if its unable to reach a comprehensive Brexit deal with its European Union counterparts, UK-based airlines would have to seek permission each time they plan to fly from the UK to Europe. This would affect thousands of flights every month.

In an additional blow to air travellers, passengers flying long-haul with a stop off in an EU airport may have to go through security screening again when changing flights, including having bags re-scanned.

Taking pets abroad

Owners of cats, dogs and ferrets who wish to travel with their pets to the EU are advised to take action several months before they wish to travel in a no-deal scenario. Owners will be required to prove that animals are vaccinated against rabies, and will need a health certificate for each pet. This means that owners who wish to take pets to the EU after the Brexit date of 29 March need to seek the advice of a vet before the end of November this year.

Driving in the EU

Motorists will need to carry a Green Card proving they have third party motor insurance cover in order to drive in the EU after a no-deal Brexit. The paper admits that although Green Cards are issued free of charge, insurance providers can decide to reflect production and handling costs in a small increase to their administration fees.

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Travelling to Europe by coach

Much like with air travel, UK bus and coach operators would lose their automatic right to access the EU without an agreement, meaning services could be suspended. The Government says while the EU may choose to continue to allow British coaches to carry passengers to the EU this cannot be guaranteed.

Buying and selling animal products

The UK may be unable to export any animal and animal products to the EU without a Brexit deal, threatening Britains 3.1 billion animal product EU export market. The National Farmers Union warned that the notices show that no deal would be catastrophic for British food and farming.

NFU President Minette Batters said: These technical notices confirm in black and white what we already knew: a no deal scenario would be catastrophic for British agriculture. A scenario where farmers face an immediate trade embargo for many of their products would have devastating effects, and would severely threaten livelihoods and businesses.

Hauliers bringing goods to the EU

UK hauliers could be banned from entering the EU if a deal is not put in place, meaning exporters could lose access to the European market. Drivers may need to apply for new permits, although the Government expects demand for these to significantly exceed supply.

Mineral water

Mineral water bottled in the UK would no longer be accepted for sale in the EU in the Governments worst-case scenario. UK producers of mineral water would need to apply for recognition of their water in order to maintain access to the 27 countries of the bloc.

In Greenland, a glaciers collapse shows climate impact An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq, Greenland, on June 18, 2018. (Photo: Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

A team of NASA scientists traveled to Greenland in March to understand how warming oceans are melting the islands ice from below. In the tube, flight engineer David Elliott said as the team locked into its route over the ice sheet covering 80 percent of the worlds largest island. The mission was part of NASAs Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) project, a five-year, $30 million effort to improve sea level rise projections  the most ambitious research on the subject to date. (Reuters)

Photography by Lucas Jackson/Reuters

Read: Greenland and the hunt for better climate science 

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr.Rod Rosenstein kicked off the week with an unexpected trip to the White House, as his job and the fate of the Russia probe remains in question.

There are reports that Mr Rosenstein has thought about resigning as he "expects t be fired" after an explosive New York Times report alleged he discussed wearing a wire to secretly record Donald Trump and recruiting Cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment.

Mr Rosenstein called the report "inaccurate".

His removal would likely make way for Noel Francisco, a conservative appointee of Mr Trump who has advocated for broad executive powers, to oversee the federal investigation into Russias impact in the 2016 presidential election.

The solicitor general was confirmed during a 50-47 party-line vote in September of last year, boasting a conservative track-record that includes working in the Justice Department under George W. Bush and serving as a clerk to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Mr Francisco, tasked with the role of defending the administrations agenda to the Supreme Court, has fought for broad executive powers under Mr Trump. In one case from June of this year, he defended the presidents ability to fire executive branch officials.

His tenure in conservative politics includes a slew of positions serving Republican interests. In 2000, he worked on Mr Bushs legal team during the Florida recount, in which the former president won a machine recount after a gruelling 36-day probe.

He also served as a partner at the firm that represented Bob McDonnell, the Virginia governor who successfully had his corruption conviction dropped in 2016 after the Supreme Court vacated his previous convictions.

In 2007, the solicitor general defended Mr Bushs firing of nine US attorneys while also criticising the use of special counsels to investigate issues impacting "public integrity".

"I dont think it would be appropriate for the Department of Justice to appoint" a special counsel, he testified at the time. "My own personal belief is that when you hand these issues off to the career prosecutors in the public integrity sections in the US attorneys offices in the Department of Justice, those attorneys are generally better able to assess whether a case should be pursued."

Story continues

Justice Department nominees, (L-R), Noel Francisco to be Solicitor General, Makan Delrahim to be an assistant attorney general in the Antitrust Division, and Steven Engel to be an assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel, raise their right hands as they are sworn in during their Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, on 10 May 2017. (Getty)

The latest New York Times detailing Mr Rosensteins alleged comments in May 2017, as well as an anonymous opinion piece by a senior official in the administration, have played to some of the presidents concerns about a secret "Deep State" trying to undermine him from within the government.

The unnamed administration official, whom Mr Trump has called for a federal investigation to unmask, wrote that there was a group of officials working to safeguard the country from the presidents most dangerous impulses. Mr Trumps behaviour had prompted whispers in the Cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, a move that was backed away from due to concerns it would "precipitate a constitutional crisis," the writer said.

In Mr Rosensteins case, the deputy attorney general has said that the Times report was inaccurate and based on "biased" anonymous sources "advancing their own personal agenda."

Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment, he said.

The Justice Department also released a statement from a person who said Mr Rosensteins recording comment was meant sarcastically.

If Mr Rosenstein were to resign instead of being fired, it would allow the White House to use the Vacancies Reform Act to fill his role. The federal provision allows the president to circumvent the existing agency line of succession in most instances. But experts doubt it can be applied when the president creates the vacancy, by firing the officeholder.

As of Sunday, Mr Trump said he had not decided what to do about his deputy attorney general. The president angrily asked confidants, both inside and outside the White House, how to respond. He received mixed messages. Some urged him to fire Mr Rosenstein. Others suggested restraint while seeing if the report was incorrect or if it was planted by some adversary.

Congressional Republicans, Democrats and some presidential aides have warned for months that Mr Trump should not fire Mr Rosenstein, saying such a move could lead to impeachment proceedings if the Democrats retake the House in the upcoming midterms.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whose private memos document comments made by Mr Rosenstein, said Monday he he was concerned that a Rosenstein departure would put the investigation at risk.

"There is nothing more important to the integrity of law enforcement and the rule of law than protecting the investigation of special counsel Mueller," Mr McCabe said in a statement. "I sacrificed personally and professionally to help put the investigation on a proper course and subsequently made every effort to protect it."

Mr Rosenstein appointed Mr Mueller in May of last year after Jeff Sessions, who ordinarily would have overseen the investigation, recused himself because of his close involvement in the Trump campaign.

During his nomination process to the Justice Department, Mr Francisco suggested he would serve as an "independent" legal counsel under Mr Trump.

"If confirmed, I will provide the President, the White House, and any other entity that I am called upon to advise with candid and independent legal advice," he said.

According to his arguments in several cases under Mr Trump, the solicitor general appears to believe a president has the express right to dismiss any official with powers granted by the executive branch. That could prove a damning stance for someone set to become the nations acting deputy attorney general, as Mr Trump reportedly continues to mull over whether he will fire the Special Counsel.

"The presidents constitutional responsibility to faithfully execute the laws requires adequate authority to remove subordinate officers," Mr Francisco told the Supreme Court in February. "The framers understood the close connection between the presidents ability to discharge his responsibilities as head of the executive branch and his control over its personnel.  The presidents ability to execute the law is thus inextricably linked to his authority to hold his subordinates accountable for their conduct."

The Associated Press contributed to this reportLONDON (Reuters) - The head of Iran's National Security Council said the country needed constructive dialogue to avoid tensions with neighboring countries after an attack on a military parade on Saturday killed 25 people. Its essential to be fully aware and increase our constructive dialogues to neutralize the plots of enemies who want to create suspicion and disagreement among regional countries," said Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security council. (Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Toby Chopra)Hong Kong on Monday banned a political party which promotes independence, calling it a threat to national security, as Beijing clamps down on challenges to its sovereignty.

It was the first ban on a political party since the city was handed back to China by Britain 21 years ago. The foreign ministry in London expressed concern at the move.

Semi-autonomous Hong Kong enjoys freedoms unseen on the mainland, including freedom of expression. But the space for dissent is shrinking in the face of an increasingly assertive China under President Xi Jinping.

Hong Kong's security minister John Lee said he had upheld a police request to ban the Hong Kong National Party "in the interest of national security, public safety, public order, and the protection of rights and freedom of others".

HKNP is a well-known but tiny group with a core membership of only around a dozen.

Lee told reporters the party "has a very clear agenda to achieve its goal of Hong Kong being made an independent republic", saying that contravened the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law.

Lee said the party had tried to infiltrate schools and had spread "hatred and discrimination" against mainland Chinese people in Hong Kong.

HKNP had also said it would not stop at force, Lee added, but he conceded it had never committed violence and that its leader Andy Chan had advocated non-violence.

Chan had no immediately comment on the decision.

Britain's Foreign Office (ministry)said in a statement it was "concerned" at the move, noting it was the first such ban since the handover.

"The UK does not support Hong Kong independence, but Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and its rights and freedoms are central to its way of life, and it is important they are fully respected," it added.

Human Rights Watch called the ban "a milestone in the Beijing and Hong Kong governments' assault on Hong Kong's freedoms".

Story continues

Lee's justification that the move was pre-emptive, even though the group had not committed violent acts, set a "dangerous precedent" that could see more pro-democracy groups banned, said HRW's senior China researcher Maya Wang.

- Crackdown on dissent -

Police requested the party ban in July under the Societies Ordinance, which stipulates groups can be prohibited in the interests of national security and public safety.

The bid was slammed by rights groups.

Activists calling for Hong Kong's independence from China emerged after mass pro-democracy rallies in 2014 failed to win reforms.

But pro-independence campaigners including Chan have since been blocked from standing for office, and others disqualified from the legislature.

Leading independence activist Edward Leung was jailed for six years in June on rioting charges after clashes with police in 2016.

HKNP has lost momentum over the past two years as the government seeks to muzzle pro-independence sentiment.

However, the party was back in the headlines after police sought the ban. Chan later gave a high-profile talk at the city's press club which Chinese authorities demanded should be cancelled.

Chan described Beijing as Hong Kong's "colonial master" in his speech to a packed audience at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in August.

China's ministry of foreign affairs had asked the FCC to cancel the talk but it refused, arguing that different views should be heard in any debate.

The Hong Kong government said that while it supported freedom of speech and the press, allowing Chan to speak contravened the city's mini-constitution.The US House of Representatives - Bloomberg

The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the US Congress and is made up of 435 seats.

The number of seats each US state receives depends on its population size. California, the most populous state, has 53 representatives while seven states - Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming have just one representative.

The Republican Party currently controls the chamber with a 43-seat majority, but it is widely expected that the Democrats will gain control in the upcoming election.

The current House has 236 Republicans and 193 Democrats, with six vacant seats.

The Democrats need a net gain of 24 seats to win a majority, which is no small accomplishment, but the president's low approval ratings have given the party reason to hope.

How things could change

Historically, the president's party routinely loses House seats in midterm elections. Indeed the University of Virginia's Centre for Politics points out that the president's party has lost seats in all but three of the 29 midterms held since 1900.

The US economy is booming, with low unemployment rates and rising wages. However some Republicans have been unnerved by Donald Trump's spending .

While Mr Trump's tax cuts for corporations was popular among business owners, the country's deficit has increased by 33 per cent in the past year to $895 billion.

Donald Trump has been intensively campaigning for Republican candidates across the country Credit: Reuters

Mr Trump's approval rating is around the 40 per cent mark - a figure which will not encourage Republicans standing for re-election. Moreover, a liberal base hoping to derail Mr Trump's agenda has energised Democratic activists in key races, out-fundraising and out-polling a host of Republican incumbents.

Political website FiveThirtyEight, has given Democrats an 82 per cent chance of taking control of the House and gaining 38 seats.

What will it mean for Donald Trump?

If Democrats win the House, they get to decide which bills come to the floor - meaning President Donald Trump's domestic agenda will struggle to make its way into law.

Story continues

The party with a majority in the chamber also controls its committee chairmanships and has the power to issue subpoenas - so a Democrat-controlled House could enforce aggressive oversight of investigations of the president's administration, including alleged Russia collusion, Trump's business dealings and sexual assault allegations against him.

Pundits predict Democrats will launch controversial investigations into things like Mr Trump's tax returns and his previous business dealings. They may also seek public hearings with members of the Trump family, including his son Donald Jr who is a key figure in the Russia investigation.

Rep. Elijah Cummings during a church service with Bill Clinton Credit: AP

Democrats on the House oversight committee, the chambers main investigative panel, have already suggested they are prepared to issue subpoenas if they gain control.

Representative Elijah Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the oversight committee, said: If Democrats win the majority in November, we would finally do what Republicans have refused to do, and that is conduct independent, fact-based, and credible investigations of the Trump administration".

Mr Cummings said their investigations would "address issues like the security clearance process, conflicts of interest, the numerous attempts by Republicans to strip away healthcare from millions of Americans, postal service reforms, prescription drug pricing, and voting rights.

But if Republicans hold on to the Senate, they will continue to approve Mr Trump's cabinet nominees and appoint conservative judges to US courtrooms.

Seats to watch

West Virginia

Donald Trump won West Virginia's 3rd district by 30 points. But it is the Democratic candidate running in the district, which has a long history of coal mining, that is gaining national attention. Richard Ojeda says he voted for Donald Trump in 2016, opposes universal background checks for gun buyers, and is pro-coal.

Mr Ojeda is running against Republican Carol Miller in the open-seat race after the incumbent Republican Evan Jenkins vacated the seat to run for the Senate.

Polling suggests it will be a tight race between the two candidates, but analysts are keeping a close watch to see if a populist Democrat in a pro-Trump area is a winning formula.

California

Republican Representative Mimi Walters is battling to keep hold of her seat against Democrat Katie Porter in the state's 45th district, Orange County. The number of registered Republicans in the county has consistently declined as its population becomes more diverse.

Ms Walters is one of seven Republicans representing districts in California which Hillary Clinton won in 2016. The Democrats need to take several of these in order to have a chance of regaining a majority in the House.

Pundits are viewing a win in this race as a sign they will do well across Southern California - picking up crucial Republican-held seats. Professor Larry Sabato from the University of Virginias Center for Politics has changed his prediction from 'leaning Republican' to a 'toss-up'.

Minnesota

Minnesota's 8th district is considered one of the Democrats' most at-risk seats in November. It is a traditionally Democrat area - former president Barack Obama won the district twice but it swung heavily to Donald Trump in the 2016 election.

The seat is currently held by Democrat Rick Nolan but the 74-year-old is not seeking re-election. The party's candidate Joe Radinovich, a former state legislator, is facing a tough battle against Republican Pete Stauber, a county commissioner.

Texas

The race in Texas' 23rd district will largely focus on one of the Trump administration's main concerns - immigration. The district contains a third of the US-Mexico border and has the second highest population of 'Dreamers' - the term given to undocumented migrants who arrived in America as children and have been granted temporary protection.

The incumbent, Republican Will Hurd, is a former CIA agent who has chosen to distance himself from Mr Trump. His Democratic rival, Gina Ortiz Jones, is a Filipina-American, openly LGBTQ and an Iraq veteran.

Mr Hurd, who became the first African-American elected to Congress from Texas when he was elected in 2015, is tipped to win by a narrow margin in the swing district.

He has distanced himself from the national Republican party and even wrote an op-ed for the New York Times in July stating that the president had been manipulated by Russian intelligence.

Florida

Moderate Republicans will be looking to Florida's 26th district to see whether they can keep hold of a largely Hispanic area in the Trump era.

The incumbent, Carlos Curbelo, is well-liked but Republicans still fear his Democrat opponent, Latin immigrant Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, could sweep to a surprise victory. Hillary Clinton won the district by 16 points in 2015.Image via Getty Images.

The mother of a teenage girl who was suspended for wearing ripped jeans is accusing her daughters high school of sexism.

Oh, and the angry mother? She just so happens to be the mayor of the county.

Melissa McKinlay, took to Facebook to express her frustration after her daughter received a dress code violation for wearing ripped jeans to school.

In the middle of a quiz in her IB History class, a male administrator came to (the) classroom, told her she needed to consider the guys in her class and their hormones when choosing her wardrobe, McKinlay wrote.

The Forest Hill High School, Florida, teen was given an in-school suspension for the remainder of the day. She missed her classes and was unable to finish her quiz.

Im sorry but EXCUSE ME? Perhaps she should have worn a different pair of jeans, McKinlay continued. But why should she have to worry about dressing a certain way to curtail a boys potential behaviour?

This incident is just one of many where school staff punish and sexualise teenage girls under the guise of protecting them from male attention.

A boys potential inability to control his hormones warrants my daughters inability to attend her classes today and miss valuable curriculum? the outraged mom continued. A male administrator yanked her out of a classroom because of a damn KNEE? Did he pull the boys out who were wearing shorts? They have TWO knees showing?

McKinlay went on to accurately accuse the school of sexism, victim blaming and girl shaming.

The upset mother also said that she understood if her daughter was given a dress code violation for the ripped jeans, but the reason the administrator gave her daughter was inappropriate.

If she needs a lunch detention for being slightly out of dress code, so be it. She said. But this? No. Not an appropriate response. EVER.

Mayor Melissa McKinlay. Image via FloridaPolitics.com.

After the event was published in her local newspaper, McKinlay received an onslaught of messages accusing her of being a bad parent for not teaching her daughter to follow the rules.

Story continues

Mayor McKinlay attempted to set the record straight, and once again reiterate that her daughter should not have been told to consider her male classmates hormones when dressing.

The lesson I taught her, as I have done countless times to women across this county thru my advocacy, is if a boy were to ever hurt her, harass her, assault her or rape her, it is NOT her fault and her outfit is NEVER to blame, she said in a Facebook post. I remain absolutely unapologetic for the life lessons Ive taught her. And it is a shame the media and members of the public fail to recognize why I was upset. Imagine someone basically telling your child that if she was raped, it was her fault because she wore ripped jeans.

Equating clothing with attracting unwanted male attention is the cornerstone of the She was asking for it mentality that has lead to millions of women being victims of sexual harassment and assault.

The real parties that need educating seem to be the men and women who seem intent on perpetuating rape cultures backward belief that womens bodies need to be policed by anyone other than themselves.





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:

Sexy Handmaids Tale costume is removed from sale after online backlash

Twitter reacts to sexist NHS contraception posters

A woman is suing her former employer after being fired for refusing to wear a bra at workAn Indiana bus driver was arrested on Friday after she was caught on camera allegedly letting students drive a school bus.

Joandrea Dehaven McAtee, 27, allegedly allowed three students  an 11-year-old, a 13-year-old and a 17-year-old  drive the bus in Valparaiso, Ind., on Thursday afternoon after school, reported the Chicago Tribune. Other students riding the bus recorded the episode, reported ABC News.

Wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, Boone grove bus driver lets a middle schooler drive, middle schooler drive. pic.twitter.com/IdF4zRkhRG  Casey? (@_caseyweber) September 21, 2018

McAtee was immediately fired by First Student, which operates the townships buses, after reports of the incident surfaced.

welcome to Boone grove where we let 6th graders drive a bus with children on it. pic.twitter.com/gQRzWUrDPg  brianna lavin (@breelavin24) September 21, 2018

We are incredibly disappointed by the actions of our former driver, the company said in a statement to ABC News. There is nothing more important than the safety of the students we transport. Behavior such as this is completely unacceptable and totally at odds with what we stand for as a company. The driver has been terminated. We have a zero-tolerance policy for employees whose actions may harm or put others at risk.

McAtee was arrested by the Porter County Sheriffs Department when she arrived at the Porter Township schools bus barn to collect her final check, reported the Chicago Tribune. She was charged with felony neglect of a dependent.

The office of the superintendent of the Porter Township School Corporation and First Student did not immediately respond to requests for comment from TIME.Father of Mohammad Taha Eghadami, a 4-year-old boy who was killed in Saturday's terror attack on a military parade, mourns over his coffin - AP

Tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets on Monday for the funerals of those killed in the weekends attack on a military parade amid conflicting claims over who was responsible for the shooting.

Mourners lined the streets of the southwestern city of Ahvaz to pay respects to the 25 people gunned down on Saturday when four armed men opened fire on a military ceremony to commemorate the Iran-Iraq war.

Among those buried was Mohammad Taha Eghdami, a four-year-old boy, who was the youngest victim of the attack. Eight members of Irans Revolutionary Guard were also killed in one of the worst attacks suffered by Iran in years. All four gunmen were killed.

The Islamic State (Isil) has claimed responsibility for the shooting but so has an Arab separatist group within Iran, known as the Ahvaz National Resistance.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, said on Monday that the attack was carried out by terrorists paid by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Iran's regional rivals.

"This cowardly act was done by people who the Americans come to help when they are trapped in Syria and Iraq, and are paid by Saudi Arabia and the UAE," the ayatollah said.

Isil's official news agency, Amaq, released a video purporting to show three of the four gunmen shortly before the attack.

The three men filmed the video in a car using a mobile phone. They appeared to be disguised in Revolutionary Guard uniforms to allow them to infiltrate the parade ground.

  3     #  # 







 pic.twitter.com/6YjenF2FxL    (@3ataaAh) September 23, 2018

One of the men, speaking in Farsi, vowed to carry out "merciless killings" against the Revolutionary Guard. "With Allah's will, there will be merciless killings against the enemies of Allah among the Guards and others," he said.

Story continues

The other two men spoke in Arabic about carrying out jihad. None of the three men made any specific reference to being members of Isil or any other group in the video. It was not clear from their accents where the men were from.

Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, a spokesman for the Iranian military, said Saturday that Isil was not behind the attack and instead blamed Israel and the US.

Other Iranian officials have also blamed foreign powers for the attack.

Saturday's attack shook Iran Credit: AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi

In 2017, Isil launched a brazen attack on the Iranian parliament and other sites in Tehran. Eighteen people were killed in the attack. Iran and its Shia militia allies have been deeply involved in the fight against Isil in both Iraq and Syria.

Ahvaz is in the western province of Khuzestan, which neighbours Iraq, and has struggled with Arab separatist movements which want to declare independence from Iran.

Iran summoned the ambassadors of Britain, Denmark, and the Netherlands after the attack and accused them of harbouring Arab separatists in their countries.

Iranian officials were furious after a London-based, Farsi-language television channel, known as "Iran International" broadcast an interview with a spokesman for the separatist militants immediately after the attack.

Iran's embassy said it planned to complain to Ofcom, the UK broadcasting regulator, about the channel.Paris (AFP) - From a honeymoon in the years after Israel's founding, to strained ties after the mistaken downing of a Russian plane in Syria, relations between Israel and Russia have gone through several periods of tensions.

These have mainly revolved around disagreements on Middle Eastern issues.

- One of the first to recognise Israel -

In November 1947 the Soviet Union's government accepts the plan to split Palestine into two states, one Jewish, the other Arab.

It becomes one of the first countries to recognise the State of Israel after its creation in May 1948.

In May 1949 Moscow votes in favour of Israel's admission to the United Nations.

- 24-year rupture -

In May 1967, the Soviet Union breaks off relations with Israel during the Arab-Israeli war.

Moscow goes on to arm and fund Arab countries for several decades.

A rapprochement starts in August 1986, with a first official contact in Helsinki between Israeli and Soviet consular delegations.

In October 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev reestablishes diplomatic relations, two months before the collapse of the Soviet Union.

He authorises Jews to emigrate freely. Over a decade more than one million of them emigrate to Israel.

In April 1994, the official visit of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to Moscow, the first by an Israeli head of government, enshrines the full normalisation of bilateral relations.

- Meetings -

In September 2001, Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and Russian President Vladimir Putin jointly in Moscow condemn "terrorism", of which both countries say they are victims.

Traditionally closer to Arab nations, Russia co-sponsors with the United States the Middle East peace process.

The positions of the Kremlin and the Israelis have come closer since the Russian offensive in its separatist republic of Chechnya, where Moscow says it is fighting terrorism.

Sharon, for his part, says the violence of the intifada, or Palestinian uprising, amounts to a terrorist campaign.

Story continues

In April 2005, Putin makes an historic visit to Israel, against the background of a disagreement over Moscow's sale of anti-aircraft missiles to Syria.

In October 2006, the nuclear programme of Israel's arch enemy Iran dominates the first visit to Moscow of Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert.

- Cooperation -

In June 2008, Russian giant Gazprom says it is examining possible deliveries of gas to Israel.

In September 2010, the Russian and Israeli defence ministers sign in Moscow an accord on military cooperation. This cooperation had already manifested itself in 2009 in the sale to Russia of Israeli drones.

Israel regularly expresses concerns over Russian arms sales, notably to Iran and Syria.

Contacts have since been stepped up, with Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting three times since the beginning of 2018.

- Coordination "mechanism" for Syria -

In September 2015 Netanyahu meets Putin in Moscow. The Israeli government says the two countries have agreed on a mechanism to coordinate their military action in war-torn Syria, so as to avoid "misunderstandings" between their forces.

On September 30, the Russian air force launches a campaign of air strikes in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces are struggling against rebels.

In October Russia says a hotline had been set up with Israel to ensure there will be no clashes between their air forces.

Israel, which intends to keep its distance from the Syrian conflict, while defending its interests, has since 2013 regularly carried out strikes against the Syrian government, its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Iranian targets.

- Russian plane downed -

On September 17, 2018 Syrian air defences down by error a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 military plane over the Mediterranean, killing all 15 crew members, as Israel is carrying out a raid on a Syrian army facility.

A day later during a telephone call, Netanyahu expresses to Putin his "sorrow" at the downing. Putin says it was the result of "tragic accidental circumstances".

On Sunday, Russia's military blames "misleading" information from the Israeli air force for the incident.

A day later, Moscow says it plans to supply the Syrian army with a new S-300 air defence system and jam radars of nearby warplanes.

Putin tells Netanyahu he rejects the Israeli version, blaming "the actions by the Israeli air force".

Netanyahu says he is confident of the Israeli account and warns Putin against "transferring advanced weapons systems" to Syria.KHAN AL-AHMAR, West Bank (Reuters) - Israel on Sunday told residents of Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank slated for demolition, to clear their houses by Oct. 1. Khan al-Ahmar consists of tin and wood shacks built on a desert hillside beside an Israeli highway that runs from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. Israel plans to demolish the village and relocate its 180 residents - Bedouins who scrape a living by raising sheep and goats - to a site 12 kilometers (7 miles) away, near the Palestinian village of Abu Dis and adjacent to a landfill site. The move has drawn criticism from Palestinians and some European states, who cite the impact on the community and prospects for peace. A spokeswoman for Israel's military liaison agency with the Palestinians said no date had been set for demolition should the houses remain after the deadline. Israeli security forces on Sunday morning handed out letters telling residents to voluntarily take down the buildings by Oct. 1 or Israeli authorities would enforce the demolition orders. "We will not voluntarily evacuate the place," said village resident Faisal Abu Dahuk. "The occupation forces that have an army and weapons can evacuate us by force, but there is no other place to go and we refuse to be moved anywhere else." Israel's Supreme Court has rejected petitions to prevent the move, siding with the authorities which say the village was built without the required permits. Palestinians say such documents are impossible to obtain. Palestinians say the demolition is part of an Israeli push to create an arc of settlements that would effectively cut off East Jerusalem from the West Bank, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and which the Palestinians seek for an independent state. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta, editing by Louise Heavens)Rome (AFP) - The Italian government on Monday adopted a heavily-criticised security decree which will make it easier to expel migrants and strip them of Italian citizenship.

The new bill is "a step forward to make Italy safer," far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Facebook.

It will help Italy "be stronger in the fight against the mafia and (people) smugglers, reduce the costs of excessive immigration, expel delinquents and fake refugees, strip terrorists of citizenship, (and) give the police greater powers," Salvini said.

President Sergio Mattarella has 60 days to sign the legislation and then it goes to Parliament for approval.

Presenting the decree to journalists alongside Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Salvini said the decree streamlines the rules for processing asylum requests and brings Italy into line with other EU countries.

Humanitarian protection -- a lower level of asylum status that is based on Italian rather than international law -- that was awarded to 25 percent of asylum seekers last year would henceforth be awarded based on six strict criteria.

These include whether there is an urgent medical need or if the applicant was the victim of a natural disaster, or if they had carried out "heroic acts" in Italy.

Of the 81,500 decisions handed down by Italian authorities in 2017, eight percent were granted asylum, eight percent subsidiary protection and a quarter humanitarian protection.

The remainder were rejected. If appeals fail, they face the prospect of being classed as economic migrants who must return home.

Those seeking refugee status will now have their requests suspended if they are considered "socially dangerous or convicted in the first instance" of crimes, while their appeals are ongoing.

They will also in future be housed in bigger reception centres, while only minors and those with recognised refugee status will be housed in different parts of the country in order to facilitate integration.

Story continues

There are currently around 155,000 migrants held in reception centres, down from 183,000 at the end of 2017.

The Italian mayors' association has railed against the change as having hundreds of unemployed migrants in reception centres can have a negative impact on small communities.

- 'Bad sign' -

The new law also lets local police have Taser stun guns and makes it easier to evict squatters by getting rid of the obligation of finding provisional housing for the most vulnerable.

The controversial bill has been heavily criticised in recent weeks, including by members of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) which governs in coalition with Salvini's far-right League.

One of the most controversial measures in the bill provides for stripping immigrants of their Italian nationality if they are convicted of "terrorism".

Italian media reported that President Mattarella obtained amendments to the draft after threatening not to sign it, an obligatory step on the bill's way to parliament.

The cabinet passed the decree unanimously but fellow deputy prime minister and M5S head Luigi di Maio warned that "there are points (in the bill) that are not in the government programme and so will be discussed in parliament."

The head of Italy's bishops' conference Nunzio Galantino has lamented the fact that security and the treatment of migrants are dealt with in the same bill.

"This means that the immigrant is already judged because of his condition and that he's already considered a public menace, whatever his behaviour. This is a bad sign," Galantino said.

Salvini, who is also deputy prime minister, has taken a hardline on immigration since the coalition came to power in June, refusing to allow several ships carrying migrants and asylum seekers rescued in the Mediterranean to dock at Italian ports.James Woods: Getty

Actor James Woods has attacked Twitter after the social media giant locked him out of his account.

The Casino and Salvador star was told by the company he had violated the platforms rules with a tweet sent in July.

The post in question featured a hoax meme claiming to come from the Democrats and encouraged men not to vote in the midterm elections.

Mr Woods  noted for his conservative views in liberal-leaning Hollywood  acknowledged the meme was probably not real when he shared it. But Twitter told the actor it still had the potential to be misleading in a way that could impact an election. The company locked him out of his account after he refused to delete it.

Free speech is free speech  its not Jack Dorseys version of free speech, he told the Associated Press news agency on Sunday, referring to Twitters chief executive. The irony is Twitter accused me of affecting the political process, when in fact, their banning of me is the truly egregious interference. Because now, having your voice smothered is much more disturbing than having your vocal chords slit. If you want to kill my free speech, man up and slit my throat with a knife, dont smother me with a pillow.

He noted that his original tweet was reposted by his girlfriend and had been retweeted thousands of times but his girlfriends account was not locked. He said this was proof he had been singled out because of his large Twitter following of 1.7 million.

I wish this were about an unknown Twitter user so that I could be even more passionate about it, the 71-year-old said. This is not about a celebrity being muzzled. This is about an American being silenced  one tweet at a time.

The meme that Woods posted in July said #LetWomenDecide and #NoMenMidterm. It claimed to be from a Democratic group, but it was determined to be a hoax campaign to encourage liberal men not to vote in November, according to the website knowyourmeme.com.

Mr Woods acknowledged the meme probably was not real in his original tweet, saying: Pretty scary that there is a distinct possibility this could be real. Not likely, but in this day and age of absolute liberal insanity, it is at least possible.

Story continues

The tweet is considered to be material that would suppress votes or deliberately deceive, and was found to be in violation of Twitter rules.

Twitter told Associated Press it does not comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons.Outspoken actor James Woods has been locked out of his Twitter account after the social media company said a tweet he posted earlier this year violated its rules.

Woods posted the offending tweet  a meme from a hoax campaign encouraging men not to vote in this years midterm elections  in July.

Pretty scary that there is a distinct possibility this could be real. Not likely, but in this day and age of absolute liberal insanity, it is at least possible  Woods wrote.

Here it is, @jack. Now...what is it about this tweet that made you ban @realJamesWoods? pic.twitter.com/me2A7GiyJn  Jim Wyman (@jimwyman5) September 23, 2018

Woods, 71, known for his conservative political views, told The Associated Press he received an email from Twitter on Thursday stating that the tweet had the potential to be misleading in a way that could impact an election.

The irony is, Twitter accused me of affecting the political process, when in fact, their banning of me is the truly egregious interference, he said. Because now, having your voice smothered is much more disturbing than having your vocal chords slit. If you want to kill my free speech, man up and slit my throat with a knife, dont smother me with a pillow.

The Ghosts of Mississippi actor, who has been a vocal supporter of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, added that he has no plans to delete the tweet.

This is not about a celebrity being muzzled. This is about an American being silenced  one tweet at a time, he said.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Christine Blasey Ford  the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault  will testify to Congress on Thursday, as will Mr Kavanaugh, in a hearing that will likely be a decisive moment in the judges confirmation.

President Donald Trump, and Republicans at large, had been hoping for Mr Kavanaugh to be be confirmed before the Supreme Court opens its new session on 1 October. But that will depend on the Senate Judiciary Committees reaction to the testimony from both sides.

At the centre of all it is the allegation from Ms Ford that Mr Kavanaugh tried to force himself upon her at a party when they were both teenagers in high school. Mr Kavanaugh has categorically denied the accusation.

Late on Sunday, a second allegation against Mr Kavanaugh was made public, with Deborah Ramirez accusing the judge of sexual misconduct while the pair were both at Yale. Mr Kavanaugh said the alleged incident did not happen and that it was a smear.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, and with the fact that Mr Kavanaugh could sit on the Supreme Court for decades, there have been many statements about how the allegations must be heard and responded to appropriately. However, there has also been a clear push for a speedy confirmation for Mr Kavanaugh from the White House.

Over days of negotiations, where Ms Ford has been set deadlines to agree to appear on Monday, then Wednesday and now Thursday. Democrats have accused Republicans of seeking to bully Ms Ford, who has received death threats since her identity became public.

Lawyers for Ms Ford, who now include former federal prosecutor Michael Bromwich, made several requests, some of which were accommodated  a smaller hearing room with less press access, that Ms Ford would testify without Mr Kavanaugh in the room, for there to be only one camera in the room, adequate breaks and a high security presence.

However, the committee said it would not negotiate on other points, including Ms Fords desire for additional witnesses and a request to testify after, not before, Mr Kavanaugh.

Story continues

Ms Fords lawyers said it was still unclear who will ask questions, as Republicans were trying to hire an outside female counsel who could take over the questioning. The 11 Republican senators on the committee are all men, which could send an unwanted message on live television. Democratic senators were expected to ask their own questions.

We were told no decision has been made on this important issue, even though various senators have been dismissive of her account and should have to shoulder their responsibility to ask her questions, the attorneys for Ms Ford said in a statement.

Earlier on Sunday, Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said lawyers for Ms Ford were contesting two conditions  that she and Mr Kavanaugh would be the only witnesses and that an independent counsel would ask the questions.

If they continue to contest those two things, there wont be a hearing, Mr Graham said. Were not going to let her determine how many people we call and on outside counsel. I hope she comes.

The White House has grown increasingly exasperated at the delay and issued a statement on Saturday that said all four other people that Ms Ford had said attended the party had issued statements denying the allegation or having no recollection of what happened.

On Saturday, a woman named Leland Keyser, who is believed to have identified by Ms Ford as having attended the party, told the committee that does not know Mr Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present, with, or without, Dr Ford. Two men said to have been at the party, Mark Judge and Patrick Smyth, have also told the committee that they have no recollection of the events.

A lawyer for Ms Ford, Debra Katz, said in a statement that it was unremarkable that Ms Keyser does not remember attending a specific gathering 30 years ago at which nothing of consequence happened to her. For her part, Ms. Keyser told The Washington Post in an interview on Saturday that she believed Ms Fords story.

In a political context any testimony from Ms Ford could have an impact on Republican attempts to keep control of the House and the Senate in Novembers midterms. There were reports on Sunday that Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell had called Mr Trump to warn him that any criticisms of Ms Ford were not helpful  after the president sent a number of tweets on Friday appearing to question Ms Fords credibility.

Putting conservative justices on the Supreme Court had been one of Mr Trumps major promises on the campaign trial, and is something he has repeatedly touted to his supporter base and Republicans at large. But with public support for Mr Kavanaughs confirmation dropping, according to a new poll, there will be concerns in the White House and among Republican leadership that it could have an impact on close election races across the country.

According to the poll by Fox News, 40 per cent of respondents now support Mr Kavanaughs confirmation, while 50 per cent oppose it. Last month, a similar poll put support-opposition at 45-46 per cent.

Depending on what happens over Ms Fords testimony, Mr Trump may be forced to withdraw the nomination of Mr Kavanaugh. All Democrats in the Senate are increasingly unlikely to support the judges confirmation, and given the Republicans only hold a 51-49 advantage in the chamber it could put a confirmation vote at risk.

Senator Dick Durbin  the number two Democrat in the Senate  suggested on Sunday that there was unease about how the allegation has been handled.

I do believe that [Ms Ford] has not been treated well over the course of this and the Republicans ... feel uneasy with the way this has been handled, Mr Durbin said on ABCs This Week.

If a withdrawal happens, it would be the last thing his administration  and the Republican Party at large  would want given the importance of the next few weeks.When Christine Blasey Ford publicly came forward with her sexual-assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, she named conservative writer Mark Judge as Kavanaughs alleged accomplice during the incident. Both Judge and Kavanaugh have denied Fords allegations; Judge also claimed that no horseplay occurred at the Georgetown Prep parties they attended. But, in a Sunday night report by the New Yorker, Judges ex-girlfriend of three years Elizabeth Rasor says he told her a very different story about those parties.Kuwait City (AFP) - In 2014, the Kuwaiti press hailed Gabriel Garcia Marquez as a literary "giant". But since his death, the Colombian writer and a slew of others have been banned as censorship takes root in the Gulf state.

More than 4,000 books have been blacklisted by Kuwait's information ministry over the past five years, according to local media reports, including Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".

Dozens of writers and activists have taken to the streets -- on September 1 and again two weeks later -- to protest ahead of Kuwait's annual book fair in mid-November.

Kuwaiti novelist Mays al-Othman is among the blacklisted writers, following the 2015 publication of her novel "The Wart," the story of a woman raped during the 1990-1991 Iraqi occupation of the emirate.

"Censoring a book reflects a profound ignorance... and cruelty," Othman told AFP. "And unfortunately it's happening more and more."

- Literary 'immorality' -

All titles on show at Kuwait's international book fair will be screened in advance by a censorship committee.

The committee works under a 2006 law on "press and publications", which outlines a string of punishable offences for publishers of both literature and journalism.

On the list: insulting Islam or Kuwait's judiciary, threatening national security, "inciting unrest" and committing "immoral" acts.

Mohammed al-Awash, a senior information ministry official, defended the censorship committee, which includes academics not affiliated with the ministry.

"Prohibition is an exception. Permission is the rule," Awash told AFP.

But activists fear censorship floodgates are opening in a country once known for a relatively free press and that ranks as the only Gulf state with elected legislators.

Conservatives and tribal leaders have become dominant in parliament, reflecting the changing mood in society.

Story continues

"The idea of content that could contradict good or moral behaviour is grounds for a ban -- and it's an extremely vague phrase," said Talal al-Ramidhi, secretary general of the Kuwaiti Writers' Union.

- 'Drugs in my house' -

Kuwait was a publishing hub in the 1970s and 1980s, home to the high-brow, pan-Arab cultural journal "Al-Arabi" and a string of popular scientific and literary books.

While no one has yet been prosecuted for selling banned books, according to Ramidhi, activists are turning to social media to combat what one termed the "ridiculous" increase in the banning of books.

"Ignorance is the only reason for censorship," writer Bouthaina al-Issa tweeted this month.

"I have drugs in my house," another activist tweeted alongside a picture of a pile of forbidden books.

Writer Aquil Yussef Aidan, two of whose books are banned, points to the "influence of religious circles on cultural institutions".

"Books are sometimes banned over a single word, a single image, and that only harms Kuwait's image," Aidan said.NEW YORK (AP) -- The Latest on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (all times local):

15:23 p.m.

President Donald Trump is declining to say whether he plans to fire his Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, but says he hopes a Thursday meeting will help him figure out "what's going on."

The White House announced earlier Monday that Trump will meet with Rosenstein Thursday amid breathless and sometimes conflicting reports anticipating his imminent departure.

Trump tells reporters on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly that, "We'll be determining what's going on. We want to have transparency, we want to have openness."

But he's declining to say whether he still has confidence in Rosenstein following reports Rosenstein discussed possibly secretly recording the president and raised the idea of using the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.

Rosenstein is the top Justice Department official overseeing the Trump-Russia investigation.

____

3 p.m.

The House Judiciary Committee's top-ranking Democrat says President Donald Trump could add to a case of obstructing justice if he were to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Rep. Jerry Nadler did not specifically mention impeachment in a CNN interview on Monday. But Nadler also said he would not rule out any legal option were he to become Judiciary chairman if Democrats win a House majority in November.

Nadler's statements come amid signs that Rosenstein's job could be in jeopardy after news reports that the deputy attorney general raised the possibility of secretly taping Trump and of invoking the 25th amendment to have Cabinet officers remove Trump from office.

Rosenstein denies the reports.

Rosenstein oversees the special counsel's Russia investigation.

The White House says Trump and Rosenstein will meet Thursday.

___

1 p.m.

The White House says President Donald Trump and his embattled Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein spoke on Monday and will meet Thursday at the White House amid uncertainty about Rosenstein's fate.

Story continues

Thursday is the same day that Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, and a woman who has accused him of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, are set to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Trump and Rosenstein had "an extended conversation" Monday "to discuss the recent news stories" at Rosenstein's request.

Rosenstein, who oversees special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia election meddling, had been expecting to be fired Monday following after critical comments he made about Trump.

Trump is currently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, so the two will meet Thursday "when the President returns to Washington, D.C."

___

Noon

Former Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe says that if Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein leaves his post, it puts the special counsel's Russia investigation "at risk."

The Associated Press has confirmed that Rosenstein is heading to the White House with the expectation that he will be fired. Rosenstein oversees special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia election meddling and has been the probe's chief public defender.

The development comes just days after reports that in the days after the firing of FBI Director James Comey, Rosenstein had raised the idea of secretly recording President Donald Trump and of invoking the 25th Amendment to have the Cabinet remove the president from office.

McCabe says in a statement that he had "no role" in providing information of "any kind" for those news reports.

___

10:50 a.m.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is expecting to be fired Monday at the White House, after critical comments about President Donald Trump.

That's according to a source familiar with his thinking who wasn't authorized to speak on the record and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

It follows reports Friday that Rosenstein floated the idea of secretly recording Trump last year and that he raised the idea of using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump as unfit for office. Rosenstein has denied the reports.

___

10:40 a.m.

President Donald Trump has not decided whether to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein for reportedly questioning the president's fitness to serve.

Trump told Geraldo Rivera in an interview aired Monday that he's looking at what, if anything, to do about Rosenstein's reported actions. The New York Times first reported that in 2017, Rosenstein had proposed secretly recording Trump and suggested his removal from office. Trump laid blame for the controversy at the feet of his attorney general.

"He was hired by Jeff Sessions," Trump said in the interview, which was aired on "Fox & Friends." As for Rosenstein's future, Trump says, "We will make a determination. It's certainly a very sad story."

Rosenstein issued a pair of denials, saying The Times report is inaccurate.RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  The Latest on the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Richmond Raceway (all times local):

10:35 p.m.

Kyle Busch passed Brad Keselowski with 38 laps to go and held off hard-charging Kevin Harvick to win the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Richmond.

Busch won for the sixth time in his career on the 0.75-mile oval of Richmond Raceway, and for the first time in the fall.

Harvick closed a gap of more than 1.5 seconds over the final few laps, but was not able to deprive Busch from tying him with a season-best seven wins this season.

Martin Truex Jr., who swept the first two stages before a penalty forced him to play catch up, rallied for third, followed by Chase Elliott and Aric Almirola.

It was the first time all season that the three drivers who have dominated all season claimed the top three spots in a race.

___

9:25 p.m.

Martin Truex Jr. has given up the lead after dominating the first two stages at Richmond Raceway.

Truex was penalized for an uncontrolled tired during put stops after the second stage and sent to the back of the longest line.That left him in 19th position while Chase Elliott briefly grabbed the lead.

Elliott was followed by Harvick, Aric Almirola and Brad Keselowski, and it was the red-hot Keselowski who surged to the lead. Keselowski is third overall in the playoffs and has won the last three races.

___

9:10 p.m.

Martin Truex Jr. is creating a mirror image of Joey Logano's spring performance at Richmond Raceway.

The defending series champion and points leader has padded his lead by winning the first two stages of Saturday night's NASCAR Cup Series race. Logano swept the first two stages in the spring, both run without an on-track caution, and that's where Truex hopes to part company. Logano was unable to close the deal, winding up fourth.

Pole-sitter Kevin Harvick finished the stage second, followed by Aric Almirola, Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski.

Keselowski is seeking his fourth consecutive victory in the series.

Story continues

___

8:55 p.m.

The NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond raceway is unfolding much like the race here in the spring.

In that one, Joey Logano led throughout both the first and second stages, and the race went 353 laps before the first on-track caution flag.

This time, Martin Truex Jr. grabbed the lead from Kevin Harvick on Lap 41 and was still enjoying a big lead over Harvick under green with 30 laps left in the stage.

After Denny Hamlin was forced to pit under green during the first stage and raced himself back into the top 10 before 100 laps had been run, Clint Bowyer, Logano and Dave Blaney were among the drivers who pitted under green with about 40 laps to go, hoping to use up a set of tires to get traction that would allow them to race up through the field over the final laps of the stage.

___

8:30 p.m.

Martin Truex Jr. has won the first stage in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Richmond Raceway.

Truex, the defending series champion, started third but grabbed the lead on Lap 41. He was followed by pole-sitter Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott and Kurt Busch.

The stage was especially eventful for local favorite Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin, who grew up about 20 miles from the track, started the night 16th in the playoff standings and with hopes of winning stage points and a top finish. He got spun by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. about halfway through the opening stage, had to pit under a green flag and scrambled to get back on the lead lap before the stage was over. By the time the stage was completed on lap No. 100, Hamlin had climbed all the way back up to the ninth position.

___

More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-AutoRacing and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsShannon Rich says she has been put off pizza for life, after Dominos allegedly delivered her the wrong pizza  which she claims was smothered in ham. Source: Caters

A vegetarian who had never eaten meat says she was physically sick after Dominos allegedly delivered her the wrong pizza  which she claims was smothered in ham.

Shannon Rich, 22, says she and her partner Paul Davies, 22, ordered two vegetarian Roma pizzas  one with added mushrooms  for dinner on September 11 from Dominos on Malpas Road in Newport, South Wales.

On the Dominos website, the Roma pizza, which is part of the Italiano range, is said to include toppings of goats cheese, Roquito cherry peppers, red onions and rocket leaves on either a medium or large Italian-style pizza base.

When the pizzas arrived Shannon claims she was so hungry she tucked right in and ate two slices before discovering ham on her meal.

Dominos said Shannon has been reluctant to cooperate with their attempts to investigate her allegations.

Shannon Rich ordered two vegetarian pizzas earlier this month, but claims she discovered ham on her meal . Source: Caters

We ordered the pizzas and when they came they were literally smothered in ham, University student Shannon said.

We were hungry obviously when it arrived, and when I opened it I just bit into it  I never saw meat on the pizza before I ate it.

I ate two slices and then I looked and saw there was meat on there.

I asked my partner and said oh my god is that meat? and he said yeah. Then he opened his again, hed eaten some of his and there was meat on his too. It made me physically sick.

It didnt even smell like meat. I was hungry and just indulged in it  I ate two slices.

I didnt know it was on there. It was hidden and I dont even know what meat tastes like.

When I noticed, I ran to the toilet and tried making myself be sick to just try and get it up.

My boyfriend just ate the two slices too, but hes not as bothered as I obviously am because hes not been veggie his whole life.

It makes me feel ill even when I think about it.

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Story continues

Shannon, who placed the order online, alleges that the delivery was taking longer than usual and says she rang the store to chase it, reiterating that they were two vegetarian pizzas.

Despite previously being a regular Dominos customer, Shannon claims she has now been put off pizza for life.

The alleged ordeal has left Shannon so paranoid she says she now checks every single thing she eats to make sure theres no hidden meat in it.

Its affected me now because Im scared with food, Im just constantly checking it, she said.

It has made me constantly paranoid. I wont eat out now and I didnt eat for a while after that as it just made me ill.

After the shock, Shannon called the Dominos store back to tell them there was meat on the pizza and claims they dismissed her allegation telling her that was what she had ordered.

Shannon then posted a picture of the pizza on social media to express just how upset she was with the situation.

The student claims Dominos responded by offering her free pizza and that they would be sending an area manager to the store to investigate, but Shannon says shell never touch Dominos pizza again.

I told them multiple times they were veggie pizzas. Obviously it was on the order, and then when I rang them because they were late and I reiterated it.

I rang back when I found meat on it and the lady who answered said the order came to them saying with meat on  she didnt seem too bothered at all.

I double checked my order just in case I made that mistake but I hadnt. It was supposed to be veggie and that was it.

After I posted online, Dominos said they were sorry that it happened and that its going to be investigated and thats it really.

I also cant say now that Ive not eaten meat my whole life, I dont even feel like me anymore.

Louise Butler, a spokesperson for Dominos, said: Upon receiving the allegation we immediately offered to collect the pizza to investigate, but Ms Rich was unfortunately reluctant to cooperate.

We have also offered a goodwill refund on more than one occasion, though weve yet to hear from Ms Rich.Presevo (Serbia) (AFP) - In the border valley of Presevo, neither ethnic Albanians nor Serbs pay much attention to talk of changes to the frontier between Serbia and Kosovo -- they are too busy trying to eke out a living.

One of Serbia's poorest regions, Presevo in 2001 saw a brief conflict when ethnic Albanian guerrillas took up arms demanding to join neighbouring Kosovo.

Majority ethnic Albanian Kosovo proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008, a move Belgrade still rejects.

But this summer, Presidents Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Aleksandar Vucic from Serbia, signalled an openness to "border adjustments" to resolve their longstanding feud.

Media have mooted an exchange of northern Kosovo, inhabited mostly by ethnic Serbs around the divided town of Mitrovica, and the Presevo valley, a majority ethnic Albanian area in southern Serbia.

Of the valley's 75,000 inhabitants, 60,000 are believed to be ethnic Albanians, although they boycott censuses organised by Belgrade.

The guns are now silent. But nestled between Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo, the valley remains on edge, stricken by high unemployment and closely monitored by Serbian security services.

Although there are no official figures, hundreds of soldiers and police operate in the valley.

The big companies of the Yugoslav era have disappeared, such as plastics plant "July 7", printing factory "Grafofleks", trading firm "Buducnost" and a tobacco sorting plant.

Unemployment is around 70 percent, official figures show.

- Exodus -

The dilapidated facades of Presevo testify to the misery. The average monthly salary reaches barely 100 euros ($117).

In the valley's other town, Bujanovac, where the Heba mineral water plant provides jobs, the average wage amounts to 200 euros -- still only half Serbia's national average.

"Without the prospect of work, we will all end up leaving," Jonuz Kamberi, a 24-year-old ethnic Albanian, told AFP.

Story continues

The unemployed metal worker had little to say about a territory swap.

"Anyway, they will not ask me for my opinion," he said.

A territory swap would be "stupidity", said Bratislav Trajkovic, a 64-year-old Serb from the multi-ethnic village of Reljan.

"What we really need is work. And everyone (Serbs and Albanians) thinks the same," said Trajkovic, a civil servant.

Both sides are under pressure from Brussels to conclude a deal.

Serbia is negotiating to join the European Union. Kosovo would like to open membership talks with the bloc and also join the United Nations.

In another town, Slavujevac, all 500 inhabitants are Serbs.

Fifty-five-year-old Stojan Nedeljkovic said he believed a new border line would "not solve any problems, neither for the Serbs nor for the Albanians".

The main concern is that people do not have the means to make a living, added Nedeljkovic, an unemployed father of five daughters.

- Factory would change everything -

"A factory would change everything," said his friend, Nenad Djordjevic, a 55-year-old metal worker.

But if nothing changes "all the children will leave", added Djordjevic, who works at a factory operated by an ethnic Albanian.

Out of 130 houses in Slavujevac, some 40 lie empty while others are mainly occupied by the elderly, he said.

Armend Aliu, the 40-year-old ethnic Albanian deputy mayor of Presevo, said the Serbian state "ignored simple demands" such as an industrial zone to attract investors, a new border crossing with Macedonia and school books in Albanian.

Belgrade's inaction could boost nationalist aspirations, he said.

But, national feeling hardly moves Fadil, an ethnic Albanian in his 60s, who came to Bujanovac for shopping.

"My pension in Serbia is 300 euros and I was told that in Kosovo it would be around 50 euros," said Fadil, who refused to give his family name.

Some hundred kilometres to the northwest, in Kosovo, Nazmi Aliu, a retired 71-year-old firefighter, also feared moving the border would put him under Belgrade's rule.

Aliu lives in Suhodoll, an Albanian village in the north Mitrovica region.

The predominantly Serbian enclave has one thing in common with Presevo: grinding poverty.

"Large private sector investment is missing in the region," according to a rare 2015 economic report by the Pristina-based institute RIINVEST.

"Noteworthy assistance comes mainly from international donors and governmental agencies."

Adnan Jusufi, an unemployed 42-year-old, said a territorial exchange would make the situation worse.

He doubts Serbia would show much concern for ethnic Albanians in northern Mitrovica.

Albanians from northern Mitrovica "have no work, no schools" and depend on the "government's care", he said.London (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New York Tuesday, where she will press him to release a British-Iranian women imprisoned in Tehran, a senior government official told reporters.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who works for the Thomson Reuters Foundation -- the media organisation's philanthropic arm -- was arrested at Tehran airport on April 3, 2016.

She is serving a five-year jail sentence for alleged sedition, which she denies.

During a meeting with Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, "you can expect the prime minister to raise our ongoing consular cases, including that of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe", a the official said.

"The prime minister will express serious concern about Nazanin's ongoing detention and call for her to be released upon humanitarian grounds."

On Wednesday, May will hold one-on-one talks with US President Donald Trump, focusing on her hopes of agreeing a trade deal after Britain leaves the European Union.

"They both have a strong commitment to securing a strong UK-US free trade agreement when we've left," the official said.

The pair will also discuss the poisoning of a Russian double agent and his daughter earlier this year in the English city of Salisbury, which London and its allies -- including Washington -- blamed on Moscow.

Russia has strongly denied the accusation.Montreal (AFP) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday it was "very likely" that informal talks aimed at renewing the North American Free Trade Agreement would continue on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York over the next several days.

Officials have been in talks nearly non-stop for a month as they try to overcome hurdles and agree on a NAFTA rewrite, under pressure from US President Donald Trump to sign onto a deal reached in August with Mexico.

The latest round between Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer ended Thursday without a deal.

"I don't think there are any formal encounters planned," Trudeau said as he addressed a press conference after a meeting with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez.

"But certainly the fact that many of our negotiators will be in New York at the same time, it's very likely that conversations continue in a constructive but less formal way."

Freeland, who leads the team of Canadian negotiators, is due to deliver Canada's speech to the UN General Assembly on Friday.

US President Donald Trump, who called NAFTA "one of the worst trade deals in history," demanded that the 1994 accord be revised. The talks started a year ago.

The United States and Mexico sealed their own deal at the end of August, after reaching agreement on auto content requirements and intend to sign the accord by December 1, when Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador takes office.

Ottawa and Washington remain at odds over Canada's managed dairy sector, and the dispute resolution provisions in NAFTA.

Trudeau also denied on Sunday that forthcoming provincial elections were behind a delay in Canada signing on to a deal.

The provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec are set to hold legislative elections on September 24 and October 1, respectively.

"I can say unequivocally that considerations around electoral timelines in Quebec or New Brunswick or elsewhere has never been part of the equation for us," Trudeau said.

Quebec's dairy sector in particular is one of the most powerful in the country, and is pressuring the Canadian government not to compromise on demands for increased access.Nepal has taken great strides towards saving tigers from extinction by nearly doubling its population of the big cats in the space of nine years.

Local conservation groups welcomed the news, which they saw as a sign that with political will and innovative approaches tigers can be preserved across their range.

Officials announced that the tiny Asian nation now has an estimated 235 wild tigers, up from 121 in 2009.

This chimes with the target set in 2010 at the St Petersburg tiger summit, which brought together representatives from all 13 countries that are home to tigers.

At the summit, nations pledged to double the worlds tiger population by 2022 under a strategy known as the Tx2 goal.

Every tiger counts, for Nepal and for the world, said Dr Ghana Gurung, WWF-Nepals country representative.

While Nepal is but a few tigers away from our goal to double tiger numbers by 2022, it also underscores the continued need to ensure protection, and improved and contiguous habitats for the long-term survival of the species.

National tiger surveys were conducted over several months using camera traps and other techniques to estimate total numbers.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, whose foundation has funded tiger conservation in Nepals Bardia National Park and who serves on the WWF-US board, said: Nepal has been a leader in efforts to double tiger numbers within its own borders and serves as a model for conservation for all of Asia and the world.

Nepal has been commended for its commitment to protecting its big cats alongside other endangered animals, such as rhinos, from poaching.

Habitat loss and conflict with local people have both been major contributors to the tigers decline across Asia, but poaching and the illegal wildlife trade is still by far the biggest threat facing them.

Demand for tiger skin, bones and other body parts, driven by their use to make traditional medicines, means criminal networks will pay large amounts of money to those willing to kill them.

Story continues

Across the whole of their range from India to Russia there are thought to be only around 3,900 tigers left in the wild.

Conservationists hope the effective policing of national parks and anti-poaching will from politicians in Nepal will set an example to other nations so that significant progress can be made towards the Tx2 goal.

Our commitment to the global tiger recovery programme gains new ground with Nepals growing tiger numbers and a successful implementation of Nepals tiger conservation action plan, said Bishwa Nath Oli, secretary of the ministry of forests and environment in Nepal.

Protecting tigers is a top priority of the government, and we are thankful for the able support of our partners, enforcement agencies, local communities and the international community for a common purpose.Nepal has reinstated a deal with a Chinese state-owned company to build a $2.5 billion hydroelectric plant scrapped by the previous government, officials confirmed Monday, as the new pro-Beijing administration seeks massive infrastructure investment.

The agreement with the China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) to construct Nepal's largest hydro plant was abruptly cancelled by the outgoing government just weeks before a general election late last year.

"The decision to scrap the agreement with the Chinese company by the previous government was taken without any grounds," information minister Gokul Baskota told AFP.

"We decided to correct that, because Nepal doesn't have the capacity to build such a big project and funding is also challenging."

The long-mooted 1,200 megawatt Budhi-Gandaki plant would nearly double Nepal's hydropower production. The impoverished landlocked country suffers chronic energy shortages and is forced to buy electricity from neighbouring India.

Beijing has been lobbying the new Communist government in Kathmandu to restore the contract since it took office in February, Baskota said.

Nepal wants the project to be part of the One Belt, One Road Initiative (OBOR), China's massive infrastructure drive at the centre of the Asian giant's push to expand its global influence. Nepal signed up to the plan in May 2017.

Critics say the contract should have been open for international bidding and warned of the risks of Chinese loans.

Awarding such a lucrative contract in an opaque manner risked inflating the cost of the project "leading to a heavy national debt burden", tweeted former finance minister Ram Sharan Mahat.

Water-rich Nepal has a mountain river system that could make it an energy-producing powerhouse, but failure to develop its hydropower sector has weighed heavily on its ailing economy.

Nepal has awarded contracts for its mega hydropower projects to its two giant neighbours, rivals India and China, but construction has been slow.

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Construction finally began on the $1.4 billion India-backed Arun Three hydropower plant earlier this year, 26 years after it was first proposed.

CGGC is currently building three smaller hydropower plants in Nepal and has completed one other, though critics have complained that these projects have run over time and budget.

Another Chinese firm, Three Gorges International Corporation, recently pulled out of a 750 megawatt hydropower project, citing financial concerns.

Crucial infrastructure development in Nepal has flagged in the years of political paralysis that followed the end of the Maoist insurgency in 2006 and the overthrow of the monarchy two years later.Jay Hernandez is Magnum in Magnum P.I. (Photo: CBS)

The new version of Magnum, P.I. is, by default, one of the fall TV seasons most high-profile shows. Thats simply because  like Murphy Brown and the freshly exhumed Last Man Standing  its a familiar title thats been revived. Magnum P.I.  no comma in the new title: streamlined!  stars Jay Hernandez in the role made famous from 1980 to 1988 by Tom Selleck. Sellecks Thomas Magnum was a Vietnam War veteran who kept his posttraumatic stress disorder under control by chilling out in Hawaii as a laid-back private eye. He had a mustache and a twinkle in his eye.

The new Thomas Magnum is a veteran of war in Afghanistan, chilling out in Hawaii as a laid-back private eye. He has a goatee and a twinkle in his eye. The first episode of the reboot, developed by producer Peter Lenkov, follows the 1980 Magnum pilot as it was originally conceived by producer-writers Don Bellisario and Glen Larson: An old friend of Magnums is killed, Magnum feels guilty he couldnt save the pal and enlists other pals  his former comrades in war, T.C. (Stephen Hill) and Rick (Zachary Knighton)  to solve the case. And yes, New Magnum lives, as Old Magnum did, on the lush estate property of the never-seen, bestselling author Robin Masters  property that is overseen by an ex-military British caretaker named Higgins. In the original show, Higgins was played by John Hillerman; in the new show, Higgins is a woman, played by Perdita Weeks.

The fidelity to the original only goes so far, of course. The pilot is directed by Justin Lin, who provides a little Fast & Furious action to the opening sequence, which finds Magnum leaping out of a space capsule outside Earths atmosphere, parachuting into a North Korean fight scene. Its an intentionally over-the-top, devious way to launch the show, and a signal to the audience that this Magnum is going to be as frequently tongue-in-cheek about notions of heroism as O.G.

Magnum was, and with a bigger budget. If casting a Latinx actor in the role was meant to suggest anything other than an open-minded casting process, its certainly not spelled out in the debut episode, which doesnt touch on Magnums ethnicity. There has been, inevitably, a certain amount of complaining about what Ill call Magnum P.C.  you know the kind of whining: Thomas Magnum is a white guy, why cant he stay a white guy? (Changing Higgins to a woman has also inspired some grousing, with even less possible justification.) Hernandez is fine as Magnum: He pulls off the characters essential charm as a man of action whod prefer to come across as a good-natured beach bum.

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Assiduous fans of the original will note other careful details carried over here: Magnum still drives a red Ferrari, and Higgins holds the leashes of a pair of noisy Dobermans, Apollo and Zeus. The original series did crossovers with Angela Lansbury from Murder, She Wrote and the stars of Simon & Simon; similarly, the new Magnum is scheduled to have visits from island neighbors via the also-rebooted Hawaii Five-O.

All in all, the new Magnum is a success in its execution; the question is, who will watch it? Fans of the original are now aging Gen X-ers, but they, and the baby boomers who can still grip a remote control, are CBSs key demo anyway, so thats a plus for the network. But will those oldies be turned off by Hernandezs take on Thomas Magnum? As milliennials or younger  why would you schedule appointment-television time with a very standard-issue hourlong drama like this? The new Magnum P.I. is perfectly fine, but in an era when so much television is first-rate, is perfectly fine enough to keep a show on the air?

Magnum P.I. airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on CBS.

Watch: Magnum P.I. cast on why reboot features mustache-less Mexican-American leading man



Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:



Europe will not be immune from the US-China trade war.

Roughly $4.5bn (3.4bn) in goods from the European Union are expected to be hit by the the new 10% US tariff on Chinese goods, according to data from UBS Wealth Management. These EU items move through China before ultimately being shipped to the US, but they wont be exempt from the new tariff.

The US imposed fresh tariffs on $200bn worth of Chinese goods on Monday and China retaliated with tariffs on $60bn in American items.

Around $4.5bn of European exports to China are caught up in this [US] taxation process, said UBS Wealth Managements global chief economist Paul Donovan.

The escalating trade war is set to have major repercussions on nearly every country on the planet as international companies readjust their sales and supply chains.

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 and cheaper products on international markets.

Heres what else to expect:

The real pain will begin in January

The Chinese currency has declined by about 9% against the US dollar since April, meaning the new 10% tariff on thousands of Chinese items may not have as much of a direct impact as people 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 last week.

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.

Lower prices abroad?

Trade experts have outlined that the new American 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.

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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 in an interview last week.

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.

Winners and losers

Biswas from IHS Markit said there could be a huge range of winners and losers across Asia as a result of the new US tariffs.

For example, South Korean tech 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.A North Carolina animal rescuer, Tammie Hedges, is facing criminal charges for allegedly practicing veterinary medicine without a license while sheltering more than two dozen pets during the devastation of Hurricane Florence.

Hedges runs Crazy's Claws n Paws, a nonprofit group that helps low income families with veterinary bills, pet supplies and other needs.

The shelter, along with independent rescuers and volunteers, came together during Florence to save animals, a Crazy's Claws n Paws Facebook post reads.

The nonprofit group created a Facebook post for donations of food and supplies. Volunteers also came out to help during the storm.



florence pets

A lady leaves a flooded home with her dog in a neighborhood inundated by water in Lumberton, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)

"We had a plan. We had the calls for help, but we didn't know where to put the animals. Since we recently remodeled our indoor yard sale [area], very little had been moved back in. We decided to use this space as our emergency disaster center," the Facebook post reads.

Crazy's Claws n Paws is not open as a shelter. However, it is in the process of remodeling to become approved by the state as a shelter location.

During the storm, the group provided care to 27 animals in total, 17 cats and 10 dogs. Hedges said volunteers stayed with the animals 24 hours a day.

"We came together as a community during a difficult time to help," the Facebook post reads.

On Monday, after Florence passed, Hedges received a call from Frank Sauls with the Wayne County Animal Control regarding the animals.

"He basically told me, 'You can voluntarily hand over the animals, or I can go get a warrant,'" Hedges wrote in the Facebook post.

She willingly surrendered the animals.

"A few days later they called me in for questioning and yesterday they arrested me," Hedges said.

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The charges included 12 counts of practicing medicine without a veterinary license. The non-profit updated a Facebook post to breakdown the charges:

"1 count of administering amoxicillin to Big Momma, 1 count of administering Tramadol to Big Momma, 3 counts of administering amoxicillin to a white Siamese cat, 3 counts of administering a topical antibiotic ointment (triple antibiotic from Dollar Tree) to a white Siamese cat, 3 counts of administering amoxicillin to a cat known as Sweet Pea, 1 count of administering amoxicillin to an unnamed black kitten, and 1 count of solicitation to commit a crime," the non-profit writes.

The county issued a statement about the incident in a Facebook post:

"Wayne County Animal Services turned the case over to the Wayne County District Attorney's office based on suspicion of practicing veterinarian medicine without a license and presence of controlled substances. Ms. Hedges is considered innocent until proven guilty."

The office said that all the animals that were surrendered were checked out by a licensed veterinarian and that it is working to reunite the animals with their owners, USA Today reported.Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - A Palestinian was shot dead Monday by Israeli soldiers in new clashes along the border of the Gaza Strip, the health ministry in the enclave said.

Mohamed Abu Sadek, 21, was shot in the head in the northwest of the strip, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra ministry said.

The spokesman added that 10 other Palestinians also suffered gunshot wounds.

Several hundred Palestinians gathered Monday in the northwest of the Gaza Strip in the latest protests since a major wave of demonstrations along the border with Israel began in late March.

The Israeli military said "thousands" of Palestinians "rioted" on beaches near the border in the north of the coastal enclave, while Palestinian vessels had also staged a "riot at sea" close to the maritime border.

The Israeli military "attempted to stop the vessels from approaching by firing into the air and near the vessels in accordance with standard operating procedures", it said.

At least 187 Palestinians have been killed since the demonstrations broke out in March, most in protests and clashes near the frontier. One Israeli soldier has been killed.

Israel accuses Islamist group Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, of orchestrating the protests and has denied accusations its troops use excessive force.

Israel has maintained a crippling blockade of Gaza for more than a decade it says is necessary to isolate Hamas.NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he expected to meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in New York as Washington expressed concern at Moscow's plans to supply the S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria. "I'm sure Sergei and I will have our time together," Pompeo said of plans to meet Lavrov on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. "We are trying to find every place we can where there is common ground, where we can work with the Russians," adding that there were many areas where Moscow was working against the United States and "we will hold them accountable." Russia announced on Monday it will supply a S-300 missile system to Syria in two weeks despite strong Israeli objections, a week after Moscow blamed Israel for indirectly causing the downing of a Russian military plane in Syria. The White House said it hoped Russia would reconsider the move, which U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton called a "significant escalation" of the seven-year war. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Helsinki, Finland in July and Bolton and his Russian counterpart met in August. However, U.S.-Russian relations remain at their lowest point in decades, in part over differences in Syria, Ukraine and U.S. allegations Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. election. The United States has already imposed economic sanctions on Moscow over the election. Moscow denies any interference. (Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Yara Bayoumy; editing by Grant McCool)Reports had said official overseeing investigation of Russian election interference and links to Trump campaign would resign

Rod Rosenstein leaves after a meeting at the White House Monday in Washington DC. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein remains in his job, after reports on Monday said he had resigned or offered to do so.

The White House said Donald Trump and Rosenstein had an extended conversation about news stories published last week reporting that Rosenstein discussed with colleagues secretly recording Trump or having him removed from office.

The two plan to meet on Thursday, after the presidents return from a United Nations general assembly meeting in New York, press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. Sanders said the meeting was at Rosensteins request.

The White House did not comment on reports Rosenstein expected to be fired imminently or had resigned.

The deputy attorney general oversees the investigation of Russian election interference and links between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

The New York Times reported last week that he discussed secretly recording the president and invoking the 25th amendment to remove Trump from office. Rosenstein said the report was inaccurate.

On Monday morning, as reports of Rosenstein leaving his post spread, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice declined to comment.

If Rosenstein were to leave his job, it would throw into question the oversight of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. Under the Department of Justice succession statute, solicitor general Noel Francisco would be left in charge of supervising Mueller, University of Texas law school professor Steve Vladeck has written.

But Trump also might be able to appoint a temporary replacement on an acting basis for up to 210 days, Vladeck writes  that person would need to have passed Senate confirmation for another post or be a senior official from a relevant department.

As anticipation of Rosensteins departure grew on Monday, Democrats in Congress and former federal prosecutors called on Republicans to speak out in favor of protecting the Mueller investigation.

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Congress must take immediate steps, said Representative Val Demings of Florida in a statement.

Time to protect the Mueller investigation. Now, tweeted Preet Bharara, former US attorney for the southern district of New York.

Muellers office declined to comment.

Rosenstein was overseeing Muellers work after the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, recused himself due to his contacts with Russian officials when he was part of the Trump campaign. Trump has repeatedly attacked Sessions for that move.

In overseeing the special counsel, Rosenstein is responsible for approving major new directions in the investigation, for signing off on the budget and for meeting regularly with Mueller to assess the investigations progress.

For more than a year, Trump has railed against the Russia investigation, calling it a witch hunt and accusing the prosecutors involved  many of whom, like Rosenstein and Mueller, are Republicans  of harboring ulterior partisan motives.

Trumps relationship with Rosenstein has been vexed. The president has tweeted that Rosenstein is weak but in August he also said the relationship was fantastic.

Frustration moved in both directions, with Rosenstein reportedly growing angry at Trump in May 2017, after Trump used a memo written by Rosenstein to justify the firing of FBI director James Comey. It was in the sensitive aftermath of that firing that Rosenstein suggested recording the president, the Times reported.

One source told the Times Rosenstein had suggested recording the president sarcastically; others said he was serious.

Sources for the Times report included people familiar with memos kept by former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe about his conversations with Rosenstein. McCabe was fired by Trump in March, days before he was due to retire.

In a statement on Monday, amid speculation that McCabe desired to undercut Rosenstein  his onetime superior at the justice department who played a direct role in the firing of McCabes former boss, Comey  McCabe denied any hand in leaking the contents of his memos to the media.

To be clear, I had no role in providing information of any kind to the media stories about events following director Comeys firing, McCabe said.

The 25th amendment, which was ratified after the assassination of John F Kennedy, provides for various paths of presidential succession, including in case of the president being deemed unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office by the vice-president and a majority of cabinet officers.

At a briefing to talk about the UN general assembly, top foreign policy officials were peppered with questions about Rosenstein and the 25th amendment.

Literally, I have never been in the White House when that conversation has happened, said the US envoy to the UN, Nikki Haley. Im not aware of any cabinet members that are even talking about that. It is completely and totally absurd.

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo added: There was no discussion with me about the 25th amendment, so you can now report that there were two senior leaders who said your question is ludicrous.Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russias role in the 2016 presidential election, is due to meet with Donald Trump on Thursday amid reports he is expecting to be fired.

Mr Rosenstein, the number two official at the Justice Department, verbally resigned to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, Axios reported.

A second source told Axios that Rosenstein is expecting to be fired so he plans to step down.

Other reports suggested that Mr Rosenstein would force Mr trump to fire him, if that was what was going to happen.

Trump faces mounting pressure from the investigation by Mr Mueller, who is looking into Russias role in the 2016 presidential election.

Mr Rosenstein assumed supervision of the probe after his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recused himself because of his own contacts with Russias ambassador to Washington while serving as a Trump campaign adviser became public.

There was widespread speculation that TMr rump would fire Mr Rosenstein after a New York Times report on Friday said in 2017 he had suggested secretly recording Mr Trump and recruiting Cabinet members to invoke a constitutional amendment to remove him from the office.

The Times said none of those proposals came to fruition. Mr Rosenstein denied the report as inaccurate and factually incorrect.

ReutersAt the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories, Sanders said in a statement. Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C.

Solicitor General Noel Francisco, the highest-ranking Senate confirmed official below Rosenstein in the Justice Department, would take control of the Mueller investigation. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment.

The reports about Rosenstein add to the turmoil roiling the administration, just six weeks before midterm elections with control of Congress at stake. In addition to dealing with the Mueller investigation, the White House is also struggling to win confirmation of its Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations.

Trump had previously floated the idea firing Rosenstein in April after FBI raids of the office and home of the presidents longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who has since pleaded guilty to several felonies and taken part in interviews with Muellers team.

But the latest move comes after a New York Times report of Rosenstein comments in May 2017. That report and an unsigned opinion piece by a senior official in the Republican administration played to some of the presidents concerns about a secret Deep State trying to undermine him from within the government.

The administration official, whom Trump has called for a federal investigation to unmask, wrote that there was a group of officials working to safeguard the country from the presidents most dangerous impulses. And Trumps behavior had prompted whispers in the Cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, a move that was backed away from due to concerns it would precipitate a constitutional crisis, the writer said.

In Rosensteins case, he has said that the Times report was inaccurate and said it was based on biased anonymous sources advancing their own personal agenda.

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Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment, Rosenstein said.

The Justice Department also released a statement from a person who said Rosensteins recording comment was meant sarcastically.

If Rosenstein were to resign instead of being fired, it would allow the White House to use the Vacancies Reform Act to fill his role. The federal provision allows the president to circumvent the existing agency line of succession in most instances. But experts doubt it can be applied when the president creates the vacancy, by firing the officeholder.

As of Sunday, Trump said he had not decided what to do about Rosenstein. He angrily asked confidants, both inside and outside the White House, how to respond. He received mixed messages. Some urged him to fire Rosenstein. Others suggested restraint while seeing if the report was incorrect or if it was planted by some adversary.

Congressional Republicans, Democrats and some Trump aides have warned for months that the president shouldnt fire Rosenstein, saying such a move could lead to impeachment proceedings if the Democrats retake the House in the upcoming midterms.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whose private memos document comments made by Rosenstein, said Monday he he was concerned that a Rosenstein departure would put the investigation at risk.

There is nothing more important to the integrity of law enforcement and the rule of law than protecting the investigation of special counsel Mueller, McCabe said in a statement. I sacrificed personally and professionally to help put the investigation on a proper course and subsequently made every effort to protect it.

Rosenstein appointed Mueller in May of last year after Sessions, who ordinarily would have overseen the investigation, recused himself because of his close involvement in the Trump campaign.

Those developments came one week after Rosenstein laid the groundwork for the firing of Comey by writing a memo that criticized Comeys handling of the FBI investigation into Hillary Clintons email server. The White House initially held up that memo as justification for Comeys firing, though Trump himself has said he was thinking about this Russia thing when he made his move.

As deputy attorney general, Rosenstein has made two public announcements of indictments brought by the special counsel  one against Russians accused of hacking into Democratic email accounts, the other against Russians accused of running a social media troll farm to sway public opinion.

____

Miller reported from the United Nations. Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Chad Day and Jon Lemire contributed to this report.Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as the special counsel to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 US election - Bloomberg

Rod Rosenstein, the US deputy attorney general who oversees the Russia investigation, appeared on the brink of departure on Monday in the wake of bombshell claims that he suggested secretly recording Donald Trump.

In a day of fevered speculation about his future in Washington, Mr Rosenstein was reported to have either offered his resignation or expected to be fired at a meeting in the White House.

However, with cable news leading on the developments, Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, said Mr Trump would meet Mr Rosenstein on Thursday, confirming he would remain in post for now.

Mr Trump and Mr Rosenstein had an extended conversation about the reports of what the latter had said behind closed doors, Ms Sanders added. There was no word on his future beyond Thursday.

The departure of Mr Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia probe because attorney general Jeff Sessions recused himself, would come at a critical time for the investigation.

Mr Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate Russia election meddling in May 2017 and has given the investigator considerable leeway, defending his right to pursue his inquiries without interference.

Whoever replaces Mr Rosenstein would take over the power to approve or block legal requests from Mr Mueller, such as for subpoenas, and could take a stricter stance on what the inquiry can pursue.

Mr Rosenstein's position has appeared precarious for days after a New York Times report which revealed details of private discussions he had in the wake of Mr Trumps firing of James Comey, the FBI director, last year.

Mr Rosenstein was said to have floated wearing a wire to record the president and discussed the 25th Amendment  a way to remove the president if he is deemed unfit for office  during conversations with Justice Department and FBI officials, according to The New York Times.

Mr Rosenstein said the story, published on Friday, was inaccurate and factually incorrect, adding: Let me be clear about this: Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment.

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Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as the special counsel to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 US election Credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Later that day Mr Rosenstein released a second more strongly worded statement: I never pursued or authorised recording the president and any suggestion that I have ever advocated for the removal of the President is absolutely false.

On Monday, both CNN and the political website Axios reported that Mr Rosenstein had discussed his resignation in the wake of the reports with John Kelly, the White House chief of staff.

The pieces triggered a firestorm of speculation as Mr Rosenstein headed to the White House for a meeting. White House sources appeared to be indicating he would be resigning while Justice Department suggested he expected to be fired.

Then the White House announced the Thursday meeting with Mr Trump, effectively delaying a final decision. Mr Trump is currently in New York for a United Nations gathering.

The manner of Mr Rosensteins departure would be critical. If he is fired, the departure could add to allegations that Mr Trump has obstructed justice in his handling of the Russia probe  claims which Mr Mueller is investigating.

His position would likely pass to the next-ranking official who has been confirmed by the Senate, who in this case would be Noel Francisco, the current solicitor general. He has previously been critical of FBI overreach.

Mr Rosenstein has been a target of tweeted criticism from Mr Trump in the recent past as the president has railed against the Russian investigation witch hunt which is overshadowing his presidency.

The probe was set up to look into election meddling but has widened into investigating the Mr Trumps behaviour since taking office.

There has been growing speculation that Mr Sessions, another common target of Mr Trumps ire for stepping away from the Russia probe, could be fired after the midterm elections on November 6. There was no word on Mr Sessionss fate on Monday.

Donald Trump, the US president, has become exasperated with the Russian investigation, which he calls a "witch hunt" Credit: Maddie McGarvey/Bloomberg

With Mr Rosensteins future hanging in the balance, Democratic congressmen and former justice officials rallied to his defence and warned off the White House.

Andrew McCabe, the former FBI deputy director pushed out by Mr Trump, said there is nothing more important to the integrity of law enforcement and the rule of law than protecting the Russia probe, adding he would be concerned that the investigation would be at risk if Mr Rosenstein left.

Ms Sanderss statement in full read: At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories. Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, DC.

Mr Trump confirmed the meeting when asked by reporters while at the UN but was not drawn on Mr Rosensteins fate. He said about Thursdays meeting: Well be determining whats going on. We want to have transparency, we want to have openness.Santa Cruz (United States) (AFP) - The sandy cove along California's picturesque coast beckons visitors to what is supposed to be a public beach. But the imposing gate, the security guard and the annual $100 access fee tell a different story.

Privates Beach, as the secluded spot in the city of Santa Cruz is known to locals, is at the center of an ongoing battle over the public's right to access the Golden State's fabled shoreline.

An hour's drive north sits Martin's Beach, where a David versus Goliath-type showdown has pitted a high-tech billionaire against surfers and state regulators.

For nearly a decade, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Vinod Khosla, who purchased the 53-acre (21.4-hectare) parcel for $32.5 million in 2008, has sought to limit access to the shoreline through his property.

Khosla has now taken the fight to the US Supreme Court, which is deciding whether to take on the case.

The two high-stakes disputes reflect the constant wave of legal challenges that have called into question California's landmark 1976 Coastal Act, which enshrines public access to the state's 1,271 miles (2,045 kilometers) of coastline.

- Keep out the riff-raff -

Most of the cases usually involve wealthy beachfront homeowners willing to go to great lengths -- and to spend a great deal of money -- to keep the riff-raff off the pristine sand.

"It's relentless and it's just constant pressure," said Pat Veesart, who oversees enforcement of the Coastal Act in northern California.

"People who are wealthy enough, fortunate enough to be able to buy property along the coast are always trying to figure out a way to make them as exclusive as possible."

A majority of the challenges are concentrated in southern California, notably Malibu, where celebrities who live along the 27 miles of coast known as Billionaire's Beach have fought tooth and nail to keep their properties private.

"People go from just a little to quite far to discourage the public from using public lands," said Linda Locklin, manager of the state's coastal access program.

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Some homeowners hire security guards to keep the public out, put up fake no parking or private beach signs, place cones in the roadway or file lawsuits that usually drag on for years, Locklin said.

- 'Paradise' lost -

The homeowners argue that visitors produce litter, vandalize property and are a constant nuisance that can turn their dream homes into a nightmare.

"Once they opened this up, it was like the gates of hell were unlocked," Michael Lembeck, a film director, told AFP on a recent morning as he angrily pointed to an access path that opened in 2015 near his Malibu home.

"It was paradise here until three years ago," he added. "A lot of people have moved... and we may be next."

The same arguments about privacy and security are echoed at Privates Beach -- a cheeky name earned during its past incarnation as a nude beach.

Sean Johansen, a police officer walking on the beach with a fellow officer after surfing, said the fence and access fee were no "big deal."

"If they open that gate, there's a lot of speculation that it could bring unsavory types hanging out at the beach -- homeless people and maybe people using narcotics," he told AFP.

Johansen, like half a dozen people interviewed at Privates, said anyone who did not wish, or could not afford, to pay the annual fee could easily go elsewhere.

"There are so many other beaches for people to go," said Jeff Lebeouf, a local homeowner. "That's the way it's been and that's the way I believe it should be because there are a lot of other options."

- 'I own Central Park' -

But advocates of open beach access argue that should the gate operation continue and should Khosla, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems, prevail in the nation's highest court, that could set a bad precedent and rewrite the rules governing California's coast.

"We see the beach as part of our soul," said Noaki Schwartz, a California native and spokesperson for the state's Coastal Commission. "It's very ingrained in California that the beaches are a gathering area."

Neither Khosla nor his attorney could be reached for comment for this article. But he told The New York Times in a recent interview that he was waging his battle on principle and doesn't even care much for the property.

"If this hadn't ever started, I'd be so happy," he told the Times. "But once you're there in principle, you cant give up principle."

For now, Martin's Beach is open to the public. But the surfers who use it say that could change overnight if Khosla succeeds in his legal battle.

"If the ownership were to prevail, that would set a precedent that would allow incredibly wealthy individuals to purchase land adjacent to the coast and slowly but surely turn that public resource into a private good," said Eric Buescher, an attorney representing the Surfrider Foundation, which sued Khosla.

"It's the equivalent of buying all the property around Central Park in New York and saying 'Ha, now I own Central Park'."Russian IL-20M (Ilyushin 20m) plane landing at an unknown location. - AFP

The Russian military on Sunday said "misleading" information from the Israeli airforce caused the downing of a Russian plane in Syria, and denounced the "adventurism" of Israeli pilots.

Military spokesman Igor Konashenkov presented the results of an investigation of how a Russian Ilyushin-20 with 15 troops on board was shot down by a Syrian air defence missile on September 17.

Moscow has accused Israel's fighter pilots of using the bigger Ilyushin as cover, resulting in Syria's Soviet-era S-200 air defence system interpreting the Russian plane as a target.

Israel denied this version of events and its air force commander flew to Moscow following the incident, which President Vladimir Putin called a result of a "chain of tragic accidental circumstances."

It was the deadliest known case of friendly fire between Syria and key backer Russia since Moscow's game-changing 2015 military intervention.

Konashenkov said the Russian military received a call from Israeli command at 1839 GMT warning that Israel would be striking "north of Syria", where the Il-20 surveillance aircraft was monitoring the Idlib de-escalation zone.

Russia ordered its plane back to base. Then, "one minute" after Israel's call, its F-16 planes struck targets in Latakia in western Syria, he said.

"The misleading (information) by the Israeli officer regarding the location of the strikes made it impossible to guide the Il-20 to a safe location," said Konashenkov.

As the Il-20 was landing near Latakia, one of the F-16 planes "began manoeuvres" at 1859 GMT "getting closer to the Il-20", which was interpreted as a repeat attack by the Syrian air defence and resulted in it being shot down, he said.

"Monitoring the Il-20, the Israeli fighters used it as cover from the anti-aircraft missiles" and continued to patrol the area long after the Russian plane was shot down, he said.Moscow (AFP) - Moscow will bolster Syria's air defence with a S-300 system and jam radars of military planes striking from off the coast of the Mediterranean following the downing of a Russian plane, its military chief said.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that President Vladimir Putin has ordered additional security measures after a Syrian Soviet-era S-200 air defence missile shot down a Russian military plane by mistake, killing 15, in an incident last week that Moscow blames on Israel.

"This has pushed us to adopt adequate response measures directed at boosting the security of Russian troops" in Syria, Shoigu said in a televised statement.

"(Russia will) transfer the modern S-300 air defence system to the Syrian armed forces within two weeks."

Syrian military had already been trained to use the system, which was set to be sent over in 2013 but was held up "at the request of Israel," Shoigu said.

"In regions near Syria over the Mediterranean Sea, there will be radio-electronic suppression of satellite navigation, on-board radar systems and communication systems of military aviation attacking objects on Syrian territory."

Moscow says Israeli F-16 planes which struck Latakia in western Syria on September 17 later used the landing Russian Il-20 surveillance plane as a "cover," which resulted in the Il-20 being struck by a Syrian air defence missile.

"We are certain that the realisation of these measures will cool the 'hot heads' and will keep them from poorly thought-out actions which threaten our servicemen," Shoigu said.Moscow (AFP) - Moscow on Monday announced new security measures to protect its military in Syria, including supplying the Syrian army with an S-300 air defence system and jamming radars of nearby warplanes following the downing of a Russian plane last week.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said President Vladimir Putin ordered additional security measures after a Syrian Soviet-era S-200 missile shot down the Russian surveillance plane by mistake last week, killing 15 in an accident Moscow blames on Israel.

"This has pushed us to adopt adequate response measures directed at boosting the security of Russian troops" in Syria, Shoigu said in a televised statement.

"(Russia will) transfer the modern S-300 air defence system to the Syrian armed forces within two weeks."

The accident was the deadliest friendly fire between Syria and its key backer Russia since Moscow's game-changing 2015 military intervention on the side of President Bashar al-Assad.

Putin and Assad discussed the additional measures and delivery of the S-300 system on the phone Monday, the Kremlin said.

- Putin blames Israel -

Putin also told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he disagreed with the Israeli version of events and pinned the blame on the Israeli military.

The Kremlin chief had taken a more conciliatory tone last week when he described the downing as the result of "tragic accidental circumstances".

"The information provided by the Israeli military... runs counter to conclusions of the Russian defence ministry," the Kremlin said of Monday's call between Putin and Netanyahu.

"The Russian side proceeds from the fact that the actions by the Israeli air force were the main reason for the tragedy," the Kremlin added.

Defence minister Shoigu said the Syrian military had already been trained to use the S-300 system, which was set to be sent over in 2013 but held up "at the request of Israel.

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"In regions near Syria over the Mediterranean Sea, there will be radio-electronic suppression of satellite navigation, on-board radar systems and communication systems of military aviation attacking objects on Syrian territory," he said.

At the Pentagon, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis slammed Moscow's move.

"Any additional weapons going in to support Assad right now keeps him in a position of threat to the region -- and the threat is refugee flows coming out of the region, it's murder of his own people," Mattis told reporters.

"Anything like this puts (Assad) in a position, basically, to be more of an obstruction to resolving and ending this fight."

Moscow says Israeli F-16 planes which struck Latakia in western Syria last Monday later used the landing Russian Il-20 surveillance plane as "cover," which resulted in the larger Il-20 being hit by a Syrian missile.

The Russian military has said that Israel's air force informed its command in Syria via the established de-confliction hotline, but only one minute before the air strikes -- and gave the wrong target location.

Because of this, Moscow claims that the Russian air force could not keep its plane safe.

- 'Fired recklessly' -

Israel regularly carries out strikes in Syria against Assad's government, its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Iranian targets. An Israeli military delegation travelled to Moscow last week to share information about the incident.

An Israeli official said the information showed that the Russian plane was shot down because Syrian batteries had "fired recklessly, irresponsibly and unprofessionally, long after our planes were no longer there".

He said the warning time before the strike was "much longer than one minute".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned earlier Monday the accident would affect relations between the two countries.

"According to information of our military experts, the reason (behind the downing) were premeditated actions by Israeli pilots which certainly cannot but harm our relations," Peskov told journalists.

Military analyst Vladimir Sotnikov said that despite putting in place the new security measures Moscow would want to avoid a direct military clash with Israel, a key US ally.

"I don't think that the decision to send an S-300 to Syria would significantly worsen ties with Israel," he said, ruling out an escalation of the Syrian conflict.

Peskov reiterated Moscow's stance that the new measures were only to boost the safety of its troops in Syria.

"Russia in this case is acting in its interests only, these actions are not directed against third countries, but towards defending our own military," he said.

A spokesperson for the Israeli army declined to comment on Moscow's S-300 delivery.A Russian IL-20M (Ilyushin 20m) plane landing at an unknown location. Russia blamed Israel for the loss of the aircraft to Syrian fire, - AFP

Russia has said it is to supply its ally Syria with more advanced anti-missile technology, and jam radar signals in the eastern Mediterranean, after a deadly incident of friendly fire.

Moscow will send newer S-300 surface-to-air missile defense systems to Syria within the next two weeks, Sergei Shoigu, defence minister, said in a statement on Monday.

The missile system, originally developed by the Soviet military but since modernised, fires missiles from trucks and is designed to shoot down military aircraft and short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.

The decision came a week after Israeli F-16 planes struck targets near Moscows air base in Latakia, western Syria, prompting the Syrian government to respond.

Its unsophisticated air defence missiles instead hit a Russian Il-20 surveillance plane, killing all 15 servicemen onboard.

Hassan Nasrallah, head of Hizbullah, threatened Israel after the Jewish state bombed a target linked to the Lebanese Shia group in Syria Credit: AFP

Russian officials said Syria's outdated S-200 systems were unable to identify the Russian plane as a friendly one.

This forced us to take adequate response measures aimed at improving the security of Russian military personnel, Mr Shoigu said.

He said the supply of S-300s and so-called "friend or foe" identification technology to Syria will "calm down some hotheads" whose actions "pose a threat to our troops."

The missile defence systems had been on order since 2013, Mr Shoigu revealed, but it had been delayed at the request of the Israelis who feared it would be used against them.

Mr Shoigu also announced Russia would be blocking satellite navigation, airborne radar and communication systems of combat aviation in the eastern Mediterranean, which could prevent Israel from carrying out sorties off the coast of Syria.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, told Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, in a phone call that giving the S-300 to "irresponsible players" would make the whole region more dangerous.

John Bolton, Donald Trump's national security advisor, warned Russia that it would be a "major mistake" to provide the Syrian regime with the S-300 system.

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Mr Bolton also said US troops would remain in Syria as long as Iran keeps forces in the country.

The S-300 could also serve as a deterrent against UK, US, or French strikes the three countries have threatened against the Syrian regime in the event of another chemical attack.

Russia's defence ministry on Sunday released a computer simulation purporting to show Israeli jets near to the Russian reconnaissance plane, shown in red, before it was accidentally shot down by Syrian forces Credit: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

Israel has for more than a year been bombing Iranian and Lebanese Hizbullah bases and munitions factories inside Syria that it sees as a threat to its national security. Russia agreed to turn a blind eye unless the Syrian regime itself was directly targeted.

An Israel Defense Forces delegation travelled last week to Moscow in an attempt to ease the tensions caused by the incident - the deadliest for Russians caused by friendly fire since they intervened on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad in 2015.

The delegation, headed by the commander of the air force, Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, offered Russian Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Andrey Yudin their view of what transpired. However, the Kremlin has continued to blame Israel for the incident, and on Monday accused Israeli pilots of "premeditated actions", warning it will harm relations between the two countries.

"According to [the] information of our military experts, the reason (behind the downing) was premeditated action by Israeli pilots which certainly cannot but harm our relations," Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesman, said.

Russian president Vladimir Putin aims a rifle at the Kalashnikov shooting centre at Patriot military park Credit: Tass

President Vladimir Putin had attempted to defuse tensions with its ally, saying it had been a tragic accident.

Analysts said Moscow's latest move was as much about reining in Israel as it was about controlling its own partners in Syria.

Moscows decision to provide Syrian forces with S-300 air defense system and Russian personnel to operate them is aimed at making Israel more careful in the vicinity of Russian assets, while also controlling Syrian allies, said Dmitri Trenin, director of Carnegie Moscow Centre. Russian MoD is stepping up as a leading player in Syria.NEW YORK (AP)  Shame. Guilt. Embarrassment. Denial. Disgust.

And fear  of losing a job, friends, colleagues, privacy, safety, even one's life.

There are myriad reasons why survivors of sexual assault wait years to come forward  if at all. Indeed, about 7 out of 10 people who experience sexual assault never report it, according to Justice Department statistics.

So survivors responded with fury Friday to President Donald Trump's remarks challenging the veracity of Christine Blasey Ford, the accuser of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. The president said she would surely have reported the assault to police "immediately" if the attack was "as bad as she says."

On Twitter, the hashtag "WhyIDidn'tReport" was trending, with survivors coming forward with their own reasons.

"Because he was a member of our family," one user wrote. "Because he threatened to kill me," wrote another. "He was supposed to be my friend, but he beat me when I said no," wrote yet another.

One of the most searing came from Ashley Judd, the actress who was an early Harvey Weinstein accuser.

"The first time it happened, I was 7," she wrote. "I told the first adults I came upon. They said, 'Oh, he's a nice old man, that's not what he meant.' So when I was raped at 15, I only told my diary. When an adult read it, she accused me of having sex with an adult man."

And actress Alyssa Milano, whose tweet last year launched the #MeToo hashtag, wrote that she had been assaulted twice, once as a teenager, yet "I never filed a police report and it took me 30 years to tell my parents."

On Facebook, Kathy Gosnell, a retired newspaper copy editor in DeKalb, Illinois, was inspired by Ford's revelation to finally share with a group of Facebook colleagues  a day before Trump's tweet  that she had been drugged and raped, she said, by a colleague more than three decades earlier.

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"It's time to say something," Gosnell, now 73, wrote on Facebook. "In the early 1980s, I was drugged, beaten and raped by one of our colleagues at the L.A. Times. ... Never again did I say his name or speak to him."

In an interview, Gosnell said the man is now deceased and she still has no desire to say his name. He had invited her to dinner, she said, then gave her a drink, and that was the last she remembered until she woke up hours later in his bed, naked and bruised around her arms, chest and neck. She went home, "took seven or eight showers" and told no one until 15 months ago, when she told her daughter.

"I wanted to keep my job," Gosnell said. "And I was afraid I would be ridiculed by colleagues, who might have said, 'But he's a great guy!'" (The newspaper did not immediately respond to an email asking for comment.)

Gosnell said she's furious at the treatment of Ford, especially Trump's tweet. "Of course I understand why she didn't report. She must have known what would happen to her. And look what's happening to her now."

Scott Berkowitz, president of the anti-sexual violence organization RAINN, said reasons for not reporting assaults include fear of retaliation, fear of the perpetrator attacking again, social pressure from peer groups and simple shame.

"The president is misguided about standard behavior following a sexual assault," Berkowitz said of Trump's tweet.

There's also, Berkowitz added, a guilt factor: "People are often blaming themselves, even though they are clearly not at fault."

The same reasons are only exacerbated when victims are in their teens, he said, adding that 54 percent of those under 18 who call the National Sexual Assault Hotline say they have not told a single other person.

Ford and Kavanaugh were high school students  she 15, he 17  when she alleges the assault occurred. And that, Berkowitz pointed out, was decades ago, when the environment was even less welcoming than it is today for reporting an assault.

Katie Cogan, a trauma psychotherapist in the Washington, D.C., area, said teenagers especially "almost never tell anyone (about an assault), and if they do it's usually years later. They think it's their fault or try to convince themselves it was no big deal."

Cogan said she received a number of calls on Friday morning, following Trump's tweet, from patients expressing distress over the comments and feeling anew that "they will never be believed."

Lea Grover was 14 and a freshman in high school when, she said, she was raped at a basement party that she had agreed to attend to accompany a friend, who never showed up. She said her assailant fed her alcohol for several hours until she was extremely drunk, then led her into a utility closet where he assaulted her.

She had been saying "no" all evening, but finally agreed to go into another room with him, she said, thinking she could grab someone on the way and escape. But she didn't have that chance.

She was "paralyzed with fear," she recalled. "I didn't think I had anywhere to go or any other option" but to submit.

She didn't report it  "I was utterly convinced it was my fault because I had gone to a party where I didn't know anyone," she said. Soon after, she attempted to take her own life, she said.

Years later, as an adult, she suffered another assault, and she did report that one, though she did not ultimately press charges. Last year she wrote an article about the fear involved in coming forward, titled "Don't Tell Me Not to Speak Up When I Can't Even Say His Name."

Asked her response to Trump's remarks, Grover, now 34 and a writer who works with survivors of gender-based violence, noted that her assault in high school was so bad that she was still unable to discuss it with her parents until 15 years later  when she began speaking publicly about it.

Coming forward was  and still is  painful for both them and for her, she said. "Only someone incapable of human empathy wouldn't understand that."Washington (AFP) - When US President Donald Trump demanded to know why his Supreme Court nominee's sexual assault accuser did not come forward sooner, he sought to cast doubt over her claims.

His argument? If her story were true, Christine Blasey Ford would have spoken out back in the 1980s, when she says Brett Kavanaugh pinned her down and muffled her cries as he tried to pull off her clothes at a high school party.

Nonsense, replied his detractors, from women in his own party to thousands of ordinary women who flooded the internet to tell the stories of trauma, under a viral hashtag: #WhyIDidntReport.

"Because I was 18" and "I was scared" and "I didn't want to be defined by someone else's violent criminal act," Gretchen Whitmer, who is running for governor of the US state of Michigan, tweeted using the hashtag.

According to Department of Justice figures from 2016, 77.1 percent of people claiming to be victims of sexual assault did not report the matter to the police.

A study carried out by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) on alleged assault cases between 2005 and 2010 found that 20 percent of victims who did not report their cases cited "fear of reprisal" while two percent believed the police could not do anything to help.

Ford, a California professor, initially made the accusation in a confidential letter and only came out publicly because she felt her "civic responsibility" was "outweighing my anguish and terror about retaliation," she told The Washington Post.

But Republicans have alleged the last-minute allegation was a deliberate bid to prevent conservative Kavanaugh's appointment before crucial midterm elections in November.

- Fresh outrage -

After days of relative restraint, Trump -- himself the subject of groping and other sexual harassment allegations by multiple women -- launched an all-out attack on Ford's credibility.

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"I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed," he tweeted Friday.

The US women's movement, simmering since worldwide anti-Trump marches the day after his inauguration, has already mobilized against Kavanaugh's conservative stances on abortion and birth control -- and is firmly behind Ford.

The Women's March organizers and other groups coordinated protesters to disrupt Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings, which began in early September.

Ford's lawyers allege she has received death threats since her identity became public, and one crowdfunding effort to cover her security costs raised more than $200,000 in three days.

Nearly 1,200 women who attended her all-girls high school signed a public letter of support.

But the president's skepticism unleashed a fresh wave of social media outrage, echoing that of last year's #MeToo movement.

- Stories shared -

A phrase of solidarity through empathy first used by activist Tarana Burke in 2006, #MeToo spread virally as a hashtag when a flood of allegations against Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein forced a global reckoning on sexual misconduct in the workplace and beyond.

This time, it was solidarity through attempted education, as sexual assault survivors furiously hit back at Trump and Ford's other detractors with the reasons why they, like Ford, kept their trauma to themselves for so long.

Within the #WhyIDidntReport tweets, themes jumped out: fears of not being believed, or of repercussions for speaking out; feelings of shame or embarrassment.

And for all the stories shared, there were no doubt countless others still left untold.

"Because I didn't want people to think I made it up for attention. Because I didn't want my boyfriend to look at me differently. Because I just wanted to make it go away. Because I was ashamed. #WhyIDidntReport," wrote Andi Hoyt, whose Twitter profile identifies her as a law student.

"I was 8 and he was the 'cool guy' in the neighborhood. I didn't tell anyone until I was 17. Also, guys can't be sexually assaulted #WhyIDidntReport," tweeted Andy McNeese.

In an op-ed for The Washington Post, late president Ronald Reagan's daughter, Patti Davis, said she told nobody "for decades" about her rape by a music executive.

Davis also addressed accusations that Ford's story lacks key details.

Your memory "blacks out other parts of the story that really don't matter much," she wrote.

It "snaps photos of the details that will haunt you forever, that will change your life and live under your skin."BERLIN (AP)  With global temperatures rising, superstorms taking their deadly toll and a year-end deadline to firm up the Paris climate deal, leaders at this year's U.N. General Assembly are feeling a sense of urgency to keep up the momentum on combating climate change.

That's why, in between discussing how to tackle wars, poverty and deadly diseases around the world, leaders will be devoting substantial time in New York this week to the question of global warming and how to rein it in.

There'll be talk of emissions targets and the need to adapt to the inevitable changes already underway when small island states take the floor at the annual gathering. Ministers from major economies, meanwhile, will be meeting behind closed doors to discuss who will pay to help poor countries avoid the worst effects of global warming  and prevent a wave of climate refugees in future.

Outside the confines of the United Nations, campaigners and businesspeople will meet during New York Climate Week, while Wednesday will see the second edition of French President Emmanuel Macron's One Planet Summit.

About the only leader not expected to dwell on climate change is President Donald Trump, who last year announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris accord. He says it represents a bad deal for the American people.

His stance isn't shared by many U.S. governors, mayors and businesspeople who met recently in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit, an event designed to show that parts of America are firmly behind the Paris agreement, with its ambitious goal of limiting the worldwide temperature rise by 2100 to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees C.

"These meetings are incredibly important for building confidence and cooperation," Svenja Schulze, Germany's environment minister, told reporters on a recent conference call from Canada, where she was meeting with her counterparts from other Group of Seven countries.

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By December, leaders need to agree on what's known as the Paris rulebook, which sets out how countries will track their climate efforts in a way that is transparent, fair and meaningful, Schulze said. "All the conferences are building blocks leading up to that," she said.

Like many European countries, Germany experienced an unusually dry summer this year, forcing the government to bail out thousands of farmers whose livelihoods were threatened by crop failures. Still, Europe's largest economy keeps burning coal, considered the most harmful of all fossil fuels.

Failure to reach an agreement by the time the annual climate meeting is held in Katowice, Poland, would mark a major setback for the 180 countries that have ratified the Paris accord.

If the combined glamor, wealth and power assembled in New York don't do the trick, the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, being released at the beginning of October might well focus minds.

The report, condensing the findings of the world's top climate scientists, is expected to say that the toughest target set in Paris three years ago  of keeping warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius  will be almost impossible to meet. Average global temperatures have already risen by almost 1 degree Celsius since the start of the industrial age, and the existing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere mean a further rise is inevitable.

Speaking two weeks ago, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world must shift away from fossil fuels by 2020 to prevent what he called "runaway climate change."

The impact that such a planetary change could have was brought home to millions in recent weeks, with the onslaught of Hurricane Florence and Typhoon Mangkhut, which experts say could become the new norm for storms in a warming world.

___

Follow Frank Jordans on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/wirereporterJoey Williams and Nina Marino exchanged vows from her hospital bed in intensive care. Source: Love What Matters/ Photographer Nil Patel/Patel Creative.

A teenager has lost her battle with cancer just days after marrying her childhood best friend at her hospital bed.

Twenty one-year-old Joey Williams met 19-year-old Nina Marino at summer camp when he was just eight years old.

Last year the pair began dating  just one month after Marino was diagnosed with undifferentiated sarcoma which spread to her lungs.

After seven rounds of chemo and surgery to remove a tumour from her head, Mr Williams asked Ms Marino to marry him; determined to make the most of their life together.

As her condition deteriorated, Mr Williams stayed faithfully by her side, documenting their life together as they tackled items from their bucket lists on their Facebook page, The Chronic Travelers.

The American couple had planned to marry on September 4 in the chapel of St Josephs Children Hospital in Tampa, Florida, but on the eve of their wedding day, doctors gave the devastating news that Ms Marino might not make it through the night.

Doctors told the couple Ms Marino might not make it through the night, so they wasted no time to get married. Source: Love What Matters/ Photographer Nil Patel/Patel Creative.

In an interview with People, Mr Williams recalled receiving the news.

The doctor encouraged us that, if we wanted to be married, we should do it that day, he said. It was a lot at once. Nina just said, OK, lets do it.'

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Within hours, family, friends and the staff at St Josephs transformed Ms Marinos hospital room in intensive care unit into a makeshift wedding venue, with twinkle lights, candles and music.

Nil Patel, a local photographer received the last minute call from a friend of the family and captured every beautiful, joyous, and heartbreaking moment from the ceremony.

Nina Marino didnt want to die without getting married to her best friend. Source: Love What Matters/ Photographer Nil Patel/Patel Creative.

Ms Marino lay in bed in her wedding dress, wearing her flower headband holding Mr Williams hand.

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It was really important to her. It was one of the things she absolutely wanted to do, one of the things I wanted to do.

Ms Marino made it through the night, but passed away just six days later.

Family and staff transformed Ms Marinos hospital room into a makeshift wedding venue, with twinkle lights, candles and music. Source: Love What Matters/ Photographer Nil Patel/Patel Creative.

I was really happy because I got to marry my best friend. I had wanted to do that since we started dating, Mr Williams said.

Its something weve known we wanted to do. I didnt want her to die, but I knew that it was probably going to happen. So I wanted to do everything that we wanted to do. She said in the hospital that she didnt want to die without us getting married.

In an article for the blog Love What Matters Mr Patel says the young couples wedding was a transformative experience for all who witnessed it.(Reuters) - A Texas man running a 3-D printed guns company was booked into a Houston jail on a charge of sexual assault on Sunday after Taiwanese officials sent him back to the United States, where he is accused of having sex with an underage girl.

Cody Wilson, 30, flew to Taiwan after learning he was under investigation, police said, and was picked up by Taiwanese authorities on Friday after his U.S. passport was annulled. He was deported to the United States on Saturday.

He was booked into Harris County jail in Houston on Sunday, according to the jail's website.

Wilson's attorney, Samy Khalil, said in a statement late on Sunday: "We are glad that Cody is back in Texas again where we can work with him on his case. That's our focus right now, representing our client and preparing his defense."

As the founder of Defense Distributed, Wilson became a notable figure in the U.S. debate over guns after the company posted on the internet the blueprints for plastic guns that can be made with a 3-D printer.

The files could previously be downloaded for free but a federal judge issued a nationwide injunction last month that blocked the posting of the blueprints online.

Wilson was placed under investigation after a counsellor told authorities on Aug. 22 a 16-year-old girl said she was paid $500 to have sex with Wilson at an Austin hotel, police said.

Investigators later interviewed the girl and obtained a warrant for Wilson's arrest on Wednesday, but by then he had caught a flight to Taiwan. Police said at the time they were aware Wilson traveled often for business but that it was not clear why he had flown to Taiwan.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Paul Tait)Chicago (AFP) - The white Texas cop who shot dead an unarmed black man in his own apartment after claiming she mistook it for hers was fired Monday for "adverse conduct," the Dallas Police Department said.

The shooting sparked protests and became emblematic of the racially-charged police brutality controversies that blight the United States, as criticism swirled over investigators' handling of the case.

Police Chief U. Renee Hall terminated officer Amber Guyger's employment during an administrative hearing.

The 30-year-old is charged with manslaughter for killing Botham Shem Jean, an immigrant from the Caribbean nation of Saint Lucia.

"An Internal Affairs investigation concluded that... (Guyger) engaged in adverse conduct when she was arrested for manslaughter," the department said. "Officer Guyger was terminated for her actions."

Guyger told investigators she mistakenly walked into the 26-year-old's apartment, one floor above her own, when she returned home from work on the evening of September 9.

She fired two shots after seeing a silhouette of a figure who didn't respond to verbal commands, police said.

- 'Attempts to smear' -

Jean family attorneys Lee Merritt and Ben Crump said in a statement that the police chief informed the family Sunday of the impending firing, explaining that it was delayed because of concerns that acting earlier could have "compromised the criminal prosecution."

"We see it as an initial victory -- well received on the day Botham Jean is laid to rest in his native country," the attorneys said.

They added that the family wanted the officer to face "a proper murder indictment" and reaffirmed that they were preparing a wrongful death lawsuit against Guyger and the city of Dallas.

"Our office continues to conduct its parallel investigation," they said.

There has also been criticism of media reports that police found marijuana in Jean's apartment.

Story continues

The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States joined in Monday, saying they were "dismayed by the despicable attempts by some to smear the character of Botham Shem Jean."

"It is an undeniable fact that Botham Shem Jean was shot and killed while in the sanctity and comfort of his own home," the OECS said in a statement.

Jean emigrated from Saint Lucia to attend a private Christian college in Arkansas. He had been working at the accounting firm PwC, also known as PricewaterhouseCoopers, in Dallas.

Guyger, who could face additional charges depending on the outcome of a criminal investigation, had the right to appeal her firing, police said.Ahvaz (Iran) (AFP) - Thousands of people gathered Monday morning in the south-western Iranian city of Ahvaz for the funeral of those killed during an attack on a military parade.

AFP reporters saw members of the public and the military carrying coffins draped in the Iranian flag, some bearing pictures of the deceased.

Four militants attacked a Saturday parade marking the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, spraying the crowd with gunfire and killing 24 people.

State TV reported that 12 of the 24 dead would be buried in Ahvaz, about 560 kilometres (350 miles) south of Tehran, while the others will be buried in their home towns.

Mourners carried pictures of the dead along with banners reading "we will stand to the end" and "no to terrorism".

Some waved the flags of Arab tribes from the region as sign of solidarity with the victims.

The ceremony in front of the Sarallah Mosque was attended by thousands of people including soldiers, clerics and officials.

Speakers included the wartime commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Lieutenant General Mohsen Rezai, deputy IRGC chief Brigadier General Hossein Salami and Intelligence Minister Mahmood Alavi.

Iranian authorities have blamed an Arab separatist group and accused the United States, Israel and Gulf Arab monarchies of backing Saturday's "terrorist" attack.

The Islamic State group also claimed responsibility.By Phil Stewart and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday dismissed Iran's threats of revenge after Saturday's deadly attack at a military parade in southwestern Iran and said it was "ludicrous" for Tehran to allege U.S. involvement. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday the attackers who killed 25 people at a military parade had been paid by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and that Iran would "severely punish" those behind the bloodshed. The deputy head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards also accused the United States and Israel of involvement in the attack and said they should expect a devastating response. Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon that Iran's threat did not give him any concern. "We've been very clear that they shouldn't take us on like that. And I am hopeful that cooler, wiser heads will prevail," Mattis said. "They've so far blamed at least three countries and I think one terrorist group. We'll see how long the list goes. But it'd be good if they knew what they're talking about before they started talking." In the southwestern city of Ahvaz, thousands packed the streets to mourn the victims of Saturday's assault, many chanting "Death to Israel and America". Twelve members of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were among the dead. The coffins, wrapped in flags, were carried by mourners. Many held pictures of a four-year-old boy killed in the incident, one of the worst such attacks against Iran's most powerful military force. Iran's Intelligence Ministry said some 22 people had been arrested in connection with the attack. "Weapons, (explosives) material and communication equipment were seized in the house that belonged to the five-member terrorist group that carried out the attack," a ministry statement said, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Gunmen fired on a viewing stand in Ahvaz where officials had gathered to watch an annual parade marking the start of Iran's 1980-88 war with Iraq. Fars and IRNA news agencies said on Monday five attackers were killed, not four as previously reported by state media. The body of the fifth assailant had not been identified as it was mixed up with other casualties, Fars said. "Based on reports, this cowardly act was done by people who the Americans come to help when they are trapped in Syria and Iraq, and are paid by Saudi Arabia and the UAE," Khamenei said on his website. Guards Brigadier General Hossein Salami, in a speech broadcast on state TV, said: "You have seen our revenge before. You will see that our response will be crushing and devastating and you will regret what you have done." Tasnim news agency quoted Salami as saying the "horrific crime" exposed the dark side of an alliance that the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel had created to counter Iranian influence in the region. The secretary of Iran's National Security Council said Tehran needed to talk to its neighbors to avoid tensions. "It's essential to be fully aware and increase our constructive dialogues to neutralize the plots of enemies who want to create suspicion and disagreement among regional countries," Ali Shamkhani said. He also said U.S. sanctions against Iran were illegal and President Donald Trump was using them as a tool for "personal revenge". MATTIS "WOKEN UP" BY NEWS Mattis said it was clear that Iran still didn't know what had happened. He stressed the United States had no advance knowledge that such an attack was possible. "I don't get woken up with phone calls over something we know is going to happen. It's just ludicrous to say we had anything to do with it," he said. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, asked by a Fox News interviewer if the United States played any role in the attack, said: "When you have a security incident at home, blaming others is an enormous mistake." The loss of innocent lives was tragic, Pompeo added. There has been no reaction from Saudi Arabia or Israel. Accusations against Gulf countries will almost certainly antagonize Iran's regional foe Saudi Arabia. The oil super-powers are waging a war for influence across the Middle East, backing opposite sides in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon. It is, however, highly unlikely the Guards will strike any of its foes directly and risk setting off a regional conflict. Analysts said the violence has led to a boost in domestic support for the Guards which they could use to silence their critics, who include pragmatic President Hassan Rouhani. Rouhani engineered Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that ushered in a cautious detente with Washington before tensions flared anew with Trump's decision in May to pull out of the accord and reimpose sanctions on Tehran. Iran's Intelligence Minister, Mahmoud Alavi, said a network of suspects had been arrested in connection with the attack, the judiciary's news agency Mizan reported. He did not elaborate. Karim Dahimi, a human rights activist in London, told Reuters local sources had said more than 300 people had been arrested in the cities of Ahvaz, Khorramshahr and Abadan in recent days, mostly from the Sunni Muslim community. Ahvaz National Resistance, an Iranian ethnic Arab opposition movement which seeks a separate state in oil-rich Khuzestan province, and Islamic State have both claimed responsibility. The Guard Corps was set up after the 1979 Islamic revolution to protect the Shi'ite clerical ruling system and revolutionary values. It answers to Ayatollah Khamenei and has an estimated 125,000-strong military with army, navy and air units. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin in London and Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Michael Georgy and Phil Stewart, Editing by Richard Balmforth and James Dalgleish)By Esha Vaish STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish truckmaker AB Volvo has stopped assembling trucks in Iran because U.S. sanctions are preventing it from being paid, a spokesman for the company said on Monday. The sanctions against Iran, reimposed on Aug. 6 by U.S. President Donald Trump after his decision to pull out of a nuclear deal with Tehran, have forced companies across Europe to reconsider their investments there. Volvo spokesman Fredrik Ivarsson said the trucks group could no longer get paid for any parts it shipped and had therefore decided not to operate in Iran in another blow to the country's car industry, which unlike the energy and banking sectors, had managed to sign contracts with top European firms. "With all these sanctions and everything that the United States put (in place) ... the bank system doesn't work in Iran. We can't get paid ... So for now we don't have any business (in Iran)," Ivarsson told Reuters by telephone. Before the sanctions were reimposed, Volvo had expressed an ambition for Iran to become its main export hub for the Gulf region and North Africa markets. The European Union has implemented a law to shield its companies, but the sanctions have deterred banks from doing business with Iranian firms as Washington can cut any that facilitate such transactions off from the U.S. financial system. TRUCK EXIT Volvo was working with Saipa Diesel, part of Iran's second-largest automaker SAIPA, which was assembling the Swedish firm's heavy-duty trucks from kits shipped to Iran. Ivarsson said Volvo had no active orders in Iran as of Monday. A commercial department manager at Saipa Diesel confirmed that sanctions had prompted Volvo Trucks to terminate their partnership agreement. "They have decided that due to the sanction on Iran, from (May) they couldn't cooperate with us. We had some renovation planned in Iran for a new plant but they refused to work with us," said the manager, who declined to be identified. More than 3,500 Volvo trucks had been assembled by Saipa Diesel in the year to May, but none had been assembled in this financial year although the original deal was for at least 5,000 trucks, the manager told Reuters. Swedish truckmaker Scania, which is owned by Volkswagen , said it had canceled all orders that it could not deliver by mid-August due to sanctions, while French carmaker PSA Group began to suspend its joint venture activities in Iran in June. Germany's Daimler has said it is closely monitoring any further developments, while carmaker Volkswagen has rejected a report that suggested it had decided against doing business in Iran. (Reporting by Esha Vaish in Stockholm; Editing by Alexander Smith)New York (AFP) - US President Donald Trump on Sunday flew to New York ahead of this week's gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, where he met with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the evening.

"Going to New York. Will be with Prime Minister Abe of Japan tonight, talking Military and Trade. We have done much to help Japan, would like to see more of a reciprocal relationship. It will all work out!" he tweeted before his helicopter landed in Wall Street at around 5:45 pm (2145 GMT).

Following dinner with Trump at the president's New York tower, Abe told reporters the pair discussed North Korea and its abduction of Japanese citizens, along with US-Japan and international trade, "in a warm atmosphere as usual."

"On the North Korean issue, we agreed to further boost the momentum created at the historic US-North Korea summit in June and cooperate closely and firmly in realising the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," Abe said.

North Korea and Iran are set to dominate the UN General Assembly, where Trump will be in the spotlight as he continues to upend global diplomacy.

After warming up to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and ditching the Iran nuclear deal, the unpredictable Trump takes the podium on Tuesday to face foes and increasingly uneasy allies.

On Wednesday, he will for the first time chair a Security Council meeting on non-proliferation and weapons of mass destruction that will focus heavily on Iran -- likely triggering a clash with other big powers.WASHINGTON (AP)  Combat won out over caution.

White House aides and congressional allies worked all week to keep President Donald Trump from unloading on the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

But as Kavanaugh's nomination hung in the balance, Trump couldn't contain his frustration any longer and unleashed a direct Twitter attack on the credibility of Christine Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her decades ago during a high school party.

Friday's tweet landed with a splat in the noxious brew of gender and politics that has taken over a high-stakes confirmation battle playing out against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement. In keeping with Trump's natural instinct to fight back when under attack, as well as his long pattern of defending powerful men against the claims of women, the president's tweet reflected growing anger over all the focus on Ford's accusation.

Trump initially believed he could support his nominee without wading into the specific allegations against Kavanaugh since they did not involve him. But that began to change as Trump watched ongoing coverage of the accusations, particularly on Air Force One TVs tuned into Fox News on his long flight Thursday from Washington to Las Vegas, according to a White House official and a Republican close to the White House. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss private conversations.

Trump began to view the allegations as a scheme to undermine his pick and told one confidant that he doubted Ford's credibility. The "fake" attack on Kavanaugh reminded him of the broadsides launched against him during his presidency and the claims of sexual misconduct that dogged him at the end of his campaign.

Increasingly convinced the accusations were a Democratic plot being advanced by the media, Trump tweeted that if the attack was really so bad, "charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents."

Story continues

With that, he blew right past the advice of aides, who had counseled Trump to avoid attacking Ford directly, warning that it could backfire and damage Kavanaugh's chances and hurt vulnerable Republicans in the midterm elections.

As is often the case with the president's tweets, this one seemed to catch many off guard. Shortly before Trump's tweet, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters at the White House there was "no reason" to attack Ford. Asked if she had been advising Trump to avoid criticism, Conway said: "The president doesn't need anybody to tell him. He does the right thing."

Trump's refusal to hold back has a history.

In 2015, he tweeted: "When somebody challenges you unfairly, fight back - be brutal, be tough - don't take it. It is always important to WIN!"

Throughout his presidency, Trump has taken an aggressive posture, picking fights with his perceived enemies. He has complained loudly over the Russia probe and special counsel Robert Mueller. He carps constantly about what he sees as unfair coverage by the news media. He has targeted a number of potential 2020 Democratic opponents and continues to lambast former President Barack Obama. He also has gone after congressional Republicans at times and lacerated his own attorney general, Jeff Sessions.

It was just that sort of Twitter-driven ire that congressional Republicans and White House aides guiding the Kavanaugh confirmation had hoped to avoid. Since the allegation first surfaced, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and White House Counsel Don McGahn have kept in constant contact with one another, people familiar with their conversations said. The lawmakers told the top White House lawyer early on that Trump's reaction was a wild card that could undermine their attempts to confirm Kavanaugh in such a highly charged political and cultural moment.

Beyond those early conversations, congressional Republicans left it up to the White House to explain the stakes to the president. White House aides relayed the congressional concerns to Trump, as Conway and other officials walked a tight rope in defending Kavanaugh while also remaining sympathetic toward his accuser. When Trump first spoke out Monday, he largely stuck to the talking points that his aides had prepared.

His fairly tame response  allowing that there might be a need for a brief delay on the committee vote on Kavanaugh's nomination  had some White House aides believing they had gotten through. But it didn't last.

Trump traveled to Nevada on Thursday without McGahn or chief of staff John Kelly for a rally and a bill signing, joined by press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and aides Dan Scavino, Stephen Miller and Johnny DeStefano. He launched his tweets just before sunrise Friday from his gold-hued high-rise hotel off the Vegas Strip in the hours before a political fundraiser.

His combative tone sent White House and congressional aides rushing to try to contain the fallout with wavering GOP lawmakers whom they feared would bend over backward to distance themselves from Trump's barbs. And aides worried that the president could unleash further attacks in future appearances.

Trump has long defended powerful men against claims from women and has faced numerous accusations himself.

His campaign was nearly derailed in October 2016 when a video from TV's "Access Hollywood" emerged that captured him boasting about groping women. After a reluctant apology, Trump returned to denying any wrongdoing, dismissing the claims of more than a dozen women who accused of him of sexual misconduct, and mocking some of them for not being attractive enough for him to seduce.

Even as the #MeToo movement gained steam, giving a voice to women who said they were abused by powerful men, the White House has steadily denied accusations against the president and his allies.

Trump backed longtime friend Roger Ailes, the Fox News executive accused of misconduct by more than two dozen women, and later hired Ailes' onetime aide Bill Shine to be his White House communications director. He publicly defended Rob Porter, an aide who resigned after his two ex-wives accused him of spousal abuse. And he backed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore despite accusations that Moore pursued relationships with underage women. All three men denied the allegations.

___

Lemire reported from Las Vegas.President Donald Trump continued to defend his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, on Monday after a second woman accused the judge of sexual misconduct.

Speaking to reporters at the United Nations General Assembly Monday morning, Trump insisted that the new allegation, from Kavanaughs Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez, was totally political, according to The Associated Press.

I am with him all the way, Trump said of Kavanaugh, whom he called an outstanding person and a fine man with an unblemished past.

Theres a chance that this could be one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything, he continued, calling Ramirezs claims highly unsubstantiated.

He again questioned why Ramirez and Christine Blasey Ford were coming forward now.

For people to come out of the woodwork from 36 years ago, and 30 years ago, and never mention it, he said. All of a sudden it happens.

The presidents comments came after The New Yorker on Sunday evening published a bombshell report detailing new allegations from Ramirez, who alleged that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her and thrust his penis in her face at a party while they both attended Yale University in the 1980s. In her account, Ramirez said she was inebriated at the time and that there were large gaps in her memory, but she felt confident enough in her account to urge the FBI to investigate her claims.

She said she was hesitant to come forward, afraid shed be attacked for admitting that she had been drinking at the time.

In the New Yorker article, Ramirez rebutted claims from classmates that she was politically motivated to come forward, saying that she works toward human rights, social justice, and social change.

On Sunday night, Kavanaugh issued a strong denial, saying the event from 35 years ago did not happen and calling the allegations a political smear.

The White House also moved to discredit Ramirez shortly after The New Yorker story was published, releasing a lengthy statement in an attempt to turn the womans words against her.

Story continues

The new claim, however, is sure to add to Kavanaughs mounting confirmation difficulties following another set of allegations from Christine Blasey Ford, who went public earlier this month with her own claims of sexual assault. In an interview with The Washington Post, Blasey alleged that a stumbling drunk Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and attempted to remove her clothes at a party when they were both teenagers in the early 1980s.

Kavanaugh also denied those allegations, and both he and Blasey are expected to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday after fierce back and forth negotiations with lawmakers.

Blaseys attorneys had also urged the FBI to step in and probe her claims before she made any public appearance in an effort to remove political bias from whats expected to be a closely watched hearing. A research psychologist living in Northern California, Blasey has been subject to several death threats and was forced to leave her home amid widespread attacks on her credibility.

This story has been updated with more comments from Trump.

Related Coverage

Christine Blasey Ford Agrees To Thursday Hearing On Brett Kavanaugh Accusations

GOP Rep. Says Brett Kavanaugh Allegations Amount To 'Character Assassination'

Second Woman Accuses Brett Kavanaugh Of Sexual Misconduct In New Yorker Bombshell

Need help? Visit RAINNs National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Centers website.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will take action east of the Euphrates river in Syria and impose secure zones as it has done in the northwest of the country, President Tayyip Erdogan said in comments broadcast on Turkish media on Monday. Earlier this year, Turkey carried out a military operation to seize control of Syria's Afrin region from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization. The YPG also controls the Syrian region east of the Euphrates. "God willing, in the period ahead we will increase the number of secure zones in Syria, encompassing the east of the Euphrates," Erdogan said in a speech during a visit to New York. Before the Afrin operation, Turkey also carried out a cross-border operation dubbed "Euphrates Shield", which targeted both the YPG and Islamic State fighters east of Afrin. After the completion of Euphrates Shield in early 2017, Turkey set up local systems of governance in the swathe of land under its control and protected by Turkish forces. It has done the same in Afrin. Erdogan has in the past warned of new military operations against the YPG along the Syrian border and if necessary into northern Iraq. Expanding Turkey's military campaign into the much larger Kurdish-held territory east of the Euphrates would risk confronting troops of NATO ally the United States, that are deployed alongside a YPG-dominated force there. The YPG has been Washington's main ally against Islamic State in Syria, infuriating Ankara which sees the Kurdish force as an extension of a militant group waging a decades-long insurgency in southeast Turkey. Erdogan's comments come a week after he and Russia's Vladimir Putin announced a deal under which Russian and Turkish troops will enforce a demilitarized zone in northwest Syria's Idlib region. (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Ali Kucukgocmen & Simon Cameron-Moore)Liverpool (AFP) - Britain's Labour Party on Monday agreed to vote on a conference motion to "support all options" on Brexit, but the leadership refused to back a second vote with the option to stay in the EU.

Party leaders negotiated for five hours at its annual conference in Liverpool, northwest England, before agreeing on the wording of the motion, which will go to the vote on Tuesday.

They agreed to push for a general election if parliament votes down any final deal between the European Union and Theresa May's government, according to a party spokesman.

"It was also agreed that if there is no general election, Labour must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote," he said.

Around 5,000 demonstrators called for the party to support the so-called People's Vote, with an option to stay in the EU, outside the conference on Sunday.

But shadow finance minister John McDonnell said that any public vote should only be on whether to accept the deal or force more negotiations, with no option to remain in the EU.

"If we don't get a general election, then yes, we will go for a People's Vote," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We will be arguing that it should be a vote on the deal itself," he added. "If we are going to respect the referendum it will be about the deal."

The pro-EU Liberal Democrats accused Labour's leadership team of "aiding and abetting Theresa May on Brexit".

"They've spent two years backing the Tories' catastrophic Brexit and are even now trying to ignore their own members who want a People's Vote with the option to remain in the EU," said spokesman Tom Brake.

"It beggars belief that McDonnell and co are spending so much time trying to trick and stitch up their own conference, rather than campaigning for an exit from Brexit."

Labour is trying to convince the country it is ready to step in if May's embattled government is brought down by Brexit, but faces its own problems in trying to coordinate its policy.

Story continues

Jeremy Corbyn swept to the party leadership in 2015 on the back of support from grassroots members, but Brexit has the potential to cause a rift in their relationship as the March 29 deadline looms.

The veteran socialist has been a long-term critic of the EU, believing it to be a capitalist institution, and many of the party's traditional working-class supporters voted for Brexit.

But many party members, particularly younger supporters attracted to his social justice agenda, are in favour of the EU.US midterm elections 2018 poll tracker

On November 6, America will go to the polls to elect members for each of the 435 House seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats in Congress.

Donald Trump and the Republicans will hope to maintain their majority in both houses during the midterm elections, but with the Democrats having a healthy lead in the polls, it is believed that they have a decent chance of taking the House of Representatives.

A Democrat victory in either chamber would grant powers to open investigations into President Trump, so the stakes are high.

The latest polling and forecasts indicate that Donald Trump and the Republicans could hold onto both houses, although the House of Representatives looks the more likely to fall to the Democrats.

But the Republican president, who has faced tough weeks after his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was found guilty of eight charges in his fraud trial, is reportedly planning 40 days of campaigning for the elections, and so the polls are likely to move further before election day.

General ballot between Republicans and Democrats

The latest polls show that the Democrats are around eight percentage points ahead of the Republicans, standing at an average of 47.1 per cent compared to the Republicans 40 per cent.

This is an average of the last eight polls, and has indicated a consistent lead for the Democrats on a national level.

While the Democrats are ahead in the general ballot, both the House of Representatives and the Senate are decided by a series of local elections, which means that the Republicans may still hold both houses.

The Democrats need 24 seats to flip the House of Representatives, and two to flip the Senate. But to make matters harder, the Democrats are defending 26 of the 35 seats up for election in the Senate this time.

House of Representatives forecast: Democrats knocking on the door

Of the 435 seats up for re-election in the House of Representatives, the Democrats need to flip 24 seats - something that should be within reach for the party.

Story continues

The latest forecast, from the Cook Report, has the Democrats on a likely 205 seats and the Republicans on 199.

This means that the remaining 31 "toss-up" seats, which are too close to call, will be incredibly important for the outcome of the election.

Senate forecast: A tough Republican nut to crack

Only needing two seats to take the Senate, it would at first seem that the Democrats should be able to take control.

But there is an issue with this: Of the 35 seats up for election, 26 are currently defended by the Democrats. That means that the Democrats need to claim two seats from the remaining eight Republican-defended seats.

According to the Cook Report forecast, this seems unlikely, as there are only 45 seats that are marked as "leaning" Democrat or stronger.

To claim a majority, the party would have to pick up a further six seats that are either toss-ups or leaning towards the Republicans

Key seats to watch

In the 2016 presidential election, Trump won big in rural and working class communities. This helped him flip - albeit with small margins - traditionally Democrat states in the rust belt, including Wisconsin and Michigan.

If the Democrats are to have hope of taking the House of Representatives from the Republicans, they need to ensure that they retain seats in these areas, before moving onto Republican territory in others.

A series of both Republican and Democrat seats are currently classed as a "toss-up" by the Cook Report, indicating that there could be turnovers for both parts in the mid terms.

The Republicans will hope to hold onto their under siege seats in places like Tennessee and West Virginia, while making inroads in Democrat areas that Trump claimed with huge majorites in the 2016 presidential election.

Seats in Indiana and North Dakota are among those places where the Republicans will hope that Trump's base will help them flip seats.

Does President Trump's approval rating matter?

Donald Trump's approval ratings are at relatively healthy and stable levels as the mid-terms according to The Telegraph's poll tracker.

The tracker, which takes an average of the last eight polls, puts Trump's approval rating on 41 per cent in mid-September.

While this level is quite high for Trump, it is relatively low for sitting presidents - and this is important, as presidential approval ratings are a good indicator of net losses at mid term elections.

Only two presidents - Truman (1946 and 1950), and Bush (2006) - had a lower approval rating than Trump when going into their respective mid term elections. All three of these ended up losing over 28 seats in the House of Representatives and over five in the Senate.

The Telegraph's poll tracker takes an average of the last eight polls in order to take a full picture of the broad movements in the polling environment and not put too much weight on individual polls. Polls used are nationally representative with adequate sample sizes.CARACAS, Venezuela (AP)  Venezuela's government said Monday that diplomats from three Latin American countries may have played a role in an attempt to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro, and it demanded the foreign governments investigate.

Embassy staff from Colombia, Chile and Mexico working in Caracas either lent support or were willing to assist those carrying out the attack, Communications Minister Officials Jorge Rodriguez said.

"We are ready to present confessions made by the detainees to the foreign ministers of Colombia, Chile and Mexico," Rodriguez said, urging them to investigate any role their diplomats may have had.

Two drones loaded with explosives exploded nearby as Maduro spoke at an outdoor military ceremony on Aug. 4. Maduro was unhurt, but Venezuelan officials say the incident was an attempt to kill him.

Maduro spoke in a nationally televised round table meeting with his Cabinet ministers, calling for the United Nations to conduct an independent investigation into the incident.

"Venezuelans have the right to live in peace, despite all the differences and problems we have," he said.

Officials on Sunday announced the arrest of three more suspects, adding to more than a dozen already jailed, including an opposition lawmaker. Officials also seek the arrest of senior opposition lawmaker Julio Borges, who lives under self-imposed exile in Colombia.

Colombian President Ivan Duque, an outspoken critic of Maduro, said Monday that his country will never turn over Borges to Venezuela.

"We are not going to extradite a persecuted politician only to have his human rights abused by a dictator," Duque said.

Rodriguez said that one suspect's confession implicates the Chilean Embassy, and several others have confessed to being trained across the border in Colombia.

The heightened tensions come amid a historic political and economic crisis that has many Venezuelans struggling to afford scarce food and medicine. Masses are fleeing into neighboring countries, threatening to destabilize the region.

Colombia, Chile and Mexico all have rejected the accusations that Rodriguez levied.

"The Embassy of Colombia and the 15 consulates accredited in the sister nation have no other interest than working in coordination for the assistance and protection of our nationals," Colombia said in a statement, adding concern that such statements threaten the security of its diplomat in Venezuela.Tiffany Haddish brought the rainbow to the Emmys red carpet, and I don't hate it one bit. The actor and comedian showed up to the award show wearing a head-turning gown that was custom-created for her by designer Prabal Gurung. (Prabal is hot off the heels of an empowering Spring '19 show at New York Fashion Week, which included models from over 35 countries!)

Tiffany's colorful dress featured a plunging neckline and sashes connected to the shoulders, which provided the perfect photo op as she twirled. She finished her look with Lorraine Schwartz jewels and Brian Atwood heels. During an interview with E!, Tiffany revealed that she asked Gurung to pay tribute to her father's native country, Eritrea, as he sadly passed away in 2017. He did so by including the African nation's flag's colors: red, green, blue, and yellow. Read on to see all angles of her look.

Related:

Kristen Bell Looks Like an Angel in White - and You Can Buy Her Exact Dress NowTimeline

 Dec. 21, 2006  Saul Llamas Rios, 17, is arrested at a Moxee park on suspicion of consuming alcohol and being in possession of marijuana and a stolen truck.

 April 27, 2012  Rios is arrested under the name of Jose Cabrera and later convicted in Butte County, Calif., of felony possession of carrying a dagger, an illegal weapon. Hes documented as a gang member there.

 Nov. 8, 2012  Rios is wanted by Butte County sheriffs deputies on suspicion of pulling a sawed-off shotgun on another man during a fight in an Oroville, Calif., mobile home park. He also is wanted on suspicion of choking and kicking his girlfriend the previous day. Deputies are unable to locate Rios.

 Oct. 30, 2015  A Butte County Superior Court judge signs two no-bail warrants under the name of Jose Cabrera for Rios arrest. One is for being a felon in possession of a gun and ammunition, and the other for assault likely to produce great bodily injury and threats to kill his girlfriend. The warrants are entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

 Aug. 4, 2016  Rios is arrested in Naches for suspicion of driving with a suspended license, hit-and-run property damage and concealing a gun without a permit. After receiving a report that Rios drove into a mailbox in Naches, Yakima County sheriffs deputies later found him passed out and smelling of alcohol behind the wheel of a minivan in a church parking lot. Rios had a loaded .38-caliber handgun in his waistband. Corrections officers at the Yakima County jail fingerprint Rios and send his prints off to the Washington State Patrol to check his criminal history.

 Aug. 5, 2016  Rios makes a preliminary appearance in Yakima County District Court, where a judge sets his bail at $2,500.

 Aug. 6, 2016  Rios posts bail and is released.

 Aug. 8, 2016  Butte County Sheriffs Office learns that Rios is being held in the Yakima County jail and calls in an effort to extradite him, only to learn he was released on bail.

 Sept. 19, 2016  Rios is convicted in Yakima County District Court of hit-and-run property damage and given a 90-day sentence with 89 days suspended and charged a $43 criminal conviction fee.

 Oct. 26, 2016  Yakima County sheriffs deputies say Rios shoots and kills Trae Oyler on Rozenkranz Road just outside Tieton. About an hour before the shooting, deputies say, Rios pointed a gun at his girlfriend and her friend, threatening to kill them.

 Oct. 27, 2016  Deputies arrest Rios after connecting him to the minivan believed to be involved in the shooting death of Oyler.

 March 8, 2018  Rios pleads guilty to first-degree murder in Yakima County Superior Court.

 March 27, 2018  Rios is sentenced to 27 years in prison.Gaza's Health Ministry says a Palestinian has been killed and 20 injured by Israeli gunfire in east Gaza.

A ministry statement said Sunday that the 21-year-old died in overnight skirmishes between dozens of protesters and Israeli forces.

The IDF said a drone fired at Palestinians who flew incendiary kites and balloons toward Israel.President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey will take action east of the Euphrates river in Syria and impose secure zones as it has done in northwest Syria, the Hurriyet daily and other media said on Monday.

Turkey previously carried out a military operation to seize control of Syria's Afrin region from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara considers a terrorist organisation. The YPG also controls the region east of the Euphrates.Gaza's Health Ministry says a Palestinian has been killed and 20 injured by Israeli gunfire in east Gaza.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter



A ministry statement said Sunday that the 21-year-old died in overnight skirmishes between dozens of protesters and Israeli forces.

The IDF said a drone fired at Palestinians who flew incendiary kites and balloons toward Israel.

Gaza protests

Sami Abu Zuhri, an official in Gaza's Hamas government, said Sunday that Hamas is stepping up protests along the fence between Gaza and Israel because Egyptian-mediated talks on a deal between the militant group and Israel foundered. Hamas hopes a deal would end a decade-long blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt when the group took over Gaza.

On Saturday, a delegation of Egyptian officials visited Gaza in an attempt to renew talks on a long-term ceasefire arrangement with Israel.

Palestinian sources said the main obstacle to reaching an agreement is a stance of the Palestinian Authority's leader on the issue.

Gaza protests

"Egypt's main interest is to reach an intra-Palestinian reconciliation in accordance with President Mahmoud Abbas's demand to remain the only Palestinian representative with whom any understanding can be reached regarding Gaza, the source stressed.

On Sunday, nine fires broke out in the Gaza border region as a result of incendiary balloons flown from the strip into Israel.

The biggest fire was reported in the wadi of Nahal Gerar in the Negev desert, where almost 300 dunams of land had been burned down.

Gaza protests

On Saturday, eight fires broke out in the Gaza border communities as a result of incendiary kites and balloons. One of the fires started in the Nahal Bohu Park at the entrance to the southern city of Netivot.

On Thursday, an IAF aircraft once again attacked a terror cell in the northern Gaza that was launching incendiary kites and balloons into Israeli territory.

The strike was carried out in light of violent demonstrations along the southern border, which continued throughout Yom Kippur.

Gaza protests

Earlier on Thursday, six fires broke out as a result of incendiary balloons and one fire was started by an incendiary kite. The areas which were affected by the flames are: Kibbutz Nir Am, the Be'eri Forest, the Kissufim Forest and Shokeda Forest.

On Friday, the clashes along the security fence had resumed, with thousands of Gazas gathering at several points locations near the Israeli border.

Hamas has led weekly protests since March, demanding in large part an end to the decade-long Israeli-Egyptian blockade that has crippled Gaza since Hamas assumed control of the coastal stripThousands of people packed the streets of the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz on Monday to mourn the victims of an attack on a military parade that killed 25 people, including 12 members of the elite Revolutionary Guards.

Saturday's assault, one of the worst against the most powerful military force of the Islamic Republic, struck a blow at its security establishment at a time when the United States and its Gulf allies are working to isolate Tehran.Pope Francis warned Sunday against historic revisionism and any rebirth of anti-Semitism that fueled the Holocaust as he marked the annual remembrance for Lithuania's centuries-old Jewish community that was nearly wiped out during World War II.

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Francis began his second day in the Baltics in Lithuania's second city, Kaunas, where an estimated 3,000 Jews survived out of a community of 37,000 during the 1941-1944 Nazi occupation. He ended it back in the capital, Vilnius, to pay his respects to Lithuanians who were deported to Siberian gulags or were tortured, killed and oppressed at home during five decades of Soviet occupation.

Francis honored freedom fighters at the former KGB headquarters where anti-Soviet partisans were detained and executed, solemnly touring the chambers that have now been turned into a haunting museum of occupation atrocities.

Pope Francis in Lithuania (Photo: AFP)

Francis recalled that Sunday also marked the 75th anniversary of the final destruction of the ghetto in Vilnius, which had been known for centuries as the "Jerusalem of the North" for its importance to Jewish thought and politics. Each year, the September 23 anniversary is commemorated with readings of the names of Jews who were killed by Nazis or Lithuanian partisans or were deported to concentration camps.

Francis prayed silently in the former ghetto and warned against the temptation "that can dwell in every human heart" to want to be superior or dominant to others again.

He prayed for the gift of discernment "to detect in time any new seeds of that pernicious attitude, any whiff of it that can taint the heart of generations that did not experience those times and can sometimes be taken in by such siren songs."

Across Europe, far-right, xenophobic and neo-fascist political movements are making gains, including in Lithuania.

Francis is travelling to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to mark their 100th anniversaries of independence and to encourage the faith in the Baltics, which saw five decades of Soviet-imposed religious repression and state-sponsored atheism. Lithuania is 80 percent Catholic; Lutherans and Russian Orthodox count more followers in Latvia and Estonia, where Francis visits on Monday and Tuesday.

Pope Francis in Lithuania (Photo: AFP)

The Baltic countries declared their independence in 1918 but were annexed into the Soviet Union in 1940 in a secret agreement with Nazi Germany. The Vatican and many Western countries refused to recognize the annexation. Except for the 1941-1944 Nazi occupation, the Baltic countries remained part of the Soviet Union until its collapse in the early 1990s.

Francis' trip changed its schedule three weeks ago to allow him to acknowledge the slaughter of around 90 percent of Lithuania's 250,000 Jews at the hands of Nazi occupiers and complicit Lithuanians.

The issue of Lithuanian complicity in Nazi war crimes is sensitive here. Jewish activists accuse some Lithuanians of engaging in historical revisionism by trying to equate the extermination of Jews with the deportations and executions of other Lithuanians during the Soviet occupation.

Many Lithuanians don't make any distinctions between the Soviets who tortured and killed thousands of Lithuanians and the Nazis who did same with Jews.

Until recently, the Vilnius KGB museum was actually called the "Genocide Museum" but changed its name to the "Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights" since it focuses on Soviet atrocities, not Nazi German ones.Russian Defense Minister said on Monday that the country will supply Syria with S-300 anti-missile system within the next two weeks.

The anti-aircraft unit will be equipped with Russian tracking and guidance systems.Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday that Moscow will supply an S-300 anti-missile system to Syria within two weeks, following the downing of the Ilyushin IL-20 by the Syrian forces, who tried to repel an IAF attack.

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The anti-aircraft unit will reportedly be equipped with Russian tracking and guidance systems, and is intended to "calm down some hotheads" whose actions "pose a threat to our troops," according to Shoigu.

The announcement comes a day after the ministry presented the findings of its investigation into the downing of the Russian reconnaissance plane, which concluded that Israel bears responsibility for the aircraft's shooting down that killed 15 servicemen.

S-300 system (Photo: AP)

"In 2013, we agreed to stop the transfer of the system to Syria due to an Israeli request. However, through no fault of our own, the situation has changed," the defense minister stressed.

Shoigu added that Russia will begin using electromagnetic devices intended to prevent satellite communications off the coast of Syria.

Krelmin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on a conference call that the decision to supply the weapons was "not directed at any third country". "Russia needs to increase safety of its military and it should be clear for everyone," he said.

Syrian President Bashar Assad's office said that President Putin personally told him on Monday regarding the transfer of the S-300 system in order to ensure better protection of its forces in the region.

Russian officials also added that Syria's outdated S-200 systems weren't sophisticated enough to identify the Russian plane as a friendly one.

On Sunday, during a press briefing, ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the heads of the IDF do not appreciate the relationship with Moscow.

"The military leadership of Israel either has no appreciation for the level of relations with Russia, or has no control over individual commands or commanding officers who understood that their actions would lead to tragedy," Konashenkov stressed.

Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov (Photo: RT)

"The actions of the Israeli fighter pilots, which led to the loss of life of 15 Russian servicemen, either lacked professionalism or were an act of criminal negligence, to say the least," he continued.

Russia has claimed since the attack that Israel gave the Kremlin less than one minute's notice before the attack, giving the plane insufficient time to fly to safety"a clear violation of the 2015 Russian-Israeli agreements."

RT said in its report that the IDF "failed to provide the location of their jets or properly specify their targets, claiming they were going to attack several 'industrial facilities' in northern Syria, close to the Il-20s area of operation.

"The misinformation prompted the Russian Command to order the recon plane back to the Khmeimim air base. The Israeli jets, however, instead almost immediately attacked the western Syrian Latakia province."Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, an Israeli official said on Monday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide further details. Egyptian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, an Israeli government official said on Monday.

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The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide further details. Egyptian officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

However, journalist Yasser Razaq, chairman of the Egyptian Akhbar El Yom newspaper, said the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, adding that al-Sisi is expected to raise the issue of the two-state solution, which in Egypt presidents opinion, should be an essential part of the US peace plan, the journalist stressed.

(Photo: Avi Ohayon, GPO)

Netanyahu travels to New York on Tuesday and will also meet with US President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu and Sisi met in public for the first time in 2017. Egypt was the first of a handful of Arab countries to recognise Israel under a US-sponsored peace accord in 1979 and the two countries maintain close co-ordination on security.

Egypt is heavily involved in trying to mediate a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas.

A delegation of senior Egyption officials visited the Gaza Strip on Saturday in an effort to renew indirect talks between Hamas and Israel on a possible long-term ceasefire arrangement.

Palestinian sources said the main obstacle to reaching an agreement is a stance of the Palestinian Authority's leader on the issue.

"Egypt's main interest is to reach an intra-Palestinian reconciliation in accordance with President Mahmoud Abbas's demand to remain the only Palestinian representative with whom any understanding can be reached regarding Gaza, the source stressed.

Hamas leaders

On Sunday, Gaza's terror group said the ceasefire talks have halted, despite expressing optimism regarding the deal earlier.

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri blamed the impasse on the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, which has voiced its strong opposition to the talks.

Abu Zuhri said that in response, his Islamic militant group is escalating its protests in new locations along Gaza's borders with Israel.US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley dismissed Irans assertion on Sunday that Washington and its Gulf allies were to blame for a deadly parade attack and said Tehran should look closer to home.

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Before leaving for the United Nations on Sunday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused other countries including the United States of provoking the shooting attack on a military parade that killed 29 people on Saturday and wounded over 60.

US Amb. to UN Nikki Haley (L) and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (Photo: AFP, AP)

Haley dismissed his comments as rhetoric.

Hes got the Iranian people protesting, every ounce of money that goes into Iran goes into his military, he has oppressed his people for a long time and he needs to look at his own base to figure out where thats coming from, she told CNNs State of the Union.

He can blame us all he wants. The thing hes got to do is look at the mirror.

Irans Revolutionary Guards vowed on Sunday to wreak deadly and unforgettable vengeance for the attack, which killed 12 of their comrades.

There has been a blizzard of furious statements from top Iranian officials blaming the US and Gulf kingdoms for the bloodshed and threatening a tough response.

America wants to cause chaos and unrest in our country so that it can return to this country, but these are unreal fantasies and they will never achieve their goals, Rouhani said.

Terror attack on military parade in Iran (Photo: AP)

Haley was asked about comments made Saturday night after the attack by President Donald Trumps personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. He told an Iranian opposition group that US sanctions on Iran are leading to economic pain that could lead to a successful revolution.

Giuliani has made similar comments before on Iran, and the State Department has said he does not speak for the administration.

The UN ambassador, without mentioning Giuliani, told CNN, The United States is not looking to do regime change in Iran.

Trump administration policy does not seek a change of government even though it is reimposing sanctions that are crippling Irans economy after Trump pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.

Haley said Washington was trying to counter Iranian malign activities in the region as Tehran continued to test ballistic missiles, support terrorism and sell arms.

Wounded Iranian soldiers leaving scene of attack

Before his departure to attend the UN general assembly in New York, Rouhani said that "Iran's answer (to this attack) is forthcoming within the framework of law and our national interests."

He also accused the US of being a "bully" that wants to create insecurity in the Islamic Republic. "Hopefully we will overcome US sanctions with the least possible costs and make America regret its aggressiveness towards other countries, and particularly Iran."

Iran has summoned diplomats from Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands over allegedly harboring "members of the terrorist group" that launched an attack on a military parade in the country's southwest.

The spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry said it is unacceptable that terror organization are not defined as such by the European Union as long as they do not carry out terror attacks in Europe.

An anti-government Arab group, the Ahvaz National Resistance, and the Islamic State Group (ISIS) both claimed responsibility for the attack. However, they provided no evidence.Lebanon's president Michel Aoun said Monday his country would not fire a single bullet at Israel, if the latter shows no aggression.

Aoun added that Israel aims to create diversion in the region.

Addressing Hezbollah, Lebanon's president said that foreign factors are determined to transform the organization to the state's enemy.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday cautioned the US administration about pursuing hostile policies against Tehran, saying preventing Tehran from exporting its oil would be "very dangerous", but did not rule out talks between the two countries.

"Imposing sanctions on Iran to prevent us from selling our oil will be very dangerous ... If Trump wants to talk to Iran, then he first should return to the (2015) nuclear deal first," the ISNA news agency quoted Rouhani as saying in a meeting with senior editors of foreign media in New York.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone conversation on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which he blamed the Syrians for last week's downing of a Russian spy plane after an IAF strike in Latakia, despite Russia's conclusions that Israel bears responsibility for the incident.

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Netanyahu and Putin's phone call came on the backdrop of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's announcement on Monday morning that Moscow will supply an S-300 anti-missile system to Syria within two weeks.

Netanyahu said that "transferring advanced weapons systems into irresponsible hands will increase the dangers in the region," adding "Israel will continue to defend its security and its interests," According to a statement released by the GPO.

"Both leaders agreed to continue dialogue between the professional teams and the inter-military coordination via the military channels," the GPO added.

Putin told Netanyahu that Russias actions were aimed at protecting its military, according to the Kremlin statement.

Meanwhile, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Monday that Russian plans to supply Syria with an S-300 missile system would be a significant escalation by Moscow and that he hopes it will reconsider.

Putin (L) and Netanyahu (Photo: EPA)

Bolton added Iran is the one to blame for the attack in Syria and the downing of the Russian plane.

We think introducing the S-300s to the Syrian government would be a significant escalation by the Russians ... and something that we hope, if these press reports are accurate, they would reconsider, Bolton told reporters.

There shouldnt be any misunderstanding here ... The party responsible for the attacks in Syria and Lebanon and really the party responsible for the shooting down of the Russian plane is Iran, he said.

S-300 system (Photo: AP)

Shoigu stated that the S-300 system transfer would be carried out despite Israel's past requests not to do so due to its activity in the region.

"In 2013, we agreed to stop the transfer of the system to Syria due to an Israeli request. However, through no fault of our own, the situation has changed," the defense minister stressed.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's announcement (: RT)

X

Shoigu added that Russia will begin using electromagnetic devices intended to prevent satellite communications off the coast of Syria.

Russia's defense minister added Syrian forces have already trained on the S-300 system.

Apart from disrupting electronic warfare within the Russian airspace, the Russian army will provide better control systems to the Syrian air defense systems, such as the systems currently only provided to the Russian military, according to Shoigu.

Ilyushin IL-20 plane (Photo: Shutterstock)

"The most important thing is it will allow Syrian air defense systems to recognize Russian aircraft," he went on to say.

Israeli planes detected by Syrian radars might also be exposed to Syrian fire.

Putin spoke with his Syrian counterpart Basahr Assad on the phone to inform him about the transfer of the anti-missile system.

However, the Kremlin stressed that the move "is not directed at any third country. Russia needs to increase safety of its military and it should be clear for everyone."

On Sunday, during a press briefing, ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the heads of the IDF do not appreciate the relationship with Moscow.

"The military leadership of Israel either has no appreciation for the level of relations with Russia, or has no control over individual commands or commanding officers who understood that their actions would lead to tragedy," Konashenkov elucidated.

"The actions of the Israeli fighter pilots, which led to the loss of life of 15 Russian servicemen, either lacked professionalism or were an act of criminal negligence, to say the least," he continued.

Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov (Photo: RT)

Konashenkov also revealed that Russia assisted in preventing shooting at the Israeli Golan Heights and was asked to search for the remains of Israeli soldiers in areas held by the Islamic State Group (ISIS) in Syria.

Russia has claimed since the attack that Israel gave the Kremlin less than one minute's notice before the attack, giving the plane insufficient time to fly to safety"a clear violation of the 2015 Russian-Israeli agreements."

RT said in its report that the IDF "failed to provide the location of their jets or properly specify their targets, claiming they were going to attack several 'industrial facilities' in northern Syria, close to the Il-20s area of operation.

In response to the Russian investigation, the IDF issued a statement saying, "The full details, both precise and factual, are known to the professionals in the Russian military, who confirmed that a special hotline to prevent air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria was activated on time.

The IAF did not hide behind any aircraft, and the Israeli planes were in Israeli airspace when a Syrian missile struck the Russian plane, the statement exclaimed.A Palestinian taking part in violent "March of Return" protests on the northern Gaza border fence was shot dead by IDF fire Monday, Gaza health officials said.

The IDF said thousands had taken part in the demonstration, throwing burning tires, rocks and explosive devices at the troops on the other side of the border fence. Soldiers responded with riot dispersal means according to rules of engagement, a military spokesman said.Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) member taking part in the violent "March of Return" protests on the northern Gaza border fence near Kibbutz Zikim was shot dead by IDF fire Monday, Gaza health officials said.

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The IDF said thousands had taken part in the demonstration, throwing burning tires, rocks and explosive devices at the troops on the other side of the border fence. Soldiers responded with riot dispersal measures according to rules of engagement, a military spokesman said.

In addition, around 10 Palestinian boats sailed off the coast to challenge the blockade over the strip, drawing warning shots from the Israeli navy. There were no reports of Palestinian casualties.

Gaza border riots

Earlier, a cluster of balloons with explosive devices attached to it exploded in the Kissufim Forest, where the balloons initially landed.

No casualties or damage were reported.

In addition, nine fires broke out amid incendiary balloons across the Gaza border communities since Monday morning, with three conflagrations sparking in the Be'eri forest and two in the Kissufim forest.

KKL, Nature and Parks Authority and firefighting teams gained complete control over the flames.

Gaza protests

On Sunday, Gaza's Hamas rulers said their indirect ceasefire talks with Israel have halted , despite expressing optimism regarding negotiations talks with Israel earlier, following a round of meetings with senior Egyptian intelligence officials in the strip on Saturday.

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri blamed the impasse on the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, which has voiced its strong opposition to the talks.

Abu Zuhri said that in response, his Islamic terror group is escalating its protests in new locations along Gaza's borders with Israel.

At about 10pm Sunday, an IDF aircraft attacked near a cell launching incendiary balloons at Israel from the northern strip.

Shortly after, Gaza's health ministry said that a 21-year-old died in skirmishes between dozens of protesters and Israeli forces.The Security Cabinet will convene on Tuesday at the Prime Minister's Office amid the raised tensions between Israel and Russia following Moscow's announcement it will supply an S-300 anti-missile system to Syria within two weeks.

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Russia's announcement comes a day after its defense ministry presented the findings of its investigation into the downing of the reconnaissance plane, which concluded that Israel bears responsibility for the aircraft's shooting down that killed 15 crewmen.

Netanyahu (L) and Putin (Photo: EPA)

During the one-hour Security Cabinet meeting, ministers will be updated on recent developments.

Shortly after, Prime Minister Netanyahu will depart for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

On Monday, President Vladimir Putin said while speaking with Netanyahu on the phone that Russias actions were aimed at protecting its military, according to the Kremlin statement.

Netanyahu told Putin that "transferring advanced weapons systems into irresponsible hands will increase the dangers in the region," adding "Israel will continue to defend its security and its interests," According to a statement released by the GPO.

He also blamed the Syrians for the downing of the Ilyushin IL-20 plane after an IAF strike in Latakia, despite Russia's conclusions that Israel bears responsibility for the incident.

"Both leaders agreed to continue dialogue between the professional teams and the inter-military coordination via the military channels, and Netanyahu reiterated his condolences over the 15 crewmen killed in last week's incident in Latakia," the GPO added.

Meanwhile, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Monday that Russian plans to supply Syria with an S-300 missile system would be a significant escalation by Moscow and that he hopes it will reconsider.

Bolton added Iran is the one to blame for the attack in Syria and the downing of the Russian plane.

S-300 anti-aircraft missile system (Photo: AP)

We think introducing the S-300s to the Syrian government would be a significant escalation by the Russians ... and something that we hope, if these press reports are accurate, they would reconsider, Bolton told reporters.

There shouldnt be any misunderstanding here ... The party responsible for the attacks in Syria and Lebanon and really the party responsible for the shooting down of the Russian plane is Iran, he said.

On Sunday, during a press briefing, ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the heads of the IDF do not appreciate the relationship with Moscow.

"The military leadership of Israel either has no appreciation for the level of relations with Russia, or has no control over individual commands or commanding officers who understood that their actions would lead to tragedy," Konashenkov elucidated.

"The actions of the Israeli fighter pilots, which led to the loss of life of 15 Russian servicemen, either lacked professionalism or were an act of criminal negligence, to say the least," he opined.US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday dismissed Iran's threats of revenge against those behind Saturday's deadly attack on a military parade in southwestern Iran and said it was "ludicrous" for Tehran to allege US involvement.

Asked whether Iran's threat gave him any concern, Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon: "No, it does not. We've been very clear that they shouldn't take us on like that. And I am hopeful that cooler, wiser heads will prevail."

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General Hossein Salami was quoted as saying the attack, which killed 29 people, had exposed the dark side of an alliance that the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel had created to counter Iranian influence in the region.The crisis between Israel and the Russians following Syrias downing of a Russian spy plane near Latakia is serious and has caused a wide rift between the two countries, according to political sources in Jerusalem.

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It turns out that the visit by an IDF delegation to Moscow to protest Israels innocence and to thaw the icy standoff that has developed since has only served to frost relations further and underscore the disparity in the versions that have surfaced between the two sides.

Netanyahu (L) and Putin (Photo: EPA)

In the briefings that were given to Russian media by President Vladimir Putins representatives, the Israeli version was presented as nothing more than fallacious. The Israeli investigation appears not to have interested the Russians, and Prime Minister Netanyahus gesture of sending the IAF commander to Moscow left no impression on them. From the Russian point of view, this was purely a perfunctory facade. What they were really interested in was how Israels IAF intelligence works.

The Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda which has close ties with the Russian Defense Ministry and with the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described on Thursday the meeting between the IAF chief Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin and his Russian counterpart as cold, difficult, stern and without smiles. The paper said that the Russians had demanded that Israel, before anything else, recognize that its actions had brought about a tragedy and that the blame lies with the Israelis. That is our basic position.

We made clear to Norkin that our facts contradict theirs, and conclusions such as those reached by the Israelis may have been invented, he said.

IAF delegation in Russia (Photo: IDF Spokesmans Unit)

It is important to note that in Russia there are no leaks about sensitive security meetings such as this one. Therefore, Israel concluded that the report was no coincidence and it comes directly from Putins spokesman or another senior official in the Kremlin. Either way, the article described the Israelis as people shuffling around uncomfortably in their chairs, as people who avoided answering technical questions and who tried to speak about Iranian responsibility for the incident and Assads culpability.

The paper also said that Norkins Russian counterpart asked during the meeting: What did you do in the airspace? According to them, Norkin admitted that Israel did not look into the presence of Russian aircraft in the area during the attack.

The Russian message to Israel is a political and unequivocal one: They do not want Israel to continue flying and launching strikes in Syria and certainly not in the current state of affairs. The downing of the plane is an opportunity for the Russians to change the current understanding with Israel regarding the IAFs freedom to operate in Syria. Israel now face a dramatic decision on the depth of the crisis and how far it is willing to take it with the Russians. At the moment, the crisis seems insolvable.

Russian-Israeli meeting (Photo: IDF Spokesmans Unit)

In the Israeli security establishment, officials have repeatedly emphasized that Israel will not be compromising on its military efforts to remove the Iranian military presence from Syria and prevent the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah.The message being conveyed from Moscow is that the Kremlin does not encourage visits to Russia by Israeli officials in an effort to bridge the diplomatic rift that has developed. Nor does it support visits by Russian officials to Israel over the matter.

Israel is convinced that it acted in accordance with the agreements reached with Russia and that everything that took place stemmed from a lack of professionalism demonstrated by the Syrians who shot down the plane. Moreover, the Israelis are con

vinced that the fact that they have hitherto refrained from hitting Syrian and Iranian targets along the Syrian coast has brought about a situation in which the Iranians believe they can establish military facilities in the area under the umbrella of Russian air defenses. Thus, Israel will continue to do everything in order to expunge the Iranian presence from the area.

Nevertheless, beyond the declarations and policies, in the coming days Israel will need to make decisions on the continuation of operations above Syrian territory and on relations with the Russians. Israel believes that time will run its course and the mutual interest in preserving healthy relations will ultimately prevail over the crisis.

The next Israeli strike in Syria will therefore be a test for both sides. It is possible to assume that if and when Israel chooses to strike a target, it will do everything in its abilities to ensure early and thorough coordination with the Russians, even if it comes at the expense of security information, lest it awaken an even angrier Russian bear.ODANAH, Wis.  The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians will receive a $710,599 Justice Systems and Alcohol and Substance Abuse grant.

Scott C. Blader, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, joined the U.S. Department of Justice Thursday in announcing more than $113 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians will receive a $286,900 Public Safety and Community Policing grant and a $750,000 Justice Systems and Alcohol and Substance Abuse grant.

The Ho-Chunk Nation will receive a $203,460 Public Safety and Community Policing grant.

The Lac Courte Oreilles (Hayward) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will receive a $724,585 Justice Systems and Alcohol and Substance Abuse grant, a $412,231 Violence Against Women Tribal Governments Program grant, and a $449,973 Comprehensive Tribal Victim Assistance Program grant.

These grants will give Wisconsin tribes the resources they need to meet the public safety challenges facing their communities and provide services to victims of crime, Blader said.

Two Wisconsin tribes located in the Eastern District of Wisconsin also will receive grants. The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin will receive four grants totaling more than $2.9 million and the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin will receive two grants totaling almost $508,000.

Nationwide, 133 grants were awarded.

In addition, the Department of Justice is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance. Recipients will be announced in the near future.

With these awards, we are doubling the amount of grant funding devoted to public safety programs and serving victims of crime in Native American communities, said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, he said.

Ralph AnsamiOver the June quarter this year, investors have been more likely to resell their properties at a loss than owner-occupiers, according to CoreLogic Pain & Gain Report.

The study showed that 10.1% of investor owned properties sold at a loss compared to 9.8% for owner occupied properties. This trend was evident in Sydney, Regional New South Wales and Hobart, which were the only major regions of the country that recorded a higher proportion of investors resold their property at a loss than owner-occupiers.

CoreLogic Head of Research Tim Lawless explained that when investors feel they must make the most out of a weakening market, they would rather opt to sell  even at loss.

Owner occupiers may be more prepared to sell at a loss if they are purchasing their next home at an equivalent (or greater) discount. Investors have taxation rules to consider, and could be more prepared to incur a loss because (unlike owner-occupiers) they can offset those losses against future capital gains," he said.

If home values fall, investors (who have until recently been increasingly active in the housing market) may be more inclined to sell at a loss and offset those losses, which could result in increased supply at a time when housing demand fall is falling due to declining values.

Digging deeper into the figures, it was found that throughout combined capital cities, the gap in profit making-resales between owner-occupiers and investors was not that huge, however the outcomes varied for individual cities. In fact, Melbourne investors were 3 times as likely to resell a property at a loss compared to owner-occupiers and in Canberra, they were 3.4 times as likely to sell for a loss.

Further, regional results revealed that 11.9% of investors were likely to resell a property for a loss. Clearly, this is not far off from 11. 7% of owner-occupiers willing to do the same.

"In each region, owner-occupiers were more likely than investors to resell for a profit were, but the performance gap between the two vendor types in the regions was nowhere near as big as that recorded in some capital city markets," CoreLogic stated

The CoreLogic report also showed that the second quarter saw an increase in the growth of re-sales profit  with gains totaling $15.683 billion  but that the share of re-sales sold at a profit (89.8%) was the lowest since October 2013.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.iShares MSCI Chile ETF's stock was trading at $25.05 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, ECH shares have increased by 9.2% and is now trading at $27.35.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreGuyana Goldfields Inc. provides exploration and production of gold. It engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, production, and operation of gold mineral properties. The company also owns and operates gold drilling rights. The company was formerly known as Chiboug Copper Company Limited and changed its name to Guyana Goldfields Inc. in January 1995. Guyana Goldfields Inc. was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. As of August 25, 2020, Guyana Goldfields Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Company Limited.

Read MoreThere is not enough analysis data for Mongolia Growth Group.

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Next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BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreIn analysing the hierarchy of courts in Ghana and their operations, they can be compared to that of the British Common Law system. The system is said to be built on a foundation which Ghana acquired from the common law of the Anglo-Saxon, statutory law and other documents. Since the independence of the country in 1957, the courts have been operating in a way that grants the citizens the opportunity to take part in the administration of justice. This has been possible through the operations of public and customary tribunals, among others, as spelt out in Article 125 (2) of the constitution of the Republic of Ghana. In this article, we take a look at the hierarchy of these Ghanaian courts and also discuss the operations of each of them.

Basically, the operations of the courts of the Republic of Ghana are adversarial in nature. This adversarial system gives the opposing sides the opportunity to compete in convincing the judge and jury based on the facts they present. In this situation, the Judge or Magistrate operates independently and is expected to deliver his judgement after hearing out each of the parties.

Levels of courts in Ghana

There are mainly two levels or categories of courts in Ghana. These categories are based on the legal procedures of Britain. The court levels are:

The Superior Courts of Judicature: Under this division are the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Regional Tribunal.

The Lower Courts: The Lower Courts consist of the Circuit Court, District Court and Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs. Another court under this level is a Judicial Committee of the Regional House of Chiefs. Then, other lower courts that may be established by law through the Parliament would come under this category.

The difference between these levels of courts is that while the Superior Courts were created by the constitution, the Lower Courts came from the Courts Act.

Types of law courts in Ghana

Under the Ghanaian judicial system, there are mainly five types of courts in Ghana. They are listed below based on their hierarchy:

The Supreme Court The Court of Appeal The High Court The Circuit Court The District Court

Every other court in Ghana is grouped under the courts listed above. So, let us take a look at each of these courts.

READ ALSO: Fundamental human rights in Ghana and institutions to report violations

Supreme Court of Ghana

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country and it is under the leadership of the Chief Justice. There are not less than nine justices who work with the Chief Justice and five constituted panel of judges. Seen as the last court where anyone can make an appeal, the Court has its jurisdiction in terms of how it enforces or interprets the constitutional law.

The Court has a supervisory jurisdiction over all the other courts that exist in Ghana. As a result, it can decide whether the law enacted by a lower court was made as a result of the excess power available to the Parliament or other authorities that are subject to the constitution.

Constitutionally, the Chief Justice presides over all sittings of the Supreme Court. In the appointment of any Chief Justice in Ghana, the President consults the Council of State to determine who is fit. After this is settled, he then goes ahead to get the approval of the Parliament. It is after this process that the Chief Justice is determined.

Functions of the Supreme Court in Ghana

Specifically, the functions of the Supreme Court are listed below:

It is the only court with the right to hear appeals that may come from the National House of Chiefs.

It ensures that there is fairness and consistency in the application of the law. It also makes sure that justice is upheld in the country so that no one is deprived of justice in any court of law.

The Supreme Court is considered as the final appellate court of the country. This is because based on the constitutional right vested in it, appeals of a trial court can be considered there.

The Court also reserves the right to interpret the constitution. As a result of this, it is expected that whatever interpretation it gives must be accepted and respected by everyone.

In situations where questions about the law are raised, the Supreme Court has the advisory jurisdiction of expressing the final opinion on the matter.

The Court of Appeal

The next in the hierarchy of courts in Ghana is the Court of Appeal. Just as the name implies, the Court has the jurisdiction under the constitution to hear and decide appeals from any judgement or order that is made by the High Court or any of the Regional Tribunals. In terms of composition, the Court consists of a Chief Justice and, at least, 10 other Justices.

According to the constitution, every lower court is expected to follow whatever decision is made by the Court of Appeal on any issue that relates to the law. This is in accordance with article 136 (5) of the constitution of the Republic of Ghana.

The High Court

The High Court is composed of a Chief Justice and not less than twenty Justices. The jurisdiction of the Court involves hearing all civil or criminal matters. It has the constitutional right to hear appeals from the District Court as well as criminal appeals that may come from the Circuit Court. More so, based on the Fundamental Human Rights and Freedom spelt out in the 1992 Constitution of the country, the Court has the exclusive jurisdiction to enforce them. Thus, it plays a supervisory jurisdiction over all the lower courts and other inferior judicial bodies that are based in the country.

Names of High Courts in Ghana

To help promote specialisation, the High Court has a number of divisions. The essence of these divisions is to help members of the public to determine where exactly to go based on their issues of concern. At the moment, there are many High Courts that operate in various locations in Ghana. The names of these High Courts are listed below:

Fast Track Court Commercial Court Labour Court Human Rights Court Land Court Economic and Financial Crimes Court Family Court Probate and Administration

The Circuit Court

Although being a part of the lower courts, the Circuit Court has a jurisdiction over both criminal and civil cases. The Court is headed by a Circuit Judge. The Court has jurisdiction over any civil case such as ownership and title to land disputes, that may arise between a landlord and a tenant and title to land. It also has jurisdiction over matters that involve the custody of children. It can also hear out criminal matters that do not have anything to do with treason or offences punishable by death. Some of the criminal matters include cases like defilement and assault.

When there are civil cases like matrimonial and adoption of children issues, the Court can hear them. But then, if an appeal on a civil case arises from the Circuit Court, it can be addressed by the Court of Appeal while appeals from criminal cases are handled by the High Court.

READ ALSO: Law school candidates unhappy with examinations and call for cancellation

The District Court

The District Court takes the largest share of the total number of courts that are in Ghana. Every district within the country has not less than one District Court. These District Courts are usually set up by the Chief Justice and they have the jurisdiction to hear out criminal and civil cases. Every District Court is headed by a Magistrate who is expected to be of proven character.

The Court can hear out matters that relate to divorce and matrimonial issues. It can preside over issues that deal with ownership, possession or occupation of land between a landlord and a tenant. But then, the Court's jurisdiction only covers landed properties that do not exceed GHC 10,000,000.

District Courts in Ghana

The following are some of the District Courts that are based in Ghana.

Motor Court Family Court The Juvenile Court.

With the hierarchy of courts in Ghana, the judicial system of the country is able to operate within their jurisdiction. An understanding of this hierarchy helps citizens flow well with judicial operations. By this, citizens are able to follow a due process in filing their cases and seeking redress of judgements that have been passed, which they think are faulty.

Source: Yen.com.gh- The Ashanti Regional head of the NPP thinks Akufo-Addo has outpeerfomed Mahama in just a little less than two years

- Chairman Wontumi defends the government despite other top NPP members refusing to commend the government's job

According to the Ashanti Regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the government of President Akufo-Addo has performed better than the four years of President John Mahama.

According to Antwi- Boasiako, who is popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, Akufo-Addo has transformed the fundamentals of Ghanas economy. This he said was something President Mahama's government was unable to do.

According to Peacefmonline.com, Chairman Wontumi was responding to criticisms that the government was under-performing.

READ ALSO: YEN.com.gh readers open up on their fears about marriage

Wontumi is quoted as saying: " Without free education, the future of children of school going age in Ghana would be at risk; but we have a president in Nana Addo who within 18 months, has introduced free SHS to make the future of our children brighter again.

John Mahama couldnt do this when he was president.

Wontumi's assessment of the government comes in the wake of other top and popular NPP members sympathising with Ghanaians on what they say is a difficult eceonomic situation in the countri

Musician and NPP supporter A-Plus wrote on Facebook questioning why the President said he was going to change Ghana 18 months.

Gabby Okyere-Darko, Kennedy Agyapong and John Boadu who all top-notch members of the party have expressed in one way or the other that things could have been better under Akufo-Addo.

READ ALSO: Sarkodie and Kwaw Kese are all poverty stricken  Shatta Wale attacks

However Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako seems to be unfazed by the challenge of supporting President Akufo-Addo.

Top 3 Ghana Richest Women: Who Are They? | Yen.com.gh

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Source: Yen.com.gh- Joyce Dzidzor Mensah has made another controversial claim

- Dzidzor has described top presenter and DJ, Root Eye, as a 'kortibortor'

Former AIDS Ambassador, Joyce Dzidzor Mensah has launched a scathing attack on popular radio and TV presenter, Root Eye.

According to Dzidzor, Root Eye has been bad-mouthing her to other people and must put a stop to it.

In a charcteristically controversial post on Facebook, Dzidzo described Root Eye as a 'kortibortor', a Ghanaian term for uncircumcised men.

Why do you keep sniffing around and asking people to stay away from me. Are you my God? Why cant you mind your own business and find a way to do your circumcision. Kortibortor, she posted.

It is not known what may be the real issue for such an attack on Root Eye who happens to be one of the most respected on-air-personalities in the country.

READ ALSO: Menzgold: Afia Schwar can't sleep because of GHC4m investment; cries for refund in new video

But Joyce Dzidzor Mensah has always been known to have a knack for controversies. After declaring herself as HIV positive and serving as AIDS amabassador for several years, she came out later to claim that she lied about her status leading to her being stripped of her ambassadorial role.

Dzidzor has since that time being involved in one controversy or the other. One of her most recent controversies was she 'exposing' one Kristoff Adjei who allegedly used his HIV status to sleep with her.

More recently, she has been in the news for claiming that she had been having sex with two of Ghana's most popular prophets, Bishop Obinim and Reverend Obofour, in her dreams.

READ ALSO: Shatta Wale reveals top secrets about Sarkodie and Kwaw Kese in Kumasi

As to whether shes telling the truth about Root Eye being kortibotor or not, only God, herself, Root Eye and the woman Root Eye have been with knows but it is interesting how Dzidzor might have got to know that.

Kofi Annan Farewell Ceremony: Ghana Says Goodbye to Kofi Annan - Ghana News Today | Yen.com.gh:

Your stories and photos are always welcome.

Send us a message via YEN's official Facebook page.

Source: YenAngel Town, the manager of Ghanaian rapper, Sarkodie, has finally replied Shatta Wale following the latters recent attacks on some artistes.

Shatta Wale has been on a collision course with some of the top Ghanaian musicians in recent weeks, including Stonebwoy, Sarkodie and Kwaw Kese.

Some weeks ago, the Ayoo hitmaker made Sarkodie one of his targets by accusing the rapper of being disrespectful.

Angel Town and Sarkodie

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Pentecost Church honours 100-year-old woman who paid for land to build church

He told Accra-based Hitz FM that the rapper once refused to help him shoot a video for a song they recorded together but readily jumped on the video of another Nigerian artiste.

Recently, Shatta Wale once again hit out at the Sarkcess boss, as well as Kwaw Kese, describing them as hunger-stricken artistes.

But in a response, manager of Sarkodie, Angel Town, has advised Shatta Wale to rather unite his colleagues if he really wants to promote his upcoming album, rather than insult them.

According to him, fighting other artistes is totally unnecessary and Shatta Wale must recognise that.

I have seen him (Shatta Wale) attacking a lot of artistes perhaps to promote his album, even to the extent of taking it out on Sarkodie recently, yeah, but I think asking all these guys to help you and putting them together on a tour is the way to go, not fighting over kingship titles, he said.

Shatta Wales upcoming album is titled The Reign.

Ghana News Today: Duncan Williams - The Shocking Truth About His Divorce | Yen.com.gh

READ ALSO: Bank of Ghana freezes NAM1s accounts

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- Imani's president, Franklin Cudjoe has accused the Ministry of Communications of constantly embarrassing the government

- According to him, some of its contracts flout procurement laws

- He argued that a current deal with StarTimes should be debated in Parliament

Franklin Cudjoe, the president of Imani Ghana, a policy think tank, has slammed the Ministry of Communications for engaging in deals that embarrass the government.

According to him, the ministry does not think through its policies, and often makes the government a laughing stock.

Speaking to Citi News, he explained that the Ursula Owusu-Ekuful-led ministry keeps flouting Ghanas procurement laws with little or no supervision.

President of Imani Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe Source: www.graphic.com.gh

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Shatta Wale reveals top secrets about Sarkodie and Kwaw Kese

He added that the ministry has also has a penchant for overseeing improper contracts, a development that does not augur well for Ghana.

Reacting to the tax waiver offered to Chinese firm, Star Communication Network Technology popularly known as StarTimes by the Ghana Government, Cudjoe said the deal exposes another policy paralysis by the ministry.

He went on to say that the tax waiver agreement is unfortunate and a total disrespect for Ghanaian digital content.

In his opinion, the ministry lacks competent planners, and therefore called on Parliament to investigate the controversial deal and to abrogate the tax waiver given to StarTimes.

He suggested that it is best for the ministry to backtrack on the StarTimes deal and rather support the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA).

The government has meanwhile explained that the commencement of the StarTimes 300 village satellite TV project, has no bearing on the development of a Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform for Ghana.

It has also noted that the tax waivers granted StarTimes are only for the specific equipment, devices/terminals for this satellite TV project.

READ ALSO: 100 year old woman celebrated for land she gave away to the Church of Pentecost

Ghana Funny Tricky Questions: 6X9? | #Yencomgh

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Source: Yen.com.gh- A man has been sentenced to jail for infecting his two girlfriends with HIV

- According to reports, he hid his status and forged a text message lying about it

- The two ladies have all been infected with the deadly virus

A 23-year-old Ghanaian man, Japhet Osei of Reading, Berkshire in the UK, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment after he was found guilty of lying to his girlfriends and knowingly infecting them with HIV.

Japhet, who is believed to be dating two women, has infected them with the virus after he told them he was not a carrier of the disease.

He had been diagnosed with the virus in February 2014 as a 19-year-old, but kept his status secret and passed on the Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) to his two women.

Blood sample in a test tube. Credit: Medical News Today

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Pentecost Church honours 100-year-old woman who paid for land to build church

The court revealed that Osei did not use protection with a 17-year-old girl he was reportedly dating.

He also went on to persuade another lady to have unsafe intercourse with him because according to him, she was his girlfriend.

The second lady, who is reported to have been more cautious and opted for Japhet to use protection had her suggestion turned down by Japhet.

The presiding judge, Angela Morris, said Osei lied several times.

"Despite your knowledge of your medical condition you embarked on a sexual relationship. Your actions are totally inexcusable."

Japhet Osei. Credit: Pulse.com.gh

Source: UGC

She also ordered that Osei be the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order where he is not permitted to have intercourse with any woman without telling her about his HIV status.

READ ALSO: Ibrah One accuses Menzgold of spending investors' money on musicians, actors

The identity of both girlfriends were kept away from the public obviously due to some legal and privacy reasons.

They were referred to as "Miss A" and "Miss B" throughout legal proceedings.

Reports have it that the ladies fell ill and tests showed Osei had passed the virus onto each of them because expert analysis found they shared exactly the same strain of the virus.

Osei is purported to have also forged a text message that stated he had undergone a check-up in a sexual health clinic where he tested negative to having HIV.

He also failed to accept the help doctors offered him when it came to light that he was a carrier of the virus.

The court stated that not only did Osei conceal that he was HIV positive, he kept it a secret knowing full well that his particularly high viral count meant it was more likely he would infect partners through unprotected intercourse.

READ ALSO: Sarkodie and Kwaw Kese are all poverty stricken  Shatta Wale attacks

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Source: Yen Ghana- The youth chief of Kumbungu in the Northern Region, Zaachi, has killed the youth chief of Chanzegu, Saha Naa Haruna

- The incident occurred during the celebration of the Bugum fire festival

- Haruna was rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival

The Northern Regional Police Command has declared the youth chief of Kumbungu, known as Zaachi, wanted, after he fired a gun at a festival.

A stray bullet from the gun hit another chief, 40-year-old Saha Naa Haruna, the chief of Chanzegu, who was subsequently rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

He was however pronounced dead on arrival, and police officials have begun investigations into the matter.

The Bugum Fire Festival is characterized by fireworks and gunshots Credit: haunsinafrica.com

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Communications Ministry keeps embarrassing the government - Franklin Cudjoe

YEN.com.gh understands that the deceased was hit by a stray bullet suspected to have come from an AK 47 rifle, which the Zaachi was holding at this years fire festival (Bugum).

The incident occurred on Thursday, September 20, 2018, at about 11pm.

The Northern Regional Police Command has commenced investigations into the shooting incident and the youth chief according to the police, was currently on the run.

He was said to have pulled an AK 47 assault rifle during the festival and discharged two shots into the air as part of the celebration.

The Northern Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr Mohammed Yusif Tanko said that the police have been told that while the suspect was bringing the rifle down, it went off, and as a result, discharged a bullet that hit the neck of the deceased.

The Bugum festival is an important occasion celebrated annually among the people of Dagbon, Gonja, Mamprugu and Nanumba ethnic groups to mark a historical event on the Mole-Dagbon calendar amid chanting, dancing, firing of muskets, lighting of fire and marching through the principal streets of the town.

READ ALSO: 100 year old woman celebrated for land she gave to the Church of Pentecost

Ghana News Today: Lack of Evidence Against Former GFA President | Yen.com.gh

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Source: Yen.com.ghMenzgold boss, Nana Appiah Mensah, has revealed why young millionaire, Ibrah One, hates him so much.

After the Security and Exchange Commission instructed the gold trading firm to stop trading until further notice, Ibrah One has been on the neck of Nana Appiah Mensah.

The young millionaire first attacked the business mogul over the controversy between Menzgold and Bank of Ghana. He questioned Nana Appiah Mensahs source of wealth.

READ ALSO: Root Eye is an 'uncircumcised' man - Joyce Dzidzor Mensah claims

The Ghanaian rich kid for second time slammed Nana Appiah Mensah, this time he accused him of spending his investors monies on musicians and actors who had not acted in years.

Ibrah One again said he will end his life if Menzgold returns to operations on September 28th

But Nana Appiah Mensah, affectionately called NAM1, has hit back at Ibrah One by releasing a screenshot Whatsapp chat between the two on his Instagram page.

In the private chat sighted by YEN.com.gh dated November 2017, Ibrah One requested to do business with NAM1 but the latter didnt respond to the formers request.

READ ALSO: Sarkodies manager replies Shatta Wale

However, YEN.com.gh cant substantiate whether that snub from NAM1 angered Ibrah One to attack him.

In other news:

With the current issues surrounding Menzgold, controversial TV personality Afia Schwar has sent a strong warning to Nana Appiah Appiah over troubles the investment firm has been facing lately.

According to her, she is losing sleep because her mother has invested GHC4 million with Menzgold.

READ ALSO: Sarkodie and Kwaw Kese are all poverty stricken  Shatta Wale attacks

Top 3 Ghana Richest Women: Who Are They? | Yen.com.gh

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YEN's official Facebook page.

Source: Yen.com.gh- There was a protest by Nigerian businessmen at the ECOWAS building in Abuja on Monday, September 24

- The protesters on the platform of the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANT) were kicking against the closure of their businesses in Ghana

- NANT's president, Ken Ukaoha, gave the commission one week to intervene or else members of the association will deploy more members to occupy the entire building

The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANT) on Monday, September 24, stormed the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) secretariat in Abuja to protest the alleged closure of shops belonging to Nigerians resident in Ghana.

READ ALSO: Bank of Ghana freezes NAM1s accounts

The protest which took place in the morning of Monday partly shut down activities at the secretariat, Punch reports.

The protesters marched through the streets of Yakubu Gowon way in Asokoro, causing gridlock along the Asokoro axis.

The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions such like We need ECOWAS intervention, Ghana re-open Nigerias shops now, ECOWAS, the situation in Ghana is totally unacceptable, Ghana wants AFCTA secretariat but clamps on African traders .

Concerning the development, NANT's president, Barrister Ken Ukaoha, said that the association is protesting the alleged victimisation of Nigerian businessmen in the neighbouring nation.

READ ALSO: NAM1 finally hits back at Ibrah One

Ukaoha revealed that recently a law was enacted by the Ghanaian parliament to make the business environment hostile to foreign investors.

He further said that since Ghana is a signatory to the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of goods and services, there is a need for the commission to call the Ghanaian government to order.

NANT's boss further said that the association is giving the commission nothing more than one week ultimatum to intervene in the matter, stating that if nothing was done, the association would deploy all its members to occupy the secretariat.

READ ALSO: Shatta Wale unhappy with Akufo-Addo-led administration

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com reported that the Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) was to deport a total of 73 foreign nationals over their illegal stay in the country. The deportees, made up of all women, includes 72 Nigerians and another from Togo.

While most of them are being deported for staying in the country illegally, others are also reported to have engaged in prostitution.

Kofi Annan Farewell Ceremony: Ghana Says Goodbye to Kofi Annan - Ghana News Today | Yen.com.gh:

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YEN's official Facebook page.

Source: YenThe chief executive officer of Zylofon Media and Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM1, has reacted to some claims that were circulating in the media that he borrowed his private jet.

The businessman took to his Instagram account and shared a copy a letter and photos believed to prove that he is the owner of a private jet he launched and was seen in a few years ago.

His post follows some screenshots that were circulating on social media to the effect that he had borrowed a private jet to deceive some people.

READ ALSO: Eagle Prophet under fire over his Accra Mall explosion prophecy

After sharing the proof of ownership, he captioned it, I OWN IT. There you go! Your hate and lies can't and won't stop God's blessings for his anointed ones; Especially those who are called according to his purpose. #Repent! Jesus is coming back soon. #ALL SHOULD KINDLY STAY CALM ..MENZGOLD SHALL HAVE A GREAT REBOUND SOON. Cheers

He went on to advice the perpetrators of fake news to turn over a new leaf and give their lives to Jesus Christ.

Earlier, there were some screenshots going round on social media reported to be a conversation between NAM1 and a business associate.

Excerpts of the message highlighted that NAM1, contrary to popular belief, borrowed a private jet to deceive Ghanaians when news was rife that he had purchased it.

NAM1 took to Instagram to rubbish the claims going round and said the info was fake news.

READ ALSO: NAM1 finally hits back at Ibrah One

He shared the screen grabs of the alleged Whatsapp message captioned it, I would like to humbly urge the public to disregard these messages as I have never had such conversations and must be rejected because it is fake news.

These carefully crafted social media posts are calculated to draw disaffection for me and a close observation will show that it is fake, excerpts from his earlier his post read.

In a related development, young Ghanaian millionaire, Ibrah One, has waded into the Menzgold saga and made some allegations.

According to Ibrah One, deposits made by clients of the gold hub have been channeled into the management of musicians and actors who had not acted in years.

Following up with his earlier claims Ibrah has also revealed his readiness to end his own life if Menzgold is able to return to business on September 28.

The gold outfit and the Security Exchange Commission (SEC) have been engaged in a give and take over the past few weeks, which has resulted in the suspension of the companys gold vault services and dividend payments.

READ ALSO: Police hunt for chief after murder at a festival

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Source: Yen Newspaper- Rev. Owusu Bempah has attributed the current economic hardships to demons

- He indicated that there was an individual behind the issues that have besieged the nation

The founder and leader of the Glorious Power Ministry, Apostle Dr. Isaac Owusu Bempah, has attributed the current economic hardships in Ghana to the work of some four evil spirits that have plagued the nation.

In a video that has surfaced online and sighted by YEN.com.gh, Owusu Bempah claimed that there were spiritual manipulations by evil spirits to sabotage the incumbent government through a struggling economy.

He urged Ghanaians to rise up and pray for the country to avert it while he advised the Akufo-Addo-led administration to make sound policies which would make life better for the citizenry.

Owusu Bempah. Credit: Supplied

Source: Depositphotos

READ ALSO: NAM1 finally hits back at Ibrah One

"We need to pray because it is not only about the physical when it comes to the development of the country. It is also about spiritual warfare," he said.

Owusu Bempah also claimed that someone who was thinking of his personal gain was behind the demons that had besieged the country.

He was heard saying that a political figure had decided to do all he could to make situation unbearable for Ghanaians in order to gain their sympathies and favour.

The pastor alleged that a prominent person had been sacrificed by the country's saboteurs so that living in the country would become more and more unbearable by citizens.

He said that the spirits were impacting the spirit of haste and anger in many Ghanaians which have led to the many criticisms of the current administration.

Video Credit: YouTube/Accra City News

The pastor added that the person in question was spending millions of dollars on enchanters and was travelling to places to have spiritual things done for him.

READ ALSO: Pentecost Church honours 100-year-old woman who paid for land to build church

He however claimed that God had revealed to him that that person's efforts to cause confusion in the country was going to end in disappointment.

Owusu Bempah added that the love God had for Ghana superseded the love he had for any individual and for that matter, was going to thwart the person's efforts.

He said most of the time, people did not take him seriously when he made such declarations but it was something that came with being a prophet.

Recently, a lot of Ghanaians have increased their criticism of the Akufo-Addo government over the incessant increase in petrol prices and the continuous upsurge of the major trading currencies.

Owusu Bempah also said the person in question has intentions of ascending into high office therefore asking Ghanaians to pray against the evil spirits causing the hardships.

He also explained that: If God has not chosen you, you cannot choose yourself. If God rejects you, he has rejected you."

The video which has started trending on social media has bee dated September 16, 2018.

READ ALSO: Eagle Prophet under fire over his Accra Mall explosion prophecy

Watch: Ghana News Today: Drivers angry over hike in Fuel price | Yen.com.gh

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Source: Yen News- A popular Kumasi-based radio presenter, Joe Mex, is reportedly dead

- He lost his life at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital following an ailment.

- His remains have been deposited at the morgue, pending autopsy.

Information available to YEN.com.gh shows that a popular radio presenter has lost his life.

The late Joe Mex, according to a report by MyNewsGH.com, was a senior broadcast journalist who, until his death, worked with Fox FM.

The cause of his death is yet to be ascertained, but YEN.com.gh understands that he passed away on Sunday, September 23, 2018 at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital following an ailment.

READ ALSO: Step down sir - Social media advises Akufo-Addo as he makes a serious confession

Joe Mex is well known as he hosts Fox FMs popular late night radio show, which often features spiritual leaders.

His remains have been deposited at the morgue, pending autopsy.

READ ALSO: Top 5 Ghanaian celebrities who have married this year

Top 3 Ghana Richest Women: Who Are They? | Yen.com.gh

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Source: Yen.com.ghJodeci Sherels | CPD

A Jackson, Mich., man is accused of robbing two people and stealing property from two others in the River North area last Thursday and Friday, police said.

Jodeci Sherels, 26, was arrested on the first block of West Tooker Place, a small street near Washington Square Park on Friday evening. He has been ordered held without bail. At least two of the alleged crimes were reported in the minutes leading up to Sherels arrest.

Around 6:40 p.m. on Friday, a man flagged down a police patrol car in the 700 block of North State to report that a man with orange hair had just stolen his cellular phone.

Then, at 7:10 p.m., a victim reported that a similarly-described man ran up on them and took their phone in front of a hotel near LaSalle and Grand.

Finally, at 7:20 p.m., several witnesses reported a woman chasing after a man near Dearborn and Delaware after he allegedly tried to rob her in a parking garage near Dearborn and Chicago.

An off-duty police officer began chasing Sherels and detained him for cops at the Tooker location. The victims identified Sherels as the man who robbed them or stole their property, according to a police report.

At least one other incident took place on Thursday, police said, but the details of that case were not released.

Sherels is charged with two felony counts of robbery, one felony count of theft, and one misdemeanor count of theft of lost or mislaid property.

Original reporting that youll see nowhere else. Donate $49 or more to our operating fund and youll receive a years worth of exclusive reports and services. Monthly plans from just $5 available.The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested an Indian who visited last Thursday the house of Namal Kumara - operation Director of the Anti Corruption Movement who revealed a conspiracy assassinate President Maithripala Sirisena and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

He has been taken into custody following information Namal Kumara gave to the police.

Namal has said this Indian national was not known to him. After conspiracy was disclosed in the media, this person had come to see him and warned about possible death threat on him.

However being suspicious about the visitor he has informed about the Indian to Warakapola police and the CID.

Meanwhile, the CID has called Namal to police at 9.00 a.m. on Wednesday again to record a statement for the third time.(Indika Ramanayaka)The Constitutional Council (CC), which makes recommendations for the appointments of Independent Commissions and key appointments in the State sector, remain defunct virtually as six out of seven slots reserved for nominated members have not been filled at the moment, it is learnt.

The CC is a body that consists of ten members. Seven are nominated members. The three others - the Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader - are ex officio members.

The three-year term of seven nominated members ended recently. However, only President Maithripala Sirisena has nominated Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe as his representative to the CC at the moment. Accordingly, there are four members of the CC now in place.

According to parliamentary sources, the CC cannot hold its meetings until another member is nominated to meet the quorum of five.

The Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader are required to nominate their representatives from among parliamentarians. Besides, another parliamentarian should be appointed to represent the parties in Parliament which the Prime Minister or the Opposition Leader do not belong to.

Also, three representatives should be nominated to represent civil society. Previously, A. T. Ariyaratne, Radhika Coomaraswamy and Sibly Aziz served in the CC as civil society representatives.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya held a meeting recently to work out the modalities for the selection of three civil society members. For this purpose, civil society organizations such as PAFFREL are to be consulted. (Kelum Bandara)MTD Walkers PLC was queried by the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) last week over the firms ability and measures taken to retire a substantial part of its debenture maturing by the end of this month, after the company failed to disclose its rating downgrade.



Civil engineering juggernaut, which made inroads into marine engineering and real estate recently, was downgraded to the junk status this May but the company failed to disclose of its rating action until the CSE made queries.



Disclosing its rating actions, the company said it incorrectly assumed that the availability of the rating online at the rating agencys website would be adequate and added that they would ensure all future rating actions are released to the CSE going forward.

On May 30, ICRA Lanka Limited downgraded MTD Walkers and its Rs.3.0 billion debentures issued in 2015 September to BB- from BB+, with a Negative Outlook, due to the firms deteriorating profitability and increasing debt. Out of the Rs.3.0 billion debentures, Rs.2.1 billion of Type A debentures are waiting for retirement on September 30 and the balance under Type B, two years later.



As the company has been losing money and became over-leveraged due to the borrowings made to fund its significant working capital needs, there is an uncertainty over the firms ability to meet its near-term obligations.



The company is making every endeavour to meet its obligations as per the debenture trust deed, MTD Walkers said in response to the CSEs letter dated September 19, on the matter. MTD Walkers is a leading contractor of state-funded infrastructure projects such as roads, highways and housing projects but the payment delays have caused the group to borrow for its working capital.



The company has already handed over three Urban Development Authority housing development projects, which were financed on a deferred contractor financing model and the total receivables from these three projects stand at Rs.5.6 billion. The total receivables to MTD Walkers as of June 30, 2018 stood at Rs.23 billion and the company has Rs.29 billion in total outstanding borrowings. ICRA measured the MTD Walkers groups gearing at 4.9 times by end-December 2017, from 2.5 times and 1.7 times in financial years 2017 and 2016, respectively.



Last December, the piling work of the Central Expressway State II, spanning from Meerigama to KurunegalaMTD Walkers largest construction project to datewas handed over to the company.



Meanwhile, the group lost Rs.3.2 billion during the financial year ended March 2018, due to tougher operating conditions characterized by a slowdown in construction and infrastructure activities, excessively higher operating costs and rising finance costs. The average cost of steel, sand and labour, which makes up 90 percent of construction cost, has increased by a considerable 25 percent during 2017, said MTD Walkers Group Executive Deputy Chairman Jehan Amaratunga. During the quarter ended June 30, the groups net finance cost almost doubled to Rs.990.2 million.



For the quarter ended June 30, 2018 (1Q19), the company lost Rs.624.1 million or Rs.3.72 a share, compared to Rs. 546.1 million or Rs.3.26 loss per share in the same period, last year.



Malaysias MTD Capital Bhd holds a 90.78 percent stake in MTD Walkers PLC.Pathiraja shooting Sakkarang

There is an extraordinary sense of mastery in Vasantha Obeyesekeres early films. Of them, I have not watched his first, Ves Gaththo. Walwath Wuwo, Diyamanthi, and Palagetiyo are representative of the kind of cinema he put into that work, which like Walmath Wuwo was about the dispossessed. Buttressed by a naturalism that never even once deteriorates into melodrama, and a wide canvas that lets us both empathise and criticise his characters, these four films belong to a different world.



Even Diyamanthi, Obeyesekeres most mainstream work, displays a mastery over the medium which goes beyond just the physics of the camera. The fatal allure of youth, the exuberance of the dispossessed, the indifference of the idealist; these are the themes he visits again and again. Before Pathiraja, who would become the ultimate purveyor of the cinema of rebellion, Obeyesekere dissected the plight of the unemployed and the uprooted in ways that no other director could.



Pathirajas cinema offers an interesting counterpoint to Obeyesekeres in this respect, because while both were aware of and open to the social upheaval that Sri Lanka and the young of the country experienced, they approached that theme in superficially similar, yet subtly different ways. In Pathirajas early work (Ahas Gawwa, Bambaru Awith, Para Dige), for instance, there is some form of release, never triumphalist, but nevertheless symbolic. The protagonists decision to turn to a strike at the end of Ahas Gawwa, the speech by Weerasena at the end of Bambaru Awith, and the departure of Chandare and his girlfriend (Chandare, koheda api dan yanne? she asks twice, to which he replies, Danne naha.): these sequences do not vindicate the characters, nor do they absolve their weaknesses, but they provide a definite point of release for the director and the audience; almost a vindication, one could say.



Obeyesekeres early work does not display this kind of unsettled restlessness. The heroes of Walmath Wuwo do not turn to radicalism as easily as the protagonist of Ahas Gawwa, nor do the lovers in Palagetiyo, after a cathartic encounter over diner, resolve their differences, even in the negative way that Chandare and his girlfriend do.



Part of the reason for this may have been the influences that each imbibed. Pathiraja, in his early years, was shaped by the theatre of Beckett, which provided an at times inexplicable detour for the crises and plights that his characters face; the endings of both Bambaru Awith and Para Dige are intensely and insanely symbolic, and they reek of the political so much that in them, as with the plays of Beckett, we see the confluence of the real and the inexplicable.



In Pathirajas early work (Ahas Gawwa, Bambaru Awith, Para Dige), for instance, there is some form of release, never triumphalist, but nevertheless symbolic

Theartre of cruelty



Obeyesekere, on the other hand, was shaped more by the theatre of cruelty. Though he may not have been influenced by Artaud, there are sequences in his early films which go beyond language (as with Artauds theatre). Many of his characters, especially the lovers in Palagetiyo, repress their destructive feelings until the very end. The release as such that we witness at the end of these films are, therefore, not the kind what we expect. The rift between fantasy and reality, which in the directors hands refracts the rift between the rich and the poor, is in that sense more complex than the bourgeois-proletariat tracts bordering on the Absurd we see in Bambaru Awith, and they depict the incapacity of the individual to subjugate his feelings. It is not a cinema of words and symbols; it is a cinema of thought and characters, of violence and madness.



When Sarath brings Kusum, the woman who dreams of a life of ease after eloping with him, to a shack, and slowly laughs at the fact that their new abode does not have a kitchen, a bedroom, or even a washroom, there is despair, and at the same time intense poignancy. Kusums efforts at getting used to this new life are not unsuccessfully (the neighbours do take kindly to her), but even with this obstacle out of the way, there is a more unyielding issue: Sarath tries futilely to find a job in the city, only to be cheated out of the little money he has by an unscrupulous dealer, and while he is out, Kusum begins to feel for another man (Ranjan Mendis, who was the antagonist in Apeksha, a more conventional take on the rich-poor/fantasy-reality rift that Palagetiyo explored). In Obeyesekeres early work, the social and the personal cohabit in a way that they do not in Pathirajas films. The one does not really displace the other, as Kusum learns to herself, at the cost of her own life, towards the end.



In an essay on Bambaru Avith, Regi Siriwardena observed that the final sequence of the film, where Weerasena makes that impassioned speech distilling the plight of the coastal peasants, was at one level unneeded. There are two ways of looking at this speech. (Wimal Kumar da Costa was probably channelling Rohana Wijeweera in his performance, since there are striking resemblances between the two.) The first, the easier way, is by considering it as a theoretical distillation, which is what it is. In this respect, it is a political expression of an actual experience. Siriwardena implies that this may have been what most audiences and critics read into the sequence. On the other hand, it can also be a critique of the attempt made by the character to distil what is otherwise a complex reality that rebels against political simplifications.



Clash between tradition and order



You can argue that the speech is a failure on the part of the revolutionary to communicate with the peasants he sympathises with, but then, the clash between the traditional order (Anton Aiya) and the new order (Baby Mahaththaya) is portrayed through a political lens to such an extent that we cant help but view this speech itself through that same lens. It is not that the political is missing in Obeyesekeres work from this period, but the political, no matter how intrusive it may be at certain points (in particular, in Walmath Wuwo) doesnt intrude on the personal, at least not the extent that it does in a film like Bambaru Awith. Both Obeyesekere and Pathiraja were tempered by the political. The difference, as always then, was one of degree. In that respect, Pathirajas work is more intellectualised than felt, even in those sequences where the content, the experience, precedes and supersedes the form, the political. For the truth is that Pathirajas films are not the felt works of art they are made out to be, a contention I am willing to make at the cost of alienating a substantial readership. In fact it is less a contention than an argument, a point of view that can be borne out by a seod viewing of his early work. The uniqueness of these works is that they resist easy categorisation despite their Marxist veneer; certain sequences, like that of Weerasenas speech, are more anti-political than political. But then, these are more the exception than the rule.



In Vasantha Obeyesekere, I noted more than a year ago, we come across a director who depicted in a fatalistic light both tradition and modernity. Pathiraja would have welcomed modernity while eschewing its capacity for exploitation. He would also have looked back to the past with anger, just as Mrinal Sen did, though unlike Sen, he did not transform from a political polemicist to a poet committed to incertitude (the words of James Quandt). That poet was Obeyesekere; none of his films, even the later films, depicts their milieu and their conflicts in politically clear cut terms.



When Georges Sadoul referred to the films of Lester James Peries as models of poetry and honesty, he was not an inexact critic making arbitrary claims. He did not mean that Periess works represented the societies in which they were set. In that sense, demarcating the films of Pathiraja as political does no justice in summarising the cinema he stood for. But such claims, though arbitrary, are useful when assessing the artist in comparison to, and against, the parameters of his contemporaries.

Periess films were models of poetry and honesty when viewed through a political lens. It was Pathiraja who made it possible for us to measure our cinema by resorting to such a lens. Viewed against it, then, Obeyesekere was less political than Pathiraja, and at the same time less personal than Peries. The latter believed, however much he denied it, in the overwhelming solace of traditionalism, while the former believed in the ravaging vicissitudes of rationality and modernity. Obeyesekeres greatness, which came out most prominently in his early work, was that he believed in neither.



UDAKDEV1@GMAIL.COMBy Nishel Fernando

Sri Lanka plans to implement the standardised National Quick Response (QR) code-based transactions named LANKAQR shortly, aiming to speed up electronic transactions and to make electronic payments affordable to masses, while several other initiatives are underway to promote cashless transactions.



Addressing the LankaPay Technovation Awards 2018 held in Colombo last week, Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy revealed that within a very short period of time, the Central Bank would issue the required specifications for the implementation of the National QR code in the country.



The Monetary Board of the Central Bank has granted the approval for the standardised national QR code-based transactions named LANKAQR. The QR code would allow any small merchant, be it a street-side vendor or a taxi driver, to accept electronic payments just by having a printed QR code and basic mobile phone. These innovations have been a result of industry collaboration to bring together the dispersed talents into concerted efforts towards advancing financial services, he said.



He noted that the Fintech Subcommittee under the National Payment Council of the Central Bank has been working on developing the standardised national QR code as well as a National Transit Card for Sri Lanka.



The standardised QR code-based transactions are widely seen as a step towards financial freedom in terms of cashless transactions, enabling the consumers to make cashless payments directly to the merchants bank account with ease and enhanced security while avoiding the point of sale terminal and transaction charges associated with it.

The QR code-based payments gain popularity with Chinas rapid adoption of QR code-based payments, which were dominated by WeChat and Alipay, which gradually expanded to other countries, including India. Singapore this year launched what it claimed to be the worlds first unified payment QR code, which will be adopted by 27 payment schemes in Singapore.



We have seen firsthand the benefits and efficiencies that digitization has for easing entry barriers to markets, correcting information anomalies and for inclusive growth policies, the governor said. Dr. Coomaraswamy emphasised that the anticipated introduction of the National Card Scheme would also benefit the country in many ways.



LankaClear (Private) Limited and JCB International Co. Ltd, the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd (JCB), last year entered into a strategic partnership to establish a National Card Scheme to issue LankaPay-JCB co-branded cards and to jointly promote the acceptance of such cards with the JCB payment solutions; the National Card Scheme is expected to be launched this year.



The current merchant discount rate of international card schemes is high on 1.5 percent to 3 percent. Therefore, some merchants are reluctant to accept card-based payment. This initiative will also contribute to reduce foreign currency payments to international card schemes, Dr. Coomaraswamy pointed out. He also asserted that the digitization of government services is another priority area of the government. With the introduction of electronic payments to the government sector, the payment and collection process of the government will be streamlined, ensuring timely find flows to the government while reducing the cost of revenue collection, he said.



He noted that as the first phase, the LankaPay online payment platform was implemented by LankaClear initially to facilitate payments to Sri Lanka Customs by streamlining the processes that were previously time-consuming and costly.



He revealed that e-payments would also be introduced to other government departments in the future, such as the Inland Revenue Department, Board of Investment, Sri Lanka Ports Authority as well as the Provincial Councils and Local Governments Ministry, under the e-Local Government project.



Speaking of the growing popularity for digital currencies globally, Dr. Coomaraswamy said that the Central Bank is considering the forms of regulated digital currency, such as digital fiat currency, to achieve a balance between regulation and innovation as its responsible to the people and government of the country for the safety and security of public funds. However, he stressed that on cryptocurrencies, the Central Bank would maintain its current stance, which was issued in April 2018.



The Central Bank cautioned the users, holders and traders of virtual currencies regarding the potential economic, financial, operational, legal, customer protection and security risks associated in dealing with virtual currencies and initial coin offerings. The CBSL notified that it has not given any licences or authorisation to any entity or company to operate such schemes in Sri Lanka. The stance is in line with many other countries in the region, he reiterated.



He further revealed that the Blockchain Committee under the National Payment Council is working towards understanding how the blockchain technology can be utilised to improve financial services.



While ensuring the Central Banks continuous support for digitisation, the governor said, The CBSL is fully supportive of digitisation and the use of new technologies and in fact promotes a less cash society in Sri Lanka through the use of new cashless payment mechanisms, such as digital banking payments, smart mobile apps, mobile wallets, QR code-based payments and nickname-based payment and initiatives on e-commerce payments.



He noted that the Central Bank had taken several measures to support digitisation. He recalled the Central Banks decision to impose maximum limits on the transaction fees of the Sri Lanka Inter Bank Payment System, Common Electronic Fund Transfer Switch and other payment channels, targeting reducing the consumers cost for electronic payments and increasing the utilisation of the available capacity of electronic payment systems. However, the governor stressed that Sri Lanka also needs to be cognizant of the regulatory shortfalls, particularly the fintech innovations could have.



The Central Bank has initiated the process to set up a FinTech Regulatory Sandbox for Sri Lanka so that the CBSL can provide an environment that nurtures and promotes the advancement of fintech innovations whilst maintaining the appropriate regulatory standards, he said.



Touching the security issues arising from cyberattacks, Dr. Coomaraswamy cautioned that while being optimistic in technological innovations, Sri Lanka also needs to be concerned on cyber security threats, which broadly involves techniques such as insider attacks, different types of malware, advanced persistent threat attacks and social engineering attacks, etc.The Cable News Network (CNN)s widely-respected analyst Fareed Zakaria in his programme Global Public Square on Sunday examined the response to the rise of populism or narrow-minded racist and religious thinking in Europe and said the United States and Europe should be celebrating the remarkable achievements of diversity in a democracy.



Mr. Zakaria, a Harvard-educated millionaire quoted from the widely selling book Identity, saying he wanted the people to understand how Europe, a continent finally at peace after centuries of conflict, could be succumbing to the rise of populism and nativism. He said he wondered, whether this could be fuelling Europeans newfound Euroscepticism and hostility toward strangers, foreigners, anyone who is different. The books author said identity was important but to be wholesome we need to have a broad mind whereby while we practise our beliefs and cultural traditions, we also need to respect the beliefs and traditions of people of other religions or races. This paradigm shift is essential to bring about accommodation on the middle path where my beliefs in accommodation with the beliefs of another will produce what is called synergy. That means 1 plus 1 will make not 2, but three -- a new and broader picture on important issues such as religious and racial unity in diversity.

These reflections come to mind as we commemorate tomorrow the 59th death anniversary of Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike who was shot dead by a monk at his Rosemead place residence on September 26, 1959. The Oxford-educated Mr. Bandaranaike who also held the prestigious post of Secretary of the Oxford Union, changed the course of Sri Lankas history when he broke away from the ruling United National Party (UNP) in 1951 and formed a Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).



While his positive achievements were many, apparently to win the 1956 general election, he highlighted the Sinhala only policy and on this popular measure went onto win the elections in a coalition known as the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, including the so called Boralugoda lion Philip Gunawardene. In one of the many steps he took, Mr. Bandaranaike made what we now see as a drastic or devastating move by taking away the English language as a medium of education in schools. Today we are trying to revive the English medium because without it young people or others could learn little from the marvels of modern technology including the search engines which are like press-button encyclopaedias.



To Mr. Bandaranaikes credit, it needs to be said that he moved fast to draft legislation for the reasonable use of Tamil also and the setting up of District councils to give more power to the minority communities. These DCs had far less powers than the existing Provincial Councils. But the populist and racist forces ganged up against Mr. Bandaranaike provoking the 1958 racial riots.



Let us not forget that J. R. Jayawardene, later to become the first Executive President, also led a march to Kandy on the basis that Mr. Bandaranaike was trying to divide the country. Ultimately the populist or racist forces killed him when Somarama Thera shot him point blank in the head though most analysts believe there were others behind him. Ironically what Mr. Bandaranaike could not or was not allowed to do became the destiny of his daughter Chandrika Bandaranike Kumaratunga, who became the Executive President in 1994. During her term she drafted a Constitution devolving power to the minorities and strangely the main person behind it was Prof. G. L. Peiris who is now General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna which appears to be supporting nationalistic forces. Ms. Bandaranaike was not allowed to implement that constitution.



Now the coalition government, headed by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, is working out a new Constitution to celebrate the hallowed principle of unity in diversity. We hope broad-minded people will celebrate this concept instead of following the destructive trends that US President Donald Trump and some other European countries are following by isolating or marginalizing the minorities.President Maithripala Sirisena who will address the UN General Assembly today, had earlier confided to the media bosses that he would, in his UN speech, seek a reprieve of war crimes against the government forces.



I will also make a written request to the Human Rights Council to settle the allegations against our troopsI want to tell them to remove these charges. We can amicably resolve this issue,he said.



Though some sources suggest that the president is having second thoughts about this approach, chances are that he would stick to his earlier promise.

The Presidents supposed comes in the wake of a proposal by the Jathika Hela Urumaya for a general amnesty for military personnel and the LTTE cadres, except those who were implicated in grave crimes inspired by personal gains.

An emerging China led global economic order, of which Sri Lanka is already a linchpin should further erode our dependence on the West



That is a fair deal, and should provide a much needed closure to an unwanted distraction of the national priorities. However, neither proposal is likely to please the diaspora Tamil organizations, local Tamil fringe, or the local and foreign NGO captains. Sinhala ultra-nationalist fanatics could well try to fish in troubled waters. Though some right violations did happen, which is inevitable in the total war that the Wanni was subjected to, due to the miscalculated military adventurism of the LTTE, the clamour for war crime trials is a ploy by the Eelam fringe to win a consolation price for losing the Eelam war. Mahinda Rajapaksa, the ex-president could have nipped this in the bud, if he investigated the most blatant cases of abuses, and made a conspicuous break from the arbitrariness of the war time past. Instead, he persisted on a culture of impunity and fostered a dynastic project.



Mr. Rajapaksas egregiousness in the eyes of West and America was the primary driver behind their call for war crime investigations, as means to intimidate their nemesis of the Rajapaksa regime. Constituent pressure of the Tamil diaspora added venom, but they were secondary. Rather, those groups were emboldened by MRs repeated blundering through catering to a minority of Sinhalese ultra-nationalist fringe.



Since he vacated the office, the West lost much of its loathing towards Sri Lanka, yet, the veneer of sanctimonious pretense had to be retained for some time. That saw once in a while calls for reconciliation and accountability here.



However, much has changed since then. Donald Trump has pulled America out of the UN Human Rights Council, and threatened to sanction the International Criminal Court. Europe is going through an identity crisis, which would get worsened as those countries grapple with the rigours of diversity. Emerging nationalist right there has no pretense of liberal interventionism.



Surely, these changes are disturbing for a majority, but some may find the unfolding political upheaval in the West as beneficial. In a dispassionate take on things, that should include us, who should now be able to use this opportunity to sort our problems out in our terms.



An emerging China led global economic order, of which Sri Lanka is already a linchpin should further erode our dependence on the West, should such dependence come at the expense of our immediate national interests.



Frankly, the world is too busy to be bothered about Sri Lanka. Worse things are happening from Syria to Palestine to Democratic Republic of Congo.



However, our obsession to flaunt before global forums, a problem that was already 10 years old, stems partly from paranoia and partly from a misplaced sense of self-importance, both born out of ignorance.

There is a conspicuous lack of political will to implement crucial economic policy, be it multi-million- dollar investment projects, such as Hambantota free trade zone, or free trade agreements such as ECTA



Sri Lanka should find a solution to its war crime allegations within its shores, under its terms. The Presidents UN address would not help things. Instead, it traps the global attention on Sri Lanka even temporary on a problem that the country should have buried a long time ago. Instead, we would be better off if the president flaunts the Chinese funded Colomboport city, and tells the world that SriLanka is open to business. That is what Dr. Mahathir Mohamed (younger one, who built Malaysia, not necessarily the current one who seems to be a self -contradiction of his inner-self) would have done. However, Sri Lanka, among a long list of countries, has long suffered from the absence of a coherent set of national priorities.



That leads to the distressing part of our predicament. The governments penchant to revisit war crimes, every other time a local politician meets a foreign leader is partly due to lack of anything else worthwhile to talk about and agreed upon. That explains the countrys pitiful economic existence at the moment. There is a conspicuous lack of political will to implement crucial economic policy, be it multi-million- dollar investment projects, such as Hambantota free trade zone, or free trade agreements such as ECTA. Economic consequences of flight of foreign capital, manifest in the rupee hitting its all- time low (US $ 400 million fled the country so far this year) has been aggravated by the governments failure to attract foreign direct investment. Instead, the government is sitting on investment proposals. We are going through the fourth lost years, economically speaking.



That is the real problem that this country is faced with. A pro-active government would have prioritized on the economy, the rest is secondary. A government that fails to exhibit even the bare minimum political will to create wealth for its people, is unlikely to be trusted by the people, especially the Sinhalese majority who feel an elevated sense of urgency. Northern Tamil leadership may have other demands, but deep down in their hearts, the average Tamil folks know their priorities are not much different from those of the rest of the country. Effectively, the government fails both these people. And, the blunt truth is that it is unlikely to resolve any of the special grievances of Tamils, until it solves common grievances of both communities.Sri Lanka ranked in the fourth place among countries most affected by extreme weather events in 2016, according to the Global Climate Risk Index (CRI). The average CRI for Sri Lanka for the last 20 years (1997-2017) was recorded as 48.



While the CRI fluctuates, depending on the disaster impacts on annual basis, the 2016 rank clearly indicatesthat Sri Lankas vulnerability to natural disasters has increased dramatically. This suggests the need to take appropriate policy measures in a timely manner to combat the negative impacts of such calamities.



IPS policy engagement

Evidence-basedresearch is the basis for formulating effective climate policies. Research is vital to improve knowledge on climate change and to design suitable interventions. Sound research is particularly important to address policy level issues in facing the challenges of climate change. This is at the heart of the environment policy research programme of the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS). In 2009, the IPS came up with a framework for a national agenda to mainstreaming climate change for sustainable development in the country. The report served as the platform for climate change research at IPS, which later evolved into a comprehensive research programme.



Over the years, IPS has made significant contributions towardslinking research with practicalpolicy formulation. The National Adaptation Plan for Climate Change Impacts in Sri Lanka 2016  2025 (NAP) was prepared by a team of researchers from IPS, for the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment. As the NAP highlights, Sri Lanka needs to concentrate on five gaps in adapting to the impacts of climate change  thus advocating for a Five-Gap Model for climate adaptation in Sri Lanka. These gaps include information gaps, technological gaps, policy and governance gaps, institutional and coordination gaps, and resource mobilization gaps. This model isalso applicable to many other developing countries which face similar issues.



In an effort to further enhance its role in climate policy research, IPS conducted a policy engagement forum in May 2018. The deliberations at the forum reiterated that timely, comprehensive, and evidence-based research is a key pillar in mitigating the impacts of climate change. The event was attended by climate experts representing the government, the non-government, and the private sectors.



The first session of the forum focused on sharing key inputs from IPS research on climate change with the stakeholders.



Several important issues, ranging from the impacts of climate change to policy interventions in areas such as agriculture, health, water and irrigation, and infrastructure, were discussed. The lack of evidence-based research was highlighted as a major obstacle to effective policymaking. This lesson-sharing discussion was followed by a dialogue on potential areas for future research.



Key issues in climate adaptation

Based on the participants insights, a comprehensive cause and effect diagram (fishbone diagram)was developed to explore options for climate adaptation in Sri Lanka. Information gaps, communication gaps, poor policy environment and institutional problems, poor access to reliable options for adaptation, inadequate risk management options, and increased exposure to climate related risks emerged as the main areas which neededurgent attention when adapting to climate change.



The need for accurate climate information was also highlighted during the discussions. In this regard, the IPS has undertaken an action research programme to bridge the climate information gaps among farmers. A pilot project is being carried out in selected study sites in six districts - Anuradhapura, Badulla, Batticaloa, Hambantota, Kurunegala and Ratnapura - representing all agro-ecological zones in the country.



The IPS has collaborated with the Department of Meteorology, Janathakshan, and the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE) to conduct the study.The potential for climate insurance in Sri Lanka was also explored as a part of the IPS research. A study conducted with the support of Global Development Network (GDN) showed that it is technically feasible to implement index-based insurance in Sri Lanka and identified the challenges that need to be addressed.



The deliberations during the forum also pointed to the need fora dynamic platform to share climate information and data.While, research-based inputs are being generated by research institutes, universities, and government agencies, such information is not effectively shared among those who make use of the information. Besides, climate vulnerability assessments and raw data are available in a scattered manner. Therefore, a centralized information sharing system is vital, especially sinceSri Lankais nowtaking necessary actions to combat climate change.

IPS research, looking into loss and damage assessments due to climate change impacts,has also suggested that the country should have an effective data sharing mechanism for climate disasters. This should be given importance when designing a climate information management system in the future.



Future directions

The outputs from the group work completed by stakeholders also emphasised the need for better coordination, both horizontally and vertically, across different levels.



As the IPS highlighted in its first publication, mainstreaming climate change into Sri Lankas development agenda is a prerequisite to implement adaptation policies at all levels.



It is necessary to understand the barriers that hinder coordination among key figures when trying to implement policies.



In addition to climate information and climate insurance, IPS research has also covered severalimportant areas, such asclimate impacts on agriculture, urban climateissues, and disaster risk reduction, and continues to provide more inputs to be fed into climate related policy formulation in Sri Lanka.



(Kanchana Wickramasinghe is a Research Economist and Athula Senaratne is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS). To talk to the author, email kanchana@ips.lk / athula@ips.lk. To view this article online and to share your comments, visit the IPS Blog Talking Economics - http://www.ips.lk/talkingeconomics/)We submitted counter response to OISL report

It can be done in terms of Article 129 of Constitution

UN process against SL started after security forces defeated LTTE

Attorney-at-Law Darshan Weerasekara, who supports those working against the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka, speaks about the process that led to the current situation. He is the one who drafted a counter response to the UN High Commissioners report on Sri Lanka. Excerpts of an interview with him:



QHow do you look at the process that led to the adoption of the UNHRC resolution 30/1 on Sri Lanka in October 2015?



On May 19, 2009, the armed forces defeated the LTTE. That was the beginning of the process. The very same day, 17 nations led by Germany asked for a special session in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to discuss whether the Sri Lankan Government committed serious crimes during the last phase of the war. That session was held on May 26 and 27, 2009, during which the said 17 nations introduced a resolution saying they believed Sri Lanka committed war crimes and that an international investigation was needed.



Then, Sri Lanka, with the assistance of another group of nations, introduced a counter resolution. It congratulated Sri Lanka for bringing the war to an end and lauded the efforts taken by the government to resettle its people. It basically said, Keep up the good work!



It was also tabled. The second resolution was adopted as more nations supported it at that time. However, it was absolutely disappointing to see some Sri Lankans endorsing war crimes took place. But the resolution was something different.



Later, the then UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon commissioned three experts to investigate the allegations and give him a detailed report -- which was called the Panel of Experts or Darusman report -- on the accountability in Sri Lanka. The report said there were many allegations claiming Sri Lankan forces committed war crimes. The charge is that the State, not individuals, is collectively responsible for war crimes. It is a system crime. The Darusman report is the first of its kind that has some connection to the UN claiming these types of crimes happened. The report came out in 2011 and later that year, it was indirectly submitted to the UNHRC. It became the basis for another resolution on Sri Lanka in February 2012. This resolution said there was a report in place that war crimes were committed. They requested the government of Sri Lanka to probe such purported offences. The UNHRC passed the said resolution in March 2012. This was the beginning of a series of resolutions that ended in 2015. Since 2012, the United States submitted resolutions every year in March sessions of the UNHRC -- each time claiming the government did not investigate these offences. Finally in 2014, they tabled the resolution 25/1 authorizing such investigations on the basis that Sri Lanka did not carry out any investigation. The resolution authorized the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to undertake a comprehensive investigation into purported violation of the international humanitarian law and the human rights law. The High Commissioner undertook the investigation in August of 2014 and ended it in March 2015. It is called the OISL report.



It is the only report authorized directly by a UNHRC resolution to probe purported crimes.

As a citizen, I can read this report. When I perused it, I found serious problems. Citizens of this country never got a chance to present arguments. No matter what we say, the government has already agreed and committed to this resolution. The citizens were deprived of the opportunity to present the other side. The UNHRC never gave a chance to counter position to the charges levelled against this country



QYou countered the OISL report and worked out your own report instead. What are the main areas you touched upon?



The OISL report said there was evidence that the State, meaning a chain of command, committed crimes. These are system crimes and not accusations of individual crimes. This falls into a special category. It has eight charges -- four on the international humanitarian law and four on the human rights law. This report was released on September 16, 2015. The Sri Lankan Government was given this report ten days earlier. On a date close to when it was released, Sri Lanka accepted this report. There is no evidence, whether or not, the government assessed it. That is to see whether the charges are proved or not. This report is a low-standard of proof. The government has accepted its conclusion though. The people of Sri Lanka got to read this document on September 15, 2015. By September 29 that year, the government co-sponsored this very controversial resolution 30/1, which, in its paragraph 1, accepts without reservation the conclusion of the OISL report. Nobody challenged the report because Sri Lanka co-sponsored it. The resolution was adopted by consensus. The government said it would implement the report.



QHow prudent is this action by the Sri Lankan Government?



That is the question. As a citizen of Sri Lanka, I have personally benefitted from the armed forces defeating the LTTE. Today, I can live with peace and security in this country and enjoy the rights and privileges guaranteed by our Constitution. If one says the armed force committed war crimes, where is proof?



In this case, proof is contained in the very specific report -- the only one authorized by the UNHRC. As a citizen, I can read this report. When I perused it, I found serious problems. Citizens of this country never got a chance to present arguments. No matter what we say, the government has already agreed and committed to this resolution. The citizens were deprived of the opportunity to present the other side. The UNHRC never gave a chance to counter position to the charges levelled against this country.



QHow difficult will it be for a future government to get rid of this dilemma?



As I said earlier, the OISL report was tabled in September 2015. It was never subjected to any assessment. At the time Sri Lanka co-sponsored the resolution 30/1 in October 2015, the government, in its hands, had a very good domestic report by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). Also, there were six reports commissioned by international experts to analyze whether the Sri Lankan security forces could have committed war crimes. They are all professionals. One of them is Sir John Homes, the Head of British Special Forces. He has said the security forces fought the war according to the highest standards of professionalism. That is his opinion. A person of such calibre is accepted in the House of Lords.



There is no evidence of system crimes according to these reports. The LLRC said there was evidence that some individuals had been involved in such crimes. There are seven isolated instances. They told the government to probe. They are very clear that no system crime happened. If the government accepted it, it should have some reasons for it. The government should have some reasons to believe that the LLRC report and other experts reports were wrong. The government cannot act like regular people. It has to follow some procedure. To the best of my knowledge, there is no such written assessment done by this government. What is the governments basis for accepting the conclusions of the OISL report?

In our country, the only institution authorized to interpret the Constitution is the Supreme Court. Various others like ex-diplomats, ministers and advisors can say whatever they want. They can say the co-sponsorship is legitimate. Lawyers can also say it is legitimate or illegitimate. But the conclusive opinion that matters must come from the Supreme Court. The only person who can request for such an opinion from the Supreme Court is the President in terms of Article 129



If any future government is to challenge this report, they should go back to that original co-sponsorship. Then, it has to get an assessment by a competent authority whether the co-sponsorship is lawful or not.



In our country, the only institution authorized to interpret the Constitution is the Supreme Court. Various others like ex-diplomats, ministers and advisors can say whatever they want. They can say the co-sponsorship is legitimate. Lawyers can also say it is legitimate or illegitimate. But the conclusive opinion that matters must come from the Supreme Court. The only person who can request for such an opinion from the Supreme Court is the President in terms of Article 129.



It says, If at any time it appears to the President of the Republic that a question of law or fact has arisen or is likely to arise which is of such nature and of such public importance that it is expedient to obtain the opinion of the Supreme Court upon it.



I submit to you that the act of the government by co-sponsoring the resolution that might place Sri Lanka in a position of certain obligation to the UNHRC and thereby the international community almost in perpetuity is of public importance. This is perhaps the perfect occasion that would have called for the invocation of Article 129 to get a definitive opinion.



QEarlier, you submitted a counter-response to this resolution. What is the response from the UNHRC?



We put out this report last year. It assessed the eight charges in the OISL report. We said they were unsubstantial. We have filed this report. We have continuously asked the UNHRC to give us a response but we did not get any.



We said in March this year that the UNHRC, permitting to adopt this resolution, had done irreparable damage. We asked the UNHRC to look into it. We filed that petition in March. Until now, we have not had a response. The important point is that the petition has not been dismissed either. This complaint procedure has been adopted by other countries to complain against their own governments. Petitioners in this petition have done an unprecedented job. They have used the petition to complain against the UNHRC itself. If there were any technical problem in the procedure we adopted, they could have dismissed it. It has been six months by now. There is no such dismissal. Have we raised significant legal issues which the UNHRC is facing difficulty with?

The Darusman report is the first of its kind that has some connection to the UN claiming these types of crimes happened. The report came out in 2011 and later that year, it was indirectly submitted to the UNHRC. It became the basis for another resolution on Sri Lanka in February 2012. This resolution said there was a report in place that war crimes were committed. They requested the government of Sri Lanka to probe such purported offences



In June, the United States, the longtime stalwart, left the UNHRC in a huff accusing it of being a cesspool of political bias. Now, the council is under the spotlight. The UNHRC has to show the world that it is not something the US claimed it to be. In our case, petitioners have said the way the UNHRC treated Sri Lanka was unfair and unjust. All these resolutions were sponsored by the United States. If the US sponsors a resolution and calls the UNHRC a cesspool, then all these resolutions will be discredited.



We cannot take advantage of this situation because our government co-sponsored the resolution. The council is under pressure now to show the world that it is not biased.



QThe President said he would make some alternate suggestions. What is your view?



Without knowing what the proposals are, I could not venture into anything. All I can say is what I told earlier. There is a question on the conduct of the government in co-sponsoring the resolution in October 2015. The issue is whether it is lawful or not. That question has to be answered.Senior Attorney-at-Law and Legal Consultant, Tivanka Ekaratne was appointed as the Legal Consultant and advisor to the Sri Lanka Automobile Association of Japan(SLAAJ). He is the first Legal Advisor to be appointed in the history of SLAAJ. He possesses a Masters Degree in International Trade Law from the University of Wales, UK. He also possesses a post graduate degree in Intellectual Property Law and is currently reading a PhD.



Ekaratne is hailing from a legal background in which his father Justice Kumar Ekaratne, was a High Court Judge and grandfather S. Ekaratne was an eminent Counsel.



He published the book Digest of Cases on Customs Law in the year 2010 which bestowed him to become the youngest Author of a Legal publication. This publication received greater importance and thus used as a bible amongst the experts in the field of Customs Law up to date. During his extensive career, he travelled to many parts of the globe on Legal matters including the UK, Australia, Norway, UAE, China, US, France, Japan, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, and India. Furthermore locally he has worked as an Advisor to many listed and unlisted companies, some of them being BOI approved companies and have provided opinions and strategic and value adding advisory services on diverse Commercial, Company, International Trade and Customs Law related areas. Further, Ekaratne was also a member of the panel appointed by the BASL to propose amendments to the Customs Ordinance.



Presently, he is the Secretary of the Colombo Law Society. He had his primary and secondary education at Royal College.



SLAAJ President is confident that this appointment which is backed by vast experience and expertise knowledge would not only strengthen but also manage most of the issues that would crop up in time to come with regard to change of policy and International Trade related matters.ASOSAI Chairman in the 2018-2021 term Ho Duc Phoc speaks at the closing ceremony (Source: VNA)



The second plenary session was chaired by ASOSAI Chairman in the 2018-2021 term Ho Duc Phoc who is also Auditor General of the State Audit of Vietnam (SAV); and ASOSAI Secretary General Choe Jaehyeong.



During the session, delegates elected the SAIs of Indonesia, Russia, Kuwait, Nepal and Bangladesh to the Governing Board of ASOSAI for the term 2018-2021.



They also elected Turkey and Kazakhstan to the Audit Committee in the 2018-2021 term.



The session recognised Palestines SAI as a new ASOSAI member; designated ASOSAI training centres; and transferred the role of ASOSAI Secretary General from the Republic of Korea (RoK) to China.



One of the contents for discussion during the session was the goal of professionalization of the ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI)'s. On this topic, ASEANSAI Chairperson Viengthong Siphandone, who is President of Laos's State Audit Organisation, said the goal has been included in ASEANSAIs strategic plan in 2018-2021.



ASEANSAI aims to become a self-control, independent, professional and non-political organization, which will help develop capacity and enhance collaboration among its members, thus establishing constructive relationships to benefit ASEAN and other stakeholders, he said.



In order to improve the capacity of SAIs and share knowledge on the compliance with the International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAI), ASEANSAI has carried out many meaningful activities, including a long-term programme on the implementation of ISSAI in 2015.



Towards this goal, ASEANSAI implemented a long-term programme on applying international audit standards from 2015 to the end of July this year. It has also organised many training programmes and workshops to better capacity of regional auditors on issues related to land, mineral resources, public procurement; and raise their awareness of sustainable development goals.



ASEANSAI has adopted its Strategic Plan for 2018-2021 and revised relevant regulations.



President of Thailands State Audit Commission Chanathap Indamra affirmed ASOSAI is an open community, and the cooperation among ASOSAI members is key to achieve the overall goal of promoting and enhancing experience in term of public audit.



ASOSAI Secretary General Choe Jaehyeong, who is also Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection of the RoK, announced that SAIs of India, China and Malaysia were recognized as ASOSAI training centres due to their excellent training facilities and capabilities.



In his closing speech, ASOSAI Chairman Ho Duc Phoc thanked the RoK SAI for well fulfilling its duty as Secretary-General of ASOSAI in the past term, and congratulated the Chinese SAI for being elected ASOSAI Secretary General for the 2018-2021.



After four days of working, member SAIs discussed and agreed on many important issues such as the budget plan of the organisation in 2019-2021; ASOSAI Strategic Plan 2016-2021, the 11th research report and the 11th symposium report.



He called on member SAIs to strengthen cooperation and experience and initiative sharing, thus further contributing to the ASOSAI communitys development.



Thailand will host the next Assembly of ASOSAI in 2021./.Villagers perform a lantern dance to celebrate China's first Farmers' Harvest Festival in Majiazhai Village of Shuiwei Township in Cengong County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Sept. 23, 2018. People across China hold various activities to celebrate the country's first Farmers' Harvest Festival, which falls on Sept. 23 this year. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China celebrated its first ever national harvest festival across the country on Sunday, also the day of the Autumnal Equinox.

Autumnal Equinox is one of the 24 solar terms of the Chinese lunar calendar and usually falls between Sept. 22 and 24, during the country's harvest season. It was designated a special day for farmers to celebrate the harvest earlier this year.

In Xiaogang Village, Fengyang County in east China's Anhui Province, people gathered to examine the quality of a variety of rice on the eve of the festival.

Only 40 years ago, local villagers could barely feed themselves before they boldly pioneered reforms that were later promoted nationwide, mainly a household-responsibility system that links remuneration to output.

This year, China's agricultural conglomerate Beidahuang Group based in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province set up a modern rice plantation in Xiaogang Village.

"We will develop a one-stop supply and marketing mechanism with Xiaogang as a brand of modern agriculture," said Li Jinzhu, first secretary of Xiaogang Village Party committee.

Farmers across China celebrate the harvest festival with activities ranging from skill contests, products exhibitions to parties and carnivals.

In Deqing County of east China's Zhejiang Province, 11 teams of farmers participated in a series of farming skill competitions.

In Hulin, a small city in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, farmers attended a grand outdoor party to celebrate the festival. They sang, danced and joined games such as tug of war in the urban square.

"I am glad to see that a festival is specifically designated for the farmers. That means farmers now enjoy a higher status in China," said Zhao Guihai, a resident in the city.

In Kuche County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, more than 20,000 people gathered at a bonfire party on Friday night in the county square.

The county also held a fair for agricultural products, picking out "the biggest cantaloupe", "the biggest walnut", and "the biggest Chinese date", all freshly harvested products famous in Xinjiang.

For some people, the harvest festival is a time for reflecting upon the past and looking forward to the future.

Dai Geniu, a 94-year-old living in the city of Xinzheng in central China's Henan Province, has been a farmer for her whole life in the major crop-producing province. She has experienced wars, floods, and famines.

"Harvest is the happiest time of a year, even better than the Spring Festival, because food gives people a sense of security and hope," Dai said.

Wu Daowen, a farmer in southwest China's Guizhou Province, will reap a bumper harvest of kiwi fruits for the first time in three years. Wu started growing kiwi fruits in 2016, and then expanded the scale to about 1.33 hectares after he improved the planting techniques.

"I expect to have a yield of 1,750 kg of kiwi this year, and with the price of 12 yuan per kilo, I can make at least 20,000 yuan (about 2,900 U.S. dollars)," Wu said.

"Now as the kiwi fruit is very popular on the market, we don't have to worry about selling it," Wu said, "I estimate we'll reap 5,000 kg next year and there will be more bumper years to come."

4

1

[ Editor: WPY ]CHESTER  Chesters creativity and cheer were abundant on the grounds of Talen Energy Stadium Saturday as thousands came to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes that Chesterfest 2018 had to impart.

The important thing about having it each year is to bring the community and families together and to just show the positive side of our city, to show the culture and the talent that we have, Chester Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland said.

Hosted by Kirkland and City Council, Chesterfest was an opportunity to showcase artists from Chester and the surrounding areas, whether their expertise be oil paints, performance or the culinary arts.

The seven-hour event, initially started as the Riverfront Ramble, has been held annually for 13 years and about 12,000 were expected to attend throughout the day, which culminated in a riverfront fireworks extravaganza.

Gospel artist Jermaine Dolly, Washingtons premier Go-Go band Rare Essence, Shadows of the 60s Tribute to the Temptations and the Latin band Tempo Alegre joined others by taking the concert stage throughout the day and entertaining audiences with their flair.

Big Vars yellow truck joined the line of food specialties as patrons could buy his mango, cherry, coconut, pistachio, airhead green, grape and other flavors in sizes ranging from $1 to $8.

And although hes been a staple both at the city festivals and in the city itself starting with his cart outside Chester High School 18 years ago, Saturday was special for him as his wife, Tiffany Flamer, was being honored by the city.

A model for two years and an elementary school teacher, Flamer was recognized for being newly designated as an ambassador with Ashley Stewart models.

Shes going to be the face of Ashley Stewart, he beamed with pride as he showed a mix of various modeling shots from his phone of the Chester beauty.

Its something positive, theres a lot of good in the city, Big Var said, adding that that often gets overlooked in Chester. It just happens that we can have these role models in our community, that can turn a different leaf for us.

Nearby, artists Eddie Graham and Kenneth Picasso of Abstract Kings Gallery had their art on display for sale.

Were both local artists, were both born and raised in Chester, Graham said, so it was the right thing to do to be here.

Before him were tables filled with canvases, jackets and even a backpack that Graham had painted with images of characters and bold paint. There was also a mixed media piece featuring images of Michael Jackson on display.

He said he drew from being raised in the 1990s and used a lot of characters such as the Simpsons that he liked.

Nearby, Picasso was busy working on an oil painting as vibrant music played from the soundstage and crowds walked by.

Were just artists, this is our livelihood, he said. We always do live art. If were not doing face painting, were doing mural paintings or something like that.

In between mixing colors on a palette to bring an artwork featuring a well-muscled man carrying the world on his shoulders, Picasso talked about the purpose of Chesterfest.

Community and unity and different people from different walks of life all coming together, he said. You see how peaceful and nice this is? Thats what its all about.

Darla Morgan came from Sharon Hill for a reason.

After joining her friends on the Talen grounds, she wanted to know, Where are we going to eat?

Planning to indulge in some chicken wings and fish, Morgan wanted to relax and enjoy her time at Chesterfest.

We work all week and on the weekends, we like to get out and about, she smiled.

Standing near the inflatable park where the children bounced off slides and more, Jackie James, Janea Marshall and Janiya Marshall were grateful for the childrens activities and food as well.

Its no trouble, no trouble and its safe, thats most important, James said, and being able to have my kids run around.Subscriber content preview

PORTLAND (AP)  Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek wants to sit down with Washington lawmakers before the end of the year to further discussions about replacing the Interstate Bridge, a newspaper reported Friday.

The Portland Democrat said at a transportation forum last week that she welcomes a renewed commitment from Washington legislators who appear ready to start talking about replacing the Interstate 5 bridge connecting the two states, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.





. . .BEIJING, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated Chinese farmers for their first harvest festival.

Xi, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairman of the Central Military Commission, sent greetings and good wishes to the country's farmers on behalf of the CPC Central Committee ahead of the festival, which falls on Sept. 23, the Autumnal Equinox of this year.

The CPC Central Committee's decision to create the Chinese farmers' harvest festival further demonstrates that work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers is a top priority and holds a fundamental position, Xi noted, calling the creation of the festival "an event with profound and far-reaching influence."

"China is a large agricultural country. Priority on agriculture is the foundation and essential for the rule of the country and the people's security," Xi said.

Chinese farmers have made great contributions throughout the country's history, he said, noting that historic achievements and reforms have been made in agricultural and rural development over the past four decades of rural reform.

Xi called on the country's farmers and all sectors of society to vigorously participate in the festive events and foster a good environment for the development of agriculture and rural areas as well as the wellbeing of farmers.

He also urged moves to stimulate farmers' enthusiasm, initiative and creativity so as to fully implement the rural vitalization strategy, win the tough battle against poverty and accelerate the modernization of agriculture and rural areas.

[ Editor: WPY ]Subscriber content preview

OLYMPIA  Twenty-three housing projects around the state will receive a total of $9.9 million in grants and loans from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

The funds will help preserve 1,179 multifamily rental and shelter units, 790 of which will be occupied by households earning 30 percent or less of the area median income.





. . .Subscriber content preview

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A prominent Utah real estate investor has been found guilty of 15 charges related to one of the biggest fraud schemes in state history.

Federal prosecutors say Claud Rick Koerber tricked investors out of tens of millions of dollars, promising them high returns.





. . .Vice President Thinh delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the event, in which she highlighted Vietnams achievements in ensuring equality for women, and affirmed that Vietnam will work closely with other countries to realise the forums goals of protecting and elevating womens role in the world.

During her stay in Russia, the Vietnamese Vice President met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and had working sessions with Russian Federation Council Chairperson V.I Matviyenko and Governor of Saint Petersburg G.Poltavchenko.

In the framework of the forum as well as in separate meetings with Vice President Thinh, Russian leaders expressed their deep condolences over the passing of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.

They affirmed that Russia treasures the ties with Vietnam, and the country will work to further strengthen the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

On the sidelines of the forum, Vice President Thinh also had meetings with heads of delegations from some traditional partner countries of Vietnam, including Serbia, Laos, Cuba, Armenia and Hungary.

During the meeting with Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, the two sides showed their desire and determination to effectively implement the free trade agreement between the Eurasia Economic Union and Vietnam, thus promoting economic and trade ties between the two countries.

Vice President Thinh affirmed that Vietnam is willing to coordinate closely with Armenia to successfully organise the Francophone Summit in Armenia on October 11-12, 2018.

In her meeting with the Cuban National Assemblys vice chairman, the Vietnamese leader spoke highly of important results achieved in the visit by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong to Cuba on March this year, expressing her belief that visits of high-ranking leaders of the two nations will contribute to stepping up the bilateral cooperation.

Meeting with the Chairwoman of Laoss National Assembly, Vice President Thinh stressed that the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos is witnessing new development steps, asking the Lao side to continuously create favourable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to invest in Laos.

The Eurasian Women Forum adopted the document on the results of the forum, which affirmed that the forum contributes to uniting women over the world for the goal of building a stable and safe future.

Delegates affirmed their determination to continue fighting for the equality between men and women as an integral part of rights and the basic freedom of human, thus ensuring womens equal and adequate access to economic resources, and expanding opportunities for women through international cooperation.

They also called on countries, international organizations and communities to perfect legal mechanisms; roll out and promote national programmes and strategies to remove obstacles to women, especially in the areas of State management, diplomacy and business, towards ensuring the full and equal participation of women in the fields related to politics, economy, society and culture.

They applauded the signing of the Declaration on the intention to set up the Eurasian Association of Female Regional Leaders, while calling for the promotion of the role of women in interreligious and inter-ethnic dialogues.Mestiza is the Spanish world for a girl with fair skintone. In the Philippines it is more taken as a compliment when you are told your mestiza. For some colonial mentality embedded in the Filipino system for 200 years or more white skin is superior to morena Filipina skin. This is why whitening soaps sells like hotcake in the country. People want to achieve a light skin complexion.

Personally, I dont have anything against whitening soap or anyone who loves using them. If they use it to look better than they already are I am all for it. If it makes someone feel more confident and happy about themselves to make their daily tasks more easier to face go ahead and use it.

What I am against is subjecting the skin to incredible amount of chemicals (like bleach) to get lighter skin. It damages your skin natural immunity making you kore susceptible to sun exposure. You know restricting you to go enjoy the beach . A five minute walk with just even very little sunlight will be daunting to your skin because your skin has become sensitive.

Just recently, I discovered Mestiza Healthy Skin Soap, a whitening soap that has no bleach in it. They have been in the market for about a decade already and claim to use all natural ingredients . I was skeptical at first until they did a face-to-face demo on how they make their all natural Mestiza healthy skin soap.

Watch the video below to see how they make an all natural Mestiza healthy skin soap:





Whats in Mestiza soaps?

Basically what I saw were virgin coconut oil, calamansi extract, Papaya extract, banana extract and a couple of ingredients that were mixed together and placed in a mold to harden and become the soap they package and stamoed by hand!

Mestizas main ingredient is the world-famous, and may probably even be considered superfood Virgin Coconut Oil as well as high-grade coconut oil. The Virgin Coconut Oil is really such an amazing oil, do you know that even at my work, this is being used to help treat prematures to help gain weight? Physicians usually order them to be added in their breastmilk (or formula if there is a contraindication to use of breast milk). Sometimes, it is also being ordered to be mixed for skin or hair care. For skins benefits, virgin coconut oil is known to have a natural anti-bacterial properties and are gentle enough for people with acne and eczema.

MESTIZA soap also yields an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, antiseptic and anti-microbrial properties that is quickly absorbed by the skins inner layers. The active effect help clean, fade away and remove small scars caused by acne or pimples, itchiness, scaling caused by dermatitis and psoriasis, eczema, and other minor skin infections or allergies. The most evident result? Wash thoroughly with every use and you can see healing and feel nourishment for your skin.

Mestiza healthy skin soap has five variants that is catered to different skin type and skin concerns.

Mestiza Original Soap

Contains Papaya Extract for lightening and hydrating skin.

Prime Bountiful Violet

Designed for normal to dry skin. It contains Lavender Fragrance Oil.

Prime Green Serenity Soap

Designed for oily skin. It contains Green Apple Fragrance Oil.

Scarlet Rose Soap

Designed for normal to oily skin. It contains Herbal Essence Fragrance Oil.

Earth Brown Soap

Designed for dry skin. It contains Patchouli Fragrance Oil.

Mestiza Healthy Soaps is now owned and distributed by Organique Skincare Inc. Each bar is sold at Php53.00 . For more information visit their Facebook Page Mestiza Philippines or follow them o Instagram @mestizaph .

Stay gorgeous everyone!

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By USA Today , Sep. 21, 2018





MIDDLETON - The gunman who shot four people at a Dane County software company with an illegally obtained pistol was banned from carrying concealed weapons after a "mental health" incident in 2004 while living in South Dakota, police said Friday.





Anthony Y. Tong illegally obtained the pistol he used to shoot his co-workers after having his concealed carry permit revoked over an incident involving police in Sioux Falls, where he lived before moving to Madison in 2017, Middleton Police Chief Charles Foulke said at a news conference.

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